December 2008 Archives

I know of at least four area (as in "in or around Long Beach") high school boys basketball teams that won tournament championships Tuesday night.

Poly beat Mayfair (73-52) in the American Division of the Maxpreps.com/Torrey Pines Holiday Classic. Julian Camper of the Jackrabbits was chosen Most Outstanding Player.

Wilson beat Edison (49-38) in the Estancia Tournament. I would assume Michael Wilder of the Bruins was selected Most Outstanding Player or MVP or whatever.

Los Alamitos knocked Albany Academy of New York (68-49) in one of the divisions of the KSA Tournament in Orlando, Fla. James Walker of the Griffins was MVP. I think La Mirada was playing for a title in another division there but I'm not sure of the opponent or the result yet.

And, in a bit of an upset, Dominguez edged Fairfax, 58-56, in the final of the Les Schwab Invitational in Hillsboro (near Portland), Ore. Renardo Sidney had 32 points for the Lions and was the MOP, while Myron Green, who scored 19 of his team-high 22 points after intermission for the Dons, was selected tournament.

My buddy Joel Franciso, who lives in Long Beach, teaches at El Rancho High and does scouting for ESPN Insiders, was there and though Marques Moody and/or Keala King could have also been selected.

The Poly Jackrabbits (75-66 over Bingham of Utah) and Mayfair Monsoons (69-68 over Tesoro of Las Flores . . . you know, the school that Poly beat in the Pac-5 football final a couple of weeks ago) prevailed in American Division semifinals of the Maxpreps.com/Torrey Pines High Holiday Classic tonight at Cathedral Catholic High in Del Mar.

So that means the Monsoons and Jackrabbits will play in the American Division final Tuesday night at 5 o'clock at Torrey Pines.

I wish I could give you some details but I stayed at home, on the disabled list, with a vicious cold that I'm hoping doesn't morph into pneumonia.

Leuzinger and Jordan will play for fifth-place in the American Division Tuesday but that game will be at Cathedral Catholic (just up the Del Mar Heights, about a mile or so, from Torrey Pines High).

The championship game of the National Division will pit Bellevue of Washington vs. Eisenhower of Rialto at about 8:15 p.m. (I believe) at Torrey Pines.

I don't have it confirmed yet but I think Wilson is playing Huntington Beach Edison in the Estancia (Costa Mesa, on Fairview off the 405, just across the street from Orange Coast College)) Tournament Tuesday night at 8:30. If I hear definitively, I'll post an update.

In the Les Schwab Tournament final in Portland Tuesday night, Dominguez (which beat Mt. Vernon of New York tonight, 60-57) will play Fairfax (which blasted Portland Westview, 72-46 in the other semifinal) at about 8:30 or so.

And I believe Los Alamitos is going to play a team from New York (that's as specific as I can get right now) Tuesday for the championship of that tournament the Griffins are playing in at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The Mayfair Monsoons got 26 points from 6-foot-2 senior Garrett Jefferson to rally from a 13-point, third-quarter deficit and beat Don Bosco Tech (Ramsey, N.J.), 71-64, in overtime late Saturday night at Cathedral Catholic High in Del Mar during an American Division quarterfinal game of the Maxpreps.com/Torrey Pines High Holiday Classic.

That means Coach Tony Davis' team will join the Poly Jackrabbits in the Monday night semifinals at Cathedral Catholic.

The Jackrabbits (who beat Ironwood Ridge of Arizona in another quarterfinal, 69-52) will play Bingham (from South Jordan, Utah) in the first semifinal Monday night at 7 o'clock, following by the Monsoons and Tesoro (a 67-56 winner over Simi Valley Saturday night) at 8:30.

Jordan, which lost its opening-round game to Tesoro Friday, takes on Cleveland of Reseda in a Mayor's Cup (consolation) division game at Westview High tonight at 8:30.

In a Governor's Cup fifth-place semifinal, St. John Bosco plays Villa Park at Rancho Bernardo High Monday night at 5:25.

I'm sitting in the Torrey Pines High gym right now, where Rocklin (of Northern California) just beat Tacoma Bellarmine Prep, 69-52, in a National Division game of the Maxpreps.com/Torrey Pines Holiday Classic.

