June 26, 1999
Okay, can I call these things or what? I said Spurs in 5, and Spurs in 5 it is! (Proof that even bozos can get lucky.) Can the Spurs repeat next year? If they re-sign Duncan and if they stay healthy, yep.

June 12, 1999
Well count me among those flabbergasted that the Knicks were able to the beat the Pacers. Especially without Ewing, I thought that Smits would eat NY alive. Of course Reggie Miller's 3-of-18 shooting didn't help matters in the final game. Coach Bird's gonna need to make some off-season deals, because clearly the "mature" Pacers are headed in the wrong direction.

That aside, what do I think of the NBA Finals? Here ya go:

San Antonio Spurs v. New York Knicks: No Ewing, no chance. Even if Chris Dudley could handle Robinson or Ducan—and he most definitely cannot—that would still leave the other free to roam the middle. Knicks might win one if Sprewell gets hot, but I think it's unlikely to go much further than that. Spurs in 5.

June 7, 1999
Did I think that the Trailblazers could take the Spurs? No, I did not. I thought they had some serious match-up problems and that nobody could guard Duncan. Did I think that the Spurs would sweep them in four straight? No, I did not. But at least I picked the right team. (And thus Dad owes me a dollar.)

The Pacers-Knicks series is knotted at 2-2, but without Ewing, it's really a foregone conclusion for New York. Dudley will never stop Smits in the middle, and if the defense has to double-down Reggie Miller will just shoot the lights out. The Knicks have done better than I anticipated, but I'd be very surprised if the Pacers don't win two more in a row.

May 27, 1999
Woo-hoo! Blazers take the Jazz in 6! My prediction, for once in these playoffs, is exactly on the mark. I've gotta celebrate now, because it won't happen again.

Of course that won't keep me from trying:

Indiana Pacers v. New York Knicks: I continue to like the Pacers over the thug-based basketball of the Knicks. This will probably be a grueling series and with Ewing already banged-up, I don't think NY can hack it. I'll take the Pacers in 5.

San Antonio Spurs v. Portland Trailblazers: For all their depth and talent, the Blazers really match up very poorly against the Spurs. Even if Sabonis can handle David Robinson (and that's a big if), nobody's gonna stop Duncan. Spurs in 6.

May 24, 1999
Okay, I knew the Hawks were bad, but I really didn't think that the banged-up Knicks would sweep them. Live and learn.

May 23, 1999
We've still got a couple of series on-going, but taking a quick peek at my second round predictions, it seems like I've thus far done okay. Certainly better than round one. Let's look at the current NBA state of affairs:

Indiana Pacers v. Philadelphia 76ers: I liked the Pacers in 6, calling the Sixers' Iverson a one-trick pony. I was right on the second part, but not the first. The Pacers swept in 4.

Atlanta Hawks v. New York Knicks: I picked NY in 6, thinking it would be 5 if only Ewing were healthy. Current series score is 3-0 to the Knicks, so Ewing's health apparently isn't that big a factor. The Hawks must be even worse than I've been saying.

San Antonio Spurs v. LA Lakers: I was pretty close on this one, calling it for the Spurs in 5. Nope, Spurs sweep in 4, and they couldn't have beaten a more egotistical bunch of whiners. Good riddance from the playoffs, LA.

Portland Trailblazers v. Utah Jazz: I thought the Jazz were tired old men with a lot of talent and said the Blazers would win in 6. Current series score is 3-1 to Portland.

May 16, 1999
First round of the NBA playoffs are over, and I think we can sum up the brilliance of my predictions with the word "pathetic." This, of course, will not stop me from prognosticating on round two. But first, my round one wrap up:

• In the Heat v. Knicks series, I was reasonably on the mark. Knicks won in 5, but I was right that 'Zo and Co. didn't have what it takes. On a personal level, I'll just add that I'm always gratified when Pat Riley loses. Thug basketball stinks, and he's the game's primary exponent of the style nowadays. (Not that that Knicks are much better.)
• I was almost totally wrong on the Utah v. Kings series, and happily so. Rick Adelman has really turned the Kings around, and despite losing some really close games (including Game 5 in OT), Sacramento has a lot to be proud of.
• The Blazers swept the Suns; I had them in 4. Are the Blazers better than I thought or are the Suns worse? Maybe both.
• Atlanta beat Detroit in 5, but you know what? I still don't care. Atlanta's not going to the Finals.
• Bird's Pacers take out the Bucks. Yup, knew it.
• Something I did not know was the Allen Iverson is as good as advertised. I had the Magic in 5, but if ever there was a team in decline, that's them. Philly won't get out of the next round, though.
• T-wolves drove the Spurs a little harder than I thought they would, but if D. Robinson steps up (finally), this could be San Antonio's year.
• Lakers took out the aging Rockets in 5, but I still hate LA, so I'll pick them to lose in the next round as well.

