April 19, 2007

SPORTS

Boulder Ridge’s John Ellis nears pinnacle at home in dramatic Canadian Tour play

By Karl Laucher
Special to the Times

How could you not have a dramatic experience at The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge?

San Jose resident Paxton Song lines up a putt on his way to shooting a three-over-par 75 during the first round of the San Jose International Open on April 12. Photos by Dan Miranda

The dynamic natural terrain, the smashing views, the shockingly beautiful course layout and majestic clubhouse, and even the sudden death twist that zapped local protagonist John Ellis in the Canadian Tour’s first Bay Area appearance, the San Jose International Open.

It was show time on the ridge above Almaden Valley, and the final script had lots of eye candy, and probably more than a few pounds of hypertension. There were some who went home disappointed, for sure. You can start with most of the 87 (out of 156) entries who didn’t make the cut, and thus didn’t share in the $100,000 purse. Many of the unfortunate non-qualifiers came from lands far beyond the shores of the USA and Canada.

The big winner was tour rookie Adam Bland of Australia, who collected the $16,000 first prize after edging out Ellis and two others in a special one-hole playoff on breezy a Sunday, April 15. The foursome tied at 279 each after four rounds of regulation play. Ellis earned the second place money at $7,000.

Among those who got the axe after two rounds was Boulder Ridge golf pro James Monroe, who managed to have his own spectacular moment before stepping aside. Monroe sank a dramatic 25-foot par putt in front of the home crowd on day one that had him in a good position for advancement with a round of 73. On day two, however, he blew up to an 81 with two triple bogies and went back to club management.

“It was humbling, exhilarating and exciting,” Monroe said of his participation. “The theatrics of the first day were good enough for me. The second day dramatics were almost meaningless after the first-day heroics.”

Scorers Frank Soures, foreground, and David Tuckness adjust the leader board at the 18th hole during the final round of the San Jose International Open at The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge on April 15. Photos by Dan Miranda

Ellis, age 27, who lives in Blossom Valley, was in the thick of the hunt until Bland’s winning putt. An “honorary member” of Boulder Ridge, Ellis tied his best-ever score on his home course on day two when he sailed home with a round of 64, tying the previous course record held by Aaron Oberholser, former San Jose State University golfer who won the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach last year. However, even that moment for Ellis was overshadowed when Bret Guetz of Fresno fired a nine-under-par 62 en route to a final total of 282, a tie for seventh.

Ellis was not in a mood to let a few near misses spoil his otherwise spectacular performance.

“I’m very happy with the week,” he said. “I’m a little frustrated that I didn’t win, but it was a very good week.”

The 6-foot, 190-pound Ellis, a three-time All-Pac-10 golfer out of the University of Oregon, will join the Canadian Tour at the Brookside Country Club in Stockton this week, and then on to Mexico for four weeks of golf before a short break—and more golf—in Canada.

For more information go to www.CanTour.com.

SJSU football coach Tomey surprised Pro Am golf winner

By Karl Laucher
Special to the Times

San Jose State University head football coach Dick Tomey was a surprise winner in the recent Sponsor Pro-Am golf tournament, a tune-up to the pro Canadian Tour at The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge.

San Jose State University head football coach Dick Tomey lines up his shot on the 13th hole at The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge during the Pro-Am Tournament on April 10 at the San Jose international Open.

Because he had to leave early—after 16 holes—Tomey didn’t know his foursome took the overall win in the “shambles format” pro-am event, until called for comment by the Times newspapers.

He didn’t even collect his share of the grand prize—a $100 gift certificate, which, in this case, will have to be split six ways because the team’s pro, Stuart Anderson of Canada, also had to leave early. Both men were replaced by substitutes.

“If our team won first prize, I had very little do with it,” said Tomey. “I was like the donkey on the team.”

Tomey, who has been hailed for his work in turning around the SJSU football program, defeating Stanford and Fresno State en route to winning the New Mexico Bowl last season, said he was thrilled to play golf with so many great athletes.

“I enjoyed playing with the pros,” he said. “I’m amazed how competitive they are. They could pass for the top players in the world to me.”

Most of the Canadian Tour players are trying to crack the list of the world’s top 300 players and earn a chance to compete in the Professional Golfers Association tour. Although not a member of Boulder Ridge, Tomey has played the course several times before as the guest of Boulder Ridge member and SJSU Director of Athletics Thomas Bowen.

