May 2011 Archives

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
BASEBALL
SEMIFINALS
DIVISION 2
Etiwanda 3, Arcadia 2: Etiwanda took a 2-0 lead in the fourth off consecutive singles and a leadoff triple and made it 3-1 with another set of consecutive singles. Arcadia got within 3-2 in the fifth after George Papavasiliou led off with a double. Tyler Dominguez's sac bunt moved him to third and then Papavasiliou scored on a balk. There was a controversial play in the bottom of the seventh when Erik Trask was called out at first despite the first baseman's foot off the base. Arcadia coach Nick Lemas asked the first base umpire to call for help at home, but to no avail. The final two batter struck out to end the game and the Apaches' dream season.

DIVISION 6
Pasadena Poly 5, Desert Christian 1: Brian Holman pitched six innings and gave up just one hit for his 13th win of the season. Jordan Kutzer hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning after Hunter Merryman's two-run double in the third inning. The Panthers will play Saturday at 3:30 against the Oxford Academy/Bishop Union winner at UC Riverside.

SOFTBALL
DIVISION 5
La Cañada 6, South El Monte 2: Lauren O'Leary was a little shaky, hitting three batters and a couple walks, but prevailed, giving up three hits and two earned runs to lead the Spartans. Aubri Thompson connected on two of La Cañada's seven hits of the game. The Division 5 championship game against Beaumont will be either Friday or Saturday at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

GARDEN GROVE -- There was a perfect balance of brilliance, clutch-through performances and steady poise Friday afternoon from the Arcadia High School baseball team.

KJ Edson was brilliant on just two days rest, epitomizing true durability and consistency for the second-seeded Apaches.

Greg Papavasiliou was clutch, time and again proving that the No. 7 hitter is also dangerous task, in front of a standing-room-only crowd and on the road at Pacifica High, no less.

Erik Trask was steady, never succumbing to pressure in the biggest game of his career.

The junior right-hander delivered when called upon, culminating a strong outing with a strikeout to end a standoff to send the Apaches to their first semifinals trip since 1987 with a 2-1 win over Pacifica in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.

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We will have reporters at every game today. I'll make the drive to Orange County and cover Arcadia at Pacifica of Garden Grove. As soon as I land at the nearest Starbucks I'll post results along with final scores of the other games. Our Clay Fowler at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin will cover Maranatha at Oak Hills of Hesperia and our Nathan Cambridge will cover Capo Valley Christian at Pasadena Poly.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
TODAY'S QUARTERFINALS
ALL GAMES 3:15 P.M.
DIVISION 2
Arcadia at Pacifca/GG
DIVISION 5
Maranatha at Oak Hills
DIVISION 6
Capistrano Valley Christian at Pasadena Poly

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

The last and only time the Arcadia High School baseball team won a CIF-Southern Section championship was in 1965 under Lani Exton in Division IV-A, then the highest division.

The Apaches also reached the finals the year before. But after consecutive finals appearances, Arcadia went 13 years before making its next finals in 1978 and needed another nine years before reeling off another deep run to the semifinals in 1987.

Since then, success in the playoffs has eluded the Apaches. Mike Parisi never got past the second round in four years at the helm, and Sean McCorry didn't either following Parisi in three years as coach.

Four painful postseasons saw coach Nick Lemas and Arcadia bounced in the first round.

His fifth season has proven to be more fortunate as the Apaches make their deepest playoff run in 24 years when they visit Pacifica of Garden Grove today at 3:15 p.m. in Division 2 quarterfinal action.

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MAYFIELD STORY: One close play is all it took to decide the fate of the Mayfield Senior School softball team on Thursday afternoon. Josie Luck was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a passed ball and host Kern Valley scored a 4-2 victory in the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 quarterfinals. (CLICK ON THREAD TO READ STORY)

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE - The last time La Cañada trailed in a game was just over a month ago.

And much like they did then, the Spartans, albeit trailing just 1-0 this time, showed resilience and were unfazed while playing from behind.

Megan Siepler's three-run double in the second inning was all La Cañada needed as Lauren O'Leary took care of the rest by going the distance in the circle and striking out 10 in the Spartans' 8-1 victory over Katella on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 playoffs.

The top-seeded Spartans (24-3) make their second semifinals appearance Tuesday when they host South El Monte.

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CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
BASEBALL
SECOND ROUND SCORES
DIVISION 2
Arcadia 5, Alemany 2
DIVISION 4
Palm Desert 5, La Salle 4
DIVISION 5
Maranatha 5, Campbell 4
DIVISION 6
Pasadena Poly 15, Crean Lutheran 0

SOFTBALL
SECOND ROUND SCORES
DIVISION 5
La Canada 7, Hemet 0
Katella 3, Keppel 0
South El Monte 8, Duarte 3
Arroyo 3, San Marino 1
DIVISION 6
Rim of the World 3, Flintridge Prep 1
Citrus Valley 8, San Gabriel Mission 3
Mayfield 1, Carpinteria 0, 10 inn.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer

The CIF-Southern Section forfeited Alhambra High School's 3-2 softball victory over Duarte after the Falcons protested Thursday's Division 5 first-round game, alleging the Moors conducted illegal pre-game batting practice, which is against CIF playoff policy.
Duarte and Alhambra school officials met with CIF-SS representatives on Monday in Cerritos, and Duarte provided a video of the alleged incident for CIF officials to review.
After completing interviews and gathering information, the CIF-SS ruled that an illegal batting practice took place, and per CIF policy, forfeited Alhambra's victory to Duarte.
Duarte (20-3), the fourth seed, advances to Tuesday's second round at South El Monte (14-10) at 3:15 p.m.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE SOUTHERN SECTION OFFICE:

LOS ALAMITOS - The CIF Southern Section has removed the Alhambra High School Girls Softball Team for a violation of playoff rules as it regards batting practice.

The player who tosses the ball should be on a knee and to the side of the batter. The ball should be lifted, not pitched, to the batter. THE PENALTY FOR BATTING PRACTICE WITH WIFFLE BALL, SOFTBALL, BASEBALL, ETC. MAY BE FORFEITURE OF GAME. It was determined after meeting with representatives to both schools and receiving video tape and officials statements that a violation had occurred and the violation was such as to warrant the removal from the playoff s of the Alhambra team. Duarte will now move on to a second-round contests tomorrow at South El Monte High School.

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CYPRESS -- San Gabriel got off to a roaring start to win the first game, but couldn't finish off Santa Monica in the second game despite holding the Vikings by the ropes, and the Matadors' rally came up short in the fourth game as Santa Monica won 22-25, 28-26, 25-21, 25-23 on Saturday afternoon at Cypress College. San Gabriel was led by Kevin Quach who had 19 kills. Richard Zheng had nine kills and Harrison Tang had eight kills and six blocks. It was San Gabriel's second CIF finals appearance. Santa Monica won its first title since winning it in 2006. San Gabriel's season is not over. The Matadors likely will be selected to play in the CIF State Southern California Regional playoffs when the brackets are announced Sunday. First-round action is Tuesday.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
BASEBALL
TODAY'S FIRST ROUND SCORE
DIVISION 3
University 2, Alhambra 0
DIVISION 5
Maranatha 2, Citrus Valley 0
Cathedral 6, Duarte 3
DIVISION 6
Pasadena Poly 11, Bloomington Christian 0

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

The secret behind the Alhambra High School baseball program's success really is no secret.

