by Dean Kahl
With most local high school soccer teams having just three or four regular-season matches left, this is it--the definitive stretch run.
In the case of both the boys and girls teams at Menlo-Atherton and Palo Alto, plenty is at stake during the next week-plus as they make their final push for Central Coast Section playoff berths.
Meanwhile, Sacred Heart Prep's girls basketball team is in the midst of one of the most important weeks in school history. In fact, the Gators will tinker with history, getting revved up for the so-called game of the year/decade/century (at Monta Vista on Saturday) as they shoot for the longest win streak in the history of Northern California prep girls basketball.
More on that later. The boys soccer teams at M-A and Paly continue to play as among the best in the CCS. M-A has a 7-0-1 record in the Peninsula Athletic League (11-2-1 record overall) following a 4-0 victory at Menlo School last Friday.
Goals were scored by Tai Kim, Jakub Leslie, John Michael Brock and Jonathan Stewart for the Bears. And, just in case anyone forgot--keeper Jerry Dobbs notched another shutout.
Basically, if M-A can avoid two shocking upset losses in home matches today (against Capuchino) and Friday (against Woodside), the Bears will lock up the PAL title and earn some leisure time until the CCS playoffs begin on Feb. 14.
The situation is a little different for Paly's boys team, even after a high-scoring week which was capped with a 6-1 victory against Lynbrook in the SCVAL's De Anza Division.
Speedy senior Derrick Harris had two goals and an assist and Steve Herasimchuk had four assists for the Vikings (6-1-2, 15-3-3).
Mike Tadlock, who had two goals and two assists against Santa Clara earlier in the week, had a goal and an assist against Lynbrook.
Paly is in second place in the De Anza Division behind Monta Vista (5-0-3). Monta Vista was stung slightly last Friday as Gunn (0-4-5) continued its very scrappy style in a 1-1 tie.
Gunn rallied for the tie with an unassisted goal by Rony Garcia in the second half.
The postseason implications are slightly more complicated for the girls teams at M-A and Paly.
For M-A, Heather Leonard had two goals and an assist in leading the Bears (4-0-3) to a 4-2 victory over Half Moon Bay. Based on two points for a win and one for a tie, M-A (11 points) began the week in the middle of a standings logjam with Aragon (12), Hillsdale (12) and Woodside (11).
Much of that will be sorted out Thursday when M-A hosts Woodside.
Paly (6-6-1) had a battle with Woodside last Friday and two goals by Jessie Parker provided a 2-0 halftime lead for the Vikings. However, Woodside scored three times in the second half for a 3-2 victory.
This is a pivotal week for Paly--hosting St. Francis today and playing at Los Altos on Friday. Paly is the only team to beat Los Altos (12-1-3) this season.
Girls basketball
Thus begins a monumental week for Sacred Heart (24-0), which stretched its win streak to 61 with an 83-27 win over Immaculate Conception Academy last Thursday and then an 87-50 victory over Sacred Heart Cathedral on Saturday.
An expected win over Notre Dame-Belmont last night meant that the Gators tied the Northern California record for consecutive wins (62) held by Mendocino High. SHP will get a chance to break the record at home Thursday when it meets Mercy of Burlingame at 6 p.m.
The latest victims last week saw five Gators reach double figures in the win over ICA. Junior center Jenny Circle led the way with 18 points while junior forward Kobie Kennon had 14, senior forward Shawna Franceschini scored 13 and senior guard Alexis Felts had 12.
Sophomore point guard Renee Robinson continued to provide assertive, unselfish play in both wins. Robinson had only two points against each team, but against SHC she drove the lane repeatedly and dished off for easy baskets.
Robinson had 11 assists and four steals against SHC while Circle scored 22 of her 26 points in the first half and finished with 12 rebounds. Franceschini scored 17 and Felts had 16.
Menlo School (5-2, 17-3) recovered from its 46-point loss to Sacred Heart with a 76-37 victory over Notre Dame-Belmont in a Girls Private School League game.
Senior guard Cheryl Malcolm bounced back from a scoreless effort against SHP with 19 points while junior center Heather Crary led all scorers with 20 points.
In the SCVAL's El Camino Division, Paly (4-4, 9-10) could not avoid another heartbreaker. This time, Fremont eked out a 35-32 victory in overtime--the fourth time that Paly has lost in division play by three points or less.
Sarah Whitney had 10 points and Rachel Ching scored nine for the Vikings, who missed the front end of two one-and-one situations in the final 30 seconds of regulation--the last time with:04 left on the clock and the score tied.
Gunn (2-5, 7-10) had a chance to make some noise in the SCVAL's De Anza Division, but a 54-47 loss to Milpitas (6-1, 14-7) foiled that. Gunn junior forward Marie Mitchell scored a career-high 21 points and senior guard Amy Lu had 10.
Boys basketball
Paly tuned up for an important SCVAL De Anza Division rematch tonight by scratching out a 54-49 victory at Homestead last Friday.
Paly (5-2, 15-6) hosts Monta Vista (4-2, 15-3) tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Three weeks ago, Paly blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 51-45 loss to the Matadors.
Against Homestead (1-6, 5-14), Paly again had trouble stopping Ryan Rutherford (27 points), but thanks to 13 points by senior forward David Bennion and 12 from sophomore guard Scooter Johnson, matters worked out well.
On the other hand, Gunn (0-7, 5-14) remained winless in 1994 with a 51-40 loss to Milpitas (6-1, 14-5). Senior guard Dave Smith had 12 points and junior Kyle Ryan scored 10.
In the PAL, Menlo-Atherton (8-3, 11-7) remained tied for second place with an 84-74 victory over Carlmont. Sophomore point guard Curtis Haggins had a career-high 34 points, including 14-of-16 shooting from the free throw line.
Senior forward Sam Batchelder added 18 for M-A, which hosts Aragon (11-0 in the PAL when the week began) on Thursday at 3:15 p.m.
In the Private Schools Athletic League, rivals Sacred Heart (2-2, 10-10) and Menlo School (2-2, 4-9) played a wild/sloppy/entertaining game last Friday at Menlo School. Sacred Heart nearly blew all of a 16-point lead, but held on for a 45-40 victory.
John Blanchard had 21 points for SHP, which led 41-25 entering the final quarter, then, went scoreless until:06 remained in the game.
Menlo cut it to 41-40, but an off-balance layup attempt which could have provided the lead was no good. Jon Ciardella then sank two of four free throws and Blanchard sank a shot at the buzzer for the game's final points.
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