What was the best team sports story of the year?

i think maranatha because they were only picked to win 2 games .. why would you choose la salle football they got worked in cif by verbum dei that win during the season was a fluke. maranatha beat the odds and went to cif and lost by one point you gota give them sumn. and look out for us next year 18 sum odd returners wow thats rediculous and they have already tasted glory they want the victory so bad.

Great job to Alex Jimenez and Nathan Bury for carrying La Salle the entire year sorry you didnt have help because you two were your whole team.

I think the Marshall football team was the class of the valley.

I want to wish Eddie well at UNLV. He gave our school so much to cheer for over his great career at Monrovia. He is also very, very hot!
Sincerely,
Mike

Wow! I didn't know there were actually supporters and fans outside of Keppel! Thanks everyone! And I commend PHS basketball, PHS Volleyball,San Marino Tennis, and LC swim. San Marino, i use to take lessons at your high school, i watched you guys practice, wow... i was so afraid of you guys. Good Job!!! And for all those football fans out there, arguing about TC being great or LS or Monrovia. Be glad your school is great, my school Keppel, infamous for the worst football team around, we have zero spirit. Most of the spirit effort goes into basketball, our school shows no spirit what so ever. Maybe or time to "shine" was last years 3 in a row win. After losing 50 something straight games or even more? Even then, there were no one in the stands. All im saying is, im jealous that your schools have spirit, I have loads of spirit, but it dies cause everyone else around doesn't. At least you guys win!!! Be glad about that.

TC Football Fan,
You seem a little over zealous about your home team. Yes TC had a great season, but not as great as any of the other great team mentioned. They won league, and beat some easy teams in CIF who they were supposed to beat. TC wasn't even the greatest football team story, that has to probably go to La Salle. They are nowhere near the greatest sports story of this year. I know you like your own team, but be realistic.

Didn't the St. Francis Alverno boys play badminton?

OK all you TC, LaSalle, LC, Maranatha Football/Basketball fans why do you all have somewhere in your blogs an EXCUSE why your team "lost" or otherwise "came up short" before they handed out the big Trophy? If your best game was mid season win over Monrovia or you went deeper than expected in the playoffs or you came up short to a bigger better program YOU STILL LOST! If you are bragging about anything less than a CIF Championship BACK OFF!

You had a good season but when viewed in proper perspective with true CHAMPIONS you fell short! All of your seasons can be viewed as heartwarming stories you will tell your kids but who else is going to remember who came in 2nd or 3rd or tied for 9th?

PHS VOLLEYBALL (and basketball) will be remembered as 2007 CIF CHAMPS and their banners will state so.

i easily give it to La Salle football historic turn around... starting off 0-5 then winning 8 straight including, TC, Verbum Dei(CIF Champs) and Monrovia all these teams were good to.. and going to CIF finals but coming up short.. how can they not be team of the year

did any local team or individual win BADMINTON this year??? where was the cover for Badminton??

I think the most memorable team is the Temple City High School Football Team 2006-2007. They brought back the tradition of the 2001 team 9-1 record really should of been 10-0 but played horrible against La Salle, or maybe its cuz of Mooney's departure. But they had great athletes from up and down the rosters such as...
Dwight Broadnax
Brian Sumokian
Andy Hebblethwaite
Williams Do
Matt Moreno
I really thought it was the rams year this year in CIF. But they had such a great season.

-Getting the horns 1st game
-Not getting practice against alhambra but still pulling a huge win
-Defense wins games to
-Saxon and Hebblethwaite record night
-Bad coaching, bad playcalling, bad playing.
-Welcome back Broadnax, but it was Saxon and Hebblethwaite that shined through that night.
-Beat San Marino (very easily)
-Nax attack went to work along with Saxon TD pass on 4th and 10 to who else but Hebblethwaite
-Broadnax, O Line, Mooney, Hebblethwaite, Saxon, and Do won the game that night. They simply silenced the critics and spoiled M-Towns Homecoming. With a game with that much hype TC destroyed and killed Monrovia. Hopefully they will be better next year.
-Blair no comment
-Sierra Vista, Broadnax could of had 1000 yards rushing that game.
-Verbum Dei to big, fast, strong, and physical for TC especially with two players going to UCLA, one to Oregon St., and etc.
I am very proud of this team they accomplished so much.

