Sports Briefs: Close call for GCC product

Jackson, Browns fall in opener

Although the Cleveland Browns lost their season opener Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-18, coach and former Glendale Community College player Hue Jackson has high hopes for his squad this season.

“We just lost to [a team] everybody has favored in the division, 21-18.,” Jackson told ESPN. “We are going to have some games like that. We have to find a way to score more points and we have to find a way to stop teams better and be better on special teams, but I feel good about today.

“It is not a moral victory, I’m not saying that, but I watched our football team fight and play. There is grit, there is toughness, and there are things that we have talked about that I have seen and that I needed to see as a head coach from the beginning, and it has shown itself. Now, we just have to take it to another level.”

Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer completed 20 of 30 attempts for 222 yards, with one touchdown pass and one interception. He also ran for a one-yard touchdown, although he was was sacked seven times.

Estrada gets win against Orioles

Former Glendale Community College and current Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marco Estrada continued his recent success Monday with a solid outing against the Baltimore Orioles.

Estrada, a 34-year-old right-hander, picked up the win in a 4-3 victory on the road. In five innings, Estrada allowed two runs on four hits while striking out seven (six looking) and didn’t allow a walk to improve to 8-8 on the season.

“For the most part, we were able to locate down and away,” Estrada told MLB.com. “I did miss on one to [Mark Trumbo]. I was trying to get it in and kind left it middle in and elevated. But other than that, the hits I gave up weren’t too bad, they were on decent pitches. I’m happy with everything.”

In his last four starts, Estrada is 3-0 with 19 strikeouts. On the season, he has a career-best 166 punchouts. He struck out 165 last season.

Crescenta Valley Soccer Club opens registration

The Crescenta Valley Soccer Club is opening up registrations for its fall programs to youth athletes born between 2006 and 2009.

The first step in the club process is the FC Bayern Pre ID program, which is opened to kids born in 2008 and 2009. The program runs from Oct. 6 to Dec. 1 and runs on Fridays from 5:15 p.m. to 6:45. The cost is $145 and training will take place at Crescenta Valley High.

The next step of the process is for the more seasoned player and is known as the Elite Training Center. Similarly, the program will run from Oct. 6 to Dec. 1 on Fridays, but from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15. The cost is $175 and training takes place at Crescenta Valley.

For questions, contact Kurtis Millan at kurtis.millan@cvsoccerclub.com. For more info, check out www.cvsoccerclub.com.