The cheerleading team had tryouts for the 2011-2012 school year on June 13. Following deliberation, there will now be 12 girls on the varsity team, and 16 on the JV team.

With its lineup heavily depleted by recent injuries to key players, the boys tennis team has stumbled in its yearly run through the regular season.

The team has lost to Los Altos and Monta Vista, respectively the No. 2 and No. 1 teams in the De Anza League. The team played Los Altos twice, losing 5-2 on March 30 and 4-3 on April 18, and lost once against Monta Vista 6-1 on March 31. The team finished the De Anza league season with an overall record of 9-3.

Since the season is almost over for the girls’ lacrosse team, the players are playing opponents for the second time. Many of the girls are optimistic about their second chance at victory, but the prospects for a turnaround aren’t looking great. The team is 1-8, with the only win against Gunn.

With a record of 11 wins and 22 losses, the girls’ varsity volleyball team looks back on this season with mixed feelings. Having lost five key players to graduation last year and gaining two new freshmen, team captains and seniors Sarah Blegen and Hanna Nielsen were nervous but excited at the prospect of leading such a young team.

Record: overall: 10-20, league: 3-11

Highlight of Season: 8-3 victory over Monta Vista to stay in the upper league. After finishing 7th in the regular season standings, the Falcons needed to beat 6th-seeded Monta Vista in a best-of-three series to stay up in the De Anza League. After beating Monta Vista 9-7 in the series opener, Saratoga lost the second game 11-2 but finished off the Matadors with the third game win to solidify their spot in the De Anza league schedule next year.

As the courtroom bailiff swore in the witnesses one by one, each team member was put on the spot to see if their three months of hard work would pay off. On Feb. 2, 4, 9 and 11, the mock trial team competed in the county competition held at the Santa Clara Courthouse.

The marching band placed sixth in the Western Band Association Class Championships in Clovis on Nov. 22. In total, there were around 90 schools from all over the state at the event, according to band director Duane Otani.

Most schools in Division 5A consist of at least 2,000 students; however, Saratoga only has 1,350 students, making the Saratoga band the underdog in the division. Even so, this disadvantage did not affect the overall performance of the band.

Members of the Winterguard are looking forward to a promising season after placing 4th during field season at the Western Band Association Championships in Clovis on Nov. 21.

"I couldn't be more excited about the outcome of the season and am really happy with the improvement all the kids have made," said instructor Tony Crapo, new this year to Saratoga High.

Winterguard differs from Color Guard by moving off the field and onto a large indoor floor. More up close and without the band, it focuses solely on the guard, which dances and spins flags, rifles and sabres.

Fifth place. That might not sound like rank worthy of boasting, but for the field hockey team, fifth place in the Mount Hamilton league was all they needed to snag a spot in the CCS playoffs.

Throughout the season, the girls struggled to come out on top as several losses to daunting opponents such as Los Gatos, Saint Francis and Archbishop Mitty broke the team momentum. However, when the chances of even making the CCS playoffs were becoming slim, the team stepped it up and managed to get one of the final spots. The team was scheduled to play North Salinas Nov. 12 at home.

Saratoga's first loss of the season was a tale of two halves as the Falcons dropped their opening game 42-36 to visiting Santa Teresa High.

It hardly seemed like the atmosphere that would yield a Saratoga loss, with the support of a spirited, football-starved crowd spanning the length of the Benny Pierce home bleachers, not to mention being backed by a massive band and a team of spunky cheerleaders.