SPORTS

Lady Chargers face defeat in second round of CCS

Leland shuts out Gilroy, but falls victim to Carlmont

By Carl Ponzio
Times Intern

BATTLING. Leland’s Allison Huffman controls the ball during a 1-0 double-overtime loss to Carlmont in the quarterfinals of CCS playoffs. Photo courtesy www.mikejanes.com

The co-defending CCS champion Leland Chargers’ season came to an end on Feb. 19, losing a 1-0 game to the Carlmont Scots in a double-overtime game. The loss comes three days after a 3-0 dismantling of the Gilroy Mustangs.

The Chargers were successful in beating the No.8-seed Gilroy Mustangs, however, as the game concluded on Feb. 16, the Chargers knew that their next opponents wouldn’t be an easy assignment. Set to play against the No. 1-seeded Carlmont Scots, the Chargers prepared to defend their CCS championship in the quarter-round finals.

Held on the Pioneer High School football field at noon, Leland went to battle with Carlmont in a highly competitive match.
Missing a place kick early in the first half, the Chargers failed to score what would have ultimately been the game-winning goal.

Consequently, the intensity of the game came much earlier for Leland than it did for Carlmont.

Losing starting goalkeeper Denelle Spencer to a concussion after a violent collision, the Chargers were put into a tight spot before the game saw halftime. The Chargers had been plagued by injuries in the regular season and in their game against Gilroy and when their game with Carlmont picked up in the second half, things did not get any better for Leland.

Senior Ali Sturgeon, one of the three Leland captains, crashed into a Carlmont player as the two leaped into the air for a head shot on the ball. On the way down Sturgeon’s face caught the top of her opponent’s head. Sturgeon left the game with a fractured check bone.

“We had a lot of substitutions,” said Leland Head Coach John Vasquez. “We hung in tough and our younger players did come through.”

The Chargers were able to hold Carlmont off until the game’s second round of overtime, but ultimately their efforts were simply delaying the inevitable. With 3:23 seconds left in the double overtime, Carlmont freshman forward, Kelly Cunningham scored the winning goal on a simple ground kick that was placed out of the reach of Leland’s backup goalkeeper, Jessica Kolte.

Suffering a disappointing loss, the Chargers walked off the field leaving their CCS title up for grabs.

The forecast on Feb. 16 called for showers, yet only clouds rolled by Pat Tillman Stadium as the Chargers took to the Mustangs in the first round of the CCS playoffs. Coming out strong and never falling behind on defense, the Chargers were able to move past the Mustangs without an ounce of anxiety on their sidelines. The Chargers 6-7-7 overall record may have been inferior to the Mustang’s 15-4-3 record, but the playoffs always find a way to even things out.

“We were obviously a little unprepared for this,” Gilroy Head Coach Jose Hernandez said his team’s loss. “They are a solid team and we were unable to match their intensity.”

Embracing the energy of the home crowd, Leland leaped into the game aggressively and never looked back. Slightly missing a scoring opportunity in the first minute and a half of play, the Chargers displayed their will to score early. Satisfying the team’s hunger for an early goal was Captain Valerie Huffman. Getting a PK off of a handball call at 9:49, Huffman shot was booted into the back of Gilroy’s net for a 1-0 lead.

As the half continued, the Chargers found themselves a little short-handed in the forward department when senior Kelly Carter took a bad tumble and injured her back.

Despite the loss of Carter, the Chargers continued to take control of Gilroy. Penetrating the defense, Claire Thompson was able to get a shot at the Gilroy goal at 29:03, but pulled the ball wide left of the net. The last shot of the half was fired in the final two minutes of play from Gilroy’s Stephanie Glenn, but her effort went without a reward.

“They came out with energy,” said Coach Vasquez of his team.

Starting the second half quicker than the first, Leland extended their lead at 4:20 in an impressive display of speed and accuracy from Evelyn Powery. The Chargers continued the half in the dominant style they displayed in the first.

Keeping the ball on Mustang’s side of the field, the Chargers searched for ways of coming up with more cushion points. Meanwhile, Gilroy found themselves with back-to-back corner kicks at 13:10 and 13:23, but failed to get themselves in the net and on the board.

