Who says you can't have broken ankles on the ice? It happened to Logan Couture in the Sharks 2-0 win over the Red Wings Thursday night, check it out.
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Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
More to games than winning
You'll be hard pressed to find someone else who wants to win or cares about winning more than I do, and that's the honest truth.
But that's not to say it's the most important thing that I value, and here is a great example of why from this past weekend.
Up in Sacramento, it was the State Championships for basketball, pitting schools from Northern California against Southern California.
We, if you consider we as Northern California, did not do so well.
Out of 12 games, we won only two.
It very well could've been three, but Isabella's future school, St. Joseph's, choked at the end in heartbreaking fashion.
They were clinging to a two point lead, and had four free throws that could've iced the game. Hit two of those shots, the game would be over...
Just hit one -- at worse, it would've been overtime.
So after missing all four, Horizon Christian had the ball with the final shot and a chance to win. Here's what happened:
This is not a loss that you ever get in over. And to be frank, it will haunt them from the rest of their lives.
Colin Kaepernick, after the Super Bowl this year, echoed that sentiment when a reporter asked him how long will the loss sting.
"For the rest of my life," he replied.
I coached one team years back and lost a championship game in the worst way possible. And for their sanity, I will not rehash it, but it's something that until this day I don't think they have gotten over, and frankly, neither have I.
But in a weird twisted way, that's what it's all about. It's because we care so much for the game, and care so much for each other -- that a moment that would've been just picture perfect, was taken away from us. And it's a moment we will never ever be able to experience.
And that's what happened to the boys basketball team of St. Joseph.
Don Lippi, the head coach, has been around for 35 years, and put into perspective. And we will end on that.
But that's not to say it's the most important thing that I value, and here is a great example of why from this past weekend.
Up in Sacramento, it was the State Championships for basketball, pitting schools from Northern California against Southern California.
We, if you consider we as Northern California, did not do so well.
Out of 12 games, we won only two.
It very well could've been three, but Isabella's future school, St. Joseph's, choked at the end in heartbreaking fashion.
They were clinging to a two point lead, and had four free throws that could've iced the game. Hit two of those shots, the game would be over...
Just hit one -- at worse, it would've been overtime.
So after missing all four, Horizon Christian had the ball with the final shot and a chance to win. Here's what happened:
This is not a loss that you ever get in over. And to be frank, it will haunt them from the rest of their lives.
Colin Kaepernick, after the Super Bowl this year, echoed that sentiment when a reporter asked him how long will the loss sting.
"For the rest of my life," he replied.
I coached one team years back and lost a championship game in the worst way possible. And for their sanity, I will not rehash it, but it's something that until this day I don't think they have gotten over, and frankly, neither have I.
But in a weird twisted way, that's what it's all about. It's because we care so much for the game, and care so much for each other -- that a moment that would've been just picture perfect, was taken away from us. And it's a moment we will never ever be able to experience.
And that's what happened to the boys basketball team of St. Joseph.
Don Lippi, the head coach, has been around for 35 years, and put into perspective. And we will end on that.
That was a tremendous day for our program. Of course we wanted to win the game and the trophy...but it can't be what we play for. Everything we do in this life should be for love and I'll tell you what, those kids in that locker room afterward showed that. They squeezed each other a little harder after a loss like that.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
7th/8th grade baseball team blanked
Good game, good effort.
The 7th/8th grade baseball team played their third game of the season and were shutout 14-0.
Despite the score, it's good to see these the 7th and 8th grade get out on the baseball diamond and try to make the best of the experience.
However, experience is the one thing they do not have.
Many of the teams they play against have been playing for years, whereas most of the baseball team has been playing for a few weeks.
Justin got the start and pitched well but as usual, did not get much support from his defense.
At the plate, Justin did get on late in the game with a single and stole two bases before being stranded at third.
Jason Zhao made a nice putout from second to first in the game.
The 7th/8th grade baseball team played their third game of the season and were shutout 14-0.
Despite the score, it's good to see these the 7th and 8th grade get out on the baseball diamond and try to make the best of the experience.
However, experience is the one thing they do not have.
Many of the teams they play against have been playing for years, whereas most of the baseball team has been playing for a few weeks.
Justin got the start and pitched well but as usual, did not get much support from his defense.
At the plate, Justin did get on late in the game with a single and stole two bases before being stranded at third.
Jason Zhao made a nice putout from second to first in the game.
6th graders win, but also lose
The 6th grade girls title defense took a huge hit Saturday when Kaela was injured midway through the 2nd quarter in a 9-8 win.
She left the game right after colliding with a girl on the opposite team during a fast break and is out indefinitely. There is no timetable on her return.
Before the collision, Kaela was having a strong game, scoring all seven of her team's points.
They were leading 7-4 at the time, so there was not much offense the rest of the way.
Lily threw a block party and recorded at least 10, if not more blocks, swatting away almost every shot taken in the key. Defensively, she was the hero clogging up the paint and making it difficult for the other team to get off good shots.
On the other hand, the offense really struggled without Kaela.
Michaela was the only regular ball handler left, and had trouble, especially in the second half, taking care of the basketball.
