November 2, 2007

Evergreen Sports

Willow Glen sinks Evergreen Valley 9-6

Rams win in Girls’ Water Polo

By Gary van den Heuvel
Staff Writer

“We need more communication on offense,” said Evergreen Valley's Glenn Wetzer, who was standing in for absent girls water polo coach Brad Hansen, to the Cougars during their season-ending game against the Willow Glen Rams on Thursday, Oct. 25. But the season ended disappointingly for Evergreen Valley, who lost 9-6 at Sobrato High School's Morgan Hill campus.

Evergreen's Amanda Bukur shoots for a goal during their match against Willow Glen on Thursday October 25 at Sobrato in Morgan Hill. Photos by Dan Miranda

"Oh my God, they finally came out to play!" said a joyous Willow Glen coach Courtney Livak following her team's end-of-season win. The Rams finished the season with a 4-6 won-loss record.

"They just finally looked like they were out to play and have fun and that's all we really care about," Livak said about her squad, whose victory ended Evergreen Valley's season with a record of 4-6.

There was little action of note in the opening stretch of the game, as both teams played a defensive, feel-out-the-opponent style of play that resulted in several expirations of the shot clock. At the end of the first period there was no score.

Both teams came out of their shells in the second quarter, Willow Glen in particular. One minute into the period, the Rams' Liz Booterich broke the scoring drought with a right-handed shot over a leaping Cougar defender. Less than a minute later Evergreen evened the game when Amanda Bukur received a length-of-the-pool pass from Whitney Mortensen and slammed the ball into the net from up close. By halftime Willow Glen had built a 4-2 lead on three goals by Lizzy Eleges. Evergreen's second goal was scored by Stephanie Nguyen.

Evergreen's Stephanie Nguyen looks for the teammate to pass the ball while keeping it away from Willow Glen's Chelsea Nesmejanow.

Coach Livak was pleased with Eleges's outstanding offensive performance. "Lizzy has been struggling all year to find her offensive game. This was a great game for her."

Willow Glen took control of the game for good in the third quarter. Rams goalie Lacey Sigman, moments after a great block on a close-up shot by Bukur, made a timely long pass to Eleges, who got the assist when she passed off to eventual goal scorer Chealsea Allen. After two more Eleges’ goals, one on a twenty-foot overhead shot and the latter another overhand which slipped through the grip of Cougar goalie Karen Munyon, the Rams looked safe with a 7-2 lead as the fourth quarter started.

The Cougars made a final, desperate surge in the game's waning moments. Down 8-2 after Willow Glen's Booterich scored her second goal, the Cougars scored four goals in less than three minutes -- two by Nguyen and one each by Mortensen and Bukur (her second). With 45 seconds left, Coach Livak saw the game spinning out of Willow Glen's control so she called time-out to settle the team down.

It worked, as the Rams scored their final point of the year on Allen's second goal of the game, a rebound off a miss by Eleges, whose four goals set the pace for both teams.

Evergreen Valley wins thriller over Mount Pleasant

17-14 comeback victory

By Gary van den Heuvel
Staff Writer

The Evergreen Valley football team spoiled the homecoming party for Mount Pleasant on Friday, Oct. 26, pulling out a 17-14 comeback win with some dramatic fourth quarter fireworks.

Mt. Pleasant running back Travis Driskell runs the ball during their game with Evergreen on Friday night October 26.

The Cougars, who improved their record to 2-3 in the Santa Teresa Division (2-6 overall), had to overcome a stagnant first half, an eight-point fourth quarter deficit and the spectacular play on both sides of the ball by the Cardinals' Travis "D-Train" Driskell.

"He runs the ball hard," said Evergreen Valley coach Leo Olmscheid about Driskell. "He's fast, and he's the guy we were trying to stop and he still broke some on us."

Driskell, among the league leaders in rushing, supplied the offensive punch for Mt. Pleasant (1-4 in league, 3-5 overall) with 219 yards on 27 carries. As a linebacker on defense, Driskell led his team with seven tackles and four assists. But it was a late-game interception he threw on a halfback option play that spurred the Cougars to ultimate victory.

The first half was characterized by suffocating defense and numerous punts. The only real scoring threat came when the Cardinals recovered a fumbled punt return at Evergreen's 40-yard line. Three runs by Driskell and one by fullback Jess Maciel moved the ball to the 14.

But from there the Mt. Pleasant offense unravelled. The Cardinals recovered their own fumble on first down but lost 11 yards, and also on the play lost starting quarterback Ruben Soto, who had to be carried off the field and didn't see action again. Backup quarterback Danny Centeno's first snap was a broken play that resulted in a sack. On third and long, Cougar Jesse Carbajal corraled Gucharan Singh on a Cardinal double reverse for a 13-yard loss, and forced a punt. The teams left the field at halftime tied 0-0.

Evergreen's quarterback Rudy Zapien take a hit from Mt Pleasant's linebacker Travis Driskell during their game on Friday night October 26 at Mt. Pleasant High School in San Jose. Photos by Dan Miranda

The Cardinals took over on their own 20 yard line early in the second half following an interception by defensive back Jerry Huizar. Six minutes and eleven plays later, the scoreless drought was broken on a ten-yard run by Driskell, who gained 79 yards on six carries during the drive.

