November 8, 2007

SPORTS

Leland defeats Mt. Pleasant with a substantial 56-6 win

By Daniel Miranda
Sports Coordinator

On the heels of a loss to Del Mar, the Leland High School football team sent a statement to the rest of the league by defeating Mt. Pleasant 56-6 on Saturday to improve to 4-2 in league.

Leland Junior Jay Perez runs with the ball to the end zone and scores a touch down during their with Mt. Pleasant on Saturday Nov. 3 at home. Photo by Jeff Laplante

It was senior day, and for some it would likely be the last time they played on Pat Tillman field as a member of the Leland football team. The team captains for the game were all seniors: Zeyad Zaky, Adrian Garcia, Berton Mahardja and Oktay Boroumand.

“It meant a ton to the seniors to play their best game on their home field,” said head coach Mike Carrozzo. “ I also told the starting seniors that the only way they get out is to take care of business early.”

Senior running back Kevin Krail started the scoring with a 50-yard touchdown run that put the Chargers on top 7-0 with 8:01 in the first quarter.

Mt. Pleasant received the ball at their own 20-yard line to begin their first drive of the game. On third and 4, quarterback Travis Driskell fumbled, and Leland defensive lineman Alex Rorie picked it up.

With the ball on the Chargers’ 23-yard line, the offense went to work. Ricky Battipede hit tight end Tyler Beigibing for an 8-yard gain. On second and 2, senior running back Jeff Sommer gained the yardage necessary for the first down. With the first down Battipede handled the ball off to Sommer to finish what he started.

He did just that, running the ball 20 yards for the touchdown with 5:25 left in the first quarter. The extra point by Will Boring was blocked. Chargers led 13-0.

Mt. Pleasant’s next possession ended like their first with a fumble picked up by Leland linebacker Matt MacHado. With the ball on the 50-yard line, Battipede threw a strike to senior Nate Jones who ran the rest of the way for a touchdown. Leland led 20-0 with 5:02 left to play in the first quarter.

Mt. Pleasant, which was down by three touchdowns, begin their next drive with the ball on their own 48-yard line thanks to a great return. Travis Driskell ran the ball but the Charger defensive was not going to give up any yards, and stopped him for no gain.

On the next play, Acorn quarterback Danny Centeno was hit by a blitzing R.J. Stinger causing the ball to be picked out of the air by Rorie who rambled 23 yards to set up the Chargers next scoring opportunity.

With the ball on the 25-yard line, senior running back Josh Carroll picked up another first down by running for 15 yards. Krail finished the scoring drive with a 10-yard run that put the Chargers up 27-0 with 2:44 left to play in the first quarter.

Mt. Pleasant got the ball on Leland’s 16-yard line. Fullback Jess Maciel ran for 5 yards but the Chargers defense stiffened and on fourth and 5, Mt. Pleasant punted. Josh Carroll returned the punt 25 yards, setting up the Chargers on their own 45-yard line. Later in the drive, Krail ran for a 15-yard touchdown. Leland led 33-0 as the first quarter ended.

Leland junior Will Boring kicks an extra point during their game against Mt. Pleasant. Boring kicked five extra points and one 20-yard field goal. Photo by Ben Dehoven

The second quarter saw more of the same with Mt. Pleasant unable to move the ball. Leland keep up the scoring when Will Boring made a 20-yard field goal, which put the Chargers up 36-0 with 8:29 left to play in the second quarter.

It was not until the last seconds of the second quarter that Mt. Pleasant broke the shutout when Travis Driskell scored with 43.9 seconds left in the half. Leland still led 36-6 at halftime.

The third quarter started with Leland receiving the ball. Lineman Michael Economy returned the short kick 5 yards to set up the Chargers on their 40-yard line. Sommer ran the ball to the 33-yard line, but Carroll was not so lucky being dropped behind the line of scrimmage for a 1-yard loss setting up second and 11.

Krail scored the last of his four touchdowns by running the ball 34 yards putting the Chargers up 43-6 with 10:33 left to play in the third quarter. “ I knew that is where I wanted to be in the end-zone. This is my last senior home game I was doing whatever I could to get in the end zone each time,” said Krail.