Up against a three girl press, Michaela would try to dribble through three girls almost repeatedly and pretty much every time she tried, she got stuffed.
She did break free in the 4th quarter a few times and hit a shot which gave them a much needed cushion.
After Michaela's made basket, the other team scored four straight and almost won it with a shot under 10 seconds to go in the game. A jumper rattled in and out, and the girls made a defensive stand with 3.4 seconds left to seal it.
Now it gets interesting because the girls will likely have to play without the reigning St. Mary's Girls MVP for the near future.
It'll be a brand new experience for all of the girls, as everybody on the team is going to have to step up their game to replace Kaela.
Throughout the course of this past year, the rest of the team, even when they were winning relied too much on Kaela. Now they will have no other choice.
One sign of encouragement they can look to is that they won last year's championship when Kaela was held scoreless.
And for the time being, Kaela will remain scoreless, and it'll be up to everybody else to compensate.
She left the game right after colliding with a girl on the opposite team during a fast break and is out indefinitely. There is no timetable on her return.
Before the collision, Kaela was having a strong game, scoring all seven of her team's points.
They were leading 7-4 at the time, so there was not much offense the rest of the way.
Lily threw a block party and recorded at least 10, if not more blocks, swatting away almost every shot taken in the key. Defensively, she was the hero clogging up the paint and making it difficult for the other team to get off good shots.
On the other hand, the offense really struggled without Kaela.
Michaela was the only regular ball handler left, and had trouble, especially in the second half, taking care of the basketball.
Up against a three girl press, Michaela would try to dribble through three girls almost repeatedly and pretty much every time she tried, she got stuffed.
She did break free in the 4th quarter a few times and hit a shot which gave them a much needed cushion.
After Michaela's made basket, the other team scored four straight and almost won it with a shot under 10 seconds to go in the game. A jumper rattled in and out, and the girls made a defensive stand with 3.4 seconds left to seal it.
Now it gets interesting because the girls will likely have to play without the reigning St. Mary's Girls MVP for the near future.
It'll be a brand new experience for all of the girls, as everybody on the team is going to have to step up their game to replace Kaela.
Throughout the course of this past year, the rest of the team, even when they were winning relied too much on Kaela. Now they will have no other choice.
One sign of encouragement they can look to is that they won last year's championship when Kaela was held scoreless.
And for the time being, Kaela will remain scoreless, and it'll be up to everybody else to compensate.
7th graders can't catch a break
The bounces are not going the way of the 7th grade girls as they suffered yet another crushing defeat, this time a 20-18 loss in overtime against the same team they beat in the playoffs last season.
This rematch was not a low scoring affair like last year's teeth pulling extravaganza where the 7th graders prevailed 8-3. But the girls would've taken that over another game decided by a bucket.
Playing without Kelly, who handles a lot of the point guard duties, the girls were forced to play with only six players.
And with only one sub, the girls didn't get a chance to do much resting.
Once again, their biggest problem, scoring points factored into the loss Saturday.
They get a lot of good looks at the basket but they just can't seem to convert. It was against this same team last year in the regular season when they scored a putrid one point in a 6-1 loss.
Sooner or later, the girls are going to have to win the close games, or else they will end up kicking themselves like they have done so all season long.
You can make a strong argument that they shouldn't have lost a single game in the tournament, and should also be undefeated in the regular season.
But reality is they are sitting at a disappointing (2-2) record midway through the season, when one made shot here, and a defensive stop there could shift their losses into the win column.
One thing they haven't done well is practice as a team, as the girls have not had consistent practices with all seven girls on the team. For a plethora of reasons, having all girls present at a practice has been a continuous challenge and when both of the team's losses have been one bucket, the lack of team chemistry is magnified.
The 7th grade was down five in the final quarter, but came back resiliently as Fiona tied the game on a made shot.
But they could not muster any type of offense in the extra frame.
In overtime, Ivanna fouled out, which was a huge blow to the girls as she is the team's lone inside presence.
And right on cue, the other team took advantage of her absence, lobbing a pass to a girl by the basket, who hit the game winner. Two of the St. Mary's girls were completely out of position.
In overtime, Ivanna fouled out, which was a huge blow to the girls as she is the team's lone inside presence.
And right on cue, the other team took advantage of her absence, lobbing a pass to a girl by the basket, who hit the game winner. Two of the St. Mary's girls were completely out of position.
Like all teams, they battle consistency. A lot of their players will look like gold one week, and then take several steps back the next.
In a higher division, some girls are still having trouble taking care of the ball.
Late in the game, Leslie was forced to burn a timeout in fear of a jump ball being called. It was her final regulation timeout.
Now it gets even harder for the girls as the margin of error becomes thinner and thinner with each loss. They could've put two w's in the bank, but let both of them slip through their fingertips.
Shorthanded, the 4th graders still hang around
Even playing without two of their top scorers, the 4th grade girls managed to keep the game close until the very end.
With Sofia and Veronica both absent from the lineup, Justina carried the load offensively, but in the end the 4th graders fell 18-7 and dropped back down to .500, entering the break with a record of (2-2).
The girls trailed 6-2 at halftime, but pulled even after two Justina made buckets in the 3rd quarter.
