FREMONT CHRISTIAN 46, CCS 30

While game two of the CCS Cougar's basketball season resulted in a 46-30 loss to Fremont Christian, it did provide some signs of hope for the future. After a lackluster start that saw the Cougars fall behind 17-3 after one period and 33-11 at half, the team roared to life in the second half and played a much more aggressive game. Although the team ultimately lost, they outscored their opponents 19-13 over the final two periods. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was the inspired play of speedy rookie, Nicholas C. who came off the bench to score 7 points and provide a spark to the offense. Bharath R.and Josh B. also were effective and added 6 points each. With this kind of effort, the Cougars showed that they are going to be a team to be reckoned with in the weeks to come.

SCORING TOTALS:

Nicholas C - 7
Josh B. - 6
Bharath. - 6
Chris Y. - 4
Maurice O. - 3
Kevin C. - 2
Brandon T. - 2

SRVCA 46, CCS 7

The 2009-10 CCS Cougars' basketball season started on a sobering note with a difficult opening match-up with the powerful San Ramon Valley Christian Academy. With only a week of practice under their belts, the Cougars were not quite ready for a tough opening road game with such an experienced foe. The result was a emphatic 46-7 loss. The good news is though that many of the mistakes we made as a team can be improved upon, and we can definitely play better than what we showed. Next up is more realistic match-up with Fremont Christian.

SCORING TOTALS:

Nicolas C - 2
Maurice O - 2
John T - 2
Josh H - 1

FREMONT CHRISTIAN 37, CCS 23

What has been a most promising season for the Cougars ended on a somewhat bitter note with a tough 37-23 loss to Fremont Christian. The story of this game unfortunately was a lack of consistency from the referees. In a completely galling statistic, Fremont Christian shot 20 fouls shots, while CCS shot ZERO. No, that is not a misprint. The fact is that its tough to win a game when the opposing team gets 20 more free throw attempts.

Nevertheless, as always, the Cougars fought their hearts out, and led the game until late in the 3rd Quarter. The telling play was the one that saw Chris T. pick up his 4th foul and head to the bench prematurely before the 3rd period ended. At that point, the Cougars lacked the ability to consistently score and were outpaced in the final quarter by a 16-3 margin. Despite his limited minutes, Chris T. led all scorers with 10 points and Brennan added 8 in a terrific effort from the outgoing 8th Graders. Additionally, Chris Y. had 3 and John added a bucket to round out the team' scoring.

Despite the disappointing finish, the season has been one of great fun for me. I saw a ton of improvement from the players, and I hope my affection for this team was apparent. These kids mean a lot to me, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to coach them. Thanks to all the players and parents who made this a special one for me!

Final Scoring Stats:

Chris T. - 10
Brennan - 8
Chris Y. - 3
John - 2

SRVCA 44, CCS 36

The first time the Cougars faced SRVCA, the Eagles raced the a 16-2 First Quarter lead and never looked back en route to a 43-25 win. So in yesterday's rematch, when the Eagles jumped to a 14-4 advantage after one quarter, the start seemed eerily similar. In fact the Cougars fell behind 22-4, before they began one of their most impressive feats of the year. In a span of less than one minute, Michael hit a free throw, Maurice drained a 3, then Chris T. and Brennan on respective plays stole inbound passes and made layups to cut the deficit to 22-12. Still, despite the burst of energy, the team trailed 26-12 at the break. In the Third Quarter though, the team surged to life and began a spectacular dispaly of shooting and defense and evenetually clawed back to within one point with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Alas, the Hollywood ending was not to be, after being forced to foul several times, the Eagles knocked down their free throws and finished the game off for a 44-36 vivtory. Still, they endured a mighty scare from a team that has showed tremendous improvement.

This year, there are only two playoff spots available and SRVCA is currently the #2 team, so they needed a win in the worst way. The fact that we were able to take them to the wire was a huge step in the right direction for us. In fact, when talking to the SRVCA Coach after the game, he could not believe that this was the same team from one month back and noted that we are easily the most improved team this year. The boys should be really proud of the effort they continue to display every game. I know that I am beyond proud of them at this point!