Just because Krail was finished scoring, it didn’t mean the Chargers were finished. Carroll also got into the act by scoring on a 6-yard run with 6:17 left in the third quarter putting the Chargers up 50-6.

The ability of the Chargers to move the ball with such ease was largely due to the offensive line. The inability of Mt. Pleasant to move the ball was due to the Chargers’ defensive line.

At the start of the fourth quarter, with the score 50-6 coach, Carrozzo replaced his starters. Battipede was replaced by Boring and Jay Perez replaced Krail. But the new offense didn’t miss a beat as Boring, with the help of Perez, marched down the field and scored.

Junior running back Perez scored on a 15-yard run that put the Chargers up 56-6 with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter. “ I was kind of scared, so I ran to get away from them,” said Perez, “ when I saw the end zone, I felt that all my hard work and dedication had paid off.”

The Chargers will play their last regular season football game Friday night at Evergreen at 7 p.m.

Leland frosh/soph look to become league champs
Leland’s frosh/soph team look to be league champs after beating Mt. Pleasant 21-18 Saturday at home. The Chargers are undefeated with only one game to play in the league. The Chargers only loss to date came against Homestead, which was a non-league game.

The Chargers have a very strong defense as they lead the league in takeaways with 22. Defensive linemen Conner Jones and Steven Economy lead the league in sacks.

The Chargers have an equally strong offensive highlighted by Vinnie Gemette who rushed for 926 yards. “We told the if we did not win league it would be the coaches fault,” said head frosh/soph coach John Flowers, “We knew the talent was there.”

Almaden United takes gold at Placer

The Almaden United girls U14 soccer team won the Gold Division of the Placer United Tournament in Sacramento on Oct. 27–28.

Almaden opened the tournament on Saturday with a pair of 5-1 victories over the River City Boca Juniors and tournament host Placer United. Alyssa White scored the first goal of the tournament just 22 seconds into the game on an assist from Lauren Tarantino.

From there United never looked back tallying 15 goals in four games for the tournament, while surrendering only two. The road to the final opened up on Sunday morning with a 3-0 victory over a solid Central Valley Spirit team. An injury and illness plagued- Almaden United team entered the final at the Cherry Island Soccer Complex with a 3-0 tournament record.

The final was action packed and intense from the beginning right up to the final whistle. After going up 1–0 against the California Nike Rush early, the United girls never let up on their intensity and scored another insurance goal late in the first half to earn a convincing 2–0 tournament championship.

Throughout the weekend Courtney Lisowski and Jennae Cambra were outstanding filling in at goalkeeper for an injured Natalie Ogden. Almaden United scoring was led by Alyssa White (8), Hayley Wilson (2), Lauren Tarantino (2), Ashley Cancilla, Megan Rauschnot and Sara Sauceda.

Tarantino, Wilson, Sauceda, Cambra and Emily Sklar also added assists throughout the tournament. The Almaden United Girls U14 team is composed of Jennae Cambra, Ashley Cancilla, Megan Caviglia, Morgan Dreyer, Katie Foreman, Courtney Lisowski, Aly Murakami, Taryn Ng, Natalie Ogden, Megan Rauschnot, Sara Sauceda, Emily Sklar, Lauren Tarantino, Alyssa White, Heather White and Hayley Wilson.

Almaden Fusion takes championship at Lodi Fall Classic

Almaden Fusion, a girls’ U11 Select soccer team took first place in the Lodi Fall Classic for Girls tournament Oct. 27 and 28 in Lodi. The team advanced to the championship match by beating three opponents in bracket-play with a combined goal differential of 10-1.

In the championship match, Almaden Fusion defeated Lamorinda United '96 Blue 4-0. The team's success was enhanced by the fact that goals were scored by a variety of players and the team held the opponents to only one goal over four games.

Members of Almaden Fusion are, from left, front row: Brooke Lisowski; middle row: Rhiannon Holmes, Michelle Maemone, Ashley Kirchick, Courtney Chang, Ashley Parsons, Sydnie Stanton, Katie McMullin, Adrianna Lash, and Piper Gleadhill; back row: Megan Rogusky, Kelly Lymberopoulos, Alli Foreman, Melissa Fletcher, Kelsey Allmon, Alexa Kuechle and Kristin Baer. The team is coached by Veronica Zepeda and Kendra Sato.

