SPORTS

Pioneer football takes 24-6 win over Wilcox in CCS opening round

Mustangs advance to semifinals in Open School Division;
will face Valley Christian Nov. 25

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

The fifth-seeded Pioneer Mustangs advanced to the semifinal round of the CCS Open Division Football Playoffs with a 24-6 road win over No. 4 Wilcox on Nov. 19.

Pioneer wide receiver J.J. Goulden goes for the catch while trying to shake off Wilcox defender Kevin Eaton during a 24-6 win in the first round of the CCS Open Division Football Playoffs on Nov. 19. Goulden finished the night with four catches for 52 yards and a touchdown, while also intercepting a pass on defense. Photo by Kevin Jones at www.johub.com

The Mustangs, co-champions of the Mt. Hamilton Division, will move on to face No. 1 Valley Christian on Nov. 25 at San Jose City College at 7 p.m.

The Mustangs came into the game with the challenge of facing an option-running offense in Wilcox, and the defense responded by limiting the Chargers to 163 yards of total offense, including 84 yards rushing. The Mustang defense held Wilcox’s 1,000-yard rusher, Derome Fowler, to just 18 yards on 10 carries.

Pioneer’s defense put the clamps on the Charger offense early, allowing only a five-yard touchdown run by quarterback Matt Fultcher with 9:44 left in the second quarter.

“The effort really epitomized the whole year,” Head Coach Mark Krail said of his team’s performance against Wilcox. “Our defense just played unbelievable tonight. That was a great offensive club (Wilcox), and we basically shut them down. I can’t be more proud of our defense.”

Meanwhile, the Mustang offense operated efficiently and swiftly.

The Mustangs went ahead 7-0 toward the end of the first quarter, putting together a 10-play, 56-yard drive that ended when quarterback Chris Foley found running back Shaun Souza for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 1:27 left.

In the second quarter, with the score tightened up at 7-6, the Mustangs marched down the field again, driving from their own 29 before stalling at the Wilcox 13 on 14 plays.

Pioneer kicker Kyle Burchfiel then booted through a 30-yard field goal on fourth-and-9, giving the Mustangs a 10-6 lead with 3:12 left in the first half.

With 1:42 left in the second quarter, the Mustangs engineered another scoring drive, moving the ball from their own 37 on seven plays before Foley tossed a ball toward the left corner of the end zone, finding wide receiver J.J. Goulden for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds to go, extending the lead to 17-6.

Foley played a key role in the drive, completing four of six passes for 59 yards, including a 29-yard completion to Souza on third-and-10 to keep the offense rolling.

“Oh man, it feels so good,” Goulden said of advancing to the semifinals. “We knew we had to do well this week and play our hearts out against Wilcox. I just tried to do my best as much as possible.”

From that point on, the Mustang defense kept things at bay, keeping the Wilcox offense from advancing any farther than the Pioneer 11 on the Chargers’ last prominent drive of the game.

That drive, which started with 6:24 left in the fourth, ended when Fultcher threw an incomplete pass that was nearly intercepted by linebacker C.J. Miller on fourth-and-8.

The Mustang offense managed one more scoring drive to seal the win, driving the ball 54 yards on six plays, getting a 1-yard sneak from Foley for a touchdown with 6:34 left in the fourth quarter to go up 24-6.

“This takes away all the ‘buts’ we’ve had all year,” said Souza, who finished the night with 91 total yards on offense. “Everyone’s said, ‘oh, they’re good, but they haven’t played anyone.’ But Wilcox is a solid team, and we took it to them all night. This is the best feeling in the world, let me tell you.”

With the win in hand, Krail said his team will face a formidable task in playing Valley Christian on Nov. 25. Krail added his team has nothing to lose in facing the No. 1 Warriors.

“We let it all hang out tonight and I don’t think many people expected us to beat Wilcox, and certainly nobody will expect us to beat Valley Christian,” said Krail. “We’re going to go out, fight like heck and see what happens. We have nothing to lose, zero. It’s a no-lose situation going over there and playing those guys. We’re going to fight hard, and I know our guys are going to give it everything they have.”

Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club wins Norcal State Championship

Almaden’s Erica Matos places first overall with 38.0250 score

By Ken Lotich
Staff Writer

The Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club (AVGC) hosted the NorCal State Championships at Pioneer High School Nov. 19 and 20 and became Level 5 State Champions with an overall first place finish at the event.

The team finished with a score of 113.2000, beating out runner-up Bay Aerials (112.7750) and third place San Mateo (111.9250).

In total, 69 teams competed in the Level 5 competition.

“I’ve been coaching so long and this is the first year at Level 5 that we’ve won a championship,” said AVGC coach Judy Sun. “It’s very exciting and the girls just did fantastic.”

From left, top row: Mikaela Elardo, Micaela Wandrocke, Van Nguyen, Tatiana Koval, Erica Matos and Coach Judy Sun. From left, bottom row: Tara Elardo, Mariah Ross, Maya Washington McKenzie Bajtos, Madison Maxwell and Parisa Loftis. Photo by Diego Abeloos

Almaden’s Erica Matos, 10, took first place overall out of 330 girls, with an impressive score of 38.0250. Matos, who has only two years of gymnastics experience, scored 9.3000 on vault, 9.6000 on bars, 9.7250 on beam and 9.4000 on the floor. Matos competed in the juniors “C” division.

“Before the meet, she told me she was going to get a 38,” her father, Tony Matos said. “She’s worked extremely hard and it’s paid off for her.”

During the regular season, Matos had nine first place individual finishes.

“She works so hard in the gym always,” Sun said of Matos. “You can see how much effort she puts in the gym everyday … that’s why she did so well at the state meet.”

Matos said the coaching staff is superb, bringing lots of experience to the table. In addition, he said the team has maintained a positive attitude, which has helped them do extremely well.

“I think the success has to do with the coaching level,” Matos said. “These are seasoned coaches that have been around for a while, as well as a team that consists of top-notch athletes.”

Sun coached this year’s team along with Donna Craig and Liviu Mazilu.

Sun has been with the club since 1992, while Craig has served as coach since 1993. Mazilu was a coach for the Romanian Olympic team from 1990-95, and brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to the squad.

Parisa Loftis of AVGC, 10, placed first in the Junior D category and second place overall, putting up a 37.7000 score. Loftis scored a 9.05 in the vault competition, accumulating a score of 9.625 in bars, a 9.5 on the beam and a 9.525 on the floor for her overall score. She finished in first 10 times during the regular season.

AVGC’s Madison Maxwell, 9, took first place in the child “B” division and sixth place overall with a score of 37.3000. Maxwell scored an even 9.0 in the vault competition, while also competing well in the bars (9.275), the beam (9.6) and the floor (9.425). Maxwell put up five first place individual finishes during the season.

Matos, Loftis and Maxwell also got an added bonus for finishing in the top six overall: All three girls were named as part of the Norcal State team.

“That means a lot,” Sun said of her gymnasts making the Norcal State team. “That’s out of more than 300 kids. We made the top eight with four kids. It means a lot to me.”

Also finishing strong was 8-year-old McKenzie Bajtos, who took second the child “A” division, scoring 37.2000, good for eighth place overall. Bajtos, who had six first place individual finishes during the regular season, scored a 9.0 in the vault, a 9.275 in the bars, a stellar 9.675 on the beam and a 9.25 on the floor for her overall score.

Among the other finishers for AVGC was Tatiana Koval, who scored a 35.225 overall, highlighted by a 9.125 score on the bars. AVGC’s Maya Washington finished with an overall score of 35.025, which included a 9.075 score in the vault competition. Mariah Ross finished on Washington’s heels with an overall score of 34.65, getting high marks on the beam with a score of 9.2.

