All Star Games

PRIZE WINNERS -- (From top to bottom) First place, Nataly Noguer; second place, Diego Morales, third place, Thalia Rozenman; honorable mention, Katie Beth Wilcke; honorable mention, Cecelia Aponte Jorge Orias

Noguer wins All Star poster contest

Nataly Noguer of Cooperative was the winner of the SCISL All Star Games Poster Contest.
Second prize went to Diego Morales of Cooperative, and Thalia Rozenman of Cooperative took third. Cecelia Aponte of Cooperative and Katie Beth Wilcke received honorable mention.
The winners were selected from over 40 entries. The contest was dominated by Cooperative in large part because poster making was made into an art class project. The Jaguar campus is now practically papered with All Star Games posters.

Interestingly, three of the winners will also be playing in the All Star games -- Noguer, Morales, and Aponte. Wilcke does not play basketball, but is a soccer and track star. The concept of the scholar-athlete -- or perhaps the artist-athlete -- is evidently alive and well in the league.
The judge of the contest was Jorge Orias, retired head of communications for Petrobras in Bolivia. He is also a former editor of El Nuevo Dia, and author of the book "Exploradores of Bolivia, for which he also did the principal photography and page design.
These were his comments on Noguer's winning entry: "An attractive poster, of adequate proportions, with well drawn letters. Because of the style "agrupada" of the text, the message of the event is transmitted "con niditez y dinamismo." The basketball, appearing as the focal point on the right side of the poster, clearly represents the sport involved."
Of Morales second-place entry, Orias said, "It's distinguished by the originality of the design, based on the form of a star drawn in outline inside the ball, which serves as background for the display of information about the event. The careful drawing of the letters also deserves praise, as well as the interplay of the colors chosen."
Regarding Rozenman's third-place entry, he said, "An adequate balance of text and graphics well drawn in on the blue background bordered in red. The name of the event, the date and the hour were presented with clarity. The horizontal shape of the rectangle permitted the incorporation of graphic elements (the basket and ball spinning on a finger) to break the monotony of the text."
On Cecelia Aonte's honorable mention entry: "A good use of white space to give "air" to the composition and to facilitate the reading of the message. The colors of the letters has been well chosen, but the design of the text is unimpressive and conventional."
On Katie Beth Wilcke's honorable mention entry: "A lot of thought and creativity went into this. The use of photographic images was a good idea, but the images aren't big enough to get the viewer's attention."

Rules announced for 3-Point Contest

The rules for and participants in the three-pont competition to be held during halftime of the girls All Star game were announced Monday.
Each school will have two participants. The "shooters" for Christian Learning will be Tim and Kyle Swope. Cooperative will be represented by Pablo Taborga and Juan Peredo; Cambridge by Jose Ribera and Juan Manuel Salas; International by David Huang and Christopher Saltzieder and David Huang.
Ribera was the top three-point shooter in the league with 12. Salas and Taborga had five. The others were spread out behind them.
The participants will each take 12 shots in one minute from any position they select outside the three-point line.
The twelfth balls will be differently colored and will be known as the "Money Ball." Any shot made with the Money Ball will count as two points. All other shots will count one point. In the event of a tie the organizers may have they players who are tied shoot six more balls in 30 seconds.
During halftime of the boys game the coaches will put on a free throw shooting competition/exhitition.

Judge named for Poster Contest

Jorge Orias, former editor of El Nuevo Dia and former head of communications for Petrobras in Bolivia, has agreed to be the judge of the SCISL poster contest.
Judging will take place Tuesday morning. To be eligible entries must be posted at that time on or near a school bulletin board. If your school has entries please notify David Boldt at boldt27@gmail.com.
Orias is also the author of the book "Exploradores de Bolivia" for which he did the principal photography as well. He has degrees in communication from the University of Navarre in Spain and the University of Indiana in the United States.

Line-ups announced for All Star Games

The line-ups for the first annual SCISL All Star basketball games May 8 have been announced.
The teams that finished first and fourth in the playoff tournament will meld together their best players to play against the stars of the teams that finished second and third.
The teams the finished first and second were asked to name five players. The teams that placed third and fourth nominated four.
The names are listed here in alphabetical order.
Girls "Team A" will be comprised of the following players: Karen Aliaga, Cambridge; Mariana Escaño, Cambridge; Sabrina Hallock, Christian Learning; Anne Marie Hawthorne, Christian Learning; Roxy Jien, Christian Learning; Camila Johnson, Cambridge; Jennifer Lau, Christian Learning; Maira Lino, Cambridge; Raquel Lopez, Cambridge. Head coach: Victor Coronado, Cambridge.
Girls "Team B:" Cecelia Aponte, Cooperative; Nicole Broersma, Cooperative; Stephanie Gioto, International; Carla Limpias, Cooperative; Nataly Noguer, Cooperative; Melissa Roca, International; Matilde Vasquez, International; Hailey White, Cooperative; Daniela Zelada, International. Coach: Eduardo "Presi de la Riva, International.
Boys "Team A:" Paul Estes, Christian Learning; Martin Fernandez, International; David Huang, International; David Lotz, Christian Learning; Josh Mann, Christian Learning; Christopher Saltzieder, International; Jeff Stabler, Christian Learning; Tim Swope, Christian Learning; Ernando Tesch, International. Head coach: Chad Jackson, Christian Learning.
Boys "Team B:" Benjamin Ezpeleta, Cambridge; Daniel Linggi, Cooperative; Alvaro Lopez, Cambridge; Diego Morales, Cooperative; Juan Peredo, Cooperative; Jose Ribera, Cambridge; Cristobal Roda, Cooperative; Juan Manuel Salas, Cambridge; Pablo Taborga, Cooperative. Head coach: Max Farfan, Cooperative.

Make a poster -- win a prize

To celebrate the first All Star Game in the history of the Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League, the League is sponsoring a poster contest. All you have to do to enter and win is make a poster and have it on display on or near a school bulletin board on Tuesday morning, May 6, when judging will take place.
The top three posters will receive a prize, the posters will be displayed at the game, and the winners will be recognized during halftime of the boys All Star Game.
Here are the simple rules:
Eligibility: Any student attending one of the League’s member schools may enter.
Judging: A graphic design professional will judge the contest. Entries must be on display by 10 a.m. on the morning of May 6, 2008, when the judging will take place.
Specifications: Poster may be any size up to one meter square, and may use any medium, including photography and computer-generated images. (Photos are available at http://www.scis-bo.com/. Click on "photo gallery," and then "basketball.") The posters must contain the following information: SCISL All Star Game. May 8, 6 p.m. Cooperative School gym. Free Admission.

Championship Track Meet

International boys still rule
Jaguar Girls outrun Griffins this time
The Cooperative girls track squad took the league championship trophy out of the hands of International for the first time ever, but Griffin boys sustained their school's reputation for track supremacy with a massive victory.
After all the events had been run in Thursday SCISL Track Championships the Jaguar girls had amassed 218 points. International, which has won both boys and girls championships since the league was founded in 2005, finished second with 203 points.
Christian Learning was close behind with 198 points. Cambridge trailed with 90 points.
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AH, VICTORY! -- Jaguar girls and Griffin boys pose atop the medal stand with their team trophies. Jonatan Muñoz, International

