SPORTS

Down late, Mustangs rally for four scores to win 41-40 at Piedmont Hills

Pioneer running backs Shaun Souza and Andrew Schulz combine to
score four touchdowns in fourth quarter

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

SIZZLING SOUZA. Pioneer running back Shaun Souza (5), shown here during an Oct. 23 game against Oak Grove, had an eventful day for the Mustangs, getting 223 yards rushing and 61 yards through the air to go along with three touchdowns during Pioneer’s 41-40 win at Piedmont Hills on Oct. 29. Photo by Ron Reed.

Mounting a fourth-quarter comeback, the visiting Pioneer Mustangs managed to score four touchdowns in less than eight minutes to overtake the Piedmont Hills Pirates 41-40 on Friday, Oct. 29.

“This team doesn’t quit,” said Pioneer Head Coach Mark Krail after the game. “I’m proud of them … these guys rallied and refused to quit and I love them for that, I really do.”

With the Pirates (2-6 overall, 0-5 in Mt. Hamilton Division) holding what appeared to be a commanding 34-14 lead going into the last 12 minutes of the game, Pioneer did something it wasn’t able to do for the previous three quarters—drive the ball downfield at will on the Pirates’ defense.

“This is one of the best games I’ve ever played in,” said Pioneer linebacker Collin McCarthy. “This is the greatest comeback of the season. It was so much fun. Everyone played with heart.”

Pioneer (6-2 overall, 4-1 division) quickly got things going in the fourth on an 11-play, 73-yard drive ending with a 1-yard touchdown run from pioneer fullback Danny Ventura with 8:31 to go.

Pioneer quarterback Chris Foley was key on the drive, finding open receivers in Shaun Souza and Andrew Schulz for three passes totaling 30 yards. Souza also lit up the field with his running game, getting three runs in for 28 yards on the drive.

“We were down and we started to step it up,” said Souza, who ended the night with 223 yards rushing and two touchdowns, as well as 61 receiving yards and a touchdown. “We played for each other. We had some great blocks and got some touchdowns.”

Pioneer followed up the scoring drive with another touchdown less than two minutes later, as Souza took a handoff from Foley and sliced through the Pirate defensive line, going 70 yards downfield for a touchdown with 6:42 to go, edging the Mustangs to within six points at 34-28.

“Our offense revolves around those two guys,” Krail said of Schulz and Souza. “Chris (Foley) also played an incredible game. I credit the offensive line. They were breaking holes open for our running game and they protected (Foley) in the passing game and gave Chris time to make those throws.”

Things took a turn for the worse soon after for the Mustangs, when Pirate defensive back Mike Hernandez intercepted Foley at the Mustang 36. The play set the Pirate offense deep in Pioneer territory, and Piedmont Hills capitalized on the opportunity, scoring on a 6-yard touchdown run from running back Steven Pinon, giving the Pirates a 40-28 advantage with only 2:44 left.

On their next offensive possession, the Mustangs got some much-needed help from Souza once again, when Foley threw a pass that was first tipped by the defensive line, then tipped by Souza (the intended receiver) and juggled several times before the junior tailback came down with the ball, tucked it in and ran for a 46-yard touchdown reception with 2:24 left, cutting Piedmont’s lead to a slim 40-35.

“(Foley) threw it up and I just stayed with it,” Souza said. “It just opened up (downfield) and no one was back there.”

On the kickoff that followed, Pioneer kicker Bobby Lopez booted an onside kick that hit off the chest of Pirate special teams player Terrence Critchlow, who managed to get a hand on the ball just before it rolled right to a pile of Pioneer players, giving the Mustangs another shot at completing the comeback.

This time, Schulz got into the act for Pioneer, taking the first play from scrimmage and dashing 16 yards to the Pirate 40. After runs from Souza and Ventura set the Mustang offense at the Pirate 13, Schulz got his number called again, taking the ball on a handoff and cutting through defenders for a 13-yard touchdown run with only 54 seconds to spare in the game, giving Pioneer a 41-40 lead.

“It pretty much doesn’t get any bigger than this,” said Schulz, who finished the night with 98 yards rushing with two touchdowns and 48 yards receiving. “Everyone was feeding off each other and getting pumped. We played with a lot of heart. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

With time still on the clock, the Pirates made one last-ditch effort to regain the lead, nearly pulling off the feat by driving from their own 17 to the Pioneer 32 on five plays, giving the Pirates a fresh set of downs with 8.4 seconds on the game clock.

