May 25, 2006

SPORTS

Leland softball stumped by league foes

Chargers drop 1-0 CCS quarterfinal round loss to Leigh, ending their season

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Chargers softball team saw its season end on a sour note, in the form of a 1-0 loss to Leigh in the CCS quarterfinals on May 20.

Leland shortstop Christina Saenz (left) reaches for the ball at second base as a Leigh base runner approaches at full speed during the CCS quarterfinals at the Sports Complex in Salinas on May 20. Leigh won the game 1-0. Photo by Dan Miranda

The loss was a tough end to an otherwise successful season for the Chargers, who went 15-9 overall in 2006. Pitcher Vanessa Truan took the tough luck loss for Leland, despite pitching a solid game in which the right-hander allowed just five hits and five walks while striking out eight.

Leland Head Coach Joe Gron said he was proud of his team’s effort, despite the season-ending loss to the Longhorns.

“I think the girls expected and wanted to win the game,” said Gron. “We did give 100 percent, but just came out on wrong end on this one. There were no disappointments at all. It’s just not what they wanted or expected to have happen.”

The bitter loss also came less than two weeks after the Chargers took a 2-0 win over Leigh toward the end of the regular season, snapping a losing streak against the Longhorns that lasted nearly four years.

As usual, pitching proved to be the key, as Leigh’s Jackie Hill shut down the Leland offense. Leland pitcher Vanessa Truan took the tough luck loss for Leland, despite pitching a solid game in which the right-hander allowed just five hits and five walks while striking out eight.

“Every time we play that team it’s tough a game,” Gron said of Leigh. “Both teams respect each other. When there are two good pitchers, it comes down to one or two runs.”

The loss to Leigh came just days after the Chargers posted a lopsided 11-5 win over Aptos in the opening round of CCS play on May 18 at the Salinas Sports Complex.

A three-run first inning by Aptos did nothing to deter the Chargers, bouncing back with one run in the bottom of the first on a solo home run from shortstop Christina Saenz.

In the bottom of the third, the Chargers took the lead for good, scoring five times in the inning for a 6-3 lead.

The scoring got started when catcher Jessica Talaugon laced a bases-loaded single to center field, scoring Saenz and Sara Adams to tie the game 3-3. Later in the inning, with Amy Hakkinen at second, pinch running for Talaugon, Elisa Vye drove a single to right field, scoring the Chargers’ third run of the inning and giving the team a 4-3 lead. Vye’s single was quickly followed by a booming double to left field off the bat of A.J. Huffman, scoring Vye for a 5-3 advantage.

Pitcher Vanessa Truan then completed the six-run third, and helped her own cause, by singling to right field, scoring Huffman for a 6-3 lead.

“I think nerves got the better of us in the first inning,” said Gron. “I think they threw a little adversity at us in the beginning, and we just persevered and fought through. We made some adjustments after the first time around through the batting order … and it worked out for us.”

The Charger offense was at it again in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four more times for a solid 10-3 lead.

The Chargers got their first run of the inning when Kirsten Rorie scored on an error for a 7-3 lead. Later in the inning, with Ashleigh Adams on third after she wiped two consecutive bases, a wild pickoff throw to third sailed wide, allowing Adams to score for an 8-3 lead and moving pinch runner Hakkinen, in again for Talaugon, to second.

The Chargers celebrate after one of three home runs hit by the team during an 11-5 win over Aptos in the opening round of CCS. Photo by Jeff Frazee

Vye then stepped up and completed the four-run fourth, launching a line drive two-run home run to center field for a 10-3 lead.

The Chargers then scored their 11th, and final, run of the game in the bottom of fifth when Hakkinen, pinch hitting this time, hit a solo home run to right field.

“The confidence was just rolling from there,” Gron said of the offense. “I told them to sit on one pitch because she (the Aptos starting pitcher) was struggling with her other one … and they teed off on it.”

Meanwhile, Truan settled down after a rough first inning, holding Aptos scoreless until the top of the sixth, when the right-hander allowed a two-run home run to cut the lead to 11-5. Still, Gron said he was pleased with Truan’s effort.

“The home run was my mistake, I called a bad pitch,” Gron said. “ … She’s had a lot of confidence in her team all around, and all year long. She knew, and the team knew, that once we got that one home run in the first inning, we could come back.”