But their opponent went on a 6-0 run to end the third, and the girls never recovered the rest of the way.
They played with only five girls in uniform and their stamina was tested. Towards the end of the game, they began to wear down as going all 24 minutes proved a little too much for the youngest girls team at St. Mary's.
At the midway point, they have two wins, already two more than they had all of last season.
The second half will be crucial as every game could make or break their playoff hopes.
Like most other young teams, little things like not being able to catch a ball, or lobbing passes tend to hurt the girls and lead to dry spells on offense.
However, they've been competitive in every single one of their games this year, a big step forward from their rookie campaign last season.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Saturday Recap
The 4th grade girls, playing without Sofia and Veronica managed to hang around in their game this morning but ultimately fell 15-7. Justina scored all 7 points for the 4th grade as they sit at .500 (2-2) going into the break.
As for the 6th grade, Kaela left the game in the 2nd quarter with an injury and did not return. Her teammates scratched and clawed their way the rest of the game, barely hanging on for a 9-8 win.
Kaela scored 7 points while Michaela added the only other basket, which game in the 4th quarter.
The 6th grade heads into the vacation (3-1).
The 7th grade girls just cannot win the close games as they suffered another heartbreaking defeat, 20-18 in OT. It was a playoff rematch of last season where the 7th graders were victorious. They head into the break a disappointing (2-2).
With only 7 players, the 6th grade was forced to forfeit their second game of the year. They are now (0-2).
As for the 6th grade, Kaela left the game in the 2nd quarter with an injury and did not return. Her teammates scratched and clawed their way the rest of the game, barely hanging on for a 9-8 win.
Kaela scored 7 points while Michaela added the only other basket, which game in the 4th quarter.
The 6th grade heads into the vacation (3-1).
The 7th grade girls just cannot win the close games as they suffered another heartbreaking defeat, 20-18 in OT. It was a playoff rematch of last season where the 7th graders were victorious. They head into the break a disappointing (2-2).
With only 7 players, the 6th grade was forced to forfeit their second game of the year. They are now (0-2).
8th grade girls make it four straight
By no means is it pretty but so far the 8th grade girls have gotten the results they wanted, including a 21-12 victory Friday night, their four straight win to start the regular season.
So far, they haven't been tested much as it seems like the teams' they have played are incredibly flawed.
The 8th grade girls are not close to being perfect as they once again missed countless lay-ups and have really mastered the art of glueing their feet to the ground while taking shots.
But their aggressiveness enables them to take more shots than the other team and the law of averages say that if you shoot it enough, sooner or later the balls will go into the basket.
Julia scored 6 of her 8 points in the 1st quarter, and Melina chipped in with 6 points to lead the way.
After being a finalist for the Girls MVP Award last season, Cynthia hasn't been close to her form of a year ago. Most notably her shot as taken a turn for the worst.
She used to have one of the nicest shots of anybody in the school, but now it's borderline painful to see her hoist it up at the hoop.
On a 3 point attempt in the first half, her shot hit the top of the backboard before sailing over, something that she has never done before.
She finished the night with 3 points.
The good news is that the girls are winning even though they aren't close to being a well oiled machine.
If the girls can start to actually get some lift and jump off the ground when they take shots or go for the rebound, and Cynthia can get back to her MVP form, they will be a serious contender for the championship.
Otherwise, they'll need to keep hoping their opponents make more mistakes than they do.
So far, they haven't been tested much as it seems like the teams' they have played are incredibly flawed.
The 8th grade girls are not close to being perfect as they once again missed countless lay-ups and have really mastered the art of glueing their feet to the ground while taking shots.
But their aggressiveness enables them to take more shots than the other team and the law of averages say that if you shoot it enough, sooner or later the balls will go into the basket.
Julia scored 6 of her 8 points in the 1st quarter, and Melina chipped in with 6 points to lead the way.
After being a finalist for the Girls MVP Award last season, Cynthia hasn't been close to her form of a year ago. Most notably her shot as taken a turn for the worst.
She used to have one of the nicest shots of anybody in the school, but now it's borderline painful to see her hoist it up at the hoop.
On a 3 point attempt in the first half, her shot hit the top of the backboard before sailing over, something that she has never done before.
She finished the night with 3 points.
The good news is that the girls are winning even though they aren't close to being a well oiled machine.
If the girls can start to actually get some lift and jump off the ground when they take shots or go for the rebound, and Cynthia can get back to her MVP form, they will be a serious contender for the championship.
Otherwise, they'll need to keep hoping their opponents make more mistakes than they do.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
My Annual LA Trip in Pictures
A look at my annual LA trip in the form of photos as pictures speak 1,000 words or however many words you want to attach to the pictures.
