September 9, 2005

Evergreen Sports

Mix of experience and youth for 2005 Silver Creek girls’ tennis

Raiders’ head coach Gary Zellner sees better days ahead for program

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Despite losing seven seniors from a 10-player 2004 team, Silver Creek High School’s girls’ tennis coach Gary Zellner is optimistic about his revamped 2005 squad.

Silver Creek No. 2 singles player Andrea Kennedy fires off a serve. Kennedy is one of five seniors on the 2005 Raiders team and is currently the No.2 singles player for head coach Gary Zellner.

This year, the Raiders, if anything, promise to be young and exciting to watch, said Zellner, now in his eighth year at the helm of Silver Creek’s girls tennis program. The team is a mix of veteran high school players as well as younger players—five seniors, one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen—who have impressed the head coach with their hard work and dedication to the sport.

That said, Zellner admits that coaching such a diverse group of girls comes with some challenges.

“You’re coaching two extremes—no experience and the ultimate in experience,” Zellner said. “You don’t want to bore the seniors with the same routines from the past three years, and at the same time, you don’t want to take the excitement away from the freshmen and other younger players.”

Still, Zellner realizes that his program is on the upswing. Last season, the Raiders doubles duo of Rosette Nguyen and Lammai Huynh won in their bracket of the Blossom Valley Athletic League Championships before moving on to CCS Championships, where the pair lost in the quarterfinals.

The step into CCS play is a marked improvement over where the program was eight years ago when Zellner took over as head coach.

“When I came here eight years ago, we were in the C Division (West Valley Division) and losing,” Zellner said. “So I said we were going up to A Division (Mt. Hamilton). You really don’t know how tough it’s going to be until you face the best.”

Since then, Zellner said the program has been taking incremental steps in improving over the years. Last season, the Raiders finished the year with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-6 record in the Mt. Hamilton Division, good for a fourth-place tie.

Still, with Nguyen and Huynh making an appearance in the CCS Playoffs for the first time in the school’s history, Zellner said there is reason to feel positive about 2005.

One of the players Zellner is counting on this year is senior Andrea Kennedy, the team’s No. 2 singles player. Last season, Kennedy, a four-year varsity player, played at No. 3 singles for the Raiders and acquitted herself well at the spot, prompting Zellner to move her up to No. 2 in 2005.

Silver Creek No.1 singles player Diane LuTran poses for a picture with head coach Gary Zellner. LuTran made the jump from No.3 doubles to No. 1 singles in one year. Photos by Diego Abeloos

“Her tennis game is consistently aggressive,” Zellner said of Kennedy. “She’s aggressive on every shot. …I believe that eventually she’ll be our No.1 singles player.”

But for Kennedy to play as the No.1 singles player, she’ll have to unseat the Raiders’ current No.1 player, sophomore Diane LuTran.

“Her motivation is unparalleled,” Zellner said of LuTran. “Not only that, but she was a freshman on a senior-laden team last year.”

LuTran started the 2004 year as a No. 3 doubles player but worked hard throughout the summer to improve her game. Zellner said the improvement in her game, a pleasant surprise for the coach, warranted leapfrogging the sophomore to No.1 single status. LuTran said the formula for her success was simple—practice a lot.

“I practiced, practiced and practiced some more,” LuTran said. “I really love the sport and if anyone loves anything, they’ll work hard at it and do well.”

For Zellner, the 2005 season will again be deemed a success if the team takes the proper and progressive steps toward becoming a better overall unit. And while Zellner’s expectations remain modest, he can’t help but feel confident about the young players coming up through the program.

“Our expectation is to do one match better than last year,” Zellner said. “I want to get our freshmen older and watch the faces of their opponents when they realize that they played freshmen at Nos. 1, 3, and 4 (singles), knowing they’re going to be around for more years.”

Evergreen soccer talent kicks up successful summer results

Local MACSA soccer teams win four U.S. national championships

By Gabe Foo
Special to the Times

Four Mexican American Community Service Agency soccer league teams brought home championship trophies from the U.S. Futsal Soccer Championships held in Anaheim July 14 to 17.

The MACSA Boys’ U10 Team—three-time U.S. national champions coached by Edwin Luna and Enrique Tovar—include (Top Row): Ryan Foo, Jose Madrigal, Marco Castillo, Gianfranco Spatola and Jaime (Jimmy) Ramirez. (Bottom Row): Cesar Garcia, Angel Oronia, Edwin Luna, Miguel Castillo and Jonathan Velazquez.

The MACSA Boys Under 10, Boys’ Under 12, Mens’ Under 19 and Girls’ Under 10 teams all brought home gold medals. These Evergreen-East Hills teams joined approximately 7,000 players and spectators from around the country at the three-day tournament. MACSA also finished with a second place medal and three third place trophies.

