File photo by Chris Burt

By Steve Ramirez, SGVN
BAKERSFIELD - There will be a time when the Rio Hondo College baseball team will look back at arguably the best season in school history and feel good about what it accomplished.
But not today.
Josh Silver had an RBI single and Phillip Roa an RBI double in the 12th inning and Cosumnes River College won its first California Community College Athletic Association state title Sunday with an 8-6 victory over Rio Hondo at Bakersfield College.
The Hawks finished 28-16 and secured the north's third consecutive CCCAA title. It the first three-peat for the north since Fresno City won consecutive championships in 1961, '62 and '63.
The Roadrunners, getting five hits and an RBI from Andrew Stein and three hits and an RBI from former South Hills High standout Cody Doyle, finished 40-5. Rio Hondo's accolades this season include winning 33 consecutive games from February to this weekend and going 24-0 in winning the Foothill Conference for the third time in three years.
This was the Roadrunners' second trip to the CCCAA Final Four in three seasons and their first time in the championship game.
"This is disappointing for the next day or so," Rio Hondo coach Mike Salazar said. "But it's one game, and in the whole season we won 40.
"Yes, only one team can be happy when the season's over, so disappointing right now. But as you look back on the whole (season) entirely our (guys) did a great job."
Cosumnes River was just a bit better Sunday and responded like good teams do by escaping a bases-loaded situation in the 11th and winning it in the 12th.

Just Tribbin Thoughts: With so many great games to choose from, where should we go? We might be able to cover five or six, it's just too bad softball and baseball play on the same day. In the past when you reached the second week, softball played Tuesday-Thursday and Baseball Wednesday-Friday. Oh well, that's just me being selfish because I want to cover more games. I don't feel like reading anything on the Lakers today, so my second-round predictions are in CAPS next to the game.

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
BASEBALL SECOND ROUND GAMES AND PREDICTIONS
Tuesday's Games
Division 2
Cypress at Glendora, 3:15 p.m. -- GLENDORA
South Hills at Canyon Springs, 3:15 p.m. -- SOUTH HILLS
Mission Viejo at Damien, 3:15 p.m. -- MISSION VIEJO
Division 3
Bonita at Garden Grove -- BONITA
Downey at Los Altos -- DOWNEY
Division 4
Savanna at Nogales, 3:15 p.m. -- SAVANNA
Monrovia at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m. -- BISHOP AMAT
Division 5
Cathedral at Sierra Vista, 3:15 p.m. -- CATHEDRAL

SOFTBALL SECOND ROUND GAMES AND PREDICTIONS
Tuesday's Games
Division 2
Los Altos at La Mirada, 3:15 p.m. -- LA MIRADA
Division 3
Chino Hills at La Serna, 3:15 p.m. -- LA SERNA
Torrance vs. Bishop Amat at Citrus, 3:15 p.m. -- BISHOP AMAT
St. Lucy's at Alemany, 3:15 p.m. -- ST. LUCY'S
Division 4
San Dimas at Aquinas, 3:15 p.m. -- AQUINAS
Division 5
San Marino at South El Monte, 3:15 p.m. -- SAN MARINO

CIF-Southern Section Division 1, 2, 3 & 4 Finals Results from Mt. SAC

Keith Birmingham's CIF Track Finals Photo Gallery

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN
twitter@sgvn.com
WALNUT -- You probably heard of Bonita High School's Nikki Wheatley, the sophomore who earned the area player of the year award in girls basketball.

She's not too shabby in track either.

Wheatley won the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 girls long jump and triple jump titles at Saturday's finals at Mt. San Antonio College, and even finished seventh in the high jump (5-feet, 3 inches) -- not bad considering she's only 5 foot, 4 inches tall.

Wheatley won the long jump with a leap of 18-3 and the triple jump in 39-8.

"I started in track to stay in shape for basketball and thanks to my coaches, I've been getting better and better," Wheatley said. "I don't know what this means for the future, but I'm really getting into it and looking forward to what I can do each time I compete."

It was a celebratory day for some, and disappointing for others as all four divisions were contested at Mt. SAC. (To continue click thread).

Bonita cruises to easy victory with pitcher Justin Garza getting plenty of rest for next week

True to the playoff mantra, there was drama Friday on the Bonita High School baseball field.

Bonita pitcher Justin Garza, who has signed with Cal State Fullerton and is sure to be selected in the Major League Baseball draft in June after leading the Bearcats (27-2) through a dominant regular season, walked eight batters in 65 regular-season innings. He walked the first batter of Friday's game.

Amat breezes to victory, Monrovia next: First-round playoff games can often cause coaches anxiety, but Bishop Amat High School baseball coach Andy Nieto had it as easy as possible on Friday afternoon. Even if he was reluctant to admit it after the game.

Amat rode pitcher Daniel Zamora and the hot bats of Luis Moya and Andrew Medina to a 11-0 win over visiting Burroughs of Ridgecrest in the opening round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.

La Puente loses heartbreaker in extras: The three-hour bus trip back home was a lot easier for Santa Ynez after the Pirates knocked off La Puente, 8-6, in 10 innings in a first-round CIF-Southern Section Division 5 baseball playoff game Friday.

Friday's first-round playoff results
Division 3
Bonita 18, San Gorgonio 1
Los Altos 5, Lakeside 2
Division 4
Bishop Amat 11, Ridgecrest Burroughs 0
Division 5
Santa Ynez 8, La Puente 6 (10)
Hemet 8, Mountain View 0
Sierra Vista 8, Riverside Notre Dame 5

Division 1 prelim results
Division 2 prelim results
Division 3 prelim results
Division 4 prelim results

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN, twitter@sgvtribpreps
Several area standouts expect to contend for titles at the CIF-Southern Section track and field finals at Mt. San Antonio College Saturday, which begins with field events at 11 a.m.,
and running events at 1 p.m.

Bonita High senior Toure McCully leads all qualifiers in the Division 3 boys 110-meter hurdles, boasting a 14.23 clocking at last weeks prelims, just a tad better than Damien senior Jarrett Gonzalez (14.37), who qualified second.

It could be a big day for Gonzalez, who is hoping to double after posting the top qualifying mark in the 300 hurdles (37.43) with Diamond Ranch's Andrew Fischer third in 37.91, though many consider Fischer the favorite. Wilson senior Joshua Nelson is hoping to medal
in the 300 hurdles after qualifying sixth in 39.98.

Bonita sophomore Nikki Wheatley, the area girls basketball player of the year, was the story of the Division 3 meet at last week's prelims at Estancia High School, posting the best qualifying mark in the long and triple jump, and tying for first with several others in the high
jump.

Wheatley's 18 foot, four-inch leap in the long jump was three inches better than the next competitor and her 38-3 leap in the triple jump was more than a foot better than the second-best qualifying mark.

In the high jump, Wheatley and nine others (which includes St. Lucy's sophomore Kelsey Remige) all qualified with the same mark of 5-01,though Alemany's Savannah Forry is the favorite with a season-best 5-6 in the books. (To continue click thread).

Is there a better all-purpose player than Ty France? Senior comes through again ... Area strong in first-round of D-2 playoffs, winning three of five

By Aram Tolegian, SGVN, twitter.com/ChemicalAT
Playing in the final postseason of his stellar career, South Hills High School baseball standout Ty France left nothing to chance in Thursday's first round of the Division 2 playoffs against Upland.

France got the start and spent the entire afternoon baffling the Scots for a 4-0 win. France went the distance and struck out 11.

