Leland seeks title clincher at Westmont after ransacking
Willow Glen

By Karl Laucher

Sports Editor

Leland High School appears ready for the big time, but instead stooped to fry all but the heart of an out-manned Willow Glen High School squad 49-6 on Friday. It was but a warmup for a showdown with Westmont High School for Blossom Valley Santa Teresa Division title Saturday night, 7:30, on the Warrior turf in Campbell.

Westmont is coming off of a 35-3 victory over Prospect High School.

“Westmont has a lot of speed. They are going to be tough to contain,” Leland Coach Kelly Edwards said. He noted that three

Willow Glen's Alex Green was looking for running room after catching a second-half pass, but was cut off at the pass by Leland's Kyle McDaniel and Kirk Andre (No. 1).

season due to disciplinary reasons, which got Westmont off on a 0-3 start. The Warriors have recovered with wins in three of their past four games.

Edwards was an assistant coach at Football College for five years prior to coming to Leland for the 2001 campaign. One of his co-coaches at Football was current Westmont coach Tony Santos. “He likes to throw the ball around a lot,” said Edwards.

Commented Charger quarterback Joe Hurley. “It all starts up front in my opinion. We have the best offensive line. The guys have been great; they are really getting the job done. We know the running game is always going to be there for us. We have a little more work to do patching up on our passing game, but we should be better by the post season.”

The Chargers looked in post-season form as they rutted over BVAL West Valley entry Willow Glen, starting with a 35-point blitz in the first quarter. Runningback Mike Day rung up three TDs and 212 yards on the ground, while wide receiver Sean Connors scored two TDs and added seven more points on conversions.

Jon Renfro, an offensive lineman for Willow Glen, noted that the Chargers “have a lot of talented athletes, and that's hard to beat.”

Willow Glen Coach Andrew Penwarden was proud that his players never gave up, but had this insight on the raging bull into which Leland has metamorphosized: “Leland didn't just win the game today. They won it last January, February and March...the off-season when you have to do the time in the gym.”

“We're running on all cylinders now,” Edwards said. “We're not making mistakes; we're not letting it get to our heads. And our players respect the teams they play.”

Baseball stars join Natalie Fund golf event at Almaden Golf and Country Club

By Karl Laucher

Sports Editor

Former San Francisco Giants and New York Yankee pitchers Mike Aldrete and Dave Righetti were among the heroes who participated in the seventh annual Natalie Fund Golf Classic was held at Almaden Golf & Country Club on Oct. 3. The event was sold out. Participants enjoyed a great day of golf, dinner, a donation drawing and auction. This year's tournament raised over $70,000.

All proceeds benefit The Natalie Fund, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to raising money for childhood brain disease research. The fund is named for Natalie Aurelio, a 13-year-old from San Jose who is fighting Batten Disease, a genetic brain disorder. Her mother Elizabeth, said Natalie was born apparently healthy, but the disease came on slowly and methodically beginning at about age 2.

A clinical trial to test gene-therapy drugs to battle the disease is expected to get underway next year. Asked if Natalie will participate in the trial, Elizabeth said “we're hoping.”

The Natalie Fund supports research projects at Stanford University, Kingís College London, and Cornell University.

Righetti was on the winning foursome. Aldrete is the brother of Natalie Fund co-chair Terre Alongi of Almaden Valley. “Terre has been there all seven years,” said Aurelio. “She's amazing —the backbone.” Also co-chairing was Karen Walters of Los Gatos. Among other Almaden participants were John and Teresa McCarthy, Jim Matalone, Marty Hatzke, Andy Pecota, and Pat Alongi.

For more information on the Natalie Fund, log on at www.nataliefund.org .

LELAND SPORTS ROUNDUP

Compiled by Athletic Director Chris Hansen

Girls volleyball : The girls volleyball team added two more league victories to their record last week with wins over Mt. Pleasant 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 25-19 and Oak Grove 25-17, 25-20, 25-20. Senior Briana Scala recorded 18 kills against both teams. The teams league record is now 10-0. The girls also played in the Milpitas Spikefest Tournament over the weekend where the team finished fifth out of 32 teams. The Chargers recorded wins over Alisal 25-10, 25-17, Homestead 25-16, 25-11, Gunn 23-25, 25-13, 15-11 and Santa Cruz 25-16, 25-19. The team was also named Cal Hi Sports Team of the Week.

