SPORTS

New season, new hopes for Leland boys’ basketball

Team looks to rebound from 6-16 record last year

By Diego Abeloos
Sports writer

FEARSOME FARSAI. Junior Leland guard David Farsai is looking to build upon a successful season last year, when he led the Chargers in scoring with 12.3 points per game and shooting percentage with 50.2 percent. Photo courtesy www.mikejanes.com.

It’s hard to do anything but look up afterfinishing the previous season at 6-16, but that’s exactly what Leland head boys’ basketball Coach Dave Frandsen is doing as his crew prepares for 2004.

“It’s hard to go from next-to-last place to first (place), but I think there is a chance, if things fall right,” said Frandsen, who has coached at the junior college level as well as high school, including 13 years at Leland. “If we make a few baskets in tight situations and control our turnovers, I think we have a chance to win league.”

After each practice, Frandsen has made it a habit of having his team come together for one last word from the head coach before heading home. At the end of the meeting, the team huddles up and yells “Family!” Frandsen said he established the ritual because he believes success as a team begins with trust in one another.

“Chemistry has a lot to do with any team,” Frandsen said. “And it really starts with setting the example of trying to make sure that people feel comfortable in the situation that they’re in, and that they trust each other. That’s all we’re really trying to do is create a trust.”

However, the 2004-05 Chargers are built on more than just trust—they also have plenty of talent to go around. Despite losing three seniors, including forward Doug Proudfoot (a senior last year), who was second on the club with an 8.5 points-per-game average, Frandsen believes his team is ready to win now, after finishing last season at 3-8 in the Santa Teresa Division.

“I think we have enough talent out here where I can start two teams and not really be hurting either team,” Frandsen said. “I think we have 10 really good high school players and maybe down to 13 or 14 guys who can contribute a whole lot.”

In a league dominated by smaller and faster players, the Chargers will have to excel at running the offense in a fast-paced style. Frandsen said his offensive system relies on just that—a fast-paced offense that mixes speed and control.

“More controlled running than berserk running,” Frandsen said of his offensive system. “We really kind of want to grind people, hopefully on defense and offense.”

Frandsen will also have to count heavily on a few returning players from last season’s team—junior guard David Farsai, shooting guard Nate Cheung and senior forward Danny Hamouie.

Last season, Hamouie was plagued for much of the season with ligament tears in his right ankle, an injury that forced him to miss 15 games. Despite the injury, Hamouie was able to average 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season, shooting 40 percent from the field. This year, Hamouie said he is looking to stay healthy so that he can contribute in a major way to a winning program.

“I figure I’m pretty healthy right now,” Hamouie said. “I should be able to help us have a pretty good season this year.”

As for Cheung, Frandsen calls the senior guard “the glue” that holds the team together. Cheung, who averaged 1.8 point per game last season, has taken on a leadership role on the team with his understanding of the game and by the way he helps run the defense on the court, said Frandsen.

“He’s like a coach on the floor out there,” Frandsen said of Cheung. “… He’s just a joy to have out there because he knows exactly what I’m thinking all the time.”

Farsai, a rookie on the varsity squad last year as a sophomore, is also looking forward to greener pastures in 2004-05. After leading the team in points per game (12.3) and shooting percentage (50.2) in 2003, Farsai believes this year’s team is better balanced and comes to play each day with a better attitude.

“Ultimately, I want to win this year,” Farsai said. “Last year, we weren’t really looking to win; we were just out there playing. This year, the attitude is that we want to win, and we have a group of guys that can do that.”

In fact, Frandsen said he will likely play 10 to 12 players each game as he seeks the best combination to win each night against each given opponent.

“In shifts, almost hockey-style,” quips Frandsen, when asked about giving playing time to 10 or 12 players during each game. “… It’s going to be hard to make decisions on who gets the ball at game time, but, we’re going to play a lot of guys.”

Among the other players Frandsen will likely count on this season are the Walker twins (Kyle and Brennan), fresh off the Leland football season. Both players are in the mix at the off-guard position, said Frandsen, and both may also see some time at the point guard position.

“They can shoot it, and that’s the great equalizer,” Frandsen said of the Walker twins. “The three-point shot is the great equalizer in basketball. Some might be able to dunk it, but (they) can still score one more point than you.”

