January 12, 2007

Evergreen Sports

Evergreen girls’ soccer draws even in league after 2-1 win over Pioneer

Cougars bump league record to 2-2 with win; team’s junior captain penalized with red card in second half

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

The Evergreen Valley girls’ soccer team returned to action following the holiday breaking in winning fashion, taking a 2-1 decision over visiting Pioneer on Jan. 3.

Ashley Travaglione gets rid of the ball with a Pioneer defender on her heels in a 2-1 win on Jan. 3. Photos by Dan Miranda

The win was a crucial one for the Cougars, according to head coach Michelle Sunseri, bumping the team’s record in Mt. Hamilton Division play to .500 at 2-2. The win came following a tough 5-0 loss to Santa Teresa just before the start of the holiday break on Dec. 15.

“It’s absolutely a great thing,” Sunseri said. “We had a really tough loss the last day before we went on break against Santa Teresa, so we’ve just been talking about what we can do to improve, to just come out here and play soccer and not be intimidated by any team. That’s what we did today.”

Physical play by the Cougars certainly played a role in the win, Pioneer head coach Randy Worthington said. Evergreen junior captain Caitlin Brennan received a yellow card in the game’s 33rd minute, followed by simultaneous yellow and red cards with just three minutes left in regulation. The second penalty, the simultaneous yellow and red cards, came during a collision with Pioneer’s Michelle Schenone.

“I think Evergreen played us extremely physical, they won the physical match-up,” said Worthington. “…We had trouble with their physical play. They pushed us around quite a bit.”

Still, the red card for Brennan was not justified, Sunseri said, who added that she plans to formally protest the penalty with the league office. If the penalty is enforced, Brennan will have to serve a one-game suspension, according to Sunseri.

“I don’t think she was playing dirty at all,” Sunseri said of Brennan. “I don’t think any of the girls were. …It was a collision. We went in hard for the ball.”

The penalty, whether enforced or not, won’t stop the Cougars from playing their physical style of soccer, according to sophomore Raylene Larot.

Rachel Berglund of Evergreen gets control of the ball during a 2-1 win over Pioneer on Jan. 3.

“We want to be aggressive, but we don’t want a lot of red cards,” Larot said. “We want to be aggressive and be tough. We try not to foul as much, but be physical, so they don’t push you back and take you off the ball.”

Trailing 1-0 after a Pioneer goal on a penalty kick by senior Stephanie Righetti in the game’s 13th minute, the Cougars struck back four minutes later, as Brennan nailed a header into the net on a corner kick for a 1-1 tie.

“Caitlin played a phenomenal game today,” Sunseri said. “She was very physical, very much in it and wanting the win.”

Evergreen eventually took the lead for good in the second half, getting a goal in the 62nd minute of play from Larot, who placed the ball just inside the low right corner of the goal with her left foot for a 2-1 advantage. Sunseri credited a well-placed cross by Larot’s older sister, senior team captain Leah Larot, on the game-winning play, as well as the younger Larot’s ability to quickly recognize the scoring opportunity.

“Raylene is a phenomenal player,” Sunseri said. “She has excellent foot work, she’s fast, and most people can’t stop her.”

All told, Sunseri said she had her share of concerns about her team’s play coming into the game, considering the two-week break between Mt. Hamilton Division contests and the team’s mindset following the tough loss to Santa Teresa. Some of those concerns, Sunseri said, are no longer lingering.

“I was very concerned, especially after that last game against Santa Teresa,” she said. “Were we going to be ready to compete again? Were we going to take a back seat and just take what the league is giving to us? No, we stepped it up and they impressed me today. …They played soccer like they know how.”

Evergreen Valley High’s Raylene Larot named Youth Referee of the Year

Raylene Larot (center) was greeted and congratulated by U.S. FIFA referee Kari Seitz (right) and U.S. National referee Peter Fletcher (left).

Evergreen Valley High School student Raylene Larot was selected by South San Jose Youth Soccer League as their “Youth Referee of the Year.”

