November 2010 Archives

EDITED: I mistakenly took San Dimas coach Bill Zernickow's quote out of context when I created this thread late last night under the headline Bill Zernickow: If we beat (Monrovia) three more times in a row, we might own them mentally."

I failed to add the second half of the quote, which read: "We would sure hope to try and foster that, but we don't own them mentally one bit right now. We've been fortunate enough to have circumstances fall in our laps and have taken advantage." I must have read it quickly last night, but no excuses here. I also failed to comprehend the phrase "three more times" which was brought to my attention by Aram.

In short, I agree. If San Dimas does in fact beat Monrovia three more times, they would indeed own the Wildcats mentally. San Dimas certainly has Monrovia's number right now, but it's certainly not complete domination, or is it?

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Monrovia doesn't need board material to get up for its nemesis in Saturday's CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division semifinal showdown. But I guess it's good to know the opposition's thought process should a third-straight win come to fruition.

Aram's hammered home the point throughout the season, relentlessly challenging Monrovia's mental toughness, whether the Wildcats are capable of withstanding late surges, such as the one San Dimas mounted this season.

The answer: No, Monrovia was not.

The Wildcats surrendered a 28-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter as the Saints reeled off 21 straight points to force overtime, score first and later stop Nick Bueno at the 1-yard line to pull off a dramatic 35-34 come-from-behind victory. It should be noted that this is San Dimas' signature win of the season.

Monrovia's Ryan Maddox told Aram that "they wouldn't want it any other way" and that they were rooting for San Dimas so they'd eventually cross paths for the right to play in next week's title game. You have to like the sportsmanship displayed from Zernickow, though, who said: "You know what, these guys are really good. So if you get to play them twice in a season, it's been a good year. If we don't win this game, I want Ryan to win this thing because he's such a good guy."

So here its, Monrovia. This is what you wanted, and now you've got it. Now's the time, and there's absolutely no excuses for letting this one slip away. Injuries, schemes? Nah. It's coming down to executing with heart. Who wants it more? The unforgiving cold December air pales in comparison to the feeling of dejection felt under the pouring rain last December. This is when you grab fortune by the horns and steer it exactly where you want it, straight into next week for a chance to hoist your very first CIF championship plaque,

STAR-NEWS TOP 10 PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Pasadena
2. La Cañada
3. Pasadena Poly
4. Flintridge Prep
5. Muir
6. Keppel
7. Maranatha
8. La Salle
9. St. Francis
10. Rennaisance Academy

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

With success comes higher expectations, which is the reason why Pasadena High School has moved from Division 2A to 1AA for this season's CIF-Southern Section boys basketball playoffs.

Pasadena joins the ranks of Mater Dei, Etiwanda and Long Beach Poly, all perennial powers.

The Bulldogs last season reached the Division 2A final and the semifinals of the Southern California Regional State Playoffs. It's uncertain if Pasadena will have as much success playing in 1AA, but the simple fact the Bulldogs can be named in the same sentence as the aforementioned schools is the reason why Pasadena again is the No. 1 team in the Star-News' preseason top 10 rankings.

1. Pasadena (27-8 last season)

Steven Adams will return for his fifth season after he was granted a hardship waiver by the CIF-State office. Adams underwent brain surgery two years ago and missed the second half of his junior season and played sparingly last year.

"He played last year but he was at about 55 percent," Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said. "(The) CIF (Southern Section) denied his request, but he went to the state and there was enough evidence to support that the kid deserved another year."

Adams has since regained some of his strengths as a post player, and Tucker said his confidence will grow as he plays more games. His work ethic also has shot up, so much so that he's leading by example and for the first time was named a captain.

Pasadena, ranked 17th in the state by ESPN, will be led by Todd Lewis Jr., the slashing forward with a soft stroke. He averaged 18 points and eight rebounds per game on his way to earning All-CIF honors as a junior.

Brandon Jolley started halfway through last season as a freshman and early on showed why he'll be a dominant force. Jolley (6-foot-5) is one of a number of players who will give the Bulldogs a sizeable front court. Adams (6-9), Lewis (6-4) and Nick Holden (6-6) are the others who will likely make up the starting five. Senior Austin Daniels, a speedy point guard with an eye for finding the open man, will replace three-year starter George Toyama.

"It's his turn," Tucker said of Daniels. "He's been on this team for three years and he showed a lot of maturity in the playoffs, where he got to see a lot more time. This is what he's been waiting for, to show what he can do."

Tucker said this season's bench is arguably his deepest in a while. It features 6-5 junior Simon Erza, who is captain of the Sweden 16U National Team. Tucker said he can play four positions, but will need a few games to adjust to "U.S." speed.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING PRESEASON RANKINGS STORY

The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season, though I don't see the point anymore...

Melendez: 2-4 last week; total 146-51-1
Stang Fan: 3-3 last week; total 157-40-1

Apologies for taking long on posting this thread. I've been really under the weather the last week, and working Friday certainly didn't help. I wouldn't have had it any other way though. For one, I'm not a big believer in calling in sick, and secondly, I would have been wondering too much about the Monrovia-Schurr score. Saw some good things and a lot of not good things, which I'll get more into later this week. In just two more weeks I'll officially lose this year's Star Picks. The Stang Fan had my number since Week 1, but that's OK. I'll pay the bet and wear USC gear and use that photo as my blog photo for one week. It's been a fun ride, but no ride is complete until someone reaches next week's finals. In my 10 years of covering high school sports I don't recall ever not having one of my teams reach the finals in any given sport I've covered. Monrovia and Pasadena Poly have one more hurdle before reaching the big stage. The Panthers travel nearly six hours one-way to Bishop to play against top-seed Bishop Union. The game is slated for 6 p.m. and we'll dispatch a reporter up there. The ride up there should be interesting and the environment there as well. We're all set for Monrovia-San Dimas IV on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Yours truly, Fred and Mike "The Cousin" will be there too for live-blogging. We'll have a two-minute video posted later in the week. With Monrovia the lone team in the area playing local, I'm wondering how many of you will come together and join in cheering on the Wildcats who aim to make their 10th finals appearance. Or, like a few folks out there, are you just waiting until Monrovia collapses so we can hear the rhetorical "I told you so" crap? Time for some more Theraflu, so I'll hit you guys up Tuesday.

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
NORTHEAST DIVISION
SEMIFINALS
Pasadena Poly (9-3) at No. 1 Bishop (11-1), Friday, 6 p.m.
No. 3 Vasquez (10-1) at Boron (11-1), Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

MID-VALLEY DIVISION
SEMIFINALS
Whittier Christian (11-1) vs. Village Christian (8-4) at Glendale HS, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
No. 2 Monrovia (10-2) at San Dimas (8-4), Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR OTHER SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SCORES

Friday's results

Bonita 49, Muir 25 -- Giomani Johnson scored three touchdowns in the final period to lead the Bearcats. The score was 30-25 with 4:49 left in the game.

Village Christian 34, Rosemead 0 -- The Panthers had plenty of chances. Three of their first four drives went inside the 26 and twice were stopped on fourth down and had a fumble at the Village Christian 8. Matt Fregoso finished with 123 yards on 34 carries.

San Dimas 56, Maranatha 20 -- Losing Joshua Jones to a knee injury was big for the Minutemen, but not sure if his presence would have made the difference in this one. San Dimas led something like 42-0 at halftime. Big plays from Codee Watts and Theo Darlington helped the Saints, who will host Monrovia in next week's Mid-Valley Division semifinals.

Monrovia 21, San Dimas 7 -- Schurr turned the ball over four times and were penalized 11 times as the Wildcats capitalized to run away with the win. Nick Bueno for the most part was contained. He finished with 108 yards rushing on 22 carries. He scored from 24 yards out early in the third quarter. Three penalties in that drive moved the ball all the way to the Schurr 24. Christian Blanco scored from 25 yards early in the second quarter, but it was Andrew Plasencia who recovered a Schurr fumble that set up that score. He intercepted a pass later in the game and returned in 12 yards for a score to give the Wildcats a 21-0 lead. Schurr on its first five possessions resulted in a punt, turnover, turnover, punt, punt. Aaron Cantu finished with 215 yards on 25-of-38 passing and a touchdown. Monrovia will visit San Dimas in next week's semifinals, likely to be played Saturday night.

Pasadena Poly 43, Desert Christian 27 -- Blaked Edwards rushed for over 200 yards and quarterback Hunter Merryman threw for two touchdown passes. The Panthers will play at top-seed Bishop next week.

Boron 14, Rio Hondo Prep 6 -- This was the Kares' earliest playoff exit since 2007 when they were eliminated in the opening round. Rio Hondo Prep's lone losses this season came to Boron, which defeated Rio Hondo Prep 36-28 in the fourth game of the season.

Chris Gutierrez, who's one of the first on the copy desk to look over my daily scribbles I call a story, sent over a tidbit Wednesday afternoon. Monrovia and Schurr were members of the Mission Valley League together from 1972 until Monrovia departed after the 1976-77 school year. Monrovia won all five football meetings against Schurr. However, Monrovia, San Gabriel and Schurr shared the MVL title in 1975 with 4-1 league records. That season Schurr earned its first-ever football playoff berth. Schurr visits Monrovia on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs.

In Thursday's paper you'll read that Maranatha senior Josh Jones' status remains uncertain for Friday's Mid-Valley Division quarterfinal game at San Dimas, but the latest update sent moments ago in an e-mail from Minutemen coach Joel Murphy doesn't look good.

"Looks like there is a possible tear in JJ's ACL which could require surgery," he wrote. "It's a huge loss for us but we have to focus on his hearling and preparing for Friday's game."

Jones (806 yards, 12 touchdowns) underwent an MRI on Monday for a knee injury suffered in last week's win over La Puente.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Jones' status was uncertain. The senior appears to be walking with no pain or with the help of crutches. He can jog and bend the knee because there's no swelling and good movement.

"The doctors are kind of baffled because the knee is soft, but they can't get a clear read of it," said Murphy early Wednesday. "And because JJ still wants to play after this (San Diego State or Northern Arizona) we're taking the necessary precaution. If this was his last hoorah he'd play, but right now we don't know."

If Jones is gone for the season, that's a huge huge loss for Maranatha. But JJ's hopes is to continue playing at the next level, and, as tough as it is, it's in his best interest to recover from injury if in fact he's torn an ACL and requires season-ending surgery.

Maranatha's played for the CIF-Southern Section East Valley Division championship and numerous semifinal games. Still, it pales in comparison to the task the Minutemen face Friday when they travel to visit defending Mid-Valley Division champion San Dimas.

"We're not making light of this: This is the best school and biggest game in our school's history. We've played in some big games before, but nothing like the competition or the level we're in right now." -- Joel Murphy, Maranatha coach.

Ryan Maddox isn't set in his ways. If it means improving an already-explosive offense with seemingly no weaknesses, the third-year Monrovia High School football coach won't hesitate adding finishing touches.

