SPORTS

Mustangs fall in CCS quarterfinals to Seaside

Season-ending 59-44 loss comes two days after 60-39 win over Saratoga

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The 2005-06 season is over for the Pioneer boys’ basketball team after the Mustangs dropped a 59-44 loss to Seaside in the quarterfinal round of the CCS Division III Playoffs on Feb. 25.

Pioneer’s Ryan LaCorte brings the ball up court during a 60-39 win over Saratoga on Feb. 23. The Mustangs then fell 59-44 to Seaside on Feb. 25, ending their season. Photos by Jeff Frazee

The season-ending loss for the Mustangs came on the heels of a robust 60-39 win at home over Saratoga in the opening round CCS play on Feb. 23.

Despite the loss to end the year, Head Coach Joe Berticevich said he felt good about the team’s performance throughout the season and his players’ never-say-die attitude.

“Anytime you win 22 games (overall) and compete against the best in the league, you’ve got to be happy,” he said. “The kids never quit and always fought back … For the most part, that’s what we did every game.”

The Mustangs trailed Seaside throughout the game, finding themselves down 19-9 after the first quarter before going into halftime trailing 30-14. The second half saw the Mustangs play their best basketball of the game, outscoring Seaside 17-14 in the third quarter while drawing closer by cutting the lead to 44-31. The Mustangs managed to cut into the lead even more at the start of the fourth quarter, putting together an 8-2 scoring stretch to get within seven points at 46-39. Seaside weathered the late runs by Pioneer however, holding the Mustangs to just five points the rest of the way while scoring 13 points to cushion the lead for a final outcome of 59-44.

“We just had a really bad start to the game,” Berticevich said. “ … But give the guys credit. They hadn’t quit all year and they sure didn’t quit in the last game of the year either.”

It was a different story altogether two days prior for the Mustangs, who put together solid efforts on both defense and offense to walk away 60-39 winners at home over Saratoga.

“We came in and we said we needed to shot their shooters, and make the other guys beat us, and that’s what we did,” said Berticevich. “ … It showed the effort, with what we did on defense. Give those guys credit, they worked their tails off.”

Tied 8-8 after the first quarter, the Mustang offense kicked into high gear in the second quarter, going on a 10-2 run in just under four minutes to take an 18-10 lead.

The run started with back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Nolan Maggipinto, and ended on a free throw from Matt Montelongo at 4:03.

With just under three minutes left and holding an 18-12 lead, the Mustangs put together another scoring run, a 7-0 stretch, taking a double-digit lead at 25-12 before the Falcons answered back before halftime with a small 6-0 run to set the score at 25-18.

Pioneer guard Matt Montelongo goes skyward for a layup during a 60-39 win over Saratoga in the opening round of the CCS Playoffs.

The Mustangs continued to work efficiently on offense in the third quarter, starting things off with an 11-2 run in just over three minutes of play in which Andrew Lerma chipped in 5 of his game-high 26 points, while also chipping in 10 rebounds and four steals on the night.

“We usually have a pretty good offensive game when Andrew Lerma can dominate inside like he did,” Maggipinto said. “He just was unstoppable down there, collecting rebounds. That opens up our outside game. We were able to get a couple of threes off.”

Later in the third, up 36-22, the Mustangs put together a modest 6-4 edge in the final 4:29 to take a 42-26 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Mustangs withstood a pair of scoring runs by the Falcons, still holding onto their double-digit advantage.

Leading 49-28, the Mustangs saw the Falcons go on a small 5-0 run, which was quickly countered by a layup from Lerma and a 3-pointer from Maggipinto, who finished the night with 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

“I really enjoy watching him play,” Berticevich said of Maggipinto. “ … If you’ve been watching our games and noticed when Nolan doesn’t get a shot once in a while, you’ll never see him complain about not getting a shot. He keeps on working hard on defense and whenever that shot comes, he’s shooting it and not pouting. That’s why he the ultimate team guy.”

With just over two minutes left, the Falcons put together another small run, a 5-2 edge, cutting the lead to 56-39 before the Mustangs closed out their opening round win with two straight baskets from reserve players Adam Bowers and Mike Collins in the final 16 seconds of play.

Sports Briefs

Almaden Valley Storm Class 1, U16 soccer tryouts
Almaden Valley Storm, a boys’ U16 Class 1 soccer team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, is holding tryouts for players born between Aug. 1, 1990 and July 31, 1991. Tryouts will be held after the high school season ends. Call Jay Vyas at (408) 997-0812 or Dave Gold (408) 997-7775 for details.

