This is the second installment in our annual August series in which we present team-by-team previews for the upcoming football season. This series will lead into the release of our annual preseason state rankings. In the spotlight for today is Foothill of Pleasanton, Eastlake of Chula Vista, Aquinas of San Bernardino and Compton. It's possible that Compton is the best of this group, but still might be only third-best in the Moore League.

Note: A coach or representative of the school should email or fax in a questionnaire in order for that school's team to be included in this feature. You can CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire or make a photo copy of the one printed in the back of the seventh edition of the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Record Book and Almanac we sent to schools last March. If you can't print a questionnaire, review the categories below and simply fill in the blanks. We will add our own comments and analysis. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

Team Name: Foothill (Pleasanton)
Head Coach: Matt Sweeney (197-57-5)
Last Year's Records: 9-3, 7-3 for J.V.
Returning Starters: 4 (3 offense, 1 defense)
Players Most Deserving of Preseason Honors: QB Sean Mannion and Zach Buen
Newcomers Who Could Make An Impact: Garrett Moore and Jake Bussani
Coach's General Outlook: I'm very confident in the team this year despite their lack of game experience as they play very disciplined.
Other Teams To Watch From The Area (listed by coach): De La Salle (Concord), Monte Vista (Danville), California (San Ramon)
All-league level players with GPAs above 3.50: Sean Mannion
CalHiSports.com Comments: Sweeney has been one of the top coaches in Northern California for the last 20 years and barring something bizarre will earn his 200th career victory this season. While the Falcons look like they'll be pegged behind De La Salle and Monte Vista in the East Bay Athletic League due to lack of experience, this situation is not unusual for them. Sweeney often plays a lineup each season of primarily seniors. Mannion, the son of longtime Foothill assistant and former head coach John Mannion, is an Oregon State commit and is one of the top returning signal callers in the Bay Area.

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By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Henderson, Nev. -- With Reebok cutting its Summer Championships tournament by one day, the majority of the college coaches and national media began their five-day Sin City trek at the GBOA (Grassroots Basketball Association of America) Challenge of Champions. The GBOA event, held at Henderson International School on the home court of defending FAB 50 national champion Findlay Prep, featured many of the nation's top travel ball teams regardless of shoe affiliation.

On Tuesday night, the GBOA, which prides itself on trying to bring the divisive organizations that control AAU basketball together, held a GBOA Hall of Fame Induction at the Palms Hotel. The GBOA organization honored summer basketball pioneer Sonny Vaccaro with the Grassroots Pioneer award. Vaccaro has been involved with high-level high school basketball since his days as a Special Ed middle and high school teacher in Pittsburgh during the mid 1960's.

The banquet also honored grassroots basketball legends Rafer Alston (who played his AAU ball for the New York Panthers and also is coaching them in Las Vegas) and 1990's prep All-Americans Shaheen Holloway (St. Patrick's Elizabeth, N.J.) and Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Wheeler, Marietta, Ga.). GBOA honored these summer basketball legends to help raise money for Coaches versus Cancer.

On Wednesday morning, the action got underway as a flock of college coaches hit Henderson International School, including Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, new USC coach Kevin O'Neil and Florida International's Isaiah Thomas. Read below for some updates on the players we saw in action:(Read full post)

After getting eight of the first 32 in the first-round of the MLB Draft, the Golden State shows its strength in basketball by having five of the first 21 picks in the NBA.

By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor

Sure, there are other places in America that have produced more household NBA names such as New York and Michigan. But it's no secret that the state of California, and in particular the greater Los Angeles area, is quickly catching up to its East Coast counterparts when it comes to producing top basketball talent.

This was clearly evident last Thursday at the NBA Draft in New York City when California products dominated the proceedings and the hoopla that surrounds the annual event. The five players that graduated from California high schools tied the record for most Golden State products taken in a single first round. That scenario last took place at the 1997 NBA Draft and first occurred in 1979.

Former Artesia of Lakewood standout James Harden, a 6-foot-5 sophomore out of Arizona State, was the first Golden State native to be selected when the Oklahoma City Thunder took him at No. 3. Despite what was considered a sub par showing in the NCAA Tournament, the Thunder couldn't pass up Harden's combination of talent, work ethic and high character, the latter which seems to be a more important factor in professional sports drafts each year.

Harden, whose bowtie generated a slew of reactions from lifestyle editors and bloggers, became the highest California product taken since Tyson Chandler was the No. 2 pick out of Dominguez of Compton in 2001. Harden's journey to the NBA has humble beginnings as he wasn't the most athletic kid growing up, to say the least, entering Artesia as a 5-foot-11, 155-pounder with average skills and a burning desire to become a better player.(Read full post)