Knights win barn-burner against Eagles, 35-27
The Cambridge boys junior varsity boys basketball team emerged from a rock 'em-sock 'em game against Christian Learning with a 35-27 victory Friday afternoon in the Eagles gym
It was a closer battle than the final score would indicate. The Eagles led 7-6 at the end of the first quarter, and 18-13 at the half. The Eagle lead had been as wide as 18-8, but Knight standout Jose Ribera finally got loose from the close defensive shackles Eagle Cesar Flores had tried to keep him in, and notched six of Cambridge's seven points in the second quarter.
Rivera, who is 16 and older than most of the other players on the floor, exploded after that, ultimately scoring 18 of his 30 points in the second half. Rivera has been a star for the Knight varsity for the past two years as well.
At the end of the third quarter the Knights were ahead 22-19. In the fourth quarter Josiah Canaviri, who had taken over the task of trying to stop Rivera after Flores got in foul trouble, fouled out himself. At that point there was no stopping Rivera -- and Cambridge.
In addition to scoring all of Cambridge's 13 fourth quarter point, Rivera blocked several Eagle drives. By the end of the fourth River seemed to be challenging the Eagles to catch-me-if-you-can. And no one could.
In addition to Rivera's 30 points (including a three-pointer), Juan Carlos Paniagua had three points for Cambridge, and Gabriel Alonzo two.
For Christian Learning, Flores tallied 11 points. Canaviri, Esteban de Sosa and Richard Enns had four each. Haziel Martinez and Luke Phillips both had two points.
Based on reporting by Keith Wilcke, Christian Learning.
February 27, 2010
February 26, 2010
JV Girls Basketball
Late surge propels Eagles over Knights, 19-13
The Christian Learning girls junior varsity basketball team crafted a 19-13 win over Cambridge in their home gym Friday afternoon.
The pattern of the day was for the little Eagles to spurt in front, then for the little Knights to almost catch up, at which point bthe Eaglettes would jump agead again.
At the end of the fiurst quarter the Eagles led 6-2, and 8-4 at the half. Naomi Canaviri tallied four of the Christian Learnong points. The Knights made lots of steals, but weren't able to convert them into points.
The second half was more of the same, with lots of steals, and tie-ups, and traveling calls -- and not many baskets. The Christian Learning lead was cut to a single basket at 10-8 with four minutes to go in the quarter, but returned to four points at the end of the quarter, when the score stood 13-9.
In the fourth quarter Cambridge pulled wiuthin two points again at 15-13 with about three minutes to go in the game. However, Christian then got baskets from Canaviri and Emily Ordoñez in the final minutes to ice the victory.
For Christian Learning, Canaviri and Rebekah Kienzle had seven points, Ordoñez had four, and Ha Eun Lee one.
For Cambridge Amaya Yañez had seven, Mako Ueno had four, and Rebeca Escudero two.
Based on reporting by Keith Wilcke, Christian Learning.
The Christian Learning girls junior varsity basketball team crafted a 19-13 win over Cambridge in their home gym Friday afternoon.
The pattern of the day was for the little Eagles to spurt in front, then for the little Knights to almost catch up, at which point bthe Eaglettes would jump agead again.
At the end of the fiurst quarter the Eagles led 6-2, and 8-4 at the half. Naomi Canaviri tallied four of the Christian Learnong points. The Knights made lots of steals, but weren't able to convert them into points.
The second half was more of the same, with lots of steals, and tie-ups, and traveling calls -- and not many baskets. The Christian Learning lead was cut to a single basket at 10-8 with four minutes to go in the quarter, but returned to four points at the end of the quarter, when the score stood 13-9.
In the fourth quarter Cambridge pulled wiuthin two points again at 15-13 with about three minutes to go in the game. However, Christian then got baskets from Canaviri and Emily Ordoñez in the final minutes to ice the victory.
For Christian Learning, Canaviri and Rebekah Kienzle had seven points, Ordoñez had four, and Ha Eun Lee one.
For Cambridge Amaya Yañez had seven, Mako Ueno had four, and Rebeca Escudero two.
Based on reporting by Keith Wilcke, Christian Learning.
February 25, 2010
Girls Varsity Basketball
Eagle girls outpace Griffins, 31-15
By Daniel Roempler
International School
With steady scoring and tenacious defense, the Christian Learning girls varsity basketball team forged a 31-15 victory over Internation in the International gym Thursday.
The Eagles jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead in the first quarter, and by halftime they had extended their advantage to 14-4.
During the opening minutes of the third quarter the two teams battled head to head in a manner worthy of their mythological and animal nicknames -- Eagles and Griffins.
The International girls seemed to determined to close ranks and delimit their boundaries, and launched a counteroffensive led by Adriana Ocampo that elicited some admiring gasps even from the Christian Learning crowd as she scored three field goals and a foul shot in the quarter. Teammate Laura Maragaño also scored a basket and at one point the Eagle lead was cut to 16-9.
However, Christian Learning's offensive pressure was relentless and by the end of the quarter the Eagles had widened their lead to 24-11. Kaylynn Lampen reignited the Eagle offense with two baskets and Abby Phillips went "coast to coast" -- taking the ball from one end of the court to the other -- to close out the quarter.
The fourth quarter did not change the course of the plot, with the Christian Learning team playing solidly on offense and defense. Nonetheless the match remained tight and exciting as both teams were able to unfold some nice moves that kept the spectators wide-eyed and on the edge of their seats.
Eagle Kaylynn Lampen was the leading scorer in the game with 12 points. Mariel Salinas had five points for Christian Learning; Erica Kienzle and Cristian Chun had four each. Abby Phillips and Ruth Nyquist each had two points.
For International, Ocampo had seven points, Maragaño, six, and D. SWalm an and Irene Barrenechea each had one.
By Daniel Roempler
International School
With steady scoring and tenacious defense, the Christian Learning girls varsity basketball team forged a 31-15 victory over Internation in the International gym Thursday.
The Eagles jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead in the first quarter, and by halftime they had extended their advantage to 14-4.
During the opening minutes of the third quarter the two teams battled head to head in a manner worthy of their mythological and animal nicknames -- Eagles and Griffins.
The International girls seemed to determined to close ranks and delimit their boundaries, and launched a counteroffensive led by Adriana Ocampo that elicited some admiring gasps even from the Christian Learning crowd as she scored three field goals and a foul shot in the quarter. Teammate Laura Maragaño also scored a basket and at one point the Eagle lead was cut to 16-9.
However, Christian Learning's offensive pressure was relentless and by the end of the quarter the Eagles had widened their lead to 24-11. Kaylynn Lampen reignited the Eagle offense with two baskets and Abby Phillips went "coast to coast" -- taking the ball from one end of the court to the other -- to close out the quarter.
The fourth quarter did not change the course of the plot, with the Christian Learning team playing solidly on offense and defense. Nonetheless the match remained tight and exciting as both teams were able to unfold some nice moves that kept the spectators wide-eyed and on the edge of their seats.
Eagle Kaylynn Lampen was the leading scorer in the game with 12 points. Mariel Salinas had five points for Christian Learning; Erica Kienzle and Cristian Chun had four each. Abby Phillips and Ruth Nyquist each had two points.
For International, Ocampo had seven points, Maragaño, six, and D. SWalm an and Irene Barrenechea each had one.
