SPORTS

Leland sits alone in first place after 3-0 win over Westmont

Scott Lucas records eight kills in win for Chargers

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

BIG HITTER AT THE NET. Leland’s Tommy Phan knocks a kill over the outstretched arms of Westmont’s Jon Ng-Parish and Michael Sheehan during a 3-0 win for the Chargers on March 22. The win placed Leland in first place in the Mt. Hamilton Division, one game ahead of the Warriors. Photo courtesy www.mikejanes.com

Round one in the battle for first-place bragging rights in the Mt. Hamilton Division went Leland’s way with a 3-0 win over Westmont in boys’ volleyball action on March 22.

Coming into the contest, both teams sat atop the Mt. Hamilton Division standings with 4-0 records.

“It was great,” said Leland Head Coach Jason Hilbert of the win over Westmont.

“…Other teams in the league said they (Westmont) couldn’t be beat. We knew they were good. We knew there was a challenge and these guys rose to the challenge.”

Game one saw the Chargers (10-5, 5-0) take a convincing 25-12 win over the Warriors (7-1, 4-1). Westmont Head Coach Jeff Poppinga fielded a squad without three of his regulars in Connor Quinn, Matt Hosack and Kyle Adragna for the first game as punishment for skipping practice earlier in the week.

The results of that decision were evident early on as Leland jumped out to a 16-8 lead midway through the first game, getting kills from Tommy Phan and Sam Lee while also taking advantage of a pair of Westmont passing errors during the early stretch.

Later in game one, with a 17-11 lead, Leland scored five straight points and eight out of the last nine points, getting a tip and a key block from Scott Lucas during the scoring run to take game one 25-12.

“They served tough against us,” Poppinga said. “We had difficulty passing the ball. We weren’t returning the favor … just tough serves and some defense.”

Game two proved to be Westmont’s most competitive of the night, as the Warriors came within two points at one point, before Leland pulled away with a 25-18 decision.

Down 13-8 midway through game two, the Warriors went on a 5-2 scoring stretch in which Jon Ng-Parish recorded two kills while Hosack contributed with a tip over the net for Westmont, cutting Leland’s lead to 15-13.

Leland responded by going on a 5-1 scoring stretch, taking advantage of errand passing on Westmont’s side for a 20-14 lead. From that point on, both teams traded points for a 23-18 score before the Chargers finished off game two on consecutive kills from Derrick Truong and Lucas for a 25-18 win.

In taking the game-two win, the Chargers proved that stopping Quinn, arguably one of the hardest hitters in the league, with blocking up front was the key to victory.

“He’s a big hitter,” Phan said of Quinn. “He’s one of the best in league. Our front just stepped up and stopped him. He started to get frustrated and started making mistakes.”

Game three saw Leland put the finishing touches on the 3-0 win, taking a 25-11 decision over the Warriors.

Westmont’s offense had trouble clicking on all cylinders as the Chargers jumped out to a 10-6 lead before going on a 10-1 run. During the scoring stretch, Truong and Lee contributed on offense with kills while also getting key blocks up front.

“It started with one mistake and it just kept going from there,” said Quinn. “Things kept getting lower and lower. Everyone had their heads hanging down.”

After two straight points on kills from Westmont’s Adranga and Ng-Parish for a 20-9 Leland edge, the Chargers rallied for five out of seven points scored for a 25-11 win, getting kills from Lucas and Kevin Kashanian.

“I would say that in all three games, especially games two and three, Leland’s defense was unbelievable,” said Poppinga. “…One of the most frustrating things is when you crank one over and they stop it and get it back over (the net).”

High School Sports Schedule April 1 - 7

Leland High School
Tuesday –Golf vs. Willow Glen at Santa Teresa, 3 p.m.
Tuesday – Badminton vs. Westmont, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Girls’ lacrosse vs. Castilleja, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball at Willow Glen, 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ tennis at Yerba Buena, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – Softball at Leigh, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Boys’ lacrosse at Bellarmine, 4 p.m.
Wednesday – Baseball vs. Willow Glen, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday –Golf vs. Willow Glen at Almaden, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Badminton vs. Overfelt, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball vs. Leigh, 7 p.m.
Thursday – Boys’ tennis at Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Swimming vs. Westmont, 3 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Tuesday –Golf vs. Leigh at Cinnabar, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball at Prospect, 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Baseball vs. Independence, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ tennis vs. Santa Teresa, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Badminton at Live Oak, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Girls’ lacrosse at Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.

Wednesday – Golf vs. Leigh at the Villages, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Softball at Oak Grove, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – Baseball vs. Lincoln, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball vs. Branham, 6 p.m.
Thursday – Boys’ tennis vs. Evergreen, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Track vs. Branham, 3:30 p.m.

