By Allen Payton

Attached to an email received Tuesday morning at 1:03 AM, with the subject line “RE: Joint Press Release from Antioch and Pittsburg Unified School Districts,” from the email address of Pittsburg Superintendent Janet Schulze, but not on district letterhead nor signed by her, was an “Additional statement from PUSD Superintendent” defending the Pittsburg High School band and blaming the Deer Valley High School varsity football team coaches, for the incident before last Friday night’s game.

The AdditionalStatementfromPUSDSuperintendent reads as follows:

I support everything in the joint statement and our collaboration with Antioch as we continue the investigation. I do want to offer my additional individual assessment and clarification. I want to be clear that the PHS Band had no part in the miscommunications. They did a terrific performance, as usual! I commend the Band for their professionalism and talent.

It is my opinion that the DVHS coaches used poor judgment in running drills that went near and into the Band’s formation while the Band was playing. This created a situation that was potentially dangerous.

Janet Schulze

However, according to the rules for North Coast Section (NCS) football games, in section “305H Code of Ethics for Bands and Other Support Groups,” subsection “f.” it states “Bands, song girls, entertainment, etc., should never interfere with the officials, the practicing teams, or the playing of the game.” That’s the argument being made by those defending the football team’s actions.

A phone call to and emails were sent to Schulze asking if she was the author of the statement, and if so was she was pressured by her Board members, if she thought it undermined the joint press release with Antioch Superintendent Dr. Don Gill, and if she’s aware of the NCS rules, and why she sent it out without her signature, not on district letterhead and at that time of the morning.

12:52 PM UPDATE: In a phone call from Schulze’s Executive Assistant Barbara Jones, she confirmed that the statement was from Schulze.

In an email from Dr. Schulze, at 1:13 p.m., she stated “It was not at all meant to undermine the joint statement that the two districts worked on. I stated that as the first sentence in order to hopefully make that clear. I also informed Dr. Gill of the two items I would be sharing. I was not pressured by any Board members.”

10:36 PM UPDATE: In a further response to the questions, Schulze stated via email, Tuesday afternoon:

“Pittsburg High School’s Marching Band has a long history of performing pre-game at home games. Both home and visiting audiences have enjoyed the performances for years. It was also our Senior Night. It is not uncommon for the visiting team to be warming up during a Band performance. The Band Director had every expectation to believe the visiting team was aware before bringing out the Band. This is not a student athlete issue, nor is it a Band member issue. It is an adult miscommunication and judgment issue. We are in working in partnership with Antioch to learn from this and move forward together. We have always worked well and collaboratively with Antioch and do not want this one instance to characterize the students or communities.”

No response was provided as to why her additional statement was sent in the manner and at the time it was.

 

 

 

 

Following is the verbatim press release from the superintendents of both the Antioch and Pittsburg Unified School Districts.

October 19, 2015

6:00 PM

As you are probably aware, an incident occurred prior to the Deer Valley/Pittsburg High Football game over the weekend that has received a lot of media (and social media) attention. We felt it was important for you to hear from both districts regarding the incident and what we plan to do as a result.

First of all, please know that, as educational and community leaders, school and student safety is our highest priority. This commitment stretches beyond classroom walls and applies to sporting events, extra-curricular activities and community activities that involve our students and staff members. Thus, when we learned of an incident that may compromise the safety of students, we take it very seriously. Our districts and schools have always embraced a collaborative and positive working relationship, whether it is in the classroom, in the meeting room, or on the football field.

The incident involving football players and band members was regrettable and should not have occurred. We met today with school principals, athletic directors and other personnel to discuss the incident, collect more information and begin a joint investigation. At this point, we believe a series of miscommunications occurred that resulted in both the Pittsburg High band and Deer Valley High football team being on the field at the same time. This created confusion on the part of the Pittsburg band members and Deer Valley football players.

We believe there was no intent on either side to disrespect the observance of our country’s National Anthem. Both AUSD and PUSD have coaching and support staff who served proudly in the armed forces and who deeply value our flag and country.

The investigation will continue to determine where communication may have broken down and to address the various allegations brought forth as a result of Friday’s game. If we determine any of the allegations to be true, we will take swift and appropriate action.

We will never condone poor sportsmanship at any of our events or activities. We are saddened by the negative messages being portrayed about our students in social media. Both teams showed great sportsmanship during and after the game and no other incidents occurred. We encourage our communities to please not jump to conclusions and understand that we are working cooperatively together, and will continue to work together to promote safe and positive experiences for our students.

