April 2011 Archives

South Pasadena's 5-4 win over San Marino on Friday afternoon ended in controversy and three San Marino ejections.

The bizarre play happened in top of the seventh with San Marino's Mark Chen at second and Matt Wofford at the plate with the game tied at 4.

Wofford connected for a hard line drive to left field. South Pasadena left fielder Matt Pinson backpedaled to make the catch, but upon colliding with the wall it appeared that the ball came loose, prompting Pinson to make a throw to second but not before Chen scored to make it 5-4 in favor of the Titans.

Field umpire Dave Hargrave ruled the ball was in play but South Pasadena coach Anthony Chevrier appealed to home plate umpire Chris McNeese. After conferring with Hargrave, McNeese ruled Wofford out, negating his RBI double.

San Marino's Mack Paciorek raced to the field and exchanged in a heated argument with McNeese, who threw out Paciorek moments before throwing out San Marino hitting coach Freddie Diaz.

In the bottom of the inning, the Tigers' two-out rally started with a Dylan Trimarchi single up the middle, followed by an infield single from Tony Veiller. Trimarchi beat the tag at home to score the game-winning run. When McNeese called the play safe, thus ending the game, San Marino pitcher Alan Felix said something to McNeese, who walked away. Hargrave ejected Felix, and both umpires were escorted out of the field by South Pasadena athletic director Ralph Punaro.

Temple City baseball coach Barry Bacon couldn't have been more thrilled after beating Monrovia last week to hop in the driver's seat for the Rio Hondo League.

But it was the Rams' (13-6, 7-1) win over South Pasadena that really solidified their chances.

"It was a big win for us the other day against Monrovia," Bacon said. "But we felt this game (against South Pasadena on Tuesday), coming in on their field we saw they were playing better and we needed to put them two games behind us."

South Pasadena (10-11, 5-3) on Wednesday beat Monrovia (8-12-1, 4-4) to secure second place with four league games remaining.

"I know South Pasadena is not used to being in this position," said Tigers coach Anthony Chevrier, who finished 7-8 in league last year. "I know they're excited to have the opportunity to finish higher this season."

At this point, there may be no stopping Temple City.

"It's a team growing in confidence," Bacon said. "It's a team built on pitching and defense and we're swinging the bat very well, I think."

South Pasadena hosts San Marino (5-14, 2-6) at 3:30 today while Temple City throws Corey Copping against host La Cañada.

Big changes could be coming to La Salle High School if the school is successful in securing a long-term deal that would call for the Lancers baseball team to play its home games at Arcadia County Park beginning next season.

No deal yet is in place, but talks have been extensive.

La Salle athletic director John Matheus confirmed the school is in negotiations, adding that the school's long-term plan calls for a pool addition and possibly a new gymnasium where La Salle's baseball field currently sits.

Anthony Harris, slated to officially take over athletic director duties July 1 upon Matheus' departure, also confirmed the news and said the school's plan initially had the Lancers playing home baseball games at Arcadia County Park this season.

"But something fell through right before the beginning of the season when we weren't allowed to play at the park for the dates we had submitted," Harris said.

La Salle coach Harry Agajanian welcomed the idea of playing at Arcadia County Park.

"If we put a little work into the place we can make that into a nice facility out there," he said. "It does need some work, like some bullpens. It's not a whole bunch of work and it would be a great place to play."

As with everything, there are pros and cons.

"It's fun to play on campus," Agajanian said. "It's always great to be at the school and have the kids there, so we lose that factor. On the flip side, we could get some night games there. We can get a good crowd for, say, Friday night games. That would be a lot of fun."

La Salle last season played its Del Rey League home games at Arcadia County Park, largely in part because the Lancers had pitcher Brian Hill, known as a fly ball pitcher. At La Salle, an oddly aligned right field works against the Lancers when playing teams that hit the ball long. Such was the case this season when Bishop Amat belted four home runs against La Salle in the series finale at La Salle, prompting Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto to admit that the field dimensions paved the way for numerous home runs and a 14-run lead in the first three innings.

La Salle's right field is lined 300 feet; left field at 275 feet; and right-center at 260 feet.

"Maybe a couple of them hit the gap, but a few of them are definitely caught (at Bishop Amat)," Nieto said. "It's one of those games you hope you never get to at this park when you deal with those kind of parameters."

That was a stark difference from the previous meeting at Bishop Amat's field when La Salle pushed the game to extra innings before losing 3-2 in nine innings. Bishop Amat hit no home runs in that game.

Harris noted the difference, too.

"It's pretty obvious when you play a team like Bishop Amat that's going to go yard against you more times than not most of those balls are going to be long outs somewhere else," he said.

If the school is successful in securing Arcadia County Park, the Lancers softball team -- after losing their home field at nearby Latter Day Saints Church and currently playing at Big League Field Dreams in West Covina -- would join the baseball team at Arcadia, Matheus said.

Aram Tolegian has the 4-1-1 at his "In the Huddle" blog. He's writing that Monrovia head coach Ryan Maddox will coach the West, adding that Maddox assured him Wildcats quarterback Nick Bueno will play. Still no word on the East coach, rosters.

Above: San Marino's Doug Mayberry, who has had to deal with a variety of injuries.

There was a high sense of optimism when the high school baseball season started.

A season riddled with injuries, however, has all but derailed the hopes of some teams (San Marino, La Cañada) while others (Monrovia, Maranatha) try to overcome depth problems.

San Marino (5-14, 2-6) recorded its biggest win of the season Tuesday when it beat Monrovia, 6-3. Before that, the Titans had little to celebrate.

