June 2010 Archives

The 24th annual Nike Fairfax tournament has completed the first round of action.

Here is the schedule for Wed. and Thu.

Wed. June 30
4 p.m. Orange Lutheran vs. Loyola
5:30 p.m. Crespi vs. Pasadena
7 p.m. Long Beach Poly vs. Crenshaw (quarterfinal)
8:30 pm. Dorsey vs. St. Bernard (quarterfinal)

Thu. July 1
4 p.m. Harvard-Westlake vs. Serra
5:30 p.m. Fairfax vs. La Canada
7 p.m. Santa Monica vs. Price (quarterfinal)
8:30 p.m. Taft vs. Mater Dei (quarterfinal)

Sylmar edged Chatsworth, 59-56 in the championship game of the War on the Floor tournament at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

Marquis Salmon made three of four free throws in the final 11.2 seconds to clinch it for the Spartans.

Sylmar led 56-51 but Chatsworth's Jordan Rosales made a 3-pointer and two free throws to tie it 56-56.

Salmon then made two free throws after being held on the block, rebounded a Chatsworth missed shot and made one of two for the final points.

Salmon had 13 points, all in the second half. Alex Moreno had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Sylmar.

Derrick Hector had 15 points for Chatsworth. Terrell Funchess had 14.

It was a surprising for both teams.

Chatsworth went winless in West Valley League play last season and Sylmar lost a first round playoff game to Taft by 99 points.

Both teams should be back in the thick of things next year.

Mitch Bluman, a top pitcher and first baseman who helped carry El Camino Real to the City championship, has committed to San Diego State, picking the Aztecs over Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills, among others.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Cory Hahn of Mater Dei has been named Cal-Hi Sports "Mr. Baseball" State Player of the Year.

Here is the all-time list:

2010 - Cory Hahn, Santa Ana Mater Dei, P-OF
2009 - Tyler Matzek, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, P-1B
2008 - Aaron Hicks, Long Beach Wilson OF-P
2007 - Mike Moustakas, Chatsworth INF
2006 - Tyler Robertson, Fair Oaks Bella Vista OF-P
2005 - John Drennen, San Diego Rancho Bernardo OF
2004 - Matt Bush, San Diego Mission Bay INF
2003 - Ian Stewart, Westminster La Quinta INF
2002 - Delmon Young, Camarillo OF (Jr.)
2001 - J. P. Howell, Carmichael Jesuit P
2000 - Mike Stodolka, Corona Centennial DH-P
1999 - Ryan Christianson, Riverside Arlington C
1998 - Sean Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson 3B
1997 - Jon Garland, Granada Hills Kennedy P
1996 - Eric Chavez, San Diego Mt. Carmel SS-P
1995 - Eric Chavez, San Diego Mt. Carmel SS-P (Jr.)
1994 - McKay Christensen, Fresno Clovis West OF
1993 - Derrek Lee, Sacramento El Camino OF
1992 - Jason Kendall, Torrance C
1991 - Dmitri Young, Oxnard Rio Mesa 3B
1990 - Mike Lieberthal, Westlake Village Westlake C
1989 - Todd Johnson, Fresno Bullard C-P
1988 - Scott Davison, Redondo Beach Redondo Union P-DH
1987 - Tom Redington, Anaheim Esperanza SS
1986 - Brian Johnson, Oakland Skyline C
1985 - Gregg Jefferies, San Mateo Serra SS
1984 - James Mitchell, El Cerrito OF
1983 - Kurt Stillwell, Thousand Oaks SS
1982 - Bret Saberhagen, Reseda Cleveland P
1981 - Lenny Dykstra, Garden Grove OF
1980 - Darryl Strawberry, Los Angeles Crenshaw OF
1979 - John Elway, Granada Hills OF
1978 - Lloyd Moseby, Oakland 1B
1977 - Craig Landis, Napa Vintage SS
1976 - Rickey Henderson, Oakland Technical OF
1975 - Carney Lansford, Santa Clara Wilcox SS
1974 - Lonnie Smith, Compton Centennial OF
1973 - Robin Yount, Woodland Hills Taft SS
1972 - Scott McGregor, El Segundo P
1971 - Keith Hernandez, San Bruno Capuchino 1B-Semipro
1970 - Terry Forster, Santee Santana P
1969 - Jeff Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson OF
1968 - Tim Foli, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame SS
1967 - Bill Buckner, Napa 1B
1966 - Kemer Brett, El Segundo P
1965 - Bob Boone, San Diego Crawford P
1964 - Willie Crawford, Los Angeles Fremont OF
1963 - Bob Tolan, Los Angeles Fremont P-OF
1962 - Rudy May, Oakland Castlemont P
1961 - Bob Bailey, Long Beach Wilson SS
1960 - Wade Blasingame, Fresno Roosevelt P
1959 - John Boccabella, Kentfield Marin Catholic 3B
1958 - Dick Ellsworth, Fresno P
1957 - Johnny Callison, Bakersfield East OF
1956 - Mike McCormick, Alhambra Keppel P
1955 - Deron Johnson, San Diego OF
1954 - Don Drysdale, Van Nuys P
1953 - Frank Robinson, Oakland McClymonds 3B
1952 - Jim Gentile, San Francisco Sacred Heart 1B
1951 - Ed Cereghino, Daly City Jefferson P
1950 - J.W. Porter, Oakland Technical C
1949 - Paul Pettit, Harbor City Narbonne P
1948 - Karl Olson, Mill Valley Tamalpais OF
1947 - Gus Triandos, San Francisco Mission C
1946 - Jim Baxes, San Francisco Mission 2B
1945 - Jack Harshman, San Diego 1B
1944 - Jackie Jensen, Oakland OF
1943 - Herb Gorman, San Francisco Balboa 1B
1942 - Charlie Silvera, San Francisco St. Ignatius SS
1941 - Bob Brown, San Francisco Galileo SS
1940 - Duane Pillette, San Diego P
1939 - Ferris Fain, Oakland Roosevelt 1B
1938 - Bob Lemon, Long Beach Wilson SS-P
1937 - Rugger Ardizoia, San Francisco Commerce P
1936 - Bobby Doerr, Los Angeles Fremont 2B (Pro)
1935 - Ted Williams, San Diego Hoover OF
1934 - Frankie Hawkins, San Francisco Sacred Heart SS
1933 - Chet Smith, San Diego P
1932 - Gordon Maltzberger, Colton P
1931 - Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco Galileo SS (Semi-pro)
1930 - Athos Sada, San Diego OF
1929 - Arleigh Williams, Oakland Technical C
1928 - Frank Dobranksy, San Diego P
1927 - Willard Hershberger, Fullerton C
1926 - Dick Bartell, Alameda SS
1925 - Louie Almada, Los Angeles P
1924 - Joe Cronin, San Francisco Sacred Heart SS
1923 - Gene Hollister, San Francisco Mission P
1922 - Walter Berger, San Francisco Mission 3B
1921 - Babe Herman, Glendale 1B
1920 - Bernie Viveiros, Oakland Technical 2B
1919 - Ren Kelly, San Francisco Poly P
1918 - Brick Muller, San Diego OF
1917 - Johnny Gillespie, Oakland Technical P
1916 - Ray Lorrigan, San Francisco Poly P
1915 - Frank Schellenback, Hollywood P
1914 - Bert Cole, San Francisco Lowell P
1913 - George Kelly, San Francisco Poly 3B
1912 - Harry Heilmann, San Francisco Sacred Heart SS
1911 - Will James, Oroville P
1910 - Eddie French, San Francisco Sacred Heart P
1909 - Babe Hollis, San Francisco Cogswell P
1908 - Oscar Vitt, San Francisco Wilmerding SS
1907 - Lloyd Burton, Alameda SS
1906 - Mowatt Mitchell, Los Angeles 1B
1905 - Walter Johnson, Fullerton P
1904 - James Schaeffer, Berkeley C
1903 - Mead Hamilton, San Francisco Lowell P
1902 - Mead Hamilton, San Francisco Lowell 2B
1901 - Heinie Heitmuller, San Francisco Lick 1B
1900 - Orvall Overall, Visalia 1B-Town team
1899 - Will Moreing, Stockton P

-- Gerry Gittelson

Mario Trutanic has been named girls' basketball coach at Oaks Christian of Westlake Village.

Trutanic was an asst. coach at Santa Monica City College and has also been an asst. at San Francisco St. and Long Beach St.

Trutanic coached high school girls at South Torrance as well.

He inherits a team that reached the Div. IV-A semifinals losing to eventual champion St. Joseph of Santa Maria.

Oaks Christian returns senior forward Crystal Owusu, senior guard Shahara Ali-Speakes, junior point guard Brianna Barrett, junior guard Nicole McAmis sophomores Megan McIntyre, Beth Mounier and Ayzhia Aupiu and should be bolstered by newcomer Nicole Packard, who sat out last season after transferring from Thousand Oaks.

2010 War on the Floor Monday at Pierce College in Woodland Hills

Gold Bracket-Quarterfinals
Washington Prep vs. Chatsworth 2 p.m.
Taft vs. El Camino Real 7 p.m.
Sylmar vs. Cleveland 5 p.m.
Crespi vs. Pasadena 8 p.m.

Silver Bracket-Quarterfinals
Blair vs. Dorsey 1 p.m.
Oaks Christian vs. Calabasas 6 p.m.
Crescenta Valley vs. Paraclete 3 p.m.
Birmingham vs. Campbel Hall 4 p.m.

Winners of each game above move on to Tuesday at Pierce College
Times to be announced

Tuesday June 29 Consolation games only one game at El Camino Real
12 p.m. Northridge academy vs. Sun Valley
1 p.m. Duarte vs. Ripon
2 p.m. Reseda vs. Renaissance Academy
3 p.m. Saugus vs. Montclair Prep
4 p.m. Malibu vs. Buckley

Nick Young from the Washington Wizards will hold a youth summer basketball camp June 28-July 2 at Oaks Christian school in Westlake Village.

Nick played at Cleveland High in Reseda and then went on to USC before spending the past three years with the Wizards.

Nick was the 16th overall selection in the June 2007 draft.

visit www.oakschristian.org for more info on the camp or call 818.575.9209

2010 War on the Floor Summer Spectacular
Start of Summer Tournament 818-425-8737

Saturday June 26
Boys Games at Pierce College in Woodland Hills
10 am Chatsworth 55 vs. Renaissance Academy 43
11 am Birmingham 59 vs. Sun Valley 7
12 pm Cleveland 61 vs. Reseda 48
1 pm Taft 67 vs. Blair 43
2 pm Crespi 82 vs. Sun Valley 8
3 pm El Camino Real 68 vs. Saugus 40
4 pm Oaks Christian 45 vs. Northridge Academy 37
5 pm Taft 73 vs. Campbell Hall 67
6 pm Sylmar 60 vs. Northridge Academy 21
7 pm El Camino Real 42 vs. Pasadena 54

Boys Games at El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills
10 am Blair 43 vs. Buckley 29
11 am Washington Prep 2 vs. Bell-Jeff 0
12 pm Dorsey 56 vs. Malibu 42
1 pm Duarte 0 vs. Birmingham 2
2 pm Renaissance Academy 46 vs. Malibu 37
3 pm Pasadena 54 vs. Paraclete 35
4 pm Montclair Prep 2 vs. Bell-Jeff 0
5 pm Saugus 46 vs. Paraclete 51
6 pm Ripon 55 vs. Reseda 60
7 pm Montclair Prep 59 vs. Crescenta Valley 61
8 pm Ripon 50 vs. Calabasas 66

Sunday June 27
Games at Pierce College in Woodland Hills
10 am Campbell Hall vs. Buckley
11 am Washington Prep vs. Crescenta Valley
12 pm Campbell Hall vs. Blair
1 pm Crescenta Valley vs. Blair or Ripon
2 pm Oaks Christian vs. Sylmar
3 pm Taft vs. Buckley
4 pm Calabasas vs. Cleveland
5 pm Calabasas vs. Reseda
6 pm El Camino Real vs. Paraclete

Boys Games at El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills
11 am Crespi vs. Birmingham
12 pm Crespi vs. Duarte
1 pm Montclair Prep vs. Washington Prep
2 pm Chatsworth vs. Dorsey
3 pm Duarte vs. Sun Valley
4 pm Chatsworth vs. Malibu
5 pm Dorsey vs. Renaissance Academy
6 pm Pasadena vs. Saugus
7 pm Cleveland vs. Ripon

The 15th annual War on the Floor boys' basketball tournament has become well known as the unofficial start to summer basketball in the region.

Several months removed from the regular season it is a chance to see which teams have improved, see new players in new schools and exciting freshman that will enroll in September.

El Camino Real of Woodland Hills may have the best trio of freshman but Buckley of Sherman Oaks has six incoming freshman playing varsity this summer and Malibu unveiled incoming ninth-grader Jeremy Lieberman.

Sylmar also has a revamped team with Kevin Ward and Chad Thomas coming in from Van Nuys and outstanding incoming freshman Brian Alberts.

ECR easily beat a Saugus team missing two starters behind youngsters Maleke Haynes and Julian Richardson.

Haynes, the younger brother of former Taft of Woodland Hills and current Oregon St. guard Calvin Haynes, had 11 points and Richardson had eight.

Evan Wardlow also contributed off the bench.

"It is really exciting to work with some good young talent," ECR coach David Rebibo said.

Desite losing two games to Dorsey of Los Angeles and Renaissance Academy of La Canada, Malibu could be on the upswing and a favorite to win the Frontier League next year behind Lieberman and two transfers, Shane Young and Sandro Alberto.

"We got relly lucky to get some guys because the whole team except for two players all graduated," Malibu coach Bobby Tenorio said.

Buckley lost to Blair of Pasadena but the future looks bright with Chase Holliday, Larry Bush, Brandon Boyd, Ashton Beal, Alex Weatherspoon and Andrew Swiatelli.

Buckley should run away with the Liberty League.

Weaterspoon is the son of funny man-actor John Weatherspoon, who has starred in such films as Boomerang and Friday.

"We have a little starpower on our team, Buckley coach Mike Hamilton said.

MCBROOM SAGA CONTINUES

There has been much speculation about Campbell Hall of North Hollywood's Austin McBroom and whether he will stay or leave the Vikings.

McBroom played in a 73-67 defeat against Taft but said everything is still up in the air.

"It is about 50-50 right now, McBroom said. "Serra (of Gardena) and Taft are in the mix but nothing is final yet.

TEAMS LOOKING GOOD FOR TUESDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP DAY

Taft, Pasadena, Dorsey, ECR, Washington Prep of Los Angeles, Crespi of Encino, Cleveland of Reseda and Sylmar could be top eight teams battling in the quarterfinals after all picked up pool play victories.

Taft's Stephen Maxwell and Cleveland's Jaylen Bland had big performances with 25 and 24 points respectively.

Here is the link to an extended interview with Burroughs of Burbank graduate Emily Tubert, who won the 34th U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links championship Saturday by defeating USC's Lisa McCloskey 3 and 2 in the 36-hole match-play final at The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Interview

Emily Tubert, a Burroughs of Burbank graduate, built a 4-up lead through 18 holes, then held off a few late charges from USC's Lisa McCloskey to capture the title with a 3 and 2 victory Saturday at the 34th annual U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Tubert, an Arkansas signee, secured the championship by matching McCloskey -- who recently announced her transfer to USC -- with a par-4 on the 321-yard 16th hole, protecting a three-hole lead with only two remaining in the 36-hole final.

Tubert was 4-up with four holes remaining, but McCloskey -- the West Coast Conference player of the year during her sophomore season at Pepperdine -- birdied the par-4, 352-yard 15th hole to extend the match.

The reigning Southern Section champion, Tubert follows former USC All-American Jennifer Song -- who recently turned professional following her sophomore season -- who captured the title last year. UCLA graduate Tiffany Joh won the championship in 2006 and '08 and Michelle Wie captured the crown at age 13 in 2003.

After going 2-down following five holes, Tubert took the lead for the first time on the eighth hole and maintained the advantage for 27 consecutive holes, with the lead fluctuating from 3-up to 6-up over the final 25 holes.

Tubert earns a 10-year exemption for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links and exemptions into the next two U.S. Women's Amateur Championships, including Aug. 9-15 at Charlotte Country Club in North Carolina.

McCloskey, who had competed in the 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship and three U.S. Girls' Championships, also earned an exemption into the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in August.

Burroughs of Burbank graduate Emily Tubert is closing in on the championship Saturday at the 34th U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., maintaining a 4-up advantage on USC's Lisa McCloskey through 32 holes of the 36-hole match play final.

McCloskey needs to win the final four holes to extend the competition.

Tubert, an Arkansas signee, stretched the lead to 6-up through 24 holes, but McCloskey -- the West Coast Conference player of the year during her sophomore season at Pepperdine -- recorded birdies on the 370-yard, par-4 seventh hole and the 150-yard, par-3 ninth hole to close the deficit to 4-down.

Tubert, the reigning Southern Section champion, responed with a birdie on the 490-yard, par-5 10th hole to push the advantage to 5-up with eight holes remaining.

McCloskey -- who recently announced her transfer to USC -- pulled within 4-down after recording a par-4 on the 404-yard 12th hole, but couldn't close the gap over the next two holes.

Tubert recovered from a 2-down deficit after five holes and has maintained the advantage the past 25 holes.

Former USC All-American Jennifer Song -- who recently turned professional following her sophomore season -- captured the Public Links championship last year and UCLA graduate Tiffany Joh won titles in 2006 and '08.

Burroughs of Burbank graduate Emily Tubert is 5-up on USC's Lisa McCloskey through 28 holes of the 36-hole match play final Saturday at the 34th U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Tubert, an Arkansas signee, stretched the lead to 6-up through 24 holes, but McCloskey -- the West Coast Conference player of the year during her sophomore season at Pepperdine -- recorded birdies on the 370-yard, par-4 seventh hole and the 150-yard, par-3 ninth hole to close the deficit to 4-down.

Tubert responed with a birdie on the 490-yard, par-5 10th hole to push the advantage to 5-up with eight holes remaining.

Although McCloskey -- who recently announced her transfer to USC -- has the match-play edge on the reigning Southern Section champion having competed in the 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur as well as three U.S. Girls' Championships, Tubert recovered from a 2-down deficit after five holes and has maintained the advantage the past 21 holes.

Former USC All-American Jennifer Song -- who recently turned professional following her sophomore season -- captured the Public Links championship last year and UCLA graduate Tiffany Joh won titles in 2006 and '08.

Matt Goudis, a top kicker and punter at Chaminade since his freshman season, has a scholarship offer from Boise State, and he is also receiving interest from Georgia, LSU, USC and Florida.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Burroughs of Burbank graduate Emily Tubert, the reigning Southern Section girls' golf champion, is 4-up over USC's Lisa McCloskey through 18 holes of the 36-hole match play final Saturday at the 34th annual U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

The Arkansas-bound Tubert was 2-down through five holes, before winning seven consecutive holes to grab a 5-up lead after 12.

McCloskey, the West Coast Conference player of the year in her sophomore season at Pepperdine before recently announcing her transfer to USC, closed the deficit to 3-down after 16 holes. But Tubert birdied the 475-yard, par-5 17th hole to stretch the lead back to 4-up before both players recorded par-4 on the 343-yard 18th hole.

Former USC All-American Jennifer Song -- who recently turned professional following her sophomore season -- won the Public Links title last year, with UCLA graduate Tiffany Joh capturing the championship in 2006 and '08.

The 11th annual Southern Section Eight-Man All-Star Game is slated for Saturday in Yucca Valley at Joshua Springs High, and organizers are promising the long trip will be worth it for the "best tri-tip sandwiches in Southern California." Kickoff is 7 p.m.

The West team, coached by Garrick Moss of Santa Clarita Christian, features Nick Wallin of Faith Baptist and Daniel Chaplin of Santa Clarita Christian.

Proceeds benefit the non-profit "Father's Heart Ranch Group Home" in the Coachella Valley, whose mission is to helped abused children.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The complete high school football schedules for the Southern and City sections have been released, and one of the quirks is Canyon's schedule.

The Cowboys, expected to be much improved after going 2-9 last season, have three non-Friday night games, including the opening two contests -- Saturday, Sept. 11 against visiting Burroughs, followed by Thursday, Sept. 16 against Highland of Palmdale.

It's tough to make a transition from a Saturday game to a Thursday game because you're limited to three days of preparation instead of five.

Here are some of the other intriguing games through the weeks:

Sept 3 -- Alemany at Oaks Christian; Dominguez at Crespi; Serra at Notre Dame

Sept 9 THURS-- Hart at Palmdale

Sept 10 -- Notre Dame at Valencia; Centennial Corona at Birmingham; L.A. Jordan at Crespi; Burbank at Chaminade

Sept 11 SAT -- Burroughs at Canyon; Marshall at Arleta, 2 p.m.

