Hat trick by Alan, Raymond's goal gives 6th/7th grade win

It was a familiar beginning for the 6th/7th graders, with Garrick facing a penalty kick and the score 0-0. 

This time, Garrick made the big save and kept the game scoreless.

The team then took that momentum and put together their best performance of the season and won 4-1 for their third win of the year.

Ryan Kwong picked up a ball at midfield, raced up and booted it towards the box where Alan was able to corral it and score the first goal of the game.

But just as quickly as they scored the goal, they gave one right back up when two defenders didn't communicate and collided with each other, freeing up the other team's forward for a clean look at a shot  which he put past Garrick.

Right before halftime, Oscar did almost the exact same thing Ryan did, send a ball from midfield towards the box. A shot was taken which appeared to be a handball, but the referee did not make a call. Everybody on the field stopped even though a whistle hadn't blown. But luckily Alan had enough awareness to continue play, and he scored his second goal of the game to make it 2-1 at the break.

Off a Joseph throw-in, Thomas dribbled the ball down the sidelines into the attack zone. He had the ball taken away from him briefly but Raymond pounced on the ball, took a dribble and kicked one into the net for his first goal of the season to make it 3-0. It was Raymond's second career goal.

Thomas had a golden opportunity in the 4th quarter when he was literally a foot away from the goalie and about three feet away from the goal. Instead of gently tapping it by the goalie, he tried to lift it over the goalie's head. He did just that, but the ball also sailed over the goalpost.

But in a dominating win, the team can laugh at things like this. It was the team's most rewarding and complete game so far this season.

From top to bottom, everybody contributed from the forward, to mid-fielders and to the defense.

At (3-0-1), they have also positioned themselves nicely for a playoff spot.

Alan has scored in every official game this season, and leads the team with five goals. He completed his hat trick minutes after Raymond's goal when the defense cleared the ball off their own defender. Alan collected the ball and then calmly booted it past the goalie.

7th/8th grade makes it two in a row with big win

The 7th/8th grade soccer team has bounced back strong after an 0-2 start.

After dropping the first two games of the season, they've roared back the past two games with convincing wins, their latest a 5-0 shutout victory Saturday afternoon.

In the past two games, they have outscored their opponents by an 8-1 margin, with the one goal they've given up coming via a penalty kick.

It was clear which team was the better one from the start as the 7th/8th graders kept the pressure on from the starting whistle.

They caught a few breaks early in the game when the other team's goalie kicked a ball right to Khaliq, who was standing right outside the box. He then had a clear lane towards the goal and squibbed a shot just underneath the reach of the goal-keeper for his first career goal.

Christian made it 2-0 when he just lobbed a pop-up towards the goal. The goalkeeper fumbled it briefly and dropped the ball into the net.

There were even more opportunities in the first half, but the 7th/8th graders were a little shy on the trigger, not taking shots when they could've. They were also whistled for several offsides.

In the second half, Christian made it 3-0 when he took a ball at midfield and dribbled it through the other team's defense before scoring.

Moises scored his first career goal later in the quarter when he deposited his goal into the net off of a nice cross from Christian.

He then added one right before the end of the game, capping off the team's five goal performance.

Julian started in goal for the first time and was not tested much. But he did make a nice play in the first quarter when he came out of his net and dove for a ball in the box.

For the second straight game, the defense, most notably Aaron and Brendan played real solid defense. Brendan, who has always had a powerful leg, has been prone to some kick and misses throughout the years.

But no longer, he's connecting with the ball and his booming kick sets up the attackers very nicely. He's also become one of the main anchors on the defense, communicating to the mid-fielders and defenders about what's happening.

At the midway point, the 7th/8th graders have played every team in the division, and will play each team once more.

With two wins, they've already set themselves up nicely for the playoffs, because only one team will not make the post-season.

5th/6th grade girls handed first loss in three sets

The 5th/6th grade girls lost for the first time this season, when they were beaten in three sets Saturday afternoon, 25-21, 15-25, 11-15.

It was a great start for the girls as were energized from the get go and that helped them take the first set. Girls were aggressive going for the ball and playing together as a team.

But as we all know in volleyball, the momentum can swing very quickly, and it did in a bad way for the 5th/6th graders in the second set.

There was a lack of communication, balls dropped in no man's land, and all the cliche mistakes that are evident when an inexperienced team fails to execute.

