SPORTS

Homecoming not sweet; Leland shut out 17-0 by rival Pioneer

Chargers losing streak now stands at five games

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

SNEAKY JONES. Leland’s Kyle Jones tries to fake out Pioneer’s special team’s unit by throwing instead of punting the ball way. The play didn’t work, but Jones managed a nice game at running back instead, getting 47 yards on 17 carries. Photo courtesy www.mikejanes.com

Heartbreak came one night early for the Leland football squad on Friday, Oct. 15, as the team lost a 17-0 homecoming game shutout to neighborhood rival Pioneer at PAL Stadium.

So far, Leland and Pioneer appear headed in polar-opposite directions, with the Mustangs improving to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in Mount Hamilton Division play, while the Chargers dropped their fifth in a row and are still winless in division standings at 0-3.

“Anytime you’re 5-1 it feels good,” said Pioneer Head Coach Mark Krail. “Tonight’s game was tough. It was physical and we made some mistakes. We certainly didn’t play our best game but you look at the scoreboard and our defense played extremely well.”

Pioneer managed to rack up all 17 points in the first half, letting their defense do the rest for the final two quarters of the night. Leading the way on defense for the Mustangs was senior linebacker Collin McCarthy, who finished the night with 14 tackles (a team high) and one sack.

“It’s just the biggest game of the year,” McCarthy said. “We showed up ready to play … and we took it to them.”

For the Mustangs, the play of the night came early in the first quarter, as Mustang quarterback Chris Foley tossed a lateral to tailback Danny Ventura, who proceeded to toss a long pass down the left sideline to receiver Alex Pagan. Pagan grabbed the pass and sprinted down the sideline for a 63-yard gain before getting tripped up by Leland defenders at the Charger 3.

“We worked on it all we week pretty hard,” Ventura said of his passing play. “We got it down pretty good and we threw it in there during the game, which worked out pretty good for us.”

After two 1-yard runs inched the Mustang offense closer to the end zone, Ventura punched in the first score of the night on a 1-yard touchdown run with 7:42 to go in the quarter, giving the Mustangs a 7-0 lead.

“Plays like that make it fun in practice,” Krail said of Ventura’s 63-yard passing play. “To practice them and then when you pull it off in a game like Danny did tonight, it makes it even better. You have to do things like that to keep it interesting and make it fun.”

Early in the second quarter, the Mustangs added to their lead, engineering a six-play, 65-yard drive highlighted by an 18-yard touchdown run by fullback Jon Silva with 8:37 left. A key play on the drive came on 3rd-and-15, when Mustang tailback Shaun Souza scrambled 23 yards on the ground, setting up a new set of downs for Pioneer inside the red zone. Silva and Souza turned out to be the go-to guys for big yards, as Silva ended the night with 59 yards on five carries, while Souza added 12 rushes for 58 yards.

“Jon played well,” Krail said of Silva. “He’s been playing some fullback along with (Ventura) and they kind of rotate and they both play linebacker, so they’re on the field a lot. It was one of those things where his number was called and he did a great job.”

Just before the end of the first half, Pioneer added three more points, driving 44 yards downfield before getting a 33-yard field goal from kicker Bobby Lopez with three seconds left on the clock.

Meanwhile, the Leland offense had its chances to get back into the game in the second half. Kyle Walker, who started the game at quarterback for Leland, was pulled in the second half in favor of Cory Williams. For Williams, it was his first game action in more than three weeks, and spent some time in the third quarter shaking off the rust.

After an early third-quarter fumble from Pioneer quarterback Nolan Rak, who replaced Foley because of a rib injury, the Chargers were poised to score for the first time, getting the ball on the Pioneer 22. But on the series, Williams two out of his first three snaps under center, setting up a 4th-and-five situation on the Pioneer 17.
Williams then botched one more snap on 4th down, giving the Mustangs the ball back on their own 18.

“We knew King and (Williams) were going to be lethal weapons against us and we shut them down,” McCarthy said.