FINAL SCORING TOTALS:
Chris T. - 12
Bharath - 8
Michael - 5
Chris Y. - 4
Maurice - 3
John T. - 2
Brennan - 2

REDWOOD CHRISTIAN 37, CCS 18

After a complete week of emotional and grueling games, the CCS Cougars finally began to show some signs of fatigue yesterday in a flat 37-18 loss to Redwood Christian. The effects were obvious as the team was just a bit short on most of their shots and a step slow on defense. Still, as always, the team gave everything they had and at halftime the game was still only 9-7, in a tremendous defensive effort. Bharath hit a big shot in the closing moments of the 1st Half to keep us within striking distance. However, in the 3rd, the Eagles came out with a vengeance and outscored the Cougars 14-4 and effectively put the game out of reach. Some highlights included Kevin and Kyle each coming off the bench in the 4th to knock down their first shots of the season, while Justin added several blocked shots in the closing minutes. Today, the Cougars will enjoy a well-deserved day off before completing their hectic week against San Ramon Valley Christian tomorrow.

The scoring totals looked like this:
Chris T. - 6
Bharath - 5
Brennan - 3
Kevin - 2
Kyle - 2

CCS 27, FREMONT CHRISTIAN 23

By no means will this be remembered as a CCS classic, but the Cougars continued their amazing resurgence with a thrilling and gritty 27-23 overtime win against the Fremont Christian Warriors.

Overall, it was a rough shooting night for the Cougars who trailed 20-14 with four minutes left in the game. However, as has become the hallmark of this team, they refused to quit, and fought their way back into in. Still, the team trailed 21-18 with 16 seconds left, when a key play occurred. FC was called for a Technical Foul for having six players on the court. Bharath stepped up to the line and hit a free throw to cut the gap to 21-19. With possession of the ball, the Cougars lofted two more shots before Chris T. grabbed an offensive board and put it back in to tie the game as the clock expired.

With momentum on their side, the team continued to play stifling defense and Chris T. took a layup in to give the Cougars their first lead since the early moments when they led 3-0. Brennan Moore continued the surge by stealing the inbounds pass and laying it in for a four-point lead. The Warriors were not done though, they scored again to cut the lead to 25-23. After several missed free throws by the team, Brandon was fouled with 7 seconds, and he calmly drained both shots to open an insurmountable 4-point lead and clinch the game. With the win, the Cougars claimed thier first regular season win in two years, and moved to an impressive 3-2, since returning from Winter Break.

Another great job by the team that refuses to quit!

The final score totals looked like this:

Chris T. - 7 points
Brandon - 6 points
Bharath - 4 points
Josh B - 4 points
Brennan - 2 points
Chris Y. - 2 points
Michael - 2 points

CCS 39, REEDEMER 19

The true test of a champion is how one responds coming off a loss. After Friday night's dramatic loss to Prince of Peace, CCS could have easily packed it in and come out flat on Saturday evening in their final game of the Mission Peak Tournament. Instead, this team showed what it is truly made of as they put together one of their best complete game efforts of the year en route to a dominating 39-19 win over Redeemer. With the victory, the team claimed a 3rd Place finish in the eight-team tournament and made an emphatic statement about their heart and character. Bharath got things started by draining a three-pointer to open the game and finished with 7 points and a number of assists. The recipient of a good portion of those assists was Michael who had another strong game in the paint. He finished with a team-high 10 points. Brennan also had another nice night. While finishing with only 5 points, he had a ton of steals and rebounds and played smothering defense all evening. The night proved to be a special one for Chris T. as well. Not only did he play well on both ends of the court, but he also was honored by being named to the All-Tournament Team. Great job Chris! Overall, it was a great performance by the entire team, as just about every player had a highlight, and demonstrated that this is truly a team in every sense. I could not be prouder of the boys who continue to give me 100% each night and get better with every game.

The final scoring totals looked like this:
Michael - 10
Bharath - 7
Chris T. - 7
Brennan - 5
Josh B. - 4
John - 4
Brandon - 1
Josh H. - 1

PRINCE OF PEACE 46, CCS 42

As the saying goes, "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." In the case of the CCS Cougars those words are quite approriate after the team fell in a dramatic Double Overtime loss of the Mission Peak Tournament Semis to host school Prince of Peace 46-42. Where to begin in this one? Without a doubt, the #1 thing that stands out in my mind is the heart and effort the boys showed on the floor tonight. This is truly a resilient bunch, and they never stopped believeing that they were going to win this one. Knowing we would face a stiff challenge tonight, I made the decision to shorten the rotation to give us the best chance to win tonight and everyone made a tremendous contribution. Michael played like a man inside tonight and led all players with 12 points, as well as tremendous rebounding and interior defense. Brennan continued his hot stretch as well by pouring in 8 points, all in a key 2nd half surge that got us back into the game. As usual, Bharath was the floor leader. He scored 7 points and was vital in rallying the troops during every timeout. The leadership and maturity he demonstrated was truly commendable. Chris T. added 7 points and made big play after big play on both ends of the floor. And who can forget Brandon, who twice left the game from different injuries, but kept begging to come back in and help the team. The fact is, everyone was a part of the great effort tonight, even the bench players who showed great support throughout. The kids truly left it all out on the floor tonight, and as a coach you cannot ask for more than that. While the scoreboard will not reflect it, in my book these kids are all champions and I'm honored to call myself their coach. This one is going to be a loss that hurts, but I hope the boys can look back and feel proud for their effort and conduct. I know I that I am extremely proud of them.

