Saratoga News
Sports
Photograph by George Sakkestad
Saratoga High School athletes of the year Katie Reed (left) and Scott Newberry were all-leaguers in multiple sports for the Falcons. Reed won all-league second team honors in basketball before winning a place on the all-league first team in softball. Newberry was all-league first team in baseball and football and made the all-league honorable mention list in basketball.
Reed, Newberry win top Falcons sports awards
Vetrone caps a super soph volleyball season
By Dick Sparrer
There was a reason why Scott Newberry and Katie Reed were named the Falcon Athletes of the Year at Saratoga High School and Mike Vetrone wasn't--Vetrone is just a sophomore.
Otherwise, Vetrone might have been in the running for the prestigious honor. After all, he had just as much success this spring as Newberry and Reed.
All three Falcons finished the spring sports season in impressive fashion, winning all-league first team honors in their respective sports.
For Newberry, a three-sport star at Saratoga, the baseball honor capped an outstanding senior year. He was named to the all-league first team in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League as a defensive back in football, and he won an all-league honorable mention spot on the all-El Camino Division basketball team.
Newberry, who earned an athletic scholarship to Chico State University, capped his senior year by winning all-league first team baseball honors in the El Camino Division. The Falcon Male Athlete of the Year award was the culmination of an outstanding high school career.
Reed capped her high school career by winning the school's Falcon Female Athlete of the Year award. Reed starred on the Saratoga basketball team in the winter, winning an all-league second team spot in the El Camino Division, but it was as a softball player where she really shined.
Reed was named to the all-league first team after an outstanding campaign as the Saratoga center fielder. She was also honored at her school as the winner of the Mary Jane Maxfield Memorial Award winner for softball and also won a Saratoga High School Memorial Scholarship.
Since he's just a sophomore, Vetrone wasn't eligible for a senior award at Saratoga this year. But that didn't diminish what he accomplished this spring.
Vetrone was named to the all-SCVAL volleyball team as an opposite hitter after averaging 10 kills, one block and two service aces in league play. The 6-foot-1 soph finished the season with 229 kills in 525 attempts, and 60 aces in 332 service attempts.
Newberry, Reed and Vetrone topped a list of five Falcons who won places on the all-SCVAL baseball, softball and volleyball teams.
Baseball
Newberry and teammates Jeff Roberts and Bo Nielsen were among the players named to the all-league first and second teams in the El Camino Division. Newberry joined Derek Hargis, Eric Taubman and Evan Marshall of Homestead, Nate Cathcart and Kevin Brahney of Fremont, Adam Khan of Lynbrook and freshman Chad Estes Monta Vista on the first team.
Second team picks included Roberts and Nielsen of Saratoga, Nacho Bermudez and Mike Lawler of Homestead, Nick Burrow of Monta Vista and Amuro Yamamura of Lynbrook.
Softball
Lynbrook, led by the remarkable pitching of junior Kendra Wood, outlasted defending champion Monta Vista, Homestead and Milpitas to capture the SCVAL De Anza Division championship this spring, and Wood was named the division's MVP for her efforts.
Wood was joined on the 14-player first team by two teammates, her catcher and twin sister Kelsey and senior Briana Downey.
Monta Vista's Jessica Iwasaki was named the division's Most Valuable Defensive Player for the second straight season. Los Gatos senior Kyrie Timbrook was chosen as the Most Valuable Offensive Player.
Other first team selections included senior center fielders Britney Sanford of Monta Vista and Reed of Saratoga, Jessica Allemandi and junior third baseman Lauren Gniadek of Homestead and sophomore corner infielder Amy Highstreet of Los Gatos
Volleyball
There was nothing easy for boys volleyball teams going up against Homestead this past spring. The most obvious challenge was getting hits through the Mustangs' mountainous middle blockers, 6-foot-9 senior Sam Kridl and 6-foot-7 junior Ryan Dedrick. Another issue for Homestead opponents, though, was dealing with the passing and digging skills of junior setter Ryan Bridge.
They were tests that no SCVAL team mastered, as Homestead racked up 14 straight wins without a loss en route to the league championship. The league's coaches acknowledged when they honored Bridge as the Most Valuable Player for his all-around play and leadership ability and recognized Kridl and Dedrick among the league's top eight players.
Setter Eric Rowell and middle blocker Frank Fritsch, who helped Los Gatos win the Central Coast Section championship after finishing second to Homestead in league play, were first team selections. Vetrone, senior outside hitter Gil Perez (Fremont) and junior outside hitter Lev Girshfeld (Mountain View) also were picked to the first team.
One player from each of the league's eight teams were named to the second team. Defensive specialist Dan Langholff of Los Gatos and outside hitter Mark Pariaszevski of Fremont were the lone seniors in the group. Joining them were sophomore setter Nick McConnell of Saratoga and five juniors: outside hitter Weston Buckner of Homestead, opposite hitter Dennis Chen of Lynbrook, libero Elliot Wang of Mountain View, setter Mitch Bonander of Santa Clara and middle blocker Max Dickson of Wilcox.
McConnell led the Falcons in assists and had 41 aces in 322 service attempts this spring. He will now join Vetrone on the Bay to Bay Volleyball Club that will go after the gold medal in the Junior Olympics in Minneapolis, Minn., this summer.
All-BVAL players
Over in the Blossom Valley Athletic League, Westmont and Prospect athletes won their share of postseason honors this spring.
Westmont's Robyn Aranjo was named Sophomore of the Year in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL after a solid softball season. She was also a part of the all-league first team along with teammate Whitney Morris. Jacque Kuhny and Ashley Britton were named to the second team.
Though Westmont's baseball team didn't have a great showing in the Mt. Hamilton Division this season, two players were still recognized for their talents. Ryan Kanzaki and Steven Brady were both named to the second team.
Westmont volleyball standout Jon Ng-Parish earned a place on the all-league first team in the Mt. Hamilton Division. Landon Jones of the Warriors was named to the second team.
The Prospect Panthers received multiple all-league awards in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL.
In baseball, Matt Lamb was named the Senior of the Year for the Panthers, while Curtis VonWaardenberg received co-Sophomore of the year honors. David Morgan was named to the first team while Wesley Nichols received a second team all-league spot.
Prospect's softball team also received a few honors in the Santa Teresa Division. Mandy Taylor was named co-Senior of the Year, while Jessica Janssen was picked to the first team and Leah Sparrowe to the second team.
Patrick Avila was the only player on Prospect's volleyball team to receive an all-league award. Avila was named to the second team in the Mt. Hamilton Division.
Mike Barnhart and Kevin Sparrer contributed to this story.
