The Top 10, as I see them:
1. Chula Vista Park View Little League Wins World Series: The Bombers were on the verge of elimination at some point every step of the way, but when the dust cleared, they were the best group of 11, 12 and 13-year-old baseball players on the planet. The South Bay was energized, and the rest of San Diego County captivated, by their spirited play. Their impact was made obvious by the reception the players received upon their return, when they were accorded rock star status for more than a week. It was the first local team to win a Little League championship since the 1961 El Cajon-La Mesa Little League. Aside from indoor soccer, it was the first national or world championship for a local team since the 1973 SDSU mens' volleyball squad.
2. San Diego State men's basketball vs. Saint Mary's: One of the three or four greatest nights in the history of Aztecs athletics in terms of what was at stake, the players ability to come through in the clutch and fan participation. If you weren't thereon March 25, you really, really missed something special. Can't forget Billy White's dunk or Patty Mills being forced to dribble the ball off his leg.
3. San Diego Chargers beat Indianapolis in the playoffs: Darren Sproles ran wild over the Colts in a 23-17 OT win at Qualcomm Stadium on Jan 12. The running back gained 328 total yards, including 178 on kick returns and 105 rushing. Key play was a late sack of Indy QB Peyton Manning near his own goal line, setting up a short punt that the Bolts converted to a game-tying field goal with 31 seconds left.
4. Stephen Strasburg: I'm not sure how you pick just one single event, but here goes. On Mar. 27, he took the mound in Fort Worth with temperatures in the mid-40s and a stiff breeze, facing Number 16 TCU. He proceeded to pitch 8 innings, allow just 2 runs and strike out 14 Horned Frogs. He allowed just 3 hits and 1 walk as the Aztecs raced to an 11-5 victory. It was a night that called for toughness, and he had it. No complaints about the no-hitter against Air Force, being drafted first or the $140,000 donation, either.
5. Everth Cabrera's Fireworks: Independence Day was perhaps the coming out party for the Padres youth. In a televised game that overshadowed that weekend's return of the Dodgers' Manny Ramirez from a 50-day drug suspension, Cabrera was spectacular defensively at shortstop and drove in three runs during a 7-4 win by the Friars. A month later, he hit a walk-off grand slam against Francisco Rodriguez of the Mets. The Padres also saw promise from outfielders Kyle Blanks and Will Venable.
6. Jeff Moorad Buys Padres: The local major league baseball team had stagnated under owner John Moores and conditions were not going to improve under an owner who had moved out of town. His divorce made things worse and prompted the sale. Good for us fans, sucks for them, of course, since you don't want to wish that on anybody. Moorad has provided some fresh energy and a new direction that appears positive on the surface. If it translates to the field, all the better.
7. West Hills Upsets Mt. Miguel in CIF Girls Division II Basketball Final: This is why people love March Madness. The Matadors were routinely the section champions and the Wolf Pack had never been. Mt. Miguel beat them by 11 the first time they played last season. So, of course, on March 6 they go down to the final seconds at the Jenny Craig Pavilion tied at 44, and Wolf Pack junior Sherika Miller scooped up a loose ball, drove to the basket and flipped up a shot that somehow went in with 1.3 seconds remaining.
8. Chargers Stand Turns Around Season: The Chargers were 4-3 and riding a two-game winning streak, but still chasing the Broncos when they traveled to the Meadowlands to face the Giants on Nov. 8. No one at the time imagined the Chargers would be where they are now, comfortably in first place in the AFC West and aiming for the second seed in the playoffs. The reason why they're where they are now is they didn't fold when an interception return set the Giants up at the Chargers 4-yard line in the fourth quarter. After allowing pressure on QB Eli Manning all day, a Giants lineman was called for holding. The Giants only got a field goal, and the Chargers drove for the game-winning touchdown. The rest, as they say, is history.
9. Girls High School Cross-Country National Championship: It made nary a blip on the local radar last weekend, but it did make national news as Megan Goethels of Rochester, Mich. and Chelsey Sveinsson of Dallas finished the Morley Field course in identical times of 17:07. Goethals led most of the 5K race but fell behind Sveinsson late during a pouring rainstorm. The Michigan girl had a great finishing kick and pushed ahead with five meters remaining and won by mere inches.
10. SDSU Women's Basketball Wins in NCAA Tournament: Beth Burns' Aztecs hosted the first two rounds of the women's NCAA Tournament and used the home court advantage to defeat DePaul 76-70, with unstoppable G Jene Morris tying her career high with 35 points. The home court advantage was the real deal, the victory ran the Aztecs home record to 15-0 that season before they fell to Stanford two nights later.
Other cool things: Eastlake High School's football team making Qualcomm Stadium for the first time and defeating Vista for it's first CIF crown despite playing most of the game without star Tony Jefferson ... Oceanside winning its sixth straight Division II title and having all the Southern Section teams above them in consideration for the state bowl lose, giving both the Pirates and Francis Parker bids ... Brady Hoke's SDSU football team nearly pulled off a miracle, coming within two quarters, or two minutes if that's how you want to look at it, of going to a bowl game. It wasn't to be, with last-minute losses to Wyoming and UNLV, but the coaching staff is recruiting much better than anyone at State in years, possibly enough to land a bowl bid next year ... SDSU's mens' soccer team hit the big time in September with a 4-2 win over sixth-ranked old nemesis UC Santa Barbara, and also scored big wins over Stanford and Cal (twice). They also twice tied UCLA, once when the Bruins were ranked second in the nation.
I'm sure I forgot something, or things. Feel free to comment and jog my memory!
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