Sports GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
PREP ROUNDUP
Rivalry is just starting
Palo Alto, SHP boys are close to clinching First-place hoop teams can clear big obstacles on Friday; Sacred Heart Prep boys’ soccer remains unbeaten, atop WBAL by Keith Peters
Eastside Prep’s win over Pinewood just sets up bigger showdowns ahead by Keith Peters t’s two down and perhaps three to go for the Eastside Prep and Pinewood girls’ basketball teams in their season-long head-to-head battles that often lead to one of the squads reaching the state finals. The teams are done with their regular-season showdowns in the West Bay Athletic League (Foothill Division) and, to no one’s surprise, the Panthers have appropriately split their two games with each other. Three more games remain on their league schedule, mere formalities based on this season’s results, so Eastside and Pinewood can begin looking forward to the WBAL playoffs and their expected meeting in the finals on Feb. 19 at Menlo School. Due to a change in the WBAL bylaws, the winner of that game will get the league’s No. 1 seed for the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs. In all likelihood, that doesn’t mean that much to either Eastside Prep or Pinewood. Each team has much bigger things in mind. “They (Pinewood) are the state champs and that’s what I tell my kids every day we come here; we’re trying to take our program where they are,” Eastside Prep coach Donovan Blythe said after his team’s 44-40 overtime win over visiting Pinewood on Tuesday that left the teams tied for first place with 6-1 records. Said Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler: “We still can win the state; we still can get it done.” Should either team attain their goal, it most likely will be done without a key starter. Eastside Prep lost four-year starting guard Leanne Martin to a firstquarter knee injury that was reported as an MCL tear. An MRI could reveal worse and Martin could be sidelined the remainder of the year instead of just 2-3 weeks. For Pinewood, senior Jenna McLoughlin is done for the season after re-injuring her ACL on Dec. 11, the same injury that forced her to miss 16 games last season. “She had a relapse,” Scheppler said of McLoughlin, his team’s tallest player at 5-foot-10. “This (Eastside Prep) game was going to be her comeback. She’s having surgery (on Friday). So, this is who we are.” Both teams will have to make some adjustments after this week’s personnel losses and game. Eastside Prep will have to find a way to prevent Pinewood senior Hailie Eackles from scoring 27 points again, and Pinewood will have to do a better job with its perimeter shooting and knowing who
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Eastside Prep sophomore Hashima Carothers (44) came up with 13 points and 15 rebounds in a 44-40 overtime win over Pinewood. to foul and when. Pinewood held a 38-35 lead on Tuesday with just 8.5 seconds to play. The Panthers were instructed by Scheppler to make sure Eastside’s Ahjalee Harvey did not get off a three-point shot. Pinewood had three fouls to take and could have run out the clock while fouling. When the ball was inbounded to Harvey, however, Pinewood didn’t foul. Despite being trapped in the corner by two players, Harvey fired up a 3-pointer that swished just before time expired — sending the game to overtime. Baskets by seniors Ausjerae Holland and Takara Burse plus two free throws from Harvey in overtime handed Pinewood its first WBAL loss in 15 games dating to last season. Pinewood is now 164-2 in league games since 1995, with both losses to Eastside Prep. “All things happen for a reason, and this was our time,” Harvey said. The victory moved Eastside (6-1, 15-6) into a tie for first place with Pinewood (6-1, 15-5) and avenged Eastside’s loss to Pinewood in the opening round of league play this season. “This was a statement game,” Harvey said. “We had to come out strong after losing to them this season. Every time they beat us, they
gain confidence and momentum.” Perhaps Eastside Prep now has that momentum, thanks to Harvey’s remarkable game-saving shot. Harvey finished with 15 points while sophomore Hashima Carothers added 13 and proved crucial on the boards with 15 rebounds. Burse added 10 points and 10 rebounds. In the SCVAL De Anza Division, Palo Alto took care of business and opened a two-game lead with a 5035 drubbing of host Monta Vista on Wednesday night in Cupertino. The Vikings improved to 8-0 in league (15-4 overall) and moved two games ahead of second-place Gunn, which was upset by previously winless Mountain View. Palo Alto wrapped things up in the first half by jumping to a 16-5 first-quarter lead and extending its advantage to 28-11 by halftime. The Matadors (1-7) scored the first six points of the third quarter, but never could get their deficit to single digits. Paly was led by Sydney Davis, Shamelia Clay and Lindsay Black — all with 10 points. Gunn, meanwhile, likely took itself out of the championship picture in the division following a 49-42 upset loss to last-place Mountain View in the Titans’ gym. Gunn (6-2, 14-4) was held scoreless in the second quarter and was held to a seasonlow six halftime points. N
