D2 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2013
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
SPORTS
THE WEEKEND FIX
WWW.SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM/SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR: JULIE JAG, JJAG@SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM
LOCAL ROUNDUP
Santa Cruz earns No. 1 seed in CCS
Sentinel staff report
PETER DEJONG/AP
THIS RACKET CAN’T HACK IT: Juan Martin del Potro hits himself with his racket after missing a shot against Grigor Dimitrov during the semifinal match at the ABN AMRO tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday.
The Santa Cruz High girls
soccer team garnered a No.
1 seed in Division III of the
upcoming Central Coast
Section playoffs, it was
announced Saturday.
The Cardinals (12-2-5)
receive a bye through the first
round and will face the winner
between No. 9 Live Oak and
No. 8 Sacred Heart Prep.
Also in D-III, No. 3 Soquel
(10-6-2) will host the winner
of an all-county matchup
pitting No. 11 Pacific Collegiate (9-4-2) and No. 6 Harbor (6-6-6). The Pumas and
Pirates square off at 6 p.m.
Wednesday at Soquel High,
with the victor advancing
to Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Scotts Valley (9-6-5) earned a
No. 4 seed in D-III and hosts
No. 13 The King’s Academy
at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
In the D-II bracket, seventh-seeded Aptos (8-4-6) is
set to host No. 10 Valley Christian at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
BOYS SOCCER
Harbor earned the No. 3
seed in the CCS D-III bracket and a bye through the first
round.
T h e P i ra t e s ( 1 2 - 5 - 3 )
await Wednesday’s winner
between No. 11 Greenfield
and No. 6 North Monterey
County. Santa Cruz (10-10)
received a No. 13 seed and
will travel to No. 4 San Mateo
at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
In D-I, Watsonville was
named the No. 11 seed. The
Wildcatz (12-6-2) face No. 6
Sequoia on the road at 4 p.m.
Wednesday. Pajaro Valley
(10-6-3) claimed the D-II No.
11 seed and will visit No. 6 Lincoln at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Cabrillo rode a pair of
strong pitching performances to a doubleheader sweep
of visiting Diablo Valley, winning 3-1 and 8-0.
Shannon Egan and Sierra
Clark combined to allowed
one run and the Seahawks
offense took care of the rest.
In Game 1, Egan tossed a
complete game, striking out
five and allowing four hits, a
walk and an unearned run.
Valerie Silva scored twice
and Angela Martin and
Kaitlyn Lotz each drove in
a run.
In the second leg, Clark
twirled a masterful twohitter, striking out eight in
six innings of work. She also
helped out at the plate with
three hits and two RBIs.
Annalise Bryant went 2-for3 with an RBI and Lotz collected two more hits, plus a
run and an RBI.
The Seahawks (8-3) visit
Merced at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
SAP OPEN
Young takes on old in final
TODAY’S LOCAL EVENTS
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
CCS seeding meeting
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Caltech at UCSC
Mills at UCSC
TIME
TBA
10 a.m.
3 p.m.
PLACE
San Jose
NBA ALL-STAR GAME
5 p.m. on TNT
David Lee will represent the West as the first
Warriors All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in 1997.
ON THE AIR TODAY
TIME
5 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Cal at USC
Washington State at Oregon
EXHIBITION BASKETBALL
Global Select vs. Globetrotters
BOWLING
PBA League qualifier
BOXING
Broner vs. Rees
GOLF
Africa Open
Northern Trust Open
(replay)
Ace Group Classic
COLLEGE GYMNASTICS
Cal at Stanford
NHL
Penguins at Sabres
10 a.m.
10 a.m.
noon
7 p.m.
8 p.m.
ESPN
CBS
PAC-12
KICU
CSN
11:30 a.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
4 p.m.
ESPN2
ESPN2
PAC-12
PAC-12
8 a.m.
ESPN2
noon
RADIO
LESLIE
ESPN
9:45 a.m.
HBO
6 a.m.
10 a.m.
noon
6:30 p.m.
4 p.m.
GOLF
GOLF
CBS
GOLF
GOLF
9:30 a.m.
from teammate Justin Dentmon at the
end of the first half.
“If there was one player who stood
out amongst all of them, it’s the man to
my left,” Reed said prior to presenting
Leslie with the MVP trophy.
Santa Cruz Warriors coach Nate
Bjorkgren finished up a morning practice at Kaiser Permanente Arena before
heading to a local restaurant to watch
the telecast on NBA TV. When he got
home later in the day, he watched it
PAC-12
NBC
12:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
NBC
NBC-SP
10 a.m.
CSN-CA
PEARLBERG
10 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
NBC-SP
NBC-SP
Continued from D1
10 a.m.
5 p.m.
8 a.m.
7:25 a.m.
10 a.m.
1:55 p.m.
FOX
ESPN2
FSC
ESPN DEP
KSMS
KMCE
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
CSN
CSN
5 p.m.
ESPN
WHERE THE PROS ARE
GOLDEN STATE
WARRIORS
SANTA CRUZ
WARRIORS
SAN JOSE
SHARKS
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Feb. 24
Feb. 26
at Jazz
vs. Suns
vs. Spurs
at Timberwolves
at Pacers
6 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
4 p.m.
CSN
CSN
ESPN
CSN
CSN
warriors.com ■ 888-GSW-HOOP ■ Radio: 680 AM, 1050 AM
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Feb. 26
Feb. 27
vs. Los Angeles
at Reno
vs. Maine
vs. Reno
vs. Reno
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
santacruzbasketball.com ■ (831) 466-3200
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
Feb. 26
Feb. 28
SAN JOSE — Milos Raonic was 7
years old when Tommy Haas played
in his first SAP Open in 1998, but he
isn’t about to show much respect for
his elder with a third straight title on
the line and his game surging.
