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July 15, 2005
Evergreen Sports
District 8 youth join Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game
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Richard Achica |
Hasaan Jackson |
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Raymond Romero |
Alex Senegal III |
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Mark Tavares |
Steven Walraven |
Can’t wait for the football season? Come to the 31st Annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 at San Jose City College.
Come and see some of District 8’s top high school senior football players from the North and South Silicon Valley compete. Past participants include Jeff Garcia, Brent Jones and Jeff Ulbrich.
This year’s game will be in dedication to Charlie Wedemeyer, who is living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Here are some of the local area football players who will be representing the South Silicon Valley team.
Richard Achica
Richard Achica earned the honor of being named Team Defensive Player of the Year while playing football for Andrew Hill High School. He also made Second Team All- League. Achica is undecided about where he will attend college.
Marc Fuentes
Marc Fuentes made First Team All-League while playing football for Overfelt High School. He was also in the Top 10 percent of his class. Fuentes will be heading to De Anza College in the fall. (No photo available.)
Hasaan Jackson
Hasaan Jackson was named Freshman of the Year and First Team All-League in his years of playing football for Mt. Pleasant High School. He plans to attend Langston University in Oklahoma in the fall.
Raymond Romero, Alex Senegal III, Mark Tavares, Steven Walraven
Raymond Romero, named Lineman of the Year, served as captain of the Silver Creek High School football team. He also made First Team All-League and Second Team All-Mercury News.
In wrestling, he was a California National Team qualifier three times, a Freestyle State placer three times, a Greco State placer two times and placed sixth in the Freestyle Western Regionals as a senior. He plans to attend West Valley College in the fall.
Alex Senegal III
Alex Senegal III, who played football for Silver Creek High School, received Honorable Mention All-Mercury News. He plans to attend Foothill College.
Mark Tavares
Mark Tavares, who played football for Mt Pleasant High School, made First Team All-League in both his junior and senior year. He was also named League Defensive Most Valuable Player and Second Team All-Mercury News in his senior year. He will be attending Sacramento State University in the fall.
Steven Walraven
Steven Walraven served as the captain of the Evergreen Valley High School football team. He also earned the honor of being named the team’s most valuable player, the league’s most valuable player, and First Team All-League.
Scholastically, he was an English honor student. Walraven plans to attend De Anza College in the fall.
Tickets can be purchased at the San Jose Box Office for $15. All proceeds will benefit the Salvation Army, YMCA, The Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach and other local charities. Visit www.youthclassic.org for more information.
ELL Braves finish second in TOC
Two comebacks in tournament before dropping 6-0 loss in finals
By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer
Evergreen Little League’s Braves, a team for 10- to 12-year-olds in the majors division, ended an improbable run with a second-place finish in the District 59 Tournament of Champions.
The Braves, who finished the regular Evergreen Little League season in first place with a 16-4 record, won the tournament in comeback fashion. They clawed their way to the finals after consecutive come-from-behind wins, before dropping a 6-0 loss to Berryessa in the final round of the tournament.
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| The Evergreen Little League Braves, a majors team, fell one win short of being the District 59 Tournament of Champions winner with a 6 -0 loss to Berryessa. The team battled hard throughout the tournament, coming back in consecutive games to reach the final round of play and ending with a respectable second-place finish. |
“It was disappointing because we came out flat and never got any momentum going,” said Braves head coach C.C. Ching. “We just ran into a good team.”
Although the team will have to settle for second place in 2005, Ching said he’s happy with the season, given the fact that the team consists mostly of players age 11 and under.
“We’re really proud of the boys,” Ching said. “We had a very young team, probably the youngest team in the league.”
The Braves began the TOC in promising fashion with a nail-biting 4-3 win over the Milpitas North Brewers in round one. The game was highlighted by a three-run first inning from the Braves, getting an RBI triple from Alex Rayfield and a run-scoring double off the bat of R.J. Guerrero. The Braves eventually won the game in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases before Derrick Ames drew a walk, scoring Felix Valencia for the win.
