Results matching “francis” from High School Sports Blog -- From The Sidelines with Miguel Melendez

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF FRIDAY'S ST. FRANCIS-LOYOLA SOCCER MATCH

Loyola (11-6-4, 5-1-2) forward Larry Garcia was unmanned when the ball ricochetted off an initial shot attempt and landed in front of him. His shot from 18 yards out curved inside the far post in the 61st minute to break the scoreless tie. "Ironic that the first good chance they got they put it away," Appels said. "Obviously we needed to have a guy on him, but that ball could have fallen to 20 guys and it fell to the one guy who put it away. But credit to him for having the composure to bend the ball in." St. Francis (7-10-2, 5-4-2) was riding a 3-game winning streak in which the Golden Knights outscored their opponents 13-2. The loss proved more disappointing because St. Francis wanted to honor one of its fallen players. Austin Frank, a sophomore midfielder, broke his leg earlier in the week. He had surgery Thursday and will miss the rest of the season. Tempers flared late in the second half when St. Francis defender Andrew Blunk collided with Loyola's Andre Brown. Blunk tried to get off Brown, but then pushed him to the ground. An upset Brown quickly got to his feet and raced right after Blunk before being separated. Blunk got a yellow card, but returned moments later. St. Francis closes the season Monday at Crespi, and the Golden Knights likely will make the CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs as the third-place team out of the Mission League. St. Francis hopes to catch fire like it did last season when as the fourth-place team advanced to the semifinals. It went on to earn a berth into the CIF Southern California Regionals where it beat Cathedral of San Diego to claim the SoCal crown.

From soccer to basketball, final playoff spots are up for grabs and tonight we have a list of where to find those games. We start with boys soccer, where No. 1 St. Francis puts its three-game winning streak on the line when it visits Mission League rival Loyola today at 3:15 p.m. I will be there to cover the action. St. Francis scored 13 goals in its last three games and allowed only two. The Golden Knights currently are in third place behind second-place Loyola and first-place Harvard-Westlake. The host Cubs are hoping to avenge their 1-0 loss to St. Francis earlier in the season. St. Francis got off to a slow start but may have gotten some wind after beating Loyola. The Knights are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Joel Ingram has two goals and four assists the last two games to lead St. Francis, and Max Cadena has had a strong showing defensively. What people have to remember is St. Francis is a young team. The Knights start a couple sophomores and for the first time in 10 years, St. Francis starts two freshman on varsity. "We don't have any room for errors," St. Francis coach Glen Appels said. "But it's a real testament to these guys and see how they've pushed through and really turned it around. We really grew up during the season." St. Francis visits Crespi on Monday to close out the season.

In boys basketball, Keppel (19-4, 6-1) visits Almont League rival Montebello (24-1, 7-0) and hopes to take a share of the league crown. The Aztecs are seeking to avenge a 60-59 loss earlier in the season. In the Rio Hondo League, La Canada (18-5, 6-1) visits Monrovia (9-10, 5-2) in what potentially can be another tight game for the Wildcats. Monrovia twice in two weeks was part of a frantic game that almost saw the Wildcats losing in the final seconds. In the Pacific League, Muir (9-13, 4-7) is hoping to take down Arcadia (13-11, 6-5) for the league's fourth and final playoff spot. Muir has not made the playoffs in four years. The Mustangs are coming off a 57-52 win over Glendale. Adream Hayes had 12 points and 16 rebounds to help lead the way. Sophomore guard Justin Knowles lead Muir in scoring with 15 points while Deshawn Hayes had 11 points and 10 rebounds. "It is an exciting time for Mustang basketball and our kids are sky high right now," Muir coach Gamal Smalley said. "We are looking forward to a great game against a strong Arcadia team on Friday night."

If you're out at a game tonight, post the score here and gives us your insights. I'd love to hear what you think of the landscape as we get set to close out the league season.

