Monday Morning Quarterback - The First Win

Monday Morning Quarterback

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

__________________________________________________________________________________

MMQ welcomes you back after a two, or was it three week hiatus. The boys basketball season has come to a close and we open the chapter for the girls basketball season as well as the baseball season.

So let the criticizing begin.

So let's start with the 8th grade girls.

It is not going to be an easy walk through the park like it was the last year for the 8th grade girls. They jumped two divisions and will need to play their "A" game every single game. Gone are the days of 20 point blowout wins against the teams like Waldorf.

There are no easy games, as evident by their tournament the past week.

Marissa may be the best free throw shooter the school has seen in years. Without her free throws, the girls lose all three games.

And strange enough in the one game they did lose, she shot a masterful 15-for-16 at the free throw line.

They key to the girls' success this year is how well they can take care of the ball. Turnovers were prevalent in all of their games, and in two of them, they got away with turning the ball over.

There aren't that many ball handlers on this team, so the ones that do touch the ball more need to get better. And those who aren't good at it, need to get better as well.

The division is going to be quick and they will swarm the ball. Ball security is more important than anything for this team.

Now onto the 3rd/4th graders who won for the first time yesterday.

There is nothing like your first win in anything. And it's even more special when you have lost a bunch of games like this team has in the past. Win number one is something special, something you cherish, and something you remember for the rest of your life...Kind of like a piano recital...

After watching yesterday's game, it made me fat back, or flashback to the first wins for teams at St. Mary's in the last 3-4 years.

Here are the ones that are most memorable.

Year One (2007-2008)
Class of 2010 Girls, 6th Grade Basketball @ CYO Serramonte vs St. Anne's
It was a Saturday afternoon and Tianna didn't show up until the fourth quarter, and the girls hung on to win their first game ever played.

Year Two (2008-2009)
Class of 2009, 8th Grade Girls Volleyball @ Mission Dolores vs Waldorf
It was a Saturday night/late afternoon. This girls team had won two sets this year heading into their final game. It was their first year playing volleyball and the girls had won the first set. After losing the second set, I thought to myself that it was pretty cool to win three sets in your first year. Then Olivia stepped up and served 9 straight balls over for the win.

Class of 2009/10, Baseball Team @ Rossi vs Corpus Christi
St. Mary's baseball was usually on the wrong end of the 8 run rule, where mercy is applied. When a team scores 8 runs, the inning is over. On this afternoon, it was St. Mary's doing the scoring. Hit after hit after hit. And then Derek struck out the final batter. 10-6...the team's first baseball win.

Year Three (2009-2010)
Class of 2010, 8th Grade Girls Volleyball @St. Emydius vs Bayview YMCA
I wasn't at this game. I got a text in the 49ers press box and had to do a double take when I saw that the 8th grade girls had finally won a volleyball game. That win gave the girls momentum all the way to their championship appearance.

Current 5th/6th Grade Girls, 4th/5th Grade Girls Volleyball @ Good Shepherd vs Good Shepherd
Again, I wasn't at this game.This time, I got a text while standing in the Raiders Press Conference Room. I couldn't believe it. The girls actually won, and not only did they win, they did it in only two sets.

Class of 2010/2011, 7th/8th Grade Soccer @ Silver Terrace vs OLPH

The stars aligned for this game. Everything had to go right. Derek made a penalty kick and OLPH had a penalty kick go wide of the net. Justin had a chance to give the team a lead but his shot hit the goal post. But Derek's corner kick was dribbled in by Tommy and the 2-1 score held.

Current 7th Grade Boys, 6th Grade Basketball @ CYO Serramonte vs St. Cecilia
It was a Friday night and the first time that the current 7th grade boys had a team. This was before the DeMarillac invasion. It was a tight game throughout and then the boys busted the game wide open with an incredible fourth quarter. That is where The Shem made his first ever shot.

Girls Schedule Released

3rd/4th Grade Schedule

5th Grade Schedule

6th/7th Grade Schedule

8th Grade Schedule

Click Each Schedule to Enlarge.

Here are the first games for each team:


Friday Night
6th/7th Grade, 6 p.m. @ St. Stephen's
8th Grade, 6 p.m. @ SVDP
5th Grade, 7 p.m. @ SVDP

Saturday
3rd/4th Grade, 10 a.m. @ Mission Dolores

3rd/4th Grade Girls win first game in team history

For the first time, the 3rd and 4th grade girls were winners with their 22-6 victory in this afternoon's final round of the CYO tournament.

They got off to a great start when Miracle scored on the first possession of the game. That momentum carried the entire way as the girls had their highest output by far in their little over one year team history.

In fact, they scored more points today, than they did combined their last 10 games.


Their defense shouldn't be overlooked as they swarmed the ball at will, creating turnovers, and generating fast break opportunities. That set up a lot of open shots, something that had been troublesome for quite a while.

Miracle had a career high 12 points, with her baskets coming in forms of lay-ups and jump shots.

After scoring the first two points of her career in the first half, Adrianna erupted with another 6 points in the second half.

Michaela became the first 3rd grader to score with her coast to coast drive in the fourth quarter.

Precious shot wins it for 8th graders

**Highlights Updated**

Precious stole an inbounds pass with 20 seconds left and buried a short jumper to give the 8th grade girls a 26-24 win in the CYO preseason consolation championship.

Marissa was held to only 13 points on the day, but every player on the team scored, contributing to the team's best collective effort of their three games so far.

Precious, Gavy, Catharine and Beverlyn all scored 3 points, while Amanda's lone point came from the free throw line.

Playing without Serina, Precious was pushed into duty as a main ball handler in only her third ever CYO game. She did a solid job protecting the ball, as the team had the least turnovers of their three games in the tournament this afternoon.

What plagued them from running away with this game and almost losing it was their inability to look up on the fast break. Almost every girl had her head down while she dribbled down court.

Defensively, they are having trouble grabbing rebounds, as today they swiped and slapped at the ball more than usual.

Fouls were a problem for the first time this season as Amanda collected 4 personal fouls, and Beverlyn fouled out right before the third quarter ended.

Down 24-22 with less than 30 seconds left, Marissa drove to the hoop and got fouled.

She was sent to the line and buried both her free throws to tie the game at 24-24.

Right off the inbounds, Precious stepped in front of an inbound pass, and the ball landed right in her lap. She immediately took the shot and drained the first field goal of her CYO career.

Due to budget cuts, there was no trophy.

5th Grade Championship RAW Video

8th Grade Girls win ugly

**Highlights Updated**

The 8th grade girls won a 29-23 slugfest in Round 2 of the CYO preseason tournament.

In a game that took an hour and 15 minute to complete, the girls went to the free throw line practically every minute of the game.

They were in the bonus a little over two minutes into the third quarter, which is when they made their comeback.

