SPORTS

Chargers remain undefeated in league after 40-34 win over Eagles

Leland withstands rough second half to prevail with 8-0 record in league

By Carl Ponzio
Times Intern

Leland center Jackie George imposed her dominant low-post game on the Oak Grove Eagles on Feb. 4, scoring a team-high 14 points while snagging 5 rebounds in a 40-34 win. Photo provided by Ron Stenn of www.ActionPhotoDesign.com.

The Leland girls held their breath throughout the second half of play on Feb. 4 as they watched a 14-point halftime lead dissipate at the hands of the Oak Grove Eagles before securing a 40-34 win.

With senior reserve guard Christine Chang out with a concussion, the Chargers (13-7, 8-0) knew they had to rely on their starting five more to step it up a notch in their game against Oak Grove.

However, as the game picked up after halftime, the Chargers began to struggle. While maintaining the lead for the entire game, the Chargers watched intensely as the Eagles came within 6 points of putting a blemish on their perfect record in Mt. Hamilton league play.

“I think that Oak Grove really wanted to come out and shake us up a little bit,” said junior Mika Yanai.

The scoreboard read 28-14 in favor of the Chargers as both teams walked back on to the court for the second half. The Eagles started the half with 6-point run composed of three perfectly executed layups, making it a 28-20 game. After Leland Head Coach Wade Nakamura called a timeout, Amanda Do nailed a jumper at 4:05, answering the Eagles 6-point run. However, that was the only shot the Chargers scored from the field for the entire quarter.

As the third quarter continued, the Eagles launched into a 6-2 run started by back-to-back jumpers at the hands of Deandra Perkins. Yanai was able to sink two free-throws to extend the small lead at 32-26 before Shavonnya Williams scored the final bucket of the third for the Eagles, capping off the third quarter and slicing the Charger’s lead to 32-28.

“In the third quarter they [Oak Grove] stepped up their intensity a little bit, defensively, and caused us to be a little bit more uncomfortable,” said Nakamura. “When it rained, it started to pour.”

Oak Grove started the fourth quarter with momentum on their side of the court and things started to look grim for the Chargers, as Williams hit a jumper at 2:06 bringing the score to 34-32. Fortunately for Leland, the Eagles sent Do and center Jackie George to the line, extending the Chargers’ lead to 38-32. Williams was able to hit one last jumper with 13 seconds left to cut the lead back down to 38-34 before the Eagles sent Yanai to the line less than two seconds later. Putting the nail in the Eagles’ coffin, Yanai sank both of her shots and finalized the score at 40-34.

“We all had to pick it up and I think we did a good job of coming together as a team,” said Yanai. “Even though it was a close game, we pulled it out together.”

The Chargers started the contest with a 9-4 lead in the middle of the first quarter and ended it with an 11-9 lead.

Do and Yanai combined for 9 of the Chargers 11 points in the first, only starting the night for Do, who ended the game with 13 points and six assists. As the second quarter began, the Chargers held an 11-9 lead over the Eagles, but George quickly made her presence felt, combining with Do to score all 17 points in the quarter for the Chargers. George finished her night with 14 points and five rebounds.

The Chargers were successful earlier in the week as well, getting a 42-35 win at Piedmont Hills on Feb. 2. George led the Chargers with 17 points while Kristen Yoshioka scored 15.

High School Sports Schedule Feb. 11 - Feb. 17

Leland High School
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Prospect, 5:45 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Prospect, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ basketball at Leigh, 5:15 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Leigh, 7 p.m.

Saturday – Varsity wrestling finals at Lincoln, all day long

Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Independence, 5:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Independence, 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ soccer first round CCS

Wednesday – JV girls’ basketball vs. Pioneer, 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball vs. Pioneer, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ soccer first round CCS

Pioneer High School
Friday – JV girls’ basketball vs. Westmont, 5:15 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ basketball vs. Westmont, 7 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Westmont, 5:45 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday – Varsity wrestling finals at Lincoln, all day long

Tuesday – Varsity boys’ soccer first round CCS
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ soccer first round CCS

Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, 7 p.m.
Wednesday – JV girls’ basketball at Leland, 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Leland, 7 p.m.

