June 14, 2007

SPORTS

Almaden Little League’s Braves win Majors North Division Championship

Braves headed to Tournament of Champions after posting 8-3 win over White Sox

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Almaden Little League’s Braves are headed to the Tournament of Champions after the team took the Majors North Division Championship with an 8-3 win over the White Sox on June 7.

Almaden Little League’s Braves won the Majors North Division Championship game on June 7 with an 8-3 final over the White Sox. The Braves, who improved to 21-0 on the season with the win, will move on to play in the Tournament of Champions, beginning on June 16.

The win kept the Braves’ undefeated season intact, as the team improved to 21-0 this year. For coach Brad Rocca, the win—as well as the title of Majors North Division Champion—was a sweet reward.

“It feels fantastic,” Rocca said. “It’s something you strive for as a child growing up playing baseball, and something you want as a coach too.”

For the White Sox, the loss ended a season that began with some trying times, before a mid-season turnaround catapulted the team into the championship game.

“We were 1-6, burned our team banner and then went 10-5 to make it to the championship game,” White Sox coach Scott McLaughlin said. “We just couldn’t be more proud of the way the kids played today.”

The Braves wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, taking a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when first baseman Robert Moffatt-Miller blasted a three-run home run to get things going. The Braves then added three more runs in the bottom of the second inning, as Michael Bellinger delivered a single with the bases loaded and two outs, scoring two runs. On the play, Bellinger got caught between first and second base and was tagged out trying to advance, but not before a third run crossed home plate.

Braves starting pitcher Kyle Marquez gets ready to fire a pitch during an 8-3 win over the White Sox in the Majors North Division Championship game on June 7. Photo by Diego Abeloos

The White Sox countered in the top of the third inning, however, getting a run on the board on a Braves fielding error, cutting the lead to five at 6-1.

Still, the Braves countered right back, as starting pitcher Kyle Marquez helped his own cause by lacing a two-run double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, bumping the Braves lead to 8-1. Marquez finished his day on the mound by tossing four innings, allowing one run, a walk and three hits while striking out five to earn the win.

Braves right-hander Ben Maxwell then came in to close out the game, but not before running into a bit of trouble in the top of the fifth when White Sox starting pitcher Matt McLaughlin delivered an RBI single, before scoring from third on a wild pitch later in the inning, cutting the Braves lead to 8-3. Maxwell, however, pulled through and closed out the game in the top of the sixth to earn a save while striking out five batters through two innings of work.

“It’s overwhelming,” Rocca said of the team’s championship run. “…The White Sox played really well. (Matt) McLaughlin did a great job of keeping us off-balance at the plate today.”

The Braves will move on to play in the first round of the Tournament of Champions on Saturday, June 16 at the Quito Little League Field, located on 1585 More Ave. in Los Gatos, behind Rolling Hills Middle School. Game time is set for 10 a.m.

New Leland boys’ hoops coach stresses defense, fundamentals

Steve Ceandel to coach Chargers after 20-year coaching career in local college ranks

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

After spending the past 15 seasons as an assistant coach under former Santa Clara men’s basketball coach Dick Davey, Steve Ceandel will pace the sidelines for the Leland boys’ basketball team this coming season after being named head coach in mid-May.

Ceandel, 49, is not unfamiliar to the Almaden area, having graduated from Leland in 1976, while also serving as the head boys’ basketball coach at Pioneer for four years, beginning in the mid-1980s.

Ceandel, who also had an assistant coaching stint at Stanford under Mike Montgomery, as well as a previous three-year stint at Santa Clara under Carol Williams, is inheriting a Charger team that placed in a two-way tie for third place in the Santa Teresa Division during the 2006-07 season, posting an overall record of 14-12, and will move up to compete in the Mt. Hamilton Division next season. All in all, Ceandel noted, the transition for both him and the returning Leland players has gone fairly smoothly.

“I like how hard they work,” Ceandel said of the team. “They’ve been very receptive to new ideas. There are some things that I told them I thought they didn’t do very well and would have to change for us to have a chance to compete in the top league (Mt. Hamilton Division).”