"I guess it was a good day," said France, who also had two hits and drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. "I knew we had to win, so I gave it all I've got.

"It's a little scary. I have to give it everything I've got because if I lose our high school baseball career is over."

The Huskies improved to 18-7. Upland finished 18-10. (To continue click thread)

Nogales gives Romano win No. 595: The Valle Vista League champion Nobles (22-6) beat St. Paul 3-0 on Thursday and will face the winner of the Savannah-Estancia game on Tuesday in a Division 4 second-round matchup at a site to be determined.

Northview loses nailbiter: Porter had a key two-run single in the fourth inning and Staumont struck out two in the seventh to lead the host Highlanders to a 3-2 victory over Northview in a CIF-Southern Section Division 4 first-round game.

Baseball First-Round Results
Division 2
Damien 6, Redlands East Valley 5
South Hills 4, Upland 0
Glendora 11, Arlington 5
Aliso Niguel 3, Chino Hills 1
Cypress 2, Claremont 0

Division 4
Nogales 3, St. Paul 0
La Habra 3, Northview 2
St. Bonaventure 5, San Dimas 3

Keith Birmingham's Bishop Amat-Ayala photo gallery

You be the judge: This was the controversial sixth inning call. With Ayala and Amat tied 4-4, Mandy Larios' two-out single scored Amat freshman Natalia Bocanegra to go up 5-4, and the Lancers tacked on three more runs after that. Our photographer, Keith Birmingham, one of the best in the business, caught the play at the plate, in which Bocanegra was ruled safe. It was definitely close. Amat won 8-4.

Chino Hills takes care of busines: For the Chino Hills softball team, a CIF-SS Division 3 semifinalist each of the past two seasons, that journey began anew on Thursday with a 4-1 victory over Nordhoff in a first-round game at Big League Dreams Sports Park.

Bishop Amat avoids disaster that led to semifinal blowout loss to South Hills last year by answering back after first-inning miscues

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN, twitter@sgvn.com
The Bishop Amat softball team kept its cool and overcame early jitters and a four-run deficit to pull out an 8-4 victory over Ayala in the first-round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs on Thursday.

The fourth-seed Lancers (22-6) will face either Chaminade or Torrance in the second round on Tuesday while Ayala finishes the season 15-12.

An error and fielders choice mishap allowed Ayala to get going with two runners on in the first. Danielle Velez made the Lancers pay, belting a single to drive in two runs, followed by Stevie Knapp's run-scoring triple and Natalie Martinez's RBI single to stake Ayala to a quick 4-0 lead.

For Amat, it immediate brought back memories of last year's semifinal meltdown to South Hills, in which they fell behind 5-0 in the first inning and never recovered in a 16-1 blowout loss in the semifinals.

"As soon as we got in the dugout a lot of the girls were saying they didn't want a repeat of last year," Bishop Amat junior catcher Alexis Gonzalez said. "That's been our motivation all year, to not let what happened last year happen again.

Guess who got Amat going? (To continue click thread)

Thursday's Softball First-Round Results

Division 2
Los Altos 10, Carter 6
Canyon Springs 4, Bonita 1
Camarillo 8, Diamond Bar 0
Mission Viejo 18, West Covina 1

Division 3
St. Lucy's 4, Lakewood St. Joseph 2
Bishop Amat 8, Ayala 4
Chino Hills 4, Nordhoff 1
Harvard-Westlake 2, Charter Oak 1

Division 4
San Dimas 8, Loara 2
Ocean View 7, Northview 0
La Quinta 18, Wilson 4

Division 5
Marymount 5, Duarte 2
Nipomo 4, Arroyo 0
South El Monte 8, San Jacinto 7
Godinez 11, Azusa 5

Don't miss the third annual Baldwin Park High School Alumni Football Game on Friday at 7 p.m. Registration begins at 6 p.m., and the entry fee is $25 dollars. The two teams
will be coached by legendary coaches Ty Pagone and Tony Zane. The game feature's several of Baldwin Park's standout players over the last 30 years, including Ron Brown, Gary and Doug Allen, Mike Santiago and his brothers, and many more legendary players. Former players, alumni and fans are encouraged to attend. The proceeds will go the Baldwin Park High School football program. For more information contact Jim Dexter at 626-485-1117.

FANTASTIC FOUR: From left, former South Hills standouts Dominic Martinez, Christian Ibarra, Cody Doyle and Andrew Morales have had quite an impact on the Rio Hondo College baseball team.
(Keith Durflinger / Staff Photographer)

Here's my story on four former South Hills High School baseball players who have Rio Hondo College on the brink of a state championship:

By Steve Ramirez, SGVN
twitter.com/DailyNewsSports
WHITTIER -- Rio Hondo College has been arguably the most consistent baseball program in the California Community College Athletic Association in recent years.
The Roadrunners, who face Cosumnes River College of Sacramento on Friday at 6 p.m. at Bakersfield College, are in the CCCAA Final Four for the second time in three seasons and have won the Foothill Conference title three out of the past four.
One of the keys to the Roadrunners' success has been a connection that can be traced back to South Hills High School.
Rio Hondo's recent standouts came from the West Covina school, and it's no different this season, in which the Roadrunners have been led by former Huskies Christian Ibarra, Cody Doyle, Dominic Martinez and Andrew Morales.
All four were key players on South Hills' CIF-Southern Section Division3 championship team in 2009 and now have the Roadrunners on the brink of a CCCAA title.
"It's odd because, on average, maybe one or two players will play college baseball from a high school team," said Rio Hondo coach Mike Salazar, who is in his 12th season with the Roadrunners. "To have four from the same high school who are playing on a college team is very special. It shows what a good job they did, what their coaches did at their high school.
"It's been good to have them here. We've had a lot of good South Hills players. Every South Hills player who has come here has (received) a scholarship (to a four-year school). When they hear (what those players have accomplished), they trust us."

CCCAA FINAL FOUR AT BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE
Friday
Consumnes River (25-16) vs. Rio Hondo (38-3)
Note: All games in the double-elimination tournament will be available via live webcast at coasports.org

Wow, check out the Kurt Scoby workout video.

This is a random comment from Aram on a football thread in his In the Huddle blog. As you probably know we don't always agree, but when it comes to the future success of Amat and Damien football, he hit a home run with this ... Football, three weeks and counting!!

Here's the question posed to Aram....
Other than DJ Daniels, why does Amat not get more Pasadena guys? How does Alemany get all of their kids? Steven Mitchell (Top 100 Rivals), Devin Ross (5-6 D-1 offers), the freshmen Desean Holmes (offers from Utah and Washington), and the two Oregon State kids Marable and Gonzales, that awesome QB they had Adams and all of the other filler kids. How is a school in the SFV snatching them all up and a school in the SGV isn't? Even Crespi has a Pasadena stud in Foreman (8 D-1 offers). The SGV has talent, mostly in the WSGV, so why can't Amat capitalize?

Aram's response:
Let me just be plain old blunt with you about this. In order to do things like that you need to hustle. The Amat coaches aren't about to be up in Pasadena planting the Amat flag. And those types of guys aren't just gonna end up on Amat's doorstep. And despite what people say about Gano and Damien, they're actually doing a poor job of hustling, too. It certainly hasn't gone down like many people thought it would when Gano was hired.

Some of you may call this wrong. And you've certainly got a point. But you either do it or 6-4 is your ceiling.

BASEBALL: Damien 5, La Mirada 2: The Spartans, despite what some parent-bloggers think, take care of business to earn first-round berth. How's that for team unity?

