March 2008 Archives

Baseball
Division III
1. Alhambra, 2. San Gorgonio, 3. South Hills, 4. Crespi, 5. Notre Dame, 6. El Rancho, 7. Laguna Hills, 8. Paramount, 9. St. Francis, 10. Cajon.
Division IV
1. Northview, 2. Patriot, 3. Torrance, 4. Sonora, 5. St. Bonaventure, 6. Covina, 7. Savanna, 8. El Segundo, 9. San Dimas, 10. Anaheim.
Division V
1. Bishop Amat, 2. Monrovia, 3. Temple City, 4. St. Paul, 5. La Salle, 6. Serrano, 7. Sultana, 8. Mary Star, 9. San Marino, 10. Bishop Diego.

Hello All,
Just wanted to let you know we have an after preps update.
Today I wrote about former St. Lucy's Priory softball star Stacey Nuveman, who easily is the top softball hitter I've ever seen and arguably the top power hitter in the sport's history. She received some very good news last week, making the final cut for the U.S. National team, which will play in the upcoming Beijing Olympics during August.
Way to go Stacey!

Here's the link: www.insidesocal.com/afterpreps

We had some fun with the honorees who strolled into the office for all-area photos. We ran the boys and girls basketball all-area teams last week, and will finish the rest this week. With each sport comes an interview with the coach and player of the year, but for now, here's a look at how it all went down on picture day.

2007-08 All-Area publication dates
Boys Soccer, April 2
Girls Soccer, April 3
Wrestling, April 4
Girls Water Polo, April 5

Bishop Amat News: Steve Hagerty is close to finalizing his coaching staff, and there are some big name surprises that he has talked too. Hopefully it all gets sorted out this week, but if what I'm hearing is true, there will be a lot of happy campers in Amat Land.

Above: The East team will be coached by La Puente's Ray Hernandez, who led the Warriors to the Montview League title.

This story didn't get much discussion last week so I'm putting it up again. I spoke with legendary coach Jim Brownfield, who confirmed the dates and location of the Hall of Fame All-Star football game for seniors. It will take place on Friday, June 27 at Bassett High School. The two coaches already have been selected and they're wonderful choices. South El Monte High School's Erick Escamilla will handle the West squad, which is made up primarily of Star-News schools and those from the Mission Valley League. The East team will be coached by La Puente's Ray Hernandez, another deserving coach after what he's done to turn around the Warriors football program. Bassett coach Leon Ward is once again the director, so coaches should get in contact with him about nominating seniors for the game. You can start by telling us who should be in the game.

Above: The West team will be coached by South El Monte head coach Erick Escamilla, who led the Eagles to the Mission Valley League title.

This is MaxPreps made easy. For all your local standings, schedules and league leaders, I'll post this weekly thread.

Baseball Standings
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Note: San Dimas baseball stats are now on MaxPreps. Thanks coaches, this is much appreciated. Still waiting to hear from Northview, Covina and Baldwin Park. I was told I would get Northview's last week, hopefully they will send them for this week's leaderboard on Wednesday.

Softball standings
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valle League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Northview wrapped up the first round of the Valle Vista with an 8-0 win over Pomona, extending its scoreless streak to 38 in the VVL.

Glendora earned a split in their home and home against Diamond Bar, winning 11-2 on the road.

Azusa did it again, beating Happy Rock for the second time this week, winning, 4-3.

Damien is now 7-3 after an 18-1 pounding over West Covina in the Chino tournament .

Friday's Baseball Games
Valle Vista League
Northview 8, Pomona 0
Pomona 000 000 0 - 0 2 2
Northview 302 021 X - 8 12 0
Steven Valdivia, Jose Murillo (5) and Joseph
Salazar; Eddie Pedroza, Ruben Ramirez (6) and
Robert Williams, Bryan Urbina (7). HR: Williams (N)
3B: Kevin Jones (N) 2B: Richie Pedroza (N), R.J.
Arnold (N), Marc Andrade (N) RBI: Williams 3 (N) SO:
Eddie Pedroza 8 (N) W: Pedroza L: Valdivia.
Records (overall, league): Pomona 4-10, 2-3;

Montview League
Azusa 4, Gladstone 3
Gladstone 001 000 2 - 3 4 1
Azusa 200 002 X - 4 4 2
Sonny Sanchez, Tommy Remkus(5) and Oscar
Velasquez; Jesse Martinez, Matthew Torres (7), Dan
Tarula (7) and Aaron Martinez. 2B: Jerimiah Truljillo
(G) Dyllan Duenas (G), Hector Mojica (A) W: Jesse
Martinez (2-0) L: Sonny Sanchez (2-2) Save: Dan
Tarula (1).
Records (overall, league): Gladstone 6-3, 0-2;
Azusa 5-5, 3-1.

Sierra League
Glendora 11, Diamond Bar 2
Glendora 031 051 1 - 11 16 0
Diamond Bar 002 000 0 - 2 7 2
James Janclaes and Kevin Roundtree; Jake
Urban, Bobby Manjarrez (5), Andrew Christiansen (7)
and Robert Schmidt. 3B: Kyle Layton (G), Spencer
Scrafin (G) 2B: Scrafin (G), Alex Wright (G), Max
Edginton (G) W: Janclaes L: Urban (2-2).
Records (overall, league): Glendora 6-4, 3-2;
Diamond Bar 5-5-1, 2-3.

Nonleague
Damien 18, West Covina 1
(6 innings)
West Covina 000 001 - 1 5 1
Damien 731 52X - 18 18 2
Andres Perez, Sam Marquez (1), Artie Monarque
(4), and Justin Mayorga, Perez (1), Rigo Plascencia
(4); James Guillen, Brandon Montalvo (6) and Jorge
Ortega. HR: Danny Pertusati 2 (D), Nick Quincey 2
(D) 3B: Tony McClendon (D) 2B: Eric Lewis (D),
Ortega (D), McClendon (D) RBI: Quincey 6 (D)
Pertusati 5 (D), McClendon 3 (D) W: Guillen (1-0) L:
Perez (0-1).
Records: West Covina 2-10; Damien 7-3.

Diamond Bar 's Stephany LaRosa is one of the area's several talented freshman this season.

Friday's Softball games
Sierra League
Diamond Bar 8, Glendora 4

If you're playing music before games or in-between innings, "Centerfield" has to be on your top hits list. It's the best baseball song ever. Hope those country folks at South Hills are listening.

Steve says, and I quote:
"This one is the best. Oh yeah, there's nothing wrong with country music, and a little Sinatra is OK, too."

UCLA's 12th banner is on its way ...

This was my bracket before the NCAA tournament started. I still like my final four of North Carolina, Wisconsin, Stanford and UCLA, with UCLA beating North Carolina in the final. If you copied these selections down and entered a pool, you probably still have a chance.

To make the bracket bigger and more readable, just click on it. Pretty cool, huh.

What are your thoughts on live streaming video interviews? We're tossing around the idea of inviting in coaches, particularly in football, to do a 15-30 minute chat with us. We'll promote it by telling you who and when we're interviewing, and we'll ask your questions as well as ours. For instance, if Joe Amat writes in a question on this blog for Steve Hagerty, we'll ask him, etc, etc. There is also a way for you to write in questions while we're going live. Again, it's something we're discussing, but I'd like your thoughts on whether we should do it, or ways we can make it better. Technology man, it's making me work.

Ultimate fighting for kids? You've got to check this out.

Northview is No. 10, ahead of schools like Mater Dei, Chino HIlls, Chatsworth, and Bishop Amat. The team I'm wondering about is undefeated Patriot, who is also in Div. IV. With Northview's 16-0 win over Ganesha on Wednesday, the Vikes are yet to give up a run in the Valle Vista. The Vikes' scoreless streak in the VVL is at 31 and counting.

Rk. School Div. LW
1. Orange Lutheran (11-1) Div. I 3
2. Tesoro (10-2) Div. I 8
3. Katella (11-2) Div. II 9
4. Simi Valley (10-2) Div. I NR
5. Los Alamitos (9-2) Div. I 1
6. Vista Murrieta (9-2) Div. II 2
7. Hart (8-3) Div. I 7
8. El Toro (10-3) Div. II 6
9. Fountain Valley (6-3) Div. I 13
10. Northview (8-1) Div. IV 15
11. Paramount (10-3) Div. III NR
12. L.B. Wilson (9-2) Div. I 10
13. S.O. Notre Dame (10-1) Div. III 11
14. Westlake (7-3) Div. I 12
15. Thousand Oaks (7-5) Div. I 5
16. Mater Dei (9-3) Div. I 14
17. Patriot (12-0) Div. IV 17
18. Bishop Amat (6-2) Div. V 16
19. West Torrance (9-2) Div. II 19
20. Placentia Valencia (12-1) Div. II NR
21. Chatsworth (8-3) City 18
22. Chino Hills (10-3) Div. II NR
23. Cleveland (9-2-1) City 23
24. Newbury Park (6-4) Div. I 20
25. Cypress (8-6) Div. II 4

Just kidding, I'm not trying to ignore all the track folks, I've been waiting for the right time to kick the season off and with the Covina Invitational at Azusa Pacific on Saturday, this is the right time. I talked to Colts coach and meet director Kevin Glaspy, who is going to help me during the season to provide the area's top marks on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis. You can come here to discuss what's going on and I'll post what you need from dyestat to make everything easy to find. If there's one race you don't want to miss on Saturday, it's the 100 and 200 meter sprints, which should be a great dual between Wilson's Tim Gilmore and Monrovia's Daro Johnson. Click this to find out how you rank among state leaders

What: 17th annual Covina Invitational
Where: Azusa Pacific
When: Saturday, All Day, 8-6:30 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults; $3 children 12 & under
Next Big Meet: Arcadia Invitational April 11 & 12; Mt. SAC Relays April 17-20.

One proved to be enough for the Diamond Bar baseball team - but just barely.
The Brahmas, getting home runs from Jake Urban and Cory Levier, scored all nine runs in the fourth inning, then survived a late surge by Glendora to win 9-7 on Wednesday.
Kenny Mathews saved the day for the Brahmas, putting out the fire of a five-run rally in the sixth and retiring the Tartans in order in the seventh to earn his first save of the season.
Jake Ludik, Levier, Robert Torrez and Matthews all had mutiple-hit games for the Brahmas, who improved to 5-4-1 overall and 2-2 in the Sierra League.
Michael Edwards had three hits and Kyle Layton had a three-run home run for the Tartans, who slipped to 5-4 and 2-2.