Senior catcher Mark Chen broke his nose three weeks ago in the second game of a doubleheader against Maranatha. His first game back was Tuesday. Sophomore Bradley Haslam has been out several weeks with a leg injury and will return for the first time Friday at South Pasadena. Everett Phillips, regarded as the ace this season, pitched three innings against Charter Oak in the third game of the season and has not pitched since because of a ligament strain in his throwing elbow. He's not expected to pitch the rest of the season.

Doug Mayberry, the lone all-league returnee who batted .382 with 15 RBIs and 10 doubles as a junior, has been in and out with a variety of injuries.

Sophomore Matt Wofford, batting .387, also has been out the last two weeks. San Marino coach Mack Paciorek promoted Nick Gott, son of former Dodger pitcher Jim Gott, from the junior varsity team. Gott in his second start for the Titans tweaked his knee against Temple City in a pickoff attempt.

Paciorek is not discouraged.

"It's one of those years you can't shake," he said. "But it's nice to see the motivation with their insistence to get back on the field. That's the one thing all athletes have to learn, is you have to work hard to get back. They're giving us that motivational boost."

Paciorek said he knew the Rio Hondo League had more parity this season, but a surprise still ensued.

"South Pasadena having so many seniors you knew were going to make a run at one point," he said. "Temple City's got the pitching, we knew that going in. But the surprise is Monrovia. It's not that they're not good, but they're not what they have been. That's kind of caught everyone off-guard."

Monrovia's quest for a sixth consecutive league title is on thin ice. The Wildcats (8-11-1, 4-3) need to win outright and hope La Ca ada (8-9, 2-6) upsets Temple City (13-6, 7-1) Friday.

The Spartans started league with five consecutive losses before beating San Marino, 4-3, and Monrovia, 5-4. UC Santa Barbara-bound Brendon Shoemake and Sam Baldwin have been bright spots in La Cañada's pitching rotation.

Monrovia started the preseason ranked No. 1 by this newspaper despite returning only three starters. But filling big shoes in the rotation and key spots elsewhere slowed the Wildcats.

"Temple City is sitting pretty right now," Paciorek said. "We are no longer in control of our destiny. We can win out and still not make the playoffs or we can win three of four and make the playoffs, if other things go our way."

Maranatha (9-12, 4-5) is in a rebuilding mode as it sits in fourth place in the Olympic League.

The Minutemen, No. 7 in the preseason rankings, returned five starters this season, but losing Star-News Player of the Year Dylan Covey to graduation left a considerable gap in the lineup.

Maranatha also lost significant power at the plate. The Minutemen batted .312 with a .421 on-base percentage and .398 slugging percentage last season.

They're batting .262 this season.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

MONROVIA - The South Pasadena High School baseball team got pitcher Tony Veiller back at the right time.

The senior right-hander had been unable to pitch because of an injured finger until last week.

On Wednesday, he showed he was back at full strength by throwing a complete game and leading the visiting Tigers to a 6-1 victory over Monrovia in Rio Hondo League play.

"The coaching staff got together and was hoping we could keep things close until he got back on the mound," South Pasadena coach Tony Chevrier said. "He threw strikes and gave us the opportunity to win."

The win ended a 20-plus game losing streak to the Wildcats and propelled the Tigers into second place, a game ahead of the Wildcats.

"It's like climbing a mountain," Veiller said of finally beating the Wildcats. "This is the first time we've ever done this."

Veiller was nowhere close to being perfect, but he was good enough to let his defense do the work. He scattered three hits and hit a batter. In his previous outing, a nonleague win over Hoover, he pitched 3 2/3 innings.

The win put a serious dent in the Wildcats' bid to win their sixth consecutive league title. Monrovia has lost seven consecutive games, three in league, and is three games behind first-place Temple City with seven games to play.

Monrovia committed four errors and had two base-running mistakes.

The Tigers' Conor Bednarski singled in the second and went to third on Corey Richard's single. Keaton Leach hit a blooper to left field which Reed Miller tried to dive to get. The ball popped out of his mitt and Bednarski scored.

A two-base error and consecutive fly balls to center field made it 2-0 in the fourth. A fielder's choice after a pair of singles made it 3-1 in the fifth.

South Pasadena broke it open in the sixth with three runs off three pitchers.

UPDATE: For the record, a few of us took a second look at the score book. Upon further review, we've determined Michelle Floyd had six unearned runs against one earned. Lauren O'Leary had two unearned runs against one earned, which came in the sixth inning. There was some confusion early in the game as to whether a Floyd pitch was a wild pitch or a passed ball. Also, passed balls on dropped third strikes are not considered as errors.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

SAN MARINO - There was frustration throughout, with a barrage of errors being the culprit.

Nevertheless, the La Cañada High School softball team capitalized early and often as it completed a Rio Hondo League sweep over San Marino with a 7-4 win Wednesday.

San Marino (11-6, 5-3) started a young infield with the absence of all-league shortstop Alexis Watanabe and all-league third baseman Jacqueline Martinez. Watanabe (.500, 10 RBIs, five doubles) was out with an illness and Martinez (.314) served a one-game suspension stemming from an ejection Tuesday against Monrovia.

The inexperienced infield was prone to vulnerability, and no one knew that better than La Cañada coach KC Mathews. The Spartans (17-3, 8-0) were aggressive on the basepaths and quickly pounced on the Titans, who committed four errors and had a slew of miscues at home plate.

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"There's pressure to win games because we don't score any runs, It would be nice to get a base hit to score some runs." -- Arcadia coach Nick Lemas after the Apaches' 2-0 win over Pasadena.

Above: Aggressive base running isn't a problem, as Arcadia's Drew Klein is tagged out at home in the second inning against Monrovia earlier this year, but key base hits are becoming far and few in between.

