November 2, 2006

SPORTS

With volleyball league title in hand, Chargers take 3-0 win over Leigh

Chaulet Scala leads Leland with 15 kills and 12 digs in win; Chargers hope for home game in CCS Playoffs

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

With the regular season winding down and a CCS Playoffs spot locked up, the Leland girls’ volleyball team took a lopsided 3-0 win at home over Leigh on Oct. 30.

Leland’s Chaulet Scala (6) led the team with 15 kills and 12 digs in a 3-0 win over Leigh on Oct. 30.

The win improved Leland’s league record to 12-1, well ahead of Westmont, which is currently in second place at 8-4. Leigh, meanwhile, dropped to 2-11 in Mt. Hamilton Division play.

“I’m very happy with this match,” Leland head coach Chris Hansen said. “…We played Branham last Thursday and we didn’t control the ball very well, but tonight I thought we did that, so I was happy to see that.”

Prior to the start of the game, Leland honored its’ four seniors—Chaulet Scala, Grace Chang, Joyce Chang and Justine Johnson—with a pre-game ceremony to celebrate the players’ contributions to the school’s volleyball program throughout their high school careers.

“I say this every year; I don’t want to get up there and talk because then the tears come, and then, are we really focused and ready to play? Well, no, because we’re so upset and happy at the same time,” Hansen said with a chuckle of the pre-game ceremony to honor her seniors on the team. “Basically, they love their teammates and all of the stuff the kids do for them (during the ceremony), it means so much to them, and that’s why they get so choked up. Having their parents here and people who care about them, it means a lot to them and it means a lot to me.”

And while the match was the final regular season home appearance by the team, Hansen hopes to secure at least one home match during the CCS Playoffs, which are set to begin Nov. 8.

“Hopefully we get another home match here, so it’s not their last home match,” Hansen said.

With the Mt. Hamilton Division crown already in hand, the Chargers made quick work of the Longhorns, winning games one and two by scores of 25-16 and 25-14, respectively.

Still, a season-long concern for Hansen, her team’s ability to finish matches strong, appeared to crop up, if only briefly, in game three.

After jumping out to early leads and building on them steadily in games one and two, the Chargers found themselves trailing Leigh 8-9 in the early going in game three. That prompted a timeout by Hansen, who
delivered a simple message to her squad—stay focused.

Leland’s Debbie Gillick gets ready to unleash a jump serve during a 3-0 win over Leigh on Oct. 30. Photos by Jeff Frazee

“Sometimes they just need to refocus,” said Hansen. “That’s kind of what it was. At the timeout, I just said, ‘knock it off and let’s do what we’re supposed to do out here.’”

The words of advice seemed to do the trick, as the Chargers managed to tie the game 11-11 shortly after the timeout. From there, the Chargers embarked on a robust 13-1 scoring run, getting points on six Leigh hitting errors, while also getting five kills from Scala during that stretch. In addition, the Chargers also received an ace serve from Bree Gwinner and a kill from Grace Chang, who finished the night with eight kills and eight digs. The run provided the momentum the Chargers needed in finishing off the Longhorns 25-15 to take the 3-0 win.
Scala’s effort during the scoring stretch in game three didn’t go unnoticed by Hansen.

“Chaulet has been a huge player for us all season long,” Hansen said of Scala, who led the team with 15 kills and 12 digs. “She continued to lead the team and she leads by example. She’s been the kill leader almost every single match, so yeah, she is instrumental in what we do out here.”

Despite the solid finish over Leigh, Hansen said she hopes the problem off not finishing games strong doesn’t crop up during the CCS Playoffs.

“It’s always a concern, because you never know where they are mentally,” Hansen said. “I don’t think you can take that for granted.”

For Leigh, the loss was another reminder that the 2006-07 season is a rebuilding year. Still, Leigh head coach M. Anthony Chen sees brighter days ahead with his young squad, and said he is already looking forward to next season.

