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