April 26, 2007

SPORTS

Baseball Roundup

Pioneer reaches .500 mark with two-game sweep of Willow
Glen; Leland falls to 6-8 with two losses to Santa Teresa

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Pioneer baseball team reached the .500 mark with a two-game sweep of the Willow Glen Rams last week, giving the Mustangs a 7-7 record in Mt. Hamilton Division play.

Pioneer’s Garret Lewis earned his fifth win of the season last week against the Willow Glen Rams, but also did damage at the plate. Lewis went 4-for-8 with six RBIs and three doubles in the two-game sweep of the Rams. Photo courtesy Ric Medlinger at www.medlinger.net

The wins, which improved Pioneer’s overall record to 11-8, saw the Mustangs outscore the Rams 21-15 in the two-game set, including a 14-13 win in nine innings on April 19.

Pioneer head coach Jake Hernandez said he was pleased to finally reach to .500 plateau. With seven games remaining on the league schedule, Hernandez is now setting his sights on reaching one of three coveted CCS Playoff spots in the division.

“We didn’t think it would take 14 games to get to .500, but we’re there and we’ve got seven more to go,” said Hernandez, whose Mustangs started the season with an 0-5 stretch in league play. “We’ve got a definite shot at CCS.”

Still, Hernandez conceded that his team has a long road to travel to reach one of the three CCS berths, with Leigh and Live Oak tied atop the division at 11-3 and Santa Teresa not far behind in second place at 10-4 at week’s end. Given the numerous scenarios left to be played out over the last seven games of the season, Hernandez said his team still has a chance at CCS postseason play.

“These guys have a little confidence going for them right now, and hopefully they can feed off that confidence,” said Hernandez, whose team has won three out of its last four Mt. Hamilton Division games. “…If we finish over .500 in our last seven (games), I think we’ve got a good shot at making CCS.”

Hernandez pointed to several improving aspects on the team for the recent turnaround, such as increased production from the bottom third of the batting order. In addition, Hernandez said the play of pitcher/first baseman Garret Lewis has been a key to the Mustangs’ success.

In the Mustangs’ 7-2 win over the Rams on April 17, Lewis picked up his fifth win of the season. At the plate, Lewis has been equally impressive in the heart of the lineup, according to Hernandez, going 4-for-8 with six RBIs and three doubles in the two-game set against the Rams.

“He’s been our top hitter,” Hernandez said of Lewis. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve always had a guy or two who was able to come up clutch in big situations. His numbers don’t lie with 33 RBIs in only 19 games. That’s pretty impressive.”

Leland losing streak at four with losses to Saints
The Leland baseball team fell to 6-8 at week’s end, following a pair of four-run losses to Santa Teresa on April 17 and 19, respectively.

The two losses extended the Chargers’ losing streak to four, and with seven games remaining on the league schedule, Leland head coach Anthony Siri said he’s looking for a quick turnaround out of his Chargers.

“We’re lucky this year that there’s no really dominant standout team, except maybe Leigh,” Siri said. “Everybody in our league can beat everybody on any given day. So if we put a couple of wins together we’re right back in it. That’s how we’re looking at it. We have the capability of doing it when we want to show up, but we’ve got to come ready to play every game.”

Siri said the team’s problems lie at least partially in the pitching department. Following a one-week break, Leland relief pitcher Malte Reinschmidt returned from a trip to Germany with a broken pitching arm, leaving Siri one arm short on an already thin pitching staff.

“That was the biggest question mark going in, the pitching. We’re so thin,” Siri said. “(Reinschmidt) had some pretty good innings where he’s done some good things for us, so it’s unfortunate because he’s a guy we’ve gone to. …With him going down, that’s hurt us.”

To that end, Siri said he hopes to see infielder Alex Todd pick up the slack in the pitching department. Todd was expected to be one of Siri’s arms, but he experienced arm and shoulder soreness – commonly referred to as dead arm – early in the season, limiting his time on the mound.

