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Thursday’s Scores
La Canada 17, Alhambra 0
Bosco Tech 28, Contreras 14

Friday’s results
St. Francis 42, Arcadia 27 — Taylor Lagace did his best to keep the Apaches in the game, but to no avail. He caught 13 passes for 156 yards and scored two touchdowns and another on a 32-yard interception. Arcadia quarterback Myles Carr completed 26 of 42 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns. He was picked off twice.

Glendora 21, Monrovia 7 – Turnovers cost the Wildcats in this one. Monrovia had four, and that was enough for the Tartans to capitalize and pick up the win. We’ll have video of this game Saturday morning.

Arroyo 42, Temple City 6 — Temple City skill players are underdeveloped and were mistake-prone. There were two fumbles lost in the center-quarterback exchange. The shotgun doesn’t look solid, but remember that Mikal Quintanilla is only a sophomore quarterback. Temple City definitely will go through some growing pains.

Maranatha 38, La Salle 7 – Andrew Elffers threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Minutemen.

South Pasadena 22, San Gabriel 9 — Patrick Martin is the unsung running back nobody knows now, but soon will. He rushed for 137 yards, 103 of which came in the fourth quarter. San Gabriel had trouble stopping the run. Martin wore down the Matadors defense with his punishing runs. The game was close. The Tigers led 13-9 heading into the fourth quarter. Martin at that point had only 34 yards rushing. Wow.

San Marino 35, Gabrielino 0 — Kawame Do rushed for 185 yards and scored two touchdowns. He had a third score called back. He’s proving to be a tough runner and will be a solid replacement for Benny Hung. San Marino started Garrett Glazier at quarterback. Luke Benuska, a 6-foot-6 tight end, had two nice catches in traffic. He scored on an 11-yard reception from Glazier.

Blair 23, Duarte 0 — Both offenses struggled and the game was marred by a slew of penalties. Brenden Kerr scored two touchdowns on runs of 1- and 37-yards to lead the Vikings.

Rosemead 17, Montebello 13 — Matt Koffler gets off 2010 start on good note.

Workman 34, Keppel 0 — It’s going to be a long season for the Aztecs. Long.

Saugus 28, Muir 14 – Jeffrey Davis was taken to the hospital after he collapsed on the sidelines early in the fourth quarter. He suffered what appeared to be an injury to the chest during a 2-point conversion in the third quarter. The game was delayed 30 minutes.

St. Bernard 21, Marshall 7 – Marshall was driving with the score tied at 7, but the Eagles fumbled and St. Bernard returned it for a score. Marshall was stymied by turnovers.

Rio Hondo Prep 21, Big Bear 12 — Big Bear’s first night game in four years ended with a loss. Rio Hondo Prep led 7-6 at the half.

Saturday’s games with predictions
Pasadena Poly at Malibu, 1 p.m. — MM (Poly); Stang Fan (Poly)
Flintridge Prep vs. St. Genevieve at Sun Valley Poly, 7 p.m. — MM (St. Gen); Stang Fan (St. Gen)

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THURSDAY’S ALHAMBRA-LA CANADA GAME

THURSDAY’S RESULTS WITH PREDICTIONS
La Caada 17, Alhambra 0 — MM (La Canada); Stang Fan (Alhambra)
Bosco Tech 20, Contreras 14 — MM (Bosco Tech); Stang Fan (Contreras)

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The La Salle-Maranatha football rivalry is blossoming into a heated one. It’s becoming a rivalry where you can throw records out the window. In the 2010 version, we have two winless teams heading into the Week 1 showdown. If nothing else, the smackdown will be that more intense as La Salle and Maranatha seek their first win of the season. La Salle won in grand fashion last year at home after scoring 21 second-half points to pull away with a 21-14 win. But who can forget La Salle-Maranatha 2008. I was at that game, and that’s arguably the best game I’ve covered as a Star-News sportswriter. What an amazing game. What an amazing drive. What an amazing performance by Maranatha’s Matt Schilz. That wasn’t the shootout I thought it would be but WHAT A GAME it turned out to be. When Maranatha fans look back on that night, they’ll remember Maranatha’s final drive simply as “The Comeback”. Schilz led an improbable nine-play drive that started on Maranatha High School’s 21-yard line with 2:01 left. That was all the time the Minutemen needed to march 81 yards for the winning touchdown — a 21-yard pass from Schilz to Terell Cornell with 14 seconds remaining that sent Maranatha (2-0) to a 27-26 victory over La Salle on Friday night at Maranatha High.

