The Sunnyvale Sun
Sports
Fremont polo small in numbers, big in wins
By MIKE BARNHART
What Fremont's girls water polo team lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality.
With just eight players, Fremont enters each game with only one substitute for coach Steve Puccinelli to call upon. But, in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's El Camino Division, the team with the fewest players is the one with the most wins.
After a 14-2 victory over Cupertino on Oct.16, the Firebirds entered the final week of the division schedule perched in first place, undefeated at 11-0. After a home contest against Lynbrook on Oct. 23, the Firebirds were set to close out El Camino play with a make-up game at Monta Vista on Oct. 25, followed the next day with a tilt at Homestead.
With four seniors returning from the 2005 squad and four talented newcomers from the junior varsity, Fremont has been on a season-long roll this fall. The only blemishes on its 13-2 overall record occurred during a tournament at Los Gatos.
"Everybody plays a lot and all of the girls have bonded together well," Puccinelli said. "We've been fortunate that everyone has stayed healthy and eligible."
Leading the way on offense has been senior Samantha Ellis, who scored a game-high six goals against Cupertino last week. Ellis provides the Firebirds with a double threat; she can distribute the ball as well as she scores it.
"We put her in a position to either score or be fouled--at the 5-meter mark," Puccinelli explained. "Samantha usually draws the opponent's best defender to her, and then she is able to shoot or dish the ball off to Julia (Sterling) at the 2-meter spot or Aimee (Lindsey)."
Sterling, a junior who paced Fremont's JV scoring last season, and Lindsey, a senior, "have been finishing the plays when they need to," the coach noted. Against the Pioneers, the duo combined for seven goals--four for Sterling and three for Lindsey.
The two other returning seniors are Sara DeCastro, who scored a goal against Cupertino, and goaltender Isabel "Izzy" Heye, who earned all-tournament honors at Los Gatos.
"Izzy has brought her game up a notch over last year," Puccinelli praised.
Fremont's defense is spearheaded by junior Abby McNeil, who typically guards the opponent's 2-meter "hole" player.
"She shuts down the other team's offense," Puccinelli noted. "She allows the others to play more aggressively and go for more steals."
While Ellis, Lindsey, Sterling, McNeil and Heye seldom leave the pool, DeCastro and juniors Chelsea Lofland and Nicole Sutherlin share the other two positions in the Firebirds' potent line-up.
Fremont's outstanding season comes in Puccinelli's fourth year directing the program, but only the first in which he can devote all of his energies to the varsity. Unlike the previous three seasons, Fremont has a full-time coach for the junior varsity, Julie Arroyo.
"In the past I have coached both teams," Puccinelli said. "Although I was able to build up some junior varsity players, I could not give the varsity my full attention."
The busy final week should prepare Fremont for the El Camino Division Tournament, Oct. 31-Nov. 4.
Homestead, which plays Santa Clara and Fremont this week, is coming off a 15-7 triumph over Wilcox. Jenny Coryell's five goals paved the way for the Mustangs. Melissa Sullivan threw in three goals, and Emily Pool and Taryn Mitchell both added two. Heidi Hanabusa, Justine Darmanian and Jessica Dennis also scored for Homestead. Sophomores Ari Engber (four goals) and Astrid Preussner (two) led the way for Wilcox.
In El Camino boys play, Homestead evened its record at 5-5 with a 14-8 win over Wilcox. Geovid Kali, Alex Romanko, Derrick Lee and Brian Armstrong shared team scoring honors with three apiece. Collin Russum and Jeff Meadows chipped in with one each.
Fremont's boys squad split a pair of games, dumping Harker 15-3 before bowing to unbeaten league leader Cupertino 16-8.
Tony Rhodes (five), Danny Moctezuma (four) and Michael Bursky (three) combined for a dozen goals in the win over Harker. Bursky fired in six of the Firebirds' eight against Cupertino.
Knights 6-0 in football
After cruising to a 35-6, non-league win over St. Francis-Central Coast of Watsonville, The King's Academy puts its unbeaten record on the line against Berean Christian of Walnut Creek, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.
The Knights, now 6-0 overall, take a 3-0 Bay Football League mark into the contest, which will be played at Acalanes in Lafayette.
Quarterback Sam Sussman, who scored the Knights' first six on a 1-yard run and later connected with Jordan Martin on a 15-yard TD toss, completed 4 of 7 passes for 108 yards. The Knights' running attack, led by Steven Lim, racked up 251 yards and four touchdowns.
Lim, who ran nine times for 120 yards, broke loose in the first quarter for a 59-yard touchdown scamper. Later, Kyle McDonald scored from two yards out and Jacob Bliss raced into the end zone from 31 yards out. Daniel DeTrinidad, who sparkled on defense with six tackles and an interception, kicked a trio of extra points.
Josiah Auer was a defensive standout, getting in on 12 tackles and recovering a fumble. Ben Sussman made 10 tackles, and Thad Winton and McDonald had eight apiece.
In other games, Wilcox pounded Homestead 56-0 in an SCVAL De Anza Division tilt and Fremont smoked Gunn 54-28 in El Camino play.
Wilcox, led by Justice Patterson's three TDs and two each from Anthony Volk and Quincy Henry, built a 35-0 halftime lead in an afternoon game at Homestead. The Chargers, whose record improved to 2-2 in league and 3-4 overall, can get back in the SCVAL De Anza race with a win over Los Gatos (3-1, 5-2) on Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.
Fremont (1-2, 2-5) earned its first El Camino win by jumping out to a 21-6 first-quarter lead and never looking back. The Firebirds host explosive Monta Vista (3-1, 6-1) in its next outing.
Homestead (0-3, 1-6) travels to Mountain View (2-1, 5-2) on Friday for a 3:15 p.m. clash.
TKA rolls in tennis
The King's Academy girls tennis team raised its Private Schools Athletic League record to 7-0 with victories over Fremont Christian, 7-0, and Valley Christian of Dublin, 4-3.
The Knights may have had their toughest match a week earlier against Redwood Christian. In a match that lasted more than three hours, four of the seven matches went three sets. Winners for the Knights were singles players Anishka George, Nicole Isaacson and Breanna Grove and the No. 3 doubles team of Rachel Morrison and Staphanie Lau.