There's a strong sense of continuity that starts with Moors coach Steve Gewecke, who has been at the helm 15 seasons. It starts with Gewecke at the top and trickles down from his assistants (Chris Cosbey, Rick Cosbey, Shawn Clingan, Colin Danielsen, Kevin Heaton) to his junior varsity staff (Roland Ortiz, Alex Perez) and freshman coach (Eric Felix).

Gewecke's varsity staff has a combined 52 years of experience. Ortiz and Perez have been coaching the junior varsity level for 12 seasons. Felix, a 2009 Alhambra graduate, is a former pitcher who understands exactly how Gewecke runs his program.

Felix begins the process.

"He knows what I like to do and how I work," Gewecke said. "He's on the road to becoming a really good coach. I'm hopeful he'll be a teacher and a coach."

Ortiz and Perez spot tendencies and develop the junior varsity team. By the time they get to Gewecke and his staff, it's a refined group that inevitably breeds success. It's a process that's developed seven consecutive Almont League championships, a dominance that's a testament to Gewecke's meticulous management.

The fruits of their labor will be on display today at 3:15 p.m. when the Moors (22-3) host University High (17-11) of Irvine in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs at Moor Field.

"It's a big staff but everybody's busy," Gewecke said. "The kids play very hard and they practice very hard. Our whole staff has taken part in that. I might holler a little bit, but our staff handles it all so well."

The discipline the coaches instilled is evident in practice.

"If we're not playing well or practicing well, the kids do a good job of picking it up themselves," Gewecke said.

Alhambra enters the playoffs having won 22 of its final 23 games, including a 12-game winning streak to end the regular season.

Frankie Wright (10-1, 0.51 ERA) and Gary Acuna (7-2, 1.52 ERA) have garnered attention after combining for four no-hitters this season. But the consistency is not limited to the mound.

There's a strong supporting cast with junior Juan Crespo leading the team in batting (.440) and triples (3) and junior Juan Morales (.394, seven doubles) adding more punch to the lineup.

But numbers don't always show the kind of productivity Gewecke can be proud of. Sophomore Nathan Qui ones brings qualities to the team that haven't gone overlooked. Qui ones took over at second base midway through the season and has made an impression.

"He doesn't have the numbers, but in terms of leadership he's a guy you wanna have on your team," Gewecke said. "He became the vocal leader you want to have on any team."

Alhambra is the No. 3 seed and considered a strong contender in Division 3.

No surprise why.

By John Honell, Correspondent

COVINA - Taking advantage of the only error in the game, La Salle High School knocked Covina out of the CIF-Southern Section baseball playoffs for the second consecutive season.

The Lancers (18-10) scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning, two of them unearned, and came from behind to beat the Colts, 3-2, in a Division 4 first-round game Thursday.

"Playoff baseball is tough," said coach John Agajanian, whose Lancers advance to Tuesday's second round. "You can't make mistakes. We're all good teams that get in here and we took advantage of their only mistake."

Steven Petrovich singled to lead off the fourth for the Lancers. Starting pitcher Bowdien Derby smashed a ground ball that looked like a double-play ball.

The throw hit Petrovich in the back to put runners on second and third. A groundout by John Auer scored the first run, then junior Chris Williams hit one over the left-center-field fence for two runs, which proved enough for Derby.

"I think that was just the baseball gods looking down on us," Derby said. "We were able to get that throw and that sparked us. I was coming in from third and saw that ball go out and I started jumping up and down. I knew that run was all we needed for the W."

Williams hit a 1-0 pitch for his sixth home run of the season.

"I just tried to drive it," Williams said. "It happened to go out. In a playoff game, it has to be the best. After that, everything came on our side. It's a great feeling."

The error ruined a great pitching performance by Jason Martinez, who scattered four hits in the loss.

"They say it's a game of inches," Colts coach Pete Loaiza said. "A foot to the right and it's a double play. Instead, they get three runs. I thought (Jason) was phenomenal. He did an unbelievable job and I'm sorry we didn't win it for him."

The Colts (16-11) jumped in front on a first-inning home run by Vinny Venegas. They scored again in the second on a double by Nick Simons, a hit batter, a sacrifice and a groundout, but that was it for the Colts as Derby struck out the side in the seventh.

"He (Derby) started off a little shaky," Agajanian said. "He gathered himself and we're used to that. He's pretty good and he's used to going all the way because he gets better as the game goes along."

Derby, starting his first playoff game, appeared nervous at the start. He settled down, scattering five hits and striking out nine to improve to 10-1.

"It was hard for me to concentrate in school today," Derby said. "I was a little stiff the first two innings but our defense made plays today and it was all downhill from there."

ALSO: Keppel beats Cantwell, 11-1. Click on thread to read story.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

DUARTE - The Alhambra High School softball team defeated Duarte in a CIF-Southern Section Division 5 first-round playoff game Thursday afternoon.

The Moors' 3-2 victory, however, could very well be overturned by CIF-SS officials.

Alhambra coach John Zabala said the Moors threw pitches with a wiffle ball before the start of the game. Duarte coach Paul Viteri protested to the umpires before the game's start, although Zabala said he didn't know that the game was being played under protest until he tried to shake Viteri's hand in the postgame greeting.

"We do it the way we always do," Zabala said of the pregame warm- ups. "We take about five feet off to the side and we use wiffles.

"We kind of teach our girls that we get beat on the field, we get beat on the field."

A CIF-SS tournament bulletin from assistant commissioner Scott Raftery specifically says that any type of batting practice with any type of ball, including wiffle balls, is illegal.

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STORY: A perfect game was all that was missing in Lauren O'Leary's already unrivaled resume.

Three times this season, perfection eluded the La Ca ada High School senior, the most recent occasion in last week's regular-season finale against Rio Hondo League foe South Pasadena.

O'Leary's thought process Thursday was there was no thought process at all. It was only after striking out the last batter that the crowd's celebration reminded her of the elusive feat.

O'Leary struck out 12 in recording her first career perfect game and earned her 21st victory to lead the Spartans to a 9-0 win over Ramona Convent in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 playoffs.

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CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
BASEBALL
FIRST ROUND SCORES
DIVISION 2
Arcadia 4, La Sierra 3
DIVISION 4
La Salle 3, Covina 2
El Segundo 2, Monrovia 0
Torrance 4, South Pasadena 3
St. Bonaventure 4, Temple City 2
DIVISION 5
Gabrielino at Long Beach Cabrillo, 3:30
DIVISION 6
Flintridge Prep at Vasquez

SOFTBALL
FIRST ROUND SCORES
DIVISION 5
La Canada 9, Ramona Convent 0
Keppel 11, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 1
Barstow 5, Temple City 4
Alhambra 3, Duarte 2
San Marino 3, Nipomo 1
Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana 7, Monrovia 5
DIVISION 6
Flintridge Prep 2, Santa Paula 1
San Gabriel Mission 3, Boron 0
Rio Hondo Prep 14, Capistrano Valley Chr. 4
Mayfield 7, Riverside Christian 5

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

TEMPLE CITY - It's not unusual for Temple City High School baseball coach Barry Bacon to coach siblings. It's how it inevitably works out in this city, where siblings grow up playing Little League, then Pony and eventually land on Bacon's baseball program.

