December 2009 Archives

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

San Gabriel High School athletic director Patty Hill confirmed Monday that the entire San Gabriel High School girls basketball coaching staff - from varsity to the freshman level - was fired after an incident during a junior varsity game against El Monte on Dec. 9, though Hill refused to give details.
Hill referred all questions to the Alhambra Unified School District, which didn't return calls Monday. San Gabriel football coach Keith Jones subsequently took over as the girls varsity head coach on an interim basis, but has been replaced by Jennifer White, recently cleared by the Alhambra Unified School District to take over as the varsity coach.
It isn't known how many coaches were fired and have been replaced. As recently as Dec. 18, San Gabriel canceled a junior varsity contest against South Pasadena due to a "lack of coaches," according to South Pasadena athletic director Ralph Punaro.

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

ALPHA LEAGUE

MVP Offense: Erik Johnson (12), Maranatha
MVP Defense: Chris Cornell (11), Maranatha
MVP Lineman: Josh Lumer (12), Campbell Hall

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Ben Kussin-Shoptaw (12) OL, Brentwood
Michael Stone (12) OL, Brentwood
Duncan Laliberte (12) OL, Sierra Canyon
Pablo Garnica (12) OL, Maranatha
Derek Tsao (12) OL, Maranatha
Cody Keith (12) QB, Maranatha
Daniel Beckwith (12) WR, Maranatha
Julian Brooks (10) WR, Sierra Canyon
Shane Harrison (11) WR, Sierra Canyon
Daniel James (12) WR, Brentwood
Caleb Nickels (11) RB, Sierra Canyon
Ray Nicholson (12) RB, Brentwood

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Greg Caruso (12) DB, Brentwood
Austin McBroom (11) DB, Campbell Hall
Freedom McCullough (12) DB, Campbell Hall
Miles Rankin (11) DB, Montclair Prep
Ben Yung (12) DB, Maranatha
Josh Garcia (12) DL, Calvary Chapel Downey
Luke Hamilton (12) DL, Calvary Chapel Downey
Trent Washington (11) DL, Maranatha
Brandon Sekona (12) DL, Kilpatrick
Bernard Dillard (12) LB, Campbell Hall
Brandon Koletsky (12) LB, Campbell Hall
Tony Rosales (12) LB, Montclair Prep
Andrew Terry (10) LB, Sierra Canyon

CLICK ON THREAD FOR SECOND TEAM

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

Ryan Katsuyama was unsure of the direction that his boys water polo team would take.

Heading into the 2009 season, he had reason to worry. Pasadena Poly was losing Tommy Gilfillan, its all-time scoring leader and one of the top career and single-season scorers in the CIF-Southern Section.

The Panthers were coming off a Prep League title and a berth in the CIF-SS semifinals.

Katsuyama had little to worry about. Pasadena Poly did not repeat as Prep League champion, but as a second-place team it advanced the CIF-SS quarterfinals. The Panthers went farther than any other west San Gabriel Valley team.

They also found a replacement for Gilfillan, a player they can rely on for the next two years. Henry Pray broke Gilfillan's sophomore school record for goals, earned All-CIF first-team honors and has been selected Star-News Player of the Year.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

RIO HONDO LEAGUE

MVP: Nick Bueno Monrovia
All Purpose Player Of The Year: Stevie Yortsos San Marino
Offensive Back Of the Year: Rocky Moore La Canada
Offensive Lineman Of The Year: Matt O'Malley Temple City
Co-Defensive Linemen Of The Year: Grant Haggard Monrovia, Justin Sutton, Temple City
Linebacker Of The Year: Josh Lowden Monrovia
Defensive Back Of The Year: Dujuawn Jones Monrovia

FIRST TEAM OFFNSE
WR: David Spratt Temple City
WR: Josh Hanson La Canada
TE: Jay Kolina La Canada
OT: Alan Felix San Marino
OT: Kizz Prusia Monrovia
OG: Corey Alexander Blair
OG: Harley Hulin Monrovia
C: Dean Bisterfeldt Monrovia
QB: Justin Smith Temple City
RB: De'shawn Ramirez Monrovia
RB: Benny Hung San Marino
RB: Max Ruckle Temple City
K: Andrew Tinsley Temple City

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Steven Fei Temple City
DL: Danny Krimmel San Marino
DL: Ellis McCarthy Monrovia
DE: Brent Johnson La Canada
DE: Ben Harwich San Marino
LB: Trent Converse San Marino
LB: David Miller La Canada
LB: Derrick Johnson Monrovia
DB: Josh Hanson La Canada
DB: Charlie Cimmarusti Monrovia
DB: Tim Lo San Marino
DB: Howard Serrian South Pasadena
P: Matt Faber La Canada

*Second teams were not provided

All CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division
Offensive MVP: Ryan Kohler, San Dimas, Sr.
Defensive MVP: Josh Lowden, Monrovia, Sr.
Coach of the year: Bill Zernickow, San Dimas

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB: Nick Bueno, Monrovia, Jr.
RB: Ryan Kohler, San Dimas, Sr.
RB: Tre Evans, San Dimas, Sr.
RB: Kendrec McDade, Azusa, Sr.
RB: Kevin Running, Valley Christian, Sr.
RB: Garrett Fulbright, Whittier Christian, Sr.
WR: Stevie Yortsos, San Marino, Sr.
WR: Chris Rodriguez, Arroyo, Sr.
WR: Christian Lazaro, Baldwin Park, Sr.
WR: Tanner Miller, Valley Christian, Sr.
WR: Abraham Ochoa, Azusa, Sr.
OL: Kizz Prusia, Mornovia, Sr.
OL: Matt O'Malley, Temple City, Sr.
OL: Allen Brown, San Dimas, Jr.
OL: Javier Lozano, Arroyo, Sr.
OL: Raymond Raygoza, Baldwin Park, Sr.
OL: Edwin Garcia, Azusa, Jr.
OL: Chris Aalberg, Valley Christian, Sr.
PK: Kyle Steffes, Paraclete, Sr.
AP: Steven Rivera, Arroyo, So.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DB: Mike Chavez, Arroyo, Sr.
DB: Kyland Warren, Paraclete, Sr.
DB: Stevie Yortsos, San Marino, Sr.
DB: Chris Binford, Valley Christian, Sr.
DB: Dujuawn Jones, Monrovia, Sr.
DB: Jordan Taylor, San Dimas, Jr.
LB: Todd Davis, Paraclete, Sr.
LB: Josh Lowden, Monrovia, Sr.
LB: Trent Converse, San Marinio, Sr.
LB: Anthony Binford, Valley Christian, Sr.
LB: Jesus Vargas, La Puente, Sr.
DL: Lavonte Barnett, Paraclete, Sr.
DL: Sam Phillips, Valley Christian, Sr.
DL: Jeff Worthy, Whittier Christian, Sr.
DL: Juston Winrow, San Dimas, Sr.
DL: Grant Haggard, Monrovia, Sr.
DL: Ellis McCarthy, Monrovia, So.
DL: Javier Lozano, Arroyo, Sr.
P: Dillon Corona, San Dimas, So.
AP: Luis Diaz, Rosemead, Sr.