At the award presentation ceremony held Dec. 6, Larot received an engraved trophy plaque and honorary membership in the San Jose Referee Association including certificate, game flip coin, referee patch and pin.

Larot was greeted and congratulated by U.S. FIFA referee Kari Seitz and U.S. National referee Peter Fletcher. Seitz, known as one of the top female referees in the country, was a 1993 and 2003 World Cup referee as well as a referee for the 2004 Olympic Games.

In addition to refereeing, Larot plays club soccer with the Pleasanton Rage, 2006 GU15 State Cup Champion and Regional Finalist. Her dribbling and passing skills earned her a spot on the 2006 Olympic Development Program (ODP) State team. Larot is currently playing high school soccer at Evergreen Valley.

EVERGREEN SPORTS
SCHEDULES 12-19 to 12-29

Evergreen Valley High sports schedule
1/16 – Boys’ soccer at San Jose, 3:15 p.m.
1/16 – Wrestling at Piedmont Hills, 6:30 p.m.

1/17 – Boys’ basketball vs. Prospect, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/17 – Girls’ basketball at Gunderson, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/17 – Girls’ soccer vs. Live Oak, 3:15 p.m.

1/18 – Boys’ soccer vs. Silver Creek, 3:15 p.m.

1/19 – Girls’ soccer vs. Leland, 3:15 p.m.
1/19 – Boys’ basketball at Piedmont Hills, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.
1/19 – Girls’ basketball vs. Piedmont Hills, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.

1/20 - Boys’ soccer at Silver Creek, 3:15 p.m.

1/23 – Boys’ soccer vs. Westmont, 3:15 p.m.

1/24 – Girls’ soccer at Santa Teresa, 3:15 p.m.
1/24 – Girls’ basketball at Santa Teresa, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/24 – Boys’ basketball vs. Santa Teresa, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.

1/25 – Wrestling vs. Andrew Hill, 6:30 p.m.
1/25 – Boys’ soccer at Sobrato, 3:15 p.m.

1/26 – Varsity girls’ soccer at Pioneer, 3:15 p.m.
1/26 – JV girls’ soccer vs. Pioneer, 3:15 p.m.
1/26 – Girls’ basketball vs. Leigh, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/26 – Boys’ basketball at Leigh, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant High sports schedule
1/16 – Boys’ basketball vs. Lincoln, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/16 – Girls’ basketball vs. Branham, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/16 – Boys’ soccer vs. Piedmont Hills, 3:15 p.m.

1/17 – Girls’ soccer vs. Gunderson, 3:15 p.m.

1/18 – Wrestling at Lincoln, 6:30 p.m.
1/18 – Girls’ basketball at Prospect, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/18 – Boys’ soccer at Willow Glen, 3:15 p.m.

1/19 – Girls’ soccer at Silver Creek, 3:15 p.m.
1/19 – Boys’ basketball at Independence, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.

1/23 – Girls’ basketball at Oak Grove, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/23 – Boys’ soccer vs. James Lick, 3:15 p.m.
1/23 – Wrestling at Leigh, 6:30 p.m.
1/23 – Boys’ basketball vs. Gunderson, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.

1/24 – Girls’ soccer at San Jose, 3:15 p.m.

1/25 – Girls’ basketball vs. Live Oak, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/25 – Boys’ soccer at Santa Teresa, 3:15 p.m.

1/26 – Girls’ soccer vs. James Lick, 5 p.m.
1/26 – Boys’ basketball vs. San Jose, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.

Silver Creek High sports schedule
1/16 – Boys’ basketball vs. Leland, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/16 – Girls’ basketball at Prospect, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/16 – Boys’ soccer at Westmont, 3:15 p.m.

1/17 – Girls’ soccer vs. Sobrato, 3:15 p.m.
1/17 – Wrestling vs. Overfelt, 6:30 p.m.

1/18 – Boys’ soccer at Evergreen, 3:15 p.m.
1/18 – Girls’ basketball vs. Oak Grove, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.