AVGC’s Micaela Wandrocke finished just behind Ross with an overall score of 34.525, getting a superb score of 9.3 on the beam as part of her overall effort. AVGC’s Van Nguyen rounded out the first-place finish for the team with a 34.275 overall score, with a high score of 8.975 on the floor competition.

Sun said the win also meant a lot to the program overall, touting AVGC’s facilities and instructors as a major reason for the team’s success. Still, Sun was more than happy to give credit to her gymnasts for their performances.

“I’m proud of those girls,” Sun said. “They worked hard for it. They deserve it.”

Diego Abeloos contributed to this report.

For full results from the NorCal State Championships, go to www.meetscoresonline.com/results.asp. For more information on the Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club, go to www.almadengymnastics.com. The Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club is located at 19600 Almaden Road in San Jose.

Sports Briefs

Venom Boys U9 Class 3 soccer team looking to add players
The Almaden Venom Boys U9 Comp soccer team is looking to add a couple of quality players for the winter indoor soccer season at Off The Wall Soccer Arena. If interested, contact Dave Ballard at dballard@ipass.com or (408) 268-1305. Age requirement: Born between 8/1/96 and 7/31/97.

Lacrosse coaches needed for local club
South Valley Lacrosse Club is looking for two coaches for their fifth to eighth grade teams. Minimal lacrosse experience is acceptable as our club has a training program.  South Valley Lacrosse Club is in its second year and has a lot of positive parent support.  Fun activities are planned for the season, including turf time during the San Jose Stealth home game. Have fun with a wonderful sport, work with a great group of kids, and even get paid for it! Contact Joy Bender at joy.bender@prodigy.net or (408) 679-1297

San Jose Strikkers softball tryouts
The San Jose Strikkers, a 18U Youth Girls Fast-Pitch Softball team, will hold summer tryouts on Dec. 11, Jan. 8 and Jan. 15 at Oak Grove High School. Tryouts for pitchers and catchers begin at 9 a.m. Tryouts for all position players begin at 10:30 a.m.

For more information, call Frank King (408) 406-8191 or Richard Fangonilo (408) 274-9301, or e-mail fgking25@aol.com or rfangonilo@sjm.com.

Almaden Little League signups
Almaden Little League is holding late signups for league play starting in 2006. Signups are Thursday, Dec. 1 at Amato’s Restaurant (Meridian and Redmond) from 6-8 p.m. Don’t miss out! Get your child signed up for a fun season of baseball from t-ball to senior league levels.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Saturday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Independence, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Independence, 7 p.m.

Wednesday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Westmont Tournament, time and opponent TBA
Wednesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Pioneer at Leigh Tournament, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Westmont Tournament, time and opponent TBA
Thursday - Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Leigh tournament, time and opponent TBA

Pioneer High School
Friday – Varsity football vs. Valley Christian in semifinals of CCS Playoffs at San Jose City College, 7 p.m.

Tuesday – Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Lynbrook, 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Lynbrook, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday - Frosh/soph boys’ basketball vs. Leland at Leigh Tournament, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Pioneer Classic, time and opponent TBA

Thursday – Varsity boys’ basketball at Aptos Tournament, time and opponent TBA
Thursday - Frosh/soph boys’ basketball at Leigh Tournament, time and opponent TBA
Thursday – Varsity girls’ basketball at Pioneer Classic, time and opponent TBA
Thursday – Varsity boys’ soccer at Lincoln, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Frosh/soph boys’ soccer at Lincoln, 3:15 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

For more complete and up to date schedules on CCS playoffs, go to:
www.cifccs.org

On Nov. 12, the San Jose Sharks held High School Sports Writers Day at the HP Pavilion, where a handful of aspiring journalists had the chance to watch the Sharks battle Dallas, meet Sharks brass and interview players following the game. These young journalists were then asked to write about their experience to see who could put together the best story. Here is the winning entry, as written by Leland High School senior Ben Kung.

