Woodside knocks off St. Francis basketball Woodside knocks off St. Francis basketball (January 09, 2004)

Lancers tired after narrow victory the night before

By Samay Gheewala

The St. Francis boys' basketball team split its final two non-league games last weekend, edging San Benito 56-54 on the road before stumbling 63-53 to Woodside.

Against San Benito, the Lancers fell behind early, ending the first half with an 8-point deficit, 33-25. But a 19-10 performance in the third quarter put the Lancers ahead by a point, and they were able to hold for the win. David Gordon had a big game with 25 points, including three 3-pointers, while Matt Loretz contributed 15 points.

After the win at San Benito, St. Francis looked a bit tired on Jan. 3, as it hosted Woodside High in the final game of the winter break. Although playing at home, the Lancers found themselves pushed around and unable to control the pace of the game, leading to a 63-53 defeat.

St. Francis had the luxury of a deeper bench but Woodside was able to wear down the Lancer defense under the basket with tough, physical play. The Tigers got ahead early and held on for the remainder of the game. Although key 3-pointers in the third quarter brought St. Francis close, Woodside was able to power away, driven by quick fast breaks and tough play inside.

Loretz led Lancer scorers with 15 points, while Gordon notched 10. St. Francis, with an overall record of 6-6, started WCAL play against archrival Bellarmine on Jan. 7.
Mountain View hoopsters stop North Monterey 49-37

Continuing its winning run through the Seaside tournament, the Spartan girls' basketball team proved that North Monterey wasn't too strong of an opponent. Led by Laura Brigham, who pulled down 17 points, including a key 3-pointer, and Peyton Paulick, with 13 points, the Spartans powered through the third round of the Seaside tournament with a 49-37 win on Dec. 29.

Mountain View continued its winning ways the next day with a victory in the consolation bracket finals against Mt. Pleasant. This time, Michelle Peng led the way with 16 points as the Spartans squeaked out a 51-48 win. Brigham put up 10, while Paulick had 9.

Mountain View, after finishing the preseason with a 6-7 record, starts its league season on Jan. 9 at home against Cupertino.
Los Altos wrestlers take top spots at Lou Bronzan tournament.

Los Altos' wrestlers spent Dec. 29 and 30 at the highly competitive Lou Bronzan tournament, and three of the Eagle grapplers came out of the 32-team field with distinction.

Leading Los Altos was Fernando Munoz, wrestling at 112 lbs., who took second place in his weight class. Alex Hsieh, competing at 145-lbs., took sixth place, while Max Bottaro, 152 lbs., took eighth place.
Little League Signups

Mountain View Little League Baseball will be holding signups for next spring's play for children 5-14 at the Rengstorff Park Community Center Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The league will also be holding its annual Parent Information Night on Jan. 15 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the same location. Players can also register during the event.

Registrants should bring an original birth certificate and a recent phone or utility bill as proof of Mountain View residency. For questions, please call 961-2065 or visit www.mvll.org.

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