1/19 – Girls’ soccer vs. Mt. Pleasant, 3:15 p.m.
1/19 – Boys’ basketball at Sobrato, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.

1/20 - Boys’ soccer vs. Evergreen, 3:15 p.m.

1/23 – Boys’ basketball vs. Live Oak, F/S 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/23 – Girls’ basketball at Live Oak, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/23 – Boys’ soccer vs. Sobrato, 3:15 p.m.

1/24 – Girls’ soccer at Yerba Buena, 3:15 p.m.

1/25 – Wrestling at Branham, 6:30 p.m.
1/25 – Girls’ basketball vs. Independence, JV 5:30 p.m. and varsity 7 p.m.
1/25 – Boys’ soccer vs. Del Mar, 3:15 p.m.

1/26 – Girls’ soccer vs. Gunderson, 3:15 p.m.
1/26 – Boys’ basketball at Andrew Hill, F/S 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m.


For more information on local games, log on to the BVAL Web site at http://www.bval.org/

For more information about CCS Playoff schedules, go to the CIF/CCS Web site at http://www.cifccs.org/

SPORTS BRIEFS

Jumpstart Volleyball Club tryouts Jan. 12
Jumpstart Volleyball Club, which offers competitive and developmental teams for girls ages 9 to 16, will be offering make-up tryouts for beginner to advanced players on Jan. 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tryouts will be held at Monroe Middle School, located at 1095 S. Monroe St. in San Jose. There is a tryout fee of $15 per player. For more information, go to www.jumpstartvolleyball.com or call (408) 504-0682

Evergreen Little League 2007 season signups
Evergreen Little League is accepting registrations now for both our co-ed baseball and girls’ softball programs. Parents may register their children online from the comfort of their home or office and pay by credit card. Email confirmations are mailed immediately to ensure your reserved spot for our 2007 season. Visit our website http://ell-baseball.com to register.

Players are registered based on their “Little League Age.” For baseball, the Little League age is the age of the player on 4/30/2007. For softball, the Little League age is the age of the player on 12/31/2006.

ELL has room for players in all divisions: T-Ball (age 5-6), Pee-Wee (age 7-8), Farm (age 7-9), Minors (age 9-12), Majors (age 10-12), Juniors (age 13-14), Seniors (age 15-16), and Challenger (all ages). Fees for players registered before Jan. 15 are $100 for age 5-6, $110 for age 7-12 and $120 for age 13-16.

We also have girls’ fast pitch softball for ages 6-16. We offer a coach pitch division for age 6-8, Minors for age 9-12, Majors for age 10-12, and Junior/Senior for age 13-16. We want to grow our softball program this year and are looking for coaches and players. Contact softball@ell-baseball.com with questions or president@ell-baseball.com to volunteer to help out.

All fees go up $20 after Jan. 14. All players, ages 8 and older, are requested to tryout.

We also have in-person registration available on Saturday Jan. 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chaboya Middle School’s Band Room. We only accept cash or check at in-person registration; three proofs of residency and original proof of age are required as well (see our website for more details).

BASEBALL TRYOUTS:
Tryouts for Minor and Major Divisions (ages 10-12) will be held at Chaboya Middle School on Jan. 20 and 21 (ages 9-12) on Jan. 27 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tryouts for Farm Division (ages 8-9) will be held at Chaboya Middle School on Jan. 28, and Feb. 4 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tryouts for Junior and Senior Divisions (age 13-16) will be held at Quimby Oak Middle School on March 3 and 4. Tryouts are not necessary for T-Ball (ages 5-6), and Pee Wee (ages 7-8) Divisions. Check our website http://ell-baseball.com for updates.