Just before the end of the third quarter, Leland had one more shot at scoring, getting the ball on offense at the Charger 45. Three runs for 16 yards from Charger tailback Kyle Jones put the offense quickly at the Pioneer 39, but things soon went south for Leland’s offense. Two runs from Lance Gemette set the offense back one yard at the Pioneer 40, putting the Chargers in a 4th-and-nine situation. The offense was then hit with a delay of game penalty, pushing the offense back another 5 yards. Finally, on 4th-and-14 Williams dropped back and couldn’t find an open receiver, taking a sack from Pioneer’s Silva instead for another six-yard loss.

“We knew that they were going to try and run the ball,” Krail said of Leland. “If you go out to stop every team, then you go out to stop the run. So we focused on stopping the run and I thought we did a pretty good job of doing that.”

If there were bright spots for Leland, they came in the form of Alex Bynum and Art King Jr. Bynum finished the night with two sacks, while King accumulated 71 yards receiving on eight catches. Making matters worse for Leland was the loss of senior linebacker Jordan Shrum, who was removed by cart from the field in the second quarter after suffering a severe leg injury. No new information on the status of Shrum was available following the conclusion of the game.

“It was a bad game,” said Walker, who finished the night five for nine passing in the first half with 48 yards in the air. “We didn’t play well on offense but our defense played well. We’re down because of homecoming and Pioneer is our rival. Hopefully we can come back and get a win next week.”

This week, the Chargers will square off against the Silver Creek Raiders on the road for a 1:30 p.m. start on Oct. 23.

As for the Mustangs, they will try to keep their three-game winning streak alive at home against Oak Grove on Oct. 23. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m.

High School Sports Schedule Oct. 22-27

Leland High School

Friday – JV field hockey vs. Live Oak, 4:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity field hockey vs. Live Oak, 3 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ water polo at Sacred Heart Tournament
Saturday – Frosh/soph football at Silver Creek, 11 a.m.
Friday – JV girls’ water polo at Monte Vista Tournament

Saturday – Varsity football at Silver Creek, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday – JV girls’ water polo at Monte Vista Tournament
Saturday – Varsity girls’ volleyball at Milpitas Tournament
Saturday - Varsity boys’ water polo at Sacred Heart Tournament

Tuesday – JV girls’ volleyball vs. Santa Teresa, 5 p.m.
Tuesday –Varsity girls’ volleyball vs. Santa Teresa, 6 p.m.

Wednesday – JV field hockey at Westmont, 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday –Varsity field hockey at Westmont, 2:45 p.m.
Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo vs. Mount Pleasant at Independence, 5 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ water polo vs. Mount Pleasant at Independence, 6 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Lincoln, 5 p.m.

Thursday – JV girls’ volleyball at Mount Pleasant, 5 p.m.
Thursday –Varsity girls’ volleyball at Mount Pleasant, 6 p.m.
Thursday – Cross country at Mills Center Meet at Crystal Springs.

Pioneer High School

Saturday – Frosh/soph football vs. Oak Grove, 11 a.m.
Saturday – Varsity football vs. Oak Grove, 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday – JV girls’ volleyball vs. Pacific College, 4 p.m.
Tuesday –Varsity girls’ volleyball vs. Pacific College, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo at Independence, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ water polo at Independence, 4 p.m.
Wednesday –Varsity girls’ water polo at Willow Glen, 3 p.m.
Wednesday – Cross country vs. Gunderson and Lincoln at Montgomery Hill, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – JV girls’ volleyball at Del Mar, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday –Varsity girls’ volleyball at Del Mar, 5 p.m.

Pioneer girls water polo crew wins big in division

By Carl Ponzio
Times Intern

There is something lurking in the pool at Pioneer High School, and it has all the teams in the Santa Teresa Division shaking in their one-pieces.

The Pioneer girls’ varsity water polo team has had an incredible turnaround in 2004 after their season ended last year without a single win in their league. This season, the girls have put forth their best effort and are currently undefeated in their league at 6-0 with an overall record of 14-4. With their recent displays of dedication, depth and diversity they are living up to the expectations of their coaches.

