The Viking: Volume 6, Issue 2

December 2012 Volume 6 Issue 2

GREEN AND WHITE FOREVER

Celebrating the legacy of Paly sports and the people that helped build it P. 34

HANSEN: THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSTACHE

BY PIPPA RAFFEL P. 44

BY JAMES HARRISON AND COLIN PATTERSON

THE HOUSE THAT HARBAUGH BUILT

BY JONNY GLAZIER AND SAMMY SOLOMON P. 40

M INE L L RU

BI

E

E L L Y B

AN

B DE Y E DR P.26 U A

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Volume 6 Issue 2 December 2012 4

ZOOMS

12

KICKOFF From the editors First and 10 Diggin’ the sand 10 questions with Jacey Pederson

INTRODUCTION

15

Inside the mind of Matt Tolbert

By the numbers Hot or not News brief Pop culture grid

COLUMNS

17

Viking tries

BY SPENCER DRAZOVICH

The Wonderlic Test

BY MICHELLE FRIEDLANDER

Misfits v. comeback kids

BY CHRIS SMITH

Last word

Oppor2nities

BY JONNY GLAZIER

26

FEATURES

IN SYNC Elle Billman (‘15) is Paly’s resident elite-level synchronized swimmer, with an appetite for success and Olympic aspirations.

BY AUDREY DeBRUINE

EARNING THEIR STRIPES Referees: The forever underappreciated managers of the game.

BY AMI DREZ and JOSH STERN

photo by Grant Shorin

ELEVATED Josie Butler (‘13) takes a jump shot over Pinewood defender Leanna Bade (‘14). The Vikings lost the game 51-45.

GREEN AND WHITE FOREVER

A WALK THROUGH TIME

THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSTACHE

COMPETE, COMPETE, COMPETE

An overview of Palo Alto High School sports and the changes that have built the program to its prestigious status today.

Jim Harbaugh (‘82) reflects on his time at Paly and how it contributes to his success.

BY JAMES HARRISON and COLIN PATTERSON

BY JONNY GLAZIER and SAMMY SOLOMON

34

Earl Hansen; the math, the myth, the legend. The story behind our beloved athletic director and coach.

BY PIPPA RAFFEL

44

40

DECEMBER 2012

ZOOM SHE BE KILLIN’ IT

Anna Dukovic (‘15) spikes the ball over the net during the Vikings’ straight set victory over the Sequoia Ravens in the quarterfinals of CCS. Dukovic had three aces, nine digs and two kills in the victory. photo by Grant Shorin

ZOOM NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Christopher Meredith (‘13) pushes the ball downfield during a home game against Los Gatos on Dec. 3. The Vikings prevailed 3-2. photo by Scotty Bara

ZOOM PREPARE FOR IMPACT

Andrew Frick (‘14) runs with the ball during the Vikings’ 5235 loss to Serra in the first round of the CCS Open Division playoffs on Nov. 16. photo by Grant Shorin

Volume 6 Issue 2 December 2012

Managing Editors Charlotte Biffar Spencer Drazovich Austin Poore Sammy Solomon Design Editor Nina Kelty Photo Editors Scotty Bara Grant Shorin Columnist Jonny Glazier Video Editor Annie Susco Business Managers Hilda Huang Michael Strong Senior Staff Michelle Friedlander Colin Patterson Rohit Ramkumar Staff Paul Bienaimé Audrey DeBruine Ami Drez Jordan Gans James Harrison Niall Patrick Pippa Raffel Zach Rizk Julia Saul Chris Smith Josh Stern Contributions by Benjamin May William Yang Staff Adviser Ellen Austin, MJE

The Viking

Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Advertising and Sponsorship Contact: vikingads@gmail.com

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From the editors Dear Readers,

We hope you all have had a fantastic first semester of school and have enjoyed supporting all of our teams thus far.

In this issue of The Viking, we take an in depth look at athletes and coaches, including longtime football coach Earl Hansen and current San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh (‘82), who have both played an important role in shaping the legacy of Paly sports. We would also like to introduce you to other Paly athletes of the past century, some of whom have continued on to become Olympians, National Basketball Association (NBA) players and

even politicians.

Our second issue of the year also includes previews for each of the five winter sports, so make sure to check those out.

Furthermore, we have devoted numerous hours to updating and improving our online news platform, vikingsportsmag.com.

Our website includes sports news stories, video features and more.

Lastly, we would like to thank you for your continued readership. We wish you all a wonderful end of the semester, as well as an enjoyable winter break. See you next year!

Sincerely, Kevin, Alan and Nora

VIKING

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

Visit www.vikingsportsmag.com to read the rest of these stories

ATHLETE TECH

by Zach Rizk

F

ootball has changed from the ground up in the past few years, but not in the way that Stanford pioneered the “T” formation in 1940 or the spread/air raid offense is spreading like wildfire. No, I’m talking about the major role that technology is beginning to play in modern football. Yes, technology.

Technology and sports might seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, but when fused together to create “athlete tech,” players are rewarded with a sharper, more explosive game...

Read more online!

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

BOYS’ SOCCER GETS A TRIM

by Pippa Raffel

T

he boys’ varsity soccer team kicks off the season with silly haircuts. The team keeps the tradition going as each player receives his embarrassing buzz from the captains. Keep your eye out as the players will soon be getting rid of their fresh cuts.

Watch online!

photo by Scotty Bara

Editors-in-Chief Kevin Dukovic Alan Lamarque Nora Rosati

HAIR Niall Patrick (‘14) sports his new hairdo, which he received as part of the boys’ soccer initiation.

O

Giving back: A New Year’s resolution

n Nov. 2, just days after Hurricane Sandy swept across the Northeast, destroying countless homes and disrupting lives, a few basketball fans trickled into Madison Square Garden to cheer on the Knicks as they faced the Miami Heat in the first professional sporting event in New York City since the storm. Dwyane Wade, a shooting guard for the Miami Heat, was particularly struck by what he reported as an emotional game for the city, and pledged to donate his paycheck for the game, almost $210,000, to hurricane relief efforts.

In the midst of the holiday season, it is important to remember how Palo Alto High School students, and in particular athletes, can also take a lead in looking for ways to give back to our own community and beyond. Although league titles and star athletes have been the main focus of Paly’s sports history, as we look to the future legacy of athletics on campus, serving communities in need will have a more lasting, significant impact than a couple more plaques lining the wall of the gym.

Although the average Paly athlete is unable to donate thousands of dollars to worthwhile causes, teams can still use sports as a platform to reach out to those in need in more effective ways than sporting pink socks for breast cancer.

Athletes act as role models and leaders,

“

not only to their own teams, but also within our schools, communities and country as a whole. Therefore, it is especially vital for them to take a lead in encouraging and endorsing educational and life-changing campaigns, especially during the holidays.

The world of athletics thrives on competition, and at times it appears as if this competitive drive transforms into selfishness. Society tends to accept athletes, in both amateur and professional sports, who turn inward and

tracted passionate followers through the centuries and in communities across the globe due to the values of collaboration, sportsmanship and joy that athletes express while competing.

Most, whether on the sidelines or in the stands, have experienced the powerful, supportive bonds crafted within and around teams.

Our role, whether as devoted fand or athletes at any level, is to turn outward and look for ways to support our society, our “team.” This can start in our own community at Paly, with our own athletes and dedicated fans. The holidays provide an opportunity for teams to reflect on the overwhelming amount of need in our community, which could benefit from the spotlight that sports can shine on deserving causes. Players can not only . seek out ways to bring awareness to certain issues, but can also set an example by volunteering their time. For example, the athletic programs at Paly can take leadership in inspiring active involvement by volunteering at the Ecumenical Hunger Program in East Palo Alto, mentoring underprivileged students in sports and school, or supporting our returning troops in specific and meaningful ways. While some issues can be divisive or political, there are several causes that every member of Paly can embrace, similar to the way we support our own school teams.

Looking towards the New Year, while Wade’s generous gesture may seem out of reach for teams at the high school level, joint small ac-

Athletes act as role models and leaders, not only to their own teams, but also within our schools, communities and country seem to focus solely on how to improve themselves in order to be successful. Self-ambition tends to overshadow the importance of teamwork, and egocentric attitudes are commonly excused as being a part of an athlete’s swag.

With a rise in new forms of social media and sponsorships, a lot of attention is placed on following the lives of individual athletes.

Both fans and athletes need to remember the fact that it is the sense of camaraderie formed around a team, that draws so many people from all backgrounds and ages to sports, making them a memorable part of history. Most would agree that sports have thrived and at-

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

COLUMN: LOCKED OUT

by Jordan Gans

by Michelle Friedlander

The Palo Alto volleyball team defied all odds. Winning two state titles in a row is an extraordinary accomplishment, but the team’s exploits this season were arguably just as impressive.

According to outside hitter Becca Raffel (‘14), this year’s team, fueled by the Paly community’s skepticism regarding its potential for DIG Libero Keri Gee (‘14) digs the success this season, has used low ex- ball for the Lady Vikes. pectations as motivation to obtain its current record of 11-1-0 in league and 22-4-0 overall.

“I think that we surpassed a lot of expectations with how we have been playing,” Raffel said. “All together I think that we are a very solid team.”

photo by Grant Shorin

photo by Scotty Bara

m

STAFF VIEW

Read more online!

”

In April of 2011, female reporter Tara Sullivan of The Record, a daily newspaper based in New Jersey, was denied access to a locker room RIGHTS Though female reporters are supfor an interview after the Mas- posed to be granted equal access to locker rooms, they are often denied this right. ters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Several male reporters were granted access, but because Sullivan was a woman, she could not enter.

Though many female reporters are granted access to male locker rooms, women still struggle to get the same respect as male reporters. Female reporters are often harassed about entering male locker rooms, specifically regarding inappropriate commentary, which creates a hostile work environment for these women...

Read more online!

DECEMBER 2012

FIRST AND 10:

by AUSTIN POORE original artwork by William Yang

The NBA has instituted a fine system to penalize flopping in games this year. Is David Stern crazy? Or is he on the right track?

A

t the rate professional athletes are being fined these days, it’s a good thing they make a lot of money. Some of it is understandable; the NFL wants to protect players, for instance, and penalizes defenders for helmet-to-helmet hits. On the other end of the spectrum, however, are some truly bizarre fines, such as the MLB docking Giants’ closer Brian Wilson $1,000 dollars in 2010 for wearing cleats with too much orange on them.

The reason I bring this up is that the NBA instituted a new set of rules for the 2012-2013 season to discourage flopping, and I think it’s a great idea. Flopping, or diving, is now defined by the NBA as “any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player.”

Essentially, a flop occurs when a player falls (or flops) following minimal contact in an attempt to trick the referees. Players will be warned following their first offense, but each subsequent flop will carry with it a bill from commissioner David Stern’s office ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 and up, depending on the number of times the player has been caught before.

Of course, it is often impossible for referees on the floor to determine immediately whether a player flopped or was legitimately fouled.

Thus, the penalties will be assessed based on postgame video reviews. This approach seems best, because while many flops might go unnoticed in the heat of the moment, they become blatantly obvious on video, which should make players think twice before taking a dive.

The first fine was recently handed out to Reggie Evans of the Nets, who flopped against the Lakers on Nov. 20. The league acted swiftly, ruling within a day that Evans, who had already been warned, would be fined $5,000.

Some people have been quick to classify the rule on the Brian Wilson end of the spectrum of ridiculous fines, including the National Basketball Player’s Association, which is filing a grievance with the league and the U.S. National Labor Relations Board. The Player’s Association maintains that the NBA needs to consult the union before imposing new economic penalties on the players under the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement, while the NBA believes that its actions are well within its right.

CHARGED If last year’s playoffs are any indication, Boston’s Mickael Pietrus can expect to pay David Stern lots of money this season. Broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy took offense at Pietrus’s visible flop against the Miami Heat during the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.

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But that is beside the point.

I happen to disagree with the Player’s Association, and believe that the new anti-flopping rule is good for the NBA. The fines seem very reasonable to me as well. Flopping became quite visible last year, especially in the playoffs, much to the chagrin of ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy. During Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, for instance, Boston’s Mickael Pietrus took a dive with just under three minutes to play to draw a crucial technical foul and help his team ice the game.

Van Gundy, one of the commentators, remarked that Pietrus ought to be “fined $1 million tomorrow for it.” Naturally, Van Gundy was being sarcastic, but his sentiment rang true. Flops like Pietrus’s are no different than cheating, and have no place in any sport, let alone at the highest levels. As referees have proven time and time again, even professionals

are far from perfect, and vulnerable to being fooled and tricked.

The NBA does not currently have a serious flopping problem, but given a few more years, it could easily develop one. Unfortunately, the behavior is already visible to almost any casual observer who watches at least a handful of NBA games every year. For that reason, this seems like the perfect time for the league to embrace an anti-flopping rule and nip the troubling behavior in the bud.

While some people might argue that the practice is not common enough to merit this new system of fines, it seems prudent on the league’s part to try to deal with the problem before it becomes ingrained as part of the game.