"That's our community," Bacon said. "You get the older brother, you get the little brother. They grow up watching the older brother and understand what we're doing here at Temple City."

What's unusual is coaching a set of brothers on varsity, much less two.

In his 14 years at the helm, Bacon never had coached two sets of brothers at once. That all changed last year when twins Calvin and Corey Copping joined the varsity pitching staff as sophomores.

Jonah Jarrard, a junior, joined varsity as a catcher his freshman year while his brother Julian, a senior, joined his sophomore year after spending his freshman year pitching on the junior varsity level.

That was by design.

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CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT KEITH BIRMINGHAM'S AWESOME PHOTO GALLERY

By Miguel A. Melendez Staff Writer

SAN GABRIEL -- The only way to describe the San Gabriel High School volleyball team's domination Tuesday night was simpley amazement.

That's the way Culver City coach Joe Manzo described the Matadors' resilient play as second-seeded San Gabriel cruised to an easy 25-15, 25-20, 25-17 win in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.

San Gabriel (26-3) will play for the championship Saturday at Cypress College at a time to be determined. The Matadors likely will draw top-seed Santa Monica, which made a semifinals run in Division 3 last year before moving down a division.

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CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY'S WILD-CARD SCORES
DIVISION 3
Harvard-Westlake 5, Arcadia 1
DIVISION 5
Ramona Convent 7, Sierra Vista 2
Rosemead XX, Hemet XX
Alhambra 7, Lompoc 6 (Alhambra's Denise Gonzales went 4 for 4 and hit a walk-off home run to win the game)
Monrovia 6, Gabrielino 4
DIVISION 6
Santa Paula 19, Alverno 6
Windward 2, Pasadena Poly 1

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY'S WILD-CARD SCORES
DIVISION 2
Valencia 10, Pasadena 2
St. Francis XX, Peninsula XX
DIVISION 4
La Canada XX, Summit XX
South Pasadena 2, Nordhoff 1
DIVISION 5
Maranatha 5, Arrowhead Christian 0
DIVISION 6
Rio Hondo Prep XX, St. Margaret's XX

We've now learned that De'Shawn Ramirez, the former football star who was working his way back to playing football at Monrovia High School, was the person stabbed in the neck during a fight outside a house party late Friday, according to a school source.

Ramirez, who did not suffer life- threatening wounds, was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital the night of the incident. Eric Diaz, 19, of West Covina was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder after stabbing the victim in the neck, Monrovia police Sgt. Mike Head said.

Ramirez was stabbed in the 100 block of Montana Street, just west of Myrtle Avenue.

"Officers responded to a call of several subjects fighting at a residential party, and one person was reported to be stabbed," Head said.

Officers found several people loitering in the street, police said, and the wounded young man suffering from a stab wound to his neck.

Monrovia police and other local law enforcement agencies set up a search perimeter and found Diaz about three blocks away from the scene of the stabbing, Head said.

According to sheriff's booking records, Diaz was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Monrovia Police Department's jail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court.

Ramirez, the elusive running back who dazzled fans with his speed, is a 5-foot-10, 170-pound running back/safety who as a sophomore became one of the Valley's best running backs. In his only varsity season with the Wildcats, Ramirez rushed for 851 yards on 104 carries and scored 10 touchdowns. He broke for runs of 59, 21, 62, 80, 22, 68, 39 and 24 yards, en route to an 8.1 yards average per carry. Ramirez also caught three passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. He was just as dangerous on special teams, with five kickoff returns amassing 300 yards.

It's looking like the game to cover is Monrovia at Gabrielino. You guys have any other suggestions? Otherwise, that's where you'll find me Tuesday. There's some good games to look at Thursday, with one crossover being Tribune team Sierra Vista or Star-News team Ramona Convent at La Canada. Either way, the Spartans will dominate, so maybe we'll leave that one alone for now. Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Keppel might be a good one as well as Alhambra (if it beats Lompoc) at Duarte.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY'S WILD-CARD
ALL GAMES 3:15 P.M.
DIVISION 3
Arcadia at Harvard-Westlake
DIVISION 5
Sierra Vista at Ramona Convent
Rosemead at Hemet
Lompoc at Alhambra
Monrovia at Gabrielino
DIVISION 6
Alverno at Santa Paula
Pasadena Poly at Windward

THURSDAY'S FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 5
Sierra Vista/Ramona Convent at La Canada
Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Keppel
Temple City at Barstow
Lompoc/Alhambra at Duarte
Nipomo at San Marino
DIVISION 6
Alverno/Santa Paula at Flintridge Prep
Boron at San Gabriel Mission
Rio Hondo Prep at Capistrano Valley Chr.
Mayfield at Riverside Christian

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
BASEBALL
WILD-CARD ROUND
TUESDAY'S GAMES
ALL GAMES 3:15 P.M.
DIVISION 2
Pasadena at Valencia/P
St. Francis at Peninsula
DIVISION 4
La Canada at Summit
South Pasadena at Nordhoff
DIVISION 5
Arrowhead Christian at Maranatha
DIVISION 6
Rio Hondo Prep at St. Margaret's

THURSDAY'S GAMES
FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 2
La Sierra/Redlands East Valley at Arcadia
DIVISION 4
La Salle at Covina
Monrovia at El Segundo
St. Bonaventure at Temple City
DIVISION 6
Flintridge Prep at Vasquez
Silver Valley/Bloomington Chr. at Pasadena Poly

FRIDAY'S GAMES
FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 3
University/Santa Fe at Alhambra
DIVISION 5
Gabrielino at Lompoc/Cabrillo

By Nathan Cambridge, Correspondent

ARCADIA - Arcadia High School's KJ Edson threw a complete game and senior George Papavasiliou hit a three-run homer to lead the Apaches to a 8-1 victory over visiting Crescenta Valley and claim the outright Pacific League championship Friday.

It was the third consecutive league title for the Apaches (23-3, 14-0) and came against a Crescenta Valley (22-4, 12-2) team that had been looking to share the championship.

"It's awesome just to win league, and to secure a number one seed going into the playoffs is just huge," Arcadia coach Nick Lemas said. "To go undefeated again is just icing on the cake. You've got to tip your hat to these kids."

The victory over the Falcons completed a perfect run through league for the second year in a row. Arcadia also stretched its league winning streak to 30 games.

Edson allowed just three hits for his 10th victory.

"I just did my job, threw strikes and my defense helped me out," Edson said.

All of Crescenta Valley's hits were singles, including one each in the third, fourth and fifth innings. The Falcons' lone run scored in the third inning and was unearned.

"(Edson) pitched really well and kept us off-balance," Crescenta Valley coach Phil Torres said.

The senior recorded four of his five strikeouts in the final two innings, including the game's final two batters.

Edson used eight pitches or fewer to retire the Falcons in each of the first five innings and needed just 61 pitches for the victory.

"His nerves had to be rattling, but you couldn't tell," said Lemas, whose team was ranked No. 4 in the latest CIF-SS Division 2 coaches poll.

"He is a number one pitcher."

