November 16, 2006

SPORTS

Playoff-bound Leland football team ends regular season with 38-22 win over Raiders

Chargers crowned Santa Teresa Division champs with 7-0 league record; offense runs for 465 yards in win

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland football team capped off a Santa Teresa Division title with a 38-22 win at Silver Creek on Nov. 9, giving the Chargers a perfect 7-0 record in league play to end the regular season.

Leland running back Lance Gemette inches toward the goal line during a 38-22 win at Silver Creek. Gemette ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Photos by Pat Killen

In return for their efforts, the Chargers (8-2 overall) were awarded the No. 4 seed in the CCS Large School Division playoffs and will host No. 5 seed Alisal on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m.

“It feels great,” Leland head coach Jason Tenner said of his team’s berth in the CCS playoffs. “These guys are a fabulous bunch. …After last year, we had a bitter taste in our mouths, but we set a goal and tonight, we satisfied part of that goal.”

As for the win over the Silver Creek Raiders, the Chargers relied on an efficient running game to keep the chains moving in the win. The Chargers ran for a season-high 465 yards in the win, eclipsing the team’s previous season-high total of 444 yards against Mt. Pleasant on Oct. 27. Senior running back Adam Ondi, who came into the game 120 yards shy of a 1,000-yard rushing season, ran for a game-high 216 yards on 17 carries, reaching the end zone twice. In addition, senior running back Lance Gemette, who was 225 yards short of a 1,000-yard rushing season prior to the game, ran for 140 yards on 20 carries to go along with two touchdowns.

“They run hard, they block well for each other and they’re great kids,” Tenner said of Ondi and Gemette. “They’re unselfish. Either one of them could’ve been a feature back this year, but they went back-and-forth, along with (Kevin) Krail. It’s a great group of kids.”

Defensively, the Chargers were equally effective, recording five sacks—two each by Jon Erickson and Anthony Sunseri—while getting a fumble recovery from Garrett Avilla and a fourth-quarter interception by Kevin Krail.

“Jon’s a fantastic football player,” Tenner said of Erickson. “He plays with a great motor and is definitely one of the leaders on our team. …We just have a great group of kids who play smart, good, and physical football.”

Leland jumped out to a 10-0 lead within the first six minutes of play, settling for a 31-yard field goal from Ricky Battipede during the offense’s game-opening drive, before Avilla’s fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff set up a 31-yard touchdown run by Gemette with 6:47 left in the first quarter.

Leland extended its lead to 17-0 in the second quarter, completing a nine-play, 75-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run from Ondi with 4:35 left in the first half.

Leland’s R.J. Singer makes a tackle during a 38-22 win over Silver Creek on Nov. 9. The Leland defense recorded five sacks, one fumble recovery and one interception in the win.

Silver Creek responded with a scoring drive of its own shortly thereafter, completing a seven-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ricky Washinton to wide receiver Darren Suimda with 1:23 left, cutting Leland’s lead to 17-7 at the half.

Leland’s first offensive series of the second half resulted in a scoring drive to bump the lead to 24-7, as Ondi reached the end zone on a 16-yard run with 5:55 left, before Washinton found Suimda again just before the end of the third quarter on a 20-yard touchdown pass, cutting Leland’s lead back down to 10 at 24-14.

But the fourth quarter saw Leland’s defense hold Silver Creek to two straight three-and-out offensive series, allowing the Chargers to score twice more, once on a 3-yard run from Gemette with 8:01 left to increase the lead to 31-14, before Josh Carroll ran in another score on a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:10 left for a 38-14 lead.

“They’ve got stud running backs,” Silver Creek head coach Eric Luescher said of Leland’s run game. “It’s almost like picking your poison. If you try to overload on one side, they come back with a little dive going the other way or run a counter. They’ve got a very potent running attack going into the playoffs.”

Silver Creek mustered one last scoring drive, getting a 3-yard touchdown run from Josh Avery and a successful two-point conversion with 1:18 left to cut the lead to 38-22, before Leland took possession of the ball on the ensuing kickoff to end the game, ensuring a league title for the Chargers.

Sports Briefs

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.

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.

