Monday Morning Quarterback

Photo by Eunice Tom

Monday Morning Quarterback 

One who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight
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It is the final week of the CYO boys basketball regular season and every team has either clinched a playoff spot or is still alive in the playoff hunt.

I will have a full breakdown of who needs to do what this weekend in order to make it to post-season play in Epic Video #10.


Yes, that includes the 6th grade who won for the first time in 2011. Granted, even they know that their opponent was not their match, but anytime you can win a game, it's a good feeling, especially after the struggles the 6th grade has gone through this year.

They will look to close their season at .500 Friday night, with the playoffs still a distinct possibility.

We will start with the biggest story from this weekend and the 5th graders who put on a show Friday night for those in attendance. Everybody on the team scored on their way to a 29-10 victory.

This game was close at halftime, as they lead only 6-4, but what a great team effort as they enjoyed their biggest victory to date. The 29 points is the most they have scored in their almost three years of basketball and Raymond didn't even have a huge game points wise.

Raymond was dropping dimes as they say, setting up his teammates for high quality shots and his teammates were hitting them.

Right now, the 5th grade sits a top their division and can clinch first place with a win Friday night.

The Red Team was a perfect example of a team that was either a.) too confident and cocky because it was (4-1) vs (1-4) or b.)due for a letdown after a huge victory.

It happens in all sports, when you beat a team that you were so juiced up to be playing. Look at the NFL playoffs (although you will see in Epic Video, nobody knows anything about the NFL at our school), when the Jets beat the Patriots.

The Jets and Patriots hate each other, and I think that the Jets spent all their energy on the Patriots, that they couldn't bring that same intensity to play the Steelers. They lost in the AFC Championship.

The Sharks have had so much trouble with the Detroit Red Wings in the past, and they finally beat them in a series last April. The last time they had beaten Detroit in the playoffs was 1994.

So on they went to play the Blackhawks, and they were swept (4-0).

Point is, so much emotion can be into one game, that it's tough to carry that level, or mentality into every single game. The best teams find the way to do it. Now the challenge will be for the Red Team to bring their "A" game for the next three games.

Sorry to see the 4th graders take their first loss in such a lopsided game. The team they played probably shouldn't be in that division, and you can even make the case the our 4th grade shouldn't be in that division either.

Nevertheless, when you do all that you can, and you can't win, you are just outmatched. That was probably the case Saturday.

These teams look like they will collide in a championship, if both teams can win their playoff games. Can the 4th graders beat this team? It will take an almost perfect game.

7th grade had a let down of a game, because their big men, or man, didn't come ready to play. After a strong practice yesterday, they hope to have a good bounce back game to end the year.

SIGN-UPS
There is still time to sign up for girls basketball if you haven't. The 3rd and 5th graders need just one more girl to make 5, so we desperately need that elusive fifth member.

Also, as I mentioned in class, we need to get more baseball players, especially in grades 4, 5 and 6. I've heard so many lame excuses about why they can't play or why their parents won't let them play.

All I can say is give it a shot and you will not regret it. The kids in the past that have played all had a great time and right now, for the first time in the modern era of St. Mary's Athletics, we have two graduates who are on high school teams.

We will have at least two teams this year for baseball so come be part of it. There is a lot of school year left.

Saturday Recap: 4th grade loses for the first time

The much anticipated showdown between the number one and number two teams in the fourth grade division turned out to be one sided.

Jonathan and the 4th grade were held to only 10 points, their lowest output of the season, and lost for the first time in the regular season 30-10.

They were pretty much outmatched by the bigger, faster and stronger opponent. To win these games, you need to play a perfect game and that wasn't what the 4th graders did.

The 4th grade trailed 7-0 early on and could never get into the groove of the game.

From the looks of things, this could be a potential championship preview if both teams win their playoff games.

But for the 4th graders to beat this team is going to take a lot of hard work in a short period of time.

Red Team escapes with a win
It had disaster written all over it, as the Red Team was down 33-32 with 1:30 left in the game.

They hadn't hit an outside shot the entire game, and luckily, one of them finally fell through.

Justin buried a clutch 3-pointer to give the 8th graders a 35-33 lead, and Jeremy hit two clutch free-throws down the stretch to seal a 37-33 win against Cathedral in a championship rematch from last season.

Cathedral shuffled its roster a bit with players moving up and down the divisions so the make-up of this team was different than the team they played a year ago. Nonetheless, it was a back and forth game with lead changes all game long.

The Red Team trailed by two and played a strong third quarter to give themselves a two point cushion at the end of three. But their rebounding, even with Miles in the game, has been very suspect of late.

The posts that are normally there are a lot of times out of place and the other teams have been slipping in to get the offensive rebounds. That's one area that they will need to address.

Jeremy had a strong game with 8 points, and had numerous nice drives to the basket.

Miles played a more controlled game today and had his typical offensive output, scoring a game high 21 points. He didn't commit a foul in the first half but was called for four fouls in the second half.

Miles is an intimidating presence in the middle and can be a great defender but he has trouble playing defense without fouling. There are times where he tries to play defense, and challenges the shot, and gets called for the foul. So instead of risking the foul call, sometimes Miles will just stand still, which is not a good way to play defense either. He needs to find some common ground.

Right now, the Red Team is (5-2) with one game to go, and may have already clinched a playoff berth, depending the outcome of a game this weekend.

Regardless of their post-season fate, they are going to need to get back the momentum they had a week ago, and shake off the rust they showed this past weekend.

Justin had 6 points in the win.


Big second half keys White Team win
Calson had one of his best games of the year, scoring 10 points, as the White Team picked up win number six on the season by a final score of 33-17.

Mark had a game high 19 points, and made some pretty solid passes in the second half, one in particularly to Robert, who scored 2 points in the game. He had a great pass late in the game to Gavin Lin, who missed the wide open lay-up.

At (6-1) they have locked up second place in their division and will play the third seeded team.

They have beaten all the teams in their division except for the undefeated first place team. If everything stays the course, it'll be a showdown between number one and two for the championship in February.

However, they still have one more game to go in the regular season, against the team they played today. The White Team has beat them twice already.

Last time these two teams met, it took overtime to finish the job. This time, they controlled the second half and put the game away in the third.

They led 16-9 at halftime and made sure there would be no letdown or comeback by the other team.

Gavin Lin did score two points in the first half on a nice putback lay-up.

Post play disappoints in 7th grade loss
The 7th grade dug themselves an early 12-0 hole, never recovered and lost for the second time this season 25-11.

