Viking Volume 1 Issue 6

IAS is proud to support The Viking!

Volume 1 Issue #6 June 2008 Staff List Editors-in-Chief Charlie Avis Nina Gertsvolf Peter Johnson Austin Smith Noah Sneider Steven Tran

Design Editor Noah Sneider

Staff Christine Chang John Christopherson Oliver Davies Liza Dernehl Oana Enache Adam Furlong Amanda Hohbach Ian Kelly Varun Kohli Lucy McComas Cassie Prioleau Ahna Rao Elizabeth Scott Greg Stewart Matthew Tracy Adam Zernik

Business Manager Steven Tran

Logo Design Nate James (Cleveland, OH)

Photo Manager Alek Milovidov Photo Staff Allen Au Michela Fossati-Ballani

Adviser Ellen Austin

The Viking Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: theviking08@gmail.com Letters to the editor The Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity.

Advertising in The Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by e-mail at theviking08@gmail.com or call 650-329-3837 for more information.

Printing services The Viking is printed six times a year by Fricke-Parks Press in Fremont, Calif.

THE KICKOFF 6 | THE JEFF BIllInG SHrInE 10 | SAy wHAT/By THE numBErS/ EXPlAIn yOurSElF/POP CulTurE GrId

lOOKInG BACK

The L

June 2

15 | FIEld OF drEAmS A look back at the memorable season one of Paly’s best baseball teams ever...

11 | wHO’S HOT & wHO’S nOT 11 | 7 THInGS ABOuT BEInG An SB rydA 14 | 10 q’S wITH CHrISTy CAmPBEll

Volume I, I

18 | THE End OF An ErA Boys’ Basketball Coach Peter Diepenbrock has been a fixture on the Paly sidelines for 11 years. Next year everything will change...

photo credits (clockwise from top left): alek milovidov, Paly Voice, alek milovidov, xc.Paly.net, charlie avis, Paly Voice

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nEwS BrIEFS

THE TEAmS

12 | SOCCEr Paly star Teresa Noyola wins Girls’ Soccer Gatorade National Player of the Year

24 | mAlE TEAm OF THE yEAr: FOOTBAll

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26 | FEmAlE TEAm OF THE yEAr: GIrlS’ SwImmInG 28 | BOyS’ CrOSS-COunTry/ GIrlS’ CrOSS-COunTry 29 | BOyS’ wATEr POlO/ GIrlS’ wATEr POlO 30 | VOllEyBAll/ GIrlS’ TEnnIS 31 | BOyS’ BASKETBAll/ GIrlS’ BASKETBAll 32 | BOyS’ SOCCEr/ GIrlS’ SOCCEr 33 | wrESTlInG/ BOyS’ TEnnIS 34 | BASEBAll/ SOFTBAll 35 | BOyS’ TrACK And FIEld/ GIrlS’ TrACK And FIEld 36 | BOyS’ SwImmInG/ BAdmInTOn 37 | GOlF/ GIrlS’ lACrOSSE

Lineup

THE ISSuES

44 | rECruITInG The Viking explores the issue of recruiting in high school athletics

e 2008

e I, Issue 6

THE lAST wOrd 50 | And THE AwArd GOES TO...Austin Smith’s final column for The Viking

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38 |

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44 |

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50 |

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62 | 64

THE mOmEnTS

THE PEOPlE

38 | TOP 10 PAly SPOrTS mOmEnTS OF 2007-2008

50 | AwArdS InTrOduCTIOn

40 | BOTTOm 10 PAly SPOrTS mOmEnTS OF 2007-2008

51 | COACH OF THE yEAr 52 | mAlE ATHlETE OF THE yEAr 54 | mAlE undErClASSmAn OF THE yEAr 55 | FEmAlE undErClASSmAn OF THE yEAr 56 | FEmAlE ATHlETE OF THE yEAr 58 | AlOK SuBBArO AwArd

5

“Jeff brought a strong work ethic to the team.

He makes it fun to come out and work hard. He’s influenced me by showing me that if you put in the work, you’ll get something out of it.” - Skyler Cummins, Junior “Jeff was like the father I never had*. I constantly strive to gain his respect and acceptance.” - Josh Newby, Sophomore *Newby does in fact have a father.

“If you think of running as my life, it has improved since I met Jeff. He taught me to fight for what I believe in mentally, physically and emotionally. He emanates an aura of goodness, if I had a God, it would be Jeff.” - Erik Klingbeil, Junior

“Jeff has always been a very strong, inspirational leader. He led by setting an example.” Henry Becker, Senior

The Jeff Billing Shrine: Our tribute to the departing Jeff Billing, one of Paly’s most revered coaches

:

“He made a huge difference. He would set goals for me and never failed to help me reach them.

He would encourage me and tell me I’d get there, and I would.”

- Alok Subbarao, Senior

“When I first started track freshman year, I was really just doing it for the prep. I joined long distance because of friends, but Jeff helped me learn to love running. He brought out the best in everyone. Even though he’s leaving, he will always be the heart and soul of the team.” - Alex Voet, Sophomore

Boys’ cross-country and track coach Jeff Billing will be leaving Paly this summer to move to Connecticut with his longtime girlfriend, Christy Yuen. Although he will be deeply missed by all of his runners, Billing’s influence will live on in the work ethic and dedication exemplified by all those who have had the honor of being coached by this bundle of enthusiasm. Billing has helped shape a crosscountry and track dynasty, whose leadership will pass on to John Welsh and Joe Giananni next year. The Viking wishes Billing the best of luck at his new job in far away Connecticut and thanks him for his enormous contribution to Paly sports over the past four years.

“Jeff is the sole reason half the people come to practice everyday and work their a#@!s off.” Nikhil Bhargava, Sophomore

“He’s incredibly energetic and motivational.”- Peter Wilson, Sophomore

THE KICKOFF

SAY WHAT?

Explain yourself

SayWhat?

By the numbers

THE BEST OF 2007-2008

25 years the CCS 100-free-

style record was held until Liv Jensen broke it this season

“Our defense is vital this season, if we can keep the other team’s offense off the field, it will give our offense a chance to score.”

—Jordan Jefferson (Football, Sr.)

87 league winning

2007 Football Preview (September)

percentage during Coach Diepenbrock’s Paly career

“I started fencing because I went to Pirate Camp.”

—Nathan Wilen (Fencing, So.)

78 inches jumped

by Dom Powell in the high-jump at CCS

Making a Point (March)

Sophomore Varun Kohli “There are only three reasons to do this: 1. You actually think it’s cool 2. You lost a bet 3. You’re mentally unstable.

You pick your favorite.”

Have funny photos of you or your friends playing sports? Send them to theviking08@gmail.com and the best on will be published in the next issue

“I think my name affects my street cred in a positive way, actually. After you meet me you’re never going to forget me.”

—Brook Seaman (Football, Sr.)

337,000 high school girls soccer players that Teresa Noyola beat out for the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award

Inside the Mind (September)

“I have a six pack in the keg, mind you, it’s just waiting to break out. It is all muscle really- even if it jiggles. I can flex it, but I just don’t want to.”

—Cyril Gary (Water Polo, Sr.) Inside the Mind (December)0

Pop Culture Grid Paly Teacher and Subject Josep Vericat (Spanish) Steve Foug (History) Esther Wojicki (English) Colin Hawkins (Math) Paul Kandell (English)

10

Favorite Athlete

Nickname?

Last Gadget You Bought

I’m Dying To Visit...

I hate it when students...

Pele

Veri

TV

Cuba

Say things without thinking

Joe Montana

Fabio

Digital Camera

Japan

Look at me

Arthur Ashe

Woj

Apple TV

Jordan

Ask for their grades

Not gadget oriented

Antartica

Ask me to repeat stuff.

New phone!

Costa Rica

Want me to respond to polls

James Lofton Don’t have one Kirk Gibson

P-Kandy

HOT/NOT

7 Things you need To Know About Being a...

SB ryda

According to SB Ryda...

TYGER PEDERSON

1. “SB stands for Scooter Boy.” 2. “You need to be a Track Boi or else you get put on the wait list”

3. “You have to own a razor

scooter”

4. “If you want to join your

name cannot be Dennis Muaka.”

5. “You get a nickname off of

THE KICKOFF

HotNot WHO’S

WHO’S

800 Meters The Viking’s 800 runners have been especially hot with senior Julius Berezin running a 1:55.9 at CCS to qualify for states and senior Mia Lattanzi ran a 2:10.32 to get second at states.

Jon Lester It seems that Major League Baseall is filled with great stories, but nothing tops a cancer survivor throwing a no-hitter.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Rays have stunned everyone by having their best season in the history of the team. Ranked first in the American League, a playoff berth may not be far off.

Last Chance Dance With only 225 people at the Last Chance Dance and about 250 people at the Gunn hosted GloBall, the final dances of the year were not the events of the season that they promised to be.

Boys 4x100 Relay At the state track meet, the boys’ finished a disappointing 29th out of 31 teams. Their time was much slower than their qualifying time.

Paly Baseball A culmination to a year of chaos and confusion, Paly baseball suffered a rough day at Leigh High School, losing the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs 18-4.

Paly Trophy Case The Paly Trophy Case was recently graced with the presence of names such as LeBron James, Lisa Leslie, Peyton Manning and Paly’s Teresa Noyola. The names of all the former recipients of the Gatorade National Player of the Year are written on the trophy.

Paly’s Coaching Staff After three coaches announced that they will be leaving, Paly will be home to many new faces. Paly will be saying goodbye to longtime basketball Coach Peter Diepenbrock, beloved cross country Coach Jeff Billing, and baseball Coach Jefferson.

the appearance of your scooter.”

6. “You have to be initiated in a secret way at the secret area.”

7. “There are a lot of wan-

nabes, you must be in the Facebook group.”

MAMMA MIA Senior Mia Lattanzi speeds past all opposition.

11

NEWS BRIEFS

MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR

‘T’ wins GaTorade p

After winning the 2008 Gatorade National Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year Award, Paly senior Teresa Noyola will be joining the ranks of Lisa Leslie, Lebron James and Peyton Manning as one of finest high schol athletes in the nation. “[Receiving the award] is overwhelming, but in a good way,” Noyola said. “It’s a really big honor and makes me want to work hard to be the best I can be.”

Representatives from The Gatorade Company and ESPN RISE magazine presented the award on May 29 at a ceremony in Paly’s main gym. Also in attendance were Noyola’s coaches from her varsity and club teams.

Of 337,000 girls soccer players and 51 state winners, Noyola rose to the top and was chosen as the recipient of the prestigious award.The honor recognizes qualities such as academic excellence and character, in addition to athletic ability.

The midfielder is the fourth girls soccer player from California to be honored with the award.

“It’s exciting and motivating,” Noyola said.

“I am very grateful but there’s more to do.”

In addition to leading the varsity girls’ soccer team at Paly, Noyola plays for the Mountain View-Los Altos (MVLA) Mercury club team as well as the 20-and-under US Soccer Federation Youth National Team. After joining the team last year, she became the youngest player ever to play for the U-20 team. Noyola first made the national team when she was only fourteen.

“I really started to realize at that point that it would take a lot of work, but I was motivated to be the best I could be,” Noyola said.

She is hoping to earn a place on the US roster for 2008 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup that will be taking place in Chile this November, as well as ultimately to play for the full women’s team.

In her high school career, Noyola scored 40 goals and had 27 assists – and those figures are only from playing for Paly on the varsity soccer team. This year alone, Noyola had 18 goals and 7 assists when playing for Paly, in just 16 games. She led the team to the second round of CIF division in the CCS post-season.

“I have never seen so many skills in one girl,”

12

“[Receiving the award] is overwhelming, but in a good way,” Noyola said. “It makes me want to work hard to be the best I can be.”

pLaYer of The Year

“I loved the game from the moment I stepped on the field; it just clicked for me,” Noyola said. “This is what I want to do.”

Paly varsity girls’ soccer coach, Ernesto Cruz, said. “Teresa is humble, a great team player, she has all the best qualities in one woman.”

Noyola began playing soccer in much the same way as many other players in Paly Alto.

After playing for several years in her local AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) league, she switched up to the higher division CYSA (California Youth Soccer Association).

Later on, Noyola moved to the club team for which she currently plays, the MVLA Mercury.

It was on the Mercury that Noyola made the largest amount of progress and improved the most as a player.

Noyola’s MVLA Mercury coach, Albertin Montoya, feels that the award is well-deserved.

“Teresa is kind, humble, and has a work ethic that is unmatched,” Montoya said. “There are very few players who fully commit themselves to being the best. She was the number one recruit in the country. Everything she’s shot for, she’s achieved.”

Her parents are also impressed by her success and her character.

“Teresa displays honesty, generosity and a commitment to life,” her father, Pedro Noyola, said. “She does not cut corners, is thorough and disciplined. We just want her to enjoy the game and have a healthy life.”

Noyola hopes to one day make the full national team, which her coaches believe that she has the potential to play for.

“She has a passion for life,” Montoya said.

“If she stays healthy, she has the potential to be on the Olympic full national team.”

Though perhaps the most prestigious, the Gatorade Player of the Year is only one of many awards the midfielder has won in the last several years.

Noyola’s exceptional talent has earned her the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas Youth Player of the Year and 2007 and 2008 Girls Player of the Year PARADE Magazine awards.

She will continue to play on the Stanford team this fall.

“I loved the game from the moment I stepped on the field; it just clicked for me,” Noyola said.

“This is what I want to do.” <<<

By Charlie Avis, Nina Gertsvolf, and Noah Sne

13

Q uestions 10 THE KICKOFF

10 Q’s

with

Christy Campbell

We went to the Paly’s own Christy Campbell , a senior water polo player, to ask her ten questions about herself. Then we asked the same ten questions to her twin sister Julie Campbell, friend Adam Herzog and prom date Nathan Gould to see who knows Christy best. Here is how the results went down:

Christy Campbell Senior water-polo

Category

Adam Herzog

Julie Campbell

nathan Gould

dispatch

Favorite Artist

diana ross

dispatch

m.I.A

“when life gives you lemons paint that s*** gold”

Favorite Saying

“Over it”

“Something about lemons and gold”

“Oh my stars”

Partying

Weekend Activity

Partying

Partying

Partying

will Brandin

I wish I was...

will Brandin

a rock star

Adam Herzog

Ariel

Favorite Disney Character

Belle

Ariel

little mermaid

Jordan Sparks

Leaona Lewis or Jordan Sparks

Jordan Sparks

Jordan Sparks

Jordan Sparks

Bear

Favorite Animal

Bear

dolphin

Bear

I don’t

Place to shop

She doesn’t

American Apparel

Haight Street

Beach

Favorite Summer Activity

Beach

Beach

Beach

Camner

Best Teacher

Camner

Camner

Camner

70%

70%

60%

Friend

Open seven days a week Locations: 1850 El Camino Real 3740 El Camino Real Menlo Park, CA 94027 Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 321-8227 (650) 843-0643 www.celiasrestaurants.com

14

Twin sister

Prom date

WANT TO ADVERTISE? Please contact The Viking at theviking08@gmail.com

BY OANA ENACHE AND MAT THE W TR AC Y

Photos courtesy of The Campanile and Paly Yearbook

S

ome students spend days deciding what no one thought possible--league champi- of Paly athletes have fought, won and lost to write about for their college essays, ons, a CCS championship berth and a per- with that goal in mind. For the Paly athlete, trying to find a topic to describe them best. manent spot in Paly lore as one of the best the game against Gunn is not just a game played to improve team standings--it is a For David Stringer (‘04), the choice was teams in the school’s history.

To find the source of Paly’s transformawar, battled for pride and glory. obvious: baseball. tion, look no further than across town, to For the ‘04 team, the Gunn game brought I have a picture of myself when I was two perennial rival Gunn High School. neither pride nor glory, but embarrassment years old...swinging a little red plastic bat Beat Gunn.

For generations, hundreds and agony.

Paly started the game with an with only one hand, he wrote. Since then, 8-1 lead and looked poised for vicI have been hooked. Through basetory.

However, following a number ball, I have made many of my closest of bad coaching calls and unlucky friends, had a successful career (as a bounces, Gunn held the bragging pitcher), and have learned more than rights for the day.

I could ever have imagined. All this I Jeremy Gillan, one of the team’s would never trade for the world.... starting pitchers, was not happy.

He continued, I believe Jimmy Dug“[Gillan] sat [head coach Peter] an, Tom Hanks’ character in A League Colombo down right after the game of their Own, put it best when he said, and ripped him one,” third baseman ‘Baseball is what gets inside of you.’

Adam Dexter said.

“Colombo was Baseball has gotten inside me, and I just sitting there taking it, saying ‘I don’t know if it will ever let go. know, I know, it’s my fault’.”

At the time, Stringer was part of a Some coaches, put in the same team gripped by baseball--Palo Alto situation, would have been angry.

High School’s 2004 varsity baseball Photo courtesy of Paly Yearbook Colombo accepted his mistakes. team. Ultimately, it was the team’s “I put us in a tough spot and we spirit and unity that took them where SEnIOr POwEr Adam Dexter, senior outfielder,

warms up for a game at Paly in his whites.

15

LOOKING BACK

2004 BASEBALL

ended up losing,” he said. “[Gillan] should have been mad at me.”

For Paly’s team, confrontation and discussion was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Our team was run open forum,” Dexter said. “Whenever a decision was made, the whole team was addressed and we would all decide together...Colombo was as much a player as the last guy sitting on the bench.”

