Best High School Sports Blog - Fred Robledo Talks Prep Sports

ESPN's Rick Reilly with Kobe Bryant

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:48:07 -0800

ESPN's Rick Reilly writes a great piece on a day he spent with Kobe Bryant. BTW, Bryant says he won't opt out at the of the season in this piece. Playoffs start Sunday

Oh, the memories, Blog enters fourth year

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:14:48 -0800

We just passed the three-year anniversary of the blog, which began on April 10, 2006 with the blog originator, Big Bad Aram Tolegian. As our blog changes its face sometime this afternoon (they say around 4 p.m.) , let us celebrate this magnificent milestone by posting some of Aram's old threads over the next year. The ones about his food, harsh criticism's, his "honies" in the office, and I might even add some of the old comments from those threads. We'll have fun with it. I won't say when or where, I'll sneak up on you with it. To start, how about the first thread ever. Hey, like our forefathers, at least he had the right intentions ...

Number of entries to date: 1,579
Number of comments to date: 95,028

Below: Do you see the comparison? Aram thought he was the Ben Affleck of the Tribune.

Aram's first post ever... this blog was made for you and me. Was that chorus too much for you? Anyway, welcome to my prep sports blog where you will hopefully spend several hours of your work day reading about, posting about, arguing about and laughing about the ever-growing world of prep sports. Please, for the good of the economy, try to stay productive on your job.

Here's the deal. This blog was made for news, opinion and info sharing about the world of prep sports. There are no geographic boundaries, so topics can be from any location. We won't only stick to the SGV. This blog is meant for fans, athletes, parents, coaches, ... basically, anybody.

Here's how it will work. I will post entries about various things and you can respond to any of them. The goal of this site is to have an active blog/message board. You don't have to register. You don't have to leave your name. Stay anonymous. Enjoy yourself.

There are rules, though.
No prep athletes will be maliciously bashed. Don't hate. Constructive criticism is fine, but the line will be drawn.
No coach will be subject to personal attacks. If you want to question strategy, feel free to do so. If it gets too personal, I won't run it. Constructive criticism is fine, but the line will be drawn.

Teams, schools and even reporters/media outlets (Oh my!) are all fair game. Feel free to offer your opinions, good or bad, but please back them up with something tangible. Low IQ replies to topics simply won't run.

Other than that, there's nothing left to do but get started.

The first comment ever came from Mike Jones who wrote : "WOW!!!! This is awesome, it's about time we now have blogs....Let's get to it, let's use this and spread the word......Let's go Aram, give us something to get excited about......"

Softball: Los Altos-South Hills Got Next

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 07:32:50 -0800

Glendora finally played, and then won, beating Diamond Bar 2-0 on Tuesday to open the Sierrra League. Bishop Amat also had a notable victory, beating El Modena 7-1, droping the ElMod's to 12-7. San Dimas cruised in five innings to defeated Ganesha, 14-2, but the game I am intrigued about today is Los Altos at South Hills at 3:15 p.m., What do we do with the Huskies if they knock off Bonita and Los Altos in the same week? I've said it before, Los Altos isn't a team that knocks the ball around the park against anyone, if the Huskies push a few runs across, this could get interesting ...

Today's games
Nonleague
Los Altos at South Hills, 3:15 p.m.
San Antonio League
Rowland at West Covina, 3:15 p.m.

Northview bounces back, beats New York

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 07:16:13 -0800

Thank goodness, and great for the San Gabriel Valley. The scary thing about going to a tournament like this is getting humbled so much that it messes with your confidence the rest of the way. I thought Bishop Amat going 2-2 last year was huge, and if the Vikings can get another win over the next two days, that's huge too. Between Amat and Northview if we can go .500 in the National Classic over the last two years, it will prove once again that the SGV can hang with anyone.

