High school notebook: Casa's Taylor finishes with strong runs

<p>Casa Grande junior Jacque Taylor ended the cross country season strong, byfinishing 30th in the Footlocker Nationals at San Diego. The previous week she finished 10th at the Footlocker Western Regionals at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut.</p><p>Awards that followed included Northern California Runner of the Year, as well as top junior. Taylor previously won top freshman and top sophomore. She finished third in the state cross country meet in DivisionII with a personal best of 17:40 on the Woodward Park course in Fresno.</p><p>Next for Taylor is the track season, where she plans on adding the 800 to the mile and two-mile to her repertoire.</p><p>Another key date in the Taylor household is July1, when colleges can directly contact her about a scholarship. Right now, schools can send postcards and letters showing their interest. Taylor’s postman is kept quite busy.</p><p>Taylor’s college wish list is all Pac-10, with Oregon at the top, followed by Washington, Stanford and Arizona. East Coast universities are aware of Taylor’s running exploits, but she said she prefers to remain in the West. She hasn’t made any college visits yet, but hopes to begin at spring break.</p><p>Taylor also was unable to attend a large meet in Maryland last month because her mouth was still swollen from having four wisdom teeth extracted.</p><p>Everyone told her to take it easy after the cross country season, but Taylor said it’s nearly impossible to go more than five days without running. And now that she has her driver’s license, expect to see Taylor running at her favorite local spots — Spring Lake and Helen Putnam Park.</p><p>MOVING ON UP</p><p>Upper Lake boys’ basketball coach Forrest Stogner is a straight shooter. He tells his players up front: If they can’t cut it academically, then they can’t play basketball.</p><p>This year, the advice seems to have paid off. Upper Lake, which hadn’t won an NCLI South game in four years, until last week when St. Helena forfeited, is 8-7.</p><p>Stogner was disappointed his team didn’t play the Saints, because he believes this is the year that the Cougars were going to win a league game in the normal method.</p><p>“I tell them there’s more to life than basketball,” said Stogner, who admits this year’s group is “the best bunch of kids I’ve had.”</p><p>And there’s talent. Like 6-foot-1 Kyle Coleman, a three-year varsity player averaging 18.1 points and 10 rebounds. And point guard Brandon Mendoza, whom Stogner claims is the best in Lake County. And then there are twins Dillon and Cory Gonzalez, only 5-foot-8, but dedicated, “well-behaved, well-mannered and never missed an open gym,” says Stogner.</p><p>Last year Upper Lake went 3-22 and in Stogner’s words, “it is tough to pump up a dead rock.”</p><p>Stogner even found an assistant this year, former Hoopa player Kenny Hodges.</p><p>“He cares about people and kids,” Stronger said of Hodges.</p><p>Stogner is hoping the crowds improve as the team does. “I think we’ve got a lot to prove,” Stogner says. “Like it’s no more podunk Upper Lake.”</p><p>FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME WINNERS</p><p>Sonoma Valley linebacker Michael Mulas and Healdsburg lineman Nick Wallace received $1,000 scholarships from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.</p><p>Candidates are judged by their excellence in academic achievement, school and community leadership and their football performance.</p><p>All the Northern California winners will be honored at a banquet on Feb. 19 at the San Francisco Airport Marriott. Tickets are available for $52 per person by calling Chip Castleberry at 823-5592.</p><p>MONAHAN MEMORIAL</p><p>It was announced at former football coach Ed Monhan’s memorial last Saturday that the Cardinal Newman football stadium will bear his name. It will be Ed Lloyd Field at Edward Monahan Stadium.</p><p>It was Monahan’s idea to play games on campus and he helped with construction of the main grandstand.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer</p><p>Rich Rupprecht at 521-5275 or</p><p>rich.rupprecht@pressdemocrat.com</p>