February 2010 Archives

The city of Pasadena will be well represented when Muir High School and Pasadena Poly hit the hardwood on the road tonight in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section girls basketball playoffs. Muir (20-7) will take on Barstow (23-2) in the Division 3A playoffs at 6 tonight at Barstow College while Pasadena Poly (22-3) takes on Montclair Prep (21-6) in the Division 5A tournament at 7 tonight at St. Genevieve High in Panorama City.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
SEMIFINALS
TONIGHT'S GAMES
DIVISION 3A
Muir vs. Barstow at Barstow College, 6 p.m. -- The Mustangs are hoping to get over their semifinal hump. They have not gotten past the semifinals since reaching the finals in a loss to Bishop Amat six years ago. Muir squandered a 6-point lead with two minutes left before losing to Inglewood in the semifinals last year. Three years ago, the Mustangs lost to Mira Costa in the semifinals and was invited to participate in the CIF State playoffs, where they lost in the Southern California Regional championship. Muir led by as many as 19 midway through the third quarter when it suddenly saw it shrink to just four. Still, it wasn't of great concern for Mustangs coach Gary Johnson. "I was pleased with my girls for holding on to the lead and building it back up," he said. "They showed a lot of poise." Muir has come along way since enduring serious disorganization during the regular season, to the point where Johnson had to move down some players to the junior varsity level in an effort to execute the playbook. To be fair, the Mustangs are carrying on for the first time since losing four-year letterman standouts Eliza Pierre (Cal) and Brittany Henderson (Kentucky). The turning point came when sophomore point guard Tahniya Sweatt went down with an ankle injury at the start of Pacific League play, prompting Johnson to move Taylor Gomez from shooting guard to the point. Gomez's efficiency and steady hand paid dividends, and it allowed the Mustangs to have a solid point guard when Sweatt comes off the bench. Muir's proven it can shut down its opponents best shooters, and it'll face another tall task in Barstow's Nisha Barrett, a 6-foot-1 senior forward having a monstrous season. She's averaging 17.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 3.2 blocks per game. "The last three games," Johnson said, "we've been playing girls that are huge and Daysha Thomas, Jermani Daniels and Christian Connor have been doing a really good job."

DIVISION 5A
Pasadena Poly vs. Montclair Prep at St. Genevieve High, 7 p.m. -- Pasadena Poly is making its first semifinals appearance since 2000 and has not hoisted a CIF championship banner since 1992. The Panthers were ousted in the quarterfinals last year by Santa Clara, who went on to lose to Bell-Jeff in the finals. If there ever was a season in which Pasadena Poly had a chance to make its best run it certainly has to be this season. The Panthers' boast one of the area's more premiere shooters in sophomore guard Michelle Miller. She averages a ridiculous 30.9 points and 12.8 rebounds. She dropped 38 points against Desert in a 55-45 quarterfinal win. She scored a career-high 46 points early in the season. It makes sense to double team and even triple team Miller, but somehow, some way she seems to get hers. "She's always on," said Pasadena Poly coach Kim Weber, in her fourth season at the helm. "She's had (the double-teaming) all season. It's not something that's new to her or the rest of us. In some ways if you don't double team her I'm surely stunned." Miiler's supporting class -- known as the "Bacon Bits" -- includes Julia Brown, a senior guard averaging 10.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Miller explained earlier this week that a teammate overheard a rival coach in the locker room saying all Pasadena Poly has "is a star, the salad, and everybody else is just the bacon bits." The Panthers will need an all-around effort against a Montclair Prep team that features three players who score in double figures. Chantel Dooley (16.5 points), Kimberly Scamman (12.3 points), Alex Taylor (10.3) and Lindsay Anderson (9.1 points) do all the scoring for the Mounties. Dooley is the more dangerous of the foursome, averaging 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.3 steals. "They're a good team," Weber said. "They don't have a lot of size and neither do we, but they have more shooters." But nobody who averages 30.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF FRIDAY'S KEPPEL-PASADENA SEMIFINAL PLAYOFF GAME SHOT BY STAR-NEWS ACE PHOTOGRAPHER KEITH BIRMINGHAM

Pasadena 63, Keppel 48 -- Chris Bridges scored 17 points, Tyler Barber got off to a hot start in the third quarter to finish with 14 second-half points and Brandon Jolley had a solid first-half contribution scoring 15 points to lead Pasadena to next week's Division 2A championship game against top-seed Eisenhower at the Honda Center.

La Verne Lutheran 60, Pasadena Poly 42 -- The second-seeded Trojans hope to get their rematch next weekend with a championship game against Windward. The tournament's top seed played visiting Calvary Chapel of Santa Ana on Friday. The Wildcats from L.A. defeated the Trojans in last year's 5A title game, 72-62. Lutheran won the 5AA title in 2008. If the Trojans face the Wildcats, at least one opposing coach will be in their corner: Poly's Brad Hall. "They're good," he said. "I don't know if we had played a perfect game if that would have been good enough. There's a reason they went overtime with (Pasadena). There's a reason they beat Eisenhower. There's a reason they beat all these teams. They're really good."

Sierra Canyon 64, Renaissance Academy 57: Michael Cohen had 19 of his 31 points in the first half and Daniel Cohen added 11 points to help the No. 4 Trailblazers (22-7) hold off a late Renaissance Academy rally, securing their first trip to a division final in the program's five-year history. The Wildcats, who are still seeking their first title, fell behind by 12 points in the first quarter, before cutting the deficit to 55-52 on a 3-pointer by Gilles Tacita with 1:41 remaining. But Jesse Howell answered with a layup for Sierra Canyon and the Cohens combined to hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the victory and a matchup with No. 2 Besant Hill oj Ojai in the final.

Kilpatrick 60, AGBU 43 Hagop Bonikian and Allen Kazangian each scored 12 points, but it wasn't enough as AGBU's dream season came to a stop Friday night in the semifinals of the Division 6A playoffs. AGBU (17-5) made its first playoff appearance a memorable one. The International League champion became the third Armenian school ever to make the semifinals, following Mesrobian in 2003 and Pilibos in 2007. "It's been an exciting run," AGBU coach Vic Karapetian said. "We're proud of the students. To do what we've done in a two-year span and this being our second year in sports is something we're definitely proud of." AGBU trailed only 38-24 at the half, but Kilpatrick's (12-10) length and size proved to be the difference.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Not five minutes had passed after Pasadena High School beat Mira Costa in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2A boys basketball quarterfinals when senior point guard George Toyama heard the news.

"I overheard somebody in the stands say that Keppel won," Toyama recalled, "and immediately I had a grin on my face."

The postgame speech over and ready to leave the locker room and jump on the bus to head home, Toyama pulled out his cell phone first and made a call.

It's coming man.

On the other end was Keppel guard Timmy Wong, a three-year letterman who helped the Aztecs reach their first semifinals appearance against Pasadena tonight at 7 at Muir.

We're coming for you too.

A matchup 14 years in the making, Toyama will play against childhood friend Wong in the grandest stage high school sports has to offer, with the winner moving on to next Saturday's championship game at the Honda Center.

Toyama knows what it's like to play in such a spotlight. As a freshman he was on the Pasadena team that won the Division 2A championship three years ago. Sitting in the stands, looking up to the massive scoreboard and an overflow crowd was Wong. He was there supporting his best friend Toyama, whom he's known and played basketball with since they were 4 years old. The scenery much too captivating to forget, Wong couldn't sleep from thinking all day what it may be like to play for something as meaningful as a CIF-Southern Section championship.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING THE STORY

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
QUARTERFINALS
TODAY'S GAMES, 3 P.M.
DIVISION 2
Saugus vs. Flintridge Sacred Heart at Glendale College: Flintridge Sacred Heart has vengeance on its mind now that it knows who it plays in today's quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 soccer playoffs. The Tologs (18-1-3) will host Saugus (11-4-2) at 3:15 p.m. at Glendale College, but it wasn't until later in the evening Wednesday after its 5-0 victory over St. Lucy's in the second round that Flintridge Sacred Heart found out it was playing the defending champion who ousted them in the second round last year. There's a stark difference with the Tologs this year in that they're much younger, but they're also a battle-tested group ranked 11th in the nation on the ESPN FAB 50 rankings. Their lone loss was against Bishop's of La Jolla, the No. 9-ranked team in the nation and tops in the CIF-San Diego Section.
Flintridge Sacred Heart coach Frank Pace said Saugus is dangerous for reasons other than beaming with confidence as defending champion. "They're on a roll and feeling good about themselves," Pace said. "They have the mentality of a champion. We're trying to get there. We're playing sophomores and freshmen, but we'll get there." The Tologs can hold their ground, too. They've played with precision, and that's complemented their offensive prowess well, led by Katie Johnson (18 goals) and Breeana Koemans (14 goals, 14 assists). Defensively, Flintridge Sacred Heart has eight shutouts and has given up only nine goals in 22 games. The Tologs also are on a roll of their own, having beaten five league champions this season to earn a No. 2 seed in the tournament. Among them: Harvard-Westlake (the top-seeded team in Division 2), Alverno (defending Division 7 champion), Royal (Division 1) and Beckman (ranked No. 44 in the nation). It's those kind of results that make Flintridge Sacred Heart an elite power. "And this was supposed to be our transition year," Pace said. Some transition.

