December 7, 2006

SPORTS

Leland boys’ hoops get 69-40 blowout win over Royals

Leland in two-way tie for third following win; Marino scores 25

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland boys’ basketball team improved to 4-2 in league play following a 69-40 win at home over the Overfelt Royals on Jan. 19.

Leland's Nolan Capuz looks to pass the ball during a 69-40 win against Overfelt on Jan 19. Photos by Dan Miranda

With the win, the Chargers knocked the Royals out of a third place tie with Leland in the Santa Teresa Division. Still, the league standings remained crowded at the top, as Silver Creek dropped a 62-48 loss to undefeated Sobrato that same night, sliding the Raiders into a two-way tie for third place with the Chargers. Leland head coach Ed Campbell said the win was crucial for the Chargers in positioning themselves for a potential playoff spot, despite the fact that Leland is still two games away from reaching the midway point in league play.

“We’re still in the hunt right now,” Campbell said. “It would’ve been difficult if we had lost this game, even though there’s a lot of games (left) to play. But right now, we’re still in the hunt.”

The win, which saw Leland take a commanding 39-14 lead at halftime, also came on the heels of a close 45-42 loss to the Raiders on Jan. 16. Campbell said little elements, such as chasing down loose balls and other “hustle” plays, were lacking from his squad in the loss to the Raiders. Those elements, plus an 84 percent shooting performance in the first half, returned in the win over the Royals, Campbell added.

“It was really nice to have a game we took control of right from the beginning,” Campbell said. “I thought we were very flat on (Jan. 16), both offensively and defensively. We never got it really going. …But tonight, I thought we got our energy back, and we played with a lot of enthusiasm.”

Leading by 10 points at 24-14 with 4:16 left in the second quarter, the Chargers embarked on a 15-0 scoring run to end the first half, which featured a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Drew Marino to cap the scoring stretch. Marino finished the game with a team-high 25 points, while point guard David Janes finished one point shy of tying a career high with 13 points.

Leland’s Greg Hipwell dribbles past a defender in a 69-40 win over the Overfelt Royals on Jan. 19.

Leland kept pace in the second half, leading the Royals 46-22 with 2:58 left in the third quarter before going on a 10-2 scoring stretch fueled by Marino, who scored all 10 points on a pair of three-pointers and two layups, to end the period with a 56-24 lead.

Campbell said Leland matched up well both offensively and defensively against the Royals, and that the Chargers responded with one of their best offensive nights of the season.

“I thought tonight we really took the offense to another level,” Campbell said.

Leland’s lead swelled to as much as 39 points in the fourth quarter, leading 66-27 with 3:50 to go, before the Royals finished off the game on a 13-3 run against mostly Leland reserve players.

And while Campbell said he was pleased with his team’s overall play in all facets of the game, he conceded that luck, at times, can also play a factor.

“Some nights, the ball goes in the basket and sometimes you can’t buy anything,” Campbell said. “We missed a whole bunch of easy shots against Silver Creek and tonight, they went in. …Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. Tonight, the ball did bounce our way a few times.”

Leland girls’ soccer gets 3-0 win at Evergreen

The Leland girls’ soccer team picked up its second league win of the season on Jan .19 with a 3-0 win at Evergreen.

Leland’s Karina Cavanna (4) assisted on all three goals for her team in a 3-0 win at Evergreen on Jan. 19. The win improved Leland’s record in league play to 2-3-4. Photos by Diego Abeloos

The win put the Chargers (2-3-4 in league play) into fourth place in the Mt. Hamilton Division, giving Leland a shot at a coveted playoff spot with just a handful of games remaining in the regular season.

The win also bounced Evergreen into fifth place and gave the Chargers some much-needed security. Should the season end with Leland tied for fourth place in the final playoff spot with Evergreen, the Chargers would get an automatic qualification to advance to CCS because of its two wins during league play over the Cougars. Leland defeated Evergreen earlier this season by a 3-2 final on Dec. 13.

“This was a big win,” Blutrich said. “…It was a great effort. We were without our leading scorer in Sara (Chehrehsa) today, and for the girls to step up, collectively it was a great team effort today.”

Leland started the scoring in the second half, getting a goal from Jennifer Tkach five minutes into the second half for a 1-0 lead. Still leading 1-0 in the final 10 minutes of play, Leland got some breathing room when Denelle Spencer scored a pair of goals—both on headers—on set pieces within a two-minute span for a 3-0 advantage. Karina Cavanna recorded three assists to help lead the Chargers to the win as well.