Such is the case this season for a Wildcats (9-2) team that averages nearly 40 points per game. Maddox this season added a new concept to the Wing-T offense that's proven to test the endurance of every opponent - a no-huddle offense.

The concept was applied after Monrovia lost to San Dimas in Week 3, and the Wildcats haven't lost a game since. They are riding an eight-game winning streak heading into Friday's game against Schurr (7-4) in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs.

"Last year we were more about ball control and we threw the ball a ton," Maddox said.

"We spread it out so that we can run the ball, but in doing that we had too many people going both ways."

The no-huddle offense accomplishes several things, including fewer players playing both ways. In fact, only two players are doing so now: senior Jay Henderson and sophomore Anthony Craft, both of whom play wide receiver and defensive back.

Junior Ellis McCarthy started the season at offensive tackle, a new role for him after he play tight end last season. In the no-huddle offense, the 6-foot-5, 295-pounder switches back to tight end in special packages, but overall he concentrates solely on anchoring the defensive line at tackle, making the defensive specialist with 11 sacks an even better weapon.

"He's humongous," Maddox said of McCarthy. "He's a man, really. He's starting to really understand how to use his frame.

"He's just so hard to block. It's definitely a team game, but when you have somebody special like that you have to find ways to account for him, and that allows our other defensive ends and linebackers to make big plays."

That will be Schurr's biggest concern, given senior quarterback Aaron Cantu (2,272 yards, 18 touchdowns) likes to sit in the pocket and allow plays to develop. Cantu, however, may not have that luxury against Monrovia.

"For a true pocket passer, you want to put pressure on them," Maddox said. "That disrupts their timing and flow of the game. They're not going to beat you with their feet.

"He can step around and moves decently within the pocket. He is good about checking receivers, whereas somebody like Nick (Bueno) is able to get himself out of trouble."

McCarthy's prowess calls for double- and even triple-coverage, which allows defensive ends Adrian Velasco and Jerome Brown to wreak havoc of their own, and they have. Brown, a senior, is second in sacks with six while Velasco's quickness and physicality off the block often allows for the pocket to collapse and leaves little room for quarterbacks.

Lorenzo Casas is the other junior defensive tackle along with McCarthy. Casas has taken advantage: he's third on the team in sacks with four.

Monrovia last season had a strong stable of running backs with varied styles. Bueno has shouldered most of the responsibility on the ground this season with 1,314 yards and 11 touchdowns. Christian Blanco, Michael Harris and Marquis Bias still provide variety in the backfield, which means Derrick Johnson, who spent a lot of time sharing carries last year, can concentrate on anchoring the defense at linebacker.

In a sense, the no-huddle offense also improved the already-stout Monrovia defense, giving the perception that the Wildcats have no weakness. Penalties, miscues and turnovers are battles Monrovia strives to win, and when it does, it means opposing teams struggle to keep up with the Wildcats' up-tempo pace.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer

Bonita High School football coach Eric Podley doesn't need a history lesson when it comes to the Bearcats' opponent on Friday, Muir.

After crushing California 51-6 in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs, the Bearcats (10-1) play at Muir (6-4) in the quarterfinals Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Mustangs knocked off La Mirada 33-14 for their sixth consecutive victory.

Podley was the offensive coordinator on the Mustangs' 1989 Division II co-championship team that tied Santa Barbara 7-7 under head coach John Tyree, a championship that came shortly after Muir's storied back-to-back championships in 1985 and '86 under legendary coach Jim Brownfield.

"This is our toughest game since West Covina (55-21 loss on Oct. 29)," Podley said. "They're playing with a lot of confidence, they beat their league champion (Burroughs) and haven't lost in over a month, so they believe in what they're doing and what their coaches are telling them."

Muir coach Ken Howard is in his seventh season, which is the longest tenure at the school since Brownfield was there.

In those seven years, the Mustangs have won four Pacific League titles and are making their fourth quarterfinal appearance, although they've never been beyond that.

When the Mustangs advanced to the quarterfinals in 2003 and '04, they were in Division III, where they lost each time to powerhouse Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

In 2006 the Mustangs moved to Division V but lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champ Colony.

The Mustangs suffered their first losing season under Howard last year, 4-7, but they still gave eventual Southeast Division champ Charter Oak their toughest game of the playoffs before losing in the first round 20-19 after getting stopped on a game-winning two-point conversion attempt in the final seconds.

That's Muir, a team that always has a ton of talent, which is why they're so upset-prone.

"There has been sort of a revolving (coaching) door since Brownfield, but he's (Howard) done a great job," Podley said.

"Having been there, I have the utmost respect for him. It's not the easiest place to work and sustain a program."

The area surrounding Muir always has been known for producing great football talent, but that talent hasn't always remained there, with players leaving to neighboring schools more than ever.

Even Muir great Saladin McCullough's son, Saladin McCullough Jr., is at Alemany, along with quarterback Vernon Adams, who both live in the Muir school district.

The east San Gabriel Valley has benefitted from several players who would have gone to Muir, such as Charter Oak legends Will Harris and Patrick Fuller, and there are so many more.

"That's why I give (Howard) so much credit. He's done a great job in a tough football environment," Podley said. "Football means everything to those kids."

Players don't leave Muir because of football. They leave because of academics and safety concerns brought on by neighboring gangs.

Podley, however, never remembered anything negative happening during his only season there. He felt that was out of respect for football.

"There might be trouble swirling around the practice or during the game sometimes, but when it came time to play football it's a community that respects the game," Podley said.

"The kids in the community know when it comes to football, it's all business."

That's why Podley's so concerned with Friday's game.

Muir is as healthy as it's been all year, and quarterback Jeffrey Davis might be the most dangerous run and pass threat in the division.

Davis suffered a concussion earlier in the season that forced him out of two games - both losses - and is 7-2 as a starter.

"I'm not sure how we prepare for that," Podley said of Davis.

"I don't have anyone to simulate what he does, so it's hard to predict how we're going to handle him."

Making these selections are never easy. Believe me. One thing is certain: no matter how it turns out, someone will feel their player, son, cousin or nephew was left off the team. I wonder, would the process be easier if there was a player of the year, offensive player of the year and defensive player of the year? Whatever the case, this season has produced a lot of good candidates, which makes it all the more harder to pick. Have at it.

2010 STAR-NEWS ALL-AREA TEAM
FIRST TEAM OFFNESE
QB - Pick one
RB - Pick two
OL - Pick five
AP - Pick one
WR - Pick three, which could include a tight end
PK - Pick one

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Pick four
LB - Pick four
DB - Pick three
P - Pick one

Winter coaches: I lost almost all your cell phone numbers in a snafu last spring. If you'd be kind, can you e-mail me your phone number, or text me if you have my newest number, which starts with the number 5. Thanks!

Winter top ten previews for boys and girls basketball and boys and girls soccer will run on consecutive days from Nov. 30 through Dec. 3. Winter sports teams begin playing on Nov. 29. We will run a wrestling preview the following week. TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES: Please email schedules so we can post your schedules on the blog, in the newspaper, update them after each round, and of course so we know which games to cover. You can email them directly to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com.

The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season, though I don't see the point anymore...

Melendez: 7-2 last week; total 144-47-1
Stang Fan: 8-1 last week; total 154-37-1

The Stang Fan's lone loss pick last week came against Muir. Yes, Muir. Of course you know by now the Mustangs thrashed La Mirada to move on. Arcadia and St. Francis were my wrong picks. I initially had Dominguez winning, but at the last second changed my mind. Call it a jinx if you want, but to say as much is insane, that whichever team we pick to win is jinxed. It's a lose-lose situation, if you ask me. Pick a team to win, it's a jinx, pick a team to lose, no faith or, worse, "disrespect." Do I think Monrovia is going to win the Mid-Valley Division? Yeah. Of course. Will the Wildcats have it easy? Probably not. Monrovia has the talent to win the whole thing, but they have to continue to work hard to get it done. Any team's own undoing in the playoffs will not be because this newspaper picked them to win. Their undoing will stem from miscues, penalties, turnovers, etc. Just like any team's success will stem from execution and mistake-free football, not because this newspaper picked your team to win. When these picks come out, remember: It's a pick, not a jinx. You go play, and win.

Friday's schedule with predictions
Bonita at Muir -- Melendez (Muir)
Rosemead vs. Village Christian at Glendale -- Melendez (Rosemead)
Maranatha at San Dimas --Melendez (Maranatha)
Schurr at Monrovia -- Melendez (Monrovia)
Pasadena Poly at Desert Christian -- Melendez (Poly)
Rio Hondo Prep at Boron -- Melendez (Rio Hondo Prep)

Still not sure which team will grace the Star-News cover, but Bonita-Muir make a strong case. The question everybody is asking right now: Is Muir the most dangerous team in the Southeast Division? The Mustangs didn't just beat La Mirada, they sent a strong message. Are the 'Stangs back? It's looking that way. I knew this team was too good, and the way Muir played early in the season was not indicative of how strong they really were. It wasn't until the Turkey Tussle when I finally saw the Mustangs put it together in just about every way possible, minus the silly penalties. Muir against La Mirada showed up on offense, thanks to Kevon Seymour, and took advantage of miscues and turnovers. Muir's finally put it together, and teams better watch out.

Call me crazy, but I can see Maranatha beating San Dimas. I still want to gather info on Josh Jones' injury. I told you La Puente's credentials were suspect, and the Minutemen exposed 'em. Don't want to say I told you so, but I told you about Andrew Elffers. The sophomore QB is like having a wizard offensive coordinator on the field.

Rosemead looked really good against Temple City. Paul Cruz filled in nicely for Matt Macias, who was not expected to play because of soreness in his right throwing shoulder. Matt Fregoso racked nearly 400 yards on the ground and he scored a whopping seven touchdowns. Seven! I'm starting to wonder if Village Christian can stop Fregoso. The kid dances around defenses. On one particular play in the third quarter, Fregoso jumped out of a small pile at the line of scrimmage and was within arm's length of two Temple City players. But Fregoso put it in third gear and took off, making his way for yet another long TD run. By the way, way too many people on the Rosemead sidelines and not nearly as many fans sitting in the stands. Really, you can't sell out a playoff game? Baffling.

Rio Hondo Prep and Pasadena Poly hit the long, dusty road. The Panthers should come back the victors. The Kares will face a tough Boron team, but vengeance will be on their mind.

Monrovia-Schurr will be interesting. Both teams boast outstanding quarterbacks. I still point to Ellis McCarthy as a huge momentum changer. No need to milk a dead cow by telling you about Nick Bueno. The kid's pretty damn, well, Bueno.

Friday's schedule
Bonita (10-1) at Muir (7-4)
Rosemead (8-3) vs. Village Christian (7-4) at TBA
Maranatha (8-3) at San Dimas (7-4)
Schurr (7-4) at Monrovia (9-2)
Pasadena Poly (8-3) at Desert Christian (9-2)
Rio Hondo Prep (9-1) at Boron (10-1)

Above: Arcadia's Ammar Moussa, right, led the heavy favorite Apaches at Saturday's CIF-Southern Section Division I finals.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

WALNUT - There was no reason for the Arcadia High School boys cross country team to be nervous.