Our many thanks to ESPN's director of public relations Crystal Howard who allowed Star-News photographer Sarah Reingewirtz and myself to capture every moment of Dietrich Riley's big day as he announced Wednesday on ESPNU that he would sign with UCLA. From Dietrich Riley's arrival to ESPN studios in Los Angeles to the moment he walked out of the interview room, we captured it all. Also, many thanks to Dietrich's mother, Marika McWhorter, who played an instrumental part in letting us be part of the process, not just in the last few weeks, but since Dietrich's rise a few years ago, granting interviews and giving us insight into the life of Dietrich Riley and what turned him into the young man he is. Our many thanks to St. Francis coach Jim Bonds who answered my calls even when he was screening them the last couple weeks because, well, you know why. Riley's high school season doesn't end, however. He's on the basketball team where the Golden Knights celebrated Senior Night on Wednesday. After that, Riley moves on to track before putting on jersey No. 4 for the UCLA Bruins. This truly is the beauty about covering high school sports, watching athletes you covered throughout their career and watch them go on to do bigger and better things. I can't count how many current pro athletes I've covered in my nearly 10 years as a sportswriter. To be able to watch TV or look from the bleachers, and say, I covered that kid. Simply the best.

Below: Dietrich Riley meets well over a dozen relatives and coaches as he arrives at ESPN followed by a camera crew from EA Sports which is doing a documentary of Riley. To Riley's left is his grandfather Samuel McWhorter and uncle Tom Short to his right.

Below: Dietrich checks his earpiece one more time before the door closes and is moments away from going on the air to announce where he'll play college football.

Below: Family reacts to Dietrich's decision to play at UCLA. From left, Dietrich's mother Marika, grandmother Margaret McWhorter, uncle Darron McWhorter, and St. Francis football coach Jim Bonds. Only five members of Riley's party could follow Riley to the fourth floor. Fortunately, Sarah and I already had received clearance, so we were not included in the five members Marika had to choose from. It was tough because Dietrich had so much family there. But the five chosen were a good call. Gotta have mom and grandma, of course. Darron practically raised Dietrich, getting him so into football and taking him to practice since almost the very beginning. Also part of the group was Kenneth Edwards, Dietrich's cousin who is like a brother to him. He is not pictured.

Below: Dietrich exits the interview room and is greeted by cheers and applause. He gets hugs and handshakes from everyone there. After, our fine host gave us a look at the SportsCenter set. It looks smaller than on TV.

Below: Riley gives grandma a big hug and a kiss. It was funny because we were all crammed in the elevator on the way up, and she looked at me and said, 'I know you. You're the reporter who writes all those articles. You're good.'" I was flattered, of course. She's a big fan she says.

Below: Dietrich is elated and glad it's all over. He stressed the recruiting process was overwhelming and plenty fun, but at times it was a bit too much. He turns on his cell phone as soon as he's done hugging everyone and of course his phone is blowing up. Text messages and phone calls up the ying yang. He gets a call from UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel and says: "You look good on TV buddy. You put on the right hat" before the call cuts off near the elevator.

Below: Dietrich is embraced by his fellow coaches. The EA Sports crew is outside with camera pointing at Riley. It's a bit of a commotion because our Sarah is snapping away as the crowd eating nearby looks on and are happy, too. Two women who I have no idea who they were started taking pictures on their Blackberrys, then shook hands and congratulated Dietrich. Maybe they see a star on the rise.

Below: If a picture's worth a thousand words, well, here it is ....

*UPDATE* Coming Thursday morning on the blog, "Life of Riley," a photo essay following Dietrich Riley at ESPN studios in Los Angeles.

