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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

7th grade boys basketball team preview

For the last three seasons, the 7th grade boys have ended the year (4-4). For two straight seasons, they've been eliminated in the playoffs.

So the question mark that surrounds them is will this year be any different.

The most notable difference or similarity is that they will have a new head coach for the fifth straight year. In the coaching carousel, James Chiu has assumed the position of head coach, and perhaps a coach with a winning track record could be the one to get this team over the hump.

"I have high expectations for this team," James said. "They have the potential to make it far in this division, but they need to focus and work as a team to accomplish anything."

There's the word, potential, which has dangled over them every year from 3rd grade until now. They've always had the talent and have shown glimpses of putting it together, but never on a consistent basis.

Their best win as a team came in the first regular season game a year ago when they rallied from a 8 point deficit to win the game.

But then there are the hiccups, losing to teams that didn't even make the playoffs.

Which team will show up?

As James points out, it all starts with practice. The boys are a little bit more mature now, but still tend to goof around during practice. The fooling around, the bickering, the who gets to be first in line, all needs to be stopped if they want to seriously contend.

On the court so far, Justin has shown great ability finding his open teammates. His passing as a point guard in the last few years needed work, and it looks so far so good as he and Daniel have connected several times already this year.

Daniel is not the biggest 7th grader by any measure, but he rebounds like he is the biggest 7th grader. He's tough and is willing to pay the price down low to get the ball. He is going to get numerous opportunities around the hoop, and he'll need to finish.

Team chemistry will also be tested as they welcome two new players to the team, Christian and James, Gavy's little brother.

Christian had his breakout game in the final game of the tournament scoring 12 points and looks to be a huge addition to the squad. But he'll need seasoning and experience to limit his mistakes.

"He needs some more work in areas like his body control for shots and positioning on defense, but that will come through proper practice and hard work," James said.

Working together as a team is more important for this team than others because of the individual talents each player has. If they can, they are definitely going to be a dangerous team in their division.

"I expect the team to play their best at every game," said assistant coach Clarissa Lee, who is now in her third year with the team.

"They all must want to win it and they need to communicate as a team better in order to have a successful season."

5th grade boys basketball season preview

It's rare, even in a small school like St. Mary's, that the best shooter from grades 3-8 is in 5th grade.

That shooter is Jonathan.

As most people know, Jonathan is arguably the best shooter in the sports program. Give him an open shot and more often than not he'll knock it down. From the free throw line, he's as good as it gets.

But for the 5th grade boys to return to the playoffs, they'll need a better team effort as well as a more well rounded game from Jonathan.

In their heartbreaking sudden death overtime loss in February, Jonathan scored 22 of the team's 26 points and didn't get much help from his supporting cast on the offensive end.

This year already appears to be different.

At the top of the list is the improvement of Ryan, who took only three games to sink his first shot of the year. The way he caught the ball, shot it, and made it, it looked like he had been doing that for years.

"From what many people have told me, Ryan has made strides in his game from last season to this season," said first year head coach Leslie Truong.

A season ago, the team had only five players, and nobody had a chance to breathe. This year, there's a little more flexibility with seven players on the team, three new.

Allen, Jason L. and Michael are the newest additions.

Michael has already opened some eyes with his quickness, but he will need to develop a little more in the ball handling department to round out his game.

"This kid is fast," Leslie said of Michael. "If he is in a good ready position on defense, he is very capable of getting a steal and beating everyone down the court for a fast break layup."

In the back-court, the 5th grade looks pretty strong. But the games will probably be won in the trenches, and that's where the team needs to play better the most.

Rebounding was a huge issue last year and will continue to be this year. In their two tournament losses, they were unable to box out and grab rebounds. Without that, they can't transition into the fast break as easily.

They are definitely not the biggest team, as Jonathan actually plays down in the post on the 2-3 defense. But size only goes so far when it comes to rebounding.

"Even though other teams may be taller than us, it is not impossible to utilize effective post moves against those taller teams," Leslie said.

After making the playoffs, the 5th graders move up a division, so it will be a challenge, even with the talented players they have, to get back to the post-season, and a shot to go further than the year before.

"I want this team this year to be at the very least playoff contenders since they made it to the playoffs last year," Leslie said.

"To set the bar even higher, I want us to aim for the championship."

Jason H. and Justin, returning from last year, round out the seven man team.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: Boys basketball schedules released

3RD GRADE
5TH GRADE
6TH GRADE

7TH GRADE

8TH GRADE DEMARILLAC
8TH GRADE ST. MARY'S



CLICK THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THE SCHEDULE.

Boys Basketball Tournament Round 3 RAW Video









Monday, November 28, 2011

Media Pig Monday

The 49ers helmet being inflated before the game
The view from the press box
Lunch time
Halftime Snack Time
David Akers warming up to kick.
Cardinals defensive linemen Darnell Dockett.
The 49ers press conference room as we await Jim Harbaugh
Everybody's gone.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Boys Tournament Video Wrap



Be sure to read the game stories below as well as our Happy Birthday for November 26th.

Tournament Wrap: 7th grade falls in OT thriller, other teams finish out tourney

In the most thrilling game of the early boys basketball season, the 7th grade boys forced overtime against a team that won the championship last year, but fell short 45-39 in overtime in the final round of the CYO Preseason Tournament.

The team got an unexpected shot in the arm from rookie Christian, a 7th grader from DeMarillac, who tied for the game high with 12 points.

Having never played a game before last Sunday, Christian has slowly acclimated himself to the game of basketball and his breakout game came in the 7th grade's latest game.

He was able to utilize his best two strengths, size and speed, which helped him lead a furious second half comeback.

On the boards, he was able to pick up points by the basket, and his long arms were able to get him several steals that led to fast breaks.

