Willow Glen Resident

Cover Story

Mitty basketball team continues to rebound from injuries

By Stephen Baxter

In a prayer before Archbishop Mitty High School's Jan. 23 game against Bellarmine College Preparatory, a voice said over the Mitty gym's speakers, "Please God, keep us free from injury."

There were a few chuckles from the Mitty side of the gym.

The team had been racked by broken bones, face cuts and poked ribs, but that night the Monarchs rallied and beat Bellarmine 76-64.

The band struck up the Rocky theme.

The team from Mitty, which is in West San Jose, has players from throughout San Jose.

A lot of people knew Mitty's boys basketball team had talent, but it took a trip to Oregon for the team to find confidence.

At the Les Schwab Invitational in Hillsboro, the Monarchs won four games from December 26 to 29 and stole the title. Mitty was ranked in the top 10 in the nation by USA Today, and back in San Jose fans called into sports talk shows on KNBR-AM 680 to rave about the team, which has been called one of the strongest in the school's history.

Then, at a Jan. 18 game at Archbishop Riordan in San Francisco, something snapped.

Drew Gordon, the team's 6-foot, 10-inch, 240-pound center, blocked a shot and came down awkwardly. Two bones in his left foot cracked, possibly aggravated from the final game in Oregon--after which he wore two bags of ice on his feet to dull the pain.

At a team practice 17 days after the Riordan game, Gordon, who is from the Cambrian neighborhood, leaned against some wooden bleachers in Mitty's practice gymnasium, propped on a pair of crutches. He has learned to do spin moves off his left crutch.

"I hate watching practice. I'd do anything to play basketball," he says.

The UCLA still expects Gordon to play next season, but Mitty's loss has meant the rest of the team has had play harder--and they have.

Despite more injuries, by Feb. 5 the team was 21-1, with a loss to Riordan. Collin Chiverton, who lives in South San Jose, leads the team in scoring with an average 21 points per game. Brandon Scott has led in assists in league play with 5.5 per game, and Angelo Caloiaro of Saratoga has averaged 9.3 rebounds a game.

In a 69-54 rout of Valley Christian on Feb. 6, Caloiaro scored 30 points and looked comfortable bumping his back against defenders, taking two dribbles and spinning around for lay-ups.

Standing 6 feet, 6 inches tall, he has brown eyes, curly dark hair and an expressionless face, and his play has been a surprise to everyone but his teammates and eight-year Mitty Coach Brian Eagleson.

"Angelo was always very skilled, and we were counting on him to have a good year," Eagleson said. Same with power forward Enoch Andoh, forward John Adams and others.

"Every obstacle or sign of adversity they have faced head on."

Non-contact sport

For a sport that is supposed to be non-contact, the Monarchs have been pretty physical.

Months ago, Caloiaro had broken the big toe on his left foot. In a game against Bellarmine on Jan. 23, Enoch Andoh was cut under his right eye, leaving an inch-long scar. He also sprained his ring finger on his right hand badly enough to skip at least one game.

Guard Jay Wey chipped his front tooth on Jan. 15, and fellow guard Chris Weber was told on Feb. 5 that he had a stress fracture in his right foot.

At a recent practice, Chiverton, who scored 36 points against Sacred Heart Cathedral this season, cut himself in the head.

He found some help, and word spread after practice that he would need stitches.

Caloiaro shrugged. "It doesn't even faze us anymore. Collin just cut his head open, and we're happy because it's just stitches."

Eagleson, whose players call him "Eagle," says he gives credit to his players for not letting injuries deflate them.

"I have never witnessed a season like this, let alone gone through one," he said, adding that the team does plenty of stretching and conditioning.

Is it a hex?

"I can't speak as to why this is happening, but I couldn't be more proud of the resiliency our players have shown. They haven't pouted, they haven't felt sorry for themselves, and they haven't dwelled on who we are missing," Eagleson said.

Big futures

South San Jose's Enoch Andoh has a 3.4 GPA and plans to attend Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa. He wants to be a civil engineer. At 6, feet, 8 inches and 240 pounds, Andoh says he's trying to get better in the low post.

Since Gordon was injured, "My role has gotten bigger," Andoh said.

John Adams, of Cupertino, is headed to Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. He said one of the keys to the team's success has been living in the moment.

Chris Bradley is the newest member of the team, having been brought up from junior varsity in recent weeks.

Now in an advisory role, Gordon said he tried to warn the undersized guard about the physical nature of varsity basketball--but he was too late.

"He came into the game and got pushed about five feet back. He looked at the ref like, 'What, no foul?' I was gonna tell him to watch out. This isn't JV."