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

High School Scoreboard

March 22
Leland girls’ lacrosse 10-7 loss vs. Menlo
Leland badminton 10-5 win at Prospect

Pioneer badminton 9-6 win vs. Gilroy
Pioneer boys’ volleyball 25-15, 25-14, 25-14 loss at Willow Glen

March 23
Leland golf 202-234 win vs. Lincoln

Pioneer golf 205-235 win vs. Branham
Pioneer boys’ track 73-54 win at Del Mar
Pioneer girls’ track 63.5-57-5 win at Del Mar
Pioneer boys’ swimming 125-53 win vs. Independence
Pioneer girls’ swimming 119-64 win vs. Independence

March 24
Leland baseball 8-0 win at Westmont
Leland boys’ tennis 6-1 win at Silver Creek
Leland badminton 13-2 win vs. Yerba Buena

Pioneer girls’ lacrosse 11-2 loss at Menlo School
Pioneer badminton 12-3 loss at Leigh
Pioneer boys’ volleyball 25-7, 25-14, 25-20 loss vs. Leigh
Pioneer boys’ tennis 7-0 loss at Leigh

March 25
Leland baseball 4-3 loss vs. Westmont
Leland softball 4-2 win vs. Mountain View at Charlie Miguel Tournament
Leland softball 10-1 win vs. Pacific Grove at Charlie Miguel Tournament

March 26
Leland softball 10-1 win vs. Santa Teresa at Charlie Miguel Tournament
Leland softball 1-0 win vs. Monte Vista at Charlie Miguel Tournament
Leland softball 2-1 win vs. Mountain View at Charlie Miguel Tournament

Pioneer baseball 12-6 win vs. Leigh at Valley Christian Crown Classic
Pioneer baseball 11-1 loss vs. Valley Christian at Valley Christian Crown Classic
Pioneer softball 4-0 win vs. Los Altos at Charlie Miguel Tournament
Pioneer softball 4-3 win vs. Santa Clara at Charlie Miguel Tournament
Pioneer softball 10-7 loss vs. Santa Teresa at Charlie Miguel Tournament

Sports Briefs

NFL football players to participate in the opening of The Pat Tillman USO Center in Afghanistan
National Football League players will participate in the opening of The Pat Tillman USO Center in Afghanistan this month.

The NFL donated $250,000 to the USO for the construction of the new center, located at Bagram Air Base near Kabul, to be named in honor of Pat Tillman, who grew up in New Almaden. A former player with the Arizona Cardinals and an Army Ranger, Tillman was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan in 2004.

“The USO and NFL Salute the Troops Tour” will soon head to the Persian Gulf to provide a morale boost to troops stationed in the region. The tour will bring National Football League players Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers), Larry Izzo (New England Patriots) and Warrick Dunn (Atlanta Falcons) to “meet and greet” troops in addition to participating in the opening of The Pat Tillman USO Center in Afghanistan.

For more than 64 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale and recreation-type services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services.

Since its birth in 1920, National Football League and its players have entered the military during times of military conflicts. More than 1,200 players, coaches and team owners interrupted or delayed their NFL careers to serve in the armed forces during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Twenty-three, including former Arizona Cardinals player Pat Tillman, gave their lives for their country.

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

Prizes can be picked up by the AVGSL, but those fitting in a standard business size envelope can be sent to P.O. box 20642, San Jose, CA 95160.

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

USYVL youth volleyball signups 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.

2005 Pop Warner Football signup dates
The Almaden Pop Warner Football organization will hold tryouts at the Almaden Country School Little League Field on Trinidad Drive on the following dates:
Saturday, April 2, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. at Country School baseball field (Little league field on Trinidad)
Saturday, April 9, 10 am-3 pm at Country School baseball field (Little league field on Trinidad)
Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Country School baseball field (Little league field on Trinidad)

Almaden Ladybugs soccer tryouts
Almaden Ladybugs Premier/ Class 1, U17 Girls, tryouts for State Cup and Spring/Fall season, every Tuesday and Thursday.  Date of birth after 7/31/88. Contact Roger Haupt (408) 779-7697, Linda Urzi (408) 723-0928.     

Bay-Area TPX Top 96 High School Invitational Baseball Showcase June 3-4
Applications are now being accepted for the Bay Area- TPX Top 96 High School Invitational Baseball Showcase.  The top 96 position players and top 48 pitchers will be selected from those who apply.  The application deadline is April 30.  The showcase is June 3-4 at PAL Stadium in San Jose.  Apply online at www.top96.com or call Doug Henson at 508-481-5939.