They are not a half court team, but because of their lack of rebounding inside, they became a half court team. If they can get steals, rebounds and get out on the run, they will be a hard team to beat. When they play station to station, they are definitely beatable and they were today.

It was a rough day for the post players as they were unable to get any type of rebound all game long. Guys half their size were taking shots over them as if nobody was guarding them.

It was a lot of ball watching, and soft play, with no physical contact underneath. The other team had their way with the 7th graders.

Pablo was held to only 4 points, and Anthony Shem made a free throw in the third quarter.

They had a brief run in the second quarter when Anthony Horn scored 4 points off the bench to cut the lead to 13-6. But they never got closer.

The big men on this team need to toughen up and play like big men, or else it could be a very sour off-season for a team that has made drastic strides since opening day.

Big 5th grade win clinches playoff spot, Red Team self destructs

The 8th Grade Red Team has experienced the high of the highs and now, the low of the lows.

Up against a team that had previously won only one game, the Red Team went into this game with the attitude that they automatically would win this game as well.

That didn't happen.

Turnovers, missed lay-ups and not having Miles for the last quarter and a half, brought the 8th graders back to life in a 39-32 loss tonight.

Miles had only two fouls at halftime, but committed three fouls in the third, and fouled out on an offensive foul.

Without their big man in the middle, the Red Team was hammered on the boards. Nobody wanted to play physical, and they played scared. In the end, a winnable game turned into their second loss of the season.

If you were searching for bright spots, there weren't too many. Everybody on the team had several turnovers and it was missed lay-up after missed lay-up.

The other team capitalized on the Red Team's inefficiencies and used it to their advantage. They had countless fast breaks and lay-ups, and converted on them -- the same can't be said for the 8th grade.

After a game like this, the best thing to do is to play the next game. They won't have much time to think about it as they hit the court again tomorrow at 12 p.m. for their back end of a back-to-back.

Head coach James Chiu, furious with his team's play, made the team run sprints during halftime.

Even that message wasn't enough.

5th grade romps, clinch first playoff berth

It was tied at 4-4 with 6 seconds left in the first half.

But then, Joseph grabbed a rebound, went coast to coast for an and-one lay-up to make it 6-4.

It was halftime and that's when the floodgates opened.

In a display of good defense and great offense, every single player on the 5th grade scored and they compiled their highest point total in three years and won 29-10. Their biggest margin of victory also clinched them their first ever playoff spot.

The man of the hour right now is Ryan, who scored his first points ever in a CYO game. Instead of settling for just 2 points, he scored 4 points.

Good rebounding and defense gave the 5th graders a much needed spark after a pretty slow first half. Raymond was a catalyst for a lot of the fast breaks as he was able to get steals and get off on the fast break. He had an and-one early in the third, and from that point on, the 5th grade did not look back.

This was text book on how to win a game as the 5th graders pretty much made all their lay-ups. Grant, Jason Zhao and Willard all broke ahead of the pack and made their lay-ups like it was warm-ups.

Overall, a great team effort, and a fantastic bounce back game for the 5th grade as their record now improves to (6-1).

Grant had a game high 6 points.



6th Grade Wins Big by 6th Grade Beat Writer, Emily

When a team plays like a team, they win. And that is exactly what the 6^th grade boys did tonight.

Brandon Khuu started the game off with a bang, scoring his first points in a few games.  It was 10-2 after the first quarter, and the 6^th grade never looked back.

They put the game away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the opponent 10-4 and won 30-13.

In the last game, free throws were why they lost. Tonight, the 6^th grade boys shot 6-for-8 from the line, which was a significant improvement.

The boys played with a sense of urgency, something that they have been lacking and it translated into a victory. They were aggressive and went after the ball, boxed out their man, and grabbed rebounds which led to fast break points.

They now sit at (3-4), with one more game to play in the regular season.

Happy Birthday Timmy

Q and A with Derek and John

Here's something different. We recently had a quick Q and A with the coaches for the White Team, the ever charismatic and full of energy Derek, and John Wang.

Q: What are your overall impressions of the team and season so far?

John: I'm very proud of my players because of the fast improvement that have shown as a team. It tells me that everybody is motivated to get better, and so far the results have been pretty impressive.

Derek: The team seems to be doing better.

Q: How good has Mark been? Anybody else that should be recognized?

John: I think what makes Mark so effective is his confidence. He is very athletic and knows how to use it to his advantage. Calson is another player that should be recognized. He wants to learn to be a better player, he is very supportive towards his teammates, and he's the key to our defense. He's a much better player compared to last year.

Derek: Mark's scoring's been crazy, putting up 20 in a half. Gavin Lin's starting to step up when he was put at point guard when Mark was sitting out.

Q: How have they improved since day one?

John: Compared to our first tournament game with the red team, they are a whole different team. There is no more confusion & standing still. Everybody is a threat. They understand what they have to do in different situations offensively and defensively.

Derek:  Calson's form has been looking a lot better on his put-backs, starting to jump up and going up strong.

Q: How much of it is playing weak teams and how much of it is doing what you guys do well in terms of your record?

John: We understand that playing in division 9, there are a lot of short cuts and advantages we can take to get baskets. What we are doing to get better is definitely working. In the beginning of the season, we were getting wins and even took a lost. Now we're showing our potential and we're able to put teams away early in the game.

Derek: I think this team has the most talent in this division and all these games they play are winnable, if not a must win.

Q: Is it tough to stay focused knowing this is such a weak division?

John: It's a little hard to stay 100% focused knowing we are in a weak division. Taking a lost early in the season was more of a positive thing, because now we understand that there are teams that we have to compete with to win, and that we are never over confident.

Derek: I think because this is a weak division, they lack the drive needed to play a good game. A lot of these games end up in blow out victories and they just don't pose a threat to them.

Epic Video #9- Science Is Fair

Here it is, finally up and it looks good, I hope. Enjoy. Watch in parts if you think it's too long...

Music
Pearl Jam - Evenflow
Nelly - Air Force Ones (instrumental)
Mariah Carey - Always Be My Baby

Epic Video Delayed

There was static in the Epic Video due to a upload error with YouTube. Hopefully, this problem will be solved and Epic Video can be released some time tonight.

Sorry for the delay. This day stinks so far.

To keep you busy if you wanted to see something, chew on this filler:

Monday Morning Quarterback

Mr. B's name on tennis player Rafael Nadal's gym at the Australian Open.

Monday Morning Quarterback 

One who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight
______________________________

Was there P.E. today? It's always funny seeing the handful of kids in each class who didn't pay attention and wore their P.E. uniforms when everyone else was in their regular uniform, right Mark?