The last thing the NBA should want is to turn into soccer, where untouched players can be seen diving to the turf and complaining to the referee constantly.

Diggin’

In addition, several NBA stars have spoken out in support of the new rules, including Kobe Bryant and James Harden, which may help it gain traction among the rest of the league. As a player, flopping would annoy me to no end if it worked to sway the referees, because it brings the sport down to the level of professional wrestling. As the NFL’s experiment with replacement referees this year revealed, fans and players need to have confidence that the referees can do their jobs, or things will get out of hand. Successful flops are the first step down that undesirable path.

In a perfect world, the rule will serve to discourage flopping from players and fines will rarely need to be assessed. This hope may be a bit idealistic on my part, but I sincerely hope the new rule works. After all, fans who want to watch acting can turn on a movie. Or a soccer game. <<<

the sand

Paly students are tearing up the courts as members of the beach volleyball club.

T

by Julia Saul hitter Becca Raffel (‘14) said. “Beach volleyball is different than indoor volleyball so it was pretty fun to play with people who only play beach volleyball and see what their style of play is. It’s actually pretty competitive. I watched a couple of games and they were pretty close and the people were really into it.”

Players enjoy not only the chance to socialize and have fun, but also the chance to get in a good work out.

“Overall I would just say that the main goal of the club is for us to have fun and have a new activity that we can do,” Ziegler said. “This goal was definitely accomplished.” <<<

DIVING Josh Totte (‘14) dives for a ball across the sand on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon.

photo by Scotty Bara

he beach volleyball courts on Stanford University’s campus give way to a whole different culture of Paly sports. There are crowds of people wearing bro tanks and hats, songs pumping in the background and on occasion burgers sizzling on a grill off to the side. Who are these people covered in sweat and sand? They are members of the Paly Beach Volleyball club, making good use of the sunny California weather to take a break from homework and have a good time.

Following the Olympic success of three time gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings this summer, the popularity surrounding the sport of beach volleyball has been renewed.

Paly has embraced this phenomenon with the creation of a club in which students of all ages can hit the sand to work out and have fun on the courts scattered around Stanford. Consisting of 17 girls and 37 boys, the club members participate in various matches and tournaments on weekends.

Club leaders Jonathan Ziegler (‘14) and Will Mendenhall (‘14) used to play every weekend with friends and loved playing so much they made it a club.

“Will came up with the idea,” Ziegler said. “I took it and said, ‘This is going to be great, I’m going to put it into action.’

“It turned out to just be really really fun and just a great club and I’m really happy Will and I started it.”

Unlike P.E. volleyball, where the ball seems to ricochet in every direction, the beach volleyball club players have great ball control and the games become very competitive and intense. Even players on the two-time State Championship volleyball team find the level of play to be high and the atmosphere aggressive.

“I was kind of surprised that people were actually pretty good,” outside

DECEMBER 2012

Q uestions 10 with

Jacey Pederson

as told to Annie Susco

The Viking asked varsity soccer player Jacey Pederson (‘16) 10 questions about herself. Viking then asked friend and teammate Sunny Lyu (‘14), assistant coach Eric Seedman and friend Courtney Lovely (‘16) the same 10 questions to see who knows Jacey best.

Questions

New running shoes

Favorite holiday present?

Soccer ball

Nike running shoes

Sports bra

Sushi

Favorite food?

McDonald’s

Fruit

Sushi

My brothers

Best friend?

Sunny Lyu

Courtney Lovely

Me

Block periods

What do you like most about Paly so far?

The kids

Me

Freedom

Talking too much

Listening to music and eating fruit

Nothing

Eating churros

Pregame ritual?

Eric Seedman

Sunny Lyu

Jacey Pederson

Freshman on varsity soccer

Assistant Coach

Teammate

Courtney Lovely Friend

Tripping backwards at national camp

Most embarrassing soccer moment?

Her voice is really shrill when she yells

Ms. Nangia

Favorite teacher?

Mr. Foug

Mr. Fung

Mrs. Bowers

On the field

Favorite place to be?

Soccer field

The field

Soccer field

UNC or UCLA

Dream college?

North Carolina

UNC

USC

Flash

Which superhero would you most like to be?

Wonderwoman

Superman

Batwoman

20%

30%

Images taken from

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Falling on her face

Kicking the ball and missing it completely

20%

Inside the mind of Matt Tolbert

The star senior running back reveals his deepest thoughts to The Viking

BY JOSH STERN

Pump-up songs

“It’s all about “Cabin Fever II” by Wiz Khalifa. Also, “Dedication IV,” you know whatever’s hot at the time. “Cabin Fever II” is a mix tape, but I’ll go for maybe even a little 2 Chainz.”

On the future

“I want to go to college, play football in college. I want to go back home in Michigan, so maybe Michigan or Michigan State or somewhere around there. I just have to send them a tape. I really just want to go back home somewhere. After college I want to work somewhere in law enforcement: Maybe a cop, maybe a lawyer. I’m good at arguing, so probably a lawyer. Maybe even a veterinarian because I like pets and stuff. But I have no idea what I’m going to be.”

Pregame routine

“I usually go home during seventh period. I take a nap, then I get Subway. Then I come and watch the JV game. I always get the Chopped Regular Chicken with Marinara sauce, with American cheese, toasted. I always get a Powerade, with some salt and vinegar chips, and take it to the game.”

Football v. track

“

Three words to describe yourself?

Athletic.

Observant.

Funny.

“I’d say it’s pretty stressful at some times but it has its benefits, like winning games, winning races. I don’t know, stuff like that. I like football more because I think I’m better at it and I think there is just more competition going on in football, so I like football more.” photo by Grant Shorin

ROCKETMAN LINSANITY TAKES FLIGHT IN

HOUSTON

D

New York Knicks

by Chris Smith

uring last year’s NBA season and even after, many expected that Linsanity would find a permanent home in New York. However, that was not the case as the Knicks shockingly decided not to resign the worldwide sensation Jeremy Lin (‘06). As a result, Lin signed a three-year deal with the Houston Rockets worth $25 million.

James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder also signed a long -term deal with the Rockets, which should ease Lin’s transition into the new offensive system. With young talent leading the way, the Rockets cannot be taken lightly anymore. And, with the way they are playing now, they could be in contention for their third title in franchise history.

Some people believed Linsanity was over after Lin underwent seasonending surgery last year, but others still have faith. Believer Becca Raffel (‘14) is optimistic about Lin’s future.

“I think he will be even more successful in Houston because now he has established himself as a viable point guard,” Raffel said.

The Rockets were just an average team last year, finishing two games above .500. Lin will provide more fan support in Houston and help get the Rockets back to being playoff contenders. The Rockets’ young, upand-coming talent should complement Lin’s style of play. One theory is that all-star Carmelo Anthony did not provide a good environment for Lin in New York because he consistently wanted the spotlight for himself.

“Lin fits in better with the offense in Houston because Carmelo won’t interfere with his game,” Edward Mei (‘14) said. “He has all the tools and support he needs in Houston to outplay his performance in New

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets photo illustration by Nina Kelty Images taken from

COAST TO COAST Jeremy Lin has bounced all around the country, but has finally found a stable home in Houston.

York City.”

William Yang (‘14), another Paly student, agrees that Houston has certain benefits.

“I think Houston is a much better environment than New York,” Yang said. “The fans are a lot more supportive and there is not as much pressure on him.”

Lin will now have to prove to Houston that last year was not a fluke and Linsanity is just getting started. The opportunity and financial security are there for Lin in Houston. Most Paly students, including Kyle Stewart (‘13), firmly believe Linsanity will continue to thrive.

“J. Lin is going to be nasty in Houston,” Stewart said. “He’s about to rocketeer the Rockets straight to the moon.” <<<

NHL lockout

The Pac-12 champion Stanford Cardinal will play in their third consecutive BCS bowl, but first Rose Bowl (to be played Jan. 1) since 1999.

The Paly boys’ soccer team won its first game of the season on Dec. 1 against Oak Grove. It was the first win since Feb. 23, 2010.

Northern Illinois and Louisville crashed the BCS party, leaving powerhouses Oklahoma, LSU and Texas A&M out of BCS bowls.

The NHL season has been delayed for months now without any sign of resolution.

A shortened season is still possible, but time is running out.

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Image taken from

BCS snubs

photo by Scotty Bara

Victory is ours!

photo by Zach Rizk

Smelling roses

Image taken from

HOT NOT

The W H AT D O P A LY AT H L E T E S S AY ?

Dream holiday present?

Umbrellas or raincoats?

Best winter activity?

Hot chocolate or apple cider?

Paly’s flooding is ______?

Pop Culture Grid

Courtney Lovely (‘16) Erik Anderson (‘13) Wrestling Basketball

Megan Tall (‘14) Soccer

Basketball

Soccer

Belgian waffle maker

Going to the World Cup

Macbook Pro

A goldfish

Umbrellas

Raincoats

Umbrellas

Mud football

Ice skating

Hot chocolate

Hot chocolate

Hot chocolate

Apple cider

Hot chocolate

A disaster

Entertaining

Comical

Wet (the bad kind)

Ridiculous and extreme

Bobsledding

Paly Pulse

Channing Tatum

Aldis Petriceks (‘13) Preston Kuppe (‘15)

Raincoats

Raincoats

Hibernation

Skiing

Images taken from

Which soccer player has the most bizarre haircut?

The signature look of the boys’ varsity soccer team before the holidays is the strange haircuts on its players, but who wears it best?

Paul Mewes

36.8%

Eli Friedlander

31.6%

Alex Chin

21.1%

Percentages based on votes from the boys’ varsity soccer team.

photo by Julia Saul

Image taken from

DECEMBER 2012

Viking staffers test their figure skating skills with avid ice skater Angela Pomeroy at the local Winter Lodge.

S

text and photography by SPENCER DRAZOVICH

ome would call figure skating one of the most majestic sports in existence. Beautiful jumps, graceful glides and amazing pirouettes would all go a long ways to back up this claim. For this edition of Viking Tries, the team set out to learn the finer points of one of the most beautiful sports out there. Little did we know that ice could sting someone’s rear end.

Viking members Zach Rizk (‘14) and Paul Bienaimé (‘14) took up the reins to save veterans Austin Poore (‘13) and Spencer Drazovich (‘13) the embarrassment and pain. With a personal instructor, Angela Pomeroy (‘14), the pair hit up the Winter Lodge in Palo Alto to make their lifelong dreams come true.

Angela has been skating since she was four and was the perfect candidate to teach The Viking how to figure skate. She is on two competitive teams, Icettes and Advanced Jazz. In ad-

dition to skating for these teams twice a week, she skates solo at the Winter Lodge.

For a nice leisurely warm-up, the boys started by skating in circles around the rink. While at first this was a menial task, it was made increasingly more difficult as a plethora of four to six year olds began to invade the ring. With three birthday parties worth of elementary schoolers on the rink, the boys encountered their first challenge: Dodging toddlers.

The problem with toddlers isn’t their slow speed or their lack of control, but the fact that they can fall over and become human speed bumps at any instant. As Paul bobbed and weaved like a champ, dodging running noses and light-up shoes, Zach was not as graceful.

Zach had yet to master the “steering” aspect of skating. After a couple near misses, Zach left the ice to gather his thoughts in a steaming cup of hot cocoa.

Once the two contenders were done warm-

SLIPPERY AND WET Rizk and Bienaimé sit on the ice and lose hope after attempting numerous tricks. The two gave it their best effort to represent The Viking as a skilled staff, but failed.

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photo by Paul Bienaimé

TRIES FIGURE SKATING ing up and Angela was done laughing at them they moved on to some more advanced tricks.

As Angela glided across the ice, she demonstrated how to skate backward, and how to do a jump and a pirouette. Looking on, Zach and Paul glazed over, dumbfounded at what they were witnessing.

Both Paul and Zach finally mustered up the strength to attempt one of the moves that Angela had demonstrated. Paul skated onto the ice and as he initiated his turn to skate backward he caught his skate on the ground and spilled immediately. Figuring he could not do any worse, Zach then tried to imitate Angela’s pirouette. Zach’s spin looked promising until his arms unwound, he lost his balance and he spilled on the ice.

No one is quite sure which was bruised more, their bottoms or their egos, but it is safe to say this was the last time the two young men will attempt figure skating in public. <<<

FALLING DOWN Rizk gets tired after a few rounds around the rink and takes a fall on the ice.

ASB adds mascot to Paly tradition

I

by NIALL PATRICK

t’s fourth and long for the Vikings, who are down 24-12 against Milpitas. Keller Chryst (‘14) drops back and finds De’Antay Williams (‘13) 15 yards downfield. Williams secures the catch and takes off, breaking several tackles and finishing the play with a touchdown. The Paly mascot and cheerleaders get the crowd on its feet as cheers fill Hod Ray Field.

When the Palo Alto football season reached its climax, the Viking spirit was nothing short of remarkable. Large turnouts and loud chants, including the “Viking color shout,” pumped up players and fans.

