December 2010 Archives

Muir 63, La Salle 36: This is not the same Muir High School boys basketball team that stepped onto the court a year ago. There was a stronger emphasis on defense, and it showed in the Mustangs' 63-36 victory over La Salle in Monday's opening round of the La Salle/Temple City Holiday Classic. La Salle (7-4) committed more turnovers (14) in the first half than points (12), and it didn't get any better for the Lancers in the second half. La Salle's inexperience was on display with numerous backcourt and 10-second violations, much to the chagrin of Lancers coach Steve Goldstein. Muir (5-2) applied a swarming press in the second quarter and didn't let up. Senior Deshawn Hayes, still trying to get back into basketball shape after the football season, led all scorers with 23 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Fellow senior Justin Knowles had eight steals, eight points, five assists and four rebounds. Tevin Polk had 11 points and four rebounds.

La Salle/Temple City
Holiday Classic
Monday's Scores
St. Francis 43, Hoover 34
Maranatha 84, AGBU 43
Muir 63, La Salle 36
Temple City 59, Franklin 53
Montebello 80, Arcadia 63
La Canada 70, Marshall 50

La Canada New Year's
Ball Tournament
Monday's Scores
Arcadia 64, La Salle 46
Montclair Prep 68, Flintridge Sacred Heart 50
Burbank 49, La Canada 37

PACIFIC LEAGUE
2010 All-League Football
Player of the Year: Taylor Lagace, Arcadia, Jr.
Coach of the Year: Jon Dimalante, Arcadia
Offensive player of the year: Lucas Yanez, Burroughs
Defensive player of the year: Ryan Seidler, Burbank

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Skill Position
Myles Carr, Arcadia
Adam Colman, Burbank
Ulises Ochoa, Burbank
Tadeo Zuniga, Burroughs
Alex Yoon, Glendale
Karl Holmes Jr., Muir
Offensive Line
Darrell Cheng, Arcadia
Spencer Lee, Burbank
Rookie Hussakhoon, Burroughs
Bryan Luna, Crescenta Valley
Danny Huerta, Muir
Kicker
Pavle Atanackovic, Crescenta Valley

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Clarence Irvin, Arcadia
Nick Brown, Burroughs
Garrett Stodt, Crescenta Valley
Howard Vaughn, Muir
Linebackers
A.J. Rail, Arcadia
Victor Wei, Arcadia
Defensive Back
Casey Barbello, Burroughs
Nadar Damouni, Arcadia
Matt Volland, Burroughs
DaiDai McFadden, Muir
Tevin Hodges, Pasadena
Punter
Nick Villapando, Glendale

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING SECOND TEAM AND HONORABLE MENTION

This is one of my favorite times of the year, covering high school basketball and soccer, and finally I'll get a chance to get out and start covering it. Keith Lair will cover the La Cañada New Year's Ball Girls Basketball Tournament and he'll start with quite the showdown at 2:30 p.m. today when Arcadia (5-1) and La Salle (8-1) open pool play. The Apaches have three players who average double figures in scoring, led by Julianna Okamoto, who averages 16.2 points, and Joy Kang, who is averaging 14.2 points, seven rebounds, five steals and two assists.

On the boys side, I'll cover the 7:30 showdown pitting Muir (4-2) against La Salle (7-3). The Lancers' Kishon Sanders is a rebounding machine, averaging nearly 10 boards per game. Muir's Deshawn Hayes is a highlight reel on virtually every play. If you get a chance, you want to catch this kid in action. He's got hops, speed and has a sweet mid-range jump shot. Muir also is ranked No. 2 in the CIF-SS Division 5AA top 10 coaches' poll. With a lot of talent and good division placement, these Mustangs could make a deep run.

La Salle/Temple City
Holiday Classic
Today's Games
At La Salle High
St. Paul vs. Keppel, 3 p.m.
Hoover vs. St. Francis, 4:30 p.m.
AGBU vs. Maranatha, 6 p.m.
Muir at La Salle, 7:30 p.m.
At Temple City High
Franklin at Temple City, 3 p.m.
Arcadia vs. Montebello, 4:30 p.m.
Crescenta Valley vs. Gabrielino, 6 p.m.
Marshall vs. La Cañada, 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals, Tuesday; Semifinals, Wednesday; Championship, Thursday, at La Salle, 7:30 p.m.

La Cañada New Year's
Ball Tournament
At La Cañada High
Today's Games
Arcadia vs. La Salle, 2:30 p.m.
Montclair Prep vs. Flintridge Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
La Cañada vs. Burbank, 5:30 p.m.
Hart vs. Moorpark, 7 p.m.

Tuesday's Games
Arcadia vs. Montclair Prep, 2:30 p.m.
La Salle vs. Flintridge Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
La Cañada vs. Moorpark, 5:30 p.m.
Burbank vs. Hart, 7 p.m.

Wednesday's Games
Burbank vs. Moorpark, 2:30 p.m.
Montclair Prep vs. La Salle, 4 p.m.
La Cañada vs. Hart, 5:30 p.m.
Flintridge Sacred Heart vs. Arcadia, 7 p.m.

Thursday's Games
7th place game, 2:30 p.m.
5th place game, 4 p.m.
3rd place game, 5:30 p.m.
Championship, 7 p.m.

MISSION LEAGUE
2010 All-League Football
Most Valuable Player: George Farmer, DB, Sr., Serra
Most Valuable Offense: Connor Preston, QB, Sr., Serra
Most Valuable Defenseive Player: Marqise Lee, DB, Sr., Serra
Most Valuable Lineman: Patrick Carroll, OL, Sr., St. Francis

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Offensive Line
Sione Veikoso, Sr., Serra
Omar Spry, Sr., Serra
Taylor Hindy, Jr., Chaminade
Andrew Chen, Jr., Chaminade
Kristion Grbavac, Jr., St. Francis
David Pilkington, Sr., St. Paul
Rick Garcia, Sr., St. Paul
Wide Receivers
Travis Talianko, Jr., St. Francis
Will Noonan, Sr., Chaminade
Tyler Carrillo, Jr., St. Paul
Noor Fateh, Sr., Harvard-Westlake
Kristaan Ivory, Sr., Cathedral
Quarterback
Brett Nelson, Sr., St. Francis
Running Backs
Shaquille Richard, Sr., Serra
Terrell Newby, So., Chaminade
Austin De Los Santos, Jr., St. Francis
Mike Ortega, Jr., St. Paul
David Cabral, Jr., St. Paul
Kicker
Matt Goudis, Sr., Chaminade
Will Oliver, Sr., Harvard-Westlake