Almaden Valley Storm Class 1, U13 soccer tryouts
Almaden Valley Storm, a boys’ U13 Class 1 soccer team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, is holding tryouts for players born between Aug. 1, 1993 and July 31, 1994. Tryouts will be held at normal practices, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Steinbeck Middle School. Call Mike Reickerd at (408) 268-7576 or Dave Gold 408-997-7775 for details.

Almaden X-treme soccer players needed
Almaden X-treme soccer team, a girls U15 Class 1 team, is looking for players. The team took second place in league last year and is looking for players in all positions. Birth dates need to be Aug. 1, 1991 through July 31, 1992. If interested, contact Bob Spaletta 371-8687 or taxhound@aol.com.

Almaden Valley Storm Class 1, U11 soccer team needs players
Almaden Valley Storm, a boys’ U11 Class 1 soccer team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, is looking for players born between Aug. 1, 1995 and July 31 1996.  Call Mike Reickerd at (408) 268-7576 for more details.

Boys’ U13 comp. soccer team seeks players
A boys’ U13 competitive soccer team is looking for player to come and try out for the 2006 spring and fall soccer team. All practices and home games are in Blossom Valley.

Contact Laura Ino at (408) 224-2298 for more information.

Almaden Bobcats Boys U11, Class 3 comp soccer tryouts
Almaden Bobcats Boys U11 Class 3 (comp.) soccer team is holding tryouts on March 3 from 10-12 p.m. at Steinbeck Middle School.

Contact David Kurze at 408-269-2723, or e-mail dkurze@aol.com for more information.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Varsity baseball vs. Pioneer, 3:30 p.m.
Friday – JV baseball at Pioneer, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday – Varsity golf vs. Lincoln at Almaden Golf and Country Club, 3 p.m.
Tuesday – JV golf at Santa Teresa, 3 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball at Prospect, JV 6 p.m./varsity 7 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity baseball vs. Santa Teresa, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday – JV baseball at Santa Teresa, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – Varsity golf vs. Lincoln at Cinnabar, 3 p.m.
Thursday – JV golf vs. Santa Teresa at Almaden Golf and Country Club, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Track vs. Leigh, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball vs. Branham, JV 6 p.m./varsity 7 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Varsity baseball at Leland, 3:30 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph baseball vs. Leland, 3:30 p.m.

Monday – Golf vs. Westmont at San Jose Municipal, 2:15 p.m.

Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball at Leland, JV 6 p.m./varsity 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ tennis at Prospect, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – Golf vs. Westmont at the Villages, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – JV golf vs. Lincoln at Rancho, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Badminton vs. San Jose, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity baseball vs. Santa Teresa, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Frosh/soph baseball at Santa Teresa, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – Boys’ tennis at Evergreen, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Track vs. Lincoln, 3:30 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

Chargers’ season ends with 43-34 loss
to Palo Alto in CCS Playoffs

Fifth-seeded Leland drops loss after 48-29 win
over Lynbrook in CCS opening round

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland girls’ basketball team saw its’ season draw to a close on Feb. 25 when the Chargers lost a 43-34 decision to Palo Alto in the quarterfinal round of the CCS Division II Playoffs.

Leland’s Kristen Yoshioka weaves through the Palo Alto defense during a 43-34 loss on Feb. 25, ending the Chargers’ season. Photos by Jeff Frazee

The loss to Palo Alto came just two days after the fifth-seeded Chargers won a lopsided 48-29 decision over Lynbrook. With the loss to Palo Alto, the Chargers finished up the 2005-06 season with a 19-9 overall record after finishing up Mt. Hamilton Division play at 10-2, good for second place in the standings.

“I’m proud of our season and I’m proud of our kids; they worked extremely hard,” Leland Head Coach Wade Nakamura said after the loss. “They battled all year long. I’m not hanging my head. The day had to come, sooner or later.”

Free throws proved to be the culprit for the Chargers, who shot just 9 of 25 from the line throughout the game.

“That’s the game right there,” Nakamura said of his team’s woes at the free-throw line. “I mean, we battled and did, I think, what we could physically with what we had. We executed our game plan. We got them in foul trouble and got to the free-throw line 25 times. … On our end, we had to make free throws.”

After a slow start in which the Chargers found themselves down 14-6 after the first quarter, things slowly but surely began to get tighter.

