March 8, 2007

SPORTS

Hitting barrage fuels Leland baseball to 2-0 start in league play

Chargers score 27 runs in two-game sweep of Piedmont Hills to open Mt. Hamilton Division season

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland baseball team had plenty of offense to go around, putting up 27 runs in a two-game sweep over Piedmont Hills to open up Mt. Hamilton Division play last week.

Leland starting pitcher John Pfeiffer went five innings, allowing five runs, to pick up the win in a 15-7 decision over Piedmont Hills on March 1. Photos by Kevin Jones at www.johub.com

The wins, by scores of 12-2 and 15-7 on Feb. 27 and March 1, respectively, saw the Chargers (2-0) pound out a total of 24 hits against Piedmont Hills’ pitching over the two-game stretch. All told, Leland head coach Anthony Siri said he was pleased with the start in league play, especially on offense.

“I’m very happy with the approach we took,” Siri said following the 15-7 win on March 1. “…We work hard in practice on our approach on the offensive side of our game, as well as defensive. The guys are really starting to put it together. Usually pitching is ahead of hitting, and we’re really taking a jump in the other direction, where the hitting is actually catching up to the pitching, and it’s showing.”

While Siri said his starting lineup doesn’t have any true power hitters, the Chargers still managed to swat three home runs in the two-game sweep, getting a three-run home run from shortstop Lance Gemette and a solo home run from first baseman Garrett Avilla in the team’s 12-2 win on Feb. 27, as well as a solo home run from catcher Tyler Henry in the 15-7 win on March 1.

In both wins, the Leland offense managed to put together nine-run innings to help put the games out of reach for the Pirates. In the 15-7 win on March 1, all but one starter in the lineup managed to record a hit. Avilla led the offense, going 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Ben Asleson went 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Nate Jones, the team’s leadoff hitter and center fielder, set the table for the rest of the lineup, going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in the 15-7 win.

Leland center fielder Nate Jones went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in the 15-7 win over Piedmont Hills.

When it was all said and done, the Chargers recorded 15 hits in the scoring barrage. “We took a solid approach to the plate, a lot of confidence at the plate, and it was contagious,” Siri said. “The guys were feeding off each other with good energy.”

And while the bats were on a roll, the pitching was equally effective, according to Siri. Starting pitcher Alex Todd notched Leland’s first league win by tossing five innings and allowing just a pair of runs in the 12-2 win on Feb. 27. That performance was followed up by a five-inning, five-run outing from starting pitcher John Pfeiffer on March 1. The senior right-hander was touched up for three runs in the first inning, but settled down to allow just two more runs over his final four innings of work to earn the win in the 15-7 decision.

“If you can get strike one and pitch with an offensive mindset, which is what he was doing, that put him in the driver’s seat,” Siri said of Pfeiffer. “He was definitely being the aggressor. …He could’ve folded up shop when he was down 3-0, but he kept battling.”

Leland track team gears up for another run in 2007

Barnett sisters, McKenzie, Vera, Gao and Ayala names to watch in 2007

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

The Leland track team hopes to improve upon a banner year in which the Chargers vied for two league titles last season.

Coach Jerry Rose said that his girls will likely accomplish that feat, returning the majority of contributors to a team that captured the Santa Teresa Division league title in 2006.

The boys, meanwhile, graduated several key athletes last spring, and will also look for a bit of luck to return to the league’s top ranks. Last season, Leland finished second, trailing mere points behind champion Willow Glen, following the final dual meet of the season.

“The exciting part is rebuilding and trying to put together a team like we had last year, trying to maintain and live up to the talent that we have,” said Rose. “It is always nice to have talent, but can you get it to produce?”

On the girls’ side, talent is the most appropriate word available to describe the Chargers corps.

Leading the pack will be 2006 Central Coast Section Division II cross-country champion Stephanie Barnett. The accomplished sophomore will anchor a distance unit that will not likely see an opponent’s heel this season.

As a freshman last year, Barnett qualified for the CCS final meet in the two-mile event, with a time of 11:26.71. She is also dangerous in the one-mile.

“Our girls are very strong, perhaps stronger than last year,” said Rose.

Barnett’s younger sister, Claudia, joined the team this year as a freshman, and has enjoyed success equal to that of her big sister at comparable stages of development, until injuries hampered her cross-country efforts last fall.
“Claudia really bolsters our distance,” said Rose.

The Barnett’s revealed a glimpse of their speed together on March 3, when Leland hosted the Hollister-Samuelson Co-Ed Relays. Teamed with sophomore boys Frank Gao and Joel Ayala, the Barnetts led Leland to a first place finish.

“They were back about 200 yards when Stephanie got the baton,” said Rose. “She was anchoring the race. She caught the other kid and gained about 200 more yards before we won.”

