January 2010 Archives

The highly-celebrated National Signing Day is Wednesday, Feb. 3. We are closely following Dietrich Riley of St. Francis and where he'll end up playing next season. My money's on UCLA, though Notre Dame, LSU and USC are very much in the running. But we know Riley's not the only player signing this Wednesday. This is a call out to all coaches and athletic directors who know of an athlete signing Wednesday. If so, be sure to e-mail me at miguel.melendez@sgvn.com and let me know. We want to include your athlete in our Signing Day story so please let us know!

If you remember not long ago we profiled James Magaña in a story that published in the Star-News. He's a Monrovia wrestler who's inspired many through his story. Magaña is blind, but he hasn't let it deter him, and in fact, he's an integral part of the Wildcats' team. Magaña recently was featured on Fox Sports' High School Spotlight. Keep at it, James! You truly are the epitome of perseverance.

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&brand=foxsports&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:c2708284-0ed9-495b-844c-8e6ec5ab76f1&showPlaylist=true&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videosearch&fg=everyzing" target="_new" title="Blind Wrestler is Inspiration">Video: Blind Wrestler is Inspiration</a>

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF FRIDAY'S TEMPLE CITY-MONROVIA GAME

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

MONROVIA -- There's something about Monrovia High School's boys basketball team that's keeping its fans on the edge of their seats.

Perhaps it's the suspense, and there was plenty of it in the Wildcats' 58-57 victory over visiting Temple City in Friday night's Rio Hondo League action.

Monrovia's Nick Long sank a 3-pointer with 3:39 left to give the Wildcats (8-10, 4-2) the lead for good. He then converted both free throws to give Monrovia a 58-54 lead with 12.3 seconds to go. Temple City (8-8, 3-3) attempted a frantic 3-pointer that missed the rim on the ensuing possession.

Monrovia's Jay Henderson then was fouled with 5.2 seconds left. He missed the front end of a one-and-one and Temple City's Matt Valazza sank a 3-pointer from mid-court at the buzzer.

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St. Francis' Dietrich Riley was one of four athletes who took part in a roundtable interview prior to the 2010 Under Armour All-American Game. Here's an answer that got me smiling a bit, though I'm sure I'm a part of the reason Riley dislikes most about the crazy recruiting process:

Question: What was the worst experience you've had during the recruiting process?

Dietrich Riley: I must say the reporters. That was really, really stressful and it came to a point where I was tired and wanted to announce early. They would call me during finals week, I couldn't get any of my work done. They would just continually bug me to the point where I would just turn my phone off. I ended up changing my number and not telling anyone and all the reporters would hit me up on Facebook and ask me why I haven't been answering their calls or returning emails and I would just lie and say 'I don't have a phone', but I did.

Guilty. Though I must say, I tried really hard not to wear him down with calling and texting. Also, the Star-News makes a cameo in the interview. To read the interview in its entirety, click here.

I had a chat with St. Francis' Dietrich Riley earlier today and he said UCLA was at the top of his list, but emphasized it's not necessarily where he'll sign to play football next season. The announcement will come next week on ESPN.

National signing day is Wednesday, and Riley was invited to announce his decision in front of a national audience. The reigning Star-News Player of the Year is one of the most sought-after players in the nation, with UCLA, USC, Notre Dame and LSU to be the final four contenders hoping to land the prized recruit; Mississippi and Washington came too late in the process, Riley's mother, Marika McWhorter, said. Riley will take his last trip when he officially visits USC on Friday.

The biggest surprise came when UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow and four other UCLA assistants sat down with Riley during a 45-minute on Wednesday to discuss using Riley on offense as well as on defense. Think Wildcat formation.

That's what UCLA plans on doing should Riley end up there. Notre Dame and LSU are said to have proposed the same, though there was some friction between LSU's offensive and defensive coordinator when the pitch was made.

UCLA, however, went well into detail about using Riley's prowess on offense.

"They said they want me to play the Wildcat and they were going to put in a special package for me," Riley said. "I'd be playing quarterback, running back and receiver. They want me to line up a couple routes. It won't be a lot of offense. Fifteen plays, maybe a little more to try to create some mismatches." Full story in Friday's paper.

Above: The Flintridge Prep student section doing the A-Town walk ... or cheering.

I've been all around and beyond, and I've waited until now to make my top 5 list of best venues to watch a basketball game in the West San Gabriel Valley. This includes boys and girls basketball. Next, I'll post the top 5 places to watch baseball in the WSGV. San Marino tops my list right now, but Temple City is definitely lurking (every time I go there I feel like I'm walking on the set of The Sandlot).

