Plumas County Sports 2019 Year in Review
It’s been a fantastic year with dozens of photo opportunities to remind us of the great moments in sports we have been treated to this year by talented athletes. To see more photo memories from this year’s sports section, check out Plumasnews.com Sports Year In Review photos. Thanks for reading and following Plumas Sports! It has been a pleasure to witness and report.
Jan. 9
What are the odds?
Chester girls basketball and the Greenville Indian girls have had two amazing games challenging each other on the courts. On Dec. 11, the Volcano girls came out on top beating Greenville 59-41. This was after a Dec. 1 game when the two teams faced each other during the Greenville Invitational Tournament where the Indians came out on top … 59-41!
Jan. 16
Ski team gets a lift
The Quincy High ski team started the 2019 season in fresh powder Jan. 11 at Boreal Ski Resort. Trojan racers took first and seventh places in the inaugural giant slalom race.
Trojans win, win, win!
After a very long break, the Quincy Trojan basketball teams kicked off their league seasons in a series of away games, and won every challenge.
Jan. 23
Eagle basketball teams take flight
College basketball drives straight into conference play as the holidays fade in the rearview mirror.
Longboards round one a wet win
Light-hearted fun was not dampened by wet snow as spectators and brave racers took the hill at Johnsville Historic Ski Bowl for the first runs of the season on wooden skis of 9 feet or better Jan. 20.
Jan. 30
Volcanoes! Trojans! and Tigers! Oh my!!!
The Trojans split a pair of rivalry matches last week, a win over Chester 55-43 on Jan. 22 and a loss Jan. 23 to the Portola Tigers, 57-23.
Badgers win again
Clay Hammerich sprints to score in Orland as the Badgers beat Providence 62-30 on Jan 23. Plumas Charter School basketball team has five wins under their belt in the team’s second season on the court.
Feb. 6
QHS tops league and tops Portola
The Rivalry continues as Quincy basketball beat the Tigers on Feb. 1 in Portola by a score of 84-75; a flip from a game with PHS just a week earlier when the Tigers won 56-53. The loss Jan. 23 to PHS is the only loss on the Trojan boys league record, 6-1.
Feb. 13
Plumas wrestlers sweep league with big wins
“Our Trojans and Plumas Charter School Badger went to the Shasta Cascade League Tournament ready for a battle and shook things up,” said QHS wrestling coach Russell Nickerson. “We left with everyone placing.”
Feb. 20
GHS girls earn top spot at NSCIF, Feb. 23
“Well they did it!” said Greenville High School athletic parent Misty Banchio after the GHS girls basketball team won Feb. 15 at home. And indeed they did. Winning the semi-final competition with Paradise by a score of 51-22 advances the Indians to the very top. “They are going to the championship game Feb. 23 at Shasta College,” said Banchio.
Honkers win and fly on
The Volcano girls basketball team fought a tough battle with the Tulelake Honkers who traveled all the way down from the Oregon boarder in some pretty extreme weather to challenge Chester in the first playoff game of the Northern Section CIF championships for Division 6. The Honkers migrated back to Tulelake with the win, 65-56.
Feb. 27
PHS gets a chance at State
The Portola girls basketball moved on to the CIF state playoffs as one of the four top teams in Northern California Division 5. They traveled to Willows to take on the Honkers yesterday, Feb. 26, in the first round of state championship competition.
Two Plumas wrestlers compete at State
Bonner Montgomery from Chester and Russell Nickerson from Quincy earned the opportunity to compete in Bakersfield at the state championships Feb. 21 and 22.
March 6
State competitors: Tigers!
The Portola girls basketball team, one of the top four teams in the Northern Section CIF Division 5, finally had to surrender during state championships to the Willows Honkers in their final game of the season, 63-37.
March 13
FRC rides in Fresno
The Feather River College rodeo team wrangled its way through the first event of the season in Clovis at the Fresno State Rodeo on March 8 and 9.
March 20
Quincy softball wins tourney in 7-game streak
The lady Trojans have hit an impressive stride fresh out of the gate for the 2019 softball season. A winning streak plowed the girls right through all the opposition in two out-of-town tournaments while the QHS field stood buried under a foot of snow.
Long live Longboards World Championship winners declared
That’s it! The 2019 World Championship Longboard races concluded under the bluest of skies and the most premium of conditions.
