November 2011 Archives

Above: Rio Hondo Prep's football program cover

Say what you want about Rio Hondo Prep and how small the school is and its reason for being successful (that a bulk of its championships came from 8-man football or that it plays in the Northeast Division). But you have to give credit where credit is due, that the Kares have one of the coolest, sleekest uniforms in the West San Gabriel Valley. Check them out above on the cover of the Kares' football program cover. Rio Hondo Prep is officially fitted by Nike. The Rio Hondo Prep crest on the helmet gives it a big-school feel rich in tradition. It's not often, if at all, you'll find a school of Rio Hondo Prep's size (99 students) that have the majestic showmanship with full-black uniforms. Rio Hondo Prep isn't all talk. The Kares in these playoffs have outscored their playoff opponents, 116-0.

Here's the second page you'll find in the program, by the numbers:

44: Seasons of prep football

33: CIF playoff appearances (.778 winning percentage in CIF playoffs, 74-21)

22: League championsips

19: CIF championship game appearances

12: CIF-SS championships

6: Times named California small school team of the year

5: Undefeated seasons

2nd: Only to Long Beach Poly (18) in CIF-SS fotball titles won

1: Smallest school in California that plays 11-man football

Back page

This is what Covina is in for when the Colts host Monrovia on Friday in the semifinals of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs. Ellis McCarthy, a 6-foot-5, 306-pound defensive tackle who is a five-star recruit with over 30 Division I offers, is a big fella who can make giant strides, pick up steam and really make some damage when he levels his shoulder. Check out a healthy McCarthy in action early this season against Glendora. So all that talk about McCarthy doing zilch against Arcadia? This is what can happen when you wake a bear.

Above: Muir D-line needs to rally to the ball, clog lanes.

It's what up front that counts, as far as Muir football coach Dave Mitchell is concerned.

"I don't care if you're running the spread, pro or Wing-T offense, you have to win the battle in the trenches because that's where games are won," he said.

Muir (8-4) will have its biggest test to date when it faces a dominant line in La Serna (9-3) in the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division semifinals on Friday at California High.

The numbers don't lie. The Lancers have recorded 22 sacks, and constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks has resulted in 12 interceptions.

La Serna, the third-place team out of the Del Rio League, is led by Faris Nesheiwat, who has a team-leading six sacks. Chris Jones and Isiah Osorio each have four.

Muir's success in the playoffs largely is credited to a stout offensive line that has provided quarterback Joshua Muema-Washington with solid protection. Muema-Washington is a pocket passer, and the time he has had to sit in the pocket and go through his reads has had a noticeable impact in how the Mustangs go about executing their offense.

Once again, the pressure falls on an offensive line Muema-Washington often credits after each victory. It features center Addison Farmer, left guard Jeremy Rogers, left tackle Laurance Lopez, right guard Bobby Estrada and right tackle Jamil Weaver.

"You're exactly right," Mitchell said. "Their defense up front gets after it. We're looking at them on tape, and while they don't have a lot of team speed they are physical and athletic up front."

La Serna has produced some stellar offensive numbers and features a balanced attack. Lancers quarterback Frankie Palmer, only a sophomore, has become an effective passer under pressure. He's completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,536 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"They move him around and he is really good throwing on the run," Mitchell said.

The La Serna running game is led by OJ Medina, who has 1,410 yards and 18 touchdowns.

"We're going to have to make plays when we get the opportunities," Mitchell added. "La Serna likes to do a lot of fast shifts before the snap. They've gotten teams at crucial times."

The responsibility of not over-committing falls on a Muir defensive line that last week wreaked havoc against Diamond Ranch with five sacks and forcing four turnovers. The Mustangs also had four interceptions.

Lamarr McDaniels, Raul Gutierrez, Jajuan Brown, Dean Trevino Iracheta and Miguel Quinonez proved to be a wrecking crew last week. Though undersized, Mitchell says the defensive line counters that with speed, mobility and tough, physical play.

Little big guys

Senior Travonta Herod and freshman Darick Holmes Jr. complement each other while sharing duties in the backfield, and the duo have posed huge problems despite their size.

Herod and Holmes Jr. both are 5-7, but have provided the Mustangs a strong 1-2 punch on the ground.

Herod has started at running back much of the season while Holmes Jr. has jumped from slot receiver to quarterback and now running back. Darick Holmes Sr. is the offensive coordinator, and it appears the winning formula equates having Holmes Jr. at running back with Kevon Seymour, Tairen Owens and Marceles Clash at receiver.

It all appears to have fallen in place on offense for the Mustangs, who have dispatched playoff opponents by the combined score of 87-7.

"Running back is his natural position," the elder Holmes said of his son. "We were trying to make sure we had all the right pieces in place."

Herod and Holmes Jr. each scored last week, and the manner in which they scored showcased their skills. Herod scored on a 3-yard run up the middle. Holmes Jr. utilized his speed and toughness to break tackles, bowl over a defensive back and score on a 59-yard run.

"We have a couple of small backs but they hit the holes like lightning bugs," Mitchell said. "Before you know it they're into the next level and that's been why we've been successful.

"Maybe our speed will offset their aggressiveness up front."

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer

Things feel eerily familiar around the West Covina High School football team this week.

It was at this point in last year's playoffs that the Bulldogs faced a Mayfair team that pushed them to the brink before earning a hard-fought 28-19 victory en route to a CIF-SS Southeast Division title.

Just change the name Mayfair to La Mirada and the Bulldogs' coaching staff thinks the game they expect on Friday could be a similar fit.

"They're big, physical and well-coached," West Covina Mike Maggiore said. "If people think it's going to be easy for us, I think they're wrong. They're going to be similar to Mayfair last year.

"It does remind me of that game and I hope the results are the same."

Most local fans were hoping for a matchup of West Covina (11-1) and Arcadia, but La Mirada (8-4) sprung a mild surprise and beat the Apaches to earn itself a home game with the Bulldogs in Friday's semifinals. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at La Mirada.

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Above: Monrovia super recruit Ellis McCarthy anxious to put the hurt on.

When top-seeded Covina (11-1) plays host to defending Mid-Valley champ Monrovia (9-3) on Friday at 7 p.m. at Covina District Field, the Colts will face a top recruit in defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy, a 6-foot-4, 305-pounder who is being courted by USC, Oklahoma, Florida and Oregon, among others.

"His size is unbelievable," Colts coach Darryl Thomas said. "His strength, his size, he's the biggest kid we've ever gone against.

"He can be a game-changer. You have to adjust your blocking schemes, get more side-to-side because he takes up a lot of space."

Many consider the Colts the most athletic and physical team in the division, but the Wildcats stack up well, too.

"They have great skilled players as well as a sizeable line," Thomas said. "Year in and year out, they have division one prospects. You don't see that too often in our division."

-- Fred J. Robledo

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer

If San Dimas High School wins its second CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division football title in three years, it will do it the hard way.

The Saints were without a home field for the 2011 season and played home games at Citrus College or Bonita High School while San Dimas' football stadium underwent improvements, including the installation of an artificial surface, and will be ready in 2012.

Even more challenging, however, is what lies ahead in the playoffs.

When San Dimas routed Azusa, San Gabriel and Monrovia in consecutive weeks in September by the combined score of 131-16 - including a 59-6 win over San Gabriel and a 31-14 win over defending Mid-Valley Division champion Monrovia - who would have thought the Saints might have to do it all over again?

San Dimas (10-2) already has taken care of one rematch.

After beating Azusa 41-16 in the second week, San Dimas fought off the Aztecs again in the quarterfinals with a 30-23 victory to set up another rematch on Friday.

San Dimas (10-2) will visit San Gabriel (8-4) in Friday's semifinals at

7 p.m., with the winner advancing to next week's title game.

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Ever since Andy Guerrero took over at quarterback at San Gabriel High School, there's been one name that seemingly went into virtual anonymity:

Eric Alvarez.

Alvarez, a junior who once was the starter at quarterback, was in a fierce competition with Guerrero that started over the summer and didn't come to an end until midway through the season. They shared duties until Guerrero's sudden rise at the start of the Almont League season put an end to a two-quarterback system that was producing inconsistent results.

Guerrero's statistics seem to validate his promotion. He has passed for 2,712 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 1,251 yards and 13 touchdowns.

It's that ability to be a dual threat that makes Guerrero and the Matadors (8-4) a much different and more dangerous team as they prepare to take on San Dimas (10-2) for the second time this season in the CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m. at San Gabriel.

But Alvarez now is making a big impact by switching to defense. Alvarez, one of four team captains, is considered by San Gabriel coach Jude Oliva to be one of the smartest players on the team, a player who brings exemplary leadership skills as an outside linebacker with 48 tackles.