On the bright side, everyone's shorts and jerseys matched this week at the games.

So we are winding down the regular season for boys basketball and as of right now, every single team is alive in the playoff chase, something that is unprecedented in the modern day St. Mary's Athletics era.

As of right now, two teams have clinched a spot, 4th grade and the White Team, and some can punch their tickets to the playoffs with wins this weekend.

If you were too busy watching the Flames and Canucks in a shootout this weekend, here's what you missed this weekend.

First, I think it needs to be said that I apologize if anybody involved with the 6th grade team feels that I or anybody has been over critical about their performance this year. I can also honestly say that there hasn't been one player, coach or parent who has complained about what is written or shown about them, so this is done purely on the accord of myself.

There criticism, albeit a bit harsh, I feel is for the most part a reflection on their practice habits and execution during games. Is it too much for a 6th grader? Sometimes, absolutely. But in the end, I can only hope that pointing out their mistakes and showing them the errors of their ways will benefit them in the end.

Friday night was one of those nights where they shot themselves in the foot. Free-throws, missed lay-ups and turnovers just killed them. And in the end, a 3 point loss. Missed opportunities.

And if they win their next two games, they still have a chance at the playoffs or a tie-breaker.

Are they in the right division? I will say yes. Many don't agree and want them to drop and just play inferior teams. But in the end, what do you really prove when you just constantly win lopsided games?

This team needs a challenge and should face stiff competition, because they need that. This isn't their first year. They aren't a team where every time they touch a ball, there is no chance of scoring. This is a talented team.

In every game this year, except one, when Daniel was injured, they could've won the game if they played up to their potential. So instead of sitting at (2-4), they can just as easy be (5-1).

They have two more games to go. Let's see if they can win both and maybe have a playoff upset up their sleeve.

Moving onto the 7th grade, who needed OT to beat a depleted St. Brigid team of only five players. It boils down to the same thing. Missed lay-ups, missed free-throws, as they made none. And the turnovers, especially in the third.

With the infusion of players from DeMarillac, this team has what it takes to win it all. But they are going to have to do the little things and not make the mistakes like they have the last two games to get to where they want to be.

Five players worked against the 5th grade who took their first loss of the year Saturday. I wasn't at the game, but judging by the boxscore, they were out of it until it was too late. According to their coaches, they were asleep in the first half and when they realized what was happening, it was over.

Going undefeated, although it is nice, is not always a great thing. Last year the Red Team beat an undefeated team in the playoffs. The year before, the current 8th grade girls upset an undefeated team.

When you never lose, you are vulnerable, because you think you are on top of the world. You think that nobody can beat you. You perhaps get a little over-confident and then when you all of a sudden are behind in a game, you don't know how to react and you don't know how to deal with adversity.

My lone championship winning team was (2-2) at one point in our season in 2007. We lost a game that we basically gave away. That was their wake up call. After that, we never lost a game on our way to winning the title.

Hopefully this was the 5th grade's wake up call.

And finally, the Red Team, what else is there more to say? Never have they looked better.

Was the other team's best player missing? I don't know. Even if he was, it was an impressive showing. Kudos to them and let's just hope they can bring this type of heat game in and game out.

Big game this weekend for the 4th grade, as they face a possible title contender. After Saturday, we should have an idea of what to expect in the coming weeks.

FINALLY...
Very happy to see all the young girls in the school, grades 3-5 who have signed up for basketball. 3rd grade girls are playing for the first time and also for the first time, we will have a 5th grade team. I am stoked about that.

Sadly, the same can't be said for the upper grades, where the sign-ups are disappointing to say the least. Nothing else can be said to convince those who haven't decided to play, but in the end, it's just missed opportunities.

I know there are some kids who want to play, but the decision is out of their hands. In the end, it's just a child's missed chance.

Playing sports is something that you will remember for the rest of your life. It's unfortunate and it hurts me to see these opportunities of being part of something special not taken advantage of.

Even those who graduated since I have been here, until this day, tell me they wish they could've started in 3rd grade, instead of 5th or 6th or 7th or even some girls, 8th.

Don't let life pass you by.

Saturday Recap: Undefeated no more

Two undefeated streaks ended Saturday. One was a good thing, and another, as of right now, not a good thing.

First, the 5th grade lost their first game of the season 14-11.

Trailing 11-4 at halftime, there second half push was not enough to get them over the hump and their record now stands at (5-1).

They lacked the energy and focus needed to stay undefeated and their slow start ended up costing them. A late surge at the end brought them within three points but no closer.

However, with their early season success, they do control their own destiny to the playoffs, and will look to regroup with a good practice tomorrow.

The 8th Grade Red Team was hitting on all cylinders in their showdown against the former first place team.

No slow start this afternoon as they were ready right from the tip. They knew that had a difficult game ahead of them and they played with a sense of purpose from the first whistle.

They raced out to a 20-8 lead after the first quarter and took a 38-14 lead into the half. They played a little sloppier in the second half, but still managed to win in convincing fashion 56-37.

From the rumor mill it seems like the other team was missing their best player and it showed. But the Red Team took advantage of the situation and made a statement that perhaps the road to the championship will now have to go through them.

Miles scored 12 of his 19 points in the first quarter, and was hobbled by an elbow injury in the second half.

Late in the second quarter, he was fouled on a drive and crashed viciously into the padding. He stayed in the game but he wasn't at 100%.

David was spectacular today and had a career high 10 points, and played solidly on both ends of the court.

What made this game extra special was that everyone on the team, including Michael Fong and Mark scored. It was Mark's first points of the regular season and Michael's first two field goals.

Michael Ng hit a 3 pointer and had 9 points. Jeremy had 8 points and Justin 4 points.

Miles had another double double and his rebounds really set the tempo of the game early on, as his boards on the defensive end were the catalyst to the fast breaks. Offensively, he hovered around the basket and he couldn't be stopped.

In their years of basketball, I don't think they ever played any better than they were in the first 14 minutes of the game.

They took care of the ball. They hit free throws, lay-ups, played solid defense, boxed out. When a team can click like they did earlier today, they are unbeatable.

But there is still a long way to go, and the Red Team still has three more regular season games, and still aren't even a lock for the playoffs. At (4-1), they have a decisive edge to make it into the post-season and would make it a lot easier on themselves if they could perform at this level from here on out.

The 7th grade needed overtime to handle their business this morning.

An absolutely disastrous third quarter by both teams, that featured turnover after turnover and missed shot after missed shot. It didn't look like either team wanted to win the game.