NFL FLAG Football signups
NFL FLAG Football will be offered by the South Bay Football League at De Anza Park on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting Dec. 10. For kids 5-17, this non-contact 5-on-5 game has seven age brackets, and everyone plays! The League is convenient for parents too, with just a one day per week commitment. The cost is $75 per child, which includes 10 games, jamboree and championship series as well as an NFL LOGO Jersey and flag belt that each player keeps at the end of the season. Go to www.southbayfootball.com to register online or for more information.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Saturday – Varsity football vs. Alisal in first round of CCS Large School Division playoffs, 1 p.m.
Saturday – Boys’ basketball at Branham, noon varsity and 10 a.m. frosh/soph
Saturday – Girls’ basketball vs. Fremont, 3 p.m. varsity and 1 p.m. JV

Monday - Girls’ tennis CCS individuals/doubles first round and quarterfinals at Courtside Club, noon

Tuesday - Girls’ tennis CCS individuals/doubles semifinals and finals at Courtside Club, noon

Wednesday – Girls’ basketball annual alumni Game, 6 p.m.
Wednesday – Boys’ basketball annual alumni Game, 7:30 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Varsity football at Los Gatos in first round of CCS Medium School Division playoffs, 7 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ basketball scrimmage at Sacred Heart Prep, 6:30 p.m. varsity and 5 p.m. JV


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/

Leland girls’ volleyball season ends with CCS playoff loss to St. Francis

Chargers lose season ending 3-1 decision to Lancers after
taking 3-0 win over Sequoia in CCS opening round

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland girls’ volleyball team saw its season end with a 3-1 loss to No. 3 seed St. Francis in the quarterfinal round of the CCS Division II Playoffs on Nov. 11.

Leland's Chaulet Scala led her team with 10 kills and also recorded 16 digs in a 3-1 loss to St. Francis on Nov. 11 in the quarterfinal round of the CCS Division II Playoffs. Photos by Jeff Frazee

The loss came on the heels of a 3-0 win at home over 11th-seeded Sequoia on Nov. 8.

Despite going up 1-0 in the early going with a 25-20 win in game one, the Chargers could not hold off the Lancers, who took early leads and built on them steadily in the final three games of the match for the win. Leland senior Chaulet Scala led the Chargers with 10 kills and also recorded 16 digs, while Grace Chang contributed seven kills and nine digs in the loss.

Leland head coach Chris Hansen said she was proud of her team’s effort in the season-ending loss.

“I’m not disappointed. They’re a good team,” Hansen said of St. Francis. “I wasn’t disappointed with our performance … overall, I thought we did a good job.”

Leading 1-0, the Chargers fell behind early in game two with a 16-10 deficit and saw the Lancers’ lead increase to 21-14 with a modest 5-4 run. Still, the Chargers fought back, cutting the lead to 22-19 with a 5-1 run that featured a tip and a kill from Justine Johnson, while also taking advantage of a pair of St. Francis hitting errors. The small comeback wasn’t enough however, as the Lancers finished off game two on a 3-0 run to tie things up 1-1.

Games three and four saw the Lancers take the early edge before building up double-digits leads for wins.

The Chargers found themselves with an early 11-7 deficit in game three before the Lancers embarked on a 7-2 run for an 18-9 advantage. Shortly thereafter, the Lancers took their first double-digit lead of the match, going up 20-10 before finishing up the game with a 5-0 run for a 25-10 win in game three and a 2-1 lead in the match.

Finally, the Chargers saw the Lancers start game four with a 16-4 lead, including a 12-0 scoring run, for a 14-point advantage that held up until late in the game, with St. Francis leading 22-8.

The Leland offense mustered one last stand with a small 4-1 scoring edge, getting a kill and a tip from Elisa Vye, as well as a kill from Scala, cutting the Lancers’ lead to 23-12, before St. Francis took the final game by a score of 25-13 with a 2-1 edge on a pair of kills.

“I think we kind of went flat,” Hansen said of her team’s performance in games two, three and four. “We made more mistakes than we should have.”

The loss came just days after the Chargers opened up postseason play with a convincing 3-0 win at home over Sequoia on Nov. 8.

“I was really happy,” Hansen said after the win over Sequoia. “They came ready to play. We’ve worked hard all season for this and their goal was to win a first round game in CCS, and they did that.”

Scala led the Chargers in the win with 10 kills, while Grace Chang contributed a team-high 21 digs. Junior Kat Beheshti also contributed offensively in the win, recording nine kills.