"It speaks volumes about his character and his versatility," Oliva said. "Him being able to take a step back and get into a different role and make a big impact on our defense is huge.

"He's one of those kids that will do anything for the team. He's very intelligent and took that intelligence from offense to defense, helping us make our checks and calls."

There's no animosity now that Guerrero garners the attention. In fact, Alvarez has become a fan of Guerrero's flashy style and helps him whenever possible from the sideline.

"He's standing there watching from the sidelines," Oliva said of Alvarez. "Whenever there's a break he goes over to Andy and tells him, `Remember what coach said' and this and that. He's very helpful."

Familiar foe

When San Gabriel met San Dimas in the third week of the season, the Matadors were in disarray. The offense wasn't clicking, to say the least, and that was accentuated in a 59-6 loss.

Any coaching staff will say it's never easy to beat an opponent a second time in the same season, and San Gabriel hopes that theory proves right. The Matadors, despite the early season shellacking, look back on that game as a lesson learned, and Oliva is glad he scheduled that game because he now has a better understanding of how San Dimas brilliantly executes the Wing-T offense with an impressive tempo.

"South Pasadena ran a similar Wing-T offense and Alhambra runs it, too," Oliva said. "And no disrespect to those teams, but San Dimas really runs it to perfection.

"There's not much deception of what's going on, but they run it so darn effectively it puts a lot of pressure on teams."

From running power plays to counter plays, the Saints make it tough for opposing defenses to stop. Then there's the tempo.

"I think understanding the tempo in which they run it and seeing it first-hand will help us more this time," Oliva said. "The first time we weren't really ready for that tempo."

Above: This was the result the last time Rio Hondo Prep reached the finals back in 2009 on a soaking Saturday night. The Kares look to make new finals memories, but first must avenge a 2010 quarterfinal loss to Boron. Rio Hondo Prep so far has taken care of some serious business on the road there.

CLICK HERE FOR REPORTS ON BORON FOOTBALL (MOJAVE DESERT NEWS)

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

Defense? That's been a figment of someone's imagination in the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs.
Of the eight games played by the four remaining teams, only one, Desert Christian's 14-7 win over top-seeded Bishop last Friday, has been a low-scoring affair.

That's not to say there has not been spectacular defense. Of those eight games, four victories have been by shutout. Chief among those defensive efforts have been those by Rio Hondo Prep, which outscored its first two playoff opponents 116-0.

"We're a really good defensive team," Kares coach Ken Drain said. "We haven't given up too many points in league (play), either."

The Kares have had six shutouts this season en route to an 11-1 record. Two of their Prep League wins were shutouts.

All of which makes for an interesting situation in Friday night's semifinal game.

The Kares play Boron (10-2) for the third consecutive year in the playoffs. The teams met earlier this season in a nonleague game, with Rio Hondo earning a last-second, 40-38 victory.

"I really expect a lot more defense than last time," Drain said. "The first time we played, we were feeling each other out. I think when you get to the playoffs everything evens up. You've studied so much film. You know exactly what they're going to do. That gives good defenses an advantage.

"I hope we score a lot of points. I could be wrong. Heck, I hope we score 50."

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Above: Mike Mooney in 2010 fall camp.

By Brian Charles, Staff Writer

Former San Marino High School football coach Mike Mooney is due in court on Dec. 15 to be arraigned on a felony charge of grand theft by embezzlement, officials said Monday.

The former San Marino High School assistant principal and football coach - who was placed on administrative leave half way through the 2010 season - declined to comment on Monday.

The felony complaint was filed on Nov. 22, and according to the complaint, with the alleged embezzlement occurring during a two-year period from October 2008 to October 2010.

The funds allegedly stolen by Mooney were embezzled from the Titan Football Boosters club.

Officials from the club declined to comment on Monday.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

Knocked unconscious and bleeding profusely from his head.

That's how Muir High School quarterback Joshua Muema-Washington was found after the car he was riding in with three other friends was involved in a near head-on collision during the week leading up to the Mustangs' Oct. 21 game against Glendale.

What was supposed to be a typical ride to a friend's house - and within seconds of pulling into the driveway - turned into pain that sidelined Muema-Washington almost four weeks.

"We were driving on Los Robles and heading to my friend Charles' house," Muema-Washington recalled. "We were about to turn and make a left into the house when out of nowhere this red truck comes right at us."

The truck, Muema-Washington said, struck the passenger side where he sat.

"I saw the truck," Muema-Washington said. "But at the same time I didn't have enough time to embrace the impact. It was coming so fast."

The 6-foot-3 junior was last to be dragged out of the mangled car in which he was a passenger in the back seat. Muema-Washington admitted he wasn't wearing a seat belt, which made matters worse.

He suffered cuts that required 13 stitches above his right eyebrow and nine above his left during a five-hour stay at Huntington Memorial Hospital.

"I was scared when I saw the scars and seen how deep it was," he said. "I had a towel around my head and used a lot of water to wash off as much blood as possible off my face."

Muema-Washington said he was light-headed for three days. Soreness ensued, limiting his time with the football team. He did not practice or suit up for the Glendale game. He missed the next two games against Burroughs and Burbank and sat out most of the first half against Pasadena in the Turkey Tussle.

"It's the middle of the season," he recalled. "I didn't expect this to throw me off so bad. I thought maybe I'd miss one or two games at the most. But missing all those games I thought I wouldn't have the momentum leading to the playoffs. Against Pasadena I didn't play either right away."

Muema-Washington entered in the final minute of the first half against Pasadena. His first pass was a 26-yard completion that gave the Mustangs (8-4) some rhythm before the half ended. He came back in the third quarter and on Muir's first drive capped an 18-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. He sealed the game for the Mustangs when he connected on a 44-yard pass to Kevon Seymour to secure a 14-6 win over Pasadena.

Muema-Washington has been on fire ever since. He passed for 220 yards and four touchdowns in a 39-7 win over No. 2 seed Santa Fe in the opening round of the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs. He was at it again last week against Diamond Ranch with 182 yards and three touchdowns on 6-of-14 passing in the Mustangs' 48-0 win.

It's no coincidence Muema-Washington's absence also marked a loss of swagger for Muir. The Mustangs appear to have gotten it back - and then some - with Muema-Washington's return. The Muir faithful hope it continues on Friday night when it takes on La Serna in the Mustangs' first semifinal appearance since 1999.

The game, scheduled for a 7:30 start, will be at California High in Whittier.

Muir coach Dave Mitchell knows how instrumental Muema-Washington's success is for the team. His play, he said, has a domino effect.

"As Josh goes so goes our team," Mitchell said the week leading up to Muir's game against Diamond Ranch.

Muema-Washington connected on 59- and 63-yard touchdown passes to Tairen Owens and a 36-yard scoring pass to Seymour against the Panthers.

The Mustangs wanted to make a statement with the long passes on their first two plays of the game.

Leave it to Muema-Washington to deliver the knockout punch.

Conscious and all.

Steve Garrison, the former Monrovia football coach who led the Wildcats to three consecutive championship games in the mid-1990s, is back on the Monrovia sideline.

Garrison, who coached Monrovia for 15 seasons before resigning following the 2007 season, joined Monrovia's coaching staff at the start of the playoffs. He recently served as an assistant at Northview and agreed to join Maddox's staff after the Vikings' season ended. Maddox replaced Garrison in 2008 and guided the Wildcats to the semifinals in his first season, followed by two trips to the CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division finals. They won in 2010.

Garrison joins Monrovia's staff after revered offensive line coach Phil Lujan accepted an assistant principal position at Glendale High. Maddox said Garrison does not have a definite role, but he is on staff and is getting acquainted with the team before officially taking over as offensive line coach next season. Maddox said he brought in Shawn Holden as offensive line coach on a temporary basis. Holden was part of Maddox's staff his first two seasons.

"I talked to Steve towards the end of the season about possibly coming on," Maddox said. "He's glad to be back and he'll be in charge of our offensive line next year.

"He's out there learning and assisting. He's getting himself acquainted and helping out where he can."

Lujan's departure comes as no surprise. He'd been pursuing an administrative position and Maddox knew this day would come.

"It's not something that was sudden or unexpected," Maddox said. "He'd been applying for a while and he got his opportunity. He loves it. We miss having him around, but we're happy for him."

Monrovia (9-3) will play top-seeded Covina (11-1) on Friday 7 at Covina District Field in the semifinals of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs.

Garrison brings a wealth of experience, and that he coached against Covina and San Dimas (the other semifinalist that plays San Gabriel) will only help the Wildcats.

