La Canada will face Artesia in Southern California regional finals. PHS and Renaissance Academy watch season come to an end
Above: Can we start to say that Adam Malik is the greatest player in La Canada history? Seriously, coach Tom Hofman gets ejected midway through the first half and they're trailing 40-29 at the break. Malik shows up in the second half and puts the team on his back, finishing with a career high 43 points as the Spartans advance to Saturday's Div. III regional final at Pauley Pavilion against power Artesia. I would like to sit here and say the Spartans have a shot next week, and I shouldn't doubt them after what happened against Campbell Hall. But lets be honest, Campbell Hall couldn't touch Artesia. But I'll be rooting for our guys from Hickory, err, La Canada.
Division I regional quarterfinals
Fairfax 54, Pasadena 51
Westchester 64, La Mesa Helix 45
Division III regional quarterfinals
Artesia 84, Twentynine Palms 44
La Canada 65, San Diego Mission Bay 58
Division V regional quarterfinals
Price 69, Pacific Hills 61
View Park 65, Renaissance Academy 61
Thoughts on PHS game...
The Bulldogs lost 54-51, and when they look back, they're going to feel this for a while because the better team didn't win on Saturday. All you heard leaving the building were PHS fans complaining about the officiating, and rightfully so. It was one-sided. Still, the Bulldogs were in it until the end. The difference between this game and others is that Fairfax had inside guys to contain Nigel Ajere, Armon Binns and Joseph Henson. But the Bulldogs contained Fairfax's UCLA bound forward Chace Stanback, who wasn't nearly as impressive as Bulldogs guard Trevon Harmon, who outscored him 26 to 18.
Thoughts on the crowd...
At halftime nearly everyone was on their cellphones with friends who were stuck outside -- more than 300 of them -- because Fairfax's gym was too small, much smaller than PHS. A riot developed outside after police arrived to clear the area, and later police dressed in riot gear surrounded the court with less than two minutes remaining to ensure that it stayed peaceful afterward. When I arrived nearly an hour before the game, there was an incredible sea of Bulldogs supporters lined up outside. It's a shame PHS couldn't convince Fairfax to move to a bigger building, but can you blame Fairfax for wanting to stay at home? In the regional quarterfinal, PHS could have choosed to play at PCC, but wanted to stay in the comforts of home, even if it meant more than 100-200 Bulldogs supporters couldn't get in their own building because it was filled to capacity. If PHS would have played at PCC and showed Fairfax what a huge crowd it has, it might have forced them into a bigger venue. At the CIF championships a week before, there were roughly 3,500 to 4,000 Bulldogs supporters at the Honda Center. It's obvious PHS has a huge following, and games of this magnitude need to be at a bigger venue. I understand wanting to play on your own court, but fans who have supported the program for years and want to be part of one of the greatest years in school history need to be accomodated. It's too late this year, but maye a lesson can be learned from all of this.
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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The frog does not run in the daytime for nothing. Igbo Nigeria
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Fred, now that the All-CIF teams are out, will you do a short article highlighting the local players that made the list?
Being an RA fan, of course I'd like to see Sid Cooke win coach of the year, but I'll have to admit, Hoffman should get it. A lot of the players on that team (other than Malik) would be lucky to start on some of the other high powered teams like RA and PHS. Hoffman did a great job getting his team to play at a higher level and getting them this far in the playoffs.
SOuth pas coach did get a lot out of that team. next year - look out for South Pasadena.
what about darin nakauchi look it what he did to the south pas bball program? and what about coach parvaz totally turned the program around
Adam is Jimmy Chitwood
CO-coaches and co-players of the year - make sense
Come on Fred? This is easy, just do what most papers do in this situation, Co-Coach of the year and Co-Player of the Year awards. You did that in football.
Just a thought.
Cmon Fred- Hoffman is coach of the year. He did amazing things with the amount of talent he has.
Trevon Harmon is the player of the year. Malik is nice. but Harmon is the man.
How would you like to have my job? Try picking the Star-News coach and player of the year when PHS and La Canada both have great coaches, great standout players, and two of the best seasons in school history. Oh yeah, don't forget Renaissance Academy too.
Jim M's post is absolutely correct. I just disagree with one thing those ref's should never ref another HS game - you can't make incompetent "it is all about me" people in their mid - 30's-50's change. If the LC administration had a compentent AD (and they don't - someone is going to have to wake him up first) - they would be sending the game film to the CIF with a formal protest letter along with a "chew the furniture, ankles and faces" lawyer to the CIF and whatever legal juridiction cover HS sports and get Hoffman cleared to coach at Pauley and to get rid of the three morons who ref'ed the game.
