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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Sticking To It: Willow Glen forward Allison Lake moves in for one of her two goals against Westmont. The Rams whipped the Warriors 5-1 and beat Del Mar 3-1 to improve to 6-0 for the year.
Rams set to open league season
Rovai, Lake lead Rams to victories
By Dick Sparrer
Head coach Sonny Flores is hoping that the fourth time's the charm for his Willow Glen football.
Because there was certainly nothing charming about Willow Glen's 27-19 loss to Yerba Buena in the third week of the 2000 football season.
The Rams trailed 13-7 at the half and ended up losing by a touchdown to the Warriors in the battle of the two winless nonleague teams.
Senior quarterback Bobby Hobbs certainly did his part, hitting on 21 of 39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns. But even his superb performance wasn't enough to lead the Rams to their first victory of the season.
And it doesn't get any easier for the Rams. They open play in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League this week when they host Piedmont Hills on Sept. 30, 1:30 p.m. The Pirates figure to be the favorites in the division this fall.
"So we're got our work cut out for us," admitted Flores, looking ahead to Saturday's homecoming game at Willow Glen.
"We're got to work hard and come up with a game plan to catch these guys off guard," he added. "Where there's a will, there's a way. That's our theme for this week."
But even will might not be enough for the wounded Rams, who have been hit hard by injuries. Tightend David Rice and wide receivers Mark Sarinara and Scott Wallberg are all sidelined with injuries, and that's a problem for a team as thin as Willow Glen.
Flores had said before the season ever started that "a key for us is to stay as healthy as possible." And so far, that hasn't been the case for the Rams.
Still, Willow Glen hung tough with the Warriors last Friday night.
Hobbs tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Mike Anello in the first half and Wallberg kicked the extra point, and the Rams trailed just 13-7 at intermission.
The Rams came close to a score just before the break, but Wallberg's 48-yard field goal attempt missed its mark.
"It had plenty of distance, but he just hooked it a little to the left," said Flores. "That could have given us a lot of momentum."
Instead, it was Yerba Buena stealing the momentum with a 68-yard touchdown run to open the second half.
The Rams fought back with a 6-yard TD toss from Hobbs to Alvin Rideau, but the Warriors scored again to lead 27-13.
Hobbs led the Rams to another score, this one a 15-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Candelaria, to cut the lead to 27-19.
The Rams got close one more time, driving to the YB 1-yard-line. But Willow Glen fumbled the ball away, and the Warriors ran out the clock for the win.
"[Hobbs] had a real good night," said Flores of his quarterback, and so did Candelaria. The senior pulled in 13 passes for 219 yards and also carried four times for 35 yards.
Rideau finished the night with four catches for 27 yards and Wallberg had three catches for 53 yards before leaving the game with an injury.
The coach praised the work of linebacker Steve Klein and lineman Kevin Clarke defensively, and he added that Kyle Martinez intercepted a pass.
A bright point on an otherwise dismal night was a 13-2 victory by the Willow Glen frosh-soph over YB. The young Rams are now 2-1 for the year.
Field hockey
Lindsey Rovai knocked in six goals and Allison Lake buried four to lead the Willow Glen field hockey team to three nonleague wins last week.
Rovai knocked in three goals, two off assists from Julie Drake and Stacey Santomauro, to lead the Rams to a lopsided 7-1 win over Monta Vista to open the week.
Santomauro followed up her assist with a couple of goals of her own, one off a Rovai assist. Lake and Jenny Holt also scored in the win, and Lake and Samantha Bruni each added assists.
Lake and Rovai drilled two goals apiece in a 5-1 win over Westmont a day later. Stephanie Ogletree also scored for the Rams and Bruni, Drake and Nikki Leader each had assists.
The Rams improved to 6-0 for the year with a 3-1 win over Del Mar later in the week. Holt scored off a Bruni assist, and Lake and Rovai added unassisted goals to help Willow Glen pull out the win.
Willow Glen will put its perfect record on the line against Leland when the Rams host the Chargers in a nonleague game on Sept. 26, 3 p.m. The Rams will open the league season later in the week when they host Lynbrook on Sept. 28, 3 p.m. The Vikings are 3-1-1 for the year following a 1-0 win over Los Altos and a 3-1 loss to St. Ignatius last week.
Volleyball
There's a new look on the volleyball floor at Willow Glen this fall. And coach Travis Warner hopes that means a new beginning for the Rams.
"We lost seven seniors last season, so we have a new look," said Warner. "I am a first year coach with only five returning varsity players. We have three seniors and one outstanding sophomore on our varsity. The rest of the team is filled with juniors."
Still, Warner figures that his squad can be competitive in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
"I am anticipating a top-three finish in league this year," he said. "Our biggest challenges will be Silver Creek and Westmont. We are looking to make big strides to set ourselves up for a league title this year or next."
Senior returners Jessie Hopkins and Kara Butler head up the Willow Glen attack this fall along with juniors Tiffany Barone, Shante O'Hanlon and Ruth Kompelien, all back from last year's varsity.
Senior Kara Bowden and sophomore Julie Garrotto are top prospects up from the junior varsity.
The Rams opened league play last week dropping a 15-7, 15-12, 15-6 decision to San Jose, despite getting six kills from Hopkins.
Willow Glen is now 2-3 in the season.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