The Apaches strung together five consecutive hits off Falcons starting pitcher Elliot Surrey in a three-run second inning. Arcadia senior George Papavasiliou, batting seventh, hit a home run over the right-field fence to drive in Erik Trask and Gary Huang, who earlier had singled. The Apaches followed the home run with two more singles, but Surrey escaped additional damage when Brandon Benson hit into an inning-ending double play.

The left-handed Surrey, who suffered his first defeat of the season, was pulled trailing 5-1 in the third inning with two outs after the Apaches scored two more runs. Arcadia's Brendan Campbell had an RBI single with one out. There were two outs when Gary Huang hit a single to right field that was misplayed and allowed Huang to score from first.

The Falcons committed two errors in the fourth inning with two outs. Falcons relief pitcher Kyle Murray then threw a wild pitch to bring in the Apaches' sixth run.

With Friday's loss Crescenta Valley finished second in the league for the second consecutive year.

Above: Arcadia's KJ Edson has had the kind of season that makes him a Star-News Player of the Year candidate.

Anyone looking to experience a playoff-like atmosphere need look no further.

The site is Arcadia High at 7 tonight, when the Apaches will host Crescenta Valley. On the line will be Arcadia's chance to clinch the Pacific League baseball title outright.

The formula is simple: win, and the Apaches (22-3, 13-0) sit alone in the standings for a third consecutive title. Lose, and they share the crown with rival Crescenta Valley (23-3, 13-1). The visiting Falcons got the best of Arcadia in the first meeting in April, 4-2.

Also at stake is prime position for playoff seedings. Arcadia currently is No. 4 in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 coaches poll, while Crescenta Valley is No. 5. The final position could be the difference between playing a wild- card game Tuesday or going straight to a first-round appearance. As if that isn't enough, Arcadia is putting its 29-game league winning streak on the line.

There won't be any surprises tonight on the mound. Arcadia will send out ace KJ Edson, who's 9-1 with a 0.62 ERA and 61 strikeouts, and pitched a complete game against the Falcons in the first meeting.

Expect to see Elliott Surrey take the mound for the Falcons. The Apaches had him on the ropes in the first meeting, but Surrey's proven that he has the arsenal to be an ace. He has a no-hitter under his belt this season, and has a wicked fastball that's stymied many.

The delivery is the only difference between Edson and Surrey.

"They both pound the strike zone," Arcadia coach Nick Lemas said. "They work to get ahead of hitters, they trust their stuff.

"Both have effective fastballs. KJ throws from submarine and Surrey is over the top, but both are pitchers. They're not throwers. They have a plan and know how to throw to a hitter."

Surrey is unbeaten so far this season. Edson's lone loss came to Northview early in the season.

"Every pitcher gets into a jam," Lemas said, "but the good ones are able to get out of it."

That the final game of the season carries so much weight creates an exciting atmosphere, but if he had his druthers, Lemas would've had it all locked up by now.

"I love the competition, don't get me wrong," he said, "but I'd love to have had it wrapped up.

"But it's good for us to play a final game that has a lot of meaning. There's more hype to this game because it's CV-Arcadia, our records and how we're both doing."

On the flip side, it gives the perception that the Pacific League is a strong league, and that could benefit both teams when coaches make the playoff pairings.

"Especially in Division 2 there's a lot of wild-card games," Lemas said.

"We're both ranked in the top five of CIF, and hopefully whoever loses this game still is able to get into the first round without playing a wild-card game. You never know. We'll just have to earn the game."

Parisi weighs in

Expect Pasadena coach Mike Parisi to be in attendance tonight at Arcadia. He loves baseball and knows top- caliber teams when he sees them. In this case, he's played against them, too.

Asked to pick the best pitcher between Edson and Surrey, Parisi didn't hesitate.

"Edson definitely has the advantage because he's had the biggest starts and he's had two big years," Parisi said.

"Surrey's had other quality pitchers on his staff. Edson's lived up to the hype."

Below: Crescenta Valley's Elliott Surrey, sporting the Greg Maddux look.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Tyler Blue Dominguez entered the world on March 31, 1993, with his mother's umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.

It was the third of four births for Dominguez's mother, Estela.

"I don't labor much," she said, "which was surprising when he got stuck."

For nearly two full minutes, Dominguez's tiny body was blue - hence his middle name. But he wasn't just blue.

"He was really, really, really, really blue," Estela said. "They don't turn pink until they breathe."

Making the Arcadia High School senior's birth all the more interesting, Dominguez was born at home - in the couple's bedroom, to be exact - with the help of a midwife, who provides care for those who prefer a natural birth experience.

"She unwrapped the umbilical cord," Estela said, "and sure enough he was fine."

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The Rio Hondo League has a new baseball champion in Temple City after five consecutive years of titles won by Monrovia, but the dominance continues in other leagues.

There's Alhambra (21-3, 13-1), which secured its seventh consecutive Almont League title with the help of Frankie Wright. The senior right-hander threw a complete game two-hitter and also connected on a grand slam to lead the Moors in a 9-0 win over Schurr on Tuesday.

Pasadena Poly (19-2-1, 11-0) had plenty to celebrate this year. First, Panthers coach Wayne Ellis recorded his 400th career win. Then Pasadena Poly recorded its 16th straight Prep League title, which is a state record for most consecutive league titles in baseball.

In the Pacific League, Arcadia (22-3, 13-0) clinched a share of the league title with an 11-3 win over Glendale. That gives the Apaches three straight league titles, but sharing isn't caring when it comes to league. Arcadia can win the title outright with a win over rival Crescenta Valley (22-3, 13-1) on Friday night at Arcadia. The Falcons' lone loss came against the Apaches, 4-2.

Arcadia coach Nick Lemas and some of his players attended Crescenta Valley's game against Burbank at Glendale's Casey Stengel Field on Tuesday night, and saw the Falcons rally for an 8-7 victory.

Crescenta Valley's win kept its hopes alive for a share of the league title. Once again, the title will come down to the final game of the season before the CIF-Southern Section playoff pairings are released Sunday.

Last season, Arcadia became the only baseball team in league history to finish league play undefeated

Pasadena coach Mike Parisi wasn't too happy when Muir's baseball team forfeited the final game of league, scheduled for Friday. Parisi said he wanted his 11 seniors to experience their final league game at home before the playoffs begin. It's likely that the Bulldogs (17-9-1, 9-5, third place) will hit the road when the playoff pairings are released.

If San Marino's Jonny Wang needed any more validation to confirm that he's a star high school tennis player, then the three- time Star-News Player of the Year put the exclamation point on an already-stellar career over the weekend.
Wang, coming off an impressive "four-peat" singles title in the Rio Hondo League, was chosen as one of 40 boys players across the country as an All-American, an honor bestowed by the National High School Tennis Foundation.

In an e-mail sent Tuesday, Tim Mang, the executive director of the foundation and former tennis coach at Corona del Mar, informed Wang and San Marino coach John Kuramoto of the honor. Kuramoto, in his fourth season at the helm, will also receive a certificate "in honor of his coaching efforts on behalf of the selected player." They'll attend a banquet May 30 at the Newport Beach Yacht Club honoring Wang and the other 39 boys and 40 girls selected.

Wang recently made an impressive run to the finals of the CIF Division in the Ojai Tournament. It was the first time in school history a Titans player reached the final in the tournament's 111-year history.

