Varsity Boys Championship Game

Knights triumph over Eagles in Thrill-Packed Contest


By Jesse Mann

            After four years of playing in the shadow of the Christian Learning basketball powerhouse, the Cambridge Knights won a championship to remember against the Eagles Tuesday afternoon in the Eagles gym.

      The contest was reminiscent of the era, not so long ago, when the two teams’ intense rivalry dominated the League, a time perhaps best remembered for the Knights’ come-from-behind one-point victory against the Eagles in 2007, engineered with four three-point shots..

     Cambridge won this time by a wider margin, 39-28, but the electric tension was much the same as in days of yore.

     Led by the towering Luis Mercado, a giant that even Eagle center Andre Larsen could not match, the Knights slowly but surely beat their opponents in a brutal battle that raged all over the court, as both teams fought each other for every inch of ground. But the Knights really showed the steel of their resolve by holding their  ground – even widening the lead -- after Mercado fouled out with 4:08 left to play and the Eagles lest than ten points down.  

      Fans, players, and even coaches screamed constantly in frustration and exultation at each other and the referees, who were always disappointing one side or the other. Amid the pandemonium, all attention centered on the unforgiving digits on the scoreboard.          

    Both teams bounded onto the court itching for action, causing league officials to herd courtside fans into the stands, fearing for their security.

     When at last the tip-off occurred, Mercado scooped it back to a teammate, and then, after getting it back, deposited it a few moments later in the Eagle net.

     After two more minutes of fierce – but scoreless – play, the match suddenly ground to a halt.      An eerie silence filled the SCCLC gymnasium as Eagle coach Keith Wilcke stopped play by standing in front of the referee with the ball screaming at him and pointing at his chest and the ball, and complaining about which ball ought to be used for play. (No one in the gym knew that at the time, and the spectacle was mystifying to the big crowd.)

     After nearly three minutes of consultation and debate, in which the Cambridge athletic director was called in, the game ball was changed to one Wilcke apparently liked better -- and Wilcke was charged with a technical that gave Cambridge two foul shots.

     Mercado, apparently untroubled by the new ball, made both shots, doubling Cambridge's score to 4-0.  

     Action resumed, and Cambridge quickly widened their lead. Andres Hurtado took control of a rebound, sending the ball down the court where Mercado dished off to Juan Carlos Paniagua, who slipped it into the Eagle net.

       Cesar Flores landed a shot from outside the key for the Eagles, but on the whole the Knights solid defense kept the Eagles at bay. Any Eagle that attempted to drive into the Cambridge key was immediately swarmed on by red Cambridge jerseys, or stopped cold by Mercado underneath the net. But before the half was over Mercado was in foul trouble, though often he just stood under the basket like an innocent bystander.

      Nevertheless, the Eagles managed to nearly even up the score by the end of the first quarter, assisted by three free throw shots they made, a fraction of the opportunities they were awarded (but better than they would do from the free throw line in the second half), plus baskets by Larsen and Flores.

           Neither team actually seemed to have a hot shooting hand in the early going, either from the floor or the foul line, but Cambridge held the lead, 10 – 7, at the end of the quarter.

            The Eagles continued their offensive efforts with more success in the second quarter.  Supported by solid work by Andre Larsen on defense, the Eagles achieved considerable momentum when Flores raced ahead of the Knights down the court, reaching the key with only Hurtado left between him and the net.

      Flores plunged forward, colliding with Hurtado and flinging the ball into the net on his way down towards the floor.

     Josiah Canaviri scored in a similar fashion a few moments later, and a long jumper from the top of the key by Larsen gave the Eagles the lead over Cambridge. Mercado quickly tied the score again, but a fantastic lay-up by Cesar Flores in the dying seconds of gave the Christian Learning boys a slim 15 – 13 lead at the half.  They had outscored Cambridge 8-3 in the second quarter.

      Eagle fans rejoiced, and Coach Victor Coronado hustled the Knights outside the gym for a serious discussion.

       Whatever he told them, it worked. When the Knights re-entered the arena, they did so with renewed confidence. Cambridge would go on to outscore the Eagles 26-11 in the second half, and allowed their rivals only four points in the third quarter, both on baskets by Wesley Ordoñez.  

     The near-stalemate in which the second half began was finally broken when Hurtado plowed through three Eagle defenders like a tank, scoring two points, and picking up a foul. He made the free throw to complete the three-point play, and this seemed to ignite a Cambridge scoring drive.

    After that Mercado found no competition underneath the net, and together with some fine shooting by Gabriel Alonso, the Knights began to pull away from the Eagles, and led 27-19 at the end of the third quarter.

     This trend continued in the fourth quarter, but all bets seemed to be off when first Paniagua, and then Mercado fouled out, leaving Cambridge without its only two tall players.

     Even so, the Eagles failed to breach the Knight's defense. A flurry of foul calls, loudly complained about by the large Cambridge contingent present,  gave the Eagles no less than twelve free throw opportunities in the second half, of which they made only one. Shot after shot bounced off the rim or missed the net altogether, spoiling a perfect opportunity to narrow the gap.

    Cambridge, by contrast, got only three foul shots in the second half, all after a player was fouled while making a successful lay-up attempt, and made all three.

    As the clock began to run down, the Eagles threw themselves at their opponent's net with increasing fervor, but their shots somehow failed to end up in the net. With a nine-point lead, 31-22, the Knights began to stall, going into four corners mode, dribbling and passing the ball around the perimeter to run down the clock.

       But when Paniagua and then Mercado fouled out, that nine-point lead began to look vulnerable, and a basket by Larsen cut it to seven.   

      At this point Hurtado, only a tenth grader but a long-time veteran of SCISL basketball wars, took it upon himself to secure the trophy for the Knights. The chunky player – and “tank” overwhelmingly suggests itself as the appropriate simile, took control of the ball and hurtled down the court, a seemingly unstoppable force, and not meeting an immovable object.  

