Sports

After leading the Lady Falcons to a 3-1-1 record in their first five league games, varsity girls’ soccer head coach Tulin Mendoza was replaced by history teacher Kim Anzalone for the remainder of the season.

Last year, senior forward Alex Sclavos tore her ACL and couldn’t play during CCS. This year senior point guard Sheeva Hamidieh suffered the same injury during a practice just before winter break and had surgery on Jan. 27. Hamidieh will not be able to play any sports for at least the next six to eight months.

After a long and trying season, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers each have a chance to establish themselves as the best team in the NFL. The Super Bowl is unique in that the participating teams only have one game to prove themselves, whereas other sports involve a seven-game series. The Cardinals and the Steelers have 60 minutes to give it their all, to leave everything on the field, because after this game, the season is over.

After a 3-1 home win against Prospect to kick-off the season, the Falcons reeled off four straight one-goal losses, going 2-1 against Yerba Buena and Homestead, and 1-0 versus Menlo and Watsonville. What once looked to be a promising season has now disappeared with a 1-7 record.

“The losses got really frustrating because we kept making simple mistakes that would cost us the games,” said senior captain striker Hoffman Hibbett. “The team didn’t communicate well even though we kept working at trying to play together during practice.”

Junior guard Daniel Chou hit six three-pointers and senior guard Jamie Turley anchored a stout defensive performance as the host Falcons (8-7 overall, 1-1 league) knocked off rival Los Gatos by a final score of 66-61 in the team’s “biggest win of the year” on Jan. 2.

“The guys came out with a lot of energy and played very well,” said coach Trevor Naas. “We shot the ball well from the three-point line and our post players dominated the glass.”

The Sports Boosters hope to build appetites and funds with a Crab Feed at the Saratoga Community Center planned for Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m.

The fastest recorded tennis stroke belongs to Andy Roddick at 153 mph. The fastest recorded squash stroke belongs to John White of Scotland at 172 mph. The fastest recorded badminton stroke belongs to Fu Haifeng of China at 206 mph.

The shuttlecock may be composed of merely cork and feathers, but its power and speed should not be underestimated. In a world where tennis reigns supreme among other racket sports, badminton is pushed aside and seen as weak—if acknowledged as one at all.

The SHS Sports Booster program is selling a holiday CD titled “Home for the Holidays,” featuring classic Christmas songs are performed by the Spirit Squad, varsity football team and various Saratoga students. The songs performed include well known tunes like “Santa Baby,” “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.”

The Catch has long been the symbol of San Francisco 49ers’ football. The impossible throw from Joe Montana to Dwight Clark began the team’s glorious span of five Super Bowls. As for the Raiders, their “commitment to excellence” was more than just a slogan. In 2002, the Raiders, led by quarterback Rich Gannon, were the league’s most potent offense and stormed all the way to Super Bowl XXVII.

As the National Hockey League season nears its midway mark, the league standings are an appealing sight to any Sharks fan. Having accrued the best 26-game start in the NHL’s illustrious 91-year history, San Jose has steamrolled over the competition, boasting the league’s best record, goals per game average, goal differential, shots per game average, shots against per game average and shot differential heading into their Dec. 11 tilt with the Anaheim Ducks. Suffice to say, it’s been a good year. But it makes little difference if the Sharks end the season 55-0.