Bradley, Rios, Cachopo, Williams are Times’ Seniors of the
Year
Melissa Cachopo’s senior season was not the triumphant finale she deserved.
Instead of leading the Sobrato High School girls basketball to a third straight Central Coast Section playoff appearance, the third-year starting point guard spent most of last winter on the bench, rehabbing a season-ending torn meniscus she suffered around Christmas.
Cachopo’s spirit played on. Though she could not help the Bulldogs with her smooth jump shot, crisp passing and photo-op drives to the net, Cachopo still went to every practice and remained a vital part of the team as a vocal leader. Her dedication has earned her Athlete of the Year honors by both the SHS athletic department and the Times.
“She empitomized what it takes to be a Bulldog athlete,” athletic director Kevin Miller said. “She persevered through ups and downs and injuries. If she could have had a big year, she definitely would have.”
Cachopo is back up to speed after a rigorous offseason and will suit up for Division III Puget Sound University next year. For the few minutes Cachopo did play this year, the former all-leaguer averaged 8.8 points 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game.
“She has been the most dedicated and passionate athlete I’ve worked with,” former SHS coach Natalie Bobuk said. “She doesn’t give up.”
Ryan Williams shared Sobrato’s Athlete of the Year award with Cachopo and is the Times’ pick for boys Senior of the Year along with three-sport all-league selection Chris Bradley and middle-distance star Alan Rios. Those three went beyond expectation during the 2009-10 school year.
Williams, a 6-foot-4 forward, was named Santa Teresa Division Senior of the Year after collecting 14.4 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. His 38 3-pointers padded his lead for the program’s all-time lead. Williams eclipsed 1,000 points during the Bulldogs’ Division II quarterfinals loss to Archbishop Mitty.
During spring, he posted a 1.50 ERA and batted .361 with three home runs in Mount Hamilton Division play, earning first-team acclaim.
Williams will play baseball at West Valley College next year.
“We went out there knowing we could win any game Ryan started,” manager Shorty Gutierrez said.
From one season to the next, Bradley helped carry his team to the playoffs with his athleticism and unflappable determination. As a 6-foot, 165-pound wide receiver, kick returner and punter he made an immediate impact in his first year of varsity football, adding a second dimension to the Bulldogs’ offense. In winter, he averaged 6.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game at guard.
Bradley did his best work in spring, earning Mount Hamilton MVP honors as a starting pitcher and center fielder. The lefty was four RBIs shy of the league triple crown, batting .471 with three home runs, and posted an ERA of about 1.08.
Bradley will take his baseball career to San Jose City College next year.
“Chris gained some respect all around,” Gutierrez said.
The sky seemed the limit this year for Rios. He pushed his training to limits and reaped the benefits.
Rios saved his best for the biggest meets, surprising himself with a 21st-place finish in 16 minutes, 10 seconds at the Division II CCS cross country meet and coming through with a second-place effort (1:54:34) in the 800-meter section final to qualify for state.
He wasn’t done yet. Rios exploded down the final stretch in the CIF State Championship preliminaries and crossed in a personal-best 1:53.57 — the fastest half mile in South Valley prep history.
“I’ve been working for this all four years,”said Rios, who will walk on at UCLA next year.
JUNIORS OF THE YEAR: Jennae Cambra, Gustavo Ramirez.
Jennae Cambra was beyond back to form this winter after a knee injury shelved her sophomore season.
The explosive forward surpassed her break-out freshman campaign with a Santa Teresa Division-best 55 points and 25 goals.
Cambra’s manipulative footwork and precise shooting helped her earn league-MVP honors, but she was just as dominant in the postseason. Cambra collected four goals in the Central Coast Section playoffs, including a hat trick in Sobrato’s first playoff win in girls soccer, 3-0 over Aptos.
“She had the exact type of season we thought she would,” coach Paul Nishimatsu said in March.
Gustavo Ramirez, all 6 feet, 1 inch and 250 pounds of him, outweighed his inexperience with raw talent during football season — and became irreplaceable at offensive tackle. Ramirez earned second-team all-league honors as one of the Bulldogs’ most improved student athletes.