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Linemen
Jess Reed, Sr., Chaminade
David Moala, Sr., Serra
Jason Gibson, Sr., Serra
Michael Singelyn, Sr., St. Francis
Josh Salazar, Jr., St. Paul
Linebackers
Woodson Greer, Sr., Serra
Brandon Fontenot, Sr., Serra
Sam Mercer, Sr., Chaminade
Tal Dardashti, Jr., Chaminade
Ryan McAleenan, Jr., St. Francis
Alex Sanchez, Sr., St. Paul
Defensive Backs
Raymond Ford, Jr., Serra
Tanner Reibenspies, Sr., Chaminade
Parker Nieves, Jr., St. Francis
Ryan Longoria, Sr., Cathedral
Marcus Garcia, Jr., St. Paul
Charlie Porter, Jr., Havard-Westlake
Punter
Ian Sternau, Sr., St. Francis

Note: The Olympic League only selects combined first and second teams.

OLYMPIC LEAGUE
2010 All-League Football
Offensive MVP: Stephen Anderson, QB, Sr., Whittier Christian
Defensive MVP: Trent Washington, DL, Sr., Maranatha
Lineman MVP: Jeff Worthy, OL/DL, Sr., Whittier Christian

FIRST TEAM
Kyle Kress, Sr., L.A. Baptist
Lloyd Tunstill, Sr., L.A. Baptist
Andrew Elffers, So., Maranatha
Mark Jebbia, Sr., Maranatha
Joshua Jones, Sr., Maranatha
Jeremy Major, So., Maranatha
RJ Straker, Sr., Maranatha
Trent Washington, Sr., Maranatha
Chris Binford, Sr., Valley Christian
Darrell Bush, Sr., Valley Christian
David Coley, Jr., Valley Christian
Jacob Dupuy, Sr., Valley Christian
James Griffin, Sr., Valley Christian
Trevor Rodriguez, Sr., Valley Christian
Amjed Aboul-Hosn, Jr., Village Christian
Kyle Custer, Sr., Village Christian
Omar Eloustaz, Sr., Village Christian
Tyler McGinnis, Jr., Village Christian
Jay Pyburn, Jr., Village Christian
Stephen Anderson, Sr., Whittier Christian
Grant Escobar, Jr., Whittier Christian
George Flynn, Sr., Whittier Christian
Rudy Robles, Sr., Whittier Christian
Cameron Stanley, Sr., Whittier Christian
Ryan Wallace, Jr., Whittier Christian
Jeff Worthy, Sr., Whittier Christian

SECOND TEAM
Drew Larios, Sr., L.A. Baptist
Josh Nguyen, Jr., L.A. Baptist
Michael Ray, Sr., L.A. Baptist
Isaiah Braithwaite, Sr., Maranatha
Chris Cornell, Sr., Maranatha
Adam Harr, Jr., Maranatha
Matt Marbach, Sr., Maranatha
Darrin Smith, Jr., Maranatha
Omar Younger, So., Maranatha
Lionel Hendrick, Sr., Valley Christian
Anthony Nocera, Jr., Valley Christian
Brad Staal, Sr., Valley Christian
Tim Walton, Sr., Valley Christian
Brandon Williams, Sr., Valley Christian
Ryan Canino, So., Village Christian
Misha Gordon, Jr., Village Christian
Josh Rosales, Sr., Village Christian
Josh Rolls, Jr., Village Christian
Chris Wiegman, Sr., Village Christian
Tyler Appleford, Sr., Whittier Christian
Cody Bronkar, So., Whittier Christian
Tim Nelson, Sr., Whittier Christian
Tim Sanchez, Sr., Whittier Christian
Taylor Smith, Sr., Whittier Christian

The Wildcats took an entire football program off the hook by being the first team in school history to win a CIF championship. Monrovia was previously 0-9 in championship games. But beside the Rio Hondo and Mid-Valley Division titles, the Wildcats proved they could overcome adversity, and that's something that was in question up until Dec. 12.

For local business' and those who would like to advertise in our Jan. 6 PrepXtra all-area football magazine, Call Robert Gonzales at 626 962-8811, ext. 2530

PREP LEAGUE
2010 All-League Football
Most Valuable Player: Charles Quintero, Rio Hondo Prep, Sr.
MVP Offense: Blake Edwards, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
MVP Defense: Nick Preciado, Rio Hondo Prep, Sr.

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Hunter Merryman, Pasadena Poly Sr.
QB: Hank Trumbull, Chadwick, Jr.
RB: Blake Edwards, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
RB: Charles Quintero, Rio Hondo Prep, Sr.
OL: Wyatt Christianson, Webb, Jr.
OL: David Drain, Rio Hondo Prep, Jr.
OL: Justin Hsu, Chadwick, Sr.
OL: Jordan Pinsky, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
OL: Javier Rodriguez, Rio Hondo Prep, Jr.
TE: Ryan Horton, Rio Hondo Prep, Sr.
WR: Jake Holguin, Rio Hondo Prep, So.
WR: Andy Knox, Chadwick, Jr.
WR: Jack Porter, Pasadena Poly, Sr.

FIRST TEAM
DEFENSE
DL: Larry Feygin, Chadwick, Sr.
DL: Nathan Hamming, Pasadena Poly, Jr.
DL: Daniel Leon, Pasadena Poly, Jr.
DL: Rico Perez, Rio Hondo Prep, So.
LB: Chudi Irebulem, Chadwick, Sr.
LB: Drew Johnston, Viewpoint, Sr.
LB: Eric Kazganian, Flintridge Prep, Sr.
LB: Chris Levin, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
LB: KJ Moore, Rio Hondo Prep, Jr.
LB: Nick Preciado, Rio Hondo Prep, Sr.
LB: Colby Rivera, Rio Hondo Prep, So.
LB: Jordan Whaley, Flintridge Prep, Sr.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING SECOND TEAM OFFENSE, DEFENSE