After giving up the first four points in the overtime period, the 7th grade stormed back with six unanswered points, and held on for the 26-24 OT win over St. Brigid.

Garrick collected a rebound in overtime and made the putback to give St. Mary's the lead for good.

With the win, they improve to (5-1), but they are still fighting it right now because this game should not have been as close as it was.

There's a lot of negative energy surrounding the team despite their win, so they'll need to play better to get their momentum going the right direction.

Thought there was no official count, the 7th grade had to have thrown the ball away at least 20 times, if not more. Once again, their free-throws were pretty bad, as they didn't make a single shot from the stripe.

Julio did have a monster second quarter where he scored 8 points. Pablo had 4 of his 6 points in the overtime period.

4th Grade wins again
Jonathan was Jonathan again today and hit the 20 point mark for the third time this season. He had 22 of the team's 30 and the 4th grade improved to (6-0) on the year. Jason scored his season's best 8 points in the 30-8 win.

Their next game however won't be as easy, as they take on a team that has only one loss. It could be a possible championship preview.

White Team clinches playoff spot, 6th grade's comeback falls just short

Robert hit his first field goal of the season, jump starting a beautiful win by the White Team, 44-20, which featured scoring from five of their six players.

Gavin Chan also put in his first buckets of the year, including a 3 pointer for a career high 7 points. Gavin Lin matched the guy who shares his first name, also with a 3 pointer and 7 points.

Calson played like a big man and had his first double-double of the season, scoring 10 points.

And of course, Mark had another solid performance with 18 points.

But the one thing that was more important than anything else was how Mark was able to find the open man. He took his share of shots and scored like he normally does, but the important thing is he got others involved. Everybody touched the ball and the entire offense seemed to be in the best rhythm it has been all season.

Calson is starting to play like a real big man, grabbing rebound after rebound and finishing strong at the hoop. That was sorely lacking the last few years and it's great to see him turn it on like this down the stretch.

At (5-1), they have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in team history.

6th grade's late game push comes up short
By Emily, 6th grade beat writer

It took the 6th grade about two and a half quarters to play with a sense of urgency.

But by then, their first half was too much to overcome, and the 6th grade falls to (2-4) on the season in a 21-18 loss.

They got off to another sluggish start, digging themselves into a 14-5 deficit at halftime.

A late surge in the third quarter ignited a strong fourth quarter, and it had the feeling of a game that the 6th graders could possibly come back and win.

Brandon Tom's jumper cut the lead to three, and a Justin free-throw made it a 20-18 game with less 31 seconds to play.

After the other team made a free throw to make it a 3 point game, Justin's 3 point shot to tie the game went long and the 6th grade was dealt their third straight loss.

Since the preseason, the team’s weaknesses have been boxing out, grabbing rebounds, limiting turnovers, and free throws. More than halfway through the season, their Achilles’ heels have remained the same.

More often than not, the 6^th grade boys would slap at the ball from behind the man instead of being physical and getting in front of their man.

Taking care of the ball was something they absolutely did not do, and Daniel looked rusty after not being in a game for two weeks and was held to only 2 points.

They did not take advantage of the opportunity they were given from the free-throw line and shot 6-for-20 from the charity stripe, 30%. In a game like tonight when every single point counts, these missed free throws will come back and haunt you.

Joey scored his first point of his career on a free-throw in the third and tacked on two more with a basket later in the half.

The good thing about this game is they once again showed spurts of what they can do when they play together as a team and are focused. When they are engaged, they are more than capable of holding there own, but the consistency isn't through a full game.

It was a valiant effort, but the execution just wasn't there when it needed to be. Otherwise, it was a lot better game than their past showings and hopefully this gives them some momentum heading into the final two games of the season.

            

The 6th Grade Mid-Season Review

A parent came up to me at the beginning of a basketball season, worried that her child's team was going to have a difficult year, since they were swept in the pre-season tournament.

I said to her, "Winning is the best deodorant."

That team went on to win the championship and the winning covered up any problems at the beginning of the year. And when you win, the problems are no longer problems.

For the 6th grade basketball team, the wins haven't been coming as easy as they were last season as they sit (2-3) with three games to go. So the inability to get in the win column has been magnified.

Never has a team been under that much pressure and scrutiny to win. Partly because never has a team this talented not had success. In what may seem like a complex problem, it really is fundamental.

The focus and ability to be a team just isn't there.

"I think this team has potential to succeed," said coach Clarissa Lee.  "Everyone has the mentality of going to the playoffs or championship or beating last year's personal record, but none of this can happen if they don't work well as a team."

"I have a hard time pin-pointing why this team isn't mentally present," said coach Chris Yee. "At times it seems like they don't listen or their minds are somewhere else, whether it be practices or games."

"I see talent in every player, but very few have actually utilized their skill into playing their best when it comes down to the game," said coach Calvin To. "Our team doesn't even need to be excellent in
everything we teach them. Just plain effort would already have put us near the top of the division."

It's almost a parallel to the San Francisco 49ers -- all the talent in the world, but the results don't come. They have had four different head coaches in four years and the only coach that has lasted more than a year is Clarissa.

Building a relationship with coaches and knowing what works and what doesn't is important, but the players and previous coaches usually don't seem to mesh well, so what is the answer?

The solution is not very difficult and each player knows what he needs to do to help this team. Yet, it doesn't seem to be reached.

But it would be a good start if the players acted more like their age and not their shoe size.

"If one person isn't engaged, it usually distracts the others into not caring as much," Calvin said. "I can almost describe it as jumping into the bandwagon."

"If players who aren't normally motivated to do their best see their teammates mentally focused, they too will do the same. If just one person is always distracted and talking about something else other
than basketball, others are distracted and join in on the discussion, thus drawing their focus off basketball and distributing it elsewhere."

"They need to be mentally present and actively listening. This is key. Once we have this, I believe we will be fine," Chris said.

Daniel has been one of the bright spots for the team, but his absence Friday night created a huge void for the team to overcome.

Basketball wise, they may not focus enough during practice to work on their flaws and they show during a game. Some players constantly go right. Some never dribble. Some never box out. And some are just so physically outmatched, going up against much stronger and taller opponents.

Playing another team is hard enough, but in the last few games, the team has been playing itself too.

Another factor working against them is the division. It is very competitive and the margin or error is slim. Some even say they should be in a lower division. But this is the hand of cards they are dealt, and they'll need to rise to the occasion or fold. There's three more games to find out what they will do.