A Day as a sports writer for the San Jose Sharks

By Ben Kung
Leland High School Senior

Being an avid sports fan and a dedicated student of journalism, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to fuse the two worlds together and live the life of a professional sports writer. Thanks to the San José Sharks organization, I got that chance during their first-ever High School Sports Writers Day.

A handful of San Jose high school students were invited to the San Jose Sharks/Dallas Stars game on Nov. 12 to take part in High School Sports Writers Day. The aspiring journalists had the opportunity to pick the brains of press members about their profession as well as interview players following the game. Photo courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

The evening at the HP Pavilion began with something that always piques my interest – great food. The 11 other high school journalism students and I settled down in the pressroom filled with professional sports writers, photographers, news reporters and members of the press to have a quick dinner before the game.

While digging into our salad and lasagna, we exchanged smiles and greetings with these professionals who were just as interested in our presence as we were in their careers, all the while maintaining our poise for the cameraman who had been videotaping us for an upcoming episode of Shark Byte. The meal not only helped the 12 of us break the ice with one another, but with the media world as well.

Following dinner, Ken Arnold and Jeff Cafuir, our guides for the evening, took us into a conference room in the Sharks’ main office where we had the privilege to meet and speak with the Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson, and the Sharks’ beat writer for the San Jose Mercury, Vic Chi.

Wilson imparted to us insight regarding the ins and outs of being a general manager for a professional sports organization, and discussed some of the particulars about the Sharks franchise itself, from its philosophies about hiring and drafting to its prospects for the remainder of the 2005-06 season. He left us with a statement that helped me understand just why he has become the successful and respected individual that he is today – because of his first-rate character.

“You make a living by what you earn…you make a life by what you give,” said Wilson. “I would ask that all of you give back to the community when you grow older.”

Chi had much to share with us as well. As a graduate of Northwestern and a successful professional writer for the
San Jose Mercury, Chi focused more on giving us advice about pursuing a career in journalism. He discussed the joys and responsibilities of being a beat writer, as well as some of his highlight experiences while on the job, like touring Tokyo with the Sharks during the 1998-99 season when the National Hockey League (NHL) held two international promotional games there between the Sharks and the Calgary Flames.

After our interviews with Chi and Wilson, we quickly toured the arena. We then began the journey up four stories in the HP Pavilion to the press box. We were seated near professional members of the media, NHL scouts from around the league and staff members from the Sharks organization to watch the well-anticipated game between the Sharks and their conference rivals, the Dallas Stars.

Being new to the sport of hockey, I was a bit lost in the action at first – it was much faster-paced than I had expected it to be! But after a few minutes of getting used to the speed of the game (and the temperature of the arena), I wanted to stand, yell and cheer along with the thousands of Sharks’ fans in attendance as though I hadn’t missed a beat.

Though the Sharks faced disappointing defeat after three intense periods, a grueling overtime session and a blood-pumping shootout, the loss did not make our post-game interview with defenseman Kyle McLaren any less interesting. We asked him a wide variety of questions, spanning from his struggles to become a professional hockey player to the adjustments he thought the Sharks would have to make in preparation for their next game.

He answered our questions with poise and clarity, leaving the 12 of us aspiring sports writers with a very positive impression of the Sharks’ players as down-to-earth, easy-to-approach individuals, even in light of a tough loss.

As our evening as sports writers drew to a close, and we began bidding one another and the Sharks’ staff goodbye, I am certain that each and every one of us was thanking our lucky stars for being graced with the opportunity to experience the world of professional journalism by the San José Sharks organization. For aspiring young sports writers like us, these positive experiences are invaluable in terms of building our understanding of the profession, solidifying our confidence about our future and helping us grow as individuals. Through its first-ever High School Sports Writers Day, the San José Sharks organization did all this and more, demonstrating once again just how proficient it is at touching our community – this time, by inspiring young adults like me.

Lending a helping hand for soccer’s sake

Valley Christian students comes to Pioneer’s aid

Thanksgiving has come early for the Pioneer boys’ soccer team, which received a much-needed gift from Valley Christian’s boys’ soccer squad on Nov. 19.