But the Apaches were. They went into Saturday's CIF-Southern Section Division 1 race at Mt. San Antonio College undefeated and a heavy favorite to win their first CIF-SS title. Top runner Ammar Moussa was undefeated and the reigning division and state champion.

"I was a little nervous because there is so much on the line," he said. "I'm a senior and this is the best team we've ever had."

There was no reason for Moussa or the Apaches to worry. Moussa had the day's fastest time, 15:15, on Mt. SAC's rain course, one second faster than King's Wesley Lane, who was second in his race.

Arcadia coach Jim O'Brien said a little nervousness was expected.

"There was normal nervousness and anticipation," he said. "We've run enough big races, we knew what was expected. But nothing is definite."

The Apaches placed five runners in the top 20 and took their first CIF-SS title with 43 points.

"We let our legs do the talking," Moussa said. "We were really motivated. We tried to send a statement out there. We wanted to prove that we are the best team in the Southern Section."

South Pasadena's Sam Pons took his second consecutive Division 3 title in 15:50, the day's ninth-fastest time.

"I felt the pace was unusually slow and there was a big line of people and I didn't want them to hang on for long, so halfway from the turnaround point I started to make some distance on them," Pons said. "I think there will be a little more pressure at state."

Arcadia's Catrina McAlister finished second in her Division 1 race and Bosco Tech and Flintridge Sacred Heart each finished on the podium.

Six teams and five individuals from the West San Gabriel Valley qualified for the state meet in Fresno.

Saturday's meet was run on Mt. SAC's rain course for the first time since 1995. Athletes ran a two-loop circuit and finished on the stadium track.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM SATURDAY'S CIF-SS FINALS MATCH

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

CYPRESS - Pasadena Poly's Michelle Miller couldn't help but turn to her coach and smile over the final play of the match.

Her return hit the net and ended the match and gave Chadwick a 25-14, 25-15, 13-25, 25-19 victory in the CIF-Southern Section Division 3AA girls volleyball championship match Saturday at Cypress College.

Miller said she smiled not only because the match was over but because it showed how much the team had grown this season.

Pasadena Poly (19-7) can take solace in Saturday's appearance. This was a team not many expected to be in the final, since it started two freshmen and will return eight underclassmen.

There was a sense of optimism throughout the squad, largely in part because the players know what they're capable of.

"I personally didn't expect us to be here in the finals," Miller said. "But now that we're here and we have a young group, we feel not coming here next year will be a disappointment."

Pasadena Poly also can take solace in the fact it ended Mayfield's 36-game league winning streak earlier this season. Pasadena Poly also defeated Mayfield in the semifinals to advance.

Poly, however, was knocked out of state playoff contention because Firebaugh defeated San Gabriel Academy in the Division 5A final.

Saturday marked the fifth consecutive year in which a Prep League team has won a division title. Westridge won a championship before Mayfield won three consecutive.

Chadwick (27-0) won its first volleyball title since 1999 and the first for Dolphins coach Michael Cass, who guided his team to a league title and No. 1 seed.

Chadwick, which had beaten Pasadena Poly in two league meetings this year, strung together two 5-0 runs in the first set and ended it with Corinne Hemmersbach's ace.

Pasadena Poly started the second set with an 8-1 lead, but Chadwick tied it 10-10 before reeling off a 6-0 run to take a 16-10 lead it did not relinquish. Chadwick again clinched the set on an ace, courtesy of Elizabeth Yates.

"We didn't lose," Pasadena Poly coach Steve Beerman said. "They won. We didn't serve well until we got into game three."

Pasadena Poly's strength this season has been its serving, but the Panthers didn't find their rhythm until the third set.

"It wasn't just serving aces," Beerman said. "It was also about just making it tough for them. We were serving right at them and weren't making them move."

Sophomore Cat Davidson showed exactly why the Panthers are dangerous. She had a key block to give Pasadena Poly a 17-11 lead and then reeled off seven consecutive aces to swell the Panthers' lead to 24-11. Davidson's eighth attempt hit the net, but she got an ovation from the Pasadena Poly student section for her performance.

"That's the character of our team," Beerman said. "We started playing a little better."

"The great thing about playing teams you know is you know what to expect," Cass said. "You know what they're capable of doing. We went up 2-0, and that was great. We started playing well, but then they started doing that, too, and we had lost the first two sets in the semifinals, so we know what teams were capable of doing."

Pasadena Poly made adjustments throughout the match that Cass quickly noticed.

"They took away our dump," he said. "Our setter dumps so well through the middle that they've seen it now for two matches, so they camped a girl in the middle.

"We're not trying to re-invent the wheel right there and then, so what we tried to do was just make it tough for them."

The fourth set saw nine ties before Chadwick took control, courtesy of a 3-0 run sparked by a Yates service ace that gave the Dolphins a 17-14 lead. Pasadena Poly called a timeout.

"We had an awesome run," Miller said. "It was fun to beat Mayfield and to have our crowd come to all our games. It was inspiring, and we hope to come back next year."

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM SATURDAY'S CIF-SS FINALS MATCH

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

CYPRESS - It was like a dream.

That's the best way to describe the season for San Gabriel Academy's girls volleyball team, which in its 47-year history had never gone past the second round of the playoffs.

The third-seeded Eagles soaked in the experience and proudly hoisted the runner-up plaque after a 13-25, 17-25, 22-25 loss at the hands of Firebaugh of Lynwood in the CIF-Southern Section Division 5A championship match Saturday night at Cypress College.

San Gabriel Academy's dream season will continue, though, when the CIF state playoff pairings are announced today, a finals appearance virtually assuring the Eagles a berth in the Division 5 Southern California Regionals.

San Gabriel Academy has won the Westside League title three consecutive seasons and four of the past five, but the third-seeded Eagles (19-7) dreamed about a deep playoff run, and they finally got it.

Senior Ali Santanello, who finished with six kills and four blocks, said the experience of playing on the grandest stage was a dream come true.

"It's a breathtaking experience," Santanello said. "It's an experience you almost can't describe. We're actually here and we made it.

"For a lot of us it was like a dream, and even after you pop it, you're just honored to be here."

San Gabriel Academy won its second-round and quarterfinal matches with ease, sweeping Riverside Christian and Coastal Christian, respectively, before a five-set grudge match against Pacific Lutheran.

The Eagles took pride in storming back from a two-set deficit against Pacific Lutheran before prevailing, and San Gabriel Academy found itself in a similar position against Firebaugh, the Harbor League champion that swept top seed Coast Union in the semifinals.

"These girls, even though we got swept, never gave up," San Gabriel Academy coach Derek Duran said. "You look at the girls here and it feels like we won, and that's because we have a great sense of accomplishment."

The Falcons (20-0) dominated the first two sets but had to fend off a pesky Eagles team that led by as much as 15-9 in the third set before Firebaugh won 11 of the next 13 points to take a 20-17 lead, forcing San Gabriel Academy to call a timeout.

The Eagles truly played the role of David this season. San Gabriel Academy fielded an eight-member team from a school with an enrollment of only 209, compared to Firebaugh's 1,500 students and 14-member team.

Firebaugh, for its part, made quite a remarkable run. This was the Falcons' first-ever playoff appearance, and they won the title with second-year coach Javier Gonzalez. Firebaugh will also advance to the CIF state playoffs when the Division 3 Southern California Regional pairings are released today.

"Volleyball is not a big sport where we come from," Gonzalez said. "Some of these girls never touched a volleyball until they reached high school. To get this far is beyond words."

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM SATURDAY'S CIF-SS FINALS MATCH

By Andrew J. Campa, Staff Writer

IRVINE - There were some tears, disappointment and perhaps a little regret from the Pasadena Poly boys water polo team on Saturday.

However, there certainly was no shame as the Panthers' impressive season ended in defeat at the hands of No. 2-seeded La Serna, 17-9, in the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 championship game at the William Woollett Jr. Center.

The Del Rio League champion Lancers (21-5) clinched the program's first-ever title in 10 attempts.

In contrast, Prep League champion Poly (22-4) was making its inaugural trip to a title game.

"The first thing I told (the team) was nobody was expecting us to be here," Poly coach Ryan Katsuyama said. "We started the season like seventh or eighth in the top 10 poll.

"Going into the playoffs, we were the fourth seed in the same side of the bracket as the No. 1 team. No one expected us to be here."

The Panthers reached the title game with a remarkable defensive effort that limited top-seeded Crescenta Valley to two goals in a 6-2 victory in Wednesday's semifinal.

On Saturday, Poly had few answers against a high-energy La Serna squad that increased its lead by three goals in every quarter until it led 15-6 after three periods.

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Friday's results

Rosemead 49, Temple City 36 -- Matt Fregoso rushed for 365 yards and scored seven touchdowns to lead the Panthers. Temple City was within striking distance in the waning minutes. The Rams recovered an onside kick and got to within the Panthers 9 and trailing 42-36. But an interception in the end zone all but sealed the win for Rosemead, which travels to play Village Christian next week.

Muir 33, La Mirada 14 -- Muir took advantage of three La Mirada turnovers and other miscues to pull off the upset over the No. 3 seed and defending Southern Division champion Matadores. Muir will play Bonita in the next round.

Maranatha 41, La Puente 28 -- This was the Minutemen's first Mid-Valley Division game, and boy did they have a strong showing. Quarterback Andrew Elffers passed for six touchdown passes, five of which came in the first half. He finished with 377 yards passing. Josh Jones had two touchdowns, but injured his left knee in the second quarter. It didn't look good as he was carted off the field. Jeremy Major had two touchdown catches and made an interceptions. Maranatha travels to defending champion San Dimas next week. Ouch.

Norwalk 35, Arcadia 27 -- Arcadia scored with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter. The Apaches went for a two-point conversion, but the attempt failed, leaving the score 35-27 Norwalk. Myles Carr passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor Lagace injured his shoulder in the fourth quarter with around five minutes left in the game. Norwalk's double wing was hard to defend.

Monrovia 42, Gladstone 3 -- Nick Bueno passed for three touchdowns and rushed for 90 yards and a score, all in the first half. There was a running clock in the second half. Monrovia has outscored its last seven opponents, 304-27. The second and third teams took over the second half. The Wildcats led 35-0 at the half. The Wildcats play at home vs. Schurr, which beat Baldwin Park.

Covina 42, La Canada 14 -- The Colts scored five touchdowns in the first half to all but send the Spartans packing.