1. Temple City -- Every game I went to last year was jam packed. The student section is arguably the best in the West San Gabriel Valley. The fact that the Rio Hondo League always has a surprise up its sleeve only intensifies the crowd, not that they need the motivation. The band plays in the second tier stands, but the drum set always makes the place that much louder. It's one of the fewest places that's always filled to capacity. Every game there is always an experience, and you leave the gym with a ring in your ear. It's that loud. That place also will have a special place for me. It was my first assignment as a freelance writer for the Tribune nearly nine years ago.

2. Keppel -- If you read our story Tuesday about Keppel's gym you'll understand the aura that is Keppel basketball. It used to be that the gym always filled for the girls game, but with the boys making strides it's no surprise to see the place packed from 5-9 p.m. during Almont League play. The place holds only 300 spectators, which means the noise is amplified that much more. Coaches like coaching there because it creates an exciting atmosphere, and unlike other venues, the student section makes up the majority of the crowd.

3. Monrovia -- This is the last season the Wildcats play in what some would consider a run down gym. But truth be told. Monrovia plays in a gym that can rival Keppel's game experience. The stands on the court go only five, maybe six rows high. Fans are so close to the action you can feel the sweat. There's also a terrace that overlooks one end of the court. I've yet to see it fill up, but you know that when it does it's something special. When I covered Monrovia's girls basketball team last year the court stands were almost always full. I'll check out the boys on Friday night when the Wildcats host Temple City to get a better idea of how things go when the boys play there.

4. Flintridge Prep -- Every time I come to this gym I feel like I'm watching an old episode of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The court looks small and it has that prep feel to it. But the students there go crazy for basketball, and having 6-foot-7 center Kenyatta Smith the last three seasons help, too. It's not just that the crowd makes it exciting to watch a game there, but the way the Rebels play make it exciting, too. They can play the half court and can also run it up and down with their guards, led by Edmund Chow and Jonathan Woo.

5. La Salle -- You have to love the brick wall on the player's side of the court. The grand stand on the other side is all spectators, giving coaches the opportunity to go all out without fear of parents giving them the evil eye. Don't ask me why, but the place reminds me of Conseco Fieldhouse, perhaps it's walking into the place and being right on top of the arena does it for me. You also have to love how the CIF banners are neatly decorated on one side of the wall. It's a bit of nostalgia walking in there. I can't explain it.

Also: La Canada, Pasadena, Muir.

Alhambra's Gabi Rogers nailed a 9-foot jumper with 14.2 seconds left in the game to snap Keppel's 87-game Almont League winning streak with a 66-64 victory Tuesday night. Alhambra (16-4, 5-0) was led by Vera Machado's 22 points and Jen Imaa's 20 points. Keppel's Alyson Lock, a freshman, scored 22 points in the loss. Keppel (9-12, 4-1) had not lost a league game since 2002. Lock nailed a 3-pointer with 24.3 seconds left in the game to tie the score at 64-64. Rogers scored on the ensuing possession to give the Moors the lead. Lock drove in on the next possession, but was stalled by two defenders and lost the ball, followed by the Moors losing possession after a back court violation. That's when Keppel coach Ib Belou called a timeout, only to later learn he ran out of timeouts moments ago and was issued a technical foul. Alhambra missed both free throws. Alhambra's Amanda Hua was fouled on the inbounds pass with 3.2 seconds left, but she missed the one-and-one. Keppel got the rebound but couldn't get off a shot as time expired, sending the packed Alhambra crowd into a frenzy.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly and two of his assistants strolled into the packed St. Francis gym last week when the Knights basketball team hosted Mission League foe Crespi. They were there to woo Dietrich Riley, a four-star coveted recruit with over a dozen Division I offers. It didn't matter that Riley isn't a starter on the basketball team or that he played little to no minutes. Kelly and his staff wanted to show him how important a recruit he was, and they wanted him bad. After the game, Riley, his mom and some family members met with Kelly for about an hour, and talked about Notre Dame's prestigious alumni association, among other things.

Riley's scheduled to make a trip to Ole Miss on Jan. 29 and has one official trip left to USC before the Feb. 3 signing day. Riley is still stinging from Florida giving him the silent treatment, according to the Orlando Sentinel. There are other variables one must consider before pinpointing where Riley may end up.

Tennessee was in pursuit a while back, but since then there's been little to no news about Lane Kiffin pushing for Riley to commit to the Vols. Of course a lot has happened since: Kiffin's unceremonious departure from Tennessee and his new gig at USC. Pete Carroll's departure to Seattle surely will affect Riley's thought process for committing to USC, too, and there's Loyola's Anthony Barr giving a verbal to UCLA. He's friends with Riley, and that could persuade Riley to jump on the Bruin wagon. It was said that Barr was all but headed to Notre Dame. So much for that theory. The guess here is, come Feb. 3, Riley will stay local and pick UCLA.