Player of the Year: Rachel Aragon, Mayfield, Senior
Co-Coaches of the Year: Cuong Chau and Silvia Apodaca, Gabrielino

FIRST TEAM
Taylor DeGraaf, Arcadia, Junior
Courtney McCutchan, La Canada, Senior
Tara Rallis, La Canada, Senior
Hannah Schraer, Mayfield, Junior
Madisyn Spence, Mayfield, Senior
Hayley Woodford, La Canada, Senior

SECOND TEAM
Alexis Genske, Pasadena Poly, Sophomore
Tirah Le'au, Monrovia, Junior
Taylor McLeod, Maranatha, Senior
Mary Schroeder, Flintridge Sacred Heart, Senior
Ashley Van Oosten, Gabrielino, Junior
Melissa-Rose Villasenor, Gabrielino, Senior

CLICK ON THREAD TO READ STORY

All CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division
Offensive player of the year: Adam Muema, Charter Oak, Sr.
Defensive player of the year: Keith Smith, Charter Oak, Sr.
Coach of the year: Lou Farrar, Charter Oak

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB -- Gus Viramontes, Diamond Ranch, Sr.
RB -- Amari Staten, Diamond Ranch, Sr.
RB -- Dalton Williams, Burbank Burroughs, Sr.
RB -- Ulises Ochoa, Burbank, Jr.
RB -- Terris Jones, California, Sr.
RB -- Nick Castillo, Schurr, Sr.
OL -- Daniel Reyes, Charter Oak, Sr.
OL -- Any Orozco, Charter Oak, Jr.
OL -- Sam Campbell, Crescenta Valley, Sr.
OL -- Taylor Beyer, California, Sr.
OL -- Richard Tejada, West Covina, Sr.
OL -- Cody Goss, South Hills, Sr.
OL -- Albert Perez, Schurr, Jr.
WR -- Dennis Rufus, Charter Oak, Jr.
WR -- Ormani Duncan, Muir, Jr.
WR -- Cameron Oliver, Santa Fe, Sr.
WR -- Ify Umodu, South Hills, Sr.
WR -- Carlos Arrendondo, Schurr, Sr.
PK -- Tyler Hadden, California, Sr.
AP -- Geoffrey Vaughns, South Hills, Sr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DB -- A.J. Powell, Charter Oak, Sr.
DB -- Brandon Golden, Charter Oak, Sr.
DB -- Elisha Henley, Diamond Ranch, Sr.
DB -- Jarron Williams, Muir, Sr.
DB -- Josh Onovughe, Rowland, Sr.
DB -- Nathan Ayon, Schurr, Sr.
LB -- Leon Youngblood, Charter Oak, Sr.
LB -- Charlie Hosea, Burbank Burroughs, Sr.
LB -- Ryan Seidler, Burbank, Jr.
LB -- Andrew Jackson, Santa Fe, Sr.
LB -- Rayes Barrera, South Hills, Sr.
DL -- Garrett Clapper, Charter Oak, Sr.
DL -- Charlie Avila, Charter Oak, Sr.
DL -- James Arriola, California, Sr.
DL -- Alec Griffin, South Hills, Sr.
DL -- Steven David, Rowland, Sr.
DL -- Mark Avila, Schurr, Sr.
DL-- Justin Mayorga, Burbank Burroughs, Sr.
P -- Robert Poage, Charter Oak, Sr.

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.

Apparently there was a crazy rumor about the next Loyola football coach. Eric Sondheimer over at the L.A. Times writes that the latest rumor is that the Cubs are hoping to hire all three Herrington brothers, Mike from Newhall Hart, plus Dean and Rick from Mission Hills Alemany, and each would earn $100,000. Yeah, right.

ALMONT LEAGUE
Co-Most Valuable Players: Carlos Arredondo (Schurr); Isaac Valdez (San Gabriel)
Lineman of the Year: Albert Perez (Schurr)
Most Valuable Offense: Aaron Cantu (Schurr)
Most Valuable Defense: Mark Avila (Schurr)
Coach of the Year: Ben Negrete, Schurr

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
WR: Mark Covarrubias, San Gabriel
WR: Mitchell Crockom, Alhambra
WR: Alex Lopez, San Gabriel
TE: Scott Williams, Bell Gardens
OT: Chris Salgado, Alhambra
OT: Gonzalo Viera, Bell Gardens
OT: Alex Barrera, Schurr
OG: Luis Villegas, San Gabriel
OG: Anthony Agredando, Schurr
C: Eric Barcello, San Gabriel
QB: Josh Adame, Bell Gardens
RB: Nick Castillo, Schurr
RB: Joseph Marron, Montebello
RB: Daniel Vargas, Bell Gardens
K: Gilmar Tenes

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DT: Chris Salgado, Alhambra
DT: Eric Barcello, San Gabriel
DE: Gonzalo Viera, Bell Gardens
DE: Josh Curiel, Montebello
LB: Alex Lopez, San Gabriel
LB: Justin Munoz, Bell Gardens
LB: Brandon Wilson, Alhambra
LB: Abraham Gonzalez, Schurr
DB: Mark Covarrubias, San Gabriel
DB: Nathan Ayon, Schurr
DB: Arthur Brown, San Gabriel
DB: Mitchell Crockom, Alhambra
DB: Vailele Peko, Alhambra
P: Gilmar Tenes, San Gabriel

CLICK ON THREAD FOR SECOND TEAM

MISSION VALLEY LEAGUE
Player of the year: Steven Rivera, Arroyo, QB
Player of the year: Mike Vasquez, Arroyo, RB/LB
Lineman of the year: Javier Lozano, Arroyo
Back of the year: Matt Fregoso, Rosemead

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
RB: Eduardo Moreno, Gabrielino
RB: Rene Flores, South El Monte
WR: Chris Rodriguez, Arroyo
WR: Greg Parham, Rosemead
OT: Luis Nunez, Arroyo
OT: Jose Ambriz, South El Monte
OG: Matt Phillip, Arroyo
OG: Javier Sanchez, Rosemead
OC: Jon Becerra, Arroyo
TE: Luis Diaz, Rosemead
QB: Matt Macias, Rosemead
PK: Rogelio Sotelo, Arroyo
AP: Anthony Miller, Arroyo

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DB: Chris Rodriguez, Arroyo
DB: Greg Parham, Rosemead
DB: Edward Landeros, El Monte
DT: Vinny Martinez, Arroyo
DT: Fabian Ramirez, Rosemead
DT: Salvador Chavarin, Rosemead
DE: Sam Torres, Arroyo
DE: Luis Diaz, Rosemead
LB: Anthony Flores, Arroyo
LB: Jeff Salazar, Arroyo
LB: Matt Eddy Rosemead
LB: Alex Ruiz, South El Monte
AP: Mike Chavez, Arroyo

CLICK ON THREAD FOR SECOND TEAM

One of our favorite traditions is running the All-Area football team on Christmas Day, but due to circumstances beyond the sports department's control, the back page where we feature the 25 all-area players will not be a color page on Christmas Day, it will be black-and-white. We had the option of running it regardless black-and-white, but the consensus was to wait until we had a guaranteed color page, because the players and teams deserve it. So, the football section will be delayed until Saturday or early next week, I will keep you informed. We have run the all-area teams in color every year since 1991, so it was important to at least keep that tradition. Sorry for the delay, I know how much you enjoyed reading it on Christmas Day. The front page is always a color page, so on Christmas we will run the boys water polo team instead, since all pictures in water polo will be kept to the front page.

The dust has settled and the CIF-Southern Section playoffs are over. You've seen and read about the teams making impressive runs in these last playoffs.

St. Francis was short from making the semifinals in the Western Division as was San Marino in the Mid Valley Division. Both teams at some point were leading against their quarterfinal opponents but let the win slip away.

What about Muir? Talk about playing your hearts out and surprising the heck out of everyone, except me of course. Charter Oak was on the brink of elimination in the first round of the Southeast Division playoffs. One play. That's it. If Muir converts the two-point conversion there would be no back-to-back championships and a fifth CIF ring for the guy they call "The Don" -- Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar. You have to wonder what kind of season the Mustangs would have had if they had played like that all year long. Instead, Muir was a bit of an enigma and there was no telling which team was going to show up. This much we know: Muir will be one of the top young guns next year along with Arcadia.

You know about Monrovia's undefeated season during its run up to the Mid Valley Division finals against No. 2 seed San Dimas. Rio Hondo Prep was no different, taking its 13-0 record and No. 1 seed into the Northeast Division finals against No. 2 seed Linfield Christian. That being said, we will be releasing our final top 10 rankings on Christmas Day, also the day our All-Area team publishes.

