Happy New Year

Happy New Year! If you are up early on New Year's Day, this is the thing to watch -- HOCKEY.

For the third consecutive New Year's Day, the NHL will play outdoors in the annual Winter Classic. What's cool about this year's game is it is played at Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox and the Green Monster. It will be a great game to watch as the players will likely be playing in snow. The video below is a promo for the game, which starts at 10 a.m. on NBC (Ch. 3 or Ch. 11)

The best coach in the Bay Area

The best coach in the Bay Area (not named Bryan Cheung of course...) resides at Stanford and the answer may surprise you.

It's Tara Vanderveer, coach of the Stanford women basketball team. She has been a staple at the university and is one of the best basketball coaches of all-time, men or women. Last week, our station did an interview with her and she comes across as such a good person.

In order to do the interview, she walked up a hill in the rain. She mentions this in the piece. Take the time to watch this as she serves as an inspiration to all women, coaches and anybody who is a true basketball fan. She is a true professional and as good as they come. It's unfortunate she will never get a chance to coach in the NBA. I truly believe she could do it if given the chance.

Catch-up on videos...

If you have missed any highlights or exclusive videos, visit:

St. Mary's Athletics Video Archive

3rd/4th graders lose by one, 49ers Recap

By Timothy Lam

The 3rd/4th graders played their second tournament game tonight hoping to bounce back from a rough loss yesterday. Both teams traded points early on, trailing 7-4 at halftime.

But the 3rd/4th graders started to rally in the 2nd half with crucial points from Raymond and Jonathan, to cut the lead to a point with less than 6 seconds remaining. With the game on the line, Grant hoisted up a heavily guarded shot at the buzzer, only to have it fall short by about a foot. An unfortunate ending to a toughly played game as the 3rd/4th graders lose 11-10 in the second round of the Flame Tournament. With the loss, they were eliminated.

In case you missed yesterday's 49ers game...

3rd/4th and 8th grade fall in Flame

The 3rd/4th graders lost 23-10, while the 8th graders fell 34-17. The 3rd and 4th graders will play in round two tomorrow night, 5 p.m. @ Mission Dolores.

Address: 16th St and Church

**BREAKING NEWS - 8th grade Flame Tournament Tomorrow***

A spot opened up this afternoon for the 8th grade Flame Tournament, so therefore the 8th grade will play tomorrow morning.

Game time is set for 11 a.m. @ Kezar Pavilion. (755 Stanyan St)

Players are to be there at 10:30 a.m.

Lack of defense proves costly for 5th grade

The 5th grade jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third place game of the Flame Tournament. From then on, it was not the same story.

Playing with only five players, they wore down as the game went on. What was really staggering was the lack of defense that they played in quarters two through four. There wasn't enough shifting and the other team took easy shot after easy shot. And what was once a 5 point lead, became a one-sided blowout.

They trailed by only three points at halftime, but their offense and defensive collectively went down the drain in the second half. They weren't getting back on defense, the posts didn't seem to rotate. On too many occassions, the other team would catch the ball in the paint and take a wide open shot.

Shots that the other team missed in the first half were going in and the 5th grade was in some deep trouble.

Not having Daniel, arguably one of their best defenders and rebounders, they were out worked and out manned on the boards. With Daniel, they would've had a better chance of making this game competitive.

Despite the loss, this is the first time a St. Mary's team has placed this high in a Flame Tournament since the early 2000s. Out of the 16 teams in the tournament, the 5th graders placed fourth.

Sunday Rundown

3rd/4th grade Flame Tournament Round #1
11 a.m. @ Mission Dolores
Address;: 16th St and Church

8th grade Flame Tournament Game #1
11 a.m. @ Kezar Pavilion
Address: 755 Stanyan St

Merry Christmas, Typical Laker Fans...

My Splash Mountain Ride


Merry Christmas to everyone. Reminder that the final round of the Flame Tournament begins tomorrow at 12 p.m. from Mission Dolores. The 5th grade boys will try to capture third place in the tournament.

The Laker fans are a black eye to Christmas. Just idiotic moronic fans who are spoiled little brats, who can't stand losing. The Cavs came into LA and handed their (insert word here) to them, and the fans are upset and start throwing things onto the floor. Classless, and unsportsmanlike -- like a team the 8th grade played earlier this year.

I am a Kobe fan, but I hate the Lakers. Anybody who claims to be a Lakers fan, cannot be a Warriors fan -- that is a rule. At least for one day, the Warriors don't lose and the Lakers do.

Tennis Corner: Mr. B's Big Day

For quite some time last school year, I came across Mr. Ballesteros as he was leaving school. More often than not, he’d say to me, “I gotta go to rehab.”

He had microfracture surgery on a bum knee and had to go through extensive physical therapy to get back to being close to normal.

Sunday was the first time in months Mr. B stepped back onto the tennis courts in a competitive environment. He was playing in the Bay O Vista Tennis Championships.

In the semi-finals, Mr. B and his partner outlasted a couple of hard-hitting college students from U.C. Davis as the match pit experience vs. youth. Experience prevailed on that one. And experience ended up cramping up after the match.

Few hours later, Mr. B and his partner came back for the finals against two very strong players. During the match, Mr. B sprained his ankle but continued to gut it out. He had come this far and was not about to throw in the towel.

Forced to serve for match point on a bad ankle, Mr. B pulled through and won the tournament championship on his first day back.

“It was a delight to win my first tourney back and quite a surprise,” said Mr. B. “After 4 months off the court with, my hopes were not set too high. My goal for the 2008-2009 season was to be ranked in the top 10 in Norcal and I achieved that ending the year with a #2 ranking in Men's 4.5 Doubles and a #10 ranking in 4.5 Men's singles. After having my surgery I feel confident that I can achieve this feat again.”

Mr. Ballesteros Career Highlights

Played Jr. Tennis in Hawaii- ranked 6th in boys 18 doubles and 11th in boys 18 singles in all of Hawaii
Played 4 years at Konawaena High School
Island Champs 3 years in a row
Team captain 2 years

College scholarship to Dominican
Captained 2 years
Ranked #11 in Naia Div. 3
Captained 2 years
Played overseas in Thailand and won a small tourney while teaching for 2 years at Rajabhat Thepsatri University

Happy Birthday to Derek

We wish Derek a Happy Birthday.

5th grade beaten for the first time in Flame, play for third Saturday

***UPDATE -- HIGHLIGHTS BELOW

The 5th grade run in the winners bracket came to a halt tonight, after being dealt a 20-13 loss in round three of the Flame Tournament.

They cut the deficit to four points late in the third, but never mustered a run that ever put the other team's lead in danger. Their opponent, from Marin, was able to make a lot of difficult outside shots and as usual had the size advantage inside.

In games like these, the margin of error is very small and the team just had too many turnovers and took a lot of difficult shots.

Despite the loss, they will play Saturday at 12 p.m. (Mission Dolores) for third place in the Flame Tournament. This is the furthest a St. Mary's team has gone in a Flame Tournament in several years.

Big first half, 5th Grade Wins

The 5th grade boys came out of the gates roaring tonight at Mission Dolores as they outscored their opponents 15-0 at the half. Good fast break passing and the ability to hit open shots were the keys to their first half success.

The second half of the game was played at a more frantic pace. There were poor passes and a lack of boxing out throughout the last two quarters. These boys need to learn how to handle ball pressure if they want close out games convincingly. They were outscored 10-3 in the 3rd and 4th quarters combined with most of the other teams points coming from steals.

Justin lead the team with all 13 of his points coming in the first half. Daniel scored the only 3 points for the 5th grade boys in the second half. Brandon K. also added a basket of his own.

THE REST OF THE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Wednesday
5th grade Flame Tournament Round #3
8 p.m. at Mission Dolores
Address: 16th Street and Church


Saturday
5th grade Flame Tournament Round #4

1:00 p.m. **If they WIN on Wed**

12:00 p.m. **If they LOSE on Wed**

at Mission Dolores
Address: 16th Street and Church

Have a safe and pleasant holiday and we hope to see you at the games!

