November 17, 2006

Evergreen Sports

Evergreen Valley football ends season with three-game skid

Season-ending loss to Santa Teresa drops Cougars to 3-4 to end league play;
Coach Leo Olmscheid eyes next season for possible league title

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

The Evergreen Valley football team finished up the 2006-07 season with a 48-0 loss to Santa Teresa on Nov. 9, leaving the Cougars with a 3-4 record in league play.

Evergreen head football coach Leo Olmscheid said players such as running back Eugene Wright (pictured) and quarterback Derek Pauli are reasons to be hopeful for a possible league title next season. The Cougars finished up the season on a three-game losing streak, dropping their final game 48-0 to Santa Teresa. Photo by Jeff Frazee

The loss was the third straight by the Cougars, who prior to the losing skid were tied for second place with the Saints. The Cougar defense had trouble stopping Santa Teresa’s run game, which accumulated 223 yards rushing and six touchdowns in the shutout.

“I was a little disappointed with losing three in a row,” Evergreen head coach Leo Olmscheid said of the season-ending skid by the Cougars. “It was a little disappointed in the way we performed in our last game.”

The three-game losing streak started with a 31-21 loss at Gunderson on Oct. 27, followed by a close 7-3 loss at Leland on Nov. 3, and the season-ending loss to the Saints. The streak dropped the Cougars into a two-way tie for fourth place in the Santa Teresa Division, along with Silver Creek, to end the year. Olmscheid he had hopes of his team perhaps making a bid for a CCS Playoff spot prior to the streak. Santa Teresa Division teams Leland, which went undefeated, and Santa Teresa, with one league loss, finished first and second in league, respectively, with each earning a playoff spot.

“Even after the first loss (of the streak) to Gunderson, we still had a chance,” he said. “…It’s tough.”

Of the three losses, Olmscheid said the Cougars’ best performance came in a 7-3 loss at Leland, which saw the Cougars limited offensively to just a 43-yard field goal from Alex Kasinski in the second quarter. Still, the Cougar defense limited the Chargers, who came into the game averaging 37.8 points per game in league play, to just one touchdown, which occurred in Leland’s game-opening drive.

“Our kids played well,” Olmscheid said after the loss to Leland. “…We played fantastic defense, but we made a bunch of mental mistakes. They’re a good ball club over there, and we came out and played and gave it our best effort.”

Despite the way the season ended for the Cougars, Olmscheid said there’s plenty to be positive about when it comes to his squad, pointing to the continued development of quarterback Derek Pauli, among others. Pauli entered the season with virtually no high school playing experience at the position, only to finish second among league quarterbacks with 1,300 yards thrown, along with 12 touchdown passes.

“For a first time guy to throw for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns, that’s something,” he said of Pauli. “He’s developed and stepped up to become a leader on this team.”

In addition, Olmscheid will also see the return of running back Eugene Wright, who ran for 428 yards on the season while splitting time at the position with senior Quinton Scott.

All told, Evergreen will lose 17 seniors from this year’s team, roughly half of the total varsity roster. Olmscheid said seeing the seniors in his program leave is always tough at the end of the season.

“I’ve gotten to know them over the year. I mean, we spent weeks of the season and parts of the summer together,” he said. “…I wish them all the best.”

As for next year, Olmscheid said he’s confident that his team will be able to contend for a league title, given the relative youth still left on his roster, and the experience those returning players gained at the varsity level this season.

“Anytime you can get a good mix of kids and get them that experience, it’ll help out,” he said. “…I truly believe that we’ll have a chance for the title next year.”

SPORTS BRIEFS

San Jose Vipers Lacrosse holding fall clinics beginning Oct. 21
The Vipers are growing up and down! Spring 2007 will include, Varsity, JV, Juniors, Pups and Pee-Wee's. Come on out and play America's oldest team sport and the fastest growing game in California! No experience necessary! The San Jose Vipers Lacrosse club will be holding fall clinics for kids 3rd grade through 12th grade, on Nov. 4, 11 and 18 at Harker Middle School, 3800 Blackford Ave. 95117. Please visit www.viperslacrosse.net for more information or call Craig Bowers at (408) 674-8708.

