Sports

Three 49ers players ejected in loss to Cardinals

Published

6 years ago

November 6, 2017

Santa Clara, CA – Well if there’s any indication on just how brutal these games can be, the 49ers painted a perfect picture in Sunday’s loss. C.J. Beathard was hit 16 times and scored the only touchdown. In the final minutes both teams were involved in a skirmish that led to three ejections.

The Arizona Cardinals 20-10 victory over the 49ers ended in a full out brawl late in the fourth. Former 49ers player and current Cardinals safety Antoine Bethea made a late hit on Beathard. That set off a chain reaction of shoves and pushes for minutes. When the melee ended, three players got tossed.

“It stinks that he got ejected but it shows he’s got my back,” said Beathard. “I really appreciate that and so does all the other guys that went at them as well.”

Beathard scrambled for 10 yards before sliding to end the play, Bethea made a late hit on the quarterback drawing a flag for unnecessary roughness. That led to 49ers players rushing over to Beathard and Carlos Hyde was one of them. Hyde and Cardinals defensive lineman Frostee Rucker got into it and had to be separated.

“Naw, we were playing football,” Bethea said when asked if his hit was intentional. “He was coming to me, he was running to me, I gotta protect myself, he slid late and I toppled him, the rest is history.”

The melee didn’t last long and followed with Hyde, Rucker and Arizona linebacker Hasson Reddick getting tossed from the game. Bethea’s was hit with a 15 yard penalty. Beathard got back on his feet and found Matt Brieda for 14 and 11 yards putting the 49ers in the red zone. But Beathard’s pass intended for Garrett Celek was tipped.

“That was perfect timing, he threw it right of his offensive lineman’s helmet,” said Karlos Dansby. “It flipped in the air I said to myself, ‘Man, it can’t be that easy to get 20.’ It is perfect, it is perfect timing, a perfect scenario, the stage was set. God is good, that is all I can say.”

Dansby was at the right place at the right time. He recorded his 20th interception, joining only a select few NFL players who have at least 40 sacks and 20 interceptions. Dansby intercepted the ball after Beathard’s pass bounced off WR Trent Taylor’s helmet. That play ended all hope for any comeback for the 49ers.

“I was throwing, I hit somebodies helmet with my thumb, that was the most painful thing, said Beathard.

But when asked if that play was the one where he hit the guys helmet, Beathard responded ‘No, that’s not the one. I’m talking about a different one now’.

I was just trying to get it in the ground. Just throw it away.”

Beathard finished 24-of-51 for 294 yards with a touchdown and interception. The rookie was sacked five times, hit 16 and knocked around like a rag doll by the Cardinals defense. Yet, he got up after each play proving his toughness in this league. However, the 49ers continue to rebuild while Arizona is looking to improve their standings in the NFC West.

No quarterback dilemma with the Cardinals, Drew Stanton recorded two touchdowns in the first half. Stanton found Jaron Brown for a 3-yard touchdown in the first and connected with Jermaine Gresham for an 11-yard touchdown in the second. Phil Dawson kicked two field goals in the second half for 25 and 32 yards.

“Once again we didn’t get enough turnovers to give our offense enough opportunities with the ball,” said safety Eric Reid. “We got a couple but we needed another one.”

Reid’s interception in the end zone stalled another opportunity for the Cardinals. Stanton’s pass intended for Gresham was interrupted when Reid took flight grabbing the ball out of Gresham’s hands giving the 49ers little hope before the period ended.

Beathard did his best to help the offense, he rushed into the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown but Arizona challenged the ruling on the pay and after further review the call was reversed due to breaking the plane. After another attempt Beathard rushed into the end zone for the 1-yard touchdown making it a 14-10 game.

Arizona didn’t allow much wiggle room for the 49ers offense and at this rate it doesn’t appear to be getting any better. The injuries this season have taken a toll, the 49ers lost more players, safety Jaquiski Tartt to a broken arm, WR Trent Taylor (rib) and LB Elijah Lee (knee).

The 49ers have the worst start in franchise history losing 23 of their last 24 games overall. Next week, they host the New Your Giants who lost to the Los Angeles Rams 51-17.

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Rajah Caruth: Young Trailblazer of NASCAR

Imagine you’re only 22 years old and already making a name for yourself in NASCAR, one of the most thrilling sports in the US. That is the life of Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver.

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver. (File Photo)

By Tamara Shiloh

Born June 11, 2002, in Washington, DC, he was drawn to the sport as a child after seeing the Disney Pixar film “Cars.”

Caruth dreamed of tooling around the track like the main character in “Cars,” Lightning McQueen. His enthusiasm grew when his parents surprised him with a trip to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway when he was 12.

In 2018, while keeping busy with school, sports and a summer job, Caruth and his family held fundraisers so that he could buy an iRacing simulator. Then, at age 16, he traded a real driver’s license to race virtually in the eNASCAR Ignite Series, which led to him being recruited by the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.