“The heart of a champion is somebody who is able to finish a team off,” Blutrich said of Spencer’s two late goals. “With us being up 1-0, they (the Cougars) were sustaining some pressure on us, but we withheld that pressure. Getting to set piece opportunities, we executed, and that was great to see.”

—By Diego Abeloos

Sports Briefs

Almaden Valley Rebels U17 girls’ soccer tryouts
The U17 girls’ Division 3 (comp.) Almaden Valley Rebels soccer team is looking for players for both spring and fall. Players must be born after 8-1-90. The Rebels have several players on the team that are “playing up,” so even if you are 14 or 15 years old, do not be afraid to try out for the team. Please contact Scott Hoyt at shoyt@cinnabarhills.com for complete details and tryout dates.

Almaden U9 boys’ competitive soccer team tryouts Jan. 20
A new Almaden U9 boys’ competitive soccer team is holding two tryout sessions for the upcoming year. It is open to boys born after 7/31/98. The tryouts will be held on Jan. 20 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Almaden Elementary School, located at 1295 Dentwood Ave., San Jose. For questions and additional information, please contact John Jussen (408) 504-8405 or e-mail jussen1@netzero.net. Interested parties may also contact Timothy Mackin at (408) 997-1046 or e-mail mackinfam@sbcglobal.net.

Almaden Wildcats girls’ U-12 soccer tryouts
The Almaden Wildcats competitive soccer team will be holding tryouts on Jan. 28 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Feb. 4 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Simonds Elementary School on Little Falls Drive. Girls wanting to tryout must be
born after 7/31/1995. The Wildcats are the two-time defending Spring League competitive champions. Their
other accomplishments this past year include going undefeated in 2006 tournament pool play, quarterfinalists in the 2006 Association Cup, and winning their district cup tournament. If you would like more information about
the team or tryouts, contact Coach Ron Richardson at (408) 997-6168 or visit the team Web site at http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=avwildcats or www.almadensoccer.org.

Almaden Storm U12 boys soccer needs players
The Almaden Storm U12 (Fall) boys’ class 1 soccer team needs players for spring (U11) and fall. If you are interested in trying out, please contact Oleg Levitsky at (408) 927-5620 or Mike Reickerd at (408) 268-7576. 

Almaden Storm U14 boys’ soccer needs players
The Almaden Storm U14 (Fall) boys’ class 1 soccer team needs players for spring and fall. The U13 Almaden Storm, currently ranked eighth in northern California, is also looking for players. If you are interested in trying
out, please contact Chris Brubaker at (408) 226-1718 or Mike Reickerd at (408) 268-7576.

Almaden Quicksilver U11 girls’ comp tryouts
Open tryouts for girls U11 (born after 7/31/96) competitive class 3 team will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 1–3 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 28 from noon–2 p.m. at Simonds Elementary School. The field is located on the
corner of Little Falls and Parajo Drive.  The team is looking to expand its roster with girls who have a desire to
play soccer at a competitive level.  The team will be playing spring and fall soccer.

Come dressed to play soccer with a ball and water. If you have any questions, please call Kathy Wesolowski at (408) 323-9236 or kathywesolowski@sbcglobal.net.

4U/16U "A" Ball softball program seeks players
The 4U/16U "A" Ball softball program, Bay Area Starters, is looking for a few additional players to add to its competitive spring team. For more information, visit http://www.bayareastarters.com or call (408) 315-2704

Almaden Arsenal tryouts
The Arsenal, a boys’ U14 (for fall 2007, born after 7/31/1993) class 3 team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, will be holding tryouts on Feb. 3, 10 a.m.-noon, and Feb. 4, 2-4 p.m., at Allen at Steinbeck School. For more information, contact Jeff Earl at jsearl@pacbell.net or call (408) 268-5125.

Tryouts for Quicksilver U14 girls soccer
The Almaden Quicksilver U14 girls’ class 3 competitive soccer team is holding open tryouts for the spring and fall 2007 seasons. Girls must be born after Aug. 1, 1993 to be eligible. The tryouts are on Jan. 20 and 27 from 3–5 p.m. at Simonds Elementary. For more information, please contact Coach John at john@politoski.com.