SOFTBALL TRYOUTS:
Tryouts for all divisions will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Boggini Park from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pre-Season Clinics: These are intended to prepare players for tryouts and to assist them if they are moving up a level. The focus is on fundamentals, fun, and facts about Little League Baseball or Softball. Pre Season Clinics will be held as follows:

Baseball Pre-Season Clinics:
Saturday, Jan. 6 and 13: 9 a.m. – noon, ages 8-12 at Chaboya

Saturday, Jan. 13: 1 – 4 p.m., ages 13-16 at Quimby

Saturday, Feb. 10: 9 a.m. – noon, ages 13-16 at Quimby

Softball Pre-Season Clinics:
Saturday, Jan. 6 and 13: 9 a.m. – noon, ages 8-12 at Boggini Park

Saturday, Jan. 21: 9 a.m. – noon, ages 13-16 at Boggini Park

We are also looking for volunteer Umpires. If you are interested, please contact Evergreen Little League at (408) 534-1727 or playeragent@ell-baseball.com. We offer hands-on training as well as classroom training if you want to learn how to umpire or just want to brush up on your skills and the knowledge of the rules.

Anyone interested in sponsoring a team this year can contact our sponsorship representative sponsor@ell-baseball.com.

Visit our website at http://ell-baseball.com for updates.

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 competitive 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 seventh and eighth 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 runs from February through mid-May.

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

San Jose Strikkers 18U tryouts
The San Jose Strikkers, a youth girls fast-pitch softball team based in San Jose, will hold tryouts for its’ 18U summer ball team. Summer ball tryouts are Dec. 17, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14 at Oak Grove High School. Tryouts for pitchers and catchers are at 9 a.m. and all position player tryouts start 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.

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.

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 the Web site for more information and registration: www.valleyflagfootball.com or contact (408) 531-0417 or tmorgan_valleyflag@hotmail.com.

NorCal Heat 14A Tryouts
NorCal Heat 14A Tryouts Sunday, Jan 28, for spring/summer tournament team.  Pitchers & catchers 10 a.m., position players 10:30 a.m.; Santa Clara H.S., 3000 Benton Street, Santa Clara, 95051, Chuck Caldera (408) 568-6582, Joe Chaulklin (408) 644-1930, David Quevedo )408) 655-2641, email: heatfastpitch@yahoo.com.

Cougars off to tough 0-2 start in Mt. Hamilton Division play

Evergreen boys’ hoops team drops losses to rivals Leigh, Pioneer

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

It was a rough introduction into Mt. Hamilton Division play for the Evergreen Valley boys’ basketball team, which lost two straight games to Leigh and Pioneer, respectively, to open 2006-07 league play.

Evergreen's Billy Miller shoots the ball during their game against Pioneer Jan. 5. Miller finished the game with 6 points. Photos by Dan Miranda

The Cougars, in their first season in the Mt. Hamilton Division, began league play with a 72-44 loss to Leigh on Jan. 3, before dropping a 69-40 loss to Pioneer on Jan. 5. The losses, head coach Dennis Fernandez said, were not totally unexpected, considering the level of talent on each team in the division and his team’s relative inexperience playing at that level.

“All these teams are very competitive at this level, and they’re all going to go out there and play hard, and it’s going to be a very aggressive, tough, competitive league,” he said. “I don’t see a weak team in this league. I don’t see a team where you say, ‘okay, here we go. We’ve got an easy one.’ There is none.”

One key, Fernandez said, is getting the team to raise its confidence level as the season progresses. Fernandez said he looks at little intangible signs from his team in each game as a building block in getting his players to believe that they can compete at the A-league level.

“As soon as our guys figure out that they can come out and play the game the way they play in practice, then maybe the light bulb will go on,” Fernandez said, “because we’re not that bad. We’re not as bad as we look. I know that’s awkward to say, but I’ve seen these kids play well, and we’ve had great highlights. …We are working hard in practice, we are working to improve and we are trying to correct our errors.”

A key to the Mustangs’ win, according to Pioneer head coach Joe Berticevich, was his team’s low post play. The game plan, he said, was to attack the basket by directly challenging Evergreen center Derek Pauli, the Cougars’ main low post threat offensively and defensively. Defensively, the Mustangs double-teamed Pauli throughout the game, limiting him to just four points on the night.

