March 4, 2004

Pioneer boys play in CCS Div. III semifinals, beat Willow Glen and Seaside

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

The Pioneer boys basketball team is edging closer to their ultimate goal: a CCS championship.

On Mar. 3, Pioneer played St. Ignatius High School in the CCS Div. III semifinals, a few hours after our print deadline. But assuming the Mustangs stay true to their season-long winning form and beat S.I., Pioneer will face either Santa Cruz High School or Burlingame High School on Mar. 6 at the San Jose State Event Center for the CCS Div. III title. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

However, it's been a tough road even reaching the semifinals. Last week, Pioneer spanked Willow Glen High School 59-47 before grappling it out for four quarters with Seaside High School, finally winning 81-73.

Versus Willow Glen, Pioneer came out fired up to play in front of a rambunctious home crowd. Tied after the first quarter, Pioneer outscored the Rams 20-10 in the second and never looked back.

Senior Ceylon Elgin-Taylor overcame Willow Glen's taunting, visiting crowd to score 24 points and grab eight rebounds.

Against Seaside at Piedmont Hills High School, it took the Mustangs a little longer to warm up. However, down two after the first quarter, Pioneer rallied back outscoring the Spartans 63-53 over the last three quarters, finally winning 81-73.

Elgin-Taylor led all scorers with 33 points on Seaside. Juniors Mark Bundlie and Mike Kaufman also came up big for the Mustangs scoring 24 and 16 points, respectively.

Senior center offers relaxing exercise class

No pain—plenty of gain: The Feldenkrais Method

By Judith Bernstein
Special to the Times

I have always avoided exercise. I kept saying “why subject my body to pain and my lungs to asthma?” I will admit during my life I have tried. Jazzercize was my most recent foray into that dreaded realm of the “E” word. During classes I was assailed by loud music, lots of sweat and the motto of “No pain, no gain.” Each time I tried, I had to drop out due to my asthma or back and neck problems.

Then, last year I retired from work. I was left with plenty of freedom. I went to the Almaden Senior Center to see if there were any classes that could fill my time. As I was reading the newsletter, my eyes fell on a class taught Monday and Fridays. It was entitled: “Feldenkrais.” The name stirred memories—a friend had told me how she goes to Feldenkrais classes and how much she has benefited from the exercise: how the pain in her body had lessened. She was so enthusiastic that I thought that I had nothing to loose.

With trepidation, I signed up for my first class. When the day came, I tried to think of reasons not to go. Why subject myself to misery? But, I reasoned, I am now retired and should “improve” myself and try different things. So I went.

On entering the classroom, I took my mat and waited for the teacher, Joan McCarten. I held my breath as she began to give instructions. To my relief I learned that the mats were to lie on and not to bounce on. I creakingly got down on my mat. I lay on my back as instructed, but I could not stretch my legs out. I tried, but my back hurt too much. And then I heard the magic words: “Remember, if you do something and it hurts. Stop. It's your body telling you not to go there. If it hurts to straighten your legs, then keep them bent.” I was so relieved. I could do this. She then led the class through different movements slowly and in a gentle comforting voice. I felt myself relaxing and my eyes closing into comfort. After each set of movements, Joan instructed us to lie flat, if possible, and reassess our body and its relationship to the mat. Much to my amazement, I could straighten my legs. My back pain had lessened! She went on to explain how lying on the mat lets your muscles relax because you are not fighting gravity.

After the hour, I floated out of class. The pain in my lower back and neck-shoulder area had lessened.

I went home to tell my husband of my marvelous adventure. He listened and nodded his head. When I asked him how he knew that I had had a good time, he replied that I was positively glowing as I told him about the class. Thank you, Moshe Feldenkrais for compiling these exercises. Thank you, Joan McCarten for teaching them so adeptly, and thank you Almaden Senior Center for making these classes available.

Judith Bernstein is an Almaden Valley freelance writer.

RAM WRESTLERS RISE ABOVE
Led by Blossom Valley Athletic League champion Sam Olivas (center), runner-up Anthony Mendez (left) and third-place Robert Oropeza, Willow Glen High School kept a high profile in the wrestling wars at both the BVAL Championships, held at Leland High School on Feb. 7, and at the Central Coast Section Championships at Independence High school on Feb. 20-21. Olivas placed fourth at 132 pounds in the CCS to help the Rams gain top-half finish among the more than 100 schools in the CCS. Both Olivas and Oropeza (189 pounds) are seniors; Mendez (105 pounds) is a freshman.