Happy Birthday Ronnie!

Ronnie, the 8th grade boys coach, is next as the December babies continue to take over. We would like to wish Ronnie Leung a very Happy Birthday. He turns 143 today.


REMINDER

Tuesday
5th grade Flame Tournament Round #2
7 p.m. at Mission Dolores
Address: 16th Street and Church

Wednesday
5th grade Flame Tournament Round #3 ***ONLY IF THEY WIN TUESDAY NIGHT***
8 p.m. at Mission Dolores
Address: 16th Street and Church

as always, please arrive 30 minutes early to the game.

8th grade scrimmage highlights

Lot of good stuff on the blog, so catch up on some video highlights and Mr. B's big day.

Here are some highlights from the 8th grade's scrimmage on Sunday against Freddy, John Wang, Jamie Zhao, her friend on Washington's basketball team, Alice, Irene and Justin Khuu.

5th grade wins in round one of tourney

The 5th grade became the first St. Mary's team to win round one of a Flame Tournament in several years as they took care of business this afternoon 27-22.

They were running early on with a lot of fast break points. Daniel has become one of the best passers in the school on the fast break, as he set up Justin for an easy lay-up early in the contest.

Brandon K. hit a buzzer beater before halftime which gave them a 16-12 advantage going into the break.

In what seems to happen too many times, the other team scored in the St. Mary's basket to start the second half. Most people think it's funny -- I don't. But this time, I chuckled a little since the points went for our team.

Justin had a game-high 10 points, followed by Brandon K. with 5 points. Aaron and Brandon T. both added a bucket a piece, while Daniel had 4 points, including the lay-up that sealed the five point victory.

They will play this Tuesday night in the winner's bracket at 7 p.m. from Mission Dolores.

On tap for this week...

Here is the video recap of the Christmas Show Friday in case you missed it. Thanks to Tianna and Melinder for doing some of the filming.



Tuesday
5th grade Flame Tournament Round #2
7 p.m. at Mission Dolores
Address: 16th Street and Church

Wednesday
5th grade Flame Tournament Round #3 ***ONLY IF THEY WIN TUESDAY NIGHT***
6 p.m. at Mission Dolores
Address: 16th Street and Church

Thursday
Christmas Eve

Friday
Christmas

Saturday
Boxing Day

Sunday
3rd/4th grade Flame Tournament Game #1
11 a.m. @ Mission Dolores
Address: 16th Street and Church

Sunday Rundown

Sunday, December 20th Schedule



5th grade Flame Tournament, 2 p.m. @ Mission Dolores
Address: 16th Street and Church


SUNDAY NDV PRACTICE SCHEDULE
3rd/4th grade: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
7th grade RED: 12:15 p.m. - 2 p.m.
7th grade WHITE: 1:15 p.m. - 3 p.m.
6th grade: 2:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
8th grade: 4:15 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday Wrap

Not a good Saturday for the basketball teams as each team was on the losing end.

The 5th grade was dealt their first loss of the season, as they managed only to score 2 points in the second half. They had a 10-4 lead midway through the third, but just stopped scoring. Their defense and rebounding which had been so good were not at their best.

Also, sloppy passes and the inability to convert on the fast break, something that worked really well the last two games, cost them in the end.

They fall to (2-1) on the season and will play in the Flame Tournament tomorrow afternoon.

Another tough one for the White Team
The 7th grade White Team has lost three in a row since winning their season opener. Today, they were shutout in the second half and outscored 17-0 after the score was tied 11-11 at halftime. They ended up losing 29-11.

Gavin L. hit a 3-pointer to give the White Team a 10-9 lead late in the second, then stole a pass and took a ball hard to the rim to draw the foul. Things were looking good, but they couldn't sustain the momentum.

Calson who was in early foul trouble, picked up three quick fouls in the first half, his fourth in the third. He had to sit out some crucial minutes and wasn't able to be as aggressive as he could.

It was another difficult and disappointing game for the White Team as they looked good for spurts of the game following a mediocre performance last Saturday. But consistency has plagued them all year and they weren't able to consistently make plays to win.

3RD/4TH GRADE FALLS
Without Jonathan, the 3rd/4th graders lost their second game of the season 18-8. The ball movement was definitely lacking this morning and the shots weren't going in. They are now (1-2) on the year.

Great night for the 7th grade Red Team, Another Birthday!!!

Photo by Irene Wong
***UPDATED--HIGHLIGHTS UP!!! PLUS BIRTHDAY VIDEO

Tonight was one of the best played St. Mary's basketball games in the last few years. The 7th grade Red Team played as complete of a game as you could and won 38-21. They were good on their lay-ups, played some timely defense and were able to hit some outside shots.

Justin bounced back from a rough game and played some really strong defense, and did a great job taking care of the ball as point guard. In the first half, he took an outlet pass and took it right to the rack, something missing in his game the last few games.

Miles had a Miles-like game collecting rebounds on the offensive and defensive ends. Michael Ng hit another 3-pointer and had a few outside jumpers. Jeremy played solid on both ends of the court and the night culminated in a beautiful pass play that resulted in a Michael F. basket.

It was everything you could ask for and more as the Red Team is playing at an extremely high level right now. They have scored upwards of 30 points in almost every game they have played this season. With more efforts like the one on the floor tonight, this team will definitely be tough to beat.

6TH GRADE BLOWS LEAD, GAME
The 6th grade went into halftime up 6-0 and it looked like they were heading towards win number two on the season. Then the second half and the full court press started and the team began to crumple.

They were unable to take care of the ball and that led to numerous easy baskets for the other team. The 6th graders were held scoreless in the second-half and were on the receiving end of a 10-6 loss.

This game was in their hands, as the self-inflicted wounds were too much to overcome. Their ball movement is pretty good, but someone on the team needs to take control and take it to the basket a little bit more. This being their first year, they were foreign to backcourt pressure, which led to a sloppy last two quarters. It's definitely a lesson learned for the 6th grade boys. They are a resilient bunch and will have a better outcome in the near future when faced with pressure.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TOMMY

Saturday Rundown

Saturday, December 19th Schedule

3rd/4th grade, 10 a.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

7th grade WHITE TEAM, 12 p.m. @ St. Brendan
Address: 201 Ulloa St

5th grade, 2 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

3rd/4th graders win first game...Birthday Wish!

The 3rd/4th graders are in the win column for the first time after a 10-7 victory earlier tonight.

Up 4-2 at half-time, they went on a 6-0 run in the second half to cushion their lead to 10-2, before the other team scored the final 3 points of the game. The team is getting a lot of good looks at the basket and today they were cashing in on them.

Raymond and Justin L. both had 4 points a piece, while Jonathan added 2 points in the team's first victory ever.



Also, we wish Miles a Happy Birthday. Here's a look at what happened in class.

Friday Rundown, Sunday NDV Practice Schedule

Friday, December 18th Schedule

BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
6th grade, 6 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

7th grade Red Team, 7 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd


CHRISTMAS SHOW, 9:30 A.M. @ Old. St. Mary's

SUNDAY NDV PRACTICE SCHEDULE
3rd/4th grade: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
7th grade RED: 12:15 p.m. - 2 p.m.
7th grade WHITE: 1:15 p.m. - 3 p.m.
6th grade: 2:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
8th grade: 4:15 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Thursday Rundown, No 8th grade practice

Thursday, December 17 Schedule

3rd/4th grade game, 5 p.m. @ Cornerstone
Address: 501 Cambridge St

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
5th, 6th and 7th grade White Team

***NO 8TH GRADE PRACTICE TOMORROW NIGHT***

Practices off for tonight

5th and 6th grade practices are cancelled tonight due to inclement weather. Both will practice tomorrow night instead.