Pasadena Poly 56, Hamilton 18 -- The Panthers had 506 yards of total offense, including 326 yards on the ground. Blake Edwards had three catches for 85 yards, one of which was a 65 yard touchdown reception. He rushed for two touchdowns. Pasadena Poly scored early and often, no drives going more than five plays. Hunter Merryman completed 5 of 8 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns. Jack Porter had two catches for 95 yards, both touchdowns from 66 and 29 yards. Poly's defense recorded seven sacks, including four from Nathan Hamming. The Panthers will play at Desert Christian, which defeated Fairmont Prep, 50-6.

Rio Hondo Prep 51, California City 8 -- Charles Quintero had 15 carries for 156 yards and one touchdown. He also returned a kickoff 50 yards. Nick Preciado had 15 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns. The Kares will travel to Boron, which defeated Saddleback Valley Christian, 50-7.

Dominguez 28, St. Francis 25 -- The Golden Knights couldn't convert on fourth down as St. Francis' late rally fell short. Brett Nelson and Travis Talianko connected for three touchdown passes, but the one they couldn't connect on was on fourth and 18 from the St. Francis 48 with less than two minutes left in the game.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM FRIDAY'S LA MIRADA-MUIR GAME

Print the banner, order the hats and shirts and size up the rings.

Monrovia High School will win the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship.

Clean out the trophy case and do away with the nine CIF runner-up plaques.

In the long history of the CIF-Southern Section football playoffs, the Wildcats are the only school to have advanced to nine finals without bringing home a CIF championship.

That ends in three weeks.

Azusa, thanks for coming, but Monrovia will take it from here.

The Wildcats (8-2) will avenge two consecutive losses to San Dimas (6-4) and dethrone the Saints in the semifinals. Azusa (10-0) will be a worthy opponent and, if nothing else, we'll see a great matchup with a potential shootout.

The taste of a victory for Maranatha (7-3) in the Mid-Valley Division will fuel its drive in 2011 while Covina (9-1) runs into a determined Azusa team in the other semifinal bracket.

The collective talents of Nick Bueno and Ellis McCarthy are enough to give any team the edge. But Monrovia's supporting cast is what makes them arguably the most dangerous team in the division.

Sophomore George Frazier has the frame (6-2, 200) and pedigree that allows the Wildcats to move pieces within the offense.

Bueno will get his one way or another. He's passed for 1,258 yards and rushed for 1,226 yards and accounted for 26 touchdowns. Bueno is a defensive coordinator's nightmare, but when Frazier steps in at quarterback and Bueno moves to slot or tailback, well, that's just not even fair.

Jay Henderson, Anthony Craft and Luke Williams are playmakers with speed, agility and toughness. Derrin Jenkins has become a show-stopper at cornerback and Derrick Johnson is a punishing linebacker who often directs players to head for the sideline and avoid a bruising collision.

Then there's Ellis McCarthy. The junior stands an intimidating 6-feet-5 inches and weighs 290 pounds. Opposing teams can double-team and even triple-team the man-child who still has managed to record 11 sacks and counting.

Simply put, no team in the Mid-Valley Division will find a way to contain McCarthy. His pass-rush is textbook, and don't underestimate his speed. He's hungry going after the ball and can chase down the run, too.

Monrovia's relentless pressure establishes the game's tempo and ultimately its momentum.

Bueno's ability to balance his arsenal is a huge asset, and he's proven he can kick it into third gear and run defenses wild with his speed and elusiveness.

Don't underestimate the pain Monrovia felt losing the way it did to San Dimas in 2009. The Wildcats made a frantic push near the end when rain subsided but to no avail.

The pain followed them through summer ball and into fall camp.

It ends in three weeks.

Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox and his Zen-like approach will make way for elation.

The third-year coach led the Wildcats to the semifinals in his first season and a finals appearance last year.

Is this the year?

It only makes sense.

Monrovia athletic director Randy Bell said the school's new synthetic track will be ready in time for the Wildcats to host Friday`s football game against Gladstone in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs.

The Wildcats (8-2) played their final two home games at neutral sites (Maranatha and San Marino) because the construction company had only a two-week window at the end of October in which to complete the installation.

The game also has been moved up half an hour to a 7 p.m. start.

Perception is reality?

Monrovia pummeled its Rio Hondo League opponents this season by a combined score of 235-17. That has created a perception that the Wildcats might be heading into the playoffs without really having been challenged.

That's of little concern to Wildcats coach Ryan Maddox, however.

"From our perspective, it doesn`t really matter what other people think," Maddox said. "We just have to prove to ourselves and win the games in front of us. As far as perception, we can't control what people may think about us."

Feeling lucky

Maranatha (7-3) and Temple City (4-6) received a little luck in finishing second in their respective leagues.

Maranatha finished second in the Olympic League, thanks to Village Christian beating Cerritos Valley Christian 56-27 to create a three-way tie for second place behind Whittier Christian. The Minutemen went from possibly missing the playoffs to winning a coin flip and a head-to-head tiebreaker to host La Puente (8-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. in their first Mid-Valley Division playoff appearance.

Cerritos Valley Christian, which beat Maranatha 70-64 in five overtimes, did not make the playoffs after losing the coin flip.

"When we looked at it, to think we could be fourth and completely out of the playoffs to now hosting a game, it's very exciting for us," Maranatha athletic director Brian DeHaan said.

Now that it's in the playoffs, Temple City will show how much it has improved since starting the season 1-4 when it visits Rosemead (7-3).

"No question," Temple City coach Mike McFarland said. "It's a great opportunity to gauge our progress."

As for how things played out in the Rio Hondo League, McFarland sympathizes with South Pasadena. The Tigers finished 6-4 overall and 3-2 in league but missed the playoffs on a coin flip after finishing in a three-way tie with Temple City and La Ca ada.

"It's an imperfect process," he said. "We were just very fortunate that things turned our way. There's no way of making it a fool-proof process. Someone's always going to get hurt when there's an odd man out."

Time changes

Pasadena Poly's first-round game against Hamilton at South Pasadena has been changed to 7 p.m. on Friday.

Teams with time changes should e-mail miguel.melendez@sgvn.com.

Southeast, Northeast Division predictions come Tuesday and Wednesday.

Freddy and Steve Ramirez agree: Monrovia will be crowned Mid-Valley Division champion when it's all said and done. Monrovia will kill one bird with two stones. They'll beat San Dimas in the semifinals and finally avenge three losses to the Saints over the last two years, including last year's 12-7 loss in the Mid-Valley Division finals. Azusa will be a worthy opponent. If nothing else, we'll see a great matchup with a potential shootout. Maranatha's taste of a victory in the Mid-Valley Division will fuel its drive in 2011. A lot of you will get blown away by the poise, quickness and textbook-play of sophomore quarterback Andrew Elffers. Don't be surprised if you see this kid play at a major Division I school in a few years. Omar Younger is a beast on the ground. He's a crashing machine, never fazed by tough collisions. Back to Monrovia ... Steve Ramirez has said it all season, Ellis McCarthy gives the Wildcats a huge advantage. The 6-foot-5, 290 pound defensive tackle sets the tone and trickles to every facet of the game, allowing the Wildcats to control the tempo and ultimately their own momentum. Nick Bueno's ability to balance his arsenal is a huge asset to the Wildcats. He's proven that when the passing game isn't there he can kick it into third gear and run defenses wild with his speed and elusiveness. What people forget about Monrovia is its much-improved defense over the last few weeks. Linebacker Derrick Johnson, safety Charlie Cimmarusti and cornerback Derrin Jenkins are just a few of the key pieces anchoring a hard-nosed defense that worked hard in nearly shutting out the Rio Hondo League. Sure, it's a sub-par league this season for the most part, but these seniors took pride in recording the shutouts. Granted, there was In-N-Out for the taking, but still.

Mid-Valley Division Predictions
Top Seeds: 1. Azusa (10-0), 2. Monrovia (8-2), 3. Arroyo (9-1), 4. Covina (9-1)
Unseeded Sleepers: San Dimas, Whittier Christian, Maranatha.

Mid-Valley Division
Top Bracket
Village Christian (6-4) at No. 1 Azusa (10-0) -- Azusa
Temple City (4-6) at Rosemead (7-3) -- Rosemead
Bell Gardens (7-3) at Whittier Christian (9-1) -- Whittier Christian
La Canada (5-5) at No. 4 Covina (9-1) -- Covina
Bottom Bracket
San Dimas (6-4) at No. 3 Arroyo (9-1) -- San Dimas
La Puente (8-2) at Maranatha (7-3) -- Maranatha
Baldwin Park (5-5) at Schurr (6-4) -- Baldwin Park
Gladstone (5-5) at No. 2 Monrovia (8-2) -- Monrovia

Quarterfinals
Top Bracket
Azusa over Rosemead
Covina over Whittier Christian
Bottom Bracket
San Dimas over Maranatha
Monrovia over Baldwin Park
Semifinals
Azusa over Covina
Monrovia over San Dimas
Championship
Monrovia over Azusa

The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head through the playoffs...

Melendez: 14-4 last week; total 137-45-1
Stang Fan: 14-4 last week; total 146-36-1

The regular season comes to an end, and it looks like Stang Fan will win the competition in his first year. It's all good. He was a worthy opponent. I struggled picking Rosemead over Temple City. You know what the Rams are capable of doing on the ground with Joshua Simangunsong leading the way. But in the end, I went with experience, and the Panthers last season made the playoffs, albeit it was an early exit. Still, Panthers running back Matt Fregoso last year ran wild against San Marino. He was the lone bright spot in Rosemead's first-round loss. I like Maranatha over La Puente. Still no word on Chris Cornell's status for the Minutemen, but you have to love Maranatha's chances with Andrew Elffers directing the offense. Muir's win over La Mirada will be no surprise. I'm expecting the Apaches not to let up while Pasadena Poly and Rio Hondo Prep represent the Prep League well. This is the end of the rope for La Canada and St. Francis.

