SPORTS

Arizona Cardinals honor Pat Tillman by retiring jersey No. 40

Greg Zieman 
Special to the Times

As the Tillman family received the jersey commemorating the retirement of his number, an enormous flag with jersey No. 40 was unfurled in the stands in the east section of the stadium.

Even the heavens seemed to mourn the loss of Almaden native Pat Tillman on Sunday Sept. 19, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. as the Arizona Cardinals honored Tillman in a halftime ceremony during the Cardinals’ home opener against the New England Patriots.

The skies above poured rain overnight the Saturday preceding the game and continued to remain gray throughout the game, occasionally shedding a tear as if to remind everyone in attendance that this football game represented more than just two teams playing for a victory.  

The emotional halftime ceremony included video messages from President George Bush and Arizona Sen. John McCain, a video tribute to Tillman, comments from Pat’s wife and the retirement of Tillman’s jersey No. 40 by the Cardinals. In fact, the entire NFL honored Tillman that weekend with pro team members wearing No. 40 on their helmets in honor of Tillman.

As the Tillman family received the jersey commemorating the retirement of his number, an enormous flag with jersey No. 40 was unfurled in the stands in the east section of the stadium. At this moment, Patriot and Cardinal fans alike joined as one and stood to pay tribute to a person that epitomized all that is great about America and who set a standard of honor, integrity, courage, loyalty and life for all to achieve.  

It’s rare to see fans shed tears at a football game. But this Sunday afternoon, it was hard to find a dry eye in the crowd. In one final goodbye, the Cardinals paid tribute to a man that lived more in 27 years than a lot of people do in a lifetime. In a world and a generation of people that seem increasingly to live for themselves, Pat Tillman was a man that showed us the true meaning of sacrifice, commitment and sharing.

Perhaps it was destiny that the Cardinals drafted Pat; the team is obscure, even by NFL standards. A team with a heart and desire to do well, but a team that always seems to fall short. In 1998 Tillman was drafted in the seventh round out of Arizona State as the 226 out of 241 total players picked in the NFL draft. As a longshot to make the team, he not only managed to play his way into the Cardinals starting lineup, but in the 2000 season ended up setting the Cardinals team franchise record for tackles with 224.

Michael Bidwell, vice president of the Arizona Cardinals, makes a halftime presentation to members of Pat Tillman’s family: (from left) Pat’s wife Marie, brother Richard, mother Mary (Dannie), brother-in-law Alex Garwood and father Pat Tillman, Sr. Garwood is the executive director of the Pat Tillman Foundation (www.pattillmanfoundation.net )

During the off-season, he turned down a multi-million dollar contract with the St. Louis Rams to remain with the team that showed faith in him by giving him his first opportunity in the NFL. After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Tillman gave up football and the millions of dollars and stardom that accompanied the game to join the U.S. Army. He became a member of the elite Army Rangers. During his second tour of duty overseas, Tillman died in battle in Afghanistan this past April.  

Now, as we move forward, we can hope that others will follow the example that Tillman displayed. Pat was a man who lived by actions, not words. He was a man who cared more about principles than prizes. It’s highly likely that in tributes such as these ceremonies and even this article Tillman would have preferred the focus be on the other unheralded heroes that continue to serve and sacrifice daily. However it should be an important reminder to all of us that we can rise to a different standard by following the example he set.

In a world where we all get caught up in our own personal selfishness, Pat saw the larger picture. One gets the impression that if Pat was your friend, he was your friend for life no matter what obstacles may have lined the road. It is rare that we see an example of heart and passion in an individual of this magnitude, and it is even harder to lose someone so good. As tomorrow comes, let us all remember a man that taught us so much in such a short time about how truly special life is and how to live it.  

Greg Zieman lives in San Jose. He attends every Cardinal game he can, and was inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame as a Cardinal fan extrordinaire in 2002. He is associate executive director/principal of Second Start and Pine Hill Schools.