DIVISION 7
Cate vs. Alverno at Rio de Los Angeles Park: Scoring seems to come easy for Alverno and the defending Division 7 champion hopes it continues that way when it hosts CATE of Carpinteria in the quarterfinals at 3 p.m. today at Rio De Los Angeles Park in Los Angeles. The Jaguars (15-5-1) were worried that rust might be an issue after they earned a first-round bye and had not played in 14 days. But Alverno came out firing on all cylinders, scoring eight goals in all and getting four from Cassie Saavadra in an 8-1 victory over South El Monte in the second round. Alverno has allowed only two goals in its last seven games and in that span has scored a staggering 69 goals.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF THURSDAY'S SALESIAN-LA CANADA BOYS SOCCER GAME SHOT BY STAR-NEWS ACE PHOTOGRAPHER KEITH BIRMINGHAM

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
TODAY'S GAMES, 3 P.M.
QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 5
Salesian 1, La Cañada 0, OT -- Jose Espinoza scored on a volley that slipped past the keeper to lift Salesian to a 1-0 win in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 playoffs Thursday afternoon. Salesian (18-4-2) will host Baldwin Park in a rematch of last year's Division 5 championship game. Jovani Zayas provided the assist three minutes into the overtime. The goal seemed inevitable as the visiting Mustangs pressured up top in the final 10 minutes of the second half. La Cañada (23-3-1) was making its second straight quarterfinal appearance. The Spartans were ousted in PK's by Baldwin Park last year. La Cañada had a great season and should hold its head up high. This game certainly provided a finals atmosphere as it was played in front of the largest La Cañada soccer crowd this season. The Spartans lost to a team that has won two of the last three Division 5 championships; Salesian won the CIF Southern California Regional two years ago. Cameron Meeker and Matt Cannata wowed soccer aficionados with precision and spectacular scoring; Meeker finished the season with 33 goals and 13 assists and Cannata had 24 goals and 12 assists.

DIVISION 6
Pasadena Poly 0, Tahquitz 0 (Pasadena Poly wins on PK's, 3-0): Pasadena Poly keeper Matt Morrish made one huge PK save in regulation and stopped three more during penalties to lead the Panthers to a 3-0 win on PK's over Tahquitz after a scoreless tie. Morrish also scored one of the Panthers' 3 penalties to earn the win. Pasadena Poly will visit Mountain View in the semifinals next Tuesday.

Oak Hills 3, Maranatha 0: Oak Hills took advantage of the long ball and scored a goal in the first 10 minutes of each half to pull away for the win. This was Maranatha's deepest playoff run since making a finals appearance in 1997. The Minutemen accomplished their goal of bringing home the school's first Alpha League title in more than a decade.

This is why watching a game at Flintridge Prep is always fun...

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF WEDNESDAY'S ST. PAUL-FLINTRIDGE GAME

Points were hard to come by for Flintridge Prep, who shot 11 of 27 from the floor in a 56-32 defeat at the hands of St. Paul in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5AA playoffs Wednesday night. St. Paul's Angela Van Sickle scored 13 points, Adriana Rendon scored 12 and grabbed seven rebounds and Brittni Tapia had 10 points and six rebounds. Rendon provided solid contributions despite a stomach virus. Flintridge Prep's Megan Musashi couldn't get into rhythm, scoring 12 points on 4 of 15 shooting. She also grabbed four rebounds and had three blocks.

OTHER SCORES
DIVISION 3A
Muir 68, Citrus Hill 55:
DIVISION 5A
Pasadena Poly 55, Desert 45

Football guru Aram Tolegian has the inside scoop at Inside the Huddle. Check out the story in Thursday's paper.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
QUARTERFINALS
TONIGHT'S GAMES, 7 P.M.
DIVISION 3A
Citrus Hill at Muir
DIVISION 5AA
St. Paul at Flintridge Prep
DIVISION 5A
Desert at Pasadena Poly
DIVISION 6A
AGBU at Apple Valley Christian

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
TODAY'S GAMES, 3 p.m.
(UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED)
DIVISION 2
Flintridge Sacred Heart at St. Lucy's
DIVISION 5
Notre Dame Academy at Maranatha, 5 p.m.
South Torrance vs. Ramona Convent at Cathedral High, 6:30 p.m.
DIVISION 7
South El Monte vs. Alverno at Rio de Los Angeles Park

Congrats to Keppel and coach Hung Duong for reaching Friday's semifinals against Pasadena. Keppel was always one of my favorite teams to cover when I was in Pasadena, they play hard, they play smart, and with the talent they have now, I'm guessing they're gonna give PHS all they can handle. -- Fred J.

By Fred J. Robledo
BALDWIN PARK -- The Keppel High School boys basketball team got exactly what it wanted against host Baldwin Park during Wednesday's CIF-Southern Section Division 2A quarterfinal - another strong effort from junior twins Jordan and Justin Young, and a near flawless performance from point guard Timmy Wong.
But as Aztecs coach Hung Duong explained it, when senior guard Sam Thim is on his game too, the Aztecs are nearly unbeatable, which was the case as Thim poured in 28 points to lead the third-seed Aztecs to a 77-63 victory, sending them to Friday's semifinals against second-seed Pasadena at Muir High School.

FULL STORY IN TUESDAY'S PAPER ...

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY'S QUARTERFINALS
ALL GAMES 7 P.M.
DIVISION 2A
Keppel at Baldwin Park
Pasadena at Mira Costa
DIVISION 3A
Centennial/compton at La Canada
DIVISION 4A
La Salle at Crespi
DIVISION 5AA
Buckley at Pasadena Poly
DIVISION 5A
Renaissance Academy vs. Holy Marthyrs
DIVISION 6AA
Ribet Academy at Rio Hondo Prep
DIVISION 6A
AGBU at Padres Pio

FULL STORY IN TUESDAY'S PAPER ...

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY'S SECOND ROUND ACTION
ALL MATCHES 3 P.M.
DIVISION I
Northwood at St. Francis
DIVISION 5
La Canada at Paloma Valley, 3:30 p.m.
Animo Leadership at Temple City
DIVISION 6
Viewpoint at Maranatha
Buckley at Pasadena Poly, 3:15 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL
CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
TONIGHT'S GAMES, 7 P.M.
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 1AA
Alhambra at Long Beach Poly
DIVISION 3A
Sierra Vista at Monrovia
Rancho Alamitos at Muir
DIVISION 4AA
Atescadero at La Canada, 5 p.m.
DIVISION 4A
Maranatha at Windward
La Salle at Twentynine Palms
DIVISION 5AA
Flintridge Prep at Milken Community
DIVISION 5A
Linfield Christian at Pasadena Poly, 4 p.m.
DIVISION 6AA
St. Bernard at Rio Hondo prep
DIVISION 6A
FIRST ROUND
San Fernando Valley Academy at AGBU

BOYS BASKETBALL
CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
RESULTS
DIVISION 2A
Keppel 63, Norwalk 54
Pasadena 79, Ayala 56
DIVISION3A
La Canada at Campbell Hall
DIVISION 4AA
Bishop Amat at St. Francis
DIVISION 4A
La Salle 67, Maranatha 50
DIVISION 5AA
Pasadena Poly 54, Crossroads 46
DIVISION 5A
Renaissance Academy at Chadwick
DIVISION 6AA
Rio Hondo Prep 62, California Lutheran 46
Division 6A
AGBU 71, Safety Academy 41

LA SALLE AT MARANATHA: Matt Nolan, Josh Anderson and Michael Edwards were virtually unstoppable in leading the Lancers (19-8) to a convincing 75-53 win over Blair in the first-round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 4A playoffs. Anderson scored with such ease, slashing past defenders and going to the rim with authority. He scored 17 points and Anderson also added 17 on 6-of-9 shooting. If La Salle's front court plays as efficient as it did against Blair, then you can bet Maranatha (18-10) will have a hard time stopping them, too. The Minutemen recorded an easy 59-38 win over Kern Valley. Both teams met early in summer league, but of course, it's not summer league anymore. It's win or go home.

PASADENA AT AYALA: It's around this time in the CIF-Southern Section boys basketball playoffs when Pasadena High School infamously is known for making an early exit. Sure, it's only been in the last two years when the Bulldogs have fallen in the second round, but it's something that will definitely be on their minds when Pasadena (21-6) visits Ayala (17-11) at 7 tonight in Division 2A action. "The second round the last couple of years have been a demon," Bulldogs coach Tim Tucker said. "Of course you can't not think about that when you head into this second-round game." Pasadena is the No. 2 seed and favored to make a finals run. Tucker said anytime a team is one of the top two seeded teams they're expected to make a deep run. "That's part of being the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, you're supposed to make it there (the finals)," Tucker said. "There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. There's a target on our backs, there's pressure, but this is why you play the tough schedule that you play early in the season."
Still fresh in the Bulldogs' minds, however, are early exits at the hands of Arroyo Valley and Long Beach Poly. But don't be quick to call it nerves. "Not nerves," Tucker said. "I would say it's more like in the back of our mind that's in our past. I respect Ayala, but we're no longer talking about Long Beach Poly and Arroyo Valley."