By Karl Laucher

Players of the week

Ceylon Elgin-Taylor
Sport: Pioneer basketball
Class: Senior

Last year's CCS Junior of the Year has been unstoppable all year long and doubly so since the playoffs started last week. In two games Elgin-Taylor has scored 57 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. The Mustangs won both games and played yesterday in the CCS div. III semifinals.

Valerie Huffman
Sport:  Leland soccer
Class:  Junior

Huffman racked up four goals and five assists this season and scored Leland's last two goals of the season, one in the semifinals, and again in the finals.
"She's one of the reasons we got so far this season,” says Head Coach John Vasquez. “Those two goals she scored were what kept us in the game.  She's one of those players that never quits, she has that drive and she does a great job all around. She takes all of our corner kicks for us and she does a great job placing the ball.  She's always been there for us."

Sports Schedules

Leland High School

3/2-3/6

Baseball Wilcox Tournament, TBA

Thursday 3/4

Varsity golf vs. Del Mar @ Almaden 3 p.m.

JV boys lacrosse vs. James Lick 4 p.m.

Softball @ Saratoga 3:30 p.m.

JV softball vs. Saratoga 3:30 p.m.

Boys swimming vs. Live Oak 3:15 p.m.

Girls swimming @ Live Oak 3:30 p.m.

Friday 3/5

Boys tennis vs. Aptos 3:15 p.m.

Saturday 3/6

JV baseball @ Live Oak 11 a.m.

Track & Field @ San Benito HS 9 a.m.

Monday 3/8

Baseball @ Santa Cruz 3:30 p.m.

JV baseball vs. Bellarmine 3:30 p.m.

JV golf vs. Pioneer @ Spring Valley 1:45 p.m.

Tuesday 3/9

Varsity golf vs. Leigh @ Cinnabar Hills 3 p.m.

Boys lacrosse vs. Foothill @ Pleasanton 5:30/7 p.m. (JV, V)

Softball vs. Cupertino 3:30 p.m.

JV softball @ Cupertino 3:30 p.m.

Boys volleyball vs. Gunderson 5/6 p.m. (JV, V)

Wednesday 3/10

Baseball @ Valley Christian 3:30 p.m.

JV baseball vs. Valley Christian 3:30 p.m.

Softball @ Gunn 3:30 p.m.

JV Softball vs. Gunn 3:30 p.m.

Pioneer High School

Thursday 3/4

Track vs. San Jose 3:30 p.m.

Friday 3/5

Wrestling state meet

Dance team, Woodridge competition

Saturday 3/6

Wrestling state meet

Dance team, Woodridge competition

Monday 3/8

Golf vs. Santa Teresa TBA

Tuesday 3/9

Boys basketball first Nor Cal contest

Girls basketball first Nor Cal contest

Badminton @ Mitty 3:30 p.m.

Boys tennis @ Branham 3:15 p.m.

Boys volleyball @ Prospect 5/6 p.m. (JV, V)

The Almaden Ruckus shake up Northern California, head to Western Regionals

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

The boys on the U12 Almaden Ruckus soccer team have won their way to the Western Regional playoffs in Spokane, Wash. In a six-week state cup tournament with 64 teams from around Northern California, the boys competed against eight top teams, allowing only one goal throughout.

“The boys stuck to our game plan during the entire tournament,” says Head Coach Dan Minutello, “They played attacking, high possession soccer, relying on a strong defense.”

The Western Regional tournament will begin with opening ceremonies on June 20, where 3,500 athletes ages 19 and under will be in attendance.

“It's really neat,” says Minutello, “It's like the Olympics, they carry flags and everything, which is really neat for the athletes and parents as well.”

The best teams from the 14 Western states, including Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho and many others, will be competing for the regional championship until the final game scheduled for June 26.

“We got a pretty good draw,” says Minutello of their scheduled play in the tournament. “We'll be playing against Utah, Hawaii and Wyoming first, and should be able to beat each of those teams. Hopefully we'll make it all the way to the finals.”

