Pasadena suffered a rare loss in the Pacific League last week, dropping one to Burbank, 59-56. It was only the Bulldogs' second loss in 84 Pacific League games. Pasadena beat Crescenta Valley, 57-54, just days before to clinch at least a share of the Pacific League championship. Perhaps wrapping up a share of the crown is why the Bulldogs came out lax. "We never looked like we were ready for the game," Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said. "We missed 10 free throws, seven layups, and it took its toll. But we lost to a good team that's in second place. There's no shame in that. They were posed to try to go undefeated (in league) so they can have some momentum going into the playoffs. It's hard to stay undefeated year after year. Sometimes a loss is a win, and we didn't lose bad. We just lost. There's no panic in this camp. They (Burbank) were a better team and hit a better shot. It was their night to win the game. If losing gets us focused and working hard then it was worth it." Pasadena (18-6, 11-1) hosts Burroughs (4-21, 3-9) at 5 today and then closes the season at home against Muir (9-14, 4-8). A Pasadena win or a Burbank loss gives the Bulldogs an outright league championship, their sixth in a row. Burbank has a slim chance and would need to win its next two games and hope PHS loses both of theirs. "These games coming up are important not just to win the league outright but because of playoff placement," said Tucker, who's Bulldogs are ranked No. 2 in the CIF-SS Division 2A. Pasadena won't have a walk in the park against Muir on Thursday as the Mustangs try to muscle their way into the playoffs. "They have a lot to gain," Tucker said. "In the second half of league you've seen everybody and teams make adjustments. They're fighting and we have to come prepared. We have to treat it like a championship game."

As for the playoffs, the Bulldogs are hoping to break their spell of second-round exits the last two seasons to Arroyo Valley and Long Beach Poly. It should be noted, however, that Pasadena was playing in Division 1-AA. Three years ago, the Bulldogs won the Division 2A championship before getting bumped up. Pasadena had a loaded team last year, but got cold when it mattered most. Despite a young team that features only one true player (George Toyama) who was part of last year's team, Tucker has high expectations. "We like the position we're in," he said. "We don't want to go out in the second round and we don't want to be upset. If we don't get to the finals it just won't be a successful season." Tucker is hoping for the perfect storm: luck, talent and hunger. "You have to hope you get a bracket where you get a game that's not 100 miles away." You recall when Pasadena drove a long way to lose to Perris, 64-62, the year before winning it all. "We lost that game to the bus ride," quipped Tucker. "The ride was longer than the game itself." ... Tucker continues: "Then talent kicks in and after that how bad you want it. The teams I've taken to the finals have been focused and had the right mentality." Tucker is hoping the Bulldogs catch fire just in the nick of time to make it five CIF-SS finals.

Pasadena Poly (18-4, 4-2) is riding a 5-game winning streak, and in the process handed Flintridge Prep quite a drubbing with a 56-35 last week. The streak started after the Panthers suffered a rare Prep League loss at the hands of Rio Hondo Prep. And who does Pasadena Poly play at 7:30 tonight? You guessed it, Rio Hondo Prep (10-11, 3-3). The host visiting (game was moved to Pasadena Poly because of a leak in Rio Hondo Prep's gym) Kares have won five of their last seven games which includes a 49-48 win over Poly. In that game, Rio Hondo Prep was led by Ed Drain's 17 points. Charles Quintero added 14 and T.J. Parker had 10. The Kares outscored Poly 19-9 in the fourth quarter to earn the victory. "They did a very nice job and we didn't play our game," Pasadena Poly coach Brad Hall said. "We're usually a 70 percent-plus free throw team and we didn't make our free throws in that game." The Panthers are hoping to get some hot shooting from senior Justin Worlan. "He works to make sure he takes contested hard shots," Hall said. "(Flintridge Prep's) Kenyatta (Smith) is a phenomenal player, but in the first half he started 1 for 8." Juniors Daniel Wohl and Hunter Merryman are the Panthers' bread and butter, but others can step in, too. "Our two guards, Blake Edwards and Curtis Toyota, don't tend to score a lot but they're capable of scoring," Hall said. "It's just worked out that Daniel and Hunter score most of the points, but when we see funky defenses those kids step up and do quite well." Rio Hondo Prep is fighting for the league's third and final playoff spot with two games remaining.

Alhambra's girls basketball team can bring home the school's first Almont League championship in 17 years with a win over visiting Bell Gardens at 5 today. The Moors (19-4, 8-0) are under first-year coach Therese Berner, and already accomplished quite a feat when Alhambra snapped Keppel's 87-game league winning streak with a 64-62 win in the first meeting. The Moors, who close out the regular season at Keppel (11-13, 6-2) on Friday, are on a an 8-game winning streak and have won 12 of their last 13 games.