Among the things Ceandel hopes to change is to make the team a more defensive-oriented unit, keeping in line with his coaching beliefs.

“My philosophy starts with being able to guard,” Ceandel said. “That’s something that, for whatever reason, they’re not really fundamentally strong in and that’s something we have to change right off the bat.”

Ceandel said the move up to the Mt. Hamilton Division, a decision made by former head coach Ed Campbell, will pose additional challenges to the team this coming season.

“Let’s face it. The level of play we’re going to face during the school year is going to be a little bit more than they’re used to,” Ceandel said. “…They have to get the mindset that (defense) is going to be really important to us. They’re getting there. They’re making small strides every day.”

Still, Ceandel noted that the team’s overall attitude in practices thus far has been a pleasant sight to see, and should serve the team well as it begins to get familiar with his way of doing things.

“That’s been really refreshing,” Ceandel said of the team’s willingness to embrace new ideas and to work hard. “Sometimes, with college kids, they’ve already established a certain way to do things and it’s harder to change them.”

Offensively, the Chargers will bring guard Drew Marino, who led the team with 14.6 points per game, back in the fold. Forward Greg Hipwell will also return to the team for his junior season after posting an average of 8 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game last season. Other players who played prominent roles, such as Cody Tyson, Matt Vera, Ryan Selness and Adam MacKey are also returning to the team.

Regardless of whatever roles each player filled last season, everything is wide open, and subject to change, Ceandel said.

“Everything’s open right now,” Ceandel said. “I told them when I got the job, ‘I don’t have any preconceived notions of who’s the best, who’s the worst, or who should start and who should never play. You guys are going to show me that.’”

With that said, Ceandel said the upcoming Summer League season will be a crucial time for both the players and the coaching staff. Ceandel said he will use the time during summer league to gauge each player’s strengths and weaknesses in game situations before making any important decisions on offense and defense.

“I think it’s really important,” Ceandel said of the summer league season, which begins June 18 at Wilcox High School for the Chargers. “I told them the other day during scrimmage that ‘I need to see how you’re going to react in a game.’ …It’s going to be a learning experience. Let’s face it. I’m learning about them and they’re learning about me, because what I’m doing is vastly different than what the previous coach did.”

Grasshoppers win District 12 Juniors Division Championship

The Grasshoppers, an Almaden Little League Juniors’ baseball team consisting of 13- and 14-year-old players, won the District 12 Juniors Division Championship on June 6 with a 28-10 win over the Hooks. 

The team went undefeated in the 14-team double-elimination tournament and finished the regular season at 14-4, edging out the Scrappers for the division lead by 3.5 games. 

Pictured at left: The Grasshoppers. Seated: Coach Dean Correa. Front row: Manager Tarun Patel, Chad Piper, Michael Allen, Stephen Johnson, Grant Brownfield, J.D. Correa, Kingsley Egbujor, and Kevin Auser. Back row: Julian Lin, Michael Reeve, Tyler McGrath, Conor Jones, and Justin Bailey.

Almaden gymnast earns medals at Western Championships

Amanda Lie, a junior at Leland High School, participated in the 2007 Level 9 Western National Championships in Spokane, Wash. May 11-13.

This competition included girls who qualified from all states west of the Mississippi River. Lie won a silver medal for the uneven bars with a score of 9.35 and a bronze medal for the balance beam with a score of 9.425. She earned fifth place all-around in her age group with a score of 36.925. Lie also scored an 8.9 on vault and a 9.25 on floor.

In April, Lie competed in the Regional Competition in Orem, Utah, competing against other girls from California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Finishing second all-around, she was one of the top six girls chosen to represent Region 1 in Spokane, along with Ashley Lawson, Melanie Yamabe, Kacie Latchford, Alex Leggitt, and teammate Aia Evans. This regional team won second place at the Western Championships.

A former member of Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club, Lie now competes for Champions Academy in Morgan Hill under coaches Jinjing Zhang and Jianhua Xiao. She trains four hours a day six days a week.