Tomorrow we go for our 3rd Place Trophy!

The final scoring totals looked like this:
Michael - 12
Brennan - 8
Chris T. - 7
Bharath - 7
Brandon -6
Josh B. - 2

VALLEY CHRISTIAN 46, CCS 22

Though the scoreboard won't reflect it, this was one of the Cougars best efforts of the year against a powerful foe in the undefeated Valley Christian. In our first match with them, we lost 56-12, but this time we actually made it a game through the first half. After a nice start, the Vikings led only 22-15 at halftime and their coach was not pleased. Using an attacking style, the Cougars were able to consistently break the press and knocked down some big shots from the outside. Bharath led all scorers with 8 points and some nice defensive intensity, while Brennan chipped in 7 points and had numerous hustle plays. Each player had a big three-pointer as well.

This was a nice tough challenge which will prepare the team for the remainder of the Mission Peak Tournament games in the coming days.

The final scoring totals looked like this:
Bharath - 8
Brennan - 7
Chris Y. - 2
Michael - 2
Chris T. - 1
Josh B. - 1
Maurice - 1

CCS 38, GRACE LUTHERAN 11

In the opener of the Mission Peak 2009 Invitational Tournament, the CCS Boys made quite a statement with a resounding 38-11 victory over an over-matched Grace Lutheran for their first win of the season. Early on, the Cougars set the tone with strong defensive pressure that resulted in numerous turnovers and lots of fast break buckets. After one period, they led 10-0, and increased the lead to 19-0 by halftime. Keeping up the pressure, the margin widened to 32-2 after three quarters. Chris Y. earned an opportunity to start with Brandon out, and made the most of his chance by leading the club with 12 points. Brennan also poured in 10, all in the second half, while Bharath had 7 points and a number of assists to the two leading scorers.

Next up for the Cougars is a league game with Valley Christian today, then a second tournament game tomorrow night with the host school Prince of Peace, who won their opener as well, 33-14. It should be a good battle that could determine who will be the tournament champs.

Here are the final scoring stats:
Chris Y. - 12
Brennan - 10
Bharath - 7
Chris T. - 5
Josh B. - 4

Great job Cougars!

MISSION PEAK TOURNAMENT 2009

It's tournament time for the CCS Cougars! Please keep the team in prayer as we embark on the most hectic portion of our schedule starting today. Here is a rundown of the tournament schedule. In our opener, we face Lutheran Grace of San Mateo!

TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL MISSION PEAK TOURNAMENT 2009

Wednesday (January 7)

Game 1: Christian Community vs Calvary Luth. (girls) 3:00 PM

Game 13: Christian Community vs Grace Luth. (boys) 4:15 PM

Game 2: Prince of Peace A vs Zion Luth., S.F. (girls) 5:30 PM
Game 14: Prince of Peace A vs Zion Luth., S.F. (boys) 6:45 PM

Thursday (January 8)

Game 3: Our Savior vs Bella Vista (girls) 3:00 PM

Game 15: Our Savior vs Bella Vista (boys) 4:15 PM

Game 21: (boys) 5:30 PM

Game 4: Redeemer vs Prince of Peace B (girls) 6:45 PM

Game 16: Redeemer vs Prince of Peace B (boys) 8:00 PM

Friday (January 9)

Game 9: (girls) 3:00 PM

Game 5: (girls) 4:15 PM

Game 17: (boys) 5:30 PM

Game 6: (girls) 6:45 PM

Game 18: (boys) 8:00 PM



Saturday (January 10)

Game 10: (girls) 9:00 AM

Game 22: (boys) 10:15 AM

Game 12: Seventh Place (girls) 11:30 AM

Game 24: Seventh Place (boys) 12:45 PM

Game 11: Consolation (girls) 2:00 PM

Game 23: Consolation (boys) 3:15 PM

Game 8: Third Place (girls) 4:30 PM

Game 20: Third Place (boys) 5:45 PM

Game 7: Championship (girls) 7:00 PM

Game 19: Championship (boys) 8:15 PM