Keppel's 87-game Almont League girls basketball winning streak will be in jeopardy when it visits Alhambra today at 5 p.m. Alhambra (15-4, 4-0) is much improved under first-year coach Therese Berner, and it helps that the Moors have a talented presence inside, led by 6-1 junior center Jen Imaa. Keppel (9-11, 4-0) struggled at the start of the season, but Aztecs coach Ib Belou is confident his team can continue its streak, which began in 2002. Keppel almost let one slip away before hanging on for a 50-48 victory over Schurr two weeks ago.

Keith Lair did a great job writing in today's paper about Keppel's storied gym...

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

ALHAMBRA - Some basketball courts have a mystic. An aura.

Duke has its Cameron Court Crazies. New Mexico plays at The Pit. Wisconsin plays in The Barnyard.

They are fabled arenas. They tend to be older and terrific places to watch a game or just to watch the zany, noisy fans. There are no thoughts of discontinuing their use.

There is such a place in the San Gabriel Valley. The Keppel High School gymnasium is old. It's loud during basketball games. It's cramped, like Cameron Indoor Court, The Palestra in Philadelphia and MacArthur Court at the University of Oregon.

But in a little more than two weeks, the Keppel gym will be history.

The Aztecs have two more home games remaining in the gym, which was built in 1939 and first used in 1940 when the school opened. And then it will be history. The Aztecs host Bell Gardens on Feb. 2 and then Alhambra in their regular-season finale Feb. 12.

The new gymnasium, just to the east of the current one, is expected to be ready for use by September.

"We really do look forward to getting the new gym," athletic director Ish Perez said. "The kids really deserve it; the programs really deserve getting some top-notch facilities. The kids really have deserved it for a long time and it's just nice to provide that."

However, there is something that will be missed: that aura, that mystic, that charm. Think of the movie "Hoosiers."

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Arcadia the area's No. 1 team? I don't think so, at least not with Bryce Rutherford gone from the mound, but Garret Tuck is still a solid pitcher and the Apaches will need plenty from him. Maranatha, Monrovia? Now that's a good debate. Regardless of how the top 10 looks in few months, I'm hopeful for another exciting Rio Hondo League spectacle. My money's on Temple City this year, but Justin De La Nuez and Nick Bueno over at Monrovia will surely will have something to say about that. Gabrielino opened some eyes last year in the Mission Valley League, led by then-freshman standout Angel Acosta. Word is he's matured this year and has become a more vocal leader, which is rare in a sophomore ace pitcher. He should be fun to watch. The big question is, did he finally cut his hair? If you get a chance you should check out this kid they call Dylan Covey. He goes to Maranatha High. The proof is in the pudding: 1.23 ERA; .123 Opp BA; 127 K's; 7 complete games; 3 shutouts; 11 wins, 2 losses; struck out 13 and allowed only one run in the CIF-SS Division V championship game. He also batted .370 and he's a hell of an outfielder when he's not on the mound. I wouldn't run on him and head for third. Then again, I wouldn't even make it to first base. Oh, and Covey's expected to be a top 10 pick in this year's MLB Amateur Draft. How's that for a little baseball? The challenge, however, still lies on the top 10? Who's No. 1?

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF SATURDAY'S SOCCER MATCH

What was supposed to be a nonleague showdown was anything but, as Flintridge Sacred Heart (11-1-2) showed why it belongs on top and considered an elite girls soccer program with 6-1 victory over Alverno (9-4-3) this past weekend. The game was initially scheduled to be played last Monday but pouring rain flooded Glendale College's field. For the record, I did not go to the game. In fact, I was out of town. But looking at the scores and how the game went about it was obvious to see Flintridge Sacred Heart is the superior team. It looked as if the game was going to be a tight one, but the Tologs broke the second half open with three goals in a span of six minutes early in the second half. The Tologs led at the half, 1-0. Jessica Capra scored the lone goal for the Jaguars, the CIF-SS Division 7 champions. A lot was being made of last year's rankings and which team was the better team. Alverno had a CIF championship to dangle over FSHA but the Tologs had the tougher schedule of any team in the WSGV and played in a much higher division. Flintridge won the nonleague meeting last year, 1-0, but this year proved to be much too strong to handle. The Tologs this year outshot Alverno, 37-7. The competition will get much tougher today when FSHA takes on Mission League rival Harvard-Westlake tonight at 5 at Glendale Sports Complex.

**UPDATED**

In case you missed it this ran in Friday's paper

Basil Woodruff will be retained as the head coach of Monrovia's girls basketball program after serving a two-game suspension after an altercation with a referee that led to his ejection after an overtime loss to San Marino.

Monrovia principal Darvin Jackson made the announcement after an hour-long meeting with the first-year head coach on Thursday night. He will be with the team at 5 tonight when the Wildcats play host to Blair.

"We decided to retain him," Jackson said. "He's met the requirements thus far that we have set forth for him before he was to take to the court."