The team has been together for about two years, and took second place in last years' state cup tournament. Minutello has been coaching in Almaden for 14 years, and this year's state cup championship is reminiscent to the one in 1998, where he coached his older son Danny's team to a victory in the state cup.

“It was really neat to see both of my son's names on the trophy,” said Minutello.

Minutello has been coaching some of the boys on the Ruckus since they were 4-years-old. He says, “We've developed good foot skills and a lot of good technique over the years, and that is what has really helped us get through.” The boys occasionally get some pointers from Todd Dunivant, MLS player for the San Jose Earthquakes.

Through all of the serious soccer, the boys still manage to have a good time, “They have a lot of fun,” says Minutello, “All kinds of pizza and pool parties. It's a lot of pressure on them, but I think they barely realize the 500 people watching them at the state finals. They just play the game,” and jokingly, he said, “What else could they possibly have to look forward to? The World Cup?”

High school spring sports preview

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

Leland High School
The baseball team won the Mt. Hamilton title last year, and lost in the semifinals of the CCS tournament.  After losing eight players to graduation, the Chargers have about nine returning players, who will bring experience to the team, and expectations to win.  Head Coach Scot Gillis says, "It's hard to expect we'll do better than last year, that's a lot to live up to.  We broke about every individual and team school record last year and we lost some key players, but we have a lot of potential this season."
Keep an eye out for senior first baseman Darren Gemoll, on his way to Stanford University next year on a baseball scholarship.  Also a heads up for senior Sean Connors in centerfield and senior pitcher Kyle Woodruff, who earned a spot on the first team all-league last year and tied the school record for wins with 11. 

The Leland softball team ended last season with a record of 9-15 overall and lost in the first round of CCS playoffs to Burlingame High School.  The Lady Chargers have eight returning seniors, "We have a good returning class," says head coach Joe Gron, "I'm very excited with the talent we have.  Defensively, we're solid all the way around."  Gron also mentioned that the team has exceptional speed, and should do well offensively. 
Players to watch are senior hurler Jamie Vranich, and senior centerfielder Liz Perez. 

As for swimming , the boys team only lost 10 seniors last year after winning the BVAL championship.  The frosh/soph team also won the BVAL championship so there are a lot of experienced returning athletes.  Head coach Mike Monsees says, "Our goal is to defend our BVAL championship by winning the title again.  We have quite a number of good swimmers this year.  One advantage of living in the Almaden Valley is the large number of swimmers, ever corner has a cabana club." 
Zack Monsees made All American in two CCS events last year and he's been undefeated in the CCS for the last two years.  Also look out for two other CCS finalists from last year, Nick Beene and Michael Steranka. 
"I think we have balance in all of the different strokes this year, it's really a big advantage that we have," says Monsees, "It's really exciting to see kids coming in who are talented athletes.  It makes it a lot of fun."

The girls swim team is looking towards a good season with faster times and more depth.  According to head coach Mike Haake, "Our biggest strength this year is the number of girls who can do several different events well.  This gives me the flexibility to put a lineup in the water that covers all events, also giving us strength and depth, we have quite a few returning athletes, and quite a few new kids, who are really good." 

The girls won first place in league finals and in dual meets last year, and one team placed as high as sixth in the CCS competition. 

Look out for top returning senior Nichole Atkin, defending league champion in the 100-meter backstroke.  Top returning junior to watch for is Casey Armstrong, who was the league champion in the 100-meter breaststroke.  Jenny Wickersham, a former CCS finalist has made her way back to swimming after a year off, and newcomer, freshman Courtney Monsees has heads turning as she is breaking, or coming close to breaking, most of the school records. 

For track and field , head coach Jerry Rose expects a rebuilding year, "We have over 130 kids out for track and field this year, and we usually have about 100.  There is a lot of young talent.  We've had top teams for the last three years, and this is just one of those things.  You just don't have the horses sometimes." 
Rose lost his top distance runner, sprinter, high jumper and hurdler on the boys team to graduation last year after they finished third in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton League, but mentions Alex Ramon, a distance runner, is doing really well. 

The girls team finished fourth in the league last year, "I expect the girls to be in the middle or higher," says Rose.  Hopefuls for the season are distance runners Jessica Chin, Shelley Shun and Katie Buckley. 

