Cardinal Newman's Corey Hammell looks to make a pass during the boys CIF State Division IV basketball championship held at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on March 23, 2013. (Scott Manchester / The Press Democrat)

Unforgettable year in local, Bay Area sports

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

It was a full and exciting year in Redwood Empire and Northern California sports.

From the 49ers falling just shy in the Super Bowl, to the Cardinal Newman boys' run to the state championship basketball game, to Petaluma falling a win shy of the American Legion baseball title, 2013 was a thrill. And, let's not forget the Warriors' emergence as an NBA phenomenon.

Here's a look at the top sports moments in the Redwood Empire and the Bay Area.

JANUARY

Redwood Empire — Lenny Wagner takes over as new head football coach and interim athletic director at SRJC.

Analy defeats Healdsburg in a tight SCL boys basketball game to assert its dominance in league.

Host Windsor wins its King of the Mat wrestling tournament with gold medals in six of 14 weight classes.

Cardinal Newman holds off Montgomery 52-48 in a grueling NBL boys basketball showdown at SRJC.

Bay Area — Colin Kaepernick's 444 yards of total offense in the divisional playoff game vs. Green Bay vaults 49ers to NFC Championship.

49ers rally from 17-point deficit to beat Atlanta 28-24 in NFC Championship to earn first Super Bowl trip in 18 years.

Warriors forward David Lee has Golden State's first All-Star Game appearance since 1997.

FEBRUARY

Redwood Empire — Sonoma State grad Larry Allen is elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Cardinal Newman stretches NBL boys basketball lead to two games with 57-54 win against Montgomery.

Windsor retains NCS dual team wrestling title.

Bay Area — Stymied with a first-and-goal in the closing minutes, the 49ers lose Super Bowl XLVII to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31.

MARCH

Redwood Empire — Rincon Valley Christian vanquishes playoff nemesis Ferndale to win NCS Division 6 boys basketball championship.

Cardinal Newman boys seeded No. 1 in Division 4 in CIF tournament and advance to state final with 73-66 win against Riordan.

Montgomery High School names athletic director Dean Haskins to replace longtime football coach Jason Franci.

Sonoma Raceway media relations manager John Cardinale passes away after battle with stomach cancer.

Cardinal Newman falls to Pacific Hills 58-52 in CIF Division 4 boys basketball final.

Bay Area — 49ers acquire wide receiver Anquan Boldin via trade from the Baltimore Ravens.

49ers trade quarterback Alex Smith to Kansas City.

APRIL

Redwood Empire — Casa Grande graduate Josh Akognon signs with Dallas Mavericks to become first Sonoma County native to play in NBA.

Petaluma softball team asserts in dominance of SCL with 3-1 win against Sonoma Valley behind Dana Thomsen.

Casa Grande baseball team strengthens hold on NBL lead with 1-0 victory against Montgomery, the Gauchos' seventh consecutive one-run win.

Bay Area — Barry Zito pitches Giants to 1-0 victory against St. Louis Cardinals in home opener.

Warriors finish sixth in Western Conference and draw third-seeded Denver Nuggets in first round of playoffs.

49ers draft LSU safety Eric Reid in the first round of the NFL draft. Raiders pick Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden.

MAY

Redwood Empire — Casa Grande's baseball team sees its 21-game winning streak end in 4-2 loss to Cardinal Newman, but Gauchos remain in control of NBL.

SRJC defeats San Joaquin Delta to earn spot in CCCAA state baseball tournament.

Montgomery's Nick Rogers shoots 65 to win NCS golf championship.

Tejay van Garderen crosses the finish line in Santa Rosa to become the youngest winner of the Amgen Tour of California.

Casa Grande reaches NCS baseball final with 13th-inning walkoff home run by Francis Christy.

Petaluma's 22-game softball winning streak ends in an NCS Division 2 semifinal loss to Concord.

Bay Area — Warriors eliminate Denver Nuggets in NBA playoffs with 92-88 win in Game 6.

Sharks sweep Vancouver Canucks in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs.

Warriors extend San Antonio Spurs to six games before falling in NBA playoffs.