Keppel girls basketball coach Ib Belou is not making excuses. But it's hard not to look past the Aztecs' lineup, which includes two freshman who have started in the last three games. All together, Keppel has four freshman, a sophomore, four juniors and four seniors. Nine of those players, however, never had played varsity prior to this season. By contrast, Alhambra has eight seniors and Schurr has seven.

"It's taken them a little longer to get their feet wet and understand this is the main stage," Belou said. "We stopped using the 'We're a young team, still learning' excuse right before league started. The freshman really had to grow up, and I'm pleased with the maturity of how much our team has grown. Our youngsters have really started to turn the corner, which is nice."

Alyson Lok is a bright spot for the Aztecs. The freshman guard averages 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game.

Keppel's loss to Alhambra, which snapped an 87-game league winning streak, was followed by another loss to Schurr.

"That was a tough week for us," Belou said. "Two road games, back-to-back against two of the toughest teams in league. I believe that definitely had something to do with it."

Keppel still has a shot at clinching a share of the league title, but they'll need some help. The Aztecs need to beat San Gabriel today and hope Bell Gardens upsets Alhambra. That would setup a showdown on Friday when Keppel hosts rival Alhambra.

"It's definitely a goal, but it's out of our hands," Belou said. "We need a little help, but all we can do is focus on San Gabriel and have two good practices and be ready for them Friday."

Not much going on today, but if you're in the mood for some exciting basketball you should head down to La Salle. The last meeting between the Lancers and St. Monica went into overtime, La Sallec coming out on top, 66-61. St. Monica is 7-1, its lone loss coming to the Lancers, who are 8-0 in Camino Real League action. Today's tipoff is 7 p.m. and La Salle can clinch the league crown outright with a win tonight. La Salle closes the season Wednesday against St. Paul at home. In the last meeting, St. Monica had four players score in double figures, led by Ryan Capiro who scored 14 points. La Salle is led by Matt Nolan's 15 points and 10 rebounds average per game. Josh Anderson is the Lancers' second-leading scorer with 10.4 points and 6.8 rebounds average per game.

It's my honor and privilege to share our best kept secret, the blog originator, Aram Tolegian, is returning to the SGVN on Monday. In case that's not loud enough for you, the guy that shared his daily lunch schedule with you before leaving for Fox Sports is coming back because, well, he just missed us all. He missed Friday nights, his friends in the newsroom and the daily grind of the newspaper business. I feel like a head coach that just strengthened his staff considerably, and of course, Aram is going to have his own blog. Aram will basically have a 24-7 all encompassing high school football blog, which includes the Trib along with teams in the Star-News, Whittier Daily News, and what's happening in the I.E., along with any high school football news that's relevant in the Southern Section and beyond. Think of him as the Football Guru, as only he can deliver it. When football is over, Aram will be banging away on recruiting, spring football, summer passing leagues, then the season. All of the blogs will remain the same, we will continue with our opinions and updates on everything, but Aram is another welcomed voice.

Above: Aram found all ways to promote his blog, Hooters was just one of them.

So, what are we to expect from the Almont League with new football coaches in place at Alhambra and soon at San Gabriel? Lou Torres takes over the Moors program, though his presence brings Alhambra familiarity and stability. His hiring does bring the Moors a new offense -- the Wing-T offense -- that Alhambra seems destined for success. Already he's asking that he wants dedication and commitment from his assistant coaches, so we may be seeing some new faces roaming the sidelines with Torres. Keith Jones stepped down after 11 seasons at the helm as San Gabriel's head honcho. If San Gabriel can find a way to replace Isaac Valdez, then the Matadors don't look to be skipping a beat, with four of their five linemen returning. Longtime assistant Jude Oliva seems to be the front-runner to replace Jones, but common sense rarely seems to prevail these days. I wish Jones good luck in his future endeavors. He was a classy man, always approachable, and great to work with. It'll be interesting to see who will fill Jones' heavy shoes. He brought the program some much-needed respect when putting San Gabriel on the football map in a tremendous 2003 run up to the CIF-Southern Section Division VII finals. I wasn't working here at the time, but I was living in Alhambra and remember seeing the signs off the 10 freeway heading east, wishing the Matadors good luck. Those few weeks captivated the entire community, and you couldn't help but root for the underdog. It's what movies are made of. There are some quality former head coaches out there who would love to coach at a program with a new facility. They're out there and you know who they are. But who truly is best suited to start a new tradition with the Matadors? We'll know very soon in the next few weeks.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF FRIDAY'S ST. FRANCIS-LOYOLA SOCCER MATCH

