October 5, 2006

SPORTS

Leland girls’ volleyball 4-0 in league after 3-1 win at Westmont

Chargers take sole possession of first place in Mt. Hamilton Division with win; Westmont drops to second place

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland girls’ volleyball team improved to 4-0 in league play and cleared a little room atop the Mt. Hamilton Division following a solid 3-1 win on the road against previously undefeated Westmont on Sept. 28.

Leland’s Kat Beheshti goes up for a hit during a 3-1 win over Westmont on Sept. 28. The win gave Leland sole possession of first place in the Mt. Hamilton Division with a 4-0 record. Photos by Jeff Frazee

The win left the Chargers in sole possession of first place, while the Warriors dropped back into a two-way tie for second place, along with Branham. Senior Chaulet Scala led all scorers with 20 kills, while Grace Chang contributed seven kills in the win. Both players also recorded 16 digs.

“I’m really proud of them,” Leland head coach Chris Hansen said of her squad. “They really did work hard for this one.”

Late scoring runs by the Chargers proved to be the difference in the 3-1 win. The tone for those late scoring runs was set early as Leland bounced back from a 19-17 deficit late in game one with an 8-0 stretch that saw kills from Scala, Grace Chang and Bree Gwinner, as well as five hitting errors from the Warriors for a 25-19 final.

Likewise, game three saw the Chargers break out of an 18-18 tie with a 7-2 scoring stretch, with Gwinner contributing two kills and Joyce Chang recording two tips, along with a pair of Warriors hitting errors in a 25-20 final to give Leland a 2-1 edge in the match.

While games one and three saw late comeback runs by the Chargers, game four proved to be a seesaw battle.

Leland jumped out early with a robust 17-9 lead, only to see the Warriors bounce back with a modest 5-0 scoring stretch to cut the Chargers’ lead to three. Leland answered back with a small 4-0 stretch that featured a tip from Justine Johnson and three hitting errors by Westmont to lengthen the lead to 21-14.

Still, the Warriors kept coming back, responding to Leland’s 4-0 stretch with a 4-1 run, one again cutting the lead, this time to four at 22-18.

Leland prevailed in the end however, posting a 3-2 edge on the final stretch of play, getting kills from Scala and Grace Chang, as well as another Westmont hitting error on the final point of the game to take the match 3-1.

Leland’s Chaulet Scala led all scorers with 20 kills on the night in a 3-1 win over Westmont on Sept. 28. Scala also recorded 16 digs and two aces in the win.

“I was definitely on the edge of my seat,” Hansen said of the back-and-forth scoring sequences between the teams in game four. “I already told them that there’s no lead big enough, you have to continue to play until the end. …You cannot let up for one second against them (Westmont), because they’ll get back in, and that’s exactly what happened.”

The only hiccup in the win for Leland, according to Hansen, was a 25-12 in game two, which saw the Warriors start out with a 13-3 advantage, while the Chargers never got on track. Still, Hansen said she was pleased with the way her team rebounded from the game-two loss.

“At least they were able to overcome that, because that was pretty brutal,” Hansen said of game two. “We didn’t do very much in game two and Westmont owned us. The fact that they could pick themselves up and come back in the third game just says a lot about them.”

Westmont head coach Peter Kim said part of Leland’s success in the match was its unrelenting defense, which consistently kept sending back hits from the Warriors’ side of the net.

“It’s kind of like tennis. You just hit the ball and you know you’ve killed it, but the other guy just returns it all the time,” Kim said of the Leland defense, which was led by Vicki Chang’s 25 digs. “That’s the same thing that Leland does. That’s their game. …It can be frustrating, when you’re hitting balls and you’re hitting them well, and just boom, it comes right back at you.”

Sports Briefs

Almaden National Junior Basketball signups
Almaden National Junior Basketball (NJB) signups will start Aug. 15. Boys and girls grades one through eight are eligible. The 11-game season starts Dec. 3. For details and signups, e-mail go to www.almadennjb.homestead.com or call Ken Keiser (408) 592-4190 with questions.