Can you imagine the box score for this story? According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, two softball teams, which entered with just one total win, combined for a nearly four-hour marathon game. The 48-47 final score -- which came in the regulation seven innings -- set a national record for most runs scored in a game, with Cuyama Valley (Calif.) High eventually edging Coast Union (Calif.) High with a 13-run seventh inning.

From Yahoo! Sports, the statistics from the game are positively dizzying:

• Melinda Ramirez, Cuyama Valley's starting pitcher, earned a victory despite giving up 47 runs on 21 hits. She also scored five runs and had two RBIs.

• Coast Union allowed just 10 hits but walked an astounding 36 Cuyama Valley batters in the loss. The Broncos' pitchers also threw 25 wild pitches and hit a painful 12 batters.

• Cuyama Valley batter Ashley Armstrong walked all nine times she came to the plate, making her official stat line 0 for 0, 9 BB.

• Armstrong's teammate, Megan Harrington, finished 1 for 2 with seven walks, scoring five runs in the process.

• Coast Union's star slugger Morgan May hit for the cycle in the loss, going 6 for 7 and notching 14 RBIs.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
ALL MATCHES 7 P.M. UNLESS NOTED
TODAY'S SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 3
Temple City at Claremont
Santa Ynez at Arcadia, 6 p.m.
DIVISION 4
La Salle at Crossroads
San Gabriel at Katella
DIVISION 5
Firebaugh at Flintridge Prep
Pasadena Poly at Saddleback Valley Chr.
Ontario Christian at Rio Hondo Prep
St. Monica Catholic at San Gabriel Academy

You guys remember Cody Keith, the former Maranatha quarterback who we profiled upon his arrival. But his checkered history sparked questions, to the point that Yahoo! Sports followed up on our story with its very own, titled "The Curious Case of Cody Keith". If you remember, camera crews followed Cody Keith during his time at Maranatha where his numbers were average at best. He would go on to enroll at prep school Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. Keith was heralded as a four-star recruit, according to a school press release, which also stated he was being recruited by numerous Division I schools before committing to play at East Carolina University. Now comes the fruition from hours of filming, a feature film -- "The Hopeful". I'm a big fan of documentaries, so you know I'll be watching this one if I get the chance. The impression I got from spending some times with Cody and his family is they're a humble bunch. I came away impressed with his Southern demeanor. I don't consider myself as one of the "media types" who scrutinized or waited for him to fall. I did, however, wonder why he wasn't as successful at Maranatha. A description of the documentary below:

Rising from the ashes of media scrutiny and surrounded by critics who are watching every step, waiting for him to fail, Cody Keith finds himself relentlessly chasing his dream to play big time college football. His family are his biggest supporters and make a sacrifice to move across the country embarking on a journey that will take them far away from their home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Amidst the immense pressure created by bad press, school transfers and college recruiting, Cody Keith finds himself on a personal journey of self discovery and realizes that playing the game for himself is the most gratifying experience he could have hoped for.

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
WILD CARD
MONDAY'S GAMES
ALL GAMES 7 P.M.
DIVISION 5
Rio Hondo Prep (10-10) at Southwestern Academy (7-6)

FIRST ROUND
TUESDAY'S GAMES
DIVISION 3
Kennedy (17-9) at Temple City (17-9)
Gabrielino (10-9) at Arcadia (20-9)
South Pasadena (13-16) at Torrance (16-12)
DIVISION 4
Keppel (5-6) at Yucaipa (19-1)
Los Altos (16-4) at La Salle (16-8)
Brethren Christian-Beverly Hills winner at San Gabriel (21-3)
DIVISION 5
Flintridge Prep (10-13) at Laguna Blanca (11-11)
Loma Linda Academy (12-5) at Pasadena Poly (13-7)
Cate (4-8) at San Gabriel Academy (17-2)

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF THE CIF-SS BADMINTON FINALS

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

AZUSA - Kenneth Hui said he is accustomed to drawing a crowd.

The Keppel High School sophomore and his partner, sophomore Johnny Zeng, needed only to finish off Diamond Bar's Luke Chiang and Alvin Ma to win a second consecutive CIF-Southern Section Division 1 badminton championship.

Hui hit a drop serve and then returned a Chiang shot just beside Ma to clinch the Aztecs' 10th CIF-SS title on Saturday at Azusa High.

"I'm kind of used to it now, playing in other tournaments," he said of his teammates watching the lone match at the time. "It was pretty important."

The 11-7, 11-5 win by the Aztecs' No. 2 doubles team over the Brahmas' No. 1 team gave the Aztecs their 11th point of the match, an 11-7 lead, and was enough to defeat Diamond Bar, 12-9, for a second consecutive title.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

Awesome read on ESPNLA.com regarding the use of the newly installed BBCOR bats in high school baseball this season. The lack of offensive production is noticable across the San Gabriel Valley: batting averages are down, home runs are down and runs scored are down. My boy David Ely goes the distance and gets reaction from some of the top high school baseball programs across the Southland. He writes:

"There's no doubt that because they reduced the exit velocity off the bat that it's allowed for more reaction time," Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto said. "How much? I think that's still yet to be seen."

In the past, pitchers were vulnerable to rocketed line drives hit off charged aluminum bats at speeds that left players with little to no chance to safely protect themselves. The increased level of danger took center stage in March 2010 when a 16-year-old pitcher in Kentfield, Calif., was put in a coma after getting hit in the head by a ball reportedly travelling 100 mph. The decision to revamp the composite bat standards in California was made with those kinds of plays in mind, and area coaches agree the game is safer because of it.

[Skip]

"You can tell who can hit," UCLA coach John Savage said. "The power is really down across the board. If you see a guy with two or three home runs you realize he has some power. Before, that doesn't mean much. The cream of the crop hitters has risen that's for sure."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY ON ESPN LOS ANGELES

Monrovia's Kevin Shue went the distance and allowed just four hits and no earned runs to lead the Wildcats to a 2-1 win over South Pasadena on Wednesday afternoon. The win helped the Wildcats (9-12-1, 5-4) snap a seven-game losing streak and puts them above .500 in the Rio Hondo League for the first time since opening with four consecutive victories. Monrovia scored one in the first inning to grab the early lead, but errors still seem to hamper the Wildcats as they committed a staggering four errors. Monrovia's Adrian Velasco and Joe Mata each had a double with an RBI apiece from Jairo Jiorge and Kevin Pestanas. Monrovia is off today and visits La Canada on Friday. League leader Temple City (14-6, 8-1) sits comfortably atop the league standings with three league games remaining. First of the three is a trip to San Marino today. The big game for the Rams will come next Tuesday when it visits Monrovia. That series is always a treat, evident by the last two games with each team making making heroic plays in the bottom of the seventh inning to squeeze out a victory.

"We're getting closer to Texas and a true state champion. Of course, it makes the season longer, but I think it's neat. It's an interesting concept, but I wouldn't want to see it take away from the division championship. But it hasn't done that, I don't think. It adds an interesting twist and I really don't see a problem with it. The preseason may have to be adjusted."
-- Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox.

"From a medical standpoint, there is not any definitive data that says five games is enough or 15. Most people don't like this answer, but it really depends on the coach. The doctors said that if that coach is teaching and coaching correctly and what they mean by correctly in football is they're hitting one day a week, they're in pads one day a week and keeping the length of practice to a respectable time limit, and what we mean by that is two hours then these kids can play forever."
-- CIF associate director Roger Blake.