Woodruff wrote letters of apology to both San Marino officials and the two referees involved in the incident.

Discuss anything and everything you want to talk about, especially football, which I see some of you have already started doing. For the record, I have the Saints and Colts meeting in the Super Bowl. I went 4-0 in Wild Card weekend and I'm 5-3 heading into this weekend. What the heck, I'll just say it now: Saints win Super Bowl for Who Dat Nation!

Arcadia's Ammar Moussa was selected the 2009 Gatorade Runner of the Year for the state of California. Molly Grabill of Rancho Bernardo in San Diego was selected California's female runner of the year. Congrats, Ammar! Click here for a complete list of winners across the nation.

First it was baseball this past season, then football and now boys basketball, the Rio Hondo League always keeping things interesting and us on the edge of our seats. Blair faced a tall task last night against La Cañada and came out swinging with a 44-41 win. It was Blair's first win over La Cañada in a decade. Blair's win set up a three-way tie in the Rio Hondo League with Blair, La Cañada and Temple City all at 3-1. Monrovia is in fourth at 2-2. Jasper Cobb scored 13 points to lead the Vikings. La Cañada made 3 of 6 3-pointers in the first quarter. The Spartans led 17-8 after the quarter and then 19-8 on two Moore free throws, but the Spartans made only 2 of 17 3-pointers the rest of the way. "We didn't hit our shots," La Cañada coach Tom Hofman said. "We've been in a slump all year and it's time for them to grow up, to step up." Shawn Bankhead is in his first season at Blair and quickly noticed the Vikings' talent. "I saw it from the first day of practice," he said. "All they had to do was understand what we are doing." Now they know.

Friday's Schedule

Blair at Monrovia, 7 p.m.
Temple City at La Cañada, 7 p.m.
South Pasadena at San Marino, 7 p.m.

Monrovia High girls basketball coach Basil Woodruff served the second of a two-game suspension tonight against South Pasadena in Rio Hondo League action. He was suspended after an alleged altercation with a referee after last week's overtime loss at San Marino resulted in his ejection by the officials. An ejection calls for an automatic postgame suspension, but Monrovia officials implemented an additional one-game suspension, and are still reviewing the incident before deciding whether further action is necessary, Monrovia principal Darvin Jackson said. "I'm going to have a follow-up meeting with him and ask where he is at this point, and the progress of what I have asked him to do, and we will make the final decision as to where our program is going," Jackson said. Junior Diaz served as interim coach for the Wildcats. A full report in Thursday's Star-News.

I'm off this weekend as I usually am, but there are quite a few games going on Saturday that I really want to make it out to. In girls soccer, Flintridge Sacred Heart and Alverno play at noon at Glendale College. The game was initially scheduled for Monday, but the steady rain flooded the turf field at Glendale College. Also on Saturday, the Southern California Shootout at Azusa Pacific promises to be a treat. The area schools kickoff the showcase with Flintridge Prep taking on Baldwin Park at 9 a.m. and Brea versus La Cañada at 10:30 a.m. The showcase takes place at Felix Event Center. Our Steve Ramirez earlier this week wrote that the tournament is becoming one of the better one-day events in local high school basketball. The tournament's organizer, Gordon Hamlow, tries to keep it a local affair, and he's done a great job doing just that this season. The tournament features 13 teams ranked in the CIF-Southern Section polls. Baldwin Park, for example, is ranked No. 7 in Division 2A. Flintridge Prep is ranked No. 3 in 5AA. La Cañada is ranked No. 12 in 3A. The rest of the schedule: Diamond Ranch vs. Murrieta Valley at noon; Upland vs. Vista Murrieta at 1:30; Walnut vs. Glendora at 3 p.m.; Los Osos vs. Ventura at 4:30; Oxnard vs. Colony at 6; Damien vs. Etiwanda at 7:30; and Rowland vs. Ontario Christian at 9 p.m.

*UPDATED 1:01 p.m.*-- That was the scene at Glendale College. The rain was coming down and it was coming down hard. Flintridge Sacred Heart girls soccer coach Frank Pace called as I was making my way up to the field to say the game has been postponed until possibly February. Glendale College plays on an all-purpose turf field, but the fields are not draining fast enough and already there are puddles. Coaches from both teams talked it over and said it would not make sense to play the game in these conditions. And it begs the question: What will area soccer coaches do the rest of the week with heavy rain forecast the entire week?