Jory Segal, head coach for the boys tennis team, expects a rebuilding year as well.  After winning the league and a high finish in CCS last year, seven of the top 12 players graduated.  "I would say it's only a partial rebuilding year, although, we do have a lot of returning players who have experience and knowledge of the game," says Segal, "They're all very supportive of each other, and there is a lot of willingness to help one another improve." 
Senior Aaron Klapper is the Chargers No. 1 and is ranked 13th in Northern California.  The No. 2, sophomore Simon Chang, is also ranked and is considered to be a strong asset to the team.  Senior No. 3, Steve Richards, is also expected to do well, after last year, he and a now graduated teammate made it to the CCS individual finals last year. 

Adam Schiro, first year head coach of the golf team says, "I'm expecting big things this season.  Hopefully we can compete for the CCS title."  Schiro also adds, "They all have really good knowledge of the game and have been playing for a long time, that's definitely a plus, it's a really good group of kids." 
The team has a significantly young core, with only one senior, Erich Wegsvheider, who is one of the top three players, along with juniors Gary Beene and Daniel Nelson. 

The boys volleyball team received a co-champions of the Santa Teresa division last year with a record of 22-10 overall.  They lost eight players overall, four were All-League, and one was a second team All-Mercury player.  The guys have four returning seniors and two returning juniors, Head Coach Jason Hilbert says, "I expect a top three finish in the league this year, we're a short team, but pretty quick." 

According to Hilbert, the boys are very good defensively, showing great passing skills.  Senior setter Jeff Kwok and middle blocker Noah Hall, co-captains, are definite players to watch this season.

Interest in girls lacrosse is improving, according to Head Coach Becky Crozier.  The girls are currently playing with the Pacific Athletic League, which is the only lacrosse league in San Jose, "It's a pretty new sport in the area," says Crozier, "But it's catching on pretty quickly."

Last year, the team didn't have a league to compete in, so they played non-league games.  Crozier is hoping for a top three finish in the PAL this year, "It's a new league for everyone," she says, "There should be some really good games this year." 

The girls have about 21 returning players and 10 newcomers.  Crozier feels the newer girls will catch on quickly as the season progresses, and says, "The returning players from last year bring a lot of experience, and the younger players are working really hard to learn the game.  We should be a pretty good team."

The badminton team lost 16 players last year, and first year Head Coach Linh Bahn expects a season of rebuilding and learning the game.  Keep an eye out for Jonathan Lowell and Eddie Horn, who are expected to help to elevate the overall performance of the team.


Pioneer High School
The varsity baseball team looks good, according to head coach Jake Hernandez, "This is probably the most talented team, on paper, that I've had in my four years here," he says. 

Last year, the Mustangs were 9-9 in the BVAL Santa Teresa division, and missed the CCS playoffs by one game.  This year, with seven returning seniors, twelve juniors and one sophomore, Hernandez is excited about his "youthful" and "energetic" team. 

Be on the lookout for junior Andrew Schulz, defending sophomore of the year in the league who will be making the transition to catcher from shortstop. 

"We have a really good core of pitchers," says Hernandez, "Our pitching and our defense will be our strength this year.  Our players this year are stronger and faster than last year, and we should be a top competitor in the league this year."

The softball team received a co-champion title in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton division, and took second place in the CCS tournament last year.  They ended their season with a record of 22-7.  With nine returning players, head coach Brian Thompson says, "We did really well last year and we should be a very competitive team this year.  Our league is so equal, you never know what is going to happen." 

According to Thompson, pitching and defense will be the strengths of the team this season.  Four-year varsity pitcher Andrea Castillo is a player that should be making headlines this year.  She was MVP of the league last year with a record of 21-6.  Senior shortstop Emily Carcione is also a four-year varsity player and someone to watch for. 

"I'm never one to say that our team is going to win everything," says Thompson, "but we're going to be a good team."

Last year, the boys swim team finished third in the Mt. Hamilton division, and only lost one senior to graduation.  Head coach Gordy Smith says the boys team is well intact and thought they don't have a lot of standout individuals, they have a lot of depth on the team. 

