September 6, 2007

SPORTS

Mustangs drop season opener 30-20 to Mitty

Big plays by Monarchs prove costly to Pioneer

By Gary van den Heuvel
Special to the Times

The Pioneer Mustangs began their football season with a hard-fought 30-20 preseason loss to Archbishop Mitty at Foothill College on Friday, Aug. 31.

Pioneer running back Shane Murray looks up field for some running room during a season-opening 30-20 loss to Mitty on Aug. 31 at Foothill College. Photos courtesy Ric Medlinger at www.medlinger.net

The loss, said Pioneer head coach Mark Krail, was largely the result of a few big plays and a costly error, particularly in the second half, when Mitty extended a small two-point lead at halftime with a pair of touchdown runs from Kenny Jackson and Thomas Reynolds. Those big plays came on the heels of a big-play touchdown catch from wide receiver Mitch Haniger, who started the game with an 81-yard reception. Haniger was the recipient of a 46-yard completion later in the first half as well, setting up another Mitty touchdown.

"You play good teams, you’ve got to play well," said Krail. "We made too many mistakes. We gave up two long passes, we botched a punt snap and gave up a long run on third-and-29. That's the ballgame."

Things started off rough for the Mustangs on the first play from scrimmage following the kickoff, when Mitty completed an 81-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass from quarterback Elliot Stewart to Haniger for an early 6-0 lead.

Mitty managed to take advantage of a tough start by the Pioneer offense, as Stewart hit Haniger again, this time for a 46-yard completion, with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. A facemask flag tacked another 15 yards on Mitty's big gain, giving the Monarchs the ball at the Mustangs' 5-yard line. Two plays later the score was 12-0 after a 2-yard touchdown dive from Reynolds and a failed two-point conversion try.

Later in the first half, the Mustangs barely avoided disaster when punter Victor Aguirre recovered a high snap in the end zone early in the second quarter. Aguirre was unable to get the punt off however, getting tackled by the Monarchs’ special teams unit, giving Mitty the ball at Pioneer’s 2-yard-line. One play later and Reynolds again hit pay dirt with a short dive into the end zone. Mitty's spotty kicking game failed for a third straight time, leaving the Mustangs with an 18-0 deficit.

Below: Pioneer running back Justin Souza looks for a crease to run through after receiving a handoff from quarterback Joe Alise.

That’s when things started going Pioneer’s way.

Pioneer’s offense was able to counter before the close of the first half, as the team’s running game came out firing with gains from Justin Souza, Mike Cobb and Shane Murray on a 17-play drive that began at the Pioneer 35. The drive also featured a key decision from Krail, who opted to go for it on fourth-and-17 from the Monarchs' 22-yard line, resulting in quarterback Joe Alise connecting with Murray for a 21-yard pass play. Soon after, the Mustangs got on the scoreboard on a quarterback sneak from Alise, cutting Mitty’s lead to 18-7.

Momentum kept swinging the Mustangs' way before the close of the first half when linebacker David Figueroa recovered a fumble after delivering a hit on Stewart behind the line of scrimmage, giving Pioneer’s offense the ball back with 1:41 remaining on its own 35. From there, it took just three plays for Pioneer to narrow Mitty's lead to 18-14. Two Alise passes, the first an 18-yard gain to wide receiver Don Medlinger, which included a 15-yard facemask penalty, putting the ball on Mitty's 32, and the second a 32-yard touchdown pass to Murray, which put the Mustangs right back into the game.

Krail noted that he has confidence in his new quarterback's abilities.

"[Alise] did fine,” Krail said. “He made some nice throws when he had to. He missed a couple of guys that were open. I thought our pass protection was pretty good considering they were bringing a lot of guys."

Pioneer’s Shane Murray (5) goes in to tackle Mitty running back Kenny Jackson during the season-opening loss to Mitty.

The second half, however, featured a pair of big runs by the Monarchs to help put the game out of reach. Early in the fourth quarter, the Monarchs overcame two straight penalties (one for holding, one for illegal motion) when Jackson, a 242-pound running back, made the biggest gain of the game, taking the ball 89 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter after Mitty was seemingly saddled at its own 11 on third-and-29, bumping Mitty’s lead to 24-14.

Following a three-and-out series by the Pioneer offense, Mitty's running game asserted itself again on runs from Jackson and Reynolds, who completed a short three-play drive with a 35-yard dash into the end zone for a 30-14 lead with 8:01 left in the game. Reynolds finished with 174 yards and three touchdowns.

Still, Pioneer refused to give up, as Murray scored his second touchdown of the night with four seconds remaining, turning his body to make a 22-yard catch as he fell into the end zone. However, it was a case of too little, too late, as Mitty walked off the field with a 30-20 win.

"We've got room to improve," said Krail. "Offensively we struggled a little bit running the ball. They're a good team. It's a measuring stick."