Chargers assume roles: spoiler, avenger

Win inches Leland toward CCS basketball pool

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland (8-12, 6-4) stunned first-place Overfelt (17-2, 9-1) 67-45 Thursday at home, sending the STAL boys’ basketball race into upheaval and solidifying the Chargers as CCS playoff contenders.

With the loss, Overfelt, undefeated prior to the meeting with Leland, gives ground to second-place Evergreen Valley (15-6, 8-2) with a game remaining between the two. Also, Leland pushed Willow Glen (9-12, 5-5) from a third place tie to lonely fourth.

The STAL’s top three finishers’ will likely gain CCS playoff bids.

Seniors Danny Hamouie and Logan Foos led the charge versus Overfelt, Hamouie scoring 21 to Foos’ balanced 11 point, 10 rebound and 5 assist effort. Junior David Farsai chipped in with 10 points, including one 3-pointer.

The victory followed a disappointing 57-49 loss to Willow Glen on Feb. 1.

Concerning the difference, Leland Coach Dave Frandsen replied, “After the problems we had against Willow Glen, I wish I could can whatever speech I used and give it each week.”

Leland playoff hopes dimmed in light of the Rams’ dominant second half.

With the score tied 25-apiece, Willow Glen mounted a 9-2 run behind the playmaking of senior Will Robinson to open the third; however, Leland closed the difference when Hamouie, who had been relegated to bench work following his third foul, returned, icing five free throws in a short two minute span.

Willow Glen then raced to 18 fourth quarter points, closing the door on Leland who was left to heave up comeback attempts.

The 57-49 loss stunned the Chargers, who fell to a short-lived third place tie with the Rams.

“We should have done things differently,” said Frandsen following the game. “[Philip] Petro should have been guarding Robinson all game long.”

Willow Glen senior Robinson lit up the scoreboard for 18 points in the contest.

Versus Overfelt, the Chargers came out hungry, capitalizing on shooting and defensive strengths, beating the Royals to their own marks.

“We wanted to control the three best things they do,” said Frandsen outlining Overfelt’s offense, which has stifled defenses around the league to date. “We knew we couldn’t stop the whole play, but we could disrupt it.”

The Overfelt offense was frustrated, putting up only 45 points, their second lowest total of the season and 12 points below their season average 57.

“We knew the plays as well as they did,” continued Frandsen. “When their guys got to their marks, we were already there waiting.”

With two games remaining, in addition to a game finished late Tuesday, Feb. 8 versus Evergreen, the Chargers need at least one victory to assure an opportunity in CCS.

“We have a very good group of kids,” said Frandsen. “It’s really nice to have them around. They’ve been working very hard to be successful. It’s nice to see that paying off.”

Highlights this season include the development of Foos and Farsai, in particular.

Foos, a first year player who was mostly concerned with football and baseball as an underclassman, brings a unique blend of speed, strength and size to the basketball court.

“It’s his first year really playing,” said Frandsen. “But he’s getting a whole lot better. He had a very good game versus Overfelt and was largely instrumental in helping us win.”

Hamouie’s 21 point outing can attest to that. On several plays, Foos hit his fellow senior cutting to the basket, while the defenders collapsed on him near the top of the key.

As for 2003-2004 First Team All-League performer Farsai, his junior year has brought change.

“His point totals are down,” said Frandsen. “But that’s because we’re trying to get him to develop an intermediate game, so he can go on to the next level. He’s playing better defense, committing less turnovers and rebounding better. As a result, things are opening up for all of our players. If he keeps improving, I think he has the chance to go on and play somewhere.”

Farsai will next play at Leland on Tuesday, Feb. 15 versus Independence High School before traveling to Gunderson for the season finale on Friday, Feb. 18. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

Sports Briefs

Almaden Swim and Raquet Club takes second at Zone Championships
The Almaden Swim and Racquet Club placed second among twenty-one teams taking part in the 24th annual Zone One South Championships held at the George Haines International Swim Center on Saturday and Sunday, January 15 and 16. With almost 1,500 swimmers taking part, representing twenty-one different teams, it was one of the largest age-group swim meets in Northern California this year. Santa Clara Swim Club placed first, Almaden SRC second, Valley Splash third and Silicon Valley Aquatic Association was fourth. It was Almaden’s highest finish ever.

