Flooding forces track meet postponement
Three days of rain left the Tahuichi Stadium track under so much water that league authorities had the choice of either postponing the running events scheduled for Friday afternoon -- or reprogramming the event as a swim meet.
They decided on postponement.
Inspection of the field and jumping pits at Cooperative showed them to be so slippery and waterlogged that the field events scheduled to be held there Saturday were also put off.
No new dates have been selected yet.
February 29, 2008
February 28, 2008
Girls Varsity Basketball
Lady Eagles outpace Jaguars, 22-15
The Christian Learning Center girls varsity basketball team strangled Cooperative's offense in the first half, building a 12-2 lead that enabled the Eagles to cruise to a 22-15 victory in a game played in the Cooperative gym Thursday.
The Eagles' quick and aggressive defense harrassed and hurried the Jaguars all game, forcing low percentage off-balance shots, often from beyond the shooter's range.
Meanwhile the Eagles scored at a steady pace thanks to skilful fast breaks engineered by senior guards Sabrina Hallock and Roxy Jien, together with well selected shots by sophomore forward Kylynn Lampen.
Hallock and Lampen each had eight points, followed by Tabitha Malloy with 4, and Ruth Nyquist with 2.
The Jaguars got their offensive act more together in the second half, in which they outscored the Eagles 13 to 10.
Cecelia Aponte led the Jaguars with 6 points. Sofia Sotelo tallied 3, while Hailey White, Ana Paula Justiniano, and Nataly Noguer had one basket each.
Cambridge girls edge Griffins, 10-7
In a game characterized by ferocious defense and sloppy shooting by both teams, the Cambridge College girls varsity basketball team achieved a 10-7 win over International in a game played at Cambridge Thursday.
Only a single point was scored in the entire first quarter, a free throw by International's Natalia Suarez resulting in a 1-0 Griffin lead. The Lady Knights rallied sufficiently in the second quarter to have a 6-3 lead at halftime.
The two teams played evenly, 4-4, in the second half.
Raquel Lopez scored 8 points for the Knights, with Maira Lino accounting for 2.
Melissa Roca had 5 points for the Griffins, Stephanie Gioto and Suarez one point each.
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LOOKING FOR ROOM Cambridge star Raquel Lopez looks for a way to get around Griffin Melissa Roca. -- Jonatan Muñoz, International
The Christian Learning Center girls varsity basketball team strangled Cooperative's offense in the first half, building a 12-2 lead that enabled the Eagles to cruise to a 22-15 victory in a game played in the Cooperative gym Thursday.
The Eagles' quick and aggressive defense harrassed and hurried the Jaguars all game, forcing low percentage off-balance shots, often from beyond the shooter's range.
Meanwhile the Eagles scored at a steady pace thanks to skilful fast breaks engineered by senior guards Sabrina Hallock and Roxy Jien, together with well selected shots by sophomore forward Kylynn Lampen.
Hallock and Lampen each had eight points, followed by Tabitha Malloy with 4, and Ruth Nyquist with 2.
The Jaguars got their offensive act more together in the second half, in which they outscored the Eagles 13 to 10.
Cecelia Aponte led the Jaguars with 6 points. Sofia Sotelo tallied 3, while Hailey White, Ana Paula Justiniano, and Nataly Noguer had one basket each.
Cambridge girls edge Griffins, 10-7
In a game characterized by ferocious defense and sloppy shooting by both teams, the Cambridge College girls varsity basketball team achieved a 10-7 win over International in a game played at Cambridge Thursday.
Only a single point was scored in the entire first quarter, a free throw by International's Natalia Suarez resulting in a 1-0 Griffin lead. The Lady Knights rallied sufficiently in the second quarter to have a 6-3 lead at halftime.
The two teams played evenly, 4-4, in the second half.
Raquel Lopez scored 8 points for the Knights, with Maira Lino accounting for 2.
Melissa Roca had 5 points for the Griffins, Stephanie Gioto and Suarez one point each.
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LOOKING FOR ROOM Cambridge star Raquel Lopez looks for a way to get around Griffin Melissa Roca. -- Jonatan Muñoz, International
Boys Varsity Basketball
Christian Learning 41, Cooperative 39
Eagles gain narrow win over Jaguars
The Christian Learning boys held on to defeat Cooperative by two points in an old-fashioned, knockdown, drag-out basketball battle in the Jaguars gym Thursday afternoon.
Two three-pointers in the last minute were not quite enough to pull the Jaguars even. The key reason was that the Jaguar shots had been preceded by three straight short jumpers swished through the hoop by Eagle junior Kyle Swope. Those six points, put on the board while the Jaguars had been held scoreless, gave the Eagles just enough to preserve the victory.
The teams went at it hot and heavy from the start, playing with an intensity normally reserved for playoff games. The Eagles got out to a quick lead, and were ahead 13-4 at the end of the first quarter. The Jaguars counterattacked in the second quarter, and by halftime the game was knotted at 20-20.