TC Football fan
Ryan Smith

Pfinchamp,
LC lost to the number 8 ranked team in the COUNTRY (was number 2 for a while) - the highest ranked team in California and beat Mater Dei 77-68 and Santa Margarita isn't even ranked. They have the # 1 ranked player in 2009 #8 player in 2008 and the #22 ranked player for 2006. 7- 8 players on the team LC lost to will get d1 scholarships and 4 already have offers to PAC 10 schools (the best basketball conference in the country) and others on the team will also get D1 scholarships. I stand by my comment that the team LC lost to would win games in the Pac 10 and they would.

Comparing TC Softball to LC Basketball situation is as dumb as they come. LC went to the state finals in the first best division - TC was a second place team that won 2 games in a low CIF division. LC also won its League.

Anonymous,
You say La salle beat an average monrovia team???? I can't fully argue with that, because I think they could have been better last season than what they were. But when you things like "Monrovia is no St. Francis, Muir or even Arcadia"????? I guess you forgot that Monrovia Beat Arcadia. I guess its been that long. You know what you remind me of.... That ESPN commercial. You're that guy talkin out of your..... Lack of information. We beat arcadia last year at their house so, I can't argue about monrovia being an average team last year but for you to say their not even an arcadia makes no sense.....

The top team/player/story is easy! Wasn't this the first time EVER that PHS girls volleyball beat Arcadia?... Won League? ...Let alone a "CIF Championship"? Roloeder was a woman among girls. (They accomplished all this at a decent division as well...)

PHS basketball "CIF Champs" is a great story but they were expected to either win or come close. Tucker is a class act and his teams reflect his style! The basketball program has the "problem" that we expect the team to do well thus their success loses a little fanfare...

La Salle football and Maranatha Football successes are a wash as they both are overachievers who we really can't compare to the great local football programs... (LaSalles win over an average Monrovia team is good for LaSalle but Monrovia football isn't St Francis, Muir nor even Arcadia!) most had off years but would still crush the smaller programs...

Was hoping Monrovia softball and baseball teams would have provided better finishes...

La Canada's basketball success as does TC softball deserves some consideration but coming close doesn't cut it when you are being compared with "Champion" finishers!

As for all the great swimmers, wrestlers, tracksters, golfers, tennis players etc Ya'll don't meet the team sport criteria of being a fan exciting sport outside of your Mom's,Dad's and a few college recruiters. sorry.

LaSalle soccer don't mean to slight your championship but girls soccer loses out to more exciting Volleyball(they score) and Football and Basketball. Sorry again.

Keppel swimmers were honored by the Monterey Park City Council last night.

To p.finchamp about "Anonymous and anon" posts - the blog should be set up to not allow a post unless the "Name" line is filled in. Fred, can this be done? This will at least force the poster to put something in there.
Fred, get rid of the post at Anonymous | June 6, 2007 12:22 AM. It is like a rat, once you have one, you end up with ten or more.

SP had a pretty nice, unexpected, run in Boys Basketball this year that should be mentioned as well.

yea where is westridge girls volleyball...they got the league , cif title and deep into the state tourney...who else went deep in state tourney in other sports??

biggest surprising move must be Mooney leaving TC

they owned a huge house in arcadia and then bought a house in Sierra Madre just so he could play at PHS suprised he couldnt buy his grades.

i know for a fact that nigel ajere's family purchased the varsity team uniforms and im also pretty sure that he's going to attend oak hill academy as a 5th year student. his grades are not going to get him into any college. he was ineligible at arcadia high his sophomore year. all he needed was a 2.0 gpa.

I can believe Ajere bought the jerseys for PHS, but the talk about a 5th year c'mon now.

Ajere family is like the fresh prince of bel air.

