TC recognizes top prep athletes, teams
Top Female Athlete
Lauren-Smith Hams of Pinewood School. The senior was named the Private Schools Athletic League's MVP in basketball and volleyball. Her basketball exploits were particularly impressive, as the point guard set a school record for career points and led her team to a state title.
Top Male Athlete
Pete Bjorklund of Los Altos High. The senior starred in football and track and field. He was voted the SCVAL El Camino Division's most valuable lineman for his play on the offensive and defensive lines and was the Central Coast Section champion in the shot put and discus.
Best Team
The St. Francis High girls volleyball team. The Lancers won their second straight state title and went 40-1 on the season. The team was loaded with stars, including all-leaguers Stacy Millichap, Anna Kleinsorge, sisters Chrissy and Cindy Hirsch and Julie Mariani. Coach Dave Gambelin's team was so deep, its reserves could have beaten most teams in the CCS.
Biggest Surprise
The Los Altos football team. The Eagles posted a 7-3-1 record, were co-champs of the SCVAL El Camino Division and made their first post-season appearance since 1985. Coach Ron Moser's team wasn't deep, but two-way players like Bjorklund, Alex Ware, Micah Goins and Eric Handa helped make up for that.
Perseverance Award
The Gunn High girls soccer team. Despite losing Parade All-American Callie Withers early in the season, the Titans reached the CCS Division I finals. Gunn upset top-seeded Sacred Heart in the semis before dropping a 2-0 decision to St. Francis in the finals. Los Altos Hills resident Christina Morrison played a key role in Gunn's title run.
Best Game
The St. Francis football team's 14-13 win over Oak Grove in the CCS Division I title game. The Lancers entered the contest having lost three straight games to Oak Grove, including the 1997 championship. But St. Francis wouldn't be denied this time, winning a back-and-forth battle with big plays on offense, defense and special teams. Jeff Endaya had a 63-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, John Rebeiro blocked an extra-point in the third and Matt Lemos made an interception late in the fourth.
Mr. Versatility
Chase Lyman of St. Francis. Not only did he excel in three sports - football, basketball and track and field - but also went to the postseason in all of them. The junior was a receiver on the CCS champion football team, a forward on the CCS runner-up basketball team and finished seventh in the long jump at the CCS track finals.
Ms. Versatility
Julie Speckels of Homestead High. The Los Altos resident was named first team all-league in three sports: field hockey, basketball and softball. She was the only Mustang to earn an athletic scholarship this year and heads to Rutgers in the fall to play field hockey and possibly softball.
Best Senior Trio
Andrew Hill, Bjorklund and Ware of Los Altos. All three were standouts on the field and in the classroom. Hill, named the top scholar-athlete in the CCS and California, made it to the state finals in cross country and track. He's going to Stanford in the fall. Bjorklund and Ware played both ways on the football team and earned all-league honors. They each advanced to the state track meet, too: Bjorklund in the shot put and discus, and Ware in the hurdles. Both are headed to Dartmouth.
Best Use of Size
St. Francis volleyball star Millichap, who proved it's possible to dominate the outside hitter position at 5-foot-8. The senior was named MVP of the SCVAL De Anza Division, the CCS and the state tournament.
Best Sister Act
The Hirsch twins. The seniors were all-league performers in volleyball and basketball. An injury kept Chrissy from competing in track, but Cindy took fifth in the long jump at CCS. The Hirsch's will attend Santa Clara University in the fall.
Best Trick Play
The Mountain View High football team lined up to punt from Fremont's 38-yard line but instead hiked the ball to their smallest player, Mario Frank. The 5-foot-4, 135-pounder faked a reverse hand off to the right and then took off down the left sideline, finally getting shoved out at the 11. The play led to a touchdown, and the Spartans went on to win 22-0. And it happened on Halloween, no less.
Tough Break Award
Now that the school year has come to a close, it's time to recognize the efforts of some local high school teams and their athletes. So without further adieu, we present the inaugural Town Crier Prep Awards...
The St. Francis gymnastics team. The Lancers placed second in CCS for the seventh straight year. This year's loss was the closest yet, as Gunn edged them by less than one-tenth of a point.