The Jaguars pulled even on two foul shots by Taborga that were shot after the half had ended. Taborga's long shot at the first half buzzer had gone in-and-out, but he was fouled.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first, with Christian Learning building a lead in the third quarter, and then Cooperative storming back.
The Eagles led 33-24 at the end of the third stanza, but with a few minutes to go the Jaguars trailed by only one basket, 35-33. Kyle Swope's six points built the Eagle lead to 41-33, with only a minute left. The three-pointers by Taborga cut the margin back to two.
Taborga led all scorers with 21 points. Juan Peredo added 10 for the Jaguars, Daniel Linggi 4, and Diego Morales 2.
Christian Learning's top scorer was Danny Canaviri with 14. Paul Estes posted 13, Kyle Swope finished with 7. Tim Swope, Josh Mann, and David Lotz had a field goal each, and Jeff Stabler had one free throw.
The game was played before a large, enthusiastic crowd so full of Christian Learning fans that it seemed as if the Eagles were the home team.
Style note: The Christian Learning boys team set a new standard for sartorial splendor by showing up wearing ties, making them appear vaguely reminiscent of a Big Ten team arriving at an away game, except that plaid shirts were allowed instead of requiring either plain white or Oxford blue. What next -- blazers?
Knights down Griffins, 38-7
The Cambridge College boys varsity basketball team used a suffocating defense and a diversified offensive attack to defeat International 38-7 in a game played at Cambridge Thursday.
The Knights led 30-0 at the half, in a game which represented a homecoming of sorts for International coach Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva, who was formerly the athletic director at Cambridge.
The Knights was paced by Benjamin Ezpeleta, a senior who arrived at the school this year after moving to Bolivia from Miami, Florida, in the United States. He had 15 points, including a three-pointer. Jose Luis Rivero, a 7th grader, had eight points, including two three-pointers. Jose Manuel Salas, a junior, had 7; Zhau Fua Zhou Zeng, also a junior, had 4; Tae Han Kook and Josep Song had two points each.
Cambridge used all 12 players who dressed for the game, and all incurred at least one foul.
For International, David Huang had 4 points and Martin Gonzales 3.
Eagles gain narrow win over Jaguars
The Christian Learning boys held on to defeat Cooperative by two points in an old-fashioned, knockdown, drag-out basketball battle in the Jaguars gym Thursday afternoon.
Two three-pointers in the last minute were not quite enough to pull the Jaguars even. The key reason was that the Jaguar shots had been preceded by three straight short jumpers swished through the hoop by Eagle junior Kyle Swope. Those six points, put on the board while the Jaguars had been held scoreless, gave the Eagles just enough to preserve the victory.
The teams went at it hot and heavy from the start, playing with an intensity normally reserved for playoff games. The Eagles got out to a quick lead, and were ahead 13-4 at the end of the first quarter. The Jaguars counterattacked in the second quarter, and by halftime the game was knotted at 20-20.
The Jaguars pulled even on two foul shots by Taborga that were shot after the half had ended. Taborga's long shot at the first half buzzer had gone in-and-out, but he was fouled.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first, with Christian Learning building a lead in the third quarter, and then Cooperative storming back.
The Eagles led 33-24 at the end of the third stanza, but with a few minutes to go the Jaguars trailed by only one basket, 35-33. Kyle Swope's six points built the Eagle lead to 41-33, with only a minute left. The three-pointers by Taborga cut the margin back to two.
Taborga led all scorers with 21 points. Juan Peredo added 10 for the Jaguars, Daniel Linggi 4, and Diego Morales 2.
Christian Learning's top scorer was Danny Canaviri with 14. Paul Estes posted 13, Kyle Swope finished with 7. Tim Swope, Josh Mann, and David Lotz had a field goal each, and Jeff Stabler had one free throw.
The game was played before a large, enthusiastic crowd so full of Christian Learning fans that it seemed as if the Eagles were the home team.
Style note: The Christian Learning boys team set a new standard for sartorial splendor by showing up wearing ties, making them appear vaguely reminiscent of a Big Ten team arriving at an away game, except that plaid shirts were allowed instead of requiring either plain white or Oxford blue. What next -- blazers?
Knights down Griffins, 38-7
The Cambridge College boys varsity basketball team used a suffocating defense and a diversified offensive attack to defeat International 38-7 in a game played at Cambridge Thursday.
The Knights led 30-0 at the half, in a game which represented a homecoming of sorts for International coach Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva, who was formerly the athletic director at Cambridge.
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FIRING AWAY Cambridge's Sergio Palazuelos gets off a shot over Andres de Lozada of International -- Jonatan Muñoz, International
The Knights was paced by Benjamin Ezpeleta, a senior who arrived at the school this year after moving to Bolivia from Miami, Florida, in the United States. He had 15 points, including a three-pointer. Jose Luis Rivero, a 7th grader, had eight points, including two three-pointers. Jose Manuel Salas, a junior, had 7; Zhau Fua Zhou Zeng, also a junior, had 4; Tae Han Kook and Josep Song had two points each.
Cambridge used all 12 players who dressed for the game, and all incurred at least one foul.
For International, David Huang had 4 points and Martin Gonzales 3.
