SPORTS

When it rains, it pours: Oak Grove 41, Mustangs 0

Mustangs shut out during homecoming game

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

OUCH. Pioneer running back Andrew Schulz’s grimace says it all during a painful 41-0 loss to Oak Grove on homecoming. Schulz didn’t do too bad himself, getting 107 yards on the ground for the game. Photo by Ron Reed.

One week after handing Leland a 17-0 homecoming game loss, the Pioneer Mustangs suffered a similar fate, losing a 41-0 rain-soaked homecoming game contest to the visiting Oak Grove Eagles on Saturday, Oct. 23.

For the Mustangs, the loss was their first of the season in Mount Hamilton Division play, setting the team’s record at 3-1 in the league and 5-2 overall.

“We gotten beaten in all facets of the game, bottom line,” said Pioneer Head Coach Mark Krail. “They beat us up front. They were more physical, faster and executed better than we did. What else can you say?”

Oak Grove managed to score all 41 points in the first half, as Eagles quarterback Kevin Vye threw two touchdown passes and ran for one more. In addition, the Eagles defense gave Mustang quarterback Chris Foley a rough time, picking off the sophomore twice, including one for a touchdown by Eagles cornerback Winston Vines.

Things started to go south for the Mustangs late in the first quarter, when the Eagles drove 51 yards on four plays, capped by a 29-yard touchdown run from Eagle running back Jarrid Ferrante with two minutes left, giving Oak Grove a 7-0 lead.

Oak Grove quickly went up 13-0 in the second quarter when Vye connected with Terry Newsome on a 90-yard touchdown strike down the left sideline with 9:29 left. On the play, the Eagle offense was pinned on their own 10 before Newsome outran Mustang defensive back Robbie Steinberg, catching the ball over his right shoulder, leaving a pack of Pioneer defenders behind for the score.

One minute and 10 seconds later, Oak Grove was on the scoreboard again, this time on a 10-yard run from Eagle fullback Daniel Martinez for a 19-0 advantage. Prior to the score, the Oak Grove offense regained possession deep inside Mustang territory after Foley was hit in the back during a handoff to running back Danny Ventura. The result was a fumble recovered by the Eagles on the Pioneer 20.

“They were having their difficulties and just couldn’t get rolling,” Pioneer special teams coach Jim Polanco said of the Mustang offensive line.

The Eagles proceeded to score three more times in less than four minutes to close out the first half. Vines intercepted a Foley pass at the Pioneer 45 and took the ball all the way back for a score with 3:40 left. On the Mustangs’ following possession, Foley was picked off again, this time by linebacker Namon Jackson at the Pioneer 20, resulting in a 19-yard return to the Pioneer 1. The Eagles then went up 34-0 on a 1-yard keeper from Vye.

“They brought the house,” Krail said of the Oak Grove defense. “We knew they would and you’ve got to try to slow them down by throwing a little bit. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”

Just before the end of the half, Oak Grove got the ball back at the Pioneer 21 with 23.9 seconds to play on a fumbled handoff by Foley to running back Andrew Schulz. On the Eagles’ first play following the fumble, Vye connected with Ferrante down the middle of the field for a touchdown pass, giving Oak Grove a 41-0 lead going into halftime.

“They came ready to play,” Schulz said of Oak Grove. “I think they were flowing to the ball a lot harder than we were getting there to block them. So, they just came out real hard in the first half.”

For the Mustangs, the only bright spot seemed to be Schulz, who rushed for 107 yards on 16 carries. Shaun Souza, who along with Schulz makes up part of the two-headed offensive monster that is the Mustangs’ running game, carried 13 times for a modest 38 yards.

“I’m proud,” Krail said of Souza and Schulz. “They ran hard for four quarters. Our guys up front played hard for four quarters, but, we were just outmatched.”

Foley had perhaps the roughest day of all, completing two of 13 passes for 13 yards and two interceptions on the day.

“It hurts,” said Schulz of the homecoming loss. “It hurts for sure. But we battled in the second half. In order to win this game, we would’ve had to play basically a perfect game, and we really just turned the ball over too many times.”

The Mustangs will try to get back on the winning track on Oct. 29, visiting Piedmont Hills for a 7 p.m. contest.