NFL FLAG Football signups
NFL FLAG Football returns to South and East San Jose on Dec. 10 at Vista Park near Branham and Snell. Played on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for kids 5-17 and operated by South Bay Football League, this non-contact, 5-on-5 game has seven age brackets, and everyone plays! The league is convenient for parents too, with just a one day per week commitment. The cost is $75 per child, which includes 10 games, jamboree and championship series, as well as an NFL LOGO Jersey and flag belt that each player keeps at the end of the season. Go to www.southbayfootball.com to register online or for more information.

Second Annual Turkey Trot Run at Silver Creek High Nov. 21
On Tuesday, Nov. 21, the Silver Creek Physical Education Department will be running its 2nd annual Turkey Trot Run. Over 1,500 students will be competing over the two-mile course. This year, any male running 15 minutes or under will receive an official Turkey Trot t-shirt. Females running under 18 minutes will receive a t-shirt as well.

The course will start on the track and move out the gate on the Brigadoon Street. Students will then make a right on Carryduff and proceed through the fences onto Rexwood Court. They will then make a right onto Yerba Buena Avenue and then a right onto Silver Creek Road. The course will then make a right onto Daniel Maloney before turning right onto Brigadoon. Students will then turn into the gate where they exited and run ¾ of a lap to the finish. Students will run on sidewalks throughout the course. Awards will be presented to period winners as well as the overall male and female winner. Random drawings will be held the following day for all athletes who completed the course. Prizes from Starbucks, McDonalds, Togos, L&L BBQ, Lee’s Sandwiches, Jamba Juice, Coldstone Ice-Cream, and others will be awarded the participants. 

Local businesses interested in helping by donating prizes to SCHS can contact Jim deDiego at deDiegoJ@esuhsd.org or (408) 347-5809.

Silver Creek football ends season at 3-4 with loss to Leland

Continued improvement by young squad has Raiders coaching staff hopeful for the future

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

The Silver Creek football team finished the 2006-07 season on a down note, dropping a 38-22 loss at home to the Leland Chargers on Nov. 9.

The loss left the Raiders with a 3-4 league record to complete their first season in the Santa Teresa Division, tied for fourth with Evergreen Valley in league standings. Raiders quarterback Ricky Washinton helped provide much of the offense in the loss, completing 7 of 15 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, as well as one interception. In addition, wide receiver Darren Suimda was on the receiving end of three of those passes, totaling 44 yards and two touchdowns.

Silver Creek Raiders defensive line stuffs Leland running back Lance Gemette during a 38-22 loss on Nov. 9. The Raiders finished the 2006-07 season with a 3-4 record in the Santa Teresa Division. Photo by Pat Killen

Raiders head coach Eric Luescher said despite the sub-.500 record in league play, his players made strides to improve as the season progressed.

“Talking about the season, we’ve really progressed,” Luescher said. “At the beginning of the year, we were not very good. We were committed to getting better, and that showed up in our character in every game, as the season progressed. The one thing about our kids is that they’ll play with anyone. They don’t back down. They’re willing to prepare, and that makes coaching a lot easier. They take to their coaching well, and they’re fun to be around.”

At one point in the loss, the Raiders trailed the Chargers by a 17-0 score, only to cut the lead twice to 10, once at the end of the first half when Washinton connected with Suimda for a 10-yard touchdown strike, before cutting the lead to 24-14 in the third quarter on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Washinton to Suimda.

Still, Luescher said his team still has its work cut out for next season, in terms of improvement, pointing to an offensive series that saw the Raiders go backwards on a pair of sacks, resulting in a three-and-out situation. The series occurred on the heels of Washinton’s 20-yard touchdown strike to Suimda, which was then followed by a successful onside kick by the Raiders, giving them the ball back on offense at the Leland 41.

“That’s kind of indicative of some of the things that have happened this season,” Luescher said of the Raiders’ offensive series following the successful onside kick. “We take three steps forward and then two backwards, and try to recover from that.”

The Raiders’ defense, which came into the final game allowing an average of 23.4 points per game, allowed 465 yards rushing in the loss to the Chargers, including a 216-yard rushing performance for senior running back Adam Ondi.

“They’ve got three stud running backs,” Luescher said of Leland’s run game, which features Ondi, senior Lance Gemette and junior Kevin Krail. “It’s almost like picking your poison. If you try to overload on one side, they come back with a little dive going the other way or run a counter. They’ve got a very potent running attack going into the playoffs.”