“No, it’s somebody fighting for the
same thing as me, so it doesn’t matter
the age,” said Raonic, 22, who will meet
Haas, 34, in Sunday’s final SAP championship match before the tournament
moves to Brazil in 2014.
Both the top-seeded Raonic and
fourth-seeded Haas recorded swift,
efficient straight-set victories in Saturday’s semifinals, setting up an intriguing match of a focused up-and-comer
on the ATP circuit against a veteran
looking for a few more blazes of glory
before he calls it a career.
But Haas, who upended No. 2 seed
John Isner 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first
SAP final in eight appearances, will
need everything he can muster — maybe even an “Old Guys Rule” T-shirt — if
Raonic is anywhere near as good as he
was in blowing by third-seeded Sam
Querrey 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
Raonic’s dominance at HP Pavilion
Continued from D1
6 p.m.
Kings at Blackhawks
Capitals at Rangers
COLLEGE HOCKEY
Miami (Ohio) vs. Notre Dame
COLLEGE LACROSSE
Denver vs. Penn State
Ohio State vs. Jacksonville
MOTOR SPORTS
NASCAR Sprint Cup
Daytona 500 qualifying
NHRA Winternationals
SOCCER
Huddersfield at Wigan
Waalwijk vs. Ajax
UNAM vs. Morelia
Puebla vs. Guadalajara
TENNIS
Power Shares Series
SAP Open
TRACK AND FIELD
Millrose Games
TV
TNT
TNT
at Blues
at Blackhawks
at Stars
vs. Avalanche
vs. Red Wings
5 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
5 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
court has been well-documented. The
two-time defending SAP champ is 11-0
over three years in San Jose. His serve
has only been broken twice in those 11
victories, and not once this year. If he
wins Sunday, he will become the first
three-peat winner of the Bay Area event
in the Open era, and the first since Tony
Trabert did it in from 1953-55.
The 6-foot-5 Canadian might not
again on YouTube.
“And I thought Travis played great.
He played to his strengths — rebounding and getting out and finishing above
the rim,” said Bjorkgren, who, although
admittedly bias, felt Leslie deserved
MVP honors.
In nearly 19 minutes of playing time,
Leslie pulled down seven rebounds —
three offensive — to go along with an
assist, a steal and a block.
“He was ready to play,” Bjorkgren
said. “I knew he had it in him.”
The recognition will only increase
Leslie’s chances of earning a call-up
from an NBA team.
Six of the 20 All-Stars who played in
last season’s D-League All-Star game
later earned an NBA call-up that same
year, while last year’s MVP, Gerald
Green, was signed by the New Jersey
Nets shortly after earning the All-Star
hardware.
Green currently plays for the Indiana
Pacers.
“That’s my dream. Hopefully it will
come true. I’ve got to keep working
hard,” Leslie, who was drafted with the
47th selection by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011, said to NBA TV.
“Like I said,” he added, “I’m just
going to keep playing, working hard,
being aggressive, and just play great
basketball.”
Bay Area News Group
ONE TO WATCH
NBA
All-Star Game
(replay)
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Louisville at South Florida
Ohio State at Wisconsin
Arizona at Utah
USC at Cal
Gonzaga at San Francisco
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Rotating coverage
have played a better match than he did
against Querry. His powerful serve was
typically overwhelming, and he worked
in a strong return game and improved
accuracy on a variety of shots at the net
and from the baseline.
“I thought he hit the ball big all
around,” said Querrey. “He was really
sharp.”
Tennis aficionados believe that
because of his youth and ongoing
improvement, Raonic might have the
best chance to break into the Big Four
men’s monopoly of Novak Djokovic,
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy
Murray. He is ranked just 13th in the
world, but even Raonic believes it is only
a matter of time before he is pushing
into the top 10 and becoming a lot more
well-known.
“I feel like if I play my best, I can beat
anybody anywhere,” Raonic said. “It’s just
a matter of breaking through that hurdle
that’s stopping me in the Grand Slams.”
And outside of San Jose. If he wins
this final, Raonic will have four tournament titles in his career, three of them
here. He said that from the time he hit
his first practice ball this week, he felt
very confident he could successfully
defend his title for a second time.
“I just like the way the court plays,”
he said.
By CARL STEWARD
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
sjsharks.com ■ 408-999-5757 ■ Radio: 98.5 FM
naturally gifted surfer and
free spirit, and the other,
a struggling young writer,
embark together in seeking
adventure, love, and
excitement through their
teenage years.
When they suddenly
have to come to grips with
a life-changing event, that
of a mortal illness, the
story evolves into one of
compassion, brotherhood,
and the heartbreaking
memories a dying friend
leaves behind.
Allen’s lesson seems to
be that just like the ebb
and flow of the oceans
tide, nothing ever remains
constant in our world.
It’s a parable Allen
dreamed would go beyond
the book. In 2000, he began
to write the screenplay
with his wife, Julie, and
brother-in-law, Alex Carig. A
couple years ago, actor Lou
Diamond Phillips read the
screenplay and told his agent
“I am doing this.” Later,
when Allen asked, Phillips
agreed to direct the film.
“If you believe what you
intend to portray is truly
going to be exceptional, and
are fortunate that everyone
from the director, actors,
editors, music composers
and crew believe with
you, then what you can
make can be something
phenomenal,” Allen said.
Allen’s labor of love
has taken a decade of
perseverance before he
could finally hear the word
“Action!” called over the
GEORGE NIKITIN/AP
Tommy Haas reaches to hit a forehand
during a semifinal match against John Isner at the SAP Open on Saturday.
script on a movie set. Yet,
from day one, everyone who
was asked to participate in
some way in the production
of the film shared the belief
that this true story needed
to be told on film.