Freshman Karina Cavanna missed a chance to put that extra cushion on Leland’s score when she missed the Gilroy goal at 21:43, but a more rewarding one soon followed her effort. A corner kick by Huffman 23:58 found co-captain Stephanie Kato on an overhead pass. A laser shot with her left foot gave the Chargers the final goal of their 3-0 victory.

“Overall I think we moved the ball pretty well and we connected most of our passes,” said Kato. “I think it [the game] was pretty successful.”

Now that the season is over for the Chargers, they are looking towards next season. However, it won’t be easy returning to CCS for the Chargers next year, losing five seniors, including captains Huffman and Sturgeon.

Departing from the Chargers also is Coach Vasquez. Vasquez is relocating to Sacramento and will continue coaching there. Vasquez said he believes in the young players that compose the Chargers and feels that whoever takes on the Chargers will have them returning to CCS next season.

High School Sports Schedule Feb. 25 - March 3

Leland High School
Friday – Wrestling CCS meet at Independence

Saturday – Wrestling CCS meet at Independence
Saturday – Varsity boys’ basketball CCS quarterfinals at Santa Clara High, 2:45 p.m.
Saturday – Varsity girls’ basketball CCS quarterfinals at Notre Dame (Belmont), 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday – Varsity boys’ basketball CCS semifinals at Santa Clara High, time TBA
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ basketball CCS semifinals at Notre Dame (Belmont), time TBA
Tuesday – Golf vs. Branham at Eagle Ridge, 2:06 p.m.
Tuesday – Badminton at Overfelt, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Frosh/soph baseball at Oak Grove, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity baseball vs. Oak Grove, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – Golf vs. Branham at Almaden, 3 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Saturday – Varsity boys’ basketball CCS quarterfinals at Piedmont Hills, 1 p.m.
Saturday – Varsity girls’ soccer CCS finals at Valley Christian, 10 a.m.
Saturday – Frosh/soph baseball vs. Santa Teresa, 11 a.m.
Saturday – Varsity baseball vs. Santa Teresa, 2 p.m.

Tuesday – Frosh/soph baseball at MV Christian, 3 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity baseball at MV Christian, 3 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity boys’ basketball CCS semifinals at Piedmont Hills, time TBA

Thursday – Badminton vs. San Jose, 3:30 p.m.

Ramirez goal sends Mustangs to CCS semifinals

1-0 win over Aragon with goal on deflected penalty kick in final moments of regulation

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Alysia Ramirez knows about being in the right place at the right time. In the closing seconds of a scoreless game, Ramirez knocked in a deflected penalty kick from teammate Lauren West, sending the Pioneer Mustangs to a 1-0 win over Aragon in the quarterfinal round of the Central Coast Section Division II girls’ soccer playoffs on Feb. 19.

West took the penalty kick just outside the center of the box, which rolled in and out of the arms of Aragon goalkeeper Kaitlyn Revel. The ball then rolled to Revel’s left side, where Ramirez stood in anticipation, kicking in the goal to advance Pioneer to the semifinals.

“I lined up on the outside because I knew they would be following me,” Ramirez said of the play. “I made a run that went back to the middle and then I cut in because I saw an opening. Lauren hit it right at that time and I was just there for anything. You’re always taught to follow the ball.”

West said Aragon’s wall was set up in a way where the junior co-captain needed to make the perfect kick for a scoring opportunity.

“I knew I had to keep it down and low,” West said of her kick. “I see the forwards, Alicia, on the outside, so I hit it as hard as I could on the ground and it hit right off (Revel).”

In customary fashion, the Mustangs joined hands at the conclusion of the game and gave a hearty bow to the home crowd.

After finishing the regular season as Mt. Hamilton Division champions at 9-0-3, the Mustangs got a first-round bye in the playoffs. Pioneer senior co-captain Amy Cusick said the time off gave her team plenty of time to prepare for the Feb. 19 match-up.