Sporting Girls place first, second in Kick or Treat Tournament

Sporting Girls Green and White teams came together for a photo. From left, front row: Maddie Cavanna*, Dahlia Maldanado, Reese Gonzalez, Raquel Mendoza, Erica Nakano*, Katie Saviage*, Megan Wheelock and Lauren Craft*; second row: Ashley Lawrence*, Olivia Wissig, Danielle Hadfield*, Cecelia Hinz*, Erin McCoy* and Cassidy Ballard* ; third row: Michelle Stack, Hanna Gratny*, Kylie Rego, Shaelan Murison-Brown, Lauren Plesse, Sierra Painter*, Hannah Goes, Regan Heslop*, April Tilmant*, Kylie Nall (guest player) and Kaila Silveira; back row: White Team Coach Dave Ballard*, Green Team Assistant Coach Jamie Berg*, Green Team Head Coach Jim Lawrence* and White Team Assistant Coach Henry Silveira. Julia Houkis not pictured. (*Denotes Almaden resident)

The U10 Sporting Girls Green and White Select soccer teams placed first and second respectively at the Ninth Annual Diablo Valley Kick or Treat Soccer Tournament. The tournament was held on Oct. 27 and 28 in Concord and hosted 12 girls’ soccer teams through northern California.

Both teams dressed for the occasion and came up with their own costumes for the event. The Green team, coached by Jim Lawrence, played as Special Forces “commandos.” The White team, coached by Dave Ballard, dressed as “hippie chicks,” complete with tied-dye shirts and psychedelic wigs.

In an unusual fate of pairing, both teams made it to the finals. The soccer sisters had a group cheer before the game, but played their hardest during the game. After the game, the girls exchanged gift bags filled with Halloween candy and were all smiles.

“Both teams had to play their best in order to make it to the finals,” said Lawrence. “I am proud of both teams,” he continued. Ballard said, “It’s a testament to our club and training for us to take first and second in the same tournament.”

Both Sporting teams will be expanding their rosters as the teams go to the 11v11 format in the upcoming spring season. They are also currently qualifying for the Norcal State soccer tournament, which will be played in Sacramento Nov. 17 and 18.

Pioneer keeps winning streak alive

By Gary van den Heuvel
Staff Writer

The Pioneer High School football team kept their eyes firmly focused and didn’t look past a tough opponent in Live Oak. They played what coach Mark Krail called “our best game of the year” beating the visiting Acorns 41-7 on Saturday.

Pioneer's Mike Cobb drags a Live Oak player as he goes for more yards during their game on Saturday Nov. 3. Photos by Ric Medlinger - www.medlinger.net

The Mustangs’ win sets the stage for a good old-fashioned, season-ending showdown with first place in the Mount Hamilton division on the line. Pioneer, 5-0-1 in league play, 5-3-1 overall, must go on the road for a Friday, Nov. 9 night game against first-place Oak Grove, which is 6-0 in the league, 8-1 overall and ranked third in the CCS ratings.

Live Oak, which had hoped to qualify for a postseason spot, fell to 3-3 in the league.

An early defensive stand by Pioneer served as an indication of things to come. Acorn quarterback Jeff Roberts directed Live Oak inside the Mustang 20-yard line on the game’s first possession, but on third and short Roberts was caught on a busted option play and dropped for a loss by linebackers Logan Howard and David Figueroa. A missed field goal put the ball into the hands of the Mustangs’ top-flight running attack.

The Mustangs moved the ball gradually to midfield, when Shane Murray burst free from the line of scrimmage and ran for 52 yards for the touchdown and a 7-0 Pioneer lead.

After a three-downs-and-punt possession by the Acorns, Pioneer needed two plays to widen their lead. The score came on a misdirection play. Quarterback Joe Alise faked a handoff to Marquee Heffner, who was moving left and brought the entire Acorn defense with him. But Alise looked right and lobbed a pass to the wide-open Murray, who caught the ball around the Live Oak 40 and dashed untouched for a 72-yard touchdown.