La Salle's Antoine Peterson has been fired as the Lancers' head football coach after four seasons.

Peterson, who went 7-34 in his tenure, was fired a week after the Lancers' season ended in a postgame brawl following a 29-12 loss to Cantwell Sacred Heart.

La Salle finished 1-9, with its lone win over Mary Star of the Sea, 49-20.

Peterson assembled a top coaching staff that included former NFL player Dwight Hicks and former USC running back Shawn Walters.

"These guys were there for me," Peterson said of his staff. "Dwight Hicks, former San Francisco 49er, said he was only here for me, he wanted to give back. The team finished recording nine interceptions, and that's the sad thing. We didn't have a chance to finish with the senior class."

La Salle Athletic Director Anthony Harris, who was offensive coordinator upon his arrival as athletic director and through the first two games before giving up the position, said the program needed a change.

"We are going in a different direction," he said. "Coming in here I really wanted coach Peterson to be successful. I didn't have an opportunity to overlook the program in the last four years in his time as head coach.

"I knew our program was struggling and I was hoping to get it turned around. It didn't happen."

Peterson felt the coaching staff and team, which lost three games by less than nine points or less, were jelling.

"There were some bright spots," he said. "There were a lot of close games in the season. When Anthony Harris stepped down as offensive coordinator we didn't catch our stride until maybe (Week 6). This team will return 25 seniors and whoever takes my place will have a hell of a team ready to go."

The decision proved difficult for Harris, who has known Peterson since the sixth grade at Altadena Elementary School. They played football under legendary coach Jim Brownfield at Muir where Peterson later was part of Brownfield's staff.

"It was extremely difficult because it's somebody that I know and care for tremendously," Harris said. "As an athletic director you have to make some tough decisions. The decision wasn't all mine, but you're accurate I did have some input in that.

"Antoine is such a tremendous human being. He's really well-liked on campus, by his players and his colleagues."

Harris said the vacancy has drawn more than 60 resumes and he'll continue to accept applications through Dec. 9, at which point he'll narrow down the list and name a new football coach by the first week of January "so we can get the kids on board with the offseason program with their new coach."

Harris would like the new coach to teach at the school, although it's not a requirement.

"That's the way it's been listed," he said. "If we can find someone that doesn't need teaching, fine. But ideally we'd love to have a head football coach that is on campus 100 percent of the time."

Peterson said he hopes to remain a physical education teacher at La Salle.

"I hope to continue on here," he said. "I've been here for over 10 years and developed a relationship, not only with the football players but with the student body as well. This has been home for me."

Serious hoops fans might travel west to Pasadena High, where coach Tim Tucker has put together another impressive lineup, which includes La Verne Lutheran, Etiwanda, Price, Chino Hills, Ribet Academy and more. The first, and second round schedule is posted below: Coaches or team helpers should call in results to 626-962-8811, ext. 2233 and 2242 or email info to scores@sgvn, and leave a contact number in case we have questions. I'll update this tournaments daily (with your help, of course). E-mail tournament brackets and updates to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com

Rose City Classic
**President's Division**
At Pasadena HS
Today's games
Roosevelt (Corona) vs. Long Beach Jordan, 3:30 p.m.
Ribet Academy vs. Leuzinger, 5 p.m.
La Verne Lutheran vs. Sylmar, 6:30 p.m.
Arroyo Valley vs. Pasadena, 8 p.m.

Tuesday's first round at Pasadena
Etiwanda vs. Cleveland, 3:30 p.m.
Canyon Springs vs. Chino Hills, 5 p.m.
Washington Prep vs. Cajon, 6:30 p.m.
Price vs. Birmingham, 8 p.m.

**Governor's Division**
At Muir HS
Tue 11/29 @ Muir HS
3:30 LACES / Jordan (L.A-Watts)
5:00 Marshall (L.A-Los Feliz) / Marshall (Pas.)
6:30 Fremont / Reseda
8:00 Monrovia / Muir

Wed 11/30 @ Muir
3:30 Marshall (L.A-Los Feliz) / Fremont
5:00 Monrovia / LACES
6:30 Marshall (Pas.) / Reseda
8:00 Jordan (L.A-Watts) / Muir

No scoreboard tonight, click on Coveritlive for updates throughout the games.

PLAYOFF SCORES
Mid-Valley Division
Covina 49, Alhambra 7
Monrovia 67, Whittier Christian 21
San Gabriel 40, Arroyo 38
San Dimas 30, Azusa 23

Southeast Division
West Covina 55, Pasadena 12
La Mirada 31, Arcadia 27
Muir 48, Diamond Ranch 0
La Serna 35, Los Altos 30

Western Division
Arroyo Grande 49, St. Francis 28

Northeast Division
Rio Hondo Prep 55, California City 0

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE WITH PREDICTIONS
Mid-Valley Division
Covina (10-1) vs. Alhambra (8-2) at Moor Field -- Covina
Monrovia (8-3) vs. Whittier Christian (7-4) at Whittier College -- Monrovia
San Gabriel (7-4) at Arroyo (10-1) -- San Gabriel

Southeast Division
West Covina (10-1) at Pasadena (6-5) -- West Covina
La Mirada (7-4) at Arcadia (9-2) -- Arcadia
Diamond Ranch (6-5) at Muir (7-4) -- Diamond Ranch

Western Division
Arroyo Grande (10-1) at St. Francis (9-2) -- Arroyo Grande

Northeast Division
California City (7-4) at Rio Hondo Prep (10-1) -- Rio Hondo Prep

Check out our Tyler Drohan's awesome highlights shot from his iPhone...

CLICK HERE OTHER SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SCORES

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Alhambra 20, La Puente 14
Monrovia 24, Pomona 7
San Gabriel 9, Maranatha 0
Pasadena 57, California 43
Arcadia 39, Bonita 13
Muir 39, Santa Fe 7
St. Francis 45, Paramount 28
Rio Hondo Prep 61, Hamilton 0
Bosco Tech at Nordhoff, 7:30 p.m. --

Our Keith Lair will be live from Cypress tonight to cover all the action in the Division 3AA championship match. Check out the paper Saturday for all the coverage.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

St. Lucy's Priory High School swept La Salle in a nonleague volleyball match on Sept. 23.

When the teams meet again tonight, that relatively easy 25-20, 25-18. 25-15 Regents victory will be far from the thoughts of that warm September evening on the Pasadena campus.

"There will be a big difference," La Salle coach Tiare Tuitama said. "We're playing a lot better since the last time we played St. Lucy's, but the big thing is that we have more confidence and have mentally changed."

A lot more is at stake than a shake of the hands. It will be played in front of hundreds of fans at Cypress College at 7 p.m. The winner will receive a CIF-Southern Section championship trophy and a guaranteed berth in the CIF State playoffs.

"It will absolutely be a different game," St. Lucy's coach Sean Douglas said. "Our girls know that. They are not even thinking about that game."

Based on that match three months ago, it would hardly seem likely that the two teams would be playing for the Division 3AA championship. When they played in September, the Regents were coming off the division title. La Salle was still, surprisingly, smarting from that three-game semifinal loss to St. Lucy's last year. Plus, they were still adjusting to Tuitama, who has been with the program since July.

"We were still thinking about that semifinal match from last year," Tuitama said. "We did not have our rotations down yet either."

Even though St. Lucy's swept, Douglas said he saw something in the Lancers.

"You could see it in them," he recalled. "They just hadn't clicked."

Two weeks and four matches later, Tuitama said she began seeing the results. It happened at the Hilltop tournament in Chula Vista, which the Lancers won.

"We just began to play mentally the right way," she said. "They always had it in them physically, but not mentally."

La Salle then won the Marlborough tournament the following weekend, and went 8-1 the rest of the season, going undefeated to win the Del Rey League title and losing only six games, including a 3-0 nonleague loss to Notre Dame Academy down the stretch.

"We've had a surge of confidence," Tuitama said. "We'll be ready this time."

St. Lucy's has not lost a five-game match in a month and went 8-2 to win the Sierra League title.

"I've told the girls it's about creating a legacy," Douglas said. "They can win championships and play very good volleyball."

Both coaches admit they are very similar. The are both tall with powerful middle blockers. They each have go-to players, but can rely on nearly any player on the floor.

"The key will be defense," Douglas said. "Whoever plays great defense will prevail."

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer

GLENDORA - Badly in need of a knockout punch to get rid of pesky San Marino, the San Dimas High School football team turned to fullback Domonic Jollevet.

He did not disappoint.

Jollevet broke away for a 77-yard touchdown run with just under three minutes to play to turn a three-point San Dimas lead into a 31-21 victory over the Titans in the first round of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs at Citrus College on Thursday night.

