March 2008 Archives
La Salle High School head coach Ealar Gallagher and assistant coach Mike DiFiori have accepted assistant coaching positions at Bishop Amat.
Gallagher, who guided the Lancers to the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game in 2006, will be Bishop Amat's offensive line coach, while DiFiori, Amat's former head coach, will serve as the linebackers coach.
Question: Who would be a prime candidate for the La Salle head coaching position?
Left: Former La Salle head football coach Ealar Gallagher
This was one of the topics which was brought up, so here we go.
Personally, I like St. Francis's Friedman Field. It has a nice intimate feel to it with the field being close to the stands. Arcadia's is also good one, especially when the fans pack 'em in. San Gabriel's apparently is going to be re-done this year so the Matadors will be playing all their games on the road. Two of the other ones I liked, although there is no press box, are Temple City and Monrovia. Good old-style stadiums.
Above: Don't you wish every area stadium looked like this one? I do.
Question: What are your favorites?
Here are a couple of Dallas area stadiums I found. I couldn't find one with a good view of stadium seats and luxury boxes, but you get the idea.
Above: John Clark Field in Plano, Texas.
Above: Highlander Field in Dallas. I lived close to this one for about a year. Lots of stadium seats. Most JCs in the area would love this stadium.
Alhambra long-distance runner places second in 1,600 before coming back to win the 3,200 at Pasadena Games.
Above: Alhambra's Phillip Benevides, left, places second in the 1,600 at the Pasadena Games. He would later win the 3,200. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz)
Rio Hondo League
La Canada 10, San Marino 4
Temple City 10, Monrovia 1
RIO HONDO LEAGUE
La Cañada 10, San Marino 4
La Cañada 200 143 0 - 10 12 1
San Marino 220 000 0 - 4 7 1
Lizzie Miller and Anna Edwards; Alexandra
Shelburne, Corinne Meyerson (5) and Catherine
Shelburne and Devon May (6). HR: Devon Zerebko
(LC) 2B: Shirley Drange (LC), Lucy Filippone 2, (LC),
Zerebko (LC), Catherine Barth (SM) Amanda Ulf (LC),
Abby Ulf (LC) RBI: Zerebko 3 (LC), Filippone 3 (LC)
SO: Miller 7 (LC) W: Miller (4-2) L: Shelburne (0-2).
Records (overall, league): La Cañada 8-3, 4-0;
San Marino 7-5, 0-4.
Temple City 10, Monrovia 1
Monrovia 010 000 0 - 1 6 1
Temple City 200 521 X - 10 14 0
Milosavlijevic and Lexi Long; Kaitlin Ellingsworth,
Melissa Vega (5) and Brittaney Vasquez. HR:
Ellingsworth (TC), Lucas (M) 2B: Long (M), Lucas (M),
Jessica Loiacano 2 (TC), Vasquez (TC) W:
Ellingsworth (4-2) L: Milosavlijevic (1-3).
Records (overall, league): Monrovia 5-7, 1-3;
Temple City 7-3, 3-1.
Monrovia gets past Temple City to remain undefeated in league
Monrovia’s Richard Kilbury scattered five hits and improved to 6-0 in the Wildcats’ 2-1 victory over Temple City. (Staff photo Keith Birmingham)
My quick thoughts: Kilbury came up with the clutch pitches when he needed them and Brian Dearth was equally outstanding in a classic pitcher's duel.
Friday's Baseball Schedule
Rio Hondo League
Monrovia 2, Temple City 1
San Marino 6, La Canada 5
Pacific League
Pasadena 1, Hoover 0
Arcadia 12, Glendale 0 (5 Inn)
Almont League
Alhambra 3, Bell Gardens 0
Montebello 11, San Gabriel 10
Schurr at Keppel
Track and field athletes meet at PCC
Temple City's Brian Dearth to face off against Monrovia's Richard Kilbury
RBI single in seventh gives Monrovia 4-3 win
(Staff Photo by Keith Durflinger)
After winning just one game in league a year ago, La Canada off to a perfect 3-0 start
Spartans overcome 11-7 deficit in deciding game to get past Gabrielino
Above: La Canada's Evan Zarate tries to hit past Gabrielino's James Remes and Daniel Lin during the Spartans' five-game victory. (Correspondent photo by Larry Goren/Sports)
My thoughts: It didn't start out looking that great, but this was an outstanding volleyball match that could've gone either way.