Dedication is a must-have in sports. The girls at Pioneer displayed how much dedication they have before this season even started. A large group of the girls spent their summer vacation improving their skills. The extra time spent in the pool during those warm summer days is reflected in their performances and has their coaches talking.
“They have a lot of dedication to what they are doing,” said Pioneer Head Coach Gordy Smith. “(They are) a group that hasn’t reached their full potential.”

It’s hard to believe that Pioneer has yet to reach its full potential. The team has so much depth that there seems to be little room for improvement. Game after game, almost every player is putting points on the scoreboard because of the team’s confidence in each other.

“It is really comforting to know a lot of people can handle the job,” said Assistant Coach Katy Furth. “It makes it hard to pick a first string (team).”

Indeed, it must be very hard to pick a first string when there is so much diverse talent on the squad. The entire roster has something different to offer to the team. Taylor and Whitney Feezor bring the sister bond to the team.

“It’s cool for support,” said 16-year-old Whitney. “It makes stronger bonds for the team and as sisters.”

Akalin Abulkhanou is a senior on the team and feels that this is may be the end of her water polo career.
“This is the only team I would ever want to play with,” said the 17-year-old team captain.

And while Abulkhanou’s experience may be greatly missed next season, the team still has young up-and-comers like 14-year-old freshman Elyssa Samson, allowing the Mustangs to keep the diversity and depth it has now.

Since the season began, this team has played like a juggernaut and is more than likely to meet Smith’s expectations of becoming league champions. But even with the pending losses of three seniors at the end of this year, the team may just continue on next season as one of the most feared and respected teams in the Santa Teresa division.

Revving for strong finish to rookie season

Almaden racer Michael Trimble is in the passing lane

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

He is the fastest teenager—by a mile—on the United States Auto Club’s Western States Sprintcar Pavement series, but 2004 Leland High School graduate Michael Trimble still is picking up speed as he heads into the final two races of the season ranked fifth out of 25 in the points standings.

Although he’s only 18, Trimble is well seasoned in navigating the treacherous apex having started at age 7 in quarter-midgets in which he won two age-group national championships. He last year proved himself competent enough to get a clearance from a circuit court judge to race on USAC circuit before the legal age of 18.

So, it is no wonder that Trimble, hemmed in on the starting grid by hoards of other similarly ambitious racers, has been able to cleave his way to front of the pack. He earned a podium position (top three) twice this season, at South Sound Speedway in Tenino, Wash. on July 16, and in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring on Oct. 16.

With two events to go—Nov. 20 at Tucson, Ariz., and the Nov. 25 Turkey Night race at Irwindale—Trimble says he is hoping to earn his first checkered flag, but at worst hold onto his fifth-place standing.

In motorsports, of course, the worst can be right around the next corner. At Las Vegas, for instance, he was battling for the lead, but spun out in an oil spill, fell back to sixth, and recovered in time to get the bronze handshake. He has two minor crashes, one just before the green flag and one just after crossing the finish line.

Trimble, who is sponsored by Sharp Precisions, a machine shop owned by his father, Chuck, indicated that he is careful to take care of the equipment. “I try to be aggressively patient, not reckless,” Michael said. “But I take risks when they need to be taken.”

Next year, Trimble hopes to race both on pavement and on dirt in the USAC ranks, possibly on the national circuit. The long-range goal is a multi-million seat on the NASCAR circuit. Trimble Motorsports currently is seeking a national sponsor.

“I learned a lot this season about keeping up my momentum and concentrating on what’s ahead,” Michael added. “And never giving up, basically.”

He’s taking classes at West Valley College while keeping the motor running in quest of a place in the big leagues.

He’s moving forward while on the learning curve, and that only can be a winning combination.

For more information on Trimble’s racing career, log on at www.MichaelTrimble.com.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP

By Diego Abeloos
Sports writer

Leland High School
In girls’ volleyball action, the Chargers dropped a close 25-21, 26-24 and 26-24 decision to Branham on Tuesday, Oct. 12, before losing in four games to Leigh two days later.

Against Branham, senior Marissa Brehmer led the offensive attack, recording six kills.

“We were in it, but I don’t think we were fully focused,” said Leland Co-Head Coach Trisha Moore of her team’s loss to Branham. “When the game got to 20-20, we would lose focus a little bit and almost let up, in a way. The scores were close, but we just didn’t push through that.”

Brehmer was the star on offense against Leigh as well, leading her squad with nine kills, while Christy Gillick and Chaulet Scala chipped in six kills each in a 25-11, 22-25, 25-19 and 25-21 loss to the Longhorns.

Despite dropping to 9-8 overall and 4-4 in league play, Moore said she was pleased with her club’s effort against Leigh, which is in a three-way tie for first place at 7-1 in the Mount Hamilton Division.

“We weren’t ready in that first game, but for us to be mentally tough enough to come back and win the second game was huge for us,” Moore said of her team’s loss to Leigh. “The first time we played against (Leigh), we lost in three games. So for us to win a game was a big accomplishment.”

In field hockey, the Chargers took a 2-1 win over the Los Altos Eagles on Wednesday, Oct. 13, getting goals from Ashley Bandanza and Megan Wilson.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Ashley play next year because she’s only a junior,” said Leland Head Coach Sharan Kalla. “I think Megan Wilson is also a great asset to the team because she finishes (on scoring) really well.”

The team then took on Cupertino the following day, dropping a close 1-0 overtime decision, setting the Chargers’ record at 4-5-1 in Santa Teresa Division play.

The boys’ water polo team had a positive week in division play, getting a 7-6 win over Independence on Oct.12 and a 15-2 victory over Piedmont Hills on Oct. 14.

Against the 76ers, Leland got two goals from junior Justin Booth, while five other Chargers chipped in goals as well.

Two days later, it was five Chargers with two goals apiece, as Ben Gill, Jacob Lubianker, Jason Erickson, Jacek Wnuk and Brian Perasso led an efficient Leland offense.

“It’s been a lot of fun in the division,” said Charger Head Coach Mike Monsees, whose team is now 5-1 in Mount Hamilton Division play. “It seems like the players focus better and we seem to play better in the division.”

Over the weekend, the team ventured over to the Live Oak Tournament, dropping an 18-3 decision in pool play to Live Oak on Oct. 15. Shane Keno led all Chargers with two goals. The team lost an 11-6 contest to Salinas the following day at the tournament, before bouncing back and getting a 7-3 win over Los Gatos, highlighted by three goals from Keno.

In girls’ water polo action, the Chargers won a 12-5 shootout against Mount Pleasant on Oct. 12, as Heather Sheridan and Rebecca Pele scored three times each. Courtney Monsees, Lindsay Dreyer and Christy Stibbe scored two goals apiece as well.

The team then took part in the Sacred Heart Prep Tournament, dropping a 13-2 decision to Sacred Heart before winning a close 6-5 game over St. Ignatius on Oct. 15. Monsees scored five times on the day, including both goals in the loss to Sacred Heart.

The following day, Leland won against Mercy-Burlingame High 13-2, getting five goals from Monsees, before picking up another win, an 11-2 decision over Santa Teresa. Again, Monsees led the offense with four goals, while four other Chargers scored on offense in the win.

“We played really, really well,” said Leland Head Coach Eric Rise. “Everybody off the benched played well and we had nine different players scoring this week. I thought we played well as a team.”

In cross country, the Chargers traveled down the coast to the Monterey Bay Invitational on Oct. 16, managing a fourth-place finish in the frosh/soph race for girls.

Leading the way on the girls’ squad was sophomore Monica Song, who finished the three-mile course in fourth place with a time of 21 minutes and 37 seconds. Leland sophomore Cassie Garcia finished 10th in the race, clocking in at 22:29.

