Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend

The Bears of Phoenix College (PC) lumbered into John D. Riggs Stadium looking for a meal. The Thunderbirds would not let themselves be a meal for a hungry Bear squad.  The bears have been without a Thunderbird meal since Sept. 3, 2016, when the Thunderbirds went into the Bear cave, (Hogan Field at Hoy Stadium).  The last two games when the Bears came to John C. Riggs Stadium, they retreated home to lick their wounds.  After the National Anthem played, MCC held a moment of silence for Ben McIvor who lost his life in a bar fight over the summer.  Head Coach Ryan Felker said, “Our goal is one week at a time, right now.”

Last season, Thunderbirds won their second game against PC, 58-13.  This time it was the same story, different score, 40-10.  The Thunderbirds put up 463 yards to the Bears 275 yards.  MCC held every category against PC, except fumbles, kickoff returns, and sacks.  The Thunderbirds did lose Offensive Lineman #74 Kordell Pillans to a possible MCL injury.  According to Pillans, he heard a pop when he sustained his injury. Head Coach Felker said, “That’s huge, cause he’s big-time talent and a great offensive lineman.” Later in the game, another offensive lineman was injured, Mike Young out of Queen Creek.  Head Coach Felker said, “He’s a great offensive tackle, as well. We gotta figure out what’s going on with those two and hopefully get’em put back together.”

Passing yard were 302-183. Rushing yards 161-92. Darius Aguirre, #3, had a spectacular 78-yard punt return. The defense held their own with three interceptions. The T-birds put up six points in the first quarter.  It was a touchdown but missed the extra point.  Second quarter brought another 14 points to the board for Mesa Community College (MCC).  The Thunderbirds talons sunk deep in the bear hide during the first half with the score 20-3.  The Bears only put up a field goal in the first half. The Thunderbirds put up another 20 points on the scoreboard in the second half.  While PC only put up a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The results from the examination on Kordell Pillans came back as a complete tear of his MCL and has possibly sidelined him for the season.

Kian Hagerman
Mesa Legend

Health and fitness are important for those who desire to lead an active, fulfilling life and there are countless YouTube channels dedicated to these topics. The hosts of these videos often speak in absolutes, confident in the information that they communicate to their viewers. It is necessary to keep in mind when watching these channels that while the advice provided can be valuable, that skepticism should be applied. Anything one might decide to try should be thoroughly researched, especially given how easy it is to educate oneself using the vast resources available these days on the internet alone. This means doing some reading, and being willing to ask others that are more knowledgeable when it comes to a specific meal plan or workout regimen for more detailed data.

Consultation with a physician is also a step one should take to stay safe; if one’s health is a concern then ideally this is one decision that should not be taken lightly. Medical professionals are trained to know the ins and outs of the human body, and what it is equipped to handle. Having one as a guide when deciding the best method to choose, can help avoid disaster. Living in a society means not existing in a vacuum; take advantage of the fact that there are those that have dedicated their lives to the study and advancement of the collective knowledge of every conceivable topic.

Dietary plans can be extremely effective, if compatible with a person, or can be extremely dangerous if not. Even if compatible, sticking to a very specific, narrowly focused diet can also lead to nutritional deficiencies, if the diet isn’t properly balanced for those that intend to follow them for extended periods of time. Exercises, particularly those that involve weightlifting, can injure someone for life if performed improperly. Knowing the extent of one’s abilities and not pushing too hard, too fast can ensure that physical activities can be performed throughout one’s life.

It can be difficult to temper enthusiasm when motivated to improve one’s quality of life but staying safe while doing so should always be kept in mind.Even more so when watching someone who is communicating with the intention of motivating their audience.

 

Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend

The Lady Thunderbirds were riding high after winning against Glendale Community College, at home.  The women beat the Gauchos after a double overtime tie with the Arizona Central Matadors. They carried this momentum in against the Cougars of South Mountain.  The first goal came from the foot of Mia Martinez, assisted by Martina Bueno.  A 1:18 later, Bueno put in her own unassisted goal, putting the Thunderbirds up 2-0.  Esmerelda Cervantes scored her own unassisted goal 15 minutes later. In addition, a little over two minutes later, she sent another unassisted goal in the back of the net.  She would not complete the hat trick for the game.

The Lady Thunderbirds, Joceline Bojorquez, put in the final goal of the first half, unassisted. The onslaught for the Cougars did not stop in the second 45 minutes.  Maia Gajate scored unassisted within 3:19 of the second kickoff.  The Cougars defense stepped up after the having a sixth Thunderbird goal hit the back of the net.  At 72:20 the Cougar defense faltered and Maddison Ross, assisted by Taylor Roser, scoring goal number seven for the Lady T-Birds.  The final goal of the match came just over six minutes later. Elle Betz, assisted by Cierra Poarch, put in the eighth goal.

