Update: Our 8A Game Results

I just want to give an update on our 8A team's game this afternoon against OLG. The team blasted OLG, 42-9. It was a no-contest from tip-off to the final buzzer. The referees had to warn our team against running fast breaks. One basket was even nullified because it was scored off a fast break. They wanted us to make multiple passes before even attempting a shot. That's CYO for you.

This improves our team's record to 6-1. But what's more interesting was that St. Anne lost to Our Lady of the Rosary (OLR) by a just a point in the last 5 seconds of their game, 43-42. Their game was played before ours so I was able to watch the last 5 minutes of it. I was cheering for OLR, and I didn't hide it. We have a vested interest in their defeat, so I will not apologize for that.

With St. Anne's loss, our boys move up to first place, while St. Anne settled for second, with a 5-2 win-loss record. I know St. Anne was hurt with that loss. Back-to-back losses, as a matter of fact. Sad way to start the new year, I suppose. This improves OLR's record to 3-3.

Our team beat OLR during the first outing in November, 48-38. We also beat them at the consolation championship game during the St. Bede Christmas tournament. We know how they play. So when we meet them again in the second round, all we need to do is to be careful and avoid an upset.

For this final season, it couldn't be any better at this point. Let's go Cougars !!!

Back In The Game

In CYO basketball, St. Joseph's nemesis is St. Anne. I think everyone's nemesis is St. Anne. There is something about their teams that irks every other team. It must be the brand of ball they play -- rugged, physical, DIRTY. And I have no qualms saying it because they are. For one, St. Anne doesn't have a school, so its players come the schools around the area. I am not saying Catholic school kids are saints, but from my personal observation, there is a difference. And I will leave it at that. You make your own observations.

You can charge me for being biased, but I am telling you the truth. For the past 7 years that I have been involved in CYO sports, that includes basketball, volleyball, cross country, and track & field, in various capacities as a coach, team parent, and just plain ol' dad, I can vouch for the integrity, good manners, and excellent behavior of all St. Joe teams, whether or not the players come from the school or elsewhere. And the parents and coaches, as well, are a testament to this. I invite you to come and watch a game, and see for yourself.

I heard lots of horror stories about how St. Anne coaches run their respective programs. It shows in how they play and how they conduct themselves on court. You can see it, too, in their parents, fans, and supporters. It's probably this bad boy image and do-anything-to-get-the-job-done attitude that gives them this notoriety. It's nothing to brag about. I do think it's something to be shameful of, especially for a "Catholic" team.

I don't mean to bash St. Anne, but they brought it upon themselves. Enough said.

On Saturday, our 8A SJS boys had their first meeting with St. Anne for this season. It was our first game of the new year as well. Venue was the unusually cold Newark Junior High School gym. You had to bundle up or run the risk of hypothermia. I guess the gym fees don't cover heating.

Every St. Joe-St. Anne game is always spirited. And this one was no exception. Fans were split -- St. Anne on the right, and St. Joe on the left of the bleachers. I personally invited some school families and friends to watch the game so our side had more cheerers than normal.

The first half of the first quarter was close. Fans on both sides were so energized as they cheered every exchange of baskets. But St. Anne slowly pulled away towards the end of the first quarter and all of the second. The rabid St. Anne fans became noisier and louder. They were just so thrilled. Despite the deficit, we cheered our players on and gave them encouraging words to do their best. St. Anne led by as much as 12 points. By the end of the first half, they had a double-digit advantage.

Second half of the game was a different story. The St. Joe boys regrouped and did what they do best. They executed the plays, moved with more cohesion, and defended better. They slowly crept up and narrowed down the lead. The fast transition of play caught St. Anne off guard. The next thing they knew, they were now down and scrambling desperately to catch up. The shoe was on the other foot. St. Joe's led by as much as 12 points.

In the 4th quarter, St. Anne was struggling. They didn't know what hit them. They couldn't penetrate the tight zone defense, and none of their outside shots went it. As a matter of fact, they had difficulty getting off any shot because of the swarming defense put up by our boys. In the dying minutes, the team held on to the ball and moved it around till the final buzzer sounded. Final score was 50-41, St. Joe.

It was a sweet victory, not just for the team, but for the whole school as well. A win against St. Anne is a win by everyone.

The win gives us a tie with St. Anne in the standings. However, the point differential gives St. Anne the edge. This differential will be used to determine first place in the division, which automatically seeds the team to the Diocese championships. So, aside from every win, the margin of victory matters a whole lot.

Our boys play again tomorrow, Sunday, against OLG. With 3 more games in the season, each one is crucial, especially for those vying for an automatic seed. We have gone through the grind of a division playoff series to claim the second spot in the Diocese championship last year, and in past years. We know the routine, and it's tough. An automatic seed would be a wonderful gift for this final year.

Congratulations, boys. Excellent game. Go Cougars !!!

First Week of the New Year

My first week (or shall I say, half week) back at work was uneventful. Like most, I wished for an extra day off to recover from vacation fatigue. Although I didn't go on any trip this holiday, I just felt I needed one more day to recoup. Being off for a week and a half can be taxing.

The workweek started on January 2nd, Wednesday. We had our regular 2-hour staff meeting, but there was really no agenda since there was nothing much to talk about. Most of the day was spent catching up on emails and tying up loose ends. The highlight of the day was the Warriors game at Oracle Arena. Most were still on holiday mode. Traffic was very light almost everywhere, and BART parking was aplenty. You had the train all to yourself.