Game two saw the Braves down early 2-0 to Alum Rock before coming back and scoring four runs in the second inning, including a solo home run from Guerrero. The Braves, up 5-3 in the later innings, saw their lead disappear in the bottom of the sixth as Alum Rock scored twice to tie the game.
But in the top of the seventh, the Braves put together a three-run rally, getting RBI singles from Kevin Mahany and Angelo Harris, to win the game 8-5. Rayfield picked up the save in game two, striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh to seal the victory.
Game three proved to be the tensest game of them all, as the Braves found themselves with an early 4-0 deficit against East Hills. The Braves’ offense remained quiet until the bottom of the sixth, when the young team scored five times with one out to take home a 5-4 win.
“That was probably the most exciting win we had all year,” Ching said. “I told the kids that no matter what happens after the (sixth) inning, we’re still proud of them.”
The Braves responded with a run-scoring triple from Rayfield to cut the lead to 4-1, before an RBI single from Mahany sliced the lead in half at 4-2.
After a passed ball scored Guerrero from third to make it 4-3, the Braves loaded the bases and saw pinch runner Zack Ewing score from third on another passed ball to the backstop.
With two outs, the Braves’ offense continued to put the pressure on East Hills, loading the bases on a walk to James Lu. Ames, the leadoff hitter in the Braves lineup, then stepped up and proceeded to draw another walk, bringing in Harris with the game-winning run.
“Our team doesn’t know how to quit,” Ching said proudly. “They went out and scored the runs we needed to win.”
Despite the 6-0 loss to Berryessa, which ended the Braves’ season, Ching said the run his team made is one memory he won’t soon forget.
“We’re extremely proud and happy about the team,” Ching said. “To take a young team like that and mold them into a championship-caliber team is something we’ll never forget.”
New-look Cougars trying to find their groove in summer league basketball
Departing seniors leave EVHS team looking for new identity
By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer
For the Evergreen Valley boys’ basketball team, change was inevitable. Gone from the team are six seniors, all who played pivotal roles on a team that went 19-8 overall and 11–3 with a playoff berth in the Santa Teresa division during the 2004-05 season that ended in second place. The six seniors were part of a squad that thrived offensively, winning games by an average of 20.8 points throughout the season.
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| The Evergreen Valley Cougars will have to depend more on players such as Morgan Blakely to run an effective offense in the 2005-06 season. Blakely, who started as a junior for the Cougars, averaged 9.6 points per game in the 2004-05 season. Photo by Amanda Brittingham |
Although the upcoming winter season appears to be a challenge for the Cougars, they aren’t taking things lying down. With a competitive high school summer league well underway, the Cougars are beginning to find the players on their roster who look to play prominent roles in the future.
This coming winter season, Cougars’ head coach Dennis Fernandez is looking for three players in particular to take an even larger role with the team.
“I’m looking for three guys to lead,” Fernandez said. “Gurchet Sanghera, who is our captain, Morgan Blakely because of his experience and his abilities, and also Tinh Nguyen, who has been playing a lot of point guard [in summer league].”
All three players are already veterans of the varsity basketball scene.
Blakely was a starter for much of the 2004-05 season as a junior and contributed mightily to the Cougars’ scorching offense, averaging 9.6 points per game, including an overall shooting percentage of 50 percent as well as 44 percent from 3-point range.
Sanghera saw his name in the starting lineup frequently and averages 5.7 points per game during his junior season, shooting 42 percent overall from the floor.
Nguyen also figures to get his share of playing time this winter after playing a reserve role for much of the 2004-05 season. Nguyen averages 2.3 points per game off the bench last season, shooting 38 percent while averaging 2.1 assists per game.
Blakely said he relishes the new challenge of being counted on more offensively and is already preparing for his new role with the team.
“I’ve been working on some moves by myself in the gym and I’ve been trying to implement them into my game during summer league,” Blakely said. “This is kind of like practice, where you try things and stuff. …I like it because it means I can shoot the ball.”