Arcadia's 25th consecutive Pacific League victory wasn't easy. Pasadena made it tough, to the point that the Apaches' two runs in their 2-0 win came on sacrifice flies. As our Keith Lair wrote, Arcadia has to find imaginative ways to manufacture runs, and they did Tuesday. A while back I subtlety wrote in a headline that KJ Edson is doing his job, but that a little more run support would make things easier. Almost immediately a fellow by the screen name of "Broken Arrow" added his two cents: "(L)ast time I checked, all you need is one more run than the other guy so a lack of run production is moot as long as they pitch and play catch."

As I pointed out, he obviously missed the point. My point was that if Arcadia (17-3, 8-0) was hitting the ball as well as its pitching rotation was producing, the Apaches would probably be running away with the Pacific League with much more authority. At this point, Crescenta Valley (18-2, 7-1) must like its chances with another shot at Arcadia when they meet May 13 under the lights at Arcadia.

We don't know what Crescenta Valley is batting as a team because they dont' post their stats on MaxPreps. To Arcadia's credit, it does. The Apaches, as a team, are batting .287 with a slugging percentage of .358. By contrast, Temple City, the first place team out of the Rio Hondo League, is batting .339 with a .431 slugging percentage.

Pundits will say the Pacific League is arguably tougher competition and the Apaches have faced tougher competition. Not necessarily. Temple City played some tough competition in the Apache Invitational, playing the likes of San Dimas and Glendora. Arcadia beat Temple City 4-3 in that tournament and Temple City beat Pasadena, 7-1.

In the Pacific League, Arcadia has won four of its eight games by two runs or fewer. By contrast, Crescenta Valley has won each of its league games with blow out wins, with the exception of a 3-1 win over Burbank. The Falcons lost to Arcadia, 2-0 4-2.

Nevertheless, you have to give credit where credit is due, and the Apaches are in a position to finish league undefeated for a second consecutive season. Arcadia last year became the only school Pacific League history to finish league undefeated.

But after Tuesday's game, it's apparent that run production is becoming an issue.

La Cañada and San Marino meet again. The Spartans (16-3, 7-0) got the upper hand in the first meeting a few weeks ago when they beat the Titans (11-5, 5-2) under the lights at La Cañada High. I told a few people that I thought this rivalry lost a little bit of its luster when San Marino got beat by Monrovia 2-0 earlier in the Rio Hondo League season. That all but gave La Cañada a cushion in the league standings without having to yet play San Marino. San Marino and La Cañada, I think, are the top two teams in the West San Gabriel Valley, albeit the Spartans hold a considerable gap between them and the rest. While San Marino suffers with lack of depth, the Spartans seem to flourish with depth from top to bottom. Add to that the fact that La Cañada standout Lauren Cox is back in the circle throwing a bit, and you have a Spartans team that arguably has the best power hitter (Anna Edwards) and a powerful 1-2 punch in the circle with Cox and Lauren O'Leary, who has been outstanding all season. San Marino is led by Michelle Floyd who is 11-4 with 178 strikeouts with a 0.61 ERA and six shutouts this season. Alexis Watanabe (.500, 10 RBIs, five doubles) leads the team in batting. Floyd is just as dangerous with a bat in her hand (.476, 11 RBIs, two home runs) but with little else coming elsewhere, the Titans become vulnerable.That's what leads me to believe La Cañada will likely sweep the series today when they meet at San Marino.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

SOUTH PASADENA - Some will point to a five-run explosion in the seventh inning as the key to the Temple City High School baseball team's 11-4 Rio Hondo League win over South Pasadena on Tuesday afternoon.

The reality is, the visiting Rams (13-6, 7-1) let their defense do the talking, getting out of pressure-moment innings, particularly in the sixth, when a potential momentum swing for the Tigers (9-11, 4-3) never came to fruition.

"They had runners in scoring position in many of the innings," said Temple City coach Barry Bacon, whose Rams sit atop the league standings with a two-game lead. "We just pitched out of it and played good defense today."

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By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

PASADENA - Usually, the Arcadia High School baseball team relies on the big bat, but that's not the case this season.

The Apaches have to find imaginative ways to manufacture runs, and on Tuesday, a sacrifice bunt became a sacrifice fly, and the Apaches scored their only other run on another sacrifice fly en route to a 2-0 victory over host Pasadena.

"There's pressure to win games because we don't score any runs," Arcadia coach Nick Lemas said. "It would be nice to get a base hit to score some runs."

It was the Apaches' 25th consecutive Pacific League victory. The Bulldogs, though, didn't make Arcadia's eighth league win this season easy by any means.

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By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

A Monrovia High School senior and standout football player pleaded not guilty Monday in Fontana Court to charges of attempted murder, attempted robbery, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale.

Derrick Johnson, 18, of Monrovia, was arrested Wednesday following a botched robbery and shooting in Fontana.

He entered his plea at an in-custody arraignment and is being held in lieu of $1.425 million bail, court officials said.

Johnson is due back in court May 3, for a preliminary hearing, officials said. He is being held at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. A court official said Johnson has not been assigned a public defender.

School officials, family members and others who know Johnson refused to speak about the arrest Monday.

Monrovia Unified School District superintendent Linda Wagner and Monrovia High principal Darvin Jackson did not return calls seeking comment. Monrovia athletic director Randy Bell and Monrovia football coach Ryan Maddox declined to comment.

Terry Brown, Johnson's sister, also declined to comment Monday.

Johnson starred at linebacker for the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division champion Monrovia Wildcats. During the 2010 season, the All-CIF selection recorded 110 tackles and had three sacks. He was named Rio Hondo League Linebacker of the Year. Johnson was also named to this newspaper's All-San Gabriel Valley Team, which combines football players from both the east and west sides of the San Gabriel Valley.