“We took every step to prepare for any game, regardless of who we were going to play,” Cusick said. “We went and watched Aragon play Santa Clara on (Feb. 16). We got a feel for both teams and what we needed to do.”

After both teams played a possession-style first half with little scoring opportunities, the second half saw the Mustangs attack frequently and aggressively on offense.

With 30 minutes left in the game, Pioneer’s Stephanie Righetti made a sliding shot-on-goal that was caught by Revel, beginning a string of five consecutive scoring chances for the Mustangs.

After two straight corner kicks by Ramirez went nowhere for the Mustangs, a third straight attempt with 23 minutes left saw a cross from Kendra Worthington find Ramirez’s head inside the center of the box. Ramirez headed the ball toward the goal, but right at Revel to spoil another scoring opportunity.

“It was kind of back-and-forth,” said West. “We had some good opportunities, but we didn’t get them to go our way. At halftime we started talking about finishing, taking shots from the outside from the 25 or 30 (yard-line).”

Another attempt at a header was also foiled with 19 minutes to play, when a Cusick penalty kick found freshman Bianca Springer. Springer headed the ball towards the goal, but again found the way blocked by Revel, who caught the attempt.

After Aragon made an attempt on Pioneer’s goal with 13:40 left, the Mustangs attempted three more times to score, including a chance that saw Ramirez center the ball to Sammie Vega on a cross. Vega took a shot from 20 yards out, which sailed over the crossbars and out of bounds.

Finally, the Mustangs’ fourth attempt worked. After firing shot after shot, only to be rebuffed, Pioneer got the goal it needed to continue on by Ramirez, a senior who was facing the possibility of playing her last high school soccer game.

“We were so excited,” said Ramirez. “It wasn’t just me, it was all of us. When I knew it went in, we were just excited to win.”

The Mustangs advanced to semifinals, where they will face fourth-seeded Los Gatos on Feb. 23.

Sports Briefs

Almaden Valley Girls Softball League hosts 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, Calif., 95160.

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

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 Ladybugs Class 1, U17 tryouts
Almaden Ladybugs Class 1, U17 Girls, are holding tryouts for state cup and the spring/fall season every Tuesday and Thursday.  Date of birth must be after 7/31/88. Contact Roger Haupt (408) 779-7697 or Linda Urzi (408) 723-0928.  

Mustangs stick close before dropping 57-45 loss at Piedmont Hills

Pioneer hangs in for most of game before Pirates take win

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

The Pioneer boys’ basketball team had Piedmont Hills on the ropes for three quarters before the Pirates pulled out a 57-45 win on Feb. 18.

For both teams, the game ended the regular season, but nobody is packing up their gym shorts just yet. The Mustangs (13-13, 7-5 Mt. Hamilton) qualified for the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs, ranking sixth in the seeding, while the Pirates (23-3, 12-0 Mt. Hamilton) seeded fourth in CCS Division I playoffs.

“Earlier in the season, we were below .500 and our goal is to compete in league and of course, to make the playoffs,” said Pioneer guard Joe Montelongo. “We’re happy about that (making the playoffs). The playoffs are a whole different situation. You have to come out with intensity because it’s win or go home.”

The Mustangs came into the game with 74-51 win over Santa Teresa under their collective belts just two days earlier and looked to upset the undefeated Pirates at their home gym.

From the very start of the contest, it seemed as if the Mustangs were headed in that direction, outscoring the Pirated 14-13 in the first quarter of play. The Mustangs built up an early 10-4 lead through the first four minutes of play before the Pirates took a temporary 11-10 lead on a 6-0 scoring run. But Pioneer bounced back with consecutive baskets from Mark Bundlie and Robbie Nelson in the closing moments of the first quarter, matched only by one basket from the Pirates’ Devin McCain for a 1-point Mustang lead.

After a 3-pointer from Nolan Maggipinto opened up the second quarter for the Mustangs, Piedmont Hills went to work and recaptured the lead on a 6-0 run for a 19-17 advantage. The Mustangs trailed the Pirates for the majority of the second quarter, but Pioneer forward Mike Kaufmann evened things up with 1:44 left by sinking a layup and knocking down a free throw to complete a 3-point play, tying the game at 25-25 at halftime.