JUNE

Redwood Empire — Casa Grande loses to Campolindo in NCS baseball final.

Maria Carrillo's Kathleen Durand finishes fourth to earn a medal at state track meet.

Tomales wins first NCS baseball championship.

Bay Area — A week after turning 40, A's pitcher Bartolo Colon shuts out White Sox on five hits.

Slumping Giants lose first five games of 10-game road trip to fall four games under .500.

JULY

Redwood Empire — Clear Lake ranked by Bassmasters as one of the nation's finest sport-fishing lakes.

Petaluma Under-18 softball team qualifies for national tournament in Florida.

John Dahlz wins the Full Vineman Triathlon by more than 21 minutes.

Bay Area — America's Cup begins on San Francisco Bay with Italian team refusing to compete.

Tim Lincecum throws 148 pitches in no-hitter against Padres.

A's slugger Yoenis Cespedes wins Home Run Derby.

AUGUST

Redwood Empire — Sonoma County Sol reach the National Premier Soccer League championship match but lose 2-0 to host RVA of Richmond, Va.

Maria Carrillo sophomore Andrew Vaughn homers to propel the U.S. team to a 6-1 win against Cuba in the COPABE Pan American Championships final in Colombia.

Petaluma High School's Riley Scott earns spot on U.S. national team for FINA world championship swim meet in Dubai.

Petaluma American Legion baseball team falls one win short of national title.

Analy stuns state-ranked Pittsburg in football opener.

Bay Area — 49ers and Raiders both kick off exhibition season with victories.

SEPTEMBER

Redwood Empire — Surprising Montgomery football team improves to 3-0 with rout of Dublin.

Elsie Allen earns first football victory in 13 games.

Unbeaten Middletown forced to forfeit two football victories because of an ineligible player.

JaJuan Lawson turns NBL battle of unbeatens into a romp as Casa Grande pounds Montgomery, 30-12.

Bay Area — A's take two of three from Texas Rangers to pull into first-place tie in AL West.

Giants' Yusmeiro Petit loses no-hitter against Diamondbacks with two out in ninth.

49ers open season with 34-28 win against Packers. Raiders open with encouraging 21-17 loss at Indianapolis.

Team Oracle caps stirring comeback to win America's Cup.

A's tighten grip on AL West with 5-1 win vs. Texas.

OCTOBER

Redwood Empire — Middletown football gets back one of its forfeited wins in appeal to North Coast Section.

Montgomery defeats Cardinal Newman in overtime for first win against Cardinals since 2009.

Mendocino College quarterback Trevor Taylor passes for 796 yards in loss.

Bay Area — Displaced by baseball playoffs, Raiders play latest scheduled sports event in NFL history, starting at 8:35 p.m. Pacific time.

Tigers eliminate A's from ALDS for second consecutive year with win at Oakland.

NOVEMBER

Redwood Empire — El Molino girls soccer team makes school's first appearance in playoffs in 15 years.

Casa Grande caps school's first undefeated football season with 40-28 win at Cardinal Newman in regular-season finale.

Piner football team qualifies for NCS playoffs for first time in 10 years.

Maria Carrillo's girls soccer team completes an undefeated season with a third consecutive NCS championship.

Analy defeats Cardinal Newman in NCS Division 3 playoff game to reach semifinals.

Casa Grande routs Montgomery to reach NCS Division 2 final.

Bay Area — Andre Iguodala's shot at the buzzer lifts Golden State to a 116-115 win against Oklahoma City.

Matt McGloin replaces Terrelle Pryor at quarterback and leads Raiders to 28-23 win against Texans.

49ers shake off two-game losing streak to beat Redskins 27-6 in Monday night game.

DECEMBER

Redwood Empire — Casa Grande falls to Miramonte in NCS Division 2 football final.

Sonoma State volleyball player Caylie Seitz becomes the first Seawolves player to earn NCAA Division II All-America honors.

Bay Area — Warriors rally from 27-point deficit to defeat Raptors.

Frank Gore's 51-yard run propels 49ers to 19-17 win against Seahawks.

Former A's manager Tony La Russa elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

49ers defeat Falcons in final scheduled game at Candlestick Park.

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