Almaden Arsenal boys’ U9 and U10 soccer tryouts Jan. 21 and 28
The Almaden Arsenal is holding soccer team tryouts on Jan. 21 and 28. The boys U10 will be from 1:30–3 p.m. (8-1-97 through 7-31-98 birth dates for eligible players) and the boys U9 from 3:30–5 p.m. (8-1-98 through 7-31-99 birth dates for eligible players) at Almaden Elementary School, 1295 Dentwood Drive. Head Coach Paul Monteith is a semiprofessional soccer player from England and professional Major League Soccer trainer. This could be an exciting opportunity to be coached by a trained professional.  Please e-mail team manager Kristen Del Biaggio at kristen@delbiaggio.net if you have further questions.

Boys U15 Almaden Newcastle United Select (Division 1) tryouts
The Delgado champions and Association Cup semifinalists are holding tryouts on the dates listed below. Please contact christina_redondo@yahoo.com if interested in trying out.

Tryout dates:
Feb. 3, 2-4 p.m. at Steinbeck Middle School
Feb. 10, 9–11 a.m. at Steinbeck Middle School
Feb. 11, 2–4 p.m. at Steinbeck Middle School

Almaden Flames girls’ U13 soccer open soccer tryouts
The Almaden Flames, a girls’ U13 select soccer team, will be holding tryouts for the 2007 spring/fall season Friday, Jan.19 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 21 from 1–3 p.m. at Steinbeck field 1. Last season, the Flames finished in first place overall in the G U13 Delgado A division. This is a spirited team with great camaraderie. For any questions about the team or additional tryout dates, contact Coach Ron Ramirez at (408) 981-5975.

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.

South San Jose Hotshots seek experienced girls’ soccer players
The South San Jose Hotshots, a girls U11 comp soccer team, is looking for experienced players for its 2007
indoor and outdoor seasons.  The Hotshots play in the Delgado competitive league and finished as one of the
top U10 girls’ teams in the 2006 fall season.  The team has a positive coaching environment, with a focus on teamwork and player development.  Interested players should contact head coach Mike Bunge at awalt80@yahoo.com.

Girls’ Lacrosse of San Jose now registering players
Girls’ Lacrosse of San Jose is now registering players for its spring 2007 season. The club, which plays under the name San Jose Extreme, has openings remaining for its new developmental team for third and fourth graders (second graders by permission), and for its fifth and sixth grade team. In addition, it has a short wait list for its 7th and 8th grade team and a second high school team.

Girls’ lacrosse is a fast-growing, non-contact field sport played with a webbed stick and ball that combines elements of basketball and field hockey. Girls Lacrosse of San Jose started five years ago with one team. In 2007, it will have five teams for girls of all ages.

The club practices at Kirk Community Center on Foxworthy Avenue and is part of the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association. The season will run from February through mid-May.

For information, go to www.sjextreme.org or contact club President John Fensterwald by email at john@sjextreme.org or call (408) 265-2224

Go 4 Gold soccer camp Feb. 19-23
Go 4 Gold Soccer Schools has an upcoming Presidents’ Week soccer camp, taking place Feb. 19-23. The camp will be held at Oak Grove High School, located on Blossom Hill Rd in San Jose. The camp runs daily from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., and is designed for boys and girls ages 5 -16. Cost per person is $250. There are also team discounts available. To register for the camp, go to www.go4goldsoccer.com or call (408) 997-7775.

Valley Flag Football now accepting Spring 2007 registration
Valley Flag Football is the premier youth football league for boys and girls ages 5-14. The program provides young players a fun and exciting opportunity to engage in continuous action while learning lessons in teamwork. It’s an excellent way to introduce players before playing tackle and keeping tackle players active in the off-season.

Launched in 1996, the FLAG Football program is designed to educate young people about football while emphasizing participation and sportsmanship. Players learn skills and lessons that help them succeed both on and off the field.

NFL FLAG Football is played across the United States and is a fun and exciting sport that teaches great life lessons, such as sportsmanship, dedication and discipline.

This five-on-five game is recognizable to football fans everywhere. Participants learn about formations, pass patterns and different types of offense and defense. All teams are actual NFL team names. Players keep their team logo jerseys. Sign up today and be part of the Valley Flag Football Family. The first 100 players to register online receive a free league T-shirt. Registration deadline is Feb. 28. The season starts March 25, 2007
Visit our website for more information and registration: www.valleyflagfootball.com or contact us at (408) 531-0417 or via email at tmorgan_valleyflag@hotmail.com.