Friday's games with predictions
Temple City at Rosemead, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Rosemead)
Muir at La Mirada, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Muir)
La Puente at Maranatha, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Maranatha)
Norwalk at Arcadia, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Arcadia)
Gladstone at Monrovia, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Monrovia)
La Canada at Covina, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Covina)
Hamilton vs. Pasadena Poly at South Pasadena, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Poly)
California City at Rio Hondo Prep, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Rio Hondo Prep)
St. Francis at Dominguez, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Dominguez)

MID-VALLEY DIVISION
TOP BRACKET
Village Christian (Olympic at-large) at No. 1 Azusa (Montview 1)
Temple City (Rio Hondo 2) at Rosemead (MVL 2)
Bell Gardens ( Almont 2) at Whittier Christian (Olympic 1)
La Cañada (Rio Hondo at large) at No. 4 Covina (Valle Vista 1)
BOTTOM BRACKET
San Dimas (Valle Vista at-large) at No. 3 Arroyo (Mission Valley 1)
La Puente (Montview 2) at Maranatha (Olympic 2)
Baldwin Park (Valle Vista 2) at Schurr (Almont 1)
Gladstone (Montview at large) at No. 2 Monrovia (Rio Hondo 1)

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
TOP BRACKET
Bellflower (Suburban 4) at No. 1 West Covina (Hacienda 1)
Burbank (Pacific 3) at Santa Fe (Del Rio 2)
Diamond Ranch (Hacienda 3) at Mayfair (Suburban 2)
El Rancho (Del Rio at large) at No. 4 Burroughs (Pacific 1)
BOTTOM BRACKET
Muir (Pacific 4) at La Mirada (Suburban 1)
California (Del Rio 3) at Bonita (Hacienda 2)
Norwalk (Suburban 3) at Arcadia (Pacific 2)
Walnut (Hacienda 4) at La Serna (Del Rio 1)

WESTERN DIVISION
TOP BRACKET
Beverly Hills (Ocean at-large) at Serra (Mission 1)
Adolfo Camarillo (Pacific view 2) at Dos Pueblos (Channel 1)
Downey (San Gabriel Valley 2) at Inglewood (Ocean 1)
Oxnard (Pacific View at-large) at Paso Robles (Pac-7 1)
BOTTOM BRACKET
Culvery City (Ocean 2) at Chaminade (Mission 2)
Ventura (Channel 2) at Atascadero (Pac-7 2)
Arroyo Grande (Pac-7 at-large) at Rio Mesa (Pacific View 1)
St. Francis (Mission at-large) at Dominguez (San Gabriel Valley 1)

NORTHEAST DIVISION
TOP BRACKET
Mojave (Desert Mountain at-large) at Bishop Union (High Desert 1)
Chadwick (Prep at-large) at Mojave (Santa Fe 1)
Hamilton (Arrowhead 2) at Pasadena Poly (Prep 2)
Fairmont Prep (San Joaquin 2) at Desert Christian/L, Desert 2)
BOTTOM BRACKET
St. Genevieve (Santa Fe 2) at Vasquez (Desert Mountain 1)
Desert (High Desert 2) at California Military Inst. (Arrowhead 1)
Boron (Desert Mountain at-large) at Saddleback VC (San Joaquin 1)
California City (High Desert at-large) at Rio Hondo Prep (Prep 1)

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Austin Lacy has a scar that runs from his neck to his belly button.

It serves as a constant reminder of the ordeal the senior from Pasadena High School went through earlier this year.

What was supposed to be a routine procedure in March to drain fluid from his chest because of an ECHO virus was anything but.

Lacy's heart stopped for four minutes and his chest was ripped opened so surgeons could massage his heart in an effort to bring him back. A 15-minute procedure from a condition doctors said may have killed a less physically fit patient turned into nearly four hours of surgery.

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CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM FRIDAY'S TURKEY TUSSLE GAME

Most Pasadena and Altadena subscribers will find our PrepXtra Turkey Tussle Souvenir Edition inside today's Star-News. The 24-page magazine includes a preview of tonight's big Muir-Pasadena game, as well as several feature articles, and projected starters with pictures of each player in the starting lineup. We hope you enjoy this magazine. Additional copies will be sold at the Star-News and at tonight's game at the Rose Bowl. Please let us know what you think.

NOTE: This is why we strongly encourage you to subscribe to the Star-News, so you don't miss out on speical issues like the Turkey Tuzzle souvenir edition. The magazine will not be sold at the Star-News office today or at newstands, only at the game. About 1,000 copies will be sold at booths at the Rose Bowl, so get there early and buy them. This is a limited edition, and we plan on more projects like this in the future, so subscribe, subscribe, subscribe!

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Friday's results

Muir 63, Pasadena 6 -- Muir dominated from start to finish. For the first time all season, the Mustangs played superb in all facets of the game. Special teams, defense, passing, rushing. Everything. Jeffrey Davis passed for 129 yards and four touchdowns. Karl Holmes Jr. caught two TD passes and Deshawn Hayes and Denzel Talifero each caught one, too. DaiDai McFadden, destiny Iwuoma, Trayveion Yates and Brandon Jackson all made big plays. Muir led 42-0 at the half. It was the Mustangs' largest margin of victory in Turkey Tussle history and scored the most points in Turkey Tussle history. The win helped Muir secure the Pacific League's fourth and final berth into the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs. Muir will find out who it plays next week.

Arcadia 35, Crescenta Valley 17 -- Myles Carr passed for three touchdowns and Brian Ponce ran for another to lead the Apaches, who got off to a slow start and twice trailed by 10 and trailed 17-14 at the half. Arcadia shut out Crescenta Valley in the second half and took the ball away three times, including two interceptions from Nader Daumoni. Arcadia finished undefeated at Salter Stadium.

Monrovia 34, La Cañada 10 -- Nick Bueno rushed for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He passed for only 69 yards, but the Wildcats didn't need to really pass. The Spartans, however, did record two interceptions off of Bueno. La Cañada's Scott Gray scored the lone touchdown on a 1-yard run. Temple City, La Cañada and South Pasadena all finished 3-2, with the Tigers losing the coin flip. Temple City advances as the league's No. 2 team after winning the head-to-head tiebreaker over La Cañada.

St. Francis 34, Harvard-Westlake 14 --- St. Francis scored on its first six possessions of the game, en route to securing the Mission League's final automatic berth for the CIF-Southern Section Western Division playoffs. St. Francis (6-4, 3-2) opened the game with an eight-minute, 16-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a 6-yard touchdown run by Austin De Los Santos. Ian Sternau kicked a 48-yard field goal on the last play of the first half for a 24-0 lead.

Rio Hondo Prep 47, Viewpoint 0 -- The Kares defense held Viewpoint to 78 total yards of offense. Rio Hondo Prep clinches its 22nd Prep League championship and gets ready for the Northeast Division playoffs.

OTHER SCORES
San Gabriel 38, Schurr 28
Pasadena Poly 36, Chadwick 27
Rosemead 42, El Monte 29
Montebello 38, Keppel 12
Mary Star 31, Bosco Tech 29
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 44, La Salle 6
San Marino 31, Blair 6

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Karl Holmes Jr. met his father for the first time when he was 5 years old. He was 11 by the time he saw him again.

In December, the Muir senior will drive to San Quentin State Prison to visit Holmes Sr., 35, who's spent the last 15 years on Death Row along with Lorenzo Newborn and Herbert McClain for their conviction in the killings of three Pasadena children on Halloween night in 1993.

Holmes' mother, Wanda Martin, wasn't a constant presence until just two years ago, when Holmes moved in with her, he said. She was in and out of his life, and Holmes during that time was under the care of his uncle, former Muir star running back Darick Holmes.

With seemingly every excuse in the book to turn his back on life, Holmes decided he wouldn't be just another statistic. In spite of his parent's troubled history, success became Holmes' only option.

The 6-foot-4 star wide receiver for the Mustangs football team will play in front of thousands at 7 tonight in the 57th annual Turkey Tussle at the Rose Bowl. Holmes said he'll think of his father's words, to make the most of the moment and the opportunities that lay before him.

Holmes will withstand the cold November air and soak in the roaring crowd before making his way out of the dark tunnel. It's more than a moment, it's a way of life.

Holmes' upbringing in northwest Pasadena was a struggle, with pressure and influence from gangs at nearly every turn. If not for his uncle, Holmes said, he's not sure what would've happened to him.

"You see on TV the stories about examples of people who made it," Holmes said, "but to have someone here, physically in front of you, who is family that you can look up to, means the world to me and makes me feel absolutely blessed."

Darick graduated from Muir in 1989 before stops at Mt. San Antonio College and Pasadena City College led him to Portland State. He was drafted in the seventh round (244th overall) by the Buffalo Bills in the 1995 NFL Draft, and went on to play for the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts before his season was cut short because of ankle injuries.

Darick draws from his own experience - successful or otherwise - when mentoring Holmes. Darick, while a sophomore at Pasadena, spent 10 months in a juvenile camp. He said his affiliation with the wrong group brought him trouble. Realizing his potential, Darick made a stronger effort to remain focused.

He's more than just the uncle who played in the NFL. He's a father figure.

"He's done so much for me," Holmes said. "He has his own family to take care of, but yet helps me anytime I need him. He's always been there to support me."

Holmes talks to his father about four times a month. They mostly talk about sports and rarely ever, if at all, talk about how and why he landed in jail.

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57th ANNUAL TURKEY TUSSLE
Pasadena (4-5, 3-3) vs. Muir (5-4, 4-2)
Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.
Adult - $8.00
Students w/ ASB - $6.00
Senior Citizens - $6.00
Children under 5 - Free

This column originally published Thursday, Nov. 11 on A3 in the Star-News.

Most of life is about choice.

Sometimes it's as simple as picking the lesser of two evils - as in Brown versus Whitman.

Blue or red. Republican, Democrat or decline to state.

Sometimes your choices stay with you for life.

The frothing, spike-collared bulldog my brother Steve brought home on his bicep from basic training at Fort Knox falls into that category.

Other times we face complicated choices between varying shades of gray. Do you want strawberry preserves or grape jelly on that peanut butter sandwich?

Then there's good choices represented by a group of San Gabriel Valley high school seniors who paraded through the office Wednesday. Each wore clothing advertising the school they hope to attend. Harvard, Stanford, Tulane, Loyola Marymount and the University of North Dakota were all represented.

Of course there is the choice that most Pasadenans will make this week.

For many it will come down to PHS or Muir. It is (after all) time once again for the city's Turkey Tussle. The annual high school football game at the Rose Bowl pits red Bulldogs against blue Mustangs for citywide bragging rights.

And despite their 11-game losing streak, let me state once and for all that as of Wednesday I am a Bulldog.

CLICK TO CONTINUE READING WHY STAR-NEWS EDITOR FRANK GIRARDOT IS ROOTING FOR PASADENA IN THE 57th ANNUAL TURKEY TUSSLE FRIDAY AT THE ROSE BOWL

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Pasadena Poly's Jordan Kutzer and St. Francis' David Hubinger played on the same all-star baseball team when they were 10 years old.

Seven years later, the duo almost landed at the same college before Hubinger ultimately signed with Pepperdine, while Kutzer chose Stanford.

They are two of 16 area athletes who signed national letters of intent Wednesday, the first day of the Fall Signing Period for all sports except football, boys and girls soccer and boys water polo.

It was a proud moment for the group, whose members at some point crossed paths despite playing various sports and formed long-lasting friendships, including six softball players and five volleyball players.

La Cañada's Anna Edwards (Northwestern), La Salle's Sterling Shuster (Loyola Marymount), Maranatha's Annie Sommers (Boston College), Mayfield's Katie Clancy (Belmont University) and Temple City's Jessica Loicano (North Dakota) play on the same travel softball team, Velocity 18U Gold, which is based in the San Gabriel Valley.

Edwards, who batted .580 with 35 RBIs and nine home runs last season, said choosing Northwestern over Michigan and Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo came easy because of the school's close-knit environment.

Shuster, who led the Lancers to a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 championship last season, said Loyola Marymount offered the best of both worlds - top Division I competition in softball and an opportunity to study film at the industry's epicenter.