That type of played carried over into the third and decisive set, and the 5th/6th graders ultimately lost the match.

For a new team, their coaches believe they serve very well, and this was only their second real game, because game number two last Saturday was a forfeit.

Once again, this team is comprised of six girls who have never played volleyball before out of the seven on the team.

Their record now stands at (2-1).

Saturday Quick Results

Both soccer teams were winners today, the first time in St. Mary's soccer history.

The 6th/7th graders won 4-1. Alan had a hat trick and Raymond added his first goal of the year. Garrick made a big save on a penalty kick in the first.

The 7th/8th graders used two goals from Christian and Moises, while Khaliq tacked on his first goal of the year, and they won convincingly 5-0 for their second straight win. Julian made his debut in net.

The 5th/6th grade girls volleyball team lost a tough one in three sets, 25-21, 15-25, 13-15. They are now (2-1).

Full recaps to come tonight.

Best game yet for the 3rd/4th graders

Six of the seven girls on the 3rd/4th grade team got a serve over, and overall, the girls played their best game to date, scoring 18 in the second set of a 25-12, 25-18 loss.

The climax of the game was when the two teams had consecutive rallies back and forth, with the 3rd/4th graders hitting the ball three times, before sending it over to the other side for a point late in the second set.

Their coaches, players and fans were all ecstatic after that play. Unfortunately, the camera man was not filming that point.

Sara, Samantha and Avalon all got a serve over for the first time and there were several instances the girls returned serves.

It was a huge step forward for this team of girls new to the sport of volleyball, and they're still not halfway through the season.

To top it off, they were facing one of the top teams in the division, so overall, it was a remarkable effort by these young girls.

Let's hope it's a sign of a lot of good things to come.

7th/8th grade survives scare, hang on to win

The 7th/8th grade girls led 17-7 in the second, following an impressive 25-8 win in the first set. All signs pointed to another easy victory.

But the other team, to their credit, rolled off 10 straight points and went neck and neck with the 7th/8th graders and tied the game at 17-17.

A lot of the errors the 7th/8th graders made were self inflicted and also a byproduct of them trying to win points a certain way.

Instead of just bumping the ball back over the net, each time the girls get the ball, they try to set up a bump, set and spike. So at times they give up some points they normally don't give up, as was the case in the second set.

The game remained tied at 22-22 until the girls forced a sideout and Fiona closed out the set with two straight serves to preserve the third victory of the season for the 7th/8th graders. 25-22 was the second set final.

Edwena once again served the girls out to a 10-0 lead, and Victoria picked up from there. At one point, they lead 16-0.

In the second set, Edwena hit the 10 serve limit again.

Cynthia had a nice game by the net and made two very difficult tips early in the match. Ivy had a very strong first set and hit the third ball on two occasions over her head for points in set one.

Even though it's been only three games, the girls have already solidified their spot in the division practically guaranteeing themselves nothing worse than a number two seed in the playoffs.

With only five teams in their division, four make the playoffs, and they have already beaten three of the four times.

The competition is not as strong in their division as in previous years, but a lot of it has to do with the way the 7th/8th graders are playing.

No longer does anyone have to worry about a serve going over the net, because each girl is pretty much guaranteed to get the ball over. And against other teams that aren't as experienced, it's a big advantage.

Their next game is likely to be a playoff preview as they will go head to head with the other undefeated team in the division.

Friday Night Recap

A nice game by the 3rd/4th graders, their best game to date, but unfortunately they lost 25-12, 25-18. 6 of the 7 girls all got serves over in tonight's game.

The 7th/8th graders survived a scare when they were tied 22-22 in the second set. They ultimately prevailed with a two set 25-8, 25-22 victory. They are now (2-0).

Full recap to come later tonight.

Highlights for 9/15-9/22

7th/8th grade soccer team nets much needed first win

After a borderline disastrous first two games, the 7th/8th grade boys soccer team was headed down a path all too familiar for St. Mary's soccer teams in the past.

Through the first two matches, they were outscored a combined 10-0 and were outplayed in every facet of the game.

But their short memories were quickly erased a few minutes into the first quarter when Junaid scored the first of his two goals on the day.

Christian added a goal in the second half and the 7th/8th graders picked up their first victory of the season 3-1.

Not to be overlooked is the strong defense played by the entire team.