Poll Results...Wednesday Rundown

The votes have been counted and the 6th grade boys victory overwhelmingly defeats the second place winner, the 5th grade boys. And we would also like to thank Tommy and his three 3-pointers for participating.

The 6th grade took over 65% of the vote for the win.

Wednesday, December 16 Schedule

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
5th and 6th grade teams

Tuesday Rundown, Derek Fisher gets PWNED

Tuesday, December 15 Schedule

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
3rd/4th grade, 7th grade Red Team

***DON'T FORGET TO VOTE***

And we bring you the video of the day, Derek Fisher gets a facial. Out of the entire NBA, there isn't a player I can't stand more than Derek Fisher. Good riddance...

On tap for this week...FLAME Tournament for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades

We have another poll up. First, results from the last poll. 67% of you were born in the 1990s, 18% in the 80s, 11% in the 70s or before and 2% in the 2000s.

This weeks's new poll is on the top of the blog. Votes will be final Tuesday night.
Vote accordingly to what you think was the best performance of the weekend.

Finally, more exclusive highlights are in the previous posts from this weekend's games. Check those out if you haven't already.

At the bottom of this post will be the Flame Tournament schedule for 3rd/4th and 5th grade teams.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO VIVIAN

Vivian graduated in June and now plays on the Galileo JV Girls Basketball team. She recently helped out and was assistant coach for the 8th grade volleyball team. Happy birthday to her.

Tuesday

BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE ***WEATHER PERMITTING***
3rd/4th, 7th grade Red Team

Wednesday ***WEATHER PERMITTING***
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
5th and 6th grade

Thursday
3rd/4th grade game @ Cornerstone, 5 p.m.

BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE ***WEATHER PERMITTING***
7th grade White Team, 8th grade

Friday
6th grade game @ CYO Serramonte, 6 p.m.
7th grade RED TEAM @ CYO Serramonte, 7 p.m.

FLAME TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
5th grade
Sunday, December 20, 2 p.m. @ Mission Dolores
Tuesday, December 22, TIME TBD @ Mission Dolores

3rd/4th grade
Sunday, December 27, 11 a.m. @ Mission Dolores
Monday, December 28, TIME TBD @ Mission Dolores

SATURDAY WRAP: 8th grade beats NDV

((((VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST AFTER THE GAME RECAPS))))

St. Mary's played NDV in a sporting event for the first time in a little over three years today when the 8th grade boys basketball teams collided.

The 8th graders led from start to finish, controlling the tempo of the game, and frustrating NDV as the game went on. After some quick scores on solid defense, the 8th grade found themselves up 9-0 after one.

Tommy hit three 3-pointers in the second half extend the lead of 8 at the half. Derek and Tommy both had game-highs of 12. Gary had 6 crucial points, Brandon made his first 3-pointer of his career and Elliot got on the scoreboard for the first time this season. All that added up to a really nice 35-21 over NDV.

5TH GRADERS OFF TO A QUICK START
The 5th graders, playing in the highest division of any St. Mary's team, have proven over the course of the last two games that they are up to the challenge.

In their 18-12 win today, the 5th grade combined good offense and defense to the victory. Daniel had a career-high 8 points, while Justin, who had 20 points last week, had 6 today. He also had some really great passes on the fast break to set up easy buckets for his teammates. Aaron scored for the first time this season in the win.

3RD/4TH GRADER MAKE THEIR DEBUT
The 3rd and 4th graders play their first regular season game this morning and did pretty well. They were definitely outmatched, but the ball movement on offense was exceptionally solid.

The ball moved around the top and set up a lot of good shots. Unfortunately, most of them didn't get in the hoop. However, there was a lot of promise out there for the youngest St. Mary's team. They were able to get to the hoop and had a lot of clean looks.

They'll just need to be more aware on defense to cut down on easy baskets for the other team. Raymond had 6 points, a team high, and Jonathan scored 4 points in his first ever CYO game.

TOO MANY FOULS FOR THE RED TEAM
For the third straight game, someone on the Red Team fouled out. This time, it was Justin's turn. After fouling out in the season opener, Justin picked up his fifth foul midway through the fourth quarter.

Justin is one of the best defenders at St. Mary's, but sometimes he over pursues and is too aggressive and picks up fouls. And since the team only has five players, they played with four for the final three plus minutes. At least 10 points came after Justin fouled out.

Last year, they had 6 players on the team. This year, 11 out of the 12 eligible boys in the class joined, leaving the Red Team with 5 players and the White Team 6.

Despite the loss, they matched up pretty well with a team that was quick and had a lot of talent. Jeremy and Miles both hit double-digits in scoring, while Michael F. scored 3 points, his first buckets of the season.

They got out to an 8-point lead in the first half, but they knew this was going to be a close game. They lost the lead on an And-1 and never recovered. 42-31 was the final score, with the bulk of the lead padded as a result of the power-play at the end of the game.

WHITE TEAM TAKE BACK TO BACK ON THE CHIN
Following a tough loss Friday night, the 7th grade White Team didn't have too much time to think about their troubles as they were right back out on the court.

After a decent first half where the 7th grade trailed by 7 going into the break, they came out flat in the third quarter and were just steam-rolled.

All the loose balls ended up in the other team's hands. Post players were being out-muscled and out-worked. The offense was out of sync. They had trouble doing one thing right and the result showed.

This is a definite wake-up call for the White Team. They have the potential to do a lot better, but something right now is not clicking. The team doesn't look like they are on the same page. They'll need to get it going soon before this becomes another lost season.

6TH GRADE PARTY COMES TO AN END
Following their first win on Friday night, the 6th graders came out this morning and gave it a good run, but fell 29-11.

Hartman hit a 3-pointer, his first ever in the first quarter of the game.

CELEBRITY SIGHTING
Mr. Danny Ballesteros was spotted courtside at the 7th grade White Team and 8th grade games.

Sunday Rundown

SUNDAY NDV PRACTICE

3rd/4th grade: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
7th grade RED: 12:15 p.m. - 2 p.m.
7th grade WHITE: 1:15 p.m. - 3 p.m.
5th grade: 2:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
6th grade: 3:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
8th grade: 5:15 p.m. - 7 p.m.

6th grade wins their first game ever!

The 6th grade boys, in year one, won their first game ever in only game two of the regular season 14-6.

Hartman had a career-high 6 points, Gerrick and Anthony scored for the first time, Jason put in 4 of his own, and the 6th grade evened their regular season record at (1-1).

The two teams traded buckets until it was 6-6 mid-way through the fourth. Then the 6th graders went on an 8-0 run to close the game. Hartman hit three pretty difficult outside shots, including the go-ahead score to make it 8-6.

They never looked back and padded their lead to seal win number one.



WHITE TEAM LOSES IN PACIFICA
The White Team was dealt their first loss of the season tonight, 30-18. They didn't commit a single foul the entire night -- meaning they were either very discipline, or they weren't aggressive enough with their pressure.

They were unable to handle the press and missed a lot of easy shots on a night where every easy shot needed to be made. Gavin L. and Mark both had a game-highs of 6.

ALL TEAMS IN ACTION
Every team will be playing tomorrow -- check the rundown below for a full schedule.

Saturday Rundown

Saturday, December 12th Schedule

3rd/4th grade, 9 a.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

6th grade, 10 a.m. @ Town
Address: 2750 Jackson St, 3rd Floor

5th grade, 12 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

8th grade, 12 p.m. @ Mission Dolores
Address: 16th St and Church

7th grade (White Team)
1 p.m. @ West Portal
Address: 200 Sloat Blvd

7th grade (Red Team)
3 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

REMINDER: BE AT THE SITE 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE START OF THE GAME.

Friday Rundown

Friday, December 11th Schedule

BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
6th grade, 6 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

7th grade White Team, 6 p.m. @ St. Peter Pacifica
Address: 700 Oddstad Blvd in Pacifica

***BREAKING NEWS, 7th grade white team game changed

The 7th grade White Team will play this Friday, 6 p.m. @ St. Peter Pacifica. It's about a 20-30 minute drive from the Sunset so please make the allotted time to get to the game on time -- 30 minutes prior for players.