Perhaps the largest hole for Fernandez to fill will be in the low post. The Cougars had the luxury of having three low-post players with a height of 6 feet, 4 inches or more in Roman Nahal, Cody Coppernoll and Jeff Brass. Combined, the trio accounted for nearly 16 rebounds per game and gave the Cougars a threat in the paint, with accurate shooters like Blakely and others on the wings.
“We’re not going to have any help in the paint,” Fernandez said. “The paint is going to be a nightmare for us. …That was the strength of our defense (last year). A lot of schools wouldn’t attack our basket because of those big horses in there. They were intimidated by their size.”
The only low-post presence this coming season for the Cougars will be incoming sophomore Derek Pauli, who played a pivotal role in the paint for the Cougars’ frosh-soph team last season. Instead, Fernandez said his team will have to rely on a fast-paced, up-and-down offense centered on the shooting ability of Cougar guards.
“We’re going to get it out and go,” Fernandez said. “We’re going to go to the sidelines and try to create things. We do have speed and we do have excellent defense, so offensively we need to push the ball more. You’re not going to see us walking the ball up the court much.”
But despite the heavy roster turnover, Blakely said he’s confident the team will find its winning ways with the current group of players—especially Sanghera.
“Gurchet was the captain last year, so it’s not like everyone completely left,” Blakely said. “Gurchet knows what he’s doing as a leader and I guess I’m going to try to lead too. But I think we only really need one leader—Gurchet—and I trust him.”
Editor’s Note: One of Evergreen’s six departing seniors, Torrienne Hunt, died on July 1 from injuries sustained in a car accident. The Evergreen Times extends sincere condolences to the family and friends of this incredible young man, who dreamed of pursuing basketball in college. See page 1 for the full story.
Evergreen Junior A’s win TOC Championship
The Evergreen Little League Junior A’s went 3-0 en route to a championship in the District 59 Tournament of Champions.
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| The Evergreen Little League Junior A’s, who won all three of their games to secure the championship in the District 59 Tournament of Champions, include: (from left, front row): Travis Ruffin, Paul Grijalva, Emilio Esquivel, DJ Cartright, Eddie Duran, Alejandro Madrid, Mark Milioto and Coach Bruce Ruffin. Back row: Manager Mark Milioto, Norm Tang, Pablo Valenzuela, Joe Mahany, Ben Walker and Coach Henry Madrid. Not Pictured: Omar Qawasmi and Gerardo Lopez. |
The A’s 15-5 record during the regular season earned them second place in the east division, allowing them to advance to the post-season tournament. This season, 26 teams competed at the junior level, ages 13 and 14, in District 59. These teams were placed in four divisions with the top two teams from each division advancing to the Tournament of Champions.
The A’s beat the Spartan Little League Dodgers 9-6 in the opening game. The A’s were led offensively by shortstop Travis Ruffin, with three hits and two RBIs in four at-bats, and pitcher Mark Milioto, with two hits and two RBIs in three at-bats.
In the second game, the A’s beat the Milpitas South Mariners 10-0 in five innings, which was called due to the 10-run rule. The highlight of the game was the pitching effort of Ruffin, who pitched four innings, and Alejandro Madrid, who pitched one inning. They combined to pitch a perfect game.
The offensive standouts of the second game were catcher Ben Walker with two hits and three RBIs in two at-bats, first baseman-pitcher Madrid with two hits and one RBI in four at-bats and third baseman Joe Mahany with two hits in two at-bats.
The A’s then beat the Alum Rock Angels 10-9 in eight innings to win the championship. This game figured to be a challenge for the A’s since Alum Rock had a record of 21-1 going into the game. Milioto, Madrid and Ruffin were all used as pitchers during the game. The offensive stars of the game were left fielder Pablo Valenzuela (three hits and one RBI in five at-bats) and center fielder Norm Tang (two hits and one RBI in six at-bats). Ruffin and Milioto drove in two runs each as well.