After a Pioneer drive consisting of ground gains from Heffner (who ran for 92 yards on the day), Murray, Mike Cobb and Alise, the score was 21-0 following a 15-yard touchdown run by Murray, who led all runners with 116 yards on 12 carries to go with his three touchdowns. With a 21-point lead early in the second quarter, Pioneer’s home field supporters smelled blood.

It wasn’t as simple as it appeared. “I don’t know that it was easy,” Krail said. “Offensively we did some nice things, we had a couple of big plays. Every week you challenge your guys to win the line of scrimmage and they did today, on offense and defense.”

On the first play of Live Oak’s next possession, defensive back Chad Dreher scooped up a loose ball and ran it back 35 yards for another Mustang score. The missed extra point didn’t change the contest, but the Acorns showed signs of life before halftime when Roberts, who two plays earlier made a 35-yard run to the Mustang 4, scored the Acorns’ lone touchdown on a quarterback sneak.

The Pioneer defense lead by Logan Howard, Aaron Lefeber and Daniel Montesano, in background, put a stop to a Live Oak runner during the game.

That didn’t slow the Mustangs. After recovering Live Oak’s surprise onside kick attempt, the Mustangs relied on Heffner, who carried three times for 32 yards, capping the drive on a 12-yard touchdown run. At halftime Pioneer led 34-7.

Despite the efforts of standout offensive players Roberts, running back Billy Van Aiken and receiver Tim O’Rourke, the Acorns couldn’t make significant progress against the Pioneer defense, and they didn’t score again. Mike Cobb scored the game’s final touchdown on a 1-yard dive early in the second half.

Leading 41-7, the Mustangs went to their reserve corps of runners, and Justin Souza, Cody Otsuji and Eric Ayala contributed many second-half yards to add to Pioneer’s game total of 338 on the ground.

“We bow to no one,” Krail exhorted his team following the win. Krail mentioned Stanford’s recent upset of then-No. 1 team USC as an example of what his team is capable of in next week’s matchup with Oak Grove.

“We talked in May about goals and the number-one goal is to win a championship,” said Krail. “And here we are in week 10 against a very good team and we are playing for a championship, so we can’t ask for any more than that. I’m really proud of them.”

Leland, St. Ignatius play to 0-0 tie in field hockey

By Gary van den Heuvel
Staff Writer

The Leland High School girls’ varsity field hockey team led into their Nov. 1 season-ending game against the visiting St. Ignatius Wildcats with an emotional tribute to the departing seniors, who were presented with bouquets of flowers and testimonials from their teammates.

As inspirational as the pre-game ceremony was, it didn’t lift the Chargers to a win; instead they closed their season with a 0-0 tie, ending with a record of two wins, six losses and two ties.

“We played a really good game and deserved to win, but it didn’t go our way,” said Leland’s Laura Roberts.

“It was too physical,” Claire Thompson chimed in, and she should know. Thompson, a scrappy, aggressive defender, who speedily weaves through the opposition on offense, helped create several opportunities for a Leland score. Even though she was often picking herself up off the grass at Pat Tillman Stadium after a collision, the Northwestern-bound senior remained cheerful, “Nobody likes me,” she joked.

Leland coach Arjen Reyatt agreed with his team. “The game was a little bit tough,” he said. “It was physical, but it’s a physical sport.”

For most of the game it appeared Leland had the upper hand, with the aggressive offensive of Thompson, along with Ana Castillo, Jules Ramona, Megan Haley, Laura Roberts and others. But the Wildcats, who traveled from San Francisco because of a lack of girls’ field hockey in the San Francisco schools, were able to stymie every attempt with tough, physical defense, particularly from Erika Brickley and good goalkeeping by Zoe Feld.

The overtime period featured Thompson nearly scoring, taking a stick in the face at one point, hitting the deck at another, but continuing to pop back up. Neither team could end the scoreless tie and with that the field hockey season was over.

Leland’s departing seniors are Thompson, Ramona, Allison Roe, Jenna Ryan, Whitney Reyes, Jennifer Katsura, and Natalie Herz.

Coach Reyatt has seen a lot of progress despite the Chargers’ record. “We were playing teams that we had a lot of problems with in the beginning of the season, but we came back and gave them a good run for their money,” the fourth-year coach said. “Definitely it’s a good sign to see that we’re competing and worrying the top teams in the league.”

