Sports Briefs
Compiled by Robert Haugh & Melissa McKenzie

With the Gridiron warriors done for the year and temperatures dropping, the Fall sports season is on the backburner as the Winter sports season kicks into high gear. Winter sports include boys and girls basketball, wrestling, and boys and girls soccer.

Both the Wilcox Chargers (13-13, 4-8) and Santa Clara Bruins (14-12, 8-4) girls basketball teams qualified for, and competed in CCS Division II playoffs last season, with the Bruins reaching the second round, and the Chargers getting eliminated in the first round. The Bruins will feature returning starter Senior Jessi Boyd, who averaged seven points and seven rebounds per game last year. The Chargers will welcome fourth-year starter, Senior point guard Trinda Cook back to the hardwood.

Looking to make tremendous strides will be the Bruins’ boys basketball team, which went 7-17 (0-9 league) and the Chargers’ girls soccer team, which compiled just one win last year. The Bruins will led by several returning players, including 6-foot-5 Senior Center Brandon Loredo who averaged 7.4 ppg and 7.8 rpg and led the team with 19 blocks. Senior Brandon Ngo and Sophomore Guard Ronaq Virdi both compiled 6.4 ppg last year and Junior R.J. Pamintuan averaged 5.5 ppg and led the team in assists.

Several Wilcox and SantaClara wrestlers who qualified for CCS competition last year return to their squads, including Wilcox Junior Kevin Le, who reached the third round in CCS at 103 pounds before exiting the tournament due to injury. The Bruins will be looking for a star replacement for Kamyar Sharifi, who placed second at 135 pounds in CCS last year. Wilcox Senior Jack Rader nearly made it to the finals of the consolation championships at 145 pounds, winning three bouts before getting eliminated. Other returning wrestlers with CCS experience under their belts include Elvin LaBucay (SC, Sophomore, 103), Noah Gehzo (SC, 112), Alec Olsen (SC, Senior, 140), Danny Pelayo (SC, Senior, 171), Ranvijay Singh (SC, Senior, 215), Irving Velenzveda (Wilcox, Sophomore, 215) and Justin Wright (Wilcox, Sophomore, 275).

Santa Clara Sporting 93 Boys Team Wins 2011 College Surf Cup in the U18 Mens Super Group last weekend in San Diego. Sporting 93 went undefeated in bracket play with a 2-2 tie against the Futega Camp Elite team from Guatemala, then defeated the Patedores Team 1-0 and the Soreno 94 White team 2-0.  Sunday morning the team defeated the Davis Legacy 94 Team 2-0 in the semi-final, then Santa Clara won the championship game 2-0 against the F.C. Golden State Premier team from Southern California. The ‘93 Boys team is ranked #4 in the US, #1 in Region IV and #1 in California by GotSoccer.com, and their major accomplishments include three consecutive Cal-North State Cup titles and a Dallas Cup championship.

Wilcox Senior Lalida Maokhamphiou placed 39th with a mark of 18:59 at the CIF State meet on November 26 at Woodward Park in Fresno. The CIF State meet featured nearly 1,000 competitors with nearly 200 competitors in Division I.

Santa Clara University Men’s Basketball Competes at 76 Classic in Anaheim California. After beating New Mexico 79-76 in an overtime battle, SCU dropped its second game 85-73 to Oklahoma. Junior Kevin Foster broke Steve Nash’s career three-pointers made record in the loss. After the loss, SCU played Villanova in the consolation finals. Santa Clara went on a 10-0 run to close out the final three minutes of the game and pulled off an upset 65-64. Sophomore Evan Roquemore hit four clutch free throws and 15 points while junior Raymond Cowels III scored a season-high 20 points. As a team, SCU shot 44% including 40.7% from beyond the arc. The team collected 26 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks. SCU will next play CSU Northridge at home Saturday, December 3 at 7 p.m.

Santa Clara University Women’s Basketball Beats Unbeaten UC Davis 81-78. Sophomore Ricki Radanovich scored a career-high 20 pointes, including six three-pointers in the victory. Senior Alyssa Shoji and junior Meagan Fulps added four threes each in the win. SCU will next travel to CSU Northridge, UC Irvine, Cal, and Seattle before returning home on Saturday, December 17 for a game against San Jose State.