"There's no better place than L.A. for film," she said. "I committed at the end of my sophomore season, and that ended the recruiting process for me."

Sommers, an All-CIF and Star-News All-Area standout for the Minutemen, said the rich sports tradition at Boston College won her over.

"It offers a perfect balance with sports and social setting," she said.

Clancy, a pitching sensation with a 0.76 ERA, 19 wins and 254 strikeouts, said her love for country music was an added bonus when she signed with Nashville's Belmont University. Loicano, who led the Rams in batting average (.379) and home runs (5), said North Dakota provided a good environment to learn, as well as a program that would allow her to compete right away.

La Cañada's Lauren O'Leary (Georgetown) is the other softball standout in the group and led the Spartans in strikeouts (165) and wins (19) last season. She said Georgetown was tops on her list, and an official visit there confirmed that.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING AND FOR PHOTOS OF INDIVIDUAL SIGNINGS

By Keith Lair Staff Writer

SOUTH PASADENA -- The way Matt Nelson runs his routes and Conor Bednarski throws the ball, the common perception is they have been doing the same thing since at least grade school.

But truth be told, it's only been 20 games.

"I never seriously thought about football until my freshman year," Nelson said. "We played together as freshmen, but his sophomore year he was on varsity and I was playing a little bit on the soph-frosh and JV teams.

"But our junior and senior years, we put in a lot of work. And we've put in a lot of extra work, too."

That 20th varsity game together was a doozy. Nelson caught 11 passes for 179 yards, including two touchdowns, as South Pasadena picked up a 27-17 victory over visiting Temple City on Wednesday. He also had a key interception.

And the Rio Hondo League race has turned into another doozy, too. If Monrovia defeats La Cañada to win the league title outright on Friday, it creates a three-way tie for second with South Pasadena, Temple City and La Cañada all going 3-2. The same scenario, in which one team is out by a coin flip and the other shows up after the completion of the Monrovia-La Cañada game for a 10-yard tie-breaker matchup exists again.

Bednarski completed 15 of 23 passes for 208 yards. He went short and then long to Nelson.
Nelson made a great 34-yard touchdown reception by out-leaping Temple City's Andrew Arida to give the Tigers a 20-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter. He reached behind to catch a 28-yarder to keep that drive going.

"The great thing is he made some plays after he caught the ball," Bednarski said. "We've been working out on the weekends and extra sessions. We have developed some nice chemistry."
Nelson said the defenders were playing him six yards off the ball, which allowed for quick passes. When they stepped up, that's when Nelson went deeper.

"He made some huge catches," South Pasadena coach Ed Smith said. "Some of those catches he had a problem with earlier this year. Conor called some audibles and he and Conor called some good plays for themselves."

But as well as the pair were playing catch, mixed in with Patrick Martin's running game (136 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries), it was the Tigers' ability to sustain drives that won the game.

"It's awesome," Nelson said. "It's not just me and him, though. It's our team making that catch. It's awesome for the team."

Meanwhile, as well as the Rams were moving the ball, they failed to sustain those same type of drives.

Joshua Simangunsong rushed for 191 yards on 30 carries, but the Rams struggled after their opening drive.

"We were never able to finish drives," Temple City coach Mike McFarland said. "We are a running football team. We were able to move the ball, but we made mistakes that put us in long yardage situations for us."

Both teams scored on their opening drives. The Rams then drove to the Tigers 22 where their push stalled and Nick Palmer gave them a 10-7 lead with a 40-yard field goal.

The Rams were driving again when Sean Nang picked off a Mikal Quintanilla pass at the South Pasadena 41 in the second quarter. Martin scored to give the Tigers the lead.

Three more times the Rams stalled after driving into South Pasadena territory, but on those occasions no points came from it.

"We were able to move the chains, but they didn't give up the big play," McFarland said. "The difference was that (Simangunsong) wasn't able to have those breakout runs like he did earlier this season. South Pasadena did a good job defending against that.

"We were able to pin them deep and they were able to change field positions."

I know this video is a few days old, but I wanted to post it here in case some of you hadn't seen it. IT'S A MUST SEE!!!

Here's the cover of PrepXtra's Turkey Tussle Edition. It will be inserted for home delivery and hit the newstands in the Pasadena/Altadena area Friday. This project truly was a collaborative effort. Managing editor Steve Hunt and preps eidtor Fred J. Robledo oversaw the week-long project while Fred Robledo Sr. (Freddy's dad), Aram Tolegian, Jim McConnell and myself provided editorial content, which includes features on a player from each team, profiles on both head coaches, a history of the Victory Bell and much, much more. A lot of credit also goes to staffer Evelyn Barge, who did an outstanding job with the design throughout. I'm confident this magazine will be a true keepsake for you all, so be sure to pick up a copy at the Star-News office or buy a bunch from the vendors selling them for $1 at the Rose Bowl. You won't see a better game preview magazine.

Note: I misspoke when I said Muir was the home team. PHS is the home team.

57th ANNUAL TURKEY TUSSLE
Pasadena (4-5, 3-4) vs. Muir (5-4, 4-2)
Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.
Adult - $8.00
Students w/ ASB - $6.00
Senior Citizens - $6.00
Children under 5 - Free

Here are the scenarios:

Monrovia (7-2, 4-0) finishes as the Rio Hondo League champion with a win over La Cañada (5-4, 3-1), no disputing that.

Temple City (4-5, 3-1) can clinch the No. 2 playoff spot with a win over South Pasadena (5-4, 2-2) on Wednesday, because even if La Cañada pulls off the upset over Monrovia on Friday, the Rams already beat the Spartans, giving Temple City the No. 2 spot with a 4-1 league record.

A Temple City loss, however, certainly complicates things. If the Rams lose, that drops them to 3-2, the same record as South Pasadena.

If La Cañada loses, that puts the Spartans, Rams and Tigers at 3-2.

In this event, a coin flip determines the odd team out, with head-to-head competition deciding the second- place team for the league's guaranteed Mid-Valley Division playoff spot.

The third- place finisher would have to apply for an at-large berth.

Muir and Pasadena High administrations mutulally agreed to increase the ticket prices to offset some of the costs that are involved with holding the Turkey Tussle at the Rose Bowl.

The ticket prices are as follows:
Adult - $8.00
Student w/o ASB card from Muir or Pasadena - $6.00
Senior Citizens - $6.00
Children under the age of five - free

Here's a list of several athletes expected to sign Wednesday on early national letter of intent signing day. What we've done is invite the athletes to the Pasadena Star-News office to take part in a group photo to publish on the front page of the sports section Thursday. This is the fairest way to satisfy everyone, so all athletes on the list below are invited here Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., for a group shot. I will call your coaches to notify them, but you can also email me if you have questions. Please wear something indicating your college of choice. If there are athletes signing that I missed, please email me at miguel.melendez@sgvn.com so we can coordinate.

Pasadena Poly's Jordan Kutzer, below, will sign with Stanford.

BASEBALL
Jordan Kutzer, Pasadena Poly (Stanford)
David Hubinger, St. Francis (Pepperdine)

BASKETBALL
Kenyatta Smith, Flintridge Prep (Harvard)

SOFTBALL
Anna Edwards, La Cañada (Northwestern)
Lauren O'Leary, La Cañada (Georgetown)
Sterling Shuster, La Salle (Loyola Marymount)
Annie Sommers, Maranatha (Boston College)
Katie Clancy, Mayfield (Belmont)
Jessica Loicano, Temple City (North Dakota)

VOLLEYBALL
Hannah Schraer, Mayfield (USC)
Tirrah Le'au, Monrovia (Georgia)
Camille Coffey, Flintridge Sacred Heart (Fairfield University)
Alyssa Walton, Flintridge Sacred Heart (University of Delaware)

SWIMMING
Emily Boyd, Flintridge Sacred Heart (Michigan)

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

ALHAMBRA - Keppel's Mitchell Aguilar was running with the football when he was tackled from behind by a San Gabriel player in an Almont League game on Oct. 22.
The tackle resulted in Aguilar suffering torn ankle ligaments. Aguilar was paid a visit by a face familiar to those on the Keppel sidelines, one wearing his traditional cardinal fedora: Dr. D. Royce Foster.

"It hurt," Aguilar said of the injury. "He helped me off the field. I'm glad I had someone there who knew what he was doing."

Then, however, Aguilar had to make a trip every athlete and his parents dread: to the emergency room. After the game, a 42-0 San Gabriel victory, Foster showed up at the hospital.

"He checked to see me again," Aguilar said. "It was pretty surprising."

It's something Foster routinely has done for 44 years. If a player is transported to an area hospital, Foster visits the player after the game.

"I want to make sure they are being looked at," he said. "I know I can't do anything."

Players come and graduate. Coaches and administrators come and go.

Heck, the grass on the Keppel field dies and grows back. Foster, however, has been the one constant on that field for 44 years.

Foster, who turns 85 next week, has been on the sidelines for Keppel varsity games since 1966. He's seen all but six or seven of those games, which amounts to more than 400.

And counting.

CLICK ON THREAD TO COTINUE READING

The East L.A. Classic, like many high school football rivalries, divides families. I was reading with great interest a story about the East L.A. Classic on ESPNLA.com, and came across an interesting statement:

Garfield-Roosevelt, Roosevelt-Garfield is a series that dates to 1926 and is one of many longtime rivalries between two Los Angeles area high schools. Some of the other top rivalries include Banning-Carson, Bell-Huntington Park, Belmont-Marshall, Alhambra-Keppel and Muir-Pasadena, who play in the annual Turkey Tussle at the Rose Bowl.

But none generate the interest that Garfield-Roosevelt does.

Garfield won the 76th meeting last week, 13-3, but Roosevelt still leads the series, 40-30-6.

The L.A. Times reported that Nike provided both teams with new uniforms, which I thought was kind of cool.

Muir and PHS have produced 32 NFL players. The schools are a mere six miles apart, a nine minute drive from each other. Muir leads the series, 37-17-2 and the teams will meet for the 57th time on Friday at the Rose Bowl.

Your thoughts, biased or otherwise.

The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season...

Melendez: 16-1 last week; total 123-41-1
Stang Fan: 16-1 last week; total 132-32-1

My lone loss last week was when I picked Viewpoint over Flintridge Prep, which the Rebels won big, 35-0, to record their first win of the season. Stang Fan's lone loss was picking Alhambra over San Gabriel, which the Matadors won, 28-13.

You have to love there still are playoff spots up for grabs. In the Almont League, San Gabriel can make the playoffs provided the Matadors beat Schurr, Montebello loses to Keppel and that the Matadors are awarded an at-large berth. Remember, only the top two placers in league are guaranteed automatic berths into the playoffs. San Gabriel's been playing well, even in losses to Bell Gardens and Montebello. I have the Matadors pulling off the upset against a complacent Schurr team, but their season demise ultimately arrives when Montebello cruises past Keppel.