It wasn't exactly the type of game the Northview High School baseball team has been known for. But there are no ugly wins in the Anderson Bat National Classic, which the Vikings will attest to after scoring a 7-3 victory over Mamaroneck (N.Y.) in a consolation quarterfinal at Esperanza on Tuesday. Northview, getting a steady pitching performance from Ruben Ramirez and multiple-hit efforts from seniors Richy Pedroza and R.J. Arnold, improved to 10-3 and will face either Aptos or Norco in today's consolation semifinals at 4 p.m. at Esperanza.
To continue reading, click thread

Note: (Field #1:El Dorado HS), (Field #2 Esperanza HS), (Field #3 Cal State Fullerton)
Today's games
Game #17 Aptos vs Mamaroneck, NYat Field #2, 10:00am
Game #18 Spanish Fork, UT vs Don Bosco Prep, NJ ___- at Field #1, 10:00am
Game #19 Norco vs Northview at Field #2, 4:00pm
Game #20 Jesuit, CA vs De La Salle, CA Field #1, 4:00pm
Game #21 Notre Dame, AZ vs Arch Bishop Mitty, CA - at Field #2, 1:00pm
Game #22 Notre Dame, CA vs El Dorado, CA - at Field #1, 1:00pm
Game #23 Mater Dei, CA vs Esperanza, CA - at Field #3, 8:15pm
Game #24 Palm Beach Central, Fl vs El Toro, CA - at Field #3, 5:15pm

Thursday's games
Game #25 Loser of Game #17 vs Loser of Game #18- at Field #1 (JV), 2:00pm
Game #26 Winner of game #17 vs Winner of Game #18 - at Field #2, 4:00pm
Game #27 Loser of Game #21 vs Loser of Game #22 - at Field #2, 10:00am
Game #28 Winner of Game #21 vs Winner of Game #22 - Field #1, 10:00am
Game #29 Loser of Game #19 vs Loser of Game #20- at Field #2, 1:00pm
Game #30 Loser of Game #23 vs Loser of Game #24 - at Field #1, 1:00pm
Game #31 Winner of Game #19 vs Winner of Game #20 - Fld #1, 4:00pm

Blog update

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:17:10 -0800

The blog may go down for a few hours on Wednesday. They're changing the look of our blog to be consistent with all the other blogs in our newsgroup. The new look will include the ability to set up registration if and when needed. I will keep you posted.

Hard work pays off for San Dimas' Leyland

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:39:02 -0800

By Fred J. Robledo
San Dimas High School's Josh Leyland spent New Year's Day in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he was one of the invitees to the third annual International High School Power Showcase Home Run Derby at Tropicana Field. Participants included 69 of the best high school hitters in the nation along with players from nine other countries. Leyland didn't win it, but the senior left a lasting impression by hitting a 472-foot shot onto the roof of a restaurant in center field. It was the fifth-longest home run in the two-day competition and cemented the catcher's status as one of the nation's best power-hitting left-handed batters.
To continue reading, click thread

Leyland in Home Run Derby

Baseball: Amat cements No. 1 ranking

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:49:38 -0800

Above: After a slow start, Amat's Paul Paez is finding his groove again.