In a little less than two hours, top-ranked Flintridge Sacred Heart (10-1-2) will take on fourth-ranked and CIF-SS Division 6 champion Alverno (8-3-1) at 1 p.m. at Glendale College. Someone in the office asked if they were going to play under these weather conditions, and the answer is yes, they will ... rain or shine. The only game this nonleague showdown gets canceled or postponed is if there's lightning, which I don't remember the weather guys saying there would be, and they're always right. Looking at Alverno's schedule has me asking, what gives? Alverno has won its last three games by a combined score 44-0. My goodness, this is still soccer, right? I believe this topic was discussed a few threads ago, but it's worth mentioning again. I know our buddy Steve Lesse gave his explanation: "Alverno's coaching staff met with Holy Family Coach Calderon and Bishop Coach Delaney before and after both of our games and gave them the opportunity to dictate limitations to be placed on Alverno's play. In both cases these coaches requested of Alverno that we 'just play your game without limits put on our play.' In fact, we do put a number of limits on play, bench starters, number of touches, number of passes and how a goal may be scored, but these limits are done in a way that is respectful to the other team." Still, 17-0 over Bishop Conaty-Loretto, 14-0 over Holy Family and 13-0 over Sacred Heart of L.A. makes me weary. We'll get a better answer later today.

Above: St. Francis celebrating an impressive win over rival Loyola on Friday night.

Well, the verdict is in: St. Francis is still the No. 1 team in the WSGV. There's little, if any, evidence that proves otherwise. Friday was a good day for boys soccer. At 3 p.m. you had No. 2 La Cañada hosting No. 3 Monrovia. The Spartans won 2-0 to keep their Rio Hondo League record intact at 3-0. My honest opinion is the Wildcats had better individual talent, with Mathias Ibañez leading up front, but La Cañada was a much better team tactically and is fundamentally sound. Cameron Meeker and Matt Cañatta lead the way for the Spartans. Both draw plenty of attention and both found away to create scoring opportunities. First-year La Cañada coach Barry Riston is doing a wonderful job over there. Things may be different in the second-leg, but the site may not. Monrovia's field is currently under construction, meaning the second meeting could be played again at La Cañada High.

After the La Cañada game I headed over to St. Francis (4-8-1, 2-2-1) to check out the Golden Knights against rival Loyola (7-6-3, 1-1-1). The stands were packed and the crowd was boisterous as expected. St. Francis took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute of play after Christian Swart faked a defender and took another step inside the penalty area before unleashing a blistering shot into the far corner of the net. St. Francis lost quite a handful of players to the developmental academy, and they're not the sophisticated team it was last year when it went on to win the CIF Southern California Regional. But what they lack in sophistication the Golden Knights more than make it up with relentless effort. St. Francis outplayed Loyola in every facet of the game. The Golden Knights showed signs of great things to come. Sewart continually slipped through defenders and pressured the keeper. When Loyola did make a push up front, the Cubs were stymied by misdirected shots or stellar deflections by the St. Francis defense. All in all, the Golden Knights proved they belong at the No. 1 spot despite my being ridiculed for placing them there because of a record that is all but misleading.

I had the pleasure of working with Roger Murray for two years in my tenure as preps editor, but Roger made an impact on me long ago. Nine years ago, to be exact, Murray walked into the Tribune office and said hello to a then-17 year old cub reporter. I was star-struck when I saw him stroll into the sports department, former Star-News prep editor Keven Chavez also having that impact on me. I thought to myself, "How cool that he would be nice to me." I always wondered what it would be like to meet the people you grew up reading like Chavez, T.J. Simers, Shav Glick, Mike Downey, Bill Plaschke and, of course, Roger Murray (did you know he rubbed elbows with the late Shav Glick and was good friends with the legendary Jim Murray?). Always kind and courteous, Roger offered a wealth of experience and advice to aspiring writers anytime possible. He'll truly be missed, and I'm sure a lot of coaches feel the same way. Longtime Monrovia baseball coach Brad Blackmore used to play for Roger, and I believe he also covered Randy Bell when he was the Wildcats' quarterback. Roger would always say being a sportswriter beats working for a living, and he's right about that. We're some lucky guys, and even luckier to have worked alongside a living legend.

Managing editor Steve Hunt, once the longtime prep editor and sports editor of the Tribune, talks about his time with Roger Murray

By Andrew J. Campa, Staff Writer
Over the past 34 years, there have been fewer constants than the steady reporting of veteran journalist Roger Murray. The Whittier Daily News prep sports editor, however, earlier this week decided it was time for a change. (To continue reading, click thread)

Above: The good 'ol days with St. Francis keeper Jordan Bell.

I got a lot of heat last week for ranking St. Francis (2-8) the area's No. 1 team in the West San Gabriel Valley. Things always look different depending on where you sit, huh? I stand by my choice, and here's (another) chance for you all to comment on how oblivious I am to sports: St. Francis will be the No. 1 team come Wednesday's rankings.