Manager Mark Milioto was extremely pleased with the team effort of the ball club. He and coaches Henry Madrid and Bruce Ruffin witnessed the maturity of the team as the season progressed.
“We tried to instill the team concept into the players and hoped they would play each game with that in mind,” Milioto said.
“In the TOC, many players made significant contributions along the way,” he continued. “Baseball is a team sport and it’s not about one or two superstars, it’s about everybody making contributions when opportunities are presented to them. I’m so very proud of all of the players on the team. This is an accomplishment no one will ever be able to take away from them.”
Crockett and Eshoo
Quimby Oak Middle School honors two top athletes
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Inanna Eshoo |
Evan Crockett |
Eighth grader Evan Crockett earned Quimby Oak Middle School’s 2004-05 Athlete of the Year award in June.
Maintaining a 3.8 grade point average, Crockett was named most valuable player on Quimby’s cross country team and most valuable wrestler on a varsity wrestling team that won the league championship. He also made it to the county wrestling championships, where he placed first in the 120-pound weight class.
“Evan is a very hard worker and excels at any athletics that he attempts,” said his wrestling and cross country coach Sam Spengler. “He’s very respectful and helpful toward others and he will be greatly missed at Quimby Oak. Any school will be very lucky to have him.”
Seventh grader Inanna Eshoo, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, became the 2004-05 Academic Athlete of the Year for Quimby Oak. She was named most valuable volleyball player on a championship team and also ran cross country in the fall and played basketball in the winter.
“Inanna is successful in everything that she does and she is very well liked by others,” said Spengler.
Chaboya Middle School recognizes top athletes
Chaboya Middle School ended the school year by recognizing its academic athletes and “Most Outstanding Athletes,” the latter receiving points for participation in each sport and extra points for a team award, such as a Most Valuable Player and Best Defense Coach’s award.
Samantha Collins, Eighth Grade Girls Most Outstanding Athlete, was on the girls cross country team that placed first place in the east section league in both seventh and eighth grade. She also played basketball and participated in track and field, where she was the 880-yard east section girl’s champion.
Ryan Thomas, Eighth Grade Boys Most Outstanding Athlete and academic athlete, participated in three sports at Chaboya: cross country, basketball and track and field.
Ian Karlsson, Seventh Grade Boys Most Outstanding Athlete and academic athlete, placed first among 135 seventh grade boys at the Santa Clara County East Side Junior High Coaches Association regional finals. He was also on Chaboya’s soccer and track and field teams.
Lia Randazzo, Seventh Grade Girls Most Outstanding Athlete and academic athlete, participated in soccer and track and field for Chaboya. She was the east section champion for 70-yard hurdles.
Eighth grader Carolyn Pham, honored as an academic athlete, was on the girls cross country team that placed first place in the east section league in both seventh and eighth grades. She also played basketball and volleyball, in addition to participating in track and field in the spring.
LeyVa Middle School commends athletic scholars
At the end of the school year, LeyVa Middle School recognized six athletic scholars.
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Bernadette Bettencourt |
Melissa Erezo |
James Dupree |
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Kathrina
De-laCruz |
Mehakpal Grewal |
CharaKnigh Lee |
Bernadette Bettencourt earned most valuable player status in every sport she played: cross country, soccer, track and field. She was also LeyVa’s valedictorian and maintained a 4.0 grade point average.
Melissa Erezo participated in three sports at LeyVa—basketball, volleyball and track and field—in addition to making the honor roll.
James Dupree focused his efforts on wrestling as a sixth grader at LeyVa, earning first place county champion status in the 75-pound weight class. Watch for more outstanding performances from this young athlete.
Kathrina De-laCruz participated in cross country, basketball, volleyball and track and field at LeyVa, while maintaining honor roll status.
Mehakpal Grewal, who earned most valuable player status in basketball at LeyVa, also participated in volleyball and track and field while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. CharaKnigh Lee managed to participate in four sports at LeyVa—cross country, wrestling, volleyball and track and field —and still made honor roll.
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