The Lady Thunderbirds were the clear aggressors in the match. They took 19 shots, 11 of those the South Mountain keeper successfully kept out of the goal, and 5 corner kicks. According to the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) Scoresheet, the Cougars only had two shots on goal.  The Lady T-Birds followed up this victory with another notch in the win column against Cochise College, 2-0. And, a notch in the loss column against Pima Community College.  They play against Paradise Valley and Gateway before having almost a week off. They will return to John D. Riggs Stadium on Sept. 30. to face the Fighting Artichokes of Scottsdale Community College.

Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend

The Lady T-birds had their wings clipped by Division 1 College of Southern Idaho.  Southern Idaho was coming into the game with a single loss for the season.  Miami-Dade CC from Salt Lake City, Utah handed the Golden Eagles this loss in four sets. The Golden Eagles were ranked 4 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) headed into the National Tournament.

The Women’s Volleyball team has been having a productive year at 10-3 The College of Southern Idaho (CSI) arrived in the Valley of the Sun on Sept. 14 for competition against Phoenix College and won 3-0. The Golden Eagles had a couple of days off.  They played at 1 p.m. against the Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes and K.O. them 3-0.
Their next target was our gymnasium at 6 p.m.

The Lady T-Birds came out ready to defend home court against the Golden Eagles and take away the victory. The women had the lead until Southern Idaho pulled even at 7-7.  The Division I Golden Eagles took the lead at this point and never looked back in the first set.  They won 25-19. The second set had the start. The women were even at 3-3 when the Golden Eagles took the lead for the rest of this set.

At 10-5 Mesa Community College (MCC) took a timeout to regroup and talk strategy.  The Thunderbirds played the next 13 points and took 5-13.  MCC had to call another timeout to regroup.  The pace of the match continued in the Golden Eagles favor and took the second set 25-17The third set was all Golden Eagles.  The Lady T-Birds never grasped the lead in this set.

They were gaining traction early and late in the set. During the final timeout MCC took, the coach spoke to the ladies telling them to hold one another accountable and everyone needs to push hard.  The T-Birds had to lick their wounds and head away from home to Yavapai College in Prescott on Sept. 20. The Roughriders handed the women their fifth loss of the season.
Glendale Community College comes to Theo J. Heap Gymnasium on Sept. 22. The Aztecs of Pima Community College are the following opponent on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

 

Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend

The Thunderbirds took the field with a purpose against South Mountain Community College.
The Thunderbirds have struggled all season in athletic matches where the ball couldn’t find the back of the net.  They would have had a different record, but the game against Arizona Western was stopped at halftime due to lightning.  They were 1-4-1 coming into the match against the Cougars.

Ivan Medina, No. 8, was the first Thunderbird to put one in the back of the Cougars net at 6:01, assisted by Panos Sioris, No. 18. Medina followed his first goal with a second, assisted by No. 27, Ghanen Lilly-Nolan. Kevin Olivarez had an unassisted goal almost four minutes later to put the Thunderbirds ahead 3-0 with approximately 31 minutes left in the first half.  Coach Ronan took starting keeper Joshua Stewart out at 39:22 and sent in Brandon Alvarez to take over.
Ghanen Lilly-Nolan got a second assist at the 22:13, when Connor Glennen, No. 15, put another ball in the Cougar net.

After halftime was complete, the two teams took the field and 2:15 into the second half No. 15, unassisted, put another ball past the Cougar keeper.  This goal gave the Thunderbirds a 5-0 lead. Coach Ronan gave his third keeper time, putting him in at the 65:45 mark in the match.
South Mountain changed their keeper to Jovani Giron three seconds earlier. Arturo Molina, No. 3, put the final goal of the match away, unassisted, at 72:01.

Coach Ronan said, “Every single person on our roster got into the game.  Everybody played hard and played well.  Obviously, we needed a win and we got one.” The Thunderbirds outpaced the Cougars with 14-7 shots on goal (SOG), Corner Kicks 6-3, Off sides 9-2. Fouls were close,9-6, but two Cougars received yellow cards, Aldo Skewes and Carlos Felix.

Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend

Lady T-Birds Get Defeathered by the Fighting Artichokes Tuesday, 8/29/17, was a hot and miserable outing for the Women’s Soccer team.  The Mesa Community College (MCC) Women’s Soccer traveled to Scottsdale Community College (SCC) to face the Fighting Artichokes.  The game began at 5:30 P.M., local time. The women had come back in overtime in their last match against Gateway Community College (GCC).  They won 3-2. Coach Drew Guarneri said, “It was a great fight.  It shows a little bit of character when you’re down 2-0 and you manage to pull it off. It gives’em some hope.”