Overall, Gron said he was proud of his team, not only for their season statistically, but for the way the group pulled together through rough patches during the season. The rough times included a stretch in which the Chargers were shut out five straight games before finishing up at 7-3 in the final 10 games of the regular season.

“They were able to try to turn this thing around themselves,” Gron said. “Sometimes all it takes is one game, you get a hit and then catch fire after that. The game wears on you mentally sometimes and especially when you are going through those types of steaks. I’m proud of them for that.”

Staff writer Justin Petersen contributed to this report.

Sports Briefs

Central Valley Edge class 3, U18 girls’ team seeks players
Central Valley Edge class 3, U18 girls’ soccer team is looking for players (born after 7/31/88) for the upcoming fall season. Please contact Coach Ary Afsari at afsari@comcast.net or by phone (408) 507-7008 for more detailed information.

Sports officials needed for high school sports
FERMAR Corporation, which contracts with high schools in Santa Clara County, is recruiting officials for high school athletics. Officials are needed for fall season sports such as football, volleyball and field hockey.

Men and women are encouraged to apply. No experience is necessary, as FERMAR will provide training through classes, clinics and tests. All training materials are provided.

Officials are paid $32-$61 per game, depending on the sport and level of competition. Additional opportunities to officiate youth and adult sports are also available.

Interested parties are encouraged to call FERMAR at (408) 567-1700.

Almaden Valley’s All-Star cheer team, Cheer Divas, hosting cheerleading sign-ups
The Cheer Divas program has a few spots available for the 2006-2007 season.  Practices are held at Almaden Valley Gymnastics.  For more information call 408-370-DIVA or visit www.CheerDivas.com.

Central Valley Outlaws class I U13 Premier boys host 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.

Leland Junior 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@gmailcom or Angelica Niklowitz at (408) 268-5549.

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.

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

Cheer coaches needed for South Valley Pop Warner
Cheer coaches are needed for South Valley Pop Warner. If you're interested in joining a team of outstanding coaches, please call Tiana Zarate at (408) 464-3285 or Teresa Smith at (408) 603-8280, or go to http://www.stpopwarner.org/

Pioneer baseball season ends with CCS opening round loss to Soquel

Mustangs fall in 10 innings 5-3; Wright goes seven innings in loss

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Despite riding the wave of a robust 12-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Mustangs could not get momentum to swing their way in a 5-3 loss to Soquel in the opening round of CCS Playoffs on May 18.

Pioneer’s Andy Wright pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two runs, during a 5-3 10-inning loss to Soquel in the opening round of the CCS Playoffs.

The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the Mustangs, who snuck up on Mt. Hamilton Division foes during their first season in the league, finishing in second place with a 16-5 record, one game behind league leader Leland.

“I don’t know what it was, because we came out with a lot of confidence and a lot of energy,” said Pioneer Head Coach Jake Hernandez of the loss. “It got late in the game, and that’s when things get magnified. CCS is a different beast. But you’ve got to remember, these kids are 16 or 17 years old and they make mistakes.”

The Mustangs hung on for quite some time in the loss, forcing the game into extra innings with a 2-2 tie before Soquel put three runs on the board in the top of the 10th inning, fueled by a pair of Mustang throwing errors.

After a throwing error by Eddie Hsieh on a pickoff play at first moved a runner into scoring position at third, a soft fly ball sailed over the drawn in Mustang infield for a single, giving Soquel a 3-2 lead. Later in the inning, a single with a Soquel runner at second saw a wild throw from the outfield toward home plate, skipping to the backstop, allowing a run to cross home plate for a 4-2 lead. A third run eventually scored as well, as a Soquel batter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for a 5-2 lead.

“It’s one of those things that snowballs,” Hernandez said of the rough 10th inning. “With high schoolers, the emotions run so deep and they get so intense. They want to make things happen and be aggressive, but they make mistakes.”

Pioneer managed to squeeze out one more run in the bottom of the 10th, getting a two-out triple off the bat of left fielder Shaun Souza, scoring Derek Clark from first, but the comeback effort proved to be too little, too late, as Matt Montelongo grounded out to end the game.

“We ran into a tough team,” Hernandez said. “When it comes down to one game, it’s the little things that stand out. We didn’t execute, we made some baserunning mistakes and we made some errors in the field. We didn’t get the big hits like we’ve been doing all year.”