Brendan, Aaron and Hunter were all spectacular clearing dangerous balls throughout the game.

For Aaron, it was his first ever soccer win, in his final season at St. Mary's.

The first goal came due in large part to the work of Christian who centered the ball towards the box where Junaid just got enough on the ball to slide it past the goalie and into the net.

Goal two had a huge Christian factor as he went in full head of steam towards the goalie, who then collided with Christian. Junaid was following up on the play and with the goalie on the ground, he put the ball into the back of the net for the second time.

They took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd quarter when Christian raced down the right sideline past the defender, and then proceeded to put a strong kick on the ball, which was the third goal of the game.

This team needed a win desperately, because of the way things are going. A win like this should be able to give the boys an extra boost in the upcoming weeks.

Moises started in goal and played the entire first half before switching off with Matthew.

The only goal they allowed was a result of a foul in the box early in the 4th quarter, which became a goal on a penalty kick.

In a division of five teams, where four make the playoffs, a win like this puts the 7th/8th graders already in a good position to make the post-season.

For the first time this season, they played with 13 players for a full game.

With the win, they improve their record to (1-2).

7th/8th grade girls volleyball off to a scorching start

The 7th/8th grade girls followed up their dominant performance Friday night with another strong effort Saturday afternoon, starting the season (2-0) after a 25-19, 25-4, two set victory.

After a shaky first set, the girls got back to their Friday night form and completely manhandled the other team in the second set.

In set one, there were communication issues and just overall sloppiness, including not knowing where the boundaries were on the court.

However in the second set, they played some of their finest volleyball, as Litzy, who played her first game Saturday, put the girls up 10-0 on her serve.

Edwena then picked up where she left off and when she finished her last serve, the 7th/8th graders led an astounding 16-0.

There were two very nice set ups for the bump, set and spike, as Fiona and Cynthia finished off the two  plays in the second.

6th/7th grade soccer team plays to a draw

The 6th/7th grade soccer team played to a 1-1 tie in controversial fashion late Saturday afternoon.

After what appeared to be a game winning goal, the referee called a foul on the 6th/7th graders and the goal was disallowed.

A player on the team other team fell on top of a ball in the box, which was then booted in for the 6th/7th graders. However the referee ruled that one of the 6th/7th graders had pushed the opposing player and therefore nullified the goal.

It was a nice comeback effort for the boys as the other team scored the first goal.

Alan scored the lone goal for the 6th/7th graders, his second of the year.

Their record now sits at (2-0-1) on the season.

5th/6th graders win by forfeit

The 5th/6th grade girls were on the winning end of a forfeit this afternoon.

Following their win Friday night, and the forfeit today, they improve their record to (2-0).

3rd/4th graders fall in second game

The 3rd/4th graders lost their second game of the season in straight sets 25-15, 25-16.

Justina, Amy and Sofia all strung together some serves which got the girls some points, which kept the games close early in the sets.

Amy even served the girls out to a 2-0 lead in the second set.

But in the entire game, the girls were only able to successfully return one or two balls on serve receive.

One thing they need to improve upon is moving their feet, which is stating the obvious. The girls all tend to watch the ball a little too much and not react. Their communication also needs to get better as there were balls that more than one girl went after, and that is a recipe for disaster.

Obviously, they are still getting acquainted to the game and with two games out of the way, they should have a good idea of what to expect for the rest of the season.

7th/8th graders win big in game one

A team of brand new girls playing a volleyball game for the first time took the court tonight at St. Emydius. Raise your hand if you've heard that before.

Except this time, the team wasn't St. Mary's.

So the 7th/8th graders who have all been playing since 4th/5th grade took advantage of the situation and began their season with a bang, dominating their opponents, winning both sets by a score of 25-5.

Edwena put the girls out to an early 10-0 lead when she just clobbered all her serves to start the game. By the third or fourth serve, there was a feeling that this game was over.

The other team had trouble returning the ball and let a lot of balls drop, which is expected of girls who are playing for the first time.

Victoria did the same as Edwena in the second set, when she served 9 balls over to put the girls out to a 10-0 lead.

Fiona had a nice "spike" for the girls in the second set.

This team of nine comprises of six 7th grade girls, and three 8th graders. This was a team that played together for two years, in 4th/5th grade, and 5th/6th grade before being split up into different teams last season.

Now they are reunited and right now it feels so good.