“Everyone connects
to this story in their
own personal way,” said
Santa Cruz resident and
set designer Christian
Wadman. “As a surfer,
Michael’s story rang out to
as clear as a bell in showing
me how surfing affects
our lifestyles, and how our
lifestyles affect our life.”
A film, television and
stage actor, Phillips knew
the Monterey Bay area
because his big break
came in the 1987 film “La
Bamba” when he played
legendary rocker and San
Fernando Valley native
Ritchie Valens. Three years
later Phillips co-starred in
another hit movie, “Young
Guns,” with Charlie Sheen,
Emilio Estevez, and Kiefer
Sutherland. In 1989 he
earned a supporting actor
Golden Globe Award for his
role in “Stand and Deliver,”
and received a Tony Award
nomination for his role in
“The King and I” in 1996.
Plenty of scripts reach
Phillips. But he said “Tao,” in
spite of being a small-budget
indie drama, made an impact.
“The script touched my
heart and really resonated
with me, having lost one
of my dearest friends in a
similar fashion to what is
tragically told in Michael’s
story,” Phillips said.
After giving Allen the
thumbs up that he was
going to play a lead role
in the film, Phillips took it
upon himself to grow his
hair and goatee for what
he called his “Santa Cruz
surfer look.” However, one
month later Allen called
Phillips and asked him if he
would be on the other end
of the camera lens, as the
director.
“I told Michael that I
would be honored,” Phillips
said.
Phillips shared that
the movie is not the book,
in that nowadays many
directors just try to film
each page of a book. He
explained that “The Tao
of Surfing” is a film about
how the book came to be.
It’s an inspirational journey
of deep, philosophical
meaning that blossoms into
both tragedy and joy.
Eric Balfour, 35, has
been cast in another of the
leading roles. An avid surfer
who grew up in Big Sur, he
now surfs the beaches close
to his home in Venice.
Balfour, who was given
the script by his agent, was
not only enamored by the
author’s life experiences
as portrayed in the book,
but also fascinated by the
differing effects the story
had on those who read it,
depending on their own
experiences with friendships,
triumph and tragedy.
“I grew up a surfer, so
the appeal of doing a movie
that was about surfers
but not a generic surf film
excited me. The idea of
making “Blue Crush” 2
or 3 was not something I
want to do, Balfour said.
“This was a way to tell
the story about this world
that I love, but also had
some very interesting
and deeper philosophical
thoughts that Michael had
infused via his novel and
life experience.”
Julia Jones, best
known for playing Leah
Clearwater in the 2010
film “The Twilight Saga:
Eclipse,” also plays a major
role in the film.
“When I first read this
story, I just wanted to stand
on a mountain top and
shout out, ‘Hey, everyone,
you need to read this!’”
Jones said.
Jones explained that
the work of an actor is
easiest when he or she feels
compelled to tell the story.
“Though we have all just
come together, there is a
certain air on this set, a
passion, a pride that we are
the chosen ones, a part of
something very special,”
Jones said.
The splendor and beauty
of the Monterey Bay
provide the backdrop of this
compelling story. It, too,
will play a major role even
as the crew moves from
different locations between
Santa Cruz to Big Sur.
“I wish to honor the
scenic beauty and majesty
that lies around Santa Cruz
and give it the respect and
justice that it deserves,”
Phillips said. “For this
film that depicts man’s
connection with the ocean
and the dirt, and how we
move through the universe,
there is no better place on
earth than here.”
Neil Pearlberg’s surf column appears every other Sunday in the
Sentinel. Send him feedback and
story ideas at
sports@santacruzsentinel.com.
D2 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2013
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
SPORTS
THE WEEKEND FIX
WWW.SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM/SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR: JULIE JAG, JJAG@SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM
LOCAL ROUNDUP
Santa Cruz earns No. 1 seed in CCS
Sentinel staff report
PETER DEJONG/AP
THIS RACKET CAN’T HACK IT: Juan Martin del Potro hits himself with his racket after missing a shot against Grigor Dimitrov during the semifinal match at the ABN AMRO tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday.
The Santa Cruz High girls
soccer team garnered a No.
1 seed in Division III of the
upcoming Central Coast
Section playoffs, it was
announced Saturday.
The Cardinals (12-2-5)
receive a bye through the first
round and will face the winner
between No. 9 Live Oak and
No. 8 Sacred Heart Prep.
Also in D-III, No. 3 Soquel
(10-6-2) will host the winner
of an all-county matchup
pitting No. 11 Pacific Collegiate (9-4-2) and No. 6 Harbor (6-6-6). The Pumas and
Pirates square off at 6 p.m.
Wednesday at Soquel High,
with the victor advancing
to Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Scotts Valley (9-6-5) earned a
No. 4 seed in D-III and hosts
No. 13 The King’s Academy
at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
In the D-II bracket, seventh-seeded Aptos (8-4-6) is
set to host No. 10 Valley Christian at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
BOYS SOCCER
Harbor earned the No. 3
seed in the CCS D-III bracket and a bye through the first
round.
T h e P i ra t e s ( 1 2 - 5 - 3 )
await Wednesday’s winner
between No. 11 Greenfield
and No. 6 North Monterey
County. Santa Cruz (10-10)
received a No. 13 seed and
will travel to No. 4 San Mateo
at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
In D-I, Watsonville was
named the No. 11 seed. The
Wildcatz (12-6-2) face No. 6
Sequoia on the road at 4 p.m.