Rose said that freshman Michelle Hsieh and sophomore Ashley Nguyen, both cross country runners, will also contribute this season.

Hurdler junior Kikita Fkiras is back at full strength this season as well. Fkiras blew out her knee playing soccer following a promising freshman year in which she reached the CCS finals in hurdles.

Recovering last year as a sophomore, Fkiras could not reach full speed until the waning weeks of league competition. As a result, she did not qualify for the finals.

“She was one of the top girls in CCS, until she blew out her knee,” said Rose. “This year she is back and stronger than ever.”

Rose said that Hsieh will also compete in hurdles, and could possibly end up being one of the league’s brightest surprises, he added.

Senior Dana McKenzie, the only other Charger to qualify for CCS last season, returns as the league high jump favorite.

“Dana is already jumping 5 feet in practice,” said Rose.

McKenzie missed going to the state meet last season as a freshman by one spot, giving her a goal to shoot for this season. Rose called this the year for McKenzie.

Sophomore Lauren Chen will preside over Leland’s presence in the long-jump pit and in triple jump. Chen has posted marks greater than 15 feet in the long jump. Rose said she is over 32 feet in the triple.

On the boys’ side, distance is also the major strength. However, Rose said that it does not look like the boys will enjoy as strong a supporting cast as the girls currently have.

“Other than Willow Glen, we are the best distance team in the league,” said Rose.

The group is lead by sophomores Matt Vera, Gao, and Ayala.

“That’s the best sophomore group in the CCS,” said Rose. “Last year we took them to Westmoor for a sophomores-only meet, and they blew everybody away. Nobody can touch us sophomore-for-sophomore.”

The trio will gain points in the one- and two-mile events, but beyond that, the lineup is thin.

Jump specialist Nathanial Polussa is the only other proven competitor on the team. Polussa, also a soccer player, posted a leap greater than 41 feet in the triple jump last season. Polussa also went over 21 feet in the long jump, so he should contend in league, according to Rose.

Sports Briefs

Editor’s note: Due to the high volume of requests, announcements in the Sports Briefs section will run for one issue only, effective immediately. Announcements submitted to the Times must be 100 words or less and must be received by the Times no later than noon on Monday for that week’s issue. To submit announcements, please e-mail Almaden Times
Weekly Sports Editor Diego Abeloos at diego@timesmediainc.com.

Bret Harte Middle School needs track coaches
Bret Harte Middle School is in need of track coaches for sprint/relay, hurdles/high jump and long/triple jump. The season begins the last week of March and runs through mid May. Coaches’ time commitments are approximately from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. three days a week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday). Coaches will also need to be fingerprinted and have a TB test completed through San Jose Unified School District. Bret Harte Boosters will reimburse coaches for the expense. Coaches are to report to the head coach and are under the direction of the school administration and Bret Harte Boosters. If interested, call Amy Yorkey at (408) 535-6270 ext. 214.

Free electronic waste recycling event for Leland tennis
The Leland High School Tennis Program with the help of EarthCare Recycling is hosting an EWaste Recycling Event, Saturday, March 31, at the Leland High School parking lot from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your old TVs, monitors, desktops, laptops, PDAs, printers, and other electronic equipment, and we will recycle it at no cost to you.

Proceeds from the event go toward resurfacing the tennis courts at Leland. For questions, contact Steve Ramona at EarthCare Recycling (408) 573-8573 or stever@earthcarerecycling.com. Leland High School is located at 6677 Camden Avenue.

Almaden Ice girls U9 holds soccer tryouts
The newly formed Almaden Ice girls’ U9 soccer team will be holding tryouts on March 10, 11 and 17. Contact George Karabatsos at (408) 677-6756 for times and location or e-mail gak1021@yahoo.com.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Varsity boys’ lacrosse vs. St. Mary’s, 4 p.m.

Saturday – Softball at Santa Clara, 7 p.m. varsity and 5 p.m. JV
Saturday – Track at K-Bell Invitational at Los Gatos, 9 a.m.
Saturday – Track at Watsonville relays, 9 a.m.
Saturday – Boys’ volleyball at Homestead Tournament, all day
Saturday – Frosh/soph boys’ lacrosse at Menlo-Atherton Tournament, 9 a.m.
Saturday – Varsity girls’ lacrosse vs. Santa Catalina, time TBA

Monday – Varsity boys’ lacrosse at Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
Monday – Frosh/soph boys’ lacrosse at Burlingame, 4 p.m.

Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball vs. Serra, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Tuesday – Baseball at Pioneer, 3:30 p.m.*
Tuesday – Golf vs. Oak Grove at Almaden Golf and Country Club, 3 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ tennis at Independence, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Badminton at Independence, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ lacrosse vs. Menlo, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ lacrosse vs. Gunn, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Softball vs. Mountain View, 3:30 p.m.*
Wednesday – Swimming vs. Live Oak, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Boys’ lacrosse vs. Menlo, 4 p.m. varsity and 5:30 p.m. frosh/soph

Thursday – Softball vs. Monta Vista, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball at Pioneer, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Thursday – Baseball vs. Pioneer, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Golf vs. Oak Grove at SCCC, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Boys’ tennis vs. Yerba Buena, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Track vs. Sobrato, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Badminton at Santa Teresa, 3:30 p.m.


Pioneer High School
Saturday – Track at Willow Glen High School Invitational, 9 a.m.

Monday – JV golf vs. Westmont at RP, 3 p.m.
Monday – Badminton at Prospect, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday – Baseball vs. Leland, 3:30 p.m.*
Tuesday – Girls’ lacrosse vs. Castilleja, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ tennis vs. Westmont, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball at Sobrato, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Tuesday – Swimming vs. Piedmont Hills, 3 p.m.

Wednesday – Golf vs. Leigh at the Villages, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ volleyball vs. Leigh, 7 p.m.

Thursday – Boys’ volleyball vs. Leland, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Thursday – Boys’ tennis at Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Baseball at Leland, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Track at Oak Grove, 3:30 p.m.


*JV or frosh/soph team plays at opposite site of varsity at the same time

For more information about Leland and Pioneer sporting events, go to:

Pioneer Athletics: http://www.phsathletics.com/
Leland Athletics: http://www.lelandathletics.com/
Blossom Valley Athletic League: http://www.bval.org/

High School Scoreboard

Feb. 28
Pioneer golf 205-227 win vs. Piedmont Hills

Mar. 1
Leland boys’ tennis 6-1 win at Leigh
Leland softball 10-0 win vs. Branham

Mar. 2
Leland golf 196-234 loss vs. Bellarmine

Pioneer boys’ volleyball 25-18, 25-16, 25-23 win vs. Wilcox

Pioneer baseball begins league play with two losses to Leigh

Mustangs searching for first league win, open up new baseball field with 12-9 loss on March 2

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Pioneer baseball team got off to a rocky start in league play last week, posting 6-0 and 12-9 losses to Leigh to open up Mt. Hamilton Division play.

Pioneer's Garret Lewis unleashes a pitch during a 6-0 loss to Leigh on March 1. Lewis hit a first inning grand slam the next day to help christen Pioneer's new baseball field in a 12-9 loss to the Longhorns. Photo by Dan Miranda.

The Mustangs (0-2, 4-3) opened up league play on March 1 on the road, managing just two hits in a 6-0 shutout that saw Longhorns starting pitcher Chris Balcom-Miller toss six scoreless innings, striking out seven. The following day, Pioneer opened up its’ new baseball field with a 12-9 loss that featured a five-run rally with two outs by the Longhorns in top of the seventh inning. Reliever Kyle Burchfiel took the loss in the 12-9 decision.

“We knew that Leigh was going to be one of the top teams in the league, and we were hoping to take at least one, if not two, from them,” Pioneer head coach Jake Hernandez said of the two losses to the Longhorns.

Still, the losses haven’t put a damper on the team’s spirits, Hernandez said, pointing to the fact that the Mustangs have a new baseball field to play on this season. The field, which took nine months to build, is as good as it comes in high school, Hernandez added.

“It’s like a new school. There’s new life into the program,” Hernandez said of the new field. “I think it’s one of the better facilities around, not only in baseball, but just in athletics.”

Despite the losses, Hernandez said he’s confident in his team’s ability to bounce back from the rough start. Starting pitchers Garret Lewis and Scott Rudolph both threw the ball well against the Longhorns, Hernandez said, who added that the team’s defense also played a part in the losses, with five errors over the two-game stretch. Prior to allowing 18 runs to the Longhorns in the two-game series, the Pioneer pitching staff allowed just nine runs over a five-game stretch in preseason play.

“Our pitching’s been doing well,” Hernandez said. “…But Leigh’s a good hitting team and we made some errors (four) on Friday. But I’m very happy with our pitching. It’s our No. 1 thing right now. Consistently throughout, it’s probably one of my better pitching staffs.”

Likewise, Hernandez said he’s confident in his senior-laden starting lineup despite the two-hit shutout on March 1. The team came into league play averaging nearly five runs per game in the preseason. While the lineup doesn’t have any true power hitters, Hernandez said, it’s still potent enough to worry other teams, given the wide array of gap-to-gap contact hitters on the team.