LA CANADA AT CAMPBELL HALL: When La Cañada (22-5) visits Campbell Hall (20-7) in Division 3A, the Spartans will play in front of the smallest crowd for a playoff game.
Campbell Hall's gym accommodates only 200 fans, which means 100 seats are for La Cañada. Those include 40 for parents and family. Fans wishing to attend the game still can do so but will have to watch from a live feed sent to a TV at another building in the school. "I guess fans who don't want to do that can read the story in the paper," La Cañada coach Tom Hofman said. "It's going to be a very ridiculous situation." Nevertheless, the Spartans are still alive thanks to Omar Rady's heads up play, when with less than 20 seconds stole the ball and converted a layup to give La Cañada a 53-52 win over Brea Olinda. Trailing on Rady's winning play was Kyle Caudill, a 7-foot, 265 pound junior forward who came close to blocking Rady's winning shot. La Cañada was up by four at halftime and had a 9-point lead in the fourth quarter that dissipated after the Spartans went scoreless for six minutes. Brea Olinda had three shot attempts in the final 20 seconds but couldn't convert.

KEPPEL AT NORWALK: Fourth-seeded Keppel (22-5) visits Norwalk (16-12) in Division 2A, and the host Lancers have a formidable weapon in guard Anthony Holliday, who averages 18 points per game. But the Aztecs quickly are building a reputation of slowing down the big man on the opposite team. In its 58-50 first-round win over West Valley, Keppel held guard Lekeith Kimbrough to only 12 points. He entered the game averaging 30.6 points. "This kid was legit," Keppel coach Hung Duong said. "We face-guarded him and were able to have other kids help out and we focused on limiting his drive to the basket." The fourth-seeded Aztecs have another plan for stopping Holiday. "We were fortunate to have film on Norwalk," Duong said. "We definitely need to stop (Holliday). He'll be a handful, but we'll have to make him earn and work for his shots. We can't make it easy for him." Keppel has improved drastically since last year's first-round exit to Summit. It loaded its schedule with the likes of La Cañada and Renaissance Academy, a team the Aztecs beat twice this season. Renaissance Academy is the top seed and favored to win the Division 5A crown.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
TODAY, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 2
Arcadia at Saugus
DIVISION 3
Estancia vs. Flintridge Prep at Glendale Sports Complex
DIVISION 4
La Salle at Pacifica/Oxnard
DIVISION 5
South Pasadena at Cerritos Valley Christian, 5 p.m.
Maranatha at San Marino
La Canada at Oak Park
Ramona Convent at Paloma Valley
DIVISION 7
Azusa vs. San Gabriel Mission at Salesian HS, 3:30 p.m.

FRIDAY'S SECOND-ROUND GAMES
ALL GAMES 7 P.M.
DIVISION 2A
Keppel at Norwalk
Pasadena at Ayala
DIVISION3A
La Canada at Campbell Hall
DIVISION 4AA
Bishop Amat at St. Francis
DIVISION 4A
La Salle at Maranatha
DIVISION 5AA
Pasadena Poly at Crossroads/Santa Monica
DIVISION 5A
Renaissance Academy at Chadwick
DIVISION 6AA
Rio Hondo Prep at California Lutheran
FIRST-ROUND
DIVISION 6A
Public Safety Academy at AGBU

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
WEDNESDAY'S FIRST-ROUND SCORES

DIVISION 1AA
Pacifica 64, Arcadia 37
DIVISION 2A
Keppel 58, West Valley 50
Pasadena 96, Culver City 68
DIVISION 3A
Campbell Hall 70, Rosemead 50
La Canada 53, Brea Olinda 52
Pacifica 89, Temple City 58
DIVISION 4AA
Cathedral 55, Monrovia 46
Price 87, South Pasadena 45
St. Francis 76, Gabrielino 44
DIVISION 4A
La Salle 75, Blair 53
Maranatha 59, Kern Valley 38
Oaks Christian 79, Muir 58
DIVISION 5AA
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 76, San Marino 54
Pasadena Poly 67, Calvary Murrieta 42
Santa Clara 46, Flintridge Prep 44
DIVISION 5A
Bell-Jeff 75, San Gabriel Academy 51
DIVISION 6AA
Rio Hondo Prep 74, Maricopa 23

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
TONIGHT, 7 P.M.
DIVISION 1AA
Los Osos (Baseline 3) at Alhambra (Almont 1)
DIVISION 1A
Arcadia (Pacific at-large) at Santa Monica (Ocean 1)
DIVISION 2A
Culver City (Ocean at-large) at Keppel (Almont 2T)
Pasadena (Pacific 4) at Jurupa Valley (Sunkist 2)
DIVISION 3A
Monrovia (Rio Hondo at large) at Rosemead (Mission Valley 1)
Gabrielino (Mission Valley at-large) at Bonita (Miramonte 2)
Charter Oak (Miramonte at-large) at Muir (Pacific 1)
DIVISION 4AA
Chaminade (Mission at-large) at Duarte (Montview 2)
Corona del Mar (Pacific Coast at-large) at La Canada (Rio Hondo 1)
Centennial/Compton (Pioneer 3) at South Pasadena (Rio Hondo 2)
DIVISION 4A
Blair (Rio Hondo 3) at Santa Ynez (Los Padres 3)
Big Bear (De Anza at-large) at Maranatha (Alpha 2)
Flintridge Sacred Heart (Mission at-large) at Notre Dame Academy (Sunshine 2T)
San Marino (Rio Hondo at-large) at La Salle (Camino Real 3)
DIVISION 5AA
Brentwood (Olympic at-large) at Alverno (Horizon 1)
Westridge (Prep 4) at Animo Leadership (Harbor 1T)
St. Matthias (Santa Cruz 3) at Flintridge Prep (Prep 2)
DIVISION 5A
Mayfield (Prep at-large) at St. Anthony (Santa Cruz 2)
DIVISION 6AA
Rio Hondo Prep (Prep at-large) at L.A. Adventist (Mulholland 1)
Waverly (International 4) at Laguna Blanca (Condor 1)
Valley Christian/SM (Coast Valley 2) at AGBU (International 2)

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
ALL MATCHES 3 P.M.
TODAY
DIVISION 1
St. Francis (Mission 4) at West Torrance (Bay 1)
DIVISION 4
Muir (Pacific 2) at Hueneme (Pacific View 2)
Pasadena at Pacifica/Oxnard
DIVISION 5
Perris (Sunbelt 3) at La Cañada (Rio Hondo 1)
St. Genevieve (Santa Fe 2) at Temple City (Rio Hondo 2)
DIVISION 6
San Jacinto (Mountain Pass 1) at Maranatha (Alpha 1)
Barstow (Desert Sky 3) at Pasadena Poly

You want a healthy debate? How's this: According to the Los Angeles Times, Marti Sementelli, is playing with Birmingham's varsity baseball team and her coach said she's doing well. Sementelli is a junior who used to pitch on Burbank's junior varsity baseball team last year and has since transferred to Birmingham. The New York Times wrote a story on Sementelli almost a year ago.

La Salle (18-8), for the first time, is hosting a team that is not from out of town and the Lancers are not having to drive far for the opening round.

Blair (10-14) presents an unlikely matchup that otherwise wouldn't have happened if not for the playoffs. With Blair and Muir joining the division, Goldstein scouted both schools in case the Lancers drew them at some point. Goldstein got feedback from the Blair-La Cañada game last week, which the Vikings lost 74-56.

Blair finished fourth in the Rio Hondo League and is an at-large entrant. The Vikings were to present a tough challenge courtesy of a formidable front court, led by 6-foot-7 junior forward Marcus Bagnerise, who is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game.

The Vikings, though, will have to go without Bagnerise and senior Jasper Cobb, both of whom are academically ineligible. They did not play in the season finale against Monrovia last week.

"Obviously now it's a little different because you don't know who will be the main guy scoring," Goldstein said. "I feel bad for Blair. I know if we lost Matt Nolan or another one of our guards that would be a huge blow."

The matchup most would have wanted to see was Nolan (6-6, 200 pounds) against Bagnerise. Nolan also is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Fans, however, can still expect to see two varied styles. Blair thrives in a run-and-gun offense, though the Vikings can also play the halfcourt and opt for mid-range jumpers. La Salle also likes to push the pace and runs sets and motion in an effort to create mismatches that would give Nolan or fellow guard Michael Edwards some open space for high percentage shots.