That's all folks...Thanks for participating
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| Chicken sandwich and fries at SFO before my flight |
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| This is called a payphone, but I didn't try to call home |
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| Sharks vs Kings at Staples Center prior to puck drop |
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| Sharks got drubbed 5-2...not good, depression begins. |
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| Chips with thousand island dip to drown sorrows |
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| Carne asada fries |
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Buffalo Wings
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| Great seats in the VIP level, a picture of Hulk Hogan hangs |
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| Picture from Summerslam 2012 as CM Punk awaits John Cena |
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| The overrated Clippers get introduced against a Carmelo-less Knicks team |
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| More Clipper intros |
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| BBQ Beef Sandwich delivered to the seats for lunch |
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| Comes with a bag of chips |
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| In that soda cup is Fanta |
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| A look at the Kings Stanley Cup banner, very sad |
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| A view from our seats of the game |
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| Thanksgiving dinner in March |
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| Leftovers the next day |
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| Portillo's fries for dinner |
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| Dressed up hot dog with no ketchup |
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| A classic Portillo's Big Beef sandwich |
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| Exterior of Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks |
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| Sharks and Ducks during warmups |
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| Poor Antti Niemi with no support from his team in a Sharks 5-3 loss |
That's all folks...Thanks for participating
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
NCAA Tournament Bracket
The NCAA tournament known as March Madness officially tipped off tonight, but the big tourney begins Thursday.
Below, sign up and fill out the brackets on Yahoo.
You can do so by clicking on this link below:
Fill out the bracket by here
Below, sign up and fill out the brackets on Yahoo.
You can do so by clicking on this link below:
Fill out the bracket by here
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Sunday Results
The 4th grade girls won 14-8 this afternoon, improving to (2-1) in the season.
The 6th grade girls bounced back from a tough loss, winning 12-9 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. They are also now (2-1).
Lastly, the 7th/8th grade baseball team dropped its second game of the season 16-2.
The 6th grade girls bounced back from a tough loss, winning 12-9 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. They are also now (2-1).
Lastly, the 7th/8th grade baseball team dropped its second game of the season 16-2.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Saturday Recap
The 7th grade girls lost in Half Moon Bay 15-13. They are now (2-1).
The 8th grade girls won 18-10 and improve to (3-0) in the season.
Full recap to come later tonight.
The 8th grade girls won 18-10 and improve to (3-0) in the season.
Full recap to come later tonight.
Happy Birthday Melinder
A very special Happy Birthday to Melinda. This picture was taken just a few days ago...
Happy Birthday Melinder!
Happy Birthday Melinder!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Throwback Thursday
Our first two St. Mary's baseball teams back from 2008.
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| The first St. Mary's baseball teams back from 2008. |
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Highlights...YES
DID YOU KNOW: March 13, 1999 - The 8th grade St. Mary's boys basketball team completed an undefeated season with a 33-28 championship game win. Bryan Cheung scored 10 points in the win. The Great Larry Wong was the head coach.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Monday Night Epicness
From the ice...Senators vs Bruins. How many of you can even identify what cities these two teams belong to?
We go to the shootout!
And then a few years back in October of 2010...
We go to the shootout!
And then a few years back in October of 2010...
Sunday, March 10, 2013
6th grade dealt first loss
The current crop of 6th grade girls had never lost a regular season game until Sunday afternoon.
After going undefeated this year and winning their season opener last Saturday, the 6th grade girs were shutout in overtime and lost 21-15 which dropped them to (1-1) on the season.
Kaela was held to 9 points, but they did get some secondary scoring for the first time this year. Lily scored 4 points and Christine netted her first bucket of the season.
It was a pretty rugged game that could've went either way, but this time, it was not in favor of the 6th grade girls.
After going undefeated this year and winning their season opener last Saturday, the 6th grade girs were shutout in overtime and lost 21-15 which dropped them to (1-1) on the season.
Kaela was held to 9 points, but they did get some secondary scoring for the first time this year. Lily scored 4 points and Christine netted her first bucket of the season.
It was a pretty rugged game that could've went either way, but this time, it was not in favor of the 6th grade girls.
Fiona wakes up, leads 7th grade to a big win
Fiona snapped out of an early season funk in a big way, scoring a career high 14 points as the 7th grade won their second straight game to open the season, 27-10 over NDV.
After being held scoreless in last week's season opener, Fiona got going early, using her left hand to get around a defender and then to the basket for the team's first two points of the game.
She followed that performance by doing pretty much the exact same thing three more times in the first half, as she pushed the 7th grade out to a 17-3 halftime lead.
In the half court set, Fiona was able to get by the girl who was guarding her almost every time, as she had a field day.
Following a win last season, Fiona said after the game that it was very important not only to her, but for the team to score early to build up some confidence.
So sticking to her statement, she answered the bell and had herself a day she won't soon forget.
Her big day masked some of the deficiencies from the game such as some real poor free throw shooting in the 1st quarter.
Even though they had a 7-0 lead after one, they shot 1-for-8 from the free throw line.
They also went through spurts where they could not rebound the ball.
Some of the balls weren't even difficult to grab -- they bounced right in front of them and still somehow they were unable to come up with it. It was so bad that you could see Leslie slowly pulling her hair out as she watched it unfold time after time.
The girls also weren't very effective for most of the second half, unable to break the press. They went into a spell where all they did was throw the ball out of bounds or turn the ball over to the other team.
Luckily, they built enough cushion that these mistakes didn't come back to haunt them.
All seven girls on the team got on the scoresheet.
Ivanna and Victoria both had 4 points, while Rebecca had a nice putback in the 1st quarter for her only bucket of the game.