Malawsky game-winner snaps seven-game skid for Stealth

Veteran forward scores with four seconds left for 15-14 win over Anaheim

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Stealth forward Derek Malawsky scored on a shot over Anaheim goalie Matt King’s left shoulder with four seconds left, giving San Jose a 15-14 win on March 25 at the HP Pavilion.

Just 28 seconds before Malawsky’s game-winner, San Jose Stealth rookie Ryan Boyle tied the game with his second goal of the night, shooting the ball past King from 20 feet out. On the next possession, Stealth Head Coach Johnny Mour-adian pulled goalie Anthony Cosmo from the field to give the offense an extra attacker. Boyle re-ceived the ball and, seeing Malawsky run off the bench and toward the left side of Anaheim’s goal, fired a long pass to him, resulting in the game-winning shot.

“I turned around and started cutting down and luckily, Ryan (Boyle) got double-teamed and he saw me and made a great pass,” Malawsky said of the play. “…The first thing I thought is that I have no time to do anything with this. I just shot it right away and caught the goalie off guard.”

With the win, the San Jose Stealth snapped a seven-game losing streak that began Feb. 5 in Philadelphia. During that span, San Jose lost three of those games by one goal and another loss by two goals.

“I’m really proud of our guys because, out of our last five games, we’ve lost three by one goal and won one by one,” said Mouradian. “So, I know what it’s like in their (Anaheim’s) locker room right now.”

At the end of the third quarter, it seemed as if San Jose had the game under control with a 12-9 lead. But the Anaheim Storm quickly tied things up with three straight goals in less than four minutes to start the fourth quarter. After a goal from Cam Sedgwick put San Jose up 13-12, Anaheim responded with two straight goals from Casey Powell and Richard Morgan for a 14-13 lead with 3:15 remaining.

“Very nervous,” Mouradian said of giving up the three-goal lead in the fourth quarter. “That’s the same situation we’ve been in a lot this year. We center, we try to relax, we try to visualize, and we have a focused plan.”

For San Jose, the offense featured a balanced attack that saw Sedgwick and Curt Malawsky notch hat tricks with three goals and three assists each. Boyle, Derek Malawsky and Luke Gilbert scored two goals apiece to help San Jose to its’ fourth win of the season.

“We shared the ball a lot tonight,” Mouradian said. “I thought we moved the ball well. We probably had more assists tonight than in any other game. It was very unselfish, and that’s what pays off.”

Part of San Jose’s success on offense came to an efficient attack on power-play opportunities, going 4-of-6 for the game, including three power-play goals in the first half.

“When an offense distributes the ball like that, even out all over the floor, you can’t defend it,” said Curt Malawsky.

The good feelings from the win didn’t last long for San Jose, as the Stealth took their home-and-home series back to Anaheim the following night and lost another one-point game by a score of 13-12. The loss dropped San Jose’s record to 4-10 in the West Division, right in front of last-place Anaheim, which holds a 3-9 record on the season.

The pool is beginning to heat up at Leland

Chargers look to stay meters ahead of the competition

By Carl Ponzio
Times Intern

Teams that visit Leland do not worry about the depth of the Chargers’ pool; however, they do worry about the depth of the Chargers’ benches.

The Leland boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving teams have returned to the water seeking the success that they both had last season. Now that the season is in full swing, both teams are looking to cut any of the slack that the off-season may have brought in efforts to return to the spotlight.

The boys are jumping back into the pool after finishing last season with a 6-1 league record. Head Coach Mike Monsees is convinced that it is his team’s depth that separates them from the other teams in the Mt. Hamilton division.

“We have a lot of experienced swimmers,” said Monsees. “Our balance is pretty good.”

Despite the departure of star swimmer Zac Monsees from the Leland squad, Coach Monsees, his dad, feels that the team still has what it takes to return to their 6-1 record. Swimmers such as Brian Luu and Brian Kane are a couple of the Leland up-and-coming athletes that will help propel the Chargers forward this season. The boys currently stand at 1-1 this season.

Coming in strong runner-up positions and taking first place in half of the events, the Chargers were able to come up with a win against Mount Pleasant in their first meet of the season. However, the Chargers were not as strong in their performance against the Leigh Longhorns on March 23, losing the meet 130-53.

The lady Chargers are strapping on their goggles in hopes of repeating last year’s performance. Stifling the competition last season with a 7-0 league record, the girls were league champions and undefeated in dual meets. Like their male counterparts, the strength of the girls can be summed up in the numbers of quality athletes on the roster.

“Some swim teams don’t have the depth that we do,” said Head Coach Mike Haake.