Blair coach Sean Bankhead brought up Sherman Simpson, a 6-foot-4 freshman playing small forward, from the junior varsity. Simpson played some varsity this year but wanted to work on other aspects of his game and opted to play in the lower levels. Bankhead, though, is high on Simpson, a good ballhandler who's athletic and quick. Lance Green and Marcus Spruill will share the load in scoring.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
WILD-CARD ROUND
TUESDAY
DIVISION 2
Alhambra (Almont at-large) at Tustin (Century at-large)
DIVISION 4
La Salle (Del Rey at-large) at Morningside (Ocean 3)
Pasadena (Pacific at-large) at Duarte (Montview 3)
DIVISION 5
Bolsa Grande (Garden Grove at-large) at South Pasadena (Rio Hondo 3)
Monrovia (Rio Hondo at-large) at Pacific (San Andreas at-large)

FIRST ROUND
THURSDAY
DIVISION 1
St. Francis (Mission 4) at West Torrance (Bay 1)
DIVISION 4
Muir (Pacific 2) at Hueneme (Pacific View 2
DIVISION 5
Perris (Sunbelt 3) at La Canada (Rio Hondo 1)
St. Genevieve (Santa Fe 2) at Temple City (Rio Hondo 2)
DIVISION 6
San Jacinto (Mountain Pass 1) at Maranatha (Alpha 1)
Barstow (Desert Sky 3) at Pasadena Poly

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
WILD-CARD
WEDNESDAY
DIVISION 2
Palmdale (Golden at-large) at Arcadia (Pacific 3)
DIVISION 3
Mayfield (Prep at-large) at Beverly Hills (Ocean 3)
Bellflower (Suburban at-large) at Pasadena Poly (Prep 3)
DIVISION 5
La Reina (Tri Valley 4) at Maranatha (Olympic 3)

FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY
DIVISION 2
Brea Olinda (Century 3) at Flintridge Sacred Heart (Mission 1)
Estancia (Orange Coast 2) vs. Flintridge Prep (Prep 2) at Glendale Sports Complex
DIVISION 5
South Pasadena (Rio Hondo 3) at Cerritos Valley Christian (Olympic 1)
La Reina-Maranatha winner at San Marino (Rio Hondo 1)
La Canada (Rio Hondo 2) at Oak Park (Tri Valley 2)
Ramona Convent (Sunshine 3) at Paloma Valley (Sunblet 2)
DIVISION 7
Azusa (Montview 2) at San Gabriel Mission (Horizon 2)
Alverno (Horizon 1) bye

Find out who ...

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
WEDNESDAY
DIVISION 1AA
Arcadia (Pacifica 4) at Pacifica/Oxnard (Pacific View 1)
DIVISION 2A
West Valley (Sunbelt 3) at Keppel (Almont 2)
Culver City (Ocean at-large) at Pasadena (Pacific 1)
DIVISION 3A
Pacifica/GG (Empire 3) at Temple City (Rio Hondo 2T)
Brea Olinda (Century 3) at La Canada (Rio Hondo 1)
Campbell Hall (Olympic 2T) at rosemead (Mission Valley 1T)
DIVISION 4AA
South Pasadena (Rio Hondo, at-large) at Price (Freelance)
St. Francis (Mission at-large) at Gabrielino (Mission Valley 1T)
Cathedral (Del Rey at-large) at Monrovia (Rio Hondo 2T)
DIVISION 4A
Muir (Pacific at large_ at Oaks Christian (Tri Valley 2)
Blair (Rio Hondo at-large) at La Salle (Camino Real 1)
Marantha (Alpha 3) at Kern Valley (High Desert 3)
DIVISION 5AA
San Marino (Rio Hondo at-large) at Calvary Chapel/SA (Orange Coast 2T)
Santa Clara (Tri-Valley at-large) at Flintridge Prep (Prep 1)
Calvary Murrieta (Big Sky 3) at Pasadena Poly (Prep 2)
DIVISION 5A
Arrowhead Christian (Christian at-large) at Renaissance Academy (Freelance)
San Gabriel Academy (Westside 4) at Bell-Jeff (Santa Fe 2)
DIVISION 6AA
Maricopa (Coast Valley 3) at Rio Hondo Prep (Prep 3)

FRIDAY
DIVISION 6A
Public Safety Academy-Summit View winner at AGBU (International 1)

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
THURSDAY
DIVISION 1AA
Los Osos (Baseline 3) at Alhambra (Almont 1)
DIVISION 1A
Arcadia (Pacific at-large) at Santa Monica (Ocean 1)
DIVISION 2A
Culver City (Ocean at-large) at Keppel (Almont 2T)
Pasadena (Pacific 4) at Jurupa Valley (Sunkist 2)
DIVISION 3A
Monrovia (Rio Hondo at large) at Rosemead (Mission Valley 1)
Gabrielino (Mission Valley at-large) at Bonita (Miramonte 2)
Charter Oak (Miramonte at-large) at Muir (Pacific 1)
DIVISION 4AA
Chaminade (Mission at-large) at Duarte (Montview 2)
Corona del Mar (Pacific Coast at-large) at La Canada (Rio Hondo 1)
Centennial/Compton (Pioneer 3) at South Pasadena (Rio Hondo 2)
DIVISION 4A
Blair (Rio Hondo 3) at Santa Ynez (Los Padres 3)
Big Bear (De Anza at-large) at Maranatha (Alpha 2)
Flintridge Sacred Heart (Mission at-large) at Notre Dame Academy (Sunshine 2T)
San Marino (Rio Hondo at-large) at La Salle (Camino Real 3)
DIVISION 5AA
Brentwood (Olympic at-large) at Alverno (Horizon 1)
Westridge (Prep 4) at Animo Leadership (Harbor 1T)
St. Matthias (Santa Cruz 3) at Flintridge Prep (Prep 2)
DIVISION 5A
Mayfield (Prep at-large) at St. Anthony (Santa Cruz 2) top seed
Pasadena Poly (Prep 1), bye
DIVISION 6AA
Rio Hondo Prep (Prep at-large) at L.A. Adventist (Mulholland 1)
Waverly (International 4) at Laguna Blanca (Condor 1)
Valley Christian/SM (Coast Valley 2) at AGBU (International 2)

The pairings were released earlier today, and here are the eight area teams taking part in the playoffs, which begin Tuesday with wild-card round action and continue Thursday with the first-round.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
WILD-CARD
TUESDAY
DIVISION 2
Keppel (Almonte 3) at Westlake (Marmonte 3)
DIVISION 6
Ocean View (Golden West 3) at Mayfield (Prep 3)
La Salle (Prep 4) at Carpienteria (Tri-Valley 3)

FIRST ROUND
<strong>THURSDAY
DIVISION 4
Pacifica/Oxnard (Pacific View 2) at La Canada (Rio Hondo 2)
Monrovia (Rio Hondo 3) at Crescenta Valley (Pacific 1)
Oxnard-Righetti winner at South Pasadena (Rio Hondo 1)
San Luis Obispo (PAC 7 2) at Pasadena (Pacific 2)
DIVISION 6
Pasadena Poly (Prep 2) at Pacifica/Garden Grove (Empire 1)

Bishop Amat High School's April Juarez scored the equalizer in the 70th minute, but she was disappointed as La Salle celebrates Friday's 1-1 draw.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
While La Salle gained some much needed swagger heading into next week's CIF-Southern Section Division 4 girls soccer playoffs, top-ranked Bishop Amat found out what it was made of with its undefeated season in jeopardy. Guess that's why Friday's 1-1 draw after 80 minutes and two overtimes was appealing to both coaches.

The Bishop Amat girls soccer team (24-0-1) takes on La Salle today at 3:30 p.m., in hopes of completing an undefeated regular season heading into the D-4 playoffs next week. With Miguel off, I'm covering it and will report back later, though we know what the outcome's gonna be :). For all of you who want to talk soccer heading into Sunday's pairings announcements, here's your chance. BTW, what happened to those great Arcadia teams, the ones with Brittany Klein, Aarti Jain, Ashley Nick, etc, etc. I know the FSHA team is all world, but I'm not sure they could have touched those Arcadia teams. And what's going on with La Salle, how far have they fallen since Kasey Johnson led them to a title? Or the Rio Hondo League, there was a time when La Canada, South Pas, San Marino and even Monrovia were chasing CIF titles. Heck, even I remember when Pasadena Poly was the king in town. Boy how times have changed. At least St. Francis is still St. Francis.

Not many people can say they remain good friends with those they grew up going to school with, let alone people whom they didn't even attend school with. That's what makes Tim Tucker and Gamal Smalley's friendship all the more unusual.

Tucker, 49, is Pasadena High School's longtime boys basketball coach who is in his 15th season at the helm. Smalley, 51, is in his first season coaching Muir's boys basketball team.

Tucker and Smalley grew up playing pickup basketball at local parks in Pasadena, but they didn't play on the same high school team. Tucker went to Pasadena and Smalley went to Muir. They didn't even play against each other; Smalley was a senior with the Mustangs and Tucker was a sophomore on the Bulldogs' varsity team, but didn't play when the teams met.

"But back then everybody played all day and every day when we weren't in school," Tucker said. "We didn't have PlayStation or anything like that. The recreation was to get up, play basketball, eat lunch, play basketball and you traveled from gym to gym, so we knew all the guys."

Thirty five years later, their friendship remains strong, but it was one heated conversation over the phone that has led to Smalley and Tucker squaring off on the hardwood when their teams meet for the second time this season today at 5 p.m. at Pasadena High.

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I'll start by saying it was the first girls basketball game I covered at Rosemead High. But here's my beef. Rosemead clinched the Mission Valley League title outright Wednesday night with a 42-27 win over Arroyo, and the Panthers can't even get better than a decent sized home crowd? Are you kidding me? Rosemead has won seven of its nine last league championships. Don't tell me 'Mead fans are just used to this kind of treatment. What, are they waiting for the playoffs. These girls deserved better. The crowd did get bigger when the boys game started, but no doubt this season belongs to the Panthers, who now are 18-4 and 9-0 in league. It was also Rosemead's second straight league title. Granted, the game wasn't all that pretty to see, what with Arroyo (14-11, 6-3) shooting 23 percent on the night. But at the very least you should have gone to see one of the area's best shooting guards in senior Evelyn Ramirez, pictured below. She scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had seven steals. The Panthers no doubt will miss Ramirez, a four-year letterman, after she graduates, but not to worry. Rosemead will have another future four-year letterman in fellow freshman Melody Gauthier, daughter of Rosemead coach Jay Gauthier. Melody scored 12 points and went 3 for 4 from the 3-point line. And believe me, those 3-pointers were way out in the boonies, college stuff right there.

