May 4, 2006

SPORTS

All tied up

Leigh volleyball takes 3-2 win over Leland,
forcing a two-way tie for first in league play

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Things just got a little more interesting in the Mt. Hamilton Volleyball Division.

Leland's Daniel Ortiz knocks a kill attempt over a two-man block during a 3-2 loss to Leigh on April 27. The loss dropped Leland into a two-way tie for first place in the Mt. Hamilton Division with Leigh. Photos by Jeff Frazee

The Longhorns put themselves right into the thick of things, taking a 3-2 win on April 27 over Leland, which came into the match undefeated and ahead of Leigh by one game for first place in the Mt. Hamilton Division standings. The end result: a two-way tie for first place in league play with only one week of the regular season remaining.

“It has nothing to do with us. Leigh wanted it, they earned it, and they took it away from us,” Leland Head Coach Jason Hilbert said. “They put is in the bad situations. They came out and made us tight …We lost our confidence and they took advantage.”

With both teams at 13-1 in league play, the final week of the regular season will certainly be pivotal.

“It’s going to make both squads nervous, trying to hold on, because a tie in league you don’t have to settle. A tie in league is a tie,” Leigh Head Coach Rob Karr said of the teams possibly sharing a league title at season’s end.

With Leland up 2-1 in the match, Leigh gained momentum and ran with it, battling the Chargers in game 4 to an eventual 27-25 win. Game four also saw its fair share of lead changes, as the Longhorns battled to an early 18-15 lead, only to have Leland tie things up 18-18 with a 3-0 run that featured a kill and a block from Andrew Atmeh. Atmeh ended the night with 10 kills, while Scott Lucas led the Chargers with 14 kills.

Later in the game, with Leigh regaining the lead at 21-19, the Chargers one again forced a tie on kills from Lucas and Daniel Ortiz.

From that point on, the teams swapped point-for-point, scrapping to a 25-25 tie before Leigh broke the back-and-forth lead swings with kills from Jeff Brown and Joseph Smith for a 27-25 win and a 2-2 tie in the match. Smith finished the game with 15 kills.

With momentum swung Leigh’s way, game five put the icing on the cake for both teams, as an early 5-5 tie was wiped out with a game-ending 10-0 run by the Longhorns for a 15-5 win and a 3-2 victory to knot things up atop the Mt. Hamilton Division standings.

“This is the level we’re capable of play at,” Leigh Head Coach Rob Karr said. “I couldn’t be happier. But, I told the team that they’re capable of playing at this level, and they have been during year, but they also haven’t at times.”

Leigh's Austin Ensley celebrates during the Longhorns' 3-2 win over Leland on April 27.

“We played flat,” Hilbert added. “We just didn’t have it. They (Leigh) played great.”

While things started off right for the Chargers with a 25-22 win in game one, the rest of the match proved to be a struggle. Leigh jumped ahead in game two with an early 13-7 lead before going on a 6-0 run later in the game to go up by nine at 21-12. Leigh then put the finishing touched on game two, taking the final three points for a 25-15 win.

Leland battled back in game three with a come-from-behind effort after taking a small 21-18 lead.

Leigh bounced back with a 5-1 scoring run to take a one-point advantage at 23-22, getting kills from Brown, Mike Downs and Jacob McGowan in the process. Downs finished with a team-high 20 kills.

“Mike Downs is my kill leader, so he’s certainly the go-to guy,” Karr said. “ … Mike can just crush the ball. He can out-jump blockers on the other side, and that’s what he did tonight.”

Leland managed to bounce back and take game three by a 25-23 score with a 3-0 run to end things, scoring on a pair of passing violations by the Longhorns and a kill from Kevin Kashanian.

Still, the effort by the Chargers was no consolation to Hilbert, who said his team needs to refocus for the final week of the season.

“You’ve got to be focused the whole time and you’ve got to play a complete game. We didn’t play a complete game tonight,” he said. “They took it advantage. We just didn’t have the juice in the end.”

Sports Briefs

BVAL Golf Tournament set for May 8
The Blossom Valley Athletic League will host the BVAL Golf Tournament on May 8 at the Almaden Golf and Country Club. All proceeds from the event will go to BVAL member schools’ athletic programs. Players’ fees are $200 per person, and sponsorship packages are also available for interested parties.

Check-in time and lunch for the event begins at 11 a.m., with players set to tee off at 12:30 p.m. Dinner and a silent auction follows the tournament.

For more information about the BVAL Golf Tournament, please call (408) 265-5409.

Leland Jr. Spirit Camp signups
The Leland Spirit Squad is hosting its annual Junior Spirit Camp June 19-23 from 9 a.m. to noon each day. The early bird camp fee is $100 with an increase to $125 on June 1. The camp will offer cheers, dances and games for children entering K-8 in the fall of 2006. All campers will be invited to perform at a Leland High School football game. Please contact lelandjsc@gmail.com or Angelica Niklowitz at (408) 268-5549.

