Pioneer, Leland gridders challenge for high ground

By Karl Laucher

Sports Editor

They have been running strong, but the incline gets steeper for the Pioneer High School and Leland High School football teams this weekend.

The undefeated Pioneer Mustangs (5-0) will take their chances against perennial Blossom Valley Athletic League Mount Hamilton champion Oak Grove High school (4-1) on the Eagles' field tonight (Friday) at 7:30.

Leland (4-1) will test the validity of its high-scoring promise--38.6 points per game--against undefeated Branham High School (5-0) Saturday afternoon in a BVAL Santa Teresa battle on the Chargers sunlit-only turf in Almaden. Kickoff 1:15 p.m.

Pioneer Coach Mark Krail admitted that he was concerned that his brigade might not be fired up for Leigh last Friday night in Longhorn land. With the Oak Grove showdown just ahead. But the Mustangs rolled up a 35-22 victory as Jeremy Landucci scored three touchdowns and Sinan Dumlugol two as Pioneer maintained its top 10 Central Coast Section ranking.

Oak Grove, ranked No. 8 in the CCS a week ago, is coming off of a 41-0 pounding of Gunderson which would give Pioneer reason for an anxiety attack. Pioneer's score over the same Gunderson a week earlier was 42-22. Measuring by scores alone, Oak Grove has the edge, confirmed by Krail as “the team to beat” in the BVAL. “We're looking forward to the challenge,” he added.

Leland ran roughshod over Andrew High School 42-0 last week while Branham was giving James Lick High School a 42-21 lesson it won't soon forget. The Chargers have been getting prolific work out of running back Mike Day, the division leader in rushing (1117 yards) and scoring (76 points). The leader against Hill was quarterback Joe Hurley, who passed for two touchdowns and ran for another. Branham has an outstanding ball carrier in Andre Ingram and the division sack leader in defensive lineman Robbie Reeser.

Andrew Hill Coach Mike Holt, still wincing from the shelling from Leland, said he predicted Leland will win the league after seeing them in the summer passing league. “They (the Chargers) have the whole package,” Holt said. “The have size , speed, strength and they have the numbers.” Branham, he added, has the speed, but lacks size.

It's barely midway in the football campaign, but the plot thickens.

--By Karl Laucher

It was Founders Day at The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge, and a gaggle of founding members showed up for a tournament last weekend to commemorate two years of operation at the exhilarating hilltop facility. The winning women's team included (from left) Karen Iwamoto, Pat Riches and Sana Amireh. Among the men's winners were (from left) Howard Kim, Sal Cala, Elias Amireh, Bill Lomax and Scott Oswald. The post-tourney lunch was held in temporary quarters as all concerned await groundbreaking for the $12 million clubhouse to be built on a commanding vantage point in thinner air just above the first tee leading to the hole known as “Stonecutter.” Boulder Ridge is a stunningly beautiful par-72 course, designed by Brad Benz of Almaden, with views from here to San Francisco. Owners Rocke and Glenda Garcia, pictured on the ninth “Bobcat Den” fairway, already have pumped some $25 million into the project. Rocke points out that Boulder Ridge is a club just for golfers without tennis courts, swimming pools or even fairway housing. The Garcias are a paragon of patience, having stayed the course 23 years from their first land purchase at Boulder Ridge purchase to first tee off in 2001. Hopefully, the new 19,000 square-foot clubhouse plus new maintenance facility just are over the next hill, relatively. Membership at Boulder Ridge is by invitation. For information call 323-9900 or go online at www.boulderridgegolf.com.

--By Karl Laucher

Jim Angelopoulos, owner of the City Diner restaurant in the Pueblo Plaza at Almaden Expressway and Blossom Hill Road, may not be a fast-food cook, but he obviously has speed to burn in his avocation, road racing hither and yon. Age 41, he has been registering a plethora of age-group victories, having this year won his classification in the Mercury News 10k, and the Great Race and the Dammit Run, both in Los Gatos. More impressive yet, he has won overall honors in a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in Nisene Marks State Park in Aptos last spring, the Highlands 5K in Palo Alto, the Great America 5K in Santa Clara, and, most recently, the Quicksilver Challenge half-marathon on Oct. 4 in Almaden Quicksilver Park. Angelopoulos has his sights set on a good result in the California International Marathon in Sacramento on Dec. 7. The 5-foot-9, 162-pound Angelopoulos attributes his success to good biomechanics and long hours at the restaurant. “I'm on my feet all day, so I'm used to it,” he said. “It's morning to night, seven days a week.” He also trains with the West Valley Joggers and Striders. City Diner was established by Angelopoulos's parents, Bill and Barbara, in 1979. From them, Jim inherited not only a career and the genetics for running, but also housing for the 2004 Olympics in Greece where he will be a spectator staying at the family home just outside of Athens.