The girls swim team also finished third in the league last year, but "Were hit pretty hard by graduation last year, we lost a CCS finalist and it's going to take a lot of work to replace the swimmers, but if they improve as much this year as they did last year, we'll have a good showing. 

Senior Klair Eitzen was a CCS qualifier last year in the 500 freestyle and will be one to watch for this season. 
"We are really focusing on individual improvement and achievement this year," says Smith, "If all of my athletes are ready to swim, they will improve tremendously." 

The boys tennis team has a lot of returning players, which brings experience and knowledge to the court.  After taking third in the BVAL Santa Teresa division last year, the boys lost only three seniors. 
Head Coach Julie Szarlacki is looking forward to a season where, "We should at least do as well as last year, but I'm hoping we do better," she says.

Seniors Bret Levine and Marcus Nakamoto are co-captains, and the No. 1 and 2 players on the team.  Freshman newcomer Noah LaMoyne is, "A nice addition to the team with a great attitude," says Szarlacki, who hopes the small team of 14 will stay healthy and dominate this season.

The golf team moved up from the Santa Teresa division to the Mt. Hamilton after going 14-0 last year.  Primarily made up of sophomores with six, head coach Myron Zaccheo says, "We're a little young, but we'll be good competition in the league with our younger guys coming around." 

Cemal Ozemek (12), Tom Garcia (11), Tony Ventimiglia (11), Alex Hunt (10), Nolan Maggitinto (10) and Keith Lucken (10), "Round out our starting six," says Zaccheo, "They have great attitudes and are really enthusiastic about the game."

Zaccheo says that assistant coach Charlie Eddie has been the dominant factor in the teams past success with his incredible experience and knowledge of the game. 

The badminton team has about 60 players this year, about half of which are returning.  Even so, Head Coach Blaine Hashimoto expects it to be a rebuilding year.  "We lost a lot of strong players last year, and were one of the top finishers in the league with a record of 10-6," says Hashimoto, "But we should be competitive in the league."

Leland girls fall in CCS basketball playoffs
Lose MHAL MVP Liz Widgren in first quarter

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Hollywood won't be knocking at Leland High School this year. Unfortunately, disaster struck the girls basketball team there in an all too realistic fashion this week.

The Chargers' high hopes of a CCS championship run flew out the window Feb. 28, when they lost to Palo Alto High School 62-42. But the score was insignificant. The Chargers' real loss came when senior and 2003-2004 Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mount Hamilton Division Most Valuable Player Liz Widgren suffered a knee injury grabbing a rebound during the first quarter.

“It [Widgren's injury] had a huge effect on the outcome of the game,” said Leland coach Wade Nakamura. “We played very hard…only down six at halftime. But after falling behind by double figures in the second half, we just didn't have enough offense minus Liz.”

Widgren's fall left the Chargers without their leading scorer and rebounder, assigning too large a load to the shoulders of fellow post-woman, Leland junior Jackie George.

George fought tenacious double teams for the remainder of the game, finishing with 12 points on the night.

Charger guard Kristen Yoshioka, the MHAL Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Leaguer, fought hard as well, leading from the perimeter and all Charger scorers with 14 points.

“It [Widgren's injury] was terrible,” continued Nakamura. “It hurt me and it hurt the other girls to see Liz so upset. With Liz, that was a winnable game.”

The loss came in the CCS Div. II quarterfinals, arranged after the Chargers beat Los Gatos High School 68-64 on Feb. 26 during the second round.

Versus the Wildcats, Leland held on, protecting a 13-point halftime lead to the end.

“Los Gatos decided they didn't want to go home in the second half,” explained Nakamura. “They made a little comeback, pressing us and stealing the ball, but we pulled it off.”

Widgren and George starred in the Chargers' first playoff game, scoring 22 and 24 points respectively.

“I wish we won [in the quarterfinals against Palo Alto] so we could play Mitty,” said Nakamura. “But [overall] we had a fantastic year. Nobody but us expected us to win 20 games. We set goals and did a good job of working hard in practice everyday.”

Leland finished 20-6 on the season.

Leland girls soccer team earns co-championship CCS title

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

After two 10-minute overtimes, and two five-minute sudden-death overtimes in the finals of the CCS competition Feb. 28, the Leland Lady Chargers were declared CCS co-champions with Aptos High School.  