"I was very nervous when they cut the lead to three," said Jollevet, who rushed for 216 yards and two scores. "What I decided to do was run hard, and I saw the hole, saw the goal posts and I said `screw the cutback, I'm gonna take it this way.'

"I told everyone on the team that if you put the team on your back, I'll put the team on my back and hopefully we'll pull out with this win and keep going."

The win improved San Dimas to 9-2. The Saints are the division's No. 3 seed and will face the winner of the Valley Christian-Azusa game, which will be played tonight at Citrus College. San Marino finished 7-4.

Not many fans outside the prestigious 91108 zip code expected the Titans to push San Dimas to the brink. But the Titans got big performances from quarterback Matt Wofford (214 yards passing) and running back Kwame Do, who ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns.

San Dimas twice had double-digit leads, but San Marino wouldn't go away. After Dillon Corona hit a 24-yard field goal to put San Dimas up 24-14 late in the third quarter, the Titans made their final surge.

Wofford drove his team 80 yards in just under seven minutes and Do finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 24-21 with 3:36 left.

San Marino didn't attempt an onside kick, instead kicking short and deciding to play defense with two timeouts remaining. But Jollevet took his 14th carry of the night straight up the middle and into the end zone to seal the win.

"They are a good football team," Saints coach Bill Zernickow of San Marino. "So it wasn't a surprise so much as it was us not executing and turning the ball over two times in the end zone. Believe it or not, I'll take an ugly win over a pretty loss."

San Dimas helped the Titans stay in the game by twice turning the ball over deep in San Marino territory. In the first half, San Dimas had a pass intercepted in the end zone to kill a drive and in the second half the Saints fumbled the ball into zone to end another. Both plays resulted in touchbacks for San Marino.

"We're going to do a lot of drills next week to improve that," Zernickow said. "It's very uncharacteristic of what we've been doing. I can't remember the last time when we fumbled balls into the end zone and stuff like that."

San Dimas darted to a 14-0 lead and looked like it may cruise into the second round.

Jake Payton's 9-yard touchdown started the scoring on San Dimas' first possession. After getting the ball back, quarterback Shawn Kennedy concluded San Dimas' second possession by hitting Devante Brown on a 19-yard touchdown pass.

San Marino methodically drove down field and answered with a 2-yard run by Do. The Titans defense held San Dimas on its ensuing possession and the score was soon tied after a 3-yard touchdown by Do.

Jollevet gave San Dimas the lead back for good by taking the third play of the second half 58 yards for a TD and a 21-14 advantage."Domonic did a great job for us," Zernickow said. "I think we had 24 plays in the first half for two scores, so we have to get better than that."

Ok, maybe there are some surprises on this bracket prediction with me picking Maranatha to reach the semifinals where I have the Minutemen losing to San Dimas again. I also think Burroughs will run over Los Altos led by Zander Anding. I don't see how Azusa and Arroyo with a questionable league schedule (much like Monrovia) could make a deep playoff run not having been tested in their run up to the playoffs. Good luck to all and let's hope it's a playoff year without major injuries.

Mid-Valley Division Predictions
Top Half
South El Monte (7-3) at #1 Covina (9-1)
Alhambra (8-2) at La Puente (9-1)
El Monte (7-3) at Whittier Christian (6-4)
Pomona (6-4) at #4 Monrovia (7-3)
Bottom half
San Marino (7-3) at #3 San Dimas (8-2), Thursday at Citrus
Cerritos Valley Christian (4-6) at Azusa (7-3)
Maranatha (8-2) at San Gabriel (6-4)
Sierra Vista (6-4) at #2 Arroyo (9-1)
Second Round Winners
Covina over South El Monte
Alhambra over La Puente
Whittier Christian over El Monte
Monrovia over Pomona
San Dimas over San Marino
Cerritos Valley Christian over Azusa
Maranatha over San Gabriel
Arroyo over Sierra Vista
Quarterfinal winners
Covina over Alhambra
Monrovia over Whittier Christian
San Dimas over Cerritos Valley Chr.
Maranatha over Arroyo
Semifinal winners
Covina over Monrovia
San Dimas over Maranatha
Championship
Covina over San Dimas

It's time for teams, coaches (especially some coaches) and players to not be so sensitive and/or take these predictions so personal. Predictions from sportswriters are just as good (bad?) as the local weather woman giving us her 10-day forecast, and look at the Pac-12 basketball media writers who predicted UCLA to win the Pac-12 championship. The Bruins right now couldn't win the Alpha League title the way they're playing right now, losing so far to (who?) Loyola Marymount and, not kidding, Middle Tennessee University. Motivation? Perhaps, but if you need my predictions or any sportswriters' predictions to fuel your motivation, well, I don't know what to tell ya. But here is the Southeast Division bracket I filled out on our PrepXtra Live show. For the most part Aram and I agreed on picks throughout except for Arcadia and Diamond Ranch reaching the finals. However, here's hoping an area team (Arcadia) does in fact reach the finals.

Southeast Division Predictions
Top Half
Norwalk (3-7) at #1 West Covina (9-1)
Pasadena (5-5) at California (7-3)
Bonita (6-4) at Arcadia (8-2)
Crescenta Valley (6-4) at #4 La Mirada (6-4)
Bottom Half
Los Altos (7-3) at #3 Burbank Burroughs (6-4)
La Serna (7-3) at Mayfair (7-3)
Bellflower (7-3) at Diamond Ranch (5-5)
Muir (6-4) at #2 Santa Fe (6-4)

Second Round winners
West Covina over Norwalk
Pasadena over California
Arcadia over Bonita
La Mirada over Crescenta Valley
Burroughs over Los Altos
Mayfair over La Serna
Diamond Ranch over Bellflower
Santa Fe over Muir
Quarterfinal Winners
West Covina over Pasadena
Arcadia over La Mirada
Mayfair over Burroughs
Diamond Ranch over Santa Fe
Semifinal Winners
Arcadia over West Covina
Diamond Ranch over Mayfair
Championsip
Diamond Ranch over Arcadia

Arcadia quarterback Myles Carr is the epitome of efficiency. The senior standout made an impression as a junior when he completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,872 yards and 26 touchdowns with four interceptions.

Carr, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior, is on pace to better those numbers across the board and make a strong case for postseason honors. He's completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,888 yards for 25 touchdowns and three interceptions. He'll lead the Apaches (8-2) against Southeast Division runner-up Bonita (6-4) on Friday at 7.

Paramount loaded with size

St. Francis (8-2) is no stranger to teams in the San Gabriel Valley League, but perhaps for the first time will face a team from that league with considerable size when the Knights visit Paramount (6-4) in the Western Division playoffs.

Paramount has an offensive line that features Thomas Puefuna (6-5, 340), George Aliimatafitafi (6-3, 350), Chris Borrayo (6-4, 290) and Wes Edwards (6-2, 315).

With considerable size up front, it's no wonder the Pirates run the ball by committee, producing 2,330 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Paramount finished 1-4 in nonleague play, and that includes a loss to Monrovia at home. The Wildcats trailed 23-7 at the half and 23-13 heading into the fourth quarter in that game before mounting a comeback.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

The Pasadena Poly water polo team learned about patience in its overtime victory over Palm Springs in the CIF-Southern Section Division5 quarterfinals.

That was a good thing because the Panthers will need a lot of patience and a big defensive effort in their semifinal game today. Third-seeded Poly will face Hoover at 6 p.m. at Mt. SAC, with the winner facing either top seed Bonita or fourth seed La Serna on Saturday in Irvine.

"That (win) did help in the sense that it built confidence in working together as a team," Poly coach Ryan Katsuyama said.

The Panthers' defense will need that confidence in trying to stop Hoover's Hakop Kaplanyan. The senior holds the CIF-SS record for most goals scored in one season.

"We can't stop him, but we can try to contain him," Katsuyama said. "That is our best chance to win the game. He is capable of scoring from any place, so if our defense falls apart, we'll be in trouble."

Poly goalkeeper Colin Woolway has 63 saves this season. The most goals he has given up in one game has been 12, in a Prep League loss to Webb. He held Hoover and Kaplanyan to eight goals in the first round of the CIF-SS playoffs last year.

The Panthers, 25-2, are playing a Pacific League team for the second consecutive year in the semifinals. They beat Crescenta Valley last season en route to their first CIF-SS championship game appearance.

The Tornadoes, 17-6, knocked off No. 2 seed Palm Desert in the quarterfinals on Saturday. They finished second in league to Glendale, which fell to La Serna in the quarterfinals. Bonita will play La Serna immediately after the Poly-Hoover game at Mt. SAC.