By Keith Lair
It’s the season of change. The high school volleyball season began this week with a slew of new coaches, four area players already signing national letters of intent, and the shuffle of CIF-Southern Section playoff divisions that affects many top teams in the area. Schools with coaching changes include Mayfield, Flintridge Sacred Heart, San Marino, South Pasadena, Alhambra and Rosemead, three of which advanced to the playoffs last season. Mayfield middle blocker Hannah Schraer has signed to play at USC, Monrovia outside hitter Tirah Le’au will play at Georgia, Flintridge Sacred Heart middle blocker Camille Coffey is heading to Fairfield, and FSH outside hitter Alyssa Walton is going to Delaware. The Prep and Rio Hondo leagues jump up a division and the Pacific League drops a division.

THE STAR-NEWS PRESEASON TOP 10

No. 1 Mayfield

Schraer, a 6-foot-3 senior, has no idea what it’s like to lose a CIF-SS playoff game – she’s helped the Cubs to three consecutive titles.

Mayfield went 24-7 and defeated Cerritos in the 3A finals last year.

They lost four key players, including Star-News player of the year Rachel Aragon, and move to 3AA this season.

“We have a lot of competition at a lot of positions,” coach Megan Rush said. “Sometimes we don’t know who is where, and we’ll have to wait and see.”

No. 2 La Canada

Three Spartans landed college scholarships to four-year schools and a fourth has earned a starting spot at an area community college. Four others also graduated.
So La Ca ada, which reached the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 2A tournament, is rebuilding, right?

“We’re not rebuilding,” coach Brock Turner said. “We’re regrouping.”

Turner can say that, considering he had eight players who saw extensive playing time last year back on the roster.

“Our goal is to make the finals for a third year in a row,” Turner said. “These girls want to make their own goals. We cannot replace the four that we lost, we can only put new people in their positions.”

No. 3 Arcadia

The Apaches drop down one division, to CIF-SS 2A, and have almost their entire lineup returning.

“If we can compete, and I think we can, then I think we have a shot to win it,” coach Charles Freberg said. “We have the makings to do it if we can get through (the Pacific) League.”

The Apaches return T.J. DeGraaf, Ashleigh DeBarge, Joy Kang and Jennifer Estrada, all seniors, up front. DeGraaf will play outside hitter, DeBarge the middle and Estrada the right side. Junior Brittney Lee also will see ample playing time on the front line.

No. 4 Flintridge Sacred Heart

Some of the Tologs’ top players graduated. Longtime coach Shelli Orlandini retired and was replaced by assistant Anne Arlie.

The Tologs return only three seniors, including Walton and Coffey. Junior setter Alessandra Orlandini, the niece of the former coach, also returns.

“They’re our leaders and the girls need to follow their lead,” Arlie said. “They have to lead us by more than their skill.”

No. 5 San Gabriel

The Matadors return nearly all of their players, and the teams that dominated the CIF-SS Division 3A last year, in the Miramonte (now the Hacienda) and Desert Valley leagues, are in upper divisions.

“We are a mystery,” coach Larry Kanow said. “We did not play in a summer league and we don’t know how we’re going to play yet.”

That mystery will be resolved with some games under their belt.

“By the time we get to playoffs, I think we should be better than last year,” Kanow said. “We have to take advantage of our opportunities.”

No. 6 Gabrielino

It’s possible the two best public schools in San Gabriel could be playing each other for a CIF-SS Division 3A title.

Gabrielino lost to Mayfield in the semifinals, and the Eagles’ big loss to graduation was outside hitter Melissa-Rose Villasenor.