March 27
Eagles win six in a row
Feather River College softball team has an overall 7-13 record in preseason play, but none of that matters because the ladies are building up a real head of steam as they won four in a row before their first league game March 21 against Butte, winning 7-2 and 2-1 in the doubleheader.
April 3
Greenville baseball remains undefeated
GHS boys are racking up win after win on the field, at home and away. The last series of wins are the result of a doubleheader with the Loyalton Grizzlies on March 22.
Eagles fly with a 16-game streak
Feather River College baseball is having an unparalleled season acing the competition. The most recent success for the men was a trio of games with the Shasta Knights.
April 10
Young folk get the low down on mountain biking
Lost Sierra Composite Mountain Bike Team, supported by Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, hosts the Lost Sierra Mountain Bike Team Night … tonight.
April 17
Eagle beach volleyball climbs the ladder
The Feather River College beach volleyball team wins in a 5-game streak.
Golfers putt around waiting for dry greens
The golf schedule remains whole at this stage of the game, but the Mt. Huff opener has been pushed back a week for rain.
April 24
FRC lady Eagles cement Golden Valley League first place
The Feather River College softball team finished off its regular games last week in first place with a record of 16-2 before the final doubleheader with Shasta on April 22.
May 1
PHS Tigers tangle with GHS Indians. Portola hosted the undefeated Greenville Indians, 9-0 overall and 4-0 in the league, on April 23 and won in the dynamic non-league game, 12-8.
First and last
The Quincy Trojan baseball team play their first and last home game of the season April 22 on the FRC diamond.
May 8
Portola Tiger baseball splits doubleheaders with QHS and CHS
In one of the best contests of the season, the Volcanoes and the Tigers lit the field up with spectacular plays and hits April 27. Portola and Quincy met April 30 for the one and only time this season in a doubleheader at PHS on April 30 and the teams shared the victories.
Portola High golf team wins Feather River Conference
Tiger golfers won the first place in conference May 2 at the beautiful and scenic Grizzly Ranch Golf Course.
May 15
Team Beatty takes 1st in Rotary golf tourney
A warm, sunshiny day along with the pristine condition s on the course at the Plumas Pines Golf Resort in Blairsden provided the perfect setting for the Quincy Rotary Club’s 19th annual Clay Dyrr Memorial Golf Tournament held Saturday, May 4.
QHS tennis ends season with first place trophy at tourney
High School tennis season wrapped up with the two-day Sierra Cascade League championship in Redding on May 6 and 7.
May 22
Snow is melting and the fishing bite is heating up
The clearing of snow from the road up to Lakeshore Lodge and Bucks Lake Lodge began May 13. There was a dusting of snow May 16 but it didn’t cover the newly cleared roads, so all is well.
Greenville High student takes first place at speedway
GHS multi-sports athlete Colton Lawson chose a senior project he really liked – car racing.
May 29
Volcanoes throw last strikes and hit final grand slams of the season
Chester boys had a tough time with the snow crowding them off the CHS baseball field this season.
Bulldogs feel the burn
The Los Molinos girls will not soon forget the game they played May 1 in Chester where the Volcano girls boiled over in a 28-18 victory. The game began with a BANG! Both teams scored four runs each in the first inning.
The Bulldogs continued on a good pace with three runs in the top of the second inning, but the Volcanoes were in an entirely different time zone and scored eight runs. Volcano Chancey Juska hit two grand slams during the game for a total of six RBIs and made a total of five of her own scoring trips across home plate.
June 5
AFA helps out at FRC hatchery
“Feather River College has been raising browns for Lake Almanor,” said John Crotty of the Almanor Fishing Association.” AFA volunteers converged on the FRC hatchery May 14 with rock donated from Joy Engineering and helping hands to upgrade the site.
June 12
Portola Lost and Found Gravel Grinder climbs high
The winter season has been extreme this year and the big race came just on the heels of the last storms of the season and the first days of summer.
First annual 4H 5k runners turn green
More than a couple dozen runners showed up to participate in the first ever 4-H Color Me Green 5K run the morning of the 2019 Plumas County Picnic on June 1.
June 19
Trout are welcome
Students across the county have been witnessing trout plants this past week. The final outdoor adventure for fourth-graders took place at Lake Davis on June 13.
