FREMONT CHRISTIAN 43, CCS 39

Even though we didn't get the win in our season finale, this game exemplified what I love about this team and the players that constitute in. Despite continually finding themselves in a hole, they rallied back time and time again before falling the final minute to Fremont Christian 43-39. After falling behind 7-0 to start the game, the Cougars rallied back to close the first quarter trailing on 9-6. The 2nd period was one of the team's finest of the season as they outscored the Warriors 18-15 to close the half in a 24-24 tie. This period marked probably the finest stretch of basketball by Josh. H. who came off the bench to score 7 points and play defensive stopper of the Warrior's high-scoring guard. Maurice O. also nailed a big three to stun the Warrior's defense. In the 3rd quarter, the Warriors started strong and re-opened the lead to 32-24 with less than a minute left in the quarter, but two key steals followed by threes from Bharath R. cut the deficit to 32-30. For the game, Bharath finished with a team high 13 points in his best all-around game as a Cougar. After falling behind again by a 41-32 deficit, the Cougars managed one more improbable rally to cut the score to 41-39 and forced a turnover that gave them the ball. However, they couldn't quite manage the final basket them need and ended up falling in a breathtaking 43-39 loss. Still, this coach could not have been prouder of the effort given forth by a special group of players. My only regret was being unable to work all the outgoing 8th graders into the lineup for a final appearance. Still, I hope all the kids know how much they and this season meant to me. Thanks for some unforgettable moments, Cougars!

SCORING TOTALS

Bharath R. - 13
Josh H. - 7
Josh B. - 6
Maurice O. - 5
Nick C. - 4
Justin M. - 2
John T. - 2

COMING SOON: T3

In a totally biased plug for a future Cougar, I wanted to post some highlights of young gun, Tyler "T3" Lynch who has led the 4A OLG Saints to a 7-3 record in the Mission Valley CYO league. He will start wearing the Cougar's jersey two years down the line and leads a promising class of 4th graders ready to make thie mark in the CCS' record books. Enjoy his exploits at: http://olgsaintscyobasketball.blogspot.com/

REDWOOD CHRISTIAN 60, CCS 28

This turned out to be another tough day for the Cougars. After a well-contested 1st half that saw the Cougars trail by a margin of 23-16, the wheels fell off in the 3rd period when the team was outscored 19-6. The final score was Redwood Christian 60, CCS 28. Josh B. continued his nice upswing in the scoring department with a team high 10 points, while Justin M. added 6.

SCORING TOTALS

Josh B - 10
Justin M. - 6
Bharath R. - 4
Nick C. - 4
John T. - 2
Ethan S. - 2

NORTH CREEK 48, CCS 28

This turned out to be one of the most disappointing games of the year for CCS. After opening the game with an 18-16 lead at halftime and extending that lead to 24-19 in the early minutes of the 3rd Quarter, North Creek exploded for 29-4 run for the remainder of the game. Simply unbelieveable! The beginning of the end started after Justin M. fouled out late in the 3rd period, and things went downhill from there. Josh B. led all CCS players with 6 points, while Bharath R. had 5 points.

SCORING TOTALS

Josh B. - 6
Bharath R. - 5
Nick C. - 4
Justin M. - 4
Brandon T. - 4
John T. - 2
Josh H. - 2
Chris Y. - 1

VALLEY CHRISTIAN 49, CCS 19

After a nice three-wins in four games stretch, CCS was playing its best basketball of the season and knew they would be tested by the visiting Valley Christian of Dublin. Valley Christian is the traditional league power, but with CCS playing on its home court, the hope was for a better match-up than the previous encounter. The result of the game was a 49-19 loss for CCS due to a cold day of shooting from the perimeter for the Cougars, but the team did show improvement over the first encounter, where they scored only 10 points. Bharath R. was especiually strong as he led the team with 7 points, and Justin M. continued his impressive development with 6 points and numerous rebounds and blocks. With two minutes remaining in the first half, Valley Christian led only 16-10, until Justin suffered a cut that forced him out of the game. The result was an 8-0 Valley Christian surge that opened the halftime deficit to 24-10. With the loss, CCS falls to 1-6 in league play and 3-7 overall.

SCORING TOTALS

Bharath R. - 7
Justin M. - 6
Nicholas C. - 2
Maurice O. - 2
Josh B. - 1
Jonah E. - 1

CCS 28, NORTH CREEK 22

While, it will never be remembered as a classic game, CCS did what it needed to do in securing their first league win of the season against the visiting North Creek squad from Walnut Creek. In a game that was close throughout and still in doubt until the final minute, Bharath R. proved the difference as he led the Cougars with 9 points. Josh B. added 6 points, while Brandon T. chipped in 5. The key play of the game came with 2 minutes left and the score tied at 20. Nico C. stole an inbound pass and drove the length of the court for the basket that gave CCS a lead they would not relinquish. While the Cougars had their troubles scoring and handling the ball, there was no letdown in effort or defensive intensity. The team forced numerous turnovers and played aggressive defense to limit North Creek's chances. Quite simply, they wanted it more and made the big plays when it counted to make sure they took this "W" home. With the win, the Cougars improve to 1-5 in league play and 3-6 overall. Next up is league power, Dublin Valley Christian on Thursday at CCS.