Down 9-6 at halftime, the girls put together a strong second half, and willed their way to a win one night after an 11 point loss.

Marissa had another strong game and had 19 points, while Beverlyn's fourth quarter, where she scored 7 points put the girls in the win column for the first time this year.

The game was won at the free-throw line where they shot close to 70%, making 21 out of 31 free throws.

Marissa had a shaky start from the line where she was so good last night, and hit 9 of 15 free throws.

In the fourth, the team shot 10 of 12, which really put them over the hump.

Gavy scored 3 points, her first ever points in CYO play.

The girls took care of the ball better overall, but are still far from being good when they have possession.

Rebounding is also an issue as they were one step slower to the ball the entire night.

Despite their ruggedness, they were able to grind out an ugly victory. This game was physical and by no means pretty at all.

The girls play in the Consolation Championship Saturday afternoon.

Happy Birthday

3rd/4th graders bounce back, Marissa accounts for all of 8th grade's points

The 3rd and 4th grade girls had a nice bounce back game after their performance Tuesday night, and lost 8-4 in round two of their CYO preseason tournament game.

Miracle scored all 4 points for the 3rd/4th graders, who were trailing 6-4 in the last minute of the game. A late basket accounted for the game's final bucket.

The girls will play their final tournament game Sunday, 4 p.m. at CYO Serramonte.

Team Marissa falls in round one
Marissa scored all of the 8th grade's points in a 34-23 loss in round one of the CYO preseason tournament.

From the free throw line, she shot a spectacular 15-for-16.

This was a tight game until the girls self destructed late in the fourth quarter.

They were also extremely careless with the ball, and turnovers in the backcourt led to at least 10 points for the other team, if not more.

When they were pressed in the second half, they conveniently gave the ball away almost at will, and that was the difference in the game.

On the glass, they were out-rebounded and the other team capitalized on a lot of second chance points.

Their next game is set for tomorrow night, 6 p.m. at St. Emydius.

Epic Video #13

Also, there is something missing in this week's Epic Video. The first person to email me to let me know what is different about this week, wins a prize.

Mark and Miles star in Achievement Game, 3rd/4th graders lose in round 1

Miracle scored early in the game and it looked like it was going to be a good day for the 3rd/4th graders in their basketball debut.

But that was the last we heard from the girls on the offensive end as they lose 20-2 in tonight's round one match-up.

They play again tomorrow, 5 p.m. in Round 2 from St. Emydius.

Mark and Miles hold their own

Mark and Miles both were on the losing ends of their Achievement Games, but they individually did pretty well.

Mark scored 20 points, the most on his team in a 10 point loss, while Miles had 14 points as his team lost by 4 points.

SMILE Extravaganza Night Video

Quick All-Star Sunday Results

Team White beat Team Red 46-42 in the All-Star Game with Justin taking home MVP honors.

Justin had a game high 26 points, one better than Miles, who had 25 points.

BOYS ALL-STAR GAME BOXSCORE
Team White
Justin - 26 points
Justin G - 8 points
Mark - 8 points
Julio - 4 points

Team Red
Miles - 25 points
David - 8 points
Gavin Lin - 4 points
Daniel - 3 points
Pablo - 2 points


In the Young Stars Game, Team White beat Team Red 19-18. Raymond had a team high 9 points, while Jason Hou scored 6 points. Thomas and Garrick both had 2 points.

For Team White, Jonathan scored a game high 13 points. Grant added 3 points while Joseph scored 2 points.

In the Boys Alumni Game, Andrew Chuong, who had 21 points, stole the show with some crazy acrobatic drives and fadeaways, but his team lost to Team Kevin 49-46.

For Team Kevin, John Wang had a game high 22 points and Calvin Ng scored 16 points.

BOYS ALUMNI BOXSCORE
Team Kevin
Dennison Fong - 4
Sophia Nguyen - 3
George Nguyen - 2
Brandon Lee - 2

Team Kelvin

Freddy Ng - 9 points
Derek Kwong - 8 points
Justin Khuu - 6 points
Tommy Lin - 2 points

Aaron and Clarissa win the Young Stars 2-Ball, while Derek and Gavin C. win the 2-Ball for the Big Boys.

2-BALL SCORES
Justin and Calvin - 8
Jason and Justin - 13
Daniel and Chris - 19
Willard and Megan - 18

Dennison and Jonathan - 32, Final Round - 12
Aaron and Clarissa - 25, Final Round 14

7th and 8th Grade 2-BALL SCORES
Patty and Michael - 5
John and Robert - 8
Vinette and Justin - 10
Jamie and Raymond - 6
Tiffanie and Anthony - 8

Derek and Gavin - 22, Final Round 32
Calvin and Hartman - 21, Final Round 21

Megan Yuen beats Patty Fung in the finals for Coaches Knockout.

The Red Team wins the first annual All-Star Sunday Cup.

Jeremy wins the 3 Point Shootout, while the Zhus beat the Fongs 3-1 in the Family Game.

Jason Z. missed the Million Dollar Shot.

All-Star Sunday Preview and Predictions

12:30 p.m. Young Stars Game
All players grades 3rd, 4th and 5th will play. Please wear your jerseys and color according to your team. 

Team Red – Jonathan, Grant, Joseph, Jason Ng, Ethan, Ryan K, Jason Z

Team White – Raymond, Jason, Thomas, Willard, Justin, Ryan Q, Garric

 

1:15 p.m. 2-Ball (Grades 4-6)

Dennison Fong – Jonathn

Megan Yuen – Willard

Justin Khuu – Jason

Calvin To – Justin

Chris Yee – Daniel

Clarissa Lee – Aaron

 
Prediction:  Dennison and Jonathan

1:45 pm. 3 Point Shootout

Michael Ng, Pablo, Jeremy, Justin, Gavin C., Mark (Defending Champ)

Prediction: Justin

2:15 p.m. ALL-STAR SUNDAY CUP (ROUNDS 1-3)
Elimination style where every team in the school will compete in a series of competitions. Each round one team is eliminated until one team is left standing. Everybody is in this event.

2:45 p.m. 2-ball (Grades 7-8)

Jamie Zhao – Pablo

Tiffanie Vuong – Anthony

Calvin Ng – Hartman

John Wang – Robert

Derek Kwong – Gavin C

Patty Fung – Michael F.

Vinette Ly – Justin

Prediction: Calvin and Hartman

3:15 p.m. ALUMNI GAME

4:00 p.m. ALL-STAR SUNDAY CUP (FINALS)

4:30 p.m. COACHES KNOCKOUT

Prediction: Andrew Chuong

4:45 p.m. ALL-STAR GAME

Team Red – Miles, Pablo, David, Gavin L, Daniel, Garrick (Wear Original Red Jerseys)

Team White – Julio, Justin L, Mark, Calson, Justin G, Joey

 
5:15 p.m. MILLION DOLLAR SHOT/ZHUS VS FONGS
Prediction: Fongs

What Could've Been...