“Tonight, they (the Mustangs) understand what needs to be done to beat a team at their place on senior night,” said Pioneer Head Coach Joe Berticevich. “They showed a lot of heart, a lot of intensity and a lot of passion. I think they really looked like they cared about the game and know how the game should be played, and they played it. That’s the kind of game I like to watch and be a part of.”

The second half saw both teams battle to the wire again, as the Pirates took a 34-30 lead in the third quarter. The Mustangs cut the lead down to 34-33 with 2:22 left, as Bundlie drained a 3-pointer from the left side, before the Pirates closed out the third quarter on a modest 5-2 run. The Mustangs’ final basket of the third quarter came from the hands of forward Brent Osborn, who finished the night with 8 points.

The fourth quarter saw the Pirates build some distance in the score. After Pioneer opened up the quarter with a layup from Kaufmann, the Pirates went a 6-0 run to stretch a 2-point lead into an 8-point advantage.

The Mustangs cut the lea back down to 45-40 midway through the fourth quarter, as Kaufmann and Bundlie combined to go 3-of-5 from the free-throw line. The Pirates then began to put the game out of reach by getting 5 points from Aaron Buckner and Adrian Valderrama on a layup and free throws.

“For three-and-a-half quarters, we had them on their heels and I don’t think they were prepared for our intensity,” said Kaufmann, who, along with Bundlie, led the team with 15 points scored each.

The Mustangs managed five more points for the rest of the contest, getting a layup from Nelson and a layup and free throw from Kaufmann, who earlier in the game took a hard elbow to his left cheek that caused a sizable gash under the senior forward’s eye.

But the Pirates finished the game by scoring 7 points during that same stretch, getting 5 points from Buckner and a layup from Terrence Critchlow.

High School Scoreboard

Feb. 16
Pioneer girls’ basketball 57-38 loss at Leland

Feb.18
Pioneer girls’ basketball 57-49 loss vs. Piedmont Hills

Leland ladies charge into playoffs

MHAL co-champions to open with Palo Alto Thursday

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland silenced Westmont 53-40 Thursday, securing a share of the MHAL girls’ basketball title, their second in as many years.

Forward Jackie George lifted the Chargers (16-7, 9-1) over the Warriors (18-8, 6-6), posting a momentous 17-point, 14-rebound line, and has subsequently been named 2004-2005 MHAL most valuable player.

George edged out co-champion Leigh’s candidate Laura McLellan based on her dominance in direct competition. George averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds in two games versus McLellan, a rung higher than her season total 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. The accolade tops an already packed trophy cabinet with her having won the league’s freshman, sophomore and junior of the year awards spanning the past three seasons.

George will attend Chico State in the fall.

Yet, according to the CCS seeding committee, a marquee player and A-league title were not enough to assure Leland a top seed in the Division II playoff pool. Despite brandishing the remarkable 11-1 record in touted MHAL competition, Leland landed a ninth seed, and will be forced to play at Palo Alto High (16-9, 7-4) in the opening round Thursday, Feb. 24.

Co-champion Leigh received a fifth seed and will open versus Lynbrook at home Thursday.

“I just don’t understand,” said Leland coach Wade Nakamura. “I don’t know who to blame it on. We are an A-league champion. We beat the common opponent.”

Leland faced Milpitas High in the second game of the season, winning 60-51 without star George, while Palo Alto split with the Trojans who played twice in De Anza League action.

“The system is supposed to seed teams the best way possible,” continued Nakamura. “Whatever criteria they use obviously doesn’t work. We’re playing the second place team from the [Santa Clara Valley Athletic League] DAL, at their place. It’s not fair to our girls.”

According to CCS Commissioner Nancy Lazenby Blazer, representatives and coaches from each league gather to determine who gets seeded where. The reps nominate teams in their league while others vote based on identified criteria including records, strength of schedule and outcomes between common opponents.

“It’s done very subjectively,” said Lazenby Blazer. “It would be my guess that everybody got a pretty good seed. It is not any one person’s decision, and it is not necessarily the rep’s job to get the coach a seed they want.”