With the 7th grade trailing 29-27 early in the fourth, Christian was able to chase down a rebound with his long arms, and take it coast to coast to tie the game with a lay-up.

Then again, with less than 30 seconds left in the game and the 7th grade down 36-34, Justin found Christian in the paint who then turned around and scooped a shot into the basket. That shot tied the game once again and forced overtime.

The game might not have even gone to overtime if the 7th grade would've shot better from the free throw line. They missed their first 13 chances from the line and went an atrocious 20% (4-for-20) for the game.

There was also a lane violation early in the game that cost the boys a point.

Daniel actually got to a rebound with about five seconds to go in the game, threw an outlet down court to Christian, whose desperate heave from just inside the three-point arc fell short.

In the extra quarter, the other team took advantage of a tired squad, that did everything they could to get back into the game, and closed out the 7th grade boys.

It was a bad start for the team, as they were a step slow on defense. They dug themselves an early hole and trailed by as much as 12 before halftime.

The comeback came in the second half as they were able to get some good secondary scoring from the Brandons. Brandon Khuu had two nice mid-range jump shots in the third and Brandon Tom, who was celebrating his 12th birthday, chipped in with 5 points.

It's going to take a team effort for the 7th grade to get back to the playoffs for a third straight year this season, as they will have a healthy 8 players to start the season.

Both Justin and Daniel have developed their games, as they both now not only have the ability to score, but they both have been really good passing the ball to open teammates. The last two games of the tournament were prime examples of that.

Despite only scoring 6 points, Daniel was able to set up many good looks for his teammates.

This game was a definite positive going into the season as they were able to go toe to toe with a really solid team. Barring some missed lay-ups and the aforementioned mistakes, they could've pulled off an upset.

It's going to be some fun basketball to watch this year as the 7th graders have shown their ability to score. They averaged 42.5 points in their last two games.

8th grade salvages final game
Both 8th grade teams combined to play in the final game of the tournament, and they were able to come away with a win.

The St. Mary's 8th grade team was able to keep pace in the first two quarters and trailed only 6-4 at halftime.

From there the DeMarillac 8th graders, representing St. Mary's took charge, and ran away with the game.

In the end, it was a 29-8 win.

Moises, a 7th grader playing with the 8th grade St. Mary's team scored 4 points in the first half, including a buzzer beating shot late in the first quarter.

Kenny, a new player for St. Mary's made his debut and was able to get some tough rebounds by the basket. Unfortunately, he was unable to put them back in for points.

On the DeMarillac side, Julio and Pablo led the way. Their athleticism helped them on many fast breaks and they were both able to cash in on the easy lay-ups in the second half. Pablo had a game high 10 points, Julio had 8 points.

John Jett scored 4 points and Anthony added 3 for the 8th grade DM team.

6th grade drops last two tourney games
After a blazing start in game one of the tournament, the defending champion 6th grade boys have lost their last two games.

Today's contest was much closer than their game Wednesday night but they both yielded the same result.

Raymond's team high 9 points was not enough as the 6th graders fell 18-13 in a hard fought and physical game.

Many of the players on the team came away bruised and battered against a very rough and rugged team. Several of the players left the game battered and bruised, but none of the bumps and scrapes appear to be serious.

Sometimes a game like this could toughen up a team like the 6th grade who are going to face some stiff competition this season.

Being able to endure games against teams who may be a little more physical than others will help them out as the season progresses.

Jason Ng and Joseph both scored two points in the loss. They had several good looks by the basket but their coach Justin Khuu said that they were unable to convert on them.

Rebounds lacking for the 5th grade

The 5th grade is going to be able to put up points, but are they going to be able to stop them.

In today's 28-23 loss, they were outrebounded decisively for the second straight game. For them to bring their game to the next level, they are going to have to play tougher inside.

The other team jumped on all the loose balls by the basket, and the lack of boxing out by the 5th grade. Their second chance points were the story of the game. For whatever reason, the 5th grade has trouble getting rebounds.

They are not that small of a team as Jason H. and newcomer Jason L. both are good sized 5th graders. But rebounding is not all about size, as a lot of it is having inside position. Today, they didn't.

Offensively, Ryan scored his first two points of the year on a jumper in the fourth quarter and Jason L. scored his first points of the year with an And-1 in the fourth.

3rd grade concludes tourney with a 3 spot

The 3rd grade wrapped up the first three games in their career with a 10-3 loss Saturday morning.

Brendan scored 2 points and Nathan had a point in the loss.

Happy Birthday

Friday, November 25, 2011

2nd Round RAW Videos

Tons of stuff on the blog this week, make sure you take a look at all the posts including the volleyball and soccer post mortems as well as my Thanksgiving list. Hope everyone had a well Black Friday, and dropped bills at the stores.





DeMarillac 8th graders play first tournament game

The 8th grade DeMarillac team started off slow but made a small push at the end of a 36-18 loss in round two of the CYO Preseason Tournament.

Pablo hit two 3-pointers and had a team high 8 points in the loss.

Both 8th grade teams will conclude the tournament tomorrow afternoon with a 1 p.m. tip-off.