Sept 16 THURS -- Highland at Canyon; Valencia at Birmingham; Notre Dame at Taft; Thousand Oaks at Westlake

Sept 17 -- Clovis West at Crespi; Oaks Christian at St. Bonnie

Sept 24 -- Taft at Alemany; Birmingham at Notre Dame; Venice at St. Francis

Oct 1 -- Notre Dame at Dominguez; Mira Costa at Chaminade; Harvard-Westlake at Alemany; Westlake at Oaks Christian; Moorpark vs. St Bonnie at Buena HS; Crespi at Vista Murrieta

Oct 7 THURS -- Taft at Crespi

Oct 8 -- Chaminade at Notre Dame.; Quartz Hill at Palmdale; Crespi at Taft; Sylmar at San Fernando; Loyola at Valencia

Oct 15 -- Moorpark at Westlake; Arleta at Poly; Crespi at Bishop Amat; Loyola at Notre Dame; Thousand Oaks at Oaks Christian; Simi Valley at Royal

Oct. 16 SAT -- Serra at St. Francis

Oct 22 -- Alemany at Crespi; Valencia at Canyon; ECR at Taft; Westlake at Newbury Park; Chaminade at St. Francis

Oct. 29 -- Hart at Valencia; Taft at Birmingham; Alemany vs. Loyola at LA Valley College; Cathedral at Chaminade; Oaks Christian at Moorpark

Nov 5 -- Notre Dame at Alemany; St Bonnie at Westlake; Serra at Chaminade; Canyon vs Hart at COC; Loyola at Crespi; Burbank vs. Crescenta Valley at Burroughs HS; Serra at Chaminade; Cathedral at St. Francis; Newbury Park at Oaks Christian

Nov. 11 Thurs-- Golden Valley at Canyon; Burbank at Burroughs

Nov 12 -- Bishop Amat at Alemany; Crespi at Notre Dame; ECR at Birmingham; Kennedy at San Fernando; Harvard-Westlake at St. Francis; Moorpark at Thousand Oaks

-- Gerry Gittelson

Jack Hartman, a sophomore right-hander who is one of the San Fernando Valley's top young right-handers, has transferred from Notre Dame to Cleveland.

As a starting pitcher for Notre Dame, Hartman was 3-2 with a 3.73 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 30 innings.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Oaks Christian of Westlake Village has three top freshman.

The timing couldn't have come at a better time with the school joining the Marmonte League.

WR Chris Davis, QB Brandon Dawkins and WR Davonte Nunnery could all be special.

The Taft of Woodland Hills boys' basketball team is finalizing its schedule for 2010-2011.

Once again the Toreadors will have a tough one.

Taft is schedule to play in tournaments at Westchester, Mission Prep and possibly Torrey Pines.

The nonleague games include Harvard-Westlake on Dec.11 at a site to be determined, Oak Hill of Virginia on Jan. 15 in Massachusetts and De La Salle of Concord on Feb. 5 at Mater Dei's Nike Extravaganza.

Taft should be able to handle it with Kevin Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Khiry Wiiliams, Stephen Maxwell, Brandon Perry and Chris Yanku.

2010 Nike Fairfax tourney

Long Beach Poly vs. Crespi, Monday, 5:30 p.m.
Crenshaw vs. Pasadena, Monday, 4 p.m.
Orange Lutheran vs. St. Bernard, Monday, 8:30 p.m.
Loyola vs. Dorsey, Monday, 7 p.m.

Taft vs. Harvard-Westlake, Tuesday 8:30 p.m.
Mater Dei vs. Serra, Tuesday 4 p.m.
Fairfax vs. Santa Monica, Tuesday 5:30 p.m.
Price vs. La Canada, Tuesday, 7 p.m.

2010 War on the Floor Summer Spectacular
Start of Summer Tournament 818-425-8737

Saturday June 26
Boys Games at Pierce College in Woodland Hills
10 am Chatsworth vs. Renaissance Academy
11 am Birmingham vs. Sun Valley
12 pm Cleveland vs. Reseda
1 pm Taft vs. Blair
2 pm Crespi vs. Sun Valley
3 pm El Camino Real vs. Saugus
4 pm Oaks Christian vs. Northridge Academy
5 pm Taft vs. Campbell Hall
6 pm Sylmar vs. Highland
7 pm El Camino Real vs. Pasadena
8 pm Highland vs. Northridge Academy

Boys Games at El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills
10 am Blair vs. Buckley
11 am Washington Prep vs. Bell-Jeff
12 pm Dorsey vs. Malibu
1 pm Duarte vs. Birmigham
2 pm Renaissance Academy vs. Malibu
3 pm Pasadena vs. Paraclete
4 pm Montclair Prep vs. Bell-Jeff
5 pm Saugus vs. Paraclete
6 pm Ripon vs. Reseda
7 pm Montclair Prep vs. Crescenta Valley
8 pm Ripon vs. Calabasas

Sunday June 27
Games at Pierce College in Woodland Hills
10 am Campbell Hall vs. Buckley
11 am Washington Prep vs. Crescenta Valley
12 pm Campbell Hall vs. Blair
1 pm Crescenta Valley vs. Bell-Jeff
2 pm Oaks Christian vs. Sylmar
3 pm Taft vs. Buckley
4 pm Calabasas vs. Cleveland
5 pm Oaks Christian vs. Highland
6 pm Calabasas vs. Reseda
7 pm El Camino Real vs. Paraclete

Boys Games at El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills
10 am Crespi vs. Birmingham
11 am Sylmar vs. Northridge Academy
12 pm Crespi vs. Duarte
1 pm Montclair Prep vs. Washington Prep
2 pm Chatsworth vs. Dorsey
3 pm Duarte vs. Sun Valley
4 pm Chatsworth vs. Malibu
5 pm Dorsey vs. Renaissance Academy
6 pm Pasadena vs. Saugus
7 pm Cleveland vs. Ripon

Monday June 28
BOYS GAMES AT PIERCE COLLEGE IN WOODLAND HILLS
1 pm Silver Bracket quarterfinal
2 pm Silver Bracket quarterfinal
3 pm Silver Bracket quarterfinal
4 pm Silver Bracket quarterfinal
5 pm Gold Bracket quarterfinal
6 pm Gold Bracket quarterfinal
7 pm Gold Bracket quarterfinal
8 pm Gold Bracket quarterfinal

Tuesday June 29 (FINAL DAY)
GAMES AT EL CAMINO REAL HIGH IN WOODLAND HILLS
12 pm Consolation game
1 pm Consolation game
2 pm Consolation game
3 pm Consolation game
4 pm Consolation game
5 pm Consolation game

GAMES AT PIERCE COLLEGE
4 pm Gold semifinal
5 pm Gold semifinal
6 pm Silver semifinal
7 pm Silver semifinal
8 pm Gold championship
9 pm Silver championship

2010 Oaks Christian tournament

Dec. 27-30

Canyon Springs
Carson
St. Joseph
Inglewood
La Jolla Country Day
Oaks Christian
Mater Dei Catholic (San Diego)
Antelope Valley
Taft
Sheldon
El Camino Real
Sierra Canyon
Agoura
Alemany
Palisades
Santa Clara

Kelly Spear and Kristen Cullen recently helped the SoCal Madness travel team win the ASA "A" state championship.

Maybe they will help Oaks Christian of Westlake Village win a CIF title next June.

Both players are headed to Oaks Christian in September.

Spear is a shortstop and Cullen is a pitcher.

2010 Oaks Christian boys' basketball tournament

Dec. 27-30

Etiwanda
De La Salle (Concord)
Loyola (Los Angeles)
Sacramento
Sheldon (Sacramento)
Price (Los Angeles)
Upland
Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley)
Pasadena
Inglewood
Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
Colony (Ontario)
Valencia
Palisades (Pacific Palisades)
Alemany (Mission Hills)
La Jolla Country Day

Nick Young, who plays for the Washington Wizards and attended Cleveland High in Reseda will be holding a summer camp at Oaks Christian of Westlake Village June 28-July 2.

Young led Cleveland to a semifinal appearance against Westchester of Los Angeles in 2004, attended USC for three years and will be in his fourth season with Washington next season.

The camp will focus on fundamentals, technique and game starategy.

The camp will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For more info visit www.oakschristian.org under summer camps or call 818.575.9209

After going 2-8 in its first season back in 11-man football last year, Montclair Prep will have the home-field advantage this fall, as seven of 10 games are scheduled for the Mounties' home field at Pierce College.

Montclair Prep is operating with a new coach, John Greaves, and he could be faced with a stiff challenge, as several top returning players have transferred to Chaminade of West Hills.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Canyon played host to a four-way round-robin on Tuesday, and there was good competition with Alemany, Valencia and Highland.

It was my first chance to see Highland quarterback Christian Tago, and though he is just a junior and a bit raw, there is a lot of talent there. He's big, about 6-2, 200 pounds, and Tago has a strong arm and, most importantly, a competitive instinct that all great quarterbacks must have.

No, Highland does not have the precision timing like a top Foothill, Mission or Marmonte team, and the defenders were often a step of two out of position, but there appeared to be four or five players who were exceptionally good.

Canyon keeps getting better, particularly quarterback Jonathan Jerozal and receiver Drew Wolitarsky, who were their usual unstoppable selves and were scoring freely most of the time I glanced in their direction.

I can't wait to see Alemany with the pads on, so I can get a feel for how good running back Saladin McCullough is going to be. He's an extremly important component because no matter how much a Dean Herrington-coached team likes to pass the football, the running back is always vital, too. For every championship Herrington won under his brother, Mike, at Hart, there was a terrific running back, too.

Valencia's Alex Bishop is getting his timing down, and he has several top receivers. Running back Steven Manfro has not always been available because of schedule conflicts with camps, etc., but he was there Tuesday and looked very fast and athletic. He is probably going to be the Daily News No. 1 preseason running back, but Manfro is also an ulta effective receiver who could be the No. 1 receiver on just about any team except maybe Oaks Christian and a couple of others. He caught a long bomb for a touchdown down the right sideline Tuesday, and it reminded me of Harold Jackson of the Rams from back when I was a kid.

-- Gerry Gittelson

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Cody Buckel, Royal, P/SS, Sr. - There was a buzz every time Buckel pitched, and the hard-throwing right-hander almost always came through with a worthy performance.

Or, as coach Dan Maye put it: "Cody Buckel's worst outing is better than most pitchers' best outing."

The proof is in the numbers and in Royal's success. With a 95 mph fastball combined with an assortment of breaking pitches and remarkable control, Buckel finished 12-1 with eight complete games, five shutouts and a 0.61 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 80 innings with just 17 walks.

"I wanted to be perfect, but it was a good year," Buckel said.

He also batted .410 with six home runs and 25 RBIs, as Royal advanced to the Southern Section Div. I semifinals before losing to eventual champion Mater Dei of Santa Ana - the top playoff performance of all local Southern Section large schools.

FIRST TEAM

Tyler Abbott, Royal, P, Sr. - A top left-hander, Abbott was 8-3 with a 1.70 ERA and 82 strikeouts with just 17 walks to help Royal advance to the Southern Section Div. I semifinals.

Jordan Brower, Newbury Park, Util, Sr. - Brower did a little of everything, and he did it well, batting .417 with two home runs and a team-high 15 RBIs while going 4-3 with a 1.85 ERA.

David Armendariz, Notre Dame, INF, Sr. - A four-year starter, Armendariz had another excellent season, batting .356 with six home runs and 16 RBIs. He was also a top third baseman and occasional pitcher.

Mitch Bluman, El Camino Real, Util - Perhaps the City Section's most feared hitter, Bluman batted .463 with an .829 slugging percentage, nine home runs and 40 RBIs. He was also 6-3 with a 3.28 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 52 innings.

Jose Cardona, El Camino Real, P, Jr. - The City Player of the Year, Cardona was 11-1 with a 1.56 ERA, and he won three playoff games, including an eight-inning shutout in the semifinals and the final two innings of relief in a 9-8 championship victory over San Pedro at Dodger Stadium.

Steven Karkenny, Chatsworth, OF, Jr. - Karkenny, the West Valley League co-Player of the Year, did it all for City Section semifinalist Chatsworth, batting .430 with 22 RBIs and 32 runs. He was also 5-1 with six saves, a 1.36 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 43 innings. A terrific outfielder with one of the area's best arms, Karkenny filled in at first base, too.

Lonnie Kauppila, Burbank, INF, Sr. - With 12 home runs as a junior, Kauppila rarely saw a good pitch and walked 33 times. He batted .443 with three home runs (all in one game), 28 RBIs and 23 stolen bases while playing near-flawless shortstop.

Ryan Paramo, Alemany, P, Soph - Paramo, a left-hander with pin-point control, was named Mission League Pitcher of the Year after finishing 7-2 with a 3.14 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 61 innings.

Luke Swenson, Moorpark, Util, Sr. - The Marmonte League Pitcher of the Year with an 8-1 record and 1.52 ERA, Swenson also batted .437 with three home runs and 12 doubles to help Moorpark to the Southern Section Div. I quarterfinals.

Brando Tessar, Chaminade, Util, Sr. - Tessar was named Mission League MVP after batting .402 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs while going 9-2 with a 1.45 ERA, as the Eagles won 25 games and advanced to the Div. II quarterfinals.

Kevin Torres, Birmingham, Util, Jr. - One of the top all-around players in the City Section, Torres batted .494 with 11 home runs and 24 RBIs, and he was also an ace pitcher with a 7-3 record.

Kevin Williams, Crespi, INF, Sr. - Williams, a left-hand hitting shortstop, batted .412 with three home runs, 10 doubles and 21 RBIs, while striking out just five times in 82 plate appearances against elite competition.

Trey Williams, Valencia, INF, So. - It's hard to believe Williams is just a sophomore because he is so polished, batting .388 with 10 home runs - including three in one game against West Ranch - with 32 RBIs, 12 walks and terrific fielding.

Austin Wilson, Harvard Westlake, OF, Sr. - A bona fide five-tool player, the 6-foot-4 Wilson scored 54 runs as a leadoff hitter, batting .490 with five home runs and 25 stolen bases in 25 attempts.

Chris Whitmer, El Camino Real, C, Jr. - Whitmer batted .366, scored 34 runs and totaled a school-record 27 walks, as the Conquistadores won the City championship at Dodger Stadium. Also a top defensive player.

Christian Yelich, Westlake, 1B - Yelich was a terror in the Marmonte League, batting .451 with nine home runs, 41 runs and 25 RBIs plus 30 walks for an on-base percentage of .609 and a slugging percentage of 1.000. He also stole 28 bases and was selected in the first round of the Major League draft.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Josh Heinz, West Ranch, INF, So - In his first varsity season, Heinz set a school-record with 46 RBIs while batting .402 with eight home runs, 12 doubles and an .841 slugging percentage. Also a top third baseman.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Josh Lienhard, El Camino Real - Lienhard brought El Camino Real back to the pinnacle of success, wrestling away the City title from three-time reigning champion Chatsworth -- the Conquistadores' arch rival.

El Camino Real (19-11) got off to a slow start but excelled as the playoffs rolled around, outscoring three postseason opponents 26-1 before defeating San Pedro 9-8 in the championship game at Dodger Stadium.

Lienhard made all the right moves, too, finding spots in the lineup for hitters who were hot at the right time and getting the most out of his pitching, particularly City Player of the Year Jose Cardona, who pitched a total of 10 shutout innings in the final two playoff games.

SECOND TEAM

Aaron Brown, Chatsworth, Util, Jr.

Chad Clark, Agoura, INF, Jr.

J.P Cloney, West Ranch, P, Jr.

Kyle Eaton, Valencia, OF, Sr.

Alex Gonzalez, Crespi, C, Sr.

Drew Hacker, Oaks Christian, INF, Jr.

Ryon Healy, Crespi, 1B, Sr.

Michael Hubbard, Crespi, OF, Sr.

Tommy Kister, Saugus, P, Sr.

Josh Mason, Crespi, Util., Sr.

Matt Higginbotham, Moorpark, P, Jr.

Javy Lopez, Arleta, Util, Jr.

Sean O'Connell, Chatsworth, C, Sr.

Jared Ortiz, West Ranch, OF, Sr.

Cody Thomson, Thousand Oaks, Util, Sr.

Patrick Valaika, Hart, INF, Sr.

Austin Walker, Crespi, 3B, Sr.

Andy Yingling, Camarillo, Util, Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION: Taylor Aikenhead, Desert Christian, Util, Sr.; David Armas, San Fernando, Util, Sr.; Chris Caldwell, West Ranch, OF, Sr.; Ryan Cruz, Kennedy, P, Jr.; Cody deSpain, Taft, OF, Sr.; Adam Ehrlich, Campbell Hall, C, Jr.; Max Fried, Montclair Prep, P, So.; Justin Greco, OF, Royal, So.; Bryce Kelly, Granada Hills, Util, Sr.; Kyle Keppel, El Camino Real, OF, Sr.; David Lira, San Fernando, P, Jr.; Nick Lombardi, Saugus, INF, So.; Christian Lopez, Chatsworth, P, Jr.;

Troy Mulcahey, Crescenta Valley, OF, So.; Aaron Roth, Cornerstone Christian, Util, Sr.; Adam Rubanowitz, Calabasas, INF, Jr.; Nico Rusconi, West Ranch, OF, Sr.; Andrew Shanfield, Harvard-Westlake, C, Sr.; Mark Strazzeri, Alemany, OF, Sr.; Justin Sheehan, Saugus, OF, Jr.; Jimmie Sherfy, Newbury Park, P, Sr.; Cameron Summers, Lancaster, OF, Sr.; Cody Thompson, Alemany, P, So.; Ivan Vela, El Camino Real, SS, Sr.; Denny Vigo, C, Simi Valley, Sr.

DAILY NEWS TOP 10

1. Royal (25-7)
2. El Camino Real (19-11)
3. Moorpark (23-9)
4. Chatsworth (25-5)
5. Chaminade (25-7)
6. Crespi (22-6)
7. Alemany (19-9)
8. Valencia (17-10-1)
9. Lancaster (19-9)
10. Camarillo (23-5)

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Agape: Academy of Academic Excellence

Alpha: Maranatha

Delphic: Crossroads

East Valley: Arleta

Foothill: Valencia

Frontier: Grace Brethren

Golden: Quartz Hill

Heritage: Milken Community

Liberty: Viewpoint and Buckley

Marmonte: Royal

Mission: Crespi

Olympic: Montclair Prep

Pacific: Arcadia

Pacific View: Camarillo

Prep: Pasadena Poly

Santa Fe: St. Anthony

Tri-Valley: Oaks Christian

Valley: Fulton

Valley Mission: Kennedy

West Valley: Chatsworth and El Camino Real

-- Gerry Gittelson

Darrell Scott, the former Moorpark High star who played at Colorado, is transferring to South Florida.

According to the Tampa Tribune, Scott announced on his Facebook page Monday night that he has accepted a South Florida scholarship.received a scholarship offer from South Florida and will continue his collegiate football career with the Bulls.

"Just got a scholly peeps!!!! You're looking at a Bull now,'' Scott wrote. "USF, here I come baby."

