High school notebook: Stockdale's Kelly to run for Miss. State
| Wednesday, Feb 08 2012 11:08 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Feb 08 2012 11:17 PM
Stockdale cross country standout Curtis Kelly will sign a national letter of intent to run for Mississippi State next season.
Kelly chose the Bulldogs over Division I options Boise State and Appalachian State (Boone, N.C.), among others. He is the second senior from Stockdale's Division I Central Section championship team to sign with a major Division I program; Cameron Miller signed with Stanford last week.
Also signing today will be two Independence athletes. Shayla Russell, a track and field athlete, and Hector Valdez, the soccer team's goalkeeper, who will both sign with Cal State Bakersfield.
More games scheduled
Bakersfield High, in a quest to strengthen its football schedule after the CIF denied the 13-0 Drillers a state bowl bid in December, is close to finalizing its 2012 slate.
Bakersfield still is looking for a Week 0 game but will play at the Crespi Classic in Encino, likely against an Arizona power, in Week 1; then home against Garces, at Long Beach-Poly and at Clovis-Buchanan.
The Drillers talked to a number of Southern California schools about playing, BHS principal David Reese said, but only Poly has accepted.
"Based on what happened this past year due to a perceived weak schedule, we have approached every big school that we could in order to schedule a home-and-home contract," Reese said.
Another of Kern County's most successful 2011 teams, Ridgeview, has scheduled a Week 5 game with Fresno-Washington Union, which won the Division III state bowl championship last year.
The Wolf Pack also will play Newhall-Hart this fall.
Auriemma visits Tuesday
Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma will watch and recruit Ridgeview junior Erica McCall on Tuesday, not next Thursday as previously reported.
McCall and the Wolf Pack play at Mira Monte on Tuesday. Auriemma -- and nearly every other coach in the country -- would like the 6-foot-3 post to play for his program, which has won six of the past 12 NCAA titles.
CIF director to retire
CIF executive director Marie Ishida, who oversaw the organization while it brought the state wrestling championships and (for a year) the state basketball championships to Bakersfield, will retire at the end of the school year.
The CIF has begun a search to replace Ishida, who held the position for 11 years, and will announce the hire in May.
Girls soccer standouts
Kern Valley junior Jordyn Acosta scored four goals -- in one half -- on Tuesday as the Broncs beat Desert 6-0.
Also on Tuesday, Bakersfield Christian freshman Hannah Rehkopf scored four more goals against Arvin, running her season total to 43. That's just two shy of the county record, set by Tehachapi's Candice Schlecht in 2006, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
Football coach needed
Garces is seeking a varsity football coach. Applications are available at www.garces.org and will be accpeted through March 30.