ALMONT LEAGUE
2010 All-League Football
Co-Most Valuable Players: Aaron Cantu, QB, Sr., Schurr and Josh Adame, QB, Sr., Bell Gardens
Co-Most Valuable Offense: Chris Gutierrez, WR, Sr., Bell Gardens and Arthur Brown, RB/DB/KR, Sr., San Gabriel
Lineman of the Year: Albert Perez, OL/DL, Sr., Schurr
Most Valuable Defense: Gary Nocos, LB, Sr., Bell Gardens
Co-Coaches of the Year: Ben Negrete (Schurr) and David Ramos (Bell Gardens)

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Alex Villalobos, WR, San Gabriel
Chris Chiaromonte, WR, Schurr
Jorge Romo, WR, Montebello
Scott Williams, TE, Bell Gardens
Chris Salgado, OT, Alhambra
Ruben Gamboa, OT, Bell Gardens
David Rosales, OG, Bell Gardens
Carlos Marchena, OG, Montebello
Chris Rincon, C, Bell Gardens
Andy Guerrero, QB, San Gabriel
Steve Ibarra, RB, Bell Gardens
Abraham Gonzalez, RB, Schurr
Marcus Owens, RB, Montebello
Gilmar Tenes, K, San Gabriel

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Matthew Tafoya, DE, San Gabriel
Alex Solano, DE, Bell Gardens
Daniel Servin, DT, Montebello
Chris Salgado, DT, Alhambra
Eric Magos, LB, Schurr
Thomas Guevara, LB, Bell Gardens
Robert Garcia, LB, Montebello
George Gonzales, LB, Alhambra
Alejandro Castro, DB, Schurr
Albert Lara, DB, Bell Gardens
Gabriel Cardenas, DB, Montebello
Andres Fernandez, DB, San Gabriel
Gilmar Tenes, P, San Gabriel

CLICK ON THREAD FOR SECOND TEAM OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

The Star-News just concluded two all-star volleyball games, a senior game and public vs. private all-star game. The Star-News senior all-stars want to challenge the Tribune senior all-stars in a mid-January showdown, which the Tribune has graciously accepted. Fred Robledo spoke with St. Lucy's coach Sean Douglas, who has agreed to coach the Tribune all-stars. We will release the Star-News and Tribune girls volleyball all-area team in January, and members from the first team that are seniors are all invited to participate. The rest of the team will be selected the next few weeks. When I get a firm date and location, I will share it with, but this is truly a great way to send out the seniors, especially considering the great year it was in girls volleyball. I can't wait to watch our girls go up against the likes of Chino Hills, St. Lucy's and Bonita all on the same court.

I'll post all-league football throughout the week. We start with the Rio Hondo League, which also published in today's paper. Almont League coming Thursday, followed by Prep League on Friday.

RIO HONDO LEAGUE
2010 All-League Football
Most Valuable Player: Nick Bueno, Monrovia, Senior
Offensive Back of the Year: Josh Simangunsong, Temple City, Senior
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Dean Bisterfeldt, Monrovia, Senior
All-Purpose Players of the Year: Sean Courtney, South Pasadena, Senior; Tyler Roach, Temple City, Senior
Linebacker of the Year: Derrick Johnson, Monrovia, Senior
Defensive Linemen of the Year: Ellis McCarthy, Junior, Monrovia
Defensive Backs of the Year: Charlie Cimmarusti, Monrovia, Senior; Michael Arkfeld, La Canada, Senior

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
WR: Matt Nelson, South Pasadena, Senior
WR: Jay Henderson, Monrovia, Senior
TE: Jay Kolina, La Canada, Senior
OT: Faustino Macatangay, Monrovia, Senior
OT: Alan Felix, San Marino, Senior
OG: Ryan Teegarden, Monrovia, Senior
OG: Brian Wong, Temple City, Junior
C: Michael Lind, South Pasadena, Senior
QB: Conor Bednarski, South Pasadena, Senior
RB: Patrick Martin, South Pasadena, Senior
RB: Christian Blanco, Monrovia, Senior
RB: Daleep Sandhu, La Canada, Senior
K: Nick Palmer, Temple City, Senior

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Lorenzo Casas, Monrovia, Junior
DL: Tresjan Simmons, Blair, Senior
DL: Kevin Figueroa, South Pasadena, Senior
DE: Jerome Brown, Monrovia, Senior
DE: Adrian Velasco, Monrovia, Senior
LB: Oliver Campbell, San Marino, Senior
LB: George Frazier, Monrovia, Sophomore
LB: Tim Sanderson, Temple City, Senior
DB: Jay Henderson, Monrovia, Senior
DB: Anthony Craft, Monrovia, Sophomore
DB: Miguel Lagunas, South Pasadena, Junior
DB: Andrew Anda, Temple City, Senior
P: Nick Palmer, Temple City, Senior

CLICK ON THREAD FOR SECOND TEAM OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

Above: Alyssa Conti, right, shown here with teammate Natalie Zeenni at a recent photo shoot.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

Alyssa Conti is a typical teenager. She runs, jumps, gossips with her friends, sends and receives constant text messages and studies hard.

Oh yeah, she plays a little soccer, too. So well that the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy captain has already accepted a scholarship to play at Johns Hopkins University next season.

Thirteen months ago, walking, running and playing soccer would have seemed so surreal. Conti was sitting in a Huntington Memorial Hospital bed, paralyzed from the hips down.

"I didn't know if I was going to be playing," she said. "Hopefully, I could run some day. Now being the captain is, oh my gosh, I did it."

It all happened suddenly.

She was playing in a Sunday game for her Pasadena-based club soccer team. She had a fever of 104 degrees that night. The following day was a school holiday so the Pasadena resident spent most of the day resting, but her fever was still at 104. She went to the refrigerator to get some Gatorade when strange things began happening.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

Well, technically the tournament starts today, but it's St. Francis vs. Glendale. The Golden Knights can't play when it officially begins because of finals, so they'll start tonight.

La Cañada Boys Basketball Tournament
All games at La Cañada High
Tuesday
Muir vs. Village Christian, 4 p.m.
Bonita vs. Schurr, 6 p.m.
La Cañada vs. Arcadia, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday
Glendale vs. Schurr, 3 p.m.
Village Christian vs. Arcadia, 4:30 p.m.
St. Francis vs. Bonita, 6 p.m.
La Cañada vs. Muir, 7:30 p.m.

Friday
Arcadia vs. Muir, 3 p.m.
Schurr vs. St. Francis, 4:30 p.m.
Glendale vs. Bonita, 6 p.m.
La Cañada vs. Village Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.