*UPDATE* As you know by now, St. Francis' Dietrich Riley is headed to UCLA. I was there along with our photographer Sarah Reingewirtz. We were the lone media outlet allowed to go upstairs with Riley, his mother Marika McWhorter, grandmother Margaret McWhorter, uncle Darron McWhorter and cousin Kenneth Edwards. Riley's well-over a dozen family and friends waited in the lobby and watched it all unfold on TV. Riley's set lofty expectations for his first season with UCLA, where he's going to help run the Wildcat formation. Ultimately, Riley felt comfortable with UCLA and felt he belonged, a stark difference from his other trips. After I'm done writing my Signing Day story I'll provide more insight on Riley's announcement and the scenery at ESPN L.A.

By the way ... I was right. UCLA it was.

Below: Dietrich Riley goes through some sound testing before going on the air. The rest of us waited in the green room.

*UPDATE* Dietrich Riley tweeted an hour ago that it feels like NFL Draft day. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but I'm sure this is a huge day for Riley and his family. He also tweeted that the school he's picking will come from the Pac-10, meaning Notre Dame and LSU are now out of the picture. It's down to UCLA and USC. Click here to follow me on Twitter!!!

Myself and a photographer got clearance late last night from ESPN to follow St. Francis' Dietrich Riley to be at the L.A. studio when he makes his announcement at 1:30 p.m. on ESPNU. My guess is he'll be wearing Blue & Gold next year, but nothing ever is for sure until recruits put it on paper and sign. Riley, a four-star recruit, is one of the most coveted recruits the WSGV has had in quite a while. With well over 30 scholarship offers, Riley narrowed his list to UCLA, USC, Notre Dame and LSU. We reported last week that Riley has UCLA on the top of his list. We'll have the latest when and bring it to you when it becomes available. But we know Riley is not the only local signing today. Muir's Jarron Williams is signing with Portland State and Alhambra's Mitchell Crockom signed this morning with Idaho. Muir's Taylar Mills (track) is also signing, and she's headed to UNLV. I will be leaving for L.A. around noon, and won't be back til around 2:30 p.m., so I'm asking all AD's and coaches to e-mail or call me about their players if they're signing today so they can be included in our Signing Day story.

Below: St. Francis coach Jim Bonds and Dietrich Riley pose for a picture on the set of SportsCenter Los Angeles.

The highly-celebrated National Signing Day is Wednesday, Feb. 3. We are closely following Dietrich Riley of St. Francis and where he'll end up playing next season. My money's on UCLA, though Notre Dame, LSU and USC are very much in the running. But we know Riley's not the only player signing this Wednesday. This is a call out to all coaches and athletic directors who know of an athlete signing Wednesday. If so, be sure to e-mail me at miguel.melendez@sgvn.com and let me know. We want to include your athlete in our Signing Day story so please let us know!

St. Francis' Dietrich Riley was one of four athletes who took part in a roundtable interview prior to the 2010 Under Armour All-American Game. Here's an answer that got me smiling a bit, though I'm sure I'm a part of the reason Riley dislikes most about the crazy recruiting process:

Question: What was the worst experience you've had during the recruiting process?

Dietrich Riley: I must say the reporters. That was really, really stressful and it came to a point where I was tired and wanted to announce early. They would call me during finals week, I couldn't get any of my work done. They would just continually bug me to the point where I would just turn my phone off. I ended up changing my number and not telling anyone and all the reporters would hit me up on Facebook and ask me why I haven't been answering their calls or returning emails and I would just lie and say 'I don't have a phone', but I did.

Guilty. Though I must say, I tried really hard not to wear him down with calling and texting. Also, the Star-News makes a cameo in the interview. To read the interview in its entirety, click here.

I had a chat with St. Francis' Dietrich Riley earlier today and he said UCLA was at the top of his list, but emphasized it's not necessarily where he'll sign to play football next season. The announcement will come next week on ESPN.

National signing day is Wednesday, and Riley was invited to announce his decision in front of a national audience. The reigning Star-News Player of the Year is one of the most sought-after players in the nation, with UCLA, USC, Notre Dame and LSU to be the final four contenders hoping to land the prized recruit; Mississippi and Washington came too late in the process, Riley's mother, Marika McWhorter, said. Riley will take his last trip when he officially visits USC on Friday.