Pioneer’s Derek Clark connects on a pitch during a 5-3 home loss to Soquel during the opening round of CCS. Photos by Jeff Frazee

The loss overshadowed an otherwise solid effort from starting pitcher Andy Wright, who went seven innings and allowed just two runs—both in the top of the fourth. Hernandez said Wright, who is undecided about where he will attend school and play baseball next season, has been stellar all season and once again proved why he’s the ace of the Pioneer staff.

“He’s done a great job,” Hernandez said of Wright. “He’s been really consistent. He only gave up two runs, and unfortunately, we couldn’t get at least three for him. …He struggled a bit, but you know, only two runs is great. He’s had a great season and he’ll play beyond high school.”

Above all, Hernandez said he’s proud of his team’s season-long effort, given the fact the Mustangs were in the Santa Teresa Division last season, only to see the squad put together a late season 12-game winning streak and end up in second place in the A-league division.

“I’m very happy with the season,” said Hernandez, immediately following the loss to Soquel. “Right now, with the emotions, we’re all obviously upset about the loss. But we came into the Mt. Hamilton Division and came within one win away from winning the (league) championship. I’m very proud of my guys.”

From sideline to center stage

Leland senior Chris Faria turns from fan to athlete with power soccer

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

For Leland senior Chris Faria, sports are a way of life.

Chris, who uses a wheelchair because of the debilitating effects of cerebral palsy, has found ways to stay involved in sports, often sitting on the sidelines of Leland football games, cheering on his classmates with a Charger hat perched atop his head. Some might even argue that Chris is Leland’s most ardent fan, frequently catching basketball and baseball games, or volunteering his time helping out the coaching staffs of the school.

The San Jose Steam Rollers pose outside the Alviso Community Center where they competed in the Northern California Power Soccer Playoff Tournament on May 13. Back row: Don Faria, Robert Book, and Tracy Book. Front row: Ed Geer, Chris Faria, Jerry Book, Keith Armburst, and Greg Anderson. Photos by Jeff Frazee

But Chris is far more than a fan—he’s also an athlete.

On May 13, Chris and the rest of his San Jose Steamrollers teammates took part in the Northern California Playoff Tournament of the National Power Soccer Association, a nonprofit organization.

The Steamrollers fared well in the tournament, going 1-1-1 to finish the regular season with a 7-3-1 record, in second place behind undefeated Hollister. The Steamrollers worked their way to a 3-3 tie versus Berkeley, before handing Sacramento a 13-1 loss. The Steamrollers then finished the tournament on a down note, dropping a 6-3 loss to Hollister in the tournament’s final game of the day.

For Chris, who has played the sport for seven years, power soccer is his true passion. “I love the game and I love the people I’m playing with,” he said of the sport, which has a nine-month season beginning in the early fall. “I have an opportunity to compete with people of my same abilities. It gives me something to do. I don’t just sit at home. I get to compete with athletes.”

And for once, Chris was the athlete being cheered. A handful of Leland football players, as well as Leland head football Coach Jason Tenner, were on hand at the Alviso Community Center to watch him in action and volunteer their time to help out with the tournament.

“Chris is always watching our games and he always looks like he wants to be in there, doing something,” said Tyler Begiebing, a sophomore football player at Leland who volunteered his time at the tournament. “This is kind of a chance for him to get out there and do something and be able to play. It’s pretty cool for him.”

“It shows the respect he has for those guys, but also, the respect those guys have for him,” added Don Faria, Chris’ father. “For those guys to come out and be a part of his sport one time, I think it’s fantastic.”

Spending time with dad
While Chris finally had a chance to share his passion for power soccer with his classmates, it is also a sport he has found a common bond in with his father for several years. Don Faria serves as the head coach for the Steamrollers, which has two separate division teams, based on athletes with varying degrees of abilities.

“It’s something that me and my dad get to sit at the dinner table and talk about,” Chris said of the common interest in power soccer that he shares with his father. “We talk about what’s going on, what’s going to happen and what we need to get better at. At times, it’s hard to take criticism, because he’s my dad, but it works out fine.”

Above all else, seeing his son compete in sports and sharing that common bond is always special for Don.

“It is a tremendous feeling,” Don said. “The night before, he starts thinking about it and talking about it. … He prepares himself mentally for the game and it’s fun to do it with him. Also, it fun to yell at him as a coach and then consult him as a father.”

