When Pleasanton's Valley View Elementary School partnered with Ballistic United Soccer Club and the Get on the Bus program, which helps bring the game of soccer to underprivileged children, they wanted to accomplish something simple. There were several.
It wasn't just the experience of playing a great game of soccer, it also included academic support, nutrition, and learning life lessons.
It was an immediate success. But something else happened along the way and the team got better.
After a strong performance in the regular season and a strong showing in the Davis Tournament last fall, the team was selected to represent the U-12 Ballistic Division in the California North Winter League.
The players practiced up to three times a week and played matches on Saturdays, which meant they had to endure weather conditions including heavy rain and wind.
The season consisted of a total of 10 games, all played in nearby communities such as Walnut Creek, San Ramon, West Contra Costa, Mount Diablo, and Danville, with no home games in Pleasanton.
Valley View won by scoring 37 points in eight games, and the defense posted three shutouts. Although the results are not final, it looks like the group will finish in the top spot.
The Foothill men's volleyball team had a strong start in the East Bay Athletic League, winning matches against San Ramon Valley and Dublin.
The Falcons' 25-21, 25-15, 25-13 win over San Ramon Valley got a good performance from Cameron Hitchan, who had 10 kills in his first game back from an ankle injury.
Other highlights were Jeremy Sun (6 kills, 3 digs) and Ian Newman (5 service points, 2 kills).
Next up was a 25-16, 25-19, 25-18 win over Dublin. Highlights included Noah Mitzenmacher (20 receptions, 7 digs), Yun Bae (17 assists, 10 service points, 6 kills) and Kayden Steadman (4 kills, 2 blocks).
The Falcons played three games last week and went 2-1.
The first game of the week was a 7-2 win over Castro Valley. Senior Marissa Anderson went 3-for-3 at the plate, including a double, and had two RBIs. Freshman Alexa Sponsel had a double and also drove in a pair. Senior Kyla Springer had 2 hits in 3 at bats.
Their next game came on March 7th, when they lost 9-5 to a talented Freedom team.
The Falcons' junior trio had a good game. Casey Burdick had three hits and three runs scored, and Ellie Novitzk also had three hits and two runs scored. Sofia Burdick had two hits.
Finally, the week ended on a good note with a 13-0 win over American.
Freshman Blair Olsen had two hits, Anderson had two hits and scored three runs, and sophomore Jesse Gadd added a hit that brought in two runners.
The Falcons remained undefeated with a 13-2 home victory over Cardinal Newman.
The offense was explosive, with senior Wyatt Lamb scoring five points, junior AJ Becker scoring three points, and junior Darin Lau and senior Tyler Walsh each scoring two points.
Freshmen Carter Williams and Nico Lau shared the spotlight at center, and the Falcons won 75 percent of their face-to-face games.
For Foothill, seniors Graham Zander and Josh Taylor had strong defensive performances, containing Cardinal shooters and effectively clearing the ball.
Editor's note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sportswriter for the East Bay division of the Embarcadero Media Foundation. To contact him about the Pleasanton Preps column, email acesmag@aol.com.
