December 7, 2006

SPORTS

Pioneer boys’ hoops off to 2-0 start in league play

Mustangs take wins against Mt. Hamilton Division opponents Santa Teresa and Evergreen Valley

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Pioneer's Andrew Springer drives to the basket during their game against Evergreen January 5. Springer finished the game with 8 points. Pioneer won the game 69-40 to improve to 2-0 in league. Photos by Dan Miranda

The Pioneer boys’ basketball took a 69-40 win at Evergreen Valley on Jan. 5, giving the Mustangs a promising 2-0 record to start league play.

The win, which improved Pioneer’s overall record to 13-4, came on the heels of a league-opening 62-56 victory over Mt. Hamilton Division rival Santa Teresa on Jan. 3. Pioneer head coach Joe Berticevich said he was pleased with the 2-0 start, adding that the team has started to hit its stride at the right time.

“With a tough league, it’s always nice to be 2-0,” he said. “Last year, during the first half of the season we went 2-4, and we’ve already got two W’s (this year), so it’s nice. It’s good to see the guys get better playing as a team. They were really unselfish out there tonight. It was really nice to see that.”

Pioneer took control of the game in the early going, starting out the second quarter on a 13-0 scoring run in just over three minutes of play to post a 31-16 lead. The Pioneer defense was also a key component in the quarter, holding the Cougars to just four points throughout the eight-minute period.

The Mustangs held off the Evergreen offense in the second half as well, allowing the Cougars to get no closer than 11 points of tying the game. By the end of the third quarter, Pioneer held a commanding 51-36 lead, before expanding on it even more in the fourth quarter, as the Mustang defense limited the Cougars to their second four-point quarter in the game.

Pioneer's T.J Watson shoots the ball during their game against Evergreen January 5. Watson finished the game with 14 points. Pioneer won the game 69-40 to improve to 2-0 in league.

The Pioneer offense continued to operate efficiently, scoring 12 straight points to end the game shortly after taking a 57-40 lead with 5:02 left. Berticevich said he was particularly pleased with the distributed scoring effort from his squad, which saw Gilbert Mendoza lead the team with 15 points—including 10 in the first quarter—while T.J. Watson chipped in 14 points in the win as well.

Another key, according to Berticevich, was Pioneer’s low post play. The game plan, he said, was to attack the basket by directly challenging Evergreen center Derek Pauli in the low post. Defensively, the Mustangs double-teamed Pauli throughout the game, limiting him to just four points on the night.

“We don’t have the tallest team and they have a 6-foot-6-inch guy (Pauli). Our motto is to go attack them,” Berticevich said. “Whether he blocks the shot or not, get him in foul trouble. The defense did a much better job in defending him with the double (team). Sometimes we doubled with the wrong guy, but we did a good job for the most part.”

Berticevich said performances off the bench were also crucial in the win. Reserve forward Mike Beltramo scored 11 points coming off the bench, including a trio of three pointers, while reserve forward Marty De Gier contributed seven points.

“Our bench is solid,” Berticevich said. “You’ve got Mike Beltramo, who can shoot it with the best of them. If he gets his feet underneath him and he gets his shoulders square, he’s going to knock it down. It’s always nice to have that coming off the bench.”

Pioneer girls’ hoops opens league play with 63-47 win at Santa Teresa

Sophomore Mercedes Pardo scores 30 points in win, including 12 fourth quarter points

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Mercedes Pardo scored a game-high 30 points as the Pioneer girls’ basketball team opened up Mt. Hamilton Division play with a 63-47 win on the road over the Santa Teresa Saints on Jan. 3.

Mercedes Pardo of Pioneer drives to the basket against Santa Teresa on Jan. 3. Pardo finished with a game-high 30 points. Photos by Dan Miranda

The win, which gave the Mustangs an overall record of 7-4, saw Pardo score 12 points in the fourth quarter alone as Pioneer outscored the Saints 18-7 in the final five-and-a-half minutes of play. In addition, senior Michele Rebozzi contributed 17 points, while guard Steffi Mattern chipped in 12 points in the win.

“It was awesome,” Pioneer head coach Kim Yanda said of the win. “The kids came with a lot of intensity, they had a lot of heart tonight. This is a team that I remember from last year. They played with heart and kept their composure.”

Leading the Saints 45-38 at the end of three quarters of play, the Mustangs turned to Pardo in the fourth quarter to spark the offense. Pardo did just that, starting an 8-2 scoring run in just under two minutes in which the sophomore scored all of her team’s points. Shortly thereafter, with Pioneer ahead 53-43, Pardo chipped in another four points during a 10-2 scoring stretch toward the end of the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Pardo managed to go coast-to-coast twice on steals during the fourth quarter, while also driving hard in the paint for a layup after getting a pass from Mattern, who started the play with another steal.