“The girls never quit on the floor,” said Chen, whose team was led on offense by Lindsay Dowd’s 11 kills. “I do believe that we’re better than the record shows. I think we’ve played some tough matches throughout the league, but unfortunately, we can’t finish it when we do it. But the girls are positive, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. …It’s looking really positive for the future.”

Sports Briefs

Xtreme girls’ U11 soccer team seeks players
The Xtreme represents the SSJYSL in the Delgado Comp League U11 Girls C3 bracket. We have a good core group of players, but we are in need of several new players. The team fosters a positive environment with the focus on player development, sportsmanship and winning the right way.

We have immediate openings for our Winter 2006 indoor team and our Fall 2007 team.

Anyone interested is encouraged to contact Robert Beaulieu at rob.beaulieu@honeywell.com or (408) 972-5918. Interested players may also contact Nigel Cooper, nigel.cooper@bankofamerica.com or (408) 202-2058.


Almaden National Junior Basketball signups
Almaden National Junior Basketball (NJB) signups started Aug. 15. Boys and girls grades one through eight are eligible. The 11-game season starts Dec. 3. For details and signups, e-mail go to www.almadennjb.homestead.com or call Ken Keiser (408) 592-4190 with questions.


San Jose Vipers Lacrosse holding fall clinics beginning Oct. 21
The Vipers are growing up and down! Spring 2007 will include, Varsity, JV, Juniors, Pups and Pee-Wees. Come on out and play America's oldest team sport and the fastest growing game in California. No experience necessary. The San Jose Vipers Lacrosse club will be holding fall clinics for kids in the 3rd grade through 12th grade, beginning Oct 21 at Harker Middle School, 3800 Blackford Ave., 95117.   

Please visit www.viperslacrosse.net for more information or call Craig Bowers at (408) 674-8708.


Almaden Little League 2007 signups
Almaden Little League signups are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday Nov. 6 and Tuesday Nov. 7 at Castillero Middle School’s indoor commons area. Signups are for all players eligible for T-ball through Big League (Ages 5 thru 18, as of April 30, 2007). Players must live in 95120 or 95042 zip codes to play baseball in Almaden.

The following is a list of items to bring for new players:

A. Original or certified copy of birth certificate (abstract of birth certificate or photo copies will not be accepted (No exceptions)

B. Three proofs of residency. Residency shall be established and supported by documents from three (3) or more of the following categories to determine residency of such parent(s) or guardians:

1. Driver’s license
2. Voter’s registration
3. School records
4. Welfare/child care records
5. Federal records
6. State records
7. Local (municipal) records
8. Support payment records
9. Homeowner or tenant records
10. Utility bills (ie: gas, electric, water/sewer, phone(s), heating, garbage)**
11. Financial (loans, credit, investments, etc.) records
12. Insurance documents
13. Medical records
14. Military records
15. Internet, cable, or satellite records
16. Vehicle records

**Note: Three utility bills (three from #10 above) constitute only one document

Returning players are required to bring:   

A. Proof of residency—one current utility bill with address

Fees are $225 per player (Check payable to ALL). There is also a $25 discount for an additional family member signed up.

In addition, signups will be held to manage, coach, umpire and volunteer. Everyone is welcome and needed!
Please visit the ALL website for detailed division descriptions and a sample application at www.almadenll.org or reach Almaden Little League by phone at (408) 997-6669.


REACH Youth Scholarship nomination forms available online from San Jose Sports Authority
Nomination forms for the San Jose Sports Authority’s 2006 REACH Youth Scholarship Program, sponsored by Bridge Bank, which has provided college funds to 50 high school students over the past 10 years, are now available for downloading from the Sports Authority’s Web site at www.sjsa.org.

Last year, 31 Santa Clara County high school seniors were nominated, and six who overcame adversity through participation in sports were awarded scholarships through the REACH program, an acronym for Recognizing Excellence, Adversity, Courage and Hard Work. Scholarships are awarded based on an essay competition in which nominees explain how sports helped them overcome adversity.