SCORING TOTALS:

Bharath R. - 9
Josh B. - 6
Brandon T. - 5
Nico C. - 2
Justin M. - 2
Joshua H. - 2
Kyle S. - 2

PRINCE OF PEACE 35, CCS 31

The 25th Annual Mission Peak Basketball Tournament ended on a disappointing note as the Cougars fell just short in a 35-31 loss to Prince of Peace. After a slow start, the Cougars found themselves trailing at halftime 15-10. However, they came out blazing in the 3rd quarter and cut the deficit to 21-20 with a single quarter of tournament play left. With four minutes left in the game, Josh H. nailed a huge three-pointer to give CCS its first lead 26-25, and Maurice O. followed that up with another trey to extend the lead to 29-25. However, several key turnovers allowed the Patriots to tie the game with under 90 seconds to play. At that point, Coach T. made a regrettable comment that led to a technical foul and the key free throws that allowed Prince of Peace to reclaim the lead, and ultimately the game. It is sad that referees allowed the game to be decided by their calls and non-calls, but it was a good lesson for the Coach, who cost his team a chance to claim the tournament crown. no matter what, the team should be extremely proud of their efforts as they claimed 2nd Place and played hard throughout the tournament. In my eyes, they were all winners regardless of what the final scoreboard showed.

Special Congratulations to Maurice O. for his selection to the All-Tournament team!

With the conclusion of the tournament, CCS moves to 2-6 on the season and now begins the final stretch of five league games to close out the year.


SCORING TOTALS

Bharath R. - 8
Brandon T. - 5
Josh H. - 5
Maurice O. - 5
Josh B. - 4
John T. - 4
Justin M. - 2

CCS 40, OUR SAVIOR 31

Another night, another exciting win! It must be tournament time for the Cougars who always seem to bring their A game to the Prince of Peace courts. This time out, the Cougars displayed a great team effort that saw nine players score points in dismantling Our Savior of Livermore 40-31. The team was led by the big game heroics of Bharath R. who scored 7 of his team-high 9 points in the opening quarter that saw the team take a 10-7 lead. Still the game was tight throughout the first half and the Cougars held only an 18-16 lead at the break. The damage was done in a decisive third quarter that saw the Cougars ratchet up the defensive intensity and outscore their opponents 14-2 for a commanding 32-18 lead after three quarters. In the third period, Nico C., Josh B., and John T. each scored 4 points to spread the scoring load. In the final period, OSL began a desperation press that was effective enough to trim the lead back to single digits with several minutes remaining, but the Cougars held on for the victory. Special mention goes out to Brandon T. for a phenomenal defensive effort against OSL's star player and Justin M. who has an absolute beast on the boards and presence on the inside. Next up is a big rematch that has been one year in the making as CCS faces off againt tournament-host Prince of Peace for the championship. Last year the Patriots outlasted the Cougars in a double OT thriller and this game promises to hold similar fireworks. There is no question, the Cougars will be fired up for this one.

SCORING TOTALS:

Bharath R. - 9
Nico C. - 8
Josh B. - 5
Josh H. - 5
Justin M. - 4
John T. - 4
Brandon T. - 2
Chris Y. - 2
Kyle S. - 1

CCS 32, REDEEMER 16

The CCS' Cougars opened the 25th annual Prince of Peace Tournament with an emphatic 32-16 win! After a slow first quarter that saw the Cougars lead only by a 4-2 margin, the team outscored the Braves 8-1 in the second period to open a 12-3 halftime lead, capped by a driving Brandon T. assist to Josh B. as the clock expired. The Cougars continued to play with loads of energy and enthusiam throughout the rest of the game, and were paced by an offensive explosion from Maurice O. who collected a season-high 11 points. He was assisted by Nico C., Justin M., and Ethan S. who each added 4 points, while Chris Y. added 3. Overall it was the most complete effort of the season from the Cougars who move on to a semi-final match-up with Our Savior of Livermore. Great job Cougars!

SCORING TOTALS:

Maurice O. - 11
Nico C. - 4
Justin M. - 4
Ethan S. - 4
Chris Y. - 3
Josh B. - 2
Mitchell H. - 2
Bharath R. - 2

SRVCA 44, CCS 7

SRVCA is the best team we have played this season. In the match-up, we handled their press much better, but for whatever reason could not convert our open shots or free throws. With the Prince of Peace Tournament on the horizon, hopefully the Cougars can catch fire at the right time for a nice tournament run much like the one that ignited their momntum last season!

SCORING TOTALS:

Bharath R. - 3
Justin M. - 2
Brandon T. - 2

REDWOOD CHRISTIAN 37, CCS 17

Unfortunately I missed this game. After a tough first quarter that saw the Cougars down 25-1, the team played well over the next three quarters and outscored Redwood Christian over the second half.

SCORING TOTALS:

Bharath R. - 4
Nicholas C. - 3
Kyle S. - 3
Chris Y. - 3
Ethan S. - 2
Maurice O. - 1
Brandon T. - 1

VALLEY CHRISTIAN 42, CCS 11

One of our better efforts for one half, as we trailed only 16-10 halfway through the third before a late Valley Christian push.

SCORING TOTALS:

Maurice O. - 4
Bharath R. - 3
Chris Y. - 3

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 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

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!