So I ask, which team belongs at No. 1?

To be honest, the only teams in contention for the top spot is St. Francis and Monrovia. Muir had a nice late-season run, but the inconsistency leading up to the Pacific League finale rules the Mustangs out of contention.

Don't you hate the hypothetical questions -- Who wins in a Monrovia vs. St. Francis matchup?

Ultimately the winner would truly decide the area's No. 1 team. They're not slated to play next year and there's little to zero assurances they'll meet in Week 0 next year. That said, I still think Monrovia would not only give St. Francis a run for its money but beat the Golden Knights in a close game.

That St. Francis plays in the tough Mission League and Western Division is irrelevant when the question is asked. Irrelevant? Yes. Because Monrovia's just as talented overall with insane speed and depth. I know, I know. Monrovia lost in the finals against San Dimas, and I know you St. Francis pundits are saying "They couldn't beat San Dimas, how can they claim to beat St. Francis, which plays in a much tougher division". .... Well, that's why every argument for and against each team is subjective, and we'll never truly know which team is better. For now, you make the argument.

The 2009 All-Area teams have been photographed and area ready to go. We will begin with cross country on Wednesday and continue through early next week with girls volleyball, football, boys water polo and girls tennis.

The tentative publication dates are as follows:

Cross Country, Wednesday, Dec. 23
Girls Volleyball, Thursday, Dec. 24
Football, Friday, Dec. 25
Girls Water Polo, Tuesday, Dec. 29
Girls Tennis, Wednesday, Dec. 30

Some of the proposals include eliminating summer school, laying off 82 teachers and closing libraries. Reduction to athletic programs also being considered. The final budget is scheduled to be approved in June. School officials said they are dreading the decision. "I knew we were going to be in a position to act on these recommendations even though we know it's not in the best interest of the students," Superintendent Edwin Diaz said. The district is considering asking voters to approve a parcel tax to cover some of the deficit. The school board will likely take up the matter at a meeting scheduled for January. How will this affect sports programs in the PUSD? What will be the long-term consequences, if any?

Here's some reaction to the news about major cuts:

It's amazing that libraries are high on the list of cuts to be made, yet there is only a mention that athletic programs could be affacted. I'm all for both programs, but libraries are a key component of academic success. So why does the school board seem to favor this over athletics? I'm in favor of a parcel tax. Let's keet the momentum for PUSD improvements going.
-- Concerned Parent

No Parcel Tax.. no way.

I went to a public school that had 30+ kids per teacher. It worked just fine. You know why? The kids were well behaved, and we listened. Why? Because the school demanded it, and our parents demanded it.

--True Freedom

By Caroline An, Staff Writer

PASADENA - Pasadena Unified students could face a future with no school libraries, no summer school and at least 82 less teachers, according to a preliminary budget plan approved by the school board late Tuesday.

The Pasadena Unified School District faces an $18.8 million shortfall in the 2010-11 school year, and $1.2 million in cuts the next year, according to district figures. The district's budget is about $200 million.

Eliminating summer school would save PUSD about $460,000 and closing libraries would save about $1.4 million, officials said. Teacher layoffs would save $3.5 million. Office staff reductions would save $2.175 million. Other smaller cuts also were proposed.

The proposed reductions would cover the entire deficit for the next two years, but state budget problems could force deeper cuts.

The final budget is scheduled to be approved in June.

School officials said they are dreading the decision.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING STORY

I'm surprising Miguel by jumping in here, but its a slow day and I remember how good the girls soccer teams were in this area. Just for fun, this is what my top ten in the Star-News area would look like. Tell me how close I am.

Robledo's Top Ten
1. La Salle (4-0-1) -- Are you kidding me, they beat Arcadia and tied Marymount, 'nuff said.
2. Flintridge Sacred Heart (2-0) -- Wins over Flintridge Prep and Campbell Hall, and we all know they have talent.
3. Arcadia (1-2) -- Don't look at the overall record, their 4-2 win over South Hills was good, and they lost to La Salle and a darn good Hart team.
4. Flintridge Prep (3-1) -- Considering their only loss was a 2-1 decision to FSHA, not bad.
5. Maranatha (2-0) -- Don't know enough, but they beat Mayfield and Monrovia ... Geez, everyone is beating Rio Hondo League teams these days.
6. Mayfield (4-1) -- You have to love the wins over San Marino and Temple City
7. Ramona Convent (2-0-2) - Wins over Alverno, Monrovia and ties against Westridge and South Pas.
8. Pasadena Poly (NA) -- I heard they're pretty good, but they only reported one score. C'mon Poly, post those results.
9. Alverno (2-2) - The defending champions took a big step back, but they're still top ten material.
10. Westridge (2-1-1) - I still think Jason Windass is one of the area's best coaches, but the Tigers aren't what they use to be.

Muir first-year coach Gamal Smalley put together a nice season preview of the Mustangs basketball program this season.

Muir is young this year. The Mustangs start one senior, one junior, two sophomores and a freshman. But they were more than enough to help Muir (4-4) snap its four-game losing streak with a 61-58 win over Compton Dominguez in the Upland Tournament on Tuesday night. Dominguez is a 10-time CIF champion and 5-time CIF State champion. Junior forward Deshawn Hayes led the way with 28 points. "Our goal is to get better game by game and to get ready for league play," Smalley said.

Aside from calling in scores at 626.962.8811 Ext. 2233 or 2242 between 5-10 p.m., tournament directors are strongly encouraged to e-mail each day's results so I can post them on the blog and keep everyone abreast about your tournament. You can also e-mail tournament schedules just like La Cañada coach Tom Hoffman did, that way we post them here, too

La Cañada Holiday Classic at La Cañada High.

Pool A: La Cañada, Lincoln, Saugus, Village Christian
Pool B: Glendale, Maranatha, Schurr, St. Francis

Today's Games: Schurr vs. Glendale, 4 p.m.; Saugus vs. Village Christian, 5:30 p.m.; La Cañada vs. Lincoln, 7 p.m.

Alhambra Invitational at Alhambra High

Pool A: Alhambra, Franklin, Northview, Santa Fe
Pool B: Warren, Gabrielino, Bonita, San Gabriel

Today's games: Northview vs. Santa Fe, 3:30 p.m.; Alhambra vs. Franklin, 5 p.m.; Warren vs. Gabrielino, 6:30 p.m.

With football done and over what better way to start our basketball coverage with the video above. That's La Salle 6-foot-6 senior Matt Nolan, who laid a monstrous two-hand dunk Saturday night in the Pasadena Poly Tournament, which the Lancers won after the game was called with 2:25 left and La Salle leading, 57-44. "I've never seen that before," said La Salle's longtime boys basketball coach Steve Goldstein.

Speaking of holiday tournaments, most start this week beginning Tuesday with the La Cañada Holiday Classic at La Cañada High.

Pool A: La Cañada, Lincoln, Saugus, Village Christian
Pool B: Glendale, Maranatha, Schurr, St. Francis

Tuesday's Games: Schurr vs. Glendale, 4 p.m.; Saugus vs. Village Christian, 5:30 p.m.; La Cañada vs. Lincoln, 7 p.m.

Wednesday's game: St. Francis vs. Maranatha, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday's games: St. Francis vs. Schurr, 3:30 p.m.; Glendale vs. Maranatha, 5 p.m.; Lincoln vs. Saugus, 6:30 p.m.; La Cañada vs. Village Christian, 8 p.m.

Friday's games: Village Christian vs. Lincoln, 3:30 p.m.; Glendale vs. St. Francis, 5 p.m.; Maranatha vs. Schurr, 6:30 p.m.; La Cañada vs. Saugus, 8 p.m.

Saturday's schedule begins with the fourth-place game at 3:30 p.m. and concludes with the championship at 8 p.m. Aside from calling in scores at 626.962.8811 Ext. 2233 or 2242 between 5-10 p.m., tournament directors are strongly encouraged to e-mail each day's results so I can post them on the blog and keep everyone abreast about your tournament. You can also e-mail tournament schedules just like La Cañada coach Tom Hoffman did, that way we post them here, too.