The school of hard knocks
The sport of power soccer itself is not for the squeamish, according to both Don and Chris.

Power soccer, played on a basketball court in a four-on-four format with 20-minute halves and a soccer ball 20 inches in diameter, is similar to the form of soccer most fans of the sport are accustomed to, including physical play.

“I think these athletes want to be aggressive, they want to play hard,” Don said. “You don’t want anyone to get hurt, but they’re aggressive and they can hit each other’s chair. Chairs have fallen over in the past, and they’ve fallen out of their chairs, and those types of things. It’s really just a part of team sports and being competitive.”

For Chris, the physical nature is one of the aspects that he tends to enjoy from time to time. Still, Chris cautioned, not everyone can take the punishment in the same way as he does, given the varying degrees of disabilities that many of the athletes in power soccer have.

“If you have a certain disability, it’s hard for you to take,” Chris said of the game’s physical nature. “Sometimes it is hard, but we can all take it. We just play as hard as we can. During the game, it doesn’t tend to hurt as much. You take it as it goes.”

“When I see kids being thrown out of chairs, it does worry me,” said Robin Faria, Chris’ mother. “But you know, he an athlete. That’s the way I think of it.”

Foes on the court, friends off it
While competitiveness reigns on the court, camaraderie is often found away from the games as well.

“First of all, it’s the social aspect of it,” Don said. “You get this many people together, and all of them have similar disabilities to some extent. So the social aspect of the sport is great. You’ll see them socialize, when they’re not playing each other of course.”

For Chris, the social aspect of the sport is also one the things he enjoys most about being involved with power soccer. Just like any teenager, some things are easy to discuss with parents, while other topics are better left for discussions with friends.

“There are some things I can’t talk about with my parents, because they don’t live my life in that way, so I have to talk to some of my teammates about it,” said Chris, who counts Jerry Book, a teammate and Pioneer student, among his friends on the team. “It’s really nice.”

In early June, the Steamrollers will find themselves in Birmingham, Ala. for the National Tournament of the National Power Soccer Association. While Chris assures that the competition will be fierce, it is yet another opportunity that combines the love of competition and socialization for Chris and his teammates

“Power soccer is a big community, so we get to see everybody,” Chris said of heading to the National Tournament in Alabama. “We’re all friends, we all play the same sport, and we all have the same abilities, in a way. It’s kind of just fun to hang out and compete against the best teams.”

While Chris said he’d continue to compete in power soccer for years to come, he’s also adding the title of coach to his sports resume. In the fall, Chris will serve as an assistant coach in the Leland football program, scouting and editing game film of opponents for the Chargers. On top of that, Chris is also an aspiring sport writer and is currently working on setting up his own blog online, showcasing his skills as a sports columnist.

According to his parents, all of those things are a part of an inner drive to make the most of the opportunities presented in life to Chris.

“I’m very impressed and I’m very proud of Chris,” said Robin. “He’s done a lot. … I’m just very proud of him.”

Student-run dodge ball tournament generates $1,662 for charity

Invisible Children honored with intra-district effort

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Organizers report that San Jose Unified School District’s May 21 Invisible Children’s Dodge Ball tournament generated $1,662 earmarked for child-relief programs in Africa.

Money raised came from entry fees and T-shirts that students designed to help spread awareness regarding the reported 10,000 child slaves in Uganda—termed “Invisible Children” by a 2003 documentary that exposed the horrible practice spreading across the continent, where radical groups abduct children and force them into military service and to work as sex slaves.

A Willow Glen student unleashes a canon shot at a Pioneer team.

The tournament was conceived by Leland High juniors Shaina Patel, Elena Santa Maria, Emma Noftz and Jennifer Tsau, who presented the idea at an intra-district leadership meeting and received clearance from administrators at Leland, Pioneer, and Willow Glen to pursue the event.

Patel and company also drew the attention of Willow Glen senior Jason Tom, who signed on and ultimately secured the finals’ site, inside Willow Glen’s gymnasium.

“We watched the documentary at the very end of January, and were moved by it,” said Patel. “We wanted to plan fund-raisers to help. You hear about stuff going on in the world a lot, but seeing the documentary and seeing the faces of the children brought you close to the situation. The movie gave a personal connection because we saw the faces of kids involved in war.”