Pioneer, which discovered earlier this month that several pieces of equipment and uniforms were stolen from the team’s storage bin on campus, received a check for $850 as well as new soccer balls and scrimmage vests from the Warriors on Nov. 19, when both teams (pictured together) met at midfield following Pioneer’s preseason opener against Los Gatos.

Warriors Head Coach John Basanese said his team came up with the idea of helping Pioneer out after reading about the theft in the press. The Warriors asked friends and family for cash donations and also donated their new soccer balls and new scrimmage vests to Pioneer as a gesture of kindness.

Basanese said he was proud of the way his team responded in helping fellow soccer players out.

“We’re really lucky with the kids we have,” he said. “High school kids will surprise you with stuff like that. As a coach, it’s nice to see.”

In addition to Valley Christian, Almaden community members and Joma Sport have been helping the Pioneer boys’ soccer team get things back in order for the upcoming season. The gift from Valley Christian was much appreciated by Pioneer.

“On behalf of all the soccer coaches, players and school administration, we want to give a loud “thank you” to the VC boys teams and coaches for coming to our game and their donations to the Mustangs Soccer Program,’” read a statement on Pioneer’s athletic Web site. “…The coaches at VC must very proud of their players for organizing a special day.

“And the players at VC must be very lucky to have coaches who will go the extra mile for others. Your school has set the bar high. Once again, thank you. You have touched our hearts.” – By Diego Abeloos

If you’d like to help the Pioneer boys’ soccer team in any way, call Coach Pedro Fuentez at (408) 535-6310. You can also e-mail him at pedro_fuentez@sjusd.org. The school’s address is 1290 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, Calif. 95118. If sending anything in the mail, mark attention to Fuentez or boys’ soccer on the envelope.

Pioneer boys’ hoops hits the hardwood

Nov. 17 scrimmage vs. Cupertino sees new lineup, new faces

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

The Pioneer boys’ basketball team saw its’ first action on the hardwood since summer league with a Nov. 17 scrimmage against Cupertino.

While the end result didn’t count in the standings, the two-hour session gave Pioneer Head Coach Joe Berticevich an opportunity to see what his team will look like when the 2005-06 season begins.

Pioneer Head Coach Joe Berticevich said he will count on players like Matt Montelongo (pictured) to provide help off the bench throughout the 2005-06 season.

“It’s good to see us play against somebody different. We’ve been battling for the past month-and-a-half against each other, and it’s hard to really get an idea how good we are or how much better we have to get until you play somebody different,” said Berticevich. “I saw some good signs, and I obviously saw some things that we have to improve on, but I like the intensity of the team.”

During the off-season, Berticevich had the arduous task of replacing his entire starting lineup from last year, which featured five seniors. Last year’s team finished with a 15-14 overall record, coupled with a 7-5 record in Mt. Hamilton Division play, good for a third-place tie with Westmont in the standings.

The 2004-05 season ended with the Mustangs earning a trip to the CCS playoffs, where the team won its first two games against Terra Nova and Monterey, before losing a 61-47 game to Burlingame in the semifinals.

This year will pose another challenge for Berticevich and the Mustangs, with the lineup currently featuring senior transfer Kevin Denardi, as well as returning senior players in Nolan Maggipinto, Andrew Lerma, Ryan LaCorte and Kyle Fager. Still, Berticevich said several players on the bench will see ample playing time and play a big role for the Mustangs this season.

“I saw these guys that I had on the bench and in practice, and I’m not the type of coach who plays 13 guys in a game. I get a rotation, but I saw those guys on the practice court and I thought we had a chance to be competitive,” Berticevich said of his new lineup. “…I see us playing nine or 10 guys at any time during a game.”
The new lineup and the overall makeup of the team has its’ differences over last year, namely in the athleticism throughout the roster.