       Four times he drove the ball to the basket at high speed, and each time the Eagle fans moaned. Twice he put the ball in the basket with an artistic flair, picking up a foul, and making the foul shot.

      Two last-minute baskets by Canaviri and Haziel Martinez could not save the Eagles, and Hurtado put the final nail in the Eagle coffin swishing in a three-point shot in the final seconds. Of Cambridge’s 12 points in the final quarter, Hurtado scored ten.

            When the buzzer sounded, the Cambridge fans spilled onto the court as the Knights celebrated their long anticipated return to stardom with a victory lap around the gym. The Eagles stayed silent in the huddle as the victorious Knights dumped water on their coach and cut down the net from one rim.

    After four long years of second- third- and fourth-place disappointment, the Knights were again number one.     The Eagles had fought hard, but were done in by Cambridge's superior defense and their own inability to make free throws.

     Now it’s time to look ahead to next year and wonder if it will see a continuation of this once-legendary rivalry.  


     (Jesse Mann is a senior at Christian Learning and managing editor of the website.) )

Boys Varsity Semifinals

Knights avenge lone loss, beat Jags 76-33

By Laura Guillen
             The Cooperative Jaguars boys basketball team managed to find their way to the Cambridge gym Thursday afternoon for the Varsity semi-finals – they had been no-shows at the previous game scheduled between the two teams  -- but the  Knights claimed victory by scoring more than double the Jaguars,  76 to 33.

      It was sweet revenge for the Knights, who lost to the Jaguars 42-40 in the first meeting between the two teams at the Jaguar gym. In that game the Knights were playing without their center, Luis Mercado, or their best defensive player, Gabriel Alonso.

      The Knights started out strong, and kept going.  After baskets by Gustavo Roca and Mercado, Andres Hurtado seemed to really set his team off as he took a chance, stole the ball, drove to the basket, made it, and was fouled in the process. He made the free throw to complete a three-point play.

       Spectators present had been looking forward to seeing how Milan Marinkovic, the Jaguars big senior center (and recent track and field record setter), would match up against the Knights even bigger ninth grader Mercado, and it soon became apparent that Mercado was simply too . . . . tall!  

      Marinkovic had run amok in the first Jaguar-Cambridge game, scoring 32 of Cooperative’s 42 points. He got some baskets on some fine plays in this game, but was held to 17 points, while Mercado tallied 25, several on artful fade-away jump shots that no one this side of the NBA could have stopped.    

      Further into the game it was seen that, although they forfeited a couple of games and had probably missed some training time, the Jaguars sure can make some well execute plays, but their efforts were not enough to stall the Knights, who kept scoring ferociously.

      Almost at the end of the first half, Knights were still on fire. At one point Juan Carlos Paniagua made a shot that didn’t make it, but teammate Mercado got in fast to catch the rebound and make the put-back. This happened time after time.

       Sometimes it took Mercado several tries – he seemed to have more trouble with the easy shots than the hard ones – to get the ball in the hoop, but these were entertaining moments for the Knight fans as no Jaguar seemed to be able to stop him.

     The teams left the floor at halftime with the score 43 to 15 for Cambridge, a 28-point advantage.   Though it was obvious that Jaguars would be unlikely to catch up to their opponents, they made a great effort to close down the difference in the third quarter -- with very little success. The Knights widened their margin by two, to 30 points.

      While the Cambridge team took advantage of every chance they had, and they had plenty, to steal the ball, or get a rebound shot, the Jaguar team didn’t seize such opportunities quite as well when they had them.  

      By the final quarter, Jaguars were far behind and would be ever farther as Knights replenished their spirit to make another 21 points, while holding the Jaguars to eight.   There was one occasion that seemed to capture the essence of the game – Cambridge’s success and Cooperative’s frustration.

      Mercado got another of his multiple chances to score, out- jumping Marinkovic to pull down several rebounds. When the ball finally went in Marinkovic jumped up as if trying to push it back out again. Late reflex or pure despair? Who could say.

        Halfway through the fourth quarter, junior varsity Knights Masa Ueno, Santiago Hurtado and Nando Boller took over the game and showed everyone that Cambridge Knights will continue to be a power when the current varsity starters graduate (which, by the way, won’t be for several years in most cases).

       Cambridge fans were proud to see the JV’s play against the varsity Jaguars and cheered even more enthusiastically than they had for the starters when the younger Hurtado swished in a two-handed hook shot, and Biller hit on a long set shot from the right-hand side.  

      Still the Jaguars never gave up. When the buzzer went off, Jaguar senior Nicolas Suarez was streaking for the basket. It wouldn’t have made much difference, though. The game ended with the scoreboard showing Cambridge on top 76 to 33.

      

               For the Knights, Luis Mercado had 25 points; Gustavo Roca and Andres Hurtado had 15 points each. (Hurtado's total included a three-pointer.) Juan Carlos Paniagua had 11, Gabriel Alonso 4, while Nando Boller, Santiago Hurtado, and Paul Blades each had two.

   
        For the Jaguars, Milan Marinkovic had 17, Giorgio Rodrigamo had eight, while Andres Shin and Nicolas Suarez had four each.

      Cambridge Knights achieved victory yet again – they are now 6-1 on the season -- but will they be able to claim it again in the championship against the Christian Learning Eagles as they compete for the gold medals Tuesday at Cambridge Learning?

      Some things can be predicted with certainty:  The stands will be packed and the noise will be amazing. It will be basketball the way it is supposed to be. 

      (Laura Guillen is a senior at Cambridge and managing editor of the website for that school.) 

Eagles Overpower Griffins and Advance to Finals

By Jesse Mann

      The Eagles successfully advanced to the championship game the varsity basketball playoffs with a 63-16 win against the Griffins, playing  an energetic, fast-paced game that was enjoyed by both teams Thursday at Christian Learning.

    SCCLC starters Josiah Canviri, Haziel Martinez, Wesley Ordoñez, and Cesar Flores established an unbeatable 16-point lead by the end of the first quarter, firmly taking control of the  ball and driving aggressively past International's defense.

