Category: Sports

By Sean Tseng

Although the Boys’ Tennis team was unable to reach CCS (Central Coast Section) this year, the members are still keeping their heads up and looking back on all their work throughout the season to hopefully better their performance next year.

The 5-2 loss against Prospect High on Wednesday and 4-3 loss playing Westmont High on Monday meant the team’s ranking within the league fell to fifth place. Such a ranking removed the chance for them to enter CCS, regardless of the outcome of their final game of the season against Silver Creek High yesterday.

Though they had been projected to take third or fourth place after starting the season off well, the team ultimately underestimated their opponents.

“At the start of the season, we had a strong opening where we beat one of our top competitors,” recounted senior and Varsity Doubles One player Evan Sum. “However, we got (overconfident) and ended up being unprepared against a team that (had) moved up from B-League.”

The lesson is a disappointing one to face, especially for the graduating seniors. Still, the team is determined to use the losses as perspective on how to improve performance in the future.

For one, the members themselves believe there is room for growth and opportunity for improvement in the daily practice matches and drills.

“I think that practices (could) be more serious and less playful,” described Sum when asked about changes from which they could all benefit. “Next year, I hope the captain plans on being stricter.”

With yesterday also being the team’s Senior Night, the future of the team has now been passed on to the underclassmen members. The end of the season is bittersweet, but not even losses can taint the countless memories shared between the players.

“Although in the end we didn’t make CCS, we tried our best and most importantly had a lot of fun,” reflects captain Ryan Tran. “I’m super grateful to all the guys for making my last season with them the most memorable of all!”

By Leiana Baclig

Beginning their season with success, the Piedmont Hills swim team continues to do well throughout the year.

The swimmers practice five days a week, Monday to Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 pm at Independence, only occasionally getting a day off.

The team has some weaknesses, in which they are working to overcome when they are at practice.

“Some of our major struggles happen within practice,” mentioned Varsity swimmer senior Diane Tabilas. “There are several instances in which we tend to slack off and not practice with the intent to improve. In order to improve we need the mindset of one wanting to be a better swimmer instead of just going through the motions.”

Despite their weaknesses, the team has vastly made some improvements from the beginning of the season that they are proud of.

“At the start, everyone was very slow and rusty, as if we had forgotten our feel of the water. But now there is noticeable improvement,” commented Tabilas. “We have improved not only with our times, but also our endurance, technique and cohesion.”

The team’s biggest strengths are winning their meets and working together as a team.

“We are finally winning some meets compared to previous years,” stated Varsity swimmer senior Julia Krowicki.

By working hard during practice and doing their best to win every meet they possibly can, the swimmers believe they will reach their team goal.

“Our team goal is to win everything and get league champs for B-League,” revealed Varsity swimmer senior Kendrick Cheung.

With all the hard work, dedication and greatly starting off the season, the PHHS swim team strongly believes they can move back into A-League.

“I think we have a very good chance to go back to A-League especially since we have very strong swimmers and have each other for support,” claimed Krowicki.

According to Tabilas, the team is very strong, and the underclassmen are extremely talented and hardworking.

Several swimmers have already qualified for CCS (Central Coast Section) for this season. The swimmers who have not yet qualified will train and focus on their individual goal in order to qualify.

By Trevor Glassey

After winning their league boasting an 18-6 win-loss record, Boys’ Varsity Basketball team moved into CCS. Despite defeating Santa Teresa high school on Feb. 25, the team was eliminated from the CCS semi-finals in a 59-36 game against Los Gatos on Mar. 1.

“They came out hard,” stated Varsity Point Guard Goose Persin, lamenting the loss. “We fought as hard as we could.”

According to the team, the game was initially pretty even. The team started off down a couple points, but they also made a few stabilizing runs. However, the team was never able to catch a break and started falling behind towards the end of the second half.

According to Varsity Shooting Guard and Forward Joquel Walker, the game was basically over and decided by the third quarter.

“On the defensive side we weren’t containing, and on the offensive we weren’t executing,” explained Walker.

The enemy team was huge, both literally and in terms of skill, proving to be an overpowering opponent. Despite their previous success, the Piedmont Hills Pirates couldn’t navigate through. The Los Gatos Wildcats pounced on the Pirates’ mistakes and tore mercilessly through the team. This allowed them to rocket ahead in the fourth quarter of this star-crossed game.