Police said the shooting took place Wednesday after two teens, one of which is alleged to be Johnson, pointed a revolver at two brothers in the 14200 block of Baseline Avenue.

Fontana police Sgt. Billy Green said the brothers, aged 22 and 16, were waiting for their parents to finish work cleaning a nearby pre-school.

The brothers were approached by the gunmen and asked if they wanted to buy some marijuana, Green said.

When the brothers declined, one of the suspects produced a handgun and demanded money. The brothers said they didn't have any money, and ran away.

Shots were fired and the 22-year-old was hit twice, once in the left side of his body and once in his buttocks, Green said.

Following the incident, the shooters fled on foot. Johnson and a 17-year-old accomplice, who was not identified by police, were apprehended a short time later at a nearby housing development, Green said.

The arrests occurred at a housing complex in the 14000 block of Bancroft Court in Fontana, slightly more than a mile from the shooting location, Green said.

Green was not sure whether police discovered a handgun, or how much, if any, marijuana was recovered.

Staff Writers Aram Tolegian and J.D. Velasco contributed to this story.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE ALL-STAR GAME

8th ANNUAL TRIBUNE/STAR-NEWS
ALL-STAR GAME
Boys: Tribune 98, Star-News 87, Star-News leads series, 5-3.
Girls: Tribune 80, Star-News 69, Star-News leads series, 5-3.

For the first time in the eight year history of the Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic, the Tribune team brought out the brooms, sweeping the Star-News in the boys and girls games at Damien High School. The Tribune girls also won the 3-point contest, led by Bonita's Madison Zylstra. The Tribune's Bruce English (below) won the dunk contest, gonig airborne and throwing a one-handed dunk on his final attempt. Maranatha's Mian Dingle was selected the Star-News player of the game and Pasadena Poly's Daniel Wohl was the boys Star-News player of the game. The Tribune girls won 80-69 and the boys won 98-87.

EIGHTH ANNUAL ALL-STAR
BASKETBALL CLASSIC
When: Saturday, April 23
Where: Damien High School
Girl's game: 4:00 p.m.
Boy's game: 6:00 p.m.
Admission: $8 adults, $5 students/children

LAST YEAR...
Girls game: Star-News 72, Tribune 67
Boys game: Tribune 118, Star-News 111, OT

SERIES RECORD
Boys Star-News leads series, 5-2
Girls Star-News leads series, 5-2

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

The trash talking started a few months ago. It's gone back and forth since.

With the high school basketball season long past them, Pasadena Poly seniors Daniel Wohl and Hunter Merryman can't help starting the rivalry as opposing foes on college teams that play in the same conference.

Wohl, a 6-foot-5 wing guard, will play at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. Merryman, a 6-6 forward, will play at Middlebury College in Vermont.

So, why all the talk?

Williams and Middlebury play in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, and each reached the NCAA Division III Final Four this season.

Wohl had bragging rights after Williams won the first meeting, 69-64. Merryman got some payback when Middlebury won 63-54 in the NESCAC championship game.

Wohl contends the series is even. Merryman argued beating Williams in the conference tournament title game carries more weight and gives Middlebury the upper hand.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

Check out this play at the plate, via Deadspin. I wanna see someone try this play at the next game I cover...

STAR-NEWS TOP 10 RANKINGS
Compiled by Miguel A. Melendez

1. Arcadia (14-3)
Big win over Crescenta Valley

2. La Salle (11-6)
6-3 in Del Rey League

3. Alhambra (12-3)
Easy street from here on out

4. Pasadena (12-5-1)
Bulldogs back in action

5. Pasadena Poly (11-2-1)
Big win over Monrovia

6. Monrovia (8-8-1)
Visits Temple City on Friday

7. Temple City (10-6)
Winner of last two

8. St. Francis (8-10)
Bell Gardens, La Salle next

9. Flintridge Prep (9-5)
Home-and-home vs. Poly

10. Duarte (7-7)
Lost twice to La Puente

STAR-NEWS TOP 10 RANKINGS
Compiled by Keith Lair

1. La Cañada (12-3)
Beat San Marino, Temple City

2. Duarte (14-1)
Hasn't lost since opener

3. Keppel (10-5)
6-4 win over Alhambra

4. San Marino (9-5)
Time to step up

5. Flintridge Prep (7-2)
5-0 in competitive league

6. Monrovia (11-7-1)
Plays La Cañada today

7. Maranatha (8-5-1)
In Las Vegas tournament

8. Ramona Convent (8-4)
Two big games this week

9. Temple City (9-8)
Four consecutive losses

10. Alhambra (8-8)
In four-way tie for league lead

The Burroughs High School administration has canceled the remainder of the baseball season, according to the Burbank Leader newspaper. In the report, a baseball player who spoke on condition of anonymity said the disciplinary action stemmed from an incident a few weeks ago where a large number of players were served alcohol by a Burroughs assistant coach. The player declined to name the assistant coach.

The school released a statement Tuesday that during a trip to Arizona, "an adult coach purchased beer and made it available to students while in their hotel rooms. Eleven team members admitted to drinking beer during this incident. Seven team members admitted to being aware of the beer but not participating in the drinking."

The newspaper reported that other Pacific League baseball coaches and administrators got word from Burroughs about the cancelation. Pasadena coach Mike Parisi confirmed the news. Burroughs was scheduled to visit Arcadia on Friday. Instead, the Apaches will earn a forfeit win on their schedule. Arcadia beat Burroughs 4-2 in the first meeting on March 22. Pasadena, which lost the first meeting, 3-1, was scheduled to play host to Burroughs on April 29.

Monrovia quarterback Nick Bueno is leaning towards playing football and baseball at Cal Lutheran but he still is considering his options.

