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Brentwood Press - DiscoveryBayPress_10.10.08 - Index

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October 10, 2008
HOMES | DINING | HEALTH | RECREATION | CLASSIFIEDS
Falcons take silver at home tourney
by Jennifer Birkland
Correspondent
The Freedom High School
boys varsity water polo team plowed
through its bracket at last weekend’s
Falcon Challenge tournament
in Oakley, winning three straight
games by large margins. It wasn’t
until the tournament fi nals against
Diablo Valley Foothill League powerhouse
College Park that Freedom
fi nally ran into some trouble.
Trailing 7-5 heading into the
fourth quarter, Freedom missed
several key shots that bounced off
the goalposts. College Park utilized
its speed on the counterattack to
take advantage of Freedom errors,
resulting in a 14-6 loss for the Falcons.
“We were a little disappointed
in the championship game. We
defi nitely had it in us to win but
we made too many mistakes in
the fourth quarter,” said Freedom
coach Steve Lynn. “College Park is
a really good team. They’re a little
more experienced and they had a
whole lot of speed. But our kids
played really well. I can’t be too upset
with second place.”
Super sophomore Justin Stafford,
who led Freedom with three
goals against College Park in the
fi nals, scored 18 goals in the tour-
Photo by Jennifer Birkland
Freedom senior Tim Noonan winds up to shoot as a James Logan player closes in during game
one of last weekend’s Falcon Challenge tournament in Oakley.
nament. Junior Keaton Lynn, who
scored two goals against College
Park, notched 12 goals on the weekend.
Senior goalie Nick Messina
made 14 saves against College Park
and 37 overall.
In addition to seniors Tim
Noonan and Zach Hanson, Lynn
also credited junior Drew Rozner
for providing Freedom with a
strong defensive effort.
The Falcons opened their
home tournament against James
Logan on Friday afternoon, which
ended in a 13-3 victory. Two more
lopsided wins followed against Cardinal
Newman (15-9) and Concord
High (15-6). Once his team was
clearly in control of those fi rst three
games, Lynn put the brakes on the
offense to avoid unnecessary blowouts
and to teach good sportsmanship.
“There’s really no reason to tag
on extra goals once it’s clear you’re
going to win,” Lynn said. “I try to
work on ball control and working
the 30-second (shot) clock. We
don’t counterattack once we’re at
an eight- or nine-point lead. There’s
just no need for it.”
Now midway through their
season, the Falcons seem to be hitting
on all cylinders, improving with
each game, much to Lynn’s delight.
“Our last few games have been
our best games of the season,” Lynn
‘Gooch’ honored as positive role model
by Jennifer Birkland
Correspondent
Most people can look back at
their formal education and identify
at least one teacher who made
an impact on their lives. For Linda
Ghilarducci, it was Dixie Ubrick,
a seventh-grade physical education
teacher at Oakley School. Ubrick
not only instilled in Ghilarducci a
sense of self-worth; she unknowingly
helped determine her young
pupil’s future.
“Mrs. Ubrick told me that I
had the potential to be a really good
athlete,” said Ghilarducci. She said,
‘You’re gifted.’ She was one of those
teachers that was strict but fun. A
lot of kids would go into her classroom
at lunch just to talk to her.
And I wanted to be just like her.”
From that moment, Ghilarducci,
who has always been known
simply as “Gooch,” knew she
wanted to be a teacher and a coach,
to someday infl uence the lives of
young people just as Ubrick had
infl uenced hers. After graduating
from Liberty High School (she
refuses to reveal the exact year),
Ghilarducci attended Diablo Valley
College and ultimately Chico State
University, where she received her
teaching degree.
Now in her 26th season as
head coach of Liberty’s varsity girls
volleyball team, Ghilarducci, also
a physical education teacher at the
school, is following in Ubrick’s footsteps.
Recently, Ghilarducci was
recognized by the California Interscholastic
Federation for exemplifying
what it means to be a positive
role model. She was one 13 coaches
statewide to earn the 2007-08 CIF
Model Coach Award for demonstrating
and teaching six core ethical
values: trustworthiness, respect,
see Model page 6B
see Falcons page 5B
Photo by Jennifer Birkland
Liberty volleyball coach Linda Ghilarducci was one of only 13
coaches in the state to receive the CIF Model Coach Award for
being a positive role model to her players.
THIS WEEK
Patriots crush
competition
Dazzling dashes and whacking
sacks helped the Delta Patriots
run the table in a recent clash of
pads.
Page 4B
‘Salesman’
a killer show
It took the stage in 1949, but
this American classic has never
been more timely.
Page 14B
Cannonbells
toll for fitness
A local workout guru has gotten
hold of a method that’s part oldschool,
part swingin’ new way
to get into shape.
Page 9B
Puzzles and
Prophecies
You’ll find divine diversions on
our Sudoku and Horoscope
page.
Page 19B
Classified
section
Looking to buy or sell something?
Looking for a job? Look
no further than our Classifieds,
Home Services and Directory of
Professional Services section.
Page 17B