The answer is simple, and I really wish some of you understood the logic behind it. St. Francis hands down has the toughest schedule in the San Gabriel Valley, better than Monrovia's, better than La Cañada's and better than Baldwin Park's. St. Francis was the only team in our area to play in the prestigious Southern California Classic, known as the West Coast Classic a few years ago. It was a tournament I heavily covered in my four years at the Register, and it was easily the best high school soccer tournament in the nation when I covered it back in the day. For you soccer aficionados, the West Coast Classic can rival that of the prestigious Dallas Cup, and so on. (Not even the soccer-heavy city of South Bradenton, Fla. puts a tournament of the Classic's caliber).

Take a look at St. Francis' schedule. The Golden Knights played four teams ranked in ESPN's FAB 50 rankings: Santa Barbara, Santa Margarita, Brophy Prep and El Camino Real, at one point ranked the No. 1 team in the nation. You can try to question the legitimacy of the FAB 50 rankings (after all, yours truly was a weekly voter), but nevertheless all are soccer powers in their respective region.

Just for fun, let's say St. Francis didn't play in the Classic and take its Mission League schedule alone. It's arguably the toughest high school soccer league in the CIF-Southern Section; the Trinity League is up there, too. Yes, so far the Golden Knights are off to a rocky start in league (0-2) with losses to Harvard-Westlake and Chaminade. "Of course there's a concern," St. Francis coach Glen Appels said. "But we've been right there. The truth of the matter is with the young guys we just have to get on the right side. I don't think there's any panic at this point. This is a huge week for us."

Huge week, indeed: St. Francis takes on host Notre Dame today; at Alemany on Wednesday; and the big show on Friday at 5 p.m. against visiting Loyola. That the Golden Knights are the defending CIF Southern California Regional champions is of little to no pressure.

"That was just part of a larger picture," Appels said. "I don't think when the season started anyone said they wanted to go out and win the regional championship, but that was a bonus. What we want to do is make a nice run in the Mission League and be successful in the playoffs, and I don't think that's pressure either. It's more of an expectation."

That's St. Francis soccer for you: An expectation to be great is the driving force, not pressure.

You knew Flintridge Prep's Kenyatta Smith was going to be something special this year. As a sophomore last year, the 6-foot-5 lanky center showed promise of being a true post player with an intimidating presence.

I got a chance to see him play last week and I'll tell you what: He's the real deal. Smith is now a 6-foot-7, 265 pound virtual wall. Smith not only gets his touches and points, but the mere fact he's standing in the paint goes to the Rebels' advantage. His mere presence means opposing teams have to alter their shots, and driving inside? Forget about it.

Smith finished with five blocked shots last week in a 49-45 win over Maranatha. What an intense game, just ask Maranatha coach Tim Godley. Smith's third block came with 4:54 left in the second quarter and Maranatha's Robert Schneider driving in. Smith calmly extended his arms high and swatted the ball with such force it hit one of the officials standing on the baseline. That brought the home crowd to its feet. Smith did it again with 1:19 left in the second quarter, this time blocking Andrew Elffers' shot and the ball hitting the other official. He finished with 15 points and six rebounds and dunked twice, the first coming in the first half with a thunderous two-handed slam.

There are a select few prolific players in our area you're going to want to see this year, and Smith is definitely near the top of the list. If you're free Saturday afternoon you're going to want to check out Pasadena Poly (12-2, 1-0) at Flintridge Prep (11-4, 2-0) at 4 p.m.

The 2:30 p.m. game between the girls will also be a good one. The Panthers are 10-2 overall and 2-0 in league and the Rebels are 13-4 overall and 3-0 in league.

Talk about a showdown, that's for sure. And yes, we plan on covering the game.

We will have a reporter covering one of the Rio Hondo League boys basketball openers tonight: Monrovia at Temple City. We will also cover the Arcadia-PHS boys basketball game, slated for 7 p.m. at Pasadena. The Apaches are much-improved but face a big test with the Bulldogs who seem to be getting in their groove now after a good showing in the Mission Prep Christmas Classic and the Oaks Christian Tournament. Also in the Rio Hondo League, La Canada hosts San Marino and Blair visits South Pasadena.

Just days after a story published in this newspaper confirming the firings of the entire San Gabriel High School girls basketball program's coaching staff, Manny Flores, the former head varsity girls basketball coach, responded to allegations in a series of e-mail exchanges that there was an attempt to cover up a freshman coach's decision to play in a junior varsity girls basketball game last month.

Flores did not dispute allegations that Jannie Han, 21, played during a nonleague junior varsity road game Dec. 9 against El Monte, but he did take issue that there was an attempt to cover it up, which led to the firing of Flores, Han and JV girls basketball coach Mark Ho.

"I did not try to cover it up," Flores wrote. "(Their) decision to do what they did was and is still a shock to me. I was shocked to see my coach playing in a game. It was disheartening because she was a responsible individual.