BASEBALL, La Serna 6, Diamond Bar 2: Diamond Bar's end-of-season free-fall continues in loss to La Serna

SOFTBALL, Charter Oak 12, St. Paul 8: Chargers overcome early deficit to beat Swordsmen

SOFTBALL, Diamond Bar 8, Rialto 6: Gritty Brahmas rally in last at-bat to get the victory.

Northview baseball playoff photo gallery

Grijalva and Chico lead the way for Vikings
By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN, twitter@sgvtribpreps
Northview avoided a second-straight loss in a CIF-Southern Section wild-card with a 5-1 victory over visiting Nordhoff to open the Division 4 baseball playoffs.

Northview junior Jake Grijalva doubled to lead off the game and later scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly.

Grijalva, who was 2-for-3, scored again in the third inning to spur a three-run rally and starting pitcher Nick Chico was steady, scattering four hits with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings to get the victory.

"We didn't want to lose again in the wild-card," Chico said. "Not after last year."

Northview (16-8-1) advances to Thursday's first-round against Freeway League champion La Habra (16-10). (To conintue click thread)

TUESDAY'S BASEBALL WILD CARD RESULTS
Division 2
Chino Hills 9, Righetti 0
Claremont 6, Burbank 1
Damien 5, La Mirada 2
Division 3
La Serna 6, Diamond Bar 2
Warren 7, West Covina 5
Division 4
Northview 5, Nordhoff 1
Indio 7, Covina 5
San Dimas 3, Troy 2
Division 5
Linfield Christian 7, South El Monte 0
Sultana 10, Gladstone 5
Rim of the World 9, Duarte 4

TUESDAY'S SOFTBALL WILD CARD RESULTS
Division 2
West Covina 14, Arroyo Valley 3
Diamond Bar 8, Rialto 6
Division 3
Ayala 6, Lancaster 1
Charter Oak 12, St. Paul 8
Division 4
San Marcos 4, Covina 2, 8 innings
Wilson 19, Hawthorne 4
Division 5
Lompoc 21, Gladstone 1
West Valley 20, Sierra Vista 1
Magnolia 10, La Puente 9

For those who never heard of Chico and the Man, here you go....Am I really that old?

The Rosters and coaches are set for the 2012 San Gabriel Valley Senior All-Star Softball game at Mt. San Antonio College on Sunday, June 3 at 6:30 p.m., a day after the CIF-Southern Section softball finals. Admission is $5 and Parking is $3. Bonita's Ken Carlson will coach the North and South Hills Scott Fisch will coach the South.

Above: South Hills' UCLA-bound catcher Britany Rodriguez

NORTH TEAM
HEAD COACH: Ken Carlson, Bonita
Players
Taylor Langdon, Glendora, P
Brandi Wilson, Glendora, OF
Suzette Ortega, Northview, 1B
Emily Lewison, Northview, C
Danielle O'Toole, St. Lucy's, P
Brandi Harkness, St. Lucy's, 3B
Danielle Mavridis, St. Lucy's, 2B
Laura Swan, St. Lucy's, SS
Danielle Smith, Bonita, OF
Kayla Papez, Charter Oak, INF
Monique Villasenor, Charter Oak, C
Jasmine Navarette, Baldwin Park, INF
Audrey Serna, Arroyo, 3B
Denise Gonzales, Alhambra, P/SS
Sami Jakeway, Temple City, C
Lauren Alvarado, Gabrielino, OF
Marissa Chavez, Azusa, P
Candice Orozco, Covina, OF
Julia Lupercio, San Dimas, 3B
Kaysie Gatlin, Duarte, P
Mikayla Tickey, Duarte, INF

SOUTH TEAM
HEAD COACH: Scott Fisch-South Hills
Players
Britney Rodriguez, South Hills, C
Kristen Stewart, South Hills, SS
Liz Mendoza, El Monte, SS
Cassie Padilla, Bishop Amat, SS
Alashanee Medina, Keppel, P
Elaine Brown, Walnut, OF
Alana Orona, Diamond Ranch, 1B
Liz Ruvalcaba, Diamond Bar, C
Tillie Ramirez, Wilson, C/3B
Ania Levanos, Wilson, P/1B
Jessica River, Schurr, CF
Valerie Aguilar, Montebello, C
Lauren Cox, La Canada, P
Catherine Homer, La Canada, C
Jennipher Solis, Los Altos, P
Mariah Midyette, Los Altos, OF
Alyssa Villalpando, Los Altos, C
Summer Knight, West Covina, SS
Alex Blaco, West Covina, OF
Taylor Castro, West Covina, 3B
Amida Ordorica, Nogales, P
Marissa Recillas, Nogales, C
Demi Nguyen, South El Monte, INF

Above: Bonita's new coach Adrian Medrano

By Aram Tolegian, SGVN twitter.com/ChemicalAT
After an offseason of nonstop coaching changes, spring practice will hold special meaning for several of the area's high school football.

Monday marked the official first spring workouts for new head coaches across the Valley, but at Bonita and Rosemead the transition looks likely to go easier than expected.

At Bonita, Adrian Medrano goes from assistant coach to head coach after spending several years under former head coach Eric Podley, who will be on Medrano's staff. Longtime defensive coordinator Ray Medina also remains on staff.

At Rosemead, Marc Paramo goes from defensive coordinator under program stalwart Matt Koffler to head coach. Paramo already has gotten a jump on the situation by holding Wednesday night practices for the past nine weeks.

Both coaches could hardly contain their enthusiasm about the start of their respective tenures. Monday was the first official first day to show it on the field. (To continue click thread)

Below: Mr. Podley's not the head guy in charge, but at least he's still part of it on the sidelines.

Because Bishop Amat baseball and softball both have home games in Thursday's first-round, the baseball game was moved to Friday at Bishop Amat at 3:15 p.m., against Ridgecrest Burroughs. Also, the second annual Bishop Amat Sandlot Games for kids returns to Bishop Amat High on Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for kids ages 5-10 years old. The games are free for the kids and instruction and coaching is provided by the Bishop Amat staff and players.

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN, twitter@sgvtribpreps
After advancing to the CIF-Southern section Division 3 semifinals a year ago, Bonita is hoping to take it a step further after earning the top seed following the release of the high school baseball playoff pairings on Monday.

All wild-card games are today with Division 2 and 4 first-round games on Thursday and Division 3 and 5 first-round games Friday. All games are scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m.

Bonita went undefeated in the Hacienda League and finished one of its best regular seasons in school history, going 26-2 with its only losses to South Hills in the championship of the Dicks Sporting Goods tournament, and a loss to Division 1 power J.W. North.

Bonita will host the winner of today's wild-card between Heritage and San Gorgonio in Friday's first-round.