Speaking of memberships, Boulder Ridge Golf Pro James Mason reports that the club is more than halfway toward its goal of 400 members. Prices are $65,000 for an individual or $82,500 for a family.

“I love it,” said Tomey. “It’s a great course.”

Boulder Ridge did not charge for admission to the Canadian Tour event, but rather asked for a “suggested donation” of $10, all of which went to charity, in this case about $5,000 going to Via Services, formerly known as the Santa Clara Count Crippled Children’s Society.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Swimming vs. Leigh, 3 p.m.
Friday – Boys’ lacrosse at Harbor, 4 p.m. varsity and 5:30 p.m. frosh/soph
Friday – Girls’ lacrosse at Menlo, 4 p.m. varsity and 5:30 p.m. frosh/soph

Monday – Boys’ tennis Mt. Hamilton Division playoffs, time TBA
Monday – Boys’ lacrosse at Serra, 4 p.m. varsity and 5:30 p.m. frosh/soph

Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball vs. Oak Grove, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Tuesday – Baseball vs. Piedmont Hills, 3:30 p.m.*
Tuesday – Softball at Live Oak, 3:30 p.m.*
Tuesday – Varsity golf vs. Santa Teresa at Cinnabar, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph golf vs. Piedmont Hills at Almaden Golf and Country Club, 3 p.m.
Tuesday – Swimming vs. Santa Teresa, 3 p.m.
Tuesday – Badminton at Silver Creek, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ lacrosse vs. Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ lacrosse vs. Castilleja, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Frosh/soph golf vs. Westmont at RP, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Boys’ tennis league team finals, time TBA

Thursday – Boys’ tennis league team finals, time TBA
Thursday – Softball vs. Evergreen, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball at Westmont, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Thursday – Baseball at Westmont, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Track at Overfelt, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity golf vs. Santa Teresa at Almaden Golf and Country Club, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Badminton vs. Piedmont Hills, 3:30 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Badminton vs. Gunderson, 3:30 p.m.
Friday – Swimming vs. Independence, 3 p.m.
Friday – Boys’ tennis Santa Teresa Division Singles/Doubles Tournament at Mt. Pleasant, 2:30 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ lacrosse at Menlo-Atherton, 4 p.m.

Monday – Varsity golf vs. Westmont at ST, 4 p.m.
Monday – Frosh/soph golf vs. Santa Teresa at RP, 3 p.m.

Tuesday – Baseball at Leigh, 3:30 p.m.*
Tuesday – Softball vs. Piedmont Hills, 3:30 p.m.*
Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball at Sobrato, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Tuesday – Girls’ lacrosse vs. Woodside, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Badminton vs. San Jose, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity golf vs. Westmont at the Villages, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Frosh/soph golf vs. Santa Teresa at ST, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Boys’ tennis league team finals, time TBA

Thursday – Track at Evergreen, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Softball vs. Mt. Pleasant, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Baseball vs. Live Oak, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Varsity golf vs. Leigh at LL, 3:45 p.m.
Thursday – Frosh/soph golf vs. Lincoln at ST, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Boys’ tennis league team finals, time TBA
Thursday – Badminton at Live Oak, 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/

NJB Almaden All-Stars finish second at National All-Star Tournament

The third and fourth grade girls' National Junior Basketball  (NJB) Almaden All-Star team earned a second place finish at the NJB National All-Star Tournament. The tournament, which included teams from California, Arizona, Nevada and Missouri, was held in Orange County April 13-15. Almaden qualified for the national tournament after posting a 4-1 record in the NJB Silicon Valley Sectional All-Star tournament in March.

From left, back row: Brian Baer, AJ Leasau, Kristin Baer, Melissa Fletcher, Alexis Lindsey, Brooke Lisowski, and Frank Lisowski; front row: Taylor Farley, Erika Staud, Kelly Scharrenberg, Monica Scharrenberg, Ashley Parsons, and Chris Parsons.

The girls from Almaden defeated four teams from southern California on their way to the championship game. In pool play, they defeated Garden Grove 29-16 and used an aggressive half-court trap to rally from a six-point deficit to start the fourth quarter to beat Encinitas (San Diego) 30-29. In the quarterfinals, they secured a 29-22 victory over Rancho Santa Margarita.  The semifinals once again saw the Almaden girls come from behind in the final quarter, this time with four clutch free-throws in the final minutes to beat Cypress 23-20 before losing to Castro Valley in the championship game.