GOING FOR THE STEAL -- Jaguar Tania Landivar (9) lunges to intercept a Cambridge pass. Julia Boldt, Cooperative
Female Jaguars cruise by Knights, 29-9
The Cooperative girls varsity basketball team had little difficulty defeating Cambridge 29-9 on their home court Thursday afternoon.
The Jaguars led 9-2 at the end of the first quarter, and 12-2 at the half. They opened the throttle in the third quarter to pull ahead 24-7, and then padded their lead by three more points in the fourth quarter.
Cooperative had clearly not been worried about the Knights as opponents, and were missing several players, some with dubious excuses.
Ana Paula Peredo was very much present for the Jaguars, scoring 14 points, including two three-pointers. Carla Limpias contributed nine points, and Tania Landivar six.
Maira Lino scored all nine of Cambridge's points, including one three-pointer.
Boys Varsity Basketball
Eagles victimize helpless Griffins, 58-6
By Daniel Roempler
International School
The Christian Learning boys basketball team showed its high effectiveness against a baffled International team that couldn't hold off the avalanche of scoring, and ultimately succumbed 58-6 in the International gym Thursday.
The game began with an explosive start for the Griffins as Gary Suarez took the opening tip off, and scored with a beautiful backwards throw as he was about to run out of bounds near the corner.
But that spectacular stunt proved to be a mirage in International's desert of hopes.
Christian Learning proceeded to dominate the play and score almost at its pleasure, with excellent performances by the entire team. Sophomore center Andre Larsen in particular seemed able to tear open any defensive formation attempted by the Griffins, and scored fourteen points in the first half alone.
With perfectly lubricated teamwork the Eagles tore their way to a 32-point lead, 38-6, at the half-time break.
The second half was more of the same, with the Christian Learning team exhibiting nice teamwork reflecting a clear understanding between its players. By the last quarter the Eagles' younger players had been sent onto the court to taste some of the adrenaline.
The Griffins continued to struggle, but failed to come up with a way to either hurt the Eagles offensively or to suppress the Eagles' strong attacks. The match ended with the Eagle's posting an impressive 58-6 victory over the Griffins.
Who will be next?
Dan Burgin was the scoring leader for the Eagles with 18 points. Larsen had 14, Jesse Hallock 10, Danny Canaviri 7 (including a three-pointer), Tim Zimmerman four, Paul Estes and Caleb Hoover two points each, and Josh Hoover one.
For International, Suarez had three, and Juan Narvaez three (on a three-pointer).
Knights romp over Jaguars, 47-21
The Cambridge College boys varsity basketball team easily defeated Cooperative 47-21 in the Cooperative gym Thursday afternoon.
Cambridge took a 16-2 lead in the first quarter and was never seriously threatened, although the Jaguar offense did come to life as the game progressed. Cambridge was ahead 30-12 at the half, and 37-16 at the end of the third quarter.
Alvaro Lopez was high point man for Cambridge with 18 points, most of the them on high-flying lay-ups. Jose Luis Rivera had 16 for Cambridge, many on perfectly arced pull-up jump shots.Tae Han Kook had six points, Fabricio Subirana five, and Gabriel Alonso two.
Another piece of good news for Knights was that Subirana, their main rebounder, who had fouled out in the first half of the game against Christian Learning last Monday, committed no fouls in this game.
Cooperative was led by Milan Marinkovic, who scored 11 points, including a three-pointer. Jose Mozza had six for the Jaguars, and Andres Shin four.
By Daniel Roempler
International School
The Christian Learning boys basketball team showed its high effectiveness against a baffled International team that couldn't hold off the avalanche of scoring, and ultimately succumbed 58-6 in the International gym Thursday.
The game began with an explosive start for the Griffins as Gary Suarez took the opening tip off, and scored with a beautiful backwards throw as he was about to run out of bounds near the corner.
But that spectacular stunt proved to be a mirage in International's desert of hopes.
Christian Learning proceeded to dominate the play and score almost at its pleasure, with excellent performances by the entire team. Sophomore center Andre Larsen in particular seemed able to tear open any defensive formation attempted by the Griffins, and scored fourteen points in the first half alone.
With perfectly lubricated teamwork the Eagles tore their way to a 32-point lead, 38-6, at the half-time break.
The second half was more of the same, with the Christian Learning team exhibiting nice teamwork reflecting a clear understanding between its players. By the last quarter the Eagles' younger players had been sent onto the court to taste some of the adrenaline.
The Griffins continued to struggle, but failed to come up with a way to either hurt the Eagles offensively or to suppress the Eagles' strong attacks. The match ended with the Eagle's posting an impressive 58-6 victory over the Griffins.
Who will be next?
Dan Burgin was the scoring leader for the Eagles with 18 points. Larsen had 14, Jesse Hallock 10, Danny Canaviri 7 (including a three-pointer), Tim Zimmerman four, Paul Estes and Caleb Hoover two points each, and Josh Hoover one.
For International, Suarez had three, and Juan Narvaez three (on a three-pointer).
Knights romp over Jaguars, 47-21
The Cambridge College boys varsity basketball team easily defeated Cooperative 47-21 in the Cooperative gym Thursday afternoon.
Cambridge took a 16-2 lead in the first quarter and was never seriously threatened, although the Jaguar offense did come to life as the game progressed. Cambridge was ahead 30-12 at the half, and 37-16 at the end of the third quarter.
Alvaro Lopez was high point man for Cambridge with 18 points, most of the them on high-flying lay-ups. Jose Luis Rivera had 16 for Cambridge, many on perfectly arced pull-up jump shots.Tae Han Kook had six points, Fabricio Subirana five, and Gabriel Alonso two.
Another piece of good news for Knights was that Subirana, their main rebounder, who had fouled out in the first half of the game against Christian Learning last Monday, committed no fouls in this game.
Cooperative was led by Milan Marinkovic, who scored 11 points, including a three-pointer. Jose Mozza had six for the Jaguars, and Andres Shin four.
February 23, 2010
JV Boys Basketball
ALEJANDRO V. ALEJANDRO -- Knight Alejandro Barranco (5) (very) closely guards Jaguar Alejandro Rosas. Julia Boldt, Cooperative
Eagle boys overpower Griffins 47-15
A fast-moving, smooth-running Christian Learning junior varsity boys basketball team dominated International, winning 47-15 in the International gym Tuesday.
The junior Eagles jumped out to an 18-3 lead in the first quarter, and widened that to 31-3 at the half.
Christian Learning had a balanced attack with three players in double figures -- Haziel Martinez had 14 points, Josiah Canaviri had 13, and Cesar Flores had 10. In addition, Esteban Sosa had six, and Richard Enns four.
The only apparent weakness of the Eagles was lack of bench strength. They had only six players in uniform for the game.
Though clearly up against a better team, the Griffins never lost discipline, and continued to press their attack throughout the game, actually playingbthe Eagles evenly in the fourth quarter, in which each team had eight points.
And there were flashes of talent, as when Danny Hanley, by far the smallest player on the court, tossed in a three-pointer, or when Juan Pable Velasco twirled in an improbable hook shot.
Hanley was International's leading scorer with six points. J. Coloma had four, Jakob Hlodversson and Velasco had two, and Javier Garcia one.
Knight JV outpaces Jaguars, 44-23
The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball team handily defeated Cooperative 44-23 in a game played in the Cooperative gym Tuesday afternoon.
The Knights were ahead 10-5 at the end of the first quarter, and 24-12 at the half.