The Bishop Amat High School baseball team lost its second game in the National Classic sponsored by Esperanza High School, which features several of the countries top-ranked high school baseball teams.
Florida's Jupiter High School, behind Vanderbilt-bound pitcher Jack Armstrong, defeated the Lancers 11-4 at Esperanza High School in Wednesday's consolation semifinal game.

For more on how Amat and super-star Jordan Fox is doing this season, as well as coach Andy Nieto's thoughts on possibly moving to Div. IV, click thread

I created a thread a couple weeks back asking for coaches to send stats because I'm bringing back the Tribune hitting and pitching Leaderboard. I also felt posting stats helps keep everyone honest, creates more interest in the area, and helps to publicize our players. A few schools have sent stats to our office and some have started posting them on MaxPreps, however I got an email from Northview coach Darren Murphy, asking that I talk to their team captain about this subject. I'm not revealing his name, but the captain said the Vikings had a team vote, and voted not to have their stats posted either on MaxPreps or in the Tribune. He said they're focusing on the team goals and not the individual achievements. He said the players don't care what their stats look like, as long as their winning, and by posting them it could serve as some distraction.

Fred's thoughts:I respect the players vote but don't agree with it. With winning comes more exposure, more pressure, more articles, and a higher profile. I don't think posting stats is a distraction, and if it is, great teams need to learn how to deal with distractions, and so do the area's best players. I'm watching 16-year-old kids on American Idol get blasted by Simon every week, yet they learn how to deal with it in front of millions of people and hundreds of blogs. Think of the pressure teenage gymnasts or figure skaters go through during the Olympics, or teenage actors that become famous way to quick. It's the territory that comes with being talented. I don't think in our little universe called the San Gabriel Valley posting stats should be such a HUGE deal. And by coming out and declaring they will not post stats the way they did, it probably brings more attention that simply sending in the stats. After all, we're just posting the leaders, not the guys batting .225. But hey, I respect it, it's their decision.
To read my comments on this subject two weeks ago, click thread.

Tribune Area Leaders
HITTING
Player, team, Avg., AB, Hits, RBI
Jordan Fox, Bishop Amat, .667, 30, 20, 8
Mark Reynso, Western Christian, .621, 29, 18, NA
David Munoz, Sierra Vista, .594, 32, 19, NA
Darren Dworak, Damien, .560, 25, 14, NA
Michael Edwards, Glendora, .552, 29, 16, NA
Adam Brenes, Rosemead, .550, 20, 11, NA
Miguel Lopez, Sierra Vista, .548, 31, 17, NA
Mark Garcia, Damien, .524, 21, 11, NA
Tommy Reyes, Bishop Amat, .500, 26, 13, 8
Oscar Moreno, Duarte, .480, 25, 12, NA
Danny Pertusati, Damien, .478, 23, 11, NA
Michael Lomelli, Sierra Vista, .467, 30, 14, NA
Andrew Mistone, Bishop Amat, .462, 26, 12, 10
Ray Ortega, Damien, .458, 24, 11, NA
Ryan Daniels, Duarte, .440, 25, 11, NA
Carlos Camerena, Rosemead, .429, 28, 12, NA
Jiovanni Mier, Bonita, .429, 28, 12, NA
Tony Llorens, Western Christian, .423, 26, 11, NA
Matt Orosco, Wilson, .400, 25, 10, NA
Andy Tomsio, Wilson, .385, 26, 10, NA
Jordan Leyland, San Dimas, .375, 24, 9, 7
Note: Minimum 20 at bats.

PITCHING
Player, team, ERA, IP, SO, W-L
Chris Drossel, San Dimas, .000, 8, NA, 0-1
Nick Amerhein, Damien, 0.87, 16, NA, 3-0
Brandon McNitt, Bishop Amat, 1.16, 12, 6, 2-0
Mark McMahon, Western Christian, 1.40, 15, NA, 2-0
James Janclaes, Glendora, 1.41, 24, NA, 3-1
Jason Plowman, Bonita, 1.52, 18, NA, 2-1
Michael Faram, Duarte, 1.75, 28, NA, 4-0
Brady Zuniga, Bishop Amat, 1.84, 19, 22, 4-1
John Molina, Rosemead, 1.86, 15, NA, 1-1
Drew Kreimann, Wilson, 2.69, 26, NA, 2-2

To post stats, submit to MaxPreps, email them to fred.robledo@sgvn.com or fax to 626-856-2758.

Kristen McCarthy player of the year story
Wilson coach Ed Bruyninckx earns coach of the year

Tribune All-Area team
Player of the year: Kristen McCarthy, Bishop Amat
Coach of the year: Ed Bruyninckx, Wilson

FIRST TEAM
Guard: Chantel Diaz, Covina, Senior
Guard: Melinda Gomez, South Hills, Soph.
Forward: Ashley Adams, Covina Senior
Forward: Naijah Calhoun, Wilson, Soph.
Forward: Richelle Najera, Walnut, Senior

SECOND TEAM
Guard: Jennifer Hamilton, Diamond Ranch, Senior
Guard: Crystal Macias, Nogales, Senior
Forward: Ashleigh Adams, Bishop Amat, Senior
Forward: Catherine Chang, Wilson, Senior
Forward: Lizette Del Real, Azusa, Senior

HONORABLE MENTION
Bassett: Melissa Mejia, Jr.
Bishop Amat: Morgann Ellis, Jr.
Covina: Jessica Ulrich, Sr.
Diamond Bar: Dayna Lee, Sr.
Glendora: Candice Campbell, Sr.
Nogales: Lauren Williams, Jr.
Northview: Bobbie Johnson, So.
Rowland: Courtney Tolentino, Jr.
Rosemead: Evelyn Ramirez, So.
South El Monte: Vanessa Gutierrez, Sr.
St. Lucy's: Selena Mora, St. Lucy's, Sr. Alexandra Quincey, Fr.
Walnut: Ella Rodriguez, So.
West Covina: Kai Brown, Jr.
Western Christian: Aundrea Hyde, Sr.

McCarthy video interview

Bruyninckx video interview

Once again staff photographer Keith Birmingham came up with this wonderful idea. Glad they weren't watching at Temple, because he had Kristen jump on a mini trampoline to get this shot.

The area's lone undefeated team got blanked 2-0 by visiting Temple City on Tuesday. The Don Lugo tournament champions dropped to 8-1 while Temple City improved to 8-2. We wanted the Huskies to play and quality team and they did. So now what? Where are they among the Valley's best?
South Hills game story

Hi all,

I just wanted to let you know about an update on our blog: Prep Stars: Where are you now?
Today's update is about Cleveland Indians infielder Ryan Garko. While he didn't prep in the area, Garko did grow up in Walnut and still calls the (909) town his home.
The link for the blog is: www.insidesocal.com/afterpreps

Should anyone worry about the Northview offense when the Vikings' pitching staff is throwing blanks on the road against Baldwin Park, San Dimas and Covina? Elias, Andrade and Pedroza. Is there a better triple threat in the valley? I'm still not ready to bump Bishop Amat below No. 2, even after they just loss in the National Classic. You have to reward teams for going out and playing the best of the best, both locally and nationally, so forget all that Div. V stuff, the Lancers are taking on all challengers. The Huskies move to No. 3 with the area's only undefeated record. Let's see what they do with visiting Temple City on Tuesday. Damien and Covina round out the top five respectively, and watch for Glendora and Nogales, they're starting to hit their strides.

Did you know: Northview catcher Robert Williams has a crazy 4.3 GPA. He's waiting to hear if he gets accepted to Princeton or Yale.

Isn't this interesting: If the 2008-10 baseball playoff grouping proposal goes through as expected, the Del Rey, Rio Hondo and Valle Vista will all be in Division IV. Imagine that, Northview vs. Bishop Amat in a playoff game. Or Covina vs. Monrovia or Temple City. Div. IV would include the Del Rey, Desert Sky, Desert Valley, Freeway, Mt. Baldy, Orange, Orange Coast, Rio Hondo, Sunkist, Tri-Valley and Valle Vista. The Miramonte would be bumped to Div. III, where it would go head to head with the San Antonio. Wouldn't that be great, Charter Oak-South Hills meeting in the baseball playoffs. Div. III would consist of Almont, Del Rio, Garden Grove, Golden, Golden West, Miramonte, Ocean, Pacific Coast, San Andreas, San Antonio, San Gabriel Valley and Sunbelt.

Tribune Top Ten
1. Northview (8-1)
Three straight shutouts on the road to open the Valle Vista? Mighty impressive
2. Bishop Amat (6-2)
They should be ready for the Div. V playoffs after challenging all these heavyweights.
3. South Hills (8-0)
Can't ignore perfect. Huskies continue to beat everyone in front of them.
4. Damien (5-2)
After a great start, Spartans 1-2 in league after Diamond Bar loss.
5. Covina (6-2)
At least we didn't say the Colts loss to Northview was a tough Pill to swallow.
6. San Dimas (5-4)
Wouldn't count them out just yet. The home-and-home series' will determine it all.
7. Glendora (5-3)
Tarts are 5-1 after 0-2 start. Only loss was 6-2 setback against Chino Hills
8. Nogales (7-3)
That's more like it. Nobles have won four straight.
9. Diamond Ranch (4-4)
In the unpredictable Miramonte, Panthers are 2-0.
10. South El Monte (4-2)
Improved to 3-0 in MVL with 6-4 win over Arroyo

It's hard to justify knocking Bishop Amat from the top spot. They lose to La Serna in the championship of the Arroyo tournament after defeating Los Altos in the semifinals. Then they lose to Ayala 10-0 in a non-league game against one of the best teams in the entire Southern Section. Los Altos stays at No. 2 because of its win over Charter Oak and despite its loss to Diamond Ranch. I was ready to move Diamond Ranch up the list, then they lose to Wilson, which is kind of unexplainable. Northview impressed me with its 3-1 win over Covina so the Vikes make theh big jump to No 3. And how about San Dimas? They finally broke out of a five-game scoreless slump by beating up Pomona and Ganesha with 35 runs in two games. The team to really keep an eye on is Sierra Vista. I know it's the Montview League but they have a freshman named Monica Gomez batting .629 with 15 RBIs, and a junior pitcher in Brittany Flores who threw a no-hittier against Azusa, and is 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA.