The starting line-up for the Lady Thunderbirds is Savannah Cornelo, 1, Martina Bueno, 6, Emily Lynch, 8, Mia Martinez, 10, Jordyn Cullimore, 11, Maia Gajate, 15, Cierra Poarch, 17, Tawsi Rohner, 18, Ellie Beltz, 19, Monica Chavez, 23, and Maddison Ross, 31.  The first half was a lackluster showing after the overtime win at GCC. The Fighting Artichokes Amanda Maciel, 17, assisted by Valeria Villalobos-Haros, 10, to score first in an open net at 16:27.

The next goal came at 35:44 by number 10 with a 35-yard shot into the top-left corner. Kalleigh Gibadlo, 12, came with the assist.  With only 3 seconds left before half, the Lady T-Birds took another blow with the third goal by SCC.  Coach Guarneri had the women get some water and then took them, as a team, out into the field to talk about the first half of the match. The onslaught of goals did not stop there.  SCC poured in three more goals in the second half before MCC put in their first goal.  SCC received a free kick from 25 yards out, at 2:25 into the second half.
Kindall Kaufmann, 22, put the kick in the Thunderbird net.

Kaufmann then crossed to Amanda Maciel for her second goal and fifth of the game for SCC with 39:22 left in the game. Number 22 put the games sixth, her second goal, unassisted, from 30-yards out and plenty of time left on the clock.  The Lady Thunderbirds began to show life even though the Fighting Artichokes had the match in the bag.  Martina Bueno, 6, gave the Thunderbirds their first goal with an assist from Tawsi Rohner, 8.Bueno and Rohner scored the next goal for the Lady T-Birds, but in opposite roles.

Bueno gave Rohner a cross from the right side of the field, headed in by number 8.  These two put these goals in within 1 minute 10 seconds of each other. Mia Martinez had her own spectacular unassisted shot, which she celebrated with a dance, from 30-yards out into the top right corner of SCC’s goal.  SCC’S Kaufmann and Maciel would seal the deal with the seventh goal with 37 seconds left in the match.  SCC had all of the stats to back up their win. They outshot Mesa 13-8 and had five saves.
The Lady Thunderbirds have their next game, away, against the Bears of Phoenix College.

Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend

Lady T-Birds Volleyball Protects the Nest Mesa Community College (MCC) Women’s Volleyball opened the season with a strong win.  Women’s Volleyball had a concrete 2016-17 season advancing to the Division II playoffs, according to MCC’s Athletic Department. The women see themselves in the same place this season. Coach Megan Taylor said, “So, they have that goal to make the postseason, again, and win it to go to Nationals.”This was the first winning season since 05’. It has been a serpentine road for the volleyball team, especially in 14’ having a winless season and 12’ winning only a single game.

The team has women returning from last seasons’ roster.  Camy Cohn is the team’s starting libero, this season and last season. A libero is a player who specializes in defense. The player designated as libero must wear a different color from the rest of the team.  Tonight, the team was in white, so Cohn was wearing red. Paige Greenly, Leah Crist and Tamra Hunt are a few returning sophomores.  A couple of girls red-shirted and the team had players transfer in to the program, according to Coach Taylor.

MCC Women’s Volleyball hosted the Ottawa JV Women at Theo J. Heap Gymnasium, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017. The first game belonged to the T-Birds, by a substantial margin, according to Coach Taylor. The second game had the T-Birds back to the nest. They began the game losing the first four points The women showed losing the first four points was not an issue to them.  When the score was 7-11, the women were duking it out for the point, which went to Ottawa, and MCC called timeout.

They were down almost the entire match. At 18-22, the T-Birds streaked toward the finish, going on a 6-point run to win Game 2, 25-23. Game 3 was a roller coaster ride the Lady T-Birds endured. They led until halfway through the game when Ottawa JV took the lead at 13-14. MCC was behind until at 18-18, the Lady T-Birds took the lead for the final time and the win, 25-21.
They won the match 3-0.

 

Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend

Vice President of Student Affairs for Rio Salado spoke to student athletes Mesa Community College (MCC) delivered a powerful message on August 23, 2017 to the athletics programs at the college.  Dr. Le Rodrick Terry, Vice President of Student Affairs at Rio Salado College, was invited by Mesa Community College to speak at the MCC Theater Outback.  He has an extensive background in athletics. He was a student athlete in his life.  He completed his degree and went on to play in the arena leagues.

It was not his athletic prowess that made him what he is today.  It is the fact that he finished his degree. Dr. Terry said, “I stayed, I got that degree. I talk about that because I had a responsibility.”
His degree landed him a job with Auburn University as Supervisor of Academic Support for the Department of College Athletics. Under his tenure, he had over 30 NFL Draft Picks, A Men’s Basketball Elite 8 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), 2009 and in Track and Field 26 National College Athletics Association (NCAA) Champions, 13 Olympians and six World Champions, according to his PowerPoint.