Above: Monrovia and Blair battled to the end last year, and this time it's no different.

I'm telling you. It doesn't matter what sport we're talking you fans are always bound for a bumpy ride in the Rio Hondo League. I've said it before and I'll say it again: We had a crazy league race in baseball last year and then there was this past football season when Temple City and La Cañada were part of a playoff on a late Friday night. Now, it's girls basketball taking us for a bumpy but awesome ride.

Here's what's going on:

The regular-season finale is Thursday and San Marino, South Pasadena, Monrovia and Blair are battling for the league's final two playoff spots. La Cañada already clinched the league title, and they visit Temple City, who are 0-9 in league and that game's result will have no ramifications.

San Marino (4-5 in league) visits South Pasadena (5-4) and Monrovia visits Blair (5-4).

If San Marino wins, both the Titans and Tigers are tied at 5-5, and if Monrovia beats Blair, both the Wildcats and Vikings would be 5-5. In that event, there would be a playoff Friday (site and time TBA) to determine the league's two playoff-bound teams. For the record, all four teams split this season.

If South Pasadena beats San Marino, the Tigers would be 6-4 and the Titans would drop to 4-6, and if Blair beats Monrovia, the Vikings would be 6-4 and the Wildcats would drop to 4-6. In that event, South Pasadena and Blair would flip a coin to determine who goes to the playoffs as the league's second and third-seeded teams.

If South Pasadena beats San marino and Monrovia beats Blair, then South Pasadena would be 6-4 and Blair and Monrovia would each be at 5-5. In that event, San Marino would drop to 4-6 and would be out of contention for a playoff spot, leaving South Pas as the No. 2 team from the Rio Hondo League while Monrovia and Blair have a playoff Friday to determine the league's third spot. In this case there would be no coin flip because the league does not flip a coin to determine who goes to the playoffs, only placement of teams guaranteed a playoff berth. We'll know the exact details tomorrow and keep you posted.

LA CAÑADA-FLINTRIDGE - Balance was restored Tuesday night.

La Cañada High School's boys basketball team had won five consecutive Rio Hondo League championships prior to last year, when the Spartans were dethroned by Temple City.

There was no denying which team belonged atop the league standings this time as La Cañada rolled past Blair, 74-56, on Senior Night to clinch the league title outright.

La Cañada (20-5, 8-1) avenged a 44-41 loss earlier in the season and did it with a spectacular third quarter in which the Spartans outscored their counterparts 32-17.

Blair (8-10, 5-4) led 13-12 after the first quarter and 26-25 at the half. The start of the third quarter set the tone for La Canada, which opened on a 9-0 run before Blair coach Shawn Bankhead was forced to call a timeout in an effort to get the Vikings settled.

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It's obvious that football and baseball rule the blog. Winter sports threads have gone up with little action, so at the risk of my bloggers walking into our Pasadena with bats in hand, here's your second preseason baseball thread. Whatever subjects you guys wanna talk about just post them and I'll see what I can do about making your threads happen.

Pasadena suffered a rare loss in the Pacific League last week, dropping one to Burbank, 59-56. It was only the Bulldogs' second loss in 84 Pacific League games. Pasadena beat Crescenta Valley, 57-54, just days before to clinch at least a share of the Pacific League championship. Perhaps wrapping up a share of the crown is why the Bulldogs came out lax. "We never looked like we were ready for the game," Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said. "We missed 10 free throws, seven layups, and it took its toll. But we lost to a good team that's in second place. There's no shame in that. They were posed to try to go undefeated (in league) so they can have some momentum going into the playoffs. It's hard to stay undefeated year after year. Sometimes a loss is a win, and we didn't lose bad. We just lost. There's no panic in this camp. They (Burbank) were a better team and hit a better shot. It was their night to win the game. If losing gets us focused and working hard then it was worth it." Pasadena (18-6, 11-1) hosts Burroughs (4-21, 3-9) at 5 today and then closes the season at home against Muir (9-14, 4-8). A Pasadena win or a Burbank loss gives the Bulldogs an outright league championship, their sixth in a row. Burbank has a slim chance and would need to win its next two games and hope PHS loses both of theirs. "These games coming up are important not just to win the league outright but because of playoff placement," said Tucker, who's Bulldogs are ranked No. 2 in the CIF-SS Division 2A. Pasadena won't have a walk in the park against Muir on Thursday as the Mustangs try to muscle their way into the playoffs. "They have a lot to gain," Tucker said. "In the second half of league you've seen everybody and teams make adjustments. They're fighting and we have to come prepared. We have to treat it like a championship game."

As for the playoffs, the Bulldogs are hoping to break their spell of second-round exits the last two seasons to Arroyo Valley and Long Beach Poly. It should be noted, however, that Pasadena was playing in Division 1-AA. Three years ago, the Bulldogs won the Division 2A championship before getting bumped up. Pasadena had a loaded team last year, but got cold when it mattered most. Despite a young team that features only one true player (George Toyama) who was part of last year's team, Tucker has high expectations. "We like the position we're in," he said. "We don't want to go out in the second round and we don't want to be upset. If we don't get to the finals it just won't be a successful season." Tucker is hoping for the perfect storm: luck, talent and hunger. "You have to hope you get a bracket where you get a game that's not 100 miles away." You recall when Pasadena drove a long way to lose to Perris, 64-62, the year before winning it all. "We lost that game to the bus ride," quipped Tucker. "The ride was longer than the game itself." ... Tucker continues: "Then talent kicks in and after that how bad you want it. The teams I've taken to the finals have been focused and had the right mentality." Tucker is hoping the Bulldogs catch fire just in the nick of time to make it five CIF-SS finals.

Pasadena Poly (18-4, 4-2) is riding a 5-game winning streak, and in the process handed Flintridge Prep quite a drubbing with a 56-35 last week. The streak started after the Panthers suffered a rare Prep League loss at the hands of Rio Hondo Prep. And who does Pasadena Poly play at 7:30 tonight? You guessed it, Rio Hondo Prep (10-11, 3-3). The host visiting (game was moved to Pasadena Poly because of a leak in Rio Hondo Prep's gym) Kares have won five of their last seven games which includes a 49-48 win over Poly. In that game, Rio Hondo Prep was led by Ed Drain's 17 points. Charles Quintero added 14 and T.J. Parker had 10. The Kares outscored Poly 19-9 in the fourth quarter to earn the victory. "They did a very nice job and we didn't play our game," Pasadena Poly coach Brad Hall said. "We're usually a 70 percent-plus free throw team and we didn't make our free throws in that game." The Panthers are hoping to get some hot shooting from senior Justin Worlan. "He works to make sure he takes contested hard shots," Hall said. "(Flintridge Prep's) Kenyatta (Smith) is a phenomenal player, but in the first half he started 1 for 8." Juniors Daniel Wohl and Hunter Merryman are the Panthers' bread and butter, but others can step in, too. "Our two guards, Blake Edwards and Curtis Toyota, don't tend to score a lot but they're capable of scoring," Hall said. "It's just worked out that Daniel and Hunter score most of the points, but when we see funky defenses those kids step up and do quite well." Rio Hondo Prep is fighting for the league's third and final playoff spot with two games remaining.

Alhambra's girls basketball team can bring home the school's first Almont League championship in 17 years with a win over visiting Bell Gardens at 5 today. The Moors (19-4, 8-0) are under first-year coach Therese Berner, and already accomplished quite a feat when Alhambra snapped Keppel's 87-game league winning streak with a 64-62 win in the first meeting. The Moors, who close out the regular season at Keppel (11-13, 6-2) on Friday, are on a an 8-game winning streak and have won 12 of their last 13 games.

Keppel girls basketball coach Ib Belou is not making excuses. But it's hard not to look past the Aztecs' lineup, which includes two freshman who have started in the last three games. All together, Keppel has four freshman, a sophomore, four juniors and four seniors. Nine of those players, however, never had played varsity prior to this season. By contrast, Alhambra has eight seniors and Schurr has seven.

"It's taken them a little longer to get their feet wet and understand this is the main stage," Belou said. "We stopped using the 'We're a young team, still learning' excuse right before league started. The freshman really had to grow up, and I'm pleased with the maturity of how much our team has grown. Our youngsters have really started to turn the corner, which is nice."

Alyson Lok is a bright spot for the Aztecs. The freshman guard averages 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game.

Keppel's loss to Alhambra, which snapped an 87-game league winning streak, was followed by another loss to Schurr.

"That was a tough week for us," Belou said. "Two road games, back-to-back against two of the toughest teams in league. I believe that definitely had something to do with it."

Keppel still has a shot at clinching a share of the league title, but they'll need some help. The Aztecs need to beat San Gabriel today and hope Bell Gardens upsets Alhambra. That would setup a showdown on Friday when Keppel hosts rival Alhambra.