Wednesday. Pajaro Valley
(10-6-3) claimed the D-II No.
11 seed and will visit No. 6 Lincoln at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Cabrillo rode a pair of
strong pitching performances to a doubleheader sweep
of visiting Diablo Valley, winning 3-1 and 8-0.
Shannon Egan and Sierra
Clark combined to allowed
one run and the Seahawks
offense took care of the rest.
In Game 1, Egan tossed a
complete game, striking out
five and allowing four hits, a
walk and an unearned run.
Valerie Silva scored twice
and Angela Martin and
Kaitlyn Lotz each drove in
a run.
In the second leg, Clark
twirled a masterful twohitter, striking out eight in
six innings of work. She also
helped out at the plate with
three hits and two RBIs.
Annalise Bryant went 2-for3 with an RBI and Lotz collected two more hits, plus a
run and an RBI.
The Seahawks (8-3) visit
Merced at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
SAP OPEN
Young takes on old in final
TODAY’S LOCAL EVENTS
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
CCS seeding meeting
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Caltech at UCSC
Mills at UCSC
TIME
TBA
10 a.m.
3 p.m.
PLACE
San Jose
NBA ALL-STAR GAME
5 p.m. on TNT
David Lee will represent the West as the first
Warriors All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in 1997.
ON THE AIR TODAY
TIME
5 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Cal at USC
Washington State at Oregon
EXHIBITION BASKETBALL
Global Select vs. Globetrotters
BOWLING
PBA League qualifier
BOXING
Broner vs. Rees
GOLF
Africa Open
Northern Trust Open
(replay)
Ace Group Classic
COLLEGE GYMNASTICS
Cal at Stanford
NHL
Penguins at Sabres
10 a.m.
10 a.m.
noon
7 p.m.
8 p.m.
ESPN
CBS
PAC-12
KICU
CSN
11:30 a.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
4 p.m.
ESPN2
ESPN2
PAC-12
PAC-12
8 a.m.
ESPN2
noon
RADIO
LESLIE
ESPN
9:45 a.m.
HBO
6 a.m.
10 a.m.
noon
6:30 p.m.
4 p.m.
GOLF
GOLF
CBS
GOLF
GOLF
9:30 a.m.
from teammate Justin Dentmon at the
end of the first half.
“If there was one player who stood
out amongst all of them, it’s the man to
my left,” Reed said prior to presenting
Leslie with the MVP trophy.
Santa Cruz Warriors coach Nate
Bjorkgren finished up a morning practice at Kaiser Permanente Arena before
heading to a local restaurant to watch
the telecast on NBA TV. When he got
home later in the day, he watched it
PAC-12
NBC
12:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
NBC
NBC-SP
10 a.m.
CSN-CA
PEARLBERG
10 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
NBC-SP
NBC-SP
Continued from D1
10 a.m.
5 p.m.
8 a.m.
7:25 a.m.
10 a.m.
1:55 p.m.
FOX
ESPN2
FSC
ESPN DEP
KSMS
KMCE
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
CSN
CSN
5 p.m.
ESPN
WHERE THE PROS ARE
GOLDEN STATE
WARRIORS
SANTA CRUZ
WARRIORS
SAN JOSE
SHARKS
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Feb. 24
Feb. 26
at Jazz
vs. Suns
vs. Spurs
at Timberwolves
at Pacers
6 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
4 p.m.
CSN
CSN
ESPN
CSN
CSN
warriors.com ■ 888-GSW-HOOP ■ Radio: 680 AM, 1050 AM
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Feb. 26
Feb. 27
vs. Los Angeles
at Reno
vs. Maine
vs. Reno
vs. Reno
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
santacruzbasketball.com ■ (831) 466-3200
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
Feb. 26
Feb. 28
SAN JOSE — Milos Raonic was 7
years old when Tommy Haas played
in his first SAP Open in 1998, but he
isn’t about to show much respect for
his elder with a third straight title on
the line and his game surging.
“No, it’s somebody fighting for the
same thing as me, so it doesn’t matter
the age,” said Raonic, 22, who will meet
Haas, 34, in Sunday’s final SAP championship match before the tournament
moves to Brazil in 2014.
Both the top-seeded Raonic and
fourth-seeded Haas recorded swift,
efficient straight-set victories in Saturday’s semifinals, setting up an intriguing match of a focused up-and-comer
on the ATP circuit against a veteran
looking for a few more blazes of glory
before he calls it a career.
But Haas, who upended No. 2 seed
John Isner 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first
SAP final in eight appearances, will
need everything he can muster — maybe even an “Old Guys Rule” T-shirt — if
Raonic is anywhere near as good as he
was in blowing by third-seeded Sam
Querrey 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
Raonic’s dominance at HP Pavilion
Continued from D1
6 p.m.
Kings at Blackhawks
Capitals at Rangers
COLLEGE HOCKEY
Miami (Ohio) vs. Notre Dame
COLLEGE LACROSSE
Denver vs. Penn State
Ohio State vs. Jacksonville
MOTOR SPORTS
NASCAR Sprint Cup
Daytona 500 qualifying
NHRA Winternationals
SOCCER
Huddersfield at Wigan
Waalwijk vs. Ajax
UNAM vs. Morelia
Puebla vs. Guadalajara
TENNIS
Power Shares Series
SAP Open
TRACK AND FIELD
Millrose Games
TV
TNT
TNT
at Blues
at Blackhawks
at Stars
vs. Avalanche
vs. Red Wings
5 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
5 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
court has been well-documented. The
two-time defending SAP champ is 11-0
over three years in San Jose. His serve
has only been broken twice in those 11
victories, and not once this year. If he
wins Sunday, he will become the first
three-peat winner of the Bay Area event
in the Open era, and the first since Tony
Trabert did it in from 1953-55.