      Although clearly outmatched by the dynamic Eagles, the Griffins put up a good fight and competed fiercely with their foes for ball possession. Daniel Hanley defiantly dribbled down the court three minutes into the match, slipping behind the Eagle defense and scoring two points for International off a smooth lay-up.

       But the Griffins simply could not stop the offensive advances of the Eagles, and soon resorted to launching long passes down the court in an attempt to catch the Eagle defense off guard. The Eagles responded in kind, and soon the game became a high-speed dodge ball competition as members from both teams began to intercept passes in mid-air.

    The ball flew quickly from one end of the court to the other as the players fought for possession. At one point a ball streaked out of bounds and narrowly missed the scorekeeper. Game play (as well as scoring) slowed down considerably in the second quarter, as the Eagle bench swarmed onto the floor.

      Despite a large number of turnovers, the Eagles maintained their lead, with eighth grader Luke Phillips scoring four baskets during the quarter and Griffin Arturo Barrientos scoring one.

      The Eagle starters resumed their work after the halftime intermission,, and the game picked up again, though not as lively as in the first quarter. The Griffin's spirits were revived somewhat when Erik Takayama scored two three pointers in a row, putting SCIS into double digits with ten points.

      But ultimately the Griffins fell victim to the ruthless efficiency of  Canaviri,  Flores, and  Ordoñez, who made good use of teamwork to drive the score up. Canaviri and Flores each scored twelve points, and Ordoñez made ten.

       The Griffins only managed two more baskets, one by Sergio Rojas and the another by Daniel Hanely. Eagle superstar Andre Larsen, suffering from a hurt wrist, scored eight points that contributed to the final score of 63-14.

     On the whole,  The Eagles played very well, but free throw percentage is a handicap that could potentially ruin them. The team made only fifteen percent of their free throws, hitting  three and missing twenty. Despite this potential Achilles heel, there is no doubt in this reporter's mind that next week's final game against Cambridge will be legendary.

     (Jesse Mann is a senior at Christian Learning and managing editor of the website.) 

JV Boys Basketball Semifinals

Little Knights beat Griffins handily, 61-7

    The Cambridge junior varsity boys basketball team easily dispatched International, 61-7, in the semifinal contest played Tuesday at the Cambridge gym, though International kept fighting until the end.

     The bigger, older, more experienced, and better skilled Knights moved quickly to a 23-2 lead in the first quarter, and added 18 unanswered points in the second quarter to make the score 41-2 at halftime.

     The Knights eased up on both their offensive and defensive pressure in the second half as they substituted freely, as did International. Both teams used all ten of the players they had dressed for the game. Cambridge added 20 points in the last two quarters, while holding the Griffins to five, four in the final quarter.

      Considering that the last time the two teams met Cambridge had won 100-4, this game represented progress for the Griffins of a sort, and one had to admire the way the team from International continued to fight right up until the end.

     The fact that they had ten players suited up for the game was a tribute to the way their coach, Reyes Gil, has apparently managed to maintain morale and discipline on a team that has had to absorb some terrible poundings this year by all three of its League opponents.

    At the same time one had to admire the defensive intensity and offensive coordination -- not to mention the shooting accuracy -- of the Knights, who exploited any mistake made by the Griffins, while often rescuing themselves from their own miscues, and even turning them to advantage.

     The Knights were particularly adept at stealing passes, seeming to sense where the Griffins would throw the ball next. By the end of the game the Griffins were resorting, on in-bounds passes, to what would be called “Hail Mary passes” in North American football.

      You could almost hear the play-by-play: “He’s fading back, looking to throw . . .  He has a man open at the 20-yard line . . . , but . . . IT’S INTERCEPTED.”

      One hopes that the young Griffin team is undergoing a learning experience and will emerge stronger in future years, able to move competition in the League back more toward competitive parity. They don’t lack spirit.

     For the Knights,  Horacio Cespedes had 20, Masayoshi Ueno 15, Nando Boller and Santiago Hurtado nine each, Daniel Cortez six, and Christopher Cespedes two.

     For the Griffins, Leonardo Melgar  Melgar had four, and Jesus Ojeda three.

Eagles Barely Squeeze Past Jaguars, 32-30

By Javiera Alipaz

     The SCCLC JV boys basketball team once again managed to come out on top against the Cooperative JV boys. Both teams played with an excellent display of talent and promising abilities that will most likely lead them into the varsity teams of their respective schools.

     The first quarter proved to be the start of what would be a fast paced game- evenly fought the whole way through. With the ball being dribbled and passed throughout the court constantly, the defense on both teams proved to be well put. Half way through the first quarter the score was still tied at 0-0. Jaguar Raul Valle surely didn’t like the look of things and decided to shake up Eagle fans with a free throw that left the score 0-1. Two minutes later, Valle was fouled once again and managed to score both of his free throws, granting the lead to his team- 0-3. Eagle Regan Janzen, the match’s superstar, scored a basket of his own- only to be followed by another Jaguar basket by Eduardo Ustarez. The first quarter then ended with a score of 2-5, in favour of the Jaguars.

     The second quarter started with a throw in by Eagle Claudio Sandoval to his teammate Andres Cruz. Janzen then gifted his team with another shot- moving the score up to 4-5. The Jaguars fought hard, and dominated with another basket and one free throw, though they were immediately counteracted with another shot by Janzen. However, Jaguar Rodrigo Chavez concluded the first half of the second quarter with another basket, positioning the score with a four point lead for the Jaguars. During the last 4 minutes of the second quarter, Eagle Abraham Lopez attained 3 points for his team, and Janzen 2 more- settling the score for the 1st half at 11-10.