The biggest surprise came when UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow and four other UCLA assistants sat down with Riley during a 45-minute on Wednesday to discuss using Riley on offense as well as on defense. Think Wildcat formation.

That's what UCLA plans on doing should Riley end up there. Notre Dame and LSU are said to have proposed the same, though there was some friction between LSU's offensive and defensive coordinator when the pitch was made.

UCLA, however, went well into detail about using Riley's prowess on offense.

"They said they want me to play the Wildcat and they were going to put in a special package for me," Riley said. "I'd be playing quarterback, running back and receiver. They want me to line up a couple routes. It won't be a lot of offense. Fifteen plays, maybe a little more to try to create some mismatches." Full story in Friday's paper.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly and two of his assistants strolled into the packed St. Francis gym last week when the Knights basketball team hosted Mission League foe Crespi. They were there to woo Dietrich Riley, a four-star coveted recruit with over a dozen Division I offers. It didn't matter that Riley isn't a starter on the basketball team or that he played little to no minutes. Kelly and his staff wanted to show him how important a recruit he was, and they wanted him bad. After the game, Riley, his mom and some family members met with Kelly for about an hour, and talked about Notre Dame's prestigious alumni association, among other things.

Riley's scheduled to make a trip to Ole Miss on Jan. 29 and has one official trip left to USC before the Feb. 3 signing day. Riley is still stinging from Florida giving him the silent treatment, according to the Orlando Sentinel. There are other variables one must consider before pinpointing where Riley may end up.

Tennessee was in pursuit a while back, but since then there's been little to no news about Lane Kiffin pushing for Riley to commit to the Vols. Of course a lot has happened since: Kiffin's unceremonious departure from Tennessee and his new gig at USC. Pete Carroll's departure to Seattle surely will affect Riley's thought process for committing to USC, too, and there's Loyola's Anthony Barr giving a verbal to UCLA. He's friends with Riley, and that could persuade Riley to jump on the Bruin wagon. It was said that Barr was all but headed to Notre Dame. So much for that theory. The guess here is, come Feb. 3, Riley will stay local and pick UCLA.

Above: St. Francis celebrating an impressive win over rival Loyola on Friday night.

Well, the verdict is in: St. Francis is still the No. 1 team in the WSGV. There's little, if any, evidence that proves otherwise. Friday was a good day for boys soccer. At 3 p.m. you had No. 2 La Cañada hosting No. 3 Monrovia. The Spartans won 2-0 to keep their Rio Hondo League record intact at 3-0. My honest opinion is the Wildcats had better individual talent, with Mathias Ibañez leading up front, but La Cañada was a much better team tactically and is fundamentally sound. Cameron Meeker and Matt Cañatta lead the way for the Spartans. Both draw plenty of attention and both found away to create scoring opportunities. First-year La Cañada coach Barry Riston is doing a wonderful job over there. Things may be different in the second-leg, but the site may not. Monrovia's field is currently under construction, meaning the second meeting could be played again at La Cañada High.

After the La Cañada game I headed over to St. Francis (4-8-1, 2-2-1) to check out the Golden Knights against rival Loyola (7-6-3, 1-1-1). The stands were packed and the crowd was boisterous as expected. St. Francis took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute of play after Christian Swart faked a defender and took another step inside the penalty area before unleashing a blistering shot into the far corner of the net. St. Francis lost quite a handful of players to the developmental academy, and they're not the sophisticated team it was last year when it went on to win the CIF Southern California Regional. But what they lack in sophistication the Golden Knights more than make it up with relentless effort. St. Francis outplayed Loyola in every facet of the game. The Golden Knights showed signs of great things to come. Sewart continually slipped through defenders and pressured the keeper. When Loyola did make a push up front, the Cubs were stymied by misdirected shots or stellar deflections by the St. Francis defense. All in all, the Golden Knights proved they belong at the No. 1 spot despite my being ridiculed for placing them there because of a record that is all but misleading.

