McNab Not Planning Any Pregnant Pauses

Notre Dame High girls’ soccer Coach Neezer McNab, a stuntwoman by trade, isn’t about to let giving birth to her second child knock her off track this season.

McNab is due Jan. 22, a day after the Knights play Mission League rival Harvard-Westlake and a week before they face league foe Chaminade. But she isn’t planning on much maternity leave.

“I’m going to coach until I go to the hospital,” said McNab, whose first child, Matthew, 3, joined his mother at practice in a front-pouch when he was two weeks old.

“I may have to miss a practice or two but it depends,” McNab said. “I’ll have to hold it in if it tries to come out early.”

Assistant Luis Cruz will coach the Knights in the event of McNab’s absence. Team members know they will likely chip in on caring for the child later in the season.

“With Matthew, if he wasn’t in the pouch he was in a car-seat sort of deal on the sidelines,” McNab said. “The injured players would rock him and keep him out of trouble.”

SOFTBALL

Heat is on: Jessica Mendoza of Camarillo High is under a lot of pressure these days--and the softball season is more than five months away.

Mendoza, a 5-foot-9 slap-hitter who can hit with power, is a hot commodity among college recruiters. Her head is swimming with offers.

“I’ve never had so much pressure in all my life,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza played second, third and shortstop after recovering from an early-season knee injury last year. She batted .424 with four triples.

She took a recruiting trip to Arizona last weekend and will take a trip to UCLA on Saturday and Stanford on Oct. 18.

Mendoza, who was a catcher at Camarillo for 2 1/2 seasons, said she will probably sign a letter of intent during the November early signing period.

FOOTBALL

Package deal? Quarterback Jason Thomas of Compton Dominguez High decided to commit to USC while being treated for an ankle injury at Antelope Valley Medical Center Friday night. It’s possible that decision could prompt a similar commitment from Notre Dame’s Justin Fargas.

Thomas and Fargas, among the nation’s top recruits, are big fans of each another and Thomas attended Notre Dame’s opener against Alemany to cheer on Fargas. They have also been spotted together on the sidelines at USC games this season.

Thomas, the third-ranked quarterback recruit in the nation according to Superprep Magazine, suffered a dislocated ankle and cracked a bone in his leg. He will be out a minimum of six weeks.

A 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior who is also among the state’s best basketball players, Thomas was injured while carrying the ball early in the third quarter of Dominguez’s 28-10 victory over Antelope Valley. Dominguez (4-0) is the state’s third-ranked team, according to Cal-Hi Sports Magazine.

Healthy output: Shane Brogdon of Moorpark High rushed for 103 yards against St. Bernard last Saturday, an achievement for most running backs.

Especially those that were feared to have syringomyelia, a degenerative spinal cord condition.

Brogdon, a senior fullback and linebacker, was diagnosed last season with possibly having the condition, which can cause muscular atrophy of the hands. He did not play during the regular season.

Brogdon sought a second opinion and was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, a comparatively harmless nerve condition. He played in the playoffs.

This year, he starts at inside linebacker and is second on the Musketeers (3-1) in rushing with 123 yards in 21 carries.

Though Brogdon had been given medical clearance, Coach Ron Wilford was still concerned.

“We’ve had that conversation as a coaching staff,” Wilford said. “The bottom line is, he’s clear [to play] and a doctor made that decision. It’s a bonus for us because he’s a helluva football player. He’s a great leader and an emotional part of this team.”

Shirt tale: Birmingham High running back Emmanuel Evans needed to quickly change his uniform after blood from his chin dribbled onto his jersey in the fourth quarter of the Braves’ victory over San Fernando last week. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound running back turned to a sidelined teammate--5-foot-6, 160-pound Hermes Mondragon.

So how did the jersey fit?

“It wasn’t a problem,” said Birmingham Coach Dave Lertzman. “All our jerseys are the same size, extra-large. That way, our small kids have incentive to grow.”

Multiple losses: North Hollywood’s 21-18 victory over Monroe last Friday added insult to injury.

Monroe (3-1, 0-1) not only lost to a team that was shut out in two of its last three games, the Vikings lost three two-way starters who will either miss or are questionable for tonight’s game against Grant.

“We had a very strange night,” Monroe Coach Sloan Bunting said.

George Garcia sprained his right ankle after returning the game’s opening kickoff 48 yards and did not practice Monday or Tuesday.

Jose Palomera, a starting fullback and linebacker, injured his ankle in the third quarter and might have to sit out.

To compound matters, a two-way starter was ejected by an official for a late hit and--due to CIF rules--must miss this week’s game.

“It was a real bad call,” said Bunting, who would not reveal the player’s name.

Monroe lost four fumbles in the fourth quarter.

“Like I said, whatever could go wrong, did go wrong,” Bunting said.

Monroe’s double-wing offense, which entered the game averaging a region-high 499 yards a game, was limited to 153. The Vikings had 160 yards in penalties.

“They did a very good job defending us,” Bunting said. “I would be willing to bet they will defense us better than anybody [this year].”

The Huskies ran a similar offense the last two years.