Off and running

Leland football squad rushes for 373 yards in season-opening 48-9 win over Santa Clara

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland football team’s 2007 season got off to a rousing start under new head coach Mike Carrozzo, as the Chargers trounced the visiting Santa Clara Bruins 48-9 on Saturday, Sept. 1 at Pat Tillman Stadium.

As was the case last season, the Chargers’ running attack did the bulk of the damage on offense, rushing for a team total of 373 yards and five touchdowns, led by senior Jeff Sommer, who recorded 131 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just seven carries.

Leland running back/defensive back Kevin Krail reached the end zone three times during the game. Krail rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns while also intercepting two passes on defense, including one that was returned by the senior for a 45-yard touchdown. Photo by Ben DeKoven.

Running back/defensive back Kevin Krail scored on both sides of the ball, rushing for 96 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries, while snagging two interceptions on defense, including one that featured a 45-yard touchdown return for Leland’s first score of the game. Brighton Scala, R.J. Singer and Alex Rorie each recorded sacks in the win as well.

All told, Carrozzo said it was a feel-good day for the Chargers.

“It was a good validation of all the work the boys did all summer,” Carrozzo said. “We’re of the firm belief that you work hard, and the harder you work, the luckier you get. We got pretty lucky today.”

Trailing 3-0 early after Santa Clara kicked a 50-yard field goal with 4:50 left in the first quarter, the Chargers countered with a score of their own soon after when Krail intercepted a pass from Bruins quarterback Mitch O’Donnell on third-and-seven at the Santa Clara 45, and promptly ran the ball back for a touchdown with 1:45 left, giving Leland a 7-3 lead.

Less than four minutes later, Krail found the end zone again after Leland recovered a squib kick following the interception return, setting the Leland offense up at the Santa Clara 36. After six straight runs moved the Charger offense to the Santa Clara 13, Krail took a handoff from quarterback Ricky Battipede and scampered into the end zone for a second time – albeit on offense this time – giving Leland a 14-3 lead with 10:40 left.

“He’s shifty,” Carrozzo said of Krail. “This offense accentuates all the backs individually because we always tout that you have to fake for your own backs. He fakes just as hard as he runs.”

Krail went on to intercept another pass from O’Donnell less than two minutes later, before scoring his third touchdown of the day – his second rushing score – late in the third quarter on a 41-yard run that gave Leland a 35-9 lead.

Carrozzo said he was pleased with the rest of the offense as well, led by Sommer’s 131-yard rushing performance. Sommer scored following Krail’s second interception on a 6-yard run with 9:17 left in the second quarter to give the Chargers a 21-3 lead, before adding a 60-yard touchdown run with 7:32 left in the fourth quarter to bump the lead to 48-9.

Sommer’s performance aside, running backs Michael Santini and Josh Carroll combined for 75 yards rushing on 14 carries, while Battipede ran for 40 yards on four carries and completed 3 of 8 passes for 35 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Nate Jones with 11:54 to go in the fourth quarter. Carroll also recorded a touchdown on a 9-yard run with 9:35 to go in the third quarter to give Leland a 27-9 advantage.

Leland quarterback Ricky Battipede gets ready to unleash a pass during the win over Santa Clara. Photo by Ben DeKoven

“The key to the wing-t offense is having a 1-2-3-4 punch between the halfback, wingback, fullback and the quarterback,” Carrozzo said. “Jeff Sommer did an amazing job when he had the opportunity to run. Josh Carroll had some outstanding runs and Michael Santini did well.”

Carrozzo noted that he was equally impressed with his team’s defensive effort, which featured Krail’s two interceptions as well as sacks by Scala, Singer and Rorie. The defense allowed just two scores; a 50-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 12-yard touchdown pass with 49 seconds left in the first half that cut Leland’s lead to 21-9 going into halftime.

“The beauty of what we did defensively today is that we didn’t take any risks,” Carrozzo said. “Most of the day we were in a base defense. Any defensive coordinator will tell you that if he can stop an offense with his base defense, not take any risks or blitz often, that’s a dream day. That just means your scheme is based on the fact that you are fundamentally sound.”

Still, with Leland’s anticipated neighborhood rivalry game versus Pioneer waiting in the wings on Saturday, Sept. 8, Carrozzo noted there’s plenty of wrinkles left to be ironed out, pointing to a pair of fumbles on offense in the first half, and a dropped punt on special teams.

“There’s tons,” Carrozzo said, when asked what things the team still needs work on. “A 48-9 score looks easy, but believe me, there’s a lot of stuff, like ball security, certain cuts by our halfbacks, certain reads and certain body positions by our linebackers. …They did a lot of great things, but you can never, ever stop improving.”

Many Americans suffer eye injuries in sports-related accidents

Sports can play a pivotal role in staying active and healthy. But adults and children need to remember to protect their eyes while playing sports, even if it’s in their own backyard.