Jose Luis Rivera of Cambridge was the leading scorer in the game with 25 points, including three three-pointers. Horacio Morales was next for the Knights with nine points, Fernando Guardia had five, Juan Paniagua three (on a three-pointer), and Alex Legrain two.
Josue Abuawad tallied 19 points for Cooperative, including all 11 of the Jaguars points in the second half. Rodrigo Adrazola had two points for the Jaguars. George Scanlon and Alejandro Rosas had a point each.
A fast-moving, smooth-running Christian Learning junior varsity boys basketball team dominated International, winning 47-15 in the International gym Tuesday.
The junior Eagles jumped out to an 18-3 lead in the first quarter, and widened that to 31-3 at the half.
Christian Learning had a balanced attack with three players in double figures -- Haziel Martinez had 14 points, Josiah Canaviri had 13, and Cesar Flores had 10. In addition, Esteban Sosa had six, and Richard Enns four.
The only apparent weakness of the Eagles was lack of bench strength. They had only six players in uniform for the game.
Though clearly up against a better team, the Griffins never lost discipline, and continued to press their attack throughout the game, actually playingbthe Eagles evenly in the fourth quarter, in which each team had eight points.
And there were flashes of talent, as when Danny Hanley, by far the smallest player on the court, tossed in a three-pointer, or when Juan Pable Velasco twirled in an improbable hook shot.
Hanley was International's leading scorer with six points. J. Coloma had four, Jakob Hlodversson and Velasco had two, and Javier Garcia one.
Knight JV outpaces Jaguars, 44-23
The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball team handily defeated Cooperative 44-23 in a game played in the Cooperative gym Tuesday afternoon.
The Knights were ahead 10-5 at the end of the first quarter, and 24-12 at the half.
Jose Luis Rivera of Cambridge was the leading scorer in the game with 25 points, including three three-pointers. Horacio Morales was next for the Knights with nine points, Fernando Guardia had five, Juan Paniagua three (on a three-pointer), and Alex Legrain two.
Josue Abuawad tallied 19 points for Cooperative, including all 11 of the Jaguars points in the second half. Rodrigo Adrazola had two points for the Jaguars. George Scanlon and Alejandro Rosas had a point each.
JV Girls Basketball
GET THE BALL, Y'ALL -- Knight Mako Ueno (9) has a step on Jaguar Giuliana Varalta (11) and a teammate in pursuit of a loose ball. Julia Boldt, Cooperative
Cambridge holds off Jaguarettes, wins 9-7
Although held scoreless in the second half, the Cambridge junior varsity girls basketball team had put enough points on the board in the first half to score a 9-7 win over Cooperative in the Cooperative gym Tuesday.
Cambridge took a 5-0 lead in the first quarter, and was ahead 9-4 at the half. The Jaguars pulled to within two points, at 9-7 in the third quarter, and that would be the final score as neither team could connect for a score in the fourth quarter.
Nicole Fermin was Cambridge's main offensive weapon, with eight points, six of them from the foul line. Vera Lino also made a free throw for the Knights.
For Cooperative, Megumi Kamiya, Jessica Maureira, and Sofia Vallet had two points each, and Andrea Chavez had one.
The win was the first for the Cambridge JV girls in recent memory.
Eagle JV battles to 16-14 win over Griffins
The Christian Learning girls junior varsity basketball team prevailed 16-14 over International in the Griffins gym Tuesday.
The two teams battled evenly throughout the game, although the final score was not quite as close as it might seem in that two of the Griffin points were tallied on foul shots by Fabiana Zelada after the final buzzer. Still the score had been knotted at 8-8 as recently as the end of the third quarter.
International had led 4-2 at the end of the first quarter, and 6-4 and the half.
Christian Learning got six points from Rebekah Kienzle, four from HaEun Lee and Emily Ordoñez, and two from Rebekah Enns.
Fir International, Zelada and Antonia Maggi had six points, and Irene Vergara had two.
Although held scoreless in the second half, the Cambridge junior varsity girls basketball team had put enough points on the board in the first half to score a 9-7 win over Cooperative in the Cooperative gym Tuesday.
Cambridge took a 5-0 lead in the first quarter, and was ahead 9-4 at the half. The Jaguars pulled to within two points, at 9-7 in the third quarter, and that would be the final score as neither team could connect for a score in the fourth quarter.
Nicole Fermin was Cambridge's main offensive weapon, with eight points, six of them from the foul line. Vera Lino also made a free throw for the Knights.
For Cooperative, Megumi Kamiya, Jessica Maureira, and Sofia Vallet had two points each, and Andrea Chavez had one.
The win was the first for the Cambridge JV girls in recent memory.
Eagle JV battles to 16-14 win over Griffins
The Christian Learning girls junior varsity basketball team prevailed 16-14 over International in the Griffins gym Tuesday.
The two teams battled evenly throughout the game, although the final score was not quite as close as it might seem in that two of the Griffin points were tallied on foul shots by Fabiana Zelada after the final buzzer. Still the score had been knotted at 8-8 as recently as the end of the third quarter.
International had led 4-2 at the end of the first quarter, and 6-4 and the half.
Christian Learning got six points from Rebekah Kienzle, four from HaEun Lee and Emily Ordoñez, and two from Rebekah Enns.
Fir International, Zelada and Antonia Maggi had six points, and Irene Vergara had two.
February 22, 2010
Girls Varsity Basketball
Eagles' second half surge beats Knights 26-15
The Christian Learning varsity girls basketball team took charge in the second half to gain a decisive 26-15 win over Cambridge in their home gym Monday afternoon.
The two teams had battled to a 12-12 tie in the first half, but the Eagles dominated the second half offensively and defensively.
In the first quarter Christian Learning jumped out to a 6-0 lead on baskets by veteran shotmakers Kaylynn Lampen and Ruth Nyquist.
The Lady Knights pulled even, however, as Mariana Escaño made a foul shot and a lay-up, then Maira Lino added a three-pointer.
The Knights seemed to have the momentum in the second quarter as they moved out to a four-point lead on scores by Lino, Nadia Rocco and Alejandra Abastaflor. However, the Eagles managed to knot the score at 12-12, getting a basket each from Lampen, Nyquist, and Annie Phillips.
The Eagles dominated the third quarter, holding Cambridge scoreless while Lampen got two more baskets, and Mariela Salinas added another.
The Eagles continued to push the Knights around in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points, with Lampen and Erica Kienzle each making a pair of baskets. For Cambridge, Maira Lino got another field goal and Stephany Quiroga made a foul shot.
Lampen was the game's leading scorer with 14 points. Nyquist and Kienzle had four points each. Salinas and Phillips had two each.
For Cambridge Lino had seven, Escaño three, and Abastoflor and Rocco both had two.
Sandi Wilcke of Christian Learning contributed to this report.
The Christian Learning varsity girls basketball team took charge in the second half to gain a decisive 26-15 win over Cambridge in their home gym Monday afternoon.
The two teams had battled to a 12-12 tie in the first half, but the Eagles dominated the second half offensively and defensively.
In the first quarter Christian Learning jumped out to a 6-0 lead on baskets by veteran shotmakers Kaylynn Lampen and Ruth Nyquist.
The Lady Knights pulled even, however, as Mariana Escaño made a foul shot and a lay-up, then Maira Lino added a three-pointer.
The Knights seemed to have the momentum in the second quarter as they moved out to a four-point lead on scores by Lino, Nadia Rocco and Alejandra Abastaflor. However, the Eagles managed to knot the score at 12-12, getting a basket each from Lampen, Nyquist, and Annie Phillips.