Another player Frandsen has high hopes for is Arthur King Jr., another player just coming into practice from the football season. King, who did not play basketball last year, is one of the taller players on the team at 6 feet 3 inches tall. The combination of height and athletic ability from King is appealing to Frandsen, who hopes to work King into the starting lineup by the time the Chargers open Santa Teresa Division play on Jan. 4.

“Art has the potential to be a starter,” Frandsen said. “It’s hard to say right now. I would hope he would be (a starter). The potential is there and he’s very talented athletically.”

So while the search for a league title will be a yearlong quest for the Chargers, the search for the talent and hunger to do the job is already there for Frandsen.

“I think everybody has something to contribute,” Frandsen said. “…They are pretty equal. Each has something that they do outstanding.”

High School Sports Schedule Nov. 26-Dec. 2

Leland High School
Friday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Lovato Cup, Evergreen College, 1 p.m.

Saturday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Lovato Cup, Evergreen College, 1 p.m.
Saturday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Saratoga, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Saratoga, 4 p.m.

Monday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Lovato Cup, Evergreen College, 6:30 p.m.
Monday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Leigh, 5:30 p.m.
Monday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Leigh, 7 p.m.

Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Leigh Tournament
Wednesday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Westmont Tournament
Wednesday – JV girls’ basketball at Leland JV Tournament
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Gunn at Palo Alto Tournament, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – JV girls’ basketball at Leland JV Tournament
Thursday - Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Leigh Tournament
Thursday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Westmont Tournament
Thursday – Varsity boys’ soccer vs. Lincoln, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Mitty at Palo Alto Tournament, 3:30 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Los Altos in Burlingame, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday – Varsity boys’ soccer vs. Live Oak, noon

Tuesday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Valley Christian, 3 p.m.
Tuesday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Lynbrook, 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Lynbrook, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Pioneer Classic Tournament
Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Leigh Tournament

Thursday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Pioneer Classic Tournament
Thursday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Leigh Tournament

36-14 loss to St. Francis Lancers end Longhorns’ Playoff Hopes

Mt. Hamilton co-champs head home after first round of CCS

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

The Leigh Longhorns ended their football season with a first-round exit in the open division of CCS playoffs, dropping a 36-14 loss to the West Catholic League’s St. Francis Lancers on Nov. 19 at Leigh High.

The Longhorns (9-1 overall, tied for first place at 6-1 in Mount Hamilton Division) had an uphill battle coming into the contest, having lost senior wide receiver Matt Hoffman, senior fullback/ linebacker Jon Brown and tight end/linebacker Brian Wendt to injuries. Nevertheless, the Long-horns managed to make a serious run at the Lancers, coming back from an early 22-0 in the first half to close the gap to 22-14 by the end of the third quarter.

“We didn’t quit,” said Leigh Head Coach Shawn Thomas of his crew. “We showed that to everybody when we came out in the second half. We just lost to a better team tonight and that’s why we’re going to hold our heads up.”

Down by 22 going into the second half, the Longhorn defense came up with a key interception from Nick DiPiero to open the third quarter. DiPiero, who finished the game with eight tackles, snagged the pass from Lancer quarterback Richard Scudellari at the 50, taking the pick all the way back for a Longhorn touchdown with 9:08 to go. The play cut the Lancer lead to 22-6, following a failed point after.

Leigh managed to keep the Lancers off the board for the remainder of the third quarter, giving the offense a chance to get the team back into the game. The offense did just that, driving the ball 36 yards and ending with an 11-yard touchdown strike from Longhorn quarterback Kiel Trudeau to wide receiver Andy Holloway (five catches, 70 yards for the game). After a successful two-point conversion, the Longhorns were suddenly back into the game, down 22-14 with two minutes left in the third quarter.

“He’s been doing it all year,” Thomas said of Trudeau. “No matter what the score is, you always have a fighting chance with No.7 back there.”

The good vibes didn’t last long for Leigh however, as the Lancers came back for two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, starting with a 68-yard drive that began toward the end of the third quarter and finishing when Reese ran in for a six-yard touchdown with 11:29 left in the fourth quarter.

Just over a minute later, the Lancer offense took advantage of a Trudeau interception, getting the ball on the Leigh 33 and driving the ball into the end zone once more, as Matt Taufoou scored on a 10-yard run to make it 36-14 with 8:20 left.