--By Karl Laucher

Compiled by Athletic Director Chris Hansen

Girls volleyball

The girls volleyball team continued its winning ways this week with wins over Willow Glen 25-20, 25-16, 25-18 and Piedmont Hills 25-18, 25-12, 25-13. Briana Scala was the kill leader against Willow Glen with 10 kills. The chargers turned in their best

performance of the season against second place Piedmont Hills. Senior Sally Hahn had 15 digs and one service ace. Senior Alaina Walker had 12 digs and four service aces. Freshman

Chaulet Scala turned in her best performance of the season with eight kills and seven digs. The girls are currently in first place in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL with an undefeated record of 6-0.

JV girls volleyball

It has been a great week for Leland JV volleyball, defeating Willow Glen and dropping a close one to Piedmont Hills. In the Leland JV Invitational, the girls played outstanding all day finishing the day with four wins and only one loss. The girls earned a second place trophy for their efforts. The team was lead by the powerful serving of Stephanie Onoshi and Kelly McDaniel, earning more than 10 aces each. Also helping the Chargers were kill leader Caryn Mohr and an outstanding defensive play by sophomore Stephanie Kato. The team has an overall record of 15-6 and a league record of 4-2.

Boys cross country

The boys dropped a close race against James Lick with a score of 29-26 but beat Overfelt with a score of 27-28. Alex Ramone finished first against Overfelt and second against James Lick. Ken Elkabany finished second against Overfelt and third against James Lick. The boys are currently 3-2 in the league.

Girls cross country

The girls ran well against both James Lick and Overfelt but fell short in both contests. In the Crystal Springs Invitational held over the weekend, Freshman Monica Song turned in an outstanding performance finishing 19 th out of 94 and 11th in the team placing. She turned in a time of 23:01 on the 2.95-mile course.

Frosh/soph boys cross country

The frosh/soph boys defeated both James Lick and Overfelt increasing their league record to 5-1. Dean Crosbie finished first against both teams.

Girls water polo

The varsity girls defeated Piedmont Hills 11-6 on Wednesday. Lucy Engelter had three goals and five steals; Courtney Monsees had three goals and eight steals; Casey Armstrong had two goals, two steals and didn't allow a goal from 2M; Briana Barnette, Rebecca Pele, and Danielle Rutgers each added a goal and Danielle blocked eight shots. The girls are currently 13-2 overall and 4-0 in league.

Girls JV water polo

The JV girls went 1-1-1 in their tournament at Monta Vista this weekend. The girls are currently 6-1-1 overall and 2-0 in league.

Girls tennis

The tennis team continues its winning streak in league by defeating Prospect and Santa Teresa. They beat both schools 7-0. In the first round of the BVAL individual qualifiers, Leland sends Myra Davoudi and Roshie Larijani on to the finals in singles as well as the doubles pair of Melissa Joe and Ali Keiley.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK:

LUCY ENGELTER : GIRLS WATER POLO. Lucy had five goals and three steals against Piedmont Hills. She currently has 12 goals in four league games. She is

an outstanding defender and a true team leader.

ALEX ROMONE : CROSS COUNTRY. Alex has really stepped it up this year and

taken over as a team leader. He finished first and second against James Lick and Overfelt this week. He also ran a 15:34, a personal best, at Montgomery Hill and is currently ranked fifth in League just 24 seconds behind the leader.

(Jeff: Please box…)

The week ahead:

Saturday 10/18

F/S football vs. Branham at Leland, 10:30 a.m.

Football vs. Branham at Leland, 1:15 p.m.

Tuesday 10/21

Field hockey vs. Cupertino at Leland, varsity 3 p.m.; JV, 4:15 p.m.

Tennis vs. Oak Grove at Oak Grove, 3:15 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Mt. Pleasant at Mt. Pleasant, JV, 5 p.m.; varsity, 6 p.m.

Wednesday 10/22

Boys water polo vs. Silver Creek at WillowGlen, varsity, 5 p.m.

Thursday 10/23

Field hockey vs. Willow Glen at Willow Glen, varsity 3 p.m.; JV, 4:15 p.m.

Tennis vs. Prospect at Leland, 3:15 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Oak Grove at Oak Grove, JV 5 p.m.; varsity 6 p.m.

F/S football vs. Willow Glen at Willow Glen, 3:30 p.m.

Cross country vs. Willow Glen at Montgomery Hill, 3 p.m.

Friday 10/24

Varsity football at Willow Glen, 3:30 p.m.

Compiled by Athletic Director Mark Krail

Boys cross country

By Coach Jim Worthy

On Oct. 6, the varsity boys had perhaps their best race yet at Alum Rock Park. Five of the seven runners had pr's by 20 seconds or more. Steven Delay won his first race, narrowly beating Sean Lopes in 16:08 (Sean was 16:10). Ken Rose had his best race ever by finishing fifth with a time of 16:55. The sub 17 crowd was rounded out by Jeff Higashi (sixth, 16:58). Ken Earl, one of two freshmen, was my number-five scorer. He finished with a huge pr of 18:16 and a 19th overall ranking.

Over the course of the week, Sean Lopes continued to impress me with his work ethic and leadership skills. During Wednesday's hill repeats, Sean pulled the rest of the team along when it began to falter with fatigue. He repeatedly challenged them to work better and smarter. Since being named team captain, Sean has worked with the younger runners to improve their running skills and the results speak for themselves.