And now, Round 2 predictions:

Indiana Pacers v. Philadelphia 76ers: Philly is a one-trick pony with Iverson, and despite his obvious talent, you can't get too deep in the playoffs riding only one guy. Experience and over all team talent go to the Pacers. Pacers in 6.

Atlanta Hawks v. New York Knicks: I'm gonna continue dissing the Hawks and give the series of the Knicks in 6. Ewing has a bummed foot or it would be 5. This does not mean that I am a Knicks fan, however, and despite this prediction, I would prefer an Atlanta victory.

San Antonio Spurs v. LA Lakers: With Glen Robinson's elbow tweaked, all the Spurs have to do is foul Shaq down low and let him take free throws. Spurs in 5.

Portland Trailblazers v. Utah Jazz: I don't think Utah has the gas left for a seven game series. I'll take the Jailblazers in 6.

May 8, 1999
First round of the NBA playoffs are underway, so this is probably a good time to make my irrelevent sentiments known. Here's who I want to win and what I think will actually happen:

Miami Heat v. New York Knicks: I hate these teams equally, so which ever loses is fine by me. Despite the Knicks' 8th seed, I don't think 'Zo or Hardaway have the juice to beat them. Knicks in 4.

Utah Jazz v. Sacramento Kings: Let's not kid ourselves, the Kings don't have a prayer. Doesn't matter if I like them or not, they're not stopping the Mailman. Utah in 3.

Portland Trailblazers v. Phoenix Suns: In the Drexler-era I was an incredible Sun-hater. Now that Portland has crappy ownership and players of questionable ethics...well, I guess I still go with the Blazers, but my heart's not really in it, I'm afraid. Blazers in 4.

Atlanta Hawks v. Detroit Pistons: Who cares? Neither team is a contender.

Indiana Pacers v. Milwaukie Bucks: Gimme the Pacers, if only because my main man Larry Bird is at the helm. Pacers in 4.

Orlando Magic v. Philidelphia 76ers: I'll take the Magic but without a whole lot of feeling. Magic in 5.

San Antonio Spurs v. Minnesota Timberwolves: Spurs all the way. Spurs in 4.

LA Lakers v. Houston Rockets: Anyone but LA. Houston in 4.

For all the latest, check out NBA.com.

April 27, 1999
Where did I get the idea that the Steelers had lost linebacker Levon Kirkland? Anyway, this is complete wrong. Kirkland is thankfully still a Steeler.

Now that the NFL draft is over, it's pundit time as guys like me sit back and try to figure out just how good or bad a draft this was. We have no idea, of course, but it makes us feel important to share what little knowledge we have while spouting off opinions which have little if any basis in fact. And, hey, that's what this web site is all about.

Therefore, I think the Steelers had a great draft. WR Troy Edwards will have, I predict, a banner rookie year. His ability to run after the catch gives the Steelers a crucial offensive threat that they lacked last year. This will help to spread the defense, and if the opposition can't stack the line against Bettis, the Bus is going to have a huge season as well.

The other draft pickup I'm particularly pleased with is OT Kris Farris out of UCLA. This guy won the Outland Trophy for best offensive lineman, he's 6'8", 330 lbs, and we got him in the third round! At the college level, Farris did not allow a single sack last year. He'll have a tougher time in the NFL to be sure but look for Farris to be a standout in two to three years time, if not sooner.

April 18, 1999
Steelers are in "fill-in-the-holes" mode for today's NFL draft, and the results, while acceptable, are nothing with which to get overjoyed. They filled their needs for a wide receiver and an offensive lineman, so if the defense can survive the free agency loss of All-Pros Carnell Lake and Levon Kirkland, the team has the potential to be a contender. That's quite a big blow to overcome, though. [Update: My brain must have been fried more than usual today; Kirkland is still a Steeler.]

April 16, 1999
Best wishes to the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, for a wonderful retirement. I'm sorry to say that I didn't follow hockey that closely when he was in his prime, but from what I've heard there's no doubt that he was the best to ever play the game. (And the record books back up that contention.)