The nominees and scholarship winners for 2006 will be honored at the REACH Awards Breakfast, chaired by former San Francisco 49er Ronnie Lott, on Thursday, May 3, 2007.

Only Santa Clara County high schools may nominate students for the award, with a maximum of five nominees per school. Nominees must then complete an essay and student information form.

Nominees must:
Be high school seniors,
Maintain a 2.5 GPA,
Participate in at least one sanctioned high school athletic activity,
Demonstrate community involvement,
Show the ability to overcome adversity or obstacles to reach his or her goals.

Each nominee is required to write an essay of one to three pages based on his or her experiences. The essay should focus on the obstacles they have overcome and how sports have helped them achieve their goals. Essays will be judged on content.

Nominations must be postmarked by Friday, March 31.

Visit the San Jose Sports Authority Web site at www.sjsa.org for more information.


Frosh/soph boys’ soccer coach needed at Pioneer
The Pioneer boys’ soccer program is in need of a frosh/soph boys’ soccer coach for the upcoming 2006-07 season.

Hours for coaching are, but not limited to, Mondays-Fridays from 3-5 p.m. Games are typically held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:45 p.m.

Anyone interested is encouraged to please call and ask for Pioneer boys’ soccer varsity head coach Pedro Fuentez at (408) 535-6310.


Los Gatos Christian Church holds Youth Basketball League signups
Los Gatos Christian Church is now accepting registration for its Youth Basketball League through Nov. 15. Games are played at the Branham High School gym, beginning Jan. 15, 2007, through March 10, 2007. The league is not co-ed but there are both boys’ and girls’ teams for grades one through eight. Anyone is welcome to join the league. For registration information, call the Los Gatos Christian Church Sports Office at (408) 997-4642 or go to www.losgatoschristian.org.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Football vs. Evergreen, 3 p.m. frosh/soph and 7:30 p.m. varsity
Friday – Boys’ water polo Varsity League Tournament at Independence, times TBA
Friday – Girls’ water polo Varsity League Tournament at Independence, times TBA

Saturday – Boys’ water polo Varsity League Tournament at Independence, times TBA
Saturday – Girls’ water polo Varsity League Tournament at Independence, times TBA

Tuesday – Boys’ water polo CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA
Tuesday – Girls’ water polo CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA
Tuesday – Girls’ tennis CCS Team Play begins, times and sites TBA

Wednesday – Girls’ volleyball CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA

Thursday – Field Hockey CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA
Thursday – Football at Silver Creek, 5 p.m. frosh/soph and 7:30 p.m. varsity


Pioneer High School
Friday – Boys’ water polo Varsity League Tournament at Independence, times TBA
Friday – Girls’ water polo Varsity League Tournament at Independence, times TBA

Saturday– Football vs. Oak Grove, 11 a.m. frosh/soph and 1:30 p.m. varsity
Saturday – Boys’ water polo Varsity League Tournament at Independence, times TBA
Saturday – Girls’ water polo Varsity League Tournament at Independence, times TBA

Tuesday – Boys’ water polo CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA
Tuesday – Girls’ water polo CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA
Tuesday – Girls’ tennis CCS Team Play begins, times and sites TBA

Wednesday – Girls’ volleyball CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA

Thursday – Football at Piedmont Hills, 4:30 p.m. frosh/soph and 7 p.m. varsity

For more information about Leland and Pioneer sporting events, go to:

Pioneer Athletics: http://www.phsathletics.com/
Leland Athletics: http://www.lelandathletics.com/
Blossom Valley Athletic League: http://www.bval.org/

High School Scoreboard

Oct. 24
Leland girls’ volleyball 24-26, 25-17, 25-18, 25-10 win vs. Westmont
Leland boys’ water polo 16-3 win vs. Evergreen
Leland girls’ water polo 25-1 win vs. Piedmont Hills