“Mercedes was just awesome,” Yanda said of Pardo, who played the second half with four personal fouls. “She’s coming along and she’s only a sophomore. We looked forward to her finishing her layups, which she did tonight. …She was able to get out on the fast break and go coast-to-coast and finish tonight.”

Yanda said Pardo’s second season as a varsity player has seen ample strides in maturation as a player. “She’s in better control this year,” Yanda said. “She has a lot of athleticism and last year was her first year playing basketball, so she’s grown a lot.”

While Pardo contributed nearly half of her team’s points on the night, Rebozzi and Mattern were busy on offense as well. The trio of Mattern, Rebozzi and Pardo contributed all but four of Pioneer’s points in the win, pointing to the importance of those players to the team, said Yanda.

One key change, according to Yanda, was switching Mattern from point guard to shooting guard, allowing the senior guard to focus more on getting open for shots.

“I’m trying to get Steffi to score a little bit,” Yanda said. “I switched up my point guard rotation so we could look to her for some more offense. I’m looking to put her at the two (off-guard position), so we don’t take away from her scoring abilities.”

While the Mustangs walked away with a decisive win, there were still several tense moments, Yanda said. Pioneer got into foul trouble early, racking up eight team fouls by the end of the first quarter, resulting in Santa Teresa going to the free-throw line 12 times as Pioneer reached the double-bonus with nearly six minutes left in the second quarter.

Luck prevailed for Pioneer however, as Santa Teresa managed to convert just seven shots from the line during the second quarter, allowing the Mustangs the opportunity to put together an 11-1 scoring run to end of the first half, taking a 31-25 lead into the locker room.

Yanda said she changed her defense around in the second half, switching to a zone, which helped cut team fouls down to just three in the entire second half.

“The kids worked through it and stayed in the game,” Yanda said, “and that’s what counted. We did well.”

Sports Briefs

REACH Youth Scholarship nomination forms available online from San Jose Sports Authority
Nomination forms for the San Jose Sports Authority’s 2006 REACH Youth Scholarship Program, sponsored by Bridge Bank, which has provided college funds to 50 high school students over the past 10 years, are now available for downloading from the Sports Authority’s Web site at www.sjsa.org.

Last year, 31 Santa Clara County high school seniors were nominated, and six who overcame adversity through participation in sports were awarded scholarships through the REACH program, an acronym for Recognizing Excellence, Adversity, Courage and Hard Work. Scholarships are awarded based on an essay competition in which nominees explain how sports helped them overcome adversity.

The nominees and scholarship winners for 2006 will be honored at the REACH Awards Breakfast, chaired by former San Francisco 49er Ronnie Lott, on Thursday, May 3, 2007.

Only Santa Clara County high schools may nominate students for the award, with a maximum of five nominees per school. Nominees must then complete an essay and student information form.

Nominees must:

Be high school seniors,

Maintain a 2.5 GPA,

Participate in at least one sanctioned high school athletic activity,

Demonstrate community involvement,

Show the ability to overcome adversity or obstacles to reach his or her goals.

Each nominee is required to write an essay of one to three pages based on his or her experiences. The essay should focus on the obstacles they have overcome and how sports have helped them achieve their goals. Essays will be judged on content.

Nominations must be postmarked by Friday, March 31.

Visit the San Jose Sports Authority Web site at www.sjsa.org for more information.

Girls’ Lacrosse of San Jose now registering players
Girls’ Lacrosse of San Jose is now registering players for its spring 2007 season. The club, which plays under the name San Jose Extreme, has openings remaining for its new developmental team for third and fourth graders (second graders by permission), and for its fifth and sixth grade team. In addition, it has a short wait list for its 7th and 8th grade team and a second high school team.

Girls’ lacrosse is a fast-growing, non-contact field sport played with a webbed stick and ball that combines elements of basketball and field hockey. Girls Lacrosse of San Jose started five years ago with one team. In 2007, it will have five teams for girls of all ages.

The club practices at Kirk Community Center on Foxworthy Avenue and is part of the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association. The season will run from February through mid-May.

For information, go to www.sjextreme.org or contact club President John Fensterwald by email at john@sjextreme.org or call (408) 265-2224

South San Jose Hotshots seek experienced girls’ soccer players
The South San Jose Hotshots, a girls U11 comp soccer team, is looking for experienced players for its 2007 indoor and outdoor seasons.  The Hotshots play in the Delgado competitive league and finished as one of the top U10 girls’ teams in the 2006 fall season.  The team has a positive coaching environment, with a focus on teamwork and player development.  Interested players should contact head coach Mike Bunge at awalt80@yahoo.com.