San Gabriel Valley Tribune top ten
1. Bishop Amat (7-4)
Still undefeated against area's best
2. Los Altos (9-5)
Someone explain the 2-0 loss to Diamond Ranch?
3. Northview (9-3)
More dangerous than I imagined. Fraijo is a warrior.
4. Charter Oak (11-4)
Looking great until 4-1 loss to Los Altos
5. Covina (6-2)
The most complete from top to bottom in the Valle Vista.
6. Diamond Ranch (5-4)
They beat Los Altos, then lose to Wilson. Again, someone explain?
7. Glendora (6-5)
Bats are finally starting to come around
8. South El Monte (4-3)
Have been idle, return April 1 against La Puente.
9. Sierra Vista (8-3)
Gomez and Flores a potent combination.
10. San Dimas (5-5)
After five straight shutout losses, Saints score 35 runs in wins over Pomona and Ganesha.

TRIBUNE AREA LEADERS
HITTING
Player, team, AB, Hits
Monica Gomez, SVista, .629, 35, 22
Sydney Stewart, DRanch, .593, 27, 16
McKenna Gooden, Charter Oak, .574, 47, 27
Veronica Ramirez, Azusa, .560, 25, 14
Brittney Flores, Sierra Vista, .531, 32, 17
Diana Patterson, Los Altos, .525, 48, 25
Diana Payan, South El Monte, .500, 26, 13
Brittany Gallegos, Charter Oak, .477, 44, 21
Jacki Campa, Bonita, .477, 41, 21
Latisha Dedaux, LAltos, .455, 44, 20
V. Bracamonte, Wilson, .455, 44, 20
Michelle Mounts, St Lucy's, .450, 20, 19
Jen Gonzalez, Charter Oak, .435, 23, 10
Amber Bryant, DRanch, .435, 23, 10
Minimum 20 at bats.

PITCHING
Player, team, ERA, IP, W-L
Diana Patterson, Los Altos, 0.51, 94, 9-4
Hannah Fraijo, Northview, 0.87, 81, 9-3
Reina Garber, South El Monte, 1.37, 51, 4-3
Sarah Heitz, Diamond Ranch, 1.62, 43, 3-2
Brittney Flores, Sierra Vista, 1.63, 55, 8-1
Justine Tullis, Bonita, 1.94, 54, 6-2
Laura Banuelos, Rowland, 2.14, 52, 5-3
Amy Lwin, Bishop Amat, 2.17, 58, 6-3

Dominic Tiger-Cortes player of the year story
Robert Burgess coach of the year story

Tiger video interview

Burgess video interview

TRIBUNE ALL AREA TEAM

FIRST TEAM
Guard, Joey Mesropian, Charter Oak, Senior
Guard, Troy Prather, Bonita, Senior
Forward, Randal Guillory, Nogales, Junior
Forward, Garrett Johnson, Diamond Ranch, Junior
Forward Austin, Napolitano, Damien, Senior

SECOND TEAM
Guard, Aaron De Anda, Nogales, Junior
Guard, Anthony Farmer, Northview, Junior
Guard,Trevor Woodland, Damien, Senior
Center, Chris Cunningham, Diamond Ranch, Junior
Forward, Manny Acosta, South El Monte, Junior

HONORABLE MENTION
Baldwin Park: Gus LaMadrid, Sr.;
Bassett: Omar Caro, Sr.;
Bonita: Nolan Abernathy, Jr.; Robert Schmitt, Sr.;
Diamond Bar: Travis Hummel, Sr.;
Glendora: Calvin Smith, So.;
La Verne Lutheran: Carl Cooper, Fr.; Jordan Salley, So.;
La Puente: Jose Diaz, Sr.;
Los Altos: Swing Chuang, Sr.;
Mountain View: Rashard Martin, Sr.;
Northview: Danny Silva, Jr.;
Rowland: Joey Chase, Sr.;
Wilson: Joseph Williams, Jr.;
West Covina: Kerry Carter, Sr.

We had some fun with the honorees who strolled into the office for all-area photos. We'll run the 2007-08 teams over the next week. With each sport comes an interview with the coach and player of the year, but for now, here's a look at how it all went down on picture day.

2007-08 All-Area publication dates
Boys Basketball, Tuesday, March 25
Girls Basketballl, Wednesday, March 26
Boys Soccer, April 1 (not joking)
Girls Soccer, April 2
Wrestling, April 3
Girls Water Polo, April 4

Note: Sixth annual Tribune/Star-News boys and girls senior all-star basketball game on April 19 at Azusa Pacific University.

Information on National Classic
Bishop Amat loses 6-3 in the opening game of the National Classic at Champions Park in Placentia on Monday. The Lancers (6-2) play West Linn, Or., at Champions Park Tuesday at 4 p.m. To read more about the opponents in the tournament click thread or the link above.

Hi all,
Just wanted to let you know about a new update on my where are they now blog. The latest is an update of former Glendora baseball star Kevin Hanson, who having another solid year for nationally-ranked University of San Diego.
The link is: insidesocal.com/afterpreps

Semi-breaking news: Wilson High School has named Anaheim Savanna defensive coordinator Greg Hoyd to become its next football coach. He succeeds Robert Oviedo, who resigned in late December. Hoyd also was an assistant at powerful El Dorado and was a starting linebacker at Ole' Miss. He said that Wilson will go back to the Wisconsin W's on their helmets, which were the same helmets they wore when they won back-to-back CIF championships in the mid 1990s. On building a tradition, Hoyd said, "You can't fall off the ground. Wilson's been on the ground a long
time so all you can do here is build, and that's what I look forward to trying to accomplish."
We will have more in tomorrow's newspaper.

Above: The East team will be coached by La Puente's Ray Hernandez, who led the Warriors to the Montview League title.

I spoke with legendary coach Jim Brownfield, who confirmed the dates and location of the Hall of Fame All-Star football game for seniors. It will take place on Friday, June 27 at Bassett High School. The two coaches already have been selected and they're wonderful choices. South El Monte High School's Erick Escamilla will handle the West squad, which is made up primarily of Star-News schools and those from the Mission Valley League. The East team will be coached by La Puente's Ray Hernandez, another deserving coach after what he's done to turn around the Warriors football program. Bassett coach Leon Ward is once again the director, so coaches should get in contact with him about nominating seniors for the game. You can start by telling us who should be in the game.

Above: The West team will be coached by South El Monte head coach Erick Escamilla, who led the Eagles to the Mission Valley League title.

This is MaxPreps made easy. For all your local standings, schedules and league leaders, I'll post this weekly thread.

Baseball Standings
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Note: San Dimas baseball stats are now on MaxPreps. Thanks coaches, this is much appreciated. Still waiting to hear from Northview, Covina and Baldwin Park. I was told I would get Northview's last week, hopefully they will send them for this week's leaderboard on Wednesday.

Softball standings
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valle League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Above: This is Aram's 2007 team.

This is about the time we start thinking about players of the year and coaches of the year. This week I'll ask you to discuss the best players by position, but who's having the best year so far, and what coach has done the best job? Of course this all changes once we figure out who wins league titles and who does what in the playoffs, but I think it's time we can start discussing the candidates. I don't want to put any names out there just yet, I'll leave that up to you at the midway point. Happy Easter all.

2007 award winners
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Maverick Olivares, Bishop Amat
Pitcher: Tyler Garkow, Charter Oak
Catcher: Nick Field, West Covina
Infield: R.J. Arnold, Northview
Infield: Dimitri De La Fuente, South Hills
Infield: Jordan Fox, Bishop Amat
Infield: Gary Brown, Diamond Bar
Outfield: Chris Eusebio, Bishop Amat
Outfield: Tyler Pill, Covina
Outfield: Nick Torres, Charter Oak
Utility: Kevin Ponzo, San Dimas

SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Robert Rodriguez, Northview
Pitcher: Andrew Melchor, Nogales
Catcher: Jake Bailey, Charter Oak
Infield: Rich Pedroza, Northview
Infield: Andrew Mistone, Bishop Amat
Infield: Tommy Reyes, Bishop Amat
Infield: JC Torres, Charter Oak
Outfield: Keith Nyeholt, Charter Oak
Outfield: Will Davis, Northview
Outfield: Jordan Leyland, San Dimas
Utility: Mark Larini, Arroyo

Northview's Robert Williams celebrating after his two-run homer in the 11th gave the Vikings a 3-0 lead.

Northview-Covina game story
Northview took over first place in the Valle Vista league with a 3-0 victory over Covina in 11 innings, which followed Wednesday's 1-0 win at San Dimas in eight innings. Covina pitcher Tyler Pill was magnificent, going nine innings, allowing three hits and retiring 15 of the last 16 batters he faced. Pill was about to earn the victory when the Colts loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with one out. Freshman Matt Munoz appeared to hit a long scoring fly-out to right-center, but all the Colts runners were going on the play, so the Vikes got the easy double-play force at second to end the inning. In the 11th, the Vikings took the lead on Ruben Ramirez's scoring fly that brought home Gabe Jaramillo from third, then Vikings catcher Robert Williams provided the exclamation with a towering two-out, two-run homer for the 3-0 win. Northview's starting lefty sophomore Eddie Pedroza threw five innings and allowed just one hit, and Marc Andrade earned the victory by going the final six innings, giving up just two hits.

Quotes from both sides
Northview coach Darren Murphy on sophomore left-hander Eddie Pedroza: "I can't say enough about Eddie, what a great effort he gave us," Murphy said. "I told Eddie, `Let's have them coming to the park talking about Pill and leaving talking about Pedroza. People were worrying about who pitches after (Aaron) Elias and Andrade. I think Eddie Pedroza showed he's a great number two. He put himself on the map with that performance."

Covina co-head coach Scott Root on the baserunning blunder: "We gave them the game; we should have won it. They're a good team, but I really believe we won the game. I don't know what happened. It was one of those things where the wheels fell off and we didn't know what to do. I told them on a fly get back and tag, but I think someone yelled `go,' and they (all) took off."