June 26
Chester Century rides in sublime conditions
There were over 200 riders participating in the Mile High 100 annual bicycle event touring Lake Almanor, Indian Valley and Drakesbad in the furthest northern sections of Plumas County.
Tour de Manure rides again for local firefighters
Five-hundred-forty-four riders toured Sierra Valley on June 15 in the 10th annual metric century ride benefiting local firefighters. “Thanks to this event we have been ale to purchase three rescue rigs,” said event organizer Tami McCollum.
July 3
AFA honors veterans at Lake Almanor
Vets from across Plumas County and beyond gathered June 23 for a day of fishing on Lake Almanor.
July 10
Little League makes a strong season finish in Westwood
The athletic abilities displayed at the championship games were amazing. Everything from pitching, hitting, throwing and fielding were skills well on their way to mastery. Some of the players stood no higher than 3 feet yet had the look of seasoned ball players when in motion on the field.
July 17
Taylorsville puts on spectacular 4th of July Silver Buckle Rodeo
Just a stroll toward the campground from the center of town, folks were taking a dip to cool off in Indian Creek after the parade. A little further down the road, folks began to fill the stands for the 70th annual Silver Buckle Rodeo on the 4th of July shortly after noon.
July 24
Full Moon Howlers paddle Eureka
Members of the Graeagle night-time outing group chose Eureka Lake above Johnsville to view the rising of the Full Buck Moon July 16.
July 31
Locals take the ride of a lifetime
Gerry Hendrick, Jim Cooke and Steve Berry had an idea to ride their motorcycles across country to the oldest motorcycle rally in the world, Laconia Motorcycle Week 2019 in New Hampshire, and so they did.
Aug. 7
Kayakers delight in Feather River water releases
The Feather River boasts world-class rapids, ranging in difficulty from Class II all the way up to Class V.
Aug. 14
Rapids swim meet draws hundreds to and through Plumas County Plumas Rapids made the most of hosting its annual swim meet in Quincy on July 20 and 21. Pioneer Park was “abuzz” with activity all weekend long.
Downieville Classic patrons love mountain magic
It was a huge weekend in the mountains for downhill and cross-country racers the first week of August. The 24th annual Downieville Classic drew visitors to the small mountain town and swelled the population tremendously.
Aug. 21
Local places third in National Judo and Jujitsu Championships
Twelve-year-old Oliver Litchfield took his skills to nationals in Atlanta, Georgia, on Aug 3, and brought home third place in the Junior Advanced category for his age at 100 pounds.
Aug. 28
Youngsters take to the high roads to mend mountain trails
The Storrie High School crew finished its five-week run Aug. 8. The crew dug drains on Round and Silver Lake trails in Lakes Basin.
Sept. 4
Courage Triathlon raises funds and awareness
Marathoners converged on Plumas Pines Resort in Canyon Dam on Aug. 24 to compete in the fifth annual 2019 Courage Triathlon fundraising event.
Sept. 11
No bears on the course for this year’s marathon
Mountain Circle’s Running with the Bears event hosted 48 marathon runners and 378 overall participants.
Sept. 18
Portola Tiger football begins season with a 3-game streak
The Modoc Braves were the most recent to feel the Tiger bite as they came to Portola on Sept. 13. The Braves headed home as the latest to fall to the PHS Tigers, 13-6.
Sept. 25
Eagles keep flying on 19-game winning streak
The Feather River Eagles volleyball team has been one to watch for many years but 2019 is really shaping up to be a stellar season for the FRC team.
Sailing acts as a time machine
The abrupt end of summer weather is a relief for the possibility of an early end of fire season but leaves a somewhat melancholy air with the memory of hot summer winds so fresh in the mind.
QHS girls’ soccer strikes hard, 9-1
The Quincy girls won over the junior varsity Vaqueros from Fernley on Sept. 15 in a soggy, splashy game on the QHS soccer field.
Oct. 2
Volcano volleyball wins 3-1
The Chester Vols beat the Westwood Lumberjacks in the last preseason volleyball game Sept. 16.
GHS Indians are on a roll winning three in a row
Greenville football is having a winning season on the field. The fans are loving it and showing support by filling the stands for games.