USYVL youth volleyball sign-ups for Spring 2005
The United States Youth Volleyball League is accepting registrations for the spring 2005 season, slated to begin in early April, for programs in Los Gatos, San Jose and Morgan Hill. Boys and girls ages 8 to 14 are welcome to sign up and learn the basic techniques of volleyball. The program meets two days a week with one day for practices and one day for games.

For more information on registering, visit www.usyvl.org or call 1-888-988-7985.

Almaden Valley Girls Softball League Hit-a-Thon April 10
The Almaden Valley Girls Softball League will hold its second annual Hit-a-Thon on April 10 at Bret Harte Middle School. Individual and team prizes for fund raising will be awarded by the AVGSL. The AVGSL also seeks sponsors that would like to make a cash donation in exchange having their name and company logo on Hit-a-Thon t-shirts.

The AVGSL respectfully requests that all prizes and sponsorship offers are made by March 11. Prizes can be picked up by the AVGSL, but those fitting in a standard business size envelope can be sent to P.O. box 20642, San Jose, CA 95160.

For more information visit www.avgsl.org or call 408-808-1405.

Almaden Storm, Boys Under 12 Select Team Tryouts
Almaden Storm, a boys’ U12 Class-1 select team in Almaden Valley will be playing in the Round of 16 for the State Cup this Saturday by winning their group undefeated.  67 teams in this age bracket entered the State Cup this year and for the Almaden Storm to make it to the next round of sweet 16 is a great accomplishment.

Almaden Storm will be holding tryouts on Sunday Feb. 13, from 11:00 to 12:30 p.m. at Leland High School.  Birth dates between 8/1/93 - 7/31/95.  For questions, please contact Mo Bani-Taba at (408)221-5377 or email mo@castleviewrealty.com.

Pair of Chargers sign to play college football

Bynum heads for Cal Poly, King Jr. going to Nevada-Reno

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Like many senior high school athletes around the country who signed letters of intent to play football for college programs on Feb. 2, two Leland football players were signing the dotted line to their futures as well.

Leland’s Alex Bynum and Arthur King Jr. signed letters of intent to play college football next year, with Bynum headed for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and King going east across state borders to the University of Nevada-Reno.

“They were the heart and soul of our team, both on offense and defense, and they’re going to be hard to replace,” said Leland defensive coordinator Jason Tenner.

For Bynum, the opportunity to pursue two passions, football and engineering, drew the 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker to the Mustangs of Cal Poly, an NCAA Division I-AA school in the Great West Football Conference.

“Both my parents are engineers, so I’ve been around computers all my life,” said Bynum, a 3.8 grade-point-average student who will major in general engineering with a concentration in the biomedical field. “It’s pretty much, for me, an easy thing to do and pursue.”

Bynum excelled during his senior season as a Leland Charger, recording 136 tackles, including 90 solo tackles, and 3 sacks as a linebacker. Bynum also did his part on offense, gaining 213 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries for the season at fullback for the Chargers, who went 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Mt. Hamilton Division.

Bynum’s 136 tackles led the division.

Bynum’s season had several highlights, including a 103-yard rushing performance in a 35-13 loss to Lincoln on Sept. 18, and a 15-tackle game on defense in a 21-6 loss to Branham on Oct. 1. For the season, Bynum averaged 13.6 tackles per game while averaging 7.1 yard-per-carry at fullback.

“I guess I was pretty proud of my season because I grew a lot and I learned a lot of things from all the players and coaches,” Bynum said. “I just had a lot of fun this year, even though we didn’t do that great.”

As for King Jr., football is in the blood. Arthur King Sr. once starred as a wide receiver for the San Jose State Spartans, which gave Art Jr. a mentor and coach at home to lean on.

“I used to never go out,” King said. “I used to always be in the weight room all the time, running hills, stuff like that. There would be workouts all the time. He knew everything about the game, so that really helped me.”

King’s decision came down to Nevada-Reno or Portland University, but the 6-foot-2, 190-pound receiver chose to head east to stay closer to home. As a senior receiver for the Chargers, King caught 18 passes for 594 yards and one touchdown while also recording 9 carries for 57 yards rushing. King also spent time as a defensive back for the Chargers, getting 18 tackles; two blocked field goals on special teams and one interception on the season.