So quickly here are the results from the championship games in your division if your team did not make it all the way.

Red Team: St. Thomas Apostle beats St. John
7th Grade: Good Shepherd beats Stuart Hall
6th Grade: Epiphany beats OLP
4th Grade: Megan Furth beats St. Thomas More

Mark and Miles selected to Achievement Game, Girls Tournament Schedule

Congratulations to Mark and Miles who were selected to represent not only their teams, but St. Mary's in the CYO Achievement Game.

Mark will play at 5:30 p.m. and Miles takes the court at 6:30 p.m. Both games will be played at St. Emydius Tuesday night.

The last four 8th grade boys to be chosen were Jonathan Chiu (2007), Michael Chan (2008), Perry Phan (2009) and Derek Kwong (2010).


GIRLS TOURNAMENT INFORMATION


3rd/4th Grade Girls
Tuesday - 7 p.m. @ St. Elizabeth
Wednesday - 5 p.m. @ St. Emydius
Game 3 - TO BE DETERMINED AFTER GAME 2

8th Grade Girls
Wednesday - 5 p.m. @ Epiphany
Thursday - 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. @ St. Emydius
Game 3 - TO BE DETERMINED AFTER GAME2

More RAW Video

There is absolutely nothing going on today or tomorrow for sports at St. Mary's. Shocker.

What to do...Watch more RAW Video.

From last night as well as the 6th grade playoff game. Post mortems will trickle in as the weekend goes along.

White Team slumps on offense, take second place

In a CYO division, whether high or low, one team wins the championship. It's a rule and somebody takes home a trophy at the end of the game.

Unfortunately tonight, the White Team took home the second place trophy.

With Mark looking like he was going to pass out minutes into the game, and missed lay-ups underneath the basket, the White Team made their quest for a championship that much more difficult in a ugly looking 19-11 loss.

By no means was this a great game, not anywhere close to a classic. If it wasn't for a Gavin Lin last second putback that wasn't defended by the other team, there would've been no scoring in the entire fourth quarter.

And this was a championship game?

As bad as the play was on both ends, the game was still there for the taking, even with Mark ailing.

The White Team had plenty of clean looks in the first half, and just weren't able to hit them. The other team made two 3 pointers in the first half, that basically won them the game.

In this division, the championship team scored 5 points in the second half of a championship game.

Mark got the White Team going early on with a beautiful drive to the basket, a sign of what many thought were good things to come. He even had a brilliant move mid-second where he went coast to coast that cut the lead to 9-7.

But everything that the White Team knew they needed to do in order to win the game, they did not do, and it bit them in the end.

Gavin Chan, Gavin Lin and Calson combined for 6 points.

Mark had a team high 5 points,  but was held scoreless in the second half.

Despite the loss, the core of this team has come a long way in the last few years, forced to play with the now 7th graders for two years, and the last two on their own as the White Team.

They crafted out their own identity and were a good team in their last season at St. Mary's.

Granted, they were in a weak division, but the way they won their games were not a fluke. When they clicked, they were an exciting and fun team to watch, and making it to the final game of the season is always an accomplishment they can look back on for years to come.




 

Happy Birthday Tiff Ye

Happy Birthday to Tiff Ye, one of many alumni who came to tonight's championship game.

All-Star Sunday Participants Released

12:30 Young Stars Game
1:15 Grades 4-6 2-Ball
1:45 3 Point Shootout
2:15 ALL-STAR SUNDAY CUP (ROUNDS 1-3)
2:45 Grades 7 & 8 2 -BALL
3:15 BOYS ALUMNI GAME
4:00 ALL-STAR SUNDAY CUP (FINALS)
4:30 COACHES KNOCKOUT
4:45 ALL-STAR GAME
5:15 MILLION DOLLAR SHOT/ZHUS VS FONGS
5:20 SECOND HALF OF ALL STAR GAME

5th Grade Caps off Season with Championship

The 5th Grade Boys - 2011 CYO Champions

The 5th grade boys finished off a remarkable season with a 13-7 victory to take their first ever CYO championship.

Coming off a year where they went (2-6), they turned it around this season,  went (7-1) in the regular season, and won their playoff and championship games.

Raymond had a game high 8 points to lead the way in what was a very sluggish and sloppy first half.

For about 5 minutes in the first half, the 5th graders didn't even take a shot, as they pretty much turned the ball over on every possession.

Luckily, the other team didn't make any shots of their own either, and the end result was a 3-3 tie going into halftime.

St. Mary's even trailed briefly at the end of the second when a jumper made the score 3-2. But Raymond was fouled with a few seconds left in the half, and split his free throws to tie the game.

The 5th graders finally got some offense going in the third quarter and scored 5 points in the third, none more important than Grant's basket towards the end of the third, which gave them an 8-5 lead going into the fourth.

Field goals by Willard and Raymond, as well as free throws by Jason Zhao and Raymond accounted for the 6 points in the final quarter as the 5th graders sealed their championship.

Jason Zhao did a great job on both ends of the court, playing aggressive defense, and taking the ball in aggressively towards the hoop. His free throw in the fourth quarter made it a two possession game at the time.

With nine players on the team, everybody needed to come in and contribute, and that's exactly what they did.

Head coach Megan Yuen, in her first year as a coach at St. Mary's, picks up her first championship as a coach.

Assistant coach Justin Khuu also gets his first title as a coach.

White Team Championship Preview

WHAT: 8TH GRADE WHITE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
WHERE: ST. EMYDIUS (255 JULES AVE)
WHEN: 6:15 P.M.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The road to the championship just got a little tougher for the White Team.

Mark left school earlier today with a fever and is battling a cold, so it's unlikely he will be at 100% come gametime tomorrow.

Knowing Mark, he will have whatever he has in him, and will give it a go, but not having a healthy Mark could be very detrimental to the White Team's chances.

For the 8th graders to win, they will need a great game from Calson.

The team they play has a lot of size, but none have longer arms than Calson. If he has a good game, the chances for the White Team go up dramatically.

Scoring early and often is another key for a win. This is a team that is built on confidence and when they can hit some early shots, their energy level gets turned up a notch.

And finally, their press is going to need to work. They have trouble scoring in the offensive set, and play their best when they are able to put pressure on their opponent, generating turnovers to create offense.

In the half court set, they are at times stagnant and take a lot of long jumpers. And without a huge offensive rebounding force, the White Team is better off taking shots through the fast break.

Even with Mark at his best, they will need secondary scoring from everyone else on the team. When Mark takes all the shots, it usually means nobody is getting open, and Mark either can't pass it to them or decides to take it himself.

