Publication Date: Friday, December 17, 2004
PREP ROUNDUP
Hoping to keep on rolling
Hoping to keep on rolling
(December 17, 2004) Local basketball, soccer teams using momentum for recent successes
by Keith Peters
Momentum. Those who have it reap the benefits. Those who don't have it, want it because momentum fosters confidence.
The Palo Alto boys' basketball team has that confidence. So does the Gunn boys' soccer team and, perhaps, the Menlo-Atherton girls' soccer team. All three have put together recent winning streaks that could extend into next week and next year.
The Paly boys face the toughest task to keep things rolling. The Vikings (7-0) are competing in the Maui Invitational and will be tested today by San Marcos (San Diego). The Vikings are coming off a 64-61 overtime win over visiting Woodside this week.
"It's a good start," said Paly coach Peter Diepenbrock. "A lot of guys are contributing. A lot of guys can make plays . . . We definitely have some firepower."
Paly rolled through last weekend's Cougar Classic at Half Moon Bay by averaging 77 points in three wins and allowing an average of just 33. The Vikings twice shot 56 percent from the field as 6-foot-6 senior forward Greg Walder made 75 percent of his shots and was named MVP of the tourney.
Walder continued his accurate shooting against Woodside (67 percent), but it was 6-6 senior Brian Baskauskas and 6-0 junior Jeremy Lin who made the difference at the end. Baskauskas was 10 of 14 from the field (71 percent) and finished with a game-high 25 points. He made a lean-in three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 54 and made his fifth trey of the night to give the Vikings their first lead in overtime at 59-58.
Lin, who is quickly gaining a reputation of being one of the best point guards in the section, had 12 points and six assists. His made three of four free throws in the final 41 seconds to secure the victory. Newcomer Martin Mouton grabbed nine rebounds to aid in the cause.
Palo Alto will return to the mainland in time for Tuesday's opener against San Ramon Valley in the St. Francis Invitational.
The Gunn boys' soccer team (1-0, 8-0-1), which visits Fremont today in SCVAL De Anza Division action, will be in the Homestead Christmas Cup quarterfinals on Saturday against Sequoia (noon) at Homestead High.
Despite allowing only four goals in nine matches, the Titans' streak of success could be in jeopardy over the next week. Starters Avery Naar and Anton Horwath are in Mexico helping build homes as part of their community service requirement for school. And starter Gilmar Arellano, who scored both goals in Wednesday's 2-0 division-opening win over Monta Vista, is leaving Tuesday for a family trip to Hawaii.
Should the Titans get past Sequoia and win their Cup semifinal Monday, all three players will be gone when Gunn plays for the tournament title on Tuesday. Gunn also is without JB Barley, sidelined by a broken foot.
"It's going to be tough for the next five days," said Gunn coach David Burgee. "Losing Avery, Anton and Gilmar will have an impact on us. Can we sustain our success? That will be difficult."
Gunn is deep and has plenty of momentum going for it. The Titans' defense has been downright stingy this season with six shutouts for senior keeper Brian Weinstein. Burgee will be counting on numerous players to step up and contribute the next few days until things get back to normal in January.
Speaking of January, the Menlo-Atherton girls' soccer team will be off until then. The Bears wrapped up 2004 with a 6-3 PAL Bay Division win over rival Menlo (0-2-1, 4-3-2) on Tuesday, giving M-A five straight wins to end the year.
The Bears opened last weekend's Fresno Invitational with a scoreless match against Golden West and then fell to eventual Gold Division champ Bakersfield, 3-2. M-A then proceeded to beat Sunnyside, 4-0, blank Madera, 2-0, edge Hoover, 2-1 and then beat Bullard in the Silver Division championship match, 2-1, on goals by junior Wendy Funk and senior Katherine Daiss.
Daiss scored six goals and added an assist in the tourney while sophomore Kaitlin McGhee tallied four goals.
"I was very pleased with the weekend," said M-A coach Jenna Carson. "We got better and stronger as it went along, which is really important."
The momentum from the tournament carried over into Tuesday's match at Menlo, where the Bears grabbed a 3-0 halftime lead and rolled from there. Daiss, headed to Cal on a scholarship next fall, produced three goals and added two assists while Funk, Megan O'Donnell and Courtney Morse wrapped up the scoring.
The Bears have scored 18 goals in their past seven matches.
"We play better when we play offense," Carson said. "We're not going to win a lot of 1-0 games."
Menlo-Atherton is off until Jan. 4, when the Bears resume their chase for Bay Division and postseason honors.
In other soccer action this week:
The Palo Alto girls (4-1-2) got three goals from Lindsey Stirrat in a 6-0 nonleague win over host Lynbrook on Monday. The Vikings open league play at Saratoga today and then host King's Academy on Saturday in a nonleague match at 11 a.m.
The Palo Alto boys (3-2-2) tuned up for their De Anza Division opener today against visiting Lynbrook at 3:30 p.m., by toppling visiting Cupertino on Wednesday, 3-1. Manny Barrigan, Enrico Mills and Estevan Guererro provided the scoring for the Vikings.
The Menlo boys (2-1, 6-1-2) continued to roll in the PAL Bay Division with a 1-0 win at previously unbeaten Carlmont on Wednesday. Gabe Huey scored off an assist from Kevin Brege.
The Menlo-Atherton boys (0-2-1, 1-4-3) held a 3-1 lead over host El Camino before letting it slip away and settling for a 3-3 deadlock in Bay Division play. Charlie Beavis scored twice to pace the Bears.
Girls basketball
Palo Alto (6-2) advanced to tonight's semifinals of the Oak Grove Tournament following a 48-37 win over Fremont and a 70-22 thumping of Alvarez in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Bre Clay led the Vikings against Alvarez with 16 points with Ranecia Fields scoring 23 points in the two wins.
Castilleja senior Nikki Perlman scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her 22nd -second career double-double to pace the Gators (3-2) to a 52-46 nonleague win over Crystal Springs.
E-mail a friend a link to this story. | 