Nevertheless, the team took some time to reach their potential. They finished the regular season 13-5, enough to make CCS. However, as soon as the bracket came out it was obvious the road to the CCS championship would not be easy: Paly was first set to play Leigh High School, then West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) private-school powerhouses St. Francis and Bellarmine. But as soon as CCS came along, both assistant coach Dick Held and Colombo noticed a change in the team.

“It was a so-so season, but when [the team] made CCS they came together as a unit and believed they could [win],” Held said. “There was no doubt in any of their minds that they could do it.”

Paly’s run began with a 5-2 win over

sudden, we were the team to beat.”

With the victory over St. Francis propelling them forward, Paly went on to defeat Bellarmine 9-4, earning them a spot in the championships against top-seeded Wilcox High School.

The openness and spirit that took the team so far was a group effort, but a large part of their success was due to the leadership of key players Nathan Ford, Max Pinto, Adam Dexter, Jeremy Gillan, and David Stringer.

Ford was a multitalented athlete; as well as playing catcher for the baseball team, he was also the starting quarterback for the football team, and a solid player on the basketball team. Assistant coach Dick Held believes one of Ford’s major strengths was his ability to handle pressure.

“The tougher the situation, the better Nathan played,” Held said.

Pinto was another two-sport athlete, but he brought something very different: overflowing passion for the game. Every player on the team was passionate about baseball, but Pinto, who played centerfield, had all of that and more.

“Max Pinto is what Paly baseball is all about,” Colombo said. “Hustle and grit.”

Complementing Pinto’s passion was Dexter, who played third base but was also a solid hitter and good outfielder. “[Dexter was a] vocal, mature leader,” Colombo said.

Finally, there were the pitchers-Stringer and Gillan. Though they played the same position, Stringer was the solid, classic pitcher while Gillan had a surprise for opposing teams-his vicious curveball. They also differed in leadership styles. Gillan was vocal, while Stringer was more mature and quiet. Dexter remembers him as “a man of few words”, but when he did speak, his teammates listened. The pitchers also inspired their teammates with their hard work.

“When Stringer and Gillan were done throwing their bullpens at practice, [they would] go run ten poles [running from one foul line to the other ten times, with one minute of rest in between],” Colombo said.

“Practice would stop [as the other players watched them] race and compete like it was the Olympics...[they] worked very, very hard at practice every day, [and] did not

“They played the game the right way...They outhustled other teams, played with heart and let it all out on the field.”

Leigh, whom they were favored to beat. Saint Francis was another story.

At the time of the game, St. Francis was ranked fifth in the nation, but it had been ranked first for most of the season. Four of their players would go on to play Division I baseball in college, and two players would continue on to play professionally. Few thought that Paly, a public school, could stand a chance against them-except the team itself. And in the end, that was all that mattered.

Paly played perfectly, and senior pitcher Jeremy Gillan threw an outstanding game - four innings of no-hit ball, leading to a 4-3 victory. It was the ultimate upset victory.

“After that win, we were on top of the Bay Area and everyone knew it,” Dexter said. “All of a

16

care about what the other kids thought or if they were looking cool or not.”

Despite the team’s excellent senior leadership, success would not have been possible without the help and work of every player-Michael Barich, Mike Bianchi, Gabe Brewer, Kevin Briggs, Joey Cote, John Ginanni, Russ Hageman, Bobby Harlan, Karl Laughton, Pierre Meloty-Kapella, Jimmy Meuel, Shane Parsons, Sandy Williams, and Matt Wismann completed the roster that year.

In addition, a team could have many good players but still fall apart without proper coaching. Paly, however, did not have that problem. The coaching staff was comprised of Colombo as head coach, with assistant coaches Held, Rob McGregor, and Ed Paulos.

“Every coach...was just as close to the players as we were with each other,” Dexter said.

By the time the CCS championship game finally arrived, the Vikings had the spirit, teamwork, and will to win it all. The only obstacle standing in their way was Wilcox High School.

Although not a private school powerhouse, Wilcox was not just another public school. The Chargers had won all three of their regular season games against Paly, outscoring the Vikes 13-5. They had also won ten consecutive league titles from 1995 to 2004. Their star pitcher, Donald Brandt, was a left-handed pitcher who had four shutouts and two no-hitters as a senior, and would later be named CCS player of the year.

Paly was still determined to win.

ing in the 90s,” Colombo said.

Fortunately Pinto was able to get himself on second base. But Wilcox did not want the speedy and athletic Pinto to be in scoring position, and chose to use their last resort- the “fire drill” play. Brandt turned from the mound, and faked a throw to second. The shortstop and second baseman dove for the nonexistent ball, and the centerfielder came running in to make the play. Pinto, believing the ball to be in the outfield, started for third. Just as Pinto committed, Brandt took the ball out from his shirt and threw it to third, in time to get Pinto. “The trick play was one of those things where we wondered, ‘How could we fall for that?’ and gave Wilcox a spark

the Paly locker room to comfort each other, talk, and reflect on the season. The severity of the loss was immeasurable for the players.

“Baseball is a game of failure,” Stringer said. “Oftentimes the true test is how you can respond to that failure and how well you can rebound...as painful as it was to come that close just to lose in the last inning, the meeting after the game was the perfect form of catharsis. It completely solidified our coming together as a team, and forged bonds that I believe will never break.”

It has been four years since that fateful season, and the players from the Paly baseball team have gone far. Many of the players are still playing baseball in college, among

drEAm TEAm (from left to right) The team stops to take a picture, shortstop Russ Hagemann throws a ball home in a game at Paly.

Stringer noticed a definite change in the team’s attitude by the time of the CCS game. “I could see the change in the intensity with which we approached every aspect of the game,” he said. “Every drill in practice was sharper, every bit of running was more intense, and every pre-game speech was more emotional...we all realized that we had a chance [to win] every time we stepped on to the field.”

Dexter also felt a similar spirit. “We came into that game so confident,” he said. “That was the only way we were going to have a chance.”

In the sixth inning of the Wilcox game, it looked like Paly’s chance had come.

They were up 4-2, but then Wilcox fought back, changing the score to 4-5, in favor of Wilcox. But to the players, the score was just a number, and it began to look like the Vikings had a chance to win it all-until Wilcox sent Brandt in.“Brandt was throw-

of hope,” Held said.

Then another bang-bang pick-off play at first base completed the inning for Brandt, and the game was finished.

After over five months of hitting, sweating, throwing, running and dreaming, the season was abruptly over.

“It was almost unbearable watching Wilcox dogpile the mound, especially since we lost the lead so late,” Stringer said. “It felt like they were celebrating our win.”

Colombo echoes Stringer’s feelings.

“We had been on an emotional high for two weeks...the toast of the town, and then within seconds hit rock bottom,” he said.

“When you upset all these teams and get to the final and lose such a close game none of that matters...It was only a high school game but at that moment it was very emotional.”

After returning home, the team met in

them is Ford playing catcher at Cornell, Pinto continuing in center field at Williams and Stringer pitching at Stanford. However, for many of the players, now seniors in college, their baseball careers are ending. Nonetheless, the 2004 Paly baseball season is one that the players will always treasure.

“There is no other feeling than striving as hard as you can every day towards a goal with the 25 people you know better and longer than anyone else,” Stringer said.

Colombo has his own philosophy as to the team’s impact and success. “[They were] not the most talented baseball team Paly has ever produced, [but] they played the game the right way,” he said. “They outhustled the other teams, played with heart, and let it all out on the field.”

Though it has been years since they last played on the Paly diamond, the 2004 varsity baseball team will remain in the annals of Paly legend forever. <<<

17

Farewell

End of An Era

By Peter Johnson and Ian Kelly | Photography by Alek Milovidov

ucked in his office in the corner of the cavernous Paly gym, Peter Diepenbrock lies back in This chair, gazing at a wall filled with more than a decade’s worth of posters, pictures, and

newspaper clippings. Sitting in his trademark polo and cargo shorts, ‘Diep’ stares up at one of his many team posters, pinned above what seems to be never-ending line of photos of his two year-old son. A feeling of pride echoes in his voice as he speaks of his basketball teams, a zeal in his face as his eyes move from one era to the next. Coach Diep’s teams are known for their success - over the past eleven years, he has been the architect behind six league titles, three section crowns and one state championship. Those eleven team photos rest proudly on the wall, each one etched with the names of the players that made those seasons legendary. Yet for all his achievements and triumphs over the years, at the end of the next winter season Diepenbrock won’t be adding a twelfth team photo to his wall.

18

his future as the basketball F visioned coach at Palo Alto High School- and or a long time, Peter Diepenbrock en-

only Palo Alto High School. “Around two months ago, I thought I would be here for another 20 years,” he said. “I never looked to leave or apply for another job.”

Yet three months ago, everything changed. In March, the Cañada College (Redwood City) head basketball post opened up, prompting Diepenbrock to consider it as his next coaching endeavor.

“The only job that I could possibly consider leaving for was Cañada,” Diepenbrock said. “So many things are perfect for this job: I don’t have to move, it is closer to my house than Paly, and I don’t need a Masters [Degree].”

Days after the position became available, Diepenbrock sent in an application for the post. Weeks later, he ended his eleven-year coaching legacy at Palo Alto, starting anew in the college ranks.

“It was kind of a shock to me,” junior starter Nick Robinson said.” But I guess things happen. I’ve known Diep since middle school; he’s coached me two years in high school and taught me a lot of things.

I’ll miss him being around.”

“I was stunned,” said Brian Baskauskas (‘05), a former Paly captain and current Amherst College star. “Coach Diepenbrock was a fixture at Paly. He really rebuilt the program to where it is today.”

“I was a little bit surprised,” said Dave Kiefer, a long time Bay Area high school sportswriter. “He was in a really good career situation, which takes a lot to give up.”

At the same time, some of Diepenbrock’s former players were not surprised by the decision and were proud to see him finally take the next step.

“I know he eventually wanted to coach college basketball,” said Jeremy Lin (‘06), a former Paly basketball icon and current Harvard starter. I was really happy for him. He’s very deserving, very passionate, and very dedicated.”

For Diepenbrock, there were a number of things he loved about being a high school basketball coach. Yet there were

certain aspects of college basketball that high school could not quite offer.

“The challenge of getting players and finding a way to get players - whether from high school or from other colleges really intrigued me,” he said. “After this came open, it got me thinking. I was getting energized about coaching an older kid, a physically more mature kid, a more capable kid.” n 1997, Palo Alto Athletic Director Earl Hansen had a difficult decision to make. After the controversial dismissal of former coach Jim Forthoffer, Paly had

I

them over a 10-month period,” Diepenbrock said. “I remember that during the first couple of years I had to handle a lot of discipline and policy issues as far as how I wanted kids to handle themselves.”

But as the seasons passed and the players became more familiar with Diepenbrock, a communal understanding of the program’s expectations evolved.

“It was remarkable to see how kids talk amongst themselves and how they learned from one another,” Diepenbrock said. “It became much easier after the first couple of years.”

“I was really happy for hIm. I know he wanted to coach college basketball. he Is very deservIng, very passIonate, very dedIcated.”

- 2006 graduate Jeremy lIn

to find a replacement who could continue the success of an already strong basketball tradition.

“It was a very tough choice,” Hansen remembered. “We had about five guys winning CCS titles at other schools applying for this job. Ultimately, I felt that Diepenbrock was the best fit for Palo Alto.”

When Diepenbrock took his first steps into the Paly gymnasium, he was unsure of the program’s potential. Before coming to Paly, his only high school head coaching job was at Pinewood High School, a small private institution in Los Altos Hills with a student body of under two hundred.

“I don’t think I had any expectations when I first arrived,” he said. “I was just excited to have an opportunity to create lots of competition among 1,500 kids and work with really motivated athletes who wanted to get better.”

Diepenbrock was quick to make changes in the team’s attitude as he inherited the program. His dedication, passion, and expectations for his teams were a rarity for high school coaches - an intensity that led to an adjustment period.

“I think the expectations on the kids were different than what I wanted from

Diepenbrock also transformed the program through fundraisers and other means to increase the teams’ budget. Wanting a more professional and higher-level atmosphere for his players, Diepenbrock went to any measure possible to raise the quality of the basketball equipment and facilities.

“We did a lot [to raise money],” he said.

“You name a fundraiser, and we’ve done it.”

With more money and more resources, Diepenbrock was able to upgrade many of the Palo Alto basketball facilities, bringing them to a new, professional level. Among his fundraising contributions were glass backboards, a ball cage, ball racks, game chairs, a scoring table, baseline pads, and relining of the gym floor.

Along with his contributions to Paly basketball, Diepenbrock immersed himself into the local environment. He knew that in order to build an enduring program, he had to go beyond just being a good coach - he had to establish Paly basketball within the community. Despite being at the helm of a well-regarded high school varsity team, Diepenbrock took the time to coach at Jordan Middle School as a way to develop the program’s roots.

19

Farewell “There’s no doubt that when I’m going down to Jordan, people know I take this coaching role very seriously,” Diepenbrock said. “There’s nothing in terms of coaching that I won’t do. It’s those little things that lead to this kid here and this kid there.”

Diepenbrock wanted to give kids the opportunity to play all year round, while also giving them a means to develop as basketball players. This led him in 1998 to start Palo Alto Basketball School. “It was initially begun as a way to coach middle school kids who were going to go to Paly,” Diepenbrock said. “It evolved because kids liked the individual coaching that they got.”

For kids from second to eighth grade,

said. “He meant a lot to the kids, a lot to the community - he always had Palo Alto excited about basketball.”

Diepenbrock had revived Palo Alto basketball and ignited an unprecedented level of seriousness and commitment.

Even though he had taken great strides in reshaping the program, until 2002 Diepenbrock had won only one league title in 1998 and no CCS championships. The work put in had not produced the results he anticipated. The payoff had not arrived. he 2002 season brought the first group of seniors that Diepenbrock had coached all the way through - from their freshman to senior years. The community’s expectations were high, the players’ expectations were high, but most of

T

all, Coach Diepenbrock’s expectations were high. Diepenbrock’s obsession for that season and that team was evident to his players.

“Diep invested his whole life in that team,” said Danny Occenad, a 2002 grad and member of the team. “That was his team. Every player on that team had been groomed into their role for the team, every starter and every bench player he had invested himself into.”

Paly entered the CCS D-II playoffs as the two seed and rolled into the semifinals against Fremont, whom they had defeated twice during the regular season. The Vikings, who had outscored their first two playoff opponents 127-61, foresaw another relatively easy victory.

“dIep Invested hIs whole lIfe In that team (‘01-’02). that was hIs team. every player had been groomed Into theIr role for the team.”

- 2002 graduate danny occenad the camp gives youth basketball players the opportunity to learn more than the typical basketball summer camp.

“The camps are at a high level,” said Chris Bobel (‘02), a star player on the Paly basketball teams of the early 2000’s, now Director of Basketball Operations at Louisiana State University (LSU). “The kids who go through Diep’s program know the fundamentals.

They are exposed to high level footwork and teaching drills - that’s why it is Palo Alto Basketball School, not camp.”

In addition, many believe they had an impact by bringing together kids of all ages, creating an enthusiasm for Diepenbrock’s camps. Yet ultimately Palo Alto Basketball School wasn’t just teaching kids about basketball. It was another component of the way Diepenbrock cultivated the town’s interest, another part of making Palo Alto basketball a major part of the community.

“He did a really good job getting everyone to care about the team,” Bobel

“We had literally annihilated [Fremont] 48-23 at their place, and destroyed them at our place later,” Diepenbrock said.

“We came out that night going, ‘we gotta win, we gotta win.’”

However, Paly’s players struggled with pre-game jitters, and after conceding an early lead, Diepenbrock immediately knew it was going to be an uphill climb.

“That night we just came out tighter than a drum,” Diepenbrock said. “After the first two minutes, I turned to my assistant coach going, ‘We’re f****d.

What are we going to do?’”

“We came out flat,” junior starter Ryan Symes (‘03) said. “We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to win. They were ready to play, and we were playing catch up the whole game.”

Paly’s season ended that night, and Diepenbrock was devastated. All the hours in the gym, all the hard work invested into that squad over four years to succeed in that exact moment, was gone.

the more talented team and After the game, a dismayed Diepenbrock would just Diepenbrock turned to one say ‘go out there and win,’” of his mentors, former Bobel said. “I could see in coach Bob Roehl. the years following more of “I called him and said, an emphasis on each player ‘Bob, this is brutal,’” improving, each player doDiepenbrock recalled. “He ing their role.” told me: ‘your guys are all This philosophy proved focused on you gotta win, to be a turning point, not you gotta win. That’s not only in Diepenbrock’s cahow it works. They’re basreer, but in the future sucketball players. They need cess of the Paly program. to focus on being basket“That’s all I said the ball players and making following (‘02-’03) year. basketball plays. That’s I told them, ‘Guys, just where their focus needs play,’” Diepenbrock said. to be at. What is win win “And what did we do the win? You can’t just win next year? We won the win win. You can shoot CCS championship. That and you can pass but you ‘03 team we did what the can’t win win win.’”