Jamie and Kelly had quiet games with only a free throw each.
Some of the girls on the NDV team played soccer for St. Mary's and were teammates of Rebecca, Fiona and Victoria a little more than a month ago.
This marks the second straight year the girls have started the season (2-0).
After being held scoreless in last week's season opener, Fiona got going early, using her left hand to get around a defender and then to the basket for the team's first two points of the game.
She followed that performance by doing pretty much the exact same thing three more times in the first half, as she pushed the 7th grade out to a 17-3 halftime lead.
In the half court set, Fiona was able to get by the girl who was guarding her almost every time, as she had a field day.
Following a win last season, Fiona said after the game that it was very important not only to her, but for the team to score early to build up some confidence.
So sticking to her statement, she answered the bell and had herself a day she won't soon forget.
Her big day masked some of the deficiencies from the game such as some real poor free throw shooting in the 1st quarter.
Even though they had a 7-0 lead after one, they shot 1-for-8 from the free throw line.
They also went through spurts where they could not rebound the ball.
Some of the balls weren't even difficult to grab -- they bounced right in front of them and still somehow they were unable to come up with it. It was so bad that you could see Leslie slowly pulling her hair out as she watched it unfold time after time.
The girls also weren't very effective for most of the second half, unable to break the press. They went into a spell where all they did was throw the ball out of bounds or turn the ball over to the other team.
Luckily, they built enough cushion that these mistakes didn't come back to haunt them.
All seven girls on the team got on the scoresheet.
Ivanna and Victoria both had 4 points, while Rebecca had a nice putback in the 1st quarter for her only bucket of the game.
Jamie and Kelly had quiet games with only a free throw each.
Some of the girls on the NDV team played soccer for St. Mary's and were teammates of Rebecca, Fiona and Victoria a little more than a month ago.
This marks the second straight year the girls have started the season (2-0).
7th/8th grade baseball team makes debut
When March rolls around, it can only mean one thing, another brand new St. Mary's baseball team.
This time it was the 7th/8th graders who took the field at Crocker Amazon early Saturday morning in the team's first game of the season.
The result was a 15-5 loss, but this debut was a little better than some of the previous teams St. Mary's has fielded in the past.
It helps that three of the players, Justin, Garrick and Hunter all have one year of playing experience. All three made some decent contributions in game one.
Justin got the start and pitched 3 innings plus, and almost escaped out of the first inning unscathed. But after a walk, and some mishaps behind him in the field, the 7th/8th grade trailed 3-0 at the end of one.
Garrick, who started at catcher, led off the top of the second inning with a walk and came around to score on a wild pitch.
Hunter relieved Garrick later in the game behind the plate and caught two innings.
As for all the newcomers, they went through the normal growing pains of not getting in front of a ball quick enough, or throwing the ball to a base when they shouldn't have to name a few.
But those mistakes will be rectified with more experience.
Ryan, who is playing for the first time this season, recored his first hit late in the game on a dribbler. He also made a nice play at first base after fielding a grounder and running it to the bag.
He was then promptly run into by the runner and he hit the dirt.
8th grade gets job done for second win
For the second straight week, the 8th graders were a tad on the sloppy side, but they made enough shots for win number two.
All seven girls on the team scored at least two points in a 29-10 win at CYO Serramonte Saturday afternoon, a game that featured countless jump balls and head scratching moments.
Had it not been for a chunk of missed lay-ups and many turnovers, this game could've gotten really ugly.
They led by only seven at halftime, but a much stronger second half, helped more than double their lead on the way to victory.
The 8th grade (2-0) is still a team with a lot of new parts, so the girls are still getting accustomed to playing with each other.
Four of the five girls from the end of last year remain, so almost half the team has a new face.
One of the biggest strengths of this team is their size down low. The girls are all pretty feisty and the two centers Vivian and Ayanna make it difficult for other teams to get shots up down low.
Despite not being the most fundamentally sound, they are not fun to play against, because every girl has a knack to get the basketball. And sometimes because of that, the game gets a little hectic.
Their biggest hurdle right now is to move like basketball players on the court. A few players show glimpses of that, but there are those on the team who run scared, or simply do not move their feet in a swift manner when they go from one spot on the court to another.
So what you get are shots where the girls' feet do not leave the ground, or awkward looking pivots.
If they can iron out those kinks as the season progresses, they have a legitimate shot of contending for the title.
A big positive is that everybody on the team is contributing on the offensive end.
Cynthia had a game high 6 points, only two more than Ayanna, Melina and Julia who all scored 4 points. Vivian, Amy and Wendy all had a bucket a piece in the win.
All seven girls on the team scored at least two points in a 29-10 win at CYO Serramonte Saturday afternoon, a game that featured countless jump balls and head scratching moments.
Had it not been for a chunk of missed lay-ups and many turnovers, this game could've gotten really ugly.
They led by only seven at halftime, but a much stronger second half, helped more than double their lead on the way to victory.
The 8th grade (2-0) is still a team with a lot of new parts, so the girls are still getting accustomed to playing with each other.
Four of the five girls from the end of last year remain, so almost half the team has a new face.
