City College’s Oct. 17 1:00 p.m. game was held in Oroville, Calif. against the Butte College Roadrunners, last year’s national champions. Both the the Roadrunners and the Rams are 5-0 so far this season, and ranked no. 1 and 2 in the conference, respectively.
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By Bontã Hill
Editor
Both men and women’s basketball teams went on the road to play in tournaments over the Dec. 4 weekend.
The women’s basketball competed in the Contra Costa Tournament on Dec. 4-6 and took home a championship by winning all three games with a combined total of 82 points.
Sophomore Monique Calvello and freshman Mone Peoples were selected for the all-tournament team. Freshman Jazmin Holmes took home the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award as the record of the state’s No. 2 team moved to 11-0 for the season.
During the preseason, the Rams have taken three tournament championships. Next, they will compete in Santa Rosa Junior College’s invitational tournament on Dec. 11-13. In two weeks, the Rams will be back at home when they host the Golden Gate Classic Dec. 19-21 in the Community Health and Wellness Center.
The men’s team lost to the No. 4 ranked San Joaquin Delta Mustangs in the first game of the 71st Modesto Tournament 86-69. The Rams took out their frustrations in the next two games by smacking Sequoias College 77-60. In the fifth place game, the Rams blew out Chabot College 92-77 to move their record to 9-3 for the season. The Rams’ men’s basketball team will play at the San Jose City College tournament Dec. 11-13.
San Joaquin Delta College wide receiver Garrett Andrews slips out of an attempted tackle by Rams’ linebacker Michael Tupai at the Hawaiian Punch Bowl on Dec. 6. The Mustangs won the game with a final score of 36-14. ERIC SUN / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN
By Bontã Hill
Editor
In a season that had its ups and downs, the Rams didn’t envision the 2008 season to end the way it did on Dec. 6. The Rams, riding on a four game winning streak coming into the Hawaiian Punch Bowl, lost 36-14 to the San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs.
The Rams finished the season with a record of 7-4, the program’s worst record in 20 years.
Turnovers, missed tackles and critical penalties all proved too much to overcome as the Rams dug themselves a hole they could not manage to climb out of.
The Mustangs took control of the game early as they recovered a fumble on a punt return by Myles Gates at the 13-yard line. During the next play, Delta quarterback Alesana Sausau completed a 13-yard pass to receiver Zuri Nance for a quick 7-0 lead.
“Things didn’t go well from the first punt on,” Head Coach George Rush said. “The first series, we made them go three and out, they punted, and it went downhill from there. [We] have no excuses. Their [the Mustangs’] kids played great.”
The Rams could not find an offensive rhythm with their first three offensive possessions, all ending with turnovers.
Rams running back Andre Patterson and quarterback Kevin Vye each threw interceptions, and on fourth-and-one at the end of the first quarter, running back Monte Davis was stuffed short of the first down.
Midway through the second quarter, the Rams’ offense was still struggling. Delta took the advantage and scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass to receiver Garrett Andrews from quarterback Peitro Murdaca. Andrews went on to score four touchdowns that day. During the play, the Rams’ defense was unable to react after an offsides penalty was thrown, allowing Delta to take a 16-0 lead with just under five minutes of play left in the first half.
“We thought it was a false start,” Rams Jarrell Harrison said of the touchdown play. “ I think D.J. [Gomes] saw something else that made him jump up, and the receiver kept going. It’s real unfortunate.”
With the Rams feeling a sense of urgency, they quickly drove 82 yards to get themselves back in the game. Vye hit Patterson on a screen pass, and with some great blocks down field, Patterson took the catch 32 yards for a touchdown bring the Rams closer with a score of 16-7.
Delta though, playing with nothing to lose drove right back. Quarterback Murdaca came and hit Andrews for a 42-yard touchdown to put the Mustangs up 22-7 going into halftime.
“With the early turnovers, we basically couldn’t build up any rhythm offensively,” Vye said.
Beginning the second half, Vye threw another interception halting a Rams drive, but the defense tightened up and forced the Mustangs to punt. The Rams then got in gear as Vye completed a 25-yard pass to receiver to Daniel Cannon. A play later, Vye threw to receiver Randell Washington for a touchdown cutting Delta’s lead to 22-14.
Whenever the Rams would seize the momentum, Delta had an answer. Delta quickly drove into Rams territory, and again Murdaca hit Andrews down the right sideline for a 44-yard catch and run. It was Andrews third touchdown of the game as he beat All-league cornerback Gomes for the third time of the day, making the score 29-14, seemingly sucking the life out of the Rams.
“For the first time in a long time we didn’t tackle well and our pass coverage wasn’t what it normally was,” said Rush. “For the most part [pass coverage] was pretty good.”
Delta scored another touchdown making the score 36-14 as the Rams remained offensively out of sync. With the Rams struggling to run the ball and showing no passing rhythm, the Rams fought to the final whistle, but it wasn’t meant to be.