“There were some key turnovers that led to bad field position for us,” said Longhorn linebacker Mike Edwards, who registered nine tackles for the game, “but, we stepped it up in the second and held them scoreless in the second quarter. In the second half, we were doing pretty good. We just let it slip away.”

The Longhorns made one more run at the end zone toward the end of the fourth quarter, getting the ball on their own 3-yard line and driving it all the way to the Lancer 17 before Trudeau was intercepted once more at the Lancer 1 by Taufoou with one minute left in the game.

Prior to the interception, the Longhorn offense appeared to be clicking on all cylinders, as Trudeau went 9 of 12 passing on the drive, finding open receivers in Billy Flick (seven catches for 27 yards, four rushes for 29 yards for the game), Blake McFarland, Anthony Davila (seven catches, 93 yards for the game) and Holloway.

“The first half was hard,” admitted Trudeau, who finished the night 24 of 42 passing for 213 yard with a touchdown and four interceptions. “They had a great defensive scheme for our offense and we haven’t played against a defense that good all year, so you’ve got to give it to their coaching staff for writing up a perfect scheme.”

Things didn’t start out well for the Longhorns in the first quarter either, as the Lancers took their opening drive on offense 51 yards downfield, resulting in a Chris Reese 18-yard touchdown run with 7:34 left for a 7-0 lead.
Less than two minutes later, the Lancers were on the board once more, driving the ball 55 yards for another touchdown, as Scudellari connected with Taufoou on an 11-yard pass with 5:45 to go in the first quarter.

“It was tough,” Trudeau said of the 22-point first quarter for the Lancers. “We knew they were going to come out tough, and we always come back. So we knew we were going to make a comeback, but, it’s tough to be down 22.”

Before the close of the first quarter, a fumble by Trudeau set the Lancer offense up at the Leigh 19, resulting in the third touchdown of the quarter for St. Francis. This time, it was a 9-yard touchdown run from Lancer running back Ryan Perry that put the Lancers up 20-0 with 1:19 left.

Finally, the Lancers got two more points on the board when Longhorn punter Doug Webster, forced to punt from deep within the Leigh end zone, decided to step out of bounds for a safety rather than take the chance of having his punt blocked, making the first-quarter score 22-0 for St. Francis.

“It could’ve gotten ugly,” said Thomas. “But these guys persevered and the defense came up with some stops.”

Almaden’s ‘trusted’ volleyball ace Nichole Clark chooses ‘homey’ Santa Clara Broncos

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Nichole Clark of Almaden, should she choose to live at home, would have a short commute to school next fall when she starts college as a Santa Clara University scholarship athlete.

Having earned All-West Catholic League honors for the St. Francis High School volleyball team this season, Clark will not have to face the 40-minute drive to Mountain View (an hour if she drives alone outside the diamond lane).

Not only is the SCU campus closer to home, but just as enticing, she says, is that it has “a homey feeling, just like that of St. Francis.”

Add to the fact that she ‘really likes” the SCU Bronco coaching staff, it became a comfortable decision to chose SCU over offers from the University of the Pacific, UC-Irvine and the University of San Francisco. SCU’s women’s volleyball team currently is ranked No. 23 in the nation.

Clark, a 6-foot, 160-pound outside hitter, played on the Lancers’ state championships teams of 2002 and 2003. The team slipped to fifth place in the WCAL this season. Nevertheless, Clark, one of the team’s three captains, said she very much enjoys being part of a team sport and having a pivotal effect on the team’s performance. Among other honors earned in her high school career, she was named to the All-Mitty Tournament team this season.

“Nichole is a fantastic young woman,” said her coach Kim Oden, herself a former Stanford All-American and U.S. Olympic team player. “She’s our most trusted player. She’s the player our other players want to play with most. She’s very nurturing.”

Oden added that Clark has a “ridiculously good work ethic.”

In the summer, Clark has played club volleyball for Santa Clara-based City Beach, and over the last four years the team has earned gold, silver and bronze medals in the Junior Olympics.

Nichole is the middle child of five Clark siblings. Her dad, Tom, played football and rugby for UCLA and the University of Hawaii, and her brother, Tommy, played football and basketball for Valley Christian High school.