The Charger bounced back with a strong second half stretch that saw Palo Alto holding a 16-6 lead before an 8-0 Leland run cut the lead to two with 3:40 left.

Moments later, with Palo Alto up 18-14, Leland guard Kristen Yoshioka drew a foul while sinking a layup, and then hit her lone free throw to cut the lead to 1 at 18-17.

Palo Alto however, managed to go into the locker room at the half leading by 5 on a pair of layups in less than 50 seconds.

The Chargers managed to cut the lead back down to 2 at the start of the third quarter, as Meggie Yoshioka hit a free throw and senior Mika Yanai dropped in a layup in the first minute of play.

From that point on however, Palo Alto managed to make it a seesaw battle for the rest of the third, taking a 27-20 lead before trading baskets with Leland for the remaining 3:33 and going into the fourth quarter with a 34-26 edge.

Like the second and third quarters, Leland managed to get within 2 points of Palo Alto’s lead in the fourth, starting out the quarter on an 8-2 run that chewed up nearly four minutes of play.

On the run, the Chargers received a key 3-pointer from Meggie Yoshioka before Pam Wolfe sunk a layup at 4:15 to cut the lead to 36-34.

But that was the last of the Chargers’ offense for the game, as Palo Alto managed to keep the Chargers scoreless the rest of the way, while the Vikings managed seven points down the stretch to pad the lead for a final outcome of 43-34.

For Nakamura, one of the hardest parts in the loss was the realization that his team’s three seniors—Yanai, Amber Barbieri and injured forward Hilary Barnes—experienced their final games at the high school level.

“It’s always tough,” Nakamura said. “It’s always tough to see the seniors play their last game. I’m always torn, like yesterday’s practice, I didn’t know whether say that they needed to relish this practice because it could be their last. But they know that. They know that when the playoffs start, if we lose, we’re done.”

Leland baseball bests Santa Clara 9-8 with 3-run 7th inning

It was a wild finish for the Leland baseball team on Feb. 24 when the Chargers scored three times with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to take a come-from-behind 9-8 win over Santa Clara.

With hopes fading quickly in the bottom of the seventh and Santa Clara leading 8-6, Leland slugger Matt Slaton made things a little closer by blasting a solo home run to left field, cutting the score to 8-7.

Kevin Battipede (above left) then kept his team alive with a single, followed by a walk to Adam Munoz. After Alex Todd was plunked by a pitch to load the bases, catcher Steve Henry (right) stepped up and drilled a double to deep left field, scoring Battipede and Munoz to complete the comeback.

Photos by Kevin Jones

Lady Mustangs end year with 72-53 loss at Mills

CCS opening round loss ends 2005-06 season for Pioneer

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Pioneer girls’ basketball season ended on Feb. 22 when the Mustangs dropped a 72-53 loss at Mills High in the opening round of the CCS Division III Playoffs.

Pioneer senior Renee Cummings, shown here in a game earlier this season, played the final game in her high school career when the Mustangs lost a 72-53 decision at Mills High in the opening round of the CCS Division III Playoffs. Photos by Jeff Frazee

For Pioneer Head Coach Kim Yanda, the loss ended a season of hope that saw the Mustangs compete strongly in the Mt. Hamilton Division despite having only seven players on the roster all season long. While Yanda was happy with her team’s season-long showing, she was anything but pleased with the loss.

“I’m pleased to take a team of seven players to the playoffs, but I’m not pleased to end the season on a game like this,” said Yanda, who cited turnovers as one of the culprits in the loss. “It’s really hard as a coach to see a team out there look like they played the first game of their season in the last game of the season. I mean, we just couldn’t take care of the basketball, we didn’t play defense. I don’t know if it was nerves, or the fact that they’re still young, but I definitely don’t think that this team was better than us.”

The 10th-seeded Mustangs, who finished Mt. Hamilton Division play at 5-7, were down early and never fully recovered, trailing the Vikings 21-8 at the end of the first quarter before heading into halftime down 32-19.

Things didn’t fare much better in the third quarter either, as the Vikings started the second half of play on a 13-3 run, chewing up nearly four minutes of playing time and extending the lead to 45-22. Freshman forward Mercedes Pardo and senior Renee Cummings scored the only points for the Mustangs during that span, with a free throw and a jumper, respectively.