San Jose Strikkers 18U tryouts
The San Jose Strikkers, a youth girls fast-pitch softball team based in San Jose, will hold tryouts for its’ 18U summer ball team. Summer ball tryouts are Dec. 17, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14 at Oak Grove High School. Tryouts for pitchers and catchers are at 9 a.m. and all position player tryouts start 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

Bret Harte seeks boys’ junior lacrosse coaches
Bret Harte Middle School in San Jose is looking for boys' junior lacrosse coaches for the 2006-2007 season. Multiple positions are available for both head coaches and assistants. Previous lacrosse coaching experience recommended. If you are skilled in lacrosse, kid-oriented, and motivated to create a winning team from the ground floor up, we would love to talk with you! This is an exciting, and rapidly growing sport in California, and these Bret Harte boys are ready to go!

For more information, please contact Wayne Schatz at (408) 623-4691 or email wayne_schatz@sbcglobal.net

Valley Flag Football now accepting Spring 2007 registration
Valley Flag Football is the premier youth football league for boys and girls ages 5-14. The program provides young players a fun and exciting opportunity to engage in continuous action while learning lessons in teamwork. It’s an excellent way to introduce players before playing tackle and keeping tackle players active in the off-season.

Launched in 1996, the FLAG Football program is designed to educate young people about football while emphasizing participation and sportsmanship. Players learn skills and lessons that help them succeed both on and off the field.

NFL FLAG Football is played across the United States and is a fun and exciting sport that teaches great life lessons, such as sportsmanship, dedication and discipline.

This five-on-five game is recognizable to football fans everywhere. Participants learn about formations, pass patterns and different types of offense and defense. All teams are actual NFL team names. Players keep their team logo jerseys. Sign up today and be part of the Valley Flag Football Family. The first 100 players to register online receive a free league T-shirt. The season starts March 25, 2007

Visit our website for more information and registration: www.valleyflagfootball.com or contact us at (408) 531-0417 or via email at tmorgan_valleyflag@hotmail.com

Almaden Valley Rebels U17 girls’ soccer tryouts
The U17 girls’ Division 3 (comp.) Almaden Valley Rebels soccer team is looking for players for both spring and fall. Players must be born after 8-1-90. The Rebels have several players on the team that are “playing up,” so even if you are 14 or 15 years old, do not be afraid to try out for the team. Please contact Scott Hoyt at shoyt@cinnabarhills.com for complete details and tryout dates.
 
Almaden Valley Girls Softball League 2007 signups
The Almaden Valley Girls Softball League will be holding signups on:

- Saturday, Jan. 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

All signups will take place at Graystone Elementary School, 6982 Shearwater Drive, Almaden.

First-time applicants, please bring a copy of your birth certificate. Parents, please bring your child for uniform sizing as well.

Almaden girls U11 class 1 soccer team tryouts
Open tryouts for the girls U11 class 1 (select) soccer team will be held Jan. 6 and 7 from 2 p.m.–4 p.m. at Simonds Elementary. The field is located at the corner of Little Falls Drive and Pajaro, behind Jake's Play Lot. The tryout is open to girls that are born after July 31, 1996, and that have a strong desire to play soccer at the top level. This is the perfect opportunity to try out for a select team as roster sizes grow due to increasing players on the field from 8 vs. 8 to 11 vs. 11.

The team will retain the services of a professional coaching staff. Joe Ascolese, a former Santa Clara Bronco star player, is the head coach and Kendra Sato, a DeAnza standout, is the assistant coach.

Come dressed ready to play. Bring a soccer ball and water. Any questions, call Carey Lisowski at (408) 316-3954 or e-mail at dflaadmin@att.net

Almaden Venom seek 1-2 experienced soccer players at Jan. 14 tryout
The Almaden Venom, a boys’ U10 spring/U11 fall competitive soccer team out of San Jose, will be holding a final tryout session on Jan. 14 from 1-2:30 p.m. at Allen at Steinbeck School, 820 Steinbeck Drive (field is adjacent to Santa Teresa Blvd) as they look to finalize the 2007 roster. Last season, the Venom were undefeated in league play, finishing in second place overall in the BU10 Delgado A division while compiling an impressive overall record of 25-5-10 during the 2006 calendar year. Players born on or between 8/1/96-7/31/97 are invited to attend. If you have any questions about the team,  contact head coach Tim Mackin at mackinfam@sbcglobal.net or (408) 997-1046.