“We’re very proud of his dedication at practice and in the classroom. He really got things together,” coach Nick Borello said. “If you thought he was good last year, wait until next year.”
As a wrestler, Ramirez burst onto the scene in the heavyweight division in spring. He placed third in the Blossom Valley Athletic League tournament and qualified for the CCS Championships.
SOPHOMORES OF THE YEAR: Maggie Cropp, Obi Mbonu.
Her acrobatic saves, 50-plus yard drop kicks and outspoken leadership have made goalkeeper Maggie Cropp a fan favorite, though, opponents still dread facing her.
Cropp, one of two sophomores on the first-team all-league list this winter, plays with a brilliant mix of strength and athleticism. She worked nine shutouts, and her 1.15 goal-acceptance average ranked second among everyday starters in the Santa Teresa.
Coaches and scouts use the term “specimen” when referring to athletes like Obi Mbonu. Many wondered how he could only be a sophomore last year, when Mbonu started at cornerback and averaged 11.2 yards a carry with six touchdowns at tailback in his first year of varsity football.
Likened to Reggie Bush by teammates, the precociously strong and lightning-quick Mbonu was an easy pick for Sophomore of the Year in the West Valley Division league.
“Being so young, he sure did perform like an upperclassman,” Borello said. “Every time he got the ball, he did something with it. He’s going to get it twice as many times next year.”
Mbonu was equally successful in track. He averaged close to 11 seconds in the 100 meters and ran in a 4×400-meter relay that qualified for CCS Semifinals.
FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR: Kate Van Keulen, Brittany Schmidt, Tanner Di Sibio.
Playing at the varsity level in any sport as a freshman is impressive. Kate Van Keulen and Brittany Schmidt did so in three apiece.
Van Keulen started in field hockey and was part of both relay teams that qualified for the Blossom Valley Athletic League track and field meet. Schmidt played for Sobrato’s first league-championship winning girls water polo team in fall, and swam during spring. Both were on the talented girls soccer team with Van Keulen earning a second-team all-league nod. Van Keulen also was named league Freshman of the Year in Field Hockey.
The all-Mount Hamilton list did not include a Freshman of the Year award this spring, but, if it did, Tanner Di Sibio would have been one of the favorites.
You forgot he was a freshman by the end of the season. Di Sibio started every game at first base and displayed the batting of a future lead-off hitter.
COACHES OF THE YEAR: Paul Nishimatsu, Lee Washington.
The maestro of, now, two Santa Teresa girls soccer titles, Paul Nishimatsu guided the Lady Bulldogs to a 10-3-8 finish this year after they went 1-14-4 in 2008-09. The team brought back a lot of talent players this winter, and Nishimatsu brought out the best in them.
Lee Washington inherited, arguably, the best boys basketball team in school history this winter and made sure it fulfilled its potential. The Santa Teresa-champion Bulldogs (19-7) won a program-best 13 league games and reached the CCS quarterfinals for the first time since 2007, when their division tournament featured four rounds.
Sobrato sent four players to the all-league list with Washington earning Coach of the Year acclaim.
TEAMS OF THE YEAR: Girls soccer, football.
What else can be said about Nishimatsu’s Lady Bulldogs? The close-knit group will have back six first- or second-team all-leaguers next winter.
“We’ll be peaking at the right time,” Nishimatsu said in March.
The football team put together a comeback season that ignited school spirit in fall. After a 2-8 finish in 2008, the Bulldogs won back many fans with their colorful personality (remember the postgame victory dances?) and smashmouth brand of football.
The season already felt like a success after Sobrato’s 27-6 upsetting of Live Oak in El Toro Bowl III, the Bulldogs’ first victory over their crosstown rival. Sobrato parlayed that into a program-best 8-3 and numerous team records, including most yards (322) and points (31.7) per game. Sobrato also recorded its first two shutout victories, dominated the all-league list and earned a second trip to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“It’s amazing what a few wins will do for you,” Borello said when he was reminded of his team’s full grandstand at games. “It certainly was a special season. I’ll never forget that group of guys.”