JV volleyball : The JV team went one and one last week with a great win over Mt. Pleasant 25-21, 23-25, 15-13. The team was lead by the powerful hitting of Kelly Keiley and the outstanding serve receive passing of Jenny Tremann. The Chargers lost a close one to Oak Grove 25-15, 21-25, 11-15. The team is currently 6-4 in league.

Girls JV water polo : The girls JV water polo team took a third place finish in the Hollister tournament this weekend. The girls lost to San Benito 7-10 and then came back with three straight wins defeating Monterey 16-6, Lynbrook 14-6 and Saratoga 13-4. The girls are currently 3-0 in league.

Frosh/soph football : After recovering from a tough loss to Branham, the Leland Chargers shut down the Willow Glen Rams 24-0. The first half ended with the Chargers ahead 8-0, although the game was a lot closer than the score indicated. Outstanding defensive line play by Eric Hailes, Collin Khoshabian and Joe Peera lead the defensive charge. Defensive backs Lance Gemette, Steven Dudley, Borna Haghahi, George “G-Man” Mikhail and Steve Ruel allowed only one completion by the Rams for the whole game. The linebacker core of Nick Mortenson, Richard Wellington, Nathan Mitchell (in his first start) and Travis Delamore let the Rams know that there was a Charger storm in front of them. On offense, Kyle “K-Walk” Walker stayed poised in the pocket delivering strikes to receivers Mike Hagashiosha, Nick Mortenson and Steven Ruel to put two scores on the board and keep Willow Glen's offense off the field. K-Walk was protected by outstanding play by offensive linemen Mike Rulfs, Will Baumeister, and John Friedman.

The game was put away by the outstanding running of Adam Ondi and a 70-yard run by Lance Gemette. Team play was the key to the Chargers' victory. Players like Roland Li stepped up to record his first sack of the season. Defensive line players like Cody Willard made their presence known with a special teams tackle and an assist on a sack. In the secondary, Brandon Denault, Suleymahn Ersahn, Negad Zaky and emerging freshman Billy “Airstrike” Osterreich played outstanding. Billy capped off the game with his first interception and the Chargers' fourth of the year to finish a dominating performance by the Chargers.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

CHRISTY GILLICK - Girls volleyball

Christy helped lead the Chargers through two more league wins and a fifth place finish in the Milpitas Spikefest. Christy was able to run an effective offense recording 153 assists in five matches at the tournament. Not only is she able to deliver the ball accurately each time, she has made herself an offensive threat in the front row as well, recording10 kills herself. Keep up the great work!

LELAND SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football at Westmont, frosh/soph 5 p.m.; varsity 7:30 p.m.

Field hockey at Saratoga, Varsity 2:45 p.m., JV 4 p.m.

Tennis BVAL finals at Mount Pleasant, 3 p.m.

Tennis BVAL finals at Mount Pleasant, 3 p.m.

Volleyball at Piedmont Hills, JV 5 p.m.; varsity 6 p.m.

Volleyball at Branham, JV 5 p.m.; varsity 6 p.m.

PIONEER SPORTS ROUNDUP

Compiled by Athletic Director Mark Krail

Girl's volleyball

By Coach Michelle Ritter

What a week! The Pioneer girls varsity team went against two tough teams this week —Gunderson and Lincoln. When the Lady Mustangs played these two teams in the first round, they lost in five close games. This time around, the Lady Mustangs defeated Gunderson in four games. The game against Lincoln was a tight one as well. Pioneer won the first game 25-12, but lost the second game 13-25. The Mustangs rallied and went on

to win the third and fourth games, 25-23 and 25-20, beating the only undefeated team in the West Valley division.

Boy's water polo

By Coach Scott Kaubish

The Mustangs are looking to continue improving their record by focusing on victories with tenacious defense and an offense determined to take advantage of the opportunities given them. They hope for one more meeting with Mount Pleasant where the previous two defeats can be vindicated. This season's squad has been lead by the defense with juniors David Grometer as goalie, averaging eight+ saves per game, Doug York and Cole Davis as the fearless two-meter defenders. Junior Chance Vermilyea's stealing and scoring skills leads the team at both ends of the pool with countless steals and 67 goals to date. Seniors Chris Emert, Kyle Zondervan and Kyle Simpson are strong solid starters each defending courageously while getting their scores as well. Junior Greg Karis and sophomore Kevin Zondervan contribute with consistent play as does the support of senior Craig Fergus, junior Ryan Peterson and freshman Kirk Kaubish. Rounding out the varsity squad are seniors Anthony Morlino, Alex Manzano and Matt Johnson; juniors Kyle Bentz, Kyle Sakamoto, Johnnie LoFranco; and sophomore David Atala.