Arcadia junior pitcher Bryce Rutherford (4-1) struck out 14 batters and added a double to lead the Apaches to a 4-0 road victory over Hoover on Tuesday. Rutherford has now won four straight decisions since an opening-day loss at Alhambra.
Question: How good is this guy and how much better can he get? I know he was impressive when I saw him against Alhambra.
Temple City handed South Hills its first loss on Tuesday.
Question: How good are the Rams, and can they get past Monrovia on Friday?
Muir's Wallace steps up
Above: Muir High School guard Cherrish Wallace. (Staff photo Walt Mancini)
Coach helped turn around struggling Blair program
2008 Star-News All-Area Girls Basketball
FIRST TEAM
Guard: Stephanie DeFrance, Blair, Senior
Guard: Michelle Lo, Keppel, Soph.
Center: Brittany Henderson, Muir, Junior
Forward: Melissa Fudge, Blair, Senior
Forward: Eliza Pierre, Muir, Junior
SECOND TEAM
Guard: Maryum Jenkins, Monrovia, Junior
Guard: Courtney Robinson, Flintridge Prep, Senior
Center: Janise Ho, Keppel, Junior
Forward: Stephanie Anderson, La Canada, Senior
Forward: Natasha Herring, Maranatha, Senior
HONORABLE MENTION
Alhambra: Tiffany Chu, Sr. Amanda Quesada
Blair: Jermani Daniels, So.
Flintridge Prep: Megan Musashi, So.
Gabrielino: Annie Kim, Sr.
Keppel: Courtney Hirose, Sr, Kylie Yoshimura, Jr.
La Canada: Leeza Sanfilippo, Sr.
La Salle: Kimi Takaoka, So.
Maranatha: Lauren McGee, Jr.
Monrovia: Jasmine Gordon, Jr.
Muir: Chrishawn Frierson, Sr.
Pasadena Poly: Kelly Pray, Jr.
Rosemead: Evelyn Ramirez, So.
San Marino: Nicole Chan, Sr.
South Pasadena: Kendall Shinmoto. Sr. Nicole Biesek, Jr
Westridge Sharon Woo, So.
STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
1. Arcadia
Tough league loss to Claremont
2. Temple City
Middles keeping Rams in hunt
3. South Pasadena
Gave Crescenta Valley a run
4. San Marino
Impressive against San Gabriel
5. La Cañada
Quality win over Campbell Hall
STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
Records before Tuesday
1. Alhambra (7-1)
Win streak up to six
2. St. Francis (7-2)
Back in action after week off
3. La Salle (9-3)
Finished 3-1 in Vegas tournament
4. Monrovia (7-2)
A challenging week ahead
5. Temple City (7-2)
Stumbled against South Pas.
6. San Marino (8-1-1)
Close loss to Temple City
7. Pasadena Poly (7-3)
Panthers have won five straight
8. La Cañada (6-3)
Snapped two-game slide
9. Gabrielino (7-4)
Eagles on a six-game streak
10. Arcadia (5-4)
Starting to regain momentum
STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
By Keith Lair
Records before Tuesday
1. Alverno (7-3)
Has won four consecutive games
2. Flintridge Sacred Heart (6-2)
Three consecutive shutouts
3. La Salle (6-3)
On spring break
4. Keppel (8-1)
Three-for-three in three days
5. La Cañada (6-3)
Undefeated in Rio Hondo League
6. Temple City (6-3-1)
Two big Rio Hondo League wins
7. South Pasadena (4-7)
Beat OC’s Savanna, 1-0
8. Arcadia (4-5)
4-2 since 0-3 start
9. San Marino (7-3)
Dropped two league games
10. Maranatha (7-5)
Has this week off
Pasadena senior led the way
Above: Pasadena High School guard Keion Bell. (Staff Photo Keith Birmingham)
Longtime La Canada coach led team to 23-9 season
STAR-NEWS ALL AREA TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Guard, Justin Cook, Renaissance Academy Senior
Guard, Dorian Hampton, Marshall, Senior
Center, Anthony Stover, Renaissance Academy, Junior
Forward, Will Baldwin, La Canada, Senior
Forward, Daniel Dingle, Maranatha, Junior
SECOND TEAM
Guard, Malik Speed, St. Francis, Junior
Center, A.J. Talt, Pasadena Poly, Senior
Forward Steven Adams, Pasadena, Soph.