Fourth-quarter touchdown by Soquel Knights ends Mustangs’ season

33-26 first-round exit for Pioneer despite 297 yards rushing on offense

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

With a 26-26 tie in the fourth quarter, the Soquel Knights got a 3-yard touchdown run from David Alvarez with 4:46 to go, sending the Pioneer Mustangs home for the season with a 33-26 loss in the first round of Small School Division play in CCS playoff action on Nov. 20.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing,” said Pioneer Head Coach Mark Krail. “We came in here thinking we had a real good chance of winning and just came up short. They made some big plays and we didn’t in the passing game, and, you know, that was the difference in the game.”

For the Mustangs, the loss was a bittersweet end to a season that saw Pioneer end the regular season with a 6-3-1 overall record and a 4-2-1 record in the Mount Hamilton Division, good for a second-place tie with Independence.

“This is a hard loss right now,” said Pioneer linebacker C.J. Miller. “We came in here with our heads up, but we just didn’t come out on top.”

The game started out well for the Mustangs, as the offense put up a 17-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Mustangs got the offense rolling on their first possession of the game, driving the ball 50 yards downfield before kicker Bobby Lopez booted a 43-yard field goal with 8:50 to go in the first, giving Pioneer a 3-0 lead.

A key player on the drive for the Mustangs was running back Shaun Souza, who ran the ball three times on the drive for 27 yards. Souza finished the game with 21 carries for a team-high 162 yards.

After Soquel regained the lead on their first offensive drive of the game at 7-3, the Mustangs answered back with another scoring drive of their own, going 42 yards on four plays, with running back Andrew Schulz (nine carries, 77 yards for the game) registering an eight-yard touchdown run with 5:45 left for a 10-7 lead.

Pioneer added seven more points on the board just over four minutes later, as quarterback Chris Foley connected with wide receiver J.J. Goulden on a 41-yard touchdown pass with 1:03 left. The play came on a 3rd-and-nine situation at the Soquel 41, with Foley dumping off a screen pass to Goulden down the middle of the field, who then took the ball and ran past pursuing Soquel defenders for the score.

Soquel quickly shifted the momentum its way, however, scoring to open the second quarter on an 86-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zachary Bischoff to Cameron Weber on a 3rd-and-13 play from the Knights’ 14-yard line, cutting the lead to 17-14 with 11:50 left.

On the Soquel kickoff that followed, kicker Juve Luna booted the ball right at Pioneer special teams player Sean Dreher, with the ball deflecting off Dreher’s leg right to the Knights’ side of the field, for a kickoff recovery, giving Soquel the ball.

Soquel took advantage of the fumble recovery, driving the ball 42 yards before Bischoff connected with Weber once more on a four-yard touchdown pass with 9:14, giving the Knights a 20-17 lead that would hold going into the half.

“We just worked as hard as we could,” Miller said of the Pioneer defense. “They just came up with a couple of key plays.”

On their first offensive drive of the third quarter, the Mustangs had a chance to tie the game at 20, driving the ball 53 yards to the Soquel 10. Lopez then lined up for a 27-yard field goal attempt, but the ball hit the left upright on the kick, giving Soquel the ball back on offense with 4:34 to go in the third quarter.

Pioneer managed to regain the lead just before the end of the third quarter however, driving the ball 36 yards on four plays, as fullback Danny Ventura got into the end zone on an 18-yard touchdown run with 1:31 left for a 23-20 lead.

“It was back and forth,” said Lopez. “When we were up, we were happy. When we were down, we felt like we had to push more and play harder.”

After another Soquel touchdown to open the fourth quarter gave the Knights a 26-23 lead, the Mustangs answered the call on offense once more, driving the ball 29 yards to the Soquel 22. On 4th-and-five, Lopez lined up for yet another field goal attempt, booting through a 39-yarder to tie the game at 26 with 9:01 left in the game.

The Mustangs had a shot at taking the lead less than two minutes later, driving the ball to the Soquel 22 for yet another Lopez field goal attempt. This time however, Lopez’s high, arching kick sailed just wide of the right upright, giving Soquel one more shot at regaining the lead.

“For him to miss a couple of real close (kicks), it was tough for him to accept,” said Pioneer special teams Coach Jim Polanco. “You think about those points and it adds up.”

Soquel proceeded to drive the ball 80 yards downfield, as Bischoff completed two passes for 48 yards and running back Simon Howard carried the ball twice for 29 yards. On 1st-and-goal from the Pioneer 3, Alvarez put the Knights up for good with a touchdown run.