When he can get others involved, the offense is more fluid and the entire team's morale is boosted.

They've gone the distance - now it's time to finish it off.

Epic Video #12 - Valentine's Edition

Also don't forget to read the 5th grade championship preview.

5th Grade Championship Preview

It all comes down to tomorrow night when the 5th grade plays in their first championship game against Salesian.

The first time these two teams met, the 5th graders lost 14-11 in a game where according to their coaches, nobody except Raymond was engaged.

That definitely cannot happen again.

Yes, Raymond has been the standout player for the last few years in terms of scoring points, but this year it isn't Raymond carrying the team with his scoring. He is doing it with passing.

Look at the numerous highlights for the 5tn graders and often you will see Raymond finding the open man, setting up the basket.

If this trend can continue tomorrow night, it bodes well for the 5th grade.

Another key to their game will be their offense, as they need to hit shots. Defensively, they are pretty solid and have a really good knack for the ball. The twins have added some toughness and grit to this team, as they have held their opponents in the mid-teens for scoring for pretty much the entire season.

The main key to victory will be the offense and if they can get hot at the right time. They have numerous shooters on this team that can strike and if tomorrow night is their night, we will have a championship to talk about.

If they are able to score 20 points, it'll be a big party afterwards.

The stage is set for the 5th grade to shine.

All-Star Sunday Schedule

ALL-STAR SUNDAY IS THIS SUNDAY AT NDV

12:30 YOUNG STARS GAME (ALL 4TH AND 5TH GRADERS)
1:15 2-BALL (GRADES 4-6)
1:45 3 POINT SHOOTOUT (GRADES 6-8)
2:15 ALL-STAR SUNDAY CUP (ROUNDS 1-3 ALL GRADES)

2:45 2-BALL (GRADES 7&8)
3:15 MYSTERY EVENT
4:00 ALL-STAR SUNDAY CUP (FINALS)
4:30 COACHES KNOCKOUT
4:45 ALL-STAR GAME (GRADES 6-8)
5:15 MILLION DOLLAR SHOT/FAMILY GAME
5:20 SECOND HALF OF ALL STAR GAME

(Participants will be revealed in a special Epic Video Thursday)

BREAKING NEWS: 5th Grade Championship Game Changed (RAW Playoff Video)

The 5th Grade Championship Game has been moved to Wednesday night at 5 p.m.

The game will still be played at CYO Serramonte. Please make plans accordingly.

4th Grade Post Mortem (RAW Video)

We are 24 hours removed from what proved to be an instant classic and unfortunately our 4th graders were not on the winning end of this heart-wrenching game.

Games like these could build character, and when you are on the losing end of such an exciting game, it should motivate you to improve and get back to the same spot and win in the upcoming years. Let's hope that happens for our youngest team.

As for the game itself, it was no different than most of their other games offensively as Jonathan led the team in scoring. That's almost a given.

Justin did his part as he matched his career high 4 points in a playoff game. He wasn't afraid to shoot the ball, and contributed nicely on the offensive end.

On the defensive end is where the game was lost.

They had no answer for the give and go. For whatever reason, they just couldn't defend it.

On the boards, they were out-rebounded, and instead of grabbing the ball firmly, they slapped at it instead.

Jonathan made almost all his free throws, but missed two crucial ones in overtime that could've given them the lead. But there is absolutely no way anybody can blame Jonathan for missing those two shots, because I would say he is probably the best, if not top three best free throw shooters in the entire school - and he's only in 4th grade.

If you were to poll the entire school on who they would want to shoot a free throw and make it, Jonathan's name would probably be at the top of the list.

As I mentioned in the highlights, and again, there is no way I can blame Jonathan for missing this shot, but with about 3-4 minutes left, the 4th grade led 20-14.

If that lay-up goes in, it's an 8 point lead, and the other team would've been reeling. They had just had a technical foul called on them, and this could've pretty much sealed the game.

Instead, it went the other way for a made lay-up and that 4 point swing swung the momentum back in the other team's favor.

The other team was the aggressor, outworking and out-hustling the 4th graders and that proved to be the difference.

Also, when you don't play that many close games, if any during the season, you are not used to the pressure of a tight game, and I think that caught up with not just the players but the coaches as well.

In the end, it was a good season, that had plenty of ups and great things to build on for the future.

Look on the bright side, you won't have to watch those cheerleaders next Saturday, unless you really want to.

Happy Birthday

5th Grade Championship Bound, 4th Grade's Season Comes to Bitter End, 7th Grade Bounced

After a slow start, the 5th grade took over in the second half en route to a 14-7 victory that will send them to the championship this Thursday night at CYO Serramonte.

Raymond had a game high 10 points to lead the way, while Jason Ng and Joseph both added a bucket.

Garrick played some really good defense against the much larger opposing center, as he gave their big guy trouble all game long.

It was a 6-3 game at halftime, with the 5th grade barely hanging onto a lead. They were able to get some good looks on their shots, but were unable to hit them.

As the game went on, they got into more of a rhythm, as their defense was stellar once again. That led to some easy buckets for Raymond.

In the championship, they will face Salesian, the only team that the 5th grade has lost to this season.

If you haven't already made plans for this afternoon, be sure to see the 4th grade and 7th grade in action. Tip off for the 4th grade is 3 p.m. at St. Emydius and 4 p.m. for the 7th grade at Herbert Center.



4th Grade Falls in Sudden Death 
The 4th grade boys played in an instant classic, but sadly their season came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end after a 28-26 sudden death overtime loss.

In a back and forth contest that featured numerous lead changes and ties, their opponent ultimately gutted out the win in the second overtime.

The game was tied 22-22 after regulation and twice the 4th graders took leads of two. But each time, the other team, resilient as ever, answered with a bucket of their own and forced the playoff game into sudden death, where the 4th graders ultimately lost.

Both teams were shooting the ball well, particularly Jonathan who accounted for 22 of the team's 26 points. He also made 10-for-13 from the free throw line.

In the end however, it wasn't enough, as for the first time this season since their opener, they were tested. In the close game, their mistakes were magnified.

Their defense fell apart in the second half as the other team got off a clean shot almost every possession down. The team of five eventually wore down.

Justin had an incredible game and had 4 clutch points.

In their first year, they finished the season (6-2) - one loss from a forfeit, and were a bucket away from a championship game.

A lot of progress was made and this could be a team that contends for the title for the rest of their years playing at St. Mary's.



7th Grade Slumps in Second Half
Down 9-6 at halftime, it looked like the 7th grade had a chance to pull off an upset. But a disastrous third quarter, where the 7th grade was outscored 10-1 ultimately doomed them, and they lost by a final of 19-8.