After a small 6-3 run by the Mustangs cut the lead to 48-28, the Vikings then finished the third quarter with an 8-0 edge, including 6 points in the final 23 seconds of the quarter on three free throws and a 3-pointer, bumping their lead to 28 points at 56-28.

Part of the problem for the Mustangs was the team’s troubles handling a 3-2 trapping defense by the Vikings, said Yanda, leading to several turnovers throughout the first three quarters of the game.

“I guess when we came to the real thing, we fell under the pressure,” said Yanda, referring to the 3-2 trap defense. Yanda added that her team worked on beating that particular defensive set for two days in practice.

The fourth quarter proved to be the Mustangs’ best showing of the night, however.

Pioneer started out the final quarter of play with a strong offensive push, going on a 12-2 run in just over three minutes to cut the Vikings’ lead to 58-40. Mustangs Michele Rebozzi and Mercedes Pardo were key players on the run, with Rebozzi chipping in four points on a pair of jumpers, while Pardo dropped in a free throw and a layup during that same span. Junior guard Nancy Neal also got in on the act, nailing a 3-pointer with just over six minutes left.

From that point on, the Mustangs continued to chip away at the Vikings’ lead, cutting the score to 63-50 with less than two minutes to go, getting 4 points each from Cummings and Pardo, while junior guard Steffi Mattern dropped in two free throws.

But the strong offensive run in the fourth quarter proved to be too little, too late.

The Vikings finished up the last 1:30 with a 9-3 scoring run, sealing the final score at 72-53.

Despite the loss, Yanda said she has reason to feel good about the program’s direction after this season, particularly the fact that the Mustangs made the CCS Playoffs in Yanda’s first season as head coach. Yanda also mentioned freshman standout Pardo, as well as Rebozzi and several other players on the varsity roster, as a reason for hope next year.

“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said Yanda. “All the kids were excited that we made playoffs … It definitely says a lot that we did that with seven girls.”

In addition, Yanda will only be losing one senior from this year’s squad in Cummings. Yanda said she was proud of Cummings’ effort this season, especially a strong second-half showing.

“I think she gave it her all, every time she came out here in the second half of the season,” Yanda said of Cummings. “She really played hard, and her and Mercedes worked really well together. We’re definitely going to miss her.”

Second to Monarchy

Pioneer lands in CCS finals for second time
in four years, falls 6-2 to Mitty

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

A scathing San Mateo Daily piece fueled 2nd-seed Pioneer’s Feb. 21 6-1 drubbing of 14th-seed San Mateo and the Mustangs’ second CCS championship berth in four years.

Pioneer Coach Pedro Fuentes cited a news article reportedly printed in the Peninsula daily, which claimed that the Mustangs were overrated as a major reason for Pioneer’s inspired play in the semifinals. Pioneer fought the alleged bad rap with two early goals and persistent torture up front, stifling the Bearcats, who did not score until the waning minutes of the blowout.

Senior Kyle Wong fights for possession versus a Mitty defender in the Divsiion II finals Friday.

“They wrote a horrible article about us,” said Fuentez. “They dogged us and told us our goals were weak.”

Personally affected, Pioneer attached meaning to Mustang coaches’ weekly slogan ritual, recalling that ‘it was too late to lose,’ given the effort players had committed, especially when other teams who had fallen early in CCS action were at home enjoying ski week, said Fuentez.

Serrafin Arreguin initiated the onslaught, scoring the game’s initial goal off an assist from Brian Velez. Marcus Gomez, poked in two more, before Velez added one of his own. Finally, Ken Earl and Flavio Huato chipped in the final insults before the gun sounded.

“We just really wanted to get to the finals and actually be recognized,” said junior captain Ross Kennedy. “Everybody thought we would lose from the beginning.”

The win landed Pioneer in the Division II championship game versus West Catholic Athletic League power Archbishop Mitty, who punished Pioneer 6-2 after the Mustangs’ anger subsided.

After falling behind 4-0 in the first half, Pioneer was unable to realize a comeback, despite an inspired halftime speech delivered by assistant coach Jeff Farrow.

“Coach Farrow has been there before,” said Fuentez. “He was the varsity coach many years before I took over and he has taken teams to the championship game four times. He told the guys that we’ve come back before. We are the kind of team that can do that. All season long, we had been struggling with the other teams scoring first on us, but it hadn’t happened in the playoffs. When that happened, we had to take it back and say this had happened before.”

Pioneer saw some chance when Velez scored to open the second half. The Mustangs closed the Monarch’s lead to one goal when five players touched on a second goal minutes later.