"We (beat) San Gorgonio (in the playoffs) the last two years and they're a good team," Bonita coach John Knott said. "I don't know anything about Heritage, but what you have to remember about the playoffs is you have to take it one game at a time. Everyone is 0-0 and if you lose your season is over. You can't get caught up in what you've done, every game is a win or go home scenario." (to continue click thread)

CIF Southern Section Baseball Pairings

Division 2
Tuesday's wild card games
Righetti at Chino Hills -- winner at Aliso Niguel
Burbank at Claremont -- winner at Alemany
Damien at La Mirada - winner at Redlands East Valley
Thursday's first-round
Upland-Norwalk winner at South Hills
MIra Costa-Arlington winner at Glendora

Division 3
Tuesday's wild card games
Diamond Bar at La Serna -- winner at Westminster
Warren at West Covina -- winner at Rancho Alamitos
Friday's first-round
Heritage-San Gorgonio winner at No. 1 Bonita
Lakeside at Los Altos

Division 4
Tuesday's wild card games
Nordoff at Northview -- winner at La Habra
Covina at Indio -- winner at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
Troy at San Dimas -- winner at St. Bonaventure
Thursday's first round
St. Paul-Sunny Hills winner at Nogales
Ridgecrest Burroughs at Bishop Amat

Division 5
Tuesday's wild card games
Linfield Christian at South El Monte -- winner at Paraclete
Sultana at Gladstone -- winner at Lompoc
Duarte at Rim of the World -- winner at Woodcrest Christian
Friday's first-round
Santa Ynez at La Puente
Mountain View at Hemet
Riverside Notre Dame at Sierra Vista

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN, twitter@sgvtribpreps
The area's top three high school softball teams were amongst the top four seeds when the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoff pairings were released on Monday.

All wild card games are today and first-round games on Thursday. All games are scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m.

Chino Hills earned the top seed in D-3 after going undefeated in the Sierra League. The Huskies have been the top-ranked team nearly all season and will open first-round at home against the winner wild-card winner between Nordoff and La Salle.

St. Lucy's, which finished second to Chino Hills in the Sierra League, earned the third seed.

The Regents are under the direction of new coach Laura Macias, who replaced Ryan Nuevman the final week of league play after Nuevman left for personal reasons.
Whatever the case, the Regents ended the season with back-to-back shutouts for Macias and will face the wild card winner between Lakewood St. Joseph and Righetti in the first round.

Bishop Amat capped an undefeated season in the Del Rey and is hoping to go a step further after getting blown out in last year's semifinals to South Hills.
Bishop Amat was seeded fourth and will face the wild-card winner between Ayala and Lancaster. (To continue click thread).

CIF-Southern Section softball playoff pairings

Division 2
Tuesday's wild card games
Arroyo at West Covina
Rialto at Diamond Bar
Thursday's first round
Canyon Springs at Bonita
Carter at Los Altos

Division 3
Tuesday's wild-card games
Lancaster at Ayala
Charter Oak at St. Paul
Thursday's first round
La Salle-Nordoff winner at No. 1 Chino HIlls
Lancaster-Ayala winner at No. 4 Bishop Amat
Rigetti-St. Joseph winner at No. 3 St. Lucy's

Division 4
Tuesday's wild card games
San Marcos at Covina
Wilson at Hawthorne
Thursday's first round
Loara at San Dimas
Northview at Ocean View

Division 5
Tuesday's wild card games
Gladstone at Lompoc
Sierra Vista at West Valley
Magnolia at La Puente
Thursday's first round
St. Monica-Marymount winner at Duarte
Arroyo at Nipomo
Ramona Convent-San Jacinto winner at South El Monte
Azusa at Godinez

CIF-SS baseball at-large berths

Click here for baseball and softball pairings this afternoon.

This will be the fifth straight year we name a boys and girls athlete of the year and would love your thoughts on who should be considered. This award recognize's the best boys and girls athlete with participation in at least two sports. Specialization has ruined the two and three-sport athletes, but there are still a lot of quality throwbacks that play multiple sports and excel.

The Tribune's first athletes of the year were named in 2008, Northview's Hannah Fraijo and Glendora's Michel Edwards. Who should take the picture this year?

The CIF-Southern Section Ford Baseball and Softball playoff pairings are released Monday. Softball is released at 11 a.m., and Baseball at 12:30 p.m.

Photo Gallery at CIF-SS Division 2 swim finals

Video of the final race of the meet, the 400 meter relay. Damien, a heavy underdog, almost pulled it off to win the team title. Damien's in the fourth lane and winner Crescenta Valley (above them in lane five), battle it out, especially over the final two legs and 200 meters.

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN
twitter@sgvtribpreps
RIVERSIDE -- Without any individual champions at Saturday's CIF-Southern Section Division 2 swimming finals at the Riverside Aquatics Center at Riverside Community College, Damien coach Andrew Gates knew the stars had to align for the Spartans to win their first team title since 2001.

And they almost did.

Damien trailed huge favorite Crescenta Valley by two points heading into the final race, the boys' 400-meter relay, and they nearly pulled off a shocker behind the incredible performance from Carson May, Michael Forbes, Austin Miller and anchor Jason Haney.

Damien momentarily took the lead on Miller's speedy third leg and Haney regained the lead and led with 25 meters to go, but Crescenta Valley's super junior Young Tae Seo, who already had won two races earlier, overtook Haney in the final moments in a record-setting performance for both teams.

Crescenta Valley broke La Canada's 2009 meet record (3:06.39) by winning the 400 relay in 3:05.50, ahead of Damien's 3:05.92, which also would have broke La Canada's record and set a Damien school record.

Crescenta Valley won the team title with 301 points. Damien, which would have won the title with a victory in the final race, finished second with 293 points. Los Osos was third with 203.

"It's no fun to lose, but we gave it all we got," Miller said. "You can't do much better than your best ever (in the 400 relay). I'm proud of our guys."

Gates, whose voice was barely audible, almost choked up talking about the final race.

"I have never seen four kids show that much heart in Damien school history in any sport," Gates said. "That was all guts and all heart. We just lost to an amazing Crescenta Valley team. It would be nice to win, but we lost to a great team and the way we competed with the meet on the line was incredible."

It was only fitting that Damien's lone win came in one of the three relays.

The Spartans' 200 freestyle quartet of Forbes, Miller, Haney and Adam Nelson rallied over the final two legs to touch home first in 1:25.30, ahead of second-place Los Osos (1:25.49). The Spartans' Nelson, May, Corey Maier and Chad Cooper finished fourth in the 200-medley relay in 1:38.26. (To continue click thread)

A pitcher's duel is the last thing anybody who saw Wednesday's slugfest between Nogales and San Dimas high schools expected in a showdown for the Valle Vista League championship.

But that's exactly what San Dimas' Shawn Kennedy and Nogales' Caleb Rodusky staged Friday. With neither starter willing to budge, the game fittingly was decided on a sacrifice fly by Jorge Manzo that scored Adrian Guzman and gave Nogales a 1-0 win in eight innings and outright ownership of the league title.

DUARTE SPOILS SIERRA VISTA'S TITLE HOPES
As usual, the Montview League baseball race wasn't decided until the final day of the regular season.

Duarte High School knocked off first-place Sierra Vista 6-5 on Friday with a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning by sophomore Sergio Garcia.

San Dimas' incredible come-from-behind 9-8 win over Nogales on Wednesday set up today's Valle Vista League title game at Nogales at 3:15 p.m. Nogales is 20-6 and 9-2 and San Dimas is 17-7 and 9-2 for a winner-take-all. Covina is at Northview in a battle for third, but both teams are expected to make the D-4 playoffs. In the Montview, Sierra Vista (16-5, 11-2) is tied with La Puente (15-10, 11-2). Sierra Vista finishes today at Duarte while La Puente is home against Azusa. If both teams finish in a first-place tie, Sierra Vista owns the league tiebreaker to enter the playoffs as the league's top representative.

"I don't need tell our guys anything," Nogales coach John Romano said. "You guys (Tribune) have called them a surprise all year and have written that they're (not very good). My guys are going to come back and play hard, I know that. They're not supposed to be here. The guys who know everything about this, the sportswriters and coaches, they didn't expect us to be here fighting for the title, so what the big deal? We've lost games before. We lost six games. But we're going to come back Friday and play for the league championship."