Baseball top ten rankings
1. Bishop Amat (13-3) - It's amazing that some folks on this blog still want to talk about what happened in the Glendora tournament. How about what's happened lately, like an 11-game winning streak, the pitching and hitting in balance, and top notch wins over Servite, Lutheran and Santa Margarita. Don't argue with our No. 1, we know what we're talking about.
2. Glendora (11-4) - How impressive was their run to the Arcadia tournament title, beating host Arcadia and No. 1 pitcher Rutherford in the championship, 3-0. They also beat St. Francis, Nogales and San Dimas, and deserve this big bump to No. 2
3. Northview (9-3) - With the Vikings losing to Arch Bishop Mitty 8-7 in nine innings today, they move into the loser's bracket of the National Classic. Since the competition they're facing is so unique, I'm only dropping them one spot for now.
4. Bonita (12-3) - Do you move Charter Oak ahead after beating Bonita in the championship of the Northview tournament? Not so quick, they are 1-1 against each other, and the Bearcats own a tournament title too, winning Glendora to start the year.
5. San Dimas (10-3) - - The Saints' only loss in the Arcadia tournament came in extra innings against tournament champ Glendora. They're looking like the real deal and can't wait until their home-and-home against Northview later down the road.
6. Charter Oak (12-5) - The Chargers are improving week to week and gaining confidence along the way. The way they battled back against Diamond Bar before knocking off Bonita 3-0 in the Northview tournament was impressive. Now let's see if they can keep it up.
7. South Hills (10-5) - A very impressive 6-3 win over a 13-3 Beckman team in the Beach Pit Classic. They lost to Newport Harbor, then came back and beat Corona del Mar. Today they face Baldwin Park at 12:30 at Baldwin Park as part of the Don Lugo tournament.
8. Damien (10-4) - Spliting with Chino Hills is nothing to feel bad about, but the runs the Spartans allow must be a concern. They lost 16-8 to the Huskies after winning 8-7 earlier in the week.
9. Nogales (13-5) - They lose to San Dimas and Glendora in the Arcadia tournament, but still go 2-2. Now they finish up the Don Lugo tournament against Duarte and Diamond Ranch
10. Wilson (8-4) - The Wildcats crack the top ten for the first time this season after an impressive 4-3 win over Bonita and a staggering five game winning streak under first-year coach Gary Libby. If you said you saw this coming, you're just not telling the truth.

DON LUGO TOURNAMENT
GROUP A: Arroyo; Ayala; Baldwin Park; Diamond Ranch
GROUP B: Don Lugo, La Puente, Chino Hills, Duarte
GROUP C: Rowland, Monrovia, South Hills, Nogales

Today at Ayala: Nogales vs. Duarte, 9:30 a.m.; La Puente vs. Monrovia, 12:30 p.m.; La Puente vs. Ayala, 3:30 p.m.
Today at Don Lugo: South Hills vs. Baldwin Park, 9:30 a.m.; Arroyo vs. Rowland, 12:30 p.m.; Arroyo vs. Don Lugo, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday at Ayala: Diamond Ranch vs. Duarte, 9:30 a.m.; Diamond Ranch vs. Nogales, 12:30 p.m.; Monrovia vs. Ayala, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday at Don Lugo: Chino Hills vs. South Hills, 9:30 a.m.; Chino Hills vs. Baldwin Park, 12:30 p.m.; Rowland vs. Don Lugo, 3:30 p.m.

Gladstone Tournament
Today's semifinals
Wilson vs. Rosemead, 10 a.m.
La Baptist vs. Gladstone, 2 p.m.
Wednesday's championship 2 p.m.