South Valley Pop Warner youth football and cheer signups
South Valley Pop Warner is holding signups for youth football and cheer. Participant ages 5-15 as of 7/31. Signups are from 12-3 p.m. at Round Table on Thornwood Avenue on Feb. 3, Feb.17, March 3, March 17 and March 31. From more information, visit http://www.stpopwarner.org/ or call Bill Vines at (408) 808-1473.

Almaden Aftershock Boys U14 tryouts
The Almaden Aftershock boys U14 soccer team will be holding tryouts on Feb. 3, 1 p.m.–4 p.m. and Feb. 4, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Steinbeck School Field 1, 820 Steinbeck Drive, San Jose.

The Almaden Aftershock is a competitive team (class 3) for boys under 14 (born between Aug. 1, 1993 and July 31, 1994). The team is looking for competitive players who want to be a part of a winning tradition.

Team successes: Second place in fall and spring Delgado League. The team is professionally trained by an English premier trainer and will be moving up to higher division this fall. The team also plans to attend four to six tournaments in 2007.

Almaden Aftershock coaches strive for team spirit, hard work, fundamentals, team-building attitudes, fair play, and fun!  In addition, the team strives for a family atmosphere, real team building and life-long friendships among players.

For more information, go to www.almadenaftershocks.org. or contact coach Mark Schrick at schrick@pacbell.net or (408) 391-6664.

Almaden Celtic boys’ U10 2007 soccer team tryouts Jan. 28
The Almaden Celtic boys’ U9 soccer team recently completed its first season with an outstanding 7-1-2 record, and by winning their division in CYSA Delgado class 3 (competitive) league play against top teams from around the Bay Area. 

Next season, the Celtic will move to the U10 age group (players born between 8/1/97 and 7/31/98) and will be advancing to play in the Abronzino class 1 (Select) league. The team is looking for kids interested in further developing their soccer skills in a fun and increasingly more competitive environment. The team is especially in need of a player interested in specializing in the goalie position. 

Open tryouts for all players will be held Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Almaden Elementary School, located at 1295 Dentwood Drive in San Jose. For more information about tryouts or the team in general, contact coaches Mike Hackett at coachmike@almadenceltic.com or Dave Eberle at coacheb@almadenceltic.com, or visit the team Web site at http://www.almadenceltic.com.

Almaden Valley Strikers boys’ U12 soccer tryouts
The Almaden Valley Strikers, a boys’ under-12 class 3 soccer team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, is holding tryouts for players born between Aug. 1, 1995 and July 31 1996. Tryouts will be held Feb. 7, 14, and 28 from 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. at Steinbeck Middle School. Call Coach Lela Huenergardt at (408) 997-8903 for more details.

Almaden Valley Strikers Goalie Needed
The Almaden Valley Strikers, a boys’ under-12 Class 3 soccer team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, is holding tryouts for goalies born between Aug.1, 1995 and July 31 1996. Call Coach Lela Huenergardt at (408) 997-8903 for more details.

Bret Harte Middle School needs track coaches
Bret Harte Middle School is in need of track coaches for sprint/relay and hurdles/high jump. Season begins last week of March and runs to mid May. Time commitments for coaches are approximately from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. three days a week (Mon./Wed./Fri.). Coach will also need to be fingerprinted and have TB test completed through San Jose Unified School District. Bret Harte Boosters will reimburse the coach for the expense. The coach is to report to the track and field head coach and is under the direction of the School Administration and Bret Harte Boosters.  If interested, call Amy Yorkey at (408) 535-6270

Girls’ U14 Almaden Elite soccer tryouts
The Almaden Elite, a Girls’ U14 Class 1 soccer team, will be holding tryouts for players born after 8/1/92 on Sat., Jan. 27, and Sun., Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon at Stratford School, located on 6670 San Anselmo Way in San Jose. For more information, go to www.almadenelite.com/soccer or email rzuvella@sbcglobal.net.

Storm boys U10 soccer tryout
Storm soccer team is conducting a tryout for boys under 10 (Div 1 - select) on Feb. 10 and 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both days at Almaden School. Almaden School is located on 1295 Dentwood Dr., San Jose, CA, 95118. Boys born between Aug. 1, 1997 and July 31, 1998 are welcome to try out.  For more information, contact Mike Bergstrom at (408) 768-2266.