Prep reporters from the Orange County Register should have been treated better at Saturday's Mid-Valley Division championship between Monrovia and Whittier Christian. According to our very own eyewitnesses working the game, which includes Miguel, officials working the Arcadia High press box demanded that all reporters be out of the press box less than 30 minutes following the game, or roughly 10:30 p.m., which is asking a lot of reporters when it's a championship that ends at 10:05 with a ceremony on the field that follows. The O.C. reporters were trying to finish their stories when they were asked to pack up and leave. The O.C. reporters asked for a few more minutes but apparently were escorted out, which turned into an ugly scene that required police to be summoned to the press box. Police took statements and no arrests were made, but you will probably hear more about this in the days to come.

Fred's comment: Something needs to be done for working members of the media who cover championship games that aren't at big venues like Anaheim. At those events, CIF officials are there and are very kind allowing reporters to finish their stories. That same courtesy needs to be extended to all venues hosting championship games. These are by far the toughest to cover because of late starts, celebration and ceremonies that follow championship events. And when you have out-of-area reporters like the O.C. Register, you need to be gracious hosts, there is nowhere else for them to file their stories but the press area. To rush reporters out less than 30 minutes following a game is absolutely ridiculous. In fact, we should be allowed at least 45 minutes to finish since CIF requires a short "cooling off" period before we start interviews on the field. We're trying to provide memories in the newspaper that last a lifetime, but apparently those working the games don't want to allow for few a extra minutes so we can do our job. Totally unacceptable.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM SATURDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

FINAL BOX SCORE
CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
MID-VALLEY DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
MONROVIA 38, WHITTIER CHRISTIAN 8

Whittier Christian 0 0 8 0 -- 8
Monrovia 0 14 17 7 -- 38

SCORING
M: Jay Henderson 68 punt return (Mason Bryant kick)
M: Henderson 28 pass from Nick Bueno (Bryant kick)
M: Henderson 63 pass from Bueno (Bryant kick)
M: Bryant 32 FG
M: Henderson 46 pass from Bueno (Bryant kick)
WC: Grant Escobar 42 run (Escobar run)
M: Christian Blanco 3 run (Bryant kick)
Records: Whittier Christian 12-2, Monrovia 12-2

Pasadena Star-News: Wildcats change their stripes

Whittier Daily News: Whittier Christian proves no match for Monrovia

Orange County Register: Whittier Christian beaten with second-half blitz

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

ARCADIA - For those who came before them and eyed the ultimate prize nine times in a seemingly standstill span of 75 years, there's closure at last.

For the Monrovia High School football team that came so close last season after making its first CIF-Southern Section finals appearance in a decade, there's closure at last.

To say the least, this was a long time coming, and there was no denying the Wildcats in their 10th CIF finals appearance, as Monrovia emphatically raced to a convincing 38-8 victory over Whittier Christian to win its first Mid-Valley Division championship in front of 4,557 at Arcadia High.

"This one is for the community," said Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox, who's in his third season at the helm. "It was a long time coming. This one is for the boys."

Monrovia lost championship games in 1935, 1951, 1959, 1973, 1982, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2009, but this 2010 team that took pride in a punishing defense and an explosive offense is what the Monrovia faithful will remember forever. Perhaps the best part is that the Wildcats now get to add a CIF championship plaque, no doubt the centerpiece to the trophy case that consists of nine runner-up plaques.

Monrovia (12-2) was led by wide receiver Jay Henderson, who caught five passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns. He played every bit the part of a senior who left it all on the field.

"I've been waiting for a game like this," Henderson said. "This is my best game ever, and I left it all on the field."

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING GAME STORY

Eric Sondheimer at the L.A. Times gives his predictions for this weekend's CIF-Southern Section football championships, and adds that after going 0-9 in championship games, Monrovia finally wins. Sondheimer also predicts the final score, which is a lot closer than anyone else has predicted.

My former colleague and good friend Steve Fryer says Monrovia has not faced a passing like the one Whittier Christian will bring Saturday against Monrovia in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game. But the real question is, has Whittier Christian seen a quarterback like Monrovia's Nick Bueno? The kid's thrown for 1,652 yards and 20 TDs and rushed for 1,462 yards and 14 TDs. Some might call him a defensive coordinator's nightmare. Just saying.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

MONROVIA - Christian Blanco's football career started seven years ago as a fifth-grade student at Monroe Elementary School.

The senior running back from Monrovia High School wasn't carrying a football, much less wearing pads or cleats.

In fact, he wasn't even on a football field.

He was racing his friend Davonte Walls in the 100-meter dash. Walls lost that day, but went home to tell his dad, Donell, about the race.

Blanco's come a long way since, and become another weapon in the long list of weapons Monrovia will use against Whittier Christian on Saturday night at 7:30 in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game at Arcadia High School.

"He (Davonte) came up to me and said, `Hey, dad, I really want you to meet my friend,' " recalled Donell, who works security at Monrovia and has served as head coach for the Wildcats freshman football team.

"I saw him (Blanco) race again and I thought he was pretty fast for his size. I encouraged him to play football, and he did."

It wasn't long before Blanco signed up to play for the Duarte Falcons. He wasn't a stranger at Monrovia, where his older brothers Genaro and Rigo wrestled and played soccer.

Blanco grew up attending Monrovia football games and was in awe of star running back Adam Gabriel, who was heavily recruited by Wisconsin, Colorado and USC before signing with Colorado State. Blanco vowed to one day play running back.

"Since I was a little kid I wanted to play running back at this school," Blanco recalled.
"So I did my best to work as hard as I could to get and run you over."

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING FEATURE

Ed Smith turned in his resignation this afternoon and has stepped down as South Pasadena's football coach. South Pasadena principal Janet Anderson will release a statement later today. Smith entered his 30th season at South Pasadena where he compiled a 65-96-4 record in his 15 season as the Tigers' head football coach.

Former colleague Dan Albano interviews Whittier Christian's Jeff Worthy, who previews Saturday's Mid-Valley Division championship game against Monrovia...

CLICK HERE FOR MONROVIA'S ELLIS McCARTHY'S 2010 HIGHLIGHTS

Arcadia's stadium renovations were completed by the start of the Apaches' Pacific League season. Renovations consisted of new seating and padded seats for season-ticket holders between the 25-yard lines. The visitor's side also is new and can seat 1,500 fans. The home side seats 3,500. Arcadia athletic director Ryan Press said site management will be run by Monrovia. Parking can be found on Duarte Avenue next to the tennis courts. The parking lot behind the home stands will not be available.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Evan Sanchez has been confined to a wheelchair for almost two months.