“We have size and we have some key players back from last year,” Gabrielino coach Cuong Chau said. “We’re really ready for a challenge.”

Setter and outside hitter Ashley Van Oosten, middle blocker Amanda Watkins and outside junior hitter Joanne Chac are the key players.

No. 7 San Marino

New Titans coach Allan Vince figures the best way to beat Rio Hondo League power La Ca ada is to join them.

“They like to have a quick offense and we’d like to counterattack that with a similar offense,” Vince said. “We’ve been trying to teach them (the Titans) that, and they have been very receptive.”

Senior Kelsey Buckner returns at outside hitter, and 6-0 junior Kathleen Sloan gives the Titans a big presence in the middle.

The Titans return senior Victoria Arreola at libero and junior Joie Fan to the back row.

No. 8 Monrovia

Georgia-bound Le’au should have the Wildcats flying high again.

“She’s done a lot for our program,” coach Wayne Teng said. “She helps every other girl on the team and they help her.”

The Wildcats lost six seniors from a team that finished second in the Rio Hondo League for the second consecutive year and went 23-7.

No. 9 Pasadena Poly

Coaches bemoan the loss of 10 seniors from a team that went to the CIF-SS semifinals, but not the Panthers’ Steve Beerman.

“We have a young team and we’ll be a work in progress,” he said, “but I think we have enough good players that I think we can be ready for November. We have a lot of good stuff.”

That starts with returning all- CIF junior outside hitter Alexis Genske and CIF-SS basketball player of the year Michelle Miller, the team’s setter last year.

No. 10 Maranatha

The Minutemen lost nine seniors from last year’s team, which went 20-9 and reached the CIF-SS 3A semifinals.

“We have a lot of sophomores and first-year players, but I still think we’re going to be pretty good,” Maranatha coach Rebecca Honeycutt said.

Middle blocker Hope McMorrow, a 5-9 senior, will lead the team.

Aram Tolegian, AKA Chemical A.T., and I will discuss the Two-Minute Drills on video this season. Today we bring you Arroyo at Temple City and Arcadia at St. Francis. Tomorrow I’ll have Monrovia vs. Glendora at Citrus.

Melendez: 8-3 last week
Stang Fan: 8-3 last week (Anyhow, here are this week’s picks. We differ with Alhambra, Contreras, Glendora, Montebello, and Duarte. Which means I’ll be in the lead by Friday night…lol.)

Only five games last Friday. It was exciting to watch it unfold under the lights, but the anticipation and excitement will be even bigger this Friday night when Week 1 begins and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley joins the fun. As for last week, I went 8-3, my losses came when I guessed wrong Gabrielino, Pasadena and Bosco Tech. This week will be very interesting. We have some huge games, starting with the local flavor featuring Arcadia at St. Francis. The Apaches are really going to surprise some people. The young group is a year old and wiser after going through some quiet growing pains last season. A former Arcadia star told me over the weekend the Apaches unleashed on Rosemead in a scrimmage. I still think St. Francis gets the better of Arcadia, but expect the Apaches to hang tough. We also have Monrovia vs. Glendora at Citrus College and Arroyo at Temple City as the Mike McFarland era begins. La Salle vs. Maranatha always has been a good intrigue, but with both schools opening with a loss last week, the matchup loses a bit of its luster.

Thursday’s Games
Alhambra at La Canada, 7 p.m. — MM (La Canada); Stang Fan (Alhambra)
Bosco Tech at Contreras, 7 p.m. — MM (Bosco Tech); Stang Fan (Contreras)