In the boys competition International built on the advantage it had created for itself by winning the first track meet held earlier this year, piling up a humongous total of 271 points. Cooperative was next with 157; Christian Learning was third with 133, and Cambridge fourth with 119.
Records fall all afternoon
Eight new league records were established during the meet.
In the girls high jump Florencia Sosa of International set a new mark of 1.40 meters, bettering the old mark of 1.35 meters set by Dominique Harrison of Cooperative last year. Harrison finished second Thursday.
Aldana Roda of Cooperative added about a third of a meter onto the shot put record set last year by Andrea Saba of Cambridge. The new mark is 8.63 meters.
In the boys shot put Eagle Esteban Eguez' throw of 12.85 meters bettered the record of 12.24 by Jacob Kennedy, also of Christian Learning, which had stood since 2006.
Discus tossers in fine form
New records were also set in both the girls and boys discus. Tabitha Malloy of Christian Learning threw the discus 20.88 meters, beating the record set last year by Saba of Cambridge.
In the boys discus, Marco Antonio Parada of International shattered the record set earlier this year by Jeff Stabler of Christian Learning. Parada's throw of 31.80 added about three meters onto the record. Stabler, who finished second Thursday, also beat his old record.
Two athlete's beat their own records and won. Hailey White of Cooperative took a smidgen off her own record in the 400, with a clocking of 1:09.29.
Jorge Harriague of International beat his own record in the 100 meters with a clocking of 11.97. Harriague was a double gold medal winner, taking first place in the 200 mesters as well.
Griffin girls relay sets record
International's relay team in the girls 4 x 400 also a new mark with a time of 4:04.67. The team consisted of Fabiana Murillo, Beatriz Nallar, Maria Isabel Barrenechea, and Ana Laura Gutierrez.
International narrowly missed a sweep of the four relays, and would have done so if its boys 4 x 100 relay not been disqualified for passing the baton outside the prescribed zone. The disqualified run would also have set a new record.
The field events -- long jump, high jump, discus and shot put -- were held at Cooperative. The running events were staged at Tahuichi Stadium on a beautiful day for track and field, blemished only slightly by two brief but violent downpours.
Large crowds gathered around the venues at the field events. International had bused in its entire student body, and many Cooperative students took advantage of breaks in their schedule -- or permissions from teachers -- to come out and watch. Cambridge and Christian Learning also had good-sized contingents, and the occasion had a festive air as the students from the different schools socialized among themselves and with each other.
Big crowd at field events
There was much cheering at the boys high jump, with Bedoya of International, Danny Canaviri of Christian Learning, and Martin Fernandez of International vying for the gold and a new league record, with Bedoya eventually achieving both.
Later at the running events there were numerous exciting finishes, starting with the boys and girls 1500 meter races.
In the girls race Sofia Sotelo of Cooperative, Maria Fornaguera of Cambridge, and Katie Beth Wilcke ran in a pack alomost the entire race. Sotelo led most of the way, but on the backstretch of the final lap both Fornaguera and Wilcke made their moves and passed Sotelo, triggering screams of encouragement from their fans. But Sotelo, an eighth grader who has never lost the 1500 in three previous efforts, went into overdrive in the home stretch to recapture first place.
Sanchez, Nagel got after Fernandez
Much the same scenario took place in the boys, where Marin Fernandez of International led a pack that included Junior Sanchez and Alexander Nagel of Cambridge, plus Pablo Taborga of Cooperative for much of the race. The Cambridge runners overtook Fernandez in the backstretch, but, like Sotelo, his finishing kick reinstalled him in first place.
In the girls 800 Whitney Belovicz of Christian Learning and Beatriz Nallar of International dueled once again, with Belovicz building a significant lead only at the end.
The relay races were far more closely contested than usual, with all four teams often in contention. They provided a fitting climax to an exciting day of intense competition.
The complete list of individual champions is as follows:
Girls high jump
1. Florencia Sosa, International, 1.40 meters
2. Dominique Harrison, Cooperative
3. Kendra Krestan, Christian Learning
Boys high jump
1. Nicolas Bedoya, International, 1.65 meters
2. Danny Canaviri, Christian Learning
3. Martin Fernandez, International
Girls shot put
1. Aldana Roda, Cooperative, 8.63 meters
2. Alexia Handal, Cooperative
3. Tabitha Malloy, Christian Learning
Boys shot put
1. Esteban Eguez, Christian Learning, 12.85 meters
2. Jeff Stabler, Christian Learning
3. Jorge Harriague, International
Girls long jump
1. Dominique Harrison, Cooperative, 4.3 meters
2. Kendra Krestan, Christian Learning
3. Moira Vaca, Cambridge
Boys long jump
1. Marco Antonio Parada, International, 5.53 meters
2. Nicolas Bedoya, International
3. Han Tae Kook, Cambridge
Girls discus
1. Tabitha Malloy, Christian Learning, 20.88 meters
2. Aldana Roda, Cooperative
3. Gaby Tang, Christian Learning
Boys discus
1. Marco Antonio Parada, International, 31.80 meters
2. Jeff Stabler, Christian Learning
3. Esteban Eguez, Christian Learning
Girls 1500 meters
1. Sofia Sotelo, Cooperative, 6:09.69
2. Maria Fornaguera, Cambridge
3. Katie Beth Wilcke, Christian Learning
Boys 1500 meters
1. Martin Fernandez, International,5:10.69
2. Junior Sanchez, Cambridge
3. Alexander Nagel, Cambridge
Girls 400 meters
1. Hailey White, Cooperative, 1:09.29
2. Jessica Smith, Christian Learning
3. Maria Isabel Barrenechea, International
Boys 400 meters
1. Jan Ivo Sochtig, International, 57.21
2. Renzo Pinto, Cooperative
3. Christopher Cocciani, Cambridge
Girls 100 meters
1. Fabiana Murillo, International, 14.24
2. Hailey White, Cooperative
3. Gaby Tan, Christian Learning Center
Boys 100 meters
1. Jorge Harriague, International, 11.97
2. International
3. Renzo Pinto, Cooperative
Girls 800 meters
1. Whitney Belovicz, Christian Learning, 2:54.74
2. Beatriz Nallar, International
3. Sophia Sotelo, Cooperative
Boys 800 meters
1. Juan Javier Estenssoro, 2:42.38
2. Pablo Taborga, Cooperative
3. Jorge Roca, Cooperative
Girls 200 meters
1. Ana Laura Gutierrez, International, 30.85
2. Fabiana Murillo, International
3. Mariana Encinas, Christian Learning
Boys 200 meters
1. Jorge Harriague, International, 24.99
2. Christopher Saltzieder, International
3. Renzo Pinto, Cooperative
Girls 4 x 100 relay
1. International (Maria Victoria Gutierrez, Ana Laura Gutierrez, Fabiana Murillo, Maria Isabel Barrenechea), 59.48
2. Christian Learning (Kendra Krestan, Gaby Tang, Jessica Smith, Marianne Encina)
3. Cooperative (Dominique Harrison, Hailey White, Florencia Casares, Kayra Czerniewicz)
Boys 4 x 100 relay
1. Cooperative (Miguel Papadopoulos, Renzo Pinto, Pablo Taborga, David Shin) 53.92
2. Cambridge (Yeshen Li, Jhonny Sejas, Matias Martinez, Junior Sanchez)
3. Christian Learning (Nicolas Smith, Fabricia Encina, Ricardo Telchi, Andre Larsen)
Girls 4 X 400 relay
1. International (Fabiana Murillo, Beatriz Nallar, Maria Isabel Barrenechea, Ana Laura Gutierrez) 5:00.15
2. Cooperative (Aldana Roda, Sofia Sotelo, Nataly Noguer, Hailey White)
3. Cambridge (Raquel Lopez, Manuela Yañez, Camila Johnson, Vitania Pulis)
Boys 4 x 400 relay
1. International (Martin Fernandez, Nicolas Bedoya, Juan Javier Estennsoro, Marco Antonio Parada) 4:04.67
2. Cooperative (David Shin, Jorge Rojas, Pablo Taborga)
3. Christian Learning (Alex Apodaca, Richard Ling, Pablo Oh, Andre Larsen)

Boys Championship Game

Late Jaguar rally falls short
Eagles are champions after 34-30 win
In a thrill-packed game that had the Gilberto Parejas Coliseum rocking with cheers, the Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team won the SCISL tournament with a well-crafted 34-30 win over Cooperative Tuesday. However, it was far from an easy victory. Cooperative clearly had an upset in mind as they jumped off to a 7-0 lead at the start of the game. And after the Eagles had seemingly gotten things under control in the third period, opening a nine-point lead, the Jaguars rallied to cut that lead to the point where a three-pointer could have tied things up.
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EXULTATION! -- Eagle Josh Mann (5) executes victory leap as time expires in Eagle win. Jonatan Muñoz, International

It was an epic victory achieved before a boisterous crowd comprised of large contingents from all three schools competing for championships -- Cooperative, Christian Learning and Cambridge. The two teams put on a display of skill that was a tribute to the rising level of play in the league. The tension during the game was so thick you could cut it with a knife. A butter knife.
The Jaguars opening attack was sparked by senior Daniel Linggi, who opened the scoring with a three-pointer, then added a conventional field goal. Sophomore Diego Morales got the next two points after getting a nifty feed from senior Pablo Taborga.
Eagles climb back
The Eagles then began answering back, with a long set shot by Paul Estes and a free throw by Josh Mann, but Cooperative led 7-3 after a very combative opening quarter.