Girls water polo

By Coach Gordy Smith

The Pioneer girls water polo team lost a tough match to Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday

by a score of 9-6. Scorers for Pioneer included Katie Lopiccolo and Helina Valle, with two each and Rebecca Wallworth and Elizabeth Hoyt each had a goal.

On the JV side, Pioneer won by a score of 13-6. Goal scorers included Lexi

York, Melise Pape, Michelle Levish, Megan Peterson, Megan Sheridan, Katrina

Musco and Zeebah Aleshi. Katrina Musco also had six saves in goal for Pioneer.

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Girls volleyball

By Coach Michelle Ritter

This week was a mixed bag for my team. We played Yerba Buena on Tuesday and suffered a disappointing loss in three games. The team was not moving around the court well and failed to make the necessary adjustments in order to come back for a win. However, on Thursday, the game against James Lick showed more promise. After going to a different offensive lineup, the Lady Mustangs were able to come back from two straight game losses to win three games in a row and go on to win the match.

JV and freshman football

By Coach Greg Savage

The Pioneer JV football team recorded a hard fought 20-7 win over the Leigh Longhorns last Friday. The victory ups the record of the JV to 4-1 and 2-0 in league play. The Mustangs started the scoring in the first quarter with a touchdown run by Nick D'Antonio. Octavio Torales kicked the extra point to give the Mustangs a 7-0 lead. Leigh came back to tie the game with a halfback pass for a score early in the second quarter.

The Mustangs went ahead on a touchdown run by Mike Makris. Torales added

the extra point to give the Mustangs a 14-7 advantage going into halftime. In the second half the only score was another run by Nick D'Antonio. The extra point was missed, making the score 20-7. The defense held on to give the Mustangs the victory. Good games were played by Sean Dreher, D'Antonio, and Gilbert Ramirez on offense. The defense also held strong throughout the game. Leigh never crossed the 50-yard line in the second half. The Mustangs also gave up only about 150 yards of total offense by the Leigh Longhorns. On the defensive side of the ball, good games were had by CJ Miller, Dan Alvord, and Steven Lopes. Tim Chang and Jerry Stanzione also gave good efforts.

The Mustangs will play this Friday at 5 p.m. against Oak Grove in a pivotal matchup that may determine the BVAL Mt. Hamilton division title.

The Pioneer freshmen also came away with victory this weekend. The freshmen defeated Saratoga 26-16 on Saturday. The Mustangs showed a lot of heart by overcoming an early deficit and poor field position. Saratoga jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the second quarter. Nico Pagan scored the first touchdown for the Mustangs on a short run. The two-point

conversion was no good and the Mustangs went into halftime trailing 8-6. The second half started with Scott Lowry scoring on a hard run. Lowry broke two or three tackles heading into the end zone. The two-point conversion was missed again giving the Mustangs a 12-8 lead. Pioneer scored again when Pierre Woods caught a touchdown pass from Chris Foley making the score 18-8. Saratoga scored to make it 18-16. Pioneer put the game with a sustained drive early in the fourth quarter capped off with a TD reception by Kyle Burchfiel from Foley. Foley ran in the two-pointer and the Mustangs led 26-16, which was the final score.

On offense, Pierre Woods caught the ball well as did Kyle Burchfiel. Chris Foley had a good game throwing the ball. Nico Pagan, Scott Lowry, and Jarred Silva ran the ball well. On defense Pagan had an excellent game making several tackles and grabbing two interceptions. Adam Bowers, Darby Estrada, and Sean Lobascher had good games. The freshmen will play one more game this Saturday at Lincoln.

The week ahead:

Friday 10/17

Frosh-soph football @ Oak Grove, 5 p.m.

Varsity football @ Oak Grove, 7:30 p.m.

Monday 10/20

Cross country vs. Oak Grove/Evergreen @ Alum Rock Park, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday 10/21

Girls tennis @ Independence, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday 10/22

JV girls volleyball @ Gunderson, 3:30 p.m.

Varsity girls volleyball @ Gunderson, 5 p.m.

Boys water polo @ Lincoln, 4 p.m.

JV Girls water polo @ Lincoln, 5 p.m.

Varsity girls water polo @ Lincoln, 6 p.m.

Thursday 10/23

Girls tennis @ Willow Glen, 3:15 p.m.

Friday 10/24

JV girls volleyball vs. Lincoln, 3:30 p.m.

Varsity girls volleyball, 5 p.m.

Saturday 10/24

Frosh-soph football vs. Piedmont Hills, 11 a.m.

Varsity football vs. Piedmont Hills, 1:30 p.m.

Community participation sports for those of a ‘certain age:'

Oct. 25

Senior Games —Three-on-three basketball, hot shot and free throw competition for participants age 50-plus, Mission College, Santa Clara. Entry deadline is Oct. 17. Entry fee is $20. Call (408) 297-0247.

Nov. 2