February 26, 2008
JV Girls Basketball
Lady Jaguars defeat Eagles, 35-15
The Cooperative School junior varsity girls basketball team was smooth and efficient as it outscored Christian Learning 22-4 in the first half, then the two teams played a much more even second half in a game the Jaguars won 35-15 in their home gym Tuesday.
The Jaguars were once again paced by Hailey White, and she was aided by fine performances from the fast-dribbling Giovanna Varalta, and the effective rebounding of Ana Paula Peredo.
The Eagles were led by Tally Friesen, Stephanie Swope and Mariela Salinas.
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THEY'RE OFF! Knights and Griffins prepare to go for the ball -- Jonatan Muñoz, International
Cambridge girls win 16-8 over Griffins
By Alexander Nagel
Cambridge College
The Cambridge junior varsity girls basketball team fashioned an 8-0 lead over International in the first half, and then went on to win 16-8 in a game played in the Knights gym Tuesday.
International seemed to steady itself in the second half, thanks in large part to team leader Dimitra Witteveen, who scored the Griffins first basket. However, Cambridge was able to match them basket-for basket.
Lucia Candia was the leading scorer for Cambridge with 8 points. Natalia Johnson and Lisa Delboy also scored for the Knights.
The Cooperative School junior varsity girls basketball team was smooth and efficient as it outscored Christian Learning 22-4 in the first half, then the two teams played a much more even second half in a game the Jaguars won 35-15 in their home gym Tuesday.
The Jaguars were once again paced by Hailey White, and she was aided by fine performances from the fast-dribbling Giovanna Varalta, and the effective rebounding of Ana Paula Peredo.
The Eagles were led by Tally Friesen, Stephanie Swope and Mariela Salinas.
THEY'RE OFF! Knights and Griffins prepare to go for the ball -- Jonatan Muñoz, InternationalCambridge girls win 16-8 over Griffins
By Alexander Nagel
Cambridge College
The Cambridge junior varsity girls basketball team fashioned an 8-0 lead over International in the first half, and then went on to win 16-8 in a game played in the Knights gym Tuesday.
International seemed to steady itself in the second half, thanks in large part to team leader Dimitra Witteveen, who scored the Griffins first basket. However, Cambridge was able to match them basket-for basket.
Lucia Candia was the leading scorer for Cambridge with 8 points. Natalia Johnson and Lisa Delboy also scored for the Knights.
JV Boys Basketball
Eagles roll to 22-16 win over Jaguars
The Christian Learning junior varsity boys basketball team caught fire at the close of the game, and won 22-16, against Cooperative School at the Jaguar gym Tuesday.
The two teams were deadlocked 8-8 at halftime, at which point the Jaguars were in the middle of a profound scoring drought. After the opening minute of the second quarter, Cooperative did not score until near the end of the third quarter, at which point Christian Learning had moved into the lead.
Still, the game remained close, and the Jaguars had the ball in the offensive zone trailing 18-16 with only about 40 seconds to play. But Christian Learning thwarted this Jaguar scoring effort (as it had many others during the game), and took the ball the other end of the court where Andres Larsen scored on a lay-up, and Haziel Martinez sank two free throws to stretch the final victory margin to six points.
Christian Learning's Larsen led scorers on both teams with 10 points, and Larsen was also a terror on defense, blocking three consecutive Jaguar shots att one point in the fourth quarter. Pablo Oh added eight more for the Eagles.
Kenny Kresten, a sixth grader and the diminutive sparkplug of the team, and Nicolas Smith both scored a field goal. Krestan and Smith were both tenacious on defense. Though shorter than the Jaguars they covered, they kept the pressure on and were as disruptive as possible.
Milan Marinkovic had eight points for the Jaguars. Oliver Lederman and Samuel Melgar had four points each.
The Christian Learning junior varsity boys basketball team caught fire at the close of the game, and won 22-16, against Cooperative School at the Jaguar gym Tuesday.
The two teams were deadlocked 8-8 at halftime, at which point the Jaguars were in the middle of a profound scoring drought. After the opening minute of the second quarter, Cooperative did not score until near the end of the third quarter, at which point Christian Learning had moved into the lead.
Still, the game remained close, and the Jaguars had the ball in the offensive zone trailing 18-16 with only about 40 seconds to play. But Christian Learning thwarted this Jaguar scoring effort (as it had many others during the game), and took the ball the other end of the court where Andres Larsen scored on a lay-up, and Haziel Martinez sank two free throws to stretch the final victory margin to six points.
Christian Learning's Larsen led scorers on both teams with 10 points, and Larsen was also a terror on defense, blocking three consecutive Jaguar shots att one point in the fourth quarter. Pablo Oh added eight more for the Eagles.
Kenny Kresten, a sixth grader and the diminutive sparkplug of the team, and Nicolas Smith both scored a field goal. Krestan and Smith were both tenacious on defense. Though shorter than the Jaguars they covered, they kept the pressure on and were as disruptive as possible.
Milan Marinkovic had eight points for the Jaguars. Oliver Lederman and Samuel Melgar had four points each.