It's not how the senior captain on the Monrovia High School football team envisioned the season, but you can bet he'll be there Saturday night at 7:30 when Monrovia takes on Whittier Christian in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game at Arcadia High.

Sanchez suffered a leg injury during the offseason, but he worked hard to get back in time for fall camp and be ready to start again this season as a tight end/linebacker. That wasn't the case in October when he suffered a first-half right leg injury against Blair. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder tore the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments and on senior night against La Cañada in November underwent surgery to repair the knee.

"Because of the tear in his PCL he literally had no movement in his leg," Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said. "His leg was paralyzed. The rip to the PCL can have nerve damage."

Sanchez proudly wears his Monrovia letterman jacket when wheeled to games. You'll often find him sitting near one end of the sideline rooting for his team. But it still doesn't compare to the rush of making a tackle and celebrating with teammates.

"I know how much it means to Evan to be there," Maddox said. "It tears your heart as a coach because you know how bad he wants to be there playing."
Maddox feels because of his strong work ethic and love for football Sanchez can find a way to be around the sport.

"I told him he'd be a great coach in the future," Maddox said. "If he still wants to be part of the game, it's a great avenue for him. He's just such a phenomenal young man. He's brilliant and he's a champion.

"He's the kind of kid you know is going to excel at anything he puts his mind to because he's such a hard worker."

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

There's a brotherhood among high school football coaches that's hard to explain but easy to understand. It's why Monrovia football coach Ryan Maddox has a few rooting interests in this coming weekend's CIF-Southern Section football championship games.

It's no secret where the third-year Wildcats coach will be Friday. Maddox will settle on the West Covina sideline and root for the Bulldogs when they take on Bonita in the Southeast Division championship game at Walnut High.

That night, Maddox likely will be more than curious to hear how Corona Centennial is doing against Vista Murrieta in the Inland Division title game.

It'll only feel like a long day Saturday when Monrovia meets Whittier Christian in the Mid-Valley Division championship game at Arcadia High. Later that night, Maddox will see about possibly catching Servite in the Pac-5 Division title game against Mission Viejo at Angel Stadium. That game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net and replayed throughout the week.

The connection?

Several.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING FEATURE

Monrovia is the only school in the CIF-Southern Section's history to have advanced to nine finals without bringing home a CIF championship. Here's a closer look at Monrovia's nine title-game appearances in its storied history. If it beats Whittier Christian on Saturday in the Mid-Valley Division championship game, is this Monrovia team the greatest in school history?

1935 -- Santa Barbra 14, Monrovia 12, Major Division at the Rose Bowl
1951 -- Pomona 26, Monrovia 13, Major Division at Mt. SAC
1959 -- San Diego 53, Monrovia 0, AAA Division
1973 -- Crescenta Valley 14, Monrovia 7, AAA Division
1982 -- Verbum Dei 7, Monrovia 0, Northwestern Conference at Citrus College
1997 -- Mira Costa 28, Monrovia 14, Division IX at El Camino College
1998 -- Paso Robles 28, Monrovia 24, Division X at War Memorial Stadium
1999 -- Paso Robles 29, Monrovia 10, Division X at Citrus College
2009 -- San Dimas 12, Monrovia 7, Mid-Valley Division at Citrus College
2010 -- ???

Pasadena Star-News: Mid-Valley Division title game moved to Arcadia High

UPDATED (12:59 P.M.): Monrovia and Whittier Christian will play Saturday's CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game at Arcadia High at 7:30 p.m. "We've basically been fighting it for the last 24 hours," Monrovia principal Darvin Jackson said. "The difficulty was when you have all the representatives from all sides there, as well as CIF looking at the site. We could have kept arguing, but CIF was not going to agree. We were basically told we could not hold it at Monrovia. It wasn't concession." More in Wednesday's paper.

Aram Tolegian's take: Playing this game at Monrovia HS was the worst idea I've heard since the KFC double down.

UPDATED (10:41 a.m.): Monrovia principal Darvin Jackson said the school called Rob Wigod, the assistant commissioner in charge of football, and informed him they really want to play at Monrovia. He added Whittier Christian's athletic director and principal, along with CIF officials, will be taking a tour today around noonish to determine if it's feasible to play at Monrovia. As always, I'll keep you posted.

Whittier Christian and Monrovia school officials met after the CIF-Southern Section football luncheon to talk location for Saturday's CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division championship game. It appeared as if Monrovia's site was a done and signed deal, but Whittier Christian is not budging, arguing that their view from the visitor's side is not adequate. Monrovia principal Darvin Jackson said the seating capacity won't be an issue since the school is erecting new bleachers. Now, the view. "We ended (talks) at a deadlock," Jackson said. "What we decided was that we would come back (to the school) and figure this out. The issue is not the capacity. They were complaining about the quality of the existing visiting bleachers. We said we would have a decision hopefully by the end of the day and we would touch base by 5 or 6 (tonight). We definitely want to be fair."

Never seen Monrovia with a more dominating performance than last night at San Dimas High. Several parents sitting in front of us kept saying Monrovia only had Nick Bueno, but it wouldn't take long to find out that the Wildcats truly are loaded with depth, from Jay Henderson and Christian Blanco to Derrick Johnson, Anthony Kraft and Mason Bryant, who was a beast making seamless transition from offense to defense.

Some of you were concerned about not enough seating at Monrovia for next week's CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division championship game against Whittier Christian. So, I went to the source and got some answers from one of the area's best principals and big sports fan, Darvin Jackson.

Jackson said the school's exploring options to add bleachers and increase parking. Jackson said the bleachers may be added at each end zone, but they will have to talk with the company that installed Monrovia's synthetic track and find out if adding bleachers on it would void the school's warranty.

Monrovia's home side, which holds 2,500, saw only one sellout this season, which was during the Wildcats' homecoming game. Jackson said the school that insted the visiting stands has in the past installed bleachers on rubber track, adding that it's caused no damage.

Jackson also said the school is negotiating additional parking at Tom's Burgers on Foothill and Madison Ave. They're also talking with other local joints about using their parking space, each lot housing 30-40 cars. They are also talking to CVS about using their lot, and, if so, will bus fans from the lot to the stadium.

Some of you were concerned, but as you can see Monrovia's one step ahead trying to make it easy for you all.