he goals will be similar and the potential results identical when the Palo Alto High and Sacred Heart Prep boys’ basketball teams take the floor on Friday night in showdowns that will go a long way in determining their respective league titles. Both teams need victories. Should they achieve them, the Vikings and Gators all but mathematically wrap up regular-season championships. Palo Alto (7-1, 14-6) will put first place in the SCVAL De Anza Division on the line when it plays host to second-place Cupertino (5-2, 13-6) at 7:45 p.m. The Pioneers are the only team to beat the Vikings in league play this season, 45-40, on Jan. 14. First-year Paly coach Adam Sax would like nothing better than to prove that loss was a fluke, especially in a game with so much at stake. A win by the Vikings will give them a two-game lead over Cupertino and Gunn with only three games to play. Gunn (5-3, 13-7) was upended by host Homestead, 55-43, on Tuesday night, opening the door wider for a possible Paly title. Jack Hannan scored 16 points for Gunn. “Friday’s the big one,” Sax said. “We have to win that one, otherwise we’re tied.” The Vikings took care of business Tuesday night with a 60-38 win over host Los Altos. Paly senior Davante Adams tallied 17 points and grabbed six rebounds with five assists to lead the way. He made some nice passes to sophomore post E.J. Floreal, who finished with 13 points as did Max Schmarzo. Alec Wong missed the second half due to illness. Before Paly takes on Cupertino in the final game of a quad, Sacred Heart Prep will visit second-place Pinewood at 6 p.m. The first-place Gators are 9-0 in the West Bay Athletic League and 17-2 overall while the second-place Panthers are 8-1 (16-3). A victory will give SHP a twogame with games against four teams the Gators already have beaten quite easily. While Friday will be too early to be celebrating, a victory will provide quite a cushion for SHP, which routed Pinewood in its first meeting, 87-71. The Gators tuned up for Pinewood as senior Will McConnell poured in a season-high 26 points and his twin, Reed, returned to the lineup following a sprained ankle in a 73-54 romp over host King’s Academy. Tomas O’Donnell added 10 points and Pat McNamara contributed eight. Reed McConnell scored five in his first game back as he prepared for the Pinewood game. The Panthers, meanwhile, got 19 points and eight rebounds plus four steals from senior Kyle Riches in an 81-56 victory over host Crystal Springs on Tuesday night. Junior
Solomone Wolfgramm added 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists while junior Cameron Helvey contributed 18 points and seven boards. In San Jose, Menlo School came up with one of its best defensive efforts of the season in holding off host Harker, 36-27, to move into sole possession of third place in the WBAL. The Knights (5-4, 9-10) scored just four points in the first quarter and trailed by 15-9 at the half after holding Harker to just two points in the second period. In East Palo Alto, host Eastside Prep got its long-awaited first victory in WBAL action with a 51-37 drubbing of Priory. The host Panthers (1-8, 6-13), who last won on Dec. 17 and had lost 11 straight, ended that streak of futility by jumping out to a 17-8 first-quarter lead and maintaining it throughout. Senior Leslie Gray led Prep with 21 points and seven rebounds while junior Bryan Walker added nine points, seven rebounds and six steals. Also in East Palo Alto, Mid-Peninsula moved closer to the Private Schools Athletic League title with an 86-62 thumping of host East Palo Alto Academy. The Dragons (8-0, 14-2) were led by Lydell Cardwell’s 26 points and 20 from Reggie Williams. In the PAL Bay Division, Menlo-Atherton continued to win the close ones, going into overtime on Wednesday before holding off visiting South San Francisco, 47-43. The second-place Bears (5-2, 12-9), who won two games last week by a combined three points, got 14 points from Ian Proulx and 13 from Myles Brewer while Michael Culhane pulled down 15 rebounds. M-A remains two games behind first-place Burlingame (7-0). The Bears will host the Panthers on Friday (7:45 p.m.) in a must-win game for M-A. Boys soccer Sacred Heart Prep maintained a solid four-point lead over secondplace Priory in the West Bay Athletic League race with a 2-0 victory over host Harker on Wednesday. Christian Thaure and Joseph Bolous provided the goals for the Gators (8-0-1, 13-0-1) while Alec Mishra and Brendan Spillane contributed the assists. Sacred Heart, which has outscored its opposition by 65-7 this season, will host Priory on Friday at 3 p.m., and can take a commanding lead with a triumph. In Portola Valley, host Priory tuned up for a big showdown with Sacred Heart Prep routing visiting Pinewood, 10-0, on Wednesday. The victory moved Priory to 7-1 in league (8-4-1 overall). Priory senior captain John Jernick scored three goals while senior captain Evan Filipczyk added two goals and two assists to lead the way. N
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