The three Referee's at last nights semi final State Championship game at La Canada went into the game and had it in their minds the game was going to be about them. It was amazing how they taunted Coach Hoffman from across the court. Two of them kept pointing at the coach just to insight the matter. I watched as they would run by Hoffman and say things under their breath to him as the game was going on.
On the play Hoffman got tossed. The Mission Bay player ran into a La Canada player in perfect position. Hoffman never left his seat the entire time and got tossed. His staff stood up, but not Hoffman.
These three guys have to be Highway Patrolmen because that would be the only way to explain the mentality of these referee's. You would have to enjoy giving people tickets so you can ruin peoples life's for three years to be able to work like these Referee's did.
They later tossed a Mission Bay player for taking a swing at his own teammate.
This brings to mind the silliness in sports. These three knuckleheads went to the locker room after the game and high fived each other and they didn't belong on the court in the first place. They probably have a conference call today to take joy in what they did to Hoffman. I can hear it now "look man did you see the sports page we really put that coach in his place".
To start the game two of the officials jumped in front of the La Canada players as they came out to start their warm ups to holt the warm up and let everyone in the building know it was all about the Referee's tonight.
Funny thing is their is no accountability for the referee's when they toss a coach without merit. The law is you're guilty before proving your innocent.
Think about this, Coach Hoffman has 420 wins as a coach, do you really think he is going to put himself in a situation to get tossed from the biggest game in his coaching career? No way, these referee's had their mind made up that the game was going to be about those three individuals and all the fans and players can kiss their backsides.
If their is justice they will remove these three from working any post season games for two years and let Coach Hoffman coach in a game that would mean the world to him.
Why not make Referee's more accountable? It can only help.
If you don't believe me you can always review the film of the game.
Jim M.
Hoffman got tossed for doing absolutely next the nothing - now he can't be with LC when they play their next game at UCLA. It was the worest ref'ed HS game I have seen, Someone should investigate that ref. They tried everything to give the game to MB.
View Park Prep 65, Renaissance Academy 61
Malik scores a career-high 43 points to lead La Canada's comeback.
Fairfax and Mission Bay seem like birds of a feather.
Fairfax should be ashamed of theirselves. Parents and fans of Pasadena were denied access to the game while Fairfax students was given first choice. Last Thursday Pasadena showed Clovis great hospitality by saving them seating. It was so much chaos at the Fairfax game that the police was called in. Parents came a long way to see their children play and were turned away. There was even a grandmother who nearly had her hand slammed in the door by a rude staff member of Fairfax. Trevon Harmon's family couldn't even get in to see him play. What kind of school is Fairfax and why are they allowed to act this way and get away with it with CIF?
La Canada 65, Mission Bay 58
Fairfax 54, Pasadena 51
Anyone have any scores for tonight?
If this PHS team has some of the same talent that PHS had back in the day (70's) City teams never had a chance. I see Fairfax as a two demensional team. You take out Stanback and all you have is a so-so team. Keep on them in the first half and you still have a winning edge..Go Bulldogs!
FredJ
Is the Star News covering the Pasadena Triathlon tomorrow morning?
tha bulldogs are gonna shock fairfax , we are best team in da state of california , so best believe u will be seeing us sac
Anonymous-
Parrots over the Dog's
NOT!!!!!( get a real mascot)
And yes WE still play Atomic Dog at our games..
Bow wow wow, yippie yo, yippie ya!!!!!!!
Keep a close eye on the boys track team from Muir the boy Mustangs Are not dead yet! Want a taste of what is comming from the Mustangs? Come to the pasadena Games and compare the areas top squad La salle with the Stangs Look out Lancers Mustangs are Mad now!!
and I thought this was going to be a down year
Renaissance wins a tough one in Fresno 61-58. Might have lost their starting point guard and shooting guard for the next game due to injuries.
La Canada won
Did pasadena bring back that atomic dog song back? They use to play that back in the day
Pacific Hills wins Div. V
Poly Parrots over Bulldogs.
This is a memorable run our local are on, and it should continue. PHS has a great chance of reaching Saturday's regional semis against Fairfax, and La Canada has a real solid chance of making the regional finals and facing Artesia.
Renaissance, however, has the best chance of reaching and winning the state title. They should get to the regional finals, and will take care of Price.
PHS making a run at state? Terzian would be proud!
Bring it home Bulldogs!
anonymous... on top of that get the #1 seed and a home game.
how does price get back into the state playoffs if la canada beat them in the semi's?
So when is the final game on th Elks Baseball tournament?
DAWG
Fred,
amazing we have a couple of teams fighting for state championsips--- which comes around once in a lifetime-- and everyone is talking about the elks tournament still- is the elks tournament the new CIF Cahmpionship(just curious)
HOORAY!!!! FOR PHS!!! I AM SO PROUD OF ALL OF THE PLAYERS AND THE TEAM OF FABULOUS COACHES!!!!