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Photograph by Douglas Rider
Too Late: Willow Glen's Marina Mendez scoots across home plate with a run in an early season win over Overfelt. The Rams won a couple of games last week, and are now 4-1 in the young season.
Young Rams open Mt. Hamilton play
Golfers, volleyball team gun for titles
By Dick Sparrer
Willow Glen had a great baseball team in 2001. It was a good enough team to win the championship in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League with a 17-1 record, and post an impressive 24-5 mark for the season.
That's the good news for Willow Glen coach Gary Rose. The bad news is that most of them were seniors.
Outstanding pitchers Bobby Hobbs and Matt Durkin led the Rams to the super season in 2001, but they also led most of the Rams down the aisle during graduation ceremonies.
Only one player is back from that championship team of a year ago: senior outfielder Joe Sanchez.
And compounding things for Rose and his Rams is that the championship of a year ago earned his club a trip up to the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL.
But Rose isn't going to let the stiff competition of the Mt. Hamilton circuit worry him much. He figures that his Rams are up to the challenge, despite their youth.
"We have a young team with good talent," said Rose as he looked ahead to the league season. "Our season depends upon our young pitching staff and our ability to stay healthy."
Chris Hobbs, Doug Dionne, John Gibilisco and Justin Jeffrey are all talented players moving up the varsity after successful performances at the frosh-soph level. All four won all-league spots after leading the Rams to the league championship.
Sanchez, who saw limited duty as the only junior on last year's club, is the only senior on this year's Willow Glen team. But he'll team with the underclassmen to lead the WG effort this spring.
Hobbs, Gibilisco and Jeffrey top a list of seven sophomores on the Willow Glen varsity this season and Dionne heads a list of six juniors.
Rose ranks Oak Grove as the division title favorite, but ranks his young club as a contender to finish in the top four.
The Rams ran into powerhouse Oak Grove in the league opener last week and dropped a 12-1 decision.
Willow Glen lost 14-8 to Westmont two days later.
Hobbs and sophomore Steve Rebagliati each singled and doubled to lead an eight-hit attack for the Rams. Dionne and junior Thomas Ochoa each ripped doubles, and Dionne and Hobbs knocked in two runs apiece.
Chasing a title
The boys volleyball team at Willow Glen figures to be in the hunt for the Mt. Hamilton Division championship with four all-leaguers returning from a solid 2001 team.
"This season looks to put us in a battle for the Mt. Hamilton title," said Rams coach Jef Wind. "We have a strong collection of returners." Mark Sarinana, Kaelan Yoppini, Jesse Cruz and Zach Loya are top returners for the Rams this spring.
Sarinana was the junior of the year in the Mt. Hamilton Division a year ago, and the 5-foot-11 outside hitter is looking for big things as he returns for his senior season.
Yoppini, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, joined Sarinana on the all-league first team in the 2001 season.
Cruz, a 5-foot-10 setter, and Loya, a 5-foot-4 server, were both named to the all-league second team last year.
Despite the crop of talented returners, Wind is concerned about replacing offensive threats Mason Zinniel and Tony Locken, both lost to graduation.
Newcomers Adrian Morales (6-foot outside hitter), Rich Salas (6-foot-2 middle blocker), Craig Baker (5-foot-8 outside hitter) and Jairo Arreola (5-foot-7 setter) join the varsity this spring after winning all-league honors on the frosh-soph squad.
"As a team, we have improved our passing but we need to strengthen our defense," added Wind.
Willow Glen posted a 7-3 league mark last year and posted a 13-19 record overall. Wind picks Branham as the team to beat in the division this spring, but figures his Rams will be right in the hunt.
"Our goal is to clean up our preseason record and take league," he said.
That effort begins with a tough one. Willow Glen will host Branham on March 12, 6 p.m., before heading to Westmont on March 16, 6 p.m.
Golfers look strong
The Willow Glen golf team has dropped to the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL this fall, and head coach Bob Parker is looking for big things from his Rams.
Junior returners Will Howsman, Ryan Radjabi and Patrick Postel are top prospects for the Rams this season.
"We've dropped down to the 'B' league and return our two, three and four players," said Parker, whose Rams finished in the fifth-place tie in the Mt. Hamilton Division a year ago. "Additionally, [Nick] Baretto has switched over from baseball and will be our No. 1 or 2."
Baretto, a sophomore, is joined by senior Scott Peltz, junior Doug Mummey and freshman Brad Kompelien as talented newcomers on the Willow Glen varsity.
The Rams are off to a 2-0 start in league play and are 3-1 for the year after rolling to a 184-190 win over Prospect last Thursday.
Baretto fired a two-over par 32 at the Deep Cliff Golf Course to lead the Rams to the win over the Panthers. Howsman shot a 35, Postel a 36, Peltz a 40 and Radjabi a 41.
Calderon flips no-hitter
Janelle Calderon fired a no-hitter to lead the Willow Glen girls softball team to a 23-0, five-inning victory over Gunderson last week.
Calderon blanked the Grizzlies over five frames, and also led the bat attack with a triple and single to drive in four runs.
Calderon came back last weekend to flip a three-hit shutout in a tight 1-0 win over Soquel.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
