2020 Kern County Sports Countdown: 15-11

WELCOME INTO 23ABC SPORTS, I'MKARI OSEP.

I TOOK YOUTHROUGH THE FIRST FIVE OF THETOP-20 SPORTS MOMENTS THYEAR IN KERN COUNTY.

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.WE AREGOING TO CONTINUE THECOUTDOWN STARTING WITH NUMBER15.

ONE BAKERSFIELDBALLER WHO USED NOT ONLY TALENTBUT ALSO HER VOICE THISYEAR WHEN THE SPOTLIGHT WAS THEBRIGHTEST.NUMBER 15.

WHEN THE WNBA GOTTHEIR SEASON STARTEDTHIS YEAR.

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.ERICA MCCALLDIDN'T HAVE A TEAM.

BUT SOONENOUGH SHE JOINED THE WUBBLE INBRADENTON,FLORIDA WITH THE ATLANTA DREAM.AFTER A FEW GAMES SHE BEWAIVED..

BUT A DAY LATER SHE'DJOIN THE MINNESOTA LYNX.THE TEAM SHE'D REACH HER FIRSTWNBA SEMIFINALS WITH .

..MEANWHILE HER SISTER DEWANNABONNER ALSO PLAYING IN THESEMIS WITH THE SUN.

MCCALL MAYNOT HAVE REACHED THEULTIMATE GOAL OF PLAYING IN THEFINALS THIS SEASON BUT WASABLE TO REINVIGORATE HER GAMEAND MOREIMPORTANTLY USE HER PLATFORM TOBRING AWARENESS FORTHE FIGHT OF RACIAL INEQUALITYAND INJUSTICE ALONGWITH THE ENTIRE WNBA.OUTSIDE OF BASKETBALL PLAYERSAND OTHER PROFESSIONAL ATHLETESWE ARE HUMAN.

WE ARE BLACKHUMANS WHO HAVE TO DEAL WITHRACIAL INJUSTICE EVERY SINGLEDAY.

AND SO,BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DEAL WITHEVERY SINGLE DAY THAT'S WHATWE'RE FIGHTINGFOR.NUMBER 14.

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WHEN THE SPORTSWORLD WAS SHUTDOWNBACK IN MARCH.

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.KERN COUNTYDIDN'T KNOW WHEN IT WOULDSEE IT'S FIRST COMPETITION.

THECAL STATE BAKERSFIELDBASKETBALL PROGRAMS WOULD BE THEFIRST TO HOSTTHAT HONOR.

STARTING WITH THEMEN'S TEAM.

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.THEY OFFICIALLYBROUGHT BALL BACK TO BAKERSFIELDWITH A STUNNING94-43 WIN OVER BETHESDA ONDECEMBER SEVENTH.

THENTHE LADIES GRACED THE BLUE COURTON DECEMBER 11FALLING TO SANTA CLARA.ALTHOUGH IT HASN'T BEEN EASY.

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BOTH TEAMS ARE GRATEFUL TOONCE AGAIN BE PLAYING THEGAME THEY LOVE.

.AND WE LOVE TOSEE IT!IT'S TOUGH BECAUSE YOU KNOW WEDIDN'THAVE A SUMMER.

AND THEN IT WASUP AND DOWN WE WERE IN THESUMMER BUT ITHINK, UM, AS FAR AS WHERE WE'REHEADED RIGHT NOW I THINK WE'REDOWN A GOODROAD,GOOD TO SEE, ESPECIALLY WHENYOU JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHEN YOUWERE GONNA PLAY AT ALL, TO BEABLE TOSEE EVERYBODY OUT THERE GETTINGA GETTING PAST THESE YOU KNOWPLAYINGTOGETHER AND LOOKING LIKE ASCENE WHICH IS A BLESSING.NUMBER 13.

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WE CAN'T FORGETWHEN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTSWERE AROUND.

..AND ON THE PITCH..

.KERN COUNTY SCHOOLSWERE SHOWING OUT DURING VALLEYCHAMPIONSHIPTIME.

IN FEBRURAY EIGHT LOCALSCHOOLS WERE COMPETING FORTHAT VALLEY TITLE.

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.AND FOUROF THEM WOULD GRAB THE HONOR.GARCES MEMORIAL AND FOOTHILLBOYS SOCCER CLAIMEDBACK-TO-BACK TITLES.

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.WHILEARVIN GIRLS REPEATED FORTHE CHAMPIONSHIP AND CENTENNIALGIRLS WON THEIRFIRST VALLEY TITLE SINCE 1996.IT MAY FEEL LIKE YEARS AGO.

..EVEN A PANDEMIC COULDN'THAVEN'T QUIETED THOSECELEBRATIONS.NUMBER 12.

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IT'S NOT EVERYYEAR YOU GET TO SEE MORE THANONE ATHLETE MAKE AN NFL ROSTERFROM BAKERSFIELD.

..THIS YEAR.

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.WE GOT TWO.

ANDTHEY BOTH PLAYED FORLIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL.

FORMERPATRIOT TEAMMATESTURNED PACKERS TEAMMATES.

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.HADDIFFERENT JOURNEYS TO THELEAGUE BUT SOMEHOW BOTH ENEDEDUP IN GREEN BAY.

UTAHSTATE QUARTERBACK JORDAN LOVEHEARD HIS NAMECALLED IN THE FIRST ROUND ..

THEFIRST BAKERSFIELDATHLETE TO GO IN THE OPENINGROUND SINCE DAVID CARR WENTNUMBER ONE OVERALL IN 2002.WHILE.

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.UCLA LINEBACKER KRYSBARNES WAITED FOR HIS CALL AS HESIGNED WITH THE TEAM AS ANUNDRAFTED FREE AGENT.

THE TWOFRIENDS CONTINUE TOSOAK UP THIS UNIQUE EXPERIENCEAND ARE EVENROOMING TOGETHER IN GREEN BAY.NUMBER 11.

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WHEN WE ALLNEEDED SOME JOY THIS YEAR.

..ONE TEHACHAPI SENIOR MADE SURETO LIFT OUR SPIRITS WHILELIFTING SOME RECORD- BREAKINGWEIGHTS.

GARRET ALCARAZ WHOHAPPENS TO HAVE DOWN SYNDROMESET A SCHOOL BENCH PRESS RECORDIN MAY LIFTING 355 POUNDS.

THEVIDEO OF HIM LIFTING THAT WEIGHTWENT VIRAL.

RACKINGUP MILLIONS OF VIEWS AFTER BEINGSHARED BY ESPN SPORTSCENTER FOLLOWED BY COUNTLESSOTHERS.

ICAUGHT WITH THE YOUNGEST OF THEALCARAZ BUNCH AND A FEW FROMHIS FAMILY OF TEN DURING THATTIME AND I DON'T THINK MY SMILEHAS YETTO WEAR OFF.GARRET IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ALLNEEDED IN 2020.WE ARE HALF WAY THROUGH THETOP-20 SPORTS MOMENTSCOUTDOWN.

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.TUNE IN TOMORROW ASWE CRACK THETOP-TEN.FOR 23ABC SPORTS, I'M KARI OSEP.AND NOW TO A REMINDER -- NOWTHAT CHRISTMAS IS OVER, IT'STIMEFOR MANY OF US TO GET RID OF OURCHRISTMAS TREES.

ANDTHERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS FORRECYCLINGTHEM...THE LOCAL RECYCLING PROGRAMENCOURAGESRESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTYTO RECYCLE TIRTOP-TEN.AND NOW TO A REMINDER -- NOWTHAT CHRISTMAS IS OVER, IT'STIME