“We’re pretty consistent throughout the lineup,” Hernan-dez said. “There’s not much power in the lineup, but we’ve got some good contact hitters, some good situational hitters. We’re looking to them to put some hits together …I’m confident that they’re going to come around. They’re in a bit of a slump right now, but it seems like that always happens at the beginning of the year.”

And while the league-opening two-game series against Leigh didn’t produce a win for the Mustangs, it certainly had its exciting moments, especially during the team’s home opener on March 2. Lewis, playing first base during the 12-9 loss, christened the new baseball field in a hurry by blasting a grand slam over the left field wall in the bottom of the first inning to give his team an early 4-3 lead.

“We knew when the field was being built that the wind was going to be blowing out here,” Hernandez said. “Obviously, that was the perfect situation. A grand slam for the first home run (at the new field) by a Pioneer player. It was exciting.”

BVAL All-League selections for winter

Pioneer boys’ basketball – Mt. Hamilton Division
Senior of the Year - Gilbert Mendoza
Coach of the Year - Joe Berticevich
First Team - Matt Montelongo
Second Team - TJ Watson

Leland boys’ basketball – Santa Teresa Division
Junior of the Year - Drew Marino
Sophomore of the Year - Greg Hipwell
Second Team - Greg Hipwell
Second Team - Patrick Calhoun

Pioneer girls’ basketball – Mt. Hamilton Division
Co-MVP - Michele Rebozzi
Sophomore of the Year - Mercedes Pardo
First Team - Mercedes Pardo

Leland girls’ basketball – Mt. Hamilton Division
Co-MVP - Kristen Yoshioka
Coach of the Year - Wade Nakamura
First Team - Meggie Yoshioka
First Team - Ana Farrington
Second Team - Ana Castillo
Second Team - Pam Wolfe

Pioneer girls’ soccer – Mt. Hamilton Division
Senior of the Year - Stephanie Righetti
First Team - Sami Vega
First Team - Julia Setnicker
Second Team - Bianca Springer
Second Team - Michelle Schenone

Leland girls’ soccer – Mt. Hamilton Division
First Team - Sara Chehrehsa
Second Team - Karina Cavanna

Pioneer boys’ soccer – Mt. Hamilton Division
Second Team - William Caceres

Leland boys’ soccer – Mt. Hamilton Division
First Team - Adel Aralie
First Team - Adonis Lerine
Second Team - Dean Crosbie
Second Team - Cam Jung

Castillero Cobras girls’ basketball team wins SJUSD championship

Castillero Cobras

The undefeated Castillero Cobras eighth grade girls’ team won the SJUSD basketball tournament held at San Jose State University on Feb. 10-12.

Jumping out to a first-quarter lead against an aggressive Hoover team, the Cobras continued to strike with full
court pressure defense, fast break speed and free-throw accuracy.

This year’s powerhouse team completed an undefeated 12-0 regular season record and is the first girls’ team in school history to bring home a district championship trophy to Castillero.

Champion team members are: Maricruz Ramirez, Kendra Meadows, Marissa Sarabia, Mari Nakashima, Colleen Bush, Leigh Hiura, Nici Gilday, Sara Vierra, Rianna Lorenzo, Ashleigh Brendlen and Nikki Sarantinos, Julia Mangin (not pictured). Head Coach Jean Hendrickson and Assistant Coach Rikki Goede (not pictured).

Bret Harte cheer team places high in USA Nationals Cheer Competition

Bret Harte Middle School's cheer team took fourth place in the Junior Show Cheer Advanced Division at the USA Nationals Cheer Competition, and first place in the Jr. Group Stunt Division after competing at the competition on March 4.

The Bret Harte Middle School cheer team.

After being undefeated in all of the USA Northern California Regionals, the team took fourth place out of 12 teams in the Advanced Division and first place out of eight in the Stunt Division. The team has been working together since last May when they formed this year's squad. 

Besides practicing, participating in school rallies, cheering for the wrestling, basketball, softball and other school teams, the team has also taken part in charity and fund-raising events. Many of the athletes are school scholars on the honor roll and principal's list, and have also enjoyed lots of family support this season.

The team will hold the BHMS Cheer Clinic, Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (with a parent show from 3-4 p.m.) at BHMS for any aspiring K-eighth grade cheerleaders. Cost is $20 per student. 

Interested parties are invited to come and learn cheers, dances, tumbling and routines, and meet the cheer team and their head coach, Tiffany Chambers, who has been cheering for 11 years, tumbling for six years, dancing for 15 years, and currently competes in the college ranks, while attending school and working. In addition, attendees will also have the chance to meet the assistant coach Eric Vo, who has been cheering for six years, tumbling for five years and dancing for eight years, also while working and attending college and cheering on a collegiate cheer squad. 

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.