"It's definitely a goal, but it's out of our hands," Belou said. "We need a little help, but all we can do is focus on San Gabriel and have two good practices and be ready for them Friday."

Aram Tolegian arrived at approximately 10:13 this morning, negotiated the title blog header: "In the Huddle with Aram Tolegian," and is off and running. He already was working the phones on the vacant Nogales football opening that was supposed to be filled last week, and will be on the phones hammering away soon at other football coaching vacancies at San Gabriel, Los Altos and Bassett soon. BTW, Nogales is not filled yet.

Not much going on today, but if you're in the mood for some exciting basketball you should head down to La Salle. The last meeting between the Lancers and St. Monica went into overtime, La Sallec coming out on top, 66-61. St. Monica is 7-1, its lone loss coming to the Lancers, who are 8-0 in Camino Real League action. Today's tipoff is 7 p.m. and La Salle can clinch the league crown outright with a win tonight. La Salle closes the season Wednesday against St. Paul at home. In the last meeting, St. Monica had four players score in double figures, led by Ryan Capiro who scored 14 points. La Salle is led by Matt Nolan's 15 points and 10 rebounds average per game. Josh Anderson is the Lancers' second-leading scorer with 10.4 points and 6.8 rebounds average per game.

It's my honor and privilege to share our best kept secret, the blog originator, Aram Tolegian, is returning to the SGVN on Monday. In case that's not loud enough for you, the guy that shared his daily lunch schedule with you before leaving for Fox Sports is coming back because, well, he just missed us all. He missed Friday nights, his friends in the newsroom and the daily grind of the newspaper business. I feel like a head coach that just strengthened his staff considerably, and of course, Aram is going to have his own blog. Aram will basically have a 24-7 all encompassing high school football blog, which includes the Trib along with teams in the Star-News, Whittier Daily News, and what's happening in the I.E., along with any high school football news that's relevant in the Southern Section and beyond. Think of him as the Football Guru, as only he can deliver it. When football is over, Aram will be banging away on recruiting, spring football, summer passing leagues, then the season. All of the blogs will remain the same, we will continue with our opinions and updates on everything, but Aram is another welcomed voice.

Above: Aram found all ways to promote his blog, Hooters was just one of them.

Star-Jibber: Discuss anything and everything you want ...

So, what are we to expect from the Almont League with new football coaches in place at Alhambra and soon at San Gabriel? Lou Torres takes over the Moors program, though his presence brings Alhambra familiarity and stability. His hiring does bring the Moors a new offense -- the Wing-T offense -- that Alhambra seems destined for success. Already he's asking that he wants dedication and commitment from his assistant coaches, so we may be seeing some new faces roaming the sidelines with Torres. Keith Jones stepped down after 11 seasons at the helm as San Gabriel's head honcho. If San Gabriel can find a way to replace Isaac Valdez, then the Matadors don't look to be skipping a beat, with four of their five linemen returning. Longtime assistant Jude Oliva seems to be the front-runner to replace Jones, but common sense rarely seems to prevail these days. I wish Jones good luck in his future endeavors. He was a classy man, always approachable, and great to work with. It'll be interesting to see who will fill Jones' heavy shoes. He brought the program some much-needed respect when putting San Gabriel on the football map in a tremendous 2003 run up to the CIF-Southern Section Division VII finals. I wasn't working here at the time, but I was living in Alhambra and remember seeing the signs off the 10 freeway heading east, wishing the Matadors good luck. Those few weeks captivated the entire community, and you couldn't help but root for the underdog. It's what movies are made of. There are some quality former head coaches out there who would love to coach at a program with a new facility. They're out there and you know who they are. But who truly is best suited to start a new tradition with the Matadors? We'll know very soon in the next few weeks.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF FRIDAY'S ST. FRANCIS-LOYOLA SOCCER MATCH

Loyola (11-6-4, 5-1-2) forward Larry Garcia was unmanned when the ball ricochetted off an initial shot attempt and landed in front of him. His shot from 18 yards out curved inside the far post in the 61st minute to break the scoreless tie. "Ironic that the first good chance they got they put it away," Appels said. "Obviously we needed to have a guy on him, but that ball could have fallen to 20 guys and it fell to the one guy who put it away. But credit to him for having the composure to bend the ball in." St. Francis (7-10-2, 5-4-2) was riding a 3-game winning streak in which the Golden Knights outscored their opponents 13-2. The loss proved more disappointing because St. Francis wanted to honor one of its fallen players. Austin Frank, a sophomore midfielder, broke his leg earlier in the week. He had surgery Thursday and will miss the rest of the season. Tempers flared late in the second half when St. Francis defender Andrew Blunk collided with Loyola's Andre Brown. Blunk tried to get off Brown, but then pushed him to the ground. An upset Brown quickly got to his feet and raced right after Blunk before being separated. Blunk got a yellow card, but returned moments later. St. Francis closes the season Monday at Crespi, and the Golden Knights likely will make the CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs as the third-place team out of the Mission League. St. Francis hopes to catch fire like it did last season when as the fourth-place team advanced to the semifinals. It went on to earn a berth into the CIF Southern California Regionals where it beat Cathedral of San Diego to claim the SoCal crown.

San Gabriel's Keith Jones has resigned as football coach, a source at the school said. Jones spent 11 seasons as the Matadors' head coach where he compiled a 61-57 record. His best season was in 2003 when San Gabriel, as the third team rep from the Almont League, steamrolled through the CIF-Southern Section Division VII playoffs and met South Hills at Covina District Field for a shot at the divisional crown. San Gabriel fell short, 25-6, but the run up to the finals captivated an entire community. Jones' news comes at the heels of four-year letterman Isaac Valdez announcing he would play football at Iowa Wesleyan. Longtime assistant Jude Oliva, who's been offensive coordinator for six years, is expected to take over the reigns.

From soccer to basketball, final playoff spots are up for grabs and tonight we have a list of where to find those games. We start with boys soccer, where No. 1 St. Francis puts its three-game winning streak on the line when it visits Mission League rival Loyola today at 3:15 p.m. I will be there to cover the action. St. Francis scored 13 goals in its last three games and allowed only two. The Golden Knights currently are in third place behind second-place Loyola and first-place Harvard-Westlake. The host Cubs are hoping to avenge their 1-0 loss to St. Francis earlier in the season. St. Francis got off to a slow start but may have gotten some wind after beating Loyola. The Knights are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Joel Ingram has two goals and four assists the last two games to lead St. Francis, and Max Cadena has had a strong showing defensively. What people have to remember is St. Francis is a young team. The Knights start a couple sophomores and for the first time in 10 years, St. Francis starts two freshman on varsity. "We don't have any room for errors," St. Francis coach Glen Appels said. "But it's a real testament to these guys and see how they've pushed through and really turned it around. We really grew up during the season." St. Francis visits Crespi on Monday to close out the season.

In boys basketball, Keppel (19-4, 6-1) visits Almont League rival Montebello (24-1, 7-0) and hopes to take a share of the league crown. The Aztecs are seeking to avenge a 60-59 loss earlier in the season. In the Rio Hondo League, La Canada (18-5, 6-1) visits Monrovia (9-10, 5-2) in what potentially can be another tight game for the Wildcats. Monrovia twice in two weeks was part of a frantic game that almost saw the Wildcats losing in the final seconds. In the Pacific League, Muir (9-13, 4-7) is hoping to take down Arcadia (13-11, 6-5) for the league's fourth and final playoff spot. Muir has not made the playoffs in four years. The Mustangs are coming off a 57-52 win over Glendale. Adream Hayes had 12 points and 16 rebounds to help lead the way. Sophomore guard Justin Knowles lead Muir in scoring with 15 points while Deshawn Hayes had 11 points and 10 rebounds. "It is an exciting time for Mustang basketball and our kids are sky high right now," Muir coach Gamal Smalley said. "We are looking forward to a great game against a strong Arcadia team on Friday night."

If you're out at a game tonight, post the score here and gives us your insights. I'd love to hear what you think of the landscape as we get set to close out the league season.

Mayfield's Paige Dyrek signed to play women's soccer at Lehigh University, a Division I school in Bethlehem, Pa. She signed at a ceremony in the school's gym and here she is signing the letter along with her coach, Louis Hunt. Congrats, Paige!!! If you have a photo of your singing, send it and I'll see about posting it.

San Gabriel's Isaac Valdez signed a letter of intent this afternoon to play football at Iowa Wesleyan (NAIA) next fall. Valdez was a fixture in Matadors coach Keith Jones' lineup, first as a freshman punter on varsity and then as a star quarterback. He exploded onto the scene his sophomore year, when he passed for 2,345 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 457 yards. Jones knew he had something special in Valdez, and that was accentuated the following season when Valdez threw for 2,754 yards and 16 touchdowns. He again proved to be a double threat while rushing for 615 yards and six touchdowns, well on his way to a unanimous quarterback pick for the Star-News first-team All-Area team last year. He threw for 2,845 yards and 19 touchdowns this past season and rushed for 671 yards and 10 touchdowns. Valdez had several schools on his tail who offered, including Trinity International in Illinois; Northwestern College in Ohio; and Hastings College in Nebraska. In the end, it was Iowa Wesleyan that peaked Valdez's interest after quarterbacks coach Peter Jennings said he could come in as a true freshman and compete right away for a starting spot.