Leland honors six senior student-athletes

The Leland High School Athletic Department and Booster Club recently honored six standout senior student-athletes for their efforts on and off the field, as the school has done in years past with the Gordon Leland Award, the Raymond Leland Award, and the Pat Tillman Award. The following seniors were honored:

From left, Lance Gemette, Adam Ondi, Jessica Kolte, Grace Chang and Raymond LaRochelle.

Gordon Leland Award
This award is given to the most outstanding single sports male and female senior athletes at Leland. Criteria for the award are athletic achievement, sportsmanship, academic achievement and leadership.

Jessica Kolte: Kolte has been a four-year starter on the Leland Field Hockey team, and has also lettered for three years on the girls’ soccer team. In field hockey, Kolte has been a BVAL First-Team All-League honoree during her junior and senior seasons, while also being named team MVP. In addition, Kolte was also an honorable mention on this year’s All-CCS team. Kolte served as the Leland team captain this past season en route to helping her team reach the CCS Semifinals. Kolte has maintained a 3.8 GPA and will attend Cal-Berkeley in the fall.

Jessica Kolte, Adam Ondi, and Lance Gemette are among the Leland High School athletic department honorees.

Adam Ondi: Ondi has been a three-year starter on the football team, earning team MVP honors, Special Teams Player of the Year and Running Back of the Year. He earned BVAL Second-Team All-League honors as a sophomore and junior before being honored as a BVAL First-Team All-League honoree and BVAL Santa Teresa Division MVP in 2006 as a senior. Ondi led the Santa Teresa Division in rushing with more than 1,300 yards, including seven games with more than 100 yards rushing in 2006. Ondi was also named an honorable mention in CCS while serving as a team captain for the Chargers. Ondi, who will participate in the annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star game later this summer, maintained a 3.1 GPA and will attend CSU Sacramento in the fall.

Raymond Leland Award
This award is given to the best all around male and female senior athletes at Leland. Criteria for this award are athletic achievement in more than one sport, sportsmanship, leadership and academic achievement.

Adam Ondi	Lance Gemette

Courtney Monsees: Monsees has been a four-year letterman in swimming and water polo at Leland. In water polo, she earned team MVP and defensive MVP honors, and was named a BVAL First-Team All-League honoree during both her junior and senior seasons. In addition, she served as team captain, helping to lead her team to the CCS Semifinals.

In swimming, Monsees was crowned a CCS Champion all four years in the 200IM and the 500 freestyle, and holds CCS records in both the 200 and 500 freestyle. All told, Monsees holds seven CCS titles, is a seven-time All-American in swimming, and has competed at the Olympic trials in the 100 freestyle. Monsees has also maintained a 3.2 GPA and will be attending the University of Georgia in the fall.

Leland’s Courtney Monsees.

Lance Gemette: Gemette has been a three-year starter in both football and baseball for Leland. In baseball, he received BVAL Sophomore of the Year, Junior of the Year, and First-Team All-League honors. In addition, Gemette was named the BVAL’s Most Outstanding Offensive player as a senior for the 2006 season. Gemette has also been a team captain in both baseball and football, maintaining a 3.2 GPA in the process. Gemette will attend CSU Sacramento in the fall.

Pat Tillman Award
This award is presented on behalf of former Leland athlete Pat Tillman and is given to a graduating male and female athlete who has shown leadership, integrity, fairness, character, as well as outstanding athletic and academic achievement.

Grace Chang in action

Grace Chang: Chang has been a four-year starter in volleyball, a two-year starter in lacrosse, while also lettering for one season in badminton. In volleyball, she earned BVAL Second-Team All-League honors on defense and was the co-captain on the Leland League Championship team. In Lacrosse, Chang was a leader on offense, earning Second-Team All-American honors this year. Chang has also been Leland class president for four years in ASB, maintaining a GPA of 3.3. Chang will attend UC Davis in the fall.

Raymond LaRochelle: LaRochelle has been a three-year letterman in both water polo and swimming. In water polo, he earned the team MVP, as well as BVAL MVP honors this past season. In addition, he earned the BVAL’s Sophomore of the Year and Junior of the Year awards, while being named a CCS Honorable Mention as a senior. LaRochelle was a team captain in both sports, helping to lead his team to the CCS Playoffs each of his years. LaRochelle has maintained a 3.9 GPA and will attend UC Santa Barbara in the fall.