April 15, 1999
Lakers waive Dennis Rodman because of his continued bizarre, "me-first" behavior. Were they expecting differently? People write a lot about Laker GM Jerry West being a genuis, but I sure don't see how they can say that in this case. Of course in West's defense, the Lakers did win a lot more games with Rodman than without him. (And that's a pretty thorough indictment of the Lakers' inability to rebound the ball without him. Extended playoff hopes are now dimmed considerably.) Rodman, though still an incredible rebounder (averaged 11 per game with the Lakers, and he typically didn't play the whole game), has probably played his last.

March 24, 1999
A little soccer knowledge wouldn't hurt, but it's hardly essential in getting big laughs from British soccer-based World Un-Famous Football Quotes Page. Here's a few samples:

'There's Bergkamp standing on the halfway line, with his hands on his hips, flailing his arms about.' - JOHN SCALES

'Germany are probably, arguably, undisputed champions of Europe.' - BRYAN HAMILTON

'Manchester United have hit the ground running - albeit with a 3-0 defeat.' - BOB WILSON

'The World Cup is every four years, so it's going to be a perennial problem.' - GARY LINEKER

'Never go for a 50-50 ball unless you're 80-20 sure of winning it.' - IAN DARKE

'The Dutch look like a huge jar of marmalade.' - BARRY DAVIES

'West Germany's Briegel hasn't been able to get past anyone yet - that's his trademark.' - JOHN HELM

'Strangely, in slow motion replay, the ball seemed to hang in the air for even longer.' - DAVID ACFIELD

As you can see, these are utterances that could make Dan Quayle proud. If you're a soccer fan (or perhaps even if you're not), this site is worth a look-see.

March 14, 1999
I caught a couple NBA games on the tube recently. One, featuring the Portland Trailblazers, offered a solid case for their run at an NBA championship. They're fast, young, talented, and deep. I'd even consider them the favorites if not for the second game I saw which was the retooled LA Lakers. The additions of Dennis Rodman, Glen Rice, and JR Reid make this Shaq- and Kobe-led team the one to beat.

Personally, I think the way to defeat them is by denying Shaq the ball down low and fouling him immediately if he gets it down there. His terrible free throw percentage at least gives you a chance at victory then. Of course both Rice and Kobe can take defenders off the dribble, so Shaq may end up being the least of the worries. Despite the strike-shortened season and the lack of Michael Jordan, this NBA season has proved fairly interesting so far.

February 24, 1999
Now I've got to confess to being a longtime Los Angeles Lakers hater. It's hard not to be when you grow up cheering for the Portland Trailblazers. More often than not in the '80s the Lakers' "showtime" basketball swept the Blazers from the playoffs, making it difficult not to chant "Beat LA" at every opportunity.

Since the acquisition (and some would say destruction) of the Blazers by ex-Microsoft heavy Paul Allen, I've stopped being much of a fan. But how can one not continue to dislike the Lakers, especially after today's firing of coach Del Harris? Granted they're on a 3-game skid, but here's a guy who has had to put up with some of the most monumental egos in basketball history and from guys who have yet to win a championship. I don't know that Harris is a coaching genius (though his record is way above .500), but surely he deserved a little better treatment than this.

February 16, 1999
I got a few more details on the season from Coach Sal today, though nothing that does any more than that further our depression really. Apparently, we ended the season with more wins than 26 of the 28 teams going to CCS. We also soundly thumped two league champions who are headed to CCS. We're definitely in the Top 6 of the CCS in terms of the SJ Mercury News poll, and, to my mind, we're second only to Bellarmine (who, if we had had a full squad, I think we would have beaten in the WCAL Championship).

I'm consoling myself with the dual notions that life isn't fair and that there are qualities we installed in the guys which transcend soccer. To face facts, this is a relatively small bummer in the grand scheme of life, no matter how painful it seems right now. Thirty years ago these same kids would be looking at potential military service fighting a war in Vietnam. How big a downer is a soccer season's poor conclusion compared to that?

And the truth is that high school athletics, ultimately, isn't about sports anyway. It's about overcoming adversity. It's about honor and pride and self-sacrifice. It's about moving adolescents from boys to men. There was a lot of that this year, and it's more important than the wins or losses.

