January 23, 2009

TimesSports

Bellarmine football ranked in top 20

Three players of the nationally-ranked football team of Bellarmine College Preparatory are from Evergreen. Before entering Bellarmine, Kyle Demerritt attended Chaboya, Miko Ruiz went to Ley Va and Roman Garcia graduated from Quimby Oak.

The Bellarmine football team is honored with a trophy from the MaxPreps Tour of Champions at a school assembly.

Demerritt plays wide receiver and cornerback and Ruizi is a running back and linebacker. Both are juniors and will be on the team next year. Garcia, a senior, played tackle.

The Bellarmine College Preparatory football team was ranked 20th nationally for the 2008 season. MaxPreps, a California-based company, ranks more than 15,000 high school varsity football teams.

Bellarmine Prep (12-1) won California Central Coast Open Division championship with a victory over Valley Christian, 21-0, on Dec. 5. The MaxPreps Tour of Champions and the Army National Guard honored 30 high schools nationwide.
“The MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard salutes a group of very talented young athletes across the country, who, along with their coaches and families, are committed to being the very best they can be,” said Andy Beal, MaxPrep’s president. “We’re happy to be a part of that dedication.”

“Our whole football program is honored that MaxPreps followed us during the season,” said head football coach Mike Janda, who completed his 25th season at the school. “We appreciate the notoriety and appreciate what they (MaxPreps) have done for high school football.”

Usua Amanam rushed for 1,822 yards and scored 36 touchdowns for the Bells this season, including 259 and three TDs in the championship game. Headed to Stanford University in Palo Alto next fall, he will be joined by 6-foot-6-inch, 290-pound Kevin Danser. Quarterback Auystn Carter-Samuels completed 71 of 108 passes for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns. Carter-Samuels will play for the University of Wyoming next year.

Linebacker Michael Clay was the team’s leading tackler while Joe Sever also did yeoman’s work on the defensive side of the ball. Tackle Jacob Hickey led the Bells with seven quarterback sacks.

California Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Jhemee Duhaylungsod presented Coach Janda and the team the national-ranking trophy at a school assembly on Wednesday.

“The Army National Guard honors the players and coaches of Bellarmine Prep because they are champions. And like National Guard Soldiers, they stand united as champions of their community,” said Major Michael Baptista, National Guard Bureau. “That is why we are proud to be a partner of the Tour of Champions. The Guard applauds and congratulates them, champion to champion.”

MaxPreps uses a sophisticated computer program to determine team rank. The system utilizes the huge number of game results stored in the MaxPreps database. Generally, the more a team wins the higher the ranking, but the system takes into account quality wins (against other highly-ranked opponents, margin of victory and strength of schedule.)

MaxPreps, Inc. compiles high school sports content, including video, text and photos, covering over 20,000 schools and nearly five million student athletes. MaxPreps.com features stats, stories and photos featuring high school student-athletes and the outstanding men and women who coach them. MaxPreps is owned by the CBS Corporation and is a part of the CBS Interactive division. With more than 150 million people visiting its properties each month, CBS Interactive is a Top 10 Web property globally. For more information visit www.maxpreps.com.

Sports Briefs

2009 Almaden Valley Girls Recreational Softball Registration is open
This year the AVGSL has implemented an online registration system. Please visit WWW.AVGSL.ORG to register or to find out more information regarding our league.  We are accepting registration for ages Under 6, Under 8, Under 10, Under 12 and Under 14. Everyone is welcome to join our league – from first-time player to all-star - because we have a spot for you.  AVGSL’s main goal is to ensure that all players are in a fun, positive environment while learning and expanding their softball skills. AVGSL promotes a sense of belonging for everyone. We emphasize teamwork and the sense of individual success that contributes to team sports. No player will sit out more than two innings during a game, which offers each girl the opportunity to make contributions to their team while participating in a large part of all activities.  If you have questions, please email president@avgsl.org and we will be happy to help.

East Valley Girls Softball League sign ups for spring 2009
Home of the Twisters
EVSL has been developing young girl’s knowledge and love of the game since 1996. From the novice to the elite player, our goal is to have every girl succeed and expand their playing skills.

Our league is a Santa Clara County wide league and available to all Santa Clara County girls. Any girl, between the ages of 5 and 16 years as of Jan, 1, 2009, is eligible to play. We welcome all eligible ages and every skill level. We will be holding sign ups on the following dates: (Please bring a copy of your daughter’s birth certificate)
Signups: Jan. 10, 17, 24 & 31. Time: 11 am – 2 pm at Ocala Softball Fields, rain or shine. Field Location: on Ocala Ave between Capital Expressway and White Rd

For more information, visit www.eastvalleysoftball.com or email: info@eastvalleysoftball.com. EVSL phone 291-3248.

Signups at Silver Creek Sportsplex
Signup now for youth and adults at Silver Creek Sportsplex, including:  indoor soccer leagues & training, roller hockey, lacrosse (including beginner leagues), martial arts (age 3 & up), Mighty Cubs (18 months to 6 yrs) and dance (age 3-14). 

A free kids’ “Learn to Lacrosse” clinic takes place on Sundays at 9 a.m. through Jan. 25, 2009. These One-hour lessons start with a brief history of North America’s oldest sport and its Native American/First Nations roots.  Santos will then teach the fundamentals of the game. In 10 minutes students will be catching, throwing, scooping and cradling. Come find out what the buzz is all about! For more information on both the adult and kids’ clinics, visit www.BoxLacrosseAcademy.com or www.SilverCreekSports-plex.com or call 225.1843.

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