Their opponent didn't score for the last quarter and a half, so the game was still up for grabs until the bitter end.

Unfortunately, the 7th grade could not make a shot on offense, missing numerous lay-ups and free throws down the stretch.

From the line they shot a pedestrian 2-for-15.

What they will look back on during the off-season was the 3rd quarter where the wheels came off. Turnovers and the inability to break the press really ended any hope of a potential championship berth.

They also end their season (6-2) in the regular season and with a playoff defeat. Keep in mind, this is a team that was (1-7) last season, and featured 4 players that had never played basketball until this year.

White Team punches ticket to championship, 6th grade's season ends

The 8th grade White Team punched their ticket to the championship with a 25-15 victory tonight at Mission Dolores.

It was a slow start as the 8th graders led by one at the half 8-7, and even trailed by a point in the middle of the third.

But a Gavin Chan 3 pointers gave the White Team back the lead 11-9.

Off of some nice Mark fast breaks, they stretched out their lead to as much as 14 in the fourth until eventually winning the game by 10.

Gavin Lin had one of his best performances of the year, as he made two very nice put backs in the second half, and was solid on his half court trap on the press.

With the win, the White Team becomes the first St. Mary's team this season to clinch a championship berth. They will in all likelihood play Holy Name Thursday night at St. Emydius. Game time is set for 6:15 p.m.

If they want to win the championship, they cannot get off to as slow of a start as they did tonight, when turnovers and bad ball movement stalled their offense. Mark took some bad jump shots and others on the team weren't able to pitch in.

In the second half, they took better shots and Mark distributed the ball a lot better, and therefore the points started to pile up in their favor.

Mark scored a game high 18 points, while Gavin Chan had 5 points. Gavin Lin added 4 points.



6th Grade season comes to a close
By Emily, 6th Grade Beat Writer

The 6^th grade’s bid to upset No. 1 seeded Epiphany came up short, as they were eliminated from the playoffs with a 30-22 loss.

They kept it fairly close throughout the first quarter, as they were only down by three.  But slowly, the narrow gap began to slip away, because of the 6^th grade could not grab a rebound.

From the free throw line, they shot 2-for-10, something that will come back and haunt you when you play an important game such as a playoff game.

They managed to cut the lead to 6, but that was as close as they would get to advancing to the championship. 

Daniel, who had 5 points, fouled out with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter. Justin had a game high 15 points in the loss.

Tonight’s game was overall a good effort, as they had the energy and aggression they lacked in some of their regular season games. 

This is the second straight season the 6th graders have lost in the playoffs, after finishing the regular season at (4-4).

Saturday Playoff Previews, 4th, 5th and 7th

Saturday is an even bigger day than tonight and Wednesday because three of our teams will wrap up the St. Mary's boys basketball playoff portion of the season, with the 4th, 5th and 7th graders in action.

This will mark the first time any of these players have played in a CYO playoff game.

The 4th and 5th grade go into their games as the favorites, with the 4th grade beating St. Thomas More the first time by about 20 points, and the 5th grade beating St. Peter Pacifica on two separate occasions.

But come playoff time, anything can happen so these two teams will need to be on guard and play their best game to date.

For the 4th grade, the scoring comes mainly from Jonathan and Jason. They will need to be at the top of their offensive game like they were the last time these two teams met. The other three members of the team all have shown they are capable to contribute offensively, but more importantly, their defense needs to be top notch.

They are not a very big team and will need their post players to rebound to start fast breaks. They are a good team in transition as Jonathan can distribute the ball to open players as well as taking it himself.

Once again, this is a team of five players so fatigue could come into play. It's a lot less tiring when you are playing ahead, than coming from behind, so a solid start will definitely stack the odds in the 4th grade's favor.

5th Grade
The 5th grade took first place in their division and will play the No. 4 seed, St. Peter Pacifica.

These two teams met last Friday in one of the ugliest CYO games I had ever seen. Both teams couldn't take care of the ball and the officiating lacked a lot to be desired. In the end, St. Mary's came out on top by a final score of 10-4.

The fact that they were able to hold St. Peter Pac shows that they probably won't be a team that will score very much, so if the 5th grade can put up a good offensive showing, they should not have much trouble.

However, if the offense goes cold, it could be another one of those games where once bounce can dictate the outcome of the game.

Raymond wasn't at his best last game, and neither was the rest of the team. Their shooting and lay-ups that were so reliable went missing. Their free throws were also pretty bad as they missed all their shots from the line.

Our 5th graders are volume shooters, so they need to make a few baskets early on the get their confidence going.

The defense is solid, and rebounding has been improved with the addition of The Twins.

7th Grade
The 7th grade will face an uphill battle as they play Stuart Hall in their home gym. Last time these two teams met, the 7th grade had their most disappointing game of the year.

Two of their keys to victory lie in the hands of two 7th graders who played last year, Hartman and Jason.

Hartman has had trouble taking care of the ball, so him running the offense will be key in whether they can pull off an upset or not. Hartman needs to basically take care of the ball and if he can do that and keep the team in the game, it will be a success.

Jason needs to play like a big man. The last meeting between the two, Jason wasn't very strong underneath and let the other team push him around. In the last game and previous practices, Jason has stepped up his game, and we'll hope it translates to Saturday.

If he can be a force in the middle, it will take pressure off others on his team as well as make it tougher for the other team to get off shots.

This is a quick team they are up against and it will take the 7th grade's "A" game to advance to the finals.

6th and 8th Grade White Team Playoff Preview

The White Team and the 6th grade boys will take center stage Friday night, as both teams try to advance to the championship.

For the 6th grade, they will be underdogs and for the second straight year, try to pull off an upset. They were (4-4) in the regular season, the same record they have held now for three years straight in the regular season.

They will play at Epiphany against Epiphany, where they faced off against them in game two of the regular season.

That game was one of a few games that the 6th graders came out without energy, something that cannot happen tomorrow night if they want to pull off an upset.

If St. Mary's vs Epiphany history repeats itself, it could be good news for the 6th grade.

Twice in the last two years, a St. Mary's team that held the fourth seed, upset Epiphany at Epiphany, with the current 8th grade girls doing it in 6th grade and last year's Red Team winning that instant classic.

But for that to happen, the 6th grade will need to be clicking and they can't afford their lapses that they are prone to have.

Rebounds are going to be a decider so their post players, Brendan, Brandon Khuu and Daniel will need to play physical.

The 6th grade shoots the ball pretty well, so hitting their outside shots are going to be a must, because they have trouble scoring inside against other bigger players.

If the 6th grade can hang around in the first half and keep the score close, it will be their advantage  in the second half, because their press is usually pretty strong and it triggers their offense.

They need to avoid playing a slow paced game, otherwise, it will be a lot of jump shots from the outside.