-- Gerry Gittelson

2010 ALL CIF SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL TEAMS
Presented by the LA84 Foundation
(As selected by CIF-SS Baseball Coaches' Association)
(For release June 21, 2010)
Division 1
Player of the year: Cory Hahn, senior, Mater Dei
Coach of the Year: Burt Call, Mater Dei
First Team
Daniel Arrelano Jun Centennial Corona
Austin Bailey Junior Great Oak
Austin Boyle Senior El Modena
Cody Buckel Senior Royal
Chad Clark Junior Agoura
Bret Dahlson Senior JSerra
Michael Erb Senior Adolfo Camarillo
Josh Frye Senior Millikan
Brennan Fulkerson Senior El Dorado
Hunter Jones Senior Lakewood
Aaron Jones Senior San Clemente
Henry Owens Junior Edison
Bijan Rademacher Senior Canyon Anaheim
Dylan Stuart Senior Riverside Poly
Luke Swenson Senior Moorpark
Peter Tago Senior Dana Hills
Andrew Thurman Senior Orange Lutheran
Jesus Valdez Senior Hueneme
Christian Yelich Senior Westlake
Trey Williams Sophomore Valencia Valencia
Jeff Yamaguchi Senior Lakewood
Second Team
Tyler Abbot Senior Royal
Jayson Balades Junior Adolfo Camarillo
Brandon Baxter Senior Santiago/Corona
Jordan Brower Senior Newbury Park
Austin Davidson Junior Oxnard
Joe Favela Senior Centennial Corona
Phil Ferragamo Senior Canyon Anaheim
Kyle Ferret Junior Santiago Corona
Eric Hsieh Junior Dana Hills
Ty Moore Sophomore Mater Dei
Aaron Payne Senior San Clemente
Anthony Razo Senior Lakewood
Stefan Sabol Senior Aliso Niguel
Eric Snyder Junior Edison
Conner Spencer Junior Tesoro
Adam Velez Senior El Dorado
Thomas Walker Junior Long Beach Poly
Bobby Wheatley Senior Orange Lutheran
R.J. Ybarra Sophomore Riverside Poly
Andy Yingling Senior Adolfo Camarillo
2010 ALL CIF SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL TEAMS
Presented by the LA84 Foundation
(As selected by CIF-SS Baseball Coaches' Association)
(For release June 21, 2010)
Division 2
Player of the Year: Adam Plutko, Glendora
Coach of the Year: Dan Henley, Glendora
First Team
Zack Belanger Junior Cypress
Thomas Bernal Senior Paso Robles
Jacob Cage Senior Glendora
Garrett Donohoe Senior El Toro
Julio Espinoza Senior Rialto
Jim Grob Senior Arlington
Tim Heltow Senior Upland
Mike Hubbard Senior Crespi
T.J. Kendzora Senior El Toro
Nick Mandry Senior La Mirada
Kenny Mathews Junior Diamond Bar
Griffin Murphy Senior Redlands East Valley
Wyatt Padgett Senior Yucaipa
Brando Tessar Senior Chaminade
Garrett Tuck Senior Arcadia
Taijuan Walker Senior Yucaipa
Lucas Whitehill Senior Mira Costa
Kevin Williams Senior Crespi
Austin Wilson Senior Harvard Westlake
Joseph Winterburn Senior Glendora
Second Team
Tyler Alamo Freshman Cypress
Trey Barrett Senior Santa Barbara
Aaron Beckley Senior Redlands East Valley
Devyn Bolasky Junior Vista del Lago
Brad Burcroff Senior Redlands East Valley
Trent Chatterton Sophomore Pacifica Garden Grove
Pedro Cota Senior Yucaipa
Dylan Delaney Junior Chaminade
Tommy Gurrera Senior Foothill
Jake Hernandez Senior Los Osos
Lonnie Kauppila Senior Burbank
Jonathan Larson Senior Arcadia
Chris Manning Senior El Toro
Josh Mason Senior Crespi
Robert Parucha Senior Mira Costa
Kyle Raubinger Junior Arroyo Grande
Austin Reed Senior Rancho Cucamonga
Elliott Surrey Sophomore Crescenta Valley
Peter Van Gansen Sophomore Alemany
Zach Weiss Senior Northwood
2010 ALL CIF SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL TEAMS
Presented by the LA84 Foundation
(As selected by CIF-SS Baseball Coaches' Association)
(For release June 21, 2010)
Division 3
Players of the Year: Blake Walker, senior, Ocean View
Adam Quintana, senior, San Gorgonio
Coach of the Year: Shane Borowski, Ocean View
First Team
Brenton Allen Senior Gahr
Beau Attyah senior Corona del Mar
Rouric Bridgewater Junior Diamond Ranch
Tanner Clark Senior Cajon
Christian Coronado Senior Hemet
Andy Crowley Junior San Gorgonio
Jesus Cuevas Junior Santa Fe
Cody Doyle Senior South Hills
Jordan Geiger Senior Garden Grove
Matt Gelalich Junior Bonita
Jake Guerra Junior Downey
Justin Hazard Junior Beckman
Robert Mier Junior Bonita
Andrew Morales Senior South Hills
Brandon Moss Senior Rancho Alamitos
Daniel Pitts Junior Quartz Hill
Luis Saballos Senior Bell Gardens
Travis Santiago Sophomore Charter Oak
Jay Sheeley Junior Quartz Hill
Brandon Trinkwon Senior Beckman
Second Team
Reyn Araki Senior Beckman
Andrew Ayrado Senior Quartz Hill
Will Barring Junior Beckman
Connor Burke Junior La Serna
Chris Corona Senior Los Altos
Steven Garber Senior Orange
Derek Goodwin Senior Diamond Ranch
Evan Highley Senior Bonita
Michael Hill Senior La Quinta Westminster
Blake Hitchcock Junior Ocean View
Chris Holden Senior Charter Oak
Jerry Keel Junior Palmdale
Daniel Lack Senior Gahr
Josh Moreno Senior Arroyo Valley
Tyler Rahier Junior Cajon
Jeff Ricker Senior Cajon
Greg Saldate Senior Alhambra
Jake Shirley Senior South Hills
Cameron Summers Senior Lancaster
Lou Villareal Senior Colton
2010 ALL CIF SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL TEAMS
Presented by the LA84 Foundation
(As selected by CIF-SS Baseball Coaches' Association)
(For release June 21, 2010)
Division 4
Player of the Year: Nick Baker, senior, Palm Desert
Coach of the Year: Darol Salazar, Palm Desert
First Team
Christian Belleque Senior Fullerton
Nick Bueno Junior Monrovia
Scotty Burcham Junior Palm Desert
Gabe Encinas Senior St. Paul
Jordan Farris Sophomore St. Bonaventure
Edgar Gomez Junior Indio
Angelo Gumbs Senior Torrance
Mychal Kabeary Senior Palm Desert
Garret Levsen Senior Sonora
Jimmy Litchfield Senior Sonora
Michael Lorenzen Senior Fullerton
Justin McCullough Senior El Segundo
Joshua Mingura Senior Torrance
Nigel Nootbaar Junior El Segundo
Nick Oddo Senior St. Paul
Paul Paez Senior Bishop Amat
Eddie Pedroza Senior Northview
Travis Radke Junior Oaks Christian
Rio Ruiz Sophomore Bishop Amat
Vincent Velasquez Senior Garey
Second Team
Antonio Chavarria Sophomore Indio
Marc DeFrenza Senior Estancia
Chance Fuglistahler Junior Kaiser
Ryan Garvey Junior Palm Desert
Trent Gilbert Junior Torrance
Drew Hacker Junior Oaks Christian
A.J. Kennedy Sophomore Savanna
Cody Lavalli Senior Granite Hills
Alex Mancillas Senior Don Lugo
Xavi Martinez Junior Northview
Brandon McNitt Senior Bishop Amat
Aaron Murphree Senior Monrovia
Grant Palmer Junior El Segundo
Chris Paul Junior Laguna Beach
Derek Penilla Senior San Dimas
Travis Sais Junior Sonora
Dusty Sanderson Senior Temple City
David Trejo Senior St. Bonaventure
Chad Wallace Senior Calvary Chapel Santa Ana
Brant Whiting Senor Troy
Ernie Zaragoza Senior Kaiser
2010 ALL CIF SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL TEAMS
Presented by the LA84 Foundation
(As selected by CIF-SS Baseball Coaches' Association)
(For release June 21, 2010)
Division 5
Players of the Year: Matt Chabot, senior, Woodcrest Christian
Dylan Covey, senior, Maranatha
Coach of the Year: Glenn Prater, Woodcrest Christian
First Team
Angel Acosta Sophomore Gabrielino
Jonathan Armenta Senior Tahquitz
C.J. Beatty Senior Western Christian
Tim Borst Sophomore Tahquitz
Michael Davis Senior Woodcrest Christian
Nicho DellaValle Senior Santa Ynez
Adam Ehrlich Junior Campbell Hall
Michael Fagan Junior Linfield Christian
Max Fried Sophomore Montclair Prep
Christian Huerta Senior Sierra Vista
Jonathan Lopez Senior Calvary Chapel Downey
Sergio Luna Junior Cathedral
Daniel Mallory Junior Lompoc
Sean Matthews Senior Woodcrest Christian
Max Miller Junior Montclair Prep
Eddie Munoz Junior Campbell Hall
Deven Owens Junior Heritage
Thomas White Junior Cabrillo Lompoc
Austin Zimarik Senior Yucca Valley
Kyle Zimmerman Senior Linfield Christian
Second Team
Aaron Anderson Senior 29 Palms
Cory Bloom Junior Campbell Hall
Daniel Dunaetz Senior Lompoc
Sean Greathead Junior Cabrillo Lompoc
Joshua Ibarra Sophomore Cathedral
Mark Jebbia Junior Maranatha
P.J. Kinney Senior Village Christian
Mark McMahon Junior Western Christian
Joshua McWaters Senior Calvary Murrieta
Tony Rosales Senior Montclair Prep
Robby Schoenborn Senior Yucca Valley
Phil Sellery Senior Linfield Christian
Luis Torres Senior Sierra Vista
Spencer Troutman Senior Calvary Chapel Downey
Daniel White Senior St Monica Catholic
2010 ALL CIF SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL TEAMS
Presented by the LA84 Foundation
(As selected by CIF-SS Baseball Coaches' Association)
(For release June 21, 2010)
Division 6
Players of the Year: Daniel Lucak, sophomore, Oxford Academy
Taylor Aikenhead, Desert Christian Lancaster
Coach of the Year: Dana Bedard, Oxford Academy
First team
Joe Armijo Junior Excelsior Education
Chad Avena Senior Grace Brethren
Charlie Baxter Senior Pasadena Poly
Jake Brodsky Senior Buckley
Jeff Curran Senior St. Anthony
Kyler Emery Senior Kern Valley
Clint Engel Senior Avalon
Josh Flyer Senior Crossroads
Charles Fortis Senior Bloomington Christian
Patrick Henry Senior Bell-Jeff
Jordan Kutzer Junior Pasadena Poly
Tim LeSuer Junior Nordhoff
Dusty Orrantia Senior Sage Hill
Tony Salas Senior Bishop Union
Nick Schmidt Senior Grace Brethren
Tyler Shryock Senior Desert Christian Lancaster
Tyler Sprague Sophomore Viewpoint
Brett Wallis Senior Rosamond
A.J. Wolfson Senior Sage Hill
Patrick Zajac Senior Oxford Academy
Second Team
Jake Berg-Rosenblatt Senior Crossroads
Steve Criss Junior Oxford Academy
James Grandpre Junior Desert Christian Lancaster
Chance Gusbeth Sophomore Desert Christian Lancaster
Alex Jimenez Senior Sage Hill
Adres Leyva Junior Crossroads
Hunter Merryman Junior Pasadena Poly
Chris Meyers Senior Grace Brethren
Royce Park Sophomore Flintridge Prep
Tyler Philip Senior Saddleback Valley Christian
Cody Porter Senior Victor Valley Christian
Nick Preciado Junior Rio Hondo Prep
Ricky Ramirez Junior St. Anthony
Matt Saeta Junior Pasadena Poly
Dan Stoner Senior Nordhoff
Joey Szczepanski Senior Bloomington Christian
Jeremy Vasquez Senior Rosamond
Colby Wolffe Sophomore Grace Brethren
Robert Yates Senior St. Anthony
Sam Ziering Senior Windward
2010 ALL CIF SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL TEAMS
Presented by the LA84 Foundation
(As selected by CIF-SS Baseball Coaches' Association)
(For release June 21, 2010)
Division 7
Player of the Year: Aaron Roth, senior, Cornerstone Christian Camarillo
Coach of the Year: Dean Drulias, Cornerstone Christian Camarillo
First Team
David Blazer Junior Milken Community
Taylor Brard Junior North County Christian
Mike Calderon Senior Valley Christian Santa Maria
Anthony Carrillo Sophomore New Roads
Josh Clark Sophomore Hillcrest Christian Granada Hills
Josh Field Senior North County Christian
Marc Fitzgerald Junior Cornerstone Christian Camarillo
Troy Foster Senior Trona
Ty Ray Gatewood Senior Firebaugh
Kevin Hammer Sophomore Pacifica Christian
Chad Kim Senior Rolling Hills Prep
Josh Kolker Senior Milken Community
Benjamin Ludewig Senior Milken Community
Jackson Mauze junior Cate
Zach McMillan Sophomore Pacifica Christian
Keegan Mitchell Senior Dunn School
Felipe Perez Sophomore Fairmont Prep
Nathan Roth Senior Cornerstone Christian Camarillo
Justin Smith Senior Immanuel Christian
Kevin Wagner Senior Fairmont Prep
Second Team
Taimur Ahmed Sophomore Fairmont Prep
Jason Bock Sophomore Hillcrest Christian Granada Hills
Max Chilkov Senior New Roads
Austin Cortina Junior Pacifica Christian
Alberto Cuevas Senior Firebaugh
Joe Eisaguirre Junior Dunn School
Zane Foster Sophomore Thacher
David Herrman Junior Faith Baptist
Jahman Ingram Sophomore Rolling Hills Prep
Greg Kahen Senior Milken Community
George Luo Junior Cate
Tanner Marcoe Freshman Hillcrest Christian Granada Hills
Joel Reimer Senior Thacher
Matt Rowe Sophomore Faith Baptist
Drew Schettler Senior Valley Christian Santa Maria
Mark Stover Senior Cornerstone Christian Camarillo
Keelan Willison Sophomore North County Christian

Taft of Woodland Hills and Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood played a terrific summer league game Monday afternoon in the Taft summer league.

Taft prevailed 67-62 after coming back from an early first half deficit.

The game featured top performances from Taft's Kevin Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Brandon Perry, Khiry Williams, sophomore to be Chris Yanku and Harvard-Westlake's Damiene Cain, Josh Hearlihy and Zena Edosowman.

The teams are scheduled to meet at the Fairfax of Los Angeles tournament next week but the big game between the two valley powers will be December 11 in a highly-anticipated nonleague game at a site to be determined.

In other games, Crespi rocked Notre Dame, El Camino Real pulled away from Montclair Prep, Birmingham held off Calabasas and Oaks Christian nipped Cleveland, 61-60.

New coach Andre Chevalier went against his old school in the Oaks Christian-Cleveland game and against his former coaching pupil in Osiris Nalls, who took over for Chevalier at Cleveland three years ago.

"I am going to enjoy coaching boys again," Chevalier said after an intense summer league game

Former Beverly Hills coach Charles Solomon, who was hired at Brentwood of Los Angeles recently, has turned down the coaching position at Bell-Jeff of Burbank.

Solomon was set to take over for Bryan camacho, who was hired as an assistant at CSUN, but decided to stick with Brentwood.

Brandon Mitchell, a 300-pound lineman from Taft of Woodland Hills, has been granted a fifth year of eligibility.

He's the second Taft returning lineman to be granted a fifth year, following Traves Raphael a couple of weeks ago.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Freshman Maleke Haynes played for El Camino Real of Woodland Hills at the Crespi shootout over the weekend but also has turned in papers at Taft of Woodland Hills.

Haynes club teammates Julian Richardson and Evan Wardlow are playing for El Camino Real this summer but his brother Calvin, now at Oregon St. was a standout for the Toreadors in 2005 and 2006.

Where will the dynamic freshman guard end up?

I guess we will have to wait until August 1st or later.

Stay tuned....

All games at Taft High in Woodland Hills

4 p.m. Taft vs. Harvard-Westlake
5:10 p.m. Crespi vs. Notre Dame
6:20 p.m. El Camino Real vs. Montclair Prep
7:30 p.m. Cleveland vs. Oaks Christian
8:40 p.m. Calabasas vs. Birmingham

It should be an exciting evening of hoops action.

The Mission League had no problems at the Crespi of Encino shootout over the weekend.

Crespi and Chaminade of West Hills both won all four of its games.

Chaminade had an impressive win against Fairfax as did El Camino Real of Woodland Hills.

Freshman Maleke Haynes, Julian Richardson and Evan Wardlow all had good performances for ECR throughout the weekend according to coach David Rebibo.

One surprising note was Campbell Hall of North Hollywood went 0-4. I presume Austin McBroom was not with the Vikings.

1st Games - Ventura 86 Crescenta Valley 57
Simi Valley 59 Verdugo Hills 24

2nd Games - Calabasas 73 Camarillo 64
Newbury Park 55 Poly 21

3rd Games - Westlake 67 Crescenta Valley 65
Moorpark 68 Verdugo Hills 30

4th Games - Calabasas 58 Golden Valley 45
St. Francis 67 Poly 26

5th Games - Ventura 72 Westlake 51
Simi Valley 54 Moorpark 36

6th Games - Camarillo 63 Golden Valley 61
Newbury Park 58 St. Francis 53

Day 2 Schedule
Bronze Bracket 9 am Crescenta Valley vs. Golden Valley
Verdugo Hills vs. Poly

12:30 winners play/losers play

Silver Bracket 10:45 am Westlake vs. Camarillo
Moorpark vs. St. Francis

4:00 pm winners play/losers play

Gold Bracket 2:15 pm Ventura vs. Calabasas
Simi Valley vs. Newbury Park

5:45 pm Championship/ 3rd place game

SAUGUS -- What a performance by Westlake High in the fourth annual Saugus "Under The Lights" 7-on-7 football tournament, as the Warriors won seven games over two days, all by two touchdowns or more including a 28-14 championship victory tonight over Long Beach Poly before a crowd of about 500 at Central Park.

Winning the championship of the 24-team tournament required four single-elimination victories over four hours today with only five minutes of rest between games.

After finishing 14-0 this past fall and winning the Southern Section Northern Division championship, Westlake has returned quarterback Nick Isham and receiver Nelson Spruce, and the Warriors show no signs of slowing down.

In the final, Isham completed 12 of 23 passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns, including a 27-yarder to Spruce (five catches, 103 yards) for the first score, and both had an interception on defense.

"Fatigue kind of starts to set in toward the end, but then the adrenaline starts kicking in," Spruce said. "Tournaments like these, this is a sign of good things to come, we just have to continue, and everyone has to keep working hard."

The championship comes one week after Westlake won the large-scale Pierce College tournament, too.

"It's always fun to come out and play, but it's not like a real game," Isham said. "We just came out and played."

Westlake eliminated Canyon in the semifinals, while Long Beach Poly defeated Oaks Christian of Westlake Village.

ALEMANY IMPRESSES

Alemany advanced to the quarterfinals, and the Warriors proved deep at receiver with a couple of fast, tall targets in Shane Drozdowski and Zach Hernandez.

Both scored plenty of touchdowns over the weekend, particularly Drozdowski, a returning starter who missed the playoffs last fall because of an injury. He is quick and runs good routes, and he has good hands, too. He's very tough to cover one-on-one.

DUNSTON OUT

Chaminade receiver Elijah Dunston, a top transfer from Montclair Prep of Panorama City, is out with a broken pinky finger but should be back soon. The Eagles aren't expected to pass as much as usual this coming season, and that could mean a big season for running back Tru Jarvis, who looked very good.

ETC

Notre Dame quarterback Matt Lathuras has pulled ahead of Kelly Hilinski, a promising 6-foot-5 sophomore. One of the key receivers was Brandon Jett, a fast junior who is the son of DeWayne Jett, who played at San Fernando High during the prime-era in the mid-1970s and later played in the Canadian Football League. Another top receiver was Derrick Turner. .... Among the tournament sponsors was Kirk Bardin, a former Hart of Newhall kicker who owns a successful sports-drink company called Spartos. "He's a genius," said Hart coach Mike Herrington. "He makes a plan, and he sticks to it. That's how you make things work." .... Knight of Palmdale struggled, but linebacker Jordan Stanton was a real standout, a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder who has a Minnesota scholarship offer. He's big, he's fast, and he's a bit scary with that Mohawk hairdo.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Bell-Jeff of Burbank girls' basketball coach Bryan Camacho won't soon forget his last game with an opportunity to advance to a championship before he is announced as a new assistsant women's coach at Cal St. Northridge today.

In his second to last game coaching at Bell-Jeff, the Guards could not hold a late 10 point lead against Corona Centennial in the semifinals of the War on the Floor tournament at Pierce College of Woodland Hills and dropped a 35-34 decision to fall into the third place game.

"You always want to go out on top whether it is regular season, spring, summer or playing dominoes," Camacho said. "It has been an emotional roller coaster. It was tough to lose a game like that."

Bell-Jeff was without Layana White but used their speed and athleticism behind Rishonda Napier (six points), Jasmine Smith (10 points and Leslie Lopez-Wood (five points) to pull ahead comfortably.

Centennial would not be denied.

Aleiah Brandon scored on a layup with 10 seconds remaining and Napier missed a driving layup with two seconds remaining.

Alana Allensworth had 14 points, including four 3-pointers and Brandon had 12 points to lead Centennial.

"I think the program will only get better and better," Camacho said. "I am so appreciative of the school, kids and program we built at Bell-Jeff."

Oaks Christian of Westlake Village was without junior to be point guard Brianna Barrett and couldn't keep up with Brea-Olinda of Brea in a 54-33 loss in the first semifinal game.

Deespite playing without standouts Alexis Perry, Justine Hartman and Jeanier Olukemi, who were all out nursing injuries, the Ladycats got ahead early and were never threatened.

Keitra wallace had 14 points, Taylor Spears had 13 and Carly Bishop made three 3-pointers to lead Brea-Olinda.

"They were a tough team," Oaks Christian's Beth Mounier said.

Crystal Owusu was the lone Oaks Christian player in double figures with 17 points.

TAFT TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT

One day after losing to L.A. Baptist of North Hills in the first round, Taft of Woodland Hills found the going even tougher in a blowout loss against Canyon of Canyon Country.

The Toreadors were without Breanna Burton, Tyeisha Gideon and Shawn Kolani and sophomore to be forward Ahlisha Henderson.

Henderson is expected to attend Reseda next year and Burton might transfer as well according to coach Mark Drucker.

On the bright side, 6'2 sophomore to be Aneeka Montague played extended minutes and could develop into a good forward prospect.

CANYON ADVANCES TO CONSOLATION FINAL

Canyon quietly advanced to todays consolation championship against Monroe fo North Hills after dropping a 38-30 game to Brea-Olinda in the first round.

Canyon beat Taft and Alemany of Mission Hills.

Adrianna Dent was running the floor well and is being recruited by Cal St. Bakersfield.

Two incoming sophomores also showed glimpses of a bright future.

Jaya Schultz and Alia McCoy are two forwards the rest of the Foothill League will have to deal with for the next three years.

BIRMINGHAM IN REBUILDING MODE

Birmingham of Lake Balboa won the City Section Div. III championship in March but no longer has the services of Jazzmyn Davis, Destiny Melton, Chelsea Smith and Charnae Thomas.

Birmingham won its first round game against Brea-Olinda #2 but was brought back down to earth by Bell-Jeff and Fairfax of Los Angeles.

The Patriotsd are trying to build around Tyra Knox and Breanna Calahan.

Taft won a passing tournament at USC today, and quarterback Michael Bercovici was named MVP.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Chaminade of West Hills just might be able to play with Harvard-Westlake and Loyola next year in the Mission League.

The Eagles beat Fairfax, 68-54 on Saturday at the Crespi Shootout.

Sophomore to be guard Jaron Martin had 29 points and Gilles Dierickx contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Martin has been one of the most improved players in the region with 45, 42, 29 and 31 points in his last four spring games.

Quinn Bauducco, a 6-3, 220-pound linebacker for Moorpark High, has committed to Minnesota.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Jacob Smith, one of the Southland's top young running backs, has landed at Granada Hills following stints at Notre Dame and Canyon -- his third school within a one-year period.

At Notre Dame, Smith excelled at track and was an important football contributor as a sophomore this past season, then transferred to Canyon but could not participate in track because of transfer restrictions.

He lost an appeal about a month ago to be eligible to play at Canyon instead of waiting one year, per CIF rules, Canyon coach Chris Varner said.

Now, Smith has been practicing and lifting weights with Granada Hills' team, and Granada Hills coach Billy Parra said school athletic director Rick Charles is working on the paperwork.

"Jacob is in the process of transferring in, and Granada Hills is his home school," Parra said. "He looks good. I hope I get him. I can tell you that much."

-- Gerry Gittelson

Another baseball season, another year without a local Southern Section coach being named Cal Hi Sports state coach of the year.

Since 1938, when George Sperry of Glendale won the award, local City Section coaches have won five times but never another Southern Section coach -- a 72-year dryspell.

