SPORTS

Olympic runner Carmelo Rios of Almaden thwarted

Almaden races produce another classic shocker

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

11th annual Almaden Times Classic 10k men’s winner Jose Juan Pina. Pina finished the 10k race in 31 minutes and 38 seconds. All photos by Diego Abeloos.

We’re a long fairytale away from Hollywood, but for the second straight year the Almaden Times Classic 10K run has produced a shocking result. The only person in shock this year, however, was runner-up Carmelo Rios of Almaden, a former Olympic semi-finalist who was befuddled by heretofore unknown Mexican national Jose Pina.

The 11th edition of the Almaden Times Classic attracted a record 440 entries combined for the 10k- and 2k-mile runs and the 2-mile social walk, starting and ending at the Leland High School parking lot, to benefit the Almaden Valley Counseling Service.

Rios, who turned age 45 the day after Sunday’s race, admitted he entered the race fully expecting to win. Why not? He not only also represented Puerto Rico in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, but also won NCAA National Division II steeplechase and 5,000-meter championships for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the early 1980s.

Furthermore, his best times at 10 kilometers—28 minutes, 27 seconds—would have won every Almaden Times 10k in the 11-year history of the event. Even his best time in his 40s—32:19—would have won last year’s race by more than three minutes.

But Rios was injured last year when Olympic marathon candidate Dr. Keri Ann Bertrand of Gilroy became the first woman to win the overall Almaden Times Classic. As the only distaff winner in 11 years of the event maybe Bertrand’s feat still is shocking considering that the first woman to finish the 10k this year, Valley Christian High School cross country coach Johanna Wans, finished 11th overall, almost five minutes behind Pina.

Not knowing who he was, it was with supreme confidence that Rios let Pina burst out to a 15-second lead after the first mile (about 4:50 for Pina). Rios surged in the second mile, but he soon recognized that diminutive Pina was the man in charge, racing to victory with a time of 31:39, a posting a gap of 19 seconds before Rios checked in.
“I was hoping to have a nice Sunday run, but he made me work,” Rios said.

Pina, 34, who does not speak English, works at a cleaners in downtown San Jose. He trains with three-hour runs in the Los Gatos hills, and now can be credited for inspiring Rios to raise his game. “I’m looking forward to getting fit and winning this race one of these years,” said Rios, who of course is hard-pressed for training time as a career housedad (two children).

While Wans, 25, fell short of a shocking result comparing genders, she did produce a dominating performance among 89 ladies in the 10k, her time of 36:24 a country mile better than runner-up Kelly Emo, 39, of Campbell.

Wans is a former San Jose State University cross country runner who is preparing to run in the California International Marathon in Sacramento two months hence.

The two-mile races revealed a pair of over achievers with Bret Harte Middle School student Stephanie Barnett, 13, winning the women’s division and Jeff Candello, 49, taking the men’s honors. Barnett, just four days earlier, placed second among 63 eighth grade girls in the South Valley Invitational cross country run in Gilroy while her younger sister, Claudia, 12, placed first among seventh graders. Claudia finished fourth overall in the Almaden Classic ladies’ 2-mile. Their mother, Karin, is a former Almaden age-group winner but was unable to compete this year due to competing parenting duties.

Candello, owner of Pioneer Gardening, has one his game division three times, but this is the first time he won the two-mile overall championships. He says he feels lucky to be able to run at all having survived accident four years ago when he was pinned between two motor vehicles that broke the femur in his right leg. He now runs with a titanium rod in his leg that stretches from nearly knee to hip.

For complete Almaden Times Classic results, log on at www.info@onyourmarkevents.com.