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Boys’ basketball at Branham, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ basketball at Piedmont Hills, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ soccer at Branham, 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday – Boys’ basketball vs. Andrew Hill, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Tuesday – Boys’ soccer vs. Yerba Buena, 3:15 p.m.*

Wednesday – Girls’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Wednesday – Girls’ soccer vs. Live Oak, JV 4:15 p.m. and varsity 2:45 p.m.

Thursday – Boys’ soccer at Lincoln, 3:15 p.m.*
Thursday – Wrestling vs. San Jose, 6:30 p.m.

Pioneer High School
Friday – Boys’ basketball at Santa Teresa, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Friday – Girls’ soccer vs. Evergreen, 3:15 p.m.*

Tuesday – Boys’ soccer at Live Oak, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday –Boys’ basketball vs. Evergreen, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Wednesday –Girls’ basketball at Evergreen, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
Wednesday – Girls’ soccer vs. Branham, 3:15 p.m.*

Thursday – Boys’ soccer at Yerba Buena, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday – Wrestling at Yerba Buena, 3:15 p.m.

*Note: Game site listed is for varsity only. JV and/or frosh/soph soccer team plays at the opposite site of varsity, at the same time, unless otherwise noted.

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/

High School Scoreboard

Jan. 16
Leland boys’ soccer 2-1 loss at Leigh
Pioneer boys’ soccer 5-0 loss vs. Oak Grove

Jan. 17
Leland girls’ basketball 62-42 win vs. Leigh
Leland girls’ soccer 2-2 tie at Leigh
Pioneer girls’ basketball 53-45 loss vs. Westmont
Pioneer girls’ soccer 2-1 loss at Piedmont Hills

Jan. 18
Leland boys’ soccer 1-1 tie vs. Overfelt
Pioneer boys’ soccer 2-0 loss at Leigh

Jan. 19
Leland girls’ basketball 62-51 win at Westmont
Pioneer girls’ basketball 53-51 loss at Gunderson

Pioneer boys’ hoops bump record to 5-1 with wins over Westmont, Prospect

Mustangs tied for second place with Oak Grove at 5-1 in league play

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Pioneer boys’ basketball team improved to 5-1 in league play following two close wins against Westmont and Prospect on Jan. 17 and 19, respectively.

Pioneer point guard Matt Montelongo goes to the basket for a layup during a 57-56 win over Westmont. Pioneer head coach Joe Berticevich credited Montelongo's decision making in helping the Mustangs come back for a 57-56 win over the Warriors. Photos by Dan Miranda

The two wins—a 57-56 final at Westmont and a 62-59 win over Prospect—placed the Mustangs into a two-way tie for second place in the Mt. Hamilton Division along with Oak Grove. Both teams trail undefeated Piedmont Hills (6-0) by just one game in the standings.

Pioneer head coach Joe Berticevich noted that his team is getting valuable experience playing in close games, especially in a division with a talented pool of players. All told, still being in the hunt for a division crown is plenty of reason to be pleased with his team’s play, Berticevich added.

“It’s nice to be one of the top teams coming into the second round of league (play),” Berticevich said. “…It’s nice to still be competing for first place, going into the second half (of the season).”

The Mustangs received an ample dose of how to win close games after trailing 36-23 at half before taking a 57-56 win over Westmont on Jan. 17, which came on the heels of a 70-47 loss to Oak Grove, Pioneer’s first loss in league play, on Jan. 12. After Pioneer tied the game 15-15 early in the second quarter, Westmont’s offense caught fire, going on an 18-0 scoring run in a five-minute span to take a commanding 33-15 lead. A short 8-3 scoring run by the Mustangs to end the first half cut the deficit from 18 to 13.

“I think in the first half, you could say that was a little Oak Grove hangover,” Berticevich said. “Anytime you play a great team like that, you can get down, because they’re so athletic. …It took us a while to re-adjust from that, and in the second half we did.”

The Mustangs bounced back from the 13-point deficit at the half, cutting Westmont’s lead to just seven at the end of the third quarter before going on a 13-2 scoring run early in the fourth quarter to take a 55-54 lead with 2:40 left to play. Pioneer’s T.J. Watson, who led his team in scoring with 20 points, hit the lead-changing shot on a three-pointer.