Here is the list:

State Baseball Coaches
Of The Year

(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports)

2010 --- Tom Donald, Clovis Buchanan (29-5)
2009 --- Pete Jensen, San Mateo Serra (30-6)
2008 -- Jeff Phillips, La Mesa Grossmont (29-7)
2007 -- John Diatte, San Jose Valley Christian (33-4)
2006 -- Spud O'Neil, Lakewood (29-5-1)
2005 -- Bill Hutton, San Jose Mitty (28-6)
2004 -- Rick Steen, Danville San Ramon Valley (25-8)
2003 -- Justin Machado, Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (32-1)
2002 -- Dave Currie, Santa Clara Wilcox (34-3)
2001 -- Tom Muesborn, Chatsworth (31-2)
2000 -- Harry Jenkins, Torrance West (29-2)
1999 -- Joe Walters, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (27-1-1)
1998 -- James Patrick, Clovis (33-2)
1997 -- Dave Brunell, Santa Maria St. Joseph (29-0)
1996 -- Dennis Pugh, San Diego Mission Bay (29-5)
1995 -- Dave Demarest, Westminster La Quinta (28-3-1)
1994 -- Ron LaRuffa, Fountain Valley (27-3-1)
1993 -- Mike Maio, Woodland Hills El Camino Real (24-2)
1992 -- Dan Peters, Long Beach Millikan (22-5-1)
1991 -- Jeff Meredith, La Mesa Grossmont (28-1)
1990 -- Mickey McNamee, San Marino (23-2-1)
1989 -- Sam Blalock, San Diego Mt. Carmel (25-2)
1988 -- Chris Sims, Moraga Campolindo (24-5)
1987 -- Don Ardissone, San Jose Bellarmine (26-7)
1986 -- Mike Curran, Anaheim Esperanza (25-3-1)
1985 -- Dave Perkins, Hanford (23-5)
1984 -- Darryl Stroh, Granada Hills (16-2-1)
1983 -- Larry Quirico, El Cerrito (27-1)
1982 -- Jim Garrett, Tulare (21-5)
1981 -- Guy Anderson, Rancho Cordova (28-8)
1980 -- Mike Noakes, Fresno Bullard (29-2)
1979 -- John Bachman, Covina (27-3)
1978 -- Al Endriss, Larkspur Redwood (30-5)
1977 -- Lou Zuardo, South S.F. El Camino (28-1)
1976 -- John Herbold, Lakewood (22-4-1)
1975 -- Jack Hannah, Fresno Hoover (29-2)
1974 -- Jim O'Brien, Torrance North (26-6-1)
1973 -- John Stevenson, El Segundo (30-5)
1972 -- Hi LaValle, Compton Dominguez (22-4-1)
1971 -- Denny Holt, Sepulveda Monroe (19-0)
1970 -- Dan Bodary, Lompoc (27-1)
1969 -- Bob Myers, Long Beach Millikan (21-6)
1968 -- Bill Sandback, San Diego Crawford (21-7)
1967 -- Marvin Wood, Torrance Bishop Montgomery (27-3)
1966 -- Bill Cox, Oakland St. Elizabeth (23-5)
1965 -- Al Exton, Arcadia (21-4)
1964 -- Bob Zuber, Van Nuys Birmingham (18-1)
1963 -- Bill Kelly, Redondo Beach Aviation (20-3)
1962 -- Dick Sperbeck, Sacramento Bishop Armstrong (22-2)
1961 -- Elmo Ferrari, Ojai Villanova (17-0)
1960 -- Jake Abbott, Fresno Roosevelt (20-2)
1959 -- Howard Johnson, Inglewood Morningside (20-6)
1958 -- Ken Proctor, Ontario Chaffey (20-5)
1957 -- Ollie Bidwell, Fresno (22-2)
1956 -- Bill Ziegler, Eureka (18-0)
1955 -- Bob Patterson, Vallejo (20-1)
1954 -- Ed Grimm, Redding Shasta (14-0)
1953 -- Charles Doyle, Compton (23-2)
1952 -- George Powles, Oakland McClymonds (16-0)
1951 -- Cliff Perry, Sacramento McClatchy (22-0-1)
1950 -- Harry Brubaker, L.A. Dorsey (17-0*)
1949 -- Al Kyte, Oakland Technical (8-2, League)
1948 -- Len Porterfield, Santa Maria (16-2)
1947 -- Cliff Meyer, Long Beach Wilson (20-3)
1946 -- Walt Williams, San Jose (17-2)
1945 -- Pop Elder, S.F. Mission (10-0, League)
1944 -- Bob Fatjo, San Jose Bellarmine (13-2)
1943 -- Les Haserot, L.A. Fremont (13-1)
1942 -- Roy Engle, San Diego Hoover (13-0 vs. Prep Teams)
1941 -- Ras Johnson, S.F. Galileo (12-1*)
1940 -- George Wolfman, S.F. Mission (11-1*)
1939 -- Dewey Morrow, San Diego (22-5)
1938 -- George Sperry, Glendale
1937 -- Bernie Baumeister, S.F. Commerce (12-2, League)
1936 -- Lyle Kinnear, Long Beach Polytechnic (23-2)
1935 -- Ed Combatalade, Sacramento (20-1)
1934 -- Myles Regan, L.A. Cathedral (13-5-1)
1933 -- Kit Carlson, Santa Maria (9-1)

SAUGUS - It was just a summer passing-league game, but when national football powers Oaks Christian of Westlake Village and Long Beach Poly faced off tonight at the end of the first day of the fourth annual Saugus "Under The Lights" tournament, the contest was as competitive as can be.

There were great plays on both sides, lots of hooting and hollering and even a fracas that broke out near the end of a 24-24 tie.

Oaks Christian's Trever Gretzky completed 21 of 36 for 224 yards and four touchdowns two to Jordan Payton and two to Dillon van der Wal - as both teams finished pool competition 2-0-1 heading into the 16-team playoffs Saturday that finishes with the championship game at 8 p.m.

"It was extremely competitive," Payton said.

Gretzky, son of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, completed just 1 of 6 passes as Oaks Christian came up empty on its first possession, but then he caught fire, completing 10 of 10 over the next two possessions, both resulting in touchdowns.

Canyon, Westlake, Newbury Park, Alemany of Mission Hills and Muir of Pasadena all finished 3-0

"The kids are working hard and having a fun time, and that's what they have to do," Canyon coach Chris Varner said.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The annual War on the Floor girls' basketball tournament is the unofficial start to summer hoops in the region.

After several months of offseason conditioning and spring workouts, the tournament is a barometer of what to expect next year when the teams take the court in the regular season.

One thing for certain is the rest of the Valley Mission League needs to look out for Monroe of North Hills.

The Vikings return five key players on the heels of a City Section Div. III finals appearance.

Ani Avanessian, sophomore Ayisat Afolabi, Maya Campo, Jecenia Trinidad and Diana Herrera return to give coach Quincy Brooks by far and away the top team in the league.

"We are hungry and definitely want to very well," Brooks said. "We have a great nonleague schedule to help us get prepared for the playoffs and state playoffs."

CAMACHO LEAVING BELL-JEFF

Long time and very successful coach Bryan Camacho will be leaving the Guards and accepting an assistsant coaching position with the Cal St. Northridge women's team.

Camacho built Bell-Jeff into a state power and won the Div. V state championship in 2009.

Camacho will not leave the cupboard bare with Layana White, Jasmine Smith, Rishonda Napier, Leslie Lopez-Wood and Khia Jones returning.

TAFT STRUGGLING

Long time West Valley League power Taft of Woodland Hills didn't have its full complement of players and lost to L.A. Baptist of North Hills, 36-15.

Top-returning point guard Breanna Burton was missing and coach Mark Drucker said he does not know if she will be back in September.

"Our guard play is not great right now," Drucker said. "Our whole league is changing so we will see how things end up."

On the bright side, Shawn Kolani, the sister of L.A. Lakers guard Jordan Farmar could be back after sitting out all of last season with a leg injury.

CANYON STILL LOOKING GOOD

The Cowboys will be the early season favorite to win the Foothill League next year behind Adrianna Dent, Alexus Bryant and Jaya Schultz.

Canyon only lost by eight points to Brea-Olinda of Brea in a first round game.

"The whole league should be better," Canyon coach Chuck Johns said.

If Canyon still had Layana White (transferred to Bell-Jeff a year ago) and Brieanna Perkins (transferred to Lancaster) it would be up for top team in the region honors.

Fran Fredette, a former JC All-American in football and wrestling at Moorpark College, has resigned as head coach of Santa Clara High after seven years at the helm.

Fredette, currently a teacher at Moorpark High, was an assistant during the most successful period in Moorpark College football history, when the Raiders won eight or nine games every year for a seven-year period in the 1980s. He coached Moorpark High to five Frontier League wrestling titles. He was the defensive coordinator for the Moorpark High's CIF championship football team of 1997.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The Saugus "Under the Lights" tournament starts today, a two-day, 24-team fest featuring most of the area's top teams, including Westlake, Alemany, Valencia, Notre Dame, Oaks Christian and others.

The best pool game tonight begins at 8 with Oaks Christian taking on Long Beach Poly.

On Saturday, they pare down the top 16 teams and play single-elimination.

Here are the pools:

POOL A - Saugus, Knight, Burroughs, Muir

POOL B - Valencia, Alemany, Aguora, Nordoff

POOL C - Canyon, Royal, Crescenta Valley, Notre Dame

POOL D - Golden Valley, Oaks, LB Poly, San Fernando

POOL E - Hart, Eastside, Newbury Park, Chaminade

POOL F - Westlake, West Ranch, Palmdale, Villiage Christian

Nick Ferry of Valencia has been Foothill League Player of the Year after helping the league-champion Vikings extend their league winning streak to 92 games.

He has committed to Springfield College (Massachusetts), the reigning Div. III national champions.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The big question at Taft of Woodland Hils right now is Texas-commit De'Andre Daniels coming back or not and will he be eligible for another year.

Daniels filed a hardship appeal with the City Section to be eligible for next season but was denied.

Daniels plans to appeal that decision because he and his family feel some things were not communicated properly.

If Daniels wins his appeal it owuld give Taft by far the best frontcourt in California with 6'10 Kevin Johnson and 6'6 Stephen Maxwell.

Everyone is talking about how Alemany is going to pass the football like crazy this coming season because Vernon Adams is back at quarterback, plus there are a bunch of good receivers.

But after checking out the Warriors on Wednesday night in a round-robin passing event at Valencia High, I think the real strength of the team might be defense. There might not be a better linebacker tandem than Jesse Sampson and Bryce Henderson, both of whom are big and super athletic.

Sampson was all over the field, knocking away passes every time you turned around. As for Henderson, fully recovered from a nagging ankle injury that cost him much of his sophomore season last year, he is solid muscle and could be primed for an All-Southern Section season as Alemany moves up to the Serra League and the Pac-5 Division.

Adams showed a great arm, as Alemany was scoring freely against West Ranch when I arrived. He was great as a junior, passing for more than 2,000 yards and leading Alemany to the Western Division final, and this year he might get 3,000 like so many of the great Hart quarterbacks Herrington used to coach.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Former longtime North Hollywood coach Rob Bloom is the new co-coach at Westlake, joining Tom Donahue.

"We're fortunate to have two coaches with the knowledge and experience to lead our program. To have both coaches working together will benefit the players, parents and students," assistant principal Jason Branham said.

Coach Tom Donahue

Coaching History: 1990 - 2002: Head Coach, Santa Paula High School

1995: Ventura County Coach of the Year

1992, 1995, 1998: Frontier League Coach of the Year

2003 - Present: Head Coach, Westlake High School

2005: Marmonte League Coach of the Year

Coach Rob Bloom

Coaching History: 2009 - 2010: JV Head Coach, Westlake HS

1996 - 2009: Head Coach, North Hollywood HS

208 wins, 3 League Championships,

Division II City Section Runner Up

1990 - 1996: Head Coach, Stevnsgade BB Klub

(Copenhagen, Denmark) 1994 National

Champion, '92, '93, '95 Silver Medalist

-- Gerry Gittelson

Max Aldrich, a returning offensive lineman at El Camino Real of Woodland Hills, gets bigger every year, and the three-year starter is up to 6-foot-6 and 360 pounds, coach Kevin Williams said.

"Max keeps growing. He's probably the biggest offensive lineman in the Valley or the City Section," Williams said.

There are a lot of big lineman at El Camino Real, including Vinny McGinty (6-2, 315 pounds) and Jamar Pugh (6-2, 312).

"For what we do and how we like the pound the football, it's great," Williams said

El Camino Real also has a huge running back in Kawan Rally, who's 5-11 and 230 pounds after rushing for more than 1,100 yards as a sophomore.

Williams said Rally has been timed at 4.6 in the 40, and the coach expects a 2,000-yard season.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The summer basketball season is kicking into gear, and Taft High of Woodland Hills has unleashed Kevin Johnson, a multi-skilled, 6-foot-10, 248-pound senior forced to sit out last season because of transfer restrictions after arriving from Serra of Gardena.

"He's a big, powerful guy who can really play," Taft coach Derrick Taylor said. "He makes great plays, he has a good hands and really good foot speed. He's a force."

Johnson scored 30 points in one game with a 40-minute running clock, Taylor said.

Johnson has been dividing time between Taft, his Nike travel team and a commitment to academics, but he is scheduled to be on hand Saturday for a high-profile tournament at USC that includes Nevada power Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, Long Beach Poly, Centennial of Corona, Orange Lutheran and Crenshaw of L.A.

Johnson also toyed with the idea of trying out for the football team but has decided to focus on basketball.

"Kevin has abandoned that idea. It was wishful thinking," Taylor said.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Alemany coach Dean Herrington returns to his old stomping ground in Santa Clarita on Wednesday, as Alemany is competing in a four-way round-robin with host Valencia, Chaminade and West Ranch.

I can't wait to see Alemany, which returns several key players from last year's Western Division finalist team, including elite quarterback Vernon Adams and a bunch of fast receivers and athletic defensive players.

Valencia's Alex Bishop is among the area's top quarterbacks, and he is just finding his form after being busy with baseball. Plus, running back Steven Manfro is back, and he's bigger, stronger and faster -- and perhaps primed for a 2,000-yard season this coming fall if the Vikings can make a nice playoff run.

Chaminade is loaded with new, young talent that has transferred in, and I can't wait to meet some of these kids because I think they'll blossom under second-year coach Ed Croson, who has already made a big difference.

West Ranch has nice quarterback, too, in Connor Eichten. He's trying to follow in the footsteps of his father who was a top player for Alemany back in the day.

-- Gerry Gittelson
]

Milton Knox, the City Section's all-time leading rusher and scorer from Birmingham High, has been offered a Fresno State scholarship following his exit from UCLA.

It will be interesting to see where Knox ends up. He is a red-shirt sophomore.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Following a recent three-day tryout at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Valencia shortstop Madison Shipman was selected Tuesday to the 17-player roster for the U.S. junior national softball team.

The Tennessee-bound Shipman was one of 10 athletes from California selected to the team, which is scheduled to compete Aug. 6-15 at the 18-under Pan American Championship in Bogota, Colombia.

Shipman, one of six finalists for Cal-Hi Sports' state player of the year, hit .444 with nine home runs, 36 runs, 36 RBIs and 32 stolen bases for the Vikings (29-4-1), who reached the Southern Section Div. I semifinals.

Twelve teams are schedule to participate at Moorpark College in a boys' basketball tournament this weekend.

Here is the schedule.

Pool A: Ventura, Crescenta Valley, Westlake
Pool B: Calabasas, Camarillo, Golden Valley
Pool C: Simi Valley, Verdugo Hills, Moorpark
Pool D: Poly (Sun Valley, Newbury Park, St. Francis

Saturday June 19th
9 a.m. Ventura vs. Crescenta Valley and Simi Valley vs. Verdugo Hills
10:45 a.m. Calabasas vs. Camarillo and Poly vs. Newbury Park
12:30 p.m. Crescenta Valley vs. Westlake and Verdugo Hills vs. Moorpark
2:15 p.m. Golden Valley vs. Calabasas and St. Francis vs. Poly
4 p.m. Ventura vs. Westlake and Simi Valley vs. Moorpark
5:45 p.m. Golden valley vs. Camarillo and Newbury Park vs. St. Francis

Sunday June 20th is Bracket Play

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--June 14, 2010

CONEJO OAKS WIN IN EXTRA INNINGS OVER SANTA MARIA PACKERS

Santa Maria, Calif. - The Conejo Oaks Collegiate baseball team, (5-6, 3-5) went extra innings again Sunday afternoon, June 13, at Elks field in Santa Maria, this time defeating the Santa Maria Packers 6-4 in 10 innings. Five of the Oaks last eight games have gone extra innings.

With two out in the top of the tenth, David Casey and Kenny Hatcher singled putting runners at first and second. Harper White hit a ground ball up the middle that the Packer shortstop couldn't handle, Casey hustling around third scored the go ahead run. Lance Roenicke then singled home Hatcher. Spencer Trygg (1-0) picked up the win, throwing 3 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only two hits. Oaks starter Cody Thomsom pitched 6 innings, allowing all four Packer runs in the 4th inning.

Jacob Fiss singled home White, who was pinch running for Seth Dolar after he singled for the third time in the game, with the tying run in the top of the ninth for the Oaks.

Ryon Healy, Chris Hannick, Casey, Matt Scioscia all had two hits for Conejo.

Packer third baseman James Brooks had 4 doubles to lead the Packer offense.

The Oaks travel to San Luis Obispo to play the San Luis Obispo Blues Tuesday June 15 in a 7:05 game at Sinsheimer Park.

For more information about the Oaks, visit our website, www.oaksbaseball.org

All Oaks home games are broadcast on www.kadytv.com

Saugus plays host to its annual "Under The Lights" tournament on Friday and Saturday at nearby Central Park, an impressive 24-team, 7-on-7 passing fest that includes some of the Southland's top programs like Westlake, Oaks Christian, Valencia, Alemany, Notre Dame, Hart and Long Beach Poly.

But after that, Saugus, hoping to rebound after going just 3-7 last year after advancing to the section semifinals the previous two seasons, is calling it quits on passing tournaments.

"We're cutting down. It's just kind of a philosophical shift," coach Jason Bornn said. "I'll be honest, if we didn't didn't have to put on this tournament, I wouldn't do that either. We're done with tournaments. They're pointless. We just feel the merit we used to gain from them is not the same anymore. Some schools like St. Bonaventure feel the same way, and it doesn't seem to be hurting them this year."

Saugus needs to prove it can win without quarterback Desi Rodriguez and running back Ryan Zirbel, the school's most productive offensive players in history who graduated after the 2008 season.

This year, Saugus has two quarterbacks competing, senior Evan Steen and junior Jared Carbajal.

On defense, Saugus returns three of its top hitters, linebackers Chris Wolford and Ely Perez and strong safety Donavyn Hardy, and Bornn said he is impressed with cornerback Scott Hamilton, a basketball convert playing football for the first time.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Kevin Johnson, a 6'9 forward who sat out last season did not play for Taft but the Toreadros still beat Crespi behind Brandon Perry, Stephen Maxwell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Khiry Williams and Chris Yanku.

Perry looked much improved and in better condition.

Harvard-Westlake had no problem with Calabasas in a 20 point plus win.

Damiene Cain and Josh Hearlihy shined along with Zena Edosowman and new point guard Francis Hyde.

The Wolverines are expected to have three impact incoming freshman later this week.

Notre Dame was without Jahmel Taylor and Jonathan Bell in a close loss against El Camino Real.

Freshman Ausar Msdison has reportedly left the school and will attend a prep school back east according to coach Bill Bedgood.

ECR was without Temjae Singleton, who also missed the War on the Floor/Future Stars game last Saturday without explanation.

ECR is expected to unveil freshman Julian Richardson, Evan Wardlow and Malik Haynes later this week at the Crespi Showcase. Haynes has not officially decided where he will enroll in September.

Cleveland held off a five-player Montclair Prep squad, who was missing Trey Dickerson, Jake Boger, Max fried and Stephan Nembot.

Jayen Bland and sophomore to be Kody Riewthong looked good for Cleveland.

Birmingham edged Buckley in the last contest of the night. Birmingham was without 6'9 junior to be Marcus Holt and Damarrion Davis.

Nick de Bonfilhs and Tyler Coppin-Carter led Buckley with a host of what could be the best freshman class in Buckley history.

OK, here is a national scoop because it just happened five minutes ago: returning quarterback Michael Bercovici of Taft has committed to Arizona State after a weekend visit.

"Everything about ASU was perfect. It was an easy decision on my part," Bercovici said. "I also visited Oregon State and Washington, the other two I most interested in. ASU really wanted me to commit, so it's a perfect decision."

-- Gerry Gittelson

Quarterback expert Steve Clarkson announced today the top seven prep quarterbacks in the nation to be honored at the second annual "Steve Clarkson Super 7" retreat. The retreat will be held July 1-5 in Maui, Hawaii at the Grand Wailea Resort.

The Super 7 are: Kyle Boehm of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, CA, committed to University of California at Berkley; Jerrard Randle of Chaminade Madonna College Prep in Hollywood, FL (undecided); Brett Hundley, Chandler High School in Chandler, AZ (undecided); Bennie Coney of Plant City High School, Plant City, FL (undecided); Jeff Lindquist of Mercer Island High School in Mercer Island, WA (undecided); Max Wittek of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA, committed to USC; and Jacoby Brissett of Dwyer High School in West Palm Beach, FL (undecided).