One of the biggest strengths of this team is their size down low. The girls are all pretty feisty and the two centers Vivian and Ayanna make it difficult for other teams to get shots up down low.
Despite not being the most fundamentally sound, they are not fun to play against, because every girl has a knack to get the basketball. And sometimes because of that, the game gets a little hectic.
Their biggest hurdle right now is to move like basketball players on the court. A few players show glimpses of that, but there are those on the team who run scared, or simply do not move their feet in a swift manner when they go from one spot on the court to another.
So what you get are shots where the girls' feet do not leave the ground, or awkward looking pivots.
If they can iron out those kinks as the season progresses, they have a legitimate shot of contending for the title.
A big positive is that everybody on the team is contributing on the offensive end.
Cynthia had a game high 6 points, only two more than Ayanna, Melina and Julia who all scored 4 points. Vivian, Amy and Wendy all had a bucket a piece in the win.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Saturday Recap
The 7th/8th grade baseball team opened their season this morning at Crocker Amazon in a 15-5 loss. Of the 12 players on the roster, only three have played baseball before, and those three all did not play last season.
Justin got the start and pitched three innings plus.
The 7th grade girls picked up their second win of the year, beating NDV 27-10. Some of the girls in the game played together during the girls soccer season.
Fiona had a career day and scored 14 points in the win. They are now (2-0).
The 8th grade girls also picked up their second win of the regular season, by a final score of 29-10.
Full recaps to come later.
Justin got the start and pitched three innings plus.
The 7th grade girls picked up their second win of the year, beating NDV 27-10. Some of the girls in the game played together during the girls soccer season.
Fiona had a career day and scored 14 points in the win. They are now (2-0).
The 8th grade girls also picked up their second win of the regular season, by a final score of 29-10.
Full recaps to come later.
Tough loss for the Warriors
Hope all of you who came out to the game had fun Friday night. All the students had a chance to get high fives from all the Warriors players right before the second half.
Thanks for coming out despite a Warriors loss.
Thanks for coming out despite a Warriors loss.
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| Mark Jackson at his post-game presser. |
Thursday, March 7, 2013
4th grade wins it in the final minute
The 4th grade girls were in the exact some spot they were in their first game of the season, down a point with less than a minute to go.
But this time, they came out on top.
With less than 45 seconds to go, Justina hit a jump shot to put the 4th graders ahead, and then Sofia added insurance with a bank shot with under 10 seconds to go, as the 4th grade girls won their first regular season game in team history by a final score of 15-12.
It looked like the girls were headed for a second straight one point loss until Justina was able to dribble around and create her own shot to give the 4th grade a 13-12 lead.
The game went back and forth the entire way as no team led by more than three points.
Even with the win, there are a lot of facets of the game the girls need to improve upon on both sides of the ball.
In the half court offense, the ball frequently gets stuck in the corner. And they still had trouble making their shots by the basket. In the 4th quarter, they had four straight possessions with clean looks by the basket and came up empty.
Defensively, they are still a little tentative and aren't as aggressive as they could be. They do not generate many steals, which could lead to some easy buckets.
Justina had a career high 11 points and Sofia scored 4 points.
They are now (1-1) on the season.
But this time, they came out on top.
With less than 45 seconds to go, Justina hit a jump shot to put the 4th graders ahead, and then Sofia added insurance with a bank shot with under 10 seconds to go, as the 4th grade girls won their first regular season game in team history by a final score of 15-12.
It looked like the girls were headed for a second straight one point loss until Justina was able to dribble around and create her own shot to give the 4th grade a 13-12 lead.
The game went back and forth the entire way as no team led by more than three points.
Even with the win, there are a lot of facets of the game the girls need to improve upon on both sides of the ball.
In the half court offense, the ball frequently gets stuck in the corner. And they still had trouble making their shots by the basket. In the 4th quarter, they had four straight possessions with clean looks by the basket and came up empty.
Defensively, they are still a little tentative and aren't as aggressive as they could be. They do not generate many steals, which could lead to some easy buckets.
Justina had a career high 11 points and Sofia scored 4 points.
They are now (1-1) on the season.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Monday Morning Quarterback - A Look Back
Monday Morning Quarterback
One who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight
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| Warriors vs Rockets this Friday, are you going? |
It's been a long while since I did some Monday Morning Quarterbacking, and I apologize to the five people who actually enjoy me blogging.
To be honest, I just haven't had the energy or motivation to really pontificate on the current state of events with St. Mary's Athletics, but right now I am feeling it at 2:41 a.m. here on Monday morning so I thought I would humor the masses.
So...we are going to take a look back at the Boys Basketball season, even though it ended about two weeks ago.
But better late than never.
Four out of six boys teams made the playoffs, not a bad ratio at all. Let's take a look at the stats from the last three years.
YEAR TEAMS THAT MADE PLAYOFFS TEAMS IN CHAMPIONSHIP
2011 6 2
2012 5 1
2013 4 3
We'll start with the two teams in 2012-2013 who did not make the post-season, first the class of 2013, the 8th grade class.