However, a Mitty forward made one deliberate move inside and snuck up the sideline, ahead of Pioneer defenders, knocking home goal no. 5, and effectively sealing the game.

“I’d say our coaches were about 40 percent responsible for the success of this team,” said Fuentez. “Farrow brought techniques of discipline, that one touch, playing side to side philosophy. Coach McCarthy was there to warn me about what the other team was doing and what our defense wasn’t doing.”

As per his players, Fuentez was impressed.

“I’m very proud of them,” he added. “These are very mature young men who have respected all three coaches and have listened. We tried to build a program that is going to be self-disciplined and an example for other programs. This is our second year coaching and we have established that. My coaches and I have established a foundation of what is expected of Pioneer ball.”

Leland falls in semis

Girls’ soccer looks to next goal

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland’s playoff reign concluded Feb. 21, when eventual Division I champ Carlmont sprayed five unanswered goals on the Chargers in the semifinals.

Leland sophomore Sara Chehrehsa (23), shown here in a game earlier this season, credited the Leland coaching staff for getting as far as they did this year following the loss to Carlmont in the CCS Division I Semifinals, and said, “The new coaching staff got us far this year. Next year it will be time to go to the finals in CCS and not just the Semis.” Photo By Jeff Frazee

Taking heed of first-year Coach Dave Pitzen’s advice, expectations of how deep the girls may travel into CCS lore mounted when Leland plowed through Santa Teresa 2-0 in the quarter finals two weeks ago; however, the Chargers were cast back to reality when they faced the Scots, who field three of the top forwards in the section in one lineup.

“It’s unfortunate that we had to meet Carlmont in the semis, instead of finals,” said Pitzen. “They are a very, very good team and we did not get a chance to watch them beforehand. They truly had three incredible forwards and we weren’t ready for that.”

Despite the skewed score, Carlmont achieved just seven shots on goal, while Leland itself blasted nine.

“It was probably 70-30 (percent split) that we had the ball, but they are just so dangerous up top that the times that they did, they made great, great plays and they scored,” said Pitzen. “You don’t get points for possession. They are a good champion. I would have been surprised if we had been able to beat them. I congratulate them.”

“We had an off game,” said junior goalie Denelle Spencer. “Carlmont was pretty much how good we are when we play as a team. Their goals were pretty nice, and they just ended up finishing their opportunities.”

Leland will graduate six seniors this spring, said sophomore Sara Chehrehsa, a speedy forward expected to contribute greatly over the next two years.

“We’ll be missing our seniors, but most of the teams that we fought hard against will be losing key players,” she said. “The new coaching staff got us far this year. Next year it will be time to go to the finals in CCS and not just the semis.”

Within reach

Longhorns lose grip, miss championship by one goal to Carlmont

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

No.1 seed Leigh corralled nerve while storming the CCS Division I playoff bracket, without facing No. 2-seed Carlmont, who finally rustled the Longhorns’ out of contention, subduing them with a narrow victory in girls’ soccer finals Saturday.

The senior-laden Long-horns’ 2-1 demise marked the girls’ third consecutive playoff game decided by less than one goal, and the second single score to secede a championship this season. Pioneer edged out Leigh 3-2 in a Mount Hamilton division contest, which ultimately crowned Pioneer division champions.

Members of the Leigh girls’ soccer team check out the second-place trophy awarded to them following a 2-1 loss to Carlmont in the CCS Division I Championships on Saturday. Photos by Diego Abeloos

Yet, Leigh (15-4-2) composed itself, winning two straight CCS contests and outlasting league foes Pioneer, Leland and Santa Teresa, appearing as the only MHAL outfit present in CCS Championship play.

“We knew we were going to be in a tight game,” said Leigh Coach Michele Kennedy.

“We knew that we would have to take advantage of our opportunities. We knew that we would have to play one of our best games defensively. And we did a good job of it for about the first 70 minutes of the game, closing them down and not giving them a chance.”

Kennedy’s crew challenged defending champion Carlmont (19-2-1) early, lighting the scoreboard first in the 40th minute, when senior Amy Neustedter nicked a shot in with her head, courtesy of a botched free kick play implemented from approximately 20 yards out. Senior Morgan Hancock deflected the initial shot to Neustedter who stuck her neck out for the score.

The goal, Neustedter’s 19th of the season, capped another career year for the 2004-2005 Mount Hamilton Division Most Valuable Player.