“I have no problems with our players, they played real hard,” Rush said. “What they need to remember is what they did to get here playing shorthanded. They won some big games down the stretch. I’m real proud of our kids with the way they fought.”
“It’s disappointing for players and coaching staff because we had such a great run to get here, but I’m real proud of how we played, we played hard,” Rush said. “In the end, it just wasn’t our day.
The Rams’ Corey Jackson looks for an opening as he returns the Mustangs’ kickoff in the Hawaiian Punch Bowl at Rams Stadium on Dec. 6. The Rams would go on to lose to the Mustangs 36-14. ERIC SUN / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN
By Nick Squires
Staff Writer
For a program that is trying to establish itself, the Rams women’s soccer team struggled this season, finishing with a 2-15-5 record.
“This year we had a lot of freshman, and only lost four sophomores. They were a great group of young ladies,” said Head Coach Cassandra Cunningham, on her fourth year of coaching women’s soccer at City College.
The team worked hard to develop their speed and communication skills over the course of the season, which was reflected in the team’s elevated level of performance.
“Our first real standout game was against Skyline college; they were beating us 4-0 in the first half, and that was the first time the girls turned around and scored against the other team in the second half,” Cunningham said.
Difficult games gave members of the team an opportunity to shine and showcase their skills.
“Cindy Shannon, a team captain this year, is going to the Sophomore Bowl this weekend [Dec. 13] to get some recruiters to look at her, and she will hopefully transfer to a four-year university next year,” said Cunningham. “She’s the first player [we’ve had] with this opportunity.”
With Assistant Coach Nik Charilargi returning next season along with Cunningham, the only change the program is anticipating is use of the new soccer field, to be located near Batmale Hall with completion date still to be announced.
“The team will be practicing on the new field eventually, we don’t know when that will be, but it’s exciting for them. The men’s team really stepped up this year, they were the ones who practiced at another field, to let us practice on the football field. They were awesome,” said Cunningham.
When asked who will be returning next semester, Cunningham admits she doesn’t know.
“It depends, it’s a community college so you never know. Work can come into action, they could transfer to another school. You never know what’s going to happen,” said Cunningham. “Losing freshmen just depends on what life is going to throw at you.”
Although the record showed it was a tough season, the program is growing and becoming more competitive. Next season, with the possiblity of a new field to play on, the woman’s soccer team has a lot to look forward to.
Vivian Lee goes up against De Anza College Oct. 15. JESSICA LUTHI / GUARDSMAN
By Bontã Hill
Editor
As the program continues to grow, the women’s volleyball team becomes more of a threat to the competition with each passing season. This year was one of the best seasons in the team’s history, leading the Rams to their second playoff berth in four years.
Besides the ups and down as a team, Head Volleyball Coach Ed Parker is very proud the way the season went. The Rams ended the season with a 17-12 record after a first round playoff loss to Sierra College.
“This team team is one of the best I ever coached,” said Parker. “Besides the team’s determination to win, they set their differences aside and set their sights on becoming a team and family.”
Coming into the season, Parker’s expectations for his team were to play hard and improve communication. After accomplishing these goals, Parker was grateful for this team, and is looking forward to working hard for the upcoming 2009 season.
What’s next for the volleyball program?
“Recruiting,” said Parker. “We’re looking forward to our spring and summer off-season training. The off-season is where we build our players and foundation.”
Sophomores Amanda Ly, Dana Lee, Cynthia Osorio, Ululau Malepeai and Poelele Malepeai will all be missed next season, but with making the playoffs, Parker feels the foundation has been set.
Parker felt his team could have been more consistent in its confidence, which he felt was due to the lack of experience of some team members. But as the season went on, the team became more confident and improved their communication.
“If I can rate our team’s progression this season from one to ten, it would be a ten no doubt,” said Parker.
Rams sophormore Julien Cayton looks to get posession of the ball against Mission College on Oct. 14. The Rams won 8-0. JESSICA LUTHI / GUARDSMAN
By Bontã Hill
Staff Writer
City Colleges Men’s Soccer Team finished the season 17-2-4, winning the conference championship for the second season in a row. The Rams also won a tough Hartnell tournament early in the season and were ranked fourth in the nation.
The Rams lost 1-0 in the second round of the state playoffs to Hartnell College in double overtime at Boxer Stadium Nov. 25.
Although the season ended with the Rams falling short of their goal, Assistant Coach Gabriel Saucedo reiterated that the season was a success.
“We wanted to win state badly, but we had a fun, successful season,” Saucedo said. “The team had great chemistry and that was fun to watch.”
With a lot of starters playing in their final season here at City College, the Rams have a plan in place to replace those players: Recruit heavily.
Saucedo also pointed out the focus for the off-season is strength, conditioning, fitness and academics.
“If you don’t have the grades, you can’t play,” Saucedo said. “Academics are just as important as all the other stuff that goes into the program.”