CIF-SS MID-VALLEY DIVISION FINALS

San Dimas 12, Monrovia 7

NORTHEAST DIVISION FINALS

Linfield Christian 9, Rio Hondo Prep 6

San Dimas coach Bill Zernickow
"We worked our butt of for it. Our kids played hard, we knew what was at stake and we learned a lot from the first game. Nobody said it could be done, but we showed a lot of effort. They (Monrovia) had a big monkey on their backs, I don't know how that played into it, but I'm proud of our kids, they executed the game plan. We came out with the no huddle and made plays."

Monrovia's Nick Bueno
"They got way better. We couldn't get it done tonight. It hurts, I don;t know what else to say."

San Dimas' Ryan Kohler with 108 yards, as four Saints had 60 or more yards rushing for 217 yards from scrimmage.

Kohler: "We had to keep running hard, we couldn't let up.They're an awesome team, we had to keep playing hard, none of this was easy, it was a battle."

Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox
They brought a great game plan, hats off to them, they beat us up front. They completely took us out of our offense. We struggled all night."

Mid-Valley Division scoring updates
San Dimas 3 7 0 0 -- 10
Monrovia 0 0 0 7 - 7
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
SD: Dillon Corona 35-yard field goal, 7:02
Second Quarter
SD: Jordan Taylor 27-yard touchdown (Corona kick)
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
MO: Nick Bueno 11 run (kick good)
SD: Safety

Above: From left, Randy Johnson, Ken Drain, Mark Carson and Joe Parker all attended Rio Hondo Prep and now make up a coaching staff that has guided the Kares to Saturday night's CIF-SS Northeast Division championship game.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

When the legendary Randall Johnson was forced to retire after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2000, Rio Hondo Prep football coach Ken Drain lost his former coach and ally on the sidelines.

When Johnson passed away last year, Drain lost a mentor and a great friend.

"Oh yeah," said Drain, in his ninth year as head coach. "I miss him a lot."

Johnson was at the helm for 25 seasons and won eight CIF-Southern Section championships in 8-man football. At one point, Drain was part of a staff that averaged nearly 27 years of coaching experience.

That number's gone down a bit, but Drain has an energized staff determined to keep Johnson's legacy alive.

Among them is Randall Johnson's son, Randy Johnson.

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WHAT: CIF-SS Northeast Division Championship
WHO: No. 2 Linfield Christian (13-0) vs. No. 1 Rio Hondo Prep (13-0)
WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Covina District Field
PREDICTION: From The Sidelines (Rio Hondo Prep); CalPreps (Linfield Christian)

Rio Hondo Prep's football team suffered a blow Thursday when it was learned senior J.T. Parker would not be allowed to play Saturday night against Linfield Christian (13-0) in the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division championship game at Covina District Field.

Parker suffered a concussion in the first five minutes of last week's 20-14 win over Salesian.

The top-seeded and defending champion Kares (13-0) not only lose a leader on the field but they also literally lose five players rolled into one. Parker, part of last year's championship team, is a starting wide receiver/linebacker, backup quarterback, punter and holder on extra points.

"It'll definitely be hard," Rio Hondo Prep coach Ken Drain said. "But it's just a matter of somebody else stepping up and taking his place."

Parker's absence started a ripple effect in Drain's lineup. Jimmy Davis will move from cornerback to linebacker; Andrew Quintero will take Davis' spot; Jason Wiley will hold on PATs and field goals and starting running back Nick Preciado will punt. Freshman Jake Holguin will start at wide receiver.

Drain is confident they'll all make a seamless transition.

"They're very capable of filling those spots," Drain said. "But I feel really bad for J.T. because he's a senior and it's his last game. We just have to rally around that and overcome it."

Familiar foe

Rio Hondo Prep last year dispatched Linfield Christian, 28-21, in the semifinals. The Kares had to rally from behind to move on and win their 12th CIF-SS championship.

Linfield Christian doesn't exactly have revenge on its mind, but it would like to make it right this time.

"We've definitely been thinking about it," Linfield Christian coach Jimmy Kemmis said. "I don't know if it's as much about last year as it is about this senior class wanting to take that next step."

In 2006, this year's seniors went 1-9, then improved to 8-4 as sophomores and reached the quarterfinals. Last year, the Lions went 10-3 and reached the semifinals. In fact, Linfield Christian is an impressive 22-1 in its last 23 games.

Its only blemish? Rio Hondo Prep

Lions cheer on Kares

Four coaches from Linfield Christian's staff and eight of its players attended last week's Salesian-Rio Hondo Prep. The Kares fell victim to injuries, which depleted their roster even more since they suited up only 27 players. And cheering for Rio Hondo Prep wasn't just its home fans, but also the visiting Lions staff.

"To see what they've done with their small school size and to win, that just took pure guts and determination," Kemmis said. "By the end of that game we were hoping and rooting the Rio (Hondo Prep) guys would win."

Salesian was very physical and would have made for a great finals game, Kemmis said, but there's the matter of unfinished business.

"After losing to Rio Hondo Prep, if we could have written our story this would have been it," he said.

Did you like the three-part series? What was your take on it?

CLICK HERE FOR RYAN MADDOX'S INTERVIEW WITH KCAL-9's SportsCentral Online

Editor's Note: Star-News reporter Miguel Melendez looks back at Monrovia High School's misfortunes in its last eight CIF football final appearances. This is the third in a three-part series.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Jinx?

What jinx?

Sure, Monrovia High School is an unimpressive 0 for 8 in CIF football final appearances, but that glaring statistic will be irrelevant when the top-seeded Wildcats (13-0) play No. 2 seed San Dimas (12-1) on Saturday night at 7:30 in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game at Citrus College.

Monrovia head coach Ryan Maddox, in his second season at the helm, led the Wildcats to the semifinals last year, and with the spotlight shining bright on Monrovia - making its ninth finals appearance - it's easy to see where Maddox stands regarding the infamous record.

"We're focused on the present," he said emphatically. "The players didn't go to school when Monrovia lost. They're focused on what they can control, and that's this Saturday."

Nevertheless, the Wildcats' 0-for-8 finals record is part of their rich history. They lost in 1935 (Major Division), 1951 (Major Division), 1959 (AAA Division), 1973 (AAA Division), 1982 (Northwestern Division), 1997 (Division X), 1998 (Division X) and 1999 (Division X).

Randy Bell was Monrovia's quarterback his senior year in 1980, and two years later Monrovia made its fifth appearance. Bell, in his 15th year at the school currently serving as athletic director and offensive coordinator, said each game is different.

"All those games are individual games in themselves," he said. "You can remember things that went on and the mistakes that were made, but there's no failure or stigma. It doesn't make sense to me that we'll buy into that.

"If we lose Saturday, it's not because there's a mysterious force, and if we win, it's not because it was time that we won. It'll be because the game played out the way the teams made it play out."

Still ...

"It's hard to argue against it," Bell added. "Oh for 8 is an unimpressive record, but you have to believe it's a game-by-game deal.

"They're all relatively spread out, with the exception of the three (finals) in the late '90s."

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Above: Jackson Allan, No. 41, is coming home since undergoing brain surgery nearly two months ago. Photo courtesy of Eric Danielson via Facebook

Pasadena Poly's Jackson Allan will be home Dec. 17th and have Christmas at home, Allan's parents Les and Rhonda posted on Facebook. "It's the perfect gift for all his family and friends and we are so excited to have him back with us," they wrote. "He is attacking the challenge of his rehab with all the passion he has done life and sport and so is progressing incredibly well. A very Merry Christmas for the Allan family and to each and every one of you for supporting Jackson and his family these past few weeks. Thank you."