“It felt really good,” she said. “I had to score in the championship. I had been in a slump and hadn’t scored in two games. No matter what, this was my last game in high school, so I had to score.”

The Longhorns controlled the game 1-0 at halftime; however, Carlmont forwards Theresa Cornwell and Mara Fintzi coerced to ruin Leigh’s hopes for a D-I title in the second half. Cornwell knocked in the tying goal in the 64th minute, setting the stage for cohort Fintzi who slipped a left-footed shot past diving Leigh goalie Jessica Sitarz in the 73rd minute.

“We were intending to mark players tightly, and not give them time to play,” said Kennedy. “On any given Saturday, their forwards can beat you. They have a lot of speed.“

However, rigid Longhorn marks frustrated the Scotts touted offensive corps, until the waning minutes.

“They were just able to get through in the second half,” said Kennedy. “We were losing players, losing marks. All it took was five feet of space and they took advantage of it. We came close and the girls played well. We did a lot better than most people thought we would. All 18 girls contributed and player for player, we were better than a lot of teams.”

While Neustedter led the Longhorns in offense with 19 goals and 7 assists, sophomore Marissa Dunnaway, was second, scoring 14 goals and assisting on six shots.

The Longhorns will graduate seven seniors in June.

“It’s hard to get so close and realize how close you were to winning it afterwards,” said Kennedy. “You kind of keep replaying it over in your head in different scenarios, like if you would have done this or tried that. But the girls went out there and played their best and I was proud of them. Leigh had never won or been to the finals before in girls’ soccer. Hopefully I will have a team like this again that is fun and plays good soccer.”

Leland downed in opening round of CCS

Charger hoops done, despite 25-point farewell from Farsai

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

David Farsai’s 25-point effort in his final Charger contest was not enough to lift 14th seed Leland over host Westmont in CCS first round action Feb. 23.

Leland senior David Farsai challenges Westmont standout Chantz Staden late in a first round contest of the CCS playoff Thursday. Farsai finished with 25 points in his final effort as a Charger. Photo courtesy of www.mikejanes.com

The 4th-seed Warriors outscored three-year starter Farsai’s Chargers’ 11-4 in an overtime period, which followed a heated ascent to 53 points apiece during regulation. The Chargers, paced by Farsai and fellow senior Scott Lucas, who finished with 12 points, shot an impeccable 60 percent from the field.

“Emotions are high during playoff games,” said Westmont Coach Bill Gerth. “Leland came in ready to play. They didn’t want that to be their last game. Farsai, in particular, was unstoppable for Leland. It felt like he hit every shot he took.”

Farsai, who has led the Chargers in scoring three times since Coach Dave Frandsen snatched him from junior varsity ranks as a sophomore, ran loose on the Warriors throughout the first half, dropping in 17 points.

“About the last five games, David had been battling this cold like everybody else, but it didn‘t matter. His play was geared way up,” said Frandsen.

Westmont junior Michael Weimer, a 6-foot, 5-inch junior center, posed the greatest offensive threat to the Chargers. The Mount Hamilton Division Junior of the Year arrived, averaging 18.2 points per game and boasting an equally lethal attack shooting from the outside as he did moving men in the key.

Frandsen ordered posts by committee, which included Lucas and juniors Adam Munoz, Daniel Ortiz and Colin Gootee to harass Weimar in diamond and one sets, isolating the post from the Warriors’ motion offense.

“It was harder to score points, but towards end of game we succeeded,” said Weimer. “In overtime, we ran our offense right and we were able to score. I guess we were not prepared at first.”

While the tactic slowed Weimer, foul trouble ultimately cleared Leland’s posts, and Weimer finished with 21 points.

“I thought it was pretty effective until we looked at Weimer‘s stats after the game,” said Frandsen.

With Weimer initially occupied, Leland outscored Westmont in each period, excluding the fourth quarter and overtime when Gerth finally assigned Farsai’s defense to senior Chantz Staden, an All-league basketball performer and speedy two-time All CCS utility player on the Warrior football team.

The two exchanged flashy tactics, Farsai charging the basket, while Staden prowled the 3-point line. However, while Farsai darted by Staden on several occasions, navigating his way to the basket and free throw line, it was Staden’s long-range marks that decided the game.

Staden finished with 24 points.