The Eagles dominated the third quarter, holding Cambridge scoreless while Lampen got two more baskets, and Mariela Salinas added another.
The Eagles continued to push the Knights around in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points, with Lampen and Erica Kienzle each making a pair of baskets. For Cambridge, Maira Lino got another field goal and Stephany Quiroga made a foul shot.
Lampen was the game's leading scorer with 14 points. Nyquist and Kienzle had four points each. Salinas and Phillips had two each.
For Cambridge Lino had seven, Escaño three, and Abastoflor and Rocco both had two.
Sandi Wilcke of Christian Learning contributed to this report.
Boys Varsity Basketball
Eagles break loose, beat Knights 49-24
The Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team broke open what had been a fairly tight ball game with a 21-point fourth quarter as they defeated Cambridge 49-24 on their home court Monday afternoon.
The first half was marked by ferocious defense and stone cold shooting by both teams. After four minutes there was no score, and with 2:10 to go Cambridge held a 3-2 lead, with all three of its points coming on free throws. Eagle baskets by Andrew Burgin and Paul Estes gave Christian Learning the lead at the end of the quarter, 6-3.
The second quarter continued with more of the same as the action went back and forth with few points scored. There were ties at 8-8 and 9-9. The half ended with Christian Learning holding a razor-thin 13-12 lead.
The defensive highlight for Christian Learning came when Eagle Danny Canaviri stripped the ball from Knight Jose Luis Rivera as Ribera drove for a lay-up. The play ended with Rivera in a heap on the floor, and Canaviri streaking the other way with the ball.
Rivera, though, hit three free throws and a field goal in the half, making him the high scorer in the game at that point. Senior forward Alvaro Lopez drove twice through the Eagle defense for scores on lay-ups.
All told, the two boys teams had managed to score only one more point in the half than the two schools' girls teams had managed collectively in the first half of their game. Cambridge had particular trouble converting its opportunities from the foul line, and at one point had missed twelve foul shots in a row.
Many players started the second half with multiple fouls, but the major casualty of the first half infractions was Cambridge's Fabricio Subirana, who had fouled out of the game. Subirana, Cambridge's major rebounder and a defensive stalwart spent the second half on the bench, and was sorely missed.
Christian Learning scored six unanswered points to start the second half, but Cambridge steadied and kept the game within reach for most of the third quarter and into the fourth.
A caromed three-pointer by Cambridge eighth grader Andres Hurtado early in the fourth quarter cut the Christian Learning lead to an even ten points at 32-22, and a swished pull-up jumper by Rivera a few minutes later kept the deficit at that level, 34-24, but that was the last time the game would be that close.
(Hurtado's three-pointer was truly heroic. It turned out he had done it with a broken arm suffered when he had been knocked to the floor earlier by Eagle Josh Hoover. The break was not discovered until the next day when an X-ray was taken after Hurtado complained of continued pain.)
The Christian Learning offense now seemed to explode, and Cambridge looked increasingly worn down by the Eagles' offensive and defensive pressure. Subirana´s absence meant the Eagles would often get five and six shots off on each trip down the floor.
And the Eagles by this point were smelling blood. Multiple baskets were scored by the Eagles trio of seniors -- Canaviri, Tim Zimmerman, and Paul Estes. Junior Caleb Hoover came off the bench to score two baskets.
Canaviri at one point took the ball from one end to the other to score. On another attempt Canaviri was blocked adroitly by Rivera, paying back the first half favor. But such was the momentum and pace at this point that the ball was picked up by Zimmerman, perhaps the shortest man in the Eagle line-up, who put it in the hoop unopposed for an easy two points.
In short order the score was 40-24, after which the Eagles added nine more points in the closing minutes to make the final score 49-24.
The game was played in front of a large and enthusiastic home crowd, though with a significant Cambridge rooting section. The Eagles had started with the traditional "Oooga-oooga" chant, and then charged onto the floor led by their two new costumed mascots -- Woody the Woodpecker and Daffy Duck -- who danced around the gym leading cheers.
Zimmerman was the leading scorer for Christian Learning with 14 points. Canaviri had 12, Jesse Hallock 9, Caleb Hoover and Paul Estes 4, Dan Burgin 3, Andre Larsen 2, and Josh Hoover 1.
For Cambridge, Lopez ended up with 11, Rivera scored 9, Hurtado had three (on a three-pointer), and Subirana had one.
Keith Wilcke of Christian Learning contributed to this report.
The Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team broke open what had been a fairly tight ball game with a 21-point fourth quarter as they defeated Cambridge 49-24 on their home court Monday afternoon.
The first half was marked by ferocious defense and stone cold shooting by both teams. After four minutes there was no score, and with 2:10 to go Cambridge held a 3-2 lead, with all three of its points coming on free throws. Eagle baskets by Andrew Burgin and Paul Estes gave Christian Learning the lead at the end of the quarter, 6-3.
The second quarter continued with more of the same as the action went back and forth with few points scored. There were ties at 8-8 and 9-9. The half ended with Christian Learning holding a razor-thin 13-12 lead.
The defensive highlight for Christian Learning came when Eagle Danny Canaviri stripped the ball from Knight Jose Luis Rivera as Ribera drove for a lay-up. The play ended with Rivera in a heap on the floor, and Canaviri streaking the other way with the ball.
Rivera, though, hit three free throws and a field goal in the half, making him the high scorer in the game at that point. Senior forward Alvaro Lopez drove twice through the Eagle defense for scores on lay-ups.
All told, the two boys teams had managed to score only one more point in the half than the two schools' girls teams had managed collectively in the first half of their game. Cambridge had particular trouble converting its opportunities from the foul line, and at one point had missed twelve foul shots in a row.
Many players started the second half with multiple fouls, but the major casualty of the first half infractions was Cambridge's Fabricio Subirana, who had fouled out of the game. Subirana, Cambridge's major rebounder and a defensive stalwart spent the second half on the bench, and was sorely missed.
Christian Learning scored six unanswered points to start the second half, but Cambridge steadied and kept the game within reach for most of the third quarter and into the fourth.
A caromed three-pointer by Cambridge eighth grader Andres Hurtado early in the fourth quarter cut the Christian Learning lead to an even ten points at 32-22, and a swished pull-up jumper by Rivera a few minutes later kept the deficit at that level, 34-24, but that was the last time the game would be that close.
(Hurtado's three-pointer was truly heroic. It turned out he had done it with a broken arm suffered when he had been knocked to the floor earlier by Eagle Josh Hoover. The break was not discovered until the next day when an X-ray was taken after Hurtado complained of continued pain.)
The Christian Learning offense now seemed to explode, and Cambridge looked increasingly worn down by the Eagles' offensive and defensive pressure. Subirana´s absence meant the Eagles would often get five and six shots off on each trip down the floor.
And the Eagles by this point were smelling blood. Multiple baskets were scored by the Eagles trio of seniors -- Canaviri, Tim Zimmerman, and Paul Estes. Junior Caleb Hoover came off the bench to score two baskets.
Canaviri at one point took the ball from one end to the other to score. On another attempt Canaviri was blocked adroitly by Rivera, paying back the first half favor. But such was the momentum and pace at this point that the ball was picked up by Zimmerman, perhaps the shortest man in the Eagle line-up, who put it in the hoop unopposed for an easy two points.
In short order the score was 40-24, after which the Eagles added nine more points in the closing minutes to make the final score 49-24.