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FLYING EAGLE -- David Lotz of Christian Learning shoots over Jaguar center Juan Peredo to re-tie the game at 15-all. Jonatan Muñoz, International

The Eagles finally squared things at 11-11, after getting another basket by Estes, plus a bucket by Tim Swope and two free throws by Danny Canaviri.
Linggi scored four more points for Cooperative over this stretch on a field goal and two free throws.
From this point the two teams battled evenly until the end of the half, at which point the score was knotted 17-17.
Grinding the opposition down
In the third period the Eagles seemed to be doing to the Jaguars what they have done to other teams this year -- wearing them down by sheer force of numbers. Christian Learning sent in fresh substitutes two and three at a time, and the subs seemed to play as well as the starters but with fresh energy.
Cooperative, which only had four substitutes (one of them a junior varsity player), seemed to lose the ability to work the ball inside, as it had done successfully throughout the first half. The Jaguars were forced to rely on long-range, low percentage shots -- and missed most of them.
Christian Learning, which had 12 players dressed for the game and used nearly all of them, improved its passing game and hit some long ones too. After a scoring drive led by Estes, Kyle Swope, and David Lotz, the Eagles took a 29-20 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
Linggi fouls out
Things appeared quite grim for the Jaguars at that point, and got grimmer as Linggi, sparkplug of the opening rally, fouled out with almost seven minutes left in the game. He left the game on a questionable call, after a spectaculat mid-air collision with a Jaguar as the two players, coming from opposite directions, tried to pull down an errant pass.
But at that point the Jaguars began to come back. After baskets by Juan Abuawad, Ernesto Gomez, Cristobal Roda, and Pablo Taborga, the Eagles led by only three, 31-28, with 1:26 still left on the clock.
But Eagle senior Tim Swope came through with a clutch basket and his brother Kyle added a free show for the Eagles before Gomez hit another basket to complete Cooperative's scoring for the afternoon.
Estes, Time Swope lead Eagle scorers
The Christian Learning attack was led by Paul Estes and Tim Swope, who each had eight points. Danny Canaviri posted six. Josh Mann, Kyle Swope and David Lotz had four points each.
Daniel Linggi of Cooperative was the high scorer in the game with 11 oints, including a three-pointer. All his points came in the first half. Juan Abuawad, Pablo Tasborga, and Esteban Gomez had four points. Juan Peredo, usually the team´s high scorer, had three, on a three-pointer. Cristobal Roda and Diego Morales had two points each.
Christian Learning had finished the regular season tied with Cambridge atop the league standing with a 5-1 record. Cooperative had placed third with a 2-4 record. The Jaguars won their way into the championship game with a two-point victory over Cambridge, but had to be rated as the underdog based on overall prior records.
The Eagle boys have now won the championship trophy twice in the four years since the League was founded. Cambridge won the other two years.

Girls Championship Game

Contest goes to overtime
Lady Knights vanquish Jaguars, 19-15
It wasn't a pretty win, but the Cambridge girls varsity basketball team and their large cheering section was elated by their 19-15 win over a tenacious Jaguar team that had forced the game into overtime with a last-minute free throw.
For Cambridge, which finished the season with a 4-2 record, the following rule of thumb applied: If one of their key players -- Raquel Lopez, Mariana Escaño or Maira Lino, was having a hot afternoon (and you never knew which one it would be), they won. When everyone was cold, they lost.
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SHEER JOY -- Lady Knights take a victory lap with their coach, Victor Coronado.-- Jonatan Muñoz, International


Tuesday in the championship game at Gilberto Parejas Coliseo, none of the Lady Knights could be said to have a hot hand, and they scored only four field goals in the game, but they won anyway, mainly on the strength of their famously fierce defense and some good foul shooting by senior captain Raquel Lopez.
The Cambridge defense held the Jaguar girls, who had been 1-5 during the regular season and were bidding to be the Cinderella team of the playoffs, to just four field goals as well.
The result was a 13-13 stalemate at the end of regulation time.
The overtime period ended up being almost a pure foul-shooting contest, and Cambridge won. The Knights made four of their ten chances (and got a field goal from Escaño). The Jaguars made just two of their six free throw opportunities.
The key figure for Cambridge was Lopez. A tall attractive girl with a sweet smile and unassuming manner, she is almost a cult figure at the school. Several students brought posters on which they had painted her likeness. She has shown herself capable of scoring baskets by sheer will power, but Tuesday she was having a hideous day.
The footwork was there . . . .
As is sometimes said of boxers having an off-day, the footwork was there, but the timing was off. She was bouncing lay-ups off the bottom of the backboard, and hitting the side of the backboard when trying set shots from the corner. She made only two field goals -- way below her average -- and they were in the early stages of the game.

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STRENGTH V. STRENGTH -- Knight Raquel Lopez (7) drives against Jaguar star Cecelia Aponte (6). Jonatan Muñoz, International

It didn't help that Cooperative was watching for her everytime she came down the floor. often double-covering her, but she could still get her shots off. They just wouldn't go in.
But she still could get fouled, and unlike her miscalibrated shots from the floor, her foul shooting, which involves wrapping her arms around the ball in a sort of modern dance movement, was working. She put in six free throws, giving her a total for the game of ten points.
After the game her teammates and Cambridge fans carried her around the court on their shoulders.

Maira Lino added four to the Cambridge total, Mariana Escaño 3, and Karen Aliaga two. Escaño's points all came in overtime.

Aponte having an off day too
Cambridge benefited from the fact that Cooperative's best shooter, Cecelia Aponte, was not having that great a day herself. Like Lopez, she had two first half field goals, but then scored only one more point in the remainder of the game, for a total of five.
Ana Paula Peredo also had five points for the Lady Jaguars, Hailey White had two, while Carolina Crespo, Nathaly Noguer, and Sofia Sotelo had one point each.

Boys Varsity Consolation Game

Knights dispose of Griffins, 46-23
The Cambridge boys varsity basketball team cruised to an easy win over International, 46-23, in the consolation game Tuesday afternoon in Gilberto Parejas Coliseum.
The win gave Cambridge third place in the post-season tournament. The game looked like something of a mis-match based on prior records. Cambridge had finished the season 5-1, tied with Christian Learning for first place, only to be ousted from championship contention in the playoffs as the result of a two-point loss to International.
International was winless during the regular season, with an 0-6 record. However, the Griffins had nearly beaten the Knights in their second meeting, and in fact had led in the game for more than three periods.
It looked briefly as if the Griffins might be mounting another serious challenge. After Cambridge had gone ahead 8-2, the Griffins scrambled back to make the score 8-6 at the end of the first quarter
However, Cambridge accelerated at that point and led at the half 28-13, after a 20-point second period.
The Knights were not challenged in the second half, and led at one point 39-16. Both teams substituted freely toward the end to give underclassmen a taste of playoff experience.
The Knights were led by senior Benjamin Ezpeleta, who was making his farewell appearance for Cambridge, and Jose Ribera, a seventh grader who was making his debut in post-season play. Ezpeleta had 14 points and Ribera 13.
Zhau Fua Zhou Zeng tallied seven points for the Knights. Alvaro Lopez had five points, including a three-pointer. Juan Manuel Salas, the team's and the league's leading scorer, had an off day with three points on a three-point shot. Jyun Sik Kang and Javier de las Heras had two points each.
For International, David Huang had twelve points. Martin Fernandez had five; and Christopher Saltzieder, Mario Rohrman, and Joaquin Castañeda had two points each

Girls Varsity Consolation Game

Griffins upset Eagles, win 22-20
The International girls varsity basketball team shocked favored Christian Learning with a 22-20 win Tuesday in Gilberto Parejas Coliseum.
The Eagle girls were 5-1 during the regular season, their only loss being by one point to Cambridge in the last week of the season. The Griffin girls had been 2-4 during the season, and had been seriously knocked around by Christian Learning in both of their previous encounters.
But this was the playoffs, and the International team had clearly come to play. The Griffins led 5-4 at the end of the first period, and the score was tied 10-10 at halftime.
In the second half the Griffins fashioned a 20-14 lead before the Eagles were able to launch a counterattack that tied the game 20-20 in the final minutes. At that point Griffin Melissa Roca threw in a field goal that accounted for the last of her 11 points of the afternoon, and gave International its two-point victory margin.
Roca led all scorers, and her total includes a key three-pointer. She had International's first basket, and its final two. Daniela Zelada had nine points for the Griffins, and Adriana Ocampo two.
The Griffins clearly had the edge on shooting accuracy, as Christian Learning was not able to put together an effective scoring combination.
Anne Marie Hawthorne was the Eagles best producer, with eight points. Sabrina Hallock had four, while Kaylyn Lampen, Cristina Chun, Roxy Jien, and Jennifer Lau had two points each.