Dr. Terry said, “Your passions should not be limited to what you do in an athletic arena.”
The video, which is on YouTube, taken of his presentation to the athletes here at MCC delivers the message of passion, commitment, students in the college.  He speaks about life and the drive one should have, because he did not have the best life growing up.  He grew up in an impoverished, low achieving school system with drugs and crime happening all around him.  Dr. Terry emphasized, “When you stand for something, when you believe in something, sometimes you’re going to have to stand alone.”

MCC gave the student athletes a very straightforward direction by having Dr. Terry speak here.
He is also part of the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD). MCCCD has a very academic driven man as second in command at Rio Salado.  The video of his presentation allows students to see this man’s passion and how he wants the best for not just the students in his college, but the students enrolled in MCCCD. Dr. Terry said, “Find that piece of you that you own, and drives you, and motivates you, and pushes you beyond yourself to pursue your dreams.”

Orientation had 350 student athletes attend. The venue has 270 seats and 30-person space of overflow. 50 more were left outside of the initial delivered message.  They had Dr. Terry speak more at the following activities, according to Athletic Director John Mulhern.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT3xQCx0hbg

Stephen Peck
Mesa Legend

MCC Thunderbirds Enter the Ring against Fighting Artichokes Mesa Community College (MCC) Men’s Soccer traveled to face the Fighting Artichokes of Scottsdale Community College (SCC) with a win in their pocket. The men are coming off a 3-0 win against Gateway Community College where the Gecko’s were a man down after the sixth minute. They are 1-1 after tonight’s game.

The Fighting Artichokes took an early lead and never looked back. The Thunderbirds were unfortunate not to score the equalizer when the stat sheet showed they had a clear advantage in every category. Brian Ronan said, “It was frustrating, very frustrating…they scored the game winner.”The Thunderbirds starting lineup was, Joshua Stewart, 1, Hunter Wellcome, 2, Christian Robledo, 7, Ivan Medina, 8, Aaron Coloma, 11, Kevin Olivarez, 12, Zach Hellman, 14, Connor Glennen, 15, Alexei Oulton, 22, Travis Hatfield, 23, and Ghanen Lilly-Nolan The first 24 minutes were both teams running up and down the pitch, looking to take the lead.  Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, the Artichokes capitalized.

Brendon Long received an assist from teammate Edwin Lopez inside the 6-yard box to put away the only goal of the game. The second half is when things heated up and both teams intensified the physicality.  A yellow card was handed out at the 65 minute of the game to SCC Forward Slobodan Kajtaz. Less than two minutes later, Defender J.J. Nash received a yellow card, the second for the Artichokes.

MCC’s Christian Robledo received a yellow card in the 87 minute. This was his second yellow in the first two games of the season. If he receives one in the upcoming game against the Bears he will be ineligible to play for a period of time. FIFA suspends players for a game after receiving two yellow cards in two consecutive matches, according to the 2011 FIFA Laws of the Game 20156/2016.

According to Ronan, this was his first loss at the helm to the Fighting Artichokes
They have had a tough start to their season, as the first two games have been on the road.
Their next game is also on the road against the Bears of Phoenix College at 7 p.m.
For more information consult the athletic web page at http://mesatbirdsports.com for future Thunderbird dates and times, or come to journalism department and pick up the last edition of the Mesa Legend.

Marcus Campbell
Mesa Legend

A Maricopa County Community Colleges’ task force has recommended that four of its schools cut their football programs. Mesa Community College, Scottsdale Community College, Glendale Community College, and Phoenix College were among the schools affected.

Former Chancellor Rufus Glasper established the Maricopa Priorities Athletic Task Force five years ago. The report focused on three areas: student academic success, program compliance, and resource utilization.
The task force included a list of recommendations related to the districts’ 10 sports and 16 teams.

The recommendations were provided to current Chancellor Maria Harper-Marinick in early May and are currently under review. The Mesa Thunderbirds football program has been successful since its formation in the late 1960s. Since then the Thunderbirds have gone on to make over 15 top three appearances. Two of those have come in the last five years.

Last year the Thunderbirds finished second in the conference after a hard-fought double overtime win in the Valley of the Sun bowl to close out the season. The Thunderbirds finished with a record of 9-2 and had their best season since 2007. If the football programs are cut because of the report a traditional recruitment avenue for four year colleges would be lost.

The Thunderbird football program has sent over 25 players to the NFL that have combined for over 65 seasons. The recommendation to cut football programs caused concern in the community among student athletes, coaches, staff, and students. Matthew Hasson, a MCCCD official said, “It is important to remember, at this time, this is only a recommendation, and ask for your patience and understanding as the recommendation is studied and its impact reviewed.”

Mesa Community College athletics’ officials could not comment but a press release from the district said, “Mesa Community College…are operating their respective football programs in a “business as usual” manner.”