Girls U11 class 3 competitive XTreme team seeks players
The Xtreme, a South San Jose Youth Soccer League girls U11 class 3 competitive soccer team, is looking for two players to join the team. Home fields and practice facilities are in the Blossom Hill/Santa Teresa area, and the team currently practices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Stratford School on San Ignacio at San Anselmo. Girls interested in joining the team should be somewhat experienced with a good attitude toward learning the game. Age restrictions are between 8/1/1995 and 7/31/1996. For more information, Contact Nigel Cooper at (408) 202-2058.

Bret Harte Middle School needs a flag football coach
Bret Harte is looking for a coach to lead the after-school flag football team. Responsibilities will include overseeing tryouts, running practices at least twice a week after school, attend games, which are played once a week (usually on Wednesday) in the evening at Hoover High. Coach will also need to be fingerprinted and have a TB test completed through San Jose Unified School District. Bret Harte Booster will reimburse the coach for the expense. The coach will be under the direction of the school Administration and Bret Harte Booster. If interested, call Amy Yorkey at (408) 535-6270 ext. 214.

Almaden United boys’ U-15 soccer team seeks players
The Almaden United boys’ U-15 soccer team is looking for a few new players with serious interest in soccer, for all positions, even goalkeeper. The team is a part of the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, Delgado (class 3) competitive league for the fall of 2006. Interested players must be born between Aug. 1, 1991 and July 31, 1992. For more information, contact Kimberly at kiminn@mindspring.com or (408) 206-1198.

Lacrosse registration now open
Lacrosse in San Jose! Registration will be open soon for the spring 2007 season for South Valley Lacrosse.

If you want to give lacrosse a try, reserve your spot today.

Introductory lessons
Oct. 21 and 28, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $20

Private (or group) lessons
$20 per hour, or group rate also available.
RSVP to Joy Bender at joy.bender@prodigy.net.
 
Lacrosse coaches needed
South Valley Lacrosse needs at least two coaches for its boys' pups (fifth/sixth grade) and JV (ninth/10th grade) teams. The club is in its third season and has lots of parent support.

If interested, call Joy Bender at (408) 679-1297 or e-mail joy.bender@prodigy.net.  

East Valley Softball early bird signups
East Valley Girls Fastpitch Softball is holding early bird signups for the coming season.

Signups are for girls ages 5 to 16 at the Day in the Park event, held at Lake Cunningham Regional on October 7th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Items required at the time of registration (no exceptions) are as follows:

- Completed registration form (available at registration and online) 
- A copy of the player’s birth certificate (to keep in our files)
- The registration fee in full (no scholarships available)
- A complete release of liability and assumption of risk agreement (available at registration and online)
- Volunteer signups (each family will be required to sign up)

Forms will be available at the time of registration or can be retrieved at our Web site: www.eteamz.com/evsltwisters.

For more information, please call the East Valley Softball League Telephone line (408) 291-3248

REACH Youth Scholarship nomination forms available online from San Jose Sports Authority
Nomination forms for the San Jose Sports Authority’s 2006 REACH Youth Scholarship Program, sponsored by Bridge Bank, which has provided college funds to 50 high school students over the past 10 years, are now available for downloading from the Sports Authority’s Web site at www.sjsa.org.

Last year, 31 Santa Clara County high school seniors were nominated, and six who overcame adversity through participation in sports were awarded scholarships through the REACH program, an acronym for Recognizing Excellence, Adversity, Courage and Hard Work. Scholarships are awarded based on an essay competition in which nominees explain how sports helped them overcome adversity.

The nominees and scholarship winners for 2006 will be honored at the REACH Awards Breakfast, chaired by former San Francisco 49er Ronnie Lott, on Thursday, May 3, 2007.

Only Santa Clara County high schools may nominate students for the award, with a maximum of five nominees per school. Nominees must then complete an essay and student information form.

Nominees must:

- Be high school seniors,
- Maintain a 2.5 GPA,
- Participate in at least one sanctioned high school athletic activity,
- Demonstrate community involvement,
- Show the ability to overcome adversity or obstacles to reach his or her goals.

