BREAKING NEWS: Turkey Tussle date switched

Just got word that the Turkey Tussle (AKA Muir vs. Pasadena) has been pushed back from a Saturday afternoon game on Nov. 15 to Friday night, Nov. 14. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Rose Bowl.

The schools got word today from CIF they cannot play on the 15th because all football games must be played by the 14th. CIF uses the weekend to crank out the CIF playoffs bracket.

So leave your sunglasses and sunscreen at home and bring your blankies and hot chocolate.

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Updated: High school football player dies from injuries

(UPDATED: Thursday, 2:34 p.m.)


Above: Vinnie Rodriguez, a sophomore running back at Boron High School, died Wednesday due to head injuries suffered in a game played five days earlier. (Los Angeles Times)

By Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

The Boron High football team met Wednesday afternoon and decided to honor Vinnie Rodriguez the best way it knows how: by playing on.

The Bobcats voted unanimously to proceed with Friday’s road game against Lake Isabella Kern Valley after the death of Rodriguez, 16, a sophomore running back and safety who succumbed Tuesday night to head injuries suffered last Friday during a game against California School for the Deaf Riverside.

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Vinnie Rodriguez, a sophomore running back and safety at Boron High, died Tuesday night at Loma Linda Medical Center from head injuries suffered last Friday during the Bobcats’ game against Riverside California School for the Deaf, reports Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.

Bolch goes on to report:

Rodriguez had been in critical condition and in intensive care since sustaining the injuries while making a tackle. He appeared to stabilize before taking a turn for the worse Tuesday night.

The Bobcats had voted to play Friday’s game against Lake Isabella Kern Valley after Rodriguez was injured, but those plans are now up in the air, Boron Principal Paul Kostopoulos said. Boron will hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser Thursday evening in the school cafeteria to help defray Rodriguez’s medical costs.

Boron Coach Todd Fink described Rodriguez as a 5-foot-5, 135-pound whirlwind who embodied the spirit of the Bobcats, a small-school team that packs a wallop.

“I guarantee anyone who’s been hit by him is not going to believe he’s 5-5, 135,” Fink said Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier this week, Boron students affixed pink and orange ribbons to a fence at the school forming a heart alongside Rodriguez’s jersey number and first initial. Below lay a bouquet of flowers, a candle, an angel figurine and a book of prayers and promises.

Standing near the tribute Tuesday, senior Laynah Fealy described Rodriguez as “hyper” and “light-hearted,” though there was nothing fluffy about his play.

It’s a sad day in high school football.

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Prep Scene: Honorees, rankings and statistics


Above: Maranatha quarterback Matt Schilz put on an impressive display in the Minutemens’ last two minutes of the game last week against La Salle.

High school honorees, rankings and statistics. Compiled by Miguel A. Melendez

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Matt Schilz
Maranatha
Football
Senior
Quarterback

Favorite hobby: Video games
Favorite musical artist: Shwayze
Favorite favorite movie: “The Replacements”
Favorite athlete: Tom Brady
Favorite food: Pizza
Accomplishments: The Kansas State-bound senior led a nine-play drive that started at Maranatha’s 21 with 2:01 left and the Minutemen trailing, 26-20. Schilz completed passes of 4, 17, 15 and 8 yards before finding an open Terell Cornell from 21 yards to lead the Minutemen over La Salle 27-26 on Friday. Schilz completed 17 of 33 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

Caitlyn Ward
Arcadia
Girls tennis
Senior
Singles

Favorite hobby: playing and listening to music
Favorite musical artist: Chris Brown
Favorite movie: “Pirates of the Caribbean”
Favorite athlete: James Blake
Favorite food: Sushi
Accomplishments: The senior, the Apaches’ No. 1 singles player, won 6-1, 6-0, 6-0, in a victory over Pasadena Poly last week and won two of three sets Monday to help the Apaches (2-0) edge La Canada 10-8 in a nonleague match.

HONOR ROLL

*Dietrich Riley, St. Francis: The junior rushed for 113 yards on 11 carries, including a 25-yard TD, and had an interception to lead the Golden Knights to a 54-7 victory over Arcadia.

*Marcus Graves, Muir: Caught five passes for 121 yards in a 43-14 loss to Oaks Christian.

*Vailele Peko, Alhambra: The sophomore caught three of the Moors’ four touchdown passes in a 44-28 loss to Glendale.

*Marquise Williams, Monrovia: The senior running back helped the Wildcats jump to a quick 7-0 lead after sprinting for a 70-yard touchdown run in Monrovia’s 14-6 win over Duarte in the inaugural MD Classic.

*Morgan Hatch, Temple City: The senior quarterback completed 10 of 14 passes for 190 yards and four touchdowns in the Rams’ 34-0 win over Arroyo.

*Gianni Bruno-Lopez, Temple City: Caught six passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

*Scott Dooley, San Marino: Rushed for 148 yards and a TD on 20 carries, including 117 in the first half, to lead the Titans past Gabrielino, 21-0.