February 13, 1999
Almost unbelievably, our at-large bid to the CCS was denied today, ending a great season for what is probably one of the top two teams in the CCS. Despite an overall record of 16-5-2 and despite being ranked #7 in the latest CCS Top 15 poll and despite beating #6 Serra and taking #1-ranked Bellarmine to double overtime with only 10 men, our appeal was denied because we were down on tie breaks in the league standings with Serra. Serra, who had 26 points overall, had a right to a CCS spot ahead of us as a result, though we had 29 points.

I may have had more depressing days as a coach (though nothing springs to mind), but this ranks right up there with them.

February 12, 1999
The guys played great and with a lot of heart, but it was a bitter 2-1 defeat today in double overtime in the WCAL Championship game with #1-ranked Bellarmine. Forced to play all of the second half with 10 men after a questionable red card and taking the Bells into double overtime before conceding a second goal was surely something to be proud of. The game featured numerous heroic efforts on our part, but it's really tough to mount a lot of offense with only 10 guys.

Coach Sal and I were in agreement that if not for the card, we probably could have beaten them today with a full squad. Our attacks were very dangerous and the team was executing the game plan brilliantly. We kept a steady stream of substitutes going, but in the end, it was hard not to be exhausted.

The loss unfortunately drops us to fourth in league and we'll have to appeal for an at-large bid at tomorrow's Central Coast Section (CCS) meeting. There's a reasonable chance that it will be accepted since we have a fair number of points. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that it would be a crime if we weren't accepted: (1) Our record is 16-5-2, (2) we've only lost to teams in the Top Ten, and (3) in the last week we've beaten the #6 ranked team and taking the #1-ranked team to double OT with 10 men. That oughta count for something, but it doesn't it.

Bellarmine 2, St. Francis 1 double OT
Vukosa (Van der Veen)

In further lousy news, the Steelers All-Pro safety Carnell Lake has signed with the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars.

February 10, 1999
We were up 2-1 with 30 second to go, then Serra scored a tying goal to send us into overtime. Despite this psychological blow, we played a solid OT and put in a goal with about 4 minutes remaining in the OT. This proved to be the clincher, and for the first time since 1992, the mighty Lancers boys soccer team heads to the WCAL Championship game.

Today's victory was especially sweet since (1) we had suffered an awful 1-0 defeat to Serra only a week ago and (2) we were racked with illness and injury, particularly in midfield. We used a real patchwork quilt of midfielders to get the job done, and in the end, it was enough.

We may meet Serra, ranked just ahead of us at #6 in the CCS top 15 poll, again in the CCS playoffs, but this round—the WCAL playoffs—goes to us. Our record is now 16-4-2, and we're ranked #7 in CCS. We should move up in the next poll.

St. Francis 3, Serra 2 OT
Vukosa (Van der Veen); Gil-Ochoa (Clarke); Vukosa (Cabañas)

February 6, 1999
Now playing in the first round of the WCAL playoffs, we scored a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St. Igatius, the same team we finished beating two days prior. SI, having no new ideas on how to beat us, decided instead to play a more physical/harrassing game which decidedly lowered the overall level of play. It made for unattractive soccer, and I was kind of disappointed to see this from our opponents, but I suppose a coach has to pursue whatever avenues he thinks are best for his team. Certainly after losing to us twice in the regular season playing us again straight up would've been a mistake. Our season record is now 15-4-2.

In similarly happy news, league doormat Riordan knocked off #2 seed Mitty in penalty kicks. This is an astounding turn of events mainly because Riordan is terrible and Mitty was heretofore not that bad. That also means that our opponent on Tuesday will not be #1-ranked Bellarmine (who have beaten us twice this year), but instead be the winner of today's Serra vs. Sacred Heart match. Right on!

St. Francis 1, St. Ignatius 0
Van der Veen (Gil-Ochoa)

February 5, 1999
It was irrelevent to the league standings, but yesterday's 2-0 victory over St. Ignatius might end up being crucial if we have to make an at-large bid for the CCS tournament. Playing on an excellent field at the University of San Francisco under marvelous conditions, we had the run of play for most of the game. Weather permitting, we'll play SI again tomorrow in the first round of the league playoffs.

St. Francis 2, St. Ignatius 0
Gil-Ochoa (Vukosa); Vukosa (Saric)

January 30, 1999
Today's 1-0 defeat to an inferior Serra team ranks right up there with my all-time worst soccer losses. Not only did we outplay them, we also had three stellar poin-blank chances on goal. Our odds of finishing second in league have now all but vanished since both Mitty and Serra own the tie-breaks against us. (This means we'll likely finish with the same number of points in league, but Mitty would advance because they tied Bellarmine once and Serra would advance because they've beaten us once.) In short, we're now staring at a 4th place finish in league.