One of the highlights of the season has been Paly’s new mascot. The mascot, Andre Kouchekey (‘13), suits up in a fully outfitted Viking costume and volunteered at every home game and some away games, enriching Paly spirit everywhere he went. The mascot added much excitement to the Palo Alto community.

The decision to introduce a mascot came down to Associated Student Body (ASB) leadership. Some problems in the past

included disagreements over design and how people were going to react.

But, there were clearly more benefits now, including the surplus of ASB money. “[The mascot] adds another layer of tradition and enthusiasm out there,” principal Phil Winston said. “I think it’s fantastic. I’ve been asking for [the mascot] for three years.”

The mascot leads cheers and keeps fans on their feet. The introduction of the mascot has excited staff members like Winston. As Winston hoped, the mascot has been a great success and fans love coming to the games and seeing a “real life” Viking cheering on the players.

“I’ve talked to cheer, PTSA parents groups, students,” ASB advisor Matt Hall said. “I’ve talked to Andre, who is our mascot for the football season, and so far all I hear [are] good things.”

Kouchekey, the man behind the Viking for the football season, enjoys the experience and says he’s been receiving positive feedback thus far.

“I feel like I’m starting to open up more,” Kouchekey said of his experiences through the first few games. “It can get pretty fun whenever we score a touchdown.”

With the football season coming to a conclusion, fans of the Palo Alto High School basketball team are looking forward to Gloria Guzman (‘13), who will take over the mascot duty in the gym. <<<

photo by Scotty Bara

Watch Zach and Paul try figure skating online at:vikingsportsmag.com

LEIF ME ALONE Kouchekey, dressed as the Viking, gears up to cheer on the Vikes.

DECEMBER 2012

The Wonderlic Test

by MICHELLE FRIEDLANDER

The NFL uses the Wonderlic Test as an intelligence test to screen every player. See how you stack up against the pros.

Developed by Eldon F. Wonderlic in 1936, the Wonderlic Test consists of 50 multiple choice questions to be answered in 12 minutes. According to Wonderlic, Inc. a score of 20 indicates average intelligence and a score of below 10 suggests illiteracy.

The highest score recorded lies with retired Cincinnati Bengals punter and wide receiver Pat McInally, who scored a perfect 50. The lowest score

recorded belongs to Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne, who scored a four. However, Claiborne suffers from a reading disability.

To see where you fall in comparison to these athletes, take the sample test below. Set a timer to two minutes and answer these questions.

Once finished, multiply the number correct by 6.25 in order to get a scaled score out of 50.

Sample questions provided to The Viking by Wonderlic, Inc. For more information, please visit http://www.wonderlic.com

1. Three

individuals from a partnership agree to divide the profits equally. X invests $9,000, Y invests $7,000, and Z invests $4,000. If the profits are $4,800, how much less does X receive than if the profits were divided in proportion to the amount invested?

2.

Assume the first two statements are true The boy plays baseball. All baseball players wear hats. The boy wears a hat.

Is the final one: a) true

3.

b) false

5.

A train travels 20 feet in 1/5 second. At this same speed, how many feet will it travel in three seconds?

6.

When rope is selling at $.10 a foot, how many feet can you buy for sixty cents?

7.

The ninth month of the year is: a) October b) January c) June d) September e) May

c) not certain

Paper sells for 21 cents per pad. What will four pads cost?

8.

4.

PRESERVE RESERVE - Do these words a) have similar meanings b) have contradictory meanings c) mean neither the same nor opposite

Which number in the following group of numbers represents the smallest amount? a) 7 b) .8 c) 31 d) .33 e) 2

Answers: 1. $560 2. true 3. 84 cents 4. have similar meanings 5. 300 feet 6. 6 feet 7. September 8. .33

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BY THE (BCS)

The Viking’s

Bowl

NUMBERS

Projections

Spencer and Zach lay out their picks for this year’s BCS bowls, plus the Hawaii Bowl, which features star wideout and Paly alum Davante Adams (‘11).

by SPENCER DRAZOVICH and ZACH RIZK

photo provided by Davante Adams

0

Number of times Fresno State lost when Davante Adams (‘11) had 100-plus yards receiving.

6

Number of tackles redshirt freshman Kevin Anderson (‘11), of Stanford University, has recorded as a member of the Cardinal defense.

of touchdowns 13 Number Adams has snagged, tied for fourth in the nation .

of 1168 Number receiving yards

redshirt freshman Paly grad Adams has this season for Fresno State, good for 14th in the nation.

BCS Title Game

Rose Bowl

Alabama (2) v. Notre Dame (1) Are you serious? This is a mismatch from the start. Nick Saban will have a month to prepare for an average Notre Dame offense. Bama’s beefy defense will get after freshman QB Everett Golson and soon enough he’ll start turning the ball over. Credit to Notre Dame, which sports a solid defense, but the Crimson Tide’s offense simply has too many weapons for the Fighting Irish to handle. Notre Dame’s perfect season is put to an end in Miami.

Alabama 36, Notre Dame 10

Stanford (8) v. Wisconsin This game is a clash of two very physical, pro-style teams. Wisconsin gets it going on the ground with running back Montee Ball plowing his way into the end zone, but at the same time Kevin Hogan and Stepfan Taylor of the Stanford offense are busy scoring against a struggling Wisconsin defense. In the end, Stanford’s defense is too physical for the Wisconsin offense to last four quarters and the Cardinal pull away in the fourth.

Stanford 35, Wisconsin 23

Fiesta Bowl

Hawaii Bowl

Orange Bowl

Sugar Bowl

Kansas State (7) v. Oregon (5) The Ducks will bring their high-octane offense to Glendale when they square off against the Wildcats. It won’t be as easy to put up the astronomical numbers they have been praised for all season in this Big-12 - Pac-12 matchup though. Kansas State and Collin Klein will keep the Ducks in check for three quarters but won’t be able to hold on going into the fourth. The “Quack Attack” breaks loose to win the Fiesta.

Oregon 51, Kansas State 35

Florida State (12) v. Northern Illinois (15) The Orange Bowl features a very talented Florida State team v. a mediocre Northern Illinois team. But how motivated will the Seminoles be to play in a BCS game with a team coming from the MAC? Jordan Lynch of the Huskies will have his team fired up knowing they’re coming in as huge underdogs. We’ve seen FSU flop in a similar situation earlier this season to an unranked North Carolina State.

You heard it here first.

Northern Illinois 28, FSU 24

Fresno State v. Southern Methodist University (SMU) Paly grad Davante Adams (‘11) and the rest of the Bulldog roster are poised for an early Christmas present with a victory in the Hawaii Bowl. The 9-3 Bulldogs averaged 40 points a game this year. Fresno State will light up the scoreboard against a struggeling 6-6 SMU team. Adams torches the Mustang secondary for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Fresno State 42, SMU 15

Florida (4) v. Louisville (22) This game is simply a joke. The matchup features a Gators team that has played the hardest schedule in the nation, emerging with only two losses. Not to mention their defense, which is the epitome of SEC football.

Louisville is barely a ranked team coming out of the Big East. Do the math. This Gators defense will get after Teddy Bridgewater, ending any thought of Louisville bringing home a BCS win.

Florida 42, Louisville 9

DECEMBER 2012

PANDAMONIUM The Giants have won two world titles in the last three years, establishing the start of a dynasty. by design and photos by Scotty Bara

CELEBRATION Pablo “Pan-

da” Sandoval celebrates during the Giants’ parade on Halloween on Market Street.

Sandoval was named Most Valuable Player in the 2012 World Series.

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ALL SMILES Marco Scutaro smiles at a fan during the parade.

Scutaro recently signed a threeyear, $20 million contract to play for the Giants.

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hen the San Francisco Giants lost their first two home games of the 2012 MLB playoffs to the Cincinnati Reds, I thought their remarkable season was over in a heartbeat. Shortly after these devastating losses, I hopped on the crosstown rival Oakland Athletics’ bandwagon, as they looked to be in good position to advance to the next round of the playoffs. As the next few weeks passed, I realized I had made a foolish mistake.

The 2012 Giants had chemistry unlike any other team I have ever witnessed. After fans like me counted them out in the National League Division Series (NLDS) after going down 2-0, the Giants rallied back to pull off a three-game sweep of the Reds in Cincinnati.

This marked the first time it had been done in the MLB. They advanced to the NLCS only to face the defending World Champion St. Louis

Cardinals, who were coming off a huge upset victory over the Washington Nationals.

Once again, the Giants quickly found their backs against the wall after falling down 3-1 to St. Louis. The Giants again overcame adversity and won three straight games to take San Francisco back to the World Series for the second time in the last three years, shocking the entire baseball world.

The 2010 and 2012 San Francisco Giants were two completely distinct baseball clubs who won in different ways. The two teams had a few things in common, including proving the sports critics wrong and confirming that pitching and good defense still win championships.

The torture of 2010 did not stop as the Giants continued to bring torture to the fans day in and day out in 2012.

The Giants completely rebuilt the club this year, replacing the aging players of 2010 with young talent. Names like Andres Torres, Freddy Sanchez, Juan Uribe, Cody Ross and 2010

MVP National League Most Valuable Player Buster Posey sits with his wife at the Giants‘ parade.

World Series MVP Edgar Renteria were all gone and forgotten. The Giants only returned one true starter (Buster Posey) for the 2012 season which was unusual coming off a World Championship. After the Giants struggled in 2011 and came up short in the final days to miss the playoffs, fans began to question the moves from Brian Sabean, the Giants’ general manager, and the rest of the front office.

Throughout the entire 2012 season, the Giants faced adversity like no other team in the MLB. The Giants’ ace Tim “The Freak” Lincecum had a pathetic start to the season and seemed to never get back on track. Lincecum had the worst year of his career, finishing the regular season with 5.18 ERA and a disappointing 10-15 record.

As The Freak continued to struggle, fan favorite pitcher Brian Wilson went down with an elbow injury requiring the dreaded “Tommy John” surgery, which ended his season. With an empty spot at the closer position, things

TRICK OR TREAT? A young Giants fan catches the magic in his hat along Market Street during the Giants’ parade.

More than one million fans lined the streets of San Francisco to cheer on the World Series champions on Halloween.

DECEMBER 2012

photo by Chris Smith

photo by Ellen Austin

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2012 WORLD SERIES TROPHY out. The pitching was outstanding, as The Freak was on top of his game and Wilson was always there to close out the games if needed.

Even though the 2010 championship marked the first World Series title in 56 years for the Giants’ franchise, the 2010 championship was just a warmup for the miracle in 2012. It is unheard of to come back to win three straight on the road to stay alive and do essentially the same thing against the defending World Champions.

The whole sports world was talking about how the Tigers’ triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera and reigning Cy Young and MVP winner Justin Verlander were going to be too much for the Giants to handle but all the sports analyst were proven wrong as they were in 2010. The Giants’ determination and chemistry were too much for the Tigers, as the Giants took their second World Series Championship in the last three years. Both championships were special in the hearts of Giants fans, but 2012 was just that much sweeter. <<<

photo by Chris Smith

photo by Chris Smith

left field, while the closer spot was given to Wilson’s heavily-bearded buddy Sergio Romo.

As the heavy underdogs to win the World Series in 2012, the Giants had to rely on solid pitching from Barry Zito, Ryan Vogelsong and Sergio Romo and offense from mid-season pickups like Gregor Blanco, Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence to lead the squad to another World Series title.

The 2012 Giants rose above every obstacle in front of them and gave their fans a break from the torture by sweeping the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. The Giants faced six elimination games in the postseason and fought back to win them all, conversely to the zero elimination games they faced in 2010.

In their last two trips to the World Series, the Giants are virtually untouchable with a record of 8-1.

The 2010 Giants championship run was a different story. The Giants still came in as a heavy underdogs and proved the critics wrong. The old veterans of the Giants led the way, coming up with key hits day in and day

photo by Scotty Bara

AT&T PARK IN SAN FRANSISCO John” surgery, which ended his season. With an empty spot at the closer position, things only got worse as All-Star Game MVP Melky Cabrera, who seem to be the only offense for the Giants at the time, was caught for doping by the MLB. This resulted in a season ending suspension. Fans became anxious about the 2012 season.

After the 2006 season, the Giants signed Barry Zito to the most expensive contract in MLB history for a pitcher, worth $126 million over seven years, with an $18 million option through 2014. The contract is now considered to be one of the worst contracts in MLB history. Fans soon turned against Zito after his struggles seemed to never end after the big deal was signed. After Zito did not even make the playoff roster in 2010, he was looking to step up in 2012 for his team and prove that he deserved to be making that high salary.

When playoff time arrived, Zito redeemed his embarrassing past years with the Giants by stepping up for the struggling pitching staff. Gregor Blanco replaced Cabrera in

What’s next?