“We could have made more shots,” Coach Peter Simos summarizes simply. “The other team made more shots, so they won.”

The team gave their best effort, but they ultimately could not complete enough runs or make enough shots to win the game. Although the team was unable to launch to the finals, they had performed excellently over this season. This game ended the team’s impressive 16 game win streak.

“They had a great season,” expresses Coach Simos, “but they just fell short in the playoffs.”

In the end, the team’s hard work, team chemistry, and excellent coaching still allowed the team to flourish among their peers. While the team couldn’t follow last year’s CCS champions, they still won their league and earned the bronze medal in CCS despite stiff competition. One can only hope for next year’s performance to out-do this very successful season.

By Melody Li

The Piedmont Hills Badminton team started the new season strong, with a 9-6 win at their first game against Andrew Hill on Fri., Mar. 3 at the Piedmont Hills Gym.  The team currently has a record of 3 wins and 0 losses, with a game today at Leigh High School.

Although each individual team player displays strong talent, much of the team’s success is thanks to the team cooperation and spirit.

“We won easier than expected against Andrew Hill because [everyone was] so cheerful and spirited,” comments senior Captain Nicky Nguyen. “It was relaxing and fun.”

As the first game of the season, captains encouraged team spirit and cheering among all the players.

“The game [against Andrew Hill] went pretty well. Overall, everyone was cheering and there was good energy amongst the team,” seconds junior Captain Jody Wong.

To prepare for this season, the badminton team started to scout new players in the beginning of fall. Students had to attend at least two conditioning days between January and February to even qualify to try out for the team.

“Conditioning showed us who was most dedicated,” explains sophomore Christine Pham. “The kids who consistently showed up are the ones who ended up making the team.”

While training and conditioning officially started in January, the team has been training hard on their own as well.

“Personally, I’ve been practicing and training since the summer on my own at Bay Badminton Center. The upperclassmen also helped the freshman prep for tryouts,” explains Nguyen.

Some members train at clubs outside of school to further advance their playing skills.

“I’ve been training at Bintang since I was in middle school,” admits freshman Varsity Singles player Brandon Lin. “That really helped me prepare for the season and all my future games.”

Currently, the team has practice days on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and games on Wednesdays and Fridays.

This year, the team hopes to not only improve in skills and to win in league finals, but also become a closer family.

“I think our team is pretty sold this year, and I hope we can win league finals.  The captains hope to help our team bond and be a closer knit group,” reveals Wong.

Many of the freshman have similar goals and expectations for their first year on the team.

“As a freshman, I feel a lot of pressure being on the team as everyone is super competitive [but] my goals for this season is to make league finals and possibly CCS,” says freshman Varsity Singles player Tony Hong.

The players ultimately hope to win League Finals and make it to CCS in their respective individual events.

By Andrew Huynh

Amidst all of the heavy rain and floods, the Piedmont Hills swim team began their season with a lot of opportunity to practice.

“The season started about a month ago and it has been a lot of fun,” says Varsity swimmer junior Derek Tang.  “It feels like I’ve been swimming my whole life but it has only been five years.”

Although previously in the A-League, the team moved to the B-League because of their performance at last season’s league finals.

“We were not doing well in A-League last year,” states Tang.  Most experienced swimmers had already graduated and it was the team’s first year practicing in a new environment.

The team still practices at Independence High School’s pool since the Piedmont Hills’ pool remains under construction.

“Our pool isn’t done yet, even though they told us it would be finished around January,” explains Junior Varisty swimmer Aileen Chen.

Despite the challenge of not having their own pool to practice in, the Piedmont Hills’ swimmers still hope to improve this season and set some personal records.

“My goal this season is to improve my times and hopefully improve on my butterfly, which is my worst stroke,” comments Chen.

Other swimmers hope to make it to CCS (Central Coast Section).

“Everyone seems to get along well,” says Varsity swimmer junior Daisy Kamp “We are one big family.”

The swim team had its first scrimmage on Feb. 23 against Evergreen High School. The scrimmage served as a practice meet for the athletes, so no points were awarded on either side.

“The first scrimmage went better than expected because Evergreen typically beats us,” says Kamp.  “We came pretty close to winning for once.”

Their first real meet was held on March 9 against Independence and Lincoln High School. Our swimmers came out with a win against both schools.

“It was pretty different since we were used to losing last year in A-League,” laments Tang.  “We used to be happy with not being last place.”