Boys Varsity Basketball Semi-finals

LAST MINUTE STRATEGY -- Cambridge players huddle with Coach Victor Coronado in game's closing minutes. Alexander Nagel, Cambridge

Cooperative 31, Cambridge 29
Jaguars outplay Knights in chiller
Playing with the kind of consistent fire they've rarely displayed this season, the Cooperative varsity boys basketball team won a barn-burner of a game against Cambridge, 31-29, in the Knights gym Friday.
The Jaguars, who had lost decisively to Cambridge in their two previous meetings, played with skill, determination, cunning and courage. They took full advantage of the talent they´ve had all season, but rarely had put together as they did in this game.
Big Juan Paredo, the Jaguars senior center, paced the effort, scoring Cooperative's first seven points -- and its vital final basket.
Guard Pablo Taborga made three big baskets, including a three-pointer just when it was needed most. Daniel Linggi, Cristobal Roda, and Diego Morales all distinguished themselves with fine play on both offense and defense.
Cambridge had its chances
Which is not to say Cambridge played a shabby game. Both teams played well in a contest distinguished by the low number of fouls and good ball handling by both sides.
Heaven knows the Knights had their chances. Twice in the final 90 seconds, while they trailed by two points, they got the ball to one of their main men near the basket, and twice the shot just missed.
The second occasion occurred with almost no time left. The Knights inbounded the ball under the Jaguar basket to senior forward Benjamin Ezpeleta. He faked out his man and went up with the ball for what looked like a sure tie-maker.
The ball bounced off the backboard, hovered on the rim, then trickled off to the immense dismay of a large contingent of horn-blowing, siren-blaring, cheer-shouting Knight supporters.
Just over a minute earlier more less the same thing happened to Knight Juan Manuel Salas after he had driven in for one of his trademark long-distance lay-ups.
Even from the start
The two teams locked horns on a more or less even basis right from the start, though Cambridge held a narrow lead through most of the first half, which ended 12-11 in favor of the Knights.
Cambridge benefited from several nifty blocks.
At the beginning of the second half it looked for a while as if Cambridge was going to take control of the game. After Ezpeleta connected on a short jumper, Salas scored on three straight breakaways, hooking the ball into the net from the left side on one of them.
Cooperative answered with only a lone basket by Morales, and Cambridge led 21-13.
The Jaguars, however, then began a counter-offensive, scoring nine unanswered points to take the lead for the first time in the game, 22-21. Five of the nine points were scored by Taborga, the final three points of the surge coming on his three-pointer.
The two teams battled tooth and nail through the rest of the game, with the score tied at 25-25, 27-27, and 29-29. The Jaguars took the lead 31-29 on a jumper by Peredo with about two minutes to go.
The clock ticks down
Cambridge then took a time out to plot the play in which Salas drove through the middle, only to miss.
The Jaguars then took the ball down court and had several chances to extend their lead, including two foul shots with only twelve seconds to go. Cambridge rushed the ball down court. It was knocked out of bounds and the Knights got to inbound directly under the Cooperative basket. Thus the scene was set for Ezpeleta's dramatic last-second near miss.
For Cooperative, Juan Peredo had nine points, Pablo Taborga and Daniel Linggi seven each, Diego Morales six, and Cristobal Roda two.
For Cambridge, Benjamin Ezpeleta and Juan Manuel Salas each had nine points, Alvaro Lopez had six, Jose Ribera and Daniel Kim had two points each, and Tae Han Kook had one.

PUTTING IT IN -- Eagle Josh Mann (5) goes up for a shot against Griffin David Huang. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Eagles demolish Griffins, 67-14
By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning Center
The Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team won their place in the championship game today in a game against International that was, to put it mildly, not as close as expected.
The Eagles triumphed 67-14 before a delighted crown of fans in their home gym Friday.
Both teams started out the game playing a full court press. This strategy worked well for the Eagles, but the Griffins could not hook up on their long-distance passes. One free throw by the Griffins accounted for all of their points in the first quarter, which ended 20-1.
Griffin offensive falls short
During the second quarter, the Griffins put on a much more successful offensive strategy. They also improved their defense, but they could not cut very far into the lead that the Eagles had built up. The half ended with the score 36-12 in favor of the Eagles.
In the third quarter, the Eagles put on an awesome display of defense as they stopped the Griffins from scoring any points at all, while the seemed able to score almost at will, outmaneuvering the Griffins with adroit passes and artful dribbling. The quarter ended with the score 56-12.
Three minutes into the final quarter, the Griffins put up one more basket that would be their last for the game. The Eagles scored 11 more points in the quarter off a combination of free throws and lay-ups.
Eagles will face Jaguars
The victory puts Christian Learning in Tuesday's championship game against Cooperative, which upset Cambridge in the other semifinal bracket.
The Eagles 67 points was the highest scored by any boys team this year. All eleven of the players who suited up for the game played, and ten of them scored. Paul Estes was the leading scorer with 17 points. Danny Canaviri had 11; Kyle Swope tallied nine (including a three-pointer); while Josh Mann, Tim Swope, and Jeff Stabler had 7. David Lotz had three; Jordan Newman, Mark Salinas, and Jesse Hallock had two each.
For International, Ernando Tesch had six points, David Huang five, Martin Gonzales three and Christopher Saltzieder had one.

Girls Varsity Basketball Semi-finals

Lopez leads Cambridge with 11
Knights oust Eagles with 25-17 win
Combining a ferocious defensive effort with an uncharacteristically steady offensive attack, the Cambridge girls varsity basketball team defeated regular season victor Christian Learning 25-17 Thursday afternoon in a semifinal contest at the Eagles gym.
Raquel Lopez, the Lady Knights' quiet, unassuming team leader, asserted herself in the second half, scoring nine of her 11 points, most of them on driving, looping, finding-a-gap when-there-was none lay-ups. At times her baskets seemed to be an act of pure will. The Cambridge senior simply would not be denied. It was her highest point total of the year.
Lopez was ably abetted by sophomore Maira Leno, who had ten points, six of them on three-pointers. Lino also picked up a key short-range basket when she was left completely open after three Christian Learning defenders collapsed on Lopez, who, though stopped, was still able to feed the ball to her teammate.
Several Eagles were suffering
Several Christian Learning players were playing though ill with colds, and Anne Marie Hawthorne was hampered by a tender left wrist, which she had wrapped in an elastic bandage until game time.
Cambridge, for its part appeared to be at least at full strength and had clearly come to play.
The Eagle girls led for most of the first half, and Cambridge only drew even at the end of the half as a result of the first of Lino's two three-pointers, which a Christian Learning fan characterized as "an amazing shot."
One reason for the low score was that both teams were playing gritty defense. Katie Beth Wilcke, Eagle team statistician, said her team was shooting about as well as it usually does, around 20 percent from the floor, but simply wasn't getting that many shots off. The situation was similar for Cambridge.
Christian Learning went ahead 10-8 at the beginning of the second half on a long set shot from the right side by Roxy Jien.
But Lopez tied it up for the Knights with a driving lay-up, and then Camila Johnson banged home a basket to give Cambridge the lead 12-10, which it would not relinquish. Lino promptly made it 15-10 with her second three-pointer.
"Two-girl wrecking crew"
Lopez and Lino then went to work as a fast-breaking two-girl wrecking crew, accounting, one way or another, for the next nine Cambridge points.
During this stretch Christian Learning badly needed for someone to step up and pump in some baskets and settle the team down. Cristina Chun and Kaylynn Lampen gave it a try. Chun's field goal and Lampen's three-pointer cut the Cambridge lead to 18-15, and seemed to put the game back in reach.
But Lopez and Lino went back to work, while the Eagle offense sputtered. Its only points in the remainder of the game would be two free throws by Sabrina Hallock. Cambridge, according to Wilcke, hit close to 40 percent of its shots in this final stretch.
Last loaf of bread in town
One reason the Eagle offense could not get back on track was the quick, aggressive defense Cambridge was playing. It seemed that if an Eagle held the ball for more than a nanosecond, one (or more) Cambridge players would be grabbing it with both hands as if it were the last loaf of bread in town.
Besides Lopez' 11 points and Lino's eight, Cambridge got two points each from Mariana Escaño and Camila Johnson. It was Cambridge's highest point total of the year, and represented only the second time the team had exceeded 20 points.
For Christian Learning, Sabrina Hallock and Tabitha Malloy had four points each. Kaylynn Lampen had three, while Ruth Nyquist, Roxy Jien, and Cristina Chun had two points apiece.
Cambridge will now face Cooperative in the championship game next Tuesday, while Christian Learning goes up against International in the consolation game.