Sports Briefs

Almaden United Girls U13, Class 1 Soccer Team Looking for Players
The Almaden United, a Girls’ Under 13, strong Class 1 team is looking for players for the fall '07 season. Date of birth must be between August 1, 1994 and July 31, 1996. Try-outs will be held on 6/18, 6/22, 6/25 7 6/29. Please contact Jeff Pine at pine@apple.com or 391-7542 for more information.

Summer Field Hockey Camp at Leigh High School
Leigh High School will be holding a Field Hockey Camp July 9th through 12th. Boys and girls entering 1st through 9th grade are welcome. The cost is $125 per participant and includes instruction, t-shirt, field hockey stick and ball. Registration forms are available at http://www.leigh.cuhsd.org/News/LEIGH_FIELD_HOCKEY_CAMP.pdf. For more information, contact Karin Mirassou at kmirassou@hotmail.com.

FitCamp Sign-Ups Going On Now
TotalFit Solutions is registering participants for their Summer FitCamp programs at Evergreen College, Los Gatos and Mt. Pleasant High School.  You can sign up for a 6 week session, or chose 2 or 3 day a week programming.  You can get started today!

FitCamp is a fun filled exercise program that is open to all ages and abilities.  FitCamp meets everyday and is designed to be a total fitness solution for kids and parents alike. Every day has a different workout which not
only keeps our participants excited and challenged, it keeps your body moving in a way that guarantees results.

Whether you are looking to better your sports conditioning, lose weight or just get in shape; FitCamp is a great alternative to commercial fitness centers and gyms.

At FitCamp you can always try a class for FREE!  For more information, contact TotalFit  Solutions at (408) 227 – 2216 or on the web at www.totalfitsolutions.com.

TotalFit Solutions offers wellness coaching, personal training, corporate wellness packages and adventure travel
for individuals and families.  Contact us today!

Girls in Motion Summer Conditioning Camp
Girls in Motion Summer Conditioning Camp is a total fitness training program that offers female athletes ages 13-18 a unique opportunity to elevate their performance and improve their self-confidence.
Experts agree that if female athletes want to achieve elite performance, they must insure that comprehensive strength training is covered in their conditioning regimens - Girls in Motion is designed to do just that!
Session Start/End Dates: June 18-July 16; July 23-Aug.17. Cost: $270-375 - Full scholarships and group discounts available. Girls in Motion Conditioning Camp is located at San Jose Community College. For more information, phone 425-9475 or contact Mary Beth Gonzales at marybeth@bayareabootcamp.com or Nicole Leonard at nicole@bayareabootcamp.com

EMQ Children & Family Services Tennis Marathon Begins 24th Season
Proceeds benefit programs that help children and families with mental health disabilities
Registration has begun for the annual EMQ Children & Family Services September, 2007 to May, 2008 tennis season fundraiser. This event allows participating groups to play one match per month beginning in September with the scheduling of time and location set at the convenience of the players.  A $50 fully tax deductible fee is required by all participants for the entire season.  Individuals can play in more than one group at $50 per group fee.  

Registration Deadlines: July 2 for singles, July 15 for doubles. All player levels are welcome and participants are encouraged to form their own group or participants can be placed in a group. Doubles must provide a partner at the time of registration. A schedule and set of rules is sent to each group with the roster and group leader name prior to September, 2007.

An end-of-the-season celebration will be held on Friday, May 16, 2008 at the Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC) with Round Robin Tennis followed by lunch and awards. For more information and to sign up, contact Lois Machado (408-268-1306; loistennis@aol.com) for singles and Jean Knofler (408-269-1492; jbknofler@comcast.net) for doubles.

Sports Briefs: Sports Briefs listings are subject to the following fee structure: $25 per month, per publication for the Evergreen and Almaden Times; $10 per month, per publication for the monthly newspapers. Indicate publication placement at the time the listing/payment is submitted. Sports Briefs accepts checks – payable to Times Media, Inc – VISA or MC.
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