The Boys U10 team, coached by Edwin Luna and Enrique Tovar, won its third consecutive championship title and completely dominated the competition during the tournament.

The team defeated the Baltimore Bays Team 5-0 in the championship game. A combination of rock-solid goalkeeping by Ryan Foo and Jaime Ramirez kept the competition from scoring any goals. Edwin Luna, Cesar Garcia, Gianfranco Spatola, Marco Castillo and Jose Madrigal all scored goals.

Robert Campoy’s Girls U10 Team from Evergreen went undefeated and won all their games including a decisive championship game, as covered in the Aug. 27 issue of the Evergreen Times.

Futsal is a form of indoor soccer played on a basketball size court with smaller goals and with five players competing on each team. One goalie and four field players make up a team, so everybody plays offense and defense together.
“Successful teams learn how to play together,” said Edwin Luna. “Every player must attack when we have the ball, and everybody has to play defense when our opponent has the ball. We are one team.”

Futsal is a high-scoring indoor soccer game and very exciting to watch. Games consist of two 20-minute halftime periods with a five-minute break. Player substitutions take place on-the-fly like hockey. It’s non-stop soccer.

“Some soccer coaches are afraid to try futsal soccer because they don’t understand the game, “said Mario Gonzalez, MACSA futsal program director. “Futsal reinforces fast soccer foot skills and split-second tactical decision making by players. It all translates to creating a better soccer player and compliments skills learned from playing outdoors.”

For more information about the MACSA Soccer League, you can visit their Web site at http://eteamz.active.com/macsafutsal/ or contact Director Mario Gonzalez at (408) 929-1080.

Evergreen Valley cross country plots the course for 2005

Boys’ team looks to measure up to top BVAL teams; girls hope for a repeat of 2004

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Strength is in the numbers for the Evergreen Valley High School cross country coaching staff.

That’s because the 2005 cross country squad has a total of more than 80 runners combined with both the girls’ and boys’ teams.

But for coach Frank Slaton and head coach Michelle Sunseri, the numbers add up to one thing—an eye toward successful seasons for both teams.

“We’re hoping to bring some kids out to CCS; that’s our goal,” Sunseri said. “We’ve got some strong runners coming back. The boys look very strong. They’re running much stronger than last year.”

Sunseri, in her first year as head coach, said that of the more than 80 runners, about half are returning from last year’s team. That’s good news for Sunseri, whose Cougars went 6-1 in the Mt. Hamilton Division in 2004, taking the league title.

Still, Sunseri and the coaching staff have their work cut out for them. Ashley Vu, one of the top runners on last year’s squad, is out for the season with an ACL injury. Although the loss of Vu is a setback for the Cougars, Slaton said when it comes to girls’ cross country, anything can happen when an incoming group of freshmen take to the cross country course.

“On the girls’ side, your whole team can change within a year,” said Slaton. “All of a sudden, you get some freshmen or sophomores from the junior high schools and your whole team completely changes … for the girls, a lot of it will depend on what the other schools have as far as incoming freshmen and what we have as incoming freshmen.”

For the boys, the challenge is different but equally great. After finishing in fourth place in the Mt. Hamilton Division in 2004, Slaton and his group of runners are looking to come out strong from start to finish. Slaton will see a familiar face on his side in senior runner Jonathan Gragert, a track athlete for Slaton in the spring.

“I saw him really get motivated and focused last year,” Evergreen coach George Manriquez said of Gragert. “…I think he’s a really dedicated runner and he’s pretty focused right now. As a team, they’ve been running well together as a pack, so he’s actually more focused. He’s ready.”

EVHS cross country coaches this season include (from left) George Manriquez, Jim Sena, graduate assistant Eric Pena, Celina Perez, Frank Slaton and head coach Michelle Sunseri.

Slaton said the Cougars will have a lot to measure up to in 2005, given the stiff competition within the Blossom Valley Athletic League. Slaton said he welcomes the competition within the league and hopes that his team can take a page out of the other school’s books.

“The top teams in our division over the past years have been Willow Glen and Yerba Buena, and we hope to be as close as we can to them,” Slaton said. “We use them as a benchmark, especially Willow Glen. It may not be where we can win a championship, but if we can be close to Willow Glen, then we know that we have a pretty good boys team.”

But for the Cougars to have success on both the girls’ and boys’ teams, Slaton said success will depend on a key factor—the health of the team.

“It will depend on luck and just how healthy the kids stay,” said Slaton, who is in his third year coaching the cross country team. “They’ve been working really hard and as long as we don’t come up with too many injuries, I think for the most part we’ll have a successful season.”

For the coaching staff at Evergreen, success comes with more than just talented athletes and the relative health of the players. It also comes with the right mix of people, and of course, having fun.