Pioneer had one last shot on offense before the end of the game, getting the ball on the Mustang 30 with 2:59 left. But on 4th-and-three, Foley’s pass to Schulz was picked off by Weber at the Soquel 30, ending the Mustangs’ season.

“It’s sad it’s over, because we don’t get to work together anymore as coach and player,” Krail said of the seniors on his team. “That’s tough to swallow. They’re a great group of kids.”

Pee Wee Chargers head to Reno following 16-14 win at Kezar

By Kevin Jones, Pee Wee Charger coach
Special to the Times

The undefeated Almaden Pee Wee Chargers maintained their perfect record in the playoffs this last Sunday in the Pacific Northwest Regional semifinals, playing against the Napa Night Hawks at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.

The Chargers had a worthy opponent in the Night Hawks but when the final horn sounded, the Chargers came away with a come-from-behind 16-14 victory.

The Chargers got off to a shaky start by fumbling the ball away to the Nighthawks after only their third play from scrimmage. The Napa team moved the ball down the field with an impressive running game and scored.

“They found and exploited a weakness our left side of the line,” said defensive coordinator Kevin Hubbard. “They were also running a no-huddle offense that had us on our heels. We made some adjustments and started to shut them down. Today this team showed some true heart and character to come from behind and win a big game.”

On the next possession, the Chargers settled down and scored on their second play of the drive when Ryan Smith went around left end for 45 yards and a tie score.

Almaden would turn the ball over three more times, all inside the 15-yard line when a touchdown seemed imminent. Napa scored again but the extra kick was blocked by Conor Jones, making the score 14-8 Napa.

Almaden got on the scoreboard again in the fourth quarter when quarterback Alex Gonzalez faked to Vinny Gemette up the middle and kept the ball on a keeper and scampered 37 yards for the tying score. Vinny Gemette converted on his second extra kick on the day to make it 16-14.

The Charger defense rose up and stopped the Night Hawks on fourth down deep in their own territory. Almaden took over on the 5-yard line and took a knee to run the clock out and end the game.

The stage is now set for the Pacific Northwest Region championship on Nov. 27 in Reno, Nev. The Chargers will take on a team from Douglass, Nev., that won the Sage Brush Division championship. The winner of this game goes on to Florida for the Pop Warner Super Bowl at Walt Disney World Dec. 4-11.

Leland announces Athlete of the Month program

In October, the Leland Booster Club Athletic Director Chris Hansen, the fall sports coaches and Action Photo Design (www.actionphotodesign.com), initiated the Athlete of the Month program to recognize student-athletes who exemplify the best of Leland by demonstrating outstanding character, leadership and performance. The October winners along with their coaches’ comments:

ALEX BYNUM is football’s player of the month.
“Alex is a perfect example of what we are looking for in our program to represent student -athletes. Alex conducts himself well in the classroom as well as on the field. His GPA is 3.7 and he is an all-league football player. This year, Alex’s season stats have him atop the leaders in our league, with 66 tackles, 35 assists, and six pressures, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one recovered fumble. Alex’s leadership on and off the field is far more important than these impressive stats. He is a leader by example and all of his teammates, peers, coaches, and opposing coaches respect him tremendously.” —Coach Kelly Edwards

ELAINE LI is field hockey’s player of the month.
“Elaine is one of the three senior captains for Leland field hockey. She always has positive input for her teammates and has the ability to turn anything negative into a positive. Elaine is one of the most energetic girls out there, and rubs her energy off on the others. During games, she gives it her all. She has great sportsmanship on the field. Elaine has had many defensive saves this season, and is a great asset to the team.” —Coach Sharan Kalla

MELISSA JOE is the tennis player of the month.
“Melissa Joe has been a role model for the Leland girl’s 2004 tennis team. She is senior and one of the captains of the team. She is always positive in her matches and at practice. She is generous with her opponents. She has been a steadying influence on the team this fall. We are proud to recognize Melissa as the athlete of the month for the girl’s tennis team.” —Coach Jory Segal

CHRISTY GILLICK is volleyball’s player of the month.
“Christy is a three-year varsity starter for the Leland volleyball team. In the last month of our season, Christy has averaged approximately 30 assists per match. Christy not only runs our entire offense, but she is an offensive threat herself, getting her own kills, by deceiving the opponent. Christy assesses our offense and the opponent’s defense and sets up our offense accordingly. Christy is the captain for the 2004 team and has led our young group to many victories.” —Coaches Trish Moore and Chris Hansen

MONICA SONG is girls’ cross country player of the month.
“Monica, a top athlete on our 2002-03 cross country and track teams has picked up where she left off last year.