     With the Eagles being only one point ahead at the start of the 2nd half, the tension could be felt- not only among the players, but amidst the spectators as well. The third quarter began with Jaguar Luis Peredo eloquently passing the ball to his teammate Raul Valle. One minute into the game, Eagle Brian Lara added another point to the scoreboard for his team. Three minutes of intense play passed and the scoreboard was static until Eduardo Ustarez scored a free throw moving the score up to 13-11, still in favour of the Eagles. Not even 15 seconds had passed when Eagle Luke Phillips gained control of the ball and passed it up to Sandoval, who then constructed an impressive shot. In the following two minutes, Ustarez piloted his way through the Eagle defense, adding a layup to his repertoire. The layup by Ustarez was closely followed by another point by Janzen, leaving the score at 17-13 with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. In these final 4 minutes, the Eagles amounted 2 points by Phillips, while the Jaguars handled the ball into their basket with four more points, two by Rodrigo Chavez and two by Eduardo Ustarez.

     The Eagle gym was filled with an anxious audience awaiting an emotion filled fourth quarter. In the first minute, Eagle Claudio Sandoval had already succeeded in snatching up another basket, however Jaguar Raul Valle also brought up his team’s score by one more point because of a free throw. The scoreboard read 21- 18, the Eagles only having a three point lead on the mighty Jaguars. More fast-paced passes and undeniable talent on display went on in the Eagle gym as a pass by Eagle Regan Janzen to teammate Claudio Sandoval granted the Eagles a wider lead because of Sandoval’s shot. Valle then amassed another 4 points, granting his team a glint of faith of finally beating the Eagles. With only 6 minutes left, the coaches’ called a time out. Only nine seconds later did Ustarez acquire another basket for his team, bestowing the one point lead to the Cooperative Jaguars. Twenty seconds later, Eagle Regan Janzen tied the score 24-24 with a free throw. Luke Phillips, an Eagle superstar who was particularly absent during this game, managed to score 4 points in a row moving the score up to 28-24. In the short span of a little less than two minutes, the score was altered by four Jaguar points that had the Eagle audience in despair- the Eagle lead was now void, as the score was tied 28-28. 

     Thirty-eight seconds were left in the final quarter of the JV boys semi final when there was another time out. Anxiety, desperation, dismay and trepidation were all common symptoms of any bystander that happened to be watching this evenly faced match. With twenty-one seconds left, Phillips carried out an outstanding free throw in which the crowd exploded and cheered on. To their disgrace, they did not know that, with only twelve seconds left, the Jaguars would then score once again- gaining a one point lead. Disappointment and sorrow read all over the Eagle fans, while triumph and victory were smudged onto the Jaguar’s faces.

     With only 4 seconds left in the whole game, Phillips got himself fouled, thus being granted 2 free throws. The dread and horror were to be seen all over. Jaguar fans were worried about Phillips scoring, while the Eagles were in distress due to the fact that Phillips might not score. But Phillips did score. Twice. By making the first free throw the crowd burst into applause, knowing that the score was now tied 30-30- but then fearing the possibility of over time, just as the previous game these two teams had played. Phillips actually then missed the 2nd free throw, granting only more excitement as he then rebounded his own shot just as the buzzer sounded, leading the JV Eagles to the final game on Monday.

Boys Varsity Basketball

Knights destroy Griffins in 113-4 massacre

     The Cambridge boys varsity  defeated International Thursday by the record-shatterring score of 113.to 4  in the Internatonal gym..
       Their point total eclipsed the old mark of 102 scored by the Cooperative girls against International earlier this season. And it could have been worse. The knights benched their big star, Luis Mercado, in the fourth quarter, and generally followed the instruction of their coach to only shoot from  outside the three-point line. Unfortunately, in terms of holding the score down, they made three of them.
         International was literally defenseless at this point. Four of its seven players had fouled out by the beginning of the fourth quarter, so that the Griffins had only three players on the floor, two of them clearly dissprited -- checking the clock, hoping for the game to end, which, blessedly, it finally did.
           Earlier, however, the Internationa players had tried everything they could to thrwart Cambridge's Big Red Machine -- hacking, bumping, reaching in, etc., compiling an impressive total of 30 fouls (4.3 per player).. Cambridge, by contrast, amassed only seven fouls. No player had more than two.
          Cambridge led 40-1 after the first quarter, 70-2 after the second, and 97-4 after the third.
          Perhaps it should be noted that the Knights didn't run up the score simply by sending in high passes to their big center, Luis Mercado, and having him dunk them. Mercado, in fact,  made only 22 points, a modest total for him. Almost as important as Mercado was the seven three-point shots Cambridge made, by four different players.
      In fact observers from both schools agreed that the Cambridge team had not acted with any spirit of triumphalism. Their attitude was more like that which characterized the US war effort in Europe during World War II. It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. There was a basketball game to be played. Often the path to the basket was open. They took it.
     Cambridge had five players in double figures, and three with more than 20. Juan Carlos Paniagua was the high scorerwith 29 points (short of Jaguar Milan Marinkovic´s individual single game record of 32, scored against Cambridge earlier this year). Others in double figures were Gustavo Roca with 23, Gabriel Alonso with 17; and Andres Hurtado with 15. Paul Blades scored ficve, and Masayoshi Ueno 2.
      For International, Eric Takayama had three points, and Alexander Forbes had one.


Eagles look strong in 61-43 victory over Jags

By Lucia Landivar

Christian Learning  boys won the varsity basketball match against the Santa Cruz Cooperative boys 61 to 40 on  Thursday afternoon at the SCCS court

. There were many Christian Learning parents, teachers, and students along with some SCCS teachers observing the game. The majority of the SCCS team was made up of junior varsity players, but it did not fail  to provide excitement and entertainment.  

The first period of the game was tight and tense. Both teams were pumped up and ready to fight for victory. Cooperative Jaguar Milan Marinkovic performed three outstanding lay-upss, dribbling right past Christian Learning Eagles as if they were not there.