White Team
The White Team last played West Portal in their first game of the year, so it's been a while since these two teams locked up.

This will be the first playoff game for 3 of the 6 players on the White Team.

At (7-1), they are the overwhelming favorites against a team that didn't even have a .500 record and made it into the playoffs at (3-5). Their division was so poor that a (2-6) team took the fourth spot.

One thing the White Team needs to be careful about is to not overlook their opponent, something that can come naturally considering the success the White Team has had this year, as well as the disparity in the records.

Also, they'll need to play a solid game to not only win, but also give them momentum going into a possible championship clash against what is most likely going to be Holy Name.

A lot of this lies in the hands of Mark, who is the anchor of this team. Mark will not only need to score himself but get others on his team involved.

In their last regular season game, Mark accounted for all but 4 of his team's points, and their play overall was something head coach John Wang was not happy about.

Calson will need to play like a big man, and all the other natural wing players, the Gavins, Timmy and Robert need to knock down some open shots on the wings.

Mark will be able to penetrate and dish, and if his teammates start hitting more shots, Mark gets more comfortable passing it off, instead of forcing up tough shots.

Both of these games will be there for the taking tomorrow night, let's see who grabs it.

8th Grade Red Team Post-Mortem

We are about 24 hours removed from an exciting 8th Grade Red Team playoff game, which saw the Red Team's season come to an end, as they suffered a 35-31 defeat.

If you haven't caught the highlights, definitely take a look at them, because it will illustrate some of the good and some of the bad from last night's contest.

This was definitely a winnable game, and I think everybody who witnessed the game will attest to that.

In the preview, I mentioned that it will come down to a few key plays, a few missed lay-ups or free-throws, and that's exactly what happened.

If you look at the video, those two out of bounds plays where nobody guarded the person cutting right to the hoop, or the 6 quick points they scored in the beginning of the third. Or maybe the 11 missed free throws, most of them coming in the second half, those were the difference makers.

This game was lost not only on that, but the latter part of their regular season, where they sleepwalked through what was supposed to be an easy part of their schedule.

In their final three games of the year, they lost the intensity and drive that they needed to finish the season strong. It was their last night, but probably not where it could've been if they maintained their level of play throughout the entire season and not just the first half.

Had they won even one more game, they probably wouldn't have had to play St. John on their home court. And had they won the playoff game, the championship would've been at St. Emydius, regardless of who they played.

Lesson learned for everybody that CYO games are a premium, and each game is magnified because of the short schedule. This isn't the NBA where you have 82 games to prove yourself, or even Major League Baseball, where they play 162 games. 8 games is a very small sample size, so the "A" game needs to be there day in and day out.

Justin and Miles were the only two players who I thought played up to their ability last night, and a team effort was needed to pull off the win.

Their defense, most notably down in the post areas, were mediocre at best, as other than Miles, nobody could grab a rebound or get a body on someone to let Miles grab a rebound. Every time Miles went up to grab a rebound, it seemed like there were three guys over him.

And of course, the turnovers absolutely came back to haunt them. All those points St. John scored off turnovers.

The Red Team had to earn each and every one of their points throughout the night. St. John got plenty of points handed to them.

Not to say St. John's wasn't a good team, because they are, and in my estimation, will probably win the championship. But the Red Team made it so much easier for St. John and didn't make their lives very difficult.

Looking back at their careers as a whole is something that we should recognize despite last night's loss.

They were bumped up a division and very well could've won the championship again if things fell into place. This wasn't a team that won a championship and decided to mail it in. They elevated their play to this division and that's something that needs to be commended.

I reffed an 8-6 game last night, a division below the Red Team, and I can confidently say the Red Team would've blown either team out by at least 20 points, if not more.

They were in the right division and unfortunately couldn't pull it together when they needed it the most.

So as we all reflect on a great career for the Red Team, we will always remember the magic 7th grade championship run, as well as how close they were to doing it all over again in their 8th grade year.

This is by and large, the best 8th grade team we've had since 2007, and their body of work will be remembered for years to come.

Turnovers doom the Red Team

History will not be repeated as the Red Team was eliminated from the playoffs in an exciting and wild 35-31 loss earlier tonight at St. John's.

It was neck and neck all night, but the turnovers, missed lay-ups and free throws were too much to overcome.

There were several turnovers in the backcourt that led to wide open lay-ups for St. John.

The first time these two teams met, St. John was without their center, and with him in the lineup tonight, it was entirely different ballgame.

Their center was able to match Miles pound for pound, and the easy rebounds were a lot tougher tonight. The Red Team's big guy scored 12 points on the night.

Michael Ng hit two 3 pointers that energized the 8th graders as they were tied 17-17 going into halftime.

Justin, who had 8 points in his final St. Mary's basketball game, hit a long range jumper to give the Red Team a 19-17 lead but St. John stormed back with 6 straight points, 4 of those coming off turnovers in the backcourt.

Their out of bounds defense underneath the basket which hurt them all year, hurt them again tonight. On two occasions in the second half, St. John was able to inbound the ball directly to a player underneath the basket for an easy lay-up.

In a division like this, little mistakes are magnified and they prove to be the difference in the game.

With less than 3 minutes left, St. John stretched their lead out to 35-25, before the Red Team climbed back to within 4 points.

They had some chances to cut the lead down, but their shots in the second half just weren't falling.

They went to the line at will in the last few minutes of the game, but couldn't make a free throw. Overall, they shot 9-for-20 from the charity stripe.

These 8th graders however played with a purpose, and gave it their all, but unfortunately came up short.

It was a great change from their last three games where they played hesitant and tentative.

The Red Team gave it their all and that's all you could ask for, as the seven players wrapped up a spectacular basketball career at St. Mary's.

Happy Birthday Raymond

8th Grade Red Team Playoff Preview

If the Red Team we know shows up, they'll be fine. If the Red Team from the last three games shows up, we might have some trouble.

It's dangerous and also could be good to play to the level of your competition. In games against the top 5 teams in their division, the Red Team played like they were capable of.

Against the bottom three teams of the division, they played down to a lower level.

This could bode well because tomorrow night they will need to elevate their play if they want to return to the championship.

Going into this year, it was not going to be an easy task, as the jump between divisions is always drastic. For the most part, these 8th graders have handled it quite well.

And now it comes down to their final two basketball games in a St. Mary's uniform as there is no looking back after tomorrow night.

Their keys to victory comes from their defense and ability to rebound. When they can do both, they are able to get out on the run, get fast breaks, and open looks.

Having 7 players also gives them some wiggle room if one player isn't particularly feeling strong, there is an option to sub them out, something not available last season.

As a whole, they shoot the ball pretty well and are usually consistent from the free throw line. It's likely the game will come down to a few possessions, a handful of lay-ups and free throws, so the margin of error is slim.