What does the future hold for the World Champion Giants?

by ROHIT RAMKUMAR

Jeremy Affeldt, LHP

Gary Brown, CF

they do not need one. Carlos Beltran did not perform at his true capabilities when the Giants needed it the most, and although Hunter Pence provided fiery charisma for the team during the playoffs, it was obvious that his power was dwindled ever since donning a Giants uniform. The team would be better suited to acquire role players that can be signed to short term contracts for much less money than the big name sluggers on the market.

If Sabean is feeling ambitious, he could make a play at New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher, who is already familiar with the Bay Area, having playing for the Oakland A’s early in his career.

However, Sabean has shown in the past that he plays it safe in the offseason so the addition of Swisher would be uncharacteristic of him. In the worst case scenario, the Giants will not be able to bring back outfielder Gregor Blanco and they will not sign an extra outfielder. In that case, the Giants would turn to their farm system and bring up centerfielder Gary Brown. Brown was a superstar for the Giants’ AA affiliate in Richmond. His speed and power would be a perfect complement to the small-ball that Scutaro brings to the table, and he plays solid defense.

The Giants will once again be one of the favorites to win the World Series in 2013, and they have the talent to make it happen. With Buster Posey behind the plate, and the pitching staff working its late-season magic, the Giants should have no problem competing for a division title and the National League pennant. <<< photo by Scotty Bara

lose their fearless and bearded closer but they will likely not miss him due to the presence of another bearded fellow named Sergio Romo.

Romo will likely take over the closer’s role next year. Other free agents in the bullpen include Brad Penny, and Guillermo Mota. Both are expendable and did not play key roles this past season.

Other tough decisions for the Giants lie with Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Theriot. Both play second base and both have had their fair share of great moments with the team. Sanchez was a key part of the 2010 World Series winning team but he has since been plagued by injuries and still might not be completely healthy by the start of spring training. Theriot was added this season and was a key role player, scoring the winning run in Game 4 of the World Series. Ultimately, the best decision would be to bring back Theriot and let Sanchez go. With Brandon Crawford developing into a gold-glove caliber player at shortstop, Sanchez would be hard-pressed to fight his way into the starting lineup.

In terms of acquiring free agents, the team does not have too many enticing options. Acquiring a big-time power hitter would not be in the best interest of General Manager Brian Sabean or the team in general. Past experience has shown that great power hitters have somewhat wilted while playing for the Giants. The Giants have been without a true power hitter since Barry Bonds, but it is now evident that

Jeremy Affeldt © 2012 mvmarconi used under Creative Common Attribution ShareAlike license

ven after winning their second World Series Championship in less than three years, the San Francisco Giants still have some work to do this offseason. The decisions they make regarding the roster now will have an immediate impact next season.

Second baseman Marco Scutaro, the NLCS MVP, and centerfielder Angel Pagan, the catalyst at the top of the lineup, are the two biggest free agents for the Giants. Scutaro was just recently signed for three years and $20 million.

As for Pagan, the Giants have already resigned him for four years and $40 million. Pagan was a key player this past year, but the money he commanded in free-agency will damper the Giants’ hopes of possibly signing another hitter. Nevertheless, the Giants accomplished the important goal of bringing back the core of last year’s team. Melky Cabrera who was a question mark at the end of last year, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for two years and 16 million. Any more than $1 million for a year was too much, and the Giants made a good decision by letting him walk.

In the bullpen, the Giants had to bring back left-hander Jeremy Affeldt and they did just that, signing him to a three year deal worth $18 million over three years on Nov. 13. Former closer Brian Wilson, who is recovering from elbow reconstruction surgery, did not receive an offer from the Giants and therefore will become a free agent. The team will

Gary Brown © 2011 SD Dirkused under Creative Common Attribution ShareAlike license

E

photos taken from Creative commons-Jill Clardy

Angel Pagan, CF DECEMBER 2012

In sync

by AUDREY DeBRUINE Elle Billman (‘15) is Paly’s resident elite-level synchronized swimmer, with an appetite for success and Olympic aspirations.

S photo by Grant Shorin

wimming. Gymnastics. Dancing. Synchronized swimming blends all three of these mediums into a sport that is both physically demanding and beautiful to behold. Paly is home to one elite synchronized swimmer with Olympic aspirations. She stands 4 feet 10 inches tall, with a quiet but assured voice, and she possesses heart, drive and dedication that outsize her petite frame. She is Elle Billman (‘15), whose list of achievements include making the 13-15 age group national team and winning gold at the Union American de Natacion (U.A.N.A.) PanAmerican Games. She also survived leukemia.

Billman’s initial interest in synchronized swimming stemmed from a performance by a Bay Area synchronized swimming club she saw in elementary school.

“I went to go see a show that the Santa Clara Aquamaids performed,” Billman said. “They put on a show every year, kind of like a fundraiser to get people involved in synchronized swimming, and I saw it and thought it was really cool so I wanted to try it.”

SWAN LAKE Elle Billman (‘15) emerges from the pool at practice. Her team, the Santa Clara Aquamaids, trains swimmers to compete at the national level.

DECEMBER 2012

That was eight years ago. Elle now spends six days a week year-round training with the Aquamaids, and her dedication and hard work are paying dividends. Last year, she tried out for and was appointed to the 13-15 U.S. Synchro national team, a highlight of her career.

“It’s the top 10 girls in the country, and I made the team, so that was really exciting,” Billman said. “We trained for four weeks together: In Colorado Springs at the Olympic

Billman is not only a talented synchronized swimmer, but a compassionate teammate who inspires and encourages. Teammate Claire Barton, a junior at Los Gatos High School, cites Billman as an indispensable part of her experience as an Aquamaid.

“She made my transfer from another team easier and she welcomed me onto the team,” Barton said. “I can’t imagine the Santa Clara Aquamaids without her.”

“

every relationship.

“She’s such a sweet girl; she’s really outgoing and she’s always positive,” friend Carly Rudiger (‘15) said. “I’ve never heard her complain and she’s always happy and makes you smile.”

Her teammates are not the only ones who appreciate these aspects of Billman; her coaches recognize that she not only has a special talent but is a great teammate as well. Kendra Zanotto, who has coached Billman for three

Barton describes Billman as “responsible, friendly, and competitive,” which are necessary traits for an elite synchronized swimmer.

“She is very competitive and is a great leader on the team,” Barton said. “She is a driven, smart swimmer who drives almost twice the time as everybody else to get to practice every day, so she is very committed.”

Billman is not only devoted to her sport, but to her friends as well. She is seen as a ray of sunshine, bringing good vibes and positivity to

seasons, cites Billman’s ability to read a situation and respond appropriately as part of what makes her such a good teammate.

“Elle’s great becauses she fills so many roles,” Zanotto said. “At times she’s a leader, and when she is a leader she does it by acting. She also sees that there are times where other people need to lead and she is a great teammate and she supports her teammates in those situations as well.”

For the average athlete, Billman’s achieve-

photo by Scotty Bara

training center for two weeks, then in Connecticut for two weeks. Then we went to Colombia for the Pan-American Games.”

The U.A.N.A. Pan-American Games are a competition of amateur swimmers from countries across the Americas. Billman and her teammates won gold for their age group, defeating competitors from countries such as Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil.

“We won, so that was pretty exciting,” Billman said.

”

photo by Grant Shorin

If you look at her academically, or socially or athletically, you can’t tell [that she had leukemia].

-Sara Billman (sister)

STAY GOLD Billman, a member of the 13-15 U.S. synchronized swimming team, won gold at the 2012 U.A.N.A. Pan-American Games in Colombia.

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ROLLING IN THE DEEP The underappreciated sport of synchronized swimming.

by PAUL BIENAIMÉ

photo courtesy of Elle Billman

ments are nothing short of admirable. However, Billman is no ordinary athlete. At the age of three, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a disease she would battle for two and a half years. Though Billman is now free of the cancer, some effects still linger.

“One side effect [of having leukemia] is that it takes me a little bit longer to learn things, so when we’re learning new choreography I have to do it a lot before I get it,” Billman said. “My coaches know [that I had leukemia] but they don’t treat me differently.”

Besides the challenges directly posed by the disease, Billman still lives with a small amount of uncertainty about her future. Because of the nature of her treatment, doctors are not yet sure of the full extent of the side effects.

“They don’t really know if it has long term effects,” Billman said of the medicine she was given as a toddler. “It’s not anything dramatic that will happen to me. It’s just minor things.”

However, Billman does not allow this uncertainty to hold her back. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school, has many close friends and, of course, has excelled in synchronized swimming.

“If you look at her academically, or socially or athletically, you can’t tell [that she had leukemia],” sister Sara Billman (‘13) said.

Drawing on her personal experience with leukemia, Elle has become involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s High School Challenge to raise money for blood cancer research.

“I started volunteering [with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society] two summers ago, and then I heard that they they had the High School Challenge, and so I created Team Paly,” Billman said. “It’s high schools all around the Bay Area. The challenge is to see who can raise the most money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.”

Through an email campaign this fall, Billman and the other members of Team Paly were able to secure $7,000 in donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Billman plans on turning Team Paly into an official club on campus for the second semester.

Billman’s dreams for the future include graduating from Paly, attending Stanford and qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Olympic synchronized swimming team. With her set of skills, motivation and positive attitude, these goals are not out of reach.

“I think she has a great future,” Zanotto said.

“She has fantastic skills and she’s developing more and more on the artistic side and she’s starting to pick up the more nuanced aspects of the sport. I think the coaching staff as a whole really sees a lot of growth and potential for her.”

“2020,” Sara said. “That’s her Olympics.” <<<

REACH FOR THE STARS The Santa Clara Aquamaids run through a routine at practice. The Aquamaids have produced more Olympic-level synchronized swimmers than any other club since it became an Olympic sport in 1952.

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ater ballet — the mix of swimming, dance, and exhibition of athleticism. Next to the renowned sport of swimming, with athletes like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Missy Franklin well regarded, synchronized swimming goes largely unnoticed.

Synchronized swimming is known as “water ballet”. Originating in Berlin during the 1890’s, the sport has grown to the Olympic level, for both duets and teams.

Swimmers perform a synchronized routine accompanied by music to create a dance, that test their coordination. These swimmers perform their routine in sophisticated bathing suits and professional makeup.

The bay area has its own home team called Santa Clara Aquamaids, for athletes of aged 6 to 16. Once a swimmer reaches a high enough competitive level, they are

able to become part of the United States National Team for their age group. On this team, they have the opportunity to train worldwide with competitive synchronized swimmers. The swimmers travel all over the world and compete with Olympic teams for the gold title of the U.A.N.A. Pan-American Cup. Synchronized swimmers are often underestimated for their strength and talent. Similar to land sports, synchronized swimming requires talent such as core strength, flexibility and coordination. In addition, all synchronised swimmers are required to master the skills of precise timing and exceptional breath control which is necessary for this sport.

While many may await the buzzer for Phelps to splash the pool and take home a handful of gold medals, synchronized swimmers work just as hard represent our country. <<<

DECEMBER 2012

Earning their stripes Referees: The forever underappreciated managers of the game.

photo by Grant Shorin

by AMI DREZ and JOSH STERN

“

photo by Josh Stern

C

oming into the fourth quarter down 9-7 to the league-leading Mountain View Spartans, the Paly boys’ water polo team was on the verge of working its way back into a close game on Sept. 18.

The Vikings scored to make the score 9-8 in the last few minutes, cutting the Spartan lead to one.

The two teams would continue to battle as the clock wound down to the last minute of the game. As they tried to win possession of the ball, a penalty was called on the Vikings, giving the Spartans a penalty shot and the opportunity to widen their lead.

Outraged, the Vikings watched as Mountain View took advantage of the opportunity and scored to win 10-8. Many of the Paly players attributed the close loss to the official’s call.

“It’s a rule that as a foul shot, the player has to have one swift motion so the goalie is not thrown off, because that’d just be unfair,” varsity water polo player Omri Newman (‘14) said.

“Mountain View got a foul, the player hesitated and then shot and he, of course, scored. My teammates and I were just really angry at how the refs didn’t call it and honestly, we could have won if that hadn’t happened.”

Newman’s experience is representative of many Paly athletes who feel that certain referees have robbed their teams of victory.

Athletes at all levels have complaints regarding the officiating. Evidently, officials aren’t perfect, and both sides cannot always get favorable calls. It is natural for players, fans and coaches to question decisions that go against them.

“Throughout the whole game there were calls that went against us that pretty much screwed our team over,” Newman said. “[Referees] were just calling stuff on us and didn’t call anything on them.”

UNDERWATER A water polo official gives possession to the Viking boys’ water polo team after calling a penalty against Bellarmine. Paly lost 11-6 in the second round of CCS. love for football and how officiating still reminds him of his high school playing days.

“My favorite [aspect of officiating] is having the ability to still be on the field on a Friday night,” Trosper said. “The electric atmosphere of the players, coaches and fans is awesome.”

Often, the role of the official can seemingly feel non-existent until a bad call is made. Many sports fans would agree that the best game is the one with the fewest penalties, where the referees almost go unnoticed. But it’s when the

[Referees] must buy their own uniforms, pay for transportation, training and insurance.