“She’s been working hard all season,” Hansen said of Beheshti. “Her timing’s been a little off, but tonight it all clicked for her. I’m so happy for her because she’s one of the hardest working kids out here.”

Leland managed to grab early leads in games one and three, while trailing with a slight 7-6 deficit in game two before the offense embarked on a 7-1 scoring run to take the lead. Leland went on to take game two by a close 25-19 score.

“It’s funny, because they make a few mistakes and get in a little rut,” Hansen said of game two. “…I know how they are, so I’m not nervous, I’m not feeling like there’s no way we’re going to win this.”

Hansen said the season-ending loss, while tough for her as a coach, was no doubt tougher for the seniors on the squad, realizing their high school playing careers are over. Still, Hansen said she, as well as her players, will remember the season fondly.

“It is tough for the seniors,” Hansen said, “but for me, it was just a great group of kids who worked well together. I’ll miss that next year.”

CCS playoffs roundup

Leland field hockey and water polo teams exit CCS with losses; Leland cross
country’s Stephanie Barnett advances to state championship meet

By Diego Abeloos and Justin Petersen
Times sports staff

The Leland field hockey team’s playoff run came to an end on Nov. 14 with a 2-0 loss to No. 1 seed Archbishop Mitty during the CCS semifinals at St. Francis High School.

The loss, which left the Chargers with a season record of 13-6, came on the heels of a nail-biting 1-0 overtime win versus Gilroy on Nov. 11 during the quarterfinal round.

Leland’s Marcus Gartner scored two goals in a 14-6 loss to Bellarmine in the quarterfinal round of the CCS Division I Playoffs on Nov.11 at Lynbrook High School. Photo by Diego Abeloos

“It’s been an excellent season overall,” said Leland head coach Arjan Reyatt. “This is the first Leland field hockey team to make it this far. …I’m extremely proud to be a part of this team.”

Mitty went ahead 1-0 in the first half on a short corner shot in the game’s 11th minute of play, before adding a second goal in the game’s 42nd minute during play in the second half.

“They’re a really good team,” Reyatt said of Mitty. “But I think we did well too.”

Reyatt, who refers to his team as “Family Lehock,” said Mitty’s first goal was tough to recover from in the first half.

“We started off well, but our wits weren’t about us after that first goal,” he said.

Just days earlier, the Chargers celebrated a tough 1-0 win, as Claire Thompson scored the game-winning goal in the game’s 69th minute on a breakaway following a pass from Jessica Talaugon that saw Gilroy’s goalkeeper venture out several yards to stop Thompson. Instead, Thompson veered left past the goalkeeper, and in the process, avoided another Gilroy defender and aimed her shot toward the right side of the goal, sealing the win.

“The goalie came out, so I cut to the left, and somehow I did a reverse stick, and it just slightly got past her,” Thompson said of the play.

Despite the season-ending loss, Reyatt said he will remember his team for playing hard, and with class throughout the season.

“It’s been an honor to coach this team,” he said.

Leland boys’ water polo season draws to a close with loss to Bellarmine
The Leland boys’ water polo team lost a 14-6 decision to No. 1 seed Bellarmine in the quarterfinal round of the CCS Division I Playoffs on Nov.11 at Lynbrook High School, ending the 2006-07 season for the Chargers.

Leland, the 2006-07 champions of the Mt. Hamilton Division, was never able to recover from a 7-2 deficit at the half, said Chargers head coach Mike Monsees. Raymond LaRochelle and Marcus Gartner led the Leland offense with two goals each in the loss. Despite the season-ending loss, Monsees said he was proud of the effort put forth by his squad all season long, adding that he will remember the team as one of the better groups to grace Leland’s water polo program in years.

“It’s the best season we’ve had in years,” Monsees said. “We did a great job, we were league champions and we beat a lot of very strong teams this year. So it was a great season.”

Trailing 9-2 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter, the Chargers cut Bellarmine’s lead to five, getting a goal from Max Dobrushin at 4:06, as well as a goal from LaRochelle with 2:18 left. Bellarmine answered back quickly however, scoring three times in just over one minute of play to take a 12-4 advantage.

After an early fourth-quarter goal from Bellarmine increased the lead to 13-4, the Chargers answered back with a goal from Gartner with 5:50 left, but were held scoreless for nearly five minutes of play after that, getting only one more goal from LaRochelle with 59 seconds left to play in the game.