For the boys, Bob Toney was a key runner for Leland in the frosh/soph race, finishing ninth with a time of 18:11.

“They both did excellent,” said Leland Head Coach Jerry Rose of Song and Garcia. “Most of our kids are freshmen and sophomores who make up the varsity team, and they’re doing fantastic.”

Pioneer High School
In girls’ volleyball play, the Mustangs took a 22-25, 26-24, 16-25, 25-22 and 15-6 nail biter from Gunderson on Oct. 12, as senior setter Stephanie Morales led the way with eight kills on offense.

“Stephanie Morales has really come out this week,” Pioneer Head Coach Michelle Ritter said. “Mostly, a lot of her points come off tips. She’s a setter, so she’s been doing a good job of looking around the court and seeing where she can get some points.”

The team had a much easier time against San Jose High on Oct. 14, getting a 27-25, 25-18 and 25-12 win, setting the Mustangs’ record at 5-2 in West Valley Division play, good for second place behind undefeated Lincoln.

The girls’ tennis squad had a tough week, dropping 4-3 losses to both Oak Grove on Oct. 12 and Leland on Oct. 14.

Against Oak Grove, Pioneer no. 1 singles player Misa Tanaka took a 6-1, 6-1 victory for the Mustangs, while the no.1 doubles duo of Giana Flores and Caroline Tran lost, dropping a 6-4, 6-0 match.

“I was really proud of Kameron Brown (Pioneer’s No. 3 singles player),” said Pioneer Head Coach Julie Szarlacki. “She won 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 over (Oak Grove’s No. 3 singles player) Erin Brittain. Kameron’s the only player to beat Brittain this year.”

Versus the Leland Chargers, Pioneer got a no.1 singles win from Tanaka, a 6-1, 6-0 match over Roxy Pourmirzaie, and a 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 win from Tran and Flores over Helen Lee and Katie Alesch.

On Friday, Oct. 15, and Monday, Oct. 18, Pioneer took part in the Mount Hamilton Division’s individual playoffs. Tanaka went all the way to the finals match for singles before losing 6-3, 6-4.

In boys’ water polo action, the Mustangs took a 15-4 win over Piedmont Hills on Oct. 12, as senior Ryan Peterson contributed three goals on offense. Kevin Zondervan, Cole Davis and John LoFranco chipped in two goals apiece in the win as well.

The team then went over and participated in the Valley Christian Tournament, dropping a 7-3 decision to Santa Teresa before getting a 9-2 win over Aptos on Oct. 15. Against Santa Teresa, Zondervan was the lone offensive force, scoring all three goals before adding two more goals in the win over Aptos.

The following day, the Pioneer squad took a 10-5 win from San Mateo, getting six goals from senior Doug York.

The Mustangs then dropped a 9-5 Blue Pool Championship game to Gilroy, despite two goals from Richard Gutierrez.

The girls’ water polo team had a short week, getting a 19-0 win over Evergreen Valley High on Oct.12. The Mustangs, now 13-5 overall and 6-0 in division play, got three goals from Cara Simpson and two goals apiece from Linzy Barnes, April Ham, Katie Lopiccolo, Akalin Abulkhanou, Elizabeth Hartland and Rebecca Pies.

“It was good to start off the second half (of division play) with a win,” said Mustang head coach Gordy Smith. “It was also nice to get everybody some game time.”

The Pioneer cross country team had an up-and-down week, as the boys’ squad took a 19-38 win over Del Mar and a 16-41 win over Andrew Hill at Montgomery Hill on Oct. 13.

Conversely, the girls’ squad suffered two losses to both Andrew Hill (37-18 loss) and Del Mar (40-15 loss) at the same dual meet.

For the boys, Steven DeLay finished first overall, getting a time of 16 minutes and 20 seconds, while Ken Rose finished third at 16:43. To top things off, Ken Earl finished eighth for the Mustangs, getting a time of 17:49.

“Who I’m really pleased with is Ken Rose and his performance,” said Pioneer head coach Jim Polanco. “He’s really stepped up, he’s lowered his time a lot and has taken on that position as the number-two runner right now.”

Fall Lacrosse Festival kicks off Oct. 24 and Nov. 7

By John Fensterwald
President of Girls Lacrosse of San Jose

Girls Lacrosse of San Jose will host a Fall Lacrosse Festival for girls age 10 to 18 who are curious about lacrosse, and for experienced players who want to get in shape.

The festival will run on two Sundays—Oct. 24 and Nov. 7—at Kirk Community Center on Foxworthy Avenue, just east of the intersection with Meridian Avenue. There will be two sessions: noon to 2 p.m. for girls in grades fifth to eighth, and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. for high school girls. 

There will be clinics, raffles of lacrosse gear and refreshments. The festival will be for girls of all levels and experience and equipment will be provided. Girls Lacrosse of San Jose’s coaches will lead the sessions.

Lacrosse is a fast and fun sport that is quickly gaining popularity in California. Last year, in its second year, Girls Lacrosse of San Jose sponsored two teams of fifth to eighth graders. This year, it plans to add a high school club, with the season running February through May and open to all girls in San Jose. Practices are at Kirk Community Center and games are played on Saturdays starting in March in San Jose and around the Bay Area.

A $10 donation, covering raffle tickets, insurance and expenses, is requested at each clinic. Parents must sign in all girls who currently are not members of U.S. Lacrosse. Girls Lacrosse of San Jose is a nonprofit club sponsored by the San Jose Department of Parks and Recreation. 

Call (408) 265-2224 or e-mail john@sjextreme.org for more information, or visit the club’s Web site at www.sjextreme.org.

Pop Warner turns this year’s beginners into tomorrow’s football stars

Special to the Almaden Times
Ever wonder where the football stars of tomorrow come from? Many emanate from the ranks of the Pop Warner youth football program.

The program is alive and well in Almaden. Almaden’s Pop Warner program is five years old and growing in popularity each year.

Last year, the Junior Pee Wee team was the only team to advance to the playoffs, where they shocked perennial powerhouse Oak Grove 26-6. Although the Chargers lost the second round playoff game to eventual Pop Warner Super Bowl winner East Bay East, something special was started with that team.

This year, the players moved up to the Pee Wee level of play and quickly started its winning ways with a Jamboree victory over Santa Cruz.

Seven weeks later, the team is undefeated, sporting an 8-0 record. The team has dominated its opponents, averaging 33 points per game and allowing only an average of three points per game.

This Sunday at their home field at Pioneer High School, the Chargers will play the biggest game of the season when they host Delta Bay—also undefeated in league play. This game will decide the division champion for Peninsula Pop Warner.

“We are looking very much forward to meeting the Delta Bay team,” says Head Coach Kevin Jones. “This is the type of game you play for; where the competition is at its highest, to test the players and witness extraordinary team play.”

While the team’s chances of going deep into the playoffs looks promising, Jones insists that his players stay focused to the task at hand, which is the next game.

“We teach the boys that each week brings a new challenge that they have to work hard to prepare for,” said Jones. “There is no substitution for being prepared. If you are, you will put yourself in the best possible situation to succeed.”

The boys seem to have responded well to this philosophy, as their record would indicate.

“This team has a bunch of talented athletes and they are very coachable,” Jones said. “When you have players like this, the coaching part is pretty easy.”

The ultimate goal of Pop Warner is getting to the Super Bowl game, which is played in Orlando, Fla., at Walt Disney World’s sports complex. But before the Chargers can think about that, they need to get through the division playoffs and Regionals in Reno, Nev. Playoffs start October 30-31 and Almaden will host the first round at Pioneer. The Regionals are set for Nov. 20 & 27 with the Super Bowl in early December.

Correction
In the Oct. 8 issue of the Almaden Times Weekly, the sports section incorrectly reported a win for the Leland girls’ volleyball team over Westmont, when in fact, it was a loss for Leland.

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