‘02 team that was ridicuor Diepenbrock, baslously more talented, more ketball is life. When asked dedicated, more committo explain what basketball ted would’ve cut their arm means to him, he said with off to do. It was not a great a smile: “Well it’s like this: team, but when it counted, growing up, I was one of they just played.” twelve kids. Neither of With a new confidence, my parents played basketPalo Alto basketball ball. Most of my siblings took off into a different couldn’t tell the difference DEDICATION Diepenbrock will be remembered by the comdimension of success, between a basketball and a muniy and his players for his strong passion for basketball. of astronomical proporfootball.” tions, in what is dubbed At a young age, he imby many as the beginning mersed himself in the game, so much so hl’s message turned out to be his coachthat he saw it form who he was, “As a ing epiphany. At that point, Diepenbrock of Diepenbrock’s legacy. After 2002, Paly kid, basketball was mine,” he said. “It was realized that the motivation for his play- won five straight league titles, three CCS something I gravitated toward. That’s what ers had to be a passion for basketball, and crowns, and one state championship. ollowing CCS titles in 2003 and 2005, I did for my attention, my self-esteem, my that winning would follow, rather than the Palo Alto had attained a reputation as ego, my identity.” other way around. He understood that he Doc Scheppler, Diepenbrock’s frosh- needed to help his players discover a love one of the Bay Area’s premier basketball squads. Considered an excellent pubsoph coach at Burlingame High School be- for basketball, as he had as a child. tween 1978 and 1979, saw Diepenbrock’s “When I talk to kids, that’s what I tell lic school program, Paly always ranked innate love of basketball develop during them,” Diepenbrock said. “I can tell them among the section’s top ten teams, consishis teenage years. to do a jump stop and follow through, but tently making deep playoff runs. But what “He had a thirst for learning - he was the that’s not what it’s about. It’s about going took place during the subsequent 2005-06 type of player all coaches loved. He had a out and doing these things on your own, season propelled Palo Alto basketball to unthinkable levels, entrenching itself as swagger in his step, a self-belief in what making it yours.” he was doing,” Scheppler said. “That’s his As this became clear to Diepenbrock, perhaps the most legendary season in the passion, that’s his love, that’s what he gets his coaching style began to evolve. When athletic lore of Palo Alto High School.

“It was a dream season,” said Keith addicted to. That’s the way he feels about Bobel (‘02) returned to watch the team folbasketball.” lowing his senior year, he noticed a shift in Peters, Palo Alto Weekly sports editor. “It was about as perfect as it possibly could According to Diepenbrock, the 2002 the team’s attitude.

CCS semifinal experience and Bob Roe“During that year, a lot of times we were have been.”

F

F

Farewell The thrilling ride began as the team led by six seniors and their well-known coach headed into the CCS Division II final against a daunting Mitty squad. Although some considered the Vikings to be underdogs, Paly surprised many by prevailing 50-38 to earn a CCS title and top seed in the Northern California playoffs.

“At the time, Palo Alto beating Mitty in the CCS championship was actually considered an upset,” Kiefer said. “I remember how pumped up Diepenbrock was - he took great pride in the public school/private school rivalry.”

In the state playoffs, Palo Alto beat two section finalists before meeting that very same Mitty team again in the NorCal championship game. In one of the most extraordinary games of that season, Paly mounted a furious comeback filled with late-game heroics to narrowly get past their section rivals.

“I thought people got to see a remarkable high school game,” Mitty coach Brian Eagleson said. “I think back on that game

often; I feel that really gave that group great momentum heading into the state title game.”

The state championship was set, and Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei was heavily favored against Diepenbrock’s little-known Paly team. Mater Dei had seven eventual D-I players; Paly had one. Mater Dei had eight players over 6’8”; Paly had none. Mater Dei had bluechip prospects who went there in order to earn scholarships to college basketball programs. Palo Alto, on the other hand, wasn’t exactly a D-I basketball factory.

But the Diepenbrock emphasis on unselfish, defensive basketball that had spurred

and justifiably so. He had guided a group of scrappy high school players past teams overflowing with college talent to the peak of high school sports.

“Diepenbrock’s work on the state championship team was the epitome of good coaching,” Kiefer said. “I don’t know if there was ever a better coaching job.” ext year, for the first time in twelve years, Peter Diepenbrock will not be on the Paly sidelines. From his first season as Paly head coach in 1997, to his last in 2008, Diepenbrock will be remembered as a basketball fanatic who left a lasting impression on his players and the community. He attained a reputation as a one-of-

N

“dIepenbrock’s work on the state champIonshIp team was the epItome of good coachIng. I don’t know If there was ever a better coachIng job.

- former san Jose mercury sPortswrIter dave KIefer

Palo Alto in the past to overcome more talented or physically imposing opponents gave the team hope against their hyped [opponent].

“If you look at the ‘05-06 team, you can see that Diepenbrock’s teams played the right way,” said Eagleson.

“They were fundamental, they played cohesive-team basketball, and they were never unprepared.”

Paly’s six seniors attained renowned status for their roles in leading that team to the pinnacle of high school basketball, and rightfully so. Yet, while those players were worshipped in newspapers and around school, many believe Diepenbrock to be the mastermind behind that state championship season.

“Diep was, by far, the most integral part of us winning the state championship,” Lin said. “Without him, we wouldn’t have been close.”

At the end of the 2005-06 season, Diepenbrock’s was honored as the CalHi Sports Basketball Coach of the Year,

a-kind basketball coach, a teacher of the game who never took a play off and cared just as much about winning games as he did about improving players.

“I loved basketball more than anything,” said Nick Karvelas (‘03), a former Paly basketball great. “It was really special for me to play for someone who cared about every single play - whether it was scrimmages, pre-season games or the playoffs. He was constantly trying to make us better.”

Diepenbrock’s intrinsic love of basketball furthered his ability to inspire his Palo Alto teams.

“He knew how to motivate his players,” Baskauskas said. “He made me want to be the best player I could. He put a ton of time and energy into high school basketball, and it showed.”

Yet at the same time Diepenbrock’s high expectations and at-times fiery demeanor did not elude him from criticism.

“If a player didn’t fit into the system, he wasn’t going to play a lot,” Karvelas said.

SUCCESS In 11 years as head coach of Palo Alto basketball, Diepenbrock went 113-19 in league play, with six league titles, three CCS championships and one state championship. Diep will leave next season for Cañada.

“You had to fit his system.”

Despite the strength of basketball in the Central Coast Section and Paly’s strong athletic tradition, over the past decade Diep has produced some of Palo Alto’s most storied seasons. And while some may argue Paly’s 1993 state championship and tradition of success fails to distinguish Diepenbrock from past coaches, Kiefer believes there was an inherent difference between Diepenbrock’s era and those before him.

“He means an awful lot to Palo Alto.

I know Palo Alto was a good basketball school in the 1960’s, but that was really before the era of private school dominance,” Kiefer said. “The 1993 state championship may not quite have been a fluke, but it did not necessarily indicate that kind of sustained excellence. Diepenbrock was the key to bringing Palo Alto to that next level, that everlasting powerhouse viewpoint.”

And while coaches and sportswriters laud the success of Diepenbrock’s teams, it was his players that ultimately saw the allaround impact he made to the program.

“Peter Diepenbrock is basketball in Palo Alto,” Baskauskas said. “He is respected by all, from sixth graders to fifty year olds, and everyone in between. He had a huge impact on the program.” lthough Diepenbrock is looking forward to his new challenge, there are parts of high school basketball that just won’t be the same.

“I will miss the interaction with high school kids, watching them grow from freshman to seniors,” he said. “The high school years are just such key years in a kid’s life, when they change and mature so much. I’m going to really miss that.”

Over the years, the Gunn-Paly basketball clashes have attained epic status, with the cross-town rivalry serving as the highlight of the league season. With a 17-1 record against Gunn over the past nine years, not being on the sidelines of those games will be a different feeling for Diepenbrock.

“Kicking Gunn’s a** on a yearly basis is something I’ll definitely miss - not that it ever gets old.”

A

“And you can quote me on that,” he added with a grin.

Diepenbrock still expects to remain close to the basketball program, but it may take some time for him to get used to his new role. “I’m going to come and watch games, but it’s going to be weird,” he said.

“It’s all very uncomfortable right now, but things change.”

And despite no longer having the title of Palo Alto Basketball coach, Diepenbrock will still have the relationships with his former players and the admiration of the Palo Alto community. And for all the titles he’s won, all the season’s he’s coached, all the lives he’s touched, Diep will forever have an affection for Palo Alto basketball in him.

“There is no question that when you spend eleven years at a place, you will have ties and relationships with many people,” he said. “In the end, I will always be an admirer of Paly basketball, and Paly basketball will always be a part of me.” <<<

THE TEAMS

MALE TEAM OF THE

MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR Following up a magical 2006 season in which they reached the CIF Division II state championship game, the Palo Alto Varsity football team continued its recent success in 2007 by capturing yet another CCS title.

Led by a strong core of seniors, the team had the confidence and the expe-

rience needed to put together another title-winning campaign.

“A lot of us played as juniors and that experience advanced our development as a team,” senior wide receiver

THE SEASON 9/7/07 - 11/30/07 9/7/07 Paly travels to Oakland to beat McClymonds 20-6

24

Mike Scott said. “We grew both physically, because we got bigger and stronger, as well as mentally.”

The team got off to a less than championship-worthy start, going 2-2 in their first four games, and clearly struggling on the offensive side of the ball.

A 20-6 victory over the very talented McClymonds High School in Oakland set the Vikings off on the right foot.

The game would come to characterize the Vikings future formula for success. Senior fullback Sione Mataele established the power running game, rushing for 113 yards on 17 carries.

Junior quarterback Will Brandin showed composure and ran the offense well in his first start. While he did throw one interception, he also completed 65 percent of his passes, neither influencing the game enough to win nor playing poorly enough to give it away. He also used his greatest weapon, Scott, to his advantage, completing 84 of his 139 passing

9/21/07

10/5/07

Paly offense struggles in 7-27 loss to Oak Grove

Brandin’s three rushing TDs lead Paly to 28-21 win over Mt. View

9/14/07

9/28/07

Paly beats Burlingame 23-6

Paly gets blown out by league rivals Los Gatos 7-42

yards to the electric wideout.

The tables quickly turned on the Vikings, however, as the offense began to struggle mightily and they lost two consecutive home games. On September 21, division rivals Oak Grove High School held the Vikings to 59 passing yards, 49 rushing yards, and a meager seven points. Only a week later, the team was once again shut down, losing to Los Gatos High School 42-7 with the only points coming on a late fourth quarter touchdown strike from senior backup quarterback Jeff Wilson to senior wide receiver Brook Seaman.

“Nobody expected us to win our second CCS title in a row,” Scott said.

“They thought we didn’t have it in us.

They wrote us off after only a few games, put us on the back burner, didn’t take us seriously.”

Brandin had a nightmarish two game span, completing only 39 percent of his passes, leading to an endless string of three-and-outs. Brandin was eventually benched at the end of the Los Gatos game, partly due to a tweak in his back.

However, Brandin rebounded from the poor starts and picked up his game and, when he did, the team began to win.

“We won games, and that kept us on the map,” Scott said. “People started to realize that we were the real deal.”

The last six games of the regular season were a clear display of league domination for the Vikings. Both sides of the ball stepped up their games and a great chemistry began to form between the players.

“We’re not a team, we’re a family,” Scott said. “Through football, we have

9/13/07 Paly beats defending NCS champs Oak Grove 79-52

10/11/07

10/19/07

Three interceptions pave way for 27-7 Paly win over Milpitas

Scott’s 90-yard KO return for TD caps 2112 win over Wilcox

gone beyond the level of teammates and more like brothers. I think that chemistry shows on the field.”

The team did not lose a game since Los Gatos, and frequently were at the top of their game. During the team’s final nine games, including the CCS playoffs, they compiled a streak of three games in which they scored 49 points, as well as three games in which they held their opponents scoreless.

To end the regular season on a high note, the Vikings crushed cross-town rivals Gunn High School 49-0 on November 2. In a game where a number of the team’s star players rested on the bench, the Vikings wasted no time scoring, as they tallied up 47 points in the first half alone.

The toughest test in the playoffs, was the Vikings second round defensive battle against North Salinas High School on November 24. James McCollough’s 32-yard touchdown run was the only scoring in the game.

In the CCS title game against Menlo-Atherton on November 30, the entire season came down to a third down and thirteen, with only thirteen seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Brandin lofted a beautiful fade into the front corner of the endzone and let Scott do the rest.

“I don’t know why they left me in single coverage, but I was quicker off the line and went by the corner untouched.

I jumped thinking I was going to get hit, but neither of the defenders jumped with me. I had a clear chance at the ball, the problem was getting both feet in.”

It was a happy moment for Scott,

10/27/07 Paly runs all over winless Santa Clara 49-7

who ended the season with 1175 all-purpose yards and 11 total touchdowns.

“It didn’t hit me until the crowd started going. It was a dream come true, the ideal way to end my high school career. Everybody wants to make that catch, and I got to.”

Despite his late game heroics, Scott is eager to give credit to his teammates, most especially the secondary. The Vikings led the league with 21 interceptions, often coming up with big turnovers when the team needed it the most.

Part of the team’s success was their mental toughness away from their home field. The Vikings went undefeated in their seven road games, proving that they were the league’s superior team without the aid of home field advantage. The players say, however, that their winning mentality can be traced back to preparedness.

“We knew the system better this year. It’s all about executing and we knew what we had to do and how we had to do it. It was all on our ability and our focus.”

The players believe that it was the perfect way to end their season and, for many, their high school careers.

“I’m proud that I get to leave on top,” Scott said. “Winning your last game is a good feeling. Only special teams get to feel that.” ~ Austin Smith

11/17/07

Paly humiliates cross-town rivals Gunn 49-0

Paly advances through the first round of CCS playoffs by cruising past El Camino, 38-0

Brandin throws for three TDs as Paly beats Los Altos 49-16

LEAGUE FINISH

1

CCS FINISH: CHAMPS

RECORD: 11-2 (5-1) COACH: EARL HANSEN

MVP: MIKE SCOTT

11/30/07

11/9/07

11/2/07

FOOTBALL

Scott gives Paly a 14-7 win over MenloAtherton, and another CCS title, with his last minute, acrobatic endzone catch

11/24/07 McCollough’s 32-yard TD run delivers Paly to its second straight CCS title game with a 7-0 win over North Salinas

25

THE TEAMS

FEMALE TEAM OF THE YEAR

FEMALE TEAM OF THE YEAR Months of training and preparation led the Palo Alto High School varsity girls’ swimming team to an explosive season.

After losing last year’s seniors, Louisa Zou, Morgan Davies and Tanya Wilcox, the team had to rework its strategy to secure an equally successful season.

The team cruised through duelmeets undefeated, and finished strong in first place in the De Anza League. Its combination of strong individuals and superior teamwork made this team The

Viking’s top pick for Female Team of the Year.

At the Spring Invitational on March 7, the Lady Vikes set the pace for the rest of the season. Liv Jensen, one of the most prominent athletes on the team, won

“I AM SO PROuD OF THE WAy OuR WHOLE TEAM WORKED TOGETHER THIS yEAR. EVERyONE TRIED THEIR BEST FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON.” - Liv Jensen (senior) a final score of 107-79.

Team leaders, Collen Fotsch and Jensen, swam the 200-yard medley relay and achieved the eighth fastest time in Paly history.

On April 25, the team accomplished its pre-season goal when it beat Monta Vista. It was the first time in two year that the Lady Vikes managed to defeat the Matadors and continue their winning streak.

The Santa Clara Valley Athletic League championship brought the team to the pinnacle of its victorious season. The Lady Vikes won the meet for the sixth year in a row to end the regular season undefeated.

With a flawless record, the team was poised to compete at the Central Coast Sectional meet.

CCS brought success along with disappointment to the triumphant team.

Though they finished in a disheartening

THE SEASON 8/16/07 - 1/9/08

2/29/08

1/28/08

4/01/08

Lady Vikes easily beat Woodside at the first official meet

Paly beings practice in preparation for pre-season meets

2/23/08 Top swimmers participate in intersquad meet

26

the 50- and 100-yard freestyle individually and helped the 200- and 400- yard freestyle relays crush the competition as well. The team’s success at the first invitational foreshadowed the sensational season that was yet to come.

It continued its success with complete domination against all of its league opponents. On April 15, Paly slaughtered cross-town rival, Gunn High School, with

With a final score of 114-62, Paly shut-out Menlo Knights

3/07/08 Paly wins the Spring Kick-Off meet with 302 points

third place, five new records were set during the meet.

Jensen broke a twenty-five year record in the 100-yard freestyle, while Fotsch achieved All-American times in the 100-yard butterfly and backstroke.

Despite the upsets at CCS, the girls’ swimming team’s pristine league record earned them the Female Team of the Year for 2008.

With graduation looming, the team will lose its valued seniors, Jensen and Fotsch.

Both have contributed to the team’s success and set numerous individual records.

Other seniors include: Lizzie Abbott, Amanda Wong, Brittany Yee, Xio Pinto, Emily Kennan, Hallie Kennan, Sonia Chapiro, Allison Feeny, Hannah Epstein and Nicole Westly, who helped the team over their four years.

As reported in the last issue of The Viking, both Jensen and Fotsch are working towards qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“We could not have done it [won leagues] without them [Jensen and Fotsch],” junior Tara Murao said.

The Paly divers acted as key scorers throughout the season. Veteran diver,

“I am so proud of the way our whole girls team worked together this year,” Jensen said. “Everyone tried their best for the entire season.” ~Elizabeth Scott

Michela Fossati-Bellani, won CCS with an astounding 475.15 points.

Freshman, Grace Greenwood, finished eighth with 375.2 points. Following close behind was junior, Noa Palmon who finished eleventh with 341.25 points. This success helped the team achieve its third place finish.