La Canada vs. Laguna Beach at Irvine High, 3:30 p.m.

The fourth-seeded Spartans will play the Breakers for the second time this season in a Division 3 matchup. Earlier this season, Laguna Beach scored a 14-13 overtime victory.

Junior Alden Geller and senior Trevor Rozskos led the Spartans, 22-6, to a 9-7 quarterfinal win over Aliso Niguel at Pasadena City College on Saturday. Laguna Beach is 20-5.

The winner will play the Palos Verdes-Damien winner on Saturday.

LA SALLE 3, SOUTH TORRANCE 0: La Salle ruined the grand opening of South Torrance's new gym with an upset 25-16, 25-17, 25-23 win over top-seed South Torrance on Tuesday night in front of an electric crowd in the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA semifinals. La Salle (29-5) contained South's offense with an impressive passing game and good size up front. South might have been thrown off by La Salle's late arrival after the Lancers got stuck in heavy rush-hour traffic. La Salle arrived at 6:40 p.m., just 20 minutes before the scheduled start time. South had done its routine warmup, but had to take an unexpected break. "Bottom line is that we didn't play great and they did," South Torrance coach Robert Kutsch said. South had trouble slowing down LaSalle's attack. Haley DeSales led La Salle with 10 kills. Katrina Palffy added nine kills and Riley Spriesterbach had seven kills and two aces. Diamond Ridley-Pierce had six kills and seven blocks, including a stretch of five straight points to help break open Game 1. La Salle used a 10-4 run in Game 2 to break open another tight set. Then La Salle rallied from a 21-18 deficit in Game 3 to close it out. -- Tony Ciniglio, Torrance Daily Breeze Staff Writer

PASADENA POLY 3, SANTA MONICA 0: The Pasadena Poly volleyball team has some unfinished business. The Panthers reached the CIF-Southern Section championship game last year. Well, they're back. Poly easily knocked out Santa Monica in just over an hour in Wednesday's Division 3AA semifinals. "We weren't expecting it," senior outside hitter Alexis Genske said of making the finals again. "We were definitely hoping for it and I think we worked hard enough to earn it. We're excited." The second-seeded Panthers, who trailed only in the first game, scored a 25-18, 25-13, 25-16 victory to set up a rematch with Prep League champion Chadwick. The teams split their league matches with home victories and will meet for a third time this weekend at Cypress College. -- Keith Lair, Star-News Staff Writer

Coming Wednesday: Bonita-Arcadia, Santa Fe-Muir.

After ringing the Victory Bell to celebrate Muir's win over Pasadena in the Turkey Tussle, the second thing Muir WR Kevon Seymour did after the game ended was break out the pretty cool t-shirt (above) specially made in support for Ken Howard, the longtime football coach who was placed on administrative leave four weeks into the football season for an alleged altercation with a student.

This season the Mustangs have dedicated their season to fallen teammate Brandon Jackson, but it's also safe to say that every win can't be fully celebrated without thinking about Howard, a man who has spent the better part of a decade at Muir High giving back in more ways one can count.

He's more than just a football coach, and he's meant as much even to those who are not athletes. He's the man hustling in the background getting his players recognized on this blog and in the pages of the Star-News. He was a constant presence at home basketball games making sure the event ran as smoothly as possible. I know he made my life a hell of a lot easier when I needed help accessing football players for interviews, photos, and even helping arrange for parking and a comfortable seat, table and outlet for my laptop whenever I covered at Muir home basketball game against Pasadena.

When plans were in the works for our first Turkey Tussle magazine last year, the first person I phoned to deliver the news was Howard, who undoubtedly was excited about helping promote not just his players, but also Pasadena and the rivalry itself that captivates an entire city come November. When working on the magazine, Howard helped arrange for every Muir projected starter to be on campus and ready to have their photos taken. The entire process lasted all but 30 minutes. The process was so efficient that we simultaniously held a photo shoot of QB Jeffrey Davis for a special feature/story in the magazine. Howard's absence during this year's work on the Tussle was noticably absent, to say the least. When we began working on the Tussle magazine we had hoped for the same efficiency we had last year, but to no avail. Ken Howard was not there to help make this an easy move, and that's no coincidence. What lasted a mere 30 minutes last year lasted just under three hours this season. Howard would have never allowed that. It was his relentless sense of urgency that made potentially chaotic situation at the very least managable, if not steady.

The message is clear, and Seymour wanted it to be known how he and his teammates feel about their coach, and the shirt speaks for itself.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer

Given how things looked at the mid-point of the season, the Bonita High School football team really can't complain too much about getting powerful Arcadia in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs.

At 8-2, the Apaches are thought by many to be the second-best team in the division and the team most likely to give No. 1 seed West Covina its best game.

Unfortunately for Bonita, though, Arcadia enters the postseason as the No. 2 team out of the Pacific League and that opened the door for a matchup like Friday's.

"I'm not the greatest bracketologist in the world, but looking at them on film, they're an outstanding team," Bonita coach Eric Podley said.

"They've got a lot of talent, good discipline and a great record. They're a tough draw, without question.

"I kinda thought we'd get them or Mayfair. Either one of them would be tough teams."

Considering Bonita was last year's runner-up, Friday's game with Arcadia is almost too good to take place in the first round. But the Bearcats started the season 2-4 and even making the playoffs was a real long shot until a big fourth-quarter rally against Los Altos on Oct. 21. That win sparked a four-game win streak for Bonita that has the Bearcats hitting their stride at just the right time.

"We still don't feel like we're playing to the full extent of our potential, but that's a good thing that we still have room to go," Podley said. "At some point, you need the potential and it better be pretty quick because these guys (Arcadia) are pretty good."

Bonita junked the more wide-open offense it was using earlier in the season for a more run-based system. The Bearcats haven't been complicated, but they have been brutally effective. Running backs Cameron Griffin (907 yards) and Reggie Turner (748) have proved to be quite the duo.

Bonita had better hope its ground game can eat clock and keep a talented Arcadia offense off the field. The Apaches are averaging 37.6 points per game. Arcadia quarterback Myles Carr cannot be counted on to make mistakes either, as evidenced by his 25-to-3 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio.

"You guys have been talking about them all year, so it wasn't a shock to see their skill talent," Podley said. "I do read the papers, so I guess I'm not shocked by it. They're definitely a good team and from what people have said, this is one of their best teams that they've had in a number of years."

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE WITH PREDICTIONS
Thursday's game
San Marino (RHL 2) at No. 3 San Dimas (VVL 2) -- San Dimas

Friday's games
Alhambra (Almont 2) at La Puente (Montview 2) -- Alhambra
Pomona (VVL) at No. 4 Monrovia (RHL 1) -- Monrovia
Maranatha (Olympic at-large) at San Gabriel (Almont 1) -- Maranatha
Pasadena (5-5) at California (7-3) -- Pasadena
Bonita (6-4) at Arcadia (8-2) -- Arcadia
Muir (6-4) at #2 Santa Fe (6-4) -- Santa Fe
St. Francis (Mission at large) at Paramount (San Gab. Valley 1) -- St. Francis
Hamilton (Arrowhead 2) at Rio Hondo Prep (Prep 1) -- Rio Hondo Prep
Bosco Tech (Del Rey 4) at Nordhoff (Tri-Valley 1) -- Nordhoff

Hear sportswriter and coaches reactions to the CIF-Southern Section playoff pairing on PrepXtra Live!!! Playoff Pairings Show at 11 a.m.

When: Sunday, 11 a.m.
Where: Any of the SGVN prep sports blogs
Who: Coaches and sportswriters react to the playoff pairings.