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
MID-VALLEY DIVISION
SEMIFINALS
Monrovia 47, San Dimas 14

Monrovia 7 7 21 16 -- 47
San Dimas 6 0 8 0 -- 14

SCORING
M: Jay Henderson 9 pass from Nick Bueno (Mason Bryant kick)
SD: Codee Wats 17 run (run failed)
M: Christian Blanco 7 run (Bryant kick)
M: Blanco 6 run (Bryant kick)
SD: Jordan Taylor 2 run (Theo Darlington run)
M: Bueno 9 run (run failed)
M: Bueno 1 run (Bryant kick)
M: Blanco 3 run (Bryant kick)
M: Blanco 7 run (kick failed)
Records: San Dimas 8-5; Monrovia 11-2

SAN DIMAS -- Not this time.

That was the emphatic message the Monrovia High School football team sent to San Dimas in a 47-14 victory that lifted the Wildcats into their 10th CIF championship game.

The Wildcats will face Whittier Christian in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championship game next Saturday night.

It was a long time coming for Monrovia (11-2), which was meeting San Dimas (8-5) for the fourth time in 14 months. The Wildcats avenged a 12-7 defeat at the hands of the Saints in last year's Mid-Valley Division final as well as a 35-34 overtime loss in September, a game in which the Wildcats led 28-7 heading into the fourth quarter.

Next Saturday's championship game (Monrovia is the designated host team, but the home site is still to be determined) will be a rematch of last year's semifinals at Monrovia. Whittier Christian defeated Olympic League foe Village Christian 43-42 in overtime on Friday to advance.

Nick Bueno, Christian Blanco and Jay Henderson led the Wildcats. Bueno passed for 204 yards and one touchdown, completing 12 of 22 passes.

Blanco had the game of his life. The senior running back rushed for 178 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries. Henderson caught eight passes for 157 yards and Luke Williams had four receptions for 54 yards.

"We finished this game," Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said. "We took advantage of turnovers and our rushing game really took control of the second half. Blanco came up huge."

There was a telling moment with 1:51 left in the third quarter when San Dimas coach Bill Zernickow and part of his coaching staff were lowered from the scissors lift. Zernickow gave the Saints a small pep talk, but it was too little, too late. When it was over, San Dimas had turned the ball over six times and committed 10 penalties.

"We gave them some early Christmas gifts with all those turnovers and penalties," Zernickow said, "but they're

Theo Darlington of San Dimas High School runs for yards during Mid-Valley Division football semifinals game against Monrovia High School at San Dimas High School in San Dimas, December 4, 2010. (Correspondent photo by Larry Goren) really good. We couldn't block them."

With less than a minute left in the second quarter in last week's second round of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs, Schurr was forced to punt after facing fourth and 4 at its 44.

Waiting for the punt was Nick Bueno. He caught the ball and returned it for a small gain before he was tackled. As he lay on the ground, a Schurr football player wearing jersey No. 32 began punching Bueno's right leg. The Schurr player landed at least two clean punches before getting up and walking to the Spartans sideline.

There were no flags thrown, but the poor sportsmanship was in full display. I knew that things happen when in a pile, but I've never in my career as a sportswriter ever seen someone blatantly stoop so low and disregard complete sportsmanship. Punch the star athlete to slow him down?

Bueno didn't complain. He got up, walked to the sideline for the play call and hussled back to the huddle. I asked Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox if he got to see it happen during film.

He did.

"They played hard, they're a good program, but, yeah, they're a little dirty," Maddox said. "They cut a couple of our kids. I don't know if that's coaching or if that's just the kids. I know the defensive coordinator pretty well. He's a good guy. You hate to see it. You don't want to see anybody intentionally hurt and you hope the refs protect the kids."

Schurr's roster doesn't list a player with a No. 32 jersey. Would I have published the kid's name to begin with? Yes, because this athlete showed total disrespect for the game, himself, his teammates and, of course, Bueno. I'm baffled as to how someone can do such a thing and seemingly think he can get away with it. It's not what sportsmanship is about, and it's not the way to slow down Bueno.

Moving on ...

MONROVIA SAW MORE and more pressure come at them last week as the first half against Schurr wore on. The Wildcats made adjustments, and it paid dividends.

"They were taking advantage of our snap count," Maddox said. "So in the second half we adjusted, gave them a couple different looks and got them to jump offsides. That gave us momentum."

If you remember, Schurr jumped offsides twice in Monrovia's first possession in the second half that led to Bueno scoring from 24 yards. Schurr suddenly became penalty-prone and little by little, the Spartans succumbed.

I BROUGHT UP the no-huddle concept Monrovia went into after playing San Dimas early this season, and Saints coach Bill Zernickow said he doesn't think it'll affect them much, if at all.

"No, because every time they look to the sidelines we're going to check on the defense," he said. "We've seen a couple no-huddles throughout the playoffs and regular season. It's a new trend, the new thing to do. Now, if (the Wildcats) were doing it at Oregon speed, that'd be different."

That Monrovia's limiting the amount of players going both ways will work wonders for the, Zernickow said.

"Because they're always coming in fresh," he said, "and it also allows them to get more kids on the field. It's going to be good for the program and they're able to maintain success. When more kids are playing, kids are happy. That's an awesome thing to do."

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
NORTHEAST DIVISION
SEMIFINALS
Pasadena Poly (9-3) at Bishop Union (11-1), 6 p.m.

It's no secret the Pasadena Poly football team can put up big numbers.

The Panthers average 40 points per game this season, and that much was expected after a strong showing in summer passing league games.

Quarterback Hunter Merryman's pedigree all but called for an explosive offense, and the surge of running back Blake Edwards as a dual threat cemented Pasadena Poly's potent 1-2 punch.

But for the first time during these CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs, the Panthers will face a team that has just as many weapons, and figuring out containment is easier said than done.

Bishop Union will fill its 3,000-seat stadium to capacity when the Broncos host Pasadena Poly in the semifinals tonight at 6.

Poly (9-3) is hoping to reach its first final since 2003. The Panthers won Division XIII titles in 1998 and 2002.

