No room for violence in the game

Can't we all just get along?

In the soccer season opener between Aragon and Terra Nova, a player from each team got involved in a scrum which led to the rest of the teams jumping in with the requisite pushing and shoving that goes along with it. The result was the ejection of a Terra Nova player. The surprising thing is, the incident appeared to pop up out of nowhere. There was cheap shots or especially rough play between the two teams, just the normal knocks one associates with soccer.

In a San Mateo-South San Francisco soccer match, three players were ejected, two Bearcats and one from South City. Two of the ejections were for physical play while the other was for dissension toward the referee, which resulted in the player's second yellow card of the game, which is an automatic ejection.

And then in a basketball game between Burlingame and South City, a brawl nearly erupted just as the final horn sounded.

What's with all the testosterone? The soccer ejections are easier to debate. Are the referees especially sensitive to perceived slights or are they trying to send a message that any form of extra rough play will not be tolerated? It's probably more of the latter. No sense letting a game get out of hand if a few colored cards can help keep everyone in line.

The hoops incident is a little harder to justify. Again, there didn't appear to any extra physical contact during the game. I have a feeling if there was, the officials would have taken the steps to rein it in.

The worst part about the basketball game was, after both teams had more or less calmed themselves, some yahoo from the stands decided to take things into his own hands and run through the players with elbows and forearms flailing, like he was in a mosh pit.

Good thing Burlingame golf coach (and former football coach) Ed Larios was there to corral this knucklehead and pull him out of the fray and defuse the situation.

Remember everyone, it's just a game. Let's have some fun out there.

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Congratulations are in order for Hillborough's golfer Sam Chavez, a student at Woodside Priory Prep School. Chavez, 13, took second place in the California Junior Tour Championship for 12 to 14 year olds at Torrey Pines golf Course in San Diego Dec. 7 and 8.

Chavez opened with a round of 75 and followed it with a round of 72 to finish three strokes behind Nick Delio of Valencia, Calif. Chavez had a blazing finish to his second round. In his last five holes Chavez shaved six strokes off his round with four birdies and an eagle.

Hot golf is nothing new for Chavez. In the fall he had the lowest score on the tour, shooting a 3-under-par 69 at Heritage Palms Country Club in Palm Springs.

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The NDNU basketball teams split over the weekend, with the women picking up a 83-49 win Friday over San Jose Christian in their first home game in nearly month, while the men dropped a 91-68 decision to California Baptist on Saturday.

In the Lady Argos' win, Tamsen Lee scored 18 points in just 25 minutes of play. Natalie Howard also had a good game in 24 minutes, scoring 10 points and dishing out nine assists. The win raised the womens' record to 3-6. They will be back on the court at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in a home game against Cal State Hayward.

The men, which trailed just 39-38 at halftime, were outscored 52-30 in the second half to fall to 4-4 on the season. Martin Castro continues to have an outstanding season, scoring 24 points on 10 for 20 shooting, including 4 for 8 from behind the 3-point arc. Reid Wilson chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds while Jay Marshall had 10 points.

The men will be back in action at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against Metro State.<