Why wouldn't the PHS Boys Basketball team be the best sports story of the year? They won a major sport CIF title after knocking on the door the past couple years. They stuck with it and finally did it. Don't give us crap about LC not having talent. There are many desirable traits in a basketball team. If you can make a jump shot and hit three pointers and make good passes and cuts you can be just as effective as high-flying dunkers. Are we going to say that Princeton making the second or third round in a given year would be better than UCLA winning it all, simply because we throw in some discount factor and an asterisk?

i would have to say keppel boys and girls swimming. They all swam their very best and the underdogs made it to the top.

Are you trying to be funny or what? I think you need to come up with better insults or get over what ever SF did to you because no one wants to hear it.

Maybe Nijel could play for the St. Francis Alverno Knights next season?

i heard from a phs boys varsity basketball player that they only need a 1.0 gpa to be eligible. did you know that the boys varsity jerseys were purchased by nigel ajere? i heard hes going to play at oak hill next year as a 5th year high school student.

Fred;
How could you even consider PHS basketball? Do you only report on wins and losses or are you a "real reporter" that reports the whole story. Nigel Ajere transferring to PHS from another Pacific League School and becoming immediatly eligible to play? Get real. Not only should he be declared ineligable for that( no funny business going on there?)- do they have academic standards at PHS? And I think the topper is that he is wearing an ankle bracelet while he is under house arrest and still allowed to participate in a high school athletic event. I know Fred you didn't know. Everybody knows. lets see if you post this.

My top five:

1. LC boys basketball
2. PHS boys basketball
3. PHS girls volleyball
4. Keppel boys swimming
5. LaSalle girls soccer

LC's boys did not win CIF, but they were the team of the year in my mind based on what they accomplished, relative to the physical talent they had. Perfect teamwork and team chemistry, with one outstanding athlete. So close to accomplishing the biggest upset in a CIF championship game in years. I would be surprised to find a team that accomplished more in any sport in SoCal based on the talent they had and we all know that this is impossible, because in SoCal basketball, physical talent has become everything. You are flat out not supposed to win, if you dont have big time talent and LC beat the odds this season.

My area player of the year is Kim Roledor (sorry for the misspell) of PHS girls volleyball.

I've been watching volleyball in the area since my sister was in high school at Maranatha in the early 80's and Kim is the only girl player that Ive ever seen that's better than my sister (a 3 year starter at Oregon and team captain her senior year). She's going to have her work cut out for her at USC (a big time D1 volleyball program), but in terms of talent and potential to improve, there's no one in any boys or girls sports in this area that can touch her, unless there's someone in the area that I dont know about thats going to be an impact player on USC's football team or UCLA mens basketball team.

Got to be Mark Keppel Swimming winning BOTH the Boys and Girls titles!!! These kids swam their hearts out and put the school on the map! Last year, a newspaper journalist reported Mark Keppel being a school in Anaheim?!

who cares about baseball... i personally witnessed kevan walker of arcadia playing basketball on sunday at todd golpers... what if he hurt himself? and golper is a key defensive player next year... they should both take it easy, have absolutely no fun, no pickup bball games and FOCUS FOR NEXT YEAR... WHAT ARE YOU DOING KEVAN!?!?!?!?!?!? IF YOU GET HURT WERE DONE!!!!!!! oh yeah and golper too i guess.

Honestly hands down the props goes to Keppel swimming, hard to think of a better "underdog" story than Keppel after years of being overshadow by Montebello and Oaks. keep on swimming Keppel!

i believe it was definitely something special when mark keppel won both the boys and girls cif titles. To have such an accomplishment like that is really a blessing.

Yes, the Keppel Boys' swimming was expected to do well this year, after two years in Oaks Christian's shadow, BUT, to take both the boys' and girls' titles was something special. I hear only about 11 schools have been able to get both the boys' and girls' titles in the same year (in any division). I guess you have to know the sport to really appreciate this accomplishment. C'est la vie.
Swimming is not a spectator sport, but try swimming next to any of those kids (boys or girls) and they'll earn your respect!

1. La Salle's overall success
2. PHS Hoops deep into State
3. Rasmussen strikes out 20
4. Prep League overall success (yes, at a much lower level than all of the unsuccessful big school leagues)
5. This blog!

