SPORTS

Chargers trounce Oak Grove 68-23 in league opener

Leland’s Mika Yanai scores 18 in first quarter, finishes
with game-high 22

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland girls’ basketball took care of business in the team’s Mt. Hamilton Division opener on Jan. 6, posting a lopsided 68-23 win at Oak Grove.

Leland’s Ana Castillo looks for some open teammates while running the offense during a 68-23 win over Oak Grove in the Chargers’ league opener on Jan. 6.

The win was highlighted by a 29-8 outburst by the Chargers in the first quarter, led by point guard Mika Yanai, who scored 18 points during that span. Yanai finished with a game-high 22 points, while Kristen Yoshioka also helped provide the bulk of the scoring, dropping in 18 points overall, including 9 points in the third quarter on a trio of 3-pointers.

“It was a good overall team effort,” said Leland head coach Wade Nakamura, whose team improved to 9-6 overall with the win over the Eagles. “We feel like we need to treat every game like it’s a league championship game, so that’s what I told them before the game and that’s how we came out. We were fortunate to shoot the ball extremely well tonight from the outside.”

The Chargers, holding a 29-8 at the end of the first quarter, didn’t let up at any point in the game, outscoring the Eagles 12-3 in the second quarter before putting together a 20-7 scoring edge for the entire third quarter.

The Chargers started the third quarter on a 15-2 run, chewing up over five minutes of play in the quarter while getting three 3-pointers from Kristen Yoshioka in a span of two minutes during the run. Yoshioka’s twin sister, Meggie, also got in on the act, dropping in a jumper at 2:53 to end the lopsided run before finishing the quarter with a 3-pointer from the right corner with 22 seconds left bumping Leland’s lead to 61-18.

“Sometimes you have a tendency to play down to the level of your competition, and you know, the game got sloppy at times but I think overall we did a good job of finishing the game and hustling,” Nakamura said of beating Oak Grove, which dropped to 1-10 on the season. “…I think it’s ingrained in them. They’re going to play hard, regardless of if they’re down by 30 or up by 30.”

Nakamura said he was pleased with his team’s effort both on the perimeter and in the low post offensively. He said he was especially pleased with the performance of forward Pam Wolfe, who finished the game with 5 points.
“The rebounding I think was better,” Nakamura said of the team’s low post game. “Pam (Wolfe) has been having a hard time rebounding the ball, and she rebounded extremely well today and was active.”

Having a big lead early in the game also allowed Nakamura to play his entire bench at times in the game. With league play now underway, Nakamura said it’s important to get his bench as much experience as possible when the occasion calls for it.

Leland guard Mika Yanai (11) provided much of the offense in a 29-8 first quarter for the Chargers, who went on and took a 68-23 win at Oak Grove on Jan. 6. Yanai dropped in 18 points in the first quarter and finished the game leading all scorers with 22. Photos by Diego Abeloos

“That’s important for us, to get the girls an opportunity that maybe ordinarily they wouldn’t have or haven’t had up to this point,” Nakamura said of getting his bench ample playing time in the win. “We haven’t had many games like this, where we had the chance to get a big lead and play our bench freely.”

Mostly, Nakamura said he was pleased to get his team off to a 1-0 start in Mt. Hamilton Division play. While he stopped short of calling the win a confidence-booster for his squad, Nakamura said he’s intent on defending the league co-championship his team earned last season, a title the Chargers shared with Leigh.

“It’s important for us to try and send a message to the other teams in the league that are obviously keeping track of us,” Nakamura said. “We’re returning league co-champs with Leigh, so I think everyone is trying to see what we’re going to do. …It’s important for us to come out and win every game. That’s our goal, to win league.”

Sports Briefs

San Jose Strikkers softball tryouts
The San Jose Strikkers, a 18U girls’ fast-pitch softball team, will hold summer tryouts on 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.

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 on 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 be holding registrations for its upcoming season, which runs from February to May. Registrations will be held at Graystone Elementary School on Saturday, Jan. 7 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., on Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. and on 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. We emphasize teamwork and the sense of individual success that contribute 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.

Almaden Venom BU10 Soccer Tryouts
The AVYSL Venom, a U10 Boys Class 3 soccer team, will hold tryouts for boys born on or between 8/1/96 and 7/31/97 at Almaden Elementary School on Jan. 22 from 1-3:30 p.m. and Jan. 29 from 1-3:30 p.m.