The game was played in front of a large and enthusiastic home crowd, though with a significant Cambridge rooting section. The Eagles had started with the traditional "Oooga-oooga" chant, and then charged onto the floor led by their two new costumed mascots -- Woody the Woodpecker and Daffy Duck -- who danced around the gym leading cheers.
Zimmerman was the leading scorer for Christian Learning with 14 points. Canaviri had 12, Jesse Hallock 9, Caleb Hoover and Paul Estes 4, Dan Burgin 3, Andre Larsen 2, and Josh Hoover 1.
For Cambridge, Lopez ended up with 11, Rivera scored 9, Hurtado had three (on a three-pointer), and Subirana had one.
Keith Wilcke of Christian Learning contributed to this report.
February 11, 2010
Varsity Girls Basketball
JUST A LITTLE BIT HIGHER -- Jaguar Ana Paula Peredo (owner of the highest pair of hands in the picture) gets off a shot against determined Griffin defense. Jonatan Muñoz, International
Female Jaguars pounce on Griffins, 28-9
The Cooperative girls varsity basketball team engineered a convincing 28-9 win over International Thursday afternoon in the International gym in the season opener for both teams.
The Jaguars, who are the defending champions, played with an accustomed smoothness that comes from having played together for four years, as junior varsity and varsity team members. International played with vigor and discipline, particularly in the first half, but couldn't put together scoring combinations the way the Cooperative girls could.
The Jaguars jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the first quarter, with four different players hitting baskets.
The Griffin girls then staged a minor uprising in the second quarter, outscoring the Jaguars 5-2, with diminutive senior guard Irene Barrenechea scoring all five points, four on driving lay-ups, and one from the foul line.
That made the score at halftime 16-9, and it looked as if the game might tighten up.
However, Cooperative regained control of the contest in the third period, as it held International scoreless, while stretching its lead to 22-9. The Jaguars added six more points in the final stanza to make the final score 28-9.
Ana Paula Peredo led the Jaguars in scoring with seven points; Aldana Roda and Carla Limpias had six. Sofia Sotelo had five, and Cecelia Aponte four.
For International Irene Barrenechea had five, Matilde Gamarra three (on a three-pointer), and Laura Maragaño had one.
Varsity Boys Basketball
SMOTHERED SHOT -- Jaguar Milan Marinkovic (9) blocks attempted shot by Griffin Santiago Moldinado (1). Both teams played tough defense. Jonatan Muñoz, International
After slow start, Jaguars beat Griffins 25-7
The Cooperative boys varsity basketball team was ultimately able to put together a convincing win over International, 25-7, in the International gym Thursday -- but it was a strange game that at one point figured to be one of the lowest-scoring high school games in Bolivian history.
Both teams clearly had bad cases of first-game jitters, and neither managed to score a field goal in the first quarter. It ended with the score 1-0 in favor of International, whose point came on a foul shot by Felipe Molina. Numerous shots from the floor banged off the backboard and twanged on the rim, but none went in the hoop.
Indeed, it was three minutes into the second period before Griffin Joaquin Wray put in a lay-up to tally the first field goal and give his team what at the time seemed like an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
Cooperative finally did seem to get its scoring knack back, and was able to score eight points -- three of them on field goals -- to give the Jaguars an 8-3 lead at the half.
While it needs to be added that both teams were playing frantically on defense, it also might be noted that the two boys varsity teams had managed less than half the points that the two girls varsity teams had managed in the first half of their game a short while before.
Cooperative seemed to get its eye back in the third period, tallying eleven points to International's two, and taking a 19-5 lead.
In the fourth period International stepped up its defensive effort, allowing Cooperative only a single field goal. However, the intense ball hawking resulted in a number of fouls, most of them on Jaguar forward Milan Marinkovic, who capitalized on them to score four points from the foul line in the closing minutes.
International could manage only one more basket, and the final score stood at 25-7.
That meant the boys teams had almost caught up with the girls teams in combined score.
For Cooperative, Milan Marinkovic had nine points, Jose Moza had eight, Nicolas Suarez five, Oliver Lederman two, and Andres Shin 1.
For International, Felipe Molina, Joaquin Wray, and Gary Suarez each had two points, and Fran Gonzalez had one.
The Cooperative boys varsity basketball team was ultimately able to put together a convincing win over International, 25-7, in the International gym Thursday -- but it was a strange game that at one point figured to be one of the lowest-scoring high school games in Bolivian history.
Both teams clearly had bad cases of first-game jitters, and neither managed to score a field goal in the first quarter. It ended with the score 1-0 in favor of International, whose point came on a foul shot by Felipe Molina. Numerous shots from the floor banged off the backboard and twanged on the rim, but none went in the hoop.
Indeed, it was three minutes into the second period before Griffin Joaquin Wray put in a lay-up to tally the first field goal and give his team what at the time seemed like an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
Cooperative finally did seem to get its scoring knack back, and was able to score eight points -- three of them on field goals -- to give the Jaguars an 8-3 lead at the half.
While it needs to be added that both teams were playing frantically on defense, it also might be noted that the two boys varsity teams had managed less than half the points that the two girls varsity teams had managed in the first half of their game a short while before.
Cooperative seemed to get its eye back in the third period, tallying eleven points to International's two, and taking a 19-5 lead.
In the fourth period International stepped up its defensive effort, allowing Cooperative only a single field goal. However, the intense ball hawking resulted in a number of fouls, most of them on Jaguar forward Milan Marinkovic, who capitalized on them to score four points from the foul line in the closing minutes.
International could manage only one more basket, and the final score stood at 25-7.
That meant the boys teams had almost caught up with the girls teams in combined score.
For Cooperative, Milan Marinkovic had nine points, Jose Moza had eight, Nicolas Suarez five, Oliver Lederman two, and Andres Shin 1.
For International, Felipe Molina, Joaquin Wray, and Gary Suarez each had two points, and Fran Gonzalez had one.
February 9, 2010
JV Girls Basketball
TAKE-AWAY ARTIST -- Griffin guard Maria Antonia Maggi (2) gets the ball away from Jaguar Megumi Kamiya and prepares toi lead downcourt stampede. Jonatan Muñoz, International
Griffinettes surge to beat Jaguar JV, 13-7
The Interntional girls junior varsity basketball team broke open a tie game in the fourth quarter, and defeated Cooperative 13-7 on their home court Tuesday afternoon.
The Griffins took a 4-0 lead in the first quarter, and led 6-2 at the half. The Jaguars cut the Griffin lead to 6-4 in the third quarter, and tied the game at 6-6 well into the fourth quarter.
But with a little less than five minutes on the clock Griffin seventh grader Fabiana Zelada hit with a foul shot and then a driving lay-up in rapid succession to open a three-point lead.
As the clock wound down the Griffins added two point on foul shots by Renata Maggi, and a field goal by Carolina Aguilers, while Cooperative could only add a foul shot by Naolmi Andrade.
The season opener was a rematch of last year's JV championship game in which the two teams had also met, and in which the Griffins had also emerged victorious.
For the winning Griffins, Renata Maggi had four points, Fabiana Zelada three, while Maria Antonia Maggi, Pamela Hernandez, and Ana Carolina Aguilera each had two points.
For the Jaguars, Naomi Andrade had three points, Geraldine Milos Cooper had two and Giuliana Varalta had two.
The Interntional girls junior varsity basketball team broke open a tie game in the fourth quarter, and defeated Cooperative 13-7 on their home court Tuesday afternoon.