"This season is halfway done, but I still see us rising to the occasion, leaving the past mistakes behind  and moving forward into putting our best effort every game, no matter the outcome," Calvin said.

Some deodorant would sound pretty nice about now.

Red Team mid-season review

Any time you move up a division, it's not going to be an easy task. But so far, the 8th grade Red Team seems to be handling it well.

"The patience and skill level has been set at a new bar in this division," said head coach James Chiu. "None of these teams should be underestimated."

There are no easy games, and as easily as this team could be (4-0), they could be winless too, if things don't fall in the right place.

Remember in two of their wins, they erased double-digit deficits because of slow starts, something that improved in their last game, a win on Saturday.

"It's more of a mental preparation," said assistant coach Patty Fung.  "Everyone has to come together as a team, ready to play, ready to work hard, ready to be aggressive as well as patient from the start. Some players have to shake of their butterflies and be under control."

They got a nice breakout game from Jeremy on Saturday when Miles was off, and it's key for any team to have an entire team step up at different times.

Every player on the team contributes and there isn't a give the ball to one player so he can score, even though it may seem like Miles is the go to guy. The offense really doesn't run through Miles, as most of his points come from put backs on the offensive end.

When they can move the ball in a half court, it opens up shots for Justin, Jeremy and Michael Ng, all pretty good shooters. When teams have to defend those outside shots, it opens up the middle for Miles to roam.

And that has been their formula to success as Miles has set two career highs so far this season, one at 24, and most recently 33.

"He works so hard and constantly pushes himself," said assistant coach Vinette Ly. "He demonstrates great sportsmanship and motivates his teammates to do better"

His free-throws which were problematic at the beginning of the year have come around, as he was once missing short on many of his shots.

The addition of the two DeMarillac players, David and Mark, have also been vital, as David was one of the main reasons they were able to win their game last Saturday, getting to several loose balls before anyone else.

"David jumped straight into the mix of things contributing with his energy and aggressiveness," James said. "He has the ability to contribute to the success of this team and I hope he continues to give us that same effort as we enter the second half of the season."

Mark is quick defensively but is still getting used to playing in games. He has only played in 4 organized basketball games.

"He still looks lost sometimes when he is on the court, but he has continued to improve every game, getting more accustomed to his teammates and the pace that we play," James said. "He has been a solid player on defense being quick and doing a solid job of staying in front and putting pressure on the ball handlers. With some more practice he can develop to contribute more on both sides of the court."

The difference between winning and losing could come down to a bad pass, a turnover, or something very small. So for the Red Team to be as close to perfectionists will be needed.

They cannot afford to have the lazy passes or the mental breakdowns like they had last game, when they allowed another team to run the same exact play against them, time after time.

At (3-1), playoffs will be a distinct possibility if they can rattle off some victories down the stretch. But one thing's for sure, it's going to be a very exciting and nerve-racking time for everyone.

"We're only halfway through the season and each game has shed light on a lot of positives and negatives in each individuals skills," James said. "If they continue to work hard and focus on the little things in practice I will be expecting a lot more good things to come"

Epic Video #8 - Down goes Bryan

Don't forget to read MMQ and cast all your votes on the blog. Also, Warriors and Sharks forms, get those in as soon as possible.

Music from Epic Video #8
Kermit the Frog - The Rainbow Connection
Lil' Jon - Get Low Instrumental

Monday Morning Quarterback, an always must read, word for word

There's plenty to smile about for the 4th grade basketball team.

Monday Morning Quarterback 

One who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight
______________________________________
Another solid performance overall for the boys in white and red. Remember, it's Friday Night Whites, which means we wear white on Friday nights. But at least everybody but one player had matching shorts, a problem that has gone on now for two weeks.

Take the hint, person who can't find matching shorts.

Onto the games, where we saw the 4th and 5th grade improve to (5-0) on the season.

The 4th grade got another huge game from Jonathan, and got some good secondary scoring from Jason and Justin. Ethan and Ryan both played really good defense and grabbed some timely rebounds, and that formula has made the 4th grade favorites in their division.

5th grade got great contributions from everyone Friday night, and it's been said before that it was mainly Raymond doing all the heavy lifting. Yes, Raymond still led the team in points, but all the different players who scored, the two Jasons, Twins, and over the course of the season, Grant, Willard, Ryan, Garrick, all that helps.

It's been a team effort that they are where they are. I think one of the biggest factors is their ability to grab rebounds this year, and both of the Twins have been tremendous in that area.

They have been missing players down low to grab that ball off of missed shots, and when you limit the offensive rebounds by the other team, it just improves your chances of scoring so much.

Speaking of rebounds, or the lack thereof, the 6th grade was decimated on the boards Friday night, and not having Daniel proved very costly. They'll need him back immediately if they want any sort of a late season playoff push.

Rebounding is not easy. We've been to games and have even seen players from our own school who are tall, and you think can get rebounds, but never do.

Does being tall, and have long arms help with rebounding? Absolutely. Does it automatically mean they can grab rebounds? No.

Daniel is one of the best rebounders we have in the school because he is fearless, not afraid of contact and is willing to pay the price. Justin, 8th grade, also is good at coming up with balls inside, because he is not afraid to throw his body out there. Same goes for Clarissa and Tiffy, when they played. Not the biggest girls, but made it a point of emphasis that they were going to get the ball before the other team.

The same cannot be said for some players on the 6th grade who aren't willing to pay the price to get the rebound. They don't want to get physical, so instead they'll just let the other team score two points, instead of taking the contact.

And in their division, this is what needs to be done.

The Red Team, albeit, not at their best as a whole, actually should be happy with their outcome Saturday, because when you win without one of your best weapons at his best, it's always a good thing. Miles, battling a stomach ailment along with Justin, had an off game to say the least. But Jeremy and Michael Ng stepped up to make up for Miles.

This is what good teams do. And they should realize that this was a good thing. They were also missing David, a key contributor.

Look no further than the 7th grade as to how to lose a close game. When you miss your free-throws and lay-ups 90% of the time, you won't win many games.

The good news is that at least they know that the team they played was a beatable team. In the long run, that's what matters.

Divisons and mid-season reviews
This week, we will review the 8th grade teams and 6th grade team at the half-way point. And also, a closer look at the division breakdowns and how they are affecting all of the teams.


Thanks
Big thanks to Tim Lam and Mrs. Yu for their camera work this weekend.



In closing...
This is something I will repeat on Epic Video, coming tomorrow, so if you don't read it in print here, you may visually see the frustration that I have.

Maybe because I am not a parent and I don't get this, but I will never understand why some parents do not let their kids do want they want to do.