Please check in at least 15 minutes early and be prepared to show a copy of the player’s birth certificate. For more information, contact coach Dave Ballard at dballard@ipass.com or (408) 268-1305.

San Jose Storm holding tryouts at Herman Middle School Jan. 14-15
The San Jose Storm soccer team will hold tryouts on Saturday Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Sunday Jan. 15, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Herman Middle School. For more information, contact Nicole Gallizioli at (408) 410-7622 or mtnlife@yahoo.com.

Almaden Valley Girls U12 soccer tryouts
The AVYSL Valley Girls, a U12 Class 1-soccer team, will hold tryouts on Jan. 24 and 26 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Bret Harte Middle School, as well as Jan. 28 at Castillero Middle School from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more info call Monica Geraghty at( 408) 927-6252.

Almaden Stealth Boys U10 soccer tryouts
The AVYSL Stealth, a U10 boys’ Class 3 soccer team, will hold a tryout for boys born between Aug. 1, 1996 thru July 31, 1997 at Almaden Elementary School on Jan. 21 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more info, call Tom Geraghty at (408) 927-6252.

Almaden Valley Strikers U11 soccer tryouts
Almaden Valley Strikers, a boys’ under-11 Class 3 soccer team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, is holding tryouts for players born between Aug. 1, 1995 and July 31 1996. Tryouts will be held Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Almaden Elementary School. Call Lela Huenergardt at (408) 997-8903 for more details.

Los Gatos Christian Church Youth Baseball League registration through Feb. 6
The Los Gatos Christian Church-sponsored Youth Baseball League is currently accepting registration for the upcoming season through February 6. The season runs from April 1 through June 10 and is open to both boys and girls. Girls must be born between the dates of 8/1/97 to 7/31/01, while boys must be born between 8/1/95 to 7/31/97. For registration information, call the sports office at (408) 997-4642.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Silver Creek, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Silver Creek, 5 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Westmont, 7 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ basketball at Westmont, 5:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ soccer vs. Pioneer, 3:15 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer vs. Pioneer, 3:15 p.m.

Saturday – Wrestling at San Ramon Varsity Tournament, all day

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

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

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

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

Tuesday – Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Overfelt, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ soccer vs. Overfelt, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Piedmont Hills, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Piedmont Hills, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Piedmont Hills, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – JV girls’ basketball at Piedmont Hills, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Overfelt, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer at Overfelt, 3:15 p.m.

Thursday – Wrestling at San Jose High, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity girls’ soccer at Piedmont Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ soccer at Piedmont Hills, 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

Mustangs’ winning streak snapped by Oak Grove

Pioneer drops 54-36 league-opener; end 11-game win streak

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

All good things must eventually end, and that was the case on Jan. 4 when the Mustangs, riding an 11-game winning streak, dropped a 54-36 loss at Oak Grove in the Mt. Hamilton Division opener for both schools.

Pioneer’s Kyle Fager surveys the floor while being defended by Oak Grove’s Albert Lutz-Paap during a 54-36 league-opening loss on Jan. 4. The loss snapped Pioneer’s 11-game winning streak and left the Mustangs with a 14-2 overall record. Photo by Diego Abeloos

For Pioneer, which saw its record drop to 14-2 overall, losing the league opener ended an 11-game stretch that saw the Mustangs boost their reputation as a tough and favored Mt. Hamilton Division opponent, despite the presence of a strong Oak Grove team (9-2) that was considered one of the favorites to win league before the season started, in part because of their athleticism and size.

“Going into it, before the season began, Oak Grove was the favorite and everybody else was going to have to compete and play their best games to beat them,” said Pioneer head coach Joe Berticevich. “Well, that changed a little bit once we had a great preseason.

“People think that Pioneer might be the favorite but you know what, you still have to go play the games. I think obviously that Oak Grove is a very good team, and they presented problems for us with their athletic ability. We didn’t do a very good job with that.”

The Mustangs struggled throughout the contest, pulling within four at the half at 23-19 before the Eagles took over the game in the second half.

The Eagles started out the third quarter on a decisive 14-2 run that started with a layup from Kelly Kaigler at 6:20 and finished on a layup from Javin Charlot at 4:07 to take a 37-21 lead. Pioneer managed to cut Oak Grove’s lead by only two points to end the third, putting together an 8-6 stretch in just over three minutes to cut the lead to 43-29.

Things didn’t get any better in the fourth quarter for the Mustangs, as the Eagles started things out on an 8-3 scoring advantage to bump the lead to 51-32. Pioneer’s only basket during that stretch came from Nolan Maggipinto, who squared up and sunk a 3-pointer at 6:20 from the right corner. Maggipinto led all scorers with 14 points, including nine points in the first half.