According to research from The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries, approximately 25 percent of the estimated 2.4 million eye injuries that occur in the United States each year happen during sports and recreational activities.

The good news is that 90 percent of all eye injuries can be prevented by using the proper eye protection. Prevent Blindness America has dedicated September as Sports Eye Health and Safety Month to help educate the public on what they can do to protect their vision

Playing sports is an ideal way to stay in shape and remain active. However, a serious eye injury can sideline even the best athletes permanently. It is estimated that there are more than 600,000 sports related eye injuries in America every year. And, 40,000 of those require emergency room care.

Fortunately, just wearing the proper eye protection can prevent 90 percent of all sports--elated eye injuries. Lenses should be made of polycarbonate and have an American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) label, indicating they meet the standards of the ASTM for the specific sport.

In recent years, basketball was the number-one cause of eye injuries. However, based on a recent study by the United States Eye Injury Registry, fishing has surpassed basketball in injuries. In fact, eye injuries from fishing make up approximately 9 percent of all sports eye injuries. And, 38 percent of fishing injuries involved hooks to the eye.

“Every 13 minutes, another emergency room treats a sports eye injury that could have easily been prevented,” said Daniel D. Garrett, senior vice president of Prevent Blindness America. “Although eye injuries can occur at any age, it’s young people who are the most at risk, making up 66 percent of all injuries.”

Besides fishing accidents, eye injuries from other sports are still common. Those who do not wear the proper eye protection can suffer serious damage. According to The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries:

* Approximately 1 in 50 Little League baseball players will sustain an eye injury that requires attention.

* One in 20 NBA (National Basketball Association) injuries involve the eye.

* The leading cause of eye injury in adult women is from racket sports.

* The average football team will experience four eye injuries each season.

* More than 55 percent of all eye injuries from soccer occur in 6-14 year olds.

“Sports injuries pose a serious threat to vision yet few people take the necessary precautions to protect sight," added Garrett. “We encourage parents, schools and sports organizations to take leadership roles in promoting the use of safety eyewear.”

There is no evidence that wearing eye protection hampers athletic performance.

Eye injuries can include painful corneal abrasions, blunt trauma and penetrating injuries. Severe injuries can result in vision loss and in some cases, blindness.

About Prevent Blindness America
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness America is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness America touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screenings, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, divisions and chapters, it's committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020 or visit the Web at www.preventblindness.org.

Young Pioneer boys’ water polo squad aims to improve on the go in 2007

Mustangs return five players from 2006 roster, but see bright future ahead

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Roster turnover in high school sports is inevitable, and perhaps Pioneer boys’ water polo head coach Scott Kaubish knows this fact about as well as any coach.

Pioneer’s Brian Lopiccolo (with ball) hopes to provide some leadership to the younger players on the boys’ water polo team this season. Lopiccolo is one of five returning players this season.

After a 2006 season that saw the Mustangs compile an 11-15 overall record and a 2-3 Mt. Hamilton division mark, the 2007 Pioneer team returns to the pool with just a handful of returning players in Evan Lineberry, Brian Lopiccolo, Anthony Samson and goalkeeper Zealand Hatch. Senior Armin Khangaldi also returned to the team after sitting out most of the 2006 season. All told, the Mustangs lost four starters in 2007 graduates Kirk Kaubish, Nick Noble, Sean Urenda and Jason Burke. And so, with a roster filled mostly with former frosh/soph players, Kaubish acknowledged there are challenges ahead for the Mustangs – namely, getting the most out of a young team.

“We’re real young, so it’s going to be a growing year for us,” Kaubish said. “A lot of people are going to have to step up and fill major shoes for those who graduated last year. This year, it’s more than usual. It’s a good opportunity for the young kids.”

However, Kaubish said the 2007 season should not be coined as simply a rebuilding year. The bulk of his players took part in off-season water polo club programs, spending their winter and summer not only getting better, but also getting more experience, in anticipation for the start of the 2007 high school season. Still, with several of his players in different off-season programs, and with the heavy roster turnover, Kaubish said getting his team to gel as one unit will be a key aspect during the early portion of the preseason. Kaubish noted that his team might take some bumps and bruises along the way, but said the ultimate goal is getting better for the future.

“We’ll take some lumps this season, but we’re going to improve a great deal,” Kaubish said. “By the end of the season, I think we’ll be a team that people will start recognizing as having a lot of potential. Certainly, I see next year and the following year as a couple of good years.”

Offensively, Kaubish said he’s looking to his veterans in Lineberry, Lopiccolo, Samson, as well as 2006 frosh/soph brothers Andrew and Nick Berg to provide some needed scoring skills to the pool. The team, however, will look first and foremost to bring a defensive-minded approach to the pool this season, Kaubish said.