Head Coach John Vasquez is pleased about the honor, but also wishes it could have been something just their own.  "I'm happy we did so well; it's just hard because I wanted them to win the title for them and for the seniors.  It's nice though," says Vasquez, "because we are still champions."

He also mentioned that sharing the title wasn't so bad, considering Live Oak's head coach is his brother, "I know most of his players pretty well, and some of my players are on his club team.  If it had to be with any team, I would want it to be his," says Vasquez. 

Leland junior Valerie Huffman scored Leland's only goal within the first 16 minutes of the game.  Live Oak wouldn't score until the last 10 minutes, which sent the two teams into 30 extra minutes of play at Valley Christian High School in San Jose.

"I'm really happy with the way the season ended.  We played 110 minutes of good soccer.  Five players didn't come out of the game once, which is pretty exhausting," says Vasquez.

The Chargers will lose eight seniors, seven who are starters.  Even so, Vasquez is excited about next season. 
"This year, there were a lot of good freshman and sophomores that didn't get a lot of playing time.  It's going to be hard to replace the seniors I have this year, but I think once these younger girls start getting game experience, the talent they have will really show," he says, "We didn't have one superstar this year, we had multiple goal scorers.  It's nice to know we can go this far without having to depend on one person to always be on point."

Each year in the three years Vasquez has been with the girls, they have gone one step further in the post season.  Maybe next year will be their year to shine, all alone. 

Pioneer opens CCS basketball playoffs with double feature tonight (2/26) at home
Boys draw Willow Glen, girls to play St. Francis

By Justin Petersen

The regular season is over, but the basketball teams at Pioneer High School are just getting warmed up. For the girls, a phenomenal 12-0 run in Blossom Valley Athletic League, Santa Teresa Division, play warranted a fifth seed in the CCS Div. III playoff bracket. The boys, on the other hand, playing up in the Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mount Hamilton Division, finished in second place at 9-3, but have secured the second seed in the CCS Div. III boys bracket. Can you say ‘CCS championship contenders?'

Pioneer girls
The Pioneer girls open the playoffs, playing right before the boys, at 6p.m. versus St. Francis High School.

The Lancers, who finished seventh in the West Catholic Athletic League, hammered Los Altos High School 69-35 on Feb. 24, moving on to the second round where they'll face Pioneer.

“The WCAL is a tough league,” said Pioneer Coach Blain Hashimoto. “Hopefully we have the team we want show up.”

Despite sweeping the STAL, the Mustangs have displayed a Dr. Jeckyl-Mr. Hyde persona this season, sometimes displaying talent and teamwork, and other times playing beneath that talent. Pioneer hopes to reach the peak of their powers during the playoffs.

Last week, seniors Gina Biviano and Brenae Perkins collaborated with junior Camille Brown to lead the Mustangs to their 12th victory in league, beating Gunderson High School 54-42 at Pioneer on Senior Night.

The Grizzlies, who also made the playoffs, couldn't compete with Pioneer's quickness.

“We hope our quickness helps us out versus St. Francis, too” said Hashimoto.

Versus Gunderson Perkins led all scorers with 14 points. Biviano added 13 points and five rebounds, while Brown scored 10 points.

Pioneer boys
The Pioneer boys open the playoffs versus Willow Glen High School tonight at 8 p.m.

“They're a good team,” said Pioneer Coach Joe Berticevich of his foe. “They shoot the three and they play together well.”

The game is a revival of an old rivalry.

“We used to play them every year in the Santa Teresa Athletic League,” said Berticevich. “They'll be pumped up to play us at our place, but our goal is to win CCS. We're not looking past them. It's do or die now. Everybody's ready to play.”

Pioneer enters the playoffs coming off a grueling MHAL schedule that sent four teams to the playoffs.

Last week, in the Mustangs' final preparation before the postseason, they lost to Leigh High School 52-61. The game was closer than the score indicates.

“We were tied with two minutes to go,” explained Berticevich.

Unfortunately, Pioneer lost two turnovers in the final minutes, ultimately costing them the game, settling the score in Leigh's eyes, who had fallen to the Mustangs in the final second of a game earlier this year.

“Home court plays a big factor in that league (MHAL),” said Berticevich. “Every night you can count on a bunch of people coming out for the game.”