Jaguars grind down Zelada-less Griffins
Cooperative triumphs easily, 18-8
The Cooperative girls varsity basketball team won a victory over a tenacious International team by making ten of its 18 points from the foul line in a semi-final contest played at the Griffins gym Thursday.
It was an unusual game not only for the number of foul shots, but for the number made. Foul shooting for the most part has been a lost, or never-found, art in the girls varsity competition.
But the Jaguars had plenty of chances (though the official score sheet doesn't show exactly how many). International players were called for 26 fouls, as opposed to 13 for Cooperative.
The fouls were, in a way, to the high level of effort the Griffin girls were making to compensate for the absence of their scoring leader (and the league's), Daniela Zelada. Zelada was out with a cold.
International had been the favored team in the contest based on regular season records, although the two teams had split their two regular season meetings.
Off to an even start
The game started on a more or less even basis with neither team able to put many points on the board. The score at the end of the first quarter stood at 4-3 in favor of Cooperative.
The Jaguars slowly stretched this lead out to 10-5 in the second quarter.
The Jaguars got four of their five field goals in the first half, with Cecelia Aponte, Nataly Noguer, Ana Paula Peredo and Sofia Sotelo getting one each. Noguer also made two foul shots.
Aponte scored another field goal at the beginning of the second half, after which the parade to the foul line began. The Jaguars got their last six points on foul shots.
Peredo and Noguer each made two, with single points added by Aponte and Hailey White.
Griffins unable to hit
The Griffin girls, while able to more or less shut down Cooperative's scoring from the floor, were unable to generate much offense of their own.
Melissa Roca had four points for International on two field goals. Regina Landivar also had a field goal, while Stephanie Gioto and Natalia Suarez had a free throw apiece.
As a result of their victory the Jaguar girls will now face Cambridge in the championship game next Tuesday. International will play Christian Learning in the consolation game to determine third place.

Varsity Basketball Playoff Preview

Bennie the Bookie makes his picks

The playoffs are here, and so we called Bennie the Bookie, the only Las Vegas sports betting establishment taking bets on the SCISL playoffs, to ask how he was setting the odds. (Bennie carefully watches tapes of all the games, but doesn’t know any of the players’ names.)
SCISL News: So, Bennie, let’s start with the boys. Who are you picking to win?
Bennie: I´m sending off Christian Learning and Cambridge as co-favorites, you pick ém, at 3-2. I´m not saying they can’t be beat, I´m just saying that they haven’t been beat. You know the old saying, “The battle is not always to the strong, nor the race to the swift – but that is the way to bet.”
SCISL News: Well, fine, but if they end up facing each other, who´s the favorite?
Bennie: We´ll have to see how it goes in the first round. So much will depend on who´s hot, and who’s not. The problem is that they´re such different teams. The Eagles have a lot of big guys who are pretty good. Cambridge has two guys that are really good, but aren’t so big, and then they got that kid who’s going to be a superstar. But, hey! He’s only about twelve. Ya gotta give him time.
SCISL: So how about the other teams – Cooperative and International?
Bennie: I´m sending them both off at 8-1. I think either one of them could win in the first round, but I can’t see either of them winning twice. Unless they end up facing each other. You see, winning is a habit, and neither of them have it.
SCISL: But Cooperative has the better record – you’re giving them the same odds?
Bennie: You gotta look at trends. International has been getting better all season. They have almost beaten almost everybody. Sooner or later they will – though it may not be until next year.
I liked Cooperative a lot at the beginning of the year. They got big guys that can shoot and pull down rebounds. They have experience. They know how to play the game. What they´ve lacked is heart, and desire. It’s hard to suddenly find those in the playoffs, though it can be done.
SCISL: Let’s take a look at the girls.
Bennie: Yes, I like to do that
SCISL: Who do you pick to win?
Bennie: You have to go with Christian Learning. They’ve been the class of the league all season, except for that one game they lost. All those long, tall blondes with pony tails. They must clone ‘em out there. They go off at even money.
SCISL: But they have been beaten.
Bennie: Yes, if they have a weakness it’s that they don’t have any “pure shooters” – players that have a real touch for tossing the ball in the net. But then neither does the team that beat ém – Cambridge. They’ve only scored over 20 points once this year, and they lost that game. Cambridge could win, sure. They finished strong. But I´m putting them at 4-1.
SCISL: How about International?
Bennie: They are tough, sure enough. But they have to have everybody there. No absentees. And everything has to be clicking. I´m putting them at 5-1
SCISL: And Cooperative?
Bennie: Here is somebody’s chance to make money. I look at their record, and I have to put them at 6-1. But this is a team that has more hard luck stories than the Chicago Cubs. If they’d scored 12 more points this year, at the right times, they could be 5-1 instead of 1-5. The problem is that they got too many young kids in key positions. But those kids have been maturing fast. They could shock a lot of people.
SCISL: Thanks, Bennie.
Bennie: De nada, fella.

Junior Varsity Basketball Championships

Jaguar boys and girls victors in JV tourneys
The Cooperative boys and girls junior varsities both posted impresive victories over Christian Learning in the championship contests staged Tuesday afternoon in the Jaguar gym.
The Jaguar girls, playing superb defense, won 25-6. The Jaguar boys demonstrated an overpowering offense as they emerged victorious 35-13.
The Eagle teams played hard in both games but were not able to duplicate the methods by which they had each won one of their two regular season contests against the Jaguars. The two teams had only lost to each other during the regular season, during which they had both dominated the other teams in the league.
Jaguars girl stars used sparingly
The Cooperative girls had startled the SCISL world by scoring 74 points in their opening game against International. Later in the season many of the team's best players were promoted to the varsity, but were back for this game, and made their presence felt even though they made only cameo appearances. Carla Limpias, Sofia Sotelo, and Nicole Broersma all scored baskets during the first half during which the Jaguars built a 9-2 lead.
However, once the Jaguars had the game under control they seemed to do just as well with whatever line-up they put on the floor. They key factor was not the team´s offense, but its defense. "We played our best defense of the year," said coach Misty Skidmore. She had special praise for the defensive play of Audrey Saucedo and Tania Landivar, and noted that seventh grader Karla Aguilera scored her first basket of the year.
The win represented Skidmore's second championship of the Jaguar school year. Last season her JV girls volleyball team had also won a championship trophy.
Carla Limpias was the topscorer for Cooperative with nine points. Hailey White and Nicole Brorsma each had four points. Sofia Sotelo, Karla Aguilera, Luciana Adriazola, and Brooke Hill had two points each.
For the Eagles, Natalia Eguez had four points and Jessi Kennedy had two.
Jaguar boys score early and often
The Jaguar boys never trailed, and the score was only tied once, at 4-4. They led at the end of the first quarter 10-4 and the lead would have been higher if it weren't for several two great blocks by Eagle center Andre Larsen.
However, neither Larsen nor any of the other Eagle players was able to find the range offensively, and the Jaguar attack was unrelenting. Cooperative led 23-8 at halftime.
The big scorers for Cooperative were Milan Marinkovic and Nicolas Suarez, who both had 14 points. Suarez' total included two three-pointers. Marinkovic scored mainly on fast breaks. Andres Shin had six points and Jose Mozza one.
For Christian Learning Haziel Martinez had four points, Pablo Oh had three (on a three-pointer. Nicolas Smith, Damon Janzen, and Andre Larsen had two points apiece.