MID-VALLEY DIVISION
Top Half
South El Monte (MVL at-large) at No. 1 Covina (VVL 1)
Alhambra (Almont 2) at La Puente (Montview 2)
El Monte (MVL 2) at Whittier Christian (Olympic 1)
Pomona (VVL) at No. 4 Monrovia (RHL 1)
Bottom Half
San Marino (RHL 2) at No. 3 San Dimas (VVL 2)
Cerritos Valley Christian (Olympic 2) at Azusa (Montview 1)
Maranatha (Olympic at-large) at San Gabriel (Almont 1)
Sierra Vista (Mont at-large) at No. 2 Arroyo (MVL 1)

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Top Half
Norwalk (3-7) at #1 West Covina (9-1)
Pasadena (5-5) at California (7-3)
Bonita (6-4) at Arcadia (8-2)
Crescenta Valley (6-4) at #4 La Mirada (6-4)
Bottom Half
Los Altos (7-3) at #3 Burbank Burroughs (6-4)
La Serna (7-3) at Mayfair (7-3)
Bellflower (7-3) at Diamond Ranch (5-5)
Muir (6-4) at #2 Santa Fe (6-4)

WESTERN DIVISION
Top Half
Culver City (Ocean at large) at Serra (Mission 1)
Downey (San Gab. Valley 2) at Righetti (Pac 7 2)
Channel Islands (Pacific View 2) at Santa Monica (Ocean 1)
Dominguez (San Gab. Valley at large) at Ventura (Channel 1)
Bottom Half
Chaminade (Mission 2) at Inglewood (Ocean 2)
San Luis Obispo (Pac 7 at large) at Adolfo Camarillo (Pacific View 1)
St. Francis (Mission at large) at Paramount (San Gab. Valley 1)
Dos Pueblos (Channel 2) at Arroyo Grande Pac 7 1)

NORTHEAST DIVISION
Top Half
Viewpoint (Prep at large) at Bishop (High Desert 1)
Desert Christian/L (Desert Mtn at large) at Calif. Military Inst. (Arrowhead 1)
Chadwick (Prep 2) at Mojave (Desert Mtn 2)
Santa Clarita Christian (San Joaquin 2) at Salesian (Santa Fe 1)
Bottom Half
St. Genevieve (Santa Fe at large) at Boron (Desert Mt. 1)
Kern Valley (High Desert At large) at Saddleback Valley Chr. (San Joaquin 1)
St. Monica Catholic (Santa Fe 2) at California City (High Desert at large)
Hamilton (Arrowhead 2) at Rio Hondo Prep (Prep 1)

NORTHWEST DIVISION
Top Half
Verbum Dei (Del Rey at large) at Lompoc (Los Padres 1)
Centennial/Compton (Pioneer 3) at Bishop Montgomery (Del Rey 2)
Santa Ynez (Los Padres 4) at Torrance (Pioneer 1)
Bosco Tech (Del Rey 4) at Nordhoff (Tri-Valley 1)
Bottom Half
Oak Park (Tri Valley 3) at Cabrillo/Lompoc (Los Padres 2)
Cantwell Sacred Heart (Del Rey 3) at El Segundo (Pioneer 2)
Templeton (Los Padres 3) at Carpinteria (Tri-Valley 2)
South Torrance (Pioneer at large) at St. Bernard (Del Rey 1)

LA SALLE-CANTWELL BRAWL UPDTAE NO. 2 (1:44 a.m.) We have learned through a source the La Salle football player who was punched was Stjepan Vinski. He is usually No. 56 but switched to 25 for this game.

LA SALLE-CANTWELL BRAWL UPDATE NO. 1 (11:28 p.m.) -- Montebello police Sgt. Julio Calleros confirmed there was one arrest for battery on a man affiliated with Cantwell-Sacred Heart. He was led off the field in handcuffs and Calleros confirmed the arrest. From our reporter there who witnessed the whole thing, the brawl erupted after the teams exchanged handshakes. Players then began spatting back and forth, prompting coaching staffs from both teams to meet at the center of the field. Chaos erupted shortly after as people began wrestling, people were knocked to the ground. A La Salle player wearing jersey No. 25 (not listed in any roster on MaxPreps or on La Salle's athletic website) was knocked down from behind by a person in the melee (this incident occurred five feet from our reporter). Our reporter cannot confirm whether the man arrested for battery is the same man he witnessed making the assault. There were multiple waves of chaos, our reporter said. Police responded with multiple units and an air unit as well. The La Salle player (No. 25) was talked to the most by police, which took statements from a myriad of people, including our reporter Nathan Cambridge. Photos were taken of of the La Salle player's side of his head. We want to make this clear: the man affiliated with Cantwell was NOT coach, but rather a person from the sidelines or from the stands, according to Cambridge. Our reporter added that the No. 25 kid from La Salle confirmed to him that he was OK. When asked, "Are you OK" the player said, "Yes." He followed up with, "You're fine?" and the player responded, "Yes." We will get more details when they become available.

Friday's results

Arcadia 31, Crescenta Valley 7 -- The Apaches finish as Pacific League co-champions with Burroughs, but the Indians go to the Southeast Division as the No. 1 representative out of the Pacific League, with the Apaches at second, PHS at third and CV at fourth. PHS is third because the Bulldogs won the coin flip between CV and Muir. CV is fourth because the next tiebreaker is head-to-head competition, leaving Muir out in fifth place. The Mustangs, however, could still make the playoffs as the at-large team, and in that scenario would likely face West Covina, the No. 1 team in the Southeast Division. Here's another wrinkle: Arcadia for the last few weeks has been the No. 2 seed in the Southeast Division. CIF rules, however, state that a second-place team cannot be seeded higher than its league champion. Meaning Arcadia could drop from No. 2 to make room for Burroughs. Pacific League coordinator and CV coach Paul Schilling said there's a possibility Burroughs could get a No. 4 seed as a league champion (four league champions in the division) with Arcadia at No. 5, perhaps even lower. Crazy, right?

St. Francis 54, Cathedral 8 -- St. Francis scored 35 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Christian Hess returned the second-half kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Cathedral turned the ball over on four consecutive drives and the Golden Knights scored on all four takeaways. Two fumbles were recovered and returned by Matt Casciani and the other was returned by Raul Castillo. Cathedral had just one pass attempt (incomplete) the whole game.

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 29, La Salle 12 -- According to our reporter there, the teams were involved in a brawl after the game. I just got a Twitter update that read, "Players and coaches in full scale brawl!" Our reporter just updated me that there's a strong police presence at Cantwell. Read the Star-News on Saturday for details. According to sources, a police helicopter hovered over the scene as well.

Rio Hondo Prep 49, Webb 7 -- Ken Drain records his 100th career win with the Kares as Rio Hondo Prep wins its fifth consecutive Prep League championship. The Kares in that span have lost only one game, to Chadwick in 2008. Quarterback Colby Rivera was 5 of 10 for 101 yards and two touchdowns that included a 57-yard strike to Ty Loomis for a touchdown. The Kares headed into the half with a 35-0 lead and closed the game with two touchdowns.

Chadwick 46, Flintridge Prep 14 -- Tough season for the Rebels.

Viewpoint 35, Pasadena Poly 14 -- The Panthers are eliminated from the playoffs with the loss.

Bosco Tech 37, Mary Star 12 -- The Tigers head to the playoffs as the fourth place team in the Del Rey League, according to Bosco Tech coach Chris Shockley.

CLICK HERE FOR FINAL SCORES

Thursday's Results
Muir 14, Pasadena 6 -- Josh Washington led the second-half charge, capping a clock-chewing 18-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He then connected with Kevon Seymour on a 44-yard touchdown pass to beat Pasadena and win its 13th straight win in the Turkey Tussle. Riian Simpson returned a punt 57 yards in the first quarter to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. But Pasadena could not convert three red zone possessions and had three turnovers in the second half to seal the game.

Monrovia 34, South Pasadena 22 -- Marquise Bias had a big night with 118 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Luke Williams had three catches for 103 yards and a touchdown and an interception that set up a Wildcats score. Blake Heyworth went 8 of 18 for 225 yards and a touchdown. South Pasadena had five turnovers, the ball game.

Alhambra 27, Bell Gardens 24 -- Moors had a 13-point halftime lead before Bell Gardens scored the next 17. By the end of the third quarter, though, Alhambra had the lead when Josh Mendoza connected on a 38-yard touchdown pass to Ezra Broadus. Moors finish second in Almont League behind San Gabriel.

San Gabriel 21, Schurr 10 -- Quarterback Andy Guerrero led a balanced attack, rushing 22 times for 129 yards and a touchdown. He completed 12 of 20 for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Alex Villalobos had five catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. The San Gabriel defense created five turnovers, and that was key.

San Marino 37, La Canada 13 -- Kwame Do had a monster night for the Titans, rushing for 224 yards on 32 carries and four touchdowns. The Titans defense recorded five sacks and recorded a safety. San Marino finishes in second in the Rio Hondo League with a 4-1 record.

Temple City 56, Blair 0 -- Rams had a strong running attack, led by Jamie Dea, who had a 116 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. Roger Tsung had 123 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. Temple City coach Mike McFarland said it was a great way to finish off a rough season, and that next season expect the Rams to be competitive again.

OTHER SCORES
Montebello 39, Keppel 0
Gabrielino 7, Mountain View 6
South El Monte 33, Rosemead 31
Sierra Vista 27, Duarte 21

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

PASADENA - Fifteen area athletes made their college choices official during the early signing day period on Wednesday.