Future UCLA Bruin Brendan Lane looked very good for Rocklin. He scored 21 points and probably add 10 rebounds and five or six blocks. He also hit three 3's.

The top vote getter on the Best in the West team, future Washington point guard Abdul Gaddy, played well but didn't have enough around him to beat Rocklin.

Windward and another soon-to-be Bruin, 6-10 Anthony Stover, beat San Jose Bellarmine Prep, 58-54, in an early game here. Stover might have blocked 10 or 11 shots but he is absurdly raw on the offensive end.

Earlier today I was at Cathedral Catholic High, just down Del Mar Heights Blvd. about a mile and a half from here, where Poly (over Leuzinger) and Mayfair (against Cleveland) won in the American Division but Jordan (to Tesoro) lost.

Future Long Beach State post player Kyle Richardson demonstrated his considerable potential for Mayfair with 15 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots. Coach Dan Monson and his staff got a steal when they signed Richardson in November.

Since Mayfair and Poly are in opposite brackets, it possible they could meet in the Tuesday night final. But each has a tough opponent to deal with Saturday night.

But Grant has the ball at the Poly 15, on second down, after Marvin Lamb's interception and return to the 15 a few minutes ago.

This is a crazy game . . .

The first half certainly didn't go like I, or most anyone else, I would assume, thought it would.

Poly is fortunate to be trailing just 13-7 at intermission. I can't recall the last time the a Jackrabbits' defense gave up that many "big plays" in a half.

Both teams' offenses have been dominated by running games this season but both clubs have gotten all most all of their offense via the air.

I can't imagine Poly is bailing on its running game quite yet, even with as big and quick as the Pacers are.

The Jackrabbits get the ball to start the third quarter, so we shall see.

Grant quarterback Kipeli Koniseti just burned Poly's secondary again, connecting with Howard Warren for a spectacular pass and catch to the Jackrabbits' 1 on 4th-and-16, with Koniseti punching in on the next play to give the Pacers a 13-0 advantage.

Poly is in trouble, boys and girls.

The Jackrabbits are very fortunate to only be trailing 7-0 at the end of the first quarter of the Open Division State title game at the Home Depot Center.

Poly's offense has stalled on each of its three possessions and Sacramento Grant has hit the Jackrabbits' defense for two big plays, but only one resulted in a touchdown.

After a quarter, Grant looks a lot better than some people told me it was.

Things got a bit more precarious than they needed to be in the final seconds but Centennial is the new CIF State D-I football champion, courtesy its 21-16 victory over Concord De La Salle tonight.

I'd be curious to know what the Fox Sports Prime Ticket broadcast crew had to say about Centennial's decision to take an intentional safety with 7.8 seconds to go.

After a couple of laterals on the ensuing kickoff return, the Spartans came fairly close to breaking it all the way for a touchdown --- a la Cal against Stanford all of those years ago -- that would have snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory for the team from Riverside.

The gut feeling after watching the game: Centennial was considerably more talented and would have won by two-to-three TDs if not for a handful of miscues.

But it goes that way sometimes, right?

Derek Perio blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt by Centennial's Trevor Romaine and the Spartans cling to football life . . .

They have the ball on their on 31 with 3:18 remaining and trail, 21-14.

The Huskies sure do execute their no-huddle offense in rapid-fire fashion.

Arthur Burns just scored from 2 yards out to cap an 84-yard drive and put Centennial back up, 21-14, with 2:25 to go in the third quarter.

That was a sweet, grind-it-out, 59 yards on 13 plays drive that ended in a 1-yard score by quarterback Blake Wayne of De La Salle.

De La Salle played better in the second quarter, offensively and defensively, cut couldn't put a dent in its deficit.

The second half is about to starter and Centennial will kick off. It is10:01 p.m.

This baby isn't going to be over until 11-something . . .

Wow . . . Corona Centennial is dominating Concord De La Salle after one quarter, although the team from Northern California only trails, 14-7.

Centennial has outgained De La Salle, 161-18. Athletically, the Huskies have been overwhelming over the first 12 minutes.

St. Margaret's "held on" to knock off Hamilton Union, 59-7, for the first-ever California Small Schools championship.

If you plan to come to the Home Depot Center Saturday for the Poly-Sacramento Grant game, I'd suggest you dress appropriately, as in "dress warmly".