Evergreen's Khoi Nguyen shoots the ball during their game against Pioneer Jan. 5. Hguyen finished as high scorer for the game with 18 points. Evergreen lost the game 69-40 to fall 0-2 in league.

“We don’t have the tallest team, and they have a six-foot, six-inch guy (Pauli). Our motto is to go attack him,” Berticevich said. “Whether he blocks the shot or not, get him in foul trouble. The defense did a much better job in defending him with the double (team). Sometimes we doubled with the wrong guy, but we did a good job for the most part.”

One of the bright spots for the Cougars in the loss to Pioneer, however, was junior guard Khoi Nguyen, who led all scorers with 18 points on Jan. 5. Nguyen almost single-handedly kept the Cougars in the game from the very start, with Pioneer grabbing a 9-0 lead to start the game. Nguyen struck back, scoring seven points in less than one minute of play, including a long three-pointer from the top of the arc, giving the Cougars life on offense. All told, Nguyen managed to score 10 points in the quarter.

“For a while it was Pioneer 14 - Khoi 7,” Fernandez said of Nguyen’s first quarter performance. “…You have to focus on Khoi (defensively), you can’t leave him alone.”

Still, Nguyen’s effort was not enough to subdue the Mustangs, who went on a 13-0 run to start the third quarter, en route to a 33-20 lead at halftime. The Cougars came within 11 points of a tie just twice after the first quarter, with both instances coming within a two-minute span in the third quarter. By the end of the third however, Pioneer had a solid 51-36 lead, before limiting the Cougars to their second four-point quarter of the night in the fourth quarter.

“It’s the same story as the last game,” Fernandez said, referring to the Leigh loss as well. “We come out strong and we hang with the other team. I think we play well and we execute well, and then, kind of a lax comes over them, a lack of momentum. We’ve been notorious for falling apart in the second quarter. …I’m not sure what the issues are yet. I’m still trying to resolve them.”

Inconsistency thwarts valiant effort by Lady Raiders

Scoring droughts, defensive lapses lead to Silver Creek defeat

By Ali Abdollahi
Staff Writer

The Silver Creek Lady Raiders basketball team played well for stretches of their Jan. 9 game at home against Willow Glen, but inconsistency on both ends of the court ultimately led them to a 49-44 loss. The defeat dropped Silver
Creek’s record to 5-9 overall and 2-1 in league play.

The Lady Raiders got off to an inauspicious start, failing to score a point in the first eight-and-a-half minutes of the contest. Strong defense, however, kept Silver Creek in the game. Down just 7-0, the Lady Raiders ran off 10 unanswered points in the final 90 seconds of the first quarter. Freshman guard Tina Dang tied the game with a pretty dribble-drive to the basket, before junior guard Kathleen De La Cruz nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the period.

To match their offensive inconsistency in the first quarter, Silver Creek suffered a defensive letdown in the second period. After giving up just seven points in the first, Silver Creek allowed Willow Glen to put up 19 points in the second thanks to a barrage of outside shots. The Lady Raiders fell behind 24-14 in the second quarter, before rallying behind De La Cruz to pull within six at halftime. De La Cruz scored nearly half of Silver Creek’s points on the evening, finishing with 20 for the game.

The team put themselves in good position in the third quarter, closing the gap to just two points at 34-32.

Silver Creek then opened the fourth quarter with a thrilling surge, as De La Cruz and sophomore guard Victoria Pham hit back-to-back three-pointers, putting the Lady Raiders up by four and enthralling the home crowd.

Their inability to score consistently plagued Silver Creek again down the stretch, however, as Willow Glen outscored them 15-6 the rest of the way to secure the victory.

“We waited too long to start playing,” said Silver Creek coach Garrett McKenzie. “And once we started playing, we weren’t consistent. We were outplayed in every aspect of the game tonight.”

The team got six points each from Pham, senior guard Sandy Mach and junior forward Monica Erezo, with Erezo also contributing eight rebounds, six blocks and six steals.