"During practices and games we stressed the importance of effort, teamwork and sportsmanship. The girls should be very proud not only of their accomplishments, but also of the way they competed and the manner in which they represented Almaden in both the sectional and national tournaments," said Brian Baer, head coach of the Almaden team.

Valley Christian Junior High girls’ volleyball squad ends season with perfect record

The Valley Christian Junior High spring girls’ volleyball team finished a highly successful 2007 season undefeated in league play and took first place in the single elimination league playoffs.

The Valley Christian Junior High spring girls’ volleyball team finished the 2007 spring season with a perfect 12-0 record in the Santa Clara County East Side Junior High Coaches Association League. The VCJH team finished the season by defeating Ocala in the league finals.

The VCJH girls, who ended their season at a perfect 12-0, have been playing in the Santa Clara County East Side Junior High Coaches Association League (SCCESJHCA) for three years. The SCCESJHCA league consists of 30 teams. The playoffs consisted of a first-round win against Rancho, a semifinal win over Britton, before defeating Ocala in the finals to finish off the season.

Coach John Haggerty has been coaching (and teaching) at VCJH for four years in various sports, but this is his first year in the spring volleyball coaching position. Haggerty said the team’s perfect 12-0 season was the result of the hard work and dedication put forth by the players on the team.

“The success of an undefeated season that the girls were able to achieve this year happened because of the team chemistry and the hard work that they put in all year,” he said. “I am very humbled to have had the opportunity of working with these young ladies this year.”

Pioneer softball drops 7-0 loss to Evergreen

Mustangs fall to 1-5 in league play to close out first half of Mt. Hamilton Division schedule

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Pioneer softball team returned from the weeklong spring break in rough fashion, posting a 7-0 loss at home to the Evergreen Valley Cougars on April 17.

The loss dropped the Mustangs to 1-5 in Mt. Hamilton Division play, placing Pioneer in last place among the league’s eight teams. Pioneer assistant coach Angel Carrasco, who is managing the team in head coach Ernie Garcia’s absence (Garcia was out of state attending to a family matter), said there’s a sense of urgency in turning the season around during the second half of league play. Still, Carrasco said the team’s 1-5 mark doesn’t tell the whole story, pointing to the fact that the Mustangs have lost three one-run games so far in league play.

Pioneer sophomore right-hander Ashley McMahon gets ready to unleash a pitch during a 7-0 loss at home to the Evergreen Valley Cougars on April 17. Photo by Diego Abeloos

“It’s do or die now,” Carrasco said of the team’s play heading into the second half of the league schedule. “We’ve got the rest of our games left against teams we’ve already played. But we can compete with anybody. Our 1-5 record doesn’t really dictate how we play. We’re a much better team than 1-5, we’ve just been losing some close games.”

The Cougars took advantage of three Mustang errors in the top of the third to score six runs, all with two outs, to get the scoring started. Evergreen scored three runs on a wild pitch and back-to-back infield singles, before Cougars starting pitcher Jennifer Ames blasted a three-run home run over the left field fence to help her own cause for a 6-0 lead.

The Cougars added one more run in the top of the fourth when Evergreen’s Ashlee Velez stole home.

Carrasco said the third-inning scoring outburst was the difference maker for the Mustangs, both in the score and mentally.

“I think the turning point was when we made the three errors in one inning,” said Carrasco. “That kind of brought the girls down. …In that one inning, some mental mistakes were made.”

Making the start in the pitching circle for the Mustangs was sophomore Ashley McMahon, instead of team ace Alyssa Walker, who missed the game after having four wisdom teeth pulled recently. Carrasco said having Walker unavailable is tough for the young Mustangs, who rely on the right-hander’s poise on the pitching rubber, as well as her bat.

“She’s a big part of the team,” Carrasco said of Walker’s absence on the field. “She’s our ace, which is big. Not only that, she can hit too and play first base.”

Carrasco added that he expects Walker to return later in the week.

As for McMahon, Carrasco said the sophomore right-hander didn’t bring her best stuff to the pitching circle in the loss to the Cougars.

“Her problem was her command,” Carrasco said of McMahon. “…Her command was off, her pitches were off; she just didn’t get into that groove.”