Forward Marcus Harvey, Pasadena, Senior
Forward Steven Johnson, La Canada, Senior
HONORABLE MENTION
Alhambra: Aeric Allen, Jr.
Blair: Deon Geary, Jr.
Flintridge Prep: Aaron Fried, Jr.
La Canada: Clarke Anderson, Jr.
Maranatha: Ronald Cole, Jr.; Anthony Morton, Sr.
Marshall: Terrell Burnett, Jr.
Monrovia: Phillip Brown, Sr.
Pasadena: George Toyama, So.
Pasadena Poly: John Harewood, Sr.
Renaissance Academy: DeAndre Daniels, So.; Josh Thomas, Sr.
Rio Hondo Prep: Tim Esguerra, Jr.
San Gabriel Academy: Randy Castanaza, Jr.
San Marino: Chevy McGinley, Sr.
Temple City: James Chen, Jr; Williams Do, Sr.
The Star-News/Tribune All-Star basketball games will be held on April 19 at Azusa Pacific Univerisity.
We will be announcing the coaches and teams very soon.
With the new divisions all but set, which area teams have a shot at winning a CIF title?
The Southeast Division could be interesting. Will Arcadia, Muir, Pasadena, San Gabriel, Alhambra, among others, have what it takes to win a ring?
Fresh off the Tribune blog: The date and site have been set for the annual Hall of Fame Senior All-Star Game.
The game will take place on Friday, June 27 at Bassett High School. The two coaches already have been selected. South El Monte High School's Erick Escamilla will handle the West squad, which is made up primarily of Star-News schools and those from the Mission Valley League. The East team will be coached by La Puente's Ray Hernandez. Bassett coach Leon Ward is once again the director, so coaches should get in contact with him about nominating seniors for the game. You can start by telling us who should be in the game.
My Thoughts: Taking absolutely nothing away from what Escamilla did with South El Monte High's team this past season, but if this is supposedly and East San Gabriel Valley vs. West San Gabriel Valley game, shouldn't the coach of the West be from the West Valley? Blair's Tip Sanders, Muir's Ken Howard or Pasadena's Kevin Mills would've been nice choices.
This should be another great game.
Here are the weekly area standings courtesy of MaxPreps.
Here are the baseball standings courtesy of MaxPreps.
Belated Easter Greetings.
I took this right out of Freddy's playbook so here goes.
Here are his 2007 All-Area selections. Who are the frontrunners for this year?
Belated Easter Greetings.
I Got this idea from Freddy, so what the heck.
Here were his all-area picks from last season. Who will fill the slots for this season?
Former St. Francis High School shortstop Joe De Pinto is making the adjustment to collegiate pitching at USC. He has appeared In 16 of the Trojans' first 20 games and it batting .146 with four runs batted in. Three of his six hits have been doubles. De Pinto has a .911 fielding percentage with 24 putouts, and has been part of six double plays.
Above: St. Francis graduate Joe De Pinto.
Former Pasadena Poly standout Rob Rasmussen has appeared in just one of UCLA's first 18 games. The hard-throwing left-hander worked 2 2/3 innings in his lone start, allowing three hits, two runs and one walk, while striking out three.
Above: Former Pasadena Poly pitcher Rob Rasmussen.