Our many thanks to ESPN's director of public relations Crystal Howard who allowed Star-News photographer Sarah Reingewirtz and myself to capture every moment of Dietrich Riley's big day as he announced Wednesday on ESPNU that he would sign with UCLA. From Dietrich Riley's arrival to ESPN studios in Los Angeles to the moment he walked out of the interview room, we captured it all. Also, many thanks to Dietrich's mother, Marika McWhorter, who played an instrumental part in letting us be part of the process, not just in the last few weeks, but since Dietrich's rise a few years ago, granting interviews and giving us insight into the life of Dietrich Riley and what turned him into the young man he is. Our many thanks to St. Francis coach Jim Bonds who answered my calls even when he was screening them the last couple weeks because, well, you know why. Riley's high school season doesn't end, however. He's on the basketball team where the Golden Knights celebrated Senior Night on Wednesday. After that, Riley moves on to track before putting on jersey No. 4 for the UCLA Bruins. This truly is the beauty about covering high school sports, watching athletes you covered throughout their career and watch them go on to do bigger and better things. I can't count how many current pro athletes I've covered in my nearly 10 years as a sportswriter. To be able to watch TV or look from the bleachers, and say, I covered that kid. Simply the best.

Below: Dietrich Riley meets well over a dozen relatives and coaches as he arrives at ESPN followed by a camera crew from EA Sports which is doing a documentary of Riley. To Riley's left is his grandfather Samuel McWhorter and uncle Tom Short to his right.

Below: Dietrich checks his earpiece one more time before the door closes and is moments away from going on the air to announce where he'll play college football.

Below: Family reacts to Dietrich's decision to play at UCLA. From left, Dietrich's mother Marika, grandmother Margaret McWhorter, uncle Darron McWhorter, and St. Francis football coach Jim Bonds. Only five members of Riley's party could follow Riley to the fourth floor. Fortunately, Sarah and I already had received clearance, so we were not included in the five members Marika had to choose from. It was tough because Dietrich had so much family there. But the five chosen were a good call. Gotta have mom and grandma, of course. Darron practically raised Dietrich, getting him so into football and taking him to practice since almost the very beginning. Also part of the group was Kenneth Edwards, Dietrich's cousin who is like a brother to him. He is not pictured.

Below: Dietrich exits the interview room and is greeted by cheers and applause. He gets hugs and handshakes from everyone there. After, our fine host gave us a look at the SportsCenter set. It looks smaller than on TV.

Below: Riley gives grandma a big hug and a kiss. It was funny because we were all crammed in the elevator on the way up, and she looked at me and said, 'I know you. You're the reporter who writes all those articles. You're good.'" I was flattered, of course. She's a big fan she says.

Below: Dietrich is elated and glad it's all over. He stressed the recruiting process was overwhelming and plenty fun, but at times it was a bit too much. He turns on his cell phone as soon as he's done hugging everyone and of course his phone is blowing up. Text messages and phone calls up the ying yang. He gets a call from UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel and says: "You look good on TV buddy. You put on the right hat" before the call cuts off near the elevator.

Below: Dietrich is embraced by his fellow coaches. The EA Sports crew is outside with camera pointing at Riley. It's a bit of a commotion because our Sarah is snapping away as the crowd eating nearby looks on and are happy, too. Two women who I have no idea who they were started taking pictures on their Blackberrys, then shook hands and congratulated Dietrich. Maybe they see a star on the rise.

Below: If a picture's worth a thousand words, well, here it is ....

*UPDATE* Coming Thursday morning on the blog, "Life of Riley," a photo essay following Dietrich Riley at ESPN studios in Los Angeles.

*UPDATE* As you know by now, St. Francis' Dietrich Riley is headed to UCLA. I was there along with our photographer Sarah Reingewirtz. We were the lone media outlet allowed to go upstairs with Riley, his mother Marika McWhorter, grandmother Margaret McWhorter, uncle Darron McWhorter and cousin Kenneth Edwards. Riley's well-over a dozen family and friends waited in the lobby and watched it all unfold on TV. Riley's set lofty expectations for his first season with UCLA, where he's going to help run the Wildcat formation. Ultimately, Riley felt comfortable with UCLA and felt he belonged, a stark difference from his other trips. After I'm done writing my Signing Day story I'll provide more insight on Riley's announcement and the scenery at ESPN L.A.

By the way ... I was right. UCLA it was.

Below: Dietrich Riley goes through some sound testing before going on the air. The rest of us waited in the green room.

*UPDATE* Dietrich Riley tweeted an hour ago that it feels like NFL Draft day. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but I'm sure this is a huge day for Riley and his family. He also tweeted that the school he's picking will come from the Pac-10, meaning Notre Dame and LSU are now out of the picture. It's down to UCLA and USC. Click here to follow me on Twitter!!!

Myself and a photographer got clearance late last night from ESPN to follow St. Francis' Dietrich Riley to be at the L.A. studio when he makes his announcement at 1:30 p.m. on ESPNU. My guess is he'll be wearing Blue & Gold next year, but nothing ever is for sure until recruits put it on paper and sign. Riley, a four-star recruit, is one of the most coveted recruits the WSGV has had in quite a while. With well over 30 scholarship offers, Riley narrowed his list to UCLA, USC, Notre Dame and LSU. We reported last week that Riley has UCLA on the top of his list. We'll have the latest when and bring it to you when it becomes available. But we know Riley is not the only local signing today. Muir's Jarron Williams is signing with Portland State and Alhambra's Mitchell Crockom signed this morning with Idaho. Muir's Taylar Mills (track) is also signing, and she's headed to UNLV. I will be leaving for L.A. around noon, and won't be back til around 2:30 p.m., so I'm asking all AD's and coaches to e-mail or call me about their players if they're signing today so they can be included in our Signing Day story.

Below: St. Francis coach Jim Bonds and Dietrich Riley pose for a picture on the set of SportsCenter Los Angeles.

Above: That was the scene not long ago when Rosemead's boys soccer team advanced to the semifinals last year. Rosemead goes from playoff-bound this year to all but calling it a season.

Rosemead High Principal Larry Cecil sent out a letter to coaches and athletic directors earlier this week to say he regrets informing them the Panthers will forfeit the following games due to ineligible players participating in these games: Lynwood; Pasadena; Alhambra; Keppel; St. Genevieve; Community Charter; Monrovia; Northview; Rowland; Rancho Cucamonga; Mountain View; Gabrielino. In that span, the Panthers went 9-1-2, lone loss coming to Northview and ties against Pasadena and Rancho Cucamonga. I've put in a call to Rosemead coach Rick Ingram and Rosemead AD Mark Harisay to get their reaction.

Alhambra has had little success running the ball the last couple years, even with talented players like Brandon Wilson and Vailele Peko carrying the rock. The offense was lackluster at times, and a little change in the offense was long in the waiting. Lou Torres relinquished the offensive coordinator role long ago and served as an assistant to Gil Ruedaflores, helping more on the administrative level when he took on the athletic director role. But now that Torres was named head coach, he's wasted little time in putting his own imprint, particularly with the offense. Ruedaflores held on to the defensive coordinator role tight just like Torres held on to the OC role when he had it, and he said he'll call the offense in his new role as head coach. Torres already called his first shot, saying the Moors would run the Wing-T.

"I'm a Wing-T, double wing coach," he said. "But I'll modify it and adjust it to what kids we have. The Wing-T offense is one of the most difficult to defend in high school football. At the same time in 1994 with the same Wing-T offense I ran a wide open set and passed for 2,000 yards. You have to realize Darrian will graduate and no one else has taken a varsity snap in three years."

The question is, who on the Moors roster coming back next season can best execute the Wing-T? Alhambra junior Vailele Peko seems the more suitable player to run the deception-based offense. Peko has speed, is athletic and agile, making him the obvious choice to be the focal point of the offense. And Torres is no stranger to the Wing-T. He said so himself, and Alhambra vice principal Jeremy Infranca is well aware of his success as offensive coordinator, too. "To Lou's credit, the height of this program's success in the mid 90's came under him as offensive coordinator," Infranca said. "We were always ranked high and due largely in part to his coaching abilities."

LOU TORRES AT A GLANCE

*Played under Gil Ruedaflores at Salesian High
*1974-1983 Assistant to Ruedaflores at Salesian High
*1984-1988 running backs coach at Glendale College
*1989-present assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, athletic director at Alhambra High

Turned out Alhambra High School didn't have to look far for its next head football coach.

Lou Torres, a familiar face on campus since he began teaching there in 1989, was offered the job Monday and he accepted. Alhambra Principal Brad Walsh and Jeremy Infranca, vice principal in charge of activities, confirmed the news and made the official announcement Tuesday.

Torres takes over for his longtime mentor and friend, Gil Ruedaflores, who retired at season's end. Ruedaflores was at the helm for 21 seasons.

Torres' distinguished career spanning 35 years led him to Alhambra after playing under Ruedaflores at Salesian and later coaching alongside him. Torres followed Ruedaflores to Glendale Community College where they led four All-Americans to four Bowl games and an appearance in a national championship game. Torres followed Ruedaflores to Alhambra and took on the capacity of assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. Alhambra's principal at the time, Frank Cano, talked to Torres about the head position, but Torres said he felt he wasn't ready yet.