“Defense really is a matter of determination and putting yourself in body position and physical position to your opponent,” Kaubish said. “It’s not anything these guys can’t do. Probably the hardest thing is having the ability to score. We don’t look for everybody to contribute on the scoring level, because it takes more skills to be able to execute that. The fundamental defense is something that most anybody here will get down and improve on.”

Pioneer Goalkeeper Zealand Hatch blocks a ball during practice on Sept. 4. Hatch is one of five varsity players returning to the boys’ water polo team this season. Photos by Dan Miranda

And with any young team comes the need for team leadership, something both Lineberry and Lopiccolo are happy to provide. The two juniors noted that several of their young teammates will have to endure a transition period at the varsity level.

“A lot of them have never played on varsity before and it’s a way different perspective playing on JV and then moving onto varsity,” Lopiccolo said. “It’s full of juniors and seniors, there are way more skills in water polo (at the varsity level). JV is all about learning the game. Varsity is all about winning the game.”

With a young team, however, is hope for the future, noted Lineberry.

“We’re really looking forward to next year,” Lineberry said. “…We have a lot of energy and a lot of upbeat players.”

So far, said Kaubish, the team has provided some encouraging results. At the San Benito Tournament in Hollister on Sept. 1, the Mustangs kicked off their 2007 season with a 22-1 loss to league rival Leland and a 10-3 loss to Carmel before recording their first win of the year, a 20-10 final over Stevenson.

High School Sports Schedule Sept. 7–13

Editor’s Note: Because of a delay in the installation of permanent football stadium lights at Leland and Pioneer high schools, some game times and dates listed for football in the Times may be different from those originally posted elsewhere. The Times will be providing correct and updated game times and dates for both schools on a weekly basis.

Leland
Friday – Field hockey at Willow Glen Jamboree, times TBA
Friday – Girls’ tennis at California High School Tennis Championships in Fresno, times TBA
Friday – Varsity girls’ volleyball at Reno Tournament, times TBA
Friday – Varsity boys’ water polo at Conejo Valley Classic (Thousand Oaks, CA), all day
Friday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Clovis Tournament, times TBA

Saturday – Field hockey at Willow Glen Jamboree, times TBA
Saturday – Cross country at NMC Early Bird Invitational at Toro Park (Salinas), time TBA
Saturday – Girls’ tennis at California High School Tennis Championships in Fresno, times TBA
Saturday – Varsity boys’ water polo at Conejo Valley Classic (Thousand Oaks, CA), all day
Saturday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Clovis Tournament, times TBA
Saturday – Varsity girls’ volleyball at Reno Tournament, times TBA
Saturday – JV girls’ volleyball at Milpitas Tournament, all day
Saturday – Football vs. Pioneer, 11:30 a.m. JV and 2:30 p.m. varsity

Tuesday – Girls’ tennis vs. Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.

Thursday – Girls’ tennis at Silver Creek, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Girls’ volleyball at Milpitas, 5:30 p.m. JV and 6:30 p.m. varsity

Pioneer
Saturday – Football at Leland, 11:30 a.m. JV and 2:30 p.m. varsity
Saturday – Freshmen football vs. Menlo-Atherton, 9 a.m.

Tuesday – Girls’ tennis vs. Del Mar, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Girls’ tennis at San Jose, 3:15 p.m.

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

Sports Briefs

Almaden National Junior Basketball Signups
Online registration for Almaden NJB 2007 season is now open.  The league is open to boys and girls in grades 1-8.  Practice starts Oct. 20 and games begin on Dec. 2.  To register online go to almadennjb.homestead.com.  Walk-in registration is Sept. 20, at Amato's pizza on Meridian from 6-8 p.m.  If you have any questions, please call Ken Keiser at (408) 592-4190.


Bay Area Boot Camp 5K Fitness Training Program
Boot Camp dates are from September 10 - November 4 at South Bay locations. The cost is $125 - All proceeds benefit the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative. The 5K Fitness Training program, developed by Bay Area Boot Camp’s expert coaching staff, is a comprehensive workout series designed to prepare you for the Silicon Valley 5K Run/Walk on November 4, 2007.

Designed for runners of all levels, this 8-week program includes:

Eight weekly training sessions led by Bay Area Boot Camp coaches

A detailed schedule of running, speed, and cross-training drills

A Training log to help you track your progress and keep your focus

An eight-week nutrition plan designed to support your training and optimize your energy level

Unlimited phone and email support from our coaching staff of veteran 5K, 10K, and marathon runners

15% off September and October Boot Camp sessions - an ideal way to enhance your race preparations and cross train in a supportive group environment

A pre-race party – get to know your fellow 5K racers and learn more about BAWSI!

For more information, contact Mary Beth Gonzales at marybeth@bayareabootcamp.com or phone 408-425-9475. Visit our website at www.bayareabootcamp.com.

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