It's become an annual rite of passage into the season for Bakersfield High's football team under Paul Golla: An opening game against a state power.

Only this time, state power might be an understatement. The Drillers travel to Long Beach Poly for a 7 p.m. game tonight to open the Kern County football season.

Volleyball

Garces d. Ridgeview 25-15, 25-8, 25-10

It was not perfect or pretty. But Bakersfield High's volleyball team is willing to wait for those things. On Tuesday, hanging on at home to beat Garces 25-10, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23 was enough.

"It feels so good," said senior Erin Jolley, who had a match-high 16 kills. "It's good to get it out of the way, and it's good to win."

Tennis

Wasco 11, Mira Monte 1

Stockdale's Abby Marina and Kayley In combined for an even-par 72 to take first place Monday in the 7th Annual Girls Golden Valley Tee Off Classic at North Kern Golf Course.

Ninety-two golfers from 17 Kern County high schools got together to soak up some sun, work on their game and take a swing in the annual best-ball preseason tournament.

David Childress added his name to the long list of Hobby Stock winners at Bakersfield Speedway this season.

Childress took the lead nines laps into the 25-lap race and led the rest of the way to become the 11th winner in 14 races.

Volleyball

South tournament

First in a series.

Sept. 1 is right around the corner. Do you know the significance of that date in the recruiting world? If not you need to take a step back from the process and educate yourself on the rules and regulations regarding your graduation class and sport. Below are a few simple guidelines for student athletes to review before moving forward in the fall.

Girls tennis

Golden Valley 12, South 0

Volleyball

Centennial d. Visalia-El Diamante, 25-14, 25-13, 25-20

Turns out Cody Kessler hasn't been the only Centennial senior making nationwide waves in the sports world.

A terrific summer for Golden Hawks volleyball standout Alyssa Gammel comes to an end Thursday when Centennial opens its season at Visalia-El Diamante. When Gammel takes the court, she'll carry a few titles with her.

Golden Valley became the third local boys basketball team to change coaches this summer when the school announced Adam Gratt would take over for Pat Kjack.

Gratt, a North High and Cal State Bakersfield graduate, has spent the past two years on Kjack's staff at Golden Valley. Before that he coached at North and Liberty. The Bulldogs return several players from an 18-8 team last year, including leading scorer Chris Brown.

Among the bus rides and postgame spreads of a minor-league baseball season, rare is the day circled on a calendar.

That changed last week for Brent Morel and Brandon Roberts, two Centennial High and Cal Poly graduates whose paths crossed when Rochester (N.Y.) visited Charlotte (N.C.) for a Class-AAA series in the International League.

Centennial High and UCLA graduate Megan Langenfeld played a leading role for the U.S. National Softball Team last weekend in the Japan Cup.

Langenfeld was a combined 5-for-12 with six RBIs and pitched 91/3 scoreless innings as the U.S. won the event with a 3-1 record, culminating with a 5-0 victory against Japan on Sunday in Sendai, Japan.

Liberty High is hiring a new wrestling coach and girls basketball coach for the upcoming season. If interested, fax a resume to Liberty High at (661) 587-1299, Attn: Tim Davis, or call (661) 587-0925, extension 139.

The Patriots are also organizing a program for their baseball alumni. Anyone who played baseball at Liberty at any level is encouraged to send name, address, e-mail address, phone number and any other information to charlene_lumsden@khsd.k12.ca.us.

BY ZACH EWING

It's like a lotto ticket, only if you had to earn your winnings.

SACRAMENTO -- Discus thrower Daniel Richardson and high jumper Evan Eggenberg, both of Bakersfield, earned championships in their respective events Friday in the National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships at Sacramento City College's Hughes Stadium.

The victories marked the second and third titles earned by Bakersfield athletes at this year's meet, with Ridgeview High's Johnny Carter winning the Young Men's Division triple jump on Thursday.

SACRAMENTO -- Discus thrower Daniel Richardson and high jumper Evan Eggenberg, both of Bakersfield, earned championships in their respective events Friday in the National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships at Sacramento City College's Hughes Stadium.

The victories marked the second and third titles earned by Bakersfield athletes at this year's meet, with Ridgeview High's Johnny Carter winning the Young Men's Division triple jump on Thursday.

SACRAMENTO -- Co-All-Area track and field Athlete of the Year Johnny Carter, who will be a senior at Ridgeview High, leaped 49 feet, 41/2 inches Thursday to win his age group in the National Junior Olympic Championships at Hughes Stadium.

Carter was competing for Team Raw (Ready And Willing), won the Young Men's Division by more than a foot better than second-place David Shaw of the Sandhills Track Club in Carthage, N.C.

Sam Marcus was back where it all began on Tuesday to announce the next chapter of his basketball career.

Sitting at a table next to three of his former coaches and with his family and numerous former teammates in attendance inside the Bakersfield United Gym, the recent Liberty graduate signed a ceremonial letter of intent with Cal State Stanislaus.