But the Pioneer defense managed to hold the Pirate offense down as Piedmont Hills quarterback Reggie Ryan threw three consecutive incomplete passes, including one into the end zone that sailed out of bounds as time expired.

Prior to the fourth-quarter comeback, Piedmont Hills seemed to be having its way with the Pioneer defense. Pinon torched Pioneer defenders for most of the night, registering 291 yards rushing on 31 carries to go along with three touchdowns. Pinon also showed off his receiving skills, catching three passes for 85 yards and another touchdown.

“Our defense battled,” Krail said. “They were running the ball at us, as we knew they would, and they were very tough. I’m just really thankful that our guys played until the end.”

Pioneer will face Leigh next, currently tied for first place in the Mount Hamilton Division, at home on Saturday, Nov. 6 for a 1:30 p.m. start.

High School Sports Schedule Nov. 5-Nov. 11

Leland High School

Friday – Varsity boys’ water polo Blossom Valley Athletic League Tournament at Independence
Friday – Varsity girls’ water polo Blossom Valley Athletic League Tournament at Independence
Friday – Frosh/soph football vs. Piedmont Hills, 3:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity football vs. Piedmont Hills, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Pat Tillman Stadium
naming ceremony at Leland Football Field, 6:15 p.m.

Saturday – Varsity boys’ water polo Blossom Valley Athletic League Tournament at Independence
Saturday – Varsity girls’ water polo Blossom Valley Athletic League Tournament at Independence
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ water polo first Central Coast Section contest
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ water polo first Central Coast Section contest

Pioneer High School

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

Friday – JV girls’ volleyball at Gunderson, 3:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity girls’ volleyball at Gunderson, 5 p.m.
Friday – Varsity boys’ water polo Blossom Valley Athletic League Tournament at Independence
Friday – Varsity girls’ water polo to Mt. Hamilton playoffs

Saturday – Varsity boys’ water polo Blossom Valley Athletic League Tournament at Independence
Saturday – Varsity girls’ water polo to Mt. Hamilton playoffs
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ water polo first Central Coast Section contest
Tuesday – Varsity girls’ water polo first Central Coast Section contest

Pat Tillman Stadium dedicated Saturday

Despite the numbers, Leland's Chargers feeling competitive for Homecoming

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

If there is indeed some credibility to the philosophy that winning is secondary to purporting yourself well on the gridiron, then the Leland High School Chargers did earn some battle ribbons for at least scratching the paint on the perennial Blossom Valley Athletic League championship machine otherwise known as the Oak Grove High School Eagles.

That the Eagles soared off into the distance, 35-6, during the Oak Grove Homecoming celebration on Friday night is not the point. The buzz for Leland is that it proved itself of championship fighting material if subordinate in size and talent as a Mount Hamilton Division pretender.

If the Chargers play as well versus visiting Piedmont Hills High School Friday night following ceremonies to rename the stadium for the late Real American Hero, Pat Tillman, Leland will not only avoid finishing last in the conference, but will possibly also escape being demoted in 2005 to the second tier West Valley Division from which it ascended with a championship in 2003. The stadium dedication is set for 6:15 p.m. with the kickoff to follow at 7:30.

"I'm proud of our kids for competing hard," said Charger coach Kelly Edwards after the loss to Oak Grove. "I couldn't be more happy with the way the kids played."

Given the 29-point difference at the final bell, Edwards could be accused of making a mountain out of this team's undeniably true grit. However, that the Chargers where within eight points, 14-6, two minutes into the second half has to say something for the power of positive thinking.

The Leland offense was all but shut down by an Eagle defense that controlled the middle of the field, stuffing the Charger running backs, and tenderizing quarterback Cory Williams, who had little or no time to look downfield for passing targets.

The Chargers went nearly a half until they could get the ball in the in the hands of their dynamic wide receiver, Arthur King. That was finally solved with a quick pass to King on the right sideline from where he gave his defender the slip and raced 77 yards for a touchdown with 1:30 remaining in the first half. Unfortunately for Leland, those 77 yards represented all but 31 yards the Charges gained for the entire game.

Among the other highlights for Leland were some hard hits on Oak Grove's dashing running back Burton Iosefa, who nevertheless rushed for 195 and two touchdowns, and the Frankensteinian rushes of Charger fullback Alex Bynum, who happens to lead the Central Coast Section in tackles with 111 from his linebacker position.