High School Sports Schedule Oct. 15-21

Leland High School
Friday – JV field hockey at Cupertino, 4:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity field hockey at Cupertino, 3 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph football vs. Pioneer at PAL Stadium, 5 p.m.
Friday – Varsity football vs. Pioneer at PAL Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ water polo at Live Oak Tournament
Friday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Sacred Heart Prep Tournament

Saturday - Varsity boys’ water polo at Live Oak Tournament
Saturday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Sacred Heart Prep Tournament
Saturday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo at Monte Vista Tournament

Tuesday – JV girls’ volleyball at Piedmont Hills, 5 p.m.
Tuesday –Varsity girls’ volleyball at Piedmont Hills, 6 p.m.
Tuesday – Girls’ tennis vs. Piedmont Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo vs. Pioneer at Lincoln, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ water polo vs. Pioneer at Lincoln, 5 p.m.

Wednesday – JV field hockey at Del Mar, 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday –Varsity field hockey at Del Mar, 3 p.m.

Thursday – JV girls’ volleyball vs. Westmont, 5 p.m.
Thursday –Varsity girls’ volleyball vs. Westmont, 6 p.m.
Thursday – Cross country vs. Willow Glen at Montgomery Hill, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ water polo vs. Santa Teresa at Lincoln, 4 p.m.
Thursday –Varsity girls’ water polo vs. Santa Teresa at Lincoln, 5 p.m.

Pioneer
Friday – Frosh/soph football vs. Leland at PAL Stadium, 5 p.m.
Friday – Varsity football vs. Leland at PAL Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday – Girls’ tennis at Silver Creek, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ volleyball at Yerba Buena, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday –Varsity girls’ volleyball at Yerba Buena, 5 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo vs. Leland at Lincoln, 4 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ water polo vs. Leland at Lincoln, 5 p.m.
Tuesday – JV girls’ water polo vs. Silver Creek at Independence, 3 p.m.
Tuesday –Varsity girls’ water polo vs. Silver Creek at Independence, 4 p.m.

Thursday – JV girls’ volleyball vs. Lincoln, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday –Varsity girls’ volleyball vs. Lincoln, 5 p.m.
Thursday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo vs. Mt. Pleasant at Independence, 4 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity boys’ water polo vs. Mt. Pleasant at Independence, 5 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ water polo vs. Piedmont Hills at Willow Glen, 4 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity girls’ water polo vs. Piedmont Hills at Willow Glen, 5 p.m.

Leland drops fourth straight game in 19-6 loss to Independence
Chargers held scoreless in second half

By Kenneth Seli
Special to the Times

Looking for the glimmer of sunshine within a dark cloud is all Leland Head Football Coach Kelly Edwards could do following his team’s 19-6 loss to Independence on Friday, Oct. 8, which extended the Chargers’ losing streak to four.

“I was happy with the way we were playing,” Edwards said. “We did all those little things (we need to do to win).”

Edwards told his team that he was proud of his squad and that they would be ready to face their rivals, Pioneer High School, in their homecoming game today. The Chargers, who lost 21-13 in their last game against Branham, were held to one touchdown by the 76ers.

After trading defensive stands that left both teams scoreless after the first quarter, Independence drew first blood off a drive that started from the 76er 27-yard line and finished with a 5-yard run from 76ers running back Quentrel Hunter in the second quarter. Hunter ended up being the offensive sparkplug the 76ers needed, getting 209 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 22 carries for the day.

Leland special teams would come up big in the second quarter, as senior linebacker Brian Tkach blocked an Independence punt, putting the Chargers deep within 76er territory on the 23-yard line.

Following the blocked punt, junior quarterback Kyle Walker hooked up with senior wide receiver Arthur King Jr. on a pass, setting the Chargers up at the Independence 1.

The Chargers then picked up six points shortly after King’s catch, as fullback Alex Bynum scrambled into the end zone for a 1-yard score. However, a Charger attempt to rush the ball in for a two-point conversion was stopped halfway toward the goal line, giving the 76ers a 7-6 lead going into the half.

What was a close first half contest quickly turned the 76ers way in the third quarter. Despite finding holes in the rush defense, Charger running back Kyle Jones and his Leland teammates were held scoreless in the half.