Above: The good 'ol days with St. Francis keeper Jordan Bell.

I got a lot of heat last week for ranking St. Francis (2-8) the area's No. 1 team in the West San Gabriel Valley. Things always look different depending on where you sit, huh? I stand by my choice, and here's (another) chance for you all to comment on how oblivious I am to sports: St. Francis will be the No. 1 team come Wednesday's rankings.

The answer is simple, and I really wish some of you understood the logic behind it. St. Francis hands down has the toughest schedule in the San Gabriel Valley, better than Monrovia's, better than La Cañada's and better than Baldwin Park's. St. Francis was the only team in our area to play in the prestigious Southern California Classic, known as the West Coast Classic a few years ago. It was a tournament I heavily covered in my four years at the Register, and it was easily the best high school soccer tournament in the nation when I covered it back in the day. For you soccer aficionados, the West Coast Classic can rival that of the prestigious Dallas Cup, and so on. (Not even the soccer-heavy city of South Bradenton, Fla. puts a tournament of the Classic's caliber).

Take a look at St. Francis' schedule. The Golden Knights played four teams ranked in ESPN's FAB 50 rankings: Santa Barbara, Santa Margarita, Brophy Prep and El Camino Real, at one point ranked the No. 1 team in the nation. You can try to question the legitimacy of the FAB 50 rankings (after all, yours truly was a weekly voter), but nevertheless all are soccer powers in their respective region.

Just for fun, let's say St. Francis didn't play in the Classic and take its Mission League schedule alone. It's arguably the toughest high school soccer league in the CIF-Southern Section; the Trinity League is up there, too. Yes, so far the Golden Knights are off to a rocky start in league (0-2) with losses to Harvard-Westlake and Chaminade. "Of course there's a concern," St. Francis coach Glen Appels said. "But we've been right there. The truth of the matter is with the young guys we just have to get on the right side. I don't think there's any panic at this point. This is a huge week for us."

Huge week, indeed: St. Francis takes on host Notre Dame today; at Alemany on Wednesday; and the big show on Friday at 5 p.m. against visiting Loyola. That the Golden Knights are the defending CIF Southern California Regional champions is of little to no pressure.

"That was just part of a larger picture," Appels said. "I don't think when the season started anyone said they wanted to go out and win the regional championship, but that was a bonus. What we want to do is make a nice run in the Mission League and be successful in the playoffs, and I don't think that's pressure either. It's more of an expectation."

That's St. Francis soccer for you: An expectation to be great is the driving force, not pressure.

Above: Maranatha freshman Jeremy Major is fun to watch.

Maranatha's Jeremy Major and Flintridge Prep's Kenyatta Smith will meet today at 3:30 p.m. in an exciting nonleague boys basketball game at Flintridge Prep. Major, a speedy freshman guard averaging 6 points per game, will test the Rebels' inside presence, anchored by the 6-foot-7, 265 pound center Smith, who is only a junior. I will be there and we'll have a photographer there, too. I hear it came down between St. Francis and Maranatha as to where Major would attend school. I saw him play against St. Francis in the La Canada Tournament last month and he was every bit as advertised. I hear the same about Smith, who put on some muscle and is no longer the lanky kid from last year. Flintridge Prep is 9-4 overall with wins over St. Francis, Sierra Canyon, Monrovia and Temescal Canyon in the prestigious Torrey Pines Tournament. The Rebels played Montclair Prep tough in a 53-50 loss early last month. Should be fun to see how they've progressed this year.