High School Sports Schedule Oct. 29-Nov. 4

Leland High School

Friday – JV field hockey vs. Monte Vista, 4:15 p.m.
Friday – Varsity field hockey vs. Monte Vista, 2:45 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph football at Oak Grove, 5 p.m.
Friday – Varsity football at Oak Grove, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo at Leland frosh/soph tournament
Friday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Lincoln Halloween Classic

Saturday – Varsity girls’ water polo at Lincoln Halloween Classic
Saturday – Frosh/soph boys’ water polo at Leland frosh/soph tournament

Monday – Cross Country at league finals in Crystal Springs, noon.
Tuesday – JV girls’ volleyball at Independence, 5 p.m.
Tuesday –Varsity girls’ volleyball at Independence, 6 p.m.
Tuesday – JV field hockey vs. St. Ignatius, 4:15 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity field hockey vs. St. Ignatius, 2:45 p.m.
Thursday – JV girls’ volleyball at Branham, 5 p.m.
Thursday –Varsity girls’ volleyball at Branham, 6 p.m.

Pioneer High School

Friday – Frosh/soph football at Piedmont Hills, 4:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity football at Piedmont Hills, 7:00 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ tennis Blossom Valley Athletic League Team Play

Monday – Cross country West Valley Division finals at Crystal Springs, noon

Tuesday – Varsity girls’ water polo Santa Teresa Division finals at Independence
Tuesday – Girls’ tennis BVAL singles and doubles tournament

Wednesday – JV girls’ volleyball vs. James Lick, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday –Varsity girls’ volleyball vs. James Lick, 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday – Girls’ tennis BVAL singles and doubles tournament
Wednesday –Varsity girls’ water polo Santa Teresa Division finals at Independence

Football career near an end?

Michael Day: From Charger frontrunner to struggling Jaguar

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

As a football player who seemed in perpetual motion at Leland High School last year, Michael Day is in a state of relative inertia as a San Jose City College Jaguar who is contemplating a future without football.

His wily bump and slide style of running produced a school record 2,080 yards at 11.3 yards per carry as Day led the Chargers to the Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division championship, earning the division’s Most Valuable Player award in the process.

Now, he’s a third-team running back on a winless SJCC team (0-7).

It’s a heck of a fall for Leland’s 2003 homecoming king and the first winner of the Pat Tillman Award in May for athletic and scholastic excellence, but Day sees better days ahead.

He said he will transfer to UCLA next semester where he will concentrate on his studies with law school being the long-range goal. His Leland teammate, Scott Glicksberg, is there on a football scholarship (sitting out his first season as a “redshirt”) and will help house Day during his orientation obligations.

Meanwhile, all is not gloom and doom at City College. Day reports that he has been hampered by some “personal problems” as well as by injuries, including some nerve damage in his elbow and a hamstring pull, but he is making the most of what little playing time he gets.

In the latest SJCC setback, 27-6 at the hands of Cabrillo College in Aptos on Saturday, the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Day provided the only points for the Jaguars, making a 22-yard halfback-pass for a touchdown. He also returns kicks and carried the ball five times for 30 yards.

Day said he most of all misses his high school football buddies, none of whom turned up as Jaguars, but he is looking forward to the future, and that includes his final three games in Jaguar purple and white (home vs. De Anza College Saturday night; home vs. Monterey Peninsula College on Nov. 6, and at Gavilan College on Nov. 13).

“I’m going to keep working hard and hopefully keep getting the ball more and more,” he said.

SJCC Coach Don Stagnaro, who lives in Almaden Valley, said Day has had to play behind two other “sound running backs,” but notes “Mike is a great kid to be around. Other kids who aren’t as mature as Mike is would have gone south.”

It was an ironic choice of words, for sure, because Day appears to be giving up football when he heads south for UCLA. He will not ask to try out for the team there, but Day indicated that if he misses the game enough he could transfer out of UCLA to a smaller school.

If he indeed does not play again after this season, Day, who scored 24 touchdowns for Leland’s championship season, and who wore his Charger helmet in the North-South All-Star football game last summer, will have more glorious moments to remember than most athletes who have ever donned the armor of a gridiron warrior.

Leland girls volleyball young but still charging ahead

Lack of experience not a factor for Chargers

By Carl Ponzio
Times Intern

The Leland varsity girls are serving up some volleyball, Charger style. Coming off of an incredible season, the girls in varsity are looking for ways to prove they are still a team to be reckoned with.