Both Leland and Piedmont Hills go into Saturday's game 2-6 overall and 1-4 in BVAL Mount Hamilton play. The Pirates, led by running back Steve Pinon (No. 2 in rushing and No. 3 in scoring in the BVAL Mount Hamilton) have lost their last two games by one point, 36-35 to Leigh and 41-40 to Pioneer.

OUR FLATLAND SPECIALIST

Bob Halem of Almaden (above, at right) is a proven leader in the Almaden Cycle Touring Club, both as a tour guide on morning sojourns through some of the more exotic routes in the Bay Area and as a member of the San Jose Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. He has surpassed the 1,000-mile mark each of his six years as an ACTC member, but is most proud that he incorporates variety into his repertoire, completing as least 25 different rides each year. “There are 97 different Grizzly Bears rides (easy to moderate as offered by the ACTC), and I try to knock off as many as I can,” Halem said. For his own leadership efforts, Halem (shown above leading a group through the baylands of Newark), advertises: “Remember Bob Halem doesn’t do hills.” Although a big guy at 6-foot-2, in the “high 200s (pounds),” the 60-year-old Halem is quite capable of attacking a roller when needed. He works as a globe-trotting data storage consultant for IBM who moved into cycling (“for the exercise and the social aspects”) after a tour of duty as competitive ocean-racing sailor, an avocation which also benefited from his leadership proclivities having been chairman of the Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco in the early 1990s. The next Halem-led ride scheduled for ACTC is a 15-mile outing titled “Windmills and Sand” through Golden Gate Park on Nov. 20. ACTC is a non-competitive club with about 1,000 members. For more information go on line at www.actc.org.

—By Karl Laucher

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Leland High School

Girls’ volleyball takes two from division rivals
In girls’ volleyball action, the Chargers went undefeated last week, getting wins against two Mount Hamilton Division opponents, improving Leland’s record to 7-5 in league play.

On Oct. 26, the girls’ squad got a convincing 25-15, 25-15, 25-13 home win over Santa Teresa, with Chaulet Scala leading all players on offense with seven kills. In addition, Grace Chang led the Chargers with 22 digs, while Christy Gillick led the offense in assists with 23.

The day also marked the last home game of the season for the Chargers, which meant saying goodbye to a pair of seniors on the squad, Marissa Brehmer and Gillick. The seniors were honored at the game for their contributions to Leland volleyball.

Two days later, the team managed another victory against Mount Pleasant by scores of 25-19, 25-22, 14-25 and 25-14. Leading the way on offense was Brehmer, who registered 12 kills in the win for the Chargers (16-10 overall). Gillick led the offense once more in assists with 29, while Chang once again led the way in digs with 22.

Boys’ water polo loses 11-9 to division foe Mount Pleasant
The boys’ water polo crew had a tough week, dropping an 11-9 loss to Mount Hamilton Division rival Mount Pleasant on Oct. 27. The Chargers (6-2 in division play), got some much-needed scoring help from Michael Steranka, who led all Leland scorers with three goals.

“We started out a little slow,” said Leland Head Coach Mike Monsees. “If you saw the last quarter of the game, you would’ve thought we were the better team. I wish we started the game with the same intensity that we ended the game with.”

Stibbe goes on scoring rampage; girls’ water polo keeps rolling to victory
In girls’ water polo, the Chargers won an 18-3 blowout against Lincoln on Oct. 27, improving the team’s record to a perfect 8-0 in Mount Hamilton Division play. Charger Christy Stibbe had a game to remember, scoring eight times to lead all Chargers on offense. In addition to Stibbe, Leland also received scoring help from Amanda Maciel (four goals), as well as Elena SantaMaria and Rebecca Pele, with each player scoring twice.

The team then ventured over to Lincoln High to participate in the Lincoln Halloween Classic on Oct. 29 and 30. The Chargers won twice on the 29th, getting a 13-5 victory over Aptos and a 7-2 win over Willow Glen. In both games, Stibbe led the offensive attack, scoring five goals in each game. In addition, Courtney Monsees and SantaMaria chipped in three goals each against Aptos.

The following day, the girls’ squad dropped a 9-6 decision to Presentation, with Stibbe chipping in three goals to lead the team.

“No one’s really been able to stop her in the last four or five games,” said Leland Head Coach Eric Rise of Stibbe, who registered 22 goals in the past five games. “When she got the eight goals (against Lincoln), she got the confidence to impose her will on other players.”

The Chargers then took a 5-3 win from the Los Altos Eagles, finishing in third place for the tournament. Monsees led all Chargers in the game with three goals, while Casey Armstrong was named to the all-tournament defensive team for her play over the weekend. Lastly, the Chargers’ 21-9 overall record tied a school record for most wins in girls’ water polo.

Leland fieldhockey splits two in three days
The Chargers’ field hockey team started out on a positive note, getting a 1-0 win over Westmont on Oct. 27. Megan Wilson scored Leland’s only goal in the victory.

The team then took on Monte Vista on Oct. 29, dropping a 2-0 loss and setting the Chargers’ record at 7-5-1 in Santa Teresa Division standings.

“They played alright,” said Leland Head Coach Sharan Kalla of her team’s performance throughout the week. “They just have to work on communication, and once they have that worked out, they’ll be unstoppable.”

Pioneer High School

Girls’ volleyball wins two, stands in second place in West Valley Division
The girls’ volleyball team had an undefeated week, getting wins against Pacific College on Oct. 26 and against Del Mar on Oct. 28.

Against Pacific College, the Mustangs won in three straight by scores of 25-14, 26-24 and 25-23, with Kay-tee Henshall leading all Mustangs with four kills.

Two days later at Del Mar High, the Mustangs secured yet another win by scores of 25-14, 25-13 and 25-20. For Pioneer, seniors Kristen Harris and Stephanie Morales led all Mustangs on offense with seven kills each in the win.

“They’re doing really well,” said Pioneer Head Coach Michelle Ritter of Morales and Harris. “We’re starting to run some new plays and they’re adjusting to them well.”

The Mustangs’ record now stands at 10-7 overall and 7-3 in West Valley Division play, good for second place behind 10-0 Lincoln.

Zondervan scores 11 in four games; boys’ water polo registers three wins
In boys’ water polo action, the Mustangs took an 8-3 win over the Independence 76ers on Oct. 27 to improve to 3-5 in Mount Hamilton Division play. Junior Kevin Zondervan led all Mustangs in scoring, getting three against the 76ers, while junior David Atala chipped in two more in the win.

The boys’ team then took part in the Monte Vista Tournament on Oct. 29 and 30, getting an 8-3 win over Wilcox to get things going during the first day of tournament play. Once again, Zondervan led the offense with three goals, while Atala added two more for the Mustangs.

The following day, the Mustangs won both their games, getting a 13-4 win over Santa Clara and a 6-4 victory over Carlmont. Against Santa Clara, Zondervan and Cole Davis led the offense with three goals each. In the match-up against Carlmont, Zondervan and Atala led the offense with two goals apiece.

“Zondervan gets a lot of shots off during games,” said Pioneer Head Coach Scott Kaubish, whose team is now 16-13 overall. “He gets himself open and fires on the cage a lot.”

Girls’ water polo clinches first place in Santa Teresa Division
The girls’ water polo team ended their regular season with a 4-1 win over Willow Glen, setting the Mustangs’ season record at 19-6 overall and 8-0 in Santa Teresa Division play, clinching first place in the division. The scoring in the win was evenly distributed, as Rebecca Wallworth, Elyssa Samson, Akalin Abulkhanou and Cara Simpson each scored goals against Willow Glen.

“I was extremely pleased,” said Pioneer Head Coach Gordy Smith. “We played a great game against Willow Glen. Katie Lopiccolo was missing (sick) and the rest of the girls picked it up for the game.”

Cross country boys win division, await CCS championship race on Nov. 13
Looking to stay perfect in West Valley Division standings, the boys’ cross country team took a 15-35 win over Gunderson and a 21-34 win over Lincoln in a meet at Montgomery Hill on Oct. 27. Leading the pack was Mustang Steven DeLay, who finished first individually with a time of 15 minutes and 52 seconds. Not far behind was Pioneer’s Ken Rose, who finished third with a time of 16:23. On Rose’s heels was none other than teammate Jeff Higashi, who finished fourth with a 16:43 time. The boys’ squad is now 6-0 in league play.

As for the girls’ squad, things didn’t fare quite as well, as the team dropped a 20-35 decision to Lincoln. The girls’ team is now 3-3 in league play.

The team then went over to Crystal Springs on Nov. 1, resulting in the boys’ team clinching the West Valley Division Championship for the second straight season.

DeLay once again finished first individually with a 17:20 time on the 2.9-mile course. Rose finished right on DeLay’s heels, registering a 17:22 time for second place, while Higashi finished fifth with a time of 17:55. In addition, Ken Earl finished 10th with an 18:08 time and Dan Hudson finished 12th for the Mustangs with an 18:39 time.

The win secured a chance for Pioneer to compete in the Central Coast Section Championship on Nov. 13 in Salinas.

“It was great,” said Pioneer Head Coach Jim Polanco. “The kids worked very hard this year. It was a goal we set (to win West Valley Division) and we’re looking forward to competing at CCS.”

Bret Harte clinches 2004 San Jose Unified
All-Star soccer championship

The all-star team of Bret Harte Middle School earned the title of 2004 champions in the San Jose Unified School’s All-Star soccer program over the weekend by beating Hoover Middle School 1-0.

“The boys played with a lot of heart all season,” said Coach John Enriquez Sr. “We had some games where the other team had boys twice the size of our kids, but our boys out played them both offensively and defensively. It was great winning the championship for the eighth graders that are graduating and will be going to high school next year. The good thing is that the majority of our players will be coming back next year since we had so many sixth and seventh graders on the roster. I want to thank the parents and our fans that stopped by to support the team during the season. We couldn’t have done it without your support, so keep coming back to the games next year and watch your Bret Harte team repeat as Champions.”

The Bret Harte team finished the season 7–1 with a total of 25 goals scored and giving up only six goals. The team was led with players from local Almaden Valley select and comp soccer teams such as the Almaden Ruckus, Almaden Storms & Almaden Explosion.

“Bret Harte Middle School is fortunate to have so many talented soccer players in the Almaden Valley,” said Assistant Coach Mo Bani-Taba

Goalie Nick Gall and the defense led by Brent Mine, Mitchell Pennings and Mo Neouchy only gave up six goals the entire season along with a four-game shutout. The mid-field was led by Derrick Wang (who scored six goals) and the forwards were led by James Sekab (who also scored six goals) and Zade Shakir, who scored in every game—nine total—and in the final match against Hoover Middle School, Zade scored the game winner.

The surprising thing about Zade is that he is the smallest boy on the team, yet his performance on the field was very impressive. “That goes to prove that only in soccer ‘size doesn’t matter!’” laughed Coach Mo.

Sports Briefs

Pat Tillman Stadium naming ceremony at Leland set for Nov. 5
Leland High School will hold a 6:15 p.m. pre-game ceremony honoring Pat Tillman, a 1994 Leland graduate who was killed in April of 2004 while on duty with the U.S. Army Rangers in Afghanistan. Leland will rename its newly renovated football stadium the Pat Tillman Stadium and will retire Tillman’s number 42 jersey during the ceremony. A video honoring Tillman will also be played during halftime of Leland’s football game against Piedmont Hills.

Pee Wee Chargers advance to second round of Peninsula playoffs
The Pee Wee Chargers of Almaden Pop Warner football advanced to the second round of the Peninsula playoffs on Oct. 31 with a 29-0 win over Daly City at Pioneer High School.

The tone for the game was set on the opening kickoff when Ryan Smith returned it for a 65-yard score. Vinny Gemette and Conor Jones combined to score three touchdowns to round out the scoring for the Chargers. The line play for the Chargers, which saw action out of Shane Pizzo, Chad McCarthy, Kyle Cunningham, Nick LeDeit and Michael Reeve, did fine work up front by creating running holes for the backs.

Brian Michaelis, Brian Dandelet, Chase Hubbard, Johnny Lizana, Sohn Nijor and Alex Gonzales turned in solid performances on defense.

The Pee Wee team is the only Almaden team to advance in the playoffs. Next up for the Chargers is Sunnyvale. The game is at Peterson High School at 11 a.m.

U.S. Youth Volleyball signups now in progress
Signups for USYVL spring season are currently taking place in Los Gatos, San Jose and Morgan Hill. The USYVL is a coed instructional league for children ages 8-14.

The season begins in April and runs eight weeks with games at Los Gatos High School, Kirk Park in San Jose and Paradise/Galvan Park in Morgan Hill.

For more information, call 1-888-988-7985 or log on to www.usyvl.org

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, Nov. 15 and Tuesday, Nov. 16 from 6-9 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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