For the first time in a while, Piedmont Hills managed to take the lead in most of the events, especially the relays.

With a strong start to the season and more meets to come, Piedmont Hills can hopefully expect to see many CCS qualifiers this year and reclaim their position in A-League.

By Anthony Ta

Boys Tennis swings into the 2017 season with a new roster, new opponents, and an enhanced focus on working towards qualifying for CCS (Central Coast Section).
Conditioning for Boys’ Tennis began on Nov. 21 of last year, and it lasted for two weeks.

During that time, the team experienced a significant increase in players.

The more experienced players, like team Captain Ryan Tran, were able to utilize their year(s) worth of leadership experience in better running the two weeks of preparatory work. This ultimately had a positive impact on the team as seen in their successive victories. It opened the door for a more effective training set to whip the new players into shape for the upcoming series of matches. Conditioning consisted of running, arm and leg workouts, drills on the tennis court, and the team essentially “did everything.”

“Conditioning was very hard, but it helped condition us to be the tennis players we are today,” explains Junior Varsity player Tony Le.

Being in Division A, the team will face many adversaries along their journey towards CCS. In the last season, their score of 4 wins and 10 losses, as well as complications with the attendance of good players, resulted in the team not being as prepared as they anticipated. This inevitably led to their downfall as Boys’ Tennis did not make it into last year’s Central Coast Section.

Having said that, the new roster is said to bring on new opportunities and may be the key to making their shared goal a reality.

“This year we have a lot of good players and they will show up, so we will do well,” confidently beams Team Captain Ryan Tran.

Their first game was held on Feb. 28 against Leland High School. The players came out with a win against the school with a score of 4 to 3, and later went up against Evergreen Valley High School, only to lose with a score of 0 to 7.

However, the team recovered quickly from that loss and ended up beating their next two opponents: Willow Glen with 7 to 0 and Branham with 5 to 2. The team later lost to Westmont High School 3 to 4.

“Our match against Westmont was close, and it was an important match because there is a chance that either Westmont or we will be third seed in CCS. Unforunately we ended the day with a loss,” expresses Varsity player Ryan Nhin.

As the season continues to progress, the team remains optimistic in their abilities and stays locked onto their hopes for CCS. The team’s cohesion grows better day by day, leaving them with a stronger kinship to support one another in their own personal and group endeavors.

“We just cliqued and there was no problems with communications,” states Nhin.

The season may have just begun and there are plenty of games to be played, but one thing is certain for Boys Tennis: they will continue to work hard and achieve the goals they set out to achieve.

Tran hopes to inspire his players through his leadership and experience in the sport.

“I started playing tennis in 4th grade,” recalls Tran. “I decided to join the team as a means of exercise and stress relief, but of course, simply because I think it’s fun!”

By Hannah Tong

As the new year begins, the new season brings and commences the spring sports.
The Boys Baseball Team started in early January, but had just finished their tryouts in February.

Last year the team’s record was 11-11, with 7 wins at home, and 4 wins on the road.
The varsity team consists of all grade levels, ranging from freshmen all the way up to seniors.

Many players have played baseball for a while. As the younger players move up onto Varsity, the older teammates help them in any way to improve them as players, such as fixing their swing.

On and off the field, the new team bond with each other by doing several activities.

“Sometimes we would just play wall ball or games like that…to build a good team chemistry,” notes Shortstop Nathan Gomez. “It’s a long season and it would be fun to fool around for a little.”

During practices, the team works a lot on defense. Infielders would take groundballs, balls that are thrown to roll along the ground, thrown by the coach and practice game situations they might run into against other teams.

The players also work on communication to improve and perfect the plays that their coach wants them to do.

“For example, coach would say roll a double play and he would hit it anywhere on the infield and as the players, we have to communicate to make that play,” informs Gomez.

The practices usually end with conditioning.

The Boys Varsity Baseball team also wanted to start off the season strong and win the very first game of the season.

Their first game was against Fremont High School. Piedmont Hills won their away game with a score of 4 to 1. Despite initially looking like the game might result in a tie, the Pirates started scoring more towards the end.

“Its exhilarating,” remarks Outfielder Alec Galbo on the season so far.

The baseball team’s current season record is 1-3, 2-2.

“(It) was good because it showed that we can be put on the line and clutch up,” explains Gomez.