With freshman, Sabrina Lee, sophomore, Kaitlyn Tracy, and junior, Allie Bollela the Lady Vikes can count on more record-setting seasons in the future.

4/12/08 Divers Fossati-Bellani and Greenwood place in the top 3 at the Palo Alto Invite

4/15/08 Jensen helps beat Gunn by swimming the anchor-leg of the 200-yard free relay

SWIMMING LEAGUE FINISH

1

RECORD: 8-0

CCS FINISH: Third

COACH: DANNY DYE

MVP: LIV JENSEN

4/19/08

5/09/08

Fotsch sets Section Challenge record in the 100-yard butterfly

Paly wins the Santa Clara Valley League Championship and finishes the regular season undefeated

4/25/08

5/17/08

Paly beats Monta Vista for the first time in two years

Paly girls set five records and finish third in CCS

27

THE TEAMS

FALL SPORTS

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY LEAGUE FINISH CCS FINISH: 5th

1

RECORD: N/A COACH: JEFF BILLING

MVP: PHILLIP MACQUITTY

“We had the most talent we’ve had in years...”

The Paly boys’ cross-country team finished the season with an impressive first place finish in the league finals and a fifth place finish in the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs.

The Vikings sent multiple runners to the CCS playoffs, as well as two to the state finals. Sophomore Phillip MacQuitty and junior Charlie Avis represented Paly in states with times of 15:47 and 16:21 finishing 11th and 36th respectively.

MacQuitty also set a course record at the Lowell Invitational crossing the line after a grueling 5 km race just a second under 15 minutes.

“The season was really successful for us,” senior Sam Jones said. “Winning leagues and competing like we did was ridiculous, we had the most talent we’ve had in years.”

In the middle of the season, the boys ran in the Punahou Invitational, in Hawaii. Avis led the Paly pack, finishing fourth, with junior Skyler Cummins coming close behind in seventh and seniors Brain Karvelas, Sam Jones and Jeremy Jacob placing eighth, ninth and tenth.

The Vikings proved themselves this season, setting multiple records and winning meet after meet.

“This year’s team was the strongest team in the last twenty years,” head coach Jeff Billing said.

The Vikings brought an intense mindset to each practice, which paid off at the meets. The seniors led the way for the team and set an example for all runners.

“They all worked extremely hard, and proved to the younger guys exactly how hard work pays off,” Billing said. “They have built something that will stay special for years to come.” ~ John Christopherson

The girls’ varsity cross-country team had a decent season with a few standout runners making it to the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs. After losing four top seniors the previous year, the Vikings looked to rebuild the team.

The Vikings placed fourth in league finals with top performances from seniors Leah Gaeta, Mia Lattanzi and junior Gillian Lui, all placing in the top 15 spots.

In the Lowell Invitational, sophomore Regina Wong was the first Viking to finish the race, placing 27th with a time of 20 minutes flat.

The underclassmen stepped up for the Vikings this year by putting out impressive times at each meet. Freshman Leigh Dairaghi and Erin Kiekhaefer both ran in the CCS finals and put up times of 20:46 and 20:51 in the 2.95-mile race. Sophomores Regina Wong and Kathleen Higgins also competed in the finals and finished in the middle of the pack.

“The underclassmen really helped us this year,” junior Becky Byler said.

“The team really benefited from them.”

Paly’s top finish came from Lattanzi, with a 15th place finish and a time of 18:55 in the 5km race.

In the middle of October, the girls sent thirteen runners to the Punahou Invitational in Hawaii. The Vikings had three runners finish in the top twenty spots in a 105-person field.

Following the successful finish in Hawaii, Lattanzi, Lui and Gaeta placed in the top ten in the Palo Alto City Meet in Bol Park. The course was just over 2 miles and all six of Paly’s runners finished in under 15 minutes.

The Lady Vikes have had a successful season and strong young talent that bodes well for future years. ~John Christopherson

28

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY LEAGUE FINISH

4

RECORD: N/A

COACH: PAUL JONES CCS FINISH: 9th MVP: MIA LATTANZI

“The underclassmen really helped us this year...”

FALL SPORTS

BOYS’ WATER POLO LEAGUE FINISH CCS FINISH: 2nd

1

RECORD: 18-4-2 (6-0) COACH: REID PARTICELLI

MVP: GENG WANG

“The year was definitely a memorable experience...”

THE TEAMS

With all but two players returning to the boys’ varsity water polo team, the Vikings had high aspirations for the 2007 season. They started off strong, with an incredible second place finish at the respected John Schmitt Memorial tournament. In their second game of tournament, the Vikes beat long-time rival Los Altos High School 5-3. The win was significant because Paly had not beaten Los Altos in over 15 years, and Los Altos had won the CCS championship the year before. The Vikings also went to the semifinals of the Scott Roche tournament before losing to Mater Dei. The Vikings went on to have a fantastic season, finishing an astonishing 6-0 in leagues. To end the regular season, the team played a tremendous game against cross-town rival Los Gatos High School, crushing them 9-2. Unfortunately, they received another second place, this time at the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) Championship, when they lost to Los Altos. Although the loss took its toll on the team, they rebounded and made it all the way to the Central Coast Section (CCS) championship game, with a key victory in the semi-finals over Leland High School.

Unfortunately, Menlo Atherton got the best of the Vikings, and won in a tight game 3-2. Although the Vikings had not met their season goal of winning the CCS championship, they still took a lot out of the game. “Losing the CCS championship game was tough,” senior Neal Ketchum said, “but overall the season was great and our team camaraderie was incredible.”

Nevertheless, both the team and the coach are content with the year.

“The year was definitely a memorable experience, I will certainly take those memories with me wherever I go,” coach Reid Particelli said. “We had a very tight knit team. Hard-nosed, hard-working and determined is how I like my teams, and these guys certainly obliged”. ~ Matt Tracy

The girls’ varsity water polo team continued last year’s winning record with a strong season in 2007. Despite a shaky beginning as some players adjusted to new roles and a new coach, Cory Olcott, the team nevertheless was successful, relying on its strong core of twelve seniors and six returning starters.

The Lady Vikes performed particularly well at the NorCal championship tournament, where they battled in overtime for two wins. They lost only once, resulting in a sixth place finish, their highest in recent history. During its season, the team also beat previous CCS champions Archbishop Mitty and Menlo, as well as the team that would later win CCS this year, Menlo Atherton.

Unfortunately, the Lady Vikes could not carry their winning streak on through CCS. They only managed to make it to quarterfinals, where they lost 9-10 in a devastatingly close game to Leland.

“Our last game was some of the best water polo we played all season,” Olcott said. “We executed our plays well, yet had several shots that hit the goal without scoring.”

Next year, the team will have to rely on its younger players, as they are graduating eleven seniors, including six of its seven starters.

“The key thing for next year is the current sophomores to stepping up,” senior co-captain Lizzie Abbott said. “It’s up to the sophomores to take the initiative and bring it next season.”

Nevertheless, Olcott remains optimistic about the team’s future in the coming years.

“Our young players are fast and talented,” he said. “We should continue to compete well with all the other teams in the section.” ~ Oana Enache

Photography by Robert Drebin

GIRLS’ WATER POLO LEAGUE FINISH

3

RECORD: 17-11 (7-2)

COACH: CORY OLCOTT CCS FINISH: 4th MVP: HALLIE KENNAN

“Our last game was some of the best water polo we played all season..”

29

THE TEAMS

FALL SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE FINISH

1

CCS FINISH: QUARTERS

RECORD: 9-2 COACH: DAVID WINN

MVP: HILLARY FORD

“We had gone undefeated up until that week...”

Palo Alto’s varsity volleyball team brought the season to a close with a first place finish in leagues. The team had a successful season and went undefeated until its losses against Los Gatos and Homestead, which were both in the same week.

“It was really rough because we had gone undefeated up until that week,” sophomore Marissa Florant said.

Luckily, their season turned around after those two losses. The team ended up claiming the league title and beating both Los Gatos and Homestead in later matches.

“We had a constant belief that no matter what the circumstance, we could work hard to win the next point,” coach David Winn said. “By staying focused on the present task at hand, we avoided getting too wrapped up in what would have to happen to win a game.”

When the Paly girls met up with Homestead again, the team beat them with a record of 25-14, 24-26, 20-25, 25-14, 15-10.

“If we lost that game against Homestead, we still could have been guaranteed second, but we pulled through and won,” senior Ashley Acuff said.

After the team had won leagues they began the competition in the Central Coast Section playoff, but unfortunately, their victory was short lived after their great season.

“None of my regular starters had their best game that night,” Winn said.

We just didn’t have our best match. However, that said, we still competed in every game, even though we lost in three.”

The team lost their standing by losing to St. Francis in the second round of the tournament. Although the girls did not win CCS, they were content with a first place finish in leagues. ~Amanda Hohbach

In what was thought to be a recovery year after losing a strong lineup of senior players, the Paly girls’ varsity tennis team was able to turn its season into a success.

Playing in the lower El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletics League (SCVAL), the tennis team easily dominated other teams in its league. These teams included Gunn, Los Gatos and Wilcox. The girls were undefeated in all league matches with a 22-0 record, only to lose to Monta Vista in SCVAL playoffs.

Coach Andy Harader credits the team’s success to the girls’ motivation to play and natural talent.

“22-0 is self-explanatory,” Harader said. “[They are] a great team, [have] great energy and [are] extremely productive.”

With an overall record of 22-1, the team will move back up into the more competitive DeAnza Division in the 2008-2009 season.

The tennis team’s success this past season came as a surprise, with five new freshmen and only five returning varsity players.

“We had a lot of new players,” sophomore co-captain Gracie Dulik said.

“But once we adjusted to the new lineup, we were able to work together as a team.”

As a young team, many of the players wanted to make their first season a success.

Dulik hopes to continue the team’s winning streak in the next season.

“Since our team is really young it looks like we will have a chance to grow as a group and improve a lot together for the next few seasons,” Dulik said. ~ Christine Chang

30

GIRLS’ TENNIS LEAGUE FINISH

1

RECORD: 22-1 (22-0)

CCS FINISH: SEMIS COACH: ANDY HARADER MVP: JANET LIU

“A great team, great energy...”

WINTER SPORTS

BOYS’ BASKETBALL LEAGUE FINISH CCS FINISH: N/A

6

RECORD: 12-13 (6-6) COACH: PETER DIEPEBROCK

MVP: DOM POWELL

“We grew a lot as a team and became much closer to one another...”

THE TEAMS

The 2007-2008 season has been an eventful one for the Palo Alto High School varsity boys’ basketball team. The team played well enough to qualify to CCS, only to forfeit 11 games after one of their players was declared ineligible. This ended the team’s hope of leagues and CCS. “We had some games where we were a dominant team and others where we were an ugly team,” head coach Peter Diepenbrock said.

The highlights of the season for the Vikings were the two victories of 43-35 and 50-26 over cross-town rival Gunn.

“The top two moments were definitely beating Gunn,” Diepenbrock said.

The team however, did not live up to expectations when they played other league opponents, including Saratoga High School and Milpitas High School.

“One of the main goals this season was to go undefeated in league,” senior Jordan Jefferson said. “Our losses to Milpitas and Saratoga were disappointing because we had previously beat those teams pretty handily and we just didn’t come ready to play those games.”

The loss to Milpitas was the first home loss for the Vikings since the 2002-2003 season.

Senior starters Mike Scott, Dom Powell, and Jordan Jefferson all had successful seasons, with Powell, the league’s co-MVP last year, raising his averages in scoring, rebounds and blocks. The team also saw the development of underclassmen Joseph Lin, Brendon Rider and Kevin Brown.

In the end, Jefferson believes the team was able to bond together despite their forfeited games.

“We grew a lot as a team and became much closer to one another,” Jefferson said. ~ Steven Tran

Reflecting on the 2007-2008 season, the Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity basketball team did not finish the season as successfully as it hoped.

For the first time in two years, the girls’ team failed to win the league championship title. The girls were hopeful, despite having lost multiple team members.

“I think the season went good considering we lost three key players, Rachael Pecota, Alex Nguyen and Kiley McDermott, who could have all contributed to the offense,” senior captain Liz Slater said.

The players’ encouragement and help came from coach Scott Peters and the injured, though committed, senior captain Nicole Behr. Behr tore her ACL, ending her basketball season. However, she still remained an important leader on the team.

Key player, junior Olivia Garcia led in points and leadership every game.

Her talent was what helped them win the game against Los Altos when she scored the winning point. Slater also carried the team and led the team to victory on many occasions.

Major wins against Mountain View and Milpitas gave the girls hope for a promising season. Although they celebrated many wins, they also suffered difficult losses against Gunn and Los Gatos. After finishing the league competitions the team continued on to Central Coast Section (CCS). Unfortunately the team lost in its first round of CCS during a game against Lynbrook, ending the season with six wins and seven losses.

“We didn’t really care about our record because I knew that whether or not we won, the team chemistry would remain and the parents would still support us,” Slater said. ~ Lucy McComas

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL LEAGUE FINISH

4

RECORD: 8-14-0

COACH: SCOTT PETERS MVP: LIZ SLATER

CCS FINISH: 1st ROUND

“Whether or not we won, the team chemistry would remain...”

31

THE TEAMS

WINTER SPORTS

BOYS’ SOCCER LEAGUE FINISH CCS FINISH: FINALS

2

RECORD: 15-5-5 (7-1-4)

COACH: DON BRIGGS

MVP: KEVIN ASHWORTH

“We just did not have enough left in the tank...”

The varsity boys’ soccer team finished a remarkable yet disappointing season, placing runner up in CCS for the second straight year. The Vikings lost 1-0 in overtime to Pajaro Valley in the CCS championship game.

The Vikings highlighted their amazing run by beating first seed South San Francisco in the CCS quarterfinals in penalty kicks. In the semifinal game against St. Francis, Palo Alto scored in overtime to beat the fourth seeded Lancers.

“It was really disappointing to make it all the way to the championship game and lose,” senior forward Matt Nguyen said. “We put everything into making the championship game. We just did not have enough left in the tank.”

The team finished with an overall record of 15-5-5 with a 7-4-1 record in leagues. The Vikings split their season series with Gunn. It was the first time Paly has lost to the Titans in the regular season in over five years.

“Losing to Gunn was one of the low points of the season,” Nguyen said.

“We had grown accustomed to beating them. Losing was definitely a new experience.”

The season included a disappointing showing in the Homestead Christmas Cup. Although the Vikings made it farther than last year, the team lost in penalty kicks to Yerba Buena in the round of 16.

Despite losing four senior starters in addition to several players on the bench, the team returns seven starters next year as they look to make another impressive run deep into the CCS playoffs. Goalkeeper Peter Johnson, defender Kevin Ashworth and midfielder Adam Zernik headline an impressive 2008-2009 Palo Alto Vikings roster that looks to once again reach the CCS championship game. ~Adam Furlong

The Palo Alto High School varsity girls’ soccer team was prepared to dominate the field. Unfortunately, the girls’ season did not go as well as expected. With star player Teresa Noyola leading the team, the girls won a number of games and were confident about the outcome of the rest of the season. However, this winning streak ended early on when the team lost their first game against Los Altos (0-1). “ We were really confident in the beginning of the season; we won nine games in a row and were positive that it would reflect on the rest of our season,” junior Sammi Bengston said. “However, we realized we had to step it up once we lost our first game against Los Altos.”

The girls were determined to end their losing pattern. Regrettably, after the Los Altos game, they were only able to win against a couple other teams. The team’s most devasting losses were against Mountain View and Mitty.

Despite their unlucky ending, the girls stayed hopeful for CCS. Similarly to the rest of its season the girls team did not do as well in CCS as planned. Though they won their first game against Cupertino (4-0) they suffered in their second game against Archbishop Mitty, losing (0-4) ending the season.

The end of the season, however, did not reflect the team stats, center midfielder Teresa Noyola led the team with 18 overall goals and an average of one goal per game.

Noyola has had a tremendous season at Paly and recently added to her list of successes by winning several national player of the year awards, SCVAL Player of the Year, first team All Region (selected by Palo Alto Daily News), the Gatorade National Player of the Year award. ~ Lucy McComas

32

GIRLS’ SOCCER LEAGUE FINISH

3

RECORD: 15-6-2

CCS FINISH: QUARTERS COACH: ERNESTO CRUZ MVP: TERESA NOYOLA

“Our season could not have gone better...”

WINTER/SPRING SPORTS

BOYS’ WRESTLING LEAGUE FINISH CCS FINISH: 16th

7

RECORD: 1-5 COACH: DAVID DURAN

MVP: COOPER NEWBY

“It was a little disappointing...”

THE TEAMS

With high expectations, the Palo Alto varsity wrestling team saw a season riddled with disappointment and frustration.

“I did well in most of the tournaments, and everything went smoothly while leagues, but I had a lot of bad luck with injuries and sickness,” senior Ryan Drebin, said.

Coached by David Duran, the team excelled in many tournaments with their league finish left something to be desired. The season ended with a meager 1-5 overall league finish and a seventh place finish in the league, and came in with a 16th place finish in CCS. “It was a little disappointing,” Duran said. “It was the first time in a long, long time that we did not have any state qualifiers.”

Duran explained that because of the lack of wrestlers in several weight classes, an abundance of points were forfeited, which put them at a dire disadvantage. Duran added that next year several JV wrestlers will need to step into larger roles on the team.