It's cold here right now, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen . . .

I got a buzz cut the other day ("0" guard-type buzz) and I made a monstrous mistake in wearing a woolen cap or, perhaps, my Nike "skull" cap.

I'm such a Southern Californian, from head to toe. The temperature hits the low 50s and I freak . . .

I've seen some athletic events that have been so one-sided as to border on the absurd.

The St. Margaret's (San Juan Capistrano) vs. Hamilton Union (Hamilton City, near Chico) State Small Schools Division championship game going on right now at the Home Deport Center may top them all in the absurdity department, however.

At halftime it's St. Margaret's 52-zip . . . and the score is truly indicative of the Tartans' superiority.
The lads from South Orange County have 337 yards and 16 first down to the Braves' 78 and four.

The Division I game that will be played in a couple of hours, Corona Centennial vs. Concord De La Salle, should be worth enduring this one for, though.

Oh, by the way . . . how is everyone doing on their Christmas shopping?

Most everyone in the media (and coaches I know) believes Poly will knock off Grant in the California State Open Division title game in the Home Depot Center on Saturday night.

Take a look and see if I agree . . .

SACRAMENTO GRANT (13-0) vs. POLY (14-0), Home Depot Center, Saturday, 8 p.m., Fox Sports Prime Ticket
THE MATCHUP: Those who know infinitely more about the topic than I do believe that Grant is playing the biggest football game in the history of Sacramento. Certainly, the Pacers will want to prove wrong those who are insistent that Concord De La Salle should be representing Northern California in the game. They average 517 yards per game and 50 points per game but, obviously, their high-powered offense hasn't faced a defense like the that will line up on the other side of the line of scrimmage Saturday night. You need only about four or five fingers to add up the "big plays" Poly's defense has allowed over the past couple of seasons, so the Pacers will likely have to execute time-consuming drives in order to score and keep Poly's offense off the field. If the Jackrabbits can string together two halves of solid offense for the first time in the playoffs, this game could get a bit lopsided.
FRANK SAYS: Poly prevails, 31-14, to finish 15-0 and win the program's first state title in 89 years and keep the Jackrabbits for various No. 1 ratings throughout the country.

Lakewood High defensive lineman Talia Crichton committed to the University of Washington football program Thursday night, Lancers' Coach Thadd MacNeal said Friday morning.

According to MacNeal, new Huskies' head coach Steve Sarkisian visited the home of Crichton and his family Thursday night and Crichton committed to Sarkisian (recently hired away from USC's staff) during the meeting.

The 6-4, 245-pound Crichton is an all-Moore League and all-CIF selection.

Ian Sellar just banged in a 31-yard goal and Tesoro is up 17-7 with 9:40 to go.

Poly is two scores down. This will take a monumental comeback to overcome that deficit with the way the Jackrabbits' offense has operated.

There must have been some kind of breakdown in the Poly secondary. Whatever happened, Tesoro took advantage and Robbie Picazo and Brett Gudim hooked up for 52 yards and the go-ahead TD.

Titans 14-7, with 2:03. That's called snatching the momentum back in a hurry!

That was one of Poly's better marches of the playoffs.

Morgan Fennell, Cory Westbrook and, finally, Melvin Richardson (for 22 yards and the TD with 4:36 to go) had big runs on the march.

. . . or else its season will be over after two more quarters.

The Jackrabbits have a net of just 47 yards while Tesoro has 105.

But the Titans have dominated both the ball and field position.

Poly may have to force turnovers deep in Tesoro territory or return a punt to score, unless its offense can get clicking in a hurry.

Tesoro is up 7-0 and finally capitalized on its dominance in field position. Preston King's wide receiver pass to quarterback Robbie Picazo, putting the ball on the 2, was the key play.

But Tesoro is dominating the "field position" battle and has the ball at the Poly 35, second and 7, as the second quarter is about to start.

Poly's offense was held to 18 yards in the first quarter . . .

Poly has two possessions, Tesoro one . . . not much offense so far.

But the Titans have great field position (at the Poly 38), with a timeout with 4:32 to go in the first quarter.

Now I remember why I always thought Angel Stadium (aka, "Anaheim Stadium") isn't "football friendly", at least from the media's perspect.