Mt. Pleasant's 7-0 lead looked like it might be enough, but the Cougars were quick to respond. Quarterback Rudy Zapien connected three times with receiver Derek Pauli for 42 yards, including the 17-yard touchdown pass. Zapien and Pauli had great chemistry, hooking up for seven Pauli receptions and 78 yards. What made this an interesting combo was the fact that for most of the season, Zapien and Pauli had platooned in a rotating-quarterback system.
"That's something we started this past week," said Coach Olmscheid. "We're hurting, we need something to happen, so we're hoping some kind of drastic change could spark our offense and it did."

Unfortunately for the Cougars, Luis Aranda's extra point attempt was wide right and the Cardinals still led 7-6.
Driskell's second touchdown, this one a 53-yard run in which he bounced off two tacklers, Mt. Pleasant ahead 14-6 early in the fourth quarter.

Things changed quickly, however. Evergreen Valley's Eddie Ray Apontes returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown. Down 14-12, the Cougars opted to try for a game-tying two-point conversion but were flagged for a false start. Backed up five yards to the Cardinal seven yard line, Evergreen tried again, and this time converted when Zapien (who completed 16 of 29 passes for 156 yards) found Jose Gonzalez in a crowd in the middle of the end zone. With just over 11 minutes left the game was tied 14-14. The defenses proceeded to stiffen up until the final moments of the game.

Evergreen's kicker Louis Aranda kicks a 40-yard field goal to win the game with seconds on the clock during their game with Mt. Pleasant.

With less than two minutes left, Evergreen Valley waged a (seemingly) final drive to win the game, but Huizar made his second interception of the game and the Cards took over at their own 15 with 33 seconds left.

With the possibility of a tie game looking inevitable, Mt. Pleasant was looking for a miracle. One was delivered, but not the type that Mt. Pleasant's homecoming crowd wanted. A halfback option pass, in which Driskell threw the ball as he was being hit, landed the hands of Cougar Andre Ceja. To the home crowd's shock and dismay, Evergreen had a first down at the Cardinal six-yard line. A holding penalty and two incomplete passes left Evergreen with fourth down at the 23, and six seconds on the clock.

Kicker Luis Aranda, who is also the Cougars' leading rusher, came out for the 40-yard field goal try. The snap was high and Aranda came in for the kick very quickly, but the ball was spotted in time for Aranda to nail the game-winner and send the joyous Cougars and their fans off as unlikely 17-14 winners.

"It didn't look like he got the ball down," said a relieved Olmscheid moments after the game. "But he (Aranda) got the kick, and hey, we'll take anything we can get. Overall we did a great job."

Want to shoot some hoops?

By Bill Highlander
Editor

The community has a new place to play basketball for fun - The Point, a Church of the Nazarene that moved into the Evergreen area in January 2006. Located at 3695 Rose Terrasse Circle, the 62,000 square foot facility offers many religious services features, but also a full-size gymnasium.

Last spring, the church, under the leadership of Pastor Amer Khokhar, launched its first adult basketball league, followed by a league in the summer and now one this fall. The response to the league from the community has been overwhelming. The league quadrupled in size from the spring to the summer. The church is pleased to offer this opportunity to the community. “We want people to know we are here and that we care,” said Stacey Johnson, executive pastor.

The programs are not limited to adults. This summer, the church hosted its first Upwards Basketball Sports camp for children. In addition to basic skills, the program is designed to teach children that sports are about fun, good sportsmanship and these lessons are valuable in all aspects of life. The Point will be hosting a winter basketball league for children, grades K-6th.

The Point is also planning to expand into other sports for adults and children and is excited to offer this facility to the community. If you would like more information about these programs, please contact (408) 270-7646 or office@thepoint.cc.

For the celebrity basketball game arranged by the Evergreen Elementary School District, forty-two faculty members risked life and limb to bump, jump, sprint, grind, and sweat with the best the celebrities could bring to the floor. The Evergreen Mighty Maestros led for 46 minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the game lasted 48 minutes, and the Evergreeners lost by a mere three points. Celebrities included former San Francisco Forty-niners Bubba Paris, Guy McIntyre, Eason Ransom and Dana McLemore.

—Chris Corpus, Special to the Times

EVERGREEN SPORTS SCHEDULES 11-5 to 11-15

Evergreen Valley High sports schedule
11-6 - Girls’ Tennis CCS team play
11-6 – Boys’ Waterpolo CCS play Begins

11-7 - Girls’ Volleyball CCS play Begins

11-9 – Frosh/Soph football vs. Leland, 4:30 p.m.
11-9 – Varsity football vs. Leland, 7 p.m.

11-10 – Cross country CCS division I, Crystal Springs, Boys’ 1:15 p.m. Girls’ 1:45 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant High sports schedule
11-6 – Girls’ Tennis CCS team play

11-7 – Girls’ Volleyball CCS play begins

11-9 – Frosh/Soph football vs. Santa Teresa, 5 p.m.
11-9 – Varsity football vs. Santa Teresa, 7:30 p.m.

Silver Creek High sports schedule
11-6 – Girls’ Tennis CCS team play

11-8 - Frosh/Soph football at Gunderson, 3 p.m.

11-9- Varsity football at Gunderson, 2:45 p.m.

11-10 – Cross country CCS division I, Crystal Springs, Boys’ 1:15 p.m. Girls’ 1:45 p.m.

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