Raekwon Bell, a 6-foot-3 sophomore forward for the Napa Valley College men’s team, was named Northern California Honorable Mention by Signal The Light Basketball.
Signal The Light Basketball announced the team, in a report, on March 25, at stlball.com.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Chris Farrington, a 6-foot-1 freshman guard who averaged 15.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for the Napa Valley College men’s basketball team, was named to the 2023-24 All-Bay Valley Conference team, Storm head coach Steve Ball announced on Monday.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
The Napa Valley College men’s basketball team played its final game of the 2023-24 season on Thursday, Feb. 22.
Chris Farrington, Jerard Jackson and Jalen Moore scored in double figures, but the Storm fell to host Yuba College, the Bay Valley Conference champion, 88-76, in Marysville.
Farrington scored 23 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field. He also had 10 rebounds and eight assists.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Chris Farrington had one of the biggest games by a player in Napa Valley College men’s basketball history, scoring 48 points and hitting six 3-pointers for the Storm in its 107-98 overtime loss to Solano Community College on Friday, Feb. 16 in Fairfield.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Jerard Jackson scored 17 points to lead the Napa Valley College men’s basketball team and Chris Farrington had 14 points, but the Storm lost its Bay Valley Conference game at home on Friday, Feb. 2 to Mendocino College-Ukiah, 85-66.
With his parents looking on, Jackson, a freshman guard, got off to a great start, hitting three 3-pointers in the first half. Jackson led the Storm (2-21 overall, 2-9 Bay Valley Conference) with five 3-pointers.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Each day, on his way to work as the Social Media Manager for the Oakland Roots Sports Club, Mario Cendejas takes time to think about his journey in life – including his years at Napa Valley College and also Napa Valley 1839 FC, a men’s semi-pro soccer team.
For Cendejas, there is a lot to reflect on – which goes back to getting his start as a photo intern with Napa Valley 1839 FC and then taking on more and more duties, such as sports marketing and videography.
“Despite having to leave home and working in my backyard, had it not been for 1839 FC, I don't think I would be where I'm at now,” Cendejas said, recently. “And that's why, on my way to Oakland, my commute during the week, it’s a time of reflection for me. I get to reflect and realize how much I've accomplished. I had no idea where I was going with this. But now, I've gotten somewhere.”
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
The Napa Valley College men’s basketball team picked up its second win of the 2023-24 season on Friday, Jan. 26, beating host College of Alameda, 69-56, as four players scored in double figures for the Storm.
Napa Valley (2-19 overall, 2-7 Bay Valley Conference) led for the entire game.
The Storm was also stellar at the free-throw, going 20-of-23.
Chris Farrington led the Storm, scoring 17 points, 14 coming in the second half, and was 6-of-6 at the free-throw line.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
The Napa Valley College men’s basketball team got 15 points from Chris Farrington and 11 points from Raekwon Bell, but the Storm lost its Bay Valley Conference game on Wednesday night to Contra Costa College, 76-60, in San Pablo.
Napa Valley (0-17 overall, 0-5 Bay Valley), which is still looking for its first win of the season, was behind at halftime, 32-25.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
The Napa Valley College men's basketball team lost its last two games.
The Storm fell to host Canada College-Redwood City, 72-53, in a nonconference game on Dec. 30.
In a Bay Valley Conference game, the Storm fell to host Mendocino College, 65-59, in Ukiah on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Nate Broome had one of his best games of the season, scoring 11 points and getting 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, for the Napa Valley College men’s basketball team in a nonconference game on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Broome was 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 at the free-throw line in 35 minutes.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Raekwon Bell and Nate Broome were the only players to score in double figures for the Napa Valley College men’s basketball team as the Storm lost to host Skyline College, 105-54, in a nonconference game Nov. 22 in San Bruno.
Bell scored 12 points and Broome scored 11 points to lead Napa Valley (0-7 overall), which is still looking for its first win of the 2023-24 season.
Napa Valley was behind at halftime, 52-19.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
It was the sixth loss in a row to start the 2023-24 men’s basketball season for Napa Valley College. But coach Steve Ball found some areas to be encouraged about as the nonconference season continues for the Storm.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Three players scored in double figures for the Napa Valley College men’s basketball team, but the Storm lost to host Ohlone College-Fremont, 104-78, in a nonconference game on Tuesday night.
It was the fifth loss in a row to start the 2023-24 season for Napa Valley (0-5 overall).
Chris Farrington scored 16 points, going 5-of-6 from the free-throw line, for the Storm. Jaleel Turner scored 16 points.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Raekwon Bell and Jalen Moore each scored in double figures, but the Napa Valley College men’s basketball team dropped its fourth game in a row to start the 2023-24 season, falling on Friday, Nov. 10 at home to Monterey Peninsula College, 70-55.
Bell scored 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and also had four rebounds and two assists to lead the Storm (0-4 overall).
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
The Napa Valley College men’s basketball team lost its third straight game to start the 2023-24 season, falling to host Santa Rosa Junior College, 78-59, at Haehl Pavilion on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Raekwon Bell scored 12 points and had eight rebounds and two assists to lead the Storm (0-3 overall).
Oliver Aandahl scored 11 points, Chris Farrington scored nine points and had 11 rebounds, Jalen Moore had nine points, Ethan Williams had seven points, and Jaleel Turner had six points for Napa Valley.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
There are a lot of good things that coach Steve Ball is seeing from the Napa Valley College men’s basketball team.
There’s the all-out effort and high-level energy that both starters and backups are giving.
There is the overall depth that a roster of 13 players provides.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Thursday was a super big day for Napa Valley College’s Chris Farrington.
It was the first time that he got to play in a game for the Storm men’s basketball team since joining the program in 2021.
It was the first time he got to play in an organized game since 2020, when he was in high school. He was introduced with the other starters on the NVC team.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Antoine Thaxton looks at the Napa Valley College men’s basketball team as family.
A family that is together – connected by their work in the weight room, their work at practices, their individual skill work, all the time they put into the program.
They are connected to the game and learning all they can from head coach Steve Ball and Storm assistant coaches Tony Prescott, Rae Hubbard and Dakota Macias.
They are connected by a bond – doing all they can to generate success and have a winning season.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Chris Farrington has not stopped working since joining the Napa Valley College men’s basketball program in 2021.
He has showed up and worked in the weight room and at practices.
He has done the work in physical therapy, doing all he can to get healthy and back on the court due to injuries.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Monday was a big day for basketball.
It was NBA Media Day 2023.
It was also 2023-2024 Media Day for the Napa Valley College men’s team, with players getting their photos taken and also doing interviews in advance of the season.
By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com Albert Dennis was looking for a place to play when he reached out to Carson Carattini, an assistant coach with the Napa Valley College men’s basketball program, in 2020.
“He didn’t have another place to go, really,” Storm head coach Steve Ball said Wednesday. “He reached out to us. Coach Carson Carattini was a great recruiter for us.” It was a great fit, as Dennis found a home at NVC and elevated his game in all areas – as a scorer, defender, rebounder – in the two years he played for the Storm.
“And now he's a scholarship athlete,” said Ball.
NVC’s Raekwon Bell named Northern California Honorable Mention by Signal The Light Basketball
March 31, 2024Raekwon Bell, a 6-foot-3 sophomore forward for the Napa Valley College men’s team, was named Northern California Honorable Mention by Signal The Light Basketball. Signal The Light Basketball announced the team, in a report, on March 25, at stlball.com.