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BOMBS AWAY! Cambridge's Jose Rivera shoots over Griffins German Ferraris and Juan Ignacio Quiroga. -- Photo by Jonatan Muñoz, International
Cambridge blanks International, 44-0
By Alexander Nagel
Cambridge College
The Cambridge College junior varsity boys team defeated International 44-0 in their home gym Tuesday. The Knights led 26-0 at the half.
Jose Rivera scored 34 points for Cambridge. Anthony Salvatierra and Kevin Mendez also scored for the Knights.
February 20, 2008
Varsity Girls Basketball
International 24, Cooperative 23
Griffins win for the first time in years
The International School girls varsity basketball team narrowly outfought Cooperative 24-23 Wednesday afternoon to achieve its first victory in memory.
The victory, achieved in the Griffins home gym, was at least the first varsity girls win for International since 2006, and some long-time league observers thought it might have been the Lady Griffins first victory ever.
In any event, it was great way for International´s new coach, Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva, to start off his tenure.
The game was a nail-biter from start to finish, but the Griffins held the lead for almost the entire game. They were ahead at halftime 14-13 after 20 minutes of aggressive defense, all-out hustle, and -- truth to tell -- a lot of sloppy shooting, as both teams were clearly suffering from first game jitters.
International had led by as much as five points during the half, but Co-operative went to a full court press defense with two minutes to go and pulled almost even. The Jaguars continued to play with the full-court defense the entire second half, and were able to go ahead 23-20 at the beginning of the last quarter.
However, the Griffins rallied and began putting intense defensive pressure on the Jaguars, who were not able to get off a shot in the crucial final two minutes. Buckets by Melissa Roca and Daniela Zelada gave International the final four points it needed to garner the victor.
Zelada, a senior, led all scorers with 14 points. Tenth-grader Stephanie Gioto scored 6 for International and Roca 4.
For Co-operative, senior Nataly Noguer tallied 8. Ana Paula Peredo had 6, and Sofia Sotelo 4. Peredo and Sotelo are eighth graders. Ninth grader Aldana Roda scored 3, and 10th grader Cecelia Aponte 2.
Griffins win for the first time in years
The International School girls varsity basketball team narrowly outfought Cooperative 24-23 Wednesday afternoon to achieve its first victory in memory.
The victory, achieved in the Griffins home gym, was at least the first varsity girls win for International since 2006, and some long-time league observers thought it might have been the Lady Griffins first victory ever.
In any event, it was great way for International´s new coach, Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva, to start off his tenure.
The game was a nail-biter from start to finish, but the Griffins held the lead for almost the entire game. They were ahead at halftime 14-13 after 20 minutes of aggressive defense, all-out hustle, and -- truth to tell -- a lot of sloppy shooting, as both teams were clearly suffering from first game jitters.
International had led by as much as five points during the half, but Co-operative went to a full court press defense with two minutes to go and pulled almost even. The Jaguars continued to play with the full-court defense the entire second half, and were able to go ahead 23-20 at the beginning of the last quarter. _________________________
INTENSE DEFENSE -- Griffin Daniela Zeleda works against Jaguar Carla Calvo.
-- Jonatan Muñoz, International School
However, the Griffins rallied and began putting intense defensive pressure on the Jaguars, who were not able to get off a shot in the crucial final two minutes. Buckets by Melissa Roca and Daniela Zelada gave International the final four points it needed to garner the victor.
Zelada, a senior, led all scorers with 14 points. Tenth-grader Stephanie Gioto scored 6 for International and Roca 4.
For Co-operative, senior Nataly Noguer tallied 8. Ana Paula Peredo had 6, and Sofia Sotelo 4. Peredo and Sotelo are eighth graders. Ninth grader Aldana Roda scored 3, and 10th grader Cecelia Aponte 2.
Boys Varsity Basketball
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OPENING TIP-OFF -- Jaguar Juan Peredo (13) vs.Griffin Martin Fernandez (15).-- Jonatan Muñoz, International School
Jaguars score 46-31 win over Griffins
The Cooperative School boys varsity started off its season with a decisive 46-31 win over International at International's gym Wednesday.
But International gave notice that is not going to be the pushover it has been in past years, and led the Jaguars 10-8 at the end of the first quarter. But the Jaguars, thanks in large part to the shooting touch of senior Juan Peredo, opened a 10-point lead at the half, 26-16.
The final basket of the first half was a work of art by Cooperative senior Pablo Taborga, who took the ball from one end of the court to the other, dueling International star David Huang every step of the way before laying it up and in.
The Jaguars continued to dominate play as action resumed in the second half, but with 10th grader Diego Morales putting on the shooting display. Cooperative held a 40-20 lead at the end of the third quarter.
International came back to outscore Cooperative in the final quarter, 11 to 6, but had too much ground to make up at that point.
For the Jaguars both Peredo and Morales scored 14 points. Daniel Linggi had 8, and Esteban Gomez 6, Taborga finished with 5, including the game's only three-pointer.