8th Grade
Now we've plowed this field many times and I hope not to ramble on too long about their shortcomings. But to sum it up, practice wins games, and this team did not practice hard enough, did not take it serious enough, and did not elevate their game to the next level when they needed to do it.
They were in division five for five years, and never were able to move up until their final year. And that's when it caught up to them.
The same problems, maturity level, team chemistry, playing for another, just never got to the point in needed to get to in order to be successful.
On the court, lob passes, the inability to box out, not taking care of the ball. Relevant in every single game.
Different coaches, different ways of trying to motivate, same result.
Not a division problem, because all but two games were winnable.
All-Star Sunday was dominated by the 8th graders, which really showcased their skill. But it just goes to show how hard it is to win at a higher level.
Hopefully, they'll take this as a learning experience, but it will always be, could've should've for the 8th grade boys.
4th Grade
Not in the right division. They drew the short end of the stick and played several teams they could not beat even if they played their best.
The biggest bright spot was the development of one of the Twins, Darren, who started handling the ball and contributing offensively.
With that being said, there still needs to be more of a consistent team effort from top to bottom.
But this team is young, and they will have time to grow.
Now onto the playoff teams:
Great year for this team of newcomers. Eric and Bill, both 5th graders got better as the season progressed. Eric even had a big game winning shot late in the year.
Eric Lei, Spencer and Adam all have game changer type potential.
One thing they need to work on is just playing more and getting the game experience and basketball instincts down.
Their playoff game was winnable, but they lost because they were inexperienced.
The talent is there.
6th Grade
This was a lost opportunity. After falling a point short last year, I felt this was going to happen. Driving to CYO Serramonte, I had a feeling that they were going to win it. But, they couldn't rebound, and couldn't make lay-ups.
The lack of boxing out and second, third, fourth chance points for OLV, will haunt this team the entire off-season.
OLV brought their A game to the championship, the 6th graders probably had their B game.
In the end, it just wasn't there.
It's hard to say the St. Mary's boys didn't want it, because they did. From top to bottom, they all wanted to win this game so badly.
One thing to chew on is that #24 played a near flawless game. The St. Mary's 6th graders needed something close to that but unfortunately didn't get it.
7th Grade DMA
Sometimes you get hot at the right time. That was the 7th grade DMA boys.
After an 0-4 start, six straight wins to take the title.
Is it easier to win a title in the lowest division? Absolutely.
But everything is relative.
In their skill and talent level, they rose to the occasion.
Now next year, they will face stiffer competition.
How will they respond? Will it be just a one year joy ride or could they sustain the momentum and get even better and make another run at it?
7th Grade
Beating St. Cecilia on their home court, fantastic. Biggest/most impressive playoff win I feel since the Red Team featuring Justin and Jeremy did it to Epiphany in 2010.
Jason Ng really improved this year as he and Raymond became a tandem.
The bad, is that sometimes the entire team is not on the same page. A lot of finger pointing, bickering -- that cannot happen.
If this team could learn how to get along just a tad better, they'd be stronger as a whole. But it seems like there are some players who just don't click with others, and that will need to change as they move up yet another division.
Two championship appearances in three years, not bad at all.
As for the title game. By no means should the blame be put on Raymond and Jason, but they are the team's top two scorers.
Cornerstone's top two players were ready from the get go, and it took Raymond and Jason both a while to get started. And when they did, it was a little too late.
Another way to combat Jason or Raymond having an off game. Have other players on the team step up when the team as a whole is struggling.
That didn't happen in the championship, and that was what cost them.
Ok, so there you have it folks...a MMQ in the books. Thanks for reading and participating.
Angels fly cause they take themselves lightly.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
8th grade wins ugly
In the standings it will show up as a win for the 8th grade girls in their season opener Saturday at the Bayview YMCA, but by no means was it a pretty game.
Both teams were plagued with the inability to take care of the ball, but the 8th grade girls did enough to pick up a 19-12 win.
Julia led the girls with a game high 8 points, but the score could've been a lot more lopsided had the girls converted on their lay-ups.
They held a 7-5 lead at halftime but managed to pull away in the second half.
With a full court press, they were able to generate turnovers and create some easy shots.
However, in the last few minutes of the game, the other team turned the tables back on the 8th graders pressing them full court, and it got really sloppy.
The girls had trouble taking care of the ball to say the least, and it will be something that they need to work on moving forward.
One of the team's strengths is that they are a feisty bunch that will scrap and claw for the ball. But a lot of that is because they lack the fundamentals and confidence with the ball in their hands, which leads to messy situations.
Five of the six girls in the lineup scored, which is a great sign for a team that is just starting to jell.
Vivian had a career high 4 points, while Melina and Amy both had a bucket each.
Cynthia had a very quiet 3 points in the win.
Both teams were plagued with the inability to take care of the ball, but the 8th grade girls did enough to pick up a 19-12 win.
Julia led the girls with a game high 8 points, but the score could've been a lot more lopsided had the girls converted on their lay-ups.
They held a 7-5 lead at halftime but managed to pull away in the second half.
With a full court press, they were able to generate turnovers and create some easy shots.
However, in the last few minutes of the game, the other team turned the tables back on the 8th graders pressing them full court, and it got really sloppy.
