November 27, 2008

SPORTS

Coaches Corner

Reviewing the Chargers’ 2008 season

By Mike Carrozzo
Special to the Times

The regular season ended with one of our goals accomplished. We made the playoffs.

Jr. Anthony Russell chases down a Monterey running back. Photos by Kevin Hubbard

Unfortunately, it ended all too quickly for your Leland Chargers. Monterey got the 34-20 win in chilly Monterey Peninsula College on Friday night. The game was tight most of the way through. Touchdowns by Will Boring (a 1-yard run), Vincent Gemette (a 3-yard run) and Ryan Smith (30-yard reception from Boring) kept it close. Coach Noble of Monterey did a very good job as did your Chargers, however, at the end of the night our season was over.

One of the hardest things we, as coaches, deal with every year is to see the look on the faces of the senior players as they realize that all of the good times they have had, all of the sacrifices they have made, are over. Most of them will never “gear up and bang” again. All we tell them is that what’s important is the friendships they have made. Those relationships never die. The most memorable moments you have as a high school football player are that of the interaction with your teammates and coaches. Friends that don’t normally run in the same circles are brought together by football. They will someday realize how much this family means to them…and to us as coaches.

It is in this light that I would like to use this column, my last of the year, to review the 2008 Leland Charger season as a whole. We started about 10 months ago in the weight room and speed development. Most who have never played don’t realize just how much work goes into a successful program. Some of our most dedicated early season players have invested 376 hours of lifting, running, plyometrics, practice, etc. all for 528 minutes of actual game time, including playoffs. That’s amazing when you think about it. Now you start to understand why we are so appreciative of the dedication of these young men. They are simply awesome.

Jr. running back Jon Ruel tries to escape the grasp of Monterey defenders.

The season certainly had its highs and lows. We were fairly disappointed with our opening tie with Prospect. We had suited up 26 players as injuries were piling up the week prior to the game. We got over it and played a very tough Scotts Valley that, as of this writing, is a league champion and is still playing in the section playoffs. That game was an absolute dogfight and a superb defensive bout. We came away losing but learned a lot about ourselves. We were starting to come together as a team and knew what we needed to do to get better. Then came Alvarez in an electric home opener under the newly lighted Tillman Stadium. The rally, the game, the raucous crowd and the first win of the season. It was a fun night.

A well-timed bye week allowed us to spend two weeks to get ready for our first “A” league opener at home versus Westmont. We knew going in, that in order to make the playoffs, we would absolutely need to beat Westmont.

Westmont knew it too. We played well and came away with a solid victory. Lincoln then visits Tillman Stadium and did a good job capitalizing on our many mistakes to leave with a win. Then came Oak Grove. We lost. Next!

Next on the slate was Piedmont Hills. If you asked a million people, none would get close to forecasting the final score of that game. In a game that resulted in a Central Coast Section record 20 combined touchdowns and 135 combined points, your Leland Chargers put together an amazing 82-53 victory.

With a victory in our next game against Live Oak, we would lock up a playoff spot in our very first recent year in the “A” league. It was a battle from start to finish and we won this very important game.

Jr. Vinnie Gemette flys into the end zone to tie the game with Monterey. Photo by Kevin Jones

Then came the “Backyard Brawl” against cross-town rival Pioneer. This is a game that always gets the most out of players on both teams. It is a very exciting game to be a part of. Pioneer got the best of us although we played very well. The last regular season game was on the road against Leigh and they won handily, as we made a few critical mistakes and they played very well. That leaves the playoff game mentioned above to summarize the entire year.

I would like to thank all of the Leland Chargers on varsity and JV for giving so much of themselves for the sake of their teammates and our program. I couldn’t be more proud of every one of them for all that they have accomplished on and off the field. I also want to thank the administration at Leland for their incredible support and understanding. Principal Liz Chamberlin has done an amazing job adjusting to her new post and helping our program every chance she could. First year Athletic Director Scot Gillis has been our program’s greatest friend. His attention to detail, his coaching experience and his ability help solve problems has truly been a blessing to us. The Leland Football Parents also deserve a massive standing ovation for all of their efforts, selflessness, and sacrifice. They are all an amazing group of people that I am privileged to know.

Lastly I would like to thank Carol Rosen, editor of the Almaden Times, for giving me the opportunity to share with you some of the emotions, strategies, victories and stories that cloak the season of your Leland Chargers. Special thanks as always to Jeff LaPlante, Kevin Hubbard and Kevin Jones for their outstanding portrayal of our season in pictures contributed to the Times. Time to start working for next year!