“He’s going to be a guy we have to go to out of the ‘pen,” Siri said of Todd. “He’s not going to be a starter for us but definitely a guy that needs to gobble up some innings for us.”

Leland’s Kevin Krail gets ready to receive a throw from catcher Tyler Henry during the Chargers’ two-game set against Santa Teresa. Photo courtesy Kevin Jones at www.johub.com

Still, Siri said there are some positives to take from the Chargers’ current situation, such as the play of starting pitcher Cameron O’Halloran. Siri said the junior hurler has kept the Chargers within striking distance during several games this season, bringing some stability to the pitching staff.

“You know what you’re going to get with Cam,” Siri said. “He throws strikes and competes. He’s kept us in plenty of ballgames when he’s thrown.”

Siri added that pitching alone isn’t to blame solely on the Chargers’ misfortunes. Shaky defense and sporadic hitting in key situations have also hampered the Chargers’ efforts. Siri pointed to center fielder Nate Jones, who leads the team with a .420 batting average, as well as shortstop Lance Gemette, utility player Kevin Krail and freshman outfielder Trevor Dyer, among others, as bright spots in the lineup.

“As a whole, we don’t really have really a strong point where we can go, ‘hey, at least we have that.’ We don’t have that. We’re team that’s got a lot of holes and we have to be able to step up and make the routine plays and get back to basics, do the fundamental things correct,” Siri said. “We’re just not doing that. So yeah, right now we’re kind of in a tailspin and hopefully we can pull out of it. I have confidence that we can do that.”

With only seven games left in league play however, the rest of the season has taken on a sense of urgency for the Chargers, Siri said.

“For the last week-and-a-half or two weeks, we’ve been saying, ‘we’re okay, we’re okay.’ Well, it’s definitely the panic button now and we’ve got to hit that button now,” Siri said. “…Every game does matter now at this point. We can only accept wins, we can’t accept losses.”

Leland boys’ volleyball rebounds with 3-0 win over Branham

Chargers take win over Bruins after 3-1 loss to Willow Glen earlier in
the week, eye remaining games against top league contenders

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland boys’ volleyball team rebounded from a tough 3-1 loss to Willow Glen earlier last week to take a solid 3-0 win at home over winless Branham on April 19.

Leland's Tom Weihrauch, left, and Jarrett Gardner team up to block a Branham hit during a 3-0 win on April 19. Photos by Dan Miranda

The win, which improved Leland’s record to 4-2 in Mt. Hamilton Division play, saw senior Kenny Tran lead the Chargers with nine kills. Despite the win, Leland head coach Jason Hilbert said the April 17 loss to Willow Glen was a tough one to take. The loss bumped Leland from a four-way tie for first place into second place, while Willow Glen and Leigh, both 5-1, shared first place at week’s end.

Still, Hilbert said the Chargers have a chance to redeem themselves and claim the top spot in the division, with matches left against Leigh and Willow Glen on May 1 and May 3, respectively, as well as third place Westmont.

“We control our own destiny,” said Hilbert. “There’s Westmont, Leigh and Willow Glen. So if we want them, we can take it ourselves, which is good.”

In the loss to Willow Glen, Leland couldn’t close out a 24-20 lead in game one, falling to the Rams 26-24 before tying the match 1-1 with a 25-22 win in game two. The Rams, however, were able to close out the match with consecutive wins, taking a close 25-23 win in game three before cruising to a 25-13 win in game four.

Hilbert said the game four loss to the Rams was a familiar sight, noting that his team has had trouble playing consistent volleyball late in matches.

“We got tired and they took advantage of it,” Hilbert said of the Rams in game four. “…Finishing off teams has been our problem all year, and if we expect ourselves to win the league and do well in the playoffs, then we’ve got to really finish off a team and take it to them.”

As for the win over Branham on April 19, the Chargers withstood a 7-0 scoring stretch by the Bruins midway through game one to take a 25-19 win, before posting a 25-17 win in game two to go up 2-0. The Chargers then closed out the match with a 25-15 win in game three, which included a 6-1 scoring stretch midway through the game to put the Chargers up by eight.