King’s best game as a receiver this season arguably came in a 13-12 win over the Mt. Pleasant Cardinals, when he caught 8 passes for 165 yards.

“I think Art is someone who is just beginning to scratch the surface of his athletic ability,” Tenner said. “He’s incredibly gifted; anyone who saw our game can tell you that. I think he’s only going to get better as he realizes just how good of an athlete he is.”

High School Scoreboard

Feb. 1
Leland boys’ soccer 1-1 tie at Leigh
Pioneer boys’ soccer 3-2 loss to Overfelt

Feb. 2
Leland girls’ soccer 0-0 tie vs. Branham
Pioneer girls’ basketball 59-46 win vs. Del Mar

Feb. 3
Leland boys’ soccer 2-2 tie at Santa Teresa
Pioneer boys’ soccer 9-1 win over Mt. Pleasant

Feb. 4
Pioneer girls’ basketball 75-50 loss at Leigh

Two goals from West help Mustangs sink Pirates 3-0

Flores adds third goal on header, Pioneer picks up seventh win in league

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

With only three games remaining in the regular season and a possible playoff berth looming, the Pioneer girls’ soccer team isn’t letting up on the season.

The Mustangs proved that theory in a 3-0 win over the Piedmont Hills Pirates on Feb. 2, improving their overall record to 12-3-3 and a 7-0-3 record in Mt. Hamilton Division play, leaving the team only one point ahead of Leigh.

“We knew coming into the game, regardless of who we were playing, that we needed a win out of it,” said Pioneer senior co-captain Amy Cusick. “We played with a lot of heart and we played with a lot of strength. We came out really motivated.”

Pioneer co-captain Lauren West fell one goal short of a hat trick, providing two of Pioneer’s three first-half goals in the win at home, with reserve Giana Flores knocking in the third goal on the day.

The Mustang offense was aggressive right out of the gates, as Cusick took a shot on goal just one minute into the contest that sailed high and over the crossbar of the goal. Nine minutes later, a corner kick by Pioneer went nowhere, but it didn’t take much longer for the Mustangs to get on the scoreboard.

Two minutes after the corner kick attempt, Pioneer’s Alicia Ramirez took the ball about 10 feet from the left side of Piedmont Hills’ goal, forcing Pirates’ goalie Jade Worsley to swing her attention in that direction. Ramirez then fed a pass to West on the right, who followed with a left-footed shot for a wide-open goal into the exposed lower right corner.

“Mainly, I just thought I had to get on the top, because I knew there was going to be cross coming,” West said of the goal. “…The defense was up but I caught them off guard because I made a diagonal run. Then I turned with my left foot and saw the wide far post corner open, I stayed composed and hit it in with my left foot right in.”

With the Mustangs holding a 1-0 lead, West went to work again for her second goal of the day. Fourteen minutes into the first half, with the Pioneer offense pressuring the Pirate defense near the goal, sophomore Stephanie Righetti kicked out a pass to West, who then shot from about 30 feet out, knocking the ball into the lower left corner of the goal and out of the reach of the outstretched Worsley.

The Mustang offense kept up their work on offense, keeping the ball on Piedmont Hills’ side of the field for much of the half. At 17 minutes in, a corner kick by West found the feet of Michelle Schenone, who took a shot on goal, but was covered up by Worsley. Two minutes later, freshman Bianca Springer took another shot on goal that didn’t reach net. At 21 minutes into the half, Righetti took a shot on goal that was deflected by Worsley to Cusick, who then shot the ball over the crossbar of the goal.

But at 27 minutes into the half, the Mustangs found the back of the goal net once more. Righetti took a shot on goal that was deflected by Worsley, back to Righetti. The sophomore then fed the ball at eye level in front of the right side of the goal to Flores, who knocked the ball in with a header for a 3-0 lead.

“Today we were actually just talking and she (Righetti) said, ‘yeah, I’m going to set you up for a ball,’” Flores said of a pregame conversation with Righetti. “… She just turned it in, on the left side with her left foot, and I just saw the open net and headed it in.”

