June 28, 2007

SPORTS

Almaden North’s Braves prevail in TOC Final

Braves win District 12 Tournament of Champions with 8-4 win over Almaden South Marlins

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Almaden North Braves won the District 12 Tournament of Champions on June 20, taking an 8-4 win over the Almaden South Marlins at the Quito Little League Field.

The Almaden North Braves were crowned TOC champions following an 8-4 win over the Almaden South Marlins on June 20. The win gave the Braves a 25-0 record to finish the season.

The win ended an undefeated season for the Braves, who finished up at 25-0 following the TOC championship game.

“This was an absolutely great game against two championship teams,” said Braves manager Brad Rocca, whose team defeated the Marlins twice during the regular season as well. “It was obvious that the Marlins came to play and they played us hard all three times we’ve played them.”

“All the kids tried their best,” added Marlins manager Dave Painter. “We gave them (the Braves) a run for their money. …We just didn’t capitalize, and they found a way to win, like they always do.”

The Braves broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fifth, beginning with a single and two walks to load the bases, before Robert Moffatt-Miller hit a slow grounder down the third baseline that went for an infield single, scoring Kyle Marquez from third base for a 5-4 lead. Catcher Scott McCoy then followed with a walk, forcing in Michael Rocca from third for a 6-4 advantage, before an Anthony Santamoor single to left field scored two more, giving the Braves an 8-4 cushion.

Braves pitcher Michael Rocca picked up the save in an 8-4 win during the TOC championship game on June 20. Photo by Allison Johnson

“It’s just that never-say-die Braves baseball,” Rocca said of the four-run fifth inning. “We’re opportunistic and we’re patient. We didn’t get discouraged when they scored to tie the game. We could’ve fallen apart; a lot of teams might fall apart, seeing that kind of thing happens.”

The Braves started out the game in promising fashion as well, getting a solo home run from starting pitcher Ben Maxwell in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Continued, next page

The Marlins managed to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the third, as Brett Watanabe drew a bases loaded walk out of Maxwell, forcing in a run for the tie.

The Braves came back in the bottom of the third with a two-out scoring stretch however, as a single, an error and a wild pitch scored Marquez for a 2-1 lead, before a Maxwell double to left field scored Rocca for a 3-1 edge. Michael Bellinger then laced a double to left-center field for the Braves’ second straight two-out hit, scoring Maxwell for a 4-1 lead.

Still, the Marlins bounced back once more, loading the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth against Maxwell, before Travis Painter lined a double to right field, scoring two to cut the lead to just one at 4-3. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded once again following a walk to Scott Keighley, Watanabe singled to center field, scoring one more run to tie the game up at 4-4.

The Marlins’ Ben Watanabe takes a swing at a pitch during the TOC championship game on June 20. Watanabe drove in two of the Marlins’ four runs in an 8-4 loss to the Braves.

Despite the season-ending 8-4 loss to the Braves, Dave Painter said he was proud of his team’s season-long effort that landed the Marlins in the TOC championship game.

“Our kids, I couldn’t be more proud of them,” he said. “We came in first place on our side and we fought our way through these TOCs and made it to the championship game. The kids gelled, pulled for each other and did the best that they could.”

As for the Braves, finishing the season at 25-0 required talent, but some lucky bounces as well, noted Rocca.

“We’ve had to get a few breaks along the way, but we really do play as a team, as 12 guys up and down the lineup,” Rocca said. “We never give up. We never just quit. Every game we play, we know we’re still in it, no matter what it is. This was no exception.”

Anthony Siri resigns as Leland head baseball coach

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Anthony Siri announced his resignation last week as the Chargers head coach, ending a two-year run in the Leland baseball program.

Siri, who spent the 2006 season as co-head coach with Scot Gillis before taking over the program on his own for the 2007 season, said he’s resigning so that he can focus more time on his family and own baseball business, Sirious Baseball Performance Academy.