And it's almost pointless to write there here, but maybe by some chance, someone will read this and make a change.

I walked into classrooms last week and asked a few classes that by a show of hands, how many kids want to play baseball if their parents had no say in the matter? Almost every hand went up.

Yet, only 3 boys in the school currently played baseball last year.

This is not only baseball, but with volleyball, soccer and even basketball.

Grades are the most important thing, I get that. But I really question that as a reason why someone isn't able to play sports.

Countless graduates have done it for years and have gone off to do great things in high school, and college, and beyond. And a lot of them will attribute their confidence and development as a person to sports.

On the other hand, those who are prohibited from doing what they want to do, end up having a bitter feeling every time I walk into a classroom, because nothing I ever say will ever involve them.

There are those who have circumstances out of their control, living too far away from practice, the gap between the end of school and practice, ride issues, I totally get that.

But when everything can be set up as perfectly as possible to get someone to play, it's still sometimes rejected.

I came here a few years ago, wanting to change the culture, get people involved more. And there are so many times, and most notably the last week or so, I feel like I am starting over again.

And nobody wants to do that.

4th grade remains undefeated, while 7th grade takes first loss

Today the 4th grade had the entire team clicking, and it resulted in one of their best victories of the season.

Jonathan led the team with a game high 21 points. Not only did Jonathan score his share of the points, but he did a great job getting his teammates involved. Jason had 6 points and Justin, for the second straight week scored, and had a career high 4 points.

When the 4th graders can get scoring contributions from everyone, it makes them all the more dangerous.

Ryan, even though he didn't score, was able to grab a lot of rebounds, and their defense was very key in igniting their fast break offense.

They were up 18-10 going into the fourth and put the game away early, extending their lead to double digits and never looking back.

Ryan and Jason had some great outlet passes, setting up Jonathan for his breakaway lay-ups.

They improve to (5-0) on the season and sit in first place of their division.

7th grade loses for the first time

The 7th grade fell behind midway through the first quarter 7-0 and never recovered, and ended up losing 17-11.

They shot 1-for-10 from the free-throw line and missed countless lay-ups, that would've changed the entire complexion of the game.

Jason was not his normal self, and played very tentative around the hoop. For a big man, he needs to be stronger in finishing, as he left at least 6 points on the board.

Anthony Shem made his first shot of the season, which started the 7th grade comeback.

Down 17-5 to start the fourth quarter, the 7th grade (4-1) was able to cut that lead in half to 17-11 with about two minutes to go, but they got no closer.

Their press and sense of urgency was there at the end, but that slow start, missed lay-ups and poor free-throw shooting were too much to overcome.

Sometimes a loss can serve as a wake-up call to show teams they are not invincible, so it will be interesting to see how the 7th grade reacts following a loss.

Raymond scored his first point of the season on a free-throw in the first quarter.


Red Team prevails
Miles scored only 8 points, and it was still enough for the Red Team to win their third game of the year 39-35.

The Red Team actually had a decent start today, but it was the turnovers and poor defense that kept their game closer than it should've been today.

They shot the ball particularly well from long range as Jeremy and Michael Ng both hit two 3 pointers.

After the game, both Miles and Justin complained they weren't at full strength and were dealing with stomach trouble, and that affected their play this morning. 

Jeremy had a CYO career high 18 points, and had that extra step in him today, which was missing in the last few games. With Miles not at 100%, Jeremy stepped up at just the right time.

Michael Ng, whose defense has been criticized throughout his playing career has taken a turn for the better since last week. He is now boxing out, and not moving too far out of position like he has in the past.

However, the same cannot be said about the defense as a whole, as the other team played monkey in the middle in the key today. They were able to pass the ball below the free-throw line like it was practice.

Worst of all, they ran one out of bounds play the entire game, and every single time, the Red Team could not stop it. Their center would walk down the aisle untouched and he'd get the ball every single time. For whatever reason, the team just couldn't adjust and it made for a very tenuous morning.

They held a one point lead heading into the fourth and even fell behind at one point, but a Justin jumper put the 8th grade back out in front.

Justin, limited to just two quarters of playing time, played a solid fourth quarter and had 5 points.

Up by a point 36-35, with less than 30 seconds to go, Miles grabbed a rebound and ran the fast break and found Jeremy cutting to the basket for the final field goal of the game.

The other team then missed a three and Miles was fouled, sending him to the free-throw line, where he hit the first shot of a one-in-one, to seal the game.

Michael Fong scored for the first time this season with two free-throws in the third quarter.

It might have been a blessing in disguise the Red Team didn't play last night, because they probably wouldn't have had any energy today to pull off win number three.

At (3-1), their next date is against the undefeated division leader.

Strong second half propels 5th grade, Red Team postponed

Tied at 4-4 at halftime, the 5th grade boys needed a strong second half if they wanted to stay undefeated.

And a strong second half they got.

Joseph put the 5th graders up 6-4 with a jumper early in the third quarter and they never looked back, as the 5th graders won 17-10 and improved to (5-0) on the season.

Raymond scored a game high 8 points, and the team got scoring contributions from Jason Ng, Jason Zhao and Thomas.

It took a while for the 5th graders to get going but when they needed to score, they did. Their defense was pretty strong throughout and that created some good fast break opportunities for the team.

Jason Zhao's free-throw was his first points of the regular season.

Wet floor postpones Red Team's game
The 8th grade Red Team game was postponed due to a wet gym floor. The game before was stopped midway through because too many kids were slipping. The game will be rescheduled. But maybe the 8th graders caught a break tonight as they are on a back-to-back this weekend. They play tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

Without Daniel, rebounds cost 6th graders
The 6th grade boys fell back below .500 in a 34-16 loss.

Their latest setback came tonight when they were dominated on the glass, unable to get rebounds on either end of the court.

Size was definitely a factor as most of the other team's points came as a result second chance opportunities on offensive rebounds.

The defense was not good at all, leaving many open gaps that the other team took advantage of. Their game tonight didn't stand a chance going up against an undefeated team.

One way they could've tried to make up for the size disadvantage was to be physical down low, and box out, but the forwards and centers on the team weren't willing to pay the price, as they were hesitant to put a body on anybody.

Fast breaks and open shots are a result of good defense and rebounding and sadly the 6th grade had neither tonight.

Joey, who returned to the lineup tonight brought a spark to the team, as he went after balls and players on defense.

Justin had a game high 12 points.

They have now lost two straight and are now (2-3).

4th grade mid-season review

Having five players on a team has usually led to success in some strange way for St. Mary's, as the current 8th grade girls won the championship twice with five, and last year's Red Team did it as well.