For the Eagles  Josiah Canaviri tried hard to put a stop to Marinkovic, and did slow him down, but  got a couple of fouls in trying to achieve his goal. Eagle Andre Larsen was constantly sprinting back and forth, scoring baskets. The first quarter ended with a tight score of 16 – 12, with the Christian Learning Eagles leading. The Eagles benefited from a last second basket by Haziel Martinez to open the four-point lead. Prior to that no team had led by more than a basket.

The Eagles then broke the game open in the second period. Martinez tallied again, and then Cesar Flores from the Eagles scored twice He was fouled on the second basket, and completed the three-point play by sinking an impeccable free throw.  

Moments later four Jaguar players surrounded Eagle center Andre Larsen as he was approaching the basket, but  that didn’t stop Larsen who pulled up and sank an  outstanding short jumper.

This was a pattern in the game. Even when well defended, or even when fouled – hard – the Eagle still fought their way through and put the ball in the hoop. However,  Jaguar Nicolas Suarez scored a basket, and Marinkovic scored a nice short set shot to keep the game from getting totally out of control.

But  Sami Frith from the Eagles was also able to score another 2 point shot marking the last points of the first half of the game, which ended with Christian Learning ahead  34 -19. .

Eagle ninth grader  Canaviri scored one of his two free throw attempts to start the second half.  By now, the Jaguars were clearly feeling frustrated, as the Eagles were not giving them any room to try to come back.  Jaguar Andres Shin managed to score a basket, which pt the margin back below 20 points at 40 -21.

 Marinkovic was getting the ball under the basket, and scoring often, but many of shots seemed to land on  the rim, and roll the wrong way.

 Luke Phillips from the JV Eagle team scored a long basket that seemed to astonish even his own coach. Haziel Martinez from the Eagles hammered as he drove to the hoop, but still  scored a basket . “These are a strong bunch of kids,” an SCCS administrator ackniowledged with a rueful shake of the head. Happily for the Jaguar fans Martinez  missed his free throw.

Marinkovic). The Eagles made nine free throws (five by Flores).  One of Flores’ free throws completed the scoring in the third quarter with the Eagles on top 47-29.

Even though it seemed unlikely that the Jaguars could leave the court victorious and a high possibility that the  Eagles would, the Jaguars didn’t give in easily. The last quarter  was very competitive. It took a few minutes for the first point of the last period to be scored by Marinkovic, scoring a put back.

The action was taking place at a furious pace.  Jaguar Giorgio Rodrigano got hit in the jaw accidentally and had to leave the court. The Eagles were still leading the game, but the score closed to  48-34. Eagles Larsen and Canviri  were was scoring basket after basket, but the Jaguars were keeping pace.  Marinkovic scored on two artful layups.

There was one minute of the game left when the SCCS coach called for a time out with the score 61-40. When both teams got back on the field, star players Jaguar Marinkovic and Eagle Andre Larsen crashed into each other, both falling straight to the ground.

But Marinkovic picked himself up, and got the ball at half court in the final seconds. He launched a long shot. The final horn went off while the ball was at the top of its arc, but it counted for three points when it swished through the net to make the final score 61-43, thus giving the Jaguar fans one final thrill.

Although finishing with a 2-4 record, third best in the League, the Jaguars finished in last place in the standings under the League’s complex rules, because they were recorded as scoring 0 points in the two games they forfeited, one to International, and one to Cambridge. As a result they will play Cambridge in the semifinals next Tuesday, at Cambridge.

         
            The Jaguars own the only victory posted over first-place Cambridge this year, a 42-40 win in which they led only in the final five seconds. Cambridge apologists claim the game was lost – or was even close – only because Cambridge was missing its big center, Luis Mercado, who was ineligible to play for academic reasons. Both teams should be a full strength next week, and an exciting contest is expected.   

             (Lucia Landivar is a junior at Cooperative and co-managing editor for the website at that school.).

Scoreboard for April 10th

JV Boys:

Christian Learning 30, Cooperative 28

Cambridge 100, International 4

JV Girls:

Christian Learning 29, Cooperative 8

International 58, Cambridge 6

JV Boys Basketball - April 10th

Eagles Edge Jaguars by Two Points -- Again


By Ximena Fagan
     The Cooperative and Christian Learning junior varsity boys basketball teams played a nice close game at the Jaguars coliseum Tuesday in which both teams really had chances to show off their skills, but the CLC Eagles were able to win the match by two points, 30-28.

     It was the same victory margin by which the Eagles had won the first meeting of the two teams over a month ago, a game that was decided in overtime. The higher score indicated both teams have improved. The score in the earlier overtime contest score was 20-18.

     During the first quarter jaguar Luis Peredo and Eduardo Ustarez showed off their skills, with Peredo directing the offense from point guard and Ustarez scoring on some nice shots. The Jaguars took an early lead, but the Eagles caught up and the first quarter ended with Cooperative’s lead cut to 8-6. .

     Luke Philips was one of the Eagles’ stars, helping his team to even the score at 14-14 by the end of the second quarter. The last few minutes of the quarter were the ones that really proved Phillips was a strong player for Christian Learning as he scored the final two baskets. .

     The Eagles began losing control in the third quarter, scoring only a single basket, while SCCS scored ten points, and moved out to a 24-16 lead. Jaguar sixth grader Raul Valle began calling attention to himself with his fast running and accurate scoring. He scored six of the Jaguars points in the quarter.

     In the last quarter, however, the Eagles sprang into action and turned the tables on the Jaguars, outscoring them 14-4, with key baskets by Phillips and Claudio Sandoval, who scored the deciding basket with a minute to go. However, the Jaguars had their chances to tie it up, getting off three shots in the closing seconds, but all three missed.

     The game was the Bolivian coaching debut for Jaguar dean Kenneth Davis, filling in for coach Seth Gibson, who was ill. His team may have lost, but the effort and spirit put into the game was as great as any.


      (Ximena Fagan is the co-managing editor of the website at Cooperative, where she is a junior.)

Yikes! Another 100 pointer as Knights destroy Griffins

Questions abound after the Cambridge junior varsity boys basketball team dismembered the Griffins 100-4 Tuesday afternoon in the International gym.