Allan sustained the head injury during the fourth quarter of Pasadena Poly's Prep League game against host Chadwick on Saturday afternoon. The game was called with 3:27 left in the fourth quarter and Chadwick leading, 31-19. Allan came off the field after the injury, sat on the bench, and after exchanging words with a teammate it was apparent the extent of his injuries were worse. "(Allan) complained of a headache, went to the side, collapsed, fell into a coma, stopped breathing and we were all there to attend to him," said Dr. Drew Pinsky, whose son Doug plays for the Panthers and assisted in the treatment of Allan.

Allan was tended to by several physicians in attendance, including an emergency room doctor, then taken by ambulance to Harbor UCLA Medical Center for further treatment. Dr. Pinsky performed CPR on Allan after he had extreme difficulty breathing. His quick response helped save Allan's life.

Monrovia High School defensive backs coach Craig Schuster will see familiar faces on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. when the top-seeded Wildcats (13-0) take on No. 2 seed San Dimas (12-1) in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game at Citrus College.

Schuster was the Saints' defensive coordinator last year before parting ways to spend more time with his three daughters at the new house he bought in Rancho Cucamonga. Schuster was head football coach at Azusa for three years before his San Dimas stint.

"My daughters were playing sports and I told (San Dimas head coach) Bill (Zernickow) I can't put those hours in and that I'm going to have to step away," he said.

This is Schuster's first year at Monrovia, but he's no stranger to Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox's success. They've been friends 14 years, and Schuster was in the press box when Maddox was defensive coordinator during West Covina's 2004 CIF championship run.

"I was there just watching and I couldn't imagine what (Maddox) was going through and the kids getting all excited watching the clock running down and that much closer to a CIF championship. And now, to be a part of it is amazing."
Schuster has no ill feelings toward San Dimas.

"It's just another game," he said. "If it wasn't us in the game I'd be rooting for San Dimas. But we're in it, and we're going to work hard to get that ring."

Editor's Note: Star-News reporter Miguel Melendez takes a closer look at Monrovia High School coach Ryan Maddox's upbringing, mentors and work ethic. This is the second in a three-part series following Monrovia's run to its ninth CIF football finals appearance.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

TWELVE YEARS ago, Ryan Maddox was breaking in as a teacher at Sierra Vista Middle School in Covina, where he also was the school's flag football coach.

It was a humble beginning compared to the grand stage on which Maddox now finds himself. Monrovia High School's second-year head coach is leading the Wildcats in their ninth CIF football finals appearance.

Maddox helped engineer an unblemished 13-0 record, and on Saturday night at 7:30 will lead top- seeded Monrovia against No. 2 seed San Dimas (12-1) in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game at Citrus College.

The road there, however, required a studious Maddox who, to this day, plans every detail to the minute.

He also required a break.

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Editor's Note: Star-News reporter Miguel Melendez was given access to Monrovia High School's football practices, coaches meetings and film sessions during its perfect season and run up to the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division finals. This is the first in a three-part series.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Is this the year?

Monrovia High School football fans asked that question eight times, and eight times the answer was the same -- wait until next year.

In the long history of the CIF-Southern Section football playoffs, the Wildcats are the only school to have advanced to eight finals without bringing home a CIF championship, a sufferable distinction that also makes them lovable to Wildcats fans and alumni who wait for that day like a Chicago Cubs fan who dreams of winning a World Series.
Imagine that, eight runner-up plaques in the trophy case.

They came so close in the 1990s, losing three straight trips to the finals from 1997-1999 under then-coach Steve Garrison. It was so painful it drew comparisons to the Buffalo Bills losing four straight Super Bowls.

So, is this the year? Has there even been a better opportunity?

Monrovia makes its ninth trip to the championship game on Saturday as the Mid-Valley Division's top-ranked team and sporting a perfect 13-0 record.

The Wildcats will face No. 2 seed San Dimas (12-1) at Citrus College. They handily defeated the Saints, 36-17, back in September.

The man of the moment orchestrating it all is head coach Ryan Maddox, who in just his second season and first head coaching job has the Wildcats on the verge of ending decades of frustration.

The journey started in September, but many in football circles believe the big nail was hammered down on Nov. 27 against Paraclete. That's when the Wildcats took on the defending champions in frigid tempatures up north, coming away with a 14-3 victory and their first big step toward the ultimate prize.

If the Wildcats knock off San Dimas on Saturday, they certainly will remember the week leading up to the Paraclete game. It started with Maddox taking an hour-and-a-half trip to the Santa Clarita area to pick up film from Paraclete coach Norm Dahlia.

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By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

There were big surprises last year in boys soccer, perhaps none more than St. Francis High School's run to a CIF Southern California championship.

That understandably was nice, but the Golden Knights are hoping the Mission League and a CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championship don't become elusive this year.

Rosemead made a run to the semifinals of the Division 6 playoffs while Monrovia and Pasadena became powers within their respective leagues.
This season should be no different.

No. 1 St. Francis

Eric Verso, last year's Star-News player of the year, no longer is with the Golden Knights. He was an integral part of St. Francis coach Glen Appels' lineup who now is playing in the Galaxy's U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy.

"I think it's a shame the kids can't be allowed to play," Appels said. "I understand that they're trying to build these guys to be future professional players.

"The sad thing is they're put in a position where they have to make that choice. But if the schedule was arranged they could make both fit."

St. Francis' strength once again will be its stout defensive back line which led the Golden Knights to an 18-6-4 record and a win over Cathedral Catholic of San Diego in the Southern California championship.

"It has to be the defense," Appels said. "If you look at last year's team our defense was strong, but in the games we didn't defend well we lost. We're strong in the back and when regionals came around we finally found our stride. But if we're going to win tournaments and the Mission League we have to defend well every day."

Senior defender Andrew Blunk is back after missing much of last season with a broken nose. Dante Ramunno and Max Cadena are senior captains and senior Joel Ingram's return solidifies the midfield.

Mark Verso, a freshman, is the younger brother of Eric Verso. He plays a different style than Eric, who was more flashy and fast up the middle. Mark is stronger and plays a more physical game.

Appels has no problem with the pressure of starting the season as Southern California champion.

"The pressure's not a problem," he said. "We want to put pressure on ourselves to do well. That's how you respond to things by setting goals. We were disappointed early on; we didn't do so well with a chance to win league and to go from first to fourth in one week. We were 10 minutes away from being in the finals, but we let that slip away. So we're going to try to pick up the things we missed along the way."

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Freshmen, freshmen, freshmen.

Ninth-graders can be a boon or boondoggle to a program. They'll make those "rookie" mistakes, but they also can make plays that can result in upset victories just because they do not know any better.

The west San Gabriel Valley is awash in top freshmen girls soccer talent this season. Some teams are going with three and four at a time.

Besides, by the time playoffs start, they're not truly freshmen players anymore. And best of all, they'll eventually be four-year starters. That could be very good news when it's time to go out of the Valley to face other Southern California teams when it is playoff time.

No. 1 Alverno

The Jaguars lost only two players from a team that handily won a CIF-Southern Section Division VII title last season.

Alverno would like to prove to the naysayers the Jaguars are one of the area's best.

"We have a much tougher schedule," head coach Ken Berry said. "No one was sure about Division VII last season; it was a whole new division."

The Jaguars, who outscored opponents 24-3 in the playoffs, opened the season No. 1 in the division.

Junior midfielder Maha Abdallah, senior forward Jessica Capra, sophomore forward Celina Minissian, junior defender Gabby Vasquez and senior midfielder Briana Alvarado give the Jaguars experience. Freshman Devny Osuna will play a top role on defense.

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Above: From left to right, Monrovia High principal Dervin Jackson, Rio Hondo Prep coach Ken Drain and Monrovia coach Ryan Madddox. They met Monday morning in the 34th annual CIF-Southern Section Football Press Conference and Luncheon at The Grand.

LONG BEACH - It was a brief meeting, but when Rio Hondo Prep football coach Ken Drain walked over to introduce himself to Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox there was a sense of familiarity.