My son was still on Christmas vacation from school, so he spent the remainder of the week preparing for his HSPT this Saturday. Since the public schools were also on vacation, there were no official basketball practices scheduled. His team will have 2 games this weekend, so his coach decided to hold a practice on Thursday at one of the public elementary school's outdoor basketball court, in 52F weather. That evening, I had a pastoral parish council meeting that I missed because of a prior commitment.

And today, Friday, well, I didn't even count it as a workday. There was hardly anyone, anywhere. In the past few years, I've noticed that fewer people are actually coming in to work on Fridays because traffic is lighter. There are more parking spaces available almost anywhere, trains and buses are half-filled, and even restaurants are less crowded. It's either people are telecommuting more or work every other Fridays. The next less busy workday is Monday. Surprisingly, everyone seems to come in to the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the busiest days. Then, it begins to taper off on Thursdays.

This evening, we had reservations at Oasis Grille, a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Pleasanton. The appetizer sampler and the sauces were amazing, but I wasn't too happy with my entre. I will have to come back, try something else, and tell you more about it. Overall, it wasn't bad.

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday. I greeted her today (the 5th in Manila) over the phone , and I just wished she heard and understood me. I miss her and surely want to see her. Hopefully, soon.

This weekend will be quite busy. My son has a crucial basketball game on Saturday against arch rival St. Anne, and another on Sunday against OLG. His classmates' girl's volleyball team also has a game on Saturday, and we might watch.

This Sunday also ends the Christmas season with the Feast of the Three Kings. This means that the Christmas tree and all the decorations must come down. Now, I have to figure out how to cut that darn tree in half and drag it out on the curb to be picked up by Tuesday. I just hope I have enough will power to do it. In the meantime, I'll make the most of the weekend.

I am (not) looking forward to the "real" start of the workweek next week when everything goes back to crazy normal.

Have a great 2013 !!!

(Author acknowledges Wikipedia for the photograph used.)

Home of the Warriors

Basketball is one sport I love to watch, especially live. Back in the days, I watched a lot of collegiate and professional games in the Philippines. Whenever his schedule would  permit, my father would take me to the Araneta Coliseum, even of weekday nights, to watch the local pros in action. He would purchase our tickets from a couple of his "regular" scalpers, and we would always have good seats.

Back, here, the NBA games have never been so popular as it is today. With the reliable veterans and rising superstars from the collegiate leagues spread out in different teams, the NBA has seen a tremendous growth in the last few years. As a result, watching a live game has become more expensive and is beginning to get out reach for the avid fan. And if you want to see the Lakers or Celtics play, you'd have to cough up a little more (probably, much more).

The Golden State Warriors is my team, and the pride of the Bay Area. Since their last playoff appearance 6 years ago, the Warriors has had a so-so performance, until this season. Currently, they are in second place in the Pacific division behind the LA Clippers. Whenever, we have an opportunity, we love to drive up to Oracle Arena to watch our Warriors do their thing. On Wednesday, we did just that.

Sometime during the holiday, my employer, Kaiser Permanente (a big supporter of the Warriors), sent out an email announcing discounted tickets to 4 Warriors games scheduled around the holidays. Not to pass up on a good deal, I checked the website and took note of where I wanted to be at. I set my eyes on a Sixers game on December 28th -- 4 tickets at the Lower Level. The procrastinator in me caused me dearly. The next day, all Lower Level tickets were sold out, and the next best game available was the Clippers on January 2nd. Of course, it also cost 50% more.

For fear of missing out again, I clicked on "Buy Now", and purchased 4. The extra ticket was for my son's BFF (also an avid Warrior fan). He was available for the Sixers game, but wasn't sure if he was for the Clippers. Better to have it than not. As it turned out, he wasn't available because his family had visitors from out of town that week, so I had a spare ticket. We invited my son's other friend (and classmate) instead.

Since there was so much demand for these tickets, the website didn't allow me to choose my seats. All it did was to determine what section I wanted, get my order and payment, and it would choose the "best" seats for me. I did get a confirmation on my order, but didn't tell me anything more. All I wished was that we had decent seats and that we sat together.

On game day, we arrives early to get our tickets from Will Call. Parking wasn't a problem, and we had enough time to grab a bite to eat before the game started. The seats we got weren't bad, for the money I paid. That night was "Warriors Whiteout" night. Each fan was given a white t-shirt to wear during the game. If you didn't, your face will be displayed on the large screen atop center court, with the phrase "put your white shirt on". Also taped on each seat was a small white Warriors cardboard banner.

The experience of watching an NBA game at a coliseum is truly amazing. Nothing beats the energy and excitement of the fans after every basket. The thunderous applause and cheers for a well-executed play, or even the "oohs" and "aahs" of a missed jumper seemed like a synchronized reaction. It was fun to people-watch, too. And the noise it quite pleasant to the ear. As the Warriors continued to clobber the Clippers throughout the game, the intensity was relentless. At the final buzzer, the home team received a well-deserve standing ovation from a very appreciative Warrior crowd.

We all enjoyed the game, despite the blowout. Like any fan, we bought our share of souvenirs, and promised to get some more online. We look forward to watching a few more games, especially if the Warriors go on to the playoffs. Fingers crossed. It's going to be pricey, but, it'll surely be fun.

Let's Go Warriors !!!