It really is a labor of love.

-Gary Sheerer

Players often point fingers and can be tough on referees and officials when they make questionable calls. This is sensible, since the official can determine the game’s outcome of the player’s game. Off the field, however, each official has a unique story to tell. High school officials are not in it for the money and are certainly not in it for the negative comments from players and coaches. Rather, it’s often the official’s love of the game that drives him or her to want to officiate.

Football official Matt Trosper describes his

”

figures in black and white start to blow their whistles that everyone starts to notice.

For example, take the 2012 referee lockout in the NFL. Veteran referees, vying for higher pay, held out from officiating, causing the NFL to fill the empty spots with officials from the Division III collegiate level.

Needless to say, the experiment did not go smoothly. As games went on, outraged fans, players and coaches demanded the experienced officials back, forcing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to make a deal with the

veteran referees to bring them back into the picture.

After the scandal, the role of officials was brought into perspective. A game can be decided based off the referees’ calls, meaning that having quality officials is necessary at all levels.

From NFL games to those called at Paly, referees are trained and hired with extreme caution and precision. So what does it take to referee at the high school level, and specifically at Paly?

Individual high school referees do not, in fact, belong to a specific scholastic organization like the Central Coast Section (CCS) or the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL). All officials actually act as independent contractors for various officiating organizations throughout California. Each of these organizations then creates a contract with specific leagues, delegating individual referees to specific games.

Mike Adam, who works for the Northern California Football Officials Association (NCFOA), helps delegate and train referees to officiate California football games at the high school level. With 78 officials in the organization, the NCFOA services 32 different high schools.

According to Adam, football season for officials truly starts at the end of the spring.

“Each summer we take all of the new officials and break down the rules in a classroomstyle setting,” Adam said. “It’s generally once a week, in the evening, for about two hours.

DECEMBER 2012

photo by Josh Stern photo by Scotty Bara

photo by Grant Shorin

MAKING THE CALL Football, water polo, and volleyball referees all officiate various games for the sports that they grew up loving.

This happens for about six weeks and then we hit the field.”

Training for football officials occurs both indoors and outdoors, as referees learn the written rules of the game as well as how to call real-time physical plays.

“We have arrangements with various schools to bring the officials out to the school’s practice,” Adam said. “The official gets the feeling of what it will be like to be on the field. We also have them officiate as many scrimmages as possible.”

In addition, football officials must pass two written tests concerning mechanics and rules.

A score of 75% or higher must be obtained by each official to qualify. Adam is sure that the NCFOA does a quality job of instructing new officials, so they are ready and prepared to handle officiating games.

“For the new officials, we cover everything from rule interpretations to how to wear your uniform and accessories,” Adam said.

Volleyball and water polo also require similar training for officials. Volleyball officials are trained by taking and passing tests based on skills work, along with officiating preseason scrimmages. Water polo, on the other hand, forces its officials to attend seminars, take rules tests, participate in online learning and

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experience real-time games. Newcomers also shadow veteran officials during games to observe them in a live setting. With an immense amount of training required for every sport, referees’ also face other various hardships.

Certainly a difficulty for officials at the high school level is the pay grade. Water polo official Gary Sheerer, who has been officiating for over 15 years, describes some of the financial

“

My favorite thing about officiating is being back on the field.

-Alex Snaider

difficulties concerning officials. “[Referees] must buy their own uniforms, pay for transportation, training and insurance,” Sheerer said. “It really is a labor of love.”

Differences in pay also depend on the duration of a game or the difficulty of the rules. According to Adam, the amount of pay for football officials in CCS is about $67 per game for each member of the 4-person varsity crew. In water polo, according to Sheerer, the income for officials in CCS is about $40 per game.

Sheerer also points out that most officials do not officiate for the money or the rewards, but

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

rather a genuine love for the game.

“I played water polo for 12 years growing up, then another five years of Masters water polo more recently,” he said. “I wanted to give something back to the sport I love, and didn’t have the time to make the huge time commitment in order to coach.”

Adam recognizes Sheerer’s love for water polo by acknowledging that officiating is usually a part time job, taken on the side of one’s daily life.

“Officials come from all walks of life in their daytime job,” Adam said. “We have teachers, a principal, attorneys, police officers, college students, engineers, sales people, construction workers, welders, etc. You name it and we probably have one in our ranks.”

Often, the love and amount of sacrifice that officials such as Sheerer have for their games go underappreciated by players and coaches.

The immense amount of time and hard work that go into officiating require a true love and dedication to the sport.

Off the field, officials are just everyday people giving back to the sports they grew up playing and loving. Many players, coaches and fans are unaware of the amount of preparation, effort and time officials put into training to officiate their sport. Though spectators may question an objectionable call, officials are simply striving to make the game safer and more impartial.

However, some coaches do recognize and commend the job of an official.

“They have a real tough job. At high school they’re not making a living doing it. They make good wage and guys you know they’re there because they love football too, more than other sports,” coach Earl Hansen said. “We have a nice mixture of experienced guys and up and coming.”

Referees share the love of the sport they officiate, as many individuals do.

”

“My favorite thing about officiating is being back on the field,” lacrosse official Alex Snaider said. “I used to play lacrosse and I love being on the field with the players. I try not to be a part of the game, which is the goal of all officials, but I love the feeling of stepping on the field.”

For many players, referees are just another obstacle to overcome in order to pull off a victory, but for many referees, like Snaider, officiating is a way to get back into the game that they love. <<<

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S

Madrono

Madrono

ince Palo Alto High School’s beginning, athletics have been a significant part of its community. Sports at Paly have developed immensely since the first football games in the 19th century, and have helped mold the school into what it is today. Throughout the years, Paly has had numerous talented coaches and players; among most well known today are Paly head coach Earl Hansen and San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Not much is widely known about the Palo Alto background of these two figures, or the general history of sports at Paly. With that being said, The Viking took a look into Paly’s athletic strength over the years, and at Hansen and Harbaugh’s time at Paly.

Courtesy of Marilyn Hansen

adrono FROM LEFT TO RIGHT The 1993 State Champion basketball team. Two players from the 1982 football team embrac after a touchdown. The 1907 rugby team. David Weaver.

Earl Hansen. Jim Harbaugh. The 1990 boys’ water polo team. The 1982 kicker.

Football players diving for the ball in 1982. Harbaugh pitching. Ron Wyden going for a layup. M

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Campanile

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GREEN AND WHITE

FOREVER design by Nina Kelty

A Walk Through Time

by COLIN PATTERSON and JAMES HARRISON

The House That Harbaugh Built JONNY GLAZIER and SAMMY SOLOMON

The Man Behind The Mustache PIPPA RAFFEL

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Campanile

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A Walk Through Time

I

n recent years, Palo Alto High School has had a great deal of success, bringing home four State Championships since the turn of the century. State titles in 2006 for basketball, 2010 for football and 2010 and 2011 for volleyball illustrate Paly’s status as a current sports powerhouse. Paly sports have grown into what they are today through the success of athletes and teams over the past century. Since Paly’s early years, sports have been an important characteristic of the school’s culture. However, over the years, rivals have changed, leagues have been altered, the number of fans has diminished and Paly’s sports have evolved.

Rivalries

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n the morning of Thanksgiving Day, 1968, 30,000 fans marched up Stanford Stadium’s steps looking forward to the “Little Big Game” between two local high school football teams. Sequoia and Paly, the two big rivals of the Southern Peninsula Athletic League (SPAL), looked to complete their undefeated

seasons.

Over the last century, Paly has faced several different rivals. In the beginning, through 1927, the only school nearby that posed any athletic threat to Paly was San Jose High School. In the few sports available at the time, the two schools battled it out frequently.

The most memorable and biggest of Paly’s adversaries was Sequoia, according to Rink Babka (‘54), a four sport letterman in football, basketball, baseball and track and field. The 1960 Olympic discus silver medalist remembers the grueling competitiveness between the two schools when he attended.

“It was very good, because the only thing that separated Sequoia and Palo Alto High was the Palo Alto creek,” Babka said. “Basically we knew most of the kids that we competed against and we got to compete against the same kids from that area when we were in junior high, so we knew each other well.”

The rivalry between the two schools lasted from 1927 until Paly switched leagues in 1975, with Hod Ray coaching the Vikings’ football team during much of that stretch. The atten-

One hundred and fourteen years ago, Paly played its first football game against San Jose High School. Paly lost 27-0. Nonetheless, a team was born.

dance at these games was beyond any current Paly football game, and the “Little Big Game” was the place to be every year. This rivalry was not only huge because of friendships across the border but also because of the isolated locations of the schools.

“It was very competitive because we were the two powerhouses of the area,” Babka said.

“You didn’t have any school that was comparable score-wise or even size-wise until you got to San Jose going south. And not much going north until Burlingame High School. We were kind of out there by ourselves. Very good competition and Sequoia had some great athletes as well.”

The football rivalry was dubbed the “Little Big Game” in tribute to the Stanford-California Big Game.

Keith Raffel (‘68), a former Viking swimmer and water polo player, as well as the father of current Paly athlete Pippa Raffel (‘14), vividly remembers this event.

“The highlight of the entire sporting year was the ‘Little Big Game,’ Paly versus Sequoia, played at Stanford Stadium on Thanksgiving

Paly joined Mountain View, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sequoia and South City High School to form the PAL.

PENINSULA ATHLETIC LEAGUE (PAL) FOUNDED

FIRST FOOTBALL GAME

1898

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1920

1912

RUGBY WINS STATE Paly switched to rugby in 1907, and won a State Championship against Porterville, 11-8. Paly switched back to football in 1920.

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Tour Paly’s ample sports history and incredible achievements, from the first-ever football game in 1898 all the way to dual Division 1 state football and volleyball titles in 2010.

by COLIN PATTERSON and JAMES HARRISON Day at 11 a.m.,” Raffel said.

Each team would try to cap off the regular season with that victory.

“For football, it was always who could beat Sequoia at the end of our season,” Babka said.

“It was kind of like Stanford and Cal. Whoever won that one had a good season.”

One of those “good seasons” happened during Raffel’s senior year.

“My senior year [1968] the teams were undefeated in league play going into the game, and memory reports that over 30,000 were at the game,” Raffel said. “Families went every year as a matter of tradition before their big meal. Those were great games.”

In the early 1960s, Raffel recalls attending the game and watching the action unfold.

“I remember rooting for Craig Ritchey (‘62) and Tom Hamilton (‘65) and their fabulous teams a few years before I got to Paly,” Raffel said. “I think one of those Paly teams beat the team of Sequoia’s Gary Beban, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1967 playing for UCLA. However, in 1967, alas, playing the old-fashioned single wing on offense, Sequoia

leapt out to a 39-7 halftime lead. They won for fun.”

Over the years, Paly racked up a 20-12-4 (through 1955) record against the Sequoia Cherokees, now called the Ravens.

“The rivalries were back and forth in terms of who won, and the whole town seemed to be aware of the high school sports schedule and who was winning,” Ritchey said.

Despite the loss in the fall of 1967, that year brought Paly several championships in other sports.

“A quick look in the gym will show you how many league championships we won [five] my senior year, 1967-68,” Raffel said. “The disappointment of the ‘Little Big Game’ aside, I don’t know if Paly ever did better, at least in boys’ sports.”

In 1975, after Paly left Sequoia’s league, the primary foe became crosstown Gunn High School. During the years of competition with Sequoia, the in-town rival was the now-defunct third high school, Cubberley.

Although Paly has consistently had tense football games with Archbishop Mitty and

Wes Raffel considers these years “The Golden Era” of Paly sports, as Paly won six consecutive league awards.

Bellarmine, today the main rivalry remains with Gunn. Even though this feud has lasted for many years, it has been predominantly one-sided in favor of Paly. According to Palo Alto Online, the Vikings have won 35 out of the 48 meetings since 1965.

On the court, the basketball teams battled it out as well.

“I remember Mark Ford hitting a jump shot at the buzzer my sophomore [1981] year to beat Gunn in the Paly gym,” Paly basketball player and current sports anchor Dave Feldman (‘83) said. “That was one of my best Paly sports memories. Gunn was our biggest rivalry.”

In water polo, however, the main opponent during the 1980s and 1990s was Bellarmine.

Every year the Bells posed a huge threat to all teams and won almost every championship according to Sean Nolan (‘90), an Olympic water polo goalkeeper in 2000.

“Bellarmine was this great water polo powerhouse,” Nolan said. “They won [Central Coast Section] something like 14 years in a row, something ridiculous. We ended up beat-

Hansen started coaching varsity football in 1980. He had Harbaugh on the team the next two years. From 19811991, Hansen took a break before returning to Paly.

PALY WINS LEAGUE ALL-SPORTS AWARD

HANSEN’S FIRST YEAR

1964-1969

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1980

1975 FOOTBALL RIVALRY ENDS The Sequoia-Paly rivalry ended when Paly left the SPAL to join the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

Grant Shorin

Grant Shorin

DECEMBER 2012

ing them my senior [1990] year in CCS and that was the first time they had lost in a really long time.”