Friday's results
Miramonte League
Diamond Ranch at Wilson, 3:15 p.m. - DRanch beat Wilson Thursday, 8-4
Mission Valley League
Rosemead at El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
South El Monte 6, Arroyo 4
Gabrielino at Mountain View, 3:15 p.m.
Montview League
Duarte at Sierra Vista, 3:15 p.m.
Bassett at Workman, 3:15 p.m.
La Puente at Azusa, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra League
Glendora at Chino, 3:15 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Northview 3, Covina 0, 11 innings
Baldwin Park at Ganesha, 3:15 p.m.
Pomona at San Dimas, 3:15 p.m.

Hi all,

I just wanted to let you know about some updates on my blog: Insidesocal.com/afterpreps.

I have a take on fomer Wilson softball pitcher April Valdez, and an update on former Charter Oak softball coach Jill Matyuch, who is now the head coach at Ohio University.

There's also a take on a Valley native, who is in the NFL Hall of Fame

It's so great having cable television in the office. You know life is good when you're sitting at your desk watching March Madness knowing you have to go to work later at the Northview-Covina baseball game. For those not as fortunate, here are some baseball bloopers to get you in the mood for today's games.

What do you think about my favorite American Idol contestant ... Not the best singer, but she sings the best songs.

Above: Vikings pitcher Hannah Fraijo

Northview's Hannah Fraijo struck out 11 and scored a run in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Covina for first place in the Valle Vista league. I'm not ready to say Fraijo is the best pitcher I've seen so far, but I certainly haven't seen anyone better. Colts pitcher Jill Huntsman also played well, but she didn't get a lot of help defensively, with all three runs scoring on errors. Covina had a chance in the seventh, loading the bases with two-outs, but Andrea Montoya's dipping fly to center was grabbed by Ashley Mata, who dove head-first to make the play to end the game.

On the other side of town Los Altos beat Charter Oak 4-1, and give it up for Sierra Vista pitcher Brittney Flores, who struck out 13 and threw a no-hitter in the Dons' 4-1 win over Azusa.

Above: Northview's Ashley Mata making game-saving, game-ending catch in centerfield.

Friday's games
Wilson at Charter Oak, 3:15 p.m.
Montview League
Pioneer at Duarte, 3:15 p.m.
Keppel at Bassett, 3:15 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Baldwin Park at San Dimas, 3:15 p.m.
Non-league
Burbank at Northview, 3:15 p.m.

Northview slipped past San Dimas 1-0 in eight innings on Wednesday. Kevin Jones scored from third on a wild throw, E-2, and that was it. Great game by both teams Stevie R., tells me. Northview at Covina on Friday. Not much of a snack bar, but you get a lot for your buck.

Bishop Amat keeps it going, beats St. Paul, 11-5

NOTE: These are the leaders from teams that post stats to MaxPreps, or who have emailed to fred.robledo@sgvn.com or faxed them to us at 626-856-2758. No San Antonio League teams reported to MaxPreps, and only Pomona reported from the Valle Vista League. In fact, only 10 of 33 teams in our area reported stats and many of them still do not provide rosters. Why do our SGV teams continue to hide and fail to promote their kids and their teams. This wasn't a problem in football or basketball, so why is baseball any different? For those who do report, thanks for your time and effort.

Hitting
Players, School, Avg., AB, Hits, HR
Jordan Fox, BAmat, .684, 19, 13, 1
David Munoz, SVista .654, 26, 17, 1
Oscar Moreno, Duarte .611, 18, 11, 1
Mark Reynoso, WChrist. .600, 20, 12, 3
Tommy Reyes, BAmat .588, 17, 10, 2
Eric Lewis, Damien, .545, 11, 6, 0
Mark Garcia, Damien, .533, 15, 8, 0
Andrew Mistone, BAmat, .529, 17, 9, 0
Miguel Lopez, SVista, .520, 25, 13, 1
Jiovanni Mier, Bonita, .500, 22, 11, 1
Matt Orosco, Wilson, .500, 14, 7, 0
Ryan Daniels, Duarte, .500, 18, 9, 0
Michael Lomeli, SVista, .481, 27, 13. 0
Daniel Sutton, WChrist., .474, 19, 9, 0
Adam Brenes, Rosemead, .471, 17, 8, 0
Drew Kreimann, Wilson, .462, 13, 6, 0
Joseph Salazar, Pomona, .458, 24, 11, 0
Carlos Camarena, Rsmd, .435, 23, 10, 0
Ryan Henley, Bonita, .409, 22, 10, 0

Pitching
Player,School, ERA, IP, SO, W-L
Brady Zuniga, BAmat, 0.63, 11.0, 12, 1-1
Nick Amerhein, Damien, 0.63, 11.0, 14, 2-0
Michael Faram, Duarte, 1.33, 21.0, 28, 3-0
Jason Plowman, Bonita, 1.75, 12.0, 8, 2-0
Christian, Huerta, SVista, 2.00, 14.0, 14, 2-1
Mark McMahon, WChrist, 2.17, 9.0, NA, 1-0
Carlos Camarena, Rsmd., 2.91, 12.0, 9, 1-1
Andrew Tomsio, Wilson, 3.00, 21.0, 25, 1-1

Results and Schedule
Tuesday's Results
South Hills 5, Walnut 3
Chino 17, Diamond Bar 3
Damien 17, Ayala 5
Charter Oak 7, Bonita 0
Wednesday's games
Del Rey
Bishop Amat at St. Paul, 3:15 p.m.
Mission Valley
South El Monte at Rosemead, 3:15 p.m.
El Monte at Gabrielino, 3:15 p.m.
Mountain View at Arroyo, 3:15 p.m.
Montview
Azusa at La Puente, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra Vista at Duarte, 3:15 p.m.
Workman at Basset, 3:15 p.m.
Valle Vista
Covina at Ganesha, 3:15 p.m.
Northview at San Dimas, 3:15 p.m.
Baldwin Park at Pomona, 3:15 p.m.

Charter Oak started the season on top, and now they've dropped out of the top ten after a 1-6 start. Has there ever been a quicker fall in the Tribune rankings? I think everyone knows they're a legit top ten team, but right now they don't deserve to be ranked, wouldn't you agree? Northview stays on top despite 1-0 loss to Mayfair on Saturday. I'm sure the Vikes are saving their pitching for San Dimas and Covina this week. Speaking of Covina, I'm sticking with my feeling that when everything is said and done, the Colts will win the Valle Vista, with Northview second and San Dimas third. I know Vikes fans love it when it when I make predictions like that, because I also picked Bishop Amat to beat them in the Glendora tourney, and we know what happened there. San Dimas is in a bit of a rut, losing three straight after opening with four straight wins. The Saints' chemistry didn't look right on Friday in their 10-1 loss to Covina, but certainly the talent is there. They hit Pill, they just didn't come up with timely hits against him. Yes, South Hills is No. 5 despite being 5-0. It comes down to the simple fact that the teams ranked ahead of them have faced much, much tougher competition. I wish the Huskies either entered something like the Glendora tournament, or at least took on Bishop Amat, Northview, Covina, San Dimas, or someone tough locally in a non-league game. It's surprising to me that not only have the Huskies not played anyone in our top ten, but they won't face any of the top local teams the rest of the way with the exception of Nogales in the race for the San Antonio. Having said all that, the Huskies are very good, and the tradition speaks for itself.

Above: Gladstone coach Rich Remkus walking with his boys after winning his 500th game.

Tribune Top Ten
1. Northview (5-1)
Vikes get a pass on 1-0 loss to Mayfair. They've got bigger fish to fry this week.
2. Bishop Amat (6-1)
Beat mighty Chatsworth 5-4. If Vikes slip up this week, Lancers move to the top
3. Damien (4-1)
Tough 4-3 loss to Chino Hills. Spartans will battle for Sierra until the end
4. Covina (5-1)
Colts are looking better by the week. 10-1 over San Dimas? That's a statement
5. South Hills (5-0)
Let's face the facts, they haven't beaten anyone worth getting excited about.
6. San Dimas (4-3)
After 4-0 start, they've dropped three straight and don't look the same.
7. Glendora (4-2)
Tartans opened Sierra with 7-3 win over Diamond Bar
8. Bonita (4-3)
5-3 loss to DRanch could have gone either way
9. Wilson (3-2-1)
Surprise, surprise, 'Cats 5-3 win over C.Oak puts them in top ten
10. Duarte (5-2)
Beat defending MVL champion Gabrielino

CIF POLLS

DIVISION III
1. Notre Dame/SO; 2. Irvine; 3. El Rancho; 4. San Gorgonio; 5. South Hills; 6. Alhambra; 7. Laguna Hills; 8. Cajon; 9. Bellflower; 10. Crespi.

DIVISION IV
1. Northview; 2. Patriot; 3. Sonora; 4. St Bonaventure; 5. Torrance; 6. Covina; 7. Bonita; 8. San Dimas; 9. Savanna; 10. Cathedral City.
Others: El Segundo, Santa Monica.

DIVISION V
1. Bishop Amat; 2. Monrovia; 3. Cantwell Sacred Heart; 4. Temple City; 5. St Paul; 6. Brentwood; 7. Sultana; 8. Gabrielino; 9. Woodcrest Christian; 10. Grace Brethren.
Others: Bishop Montgomery, Hesperia, Montclair Prep, Serrano, Sierra Vista.

Nothing changes at the top. The Bishop Amat-Los Altos game could have gone either way on Saturday, but the Lancers got the edge in the tiebreaker, 4-3. Charter Oak is slowly starting to look like Charter Oak again, which sets up a great game with Los Altos this week. Covina continues its climb up the ladder to No. 4 after last week's 4-0 win over San Dimas, and speaking of the Saints, what's going on? It's not just the four straight losses, they can't score any runs. It will also be interesting to see what Glendora and Diamond Bar do in the Sierra League.