Almaden Stealth Boys U11 comp soccer tryouts
Open tryouts for the boys’ U11 class 3 soccer team will be held Jan. 13 and 20 from 1 p.m.–3 p.m. at Steinbeck Middle School. The tryout is open to all boys who are born after July 31, 1996. This is the perfect opportunity to tryout for a competitive team as roster sizes grow, due to increasing players on the field from 8 vs. 8 to 11 vs. 11. The team will retain the services of a professional coach. The team is also looking for a part-time goalie. For questions, call Tom Geraghty at (408) 927-6252 or e-mail at 4mon@sbcglobal.net

Jumpstart Volleyball Club tryouts Jan. 12
Jumpstart Volleyball Club, which offers competitive and developmental teams for girls ages 9 to 16, will be offering make-up tryouts for beginner to advanced players on Jan. 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tryouts will be held at Monroe Middle School, located at 1095 S. Monroe St. in San Jose. There is a tryout fee of $15 per player. For more information, go to www.jumpstartvolleyball.com or call (408) 504-0682

Almaden U9 boys’ competitive soccer team tryouts Jan. 13 and 20
A new Almaden U9 boys’ competitive soccer team is holding two tryout sessions for the upcoming year. It is open to boys born after 7/31/98. The tryouts will be held on Jan. 13 and 20 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Almaden Elementary School, located at 1295 Dentwood Ave., San Jose Ca 95118. For questions and additional information, contact John Jussen (408) 504-8405, or e-mail jussen1@netzero.net. Interested parties may also contact Timothy Mackin (408) 997-1046 or e-mail mackinfam@sbcglobal.net.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Boys’ basketball vs. Live Oak, F/S 5 p.m. and varsity 8 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ basketball vs. Pioneer, JV 3:30 p.m. and varsity 6:30 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ soccer vs. Piedmont Hills, 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday – Boys’ basketball at Silver Creek, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ soccer at Leigh, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – Girls’ basketball vs. Leigh, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Wednesday – Girls’ soccer at Leigh, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Wrestling at Willow Glen, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday – Boys’ soccer vs. Overfelt, 3:15 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Boys’ basketball vs. Oak Grove, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ basketball at Leland, JV 3:30 p.m. and varsity 6:30 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ soccer at Santa Teresa, 3:15 p.m.*

Tuesday – Boys’ soccer vs. Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.*

Wednesday –Boys’ basketball at Westmont, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Wednesday –Girls’ basketball vs. Westmont, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Wednesday – Girls’ soccer at Piedmont Hills, 3:15 p.m.

Thursday – Boys’ soccer vs. Leigh, 3:15 p.m.*
Thursday – Wrestling at Del Mar, 3 p.m.

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

Pioneer Athletics: http://www.phsathletics.com/
Leland Athletics: http://www.lelandathletics.com/
Blossom Valley Athletic League: http://www.bval.org/

High School Scoreboard

Jan. 2
Leland boys’ basketball 55-39 win vs. Branham

Jan. 3
Leland girls’ basketball 46-31 win vs. Piedmont Hills
Leland girls’ soccer 3-3 tie vs. Branham

Jan. 4
Leland boys’ soccer 4-0 win at Yerba Buena
Leland wrestling 48-36 win vs. Gunderson

Pioneer boys’ soccer 3-0 loss vs. Live Oak

Jan. 5
Pioneer girls’ basketball 61-51 win vs. Evergreen
Pioneer girls’ soccer 4-0 win at Branham

Mustangs return to league action with 2-1 loss at Evergreen

Pioneer drops to 2-1-1 in league play; lone goal scored by Righetti in first half

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Pioneer girls’ soccer team returned to action following the holiday break on a down note, posting a 2-1 loss on the road to the Evergreen Valley Cougars on Jan. 3.

The loss was Pioneer’s first in league play this season, leaving the team with a 2-1-1 record in the Mt. Hamilton Division. Pioneer head coach Randy Worthington said he was disappointed with the loss, noting that Evergreen
“beat us in every aspect of our game,” and that his team wasn’t ready for the match-up.

Stephanie Righetti of Pioneer attempts a shot on goal during a 2-1 loss to Evergreen on Jan. 3. Photos by Dan Miranda

“We had two really good practices leading into this, but what it comes down to is our girls didn’t come mentally prepared to play,” Worthington said. “Evergreen’s a first-year school in this league and that’s why they’re here. They played tough.”

Worthington added he was a little surprised by his team’s overall play.

“We’re a better team than we showed today,” Worthington said, “but maybe this is going to be a reality check to see where we’re at, and see what kind of character we have now.”