His first big opportunity came in 2019 when he competed in a “Legends” car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Bojangles’ Southern Shootout and recorded two top-third in the semi-pro points.

People began to recognize Caruth’s talents. In 2020, he stepped up to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and became the first African American to win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in a late model race. The next year, he won at Tri-County Motor Speedway and picked up his fourth overall late model victory.

Then, he became the first person of color to win at the South Carolina track.

In 2021, Caruth announced he would compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for Rev Racing, where he finished third in the standings, including a series of top-five finishes. He made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on a bigger stage as well.

Then, in 2022, thing really took off. A new chapter found Caruth at NASCAR’s unofficial Triple A league with GMS Racing, where he drives full-time for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with a sponsorship from The Wendell Scott Foundation. After a few setbacks, he broke into the top 10 several times, finishing at a career-high 6th at Darlington Raceway.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Caruth’s took the third major step in his career. He is now driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports and has been making the news for putting on stellar performances. Oh, and he won at Las Vegas: his first career victory.

From an impressionable young racing fan to a professional NASCAR driver, Caruth is charting a new path, creating history, and inspiring people to always remember that if you have the talent, the drive, and most of all, the heart, anything can be achieved.

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Salesian Coach Knew Angel Jackson Could Play in WNBA

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson. “If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said. That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Angel Jackson. Photo courtesy of Jackston State.

The Richmond Standard

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson.

“If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said.

That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Jackson’s success came as little surprise to Pezzola, who last year led the Pride to their 8th North Coast Section championship since he took over the program in 2008-2009. In 2019, Pezzola commended Jackson as “a very coachable kid” from the time she arrived at Salesian.

Tomekia Reed, her coach at Jackson State, shared similar sentiments, noting Jackson worked “very hard” to reach this moment.

“She came into our program doing great things and never looked back,” Reed told the Clarion Ledger. “She has trusted our leadership as we were able to develop her into an amazing player. I have watched her improve tremendously over the years.”

The 6’-6” Jackson played three seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Jackson State. She was ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocked shots and averaged 10 points per game in her final college season.

She finished her collegiate career with 1,047 points and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

As the 36th pick, Jackson was the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a television interview, Jackson said she didn’t expect to be picked, and called the moment “surreal.”

“It made me feel so appreciative that HBCU is getting back on the map again,” she said.

All she could do in that moment was cry.

“I called my mom immediately, and she started crying,” Jackson said. “It was the best moment you can feel as a young lady.”

There’s no stopping Jackson now. “The sky is the limit,” she said.

Her high school coach agrees.

“I knew that Angel could do it,” Coach Pezzola told the Richmond Standard this week. “We are so proud of Angel and what she has accomplished. It was an honor and joy to coach Angel at Salesian.”

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Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February. Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Gray Lawson.

By Post staff

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February.

Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

The banquet and ceremony will be held from 5:45 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the George P. Scotlan Convention Center at Oakland’s Marriott Civic Center Hotel.

“I am truly honored to receive this incredible nomination,” said Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, who, along with college teammate Devanei Hampton, lead Oakland Tech to its second consecutive state title in 2005. “It took a village to raise me and get me here, and I truly am excited to continue the legacy.”

Gray-Lawson, a “second team” Parade All-American and an All-State honoree, as a senior in ’05, was chosen for the California Interscholastic Federation sportsmanship award. She only lost one game throughout her four-year career in high school. Her jersey was retired at Oakland Tech and placed in the National High School Hall of Fame as a four-time All-City recipient, averaging 17.2 points per game during her career.

Gray-Lawson received scholarships in volleyball, softball, and basketball before deciding to travel up College Avenue to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she played in more basketball games (143) than any other player in Golden Bears’ history. She finished her career as the Bears all-time 3-point leader (211), and she is ranked third in scoring with 1,982 points.

An All-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American in 2010, Gray-Lawson also was the top player at 5’8” or under for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Later that year, she was a third-round pick of the Washington Mystics in 2010 and played with the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2011 and 2012. She also played professionally overseas in Turkey and Israel.

Other inductees are Clifford Ray (Basketball); Lee Lacy (Baseball); Spencer Haywood (Basketball); and Mohinder Singh Gil (Track & Field).

Organizers say the event promises to be a “historic and celebratory evening,” and iconic personalities from across the professional sports industry and its various disciplines will attend.

The no-host cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m.; dinner at 6:45 p.m.; and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. All times are prompt. General tickets are $250.00; Seniors (65 and older) $150.00, and students $50. This includes dinner and the ceremony. Tables of 10 are available as well, and early purchase is recommended.

MESHOF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring athletes from all corners of the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of sports and broadening the public’s understanding of the contributions people of color have made to professional sports; and to provide educational life skills and mentorship opportunities for deserving youth. Proceeds will help maintain the City of Oakland’s Curt Flood Field, Oakland Parks & Recreation, and MESHOF’s after school and mental health initiatives.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.multiethnicsportshof.com. For additional information, please contact: Arif Khatlib @ afrosportshall@aol.com or India Alston @ india@beamcreativehouse.com