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"I'm glad it worked out for Jerone, they (CIF) may have been able to take away his senior season, but they couldn't take away his dream." -- Baldwin Park coach James Heggins

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
BALDWIN PARK - Jerone Cox, wearing a football jersey for a school where he never played and surrounded by cheerleaders and students who never got to watch him on a Friday night, felt right at home at Baldwin Park High School on Tuesday, when he signed a national letter of intent to play football at Eastern Michigan University on a full scholarship. Cox can't officially send his letter to Eastern Michigan until today, which is national letter of intent signing day throughout the country, but who could blame him for being anxious? (To continue, click thread)

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LA CAÑADA -- The countdown started well after the match ended, but a funny thing happened.

It stopped at one.

It was a fitting chant for South Pasadena High School's girls water polo team after the Tigers upended La Cañada 10-4 to clinch the school's first Rio Hondo League championship on Tuesday.

What was supposed to be a fiery battle between two bitter rivals was anything but as South Pasadena (21-1, 6-0) finished the first quarter on a 4-2 run and never looked back.

Anna-Lena Hathaway scored four goals and Audrey Kim had three to lead the Tigers to a win that ultimately may send a ripple effect in the CIF-Southern Section coaches' top 10 poll in which South Pasadena is ranked No. 3 in Division 4. La Cañada (3-2 in league) is ranked No. 6.

Rita Neat and Riley Kessler scored the Spartans' two goals in the first quarter to give La Cañada a 2-0 lead. But South Pasadena's offensive prowess was on full display in scoring second-quarter three goals to take a 7-2 lead at the half.

More impressive was South Pasadena held La Cañada scoreless in the second and third quarters.

"We knew we were a good team offensively, but defensively is what we've been working on," South Pasadena coach Robert Echeverria said.

Neat had two goals in the fourth quarter for the Spartans, who lost the first meeting between the teams, 6-5.

"We didn't talk about rankings or winning league," Echeverria said. "We wanted to come out and make plays."

Alhambra principal Brad Walsh and Jeremy Infranca, vice principal in charge of activities, confirmed moments ago that Lou Torres was offered the head football coaching position and Torres accepted. The news comes just days after Walsh interviewed Torres, San Gabriel assistant Jude Oliva and Temple City assistant Zeke Prado for the position vacated when Gil Ruedaflores retired after 21 seasons at the helm. "I think the other candidates did an outstanding job in presenting themselves and have a bright future in coaching," Infranca said. "But Lou made the most sense for us based upon his long career of success, not only at this school but at others as well. He's a respected member of our school community and the city itself, and even though he's worked along Gil (Ruedaflores) for a long time, I'm very confident he'll put his own staple in the program." Full story in Wednesday's paper.

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Alhambra High School vice principal Jeremy Infranca interviewed three candidates for its head football coaching position on Thursday, though no offer has been made and the school board will have to approve the hiring before a formal announcement is made.

San Gabriel assistant Jude Oliva, Temple City assistant Zeke Prado and Alhambra co-athletic director Lou Torres interviewed for the position vacated when Gil Ruedaflores retired after 21 seasons at the helm. I hope to have more by Friday afternoon.

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Alhambra High School postponed interviewing three candidates for its head football coaching position until at least Thursday, Alhambra co-athletic director Lou Torres said. The delay came after a midday bomb threat caused the school to evacuate, delaying classes for at least 40 minutes. Torres said the bomb threat turned out to be a prank, but added a faculty debriefing also delayed classes to resume. Torres is one of three in-district candidates who will interview for the job. Temple City assistant coach Zeke Prado and San Gabriel assistant Jude Oliva are the other two candidates, a source at the school confirmed earlier this week. Torres declined to comment. Torres, Oliva and Prado are the only candidates so far, and the school is said to be gearing its efforts for an in-district employee given the alternative would lead to a walk-on coach, something the school wants to avoid. The school is hoping to interview the candidates by the end of the week. The position was vacated at the football season's end when Gil Ruedaflores retired after 21 seasons.

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Alhambra High School will interview Zeke Prado, Jude Oliva, and Lou Torres for its head football coaching position, a source at the school confirmed for me today. They're the only candidates, so far. Gil Ruedaflores was at the helm for 21 seasons when he retired at season's end.

Alhambra may make an announcement as early as today.

The school is really hoping to land a coach from the three-man pool because they all are district employees. If the school decides to keep looking it will have to open the job to outside candidates, many of whom will walk-on because the school -- for the time being -- cannot offer a teaching position.

Prado is a San Gabriel graduate and currently serves as wide receivers coach at Temple City. He previously served stints as a volunteer coach at South Dakota Weslyean and East Los Angeles College.

Oliva, who played at San Gabriel alongside Prado and graduated in 1998, was offered an assistant football coaching position at Temple City when Anthony White came on board, but Oliva was lured back and stayed on as San Gabriel's offensive coordinator. Sources say Oliva was promised San Gabriel's head football coaching position at season's end, the main reason for Oliva's return.

Keith Jones, however, has not indicated he will call it a career at San Gabriel. When Gil Ruedaflores considered retiring a few years ago, Jones, who coached alongside Ruedaflores before landing the San Gabriel job, was considered the front-runner by Alhambra's top administrators. But that never transpired as Ruedaflores stayed on to coach his grandson. When Ruedaflores retired, Jones was not contacted for the Alhambra job.

Torres, a special education teacher at Alhambra and also the school's co-athletic director, would be the obvious choice to take over. He brings continuity and would help provide a seamless transition. He's coached alongside Ruedaflores since the beginning of his tenure, but Torres also is not all that far away from retiring all together.

It'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. I'll keep you posted.

Above: Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's starting sophmores, from left, Jill Jacobs, Katie Johnson,Tera Trujillo, Breeana Koemans, Alexa Montogomery, Katelyn Almeida, and Lauren Torres. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SPORTS)

A sophomore-dominated Flintridge Sacred Heart squad defeated previously undefeated Harvard-Westlake 2-0 last week to make a jump to No. 14 in this week's FAB 50. FSH's lone setback is to current San Diego No. 1 The Bishop's School.

Flintridge Sacred Heart's result was not too much of a surprise given it tied Harvard-Westlake earlier in the season. This time around, Katie Johnson and Krista Meaglia staked FSH to a 2-0 lead and keeper Dominique Oro turned away a few quality chances to maintain the clean sheet.
Despite the major victory, Flintridge Sacred Heart will not have much time to bask in the glory of a higher ranking. It faces another perennial league challenger and former FAB 50-ranked team in Chaminade early this week.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

LA CAÑADA-FLINTRIDGE -- Sophomores are expected to watch, listen and learn.

Eight Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy sophomores are doing just that this soccer season. But they're doing something a lot more. They are also leading.

Seven sophomores start for the Tologs - defender Katelyn Almeida, forward Katie Johnson, midfielder Jill Jacobs, midfielder Breeana Koemans, defender Alexa Montgomery, midfielder Lauren Torres and midfielder Tera Trujillo.

That's nearly two-thirds of the starting lineup. The eighth, goalkeeper Lindsey Espe, would probably start at most schools in the West San Gabriel Valley, but she plays - and she has played this season - behind senior Dominique Oro, last season's Mission League goalie of the year.

The seven starters have helped the Tologs to one of their best starts in school history. They are 15-1-2 and remained unbeaten in the tough Mission League after Monday's 1-0 victory over Chaminade. For the first time, they are ranked in the ESPN/Rise Top 50 poll. They were ranked 44th before beating league rival and No. 14 Harvard/Westlake 2-0 last week. The newest poll will be released today.

"One reason why we have seven sophomores starting is that we have a very small senior class and a very small junior class," co-head coach Frank Pace said. "Obviously you play the kids you have, but these are talented and well-prepared kids. It is one of those fortunate cycles of high school sports and they're all good."

But it's not about records or polls, the girls said.

"It's the ring," they all said in near-unison, referring to going after a CIF-Southern Section Division 2 title.

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Muir's Justin Knowles hit a shot at the buzzer to lead the Mustangs to an important 54-53 win over Crescenta Valley in a key Pacific League win to keep their playoff hopes alive Monday night. Muir (9-12, 4-6) sits in fifth in the league standings and lurks behind Arcadia (11-11, 4-5) for the fourth and final playoff spot. Also on the same night, Muir coach Gamal Smalley learned that Burroughs would forfeit its 63-62 win earlier in the season, keeping Muir's hopes for its first playoff appearance in four years alive. According to Smalley, Burroughs placed a self-imposed forfeit and stated they played an ineligible player. "We are happy with our turn around and hope to build from this with our young team," Smalley said.

Baseball can't have all the fun. So here's a thread for our hardcore softball aficionados. La Cañada and La Salle were two schools I covered regularly last year, the Lancers making a run all the way to the CIF-Southern Section Division VI championship game. Maranatha had a nice run too before falling short in the semifinals. Now THAT would have been an awesome finals to cover. With spring season not all that far away, here's your chance to get a discussion going on which team belongs atop the preseason top 10 polls, which I'll probably handle along with baseball this season.