Thursday Rundown

Thursday, December 10 Schedule

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
3rd/4th and 8th grade

***Weather Permitting

Hit by car by day, hockey player by night

Courtesy: NHL.Com

By Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA -- New York Islanders defenseman Brendan Witt is used to taking hard hits. But he's used to taking them on the ice, not en route to getting his morning coffee.

Witt was leaving the team's Center City hotel and crossing Arch Street when he was hit by a gold SUV.

"I had the right of way, going across the pedestrian line, and I saw there was a gold Tahoe or Yukon was trying to get in the left lane to turn, and decided to turn, and in the corner of my eye, I saw it and jumped up and took the brunt of it," Witt said. "I did a nice roll and dismount. It was OK."

Witt said that while he saw the truck coming, he still was stunned by what was happening.

"It was weird, like slow-motion," he said. "I just reacted by bracing myself by jumping up and taking the brunt of the force and just rolling. Got up, realized I was OK, was like, 'Is this going on for real?' Then I threw out some profanities at the guy."

One witness told Newsday, "It was like seeing Clint Eastwood, but in hockey."

"People are rushing around to make sure I was OK; that was nice for people in Philly to come to your aid," Witt said. "They asked if they should call an ambulance. I said I'm OK, don't worry about it. Just got my coffee and that was it."

Witt said the driver apologized, and the defenseman said he wasn't going to file a police report.

"I think he's lucky that I was OK," Witt said. "He's happy I was OK. He apologized."

After successfully getting his coffee, Witt went to the Wachovia Center for the Isles' morning skate and was in the lineup Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-2, 223-pound defenseman, who is second on the Isles with 56 hits and third with 50 blocked shots, tried to play down what happened.

"I didn't look, but I might have put a dent in his truck," Witt said.

Wednesday Rundown

Wednesday, December 9 Schedule

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
5th and 6th grade teams

***Weather Permitting

The votes are in...Plays of the Week

With 65% of the total vote, Justin's 20 points in the 5th grade's win was the most impressive feat of this past weekend. Coming in second was Miles, who had 14 points, and a double-double in the 7th grade's win, while Derek placed a close third for his career-high 23 points Friday in the 8th grade's win.

And we present to you for the first time, the Plays of the Week

Tuesday's Rundown

Tuesday, December 8 Schedule

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
Both 7th grade basketball teams

***Weather Permitting

Bad weather ahead, on tap for this week

Lot of bad weather in store for this week so we will be lucky to get in any Cameron House practices. If practice is canceled for the night, you will be notified at school before the day ends. If not, your coaches will call you and let you know. If you are unsure, check the blog or the Twitter for the latest.

ALSO, we have a poll up. Vote accordingly to what you think was the best performance of the weekend.

Finally, more exclusive highlights are in the previous posts from this weekend's games. Check those out if you haven't already. And we thank the San Francisco 49ers for participating in this year's NFL season.

Tuesday

BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
Both 7th grade teams

Wednesday
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
5th and 6th grade

Thursday
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
3rd/4th, 8th grade

Friday
6th grade game @ CYO Serramonte, 6 p.m.
7th grade WHITE TEAM @ CYO Serramonte, 8 p.m.

Saturday Recap: 5th and 7th grade red team win

UPDATED 1:41 A.M. -- HIGHLIGHTS: AT THE END OF THIS POST...

The 5th grade got a career high from Justin, 20 points, which has to be the most I've ever heard of or witnessed in a St. Mary's uniform for a 5th grader, as the 5th grade won their game one of the regular season 25-20.

They were up 20-12 entering the fourth but got a little too complacent and gave up 8 points in the final stanza. However, they put a 5 spot up and held their lead to pick up the w.

The 7th grade Red Team dominated from start to finish, as Miles was just a beast on the boards. He alone scored 10 points in the first quarter, all off of offensive rebounds. Miles had a double-double and 14 points on the afternoon while Jeremy had 14 of his own. 35-12 was the final and the 7th grade split their back-to-back and are now (1-1).

The 8th grade is also (1-1) after a disastrous 4th quarter where they were outscored 11-0. Up 24-20 entering the final quarter, they absolutely collapsed on the press breaker. Brandon couldn't handle the ball, Elliot and Gary's inbound passes were slow and inconsistent, Tommy was picked in the back court, one of his seven turnovers in the game. In all, the 8th grade team turned the ball over 16 times, the main reason their opponent was able to get off easy shot after easy shot. It was a 4th quarter to forget as they ended up on the losing end 31-24.

Kelvin hit his first 3-pointer of his career in the 3rd quarter that gave the team a 24-20 lead.

Finally, the 6th grade made their regular season debuted and were dealt a loss. Jason and Hartman scored for the 6th graders. Right now, the new players are having trouble getting acclimated to game experience. They are a bit slow to the balls and are having trouble getting into the right positions.

However, they are getting off a lot more consistent shots on the offensive end and are improving on a game to game basis.

Belated Sunday Rundown

PRACTICE AT NDV TOMORROW

11 a.m. - 3rd/4th, 5th and 6th
12:15 p.m. - Both 7th grade teams and 8th grade


Sorry for the late post in case you needed to check.

Quick Saturday Results

5th grade wins 25-20
6th grade loses
7th grade Red Team wins 35-12
8th grade loses 31-24

FULL RESULTS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOME OF THE GAMES LATE TONIGHT!

7th grade white team and 8th grade win, 7th grade red lose by five

The 7th grade White Team came from behind tonight and won 20-11. Behind some clutch lay-ups by Mark and Gavin L., the White Team erased a 5-point deficit and ended up winning convincingly.

Not so great news for the 7th grade Red Team, who ended the game with only four players on the court, after Justin fouled out with a little less than three minutes left in the game.

They were playing catch-up the entire night and just when they cut the score down to 4 or 5 points, it would get extended back up to 10. Right now, the turnovers and missed lay-ups are absolutely hurting this team. And since they only have 5 players, they do tend to wear down as the game goes on. 33-28 was the final.

And finally, Derek set a new career-high with 23 points and the 8th grade boys start the season on the winning track and win 29-16.

Saturday Rundown

Saturday, December 5th Schedule

CYO REGULAR SEASON GAMES
5th grade, 12 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte

6th grade, 2 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte

7th grade Red Team, 4 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte

Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

8th grade, 12 p.m. @ St. Vincent De Paul
Address: Address: 2350 Green St

Friday Rundown

Friday, December 4th Schedule

CYO REGULAR SEASON GAMES
8th grade, 5 p.m. @ St. Emydius
Address: 255 Jules Ave

7th grade Red Team, 7 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte

7th grade White Team, 8 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte

Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

***BREAKING NEWS, 7th grade red team game time change

The 7th grade red team will play at 4 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte on Saturday instead of the previous stated time.

***BREAKING NEWS, 7th grade white team game time change

The 7th grade White team will play this Friday night at 8 p.m. from CYO Serramonte.

Thursday Rundown

Thursday, December 3rd Schedule

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
3rd/4th, 7th grade RED, 8th grade

Flat start eliminates 7th grade red team

The 7th grade Red Team was not ready to play their game and it ended up costing them a chance at the consolation championship of the Flame Tournament.

They spotted the other team an 8-0 lead with an absolutely terrible start that featured lob passes and turnovers, giving up easy baskets. The 7th grade boys mentally just weren't there to start the game.

Playing from behind most of the game, the Red Team got off a lot of good looks from the outside, but not enough of them fell. Down 9 points in the second quarter, Michael Ng hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 6, and then Justin stole a pass on the press, but was unable to convert the wide open look.

That proved as a huge momentum changer as the gimme lay-up would've cut the deficit to just 4 points.

They cut the lead to 2 in the middle of the fourth quarter, but they just didn't have enough steam to take the lead.