Martin Gonzales led International with 9 points. Huang scored 9; and Mario Rohrman had 6. Ernando Tesch had three points, as did senior Martin Fernandez de Cordova, a senior track star who was playing the first basketball game of his life. Christopher Saltzierder talled two.
The Cooperative School boys varsity started off its season with a decisive 46-31 win over International at International's gym Wednesday.
But International gave notice that is not going to be the pushover it has been in past years, and led the Jaguars 10-8 at the end of the first quarter. But the Jaguars, thanks in large part to the shooting touch of senior Juan Peredo, opened a 10-point lead at the half, 26-16.
The final basket of the first half was a work of art by Cooperative senior Pablo Taborga, who took the ball from one end of the court to the other, dueling International star David Huang every step of the way before laying it up and in.
The Jaguars continued to dominate play as action resumed in the second half, but with 10th grader Diego Morales putting on the shooting display. Cooperative held a 40-20 lead at the end of the third quarter.
International came back to outscore Cooperative in the final quarter, 11 to 6, but had too much ground to make up at that point.
For the Jaguars both Peredo and Morales scored 14 points. Daniel Linggi had 8, and Esteban Gomez 6, Taborga finished with 5, including the game's only three-pointer.
Martin Gonzales led International with 9 points. Huang scored 9; and Mario Rohrman had 6. Ernando Tesch had three points, as did senior Martin Fernandez de Cordova, a senior track star who was playing the first basketball game of his life. Christopher Saltzierder talled two.
February 19, 2008
JV Girls Basketball
Jaguars defeat Griffins, set all-time scoring record
The Co-operative School junior varsity girls basketball team defeated International 76-4 ìn a game played Tuesday in the Griffins' gym. The winning score is believed to be the highest recorded in the history of the league by any team, varsity or junior varsity, boys or girls. The Jaguars, who were ahead at halftime 42-2, were led by Sofia Sotelo, Hailey White, and Nicole Broersma.
The Co-operative School junior varsity girls basketball team defeated International 76-4 ìn a game played Tuesday in the Griffins' gym. The winning score is believed to be the highest recorded in the history of the league by any team, varsity or junior varsity, boys or girls. The Jaguars, who were ahead at halftime 42-2, were led by Sofia Sotelo, Hailey White, and Nicole Broersma.
JV Boys Basketball
Jaguars hold Griffins scoreless, win opener handily
The Cooperative School junior varsity boys basketball team defeated International 64-0 in a game played in the Griffins' gym Tuesday afternoon. The Jaguars, who led 30-0 at the half, were paced by Andres Shin, Milan Marinkovic, and Oliver Lederman. It was the first game of the season for both teams.
The Cooperative School junior varsity boys basketball team defeated International 64-0 in a game played in the Griffins' gym Tuesday afternoon. The Jaguars, who led 30-0 at the half, were paced by Andres Shin, Milan Marinkovic, and Oliver Lederman. It was the first game of the season for both teams.
February 17, 2008
Varsity Basketball Preview
Wild season ahead?
Lots of questions, few answers
By Juan Manuel Salas
Cambridge College
and
David Boldt
SCISL News Editorial Director
This year’s SCISL basketball season could be as close and hotly contested as last year’s soccer and volleyball seasons, with the past champions facing greater competition in an increasingly well balanced league when the season starts this week.
The fact that some teams either declined to disclose the rather innocuous information requested for this preview, or have been slow to send it, is perhaps a further indication of how close people think things could be. (After all, no point in letting the opposition know too much.)
But here is the way things seem to be shaping up, as best we can determine.
New players might be key for boys
Since the start of the league four years ago, the story of boys varsity basketball has been Christian Learning and Cambridge -- then everyone else. The Eagles and Knights have played in all three previous championship games. Christian Learning won the first year, Cambridge the second, and then the two teams sort of divided the honors last year.
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PHOTO: Knight Juan Manuel Salas waits to shoot against leaping Eagle David Zimmerman in last year's championship game.
The Eagles won the regular season, going undefeated – though one of those wins was by one point over Cambridge in double overtime. Then in the final game of the playoffs Cambridge shot the lights out in storming back from a nine-point deficit with five minutes remaining to win by one point on a lay-up scored with ten seconds left. Prior to that the Knights had sunk four three-pointers.
It was probably the most exciting sports event played in Santa Cruz last year.
Cambridge has a base to build on
Cambridge lost two big stars through graduation – defensive stalwart Manfred Grote and sharp-shooting floor general Jorge “Chino” Yuan. But two starters will be back: junior Juan Manuel Salas. Salas, a hard-charging, sharp-shooting guard has been a starter since eighth grade, and senior Josep Song.
But height will be a problem for Cambridge. Salas, at 174 cm. might often be the tallest player the Knights have on the court.
The Knights have two other players with extensive playing experience – seniors Sergio Palazuelos and Zhau Fue Zhou Zeng, but neither qualifies as a “big man” though Zhou Zeng in particular makes up in speed and hustle much of what he lacks in height.
And the team will be counting on help from two players newly arrived from the US, Benjamin Ezpeleta, a senior forward, and guard Jose Chavez, a seventh grader with a fine shooting eye.