Sincerely,

Donald Gill, Superintendent                             Janet Shulze, Superintendent

Antioch Unified School District                        Pittsburg Unified School District

To view a copy of the joint press release by the two districts, click here: AUSD PUSD Joint Press Release 10-19-15

Editor’s Note: Herald staff is currently investigating what occurred and will provide a more complete story on the incident, within the next few days.

F.D. Purcell, Bay Area Sports Reporter

Antioch Herald

That is the quote on the Oakland Raiders’ second year player, Travis “TJ” Carrie’s Twitter page. Not many get the opportunity to play for their home team – selected in the 7th round, 219th overall in the 2014 draft – but this Antioch native is and he’s taking it all in stride. Carrie is accustomed to playing for a team that’s under the microscope having played at football powerhouse De La Salle. Carrie fell in love with the game watching his three older brothers and one younger brother.

It didn’t matter where the former ball boy played football: in the mud, concrete or street, as long as he played. That passion shows when he’s on the field breaking up plays on receivers or gunning for balls on special teams. It was that very foundation of family and passion that helped cultivate him to the solid young man he is on and off the field. And it shows on his social media pages which are flanked by motivating quotes, family, football and the love o his life fiance and college sweetheart Tyisha, who he’s set to marry next June.

Antioch Herald: What’s it like playing for the hometown team?

TJ Carrie: A tremendous blessing, tremendous opportunity that I was given and I’m having fun out there. I think that’s the biggest most exciting thing is being able to play in front of players you’ve watched and grown up with and there’s nothing better than having this opportunity.

AH: When you go into the season are there any goals you get for yourself?

TJ: Definitely. I always set goals and standards for myself. The #1 thing is to be a different player than I was last year. Growing and understanding that last year was a rookie season and coaches allow you to make a little more mistakes when you’re a rookie. Being able to come into a second season and take advantage of the opportunity and know that I have a tremendous amount of growth that I can excel to. That’s one of the biggest goals that I’ve had coming into this year.

AH: Since you’re from the area how do you deal with the ticket requests from family and friends? That comes out of your pocket.

TJ: I have a great family support system. That has definitely been something we had to talk about as a family. They are understanding and they understand the situation that I’m going to try to get everyone and we make the best of that opportunity but I break it up on a good system. I’m glad we’ve been able to get on the same page.

AH: What’s been that largest ticket request?

TJ: When I traveled to Cleveland last season it was about 35 with coaches and players I grew up with, aunts and uncles. It was probably one of the biggest ones I’ve had. It’s great to have them there at the game supporting me. It’s HUGE!

AH: Your family support is tremendous, talk about that.

TJ: My parents moved to Cleveland so they could be near me when I was in college and now I’m back out here (laugh). I have other family members here, but it’s a big homecoming when we play there, because my fiance is from there also.

AH: It’s crazy they’re gone but you have your fiance here, right?

TJ: Yes, and it’s crazy because before I was drafted were here visiting and she said, “Wouldn’t it be great to live here?” Now we’re here and planning to get married next June in Cleveland.

AH: I saw she did something great for your birthday?

TJ: (smiles) Yes we had a helicopter ride and we went to Napa. (You can view the photos on his Instagram page leon18_tj)

AH: Having attended De La Salle you know a thing or two about winning cultures. How do you apply that mindset on a professional level and do you set goals going into each season?

TJ: The biggest things those schools have given me are the traits I have today: dedication, working hard and discipline. All those things are lifestyle changes in itself and bringing them here is something that transforms you more into an athlete because this game is more mental than physical. High school and college experiences have shaped and carried me into this season.

AH: What would you be doing if you weren’t playing football?

TJ: I have my masters in coaching and education so coaching is definitely something I like to do. Something with kids, younger or high school and training them so they can be powerful, successful and helping them pave their future.

AH: What is your greatest Raiders memory thus far?

TJ: The moment it happened (getting drafted) and getting a call from then head coach Dennis Allen on draft day and thinking in my mind, “Wow, I’m going back home.” I’ve been away for so long but having this opportunity is a tremendous blessing to go back home and play the sport I love is really what’s the biggest memory for me and it still is today.

AH: Any final words to the Raider Nation?

TJ: Yes, I’m looking here to stay for the long-haul. You can depend on me and look for me to make some big things happen this year Raider Nation.

You can follow him on Twitter @tj_carrie and Instagram leon18_tj. Read more about him on his Wikipedia page here.