Bosco Tech Classic
Mountain View 3, Bosco Tech 2
St. Paul Tournament
Gabrielino 8, Watsonville Monte Vista Christian 5
CCCS Easter Tournament at Las Vegas Calvary Chapel
La Salle 7, Henderson, Nev. Coronado 6 (9 innings)
Temple City shows its versatility in 11-0 win
If you haven't been to San Marino High School's McNamee Field lately, you're in for a treat. Last year, I was impressed by the charming little field. Now, it's truly a stadium. The only thing missing is a modern scoreboard. Maybe they'll put the Jumbo Tron and the outfield pool in next season. It's a shame all high school's can't have a top-flight facility like this one.
This, by far, was the best match I've seen so far this season. Rallies and lots of hard hitting. An outstanding high school match featuring some players who could be playing at the next level.
Above: Arcadia's Scott Novak (8) collects a kill past Claremont's Alo Tauaese in the first game at Arcadia high School. (SGVN/Staff Photo Keith Birmingham/SXSports)
Temple City left-hander Brian Dearth struck out 10 to lead the Rams to a Rio Hondo League victory.
This was a well-played contest that could've gone either way.
Left: Temple City pitcher Brian Dearth. Right: San Marino starter Nick Wilson.
Question: Will we be seeing a team from the Rio Hondo League in the Division V title game again this year? And, if so, who will it be?
Rams make San Gabriel feel ill
(Staff Photo Keith Birmingham)
My Thoughts: The Rams have a pair of solid middle blockers in Aaron Kappe and Ben Hogue. Temple City's match against South Pasadena should be interesting.
Maranatha pitcher Dylan Covey didn't allow a hit, and struck out 13 of the 15 batters he faced in a 13-0 win over Marshall Thursday.
Covey (3-0) has struck out 28 batters in his last two games. He allowed just one hit, and fanned 15 in a 3-0 win over Windward on March 14.
He also threw a five-inning no-hitter last season in a 12-0 victory over Marshall.
Tigers watch lead go to waste
South Pasadena had a win within grasp but couldn't hang on.
Question: Can the Tigers learn from a loss like this?
Tigers unable to hold on in 7-6 loss to Rams.
South Pasadena took a 6-3 lead in the fourth before Temple City tied it in the sixth, and won it in the seventh.
Your thoughts.
(Correspondent photo by Mike Mullen)
Tuesday's scores
Temple City 7, South Pasadena 6
La Canada 4, Monrovia 1
Arcadia 5, San Marino 2
Tuesday's finals
Temple City 7, South Pasadena 5
Monrovia 7, La Canada 1
San Marino 10, Blair 4
La Salle 7, St. Monica 0
Gabrielino 8, El Monte 1
South El Monte 8, Rosemead 5
Here are the latest area and CIF rankings.
STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
By scott Galetti
Records before Tuesday
BASEBALL
1. Alhambra (5-1
Four straight wins after clunker
2. St. Francis (7-2)
Stuck in tough Mission League
3. La Salle (6-2)
Split a pair of Del Rey contests
4. Monrovia (5-2)
A tough week ahead
5. Temple City (5-2)
Stumbled against South Pas.
6. San Marino (7-0-1)
Only blemish a tie vs. Burbank
7. La Cañada (7-2)
Hung tough with Temple City
8. Poly (5-3)
Panthers gaining momentum
9. South Pasadena (4-3)
Split tough week of league play
10. Gabrielino (3-4)
Eagles beginning to soar
Here are the latest area and CIF rankings.
STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
By scott Galetti
Records before Tuesday
SOFTBALL
1. Alverno (6-3)
Lost to tough Los Altos, 1-0
2. Flintridge Sacred Heart (5-2)
Two consecutive shutouts
3. La Salle (6-3)
Went 2-2 in High Desert tourney
4. Keppel (5-1)
Gearing up for league play
5. South Pasadena (2-5)
Losses to highly regarded teams
6. San Marino (6-1)
Lost league opener
7. La Canada (4-3)
Big win over Temple City
8. Maranatha (6-5)
Went 1-3 in IE tourney
9. Temple City (3-3)
Still in Rio Hondo hunt
10. San Gabriel (6-6)
Won four of last six games
Here are the latest CIF rankings.