Pioneer's T.J. Watson goes up for a jumper with several Westmont defenders bearing down on him during a 57-56 win on Jan. 17. Watson finished the game with a team-high 20 points.

Still, Westmont managed to get the lead back at 56-55 following a layup by Dominik Arbet with 1:14 left in the game. Pioneer finally took the lead for good when Gilbert Mendoza nailed a layup with 6.3 seconds left, getting a handy assist on the play from point guard Matt Montelongo.

“Matt’s a great decision maker, so we put the ball into his hands and let him do what he thinks best,” Berticevich said of Montelongo. “The best was to dish it off to Gilbert for a layup.”

Berticevich said one of the keys to Pioneer’s second half comeback was the switch from man-to-man defense, to a 2-3 zone, aimed at specifically stopping standout senior forward Michael Weimer, who scored 12 of his team-high 20 points in the first half.

Our whole game plan was to stop Weimer, and we thought we could do it in our man-to-man set, but he was getting the ball too deep inside,” Berticevich said. “We had to make a switch at half and we went to the 2-3 zone … we threw some traps out of our zone and made them get stagnant.”

The switch to the zone defense helped limit Weimer to just eight second half points, including just two in the fourth quarter.

“We had trouble against the zone,” Westmont head coach Bill Gerth added. “…We wanted to get the ball into Weimer, and we were able to do that, but they did a good job of doubling down on him, and that was the key.”

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.

Pioneer girls’ soccer downs undefeated Leigh

Late Mustang goal wrecks Leigh’s run

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

A late Pioneer goal set up by a questionable penalty call on Jan. 19 at Pioneer wrecked Leigh’s aspirations to finish league play undefeated this season.

The Mustangs celebrate following Stephanie Righetti's goal with 20 minutes remaining in the game.

Mustang senior midfielder Caitlyn Steinberg converted a cross, lofted up by standout senior and returning 2005-2006 Mount Hamilton Division Junior of the Year Stephanie Righetti to move her team ahead 2-1 for good.

The score came minutes after Righetti, positioned at the far left corner of the field, bent a shot into the net from 20 yards away, posting Pioneer’s first score.

“Pioneer is a good team and they always get up for big games,” Leigh coach Michelle Kennedy said of the Mustangs, who improved to 6-5-2 overall and 5-3-1 in league play.

Leigh (6-1-6, 3-1-5) scored first to open the second half, after the teams dueled evenly early. Junior forward Marissa Dunaway scored on a pass from senior midfielder Kim Johnston.

“We like to play finesse control, lob the ball around a lot,” said Kennedy. “We are not a physical team, due to our smallish stature. I hate playing kick ball.”

Kennedy said that Johnston is, in fact, one of the Longhorns better passers in a system that thrives on the skill.
“Morgan Hancock and Kim Johnston are very good at distributing the ball in the middle,” she said.

However, with 20 minutes remaining, Righetti took the ball, stagger stepping toward midfield, and away toward the corner. With her defender recovering several yards away, Righetti fired a shot around the goalkeeper for the score.

“She was pretty much at the corner flag,” said Kennedy. “It looked like it was supposed to be a cross and then it just went in the back post.”

Pioneer played well when they needed to, according to Kennedy. That has been the trend for the reigning Mount Hamilton Division champion Mustangs, who were presumed down after graduating a stellar senior class, which featured three first team all-league performers.

Despite playing just over .500 ball this season, Pioneer has notched victories over Leland (6-4-5, 2-3-4) and played league frontrunner Santa Teresa (9-4-2, 8-0-1) within one goal, losing 1-0.

Leigh, meanwhile, was also stung by graduation last year. The 2005-2006 Central Coast Section Division II runner-up Longhorns lost seven seniors, including two-time Mount Hamilton division Most Valuable Player Amy Neustedter.

With the scoring force gone, Leigh has relied on rigid defense that begins with Kennedy’s rotating goalkeepers, Meghan Mawald and Maddie Fox. Kennedy applauded the keepers’ efforts this season. “They are both extremely good goal keepers,” said Kennedy. “Either one could go start at any other school.”

The keepers gave up just one goal throughout the Longhorns first 10 games. Pioneer was the first team to score two goals versus Leigh this season.

“We had a lot of chances but we didn’t put them away,” said Kennedy. “I would say that we controlled the ball for 60-70 percent of the contest. I told them to keep their heads up and we that played well, if we finished our chances it is a different game.”

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