Each nominee is required to write an essay of one to three pages based on his or her experiences. The essay should focus on the obstacles they have overcome and how sports have helped them achieve their goals. Essays will be judged on content.

Nominations must be postmarked by Friday, March 31.

Visit the San Jose Sports Authority Web site at www.sjsa.org for more information.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Football at Westmont, 4:30 p.m. JV and 7 p.m. varsity

Tuesday – Girls’ tennis vs. Piedmont Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Girls’ volleyball at Leigh, 5 p.m. JV and 6 p.m. varsity
Tuesday – Field hockey at Los Gatos, 4:30 p.m. JV and 3 p.m. varsity

Wednesday – Girls’ water polo vs. Willow Glen at Sobrato, 4 p.m. varsity
Wednesday – Boys’ water polo vs. Mt. Pleasant at Live Oak, 5 p.m. frosh/soph and 6 p.m. varsity

Thursday – Girls’ tennis at Silver Creek, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Girls’ volleyball vs. Evergreen, 5 p.m. JV and 6 p.m. varsity
Thursday – Field hockey vs. Monta Vista, 4:30 p.m. JV and 3 p.m. varsity
Thursday – JV football vs. Gunderson, 3:30 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Football at Independence, 5 p.m. frosh/soph and 7:30 p.m. varsity

Tuesday – Girls’ tennis at Prospect, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Girls’ volleyball at Gunderson, 3:30 p.m. JV and 5 p.m. varsity

Wednesday – Boys’ water polo at Evergreen, 3 p.m. frosh/soph and 4 p.m. varsity
Wednesday – Girls’ water polo vs. Piedmont Hills at Sobrato, 5 p.m. varsity
Wednesday – Cross country vs. James Lick, Gunderson, Del Mar and Branham at Montgomery Hill, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – Girls’ volleyball vs. Sobrato, 3:30 p.m. JV and 5 p.m. varsity
Thursday – Girls’ tennis at Overfelt, 3:15 p.m.


For more information about Leland and Pioneer sporting events, go to:

Pioneer Athletics: http://www.phsathletics.com/
Leland Athletics: http://www.lelandathletics.com/
Blossom Valley Athletic League: http://www.bval.org/

High School Scoreboard

Sept. 26
Leland girls’ volleyball 25-18, 26-24, 25-20 win vs. Piedmont Hills
Leland girls’ tennis 7-0 win at Oak Grove
Leland field hockey 2-1 win at Saratoga
Pioneer girls’ volleyball 17-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-19 loss at Oak Grove
Pioneer girls’ tennis 6-1 loss vs. Willow Glen

Sept. 27
Leland girls’ tennis 7-0 win at Pinewood School

Sept. 28
Leland girls’ tennis 6-1 win vs. Santa Teresa
Pioneer girls’ volleyball 25-13, 25-19, 25-15 win at Yerba Buena
Pioneer girls’ tennis 6-1 loss vs. Evergreen

Sept. 29
Leland boys’ water polo 10-8 win vs. Cupertino at St. Francis Tournament
Pioneer boys’ water polo 11-5 loss vs. Mission at Independence Tournament
Pioneer boys’ water polo 10-5 win vs. Santa Teresa at Independence Tournament

Leland boys’ water polo opens league play with 20-4 win over Pioneer

The Leland boys’ water polo team started league play in the Mt. Hamilton Division with a lopsided 20-4 win over Pioneer on Sept. 27 at Independence.

Pioneer goalie Zealand Hatch attempts to block a shot by Leland's Scott Stuart, who finished the game with two goals in a 20-4 Charger win.

The Chargers scored nine goals in the first quarter before adding seven more in the second quarter to take a 16-0 lead at the half. The Chargers received plenty of contributions offensively, including six goals from Matt Eisenberg, four goals from Maxim Dobrushin, as well as two goals each from Marcus Gartner, Scott Stuart and Raymond LaRochelle.