Pioneer girls’ volleyball 25-22, 25-16, 25-15 win vs. Yerba Buena
Pioneer girls’ water polo 9-5 loss vs. Live Oak
Pioneer boys’ water polo 18-2 loss vs. Live Oak

Oct. 25
Leland girls’ tennis 6-1 loss at Los Gatos

Oct. 26
Leland girls’ volleyball 25-21, 22-25, 27-25, 25-23 win at Branham

Pioneer girls’ volleyball 25-11, 25-20, 25-23 win at James Lick

Oct. 27
Pioneer boys’ water polo 13-5 loss vs. Saratoga at John Schmitt Invitational
Pioneer boys’ water polo 10-4 loss vs. Valley Christian at John Schmitt Invitational
Pioneer girls’ water polo 5-4 win vs. Lincoln at Halloween Classic
Pioneer girls’ water polo 11-10 win vs. Monta Vista at Halloween Classic

Leland running attack helps trounce Mt. Pleasant 54-18

Chargers rack up 444 yards rushing and seven touchdowns,
led by Adam Ondi’s 201 yards on the ground

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland football team played the role of spoilers on Oct. 27, racking up a team total of 444 yards rushing in trouncing Mt. Pleasant 54-18 at the Cardinals’ homecoming game.

Leland’s Nate Jones (1) picks off a pass during a 54-18 win at Mt. Pleasant on Oct. 27. Jones led the defense with two interceptions on the night.

The road win kept the Chargers perfect in league play at 5-0 to stay atop the Santa Teresa Division. The win also extended Leland’s winning streak to six games, dating back to a Sept. 15 win over Homestead that started the streak.

“They’re a talented team,” Leland head coach Jason Tenner said of Mt. Pleasant, who added that he was concerned about the Cardinals’ talented offense prior to the start of the game. “I always dread coming down here because you play hardnosed kids who get after it. We just kept at it and pulled it out today.”

The Chargers ran the ball often and with success on offense, as running backs Lance Gemette and Adam Ondi teamed up to combine for 315 yards rushing. Ondi led all running backs with 201 yards on the ground and one touchdown on just 13 carries, including 141 yards rushing in the second half, while Gemette racked up 114 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Gemette also scored a fourth touchdown on a 22-yard pass from quarterback Ricky Battipede.

“The backs all blocked for each other and the (offensive) line did a great job,” Tenner said of the Chargers’ running game. “We got after it. We kind of came in hoping to work on the passing game, but scratch that, we didn’t do it. But we run the ball so well right now. It’s working and it’s driving us.”

The Chargers led by just a small 14-12 lead at halftime, but turned the game their way soon after, scoring on their opening offensive series of the third quarter when Ondi took the first play of the series and ran the ball 64 yards, putting the Chargers deep into Mt. Pleasant territory at the Cardinal 7. That led to Gemette scampering into the end zone on the third play of the series for a 5-yard scoring run with 10:56 left, giving Leland a 21-12 lead.

Near the end of the third quarter, the Chargers managed to put up two more scores in just over one minute of play. The Chargers got premium field position on offense when a high snap sailed over Mt. Pleasant punter Mark Flores’ head, forcing Flores to down the ball at the Mt. Pleasant 8. Two plays later on offense, running back Kevin Krail found the end zone on a 5-yard run with 2:20 left, giving Leland a 27-12 advantage.

“It’s been our season like that,” Mt. Pleasant head coach Clancey O’Hara said of the high snap on the punt play that placed the Leland offense inside Mt. Pleasant territory. “We’ve had those happen in almost every game that we’ve lost. …When things go bad, things snowball for us. I don’t think we’ve learned how to handle the adversity yet.”

It wasn’t long before the ball bounced Leland’s way again, as Mt. Pleasant quarterback Johnny Sandate’s pass was picked off by Leland’s Nate Jones near midfield, who then promptly ran the ball back to the Mt. Pleasant 8, setting Leland’s offense up once more deep inside Cardinal territory. Jones led the defense on the night with two interceptions.