Victor Coronado will be in his fourth year as Cambridge coach where he has a reputation for being able to develop good shooters, and for teaching his teams tenacious, aggressive, stick-like-glue defense. The Knights allowed opponents only 27 points a game last year, lowest in the league.
Eagles must replace four starters, but has talent
The picture is somewhat more mysterious at Christian Learning, which has new coaches, and must replace four starters lost to graduation including its most prolific scorer, Jim Estes, and its best rebounder, Micah Racke. However, there is little question that a strong team can be built around the Eagles' star forward, Jeff Stabler, who is a junior this year.
Several players who got considerable playing time last year are back , including Paul Estes, Tim and Kyle Swope, and David Lotz, along with several talented younger players. Christian Learning is known for its seemingly limitless supply of skilled players, and presumably some players will be moving up from last year’s talented and undefeated junior varsity, which outscored its opposition 223-67. (The next highest JV team scored only 128 points.)
The new coach for the boys at Christian Learning is Chad Jackson, a faculty member, and his assistant is James Wolheter. Both clearly know how the game is played. The varsity was looking sharp in preseason drill sand it seemed to have gelled as a team in eking out a one-point victory in a preseason exhibition game against a talent-laden but somewhat out-of-shape parent and faculty team. (The game was "a real nail-biter," according to one eyewitness.)
Will this be the Jaguars year?
This could be the season in which Co-operative becomes a threat. The Jaguars, in any event, will not be as dependent on new players. The only player from last year’s team not here this year is Nicolas Rios, whose family moved to Argentina.
In fact, it could field a starting line-up of all seniors led by Daniel Linggi, Pablo Taborga, and Juan Peredo. The team will also be counting on 10th grader Diego Morales and 11th grader Pablo Limpias, both of whom have shown promise in preseason practices.
But there is a question mark. Jaguar boys teams in the past have been strong on ball-handling and defense, but lacked players who could put the ball in the hoop. Last year the Jaguars scored only 25 points a game, while Christian Learning and Cambridge were averaging over 40.
Developing more scoring punch will be the main challenge facing Co-operative’s new coach, Max Francisco Farfan. Farfan has 22 years of coaching experience, which has included coaching at Colegio Rio Nuevo and guiding Santa Cruz city teams.
Farfan was cautious about the team’s prospects, saying the team still lacked confidence in shooting, and needed more experience in playing as a team. The coach said he was concerned about the short time available to prepare for the season, but the squad has been practicing hard since mid-January.
International has a goal: Improvement
The big question mark is International, which has been the league doormat since play began, and was winless last year, getting outscored by its opponents 213 to 108. It has almost seemed as if International somehow attracts track stars rather than basketball stars. (It has been a perennial champion in track and field.)
But that could be changing. The new International coach is Eduardo “Presi” de la Riva, former athletic director at Cambridge, who will be seeking to imbue to previously hapless Griffins with some of his former school’s winning tradition. De la Riva, while he was not the Cambridge basketball team’s coach, is well known for his shooting skill.
Record numbers of students reportedly tried out for the team this year, and De la Riva expects to have a squad of 12 capable players, built around two juniors. Sharp-shooting guard David Huang is back from last year, and will be augmented by forward Mario Rohrman, a new student with considerable playing experience in Germany.
Moreover, de la Riva believes that he will have at least five players who can play creditably in the backcourt, and five more who can play up front, giving him more flexibility as a coach than has been true for International in the past. He expects his starting line-up to have considerable height, with the addition of players like senior Martin Fernandez de Cordova, a senior who has specialized in track in past years. Jose Martin Landivar, a standout on the Griffins league champion boys volleyball team, will also be playing basketball. Christopher Saltzsieder, a 10th grader, played well for International last year, and is getting better.
"I´m not thinking about just the current moment," de la Riva said. "I am thinking about the future. I need to teach the game. If we can get a trophy, good, but my goal is to improve."
Girls situation even harder to forecast
Christian Learning and Cambridge also clashed in last year’s girls championship game, with Cambridge winning by three points. Cambridge posted a 5-1 regular season record, losing only to the Lady Eagles, which had a 3-3 record during the regular season.
Cambridge has lost two important players, sure-shooting Nan Jordan and defensive stalwart Liliana Sainz, both of whom graduated. However, the Lady Knights welcome back 11th grader Raquel Lopez, probably their most gifted player, and Vania Rueda, another junior with a lot of playing experience.
They will also be counting on 10th grader Mariana Escaño, who has shown occasional flashes of brilliance but has lacked consistency, as well as 9th graders Maira Lino and Camila Johnson.
Victor Coronado will again be the coach of the Lady Knights.
Christian Learning's new coaches for the girls team -- Jarrod Davis and Mike Warren -- will reportedly be seeking to build a team around three returning stars, high-scoring forward Sabrina Hallock, floor general Roxy Jien, and the highly skilled Anne Marie Hawthorne. Like the boys team, the Eagle girls are known for having a pool of skilled players. Its girls junior varsity tied for the league lead last year with Co-operative, as each posted a 5-1 record, The Lady Eagles are also known for improving during the course of the season.