The varsity boys were a small group this year, in size as well as to numbers. In tournements, the team performed acceptably, but not exceptionally well, placing in the top 10 four times over the course of the season.

“I would say that we didn’t quite reach our potential at the end of the season. We do have a lot of talent,” junior captain Patrick Sheehan said.

The Vikings hope to come back strong next year, as Sheehan will again be captain in the 2008-2009 season. Three seniors are heading off to wrestle at the collegiate level — Ryan Drebin for Brown, Cooper Newby for The Colorado School of Mines, and Kevin Hall for Johnson and Whales University — all of whom were significant competitors for the Vikings and will be missed next year. ~ Liza Dernehl

The Palo Alto varsity boys’ tennis team suffered a disappointing ending to an otherwise impressive season. The Vikings finished with a 15-9 record, good enough for a second place finish in Leagues. They clinched second place with a convincing 6-1 victory over cross-town rival Gunn.

“It felt good to finish second in Leagues,” senior co-captain Kushal Tantry said. “It was especially nice to beat Gunn.”

The season included a strong showing in the High School Classic Tournament in Fresno. The Vikings made it all the way to the finals before losing a close, hard-fought match to Gunn.

A strong regular season ended abruptly in the playoffs. In the CCS individuals tournament, Dan Schwartz and David Plotkin lost in the first round of doubles, and singles’ player Sam Wong was defeated in his first match.

In the CCS team tournament, the Vikings did not fair much better.

They advanced to the second round with a defeat of Yerba Buena. Their short-lived success ended there, as they were defeated by Menlo High School.

Despite losing senior captains David Plotkin and Kushal Tantry, the Vikings return a solid team for next season, including several underclassmen. Twelve out of the 14 players on this year’s team will play next season.

Junior Dan Schwartz, sophomore Drew Pearson and freshman Baramee Wongbanchai will look to lead the Vikings in another run deep into the CCS playoffs.

“It’s been a good run,” senior David Plotkin said. “I don’t have many regrets, except that I will not be around next year to witness the team making the CCS finals and getting to Norcals.” ~ Adam Furlong

BOYS’ TENNIS LEAGUE FINISH

2

RECORD: 15-9

CCS FINISH: 2nd ROUND COACH: ANDY HARADER

MVP: BARAMEE WONGBANCHAI

“It’s been a good run. I don’t have many regrets...”

33

THE TEAMS

SPRING SPORTS

BASEBALL LEAGUE FINISH

5

CCS FINISH: 1st Round

RECORD: 14-13-1 COACH: DAVE JEFFERSON

MVP: TYGER PEDERSON

“We knew we had more talent...”

‘Crazy’ is the only word to describe the 2008 baseball season. Losing the first three games by a combined score of 33-1, the season was quickly turning into a disaster.

“We knew we had more talent then that, it was embarrassing and we were going to do anything to turn our season around,“ junior pitcher Colin Byrne said.

Following their less than desirable start, the Vikings managed to play .500 ball for the rest of their league games This improvement is largely accredited to stellar pitching by junior Steve Burk and hitting by senior Tyger Pederson. However, the Vikings still had a winning percentage under .500 and were not on track to make the CCS playoffs, their goal at the beginning of the season.

Not willing to let up on their goal, the Vikings reeled off five straight victories including a sweep of the eventual CCS finalist, Los Altos. With their strong finish in league, the Vikings managed to make the postseason.

Admist its late season surge, Paly stumbled into the postseason when their three top players, Steven Burk, Tyger Pederson and Peter Abrams, were deemed ineligible for to play. The team lost even more players to different reasons, including injury and ineligibility and their head coach after he was ejected from two games.

When the first round of the playoffs arrived the Vikings dearly missed their star players in an 18-4 blowout loss to Leigh High School.

Although the season came to a disappointing end, the Vikings were able to take a step in the right direction. With a fresh crop of underclassman prospects coming up next season, the team promises to make some noise next year. ~ Greg Stewart

After a change to coaching staff this season, the varsity girls’ softball team did the unimaginable – it tied for first in leagues. This year’s season was expected to turn out much differently than it did because the team lost four of their players to graduation and was comprised almost entirely of underclassmen.

“Our season was amazing,” sophomore Kristin Dauler said. “We have never had one like this in Paly softball history. It’s great to see such a turnaround from last year to this year.”

The girls finished the year with a 11-1 record, not losing until the final game of the season against Wilcox. They had previously defeated the team, but were not as prepared this game, leading to a tie for the league championship title.

“It’s a bummer that we lost the game,” head coach Jake Halas said. “Our weakness was defensive execution; we had had a lot of errors. However, our girls did not lose effort, heart or determination.”

Other players were looking forward to going to CCS – which was an unexpected achievement considering the previous year’s performance. “ CCS is going to be like an added bonus to this season,” junior Allie Coleman said. “We’ll play good teams so it would be great if we were able to win a few. I am confident that we will do as well next year, because fortunately we will not be graduating any of our current players.”

During the first round of CCS the Lady Vikes dominated in a game against Salinas, winning during the bottom of the seventh 6-5. Unfortunately their second game against Burlingame was not as successful as the first. Though the girls ended their season at quarterfinals of CCS, they were proud of their accomplishments and transformation from the previous year. ~Lucy McComas and Nina Gertsvolf

34

SOFTBALL LEAGUE FINISH

1

RECORD: 11-1

COACH: JAKE HALAS CCS FINISH: QUARTERS MVP: KELLY JENKS

“It’s great to see such a turnaround...”

SPRING SPORTS

BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD

1

LEAGUE FINISH STATE QUALIFIERS:

6

RECORD: 6-0 COACH: JASON FUNG

MVP: JULIUS BEREZIN

“A great way to build on the coming years...”

THE TEAMS

Paly boys’ track and field displayed its dominance yet again this year.

The Vikes finished undefeated with a record of 6-0, good for a league title and a CCS berth.

Even though the Vikings had a strong core of senior leadership, including senior stars Julius Berezin and Mike Scott, this season’s team relied heavily on its extensive underclassmen talent.

Sophomore Philip MacQuitty, led the Vikes in the 1600 and 3200-meter events, while sophomore Daniel Jones and freshman Maurice Williams sprinted for the Vikings in the 100 meters event.

“They exceeded my expectations,” head coach Jason Fung said. “It was a spectacular season with both boys teams winning league titles. It is a great way to build on the coming years.”

The Vikings turned in impressive performances this season from junior shot-put Ashraf El Gamal, junior hurdler Pascal Truninger, and Berezin, who led the Vikings to CCS and earned himself a berth in the state meet.

“Julius’s improvement of three seconds [in the 800 meters] since last year is simply amazing,” senior Sam Jones said. “His hard work has truly paid off.”

Six Vikings will be representing Paly May 30 through June 1 at the State Finals meet; the 4 x 100 meters relay team, Julius Berezin in the 800-meter event, and Dom Powell in the high jump.

Paly’s outstanding success this season only bodes well for the future, as the Vikes look forward to next season with their core of runners still intact.

With sprinters Paul Brown, Jones, and Williams, and distance runners Charlie Avis and MacQuitty, Paly boys’ track and field looks forward to years of success. ~ Oliver Davies

Despite the Lady Vikes’ inexperience this season, nothing could stop the incredible juggernaut that was Mia Lattanzi. Lattanzi’s incredible comeback story culminated in an impressive final high school track season. The Stanford-bound senior blew away the competition this year, running in the 1600 and 800-meter events, earning a state final berth in the latter.

In addition to Lattanzi’s monumental performances this season, the distance team rallied around a core of upperclassmen, including Lattanzi, senior Leah Gaeta, and junior Elizabeth Scott. In a recent league meet, both Lattanzi and Gaeta destroyed the competition, placing first and second respectively.

“Watching them run together inspires the whole team,” Scott said.

“They compete well against each other but still work as teammates.”

The Vikings have been plagued by inexperience this season, failing to fill all events in the field portion of the meets. Sophomores Emily Yeates and Erika Hoglund led the young Lady Vikes in the sprint events this season and played an integral role in the limited success the team found this season. “[Hoglund] has seriously stepped up her performance this season,” junior Ahna Rao said. “It is safe to say that Erika will play an important role in our team’s future.”

As the Vikings contemplate their disappointing finish this season, Paly fans can take solace in the plethora of underclassmen talent that performed at the Varsity level this season.

In retrospect, the Vikings should look back on this season as a developmental year on their way to success in the future. ~ Oliver Davies

GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD LEAGUE FINISH

6

RECORD: 1-5

STATE QUALIFIERS:

1 COACH: PAUL JONES MVP: MIA LATTANZI

“Watching them run inspires the whole team...”

35

THE TEAMS

FALL SPORTS

BOYS’ SWIMMING LEAGUE FINISH CCS FINISH: 4th

1

RECORD: 10 -1 COACH: DANNYDYE

MVP: MICHAEL FORTUNE

“The hard work showed at Leagues...”

For the fifth year in a row, the Paly boys varsity swim team won leagues.

Aside from an unfortunate loss to Monta Vista, the team finish the regular season undefeated. The boys worked hard all year long attending strenous morning and after noon practices. There were also routine morning practices and dry land work outs.

“They were able to leagues by working hard and growing throughout the season,” coach Danny Dye said.

Their hard work payed off on if the end, when they won leagues. “ The hard work showed at leagues as all of the boys who shaved and tapered for that meet swam personal bests and placed themselves well for the finals day,” Dye said.

After winning leagues, the boys’ team moved on to place fourth in CCS and win many prestigious awards as well. Mark Higgins, Tim Wenzlau, Geng Wang and Michael Fortune were among the many to achieve personal bests as well as high school records.

Michael Fortune set the school record in the 50 freestyle at 22.61, Mark Higgins also set the school record in the 100 backstroke at 52.25 which was out done by Tim Wenzlau who broke his own record later on in the day at 52.24. Wenzlau and Fortune will both get All-American status for those times.

Higgins will also receive All American for the 200 freestyle. Wenzlau, Geng Wang, Higgins and Fortune will be All-American in the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.

This year, the boys’ swim team had many seniors that set the pace for the years to come. “ The senior boys had a successful season and we are looking forward to winning leagues again next year,” junior Jeremy Kim said. ~Amanda Hohbach

After missing its season goal of beating its 1-11 2007 record, the Paly badminton team bounced back, and did well in the SCVAL final matches.

Throughout the season, the Vikings aimed to defeat Homestead twice, which would give them one more win then in previous years. But unfortunately, they suffered a disappointing defeat in their second match against Homestead and finished the season 1-11 in sixth place.

Throughout the season, many of the players had strong performances, especially those on the girls’ team. Seniors Vika Kreitz and Petrina Chie finished the season with a 9-3 record as the Varsity #3 girls’ doubles team.

They were the team’s most consistent winners and they were the most reliable in getting points. Junior Kathy Woo, the Varsity #3 girl’s singles player finished her season with an equally impressive 8-4 while moving around and occasionally playing doubles.

During leagues, many players exceeded expectations. In the frosh/soph tournament, sophomores Hillary Yuan and Asami Kazeyama emerged as the girls’ doubles champions. It was unexpected because both girls were previously singles players and had teamed up as the strongest underclassmen girls. In the same tournament, Sophomore Ivan Zhou placed third in the boy’s singles tournament, against some tough opponents.

At the varsity level, both junior Young Hsu, and senior Isaac Yao were successful. Yao played in the men’s singles tournament and placed fifth, missing CCS cuts by one place. Junior Young Hsu finished the tournament in fourth, ahead of many players whom had been tough for her to beat before. By finishing in fourth place, she achieved her goal of making CCS and is currently training for the CCS tournament.

The team ended this year with a disappointing record, but had great performances in the SCVAL tournaments. Next year’s varsity players hope that next year will be more successful as many of them will be staying on. ~Varun Kohli

36

BADMINTON LEAGUE FINISH

6

RECORD: 1-11

COACH: KARA PRENTICE CCS FINISH: N/A MVP: KATHY WOO

“The main goal was to win more than one game...”

SPRING SPORTS

THE TEAMS

After spending much of the previous year petitioning for a girls’ lacrosse team, this spring Paly After spending much of the previous year petitioning for a girls’ laathletics added varsity and junior varsity crosse lacrosse teams. Both first-time and experienced players came team, this spring, Paly athletics added varsity and junior varsity laout to play, underclassmen making up mostcrosse of both teams. The varsity team, coached by Jen Gray, went 2-10 teams. in the Pacific Athletic League.

Both first-time and experienced players came out to play, underclassmen making most of both teams.

The varsity team, coached

by Jen a

“We might not have won a ton of games,” juniorupco-captain Anna Bastidas said. “But we improved Gray, went 2-10 in the Pacific Athletic League. lot. I think we were able to impress a lot of people.”

“We might not have won a ton of games,” junior co-captain Anna Basti Suffering a heavy 0-10 loss againstdas cross-town rival Gunn in the third game of the season, the team said. “But we improved a lot. I think we were able to impress a lot of was able to bounce back with a satisfyingpeople.

14-0 win against Harker School. ”

Sophomore Mari Wilson describes the Suffering team’s improvement as gradual. a heavy 0-10 loss against cross-town rival Gunn in the third game of the season, the team wasdo able to best bounce with a satisfying

“We would set goals for each game,” Wilson said. “We would all our to back accomplish tem from 14-0 win against Harker School. game to game.”

Sophomore Mari Wilson describes the team’s improvement as gradual.

Throughout the season the team worked on transitions up and down the field, learning the basics of “We would set goals for each game,” Wilson said. “We would all do our lacrosse and to work as a team. best to accomplish tem from game to game.”

Although the team lost a substantial number of games, the the record no reflection of the and Throughout the season, teamis worked on transitions up effort and down the field, learning the basics of lacrosse and to work as a team. hard work put in by both the varsity and junior varsity teams.

Although team lost awe, substantial numbercan’t of games, record is no

“They playedLACROSSE with heard and hustle and that isthesomething as coaches, give the them,” Gray GIRLS’ reflection of the effort and hard work put in by both the varsity and junior said. “They surprised us every day with amazing individual and team accomplishments. I could not have varsity teams.

LEAGUE RECORD: 3-10this (2-10)group. They set the bar in terms of dedication and competitive spirit 10season asked for FINISH a better from “They played with heart and hustle and that is something we, as coachthatCCS will ensure program is successful thethem, future.”

JEN GRAY es, can’tingive ” Gray said. “They surprised us every day with amazing FINISH: N/A that thisCOACH: MVP: HELENE ZAHOUDANIS

“They played with heart and hustle...”

individual and team accomplishments. I could not have asked for a better season from this group. They set the bar in terms of dedication and competitive spirit that will ensure that this program is successful in the future.” ~Christine Chang

The Palo Alto varsity golf team ended the season with an overall record of 11-3 and a league record of 9-3. Senior Stanley Chun said that its success was directly related to the team chemistry and extraordinary coaching. ”I truly felt that I had the best coach and the most dedicated teammates in our league,” Chun said. “We played together, we won together and we lost together.”

However despite the team’s chemistry, Chun felt it fell short of the overall potential. ”A made putt here and there and we would have won our league tournament and gone onto CCS as a team,” Knight said.

The team had several upsets during the season, including an unexpected loss to Los Altos, “which Chun bitterly referred to as luck on their part,” in addition to barely losing to Mountain View for the eighth time in four years. The team then went on to beat Los Altos in a rematch. ”Like any sport, it usually comes down to a few points, runs, goals or in our case, strokes.” Varsity coach Doyle Knight said. ”Next year I expect us to do very well again,” Knight said. “I am only losing two players, Seniors Stanley Chun and Adam Furlong, both of which were always in my top 6, but I have two who can step up and take their spots.” Overall, the season was a success for Knight who hopes the team will improve even more for the 2009 season. Several freshman were able to contribute to the team in the 2008 season, including first year standout Michael Yaun. When the 2009 season rolls around next spring, the Paly golf team will look to make it back to the CCS playoffs for the first time since 2004. ~ Liza Dernehl and Greg Stewart

GOLF LEAGUE FINISH

3

RECORD: 11-3 (9-3)

COACH:DOYLE KNIGHT CCS FINISH: N/A MVP: PIERCE MARCHANT

“The most dedicated teammates in our league... ”

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THE MOMENTS

TOP 10 MOMENTS

The Top 10 Paly Sports M 1 TERESA NOYOLA WINS LIFETIME SUPPLY OF GATORADE

Senior Teresa Noyola was named the 2007-2008 National Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Picked out of 337,000 other soccer players nationwide, Noyola joins the ranks of players such as Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Lisa Leslie, Alex Rodriguez and Keri Walsh, all of whom have won the award in the past. She also was named Parade Magazine’s Player of the Year in her junior and senior years.

As a member of the U-20 Women’s National team, Noyola scored game-winning goals to defeat both Chile and England in the Four Nations Tournament in Chile this winter. For Paly’s varsity soccer team she scored 18 goals in 16 games. As a recipient of the award, she has also been invited to attend the prestigious ESPY Awards, hosted by ESPN. See page 12 for more info. Photo courtesy of the Paly Voice.

2

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MIKE SCOTT CATCHES GOLD AT CCS

With the clock ticking during the CCS championships against the Menlo Atherton Bears, the players on Paly’s varsity football team were sweating bullets. The score was tied 7-7, and the it seemed as though it would have to go into overtime. On the fourth down, junior quarterback Will Brandin surveyed the field for an open receiver and spotted senior Mike Scott in the corner of the end zone. Although Scott had two defenders covering him, Brandin decided to take the risk and lofted the ball to the corner of the end zone. Scott leaped over the two defenders, catching the ball and landing with his feet just barely in the end zone. The catch gave the Vikings the lead and the victory, their second CCS championship in two years. See page 52 for mike’s profile.