In the Mission League, a St. Francis (2-2 in league) win and a St. Paul (2-2) win over Chaminade (3-1) increase the Golden Knights' chances.

In the Olympic League, Maranatha can finish second at 2-2 if Village Christian beats Valley Christian. If Valley Christian wins, Maranatha finishes third and would likely get an at-large berth. Of course, L.A. Baptist still could pull of a shocker and beat Whittier Christian, but the feeling here is the Heralds win easily. CalPreps predicts a Whittier Christian win, 48-8. Maranatha has a bye.

In the Prep League, Rio Hondo Prep can clinch outright with a win over Viewpoint, which is 0-3 in league. Pasadena Poly (3-1) and Chadwick (3-1) would battle for second place. If Rio Hondo Prep loses, and Pasadena Poly wins, they'd finish co-league champs with Chadwick third behind Poly second. If Rio Hondo Prep loses and Chadwick beats Poly, Rio and Chadwick share the league title with Poly finishing third in league.

Talk about congestion ... the top of the Pacific League is looking a lot like the 405 in rush hour.

Burroughs, Arcadia and Burbank all are 5-1 in league. Burroughs and Burbank face off Friday and Arcadia hosts Crescenta Valley. There are plenty of scenarios:

Arcadia can clinch a share of the Pacific League title with a win regardless of what happens between Burbank and Burroughs, but the Apaches' placement will be determined by the Burbank-Burroughs result.

If Burbank wins, the Apaches go into the playoffs as the league's No. 1 representative because they beat Burbank. If Burroughs wins, Arcadia is still co-champion, but goes into the playoffs as the No. 2 representative.

If Arcadia, Burbank and Muir win, Burroughs finishes fourth because Muir beat Burroughs. If Arcadia, Burroughs, and Muir win, however, Arcadia still is co-league champion but Burroughs is first, Arcadia is second, Burbank third and Muir fourth because Muir lost to Burbank.

Here's where it gets tricky.

If Arcadia loses, the league crown would be decided between Burroughs and Burbank.

If Burroughs wins, they're first, Arcadia is second and Burbank is third because Arcadia beat Burbank but lost to Burroughs.

If Burbank wins, they are first, Burroughs is second, and Arcadia third because they lost to Burroughs.

In an Arcadia-loss scenario, the No. 4 spot comes down between Muir and Pasadena, both of which lost to Arcadia.

In essence, Burroughs can go from first to fourth depending on how Friday night plays out.

What if Pasadena pulls off the upset?

Well ...

If Pasadena pulls off the upset and beats Muir, the Bulldogs would finish 4-3 in league and in fourth place ahead of Muir, which also finishes 4-3.

In this case, whatever happens between Burbank-Burroughs and Arcadia-CV would have no effect on Pasadena's placement, meaning the Bulldogs can finish no better than fourth place.

Crazy, right?

Now on to the Rio Hondo League ....

Monrovia finishes league champion, no disputing that.

Temple City can clinch the No. 2 playoff spot with a win over South Pasadena, simple as that because even if La Cañada pulls off the upset over Monrovia, the Rams already beat the Spartans head-to-head, giving Temple City the No. 2 spot with a 4-1 league record.

A Temple City loss, however, would certainly complicate things. If the Rams lose, that drops them to 3-2 along with South Pasadena also at 3-2. A lot, then, depends on the Monrovia-La Cañada outcome.

If La Cañada wins, the Spartans finish 4-1 and take the No. 2 spot in league, no questions asked.

If La Cañada loses, that puts the Spartans, Rams and Tigers all at 3-2. This is the part where I talk to the league coordinator and straighten out this scenario. But remember, if Temple City wins, you can throw out all the scenarios as the Rams would clinch the No. 2 playoff spot, leaving La Cañada to hope for an at-large berth as the No. 3 team.

Wednesday's game
Temple City at South Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Temple City); Stang Fan (TC)

Friday's games
Pasadena vs. Muir at Rose Bowl, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Muir); Stang Fan (Muir)
Crescenta Valley at Arcadia, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Arcadia); Stang Fan (Arcadia)
La Cañada vs. Monrovia at San Marino, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Monrovia); Stang Fan (Monrovia)
St. Francis at Harvard-Westlake, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (St. Francis); Stang Fan (St. Francis)
San Gabriel at Schurr, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (San Gabriel); Stang Fan (Schurr)
El Monte at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Rosemead); Stang Fan (Rosemead)
Chadwick at Pasadena Poly, 2:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Pas Poly); Stang Fan (Poly)
Viewpoint at Rio Hondo Prep, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Rio Hondo Prep); Stang Fan (RHP)
Montebello at Keppel, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Montebello); Stang Fan (Montebello)
Mary Star vs. Bosco Tech at Cantwell, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Bosco); Stang Fan (Bosco)
Cantwell-Sacred Heart at La Salle, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Cantwell); Stang Fan (Cantwell)
San Marino vs. Blair at Muir, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Blair); Stang Fan (San Marino)
Gabrielino at South El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (SEM); Stang Fan (Gabrielino)
Duarte at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (La Puente); Stang Fan (La Puente)
Marshall at Brentwood, 3 p.m. -- Melendez (Brentwood); Stang Fan (Brentwood)
Flintridge Prep at Webb, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (Flintridge); Stang Fan (Flintridge)
Alhambra at Bell Gardens, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Bell Gardens); Stang Fan (Bell Gardens)

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM FRIDAY'S POLY-RIO HONDO PREP GAME

CLICK HERE FOR OTHER SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SCORES

Friday's results

Rio Hondo Prep 40, Pasadena Poly 27 -- Rio Hondo Prep clinched at least a share of the Prep League title with a dominant performance. The Kares (7-1, 4-0) three times stopped the Panthers (6-3, 3-1) when they were deep in Rio Hondo Prep territory. Perhaps no stop hurt more than when the Panthers were stopped at fourth and 1 at the Rio Hondo Prep 1. The Kares then marched 99 yards on 10 plays, capped by a Charles Quintero 12-yard touchdown run to seal the win. Quintero and fellow running back Nick Preciado combined for 401 yards rushing on the ground. Quintero finsihed with 277 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns. Pasadena Poly made some big plays in the first and second quarter. Hunter Merryman connected on a 69-yard touchdown pass to Blake Edwards in the second play of the game. Later in the first quarter, Merryman again connected on a 68-yard touchdown pass to Edwards. Jack Porter then added a highlight reel with a 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Panthers. The score would swing back and forth before Rio Hondo Prep gained control, thanks to a short field and key stops. Pasadena Poly all game long opted for pooch on-side kicks in an effort to avoid kicking to a waiting Quintero. While the ball never made it Quintero's way, Rio Hondo Prep did take advantage of a short field. Rio Hondo Prep QB Colby Rivera connected on a spectacular fade away pass to Jake Holguin, who made the catch from 23 yards out with 2:08 left in the third quarter. Huge play by Rio Hondo Prep in the fourth quarter after the Kares made it 40-27. The Panthers again threatened on the ensuing possession starting at the Poly 46, but on the first play, a 13-yard pass from Merryman to Jack Porter was met with a hard collision from Quintero. The ball came loose and Holguin scooped it up and returned it all the way to the Pasadena Poly 15. A few plays later, the Kares were in victory formation. It was an absolute pleasure to watch these teams play.

Monrovia 48, South Pasadena 7 -- Monrovia's defense was stout, again, held South Pasadena to no positive yards until 1:34 left in the first quarter. Nick Bueno completed 11 of 19 passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for only 24 yards on five carries. He also caught a 66-yard touchdown pass from Chalres Jackson. South Pasadena's Patrick Martin scored on a 2-yard run with 1:34 left in the game. No In-N-Out for the Wildcats this week. Anthony Craft is coming to his own. He caught three passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

San Gabriel 28, Alhambra 13 -- Andy Guerrero broke his left ankle last week, and in his place came Arthur Brown. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more to lead the Matadors, who are 2-2 and tied for third with Montebello in the Almont League. The Oilers beat San Gabriel earlier this season. San Gabriel can keep its playoff hopes alive with a win over Schurr, provided Keppel beats Montebello.

La Canada 21, San Marino 7 -- San Marino turned the ball over seven times, so that didn't help the Titans. QB Cody Gerrick completed 10 of 27 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown, but threw five interceptions. Seve Woods caught the TD pass for 70 yards. He had 124 yards receiving in the losing effort. Scott Gray, who was sacked five times, ran a 50-yard keeper for the Spartans' first score of the game. Lucas Gauthier scored a touchdown and recorded an interception for La Canada.

Muir 28, Burroughs 21 -- This is the Muir I've been talking about. Jeffrey Davis completed 7 of 12 for 141 yards and touchdown passes of 60- and 40-yards to Kevon Seymour. Davis six carries for 58 yards and a touchdown from 12 yards to seal the win with 1:53 left in the game. The key was Traveion Yates had key fourth down conversions, particularly in the final drive on fourth and three in the fourth to the 12 in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes left. Davis took it over from there. The Mustangs are no 5-3 overall and 4-2 in league to setup a showdown next week against Pasadena in the 57th annual Turkey Tussle.

Pasadena 41, Glendale 7 -- Brandon Cox completed 10 of 14 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns to CJ Collins and Riian Simpson. Pasadena improves to 4-5 and 3-3 in league with its playoff hopes very much alive. Cleo Bates scored two touchdowns on runs of 14 and 36 yards. Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed only 132 yards.

Temple City 42, Blair 14 -- Joshua Simangunsong carried the ball 12 times for 201 yards and four touchdowns on runs of 5, 37, 49 and 56 yards. He only played until the first play of the third quarter. The Rams are now 3-1 in the Rio Hondo League with a huge game against South Pasadena next Wednesday at South Pasadena.

St. Francis 28, Cathedral 21 -- Travis Talianko caught the game-winning touchdown with 50 seconds left in the game. The St. Francis defense picked off Cathedral QB Hayden Rettig four times. Ian Sternau converted two field goals from 25 and 38 yards out to come in crunch time. Cathedral committed 19 penalties in the loss.

Flintridge Prep 35, Viewpoint 0 -- Chris Wirthlin rushed for 124 yards, scored twice and recorded an interception to lead the Rebels in their first win of the season. Erik Kazangian also had a big game for Flintridge Prep, rushing for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

OTHER SCORES
Arcadia 49, Glendale 14
Maranatha 58, L.A. Baptist 14
Rosemead 34, South El Monte 0
Mountain View 15, Gabrielino 7
Gladstone 49, Duarte 0
Montclair Prep 58, Marshall 0
Bell Gardens 56, Keppel 7
Bishop Montgomery 56, La Salle 6

Saturday's games
No games scheduled

Wednesday, Nov. 10 is early national signing day period for basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and soccer. We'll have a group photo at the Star-News office that day, so if your kid is signing to a Division I school, please e-mail me at miguel.melendez@sgvn.com so we can coordinate a time.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

Ed Smith admits it doesn't happen very often.

