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Basketball, Varsity

Will C. Wood High School girls basketball team rolls past Center in season opener

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Not bad for openers.

Will C. Wood High School’s girls basketball team won three games all last season.

The Wildcats may eclipse that total by next week.

Victoria Lopez scored a game-high 15 points as Wood officially opened its season on Tuesday night with a 46-29 victory over visiting Center at Frank Molina Gymnasium.

“Overall, it was pretty good. We’re excited,” head coach Bob Fernandez said. “Obviously we had a foundation scrimmage (on Monday), but for some this was their first time out, at least at this level. We did pretty well.”

Wood never trailed, and took control for good by scoring 11 straight points during a four-minute stretch in the first quarter.

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Cheer

Will C. Wood cheerleader to perform in Macy’s Thanksgiving parade

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Since 1924, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has delivered a holiday tradition of floats, balloons, marching bands and performance groups on the streets of Manhattan.

Nearly nine decades later, Heavenly Ax, 18, a senior at Will C. Wood High School, will share in that tradition.

Ax, a varsity cheerleader at Wood, will perform with a group from Spirit of America Productions in the 89th annual Macy’s parade.

This will be Ax’s fourth parade — and third Thanksgiving parade.

Through the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA), she has participated in the Thanksgiving parade in Houston, New Year’s Day parade in London and Thanksgiving parade in Orlando over the past few years.

She first learned about parade opportunities from senior cheerleaders she met during her first year at Wood.

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Football, Varsity

Will C. Wood High School football team rolls in playoffs; Vanden, Dixon, Rio Vista all fall out

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A one-quarter hiccup certainly was better than a four-period defeat.

While three local high school football teams fell out of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs on Friday night, Will C. Wood lived up to its high-scoring reputation … after least after the first nine minutes.

The Wildcats fell behind by two touchdowns before a 35-point second-quarter barrage paved the way for a 59-33 Division II victory over American Canyon.

No. 4 seeded Wood improved to 10-1 overall, the first time in school history a Wildcat squad has won 10 games in a season. Wood has a chance to improve on that mark next week when it hosts No. 5 Del Oro, which defeated Whitney 34-28.

In other playoff games, Christian Brothers of Sacramento edged Vanden 27-26, Liberty Ranch of Galt downed Dixon 45-22, and Gustine outscored Rio Vista 70-54.

Wood 59, American Canyon 33 >> The Wolves jumped out to a 13-0 lead less than nine minutes into the contest before the Wildcats took over.

Wood finally scored on a 10-yard pass play from Marcus Howard to Arthur Jackson with five seconds left in the first quarter. Howard added a 2-point conversion pass to Jackson, just the beginning of a three-minute barrage that yielded 28 points and put Wood comfortably in front for good.

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Announcement, Football, Varsity

Ten Will C. Wood High School football players earn first-team honors on all-MEL squad

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To the runner-up goes the spoils.

Monticello Empire League football coaches had a hard time ignoring Will C. Wood High School’s success this season. That became evident when they voted for the all-MEL teams on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats landed a league-high 10 players on the first team, one more than MEL champion Napa’s nine.

Included in the haul were two of the league’s top honors. Wood quarterback Marcus Howard shared the MEL’s player of the year award with Napa QB-defensive back Cal Bard. Wildcat running back Damon Lewis was named the league’s back of the year.

“We had a really good season. Obviously, we’re very happy that the other coaches ended up recognizing that,” Wood head coach Carlos Meraz said. “Marcus did a great job, and Damon is absolutely the heart of the team. We’re a passing team, but for him to still get back of the year says quite a bit.”

Third-place Vacaville had four first-team picks, and seven second-team choices. All four first-teamers are juniors … running back Daniel Wright, defensive lineman Zach Myers, linebacker Jacob Abramowicz, and defensive back Tyler Cordell.

“You always hope you can get a couple more, but the future looks very bright,” Vacaville head coach Mike Papadopoulos said. “A lot of kids got some very significant playing time, and that should pay off in the future.”

The future is now for the Wildcats.

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Uncategorized

Will C. Wood High School football team wants to make historic playoff run

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The firsts … and seconds … just keep on coming.