The Super 7 were selected from the 13-city national Dreammaker tour which took place from February 26-June 5, in which Clarkson and his expert team of coaches searched the United States for new, fresh, undiscovered quarterback talent. His rigorous selection process included evaluations, workouts, and in-person interviews. The cities included Pasadena, CA; Dallas, TX; Nashville, TN; Atlanta, GA; New Orleans, LA; San Jose, CA; Orlando, FL; Las Vegas, NV; Houston, TX; San Diego, CA; New York, NY; Denver, CO; and Chicago, IL. Each city tour stop produced 10 semi-finalists totaling 130, in which Clarkson and his committee selected the top seven prep quarterbacks in the nation.

The "Steve Clarkson Super 7" will experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete on the highest level by participating in the Maui retreat in July with such Hall of Famers due to appear Joe Montana, Warren Moon and current NFL quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Matt Cassel.

Steve Clarkson has long been known in the world of professional football as the ultimate authority on quarterback coaching, having coached some of the most recognizable names in the NFL from Ben Roethlisberger to Matt Leinart to Matt Cassel. Clarkson's current top college quarterback alumni include Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), now a Carolina Panther. Clarkson's success as a player and coach, combined with the personal relationships he has developed over the years, gives his students a much greater chance of making it to the next level.

Visit www.steveclarksondreammaker.com for more information.

-- Gerry Gittelson

2010 War on the Floor Summer Spectacular
Start of Summer Tournament 818-425-8737

Saturday June 26
Boys Games at Pierce College in Woodland Hills
10 am Chatsworth vs. Renaissance Academy
11 am Birmingham vs. Sun Valley
12 pm Cleveland vs. Reseda
1 pm Taft vs. Blair
2 pm Crespi vs. Sun Valley
3 pm El Camino Real vs. Saugus
4 pm Oaks Christian vs. Northridge Academy
5 pm Taft vs. Campbell Hall
6 pm Sylmar vs. Highland
7 pm El Camino Real vs. Pasadena
8 pm Highland vs. Northridge Academy

Boys Games at El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills
10 am Blair vs. Buckley
11 am Washington Prep vs. Bell-Jeff
12 pm Dorsey vs. Malibu
1 pm Eastside vs. Birmigham
2 pm Renaissance Academy vs. Malibu
3 pm Pasadena vs. Paraclete
4 pm Montclair Prep vs. Bell-Jeff
5 pm Saugus vs. Paraclete
6 pm Ripon vs. Reseda
7 pm Montclair Prep vs. Crescenta Valley
8 pm Ripon vs. Calabasas

Sunday June 27
Games at Pierce College in Woodland Hills
10 am Campbell Hall vs. Buckley
11 am Washington Prep vs. Crescenta Valley
12 pm Campbell Hall vs. Blair
1 pm Crescenta Valley vs. Bell-Jeff
2 pm Oaks Christian vs. Sylmar
3 pm Taft vs. Buckley
4 pm Calabasas vs. Cleveland
5 pm Oaks Christian vs. Highland
6 pm Calabasas vs. Reseda
7 pm El Camino Real vs. Paraclete

Boys Games at El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills
10 am Crespi vs. Birmingham
11 am Sylmar vs. Northridge Academy
12 pm Crespi vs. Eastside
1 pm Montclair Prep vs. Washington Prep
2 pm Chatsworth vs. Dorsey
3 pm Eastside vs. Sun Valley
4 pm Chatsworth vs. Malibu
5 pm Dorsey vs. Renaissance Academy
6 pm Pasadena vs. Saugus
7 pm Cleveland vs. Ripon

Monday June 28
BOYS GAMES AT EL CAMINO REAL HIGH IN WOODLAND HILLS
1 pm Silver Bracket quarterfinal
2 pm Silver Bracket quarterfinal
3 pm Silver Bracket quarterfinal
4 pm Silver Bracket quarterfinal
5 pm Gold Bracket quarterfinal
6 pm Gold Bracket quarterfinal
7 pm Gold Bracket quarterfinal
8 pm Gold Bracket quarterfinal

Tuesday June 29 (FINAL DAY)
GAMES AT EL CAMINO REAL HIGH IN WOODLAND HILLS
12 pm Consolation game
1 pm Consolation game
2 pm Consolation game
3 pm Consolation game
4 pm Consolation game
5 pm Consolation game
6 pm Consolation game

GAMES AT PIERCE COLLEGE
4 pm Gold semifinal
5 pm Gold semifinal
6 pm Silver semifinal
7 pm Silver semifinal
8 pm Gold championship
9 pm Silver championship

I know it's early -- really early -- but now that national powers Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure have joined the Marmonte League (that includes defending Northern Division champion Westlake), you know it's going to be a great high school football season.

So it's never too early to talk about what's going on, as teams have begun summer 7-on-7 competitions, and opening night looms closer by the minute.

And what an opening night it's going to be on Friday, September 3. Glancing at some of the schedules, there are at least three intriguing showdowns: Alemany at Oaks Christian; Dominguez at Crespi; and Serra at Notre Dame.

The Alemany-Oaks Christian opener is all about speed, as Alemany is loaded with fast skill-positions players, and of course so is Oaks Christian. It should prove fascinating to see how Oaks Christian rebounds from last year's devastating loss to Serra that no one saw coming.

Meanwhile, Serra has joined the Mission League, so get used to 'em. Serra also returns its star quarterback, Connor Preston, and Notre Dame does not, as record-setting Ryan Kasdorf has graduated. I see Notre Dame as a big underdog in its own house on opening night, and that's not something you see every year.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Here's the Daily News summer top 10:

1. Westlake -- No one has a better passing combo than Isham-Spruce
2. Oaks Christian -- The key will be the development of QB Trevor Gretzky
3. Alemany -- Lots and lots of speed. Lots and lots of skill.
4. Notre Dame -- Rebuilding or not, no such thing as N.D. not being in top 4
5. Crespi -- Can new coach Mack orchestrate a turnaround?
6. Moorpark -- Senior leadership will be a key component
7. Valencia -- If Manfro isn't the area's No. 1 RB, he is in top 2
8. Taft -- No excuses because there is all kinds of experienced talent
9. Newbury Park -- Panthers should score a lot of points
10. St. Francis -- Lots of beef up front, so 7 on 7 not a true indication

-- Gerry Gittelson

Just touched base with Gary Bernardi, the former Burbank coach from back in the day who has worked as an assistant at UCLA, UNLV and currently San Jose State.

He's back in town June 23 with the San Jose staff doing a half-day camp at Hart High from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it should be worth it because Bernardi is a classy guy with a great football mind and tons of experience.

There's another camp a day earlier on June 22 in Chula Vista at Mater Dei High -- the other Mater Dei.

Info: sjsuspartans.com

-- Gerry Gittelson

One thing is for certain next year.

There is a very slim chance senior to be point guard Austin McBroom will stay at Campbell Hall for his final year.

Serra, Taft, Simi Valley and Oaks Christian have all been mentioned by people in basketball circles as possible destinations but McBrooms's father, Allen, maintains nothing has been decided and if certain things don't fall into place, Austin could stay right where he is.

Stay tuned.................

The War on the Floor girls' basketball tournament starts Friday with games at Pierce College and Taft High.

The 14-team event features several locals and national power Brea-Olinda.

Games continue Saturday and Sunday at Taft. In an odd scheduling quirk the championship is slated for Saturday night with other consolation games Sunday.

Taft, Oaks Christian, Alemany, Sylmar, Burroughs, L.A. Baptist, Bell-Jeff, Monroe, Birmingham, Fairfax, Corona Centennial, Canyon (Canyon Country and Brea-Olinda 2 will compete.

Crespi is hosting a boys summer showcase Saturday and Sunday.

Mater Dei, Fairfax, Santa Monica, Oak Park, El Camino Real and others are scheduled to participate.

The annual War on the Floor boys' tournament featuring 28 teams starts Saturday June 26 and continues through Tuesday June 29 at Pierce College and El Camino Real.

Taft, Dorsey, Pasadena, El Camino Real, Cleveland, Calabasas, Sylmar, Oaks Christian, Campbell Hall, Chatsworth, Saugus, Blair, Reseda, Renaissance Academy, Malibu, Paraclete, Saugus, Crescenta Valley, Highland, Northridge Academy, Montclair Prep, Crespi, Eastside, Birmingham, Washington Prep, Buckley, Ripon and Bell-Jeff will compete.

Sean Collyer is the new coach at St. Genevieve of Panorama City. Collyer previously was at Granada Hills eight years ago.

Brad Katz is back at Poly of Sun Valley after a three year hiatus.

Oaks Christian is still looking for a girls' coach. Conley Oliver has interviewed and Mario Trutanich could be next.

Windward freshman Chauncey Hill could be transferring to Price of Los Angeles.

Harvard-Westlake has two promising freshman coming in. One is Derrick Newton, a 6'6 forward from Sierra Canyon.

El Camino Real will get a boost from freshman Malik Haynes, Julian Richardson and Evan Wardlow.

Another top freshman, Jeremy Lieberman is expected to attend Malibu.

Crespi is getting Tyler Corteno.

Marcus Martin, a three-star offensive lineman for Crenshaw, has committed to USC.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Nelson Spruce, the area's top returning receiver, was named MVP of the 24-team Pierce College tournament Saturday after helping Westlake to a 37-14 championship victory over St. Bonaventure in a rematch of last year's Northern Division final won by Westlake.

After defeating Dorsey 61-21 in the semifinals, Spruce scored a TD in the championship game, as Tre Wilson scored two touchdowns, Jared Fry scored, and Casey Bliss had an interception.

"Westlake looked amazing. They look unstoppable," said Pierce coach Efrain Martinez.

Canyon impressed, too, winning six in a row before losing 42-35 in the semifinals.

-- Gerry Gittelson

After winning the City Section baseball championship last month at Dodger Stadium, Mitch Bluman of El Camino Real of Woodland Hills enjoyed some icing on the cake.

The hard-throwing left-hander pitched the final two innings of scoreless relief today to earn the win for the City Section in a 4-3 victory in the fourth annual City vs. Southern Section All-Star Game at Birmingham High.

"This is almost as good as Dodger Stadium," Bluman said.

Bluman entered in the eighth inning and twice worked his way out of trouble, as the Southern Section had the potential go-ahead run in scoring position in each of the last two innings but could not score.

In the top of the ninth, Bluman picked off pinch-runner Brando Tessar of Chaminade of West Hills - the fastest player on the field - from second base for the second out, then got Moorpark's Tanner Moe to fly out to keep the score tied 3-3.

"I knew Tessar was going to try to steal because he tried on the pitch before that was fouled off," Bluman said. "He left too early, and by the time I spun around he was halfway to third. If he scores, it's a totally different game."

In the bottom of the ninth, Leijon Baker of Crenshaw of L.A. led off with walk, stole second, moved to third on a grounder and scored on a passed ball for the winning run.

"People thought the Southern Section was better, but we proved the City is better," Baker said. "Maybe it was a little surprising, but we worked hard for this."

The City leads the series 3-1.

Most of the Southern Section batters used wood bats, while the City Section used aluminum bats.

"That was the kids' choice. They just wanted to use wood," Southern Section co-coach Jared Snyder of Valencia said. "We hit some shots today with a wood bat."

Added Southern Section outfielder Austin Wilson of Harvard-Westlake: "We just wanted to make a statement with the wood bats, so our whole team could show their skill level."

Pat Valaika of Hart of Newhall hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to spark a three-run rally and help the Southern Section pull ahead 3-1, as Mike Hubbard of Crespi of Encino added an RBI single.

Wilson won a pregame home run contest over co-finalist deSpain. Newbury Park's Jimmy Sherfy came in third and Crespi's Austin Walker was fourth.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Southern Section 4, City Section 3

South 000 030 000 - 3-9-2
City 100 011 001 - 4-5-0

Abbott, Tessar (3), Mason (5), Swenson (7), Kister (8), Sherfy (9) and Vigo, Garner (3), Sarkissian (5), Garner (8); Mata, Gallegos (3), Sixtos (5), Kelly (6), Armas (7), Bluman (8) and Ponce, Gallegos (3), Soto (4). De Santiago (7). W-Bluman; L-Sherfy.
2B-C: Ponce; SS: Walker

We're through seven complete innings, and the City and Southern Section are tied 3-3 in the fourth annual all-star game at Birmingham High.

The City tied it in the sixth inning off reliever Luke Swenson from Moorpark when Ross Zelen of Cleveland got aboard on an error, advanced on a passed ball and scored on Taft's Cody deSpain's single.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Pat Valaika of Hart singled in two runs to spark a three-run rally in the fifth inning, as the Southern Section has pulled ahead 3-1 over the City Section heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Mike Hubbard of Crespi added an RBI single.

The City scored in the first inning when Ronnie Galosic of San Pedro singled, advanced on an error and scored on San Pedro's Jakob Johnson's single.

Brando Tessar pitched two scoreless innings for the Southern Section, giving up one hit and striking out three. He stands to be the winning pitcher if the Southern Section's lead holds up.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The city of Chatsworth had a fine day at the 2nd annual War on the Floor Future Stars girls' basketball showcase held at Taft of Woodland Hills.

Chatsworth High's Jasmine Wooton and Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth's Tori Wells were selected co-MVP's after each tallied 12 points and led the West to a come from behind 79-64 victory against the East.

Wells added 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and made six of eight free throws.

Wooton had five rebounds, four assists, four steals and also made six of eight free throws.

The West trailed 13-2 at the outset but quickly went on a 15-0 run to capture the lead by halftime and never looked back.

"I really enjoyed playing in this type of game," Wells said.

ADD SIERRA CANYON

Wells, along with point guard Jasmine Sneed and Kelly Schneider will form a formidable trio for the Trailblazers next year as they move into the Olympic League and shoot for another section championship after winning in 2009 in Div. VI-AA.

FIVE PLAYERS FROM OLYMPIC LEAGUE

Sierra Canyon's trio and Montclair Prep's duo of Kim Scamman and Alex Taylor gave the Olympic League a whopping five players in the contest.

"Sierra Canyon will be a tough team and one of the top teams in our league next year," Scamman said.

EAST STARS

Granada Hills' Xava Grooms and Bell-Jeff of Burbank's Layana White scored 12 and 11 points to lead the East, who could not hold on to the early lead.

Grooms had nine rebounds and White added four rebounds and two assists.

REUNION TIME

White had a chance to play with former Canyon of Canyon Country teammate Adrianna Dent.

White played at Canyon her first two years before transferring to Bell-Jeff before last season.

"It was great to see her again," Dent said. "It was just like old times and it brought back some good memories."

PACKARD BACK IN ACTION

Oaks Christian of Westlake Village's Nicole Packard got a chance to showcase herself back on the varsity level after having to sit out a year after transferring from Thousand Oaks.

Packard had six point and three rebounds and should help Oaks Christian next year as it tries to improve on it's semifinal appearance in Div. IV-A.

"I was just so glad to really play against top competition again. I am looking forward to really contributing next year.

The Southern Section and the City Section are about to square off in the fourth annual all-star game at Birmingham, as John Mata of San Pedro is the starting pitcher for the host City against Tyler Abbott of Royal.

It's a nine-inning game, and there should be a lots of action.

Austin Wilson of Harvard-Westlake of Studio City won the pregame home run contest.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The 12-team Moorpark College Invitational high school boys' basketball tournament has one opening after Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth dropped out with less than one week before the tournament starts.

Contact tournament director Ryan Moore to fill the spot, ryanmas4@gmail.com

It's been well-proven the Southern Section always beats up on the City Section in all-star games, right?

Not in baseball.

The City has won 2 of 3 heading into the fourth annual City vs. Southern Section All-Star Baseball Game at 6 p.m. Saturday at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa, and though the Southern Section team is stacked this year, City co-coach John Gonzalez of Banning is not willing to give an inch.

"Not at all. We have some good baseball teams in the City Section," Gonzalez said. "The top tier can compete very well."

The Southern Section features some of the Valley area's biggest names such as Austin Wilson of Harvard-Westlake of Studio City, Brando Tessar of Chaminade of West Hills and Lonnie Kauppila of Burbank - all drafted by major league teams this past week - while the City Section has the top locals from schools like El Camino Real of Woodland Hills and Birmingham of Lake Balboa, plus outside participants from Banning, San Pedro, Westchester and Crenshaw of L.A.

Both are stacked with quality pitchers, as Tyler Abbott of Royal of Simi Valley is scheduled to start for the Southern Section against John Mata of San Pedro.

Don't expect many bunts or take signs. These graduating seniors from both teams are going to swing away.

"I think we're pretty good. We're pretty physical, and I think we can hit the ball," Southern Section co-coach Jared Snyder of Valencia said. "Any all-star game comes down to pitching, and we've got some guys that can throw a little bit, so that helps, too."

The teams have practiced together, and for Gonzalez the best part is seeing rival players form new bonds once they're united for the first time.

"It's fun to watch the young guys who have played against each other for years get on the same team together," Gonzalez said. "The kids always have a good time, and they understand what it's like to play with someone who loves the game just as much as they do. They appreciate it."

The Southern Section, co-coached by Dennis Reitz (Agoura), is thick with power hitters like Wilson, Tessar and Kauppila, along with Ryon Healy (Crespi), David Armendariz (Notre Dame), Kyle Eaton (Valencia) and Jimmy Sherfy (Newbury Park).

The City Section, co-coached by Edgar Maldonado (Arleta), counters with Mitch Bluman and Kyle Keppel of El Camino Real of Woodland Hills and Jakob Johnson and Ronnie Galosic of San Pedro, along with Cody deSpain (Taft), Dominique Starks (Westchester) and Leijon Baker (Crenshaw).

With 46 of the Southland's top players on display, plus a pregame home run contest -- all for only $3 -- it should be a great night of baseball and a rewarding opportunity to bid farewell to the area's best who are representing their schools and communities one last time.

SHOULD BE A BIG HIT

For the pregame home run derby, sponsored by Louisville Slugger, the City Section participants are Bluman, deSpain, Starks and Baker.

Snyder said Wilson, Eaton and Healy would participate for the Southern Section, but the coach was not sure whom would fill the fourth spot.

"I think the sleeper is Starks, the Westchester kid," event organizer Matt Mowry said. "He has some pop in his bat."

SERIES HISTORY

2009 - City Section 10, Southern Section 1 - Chatsworth's Andy Weissberg (2 for 2, one RBI) earned MVP honors, as nine pitchers held the Southern Section to five hits.

2008 - Southern Section 5, City Section 0 -Jenzen Torres of Hart drove in three runs, as the City managed two hits and struck out 14 times.

2007 - City Section 5, Southern Section 1 - El Camino Real's Tyler Kolodny, Todd Eskelin and Dominic Danna each drove in a run for the City Section.

FOURTH ANNUAL CITY VS. SOUTHERN SECTION ALL-STAR BASEBALL GAME
When: 6 p.m. Saturday (home run derby 4 p.m.)
Where: Birmingham High, Lake Balboa (corner of Balboa & Victory)
Coaches: Jared Snyder and Dennis Reitz, Southern Section; John Gonzalez and Edgar Maldonado, City Section
Tickets: $3

Drew Hacker, a junior shortstop for Oaks Christian, has been named Tri-Valley League Player of the Year after batting .459 with 25 RBIs, 22 walks and 16 stolen bases to help the Lions finished undefeated in league and advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Teammates Travis Radke, Evan Ocello, Trevor Gretzky and Sam Wales also earned first-team recognition, along with Oak Park's Bryan Langlois and Ricky Macks.

-- Gerry Gittelson

,

Talk about speed. Alemany has no fewer than eight players who run a 4.6 40-yard dash or faster, according to coach Dean Herrington.

"We have some speed," Herrington said. "In my 11 years at Hart, we had maybe four kids who could run under 4.6."

No one will be faster on defense, that's for sure. Among the top DBs are Deron Smith, Major Armstead, Jerico Richardson, Saladin McCullough and Basil Boyd, Steven Mitchell and Kyron Defour.

Quarterback Vernon Adams runs a 4.57, and linebacker Jesse Sampson runs a 4.58.

I can't wait until Alemany plays Oaks Christian in the first game of the season.

-- Gerry Gittelson

2010 War on the Floor/Future Stars
CLASS of 2011 ALL STAR GAME
JUNE 12 @ L.A. Pierce College in Woodland Hills 4 p.m.

West-
Delaney West-Westlake (injured)
Nicole Packard-Oaks Christian
Crystal Owusu-Oaks Christian
Tori Wells-Sierra Canyon
Kelly Schneider-Sierra Canyon
Jasmine Sneed-Sierra Canyon
Danielle Bush-Malibu
Travis Newman-Chaminade
Alex Rice-Oaks Christian
Gabbi King-Royal
Jasmine Wooton-Chatsworth
Kaity Lykins-Royal

Head Coach- Dave Goosen

East-
Xava Grooms-Granada Hills
Kim Scamman-Montclair Prep
Alex Taylor-Montclair Prep
Layana White-Bell-Jeff
Lisha Elsenbach-Burroughs
Rian Mew-Quartz Hill
Courtney Vendetti-Notre Dame
Shorty Dent-Canyon
Melanie Minas-Crescenta Valley
Tkia Clay-Reseda
Tyra Knox-Birmingham
Faith Anumba-Valencia
Cassie Inouye-L.A. Baptist (injured)

Head Coach-Vicky Oganyan (Burroughs)

Officials: Jenny Isbell and Shaun Shanklin

Tyler Abbott, a top left-hander from Royal High of Simi Valley, has been named starting pitcher for the Southern Section in the fourth annual City vs. Southern Section All-Star Baseball Game at 6 p.m. Saturday at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa.

Southern Section co-coach Jared Snyder announced the decision today after conducting the first practice Wednesday night.

"Tyler Abbott is going to be the starting, and we follow him with Brando Tessar, who looks pretty good, too," said Snyder, who said the rest of the rotation will be a surprise.

Abbott, who has signed with UC Irvine, was 8-3 with a 1.70 ERA and three shutouts, helping Royal advance to the Southern Section Div. I semifinals - the furthest among area large schools.