“They had a slow start,” Monsees said of his squad. “That first quarter is where we really have to come out playing our best game, and we didn’t start off as strong as we should have.”

Monsees said swimming speed played a crucial role in the loss.

“We don’t have the swim speed they have,” Monsees said “All the swimmers from Almaden go to private schools … We’re working with kids who are water polo players.”

Leland girls’ water polo ends season with loss to Mitty
The Leland girls’ water polo team exited the CCS playoffs with an 11-6 loss to No. 7 seed Archbishop Mitty during the quarterfinals of the CCS Division I playoffs on Nov. 11, ending a promising season for the No. 2 seeded Chargers.

“There’s a lot of emotion,” said Leland head coach Eric Rise. “These are the greatest girls I’ve ever been around. At many times, they could’ve given up and they kept battling to make a game out of it. The heart that they have is just amazing. It’s just a great group of girls.”

A 10-3 deficit at halftime contributed to the Chargers’ loss, said Rise, whose team battled back defensively in the second half by limiting the Monarchs to just one fourth quarter goal.

“It was a tough break,” Rise said. “A lot of bars hit (on shots), and sometimes, the ball just doesn’t go that way. They played great though. …There were a lot of good shots that were just barely missing.”

Still, the second half defensive effort wasn’t enough, as the Leland offense mustered just one third quarter goal from Courtney Monsees with 3:55 left, cutting the lead to 10-4. Trailing 11-4 near the end of the fourth quarter, the Chargers scored twice in just under two minutes—both goals by Christy Stibbe—for an 11-6 final. Monsees, Stibbe and Elena Santamaria provided all of the offense for Leland in the loss, with two goals each.

In spite of the loss, Rise said his team will go down as perhaps the best girls’ water polo team ever at Leland, citing three straight league championships as proof. Rise said players like Monsees, Stibbe, Santamaria and Allison Mossing helped make the program one of the best in CCS.

“This has got to be, in my opinion, the best Leland team that’s ever come about,” Rise said. “These girls had four consecutive 20-win seasons. …Those guys built the program. They took Leland from a program that wasn’t around, to what it is now, a three-time league champ.”

Leland’s Stephanie Barnett heads to CIF state cross country championships
It looks like Leland will enjoy cross country success for years to come.

Sophomores Matt Vera and Stephanie Barnett thrust their school into the spotlight as underclassmen at the Central Coast Section Cross Country finals in Toro Park on Saturday.

Leland’s Stephanie Barnett won the Division II individual title and posted the top time in the section, 18 minutes, 12 seconds, during the CCS Cross Country Finals at Toro Park. Barnett will advance to the CIF State Championship meet on Nov. 25 at Woodward Park in Fresno. Photo courtesy of Bobbi Janes

Barnett, in fact, won the Division II individual title and posted the top time in the section, (18 minutes, 12 seconds), while Vera narrowly missed a state meet appearance, finishing two places out of the top eight qualifiers.

Vera’s time of 16 minutes and 43 seconds was a personal best, according to Coach Jerry Rose.

“We thought we had a chance to maybe take the girls team to state, but it didn’t happen for us this year,” said Rose.

Rose hoped that Stephanie and freshman sister Claudia Barnett would help catapult the Chargers among state elite team competitors. However, Claudia Barnett’s performance had been hampered by shin splints of late, so Leland proceeded without its No. 2 runner at the finals.

Stephanie Barnett starred however, from the starting gun to finish. 

“The race was over, one mile into the course,” said Rose.

As a result, Stephanie Barnett will hit the state trails alone this year again. She was a state qualifier as a freshman last year and holds high hopes of improving on her finish this time around. Last season, she was the 13th best freshman finisher in the state.

“Stephanie will do well in state,” said Rose. “When we first got her here, we told her we knew she was special. …Her best races are still ahead. We are not training her as if she needs to hurry up and produce the best race of her life.”

Pioneer’s Ken Earl and Kira Reinecker also raced in the CCS finals at Toro Park. Reinecker finished 77th in the Division III competition with a time of 22 minutes and 37 seconds, while Earl finished 38th, with a time of 17 minutes and 20 seconds in the boys’ Division III race.