“That move waged an interesting duel,” said Frandsen. “Farsai is a little longer. He’s deceptively fast and he gets by you before you know where he is going. After the game they talked to each other. They enjoyed the effort that each one put forth. That’s what athletics are all about.”

Staden nailed his third 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation and the Warriors went on to score six unanswered points to open overtime. Leland never recovered.

The Chargers, however, took solace in collective efforts to resurrect the year during the back half of a tough league campaign, according to Frandsen. The group won four of their final six league contests to land in the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

“I think the last seven games, from the time Jimmy Kogura came back, were very encouraging,“ he said.

Frandsen described four-year varsity starter Kogura as a tough and inspirational leader, which the team missed early in the season.

“He made us play better,” said Frandsen. “As he got better, we got better.”

Kelsi, Edder, Watts flex muscle at wrestling finals

Junior Nick Kelsi earns Pioneer first-ever individual BVAL crown at 145 pounds

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Pioneer junior Nick Kelsi led a brethren of two Pioneer wrestlers and one from Leland who qualified for the CCS finals meet held last weekend at Independence High, after becoming the Mustangs’ first BVAL individual champ on record two weeks ago.

Sophomore Scott Edder represented Leland grapplers, while senior Brian Watts assisted Kelsi in extending the Mustang message.

Pioneer junior Nick Kelsi squares up against his opponent from Independence at the BVAL finals on February 11. The win was one of four Kelsi captured in the tournament, becoming the first 145-pound champion in Mustang history, according to Coach Mike Medlock. Photo courtesy of Shannon Kelsi

Kelsi claimed four consecutive matches at Mount Pleasant High School on Feb. 11, en route to the title at 145 pounds, historically one of the most difficult weight categories to compete at, according to Pioneer Coach Mike Medlock.

“I have had at least six guys in finals, throughout the 12 years I have been coaching here, but nobody ever won,” said Medlock. “Nick’s my first league champion; he’s probably the school’s first league champion in 25-30 years. He’s a tough, good wrestler.”

Kelsi faced the division’s No. 1-seed and eventual champion Chris Minafo of Monterey, after pinning Fremont freshman Kenny La in the opening round of CCS.

“He wrestled him tough,” said Medlock of the match. “Nick went on to win his next two and then he lost on his way back through consolations. He was one round away from placing in the top six.”

Kelsi officially finished in the top 12; however, the CCS meet does not wrestle behind the top six finishers to determine positions six through 12 outright.

“I have been doing it for about four years now,” said Kelsi. “Wrestling is very rewarding. You don’t rely on anyone else to fulfill what you want to do. You have no one to blame but yourself. I like being able to rely on myself for the outcomes that happen.”

Edder and Watts also placed at the BVAL finals. Heavyweight Edder finished third, while Watts took fifth and advanced to the CCS meet.

Tenacious Edder won four matches, dropping just one, en route to an unexpected climb up the podium. The sole blemish was a pin achieved by No. 2-seed Rafael Sanchez of James Lick.

“Scott had actually pinned him earlier in the season,” said Leland Coach Dan Lloyd. “Scott had him on his back, but didn’t pin him in the first period. Then the guy got Scott on a side roll and pinned him. But it was a good match. Scott’s a good kid with great genetics. He’s a legitimate prospect in wrestling or football.”

Drawing off spite, a proven senior having been awarded the sixth seed in the 125-pound weight class, Watts vowed retribution.

“I had a chip on my shoulder because I felt like I was under-seeded,“ he said. “I ended wrestling with the best meet of my career.“

Watts in fact turned in the most impressive performance of the tournament, according to Medlock.

“Brian’s an offensive wrestler that uses a lot of finesse and puts a lot of thought into his moves,” said Medlock. “He wrestled very well in the semifinals.”

Watts immediately knocked off his opening round adversary and the No. 3 seed, setting up a showdown with the No. 2 seed in the semifinals. Underdog Watts led in scoring through the third period, when his opponent executed a take down and tied the score 6-6.

The move forced an overtime, where another takedown and near fall finished him. Confusion at the scorer’s table ensued while Watts wrestled as though he remained one point ahead.

“I wasn’t really doing anything because I thought I had it,” said Watts. “I had him in a headlock during overtime and that was pretty much the only mistake I made all match. I tried to muscle him onto his back from the headlock, but he slipped out.”

Share your news

Do you have a sports story to share? Contact the sports department at 494-7000 x 217 or by e-mail at diego@timesmediainc.com or fax to Almaden Times Sports at 494-7078.