Varsity basketball

Christian Learning 32, International 19
Eagle girls win playoff tune-up
The Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team easily outscored International, 30-19, in a game at the Griffings gym where both teams gave their second string players a chance to gain experience.
The game was played mainly for pride and practice, and had no effect on the pairings for the semifinal round of the playoffs Thursday when Christian Learning will host Cambridge, while Cooperative plays at International.
The Eagle girls took a 13-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, in which International made it clear that it was not going all out to win. Daniela Zelada, the Griffin's leading scorer (and the league's), stayed on the bench until the second quarter.
International surged in the second quarter cutting the Eagles lead at one point to four, 15-11. The Eagles rallied at that point, and led at the half by eight, 21-13.
The Eagles stayed on a high trajectory in the second half, quickly widening their lead to 30-15, from which point they coasted in as both teams substituted freely.
Seven different players notched baskets for the Eagles. Kaylynn Lampen had seven points, including a three-pointer. Sabrina Hallock posted six, Tabitha Malloy 5, while Roxy Jien, Jennifer Lau, and Whitney Belovicz had four each. Ruth Nyquist had two.
Even with her late start in the game, Daniela Zelada was the leading scorer in the game with 13 points. Maria Isabel Barrenechea, Laura Gioto, and Olivia Rodriguez had two points each.

International boys missing three starters
Eagles romp over Griffins, 56-15
The Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team put on a dazzling display of offensive and defensive firepower as they whipped an undermanned International team 56-15 in the Griffins gym Thursday.
After a brief period of sputtering in the opening minutes, the Eagles sprinted out to a 17-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, which they stretched to 26-4 at halftime.
With the victory Christian Learning pulled even with Cambridge atop the league standings at the end of the regular season. Both teams have 5-1 records.
By scoring more than 37 points, Christian Learning earned the number one seed position for the playoffs by exceeding Cambridge's point total for the season.
The semifinals Friday will as a result pit Christian Learning against International, while Cambridge plays Cooperative. (See schedule at right.)
It would be difficult to overstate the degree to which Christian Learning dominated the game, which quickly became more of a public workout than a contest.
For eight and a half minutes at the beginning of the second half the Eagles not only held the Griffins scoreless, they prevented the home team from even getting a shot off. The Eagles blocked them all, and, more wondrous still, only committed one foul, which International failed to convert into points.
Well into the fourth quarter there was doubt as to whether the Griffins would get to double figures, and they only did so after both teams had emptied their benches.
All that having been said, International was without the services of its leading scorer, Martin Gonzales, its best rebounder, Mario Rohrman, and Ernando Tesch, another of its leading scorers. All were sidelined with injuries.
Rohrman was at the game with a cast on his right arm that had been put there as a precaution after he injured his wrist as the result of a fall in an informal basketball game. The cast was scheduled to be removed Thursday and Rohrman was expected to be available for Friday's semifinals.
Gonzales and Tesch are also expected to be back in the line-up. Gonzales has a tender ankle, and Tesch an injured finger.
But International used everyone else on its roster, including sixth grader Julio Ribeira, who was being rewarded for his effort and achievements under adversity as a member of the winless International junior varsity.
The biggest news for teams facing the Eagles in the playoffs is that junior forward Jeff Stabler seems to have found a scoring touch. Known for firing the ball at the basket just a little too hard, in this game he used a softer release and led all scorers with 14 points.
Tim Swope added 11, including a three-pointer, Josh Mann had eight, and Tim Zimmerman seven. Paul Estes and Jordan Newman had four. Richard Ling, Mark Salinas, and David Lotz had two points each.
For International, David Huang had ten, while Joe Maria Landivar, Alex Roempler, and Christopher Saltzieder had two points each.

Varsity Basketball

Escaño is Cambridge heroine
Lady Knights edge by Eagles, 18-17
Three consecutive long-range baskets by junior Marian Escaño in the second half gave the Cambridge varsity girls basketball team the points it needed to eke out an 18-17 win over previously undefeated Christian Learning at the Cambridge gym Thursday.
Escaño, who in her own word had been "asleep" offensively for much of the season, exploded in this game, scoring 13 of Cambridge's 18 points.
She scored seven points in the first half using a variety of approaches to the basket. In the second half she specialized in the corners, taking careful aim and hitting the first two from the left corner, then the third from the right side.
The two teams battled evenly throughout the game. The Lady Eagles led at half 9-8, and Cambridge had a one-point advantage at the end of the third quarter 14-13.
There were a lot of missed shots in the fourth quarter, but the score was also held down by the tenacious tenacious defense played by both teams.
For the Eagles, Sabrina Hallock and Anne Marie Hawthorne scored baskets to (almost) keep pace with Escaño.
The two teams will meet again next Thursday to do it all over again at the Eagles gym in the semifinals of the playoffs. In the other pairing, Cooperative will play at International.
In addition to Escaño's 13 points, Raquel Lopez tallied three points, and Maira Lino two for Cambridge.
For Christian Learning, Sabrina Hallock had six points and Roxy Jien 5. Ruth Nyquist, Jennifer Lau, and Tabitha Malloy had two points each.

Stabler, Canaviri come through
Eagle boys win overtime thriller
For the second straight year the second meeting between Cambridge and Christian Learning went into overtime, and once again Christian Learning emerged on top, winning 35-33 before almost a packed house at the Cambridge gym Thursday.
This year it only took one overtime to decide the contest -- last year it took two -- and the game was not quite as close as the score would indicate. Eagle Danny Canaviri stole the ball at the beginning of overtime and scored to give the Eagles a two-point lead, which was extended to six when Jeff Stabler knocked in a pair of jumpers on Christian Learning's next two trips down the floor.
Cambridge didn't score until the last minute of overtime, and its final two points were recorded on foul shots by Alvaro Lopez made after time had expired.
But this game had plenty of chills and thrill and was well worth the price of admission. It added another exciting chapter to the increasingly legendary rivalry.
The Knights broke on top. Seventh grade phenom Jose Ribera started the scoring with a long set shot, but would be shut down for the rest of the afternoon -- a key factor in the Eagle victory. Jose Manuel Salas then hit a three-pointer, after which Salas and Benjamin Ezpeleta took turns feeding each other nifty passes, and by the end of the quarter Cambridge led 13-5.
The two teams played evenly in the second quarter and Cambridge 21-14 at the half.
Christian Learning began its counter-attack in the third quarter, with Canaviri, Tim Swope, and Josh Mann all seeming to find the range as the Eagles reduced the Cambridge lead to a single point, 26-25.
In the fourth quarter the game became a war of attrition, with both teams playing deliberately, and Cambridge looking tired. Christian Learning flaunted its greater depth, sending fresh substitutes in several at a time. One almost expected them to start "platooning" -- sending in separate squads for offense and defense.
Cambridge stuck with what was basically its starting line-up, with sophomore Tae Han Kook filling the forward spot formerly held by Yosep Song, who broke his leg in Cambridge's last game. Song was greeted with applause when he arrived to watch the game.
For Cambridge in the last quarter Sales made a lay-up. and Kook added a foul shot to bring the Cambridge point total to 29. Canaviri hit a basket and swished two free throws to bring the Eagles to the same number.
The Eagles decisively outplayed the Knights in the opening minutes of the overtime, and the six point advantage they quickly built was enough to gain the victory.
Cambridge is now 5-1, and Christian Learning is 4-1. The final standings, and determination of which team will have home court advantage, will depend on the outcome of the game between Christian Learning and International Monday.
Should Christian Learning win, Cambridge and Christian Learning would have identical records and first place would be determined based on the total number of points scored and points allowed.
Seven different players scored for Christian Learning. Danny Canaviri and Josh Mann each had eightpoints, Stabler had six (four of them in overtime), Kyle Swope had five (including a three-pointer), and Tim Swope had four. Paul Estes and Richard Ling had two points each.
For Cambridge, Juan Manuel Salas finished with 16, and Benjamin Ezpeleta scored ten. Tae Han Kook had 3, while Jose Ribera and Alvaro Lopez had two points each.

Junior Varsity Basketball

Eagle girls down Cambridge, 20-9
The Christian Learning girls junior varsity basketball team jumped off to an 8-0 lead in the first half, and was able to coast from there to a 20-9 victory in a game played at the Knights' gym Tuesday.
Cambridge rallied in the second half, and actually outscored the little Eagles in the third quarter, but never seriously threatened. Three of its points came on a three-pointer by Lisa Delboy near the end of the game.
The Eagle team was already guaranteed a place in the JV championship game against Cooperative next Tuesday, but the win enables them to go into the game with the same 5-1 won-lost record as the Jaguars, making it just that much harder to figure out where the game will be played. When the decision is made it will be posted on this website.
The Lady Eagles got baskets from seven different players. Talley Friesen led the attack with six points, Rachel Moss had four, and Jessi Kennedy, Jessica Smith, Mariela Salinas, Charise Friesen all had two points.
For the Lady Knights, Lucia Candia had six points, and Lisa Delboy three.