For example, if this were prize fight – a boxing match – would the referee have stopped it? Should someone have stopped it?

This was the second hundred-point walloping of the year. Are we going to see more? Should we?

Should younger children be barred from watching such games because of the level of gratuitous violence, although, truth to tell,  there weren’t many children, or adults, who stayed to the end of this one. Even International athletic director Eli Vilar was gone by halftime.

Were the Knights simply out to avenge the humiliation International had heaped upon the Cambridge girls JV in the previous game, which the Griffins had won by the lopsided score of 58-6 moments before the boys teams took the court? Is this kind of vengeance for distressed damsels chivalric? Or was it more a massacre along the lines of Custer at the Little Big Horn?

Only time will tell. What is perhaps clear is that the League has reached the level of proficiency in the game of basketball where a team that is inexperienced, or ill-prepared, can really get the stuffing knocked out of it in a way that could do lasting damage to its self-esteem, and in a way that wouldn’t have been possible in the earlier years of the League when 12 points was considered a high score.

Or, on the other hand, might the losers, following Nietzsche’s dictum that whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, be fortified by these shellackings and will emerge the stronger for it?

The play-by-play action in this bloodbath seems hardly worth reporting. Cambridge simply ran amok from the opening tip-off, scoring thirty points in the opening period, and 25 in the second, to establish a 55-4 halftime lead.

International was through scoring at this point for the afternoon, but Cambridge was not, tallying 45 more points in the second half. Benchwarmer Marco Ovando´s basket in the closing moments clicked the scoreboard to 00. It only displays two digits and this was as close as it could come to registering 100.

Seven of the nine players Cambridge had dressed for the game scored 20 points or more – Percy Vidal (24), Horacio Morales (21) and Masayoshi Ueno (20). Santiago Hurtado, normally one of Cambridge’s top scorers, was held to a paltry 11 points, but did have the games only three-pointer.  Jose Candia had 12, Marco Ovando 6, and Eduardo Sandoval 4.

Juan Nuñez got all four of International’s points, two of them on second quarter free throws.

 There were some interesting little anomalies. One of the two players who didn’t score for Cambridge was Nando Boller, the starting right guard, who had scored in every other game the Cambridge team has played this year.

The 100-point total is not a League record, though it is a boys record.  The overall honor still belongs to the Cooperative girls varsity, which scored 102 points in its second game against International this year.  And the final two points they scored, once considered tantamount to pouring water on a drowning woman, now loom large in retrospect.

Despite its 0-6 record this year, morale apparently continues at a fairly high level at International, which had 12 players dressed for the game, all of whom played.

And if the game offered any hope for the future for Cambridge opponents at the JV level, it was the fact that all of the Cambridge players dressed for the game were eighth graders who will move up to the varsity level next year. The exceptions were Boller and Hurtado, who are seventh graders.

In the final analysis, the insight gained from Tuesday’s wipe-out of International by Cambridge, it is that the Knights are ready to rumble in the playoffs. In the first round, the Griffins face the dismaying prospect of playing Cambridge.—again,

Which raises yet another question – why bother?     

Boys Varsity Basketball

Eagles Overwhelm Griffins 55-17
By Sergio Gonzalez

     The quick-paced game started as Larsen dominated the toss up, and the Eagles refused to shy away from aggressive playing. Yet, the Griffins seemed to have both confidence and momentum over the first minutes of the game. Both teams seemed eager to compete against each other and displayed skill as well as boldness. Haziel Martinez, a notable player for the Eagles, showed his talent by scoring a beautiful three-pointer on his first shot. Wilcke, his coach, gave a start at this and seemed to proudly enjoy this feat as only coaches can. The line up of both teams seemed solid, yet however quick and skillful the Griffin defense was, the unity of the Eagles proved superior in sync and efficacy, which continued to show throughout the game. The quarter ended with the Eagles in the lead with a score of 16-nil. The presence of Eagle superstar Andre Larsen seemed scarce, but understandably so, as he was being targeted by a worthy opponent, Sebastian Velasco of the Griffins, a young man of similar stature and build, who was not afraid to battle it out with Larsen. He displayed leadership amongst his peers and proved to be a most valuable asset for his team. The first and second quarters were distinctly refreshing as both teams continued to fight ardently, but the Eagles pulled away quickly with the lead. The zest came in the form of beautiful play: Cesar Flores, who proved his talent in previous games, continued to shine, showing limber ape-like movements and fluid plays, not complicated in nature, yet efficient to the max. On the Griffins side of the fence, the player Eric Takayama showed great talent, yet he was clearly unable to make use of it due to lack of communication amongst the team.

     As a player carrying the legacy of his eldest brother, Danny Canaviri (another excellent athlete), Josiah Canaviri showed an incredible amount of skill and confidence, successfully living up to the expectations of the Canaviri name. This young man freshman is already setting himself up nicely into becoming the next CLC superstar. Furthermore, both Martinez and José Aldana got opportunities to showcase their skills by proving back-of-the-hand knowledge of the backboard and powerful confidence in their free throws. Larsen surfaced as well, despite his rival Velasco, and was determined to make an impact on the scoreboard. With the home crowd cheering enthusiastically, the Eagles ended the second quarter at 43-4. The third quarter brought in a slight change as some of the B-team was inserted by Wilcke, causing the Eagles to lose footing and the Griffins to outscore their opponents 8-6. The fourth and final quarter started with a score of 52-10, but it quickly lost zest as the Eagle B-team was placed in completely. However, they were later substituted by some of the starters with 3:58 remaining on the clock. The starters looked refreshed, but continued to play both carelessly and artlessly while being opposed in much the same way. It was clear that the period of competition was over and therefore much passion was shed wastefully but the fun of the game remained. With 1:34 remaining in the final section of the game, Sebastian Velasco, the Griffin superstar, left with an injury to a chorus of nervous yet well-deserved applause. The player injured his wrist as Canaviri accidentally hit him on a jump. Much time was wasted, yet Velasco proved to be O.K. as the buzzer announced (finally) the ending to the game at 55-17. The game was another well-earned victory for the Eagles, and as the playoffs approach, the much-expected Eagle-Knight championship game looks more promising than ever. 