Pioneer (7-7 overall, 0-1 in league) meanwhile, struggled both offensively and defensively throughout the first half before scoring a pair of goals in both the third and fourth quarters. Pioneer was led on offense by senior Jason Burke, who had two goals in the loss. Also scoring goals in the loss for Pioneer were Brian Lopiccolo and Sean Urenda.

“I anticipated that Leland would be a challenge,” Pioneer head coach Scott Kaubish said. “…Leland’s got a lot of swimming talent and a lot of speed, and just keeping up with that exposed our weaknesses and some of the fundamental issues that we’ve struggled with.”

Running game guides Leland to win over Saints

Chargers win league opener 16-6 over Santa Teresa as Leland running backs
Adam Ondi and Lance Gemette combine for 241 yards rushing

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Running backs Adam Ondi and Lance Gemette combined for 241 yards rushing and two second-half touchdowns as the Leland football team started Santa Teresa Division play with a 16-6 win over visiting Santa Teresa on Sept. 29.

The Chargers scored twice in the second half on rushing touchdowns from Gemette, one each in the third and fourth quarters, while holding the Saints scoreless for the entire second half. In short, the Chargers relied heavily on their running game, totaling 285 yards on the day, in the win, which bumped Leland’s overall record to 2-2.

Leland quarterback Ricky Battipede didn’t have to do much work with his arm in the Chargers’ 16-6 win over Santa Teresa, as the Leland running attack totaled 285 yards rushing on the day. Battipede finished the game completing five of seven passes for 29 yards and an interception. Photo by Ben DeKoven

“We played three excellent football teams in the preseason and I think it prepared us for what we saw today,” said Leland head coach Jason Tenner, who broke with tradition by having his team sport new powder blue uniforms for the league opener. “We saw a very athletic and physical Santa Teresa team and our guys knew they had to play for four quarters. …We came out in the second half and minimized our mistakes and played some good football. I’m proud of the effort.”

Down 6-3 at the half, following a Saints touchdown with just 17 seconds left in the second quarter, the Chargers took a 10-6 lead on their second offensive series of the third quarter. The Chargers drove the ball 61 yards on 11 plays on the series, running the ball on every play in the series, which ended with a 4-yard touchdown run from Gemette with 17 seconds left in the third quarter.

Both Gemette and Ondi proved to be effective on the drive, combining for 41 yards on seven carries, including a key 5-yard run from Ondi on third-and-three at the Santa Teresa 9, which was then followed by Gemette’s touchdown run.

Tenner credited the Leland offensive line for opening running lanes for both Gemette, who finished the day with 131 yards rushing and two scores, and Ondi, who rushed for 110 yards.

“Those five guys came off the ball today,” Tenner said of his offensive line. “You forgive the occasional false start, and a missed block on the back side, but they got off the ball and they did an excellent job today. …Santa Teresa was much bigger than us, but I told our guys that we were in better shape and we’ve been working hard, we want it, so go out and earn it.”

And while the offense was clicking, the Leland defense did its’ part too, stopping the Saints offense and holding Santa Teresa scoreless in the second half.

Tenner credited the play of his entire defense, but pointed to the play of defensive end Jon Erickson as a key component in keeping the Saints off the scoreboard in the second half.

“Jon is one of the emotional leaders of this team,” Tenner said of Erickson. “He’s a captain, a two-year starter who played up on varsity as a sophomore, and he’s just a hell of a football player. He’s not the biggest guy, not the fastest, but he plays with great technique and he plays with real heart and emotion. He leaves it all on the field and I’m proud of him. He’s a great football player.”

The Leland defense held its ground following Gemette’s 4-yard touchdown, as the Saints marched from their own 40 into Leland territory before a fourth-and-one running play at the Leland 39 was stopped, with Saints running back Alonzo Parks taking a 4-yard loss on the play early in the fourth quarter.

The defensive stop allowed the Leland offense to operate with a shorter field, beginning at the Leland 43. Again, Tenner turned to his running game, and it responded with a 12-play drive that was capped with a 5-yard run on third-and-two from Gemette with 4:28 to go, bumping Leland’s lead to 16-6.