High School Sports Schedule Oct. 1-7

Leland High School
Friday – JV field hockey vs. Westmont, 4:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity field hockey vs. Westmont, 3 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ volleyball at Santa Teresa, 6 p.m.
Friday – JV girls’ volleyball at Santa Teresa, 5 p.m.
Friday – Varsity football vs. Branham at Pioneer, 3:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ water polo at St. Francis Tournament.
Saturday - Varsity boys’ water polo at St. Francis Tournament.
Saturday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo at Monte Vista Tournament.
Saturday – Cross country at the Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay.
Tuesday – JV girls’ volleyball vs. Mount Pleasant, 5 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ volleyball vs. Mount Pleasant, 6 p.m.
Tuesday – Girls’ tennis at Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ water polo at Santa Teresa.
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ water polo vs. Santa Teresa at Lincoln, 5 p.m.
Wednesday – JV field hockey at Monte Vista, 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity field hockey at Monte Vista, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Cross country vs. Overfelt and Yerba Buena at Montgomery Hill, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ volleyball vs. Independence, 5 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity girls’ volleyball vs. Independence, 6 p.m.
Thursday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo vs. Mount Pleasant, 3 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity boys’ water polo vs. Mount Pleasant, 3 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ water polo at Lincoln.
Thursday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Lincoln, 5 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Saturday – Frosh/soph football vs. Silver Creek, 11 a.m.
Saturday – Varsity football vs. Silver Creek, 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ volleyball vs. Del Mar, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ volleyball vs. Del Mar, 5 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo vs. Mount Pleasant at Independence, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ water polo vs. Mount Pleasant at Independence, 5 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ water polo vs. Piedmont Hills at Willow Glen, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ water polo vs. Piedmont Hills at Willow Glen, 5 p.m.
Tuesday – Girls’ tennis vs. Independence, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ volleyball at James Lick, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity girls’ volleyball at James Lick, 5 p.m.
Thursday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo at Independence, 6 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity boys’ water polo at Independence, 7 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Willow Glen, 6 p.m.
Thursday – Girls’ tennis at Evergreen Valley, 3:15 p.m.

Charger football drops second straight game in 10-7 loss to San Mateo

Leland offense held in check after first series of the game

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

The Leland Chargers suffered their second straight loss on Friday, dropping a 10-7 nail biter to the San Mateo Bearcats football team on the road.

After a 35-13 loss to Lincoln the previous week in which the Chargers (1-2) were set back by mistakes on both offense and defense, the 10-7 loss to the Bearcats rests squarely on the shoulders of an inconsistent offense that failed to score after its opening series in the first quarter.

“I was very proud of our defense and the way they played,” said Leland Head Coach Kelly Edwards. “We just couldn’t get anything going offensively and so we have to go back to the film and look at it and start from scratch to try and figure out what we can do offensively.”

The fact that three of Leland’s regulars on offense were sitting on the bench against the Bearcats didn’t help matters either. The Chargers had to cope without wide receiver Arthur King Jr., who was serving a one-game suspension for getting ejected from the Chargers’ game against Lincoln the week before. Also missing from the huddle were quarterback Corey Williams, who sat out the game because of an academic situation, and center Alex Gregarick, who suffered a sprained ankle the previous week against Lincoln and was still on crutches at game time against San Mateo.

“They’re doing a good job of coming together,” Edwards said of his team’s effort, despite the absences of key starters. “It’s tough putting people in different spots when kids are hurt but we can’t make that as an excuse. We just have to come out and perform better than we’re doing right now on the offensive side of the ball.”

The Charger offense went from inconsistent in the first half to nearly nonexistent in the second half, with the Leland offense generating only 55 yards of offense during the third and fourth quarters.

Overall, the offense put up 159 yards of total offense, led by Steven Ruel, who rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Through the air, Leland quarterbacks Kyle Jones and Kyle Walker combined to complete three out of 13 passes for 42 yards on the day.

“(San Mateo) had five guys on the front and blitzing three of their backs,” said Walker about facing the San Mateo defense after replacing Jones in the fourth quarter. “They had one-on-one coverage outside but I couldn’t get the ball to our receivers because I didn’t have any time.”

The lone bright spot on offense for the Chargers came during their first series of the game. During the series, Leland drove 55 yards on six plays, highlighted by a 2-yard Ruel touchdown run with 6:52 to go in the first quarter.