That sort of placement means we'd hit Bellarmine in the second round of the league tournament, and while victory over the Bells isn't impossible, it is improbable. The only way to go to Section playoffs now is likely to win the tournament and to beat Bellarmine in the process. If not, the season will be over in three more games.

Serra 1, St. Francis 0

January 27, 1999
Well, what to say? Bellarmine is apparently better than us. Today's 3-0 score wasn't as lopsided as it sounds, but we did next to nothing offensively and really never got into the game. I suppose if you're gonna lose, you might as well lose to the best: Bellarmine has been ranked #1 in the section all year.

Bellarmine 3, St. Francis 0

January 22, 1999
It wasn't much of a game and one worries that it may not be the best of tune-ups for #1-ranked Bellarmine (who we play on Saturday), but smashing Riordan for the second time this season can't hurt the morale any. Bright spot #2 is that everyone got to play.

St. Francis 7, Riordan 0
Clark (Saric); Vukosa (penalty); Anderson (Biondolillo); Perego (Mason); Hunner (Gil-Ochoa); Gil-Ochoa (Hunner); Mason (Carey)

January 20, 1999
Does it feel good to beat #3-ranked Mitty? Yes, indeed. We had numerous scoring opportunities, and the game probably shouldn't have been as close as it was, but we had a lot of injuries, so we'll take it.

St. Francis 3, Mitty 2
Gil-Ochoa (Vukosa); Gil-Ochoa (Vukosa); Clark (Gil-Ochoa)

January 14, 1999
Good first half, lousy second half leaves us with a 2-1 victory over Sacred Heart. In truth, we dominated most of the game and had numerous good scoring opportunities. Trouble finishing made the game far more interesting than it had any right to be.

St. Francis 2, Sacred Heart 1
Van DerVeen (Saric); Bustos (Gil-Ochoa)

January 9, 1999
Well, it was a mediocre outing at best, I'm afraid, and the result was a 0-0 tie with #9-ranked Serra. This puts us, through the first half of the season, in a very precarious third place position. I'm hopeful that we can move up, but with our earlier losses to Bellarmine and Mitty, it will be tough going. Of course if we play to our potential, we could win the rest of our games. But that will mean playing a lot better than today.

St. Francis 0, Serra 0

January 7, 1999
We didn't play great, but we didn't play terrible either, and in the end, that was more than adquate to beat visiting St. Ignatius 4-0. Our midfield play seemed improved, but much of that, I'm sure, was from not having to expend nearly as much energy as we did against Bellarmine. Our record is now 10-2-1. We play #9-ranked Serra on Saturday.

St. Francis 4, St. Ignatius 0
Gil-Ochoa (Vukosa); Vukosa (Perego); Perego (unassisted); Vukosa (Perego);

January 5, 1999
Despite outplaying our opponents for the first 35 minutes of the game and taking a 1-0 lead, our energy level dropped and we ended up losing 3-1 to #1-ranked Bellarmine. We started the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half as strong as we started the game but again became fatigued and conceded too many scoring opportunities. My thought is that we're actually a better team than Bellarmine when we have the energy; it's just that we do not (or did not today at least) have the endurance to hang with them for a full 80 minutes. This is to take nothing away from them. They're an excellent squad, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play them again. It would not surprise me at all if we actually faced them twice more: once in the regular season and once more in the WCAL playoffs.

Bellarmine 3, St. Francis 1
Saric (Gil-Ochoa)

January 1, 1999
After one of the worst years in recent memory in terms of offensive production, offensive coordinator Ray Sherman resigned today. Speaking for Pittsburgh fans nationwide, I can only say: Thank God. While one must concede that the Steeler offensive line was horribly injury-plagued this year, I've still never seen talent misused as it was this year. Why the team continued to run Jerome Bettis wide to the left instead of up the middle behind All-Pro center "Dirt" Dawson continues to rank as one of life's great mysteries. I anticipate next year's team will do much better than 7-9 simply because the defense will be even stronger (and it's pretty good right now) and the Steeler schedule, unlike this year, won't be the toughest in the NFL.

* Denotes league game
Home games in CAPS; other games to be played at opponent's school unless otherwise noted.
W = win; L = loss; T = tie

Head coach: Sal Chavez
Assistant coach: Ty Davison
Athletic Director: Steve DeMaestri

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