“We played hard out there,” Jones said, “Those guys (the 76ers) can (also) play hard, they hit hard and they finished against us.”

Leland would come close to a score in their first drive, which featured a 4th-and-six conversion on a 12-yard reception by King. But the drive fell short at the Independence 15 and finished with a missed field goal attempt.

The 76ers quickly responded with a six-play drive that was capped off by a 43-yard run by Hunter, giving his team a 13-6 lead.

The fourth quarter once again saw Independence deep inside Leland territory at the 14-yard line.

Hunter carried the ball deep in the red zone on the drive, only to be stuffed one yard short of the goal line by the Leland defense on fourth down.

“Our team effort was unbelievable,” King said. “(The defense was) playing tough.”

Leland, who started on their one-yard line, gained ground on a Jones carry to the 20-yard line.

But the Charger drive, which saw another fourth down conversion, ran out of steam on an incomplete pass from Walker on fourth down at the 48-yard line of Independence.

The 76ers quickly sealed the game on a single play with a Hunter 52-yard touchdown run, giving Independence a comfortable 19-6 advantage.

Coach Edwards said the game could have easily gone the other way in favor of Leland, while King said the Chargers are looking forward to renewing their rivalry against Pioneer on Thursday.

“They’re a great team,” King said. “As for us, we will come together and we’ll come out with a win.”

Times sports writer Diego Abeloos contributed to this report.

Mustangs win neighborhood rivalry 34-21 over Branham

Pioneer offense runs for 288 total yards in victory

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Sometimes it’s the little things that get a team going. A good block here or an extra yard there can be the difference between glory in victory or wallowing after defeat.

The Pioneer Mustangs discovered that theory on Friday, Oct. 8, scoring 13 points against the Branham Bruins defense during the final 15 minutes and 45 seconds of the second half to win 34-21, as the Mustang defense began to close up Bruin running lanes and began to contain Bruin quarterback T.J. DeStefano.

“We knew Branham would be up for this game,” said Pioneer Head Coach Mark Krail. “It’s the closest school to Pioneer so obviously there’s a natural neighborhood rivalry. It was a tough game … we knew their offense would be difficult to stop.”

Prior to the 13-point outburst by the Mustangs (4-1 overall, 2-0 league), the game was a seesaw battle that saw both offensive units match point for point.

“I thought we did well,” said Bruin Head Coach Dave Cardoza. “We traded scores in the first half and both teams did a lot of good things. Coming out after halftime, turning the ball over was the big momentum shift. We gave them good field position and they are a good ball control team.”

Leading the way for the Mustangs was a potent running attack of Shaun Souza and Andrew Schulz, as both players combined to rush for 248 yards and three touchdowns.

“Our offensive line was working real hard,” said Schulz. “I just found the holes and was just trying to battle and work hard. I give a lot of credit to the offensive line.”

Souza, a 5-foot 10-inch junior, finished the game with 118 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, while Schulz finished with 130 yards and a score.

“I felt good,” Souza added. “Our line opened up the holes, our backs blocked great, our receivers blocked great. We ran hard and dug in.”

After a Branham touchdown tied the game at 21 with 7:32 to go in the third quarter, the Mustangs drove their offense 55 yards downfield, ending in an 11-yard touchdown run from Souza with 3:45 left to go up 28-21. On the drive, it was Schulz who did most of the damage, rushing four times for 42 yards.

“I think in the second half, our lines wore them down,” said Krail. “I think that was the difference in the game. Our offensive line and defensive line in the second half were controlling the line of scrimmage.”

From that point on, it was the Mustang defense that did the dirty work, setting up the offense with good field position to add onto the Mustang seven-point lead.

With the Bruins on offense following the Mustang touchdown, the Pioneer defense kept DeStefano, who rushed 16 times for 69 yards overall, in check. On 2nd-and-18 at the Bruin 11, Pioneer defenders Rolando Gomez and Steve Matos combined on a sack of DeStefano, pinning the Bruin offense on their own 1. Following an incompletion from DeStefano on 3rd-and-28, the Bruins were forced to punt the ball away, giving the Mustangs the ball back on the Bruin 43.