The 6-foot-5 Canadian might not
again on YouTube.
“And I thought Travis played great.
He played to his strengths — rebounding and getting out and finishing above
the rim,” said Bjorkgren, who, although
admittedly bias, felt Leslie deserved
MVP honors.
In nearly 19 minutes of playing time,
Leslie pulled down seven rebounds —
three offensive — to go along with an
assist, a steal and a block.
“He was ready to play,” Bjorkgren
said. “I knew he had it in him.”
The recognition will only increase
Leslie’s chances of earning a call-up
from an NBA team.
Six of the 20 All-Stars who played in
last season’s D-League All-Star game
later earned an NBA call-up that same
year, while last year’s MVP, Gerald
Green, was signed by the New Jersey
Nets shortly after earning the All-Star
hardware.
Green currently plays for the Indiana
Pacers.
“That’s my dream. Hopefully it will
come true. I’ve got to keep working
hard,” Leslie, who was drafted with the
47th selection by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011, said to NBA TV.
“Like I said,” he added, “I’m just
going to keep playing, working hard,
being aggressive, and just play great
basketball.”
Bay Area News Group
ONE TO WATCH
NBA
All-Star Game
(replay)
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Louisville at South Florida
Ohio State at Wisconsin
Arizona at Utah
USC at Cal
Gonzaga at San Francisco
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Rotating coverage
have played a better match than he did
against Querry. His powerful serve was
typically overwhelming, and he worked
in a strong return game and improved
accuracy on a variety of shots at the net
and from the baseline.
“I thought he hit the ball big all
around,” said Querrey. “He was really
sharp.”
Tennis aficionados believe that
because of his youth and ongoing
improvement, Raonic might have the
best chance to break into the Big Four
men’s monopoly of Novak Djokovic,
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy
Murray. He is ranked just 13th in the
world, but even Raonic believes it is only
a matter of time before he is pushing
into the top 10 and becoming a lot more
well-known.
“I feel like if I play my best, I can beat
anybody anywhere,” Raonic said. “It’s just
a matter of breaking through that hurdle
that’s stopping me in the Grand Slams.”
And outside of San Jose. If he wins
this final, Raonic will have four tournament titles in his career, three of them
here. He said that from the time he hit
his first practice ball this week, he felt
very confident he could successfully
defend his title for a second time.
“I just like the way the court plays,”
he said.
By CARL STEWARD
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
sjsharks.com ■ 408-999-5757 ■ Radio: 98.5 FM
naturally gifted surfer and
free spirit, and the other,
a struggling young writer,
embark together in seeking
adventure, love, and
excitement through their
teenage years.
When they suddenly
have to come to grips with
a life-changing event, that
of a mortal illness, the
story evolves into one of
compassion, brotherhood,
and the heartbreaking
memories a dying friend
leaves behind.
Allen’s lesson seems to
be that just like the ebb
and flow of the oceans
tide, nothing ever remains
constant in our world.
It’s a parable Allen
dreamed would go beyond
the book. In 2000, he began
to write the screenplay
with his wife, Julie, and
brother-in-law, Alex Carig. A
couple years ago, actor Lou
Diamond Phillips read the
screenplay and told his agent
“I am doing this.” Later,
when Allen asked, Phillips
agreed to direct the film.
“If you believe what you
intend to portray is truly
going to be exceptional, and
are fortunate that everyone
from the director, actors,
editors, music composers
and crew believe with
you, then what you can
make can be something
phenomenal,” Allen said.
Allen’s labor of love
has taken a decade of
perseverance before he
could finally hear the word
“Action!” called over the
GEORGE NIKITIN/AP
Tommy Haas reaches to hit a forehand
during a semifinal match against John Isner at the SAP Open on Saturday.
script on a movie set. Yet,
from day one, everyone who
was asked to participate in
some way in the production
of the film shared the belief
that this true story needed
to be told on film.
“Everyone connects
to this story in their
own personal way,” said
Santa Cruz resident and
set designer Christian
Wadman. “As a surfer,
Michael’s story rang out to
as clear as a bell in showing
me how surfing affects
our lifestyles, and how our
lifestyles affect our life.”
A film, television and
stage actor, Phillips knew
the Monterey Bay area
because his big break
came in the 1987 film “La
Bamba” when he played
legendary rocker and San
Fernando Valley native
Ritchie Valens. Three years
later Phillips co-starred in
another hit movie, “Young
Guns,” with Charlie Sheen,
Emilio Estevez, and Kiefer
Sutherland. In 1989 he
earned a supporting actor
Golden Globe Award for his
role in “Stand and Deliver,”
and received a Tony Award
nomination for his role in
“The King and I” in 1996.
Plenty of scripts reach
Phillips. But he said “Tao,” in
spite of being a small-budget
indie drama, made an impact.
“The script touched my
heart and really resonated
with me, having lost one
of my dearest friends in a
similar fashion to what is
tragically told in Michael’s
story,” Phillips said.
After giving Allen the
thumbs up that he was
going to play a lead role
in the film, Phillips took it
upon himself to grow his
hair and goatee for what
he called his “Santa Cruz
surfer look.” However, one
month later Allen called
Phillips and asked him if he
would be on the other end
of the camera lens, as the
director.
“I told Michael that I
would be honored,” Phillips
said.
Phillips shared that
the movie is not the book,
in that nowadays many
directors just try to film
each page of a book. He
explained that “The Tao
of Surfing” is a film about
how the book came to be.
It’s an inspirational journey
of deep, philosophical
meaning that blossoms into
both tragedy and joy.
