Prep Blog

Stephen Nogosek (left) understands anxiety away from the playing field.

His father and idol Troy is a Sacramento firefighter who has carried babies out of burning buildings and then collapsed at his family's feet at home in exhaustion. Troy also races cars in his free time, crashing into walls and cracking ribs and blowing out knees with ensuing ambulance rides to the hospital.

So what's a seven-inning effort in the biggest high school moment of his life? A breeze.
With Nogosek tossing a complete-game two hitter with six strikeouts on Monday night, the Woodcreek Timberwolves capped an improbable playoff run with a 9-2 victory over rival Granite Bay to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship at coolish, gusty Sacramento City College.

A full crowd at Union Stadium, many huddled in blankets as if attending a Giants game at old Candlestick Park, saw two aces start and one finish unbeaten. Nogosek finished his junior season 8-0 after recording a 1-2-3 sixth inning and striking out two in the seventh. After the final out, Nogosek hugged all comers. Before all that, Nogosek's mother Jennifer paced nervously in the stands. Troy studied every at bat intently.

"Moms always freak out when their sons pitch - it's a mom thing," Nogosek said. "My dad is laid back. My dad is amazing. We worry that he'll get hurt as a firefighter, and he tells us that when little kids or any kids get hurt he thinks of us. No matter what happens, we're glad when he makes it home safe. It's real life."

Woodcreek (24-7) overcame injuries and a brutally competitive Sierra Foothill League to fight and claw its way through the postseason, including beating Rocklin twice in one day to reach this stage. Thin on pitching due to injuries, Woodcreek leaned heavily on Nogosek and a superb supporting cast of Shaun Mize, Austin Haggarty, Alex Montes, George Corp, Perry Beaber, Austin Blatnick, Brandon Raposa and Bobby Paser. Mize was especially strong at shortstop and Corp at catcher.

Woodcreek chased Keeney in the fourth with a 7-1 lead. Keeney came in 7-0 and was hoping to end his stellar prep career with a baseball championship to match his D-I football title. Granite Bay finished 23-8.

Division II
Rodriguez 3, El Camino 0 - Jesse Scholtens, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound power pitcher headed to Arizona, tossed a complete-game three-hitter with nine strikeouts for the Fairfield team's first championship. Scholtens (7-1) outdueled El Camino ace Mike Frantz, who allowed six hits and struck out five. El Camino came in winners of 10 consecutive games and 15 of 16 games under first-year coach David Brown. The Eagles (20-11) were in their first title game for any division. Rodriguez (23-9) lost to Benicia in the D-III finals last season. Scholtens lost only to Placer and ace Ryan Mason 2-1, in the playoffs.

Division VII
Valley Christian 6, Millennium 0 - The Lions of Roseville scored five in the first, and sophomore Jeremiah Moore tossed a complte-game two-hitter with four strikeouts for the program's fourth title in five seasons. Moore and Bronson Buljan each had two-run singles in the first for Valley Christian (23-6), which ended the season on a 19-game winning streak. Lions coach Brad Gunter Jr. said he was pleased for his seniors and thrilled for his father of the same name who founded the school and serves as a lead administrator and pastor.

"He nearly died twice on us with heart trouble," Brad Jr. said. "Watching him carry that blue championship banner, hugging all these players, his happiness, that's what makes this so special. I am so happy for him."

Lions players ribbed their coach for his long, red-dyed beard, which hasn't been touched during the winning streak.

"I need the dye otherwise I'd look like Santa with all that gray, and that's no good," Gunter Jr. said. "Coaching high school kids makes you gray. Don't be surprised if it's down to my waist next year. Can't cut it now."
- By Joe Davidson
jdavidson@sacbee.com
On Twitter: @sb_joedavidson