But both the Knights and Eagles could be challenged by Co-operative, which finished second in the regular season last year, ahead of Christian Learning. The Co-operative school girls varsity, like the boys, suffered no significant losses from graduation.
Among the outstanding returning players are seniors Natalie Noguer and Mariana Perez, as well as 10th grader Cecelia Aponte. The varsity should also get some help from three of last year’s junior varsity players, who, as mentioned, tied Christian Learning with a 5-1 mark. They are Nicole Boersma, Sofia Sotelo, and Ana Paula Peredo, all eighth graders.
The female Jaguars have a new coach, Mike Vande Loo, who moves up from coaching the boys junior varsity last year, posting a highly respectable 4-2 record in finishing second.
“I think we have a good potential this year,” Vande Loo said. “We have a lot of new players, but also a great core of returning players who can mold our team into one that will be tough to contend with.”
International is again the wild card. Last years Griffin girls varsity had the same record as the Griffin boys – 0-6 – and was outscored 75 to 190.
But again there is a new coach and it is a new season. Change may be in the air. Coach de la Riva says he is gratified by the turnout for try-outs, and, as with the boys, will have a squad of 12 girls. The core of the team is expected to consist of seniors Daniela Zelada and Melissa Roca, together with 10th graders Regina Landivar and Stephanie Gioto, along with ninth grader Maria Victoria Gutierrez.
Lots of questions, few answers
By Juan Manuel Salas
Cambridge College
and
David Boldt
SCISL News Editorial Director
This year’s SCISL basketball season could be as close and hotly contested as last year’s soccer and volleyball seasons, with the past champions facing greater competition in an increasingly well balanced league when the season starts this week.
The fact that some teams either declined to disclose the rather innocuous information requested for this preview, or have been slow to send it, is perhaps a further indication of how close people think things could be. (After all, no point in letting the opposition know too much.)
But here is the way things seem to be shaping up, as best we can determine.
New players might be key for boys
Since the start of the league four years ago, the story of boys varsity basketball has been Christian Learning and Cambridge -- then everyone else. The Eagles and Knights have played in all three previous championship games. Christian Learning won the first year, Cambridge the second, and then the two teams sort of divided the honors last year.
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PHOTO: Knight Juan Manuel Salas waits to shoot against leaping Eagle David Zimmerman in last year's championship game.
The Eagles won the regular season, going undefeated – though one of those wins was by one point over Cambridge in double overtime. Then in the final game of the playoffs Cambridge shot the lights out in storming back from a nine-point deficit with five minutes remaining to win by one point on a lay-up scored with ten seconds left. Prior to that the Knights had sunk four three-pointers.
It was probably the most exciting sports event played in Santa Cruz last year.
Cambridge has a base to build on
Cambridge lost two big stars through graduation – defensive stalwart Manfred Grote and sharp-shooting floor general Jorge “Chino” Yuan. But two starters will be back: junior Juan Manuel Salas. Salas, a hard-charging, sharp-shooting guard has been a starter since eighth grade, and senior Josep Song.
But height will be a problem for Cambridge. Salas, at 174 cm. might often be the tallest player the Knights have on the court.
The Knights have two other players with extensive playing experience – seniors Sergio Palazuelos and Zhau Fue Zhou Zeng, but neither qualifies as a “big man” though Zhou Zeng in particular makes up in speed and hustle much of what he lacks in height.
And the team will be counting on help from two players newly arrived from the US, Benjamin Ezpeleta, a senior forward, and guard Jose Chavez, a seventh grader with a fine shooting eye.
Victor Coronado will be in his fourth year as Cambridge coach where he has a reputation for being able to develop good shooters, and for teaching his teams tenacious, aggressive, stick-like-glue defense. The Knights allowed opponents only 27 points a game last year, lowest in the league.
Eagles must replace four starters, but has talent
The picture is somewhat more mysterious at Christian Learning, which has new coaches, and must replace four starters lost to graduation including its most prolific scorer, Jim Estes, and its best rebounder, Micah Racke. However, there is little question that a strong team can be built around the Eagles' star forward, Jeff Stabler, who is a junior this year.
Several players who got considerable playing time last year are back , including Paul Estes, Tim and Kyle Swope, and David Lotz, along with several talented younger players. Christian Learning is known for its seemingly limitless supply of skilled players, and presumably some players will be moving up from last year’s talented and undefeated junior varsity, which outscored its opposition 223-67. (The next highest JV team scored only 128 points.)
The new coach for the boys at Christian Learning is Chad Jackson, a faculty member, and his assistant is James Wolheter. Both clearly know how the game is played. The varsity was looking sharp in preseason drill sand it seemed to have gelled as a team in eking out a one-point victory in a preseason exhibition game against a talent-laden but somewhat out-of-shape parent and faculty team. (The game was "a real nail-biter," according to one eyewitness.)
Will this be the Jaguars year?