STAR-NEWS RANKINGS

1. Pasadena (7-5)
Played toughest schedule

2. La Cañada (11-2)
Tough test against Oilers

3. Renaissance Acad. (9-5)
Wins over Nogales, Damien

3. La Salle (7-6)
Enduring 4-game losing streak

5. Keppel (12-2)
Aztecs are much improved

6. Flintridge Prep (8-4)
Rebels playing tough schedule

7. Arcadia (7-6)
Could be league dark horse

8. St. Francis (7-5)
Payed Oilers tough

9. Maranatha (8-6)
Major is fun to watch

10. Blair (5-7)
Played in Oaks Chr. tourney

STAR-NEWS RANKINGS

1. St. Francis (2-6)
Losses to all but one D1 team

2. La Cañada (10-2-1)
Lost to Canyon, Mtn. View

3. Monrovia (6-6-1)
Struggling but still good

4. Pasadena (5-1-1)
Could contend for league title

5. La Salle (3-0-2)
Scored big win over Monrovia

6. Rosemead (7-1-4)
Rare loss to San Gabriel

7. San Marino (5-1-2)
Solid heading into league

8. Duarte (6-1-2)
Enjoying 5-game win streak

9. San Gabriel (4-3-2)
Rosemead win looks good

10. Alhambra (1-1-1
Opens Almont next week

La Salle/Temple City Holiday Boys Basketball Classic
Championship
At La Salle High
Montebello 62, St. Francis 52

Nogales Boys Basketball Tournament
At Nogales High
Championship
Renaissance Academy vs. Damien, 8 p.m.

New Year's Ball Girls Basketball Tournament
At La Canada High
Semifinals
La Cañada 45, Chaminade 41
Serra 58, Canyon 44
Championship: Thursday, 4:30 p.m.

San Gabriel Tournament
Championship
Pasadena Poly 59, Lawndale 47

Los Tacos Girls Soccer Tournament
Monday's Results
FSHA 3 Monrovia 0 (Fsha Goals: Koemans 2, Jacobs 1---FSHA
Assists Torres, Jacobs)
FSHA 1 Royal 0 (Fsha Goal: Koemans, Assist: Montgomery
La Salle 0 St. Joseph-Santa Maria 0 (SJ wins PK tiebreaker 3 - 2)
La Salle 1 Burbank 0
Highland 3 Monrovia 1
Highland 1 Royal 2
Beckman 2 Burbank 1
Beckman 3 St. Joseph-Santa Maria 1

Day 1 Bracket Point Totals
Red---FSHA (6) Royal (3) Highland (3)
Monrovia (0)
Green-- Beckman (6) La Salle (3) St. Joseph (1) Burbank (0)

Today's Schedule
FSHA v Highland, 10 a.m.
La Salle v Beckman, 10 a.m.
Royal v Monrovia, 11:15 a.m.
St. Joseph v Burbank, 11:15 a.m.

Championship game is today at 3: 45 p.m., Glendale Sports Complex

La Canada New Year's Ball Tournament
Today's Pool Play Schedule
Serra vs. Village Christian, 2:30 p.m.
Arcadia vs. Canyon, 4 p.m.
La Canada vs. Filmore, 5:30 p.m.
Keppel vs. Chaminade, 7 p.m.

31st Annual La Canada Holiday Boys Soccer Classic
Today's Pool Play Schedule
Canyon vs. Flintridge Prep, 2:30 p.m.
La Canada vs. Village Christian, 4 p.m.
Burbank vs. Santa Clara, 5:30 p.m.
Maranatha vs. Golden Valley, 7 p.m.

La Sall/Temple City Tournament
Semifinals Today
Montebello vs. Crescenta Valley at La Salle, 7:30 p.m. at La Salle
Keppel vs. St. Francis, 7:30 p.m. at Temple City

La Cañada New Year's Ball Tournament
Today's Pool Play schedule
Burbank vs. Filmore, 2:30 p.m.
Village Christian at Flintridge Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
La Salle vs. Arcadia, 5:30 p.m.
Chaminade vs. Flintridge Prep, 7 p.m.
Byes: La Cañada, Serra, Canyon, Keppel

31st Annual La Cañada Holiday Boys Soccer Classic
Today's Pool Play Schedule
Maranatha vs. Santa Clara, 2:30 p.m.
Golden Valley vs. Burbank, 4 p.m.
Village Christian vs. Canyon, 5:30 p.m.
La Cañada vs. Flintridge Prep, 7 p.m.