Eagle boys defeat Knights, 40-30
The Christian Learningboys junior varsity boys basketball team had to fight hard to get the lead, then got way out in front and withstood a last minutes Cambridge resurgence to win 40-30 in the Knights gym Tuesday.
The Eagles victory gives them a 5-1 record, the same as Cooperative, and means that the Eagles and Jaguars will meet in the JV Championship game next Tuesday. It is not yet certain which school will host the game. As soon as that decision is made this story will be updated to include that information, which will also be put in the schedule in the right-hand column of the website.
The two teams battled to a 12-12 draw in the first half, and well into the third period the score was knotted 17-17.
But then the Eagle boys seemed to find the range, and shots that had often been kicking off the rim started dropping. Christian Learning's big man, Andre Larsen, who had made only four points in the first half, scored nine in just the third quarter, at the end of which the Eagles led 23-18.
They widened the margin at the start of the fourth quarter, with Pablo Oh taking over as the main scorer, though with help from Nicolas Smith and Kenny Krestan, the diminutive sixth grader who looks like his nickname could be "The Pocket Rocket."
Eventually the Eagle lead grew to 19 points at 39-20.
But then a remarkable thing happened. The Cambridge team launched a high-speed diversified offense such as it hasn't put on display all year. The Knights normal mode of operation had been to give the ball to seventh grade phenom Jorge Rivera and let him see what he could do with it.
Ribera continued to be the main man, but in the closing minutes of the game he got more help from his teammates than he has all season. Gustavo Denis made a couple of buckets, and Nicolas Dagnoni added a field goal. When the smoke cleared Cambridge had cut the Christian lead to ten points, 40-30.
It caused one to reflect on whether this last quarter of the last game of the season might someday be remembered by the players involved, who presumably will be battling one another for the next half decade or so, as the point at which each team found itself.
For Christian Learning, Pablo Oh posted a total of 15 points, including a three-pointer, and Larsen was right behind him with 13. Haziel Martinez, Kenny Krestan and Nicolas Smith had four points each.
For Cambridge, Ribera finished with 15. Andres Hurtado had six points on two three-pointers in the first half. Nicolas Dagnoni had five points, including a three-pointer, and Gustavo Denis four. (There was some confusion regarding uniform numbers on the scoresheet and these totals may be slightly revised.)

SCISL Board Meeting Reports

All-Star Games slated for May 2
The best players in the league – both boys and girls – will be arrayed into all-star teams that will battle each other starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 2, in the Cooperative gym.
The Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League board, consisting of the athletic directors of all four schools, approved the new addition to the schedule at a meeting Monday. If successful, the idea will be continued with other sports in the future.
The goal is to build camaraderie in the league and add an exciting event to the schedule that will attract parents and others to witness see the high quality of play. And also to have fun.
The occasion will also help the Cooperative students compensate for the loss of the Friendship Games in La Paz, which had to be canceled this year.
The games will work as follows:
* Each school will name its “all-stars” at the end of the league tournament April 22.
* The players from the first place team and the fourth place team will be named to one team; and the players from the second place and third place team to the other.
* The coach of the winning team will be coach of the all-stars from his team and the fourth place team. The coach of the second place team will coach the other team. The coaches of the third and fourth place teams will be assistants.
* There will be nine players on each team. The schools that finish first and second will be allowed to name five all stars. The teams that finish third and fourth will each name four.
* Each team will have at least one practice before all-star night.
* The female all-stars will play first, with the males’ game following immediately afterwards.
The event is still in the planning stages, and more features may be added, such as a three-point shooting contest at halftime. Suggestions are invited. Send them to SCISL News, or give them to your school’s athletic director

Cambridge censured for false ID
The board of the Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League censured Cambridge College Monday because a female student had presented an unauthorized league ID card at two games this year.
It also decided to punish Cambridge by decreeing, in effect, that that the Cambridge varsity girls basketball team will be considered to be in fourth place for seeding in the playoffs. Technically, this will be done by adjusting the team’s point totals to take away the points gained in the two games at which the credential was used.
Cambridge acknowledged that league rules had been violated and accepted the punishment without protest.
The card was confiscated by officials on March 13 when the player in question presented the card for a game between Cambridge and International, the fourth of Cambridge’s season. The card had several irregularities, the most obvious being that the ink color was different from that used on the authentic cards.
The girl using the card was (and is) eligible to play, and the information on the card was correct. Apparently it was produced after the girl’s photo and information had been accidentally omitted from the material submitted to the league by the school for the preparation of ID cards. The student was listed on the team roster submitted at the same time.
A Cambridge spokesman said the school had not yet been able to determine who had actually produced the false credential. The student has said she was unaware that the credential was inauthentic, and unless the card was compared with other cards it would have been difficult to know it was false. The student, an eleventh grader, actually participated in only one game, and did not score any points.

First Track Meet -- Team Results

International boys still rule!
Jaguar, Eagle girls ahead of Griffins
The official team scores for the first track meet, released Monday morning, show that the Cooperative girls team finished first in last month's initial track meet of the season, with Christian Learning finishing second.
The results indicate that International, whose girls finished third, could fail to win one of the track and field trophies for the first time since the inception of the league in 2005.
International's boys won by a wide margin, wide enough so that if the categories were combined International would still enjoy a large lead. However, there is no trophy for combined score, only bragging rights.
The point totals by team for the first meet were as follows:

Girls:
1. Cooperative -- 112 points
2. Christian Learning 109 points
3. International -- 92 points
4. Cambridge -- 47 points

Boys
1. International -- 150 points
2. Cooperative -- 83 points
3. Christian Learning -- 68 points
4. Cambridge -- 58 points

Combined Total (Boys and Girls)
1. International -- 242
2. Cooperative -- 195
3. Christian Learning -- 177
4. Cambridge -- 105

It needs to be emphasized that, in the words of the late Yogi Berra, "It ain't over till it's over." The results of the first track meet, under new rules, constitute only the first half of the track and field championship team competition.
The points from the first meet will be totaled with those from the second, to be held later this month, to determine who wins the team trophies. (See schedule at right.) Individual and relay winners at the second meet will receive medals denoting them as league champions in each event.
So, it is still possible for International to recover and continue to claim the championship trophies for both genders. International girls lost several very close races in the first meet. One Griffin girl was passed by a competitor when she slowed down to pull up her pants, something that is not likely to occur again. (She has new pants.)
Still, the girls track championship is clearly a wide open contest. The second place race between Cooperative and Christian Learning could also be close. At the first meet the Eagles were missing Danny Caniviri, one of their swiftest runners, who was sidelined with a knee injury.

Girls Varsity Basketball

Cambridge 19, Cooperative 16
Knights go cold, but still beat Jaguars
Never before in league history, and seldom before in the history of basketball, has a team won a game without scoring a single point in the entire second half.
The Cambridge girls varsity basketball team did exactly that Thursday afternoon in their home gym as they moved out to a 19-9 lead over Cooperative in the first half, then held on for dear life as Cooperative slowly chipped away at the lead in the second half.
The final score was 19-16.
Cambridge had a spectacular first half. Indeed, both teams played well, as indicated by the fact that only only one traveling call occurred in the entire first quarter, an almost unheard of achievement.
The difference was that Cambridge was shooting brilliantly, while Cooperative was not. A Cooperative fan observed in disbelief, "It doesn't matter where they shoot from. It goes in."
Sophomore Maira Lino tossed in a three-pointer to get things rolling, and baskets followed in quick succession by Camila Johnson, Raquel Lopez, and Vania Rueda.
And when you're not, you're not
Then suddenly in the second half the Lady Knights seemed to lose their touch. Happily for Cambridge, Cooperative did not regain its shooting eye. Neither team, in fact, scored in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter Cooperative resumed putting points on the board -- but slowly, and mostly on foul shots. Cambridge couldn't seem to buy a basket.
With about a minute and 40 seconds left, and the score 19-16, there was a long officials time out as the referees attempted to deal with Cambridge's malfunctioning scoreboard and reset the clock. (The scoreboard also stopped working near the end of the boys' game.)
Jaguars go for a tie
The clock couldn't be reset and the final seconds were completed somewhat in chaos, without the scoreboard clock, and in a darkening gym where many of the overhead lights were burned out.
Nearly all of the remaining time was spent with Co-operative on the attack in the Cambridge end of the court, but the Jaguars could not connect.
As the clock expired Jaguar Cecelia Aponte threw up a shot from three-point range that looked at first as if it might tie the game, but came down wide of the mark.
The high scorer for Cambridge was Lino with seven points. Johnson had six; Lopez four, Rueda two.
For Cooperative, Cecelia Aponte had eight points, Nataly Noguer had three, Nicole Broersma had two free throws, and Carla Limpias one field goal. and Sophia Sotelo one free throw.