But the early 7-0 lead the Chargers had as a result of their first series didn’t last long. The Bearcats quickly tied the game on the third play of their next series on a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Easter.
The Bearcats added three more points on their following series, driving to Leland’s 14-yard line before getting a 30-yard field goal to go up 10-7.

“We knew that (Easter) was going to be running around because he’s a better runner than he is a thrower,” Linebacker Taylor Hubbard said. “We worked on it a lot in practice and I think we can contain him pretty well.”

The Chargers had their chances to retake the lead in the second half but were consistently stopped short of the goal line by San Mateo’s defense.

During Leland’s first series of the second half, the Chargers began on their own 40 and drove to San Mateo’s 30, but fell short on fourth-and-three.

With nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Chargers managed to drive from their own 14 to the San Mateo 25 but were halted once more on fourth-and-15, as Walker completed a short 2-yard screen pass to Lance Gemette, 13 yards shy of the first-down marker.

“We need to start playing a little harder,” Walker said. “We had chances (to score on offense) but we couldn’t come through and it cost us in the end.”

The Chargers will get a much-needed boost on offense with the expected returns of King Jr., Williams and Gregarick today, as Leland kicks off its conference schedule against Branham for a 3:30 p.m. match-up at Pioneer High.

Leland High plans to dedicate Pat Tillman Stadium Nov. 5

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Although nothing is official yet, Leland High School is planning a Nov. 5 dedication ceremony to name its newly renovated football field Pat Tillman Stadium, as the Times first reported in the Sept. __ edition.

An ad hoc committee of Leland parents, faculty and administrators established in the process of naming the stadium took little time at all in deciding to name the stadium after Tillman, said Leland assistant principal Paul Yllana, who was a part of the committee.

“The Tillman family was kept informed throughout the process and we asked them about the appropriate wording in naming the stadium after Pat,” Yllana said.

Tillman, a former football standout at Leland, Arizona State University and the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals, was killed in Afghanistan during military action last April. Tillman joined the U.S. Army Ranger in 2002, shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In doing so, Tillman turned down a multimillion-dollar contract from the Cardinals to serve his country.

“Having been his classmate and having known him, it’s an honor for us to thank him in the community for the contributions he made,” Yllana said of Tillman.

The stadium naming issue will go before the Board of Education on Oct. 7, Yllana said, with an official announcement expected around Oct. 21. Yllana said although nothing is set in stone, the dedication ceremony will likely happen at 6:30 p.m. before Leland’s first home football game on the new field. The Tillman family will be in attendance at the ceremony, Yllana said.

High school sports roundup

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Leland High School
The boys’ water polo team had a successful week, getting a 12-11 road victory over Independence on Tuesday, Sept. 21, before getting a 20-7 blowout win against Piedmont Hills two days later.

In the win on Thursday, the Chargers got scoring contributions from junior Justin Booth, who had three goals, as well as Ben Gill, Jon Foote, Raymond LaRochelle, Scott Stuart and Michael Steranka, with two goals apiece.

“Our team is not quite as experienced as other teams I’ve had in the past, but their experience is growing,” said Leland Head Coach Mike Monsees. “I’m pleased with the experience a lot of my younger players are getting.”

In girls’ water polo, the Chargers took 15-3 wins from Mount Pleasant on Tuesday, Sept. 21, and Independence on Thursday, Sept. 23 in league action.

On Tuesday against Mount Pleasant, Courtney Monsees, Christy Stibbe and Heather Sheridan led an offensive attack with three goals apiece.

The team then took a trip down to Menlo School on Friday, Sept. 24, and Saturday Sept. 25, for the Amanda McDonald Invitational, dropping two games on the first day before splitting two games Saturday.

On Friday, the Chargers dropped a 15-3 decision to Menlo School and a 6-5 loss to Soquel High. Leading the way in scoring was Sheridan with four goals against Soquel, while Monsees and Stibbe chipped in two goals each on Friday.

On Saturday, Leland bounced back from the previous day’s games to take a 3-2 win over Burlingame before losing a close 5-3 game to Aragon.

“We did really well in league play against Mount Pleasant and Independence,” Leland Head Coach Eric Rise said.

“Defensively, we’re pretty solid. Offensively, we’re still coming together but we’ve shown signs of playing really well on offense.”

