Time to Feast

   We here at SportStars are big fans of Halloween. For evidence, check out my sweet Jim Harbaugh look to the right. (Special thanks to Freedom High football coach Kevin Hartwig for use of the headset.)

   I didn’t have to throw my red challenge flag once during the party I attended, either. Though the spinach and artichoke dip could’ve used a review. 

   But beyond the parties, costumes and candy, we’re mostly fans of Halloween because it’s the last day before November. And, as all high school sports junkies know, November is one of the best months of the year. 

   And this November is looking like it might be one for the ages. And it gets going as early as Nov. 1 when Pirates Stadium in Pittsburg will be rocking for a Bay Valley Athletic League first-place showdown against visiting Deer Valley-Antioch (which comes into the game a perfect 8-0, by the way). 

   And here’s a fun fact: If the Wolverines win and then defeat Heritage-Brentwood on Nov. 8, it would be the program’s third 10-0 regular season since 2006. Each of the first two years Deer Valley accomplished the feat (2006 and 2009), its season ended in a loss to Pittsburg.

   We will say, that regardless of how the game on Nov. 1 goes, we believe this Deer Valley team might be better than either of its unbeaten predecessors. 

   And now we’re fallen off track.  

   November! Stay with us here. The first CIF regional event happens on Nov. 4 with the NorCal Girls Golf Championships in Ripon. That’s followed by two more big football games — a Delta River League showdown between Folsom and Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove on Nov. 8, and a much-anticipated West Catholic Athletic League tilt between Archbiship Mitty-San Jose and Serra-San Mateo on Nov. 16.

   And then it’s playoffs galore. 

   Volleyball, water polo, tennis and cross country will all play their section and NorCal postseasons out during the month, culminating with the first state championship of the 2013-14 school year when the state’s cross country stars lace their running shoes up on Nov. 30.  

   In each of our issues this week, we took the approach of getting our readers primed for this glorious month. Our Bay Area edition features a look at one the more cursed boys water polo teams in the East Bay and if this is the year it can break through. The Sac-Joaquin edition comes with an advance look at how the SJS volleyball playoffs might play out. There’s also some golf coverage and football. Always football. We invite you to dig in.

   Oh, did we mention basketball will begin competition over the last week of November, too?

   And somewhere in the middle we all need to make time for a feast. Being a high school sports fan in November can be hard work.