Although the final score read 3-0, the Mustangs kept the ball away from their goal and onto Piedmont Hills’ side of the field for the majority of the second half. The Mustangs had chances to strengthen their lead on corner kicks at four minutes and 27 minutes into the second half, albeit with no results.

On the down side for the Mustangs, sophomore Julia Setnicker left the field with 20 minutes remaining in the game after stepping on an opposing player’s foot and twisting her ankle. Setnicker played a pivotal role in the win for Pioneer, clearing balls out of the Mustangs’ side of the field on several occasions when the Pirates attempted to put together an offensive push.

The Mustangs kept up their winning pace on Feb. 4, getting a 4-0 win over Branham to stay atop the division standings.

Kaufmann’s 29 helps Pioneer over Leigh, 61-49

Mustangs end night in third place in Mt. Hamilton Division

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Pioneer forward Mike Kaufmann scored a career-high 29 points, including 18 points in the second half, as the Mustangs defeated the Leigh Longhorns 61-49 at home on Feb. 4.

For the Mustangs, the win placed them in third place in Mt. Hamilton Division standings at 5-4, but it also gave the team, especially Kaufmann, a sense of payback. Earlier this season, it was the Longhorns who took it to the Mustangs, winning a convincing 63-43 game on Jan. 12 in which Leigh center Shane Hennessy torched the Mustangs for 28 points and 12 rebounds.

“All that was going through my mind before this game was the last game, when Hennessy scored 28,” said Kaufmann, who went 11-of-13 from the free-throw line in the game. “… Even all day at school, I couldn’t stop thinking about that. So, for me it was just all revenge. I just had to get them back.”

With a slim 34-32 in the third quarter, the Mustang offense went to work, going on an 8-2 run to end the quarter with an 8-point lead. During the run, the Mustangs received 4 points from Kaufmann; all from the free-throw line, while also receiving 4 points from center Robbie Nelson on back-to-back steals from Mustang reserve Nolan Maggipinto. On the first steal, Maggipinto passed the ball to Joe Montelongo, who heaved a long pass down the court to Nelson, who then nailed a layup with 1:07 left for a 38-32 lead. On the next play, Maggipinto picked off a Leigh pass again, this time taking it to the basket for a missed layup, only to have Nelson there to tip the ball in for a 6-point lead.

“I think the turning point of the game was when we were up and we got those back-to-back steals,” Pioneer Head Coach Joe Berticevich said. “Nolan was a big part of that.”

With a 45-39 lead in the early part of the fourth quarter, the Mustang offense went to work again by going on a 10-3 run to take a double-digit lead in the final three minutes of the game. During the scoring stretch, Kaufmann scored 4 points, while reserve forward Dan Radunich scored 4 more points off the bench to build up a 55-42 lead.

Kaufmann was particularly effective in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of his game-high 29 points in the period, including a 6-of-7 performance from the free-throw line. After a small 7-2 run by the Longhorns cut the lead back down to 57-49, the Mustangs ended the game by going to the free-throw line twice, sinking 2-of-4 shots, before an Andrew Lerma layup ended the game at 61-49.

“I think we just had the mindset that we weren’t going to lose,” said Pioneer point guard Mark Bundlie. “They (Leigh) took it to us the first time and we said in the locker room that there’s no way they’re going to beat us again.”

The Mustang offense came out blazing in the first quarter, outscoring the Longhorns 23-10 in the eight-minute span, led by Kaufmann and Bundlie, with each player chipping in 7 points. The Mustangs began the game with a 9-2 run and later went on another scoring stretch, going on an 8-2 advantage for an early 17-6 lead.

The second quarter saw the Mustang offense struggle, scoring only 4 points for the entire period, while the Longhorns climbed back into the game on 7-0 and 6-2 scoring runs.

“I think in the second quarter, we were kind of resting on our laurels a little bit,” Kaufmann said. “…Knowing that team and the competition they always give us, it didn’t work out too well. So, we just had to keep pushing. We had a good halftime speech from coach and got fired up and got it done.”

The win was the Mustangs’ second one of the week, following a 63-49 victory over Branham on Feb. 2. Kaufmann had 20 points and 12 assists in the win, while Bundlie scored 17 points to help the Mustang offense.

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