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

Softball: Glendora, Los Altos on top again

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:18:55 -0800

Girls Softball top ten rankings
1. Glendora (6-2) - It's almost embarrassing that the Tartans only have played eight games. It has definitely hurt their CIF ranking, meaning that's why they're not ranked in Div. II after reaching the title game last year. Only one game since the San Dimas tournament? C'mon, turn 'em loose
2. Los Altos (10-4) - The Conquerors were idle last week, but jump back to No. 2 after the Bearcats' slip against South Hills. There is only one game that truly matters, the rubber match at Bonita on April 30 for what should be the league title.
3. Bonita (14-3-1) - They were looking so good, moving all the way to No. 4 in the Division III rankings then, wham, South Hills beats them 4-1, then they tie the second game of a doubleheader, 7-7 against the Huskies. It just goes to show, the closer you get to the top, the more others want to knock you off.
4. San Dimas (8-3) - The Saints also were idle last week, but take a five game winning streak into games against Ganesha, then Covina on Friday. I might cover that Covina-San Dimas game. Can the Colts pull a South Hills on the Saints?
5. Sierra Vista (11-1) - I wish they were updating their stats like last year, but boy, this is getting really impressive. We will find out all we need to know this weekend when they open against Harvard-Westlake in the Charger Classic.
6. Bishop Amat (8-8) - After a tough 16 games, they continue with more tough games ahead against El Modena, Saugus, and Carson. Too bad they weren't in any local tournaments, I would have love to see how they matched up.
7. South El Monte (8-4) - A pair of victories over El Monte and Mountain View continues the the Eagles' resurgence. Now they get Rosemead and Arroyo this week.
8. South Hills (10-6-1) - Oh my, they didn't just crack the top ten, they plowed right into it with Saturday's win and tie against Bonita. The Huskies are unbeaten in six straight, and one of the most improved over the last month. They host Los Altos tomorrow.
9. Walnut (6-4) - Their last game was a 6-0 loss to Rowland. I know they beat South Hills 3-2, but that seems so long ago now. The race for the San Antonio is tight, it should be fun covering it down the stretch.
10. Covina (6-4) - No movement from the Colts, they pick it up this week against Pomona then San Dimas. A sweep would surely move them up a few notches.

Charter Oak tourney: Saturday's Charter Oak tournament first round games. The second games of the knockout bracket also are on Saturday. These games are in order, so pair them two at a time and you can tell who matches up in the second round.

Saturday's first-round
Los Osos vs. Monrovia at San Dimas, 9 a.m.
Ontario Christian vs. Covina at San Dimas, 9 a.m.
Pomona Catholic vs. Montebello at San Dimas, 11 a.m.
Santa Fe vs. San Dimas at San Dimas, 11 a.m.
Glendora vs. Sacred Heart at Charter Oak, 9:30 a.m.
Temple City vs. South El Monte, at Charter Oak, 9 a.m.
Harvard Westlake vs. Sierra Vista at Charter Oak, 11 a.m.
El Rancho vs. Charter Oak at Charter Oak, 11:30 a.m.

Softball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Track Leaders and Mt. SAC next

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:32:22 -0800

Update: Thanks to Covina coach Kevin Glaspy for helping with the area's top track marks. I posted them in Wednesday's Tribune and will post them every other week the rest of the way to get everyone's name in the paper. Remember, to submit stats, coaches need to input them at the EPIsports or dyestatcal database. Do not send updated marks to the tribune or anyone else.

Above: Diamond Ranch's Karynn Dunn competing in Saturday's long jump at Arcadia.

Now that the Arcadia Invitational is in the books, several of the area's track marks have changed a bit to note the great accomplishments over the weekend. This week is the continuation of the 51st Mt. San Antonio Relays, with high schools competing Friday and Saturday. For more information click the link and for updated track marks, click the thread.

Game resumes, Northview loses, 8-7

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:26:31 -0800

In Northview's opener of the National Classic against Arch Bishop MItty, it was called due to darkness after the teams were tied 7-7. It resumed this morning and Mitty won, 8-7 in nine innings. Northview will face Mamaroneck, NY in the second game of the loser's bracket at Esperanza High School at 4 p.m.

Note: (Field #1:El Dorado HS), (Field #2 Esperanza HS), (Field #3 Cal State Fullerton)
Monday's reesults
Game #1 - Aptos, CA - 3 vs Mater Dei, CA - 4
Game #2 Notre Dame, AZ - 9 vs Norco, CA - 8
Game #3 Arch Bishop Mitty 8, Northview, CA - 7, 9 innings
To be continued at 9am at Esperanza HS - Tues 4/14
Game #4 Mamaroneck, NY - 7 vs Esperanza, CA - 8
Game #5 Spanish Fork, UT -1 vs Palm Beach Central, FL - 3
Game #6 Notre Dame, CA - 8 - vs Jesuit, CA - 6
Game #7 Don Bosco Prep, NJ - 7 vs El Dorado, CA - 9
Game #8 De La Salle, CA - 6 - vs El Toro, CA - 8