Anon 11:12 PM

Granted we all take certain liberties in our posts but I couldn't let your Pac-10 comment slip by. LC may have outperofrmed your expectations but I believe most Hofman coached teams come into the season with great expectations. As for Pac-10 quality opponents I suggest you move up the ladder to a higher CIF division and look at the likes of Santa Margarita or Mater Dei from which only 4 players will go to the D-1 level. No disrespect to LC basketball but, in my opinion, they are not the story of the year and kinda one-dimensional, right?

anon 8:12 pm

No question Monrovia baseball, and perhaps Monrovia athletics, deserve many accolades this past year. And granted the football team misbehaved after being stunned by LaSalle. However acting with class after the loss to Amat in baseball is THE expected behavior not a classy act.

Anon, anon and all you other a's out there---

it has been posted repeatedly over the past year, since we are all anonymous can't you come up with a unique name to call yourself? There are at least 3 anons now and to pinpoint a response to one of you requires too much work.

Although I did not see many of the other teams that are mentioned, the best game, which resulted in the best story, was La Salle's victory in the 2nd round of the playoffs against Monrovia, at Monrovia, La Salle's former home field.
After already beating the pulp out of the Lancers in the regular season, few gave the Lancers a chance in the rematch.
After the win, the Lancer fans, staff, and players milled around on the field, hand slapping and not really believing what had just transpired. The thought that the season was not over, and the Lancers were in going to the semi-finals, resulted in a great feeling.
The WSGV produced many great team stories this year, made so much better with this blog to keep up on all of them.
With Friday night home games for the Lancers next year, we will be reading this blog to find out what we missed at other games.
Thanks again, Fred.

As a player that played in that game my opinion might be biased but I have to agree with Lawton...even though we were on the losing side of that game I wont ever forget the emotional rollercoaster I personally went through, and how it basically ruined our season and made Temple City's.

how about la salle's water polo team

LC lost to team that would finish in the middle of the PAC 10 - in the finals - LC getting that far was not expected.

How bout Monrovia baseball defending their title. Taking on challenge after challenge, and coming back from a 6 run deficit in the semis. They got beat by 2 runs in the finals when eddie had an off night against the travelball allstars. I think thats worth a little more than everything else besides maybe pasadena hoops. And they acted with class unlike the football team after the lasalle loss

Lawton,

Don't minimize TC's victory over us. We were a pretty formidable team that TC pretty much dismantled with Mooney's tricky offense (off-balance formation to continually out-number our defense), not so tricky really but lethal on that night. We definitely were not able to slow down the Rams that night. This year will be very different, though.

How about arcadia's cross country team getting somthing like 3rd in the nation

Hey Fred,

Thanks for the re-cap on local prep sports highlights...from Fall to Spring, so many exciting teams to watch! I'm looking forward to it all starting again in August...

Monrovia @ Temple City
"Buzzer Beater"

The TC gym was packed you couldn't even really see the bleechers. It was really fun to see the RHL Champs TC Football show their spirit and support for their team. And it was really fun watching the two football teams going at it, but the game was that much better as it went back and forth. TC being down a few points to M-Town being down a few points. Til David Chen connecting on a big shot to win the game. and after a court rush by the fans

I thought the sports moment of the year was the Temple City vs. South Pas Football Game. With TC just coming off an embarrasing loss to LS, and South Pas coming into league untouched. And especially the return of Dwight Broadnax to the line-up was a big addition for the rams. But it was one of the best games and finishes i've seen. One moment that will live with those teams forever was the long screen pass to Yoo, and then sure handed Parrish fumbling the ball when running out the clock, to a couple of Broadnax runs, and a couple of Hebblethwaite catches, and especially the game winner Saxon to Hebblethwaite right through the Tiger defense.

And this game was so intrumental becuase it carried the rams to their second consecutive rio hondo league championship after they completely shut down and beat down on little Monrovia!

Anonymous 10:28am,

If Monrovia had played with heart then La Salle would have lost honorably in the second round. As it was, La Salle had tons of heart and poise and made a fine run.

However, there was no heart crushing that night, just exposing a team that did not want to play football anymore.