Citywide Youth Track Meet set for May 21
Track athletes ages 9-14 have an opportunity to participate in a citywide track and field meet that may qualify them to compete in the largest youth sports program of its kind in North America, the Hershey Youth Program.

The City of San Jose, Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services and the San Jose Police Amateur Athletic Association sponsor this free event annually. The event is a qualifier meet for the upcoming Nor Cal Hershey State Track and Field Meet and a stop on the road to the National Meet in Hershey, Penn.

Track events include the 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 meter, and 4 x100 meter relay. Field events include the standing long jump and softball throw.

The meet is Sunday, May 21 from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. at Evergreen Valley High School, 3300 Quimby Road, San Jose.

Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. For more information and registration forms, contact Joe Albayalde at joe.abayalde@sanjoseca.gov or Lily Ponce at lily.ponce@sanjoseca.gov. Both can also be reached at (408) 369-3900. Registration will also be accepted on the day of the event between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

Almaden United U12 girls soccer team seeks players
The Almaden United, a girls’ under 12, strong Class 3 team applying for Class 1 in the fall season, is looking for players for the spring and fall '06 seasons. Date of birth should be between Aug. 1, 1994 and July 31, 1996. Contact Jeff Pine at pine@apple.com or (408) 391-7542 for more information.

DeAnza Force 92G Black needs players
DeAnza Force 92G Black is looking for highly skilled players for the NorCal premier spring league and fall season. If interested please contact head coach David Blutrich by emailing davidblue7@aol.com.

Central Valley Outlaws Class I U13 Premier boys team tryouts
The Central Valley Outlaws Class I U13 Premier boys’ team invites boys born between 8/1/92 and 7/31/93 to tryouts for the upcoming season. For more information, contact Richard Johnson at 439-9645.

Almaden United U15 Boys Class 3 soccer team looking for players
Almaden United, a Class 3 U14/U15 boys’ soccer team, needs players for the spring and fall. Date of birth should be between 8/1/91 and 7/31/92. Call Coach Joe Escobedo at (408) 972-8906 or Manager Patty O'Malley (408) 927-5978 for more information.

High School Sports Schedule

*Note: for baseball and softball, only varsity games are listed because of space constraints. All JV games are played at the opposite site of varsity at the same time, unless otherwise noted

Leland High School
Friday – Varsity baseball vs. Westmont, 3:30 p.m.
Friday – Swimming League Trials and Finals at Independence, time TBA
Friday – Varsity girls’ lacrosse at Pioneer, 4 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ lacrosse vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 4 p.m.

Saturday – Swimming League Trials and Finals at Independence, time TBA

Monday – Badminton League Finals at Independence, time TBA
Monday – Golf CCS play begins, times and sites TBA

Tuesday – Varsity softball at Leigh, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity baseball at Branham, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – Varsity softball vs. Pioneer, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Track BVAL Championships at Mt. Pleasant, time TBA
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball CCS play begins, times and sites TBA

Pioneer High School
Friday – Varsity baseball vs. Leigh, 3:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ lacrosse vs. Leland, 4 p.m.
Friday – Swimming League Trials and Finals at Independence, time TBA

Saturday – Swimming League Trials and Finals at Independence, time TBA

Monday – Badminton League Finals at Independence, time TBA
Monday – Golf CCS play begins, times and sites TBA

Tuesday – Varsity softball at Santa Teresa, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity baseball at Santa Teresa, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – Varsity softball at Leland, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Track BVAL Championships at Mt. Pleasant, time TBA
Thursday – Boys’ volleyball CCS play begins, times and sites TBA

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

Pioneer Athletics:
www.phsathletics.com

Leland Athletics:
www.lelandathletics.com

Blossom Valley Athletic League:
www.bval.org

For more complete and up to date schedules on CCS playoffs, go to:
www.cifccs.org

Charger Cheng wins second consecutive Mount Hamilton title

Leland owns top spots at division tennis finals

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland senior Simon Cheng stuffed his fourth Blossom Valley Athletic League trophy in the cabinet Tuesday after cruising to a cerebral second consecutive individual championship at the Mount Hamilton Division tennis finals.

Simon Cheng

Cheng and the Chargers’ performances have talk swirling of likely success in CCS this season, where Blossom Valley schools have historically struggled down the stretch. The MHAL team champion Chargers (12-2, 10-0)—as determined in a three-day playoff last week—plugged the top two finishing spots in individual doubles and singles action Tuesday.

Cheng faced sophomore Thomas Norton in individual finals, while seniors Gary Ma and Stanley Lu upset junior Eric Banks and sophomore Osheen Davoudi in two sets, 7-5, 6-3, for the doubles’ title.