One thing is for sure, it'll be an exciting night either way.

Don't miss it.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Where: St. John (925 Chenery St)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday Night

Epic Video Tuesdays

Come out to all the playoff games starting tomorrow night!

Monday Morning Quarterback (Playoff Schedules Released)

Designed by: Jenn Kuo

Monday Morning Quarterback (Night Edition)

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

_____________________________________________________________________________________

PLAYOFF SCHEDULES
Wednesday, February 9 - 8th Grade Red, 7 p.m. @ St. John vs St. John
Friday, February 11 - 6th Grade, 5:15 p.m. @ Epiphany vs Epiphany
Friday, February 11 - 8th Grade White, 6 p.m. @ Mission Dolores vs West Portal
Saturday, February 12 - 5th Grade, 1:15 p.m. @ Epiphany vs St. Peter Pacifica
Saturday, February 12 - 4th Grade, 3 p.m. @ St. Emydius vs St. Thomas More
Saturday, February 12, 7th Grade, 4 p.m. @ Herbert Center vs Stuart Hall

Now onto the regular Monday column.

Playoffs are around the corner and it makes for some exciting and also gut wrenching times. It all starts Wednesday night at St. John's Playhouse.

So let's start with the Red Team, who is mired in mini-slump.

Two weeks ago, they were on top of the world, and now, not so much.

Which team is going to show up Wednesday night? Will it be the team that looked unbeatable or will it be the team that was uninspired on Saturday.

The good news is that Justin is starting to come around the corner and is looking strong when it matters the most. Through the beginning and bits of the middle of the season, Justin was not at his best, throwing up wild and crazy shots and turning the ball over at a rapid pace.

It got to a point where Justin had to sit out a few quarters and regain his spot through his play. It looks like it has worked as he has played his best basketball in the last two games.

But elsewhere the drop-off is drastic as other people on the team, so productive earlier on, have been reduced to deer in the headlights, not knowing what to do, and looking very tired and wary.

It's a whole new season now for the boys, so it's a time for a new beginning, and things can easily get right back on track with a big win Wednesday night.

This isn't anything new for the five members of the Red Team who played last year, going into another team's gym and winning the game.

They are once again (5-3) and the fourth seed in their division. They'll look to upset the number one team.

A full Red Team playoff preview comes tomorrow along with Epic Video.

As far as the other teams go, it's also do or die -- there is no tomorrow.

Each team will need to find that extra juice, that extra motivation, and whatever else is needed to bring their all in the next game. It's very simple. Lose and go home, and nobody wants to go home.

So for the first time in St. Mary's modern day history, every basketball team is heading to the post-season, a remarkable accomplishment.

The 4th, 5th and 8th Grade White Team are all considered favorites going into their playoff game, but that doesn't mean anything until the game is played.

Be careful not to overlook the other teams because they are gunning for you.

The 6th and 7th grade will be both underdogs in their playoff games, but there games are also definitely winnable.

On the blog this week, we'll have a preview of each and every one of the playoff games coming up in the next week.

Everybody wear red, get out there and support our teams.

Buckle up for the wild ride ahead.

Red Team overlooks opponent, loses, White Team recovers from slow start

Note: Due to tiredness, highlights for Saturday will be in Epic Video #11.

It was not a strong way to end the season for both 8th grade teams. Both of them had some pretty lousy starts.

The White Team recovered to win and the Red Team did not.

The Red Team blew an 8 point lead in the final quarter and lost their final game of the year 44-40, in a game that lacked intensity from the start.

They trailed 11-5 after the first quarter and from then on never had the jump in their step. Their team spirit and energy has completely gone AWOL (missing). Today, two out of the seven players looked like they actually cared about winning a basketball game and their play and result of the game reflected that.

Justin almost single handedly carried the team to a victory scoring 21 points. He made tough inside shots, 3-pointers and was lights out from the free throw line.

Mark, although, only scoring 2 points, hustled and got to many loose balls and was the only player quick on defense.

Everyone else was either basking in their 7th grade championship or mentally just not there.

Their defense and press were non-existent as the other team, without breaking a sweat, just maneuvered around their statue-like defense. They got to the rim at will and launched wide open jump shots from beginning until the end.

Right now, mentally the Red Team is not there, and they haven't recovered from their horrendous showing last Friday night.

For a team that had championship bound written all over them two weeks ago, they'll be lucky their playoff game is even close if they continue to put up the same effort they put forth this afternoon.

Miles, for the third time this season, fouled out. And for the second straight week, he picked up his fifth foul on a offensive foul.

Justin did hit a 3-pointer that gave them a lead with less than two minutes left, but they stopped scoring after that.

Their defense obliged by collapsing, yielding easy shots down the stretch.

The bad news is that the Red Team is extremely vulnerable right now, and they are mired in a slump. The good news is that the playoffs is a whole new season, and a solid performance in their playoff game will make this all an after thought.

But if this slippery slope continues, their last three regular season games will be looked at as the beginning of the end, and another lost opportunity.

White Team gets by despite sloppy play
After the game, head coach John Wang was not happy about his team's play.

Wang said his team's play was not up to par and the all around execution was poor. Luckily, their competition was just as bad, if not worse.

In the end, it was a 28-13 victory, the White Team's seventh win of the regular season.

At (7-1), they will be the number two seed in their division.

Mark tied his career high scoring 24 points but Wang said Mark played very selfish in spurts of the game and that led to the team's lackluster play.

When Mark can distribute and get his teammates involved, the team clicks. When Mark scores all the points, the offensive flow is disrupted and his teammates can't get into a rhythm.

Not all of this can be pinned on Mark as some of his teammates did not shoot the ball very well. According to Wang, Gavin Lin was "0-for-14" and couldn't buy a bucket.

Calson reverted back to his old form and scored only 2 points and a Gavin Chan jumper late in the game accounted for the other two points in the game Mark didn't score.

Hopefully this will also serve as a wake up call to the White Team that winning isn't easy and it takes hard work to get to where you want to be.

Like the Red Team, they'll have a few practices to figure it out before the next big game comes.

7th grade's big first gives them playoff berth

Pablo and Jason combined to give the 7th grade an early 10-0 lead after the first quarter. From then on, they didn't look back on their way to a 25-18 victory, to clinch the team's first ever playoff berth.

At (6-2), they will take the third seed in their division and will face the No. 2 team on the road in their home gym.

Jason had a nice bounce back game after a disastrous showing a week ago, as he had a strong putback in the first quarter, as well as a nice mid-range jump shot.

Pablo swarmed the entire court and had a game high 12 points.

It's going to be a tough task for the 7th graders as they will play one of the team's that beat them in the regular season. It will all need to come together if they want to make a championship run. They'll need to do a better job of making their easy shots as well as moving their feet on defense.