This could be the season in which Co-operative becomes a threat. The Jaguars, in any event, will not be as dependent on new players. The only player from last year’s team not here this year is Nicolas Rios, whose family moved to Argentina.
In fact, it could field a starting line-up of all seniors led by Daniel Linggi, Pablo Taborga, and Juan Peredo. The team will also be counting on 10th grader Diego Morales and 11th grader Pablo Limpias, both of whom have shown promise in preseason practices.
But there is a question mark. Jaguar boys teams in the past have been strong on ball-handling and defense, but lacked players who could put the ball in the hoop. Last year the Jaguars scored only 25 points a game, while Christian Learning and Cambridge were averaging over 40.
Developing more scoring punch will be the main challenge facing Co-operative’s new coach, Max Francisco Farfan. Farfan has 22 years of coaching experience, which has included coaching at Colegio Rio Nuevo and guiding Santa Cruz city teams.
Farfan was cautious about the team’s prospects, saying the team still lacked confidence in shooting, and needed more experience in playing as a team. The coach said he was concerned about the short time available to prepare for the season, but the squad has been practicing hard since mid-January.
International has a goal: Improvement
The big question mark is International, which has been the league doormat since play began, and was winless last year, getting outscored by its opponents 213 to 108. It has almost seemed as if International somehow attracts track stars rather than basketball stars. (It has been a perennial champion in track and field.)
But that could be changing. The new International coach is Eduardo “Presi” de la Riva, former athletic director at Cambridge, who will be seeking to imbue to previously hapless Griffins with some of his former school’s winning tradition. De la Riva, while he was not the Cambridge basketball team’s coach, is well known for his shooting skill.
Record numbers of students reportedly tried out for the team this year, and De la Riva expects to have a squad of 12 capable players, built around two juniors. Sharp-shooting guard David Huang is back from last year, and will be augmented by forward Mario Rohrman, a new student with considerable playing experience in Germany.
Moreover, de la Riva believes that he will have at least five players who can play creditably in the backcourt, and five more who can play up front, giving him more flexibility as a coach than has been true for International in the past. He expects his starting line-up to have considerable height, with the addition of players like senior Martin Fernandez de Cordova, a senior who has specialized in track in past years. Jose Martin Landivar, a standout on the Griffins league champion boys volleyball team, will also be playing basketball. Christopher Saltzsieder, a 10th grader, played well for International last year, and is getting better.
"I´m not thinking about just the current moment," de la Riva said. "I am thinking about the future. I need to teach the game. If we can get a trophy, good, but my goal is to improve."
Girls situation even harder to forecast
Christian Learning and Cambridge also clashed in last year’s girls championship game, with Cambridge winning by three points. Cambridge posted a 5-1 regular season record, losing only to the Lady Eagles, which had a 3-3 record during the regular season.
Cambridge has lost two important players, sure-shooting Nan Jordan and defensive stalwart Liliana Sainz, both of whom graduated. However, the Lady Knights welcome back 11th grader Raquel Lopez, probably their most gifted player, and Vania Rueda, another junior with a lot of playing experience.
They will also be counting on 10th grader Mariana Escaño, who has shown occasional flashes of brilliance but has lacked consistency, as well as 9th graders Maira Lino and Camila Johnson.
Victor Coronado will again be the coach of the Lady Knights.
Christian Learning's new coaches for the girls team -- Jarrod Davis and Mike Warren -- will reportedly be seeking to build a team around three returning stars, high-scoring forward Sabrina Hallock, floor general Roxy Jien, and the highly skilled Anne Marie Hawthorne. Like the boys team, the Eagle girls are known for having a pool of skilled players. Its girls junior varsity tied for the league lead last year with Co-operative, as each posted a 5-1 record, The Lady Eagles are also known for improving during the course of the season.
But both the Knights and Eagles could be challenged by Co-operative, which finished second in the regular season last year, ahead of Christian Learning. The Co-operative school girls varsity, like the boys, suffered no significant losses from graduation.
Among the outstanding returning players are seniors Natalie Noguer and Mariana Perez, as well as 10th grader Cecelia Aponte. The varsity should also get some help from three of last year’s junior varsity players, who, as mentioned, tied Christian Learning with a 5-1 mark. They are Nicole Boersma, Sofia Sotelo, and Ana Paula Peredo, all eighth graders.
The female Jaguars have a new coach, Mike Vande Loo, who moves up from coaching the boys junior varsity last year, posting a highly respectable 4-2 record in finishing second.
“I think we have a good potential this year,” Vande Loo said. “We have a lot of new players, but also a great core of returning players who can mold our team into one that will be tough to contend with.”
International is again the wild card. Last years Griffin girls varsity had the same record as the Griffin boys – 0-6 – and was outscored 75 to 190.
But again there is a new coach and it is a new season. Change may be in the air. Coach de la Riva says he is gratified by the turnout for try-outs, and, as with the boys, will have a squad of 12 girls. The core of the team is expected to consist of seniors Daniela Zelada and Melissa Roca, together with 10th graders Regina Landivar and Stephanie Gioto, along with ninth grader Maria Victoria Gutierrez.
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