“When you have good field position, you’re chances of scoring are much higher,” Schulz said. “We were just well-conditioned and pumped for the second half.”

Pioneer took advantage of the great field position, driving on eight plays to the Bruin 9 before Bobby Lopez booted a 26-yard field goal to put the Mustangs up 31-21 with 10:44 to go in the fourth quarter.

With the Bruins once more on offense, the Pioneer defense did just enough to contain the Bruin running game, which featured a 105-yard rushing day from Nolen Robison. This time, the Mustang front line held together, getting a sack on DeStefano on 2nd-and-9 from Eddie Hsieh, before dragging down Robison on an eight-yard run on 3rd-and-14. The Bruins were forced to punt the ball away once more, this time from their own 24, giving the Mustangs the ball back on their own 47.

“We tweaked our front line a little bit, gave them something to look at that was a little different,” Krail said of his defensive adjustments in the second half. “I think that the speed of their offense is something you have to get used to.”

The Mustangs then proceeded to drive to the Bruin 10, getting six runs and 25 yards from Souza on the drive, before Lopez booted through another field goal, this one for 27 yards with 3:18 left in the game for a 34-21 lead and eventual win.

“We’re both primarily rushing teams,” said Cardoza. “It’s basically who lands the first punch which will be the team that is going to be in the driver’s seat for most of the game, and Pioneer did that.”

Pioneer will now go on to face yet another neighborhood rival, Leland, on Friday, Oct. 15 for a 7:30 p.m. match-up at PAL Stadium.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Leland High School
In girls’ volleyball action, the Chargers dropped a 25-22, 25-21 and 27-25 loss to Leigh on Monday, Oct. 4, before picking up wins against Mount Pleasant on Tuesday, Oct. 5, and Independence on Thursday, Oct. 7.

Leland got the victory over Mount Pleasant in three straight games, winning 25-17, 25-20 and 25-23. Marissa Brehmer led the offense for the Chargers with 10 kills.

Against the Independence 76ers, Leland grabbed the win in four games, going 25-17, 21-25, 25-23 and 25-16. Brehmer led the offensive attack once again, getting 13 kills. The Chargers’ record now stands at 9-6 overall and 4-2 in Mount Hamilton Division play.

The girls’ water polo squad had a productive week in Mount Hamilton Division play, getting an 11-2 win over Santa Teresa on Oct. 5, and a 14-3 win at Lincoln on Oct. 7.

In the win against Santa Teresa, Casey Armstrong led all Chargers’ with four goals, while Rebecca Pele and Courtney Monsees had two goals each.

Against Lincoln, Christy Stibbe scored six times, with Armstrong chipping in three more. In addition, Pele and Monsees scored two times each in the win for Leland. The Chargers’ record in league play now stands at 4-0.

“Casey Armstrong has played awesome,” said Leland Head Coach Eric Rise. “She’s definitely a team leader.”

Over the weekend, the team participated in the Valley Christian Classic, dropping a 5-2 loss to Aragon before getting a 9-4 win over Mission on Friday, Oct. 8. The following day, the Chargers won both of their games, a 12-7 win over Aptos and a 6-5 overtime victory over Independence, to place third overall in the Classic.

“We have a very strong defense,” said Rise about his young team, which has six sophomores and seven juniors.

“We’re a fast team, but we’re still learning to utilize that (speed) within a game.”

In boys’ water polo, the Chargers lost an 11-4 decision against Mount Pleasant on Oct. 7, getting goals from Shane Keno, Michael Steranka, Brian Luu and Justin Booth. The Chargers are now 3-1 in the Mount Hamilton Division, good for second place overall.

“It’s been the consistency of the top few players on our team that has kept us in contention for a championship,” Leland Head Coach Mike Monsees said. “We have our guys working really hard every day.”