NOTE: BOTH 8TH GRADE TEAMS WILL PLAY TOMORROW

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Times to give thanks to...
  • All our dedicated coaches who take the time out of their busy schedules to coach our teams.
  • All the wonderful parents who are willing to let you play, transport you to practice and games, and continuously support our program.
  • Our alumni who still support athletics here at St. Mary's even when they graduate.
  • All the graduates who came to the soccer and volleyball playoff and championship games. I'm going to list each and every one of them, and I bet you I will forget someone. But nonetheless, here we go:
  • Vinette, Jamie, Michelle, Olivia, Tiffy, Emily, Melinda, Tiff Ye, Derek, Elliot, Tommy, Kelvin, Marissa, Jeremy, Gavins, Justin, Miles, Catharine, Serina, Timmy.
  • The students who weren't playing in the games but still came out anyways. And let's list them too...Ryan, Victoria, Fiona, Kaela, Edwena, Justin, Brandon, Aaron, Raymond, Colleen, Daniel, Isabella, Brendan.
  • The only members of our faculty to show up at any game this season, Mr. B and Mr. Ryan. Mrs. Mayfield counts too, but Isabella is her daughter...
  • Hunter, Brendan, Daniel and Brandon K. - the only boys to join soccer in the 7th grade this year.
  • Sabrina, the last girl standing from St. Mary's on the 8th grade volleyball team.
  • Cynthia and Isabella, the lone 7th graders who joined volleyball.
  • Hartman, the only 8th grade boy to ever play soccer.
  • All the players from DeMarillac who have been playing with us the last few years.
  • My 65 followers on Twitter.
  • All the students who continue to have great school spirit and try their best at everything they do.
  • Anybody who supports St. Mary's Athletics and has made it what it is today.
  • And most importantly, I am thankful for you...YUP!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

7th grade bounces back, 5th and 6th grade lose in tourney action

Six of the seven players on the 7th grade basketball team got on the scoresheet as they had their most lopsided win in team history,winning 49-6 in round two of the CYO Preseason Tournament.

Justin, 16 points, and Daniel 15 points, combined for 31 of the team's 49 points as both of them were on fire in the first half. Justin hit several jumpers from the outside and connected on some nice drives to the hoop, while Daniel just cleaned up everything down low.

After being held scoreless in the first half, Brendan scored 6 alone in the fourth quarter.

James and Christian, both newcomers to the team, scored for the first time in St. Mary's uniforms.

The game was never in question as they opened up a 31-3 lead at halftime. The game was well in hand so Justin and Daniel got to spend the fourth quarter resting on the bench.

Granted the other team wasn't much competition but the way the team scored was impressive.

Justin was great running the fast break, distributing it to his teammates when he needed to, and taking the show when given the opportunity.

Defensively, it felt like they had a steal on almost every defensive possession.

They play next in the Consolation Championship.

The 5th and 6th grade teams came off big wins in round one, but were both dealt losses in round two.

Up against a much tougher and physical team, the 5th grade answered the challenge for three quarters, but ran out of gas towards the end in a 28-12 loss.

They will play for the third place championship Saturday morning.

It was a close game for three quarters, as they trailed by only four points at halftime - it would've been only two if not for a buzzer beating shot. It was 18-10 after three.

The other team had a center who was a good head and a half taller than the 5th grade's tallest player so rebounds were hard to come by the entire night.

Jonathan had a team high 8 points before leaving after three quarters due to a jammed thumb. He is listed as day to day.

The 5th grade had a chance to pull off an upset as defensively they were pretty good on the outside. It's when the ball was shot it became a problem. Their post players had a difficult time rebounding all night.

Offensively, they couldn't generate as much as they did the other night, as this team was quick and got back on defense a lot quicker. They were relegated to outside shots for most of the night and were limited on fast breaks.

They didn't to themselves any favors as they were frequently trapped in a corner or turning the ball over early in the game.

But nonetheless it was a good challenge for this team, as they will need to play at a high level all season.

Saturday morning, the 5th grade plays for third place in the tournament.

Jonathan made a three pointer after the buzzer sounded in the third when he hit the ground and hurt his thumb.

The 6th grade was held scoreless until a Jason Z. free throw late in the third got them on the board.

But it was way too little, way too late as they were dealt a 24-4 loss.

In a game very similar to the 5th grade, the 6th grade was unable to get out on the fast break because the other team was bigger in size.

Defensively, they weren't generating turnovers and had trouble getting rebounds to fuel their offense.

Also up against a pretty good team, the 6th graders played a little tentative and didn't have the confidence they had in game one, which usually happens against a physically bigger team.

On offense, they were facing a man to man defensive, and nobody was able to beat their man.

Defensively, rebounds were hard to get and the team was constantly out of position, leading to an inflated foul count.

They will also play for third place Saturday morning.

Raymond had 3 points in the fourth quarter.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Volleyball and Soccer post-mortems


It's been a few days since the dust has cleared from the soccer and volleyball championships, and it's a good time (or only time before we really get into boys basketball and forget about soccer and volleyball) for us to reflect on the good, bad and even ugly of our two championship games.

First of all, for both teams to get there honestly is a remarkable accomplishment. Both teams had the same dynamics, with players from the 7th grade playing in the 8th grade, the first time the players on the team played together as a team, players on the team that had never played before, and a team of strangers who never met each other until early in September.

For even one of those reasons, they were battling uphill the entire year. And yet, they were both oh so close from taking the ultimate prize.

Second of all, (since there was a first of all) to win a championship takes a lot more than just skill. It also takes a little bit of luck. In both of these games, luck just simply wasn't on the St. Mary's side.

In the volleyball championship, they were leading 23-21 and Aileen had a spike set up nicely. The ball just hit the top of the net. A few inches higher, that ball goes over, and we have championship point.

A ball on set point was right on the edge of in or out, and the lines-person as well as the referee both ruled it in. I zoomed it in 800% on my video editing system and it looked to just graze the line. But nonetheless, a break that didn't go the girls' way.

The other team also had a few balls that just barely touched the net and fell over, huge points in such a tight contest.

Sabrina had a serve late in the third set that just landed out.

Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.


Moving onto the soccer field, the team played down a man for most of the second quarter, and in return, the other team scored three goals. Eloy, the team's leading scorer was out for portions of the fourth quarter, also not good.

The team had three to four dynamic scoring chances and could not capitalize.

Up against a super fast team, the turf surface worked to the disadvantage of the team. They clearly weren't as fast so playing on a soccer field with real grass would've slowed the other team down.

