I had a Seals’ hockey puck like this, although mine was trashed from getting slammed against a washing machine. By John Murphy Perusing social media, I came across a photo of a San Francisco …

I had a Seals' hockey puck like this, although mine was trashed from getting slammed against a washing machine. By John Murphy Perusing social media, I came across a photo of a San Francisco Seals hockey puck. I had one as a kid, having won it in a St. Robert's sports night raffle. My brother and I did the logical thing – we made hockey sticks and propelled shots at my mom’s washing machine, which didn’t please her.  

Senior quarterback Isaac Vitela led Redlands East Valley High to a record-setting 69–28 win over rival Redlands in the annual Smudge Pot game Friday night, throwing for five touchdowns and rushing for...

Shoveling pea gravel isn't all it's made out to be. By John Murphy Saturday I watched a livestream of a high school football game from San Francisco. That’s how exciting my life is. Then I drove to Redlands where the remodel of my house is in full swing. Guilty at my lack of contribution, I did some work. I shoveled pea gravel from two big piles over a portion of the front yard.

Photo courtesy of UCLA South San Francisco High grad Greg Jones (43) was a three-time All-Pac 8 player for UCLA in the late 1960s. By John Murphy The other day I wrote about my first experience watching high school football, as a pre-teen in the Bay Area. My dad taught at South San Francisco High School, a powerhouse in the 1960s.

Courtesy photo The Bell Game between South San Francisco and El Camino high schools at Clifford Field, with Sign Hill in the background, was always a hard-hitting affair. By John Murphy Sixty years…

The Crescent City Harbor, as seen from the Battery Point Lighthouse. By John Murphy Yesterday I was surprised to learn the Del Norte Triplicate newspaper in Crescent City has closed. The Triplicate…

A hearst driven by a skeleton on your front lawn? Yes, in Smiley Park. By John Murphy September is a transitional month. Summer ends and fall begins. Leaves fall and get crushed underfoot. Like UCL…

Santa Clara University, which no longer plays football, never played Army (as in West Point) in football, but did play a West Coast Army-base team. This poster advertised the contest. By John Murph…

A creek that runs along the ESRI campus out to Tennessee Street is picturesque. By John Murphy Highland is not the most walkable city, so I often cross the wash into Redlands and hit the pavement. …

Swanky Sacred Heart Prep (pictured) was apparently so eager for some athletic glory in the early 1990s that it hired a character from Daly City, Mike “Chubby” Ciardella, to run its girl…

The Downtown Redlands Station is a beauty. By John Murphy Friday morning I grabbed our dog, Mia, and headed out for a walk. Destination uncertain. Soon I found myself headed for downtown Redlands, …

A photo from the mid-1970s with some of the rec rats, including rec leader Paul Accinelli (far left), yours truly next to Accinelli, the late Joe Krumm with the long hair, my BFF Keith Larsen, rec …

This kid is better looking than I was, he’s tatted up and he would not have passed the Serra High dress code. Otherwise, a perfect match. By John Murphy Today is National Walk and Roll to Sch…

A row of palm trees — low-hanging fruit for an amateur photographer. By John Murphy I got four hours of sleep Thursday night, so I feel like a million dollars. Or at least half a mil. I got u…

By John Murphy Recently I’ve been remodeling my house on the north side of Redlands. More accurately, I’ve hired companies and handymen to do it. I only remodel sentences.    There are alleys…

Sport notebook

REDLANDS – Redlands East Valley High water polo player Jackson Kane receives a pass and elevates his 6-foot-3, 190-pound body out of the water. He shoots and the ball disappears into the goal. The pr...

By John Murphy Have you seen the classic horror film, “The Amityville Horror”? Every morning George Lutz played by James Brolin bolts awake at 3:15 a.m. There is a meaning to this. Several years ea…

Jacob Anzaldua threw for 365 yards and five touchdowns to help the Broncos erase a double-digit halftime deficit.

BEAUMONT – Redlands and Beaumont high schools met to open the Citrus Belt League girls’ volleyball season on Tuesday, and the showdown did not disappoint. The rollercoaster match went five sets, with...

The University of Redlands campus — as pretty as a postcard. By John Murphy Tuesday before my prep events, I headed to the University of Redlands for a stroll. I did not have our dog Mia, the…

Pink flowers grow between remnants of the old Kite-Shaped Track from the early 1900s. The rails were forged in Germany. By John Murphy Monday afternoon I left Highland, crossed the wash, and wound …