Pioneer’s lone goal in the loss came on a penalty kick by senior Stephanie Righetti in the game’s 13th minute, placing the ball in the lower left corner of the goal for an early 1-0 lead.

Still, that wasn’t enough to overcome the Cougars, who tied the game up four minutes later during a corner kick, with junior Caitlin Brennan nailing a header into the net on the play. Evergreen eventually took the lead for good in the second half, getting a goal in the 62nd minute of play from Raylene Larot, who placed the ball just inside the low right corner of the goal for a 2-1 advantage.

“We didn’t make the plays,” Worthington said of the loss, noting that his team squandered several chances to strike back offensively. “Our players who we count on didn’t make the plays, given the opportunities, and that needs to stop.”

In short, Worthington said his team’s Achilles’ heel this season lies in its inability to finish plays strong offensively, leading to wasted scoring chances.

“Basically, we’re not a very good shooting team right now,” Worthington said. “We dominate the shooting category in every game, but we just can’t finish in front of the net. That’s the frustrating point for us. We outshoot our opponents and we don’t finish. …The reality is, this team is not scoring goals the way it should be.”

Another factor in the loss, Worthington said, was Evergreen’s physical play. Brennan, the Cougars’ junior team captain, received a yellow card in the game’s 33rd minute, followed by simultaneous yellow and red cards with just three minutes left in regulation for rough play. Worthington said the penalties levied against Brennan were justified, but added that the overall physical play by the Cougars had his team playing tentative throughout the course of the game.

“I think Evergreen played us extremely physical, they won the physical match-up,” said Worthington, who added that his team plays a more finesse-style game. “…We had trouble with their physical play. They pushed us around quite a bit.”

Chargers challenge first-place Sobrato, shot just short of win

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland charged nobly to Sobrato High in Morgan Hill Jan. 9, but could not corral the Bulldogs, deferring first place by a score of 51-43.

Drew Marino drives for two of his 16 points. Marino hit four three-pointers on the night.

The loss snapped a four-game win streak for the Chargers, but the streak likely resurrected the season for Leland anyhow.

“I am absolutely pleased with the team’s performance tonight,” said Leland coach Ed Campbell, in his first year leading the varsity boys. “We were really excited about having the opportunity to play for first place, even though it is early in the season.”

The Chargers entered the contest unexpectedly tied for first place in the Santa Teresa Division with Sobrato, according to Campbell.

Sobrato jumped out to an early lead, 17-11 after the first quarter, but Leland battled back, refusing to give any ground in the second. The teams headed for the locker room, with Sobrato leading 27-21.

“We looked a little tentative in the first quarter,” said Campbell.

Leland returned rejuvenated from the break, outscoring Sobrato 13-8 in the third, and closing the deficit within one point.

Highlights included two clutch three-pointers drained by Leland junior Drew Marino, in response to several thwarted attempts he made to drive to the basket. Facing taller opposition, Marino stepped back and changed the course of the game.

Meanwhile, sophomore Adam Mackey helped ignite the offensive sets and set up a dramatic fourth quarter by snatching Bulldog passes and pressing the ball upcourt.

Campbell also cited the efforts of Patrick Calhoun, as an integral part of the team’s performance in the third quarter and throughout the game. Calhoun shut down Sobrato size down low, isolated as the center in Leland’s match-up zone defense.

Yet, when the fourth quarter ensued, Leland could not slow Sobrato guards Mubarik Abdullahi and Robert Mercardo.

The Bulldogs outscored Leland 16-9 during the period, despite two more Marino threes.

“I did not expect to be having this success,” he said. “I knew we were young, and that we had a lot of things to improve on. The kids are finding out that if they work hard in practice, that they will continue to get better on the things we needed to work on.”

Marino finished with a game high 16 points. Sophomore forward Gregg Hipwell, meanwhile dumped in 7 points, including two three pointers.

Three weeks ago, amidst a preseason that featured a revolving line-up and wrinkles as a result of the coaching transition—Campbell replaced longtime leader Dave Frandsen, who resigned to enjoy time with his family following last season—it had appeared that Leland would in deed be in for a year of rebuilding.

Campbell’s Chargers crept out of the gate, toting a 1-4 record through Dec. 12.

However, the Christmas holiday apparently breathed composure into the youthful club that graduated all five starters from a year ago.

“I told the kids that the number-one thing that we can control is our energy and effort,” said Campbell. “If you are going to play for first place, you have to play at high levels, especially on the defensive end. You want to go for rhythm on offense.”

Campbell said that the Chargers are quickly developing the ability to change speeds from offense to defense, a major key in the game.

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