The final score was 25-20. Michael N. had a game-high 9 points, including a 3-pointer. Jeremy had 8.

Wednesday Rundown

Wednesday, December 2nd Schedule

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
5th and 6th grade

For results of tonight's 7th grade flame tournament, check the Twitter

Twitter.Com/StMarysSports

A full recap will be available late tonight.

New blog format, Schedules released

So starting today, every day there will be a post titled (DAY OF THE WEEK) Rundown, that will preview the next day. It will be up whenever there is a St. Mary's sporting event, whether it be practice or a game.

So be sure to check the left side with previous posts in case you miss anything. Also scroll down to see other good nuggets you missed.

It was one of the best weeks ever on the blog, with a lot of good stuff, including highlights from both 7th grade games. Please check those out if you haven't already. Also, our 4th/5th grade soccer coach wrote a nice little memoir about this year's squad.

CYO schedules are out. A full hard copy of the schedule will be made available tomorrow in class.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4TH
8th grade, 5 p.m. @ St. Emydius
7th grade WHITE, 6 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
7th grade RED, 7 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte


SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5TH
5th grade, 12 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
8th grade, 12 p.m. @ St. Vincent De Paul
6th grade, 2 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte
7th grade RED, 5 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte

The 4th/5th grade soccer team

By Apollo Rojas, 4th/5th grade soccer coach

Every week I play soccer. I am not the best player on the team and I don't score a bunch of goals. I am not a superstar. I am not an MVP. I just play hard. Playing soccer has given me the opportunity to play with people from all over the Bay Area and with people from Japan, China, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, South America, and several other countries. And playing soccer allowed me to coach soccer for St. Mary's.

Coaching soccer for St. Mary's was the first time I ever coached young kids. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed coaching and how rewarding it was. I had a blast running practices and teaching them "the beautiful game.” I learned that I could have just as much fun coaching soccer as I could playing it.

What I will remember most about the team is the personalities. They are a bunch of characters. It's important to be professional in life, but it’s also important not to be a robot. It's important to enjoy yourself especially when you are young. So I hope every single one of these kids enjoys themselves regardless of what sport they choose. And I hope they continue to look out for each other.

Regardless of our record, I enjoyed the experience. It's an experience that was better than I had imagined and made me want to continue coaching. My kids showed me they have a lot of toughness hanging in games when they had fewer players than the other team. That is hard to do and I was extremely proud of them. I enjoyed all the time I spent with my players, my assistant coach and the AD. It was my privilege to coach for St. Mary's and I wish them all the best.

Tuesday's Rundown

Tuesday, December 1 Schedule

Flame Tournament 7th grade RED - 5 p.m. @ Mission Dolores
Location: 16th Street and Church

PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE 6 P.M.
7th grade WHITE, 8th grade

7th grade Red Team wins big, advances to 3rd round

The 7th grade Red Team blew out their opponent today. Thanks to Andrew Chuong for shooting the highlights. They will play next this Tuesday night, 5 p.m. at Mission Dolores in Round 3 of the Flame Tournament.

On tap for this week...

Tuesday
Flame Tournament Round #3
7th grade RED, 5 p.m. @ Mission Dolores(16th Street and Church)

BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
7th grade WHITE, 8th grade

Wednesday
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
5th and 6th grade

Thursday
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
3rd/4th, 7th grade RED, 8th grade

Friday
Boys basketball regular season begins, schedules should be out some time tomorrow night

Exclusive 7th grade white team highlights

So for Black Friday, I bought a little mini-HD camcorder -- although from the video, you couldn't tell it's in HD. I don't know how many games will get this kind of coverage, but enjoy this for what it is...

6th grade and 8th grade win their firsts

Kevin, 4 points and Gary, 7 points, scored career highs in round three of the CYO Tournament and the 8th grade PWNED their opponent 44-18, to snap a two game losing streak.

Derek had a game-high 20 points -- his second straight game where he has had at least 20 points.

Up 19-8 at the half, they stretched out their lead and ran away with it in the second half thanks to some solid defense, something they hadn't done in the first two games of the tourney.

Brandon made his return to the team after missing Wednesday's contest with an undisclosed upper body injury. Tommy added 11 points in the win.

6th grade picks up win #1
The 6th graders won by forfeit for their first official win of their young careers.

7th grade teams both on the losing end
After a strong performance last night, the Red Team played solo for the first time this season and almost came from behind to steal a victory in round one of the Flame tournament.

However, a lot of uncharacteristic turnovers in the game, most notably lob passes left and right, led to easy fast break points for the other team and a 30-26 loss.

They trailed on a few occasions by double digits in the fourth, but kept fighting back, and a Michael N. 3-pointer within the 2 minute mark helped draw them closer. They had the ball with less than 10 seconds left, but were unable to score.

Miles had another great game, scoring 13 points, his career-high and Jeremy followed last night's game with another 9 points. But in the end, their mistakes were too egregious to overcome.

Playing with only five players on their team, they held their own against a very athletic squad. The same five will try their luck again tomorrow in round two of the Flame tournament.

The White Team had no luck today as they looked like polar opposites of the team that played a spectacular second quarter last night. They lacked execution on all sides of the ball and are in a funk.

One thing they can improve on that has nothing to do with basketball is their passion and determination. Many of the players look like they sleep walk and just step onto the court to pass the time. Nobody has an extra jump in them or seem to have a knack for the ball.

They have the talent to succeed, as evident by quarter two Friday night. But their lack of energy lead to a one-sided game, where they only managed to score 11 points.

Calson had 24 rebounds in the loss.

Bad second half dooms 5th grade
The 5th grade boys were tied at 4-4 going into the third quarter and it looked like we were in store for another close tight game. Unfortunately, the other team didn't get the memo, as the 5th graders were outscored 17-6 in the second half, and lost 21-10.

On offense, the 5th graders seemed too bunched up and they were unable to get off good shots. The few times they had good looks, they were unable to convert.

This is a small team in terms of height. So the fact that other teams are usually taller and a the lack of boxing out will usually lead to some problems. They couldn't get many fast break opportunities since they were unable to generate turnovers or clean breakout passes.

Justin had 9 points to lead the way.

Sunday's Rundown

Flame Tournament 7th grade RED - 10 a.m. @ St. Ignatius
Location: 2001 37th Ave

PRACTICE @ NDV
3rd/4th grade - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
6th grade - 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
5th grade - 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
7th grade WHITE - 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
8th grade - 4:45 p.m. to 7 p.m.

ON TAP FOR THE BLOG TOMORROW...
The 4th/5th grade soccer coach Apollo reflects on the soccer season

7th grade bounces back strong to win in round two

The 7th grade boys basketball teams avenged their loss Tuesday night and played a good three quarters and won 26-17 in round two of the CYO Tournament. The win sets up tomorrow's consolation championship, which will be played by only the White Team at 2 p.m.

The Red Team put the 7th graders out to an early lead with a 10-0 burst to start the game. Jeremy had a very strong showing tonight and hit a three in the first quarter and had a game-high 9 points.

The White Team picked up where the Red Team left and extended the lead to 18-4 before halftime. Ball movement was a lot more fluid setting up some open shots. Gavin C. had 4 points on the night on two really nice jumpers. Gavin L. and Mark took care of the ball a lot better and the results showed.

However, a near disastrous 3rd quarter cut the score to 20-17. The White Team turned the ball over way too many times and soon the double digit lead became three. Too many lob passes and lazy outlet passes hurt the team. They were also unable to box out and grab rebounds like they did in the first half.

The Red Team finished the game off with some solid defense and added just enough breathing room on the offensive side of the ball to seal their first victory of the season.

GAME NOTES: The 7th grade as a whole shot a disastrous 1-for-13 from the free-throw line...Justin picked up 4 fouls in only two quarters of play, but had 5 steals. Miles, 7 points, had 14 rebounds on the night and was a beast on the boards. Gavin C. and Calson, who had 10 rebounds scored for the first time this season...Thanks to the greatness that is the White Team coach Ed for these elaborate stats. Tianna showed up to the game.