The few times the teams went up against each other came during the postseason, due to their different leagues.

Leagues

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he intense competition with Sequoia and Gunn, unlike that with Bellarmine, began within the different leagues that Paly has participated in, though the league has changed multiple times with the addition of new schools. The games were at first regular league games, but after countless close finishes ended up becoming intense rivalries.

In 1920, the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) was founded. It originally consisted of Paly, Mountain View, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sequoia and South City in San Francisco. By 1954, Babka explains that the league stretched from Daly City down to San Jose.

“We competed in baseball and basketball, even in football against the Catholic schools, which were Bellarmine down in Santa Clara and then we would go play the Catholic schools in San Francisco,” Babka said.

For football, the league lasted until 1956, when it split into the North Peninsula Athletic League (NPAL) and South Peninsula Athletic League (SPAL).

“One of the big differences from today is the league we played in,” Raffel said. “Paly was in the SPAL along with the other two Palo Alto

high schools, Gunn and Cubberley, and Ravenswood (in East PA), Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Carlmont and Woodside.”

By the time Nolan began his high school career in the late 1980s, the league was called the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, which

The first league champion in school history was the 1899 baseball team.

The first girls’ teams formed were baseball, later called softball, and tennis in 1916. A couple years later, the girls’ basketball team became the third sport introduced at Paly for

“One huge change, for the better, between those days and today is in the importance of girls’ sports.”

-Wes Raffel (‘72) Paly still competes in today.

Evolution of Sports

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ver 110 years ago, in 1898, Paly played its very first football game against San Jose High School. San Jose won 27-0, but nonetheless a team of Vikings was born.

In 1907, after the football team began to take shape, Paly switched to rugby rules for 12 years. During these years, the Vikings sported an impressive record, including a State Championship against Porterville in 1912. Paly beat Porterville 11-8 for the title, though rugby was still less common during those years. In 1920, Paly switched back to regular football rules.

Current Paly students can appreciate the number of sports available now, as it has not always been that way. Originally, Paly only had baseball and football before basketball and track were introduced in the early 1900s.

women. The girls received massive support from the school and the students, who helped build a field for the team to practice and play on, according to Madrono. Even with support from the community, no more teams were formed until years later.

According to Babka, the only girls’ sports he recalls during his time were tennis and grass field hockey. Most of the fan support, however, focused on men’s football, basketball, baseball, track-and-field and water polo.

In the 1960s, the number of girls’ sports had not much improved.

“One huge change, for the better, between those days and today is in the importance of girls’ sports,” Raffel said. “The only girls’ teams back then [in 1968], again according to my memory, were swimming, basketball and tennis.”

The boys’ water polo team went 27-5 in the regular season, finishing with a win over Bellarmine. Sean Nolan (‘90) was the MVP of the CCS tournament.

WOPO WINS CCS CHAMPIONSHIP Madrono

1990

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1981

1993

HARBAUGH COMES TO PALY

BASKETBALL TEAM WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Harbaugh started at quarterback his junior year and led the team to a league title. He starred in football, basketball and baseball.

Led by David Weaver (‘93) the Vikings won the 1993 Division III State Championship against Inglewood Morningside High School.

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With the creation of Title IX of the Education Amendments in 1972, high school sports were influenced to increase equal opportunities in sports and education.

Today, girls also have the opportunity to participate in numerous sports including volleyball, cross-country, water polo, soccer, basketball, track and field, softball and lacrosse.

This equality in sports for both genders has been key to the athletic success at the school.

Tradition

T

he strong legacy of well-performing sports teams has stayed with Paly since the teams started.

“To the school, [sports were] very important,” Babka said. “We were proud of our heritage. Palo Alto High had a terrific heritage and they had many great athletes that went from there into college sports and professional sports.”

As strong as Paly’s teams have been, the number of fans has diminished greatly in all sports since the 30,000 fans at the Sequoia game.

“Last year [volleyball] ended the year ranked number one in the country out of 17,000-plus teams and had very little student fan support,” Wes Raffel (‘72), a former swimmer and water polo player at Paly and parent of current volleyball player Becca Raffel (‘14) and golfer Grant Raffel (‘13), said.

The lack of a strong fan base is widespread.

Although the teams receive some support

from the community, the stands are rarely full at any game. Even just 20 years ago, during Nolan’s time in the early 1990s, fans had a huge presence at games.

“At the CCS [water polo] games, I remember they had them at DeAnza College, and those stands would be full,” Nolan said. “So maybe 800 people.”

Despite the lack of fans, Paly has always been a league contender throughout the years, with at least one team winning a league title nearly every year.

L

ast year, while The Viking staff was in New York, a few members interviewed Terry McDonell, one of Sports Illustrated’s former editors-in-chief. He went to Campbell High School near San Jose and saw Paly as a sports force to be reckoned with.

“Palo Alto was always a very, very powerful school, and, I mean, something about being the most important school in the area for so long gave it a kind of swagger,” McDonell said.

“I’d hope it’s still there.”

With several championships under Paly’s belt in the past few years, this era resembles the late 1960s.

“I would look at the mid to late ‘60s as the golden era of Paly sports,” Raffel (‘72) said.

“We actually won just about everything and had great athletes.”

In the boys’ gym, one can see the six SPAL all-sports awards from 1964 to 1969 that line the wall.

Today, with Paly’s volleyball and football teams winning their leagues, Paly continues to maintain the “swagger” status that it has possessed for over a century. <<<

HONORABLE MENTION Jim Loscutoff (‘1948)- Won seven NBA titles with the Boston Celtics Dink Templeton (‘1913)- Rugby gold medalist at 1920 Belgium Olympics Morris Kirksey (‘1915)- Rugby gold medalist at 1920 Belgium Olympics

Mark Schultz (‘1978)- Wrestling gold medalist at 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Dave Schultz (‘1977)- Wrestling gold medalist at 1984 Los Angeles Olympics

Jeremy Lin (‘06) led the Vikings to a win in the 2006 Division II State Championship game against Mater Dei High School.

After winning a Division I State Championship following the football championship in 2010, the volleyball team won again in 2011.

BASKETBALL TEAM WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

VOLLEYBALL WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TWICE

2006

Brandon Dukovic

2010-2011

2010 FOOTBALL WINS STATE The football team went 14-0 and won its first Division I State Championship over Centennial High School.

Paly Voice

Brandon Dukovic

DECEMBER 2012

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hispers circulated through the student section as the Viking football team took on the Los Gatos Wildcats; “Jim Harbaugh

1)

2)

photos from 1982 Madrono and Campanile archives.

The House That Harbaugh Built Paly alum Jim Harbaugh (‘82) lives up to his ‘Most Athletic’ label as he continues his successful career as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

by JONNY GLAZIER and SAMMY SOLOMON

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(‘82) is here.”

Wearing a Giants baseball cap, the San Francisco 49ers head coach was sitting towards the top of the Paly stands next to his wife Sarah and high school friend, Dave Feldman (‘83).

Harbaugh has played nearly every role in the sport of football. He’s lined up under the center for four NFL squads and donned the famed black sweater for teams across the country. However, one of his lesser known roles is being a fan of his former high school team.

Despite experiencing astronomical success as a football coach and player, Harbaugh can occasionally be found in the stands at Palo Alto High School, cheering on the Vikings.

“He’s very involved in what goes on around here at Palo Alto High School,” Harbaugh’s former Paly coach, Earl Hansen said. “It is special.”

What brings him back? The answer is simple: community. Although Harbaugh has traveled to many different areas and coached all levels of football, he continually returns to Palo Alto due to the relationships that he has fostered here.

After moving to Palo Alto from Ann Arbor, Michigan where he attended Pioneer High School, Harbaugh enrolled at Paly for his junior year, where he was thrown right into the action of Viking football. However, the new quarterback did not immediately assume a leadership role.

“We had a very, very strong senior class just ahead of him,” Hansen said. “They really guided him more than he guided them, as far as how to act. [Harbaugh] learned what was important in Palo Alto: how to be, how to fit in, how to lead by example. Hard work more than talk.”

Once he was shown the ropes at Paly, Harbaugh began to shine as a result of his strong work ethic. “[For Jim] it was all about working harder than the next guy,” Paly football teammate and friend Steve Niethammer (‘83) said.

With his competitive nature, he encouraged his fellow teammates to perform to their best ability.

“Jim was a very good teammate, very supportive of the players who were not as good as him,” Feldman said.

Harbaugh’s skills and mental toughness were soon put to good use. The new quarterback’s first true challenge came against Los Altos, a major rival at the time.

“The first time [Los Altos] came here, no one gave us a chance,” Hansen said. “It’s one

of those games I’ll never forget. We had a good running back, we had [Harbaugh], and we beat them 28-14. No one could believe it. We went on to the playoffs that year. That was his first real big test. Obviously he did well.”

Paly continued its dominance and won the league with Harbaugh at the helm. His versatility and athleticism made him a dual-threat quarterback and a nightmare for opposing defenses. “[Harbaugh] could run, similar in style to Keller [Chryst],” Hansen said.

Throughout his time at Paly, Harbaugh continued to display his athletic prowess. He was awarded All-League honors in football, basketball and baseball. His senior year on the basketball team, the Vikings advanced to the final four of the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament. Harbaugh describes these memories as some of the highlights of his time at Paly.

“The basketball experience was great with that great high school gym,” Harbaugh said.

While Harbaugh’s primary passion was still on the gridiron, he also shone on the court.

Feldman, describes him as, “very strong, and a great finisher. He also had a nice jump shot from 17 feet and in.”

The three-sport athlete averaged 19.4 points per game during his senior year, highlighted by a 31 point game against the Santa Clara Bruins. His strong performance during his senior season led him to be awarded League MVP. Harbaugh’s participation in multiple sports at Paly not only allowed him to stay in shape throughout the year, but also helped him improve his mental game.

“I think competing in other sports helped Jim understand how to relate to more people in different situations with different sports,” Feldman said. “I think it helped him in his future career as a coach.”

Harbaugh’s ability caught the attention of his peers, who voted him “Most Athletic” in the 1982 senior polls. His all-around dominance landed Harbaugh a football scholarship to the University of Michigan the following year.

After graduating from Michigan and playing for several NFL teams, including the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, Harbaugh took his talents into the realm of coaching.

After coaching the squad at the University of San Diego to an 11-1 record in 2006, he found himself back in the Bay Area, after being offered the head coaching job at Stanford University. Under the guidance of their new coach, the Cardinal became a Pac-12 powerhouse, improving their record from 1-11 to 11-1 in just four years.

As Harbaugh became a national figure as a coach, he also became a mentor for the boys at The Farm and for the citizens of Palo Alto.

advice is to compete, compete, com“ My pete,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a competitive world out there, you know? Just put your best foot forward and compete.

Harbaugh instilled a competitive and resilient fire in the hearts of his players that drove them to succeed.

“He’s a motivational guy,” Niethammer said.

“He knows how to fire guys up.”

”

Harbaugh’s tough mentality fueled his own success and carries through to his players. He offers the following advice not only to his players, but also to students at Paly as well.

“Compete, compete, compete,” Harbaugh

1) 2)

3)

4)

LEFT PAGE: 1) Harbaugh drops back and looks to run down the field.

2) Harbaugh embraces a teammate at practice. 3) Harbaugh poses for his “Most Athletic” picture in the yearbook. RIGHT PAGE: 1) Harbaugh throws a pitch for the varsity baseball team. 2) Harbaugh jumps up to grab a rebound. 3) Harbaugh smiles for the camera in his senior yearbook photo. 4) Harbaugh takes a knee on the basketball court.

DECEMBER 2012

said. “It’s a competitive world out there, you know? They’re keeping score right now, whether it’s on the athletic field or in the classroom. Students are probably really aware of that. It’s a higher bar that you have now than when we were in high school as far as getting into college. Just put your best foot forward and compete.”

Although Harbaugh’s ambitious mindset may have caught the national spotlight at Stanford, his drive to succeed was present in high school.

“Harbaugh was memorable because he was very mentally tough at an age when most teenagers were not,” Feldman said. “He was very disciplined and focused.”

Today, Harbaugh stays in touch with his high school coaches, along with other friends and teammates at Paly, and made it a priority to attend his 30th high school reunion this 1) year. Harbaugh fondly remembers his two photo by Grant Shorin Shorin years at Paly; so much so, that he has become an advocate for the community.

“Jim told his coaches that had kids in high school, that if your kids play sports, come to Paly,” Niethammer said. “Earl [Hansen] is there and it’s a great program. Jim has sponsored the area that way. He appreciates what he’s had.”

Harbaugh describes his time at Paly as, “thick with good memories,” adding that, “I met a lot of great people I still keep in touch with.”

In addition to sports, Harbaugh wrote sports articles for The Campanile, took rigorous classes and participated in other school activities. Harbaugh found that his experience at Paly gave him the necessary skills to thrive in college.