Above: San Dimas's Amy Patrick finished 10th in the 200 yard freestyle during the CIF-SS Swimming Championship at Riverside City College in Riverside (SGVN/Staff Photo by Keith Birmingham)

San Dimas' Austin Garcia helped the Saints' boys swimming team to a sixth-place finish at the Division 3 swim finals in Riverside on Thursday. The Saints' girls were 18th overall.

Garcia finished third in his 50 free race.

"The only thing I can beat them all on is the turn," the junior said.

"They all have faster strokes than mine. They pass me on the straights. And their starts are all way better than mine."

In his first CIF-SS finals appearance in the event, he swam 21.70, just behind Pacifica's Dylan Alba, who had a 21.13 and Jack Brubacher of Cabrillo, who had a 21.66.

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN,twitter@sgvtribpreps
The Glendora High school baseball team was one out away from celebrating the outright Baseline League title and a precious guaranteed home game when the difficult CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs begin next week, but the Tartans couldn't close the deal.

After Glendora scored twice in the sixth to take a two-run lead, visiting Etiwanda scored three times in the seventh to pull out a 4-3 victory.

The loss was somewhat bitter-sweet for Glendora because Alta Loma, the team Glendora was tied with for the Baseline league lead entering the day, also lost to Upland, 7-5.

That left Glendora (16-9, 10-5) and Alta Loma (18-7, 10-5) to share the league title, but Alta Loma will enter the Division 2 playoffs as the league top entry because of its 2-1 series edge over the Tartans.

"I didn't know (Alta Loma lost) until you told me," Glendora coach Dan Henley said. "We told the kids all week if you take care of your business, that's what you're in charge of.

"That's what we attempted to do, but we fell a little bit short, so we'll deal with the consequences. We know they're a lot of good team in Division 2, so we'll have to get this loss out of our collective memories and focus on what's next."

Glendora starter Wyatt Wood was sailing along through six innings. He gave up just two hits, struck out nine and the only run he allowed came on a fourth-inning, bases loaded two-out balk that allowed Eagles shortstop Tyler Robles to score to tie the game, 1-1.
The Tartans looked like they would get the win for Wood after scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth.

Glendora's Nick Kaye singled home D.J. Peters for the go-ahead run and Johnny Juarez tripled home John Angiuli for a 3-1 lead.

Junior Matt Young took over for Wood to close the seventh and was one-out away with the Eagles' Eddy Santana on first with two outs, but Young walked the next two batters to load the bases and fell behind 2-0 to Michael Bradley, forcing Henley to make another pitching change, bringing in sophomore Kale Morton.

Morton worked the count to 3-2 on Bradley, but the senior delivered with a single to center to bring in Santana and Austin Berglund to tie the score, 3-3.

Michael Gonzalez followed the game-winning blow, singling home Robles to push the Eagles ahead, 4-3.

Glendora didn't go away quietly.

After the Eagles got the first two outs in the seventh, the Tartans loaded the bases on a hit batter and consecutive walks.

But Kaye, who singled home the go-ahead run earlier, hit a blooper to short to end the game.

Looking back, Henley said the decision to replace Wood was an easy one.

"Wyatt's pitch count was up there," Henley said "I do watch pitch counts and he's got a chance to pitch at the next level and I don't want to be that guy.

"To me, no game is more important than one individual. Wyatt's got tremendous upside and it's the first year he's a full-time pitcher. He hasn't pitched seven innings all season and after he gave us six, I knew that was enough."

Division I, Trabuco Hills High School: Division 1 prelim heat sheets
Division II, Moorpark High School: Division 2 prelim heat sheets
Division 3, Estancia High School: Division 3 prelim heat sheets
Division 4, Carpenteria High School: Division 4 prelim heat sheets

BOYS TOP TEN STATE LEADERS
GIRLS TOP TEN STATE LEADERS

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
The road to the CIF-Southern Section track and field finals at Mt. San Antonio College on May 19 will take shape on Saturday during the prelims, held at four locations.

Most San Gabriel Valley hopefuls are competing in Division 2 and 3, with the Division 2 prelims at Moorpark High School and Division 3 at Estancia High School.

Rowland senior Nick Rivera headlines the Division 2 boys prelims, hoping to qualify in the 1,600 and 800 meters.

Rivera's 800 time of 1 minute, 53.71 seconds at the Hacienda League finals was the seventh-fastest in the state and the leading mark of all D2 qualifiers.

Claremont's Klyvens Delunay is among the state's best in the boys long and triple jump.

Delunay is the state leader in the triple jump, setting the mark of 49 feet, 6 inches at the Arcadia Invitational. He has the state's fourth-best mark in the boys long jump, leaping 23-11.

Glendora's Makayla Jacoub is one of the favorites in the Division 2 girls pole vault. She is tied with several others with a leading qualifying mark of 10-8. Jacoub's teammate Rocki Bartholomew is hoping to capture the girls discus. She has the second-best qualifying throw (133-01).

Ayala freshman Jaela Williams has a chance for medals in three events. She is among the favorites in girls long jump and 100 and 300 hurdles. Her teammate, junior Ifunanya Gwacham, is a contender in the triple jump.

At the Division 3 prelims at Estancia, Bonita senior Toure McCully enters with the leading qualifying mark in the boys' 110 hurdles (14.33), and is hoping to qualify for the finals in the 100 meters and long jump.

Diamond Ranch senior Andrew Fischer is a favorite in the 300 hurdles with a second-best qualifying time of 37.80. But he will have to contend with Damien's Jarrett Gonzalez, who boasts the leading qualifying time of 37.56.

Bonita sophomore Nikki Wheatley, who was the area girls basketball player of the year, is among the favorites in three events, the long jump, triple jump and high jump.

Bonita distance specialist Marissa Scott is competing in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 races.

In the Division I prelims at Trabuco Hills, West Covina's Jimmy Frazier boasts the third-best qualifying time in the 110 hurdles at 14.61

fred.robledo@sgvn.com

626-962-8811, ext. 2161

"I don't need tell our guys anything," Nogales coach John Romano said. "You guys (Tribune) have called them a surprise all year and have written that they're (not very good). My guys are going to come back and play hard, I know that. They're not supposed to be here. The guys who know everything about this, the sportswriters and coaches, they didn't expect us to be here fighting for the title, so what the big deal? We've lost games before. We lost six games. But we're going to come back Friday and play for the league championship."

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN
twitter@sgvtribpreps
SAN DIMAS -- With the Valle Vista League title on the line, the San Dimas High School baseball team was doing everything imaginable to give it away, committing five errors, walking six and hitting four batters to fall behind five runs after four innings.

But San Dimas' Shawn Kennedy said enough was enough.

The senior shortstop led the Saints back with two home runs, including a game-tying two-run homer in the sixth that sent the game to extra innings where the Saints produced even more magic, scoring three times in the eighth to squeeze out a 9-8 victory after Nogales had scored twice to retake the lead.

"It's one of those deals," San Dimas coach Mike Regan said. "Kennedy got us going and the momentum carried us through. It was a great win. You always tell your team to keep fighting. This is why."

Kennedy, who finished with four RBIs and three hits, also scored the game-winning run after Josh Avila's bases loaded, one-out grounder to third skipped into left for an error, allowing Kennedy to easily score from third for the winning run.