Girls water polo

By Coach Gordy Smity

The Pioneer girls water polo team had a very good week of games. After playing well in a loss to Lincoln, they finished 2-2 in the Independence tournament last weekend. The two wins were well played games against Willow Glen and Homestead. High scorers for the first day were Katie Lopiccolo, Helina Valle, Whitney and Taylor Feezor, Rebecca Wallworth, Elizabeth Hoyt and Akalin Abulkhanou.

The Pioneer JV team continued to show improved play in the Monte Vista tournament this weekend. Scorers for the JV team included Lexi York with six goals, Megan Peterson with three and Michelle Levish with two. The highlight of their tournament was an 8-8 tie with host Monte Vista in which Pioneer was down 7-4 at the start of the fourth period.

PIONEER SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football, Santa Teresa at Pioneer, 1:30 p.m.

Cross-country league finals at Crystal Springs, 12 noon.

Girls tennis single and doubles tournament.

Girls volleyball vs. James Lick, JV 3:30 p.m.; varsity 5 p.m.

Girls volleyball vs. Evergreen, JV 3:30 p.m., varsity 5 p.m.

Football vs. Independence, F/S 11 a.m.; varsity 1:30

Shell-shocked Pioneer needs Santa Teresa for rebound value

By Karl Laucher

Sports Editor

The sobering effect of having a six-game winning streak reverse course into a two-game losing streak would be a lesson in humility for any ambitious football program. And that is the case for Pioneer High School, which could find itself begging for a post-season playoff berth in a conference —the Blossom Valley Athletic League's superior Mount Hamilton Division —that will send four teams onto the Central Coast Section playoffs.

But after the way the Mustangs stagnated in a 25-21 loss to Piedmont Hills High School last week, Pioneer coach Mark Krail has some mental messaging to do to get the team back to its previous standard of execution in time for the visit of Santa Teresa High School on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

“We gotta bounce back and play well,” Krail predicted when asked of any Monday morning blues after taking a 21-point lead over Piedmont Hills, only to allow 25 unanswered points by the Pirates.

Santa Teresa, meanwhile, got desanitized 39-7 by front-running Oak Grove High School to fall to 1-6 on the season, 0-4 in Mount Hamilton action. Most 6-2 teams like Pioneer would be licking their chops when set up with such a punching bag. The Mustangs, now however, have every reason to be cautious. “The biggest challenge with the next game will be ourselves,” Krail said. “We've got to regroup, and play a solid four quarters as a team.

“We still control our destiny in terms of making the play-off. That is top priority for us right now.”

Piedmont Hills Coach Matt Kiesle said he had “a decent defensive game plan” to take against Pioneer, but the Mustangs really came at us” in the opening 15 minutes. Pioneer better hope Kiesle doesn't pass that defensive game plans on to Santa Teresa.

In defense of the Mustangs, however, they did mount what would appear to be a drive of renewed determination in the final minutes, picking up several first downs before Jeff Louie of the Pirates intercepted a pass with 1:25 left in the game deep in Piedmont Hills territory.

Pioneer, once ranked as high as No. 9 in the CCS by the Mercury News, but now in a freefall, needs a stepping stone to get back into a post-season frame of mind. Santa Teresa could be right antidote for a team in shock.

Myra Davoudi, Leland's perpetual tennis blossom, aims for fourth BVAL title

By Karl Laucher

Sports Editor

Just like the resplendent chrysanthemum, Leland High School senior Myra Davoudi comes up with something special in the fall, having won the Blossom Valley Athletic League tennis honors every year, beginning as a doubles titlist as a freshman followed by two straight singles championships. She will try to make it three BVAL singles crowns in a row on Nov. 5-6 when the BVAL championships are held at Mount Pleasant High School. Leland's girls tennis team has enjoyed two consecutive undefeated league-championship seasons to continue its dynasty under second-year coach Nichole Arnold, who calls Myra “mentally tough and a strong all-around athlete.” Myra, age 16, has sought out the path to the big time by taking lessons at the Nick Bolleteri Tennis Camp in Florida, which has produced Grand Slam champions such Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Monica Seles. Davoudi's private coach locally is Long Phan of the Phan and Pang Tennis Academy, who notes that Myra is “highly self-motivated with a great work ethic and a lot of talent.”