*Justin Sciarra, St. Francis: Completed 7 of 9 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
FOOTBALL

1. St. Francis (1-0)
Golden Knights are real deal

2. Muir (1-1)
Mustangs should be applauded

3. Rosemead (1-0)
Panthers quite a strong force

4. Arcadia (1-1)
Apaches thankful for bye

5. Temple City (1-0)
Impressive shutout to start

6. San Marino (1-0)
Titans of the past returning?

7. Monrovia (1-1)
Wildcats offense staggering

8. San Gabriel (1-1)
Serra will be no walk in park

9. Maranatha (2-0)
They keep finding ways to win

10. Alhambra (0-1)
Offense can’t start late again

Thursday’s Game

South Pasadena vs. Hoover at Glendale, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Hoover); Lair (South Pasadena)

Friday’s Games

Temple City at Alhambra, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Temple City); Lair (Temple City)
Long Beach Jordan at Pasadena, 7 p.m. — Melendez (LB Jordan); Lair (Jordan)
Glendale at La Canada, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Glendale); Lair (Glendale)
San Marino at La Salle, 7 p.m. — Melendez (San Marino); Lair (La Salle)
St. Francis at Crescenta Valley, 7 p.m. — Melendez (St. Francis); Lair (St. Francis)
Muir at Venice, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Muir); Lair (Muir)
Monrovia at Rosemead, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Rosemead); Lair (Rosemead)
Pomona at Duarte, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Pomona); Lair (Duarte)
Keppel at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. Melendez (Keppel); Lair (Gabrielino)
Serra at San Gabriel, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Serra); Lair (Serra)
Capistrano Valley Christian at Maranatha, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Maranatha); Lair (Capo Valley)
Bosco Tech vs. Gladstone at St. Matthias, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Bosco Tech); Lair (Gladstone)
Rio Hondo Prep at Brentwood, 4 p.m. — Melendez (Rio Hondo Prep); Lair (Brentwood)
Flintridge Prep vs. Villanova Prep at Occidental, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Villanova); Lair (Villanova)

Saturday’s Game

Marshall at Pasadena Poly, 2 p.m. — Melendez (Pasadena Poly); Lair (Pasadena Poly)

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Volleyball: Mayfield girls ready for an encore


Above: Susan Carlson (No. 23) will be a central figure on a Mayfield High School volleyball team that is ranked No. 1 by the Star-News heading into the 2008 season.

No. 1 Mayfield sets sight on another CIF Divisional title

By Keith Lair
Staff Writer

It almost does not pay to be successful. Look at the West San Gabriel Valley area volleyball teams.

Mayfield High School won a CIF-Southern Section Division IV-AA championship. Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy was runner-up in Division I-A. Pasadena won Division II-A two years ago.

But it’s more than winning titles. Three of the four Prep League teams reached the division semifinals, including Westridge. Flintridge Sacred Heart played Mission League foe Harvard-Westlake for the title. In the Pacific League, champion Burroughs reached the quarterfinals.

As a result, all have moved up one division. The Prep League has moved into Division III-A; the Mission League into I-AA, the top division in the CIF-SS, and the Pacific League has been bumped up to II-AA.

That sends the Prep League into a division with the likes of the tougher Almont and Ocean leagues, Flintridge Sacred Heart into the lions of the beach schools, including CIF state power Mira Costa, Redondo, Newport Harbor, Long Beach Wilson and Los Alamitos, and the Pacific League against Corona del Mar, North and South Torrance and Bishop Montgomery and Inland Valley powers Redlands East Valley and Riverside Poly.

“We’ll probably have a pretty good record at the end of the year and go to CIF,” Flintridge Sacred Heart coach Shelli Orlandini said. “But for us to make the finals would be a miracle, I think. Even the semifinals is asking for a lot. I just don’t understand it.”

A look at the area’s top 10 teams:
Continue reading “Volleyball: Mayfield girls ready for an encore” »

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Football: Star-News Top 10


Above: Maranatha football fans have something to cheer for.

There were a few shakeups…La Salle (0-2) gets dropped though they do trail right behind Alhambra who can drop if it loses badly to Temple City. However, I don’t think the Alhambra-TC game will be a blowout. Rosemead moves up one spot to No. 3 while Arcadia drops to one spot at No. 4, respectively. Temple City and San Marino make significant jumps to No. 5 and 6 from 8 and 9, respectively. San Gabriel moved from No. 10 to No. 8, the Moors dropped to No. 10 from 7 and Maranatha makes its debut in the top 10 at No. 9 after an impressive string of victories. The top 10 rankings will run in the paper on Wednesday along with the Prep Scene which includes athletes of the week and the honor roll.

So which game is this week’s Game of the Week? Cast your vote below…..

STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
FOOTBALL

1. St. Francis (1-0)
Golden Knights are real deal

2. Muir (1-1)
Mustangs should be applauded

3. Rosemead (1-0)
Panthers quite a strong force

4. Arcadia (1-1)
Apaches thankful for bye

5. Temple City (1-0)
Impressive shutout to start

6. San Marino (1-0)
Titans of the past returning?

7. Monrovia (1-1)
Wildcats offense staggering

8. San Gabriel (1-1)
Serra will be no walk in park

9. Maranatha (2-0)
They keep finding ways to win

10. Alhambra (0-1)
Offense can’t start late again

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