2) 3) photo by Sammy Solomon photo by Sammy Solomon “[Paly’s] academics are sensational,” Harbaugh said. “[Paly] really helped prepare me for college which I always appreciate. Great teachers.”

Additionally, he participated in school events and Paly traditions. “[Dances] were a really big thing to do,” Harbaugh said. “There would be a band and everyone would go.”

During his time at Paly Harbaugh recalls meeting a lot of memorable people.

“A lot of neat people, a lot of really good genuine down-to-earth people I met at Paly,” Harbaugh said. “Stella the lunch lady was the best. She loved me and I loved her. She was awesome.”

These memories remain with him today, and as a result Harbaugh takes time out of his demanding schedule as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers to become just another 4) photo by Sammy Solomon face in the crowd at a Paly football game.

“It’s great to see [Keller Chryst], it’s great 1) Stepfan Taylor runs into the endzone against USC. 2) Harbaugh watches from the sidelines in to see Earl on the sidelines,” Harbaugh said. his first league game as head coach of the 49ers. 3) Harbaughs walks on the field prior to kickoff. 4) “Not much has changed.” <<< David Akers practices kicking field goals prior to the 49ers’ game Vs. the New Orleans Saints.

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THE DREAM TEAM

by COLIN PATTERSON and PIPPA RAFFEL design by Michelle Friedlander

photo pro vided

by Madro no

Last year’s Linsanity sensation was born at Paly. Playing point guard for the Vikings, he led them to a Division II State Championship in 2006 against Mater Dei. After going undrafted out of college, he finally picked up a contract with the Golden State Warriors. Eventually he signed by the New York Knicks, where Linsanity got the world’s attention on Feb. 4. He now plays for the Houston Rockets.

Ron Wyden (‘67): FORWARD

photo provided by Madrono

Jeremy Lin (‘06): GUARD

To honor Paly basketball’s history, The Viking has created a “Dream Team” made up of what we considers the top five players in school history.

The career of Oregon senator Ron Wyden was created at Palo Alto High School. As a Viking, Wyden was the star of the basketball team and received multiple first team All-League honors. Wyden received a scholarship to play ball at the University of California at Santa Barbara after high school but after his short time as a Goucho, he transferred to Stanford University. Wyden now holds a key to the city of Palo Alto as the only senator to originate from the city.

The 6’5” Loscutoff started on the Vikings hoops team during the forties. Loscutoff was the third pick overall in the 1955 NBA draft and became a member of the Boston Celtics. In the next nine years, Loscutoff won seven NBA championships with the Celtics. “Loscy” was retired by the Boston Celtic organization and currently has a flag in TD Garden reading the nickname next to all the other retired numbers.

David Weaver (‘93): FORWARD

While playing for the Vikings, Weaver was part of the Mercury News’s All-Central Coast Section team in both 1992 and 1993. Weaver led the Viking hoops team to Paly’s first state championship during his senior year. Weaver came back to Paly after a decade and coached Jeremy Lin (‘06) during his freshmen year. He is currently a lawyer in Seattle, WA.

Jim Harbaugh (‘82): POWER FORWARD

Harbaugh moved to Paly his junior year and won All-League honors in football, basketball and baseball and made far into the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs in basketball.

He is now the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

photo by Scotty Bara

ph ot op ro vid ed by Th eC

am pa ni le

Jim Loscutoff (‘48): CENTER

The Man Behind the Mustache Earl Hansen : The man, the myth, the legend. The story of Palyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s athletic director and respected football coach.

by PIPPA RAFFEL

HANSEN Head football coach Earl Hansen speaks to members of The Viking. This year is the 40th anniversary of his mustache, as well as his 25th year at Paly.

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photo By Scotty Bara

H

e is pretty hard to miss.

Standing at 6 feet 1 inc≠h tall, with dark sunglasses, a puffy mustache and a booming chuckle, Paly head football coach Earl Hansen has led the Vikings to 195 wins, four Central Coast Section titles and two California State Bowl Game appearances in 27 seasons.

He was also named the 2010 Cal-Hi Sports

Coach of the Year after a perfect 14-0 season, which culminated in a state championship.

But what is the story behind this coach, teacher and athletic director with an impressive record, dark sunglasses and whitish gray mustache?

Hansen grew up in Palo Alto living with his mother, father, brother and sister.

In Hansen’s time, Ray Lyman Wilbur Junior High (now called Jane Lathrop Stanford) fed

into the now-closed Ellwood P. Cubberley High School, from which Hansen graduated in 1969. The school was closed in 1979 due to low enrollment rates.

Prior to becoming a Paly football coach in 1980, Hansen studied at San Jose State University, traveled to Europe, and worked around Palo Alto.

Hansen, and his wife, Marilyn, had a son on May 30, 1979. Peter Hansen (‘97) would later

DECEMBER 2012

become a player at Paly and the University of Arizona and a coach at Stanford University and for the San Francisco 49ers.

As the head coach at Paly in the 1980s, Hansen coached former NFL quarterback and Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh (‘82), who is now the head coach of the 49ers.

“Earl Hansen was my football coach,” Harbaugh said. “I owe a lot to him, a wonderful, wonderful coach. [He was one] of my favorite coaches I ever had.”

After the 1983 season, Hansen, the youngest on Paly’s staff, was laid off due to budget cuts.

In his years off from Paly, Hansen coached the

because during my senior year football program, we were just a mess,” former Paly player and current assistant coach Steve Foug (‘91) said. “We were not disciplined at all and there is this story about this bench-clearing brawl we had with Gunn.”

Jason Fung (‘92) played for Hansen his senior year and currently works with him in both the Paly football program and the physical education department.

“My senior year he came in. He always instilled a fear in you,” Fung said. “He always wanted you to do the best. He taught me a lot about the game of football.”

Anne Anderson, the mother of Michael (‘08), Kevin (‘11) and Jack (‘14), who all played for Hansen, feels as if the current football regime has made an impact on her sons and their peers.

“Every year when we run into alumni players who come back to watch the Vikings, we’re struck by how well they’re doing, how polite they are, how appreciative they are to have played at Paly,” Anderson said. “It’s pretty remarkable, really. I think that in many cases, football made the difference for them.”

Hansen’s coworkers echo the community’s gratitude.

HANSEN Pictures of Hansen as a coach, with his son and his wife. Photos provided by Marilyn Hansesn.

Rebels at San Lorenzo Valley High School for five years. Afterwards, he took three years off as a head coach and coached at Mountain View High School.

Hansen was reinstated as head coach once again for the 1991 season, a year after a fight broke out during the Paly-Gunn football game, which led the administration of the time to seek out a new coaching staff.

“One of the reasons he was [re]hired was

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Hansen seems to have had a profound influence on the Palo Alto football community, as a result of his strict, yet constructive football program.

“I am proud of Earl because many people think he is gruff, but it turns out he has made a difference in a lot of young men’s lives,” Marilyn said. “We have been at many venues where fathers have come up to Earl and thanked him for helping their sons through tough times.”

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“He has taught me that you cannot treat everybody the same,” Foug said. “You have to treat different people differently based on their personalities.”

Fung also feels like Hansen has taught him tricks about how to become a better coach.

“I think Hansen gave me a lot of responsibilities and I took that as a teaching tool,” Fung said. “Not that I got into teaching because of Hansen but it helped a lot of things I did in

life.”

Fung finds that the coach has changed very little during the 20-plus years that he has known Hansen.

“When you’re a good coach, nothing needs to change,” Fung said. “It was a big change from the coach I had before. Hansen was a lot more organized. Earl always had a plan every day just like he does now. He taught me how to be very organized and lead a good practice.”

After over 24 years at Paly, Hansen has maintained his tough approach to practice and has not allowed his success to change his work ethic.

“He has the same energy level now as he did 15 years ago, when I started coaching, and I’ve never seen him take a sip of water,” Foug said.

“I kid you not.”

Hansen acknowledges this unique habit. “[It’s] true, but I load up before I go out there though, like a camel.”

Not only has Hansen maintained his drastic changes of the football program from his first

year of coaching, but he has inspired his players by understanding how to make changes to help them succeed.

“Hansen is always open to new ideas,” Foug said. “If he doesn’t like what he is seeing, he will let it be known or make sure its going the way he wants it to. His biggest talent is being able to read different peoples’ personalities and adjust the team based on personalities and strengths. He is good at putting the kids in a position where they can succeed.”

This ability to highlight his team’s strengths combined with his focus on perpetual improvement is evident when regarding low points throughout games.

“People will say to me if [the team is] doing poorly, ‘Oh boy is he going to be mad? Is he going to yell at them at halftime?’” Marilyn said.

“I’ll say, ‘No he is not. He is going to make adjustments and help [the players] do what they are supposed to do.’”

Kicker James Foug (‘13) has a similar perspective on Hansen’s halftime talks.

“Even if we are down at halftime, he won’t show any discouragement, but focuses on preparing us for the second half,” he said.

Hansen reflects on his own personal growth throughout the years. “[I have] learned a lot,” Hansen said. “I mean, I just keep trying to learn things all the time, like teaching, it never stops. You’ve just got to keep moving forward.”

Hansen is known for his impressive record on the field and successful management of his team and players.

“He cultivates talent,” Anderson said. “He knows what works and he sticks with it. He is not afraid to surround himself with good coaches though, and that says a lot about him as a head coach.”

In the generations of Paly athletes to come, Hansen looks to continue building on the talent he finds.

“I think the[future] looks very bright,” Hansen said. <<<

11 things you didn’t know about Earl Hansen What is your favorite football position?

Quarterback

What is your favorite professional sports team?

49ers Raiders

What is your favorite movie?

Doctor Zhivago

Which sport would you rather watch?

>

Where is your favorite place to go out for dinner?

Sundance

Which would you rather have?

What is your go-to pump up song?

Tea Coffee

“Hit Me With Your Best Shot” What is your favorite animal?

How long have you had your mustache?

Since 1972

Boxers What is your favorite local university?

Cal Stanford

Baseball Lacrosse

vs

What is your favorite Paly publication?

Viking Campanile DECEMBER 2012

PALO ALTO WINTER PREVIEWS

by SPENCER DRAZOVICH and HILDA HUANG

Maddy Atwater (‘16) leaves two Pinewood Panthers in the dust during the team’s 51-45 tournament game loss.

photo by Grant Shorin

FAST BREAK

PROJECTED LINEUP BOYS’ VARSITY PG Mathias Schmutz (‘13) Aldis Petriceks (‘13) SF Eilon Tzur (‘13) SG PF Aubrey Dawkins (‘13) Keller Chryst (‘14) C HEAD COACH: Adam Sax ASSISTANT COACH: Eric Olah 2011-2012: 21-5-0 overall 2011-2012 :10-2-0 league

Bench

photo by Scotty Bara

ON THE CLOCK (above) Aldis Petriceks (‘13) leaves a Mountain View defender as he rushes to score with 33 seconds left in the quarter.

BASKETBALL

KEY ADDITIONS Eilon Tzur (‘13) Keller Chryst (‘14)

KEY LOSSES E.J. Floreal

Moved to Kentucky

Israel Hakim Prarie View A&M

Alec Wong Boston University

Total points: 1501

357

Boys’ Varsity (2011-2012)

Aldis Petriceks (‘13) rest of team 559

The Vikings also have a plethora of new and important pieces this year such as football star quarterback Keller Chryst (‘14) and Eilon Tzur (‘13).

“I think the system’s finally gonna allow us to play to our strengths,” Aldis Petriceks (‘13) said. “I think in the past years we’ve had some really solid shooters and these guys haven’t necessarily been able to get their shots because we’ve been forcing the post a lot. We’re really excited this year we’re gonna get a lot of good shots up and we’re gonna have a really fast-paced, fun, high-scoring team.”

The Vikings will have to play a much more team-oriented style this season, but still hope to win league and make a push for the CCS title that has eluded them in recent years.

E.J. Floreal (‘13) Aubrey Dawkins (‘13) Mathias Schmutz (‘13)

B

oys’ basketball suffered significant losses this year when E.J. Floreal moved to Kentucky over the summer, leaving a big hole to fill in the Vikings’ starting line-up. “[The team’s] not built around one guy anymore,” Mathias Schmutz (‘13) said.

“Everyone’s got to contribute and we have lot of scoring options, so everyone has to do their role.”

The team will try to recover from the loss of captains point guard Alec Wong (‘12) and slasher Israel Hakim (‘12).

Both were integral in maintaining the high tempo style head coach Adam Sax preaches.

Returning starters Aubrey Dawkins (‘13) and Schmutz will bring experience to an otherwise inexperienced team.