Loyola (11-6-4, 5-1-2) forward Larry Garcia was unmanned when the ball ricochetted off an initial shot attempt and landed in front of him. His shot from 18 yards out curved inside the far post in the 61st minute to break the scoreless tie. "Ironic that the first good chance they got they put it away," Appels said. "Obviously we needed to have a guy on him, but that ball could have fallen to 20 guys and it fell to the one guy who put it away. But credit to him for having the composure to bend the ball in." St. Francis (7-10-2, 5-4-2) was riding a 3-game winning streak in which the Golden Knights outscored their opponents 13-2. The loss proved more disappointing because St. Francis wanted to honor one of its fallen players. Austin Frank, a sophomore midfielder, broke his leg earlier in the week. He had surgery Thursday and will miss the rest of the season. Tempers flared late in the second half when St. Francis defender Andrew Blunk collided with Loyola's Andre Brown. Blunk tried to get off Brown, but then pushed him to the ground. An upset Brown quickly got to his feet and raced right after Blunk before being separated. Blunk got a yellow card, but returned moments later. St. Francis closes the season Monday at Crespi, and the Golden Knights likely will make the CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs as the third-place team out of the Mission League. St. Francis hopes to catch fire like it did last season when as the fourth-place team advanced to the semifinals. It went on to earn a berth into the CIF Southern California Regionals where it beat Cathedral of San Diego to claim the SoCal crown.

San Gabriel's Keith Jones has resigned as football coach, a source at the school said. Jones spent 11 seasons as the Matadors' head coach where he compiled a 61-57 record. His best season was in 2003 when San Gabriel, as the third team rep from the Almont League, steamrolled through the CIF-Southern Section Division VII playoffs and met South Hills at Covina District Field for a shot at the divisional crown. San Gabriel fell short, 25-6, but the run up to the finals captivated an entire community. Jones' news comes at the heels of four-year letterman Isaac Valdez announcing he would play football at Iowa Wesleyan. Longtime assistant Jude Oliva, who's been offensive coordinator for six years, is expected to take over the reigns.

From soccer to basketball, final playoff spots are up for grabs and tonight we have a list of where to find those games. We start with boys soccer, where No. 1 St. Francis puts its three-game winning streak on the line when it visits Mission League rival Loyola today at 3:15 p.m. I will be there to cover the action. St. Francis scored 13 goals in its last three games and allowed only two. The Golden Knights currently are in third place behind second-place Loyola and first-place Harvard-Westlake. The host Cubs are hoping to avenge their 1-0 loss to St. Francis earlier in the season. St. Francis got off to a slow start but may have gotten some wind after beating Loyola. The Knights are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Joel Ingram has two goals and four assists the last two games to lead St. Francis, and Max Cadena has had a strong showing defensively. What people have to remember is St. Francis is a young team. The Knights start a couple sophomores and for the first time in 10 years, St. Francis starts two freshman on varsity. "We don't have any room for errors," St. Francis coach Glen Appels said. "But it's a real testament to these guys and see how they've pushed through and really turned it around. We really grew up during the season." St. Francis visits Crespi on Monday to close out the season.

In boys basketball, Keppel (19-4, 6-1) visits Almont League rival Montebello (24-1, 7-0) and hopes to take a share of the league crown. The Aztecs are seeking to avenge a 60-59 loss earlier in the season. In the Rio Hondo League, La Canada (18-5, 6-1) visits Monrovia (9-10, 5-2) in what potentially can be another tight game for the Wildcats. Monrovia twice in two weeks was part of a frantic game that almost saw the Wildcats losing in the final seconds. In the Pacific League, Muir (9-13, 4-7) is hoping to take down Arcadia (13-11, 6-5) for the league's fourth and final playoff spot. Muir has not made the playoffs in four years. The Mustangs are coming off a 57-52 win over Glendale. Adream Hayes had 12 points and 16 rebounds to help lead the way. Sophomore guard Justin Knowles lead Muir in scoring with 15 points while Deshawn Hayes had 11 points and 10 rebounds. "It is an exciting time for Mustang basketball and our kids are sky high right now," Muir coach Gamal Smalley said. "We are looking forward to a great game against a strong Arcadia team on Friday night."

If you're out at a game tonight, post the score here and gives us your insights. I'd love to hear what you think of the landscape as we get set to close out the league season.

San Gabriel's Isaac Valdez signed a letter of intent this afternoon to play football at Iowa Wesleyan (NAIA) next fall. Valdez was a fixture in Matadors coach Keith Jones' lineup, first as a freshman punter on varsity and then as a star quarterback. He exploded onto the scene his sophomore year, when he passed for 2,345 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 457 yards. Jones knew he had something special in Valdez, and that was accentuated the following season when Valdez threw for 2,754 yards and 16 touchdowns. He again proved to be a double threat while rushing for 615 yards and six touchdowns, well on his way to a unanimous quarterback pick for the Star-News first-team All-Area team last year. He threw for 2,845 yards and 19 touchdowns this past season and rushed for 671 yards and 10 touchdowns. Valdez had several schools on his tail who offered, including Trinity International in Illinois; Northwestern College in Ohio; and Hastings College in Nebraska. In the end, it was Iowa Wesleyan that peaked Valdez's interest after quarterbacks coach Peter Jennings said he could come in as a true freshman and compete right away for a starting spot.