"This year she is the No. 1 runner on our very talented girls’ varsity team. Only a sophomore, Monica ranks among to the top runners in the Mt. Hamilton Division in cross country. She began the month picking up a medal and a team overall-best finish, placing 19th at the Half Moon Bay Artichoke Invitational on Oct. 2. She continued her improvement over the following weeks and then placed fourth at the Monterey Bay Invitational on Oct.16, also our team’s highest finisher. Monica has been the team leader over this past season and is now coming into her own as one of the top runners in our league. She possesses the talent and drive to be one of the top female runners in the Central Coast Section. She is already familiar with the section meet as she appeared in both the cross country and track CCS meets last season. Monica is truly an outstanding athlete with her best races still to come.” —Coach Jerry Rose

TAKAHIRO SHIRAIWA is the boys’ cross country player of the month.
“Takahiro, the No. 1 runner on our boys’ varsity team this season, has emerged as one of our team’s true leaders. Takahiro leads by example. Whether in a workout, invitational, or league meet, Takahiro gives his all in each performance and has emerged as one of the top runners in the Mt. Hamilton Division. Only a junior, he is the man to beat on the Leland varsity boys’ cross country team. Over the past month, he has had strong performances in league as well as several invitationals, including the Half Moon Bay Artichoke Invitational and the Monterey Bay invitational. Takahiro is truly the mainstay of our varsity boys’ team this year.” —Coach Jerry Rose

DUSTIN PROSSER is the boys’ water polo player of the month.
“Dustin has been the senior leader of the team throughout the season. He has controlled the goal for the Leland boys’ water polo team for the season, blocking an amazing 54 percent of the shots taken at him with his 6-foot-8-inch frame. His positive attitude and consistency at practice has allowed the team to continue to grow and compete for the BVAL championship.” —Coach Mike Monsees

CASEY ARMSTRONG is the girls’ water polo player of the month.
“Casey is our senior captain. She does all the little things in the games, as well as being our toughest defender. A lot of pressure is put on Casey to shut down the other team’s best player. She steps up every game. In practices, she sprints every drill and is always working on improving her game. Casey makes the perfect captain—setting the example by giving 100 percent in not just every practice, but every drill. Casey’s hustle and water polo intelligence opens up the game for her teammates. She makes everyone around her better. It is a rare sight to see Casey make a mistake in a game. Casey won’t allow herself to be outworked by an opponent. Her drive and intensity make her a great leader.”
—Coach Eric Rise

Powerful rugby teams get ready to rumble in Silicon Valley Classic

A powerful field of six physics-defying rugby football teams, led by 2004 USA Rugby Super League finalist San Francisco/Golden Gate, will attack linear while passing lateral in the annual Silicon Valley Classic Tournament on Dec. 4 at Watson Bowl, 23rd and Taylor streets in San Jose.

While San Francisco/Golden Gate, led by former San Jose Seahawk and Scotland international Paul Jennings, is the highest rated club in the tournament, it can expect to be tested most vigorously by two-time National Division I champion San Mateo as well as the Hayward Griffins, Riverside and the Seahawks, all of whom have reached the final 16 out of more than 400 clubs in the last five years.

The tournament will be staged in two pools of three (six 40-minute games) beginning at 8:30 a.m. with playoffs starting at 2:10 p.m. following a women’s exhibition rugby match. The championship game begins at 3:30 p.m. There is no charge for admission. For more information on the San Jose Seahawks visit www.sjrugby.org.
—By Karl Laucher

12 & Under “A” Mize Fastpitch Diamonds - Spring/Summer tryouts will be held December 11 and 2 at Twin Creeks Complex. P/C tryouts at 9:00 a.m., and position players tryouts at 10:00 a.m. National caliber team. Tryout fee: $15. For more information, contact Lisa Mize at 408.595.6621 or 650.961.8842, or email mizefpitch@aol.com.

Almaden Little League Baseball and t-ball LATE sign ups for ages 5-18. Thursday, Dec. 2nd from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Amato’s Pizza on Meridian at Redmond. All players - bring proof of residency. New players - bring original birth certificate. For more information, call (408) 997-6669 or visit www.almadenll.org.

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.