Girls’ tennis kept moving above the .500 mark, getting a 5-2 win over Oak Grove on Oct. 5, bumping the team’s record to 5-3. No. 1 singles player Roshie Larijani got a win in her match to help her team, taking it straight sets, 6-4 and 6-2. In No. 1 doubles play, the Charger duo of Helen Lee and Aggi Bialy won their match 7-5 and 6-2.

“I thought the girls played really well,” said Head Coach Jory Segal. “I was pretty happy (with the win.) Roshie played really well and I thought she played a really smart match.”

In cross country action, the boys’ team dropped a 22-34 decision to Overfelt and a 15-48 loss to Yerba Buena on Oct. 7 at Montgomery Hill. No Leland runners finished in the top 10 individually. The boys’ record now stands at 2-4 in Mount Hamilton Division play.

For the girls’ squad, Monica Song helped lead the way in individual times, as the Chargers took a 27-30 win over Overfelt and a 22-33 win over Yerba Buena at Montgomery Hill on Oct. 7. Song ended up in seventh place with a time of 19:59.

Pioneer High School
In girls’ volleyball play, the Mustangs went undefeated for the week, getting wins against Del Mar on Oct. 5, and James Lick on Oct. 7.

The Mustangs got a 25-20, 21-25, 22-25, 28-26 and 15-13 win over Del Mar, with Kristen Harris leading the offense, chipping in six kills. Two days later, Pioneer got a 22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 20-25 and a 15-6 win at James Lick. Once again, Harris led the Mustang attack, getting eight kills to improve her team’s record to 5-6 overall and 3-2 in the West Valley Division.

“We had a great week,” said Pioneer Head Coach Michelle Ritter. “It was actually a heart attack week because all the games were so close, but the girls were able to pull through, even when they got down a little bit.”

In boys’ water polo, the Mustangs dropped a 15-11 decision to Mount Pleasant on Oct. 5, before losing 10-3 at Independence on Oct. 7. Against Mount Pleasant, the Mustangs were led on offense by Kevin Zondervan, who had three goals. Also chipping in on offense were David Atala and Greg Karis, scoring two goals apiece. At Independence, it was Zondervan who once again led the offense for the Mustangs, scoring two of the team’s three goals.

Over the weekend, the team went to the Lincoln Tournament, getting two wins on Friday, Oct. 8, 7-4 scores over Lincoln and Carlmont. Against Lincoln, Atala led the offense with two goals, while Zondervan led the offensive attack against Carlmont, scoring four goals.

The following day, the Mustangs dropped a 12-5 decision to Gilroy, getting two goals from Atala. Pioneer then won a 7-2 contest over Lincoln to finish in third place in the tournament, getting another two goals from Atala.

In girls’ water polo action, the mustangs kept rolling in Santa Teresa Division play, getting a 10-3 win over Piedmont Hills on Oct. 5 and a 12-7 victory over Willow Glen on Oct. 7. Against Piedmont Hills, the Mustangs got offensive contributions from Katie Lopiccolo, Rebecca Wallworth and Akalin Abulkanou, as each player scored twice.

Two days later, Wallworth Lopiccolo and Elyssa Samson led the offense against Willow Glen, getting three goals apiece.

The team then went to the Valley Christian Classic on Friday, Oct. 8, getting a 7-2 win over San Benito and a close 6-5 victory over Wilcox. On Saturday at the Classic, the team took a 10-4 decision over Terra Nova, getting three goals from Lopiccolo to lead the way. The Mustangs then advanced to the championship game, losing 8-4 to Valley Christian. The Mustangs’ record now stands at 13-5 overall, with a perfect 5-0 record in league play.

“Wallworth has been doing a great job for us,” said Pioneer Head Coach Gordy Smith. “The position she plays is a lot like a center in basketball, so the offense moves around her. The scoring is pretty well distributed too. (Wallworth and Lopiccolo) score a lot but we have five or six girls who are consistently scoring every game.”