Once more, Gemette and Ondi did the bulk of the work, including a key 22-yard run from Gemette on fourth-and-two from the Saints 35, which set the offensive up inside the red zone.

“Our line stepped it up and Adam and I ran hard,” Gemette said of the final touchdown. “We just broke some tackles and put some things together.”

Tenner said one of the biggest factors in the win was desire.

“The kids wanted it,” he said. “They could feel it. We worked a lot during our bye week and now, going further into league, we’ll get some guys back and get healthier, and we’ll keep the ball rolling.”

Leland girls’ water polo wins league opener 16-3 over rival Pioneer

Courtney Monsees, Christy Stibbe and Elena Santamaria score five goals
each in win for Leland; Pioneer’s Elyssa Samson scores three for Mustangs

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland girls’ water polo team started Mt. Hamilton Division play in robust fashion, taking a 16-3 win over rival Pioneer on Sept. 27.

Leland goalie Allison Mossing recorded 15 saves in the win over Pioneer, while allowing just three goals. The effort was Mossing’s second 15-save game of the season. Photos by Jeff Frazee

The Leland offense was fueled by the triple threat of Courtney Monsees, Christy Stibbe and Elena Santamaria, as each player scored five goals in the win. In addition, Stibbe led all Chargers with four ejections drawn, while Monsees led with four steals and Santamaria paced the offense with five assists.

Leland head coach Eric Rise said he was pleased with the win and has set his sights on winning the league title for the third year running.

“This is extremely important,” Rise said of the league-opening win. “Pioneer’s been one of the two main threats. Pioneer’s always been one of the tougher teams in league, so to get a nice win like that is very important. We want to win league again. No team has won it three years in a row and we’re looking this year to make history and be the first team to win it three years in a row. That’s been an objective of ours, for a few years now, to keep winning league.”

The Chargers scored early and often, taking a 4-1 lead at the end of the first quarter on two goals from Stibbe, as well as one each from Monsees and Santamaria. The scoring continued at a steady pace in both the second and third quarters, with the Chargers taking a 6-1 lead at the half before scoring a game-high six goals in the third quarter, including three from Santamaria and two more from Monsees for a 12-2 lead.

“For the most part, we did a pretty good job of moving the ball where we wanted to,” Rise said of the Leland offense.

Rise said he looked to take advantage of his three-headed scoring threat, knowing that teams throughout the preseason have had trouble guarding all three at the same time.

“We’re a hard team to key on because those three each had five goals,” Rise said of Stibbe, Santamaria and Monsees. “They drew all of our eight ejections drawn. It’s a three-headed monster. You can’t guard three people. You can pick and choose, but one of them is going to be open and that, at different times, has carried us.”

Defensively, Rise noted the play of goalie Allison Mossing, who contributed 15 saves in the win.

“Allie might be one of the best goalies in the section,” Rise said of Mossing. “She’s very underrated, not really known. This is her second game where she put up 15 saves. …She’s come up huge this year.”

For Pioneer (0-1 league), the loss centered partly on pressure felt in playing not only a league rival, but also a close neighborhood rival in Leland.

“Our girls suffered a loss today partly because I think that sometimes when you’re playing a team like Leland, there’s so much pressure on the game,” Pioneer assistant coach Katy Furth said. “When you really want to win so bad, it’s easy for morale to get down, and that’s part of what happened.”

Pioneer’s Elyssa Samson scored all of the team’s three goals in the loss, one each in the first, third and fourth quarters. Furth said Leland’s defense caused problems on offense throughout the match for Pioneer.

“They know our strong players,” Furth said of Leland. “They know that Elyssa (Samson) and Taylor (Feezor) are our outside shooters and our strong players. They never really gave those girls an opportunity to play offensively. …Their whole defense is so strong that we didn’t have a lot of movement in the hole, which is a critical part of the game, obviously.”

Tough start in league play for Pioneer football

Mustangs drop 28-23 loss to Leigh in Mt. Hamilton Division opener

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

The Pioneer football team opened league play on a down note, falling 28-23 to Leigh at home on Sept. 30.
The reigning Mount Hamilton Division co-champion Mustangs notched their third loss overall and first in league early in the year, after jumping to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Leigh’s 478 total yards on offense were needed in fending off a comeback, as 258 yards rushing for the Mustangs kept it close.