Among the top closers are Josh Mason of Crespi, but Snyder said that "it will depend on who's left."

The City Section has yet to name a starter, but co-coach John Gonzalez said he would favor the pitchers who made All-City, so that means first-team selections John Mata of San Pedro and Mitch Bluman of El Camino Real would get a long look.

"We'll see who shows up for practice, and I'll sit down with (co-coach) Edgar Maldonado, and I probably would look to reward the ones who made All-City first team," Gonzalez said. "That's what I'm leaning towards."

PLAYING PICK UP

A strength for the Southern Section are the infielders, and Snyder said he was impressed with shortstops Lonnie Kauppila of Burbank and Patrick Valaika of Hart of Newhall and third baseman Austin Walker of Crespi of Encino.

"They're all good, obviously. The Walker kid from Crespi is really smooth, one of the best I've seen in a long time," Snyder said. "Lonnie Kauppila, Pat Valaika, they all lived up to expectations. I don't know all the names yet, but I really liked Jimmy Sherfy, the Newbury Park kid. He has a nice swing."

REUNION TIME

Snyder couldn't believe it when Southern Section catcher Denny Vigo of Simi Valley turned out to be the son of Denny Sr., one of Snyder's best childhood friends.

"We were really good friends, and we used to play against each other a lot, including in college when Denny went to Cal Poly and I went to Northridge," Snyder said. "Now I'm coaching his kid. It really tells you how old you are."

NOTHING LIKE THE FIRST TIME

Maldonado, a fourth-year coach at Arleta, is coaching an all-star team for the first time, and he is really looking forward to it.

"I'm just excited about seeing the kids," Maldonado said. "At Arleta, I have eight returning starters, and all of them are coming to this game to see how they measure up. I love my school, and this is great exposure for Arleta and my players because they're good-character kids."

GET THERE EARLY

The nine-inning game starts at 6 p.m., but there is a home run derby at 4 p.m., sponsored by Louisville Slugger.

Event organizer Matt Mowry, the head coach of Birmingham, said a plaque will be awarded to the winner of the home-run contest.

The other top sponsor is Victory Custom Athletics in Chatsworth, which provided the uniforms.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

FOURTH ANNUAL CITY VS. SOUTHERN SECTION ALL-STAR BASEBALL GAME

When: 6 p.m. Saturday (home run derby 4 p.m.)

Where: Birmingham High, Lake Balboa (corner of Balboa & Victory)

Coaches: Jared Snyder and Dennis Reitz, Southern Section; John Gonzalez and Edgar Maldonado, City Section

Tickets: $3

The news about USC being punished for past misdeeds involving Reggie Bush has broke, and I just got off the phone with Christian Thomas and Antwaun Woods, and both say they stand behind their committments to the Trojans.

Woods, who will be a senior at Taft, is a defensive lineman who was USC's first commit for 2011. Thomas, who graduated from Highland last week, is a tight end who signed with the Trojans on national TV on signing day in February.

"I was surprised. I didn't think (the NCAA) would do them like that," Woods said. "I'm processing everything, (but) I'm still committed."

Said Thomas: "If that's what it came down to, then that's what it came down to. I'm going to USC to play football and to get a free education. I'll take it as it comes because graduating from USC is real big, so that's what it comes down to, I'm still committed to USC."

-- Gerry Gittelson

Just got my first glimpse of Oaks Christian at a round-robin 7-on-7 at Valencia High, and the Lions look GREAT.

Trevor Gretzky and his group of top receivers took it to Hart and Valencia while I was watching. I'm sure Gretzky will have a huge season just like all of his predecessors, including a DI scholly.

But what receivers Gretzky has: Jordan Payton, Blair Holliday, Trey Smith, tight end Dillon van der Wal, James Thompson, Brett Medders. They all looked like they would be the best player on most teams. And that's not even counting Carlos Mendoza and Vinnie Saucer, the two top running backs who were out with minor leg injuries.

And then there is newcomer Ishmael Adams, a top transfer from Dunwoody High in Georgia, who will be a junior. He's been around just a few days but has made a major impression, and he was getting a lot of reps tonight and even scored on a long touchdown pass against Valencia just before I packed it in.

Adams plays running back and said he rushed for about 500 yards last season but that the coach didn't keep stats. He seems like a nice kid, and very athletic, too. I think he will fit in either at running back, receiver or defensive back, and perhaps as a return specialist, too.

His teammates love him.

"He's a great addition to our team," van der Wal said. "He's got great hands, he's very fast, and he has a great attitude. He came out two days ago, and you see he's an impact player. There's no doubt about how talented he is."

Valencia didn't look quite as sharp as usual, but of course that was the case because they're all about precision timing but are just getting started because quarterback Alex Bishop was busy with baseball.

I was totally impressed with a couple of Valencia defensive players, linebacker Trevor Smyth and defensive back Tedrick Thompson. Smyth is NFL-sized at 6-2, 230, and it's all solid muscle. The kid has arms like a professional wrestler from back in the day. Thompson rose the ranks as a freshman last year all the way into the starting lineup, and he had a highlight-reel interception tonight against Oaks Christian that had his teammates going nuts.

Canyon has a top QB in Jonathan Jerozal, who like Bishop looks to be a bit under 6-foot but has a terrific and accurate arm. Drew Wolitarsky was among the best receivers on the field -- that's saying something when Oaks Christian is present -- plus I'm really intrigued with Canyon's new receiver Benik Hoskins, a braided 6-foot-3 transfer from Golden Valley. He looks like a player.

It continues to strike me as a surprise not seeing Hart totally ripping through opponents this time of the year -- every time of the year, actually -- but you know the Indians will keep improving as long as proven winner Mike Herrington is their coach.

It was nice to see Hart's legendary ex-running back, Ted Iacenda, now the assistant head coach at Alemany, along with ex-star quarterback Jim Bonds, now the head coach at St. Francis, of course.

I am so psyched for football season!

-- Gerry Gittelson

The football season ended in the fall, but Dietrich Riley, a coveted UCLA signee from St. Francis of La Canada, has continued to do everything possible to get better.

Riley, an all-purpose back, dabbled in basketball and track but has been mostly working out hard to prepare for the rigors of the Pacific-10 conference.

"I'm taller and I picked up weight. I'm 6-2, 206, and I'm carrying it well," Riley said. "I've been getting after it with my training, and it's paying off. I've been working on lateral movement, footwork and running hills. And lifting, of course."

Michael Bercovici, a returning quarterback for Taft, has been offered a scholarship by Arizona State.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Traves Raphael, a second-team All-West Valley League offensive lineman at Taft of Woodland Hills, has won a hardship appeal with the City Section and has been granted a fifth year of eligibility.

Coach Matt Kerstetter said the appeal was based on the fact Raphael was not a full-time student at Taft until his junior season because Raphael split his school days with another school his first two years.

"It's about time I won one of these," Kerstetter said.

Raphael, a 6-foot-3, 290-pounder, started at left guard last season and helped Taft advance to the City Section quarterfinals.

Taft looks good, as linemen Antwaun Woods, Antoine Louis, Dominik Hernandez and Pearce Slater are back, too, along with promising quarterback Michael Bercovici, who sat out last year because of transfer restrictions after arriving from Westlake.

There are also several key returnees at the skill positions.

"The team looks great. We have an amazing passing attack," Bercovici said.

-- Gerry Gittelson

He's just 15 years old, but quarterback Jonathan Jerozal, a junior-to-be at Canyon, should be primed for a huge season and lots of early recruiting interest.

After completing 58 percent for 2,124 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore for a team that won just two games, Jerozal has attended official junior-day camps at UCLA and BYU, with plans to make appearances at USC and Oregon this month.

Top receiver Drew Wolitarsky returns, too -- he was just a freshman this past season -- and if running back Jacob Smith, a Notre Dame transfer, can gain his eligibility instead of being forced to sit out one season per CIF rules, then Canyon could really be on to something.

You can see for yourself at 6:30 tonight at Valencia in a round-robin passing tournament that also includes Hart and Oaks Christian.

On Saturday, Canyon participates in a large-scale tournament at Pierce College with Westlake, Crespi, Alemany, Notre Dame and others.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Jose Cardona was not the West Valley League Player of the Year, but after winning three playoff games including the city final, the junior pitcher has been City Player of the Year by a panel of sportswriters.

Here is the list:

P_Jose Cardona, El Camino Real, Jr.; P_Jonathan Mata, San Pedro, Sr.; P_Jonathan Hernandez, Banning, Jr.; P_Javy Lopez, Arleta, Jr.; P_David Lira, San Fernando, Jr..

C_Robert Ponce, Banning, Sr. C_Chris Whitmer, El Camino Real, Jr. UT_Julian Achez, Palisades, Sr.; UT_Mitch Bluman, El Camino Real, Sr.; UT_Steven Karkenny, Chatsworth, Jr.; UT_Kevin Torres, Birmingham, Jr.; UT_Carlos Garcia, Fremont, So.

INF_Jacob Johnson, San Pedro, Sr.; INF_Anthony Salas, Banning, Sr.; INF_Robert Gsellman, Westchester, Jr.; INF_Anthony Canjura, San Pedro, Jr.; OF_Ronnie Galosic, San Pedro, Sr.; OF_Aaron Brown, Chatsworth, Jr.; OF_David Armas, San Fernando, Sr.; OF_Cody deSpain, Taft, Sr.

Second-team choices:

P_Christian Lopez, Chatsworth, Jr.; P_Jamaal Moore, Westchester, Jr.; P_Eric Escamilla, Maywood, Sr.; P_Anthony Giannelli, Fairfax, Sr.; P_Ryan Cruz, Kennedy, Jr.; P_Steven Gallardo, Hamilton, Sr.; C_Branden Soto, Kennedy, Sr.; C_Danny Matienzo, San Pedro, Sr.; C_Jordan Berger, Taft, Jr.; C_Daniel Hordo, Venice, Sr.; INF_Tony Gasparetti, Fairfax, Sr.; INF_Randy Medellin, Birmingham, So.; INF_Carlos Delgado, Bell, Sr.

INF_Ivan Vela, El Camino Real, Sr.; INF_Joshua Dominguez, Eagle Rock, Sr.; INF_Ryan Sanchez, Arleta, Sr.; OF_Edgar Ruiz, Sylmar, Jr.; OF_Bryce Kelly, Granada Hills, Sr.; OF_Michael Encinas, Banning, Jr.; OF_Evan Santa Cruz, Crenshaw, Jr.

Stephane Nembot came to Montclair Prep of Van Nuys primarily as a basketball player from Cameroon.

Things have changed for the 6'8, 270 pound power forward.

He joined the football team last year, attended several camps and combines and has turned heads everywhere.

College coaches have been drooling when they see his footwork and speed for such a big athlete.

Nembot has offers from Washington, Washington St., Boise St. and New Mexico.

USC and UCLA could be next.

Royal of Simi Valley baseball standout Cody Buckel obviously made a good impression with the Texas Rangers scouts, even though he didn't pitch for them at a recent pre-draft workout at Gahr High in Cerritos.

Buckel, a 6-foot, 170-pound pitcher, attended the workout in a suit and tie, but his personality and desire to compete -- along with his 12-1 record, 0.61 ERA, eight complete games and 123 strikeouts in 80 innings -- were enough for the Rangers to take Buckel in the second round Tuesday with the 72nd pick in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft.

"It's definitely a big surprise (being drafted so high)," Buckel said. "It took my breath away."

Buckel had already committed to Pepperdine, but could be passing up the opportunity to remain close to home in Malibu to begin his minor league career.

"Right now we're in negotiations and it's looking positive," said Buckel, who is being advised by Cleveland of Reseda graduate and former major league pitcher Bret Saberhagen.

"I want to start my professional career soon. It's always a goal to get to the major leagues as fast as you can."

Well, I've put in my vote for the City Section MVP, and there is at least one very influential sportswriter who agrees with me, so let's see what happens, as the All-City selections are set to be decided within the next hour or so and should be posted today.

-- Gerry Gittelson

While Cody Buckel was busy taking a final exam at Royal High, he was picked in the second round of the MLB draft by Texas, who chose the hard-throwing right-hander No. 72 overall.

"Oh, we're very, very excited," said Buckel's dad, Bryan.

Buckel has signed a baseball scholarship with Pepperdine but is expected to turn pro instead.

"I'll have to let Cody answer that. He should be home at 1 p.m.," Bryan Buckel said.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Expect another big season for Lavonte Barnett, a returning defensive end/tight end for Paraclete of Lancaster who is receiving heavy recruiting interest.

Barnett, a 6-4, 245-pounder, has been offered by Cal, Washington State, Colorado State, Utah State, San Jose State and others.

-- Gerry Gittelson

As local Little League programs prepare for the road to Williamsport, Angelo Diazzesati won the annual home run derby at Northridge for the second year in a row. Here is a list of winners:

2010 Angelo Diazzesati
2009 Angelo Diazzesati
2008 Renee DeLeone
2007 Cody Thompson
2006 Brenton Bowman
2005 Brenton Bowman
2004 Nicholas Armagida
2003 Jake Granitz
2002 Josh Reece
2001 Josh Reece
2000 Casey Haerther

-- Gerry Gittelson

The Oaks Christian of Westlake Village football team thinks it may have filled its void at running back with Ishmael Adams, a junior-to-be from Dunwoody, Georgia.

Adams was a star last season and North Carolina, South Carolina and Clemson are hot on his trail.

The big question is who will block for the speedy tailback as the Lions were decimated by graduation.

The answer could be coming in Marcus Piechowski, a 6'3 210 pound junior-to-be lineman from Royal of Simi Valley.

Stay tuned.............

Shelly Gramatky of Gymcheer USA in Santa Clarita was named Coach of the Year by the Golden State Spirit Association in a ceremony in Sacramento - her second Coach the Year honor since 2005.

Gramatky coaches the California Flyers, one of nation's top youth cheerleading programs.

"I wouldn't have been recognized as a inspirational leader and coach without our students inspiring others," Gramatky said. "Thanks to the cheerleaders for being so dedicated and passionate."

Gymcheer USA is hosting an open house Saturday, June 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and free refreshments are included. Information: (661) 299-6849
or www.californiaflyers.org.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Mike Stanton, a 20-year-old who prepped at Notre Dame, has been called up from Double-A by the Florida Marlins and is set to make his major league debut Tuesday at Philadelphia.

Stanton, 6-5, 235 pounds, has 61 home runs in 714 minor league at-bats. He will wear No. 27 today. Stanton is the No. 3-ranked prospect in the game, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo's survey, which was announced in January on the MLB Network.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The league could be on its way up.

Here is the list:

Player of the Year- Trey Williams So. Valencia
Pitcher of the Year- Tommy Kister Sr. Saugus

First Team

Justin Sheehan Jr. Saugus
Nick Lombardi Jr. Saugus
Kyle Eaton Sr. Valencia
Shane Zeile Jr. Valencia
Quincy Quintero Jr. Valencia
Patrick Roxbury Jr. Canyon
Garrett Gooding Jr. Hart
Daniel Dietz Jr. Hart
Josh Heinz So West Ranch
Nico Rusconi Sr, West Ranch
Scott Barlow Jr. Golden Valley

Hawaii has already come into the San Fernando Valley and gobbled up Jordan Coleman from Calabasas for next season.

Now, the Rainbows want another Marmonte League standout.

Hawaii has offered Jonathan Davis from Simi Valley a scholarship.

Davis is a 6'7 forward with great skills. He should have a huge senior season.

Listed below are the air dates for the Daily News All-Star Football game on Time Warner Cable Channel 101, with Randy Rosenbloom doing play by play:

Fri. @ 11:00 p.m.
Sat. @ 10:00 a.m.
Sun @ 8:00 am
Sun. @ 1:00 p.m.
Sun @ 8:00 p.m.
Tues. @ 10:30 p.m.

-- Gerry Gittelson

In a career filled with wild ups and downs, Antonio Bray finished on top.

After wearing out his welcome at two schools before settling at Arleta High for his senior season, Bray, a blazing fast running back, earned MVP honors today for the East in a 20-17 victory over the West in the 14th annual Daily News All-Star Game before a crowd of about 3,500 at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa.

Bray scored on a 59-yard punt return and had a key 36-yard reception to set up the tying touchdown to help the East rally from three points down in the fourth quarter, as Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks' Eric Solis kicked the winning 35-yard field goal with 48 seconds remaining.

"It's like a dream come true. This is the kind of thing that every football player dreams about," Bray said.

In the opening minutes, Bray scored on his 59-yard punt return the first time he touched the ball, cutting to his right, faking out a couple of defenders, then showcasing his acceleration down the sideline.

"If teams are going to kick me the ball, I'm going to try to score a touchdown every time," Bray said.

Bray's performance came as no surprise to East coach Hector Valencia of Burbank. The coach expected it.

"Antonio was doing it all week to us in practice," Valencia said.

On Bray's 36-yard reception, Ryan Kasdorf of Notre Dame was hit has as he lofted the ball down the sideline. Kasdorf didn't see Bray catch it, but he heard the roar of the crowd, as Solis soon cashed in with a 30-yard field to tie the score at 17.

Then Kohl Adams-Hurd of Burroughs of Burbank came through with an interception a few plays later to help set up the winning field goal.

Brando Tessar of Chaminade of West Hills was a standout for the West. In what was expected to be his last football game before heading to Oregon on a baseball scholarship, Tessar caught three passes for 117 yards, including touchdowns of 59 and 44 yards, to earn team MVP honors.

"I thought it was going to be my last game, but now I'm not so sure. I think I want to try to play both sports in college," Tessar said. "This was just so fun. It's the best feeling in the world."

In what turned out to be a sloppy game for both sides, the East totaled just 207 yards but executed successfully at key moments.

Kenny Boggs of Notre Dame rushed for 43 yards on eight carries, including a 5-yard touchdown. Burroughs' Dalton Williams added 23 yards on three carries, and Bray rushed for 18 yards on four carries, including a 9-yard run in which he started to his left, took a wide u-turn, then weaved his way down the right sideline while nearly faking a defender out of his socks.

"The guy trying to tackle Bray almost broke his leg when Bray cut back - I've never seen anything like that before," East teammate DeAndre Roberts of Sylmar said.

C.J. Reyes of Hart of Newhall completed 4 of 11 passes for 93 yards for the West. Ra'Shon Harper of El Camino Real added 55 yards rushing on four carries, and two receptions for 55 yards.

The West amassed 192 yards in the first half while holding the East to 58 and two first downs, but the West led by just three points on Birmingham's Brian Gutierrez's 34-yard field goal as the halftime clock expired.

Kasdorf was 0 for 3 in the first half and finished 1 for 6 for 36 yards.

The East finally got untracked in the third quarter, driving 90 yards on 11 plays, as Boggs scored on a 5-yard sweep. The key plays on the drive were a 14-yard pass from La Canada Rocky Moore to Boggs, and Bray's 9-yard run.

The West had a chance to reclaim the lead, driving 48 yards on four plays for El Camino Real's Ryan Meier was intercepted by Loyola's Nat Bellamy inside the 10 - one of several key defensive plays for Bellamy.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

The West has evened the score 7-7 in the 14th annual Daily News East-West All-Star, scoring on a 59-yard pass from Hart's C.J. Reyes to Chaminade's Brando Tessar.

-- Gerry Gittelson

One thing about Antonio Bray. He can be brash, but he backs it up, too.

Before, the running back from Arleta said the East had "too much speed." Sure enough, the first time Bray touched the football in the 14th annual Daily News All-Star Game, he scored on a 59-yard touchdown on a punt return.

It's 7-0 East leading the West with 8:32 remaining in the first quarter.

-- Gerry Gittelson

It's just a few minutes before kickoff at the 14th annual Daily News East-West All-Star Game, as spectators are filling in at Birmingham High.

I have no idea what's going to happen, but I'm expecting some big plays because there is a lot of skill-position talent on both sides. The West leads the series 8-5, but the East has won two in a row and three of past four.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Five of the seven teams participating in the Fillmore Summer Kick-Off are local.

The two-day showcase runs June 12 and 13.

Here is the schedule.

Sat. June 12
9 am Fillmore vs. Thousand Oaks
10 am Royal vs. Camarillo
11 am Thousand Oaks vs. Oaks Christian
12 pm Camarillo vs. Moorpark
1 pm Pacifica/Oxnard vs. Royal
2 pm Moorpark vs. Oaks Christian
3 pm Pacifica/Oxnard vs. Fillmore

Sun. June 13
9 am Thousand Oaks vs. Pacifica/Oxnard
10 am Fillmore vs. Moorpark
11 am Camarillo vs. Thousand Oaks
12 pm Oaks Christian vs. Pacifica/Oxnard
1 pm Royal vs. Moorpark
2 pm Oaks Christian vs. camarillo
3 pm Fillmore vs. Royal

For those of us waiting since December for our next high school football fix, it's here.

The 14th annual Daily News East-West All-Star Football Game kicks off at 6 p.m. Sunday at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa, and it should be a good one.

With lots of speed and skill-position talent on offense and plenty of big-time hitters on defense - for both teams -- this is a showcase of the best graduating seniors the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas have to offer.

The event is for a good cause, too, as proceeds benefit the Valley Youth Foundation, which oversees local youth-football programs and is the place where a lot of the participating all-stars got their start.

The coaches are Hector Valencia of Burbank for the East and Kevin Williams of El Camino Real of Woodland Hills for the West.

Time Warner is televising the event on Channel 101 across the Southland, and the first of six air dates is at 11 p.m. Friday.

The game is preceded by a youth-football all-star game beginning at 3 p.m.

While a lot of different players rotate in and out in an all-star game, the East-West series is almost always competitive and fun to watch. There are some special rules that favor the offense - such as limited blitzing - and that just makes things more exciting, as through the years several finishes have come down to the final moments.

The goal is to have a good time, but West coach Williams said it's impossible not to want to win the game, too.