Maybe that good fortune will translate to the 4th grade boys.

"I am very pleased with our season so far," said head coach Constance Wong. "I can tell the boys are having a lot of fun, which is the most important thing."

Part of the fun comes with winning and part of the winning has to do with Jonathan who has been unreal as a 4th grader, setting a new career high week after week. In four games, he is averaging 16.3 points per game.

His teammates have also picked up the slack recently with Jason providing strong defense and grabbing rebounds, and they've gotten some secondary scoring from Ryan and Justin.

As of now it seems like five players isn't much of a problem.

"It isn't that tough," Constance said. "The boys have been really good and energetic throughout each game. We also don't have to worry about substitution rules."

From day one, the team has improved, and will need to continue this pace to make a good run during the playoffs.

"My team has improved individually and as a team," said assistant coach Dennison Fong. "Everybody can make a decent layup now. They execute the inbound plays decently. They are more efficient on the offensive end. They are throwing better outlet passes. They are filling lanes decently. Their jump shots are starting to go in. They are getting rebounds. They are passing the ball better. They are starting to look for open players."

Half way through the season, they sit at (4-0) at the top of their division. For them to continue this however, they'll need to have others step up a little more, if Jonathan has an off game.

That'll start with shooting the ball as some of the players on the team are afraid to take a shot. If they can get into a rhythm of taking a shot, it makes the team much more dangerous.

Cynthia's birthday video

In case you missed it on Tuesday, Happy Birthday to Cynthia, a great basketball player.

7th grade mid-season report

The four boys from DeMarillac have injected some life into the 7th grade boys basketball team, and has made the original six a lot better.

With the newcomers, Hartman and Jason haven't had to carry the load they did last year, and that alleviates pressure from them, as they were in positions they weren't comfortable with.

Halfway through the season, they are standing strong in first place with a (4-0) record.

"My first impression was literally, 'Oh wow, same team, they did not improve at all,'" said head coach Tiffanie Vuong. "I didn't think that having the new players would affect the old ones that much, but as the season started, and we started to practice more as a team, their bond became stronger."

One of the new players' Pablo had never played basketball before and even wore school shoes in the tournament games. His play has taken the team to another level and he has already become the go to guy on the team.

"Him coming on the court the first time, I didn't know what to expect from him. I saw that he can improve and he is improving," Tiffy said.

Granted, they are in a weak division, but the good teams beat teams they are supposed to beat, and so far, so good.

The schedule does get tougher and they have the unenviable task of having 10 players on a team, meaning everybody only gets two quarters of playing time.

With that being said, some of the players on the team need to be able to contribute while they are on the court, instead of just taking up space. We saw glimpses of that Saturday in their latest win.

Everyone needs to be on the same page, and there shouldn't be a drop-off when one person comes in for another. That's going to be a tough challenge, especially playing top teams in the division.

With some of the players being new to basketball, they also tend to goof around, and they may not realize the golden opportunity they have. If they can get it together, focus and know what's at stake, this could be their year.

"I  can't tell the future but hopefully we will go far," Tiffy said. "I can tell them how good they are, how much they can put out and do, but it all counts on them. I think most of them can be legit basketball players if they put in the effort."

Epic Video #7 - Live and on location (Special Edition)

Don't forget to read through MMQ and also check out the weekend's game recaps if you haven't. Until then, enjoy this special edition of Epic Video.

The return of Monday morning quarterback

Things are never good when you lose to the Clippers.

 Not a good Sunday if you were a Bay Area basketball and hockey fan, who went down to Southern California, to watch your teams get pooped on.

When you lose to the Clippers, let alone by double digits, you have problems.

Another problem is not being able to score goals, and the Sharks were shutout once again, the second time in three games. And in their other game, they scored one goal. Lots of struggling going on for the local hockey team this year.

But on a more positive note, St. Mary's collected 6 wins this weekend, and only one loss, and all of the teams that won have set themselves up nicely for a playoff run.

In CYO, every game is important in the 8 game schedule and you cannot afford to take any games off.

Let's go around the school.

Red Team
If you haven't gone to a Red Team game this year, or ever for that matter, it is the place to be. They play an exciting brand of basketball, and are the best 8th grade team since 2007, when that 8th grade team won the championship.

They play in such a competitive division that every game is going to be close, as it was on Saturday.

In the end Miles came through big with a St. Mary's modern day record high of 33 points. Someone posted on Facebook a kid named David Wu scored 40 points one year. I've never heard of him, so if someone can confirm for me this person exists and also scored 40 points, that'd be great. Otherwise, Miles holds the all-time high to my knowledge.

Two things that stood out from Saturday's contest was the play of David (DeMarillac) and Michael Ng. David chased down a lot of loose balls, and just has a good feel for the game of basketball, even though he has played less than 5 total games. Without him, they probably don't win this game.

Michael Ng, who has had his shortcomings on the defensive end, especially being out of position on rebounds and lack of boxing out, turned it around in the second half. Hopefully this will continue, because defense is half the battle.

White Team
Two games, two blowout wins.

In such a weak division, the White Team has almost assuredly already locked up a playoff berth. Now, it will be how they play the rest of the way, which sets them up for the playoff game, and then hopefully the championship.

Do know this -- It's great Mark is scoring in bunches. Some even go as far as accusing him of being a ball hog, which in my opinion, isn't a fair critique.

A lot of times, there will be no better shot than what Mark takes because nobody else on the team can create their own shot off the dribble.

Can Mark do a better job of setting up his teammates? Yes. But his teammates need to do that by getting open and moving without the ball.

Case and point. Gavin Lin has been doing that as of late and has scored a few points recently running the lanes in the fast break. If everyone starts to get open, other team's will soon crowd Mark, and leave others open. If they can get contributions from everyone else, they will be dangerous come February.

Calson has also played pretty strong as of late, ditching the brutal soccer throw-in shot, and putting it back strong with a more traditional big man type maneuver.

6th grade
And back to .500.

How many more teams can a team get chewed out? It's tough, because the 6th graders play in a competitive division and their margin of error is very slim.

Part of the problem as I see it is that they are just physically outmatched right now. Some of the players on the team are simply too small and get the ball taken away from them so easily. Also, some of the players on the team can't even put up shots anymore, because other teams are a head bigger than them.

They don't fast break anymore, something they did so well last year, so their easy buckets are hard to come by.

And Daniel can't be the only one who not only says he wants to win, but shows he wants to win. There are at least two individuals on this team that I see that are mentally checked out, and just don't focus.