Tiffany and Jamie made their volleyball debuts and both looked pretty sharp, getting their serves over and returning several of the balls hit to them. It was hard to tell that they had never played a game before tonight.

Game two for the girls comes tomorrow afternoon, after they got a bye the first week of the season.

This win was the largest margin of victory for any St. Mary's volleyball team in school history.

CELEBRITY SIGHTING: The Great Brett, who graduated this past year and now attends Galileo attended the game, wearing a Galileo sweatshirt... Basketball coaches Leslie and Nick also watched the game from the stands.

5th/6th graders rally back to win third set in debut

After winning the first set 25-18, the 5th/6th graders lost the second set by the exact same score, before eventually pulling out a third set 15-8 victory in their first game of the year.

The first set was back and forth until it was 10-7 when the 5th/6th graders would string together two points in a row, and little by little the lead grew.

They eventually went on to close out the first set and won on a fault by the other team.

Set two was a different story as the girls fell behind 5-0 and that early deficit was too much to overcome and the 5th/6th graders dropped the second set by the same score as the first set, 25-18.

This second set was when the nerves began to show and the mistakes of a team that is new began to show.

However they recovered for an important third set thanks to their most experienced player Kaela, who served the girls out to a 5-0 lead in the first to 15 point decisive set. That proved to be enough as the 5th/6th grade girls picked up win number one of the year.

By no means was this an action packed game, but more like a who could consistently serve the ball over, which is the norm for teams that are inexperienced.

Out of the 7 girls on the team, 6 of them have never played volleyball until tonight. Only Kaela has had previous playing experience.

Their opponent looked equally as shaky as both teams had trouble returning serves.

The difference in the game was that the 5th/6th graders were more consistent with their serves and made a few more plays than the other team.

Again, it will be a challenging and interesting year to see how fast these girls can get acclimated to the game of volleyball.

Naomi and Emily, two new 5th graders to the school, are the only two 5th graders on the team.

They will have a quick turnaround and play again tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Throwback Thursdays, Happy Birthday

We throw it back to last year's birthday video for Mr. B, because this is an all-time classic video and I haven't had time to make another one. Happy Birthday Big Guy...

6th/7th grade soccer game result overturned, awarded win

Because the other team only had 8 players present at the start of the game Saturday, the 6th/7th grade had the result of their game reversed, awarding them with a win instead of a loss.

According to CYO rules, a minimum of 9 players need to be present to start a regulation soccer game, so therefore the game that was played was nothing more than a scrimmage.

Referees are not suppose to officiating scrimmages, and should not have given either team an option of playing an official game.

Teams are allowed to scrimmage after the game is forfeited.

With the win, the 6th/7th grade's record sits at (2-0).

The 3rd/4th graders make their debut

The 3rd/4th grade girls became the youngest St. Mary's volleyball team in the modern era to play a volleyball game.

Unfortunately they fell in straight sets 25-16, 25-14.

The team so far has had only one full practice as a team so the team chemistry was definitely going to be a tough hurdle to clear.

Also as expected, some of them had the first game jitters and it took them a few points to get used to what was actually happening, they were playing in their first volleyball game ever.

Regardless of the outcome, they will already have a leg up on many of the girls who have played volleyball in the past, and even some girls who are playing this year.

Starting from the 3rd/4th grade will pay dividends in the long run.

Shorthanded 7th/8th graders shutout for second straight week

In an all too familiar story to St. Mary's soccer, the 7th/8th graders became the latest victims of not having a full team for a game.

Only 9 players were in uniform at kickoff, the minimum to start a soccer game, and 10 played the second half as the 7th/8th graders were held goalless for the second straight week in a 3-0 loss.

They did have their share of opportunities as Junaid and Moises both were able to get shots on goal. But the end result was still no goal.

Defensively, they were a lot more crisp than last week. It helped that Aaron played his first soccer game in nearly two years as he made his 2012 debut.

Overall the effort and execution was a little bit better than last week's season opener, so they are definitely making progress.

One of their coaches Derek Kwong said that with a full squad, there was a good chance that they could've won the game.

Guess we'll never know.

Quick Sunday Results

The 3rd/4th grade girls lost their first volleyball game 25-16, 25-14.

The 7th/8th grade soccer team, playing with 9 most of the game, were shutout for the second consecutive game, 3-0.