Saturday's Rundown

Flame Tournament 7th grade RED - 9 a.m. @ Kezar Pavilion
Location: 755 Stanyan St

CYO Tournament 6th grade - 9 a.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Location: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

CYO Tournament 8th grade - 9 a.m. @ St. Emydius
Location: 255 Jules Ave

CYO Tournament 5th grade - 11 a.m. @ St. John
Location: 925 Chenery St

CYO Tournament 7th grade WHITE - 2 p.m. @ Epiphany
Location: 827 Vienna St

ON TAP FOR THE BLOG TOMORROW...
Game recaps of all the Saturday games

Happy Thanksgiving and some great Thanksgiving stories

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody out there who reads this, and only for those who read this. Kidding, kinda...

Today, three stories caught my attention that can directly relate to the Thanksgiving spirit.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of a slain 5-year old girl in North Carolina. I won't get into the details of what happened to the poor girl, but Shaq, as usual came through.

This is not the first time Shaq has done something charitable. When he was traded from the Lakers to the Heat, his first game back in Los Angeles was on Christmas. Shaq arrived in Southern California a few days before Christmas and passed out toys to a bunch of under privileged kids.

NEXT Story...

Green Bay Packers cornerback and former Oakland Raider Charles Woodson donated $2 million to the new University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital.

Woodson played earlier this morning against the Lions and returned an interception back for a touchdown. Do good deeds go unrewarded?

It's not very often we see athletes who make millions of dollars donate millions of dollars. Could you imagine if every athlete donated even 10% of their salary per year to a charitable cause?

Woodson took a step in this direction and will be definitely appreciated for this kind and selfless gesture.

FINALLY...

Over 3,500 fans including myself gathered at Kezar Stadium today to watch Galileo PWN Lincoln 35-0 for the city championship. In case you do not know the story, Galileo lost 18 straight games coming into this season, lost their first game of the year, and still went on to win the San Francisco high school football championship.

This is probably one of the, if not the most remarkable comeback story in the history of San Francisco high school sports. For these kids and coaches to stay dedicated after two plus years of losing is admirable -- especially for us at St. Mary's when we feel like we are underdogs more often than not.

I hope we can look at this championship Galileo football team and find some inspiration from this story.

A Thanksgiving tradition of another kind

Every Thanksgiving, a San Francisco tradition for the last 85 years takes place at Kezar Stadium -- the high school football championship, better known to most folks as The Turkey Bowl.

For the fifth straight year, Lincoln, where I graduated, will go for the championship. If they win, it'll be the first time in San Francisco history that a high school has won five straight Turkey Bowls.

This year, their opponent is Galileo, who is making its first appearance since 2001.

What makes this story special is that Galileo had lost 18 straight games coming into this season. They lost their first game this year and had a 19 game losing streak before winning their first game this season. For a little over 2 years, they lost every single game. However, they weren't quitters, they stuck with it, and persevered through the hard times and they are now one win away from a championship. Sound familiar?

I had a blast at work Tuesday as I went to both high schools to interview the coaches and players from Galileo and Lincoln before the big game. Both were pretty optimistic and said the usual we tried hard, worked hard and it'll be a good game stuff. But I felt like they really meant it.

The two seniors I talked to at Galileo played on those losing teams and you can just tell by the look in their eyes the hard work they put in to get to where they were. Their coach, also an art teacher at Galileo has done a remarkable job taking this team from worst to a possible first.

Over at Lincoln, it seemed like business as usual as the team goes to the championship on almost a yearly basis. The coach was joking around with his team, making fun of them, but ended the huddle seriously making sure his team knew that they had to put in the work to make history.

Of course, I will be rooting for Lincoln, but I won't be disappointed if Galileo takes this one.

We at St. Mary's can identify with those who struggle and hit rock bottom, yet continue to fight.

Kick-off tomorrow is at 11 a.m. from Kezar Stadium. If you have nothing to do, it is definitely worth checking out.

Here's what aired earlier tonight on the news:

5th, 6th and 8th grade all handed losses

Not a good night for the boys basketball teams tonight as the 5th, 6th and 8th grade all lost in their second games of the CYO Tournament.

All three teams played a better game than their first, even the 5th graders who lost tonight.

The 8th grade lost their second straight in a one-sided fashion, something very uncharacteristic of this team. They simply could not rebound and were unable to play solid defense. When that happens, they are unable to generate fast break opportunities. Derek did have a career-high 22 points in the loss.

The 6th grade looked a lot better than they did in their debut, but were unable to keep the game close. However, Jason scored his first 3 points in a St. Mary's uniform.

To cap off the night, the 5th grade hung in there for the first half and trailed only 4-0 at halftime. Their shots just weren't going in tonight. They had numerous lay-ups and clean looks but weren't able to make their shots.

They got on the scoreboard in the 3rd quarter, but ran out of gas towards the end and fell 24-4. Nonetheless, you can make a strong case that they might have played better overall. Other than their lack of rebounding, they moved the ball efficiently on offense and put pressure on a very good team. This was one of those nights where the ball just doesn't go in.

The schedules for their games Saturday are listed in the post below.

Thanksgiving weekend schedule

Friday
CYO Tournament 7th grade BOTH TEAMS - 6 p.m.@ Epiphany
Location: 827 Vienna Street

Saturday
Flame Tournament 7th grade RED - 9 a.m. @ Kezar Pavilion
Location: 755 Stanyan St

CYO Tournament 6th grade - 9 a.m. @ CYO Serramonte
Location: 699 Serramonte Del Ray Blvd

CYO Tournament 8th grade - 9 a.m. @ St. Emydius
Location: 255 Jules Ave

CYO Tournament 5th grade - 11 a.m. @ St. John
Location: 925 Chenery St

CYO Tournament 7th grade WHITE - 1 p.m. OR 2 p.m. @ Epiphany

SUNDAY
Flame Tournament 7th grade BOTH TEAMS - 10 a.m. or 12 p.m. @ St. Ignatius
Location: 2001 37th Ave

PRACTICE @ NDV
3rd/4th grade - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
6th grade - 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
5th grade - 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
8th grade - 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Birthday to Mrs. Mayfield

We wish a Happy Birthday to Mrs. Mayfield, the best 4th grade teacher at St. Mary's currently. She is now 27.

Turnovers doom 7th graders in game one

The inability for the 7th grade team to break a press led to a sloppy performance and a 22-11 loss in round one of the CYO tournament.

They simply could not break the press -- lob pass after lob pass, turnover after turnover, mistake after mistake. Players in the first quarter looked unprepared and they set the tone for the entire game.

Miles and Mark played probably the best out of the two teams. The deficit was cut to as close as 9, but neither team is made to play catch-up.

They'll try their luck next this Friday night at 6 p.m.

5th grade comes from behind for victory

The 5th grade unleashed their full court press and turned a 13-10 deficit into a 16-13 lead.

The game was tied late 16-16, but Justin sank a long jumper to give the 5th grade boys an 18-16 lead. After a tumultuous and sloppy last 30 seconds, the boys hung on for the 18-16 win.

It was by far a pretty game to watch as both teams were a little sloppy, as expected, since it was their first game. There were a lot of turnovers and the 5th graders got themselves into some foul trouble. Daniel even fouled out late in the 4th quarter.

One of the best sequences of the game came when Brandon K. stole a ball when the team was pressing, crossed it over and turned it into 2 points on a beautiful drive to the basket.

They will play in the winner's bracket Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving eve.

TOUGH NIGHT FOR 6TH AND 8TH GRADE
It was an off night to say the least for both the 6th and 8th grade basketball teams.

The 8th grade jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and it looked like they were going to have a good game. Instead, the score quickly turned lopsided and the team was held to only 8 points the rest of the way, with only 2 points coming in the second half.