Still, Carrasco said McMahon has the potential to compete at the varsity level, provided that she continues to work on her game. According to Carrasco, McMahon has been getting valuable experience only during non-league tournament play, before making the emergency start against Evergreen on April 17.

“She’s up and coming,” Carrasco said of McMahon. “She’ll be OK, she just needs more work.”

Boy wonder

Thirteen-year-old Shane Smith youngest to earn black belt at Los Gatos Kenpo Karate studio

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

When Shane Smith was 5, he and his father entered the Los Gatos Kenpo Karate studio of Master Rich Ariota looking for an opportunity to study the martial art.

From left, Master Rich Ariota and 13-year-old Shane Smith at the Los Gatos Kenpo Karate studio. Smith became the youngest student in the studio’s history to earn a black belt on March 26.

Ariota, who has owned and operated Los Gatos Kenpo Karate for 35 years, nearly turned the pair down because of Smiths’ young age.

Fast-forward eight years later to present day, and you’ll find that Ariota’s decision to work with Smith was a smart move. Smith, now 13, earned his black belt on March 26 from Ariota, while garnering the distinction of being the youngest student in Ariota’s 25 years to do so.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Ariota said. “For kids, or for anybody. I’ve never seen anybody at this age be able to accomplish something like that. …This has just never been done before, so this is fantastic.”

Ariota, a seventh degree black belt, said he was convinced of Smith’s potential quickly when he walked into his studio eight years ago.

The turning point?
When Ariota noticed Smith’s natural “center,” a concept Ariota incorporates in his teachings, using spiritual ideals, as well as physical and internal energy concepts in developing his Kenpo Karate students.

“When he first came in, I wasn’t really going to take him because he was at such a young age, but his father (Steven Smith) kind of insisted that I take a look at him,” Ariota said.

“I said, ‘well, let’s give it a shot.’ I noticed that his balance, his basic center was already beyond the average child at 5 years old. So he started out already with a good starting point, you might say. From there, he and I were able to develop the concept.”

Smith, who will attend eighth grade at Valley Christian next year, said he’s been able to use his center in other sports he enjoys, such as baseball and football.

“It moves your center, and stuff like that,” Smith said of applying the lessons learned in Kenpo Karate to other sports. “I play football and baseball, and there’s a lot of stuff you can use in karate, concepts and things, that you can use in football and baseball.”

Ariota agreed, and said developing the concept can translate into other aspects of life.

“We teach the young persons how to develop and use their internal centers, which develops a lot of internal power,” Ariota said. “That can be used in other things. It takes a while to be able to develop that kind of a concept, especially at an early age.”

Still, Smith said developing his center, as well as working his way toward a black belt, has not been an easy task. Smith currently trains with Ariota two to three times per week.

“It took me a while, and I’m not great at it right now, but it took me a while to just get OK,” Smith said of developing his center.

Furthermore, Ariota said his students—especially Smith—have been able to apply other lessons learned, such as focus and discipline to other aspects of life, such as schoolwork.

“It helps them develop a sense of focus and concentration, as well as discipline,” Ariota said. “It helps them quite a bit.”

As for Smith, he plans to continue his training in Kenpo Karate, as well as play the other sports he loves, like football and baseball. Although Smith doesn’t compete in Kenpo Karate, he’s mulling the idea of doing so in the future, as well as trying his hand at other martial arts.

“It’s a big achievement (the black belt), but I also want to do things like kickboxing and things like that,” Smith said. “This will help me with that.”

Sports Briefs

Second annual Pat’s Run comes to San Jose April 29
Registrations are being accepted for the second annual Pat’s Run, Sunday, April 29, 2007 at 8 a.m. at Leland High School, to celebrate the life of San Jose native Pat Tillman. The 4.2-mile run/walk will finish on the 42-yard line of Pat Tillman Stadium, where Tillman was a fan favorite as a Leland Charger in the early 1990s.

Participants can register online at www.patsrun.com (until April 25) or at the Running Revolution (511 E. Campbell Ave., in Campbell) April 26 and 27 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and at Leland High School on April 28 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Registration will also be held on-site at the event from 6 - 7:45 a.m., prior to the race start at 8 a.m.

The early registration fee is $25 through April 23. After April 23, the fee is $30.

The event also features a .42 mile kids run that is free for kids age 12 and under, as well as a free kids activity area.

For more information about Pat's Run San Jose or to sign up, visit www.patsrun.com or call (408) 507-6754.

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