San Gabriel Valley Tribune top ten
1. Bishop Amat (7-3)
Beat Los Altos, then finished second in Arroyo tournament
2. Charter Oak (8-3)
3-2 in Jurupa tournament against very good teams
3. Los Altos (7-4)
All losses have come against quality opponents.
4. Covina (5-1)
Opened Valle Vista with 4-0 win over defending champion San Dimas
5. Northview (7-2)
Much better start than anyone imagined; San Dimas next
6. South El Monte (4-3)
At least you can say the Eagles haven't ducked anyone.
7. Glendora (5-5)
This is what you get with two quality pitchers, a .500 record?
8. Diamond Bar (5-3-1)
A surprising 4-3 loss to Walnut
9. San Dimas (3-4)
Four straight losses? And they've been shutout in all four.
10. Sierra Vista (6-3)
Monica Gomez batting .724. She's 21-for-29

AREA LEADERS
Hitting
Player, School, Avg., AB, Hits, HR
Sydney Stewart, DRanch, .696, 23, 16, 4
Monica Gomez, SVista, .636, 33, 21, 0
McKenna Gordon, COak, .611, 36, 22. 0
Diana Patterson, LAltos, .526, 38, 20, 2
Jacki Campa, Bonita, .500, 38, 19, 0
Brittany Gallegos, COak, .500, 32, 16, 0
Diana Payan, SElMon, .500, 26, 13, 1
Brittney Flores, SVista, .483, 29, 14, 4
Amber Bryant, DRanch, .450, 20, 9, 0
Vanessa Bracamonte, Wilson, .447, 38, 17, 1
Alyssa Lozano, SVista, .444, 27, 12, 0
Amanda Olague, SVista, .444, 27, 12, 0
Samantha Nieves, South Hills, .444, 18, 8, 0
Sara Quintero, South Hills, .438, 16, 7, 0
Katie Cayot, COak, .432, 37, 16, 1
Courtney Gano, Los Altos, .429, 42, 18, 0
Mercedes Cundiff, Rowland, .429, 28, 12, 1
Heather Harrison, Northview, .417, 36, 15, 0
Reina Gaber, South El Monte, .409, 22, 9, 0
Jessica Traxler, Bishop Amat, .361, 36, 13, 1
Alyssa Ramirez, Bishop Amat, .351, 37, 13, 0

Pitching
Player, School; IP, Strikeouts Won/Loss
Diana Patterson, Los Altos, 0.47, 74.0, NA, 7-3
Hannah Fraijo, Northview, 0.93, 67.0, NA, 7-3
Lorina Guzman, Charter Oak, 1.20, 29.0, 5-1
Reina Gaber, South El Monte, 1.45, 48.0, 36, 4-3
Sarah Heitz, Diamond Ranch, 1.89, 37.0, NA, 3-2
Justine Tullis, Charter Oak, 2.14, 45.0, NA, 52
Amy Lvin, BAmat, 2.17, 58.0, 38, 6-3
Brittney Flores, SVista, 2.15, 48.2, 49, 7-1
Vanessa Bracamonte, Wilson, 2.22, 34.0, NA, 2-4
Chloe Wurst, Bonita, 2.68, 54.0, NA, 4-3
Laura Banuelos, Rowland, 2.48, 45.0, NA, 4-3

Baseball and softball statistics should be reported to Maxpreps.com, or faxed to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune on Monday’s at 626-856-2758.

ALS0: For CIF rankings, click thread

This is MaxPreps made easy. For all your local standings, schedules and league leaders, I'll post this weekly thread.

Baseball Standings
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Softball standings
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valle League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

NEW PROPOSED PLAYOFF GROUPINGS
CIF's entire proposal for all sports in 2008-09

These are the proposed football playoff groupings for 2008-10: There is still an appeal process, but a final vote is scheduled at the Southern Section's next meeting, April 24.

Pac-5 Division: Moore, Serra, South Coast, Sunset, Trinity.

Inland Division: Big 8, Citrus Belt, Inland Valley, Southwestern.

Western Division: Bay, Golden, Mission, Ocean, San Gabriel.

Northern Division: Channel, Foothill, Marmonte, Pac-7, Pacific View.

Central Division: Baseline, Mt. Baldy, San Andreas, Sierra, Sunbelt.

Southwest Division: Century, Empire, Freeway, Orange, Sea View.

Southeast Division: Almont, Del Rio, Miramonte, Pacific, San Antonio.

Eastern Division: Desert Sky, Desert Valley, Mojave River, Mountain Pass, Sunkist.

Southern Division: Garden Grove, Golden West, Orange Coast, Pacific Coast, Suburban.

Northwest Division: Camino Real, Del Rey, Los Padres, Pioneer, Tri-Valley.

Mid-Valley Division: Mission Valley, Montview, Olympic, Rio Hondo, Valle Vista.

East Valley Division: Academy, Alpha, Christian, De Anza, Frontier, High Desert.

Northeast Division: Big Sky, Desert Mountain, Prep, San Joaquin, Santa Fe.

Fred's thoughts: I absolutely love the Southeast Division, throwing Pacific League schools, Muir, Arcadia, etc, to go against the Miramonte and San Antonio. Then you have the Almont and Del Rio from the Whittier area. This is a true area championship. Also, the Valle Vista can compete in the Mid Valley Division. In fact they might be the toughest league right now, and that's not a joke. No more Oaks Christian for Covina and San Dimas, the Valle Vista champion could actually win CIF next year. If these proposals go through, this is great news for the San Gabriel Valley.

WILSON UPDATE: Wilson High School athletic director Dave Merrill said that principal Dr. Albert Clegg has made a decision on the next head football coach, and now it’s up to the school district to approve it.
Merrill said he also approved the candidate, who he said is from Orange County. Former coach Robert Oviedo resigned in late December.
“He’s (Clegg) made his decision after a strong list of candidates,” Merrill said. “If everything gets approved, we should have an announcement soon.”
An announcement could be made as soon as Tuesday. Stay tuned!

BISHOP AMAT NEWS: It’s been more than a month since Bishop Amat high school named Steve Hagerty its head football coach, and Hagerty hasn’t wasted time securing one of the most valuable assistants from previous coach Mark Verti’s staff.
Former Lancers standout Daylon McCutcheon, who also played at USC and in the NFL, has been promoted to defensive coordinator after joining Verti’s staff in 2007 as a secondary coach.
“Daylon had chances to do other things, but he wanted to stay here and he’s much more than just a big name that people are familiar with,” said Hagerty, who will be the offensive coordinator. “He doesn’t have a lot of coaching experience, but he has a lot of football experience from his playing days at Bishop Amat to playing in college and in the NFL. The players have a lot of respect for him, which is always important. He’s going to do a tremendous job.”
Bill Mulvehill, who was an assistant with Hagerty during the Mark Paredes tenure, also has returned to Bishop Amat to join Hagerty’s staff. Mulvehill is leaving Rancho Cucamonga to become the kicking coach. Hagerty said he hopes to have his complete staff named in a couple of weeks.

IN CLOSING: I spoke with Los Altos coach Greg Gano, who said a very good freshman has left the school and enrolled at South Hills. Speaking of South Hills, Brandon Parham has just signed a letter of intent with Chadron State University in Nebraska, a Div. II school with a winning tradition.

UCLA's 12th banner is on its way ...

Since you're all filling out company pools this week, I thought I would make it easy for you. I'm normally at the top of all the pools I enter, so this is valuable information. Don't send tips or gifts to the office, a simple thank you will do. You will probably think I'm a homer for picking UCLA to win it all and USC getting bumped in the first round, but you can take these selections to the bank. The proof will come in the weeks ahead.

To make the bracket bigger and more readable, just click on it. Pretty cool, huh.

If anyone thinks they can do better feel free to fill out your selections and we'll compare at the end.

The Mt. SAC women's basketball team celebrates another CCCAA state title.

Citrus celebrates after winning the school's first CCCAA men's title.

Sunday may have been the biggest day in area college history as the Valley ruled both the men's and women's California Community College Athletic Association state basketball championships as the Citrus College men roared to its first state crown and the Mt. San Antonio College women won their fourth, and their third consecutive championship.
Mt. SAC showed the heart of champion to win the program's fourth state title since 2004 and became just the second school to win it three consecutive years, joining Ventura (2000-02) after the Mounties rallied from 14 points down in the first half for a 65-57 victory over Los Altos Foothill.
I have to admit at point during the first half, I didn't think they could pull it off.
But you have give it up for coach Laura Beeman's squad to be without its leader - Jazlyn Davis - for much of the first half, and find a way to comeback. Carmen Deal was a monster inside, with 13 points and 19 rebounds, while Zequoia Willams picked up the slack for Davis with a team-high 16 points. And how about that Blaire Egardo. The former Covina High star again hit some big treys to push the Mounties ahead to stay.
Coach Beeman's comments: "It's pretty amazing to have teams step up for you every year as a coach. It's amazing to have these young girls play that hard for you.
"These guys play with Jaz all year long. They play against her in practice every day, they play with her in games, so they know how to step up. Once they got that little bit of confidence to be able to step up without her, we were very confident going into halftime.
"All year long people said we're just Jaz, we're just Jaz. Well, we're not just Jaz."
That's four state titles in five years for the Mounties, so I guess we know which program, regardless of level or gender, is the area's best. Congrats to coach Beeman and her Mt. SAC Mounties!

And how about those Owls?
Never before could you mention state champion and Citrus in the same sentence. But no more. Coach Rick Croy's group is not only fun to watch with their in-your-face defense and their up-tempo offense, but they win. I thought at one point on Saturday that they were toast against Los Angeles Trade Tech in the semifinals. But then you look up again, and they are up by 10.
They did the same Sunday, turning a four-point deficit into a 15-point lead in a manner of minutes and eventually scoring a 72-67 victory over a very good Fullerton team.
Sophomore Buchi Awaji was a solid with 14 points and 11 rebounds. But the Owls also had four others - Victor Buensuceso (13 points), Richard Frohlich (13), Darren Moore (11) and A.J. Gasporra (11) - to add to the fun.
Coach Croy's comments: "This tournament served us well. We had a tough one against Trade Tech (Saturday) and things were looking bleak for us. We pulled together in the locker room and reminded ourselves that we weren't going to get frustrated.
"We were going to play like champions, and champions don't pout. They don't get frustrated. It takes a special group to never pout and never get frustrated, and this is the result."
Congrats to coach Croy and his high-flying Owls!
Give both of these teams a hand!