"These kids got to where they are because they've always wanted to play hard and to win. They're all competitive kids," Williams said. "Think about it: Every team in the area last year except for Westlake finished the season with a loss, so this is a chance to finish their high school careers with a win."

Here are five players from each team expected to make an impact:

East

Ryan Kasdorf, QB, Notre Dame - After earning Gatorade State Player of the Year honors as a junior, Kasdorf had another solid season but was snubbed by recruiters from major colleges, opting to sign with Div. II Pace University. He'll be playing with a chip on his shoulder.

Antonio Bray, RB, Arleta - Perhaps the fastest player on the field, Bray is a terrific open-field runner and return specialist who should provide a thrill or two if he can get just a tiny opening. He loves to score long touchdowns.

Ben Gottschalk, OL, Notre Dame - Gottschalk was a late addition because he was busy with track season, but he might be the most accomplished blocker on either team. Plus, he has a built-in instinct to protect teammate Ryan Kasdorf at all costs.

DeAndre Roberts, DL, Sylmar - Roberts is big, he's fast, he's aggressive. That's why he's an all-star an Division I signee headed to Nevada. This is his last chance to represent Sylmar, and you can expect Roberts to take it seriously.

Steve McCloskey, DL, North Hollywood - No one really knew about him at low-key North Hollywood, but McCloskey is a mobile 6-2, 220-pounder who likes to hit and would love to make a name for himself today.

West

Ra-Shon Harper, RB, El Camino Real - Harper is a three-year standout who helped El Camino Real to the City Div. II final this past season, and he should be totally comfortable playing for his own coach, Kevin Williams.

Brando Tessar, WR, Chaminade - A rare two-sport standout who has signed an Oregon baseball scholarship, today's game figures to be Tessar's last hurrah in football. He's a blazer, so whenever he touches the ball, don't blink or you might miss something.

Jon Hilliger, WR, L.A. Baptist - Every so often, there's a small-schools player in this game who never got much publicity but is a real find. That's Hilliger, one of the fastest players on the team and a key part of the game plan today.

George Garcia, LB, Cleveland - Garcia, a 6-foot, 220-pounder with a killer instinct, has been lighting people up in practice. He's the first defender the West should be worried about.

James Marden, OL, El Camino Real - Marden takes great pride in opening holes for Ra'Shon Haper, and this is their last time they're together, so they might as well live it up.

Gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

14th Annual Daily News East-West All-Star Football Game

When: 6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Birmingham High

Coaches: Hector Valencia, Burbank, East; Kevin Williams, El Camino Real, West

Tickets: $8 (kids 5-under free)

Info: (818) 999-5197

Here is a capsule look at the East-West series history:

2009 - East 38, West 29 -- San Fernando's Rashaad Reynolds rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and Alemany's David Metcalf passed for 141 yards as the East rallied from an 17-point deficit.

Canyon's Jordan Adamczyk passed for three touchdowns.

2008 - East 9, West 7: In one of the series' biggest upsets, the scrappy East came from seven points down and limited the high-powered West to 129 yards in a shocker at Birmingham.

Hart's B.R. Holbrook led the East by passing for 106 yards and a 20-yard touchdown to Jon Mesa (Alemany), as the West lost three fumbles and committed 12 penalties for minus-134 yards.

"It was tough," Holbrook said. "We got a little lucky, and our defense played solid all game. It's always fun being the underdog."

2007 - West 23, East 17 (OT): Canoga Park's Kyle Boas scored on a game-winning 25-yard pass from Hart's Alex Pettee in overtime, as the West came back from a 14-point deficit at Birmingham.

Other highlights included a 57-yard field goal by Notre Dame's Erik Folk and a 73-yard touchdown on a fumble return by Crespi's D.J. Holt, who added four sacks and a key reception to earn MVP honors.

"This game means a lot. You want to show that you're the best in the Valley," Holt said. "We kept our heads up and kept playing. It's never over 'till it's over."

Pettee passed for 125 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown to Granada Hills' Michael Wendorf (four receptions).

Grant's Fred Winborn rushed for 45 yards and scored twice for the East.

2006 - East 27, West 25: San Fernando's Rene Renteria kicked a game-winning 26-yard field with less than two minutes remaining at Birmingham, as the East snapped a six-game series losing streak.

"I didn't feel the pressure. I was just happy I made it," Renteria said.

Teammate Thomas Kyle of Burroughs returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown.

The West's Derron Juarez of Chaminade of West Hills scored three touchdowns on runs of 1 and 41 yards and a 41-yard reception.

2005 -- West 38, East 31 (overtime): At 5-foot-7 and 174 pounds, Brian Stuart was the smallest player on the field, but the Birmingham standout came through with a biggest performance, rushing for 90 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winning 10-yard run in overtime to earn MVP honors at Birmingham.

"I wanted to make a statement tonight that size doesn't matter. You can't measure someone's heart from the outside," Stuart said. "This was my last chance to show I've still got it."

Cleveland's De'von Hall came through with a game-saving interception in the end zone on the final play. Canyon's Dejon Negron (four receptions, 91 yards, one TD) was named co-MVP.


2004 -- West 37, East 30: MVP Sean Norton of Hart passed 80 yards to Chaminade's Marcus Everett for the game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in a thriller.

"That QB from Hart threw a great pass, and I just made sure I caught it because I wanted our team to win."

East linebacker John Picos of Fairfax was named co-MVP.

2003 -- West 17, East 3: Antwain Giddens of Venice scored on a 48-yard touchdown reception on the first play of the game, and his teammates supplied superb defense at Birmingham High Giddens finished with five receptions for 94 yards, and Malbiu's Jeremy Kent added a 1-yard touchown run. West linebacker Cody Kase of Hart had two sacks and key fourth-down stop.

2002 -- West 35, East 7: The West held the East to 2 yards rushing, intercepting four passes and recording six sacks in a convincing victory at Birmingham High.

"I think we came out and hit them in the mouth, and once you do that the other team doesn't want to do anything," said West defensive back Mavery Davis of Kennedy. "We took pride in our hitting and just stuck to fundamentals."

The West built the advantage by scoring touchdowns in each of the first three quarters -- on a 37-yard run by Cleveland's Ronnie Lyons, a 3-yard run by Birmingham's Kevin McCleary and a 26-yard pass from Calabasas' Justin Fenchel to Hart's Chris Steck.

2001 -- West 24, East 14: Unheralded defensive lineman Lamar Moxie of Taft returned a fumble 56 yards for the game's first touchdown and had three sacks to carry the West to a 24-14 victory at Birmingham.

"This was always in me," Moxie said. "Nobody ever put me in the newspapers because I never did any big things. But tonight I did something big."

Hart's Kyle Matter of the West completed 11 of 15 passes for 105 yards and a 6-yard touchdown to Taft's Lee Marks.

Gary Sonkur of Montclair Prep was one of the few bright spots for the East, which totaled just 189 yards. He scored on a 1-yard run, caught four passes for 52 yards and returned a kickoff 55 yards.

2000 -- East 34, West 0: Scott Vossmeyer of Crescenta Valley completed 10 of 13 passes for 172 yards for two touchdowns including a 64-yarder to Alemany's Derek Goodman and an 18-yarder to Crescenta Valley's Steve Carballo, and Manuel White of Valencia ran for 107 yards and a 2-yard touchdown as the East scored four first-half touchdowns and never looked back at Cal State Northridge.

"They let me open it up and have some fun out there," Vossmeyer said.

1999 -- East 34, West 20: Hart's Kyle Boller completed 17 of 23 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns -- a 36-yarder to Burroughs' Kyle Cremarosa, a 14-yarder to Sylmar's Corey Neal and a 25-yarder to Alemany's Devin Montgomery -- to bury the West at Cal State Northridge.

"This was a lot of fun. I had some good receivers out here, and they caught the ball," Boller said. "To come out here and win is kind of neat. It feels great."

The West scored on a 65-yard reception by L.A. Baptist's Steve Long and an 85-yard run by Taft's Marquis Brignac.

1998 -- West 9, East 0: A 55-yard field by Calabasas' David Rosenberg and a 65-yard inteception return for a touchdown by Taft's Sedric Hurns were the highlights, as the times combined for just 111 yards and 11 first downs at Birmingham.

"Tonight it was all about the defense," Hurns said.

Sylmar's Errol Bowen of the East rushed for 60 yards on 16 carries. El Camino Real's Quincy Wright rushed for 50 yards on 11 carries.

1997 -- West 27, East 14: Cleveland's Emory Holmes rushed for touchdowns of 6 and 10 yards to help the West win the first Valley Youth Conference-sponsored event at Birmingham.

The West also scored on a 14-run by Jamaal Washington of Reseda and a 1-yard run by Canyon's Monte McKeon.

-- Gerry Gittelson

++++++++++++++

WEST
Head Coach - Kevin Williams, El Camino Real

0 - Tyquion Ballard, Salesian
00 - Mark Adebowale, Reseda
1 - Brad Lattanzio, Crespi
2 - Jon Hilliger, L.A. Baptist
3 - Ra'Shon Harper, El Camino Real
4 - Logan Bates, El Camino Real
5 - C.A. Nunerly, Cleveland
6 - Nick Walin, Faith Baptist
7 - Brando Tessar, Chaminade
8 - Blake Borland, Hart
9 - Daniel Llorens, Faith Baptist
10 - Andrew Nairin, Chaminade
11 - Darryl James, Santa Monica
12 - Zach Tartabull, Valencia
13 - Jake Stephens, Hart
14 - Keelan Malone, Santa Monica
15 - Jake Basmagian, Chaminade
16 - Ryan Meier, El Camino Real
17 - Jesus Ambriz, Canoga Park
18 - Garrett Safron, Santa Monica
19 - Matt Marky, Chaminade
20 - Taylor Watkins, L.A. Baptist
22 - Marcus Anderson, Kennedy
23 - George Garcia, Cleveland
24 - Branden Pistone, West Ranch
25 - Brandon Graves, Crespi
26 - Brian Gutierrez, Birmingham
28 - D.J. Jones, Cleveland
29 - Daniel Aslan, Granada Hills
30 - Anthony Ascencio, Taft
31 - Alex Rivera, Canoga Park
33 - Michael Farias, Kennedy
34 - C.J. Reyes, Hart
36 - George Alvarez, Crespi
44 - David Perez, Reseda
49 - Fred Scott, Taft
50 - Richard Rivera, Birmingham
57 - Kevin Rush, Valencia
61 - Steven Oviedo, Granada Hills
64 - James Marsden, El Camino Real
65 - Mike Cruz, Salesian
67 - Brad Cotner, Westlake
70 - Daniel Fis, Reseda
71 - Kealan Crowley, Cleveland
72 - Duncan Laliberte, Sierra Canyon
73 - Andrew Duenes, El Camino Real
77 - R.J. Melgar, Crespi
80 - Von Mason, Van Nuys
85 - Alex Hanover, Calabasas
90 - Nick Oliva, Valencia

EAST
Head Coach - Hector Valencia, Burbank

00 - Brandon Kolesky, Campbell-Hall
1 - Jesus Serna, Poly
2 - Josh Hanson, La Canada
3 - Jorge Cervantes, Poly
5 - Corey Washington, Palmdale
6 - Kenny Boggs, Notre Dame
7 - Jay-qwan Redmond, Panorama
8 - Chike Mbanefo, Alemany
10 - Ryan Kasdorf, Notre Dame
11 - Kevin Lenik, Alemany
12 - Albert Sandobal, Arleta
13 - Bryan Choto, Arleta
14 - Rocky Moore, La Canada
15 - Tony Jones, Grant
17 - Eric Solis, Notre Dame
18 - Kohl Adams-Hurd, Burroughs
19 - Vincent Neilson, Palmdale
20 - Antonio Bray, Arleta
21 - Leo Rodasm, Burbank
22 - Chris Crowell, Sylmar
23 - Malcolm Meeks, Harvard Westlake
24 - Harry Pessy, Crescenta Valley
25 - Alex Davidians, Bell-Jeff
29 - Jonathan Aguirre, Saugus
30 - Armando Ontiveres, Sylmar
32 - Josus Argueta, St. Genevieve
33 - Jordan Tolson, Harvard-Westlake
34 - Dalton Williams, Burroughs
42 - Anthony Espinosa, Alemany
45 - Charlie Hosea, Burroughs
51 - Jordan Dias, Village Christian
53 - Robert Chavez, Sylmar
54 - DeAndre Roberts, Sylmar
55 - Sam Campbell, Crescenta Valley
56 - Julian Craig, Crescenta Valley
57 - Issac Orozco, Grant
58 - Michael Solano, Burroughs
69 - David Quintanilla-Rico, Bell-Jeff
70 - Andy Pankow, La Salle
71 - Michael Williams, Burbank
75 - Mark Plaza, Eagle Rock
77 - Ben Gottschalk, Notre Dame
81 - Freedon McCullough, Campbell-Hall
85 - Nat Bellamy, Loyola
87 - Anthony Cervantes, Burbank
88 - Steve McCloskey, North Hollywood
90 - Josh Lumer, Campbell-Hall
92 - Ivan Abarenov, Hoover

By Gerry Gittelson
Special to the Daily News

RIVERSIDE - Having scored more than 10 runs a game with 20 victories in a row and a team batting average of close to .500, top-seeded Desert Christian High of Lancaster must have felt invincible.

However, in the Southern Section Div. VI baseball championship today, the Knights hit a wall in a 2-0 loss to Oxford Academy of Cypress at UC Riverside.

"Two good teams came together, we battled for seven innings, and the ball just did not bounce our way," Desert Christian coach Dennis Shryock said. "Oxford pitched really well, and that was the difference in the game."

Desert Christian (28-2) had its chances, putting runners in scoring position in each of the final four innings:

((bullet))) - In the fourth inning, James Grandpre represented the tying run on second, but Oxford Academy's Dan Lucak induced Cody Eitner to ground to short for the third out.

((( bullet))) - In the fifth, Justin Tilton was on second and Ryan Lynch was on first with one out, but Lucak got Tyler Shryock on a popout and Chance Guspeth on a fly to left.

((bullet)) - Down by two runs in the sixth, Desert Christian loaded the bases with none out, but reliever Steve Criss struck out Eitner and got Tyler Broulik on a comebacker that turned into an inning-ending double play.

((bullet)) - And in the seventh, Desert Christian again loaded the bases with cleanup hitter Taylor Aikenhead up, but closer Pat Zajac slithered out of it by getting Aikenhead on a grounder to end the game.

Tyler Shryock pitched 5 1/3 strong innings while giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out seven, but he was the hard-luck loser.

"We gave it everything we had. It's frustrating to come in second," Tyler Shryock said.

This was Oxford Academy's (23-5) third consecutive appearance in a final and second consecutive title, but coach Dana Bedard still felt like it was a big upset.

"We came in as the underdog, as always. We were a lot smaller," Bedard said. "We made the key plays, and we had great pitching. I don't have the luxury of having a lot of players. Our numbers are down, so everyone gave their full commitment. It's been one heck of a season."

Oxford Academy catcher Harvey Higger had total faith in his pitching staff, as Lucak pitched five shutout innings to improve to 15-3, and both relievers responded under pressure.

"I thought coming in that if we played our game and hit the way we can, we were going to win," Higger said.

Added Lucak: "And that's exactly what happened."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Div. VI championship at UC Riverside

Oxford Academy 2, Desert Christian 0

DC 000 000 0 - 0-7-1
Oxford 010 001 x - 2-4-2
Shryock, Aidenhead (6) and Gradpre;
Lucak, Criss (6), Zajac (7) and Hay. Higger.
W-Lucak (15-3); L-Shryock. 2B: OA: Lucak, Sardo.
R: DC 28-2; OA 23-5.

It was a tough fall for Desert Christian, as the top-seeded Knights, riding a 20-game winning streak, lost 2-0 to defending champion Oxford Academy in the D6 championship at UC Riverside.

Hayden Higger scored on a passed ball in the second inning, and Lucas Sardo doubled in Steve Criss in the sixth inning.

-- Gerry Gittelson

By Gerry Gittelson
Special to the Daily News

RIVERSIDE - Cornerstone Christian High of Camarillo has just 70 students, but there sure are a lot of good baseball players.

For the second year in a row, Cornerstone Christian won the Southern Section Div. VII title, defeating Milken Community of Los Angeles 5-1 in the championship game today afternoon at UC Riverside.

After going undefeated last year, Cornerstone Christian (24-3) has won 46 of 49 games over two seasons, including 10 consecutive playoff victories.

"We're really excited to win back-to-back championships. Not a lot of schools get to do that," winning pitcher Nathan Roth said.

Roth (10-1) pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts, and twin brother Aaron Roth pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his fourth save (three in the playoffs), as Cornerstone Christian played errorless defense.

Camarillo Christian's Mark Stover was 2 for 2 with one RBI, one run and a stolen base. Nick Alpers added a hit, a run and an RBI, plus a running over-the-shoulder catch in shallow right field to end a Milken Community rally in the third inning.

"When I first saw that popup, I didn't think it was going to go so far, so I just kept running," Alpers said. "It worked out."

Cornerstone Christian scored its first two runs on sacrifice flies by Stover in the first inning and Aaron Roth in the third before rallying for three runs in the sixth, highlighted by Joey Aliano's run-scoring double.

For three consecutive innings beginning in the second, Milken Community (19-5) had runners in scoring position but came up empty.

"It was frustrating, but what can you do?" said Milken Community pitcher Ben Ludewig (7-1). "We hit the ball hard but right at people. There's not much more you can do."

Ludewig allowed five earned runs on five hits and three walks with three wild pitches and four strikeouts.

"We made too many mistakes, and they capitalized," Milken Community coach Chris Scarlata said. "They're a very good team. I congratulate them."

Featuring mostly players from the San Fernando Valley, Milken was trying to win its first section championship in any sport.

Milken Community's Greg Kahan doubled and scored on Mitchell Mayer's double in the sixth inning.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

++++++++++++++

Southern Section baseball championship
Div. VII
at UC Riverside

Cornerstone Christian 5, Milken Community 1

Milken 000 001 0 - 1-6-2
Cornerstone 101 003 x - 5-5-0

B. Ludewig and Gitman; N. Roth,
A. Roth (6) and M. Stover. W-N. Roth (10-1);
L-Ludewig (7-1). S-A. Roth (4). 2B-CC: M. Stover, Aliano;
M: Kahan, Mayer, Lavin.
.

R: CC 24-3; M 19-5

2010 War on the Floor/Future Stars
CLASS of 2011 ALL STAR GAME
JUNE 12 @ L.A. Pierce College in Woodland Hills 4 p.m.

West-
20-Delaney West-Westlake
5-Nicole Packard-Oaks Christian
34-Crystal Owusu-Oaks Christian
11-Tori Wells-Sierra Canyon
5-Kelly Schneider-Sierra Canyon
32-Danielle Bush-Malibu
20-Hannah Burge-Newbury Park
23-Alex Rice-Oaks Christian
1-Gabbi King-Royal
12-Jasmine Wooton-Chatsworth
11-Kaity Lykins-Royal

Head Coach-Dave Goosen

East-
10-Xava Grooms-Granada Hills
15-Kim Scamman-Montclair Prep
23-Alex Taylor-Montclair Prep
32-Layana White-Bell-Jeff
11-Lisha Elsenbach-Burroughs
2-Rian Mew-Quartz Hill
3-Courtney Vendetti-Notre Dame
2-Shorty Dent-Canyon
11-Melanie Minas-Crescenta Valley
2-Tkia Clay-Reseda

Head Coach-Vicky Oganyan (Burroughs)
Assistants-

Officials: Jenny Isbell and Shaun Shanklin

It's looking good for Camarillo Christian in the D7 championship against Milken at UC Riverside. The defending champion Eagles have added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead 4-1, and there are runners on second and third with one out.

Joey Aliano drove in a run with a double, and Nick Alpers drove in a run with a single.

Ben Ludewig is still on the mound for Milken. He has allowed five hits and four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.

-- Gerry Gittelson

After putting runners in scoring position in the second, third and fourth innings without scoring a run, Milken has finally scored in the sixth inning to pull within 2-1 against Cornerstone Christian in the D7 championship at UC Riverside.

Greg Kahan doubled and Mitchell Mayer doubled -- both were misjudged by Cornerstone outfielders -- to score Kahan.

After the first double, Aaron Roth replaced his brother, Nathan, on the mound for Cornerstone Christian.

-- Gerry Gittelson

War on the Floor/Future Stars
Class of 2011 All Star Game/Saturday June 12
L.A. Pierce College in Woodland Hills 6 p.m.

West Roster

Taylor Hange-Oaks Christian
Blair Holliday-Oaks Christian
Evann Hall-Thousand Oaks
Michael Cohen-Sierra Canyon
Daniel Cohen-Sierra Canyon
Stephen Maxwell-Taft
Khiry Williams-Taft
Leonard Gorokhov-Calabasas
Frankie Flores-Chatsworth
Derrick Hector-Chatsworth
Jason Monje-Chatsworth

COACH-Bort Escoto (Sylmar)
Assistants-

East Roster
Jaylen Bland-Cleveland
Matt Mounier-Crespi
Alex Moreno-Sylmar
Mike McGlashan-La Canada
Nick de Bonfilhs-Buckley
Adam Colman-Burbank
Stephan Nembot-Montclair Prep
Chris Dees-Verdugo Hills
Tre Mauldin-Lancaster
Roman Delgado-Hart
Ed Burrows-Renaissance Academy

COACH-Mike Hamilton (Buckley)
Assistants-

Officials: Klaus Endrissat, Jr., Paul Landavazzo, Dan Teola

War on the Floor/Future Stars
Class of 2011 All Star Game/Saturday June 12
L.A. Pierce College in Woodland Hills 8 p.m.