Boys Varsity Basketball

Knight starter lost for season
Cambridge breezes by Jaguars, 43-30
Led by Juan Manuel Salas' 21 points, and augmented by three three-pointers from seventh grade phenom Jose Ribera, the Cambridge boys varsity basketball team defeated Cooperative in the Knights home gym Thursday, 43-30.
The event that may have the biggest effect on the season, however, occurred at the end of the first half when veteran Knight forward Yosep Song collided in midair with Jaguar Pablo Taborga, fell awkwardly, and broke his right leg.
Taborga at the time was driving for a lay-up on a fast break and Song was running with him. The shot did not go in but Song committed a foul on the play.
When Song landed a loud crack could be heard throughout the coliseum. Song cried out in pain and fell to the floor. Coaches, players and most of the spectators rushed onto the court to surround the fallen athlete.
A impromptu splint was made with a piece of wood and borrowed elastic bandage. Song was carried by his coach, Victor Coronado, and others to the side of the court.
Song hospitalized until next week
An ambulance arrived after about fifteen minutes and Song, in obvious pain but quiet, was wheeled off to it on a gurney and taken to Clinica Niño Jesus.
He was reported to be in satisfactory condition Thursday evening, and was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday morning. He will be in the hospital at least until next Tuesday.
Song, a senior, had been a starter for the past two years. He was not a spectacular scorer, but he was the team's best rebounder and had a knack for getting baskets when they were most needed.
His steady play was the glue that held together Cambridge's somewhat mercurial team both in last year's championship season, and its undefeated season so far this year. He will be missed.
Salas on a tear
Cambridge was leading 14-6 when Song went down, and Salas had accounted for eight of those points and Ribera had knocked down his first three-pointer to open the afternoon's scoring.
When play resumed Ribera threw in a second three-pointer, and then added a conventional two-point field goal. Cambridge led 19-8 at the half.
Salas really went on a tear at the beginning of the second half. scoring four straight baskets, most of them on fast breaks.
Cambridge senior Benjamin Ezpeleta was having an off day with his own shots, but managed some very adroit passes to Salas, who seemingly couldn't miss.
Salas made an especially remarkable effort on one of those feeds. To evade an attempted block the talented Cambridge junior pivoted to his left, away from the basket, and hooked in a swish.
Cooperative counterattacks
Cambridge led 30-16 at the end of the third quarter, and had extended its lead to 36-19 before a Cooperative counter-offensive scored seven points in less than a minute and a half to cut the Knights lead to 36-26. Taborga scored two baskets and Juan Abuawad shot a three-pointer.
The remainder of the game played out in more stable fashion, with each team scoring four points as the clock wound down through the closing minutes.
Salas finished with 21 points, Ribera with 11. Zhou Fua Zhou Zeng posted five points (including a three-pointer), while Ezpeleta, Hyun Sik Kang, and Tae Han Kook had a two-point basket each.
For Cooperative, Juan Peredo had nine points; Juan Abuawad had eight. Taborga ended up with seven. Milan Marinkovic and Diego Morales had three. Peredo, Abuawad, Taborga and Marinkovic all recorded three-pointers.
The win guarantees Cambridge at least a share of first place. Christian Learning could tie the Knights by beating Cambridge when the teams meet in the Cambridge gym next Thursday, and beating International when those teams meet Monday, April 11.
The game between Christian Learning and International was originally supposed to be played Thursday, but was postponed because of Christian Learning´s senior trip.

MEDICAL BULLETIN -- Cambridge player Yosep Song was operated on successfully Friday morning. Surgeons placed metal plates in his leg to hold the two broken bones in place. He was reported Sunday to be resting reasonably comfortably. The picture shows Song in his hospital room immediately after the game Thursday, surrounded by friends, teammates, and coaches. (Photo by Juan Manuel Salas, Cambridge.)

JV Girls Basketball

Jaguars easily defeat Knights, 27-4
By Alexander Nagel
Cambridge College
The Cooperative girls junior varsity basketball team encountered little difficulty in posting its fifth win of the year against only one loss as it defeated Cambridge 27-4 at the Knights gym Tuesday.
Cooperative had a modest 5-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, which it expanded to 11-2 at the half.
Cooperative put on a diversified attack. Hailey White led the way with eight points; Ana Paula Peredo and Tania Landivar each added six. Giovanna Varalta, Laura Adriazola, and Audrey Saucedo had a field goal apiece.
Cambridge had baskets from Natalia Johnson and Lucia Candia.
Story to come

BREAKING AWAY -- Eagle Mariela Salinas (16) brings the ball down the court, with Griffins in pursuit and teammate Talley Friesen (6) on her wing. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Christian Learning 30, International 6
Eagles handily outdistance Griffins
The Christian Learning junior varsity girls team had no difficulty defeating International at the Griffins gym Tuesday, 30-6, though the underdog Griffins played hard throughout the game.
The little Lady Eagles were ahead 6-2 after the first quarter, and led 10-4 at the half.
The top scorers for Christian Learning were Mariela Salinas and Talley Friesen, who each had eight points. Rachel Moss and Jenny Zimmerman each had six, and Abby Phillips had two.
For International, Laura Gioto had fourpoints, and Irene Vergara two.

JV Boys Basketball

WORKING THE BALL -- Knight Andres Hurtado passing past Jaguar Samuel Melgar (12) Carlos Hugo Vaca, Cambridge College

Cooperative 18, Cambridge 15
Jaguars escape Knight ambush
By Alexander Nagel
Cambridge College
The Cooperative junior varsity boys basketball team allowed underdog Cambridge to get out in front at the half, but caught up with the upset-minded Knights in the third period and then pulled ahead to win, 18-15.
Cambridge's Jose Ribera opened the scoring Tuesday with a three-pointer that accounted for all of the home team's points in the first quarter. Cooperative answered with a field goal by Samuel Melgar and a free throw by Milan Marinkovic, and the score at the end of the quarter was tied 3-3.
Cambridge then went on something of a tear in the second quarter, outscoring the Jaguars 6-2 and building a 9-5 halftime lead.
Cooperative came back to tie the score at 10-10 at the end of the third period, then moved ahead in what was, relatively speaking, a wild fourth quarter in which the Jaguars outscored Cambridge 8-5.
Marinkovic was the big scorer for the Jaguars with ten points, six of them in the fourth quarter surge. Melgar, Oliver Lederman, Andre Shin and Jonathan Pauker had a field goal each.
Ribera finished with 13 points. Andres Hurtado also scored for the Knights.

SEEKING THE PATH -- Griffin tries to thread a way between Eagle defenders Damon Jansen (21) and Trevor Reed (13). Jonatan Muñoz, International

Christian Learning 42, International 10
Eagles overpower improving Griffins
The Christian Learning boys junior varsity basketball team, led by Andre Larsen's 20 points, had too much height and firepower for International, and won 42-10 in a game played at International Tuesday.
The little Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and while the Griffins were able to make things somewhat more respectable at the half when they trailed 26-7, they were consistently outscored by Christian Learning.
In particular, International had no way of stopping six-footer Larsen whose 20 points represented a high for the year. The Eagles spread the rest of their scoring among six other players. Damon Jansen tallied six. Nicolas Smith, Jesse Mann, and Pablo Oh posted four apiece. Trevor Reed and Carlos Sandoval had a field goal each.
However, Internationa continued to show steady improvment. This is a team that failed to score in its first three games, and represented the first time that the little Griffins have reached double digits.
They were led by seventh grader Ryotaro Saito, who tallied six points, including a successful three-point attempt. Joaquin Wray and Eric Takamaya each had a two-point field goal for the Griffins.