Here are the area and CIF rankings
STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
By Scott Galetti
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
1. Arcadia
Big match against Claremont
2. Temple City
Rams could be for real
3. South Pasadena
Tigers still slowed by injuries
4. San Marino
Hot and cold so far
5. La Cañada
Tough loss to Golden Valley
It's time for the top 10. Who should be in it?
Above: South Pasadena left fielder Kelsey Hertel in a game against El Segundo.
Here is a link to the complete proposed playoff pairings by the CIF, excluding basketball.
Link to CIF playoff proposal
CIF's entire proposal for all sports in 2008-09
Here is a proposal by the CIF for basketball.
Here is the CIF proposed groupings for football for 2008-09.
The proposed football playoff groupings: There is an appeal process for playoff groupings. A vote is scheduled at the Southern Section's next meeting, April 24.
Pac-5 Division: Moore, Serra, South Coast, Sunset, Trinity.
Inland Division: Big 8, Citrus Belt, Inland Valley, Southwestern.
Western Division: Bay, Golden, Mission, Ocean, San Gabriel.
Northern Division: Channel, Foothill, Marmonte, Pac-7, Pacific View.
Central Division: Baseline, Mt. Baldy, San Andreas, Sierra, Sunbelt.
Southwest Division: Century, Empire, Freeway, Orange, Sea View.
Southeast Division: Almont, Del Rio, Miramonte, Pacific, San Antonio.
Eastern Division: Desert Sky, Desert Valley, Mojave River, Mountain Pass, Sunkist.
Southern Division: Garden Grove, Golden West, Orange Coast, Pacific Coast, Suburban.
Northwest Division: Camino Real, Del Rey, Los Padres, Pioneer, Tri-Valley.
Mid-Valley Division: Mission Valley, Montview, Olympic, Rio Hondo, Valle Vista.
East Valley Division: Academy, Alpha, Christian, De Anza, Frontier, High Desert.
Northeast Division: Big Sky, Desert Mountain, Prep, San Joaquin, Santa Fe.
Scott's thoughts: The Southeast Division should be a fun one, and without the long drives. Maybe we could see Muir and Los Altos? The Mid-Valley League could be fun as well. The CIF may have gotten it right this time.
This is sort of a re-hash of a post from a few weeks ago, but it's still a hot-button issue.
With the recent rash of transfers out of Monrovia High School, my question to you is how can schools like Monrovia recover from losing so many top players? Also, should the players that left, regardless of their reasoning for leaving, be able to play next season? When is enough enough when it comes to transfers?
How many more from other schools might be in the works? Are the CIF transfer rules simply window dressing?
Questions:
1. Why do players leave the West San Gabriel Valley to play in the East SGV?
2. What other schools draw kids from the West SGV other than Amat?
3. What would make East SGV want to come to West SGV schools?
4. How much is this about kids making the best decision as opposed to the desire to be on a winning team?
5. What can be fixed to keep players from transferring?
6. How does St. Francis, which has lost some good players to the transfer bug, play into this one way or another?
7. How are other sports affected?
After being ranked No. 1, St. Francis dropped a pair to Notre Dame before sweeping Rio Mesa.
Question: How should the rankings shape up this week? Should St. Francis still be No. 1? If so, why?
Branson wins state crown
Above: Renaissance Academy's Hector Harold, left, and Matt Raya wait out the final minute of the game from the bench during the Wildcats 40-33 loss to Branson in the CIF State Division V championship game at Arco Arena. (SCOTT VARLEY/STAFF)
Renaissance Academy's leading scorer held to just three points in loss at State final
Live from Arco Arena
Wildcats unable to come back against Bulls
My thoughts: I was absolutely amazed that Renaissance Academy was taken completely out of its game by the Bulls. Anthony Stover was immediately double-teamed whenever he touched the ball, and Justin Cook was taken out of sync as well. Add in the fact that Josh Thomas, although he led the Wildcats with 11 points, was taken out of the game in key situations due to playing frustrated. Branson thoroughly outplayed Renaissance Academy and had them beaten mentally as well.