Nogales (20-6, 9-2), which led 6-1 through four innings, will host San Dimas (17-7, 9-2) on Friday for the outright league title at 3:15 p.m. (Click thread to continue)

South Hills beats Claremont in extra-innings to clinch league title: In typical Sierra League fashion, there would have to be some dramatics.

South Hills High School's baseball team scored a run in the seventh to tie visiting Claremont at 5, then scored another in the eighth to win 6-5 and clinch the league championship on Wednesday afternoon. Only, it wasn't nearly as easy as it sounds.

Sierra League Results
Damien 13, Ayala 4
Chino Hills 5, Charter Oak 1

Valle Vista League: It all comes down to the final two-game series between leading Nogales (20-5, 9-1) and second-place San Dimas (16-7, 8-2). The Nobles already have swept Covina and Northview, beating the Vikings twice last week in one-run games. Nobles veteran coach John Romano has 593 victories, but all the Nobles need is a split to win the league title. The first game is at San Dimas today at 3:15 p.m., and if the Saints win, the championship is Friday at Nogales.

Sierra League: Claremont (12-9-2, 7-5-1) can win the Sierra League title. Really? That's the scenario with South Hills (15-7, 9-4) facing the Wolfpack twice this week. If South Hills wins at home today at 3:30 p.m., the Huskies win the title. If not, both teams will meet again Friday for the outright title at Claremont. BTW, I thought there were no ties in baseball. Claremont is 1 1/2 games behind South Hills because of a 3-3, 14-inning tie with Damien that was called because of darkness in April.

Montview League: Sierra Vista (15-5, 10-2) and La Puente (14-10, 10-2) are locked in a first-place tie with two to play. Sierra Vista finishes with a pair against fourth-place Duarte at home today, and at Duarte (15-7, 7-5) Friday. La Puente ends at Azusa (8-11, 7-5) today and home against Azusa on Friday. If I'm La Puente, I make sure I'm not conducting an illegal batting practice at Azusa, the team that called them on it last year, costing the Warriors a share of the league title. They finished a game-behind Sierra Vista after forfeiting a 3-0 win to Azusa. Time for payback.

Del Rey League: The pressure is on La Salle (17-7-1, 9-2) this afternoon. La Salle did the heavy lifting by taking 2 of 3 from Bishop Amat (18-9, 10-2) to put themselves in position for their first Del Rey League title ever. But La Salle blew its chance to win the title outright with an 8-1 loss to St. Paul on Monday. La Salle can share the league title and go to the playoffs as the league's top entry with a win at St. Paul today at 315 p.m., but if they lose, Amat wins the title outright without having to play a league game this week.

"He's going to start off trying to win the quarterback position," West Covina coach Mike Maggiore said. "He can play back, receiver, safety, corner, return kicks.He can play anything, but I see him playing quarterback."

By Aram Tolegian
It's possible that sophomore quarterback Antonio "Noodles" Hull will take the first snap when the West Covina High School football team makes its passing circuit debut later this month at the Rancho Cucamonga Tournament.

That's saying something, considering Hull had limited experience on the varsity team after he turned 14 and was eligible to play with the big boys. The Bulldogs also return Jon Najera, who got ample experience at quarterback last season.

"He's going to start off trying to win the quarterback position," West Covina coach Mike Maggiore said. "He can play back, receiver, safety, corner, return kicks.

"He can play anything, but I see him playing quarterback."

The Bulldogs began spring practice Monday. Unlike the past two years, the defending back-to-back CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division champions are lacking in star power. There is ample returning experience, but the likes of Chris Solomon, Beejay Lee, George Johnson and Justen Meaders are missing.

That's where Hull and defensive end Justin Hornsby come in to play.

Hull has been hyped since arriving on campus as a freshman with the legacy of a strong youth football career with the Compton Vikings behind him. He played quarterback for West Covina's freshman team last year before being called up to varsity later in the season. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder is expected to be one of the Bulldogs' top weapons this season.

Hornsby, who transferred last summer after being a starter his sophomore year at Rancho Verde, was denied eligibility by the CIF-SS and forced to sit out his junior season. Hornsby appears ready to be one of the area's top defensive players. Maggiore thinks recruiters will soon be after the 6-2, 215 Hornsby once he gets more exposure.

Maggiore estimated his program has 180 players this spring, with several of them still part of the baseball team. Because of West Covina's run-first offense, the Bulldogs rarely impress during the passing circuit, but this year may be slightly different with the unveiling of Hull. And that says nothing about how crazy it might get during the season.

"We would definitely run more option and more shotgun stuff with the quarterback being the second run option," Maggiore said. "Those things (passing tournaments) are nice to see the guys compete, but we don't put a whole lot of stock in that.

"Our game is based on play-action pass and the run game is going to set up a lot of the things we do."

The Covina High School football team is hosting a food truck/music festival fundraiser on Saturday in the student parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Rowland junior Kaylea Snaer belted two home runs today in an 11-3 loss to West Covina on Tuesday, giving her a San Gabriel Valley record of 16 HRs. It's been a homer-fest this season. Indio's Heather Morales has 18 and Vista Murrieta's Sierra Romero broke the CIF-SS record of 18 homers with 19 already. Rowland finishes with Bonita on Thursday, so the question is, will Bonita pitch to her like West Covina did, or will they walk her three times like the previous game against Diamond Bar?

CIF-Southern Section single-season record
19 - Sierra Romero, Vista Murrieta (2012)
18 - Heather Morales, Indio (2012)
18 - Bailie Kirker, Crescenta Valley (2008)
17 - Lauren Chamberlain, El Toro (2010)
16 - Kaylea Snaer, Rowland (2012); Lisa Estill, Grace Brethren (1998), Baile Kirker, Crescenta Valley (2009).
15 - Baile Kirker, Crescenta valley (2007), Brittany Spaulding, Los Alamitos (2008), Taylor Edwards, Vista Murrieta (2009), Lauren Sweet, Corona Santiago (2011).
14 -- Sheri Ramsay, Hesperia (1990), Crystal Roberts, Grace Brethren (1998), Anissa Young, Bloomington, (2008), Shawna Wright, Lancaster (2007 and '09), Alena Murgatroid, Quartz Hill (2009)

St. Lucy's softball coach Ryan Nuveman and two of his assistants are no longer with the team, according to school officials, leaving the only remaining assistant, Laura Macias, to take over the rest of the season. It is not immediately known if Nuveman was fired or resigned after meeting with school officials. When we learn more, we will share it. St. Lucy's is hosting Charter Oak and reporter John Honell is there, and confirmed that Macias is coaching the team. Honell said he spoke with a school official, who said Nuveman is no longer with the team for "personal" reasons. When Honell turns in his story with updates on the coaching situation, I will post it. The news comes a game after St. Lucy's usual starter Danielle O'Toole did not start against Chino Hills in last week's game that could gave given the Regents a share of the league title. Chino Hills won 7-3. St. Lucy's is second in the Sierra League and ranked third in Division 3.

GAME STORY: St. Lucy's defeated Charter Oak, 9-0.

By John Honell, Correspondent
It was Senior Day at the final home game of the season for the St. Lucy's High School softball team.

Along with usual flowers and ballons given to the seniors on both teams, the Regents celebrated by pounding out 11 hits in a 9-0 win over Charter Oak on Tuesday.
Senior Danielle O'Toole threw a four-hit shutout and senior Brandi

Harkness hit a pair of home runs and drove in seven runs to lead the way. The win means the Regents (20-5, 7-2) will finish in sole possession of second place in the Sierra League. That should get the Regents a home game in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section playoffs that begin next week. (To continue click thread).