Eric Balfour, 35, has
been cast in another of the
leading roles. An avid surfer
who grew up in Big Sur, he
now surfs the beaches close
to his home in Venice.
Balfour, who was given
the script by his agent, was
not only enamored by the
author’s life experiences
as portrayed in the book,
but also fascinated by the
differing effects the story
had on those who read it,
depending on their own
experiences with friendships,
triumph and tragedy.
“I grew up a surfer, so
the appeal of doing a movie
that was about surfers
but not a generic surf film
excited me. The idea of
making “Blue Crush” 2
or 3 was not something I
want to do, Balfour said.
“This was a way to tell
the story about this world
that I love, but also had
some very interesting
and deeper philosophical
thoughts that Michael had
infused via his novel and
life experience.”
Julia Jones, best
known for playing Leah
Clearwater in the 2010
film “The Twilight Saga:
Eclipse,” also plays a major
role in the film.
“When I first read this
story, I just wanted to stand
on a mountain top and
shout out, ‘Hey, everyone,
you need to read this!’”
Jones said.
Jones explained that
the work of an actor is
easiest when he or she feels
compelled to tell the story.
“Though we have all just
come together, there is a
certain air on this set, a
passion, a pride that we are
the chosen ones, a part of
something very special,”
Jones said.
The splendor and beauty
of the Monterey Bay
provide the backdrop of this
compelling story. It, too,
will play a major role even
as the crew moves from
different locations between
Santa Cruz to Big Sur.
“I wish to honor the
scenic beauty and majesty
that lies around Santa Cruz
and give it the respect and
justice that it deserves,”
Phillips said. “For this
film that depicts man’s
connection with the ocean
and the dirt, and how we
move through the universe,
there is no better place on
earth than here.”
Neil Pearlberg’s surf column appears every other Sunday in the
Sentinel. Send him feedback and
story ideas at
sports@santacruzsentinel.com.
D2 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2013
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
SPORTS
THE WEEKEND FIX
WWW.SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM/SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR: JULIE JAG, JJAG@SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM
LOCAL ROUNDUP
Santa Cruz earns No. 1 seed in CCS
Sentinel staff report
PETER DEJONG/AP
THIS RACKET CAN’T HACK IT: Juan Martin del Potro hits himself with his racket after missing a shot against Grigor Dimitrov during the semifinal match at the ABN AMRO tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday.
The Santa Cruz High girls
soccer team garnered a No.
1 seed in Division III of the
upcoming Central Coast
Section playoffs, it was
announced Saturday.
The Cardinals (12-2-5)
receive a bye through the first
round and will face the winner
between No. 9 Live Oak and
No. 8 Sacred Heart Prep.
Also in D-III, No. 3 Soquel
(10-6-2) will host the winner
of an all-county matchup
pitting No. 11 Pacific Collegiate (9-4-2) and No. 6 Harbor (6-6-6). The Pumas and
Pirates square off at 6 p.m.
Wednesday at Soquel High,
with the victor advancing
to Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Scotts Valley (9-6-5) earned a
No. 4 seed in D-III and hosts
No. 13 The King’s Academy
at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
In the D-II bracket, seventh-seeded Aptos (8-4-6) is
set to host No. 10 Valley Christian at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
BOYS SOCCER
Harbor earned the No. 3
seed in the CCS D-III bracket and a bye through the first
round.
T h e P i ra t e s ( 1 2 - 5 - 3 )
await Wednesday’s winner
between No. 11 Greenfield
and No. 6 North Monterey
County. Santa Cruz (10-10)
received a No. 13 seed and
will travel to No. 4 San Mateo
at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
In D-I, Watsonville was
named the No. 11 seed. The
Wildcatz (12-6-2) face No. 6
Sequoia on the road at 4 p.m.
Wednesday. Pajaro Valley
(10-6-3) claimed the D-II No.
11 seed and will visit No. 6 Lincoln at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Cabrillo rode a pair of
strong pitching performances to a doubleheader sweep
of visiting Diablo Valley, winning 3-1 and 8-0.
Shannon Egan and Sierra
Clark combined to allowed
one run and the Seahawks
offense took care of the rest.
In Game 1, Egan tossed a
complete game, striking out
five and allowing four hits, a
walk and an unearned run.
Valerie Silva scored twice
and Angela Martin and
Kaitlyn Lotz each drove in
a run.
In the second leg, Clark
twirled a masterful twohitter, striking out eight in
six innings of work. She also
helped out at the plate with
three hits and two RBIs.
Annalise Bryant went 2-for3 with an RBI and Lotz collected two more hits, plus a
run and an RBI.
The Seahawks (8-3) visit
Merced at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
SAP OPEN
Young takes on old in final
TODAY’S LOCAL EVENTS
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
CCS seeding meeting
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Caltech at UCSC
Mills at UCSC
TIME
TBA
10 a.m.
3 p.m.
PLACE
San Jose
NBA ALL-STAR GAME
5 p.m. on TNT
David Lee will represent the West as the first
Warriors All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in 1997.
ON THE AIR TODAY
TIME
5 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Cal at USC
Washington State at Oregon
EXHIBITION BASKETBALL
Global Select vs. Globetrotters
BOWLING
PBA League qualifier
BOXING
Broner vs. Rees
GOLF
Africa Open
Northern Trust Open
(replay)
Ace Group Classic
COLLEGE GYMNASTICS
Cal at Stanford
NHL
Penguins at Sabres
10 a.m.
10 a.m.
noon
7 p.m.
8 p.m.
ESPN
CBS
PAC-12
KICU
CSN
11:30 a.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
4 p.m.
ESPN2
ESPN2
PAC-12
PAC-12
8 a.m.