By Aram Tolegian
STORY: Depending on who you ask, the lengthening of the prep football season is either a really good thing or something so bad it's unimaginable. Late last week, the California Interscholastic Federation state council gave final approval to adding regional bowl games to the state championship bowl games format for high school football. And there's been no shortage of opinions on whether the move was ahead-of-the-curve thinking or a money grab that jeopardizes the safety of student athletes.

Under the new format, the CIF sections that make up the southern half of the state would contest five regional bowl games the weekend after the Southern Section championships are played. That would mean a 15th game for teams invited to play in these games. The winners would then move on to a 16th game, the state championship bowl games the following week. The new format will start in the 2012 season.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

ARCADIA -- A mere KJ Edson sighting gives the Arcadia High School baseball team a considerable advantage, but when the Apaches produce three runs right off the bat in the first inning, the result becomes all but official.

Arcadia wasted no time building an early lead, and it was all the run support Edson needed as he allowed just one hit in six innings pitched to lead the Apaches to a 6-0 Pacific League win over Pasadena on Wednesday.

Edson's lone hit came off of Pasadena's Chris Rucker, whose line drive bounced off of third base and out of Arcadia third baseman Drew Klein's reach. Edson was in command from that point on as 12 of the 18 outs were on ground outs. In two games against Pasadena, Edson's thrown 13 shutout innings and allowed just four hits.

Arcadia (20-3, 11-0) extended its impressive league win streak to 27 thanks to a productive first inning in which the Apaches were able to cash in three runs on three hits and an error.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

A PBS SoCal investigation will expose financial records from an Orange County sports apparel and equipment supplier, that indicate a number of high school and some college coaches in Orange County received cash and gifts from the company.

The secret records were named "Slush Account," and kept track of how the funds were dispersed to coaches. The "Slush Account" records show that the company over-billed school districts for uniforms, and other sport accessories, and shared the excess cash with coaches.

This story will premiere tonight on the 5:30 p.m. broadcast of PBS SoCal's newsmagazine "Real Orange."

Aram Tolegian at "In the Huddle" reports that starting this season, if any football game has a margin of 35 points or higher at any point in the first three quarters, the coaches and referees can agree to go to a running clock.

Here's how it works:

If ENTERING the fourth quarter, or at any point in the fourth quarter, there is a lead of 35 points or more, the game will MANDATORILY go to a running clock and that WILL NOT change no matter what the score becomes. So, if Team A is leading Team B 35-0 and Team B score to make it 35-7, the clock will keep running.

San Gabriel baseball coach Mike Proctor has taken a medical leave of absence after undergoing surgery last Friday, San Gabriel athletic director Pat Hill said.

Proctor stepped down to have an undisclosed surgery that had been on hold because of insurance approval the last year. Proctor, a walk-on coach who is an L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy, was in his fourth season at the helm before his medical leave. His last game was last Tuesday.

In his place for the remaining four games of the season will be former football coach Keith Jones. Hill said she approached Jones about filling in for the remainder of the season and he accepted.

Jones' first game was supposed to be last Friday but could not attend because of a prior commitment. He dressed up for Tuesday's game, which the Matadors (2-13, 1-10) lost, 11-1.

Jones stepped down last year as football coach after 11 seasons at the helm. When the girls basketball program needed an interim coach, Jones, who has also coached track and wrestling among other sports, stepped in.

"I just can't say no," Jones said. "The way our district is run, and all districts, you have to get certified, you have to get CIF courses, finger prints, cleared, and since I already have that -- if it's (in the middle of the season) like its been the last couple times -- it's an easy fit.

"It's easy for me to help out. That's mainly the reason why. I don't want them to cancel any games, and I don't want the kids to be sacrificed."

As for wearing a new sports uniform, in this case a baseball uniform, Jones said: "I looked sharp yesterday."

It's uncertain if Proctor, who is 14-60 in four seasons with the Matadors, will return.

"We haven't decided what we're going to do," Hill said. "I haven't talked to him since the surgery, so I don't really know."

Above: We have no photos of Muir baseball. If anyone wants to send us a current one, please do!

Muir is known for its football and girls basketball prowess, and in its heyday track was also in the mix. More recently, the boys basketball team grabbed the spotlight after reaching the CIF-Southern Section Division 5AA finals this season.

Baseball's taken a back seat since winning only three games in six years before the start of this season. Muir, however, made a bit of team history Tuesday when it won its first Pacific League game in five years after mounting a strong fifth inning comeback to beat Glendale, 10-8.

Muir (2-16, 1-8) trailed 8-2 heading into the fifth. The Mustangs rallied for five runs thanks to a Sam Hutchins two-run home run that pulled them within 8-7. Kevon Seymour's three-run home run in the sixth inning that gave the Mustangs the lead for good, and their first league win since beating Blair 11-3 in the 2006-07 season when they went 3-18 overall and 1-13 in league.

"We struggled for a couple years but we have some kids who want to play," said Muir coach Mike Bendy, who is in his fourth season at the helm. "The kids just rallied. They started hitting the ball and it just carried over to the next batter. That got them pumped up."

Senior Jeffrey Davis, a standout quarterback who led the Mustangs to the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Southeast Division playoffs, went the distance to record his second win of the season. He also recorded a triple and a double. Seymour finished with four RBIs.

BOX SCORE
Pacific League
Muir 10, Glendale 8

Glendale 511 100 0 -- 8 7 2
Muir 100 153 X -- 10 9 2

Daniel Aragon; Joseph Franco (5) and Rafael Rios; Jeffrey Davis and Martin Sanchez and Sam Hutchins (2). HR: Hutchins (M), Kevon Seymour (M). 3B: Davis (M). 2B: Davis (M), Covarrubias (G), Morales (G). RBI: Seymour (M) 4. W: Davis (2-4). L: Franco.

Records: Glendale 3-9, 1-8; Muir 2-16, 1-8.

By Mario Aguirre, Correspondent

SANTA FE SPRINGS - Anthony Ybarra drove in the decisive run in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday, keeping alive the playoff hopes of the St. Paul baseball team with a 1-0 win over La Salle.

The game didn't end, though, without some controversy down the stretch. With two outs and a runner on first in the seventh, the home-plate umpire ruled that a pitch from Anthony Gonzalez hit La Salle's Chris Williams.

Williams, who had no exaggerated reaction from the pitch, walked to first base, with St. Paul coach Casey Morales disputing the call. The third- base plate and home-plate umpires discussed the call, and moments later rescinded it. Williams returned to the plate and struck out. Game over.

"It was a fastball, right-hand side," Williams said. "I went to swing, but the ball hit me right on the palm."

"It was just a bad call," Williams added, with his glove off to reveal his swollen wrist. "The umpire looked over here, and I was just standing at the bag. And I guess he just saw it in my face or something that the ball probably didn't hit me."

St. Paul (8-16 overall, 3-6 in league) will take the much- needed Del Rey League win. Only three games remain for the Swordsmen, who must win the rest of the way to remain in playoff contention. Heading into Tuesday, they trailed third-place Bishop Montgomery (9-12, 3-5) by one game.

"Every game from here on out, we're treating it like the playoffs," Ybarra said.