TRIBUNE BASEBALL TOP TEN
1. Bonita (24-2) -- The Hacienda League champions gave J.W. North, ranked No. 3 in D-1, all it could handle in a 5-4 loss to finish up the Centennial tournament. There are two ways to look at this. In Bonita's biggest three games of the year, they're 1-2, losing to South Hills and North, and beating Palm Desert (3-1), a team ranked No. 1 in D-4. But more importantly, they competed in all three, a great indication of what they're capable of when the playoffs start next week.

2. South Hills (15-7) -- South Hills finally cracked the code to the Division 2 top-ten rankings, settling at No. 8. It's a tough division, some say D-2 is even tougher than D-1. If the Huskies win one of two against Claremont this week, they win the Sierra League title. Yes, the Huskies can win the Sierra with four losses and possibly five, showing how tough the Sierra is from top to bottom.

3. Bishop Amat (18-9) - - Here's what you have to realize about Bishop Amat. After losing twice to La Salle for the first time ever, and even after losing Rio Ruiz to what appears to be a season-ending situation, the Lancers are still the best bet for an area team to win a CIF title. They spent the preseason taking on D-1 ranked teams like Esperanza and Mater Dei. They go 3-1 in the National Classic and Saturday went North to beat state power Concord De La Salle. They won't see anything like that in the D-4 playoffs and with a horse like Daniel Zamora on the hill, you have to like their chances to repeat.

4. Glendora (15-8) -- With Alta Loma losing last week, the Tartans are tied for first in the Baseline with two to play against struggling Etiwanda. If the Tartans sweep, all they need if for third-place Upland to split with Alta Loma to clinch the title outright. Advantage, Glendora.

5. Nogales (20-5) -- Here's what you have to understand about sportswriters, we don't root for teams, we root for great stories and what the Nobles are doing is a great story. They swept Northview last week winning two one-run games. I was there when they rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the seventh to pull out a 3-2 victory in dramatic fashion. It was a sight to see watching legendary coach John Romano celebrating with his boys. He now has 593 career wins, and if the Nobles get a split against San Dimas this week, they win the Valle Vista League title.

6. San Dimas (16-7) -- The Saints got what they wished for, a Nogales sweep over Northview, which allows the Saints to control their own destiny. San Dimas is a game behind Nogales heading into the home-and-away finale against the Nobles and with a sweep, they win the league title.

7. Damien (12-9-1) - The Spartans sit in fourth in the Sierra but the race for second, third and fourth is far from over. The Spartans have a good chance to finish third by finishing with Ayala while third-place Chino Hills goes to battle with fifth-place Charter Oak. There are too many scenarios to consider, so lets just let it play out and see what happens.

8. Los Altos (17-9) -- The Conqs finish with Diamond Bar on Thursday for what will decide second in the Hacienda. The Conqs are good, but the knock on them is they haven't won a big game all season. They beat who they're supposed to beat and lose to the teams you figure they should lose to. Beating Diamond Bar with something on the line is what they need heading into next week. After all, they're ranked No. 8 in D-3.

9. Northview (14-7-1) -- After being in position to win the league title, the Vikings are fighting for their playoff fate this week against Covina. Both are 7-3 and tied for third with a home-and-home against each other. When the season started, I thought this season-ending series would be for the league title, not the battle for third.

10. Claremont (12-9-2) -- Maybe the biggest surprise of the year is that the Wolfpack are in second in the Sierra League, ahead of Damien, Charter Oak and Chino Hills. I didn't think anything could trump what Nogales is doing, but if Claremont sweeps South Hills and wins the league title, it would be by far the biggest shocker of the year.

Edward Lewis, the moderator of UCLA's Bruin Blitz website, was asked about a recent 7-on-7 tournament/camp that he attended, and had this to say about Charter Oak's Bryce Bobo, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound receiver who will be a senior this fall.

"The most underrated guy at the camp that I think UCLA should start taking a long look at was receiver Bryce Bobo from Charter Oak High. He's got some natural talent and his ball skills are great too." -- Edward Lewis.

TRIBUNE SOFTBALL TOP TEN
1. Chino Hills (25-3) -- On the verge of running the table in the Sierra, you have to give the Huskies credit. I thought the Sierra League champion, whoever it was, would have at least two losses because the league is so competitive. What it shows is that in a tough league Chino Hills is head and shoulders above everyone else. But can they win in the playoffs as the No. 1 seed with the bulls-eye square on its chest?

2. Bishop Amat (19-6) -- The Lancers are closing in on an undefeated Del Rey League title, but lost a pair of games to Corona Santiago and Valencia's West Ranch in Spring Fling tournament games last week. Apparently the Lancers weren't treating the games like league or CIF playoff games, but the losses dropped them to No. 4 in the D-4 poll. If they're the fourth-seed, that could mean a potential semifinal game with Chino Hills.

3. St. Lucy's (19-5) -- The sooner the Regents realize that the real prize is a CIF title, the sooner they erase the sour taste of another loss to Chino Hills. But lets get this straight, they don't win a title or make a playoff run without O'Toole in the circle. Time for experimentation is over, you don't get second chances in the one-and-done postseason.

4. Duarte (18-3) -- There are some sports, like girls basketball and softball, where the Falcons are simply too good for the rest of the league. It must get boring winning so easily, but the Falcons have been in cruise control since February. Their record is so good it's hard to believe they still can't crack the top ten poll in Division 5, which isn't exactly murders row with the exception of La Canada, by far the best team in the division.

5. Los Altos (17-6) -- The Conquerors are closing the season in stride, winners of eight straight and the Hacienda League title within reach after recent wins over Bonita and its eight-inning win over West Covina. The Conqs weren't the pre-season favorite, so a lot of credit has to go to its coaching staff for getting their players to buy in.

6. San Dimas (19-7) -- Pitcher Elizabeth Celaya is as hot as anyone, throwing four straight shutouts including the 2-0 shutout over Northview last week that clinched at least a share of the league title, which they can win outright this week. They're batting over .350 as a team, and in typical Saints fashion, are playing their best ball toward the end of the season, something Don Pollard-coached teams have always done.

7. Ayala (17-10) -- With Claremont and St. Lucy's left, my money is on the Bulldogs to break a third-place tie with Charter Oak and finish third in the Sierra. It's a big accomplishment for a team that wasn't expected in the top three when the season started, and they're a team few would want to meet in the playoffs.

8. Charter Oak (13-8) -- The Chargers are locked in a third-place tie with Ayala, both win 4-4 league records. The problem for the Chargers is they finish the season against St. Lucy's and Chino Hills while Ayala gets Claremont and St. Lucy's. Advantage, Wolfpack. However, the Chargers might make the playoffs as a wild card even if it finishes fourth.

9. Bonita (15-7) -- They struggled at the beginning of the season, found their groove in the middle of it, now they're struggling again late, losing their Hacienda League title hopes by getting routed by Los Altos. It's hard to imagine any Hacienda League teams doing well in the D-2 playoffs, which is a tougher road than any of the Sierra League teams have to go through, so struggling late is what it is, the receipe for a first-round exit.

10. South Hills (15-10) -- This isn't the way Britney Rodriguez, Kristen Stewart, Sarah Macias and while she was there, Sydney La Follette, wanted to go out, but it is what it is. They ran out of steam and will miss the playoffs. Few players can say they played in a CIF final, but the Huskies seniors did just that and then some, going to back-to-back finals. There are no other players in the Valley who can say that.