They will play next on Wednesday starting at 5 p.m.

The 6th grade made their debut and were just trying to get acclimated to game speed. They were easily outmatched and lost their game decisively. Hartman scored the lone point for the team.

They will next play on Wednesday night at 5 p.m.

PRACTICES TOMORROW
3rd/4th, 5th, 6th and 8th grade will practice tomorrow night at Cameron House.

Follow the games tonight on Twitter

The 5th, 6th and 8th grade boys basketball teams are in action tonight. If you won't be able to make it, you can follow along LIVE with the game on the official St. Mary's Sports Twitter.

Twitter.Com/StMarysSports

On tap! Huge week of basketball

MONDAY
CYO Tournament Round #1
8th grade, 5 p.m. @ St. Emydius (255 Jules Ave)
6th grade, 6 p.m. @ CYO Serramonte (699 Serramonte Del Ray in Daly City)
5th grade, 8 p.m. @ St. John (925 Chenery St)

Tuesday
CYO Tournament Round #2
7th grade, 7 p.m. @ Epiphany (827 Vienna St)

BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
3rd/4th, 5th, 6th and 8th, 6 p.m.

Wednesday
BOTH 7th grade basketball practice @ Cameron House, 1 p.m.

CYO Tournament Round #2
5th, 6th and 8th
NOTE: Game 2 will be played in the same gym as Game 1. Time will be determined following the outcome of Game 1.

Thursday
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Friday
CYO Tournament Round #2
7th grade
NOTE: Game 2 will be played in the same gym as Game 1. Time will be determined following the outcome of Game 1.

Sunday NDV practice schedule

3rd/4th grade: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
7th grade RED: 12:15 p.m. - 2 p.m.
7th grade WHITE: 1:15 p.m. - 3 p.m.
5th grade: 2:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
6th grade: 3:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
8th grade: 5:15 p.m. - 7 p.m.

If you haven't seen the tournament schedule, look on the left side of the blog and find the link to the boys basketball pre-season tournament schedules.

ST. MARY'S TRANSACTIONS
Andrew Chuong has been named assistant coach of the 6th grade boys basketball team.

CAR WASH
Among the many b-list celebrities at the volleyball championship on Wednesday night was class of 2009 graduate Winnie.

She is now at Washington and is promoting her FREE car wash for tomorrow.

It is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Washington High School parking lot, located on 30th Ave between Geary and Anza.

Bay Area pitchers take home awards

Two Bay Area pitchers, one from the Giants and one from the A's, won two prestigious baseball post-season awards this week.

On Monday, it was announced that the A's rookie pitcher Andrew Bailey, was named American League Rookie of the Year. In his first year, he posted 26 saves and was one of the most dominating closers in the league. He even made the All-Star game in his rookie season.

If you don't know what a closer is, he is the pitcher that comes in at the end of the game when the team is winning. His job is to protect the lead and make sure the team wins. Bailey did it as well as any other pitcher in only his first year.



Earlier today, Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum won the Cy Young Award for the second straight season. The honor is given to the best pitcher in the league and Lincecum has now won this award two years in a row.

Lincecum has one of the funkiest deliveries in baseball and his numbers win wise weren't even that great this season. But he led the league in strikeouts and just pulled out a victory in the Cy Young balloting.

Congratulations to both pitchers for their great seasons.

Dream season falls short

A year ago, if you were to mention the words volleyball, championship and St. Mary's in the same sentence, you would've been laughed out of the gym.

Yet tonight the class of 2010 was competing in the first St. Mary's volleyball championship in years.

The 8th grade girls almost completed the ultimate Cinderella story, but unfortunately came up one game short of winning the volleyball championship, losing tonight's final 25-14, 25-13.

Sometimes it just isn't there and this was one of those nights. This isn't the pros where you can play a best of series -- it all comes down to one game, and in this game, the girls just didn't have it.

What hurt them most was the inability to string together points. They couldn't gather any momentum and therefore found themselves losing ground little by little. They dug themselves a deep hole in the first set as they trailed early on 9-2. They caught up a bit and cut the deficit to 10-6, but that's as close as they would get in set number one.

When the team doesn't have momentum, they are forced to simply bump the ball over the net, instead of setting up a bump, set and spike, something they did so well in the playoff game. The other team was not spectacular but solid, converting on almost all their serves, and returning serves. They did nothing flashy, no real bump, set and spike, but their fundamentals were incredibly sound.

The second set looked like it had the makings of a much more competitive set, as the girls took a brief lead early, and were still tied at 8-8 with the serve.

However, it unraveled little by little and the match quickly came to an abrupt end.

Nevertheless, this team faced more adversity than any St. Mary's team in the past several years. They were focused and if you asked any one of the girls on the team, they would tell you that if they played this game again, they would come out the victors.

Every girl didn't even start playing any sport until two years ago, and many are playing in only their second year of any sport, period. Yet they've come so far and everyone in the crowd and coaching staff have echoed the same sentiment that this team couldn't have made the school more proud.

It's not easy playing a new sport, let alone having no success the first year. Then to come back the next year with a positive attitude, and make it to the championship is an unbelievable story, and one that will be retold for years to come.

The girls may have lost the game, but they won the respect of the entire St. Mary's family.

Huge crowd for tonight's championship

Thanks to all those who showed up tonight for the volleyball championship. It was a great crowd as many students and families from almost all of the classes showed up to cheer on our 8th graders in their title match.

Also, a big thanks to all the teachers and the alumni of the last few years who came out to support this team.

And a huge thanks to everybody who came out even once this entire year, as we had our best volleyball season in years and years.

Kudos for all the school spirit and let's see this continue through the rest of the school-year.

Countdown to championship

We are less than 3 hours away from the 8th grade volleyball championship. 6:15 p.m. game-time from St. Emydius (255 Jules Ave).

Please be there to see history in the making. If you won't be able to make it, you can follow along LIVE with the game on the official St. Mary's Sports Twitter.

Twitter.Com/StMarysSports

8th grade girls championship preview

Tomorrow night: Wednesday, November 18
Where: St. Emydius
Time: 6:15 p.m.
Address: 255 Jules Ave

The 8th grade girls go for it all tomorrow night when they play for the championship. I'll need to do my research to see exactly how long it has been since a St. Mary's team has been in a volleyball championship, but it's definitely been a while.

Their opponent tomorrow night did the exact opposite as the 8th grade girls did in terms of regular season, losing the first four and then winning the next four to make the playoffs in the final game of the year.

These two teams met in game one of the regular season and the 8th graders pulled off a three-set victory, their first ever win.

By no means is the team they are playing a slouch, and they will need to bring their best to win this game. The thing that has been a constant in their recent struggles have been serving. They served brilliantly in the playoff game and if they can do so again, they will be successful.

The first time they played this team, they still hadn't learned how to bump, set and spike. However, they have played a good portion of games and incorporated their hitting. This will be a very valuable asset in the game tomorrow night.

This team has faced more adversity and struggle than almost any team in the last few years. They have battled long and hard to get to where they are. They've had a remarkable journey and will look to top it off with the ultimate accomplishment, a championship in their 8th grade year.

Boys basketball pre-season tournament schedules

Here is the current tournament schedule for next week's preseason tournament. The first games are a set time, while games two and three will be determined based on the results of the previous game.

5th Grade (All games at St. John)

Monday, November 23, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, November 25, 6 p.m. or 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 28, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Address: 925 Chenery St

6th Grade (All games at CYO Serramonte)
Monday, November 23, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, November 25, 5 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 28, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Address: 699 Serramonte Del Ray in Daly City

7th Grade (All games at Epiphany)
Tuesday, November 24, 7 p.m.
Friday, November 27, 6 p.m. or 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 28, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Address: 827 Vienna Street

8th Grade (All games at St. Emydius)
Monday, November 23, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, November 25, 5 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 28, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Address: 255 Jules Ave

NOTE: CAMERON HOUSE PRACTICES WILL BE SHIFTED DUE TO GAMES NEXT WEEK.

