Johnson pitched in 16 points, but the Rams lost a 67-44 non-league decision to Mountain View to open the week.

Doleshel fired in 14 points, but Willow Glen lost 58-52 to Branham in the first round of the Leigh Roundup Tournament. In a second-round game, Courd's 14 points weren't enough to keep the Rams from falling 63-41 to host Leigh.

Johnson had a three-pointer among his six field goals and he hit three free throws to finish with a team-high 16 points, but the Rams lost by 23 to Mountain View.

Doleshel supported with eight points for the Rams, and Courd, Will Howsman and Doug Dionne added five each. Steve Rebagliati hit a three-pointer, and Justin Ble had two. Dionne and Rebagliati also popped threes.

Doleshel canned 14 points and Rebagliati hit 13, but the Rams lost 58-52 to the Bruins. Howsman finished in double digits with 12 points, Johnson had six, Matt Rodriguez five, Dionne three and Courd two. Dionne, Rebagliati and Rodriguez each drilled three-pointers.

A night later, Courd pumped in 14 points, including a three, but the Rams lost 63-41 to Leigh. Nick Ward buried a pair of threes to finish with six points, and Ble added six, Doleshel five, Rebagliati and Howsman four apiece and Dionne two.


WG girls fall

Senior guard Edna Sison pitched in 16 points, but the Willow Glen girls basketball team dropped a 44-33 nod to Santa Teresa last week in non-league play. The Rams slipped to 8-3 for the year with the win.

Senior Crystal Salazar supported with seven points for the Rams, and Candace Gallegos added five points, including a three-point bucket. Brook Cook hit three points, and Diana Schnabel had two.

The Saints jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the first period and upped that to 25-6 by the half on the road to the 11-point victory.

The Rams will be back on the floor this week when they open play in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. Willow Glen was to open the league season at James Lick on Jan. 7 and will host Andrew Hill on Jan. 9, 7 p.m.


Back in action

The powerful Willow Glen wrestling team will be back in action this week. The Rams, who lost a heartbreaker to Silver Creek before winter break, were to visit Overfelt on Jan. 7 and will compete in the San Ramon Invitational on Jan. 11.


Macchi's big year

Former Willow Glen High School and West Valley College football standout David Macchi had a big year as the quarterback at Valparaiso University in Indiana.

The junior quarterback threw for 3,336 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 479 yards and two touchdowns for the Crusaders. He averaged 322.6 yards and 19.27 completions per game.

Macchi, the most valuable offensive player on his team and the leading passer in the Pioneer Football League, set school single-game records for most completions, most touchdowns and most passing yards. His season passing yardage mark is also a new school record.

Macchi finished the season ranked fifth in the nation in Division 1-AA for total offense, 14th in passing and 23rd in passing efficiency.


Heisman nominees

They weren't about to rival USC's Carson Palmer for the Heisman Trophy, but there were a handful of local candidates who were nominated for the Heisman—at least at the high school level.

Jonathan Choi and Marcie Cheung of Saratoga High School, Doug Dionne of Willow Glen, Los Gatos' Steven Chang of Mitty, Sunnyvale's Kathy Duong of St. Lawrence Academy and Sunnyvale's Thomas Rupp of Wilcox were among the 49 athletes from the San Francisco Bay Area to be nominated for the 2002 Wendy's High School Heisman Award.

In addition to athletics, nominees must excel in the classroom and be involved in civic activities.