South Valley sports enthusiasts make their mark
By JAWARA HARRISON
Pinnacle Staff Writers
Another year has passed. Once again, the sports fans of the
South Valley were spoiled with many great (and one not-so-great)
sports moments in 2001. Here are the top 10 events of 2002 and,
hopefully, a prelude to 2003.
Another year has passed. Once again, the sports fans of the South Valley were spoiled with many great (and one not-so-great) sports moments in 2001. Here are the top 10 events of 2002 and, hopefully, a prelude to 2003.
Anzar Hawks wins Central Coast Section title-Four years ago if someone would have said the Anzar Hawks would win a CCS title in the near future, they may have been laughed out of the room. On November 23, inside the West Valley Community College gymnasium in the CCS Division V championship game, the Hawks, however, had the last laugh. Anzar defeated Valley Christian-Dublin High School 15-13, 15-12, 15-4, 15-8, and15-8 to win the championship only they thought possible. Outside hitter Kiely White recorded 31 kills and Hawks setter Gina Ray finished the game with 48 assists, but that is nothing out of the ordinary. Anzar’s middle blocker Treva Crocker stepped up and smashed home a career high 31 kills while Justin Wiley, a defensive specialist, had 20 digs. The CCS win was the crowning glory for seniors Casey Norton, Heidi Rivera, Corey Strasser, White and Ray, the last of the original Hawks team to graduate.
Shelli Reed fastest 50-meters in U.S-What can you accomplish in 35.25 seconds? Not much. Well, that is unless you’re San Benito Aquatics swimmer Shelli Reed. In September at the Pac Swimming Age Group championships in Moraga, Reed, 10, swam the backstroke in 35.25 seconds, the fastest time in the United States at that time. According to the United States swimming data base, Reed’s time was .4 seconds faster than the previous top time. Reed still competes for SBA and hopes to one day swim for the Haybalers.
San Benito Men’s water polo wins TCAL championship-For the past 15 years the San Benito Haybalers, and anyone else in the league for that matter, played second-fiddle to the Live Oak Acorns. In mid-November the Haybalers and the Acorns met in Morgan Hill for the Tri County Athletic League championship. The Haybalers ended the Acorns string of dominance with a bit of its own. Nik Barr scored seven goals in a 13-4 rout of the defending champions and cemented his team’s name in the history books. The players celebrated the win by hurling coach Tom Agan into the Acorns pool.
Baseball wins MBL and advances in CCS-In his second season as coach Neal Andrade turned the San Benito team from a laughingstock into champions. After finishing the regular season as co-Monterey Bay League champions with the North Monterey County Condors, the Haybalers went on a memorable run in the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs. In the first round against the Homestead Mustangs, the Haybalers fell behind on three separate occasions but scratched back to tie the game in the final inning. Haybalers pitcher Gordon Ross hit a homerun in the 12th inning to advance his team to the semifinals, where the Live Oak Acorns awaited. The Haybalers were down again, clawed back again and in the final inning relief pitcher Nathan Rowe smashed a 300-foot homerun for the win and a date in the CCS title game against Serra HS. Four outs away from the title Serra exploded for six runs and ended the Haybaler run.
Marty Dillon ousted as San Benito High School Athletic Director-After 20 years as the AD of SBHS and seven years as the coach of the women’s softball team, James “Marty” Dillon was unceremoniously fired after allegations he inappropriately touched a female player. Following a summer league softball game in Stockton, Dillon allegedly grabbed the breasts of a player “to lighten the mood,” he told investigators. The incident was reported two months later, the Stockton Police Department investigated and ultimately decided not to press charges. The SBHS Board of Trustees however, was not as lenient, and even including allegations reported in The Pinnacle that Dillon had inflating his daughter’s batting stats so she would be named to the all-MBL team. Dillon was fired and replaced by Dave Tari. Dillon immediately appealed the Board’s decision and still awaits a final ruling.
Refereeing the world: In April, Gilroy’s Brian Hall became the first American-born U.S. referee chosen to ever officiate a World Cup soccer game. During his five-week stint in Japan, Hall became one of the most respected refs at the games. He was chosen to work the sidelines in the semifinal match between Brazil and Turkey-a first for any U.S. ref. And when the games were over, Hall had earned the third highest performance marks of all the 36 refs in the tournament.
“Fortunately, none of the games I refereed were controversial,” he said after arriving back in the states. “It was a great experience, huge. It was an honor. But words could never explain the pressure to perform.”
During his stay in Japan Hall worked four games. He was the main referee in the games between Italy and Ecuador and England and Nigeria. He also worked the sidelines as the fourth official in the contests between England and Argentina.
A lady and her gloves: In May, Kelsey Jeffries, a 27-year-old 126-pounder from Hollister who fights out of the Gilroy Youth Center captured the first-ever California State Women’s Featherweight title by decision over Hollywood’s Karen Martin. She then followed up her pioneering feat in November by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Layla McCarter in Bakersfield, which gave her the International Female Boxing Association’s championship belt-the most respected belt in women’s boxing. Jeffries is scheduled to defend her title on Jan. 30 at the Rose Garden in Portland. Eventually, Jeffries would like to also claim the Women’s International Boxing Association title in her weight class too. Currently, Jeffries has a record of 17-7.
Into the Fry-ing pan: Although she doesn’t seek out attention, in August Morgan Hill’s Muni Fry earned it by becoming the first female owner in the history of the Arena Football League to win an Arena Bowl Championship. In 1995, Fry brought the franchise to San Jose. During her eight seasons with the club, Fry has worked in the front office overseeing management of the franchise and club operations and has tasted success in the process. The Arena Bowl XVI Champion SaberCats have made the playoffs the last three years and compiled a 39-9 record during the stretch.
“(The secret to our success is) to never be satisfied,” said Fry in an interview prior to her team’s playoff run. “We are always striving to work harder and do things better, from our performance on the field to selling tickets. The desire to be the best draws the best.”
In addition to her guidance in the front office, Fry plays an instrumental role in a league that continues to increase its fan base. She also sits on the Arena Football League’s Board of Directors and is a member of the league’s Team Operations and Quality Review Committees.
Jeff Garcia. Need we say more? Garcia has been the 49ers starting field general since the 2000 season. But his accomplishments on the field are certainly worthy of making the top sports stories in the South Valley list. In fact, what Garcia is doing is making news across the country. This season Garcia was named to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive time. He also led the 49ers into the playoffs for the second straight season and is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the National Football League. On Sunday, Garcia will start to make his pitch for making our list next year when his 49ers square off with the New York Giants on Candlestick Point. The Niners are now four wins away from a sixth Super Bowl title. And it’s hard to believe that a Gilroy native is guiding their playoff ship.
Freshman take the field. In August, Live Oak fielded its first freshman football team since 1974. While the thought of bringing back freshman football had been discussed from the moment it was stopped, there were several obstacles that prevented it from happening. But school officials, parents and booster club members rallied to bring the sport back to Live Oak.
Pinnacle writer John Bagley contributed to this story.