Hands down it has to be La Canada Boys Basketball and their tremendous season. This was a team down to only one star in Malik and a supporting cast of undersized team players. The fact that this team was able to come together like they did and reach the CIF championship game and to lose to a huge favorite by only a couple of points and to reach the semifinals of the state tounament hanging in and playing tough with the best team in the nation is amazing.
Everyone else mentioned was tremendous in their own right, but I all of those teams were expected to do very well anyway. I just can't say enough about LC Basketball. Congrats to everyone!

Hey Anonymous at 3:06 -

So much for an "intelligent" conversation with someone of your caliber.

The Alverno Boys School's tough seasons in all sports would be the #1 story.

This is one of those topics with no right or wrong answer, and meant to elicit some interesting blogging, I assume. My take on the question:

PHS basketball, La Canada basketball, La Salle girl's soccer, La Canada swimming, Mark Keppel swimming, and San Marino tennis all came into the season with highly favored programs; they were expected to do well, and did, so it is no surprise. It was no "story", it was expected - if they did not do well, then it would have been a 'story."

I do not know that much about PHS girl's volleyball (whether they were expected to do well or not) so I will not address that topic.

That means the best team sports story of the year would be between the La Salle football run, or Maranatha football run, as neither were expected to get to the championship game. Bewteen the two I would give the best sports team story to La Salle football. They went 0-5, upset a #1 ranked Temple City team, then won eight in a row to make it to the championship game, including a win over Monrovia, which was heavily favored to win. Maranatha is a Division "A" team playing Division "F" (a lower division) which they should expect to dominate. They still lost to RHP, and in my opinion had an easier draw than La Salle did to get to the championship. Congrats to Maranatha, but I think La Salle had a tougher schedule, a tougher playoff draw, and is a better story. They were basically written off after going 0-5.

I also like Mr. Finchamp's suggestion - best sports TEAMS (plural). That should be a later topic, or blog.

I'd have to say its a tie between PHS Boys basketball, and La Salle high school. Those two stories alone were the best in my opinion. I think it was time for pasadena high's boys to win, because they've had a good team for a few years now, but they would always get cut short. And la salle, I mean I have to give it up to them for going all the way to the finals. Anonymous, La salle didnt crush our hearts but they did surprise us on how they turned it around and beat us in the playoffs after getting blown out in the regular season, I can't wait to see them play again. Its not a rivalry, but its a good game between a public and private school. I mean I guess I would give a bit of the upper hand to the la salle story over PHS but know thats only becasue I feel LA salle is a bigger story because not many people expected them to go that far but they kept proving people wrong. I know there were alot of people that knew PHS was capable of winning it all

I'll take a different angle on this subject and mention Pasadena Poly as the best sports TEAMS of the year. I know they didn't win big titles but they romped through the Prep League this year without much pressure and did so in several sports--I don't think any other area school had success in as many different sports in their respective divisions.

Fred: As I said in my e-mail to you last week when I suggested this blog subject my vote for “best team sports story of the year” would have to be Maranatha’s run for the CIF title and the championship football game against St. Margaret’s.

La Canada basketball - nothing else come close in term of major competition. LS was runner up in football in a weak division.

Oops, sorry.
Just your #1 was not a champion.

I agree with peanut.

Hard to overlook LC boys' basketball and the run they put together, considering their competition during that run.
Two of your top five, Fred, were not CIF champions. Including your #1.

You're absolutely right about Westridge, I should have included them.

Fred:

Westridge's CIF championship in volleyball was a good story too. First league title and CIF title in the same year.

By far La Salle football team making the CIF final game and crushing Monrovia's hearts to get there.

Robledo's top five
1. La Salle football
2. PHS girls volleyball
3. PHS boys basketball
4. Keppel boys swimming
5. La Salle girls soccer.

You're right about La Canada, they should be considered too. But the nod still has to go to PHS, because they won it.

Hard to leave out what La Canada did in basketball. With a team not destined to go very far, 30-4 and finals in both CIF and State regionals....losing to two of the best team in America...one in overtime with a bad non-call??

The biggest surprise in all of these was La Salle's victory over Monrovia. Football is the sport of kings in high school, so the Lancers football team should be the team of the year.