A lot of calls were not made as the other team was definitely the aggressor.

But when you lose 7-1, can you really point to those factors?

What could the teams have done better?

The girls went away from the bump, set and spike. This was the same thing that happened to the 8th grade girls in their championship in 2009 (Marissa, Emily, Melinda, Tiff Ye and friends…).

When a team is confident and in a rhythm, they feel like they can spike (hit) the ball. When it's a close game, players tend to get nervous and play conservative and just bump the ball over the net, hoping the other team makes a mistake.

That's exactly what happened, and more often than not towards the end, we were the ones that made the mistake.

If you watch the footage, the other team was just solid in passing and bumping. Rarely did they spike or tip. The points that they were earned were off of mistakes that the 7th/8th grade girls committed.

One thing that I preach constantly in any sport, is that you don't look at the scoreboard. You play every point like it's the last one. I can guarantee some of the girls looked at the scoreboard and panic set in.

As for soccer, there really wasn't an answer to the other team. It makes you wonder how they even tied the first time they played.

The other team was faster, quicker, stronger and wanted it more.

The 7th/8th graders also lacked depth. After Pablo, Sebastian and Eloy, there were no goal scorers on the team. They needed some extra firepower and in a championship game, they couldn't get it.

The other team got goals from different players. All year, we got goals from the same three.

If that was the case, and we were expecting goals from only the big three, the mid-field and defense had to be at their best, and they weren't.

One thing you can point to, and Sebastian made this point very clear in his interview after the game, was that they did not practice hard enough and went into the game perhaps a little too over-confident.

Their practices were not the best if you ever watched them. They goofed around too much, and this was from top to bottom. The work ethic in practice was a factor in the game.

Hopefully, lesson learned there.

Finally, they had to have thicker skin. They were being physically pushed around by the other team and they let it affect their game. If the ref isn't going to call anything, you have to have the mental strength and determination to play through it.

I cut this out from the interviews I did, but each player mentioned that the ref didn't make certain calls.

Yes, that could be true. But in the end, there's nothing you can do about bad calls, and you need to make the plays that are needed in the game, so bad calls don't affect the outcome.

Now if you have made it this far in the post mortem, do me a favor and click one of the cool, interesting or funny buttons at the bottom just so I know how many of you were able to follow this long.

I can't stress that even though I am pointing out what they could've done better, I couldn't be more proud of the two teams.

Volleyball and soccer are two sports where we have had a lot of trouble with fielding competitive teams since we have not had it in existence for very long. Did it help we had some athletic talent from the players at DeMarillac? Yes.

But without the St. Mary's players who played before, there would be no team either.

Cynthia and Isabella were very good this year, and so was Sabrina, who was the only girl who decided to join and stick with volleyball in her class.

Daniel, Brandon Khuu, Hunter, and Brendan continued to play when other boys in their class bailed. They were rewarded with a championship game.

Hartman remained the only boy in his class to ever play soccer. He took two real hard balls to the face that we caught on camera, and both times he got back up and kept going.

Getting to these championship games was for all the players who suffered through the struggles of bad seasons when you couldn't wait for it to end because you didn't want to lose anymore. But we're not there anymore. That was then - this is now.

We were well represented and I can only hope that this year is the turning point.

Next year, I hope all the players who have played continued and this could possibly be a motivating factor for those who are scared, or parents who don't want their kids to play, to go out and try volleyball or soccer.

From here on out, we should believe we can compete in soccer, volleyball and any sport for that matter. All it takes is showing up, and the rest of it will come.

Thank you to everybody, coaches, parents, players, friends and loyal supporters for making this the best volleyball and soccer season we've ever had.

Volleyball and soccer championship ceremonies



Monday, November 21, 2011

Teams bounce back Monday night from slow starts

The boys basketball teams collectively lost three games on Sunday in round one of their tournament games. The 5th and 6th grade atoned for that by winning big in both of their games.

Neither game was in doubt as the 5th grade won easily 32-2. The other team didn't even score a basket until the final minute of the game. Jonathan had a game high 18 points and Michael, a rookie 5th grader had 10 points.

Defensively the team looked a lot more energetic and quicker to the ball. Having seven players as opposed to five helps and keeps the bodies on the team fresh.

With the win, they advance into the winners bracket and play Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

The 6th grade played a very slow and tepid first quarter, only scoring on Grant's breakaway lay-up. But they got it going in the second quarter and took a 10-0 lead into the half.

Raymond had a game high 9 points, while Joseph chipped in with 6 points in the fourth quarter. Even after Raymond left the game, the team still continued to score, which is a good sign for the team's depth.

Grant had 4 points and Garrick had 2 points. Both Ryan and Jason Zhao hit a free throw.

They also advance in the winner's bracket and play Wednesday night at 8 p.m.

And after playing their first game yesterday, the 3rd graders had at it again in round two of their tournament. They trailed 11-4 at the half and managed to cut the deficit to 11-7 by the end of the third quarter.

But that's as close as they got, as they fell in round two by the final of 17-9. Brendan scored all 9 points, including a shot right before the buzzer to end the game.

The final game of their tournament will be Saturday at 10 a.m.





Sunday, November 20, 2011

Boys basketball rained out in round one of tournament

The 8th grade boys could not get anything going this morning as they were blown out in round one of the preseason tournament.

The 3rd grade boys lost 16-5. Brendan and Calvin supplied the points for the 3rd graders.

The 7th grade boys completed the weekend with a 28-13 loss. Daniel had a game high 9 points.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

7th/8th grade soccer team settles for second

The 7th/8th grade soccer team picked a bad day to not have anything in the gas tank, as the team fell 7-1 in the first St. Mary's soccer championship in school history.

It was scoreless until later in the first when the other team off of a thrown in was able to get their first goal. And that opened the floodgates.