Los Tacos Holiday Girls Soccer Festival
At Glendale Sports Complex (2200 Fern Lane, Glendale)
Today's Pool Play Schedule
Flintridge Sacred Heart vs. Monrovia, 10 a.m., Field 4
Beckman vs. Burbank, 10 a.m. Field 5
St. Joseph's vs. La Salle, 11:30 a.m. Field 5
Royal vs. Highland, 11:30 a.m. Field 4
Flintridge Sacred Heart vs. Royal, 2:15 p.m. Field 5
La Salle vs. Burbank, 2:15 p.m. Field 4
Highland vs. Monrovia, 3:45 p.m. Field 4
St. Joseph vs. Beckman, 3:45 p.m. Field 5

La Salle/Temple City Boys Basketball Tournament
Today's Second Round Schedule
At Temple City
Temple City vs. St. Francis, 6 p.m.
Arcadia vs. Keppel, 7:30 p.m.
At La Salle
La Cañada vs. Crescenta Valley, 6 p.m.
Montebello vs. La Salle, 7:30 p.m.

2009 STAR-NEWS ALL-AREA TEAM

Player of the Year - Dietrich Riley, St. Francis, Sr.
Coach of the Year - Ryan Maddox, Monrovia

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Justin Posthuma, St. Francis, Sr.
RB - Benny Hung, San Marino, Sr.
AP - Nick Bueno, Monrovia, Jr.
WR - Josh Hanson, La Cañada, Sr.
WR - Mike Alexander, La Salle, Sr.
WR - Taylor Lagace, Arcadia, So.
TE - Travis Talianko, St. Francis, So.
OL - Matthew O'Malley, Temple City, Sr.
OL - Patrick Carroll, St. Francis, Jr.
OL - Cameron St. George, St. Francis, Sr.
OL - Kizz Prusia, Monrovia, Sr.
OL - Harley Hulin, Monrovia, Sr.
PK - Ian Sternau, St. Francis, Jr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Ellis McCarthy, Monrovia, So.
DL - Grant Haggard, Monrovia, Sr.
DL - David Chirikian, St. Francis, Sr.
LB - Josh Lowden, Monrovia, Sr.
LB - Christopher Cabrera, St. Francis, Sr.
LB - Cody Cowell, Rio Hondo Prep, Sr.
LB - Trent Converse, San Marino, Sr.
DB - Mark Covarrubias, San Gabriel, Jr.
DB - Dujawn Jones, Monrovia, Sr.
DB - Jarron Williams, Muir, Sr.
SS - Stevie Yortsos, San Marino, Sr.
P - Mark Dannhausen, La Salle, Sr.

CLICK ON THREAD FOR FIRST TEAM CAPSULES, SECOND TEAM LIST AND STORIES

MISSION LEAGUE

Most Valuable Player School Height Weight Year
Malcolm Marable Alemany 5'9" 170 12

Most Valuable Offensive
Justin Posthuma St. Francis 6'2" 200 12
Brando Tessar Chaminade 6'1" 195 12

Most Valuable Defensive
Dietrich Riley St. Francis 6'1" 205 12

Most Valuable Lineman
David Chirikian St. Francis 6'0" 230 12
Akeem Gonzalez Alemany 6'3" 230 11

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Offensive Line
Akeem Gonzalez Alemany 6'3" 230 11
Sergio Figueroa Alemany 6'1" 230 11
Patrick Carroll St. Francis 6'5" 270 11
Matt Miller Chaminade 5'11" 240 12
Cameron St. George St. Francis 5'11" 205 12