Pioneer’s Ryan LaCorte gets ready to go up for a rebound during the Mustangs’ league-opening loss to Oak Grove. The Mustangs had trouble dealing with the Eagles’ size in the low post, including six-foot, seven-inch forward Tyree McCrary. Photo by Diego Abeloos

Berticevich said his team lost some intensity on the floor in the second half, given the Eagles’ swarming defense and size, featuring six-foot, seven-inch forward Tyree McCrary as the team’s tallest player in the low post.

Berticevich said McCrary’s presence on defense changed the game, lamenting Pioneer’s troubles getting off shots in the low post.

“They just wanted it more tonight,” Berticevich said of Oak Grove. “Hopefully, that’s just going to be one game for us. It’s a 12-game season and this one wasn’t going to be a cupcake, going into their place. They took care of business.”

From that point on, Pioneer went more than four minutes between scoring, finally getting a layup from Gilbert Mendoza at 2:16 to end the drought and cut the lead to 51-34. The Eagles finished the game strong however, reaching the free throw line twice in the final 1:28 of the game, hitting 3 of 4 free throws, while Pioneer mustered only a layup from reserve forward Pierre Woods at 1:15. Berticevich pulled most of his starters for the final moments of the game.

Berticevich said he doesn’t anticipate any lingering effects with his team from the loss, adding that the mark of a good team is determined by how adversity is handled.

“If there are (any lingering effects), we’re going to be 0-2,” Berticevich said. “I told the guys that they’ve got to bounce back. It’s easy to win; everybody’s best buddies. But when you lose, that’s when you can see how the character of your team is. Are they going to come together or will they go their separate ways and start pointing fingers?

Hopefully, they will follow the former where they stick together and get through this.”

Chargers drop league opener 47-38 to Evergreen

Inconsistency on offense plagues Leland; Farsai
leads squad with 17 points

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland boys’ basketball team opened up Santa Teresa Division play on a sour note, dropping a 47-38 loss to Evergreen Valley on Jan. 3.

Leland’s David Farsai dribbles up court during a 47-38 loss to Evergreen on Jan. 3. Farsai led the Chargers with 17 points. Photo by Diego Abeloos

The loss dropped Leland to 2-9 overall on the season and extended the team’s losing streak to five games.

“We have to find some offensive consistency, and until we do, we’re going to struggle like this,” said Leland head coach Dave Frandsen. “We have to have other people step up and make correct decisions and make shots when they’re there. …You can only practice so much with what they’re doing, and I guess we’re going to have to practice some more.”

Inconsistency on the offensive end didn’t bother Leland’s David Farsai, who led the team with 17 points. Frandsen said with other players on the squad struggling on offense, opponents have focused more on Farsai throughout games.

“That’s one of the problems, that nobody else seems to be stepping up to help relieve the pressure off of him,” Frandsen said of Farsai. “So they (defenses) can just jump on him and he has to make good decisions, once he gets the ball.”

For Evergreen, the win was a positive start to the league portion of the schedule. The Cougars, 7-5 overall on the season, notched their second straight victory with the win at Leland.

“First of all, despite Leland’s record, they were supposed to win this league,” said Cougars head coach Dennis Fernandez. “So we expected a pretty tough game and we’re going to find out who else is tough in this, but we needed to get by this one. This was crucial for us.”

Leland held a slight 14-11 lead at the half before the Cougars took the game over in the third quarter. With Leland up 16-13 with just over five minutes left to play in the third, the Cougars embarked on an 8-3 run, getting a pair of layups from Gurchet Sanghera during that span to take a 21-19 lead with 4:39 left.

With only seconds left on the clock in the third, after Leland regained the lead at 26-25, Evergreen point guard Tinh Nguyen put his team ahead once more, nailing a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with four seconds left to take a 28-26 lead. Nguyen and Sanghera led the Cougars with 13 points each.

Nguyen opened up the fourth quarter in similar fashion, nailing a 3-pointer at 7:08, extending the Cougars’ lead to 31-26. That started a modest 6-2 scoring stretch for the Cougars, who also received a layup from Rishi Shah and a free throw from center Derek Pauli during that span.

“Offensively, he hit some excellent shots at key moments,” Fernandez said of Nguyen. “But I’m more impressed with what he did toward the end of the game, because he was guarding Farsai. …Tinh just did a great job denying him the ball and working his butt off on defense.”