There were those who have high aspirations of a possible professional career and national championships, while others wanted a perfect blend of academics and athletics.

Baseball and softball produced the most area athletes headed to top Division I programs.

La Salle's Bowdien Derby, who committed at the end of the summer, is headed to San Diego State. St. Francis standout David Olmedo-Barrera signed with CalState Fullerton, Temple City's Corey Copping signed with UCSanta Barbara and Alhambra's Gary Acuna is headed to San Jose State.

Derby, a two-time Star-News All-Area selection, was nothing short of spectacular his junior season. He clocked at 91 mph in his final game of last season, going 10-1 in 15 appearances with seven complete games, five shutouts, 101 strikeouts and a 0.94 ERA.

Derby said he's being recruited as a pitcher as well as a shortstop. He batted .435 with three home runs, 19 RBIs and 12 doubles.

Derby has taken several unofficial trips to San Diego State but will make his official visit next week. He also considered UC Santa Barbara, Loyola Marymount, Arizona and Oregon.

Olmedo-Barrera is a two-time All-Area selection. The talented shortstop said he was leaning hard toward UCLA, but then Bruins assistant coach Rick Vanderhook accepted the head coaching position at Cal State Fullerton.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

Here's the lowdown for buying the Turkey Tussle magazine on Thursday: The magazine will go to selected subscribers who live near Muir and PHS. Doesn't sound like any will be available in newsstands, but we are going to keep 500 to sell in the office here at the Star-News. They're also selling 500 at the game. Grab a copy!

Above: St. Francis baseball star David Olmedo-Barrera with his family during Signing Day.

Baseball
Bowdien Derby, La Salle, San Diego State
Gary Acuna, Alhambra, San Jose State
Corey Copping, Temple City, UCSB
David Olmedo-Barrera, St. Francis, Cal State Fullerton

Basketball
Michelle Miller, Pasadena Poly, Princeton

Volleyball
Micheal Saeta, Pasadena Poly, UC Irvine
Diamond Ridley Pierce, La Salle, Northern Colorado

Water polo
Alegra Huesa, Pasadena, USC

Swimming
Bella Schamber, Maranatha, University of Illinois
Caroline Lepesant, Pasadena, Savanna College

Tennis
Sarah Gealer, San Marino, Maryland

Softball
Alexis Watanabe, San Marino, Lehigh University
Colleen McWilliams, La Salle, Marist College
Lauren Cox, La Canada, University of San Diego
Catherin Horner, La Canada, Tulsa

The first scholarship offer came when he was a sophomore, and the idea of getting that kind of special attention was enough for Muir's Kevon Seymour to commit early.

Few people actually know Seymour, a four-star recruit with more than 30 scholarship offers, gave a verbal commitment to San Jose State. From that point on, Seymour was all about the Spartans and imagining wearing their colors.

It all changed, though, when school after school began lining up with offers. New Mexico State, Idaho and Washington soon followed. By the time Seymour was a junior Arizona State, Arizona and Oregon came calling. Then USC, UCLA, Florida, Tennessee and Nebraska were among the dozens Seymour soon will have to choose from before his high school career comes to an end.

The recruiting process can be a whirlwind event for a player of Seymour's caliber. He said he seldom checks his Facebook page because of messages from coaches all over the country. Then there's the constant friend requests from those schools' fan base.

Seymour is a two-time Star-News All-Area selection and is ranked ninth nationally at cornerback, according to scouting site Rivals. He's one of several players the Mustangs (5-4, 3-3) will rely on when they take on Pasadena (5-4, 4-2) in the 57th Turkey Tussle on Thursday at the Rose Bowl.

Pasadena has not won since 1995. Muir leads the series 38-17-2.

Seymour said he's taking the recruiting process in stride, although he's aware of how fortunate he is to be in the position to attend practically any school in the country. And with a solid 3.5 GPA, Seymour is a shoe-in when it comes to admission guidelines.

Seymour played baseball and runs track at Muir. But another tidbit few know about is his love for another sport.

"If I wasn't playing football I'd be playing soccer," he said. "Man, I love playing soccer."

There's another tidbit to Seymour few people are aware of. Despite a stellar career with the Mustangs, he's yet to score in the Turkey Tussle.

He didn't score as a sophomore or as a junior, the same year Muir won in a rout, 63-6.

WHAT: 57th TURKEY TUSSLE
WHEN: Thursday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Rose Bowl
PRICES: Adult $10; Student without ASB $8; Student with ASB free; Senior citizens $5; Children 5-13 $5; Children under 5 free.
PARKING: $3

Can anyone guess why? Well, here's the crux of the situation: Muir alumni didn't want a PHS player posing with the Victory Bell. Simple as that. According to some Muir alumni, it was OK for a Muir and PHS to pose together for our Turkey Tussle magazine cover, but not a photo that also included the Victory Bell. As you can see from the picture above, we ran with the photo anyway despite a possibility that alumni would disrupt the photo shoot and carry away the bell. This all came word through Muir assistant football coach Darick Holmes, who relayed the message to me once the players were ready to take the photo. Holmes said he was OK with the photo, but that he was relaying information from alumni to me. My response was, I didn't care much for what alumni thought, whether this photo was OK with them or not. I told Darick this photo is our magazine cover shot, and it's the shot we wanted and we were going to get it whether Muir's alumni fan base was OK with it or not. This cover shot also was for the current players on the team RIGHT now, the Muir players looking to extend its 16-game winning streak and the PHS players looking to end the long drought and record its first win since 1995. To not have the Victory Bell in the cover photo is no real argument. Having a player from both schools posing with the Victory Bell made perfect sense given that the schools are looking to reclaim the photo. When I was leaving Muir that day, I heard a Muir fan walk up to Muir coach Dave Mitchell and ask, in a not so polite way, why he let a PHS player pose with the Victory Bell. I was tempted to stop him on his tracks and give him our side of the story, but I wasn't obligated to do so. And I would have done the same thing had the roles been reversed and we had a Muir player posing with a PHS player at PHS.

We're starting to gather a list of athletes that will sign national letters of intent on Wednesday, Nov. 9. It has become part of our tradition to invite the athletes to the Star-News and take a group picture to recognize their achievement. So, don't hesitate, let us know who's signing. Nov. 9 is the first day of the early signing period for all sports except football, boys and girls soccer and boys water polo. Again, let us know, we don't want to miss anyone. WE WILL TAKE WEDNESDAY'S PICTURE AT THE STAR-NEWS AT 2:30 P.M.

Here's the list we've compiled so far

Baseball
Bowdien Derby, La Salle, San Diego State
Gary Acuna, Alhambra, San Jose State
Corey Copping, Temple City, UCSB
David Olmedo-Barrera, St. Francis, Cal State Fullerton

Basketball
Michelle Miller, Pasadena Poly, Princeton

Volleyball
Micheal Saeta, Pasadena Poly, UC Irvine
Diamond Ridley Pierce, La Salle, Northern Colorado

Water polo
Alegra Huesa, Pasadena, USC

Swimming
Bella Schamber, Maranatha, University of Illinois
Caroline Lepesant, Pasadena, Savanna College

Tennis
Sarah Gealer, San Marino, Maryland

Softball
Alexis Watanabe, San Marino, Lehigh University
Colleen McWilliams, La Salle, Marist College
Lauren Cox, La Canada, University of San Diego
Catherin Horner, La Canada, Tulsa

I will elaborate on this later this week, and you'll see the breakdown in our Two-Minute drill that will post sometime Tuesday. In the meantime, please check out this schedule and if anything is inaccurate please leave a comment so we can accommodate reporters. We'll cover every home game this week, except for possibly Maranatha on Saturday morning when we have a lot going on that day. So I'm sorting that out. If you must know, I'll be at the Turkey Tussle on Thursday and at Glendale on Friday covering Arcadia-CV.

WEEK 10 SCHEDULE WITH PREDICTIONS
Thursday's games
Muir vs. Pasadena at Rose Bowl, 7 p.m. -- Pasadena
South Pasadena at Monrovia, 7 p.m. -- Monrovia
Alhambra vs. Bell Gardens at Moor Field, 7 p.m. -- Alhambra
Keppel at Montebello, 7 p.m. -- Montebello
Schurr at San Gabriel, 7 p.m. -- San Gabriel
La Canada at San Marino, 7 p.m. -- San Marino
Blair vs. Temple City at Muir, 7 p.m. -- Temple City
Mountain View at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Gabrielino
Rosemead at South El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Rosemead
Duarte at Sierra Vista, 7 p.m. -- Duarte

Friday's games
Arcadia vs. Crescenta Valley at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Arcadia
Cathedral at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m. -- St. Francis
Marshall vs. Brentwood at Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Brentwood
La Salle at Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 7 p.m. -- La Sall
Webb at Rio Hondo Prep, 7:30 p.m.
Flintridge Prep at Chadwick, 2 p.m.
Pasadena Poly vs. Viewpoint at Calabasas, 7 p.m.
Bosco Tech at Mary Star at Daniels Field, 7 p.m.