The Griffins took a 4-0 lead in the first quarter, and led 6-2 at the half. The Jaguars cut the Griffin lead to 6-4 in the third quarter, and tied the game at 6-6 well into the fourth quarter.
But with a little less than five minutes on the clock Griffin seventh grader Fabiana Zelada hit with a foul shot and then a driving lay-up in rapid succession to open a three-point lead.
As the clock wound down the Griffins added two point on foul shots by Renata Maggi, and a field goal by Carolina Aguilers, while Cooperative could only add a foul shot by Naolmi Andrade.
The season opener was a rematch of last year's JV championship game in which the two teams had also met, and in which the Griffins had also emerged victorious.
For the winning Griffins, Renata Maggi had four points, Fabiana Zelada three, while Maria Antonia Maggi, Pamela Hernandez, and Ana Carolina Aguilera each had two points.
For the Jaguars, Naomi Andrade had three points, Geraldine Milos Cooper had two and Giuliana Varalta had two.
JV Boys Basketball
FLOATING ON AIR -- Jaguar center Josue Abuawad (1) was faster and higher than the Griffin defenders, tallying 21 points. Jonatan Muñoz, International
Jaguar Boys cruise against Griffins, 37-9
The Cooperative junior varsity boys basketball team got its season off to a winning start with a decisive win over International, 37-9, in the International gym Tuesday afternoon.
The Jaguars, who had several starters back from last year's team, led 10-4 at the end of the first quarter, and 17-7 at the half. Both their attack and their defensive effort seemed to gain momentum in the second half, in which they outscored the Griffins 20-2.
Josue Abuawad paced with winning Jaguars with at least 21 points, Rodrigo Adriazola was credited with ten, and Giorgio Rodrigano with two. (Four of Cooperative's points could not be attributed based on the scoresheet.)
For International, Daniel Hanley, Alexandre Forbes, and Juan Pablo Velasco each had three points. Forbes' points came on the game´s only three-pointer.
The Cooperative junior varsity boys basketball team got its season off to a winning start with a decisive win over International, 37-9, in the International gym Tuesday afternoon.
The Jaguars, who had several starters back from last year's team, led 10-4 at the end of the first quarter, and 17-7 at the half. Both their attack and their defensive effort seemed to gain momentum in the second half, in which they outscored the Griffins 20-2.
Josue Abuawad paced with winning Jaguars with at least 21 points, Rodrigo Adriazola was credited with ten, and Giorgio Rodrigano with two. (Four of Cooperative's points could not be attributed based on the scoresheet.)
For International, Daniel Hanley, Alexandre Forbes, and Juan Pablo Velasco each had three points. Forbes' points came on the game´s only three-pointer.
February 8, 2010
2010 Varsity Basketball Preview
Eagle boys, Jaguar girls seem
poised to repeat as champions
The Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League will get off to a staggered start this month for its sixth season of basketball competition, one in which a pair of defending champions -- Christian Learning boys and Cooperative girls -- start off as favorites.
The Cooperative Jaguars and International Griffins will commence play this coming week, with their JV teams clashing Tuesday, February 9, and their varsity teams getting their first tests Thursday, February 11.
Due to scheduling problems, the Christian Learning Eagles and Cambridge Knights will not meet until Feb 22, and in that week those schools will play a double schedule with each team -- boys and girls, varsity and junior varsity --playing twice. (See schedule at right.)
The staggered start was caused by the fact that Cambridge students do not resume classes until Feb. 8, and Christian Learning students are away on school trips in the early part of the month. And after that, all four schools will be taking time off for Carnaval.
By the end of the month the basketball races should be fully taking shape, but the early line bets have to be on Christian Learning in the boys varsity competition, and the Cooperative in the girls. Both won last year and have most of their regulars returning.
The League will also conduct two track meets during this season. The first has been tentatively scheduled for March 5-6, and the second will be in early April.
Here's how the basketball races appear on the eve of the season openers.
Boys: Can Eagles Fly Higher?
It's hard to overstate the degree to which Christian Learning dominated the boys competition last year. The Eagles not only went undefeated, but only had one game in which the score was even tied after the first period.
Only two players from last year's team -- Jeff Stabler and Tim Swope -- have graduated. Both were starters, but the Eagles played without one or both several times last year with no perceptible loss of efficiency. This year's team will be much like last year´s --big, fast, and deep.
Taking the court again this year for the Eagles will be senior sharpshooters Danny Caniviri, Paul Estes, and Tim Zimmerman, as well as sophomore Andre Larsen, all of whom were Top Ten scorers last year. They will be augmented by two new players, freshman Josh Hoover, and his brother, junior Caleb Hoover, along with junior Jesse Hallock, who returned this year from the US.
________
A SWARMING DEFENSE, shown here thwarting International in the Championship Game, and multi-weaponed offense made Christian Learning (green uniforms, unbeatable last year.
__________
The Eagles have bidden farewell to legendary coach Chad Jackson, who led them to two League champions. Indeed, during the two-year-long "Jacksonian Era" the Eagles lost only one game. In addition, Jackson also coached a winning All-Star team, and personally won the coaches' foul-shooting contest.
However, the Eagles feel they have an able replacement in Mike Banks, a popular veteran member of the faculty. He will be assisted by the school's newly appointed athletic director, Andrew Bloomfield.
Cambridge, the only team to have tied the Eagles after the first period last year, will have a strong team this year built around veteran seniors Alvaro Lopez and Tae Han Kook, and freshman flash Jose Luis Rivera. Rivera, a deadly outside shooter who can also drive to the hoop, was the number two scorer in the League last year as an eighth grader.
That core will be aided and abetted other experienced players, including Alexander Nagel, Tomu Hashimoto, and Matias Martinez. Junior Fabricio Subirana has been improving steadily and could give the Big Red teams a skilled big man, something they haven't had for several years.
The Knights will be without Daniel Kim, Javier de las Heras, and several other players who graduated, but may get some help from players like Diego Bejar, Anthony Salvatierra, Kevin Mendez, and Andres Hurtado, who will be moving up from last year's undefeated JV team. Coach Victor Coronado’s teams have usually found ways to contend for the title, but Christian Learning may have more than they can handle again this year.
__________
GRIFFIN DAVID HUANG (right), now graduated, was often an unstppoable force last year, though he met an immovable oble on on this one occasion in the playoff game against Cambridge.
__________
Moreover, Cambridge will still have to contend with the "home court curse." The mismarked lines on the court have been fixed, but its gym will still be shadowy and equipped with non-regulation baskets.
While other teams do most of the complaining about the Cambridge gym, with its late afternoon "sunfield" in the northeast quadrant, it is Cambridge itself that has suffered the most.
Except for the two games the Knights lost last year to the Eagles, in which they were simply outgunned, every other game that the Knights have lost in the last four years has occurred on their home court, including two embarrassing semifinal losses against teams with inferior records.
This is probably because Cambridge, whose teams are generally smaller, relies more on shooting, which is harder in its own gym. This problem will, of course, all be fixed when Cambridge moves to its new campus in 2012, but until then it will be a factor.
International is the team that surprised Cambridge in the semifinals last year, and the Griffins demonstrated they had come a long way under coach Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva last season. They had two wins during the regular season, which was twice as many games as they had won in the then-five year history of the League. The Griffins came close in several others.