Mustangs wrap up season with playoff berth

Pioneer stops Piedmont Hills on senior night with 35-24 win

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Pioneer football players decided that they would not wait to read their destiny in the newspaper and instead, secured a playoff slot by beating Piedmont Hills 35-24 on the road on Nov. 9.

In turn, the Mustangs (5-5, 4-3), last season’s Mount Hamilton Division co-champion, will face Los Gatos as the No. 7 seed in the CCS Medium School Division playoffs at Los Gatos on Nov. 17.

Pioneer’s Kyle Burchfiel picks off a Danny Cruz pass in the end zone in a 35-24 win on Nov. 9. Photo by Ric Medlinger at www.medlinger.net.

With the victory, Pioneer also capped a seesaw regular season, finishing in a three-way tie for third place with Lincoln and Piedmont Hills. However, Lincoln is not eligible for the playoffs, due to scheduling conflicts surrounding its historical Big Bone game versus San Jose High. As a result, Pioneer and Piedmont Hills will both appear in the
playoffs.

“We approached Piedmont like it was a playoff game,” said Pioneer head coach Mark Krail. “Hopefully, it’s the beginning of a little run here in the postseason.”

Pioneer defeated the Pirates largely by compiling 517 yards rushing, a number Krail mused may be a school record.

“We were able to establish the run early,” said Krail. “I don’t know if it was indeed a school record, but that’s a whole lot of yards.”

Meanwhile, the Pirates shifted from what Pioneer had presumed would remain a heavy running game, to the air, with Piedmont quarterback Danny Cruz throwing the ball 51 times. He completed 33 of those passes and finished with 307 yards passing and two touchdowns.

However, the Mustangs’ stable of running backs was too much to handle for the Pirates.

Junior Shane Murray was first to score on Pioneer’s side, scampering in from 14 yards out with nearly seven minutes remaining in the first quarter for a touchdown.

The teams subsequently exchanged scores and, just when it appeared that Pioneer would lead when the game broke for halftime, Cruz connected four passes and tossed a touchdown pass to Pirates wide receiver Alex Diaz from 21 yards out, just 30 seconds prior to the half.

Having missed the extra point on its first score, Piedmont opted to attempt the two-point conversion. But an airborne Murray saved the play when he knocked down a sure completion with his left hand in the front of the end zone. The play reserved a 14-12 halftime lead for the Mustangs.

Pioneer mounted a scoring drive in the second half, defined by Murray running the ball past Piedmont Hills’ defenders on several off-tackle counter plays. With a 35-yard scamper around end, senior Marquee Heffner ultimately put the Mustangs in scoring position, and senior Steven Lopes ran in a touchdown from one yard out.

The Pirates answered with a drive of their own, sneaking within 30 yards of the Mustang end zone. But senior Kyle Burchfiel picked off a Cruz pass in the end zone, and Pioneer maintained a 21-12 lead.

“That [Murray play] on the two-point conversion was huge,” said Krail. “If you look at the scorebook, extra points were the difference in the game. It was 28-24 with five minutes to go, and they were driving, before we got our last score.”

Krail said that he was especially proud of the Mustang effort defensively.

“We gave up 24 points, but they threw the ball 51 times,” he said. “They were in catch-up mode.”

Heffner led all rushers with 237 yards on 16 carries, while Murray accumulated 183 yards on 19 carries. Lopes tacked on another 97 yards on 16 carries.

“Marquee is a breakaway type runner,” Krail said of Heffner. “He is capable of going the whole way anytime you get him the ball.”

Krail said he was delighted that his team rose to the occasion on the eve of the CCS seeding meeting. Pioneer needed to win the game for an automatic berth, while a loss would have meant calculating Mustang power points, to see if Pioneer was eligible for a berth at-large.

With the win, Pioneer will face Los Gatos, arguably one of the most successful public school programs in recent CCS history.

“We have never to my knowledge played Los Gatos,” said Krail. “But we’re not intimidated. We have played some really quality teams this season. There may be this mystique of who they are on their chest, but we have stressed overcoming that.”

Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club Level 6 team crowned state champion

The Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club Level 6 team competed at the NorCal State championships in Oroville, Calif. on Nov. 11 and 12 and became the Level 6 state champions with an overall first-place finish at the event.

The Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club Level 6 team was named the Level 6 state champion following competition at the NorCal State championships in Oroville, Calif. on Nov. 11 and 12.

The team finished with a score of 112.875, beating out runner-up Bay Aerials Fremont (111.875) and third-place teams, Byers Sacramento (111.575) and Airborne Santa Clara (111.575).

In total, 56 teams competed in the Level 6 competition.

Almaden’s McKenzie Bajtos, 9, took first place overall out of 200 girls, with a solid score of 37.925.

Danae Shemansky, 12, placed first in the 12A division and second place overall with a score of 37.800. Parisa Loftis, 11, placed second in the 11B division with a score of 36.850. Also in the 11B division, Erica Matos, 11, placed fourth with a score of 36.500. Madison Maxwell, 10, placed third in the 10A division with a 36.525.

McKenzie Bajtos and Danae Shemansky were also named to the NorCal Level 6 State Team.

Judy Sun and Liviu Mazilu coached this year’s team along with the help of Rodica Apateanu.

“This state championship also would not have been possible had it not been for the commitment from coach Sun, coach Mazilu and coach Rodica to stay and train these girls until the end of the season,” said Scott Bajtos, parent of McKenzie Bajtos. “Congratulations to the coaches and the team.”

Almaden Fury wins Girls U9 league title, advances to NORCAL state cup

The Almaden Fury capped off a perfect season with a win against the Orchard Valley Sparks on Saturday, Nov. 11.

The Fury girls went undefeated this season with seven wins and three ties in the competitive A-flight of the Delgado soccer league. Coach Jim Lawrence said the most impressive thing about his team has been the season-long teamwork.

“For a U9 team to play with such intensity and competitiveness is very impressive,” said Lawrence. “These girls worked hard all season and earned their spot at the top of the league. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The Fury’s defense was stingy all season, allowing the lowest number of goals, when compared to all of the other teams in the league. The team has only been playing together since last March, but has already made its mark in Northern California Soccer. The Fury took second place at the Nike Stampede in Danville earlier this season, losing in the finals to the SoCal Blues, a highly rated Southern California team. Additionally, the Fury also won the league title last spring in the same division.

“These girls have every right to be proud of themselves,” said assistant coach Jamie Berg. “All of them have played their hearts out this season and they deserve to be called champions. I am amazed at their level of play at this age.”

The team is made up of Ashley Lawrence (coach Lawrence’s daughter), Danielle Hadfield (coach Berg’s daughter), Maddie Cavanna, Hanna Gratny, Regan Heslop, Cece Hinz, Julia Houk, Dahlia Maldonado, Erica Nakano, Sierra Painter, Erin McCoy, Sarah Urban, and Megan Wheelock.

The Fury will compete next weekend at the NORCAL state cup at Sonoma State University against the best U9 girls’ teams in Northern California.

Leland girls’ tennis ends CCS team play with loss to St. Francis

Four Chargers move on to CCS individuals tournament Nov. 20

By Pam Headley, Chargers Coach
Special to the Times

Leland Chargers girls’ tennis ended its post-season run on a cold, windy night Nov. 8 in Mt. View, losing a close match to St. Francis High.

After taking down Santa Cruz High on Tuesday with a 7-0 victory at home the day before, the Lady Charger’s fell to the Lancers, 3-4 in the tightest contest of the season. Four of the seven matches played went the full distance, needing a third set to decide the outcome.

Leland’s promising No. 1, sophomore Lydia Chow, came out strong against the Lancers’ Bobbie Englert, holding serve through the first eight games. Englert, realizing halfway through the first set that Chow was not going to back down, stepped up her game, taking the first set 6-4, and securing the match in the second, 6-0. In similar fashion, Leland’s Aileen Tsay, also a sophomore, playing in the No. 4 spot, struggled in the first set, then made a charge in the second, only to come up a little short against Allison Aubrey, and lose the contest 0-6, 3-6.

On the doubles side, the junior pair of Vivian Ngo and Kristen Hoppe, a consistent duo throughout the season, took their match quickly, finishing off the Lancer’s 6-2, 6-1. The senior tandem at No. 2 doubles, Connie Chen and Rosie Biell, also secured a win, but needed three sets to make it happen. In control in the first set, Chen and Biell easily rolled out a 6-2 win, but dropped the second set by the same score, 2-6. Knowing the importance of each match in the contest, the seniors, relying on mature shot making and patience, controlled the pace of the third set, and overtook the Lancers 6-4 for the win.