The press box perspective of the field is from just behind the back of the one of the end zones, from the back line extended.

Oh, well. They have replay monitors here.

As of now, I'd sad the Tesoro fans/rooters outnumber Poly's by at least 2-1 . . .

It's supposedly go to start raining by about 9. The field looks is solid shape (it's natural turf).

Talk to you in a bit . . .

The Southern Division championship game didn't receive quite the media buildup throughout most of the Southland (though it did in the Press-Telegram, of course) as did some of the other finals this week.

But I don't think many of the other championship games will prove to be as well-played and competitive as the one I just witnessed -- beneath a very bright moon and in some fairly brisk Norwalk air -- during which Laguna Hills edged Mayfair, 28-21.

I think the Monsoons might have come out on top of all of their running backs were healthy. Dominique Small wasn't in uniform after suffering a concussion in the semifinal with Corona del Mar and Keith Harvey went out early tonight with some of injury to his left leg.

That left Ronald Kennedy Jr. to carry the load and he did a very good job, with 160 yards and two TDs on 26 carries.

But the Hawks were too physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage and they stung the Monsoons twice on trick plays on passes, both ending up with wide receiver A.J. Martin for long-gainers (including a TD strike of 50 yards).

The player who made the most impact in the game, though, was Laguna Hills quarterback Robert Refsnyder. He threw only five passes but completed three of them for 42 yards, including an eight-yard score to Michael McCullough after a beautiful play-action fake.

He also scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run and ran for a couple of first downs on the clock-killing, and championship-clinching, final possession for the Hawks.

All in all, it was a nice way to spend a Friday night in a facility that has become my favorite place at which to watch football games.

I said two first downs on the last possession would cinch the Southern Division championships for Laguna Hills High and the Hawks got three of them to secure the 28-21 victory.

In a word, Laguna Hills quarterback/safety Robert Refsnyder is a "stud".

The Monsoons will look back at this one and bemoan being burned on two "trick" pass plays by the top-ranked and now 14-0 Hawks.

I'll give you some final (and unofficial) stats in a few minutes.

The Hawks just need to pick up a couple of first downs and they will be CIF champions.

Third and five for LH from its 32 with 3:19 and Mayfair has taken its second timeout.

Ronald Kennedy, who has been the bulk of the Mayfair offense this half, was down for a while after a 13-yard game for a first down to the Mayfair 39. But he's back up and on the sidelines.

Robert Refsnyder sprinted out to the left for four yards and a TD and Laguna Hills now leads, 28-21, with 7:27 to go.

One more stop could win this for the Hawks.

Laguna Hills held Ronald Kennedy short on fourth down and takes over on its 32 with 9:15 to go.

This game is FLYING . . . of course, I say that, and we'll end up going a couple of OTs.

It's tied at 21 and Mayfair has the ball on its 43, first and 10.

A sweet play-action pass went for eight yards from Robert Refsnyder to Michael McCullough and the score is tied at 21 with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter.

Some nice running by Ronald Kennedy set up a 1-yard scoring dive by Jimmy Ohiri with 6:06 to play in the third quarter. Nathan Silva's kick makes it 21-14.

Andre Allen intercepted a pass and returned it to the Hawks' 38-yard line with about eight minutes to go in the third quarter.

Flanker A.J. Martin took a lateral from quarterback Robert Refsnyder and threw a touchdown pass to Shawn Tucker, who caught the ball all alone and in stride at about the 25 for a 50-yard play with 10:32 to go in the third quarter.

Uncle Mo is all on Laguna Hills' side right now.

Mayfair is in front, 14-7.

At this rate, the game should be over at, say, about 9:45ish . . .

Yes, the moon is pretty bright but doesn't look quite as imposing as I had imagined it would.

The teams have combined for only six pass attempts (five of those by Mayfair), which keeps the clock running.

The Monsoons lost one of their best offensive weapons when Ken Harvey went to the sidelines early with some sort of injury to his left leg but both Ronald Kennedy and quarterback Jimmy Ohiri have run pretty well.

Laguna Hills is a pretty physical team and its backs are strong and run hard but hardn't explosive, speed-wise.