However, that team was hard-hit by graduation, losing David Huang, the leading scorer in the League last year. International also lost two other standouts – Ernando Tesch and Mario Rohrman – not to mention several key supporting players including Joaquin Castañeda, Nicolas "Yeyo" Bedoya, and Ian Ivo Sochtig.
De la Riva will have only two experienced varsity players to build his 2010 team around – Maykol Villavicencio and Santiago Maldonado. However, de la Riva has been building the basketball program at the school for the two years he has been there, and is likely to have some talented newcomers to add to the roster, as well as some players who were impressive on last year’s junior varsity.
Cooperative boys were the League doormat last year, posting an 0-6 record, and two of its better players won’t be on the court this year. Diego Morales has moved to Florida, and Juan Alfredo Abuawad will be an exchange student in Colorado.
But all is not gloom and doom in the home of the Jaguars. Two years ago the Jaguar boys junior varsity went through the League like a hot knife through butter, dominating the opposition almost as powerfully as the Eagle varsity did last year.
Those players – notably Milan Marinkovic, Oliver Lederman, Andres Shin, Jonathan Pauker, and Nicolas Suarez -- were still little kids last year, and not able to help much at the varsity level.
However, this year they are sophomores – a whole year older. What’s more, they have been reunited with their old JV coach, Hugh Feeney, and reinforced with the arrival of Jose Moza, a standout player from last year’s JV, and Sebastian Kyllman, a big player who could help out under the boards.
The Jaguars will be a team to be reckoned with in the future – and could pull some surprises this year.
GIRLS: Jaguars could be building a dynasty
It may seem premature to be speaking of a Jaguar "dynasty" in girls basketball rivaling Cooperative’s dominance in soccer, especially since the Jaguars lost one game last year (to Christian Learning), and nearly lost a couple of others to Cambridge, including the championship which the Jaguars won by only a single point.
However, last year’s Jaguar team was a team on the rise, built around rapidly improving young players (some of them the same as the players who created Cooperative’s dominance on the seccer field). Cambridge and Christian Learning by contrast look, on paper at least, to be past their peak.
__________
LET ME HAVE THAT! -- Jaguar Sofia Sotelo (left, grappling with Griffin defender) led her team in scoring last year as a freshman. She was always thrilled to get her hands on the ball.
__________
The Jaguars lost almost nobody from its championship squad of last year, and will be led this year by senior Cecelia Aponte, and sophomores Sofia Sotelo, Ana Paula Peredo, and Carla Limpias, all of whom were Top Ten scorers last year.
They will be ably assisted by an echelon of experienced players, including Aldana Roda, Natalia Aponte, and Audrey Saucedo. JV standout and soccer star Tania Landivar moves up to the varsity this year. The Jaguars, under Coach Max Farfan, have height, heft, speed, and shooting skill. They will be tough to beat.
Christian Learning may have the best chance of heading the Jaguars off at the pass. They welcome back the "Bomb Squad" – Kaylynne Lampen and Ruth Nyquist – whose long set shots (so long they often seemed to be coming in from outside the gymnasium) were a key factor in the Eagles win over Cooperative last year, as well as in several other wins.
The possibility that a sudden explosion of three-pointers could occur at any time meant the Eagles could never be counted out, even when the Eagle offense otherwise appeared to be running cold.
Erica Kienzle, another outstanding all-around player, will also be back.
However, Eagles new coach Andrew Bloomfield will have a hard time replacing Tabitha Malloy, the big center whose rebounding and increasingly accurate shooting at short range was also crucial to the Eagles winning record (4-2). Malloy has moved to the United States, and another powerful player, Hannah Moss, graduated.
But that’s not saying it can’t be done. The school often seems to have an inexhaustible supply of talented basketball players. The Eagles will surely get a boost from Jessica Smith, a speedster who was a prolific scorer as a JV player last year, and Laura Lindahl, a senior who hasn’t previously played basketball.
__________
PLAYING IN A PACK -- Christian Learning (green and yellow) and Cambridge (red and white) both could match the Jaguars last year on a given day. They may find it harder this year.
___________
Cambridge seems to be headed for a rebuilding year. The nucleus of players who accounted for two championships and a second-place finish over the last three seasons is now mostly gone. Raquel Lopez, the team leader through that period and leading scorer in the League last year, has graduated, along with Vania Rueda, and Karen Aliaga.
The Lady Knights do still have sharp-shooting junior Maira Lino, who was the number three scorer in the League last year, and senior forward Mariana Escaño was also a top ten scorer. Senior Stephanie Quiroga had a lot of playing time last year at guard. But Coach Victor Coronado will have to fill out the squad with less experienced players. A full team roster was not available as of this writing since Cambridge had not yet resumed classes.
International was 0-6 last year, but came close several times, and did not lose a lot of players to graduation. The Griffins biggest loss was Stephanie Gioto, its outstanding offensive player. Coach Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva, will have a lot of experienced players available, including Camila Johnson, Laura Gioto, Ariane Nostas, Natalia Suarez, Adriana Ocampo, Matilde Gamarra, and Ines Fernandez.
In addition he can get help from players moving up from last year’s championship JV team, including Irerne Vergara and Carolina Baldivieso. The Griffins are unlikely to be 0-6 again.
poised to repeat as champions
The Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League will get off to a staggered start this month for its sixth season of basketball competition, one in which a pair of defending champions -- Christian Learning boys and Cooperative girls -- start off as favorites.
The Cooperative Jaguars and International Griffins will commence play this coming week, with their JV teams clashing Tuesday, February 9, and their varsity teams getting their first tests Thursday, February 11.
Due to scheduling problems, the Christian Learning Eagles and Cambridge Knights will not meet until Feb 22, and in that week those schools will play a double schedule with each team -- boys and girls, varsity and junior varsity --playing twice. (See schedule at right.)
The staggered start was caused by the fact that Cambridge students do not resume classes until Feb. 8, and Christian Learning students are away on school trips in the early part of the month. And after that, all four schools will be taking time off for Carnaval.
By the end of the month the basketball races should be fully taking shape, but the early line bets have to be on Christian Learning in the boys varsity competition, and the Cooperative in the girls. Both won last year and have most of their regulars returning.
The League will also conduct two track meets during this season. The first has been tentatively scheduled for March 5-6, and the second will be in early April.
Here's how the basketball races appear on the eve of the season openers.
Boys: Can Eagles Fly Higher?
It's hard to overstate the degree to which Christian Learning dominated the boys competition last year. The Eagles not only went undefeated, but only had one game in which the score was even tied after the first period.
Only two players from last year's team -- Jeff Stabler and Tim Swope -- have graduated. Both were starters, but the Eagles played without one or both several times last year with no perceptible loss of efficiency. This year's team will be much like last year´s --big, fast, and deep.
Taking the court again this year for the Eagles will be senior sharpshooters Danny Caniviri, Paul Estes, and Tim Zimmerman, as well as sophomore Andre Larsen, all of whom were Top Ten scorers last year. They will be augmented by two new players, freshman Josh Hoover, and his brother, junior Caleb Hoover, along with junior Jesse Hallock, who returned this year from the US.
________
A SWARMING DEFENSE, shown here thwarting International in the Championship Game, and multi-weaponed offense made Christian Learning (green uniforms, unbeatable last year.
__________
The Eagles have bidden farewell to legendary coach Chad Jackson, who led them to two League champions. Indeed, during the two-year-long "Jacksonian Era" the Eagles lost only one game. In addition, Jackson also coached a winning All-Star team, and personally won the coaches' foul-shooting contest.