Full recaps to come tonight.

6th/7th graders shutout in game two

The 6th/7th grade soccer team gave up two goals in the second half and were shutout 2-0 in their second game of the season.

Goal number one came courtesy of a penalty kick when the 6th/7th graders were whistled for a violation in their own box. Garrick just missed the ball by the length of a hand, which put them behind 1-0.

A bad defensive sequence led to an open net goal in the 4th quarter, which sealed the game.

Their record is now (1-1).

Throwback Thursday

Right after they won their first volleyball game ever, the then 4th/5th graders smiled, sort of, for the camera.

The current 7th/8th graders back in 2009, when they were 4th/5th graders.

Soccer Highlights for Week 1

Last second goal gives the 6th/7th graders the win

With less than a minute to go in the game, Alan scored the game-winning goal, giving the 6th/7th graders a 1-0 win to start the season.

It was a scoreless tie, and had the looks of a draw until right before the final whistle.

The forwards on the team collectively pushed the ball up the field when Kris passed the ball over to Alan who just got enough of the ball to slip it past the other team's goalie.

It was pretty dicey because two of the attackers were in an offside position and were just able to get back onside according to the referee who let the play stand.

Minutes earlier, the other team scored what appeared to be the go-ahead goal, but the official ruled that play to be offsides.

The bounces certainly went the way of the 6th/7th graders.

For the majority of the game, the action was in the 6th/7th grade attack zone. They had some golden opportunities including a breakaway by Joseph in the 4th quarter, but he shot the ball a little too early and also didn't get enough on the kick for the goal.

Garrick got the start in goal and made some solid plays, keeping the game scoreless.

The defense, anchored by Dante, played a great game and pretty much shut down the attack of the other team.

Ryan Q. and Ryan K., both had extraordinary games clearing the ball whenever they had the chance. They were also very good in passing the ball up to the midfield to set up the attack.

The Twins were also all over the field, showing no fear in going after the ball. The aggressive play of Joseph and Thomas kept the other team on their heels for entire game.

With 17 players on the team, the 6th/7th graders have a lot of depth and no excuses for being tired, as a lot of players will be getting rests this year, unlike in year's past when everybody pretty much went the distance.

For the St. Mary's 7th graders Raymond, Ryan, Joseph, Thomas, Garrick and Jason, this was the first time they had ever won a soccer game. For some, it was their first since joining in 3rd grade.

8th graders blanked in first game

In an all too familiar script, the 8th grade soccer team was shutout in the first game of the season.

Of the 13 players on the 8th grade team this season, only three of them, Brandon K., Brendan and Hunter played last year. Five of the players are from the 7th grade at DeMarillac, who all played their first CYO soccer game ever.

Most of the players, as expected looked a little lost and tentative on the field. Even some of the returning players looked confused.

With only a week of practice under their belts, they were out of sync from the get go.

Christian had a nice chance early in the game when he penetrated through the attack zone, only to lose the ball a top of the box.

The other team transitioned well, took it the other way and scored the first of several goals on the afternoon.

It was a very slow start for the 8th graders who clearly were not prepared for game action, as they trailed 4-0 after the end of one.

They did however get a few chances to score, but were unable to convert and were blanked in game one.

Still, the team has some talented players who have speed, and are more than capable of putting the ball in the goal. Their game experience however is lacking against players who have played since the 3rd grade.

Now when have you heard that before about St. Mary's soccer?

The team's second game is next Sunday.

7th/8th Grade Volleyball Schedule

Click to enlarge.

7th/8th Grade Volleyball

5th/6th Grade Volleyball Schedule

Click to enlarge.

5th/6th Grade Volleyball

3rd/4th Grade Volleyball Schedule

Click to enlarge.

3rd/4th Grade Schedule

7th/8th Grade Soccer Schedule

Click to enlarge.

7th/8th Grade Soccer Schedule

6th/7th Grade Soccer Schedule

Click to enlarge.

6th/7th Grade Soccer Schedule

Saturday Soccer Results

Just one goal was enough for the 7th grade boys, as they won their season opener 1-0.

The 8th grade boys, however, dropped their first game.

Full recap to come later today.

BREAKING NEWS: Soccer games both at 2 p.m.

Both soccer teams will play at 2 p.m. this Saturday at West Sunset on different fields. Should make for an interesting 2 o'clock hour.