Here are some halftime stats:
The Monsoons have 19 carries (10 by Kennedy) for 99 yards (64 by Kennedy), while Ohiri has completed two passes for 33 yards, including the 24-yard scoring hookup with Brandon Wolford.

The unbeaten and top-ranked Hawks have 23 rushes (11 by Browning) for a net of 77 yards (39 by Browning).

Quarterback Robert Refsnyder, who is also an impressive safety on defense, has completed his only pass attempt for 14 yards to John Helmuth.

Laguna Hills will received the kickoff to open the third quarter, which is now about seven minutes away . . .

. . . on a 2-yard run by Derek Browning with a minute to go in the half and Richard Hogan's extra point.

17-yard, 7-play drive for the Hawks after a shanked punt. You see everything in high school football!

The Monsoons struck again, on a 24-yard scoring pass from Jimmy Ohiri to a wide open Brandon Woford on 4th-and-2, with 9:56 to go.

Wow....that was quick. The first quarter was played in about 23 minutes.

The Monsoons are controlling things so far and have the ball at the Laguna Hills 37 to start the second stanza.

Harvey is on the bench and doesn't look like he's coming back.

. . . the Monsoons have scored on 12-yard run by Ronald Kennedy Jr. with 8:28 remaining. Nathan Silva's kick made it 7-0.

Mayfair High running back Keith Harvey is being tended to on the field after being tackled at the Laguna Hills 21-yard line with 8:55 to go in the first quarter.

He is now being helped off the field and he is favoring (as in, not walking on it) his left leg.

If he can't go the rest of the night, it's a blow for the Monsoons.

. . . and there maybe 300+fans on the Laguna Hills side of the stadium now. There looks like a few hundred folks are lined up in front of ticket booth and spilling into the parking lot.

There is quite a Press-Telegram presence in the press box, by the way:

There is me (Frank), Bob Keisser and the "Daves", Werstine and Felton.

Maybe we'll have a staff meeting at halftime.

I ate my pre-game meal at Lucille's on South Street, near the 605. I didn't know it had been converted from a Hof's Hut until a few weeks ago.

Tri-tip . . . love it!

Kickoff is about here!

The Mayfair and Laguna Hills football teams are on the spiffy Falcon Stadium synthetic turf, preparing for the 7:30 kickoff of their Southern Division championship game.

There are probably 1,000 Mayfair fans here already and, perhaps, three or four dozen of their Laguna Hills counterparts.

Believe me, I know all about driving from Laguna Niguel or Laguna Hills to the 562 area code at this time of night. It's a chore.

Press-Telegram Sports Editor Joe Haakenson just called me and mentioned that tonight is supposed to be the brightest full moon in 15 years.

Sweet!

OK, Poly and Tesoro followers alike, dig into this one and let me know what you think . . .

TESORO (13-0/No. 3 seed) vs. POLY (13-0/No. 1 seed), Saturday, Angel Stadium, 7:30 p.m./Fox Sports Prime Ticket
THE MATCHUP: It's the first large school division final in the Southern Section with unbeatens since Poly and Mater Dei also met with 13-0 records in the Big Five title game in the Coliseum in 1997. The Jackrabbits prevailed in that tilt, 28-25. Neither team knocked out one of the other two top-four seeds, but Poly beat Lakewood (which defeated No. 4 Servite in the first round, 35-34) last week and Tesoro handled Orange Lutheran (which toppled No. 2 Notre Dame, 24-14, in the second round).
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The game pits teams with two of the three best defenses in the Southern Section (I'd throw St. Bonaventure's into the mix as well). But the teams' offenses are dissimilar. Tesoro, led by quarterback Robbie Picazo, running back Zach Mitchell and multi-faceted wide receiver Preston King (he will also play cornerback and return kicks) is capable of exploiting defenses on the ground and via Picazo's right arm. The Jackrabbits, of course, have been almost exclusively a running team, led by the combination of Melvin Richardson and Daveon Barner.
The keys? Here we go: 1. How well can the mammoth and dominant offensive line of Tesoro pass- and run-block against the quickest and most relentless defense the Titans have seen? If Coach Brian Barnes' team can mount an effective running attack and give Picazo enough time to pick out his sure-handed receivers, Tesoro will score three or four times and that should be enough to enable the Titans to do a lot of post-game celebrating, and, 2. Can Richardson and/or Barner break off two or three scoring runs Saturday night? If the Titans are allowed to clog the Poly running lanes, that is going to be a difficult chore. Jackrabbits' quarterback Morgan Fennell isn't going to have to fill the Anaheim air with 20 to 25 passes, like Picazo could very well do. But Poly's offense will need at least some element of passing success against the Titans in order to complete defense of its Pac-5 title.
FRANK SAYS: Consecutive Tesoro victories over Mater Dei and (especially) Orange Lutheran, combined with the three hair-raising wins Coach Raul Lara's Hares have pulled out have probably put the Titans in position of favorites in this game in the minds of many. The outcome of this game is every bit as difficult to project as was the Poly-Lakewood contest.
But, I'll call it . . . Poly 17, Tesoro 14