Locals on USA water ski team compete in China

Ryan Selsor’s 176 ft. jump was the farthest jump in his life, giving him a sixth place finish.

On Sept. 29, Ryan Selsor, former Leland High School student and current student at Sacramento State, flew to China with the USA University Water Ski Team to compete in the 2008 World University Waterskiing Championships.

Ryan and his cousin Storm Selsor of Fremont, who skis for Arizona State University, skied in the University Team Trials in May. Both made the six-person USA team and skied in World University Waterskiing Champion-ships Oct. 1- 4.

The team arrived in Beijing on Sept. 30. After visiting the Great Wall of China the following day, the team took a two-hour bus ride to Tianjin, a city of 11 million that were hosting the event. Oct. 2 was a practice day for all of the skiers as the event, including opening ceremonies, officially started the next day.

The slalom event did go as well as expected and Ryan finished 15th and the next day he had an early fall in the trick event. However, on Friday, he jumped 163 feet in very difficult and dangerous conditions in the jump event and made the finals by placing 11th (the top 12 made the finals).

The USA University Water Ski Team recently traveled to Tianjin, China to participate in the World University Waterskiing Championships.

The conditions in the finals the next day were just as difficult as it was very windy. A jumper tries to get as wide as possible from the boat, and then at the last moment, turns toward the ramp and cuts as hard as possible and reaches speeds up to 65 mph and then kicks the ramp and soars as far as possible.

Windy conditions make the timing of the turn difficult as the wind pushes the jumper down the course, makes the water choppy in front of the ramp, and pushes the ski tips down when the skier is in the air. Any of the three issues can result in a serious crash. On Ryan’s first and second jumps, he went 157 feet and 158 feet respectively. On his third and final jump, he waited as long as possible, timed his turn perfectly, had good speed into the ramp and kicked the ramp with good body position and soared 176 feet. It was his farthest jump in his life and gave him a sixth place finish.

It was the trip of a lifetime and Ryan received a gold medal as Team USA won the overall team title, the Czech Republic was second and France was third.

Sr. Kylie Sarpa lets fly a shot on goal.

Lady Chargers take third in CCS

Furious comeback falls short for Lady Chargers

The CCS semi final girls’ water polo match was held last Thursday at Menlo Atherton High School. That was about the only thing anyone knew for sure.

What was in doubt was the outcome!

Jr. Kelsey Nolan ties St. Francis late in the CCS semi final. Photos by Kevin Jones

Going into the match, number-two St. Francis against the Chargers, who were ranked third; both teams knew it would be a battle to the end. They didn’t disappoint. St. Francis won a nail-biter 6-5 with a goal in the closing seconds of the game to advance to the finals.

Sr. Courtney Gold looks to set up a play against St. Francis.

Although at the beginning it looked like the Lancers would blow the Chargers out of the pool by racing out to a 3-0 lead. But the Leland squad battled back and ultimately tied the match twice. The last tie was 5-5 when it appeared the match would go into overtime.

St. Francis was not to be denied as they advanced the ball down the pool and scored the winning goal with only seconds to spare. Leland got the ball back and valiantly tried to extend the match but could not.

St. Francis met first-seed Menlo Atherton at Stanford and upset the favorites 7-6 in overtime.

The Chargers finished another great season as league champions with a record of 7-0. All-league and CCS honors are to be announced shortly and it is a good bet that the Lady Chargers will garner their share of accolades for the year.

Sports Briefs

Girls’ U13 Soccer Tryouts

The South San Jose Hot Shots, a U13 Girls “comp” soccer team, is holding tryouts for the 2009 season. Experienced players born on or after 8/1/1996 are eligible to play. For tryout details, please send email to SSJ.HOTSHOTS@GMAIL.COM.

2009 Almaden Valley Girls Recreational Softball Registration is open

This year the AVGSL has implemented an online registration system. Please visit WWW.AVGSL.ORG to register or to find out more information regarding our league.  We are accepting registration for ages Under 6, Under 8, Under 10, Under 12 and Under 14. Everyone is welcome to join our league – from first-time player to all-star - because we have a spot for you.  AVGSL’s main goal is to ensure that all players are in a fun, positive environment while learning and expanding their softball skills. AVGSL promotes a sense of belonging for everyone. We emphasize teamwork and the sense of individual success that contributes to team sports. No player will sit out more than two innings during a game, which offers each girl the opportunity to make contributions to their team while participating in a large part of all activities.  If you have questions, please email president@avgsl.org and we will be happy to help.


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