“This match was a pretty good indicator that those guys will represent the league well in CCS,” said Leland Coach Brett Hermsmeier. “We have been dominating, but we are also still in he middle of the battle. This isn’t the big tournament.”

Hermsmeier hopes the Chargers can harness the momentum they gained in league for a deep run into CCS, something Leland has rarely accomplished, despite monopolizing BVAL ranks. According to their coach, Cheng and the doubles tandems are all legitimate contenders to vie for a CCS crown.

“Simon takes great care of his body,” said Hermsmeier. “He knows when to accelerate with his stroke, and when to take it easy and play a smoother game.”

Cheng downed Yerba Buena senior Bao Tin Nguyen 1-0 to set up the final match versus Norton. But Norton defaulted, and Cheng was crowned champion, based on players’ wishes and likelihood of the outcome between teammates.

Hermsmeier said it was a blast watching Cheng’s designed moves versus Nguyen. He described Nguyen’s style as slow and steady, trolling for unforced errors, an approach that controls many high school matches.

“Nguyen is a good player,” said Hermsmeier. “He wins by keeping the ball in play, ultimately wearing his opponents down. But the power with which Simon returned his serves—the ball just went by him.”

Hermsmeier described Cheng’s game with esteem.

“It’s impressive,” he said. “Simon controls the match at whatever speed he chooses, and I think it grows as the opponents get tougher. It seems as though he can take it to any level he needs. He pulls out the shots he wants when he needs them.”

Undefeated Cheng was half of two MHAL champion doubles teams as an underclassman. During is sophomore year, he and Steve Richards even reached the CCS final match.

“We barely lost that year, three sets to Los Gatos,” said Cheng. “I just need to practice, keep my head in the game and have confidence. How I do in tournaments is usually about how I am doing in practice at the time.”

Cheng, currently Northern California’s third-ranked player under 18, according the United States Tennis Association, works out with a private coach, Tim Sunderland, at Courtside in Los Gatos, and has done so since he was 7 years old.

“I went as high as No. 2 when I was 12,” said Cheng. “But I felt like I was missing out on living the life of a teenager, so I quit.”

Cheng said he missed the competition so much that he came back when he turned 16. By all accounts, he hadn’t lost a step.

“This is as strong a singles set as Leland has likely ever had,” said Hermsmeier. “Simon’s beat the number one players at Los Gatos and at Monta Vista—two of the best players he will face. He is a great kid, one of the fittest athletes on the team. That kind of leadership is always welcomed in a captain.”

As for doubles, Hermsmeier said he was impressed with the level his two top teams reached in the time-consuming, knock down championship match.

“It was long,” he said. “I was very pleased to see both of the number one doubles teams really get tested.”

Both teams entered the contest undefeated having lashed out at opponents, rather than teammates, on the dual meet schedule this season. However, Ma’s aggressive charge complimented Lu’s consistency, and they outlasted Davoudi and Banks in the finals.

Hermsmeier also said sophomore Stace Klinger should be a force in CCS. Klinger is Leland’s No. 2-singles player.

Graystone’s Zachary Kearsley wins first place
in Reebok Scoop-n-Shoot Lacrosse competition

Zachary Kearsley, a 10-year-old Graystone Elementary School student, participated in the Reebok Scoop-n-Shoot Lacrosse competition recently at a San Jose Stealth game. With more than 40 kids in his age group (9-11), Zachary won first place, beating the second place winner by three seconds. For his efforts, Zachary won a San Jose Stealth jersey, hotel accommodations and four tickets to the NLL championships May 13 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY.

By winning the local event, Zachary has also qualified for the national final, will also take place at the HSBC Arena. Zachary has been playing for the Almaden Chiefs South Valley Lacrosse Club for past two years.

Pioneer’s Walker tosses one-hitter in 6-0 win over Warriors

Mustangs force two-way tie for third with Westmont in Mt. Hamilton Division

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Pioneer starting pitcher Alyssa Walker tossed a one-hitter as the Mustangs took a 6-0 win over Westmont on April 27.

Pioneer's Alyssa Walker winds up and gets ready to unleash a pitch during a 6-0 win over Westmont on April 27. Walker allowed just one hit through six innings pitched, walking two and striking out six.

With the win, the Mustangs positioned themselves into a third-place tie with the Warriors in the Mt. Hamilton Division. Both teams ended the day with identical overall records of 13-7, as well as 5-4 records in league play.

Prior to the April 27 game, the Mustangs lost to Westmont on April 26 by a 2-1 score in nine innings, a day after dropping a 2-1 score in eight innings to Leigh.

“I told the girls that the game was on the line,” said Pioneer Head Coach Ernie Garcia. “This week was a tough week. We had Leigh on (April 25), we had Westmont yesterday and we had Westmont today. It was a very tough week for us … This win was huge. It puts us right back in the hunt of things.”