Patel said that in raising awareness for the dodge ball tournament, more than 160 students were able to view the film, which chronicles a 20-year war waged in Northern Uganda where the LRA rebel army abducts small children ages 5 to 12.

“The money goes directly to the End of the World Children’s Organization,” said Patel. “The money we raised will be used for educating recovered child slaves in Uganda.”

Patel said that world leaders have identified education as the most important tool to begin to restore normalcy in the lives of children abducted by the radical groups and subjected to traumatic experiences.

While it was a nimble crew from Willow Glen that hoisted championship salutes over their heads Sunday, Patel and her cohorts hope San Jose Unified students make the benefit dodge ball tournament an annual event.

“We are hoping to hold this dodge ball tournament every year, so if there is anyone from other schools in our district interested in helping us next year, they should contact us via e-mail,” said Patel.

Leland hosted several preliminary tournaments where a total of 12 teams competed within the school.

Pioneer finished second, riding the shotgun shots and sure hands of tournament Most Valuable Player J.J. Goulden. Goulden, who moonlighted in the CCS track finals, where he landed earlier in the week, impressed tournament organizers and officials, suffering just one knockout on championship day.

“I am not sure how many teams Pioneer and Willow Glen started out with,” said Patel. “There could have been as many as 25 teams total to begin with, and each team has eight players.”

Leland’s top squad, The Revolution, finished in third place, behind a Willow Glen contender and Goulden’s group.

THE ROUNDUP

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland baseball suffers early exit in opening round
SI pitcher baffles batters with junk

Fourth-seed Leland could not adjust to St. Ignatius hurler Scott Benedetti, who baffled batters with screwballs and a three-quarter delivery, as the host Chargers were eliminated 3-2 early in the first round of CCS Division I playoff action on May 17.

“It was frustrating,” said Leland Coach Scot Gillis, who guided the favorite Chargers (19-6) to a Mount Hamilton Division Championship this season. “From the fan’s perspective, it looks as though he was just lobbing it up there, and how could you not kill the thing?”

Leland’s Alex Todd takes a swing at a pitch during the Chargers’ 3-2 loss to St. Ignatius in the opening round of the CCS Division I Baseball Playoffs on May 17. Leland came into the contest seeded at No. 4. Photo by Kevin Jones at www.johub.com.

Gillis said Benedetti was the first junk ball pitcher with a distinct delivery that Leland had faced all year long, and that they lost because they failed to make the appropriate adjustments.

“In CCS games, there is so much of the kids’ natural response to situations that takes over,” he said. “By that time, it is very difficult to ask them to do stuff outside of normal routines. Everyone wants to throw as hard as they can, run as fast as they can and we were asking them to reduce the swing and hit solid ground balls to the right side of the field. Guys try too hard.”

Leland failed to wait on Benedetti pitches, especially after a year paced by big hits.

“Everybody was trying to hit the three-run home run, but we just needed to put the ball in play,” said Gillis.

While Benedetti set the tempo, Leland was never far from surpassing Saint Ignatius. Starting pitcher Kevin Battipede relinquished just three runs on seven hits. He also contributed to his own cause in the sixth inning, when he blasted a two-run double off the left field wall.

Senior Danny Dyer also ripped two of Leland’s six hits.

“Kevin did a good job pitching,” said Gillis. “We had opportunities with the bases loaded, guys on second and third with one out, guys on second and third with two outs. Normally three runs are not enough to beat us.”

While the Chargers were disappointed to fall early, out-dueled by an anonymous pitcher, Gillis said that it was encouraging to learn Benedetti beat Serra, the sixth-ranked team nationally, in a game last week. Saint Ignatius also forced Valley Christian into extra innings in second round action Saturday.

“Knowing you can beat somebody and actually beating them are two different things,” said Gillis.


Charger track team’s Barnett and McKenzie keep fingers crossed for state bid
Leland qualifies two girls for CCS track finals

Leland ladies Stephanie Barnett and Dana McKenzie lassoed lanes at CCS track finals Friday.

Barnett, a freshman two-miler, has competed amongst top CCS runners all year long, posting a best time of 11:26.71 Saturday at the qualifying meet. Barnett had posted the seventh best time in the section upon entering the finals.