The Rams have a lot of players who were redshirted this season, and should be up to the task of remaining a championship caliber team.
“We have some players coming back who should contribute right away,” Saucedo said. “Soccer is one of those funny games where you could lose 1-0, and be real good team.”
17-2-4 exemplifies a great season, and that’s exactly what the Rams had. Two consecutive conference championships speak for itself.
City College’s Bennie Rhodes goes up for two points in City College’s game against Merritt College. The Rams would go onto win the match 81-64. ANNE-MARIE STARK / GUARDSMAN
By Bontã Hill
Editor
Due to some players missing practice, City Colleges men’s basketball team started the game with a different lineup. The result was a slow start, prompting Rams Head Coach Justin Labagh to call a quick time-out.
Whatever was said, worked. The Rams came out of the time-out and quickly went on a 19-4 run that set the tone for a 81-64 rout over Merritt College.
“We disciplined a couple guys for missing practice,” Labagh said. “We didn’t start our normal guys.”
Bennie Rhodes and Da’Ron Sims set the pace for the Rams’ offense, helping them into halftime with an 18-point lead, leaving Merritt in a daze. The Rams kept offensive rebounds from Merritt, allowing Rams to do what they like to do most: Get up and down the court.
“Early on, our defensive rebounding was suspect, but we made some minor adjustments,” Labagh said.
For the second game in a row, the Rams let up in the second half after gaining a big lead. The Rams got a little sloppy in the second half, eventually allowing Merrit to lead, cutting a 20-point deficit to 11, with a little more than six minutes left in the game.
“We’ve got to make it a priority to finish,” said Labagh. “It was a good win, but we got to play for the entire 40 minutes.”
Sims took it positively, knowing the season is still young. “It was a good learning experience, and in the long run it’s going to help us,” said Sims.
Despite having a brutal schedule, the Rams, ranked sixth in the state, moved their record up to 7-2 for the season.
Cynthia Osorio leaves the court to return the ball back to Ohlone's Renegades in the Wellness Center on Oct. 1. The Rams won all three of that evening's matches against Ohlone. ANNE-MARIE STARK / GUARDSMAN
By Arcel Cunanan
Staff Writer
After a disappointing win against Hartnell at the last home game, the City College women’s volleyball team showed much improvement in their Oct. 1 match against the Ohlone Renegades. The Rams defeated the Renegades in consecutive matches (25-17, 25-16, 25-18) and improved to 2-0 (7-8 overall) in conference play.
Though the Rams also took their last home match from the Hartnell Panthers, the team’s overall performance versus Hartnell did not meet the expectations of Head Coach Ed Parker and Associate Head Coach Aziza Bledsoe, as the event ended with a session of suicide drills.
“We decided to work after the game, because we didn’t work during the game,” Bledsoe said of the Sept. 17 game. “I would take a loss in which 120 percent effort was given, however I will not take a win that was not necessarily earned.”
Especially after a win, the suicides drills may have appeared as harsh punishment to spectators, however they were meant to be a friendly reminder to work harder next time around.
The coaches’ message to the team appeared to have an impact because the Rams had a boost of confidence and lifted spirits during the Ohlone match, which aided them in winning three straight matches.
Meghan McGuire, outside hitter and top player of the night played a solid game, said the suicides were the reason for her strong play. “The message definitely got across to us because we did not want to run tonight and we had to push ourselves,” McGuire said. “Now [the team] is communicating a lot more and becoming one unit.”
The Renegades fell short on hits, digs and blocks and all three games were not much of a challenge for the Rams. With several kills, strong defense and offense, and better communication on the court, the Rams were able to maintain their intensity.
“Well, it was a win. We definitely did better than our last home game. We had little moments when we were not exactly performing, but we came back. We’ll take it,” Bledsoe said. “We tend to come out and play when we have a challenge.”
The first and second games ended with the Rams working hard for the final point, as kills were not making it on court, though Ohlone gave away the wins as they served the ball out. By the middle of game 2, the Renegades’ spirit began to dissipate. The final score for Game 1 was 25-17 and 25-16 for Game 2.
During game three, the Rams struggled for sideouts as the Renegades gained the lead and kept a level of hope to win a game. Hoping to put an end to the Renegade’s sudden burst of liveliness, the Rams called a time-out. The third and final game ended with the score 25-18, as Ohlone continued to make small mistakes that slowly began to put weigh on the Renegades, eventually crushing their spirit, killing the team’s energy and focus to win.
McGuire scored the final point with an awesome kill that Ohlone was unable to return.
“Meghan McGuire did an excellent job today. She had really great swings and focused a lot during practice,” Bledsoe said. “I could see it during the game.”
As the season progresses, Parker expects his team to improve, and communicate better, even if they are down in a match.
“I expect us to have more consistency and mental focus, and communicate during times when the team is down,” Parker said. “But we’re getting better, and it showed tonight”.