Today, the Pirates will be playing at Gunderson High School, whose current league record is 1-3.

By Leiana Baclig

The Varsity Softball team hit off this season with strength, confidence and excitement.
“(Our season) looks really promising. Each girl takes pride in the hard work she puts in, and it’s really shown in practice and our last 2 scrimmages,” explained Center Fielder and Second Baseman Aleah Gutierrez.

The team’s biggest struggle is communication. This year’s team is filled with new faces, so the girls are learning how to work together as a team and using their voices to be loud on the field.

The team’s biggest strengths are their worth ethic that each individual player has and their positivity throughout the games and practices. The team has no slackers and the players work hard to do their best to achieve all their individual and team goals.

“I see them playing for each other not just themselves, they seem to get along very well which is very important to our success,” commented Coach Randy Nishikawa.

During practice, the players focus on certain areas to foster in.

“(We practice on) all the basic fundamentals whether it be fielding or hitting and making sure we get a lot of reps in,” mentioned Right Fielder Destine Lamonia.

“Then (we have) 5-10 minute randimals where we put the most work in,” indicated Outfielder Olivia Torres.

The girls maintain their skills set by constantly practicing everyday and taking advice from their coaches. According to Lamonia, they are open to improvement in any areas.
With all the hard work and dedication, the team is striving to compete in CCS (Central Coast Section).

“Our motivation is to be able to say we were League Champions two years in a row. I know several of us also want another shot in CCS. I personally am also motivated by the fact that I want a college scholarship to continue playing the sport I love after high school,” revealed Gutierrez. “When game days come around, it’s a great time to show off what my team and I can accomplish.”

The team’s record is 2-3.

By Vivian Lin

The track and field season officially started practice on February 20th. Every day for about two hours after seventh period, the athletes go to the school track to run, sprint, jump, and more.

“A typical practice usually starts with warm ups that basically get your heart pumping, and the coaches are really strict about us wearing our sweats during this so that we actually get warm,” explains junior Bryce Smith, who runs sprints.

The workouts vary depending on what event the particular athlete participates in. For example, a distance runner might do mile repeats with a few breaks in between, while shorter distance runners might do sprints.

Track and field is a physically taxing sport that requires athletes to look after themselves before and after practice. The athletes often use ice to put on sore muscles and use foam rollers to massage their muscles after practice.

“Before practice, I drink a lot of water and make sure I’m eating the right foods and after practice, I make sure I stretch,” remarks sophomore Gloria Qiu, a distance runner.

The team’s first meet was at Sobrato High School on Thurs., March 9. Several members were missing due to the music department trip to Disneyland, resulting in free points for the opposing school, but the meet went smoothly overall.

“For me, the hardest thing about sprinting this year is getting used to the more explosive speed that you have to hold during the event,” admits senior Brandon Nguyen, who ran distance last year.

In the end, Piedmont Hills came out on the top with a strong win.

“Even though most of the events are individual, except the relays, the scores are tallied up as a team, and we are more of an extended family than a team,” says Bryce.

By Syed Rahim

Coming off of a second seed placement at the end of last season, the Piedmont Hills Golf team practices as it looks forward to a new year. With a fresh squad guided by experienced veterans, the Pirates squad plans to train hard to beat their competition.

Last year, the Piedmont Hills Golf team ended the season with a 9-3 record, coming in at second place in the Santa Teresa division.

Last year, we were really good,” remembers sophomore Stephanie Lee. “We beat every single team except for Santa Teresa, which was our last team.”

This season, the team looks forward to training a better team and scoring a better record. Veterans of the team recall the process of training new members and practicing together last year.

Our coaches really taught us how to play the game and understand as a team who we are,” comments senior Jasmit Mahajan. “We learned strengths and weaknesses throughout the year and practiced as a team so that we got better and understood other people’s strengths and weaknesses.”

In this new season, playing against B-league newcomers Branham High School, the team will have to work even harder to secure another impressive record. The team also hopes to make it to CCS (Central Coast Competition), where they will be playing against teams from leagues all over Central California.

“Personally, as a girl player, I want to give girls recognition for playing since I play on the boys team. I want girls to see “oh she can play golf, I can play golf too.” says Stephanie.

All things considered, the Pirates’ Golf team is confident in its ability to win. The veterans are looking for a chance to go deep in the playoffs, and the newcomers are looking to prove their spot on the Pirate squad.