“She has a lot of heart,” said Leland Track Coach Jerry Rose. “Stephanie qualified third in her heat, so we will probably see an even faster time when she runs versus the other girls. I don’t know about the title this season, but both girls certainly have the opportunity to finish in the top three and qualify for state.”

McKenzie is a junior high jumper who cleared 5 feet, 2 inches at the semifinal event Saturday. According to Rose, McKenzie just missed the state meet last season as a sophomore, when she cleared the automatic-bid 5-feet, 4-inch mark, moments before the bar fell while she was walking out of the pit.

“Dana’s done it before,” said Rose. “She did it twice two weeks ago at the BVAL finals.”

While Barnett and McKenzie were the sole finals’ qualifiers, Rose said Leland runners enjoyed plenty of success at the BVAL final meet. Kikita Fkiras, Lauren Dryegas, Danielle Ott, Katelyn Tyson, Dan McKenzie, Caryn Mohr, Matt Vera, Phil Petro and Joey Boose each finished in the BVAL top eight and qualified to compete at the CCS semifinals last Saturday.

“They all did a great job,” said Rose. “Anytime you qualify 11 kids for the CCS meet, you’re in good shape.”

Rose said a foot injury suffered by miler Stephen Matsuka kept the presence of Leland boys out of the finals. Rose said Matsuka was the most likely Leland boys’ candidate at a CCS title.


Mustangs subdued in CCS softball opener
Pioneer falls 2-0 to West Catholic Lancers

Pioneer pitcher Alyssa Walker surrendered just two hits to St. Francis, but the Mustangs could not muster sufficient support at Hawes Field in Redwood City, and fell 2-0 in CCS softball action on May 18.

“We got caught looking ahead to Presentation,” said Pioneer Coach Ernie Garcia. “I had no doubt that we could have beaten St. Francis, but it’s unfortunate that they capitalized on the mistakes we made, and one team had to win and one loses.”

St. Francis (15-12) struck first in the top of the third when Walker walked the Lancers’ number-eight batter. The runner moved to second on a bunt, and advanced to third on an error at second base, when senior shortstop Katie Town could not retrieve a wild throw on a double play ball. With a first and third situation set, the Lancers were able to pinch in a run.

St. Francis scored again in the fourth, while the Mustang offense tried in vain to muster some support for Walker.

“We had a chance in the bottom of the fifth,” said Garcia. “We had a runner on and we executed a push bunt, but the runner went to third and was tagged out.”

Garcia said his team was understandably disappointed.

“We knew we should have done better,” he said. “When we got scored on, we went into this down mode. We were hitting the pitcher really well until they scored two runs. We didn’t react. We were just flat.”

Pioneer (20-9) anticipates fielding a strong lineup again next season. They graduate just three seniors this year, two of which start.

“It was a good season overall,” said Garcia. “Hopefully we learn from this and look forward to next season.”

Garcia added that it will be especially difficult to replace Town, who paced the Mustang offense in 2006.


Mustangs miss CCS track finals by a hair
Pioneer runners edged out in qualifying heats

Pioneer may have wrangled a Santa Teresa Division track championship this spring, but no Mustangs will compete at the CCS finals Friday.

“We missed two of our biggest guys at the preliminary meet last week, and nobody else qualified,” said Pioneer Coach Aaron Hansen.

Steve Lopes and J.J. Goulden were not cleared to race at the Blossom Valley Athletic League finals two weeks ago, where athletes qualify for CCS and where the two in particular were expected to vie for league crowns. Goulden and Lopes also anchored Mustang relays, the 4x100-meters and 4x400-meters, respectively.

“Everybody who was there ran well, though,” said Hansen.

Marissa Silver and Carrie Herbert each posted personal best times, racing May 20 at CCS semifinals hosted by San Jose City College. Yet, the girls did not finish in the top eight, failing to claim a lane at Friday’s finals, in respective hurdle and sprint events.

Silver and Herbert did finish in the top eight at the BVAL finals to get there.

Senior Jason Wetzel actually won the BVAL discus event, but opted out of competing at CCS, due to a scheduling conflict. A potential Junior Olympics selection, according to Hansen, Wetzel chose to travel with his hockey team Saturday.

Other Mustang highlights were senior Drew McReynolds, who placed second at the BVAL finals in both the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. Freshman Tony Sarge also finished second in the mile at BVAL Finals.

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