"Maybe I handled it the wrong way by waiting a day, but I was trying to find out why they did what they did, but I got no response. I do not have any hard feelings towards San Gabriel for their decision to let me go because of that. But to say I tried to cover it up, no way. I do not stand for things like that."

San Gabriel principal Jim Schofield confirmed the firings on Monday but would not discuss the details, citing privacy issues. Jennifer White recently was hired to coach the varsity girls basketball team and San Gabriel football coach Keith Jones and assistant football coach Jude Oliva will help coach the junior varsity girls. The school is waiting on fingerprint clearance for its new freshman girls coach.

El Monte junior varsity girls basketball coach Steve Shimada said he couldn't tell when Han went into the game, which the Lions won, 37-15.

"I was only interested in what we were doing, even though we had the game in hand," Shimada said. "We tried to figure out who it might have been, but it wasn't something that ever crossed my mind, that a coach would be playing in a game. I've never heard of something like this."

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING FLORES' ACCOUNT AND REACTION FROM AREA ATHLETIC DIRECTORS AND COACHES

Above: Maranatha freshman Jeremy Major is fun to watch.

Maranatha's Jeremy Major and Flintridge Prep's Kenyatta Smith will meet today at 3:30 p.m. in an exciting nonleague boys basketball game at Flintridge Prep. Major, a speedy freshman guard averaging 6 points per game, will test the Rebels' inside presence, anchored by the 6-foot-7, 265 pound center Smith, who is only a junior. I will be there and we'll have a photographer there, too. I hear it came down between St. Francis and Maranatha as to where Major would attend school. I saw him play against St. Francis in the La Canada Tournament last month and he was every bit as advertised. I hear the same about Smith, who put on some muscle and is no longer the lanky kid from last year. Flintridge Prep is 9-4 overall with wins over St. Francis, Sierra Canyon, Monrovia and Temescal Canyon in the prestigious Torrey Pines Tournament. The Rebels played Montclair Prep tough in a 53-50 loss early last month. Should be fun to see how they've progressed this year.

My boy Jonathan Abrams at The New York Times writes about Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards getting suspended after a decision to bring several guns into the Wizards' locker room and then later display them in what he called a misguided joke. Abrams goes on to write that NBA Commissioner David Stern was not at all amused by Tuesday night's antics and suspended Arenas indefinitely rather than wait for investigations of the gun matter to be completed by law enforcement authorities. And just yesterday, we hear about a Keppel student who was arrested after allegedly bringing two handguns to school. The discovery occurred shortly after 1:25 p.m. at Keppel High during a routine check by a drug- and gun-sniffing dog, police and Alhambra Unified School District officials said. The assistant principal searched the student's backpack and found an unloaded .44-caliber revolver, the sergeant said. School officials detained the boy until police arrived. While searching the student, police found an additional handgun concealed in his waistband, Black said. The second gun, a .38-caliber semiautomatic handgun, was loaded. What is going on here? Why on Earth would someone think it's a good idea to bring a gun to a place where there's no reason to need one. It's mind boggling to think what the thought process might be when something like this happens. Thankfully nobody was hurt in these two incidents.

Two stories will publish in Thursday's paper regarding an incident with the San Gabriel High School girls basketball program, which I reported about in Tuesday's paper. Thursday's reports focus on allegations of a cover-up, which fired San Gabriel varsity girls basketball coach Manny Flores vehemently denied in a series of e-mail exchanges with the Star-News. Flores did not dispute allegations that Jannie Han, 21, played during a nonleague junior varsity road game Dec. 9 against El Monte, but he did take issue that there was an attempt to cover it up, which led to the firing of Flores, Han and JV girls basketball coach Mark Ho. "I did not try to cover it up," Flores wrote. "Maybe I handled it the wrong way by waiting a day, but I was trying to find out why they did what they did, but I got no response. ... to say I tried to cover it up, no way. I do not stand for things like that."

San Gabriel Valley athletic directors and coaches also react to the San Gabriel incident in the second story:

"I was shocked to hear what happened and feel for the girls in the program. I hope that the girls come together and push through this incident and find a way to move forward."
-- Keppel girls basketball coach Ib Belou

"I guess my question is 'Was winning that important that you would sacrifice the program? To me there's no valid reason, period. I don't want to pass any judgment, but who would benefit from that?"
-- Alhambra girls basketball coach Therese Berner

"If a situation were to happen here I would act swiftly to remedy the issue."
-- Maranatha athletic director and baseball coach Brian DeHaan

"What we're trying to teach the kids is ethics. The CIF motto is sportsmanship and ethics. What they (the administrator's swift action) did is exactly what they need to do -- uphold the CIF standards and school standards."
-- La Cañada athletic director and girls basketball coach Tamar Hill

"I would have never imagined someone actually doing it. I'm still in shock hearing that it actually happened."
-- Diamond Ranch athletic director Jason Fox