It was a grand finale last season for the Leland Chargers, as the varsity team swept the competition all season long to finish as the undefeated champions of the Mount Hamilton league. But with the departure of some of their experienced leaders, this team is now looking to their coaches and seniors for guidance.

With a 10-7 overall record and a 5-5 record in league play, the girls on varsity are going to have to step it up if they want to meet Co-Head Coach Trisha Moore’s expectations of being number three in league this season.
This season’s squad is lacking a vital element that they possessed last season.

“We have the most freshmen and sophomores in this league,” said Coach Moore. “Our experience is not where most varsity (teams) are at.”

The varsity squad has seven underclassmen on their team, and while all of these girls are working hard, they do not have the experience that juniors and senior have from time spent on the court.

Seniors Marissa Brehmer and Christy Gillick have been on varsity at Leland for the last three years. They have been setting an example for their young teammates for the past couple of years and it doesn’t look like they are going to stop now.

“I try my best to give everyone positive energy,” said Gillick, the team captain. “I’m the setter. A setter is a leader.”

Leading the team in kills, Marissa Brehmer is a prime example of utilizing help when it is needed.
“The coaches worked with me specifically on my hitting,” said Brehmer.

If the younger players on the team can follow the example of their older teammates, they can progress in their play and spirit. However, there is another adversity that must be overcome if these girls want to meet Coach Moore’s expectation.

“Communication,” said Co-Head Coach Chris Hansen, who also serves as Leland’s Athletic Director. “That seems to be our biggest weakness.”

Communication is key in every aspect of life. If the younger girls on varsity can develop their communication skills by the end of the season, they will be able to utilize the knowledge that Hansen and Moore have to offer, as well as the sportsmanship and spirit that Gillick and Brehmer bring to the team.

Ask Debra Gillick, Christy’s younger sister. She knows where to turn for some good advice.

“In the beginning of the season, she [Christy] taught me all the things to watch out for,” said 14-year-old Debra.

Experience can’t be taught, but with knowledge gained from experience and a little bit of hard work and communication, these ladies will be charging full speed ahead—toward third place in the Mount Hamilton division.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP

By Diego Abeloos
Sports writer

Leland High School

Five goals from Monsees leads girls’ water polo to victory
In girls’ water polo play, the Chargers took a 15-4 win from Santa Teresa on Thursday, Oct. 21, to improve to 16-8 overall and 6-0 in league play. For Leland, Courtney Monsees lead the way on offense with five goals, while Rebecca Pele chipped in three in the winning effort. Also making waves on offense were Christy Stibbe, Amanda Maciel and Elena SantaMaria, as each player scored two goals apiece for the game.

“Courtney has really opened up offensively and she’s been getting really aggressive,” said Leland Head Coach Eric Rise of Monsees, who has scored 21 goals in her past six games. “She’s probably one of the fastest girls in the CCS (Central Coast Section).”

Boys’ water polo posts win over Pioneer, splits four games at tournament
The boys’ water polo team had a solid week, getting a 10-5 win over neighborhood rival Pioneer on Oct. 19, getting four goals from Jon Foote and three goals from Shane Keno to lead the offense.

The team then took part in the Sacred Heart Tournament, losing a 12-5 game to Menlo-Atherton before getting an 8-6 win over Woodside on Friday, Oct. 22. Keno chipped in two goals against Menlo-Atherton, while Foote led the offensive attack with three goals against Woodside.

The following day, The Chargers managed an 8-6 win over Carmel before dropping a 9-4 decision to Santa Cruz. The Chargers finished in 10th place in the tournament.

“To win against top 20 teams is really our goal,” said Leland Head Coach Mike Monsees of his team’s participation in the tournament. “It’s what will make us CCS contenders.”

Football ends five-game skid with 20-13 win over Silver Creek
Leland football saw its’ five-game losing streak end, as the Chargers took a 20-13 victory over the Silver Creek Raiders on Oct. 23. The Charger lineup saw the return of senior running back Kirk Andre, who was injured in a game on Sept. 3 against James Lick. Andre didn’t disappoint the Charger faithful, scoring the game-winning touchdown for Leland in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers (2-5 overall, 1-3 in Mount Hamilton Division) also saw quarterback Cory Williams take all of Leland’s offensive snaps throughout the game after getting limited playing time the previous week against Pioneer. Kyle Jones, who played at running back during Andre’s absence, also had a fine game, scoring Leland’s other two touchdowns in the win.