By Aram Tolegian, SGVN twitter.com/ChemicalAT
For almost the past four years, Los Altos High School's Joe Munoz has been playing some of the best baseball around. And finally, in his senior season, the most important people are starting to take notice.

It's not uncommon these days for the 6-foot-3, 200-pound shortstop to have several Major League Baseball scouts watching his every move at each of his games. It goes with the territory when you've got Munoz's size and are hitting over .400 at the plate.

"I think I'm more relaxed this season out of all the other seasons because I know I have a future right now," Munoz said. "I'm focusing a lot better. The ball doesn't seem like it's moving a lot when I'm up there batting. It feels like I can see it perfectly."

Munoz can relax because after the season either a career at San Diego State or an entry into the minor leagues awaits him. Whether he signs a contract with a major-league organization will depend on a lot of things, Munoz said.

By Aram Tolegian, SGVN twitter.com/ChemicalAT
After over 40 consecutive years of not missing the first day of spring practice, there was no way veteran Charter Oak High School football coach Lou Farrar was going to let knee replacement surgery keep him away from the field Monday.

Farrar, who had the surgery last month, watched from a cart at the 50-yard line as the Chargers began preparations for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Farrar's veteran staff conducted business as usual.

"You gotta be there," Farrar said. "My kids are working hard and I have to work hard to be there with them. First day of spring practice is really the first day of the next season.

"It was great. I got to see the kids all before practice started. I wanted to make it. I wanted to get there. I was working everyday just to make sure that I was able to get out there the first day of spring practice."

Farrar has been undergoing physical therapy three days a week and estimated he's lost 25 pounds since the surgery. In order to make their coach feel even more a part of the situation, the upperclassmen presented Farrar with a spirit pack for which they each chipped in to buy.

"He's present and accounted for," Farrar's son and assistant head coach Dominic Farrar said. "None of us expected otherwise. He's set a precedent that's been a standard for so long. We just kind of fell into place and assumed our roles and responsibilities.

"When my mom dropped him off, I think everybody felt like the football season had arrived."

The Chargers have plenty to work on this spring on offense. Quarterback Travis Santiago, a three-year starter, and running back Kurt Scoby must be replaced. Defense is another story, though. Charter Oak returns the bulk of its starters and again should field one of the top stop units in the area.

Farrar is aiming to be at practice three times per week and gradually will increase his workload on and off the field.

Bishop Amat spent Cinco De Mayo in Northern California on Saturday, getting a huge non-league 5-4 win over Concord De La Salle at the Oakland Coliseum. Bishop Amat (18-9, 10-2) is finished with the Del Rey, but the Lancers earned a piece of their sixth-straight league title without even playing Monday. La Salle (17-7-1, 9-2) lost to St. Paul (13-15, 7-4) 8-1 to fall into a first-place tie with Amat. If St. Paul beats La Salle again on Wednesday at St. Paul, Amat wins the league title outright.

From Aram: Former Claremont and Colony QB Matt Simko checked in Monday at Chino Hills and will be immediately thrust into the battle to replace graduating starter Andrew Chavez.

You can probably figure out who the leading contenders are, but here is what I came up with for top ten candidates with the playoffs beginning next week. There are players not on the list still up for consideration because plenty changes during the playoffs. This is a more difficult list than softball to compile because so many teams do not post stats, so until I get updated stats from certain teams, the teams that do not post will NOT be included. That doesn't mean teams' players who do not post will not be considered for player of the year or all area, they just won't be mentioned for this discussion. I don't know how they pick all-league teams without updating how players are doing game-to-game, but that's the gamesmanship too many coaches are in favor of, so here goes....

TRIBUNE'S TOP TEN FAVORITES
Glendora's Donovan Holmes, .479, 12 RBIs, 8 doubles, 15 SB
Bishop Amat's Adam Alcantara, .432, 27 RBIs, 5 doubles, 4 triples
Los Altos' Joe Munoz, .406, 4 HRS, 22 RBIs, 6 doubles, five triples
Bonita's pitcher/infieder Justin Garza, 8-1, 0.47 ERA, 68ks; .batting 387, 15 RBIs
Bonita's Tyler Heslop, .467, 26 RBIs, 2 HRs, 8 doubles
Bishop Amat pitcher Daniel Zamora, 7-3, 2.31 ERA, 60ks
San Dimas' Shawn Kennedy, .407, 16 RBIs, 6 doubles, 3 triples
Sierra Vista's pitcher/player Giovanni Rivera, .431, 19 RBIs, 17 SBs, 6-1, 1.19 ERA
Dylan Goodwin, Diamond Ranch, .413, 21 RBIs, 10 doubles, 2 triples
Zeph Walters, Diamond Bar, .500, 30 RBIs, 10 doubles, 2 HRs

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN, twitter@sgvtribpreps
For the previous four years the San Gabriel Valley has been spoiled with swimmers like Glendora High School's Gretchen Jaques, who won every individual event she entered since her freshman year, going 8-for-8 in finals, which culminated in the Tartans girls swimming team winning a CIF-Southern Section Division 2 team title a year ago.

Now it's time to pass the baton to a new era of area standouts as the CIF-SS swimming and diving finals move from the Belmont Plaza pool in Long Beach to its new home at the Riverside Aquatics Complex on the campus of Riverside Community College this week.

The Riverside center completed a renovation project that made it one of the most state of the art facilities in the country.

The Olympic-style venue has the ability to host swimming and diving in one location, and has the ability to accommodate more qualifiers and finalists. The CIF meet will now accept 36 qualifiers into the preliminary events with the top 20 returning for consolation and final heats.

The Division 2 swim finals feature the best area standouts with the Damien boys team among the favorites to compete for a team title with the preliminaries on Friday at 9 a.m., and the finals on Saturday at 10 a.m. (To continue click thread)

By Fred J. Robledo, SGVN, twitter@sgvtribpreps
The CIF-Southern Section boys team tennis pairings were released Monday with Valle Vista League champion Wilson seeded second in Division 5.

Wilson will open the playoffs at home Wednesday against the winner of Tuesday's wild card between Norte Vista and Riverside Notre Dame.

Mission Valley League champ Arroyo was seeded fourth and will await the wild card winner between Summit and Nogales in Wednesday's first round.

Montview League champ Sierra Vista could possibly meet Arroyo in the second round if the Dons get past the wild-card winner between Nogales and Maranatha.

Mission Valley runner-up South El Monte will face either San Dimas or Santa Ana Valley, who meet in a wild-card match Tuesday.

In other wild-card matches in Division 5 on Tuesday, Covina will host Chino, Workman hosts Valley View, Rosemead is home against St. Monica Catholic and Ganesha is home against Don Lugo. Azusa is on the road at San Gorgonio.

In Division 2, Sierra League champion Claremont will host Walnut and Hacienda League title winner Diamond Bar is home against Cathedral City in first-round matches Wednesday.

Hacienda league runner-up Rowland is at Beverly Hills and Sierra second-place finisher Ayala is at Sea View champion Tesoro in first-round matches.

In D-2 wild-card matches Tuesday, South Hills is home against Atascadero and Bonita is away at Righetti.

Glendora is the lone area qualifier in Division 3. The Tartans finished third in the Baseline and will be home against Knight in Tuesday's wild-card with the winner facing Citrus Belt champ Redlands in the first-round.

All matches are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.