Rose Garden Resident
Sports
Photograph by Kevin White
Lion Leader: Lincoln quarterback Tarik Hakmi capped an outstanding career for the Lions by winning all-league first team honors. Hakmi threw for 1,039 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior season.
Mendoza is Mt. Hamilton Division top senior
By Kevin Sparrer
Sometimes the most difficult thing in sports is simply proving you belong. Chris Mendoza certainly proved that the Lincoln football team belongs in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League this year. Mendoza, who led Lincoln in rushing, scoring and was second in receiving yards, proved it by earning the Outstanding Senior of the Year award as a running back in the BVAL' toughest division.
Mendoza ran for 1,436 yards and scored 156 points for the Lions. He also caught 16 passes for 290 yards, second only to junior Jagjeet Sidhu, who caught 21 passes for 536 yards.
Also among the ranks of deserving Lincoln players to receive first team all-league honors on offense was senior quarterback Tarik Hakmi. The third year starter passed for 1,039 yards and 13 touchdowns this season with only four interceptions.
Next on the list of exceptional Lincoln athletes to make first team all-league on offense was senior Michael Fleet. Fleet and Mendoza were the two primary running backs for Lincoln. Fleet also broke the 1,000-yard mark, taking the ball 126 times for 1,277 yards.
Seniors Miles Hidalgo and Isaac Moreno were also both named to the first all-league team for their jobs as offensive linemen. Moreno and Hidalgo also led the team in sacks for the season. Moreno had 4 1/2 and Hidalgo had four.
Lincoln had a couple of players make the all-league second team defense. Junior Javier Reyes finished the season with 59 tackles and was named as a linebacker, and junior Armando Esparza, who finished the season with 60 tackles, made second team as a defensive back.
Though he did not receive an all-league award, Villiami Lavakeiaho led the defense in tackling with 85 stops this season, almost 20 more than the next closest Lion.
While the football team was on the field, Lincoln's volleyball team was on the court. Senior Alex Scoffone brings to an end her outstanding career as a Lincoln volleyball player, but went out in style as the Most Valuable Player of the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL.
Lincoln coach Hanah Kim was awarded the coach of the year honor after leading the Lions to the division championship this fall and to a berth in the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs, where they lost to eventual semifinalist Palo Alto. The Lions finished 18-11 for the year after posting an 11-3 record in the Santa Teresa Division.
Juniors Silvia Aguilar and Alexdra Von Raesfeld were named first team all-league for the Lions. Junior Tarah Herning was the only player for the Lions to make the all-league second team.
In the water polo, the girls left some of their names in the history books with Katelin Silva winning the Senior of the Year award and Kelly Hendrickson winning Junior of the Year honors in the Santa Teresa Division.
Seniors Laina Reginelli, Kelsey Goode and Amy Warburton all were named first team all-league. Seniors Grace Williams and Andrea Snell were awarded second team all-league spots.
In boys water polo, three Lions received awards for their play in the Mt. Hamilton Division. Senior Braden Gough and junior Brock Williams were both named as first team all-leaguers and senior Rush Manbert received a second team all-league award.