"We know if we lose," Gonzalez said, "we're done."

Gonzalez (3-6) worked the mound Tuesday, striking out nine and allowing two hits.

La Salle (13-9, 7-4), which already clinched a playoff berth, needs a win to clinch the league's No. 2 seed outright. La Salle has only one league game remaining, on Friday, when they host St. Paul.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

LA CANADA -- There was little time to notice the glaring absence in Flintridge Prep's softball lineup.

By the time Denise Van der goot checked into the game in the fourth inning her teammates had done all the heavy lifting with an explosive five-run first inning that fueled the Rebels to a 9-2 Prep League win over Rio Hondo Prep on Tuesday.

The game had an unusual late start (4:45) because of advanced placement testing at both schools. Van der goot, a senior, took an A.P. art history test that started at 1 and ended four hours later. She was the lone Flintridge Prep (11-3, 8-1) player who had a schedule conflict.

It didn't take long for the Rebels to jump ahead. Flintridge Prep, which now sits in the driver's seat for the league title, capitalized on three wild pitches and an error in the first inning to take a 5-0 lead.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

By Nathan Cambridge, Correspondent

ALHAMBRA - The Schurr High School softball team seized control of the top spot in the Almont League with a 7-4 victory over host Keppel on Tuesday afternoon.

"We've been preaching that we can control our destiny," Schurr coach Jackie Montanez said. "It needs to be us. It needs to be us in control, and they came focused."

The Spartans (14-9, 6-1) are now the only Almont league team with only one loss.

For Keppel (12-6, 5-2), it was the second league defeat this season, with both coming against Schurr.

Both pitchers went the distance in the circle and hit a home run for their respective squads.

Spartans hurler Jacklyn Zacarias struck out five and scattered nine hits for the win. She pitched out of trouble repeatedly as the Aztecs left 10 runners on base, with at least one in every inning. The sophomore also hit a two-run home run into the right-center-field gap as part of a three-run fourth inning to give Schurr its first lead of the contest.

"(Zacarias) was tremendous today," Montanez said. "Our other two pitchers are hurt right now, so she is really the only one we have in the circle and she's been throwing a lot for us. She's been getting stronger as the game went on, and she was able to get out of some tough jams."

Aztecs pitcher Alashanee Medina struck out seven and gave up 10 hits, but five of them were of the infield variety. The junior's strong effort in the circle was also marred by five Keppel errors. Three of those mistakes came in the last two innings and directly led to four late runs after the game was tied 3-3 after five innings.

"I'm proud of Shanee. She did her thing," Keppel coach Bobby Madrid said. "We obviously let her down again throwing the ball around."

Medina also excelled at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a home run, a walk and two runs scored. Her home run in the first inning hugged the left- field line and bounced all the way to the backstop of the junior variety's game on an adjacent field before the Schurr outfielder retrieved it.

"We told (Medina), `You are going to have to be solid at the bat, too,' because she can hit the ball with the best of them in our league," Madrid said. "Its a tough one, but we'll bounce back."

The Aztecs play three more league games. Last year, Keppel's only two league losses came against Schurr, which won the title with a 10-0 record.

The Spartans' next game is Thursday against Montebello, the only Almont team to beat them in the last two seasons.

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION FORD
PRESENTED BY FARMERS
TRACK & FIELD RANKINGS

The following team and individual rankings are based through meets as of April 30th, 2011. Points are based on the 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system used through eight places at the divisional championships. Point totals are based on projected placement of individuals in specific events.

-- Rich Gonzalez, DyeStatCal/ESPN RISE editor

Below are rankings with area teams/athletes involved:

DIVISION I BOYS
TEAM RANKINGS
1. Vista Murrieta (70)
2. Long Beach Poly (69)
3. El Toro (57)
4. Murrieta Valley (32)
5. Trabuco Hills (29)
6. Dana Hills (26)
7. Arcadia (25)
8. Paramount (24)
9. Great Oak (22)
10T. M.L. King (21)
10T. Rancho Cucamonga (21)

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
1. Bernard Quinn (Vista Murrieta) 22.25
2T. Jantzen Oshier (Trabuco Hills) 18
2T. Beejay Lee (West Covina) 18
2T. Jake Fraser (El Toro) 18
2T. Ammar Moussa (Arcadia) 18
6T. Ma'a Brown (Paramount) 16
6T. Kameron White (L.B. Poly) 16
8. Myles Andrews (L.B. Poly) 15
9. Laijon White (Rancho Cucamonga) 14.5
10. Jovonte Slater (Vista Murrieta) 14.25

DIVISION III BOYS
TEAM RANKINGS
1. Notre Dame-SO (72)
2. Servite 54
3. South Pasadena (39)
4. St. John Bosco (36)
5. Woodbridge (33)
6. Pacifica-GG (27)
7. Covina (25)
8. San Jacinto (21)
9T. Burroughs-Ridg. (20)
9T. Agoura (20)
9T. Diamond Ranch (20)

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
1. Remontay McClain (Covina) 21.25
2T. Jonathan Cabral (Agoura) 20
2T. Jayson Kovar (Burroughs-Ridg.) 20
2T. Sam Pons (South Pasadena) 20
5. Khalfani Muhammad (Notre Dame-SO) 18.5
6. Ahmed Mahmood (El Segundo) 14
7. Eric McDaniel (Notre Dame-SO )13.5
8. Malik Felton (Servite) 13.25
9. Ryan Collier (Northwood) 13
10. Josh Kingsland (Woodbridge) 12

DIVISION IV BOYS
TEAM RANKINGS
1. Oaks Christian (94)
2. Serra (83)
3. Santa Ynez (36)
4. St. Bonaventure (34)
5. St. Margaret's (29)
6. Maranatha (28)
7. Desert Christian-Lanc. (27)
8. St. Joseph-SM (26)
9. Oxford Academy (16)
10. Chadwick (15)

GIRLS RANKINGS
DIVISION III
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
1. Kylie Price (Bishop Amat) 30.5
1. Cami Chapus (Harvard-Westlake) 30.5
3. Abrianna Torres (San Luis Obispo) 28
4. Katherine Salcido (San Dimas) 26
5. Gabrielle Scott (Woodbridge) 21.5
6. Omhunique Brown (San Marino) 21
7. Heather Hawes (Nipomo) 20
8. Kayla Mallet (West Torrance) 19
Several tied at 14

DIVISION IV
TEAM RANKINGS
1. Serra (121)
2. St. Mary's Academy (72)
3. Oaks Christian (47)
4. Lousiville (44)
5. St. Margaret's (42)
6. Chadwick (22)
7T. Templeton (18)
7T. JSerra (18)
9T. La Salle (16)
9T. Maranatha (16)

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
1. Alexis Faulknor (Serra) 23
2. Jaye Buchbinder (Chadwick) 22
3. Latoya Williams (Louisville) 20.25
4. Katherine Delaney (JSerra) 18
4. Savannah Camacho (Templeton) 18
6. Itohan Aikhionbare (La Salle) 16
7. Chimere Ezumah (Serra) 15
8. Gianna Woodruff (St. Mary's Academy) 14
9. Danni Alakija (Oaks Christian) 13.75
9. Ebony Crear (Maranatha) 13.75

Courtesy of patmcgoldrick.com

Patrick McGoldrick, a 6-foot, 165-pound lineman/linebacker, has transferred to St. Francis from West Ranch High in Valencia. McGoldrick as a freshman on the frosh/soph team at West Ranch was voted team MVP after starting both ways. McGoldrick, who carried a 4.0 GPA at West Ranch, transferred to St. Francis in the spring semester and his transfer was approved by the CIF-Southern Section office on March 15. Click here to view his profile.