ESPN2
noon
RADIO
LESLIE
ESPN
9:45 a.m.
HBO
6 a.m.
10 a.m.
noon
6:30 p.m.
4 p.m.
GOLF
GOLF
CBS
GOLF
GOLF
9:30 a.m.
from teammate Justin Dentmon at the
end of the first half.
“If there was one player who stood
out amongst all of them, it’s the man to
my left,” Reed said prior to presenting
Leslie with the MVP trophy.
Santa Cruz Warriors coach Nate
Bjorkgren finished up a morning practice at Kaiser Permanente Arena before
heading to a local restaurant to watch
the telecast on NBA TV. When he got
home later in the day, he watched it
PAC-12
NBC
12:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
NBC
NBC-SP
10 a.m.
CSN-CA
PEARLBERG
10 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
NBC-SP
NBC-SP
Continued from D1
10 a.m.
5 p.m.
8 a.m.
7:25 a.m.
10 a.m.
1:55 p.m.
FOX
ESPN2
FSC
ESPN DEP
KSMS
KMCE
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
CSN
CSN
5 p.m.
ESPN
WHERE THE PROS ARE
GOLDEN STATE
WARRIORS
SANTA CRUZ
WARRIORS
SAN JOSE
SHARKS
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Feb. 24
Feb. 26
at Jazz
vs. Suns
vs. Spurs
at Timberwolves
at Pacers
6 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
4 p.m.
CSN
CSN
ESPN
CSN
CSN
warriors.com ■ 888-GSW-HOOP ■ Radio: 680 AM, 1050 AM
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Feb. 26
Feb. 27
vs. Los Angeles
at Reno
vs. Maine
vs. Reno
vs. Reno
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
santacruzbasketball.com ■ (831) 466-3200
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
Feb. 26
Feb. 28
SAN JOSE — Milos Raonic was 7
years old when Tommy Haas played
in his first SAP Open in 1998, but he
isn’t about to show much respect for
his elder with a third straight title on
the line and his game surging.
“No, it’s somebody fighting for the
same thing as me, so it doesn’t matter
the age,” said Raonic, 22, who will meet
Haas, 34, in Sunday’s final SAP championship match before the tournament
moves to Brazil in 2014.
Both the top-seeded Raonic and
fourth-seeded Haas recorded swift,
efficient straight-set victories in Saturday’s semifinals, setting up an intriguing match of a focused up-and-comer
on the ATP circuit against a veteran
looking for a few more blazes of glory
before he calls it a career.
But Haas, who upended No. 2 seed
John Isner 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first
SAP final in eight appearances, will
need everything he can muster — maybe even an “Old Guys Rule” T-shirt — if
Raonic is anywhere near as good as he
was in blowing by third-seeded Sam
Querrey 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
Raonic’s dominance at HP Pavilion
Continued from D1
6 p.m.
Kings at Blackhawks
Capitals at Rangers
COLLEGE HOCKEY
Miami (Ohio) vs. Notre Dame
COLLEGE LACROSSE
Denver vs. Penn State
Ohio State vs. Jacksonville
MOTOR SPORTS
NASCAR Sprint Cup
Daytona 500 qualifying
NHRA Winternationals
SOCCER
Huddersfield at Wigan
Waalwijk vs. Ajax
UNAM vs. Morelia
Puebla vs. Guadalajara
TENNIS
Power Shares Series
SAP Open
TRACK AND FIELD
Millrose Games
TV
TNT
TNT
at Blues
at Blackhawks
at Stars
vs. Avalanche
vs. Red Wings
5 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
5 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
court has been well-documented. The
two-time defending SAP champ is 11-0
over three years in San Jose. His serve
has only been broken twice in those 11
victories, and not once this year. If he
wins Sunday, he will become the first
three-peat winner of the Bay Area event
in the Open era, and the first since Tony
Trabert did it in from 1953-55.
The 6-foot-5 Canadian might not
again on YouTube.
“And I thought Travis played great.
He played to his strengths — rebounding and getting out and finishing above
the rim,” said Bjorkgren, who, although
admittedly bias, felt Leslie deserved
MVP honors.
In nearly 19 minutes of playing time,
Leslie pulled down seven rebounds —
three offensive — to go along with an
assist, a steal and a block.
“He was ready to play,” Bjorkgren
said. “I knew he had it in him.”
The recognition will only increase
Leslie’s chances of earning a call-up
from an NBA team.
Six of the 20 All-Stars who played in
last season’s D-League All-Star game
later earned an NBA call-up that same
year, while last year’s MVP, Gerald
Green, was signed by the New Jersey
Nets shortly after earning the All-Star
hardware.
Green currently plays for the Indiana
Pacers.
“That’s my dream. Hopefully it will
come true. I’ve got to keep working
hard,” Leslie, who was drafted with the
47th selection by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011, said to NBA TV.
“Like I said,” he added, “I’m just
going to keep playing, working hard,
being aggressive, and just play great
basketball.”
Bay Area News Group
ONE TO WATCH
NBA
All-Star Game
(replay)
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Louisville at South Florida
Ohio State at Wisconsin
Arizona at Utah
USC at Cal
Gonzaga at San Francisco
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Rotating coverage
have played a better match than he did
against Querry. His powerful serve was
typically overwhelming, and he worked
in a strong return game and improved
accuracy on a variety of shots at the net
and from the baseline.
“I thought he hit the ball big all
around,” said Querrey. “He was really
sharp.”
Tennis aficionados believe that
because of his youth and ongoing
improvement, Raonic might have the
best chance to break into the Big Four
men’s monopoly of Novak Djokovic,
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy
Murray. He is ranked just 13th in the
world, but even Raonic believes it is only
a matter of time before he is pushing
into the top 10 and becoming a lot more
well-known.