Later in the fourth, after Leland cut the lead to 34-32 on a jumper from Philip Petro at 5:20 and a pair of free throws from Farsai at 4:09, the Cougars jumped ahead with another scoring stretch, a 10-3 stretch that saw Nguyen hit his third 3-pointer of the second half as part of the scoring.

Meanwhile, Leland was held for more than two minutes between scoring any points, getting a free throw from Farsai at 1:55 to break that spell before Nav Deep Rai sank a pair of shots from the line less than a minute later. Still, those efforts were not enough to stop the Cougars, who held a 44-35 lead at the end of their 10-3 scoring stretch with only 23 seconds remaining on the game clock.

Leland was plagued by turnovers, posting 24 throughout the game, including 14 in the first half.

“We didn’t finish a lot of our shots and we didn’t pressure them the way we should’ve,” said Petro of Leland’s woes in the second half. “We started to get out of control when we needed to stay under control.”

Rai hit a 3-pointer with just 16 seconds left to cut the lead to six, but the Cougars finished the game with a free throw and a buzzer-beating layup from Sanghera in the final seconds of play.

Unsettled score

Leland, Pioneer scrap to 0-0 tie in league match-up

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland left friendship gagged on the sideline Thursday, while the girls bullied neighborhood favorite Pioneer into a scoreless draw, staking their claim as an additional Mount Hamilton Division soccer contender.

Leland junior A.J. Huffman prepares for a header in Mount Hamilton division action Thursdday. The Chargers tied first-place Pioneer, stating their case as division contenders.

The Charger effort harried an already tight race in the A-league. Leland (7-3-3, 2-1-2), which previously fell to Santa Teresa (4-3-3, 2-1-1), is now deadlocked in second place with the Saints. Meanwhile, Pioneer (3-0-1), who hammered Santa Teresa 3-0 in a December match, shares the division’s top spot with Leigh (7-0-1, 3-0-1). Leigh tied Santa Teresa on the same day Leland met Pioneer.

Now Leigh and Pioneer remain just half a game in front of the Saints and Chargers.

“Leland versus Pioneer is always a big game, and, yeah, it was rough,” said Chargers’ midfielder A.J. Huffman. “A couple of the girls are really competitive on Pioneer. A lot of us have played with or against each other growing up on club teams, so once someone starts hitting, you kind of have to defend yourself.”

It’s debatable who hit first. Leland came out aggressive, firing several shots on goal early in the first half, but Pioneer’s all-league goal keeper Kiki DeMarquez was tested, not frustrated. She remained composed, shouting directives to the Mustangs’ young defensive corps, while defending the net.

Leland defenders Katelyn Tyson, Katie Campbell and Stephanie Kato hounded Mustang offensive specialists and —returning all-league performers—Stephanie Righetti and Lauren West. The Tyson, Campbell, Kato team forced rushed shots with physical and attentive marks on Righetti and West. The play allowed Charger keeper Denelle Spencer to easily scoop up errant balls.

“My main objective is just to keep the ball in front of me,” said Spencer. “One of our main goals this season was actually to beat Pioneer, because in the past, with league on the line, we’ve ended up with a tie or a loss.”

Pioneer pressed in the second half, seemingly coming alive as Righetti and West concocted a sense of urgency.

“Some of the younger girls haven’t played in a game like that,” said West. “Players like me and Syra (McCarthy), who have been on varsity for a long time, know what to expect in a big game like that. Sometimes younger players think just because we were champions last year that the legacy will win it for us this year, and it’s not the case.”

With two minutes remaining and both sides’ energy nearly exhausted, the Chargers launched one final offensive assault. Speedy sophomore Sara Chehrehsa received the ball approximately 25 yards from DeMarquez, who stalked Pioneer’s goal. She snapped a quick, left-footed kick to the left low post, but DeMarquez, diving to the ground, gripped the ball with fully extended fingertips, leaving the crowd on their feet.

Despite no outright victor, the Chargers’ wishes, in particular, were fulfilled—they are still in the title picture.

“We can still win league,” said Huffman. “It’s going to be really hard because we have to win the rest of our games, but we can do it.”

Pioneer, on the other hand, was disappointed with their collective effort, though no material damage was done to their chances at league. Rather, the other teams have an extended glimmer of hope, according to the Mustangs.

“We are stoked to play Leland next time,” said West. “There’s no way that’s going to happen again. We are going to come out and explode next time.”

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