Wide Receivers
Brando Tessar Chaminade 6'1" 195 12
Travis Talianko St. Francis 6'1" 190 10
Sean Haynes Alemany 6'2" 185 12
Kevin Lenik Alemany 6'3" 210 12

Backs
Malcolm Marable Alemany 5'9" 170 12
Justin Posthuma St. Francis 6'2" 200 12
Vernon Adams Alemany 5'11" 170 11

Kicker
Martin Meza Alemany 6'1" 175 11
Ian Sternau St. Francis 5'10" 170 11

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

Defensive Line
David Chirikian St. Francis 6'0" 230 12
AndrewNairin Chaminade 6'3" 207 12
Rabbaanee Williams Alemany 5'9" 180 12

Linebackers
Chris Cabrera St. Francis 6'0" 195 12
Anthony Espinosa Alemany 5'9" 200 12
Jesse Sampson Alemany 6'0" 180 11
Kory Crichton Chaminade 6'0" 220 12

Defensive Backs
Dietrich Riley St. Francis 6'1" 205 12
Deron Smith Alemany 5'9" 170 10
Ryan Jenkins St. Francis 5'9" 140 11
Matt Markey Chaminade 5'11" 190 12
Chike Mbanefo Alemany 5'9" 180 12
Kevin Romo St. Paul 5'9" 148 10

Punter
Matt Goudis Chaminade 6'0" 160 11

CLICK ON THREAD FOR SECOND TEAM

We have three area tournaments beginning Saturday. They would be -- The La Salle/Temple City boys basketball Holiday Classic, the San Gabriel boys basketball tournament and the La Cañada boys soccer tournament. The La Cañada girls basketball tournament starts Monday. I only have brackets for the La Salle/Temple City tournament, so if someone has the rest please e-mail the bracket ASAP so we can post them and update them as they go along. For now, here is the bracket for the La Salle/Temple City Tournament:

AT LA SALLE HS
La Cañada vs. Franklin, 3 p.m.
Gabrielino vs. Crescenta Valley, 4:30 p.m.
Montebello vs. Chatsworth, 6 p.m.
Paraclete vs. La Salle, 7:30 p.m.

AT TEMPLE CITY HS
Marshall vs. Temple City, 3 p.m.
Alhambra vs. St. Francis, 4:30 p.m.
St. Paul vs. Arcadia, 6 p.m.
Maranatha vs. Keppel, 7:30 p.m.

Second round action is Monday beginning at 6 p.m. at both La Salle and Temple City.

In just a few weeks, St. Francis star Dietrich Riley will make his decision on where he'll play football on Saturdays. He said he's going to miss the innocence of high school football, such as when little kids run up to him and offer him water during games. "In college it's all business," he said. He'll get one more chance to cherish high school football on Jan. 2 when he takes part in the 2010 Under Armour All-American Game. The third annual event quickly has become one of the nation's most premiere all-star showcase events. The game will be played at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida and televised live on ESPN. The daily practices and the skills challenge will also be shown on ESPN networks. Riley is one of seven players from California chosen for the prestigious game, and joining him are Corona running back Jordon James; Oaks Christian quarterback Nick Montana; Former La Salle and current San Clemente quarterback Chase Rettig; Lakewood quarterback Jesse Scroggins; Palmdale cornerback Joshua Shaw; and Don Antonio Lugo defensive tackle George Uko. Click here for the complete roster. Scout.com's JC Shurburtt writes that judging by the early list of players committed to the 2010 Under Armour High School All-American game, this year's version is on its way to being the best yet. No wonder USC football coach Pete Carroll (below) took in an end zone view of Riley earlier this year. With well over a dozen offers from major Division I schools, USC, UCLA, Florida, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Cal and Washington appear to be on Riley's top of his list as they all make a final push to get his signature on their letter of intent.

Soon we'll know.