Bueno, the Star-News Player of the Year, said he e-mailed Cal Lutheran football coach Ben McEnroe on Sunday to say he was playing for the Kingsmen next season. However, an e-mail from Colorado State on Monday night -- along with renewed interest from Northern Arizona -- could potentially change the course.

Bueno, who passed for 1,828 yards and rushed for 1,513 yards for a combined 37 touchdowns and led the Wildcats to their first CIF-SS championship in 10 tries, had considered focusing on playing baseball at Cal State Northridge as early as three weeks ago. But while playing at the Passing Down SoCal Elite 7-on-7 Tournament in Newport Beach over the weekend, Bueno's desire for playing college football intensified.

In an e-mail to Bueno, Cal Lutheran coach Ben McEnroe wrote stating they'd like him "to play cornerback and return specialist with potential to run some wildcat packages" adding that "we're open to having you play slot or quarterback, but it's my feeling we can get you on the field sooner at cornerback."

Cal Lutheran is a Division III school, meaning athletes are not bound to the school through a letter intent like, say, a Division I athlete. McEnroe stressed that issue in a Ventura County Star report.

"Part of the challenge is a kid can love us and we can love them, but if he doesn't get enough money, it's not going to happen," McEnroe told the Ventura County Star. "We have to recruit around six to eight guys to get one."

When asked if things could change if Colorado State allowed him to play football and baseball, Bueno, who batted .440 with 24 stolen bases and was voted Rio Hondo League co-MVP and a first-team All-CIF as a junior, said it could.

"There's a chance," he said. "I'd like to hear that first from them that I can play both sports."

So ...

"To say he's going to Cal Lutheran would be jumping the gun, I would say," Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said.

Stay tuned...

When: Saturday, April 23
Where: Damien High School
Girl's game: 4:00 p.m.
Boy's game: 6:00 p.m.
Admission: $8 adults, $5 students/children

Note: If your coach/AD has not given you notification and you're on this list, please email me at miguel.melendez@sgvn.com

BOYS PRACTICE TIMES: Wednesday 7-8:30 p.m. and Thursday 7-8:30 p.m. at La Cañada HS. Email coach Tom Hofman at thofman@yahoo.com

GIRLS PRACTICE TIMES: Tuesday 5:30-7:30 p.m. and Thursday 6-8 p.m. at Pasadena Poly. Email coach Hon Trieu at trieu77@yahoo.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE TRIBUNE ALL-STAR ROSTERS

Congratulations to the 16 seniors from each team on the list!

2011 PASADENA STAR-NEWS ALL-STARS
BOYS ROSTER
Coach: Tom Hofman, La Cañada
Center: Kenyatta Smith, Flintridge Prep
Forward: Matt Faber, La Cañada
Forward: Nick Holden, Pasadena
Forward: Stephen Van Spronsen, Maranatha
Forward: Daniel Wohl, Pasadena Poly
Forward: Hunter Merryman, Pasadena Poly
Forward: Justin Young, Keppel
Forward: Kishon Sanders, La Salle
Guard: Jared Norsworthy, Flintridge Prep
Guard: Mike McGlashan, La Cañada
Guard: Dario CiVon, La Cañada
Guard: Justin Knowles, Muir
Guard: Austin Daniels, Pasadena
Guard: Josh Chamberlain, Maranatha
Guard: Kiran Koneru, Arcadia
Guard: Jay Henderson, Monrovia
Guard: Ceandre Cade, Blair

GIRLS ROSTER
Coach: Hon Trieu, Keppel
Forward: Hannah Martin, Rio Hondo Prep
Forward: Mian Dingle, Maranatha
Forward: Ashley Cook, Monrovia
Forward: Itos Aikhionbare, La Salle
Guard: Charley Parker, Rio Hondo Prep
Guard: Bryttne Nakamura, Keppel
Guard: Brittani Hirose, Keppel
Guard: Ahsia Owens, Muir
Guard: Kaila Turner, Maranatha
Guard: Vanessa Romero, Flintridge Sacred Heart
Guard: Kelsey Lee, South Pasadena
Guard: Dejanae Gibson, Blair
Guard: Kristine Hossepian, La Cañada
Guard: Remi Kohno, San Marino
Guard: Julianna Okamoto, Arcadia
Guard: Jade Richard-Craven, Pasadena Poly

LAST YEAR...
Girls game: Star-News 72, Tribune 67
Boys game: Tribune 118, Star-News 111, OT

SERIES RECORD
Boys Star-News leads series, 5-2
Girls Star-News leads series, 5-2

From a few years ago...

Here's the box score. It pretty much tells the story, but I'll write one anyway. Just an FYI, the story will not appear in the paper because of space issues. Think of it as a blog exclusive.

By Miguel A. Melendez Staff Writer

PASADENA -- It was over before it ever began.

Well, almost.

Bishop Amat pounded La Salle with four home runs and a 14-run lead in just three innings, completing the Del Rey Leauge series sweep with a 14-1 win in five innings Friday afternoon at La Salle.

La Salle (10-6, 5-3) will have to wait until next season for a chance to earn its first ever win over Bishop Amat (14-2, 8-0) in league history. That La Salle was going to have to wait until then was made very clear from the beginning.

Bishop Amat loaded the bases in the first and Jay Anderson jumped on the first pitch for a grand slam to start the offensive explosion. Fellow senior Rio Ruiz connected for a two-run double in the second and followed it up with a three-run home run in the third to make it a rout. Ryan Serrato and Bernardo Zavala also homered for Bishop Amat.

La salle coach Harry Agajanian was clearly upset with La Salle's inability to get up for a game despite taking Bishop Amat to nine innings before losing 3-2 earlier this week.

"It was miserable," he said. "It was disgusting and I'm embarrassed for our team and I'm embarrassed for myself and the school on our performance today."

Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto said that the field dimensions paved the way for home runs.

"Maybe a couple of them hit the gap, but a few of them are definitely caught (at Bishop Amat)," he said. "It's one of those games you hope you never get to at this park when you deal with those kind of parameters."

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PASADENA STAR-NEWS
2011 ALL-AREA TEAM
Player of the Year: Mike McGlashan, La Cañada, Sr.
Coach of the Year: Tom Hofman, La Cañada, 25th season.

FIRST TEAM
Center: Kenyatta Smith, Flintridge Prep, Sr.
Forward/Guard: Daniel Wohl, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
Guard: Josh Chamberlain, Maranatha, Sr.
Guard: Austin Daniels, Pasadena, Sr.
Guard: Jelani Mitchell, Muir, So.

SECOND TEAM
Forward; Hunter Merryman, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
Forward: Matt Faber, La Cañada, Sr.
Guard: Jared Norsworthy, Flintridge Prep, Sr.
Guard: Jeremy Major, Maranatha, So.
Guard: Matthew Santos, Bosco Tech, Jr.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

The body of evidence points to Mike McGlashan reaching the local pantheon of high school basketball.

The exclamation to a stellar career came when the senior point guard led La Cañada to a CIF-Southern Section Division 3AA championship when nobody had the Spartans getting past the second round.

The road there was the most rigorous in any of Tom Hofman's 25 seasons as La Cañada head coach, he said, and in their quest to raise a CIF championship banner, the Spartans (30-4 overall, 10-0 Rio Hondo League) debunked the theory that a public high school can't win with homegrown talent.

At the forefront of it all was McGlashan, who averaged 17.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and two steals. There was a cool elegance to McGlashan's game, which had no weakness. The spot-up shooting specialist was most dangerous slicing past defenders and attacking the basket. He was a stone-cold defender who fed on fast breaks. If nothing else, McGlashan's superb leadership coupled with proficient ball handling made him one of the premiere guards in the Southern Section.

The standout was voted the Rio Hondo League's MVP and the Division 3AA Player of the Year.

The trifecta, however, is now complete, as McGlashan is the Pasadena Star-News Player of the Year.

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Watch after Gogreve rounds home, that's when coaches dumped a cooler of water on her and the team sings the fight song. If you're wondering, Cassie's sister and also a former South Pasadena standout Shelby Gogreve (wearing #00 with a long pony tail) is the Hoosiers' third baseman. Indiana last season won a total of 12 games, but so far they are 24-15 and are tied for second in the Big Ten. They split with No. 3-ranked Michigan last week and swept Penn State and Ohio State. Click here to read the game recap on the school's website.

PASADENA STAR-NEWS
2011 ALL-AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL
Player of the Year: Michelle Miller, Junior, Guard, Pasadena Poly
Coach of the Year: Hon Trieu, Keppel

FIRST TEAM
Guard: Gina Henderson, Junior, Monrovia
Guard: Ahsia Owens, Senior, Muir
Guard/Forward: Imari Brown, Sophomore, Duarte
Forward:Alyson Lock, Sophomore, Keppel
Center: Mian Dingle, Senior, Maranatha

SECOND TEAM
Guard: Julianna Okamoto, Senior, Arcadia
Guard: Jade Richard-Craven, Senior, Pasadena Poly
Guard: Vanessa Romero, Senior, Flintridge Sacred Heart
Forward: Itos Aikenbare, Senior, La Salle
Forward: Charley Parker, Senior, Rio Hondo Prep

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

When it's all said and done, Pasadena Poly's Michelle Miller could be one of the best to ever play basketball in the CIF-Southern Section's storied history.

Consider:

Miller led the Panthers to a CIF-Southern Section Division 5AA championship this season. She was voted CIF-SS Division 5AA Player of the Year and finished her junior season as the state's scoring leader by averaging 33 points along with 13 rebounds, 2.9 steals, 2.1 assists and 1.9 blocked shots.

With seemingly every goal accomplished, what's left to conquer on the court?

Funny you should ask.

Miller is on pace to finish second all-time in the Southern Section for most points in a career behind Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller (3,446). Michelle Miller already etched her name in Southern Section lore when this season she became No. 5 on the list of players with most points in a season (990) and passed the likes of another legend, three-time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic champion Lisa Leslie.

"To even be mentioned in the same sentence as Cheryl Miller is an incredible honor," she said.

"I think that it would be an incredible culmination of my years of dedication and practice to reach the top of the CIF-SS scoring list."

She has a 5.0 GPA (yes, 5.0) and has her sights set on playing at USC, with hopes of earning a guaranteed spot into medical school through USC's B.A./M.D. program. Harvard and Princeton round out the top three schools she's considering.

Miller's a three-sport star who spends more time acknowledging her coaches, trainers and teammates instead of the God-given ability that's allowed her to seemingly dominate every facet of her life.

For her prowess, remaining humble through it all and leading the Panthers to their second CIF basketball championship, Miller is the Pasadena Star-News Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

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There were some bizarre plays, from the home plate umpire forgetting the count twice and then when La Salle's Michael Pedote ruled out at second, negating his triple to deep center after the umpire ruled he did not touch second base.

"Umpire says he missed the base, and that's his call," La Salle coach Harry Agajanian. "He was in position so I couldn't argue with him. I saw some dirt on top of the base, but that could have been from a previous play."

And here's the beauty of technology, it's everywhere these days, including that play in a video below. Make the call.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FOR THE BISHOP AMAT-LA SALLE GAME

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

With a masterful pitching duel on full display, perhaps it was fitting that La Salle and Bishop Amat needed extra innings to decide who would be in the driver's seat in the Del Rey League. Brandon Castañeda hit a hard line drive over the shortstop and into the center gap that scored Adam Alcantara to give Bishop Amat a gritty 3-2 win in nine innings in front of a standing-room only crowd Tuesday afternoon.

