By Register Staff

The St. Apollinaris fifth-grade boys basketball team won the Division 1 North Bay CYO championship on Sunday by beating St. Rose of Santa Rosa 26-23 at St. Vincent's High School in Petaluma.  The St. Apollinaris team ended the season undefeated with a 12-0 record.  Pictured are (back row from left) Coaches Kyle Erickson and Ray Graziani. Players (middle row from left) are Nate Graziani, Colton Forster, Garrett Erickson, Spencer Gavin, Jared Horn and Brendan Peterson. (Front row from left) Cal Bard, Anthony Cornwell, Ryan Hart and Sami Zaia.

In the third round of playoffs in the Optimist Youth Basketball 11th- and 12th-grade boys division, Replay Sports got points from all nine players as they eliminated Napa Valley Jewelers from the tournament, 49-42, with Kevin Nunn scoring 12 points.

The Napa Valley Joe DiMaggio League baseball program will hold registration March 22 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Justin-Siena High School’s varsity baseball field.

One of the best seasons in the history of PUC Prep boys basketball came to an end late Saturday night in Humboldt County with the Falcons’ 84-54 loss to St. Bernard’s-Eureka in the championship game of the first-ever CIF North Coast Section Division VI playoffs.

PHOENIX — Major League Baseball teams always begin spring training with lots of players in camp. Technically, they are divided into two groups: Those players on the 40-man roster, and another group referred to as non-roster invitees. These numbers are changing all the time. For instance, last Wednesday the Athletics had 39 players on their 40-man roster along with 23 non-roster invitees.

The St. Apollinaris sixth-grade girls basketball team went 8-0 to win the North Bay Catholic School League title this past season. After going 6-0 in the regular season, St. A’s defeated St. Eugene in the semifinals and St. John’s of Napa in the championship game.

A few track and field athletes began their season early at the Cal State Sacramento High School Classic, putting focus on the 800-meter run for the first time in their track careers.

Playing in the St. Mary’s Softball Preseason Tournament in Stockton last weekend, Vintage finished with a 3-1 record to take first place in its pool.

In the first game of the 2009 season, Napa trailed all the way to the bottom of the seventh inning, when Devin Caldwell’s two-run double gave the Indians the win Monday.

The Indians opened their season with a no-hit shutout that went 41⁄2 innings. They scored seven runs in the fourth inning.

In Saturday’s nonleague game in Cordelia, the Braves (2-1 overall) were led by Jake Dunkle (2-for-4, home run, four RBIs), Marcus Solis (2-for-3, two walks, RBI), Dan Pardini (2-for-4, two RBIs), Jordan Grubbs (two RBIs), Mark Wangeman (double, two RBIs), and Kevin Deely (RBI). Michael Slinsen got the win in relief.

In a Marin County Athletic League match played Monday at Napa Valley College, the Braves (6-2 overall, 1-1 MCAL) got singles wins from Alex Fallon, 6-0, 3-6, 10-7; Andrew Kelley, 6-1, 6-2; Justyn Thomas, 6-3, 6-1; Matt Andre, 6-1, 6-4; Peter Kuehn, 6-3, 6-4; and Justin Kaung, 6-2, 6-1.

Playing in the St. Mary’s Tournament in Stockton, Vintage won each of its four games over the weekend, outscoring its opponents 39-5.

Anna Arend scored on an assist from Barbara Bakh in the first half.

During this year’s transition of management at Lake Berryessa’s recreational facilities, boaters are left with very limited access to the lake.

NOTES AND QUOTES for a Tuesday in the Napa Valley:

Race fans can spend quality time with two top drivers on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in June.

Following four successful years on the NASCAR West racing series, Bennett Lane Winery, the first California winery to sponsor a NASCAR team, is warming up its engine to bring its No. 2 yellow Bennett Lane Winery Ford back to racing tracks across the West.

Jim Young of Napa caught this chrome steelhead on a recent trip to the Coquille River in Oregon. Young was