Both coached their teams to unbeaten seasons, are the top seeds in their respective divisions and play hosts Saturday night.

Beyond the surface, however, there's some disparity in that one of them is the veteran with a wealth of experience while the other is the new kid on the block.

The meeting took place on a rainy Monday at the 34th annual CIF-Southern Section football press conference and luncheon at The Grand.

It was Maddox's first such luncheon, but in this only his second season leads top-seeded Monrovia (13-0) to its ninth finals appearance Saturday night when the Wildcats play No. 2 seed San Dimas (12-1) for the Mid-Valley Division championship at Citrus College. The Wildcats withstood Whittier Christian's frantic attack to escape with a 35-32 victory in the semifinals last week.

Drain, in his 11th year as head coach at Rio Hondo Prep, is back in familiar territory. He'll try to lead the Kares (13-0) to their second consecutive CIF-SS championship when they host No. 2 seed Linfield Christian (13-0) in the Northeast Division finals. Rio Hondo Prep, winner of 12 CIF football championships, survived a 20-14 semifinal win over Salesian.

But nothing great comes easy, and now that both teams are here it's certainly something they'll remember the rest of their lives. That's the message UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel wanted to get across as the guest speaker.

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CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF SATURDAY'S MONROVIA-WHITTIER CHRISTIAN GAME

MONROVIA 35, WHITTIER CHRISTIAN 32

It was sloppy, but Monrovia High School will take it.

The top-seeded Wildcats were hurt by penalties and had to rally in the second half to escape with a 35-32 victory over Whittier Christian on Saturday night in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs.

Monrovia (13-0) will make its eighth finals appearance in school history next Saturday when it faces No. 2 seed San Dimas (12-1) at a site to be determined. The Saints are hoping to avenge their only loss, a 36-17 defeat to Monrovia in September. At the time, many already thought the game was a preview of the Mid-Valley Division finals, and now they have it.

Whittier Christian (9-4), the No. 3 team out of the Olympic League, put a scare into Monrovia, which twice trailed by 10 points and had a difficult time establishing any offensive rhythm.

Whittier Christian trailed by 11 late in the fourth quarter and got to within three points after Heralds quarterback Stephen Anderson connected on a 13-yard touchdown pass to Grant Escobar and Garrett Fulbright ran in the two-point conversion, but an onside kick was recovered by Monrovia's Charlie Cimmarusti to all but seal the outcome.

RIO HONDO PREP 24, SALESIAN 14

Under the most improbable scenario, Rio Hondo Prep defeated visiting Salesian 20-14 in their CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division semifinal Saturday.

The defending champs were reduced to using Jake Hanna at quarterback in the second half because the starting quarterback, backup quarterback and junior varsity quarterback all were unavailable.

The Kares (13-0) also repelled multiple Mustangs drives in the second half to hold the lead and advance to next Saturday's division championship game against Linfield Christian.

Starter Chris Llamas was hurt on a Salesian sack midway through the second quarter and the senior was taken away by ambulance. Backup J.T. Parker was hurt on the Kares' first defensive series, and JV quarterback Cody Rivera did not dress because of injury, leaving the quarterback duties to Jake Holguin. The freshman orchestrated one unsuccessful drive before Hanna took the final snap of the half on a kneel down.

Before Llamas was hurt, he led the Kares to a 14-0 lead.

Anyone can live blog with us before and during the games, it's as easy as signing on with your Twitter, Facebook or MySpace ID to join the chat on Coveritlive.

Trouble viewing?

Offinsive Line: Grant Haggard, Kizz Prusia, Hale Hulin, Dean Bisterfeldt, Mark Rangel, Cody Strain, Josh Lowden and Ellis McCarthy are the unsung heroes of the Monrovia football team.

MONROVIA - Offensive linemen constantly are reminded Monrovia High School's success is heavily dependent on their individual victories in the trenches.

How the offensive line goes, so goes its heralded quarterback Nick Bueno and a stable of running backs that includes De'Shawn Ramirez and Derrick Johnson.

It's a ripple effect resulting in an undefeated season and the No. 1 seed in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs.

From the start of the season, Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said the offensive line would be the Wildcats' strength, and so far it's held true.

They'll quietly go unnoticed once again when Monrovia (12-0) hosts Whittier Christian (9-3) at 7 on Saturday night in the division semifinals.

Seniors Josh Lowden, Cody Strain, Harley Hulin and Kizz Prusia are the returning linemen from last year's team that made a run to the semifinals. Dean Bisterfeldt, a 6-foot, 210 pound junior, is the newcomer.

They're the centerpiece that holds the offense together, but they're also the group that gets little notice.

They're not pretty or flashy like their more skilled teammates, but they get the job done.

"Truly they are the foundation," Maddox said. "Without a great offensive line you don't have the stats for Nick Bueno and De'Shawn Ramirez.

"They're all great players, but it's the offensive line that makes it all go."

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PASADENA - In just a matter of days, Pasadena High School went from waltzing through the first round of the Rose City Classic to getting a scare Thursday night in second-round action at home.

The Bulldogs held a 16-point lead at the half, but the game was a lot closer, more intense and even sloppier than the 73-57 win over L.A. Jordan actually indicated.

Pasadena (2-0) will play Price (2-0) in the semifinals tonight at 8 at Pasadena. La Verne Lutheran and Centennial of Corona will play in the other semifinal at 6:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs went from a nonchalant 50-point win over Van Nuys in the first round to facing a pesky Jordan team that caused Pasadena to commit 22 turnovers, including nine in the first quarter. To make matters worse, the Bulldogs shot a woeful 14 of 32 from the free-throw line.

Pasadena senior point guard George Toyama held it together for the Bulldogs with 20 points and seven assists despite the Bulldogs initially having a hard time breaking the press.

"But when we did break the press we made them pay for it," Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said.

Junior forward Todd Lewis finished with 12 points, and his dunk with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter off a behind-the-back assist from Toyama on a 2-1 fast break all but sealed the win and dissipated all, if any, of Jordan's momentum.

"They're (Jordan) fast all over the court and we knew that," Tucker said. "Anytime you start playing erratic you start making crazy plays. I thought we settled down and our shooters were hot with George knocking down some hard shots and then we got that drive from Todd Lewis."

There was a scary moment with 5:22 left in the second quarter when center Steven Adams was elbowed directly on the right side of his head where he has a running scar from the top of his head down to the temple of his ear. The scar is from brain surgery nearly one year ago.

Adams, limited to four points, clearly was dizzy from the blow to the head as he bumped into assistant coach Tony Brooks as he headed for the bench. There was no blood or tear to the scar. Adams was held out the rest of the first half, but was cleared to start the second half.

Rio Hondo Prep's explosive offense averages 40 points per game, and last Saturday the Kares scored 68 against Saddleback Valley Christian in a CIF-Southern Section Northern Division second-round playoff game.

Charles Quintero rushed for 244 yards on 15 carries and scored on runs of 8, 76, 7 and 67 yards. He proved too elusive and gained extra yardage on second and third efforts. But fullback Nick Preciado was just as dangerous in rushing for 153 yards and a 20-yard touchdown run to give the Kares a 47-6 lead in the third quarter.

But who made that really happen? Who executed the blocking schemes and opened holes? That was the seemingly under-appreciated offensive linemen, but they know when their skilled players get noticed that means they've done their job and they're happy with that.

The senior-heavy line hopes to keep the lanes open when top-seeded and defending champion Rio Hondo Prep (12-0) hosts Salesian (6-6) on Saturday night at 7 in the Northern Division semifinals.

Seniors Daniel Morales, Jason Sterris, Wesley Mosher, Ed Drain and sophomore Dave Drain are the ones who get it started. They're the catalyst to the firepower of Quintero and Preciado.