The girls’ tennis team had an up-and-down week, taking a 4-3 victory over host Pioneer on Tuesday, Sept. 21, before dropping a close 4-3 match to Piedmont Hills on Thursday, Sept. 23.

No. 1 singles player Roshie Larijani took a 7-6, 6-4 decision over Pioneer’s Misa Tanaka on Tuesday before losing her match on Thursday against Piedmont Hills.

No. 1 doubles duo Helen Lee and Katie Alesch won both their matches this week, taking a 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 win over Pioneer’s Caroline Tran and Giana Flores on Tuesday.

“I think they did very well,” said Leland Head Coach Jory Segal of her team, which now stands at 2-3 in league play. “We have some injury problems we’re dealing with right now, but overall, they’re a really hardworking group of girls.”

In field hockey, the Chargers dropped a close 3-2 home game to Cupertino on Wednesday, Sept. 22, before shutting out Del Mar High 2-0 on Friday, Sept. 25.

Against Cupertino, Leland got offensive contributions from juniors Ashley Bandanza and Christina Saenz, both scoring goals in the loss.

In the home win versus Del Mar, the Chargers got two goals from senior Megan Wilson, as the team upped its record to 1-1-1.

“They stepped it up against Del Mar,” Charger Head Coach Sharan Kalla said of her team. “I thought they played their game. They’ve improved on finishing (scoring), but it’s something we still need to work on.”

The cross country team spent Saturday, Sept. 25, in Daly City at Westmoor High competing at the (non-league) RAM Invitational.

On the boys’ side (2-0 league record in varsity), Leland’s Bob Toney finished 16th out of more than 200 runners in the sophomore competition, completing the 2.7-mile course with a time of 14 minutes and 14 seconds. In addition, Takahiro Shiraiwa finished 56th in the juniors competition with a time of 15:01.

On the girls’ side (1-0 league record in varsity), Leland’s Monica Song finished strong in the sophomore group, ending up 52nd with a time of 17:01, nearly two minutes better than her time last year.

“We have a very young team,” Leland Head Coach Jerry Rose said of his squad. “We have one senior and he’s our 7th runner on varsity. Overall, we had a lot of young kids who bettered their times from last year, so I think we did alright.”

In girls’ volleyball, the Chargers defeated Piedmont Hills on Thursday, Sept. 23, by a score of 25-5, 20-25, 25-14 and 25-11 on the road. Senior Marissa Brehmer led the way for Leland with 11 kills as the Chargers improved their record to 6-4 overall and 1-0 in league play.

Pioneer High School
In girls’ volleyball action, the Mustangs took a 25-22, 25-17, 24-26, 25-21 road win over San Jose High Academy on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Kristen Harris led the Mustang attack with six kills.

The following day, the Mustangs lost a close game to Yerba Buena High at home by scores of 22-25, 25-23, 25-20 and 25-17. For the Mustangs, Heidi Isaacson, Katie Town and Harris led the way on offense with three kills each.

“We played well on Tuesday,” said Pioneer Head Coach Michelle Ritter. “On Wednesday, there was no energy. Our energy seemed to be pretty low and we made a lot of mistakes that we’re now correcting. Serving was a big sticking point in the Yerba Buena game.”

The boys’ water polo team kicked off their conference schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 21, and walked away with a 16-4 win over Piedmont Hills on the road. The Mustangs (3-4 overall, 1-0 league) got eight first-quarter goals and cruised to victory, led on offense by senior Kyle Bentz and sophomore Kirk Kaubish, who had three goals each.

Junior Kevin Zondervan made a splash on offense as well, helping his team out with two goals.

“It was really a team effort,” said Pioneer Head Coach Scott Kaubish. “I had my starters in for the first quarter, we got the game handled and I put the bench in to finish the job. Everyone gave a good effort.”

The girls’ water polo team kicked off their conference schedule with a 16-1 blowout of Evergreen Valley High on Tuesday, Sept. 21, getting nine goals in the first quarter to get things going. Junior Rebecca Wallworth led the way on offense with five goals, while senior Akalin Abulkhanou added three goals and junior Katie Lopiccolo scored two more.