Leland’s Adam Ondi brings down Mt. Pleasant’s Mark Flores during a 54-18 win over the Cardinals on Oct. 27. Ondi did the bulk of his damage on offense, rushing for a team-high 201 yards in the win. Photos by Pat Killen

The interception led to Leland’s third scoring drive of the quarter when Gemette ran into the end zone for a 3-yard scoring run with 1:00 left, bumping the Chargers’ lead to 33-12.

“They stepped it up and we didn’t,” O’Hara said of the second half scoring outburst by the Chargers. “That’s why they are the way they are, and why we’re not very good.”

Mt. Pleasant struck back with a scoring drive of its own, going 52 yards on eight plays, capped by a 3-yard run from running back Travis Driskell with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter, cutting Leland’s lead to 33-18.

But the Chargers answered back three more times before the final whistle, as Ondi scored on a 39-yard touchdown run with 9:15 left, followed by a 1-yard sneak from Battipede with 5:38 left, and a 57-yard touchdown run from Zeyad Zaky with 2:29 left in the game.

“I think for us, we just woke up at halftime,” Tenner said. “I think they (the Chargers) are still trying to figure out how good they can be. We still have to learn how to play four quarters, because we haven’t yet. But when we do, it’s going to be great.”

Bobcats U12 boys’ soccer team does the trick with perfect 4-0 at the Almaden Halloween Classic Tournament in Morgan Hill

The Bobcats, a U12 boys’ competitive soccer team from Almaden won all four of its games during weekend play at the Almaden Halloween Classic Tournament in Gilroy to win their respective division. The Bobcats shut out their first three opponents before winning the championship game by a final score of 3-1.

The Bobcats are led by head coach Dave Kurze and his two assistant coaches, Jim Wolk and Brent Wakefield. Bobcats players are Kenton Assadi, Nick Bachmeier, Chris Chaboya, Tommy Druhan, Anthony Dutcher, Brian Grace, Orlando Jasso, Harry Kendall, Conner Kurze, Sam NyBlom, Joe O'Brien, Noah Pederson, Heath Rose, Andrew Wakefield, Cedric Wolk and Brandon Zaya.

Pioneer playoffs hopes still alive despite tough loss at Live Oak

Mustangs drop 15-14 heartbreaker to Acorns and drop to 3-2 in league play

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Pioneer’s playoff hopes are alive, despite falling to Live Oak 15-14 on the road on Oct. 27.

Pioneer running back Shane Murray ran for 86 yards and caught two passes for 38 yards in a 15-14 loss at Live Oak on Oct. 27. Photo by Dena Noble

The reigning champion Mustangs must win one of their final two games to secure the last of the Mount Hamilton Division’s four automatic playoff bids. However, league leader Oak Grove (7-0-1, 5-0) remains on the schedule, and Piedmont Hills (4-4, 3-2), which currently occupies third place.

“When you play in this division, you don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself,” said Pioneer coach Mark Krail following the loss, in which Live Oak overcame two first half touchdowns by the Mustangs to complete the comeback victory at Richert Field in Morgan Hill.

With the victory, Live Oak extended its record to 4-1 at home this season in its inaugural Mount Hamilton Division campaign.

“We actually played pretty well, but we didn’t take care of the one thing that matters,” said Krail, referring to his team’s four turnovers, including three fumbles, in the second half, despite the fact that Pioneer did not punt the ball once throughout the game and converted 20 first downs.

Holding a 14-7 lead in the early portion of the second half, Pioneer’s offense managed to move within scoring distance several times. However, each of those ended with a turnover or a crucial penalty, including a fumble in the end zone and senior quarterback Chris Foley’s interception inside 20 yards of the end zone.

