Bishop Amat High School - Tusitala Yearbook (La Puente, CA)

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Junior Joe Halbmaier fiercely spikes the ball through the hands of his opponents. Spiking was one of the key ways to score in volleyball. grgggu , 1-as Leaping high in the air, senior Abraham Tang returns the ball. His leaping ability contributed to his spiking ability. Attempting to block the opponent's hit, senior Eric De La Cruz reaches above the net. Blocking was a major defensive skill in volleyball. Freshman Greg Heyman sets the ball for his teammate, sophomore Anthony Hernandez. A perfect set was essential for a successful spike. Cathedral , V Cathedral , ' Upland 'Saint Paul 'Mater Dei 'Saint Paul 'Mater Dei Bottom to top Jerry Perez Anthony Hernandez, Greg Heyman, Chris Gonzales Jay l-lalili Robert Bautista Robert Elder, lvan Tovar, Paul Moetu- iui Jeff Martin Mario Navarro Coach Brian Mathews. 'Bishop Montgomery Boys lunior Varsity Volleyball Upland 'Bishop Montgomery 'Saint Paul Mater Dei 'Bishop Montgomery 'Saint Paul 'Mater Dei Y lk Bishop Montgomery ' Indicates Angelus League Boys Varsityflunior Varsity Volleyball 271

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Boys Volleyball Sets New Preoedent Coach Mathews disciplined the players, and made each one work hard and stay conscious of his mistakes. There was another entry into the history book with the for- mation of the first boys volley- ball teams. ln spite of being first year teams, both the Boys Varsity Volleyball team and the Boys Junior Varsity Volley- ball team were considered to be strong and had high hopes for victory largely due to the out- standing work of Mr. Brian Mathews who coached both teams. At the beginning of the season the teams had a weak- ness in communication. As time progressed, they realized that teamwork was the key to suc- cess. The teams consisted of 24 members, an elite group from a tryout squad of 130 students. The tryouts were held for two months in the early morning hours and during late evenings. Each member was picked ac- cording to their ability and con- sistency in passing, serving, set- ting, and spiking the ball. Thus, the teams were made up of the finest players the school had to offer. Coaching two teams at one time required much dedication on the part of Coach Mathews. I Boys Varsity Volleyball Cathedral Cathedral Upland Flintridge 'Saint Paul 'Mater Dei 'Bishop Montgomery 'Saint Paul 'Mater Dei Upland ' Indicates Angelus League ! as it fs , el Hernani Ledesma He gave up much of his free time to organize, form, and coach the two teams. Even though coaching two teams at one time was very time con- 5 suming, I enjoyed working with them and didn't mind the hard work it took, Coach Mathews stated. The players appreciated his dedication. As expressed by senior Hernani Ledesma, Coach Mathews disciplined 5 the players, and made each one E work hard and stay conscious of his mistakes. . Both teams started the sea- son with only a few victories, C E i ? but they did not give up hope s . ss . Qssssff and confidence. Each player continued to practice their ba- 3 sic skills, while correcting his mistakes. After playing many at games together the members of the teams slowly improved and began to communicate with one another. They also realized that they had to play as a team and not just for themselves. Their hard work and effort inevitably made them successful in addi- tion to being the first boys vol- leyball teams. Thus, these his- tory-making teams enhanced the athletic program. . L 3 i . yZig:s 5 . Gladstone 'Bishop Montgomery 'Saint Paul 'Mater Dei Gladstone ' 'Bishop Montgomery 'Saint Paul 'Mater Dei 'Bishop Montgomery Bottom to top: Mark Gaul, Hernani Ledesma, Joe Halbmaier, Doug Ramos, Manager Rodney lnjarusorn, John Urbayan, Manuel Delgado, Eddie Yer- kish, Jude Urbayan, Mike Connis, Peter Beck, Abraham Tang, Eric De La Cruz, Coach Brian Mathews. 270 Sports

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I ggi Taking The I s Anyone would think that we'd feel shaky about playing on a first year team. Actually, most of us were anxious to show how good this team really was. Henry Felix The most difficult aspect of any endeavor is getting started. The Boys Varsity Tennis team was no exception. Their first year in full-fledged competition raised questions as to their po- tential. Most of the players re- sponded in a positive manner. Junior Henry Felix replied, Anyone would think that we'd feel shaky about playing on a first year team. Actually, most of us were anxious to show how good this team really was. Confidence exuded from most of the players. Being the first season, there was added pressure to do well. The fact that this squad had to go up against seasoned teams didn't exactly help them out. Freshman Dominic Monte- longo explained, NA few of us felt the pressure of being a new team. Of course, no one could do much to relieve that. The only thing we could do was con- centrate on our games. Inexpe- rience prompted concern from the whole squad. Tennis at this level was new to the school. Be- cause of this, the initial part of the season was more of a trial period. The team showed signs of winning potential. They were not just a group of inexperi- enced tennis lovers. They were graced with a state ranked play- er, freshman Joseph Montoya. When asked about the future of the program he replied, The program is really going to gain strength as time goes on. Since we're a young group, many of us will return next season. This means that thereis going to be more experience and maturity. The team did its best to pre- pare for the challenge. The practice sessions were hard and demanding. Most of them thought it would be easy. Ten- nis required top form and fit- ness. Playing tough opponents was a challenge. Keeping up with a schedule that had them playing matches three times a week was even more demand- ing. Yet, this squad kicked off the season with optimism. In the words of junior Gabriel Ra- mirez, If we can keep up the level of play throughout the season, I'm sure that this team can finish in good positionf, f E Boys Varsity Tennis WilSO1'1 :'Saint Paul U V 'Saint P3111 Glendora Tourney 2.Li,Q3 - Cal High Diamond Bar V 'i La Puente La Habra 'Servite 'Mater Dei A fl 'Bishop Montgomery 'Saint Paul - Monrovia 'Mater Dei qr.fQt. Nogales fServite i Mater Dei 'Bishop Montgomery '-i-i.L ff . fe Indicates Angelus League i 'i5f4lT9ff?2i-fililiiiilii fiaffiiafeflVl5f5fJ5l3Q1Gf5?ifi6f.?F6iiif.JasefiliiQP?-iiii1e?Q.-Legal-iffieenisi.'wraiil as iemanflafiiifkle-X55ig5?Y4fQf 3'Flll?fFf?if3.U,ElTS?3U1iFi5-A4Demi?gmaiissfliiiiiailnsi.i4U2adH'.i-,iE1i??ing in 1feizfasladifffJeSan?Eeie.fiS2fQaQra6.Wbcfd.- -.Henry-Fe1wg sbcmihififvi-fsrstefiangesi jceaea-gsievel . fifleneaa fe.e- NQr19iEGi4fe1ii.e-Jvsaefliwgaivnai.wihfieieiB3mi5ez.zWeQieyi Rini l.t-f f .fi. ff.t'Tgf.i.1 272 Sports T Y 5 A is