Baseball and Softball coaches: If you do not report stats to MaxPreps for whatever reason, you can fax them to our newspaper at 626-856-2758, or email them to fred.robledo@sgvn.com on Monday's. I would like to publish the area leaders on a weekly basis, so I encourage everyone to participate.

This is a reminder for those who have been contacted about All-Area pictures for boys and girls basketball and soccer. We will be taking the pictures at the Tribune office on Monday between 2-4 p.m.

Covina opened the Valle Vista with a 10-1 victory over San Dimas. Colts first baseman Victor Valenzuela had two doubles and six RBI's while pitcher Tyler Pill pitched a complete game, striking out nine and scattering 7 hits. The Colts knocked Saints starter Kevin Ponzo out after 3 2/3 innings. Ponzo had a tough afternoon. All 10 runs were charged to him while giving up 5 hits and walking 5.
Fred's thoughts: This is why I like Covina's chances to win league. You figure when San Dimas, Covina and Northview all play each other, they will throw their No. 1's, and after seeing all three teams play, I like Covina's chances and Pill in all the head-to-head games.

Oh, so close: Damien High School center fielder Danny Pertusati's two-out, two-strike, game-tying home run in the seventh inning seemed dramatic enough.
And it was, until Zach Collier's walk-off home run in the bottom half of the inning gave Chino Hills a 4-3 victory in Friday's Sierra League baseball opener.

Friday's results
Mission Valley League
Gabrielino 6, Rosemead 0
South El Monte 5, Mountain View 4
Arroyo 12, El Monte 3
Sierra League
Glendora 7, Diamond Bar 3
Chino Hills 4, Damien 3
Chino 4, Ayala 2
Valle Vista League
Northview 3, Baldwin Park 0
Covina 10, San Dimas 1
Pomona 4, Ganesha 0
Nonleague
Duarte 5, West Covina 2

Wilson beat defending CIF champ Charter Oak 5-3 on the road Thursday to open the Miramonte League. Cats pitcher Andrew Tomsio went the distance and drove in two big runs with a triple in the sixth inning to tie the score, 3-3. Amery Begay singled home Tomsio for the winning run as the Wildcats improved to 3-2-1 and 1-0 while the champs dropped to 1-4 and 0-1. The Chargers' top four hitters were 0-for-12.

Friday game of the week: San Dimas at Covina, 3:15 p.m.

Friday's games
Mission Valley League
Gabrielino at Rosemead, 3:15 p.m.
Mountain View at South El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Arroyo at El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra League
Glendora at Diamond Bar, 3:15 p.m.
Damien at Chino Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Chino at Ayala, 3:15 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Northview at Baldwin Park, 3:15 p.m.
San Dimas at Covina, 3:15 p.m.
Pomona at Ganesha, 3:15 p.m.

A salute to Gladstone coach Rich Remkus, who won his 500th game on Wednesday in his 24th season with the Gladiators. The architect of the best looking baseball field in the San Gabriel Valley earned it with a 7-4 victory over Pomona.

"It'll take a while to sink in," Remkus said. "I've always felt for a high school team to win 20 games in a season is sort of a benchmark of excellence and success. If you sit back and think, you have to win 20 games a year for 25 years to get there. The years just go by and you don't realize it. I guess I'm older than I thought.
"I have two regrets today," an emotional Remkus added. "My own son, Tommy, (who is on the team) wasn't able to be here today. He's home with the flu. My other regret is my father (Tom) wasn't here. I just want to acknowledge that he taught me the game. He passed away a couple of years ago. He was always the biggest supporter of our program. He was down here mowing the grass two days before he died.
"For every year of my coaching career he was always behind me doing things, fixing things and always being there. I feel bad he didn't live to see this day. I trust he's watching. I just wanted to publicly dedicate this to him. I am what I am today because of him."

Finally, league races get going today and tomorrow, here's a quick glance at the schedules.

Thursday
Christian League
Aquinas vs. Western Christian at Citrus, 3:45 p.m.
Miramonte League
Diamond Ranch at Bonita, 3:15 p.m.
Wilson at Charter Oak, 3:15 p.m.
San Antonio League
West Covina at Rowland, 3:15 p.m.
Nogales at Walnut, 3:15 p.m.
Nonleague
South Hills at Los Altos, 3:15 p.m.

Friday's games
Mission Valley League
Gabrielino at Rosemead, 3:15 p.m.
Mountain View at South El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Arroyo at El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra League
Glendora at Diamond Bar, 3:15 p.m.
Damien at Chino Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Chino at Ayala, 3:15 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Northview at Baldwin Park, 3:15 p.m.
San Dimas at Covina, 3:15 p.m.
Pomona at Ganesha, 3:15 p.m.

The debate is whether baseball or softball coaches should post their rosters and stats to Maxpreps, which is where most of us find our statistical information on the high school sports scene. At the Star-News I always applauded the Rio Hondo league, because with the exception of Blair, everyone reported everything on a regular basis. I knew how to compare pitchers, infielders, and it made it so easy to list the top performers in the West San Gabriel Valley, and it was valuable when picking all-area teams. I also thought it kept everyone honest, because you could see how players are doing on a game-by-game basis, instead of being surprised at the end of the year when a coach turns in final stat numbers that you think are questionable. Baseball and softball stats aren't only important to newspapers and fans following the sport, but it's great publicity for the athletes, especially when so many community college and major universities surf Maxpreps on a daily basis looking for that diamond in the rough. Today I wanted to breakdown the Valle Vista League, arguably the most competitive in the valley. I went to Maxpreps to look at the Valle Vista League standings and it was pathetic. The only team providing stat information was Pomona. Nothing from San Dimas. Nothing from Covina. Nothing from Baldwin Park. Nothing from Ganesha. Not even a roster from Northview. The reasoning I always hear is that coaches don't want to be scouted. It's such a poor excuse when they all know each other so well anyway. I'm so tired of this over-thinking and silly gamesmanship. Is it a level playing field when other schools provide information and some don't? Good for Pomona, at least they don't hide from anyone. The bottom line is that this is about the players (which is what the coaches keep telling me), and if you polled the players, I'd bet anything they would want to be on MaxPreps, especially those who work so hard and deserve their recognition. C'mon coaches, it's so much better to know how our local heroes are doing. Don't deprive us of that. Back in the day coaches faxed their weekly stats to us, but those days are so long ago. It's all about the web and instant information. Don't hide from it, embrace it.

BREAKING NEWS: Bishop Amat beat Chatsworth 5-4 on Wednesday. Chatsworth is ranked No. 5 in the L.A. Times. Amat's Tommy Reyes had four hits and scored three runs. Andrew Mistone was 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Pitcher Brandon McNitt gave up one run in four innings to get the win. Brady Zuniga got the save.

Take your pick, Northview, San Dimas or Damien, all deserving of top spot honors after a great week of tournament baseball. I'm going with the Vikes because they won the toughest tournament, beating Bishop Amat 4-1 in the Glendora final on Saturday. But that was just one piece of the growing parity in the San Gabriel Valley. Damien proved it has to be dealt with by defeating Covina 8-4 to take the Claremont tournament and San Dimas is playing in a championship tonight.

Top five observations
1. South Hills' pregame country music is awful.
2. Don't like Bishop Amat uniforms.
3. That crowd at Henderson Field on Saturday was awesome.
4. Gladstone coach Rich Remkus goes for his 500th win on Wednesday.
5. The coaches hate our blog. I wonder why?

San Gabriel Valley Tribune Top Ten
1. Northview (4-0)
Proved it on the field
2. San Dimas (4-0)
Pitching has been great
3. Damien (4-0)
Also made case for No. 1
4. Bishop Amat (3-1)
Still the best in Div. V
5. South Hills (4-0)
Good start, but not convinced
6. Covina (3-1)
Scored 43 runs in four games
7. Bonita (2-2)
Pitching needs to improve
8. Nogales (3-2)
Good wins away from home
9. Glendora (2-2)
Finished own tourney strong
10. Charter Oak (1-3)
Didn’t see this coming at all

Chino Tournament
Championship
Tuesday's game
Chino 11, San Dimas 4
Nonleague results
Glendora 12, Monrovia 4
Covina 13, La Habra 4
West Covina 4, Eisenhower 3
Arroyo 5, Sierra Vista 1
South Hills 9, Los Altos 8
Western Christian 6, Salesian 2

Breaking News: Bishop Amat beat El Rancho 3-0 on Wednesday, setting up Saturday's semifinal showdown in the Arroyo tournament at Whittier Narrows Park. Los Altos and Bishop Amat will meet at 1 p.m. In the other semifinal, Temple City plays La Serna. The winners advance to the championship at 7 p.m.

Area is unpredictable: Ranking softball will be tough from week to week, and I expect more upsets like South El Monte beating Charter Oak and San Dimas, then losing to everyone else. Bishop Amat rises to the top based on quality victories in the Brea Olinda tournament, beating Rosary, Laguna Hills and Brea Olinda. What I don't see from any teams is that super dominant pitcher. A lot of good pitchers but not that girl in the circle that's going to carry you on days your offense isn't clicking. We'll see how this week goes in the Arroyo and Bonita tournaments.

Above: Los Altos' Tawny Rodriguez scores game winning run in 1-0 victory over Alverno in pool play of Arroyo Tournament at Whittier Narrows Park

San Gabriel Valley Tribune top ten
1. Bishop Amat (4-2)
Did well in tough Brea Olinda
2. Charter Oak (6-2)
Nothing wrong offensively
3. Los Altos (5-3)
Expecting so much more
4. Northview (5-2)
Beat Glendora, 1-0
5. Covina (4-1)
Good run in Duarte tourney
6. Glendora (4-3)
Still not consistent enough
7. Diamond Bar (5-2-1)
Pitching has been super
8. San Dimas (4-2)
Offense is struggling
9. Sierra Vista (6-1)
Biggest surprise so far
10. South El Monte (2-3)
Beat powers COak and SDimas

St. Lucy's update: I made a comment about not ranking St. Lucy's softball because we do not get results called into this newspaper or on maxpreps on a regular basis. I should have spoken with coach Pam Crampton before making that comment, so I want to apologize to her and all of her players. She's a wonderful lady and everything has been taken care of going forward.