And they're not your typical small-school offensive line. Ed Drain is a towering 6-foot-2, 170-pound lineman/linebacker and his younger brother Dave Drain is an even more intimidating presence at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. Ed and Dave Drain - sons of Rio Hondo Prep coach Ken Drain - are the last of the Drain lineage to play for the Kares.

"Daniel is our center and he has not made a bad snap all year," Ken Drain said. "That's been real positive for us. In fact, for two years now he hasn't made a bad snap.

"Jason is the main guy on our offensive line. He tells everybody what to do. He's kind of the leader there, and Wes, Ed and Dave play consistent and execute their blocks, which our running backs really appreciate."

Family affair

Ken Drain and his sons Ed and Dave do their fair share of talking football even when they're not at Rio Hondo Prep.

"They always have a question and we talk about games and upcoming games," Drain said.

As for watching game film at home, Ken Drain leaves much of that to his oldest son, Devon Drain, who is a senior at Cal Poly Pomona and last played with the Kares in 2004.

"They watch more film with my older son than with me," Drain said with a laugh. "He played here and he keeps score for us on the field and does stats."

Drain always keeps it in the family. He attended and played football at Rio Hondo Prep and came up the coaching ranks with the Kares. His wife also attended there and currently works there, too.

Injury updates

Drain said everybody's going to try to play this week. Parker will play despite a bad ankle and Cowell will play despite lingering pain from a separated right shoulder two weeks ago.

Jason Wiley, a 6-foot-4 senior wide receiver, has been out four weeks with a sprained ankle but will try to practice this week. He is a game-time decision for Saturday.

Said Drain: "If we can get him back that will help our passing game."

Above: Doesn't Rio Hondo Prep have the coolest uniforms?

Rio Hondo Prep's Cody Cowell, Chris Llamas and J.T. Parker know a thing or two about friendship.

They've played football together or against each other since the first grade, and the three joined forces in the sixth grade, their first at Rio Hondo Prep. Since then, they haven't lost a home game.

They hope to keep that record intact when top-seeded Rio Hondo Prep hosts Salesian on Saturday night at 7 in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs.

It's been well-documented that Rio Hondo Prep has a high school enrollment of less than 100 students and the Kares will suit up only 27 players Saturday.

With few players to go around, it's imperative each one plays on offense and defense. Leading the way are Cowell, Llamas and Parker. But more importantly, they play them well.

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The misconception lies in the fact that Monrovia (12-0) ousted Olympic League No. 2 rep Paraclete, and Paraclete beat Whittier Christian - the No. 3 team out of the Olympic League - so that means the Wildcats should in theory beat Whittier Christian in Saturday's semifinals of the Mid Valley Division playoffs, right?

Wrong.

"That's not quite how it works," Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said. "You have to show up and play. "Whittier Christian played Paraclete tough. A lot of it has to do with how you prepare game in and game out. You have to be prepared to play the best game, and at this point you're playing all good teams."

Paraclete beat Whittier Christian 12-0 in the Olympic League opener. Monrovia beat Paraclete 14-3 last week.

Some in the blogosphere wondered why Maddox opted to punt on third and 18 instead of waiting until fourth down during the Wildcats' first series against Paraclete last week.

"Because on third down you don't line up in an actual punt formation," Maddox said.

"It caught them off-guard that we punted, and by punting on third down it allowed the ball to roll without a chance to return it.

"We actually wanted to kick it low and have it roll and get as much distance on it, rather than kick it high, since you know they won't have anyone there to return it."

Paraclete, as a result, went from thinking it would have great field position - - instead of starting at its own 24.

The Wildcats practiced punting on third-down situations the last few weeks, but it was the first time Maddox made the call.

"A third-down play will be like a screen or a pass and hoping you get some yardage," Maddox said.

"Once in a while you break that, but when you're in your own territory, you don't want to make a huge risk.

"It's a conservative play, but it was a field-position battle we won right off the bat."

Paraclete was caught off-guard, but if the roles were reversed Maddox would have been too, since it wasn't something Maddox had seen on Paraclete film.

"There's not much you can do," Maddox said.

"At that time we were battling, but rather than going for a low-percentage third down, we thought it was a great opportunity, not so much for momentum but for better field position.

"Punting on third down keeps teams on their toes and off-guard. To be honest, I would have thought, `Hey, good call.' "

With Monrovia back in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Mid Valley Division playoffs and Rio Hondo Prep carrying a big target as the defending Northeast Division champions, there's no doubt a lot of haters are out there trying to put negative thoughts in their minds or how even if Monrovia wins the CIF title they aren't anything special. We've read the comments here about how Paraclete gave away the game last week and how Rio Hondo Prep will be upset by a tough Salesian team this weekend. When you're good at something you're always going to hear negativity. It's up to you how you respond from adversity. Time to get that dirt off your shoulder.

"Motivation for me was them telling me what I could not be. Hey, I'm on a mission. No matter what the conditions, forget the personal issues. When you've been what I've been through, if you believe it, then you could conceive it." -- Pharrell in "So Ambitious" by Jay-Z

The leading candidates may seem pretty obvious, but I don't want to throw out names just yet, though it is pretty safe to say that Monrovia's Ryan Maddox and Rio Hondo Prep's Ken Drain are two of the few candidates for top coaching honors. Can you think of anyone more deserving? That is the purpose of this thread. Vouch for your coaches and players who deserve to receive the Star-News' top honor. Someone earlier mentioned what is the criteria for All-Area. Think of it this way: If you're going to make up a team who are the 11 players you would pick first. Player of the year honors should go to the area's best athlete and/or someone who is undoubtedly gives his team the best chance to win a game. If you take away this player how would the team fare? Coach of the year honors is not necessarily limited to winning league and CIF championships, though it does help. A coach of the year can mean someone who took a team from obscurity and made an immediate impact with his presence and guidance. La Cañada's Dan Yoder and Pasadena's Mike McFarland come to mind. Making these decisions are never easy, and they are decisions we take seriously. At the end of the day I know we won't please everybody. That's just the nature of the beast, and we veteran sportswriters have come to accept that. That's why they pay us the big buck$ to make the tough decisions. The All-Area team will publish Christmas Day.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

Winning streaks, league title streaks and braggin' rights are all at stake.

Welcome to a 2009-10 girls basketball season where young players will be trying to find their footing replacing graduated players, some of whom have gone on to NCAA Division I programs.

New coaches will try to keep programs at the successful level of previous seasons, and a change in playoff alignments by the CIF-Southern Section could potentially have more area teams advancing further into postseason play.

The preseason area top 10, with 2008-09 records in parenthesis:

No. 1 Muir

The Mustangs do not rebuild. They just reload.

It's tough to replace two players who went to Division I schools - Cal's Eliza Pierre and Kentucky's Brittany Henderson - but coach Gary Johnson is trying.

Three-point shooter Taylor Gomez and post player Daysha Thomas are back, and two players landed on Johnson's court from the East: Junior Ashia Owens and sophomore point guard Tahniya Swett, from Texas and Atlanta, respectively, who attended elementary schools in Pasadena before moving to other states.

"You can't replace those two," Johnson said of his graduated Division I players.

The Mustangs have won 48 consecutive Pacific League games. All they seem to be missing of late is that big brass ring: a CIF-SS title. The Mustangs last won a title in 1997.

The Mustangs also have senior power forward Jermani Daniels, who had to sit out last season after transferring from Blair, and Taylor Polk and Jerrica Daniels, both up from the junior varsity.

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I got a chance to chat with St. Francis star Dietrich Riley during halftime of the Van Nuys-Pasadena basketball game Tuesday night. If you're an avid reader of the Los Angeles Times, you'll notice sportswriters Eric Sondheimer and Austin Knoublauch talked to several Southland high school football coaches to get their thoughts on the UCLA-USC ending last week. I asked Riley the same question and he opined on that and, among other things, gave an update on his recruiting.

From The Sidelines: You were at the UCLA-USC game. What are your thoughts about all the hoopla being made about USC scoring with 44 seconds left in the game despite leading, 21-7?