Pioneer’s Marquee Heffner (25) follows the blocking of teammate Steven Lopes (26) in a 28-23 loss to Leigh on Sept. 30. Heffner ran for 80 yards and a touchdown, while Lopes led all Mustang running backs with 97 yards rushing and a touchdown. Photo courtesy of Ric Medlinger at www.medlinger.net

Pioneer head coach Mike Krail said that the coaching staff is still anxious to see improvement and was disappointed in the mental focus offered by his squad. All told, Krail still saw the positive side of things, despite the loss.

“We’ve played as tough a schedule as anybody in the section,” said Krail. “Not to say it’s going to get a whole lot easier, but it’s not all doom and gloom at Pioneer. We have a great group of kids and they are going to continue to get better. We are going in a positive direction.”

Krail said he was frustrated by Pioneer’s inability to finish strong.

“After looking at it on film, we had golden opportunities to do some good things, but our offense wasn’t in synch,” said Krail. “We were just a little off.”

After scoring two unanswered touchdowns in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead, the Mustangs began to struggle on offense. Leigh Coach Shawn Thomas said personnel changes on the defensive front helped create mismatches that kept Mustang quarterback Chris Foley on the run all day and bred chaos in the backfield.

Longhorn defensive highlights included the efforts of defensive linemen Troy Thompson, Genesis Fiaavae, and Alex Collins, said Thomas.

Running/linebacker back Daniel Franke also had a big day on both sides of the ball, making 11 tackles, in addition to 103 yards rushing.

Leigh evened the score at 14 by the beginning of the third quarter, before Pioneer quarterback Chris Foley dove into the end zone for a 1-yard score just two minutes into the second half, and despite missing an extra point opportunity, led 20-14.

Leigh responded with a 70-yard touchdown scamper when senior quarterback Doug Webster found standout wide receiver Chris Balcom-miller. Franke nailed the extra point kick to give the Longhorns the lead once more.

Pioneer drove the field just before the end of the third quarter, but missed on a field goal attempt, handing the ball back to the Longhorn offense.

Leigh eventually capitalized on Pioneer’s missed field goal when 6-foot-3-inch senior fullback Dylan August powered his way into the end zone from one yard out for a 28-20 lead.

The Mustangs initiated another drive as the clock wound down to within five minutes remaining in the game and senior Kyle Burchfiel boomed a 50-yard field goal to keep things close once again at 28-23.

But Leigh recovered Pioneer’s onside kick following the field goal and quarterback Doug Webster scampered 25 yards for a first down as the clock continued to tick away. Following the first down, Leigh was able to run several running plays, allowing time to expire.

“Obviously, it was disappointing,” said Krail. “We got off to a fast start, and things were looking like they might go in right direction. But we shot ourselves in the foot.”

Webster was key, according to Coach Thomas, throwing for 287 yards and a touchdown on 19 of 28 passing.
Krail said Pioneer had gotten off to good starts in every one of its games this season.

“We haven’t performed well in second half,” he said. “Something we need to work on is maybe not coming out so high that we crash after the half.”

Hopes were high at the start of the game when Pioneer quarterback Chris Foley shook off a Troy Thompson sack on the opening play from scrimmage. The senior quickly recovered from the setback, directing his corps to convert on two fourth-and-one situations, en route to a Steve Lopes 1-yard touchdown run with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The opening drive spanned nearly nine minutes of the first quarter, and Pioneer’s wing-t attack was succeeding according to plan.

The Mustangs struck again after Leigh went three-and-out during its first possession on offense. One play later, senior running back Marquee Heffner scampered 53 yards with just 47 seconds remaining in the first quarter for a score.

Pioneer running back Steven Lopes rushed for 97 yards in 14 carries, while Heffner finished with 80 yards in 11 carries.

Junior running back Shane Murray finished with 120 total yards, including 80 yards rushing.

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