“It is not the league rep’s job to get Leland the best seed. It is their job to present Leland to the committee where they think they should be.”

No matter, the Chargers will miss the comforts of home, where they have lost just two games in two seasons.

“I think we should have gotten a higher seed,” said Leland guard Mika Yanai, who was voted second team all league in 04-05. “But it’s just going to get us to be more motivated to beat Palo Alto when we play them Thursday.”

Along with Yanai and George, twins Meggie and Kristen Yoshioka received league recognition as well. Kristen was voted sophomore of the year, while Meggie accepted a slot on the second team.

Leland came out with speed and fury versus Westmont. Warrior stars Rachel Gellman and Linley Takaki were relegated to mild effect, held captive under pressure from Leland sophomores Meggie and Kristen Yoshioka.

“Meggie, Kristen, the whole team really takes pride in defense,” said Nakamura. “That’s our staple. We work on it everyday. If we know we are undersized and less athletic, we also know that our fundamentals must be sound. We try to keep them off balance defensively.”

Yanai dumped in 11 points in addition to Meggie Yoshioka’s 12.

“The season’s gone pretty well,” said Kristen. “We couldn’t have asked for more really. Of course we haven’t got the recognition we deserve, but now there’s nothing we could do about it. We’ll just play through.”

“We’ll come out hard and show them that we should be ranked higher,” added Meggie.

Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday.

Chargers’ season ends with 2-1 loss to Watsonville in CCS quarterfinals

Late goal by Watsonville’sMurillo seals it

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

With one slip of the hands, the Watsonville Wildcatz advanced past the Leland Chargers in Central Coast Section boys’ soccer playoff action on Feb. 19.

With a 1-1 tie in the final two minutes of play, the Wildcatz, one of the nation’s top high school teams, scored on a shot-on-goal outside the box from Edward Murillo that at first seemed caught by Leland goalkeeper Damonn Ronsville. After slowing down the shot with both hands in an attempt to make the catch, the ball slipped through Ronsville’s hands, rolled over his right shoulder and trickled into the goal for a 2-1 Watsonville win in the quarterfinal round of play at Pioneer High School.

Despite the unfortunate play, Leland Head Coach David Gold praised Ronsville for his play throughout the season and in the playoffs.

“If it wasn’t for him, it could’ve been over before then,” said Gold of Ronsville. “He made some fantastic saves. He’s done that all year for us. He’s had an amazing season and kept us in games and what do you do? It’s a wet, heavy ball. The ball’s well hit and it just slips through.

“I went up and hugged him after the game because I know it’s going to eat him alive for a while. Hey, without him, we wouldn’t have gone this far. Hopefully he’ll bounce back because he’s a good kid.”

Prior to the goal, Leland played 65 minutes of winning soccer, getting a high-arching goal from Grant Robson with 7:40 left in the first half. Robson’s goal initially appeared to be a cross to his teammates on the right side, but the shot took a left turn and spun quickly past the outstretched arms of Watsonville goalkeeper Isreal Cisneros for a 1-0 Charger lead.

“We felt pretty good, but we knew it was going to be a tough game,” said Leland’s Ryan Villalpando of Robson’s goal to put the Chargers ahead. “They were still going to come out and come at us. We wanted to keep possession, but it didn’t work very well.”

Throughout the game, the Chargers fought off repeated offensive attacks from the Wildcatz, including four consecutive attempts in the first 21 minutes of the game. Things changed for the Wildcatz in the last 15 minutes of the second half however, as Wildcat midfielder Hugo Flores tied the game at 1-1 with a goal past an outstretched Ronsville. Before the game-tying goal, Watsonville again made repeated offensive attempts at a goal.

Midway through the second half, after repelling three offensive surges by the Wildcatz, Ronsville withheld a fourth attempt as Jose Ornales took a shot-on-goal that was deflected by the senior goalkeeper. On the same play, the deflection found the feet of senior Miguel Silva, who also took a shot at close range, which a diving Ronsville deflected again to keep Leland up 1-0.