Dietrich Riley: I don't think Pete Carroll was wrong. My personal feeling is that (UCLA coach) Rick (Neuheisel) thought the game was close and within reach. I thought it was disrespectful how Stanford went for (a two-point conversion) on their home turf when they were up by 20. I thought that was disrespectful, but that's completely different to the UCLA-USC outcome. This is a rivalry. People have to lay off of it.

FTS: USC won, 28-7, but certainly you wouldn't call it the Trojans' best game.

DR: I don't think any of the teams had a great performance at all. I thought they were playing so sloppy. They were so rattled because it's a rivalry. These guys know each other and grew up together. But I thought neither had a good performance.

FTS: Both UCLA and USC are heavily recruiting you. Because USC won are you now leaning more towards the Trojans?

DR: Not at all. I don't want one game to impact my decision. Any team can have a bad performance. Like Tennessee. When I went on my official visit they lost to Auburn. I wouldn't eliminate Tennessee just because they lost. And if you saw they won the following week. You have to look at it in a bigger picture than simply just one game.

FTS: You have well over 15 Division I offers, but do you have a top 5 list?

DR: I don't. The schools I'm interested in and recruiting me the hardest is USC, UCLA, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Cal. But Florida is there, and Oklahoma is making a huge push, too.

FTS: Notre Dame fired Charlie Weis on Monday. How much of an impact will his firing weigh in your decision whether to continue to seriously consider them?

DR: None at all.I got off the phone with them today and they have a new head coach coming in.

FTS: Did they give you any names?

DR: Not at all.

FTS: How is it Notre Dame's still in the running?

DR: I know they're going to have a defensive coach with a defensive mind, so that will play a great interest for me and my future.

FTS: Still, no names?

DR: None at all.

FTS: You grew up in the Pasadena area. How do you think things would have been if you would have played for the Bulldogs?

DR: It would have been great to play with all my boys, but St. Francis was the place where I wanted to be and that's where my heart was.

Dietrich Riley played multiple positions for St. Francis, helping lead the Golden Knights (9-3) to the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Western Division playoffs. Riley had 1,320 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns. Defensively, Riley had 39 tackles and three interceptions. He's informed From The Sidelines when he'll make his decision, and when he does we'll be first to report it.

Note: Here's a longer, different version that didn't make Tuesday's paper.

PASADENA -- Steven Adams made a triumphant return since brain surgery nearly one year ago, scoring nine points with one steal and one block to lead top-ranked Pasadena to a dominating 79-29 victory over Van Nuys on Tuesday night in the first round of the Rose City Classic.

Adams, a senior, received the loudest ovation during pregame introductions and scored Pasadena's (1-0) first basket. Adams, a 6-foot-10 center, didn't appear to miss a beat. If anything Adams appeared to have a quicker step to his game. He launched a three-pointer, made a block and scored off the glass on consecutive plays to give Pasadena a 45-13 lead with 3:26 left in the second quarter.

Adams played in his first game since undergoing 10 hours of brain surgery in February to remove a mass behind his right eye that put pressure on the brain, and at one point forced a self-induced coma.

"He looked good," Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said. "It wasn't much of a challenge out there, but to see him move and knock down the three and see his post up game showed me he's back. I have him at about 85 percent but hopefully he can get the 15 percent before the Christmas tournaments so we can have him back at 100 percent."

Pasadena (1-0) will host L.A. Jordan (1-0) in the second round Thursday night at 8.

Pasadena may have lost two big men in 6-foot-10 center Joe Henson, now at San Jose State, but the Bulldogs are just as physical inside and fast playing half-court defense. In fact, the Bulldogs had eight steals in the first half and forced Van Nuys (0-1) to nine turnovers in the first half.

The bench also showed some signs of brilliance, led by 6-foot-4 freshman forward Brandon Jolley who scored 10 points.

"I can only say so much about how good that kid's gonna be," Tucker said. "The upside to that kid is incredible. He's great inside and shows how good outside, too. We talked about losing the big men, but also having him inside is going to be good, especially with how we think he's going to develop. That will definitely boost our post presence."

The call came with about nine minutes to go in the first quarter.

Monrovia High School was facing third and 18 from its own 20, and second-year Wildcats coach Ryan Maddox opted to punt to Paraclete in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs last week on a cold and windy night at Knight High in Palmdale.

"We're going to punt?

That was the immediate reaction from some on the Monrovia sidelines, but Maddox was on to something.

"We knew going into that game (Paraclete) was going to have one of the better defenses all year," Maddox explained. "We talked about it before the game that two very good defenses clashing together would make for a game of field position and a low-scoring battle.

"They had us back up in our end zone and it's not a very high-percentage down. They've got us pinned. When we punted that meant they ended up with the ball on their own 20 instead of starting on our field. It was a huge changing of field possession."

Paraclete's first possession was at its 24, and the Spirits got to the Monrovia 40 before a false start backed them up five yards. Without advancing on their next two plays, Spirits coach Norm Dahlia called a timeout with 4:48 left in the first quarter. On the next play, Monrovia's Charlie Cimmarusti intercepted the ball.

In the long scheme of things, Maddox needed to win his first battle before winning the war, and that meant shifting field possession in the Wildcats' favor.

Monrovia (12-0) went on to win 14-3 and earned a second consecutive semifinal appearance. They host Whittier Christian (9-3) on Saturday night.

Above: Senior George Toyama is a four-year letterman for PHS.

When the CIF-Southern Section realigned basketball, it was doomsday for some schools.

But for Pasadena High School, it meant finding the right place to compete.

This could be another Bulldogs season of redemption.

With an athletic and fast lineup and the return of a desperately missed post presence, Pasadena once again is the Star-News' preseason No. 1 team.

No. 1 Pasadena

The Bulldogs finished 22-6 last year and claimed their fifth consecutive Pacific League championship, but for the second year in a row they were ousted in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 1AA playoffs, this time by Long Beach Poly.

The Bulldogs since have been moved down to Division 2A where they have a legitimate shot at winning a CIF title, not that they couldn't compete with the likes of powerhouse Mater Dei.

"It wasn't that we didn't have a legitimate shot at winning the title, but we lost Steven Adams," Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said. "Losing a 6-foot-9 guy who's been playing the whole year and averaging 18 points a game the last five games before he was out for the season meant we had to make some changes. To have to play Long Beach Poly in the second round was a huge challenge, but I still think (Pasadena) is a quality program that can compete with anybody if we're healthy."

Adams, a senior, is back after undergoing 10 hours of brain surgery to remove a mass behind his right eye that put pressure on the brain and at one point forced a self-induced coma.

Pasadena will have some tough shoes to fill with the departed Joe Henson (San Jose State) and Travis Flye (McLennan Community College, in Waco, Texas).

The steady hand on the Bulldogs for a fourth season is George Toyama, a senior point guard who will be counted on to control the tempo.

Aside from Adams, the Bulldogs don't have the inside presence it had last year, and because of that you can expect a quicker tempo.

"You can't replace those guys," Tucker said of Henson and Flye. "The height, for one, you can't replace the inside and rebounding. We're a different team that'll have a lot more running and a lot more full-court pressure, baseline to baseline and pressuring defense."

Seniors Tyler Barber (6-foot-5) and Chris Bridges (6-0) are getting a lot of Division I looks, but the makeup of the Bulldogs this year consists of young talent that will see valuable minutes, including 6-foot-5 freshman forward Brandon Jolley.

Pasadena hosts the prestigious Rose City Classic running through Saturday. It features some of the top teams in the state, including Corona Centennial, Etiwanda, Inglewood, Fremont and Eisenhower.

Pasadena will not participate in the MaxPreps National Tournament at Pines and instead chose to stay home for the Christmas holiday and play in the Oaks Christian Tournament. The Bulldogs also will take part in the Mission Prep National Tournament beginning Dec. 17 against Edison of Fresno.

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