The teams see-sawed, but it was Live Oak that finally mounted a drive and scored when running back Kevin Abbott dove in from one yard out with 5:31 left in the fourth quarter. Live Oak then converted a two-point try to take a slim 15-14 lead.

Pioneer attempted to retaliate, but its’ final drive expired on the Live Oak 25 when the Acorns recovered the third and final Mustang fumble.

Senior Steven Lopes led Pioneer in rushing, running for 93 yards on 18 carries. Pioneer junior Shane Murray gained 86 yards in 18 carries and also caught two passes for 38 yards.

Most of the action took place in the first half. The Mustangs opened scoring with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter when Lopes capped a drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.

Pioneer defensive stalwarts, including Jordan Barnes, Lopes and Jessie Herrera did a solid job of shutting down the Live Oak offense, including Abbott and quarterback Timothy O’Rourke, according to Krail.

Lopes scored again with 6:40 remaining in the half, and Pioneer appeared to be going into the locker room with a healthy cushion at 14-0.

However, Abbott begged to differ. The 5-feet, 10-inch, 165-pound tailback gashed into the Pioneer defense just before the end of the first half, converting two third-down plays and gaining half of his 102 yards rushing on the night during one final offensive push before halftime.

Senior Victor Kalata also broke loose for a 15-yard run during the drive, and the Acorns were able to close the score to within seven points at 14-7 when Abbott scored on a seven-yard run with just 1:19 remaining in the half.

The Mustangs responded, mounting a last second drive of their own before halftime. Murray returned the ensuing kickoff 44-yards into Live Oak territory. Foley then connected with Murray for 22-yard on a skinny post pattern up the middle on third down, bringing the Mustangs into scoring position with 30 seconds remaining on the clock.

However, the Mustangs were unable to punch it in for a touchdown, and a botched snap on a field goal attempt sent the Mustangs and Acorns to the locker room with Pioneer leading 14-7.

“Live Oak wasn’t any better than we expected,” said Krail. “We moved the ball up and down the field. It wasn’t a situation where they stopped us.”

In spite of the fact that Pioneer’s playoff hopes are still alive, Krail said the loss was a tough one to swallow, even a couple of days after the fact.

“Our level of frustration was great,” said Krail. “When we came in to watch film on Monday, you point to all of the things that you do well and it’s hard to take the fact that you did not win.”

HOMECOMING 2006

Leland Homecoming 2006 will be 'Charging Through the Decades' to celebrate school's 40th anniversary

This year, Leland High School is celebrating its 40th anniversary and the spirit squad and their families are hard at work planning special homecoming events.

The entire community is invited to attend the school's homecoming festivities starting this Thursday. The members of the Leland spirit squad, along with their hardworking parents, have dedicated many hours in ensuring this year's event is a success.

The celebration will begin on Thursday Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. with the homecoming rally at the Leland gymnasium. The evening will be filled with music, the 2006 homecoming royalty and skits performed by the Leland spirit squad and football players. Also, a special presentation will be given to this year's seniors and their parents honoring their hard work and dedication in spirit and football.

Homecoming will continue the following evening Friday, Nov. 3 with the JV football team facing the Evergreen Valley Cougars at 5 p.m. The varsity football game will follow at 7:30 p.m. at Pat Tillman Stadium, located on the Leland High School campus, 6677 Camden Avenue in San Jose.

The events will culminate in Saturday's homecoming dance where the anniversary theme of "Charging Through the Decades" will be expressed through the transformation of the cafeteria into a nostalgic walk through 40 years of Leland pride, thanks to the handiwork of the Leland cheerleaders and their parents.

Leigh High celebrated in style October 27

Leigh’s football players hit the field running prior to their 43-13 win over Branham.	Homecoming Queen Portia Green and King Derek Pires reigned over the night. Leigh photos by Jacob Depp

Share your news

Do you have a sports story to share? Contact the sports department at 494-7000 x 217 or by e-mail at diego@timesmediainc.com or fax to Almaden Times Sports at 494-7078.