Tied at two matches apiece, the contest came down to a best of three series, with No. 2 and 3 singles and No. 1 doubles all headed into third sets. The young doubles team at the No. 1 spot, sophomore Youngeun Na and freshman Nikita Gettu, struggled with the swirling winds and a strong Lancer service game. Despite keeping it close throughout, the Charger tandem fell in the third set, setting up a must-win situation for the remaining two singles matches.

Senior Roxy Pourmirzaie, the strong-willed No. 2 singles player who, over the course of the season, overcame injury and mononucleosis, couldn’t shut down a resilient Mary Chamaki. Pourmirzaie took a quick lead in the third, only to have the St. Francis sophomore fight back and eventually take the set 7-5 and seal the win for the Lancers. In No. 3 singles, sophomore Allison Hsia, despite the Charger defeat, kept battling. In a match that already had one set decided by a tiebreaker, Hsia and her opponent, Erin Troedson, put on show for the remaining crowd, exchanging leads and taking the third set into another tiebreak. In one of the high points of the season for Charger tennis, Hsia emerged with the victory.

With team play complete, the Chargers, who ended the season with a 19-3 record, now send four players—Lydia
Chow, Roxy Pourmirzaie, Youngeun Na and Nikita Gettu—to the CCS individual tournament Monday, Nov. 20, at Courtside Tennis Club in Los Gatos.

Pioneer girls’ water polo season ends with hard-fought overtime loss in
CCS playoffs

Mustangs drop 12-10 overtime loss to Soquel in first round play

By Ali Abdollahi
Times Staff

An inspired rally in the final minutes of regulation only postponed the end of the season for the Pioneer girls’ water polo team, as the Mustangs were defeated in overtime by Soquel 12-10 in the first round of the CCS playoffs.

Pioneer senior and team captain Taylor Feezor takes a shot at the cage during a 12-10 overtime loss to Soquel in the first round of the CCS playoffs. Photo by Dena Noble

Solid goalkeeping by senior Katrina Musco and aggressive defense by junior Elyssa Samson helped contain a relentless Soquel attack. Two first quarter goals by senior Taylor Feezor and another by senior Lexi York kept the game tied 3-3.

Pioneer took a 4-3 lead early in the second period after a sequence in which Musco made an impressive save and quickly launched a long pass to Samson, who immediately threw a pass to set up a goal by sophomore Kim Atala. That was the last lead the Mustangs had, as Soquel scored the next three goals to take a 6-4 lead into the final period.

Feezor answered immediately, scoring the third of her team-high four goals just 20 seconds into the third quarter.

“Taylor’s got real good moves, and has outstanding swimming speed, which she really uses to her advantage,” said head coach Gordy Smith.

Soquel held a 7-5 lead into the final three minutes, setting up a frantic late push by Pioneer.

Samson scored one of her two goals on a 5-meter penalty shot to bring the Mustangs within one goal, then made another outstanding pass to set up senior Megan Peterson’s game-tying goal in the final two minutes.

Pioneer senior Megan Peterson fights off a Soquel defender in the Mustangs’ 12-10 overtime loss in the opening round of the CCS playoffs. Photo by Ali Abdollahi

“(Samson) is a tremendous player,” said Smith. “She has a good head for the game and knows where to be.”

The Mustangs played tight defense in the final minutes of regulation, and a last-minute steal by Atala gave Pioneer possession in the final seconds with a chance to win the game. The Soquel defense proved equally up to the task, however, and forced the Mustangs into an uncharacteristic shot-clock violation that sent the game into overtime.

Soquel then jumped to a 9-7 lead in the first of two mandatory overtime periods. Pioneer sophomore Abby Linberry scored a backhanded goal late in the first overtime to bring the score to 9-8. Soquel, however, scored the next two goals to put the game out of reach, despite the Mustangs’ efforts.

“This is by far the best performance we’ve had in any CCS playoff game,” said Smith. “We had a tremendous season, and it was a joy to see them play this well in their final game, despite the loss.”

Pioneer earned an overall record of 18-7, and finished third in the Mt. Hamilton League on the BVAL. Seniors playing their final game were Heather Funk, Feezor, Musco, Peterson and York.

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