 

By Allen Payton

World champion motorcycle racer Rodney Smith, of Antioch, will be inducted into the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015, during a ceremony, this Saturday in Orlando, Florida.

“Rodney Smith was one of the most versatile motorcycle racers of the 1990s, excelling in both motocross and off-road at the highest levels,” said Ken Ford, a member of the AMA and American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation boards of directors. “{His) contributions to the world of motorcycling are enduring and substantial.”

According to the AMA website, “Each year, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame welcomes new members.” Smith will be one of six inductees who “will join the ranks of motorcycling’s greatest advocates and champions…during the American International Motorcycle Expo.”

Born in 1964 and a 1982 graduate of Antioch High School, Rodney Smith started riding motorcycles in the hills of Northern California with his family in the 1960s and ’70s, and his first race was at age 13 at Sand Hill in Brentwood. From there, he blossomed into a local motocross standout and then an international contender. Smith accepted an offer to race in Brazil in 1985 and won five Brazilian national championships. He then moved to the world level and finished third in the 1988 Fédération Internationale de Moocyclisme 250cc World Motocross Championships before returning to America in 1990.

Back in the United States, Smith turned his focus to off-road racing, where he became one of the most dominant riders of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Smith won 13 AMA-sanctioned national championship series, including five Grand National Cross Country titles, three AMA National Hare Scrambles titles and five AMA National Reliability Enduro Championships. He also excelled in the International Six Days Enduro, winning multiple gold medals, competing on the premier U.S. Trophy Team and twice earning top-American honors. He mainly raced wearing number 31 on his jersey.

His major accomplishments include: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 & 2004 Grand National Cross Country Champion; 2001 Parts Unlimited World Off-Road Series – 2nd place; 1996 & 1997 AMA Hare Scramble Series Champion; 1994 & 1995 International Six Days Enduro Gold Medalist; 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 & 1998: AMA National Reliability Enduro Champion; 1988 World Grand Prix Motocross 250cc – 3^rd place; and five-time Brazilian Motocross Champion.

“A true champion can ride in all different conditions, and just when you think you’re done, push harder,” Smith states. His advice to younger riders is “to always remember why you started riding a motorcyle. Because it is fun.”

Since his racing days, according to his website, Smith “has scaled his racing plans back a bit, and after injuries and some frustration, decided to transition into a full-time coach/advisor…to students of all ages and skill levels.”

His RSMX & Offroad Acadmey offers a motorcross riding school, private and group lessons, fitness and dietary training and weekend camps.

According to his father, his parents and brother will be joining Smith in Florida for the ceremony.

For more information on Smith, visit his website at http://rodneysmith31.com/. For more information about the 2015 Hall of Fame, click here.

Congratulations, Rodney!

The old west returns

Since 1941 the Grand National Livestock Exposition, Horse Show & Rodeo has been one of the most prestigious western lifestyle events in the West attracting thousands of participants and fans from California and other western states. The Cow Palace team would like to invite all of you to participate in two weekends of excitement. We are sure there will be something for everyone.

On October 16-17, and October 23-24, 2015 the Cow Palace will come alive with cowgirls, cowboys, an array of livestock, horses, western exhibits, tasty BBQ and our ever popular rodeo! The Grand National PRCA Rodeo will be produced for the 47th year by Cotton Rosser and the Flying U Rodeo Company. Rosser and his team will be bringing top stock for the 600 plus professional cowboys and cowgirls competing in seven rodeo events. Rodeo performances begin each night at 7:30 pm.

The Junior and Open Livestock Shows are “must see” events where youth and adult exhibitors will enter their best stock and compete for top prize money and the honor of showing a Grand National Champion. The Livestock Show starts on October 15 and runs through October 18. Cattle, sheep, goats, dairy cows, hogs and even rabbits will be on display.

In addition to the Livestock Exposition and Rodeo, the make sure to visit the various horse show events, barrel racing, drill team competitions, and stock dog trials. For the Arabian horse lover, the costume class will be showing during the rodeo performances on October 23-24. Grace, beauty and strength are all combined in this lovely presentation.

Don’t miss the Western Marketplace which is open from at 11 am – 11 pm all four days of the rodeo. Tack, jewelry, clothing and special western mementos will be among the items not to be missed. While in the Marketplace be sure to save your appetite for the nightly BBQ which begins at 5 pm, prior to each rodeo performance.

For complete details and up to date schedule information please check our website at www.grandnationalrodeo.com.

Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas repeated history in taking both legs of the 4th Annual Delta-Valley Classic at Antioch and Merced Speedways, collecting $4,000 in winnings and a $500 bonus. Hogge IV accomplished the same unlikely feat four years earlier.

Challenged by 16-year-old Ethan Dotson of Bakersfield, the veteran Hogge IV searched for the right groove to maintain the lead at Merced Speedway. Winton’s Paul Stone, who finished third at Merced and second at Antioch Speedway, chased Dotson across the finish line.

“Ethan (Dotson) is a true racer – he left me room to race him clean. He’s very impressive for his age,” Hogge IV said in victory lane. “As the track became slicker and slicker, I tried to stay in the same ruts lap after lap to maintain traction.”

The Delta-Valley Classic closes the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) season for modified and SportMod race cars.

Earlier this summer, Dotson pulled off an upset, winning the IMCA Harris Clash in Iowa. He was the first Californian to win the race.

Soft-spoken Dotson was modest after the race.

“I came close to passing him a few times – once I almost did it on a restart,” he said. “Bobby (HoggeIV) was just a little bit better than I could be tonight.”

The event began Saturday night at Antioch Speedway, where Stone got behind Hogge IV just before the finish.

“I wasn’t surprised to see Paul (Stone) there,” Hogge IV said of the Antioch Speedway race. “I could see him hounding Brian Cass on the bottom, so I went to the bottom and that was the place to be.”

Stone, who worked his way to the front had a smooth drive at Antioch, but had to survive a couple of skirmishes at Merced Speedway.

“I tried not to overdrive, because I needed to be there at the end,” Stone said of his Antioch performance. “From starting 13th to finishing second wasn’t a bad run.”

Merced Speedway action saw Stone narrowly avoid serious damage from spinning cars. He brushed the fourth turn wall early in the race.

“I started too far back,” Stone said. “It was a hornet’s nest back there. My front end was a little messed up – that would make it hard to catch a top driver like Bobby (Hogge IV).”

At Antioch Speedway it was Chico’s Duane Cleveland, Ryan McDaniel of Chico, and Troy Foulger of Martinez who completed the top five spots behind Hogge IV and Stone in the 22-car field.

Merced Speedway saw Stone, followed by Kyle and Alex Wilson of Salinas to complete the top five behind Hogge IV and Dotson.

Winners in the other divisions at Antioch Speedway included: Vallejo’s Larry Damitz in the Northern All Stars Limited Late Model division, Fred Ryland of Brentwood in the IMCA SportMod division, and Concord’s Jordan Swank in the Hobby Stock division.

Merced Speedway winners included Turlock’s Chris Falkenberg in the IMCA SportMod division, Cody Parker of Merced in the Hobby Stock division and Roy Hart, Jr. in the Northern All Stars Limited Late Model Division.

The 2015 season has concluded at Antioch and Merced Speedways. The 2016 schedule will be posted in November.

By Luke Johnson

Last Friday in a home game versus Rancho Cotate High School, Antioch High School running back Najee Harris broke the all-time school touchdown record, while linebacker Kobie Beltram surpassed the all-time school tackle record in a 54-14 victory.

Both have been playing on the varsity squad since they were freshmen, and only four games into his junior season, Harris already possess the school’s all-time rushing record (3,391 yards), season rushing record (2,263 yards), single-game rushing record (396 yards) and after two scores on Friday he now holds the all-time touchdown record with 34, passing Brian Boccio’s record of 32 set in 1992.

Harris did not want to shine the light on himself after eclipsing Boccio’s record; he was more excited for Beltram, who broke his brother Markie’s record set in 2012.

“What Kobie did, I think that’s pretty magical. I’m happy that he has come this far,” Harris said. “But about me, I don’t really care.”

Kobie only needed one more tackle to tie Markie’s record heading into the game against Rancho Cotate, and finished with five before sitting out the second half due to a 46-0 lead. He now has 256 career tackles in the midst of his senior season.

According to the Beltram household, breaking the all-time tackle record is family tradition. The eldest brother Richie, who graduated from AHS in 2002, is believed to have originally possessed the record.

“I feel bad I had to take it from my brother,” said Kobie. “But he’s the one who held it, and I’m the one who had to take it.”

Tonight, Antioch travels to Pinole Valley in an attempt to finish 5-0 in its pre-league schedule. Harris visits his old home during his middle school and youth football days. He has two brothers who played for Pinole Valley’s football team, and a sister who is also an alum. Harris said he will know most of the team’s players, but does not plan on bonding with them until after the game.