By halftime it was 3-0, and soon it was 5-0 going into the fourth.

St. Mary's struck back early in the fourth when Sebastian booted in his first goal of the playoffs off of a nice feed from Pablo. But aside from that, there wasn't too much offense.

As a whole, from goalie, to the defense, to the mid-field and to the forwards, everybody had an off game.

They were matched up against a team that was easily faster, stronger, and flat-out better.

The lack of depth on the 7th/8th grade was apparent, and the size difference between the two teams was also drastic and too much to overcome.

For portions of the second and fourth quarter, they were also playing with only 10 players, as Jon Jett was injured for most of the second quarter, and Eloy for parts of the fourth.

Being the opportunist, the other team scored three goals when they had a man advantage which pretty much sealed the game before halftime.

The team they were up against was much more physical, and borderline dirty. Frustrated by the lack of calls from the officials, the 7th/8th graders weren't able to play their game and it showed throughout the course of the game.

Physically, the other team was imposing, with several players twice the size of the 7th/8th graders. They were able to muscle their way to spots on the field the St. Mary's team just couldn't.

All that led to their worst performance of the season.

Coming into this game, they had given up a combined 10 goals on the entire season. Today, 7.

But despite the lopsided loss, the 7th/8th graders should be proud of their accomplishments throughout the year. All the 7th graders had never won a single game coming into the season, and this year they were playing in the championship.

And what seems to be the theme of the fall sports this year, this team was put together at the last second with players who didn't know each other before the month of September.

They were able to put together a run that the school had never seen before in this sport, and they'll forever be linked with St. Mary's soccer history.





Friday, November 18, 2011

7th/8th grade girls fall short in championship battle

It was a fight to the finish in one of the most exciting volleyball games in St. Mary's history.

Unfortunately the 7th/8th grade girls could not hold leads in sets two and three, as their quest for the championship ultimately fell short, losing in three sets 25-27, 25-23, 15-10.

After winning the first set, they held leads of 16-12, and 23-22 in the second set, but were unable to close it out for the title.

In the third set, they got off to an incredible start, jumping out early 5-0 thanks to some great overhand serving by Aileen. But from that point on, the momentum went the other way.

Their 5-0 lead evaporated and they found themselves locked at 5-5. They traded points back and forth until the scored crawled to 10-10.

They lost the next point, and never saw the ball come back.

The other team rattled off five straight points giving the girls the second place trophy.

All three sets kept the audience at the edge of their seat as so much was at stake on every single point. Both teams played a hard fought game and it was unfortunate one team had to lose.

The girls were able to squeeze out the points they needed in the first set to get the early advantage, but were unable to do so in the second and third.

In the second, they led 16-12 midway through and even 23-22, two points away from the championship. But the ball didn't bounce their way and they were forced to go to a third and decisive set.

After Aileen served the girls out to a 5-0 lead in the third set, things were looking bright. But after the other team returned a ball that barely got over the net, the pendulum swung the other way.

The 7th/8th graders saw their cushion disappear, as they were hitting balls out of bounds. The bump, set and spike that had worked for them throughout the first two sets, never showed up in the third. It became a bump contest and each time the girls would eventually lose.

However they clawed their way back and forced a 10-10 tie and held serve. But they never scored another point.

On championship point, a desperate heave from the back row sailed out of bounds and the season came to an end.

To come so close of winning a championship makes this a difficult pill to swallow for the time being. But in the bigger picture, the girls accomplished a lot in a little over two months. Six of the eight girls had never played organized volleyball before, and Cynthia and Isabella, the only two girls who had previous playing experience won only three combined games coming into this year.

They were already at a disadvantage trying to compete at a high level in an 8th grade league. Couple that with the fact that the girls don't even go to the same school, so it was harder to develop the chemistry that a team usually has.

The girls rose up to the challenge and literally came a few points from replicating something only seen in Hollywood films.

"This is our first time getting to this point," said head coach Calman Chin, "(We) didn't expect to get here, but once we got here, I just felt it, I just felt like we were going to win."







Thursday, November 17, 2011

Championship Weekend Preview

This weekend shapes up to the one of the biggest in the history of the St. Mary's Athletics sports program. If not ever, then by far the biggest weekend in our modern era.

The 7th/8th grade volleyball and soccer teams will both go for the championships in their first year together as teams.

Both are coming off clutch performances in the playoffs and will look to bring home a title.


It starts tomorrow night, 6:15 p.m. at St. Emydius when the volleyball team takes center stage. This collection of eight girls are riding a six game winning streak. The last time they lost was when they played Epiphany, their adversary in the game Friday night.

In that game, they lost the first set and were off to a real slow start. They stormed back and demolished them in the second set 25-4. They erased a huge deficit in the final set and almost came back to win, but instead lost 18-16 in set three.

When they last met, it was game three of the season. Now they meet in the final game, with both teams better than they were close to six weeks ago.

The 7th/8th grade girls are peaking at the right time, serves solid and really developing their bump, set and spike skills.

On the soccer field, the 7th/8th grade boys are riding a winning streak of their own, not having lost in six straight games.

The team they go up against SVDP, was the number one team in the division. The last time these two teams met was a 1-1 tie.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. at Silver Terrace, rain or shine.

The teams will be playing on a synthetic turf and the ball will move quicker on that, than it does on grass. After playing an entire season on the spotty at best grass on the fields of West Sunset, this could definitely be an adjustment.

It will benefit the fast forwards on the team, but it also means the defense needs to be quicker than they were in the playoff game.

Their key to victory will be their defense, which has given up only one goal in their last three games. If the defense can be strong, it will give the talented forwards on the team time to wear down the other team's defense.

Anthony, who will get the start in goal, is coming off his best game of the year, where he made several spectacular saves.