Anthony Siri resigned as the head coach of Leland baseball last week, citing family and business commitments. Siri is a 1992 Leland graduate. Photos by Kevin Jones at www.johub.com

Still, Siri noted that walking away from the job is a tough thing to deal with.

“It’s very tough, because I think it’s a great program and I know it’s going to be a phenomenal program again in the future,” said Siri. “It’s very tough to walk away because you put so much time and effort just in the two years I was there. There’s only so many hours a day, and there’s not enough hours in the day to do all the things you want to do.”

Siri, a 1992 Leland graduate who went on to play baseball at West Valley College and San Jose City College before heading east to pitch for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said having the chance to coach his old high school dream was an opportunity of a lifetime. In short, Siri said he believes he put his best possible effort into the program during his two-year stay at Leland.

“It’s something that shows in the product,” Siri said. “I put my heart and soul into it. That’s just how I work and that’s how I do things. …You put a lot of time and effort into it because you believe in the product and you want the best product you can possibly get. It was an enjoyable experience, for sure.”

Siri guided the Chargers to a 12-9 record in 2007 Mt. Hamilton Division play, garnering an at-large berth in the CCS Playoffs, where Leland dropped a 14-3 loss to Los Gatos in the opening round.

However, Siri’s own business, Sirious Baseball Performance Academy, has been growing as well, he noted, leaving little time to juggle all of his responsibilities.

“I knew when I took the job over two years ago, that I was biting off more than I can chew, but I wanted that experience,” Siri said. “…It was more of something like, ‘if you can do it, I know you’ll stick with it. If you can’t, you’ll be able to walk away and say that it’s OK, because you gave it 100 percent.’ That’s what I did. For two years at Leland, I did that.”

Likewise, Siri said he wanted to focus more time on his young family. Siri and his wife, Valerie, recently celebrated the first birthday of their only child, son Eli.

“This past year, it was too much, and no one knew it was too much because I didn’t let anything slip,” Siri said. “But I was taking away (time) from my family, which is the most important thing. I just didn’t want to do that anymore.”

From left to right: Bob Auchard, Lisa Kerley, Brad Meacham, Allison Hunt, Jeanette Soe, and Thyra Tegner.

Almaden Swim and Racquet Club swimmers come back
winners from Masters' Short Course Nationals

Six Almaden Master Whale Heads from the Almaden Swim and Racquet Club Swim Team traveled to Seattle for the Masters' Short Course Nationals May 17-20.

The highlight of the meet was Brad Meacham's first-place finishes in 100, 200 and 400 IMs. Meacham was joined by teammates Bob Auchard, Jeanette Soe, Lisa Kerley, Thyra Tegner and Allison Hunt. All six swimmers won medals bringing the total count to 24.

Camp discovery

Competitive Edge Football camp gives new Leland coaching staff
first-hand look at players’ abilities against local competition

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

For the first time since the end of the 2006 season, the Leland football team donned helmets and pads and faced competition as the squad took part in a Competitive Edge Football camp at Piedmont Hills June 18-20.

Chargers head coach Mike Carrozzo, who owns and operates Competitive Edge Football, said the three-day camp afforded the coaching staff the chance to get a better read on what the team can do well, and what it needs to work on. To that end, the coaching staff videotaped the team’s 7-on-7 drills and scrimmages at the camp for further review.

Leland running back Kevin Krail goes through drills at the Competitive Edge Football camp, held June 18-20 at Piedmont Hills. Photos by Dan Miranda

“The camps are designed to see who steps up and who needs a little more work,” Carrozzo said. “In pads, it’s a world of difference than without pads. We had some surprises, some pleasant surprises, and some guys who didn’t live up to our expectations. I suspect that by the time we get to our next camp, which is in four weeks, we’ll have everybody on the same page.”

Carrozzo noted that after several weeks of hitting the weight room and the field for speed exercises, as well as a tutorial on the team’s playbooks, the players also relished the opportunity to finally get out and compete against other teams at the camp in full gear.