As the number-two seed in their playoff bracket, Pioneer has that same advantage against Willow Glen.

Pioneer senior Ceylon Elgin-Taylor led all scorers with 32 points versus Leigh.

Third time is (again) the charm for Bret Harte cheer squad

You might have expected the Bret Harte Middle School Cheer Squad to feel some pressure at the 2004 United Spirit Association Junior National Championships, held at Disneyland on Feb. 21. After all, the team had won the championship in the middle school performance cheer category the previous two years. Competitive performance cheer is a highly athletic, judged event that includes elements of tumbling, gymnastics, and synchronized dance moves, as well as group “stunts” such as lifts and throws. Competing for a championship requires an aggressive program, with lots of difficult moves, but it also requires excellent execution. As defending champions, the team had prepared a very advanced routine, and now it was time to pull it off.

If the girls did feel any pressure, it didn't show, as the team turned in a near-perfect performance and achieved a three-peat as champions. Addison Jones, the team's academic advisor, said “Once again, the squad has earned the highest recognition for their commitment and energy throughout the year. They are to be congratulated for their competitive success and for their continuous excellence as representatives of Bret Harte school spirit”.

Led by Coach Jen Conrad, and parent advisor Doreen Ramona, the Cheer Squad consists of 8 th graders Kalen Bigger, Molly Bowman, Jillian Bruhn, Courtney Choi, Stefani Fernandez, Lindsey Friessing, Amy Furnal, Natalie Herz, Courtney Klosterman, Bertina Kwan, Gina Mawla, Christy McCarthy, Amanda Niklowitz, Jennifer Osada, Julianne Ramona, Jenna Ryan, Danielle Stadelman, Hannah Van Doren, and Gabrielle Woody; and 7 th Graders Vanessa Demetrus, Amy Georgiou, Mackenzie Leis, Kristina Stich, and Mia Syn.

Advisor Doreen Ramona commented, “We are all very proud of all the girls for the great effort they have put into the team all year. They know how hard they have worked, and deserve to be appreciated for their commitment. Winning, again, at Nationals is a wonderful bonus.”

The Nationals event marks the end of the competitive year for the team, but they will continue spirit activities until the end of the school year. They will also be featured, along with the Bret Harte Girls' basketball team, at a half time performance during the 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. semifinal games of the Pac-10 Women's Basketball Tournament, which will be held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose on March 6. For ticket information, call Tracie Morris at the San Jose Sports Authority 288-2937, tracie@sjsa.org ), or contact Julie Frambach, a “cheer mom” who is also on the tournament Local Organizing Committee, at Hopkins and Carley, (408) 286-9800, or jframbach@hopkinscarley.com.

Tryouts for next year's cheer squad will be held later in the spring. Can they repeat as champs again? We won't know until next year, but in any case, the Spirit Squad will continue to show commitment, enthusiasm, and Bret Harte school spirit.

Valley Christian girls make soccer history

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

The Valley Christian girls soccer team accomplished a major victory last week by winning the CCS championship.  It is the first CCS championship title earned by a girls' sport since 1986, and a first ever for girls soccer, something first-year Head Coach Jolene Keel is very excited about. 

"It's amazing.  It really hasn't settled in yet that we won.  I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach such a good group of girls.  We came together both on and off the field which, I think, was a major contributing factor in our success," says Keel. 

The team received a first round bye in the CCS competition before they beat Robert Louis Stevenson from Monterey 6-1 and Kings Academy 4-1.  Their 2-1 victory, played at Valley Christian, over San Lorenzo Valley on Feb. 28 clenched their CCS championship title and put Valley Christian's girls soccer team on the board for the first time ever with a CCS championship. 

"I've been really confident in them, obviously as we've progressed throughout the season our talent became more evident to everyone, including me," says Keel, "Once we dominated in the first CCS match, I had a feeling we would win."

The team will lose three starting seniors to graduation, but Keel already has her eye on next season.  Of the 12 goals scored by Valley Christian this year, 10 of them have been scored by freshman, eight of them scored by freshman Ali Cheadle, "That is pretty impressive," says Keel. 

The girls racked up a record of 13-6-2 this season in the West Catholic Athletic League.