Offensively, Eloy and Sebastian lead the charge, as the two were the top goal scorers on the team. Pablo, who runs from end line to end line, supports both the offense and defense and undoubtedly has been one of the most important facets on both sides of the field.

This weekend has the making of something spectacular, historic and epic. Be there to witness it all unfold.

See you at the games.

VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
6:15 p.m. @ St. Emydius
Address: 255 Jules Ave

SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP 
11 a.m. @ Silver Terrace
Address: Silver Ave and Elmira St

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Mark Purdy: NBA's problem? Most don't miss it


Courtesy: San Jose Mercury News
By Mark Purdy
Mercury News Columnist


The video of a train wreck is not always a video of a train wreck. Sometimes, it is a video clip of David Stern as the NBA commissioner talks about "nuclear winter," followed immediately by a video clip of an NBA player alongside a lawyer speaking about a "disclaimer of interest."

Yeah, whatever.

As they threaten to pull the plug on the entire 2011-12 season, the owners and players of the National Basketball Association are making such a big mistake, they don't even realize how big the mistake is.
Their biggest mistake: They actually seem to think that most people care whether the season happens. Most people don't.

Oh, some do. But most? More than 50 percent of the American public? Please. The only two professional sports that come close to interweaving with everyday American culture on a mass basis are baseball and football. You could probably conduct a scientific research study to determine that. For me, it's not necessary. I just know what I see and hear.

For instance, last summer when it appeared that the National Football League might not start the 2011 schedule on time -- might even miss some exhibition games! -- I could not spend 30 minutes in a Bay Area public place without having somebody bring up the topic.

These were people at the grocery store, or at dog park, or in one case, on a Yosemite hiking path. They would ask my opinion on whether they might have to spend September without the 49ers or Raiders.

"The two sides will settle," was always my answer. "There's too much money to be made by settling."
And there was. And they did. The NFL players took a minor hit in the new deal. But they ultimately figured out that fewer millions were still better than zero millions. I didn't care. That was their business. But it made sense to me.

It's a little different with the NBA. We are already two weeks into what would have been the regular season schedule. But I can only recall two people during those two weeks who have wondered if we will have Christmas without Kobe.

The reaction I hear most often is . . . well, it is the same reaction I received Tuesday afternoon from the sample group I questioned on whether they follow the NBA and will notice its absence.

"I watch in the playoffs if I get the chance," said Patrick Marleau, the Sharks' assistant captain.
"I follow it once they get to the playoffs," said his teammate, Joe Thornton.

Granted, the National Hockey League players are busy guys during the wintertime months. But it's not as if they are on the rink 18 hours a day. They watch stuff in their spare time. They will find stuff other than the NBA to occupy their eyeballs. So will most North American citizens.

I'm not the guy to analyze the NBA negotiations and pronounce judgment on who's right or wrong. But if the NBA players are smart, they might want to consult their hockey peers.

During the winter of 2004-05, the NHL did miss an entire season because of a labor dispute. The consensus among players is that it stunk on ice.

The Shark players -- at least those to whom I spoke -- all said they empathized with the NBA players, said it was important for them to stick together as a union. But they also said that 2004-05 was definitely not a joyful memory, even if Thornton did meet his future wife while playing in Switzerland. He was happy about that. He wasn't happy about most everything else. It wasn't a nuclear winter for the hockey players. Just a cold and lousy one.

Dan Boyle, the Sharks defenseman, swears that he no longer thinks about the financial ramifications of that non-season. But he still remembers the numbers. During that lockout season, he would have made more than $3 million playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Instead, he played in Sweden and made about $300,000.

Boyle is not complaining. He feels lucky to be compensated as well as he is. But late at night, how could he not think about the $2.7 million that vaporized out of his life? How could any player not think about his lost salary of 2004-05?

"I don't think it was good for anybody," said Sharks defenseman Colin White about that missed season. "The fan base, thank God, came back. You never know if people might lose track, lose interest and get involved with something else."

The NBA fans -- which means Warriors fans in the Bay Area -- will also come back. Pretty fast, probably. Fans of the NBA seem to regard the games, at least the regular season, as more performances than competitions. This work stoppage, to them, is more like their favorite music act taking time off before reuniting for another tour. The fans will just wait and buy seats for the next concert.

Until then, the NBA's absence will provoke no anguish. Especially around here. Not with the Bay Area's two NFL franchises in first place and guaranteed to be relevant at least through December. Not with Cal's basketball team ensconced in the college Top 25 rankings. Not with the Sharks providing reliable games of interest on a regular basis.

That's why the whole thing is so idiotic. The only people taking a hit -- except for the folks who work at Oracle Arena for home dates -- are the players and owners themselves. The NBA fans in Russia who live near Chernobyl must read Stern's quote about "nuclear winter" and puzzle over his comparison of basketball to radiation poisoning. And anyone in America who's been laid off or has taken a pay cut must laugh at the players' concerns over losing leverage to make more millions.

Enjoy your standoff, owners and players and Mr. Commissioner. Now let's see what other games in other sports are on television this week. Why would we spend time worrying about a train wreck instead?

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Tuesday Update

UPDATE!

Comment: Wow, in bold letters too.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Championship Weekend Schedule

Just so you can plan your weekend around the big championship games:

Friday night, the 7th/8th grade girls go for the volleyball championship at St. Emydius. Game time is 6:15 p.m.

Saturday morning, the 7th/8th grade boys will try to win the first St. Mary's soccer championship in school history. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. @ Silver Terrace.

The soccer game will be played rain or shine. Silver Terrace is an artificial turf surface.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

This Day in St. Mary's Athletics History

The team formerly known as the 5th/6th grade soccer team scored their only goal of the season, in their last game of the season.