Almaden’s Davis wins WCAL for third year

Almaden's Tayler Davis, a 16-year-old junior at Archbishop Mitty High School, completed the WCAL individual singles at Cuesta Park winning the title for an unprecedented third consecutive year. She also was named player of the year the second year in a row and received team all-league for the third consecutive year.

Davis helped the Mitty team remain undefeated in league play 14-0 with her own undefeated record of 21-0 for the year. She and the team now head to CCS team playoffs at Santa Clara University. She will also be the top seed in the individual CCS championships in two weeks at Courtside.

In addition to high school tennis, she plays USTA and will finish first in the NorCal's Girls 18 ranking. She is ranked 31 in the nation in Girls 18s.

With her tennis ability and academics, she is one of the top recruits in the nation and currently being recruited by most of the top colleges in the country. She works very hard both on and off the court.

High School Sports Schedule Nov. 9 – Nov. 15

Leland

Friday – Frosh/soph football at Evergreen, 4:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity football at Evergreen, 7 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ tennis CCS Team quarterfinals at TBA, Time TBA

Saturday - Cross country CCS at Crystal Springs, starting at 10 a.m.
Saturday – Girls’ volleyball CCS DI quarterfinals v Presentation at TBA, 1 p.m.
Saturday – Girls’ waterpolo CCS DI quarter finals v Palo Alto at Monta Vista, 12:40 p.m.

Tuesday - Boys’ water polo CCS DI semi finals at Bellarmine HS, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Girls’ water polo CCS DI semi finals at Bellarmine HS, 7 p.m.

Thursday - Girls’ volleyball CCS DI semi finals at Santa Clara HS, TBA

Pioneer

Friday – Frosh/soph football at Oak Grove, 4:30 p.m.
Friday – Varsity football at Oak grove, 7 p.m.

Saturday – Cross country CCS at Crystal Springs, starting at 10 a.m.
Saturday – Girls’ water polo CCS DII quarterfinals vs. Santa Cruz at Independence, 10 a.m.
Saturday – Boys’ water polo CCS DII quarterfinals vs. winner Los Gatos v Serra at Lynbrook, 10 a.m.

Tuesday – Boys’ water polo CCS DII semifinals at Lynbrook HS, TBA

Wednesday Girls’ water polo CCS DII semifinals at Lynbrook HS, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Cupertino, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Cupertino, 6 p.m.

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

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

Sports Briefs

San Jose Strikkers 18u – 2008 Summer Tryouts
The San Jose Strikkers 18u will be holding their 2008 summer tryouts on the dates listed below.  Just in case you have not heard we have already qualified for the 2008 ASA Nationals in Moline, Ill.!  Our main objective is to develop softball excellence and to assist each young lady in the achieving their goals on the softball field and assist them with their dreams of obtaining college scholarships.  Come and be part of our exciting team!  To learn more about our team philosophy and goals please visit our website. http://eteamz.active.com/sanjosestrikkers18u

Dates;  Sundays, 11/18, 12/2, 12/16, and (if needed) 1/6/08

Place:  Oak Grove High School

Times:  9 a.m. Pitchers & Catchers / 10:30 a.m. Position Players

If you have any questions, please contact Richard Fangonilo (408) 439-7383 or Frank King (408) 406-8191.

E-mail:  Richard Fangonilo rfangonilo@sjm.com  or Frank King fgking25@aol.com

Girl’s Club Volleyball Tryouts
Jumpstart Volleyball Club tryouts for beginner to advanced players for competition and developmental teams. Tryouts on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007, at Buchser Middle School located at 1111 Bellomy St., Santa Clara. Tryout Times: 12 & under - 10 a.m. to 12 noon; 13 to 14 & under 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; 15 thru 18 & under 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tryout fee $30 - www.jumpstartvolleyball.com for more information or call 408-378-8590.

2007 Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 5K run/walk and 10K run
This annual event scheduled for Nov. 22, is appropriate for all ages - kid fun run, too! Event proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank, Santa Clara Family Health Foundation, and the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Confluence Meadow, Guadalupe River Park in downtown San Jose. For more information, visit http://www.svlg.net/events/ TurkeyTrot2007


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