This can't happen for a team that needs to compete at a higher level.

4th, 5th and 7th still all undefeated
This week, we will look at the mid-season report for the 4th, 5th and 7th grades, so we will spare them on this MMQ.

Epic Video Tuesday is tomorrow. Check back for episode #7 tomorrow, or you could possibly get a sneak peak tonight if you look at the Twitter.

Have a Happy Monday.

Saturday Wrap: Every team wins

St. Emydius, the site of three games this afternoon. Photo by James Chiu.

The Red Team started slow again, fell behind 13-3, and to form, came back and won by 10, 44-34.

It was their third game of the regular season and for the third time, they fell behind by at least 10 points.

They played better from quarters two through four and came away with their second win of the year.

The game was a lot closer than the score indicated.

Miles had another monster game and set a new career-high with 33 points, with 22 of the points coming in the second half. He scored 11 in both quarters three and four.

Nobody could stop Miles on the glass as he collected another double-double, his third in three games.

Although he didn't score, David played an incredible game getting to loose balls, playing defense and boxing out. He did all the dirty work that doesn't show up in the scorebook, and without him the game would've probably swung the other way.

The Red Team (2-1) tied the game midway through the third and took the lead going into the fourth quarter. Up 33-28, Jeremy hit a three to extend their lead to 8 points, and that took the wind out of the other team's sails. Michael Ng also hit a 3-pointer right off the bat to start the game.

Justin played a much better game this week and had 6 points, but more importantly, he took care of the ball and didn't throw up wild shots like he did in the first two games of the year. He did however, pick up four fouls before halftime.

This is not an easy division and the Red Team is going to have to claw and scratch every single game. It would help if they got off to better starts, but at least now the team will know how to play from behind.

It helps to know they can come back from large deficits, but sooner or later, it will catch up to them and they need to get off to better starts.

They have only played three games this season and are facing a tough back-to-back next weekend.

White Team romps again
Mark set a new career high high with 25 points today in the White Team's 33-8 win.

At halftime, it was only 11-6 and the White Team (4-1) outscored their opposition 22-2 in the second half.

The highlight of the game came when Timothy (Timmy) scored his first two points of the year on a bank shot in the fourth quarter. Gavin Lin added 4 points and Calson had 2 points.

With 4 wins, they have already eclipsed their win total of last year.

Jonathan scores 26 in 4th grade victory
Before Miles set the record for most points for a St. Mary's player in at least four years, Jonathan held the record for about an hour as he scored 26 points in the 4th grade's 32-14 victory.

Justin scored his first two points ever in a CYO game with a nice putback jumper in the lane in the fourth quarter.

Halfway through the season, the 4th grade is now (4-0).

Twins lead charge for the 5th grade
Thomas was dominant on the boards and had 4 key points in the third quarter, propelling the 5th grade to a 14-6 win.

They were up against a previously undefeated team, until today, and they were up for the challenge.

Raymond led the way with 7 points, and Willard sealed the game with a nice jump shot on a fast break in the fourth.

The 5th grade is now (4-0).

Strong fourth wins it for 7th grade
Julio scored 6 points in the fourth quarter of the 7th grade game, and the 7th graders are now (4-0) after a 19-10 victory.

They were up only 11-10 entering the final quarter, but outscored the other team 8-0 when it mattered most.

It was a sloppy game, but the fourth quarter was when the team stepped up to win the game.

White Teams whips up a big win, sloppy 6th grade suffers another loss

Mark scored 20 points in the first half alone to lead the White Team to a 34-19 victory.

The game was decided when the 8th grade took control with some early pressure on the defensive press and raced out to a 14-4 lead after one.

Calson had one of his best games of the year and had 8 points, all of them coming on strong offensive rebounds, which is something he has lacked in his entire career. It wasn’t the soccer throw-in shot, but a strong one-handed putback.

They piled it on the other team in the second quarter and led by three touchdowns at halftime 28-7.
Mark finished with 22 points, and was hitting from the outside and racing out on fast breaks.

It will be a quick turnaround for the White Team as they play in their second game of a back-to-back tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Gavin Lin added 4 points in the win.

6th grade reverts to old form
By Emily (6th Grade Beat Writer)
The 6th grade boys played like they were still on winter vacation and dropped their first game of 2011 by a score of 21-14.

They were sloppy from the start and it showed in the way they passed the ball, caught the ball, and most importantly, how they took care of the ball.

Ball handling was definitely a cause for concern tonight, as they got the ball taken away many times on their fast breaks. They had no aggression from the get-go, and dug themselves into a nine point hole, 15-6,  at halftime.

They managed to cut the lead to three early in the fourth, but that was as close as they would get.
Free throws were also problematic as they shot 4-of-11 from the line, and missed two shots on the front end of the one-and-ones.

Daniel had 7 points in the loss, and was the lone bright spot in tonight’s game.  His energy and determination to play the game was something lacking in the rest of his teammates.

Halfway through the season, they sit at (2-2).

Comings and goings, and exclusive Warriors news

Jim Harbaugh will be the next head coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

Edgar Renteria will be taking his talents to Cincinnati this year. The World Series MVP and hero will play next year for the Reds.

WARRIORS GAME
For this year's Warriors game, you have your pick to see them play the Chicago Bulls on a Saturday night, the Oklahoma CIty Thunder on a Sunday night, or the Minnesota Timberwolves on a Sunday night. Vote above and the top choice will be this year's Warriors date.

The lost art of writing, and a triple-header this Saturday

A post without a video.

Lot of stuff going on to start the year, so I thought I'd give everyone a quick update about our current state of events and things to come for 2011.

This Saturday, make your way out to St. Emydius for a triple-header, starting at 2 p.m. when the 4th grade plays their fourth game of the year. They will be followed by both 8th grade teams. Three games in one location, so please come out and watch those three teams play.

The schedule is always on the blog so be sure to check it out when in doubt.

We are in the stages of planning a Warriors and a Sharks game, and information on both of those events should be made available in the next few days and at latest in the upcoming week.

Girls basketball sign-ups will start tomorrow Monday and practices will begin late in January. Depending on how many boys teams make the playoffs, we will see where we can start slotting girls practices on Sundays at NDV.

Don't forget to get to your games 30 minutes before game time to stretch and to game plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you at some point this weekend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CALVIN
I'd make a video, but we have no Calvin footage. Happy Birthday to Calvin Ng.

Epic Video #6 - Welcome to 2011

Happy Birthday Emily

Here is the actual real video...Happy Birthday Emily.