One more win, and you can throw the Will C. Wood High School football record book out the window.

The Wildcats wouldn’t mind printing a new one anyway at this point.

The resurgence of Wood’s program reached new heights last weekend. The Wildcats beat rival Vacaville for the first time in 18 years, and were rewarded with their first home playoff game in 19 years, and the second in the history of the program.

Wood hosts American Canyon in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs on Friday night at Tom Zunino Stadium. Wood is seeded No. 4, while American Canyon is No. 13.

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Uncategorized

Will C. Wood High School football team seeded fourth for Section playoffs

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The Saturday announcement reflected the Friday late-night results.

Will C. Wood High School’s football team, which jumped for joy after rolling past Vacaville 49-25 in Friday night’s Black & Blue Bowl, had even more reason to party on Saturday night. The Wildcats earned the No. 4 seed in Division II in the upcoming Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

The Bulldogs, who had hoped to advance to the postseason on the basis of a 5-5 record against a stacked schedule, were left out in the cold.

The announcement mark the first time in a decade the Bulldogs haven’t qualified for the playoffs.

Also advancing were Vanden, in Division III, and Dixon, in Division IV.

If seedings hold true, the Wildcats will play two home games in the playoffs for the first time in school history. Wood opens the postseason on Nov. 13 at Tom Zunino Stadium against No. 13 American Canyon. The Wildcats trounced the Wolves 70-33 on Sept. 18 in American Canyon.

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Football, Varsity

Will C. Wood High School faces Napa in showdown of unbeaten football teams tonight

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Yes, all games count the same. But that doesn’t diminish the importance of tonight’s football showdown between Will C. Wood and Napa high schools.

Both the Wildcats and the Indians are 6-0 overall, and 1-0 in Monticello Empire League play.

Wood is ranked No. 9 in the Sac-Joaquin Section, according to this week’s Maxpreps.com poll. Napa is No. 10.

A possible victory tonight would give Wood at least a share of the lead in the MEL, and move the Wildcats one big step closer to their first-ever league crown in football.

A victory would also give the Wildcats their first-ever seven-game winning streak to start a season, and tie for the longest winning streak in school history.

Wood won seven straight games after losing its season opener in 2013. The 1997 Wildcats won six straight game to start the year before losing three in a row and missing the playoffs.

If all those possibilities weren’t enough, the Wildcats have another bit of incentive.

“We want revenge,” running back Damon Lewis said simply.

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Football, Varsity

Prep kickoff: Will C. Wood High School has plenty planned for MEL football opener

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It’s youth football night … and a pink out … any maybe one last warm-weather Friday.

Oh yes, and the Will C. Wood High School football team is looking for another big win in what it hopes will be a huge season.

The Wildcats certainly have a lot going on, not the least of which is tonight’s Monticello Empire League opener against Vintage.

Wood will recognize youth football night, with any youngster wearing a local youth football jersey admitted free if they are accompanied by an adult.

The school also will hold a “Pink Out,” with all fans encouraged to wear pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month.

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Football, Varsity

Will C. Wood High School football team doing amazing things by the numbers

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Carlos Meraz has said repeatedly that this Will C. Wood High School football team is “special.”

Halfway through the regular season, the numbers are saying, “very special.”

Meraz and the Wildcats cruised into their bye week with another big-time performance in last Friday’s 55-31 victory over Freedom of Oakley.

The win lifted Wood’s record to 5-0, only the third time in school history the Wildcats have begun the season with five straight victories.

Others have taken notice. Wood jumped to No. 7 in this week’s Maxpreps.com’s Sac-Joaquin Section top 25 rankings, the highest placement ever for the Wildcats.

Meraz is unfazed by the notoriety.

“What’s most important is improving every week,” he said. “We don’t want to get caught up in records. We want to get better as a team each time we play.”

The Wildcats don’t have a chance to play this week after competing a “zero week” game on Aug. 28.

No matter. The break may give their offensive standouts — and area scoreboard operators — a much-needed rest.

Wood is averaging almost exactly 55 points a game, with both the passing and rushing games playing crucial parts.

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