Jaguars Forfeit Game Against Knights
By Laura Guillen
   

     The Cambridge Knights were disappointed when there wasn’t a Jaguar team present for their match Thursday afternoon. Another forfeited game for the COOP. So, why did the Cooperative Boy’s team have to back off from a game yet again? According to Cambridge officials, Cooperative’s athletic director had called earlier that day claiming that they did not have a full team as two players were ill with Dengue, one in danger of a relapse, and two others suspended from the team due to academic performance, thus leaving the team incomplete. But could they really not put together a complete team, or did they not want to show up with second string players to an assured loss? The Cooperative boys varsity team is being heavily questioned, as not only are they slacking off, but their further participation in the basketball playoffs is in doubt, though no one is sure if withdrawing a team is actually possible in such a small league. There’s much to wonder about the Jaguar’s varsity team this year. As for the Knights, they had been meaning to go for the big one-oh-oh Thursday afternoon and were only put out with such easy win. Juan Carlos Paniagua summed it all up and said “Guess it’s good for them that they didn’t come, we were going to beat them anyways”  

Scoreboard for March 22nd

Varsity Boys Basketball


Christian Learning 55, International 17


Cambridge, Cooperative (forfeited by Co-op)


Varsity Girls Basketball


Christian Learning 43, International 25


Cooperative 49, Cambridge 7


Stories to come...

Scoreboard for March 20th

JV Boys Basketball


Cambridge 34, Cooperative 23


Christian Learning 33, International 18


JV Girls Basketball


Cooperative 53, Cambridge 8


Christian Learning 70, International 2

JV Boys Basketball

Knights Third Quarter Surge Beats Jaguars
By David Boldt

     The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball team poured in 18 points in the third quarter, including three three-pointers, to come from behind and defeat Cooperative 34-23 in a game played in the Cambridge gym Tuesday.

      The win kept the Knights in first place with a 5-0 record.

       The game had started out with the Jaguars in control, and the Knights playing badly. Neither team had a hot scoring hand in the first quarter, but Cooperative emerged on top 6-2. The Jaguars quickly lengthened their lead to 10-2, and then 12-4 in the early minutes of the second quarter.

        Cooperative’s big forwards Luis Peredo, Eduardo Ustarez, and Alejandro Lema made good use of their superior size and played a hustling style of defense that kept Cambridge from penetrating inside. The Jaguars’ control of the rebounds virtually eliminated the fast breaks that have characterized the Knights’ play this season.

       Even when they did get the ball inside the Cambridge players couldn’t seem to get it in the hoop.  Twice in the first half the Knights had three chances to shoot from right under the basket – and missed all three.

      The Jaguars, meanwhile, were working the ball well, and hitting with accuracy.  Luis Peredo had seven points in the first half , and Eduardo Ustarez six-  

        A switch by Cambridge to a strategy of shooting from the outside seemed to be failing as well until the closing minutes of the first half when seventh grader Santiago Hurtado swished in a three- pointer, which was followed quickly by a successful set shot that made the score a more respectable 16-9.  Another outside shot by Masa Ueno at the buzzer cut the Jaguar lead to 16-11 at halftime.

        At halftime Knight Coach Victor Coronado apparently told his team something that made it appear that they had opened a fresh new can of Whip-It during the break. In just a little more than a minute into the second half they had tied the score at 16-all on another three-pointer by Hurtado – he would have a total of three in the  game – and a breakaway lay-up by Masa Ueno following up on a stolen pass.

       The Knights were now taking full advantage of their fuller bench – Cambridge had eleven players dressed for the game as opposed to eight for the Jaguars – and were playing an intense full-court press defense. 

       The Knights, who couldn’t seem to buy a basket during much of the first half, suddenly couldn’t miss from inside or outside, and prevented the Jaguars, who had been scoring steadily, from making a single field goal during the quarter. (The Jaguars did make two free throws.) Knight Percy Vidal hit a three-pointer demonstrating that Hurtado was not the Knights only outside threat. 

     By the end of the quarter the Knights were on top by 32 to 18. It was as dramatic a reversal of momentum as most basketball fans ever get to see. 

     Things cooled off in the fourth quarter with both teams showing signs of battle fatigue. Each scored a basket in the first five minutes of the final period, making the score 34-20, and at this point Coach Coronado cleared his bench and Cooperative Coach Seth Gibson did more or less the same .

      In the final minutes the Jaguars got a free throw and a basket to make the final score 34-23. 
      For the Junior Knights, Hurtado had 13, including three three-pointers,  Ueno 10, Vidal 5 with one three-pointer, Daniel Cortez 4, and Nando Boller 2.
      For the Jaguars, Lema had nine, R. Chavez six, Raul Valle 3, Luis Peredo and Viacava 2, and S. Chavez 1.  

Eagles Beat Griffins 33-18
By Javiera Alipaz

On a hot, sunny afternoon just like any other, the Christian Learning Center’s junior varsity boy’s team annihilated the Griffins’  junior varsity boys team with a final score of 33-18.

            The game started with Eagle Luke Phillips smashing the jump ball into fellow teammate, Claudio Sandoval’s hands. Not a whole minute had even passed and the score was four to nothing, in favor of the Eagles.  The first quarter was uneventful, with the score ending 6-4.

            Jaime Barrenchea displayed amazing talent and skill in these first ten minutes of the first quarter. Barrenchea was one of the  Griffins key players, scoring two of the four points for the Griffins in the first quarter.