“I think success breeds success and also, we have a great staff,” Slaton said. “We have a lot of fun as a staff, and I think the kids enjoy the coaches as well, as we enjoy the other athletes out there. It’s been one big happy family and we’re looking for some big things this year.”

69.76 meter javelin toss takes former Mt. Pleasant athlete to second place

Evergreen native Corey White brought home his second major victory of the summer in July—the silver medal in the men’s javelin at the 2005 Pan American Junior Championships in July.

(From left) Pan-Am Jr. Championship medalists included bronze medal winner Victor Fatecha from Paraguay, gold medal winner Julio Cesar De Oliveira from Brazil, and silver medal winner Corey White from the United States.

His personal best throw of 69.76 meters nailed his second place finish, behind the first-place, 72.35-meter toss of Brazil’s Julio Cesar De Oliveira and ahead of the 65.76 meter toss that garnered third place for Paraguay’s Victor Fatecha.

White, representing the United States, joined 600 track and field athletes ages 19 and under in the competition at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. He just returned to the University of Redlands as a sophomore playing football this fall in addition to his track and field pursuits.

Prior to the Pan-Am Jr. Championships, the 2004 Mt. Pleasant High School graduate became the Junior National Javelin Champion at the USA Junior Track and Field Championships in Carson—after just one year throwing the javelin. He is the first University of Redlands athlete to win a junior national championship.

White is now the No. 3 all-time javelin thrower in NCAA Division III and No. 10 on the all-time United States junior list. He is also the 21st ranked American thrower this year, a list that includes Division I and Olympic athletes.

For more information about Corey White, go to http://www.evergreentimes.com/072905/sports.htm.

Register for San Jose Evergreen NJB in September

Teams assigned by Oct. 15, season begins Dec. 4

Registration for San Jose Evergreen National Junior Basketball begins in September. You can register online at http://www.sanjosenjb.org or in person based on the schedule below:

- Sept. 10,* 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Chaboya Middle School, registration & skills evaluation

- Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Starbucks, 4848 San Felipe Road, registration only

- Sept. 18, noon to 4 p.m., Starbucks, 4848 San Felipe Road, registration only

- Sept. 19, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Most Holy Trinity, registration & skills evaluation

- Sept. 20, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Most Holy Trinity, registration & skills evaluation

- Sept. 22, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Most Holy Trinity, registration & skills evaluation

- Sept. 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Chaboya Middle School, registration & skills evaluation

*All players registering on or before Sept. 10 will receive a free basketball with their paid registration.

San Jose Evergreen NJB is open to third- through eighth-grade students living in the San Jose Evergreen area boundary south of Alum Rock Road to Capitol Expressway / Yerba Buena Road and east of Highway 87.

The league teaches sportsmanship, fundamental skills development and great family fun in separate boys’ and girls’ teams. A registration fee of $215 includes 10 regular season games, post-season tournaments and trophies for everyone. If you need a uniform, the registration costs $265. Multi-player family discounts are available.

Teams are filled on a “first-come, first-serve” basis, and teams are only formed for as many head coaches that volunteer.

For registration forms, more information and the latest news of the season, please check out www.sanjosenjb.org.

Silver Creek sponsors youth cheerleading clinic Sept. 24

Fund-raiser for SC cheerleading program

Spirited children ages 5 to 14 who are interested in cheerleading can check out Silver Creek High School’s annual Youth Cheerleading Clinic on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Silver Creek High School's cheerleading squade will conduct a Youth Cheerleading Clinic on Sept. 24 as a fundraiser for the school's cheerleading program.

With SCHS cheerleaders at the helm teaching, the cheerleading clinic gives kids from the community the opportunity to learn a few cheers, a dance and some simple stunts.

The event also provides participants the privilege to cheer and perform during the first half of a SCHS varsity football game along with SCHS junior varsity and varsity cheerleaders.

“This is a great chance for kids in the community to get a taste of what it’s like to cheer and be part of the high school experience,” said Ojae Balgos, head coach and adviser for SCHS Cheer and Dance.

“I recently graduated two girls who went to our clinics when they were in middle school and they were part of my squad all four years of their high school career,” he added. “It is such a great experience at such a manageable price.

Please come and support such a great cause. All the funds that are raised will go directly to the cheerleaders of Silver Creek High School.”

The cost for the clinic is $30 per child, with $10 of the fee benefiting Silver Creek’s cheerleading program. The price includes the clinic, an event T-shirt, pizza and juice lunch.

Registration begins at 8:45 a.m. No R.S.V.P. is needed, but it’s appreciated. The clinic will be held in Silver Creek’s main gym, 3434 Silver Creek Road, San Jose, Calif. 95121. Parking is available in the lot in front of the gym.

To register, contact Ojae Balgos at SCHSCheerCoach@hotmail.com or (408) 347-5688. Leave your name, how many kids plan to participate, their shirt sizes and any questions you may have if you connect to voice mail.