Working against them is having 10 players on the team, so that means less playing time for some of their elite players. That means everybody on the team needs to step up.

The turnovers and sloppy play are things that teams can get away with in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.

In the fourth, Julio made a nice pass on a fast break to Hartman, who banked in his only 2 points of the game.

4th grade forfeits
Due to a miscommunication, the 4th grade had only 4 players at game time and had to forfeit their final game of the year. Luckily, this game had no meaning in the standings as the 4th graders will end the year with a (6-2) record and play the No. 3 seed in their division.

The 4th grade, who will hold the No. 2 seed, won their scrimmage, with Ethan scoring his first points of the year.

BREAKING NEWS: 6th Grade Looks To Have Clinched a Playoff Berth

This is unofficial, but it looks like the 6th grade will be headed to the playoffs at (4-4).

St. Peter Pacifica lost earlier tonight according to the standings and are (3-5), which means that the 6th graders will hold a tie-breaker advantage over OLV, should they win tomorrow against Star of the Sea.

Both OLV and St. Mary's would finish at (4-4), but the 6th graders beat OLV at the beginning of the season and hold the tie-breaker advantage.

According to CYO rules, the winner of their game gets the final playoff spot, so the 6th grade should be in the playoffs.

Of course, this is all subject to change if CYO decides they need to have a tie-breaker playoff game, which is unlikely, but definitely possible.

Stay tuned.

5th grade wins slugfest, 6th grade hopes for tie-breaker

Some very questionable officiating and the inability to score for either team led to one of the ugliest CYO games in recent memory.

The 5th grade and their opponent both didn't seem to want to win tonight's game. Neither team hit a free-throw the entire night, and neither team wanted to make an open shot.

In the end, it was a brutal 10-4 victory that by default, someone had to win.

Both teams hammered each other and not many fouls were called either way. The 5th grade shot 0-for-12 from the free-throw line when they were given the opportunity. Half of the 12 missed shots were air balls, something that shouldn't be happening at the 5th grade level - and especially something that shouldn't happen for a team that is first place in their division.

At (7-1), they will collide in the first round of the playoffs against the same team they played tonight, a team that was limited to 2 points in each half.

Some of that was due to good defense and some of it was just due to poor shooting by the other team.

On the 5th grade side, they had at least three to four wide open fast breaks that they didn't convert. Last week they converted them and they won easily. Tonight, they failed at it and had to crawl their way to a win.

Raymond didn't look his normal self, and still managed to score 4 points. He also set up both made shots in the first half with some nice passes.

Garrick did a strong job on the defensive end matching up with the other team's center.

Willard and Grant also add 2 points each in the final regular season game.

6th grade evens record, waits for fate  
By 6th Grade Beat Writer Emily

The 6th grade boys started the Lunar Year 4709 with a 28-18.

They led by six at the end of the first, but they were held scoreless in a disastrous second quarter, and went into halftime tied 10-10.

In the second half, they unleashed their secret weapon -- their press.

The other team absolutely could not break the 6th grade's stifling press, and St. Mary's stole the ball at will, creating turnover after turnover.

Up by two heading into the third,  they put the game away in the final six minutes when it mattered the most and went on a 8-0 run to end the game.

We thank the other team for participating.

Tonight featured scoring from six out of the seven players, proving that it was an all-around team effort. Justin led the way with 12 points. Joey, Daniel and Brandon Tom all had four, while Brandon Khuu and Brendan had 2 points each.

With the win, their post-season hopes are still alive, as they are set to play a possible tie-breaker game as early as Monday.

Whether they play tie-breakers on Monday, Tuesday or even both days depends on the outcome of two other games this weekend.

In a very unlikely scenario, they wouldn't have to play a tie-breaker if both of the teams with the same record as them lose tomorrow.

Bonus Epic Video: Warriors Drawing and Special Music Video

The two students/people that will be attending the Chalk Talk after the Warriors game is unveiled, plus a special music video.

A Chinese New Year Eve Treat

An early Happy Chinese New Year to everybody as I sit here at my grandma's on a Wednesday afternoon. Thought I'd share a few things on my mind as well as update you on the status of our many happenings around St. Mary's.

Sunday practices will be cramped, with every single team practicing, boys and girls. Therefore some players or teams may be at certain times that are a little abnormal, but I thank you for all being flexible with your tight schedules.

It also doesn't help that choir has something going on in the morning and the "leader" of choir never notifies me about anything. Therefore the practice schedule for everybody is affected.

This sadly isn't new and has gone on for years as I never get notice about things that can possibly interfere with practice schedules. From the Drum Corps, I get advanced notice about performances and such and we work together to make sure both of our programs can run smoothly.

But whenever the choir has something, I never know about it and am left in the dark.

Last year, the baseball league we are part of offered baseball tickets to a Giants game for $15. Food, better seats, better game, etc...

And then all of a sudden, I come to school and I get handed money for a Giants game.  I look at the forms and it's not even my own Giants game. It was the choir who was attending the game on their own accord, and of course at a cheaper price, therefore under-cutting my Giants ticket sales. Those tickets were $8 for a cold weekday game. So those who didn't know better went to that game instead.

I still haven't removed all the spit from my face, Brandon Lee.

But it's okay. I will be holding tryouts for my brand new and improved choir later this month. It'll be like Glee, but even better...

Boys Scouts > Choir - I think that says it all.

Baseball 
We will have two teams for sure this year so the earlier you can get the forms in, the better. This way I can order uniforms in time for the season.

Basketball is winding down. There are 3 weeks left at the most and after that, it's a long way to the end of the school year. So boys and parents, sign your kids up for baseball. You will not be disappointed.


Drawing
I will hold the drawing for the Chalk Talk with Ekpe Udoh and Dorell Wright later tonight. One drawing will be for everyone who has signed up for baseball and the other for all those who gave me the secret word. If I get your secret word by 8 p.m. - you can still be entered.

Warriors Game
Warriors tickets and coupons were passed out today. Seating was arranged by teams and families so a few of you here or there might be away from your team, or away from your family.

With 120 tickets, it's very difficult to sort out the seating so I apologize if anybody isn't sitting where they want to.

If you want to trade seats, you can do so, but make sure you do so with someone who is with St. Mary's and don't sit in a seat that doesn't belong to us.

All-Star Sunday
All-Star Sunday is set for Sunday, February 20 at NDV. This is a whole day event so try to be there for the festivities. The official logo will be unveiled next Monday on Monday Morning Quarterback.

Events and participants will be released as time draws near.

I think that is all for now. See you on the blog Thursday for a special edition of Epic Drawing.

Epic Video Tuesdays

Don't forget to read MMQ and let's get those baseball forms in. It is not dangerous, they wear helmets.