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High school football players' size, speed and strength have increased dramatically in the past 10 years. In "Football High," FRONTLINE investigates the new intensity of the sport and if enough is being done to protect the kids -- who suffer an est. 60,000 concussions each year. On air and online Tuesday night at 6 on PBS. Worth for every high school football coach and player to watch.

It's going to be a busy week for La Salle (10-3, 5-0), which visits Bishop Amat (11-2, 5-0) at 3:15 today in a Del Rey League showdown.

On Friday, Bishop Amat visits La Salle, and the first game between the teams this season that was suspended because of rain likely won't resume, La Salle coach Harry Agajanian said.

"It's supposed to start at 3:15 but we got word from the umpire assigner that they are not going to allow us to play that," he said. "That's what my (athletic director) said. In that case, it'll end up an 8-4 ballgame called in the sixth."

Agajanian said he'll know today whether Bishop Amat got the same word. If so, that would hand the Lancers their first league loss of the season. The unofficial result on March 23 had Bishop Amat leading 9-4 in the bottom of the seventh with one out. Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto and Agajanian agreed before the game that if the game was interrupted because of rain they would resume play at the next La Salle home game.

"At that time we wanted to continue," Agajanian said. "(Bishop Amat's) pitcher was still comfortable but the umpire made the call. They're looking out in the interest of safety."

Here is the official ruling from the umpire assigner, per Harry Agajanian via e-mail:

Please refer to rule 4 section 2, Art. 3 and subsection b. ..."If the game is called when the teams have not had an equal number of completed turns at bat, the score shall be the same as it was at the end of the last completed inning:" This is the National Federation of State High Schools Associations, i.e., the rules we play by. This situation is also covered in the Federation Case Book p. 40. See "Called Game" 4.3.1 Situation A and 4.3.1 Situation B Ruling.

Mike Parisi couldn't help shooting off a text message to update a reporter about his team's recent comeback.

It's not unusual for the Pasadena baseball coach to send weekly - and sometimes, daily - updates, but what made this particular text unusual was the circumstance in which Parisi found himself that afternoon on April 6.

Parisi was on his way to Huntington Memorial Hospital with his fiancé Kimberly Kelly Rino, who was about to give birth.

"I'm in the hospital," the text message started, "daughter going to be born soon."

Then the comeback.

"Pasadena scores (two runs) in the bottom of the (seventh) to win it over North Torrance," it said. "(Pasadena pitcher William) Yost goes 5-0, win (number) 11 as a team. (Assistant coach Jordan) Larson wins his first."

When asked why he'd go to great lengths during one of the most important times of his life, Parisi didn't hesitate.

"I'm a gamer," he said. "Love my kids in my program."

Not long after, Parisi sent another text message, this time to longtime friend and Colorado Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki.

"I'm buddies with Troy," Parisi said. "I had sent him a text message and told him, `You need to hit a home run for her."'

About an hour before game time, Parisi said Tulowitzki replied: "I'm going deep for her."

He did. Tulowitzki's two-run home run in the fourth inning helped the Rockies beat the Dodgers, 7-5.

A home run for Zoë Michela Parisi, born weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces to a beaming Parisi, who is a father for the first time.

"She's adorable," he said. "We're having a lot of fun."

Back on the diamond, Pasadena completed an eight-game swing in a two-week span where the Bulldogs went 5-2-1. The stretch included a third-place finish in the Babe Herman Tournament after scoring two runs in the seventh inning to beat North Torrance, 5-3.

It was quite an eventful week for Parisi, who is welcoming a week off before Pasadena (12-5-1, 4-1 in the Pacific League) resumes league play a week from today at home against Crescenta Valley.

Parisi said the focus will center around a good week of practice and inter-squad scrimmages.

"We just have to stay busy, not having too much time off," he said. "Any time off can hurt any team, but if we have good practices and good scrimmages hopefully it won't affect us, but we'll see."

Even without a league game this week, expect Parisi and some of his players to venture into Glendale on Friday when Arcadia (11-3, 4-0) takes on Crescenta Valley (12-4, 4-0) at Stengel Field in a Pacific League showdown. Arcadia is the two-time defending league champion after going undefeated in league last season for the first time in history.

High school football players' size, speed and strength have increased dramatically in the past 10 years. In "Football High," FRONTLINE investigates the new intensity of the sport and if enough is being done to protect the kids -- who suffer an est. 60,000 concussions each year. On air and online Tuesday night at 6 on PBS. Worth for every high school football coach and player to watch.

In other football related news, check out Aram's All-Encompassing Top 25, which includes teams from the Whittier Daily News, Pasadena Star-News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune. No surprise Bishop Amat is No. 1. Is Monrovia a little low at No. 6? Click here to check out Aram's list.

The Star-News winter all-area teams will run Tuesday through next week. Here are the dates when you should find them in the paper:

Girls Soccer, Tuesday, April 12
Boys Soccer, Wednesday, April 13
Girls Hoops, Thursday's, April 14
Boys Hoops, Friday, April 15
Wrestling, Saturday, April 16
Girls Water Polo, Tuesday, April 19

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE BONITA-ARCADIA GAME

Arcadia Invitational
7th Place: Nogales 9, Temple City 8
5th Place: Glendora 15, Monrovia 5
3rd Place: West Covina 4, San Dimas 3, 8 inn.
Championship: Bonita 8, Arcadia 1

