C1 SPORTS Sunday, January 12, 2020 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/CHICOER AND TWITTER.COM/CHICOER chicoer.com » NFC PLAYOFFS 49ers’ defense paves the way THE SCORE ing attack and the “masterpiece” San Francisco beats game plan crafted by coach Kyle 49ERS 27, VIKINGS 10 Shanahan and defensive coordina- Vikings, advances to Up next: Seahawks or Packers at tor Robert Saleh. 49ers Next up is next Sunday’s bid at a NFC championship When: Sunday, Jan. 19, 3:40 p.m. Super Bowl XLIV berth. Levi’s Sta- TV: FOX dium will host that NFC Champion- ship Game between the 49ers (14-3) By Cam Inman Bay Area News Group Why a 9 a.m. arrival for a 1:35 hosting Sunday’s winner between p.m. kickoff? Probably because this the No. 5-seed Seattle Seahawks and SANTA CLARA » Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers team might offer the best shot No. 3 Green Bay Packers. Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey in Staley’s 13-year career to win a “Can’t wait to watch these games drove over to Levi’s Stadium early Super Bowl championship, and the tomorrow and find out who we’re for the San Francisco 49ers’ playoff franchise’s first in 25 years. playing,” said coach Kyle Shanahan, opener Saturday, anxious to resume Once the top-seeded 49ers re- who indeed should be interested in their Super Bowl quest. served a spot in the NFC Champi- the AFC playoffs considering his ANDA CHU — BAY AREA NEWS GROUP “It’s the earliest I’ve ever been onship Game by virtue of Saturday’s team’s Lombardi Trophy potential. The San Francisco 49ers’ Tevin Coleman (26) celebrates here,” Staley said. “I did my normal 27-10 divisional-round win over the Told that next Sunday’s kickoff with teammate Michael Person (68) after scoring a routine, then I realized how much No. 6 Minnesota Vikings, platitudes is set for 3:40 p.m., Staley replied: touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in the second time I had left, and said, ‘Why did I rightfully were bestowed upon their “That’ll be good, then I can sleep quarter of their NFC divisional playoff game at Levi’s do this so early?’“ suffocating defense, a 47-carry rush- 49ERS » PAGE 3 Stadium in Santa Clara on Saturday. COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COLLEGE BASKETBALL Redwoods BUTTE OFF TO BEST tops Butte START IN A DECADE to win in Roadrunners boast 14-5 record so far this season under coach Newton overtime By Will Denner Roadrunners fall in [email protected] GVC opener on road BUTTE VALLEY » Chantel Wil- liams and her Butte College wom- By Andrew Butler en’s basketball counterparts were [email protected] starting squarely at the bottom three years ago. EUREKA » The No. 19 Butte Col- The athletic department hired lege men’s basketball team ral- new head coach Tyler Newton lied from an 11-point deficit with prior to the 2017-18 season, mov- just over three minutes to play in ing on from Ron Brown after he regulation but fell short in over- led the program for 10 years. time, falling 89-81 to Golden Val- That first season, Newton said, ley Conference foe No. 14 College was more about surviving than of the Redwoods on Saturday af- anything else. Butte won just ternoon. four games to 20 losses, and only Trailing 70-59 with 3:10 re- had six players on the roster by maining in regulation, Butte (10- the end of the season. Williams, 7, 0-1) mounted a 12-1 run capped a graduate of nearby Las Plumas off by a game-tying bucket from High, was one of them. Marquise Nelloms with 30 sec- “Struggling with six-and-a-half onds to play. girls, playing 40 minutes a game, Redwoods (14-3, 1-0) failed to being dead tired and then only muster a shot attempt before the winning four games … it was aw- final buzzer, sending the contest ful,” Williams said. “It was an aw- into overtime tied 71-71. ful feeling.” Butte, off an Isaac Puzz turn- Newton approached the ensu- over, took an early 2-point lead in ing offseason, his first full recruit- the extra frame. ing cycle, without much substan- PHOTOS BY MATT BATES — ENTERPRISE-RECORD Then Puzz came back down tial evidence of winning to sell, Butte College’s Elyana Croninger battles American River’s Shanice Daniel for a rebound during the the court and nailed a 3-pointer. but instead, his plan that would Roadrunners’ game against the Beavers Nov. 20, 2019, in Butte Valley. Redwoods’ Zac Claus followed lead to a turnaround in the fu- it up with a steal and dished it ture. By his third season, Newton to Donald Willis for one of sev- expected his team to be in a po- eral contested layups converted sition to challenge for a Golden MEN » PAGE 2 Valley Conference title and make a run at the state playoffs. He THE SCORE just needed players to have a lit- tle faith. REDWOODS 89, BUTTE 81 (OT) “One of the big things I heard Up next: Butte at College of the from people after our 4-20 season Siskiyous, 5 p.m. Wednesday was, ‘Well coach, I want to go to a place where they win,'” Newton recalled this week. “And I said, WOMEN » PAGE 3 NHL Marleau, Dell steal the show from Pavelski in Sharks’ win By Curtis Pashelka Bay Area News Group SAN JOSE » Patrick Marleau and Aaron Dell spoiled Joe Pavelski’s return to SAP Center on Satur- Butte College’s Chloe Mayer day night. dribbles up court against Marleau’s goal at the 2:56 mark American River on Nov. 20 in Butte Butte College’s Samantha Caires fires a pass during the Roadrunners’ game against American River on of the second period proved to Valley. Nov. 20 in Butte Valley. be the winner, as the San Jose Sharks held on to beat the Dal- las Stars 2-1, their fourth victory in six games and their second AFC PLAYOFFS straight without injured captain Logan Couture. Brent Burns assisted on Mar- leau’s goal and also scored in the Titans shock Ravens, move to AFC title game first period, as the Sharks erased an early Stars lead. throwing a 3-yard touchdown fense making clutch stops and On Marleau’s goal, Burns fired By Barry Wilner THE SCORE The Associated Press pass in a 28-12 upset of the turnovers? a shot on net that was stopped TITANS 28, RAVENS 12 NFL’s top team Saturday night. One week after dominating by Stars goalie Anton Khudobin. BALTIMORE » With his bright red Up next: Titans at Texans or “It’s a team effort. We’re all play- defending Super Bowl champion After Timo Meier took a whack shoes and relentless running, Chiefs ing collectively as an offense, as New England, the Titans (11-7) at the puck, Marleau jumped on Derrick Henry grabbed the spot- When: Sunday, Jan. 19, 12:05 p.m. a whole. We’re just locked in. eliminated Baltimore (14-3). SHARKS » PAGE 2 light and wouldn’t let go. TV: CBS We believe in each other. We The Ravens had won their last When he was done leading communicate. It’s working out 12 games, with quarterback La- THE SCORE Tennessee into the AFC cham- ing selfies with Titans fans. there.” mar Jackson setting records and SHARKS 2, STARS 1 pionship game Saturday night, It has been quite a two-week The Titans fear no one, and looking unstoppable. he did a lengthy victory lap ride. why should they with Henry On Saturday night, it was Up next: Sharks at Coyotes around the Baltimore Ravens’ “It’s not just me,” Henry said rushing — and even throwing Henry who was unstoppable, When: Tuesday, 6 p.m. home, slapping hands and tak- after rushing for 195 yards and — the ball, and a big-play de- AFC » PAGE 2 TV: NBCS-CA.