The Cupertino Courier
Sports
Mats, Vikings are eliminated
By Mike Barnhart
With recently reinstated senior forward Eric Heslin leading the way, the Cupertino boys basketball team has reached this week's Central Coast Section Division III semifinals, a.k.a. the San Francisco Catholic high school tournament.
Heslin, playing in just his third game since being declared eligible by the CCS, scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in the third-seeded Pioneers' 54-47 quarterfinal win over No. 6 Terra Nova of Pacifica last Saturday at San Mateo High.
To reach the championship game on Feb. 29 at Santa Clara University, the Pioneers (23-5) must defeat No. 2 Archbishop Riordan (18-10) in a repeat match-up of last season's semifinals. Cupertino, the only semifinalist that is not a West Catholic Athletic League school from San Francisco, will square off with Riordan on Feb. 27, 5:30 p.m. Sacred Heart Cathedral (18-11) and St. Ignatius (18-9) will follow in the second game of the double-header at San Mateo High.
Cupertino is shooting for a better result against Riordan than last year's 44-28 defeat, but it will not be easy. The Crusaders advanced out of the quarterfinals, 66-40, by blasting North Monterey County with a 31-point first quarter.
Coach Craig Ellegood's Pioneers, whose defensive goal all season has been to hold teams to 10 points a quarter, will try to contain Riordan's two all-WCAL performers, 6-foot-6, 230-pound center Jorge Camacho and 6-foot guard Daniel Cannon.
"We'll have to take care of the ball and convert a good percentage of our possessions," Ellegood noted. "We will have to stop Cannon from penetrating and battle them on the boards."
Conversely, Riordan must contend with 'Tino's tandem of 6-foot-5 leapers, Mike Carson and Heslin. Carson's shooting was off against Terra Nova (21-6), only one basket and six points, but he has averaged team highs of 13 points and six rebounds a game throughout the season.
Brian Ly and J.D. Deborba each scored nine points against Terra Nova. Kevin Lew and Sean Brinkerhoff added four points apiece and Blake Warren chipped in with one of Cupertino's six three-pointers.
The Pioneers jumped ahead, 13-10, in the first quarter and stretched their advantage to 29-18 by halftime. The lead grew to 14 points in the second half, before Terra Nova rallied in the fourth quarter.
"We were playing a solid game and had the game under control, until they became desperate as time became a factor late," Ellegood said. "We needed to handle their aggressiveness better."
Lang breaks 30 twice
Both Monta Vista's boys (11-18) and Lynbrook's girls (16-10) won CCS first-round games, but were eliminated in the second round on Feb. 21.
Monta Vista guard Kevin Lang, who averaged 19.3 points a game in the Matadors' free-wheeling, drive-and-dish offense this season, was red-hot in the playoffs. The 5-foot-9 junior scored 32 with eight assists in a 63-52 victory at No. 12 Silver Creek, before putting up 36 points in an 86-70 loss at No. 5 Watsonville.
Lang's career best of 39 came against Homestead on Feb. 4.
Senior Sean Brar, who scored 12 in each playoff game, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked six shots at Silver Creek, while junior Chris Garvin added eight points and nine rebounds. The Matadors made 21 steals against the Raiders, including seven by Lang and four each by senior Peter Kosulin and junior Phaniteja Kannegati.
In Division II girls play, No. 11 Lynbrook's half-court trap defense helped force 20 turnovers in a 43-30 victory over Palo Alto. Two nights later, No. 6 St. Francis ended No. 11 Lynbrook's season, 46-35.
Junior Devora Fine's 10 points paced Lynbrook's win over Paly. Sophomore Sharon Hao scored nine and Jennifer Flanagan, Diana Lee and Megan Shimojima chipped in with six apiece.
Monta Vista's girls (16-10) and Lynbrook's boys (20-8) earned first-round byes, before falling in the second round.
Monta Vista's girls, seeded No. 8 in Division I, lost 62-50 against No. 9 Silver Creek, despite senior Kaila Li's 15 points and freshman Allena Sommer's 13 points. Senior Amanda Hui and freshman Alexandra Chiu added seven each.
Lynbrook's boys lost their only Division II game 55-43 at No. 8 Mills of Millbrae. Mills' 24-9 run in the second quarter erased the eight-point lead Lynbrook built in the first period. Junior guard Steven Sanders was the top scorer for No. 9 Lynbrook with 15 points. Forward Emre Titizer scored nine and 6-foot-9 senior Andy Meunier had eight.
Lancers stop Mats
A fine season came to a close for Monta Vista in the semifinals of the Central Coast Section Division I girls soccer tournament.
St. Francis scored two goals in the second half to beat the Matadors 2-0 under extremely windy conditions at Valley Christian on Feb. 21.
"Losing in the playoffs is a letdown at the time because you always want to make it to the end," coach Alan Kute said after the Matadors finished the season with an 11-5-5 record.
The Matadors excelled this year, despite having to replace several key players who graduated from last season's Division I runner-up.
"The girls gelled very well and had a great season," Kute said. "They were a lot of fun to be around."