Myra is a superior student who already has been accepted at Pepperdine University, but she still is interested in exploring a possible tennis future with either Stanford or the University of Southern California. She has a 3.8 grade point average (a straight-A average is 4.0). When she isn't studying or on the tennis court, she works as hostess at the family restaurant, La Foret, in New Almaden. Myra notes that she dedicates as much as four hours a day, seven days a week to her tennis game. She claims intensity and perfection are her guiding forces. “Intensity always brings out the best in me,” she said. “I strive for perfection. I might work for hours just trying to get the perfect forehand.”

Davoudi might have been further along as a tennis thunderbolt had she not blown out her knee just before last year's Central Coast Section championships. A subsequent operation was followed by rehabilitation with help from San Francisco 49er trainers. Arnold observes that Myra still is rebuilding from the injury, as indicated by the fact that she was twice forced to go three sets to defeat BVAL Mount Hamilton Division rival Jovana Parisic of Prospect High School in team play. The 5-foot-3, 140-pound Davoudi hopes to be back to top form in time to compete in the mid-summer National Girls Hardcourt Championships, in which she competed as a 14-year-old in 2001.

Her future looks bright. A definite perennial.

Current US Amateur Champion

AVAC's Pete Kain surges toward another World Triathlon crown

By Karl Laucher

Sports Editor

When it comes to athletic performance, Pete Kain a professor of fitness at the Almaden Valley Athletic Club, is also Pete Kain world champion. Having on Oct. 4 won his sixth National Amateur age group championship in Shreveport, La., Kain, age 40, turns his attention toward the International Triathlon Union World Championship set for Dec. 6 in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Did we say “age group?” Yes, he is a the three-time World Age Group Champion, but he also became the Overall US National Amateur Triathlon Champion with his victory at the US National Championships this past August in Couer D'Alene, Idaho.

Kain was named by USA Triathlon as the Overall Open Male "Triathlete of the Year" for 2002.

So, it would be no surprise to see Kain swimming, cycling and running with the front runners in Queenstown, a ski resort which could offer some dicey spring weather in the water and on the banks of pristine Lake Wakatipu. He'll warm-up for the event in the clammy waters of San Francisco Bay and environs in the Treasure Island Triathlon on Saturday, Nov. 1.

The 6-foot, 165-pound Kain is AVAC's Fitness Director; home base for Kain Performance and the Kain Performance Multi-Sport Team. His coaching team includes his wife, Shari, who is a four-time National Champion in cycling, cyclo-cross, and off-road triathlon. She won the XTERRA World Triathlon Championship in 1999. She also won a Gold Medal in road cycling at the Pan Am Games in 1991. The Kains have a two-year-old daughter, Jessica. Another Kain Performance coach is Becky Gibbs Lavelle, a 10-time All-American swimmer who won the triathlon bronze medal in the recent Pan American Games. Gibbs Lavelle also would be known locally as a multi-time winner of the Almaden Lake Triathlon.

Among the Kain Performance clients are AVAC members and Almaden Valley residents Shelly Sumner, a past Almaden Lake Triathlon age group winner, and Ed Grant, a winner of two age group titles in the Wildflower Triathlon held each year South of Salinas.

“I think Pete probably is one of the top triathlon coaches in the country,” said Grant. “I can't imagine a more knowledgeable or more inspirational coach. He also is a performer, and that counts for a lot. He does all of the training along with us. His secret weapon is his wife. He's world class.”

Pete Kain, sponsored by RLX Polo Sport, has the lithe body that might have been a large exotic bird in another life. He says his best weapon in the triathlon is his ability to produce his best runs coming off the bike portion of the race when other competitors seem to struggle with the transition.

He admits, by association, to sharing the “obsessive compulsive” label attributed to fitness-preoccupied triathletes.

“It's true (we) are somewhat Type A personalities,” Kain said. “We're definitely goal-oriented. I'd say (we) are pretty driven.”