And while the 2006-07 drew to a close with the loss to Leland, the 2006-07 Santa Teresa Division Champions, Luescher said he’s looking forward to seeing what his team has to offer next year. In short, Luescher said his young squad, which featured 16 underclassmen on the roster this year, will continue to grow and improve as a team next year, just as it did this season.

“From the standpoint of improvement, we were successful and we did get better, but at the same time, we hold pretty high standards in terms of what we do on the field,” Luescher said. “At times, we could’ve been better. …But we’re happy with what happened. We’ve been starting four sophomores all year long and we expected them to play as varsity players, and they have. We are going to come in next season just like we came into this season, and we’re going to prepare for a league championship. That’s what we do every year and it’s the only way we know how to coach.”

Mount Pleasant bests Evergreen in CCS volleyball playoff

Cardinals fall one round later to end season

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Mount Pleasant redeemed itself when it mattered most - versus cross-town rival Evergreen Valley.

Mount Pleasant met cross-town rival Evergreen in CCS Division I quarterfinal action, where they beat the Cougars for the first time in three tries this season. Photo by Justin Petersen

After losing twice to the Cougars during Mount Hamilton Division action this year, the Cardinals downed Evergreen in four sets during the Central Coast Section Division I Playoffs quarterfinals on Nov. 11 at Valley Christian.

“Facing Mt. Pleasant twice in the regular season, let alone beating them twice, was tough,” said Evergreen head coach Dio Aguinaldo. “Facing them in the CCS quarterfinals was even tougher. They are such a momentum team. If they get going, they are hard to beat.”

Evergreen handled business in the first game, hammering out a 25-22 victory. However, Mount Pleasant convincingly seized the final three games 25-21, 25-15, and 25-12, ousting the Cougars from playoff competition.

“I think coming into the CCS game, the team put too much pressure on themselves,” Aguinaldo said of her squad. “They were up against a team that they already beat, but if they lost to them, it meant that was the end of their season.”

Aguinaldo said adrenaline became the difference in the match.

“I think Mt. Pleasant came in there more relaxed than we did, and they came out playing like they had nothing to lose,” she said. “We just didn't play like ourselves and Mount Pleasant played really well.”

Overall, Evergreen enjoyed a successful season. The Cougars premiered in A-league action this season, amassing a 22-14 (8-6 in league) record, good for fourth place and a CCS berth.

“This year's team consisted of a good group of core players and some young players that were expected to make an impact right a way,” said Aguinaldo. “I had a lot of expectations with this team. They worked hard during the preseason and it paid off. Anytime you see a progression in the level of play, and every year the team is better than the previous year, [the coach is happy].”

Aguinaldo cited captains Lilea Eshoo, the team’s middle blocker, and Krista Frausto as standouts.

“Lilea gave a lot of teams trouble because she can hit the quick sets and find holes in the defense,” she said. “She is a smart hitter and has such a tough serve as well.”

Lefty swinger Frausto, meanwhile, made moves toward the outside court, making her more of a threat on offense, according to Aguinaldo.

“In the beginning, Krista was all about power and I think throughout the season, she became a better finesse hitter because she learned to be smarter with her hits,” Aguinaldo said.

Freshman Inanna Eshoo and junior Candice Marquez were also integral parts to the Cougars unit. Aguinaldo called Eshoo aggressive and mentally tough, while Marquez learned quickly while performing as the Cougar setter this year.

“The setter position is by far the hardest position to play because you literally touch the ball every time and you have to run the offense and decide quickly how you can get your teammates in a position to attack effectively,” said Aguinaldo.

Meanwhile, Mount Pleasant head coach Annie Williams’ fairytale year ended Nov. 16 when her lady Cardinals finally fell to San Benito in the CCS Division I semifinal match.

A year removed from missing the playoffs entirely, after the team crept to a 13-17 record, Mont Pleasant (20-12) appeared in the semifinal match on a sizzling streak.

But the Haybalers sent Mount Pleasant home in straight sets, 25-14, 25-15, and 25-13, and advanced to the finals’ match.

Mount Pleasant senior Puneet Pataria played brilliantly throughout the playoffs, averaging approximately 24 kills per contest. She finished with a team-high 14 kills in the season-ending loss to San Benito.