For Leland, the loss ends a promising season slowed down by injuries to seniors Villalpando (back) and Steven Beitashour (ankle), among others. Both Villalpando and Beitashour played in the game, despite being hobbled.
Win or lose, Gold said he’s proud of his team’s accomplishments this year.

“This is why I coach high school soccer,” Gold said. “You want to coach in games like this, where everything’s on the line and everybody’s giving everything. It’s exciting, but someone has to win and someone has to lose.”

CCS playoffs await Chargers after 60-45 win over Gunderson

Leland rewarded with 15th seed in Division II playoffs

By Ken Lotich
Special to the Times

The Leland boys’ basketball team ended its season with a 60-45 victory at Gunderson on Feb. 18, but not before the Grizzlies tried to claw their way back in the second half.

The Chargers (11-13, 9-5) finished their regular season in third place in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. The Grizzlies (4-19, 4-10) ended their season with a seven-game losing streak.

The victory was one of retribution for the Chargers, who dropped a 48-43 decision to the Grizzlies on Jan. 25.
“We played with more intensity than we did the last time we played them,” said Leland Assistant Coach Dan Walker. “We made some key buckets when it mattered.”

The Chargers dominated the first half, outscoring the Grizzlies 30-13. Leland forward Logan Foos put up 17 points, with 11 in the first half, which Walker said was a major factor in the contest.

“The biggest difference in this game was Logan Foos,” Walker said. “He made a big impact scoring points and grabbing rebounds.”

The Chargers would nail three unanswered 3-pointers toward the end of second quarter. Guard Kyle Yoshioka hit the first, and guard Brennan Walker hit the next two back to back. The Grizzlies didn’t score in the last six and a half minutes of the second quarter.

As both teams headed to the locker rooms at halftime, Gunderson was left in shambles. The team had tremendous difficulty containing the Chargers’ offense, and they put up a dismal amount of offense.

Gunderson Assistant Coach Ken Weiblen spoke to his players at the half and told them to crank up the intensity.
“In the first half, I don’t think we executed one time on the floor,” Weiblen said. “At halftime, we talked about doing things better and having more of a defensive presence.”

When the third quarter started, it looked like things hadn’t changed. The Chargers didn’t allow the Grizzlies to pick up a bucket until 4:40, when forward Ahmed Abdi ended his team’s dry spell with a 3-pointer from the left side of the arch. Abdi tried to mount a comeback, putting up 13 of his 15 points in the second half.

The Grizzlies would score 11 more points after Addi’s three, and exceeded their entire first-half effort with 14 points in the quarter.

“In the beginning, we were playing scared,” Adbi said. “In the second half, we started hustling and playing a lot harder.”

Although the Grizzlies came into the game with a six-game losing streak, Adbi said the Chargers knew his squad wouldn’t be a walk in the park.

“Last time, (Leland) took us as an easy win—and they found out we’re not,” Adbi said. “So this time, they came out and worked harder than us in the beginning.”

Gunderson would continue to slowly tear at Leland’s lead, which dwindled down to 46-39 with 4:02 left in the fourth quarter.

Both squads played aggressive in the second half, with each having 10 fouls apiece.

Fouls proved costly for Gunderson, as Leland made 14 out of its 20 free throws in the second half.

“We lost a little bit of focus in the first half, but in the second half we played extremely hard,” Weiblen said. “It was a great effort tonight.”

Chargers guard David Farsai, who put up 12 points, admitted that his team nearly fell asleep at the wheel in the second half.

“We got a little too comfortable with our lead,” Farsai said. “They started their run, we woke up, and we weren’t having any of it.”

Farsai said the Chargers took a different approach against the Grizzlies this time around.

“Last time, we came out and thought (Gunderson) was going to be a cakewalk,”

Farsai said. “This game, we promised to not give them any easy buckets.”

Farsai went 6-8 from the free-throw line.

“We played really well for three of the four quarters,” said Chargers guard

Danny Hamouie. “We played a lot harder than the last time we played them. We came together as a cohesive unit.”

Hamouie had 11 points in the game and made five of his seven free throws.

The Chargers entered the Central Coast Section playoffs as the No. 15-seed.

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