West Roster
City Roster
Dominique Dunning-Centannial Corona
Ronnie Stevens-Serra
Reese Morgan-Peninsula
C.J. Cooper-La Verne Lutheran
Todd Lewis-Pasadena
Jordan Watson-Pacific Hills
Bruce English-La Verne Lutheran
Ryan Anderson-Long Beach Poly
Travone Williams-Westchester

COACH-Ivan Barahona (Pacific Hills)
Assistants-

East Roster
Austin McBroom-Campbell Hall
Kevin Johnson-Taft
Damiene Cain-Harvard-Westlake
Jordan Fuller-Alemany
Spencer Dinwiddie-Taft
Temjae Singleton-El Camino Real
Gilles Diercikx-Chaminade
Lonnie Jackson-Valencia
K.J. Smith-Campbell Hall
Dillon van der Wal-Oaks Chr.

COACH-Todd Wolfson (Chaminade)
Assistants-Charles White

Officials: Klaus Endrissat, Jr., Paul Landavazzo, Dan Teola

2010 War on the Floor girls basketball tournament

June 18-20

Brea-Olinda vs. Canyon, Fri. June 18 5 p.m. at Pierce College
Alemany vs. L.A. Baptist, Fri. June 18 6 p.m. at Pierce College
Taft has a bye
Oaks Chr. vs. Fairfax, Fri. June 18 7 p.m. at Taft

Centennial Corona vs. Burroughs, Fri. June 18 6 p.m. at Taft
Sylmar has a bye
Birmingham vs. Brea-Olinda 2, Fri. June 18 4 p.m. at Pierce College
Bell-Jeff vs. Monroe, Fri. June 18 5 p.m. at Taft

Games continue Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday

Cornerstone Christian has added a run to move ahead 2-0 over Milken Community after three innings at UC Riverside in the D7 championship.

In the third, Mark Fitzgerald walked, stole second and took third on a wild pitch before scoring on Aaron Roth's sacrifice fly. Mark Stover followed with a double off the top of the wall in left-center, but his brother, Josh, flew out to center for the third out.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Cornerstone Christian is trying to repeat as D7 champs, and the Eagles lead 1-0 over Milken Community heading into the bottom of the third in the final at UC Riverside.

Nathan Roth scored in the first inning for Cornerstone Christian, getting aboard on a fielder's choice, advancing on brother Aaron Roth's single, then scoring on Mark Stover's sacrifice fly.

Milken Community has had runners in the scoring position in the second and third innings but have not been able to cash in.

-- Gerry Gittelson

It's championship weekend for the Southern Section, and we're here in Riverside for the Div. VII championship between top-ranked Camarillo Christian and Milken Community, set to begin in just a few minutes at UC Riverside.

Camarillo Christian is the defending champion and an obvious favorite, as many of the team's key players from last year are back, including the Roth brothers -- Aaron (.486, six home runs) and Nathan (.500, four home runs).

Milken Community, led by ace pitcher Ben Ludewig, is trying to win a section title for the first time in school history.

Stay tuned.

After a huge junior season that included 80 receptions plus eight interceptions, Thousand Oaks' Richard Mullaney is getting a bunch of major-college offers.

Here is who has offered so far: Oregon State, Colorado State, Wyoming, New Mexico and Northern Arizona.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Ryan Kasdorf, the all-time leading passer for Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks, figures to be the marquee attraction Sunday in the 14th annual Daily News East-West All-Star Football Game at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa, but his East team features a lot of good running backs, too, and coach Hector Valencia figures that's a good problem.

"Ryan is so smart. You tell something once, and he knows how to do it, but wow, those running backs we have - Antonio Bray from Arleta, Kenny Boggs from Notre Dame and Corey Washington from Palmdale - they're really something," Valencia said. "Lot of speed, lot of natural running ability."

Or, as Bray put it: "We have too much speed."

The East running game has been further fortified by the late addition of Ben Gottschalk, an SMU-bound offensive lineman from Notre Dame.

The East is a slight favorite because of its skill-position talent, but the West has a lot of speed at running back, too, particularly Ra'Shon Harper of El Camino Real, Brad Lattanzio of Crespi of Encino and Daniel Aslan of Granada Hills, and they feel they've got just as good a shot to win the game.

"I have full faith that the West running backs will get it done," Lattanzio said.

Things could even out because the West has more speed at receiver with Brando Tessar of Chaminade, Zach Tartabull of Valencia and Jon Hilliger of L.A. Baptist of North Hills.

CLEVELAND KID ROCKS

The West team is priding itself on defense, and linebacker George Garcia from Cleveland of Reseda has really emerged during practices this past week.

"This Garcia kid is not a real heralded kid, but he's done a few hits that have knocked some helmets off," West coach Kevin Williams of El Camino Real said. "He's about 6-foot, 220 pounds, and he's definitely a hitter. Our defense looks very strong."

Garcia definitely got Lattanzio's notice.

"From what I've seen in practice, I agree (with coach Williams)," Lattanzio said. "I'm sure you'll see during the game."

EAST CAN HIT, TOO

Among the East defensive players who have stood out are linebacker Chris Cowell from Sylmar and defensive lineman Steve McCloskey from North Hollywood.

"I would say Cowell is one of the top guys, so far, and that McCloskey kid, he's all over the field," Valencia said.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

14th Annual Daily News East-West All-Star Football Game

When: 6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Birmingham High

Coaches: Hector Valencia, Burbank, East; Kevin Williams, El Camino Real, West

Tickets: $8 (kids 5-under free)

Cornerstone Christian High of Camarillo is a bona fide small-schools baseball power after returning to the Southern Section Div. VII final Friday following last year's undefeated championship season.

Milken Community of Los Angeles, Cornerstone Christian's opponent at 1:30 p.m. Friday at UC Riverside, is trying to make a name for itself, as the Jewish school is trying to win its first section championship since opening its doors 19 years ago.

While top-seeded Cornerstone Christian has faced tougher competition - Milken Community's season included a 3 ½-week spring break - and is a strong favorite, Milken Community (19-4) is on a roll after outscoring four playoff opponents 54-8.

"Right now, everything is going great, and we've been really hot lately," Milken Community's Ben Ludewig said. "We're really confident going into this game."

Nevertheless, Ludewig gives Cornerstone Christian total respect.

"To be honest, we've been hearing about Cornerstone Christian for two years," Ludewig said. "This year, we've taken things one game at a time, and we really want to see how good Cornerstone Christian is and how we stack up against them."

Cornerstone Christian has won nine playoff games in a row and 11 of its past 12 dating back to 2008. Last year, the Eagles finished 22-0, and this year they're 24-3 with the losses coming to two Div. I opponents (Thousand Oaks and Calabasas) and Div. II Loara of Anaheim.

Cornerstone Christian's Aaron Roth, the reigning Div. VII Player of the Year, is batting .500 with nine home runs, 20 doubles and 31 RBIs, and he is 12-0 with a 1.36 ERA.

"If we execute, play well on defense and pitch well, we should have a good shot at winning," Roth said. "We have a lot of talent."

Roth's twin brother Nathan is the scheduled starting pitcher, and he is having a big year, too. He's 8-1 with a 2.40 ERA, and he is batting .514 with five home runs, 29 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. The other top players include Mark Fitzgerald (four home runs), Nick Alpers and Mark Stover.

Most players for Milken Community live in the San Fernando Valley, including Ludewig (7-0, 1.17 ERA) and his twin brother Nathanial (7-2, 3.23 ERA), along with David Blazer (.554 avg., five home runs, 32 RBIs) and Josh Kolker (.486, three home runs, 32 runs).

"It's always fun to play for a championship," said Milken Community coach Chris Scarlata, a former catcher at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks. "We're hitting our stride at the right time."

DESERT CHRISTIAN GOES FOR 21

In Div. VI, Desert Christian of Lancaster, riding a 20-game winning streak, figures to be a strong favorite against Oxford Academy of Cypress (22-5) at 4:30 p.m. Friday at UC Riverside, even though Oxford Academy returns most of its top players from last year's championship team.

"I'm not going to lie to you. Desert Christian is tough, they're stacked," Oxford Academy coach Dana Bedard said. "They're definitely the favorite. They have a bunch of 6-foot kids, and most of my players are 5-8 or shorter. We have to slay the dragon."

Patrick Zajac (.463, two home runs), a shortstop/pitcher, is Oxford Academy's only senior.

"We're really young," Oxford coach Dana Bedard said. "I had only nine players on the whole team this year, so I had to pull two kids off the JV soccer team who had never played baseball before just so I could have a full team."

Oxford Academy must be doing something right because the Patriots have won 12 in a row and have averaged more than 10 runs per game in the playoffs.

Considering Oxford Academy has reached the finals for the third consecutive season, Desert Christian coach Dennis Shryock is digging in.

"I think it's going to be a battle for both schools," Shryock said. "Oxford is well-coached, and they play well together. It will be a tough challenge for us."

Desert Christian averages more than 10 runs per game and has a team batting average of .480. Some of the top hitters are Taylor Aikenhead (.538, 50 RBIs), Tyler Shryock (.474, six home runs), Brett Baughman (.584, 44 RBIs) and Chance Guspeth (.543, five home runs).

SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Friday at UC Riverside, 900 University Ave., in Riverside

Div. VI

Desert Christian vs. Oxford Academy, 4:30 p.m.

Records: Desert Christian 28-1; Oxford Academy 22-5

Coaches: Dennis Shryock, Desert Christian; Dana Bedard, Oxford Academy

Nicknames: Desert Christian Knights; Oxford Academy Patriots

Players to watch: Desert Christian: P/OF Taylor Aikenhead, OF Brett Baughman, INF Chance Guspeth, INF/P Tyler Shryock; Oxford Academy: INF/P Steve Chriss; OF Harvey Higger; P Daniel Lucak; INF/P Pat Zajac.

Div. VII

Cornerstone Christian vs. Milken Community, 1:30 p.m.

Records: Cornerstone Christian 24-3; Milken Community 19-4

Coaches: Dean Drulias, Cornerstone Christian; Chris Scarlata, Milken Community

Nicknames: Cornerstone Christian Eagles; Milken Community Wildcats

Players to watch: Cornerstone Christian: 1B Nick Alpers, INF Mark Fitzgerald P Aaron Roth; P Nathan Roth; INF Mark Stover; Milken Community: OF David Blazer; INF Josh Kolker; P Ben Ludewig; P Nathanial Ludewig

-- Gerry Gittelson

Blair Holliday, a wide receiver from Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, who will be a senior in the fall has been offered a scholarship by Boise St.

Holliday is scheduled to attend camps at UCLA and Stanford this month.

What a big week for small schools, as Desert Christian of Lancaster has qualified for the Southern Secton Div. VI baseball championship, and Cornerstone Christian of Camarillo and Milken Community of Los Angeles face off in the Div. VII final.

Both championships are scheduled for Friday at UC Riverside, as Desert Christian faces Oxford Academy of Cypress at 4:30 p.m., preceded by the Cornerstone Christian-Milken showdown at 1:30 p.m.

Desert Christian has a tiny enrollment but huge ambitions. This season, the Knights upgraded their nonleague schedule, defeating four Golden League programs along with other larger schools such as Redlands, Burroughs of Ridgecrest and Paraclete of Lancaster.

"I don't think we've been given much respect, but this year people are starting to notice us more," Desert Christian pitcher Taylor Aikenhead said. "I remember when we played at Palmdale, going into the game some of the Palmdale kids were kind of loudmouths and thought we were joke. Then our leadoff hitter, Chance Gusbeth, hits a home run on the first pitch, then I came in and struck out the side in the first inning.

"We came out swinging and showed them we could play, and I pitched a complete game."

Aikenhead is 12-1 with a 1.24 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 67 innings. He will be available for three innings after pitching a complete-game in the semifinals, so Desert Christian plans to start Tyler Shryock (4-0, 1.89 ERA), son of head coach Dennis Shryock.

"We played Oxford last year, and they knocked us out," the elder Shryock said. "We decided as a program that if we want to be better, we have to play better teams."

Defending Div. VII champion Cornerstone Christian and Milken are both led by twin pitchers - Aaron and Nathan Roth for Cornerstone Christian, and Ben and Nathanial Ludewig for Milken.

"That's kind of funny. When we first saw that, we were like, 'Hmm,'" Aaron Roth said.

Added Ben Ludewig: "Yeah, that is kind of weird."

Milken is located near the intersection of Mulholland Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard, and the majority of students live in the San Fernando Valley, including the Ludewigs of Toluca Lake. The other locals on the baseball team are Arye Lavin, Max Offsay and Jason Welsh from Encino, Josh Kolker and Jonah Resnick from Tarzana and David Blazer and Harris Girocco from Sherman Oaks.

-- Gerry Gittelson

It was the furthest Royal High of Simi Valley had ever advanced in the baseball playoffs -- but not far enough.

One step away from making it to a Southern Section final, the Highlanders committed five errors Tuesday in a 10-0 loss to Mater Dei of Santa Ana on Tuesday in the Div. I semifinals at Blair Field.

With ace pitcher Cody Buckel unavailable after pitching a complete-game Friday in the quarterfinals, Royal gave the ball to Tyler Abbott, who pitched well but was done in by a couple of costly defensive mistakes that led to three unearned runs in the third inning and opened the flood gates.

Through two innings, Abbott, a UC Irvine-bound left-hander who entered with a 1.46 ERA, did not allow a run while striking out four.

Then the wheels came off.

With two out and runners on first and second, Abbott induced Konnor Armijo to pop up to the left side for what looked like an easy third out. Buckel, playing shortstop, lost sight of the ball, and third baseman Billy Conard rushed over but dropped it, as Ty Moore raced around to score.

Then Jacob Medina hit an innocent short fly ball to left, but again there were difficulties finding the ball, and left fielder Justin Greco never saw it bounce about 15 feet to his right, scoring two more runs to make it 3-0.

Mater Dei (19-10) added four runs in the fifth to make it 7-0, and the game was getting out of hand. Hahn led off with a line triple to right-center, scoring when Moore's little bouncer to third was misplayed and rolled all the way to the outfield. Jeremy Martinez followed with a run-scoring double to make it 5-0, then Armijo singled sharply to left to score Martinez and chase Abbott (7-3).

Royal (25-7) had a good chance to score in the bottom of the fourth. Scott Hockenberry got aboard on a fielder's choice, stole second, then took third on Ryan Tinkham's sharp single to left. Four pitches later, a Hahn offering bounced away from catcher Martinez, and Hockenberry raced for home, only to be tagged out when Martinez quickly collected the ball and tossed to Hahn for the tag.

Mater Dei added another run in the sixth when Hahn doubled and scored on an infield error to make it 8-0.

Hahn, a left-hander who throws 90 mph, called it a night after five innings, which means he could be available for the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Dana Hills of Dana Point (20-12) at the Diamond in Lake Elsinore.

In winning his fifth consecutive decision, Hahn (13-1) did not allow a run while giving up two singles and striking out four, and he was 2 for 3 with a double, triple, two runs, a stolen base and an RBI.

Moore added a single, two runs and an RBI, Martinez was 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and a run, and Medina was 2 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Tinkham was 2 for 3 for Royal.

Royal entered with nine wins in its preceding 10 games without giving up more than three runs to any opponent, but this time finesse devolved into futility.

Nevertheless, it was a good season overall, as Royal was the area's only team among the top four divisions to make it to the semifinals.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Now it's 7-0, Mater Dei leading Royal in the top of the sixth, and it's looking pretty bad for the Highlanders in the Southern Section Div. I semifinals at Blair Field in Long Beach.

Mater Dei has added four runs in the fifth, Cory Hahn led off with a line triple to right-center, scoring when Moore's little bouncer to third was misplayed and rolled all the way to the outfield. Jeremy Martinez followed with a run-scoring double to make it 5-0, then Konnor Armijo singled sharply to left to score Martinez and chase Tyler Abbott.

Royal had a good chance to score in the bottom of the fourth. Scott Hockenberry got aboard on a fielder's choice, stole second, then took third on Ryan Tinkham's sharp single to left. Four pitches later, a Hahn offering bounced away from catcher Martinez, and Hockenberry raced for home, only to be tagged out when Martinez quickly collected the ball and tossed to Hahn for the tag.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Mater Dei has jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning against Royal in the Southern Section Div. I semifinals at Blair Field in Long Beach.

With two out and runners on first and second, Royal's Tyler Abbott induced Konnor Armijo to pop up to the left side for what looked like an easy third out. But shortstop Cody Buckel lost sight of the ball, and third baseman Billy Conrad rushed over but dropped the ball, as Ty Moore raced around to score.

Then Jacob Medina hit an innocent short fly ball to left, but again there were difficulties finding the ball -- what's up with the lights? -- and left fielder Justin Greco failed to catch the ball, which landed about 15 feet to his right, scoring two more runs to make it 3-0.

There are two out in the bottom of the third with Buckel on first and Greco batting.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Tyler Abbott, a top left-handed pitcher for Royal, has a big job tonight. He needs to outpitch Mater Dei ace Cory Hahn in what is expected to be a tight, low-scoring showdown in the Southern Section Div. I semifinals coming up in just a minute or two.

Abbott (8-2) has won his past four decisions, but so has Hahn (12-1), including playoff victories over Newbury Park and Camarillo.

Both are left-handers. Abbott has signed with UC Irvine, and Hahn is headed to Arizona State -- if he does not sign a major league contract.

Lineups being announced. First pitch coming up.

-- Gerry Gittelson

It's a twilight doubleheader here at Blair Field in Long Beach for the Southern Section Div. I semifinals, as Dana Hills has just defeated El Dorado 4-1, and now we're waiting for Royal vs. Mater Dei.

The first game went a bit long, so the Royal-Mater Dei is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes later than originally planned.

It should be a good pitching matchup, as Royal's Tyler Abbott (8-2, 1.46 ERA) goes against Mater Dei's Cory Hahn (12-1, 0.99 ERA).

-- Gerry Gittelson

It's been a tough day for local entrants in Div. V, as Montclair Prep lost 4-3 to North County Christian and Campbell Hall lost 6-3 at Linfield Christian.

Montclair Prep's Max Miller was 2 for 3 with two runs, and freshman Nick Suniga, battling a stiff back, pitched five innings with two strikeouts.

Also, in Div. VII, defending section champion Cornerstone Christian was leading 8-1 over Pacifica Christian in the fifth inning.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The fourth annual City vs. Southern Section All-Star Baseball Game is scheduled for Saturday, June 12 at 6 p.m. at Birmingham High, and most of the roster spots have been filled.

The rosters should be finalized soon. The event includes a pregame home run contest. Information: (818) 758-6529.

Here are some of the confirmed players:

SOUTHERN SECTION

Lonnie Kaupula - Burbank
Austin Walker - Crespi
Pat Valaika - Hart
Tanner Moe - Moorpark
Michael Soucy - Saugus
Ryon Healy - Crespi
Jordan Brower - Newbury Park
David Armendariz - Notre Dame 356
Jared Ortiz - West Ranch 447
Austin Wilson - Harvard Westlake
Allen Sarkissian - West Ranch
Mike Hubbard - Crespi
Kyle Eaton - Valencia
Tony Rosales - Montclair Prep
Denny Vigo - Simi Valley
Andrew Shanfeld - Harvard Westlake
Brando Tessar - Chaminade
Josh Mason - Crespi
Luke Swenson - Moorpark
Tommy Kister -- Saugus
Patrick Brennen - Agoura
Jimmy Sherfy - Newbury Park

CITY SECTION

Sean O'Connell -- Chatsworth
Brandon Soto -- Kennedy
Robert De Santiago -- Arleta
Robert Ponce -- Banning
Ross Zelen -- Cleveland
Ivan Vela -- ECR
Anthony Salas -- Banning
Christian Jimenez -- Poly
Jacob Johnson -- San Pedro
Michael Guzman -- Monroe
Carlos Delgado -- Bell
Justin Scovel -- ECR
Cody deSpain -- Taft
Dominique Starks -- Westchester
Kyle Keppel -- ECR
Bryce Kelly -- Granada Hills
Mitch Bluman -- ECR
David Armas -- San Fernando
Michael Gallegos -- Sylmar
Ronnie Galosic -- San Pedro
John Mata -- San Pedro
Alex Sixtos -- Banning
Leijon Baker -- Crenshaw
David Rodarte -- Birmingham

-- Gerry Gittelson

Brando Tessar of Chaminade has been voted Mission League MVP after compiling a 10-3 record, 1.45 ERA and 118 strikeouts while hitting eight home runs this past season.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Royal has qualified for the Div. I semifinals -- the furthest any Royal team has ever advanced -- but it's going to be tough to make it to the championship game, as the Highlanders face Mater Dei and ace pitcher Cory Hahn (12-1) tonight at 7 at Blair Field in Long Beach.

"This is the furthest we've gone. This is really good," coach Dan Maye said. "I have some kids on this team, and that helps. That's nice."

Hahn, a left-hander who throws 90 mph, has defeated two local teams in the playoffs -- Newbury Park in the first round and Camarillo in the second round -- and he is also a top hitter.

"Cory Hahn is excellent. We have to do the best we can," Maye said. "We're hoping to get some breaks, match them, and hope to win."

Despite being the No. 2 seed, this is the third time in a row Royal has been forced to make a long travel, winning at Esperanza in Anaheim in the second round and San Clemente in the quarterfinals.

"Unfortunately, we're going to have to get on a bus again," Maye said.

But not a yellow school bus. At least Royal has been afforded the luxury of coaches with air conditioning and other amenities.

"That's the good news. We're taking cool buses each time, so it's not that bad," Maye said. "But the yellow school buses, we've taken trips in those before, too. We've been there."

Royal plans to send left-hander Tyler Abbott to the mound. Ace pitcher Cody Buckel pitched a complete game Friday, so he might be available for one inning if it's a close game, Maye said.

-- Gerry Gittelson