Bishop Union (11-1) is the top seed and for all the right reasons. The Broncos average 44.5 points per game and give up less than eight points a game.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING PREVIEW STORY

PRESEASON TOP 10 RANKINGS
1. Flintridge Sacred Heart
2. La Salle
3. Arcadia
4. San Marino
5. Ramona Convent
6. Pasadena Poly
7. Alverno
8. Flintridge Prep
9. La Cañada
10. Mayfield

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

There are dreams of league and CIF-Southern Section girls soccer championships dancing through the heads of west San Gabriel Valley players this time of year.

But then, it's Christmas.

It's more than a month until teams begin league play, and playoffs won't happen until February. Two months from now, long after the Christmas season has faded, teams will have a slightly better idea of where they stand in relation to championships.

There are, however, a lot of players still on colleges' Christmas wish lists. Nearly a dozen Flintridge Sacred Heart players have signed national letters of intent or are waffling on final decisions. Players from other schools, including La Salle, have also signed letters of intent.

And there are a lot of area underclassmen who may be just as good as, or better than, those who haven't signed with Division I programs. Here are the Star-News preseason rankings of the area's top 10 teams:

No. 1 Flintridge Sacred Heart (22-1-4 last season)

The Tologs are ranked No. 15 in the nation by one publication. They won a CIF State regional title last season, and there should be plenty of pressure this time around.

"There is not any pressure," co- coach Frank Pace said. "Why should there be? We finished second in (the Mission) League last year. We did not win a (CIF-Southern Section) title, although we came close. We have unfinished business."

What the Tologs have is loads of young talent. Seven players have already committed to NCAA DivisionI schools, and two others are undecided. The Tologs have only two seniors returning, Natalie Zeenni and Alyssa Conti.

"We have good players with good heads," said Pace, who's entering his 13th year with the program. "Our goal is to play the best we can and live with that. The only pressure is that in which we put on ourselves."

Co-coach Kathy Desmond is entering her 17th season.

Breeanna Koemens, the 2009-10 Star-News Player of the Year, returns. So does leading scorer Katie Johnson.

Junior Lindsey Espe, who'll go to Belmont University, will be in goal, and freshman Sami Dier has looked sharp as her backup.

"We're young, but we have experience," Pace said.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING PRESEASON TOP 10 RANKINGS

I'll have a big preview story in the paper Friday on Pasadena Poly-Bishop, but I thought I'd share some other notes.

Pasadena Poly is about a half hour from arriving to Bishop after leaving a near two-hour practice at Paraclete High in Lancaster. When the Panthers arrive, they'll check into a hotel, somewhere around 9:30 tonight. At around 11, the team will flip on the TV and tune in the local news. What they'll see are football highlights from none other than their own.

Coach Brendan McGrail said he spent the early part of Thursday granting TV and radio interviews from the Bishop media.

"It's crazy," he said. "They asked what time we were getting in tonight and they said to turn on the 11 p.m. news on the local news station because they're doing a story on Poly.

"They have the four films I traded with their head coach, and (the TV station) had access to them. They compiled Blake Edwards runs and Hunter (Merryman) passes."

McGrail had an idea that the Panthers could potentially meet Bishop in the semifinals.

"They're the top seed and we knew they'd proably be in the semifinals," he said.

Pasadena Poly lost the coin flip, which is why they travel to play at Bishop on Friday night at 6 for the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs.

"We're staying in a hotel before the game, which is a new experience," McGrail said. "It feels real big time, like a college road trip."

Pasadena Poly will have a walk-through in a conference room at the hotel. The Panthers are hoping to reach their first finals appearance since doing so in 2003 when they lost to Flintridge Prep in the Division XIII title game. Pasadena Poly won the divisional title in 1998 and 2002. This is the deepest run the Panthers have embarked in seven years under McGrail. Pasadena Poly lost in the second round last year, losing to eventual champion Linfield Christian.

Pasadena Poly last week against Desert Christian in Lancaster played in 25-degree weather. The Panthers can expect about the same kind of playing conditions Friday.

"We knew all week it was going to be cold," McGrail said. "But there's no way to simulate that in practice. I was really pleased with the mental toughness they showed not letting the weather be a factor. It is a funny thing to practice in 75-degree weather and play the next day in 25 degrees and windy."

It should be around 44 degrees come kickoff and should dip into the high 30's by around 9 p.m. Arnie Palu, the voice of the Bishop Broncos the last 10 seasons on KIBS-FM, said that's "nice" weather "by our standards. But the weather can change at moment's notice.

Last season, Bishop played host to St. Margaret's in the finals. The weather was around 10 degrees with 30-mile an hour winds.

"It can change up here in the Sierra," Palu said. "But it should be around what Poly experienced last week in Lancaster. That'd be a great night for us."

Palu will be joined by Rock Baker, the color commentator who also happens to be Bishops JV basketball coach.

Bishop takes its football very seriously. KIBS-FM has broadcast all football games, home and a way, live on radio consecutively for 30 years.

In addition, Bishop's 3,000-seat stadium will be filled to capacity.

"It'll be standing room only," Palu added.

KIBS-FM will have a 25-minute pre-game show.

"We'll break it up and play soundbites in our local news segment and an extended interview during the pre-game show," Palu said.

The radio station is not in an Arbitron market (Arbitron measures ratings), so Palu said he's unsure of how many listeners tune in to the football games.

"But you mispronounce a kid's game and you get phone calls," he said.

Sierra Wave TV will broadcast the game late Friday night and again Saturday throughout the day as well as Sunday and into next week.

Had a pleasant conversation with Arnie Palu, voice of the Bishop Union High Broncos football team. Palu, who's in his 10th season as the play-by-play announcer, did radio work in Colorado after earning a broadcasting journalism degree from the University of Nebraska. Palu and I talked about several subjects, which you can read about in Friday's paper. I asked him if the radio station will carry a live feed. He said they used to do it n the past when they had a larger online presence, but not anymore. We will have a reporter in Bishop for Friday's semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs and have a story in Saturday's paper. But if you're curious about the radio broadcast, you can order a CD (free of charge) and have it mailed to you. Call 760-873-6324 to place an order, I know I will.

PRESEASON TOP 10 RANKINGS
1. La Cañada
2. St. Francis
3. Monrovia
4. Pasadena Poly
5. La Salle
6. Maranatha
7. South Pasadena
8. Duarte
9. Muir
10. Pasadena

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

There's no disputing the West San Gabriel Valley is a hotbed for high school boys soccer. From west of La Cañada to east of Monrovia, the talent is rich with depth and speed.