It's the 10th week of the football season and South Pasadena High School has something to play for when it faces visiting Monrovia on Friday night at 7.

"The kids are excited," the longtime Tigers coach said. "This is one of those years where we can make a difference in the ninth game. It does not happen very often."

The Tigers are in a three- way tie for second place in the Rio Hondo League with La Ca ada and Temple City. All are 2-1. Monrovia is 3-0.

The last time the Tigers were in this position was in 2006, when they lost a 32-14 decision to Temple City.

Smith said beating Monrovia, however, will not be an easy task.

"We have to be perfect," he said.

Before the season, the team watched a documentary that profiled De La Salle of Concord coach Bob Ladouceur and the Spartans' 151-game winning streak.

"We just talk about being perfect and not making mistakes," Smith said.

"We try and do that at every practice."

Smith said quarterback Conor Bednarski, running back Patrick Martin, who tweaked his ankle in practice Monday, and wide receivers Sean Park and Matt Nelson have to be perfect. So do the offensive and defensive lines.

"Monrovia has a lot of weapons, but the key is their quarterback," Smith said of Nick Bueno.

"The problem is that nobody has been able to stop him."

Nick Bueno's been tearing it up, and if you haven't seen him in action, you better soon. I wrote last week that Bueno was on pace to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in passing and rushing. He's completed 54 percent of his passes for 1,013 yards and 13 touchdowns against four interceptions. He's rushed for 897 yards and eight touchdowns, meaning the rest of the Mid-Valley Division once again will have a hard time defending the elusive QB/tailback/slot receiver/everything else.

St. Francis QB Brett Nelson has put up some amazing numbers. He's completed nearly 60 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,052 yards and 22 touchdowns against eight interceptions. The Knights are battling for a CIF-Southern Section Western Division playoff spot. Nelson also has rushed for four touchdowns.

Pasadena Poly's Hunter Merryman has the Panthers on the cusp of a Rio Hondo League championship. He's blossomed into an efficient quarterback, passing for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns for the 6-1 Panthers.

Arcadia's Taylor Lagace is more than an offensive show. The junior defensive back is also a showstopper. He anchors the defense and leads the team with four interceptions. His prowess on offense is what separates him from the rest. He's caught 33 passes for 426 yards and six touchdowns. Keep in mind he missed the Hoover game.

Maranatha's Andrew Elffers is an unbelievable talent at quarterback. That he's only a sophomore is what makes him that much special. He's completed 64 percent of his passes, throwing for a staggering 2,437 yards and 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Say what you want about who the Minutemen have played this season, but if you've seen this kid in action you can see the talent. He has excellent vision, can extend plays with his legs, sits comfortably in the pocket and has a powerful arm. He'll be Maranatha's first QB to land at the next level when his prom days are over.

Pasadena Poly's Blake Edwards gives the Panthers a formidable 1-2 punch alongside QB Hunter Merryman. Edwards' speed and versatility makes him quite the commodity at Poly. The senior running back has rushed for 1,031 yards and 12 touchdowns. That's an 11.33 average per carry and nearly 130 yards rushing per game.

Arcadia's Myles Carr has arguably made the biggest improvement this season. The junior quarterback has shown his worth with 1,169 yards and 17 touchdowns against only three interceptions. He's completed a staggering 66 percent of his passes.

South Pasadena's Conor Bednarski got a lot of hype during the Tigers' run up to the 2010 season, and for good reason, too. The senior quarterback has passed for 1,062 yards and 11 touchdowns against only three interceptions. He's one of the main reasons the Tigers are 5-3 and 2-1 in the Rio Hondo League.

Monrovia's a powerhouse in the Mid-Valley Division, largely in part because of two guys -- Nick Bueno and big bad Ellis McCarthy. Our Steve Ramirez, who has covered several Monrovia games for us this season, says the Wildcats will win the Mid-Valley Division because McCarthy will lead them there. McCarthy, a 6-foot-5, 290 pound defensive tackle, has 11 sacks this season. He had as many all last season. McCarthy's a punishing pass-rusher and often times double teamed. Monrovia's relentless pressure on quarterbacks sets the tone for the Wildcats, and it starts with McCarthy.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

This time, Arthur Brown will be a little better prepared.

It appears that the San Gabriel senior will be making his first start at quarterback, and it only comes in one of the Matadors' most important games of the season, against Alhambra.

The starting tailback found himself thrust into the quarterback role at halftime of last Friday's 37-35 loss to Bell Gardens. Starter Andy Guerrero was knocked out of the game, and for the season, with a broken ankle. Backup Eric Alvarez has extremely sore biceps that were so painful he could hardly play. At halftime, coach Jude Oliva elected to put Brown at quarterback.

With Alvarez on a day-to-day wait, Brown is being trained to play a full game of quarterback for the first time; he's never played the position at any other level of football.

"We're pretty optimistic," Oliva said. "He's played tailback for three years and played cornerback. All that helps.

"He's been around for a while, so he knows what is going on. He's played multiple positions and is very familiar with the offense."

This week's game, however, is unlike last Friday's. Oliva said that during halftime, his staff had to show Brown some moves and how to run the plays. He did throw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Alex Villalobos.

Brown will definitely not be a throwing quarterback; he's certainly thrown the ball around a lot in practice, but only for two quarters in game situations.

"We're more of a passing team, so we'll get the running game going," Oliva said.

Friday's game will be at Moor field and it will be Alhambra's homecoming game. In addition to bragging rights, CIF-Southern Section playoff implications are on the line - both teams are 1-2 in the Almont League and still have a legitimate chance of making postseason play.

"Friday night, I know our kids are excited, and will be ready to play and I know (Alhambra coach) Lou (Torres') kids will be ready to play, too."

Arcadia's Jon Dimalante certainly deserves to be in the mix after beating Muir for the first time in seven years, which also by the way marked his 100th win as Apaches head coach. Arcadia (5-3, 4-1) is in contention for the Pacific League title.

I'll have a Player of the Year consideration list tomorrow, so please refrain from leaving comments on that til then. For now, here's a list of a few other coaches who should be considered, in no particular order.

Ryan Maddox, Monrovia (6-2, 3-0) -- The Wildcats again are in the hunt for a CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship. There's no doubt Monrovia will win yet again the Rio Hondo League championship. Maddox kept true to his word that the Wildcats would add strength to their schedule, and though early season losses seemed questionable, we now know Monrovia learned from its mistakes and is still heavily considered to reach the finals.

Mike McFarland, Temple City (3-5, 2-1) -- Winning isn't always the be all, end all. Sometimes it's about making due with what you have, and steady improvement has not been more evident than at Temple City. McFarland took a young Rams team with more questions than answers and evolved them into a punishing ground team with an eye for ... wait for it ... the playoffs (Playoffs?! Playoffs?!?!), and really, who was thinking Temple City was going to the playoffs after an 0-3 start?

Ken Drain, Rio Hondo Prep (6-1, 3-0) -- Ken Drain almost always seems to be in the running for the honors. He was named Star-News Coach of the Year two years ago after leading the Kares to a CIF-SS Northeast Division championship. Rio Hondo Prep this season has signature wins over Big Bear (East Valley Division) and Village Christian (Mid-Valley Division).

Brendan McGrail, Pasadena Poly (6-2, 3-0) -- The Panthers bounced back with a four-game winning streak, and face their biggest opponent of the season on Friday at Rio Hondo Prep. The winner will ultimately decide the Prep League championship, but you can't discount McGrail's impact on the development of quarterback Hunter Merryman (1,101 yards, 11 TDs, 1 INT) and running back Blake Edwards (1,001 yards rushing, 12 TDs; 514 yards receiving, 5 TDs).

Joel Murphy, Maranatha (6-3, 1-2) -- This depends on if and when the Minutemen make the Mid-Valley Division playoffs. The feeling here is Maranatha will finish 2-2 and earn an at-large berth out of what I feel is the toughest league in the Mid-Valley Division, the Olympic League. Maranatha also was a team that steadily improved after a season-opening loss to Big Bear. The Minutemen almost knocked off two giants in Whittier Christian and Cerritos Valley Christian. The consensus is Maranatha will surprise teams once in the playoffs.

From the Daily Sentinel in Nacogdoches, Texas:

The Nacogdoches Dragons and Jacksonville Indians started Friday's District 14-4A game playing for a playoff berth. As it turned out, they played long into the night and set what is thought to be a national record for overtimes. Jacksonville's Rodrigo Carreon hit a 19-yard field goal in the bottom of the 12th overtime to give the Indians an 84-81 victory over the Dragons Friday night on Dragon Stadium.

The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season...

Melendez: 17-2 last week; total 107-40-1
Stang Fan: 17-2 last week; total 116-31-1

My two losses last week came when I picked St. Paul and Alhambra to win. St. Paul lost to St. Francis and Alhambra lost to Montebello, respectively. Stang Fan also had two losses, coming when he picked La Salle to beat Mary Star and San Marino to beat South Pasadena. Unless I make a crazy run over the next few weeks, it's looking like Stang Fan will win the series. As for the bet, it's looking like I'll have to use a new blog picture for a week wearing a USC shirt and hat. But first, let's see how this week goes.

It's safe to say that our game of the week honors goes to the Prep League showdown when Pasadena Poly (6-2, 3-0) visits Rio Hondo Prep (6-1, 3-0). I'm not a big fan of 7:30 games, but the fact this game will ultimately decide the league championship makes it enticing for yours truly to make his first ever assignment covering Rio Hondo Prep. I've been waiting for this matchup since I first saw the schedule, and as I had hoped for both teams are unbeaten in league heading into Week 9. We'll have a 2-minute drill on this game later in the day on Tuesday. South Pasadena has a tough one at home with Monrovia heading into town. So far, no team has scored on the Wildcats, and now it's up to the Tigers' potent balanced attack to get a shot at pulling off an upset. I don't see it happening, but stranger things have happened. Pasadena went 0-5 at home this season, but fortunately for the Bulldogs their next two games are on the road, where they are 3-0.

Friday's games with predictions
Monrovia at South Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Monrovia)
Pasadena Poly at Rio Hondo Prep, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (RHP)
San Gabriel vs. Alhambra at Moor Field, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (San Gabriel)
San Marino at La Canada, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (La Canada)
Glendale at Arcadia, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Arcadia)
Burroughs at Muir, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Muir)
Pasadena vs. Hoover at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Pasadena)
Blair at Temple City, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Temple City)
Rosemead at South El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Rosemead)
Gabrielino at Mountain View, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Mountain View)
Duarte vs. Gladstone at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Gladstone)
St. Francis at Cathedral, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (St. Francis)
Marshall vs. Montclair Prep at Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Montclair)
L.A. Baptist at Maranatha, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Maranatha)
Bell Gardens at Keppel, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Bell Gardens)
La Salle at Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (BishopM)
Flintridge Prep at Viewpoint, 2:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Viewpoint)