A strong lineup is what is making the girls so dominant over the competition. Returning for her second season with the Chargers is Courtney Monsees. Carrying on the name and performance that the Monsees’ have come to be known for, Courtney is “in her own league” according to Haake.

“If you want to win, put her in,” added Coach Haake of Courtney. “We build around her.”

Senior Casey Armstrong and future CCS competitive diver Sophia Tripp are two others of a nearly 50-member team that give the Chargers the edge over the competition. And while other teams in the Mt. Hamilton division have only one, if any, divers on their team, Coach Haake has a team of four divers lead by Tripp.

The lady Chargers displayed their dominant skills against Leigh on March 23. Taking first place in all events except the 200 freestyle, Monsees took first place in the 100 fly with a time of 1:28.40 and first in the 100 breaststroke where she clocked in at 1:10.99. Armstrong took first in the 200 IM swim and 500 freestyle swim with times of 2:07.39 and 5:50.36. Leland crushed the Longhorns 128-52.

Now standing at a 2-0 league record and a 3-0 overall record, the ladies of Leland have their sights not only set on reclaiming their Mt. Hamilton league championship, but on the Santa Teresa Saints as well. Coach Haake believes that Santa Teresa’s team is close to the quality of the Chargers and would like to come out with a win over the Saints later this season.

“Santa Teresa will be the gun fight at the OK Corral,” said Haake.

With both the girls’ and boys’ team swimming strong, Leland is surely going to be the team to beat in the Mt. Hamilton division; however, dethroning the Chargers might be easier said than done.

San Jose Fit on fast track to crowning achievement

Runners prepare for Silicon Valley Marathon

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Running support group San Jose Fit will hold signups at Los Gatos High School on April 16 and 26.

The group offers a marathon-training program, designed to enhance the efforts of walkers and runners who endeavor to complete the 26.2-mile Silicon Valley Marathon course on Oct. 3.

Everybody is welcome to participate, and coaches assure no experience is necessary.

“Most people can complete a marathon distance race with the proper training,” said Tom Kaisersaat, one of three head coaches, who have coordinated approximately 30 assistant coaches and between 300 to 400 participants each year since the group’s inception in 1998.

“We like to put the program out there and let the people decide for themselves to join and run a marathon, and then we support that with seminars.”

Coaches such as Kaisersaat bring a vast knowledge and experience to training sessions. At 60 plus years of age, Kaisersaat has earned more than 100 marathon finisher medals—and counting. He often competes at ultra-marathon races as well, running 30 miles or further, depending on the race.

“There’s a lot to learn,” said Kaisersaat. “I only strap on my shoes about three times a week during training, and between two to three miles you should never break a sweat; otherwise your heart is approaching anaerobic function, not the optimum capacity when jogging.”

Novice runners relish such tips, learning to manage running development on the San Jose Fit watch.

“Nothing should hurt,” continued Kaisersaat. “It’s going to be uncomfortable, but nothing should hurt.”

The program spans 28 weeks, with members congregating each Saturday at Los Gatos High. San Jose Fit coaches offer tips via seminar and one on one interaction, covering every nuance in the sport, including nutrition, hydration, proper running form, sports massage and which gear to use in a race.

“You don’t want to be running for 26 miles in cotton socks,” said Terry Ridgway, an eight-year veteran of San Jose Fit. “I started in the very first year, never having run a marathon, and enjoyed it so much because of the camaraderie. You could go out and run 20 miles alone, but it’s not that fun; it’s nice to have somebody to talk to.”

“Sometimes it just takes a little bit of peer pressure, just to show up,” said Kaisersaat. “The hardest part is just getting to where you start the run. We tend to be social creatures and talking with the friends you make helps support your interest in running a marathon. Running is no different from any other aspect in life socially.”

Officials hope a historically impeccable completion rate will attract new members to the program this year. Last year, of approximately 400 participants, just four failed to complete the marathon—and those all were due to injury.

“For me, self-esteem was the greatest value I sought running a marathon,” said Kaisersaat. “I felt good being able to plan something six months in advance and having the patience to do everything necessary to be able to pull it off. As for coaching, the greatest thing is to see so many people accomplish this goal they set that they really can’t fathom in the beginning.”

San Jose Fit is a localized division of USA Fit, which sponsors 50 cities in accomplishing marathon races across the country. San Jose Fit boasts members from Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, Los Gatos, San Jose and beyond. The closest alternative is in either San Francisco or Danville.

“People participating at San Jose Fit are about the nicest people we have ever met,” said second-year returner Zoe Mount. “Unless you have a physical reason that you shouldn’t be running, it’s a great program.”

For more information, please visit www.sanjosefit.com.

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