3

RYAN FLANAGAN’S SHOT HEARD ‘ROUND PALO ALTO

4

BOYS BRING XC AND LEAGUE TITLE BACK

5

DÉJÀ VU FOR BOYS’ SOCCER

With help from new coach Jake Halas, the Paly varsity softball team earned its first playoff win in over a decade against Branham High School. In what was thought to be the seventh inning, the Lady Vikes were winning 5-3, but an error was found and another inning was added.

During which Branham scored twice, tying the score . With sophomore Caroline McDonnell on second, Ryan Flanagan came up to bat. Due to inconsistent hits earlier in the evening, no one knew what to expect. On the first hit, McDonnell stole third, the second was a low ball, and the third was a strike. On the fourth hit, Flanagan hit left past the center and left fielders. McDonnell ran home, giving Paly varsity softball its first playoff win in over a decade. See page 51 to learn more about Coach Jake Halas.

The 2007 boys’ cross country team are a tight knit group. From Punahou to Crystal Springs, these runners bring unrivaled team spirit, in addition to unrivaled speed. The same varsity runners who won the title also won when they were on their frosh-soph team two years ago.

Back then, they won their league title, establishing themselves as a team to watch in the coming years. This fall as seniors, the team returned to the famed Crystal Springs course and for the second time in their high school careers returned home with the league title. With help from sophomore Philip Macquitty’s final 100 meter sprint past Mountain View’s Garrett Rowe, the Vikings beat thirteen other teams by a mere three point lead over runner-up Mountain View. Photo courtesy of Campanile.

For the second year in a row, the Paly boys’ varsity soccer team made a surprising return to CCS playoffs. Just like in the previous year, they were to face St. Francis in the semi-finals of the tournament. St. Francis was one of the elite teams, expected to defeat Paly with ease, but last year the Vikings beat the Lancers and made it to the finals. This year, the Lancers wanted revenge, but the Vikings were not going to let it happen and kept the game close. Thanks to a goal by sophomore Jenner Fox, the game was tied 1-1. Just like the year before, the game went into overtime. A corner kick sent in by junior Adam Zernik, bounced in the goal box and was cleaned up by senior Matt Nguyen into a game winning goal. For the second year in the row, the Vikings stunned the Lancers with an underdog win and advanced to the CCS finals.

Moments of 2007-2008 6 LATTANZI SWEEPS STATES FOR SECOND

Senior Mia Lattanzi has always been one of the fastest runners in Paly history. In sophomore year, Lattanzi set the Paly record in the 800 with a 2:09. That 2:09 allowed her to win states as a sophomore, a feat that is practically unheard of. Unfortunately, an untimely injury ruined her junior year. But this year she came back strong running a 5:00 mile and made it through leagues without a problem in the 800. She then went on to dominate CCS, winning it in 2:11.55 seconds. By winning CCS she qualified for states, and was a heavy contender to win. In the state prelims, she ran a 2:10.64 to get third place. Then, in the finals, she ran a 2:10.32 just .03 seconds behind the first place finisher to bring back the glory of her pre-injury days.

7

JUST KEEP SWIMMING...

8

ALOK SUBBARO’S INSPIRATIONAL PERFORMANCE

9

VOLLEYBALL TEAM OFF THE RICHTER SCALE

10

It’s a good thing these girls were swimming, because the weekend was a hot one. With the sun beating down on May 18, Olympicbound senior Liv Jensen and Olympic hopeful Colleen Fotsch broke a total of three CCS records. Swimming in the 50 yard freestyle, Jensen broke the previous record of 22.84 seconds with a 22.51 time. On the very same day, while racing in finals, Jensen broke her record with a 22.39 time. But breaking the same record twice was not enough for Jensen. While swimming in the 100-Freestyle, she broke Olympic gold medalist Carrie Steinseifer’s 1983 record of 49.76 seconds with a 49.2 time. Meanwhile, Fotsch broke the CCS record in the 100 yard butterfly, swimming a 54.55 second time. See page 56 for more on liv Jensen.

In his last showcase after four years of intense training, senior Alok Subbaro unleashed all of his energy to run four events in his final high school meet versus Los Altos on April 24th. That day he proved that with hard work, it is possible to achieve ones goals by running a 4:58.7 and a PR of 2:21.6 in the 800. During the two-mile, Subbaro struggled until a runner from the Eagles pointed at Subbaro from behind and attempted to pass him. Subbaro found the energy to hold him at bay. In his final race, he anchored the 4x400 relay team. Coming around the final turn, teammate senior Tommy Angelopoulos closed in. With the entire Paly track team lining the last 100 yards, Subbaro found one last final spurt of energy to speed past Angelopoulos, capping off his high school career. See page 58 for more on Alok Subbaro. Photo courtesy of xc.paly.net.

Not even an earthquake could stop these girls. After sharing last year’s league title with Los Altos, the Paly girls’ varsity volleyball team was eager to claim the 2007-2008 league title for themselves. Playing on October 30 through an unfelt earthquake, the team won its first game 25-14. After losing their second and third games, the fourth game was swept up by the Lady Vikes with the help of senior Ashley Acuff’s eight point winning serves. The title would be decided on the final game. In the last game, the Vikings used their momentum from the previous game. Thanks to senior captain Hillary Ford’s three kills and a late game ace, junior Ally Whitson’s kill won the game 15-10 for the Lady Vikings.

PENALTY KICK SHOWDOWN ENDS IN VIKING VICTORY

Qualifying for CCS playoffs as underdogs, the Paly boys’ varsity soccer team was immediately put to the test in quarterfinals against number one seeded South San Francisco High School. On an unusually hot afternooon at Burlingame High School, the Vikings were down 2-1. A goal by junior Adam Zernik tied the score and the game went into double overtime. The Vikings played solid defense for the full 30 minutes forcingthe game to be decided in penalty kicks. The team with the best record would go on to play in the semi-finals. South San Francisco missed every shot, but Zernik and junior Kevin Ashworth scored, putting the Vikings up 2-0. One last PK by senior Matt Nguyen won the game for Paly, and the team continued on into semi-finals. ~Varun Kohli and Christine Chang

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THE MOMENTS

BOTTOM 10 MOMENTS

The Bottom 10 Paly Sports

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1

BASKETBALL INELIGIBILITY SCANDAL

2

VARSITY BASEBALL DEBACLE

3

DIEPENBROCK SAYS GOODBYE TO PALY BASKETBALL

4

SECOND TIME NOT THE CHARM FOR BOYS’ SOCCER

5

GIRLS’ SWIMMING CCS DISAPPOINTMENT

The four seniors on the varsity boys’ basketball team never knew that the massive 50-26 victory against Gunn would be their last game in the Paly green and white. However, the morning after the game, which was the team’s last in league, the news broke that senior transfer student Ed Hall had been ineligible to play all season. As a result, CCS forced the Paly team to forfeit the 11 games in which Hall played and dropped the team’s record from 16-8 to 5-19. When the forfeits spoiled the team’s opportunity to compete in CCS, the players were shocked, the parents were upset and the student body was devastated. The news hit hardest for the seniors who had hoped to end their high school careers in style, but will likely remember the controversy of their final season rather than its numerous positive moments.

All hopes of a successful season were shattered when the Paly varsity baseball team imploded in early April. The team was riding a six-game win streak when a key player was deemed academically ineligible to play. Soon after, head coach Dave Jefferson was suspended for the rest of the year after receiving his second ejection. Then the wheels really began to fall off, as nine more players, including three key starters, were either kicked off or injured for the remainder of the season. The team struggled to keep their heads above water, shifting starting line ups and doing their best to make up for the lost players. After a mediocre season, the Vikings lost 18-4 in the first round of CCS.

Although the full impact of this moment has not yet sunk in, it will be recognized as one of the major losses of the Paly community this year.

After 11 memorable years of coaching the varsity basketball team, coach Peter Diepenbrock decided that it was time for a change. In his time here, he coached the team to a 113-19 overall league record, six league titles, three CCS titles and one state championship. Diepenbrock will still be at Paly, working in the physical education department, but he will be coaching the Cañada College basketball team instead of the Vikings. He will be remembered as one of the most beloved and successful coaches Paly has ever seen. His departure will be bittersweet, as he will be greatly missed but the Paly community is nevertheless happy for Diepenbrock’s new opportunity.

It took 102 minutes of grueling play to decide the CCS Division II boys’ soccer champion. After 80 minutes of regulation play and two 10-minute over time periods, the game went into two final 5-minute sudden death periods. If the score had remained the same, the teams would have been named co-champions, but it was not to be. Two minutes into the first 5-minute period, a Pajaro Valley player scored the first and only goal of the memorable battle off a corner kick, instantly ending the game and terminating Paly’s championship hopes. The Paly players were left standing under the lights of the cold Milpitas High School field for the second year in a row, speechless, motionless and stunned.

The girls’ varsity swim team was set to win the CCS title from day one. They went through their entire season undefeated, blowing competi competition away with a solid and consistent performance. Two Olympic hopefuls, seniors Liv Jensen and Colleen Fotsch, led a roster that oozed both talent and depth. Sadly, the season did not pan out the way many hoped it would. At the CCS meet, Jensen and Fotsch each broke CCS records, but the team’s performance was still not enough to claim the championship. The Vikings took third, behind both Monta Vista (whom Paly had soundly defeated just weeks earlier) and Archbishop Mitty. Unfortunately for the Paly girls, their perfect season was not reflected in the final standings .

ts Moments of 2007-2008

6 7 8 9 10

BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE

At the beginning of this school year, there was not a single Paly student who had witnessed the boys’ varsity basketball team lose a home game in their time as a Paly student. In fact, the team had won every home game since a loss to Sacramento High in the NorCal playoffs of the 2002-2003 season - a span of 44 games. But on a fateful January night this year, the players from Cupertino High School made the Paly team look like boys, dismantling the historic winning streak with a crushing 47-29 defeat of the Vikings. The loss also ruined the Vikings’ chances of winning league, as the Pioneers were the team’s main competition for the title. Although the loss was later overshadowed by Paly’s forfeiture of 11 games, its importance to the school’s pride should not be understated.

‘THE RUNS’ FOR BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY

The celebrated Paly boys’ cross country team might have had strong lungs, but they clearly lacked strong stomachs. The night before the CCS finals race, three of Paly’s top seven runners - Sam Jones, Skyler Cummins, and Brian Karvelas - suffered from a bad case of the stomach flu, and spent the hours leading up to the race in their bathrooms revisiting their pre-race meals instead of warming up. The Paly team missed these key players and their absence reflected in the team’s final standings. Had any of the three been healthy for the race, Paly would have probably finished first, and maybe even qualified for states. Instead, Paly ended up taking a mediocre fifth place and lost the opportunity to showcase some of its strongest runners in years.

BOYS’ SOCCER FAILS TO KEEP LEGACY ALIVE

Beating Gunn is what the Paly boys’ soccer team does. Every year. Twice. Apparently the 2007-2008 team didn’t get the memo. After five consecutive undefeated seasons against the cross-town rivals, the Vikings lost 1-0 at the Mayfield soccer complex on February 2, 2008. The game was down to the wire, with a lucky late game-winning goal from Gunn junior Ryan Wood, who cleaned up a Paly defensive miscue off of a deep flip-throw in from Gunn senior David Light. In a match played less than one month prior, the Paly boys had beaten Gunn 2-0, but the second time around Paly was unable to continue its winning tradition. Especially unfortunate for the team was the fact that several alumni were present to witness the humiliating loss. Of course, Paly still made it farther than Gunn in CCS.

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER

The Paly varsity badminton team thought they could only go up from their 2007 season in which they only managed one win. They didn’t.

Although the badminton team won its one and only game last year against Saratoga, they thought it had a good chance of upping its win count to two this spring after the Vikings defeated Homestead High School on April 3. The varsity boys and girls team battled Homestead for second to last place in the league all season, but when the moment of truth arrived, they were not able to bring home a victory. Although the Vikings’ win count had not improved, they still took sixth place out of seven teams, an improvement from their seventh place finish in the 2006-2007 season.

GIRLS’ 4x100 TEAM LOSES RACE AGAINST NO ONE

Yes, you read that correctly. If you thought it was impossible to lose a race with no competition, you thought wrong. In the Paly vs. Gunn dual track and field meet, the girls’ varsity 4x100 relay team defeated the odds - and themselves - through disqualification. After Gunn was initally disqualified for a double false start, the race began with only the Paly team on the track. The girls started the race brightly, completing all of their handoffs legally (a continual problem for the team throughout the season) and finished the race as normal would. However, it was later brought to the attention of race officials that one of the girls was wearing an illegal hair tie on her wrist, and the team’s points did not count. Gunn ended up winning the meet by a small margin. ~ Adam Zernik and Cassie Prioleau

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WHAT TO WATCH FOR

SUMMER SPECTACLES

TOUR DE FRANC

EURO 2008

--7/7/08--

--6/7/08--

The best sporting event in the world, a thr cycling race in France, kicks off on the 7th a 120 mile stage starting in the town of B Class cyclists will compete to win the mos bike race in the world.

6/12/08

16 nations will compete in a three week tournament with games taking place in both Switzerland and Austria. The champion will be crowned in on the 29th in Vienna. The Portuguese are the top favorites.

SIZZLIN’ SUMME WIMBLEDON --6/23/08--

Ever since 1877, the All England Club has put on the world’s most prestigious tennis event. A two week competition in late June stages the world’s best tennis players including last year’s champions Roger Federer and Venus Williams.

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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

ANCE

--8/7/08--

Tiger Woods against the field. The battle continues this August at Oak Hill Country Club in Michigan as the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top players get together for the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last Major Tournament.

, a three week e 7th of July with n of Brest. World e most prestigious

MLB ALL-STAR GAME --7/15/08--

The mid summer classic returns to New York City for the first time since 1977 to partake in the final chapter of Yankee Stadium. Full of the games biggest stars the All-Star weekend promises to be one of the greatest spectacles this Summer.

8/28/08

MER SPECTACLES OLYMPICS --8/8/08--

The world will come together as one this summer in Bejing for the summer games. Amid the political controversy once the games begin all the focus will shift be shifted to the athletes.

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THe ISSUeS

the truth about recruiting By noah sneider | Photography by Alek Milovidov

“Plain and simple it is a fact that Coach Diepenbrock recruits.” ~ Anonymous post on Palo Alto Online’s Town Square Forum Paly’s forfeiture of most of its 2007 basketball season due to senior forward Ed Hall’s ultimate ineligibility threw a spotlight on the issue of recruiting in high

44

school sports. The local press quickly chronicled the official decision to suspend Hall and discount the results of games he had played in because he had completed 8 semesters of high school in Australia prior to coming to Paly. Community discussions and posts on Palo Alto Online reached a vitriolic level almost overnight.

“I do not pay taxes in Palo Alto so some Danes who like Diepenbrock can come over for a 9th semester and play US basketball,” read one typical post in mid-February. “’A bunch of cheaters’ is the image that Paly basketball will now have....”

Paly, Gunn and Palo Alto Unified School District administrators posted to-

“Part of the problem here is that people aren’t dealing with facts,” Diepenbrock told The Viking.

Most of the cases can be boiled down to the fact that athletes want to go where they will have the best experience in their sport, and this is often the school that has a tradition of success. As high school sports have evolved into a big-money business, with games regularly broadcast on TV and college scholarships thrown out to middleschoolers, the nature of high school athletics has evolved. For serious athletes, choosing a high school can be much like choosing a college: Where will I get the best coaching,

sideration for the element that people want to go where they are going to be successful and where they are going to win,” Diepenbrock said.

This was the case for junior guard Nick Robinson, who lives in the Paly district boundaries but whose mother teaches at Gunn. Robinson had the opportunity, within the rules, to choose between the two schools. While Robinson weighed the relative academic and social merits of both schools, as a basketball fanatic, sports were an important factor.

“Deciding between the two in terms of athletics -- Paly has had a whole lot of suc-

“I thInk the Idea of It happenIng Is much more prevalent than It actually happenIng.” - gunn athletIc dIrector chrIs horPel

gether on the forums asking people to stop, but Hall’s case caused some suspicious Palo Alto residents to call into question the enrollment of a number of student-athletes who had come to Paly over the past decade from overseas, out of state, or across district lines and contributed at least one first-team all-league season. After speaking with numerous coaches, administrators and experts around the Bay area, however, it is clear that the issue is neither plain nor simple.

There have been no formal accusations of illegal recruitment or investigations regarding any of these cases - in each one, specific circumstances brought the player to Paly.

the most exposure? Where will I succeed?

“The idea of staying at your neighborhood school just because you live a couple blocks away is pretty much obsolete if you’re an athlete now,” said former San Jose Mercury News writer David Kiefer, who covered high school sports in the bay area for eight years.

This shift has helped cause a polarization in many sports. A number of schools are consistently successful, while many wallow in athletic obscurity. As the gap grows, it is a common misconception to pinpoint recruiting as the determining factor.

“I am sure that [illegal recruitment] happens,” Gunn High School Athletic Director Chris Horpel said. “But I think the idea of it happening is much more prevalent than it actually happening.”

As new athletes approach high school, they gravitate toward established programs, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of success.

