Steven Bryla (left) and Christopher Pedigo (right) of YSBC Sports share a moment while on the field covering local athletics. Photo courtesy of Steven Bryla

BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) – The energy on the field is one of the reasons that sports reporter Steven Bryla and photo-journalist Chris Pedigo love to cover local sports, but if you get them away from the field for a minute, they'll tell you the truth – it's for the kids.

YSBC Sports broke into the local sports scene in 2024. The duo has focused on athletics in our area from high school to community leagues, focusing their efforts on Yuba, Sutter, Butte and Colusa counties.

Bryla told the Herald that his passion for sports started at an early age with him reading box scores and articles from the Sacramento Bee sports pages. After serving in the United States Navy, Bryla pursued a bachelor's in journalism with a minor in communications at Sacramento State University. He graduated with both in 2020.

The sport journalist cut his teeth as a stringer for the Elk Grove Citizen under Jon Hull, his first piece covering the Franklin Sheldon Summer Jam in 2016. A friendly tip would align him with the Territorial Dispatch and Gridley Herald newspapers, where Bryla balanced an often-tricky freelance reporting gig, regular 9-5 job and family life.

Bryla and YSBC Sports have since become a regular fixture on the fields and courts of the north state, following teams across the country to witness them play in higher divisions and announcing the signings of athletes to collegiate teams.

YSBC partner Pedigo adds his phenomenal photography skills to the team, expanding their ability to cover multiple events from different angles.

Pedigo shares that he found himself picking up a camera while serving as a councilman in the Yuba-Sutter area, finding joy in shooting a local parade he had been a part of. Little did he know a decade later he would shoot thousands of photos weekly. While the majority of Pedigo's shots are of local athletes, he captures everything from library events to landscapes.

Ultimately, Bryla said that YSBC Sports was started to provide more timely and detailed sports coverage for athletes in the area. YSBC Sports attempts to provide deeper information, a closer look at individual players and key moments in the game that turn tides, not just affect the scoreboards. That includes small schools and towns in rural areas.

 "A lot of people overlook this area because it's out of the Sacramento, Roseville, Lincoln area. They don't come out this way," says Bryla. "At the end of the day, you have teams like East Nicolaus softball, Yuba City baseball, Faith-Christian girls' basketball – these teams just won NorCal State titles, and that's why YSBC was there for every single one of them."

Steven Bryla of YSBC Sports during a one-on-one interview with a player after a pivotal game. Photo courtesy of Steven Bryla

Both Bryla and Pedigo have built relationships with those programs, but more importantly, with all the individual players, and it shows when they walk onto a court or the field.

Bryla also gives due credit to his partner Chris Pedigo, saying, "YSBC wouldn't be anywhere where it is without Chris."

"I am thankful for his friendship, for him coming along on this journey with me and taking a chance to try and provide the coverage that the athletes deserve. Because at the end of the day, we have the same common goal – we want to give the kids, the athletes, the love and shower them with coverage as much as we can."

Capturing and preserving those special moments in film is Pedigo's goal, sharing the emotions, highs and lows with his community and for the players and their families.

"It's bringing the moment to life," Pedigo adds "It's capturing memories. That might be the only time Lil' Johnny plays, but he will have that memory forever."

Beginning August 22, the YSBC Sports will feature some of their sports coverage in the Gridley Herald and Territorial Dispatch newspapers, in an effort to further recognize phenomenal athletes and athletic programs in the north state.

Visit YSBCsports.com to subscribe for in-depth local coverage of sports throughout the Yuba, Sutter, Butte and Colusa counties and follow them on Facebook at YSBC Sports.