"It's hard for me to understand why they would have done that and what was the thought process behind it. ... to think an opposing coach would treat his own players that way is disappointing."
-- El Monte girls basketball coach Brian Tabatabi

STAR-NEWS RANKINGS

1. Pasadena (7-5)
Played toughest schedule

2. La Cañada (11-2)
Tough test against Oilers

3. Renaissance Acad. (9-5)
Wins over Nogales, Damien

3. La Salle (7-6)
Enduring 4-game losing streak

5. Keppel (12-2)
Aztecs are much improved

6. Flintridge Prep (8-4)
Rebels playing tough schedule

7. Arcadia (7-6)
Could be league dark horse

8. St. Francis (7-5)
Payed Oilers tough

9. Maranatha (8-6)
Major is fun to watch

10. Blair (5-7)
Played in Oaks Chr. tourney

1. La Cañada (12-3)
Amat, Serra gave tough tests

2. La Salle (10-3)
At Village Christian on Tuesday

3. Flintridge Prep (10-4)
Prep League play begins

4. Muir (3-6)
Uncharacteristic start

5. Pasadena Poly (8-2)
In Providence tourney finals

6. Alhambra (9-3)
Ready for Almont run

7. Pasadena (6-7)
Lost to Muir by only nine

8. Flint. Sacred Heart (8-8)
Knocked off La Salle

9. Mayfield (6-2)
Time to see if Cubs for real

10. Blair (7-8)
Are the Vikings back?

STAR-NEWS RANKINGS

1. St. Francis (2-6)
Losses to all but one D1 team

2. La Cañada (10-2-1)
Lost to Canyon, Mtn. View

3. Monrovia (6-6-1)
Struggling but still good

4. Pasadena (5-1-1)
Could contend for league title

5. La Salle (3-0-2)
Scored big win over Monrovia

6. Rosemead (7-1-4)
Rare loss to San Gabriel

7. San Marino (5-1-2)
Solid heading into league

8. Duarte (6-1-2)
Enjoying 5-game win streak

9. San Gabriel (4-3-2)
Rosemead win looks good

10. Alhambra (1-1-1
Opens Almont next week

STAR-NEWS TOP 10 RANKINGS

1. Flint. Sacred Heart (8-1)
Beat Beckman on penalties

2. La Salle (9-2-3)
Third in Los Tacos tourney

3. Ramona Convent (5-1-2)
Impressive win over Alverno

4. Alverno (5-3-1)
Must await more challenges

5. Flintridge Prep (4-1)
Can Rebels keep going?

6. Arcadia (1-2-2)
League plays starts Friday

7. Westridge (2-1-2)
Hasn't hit potential yet

8. La Cañada (1-2-1)
Still a Rio Hondo favorite

9. San Marino (1-2-1)
Faces La Salle today

10. Mayfield (5-2)
Played Westridge on Tuesday

San Gabriel High School principal Jim Schofield confirmed Monday that varsity girls basketball coach Manny Flores, junior varsity girls basketball coach Mark Ho and freshman girls basketball coach Jannie Han were fired early last month after Han allegedly suited up and played in a JV game.

Schofield would not discuss the details, citing privacy issues. Han is a 2007 Alhambra High graduate who is attending Cal Poly Pomona.

"One of the things that high schools struggle with is ethics and integrity and making sure the kids follow academic honesty," Schofield said. "If something like that was to happen in a program it would be sending out the exact opposite message; that we don't have to work ethically or show integrity in what we do."

According to multiple sources at San Gabriel High School, Han played during a nonleague JV road game Dec. 9 against El Monte and attempts to cover it up led to the firings.

Han did not respond to repeated e-mail requests seeking explanation, nor was she available for questions at her home in Alhambra.

Flores, who along with Ho coached two and a half seasons at San Gabriel, did not return repeated messages left on his cell phone.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

It's the first official school week of 2010, so I ask coaches, parents and boosters to give me a hand and tell me which big nonleague games should be covered this week. Most leagues will dive into action next week. Any suggestions? Boys and girls soccer coaches, now's a good time to hound me to cover your games since it was all basketball last week, though I won't necessarily shy away from a good hoops game.

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year, I'm live on assignment covering my third Rose Bowl and in the press box from the 96th Rose Bowl Game pitting Oregon and THE Ohio State University. We get back into full swing next week with high school sports. The first week back is the final week for nonleague action and then we head right into league action where all the fun is. The Rio Hondo League in boys basketball will be interesting this year. The Pacific League will be good too, and it's good to see Arcadia doing good again. The Keppel boys basketball team is showing promising signs. The Keppel girls are good too, but ran into a great Chaminade team last week. Speaking of Chaminade, the La Canada girls basketball team gave them a hard time penetrating the Eagles' full press. Are the Spartans the best team in the area? Soon we'll find out.