I know I promised I'd offer my take on the Pac-5 title game between Poly and Tesoro Saturday night in Angel Stadium by Thursday.

Oh, well . . . a healthy dose of computer problems (the worst possible ones, if you're familiar with the terms "corrupt hard drive" and "I haven't backed up anything in a long time) over the past couple of days have slowed down the decision-making process on my projected outcome of the game.

But it's coming . . . later this morning.

In the meantime, I'm thankful that stepdaughter Staci Self has an extra laptop I can borrow, and good buddy Jose Hernandez has some nifty computer wits.

In the first semifinal of the Tournament of Champions at Ocean View High in Huntington Beach Thursday night, two of the best teams in the state hooked up and L.A. City power Westchester outlasted Southern Section member Etiwanda, 50-45, in as competitive and defense-oriented game as you'll see in the first few weeks of a season.

Five-ten senior point guard Dominique O'Connor --- easily the best player over the first four days of the events --- scored 25 points and made every critical play for the Comets, who won t, e tourney last year will next meet the winner of the other semifinal (Ocean View and Leuzinger, played tonight at 8:30) for the championship Saturday evening at 7:30.

Here's a schedule of at least some of the games played Friday:
At Lakewood: 4:20, Lakewood vs. Hemet West Valley; 8:30, Jordan vs. Bakersfield Garces.
At Ocean View: 3, Serra vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame; 4:20, Phoenix St. Mary's vs. Centennial; 5:40, Poly vs. Clovis West; 7, Rancho Verde vs. Pacific Hills; 8:30, Leuzinger vs. Ocean View.

The Jordan High boys' basketball team held a three-point advantage in the third quarter Tuesday night before eventually falling to L.A. City power Westchester, 69-49, in a second-round game of the Ocean View High Tournament of Champions.

Will Ervin led the Panthers (5-1) with 13 points while Stephan Heard added 11.

Slick and quick point guard Dominique O'Connor paced the 6-0 Comets with 26 points. He'll have a lot of college offers this spring.

Here is a schedule to today's games:
At Ocean View
Consolation: 3:30, Centennial vs. Peninsula.
Second-round: 5, Pasadena vs. Etiwanda; 6:30, Ocean View vs. Poly; 8, Leuzinger vs. Clovis West.

At Lakewood
Consolation: 3:30, Gardena vs. Notre Dame; 5, Phoenix St. Mary's vs. Birmingham; 6:30, Harvard Westlake vs. Serra.
Quarterfinal: 8, Westchester vs. Rancho Verde.

The Poly High Jackrabbits take on Penisula this afternoon 3 o'clock at Ocean View High's Tournament of Champions in Huntington Beach.

And the 8:30 game tonight will be one to head to H.B. for as well.

The Jordan Panthers slipped by Harvard-Westlake (70-66) in overtime Monday night to improve to 5-0 earn a spot in the 8:30 game tonight against L.A. City power Westchester, which coasted by an wildly overmatched Costa Mesa team in a first-round game Monday night.

Check back on the blog later tonight for a report on the Panthers' game with the Comets, as it will not be over until past the Press-Telegram's print deadline for the Wednesday morning paper.

The best boys' basketball tournament in Southern California is the Tournament of Champions, and hosted by Ocean View High in Huntington Beach, and it gets underway Monday afternoon and runs thru Saturday night.

Some of the event's games will held at Lakewood High on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

There are 23 teams in the event and it's a no-misser if you're a serious high school hoops fan.