“I think overall we’re more athletic, but we’re smaller at the post so we’re going to try to get up and down the court a little bit faster and get some transition points,” Berticevich said. “I think defensively, we’re going to try and match up a little bit better. With the big guys down low, I think we’re going to get out and do some things, because we don’t have big post players.”

Among the bench players to make an early impression on Berticevich was junior T.J. Watson, who last year played at the frosh/soph level. Berticevich said Watson showed he can shoot the ball from the outside as well as drive to the basket, as evidenced by a pair of reverse layups thrown down by Watson in transition during the scrimmage against Cupertino.

Berticevich said Watson will be one of several players he will count on throughout the season to provide a spark off the bench.

“We know that he can score. Now, if we can get that to transfer over on the defensive end, he’s going to be pretty good for us,” Berticevich said of Watson.

Berticevich said players such as Gilbert Mendoza, Matt Montelongo and several others will play a part off the bench as well.

With the preseason set to get started on Nov. 22, Berticevich wouldn’t make any predictions on his team’s chances in 2005-06.

“It’s hard to say,” Berticevich said. “… If they react positively, I think we’ll be competitive. I can’t give you wins or losses, but hopefully, when it’s all said and done, we’re going to have a really good year and we’ll surprise some people.”

The Mustangs will begin the 2005-06 preseason with a Nov. 22 match-up at Prospect before facing Lynbrook at home on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. The Mustangs open Mt. Hamilton Division play on Jan. 4 at Oak Grove at 7 p.m. For more on the 2005-06 Pioneer boys’ basketball schedule, go to www.phsathletics.com or visit www.bval.org.

Photo by Lorraine Gabbert

The Bullets: AVYSL U8 Champions

Teamwork, drive and determination paid off for the Bullets exciting 2005 soccer season. They kept their parents on the edge of their seats as they won all of their regular games with boundless energy, enthusiasm and team spirit.

Leland girls’ tennis sees season end at CCS singles and doubles play

Chargers finish season at 16-2

By Leland Tennis Coach Pam Headley
Special to the Times

Despite having more participants involved in the tournament than any other school in the Bay Area, all six Leland girls’ tennis players failed to advance past the first round in CCS Individual Singles and Doubles play on Monday.

Courtside Tennis Club in Los Gatos hosted the tournament, which features some of the top players not only in local schools, but also in all of Northern California. With such a strong talent pool, Leland’s two singles players and two doubles teams knew they had tough battles ahead of them.

Leland’s Aileen Tsay and doubles partner Allison Hsia (not pictured) couldn’t overcome Notre Dame’s duo of Gina Nguyen and Samantha Chen, dropping a 6-3, 6-4 decision to end their season. Photo by Diego Abeloos

In first round action, junior Roxy Pourmirzaie, Leland’s No. 1 singles player all season long, drew the fourth seed, Almaden’s Taylor Davis, of Archbishop Mitty.

Davis, the No. 1 ranked player in the 14-year-old bracket of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Northern California division, dominated Pourmirzaie in the first set, taking the opener 6-1. With first set jitters out of the way, Pourmirzaie came back strong in the second set, using her quickness and exceptional court coverage to run down just about everything the hard-hitting Davis threw at her. In the end however, Pourmirzaie came up just short, losing the second set 7-5, dropping only her fifth match of a very successful season.

Freshman Lydia Chow drew an equally tough competitor; No. 1 seeded Sami Rosecrans from Sacred Heart Prep.

Chow, who played solidly at No. 2 singles for the Chargers, could not find her momentum against an incredibly strong Rosecrans. Chow’s solid fundamentals and excellent grasp of the technical side of the game enable her to recognize her opponent’s weaknesses and then exploit them.

Rosecrans, who committed very few unforced errors in the match, never gave Chow the opportunity to zero in on those weaknesses. Despite battling through some long baseline rallies and chasing down Rosecrans’ myriad of drop shots, Chow lost the match 6-0, 6-0.

In doubles play, the veteran team of seniors Katie Alesch and Connie Wang faced Mitty’s Anita Athavale and Sami Kawahara, the No. 4 seed in the doubles draw. Keeping true to their season-long habit of starting off slowly and coming from behind, Alesch and Wang limped through the first set, losing 6-0.