Today's games
Game #9 Aptos vs Norco at Field #1, 4:00pm
Game #10 Northview vs Mamaroneck, NY at Field #2, 4:00pm
Game #11 Spanish Fork, UT vs Jesuit, CA - at Field #2, 10:00am
Game #12 Don Bosco Prep, NJ vs De La Salle, CA - Field #1, 1:00pm
Game #13 Mater Dei, CA vs Notre Dame, AZ - at Field #2, 1:00pm
Game #14 Arch Bishop Mitty vs Esperanza, CA - at Field #3, 4:30pm
Game #15 Palm Beach Central, Fl vs Notre Dame, CA at Field #1, 10am
Game #16 El Dorado, CA vs El Toro, CA - at Field #3, 7:15pm

Miller and Molina a winning combination

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:30:10 -0800

Time Warner's Reginald Miller, our two-minute drill partner and a huge follower of high school sports in the San Gabriel Valley, was featured in La Verne Online with Covina boxer John Molina, who is Miller's client and running partner. The 5-foot-11 Molina is an undefeated junior lightweight with a 16-0 record, 12-0 by knockout. It's a great story, check it out.

Athlete of the week nominations ...

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:39:45 -0800

No explanation necesssary, need the best male and female performer from last week to feature on page three Wednesday. Track, swimming, baseball, softball, tennis and golf all in play.

Hmm, Bonita goes 0-1-1 against South Hills?

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:06:16 -0800

This has to be the most shocking result of the weekend. Unless the scores are wrong on MaxPreps, unranked South Hills softball beat the Tribune's No. 2 Bonita 4-1, then in the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday, it was called after the teams tied 6-6 after seven innings. This confirms what some have told me about South Hills being one of the better hitting teams in the area with not just good bats, but young bats. Maybe I'll have to check out the South Hills-Los Altos game on Wednesday. As for Bonita, this has to hurt their No. 4 ranking in Division III.

SG Sports fan wrote ...

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:19:19 -0800

Bishop Amat had a great weekend in the 35th Annual Anaheim Lions Easter Baseball Tourney winning two on Saturday from Servite and Orange Lutheran. Pitching was amazing with two complete game gems. Brady Zuniga battled Servite with a tough 3-2 victory, and in the nightcap Paul Paez pitched a gem (13 strikouts) beating highly rated Orange Lutheran 4-2. Go SGV Baseball!

Robledo says: It's true, just checked it, our No. 1 team is now 12-3. The Lancers take on Santa Margarita today at Brookhurst Park in Anaheim, 1 p.m.

UPDATE: Bishop Amat wins again, 9-1 over Santa Margarita.

National Classic up next for Northview

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:11:30 -0800

The schedule for the National Classic is posted here, with Northview taking on Arch Bishop Mitty in the first round on Monday at Esperanza HS at 4 p.m. With Mater Dei, El Toro and a powerful lineup of other schools, how will Northview do?

Monday's lineup: (Field #1:El Dorado HS), (Field #2 Esperanza HS), (Field #3 Cal State Fullerton)

Game #1 - Aptos, CA vs Mater Dei, CA at Field #2, 10:00am
Game #2 Notre Dame, AZ vs Norco, CA - at Field #2, 1:00pm
Game #3 Northview, CA vs Arch Bishop Mitty, CA - at Field #2 , 4:00pm
Game #4 Mamaroneck, NY vs Esperanza, CA - Field #3, 7:15pm
Game #5 Spanish Fork, UT vs Palm Beach Central, FL - at Field #1, 10:00am
Game #6 Notre Dame, CA vs Jesuit, CA - at Field #1, 1:00pm
Game #7 Don Bosco Prep, NJ vs El Dorado, CA - at Field #3, 4:30pm
Game #8 De La Salle, CA vs El Toro, CA - at Field #1, 4:00pm