Arroyo Tournament
All games at Whittier Narrows
Monday's Results
Bishop Amat 9, Montebello 1
La Serna 3, Cantwell Sacred Heart 1
Los Altos 10, Arroyo 0, 5 innings
Temple City 5, Schurr 3
Tuesday's games
West Covina 10, Cantwell Sacred Heart 4
Temple City 6, Wilson 5
Los Altos 1, Alverno 0
El Rancho 10, Montebello 3
Wednesday's games
Alverno 10, Arroyo 0
Bishop Amat 3, El Rancho 0
Saturday's semifinals
Los Altos vs. Bishop Amat, 1 p.m.
Temple City vs. La Serna, 1 p.m.

Championship at 7 p.m.

One of the great and most respected coaches in the Star-News area, Monrovia High school's Steve Garrison, called to say he resigned on Monday. Garrison has a son in high school and wants to spend more time with this family. He wanted to make sure everyone knows he left on his own terms and when the batteries are recharged again and the situation is right, he will think about coaching again. He will remain at Monrovia as a teacher. From a personal standpoint Garrison was one of my favorites. He always was available, spoke from his heart and cared about the game as much as any coach I've dealt with. To lose Temple City's Mike Mooney and now Garrison in consecutive years is a big blow to the West San Gabriel Valley. Best wishes Steve to you and your family. We'll have a full story on Garrison's resignation in Tuesday newspaper.

Before we get to the list of top five junior prospects for the 2008 football season, I'm going to discuss the top five running backs returning in 2008. Hopefully they will all stay healthy, I'd hate to see anyone go down like Los Altos' Bryce Mahmud-McBride, who was the early candidate for player of the year until his season-ending injury.

Above: Diamond Ranch running back Brian Spirlin is one the best returning in 2008.

1. Tim Gilmore, Wilson - He's scary good. Speed, quickness, toughness, a runners mentality. All he did was rush for 1,971 yards, and 22 touchdowns, averaging almost 10 yards a carry. The only problem is he doesn't have a very good team around him coming back, and they still haven't hired a coach. That's a lot of questions for a team that brings back the best player in the valley.

2. Nico Barbone, San Dimas -- Rushed for 1,710 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 155 yards a game. He's only going to get better, the kids a workaholic and won't rest on his 2007 accomplishments. A huge player of the year candidate, but can he carry this team on his shoulders to a league title? That's the question.

3. Brian Spirlin, Diamond Ranch - He only played in eight games last year because of an injury, yet still managed to rush for 848 yards and 10 touchdowns. When you consider his supporting cast, there's no reason to believe he won't go crazy this fall.

4. Adam Muema, Charter Oak - I don't want to put any extra pressure on the kid, but he has all the potential to be one of the valley's next great ones. He played a supporters role on a senior-laden team and rushed for 692 yards and 9 touchdowns as a sophomore. He averaged 8.44 yards per carry, and every time I saw him I left shaking my had. He's so quick and elusive, sort of reminds me of the Barry Sanders type.

5. Andre Holmes, Glendora - Another soon to be junior. Lost in all the great Tartans success last year was this up-and-coming sophomore that rushed for 720 yards in a limited role behind Jake Vega. When he was given more than 20 carries (22) for the first time all season in the playoffs against Upland, he rushed for 185 yards in their victory. Something tells me Pasqy is going to build the team around this guy.

Okay, it's time for the San Gabriel Valley Scouting Service's top five juniors for 2008, in no particular order
Miles Bevel, South Hills
Ricky Johnson, West Covina
Ify Umodo, South Hills
Darian Johnson, Bishop Amat
Adam Muema, Charter Oak.
To read more on each one of them, click thread.

More than a thousand fans packed Henderson Field on Saturday to watch the Tribune’s top two-ranked baseball teams battle it out for area supremacy in the championship of the Glendora tournament.
What the fans got in return was an unforgettable evening, which included Northview High coach Darren Murphy and Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto arguing and bumping chests in the sixth inning, with Murphy getting tossed.
Then the Vikings promptly tossed the Lancers aside, winning 4-1 behind the steady pitching of starter Aaron Elias (2-0), who pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings before giving way to senior Marc Andrade to close it out.
Murphy wouldn’t discuss his altercation with Nieto, but he talked about the No. 2 Vikings’ win over the top-ranked Lancers, and what it meant to win a game that had nothing to do with the Valle Vista league or the CIF playoffs, but had everything to do with proving that his team has arrived.
“We built this program to be in games like this,” said Murphy, whose Vikings improved to 4-0. “We’re in a different mindset now. You know you’re not going to win every game, but at least we have the mindset where we expect to win every game.
“We came out a little tight and made some fundamental mistakes. Some of that was the hype of tonight’s game and some of that was playing a team like Bishop Amat and all of that mystique. But we’ll take it. This is the best tournament in the area and our kids dug down and won the championship.”

Glendora tournament championship
Northview 000-110-2 -- 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 errors
Bishop Amat 000-000-1 -- 1 run, 5 hits, 2 errors
2B - Tommy Reyes (BA), Andrew Mistone (BA).
Northview pitching: Aaron Elias, Marc Andrade (5) and Robert Rodriguez
Amat pitching: Brady Zuniga, Stephen Carrillo (6) and Keith Murakami.
Records: Northview 4-0; Bishop Amat 3-1

There's some big baseball and softball tournament championship games tonight, but don't forget about the Mt. San Antonio College women's basketball team and the Citrus men's team, which look to earn trips to the CCCAA state championships with wins in their respective Southern California Regional Finals. Both have lost just two games between them and have combined to win 64 consecutive games. Both are at home tonight, so go support the Mounties and the Owls!

I just wanted to let everyone know about a new blog that will be dedicated to updating the careers of our past prep stars. It's called:

Prep Stars: Where are you now?

I will attempt to provide several updates each week with what some of our past stars are doing now, either in college or in the professional ranks.

If there's someone you think should be mentioned, just post a comment, or e-mail me at steve.ramirez@sgvn.com

We already have two updates: one on former Diamond Bar baseball star Gary Brown, who is now at Cal State Fullerton, and former Walnut boys basketball player Dreshawn Vance, who is at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Hope you enjoy it!

From the very best, which includes former Edgewood great Michael Powell, who broke Bob Beamon's' untouchable world record in the long jump, leaping 29-4 1/2 in 1991.

To some of the worst, which includes, well, former Baldwin Park high standout Lawrence Phillips. Do we need to explain? This image says it all.

Northview routed Alta Loma 13-0, setting the stage for Saturday's big showdown in the Glendora tournament, No. 1 Bishop Amat vs. No. 2 Northview. So who do you like? It's just a feeling ... I'm going with Amat. They'e won this tournament two years in a row, and will make it a third.


Start stocking the sunflower seeds and sunblock, because if the rest of the high school baseball season is anything like the first two weeks, there will be more than enough drama and excitement over the next two months. Siix area baseball teams are playing in tournament championships. No. 1 Bishop Amat will play No. 2 Northview in the championship of the Gloendora tournament on Saturday at 7 p.m. Then Covina and Damien will battle it out for the Claremont championship on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. South Hills beat Ayala 7-6 for its fourth straight Don Lugo tournament title, and San Dimas beat Norco, sending them to the championship of the Claremont tournament on Tuesday. Some week, huh? For all the tournament results and schedules, this is your thread.

Above: South Hills celebrating 7-6 win over Ayala to capture the Don Lugo tournament.

Tribune's latest rankings
1. Bishop Amat (2-0)
Wins over C.Oak and Glendora
2. Northview (1-0)
10-3 win over Diamond Ranch
3. Charter Oak (1-1)
No. 1 drops after Amat loss
4. San Dimas (2-0)
Two wins in Chino tourney
5. Bonita (1-0)
Easy 9-1 win over Colony
6. Covina (2-0)
Outscored opponents 22-4
7. South Hills (2-0)
Wins over BPark, Arroyo
8. Nogales (2-0)
Both wins in Newport Elks
9. Damien (2-0)
Back-to-back shutouts
10. Rosemead (2-0)
Good start in Elks tourney

Glendora tournament schedule and results
Friday
Bonita 9, Colony 1
Alta Loma 2, Glendora 0
Saturday
Northview 10, Diamond Ranch 3
Murrieta Valley 7, Crescenta Valley 3
Bishop Amat 5, Charter Oak 0
Monday
Alta Loma 4, Murrieta Valley 3
Charter Oak 7, Colony 5
Bishop Amat 2, Glendora 1
Tuesday's Schedule
Northview 10, Bonita 3
Diamond Ranch 2, Crescenta Valley 1
Wednesday's Schedule
Bishop Amat 11, Colony 1
Glendora 14, Charter Oak 1
Thursday's final round robin
Northview 13, Alta Loma 0
Murrieta Valley 11,Diamond Ranch 0
Bonita 7, Crescenta Valley 5
Saturday's championship
Bishop Amat vs. Northview at Henderson Field, 7 p.m.

Claremont Tournament
Wednesday's results
Covina 17, Los Osos 5
Damien 20, Ganesha 0
Saturday's championship
Covina vs. Damien at Claremont High School, 3:15 p.m.

Chino tournament quarterfinals
San Dimas 3, Norte Vista 1
Friday's semifinals
San Dimas 5, Norco 4, 8 innings
Redlands East Valley at Chino, 3:15 p.m.
Note:San Dimas vs. TBA in championship at Chino on Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Don Lugo tournament
Wednesday's result
South Hills 6, Don Lugo 3
Friday's championship
South Hills 7, Ayala 6

South El Monte knocked off top-ranked Charter Oak 5-3 in the opening round of the San Dimas tournament. Then they knocked off No. 2 San Dimas on Wednesday. But that's where the run ended. Upstart Glendora beat the Eagles 3-1 in Friday's semifinal. The Tartans will play Burbank, a 3-1 winner over Alta Loma, in tonight's championship at 6 p.m. Covina fell to Etiwanda, 7-3 in the championship of the Duarte tournament.