On tap for this week...

MONDAY
Girls Volleyball, 4 p.m. @ Chinese Playground

Tuesday
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
7TH GRADE TEAMS
8th grade

Championship Wednesday
8TH GRADE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP @ ST. EMYDIUS, 6:15 P.M.

BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
6th grade

Thursday
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
3rd/4th grade
5th grade
6th grade
8th grade

Derek vs Elliot play to a draw

Derek and Elliot represented St. Mary's today in the annual CYO Achievement soccer game, featuring some of the best 8th graders in San Francisco.

The two were split up and placed on different teams, but the outcome was a 0-0 tie. Derek opened some eyes and got two really good shots on goal in the 4th quarter.

You could even overhear some fans talking about how Derek was quick and almost scored on two separate occasions.

Elliot, on the other hand, played some solid defense. And according to Derek, there was one Derek vs Elliot encounter when Derek stole the ball from Elliot's feet.

Congratulations to both of the boys for their accomplishments this season.

Happy Friday, Weekend Preview!

We are still basking in the glow of the 8th grade girls victory last night in their playoff game. It was an incredible feat and if you haven't read up on it, just look below. The girls will play in the championship Wednesday night at 6:15 p.m. from St. Emydius.

Preview for this weekend...

SATURDAY
Elliot and Derek will represent St. Mary's and play in the CYO Soccer Achievement Game. The game will start at 1 p.m. at West Sunset. Please come and watch the two play.

SUNDAY
NDV PRACTICE SCHEDULE

8th grade girls volleyball: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

3rd/4th grade: 12:15 p.m. - 2 p.m.
7th grade RED/7th grade WHITE: 1:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
5th grade: 3 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
6th grade: 4 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
8th grade: 5:15 p.m. - 7 p.m.

And for your Friday viewing pleasure, Dwayne Wade posterizes Anderson Varejao.

8th grade girls serve their way to the championship!!!

This was the full game that the girls needed. Great serves, great returns, hustle and execution. The result, the girls dominated their semi-final playoff game and won decisively 25-15, 25-17, punching their ticket to the championship game.

In only their second year, the team has gone from winless to the brink of a championship in only one year.

Going into tonight's contest, they knew they were going to have to serve, and they did just that. Patricia played the best game of her career and put the girls out to an early 7-1 lead in the first set, and also extended the lead in the second set, serving the girls out to a 21-14 advantage.

The last time these two teams met, the girls were their own worst enemy and had an off-night, unable to serve the ball over the net, which resulted in a two-set loss. Tonight was the exact opposite, as their faults were only a less than a handful.

Every girl was confident in their serve and the scoreboard reflected that as they pulled away after a 12-12 tie in the first set. The second set was also neck and neck, and the girls did the exact same thing, pulling away and eventually taking the set.

Not to be overlooked are Melinda's sets, which set up several hits by Marissa. The girls did a great job working together, going for the bump, set and spike every time they had the opportunity.

This marks the first time in years that St. Mary's has won a volleyball playoff game. Next Wednesday will also mark the first time a St. Mary's team will be competing for a volleyball championship.

The girls were mentally prepared and came out relaxed. It was evident in the body language that that St. Mary's wanted it more. They were the aggressor and played with determination and grit. In return, they made quick work of their opponent.

What an amazing story these girls are as they are not even a year removed from not even reaching 20 points in a set. And in 6 days, they will be going for gold.



CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
6:15 p.m. @ St. Emydius

Happy Birthday Edwena!!!

Happy Birthday to Edwena!!!

8th grade girls volleyball playoff preview, Happy Birthday

We are about 24 hours away from the 8th grade girls playoff game and the excitement is building.

Of the new sports we have played over the last few years, this team has had the best regular season record and have had the most success in year two.

The team they are playing is a formidable opponent, but they are by no means unbeatable. The last time these two teams played, St. Mary's had their worst night of serving all season long. They probably lost anywhere from 10-20 points by their own service faults.

Despite that, they still managed to hang around both sets and were almost able to pull off a victory. If they can serve, this will definitely be a close game.

Their learn on the fly approach is evident in how they play, as they have only recently in the last month began to develop the mentality to bump, set and spike. This is extremely difficult to begin with, let alone learn it mid-way through the season. In their last few games, they have shown glimpses of this. If they can execute this in tomorrow night's game, it will definitely put them over the hump.

The girls have had two strong days of practice and are excited to get this show on the road.

WHEN: Tomorrow night @ 8 p.m.
WHERE: St. Emydius
LOCATION: 699 Jules Ave

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO FB...

The biggest game in St. Mary's history is Thursday

The title says it all, so please come out Thursday night to watch our 8th grade girls play in the first St. Mary's volleyball playoff game since the early 2000s.

Game time is set for 8 p.m. @ St. Emydius.

Come out and show your support for this huge semi-final playoff game. Win, and the girls will punch their ticket to the championship!!!

8th grade girls practice tomorrow night changed

Practice will now be from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. @ NDV due to some gym conflicts.

Sally's team takes first set, but drop next two

Sally represented St. Mary's tonight in the 8th grade CYO Achievement Game and played well. Her team was on a roll in the first set, winning 25-14. But their team ended up losing set two 25-21 and the final and decisive set 15-9.

Congratulations to Sally for a well played game and making it as our representative.

8th grade playoff set for Thursday night

The 8th grade girls will play in the first volleyball playoff game in the modern St. Mary's era Thursday night. The first serve is set for 8 p.m. at St. Emydius.

The girls will practice tomorrow, 6:30 at NDV and Wednesday, 4 p.m. at Chinese Rec. Center.

Cross Country!

Thanks to everyone who took the time today and came out to Cross Country. Mad props and congratulations to all of those who actually faced the challenge instead of being afraid. It is a run that builds character and because you ran, you are a stronger person out of it. Great job to all of you who made the time and effort.

On tap for this week...

MONDAY
NO PRACTICE MONDAY, SO...EVERYONE CAN GO WATCH...

Sally play in the CYO Achievement game at 5:30 p.m. from St. Emydius.

Tuesday
8TH GRADE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL @ NDV, 6:30 p.m.

BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
7TH GRADE TEAMS

Wednesday
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
5th grade and 7th grade (white)

Thursday
BASKETBALL PRACTICE @ CAMERON HOUSE
3rd/4th grade and 8th grade

Cross Country Tomorrow! Be there!!!

Cross Country is tomorrow at the Polo Fields. This event is free and anybody from grades 3-8 are eligible to come out and run.

3rd and 4th graders run a mile, 5th and 6th graders a mile and a half and the 7th and 8th graders race for 2 miles.

Here are the following start times:

3rd grade – 12 p.m.
4th grade – 12:15 p.m.
5th grade – 12:30 p.m.
6th grade – 1 p.m.
7th grade – 1:30 p.m.
8th grade – 2 p.m.

Wear a St. Mary's shirt or jersey if you have one and some shorts or sweatpants. Find either myself or Matt and we will give you a name tag. Bring a bottle of water so you can replenish after your race.

Come out and show your spirit tomorrow and hope to see a lot of you there!

BREAKING NEWS ON THE TWITTER!!!

Twitter.Com/StMarysSports

Saturday Re-Cap

Both soccer teams were shutout in their season finales this afternoon as both teams were unable to generate much offense on the final day of the season.

With the flu big hitting the entire school, both teams had a lot of players not at 100% but whatever was left in the tank was left out on the field, which was a great sign of character.

Earlier this morning, the 4th and 5th graders closed out their rookie volleyball season in a 25-17, 25-16 defeat. It might have been a little too early for the girls as the balls they were normally hustling to weren't returned this morning.

Their serves however were pretty good and kept them in both sets.

BREAKING NEWS ON THE TWITTER!!!

Twitter.Com/StMarysSports