“If you ask any kid whether they’d rather do a plyometric and conditioning program, or go out and wear pads and bang, I guarantee you to a man 100 percent of them will all say they’d rather hit somebody,” Carrozzo said. “That’s what they live for. The kids did real well. They were excited and there was some good team unity there and great leadership.”

And while the players had the chance to see competition, the Leland coaching staff used the time to better evaluate the roster, to get more familiar with each player’s skill sets, and how those skills translate in various aspects of football.

“This new coaching staff has been with the kids for nine spring ball days,” Carrozzo said. “We had no idea what they were capable of doing, so I was looking at everything. …Character-wise, I think we have a good understanding of this team. Physically, we utilized the camp to find out where we’re at and we saw quite a bit.”

Leland football players go through tackling drills during the Competitive Edge Football camp held June 18-20 at Piedmont Hills.

While several other coaches at the camp had a better idea of the makeup of their respective rosters, Carrozzo noted that the Leland coaching staff’s relative unfamiliarity with the Leland players wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“It’s more of an advantage for us, believe it or not,” Carrozzo said. “…We don’t have any pre-conceived notions when we go into a camp on what our players could or should do. We are a completely open slate, which is a neat way to go into a camp. I’ve never quite done that before. Everything we learned is the first thing we learned with this team. That puts you in a pretty interesting position, so you can judge people not on what they’ve done in previous years, but what they did at a camp in June.”

Carrozzo said the one intangible aspect he’s quickly discovered about the Leland squad is the team’s serious demeanor when it comes to football. As was the case last season under former head coach Jason Tenner, Carrozzo gave the players the option of when to conduct their daily workouts this summer. As a team, the Chargers voted to hold their workouts each morning at 6 a.m., leaving the rest of the day open for other matters for both coaches and players.

“This team is as mature as any team I’ve ever coached, which is a blessing,” Carrozzo said. “Being able to work out at six in the morning helps us out a lot. This way, everybody can still maintain their summer responsibilities and commitments. That’s a testament to their maturity.”

Newly formed U9 girls’ competitive soccer team crowned champs

The defining moment for the Santa Clara Sporting Girls U9 soccer team’s 2007 CYSA District 2 spring season came at exactly 5:23 p.m. on May 12 at Steinbeck Middle School. 

After a closely contested match for much of the game, a 25-yard shot off the foot of Kaila Silveira sealed the victory and put an end to the question about who would win the league title. Three games later, the Sporting girls made it official, completing an 8-0-1 undefeated inaugural season.

Front row, from left: April Tilmant (A), Katie Saviage (A), Kaila Silveira, Cassidy Ballard (A), Lauren Craft, Raquel Mendoza, Olivia Wissig. Second row, from left: Kylie Rego, Randi Chadband, Carolyn Strossman, Hannah Goes, Regan McCall (A), Lauren Plesse. Coaches, from left: Dave Ballard, Jim Lawrence, Henry Silveira. (A) denotes Almaden area player.

The Santa Clara Sporting U9 team consists of players from all over the Bay Area including several from the Almaden area. As a first year team, the Sporting girls have worked hard since January to mesh as a unit and have proven themselves a tough opponent for teams from all over northern California, thus far compiling a record of 21-3-5 comprised of league and tournament play during the 2007 calendar year. 

Solid goalkeeping by April Tilmant combined with stellar defense from Katie Saviage and Silveira proved to be a tough combination for opponents all year long. Strong two-way midfield play was a key component to the team’s success with Lauren Craft, Lauren Plesse, Regan McCall, Raquel Mendoza, Carolyn Strossman, and Hannah Goes setting the tone game after game. Up front, consistent offensive production from Cassidy Ballard, Olivia Wissig, Kylie Rego, and Randi Chadband made this a team to reckon with.   

The Santa Clara Sporting girls will move up to the U10 age group in the fall and will participate in the CYSA Abronzino League, division placement pending.

Sports Briefs

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.

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