Sports Shorts
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Ogwumike makes a difference
STAYING AND GOING . . . Stanford evidently won’t be losing as many players early to the NFL as previously thought. Linebackers Trent Murphy and Shayne Skov plus defensive end Ben Gardner all announced last weekend via Twitter that they will be returning to Stanford for another year. That trimmed the possible exodus in half because junior tight ends Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo plus redshirt junior cornerback Terrence Brown have announced their intentions to forego their final year at Stanford to make themselves available to the NFL draft. Brown, fifth on the team with 65 tackles, including three for a loss, announced his decision Tuesday with a statement through the Sports Information Department. Ertz, an AllAmerican, led the Cardinal in receiving this season with 69 receptions for 898 yards and six touchdowns. Toilolo caught 24 passes for 393 yards and four touchdowns.
She rallies Stanford past Cal in showdown of Top 10 teams by Rick Eymer
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ON THE AIR Saturday Men’s basketball: Washington at Stanford, 8 p.m.; Pac-12 Networks; KNBR (1050 AM)
Sunday Women’s basketball: Cal at Stanford, 1 p.m.; ESPN2; KZSU (90.1 FM)
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Palo Alto has been taking down opponents with regularity this season, both figuratively and physically — like Paly senior Chris Meredith (dark uniform) did earlier this week during the Vikings 3-1 win over Monta Vista.
PREP SOCCER
Palo Alto boys having fun again after worst year by Keith Peters
T
he fun has returned to the Palo Alto boys’ soccer team. Goals can be enjoyed, victories can be celebrated and expectations can be achieved. There is talk of winning titles again, albeit in the lower SCVAL El Camino Division, and reaching the Central Coast Section playoffs is more reality than dream. Moreover, there is hope just one year after there was none. Last season was a train wreck of massive proportions for Palo Alto, which failed to win a match for the first time ever. And this, from a program that had been in existence for more than 40 years and won or shared four CCS titles during that time. The Vikings went 0-9-3 in the SCVAL De Anza Division and 0-15-5 overall, earning a demotion to the El Camino Division. There were few, if any, positives during the season. Only three years earlier, it couldn’t have been much better for the Vikings, who finished with a 21-1-3 record for the most victories in program history, allowed only one goal during the league season and wound up sharing the Central Coast Section Division I title with Bellarmine, while earning a No. 13 national ranking at one point. (continued on page 26)
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Keith Peters
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Keith Peters
NEW JOB . . . Menlo College is losing a women’s volleyball coach because the Stanford men’s volleyball team is gaining a full-time assistant. Daniel Rasay, who has been a volunteer assistant at Stanford and the women’s coach at Menlo the past three years, will assume new duties at Stanford effective immediately. Rasay departs Menlo after a remarkable 2012 season, in which the Oaks finished undefeated in Cal Pac Conference play and culminated in a trip to the NAIA National Championship. Rasay, a Hawaii grad, was named the Cal Pac Coach of the Year. SPECIAL HONOR . . . Menlo School senior Drew Edelman will be honored during the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Northern California induction ceremony on Jan. 27 in San Francisco. Edelman and four other student-athletes will receive an award during the induction ceremony, featuring basketball legend Rick Barry, NBA coach Herb Brown, San Francisco State football and basketball coach Vic Rowen, sports agent Matt Sosnick and sportswriter Art Spander. Edelman and her fellow award-winners will be honored in a ceremony at the Four Seasons in San Francisco at 5 p.m. Edelman is only the fourth recipient from the Peninsula. Previous athletes and sports figures inducted into the Hall of Fame include Harris Barton and Keena Turner of the San Francisco 49ers, former San Francisco Giants owner Bob Lurie, former Stanford athletes Sam Warburg (tennis) and Ben Wildman-Tobriner (swimming) and Stanford tennis benefactor Tad Taube.
hiney Ogwumike continues to do amazing things for the fifth-ranked Stanford women’s basketball team. Even setting aside her 26 points in the Cardinal 62-53 victory over host No. 7 California on Tuesday night, the junior made all the right plays down the stretch on defense and on the boards. California took a page out of Stanford’s game plan to dominate on the offensive boards, turning a poor shooting night into a productive offensive attack. The Golden Bears turned rebounding into a team concept and controlled the boards against Stanford (3-0 in the Pac-12, 14-1 overall) like no other team has been able to accomplish in a long time. Fortunately, there’s the Chiney factor. Each time Cal appeared ready to start pulling away, there was Ogwumike with a short jumper, a clutch rebound, a blocked shot or a steal. Will the Golden Bears be able to adjust when they travel to Stanford for a 1 p.m. matinee Sunday? They seemed to do everything they could to nullify Ogwumike’s presence and she still made it her own. “The way I look at it was this was just the first half because we play them again Sunday,� Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “Let’s see if we can knock down some 3’s and play better on Sunday. I think it probably will be a better game for both teams. We’ll be rested.� VanDerveer was concerned about Cal’s rebounding prowess way before the Golden Bears (2-1, 12-2) gave her a close-up look. “We’ve played teams who rebound well,� VanDerveer said before the game. “It’s something our team will be disciplined and do, though I can’t say that for a fact.� The Cardinal will be looking to improve upon for the rematch. “They have a very athletic team at every position and they are experienced,� VanDerveer said. “We have to limit their second shots and get to the free-throw line.� Sara James gave Stanford a boost off the bench with 18 points in a win over Utah, replacing an ill Toni Kokenis, but you have to go back to the Pacific game for bench contributions from multiple people. What has been missing from the Stanford arsenal is the reliable bench player. Taylor Greenfield, who scored 18 against Gonzaga earlier in the season, was 1-of-3 from the foul line against the Golden Bears. That was the only offensive production from the bench Tuesday night. Bonnie Samuelson has reached double figures too, netting 11 in the
A goal by Paly senior Paul Stefanski (13) earned a hug from freshman Dami Bolarinwa.
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