Above: Glendora pitcher Talia Ferrari

Tribune's latest Top Ten poll
1. Charter Oak (2-0)
Wins both against Claremont
2. San Dimas (2-0)
Wins two over Bonita
3. Los Altos (2-2)
Lost doubleheader to Los Osos
4. Northview (3-0)
Vikes are early-season surprise
5. Bishop Amat (0-1)
2-0 loss to Capistrano Valley
6. St. Lucy’s (1-1)
In tough Brea Olinda tourney
7. Diamond Bar (4-1)
Nice showing in Palm Springs
8. Nogales (3-1)
Sweep over Wilson
9. Covina (1-0)
5-3 win over S. El Monte
10. Rowland (2-2)
Big wins; ugly losses

Softball
San Dimas tournament
Monday's games
Northview 5, Nogales 4
Alta Loma 1, Wilson 0
Burbank 9, Ontario Christian 0
Los Altos 16, La Puente 0, 4 innings
Tuesday's games
San Dimas 7, Walnut 0
South El Monte 5, Charter Oak 3
Glendora 7, West Covina 0
Bonita 4, Arcadia 0

Wednesday's quarterfinals
Top Half
Alta Loma 1, Northview 0
Burbank 1, Los Altos 0
Bottom Half
Glendora 3, Bonita 1
South El Monte 2, San Dimas 0

Friday's semifinals
Glendora 3, South El Monte 1
Burbank 3, Alta Loma 1
Saturday's championship
Glendora vs. Burbank at San Dimas, 6 p.m.

Duarte tournament
Saturday's results
Monrovia 4, Marshall 2
Etiwanda 24, Duarte 0
Flintridge Sacred Heart 5, Whittier 3
Covina 12, Pasadena Poly 1
Crescenta Valley 13, La Canada 1
Alverno 18, Gladstone 3
La Salle 12, Baldwin Park 2
Azusa 4, Maranatha 3
Monday's results
Maranatha 11, Monrovia 2
Alverno 8, Pasadena Poly 4
Etiwanda 10, La Salle 0
Flintridge Sacred Heart 4, La Canada 1
Crescenta Valley 10, Whittier 3
Covina 11, Gladstone 1
Tuesday's games
Azusa 10, Marshall 5
Crescenta Valley 6, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0
Covina 2, Alverno 1
Pasadena Poly 22, Gladstone 1
Baldwin Park 6, Duarte 2
La Canada 6, Whittier 5
Wednesday's games
Etiwanda 17, Baldwin Park 0
Maranatha 18, Marshall 2
La Salle 11, Duarte 0
Monrovia 5, Azusa 4
Friday's championship
Etiwanda 7, Covina 3

I promised last week I would post the San Gabriel Valley scouting services' top 12 seniors for the 2008 football season. I think it's a great list, and it helps to identify the players who the service thinks will have the biggest impact at the next level. This is so much different that identifying player of the year candidates or players that will have the biggest impact in the valley. There are guys who might have bigger senior years stats wise and impact-wise, like San Dimas' Nico Barbone, who isn't on this list, hmmm. He's certainly a player of the year candidate. Tim Gilmore also isn't on the list, because from what I'm told, they didn't have any film on him yet. In fact, the scouting service only ranked guys they have film on, so that's why Barbone, Gilmore and South El Monte's Jose Garay are not included. Rest assured, all three are deserving of being on this list. In fact, Gilmore might be "the most" college-ready player. Barbone will also do well on the next level and for Garay, a lot will depend on his senior season, but obviously a talent coming off a huge junior season at QB. Remember, this is a scouting services' evaluation. It's for fun, don't take it too seriously, but something to read over on your Monday morning break.

Scouting Service Top 12 seniors (in no particular order)
Sheldon Price, Bishop Amat
Brent Seals, Bishop Amat
Chris Allen, Charter Oak
Tyler Perri, Charter Oak
Cameron Deen, South Hills
Taylor Herrera, Damien
Wayne Goss, South Hills
Evan Heard, South Hills
Brandon Sermons, Diamond Ranch
Alex Barrios, South Hills
Brandon Sermons, Diamond Ranch
Albert Sid, West Covina.
For a scouting service breakdown on each, click thread.

*Next week the scouting service will highlight the top-five sophomores in the San Gabriel Valley.

Will we see this Tuesday?

The CIF State basketball pairings were released this afternoon and the Glendora High School boys team, which advanced to the Southern Section Division I-A semifinals, and the Bishop Amat girls team, which had advanced to the Division III state finals each of the past four seasons, were no where to be found.
The La Verne Lutherthan boys team, the only East San Gabriel team to win a CIF-SS basketball title, found it was in in Division V, but the selection committee didn't exactly do the Trojans any favors.
La Verne Lutheran, which beat Pacific Hills last week to win the CIF-SS Division V-AA title, received a home game scheduled for Monday against San Diego Section Maranatha Christian. That's the good news. The bad is that the Trojans have a major tilt against traditional-power Price waiting for them in the second round, which will be Tuesday at Price. But first they have to get by Maranatha Christian.
Comments: Bishop Amat's fate was sealed when they lost to Ventura in the second round of the Division I-A playoffs. While they are higher up the food chain in Division III, CIF was forced to pick teams who advanced further, regardless of division.
On the boys side, there were those who thought Glendora might get in the 16-team (eight from the CIF-SS), Divsion I field. But the committee was forced to accept No. 15 Knight, which advanced to the CIF-SS II-A final, and No. 16 Chino Hills, which won the Sierra League over Glendora. Both reached the I-A semifinals, which forced the committee to pick the Huskies.
I would have thought that La Verne, after being 28-0 and a division champ, might receive a better fate. But obviously the committee thought otherwise.
- Steve Ramirez

Above: Safe or out?
I don't want to hear how Bishop Amat isn't good enough because it competes in Div. V. They've won the Glendora tournament for two straight years and started again with a 5-0 victory over Div. IV champ Charter Oak and a 2-1 win over Glendora. The Lancers will be the Trib's top-ranked team in the next poll, and deservedly so.
Bishop Amat-Charter Oak game story
How the Glendora tournament is unfolding

Friday's results
Bonita 9, Colony 1
Alta Loma 2, Glendora 0
Saturday's results
Northview 10, Diamond Ranch 3
Murrieta Valley 7, Crescenta Valley 3
Bishop Amat 5, Charter Oak 0
Monday's Schedule
Alta Loma 4, Murrieta Valley 3
Charter Oak 7, Colony 5
Bishop Amat 2, Glendora 1
Tuesday's Schedule
Bonita vs. Northview at Henderson, 3:30 p.m.
Crescenta Valley vs. Diamond Ranch at Henderson, 7 p.m.
Wednesday's Schedule
Bishop Amat vs. Colony at Henderson, 3:30 p.m.
Glendora vs. Charter Oak at Henderson, 7 p.m.
Thursday's final round robin
Northview vs. Alta Loma at APU, 7 p.m.
Murrieta Valley vs. Diamond Ranch at Henderson, 3:30 p.m.
Bonita vs. Crescenta Valley at Henderson, 7 p.m.

The semifinals weren't kind to area wrestlers as only San Dimas 125-pounder Angel Garcia was the only one to advance to tonight's finals. Northview's Steven Salinas (112) and Jesse Cruz (145), South Hills' Thomas Williams (119) and Santa Fe's Marcus Orona (119). all lost in the semfinals.
Salinas' setback was especially heartbreaking. The held leads of 5-0, 7-2 and 8-4 against San Leandro's Markjay Acosta. But Acosta rallied with consecutive takedowns to make it 9-8 before getting a reverse and a near-fall in the final five seconds of the match to win, 12-9.
Williams, the defending state champion at 112, lost 5-2 to Lemoore's Brandon Rocha in a 119 semifinal, with Orona giving up a 3-2 setback to No. 1-ranked Martin Gonzalez in the other 119 final-four match. Cruz lost 6-1 to Bakersfield Buchanan's Andrew Bulch at 145.
Garcia, the area's only four-time CIF-Southern Section divisional champion, advanced to tonight's finals with a solid 5-1 victory over Clovis East's Steven Fitzgerald.
UPDATE (12:49 P.M.): Salinas, Williams and Orona all won third-place semifinal matches and will wrestle for a third-place medal. Cruz lost in the third-place semifinals and will wrestlt for fifth place
Bishop Amat's Andrew Ortega (125), who lost in the quarterfinals Friday night, is 2-1 today and will wrestle for fifth place.
Rosemead's Adrian Marquez (130), Northview's Frank Martinez (130), Bonita's David Stupplebean (145) and Schurr's Julian Zungia (215) all lost in the consolation fifth round and will not medal.
UPDATE (6:06 p.m.): Orona scored a 3-1 victory in overtime over Williams to take third place. It was his second win over Williams this season. He is Santa Fe's highest placer since Angel Wong won at 103 in 2002. Williams missed the finals for the first time since his freshman season, when he did not medal. He was second at 103 in 2006 and won at 112 last year.
Salinas lost by fall to Gilroy's Jesse Delgado to finish fourth. Ortega and Cruz both finished fifth after beatting Selma's Nick Pena and Archie Tovar in their respective fifth-place matches.
FINAL UPDATE: Garcia's title quest comes up short
There will be a time when San Dimas High School senior Angel Garcia might appreciate his best finish at the CIF State wrestling championships.
But not today.
Garcia, the first competitor in the area to win a CIF-Southern Section divisional title all four years, can only contiplate what might have been after dropping a 3-0 decision to top-ranked Kody Klaus of Vacaville in the 125-pound final at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.
Garcia was the only area athlete to advance to the finals.
"Second is good" said Garcia, who is only the second San Dimas competitor to place at the state championships and the first Saint to advance to the final round. "But no one remembers second-place finishers. I didn't come here to finish second.
"I had a good career. I just didn't want it to end like this."

I didn't know Duarte baseball coach Steve Richard, who died of cancer in December. But he sure made a huge impact on his players, who shaved "Richard" on the side of their heads to honor him in Friday's season-opening win over Pasadena. We should all be rooting for these guys, who have been through a lot in recent months. And you couldn't of asked for a better start from left-hander Michael Faram, who struck out 14 in the win. Way to go guys.
Read today's emotional story on Duarte's 5-1 win over Pasadena
"You have no idea how hard it has been," said Duarte coach Kennard Kapono , who took over a month ago. "Being here for four weeks after what happened, and how they came out and played, you couldn't ask for a better game. This is what I've been waiting for. It's my first of hopefully many (wins). I couldn't be with a greater group of kids."