In the second, the Lady Chargers regained their focus and held serve to keep the Monarchs within their sights. However, with the score tied 3-3 in the second, the Mitty team stepped up the pace of the game. Alesch and Wang, relying on the extraordinary teamwork that has kept them in matches all season, just couldn’t overcome the net dominance and strong serves from the Mitty girls, and lost the set 6-3, and bringing a close to two successful high school tennis careers.

With both singles players already eliminated, and the seniors down in the second set, the freshmen duo of Allison Hsia and Aileen Tsay took the court and tried to keep the Lady Charger tennis season going just one more round.

The youngsters stepped in against the No. 6 seed from Notre Dame (San Jose), Gina Nguyen and Samantha Chen, and battled admirably, posting the best Leland scores of the day, despite dropping the match 6-3, 6-4. Playing singles all season, Hsia and Tsay adapted well to the doubles game, showcasing their strong fundamentals and giving a glimpse of the future of Leland Tennis.

The Lady Chargers finished their season 16-2, were undefeated as BVAL League champions, and finished fourth among all tennis teams in the CCS Fall Scholastic Championships, with a combined team GPA of 3.6880.

Leland boys’ hoops gets off to fast start in 2005-06 season
Chargers begin new season with scrimmage at Branham

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

The Leland boys’ basketball team kicked off its’ 2005-06 season with a 55-53 win during a scrimmage at Branham on Nov. 19.

Leland senior David Farsai goes up for a layup during a scrimmage at Branham on Nov. 19. The Chargers will play at Independence on Nov. 26 to continue non-league play before starting the Santa Teresa Division season on Jan. 3 at home against Evergreen. Photo courtesy www.mikejanes.com

With 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the game tied 53-53, Leland’s Philip Petro came away with a steal and dropped in a layup to put the Chargers up for good at 55-53.

The Chargers, who finished last season 11-14 overall and with a 9-5 record in the Santa Teresa Division (third place), will have some new faces on the squad this year.

Among the new arrivals are a handful of players brought up from last year’s frosh/soph team, as well as transfers in Adam Munoz and Daniel Ortiz. Along with a host of returning players from last season’s varsity squad, Leland Head Coach Dave Frandsen said he is pleased with what he’s seen so far in overall team talent and chemistry.

“This is a really enjoyable group,” said Frandsen. “They really like each other. They like playing hard. It hasn’t been a problem. They hang out together, they eat lunch together; that makes it a lot easier, coaching guys like that.”

But the season has already started with some hiccups as well. Point guard Jimi Kogura will have to wait to get into the team fold a few more weeks after breaking his foot lifting weights. Frandsen said the loss of Kogura hurts.

“His leadership out there and his defense starts a lot of things for us,” Frandsen said of Kogura. “He’s one of the few guys that really knows how to feed a post on our team. It’s a skill that he has and we miss right now. It’s going to make everybody else have to play better. Hopefully by the time league (play) comes around, he’ll be in good enough shape to play.”

Despite the temporary loss of Kogura, Frandsen said he’s hopeful that this season will turn out to be a successful one for the Chargers.

“I’m pretty confident that we’ll be successful,” Frandsen said. “Whether it’s related with wins or whatever, I don’t know. I’ll give you my standard answer: I think we’re two notches above okay, which in the real world of basketball is how you have to measure it. But I think we’re going to be really competitive. If our luck holds true and things fall into place, I think we have a chance to win league, like three or four other teams in our league do too.”

The Leland Chargers will continue non-league play with a Nov. 26 contest at Independence at 7 p.m., before playing in non-league tournaments at Westmont and Los Gatos in the coming weeks. The Chargers begin league play on Jan. 3 at home against Evergreen at 7 p.m.

For more information on the Chargers’ 2005-06 season schedule, go to www.lelandathletics.com or www.bval.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.