La Cañada coach Barry Ritson enters his second season as coach and has vowed to make the Spartans an offensive machine. Ritson succeeded, and despite losing one key player, La Canada still makes the Star-News' preseason top 10 rankings as the No. 1 team.

1. La Cañada (23-3-1 last season)

La Cañada returns arguably the area's best two-punch combination in senior forward Matt Cannata and senior goalkeeper Jack Hale. The duo helped the Spartans reach the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 playoffs last season. The Spartans literally came within inches of reaching the semifinals before a volley by Salesian's Jose Espinoza just cleared Hale's fingertips and went into the net in the golden-goal period to lead the eventual champion.

The Spartans return eight starters, including senior midfielder Danny Thompson and senior defender Randy Gartside. But the status surrounding Cameron Meeker, who had 33 goals and 13 assists, remains uncertain. He currently is traveling with his club team in a tournament in Arizona and Ritson said the chances of his return to play high school soccer is "slim, if any."

Still, Cannata's return assures the Spartans have one of the area's most prolific scorers. The reigning Star-News Player of the Year compiled 24 goals and 12 assists last season, and the addition of others will bolster Ritson's lineup, which he said will employ a 4-4-2 formation. Ryan Blumfenfeld, a senior, did not play last season because of his involvement in the U.S. Developmental Academy. He's been granted permission this season and will play in the center-midfield along with Thompson.

"He's big time," Ritson said.

Armand Bagranyan, a sophomore, also is a top newcomer.

"He scored a phenomenal goal against Mountain View," Ritson said of Bagranyan. "He's the real deal and nobody knows about him."

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One night a year, downtown street merchants in the city of Bishop - population 3,700 - stay open until well past the typical 5 p.m. closing time. Residents gather for the annual "Street of Lights" and light the town's Christmas tree at the local city park. Some merchants serve hot chocolate, and most have some sort of giveaway in an effort to draw customers in for a late-night shopping spree.

That night this year is Friday and begins at 6, the same night and time when Bishop Union, the town's only high school, hosts Pasadena Poly in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division football playoffs.

"We're a little conflicted," Bishop Union athletic director Stacy Van Nest said.

"It's a huge town event that evening, but at the same time, this town heavily supports athletics. Half the town will be (at the event) and half the town will be at the game."

Bishop Union (11-1) is the top seed, and despite its small student enrollment (645), the school still maintains a stadium with a maximum seating capacity of 3,000.

Pasadena Poly (9-3), to say the least, will experience a playoff game like no other.

Bishop Union's football games are broadcast live on KOBB-AM radio, home and away. Sierra Wave Television, the only local independent cable station in the area, televises every game on delay. Given the magnitude of Friday's game, the local FM station, KIBF, will carry the game because of its stronger signal strength.

"I was in Idaho last week and I wanted to listen to the game," said Van Nest, referring to Bishop's 49-20 win at Chadwick last week.

"Our broadcasters travel to all the games and they were able to patch me through, so those in town going to the Street of Lights will hear the game live on the radio."

The game will be televised late Friday night and replayed Sunday afternoon.

Pasadena Poly will make its longest trip in school history for a CIF-Southern Section playoff game. Pasadena Poly athletic director Steve Beerman said the school has planned measures to alleviate the five-hour-plus drive to Bishop.

For starters, the Panthers football team will leave Thursday afternoon for Lancaster, where they'll practice at Paraclete High from 4 to 6:30, then immediately head for Bishop, where they'll spend the night.

Paraclete, the top seed taking on St. Margaret's at Antelope Valley College in the East Valley Division playoffs, will practice early to give the Panthers enough time for a walk- through.

Beerman said practicing at Paraclete is more about beating traffic than getting acclimated to playing in low temperatures.

"We played in 28-degree weather last week in Lancaster," Beerman said.

"It's not like we don't now what cold is. The biggest thing is we don't want to sit in a bus for a long time."

Pasadena Poly initially requested to move the game to Saturday, but Bishop couldn't accommodate, because the school is hosting a middle school basketball tournament. The next request was to move it from a 7:30 start to 6, and Bishop kindly obliged.

"We asked for 6 because after the game, we'll get right on the bus and head home," Beerman said.

"Anytime any team has to travel, there's some sort of request or disbelief that we could possibly be in the same section," Van Nest said.

"We have people come from as far as San Pedro. That's what we do, make it as easy as possible."

Bishop's no stranger to making long drives, either. The Broncos, who play in the High Desert League and use all of its district funding for travel pay, drive four hours - restroom breaks included - one way to participate in any one of the 18 sports its 27 teams are involved in.

"We're the only very distant one they have to travel to," Van Nest said.

The aura that will fill the air in smalltown USA will be a pleasant experience in itself.

"I think this just adds to the specialness of the evening," Beerman said.

"The whole trip is just going to be a new experience for everybody making the trip."

PRESEASON TOP 10 RANKINGS
1. Muir
2. Pasadena Poly
3. Blair
4. Maranatha
5. La Salle
6. Keppel
7. Rosemead
8. Flintridge Prep
9. Pasadena
10. Monrovia

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

There are high expectations on west San Gabriel Valley basketball courts this season.

Muir High School made an unexpected appearance in last year's CIF-Southern Section finals, advanced to the state playoffs and returns many of its top players.

Michelle Miller single-handedly helped Pasadena Poly to the CIF-SS semifinals. She was the division player of the year and returns for her junior year with help inside.

Blair returns 10 players from last year and will take aim at returning to the top of the Rio Hondo League.

No. 1 Muir (22-10 last season)

The Mustangs have always been tenacious on defense.

Coach Gary Johnson said they will be even tougher this season.

"We want to get those easy baskets," he said.

Give credit to a recent college graduate for that. Tierra Henderson, who played for Johnson at Muir and went on to play at UCLA, has been added to the coaching staff.

"She's giving our players toughness," Johnson said. "She's going to give them a different look at the way colleges do things."

Five players who saw ample playing time last season will be joined by Emoni Jackson, one of the top freshmen in the nation, and sophomore Jordan Jackson, a transfer from St. Anthony's, which won the CIF-SS Division 5A title last season.

Emoni Jackson, at 6-foot-1, will play forward, complementing senior Christian Conner in the middle. Junior Tahniya Sweatt is at point guard.

Senior Ahsia Owens and juniors Tyler Polk and Jerrica Daniels are also back.
"We surprised people last year," Johnson said. "We're still young, but we have experience. I think getting to the finals last year has definitely made us better."

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