In Paly’s case, many in the community were quick to lambast coach Peter Diepenbrock, saying he had “recruited” players to build his basketball program. Diepenbrock contends that Paly’s recent history of success is the true reason for the influx of talent.

“It’s frustrating because there is no con-

cess,” Robinson said. “Diep has established a great program and tradition at Paly, so that was a big thing.”

San Jose Mercury News high school sports writer Dennis Knight sees the situation in a similar light: “The program’s reputation speaks for itself,” he said.”These kids will be moving and the parents are trying to target a school where they can succeed.”

The question then follows, how are some schools are able to build this reputation and maintain the level of success that drives the cycle? Again, while many are quick to point to recruiting, it is rarely the case, local officials and commentators say.

“I think people will often say they win because they recruit, they win because they recruit, they win because they recruit,” CCS commissioner Nancy Lazenby-Blaser said.

“I don’t think that’s ever true. Hardly ever.

They win because they are doing a lot of good things right.”

The majority of the programs that maintain consistent success are private school powerhouses. In the past five years, 40 of the 50 CCS basketball championships have been won by private schools. With the advent of open-enrollment public school districts, in which students can choose to attend any school in the district regardless of exactly where they live, some public

45

THe ISSUeS schools are beginning to catch up. As long as private schools can pour the resources into their programs, however, the gap will continue to grow. And as long as that happens, Lazenby-Blaser said, “the students who have the financial wherewithal to attend those schools are going to be attracted to those successful programs and they will continue to be successful.”

While illegal recruitment is possible in theory, there are two main reasons for pri-

competitive equity among the schools and I think generally private schools do a better job of that stuff than public schools because there’s less coach turnover.”

Coach Diepenbrock engaged in those kinds of activities during his tenure at Paly, becoming involved in all levels of Palo Alto basketball, from helping out middle school teams, to holding summer camps for local kids. As a result, Diepenbrock established a reputation in the community and a relation-

consistent level of success in many sports.

While Palo Alto is not an open-enrollment district, Paly has advantages over many other public schools, most notably the combination of academic excellence and sustained athletic success. There is little incentive for students to leave the district, so Paly is able to retain the majority of its athletes.

“I would imagine that our kids aren’t attracted to private schools because they can do so well academically here,” Principal

“I thInk people wIll often say, ‘they wIn because they recruIt, they wIn because they recruIt, they wIn because they recruIt,’” ccs commIssIoner nancy lazenby-blaser saId. “I don’t thInk that’s ever true. hardly ever. vate school dominance - the ability to pay great coaches and the limitless pool of potential students.

“The regulations [to stop recruiting] have already been put into place,” Horpel said. “The answer [to maintaining success] is great coaches. Kids want to play for a great coach, and a great coach produces a strong program.”

Many successful programs, on both the public and private level, can be tied back to a coach who has been at a school for a long time and built a tradition. In most cases, private schools are unmatched in their ability to retain coaches and develop the continuity needed for long term-success.

“Privates have full time [athletic directors] for the most part, who can attend to the program,” Lazenby-Blaser said. “As a result they have less coach turnover.”

With less turnover, coaches are able to immerse themselves in a community and engage in what Lazenby-Blaser calls “passive recruiting”. Generally, this consists of a coach establishing a strong reputation in a community.

“You position yourself in a community such that people know who you are, get to know you, parents like you,” LazbenyBlaser said. “The passive recruiting, having summer programs, having camps, being involved in the community, reaching out to other levels, none of which is evil or against the rules, just being out in the community, I think that does have a big impact in the

46

ship with kids from an early age.

“I think Diep does a good job of reaching out to the younger players in the community by doing the camp,” Robinson said.

“By going to the camp I felt like I really got to know Diep and when it came down to it I felt comfortable with him.”

For senior forward Dom Powell, it was Diepenbrock’s reputation in the area that pointed him toward Paly when his mother’s job forced them to move from Las Vegas after his sophomore year.

“I went to a Stanford basketball camp and one of the coaches referred me to a couple schools in the area - Paly, Newark, and De La Salle,” Powell said. “I couldn’t get into De La Salle because it was full, but I liked the feel of the area and the community at Paly, it seemed really laid back here compared to Newark or Vegas.”

The second piece to the private school success is the ability to draw students from outside district lines. Private schools are able to effectively market their success and thereby consistently draw in top athletes.

“When you get a successful program at a private school level, it’s much easier to maintain that year-in-year-out success,” Gunn High School Assistant Principal Tom Jacoubowsky said. “Its hard for publics to consistently do that because you are limited to your zone, your geographical boundaries.”

Despite being hamstrung in these regards, Paly has been able to maintain a

Jacqueline McEvoy said.

Diepenbrock said that because most public schools can’t compete with private schools, Paly isn’t a typical public school.

“In the 11 years I’ve been here, there’s been one basketball player who went to a private school who would’ve been a very good contributor on varsity for Paly,” he said. “We just don’t lose kids to privates, and what that speaks to is the academic opportunities that Paly offers, and I think that’s very important.”

When the Ed Hall incident sparked accusations of recruiting, one of the most sensitive issues surrounded student-athletes who were slated to go to Gunn but attended Paly - among them, star point guard Jeremy Lin, who, as a senior, led Paly to the 2006 state championship. Lin, whose older brother attended Gunn, said that basketball had nothing to do with his decision to come to Paly.

Rather, it was the structure of the science program at each school that made the difference for the prospective doctor.

“At Gunn they made you take an introductory

science course and at Paly you could go straight from biology to chemistry to physics,” Lin said from Harvard University, where he is currently a sophomore and on the basketball team. “I want to be a doctor and obviously Paly’s set-up was better suited for that.”

In fact, for Lin, coming to Paly was an unnerving prospect from a basketball standpoint.

“Jeremy came to my camp as a 6th grader, and I yelled at him for complaining about the refs,” Diepenbrock said. “He started to cry, and he didn’t talk to me for 3 years after that.”

Lin also recalls the incident, saying, “I left that day and never went back to his camp again. Ever since then I was rooting Gunn, I planned to go to Gunn, I was the Gunn scorekeeper while my brother was on the team. I didn’t talk to him until I showed up on campus my freshman year.”

While some in the community suspected Lin was recruited, even Gunn insiders acknowledge it was not so.

“I don’t have any inklings or feelings that there has been anything going on at Paly with trying to pull our kids over,” Jacoubowsky said. “They’ve had some suc-

cess, and my hat goes off to their success. I feel completely comfortable with anything Paly has done.”

In online posts following the Hall case, one of the other complaints concerned two Norwegian foreign exchange students, Oystein Aukland and Christian Bakken, who attended Paly and played basketball during the last 5 years. Diepenbrock freely acknowledges that he spent six years coaching the women’s national basketball team in Denmark earlier in his career, and that “people in Scandinavia know me.” But school and state officials say that there is no evidence that the exchange students coming to Paly was anything beyond coincidence.

“They came through approved foreign exchange organizations,” Paly athletic director Earl Hansen said. “We don’t place them, even when they are placed with their families, the district office chooses which school they go to.”

According to California Interscholastic Federation Foreign Exchange Coordinator Richard Nelson, “any placement of a foreign exchange student has to be completely random with respect to athletics.”

To be eligible for athletics as a foreign student you must go through a CIF approved

organization, which both CIF and the individual sections watch closely.

“The student has no say over where he ends up,” Nelson said. “Theoretically, a student can be placed anywhere where the organization has a local representative.”

School and district officials have been dismayed at the anger and resentment the community has shown over these questions, but they are unconvinced of the validity of the charges themselves.

CCS Commissioner Lazenby-Blaser said that generally accusations of recruiting - whether from overseas or across town- are no more than sour grapes.

“It’s an easy excuse,” she said. “My program’s mediocre, and yours is good, it’s really easy to sit and point across the street and say, ‘You recruit, that’s why you’re good,’ and I can feel better about myself because I’m not doing a whole lot over here.”

Author’s note: All of the interviews for this story were conducted prior to Coach Diepenbrock’s decision to take the coaching job at Canada College (see p. 18).

The Viking would like to recognize our amazing adviser Ellen Austin for her unconditional support throughout this year. We appreciate every minute of time she has put into these six issues. Thank you!

THE PEOPLE

AWARDS INTRO

2007-2008 Paly Sports Awards At the conclusion of our first year, The Viking is proud to announce our inaugural Paly Sports Awards. These awards are meant to honor the outstanding accomplishments of Paly’s best student-athletes. Our awards lineup consists of a male and female player of the year, a male and female underclassman of the year and a coach of the year, each of whom were chosen based on their contributions to their respective teams. Further criteria and basis for selection for each award can be seen below.

ATHlETES OF THE yEAr: The Viking chose to award the Athlete of the Year to both a male and female athlete who we thought contributed the most to his or her respective sports teams. The Athete of the Year is the most valuable player for all of Paly sports because in our selection process, we took into account both individual success and the success of each athlete’s respective Paly team(s). In choosing athletes of the year, we mostly focused on the contributions to the respective athletes’ Paly teams. pg 52 & 56

undErClASSmEn OF THE yEAr:

In an attempt to recognize the up and coming Paly athletes, The Viking decided to give an Athete of the Year award to a Freshman or Sophomore who we thought provided a significant contribution to his or her respective Paly teams. Although we did consider junior varsity players in our list of candidates, underclassman contribution to varsity teams held higher value than contributions to froshsoph or JV teams. pg 54 &55

COACH OF THE yEAr:

As the name implies, The Viking gave the Paly coach who demonstrated the greatest leadership and who had the largest impact on his or her respective teams the Coach of the Year award. The criteria involved the coach’s regular season and postseason records and the team’s performance compared to previous seasons, such as the team’s improvement or the coach’s ability to bring the best out of young and inexperienced teams. pg 51

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COACH OF THE YEAR

THE PEOPLE

COACH OF THE YEAR

JACOB HALAS SOFTBALL “Way back [in the beginning of the season], I let the girls know that our goal was to win the league title,” head coach Jake Halas said. “They all looked around at each other with raised eyebrows.”

First year coach Jake Halas routinely faced this sort of skepticism as he attempted to turn around a softball team that finished fifth out of eight in league last season. With a renewed focus on practices and working out in the weight room, Halas was an inspiration to a young team that won only five of its games last season.

The Viking has awarded Halas its first ever Coach of the Year award for his incredible work with a softball team that many considered destined for another losing season in 2008.

“The girls [have been crucial to the team’s success],” Halas said. “They are a great group of kids and they have good chemistry. They have bought in to the program and they believed in the coaching staff.”

Faced with tough competition from the likes of cross country coach Jeff Billing and swimming coach Danny Dye,

The Viking felt Halas deserved recognition for the incredible turnaround he sparked in the Paly softball program.

“The major change he brought to the program this year was a different attitude,” junior captain Allie Coleman said.

“He expected a lot from us from the beginning.”

Since the first day of practice, Halas has motivated the Lady Vikes to not only play with intensity, but to practice with it as well. Halas takes pride in his coaching philosophy, which centers on hard work and respecting the game.

“The juice is worth the squeeze,” Halas said. “We work very hard at practice.

All of the hard work we put in at practice pays off on game day.”

In addition to keeping the intensity up at practice, Halas made sure his team frequented the weight room, a move many girls felt was beneficial to the team.

“Our previous coaches would often say that we should go the weight room, but did absolutely nothing about it,” junior Pamela Wong said. “But coach Halas incorporated a trip to the weight room as part of our daily practices.”

Halas’s high point of his first season as head coach of Paly Softball happened when Ryan Flanagan drove in the gamewinning run against Branham High School to clinch Paly softball’s first playoff berth since 1996. In addition, Paly’s victories over Wilcox and Valley Christian High Schools have given both Halas and Paly softball a season to remember.

In truth, Halas rightfully receives the Coach of the Year award because he has transformed a lackluster team into a program that will be perennial contenders for years to come.

“I do believe that Coach Halas was a huge contribution and made quite a large impression on the team,” Wong said. “Our daily practices were finally organized and actually had a purpose. We focused our efforts to meet our needs and aimed to actually perform well, instead of being unproductive.”

The Viking feels Paly softball’s incredible turnaround season is deserving of recognition, and nobody deserves it more than coach Jake Halas, the man who ignited the change . <<< ~ Oliver Davies

51

athlete of the

male

year

MIKE SCOTT A

By Cassie Prioleau | Photography by Alek Milovidov

s the final 20 seconds of the 2008 Central Coast Section football championship ticked away, it looked like Paly and Menlo-Atherton would be forced into overtime. Junior quarterback Will Brandin lobbed the ball into the corner of the end zone, hoping to gain the lead and the victory.

Leaping above defenders, Mike Scott snagged the ball out of the air and landed, careful to stay in the end zone. As his feet hit the ground, the Vikings took the title and Scott established himself as one of Paly’s most storied athletes.

Scott, a senior at Paly, stands out as the captain of the football, basketball and track teams. The wide receiver led the team to a second consecutive football CCS championship, stayed a leader of the basketball team despite an injury, and is headed to state for the second year for track. Throughout his high school career, Scott has participated in CCS a total of 6 times, won the CCS title twice and competed at the state level twice.

In the fall, Scott led the football team to an 11-2 season and a CCS championship, the second CCS title for Paly’s football team in two years. The team won CCS and went on to play for the state title Scott’s junior year, an act that is hard to follow. Many doubted the team’s potential for success after losing so many key players, but the Vikings proved these doubts wrong. Even though the CCS victory during Scott’s junior year paved the way to the state championship, he felt this year’s victory to be more significant.

“Winning CCS was a familiar feeling, but in different ways,” Scott said.

“This last championship was special because I know I ended my high school career at the top.”

Scott was a huge contributor to the team’s achievements. As wide receiver, Scott led the team with a total of 11 touchdowns and a receiving average

52

of 67.6 yards per game. Scott not only played offense, but defense and special teams as well.

“He’s a well rounded player,” head coach Earl Hansen said. “He played offensively and defensively. He’s versatile.”

As point guard of the basketball team, Scott played a vital role in the team’s performance. He was an aggressive player and created offense for the team. Unfortunately, Scott sprained his ankle partway through the season in a game against Cupertino.

The sprain kept him on the sidelines for 2 games before he could return.

“He has a lot of leadership qualities and a lot of confidence that we missed when he wasn’t in,” head coach Peter Diepenbrock said. “Guys look up to him and look to him. He’s respected.”

Scott’s season was cut even shorter when Paly was forced to forfeit 11 games due to the ineligibility of a transfer student on the team, ruining their chances of competing in CCS. “It hurt to watch teams compete in CCS for basketball,” Scott said. “I knew my team and I could have been out there giving it all we had and that we had put up a better fight than most teams that were in CCS. The whole forfeit situation hit me pretty hard.”

After a disappointing basketball season, Scott hoped to finish his high school sports career on a high note with track and field. Scott made it all the way to States his junior year and aimed no lower for his final track season.

“Track was so-so this year,” Scott said. “I had to compete with plantar-fascists in my right foot and a sprained left ankle, my take-off leg, so my marks were not as good as last year’s and I can’t jump like I used to.”

“HE HaS a lOT Of lEadErSHIP qualITIES and a lOT Of COnfIdEnCE THaT wE MISSEd wHEn HE waSn’T In. GuyS lOOK uP TO HIM and lOOK TO HIM. HE’S rESPECTEd.” - HEad BaSKETBall COaCH PETEr dIEPEnBrOCKScott competes in the 4 by 100 relay and the long, triple and high jumps. Although Scott’s injury made him less explosive, a huge disadvantage in jumping events, he still qualified for CCS and was awarded MVP of field events by the Paly coaches. At CCS, Mike placed fourth in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump, narrowly missing the top three qualifying spots. The 4 by 100 relay team qualified for States and placed 29th out of 31 teams.

“I am very fortunate to have the success that I have had over the years,” Scott said.

“Not many people can say they won back to back CCS titles in football and went to state, went to state twice in track, and almost upset the top seed in CCS basketball.”<<<

HOnOrABlE mEnTIOn

dom Powell - Senior Dom Powell made a huge impact in football, basketball and track and field. He helped the football team win a CCS championship and qualified for States in the high jump, just barely missing a chance to jump in the finals.

will Holder - Junior Will Holder excelled in football and base-

ball, showing young leadership and an impeccable work ethic.

He made huge contributions to the football team and shows the potential to make a big difference in his senior year.

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THE PEOPLE

MALE UNDERCLASSMAN OF THE YEAR

MALE

UNDERCLASSMAN OF THE

YEAR

phillip

MACQUITTY

Winning CCS is an accomplishment any Bay Area high school athlete would like to boast. But winning CCS as a sophomore, as Paly’s Philip MacQuitty did this year, is simply incredible. The two-sport athlete, already famous for the blazing speed he exhibited his freshman year, led Paly’s boys’ cross country team last fall and capped off the season with an individual CCS Division II championship.

MacQuitty’s ability was evident from early on – he could run a 4:57 mile in eighth grade, and by the time he reached freshman year, he was known nationally for his mid to long-distance speed. The three year age difference between MacQuitty and most of his competitors did not stop him from winning the two-mile in CCS track and field as a freshman, although he fell short in cross-country.

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This year, MacQuitty flipped his fortunes, experiencing more success in cross-country than in track and field.

However, getting there was no easy feat. The CCS cross-country competition is fierce, especially considering opponents such as sophomore Garrett Rowe of Mountain View, who is widely recognized as a national-level runner.