Oct. 9
Soccer conference play begins
Feather River College soccer teams are challenging teams from all over Northern California.
Checkered flag for the season
Car racing in Plumas County ended in Quincy for 2019 as the final engines sped by Sept. 21.
Oct. 16
Eagle Rodeo on Oct. 17-19
The Feather River College wranglers are inviting rodeo riders back to the Plumas-Sierra Fairgrounds for the annual FRC Rodeo, the last West Coast Community College rodeo event of the season.
Oct. 23
Who can beat the Chester Volcanoes? So far no one
The boys of the CHS football team have built up momentum that is plowing through all of their challengers, one game at a time. The overall Volcano record of 8-0 makes for a league record of 5-0 for the mighty Chester boys.
Athletic events put a nice spin on Plumas County outdoors
Grinduro Gavel Grinder results are in, and they are good.
Oct. 30
Quincy Trojan boys win Feather River soccer league
The Quincy boys have made great strides in the month of October. After a loss Oct. 1 to CORE Butte, 2-1, the boys went on to win five soccer games in a row.
Nov. 6
Fierce Tigers win through playoffs
Tough teams from Greenville and Quincy fell during the first rounds of Northern Section championship volleyball matches. The Tigers from however emerged victorious as they faced their first and second challengers.
Volcano heat is felt all across Sierra and Indian valleys
The Volcanoes came to Loyalton on Oct. 26 with an 8-0 record ready to make it 9-0 and they succeeded. The CHS boys won over the Grizzlies by a score of 64-0.
Portola Tigers win again
PHS football traveled to Etna to beat the Lions by a score of 19-12 on Nov. 1.
Nov. 13
Tigers give away nothing
The PHS Tigers played the most incredible volleyball game of the season Nov. 5 in Portola hosting the Bulldogs in the Northern Section semi-finals.
Volcanoes incinerate Hayfork, 54-12
The Chester Volcanoes won the league football championship with their victory over the Greenville Indians Nov. 2 and headed into the Northern Section playoffs ranked number one. The first team to face the Vols on the CHS home field was the Hayfork Timberjacks.
Nov. 20
Eagles volleyball takes conference undefeated
The Eagles win the Golden Valley Conference first-place title for the 10th season in a row!
Undefeated Chester Volcanoes host Northern Section 8-man championship game Nov. 22
The Vols won over the Big Valley Cardinals by a score of 41-14 at CHS Nov. 15 in the second round of playoffs.
Eagles football wins final home game 45-41
The Feather River College football team made the last home game in Quincy on Nov. 9 very special for Eagles’ fans; they won in an exciting 45-41 game.
Nov. 27
They did it! Volcanoes win championship
The CHS Volcano football team won the final game of the season against the Fall River Bulldogs by a score of 14-0. It was freezing outside during the Northern Section Championship football game Nov. 22 in Chester, but the Volcanoes were hot on the field, downright scalding.
Tigers beat Lions
The Tigers were victorious over the Etna Lions, again, only this time during the Northern section playoffs Nov. 15 in Portola.
Dec. 4
Trojans and Indians heat up the court
Trojans win 84-48. The first basketball games of the season took place just before Thanksgiving in Greenville. The rivalry between the home team Indians and visiting Quincy Trojans was a great way to tip things off for a dynamic season.
Dec. 11
Eagles win championship
The Eagles volleyball team win State championship for the first time ever, in any sport, of Feather River College history.
Whitewater season may not be over
The Poe reach will have low boatable flows through most of the winter.
Dec. 18
Championship Eagles are the pride of Quincy
The Eagles were honored in an escorted parade through Quincy at noon Dec. 11 to commemorate the achievements the team attained at the 2019 State Championship Volleyball competition in Chula Vista on Dec. 8.
Wrestlers get into action
The 50th annual Chester Invitational Wrestling Tournament took place Dec. 6 and 7 at Lassen College in Susanville.
Basketball tournaments score points all over the county
Chester, Portola, Quincy and Greenville high schools hosted invitational events Dec. 6 through Dec. 14 to kick off the basketball season.
Dec. 24
FRC alumni wins gold at NFR
Clayton Biglow, age 23, won the 2019 bareback riding world championship at the National Finals Rodeo competition in Las Vegas and prizes totaling $243,891.