Read about the flashback here:

http://stmarysathletics.blogspot.com/2010/11/justin-nets-teams-first-goal-to-close.html

Saturday, November 12, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: Soccer Championship Postponed

The 7th/8th grade championship has been postponed and will be played next Saturday.

Friday, November 11, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: 7th/8th grade girls going to the championship

The 7th/8th grade girls pulled out a gut wrenching and hard fought victory to punch their ticket to the volleyball championship.

They played their best game of the year when they needed it most and won in straight sets 25-22, 25-22.

It was back and forth the entire night and the girls just had enough gas left in the tank at the end of both sets to close out the other team.

Set number one got off to a good start as the girls built a slight advantage at 14-9. But from then on, it was neck and neck and the set was tied 22-22.

On serve receive, Isabella nearly took one right to her face as the ball glanced off near the top of her hand. Following the second hit, Isabella rebounded nicely and was able to put the ball back over to the other side.

Following a feel rallies, the other team's tip at the net was unsuccessful and the girls held a 23-22 lead.

Cynthia closed out the set with two straight nice serves to give the girls set one.

After falling behind 3-0, the 7th/8th graders bounced back to not just even it up, but break away in the second. Good solid serves, coupled with solid bumps, and overhand hits, the girls soon found themselves up 18-9.

In their meeting earlier this year, the 7th/8th graders nursed a 22-13 lead in the second set and wound up losing 25-22.

It almost happened again.

Point by point, the other team would catch up. Yes, the girls did have their share of breakdowns when they looked sloppy on the serve receives, but the other team played some real good volleyball as well.

They had one girl who pretty much controlled the net and was able to tip and hit the ball with ease. They also possessed a few girls who served really well overhand, but the 7th/8th graders caught a break when their overhand servers would occasionally fault, something the 7th/8th graders did not do.

Pretty soon it was all tied up at 22-22.

On serve receive, the girls were able to return it successfully, but the other team popped up a ball straight into the air on third contact.

Just like the first set, Cynthia stepped up to serve. Cool, calm and collective, she served up an ace to make it 24-22, and then closed it out with another serve, which the other team hit over the net, but out of bounds.

The 7th graders on the team, Cynthia and Isabella really stepped up their games tonight. Both were arguably the best two on the team on serves, and both bumped some really difficult balls up in the air for their teammates to hit back over.

In tonight's contest, the girls made the least mistakes out of any of their games this year and every point was crucial in upsetting the second seeded team on their home court.

One week from tonight, this team of mostly girls who have never played an official volleyball game until two months ago, will go for the title.





Soccer Championship Update

Please check back periodically for an update on the status of tomorrow morning's 7th/8th grade soccer championship.

The plan is to play unless told otherwise, and we will get official word most likely around 8 a.m.

See you tonight at the 7th/8th grade volleyball playoff game.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

7th/8th grade volleyball playoff preview

For a team that had only two girls play the year before, not too bad you might say.

The 7th/8th grade girls go into the playoffs winners of five straight, and haven't lost a set in their last two games.

They will go head to head against one of the two teams that had previously defeated them this season, St. Cecilia.

In that game, the girls were flat in the first set, but rebounded and dominated the first set until a collapse that saw them blow a double digit lead.

It's unlikely that will happen again.

The girls have been playing their best volleyball, incorporating the bump, set and spike, and most of the girls on the team are able to serve consistently and not give away points, something that is crucial in the playoffs.

Other teams are no slouch and every point that you can get adds up in the end.

You can add this team to the long list of St. Mary's teams that have had pretty much no experience entering a season and being successful.

Of the right girls on the team, only two of them, Isabella and Cynthia, both 7th graders, have had previous playing experience.

Everybody else is a rookie.

After a full season and a slew of scrimmages, the girls should have enough experience, but the playoffs are a different animal - there is no tomorrow.

It took a while for this team to really play together as a team, but they are finally coming together.

Total strangers less than two months ago, they are now one win away from getting to a championship.

GAMETIME: 8 P.M.
LOCATION: ST. CECILIA (18TH AVE AND VICENTE)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Wednesday RAWs

Action from the weekend that was...









Monday, November 7, 2011

Volleyball playoff schedule, Soccer Championship



The 7th/8th grade volleyball team will play Friday night at 8 p.m. from St. Cecilia in their playoff game. A win puts them in the championship.

Speaking of championships, the 7th/8th grade soccer team goes for gold in the championship, 9:45 a.m. Saturday morning from West Sunset.

Media Pig Monday

Lunch time at Raiders - Corn beef hash, cabbage, ravioli, potatoes and a biscuit
The national anthem before the game
Normal view from the press box
2nd Quarter Snack

Very little chips in this bag, not good for a chip lover.

Healthy apple - it was never touched by me

The Raiders on the sideline minutes before a "bad lose" to the Denver Broncos
Taiwan Jones talks on our postgame show.
TJ Houshmandzadeh doing a talkback for GameDay
Everybody is gone...

Saturday, November 5, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: 7th/8th grade soccer team advances to championship

St. Mary's 7th graders, Daniel, Brendan Quock, Brandon Khuu and Hunter played three years of soccer coming into this season. They all never officially won a game.

Now, the four boys are one win away from winning a soccer championship.

By no means was this the best game the 7th/8th grade boys have played this year, but it was enough, a 2-1 victory that puts them on the doorstep of a title.

Eloy broke a 1-1 tie early in the fourth when he placed a ball into the back of the net off of a pretty feed from Sebastian.

The play started at mid-field when Pablo and Sebastian played give and go down the left wing. Sebastian took a turn towards the middle, waited for Eloy to break and put the ball right where Eloy needed it in order to score the goal.

It did get a little dicey at the end when the other team had a shot right in front of an empty net, but luckily they pushed it wide.