Walker ended the day with a six-inning shutout effort, allowing just two walks while striking out six.

“She’s taking control of her own pitches now and the results are what they are,” Garcia said of Walker. “ … She’s just been pitching phenomenal for us.”

Walker’s effort didn’t go unnoticed by Westmont Head Coach Jon Hennig either.

“We just weren’t patient and she dictated the game,” Hennig said of Walker. “She forced us to hit her pitch and we were out in front of everything.”

Pioneer’s bats went to work early with a three-run second inning off Westmont starting pitcher Whitney Morris. With runners on second and third, Warriors catcher Jacque Kuhny let a Morris pitch slip past her, allowing Danielle Clough to score for a 1-0 lead. Chenelle Blake then stepped up and hit the first of her two run-scoring triples on the day, allowing pinch runner Vanessa Silva to cross home plate for a 2-0 lead.

The Mustangs then added their third run of the inning on a grounder by Amber Medlock.

Pioneer's Britney Rivas (2) knocked in a run with a bunt single in the bottom of the fourth inning during a 6-0 win for the Mustangs over Westmont on April 27. The win placed Pioneer in a two-way tie for third place in the Mt. Hamilton Division with the Warriors. Photos by Diego Abeloos

Pioneer’s offense went back to work again in the bottom of the fourth, getting runners on first and second on back-to-back errors by the Warriors. Leadoff hitter Britney Rivas then stepped up and placed a bunt toward the right side of the infield that managed to trickle into the outfield, scoring Blake from second for a 4-0 advantage.

The Mustangs added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth off Morris, getting a two-out triple to right-center from Blake to score Silva, before Medlock laced a single to centerfield, scoring Blake for a 6-0 lead.

“There were some plays that weren’t made,” Hennig said of Morris’ tough outing against the Mustangs. “She was a little bit off today, with hitting her spots. But she’s a competitor and she still battled through. For what she was doing, she did pitch well. She pitched well enough and she deserved better.”

Garcia said he was particularly impressed with Blake’s offense on the day, which saw the left-handed swinger put together a 2-for-3 effort with two triples and two RBIs. Garcia said Blake had been struggling at the plate earlier in the week.

“It’s not about contact with her, it’s about not going on her heels,” Garcia said. “That’s what she did, exactly what I asked her and boom, two triples. She had her game on today.”

With the season drawing to a close on May 11, and with only a handful of games left on the league schedule, both Garcia and Hennig said they realize it’s crunch time down the stretch.

“Last year, with the same situation, we came back and we won the last five and put ourselves right. We ended up tied for second place,” Hennig said. “That’s going to be our goal, to win as many games as we can.”

Future track star has quite a day

Eighth grader Ryan Smith had quite a day on the track last week, coming from behind to win anchor leg of 400x100 relay for the Bret Harte Broncos. Smith also posted a first-place finish in the mile run with a time of 5:37, while finishing second in the 800-meter. Smith, with the help of his teammates, also placed first in the 4x100, as well as the 4x400, where he posted a 1:04 time on the anchor leg.

Smith also posted a time of 27 minutes at the first annual Pat’s Run, held at Leland High School on April 30. In addition, Smith has also played Almaden Pop Warner football for seven years.

Photo by Kevin Jones at www.johub.com.

Pioneer baseball edges Leland 10-8

Lefthander Andy Wright uncorks a pitch during a 10-8 win over Leland on April 26. Pioneer has won three straight games in a six-day span, improving to 10-5 in Mt. Hamilton Division play.

The Leland baseball team lost for only the second time this season in league play on April 26, and it came at the hands of neighborhood rival Pioneer, which took a 10-8 decision.

Pioneer left-hander Andy Wright picked up the win, while Leland’s Andy Micko took the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits in three-and-one-third innings pitched.

Pioneer’s bats came alive early, with a two-run first inning, followed by a robust six-run second inning. The Mustangs also scored single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Down 10-2 in the top of the seventh, the Chargers mounted a late comeback spurred on by some miscues in the field by Pioneer, resulting in six runs scoring before the Mustangs shut the door and walked away 10-8 winners.

Pioneer followed the win by posting two more victories since, getting a 2-0 win versus Santa Teresa on April 28, followed by a 6-5 win at Westmont on May 1.

Meanwhile, Leland’s loss to Pioneer was the start of a modest three-game losing streak for the Chargers. Following the loss to Pioneer, Leland dropped a crucial 14-6 decision versus Leigh on April 28, which was followed by a 6-1 loss to Santa Teresa on May 1.

Leland’s league record now sits at 13-4, half a game behind league-leading Leigh, while Pioneer improved to 10-5 in the Mt. Hamilton Division, good for a third place tie with Santa Teresa.

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