The girls had trouble taking care of the ball to say the least, and it will be something that they need to work on moving forward.
One of the team's strengths is that they are a feisty bunch that will scrap and claw for the ball. But a lot of that is because they lack the fundamentals and confidence with the ball in their hands, which leads to messy situations.
Five of the six girls in the lineup scored, which is a great sign for a team that is just starting to jell.
Vivian had a career high 4 points, while Melina and Amy both had a bucket each.
Cynthia had a very quiet 3 points in the win.
4th grade comeback falls short
This was a loss that could pay huge dividends for the 4th grade girls down the line.
They came out a bit flat and dug themselves a 10-1 hole in the first half before going on an 8-0 run the rest of the game.
But their comeback effort fell just short as they lost 10-9 to open the regular season.
Sofia had a fast break with less than a minute left, but could not get to the basket for a shot. Instead, Justina settled for a long jumper right at the 3 point line which never drew iron.
For the first time in their playing careers, they played catch up and almost erased a deficit.
Had it not been for a little jitters to start the game, it might've been a different story.
Only five players dressed for the 4th graders, so with no subs, the girls went the distance. They didn't look tired, in fact, they looked like the quicker team in the latter stages of the game. Unfortunately that go ahead bucket could not be found.
The other team was the more physical and bigger of the two teams, with the biggest player on the opposition most likely twice the size of Sara.
After the initial shock of going up against a team that was imposing in size, they settled down and began to play their game.
But the little ounce of fear and hesitation that the girls had in the early moments of the game proved to be the difference.
Down 10-5 to start the 4th quarter, back to back buckets by Veronica and Justina trimmed the lead to one with about three minutes to go.
The girls did not get any closer, so the girls chalked this one up as a learning experience.
Justina scored 4 points, while Sofia had 3 points.
They came out a bit flat and dug themselves a 10-1 hole in the first half before going on an 8-0 run the rest of the game.
But their comeback effort fell just short as they lost 10-9 to open the regular season.
Sofia had a fast break with less than a minute left, but could not get to the basket for a shot. Instead, Justina settled for a long jumper right at the 3 point line which never drew iron.
For the first time in their playing careers, they played catch up and almost erased a deficit.
Had it not been for a little jitters to start the game, it might've been a different story.
Only five players dressed for the 4th graders, so with no subs, the girls went the distance. They didn't look tired, in fact, they looked like the quicker team in the latter stages of the game. Unfortunately that go ahead bucket could not be found.
The other team was the more physical and bigger of the two teams, with the biggest player on the opposition most likely twice the size of Sara.
After the initial shock of going up against a team that was imposing in size, they settled down and began to play their game.
But the little ounce of fear and hesitation that the girls had in the early moments of the game proved to be the difference.
Down 10-5 to start the 4th quarter, back to back buckets by Veronica and Justina trimmed the lead to one with about three minutes to go.
The girls did not get any closer, so the girls chalked this one up as a learning experience.
Justina scored 4 points, while Sofia had 3 points.
7th grade holds lead, wins
The 7th grade girls did something they were unable to do twice in the CYO preseason tournament, hold a 4th quarter lead.
As a result of closing the game out, they picked up their first win of the season 24-18 at Cornerstone Friday night.
One knock on the girls for the last few seasons is their inability to make shots on offense, but the girls took a huge step in the right direction as they made some key buckets down the stretch and did enough from the free throw line to seal the deal in the final minutes.
Jamie had a game high 10 points, including a 3-pointer, while Victoria, Kelly and Serra all chipped in with 4 points.
Ivanna had the only other basket.
Kelly, who goes to school during the day at Cornerstone, will now have bragging rights come Monday morning.
As a result of closing the game out, they picked up their first win of the season 24-18 at Cornerstone Friday night.
One knock on the girls for the last few seasons is their inability to make shots on offense, but the girls took a huge step in the right direction as they made some key buckets down the stretch and did enough from the free throw line to seal the deal in the final minutes.
Jamie had a game high 10 points, including a 3-pointer, while Victoria, Kelly and Serra all chipped in with 4 points.
Ivanna had the only other basket.
Kelly, who goes to school during the day at Cornerstone, will now have bragging rights come Monday morning.
6th graders take opener
The 6th graders began their championship title defense with a convincing 29-13 win to start the season Friday night at Star of the Sea.
Kaela, the reigning Girls MVP, had a game high 20 points and Michaela added 9 points in the win.
The girls led 16-5 at halftime and really did a solid job defensively, creating a lot of points in transition.
There are only five teams in their division so only one team will miss the playoffs. Winning game number one already puts them in a good spot for the rest of the season.
Kaela, the reigning Girls MVP, had a game high 20 points and Michaela added 9 points in the win.
The girls led 16-5 at halftime and really did a solid job defensively, creating a lot of points in transition.
There are only five teams in their division so only one team will miss the playoffs. Winning game number one already puts them in a good spot for the rest of the season.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Friday Night Recap
The 7th grade girls won their first of the year in a tight 24-18 contest.
The 6th grade girls got 20 points from Kaela and 9 from Michaela, as they win their first game of the regular season 29-13.
Full recaps to come later tonight.
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