“It’s nice to have him (Andre) back because it takes some pressure off Kyle on offense,” said Leland Head Coach Kelly Edwards.

Cross country boys, girls lose meets to Willow Glen
In cross country action, the Chargers lost on both the boys’ and girls’ side to Willow Glen, the boys dropping their meet 15-48, while the girls lost 19-39. Both meets took place at Montgomery Hill, which has a 2.74-mile course.

For the boys, no Leland runners finished in the top 10 individually, but for the girls, sophomore Monica Song finished ninth with a time of 19 minutes and 38 seconds. The boys’ record stands at 2-5 while the girls’ record dropped to 3-4 in Mount Hamilton Division play.

“Monica keeps getting better every meet,” said Leland Head Coach Jerry Rose of Song. “She’s been working really hard. Frankly, the whole girls’ team has been working real hard.”

Girls’ volleyball splits Mt. Hamilton games, win four out of five at tournament
The girls’ volleyball squad split a pair of games in Mount Hamilton Division play last week with a win against Piedmont Hills on Oct. 19 before dropping an Oct. 21 game to Westmont.

In the 27-29, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-23 win over Piedmont Hills; sophomore outside hitter Chaulet Scala led the team in kills with 15, while Grace Chang chipped in 12 kills as well. Six Leland players also had at least 20 digs in the game, including Chang and Scala.

Against Westmont, the Chargers (5-5 in league play) went up 25-23 in the first game before dropping the next three by scores of 23-25, 12-25 and 20-25. Scala led the Chargers once more in kills, registering 10, with Caryn Mohr finishing close behind with nine.

On Friday, Oct. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 23, the Chargers took part in the Milpitas Spikefest, winning four of five games in the two-day span.

The team got wins against Mt. Madonna (25-11, 25-17), King City (25-17, 25-17), Sequoia (25-23, 25-13) and Gunn (26-24, 28-26) while losing a close contest to Milpitas (25-11, 23-25 and 11-15). The Chargers ended up as Bronze Division champions as a result.

“The player of the tournament would have to be Chaulet Scala,” said Leland Co-Head Coach Trisha Moore. “… She had a great tournament offensively and defensively. (Marissa) Brehmer has a sore shoulder and has not been providing us with much offense (as a result of the injury), and I feel as though Chaulet really stepped up to the challenge.”

Pioneer High School

Girls’ volleyball earns split against West Valley division foes
The girls’ volleyball team saw another week of close games, as the Mustangs took a come-from-behind win from Yerba Buena on Tuesday, Oct. 19, before losing to Lincoln on Oct. 21.

Against Yerba Buena, the Mustangs dropped their first two games, 20-25 and 18-25, before bouncing back and taking the next three games with scores of 25-16, 27-25 and 15-10. Kay-tee Henshall lead all Mustangs with 10 kills.

“The team did great this week,” said Pioneer Head Coach Michelle Ritter. “I thought they played really well against Yerba Buena. We didn’t have a rhythm going in those first two games, but once the girls got going, they didn’t look back.”

Two days later against Lincoln, the Mustangs took the first game, 25-20, before dropping the next three, 16-25, 16-25 and 21-25. For Pioneer, Heidi Isaacson and Henshall led the offense with six kills each. The Mustangs record stands at 8-8 overall and 6-3 in West Valley Division standings, good for second place behind undefeated Lincoln.

Boys’ water polo drops two in three days
The boys’ water polo squad had a rough week, losing two games against both Leland and Mount Pleasant. On Oct. 19, the Mustangs dropped a 10-5 loss to the Chargers, getting two goals from senior Doug York to lead the way on offense.

Two days later, the team dropped an 11-4 game to Mount Pleasant, despite two goals from senior Cole Davis on offense. The Mustangs’ record after the game stood at 12-13 overall and 2-5 in league play.

Girls’ water polo wins two in division, three more at tournament
In girls’ water polo action, the Mustangs had a solid stretch of games, winning Santa Teresa Division games against both Silver Creek and Piedmont Hills.

Against the Raiders on Oct. 19, the Mustangs won a 9-3 contest, getting three goals from freshman Elyssa Samson to lead the offensive attack.