Julio was racing back to retrieve a ball and instead of taking the sideline, which was clear, he turned and didn't get all of a kick. The ball fell right into the lap of the opposing player who did not connect for a score.

The defense had their poorest showing in a few games, but were bailed out by goalie Anthony, who played the best game of his career.

Off of a free kick in the third, Anthony had to leap high and tap the ball over the net to prevent a goal.

However, it was revealed after the game, the goal wouldn't have counted anyways since a free kick from that far could not be scored on a direct kick (one touch).

His best save came in the third to preserve a 1-1 tie when he slid to the turf, swallowing a shot from inside the box off an opposing player who was racing in.

The 7th/8th grade got on the scoreboard first with seconds left in the first half. Eloy kicked a ball towards the top of the box, and Jon Jett was there to squib the ball in front of Pablo, who was coming down the left wing.

Pablo took his time and finessed it by the other team's goalie to make it 1-0 going into the break.

In the third quarter, the 7th/8th graders were not sharp, and were being pressured in their zone time and time again. The other team finally got through the defense when most of the team's defenders clogged one side of the field.

The poor spacing resulted in a ball rolling from the left wing to the front of the net where there were two blue jerseys ready to tuck the ball into the goal.

That made the score 1-1.

Minutes later, Eloy sent a ball towards the net that hit the top of the crossbar. And then with a 2-1 lead late in the game, Eloy beat everyone to a loose ball in the box, centered it to Sebastian who back heeled it a foot over the net.

With the win, the 7th/8th grade will play for the championship next Saturday at West Sunset with kickoff scheduled at 9:45 a.m.

They will face SVDP who they played to a 1-1 draw earlier this season.

For a school that has been blown out in soccer and borderline embarrassed in the last three years, playing in a championship is nothing short of remarkable.


7th/8th grade girls roll Saturday morning

The 7th/8th grade girls assured themselves a playoff spot with a win last night, but who they would play would be determined by their game this morning at CYO Serramonte.

Up against a team with a (5-2) record coming into the game, the 7th/8th grade girls took on the challenge and played their best game of the year in a dominating 25-16, 25-10 performance.

Unlike their game Friday night, the team they played actually had a pulse and had an idea of what they were doing out on a volleyball court.

The girls took notice and then took it to the other team, executing several bump, set and spikes, and limiting their errors to a minimum.

Right now the girls are peaking at the right time as they will play in their first volleyball playoff game, the school's first in two years.

The returning girls Cynthia and Isabella have been the best they have in their three years of volleyball and all the new 8th graders are peaking at the right time.

Sabrina, the lone St. Mary's girl left on the team since the departure of Belin to Southern California, consistently serves the ball over the net with ease.

Jocelyn has really come around in the last few games, with punishing serves and spikes.

The girls are starting to build the team chemistry that was lacking even in a few weeks ago, and they picked a good time to start gelling with the playoffs right around the corner.

With the win today, they wrap up the season with a (6-2) record, losing only to the top two teams in the division. They lost to both of those teams in the beginning of the year as well, so things could be very different when the teams meet again.

The six wins in a season are also the most for a St. Mary's volleyball team in modern day history.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Volleyball teams dominate Friday night

Highlights for these games are in the Saturday 8th grade volleyball recap

It took less than half an hour for both St. Mary's volleyball teams to dispose of their opponents tonight as the 5th/6th graders and 7th/8th graders won their matches in straight sets.

The 7th/8th graders clinched a playoff spot with their 25-5, 25-15 win. They are now (5-2) and depending on their game tomorrow morning, they can clinch as high as a second seed and as low as a fourth seed.

In tonight's contest, the other team clearly was not interested in playing, and it was evident from the start. That led to a 25-5 first set thrashing that saw the girls barely break a sweat.

The second set was a little more competitive early on until the 7th/8th graders pull away for the win.

Jocelyn had some great overhand serves, and the rest of the team followed suit.

Cynthia was at her best returning some really difficult serves, getting the ball up in the air, so her teammates could get it over the net.

The five wins in the regular season is the most by a St. Mary's volleyball team in modern history.

The 5th/6th grade girls finished their season at .500 with a 25-15, 25-11 straight set victory, finishing one game behind the final playoff spot.

At (4-4), they needed one more win to tie for the last spot, but unfortunately they lost to all four of the playoff teams.

With a team half of 5th graders, this team made a lot of progress in a few months.

Exhibit "A" was Ivy who served several balls over to win the first set for the girls, and then she followed it up by getting the girls out to an early lead in the second set. Ivy was by far the most improved volleyball player on the team.

The girls even did a bump, set and spike in the second set, when a ball was set up nicely to Fiona, who spiked it over for a point. In another nice rally, Kaela was able to bump the ball over her head, over the net, and then onto the floor.

Edwena, Victoria and Fiona all played last year and won only twice. The year before that, they won only once. This year, four times.

So as the years go on, these girls multiply their victories. So all they have to do next year is go undefeated and win eight games in the regular season.

Highlights will be packed with tomorrow's games. Check back tomorrow night for more.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Congratulations to Marissa

Marissa made the Sacred Heart basketball team earlier today, so congratulations to her. And any reason to re-rack an Epic Video I will. This is Marissa's exclusive interview from earlier this year where she talks about her life and basketball.



AND...her birthday video...

BREAKING NEWS: No volleyball practice today

Due to inclement weather, volleyball practice for today has been canceled.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Media Pig Monday on a Wednesday

Lunch time  
Snack time
View from the press box

49ers kicker David Akers practicing on the sideline

Our reporter interviewing Carlos Rogers after the game.

Navarro Bowman

Vernon Davis
An empty Candlestick Park after the game

8TH GRADE CHAMPIONSHIP TONIGHT

8TH GRADE CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

LATEST LIGHTS

3/15-3/23 Lights

6th Grade Championship

VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP