SPORTS

Pioneer boys’ basketball winning streak reaches 11 with pair of wins

Mustangs win at home over Soquel; notch second
win of week the next day at Watsonville

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Pioneer Mustangs extended their winning streak to 11 games just before the start of the New Year with wins against Soquel and Watsonville.

Pioneer’s Gilbert Mendoza goes up for an acrobatic shot during a 57-45 win over Soquel on Dec. 29. Photos by Diego Abeloos

The Mustangs (14-1 overall) took a 57-45 win at home over Soquel on Dec. 29, before going on the road and winning a 67-38 decision over Watsonville the next day.

“We know this is a pretty special run we’re on,” said Pioneer guard Nolan Maggipinto. “We’re just trying to keep it up, keep working hard. That’s what we do as a team.”

In the win over Soquel, the Mustangs took things over in the second half of the game, outscoring the Knights 18-6 in the third quarter en route to victory. The Mustangs were led by guard Kyle Fager, who scored a team-high 16 points, while Maggipinto and Andrew Lerma chipped in 11 points each to help the offense.

“I was scared of this game,” said Pioneer Head Coach Joe Berticevich, noting the size of Soquel’s frontcourt. “I know (Soquel Head Coach) Stu Walters real well and I knew he was going to have his team prepared well, and they’re a good team … I knew that we were going to be in for a tough game, especially with coming off the Christmas break and the Fremont (Holiday Tournament) Championship.”

Pioneer forward Andrew Lerma drives to the hoop during the Mustangs’ tenth straight win on Dec. 29 over Soquel. Lerma finished the game with 11 points.

With the game tied 24-24 at the half, the Mustangs put their offense into high gear at the start of the third quarter, putting together an 8-2 scoring run through the first five-and-a-half minutes of play to gain a 32-26 lead.
Following a Soquel layup with 3:09 left in the third, the Mustangs finished off the quarter with another scoring run, a 10-2 edge to jump out to a 42-30 lead.

On that run, the Mustangs received five points from Maggipinto, including a layup with 1:58 left after Fager came away with a steal at half court, then driving to the hoop and dishing a behind-the-back pass to Maggipinto, who was trailing on the play. With 49 seconds left in the third, Maggipinto capped off the team’s scoring run with a 3-pointer from the right wing.

“We didn’t play too great in the first half, but we pretty much contained them and kept it close,” Maggipinto said. “In the second half, we outworked them, got to every loose ball, out-rebounded them and started shooting better.”

Pioneer guard Nolan Maggipinto dribbles past a leaping Soquel defender during a 57-45 win on Dec. 29. Maggipinto finished with 11 points.

After two straight baskets by the Knights started the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 42-34, the Mustangs embarked on their third run of the second half, getting a 12-5 scoring stretch that began at 4:07 with a jumper from Fager, who also finished off the run with a pair of bonus free throws with just 1:13 left to play.

Fager scored seven points during the run, which also saw him hit a 3-pointer with 3:24 left in the third quarter. Fager scored 10 of his team-leading 16 points in the second half.

“Kyle Fager hit some big shots,” Berticevich said. “We had a few minutes (in the fourth quarter) where we didn’t score and they got it (the lead) down to eight, and then Kyle hit a leaner from about seven feet to get it back up to 10 … That was big. Anytime you get the lead to double digits, it’s hard to overcome.”

The run gave Pioneer a solid 15-point lead at 54-39 and was more than enough cushion to withstand a modest 6-3 scoring edge by the Knights to finish off the game.

Sports Briefs

San Jose Strikkers hold softball tryouts
The San Jose Strikkers, a 18U girls’ fast-pitch softball team, will hold summer tryouts on Jan. 8 and Jan. 15 at Oak Grove High School. Tryouts for pitchers and catchers begin at 9 a.m. Tryouts for all position players begin at 10:30 a.m.

For more information, call Frank King (408) 406-8191 or Richard Fangonilo (408) 274-9301, or e-mail fgking25@aol.com or rfangonilo@sjm.com.

Superstar Basketball signups for boys and girls
Superstar Basketball is a fundamental basketball league for boys and girls ages 6-12. The emphasis is on fun, fundamentals, fitness, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

Instruction begins on Jan. 7 and ends Feb. 25. All games and practices are on Saturdays at Santa Teresa High School. Two hundred spots have been filled, only 40 openings remain. The fee is $99 per player.

For more information, contact Dan Walker at (408) 268-7634 or via e-mail at dwalker@apr.com.

Almaden Wildcats girls’ U11 soccer tryouts
The AVYSL Wildcats, a U11 girls’ Class 3 soccer team, will hold tryouts for girls born between Aug. 1, 1995 and July 31, 1996, at Almaden Elementary School Jan. 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call Ron Richardson at (408) 997-6168.

Almaden Valley Girls Softball League registration
The Almaden Valley Girls Softball League (AVGSL) will hold registration for its upcoming season, which runs February to May, at Graystone Elementary School on Saturday, Jan. 7 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 14 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. First-time applicants must bring a copy of their birth certificate.

AVGSL ensures that the players are in a fun, positive environment while learning and expanding their softball skills. AVGSL promotes a sense of belonging for everyone and emphasizes teamwork and the sense of individual success that contributes to team sports. Come join the fun!

More information on the league and registration can be found at www.avgsl.org or by calling (408) 808-1405.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Andrew Hill, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Andrew Hill, 6 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Oak Grove, 7 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ basketball at Oak Grove, 5:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Overfelt, 3:15 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer at Overfelt, 3:15 p.m.

Saturday – JV girls’ basketball at Fremont, 6 p.m.

Tuesday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Prospect, 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Prospect, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ soccer vs. Pioneer, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – JV girls’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ soccer vs. Yerba Buena, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer vs. Yerba Buena, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Wrestling vs. Yerba Buena, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday – Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Leigh, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ soccer vs. Leigh, 3:15 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, 6 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Santa Teresa, 7 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ basketball at Santa Teresa, 5:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Independence, 3:15 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer at Independence, 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday – Varsity girls’ soccer at Leigh, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ soccer at Leland, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Westmont, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Westmont, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Westmont, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – JV girls’ basketball at Westmont, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ soccer vs. Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer vs. Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Wrestling at Prospect, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday – Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Branham, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ soccer vs. Branham, 3:15 p.m.

For more information about Leland and Pioneer sporting events, go to:

Pioneer Athletics:
www.phsathletics.com

Leland Athletics:
www.lelandathletics.com

Blossom Valley Athletic League:
www.bval.org

For more complete and up to date schedules on CCS playoffs, go to:
www.cifccs.org

Pioneer girls’ hoops win third straight 48-43 at Live Oak

Freshman Mercedes Pardo leads squad with 21
points; Mustangs gear up for league play

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

With league play just around the corner, the Pioneer Mustangs managed to put together their first winning streak of the season, a three-game stretch, following a 48-43 win at Live Oak on Dec. 27.

Pioneer’s Michele Rebozzi dribbles the ball up court during a 48-43 win at Live Oak on Dec. 27. Rebozzi finished the game with 12 points, including seven in the fourth quarter. Photos by Diego Abeloos

The win at Live Oak also gave the Mustangs another reason to feel optimistic as Mt. Hamilton Division play gets under way—a winning record at 6-5.

Nevertheless, Pioneer Head Coach Kim Yanda still found things to work on before the Mustangs’ league-opener at home versus Oak Grove on Jan. 4.

“I don’t know if I’d say I’m happy, but we’ll take a win any day,” said Yanda. “The important thing is that you score more points than the other team. We didn’t come with our A game tonight. We’re having problems rebounding and if we don’t correct those problems, we’re going to struggle in league (play).”

Down 34-30 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Mustangs went on a 13-3 run, beginning with 5:57 left in the game, to take the lead for good. On the scoring run, Pioneer freshman forward Mercedes Pardo did her best offensive work of the night, dropping in the first six points of the game-changing stretch to get things going.

While teammate Michele Rebozzi finished with 12 points, including seven points in the fourth quarter, Pardo finished the night with a team-leading 21 points. Pardo earned the praise of her head coach with their spirited play in the win.

“She’s been awesome and she’s been working really hard at her shot and getting up court,” Yanda said of Pardo.
“It’s definitely showing in her game …She’s provided us that energy towards then end and that spurt to get us going. She’s done that quite a bit for us.”

The scoring stretch gave Pioneer a 43-37 lead with 2:49 left before the Mustangs closed things out with a 6-6 span to seal the team’s sixth win of the season at 48-43. Turnover problems allowed Live Oak to reach the free-throw line four times in the final 2:35 of the game. But some luck proved to be on the Mustangs’ side down the stretch, as the Acorns shot just 3 of 8 from the line during that span.

“We need to be able to take care of the basketball, and that’s been one of our biggest themes this year, taking care of the ball and doing what we need to do,” said Yanda. “We tend to give teams a lot more shots at the basket than we need to be giving them. Free-throws are one of those things that, we’ve got to cut down on.”

Despite the three-game winning streak, Yanda said she still has her concerns as league play begins. Among those concerns is that fact that Yanda has only seven players on her roster, leaving the first-year coach a woefully short bench to work with and hoping on a game-to-game basis that none of her players get hurt.

Yanda said her team would go on a New Year’s weekend retreat to refocus on the team goals set at the beginning of the year.

“I’m hoping this weekend they’re going to get a little bit of a break,” Yanda said of her squad. “ … They’ll get their goals together and what they need to focus on, and come out hard for league (play). That first game against Oak Grove is going to be a big one for us.”

New Year, similar scenario

Leland resolves to develop chemistry after slow preseason

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland boys’ basketball came unraveled after battling to an 18-17 first-quarter lead in which the Charger hoopsters failed to stow their seasoned sweaters of thin confidence, falling to A-League opponent Santa Teresa 56-36 at home Friday.

The loss capped a difficult 2-8 preseason campaign for the Chargers, who, despite their record, are still lauded as B-League, Santa Teresa Division contenders. For the Saints, however, the win affirmed their intentions to challenge perennial A-league powers Oak Grove and Pioneer, thanks to a core of key returning players, including E.J. Youngblood, Corey Hart and Austin McQuay.

Leland senior Philip Petro looks for help versus Santa Teresa on Friday. The Chargers' lost 56-36, despite Petro's team-leading 10 points scoring. Photo courtesy of www.mikejanes.com

“We’re doing better than I had anticipated,” said Santa Teresa Coach Mitch Priest. “The difference is that our team has really gelled to this point. Sometimes you can have a little bit less talent, but chemistry makes up for all of that.”

According to Friday’s showcase, Priest is ill-advised to slight Saint talent. From the second quarter on, the Saints overpowered the Chargers, despite suiting up just eight players. They dominated virtually every statistical category, amassing 39 points to the Chargers’ meager 18 over the final three quarters.

“They definitely put up a good challenge,” said Leland senior Philip Petro, perhaps the lone Charger light on Friday.

Trailing by double digits, Petro never settled, swiping three steals in the fourth quarter and converting on multiple one-and-one foul shot opportunities. The 6-foot, 3-inch forward led Leland with 10 points.

“We heard they were pretty talented, so we came out strong,” said Petro. “We were planning on having a better preseason, but we’ll pick it up. If we can find some consistency, we’ll be fine in league.”

Forward Youngblood led all scorers with 14 points, and epitomized the effort on three consecutive plays. With the Chargers extended in formidable full-court press, Youngblood was whistled for a subtle traveling violation. Shortly after the Chargers turned over the ball, Youngblood sought vengeance. He raced to the right elbow where a teammate issued Youngblood a bounce pass, en route to a two-hand jam.

Not long forlorn, the Chargers persevered, whipping two quick outlet passes up the court, where two-time All-league performer David Farsai spotted up for a brief moment of serenity. Youngblood, however, celebrated further, swooping in from behind and assaulting Farsai’s shot, hammering it to the floor.

“I think that was about the highest emotional peak we have been on all season long,” said Youngblood. “At that point, energy was already high after the dunk and the blocked shot gave us another big boost. That was high.”

Leland played without the tutelage of Head Coach Dave Frandsen, who returned to the Charger bench for the league opener on Tuesday evening.

“Leland’s a good team; they have all the right pieces,” said Saints Coach Mitch Priest, who has competed at both Santa Teresa and Gunderson High versus Frandsen-led Leland squads for better than 10 years. “It seems like it’s just a matter of chemistry—and time.”

For now, Leland hopes that chemistry will surface within two weeks. The Chargers opened league Tuesday versus Evergreen and play at home Thursday, Jan. 6 versus Andrew Hill.

“I know we’ll still make the playoffs,” said Petro confidently.

The Chargers anticipate the return of four-year varsity starter James Kogura, who has been sidelined with a fractured foot sine November. The point guard is expected to begin playing by the end of the month.

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