However, the Eagles feel they have an able replacement in Mike Banks, a popular veteran member of the faculty. He will be assisted by the school's newly appointed athletic director, Andrew Bloomfield.
Cambridge, the only team to have tied the Eagles after the first period last year, will have a strong team this year built around veteran seniors Alvaro Lopez and Tae Han Kook, and freshman flash Jose Luis Rivera. Rivera, a deadly outside shooter who can also drive to the hoop, was the number two scorer in the League last year as an eighth grader.
That core will be aided and abetted other experienced players, including Alexander Nagel, Tomu Hashimoto, and Matias Martinez. Junior Fabricio Subirana has been improving steadily and could give the Big Red teams a skilled big man, something they haven't had for several years.
The Knights will be without Daniel Kim, Javier de las Heras, and several other players who graduated, but may get some help from players like Diego Bejar, Anthony Salvatierra, Kevin Mendez, and Andres Hurtado, who will be moving up from last year's undefeated JV team. Coach Victor Coronado’s teams have usually found ways to contend for the title, but Christian Learning may have more than they can handle again this year.
__________GRIFFIN DAVID HUANG (right), now graduated, was often an unstppoable force last year, though he met an immovable oble on on this one occasion in the playoff game against Cambridge.
__________
Moreover, Cambridge will still have to contend with the "home court curse." The mismarked lines on the court have been fixed, but its gym will still be shadowy and equipped with non-regulation baskets.
While other teams do most of the complaining about the Cambridge gym, with its late afternoon "sunfield" in the northeast quadrant, it is Cambridge itself that has suffered the most.
Except for the two games the Knights lost last year to the Eagles, in which they were simply outgunned, every other game that the Knights have lost in the last four years has occurred on their home court, including two embarrassing semifinal losses against teams with inferior records.
This is probably because Cambridge, whose teams are generally smaller, relies more on shooting, which is harder in its own gym. This problem will, of course, all be fixed when Cambridge moves to its new campus in 2012, but until then it will be a factor.
International is the team that surprised Cambridge in the semifinals last year, and the Griffins demonstrated they had come a long way under coach Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva last season. They had two wins during the regular season, which was twice as many games as they had won in the then-five year history of the League. The Griffins came close in several others.
However, that team was hard-hit by graduation, losing David Huang, the leading scorer in the League last year. International also lost two other standouts – Ernando Tesch and Mario Rohrman – not to mention several key supporting players including Joaquin Castañeda, Nicolas "Yeyo" Bedoya, and Ian Ivo Sochtig.
De la Riva will have only two experienced varsity players to build his 2010 team around – Maykol Villavicencio and Santiago Maldonado. However, de la Riva has been building the basketball program at the school for the two years he has been there, and is likely to have some talented newcomers to add to the roster, as well as some players who were impressive on last year’s junior varsity.
Cooperative boys were the League doormat last year, posting an 0-6 record, and two of its better players won’t be on the court this year. Diego Morales has moved to Florida, and Juan Alfredo Abuawad will be an exchange student in Colorado.
But all is not gloom and doom in the home of the Jaguars. Two years ago the Jaguar boys junior varsity went through the League like a hot knife through butter, dominating the opposition almost as powerfully as the Eagle varsity did last year.
Those players – notably Milan Marinkovic, Oliver Lederman, Andres Shin, Jonathan Pauker, and Nicolas Suarez -- were still little kids last year, and not able to help much at the varsity level.
However, this year they are sophomores – a whole year older. What’s more, they have been reunited with their old JV coach, Hugh Feeney, and reinforced with the arrival of Jose Moza, a standout player from last year’s JV, and Sebastian Kyllman, a big player who could help out under the boards.
The Jaguars will be a team to be reckoned with in the future – and could pull some surprises this year.
GIRLS: Jaguars could be building a dynasty
It may seem premature to be speaking of a Jaguar "dynasty" in girls basketball rivaling Cooperative’s dominance in soccer, especially since the Jaguars lost one game last year (to Christian Learning), and nearly lost a couple of others to Cambridge, including the championship which the Jaguars won by only a single point.
However, last year’s Jaguar team was a team on the rise, built around rapidly improving young players (some of them the same as the players who created Cooperative’s dominance on the seccer field). Cambridge and Christian Learning by contrast look, on paper at least, to be past their peak.
__________
LET ME HAVE THAT! -- Jaguar Sofia Sotelo (left, grappling with Griffin defender) led her team in scoring last year as a freshman. She was always thrilled to get her hands on the ball.
__________
The Jaguars lost almost nobody from its championship squad of last year, and will be led this year by senior Cecelia Aponte, and sophomores Sofia Sotelo, Ana Paula Peredo, and Carla Limpias, all of whom were Top Ten scorers last year.
They will be ably assisted by an echelon of experienced players, including Aldana Roda, Natalia Aponte, and Audrey Saucedo. JV standout and soccer star Tania Landivar moves up to the varsity this year. The Jaguars, under Coach Max Farfan, have height, heft, speed, and shooting skill. They will be tough to beat.
Christian Learning may have the best chance of heading the Jaguars off at the pass. They welcome back the "Bomb Squad" – Kaylynne Lampen and Ruth Nyquist – whose long set shots (so long they often seemed to be coming in from outside the gymnasium) were a key factor in the Eagles win over Cooperative last year, as well as in several other wins.
The possibility that a sudden explosion of three-pointers could occur at any time meant the Eagles could never be counted out, even when the Eagle offense otherwise appeared to be running cold.
Erica Kienzle, another outstanding all-around player, will also be back.
However, Eagles new coach Andrew Bloomfield will have a hard time replacing Tabitha Malloy, the big center whose rebounding and increasingly accurate shooting at short range was also crucial to the Eagles winning record (4-2). Malloy has moved to the United States, and another powerful player, Hannah Moss, graduated.
But that’s not saying it can’t be done. The school often seems to have an inexhaustible supply of talented basketball players. The Eagles will surely get a boost from Jessica Smith, a speedster who was a prolific scorer as a JV player last year, and Laura Lindahl, a senior who hasn’t previously played basketball.
__________
PLAYING IN A PACK -- Christian Learning (green and yellow) and Cambridge (red and white) both could match the Jaguars last year on a given day. They may find it harder this year.
___________
Cambridge seems to be headed for a rebuilding year. The nucleus of players who accounted for two championships and a second-place finish over the last three seasons is now mostly gone. Raquel Lopez, the team leader through that period and leading scorer in the League last year, has graduated, along with Vania Rueda, and Karen Aliaga.
The Lady Knights do still have sharp-shooting junior Maira Lino, who was the number three scorer in the League last year, and senior forward Mariana Escaño was also a top ten scorer. Senior Stephanie Quiroga had a lot of playing time last year at guard. But Coach Victor Coronado will have to fill out the squad with less experienced players. A full team roster was not available as of this writing since Cambridge had not yet resumed classes.
International was 0-6 last year, but came close several times, and did not lose a lot of players to graduation. The Griffins biggest loss was Stephanie Gioto, its outstanding offensive player. Coach Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva, will have a lot of experienced players available, including Camila Johnson, Laura Gioto, Ariane Nostas, Natalia Suarez, Adriana Ocampo, Matilde Gamarra, and Ines Fernandez.
In addition he can get help from players moving up from last year’s championship JV team, including Irerne Vergara and Carolina Baldivieso. The Griffins are unlikely to be 0-6 again.
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