On Friday, Sept. 24, and Saturday, Sept. 25, the team took part in the Independence Tournament at Independence High, splitting their four games. The Mustangs dropped a 7-4 decision to Monta Vista and a 6-0 loss to Newark Memorial, but got an 8-3 victory against San Lorenzo Valley and a 10-4 win against Santa Teresa.
In the win against Santa Teresa, Pioneer freshman Elyssa Samson scored three goals, while Lopiccolo and Abulkhanou scored two goals each.

“I thought we played well at Evergreen Valley High,” Pioneer Head Coach Gordy Smith said of his team, which now has a 7-4 overall record. “I thought overall we played well (at the Independence Tournament) as well. We’ve got some young girls who will continue to get better with experience.”

In preseason action, the cross country team took on a host of schools from all corners of California at the Stanford Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 25. Pioneer’s Steven DeLay ended the day in 36th place out of 120 runners, finishing the three-mile course around Stanford’s golf course with a time of 16 minutes and 58 seconds.

Mustang senior Jeff Higashi also did well, finishing 50th in the group of runners that also included athletes from Saratoga High.

“My guys did pretty good considering the talent level there,” said Pioneer Head Coach Jim Polanco. “Now we’re just looking forward to our first league meet (Sept. 29) against San Jose High and Prospect High.”

Almaden guys defend Peninsula crown

It was naught but a tie, a common occurrence in soccer where ties are accepted as a passing grade—even given a point in the league standings—as compared to the pain and suffering to—oh, the horrors!—a loss. So, the members of the Peninsula Soccer League’s defending Major Division-champion Grenadiers who hail from Almaden Valley were sated enough, despite some-post game squabbles, to kneel down for a photo shoot after the 2-2 draw with DV8 of the mid-San Francisco peninsula in the 2004-5 PSL opener held earlier this month at Watson Bowl in San Jose. The locals (front row, from left) are Todd Hawkins (Mitty High, class of 1993), Coach Rich Kubel (Leland High, class of 1989), Paul Hackett, (Leland, class of 1989) and Mike Hackett (Leland, Class of 1989).

Other Almaden members of the team, but missing the photo session, are Jamy Woolridge and Steve Marquez.

The PSL, beginning its 47th season, boasts a lineup of 51 teams including nine in the Major Division, which plays most Sundays at Watson Bowl in San Jose through March. Asked what motivates the players on his Grenadiers, Coach Kubel, a digital mapping program manager in his day job, commented, “We’ve been doing this (playing soccer) our whole lives. We wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves if we didn’t do it.” The Grenadiers, who had a bye in round two, will face Croatia in the third week of PSL play at 1 p.m. Sunday at Watson (23rd and Taylor streets). The four-game program begins at 9 a.m. General admission is $3; students under age 18 and senior citizens admitted for $2; there is no charge for children under age 10.

—By Karl Laucher

Run, run, run… or walk to benefit AVCS in Almaden Times Classic on Oct. 10

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

The 11th annual Almaden Times Classic, featuring people of all ages and body types, offers runs of 10 kilometers and two miles plus a two-mile walk, but most importantly a festive and healthy way to support the event beneficiary Almaden Valley Counseling Service.

Set for Sunday, Oct. 10, it is a moveable feast of carb loading, burning and reloading expected to attract more than 400 participants who will be helping themselves to a natural euphoria while helping the AVCS help hundreds of others with personal challenges.

AVCS executive director Rocki Kramer notes that the service, now 24 years old, is engaged in its busiest year ever, having served 15 schools and some 1,000 clients. It also expected into new offices at the Country Office building next to the post office on Crown Boulevard.

AVCS started out as a youth counseling service, but one of its most popular departments these days is the Geriatric New Advisory Program.

The clock is ticking for all of us, but winners in the 14 age categories (seven each for men and women) in the Times Classic will receive commemorative desk clocks. The rest of us will have to settle for participation ribbons, T-shirts and a bountiful table of carbs.

The entry fee is $20 for adults and $12 for children (under age 12) by Oct. 4. After that, and on race day, the fee is $15 and $15, respectively. Bob Dando returns as race director with new AVCS board member Adron Beene acting as assistant race director. The starting gun goes off at 9 a.m. For more information call 408 997-0200 or register online at www.active.com.