Saturday's game
Maranatha at L.A. Baptist, 11 a.m.

CLICK HERE FOR QUARTER-BY-QUARTER UPDATES

WEEK 9 RESULTS
Arcadia 48, Pasadena 14 -- Myles Carr finished with 205 yards on 9 of 12 passing and three touchdowns when he connected with Robbie Haines, Alex McElwee and Joey Willm. Jake Medel went nuts, rushing for 137 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. Pasadena's Brandon Cox finished with 185 yards passing, one TD, one INT and 135 yards rushing on 18 carries. Pasadena had one bad drive early in the game that paved the way for the loss.

San Gabriel 69, Alhambra 14 -- San Gabriel's Andy Guerrero was 6 of 19 for 430 yards and seven touchdowns and an interception. Guerrero also added 100 yards on the ground on 12 carries. Alex Villalobos caught 7 passes for 225 yards and five touchdowns. Joey Villalobos caught three passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

Maranatha 34, Village Christian 17 -- Andrew Elffers completed 20 of 26 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for two scores. The Minutemen led 21-10 at the half.

Burbank 35, Muir 34 -- The Mustangs led 31-21 with 10:36 minutes left in the fourth quarter. They gave up runs of 61 and 21 to Herman Castro, who finished with 138 yards. The big question was, why did Tairen Owens have only one carry in the whole game? He had a 52 yard punt return in the first quarter. The highlight of the game was Darick Holmes Jr., who came off the bench to complete 7 of 9 for 170 yards. Seymour had four catches for 124 yards, including an 86-yard screen pass. Holmes also rushed for 80 yards on 10 carries.

San Marino 28, South Pasadena 7 -- Kwame Do had 224 yards on 345 carries and scored three of the Titans' four touchdowns. San Marino repeatedly gashed the Tigers defense for big plays and led 21-0 at the half.

OTHER SCORES
Bell Gardens 50, Keppel 0
Bishop Montgomery 35, La Salle 20
St. Francis 28, St. Paul 2
Arroyo 49, Gabrielino 3
Rosemead 32, Mountain View 0
La Puente 49, Duarte 7
Pasadena Poly 20, Flintridge Prep 0
Rio Hondo Prep 43, Chadwick 26
La Canada 28, Blair 0
Monrovia 45, Temple City 0

By Brian Charles, Staff Writer

PASADENA - John Muir High School Ken Howard has been charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from a Sept. 28 dustup with a student at the school, according to reports.

Pasadena City Attorney Michele Beal Bagneris filed the charges.

Howard allegedly slammed Erick Rodriguez into a bank of computers, grabbed him by the neck and slammed the boy into a row of lockers. Rodriguez suffered multiple bruises due to the incident, according to medical reports.

Howard, a former security guard with the Pasadena Unified School District, was asked to perform a bag search by a Muir administrator. Howard was not a district employee at the time of the search.

He has been placed on administrative leave, indefinitely stripping Howard of his duties as head football coach. The PUSD launched an investigation, but has not released any findings.

Misdemeanor battery on schools grounds is punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine, according to state law. Howard 's attorney Joe Hopkins was not available for comment.

Pasadena attorney Brian Claypool represents Rodriguez and a second student, Johnny Moreno who claims to have been "roughed up" by Los Angeles County Probation Officer Gary Johnson during the incident.

Like Howard, Johnson is a fixture on the campus, Moreno said.

Claypool applauded the move by the City Attorney.

"I think that the City Attorney followed through and pressed charges validates the perception of my clients, and other students in the classroom, that Coach Howard used unnecessary excessive force on Erick, and physically harmed him when Erick posed no threat to the coach," Claypool said. "It also underscores the grave need for leadership at Muir and the PUSD."

Claypool said the incident highlights the needs for policy changes across the district.

"A crime has been committed by someone who is not an on-staff security guard at the school," Claypool said. "An immediate revamping of the protocol on who's responsible for security is on order."

The students filed a notice of claim with the district and threatened a lawsuit against the PUSD, if mediation wasn't agreed to by today.

"They have not responded with a phone call or a letter to my demand letter, Claypool said. "I am going to work on filing the lawsuit next week. They think we are barking and we have no bite. They are going to get a big piece bitten out of them soon, because this federal law suit is coming."

Claypool claims that his clients' civil rights were violated during the incident.

The Rose Bowl has been home to the Turkey Tussle for as long as anyone can remember. It's a Pasadena tradition that's unmatched by any other because this particular rivalry has a unique element: it's played in one of the most recognized stadiums in the world. Well, how do you feel about the Turkey Tussle possibly sharing that unique element with the East L.A. Classic, which pits Roosevelt and Garfield? The East L.A. Classic is billed as the biggest high school football game west of the Mississippi River. That's arguable, but why play the East L.A. Classic outside East L.A.? For a while the Classic was played at the Coliseum, but East L.A. College has been home for some time now. But in an ESPN Los Angeles story, school officials are thinking about making a switch from East L.A. to Pasadena:

From ESPN Los Angeles:

The game has been played mostly at East L.A. College Stadium after it was built in 1951 and has attracted capacity crowds of 20,000 since the 1960s. After a brief four-year run at the Coliseum, the east side rivals reluctantly returned to East L.A. in 2004 and have played there since.

Both schools are unhappy with the costs of playing the game there, which includes rent and city permit fees for police and traffic enforcement assessed by the city of Monterey Park, where the college is located. The schools have also complained that they don't share in revenue from food and beverage concessions and parking.

We're starting to gather a list of athletes that will sign national letters of intent on Wednesday, Nov. 9. It has become part of our tradition to invite the athletes to the Star-News and take a group picture to recognize their achievement. So, don't hesitate, let us know who's signing. Nov. 9 is the first day of the early signing period for all sports except football, boys and girls soccer and boys water polo. We had 16 area signees (pictured below) last year. Again, let us know, we don't want to miss anyone!! If you want to be included in the photo, e-mail me (miguel.melendez83@sgvn.com) ASAP so we can include you and give you details on what time and where to meet us for signing day.

Listen to Petros and Money butter-up Maddox, talking about schedules, Monrovia's title and of course, big-time recruit Ellis McCarthy, whom Maddox is hoping goes to USC. In fact, Maddox sort of broke some news, saying USC is at the top of McCarthy's list, followed by California and Oregon ... That doesn't sound good for UCLA. Maddox explained Monrovia's slow start (losses to Arcadia, South Hills and San Dimas), saying it was because of a, "CIF championship hangover," and goes on to say the San Dimas loss "fired them up." ... I don't if that's the case, there's probably nothing like the Rio Hondo league to get the confidence going again, right?

PASADENA AT ARCADIA

ST. FRANCIS AT ST. PAUL

KJ Eson, currently pitching at Glendale College and the 2011 Star-News Player of the Year, will commit to the University of San Francisco at a signing event Saturday in front of friends and family in Arcadia. Edson elevated the Apaches baseball program like no one else had done in nearly 25 years. He put Arcadia back on the Southland baseball map, leading the Apaches to the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs, the school's deepest run since going equally as far in 1987. Edson as a senior earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section honors after going 12-2 with a 1.07 ERA in 17 appearances, including 15 starts. He pitched eight complete games, four shutouts and struck out 89 in 98 1/3 innings. Edson started every playoff game for the Apaches (26-4), who for the second consecutive season finished the Pacific League with an unblemished record after pounding rival Crescenta Valley in the season finale.

Edson was the epitome of durability, and that was showcased throughout his senior season. When called upon, Edson delivered. He was the most sought after by us sportswriters after every game because of his strong insight to the game, and of course his awesome quotes. Win or lose, Edson always carried himself with grace and amazing poise, and we appreciated that very much. I'm happy to hear that Edson is moving on to play Division I baseball. Congrats.

Stream videos at Ustream

When: Tonight, 7 p.m.
Where: Any of the SGVN prep sports blogs.
Who: Westside authoritarian Big Bob, Alhambra QB Josh Mendoza and Chris Caraveo, and San Gabriel's Alex Villalobos and Carlos Purser.

Coming Wednesday, St. Francis-St. Paul and Pasadena-Arcadia

ALHAMBRA AT SAN GABRIEL, 7 p.m.

SAN MARINIO AT SOUTH PASADENA, 7 p.m.