Kenny Jones (‘13) C.J. Patterson (‘14) Scotty Peery (‘13) Noah Phillips (‘14) Clark Schmutz (‘14) Matt Fogarty (‘14) Kevin Mullin (‘15)

139 153 293 DECEMBER 2012

PROJECTED LINEUP GIRLS’ VARSITY Maddy Atwater (‘16) PG Courtney Lovely (‘16) SF Annie Susco (‘13) SG Charlotte Alipate (’14) PF Josie Butler (‘13) C HEAD COACH: Scott Peters ASSISTANT COACH: Rio Koyama 2011-2012: 21-6-0 overall 2011-2012 :10-2-0 league

bench

Gillian Chryst (‘15) Amanda Marzano (‘14) Alexis Harris (‘16) Sigourney Bengston (‘16)

KEY ADDITIONS photo by Grant Shorin

TRIPLE THREAT Courtney Lovely (‘16) drives against a Pinewood defender in a preseason match-up on Dec. 5. Love will be a key addition for the Lady Vikes this season.

H

ead coach Scott Peters’ girls’ basketball team dominated the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL)and CCS for the past two seasons. They have made back to back trips to the last two CCS finals and Northern California playoffs while also winning the 2011 and 2012 league championships.

The biggest loss for the team this offseason did not come in the form of a graduated senior but in Stephanie Allen’s (‘13) torn ACL. As point guard, Allen acted as the Vikings’ floor general, and her missing quickness and decisiveness will leave its void. She is not expected to return for her senior year.

After losing Allen and Lindsey Black (‘12) the team must continue brandishing its physical style of play and blue collar attitude to dominate

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opponents; a plethora of tall, hard-working players give Peters excitement about the upcoming season.

Annie Susco’s (‘13) three-point marksmanship and Josie Butler’s (‘13) six-foot frame and presence in the key, help to keep teams honest on the outside and anchor the team with their experience and leadership.

“This year, we have a lot of young talent as opposed to last year,” Butler said. “I think the team dynamic is going to very different, but we have a lot of potential and all of the girls are very positive, which makes it easy for me as a leader to help move the team forward.”

Juniors Hope Crockett and Charlotte Alipate will round out the remainder of the team after the loss of a trio of promising players (see news flash).

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Maddy Atwater (‘16) Courtney Lovely (‘16) Alexis Harris (‘16) Sigourney Bengston (‘16)

KEY LOSSES Emilee Osagiede University of the Pacific

Lindsay Black Howard University

Stephanie Allen Injury: ACL tear

Hope Crockett Injury: ACL tear

HOME GAMES BOYS’ BASKETBALL 1/2 Milpitas; 1/8 Saratoga; 1/15 Cupertino; 1/25 Mountain View; 2/1 Homestead; 2/8 Los Gatos

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 1/2 Milpitas; 1/9 Saratoga; 1/16 Wilcox; 1/25 Gunn; 2/1 Lynbrook; 2/8 Los Gatos

photo by Scotty Bara

BOYS’ SOCCER

GIRLS’ SOCCER

12/11 Mountain View; 1/4 Lynbrook; 1/14 Wilcox; 1/18 Cupertino; 1/23 Monta Vista; 1/30 Gunn; 2/1 Fremont; 2/8 Milpitas

1/2 Santa Clara; 1/11 Fremont; 1/16 Milpitas; 1/25 Lynbrook; 2/6 Wilcox; 2/13 Cupertino Turn to page 54 for full schedule

L

Stephanie Allen (‘13) dodges and dribbles past Mountain View as one of the leading scorers on the team. This year, she will be unable to help her team because of a torn ACL.

WRESTLING

ast season, Palo Alto wrestling sent three wrestlers to the state tournament, leaving the team with high expectations this fall: Upperclassmen Erik Anderson (‘13) and Trent Marshall (‘13) will lead the team into one of Paly’s most highly-anticipated seasons.

The team’s first challenge will be to win its league, a task with big hurdles including Homestead and Los Gatos.

Younger wrestlers such as James Giaccia (‘15) and Andrew Frick (‘14) will have to continue the dominance on the mats they displayed last year.

One of Paly’s strongest wrestlers, Frick made it to the state tournament last year placing third in the CCS tournament.

The team will also need to make up for the loss of skilled wrestler Gunnar Felt (‘14) who will miss the season due to a torn ACL.

COACHING

VARSITY ROSTER

HEAD COACH: David Duran

Erik Anderson (‘13)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Mark Anderton Tony Brewer Jack Moses 2011-2012: 4th place team 2012 CCS

No. 4 at 182 lb (CCS)

Trent Marshall (‘13) No. 3 at 145 (CCS)

Gary Hohbach (‘13) No. 15 at 145 lb (CCS)

Jordan Smith (‘13) No. 13 at 120 lb (CCS)

Andrew Frick (‘14) No. 1 at 195 lb (CCS)

James Giaccia (‘15)

HOME DUAL MEETS

12/20 Los Altos 1/29 Monta

2012 CCS qualifier

PINNED Top: James

Giaccia (‘15) pins his Los Altos opponent, helping Paly secure a 56-13 win. Bottom: Tanner Marshall (‘12) holds his opponent in a close match-up at the end of the 2012 dual meet.

photos by Emy Kelty

DECEMBER 2012

SOCCER

HEAD GAMES Gen Murphy (‘13) fights for a ball against a Gunn Titan.

TOTALED MUSTANG

photos by Scotty Bara

Amanda Shorin (‘15) pushes a Monta Vista Mustang out of her way.

FREE KICK Jacob Dorward (‘13) free kick.

PROJECTED LINEUP Forwards 7 Perry Kollias (‘13) 20 Chris Meredith (‘13)

Forwards 13 Katie Foug (‘15) 16 Anna Dukovic (‘15)

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Midfielders

Defenders

Goalkeeper

3 Cina Vazir (‘14) 4 Kirby Gee (‘13) 8 Christian Huard (‘13) 5 Jacob Dorward (‘13) 21 Alex Chin (‘13) 6 Preston Kuppe (‘15) 22 Paul Mewes (‘15) 18 Wesley Woo (‘15)

Tony Maharaj (‘14)

Midfielders

Goalkeeper

8 Aoi Sugihara (‘15) 10 Sunny Lyu(‘14) 11 Lena Chang (‘15) 20 Megan Tall (‘14)

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Defenders

6 Aida Goma Petit (‘14) Catherine Atchison (‘13) 7 Nina Kelty (‘13) 14 Katherine Maniscalco (‘13) 23 Julia Kwasnick (‘14)

BOYS’ VARSITY HEAD COACH Donald Briggs 2011-2012 0-10-2 overall 2011-2012 : 0-10-2 league SCVAL De Anza Division

GIRLS’ VARSITY HEAD COACH Kurt Devlin 2011-2012 5-8-5 overall

:2-7-2 league SCVAL De Anza Division

G

irls’ soccer looks to improve last season’s losses (2-7-2 league) after graduating nine players and dropping from the El Camino to the De Anza Division in SCVAL. The program’s legacy has reached all-time heights having produced Teresa Noyola (‘08), who played for Stanford and the U.S. National Women’s Team, and Alex Kershner (‘11), who now plays for Duke.With a torrent of talented upperclassmen players graduating, the team slipped back down to rank of 428th in the nation (MaxPreps).

However, this year’s underclassmen-heavy team suggests a new age for Paly soccer, with

Nina Kelty (‘13), Erin Chang (‘13) and Katherine Maniscalco (‘13) leading the way. Jordan Smith (‘13) decided not to return for the 2012-2013 season and Mallorie Nguyen (‘13) is still recovering from a ACL-tear last year.

Younger players Sunny Lyu (‘14), Katie Foug (‘15) and Amanda Shorin (‘15) will instead set the foundation for strong seasons in upcoming years; Jacey Pederson (‘16) is also an important asset on the field.

In Kurt Devlin’s able hands, the girls hope to overcome their division relegation and rout Gunn in one of the season’s high points again.

Devlin’s team also benefits from flexible players able to start in different positions, helping the team stay afloat amidst its lost seniors.

“Coach Kurt has helped us to prepare for the season by not letting us get down about a disappointing season last year, and setting high goals for us this year, which is to win our tournament, our league, and make it to CCS,” starting midfielder Foug said.

“In the preseason he has scheduled us to be training six times a week and at the end of winter break we jump into the season.”

Four seasons ago, boys’ soccer also reached its apex, finding its first-ever national ranking at 13th in the country, after a 21-1-3 season record and a Central Coast Section Co-Championship title. But within the next three years, the team would lose all of its championship varsity players, leaving head coach Donald Briggs with a “hybrid varsity-JV team” that suffered a 0-10-2 overall record last season.

This year, returning seniors Alex Chin, Kirby Gee, Christian Huard and Paul Stefanski have already started the season with two wins and four goals, more than all of the goals from the previous season. But even discounting the lack of club players, the team will benefit from having seven seniors, compared to last season’s one. Older, bigger players, including returning goalie Tony Maharaj (‘14) and midfielder Cina Vazir (‘14), will set the stage for improvement.

The 2012-2013 varsity team shows potential to worm its way back to the El Camino Division from the De Anza Division cellar of SCVAL.

“Although our record wasn’t very strong, we played the best game all season against Gunn and beat them 3-1, which really boosted our morale.”

-Erin Chang (‘13) (G, MF) Lena Chang (‘15)

KEY ADDITIONS

Chris Meredith (‘13) (B) Jacey Pederson (‘16) (G) Heidi Moser (‘16) (G)

KEY LOSSES

Emy Kelty (G) Amherst, MA

Lily Seedman (G) U. of Redlands, CA

Jordan Smith (‘13) (G) Declined to play

News flash

Katherine Maniscalco (‘13) has returned to play for Palo Alto girls’ soccer, having cleared Central Coast Section regulations that may have prevented her from joining the roster for the first time since her sophomore year after having spent her junior year in the Netherlands. Senior goalkeeper Erin Chang (‘13) has also been injured, and will not appear in the starting lineup as of December.

Read more about the choices, conflicts and rules that influenced boys’ soccer players’ decisions to quit the team in 2011.

THE LOST SEASON http://www.vikingsportsmag. com/features/2012/02/25/the-lost-season/

Go to www.vikingsportsmag.com for beat coverage of these five winter sports. For more complete game, meet and tournament schedules, turn to page 54.

DECEMBER 2012

Columns: The Last Word

Using sports to open doors in life

T

he role that sports should play in our society has suddenly become a hot topic in the media. In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the New York Knicks lit up Madison Square Garden in an emotional victory over the villainous Miami Heat. In that moment in time, the Knicks served as an outlet for the victims of Sandy.

Those who had no power were able to forget their troubles for a couple of hours and come together to rally behind one team.

However, despite the seemingly unifying effect of the game, there remained a few dissenting New Yorkers who claimed that this was simply not the time for basketball.

While I wholeheartedly disagree with these folks, they do bring up an important point about the role that sports should play in one’s life.

Now, this may be the senior in me talking, but I’ve recently had to take a step back and examine my perspective on sports and how important of a role they should play in my future in college. As a freshman it seems as if there is always a next year and that sports will seemingly never have an impending and sudden ending. The sudden realization that sports will have an ending

has made me step back and reexamine what role they should play in the rest of my life.

Although it may be cliché and beaten to death, the NCAA advertisement that preaches “many athletes will be going pro in something other than sports” holds significant weight and truth value. Let’s take, for example, 2 Chainz. Yes, you read that correctly. 2 Chainz a.k.a. Tauheed Epps is, surprisingly enough, a shining role model for student athletes. After

photo by Grant Shorin

Oppor2nities

by JONNY GLAZIER participation in collegiate athletics. While I fully support participation in college athletics, we must take a step back and reassess things at times. Sports never have been and never will be the be-all and end-all for many people, especially in an affluent town like Palo Alto.

While many of us may have the opportunity to play sports in college, we should use those opportunities given to us to get an education and pursue a career, rather than attending a

“2 Chainz a.k.a. Tauheed Epps is, surprisingly enough, a shining role model for student athletes.” being recruited to play basketball at Alabama State, Epps transferred to Virginia State University to continue his career as a student athlete. At Virginia State, he graduated in three years with an astounding 4.0 GPA. Rather than blindly pursuing a career in the NBA, Epps decided to become a rapper and now has become perhaps one of the most popular and successful musicians of the decade. Don’t let lines like “she got a big booty, so I call her big booty” fool you. Epps utilized the opportunity that sports gave him to get an education and become better suited to transfer his skill set to the real world.

Now Paly, as many of us come into our junior and senior years, we are considering

school simply for its athletic prowess or shiny facilities.

Sports can provide some of the most memorable and enjoyable moments in one’s life. However if one focuses solely on sports, his or her life can be ruined by one misstep and resulting ACL tear. If I can leave you with one message Paly, it’s that one must keep everything in perspective. While talented athletes such as 2 Chainz use their athletic ability to open new doors for themselves, many other athletes set on their blinders and focus only on collegiate athletics, regardless of the school they attend. Although ESPN would tell you otherwise, life is about more than just sports. <<<

T.R.U. Despite having comical lyrics and a bad-boy appearance, 2 Chainz, a former basketball player at Alabama State and Virginia State, is a shining example of an athlete utilizing his athletic ability to open new off-the-field opportunities for himself.

“2 Chainz” © 2011Brandon Shigeta used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license

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A Fine and

Dangerous Season

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