Monday and Tuesday's first-round matchups:
MONDAY
(at Ocean View) 3, Centennial vs. Ocean View; 4:20, Pasadena vs. Gardena; 5:40, Rancho Verde vs. Serra; 7, West Valley vs. Pacific Hills; 8:30, Westchester vs. Costa Mesa.
(at Lakewood) 6:30, Lakewood vs. Bakersfield Garces; 8, Jordan vs. Harvard-Westlake.

TUESDAY
(at Ocean View) 3, Peninsula vs. Poly; 4:20, Leuzinger vs. Phoenix St. Mary's; 5:40, Birmingham vs. Fresno Clovis West; 7, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame vs. Etiwanda.

The Poly High Jackrabbits now know who they will be playing in Angel Stadium next Saturday night in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Divison title game:

It is the Tesoro Titans who improved to 13-0 tonight with a stunningly lopsided 42-14 victory over Orange Lutheran.

Here's a couple of questions I hope to get answers to ASAP:

1) When was the last time two public schools have played in the Southern Section's championship game in its large-school division (in this case Pac-5)?

2) When was the last time two unbeaten squads have played in the same division?

I'd have both answers right now if I had hung on to the CIF SS championship program I got in the Home Depot Center last year when Poly played Crespi in the Pac-5 final.

Poly held on after scoring what proved to be the final 20 points of the game to knock off Moore League rival Lakewood, 20-10, at Cerritos College.

That means the defending champion Jackrabbits will take a 25-game winning streak into Anaheim Stadium next Saturday night in the Pac-5 championship game, against either Orange Lutheran or Tesoro, who hook up in Santa Ana Stadium Saturday night.

This game certainly lived up to its hype. It was a tandy.

Stanjarivus McKay picked Jesse Scroggins and on the next play Melvin Richardson scored from 36 yards out for Poly. Two minutes to go and Jackrabbits seem to have it under control.

Sophomore Alan Roniss kicked a 21-yard field goal with 3:02 remaining, Poly is up and kicking off.

Darius Williams-Fox intercepted Jesse Scroggins at the Poly 35 and returned the ball to the Lakewood 20.

Jackrabbits' ball there, 6:04 to, score still tied at 10.

6:30 to go, score tied at 10.

The Jackrabbits have first down at Lakewood 48, 7:36 to go.

And Lancers have it at their 24, 8:49 to go.

And George Daily-Lyles of Poly recovers Jerry Stone's fumble at Poly's 21 with 11:48 to go!

It's still tied at 10 but the Lancers have a second-and-11 at midfield.

This is going to be a nail-biting final 12 minutes, I think.

It's just of a capacity crowd, by the way.

Melvin Richardson powered in from 1 yard out and David's Skara's kick tied the score at 10 with 3:49 to go.

Skara was roughed on the PAT and he has been helped from the field. I'm not sure he's kicking the rest of the night which would be a blow for the Jackrabbits.

POly lost a fumble deep into Lakewood territory but now has it at teh Lakewood 48.

. . . Lakewood is in front, 10-3.

Jesse Scroggins threw for Tofi Tiedermann into the end zone on the final two plays of the first half but Poly broke up both passes.

Lakewood has dominated play, more or less. And the Lancers' have had the Jackrabbits' defense on its heels most of the way.

Jerry Stone has gained 100 yards on 12 carries. Scroggins is 6 of 12 passing for 51 yards, eight of those going to Kevin Anderson for the only touchdown of the game.

The Lancers have 180 yards in offense to the Jackrabbits' 63 (including a 14-yard loss when the ball was jarred loose from Poly quarterback Morgan Fennell but Poly recovered).

The Lancers defense stiffened but David Skara banged in a 45-yard field goal to get Poly within seven with 4:22 to go in the half.

Jesse Scroggins completes an 8-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Anderson. Jerry Stone has rushed for 94 yards on 11 carries.

David Skara missed a 29-yard field goal for the Rabbits.

The second quarter is about to start, with Lakewood on its own 21, second and nine to go for a first down.

A Lakewood punt is shanked and Poly has ball at Lancers 15.

Lakewood drove to the Poly 6 1/2 but had to settle for a 25-yard field by Jesus Orozco.