Hilbert said he took advantage of the chance to play some key reserves against the 0-6 Bruins, affording a rare rest for some of his regulars throughout long stretches of the match. The win also provided a nice boost for his players after the loss to the Rams, he added.

“It gets our confidence back and we’re able to work on some things that we didn’t do well in the prior match,” Hilbert said. “So you turn around and you work hard and have fun.”

As for the remainder of the regular season, with an eye especially on the matches left against Leigh, Willow Glen and Westmont, Hilbert said he’s looking for his team to take a patient but focused approach the rest of the way.

“You take one (match) at a time,” Hilbert said of the remaining games on the schedule. “…It’s just one step at a time, but we have to take them all.”

Hilbert added that he’s confident in his team’s ability to succeed the rest of the way, noting that the team has played better together as the season progressed.

“I think we’re where we need to be,” Hilbert said. “I think we’ll be fine. However the season ends, it’s going to be a success because of the way the guys have turned it around from the beginning of the season.”

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Varsity girls’ lacrosse vs. Woodside, 4 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ lacrosse vs. Menlo-Atherton, 5:30 p.m.
Friday – Boys’ tennis league team finals, time TBA

Monday – Baseball vs. Pioneer, 3:30 p.m.*
Monday – Golf BVAL Team Playoffs, time and site TBA
Monday – Boys’ lacrosse at Bellarmine, 4 p.m. varsity and 5:30 p.m. frosh/soph

Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball at Leigh, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Tuesday – Softball vs. Westmont, 3:30 p.m.*
Tuesday – Golf BVAL Individual Championship, time and site TBA
Tuesday – Track BVAL Division Finals at Lincoln, time TBA
Tuesday – Badminton vs. Oak Grove, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ lacrosse vs. Gunn, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ lacrosse at Sacred Heart, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Boys’ lacrosse vs. Menlo-Atherton, 4 p.m. varsity and 5:30 p.m. frosh/soph
Wednesday – Baseball vs. Willow Glen, 3:30 p.m.*
Wednesday – Boys’ tennis CCS Team play begins, time and site TBA

Thursday – Softball at Pioneer, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball vs. Willow Glen, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Thursday – Track BVAL Division Finals at Lincoln, time TBA
Thursday – Swimming League Finals for diving at 3 p.m., site TBA
Thursday – Badminton at Andrew Hill, 3:30 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Swimming vs. Leigh, 3 p.m.
Friday – Boys’ tennis league team finals, time TBA
Friday – Girls’ lacrosse at Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.

Monday – Baseball at Leland, 3:30 p.m.*
Monday – Golf BVAL Team Playoffs, time and site TBA

Tuesday – Softball at Leigh, 3:30 p.m.*
Tuesday – Track BVAL Division Finals at Mt. Pleasant, time TBA
Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball vs. Prospect, 7 p.m. varsity and 6 p.m. frosh/soph
Tuesday – Girls’ lacrosse vs. Menlo, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Golf BVAL Individual Championship, time and site TBA
Tuesday – Badminton at Branham, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Baseball at Piedmont Hills, 3:30 p.m.*
Wednesday – Boys’ tennis CCS Team play begins, time and site TBA

Thursday – Softball vs. Leland, 3:30 p.m.*
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball at Gunderson, 7 p.m. varsity only
Thursday – Badminton vs. Lincoln, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Swimming League Finals for diving at 3 p.m., site TBA
Thursday – Track BVAL Division Finals at Mt. Pleasant, time TBA

*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

Apr. 17
Leland softball 8-0 loss vs. Leigh
Leland girls’ lacrosse 17-12 win vs. Woodside

Pioneer boys’ tennis 7-0 loss at Oak Grove
Pioneer boys’ volleyball 25-15, 25-20, 25-17 win vs. Gunderson
Pioneer girls’ lacrosse 11-6 loss vs. Gunn