            Eagles and Griffins alike started to pick up their game in the second quarter. Phillips took charge and in  a span of 25 seconds made two baskets. In order to retaliate, Griffin Jose Ojeda stormed to the baskte and gifted his team with two more points. With 6 minutes and 45 seconds left in the first half, the coaches called a time out. Only a minute later did Phillips score again. Eagle Regan Janzen also then scored, not even a whole minute after Phillips had just finished celebrating his own basket. What shook the spectators and players alike was Griffin Alex Fuentelzas. Only two minutes were left on the clock when he managed to score a three pointer. For the remaining two minutes, the score was static, settling into the final score for the first half at 15-10.

The third quarter started with a throw in by the Griffins. Once again, only 45 seconds had passed and Phillips tallied up another point. Following his own point by 39 seconds, Phillips attacked again. The third quarter had not been as eventful as the second, with the following point by Sandoval being two whole minutes after the last basket. Sadly, the Griffins could only manage two more points from a basket Barrenchea made in the 3^rd quarter.

The fourth quarter arose some excitement. In the first minute, the Eagles amassed 3 more points. To everyone’s surprise,  Griffin Alex Fuentelzas gifted his team with another three pointer. Consequently, the Eagles began working extra-hard and amassed a total of ten points, solely in the fourth quarter. Phillips, as well as teammates Andres Cruz and Abraham Lopez all contributed to their team’s ten point total. In disagreement with the Eagles-s ten points, the Griffins only managed six. Alfonso Justiniano contributed with 2 free throws, and Ojeda with a free throw of his own. With a final score of 33-18, both teams shook hands, ending their second to  last game of the season before the championship starts.

Boys Varsity Basketball

Cambridge pulls away in second half, wins 47-30

By Laura Guillen

      The game was what everyone was waiting for, the two rival teams, the Cambridge and Christian Learning boys’ varsity basketball teams, both a full strength, playing to decide the league lead.

       Though it proved a mighty battle, Cambridge Knights were there to make a statement, and left the court with the scoreboard showing a 47-30 Cambridge victory.  

      The game was played on Knight territory, and started with both teams scoring evenly and setting a mood of excitement as both Cambridge and Christian Learning spectators showed their enthusiasm. Knight Luis Mercado proved to be a key player as he scored nine points in the first quarter, which ended with the Knights up 11-10.

       Though it was expected that  the Eagles’ big center Andre Larson would give him a fair fight, things didn’t   quite work out that way as Larsen was held to four points, two on free throws.

       The second quarter got more interesting as players on both sides started showing a little bit more action. Eagle Cesar Flores showed some amazing jump shots. One spectator exclaimed “He looked like some kind of jumping spider” He intercepted passes and blocked out rival players. His quick ability to steal the ball and make it through all the Cambridge players added some quick baskets for the Eagles.

      With four minutes left of the second quarter the Knights led 16-12, but the Eagles summoned up their spirit and not only evened the score but went get ahead, leaving the court at halftime with the score  18-20 for the Eagles.

       Halftime gave both teams a chance to make adjustments and gave the fans time to gather their energies in preparation for the second half of the game. Curiosity was arouses when Cambridge Coach Victor Coronado took the Knights out of sight for a pep talk and rethinking of strategy. When the team reappeared there was fresh determination on their faces.

      The third quarter brings fresh excitement as Cambridge surges back.  Knight Gustavo Roca is back on the court, after being benched because he was in foul trouble and quickly makes an impression.  “That kid has basically been built up from scratch in these two years” says a Cambridge fan.

      The Knights comeback gives the enthusiastic Cambridge fans much to cheer about, and the gym gets a whole lot noisier. The Christian Learning crowd is as big and raucous as ever, and the Cambridge fans match them. It is almost as competitive in the stands as on the court as yells, applause, cheers and chants resound.  

       But by the end of the second quarter the Knights are up 35-24, and the question the Eagle fans have to be asking is whether the remaining ten minutes is enough time in which to catch them. The answer is no, but they don’t know that yet.   

      The Eagle players shout as they break their  huddle and this gets their fans quite pumped, as they start doing The Wave in their half of the stands, and cheering their team on. Larsen does finally get loose to score two baskets, and his teammates are all doing their best to steal balls, and then pass, run and shoot through Cambridge’s tough defense.  

   But now Knights Juan Carlos Paniagua and Gabriel Alonso make themselves quite noticeable, both making great passes to set up scores. Alonso is stealing the ball every chance the Eagles give him, then streaking down court and scoring.

      The Eagles are now pressing too hard, taking too many risks -- and making too many mistakes.

      As the five minute mark passes on the clock, everyone is still jittery. Fans getting louder, tired players getting nervous and coaches shouting commands.  Alonso makes the last basket of the day, moving the Cambridge margin out to 17 points, 47-30. The game leaves the Cambridge fans thrilled at their school’s victory.


      For the Knights, Luis Mercado tallied 27 points, Gustavo Roca had ten, Gabriel Alonso had eight, and Juan Carlos Paniague two. 


      For the Eagles, Larsen scored ten, Trevor Reed eight, Cesar Flores six, Haziel Martinez four and Jose Aldana two.


      (Laura Guillen is a senior and managing editor for Cambridge.) 


Jaguar boys victimize Griuffins, 73-7


     The Cooperative boys varsity basketball team had its biggest offensive explosion of the year Tuesday asd it down International 73-7 in the Cooperative gym.
    
      And, perhaps most remarkaby, the Jaguars did it without their star center Milan Marikovic, who is still sidelined with a knee injury. 


       The Jaguars broke on top in the first quarter, bursting out to a 27-2 lead in the first quarter, and were never headed. They led 41-3 at the half. At that point the possibility existed that the Jaguars would post their second 100-point plus win of the day. (The Jaguar girls had won  earlier 102-8.) However, the pace slackened in the second half as the Jaguar boys avoided any tendency to run up the score gratuitously.


       For the Jaguars, eighth grader Eduardo Ustarez tallied 18 points, followed closely by Josue Abuawad with 17. Giorgio Rodrigano and Andres Shin each had 14 points. Luis Peredo, another eighth grader, had eight points, and Rodrigo Chavez had two.