The girls’ tennis squad moved over the .500 mark this past week, getting 5-2 wins over Independence on Oct. 5 and Evergreen Valley on Oct. 7.

No. 1 singles player Misa Tanaka went undefeated for the week, winning her match against Independence 6-1, 6-1, before getting a 6-0, 6-0 shutout win against Evergreen Valley. Similarly, the No. 1 doubles duo of Giana Flores and Caroline Tran went undefeated, getting a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win on Oct. 5 and a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Evergreen Valley. The Mustangs’ record now stands at 5-4 in Mount Hamilton Division play.

“She’s just so consistent,” said Pioneer Head Coach Julie Szarlacki of Tanaka. “She’s the backbone of the team. The rest of the girls on the team adore Misa. She’s just one of those players you wish you had 30 of.”

Although the cross country team had a bye week in West Valley Division competition, coach Jim Polanco took a select few in his squad to Clovis to compete in the Clovis Invitational.

Mustang Steven DeLay finished 33rd out of 180 in the 3.1-mile competition, clocking in with a time of 17 minutes and eight seconds. Trailing behind DeLay was Ken Rose, who finished 47th overall with a 17:26 time. Also competing were Jeff Higashi (78th with a 17:54 time), and Ken Earl (139th with a 19:07 time).

“It was another very competitive invitational,” said Mustang head coach Jim Polanco. “We had a lot of nationally ranked teams out there. The four guys really improved on their times from last year. I was really impressed with their performances.”

City Council backs effort to bring Major League Baseball to San Jose

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

The San Jose City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking Major League Baseball to rescind the San Francisco Giants’ territorial rights to the South Bay on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

The resolution, largely a symbolic one, is a show of support by the City Council to Baseball San Jose, a grassroots organization trying to bring the Oakland A’s, or another MLB team, to San Jose.

“It was symbolic, but it was the city of San Jose going on record to show their support in our efforts to bring Major League Baseball to San Jose,” said Mike Fox Jr., Baseball San Jose chairman and a prominent member of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce.

Fox said his organization formed in the spring of 2004 at the urging of San Jose City Council member Dave Cortese. So far, the group has raised approximately $85,000 through donations to keep the effort alive. The group has also established a Web site, www.baseball sanjose.com, where supporters can electronically sign a “declaration of independence,” or petition, to show MLB commissioner Bud Selig that San Jose is a viable Major League city, Fox said.

“Everywhere we’ve gone we’ve had tremendous support,” Fox said. “We’re really trying to just energize the community behind us.”

At the heart of the matter are territorial rights possessed by the San Francisco Giants in regard to the city of San Jose. No other MLB team is allowed to infringe on another team’s territorial rights, unless 75 percent of MLB’s owners vote to revoke those territorial rights from the Giants. Selig has already stated on several occasions that he will not allow another team to move into Giants territory.

The resolution by the San Jose City Council came on the heels of MLB’s announcement that the Montreal Expos will move to Washington, D.C., in 2005, just 40 miles from the Baltimore Orioles.

“The minute that move happened, that spurred (Baseball San Jose) to move ahead and encourage this,” said San Jose City Council member Linda Lezotte.

Lezotte said the City Council stands firmly behind Baseball San Jose’s efforts to bring baseball to San Jose and that a potential move of an MLB team to San Jose would create several jobs in San Jose and encourage businesses to set up camp near a newly built MLB stadium.

“The economic growth potential for this is tremendous,” Lezotte added.

Both Fox and Lezotte admit that the effort is still in its infancy, but the effort, should it succeed, will no doubt bring about even more questions. One question sure to surface over time will be where the money will come from to pay for a new ballpark. Regardless, Lezotte said a Major League team in San Jose would become an economic boon for the city.

“Based on the demographics and research we’ve done, the ability to draw from the peninsula and the South Bay (is there in San Jose),” Lezotte said. “There’s enough of a fan base here that the 45 miles (between San Jose and San Francisco) won’t affect the Giants.”

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