Apr. 18
Leland boys’ track 112-25 loss at Willow Glen
Leland girls’ track 96-35 win at Willow Glen

Pioneer softball 3-2 loss vs. Leigh
Pioneer golf 221-222 loss vs. Santa Teresa

Apr. 19
Leland softball 2-1 win at Piedmont Hills
Leland girls’ lacrosse 7-5 loss at Gunn
Leland boys’ tennis 7-0 win vs. Piedmont Hills

Pioneer softball 1-0 loss at Westmont
Pioneer boys’ tennis 5-2 loss at Branham

Almaden’s Sam Matar reels in big catch

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Almaden’s Sam Matar got the “catch of a lifetime” in the wee hours of Tuesday morning when he reeled in a 65-and-7/8-inch Sturgeon from the Antioch Delta waters.

Matar, 35, said he’s been fishing all of his life but never had a catch quite like this. He added that the catch took him two-and-a-half hours to reel in, a feat he accomplished with a 20-pound test line while fishing on a bridge spanning a portion of the Antioch Delta.

“It’s my first time ever catching something this big,” said Matar, who likes to fish on a weekly basis during his off-days. “Originally, when it bit, I thought it was seaweed or something like that. …I almost broke my back a couple of times.”

The sturgeon, according to Matar, is just below the catch-and-release requirements mandated by the California Department of Fish and Game, allowing him to keep the fish. Had the sturgeon measured 66 inches in length or greater, Matar said, he would’ve had to release it back into the delta.

Hence, since his return, Matar has had quite a few visitors come by his home on Montelegre Drive to get a first-hand look at the fish. To celebrate the occasion even further, Matar said he played a small practical joke on his close friends, by calling them and telling them to head over to his home quickly to help handle an emergency. Needless to say, Matar added, those friends got quite a surprise.

“One of them came up and saw it and thought it was an anaconda,” Matar said with a chuckle. “He jumped out of his shoes.”

The fish, which is estimated at about 65 years old (sturgeon typically grow one inch for every year), will likely be mounted in the future, Matar said. For now however, Matar said he’s just enjoying the excitement of reeling in his big catch.

“I haven’t slept in 24 hours,” said Matar, who has lived in Almaden with his wife and children for the past 10 years, “and I don’t think I’ll sleep for another 24 hours.”

Almaden Swim Team takes first place at Dennis Penner Memorial Invitational

The Almaden Swim and Racquet Club Swim Team placed first at the Dennis Penner Memorial Invitational High Point Swim Meet held April 14-15 in Kingsburg, Calif.

High Point Awards were given to the top five swimmers in each age group. Leading the way with the first place high point awards were Riley Burrill, Matthew Sandoval, Jackson Burrill, Stephanie Scannell, Kate Rick and Jonathan Kane.

Receiving runner-up high point trophies were Nina Flynn, Preston Gook, Matt McKim, Lauren Smith, Alex Ruffo, Sascha Rezvani-Orangi, Lindsay Scannell, Sandra Soe, Emilie Ruffo, Cooper Burrill, Michael Sandoval, Chris Scheaffer, Ryan McCombs, Hilary Hunt, Shanna Flynn, Evan Camacho, Tyler Nollette, Maddie Takaki, Sarah Safir, Isso Shimamoto, Steven Rick and Matt Hurko.

The Almaden Swim Team has been attending this annual meet in the Central Valley since 1973. In addition to fast swimming at the meet, the parents and swimmers enjoyed a Friday night social and a team dinner on Saturday night. Almaden had 86 swimmers entered along with four coaches and parents from 50 families in attendance.

Golfers hit the fairways for BVAL schools

Second annual BVAL Golf Tournament held at Almaden Golf and
Country Club to raise funds for high school athletic programs

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Golfers hit the course at Almaden Golf and Country Club on April 23 for a noteworthy cause as the Blossom Valley Athletic League held its second annual BVAL Golf Tournament to benefit its’ member schools’ sports programs.

All told, 114 golfers – including several athletic directors and coaches from the BVAL’s 24 member schools – showed up with clubs in hand for a chance to raise funds for the high schools’ athletic programs. BVAL Commissioner Barbara Beard said that while there was plenty of fun to be had at the event, the tournament itself was born out of necessity.

Becky Newhouse, foreground, and Kevin Gilday warm up on the driving range before the start of the BVAL Golf Tournament at Almaden Country Club on April 23. Photos by Dan Miranda

“The principals mandated that we needed to create some innovative ideas on ways to raise money for school athletic programs, since funding was so minimal, to keep them alive,” Beard said. “…The conclusion was that probably the best thing we could do would be a golf tournament.”

To that end, Beard said the golf tournament has helped each BVAL member school in adding to dwindling athletic coffers. Last year, the tournament drew 144 golfers and raised approximately $36,000, which was distributed directly back into BVAL high school athletic programs. As of press time, a total amount raised by this year’s tournament was not available.

Still, athletic directors and coaches alike said they appreciated any effort to raise funds for their schools. Leland Athletic Director Chris Hansen said dealing with shrinking athletics budgets is nothing new for her, or any of her colleagues at other BVAL schools.

“Everybody’s under the financial crunch, so any little bit of money that we can get into the athletic programs helps tremendously,” said Hansen, who has 23 sports programs under her watch at Leland. “Last year, we got a nice chunk of money from this tournament and that helped our athletics budget tremendously. If it’s $500 it helps you tremendously. Every little bit helps.”

Hansen’s counterpart in Silver Creek, Girls’ Athletic Director Trish Sunseri, agreed noting that the added burden of keeping top programs – such as Silver Creek’s track and field program – above water is a daily challenge.

“Financially, the schools don’t have the money to sustain top notch programs,” Sunseri said. “Any bit of money that comes in is obviously more than welcome. Hopefully this will supplement what we already have going.”

This year’s tournament also had a celebrity sighting in former San Francisco 49ers tight end Brent Jones, a Leland alumnus, who served as the golf tournament’s honorary chairman. Jones noted the worthy cause of the tournament and relished the opportunity to help out schools in his hometown.

Evergreen's boys’ varsity basketball coach Dennis Fernandez raises his arm as he makes a birdie during the BVAL Golf Tournament.

“You always have a great connection to your home and your home school,” Jones said. “Not only that, it’s the teachers, the coaches and the athletes. So, any time you get an opportunity to do something for the old home team, I’m glad to be involved.”

Jones said the involvement with local schools has added meaning for him, given that his father coached in the Campbell-Union High School District for 33 years, including Camden, Campbell, Leigh, Blackford and Branham High Schools.

“Clearly, I’m aware of the perspective that so many of the folks here have today through my dad,” he said.

In addition to the golf tournament itself, the BVAL received sponsorship from three primary entities in Meridian Creek Properties, Blach Construction and D.H. Smith Company. Each school also pitched in to help, providing gift baskets worth $200 that were raffled off at the completion of play on April 23. Gifts varied from wine, to dinner certificates, to San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks ticket packages.

Following a day out on the golf course, the event concluded with a dinner and silent auction at the country clubs, with sports memorabilia items from the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s and other teams up for bid.

Hansen said that while the tournament helps keep athletic programs alive at Leland, it’s also the efforts of parents that make things possible. To that end, Hansen added that getting money from another avenue such as the golf tournament is a welcome sight.

“Our parents, they give and give and give, but it’s nice when it comes from a group,” Hansen said. “We already ask our parents for so much, so this is nice to be able to have the money come from another source.”

Sunseri added that the tournament also brought each of the 24 schools together under a united cause, bringing a greater sense of community to the whole event.

“Even though we’re our own separate communities within our own schools, you come here and you see people from all different schools, whether they’re parents of athletes or coaches or athletic directors,” said Sunseri. “We’re all working together collectively. In the long run, that brings the whole league together, which to me, is one of the big highlights.”

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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