By Miguel A. Melendez
It took a little while, but the Bonita High School baseball team eventually flexed its muscles to secure a 8-1 victory over Arcadia to win the Apache Invitational on Wednesday night at Arcadia High.
It put an end to the Apaches' seven-game winning streak, and for the second year in a row lost its own tournament title game. Glendora beat Arcadia in last year's final.
Any chance of an Arcadia (11-3) comeback came to an end in the seventh when Bonita (11-3) loaded the bases before scoring four runs on four hits in the seventh inning to pad its lead and put the game out of reach.
While the bats came alive for the Bearcats (12-3), it was pitcher Brandon Murfett who was brilliant, going the distance while giving up just five hits, two walks and one unearned run while fanning six with six strikeouts. He earned the tournament's top pitching award with teammate KC Huth earning the tournament's most valuable player award.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM TUESDAY'S MONROVIA-ARCADIA GAME

Apache Invitational
At Arcadia High
Today's schedule
7th Place: Nogales vs. Temple City, 10 a.m.
5th Place: Monrovia vs. Glendora, 1 p.m.
3rd Place: San Dimas vs. West Covina, 4 p.m.
Championship: Bonita at Arcadia, 7 p.m.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

ARCADIA - There's little that any team can do when Arcadia High School sends KJ Edson to the mound.

The returning All-CIF and Star-News All-Area first-team pitcher proved why he's highly regarded, throwing seven shutout innings and giving up only three hits in Arcadia's 3-0 victory over Monrovia on Tuesday night in the Apache Invitational.

Arcadia (11-2) will host Bonita (11-3) in the championship game at 7 tonight at Arcadia High. Bonita beat San Dimas, 9-1, to win its pool after Glendora came up short in a 4-3 loss to Temple City.

Edson (5-1) was dominant from start to finish. He struck out eight and allowed no walks, and 60 of his 70 pitches were strikes.

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STAR-NEWS TOP 10 RANKINGS
Compiled by Miguel A. Melendez

1. Arcadia (10-2)
Six-game winning streak

2. La Salle (8-3)
Bubba" Derby leading way

3. Alhambra (9-2)
Moors could take league lead

4. Pasadena (9-5)
Bulldogs play with moxie

5. Monrovia (8-5-1)
Getting it done in RHL

6. Temple City (7-5)
Perennial powers this week

7. Pasadena Poly (8-2-1)
Ellis earned 400th career win

8. St. Francis (7-5)
Split Crespi in doubleheader

9. South Pasadena (5-7)
Valiant fight vs. El Segundo

10. San Marino (4-8)
Titans are 1-2 in league

STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
Compiled by Keith Lair

1. La Cañada (6-3)
Three consecutive shutouts

2. Duarte (10-1)
Starts heart of Montview play

3. Maranatha (7-2-1)
Defeated Mayfield, Poly

4. Keppel (7-4)
Four consecutive wins

5. Monrovia (8-7)
Big 2-0 win over San Marino

6. San Marino (7-4)
Has the week off

7. Temple City (9-4)
Doubleheader vs. Mira Costa

8. Ramona Convent (6-2)
Plays Alverno on Friday

9. Flint. Sacred Heart (5-7)
Key Mission League week

10. La Salle (5-8)
Beat Amat, Arcadia

La Salle's Bowdien Derby threw a no-hittier in a 7-0 win over host Bishop Montgomery earlier this afternoon to lead the Lancers, who improve to 8-3 overall and 3-0 in the Del Rey League. He pitched seven innings, struck out eight batters and walked five to improve to 5-0 on the season.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE SAN DIMAS-TEMPLE CITY GAME

Jacob Ehret went 2 for 3 with four RBIs, two doubles and a run scored to lead San Dimas to a 9-4 win over Temple City in the Apache Invitational on Monday afternoon at Arcadia High. San Dimas' Eric Morrel went 3 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits. Shawn Kennedy struck out two and allowed just two hits in 3-plus innings in relief. Temple City's Calvin Copping struck out five but gave up seven runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched. San Dimas jumped ahead 2-0 in the first on Ehret's double to score Andrew Espinosa, who pinch-ran for Daniel Milwee who singled and advanced to second on an error. Matt Lee's single scored Ehret to make it 2-0. The Saints added four more in the second with a little help from the Rams. After recording two quick ground outs, Temple City ran into some trouble to close out the inning. Elias Orona was hit by a pitch before Kennedy drew a walk. Milwee's RBI single to the right-center gap scored Orona to make it 3-0, moving Kennedy to third. Kennedy then scored on a balk to make it 4-0 before Matt Muñoz drew a walk. Ehret's two-run double to left field padded the Saints' lead 6-0. Temple City scored two in the second and added another in the fourth, but left the bases loaded in that inning before Kennedy struck out Kyle Starling and forced Caleb Halverson to ground out to end the threat.

Wayne Ellis is a giant among high school baseball coaches in the San Gabriel Valley.

The legendary Pasadena Poly baseball coach in his 24th season at the helm etched his name in Valley lore Saturday afternoon after the Panthers swept Ontario Christian in a doubleheader to give Ellis his 400th career win.

Pasadena Poly (8-2-1, 2-0 in Prep League) was led by Hunter Merryman's game-winning double that scored the winning run for a 3-2 win in the first game. Matt Saeta's two-run triple and Brad Olson's three-run home run in the sixth inning of the second game padded the Panthers' lead before pulling away, 11-5.

Panthers assistant coach Brenden McGrail presented Ellis with a baseball autographed by his players and a bold "400" in the sweet spot.

Ellis was modest about hitting the milestone, giving all the credit to past players that's led Pasadena Poly to 15 consecutive league titles. The Panthers tied the state record for most consecutive league titles last season and are expected to set the new state record at season's end.

"It's never been about personal records and numbers or any of that," said Ellis, wearing his trademark Pasadena Poly retro baseball jacket. "It's about the different kids who have stepped up throughout the years. These guys just want to win and they can't wait to play."