Lakewood, after taking opening kickoff, has the ball at the Poly 29 after a 21-yard run by Jerry Stone. Timeout Lancers, 9:13 to go.

The crowd is still filling into Falcons' Stadium at Cerritos College, five minutes before kickoff of the Poly-Lakewood CIF Southern Section Pac-5 football semifinal tonight.

Right now, the Lancers' side (east) is about 2/3 filled, with Poly's about 3/4.

If they place seats 12,000 ....there's probably 7-8,000 here right now.

Poly supposedly sold about 2,000 tickets on campus during the week.

P.S. Poly won the coin flip and deferred, and Lakewood will be getting the opening kickoff.

Pac-5 semifinal previews, beginning with, of course . . .
POLY (12-0) vs. LAKEWOOD (10-2 "on field"), Friday, 7, at Cerritos College
FRANK SAYS: The Jackrabbits apparently were pretty banged up on both the offensive and defensive sides of the line of scrimmage last Saturday night when they were playing (and squeaking by) Esperanza. Without knowing, definitively, who will or will not play or might not play at close to 100 percent Friday night, for either team, these comments will be based on the assumption that all key players, for both teams, will play. So, here goes:
Lakewood's offense has been nothing short of phenomenal against Wilson, Compton, Servite and Mission Viejo since running back Jerry Stone returned to the lineup. Classmate Jesse Scroggins is one of the best junior quarterbacks in Southern California. And I thought the Lancers' offensive line played with a lot more discipline and precision against Mission Viejo than it did when I watched the team's game with Wilson three weeks before. Of course, the Lancers haven't played a defense as formidable as the one they will see at Falcons' Stadium since the team's first meeting with Poly (won by the Jackrabbits, 32-15, with Stone ineligible and in street clothes) on Oct. 3 at Lakewood High.
No one in Southern California has a trio of running backs like the ones that the Poly can put on the field in Melvin Richardson, Daveon Barner and Cory Westbrook and they will get yardage Friday night. But if the Jackrabbits' offense is "too" one-dimensional, an underrated Lakewood defense - which controlled a one-dimensional, on the passing side, Mission Viejo offense last week - could keep the trio from running amok. That's why Poly's Morgan Fennell has to hit on just enough passes to keep the Lancers from playing things too tight to the line of scrimmage. And, over two seasons, he has shown he is capable of doing just that.
Of course, as in every football game, the team that doesn't turn the ball over and doesn't commit an inordinate number of penalties will have a very big advantage.
One last factor to consider: How much of a role will "history" - namely, Poly's 79-game winning streak against Moore League opponents and the Lancers' failure to beat the Jackrabbits since 1982 - play in the minds of the players on both teams?
PROJECTION: Gee, that was a bit long-winded, wasn't it? So many athletic events that attract this much hyperbole fail to live up to expectations, esthetically (after all, either Poly or Lakewood players, coaches and supporters are going to be very happy, regardless of how the game is played Friday night). I think this one will justify the hype. And the winner could be . . .
Poly, 16-14, courtesy a David Skara game-deciding field goal.

TESORO (12-0) vs. ORANGE LUTHERAN (10-2), Saturday, 7:30, at Santa Ana Stadium (Prime Ticket will televise live)
FRANK SAYS: The result of this one is every bit as difficult to project as the game that will be played Friday night. Of course, in the toughest playoff conference in Southern California, would you expect anything else? Both teams have exceptional defenses and balanced offenses led by underrated quarterbacks (Robbie Picazo of Tesoro and Bobby Wheatley of the Lancers). The best all-around player in the stadium will be the Titans' Preston King, a wide receiver/defensive back who is the leading candidate to be Orange County's Player of the Year. The team that wins this game is the one that can run the ball consistently well.
PROJECTION: Tesoro, 24-17, as King scores on a reception and interception.

It's official: The Poly vs. Lakewood CIF Southern Section Pac-5 semifinal football game will be played at Cerritos College Friday night at 7 o'clock.

Well, at least there is no doubt about the site.

If Fox Sports decides to telecast the game (the decision should come today), it will kick off at 7:30.

Tickets will be on sale at both campuses this week. That's probably the way to go, as well. Things could get a bit crowded at the ticket booths Friday night!