Despite the tough odds, MacQuitty held on for a SCVAL League title before entering CCS, in which he ran 2.95 miles in 15:26, edging Rowe by a single second and taking first out of 113 runners. MacQuitty then went on to states, where he did not take home any hardware, but came in 11th place out of 193 and managed to get on the all-time fastest sophomore list.

Although MacQuitty’s cross-country season stands out above all else, his track and field season was phenomenal

by most normal standards. He led the varsity squad of 32 in the mile and two mile and won four of five events during regular season meets.

While Paly has its fair share of overachieving underclassmen such as threesport superstar Joc Pederson, First-Team All League varsity soccer player Jenner Fox, varsity basketball starter Joseph Lin and freshman tennis sensation Baramee Wongbonchai, MacQuitty takes the cake because he so clearly stands out in the sports he plays. Don’t be surprised to see this name again in the Male Athlete of the Year category in years to come. ~ Adam Zernik

HONORABLE MENTION Jenner Fox Joc Pederson

FEMALE UNDERCLASSMAN OF THE YEAR

THE PEOPLE

FEMALE

UNDERCLASSMAN OF THE

YEAR

kelly

JENKS

The Paly girls’softball team has perhaps pulled off the greatest comeback in Paly history.

While many underclassmen have played a large part in other teams’seasons, The Viking has concluded that Kelly Jenks has made the biggest contribution to her team.

Last season, the ladies finished with a meager 7-16 record, giving them an originally bleak attitude for the 2008 season. However, with new coach Jacob Halas and pitching powerhouse Kelly Jenks, things are looking up for Palo Alto softball.

“Kelly is a shy and soft-spoken girl, but as soon as she “punches the clock,” she is all business,” Halas said. Jenks led the team to a 19-1-9 record, also leading the team in runs scored, RBI’s, stolen bases and triples.

Not only did she lead her team in

statistics, but she also continually encouraged her teammates in a positive and infectious manner.

Her earned run average (ERA) was a staggering 1.88. Jenks finished the season with a whopping 212 strikeouts in a span of 26 games, more than American League Cy Young Award pitcher C.C. Sabathia struck out all last season. Her average strike out per game came out to 8.2, a statistic that would send any collegiate player into a frenzy.

“She epitomizes the attitude and work ethic of Palo Alto softball,” Halas said.

As a sophomore, Jenks is not only a varsity softball star, but she excels at soccer as well. Jenks played varsity soccer in the fall, while also preparing for the softball season. ”She has had a lot of recent success

in both soccer and softball, yet she remains humble,” Halas said. “I think this is a tremendous attribute.

Remember, she is only a sophomore, this proves to be scary for our opponents next year.”

Jenks’s focus and intensity translates onto the soccer field as well, as she led the varsity girls in goals during the winter. In her sophomore year, Jenks has proven to be a key component to the Paly sports community. Her development as a player and a teammate over her next two years as a Viking will be much anticipated. ~Liza Dernehl

HONORABLE MENTION Alex Kershner Sabrina Lee

55

F

lying through the water, Liv Jensen edges ahead of her opponents in the last 10 meter stretch of the 50-free race, and her hands slam against the cement. The crowd erupts in applause, and Liv clutches the wall watching as her competition sprints in behind her. In 22.39 seconds, Jensen has made history.

Racing her way to two Palo Alto High School, two Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) and two CCS records, Liv exhibits a natural talent for swimming.

As varsity captain for the team, she led the Vikings to a victory in leagues and a third place in CCS. Now on the path to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics, Liv is The Viking’s pick for Paly’s female athlete of 2007-2008.

Liv demonstrated a talent for swimming ever since her freshman year at Paly. She was one of only two freshmen to make the varsity squad, and she qualified for CCS in every event in which she competed. “[Liv] just wants to race; she always gives her all and you couldn’t

56

athlete lIV JEn

female

ask anything more from her,” coach Danny Dye said. “It just shows her make up as an athlete.”

This season, Liv led the varsity swim team to a third place finish in Central Coast Section finals and participates in swimming outside of school to make Olympic trial cuts. Though Liv competes as an individual nationally, she remains a loyal member of the Paly team. “[Liv’s] performance in Central Coast Section was remarkable,” Dye said. “I think her last swim as a high school athlete where she split a 47.93 showed exactly the person [Liv] is.”

Liv broke the record for the 100-free with a 49.03, and also broke the record in the 50-free with a 22.39. She almost achieved her goal of taking down the national records in both the 50-free (22.04) and the 100-free (48.59), and was off by less than .5 seconds in both events.

Liv shattered the records for the 100-breast

By ahna rao | Photography by

stroke and 50-free in SCVALs. “I’m happy with my CCS performance,” Liv said. “Those were definitely two of my proudest moments of the season.”

Liv is ranked 16th out of the 85 Olympic hopefuls in the 50-free and is continuously achieving recognition for her record setting races.

“It was so amazing to swim this fast my senior year,” Liv said. “I could not have asked to go out a better way.”

In the 2008 season the varsity swim team ` now boasts an undefeated record in leagues. Jensen made every meet and practice for the team despite her participation in meets outside of Paly’s swimming program. “[Liv’s] ability to swim so many different events has allowed me to

te year EnSEn of the

hy by Michela Fossati-Bellani

move the swimmer around,” Dye said. “It puts the team in a strong situation where everyone can swim their best events.”

Essential qualities that Liv brings to the team is her versatility, and her commitment to helping out the team in any way she can.

“One of Liv’s best characteristics is her ability to lead by example,” Dye said.

“She also gives her teammates the support and encouragement to succeed.”

Liv pulled through for the team in both Leagues, for which they took the title, and in CCS. She set five League records in just this 2008 season, and is one of the fastest female swimmers Paly has ever seen.

“Liv has a talent you cannot deny that,” Dye said. “For Liv and her competitive

nature every race is important.”

Liv’s willingness to go the extra mile for the team is what makes her the team player and outstanding athlete she is. Liv’s teammates have to commend her commitment to do anything for the team.

“Danny [Dye] did not have anyone to swim the 100 breast in leagues so he signed up Liv to do it not expecting anything,” junior Liza Dernehl said. “It was amazing; she ended up winning her race, breaking the SCVAL record and moving on to the Central Coast Section finals.”

Expect the unexpected, because Liv appears to blow everyone away with her natural talent for swimming. But what truly makes a star athlete is dedication, skill and an unconditional love for the sport. Liv has it all, and The Viking is proud to name her Paly’s female athlete of the year. <<<

HOnOrABlE mEnTIOn

Teresa noyola - While The

Viking applauds Noyola’s achievements (see pg. 12), her national team responsibilities prevented her from participating with the Paly team as much as she would have liked. However, in 11 games with the Vikings, Noyola scored 18 goals and had 7 assists.

Mia lattanzi - Senior Mia Lattanzi had an outstanding season on both the Paly cross country and track teams, finishing second place in the 800 meter race at the state meet.

The Alok Sub

An AwArd for th

By Charlie avis | Photogr

So far this year, The Viking has written athlete profiles on their athletic teams. However, sports go beyond the single athlete who may not be the best on his team, but who has and inspiration. Because of his amazing story of improve senior Alok Subbarao with the first annual Alok Subbarao The Viking will give the Alok Subbarao Award to an athle in the success of Paly sports.

58

bbArAo AwArd

he

InspIrAtIonAl

otography by Charlie Avis

on players who have demonstrated significant contribution to gle performance of a player, so we would like to recognize one has had the greatest impact on Paly sports through leadership ovements (see following article), The Viking is proud to award rao Award for the most inspirational athlete at Paly. Each year, hlete whose inspiration and leadership plays an important role

The Legend of Alok Subbarao

Alok Subbarao came out for cross-country his freshman year and soon established himself as one of the slowest runners on the team, but that did not stop him. Originally dragged into the sport by his next door neighbor, Subbarao developed a passion for the running, and given his humble beginnings, had no where to go but up. Now, after the conclusion of his final track season for Paly, Subbarao is a legend in the Paly running community and one of the nicest, most inspirational captains the cross-country team has ever had.

“Alok is the poster child for any young runner who doesn’t think they’re fast,” senior cross-country co-captain Sam Jones said. “He makes everything fun and works well with young runners.”

Subbarao’s resumé of improvements is the basis of his remarkable story. In his first race at the famed Crystal Springs, Subbarao posted a time of 27:56. Over the 2.95 mile course, he averaged 9:28 per mile and finished last of all Paly runners. However, his sub par performance did not take away his passion for running.

“I was literally the slowest guy runner on the team,” Subbarao said, “but I still liked being on the team and making friends. I liked it even though it was really painful!”

Subbarao battled through the pain and improved by over three minutes in his next race at the Crystal Springs course, which is

an impressive feat within itself, but didn’t stop improving there. Jeff Billing, the Paly boys’ cross-country coach, sat down with Subbarao and set goals for him, such as breaking the six-minutes mark by the end of freshman year.

“I would say a lot of my success can

try,” Billing said. “I knew he could do it if he would stick with it.”

As a sophomore, Subbarao continued his climb in the cross-country ranks, putting in more miles and increasing his training intensity. Billing worked closely with Subbarao, encouraging him all the way. He laid out goal times in the mile for each year of Subbarao’s high school career; Billing set the marks of a 5:30, 5:10, and 5:00 miles by the ends of sophomore, junior, and senior years respectively. “[Billing] kept saying, ‘you can do this’ and each time I would think it wasn’t a realistic goal,” Subbarao said, “but then I thought maybe I could do it. He inspired me to work hard.”

The hard work paid off as Subbarao proceeded to drop his personal record in the mile to 5:31 at the conclusion of his sophomore year an impressive 5:11 in his junior

“It is an honor to be co-captain with Alok,” Sam Jones said. “His transformation after four years, going from an unconfident to a legit runner is awesome.” be attributed to Billing,” Subbarao said. “I never believed in myself until he believed in me.”

A newly inspired Alok ran a 5:59 in the mile by the end of his freshman track season.

“It was just a matter of getting him to

year. His continued running success along with a strong bond to his fellow teammates hooked Subbarao on the sport once and for all.

“I started to train a lot harder Junior year than the previous two years,” Subbarao said. “I would say that running became my true passion starting Junior year, and it still is.”

Although Subbarao was not a member of the varsity crosscountry team and often did not score points for the varsity track team, Subbarao’s teammates certainly felt his influence as the team elected him as a co-captain of the boys cross-country team with more votes than any other candidate.

“It was an honor to be co-captain with Alok,” Sam Jones said.

“His transformation after four years, going from an unconfident to a legit runner is awesome.”

Subbarao’s senior year, however, is where his amazing story came to an inspirational climax. Throughout the 2007 cross-country season, Subbarao set his mind to running a 17:56 at the Crystal Springs course, which would make his total improvement from his very first race on the course to a remarkable ten minutes. Going into the season, Subbarao’s personal record on Crystal Springs was 18:54, so a whole minute of improvement was a lofty goal, but if anyone could do it, Alok could. Unfortunately, Subbarao fell just short with a final personal record of 18:18, but he could still boast a cumulative improvement of 9:38, something no other Paly runner can claim.

Moving on into track season, Subbarao tried all year to break the five minute mark, and entering his last meet of his high school career, against Los Altos, he held a personal record of just 5:07. He had just one more chance to break the five minute barrier and fulfill his goal from freshman year.

“It’s the most determined I’ve ever been in my life,” Subbarao

said. “I got myself in the mindset of going all out.”

Exactly 4:58.79 after the start of the gun, Subbarao crossed the finish line after four laps of fame, capping off a superb high school career. Alok’s driven nature, however, forbid him from stopping there. Subbarao pulled off what is known as a quadruple in the world of track; he competed in four events - the mile, 800 meters, two mile, and a leg of the 4x400 relay. Setting personal records in three of his four races, Alok left his mark on Paly track.

“He’s proven that with hard work, you can always improve,” Billing said. “I think that’s his legacy that he leaves behind. There are a lot of young runners in the same position that Alok was, so it’s easy for them to imagine doing what he’s done.”

Subbarao led by example and put all of his effort into what he loved, running. His resumé of improvements in itself could be worthy of the most inspirational athlete award, but Alok went beyond just running and became a mentor, leader, and the living definition of dedication and hard work. <<<

A Lok ’s Progress 1 Mile

First ever: 6:59 Freshman year: 5:59 Sophomore year: 5:31 Junior year: 5:11 Senior year: 4:58 Total Improvement: 2:01

Crystal Springs* First ever: 27:56 Freshman: 24:52 Sophomore: 21:27 Junior: 18:54 Senior: 18:18 *(2.95 miles)

Total Improvement: 9:38

All in Good Fun Alok always enjoys fooling around, but that does not stop his hard work. As team captain, he leads by example, while at the same time saving some time for a good laugh here or there. Don’t worry, he didn’t actually throw it.

The last word

And the award goes to...

by Austin Smith Much like the early Spanish conquistadores, every athlete dreams of immortality. Actually, the Fountain of Youth would not be too bad for athletes, and I would give up my spot in line adorable for Omar Vizquel. Now that I’ve thrown in a bit of an intellectual humor in there, and you know it’s intellectual when it’s not funny, I want to get down to business; show you how un-intellectual I can be.

Throughout the first sixty-one pages of this magazine, the glory of athletes’ and coaches’ legacies have been discussed a lot. I want to continue that conversation along a different path.

That’s why I am proud to introduce you to the first annual Kushal Tantry Award for the student-athlete who least exemplifies the Paly spirit. Congrats to Teresa Noyola for her Gatorade National Player of the Year, the same award that Lebron James and Kobe Bryant both previously won (for girls’ soccer as well), but this award is the real deal.

What I’m really getting at is how an athlete is remembered once their playing days are over. It’s the phenomena known as legacy. What does an athlete leave behind when they’re gone?

My own sports legacy, if any at all, would have to be for the worst ice skater the world has ever seen. It has been a painful title to earn, to both my pride and my joy (and by joy I mean my body). I have skated three times in my life. The first time I was a mere second grader, too naïve to understand the pure evil that emanates from the sport. What happened was that I got two fingers sliced by a skate, each dangling from a thread of skin. The true tragedy is that it successfully cut short a long and promising hand-modeling career.

I realize I don’t have much positive legacy to pass on, because I could also be in the running for the world’s worst paintballer (or paint-“balla”) as well. My rude awakening to the paintball scene occurred when I took a deflected paintball off a barrel and straight into the family jewels. I guess the theory is that one usually protects their most prized possessions, but on that day, from some kind of sick twist of fate, the information was not passed onto me that a cup is commonly worn while paintballing.

So yeah, I got hit in the balls with a paintball. Now I love the body painting section of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, but that’s a little extreme for my taste. For all the ladies who are curious: it hurts. You guys have the one up on us with childbirth, but getting stoned in the pebbles is a close second in terms of pain. I wish it had happened to someone else (and I wish I could 62 | The Viking

choose who that someone else was) but the fact is that I will always be remembered by my fellow paintballers that day, and that is my legacy.

Before I announce the winner, I just want to walk through the committees’ thought process behind selecting a worthy recipient.

There were a lot of candidates to choose from and there was heavy competition. It is just amazing how many solid, third or fourth rate people Paly has.

The leading candidate is obviously the legend himself. Kushal has made a name for himself over the years for certain defining characteristics. Namely, that he feels no awkwardness or shame, but also because he gets away with anything and everything. The one time he did not, on the infamous May 24, 2007, he shrunk into the shadows of his former glory, only to reemerge from the darkness no longer a man but an immortal legend.

He will always live on in the numerous dirty phrases he has contributed to pop culture, as well as the creation of May 24th as international Kushal Tantry Day, the most celebrated day of the year. I thoroughly expect everyone to plan around next May 24th to make it the greatest day of the year, every year. And if it doesn’t turn out that great, just make sure you’ve honored the man in some way. Do something stupid and wildly illegal. Make a rude comment. Mangle the toes on your feet. Just make I am proud to introsure you understand the context duce the first annual and the spirit in which the day is Kushal Tantry Award celebrated. for the student who Alright, decision time. I’ve just clearly outlined the details of least exemplifies the Kushal’s candidacy, but I really Paly spirit. want to shock and awe with an upset. Therefore, I am pleased to award The 2008 Kushal Tantry Award to junior soccer goalkeeper Peter Johnson. The award may be named after Kushal, but he’s never won anything in his life, and I’m not one to break tradition.

Plus, Peter is just the worst person I know. Hands down.

Peter Johnson is somewhat of a manwhore. He’s a decent guy, he just can’t resist the urge to get naked in front of everyone.

My first experience with his blatant promiscuity was on our staff trip to Sacramento. We had shared a bed the night before, which was awkward enough considering how frisky he is in his sleep (Kushal would’ve liked it). Then, in the morning, I stepped out of the room to grab some breakfast, leaving the door WIDE open.

Apparently that doesn’t matter to Peter, and neither does wearing a towel. So, as you can imagine, the timing was perfect.

I came back with a bagel, Peter came back without any clothes.

That’s right ladies: I’ve seen it all and, to be honest, not that impressive. Since that moment however, Peter has managed to put on a show for everyone I know, including our adviser Ms. Austin. His morals are the Sahara Desert to my Pacific Ocean, with Kushal there somewhere in between as a mud puddle.

So congratulations Peter. We are all very proud of you. You now officially have the right to go brag to Teresa, so cherish it.

And while Teresa may get a lifetime supply of Gatorade, I am willing to promise you a lifetime supply of rice and baby roosters from my plantation.

I’m Austin Smith.

Remember me, b***h.

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