With everything that's happened in our industry, this is always welcome news...

From Staff Reports

The Pasadena Star-News continues to post increases in daily and Sunday circulation, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations' six-month Fas-Fax report released Tuesday.

For the period ending March 31, the Star-News' daily circulation rose to 25,530 daily, up 121 from the comparable period a year earlier. Sunday circulation climbed to 27,988, up 557 from a year earlier.

The Star-News' sister papers -- the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Whittier Daily News -- also grew circulation. The Tribune grew by 121 daily, to 36,163, and 59 Sunday, to 38,963. The Daily News grew by 682 daily, to 14,811, and 646 Sunday, to 15,360.

By contrast, the Los Angeles Times reported a 2 percent drop in daily circulation, while growing Sunday circulation by 0.74 percent.

Factoring in new Audit Bureau rules that take into account readers of so-called branded editions of a newspaper -- the Highlander weeklies, for instance -- Star-News Sunday circulation rose to 38,969.

Under these rules, Tribune daily circulation stood at 56,512 while Sunday averaged 80,215. And Daily News Sunday circulation climbed to 19,635.

In addition, latest numbers show continued web traffic growth at pasadenastarnews.com, sgvtribune.com and whittierdailynews.com -- to an average 1.4 million monthly unique visitors and 5.3 million monthly page views. The newspapers also have nearly 25,000 subscribers to online e-editions.

"No matter how you look at it, our readership is on the rise," said Steve Lambert, editor and publisher of the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group. "We're proud of the gains we've made on the newspaper side of the business, and see tremendous opportunity in the years ahead in the multimedia arena."

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

1. Arcadia (18-3)
Hosts Pasasdena on Wednesday

2. La Salle (13-9)
Clinched second in Del Rey

3. Alhambra (18-3)
Moors dominant last week

4. Temple City (14-6)
Preparing to dethrone 'Cats

5. Pasadena (14-7-1)
Now's the time to challenge

6. Pasadena Poly (16-2-1)
Undefeated in Prep League

7. South Pasadena (11-11)
Tigers strong in second place

8. Monrovia (8-12-1)
Time to step up to challenge

9. Flintridge Prep (12-7)
3-game sweep over RHP

10. Maranatha (10-12)
Minutemen suddenly in hunt

STAR-NEWS TOP 10 RANKINGS
Compiled by Keith Lair

1. La Cañada (18-3)
Clinched share of league title

2. Duarte (16-2)
One win clinches Montview crown

3. Keppel (12-5)
Tight fight for league title

4. Flintridge Prep (10-3)
League at stake this week

5. San Marino (12-6)
Plays La Cañada today

6. Mayfield (10-7)
Cubs can't wait for Prep

7. Temple City (12-11)
Will play San Marino on Thurs.

8. Rio Hondo Prep (11-4)
Time to make title run

9. Monrovia (12-10-1)
Playoffs are now

10. Arcadia (5-9)
Could make CIF playoffs

The bats have seemingly gone silent, the pitching is suspect and errors come at inopportune moments.

There are glaring concerns for the Monrovia High School baseball team. The Wildcats (8-12, 4-4) are on a seven-game losing streak and are in danger of being dethroned as the five-time defending Rio Hondo League champions.

In 20 seasons at the helm, co-head coaches Brad Blackmore and Dave Moore have endured only one losing season. With four games remaining in the season, the Wildcats hope to avoid becoming the second team in Blackmore/Moore history to accomplish an infamous feat.

There's still a chance Monrovia could extend its reign in league, though chances are slim to none. The Wildcats would have to win outright and hope Temple City (14-6, 8-1) loses its three remaining league games.

Monrovia visits South Pasadena (11-11, 6-3) on Wednesday, and before it can even think about a sixth straight league title the Wildcats have to set modest expectations. In short, the Wildcats are shooting for a second-place finish, for now.

"Now you're down to four games," Blackmore said. "If you win out you'll be a second-place team for sure. I don't think anybody saw it coming."

Monrovia started the season as the Star-News' No. 1 preseason team. Blackmore was confident three returning starters coupled with young talent and pitching depth would give the Wildcats a chance to prove they're still the team to beat in league.

That hasn't been the case.

"We have no margin for error offensively," Blackmore said. "You're going to be in close games if you don't make plays, and you're not going to make yourself any luck when you're striking out eight or 10 times a game and hitting 10 fly balls."

Worse, the Wildcats have had a hard time putting themselves in a position to make the kind of plays Monrovia is known for, such as running the base paths aggressively.

Last year, Monrovia had 108 steal base attempts and was successful 97 times. So far this season, the Wildcats have made 58 steal base attempts.

"I'm very aggressive offensively," Blackmore said. "I like to run, we like to bunt. It's no secret."

Nearly every offensive category is down this season, except for strikeouts.

Last year: .351 batting average, .444 on-base percentage, .478 slugging percentage.

This season: .259 batting average, .329 on-base percentage, .329 slugging percentage.

"We're not making adjustments at the plate," Blackmore said. "Offensively we've dug ourselves too big a hole. There's good pitching in this league, especially at Temple City. You can't win with four or five hits a game. We don't walk a lot, we don't steal bases as we usually do, and that's a product of not getting on base."

Nick Bueno, Adrian Velasco and Jairo Jiorge are the lone returning starters. Their impact also has been limited with little support behind them in the lineup.

"The learning curve with our sophomore and junior hitters has been a lot slower than I would have imagined," Blackmore said. "It puts Jairo and Adrian in a tough spot because they're batting in the middle and they're getting the pitcher's best stuff, because there are no trusted hitters behind them.

"I looked through our lineup, and especially with the underclassman, you get one good at-bat a game out of each of them. I think we're going to be very, very good soon, but right now you got three legit hitters and you try to plug around them."

Consistency has been an issue, and there's a noted difference when there's no senior-rich pitching staff. Chris Burkholder has shown flashes of brilliance on the mound. But it's evident the sophomore still is adjusting from pitching 12 innings last year to 43 thus far this season.

"I'm not going to blame it all on youth," Blackmore said. "This is our ship. When we're not getting it done it's on everybody. I can see the progress in the pitchers, but it's not consistent.

"Burkholder has a chance to be really good, but we all forget how big a jump it is to throw 70 pitches the following year. Does that diminish his effort, losing against Temple City because we missed a key hit here and there? Not at all."

It's not all as bad as some might think, though.

"We're not as frustrated as everybody thinks we are," Blackmore said. "I know a losing streak for Monrovia is a big deal, especially in league.

"It's time for us to step back and meet the challenge."

Got a text this morning from Pasadena coach Mike Parisi and Arcadia athletic director Ryan Press saying the game was moved from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. You know how Arcadia likes those night games, and this one made pretty good sense, given the rivalry. Moments ago, Press texted me to say the game had to be moved back to 3:30 p.m. ... So, to summarize: PHS at Arcadia, 3:30 p.m.