“I feel like if I play my best, I can beat
anybody anywhere,” Raonic said. “It’s just
a matter of breaking through that hurdle
that’s stopping me in the Grand Slams.”
And outside of San Jose. If he wins
this final, Raonic will have four tournament titles in his career, three of them
here. He said that from the time he hit
his first practice ball this week, he felt
very confident he could successfully
defend his title for a second time.
“I just like the way the court plays,”
he said.
By CARL STEWARD
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
CSN-CA
sjsharks.com ■ 408-999-5757 ■ Radio: 98.5 FM
naturally gifted surfer and
free spirit, and the other,
a struggling young writer,
embark together in seeking
adventure, love, and
excitement through their
teenage years.
When they suddenly
have to come to grips with
a life-changing event, that
of a mortal illness, the
story evolves into one of
compassion, brotherhood,
and the heartbreaking
memories a dying friend
leaves behind.
Allen’s lesson seems to
be that just like the ebb
and flow of the oceans
tide, nothing ever remains
constant in our world.
It’s a parable Allen
dreamed would go beyond
the book. In 2000, he began
to write the screenplay
with his wife, Julie, and
brother-in-law, Alex Carig. A
couple years ago, actor Lou
Diamond Phillips read the
screenplay and told his agent
“I am doing this.” Later,
when Allen asked, Phillips
agreed to direct the film.
“If you believe what you
intend to portray is truly
going to be exceptional, and
are fortunate that everyone
from the director, actors,
editors, music composers
and crew believe with
you, then what you can
make can be something
phenomenal,” Allen said.
Allen’s labor of love
has taken a decade of
perseverance before he
could finally hear the word
“Action!” called over the
GEORGE NIKITIN/AP
Tommy Haas reaches to hit a forehand
during a semifinal match against John Isner at the SAP Open on Saturday.
script on a movie set. Yet,
from day one, everyone who
was asked to participate in
some way in the production
of the film shared the belief
that this true story needed
to be told on film.
“Everyone connects
to this story in their
own personal way,” said
Santa Cruz resident and
set designer Christian
Wadman. “As a surfer,
Michael’s story rang out to
as clear as a bell in showing
me how surfing affects
our lifestyles, and how our
lifestyles affect our life.”
A film, television and
stage actor, Phillips knew
the Monterey Bay area
because his big break
came in the 1987 film “La
Bamba” when he played
legendary rocker and San
Fernando Valley native
Ritchie Valens. Three years
later Phillips co-starred in
another hit movie, “Young
Guns,” with Charlie Sheen,
Emilio Estevez, and Kiefer
Sutherland. In 1989 he
earned a supporting actor
Golden Globe Award for his
role in “Stand and Deliver,”
and received a Tony Award
nomination for his role in
“The King and I” in 1996.
Plenty of scripts reach
Phillips. But he said “Tao,” in
spite of being a small-budget
indie drama, made an impact.
“The script touched my
heart and really resonated
with me, having lost one
of my dearest friends in a
similar fashion to what is
tragically told in Michael’s
story,” Phillips said.
After giving Allen the
thumbs up that he was
going to play a lead role
in the film, Phillips took it
upon himself to grow his
hair and goatee for what
he called his “Santa Cruz
surfer look.” However, one
month later Allen called
Phillips and asked him if he
would be on the other end
of the camera lens, as the
director.
“I told Michael that I
would be honored,” Phillips
said.
Phillips shared that
the movie is not the book,
in that nowadays many
directors just try to film
each page of a book. He
explained that “The Tao
of Surfing” is a film about
how the book came to be.
It’s an inspirational journey
of deep, philosophical
meaning that blossoms into
both tragedy and joy.
Eric Balfour, 35, has
been cast in another of the
leading roles. An avid surfer
who grew up in Big Sur, he
now surfs the beaches close
to his home in Venice.
Balfour, who was given
the script by his agent, was
not only enamored by the
author’s life experiences
as portrayed in the book,
but also fascinated by the
differing effects the story
had on those who read it,
depending on their own
experiences with friendships,
triumph and tragedy.
“I grew up a surfer, so
the appeal of doing a movie
that was about surfers
but not a generic surf film
excited me. The idea of
making “Blue Crush” 2
or 3 was not something I
want to do, Balfour said.
“This was a way to tell
the story about this world
that I love, but also had
some very interesting
and deeper philosophical
thoughts that Michael had
infused via his novel and
life experience.”
Julia Jones, best
known for playing Leah
Clearwater in the 2010
film “The Twilight Saga:
Eclipse,” also plays a major
role in the film.
“When I first read this
story, I just wanted to stand
on a mountain top and
shout out, ‘Hey, everyone,
you need to read this!’”
Jones said.
Jones explained that
the work of an actor is
easiest when he or she feels
compelled to tell the story.
“Though we have all just
come together, there is a
certain air on this set, a
passion, a pride that we are
the chosen ones, a part of
something very special,”
Jones said.
The splendor and beauty
of the Monterey Bay
provide the backdrop of this
compelling story. It, too,
will play a major role even
as the crew moves from
different locations between
Santa Cruz to Big Sur.
“I wish to honor the
scenic beauty and majesty
that lies around Santa Cruz
and give it the respect and
justice that it deserves,”
Phillips said. “For this
film that depicts man’s
connection with the ocean
and the dirt, and how we
move through the universe,
there is no better place on
earth than here.”
Neil Pearlberg’s surf column appears every other Sunday in the
Sentinel. Send him feedback and
story ideas at
sports@santacruzsentinel.com.