On Oct. 21, the Mustangs (7-0 in Santa Teresa Division) took a 13-2 win from Piedmont Hills, getting five goals from Katie Lopiccolo and three goals from Samson on offense. Freshman Cara Simpson also added two goals for the Mustangs in the win.

The team then ventured over to Independence to participate in the Independence Tournament. On Friday, Oct. 22, the Mustangs took a 5-3 win over Willow Glen before winning a 14-1 blowout over Woodside. Against Willow Glen, Samson scored twice to lead all Pioneer scorers, before adding four more goals against Woodside. Rebecca Wallworth scored three goals, while Akalin Abulkhanou chipped in two more against Woodside.

The next day, the girls’ squad registered an 18-4 win over Notre Dame-Salinas before losing the tournament’s Black Division championship game to Saratoga, 9-4, and ending up in second place.

“We played well in all our games this week,” said Pioneer Head Coach Gordy Smith. “We had nice wins against Silver Creek and Piedmont Hills. Hopefully we can continue that and finish strong.”

Girls’ tennis ends season with loss to Silver Creek
In girls’ tennis, the Mustangs ended the season on a down note, dropping a 5-2 contest to Silver Creek on Wednesday, Oct. 20. Pioneer’s No. 1 singles player, Misa Tanaka won her match, but the Mustangs’ No. 1 doubles duo of Giana Flores and Caroline Tran, along with all other doubles partners for Pioneer, dropped their matches.

The Mustangs finished the season with a 5-7 record in Mount Hamilton Division play.

“It’s OK,” said Pioneer Head Coach Julie Szarlacki of the team’s league record. “I think we could’ve done better.

Some of those close 4-3 losses could’ve gone our way, but that’s ok.”

Cross country’s DeLay gets 6th place at Mt. Sac Invitational
Although the cross country team had a bye week in West Valley Division play, some members of the squad headed over to the Mount Sac Invitational in Southern California, pitting top high school cross country runners from all corners of California against one another in a three-mile race.

Pioneer’s No. 1 runner, Steven DeLay, ended up in sixth place (out of 220 runners), earning himself a medal in the varsity division three race. DeLay finished the three-mile course with a time of 16 minutes and 40 seconds.

“He really lit up the course,” said Pioneer Head Coach Jim Polanco. “He led for close to two-and-a-half miles on the race. They got him at the end but he still held off for sixth place.”

Sports Briefs

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Board of Education Approves Stadium Named After Pat Tillman
As expected, the San Jose Unified School District Board of Education unanimously approved a recommendation on Oct. 21 to rename the Leland High School football stadium after Pat Tillman.

Tillman, a football standout for Leland’s class of 1994, died in combat during a tour of duty in Afghanistan in April of this year. Tillman joined the Army Rangers in May of 2002, leaving a three-year, $3.6 million contract from the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals on the table to fight for his country.

Leland will hold a stadium-naming ceremony at 6:15 p.m. on Nov. 5, just before a 7:30 p.m. home game on Leland’s newly renovated field. In addition to naming the stadium after Tillman, Leland will also retire Tillman’s number 42 jersey.

The game will be Leland’s only game at home this season, as construction on the new field is currently winding down.

Tillman, others to be honored at San Jose Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 4
On Nov. 4, the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame will induct four new members that will make up the organization’s class of 2004. Among the most notable new members will be Pat Tillman, who played high school football at Leland High before going on to play for Arizona State University and the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Tillman died in action with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan in April of 2004.

In addition to the Hall of Fame inductees, Leland class of 2004 graduate Zac Monsees will be honored as the Male High School Athlete of the Year. Monsees, currently a freshman at Cal-Berkeley, was a two-time All-American in water polo for the Leland Chargers during his high school career, highlighted by a 144-goal season in 2004 as a senior. Monsees is also a six-time All-American in swimming.

Other Hall of Fame inductees for 2004 include former San Francisco 49er quarterback John Brodie, former Los Angeles Laker Kurt Rambis and Olympic gymnast Amy Chow.

Almaden Little League and T-Ball Signups Upcoming
Almaden Little League Baseball and t-ball signups for ages 5 to 18 will be held Monday, November 15 and Tuesday, November 16 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Pioneer High School mini gym. All players must bring proof of residency. New players must bring original birth certificate. Go to www.almadenll.org or call (408) 997-6669.

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