Friday’s Games
Arcadia at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m. — MM (St. Francis); Stang Fan (St. Francis)
Monrovia vs. Glendora at Citrus College, 7 p.m. — MM (Monrovia); Stang Fan (Glendora)
Arroyo at Temple City, 7 p.m. — MM (Arroyo); Stang Fan (Arroyo)
La Salle at Maranatha, 7 p.m. — MM (La Salle); Stang Fan (La Salle)
South Pasadena at San Gabriel, 7 p.m. — MM (San Gabriel); Stang Fan (San Gabriel)
San Marino at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. — MM (San Marino); Stang Fan (San Marino)
Montebello at Rosemead, 7 p.m. — MM (Rosemead); Stang Fan (Montebello)
Duarte vs. Blair at Muir, 7 p.m. — MM (Blair); Stang Fan (Duarte)
Keppel vs. Workman at La Puente, 7 pm — MM (Workman); Stang Fan (Workman)
Muir vs. Saugus at College of Canyons, 7:30 p.m. — MM (Muir); Stang Fan (Muir)
Marshall at St. Bernard, 7 p.m. — MM (St. Bernard); Stang Fan (St. Bernard)

Saturday’s Games
Pasadena Poly at Malibu, 1 p.m. — MM (Poly); Stang Fan (Poly)
Rio Hondo Prep vs. Big Bear at Big Bear Middle School, 1:30 p.m. — MM (RHP); Stang Fan (RHP)
Flintridge Prep vs. St. Genevieve at Sun Valley Poly, 7 p.m. — MM (St. Gen); Stang Fan (St. Gen)

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TONIGHT’S RESULTS

Bassett 34, Keppel 0
Roosevelt 16, Alhambra 13
Muir 46, San Gabriel 12
Gabrielino 43, Cerritos 20
Westchester 32, Pasadena 7

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Maranatha vs. Big Bear at Big Bear Middle School, 1:30 p.m. — MM (BB); SF (BB)
Westview at Bosco Tech, 4 p.m. — MM (BTech); SF (BTech)
La Salle vs. Village Christian at Glendale, 7 p.m. — MM (VCh.); SF (VCh.)

MIGUEL MELENDEZ COLUMN

Since a new era is set to begin tonight at Alhambra and San Gabriel high schools, now’s as good a time as ever to reflect on the legends who helped put the two football programs on the map.

Gil Ruedaflores was a strong presence at Moor Field for 21 seasons. It was rare, if ever, to find Ruedaflores wearing plain clothes; instead he always donned Alhambra gear. He was one of my teachers when I attended Alhambra, and from the time I started school there in 1997 until my graduation in 2001, I never saw him not wearing Alhambra shorts and T-shirts. He loved the program, and the anticipation of a new season was like Christmas to him.

Lou Torres, who begins his 25th season at Alhambra, is set to take over for Ruedaflores, who was key in turning their relationship into a brotherhood.

Torres played under Ruedaflores at Cathedral Salesian High in Los Angeles, and it was Ruedaflores who gave Torres his first job as an assistant. The two have been nearly inseparable since then.

“What can I say?” Torres said. “He’s been my mentor for 36 years.”

It wasn’t long after the 2009 season when Ruedaflores announced his retirement. Through summer and fall camp, Torres helped provide a seamless transition, but the emotions didn’t sink in until last week, after a road scrimmage game.

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BLAIR 32, FULTON PREP 13: It takes the little things to turn football programs around. It can be the way a team goes down the field on the kickoff, the way it avoids penalties, or how a player gets that extra foot more to make the first down. Blair High School opened the season on Wednesday by doing one little thing very consistently: Recovering loose balls. The Vikings recovered five fumbles and turned four of them into 25 of their points in a 32-13 victory over Fulton Prep of Van Nuys and the CIF-L.A. City Section in a game played at Pasadena High. “They laid the ball on the ground a few times and we definitely took advantage of the turnovers,” Blair coach Gary Parks said. “It’s key to putting points on the board after turnovers.”

PASADENA POLY 50, BRETHREN CHRISTIAN 15: About the only thing going for visiting Brethren Christian was its cool black and white uniforms. As for the football game? Not so much. Chris Levin and Blake Edwards each scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to lead Pasadena Poly to a convincing 50-15 win over Brethren Christian in the season opener for both schools Thursday afternoon at Pasadena Poly. It initially appeared as if it would be a long day – the first quarter lasted 47 minutes – but with the Panthers jumping to a 36-3 lead by the end of the first quarter, both coaches agreed midway through the second quarter to institute a running clock the rest of the game.