May 2011 Archives

PALM DESERT -- One last out.

That's all ace pitcher Travis Radke and his Oaks Christian High teammates needed Tuesday, nursing a one-run lead with two out in the bottom of the seventh in a Southern Section Div. IV baseball semifinal against Palm Desert.

Did not happen.

Reigning division champion Palm Desert rallied for two runs to defeat the visiting Lions 2-1 in a heartbreaker at College of the Desert.

Palm Desert's Brooks Kriske doubled off left fielder Brandon Evans' glove to score John Schuknecht with the tying run, taking third on the throw, and Cody Kabeary's infield single scored Kriske to win it.

It was a devastating defeat for Radke (11-2), who until Kriske's double had not allowed an extra-base hit all season.

Palm Desert (28-4) is headed to Dodger Stadium for the championship game Friday, while Oaks Christian will have the summer to ponder the what-ifs, as the Lions were hoping to follow the championship success of the Westlake Village school's football and boys' basketball teams.

"There's not much I can say about it. Our hits didn't drop, and they had the timely hits," Radke said. "I'm just eternally grateful for the year we've had, and I'm going to remember every minute of it. We made our mark."

Heading into the last inning, Radke, a hard-throwing left-hander with an effective, big-breaking curveball, had yet to yield a run while holding top-seeded Palm Desert to two singles and allowing just one runner past second base. Yet everything unraveled at the end.

"Sometimes dreams get crushed. It was a huge comeback for us," Kriske said. "Radke was a great pitcher, one of the best we've seen, but I knew we'd come back because we keep fighting until the last out,"

Oaks Christian finished 25-7, and the Lions would have loved one more win.

"Brutal. What can you say?" Oaks Christian coach Tim Penprase said. "We played a great game, and they played a great game, too."

Penprase said there was no one to blame, particularly Evans, who was 3 for 3 at the plate and scored Oaks Christian's run.

"He gave it a great effort," Penprase said. "I know he's beating himself up about it, but the baseball was just out of reach. There's just nothing you can say to take the sting away."

Evans said he got a late jump.

"I slipped just a little as I took off," he said. "I missed it. I lost (the ball)."

Radke, who is headed to University of Portland, struck out five, giving him 132 strikeouts in 89 innings with a 0.87 ERA.

It was noteworthy how the showdown proved to be a game of inches, as Oaks Christian's Trevor Gretzky and Josh Davis both hit doubles off the top of wall but were left on base.

Palm Desert's Kaz Halcovich (8-2) pitched a complete game to make it to Dodger Stadium 27 years after his father, Frank, was the winning pitcher for Granada Hills in the 1984 City Section championship at Chavez Ravine.

The Oaks Christian school in Westlake Village is on some kind of a roll.

An eye-popping 11 teams have advanced to the semifinals or beyond and three teams have won championships with a possibility of one more.

The softball team will play for the schools fourth title this year this weekend in Irvine against South Hills in Div. III.

In the fall, the football team beat Westlake for the Northern Division championship and the boys water polo and girls volleyball teams reached the semifinals in their respective divisions.

In the fall, the boys' basketball team captured the Div. IV-A championship, the girls soccer team won the Div. IV championship, the girls' basketball team lost in the Div. IV-A championship and the boys' soccer team reached the Div. V semifinals.

The girls' soccer team also captured the Div. III Southern California regional championship in a victory over the top-ranked team in the country at the time, Flintridge Sacred-Heart.

This spring has seen the softball team advance to this weekends championship game, both the boys' and girls' track and field teams finish second to Serra and the baseball lose a 2-1 heart-breaker to Palm Desert in the Div. IV semifinals.

That is athletics success.

The Camarillo softball team was not in the most ideal situation Tuesday in a Div. II semifinal game against Irvine.

The Scorpions had just given up two runs in the top of the seventh and were down to its final two outs after starting pitcher and No. 4 hitter Sarah Shadinger popped out to third base to leadoff the bottom half of the inning.

Bianaca Noriega was hit by a pitch and Kristie Dederick walked to give Camarillo a sliver of hope against herd-throwing right-hander Allison Cukrov.

This is where so many other players have tried and failed.

This is where so many other more experienced players have succumbed to the pressure.

Not Megan Resnik.

The seldom-used freshman backup catcher was summoned by coach Jack Willard to pinch hit for freshman Alexis Flores.

Resnik made the most of her opportunity blasting a pitch from Kukrov deep over the left field fence to give Camarillo a dramatic 5-3 walk-off victory.

"I was a little nervous but my coach told me to go up there and have fun," Resnik said. "I'm not a starter and I haven't played a lot. I just wanted to do my best. I took a strike and then got the count to 3-1. I got a good pitch. I could tell when I hit it."

There was no doubt about it when it left Resnik's bat.

All Bria Madrid could do is watch from left field as the ball sailed over the fence and denied the Vaqueros (23-8) an opportunity to advance to their first section championship since 1993.

Instead, Camarillo will be making its first appearance since losing in the 1996 Div. I final against mater Dei.

Camarillo won the 5-A championship in 1991.

The Scorpions seemed well on their way to a win after Shadinger doubled home sophomore Shelbie Franc in the first and third for a 2-0 lead.

Shadinger allowed only four hits and a Madrid RBI single through six innings.

Irvine came through in the seventh with a triple and a single to tie the game at 2-2 and then leadoff hitter Brooke Madrid doubled to the left-center gap and Cukrov came around to score.

However, Camarillo would not waste a great effort from Shadinger, getting her off the hook with the three run rally.

"My teammates have my back, we laid our hearts on the line," Shadinger said. "That's what Camarillo does. Never give in. It has been a lot of work. I am so proud."

Shadinger, Jenna King and Chase Robledo each had two hits for the Scorpions.

Noriega reached base three times and Franc scored two runs.

McRae Cayton had two hits for Irvine and Josie Tucker doubled.

However, nobody had a bigger hit than Resnik.

"I feel bad I haven't gotten her more at-bats," Willard said. "I knew I could go to her in that situation because I knew she was paying attention the whole game. I knew she would have a plan at the plate. She was willing to pull the trigger on a 3-1 count. Not a lot of other girls would pull the trigger."

UC San Diego defeated top-seeded Alabama-Huntsville 10-3 in the NCAA Division II softball championship game Monday in Salem, Va., to capture the program's first national title and the school's first crown in any sport since a women's soccer championship in 2001.

Led by local graduates Jenn De Fazio (Simi Valley), Kris Lesovsky (Royal) and Jennifer Manuel (Camarillo), UC San Diego (45-13) scored all 10 runs in the first three innings in support of junior pitcher Camille Gaito (35-4), who pitched six shutout innings before Alabama-Huntsville (48-6-1) scored three runs in the seventh.

De Fazio, a senior catcher, finished hitting .331 with 25 runs and 33 RBIs, going 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI in the final which followed a solo home run against Saginaw Valley State in Sunday's 2-1 semifinal victory.

Lesovsky, a senior outfielder and the Tritons' leadoff hitter, concluded with a .305 average, along with 46 runs, six home runs and 26 RBIs. Lesovsky walked and scored twice in the final.

Manuel, a freshman pitcher/utility, hit .333 in 28 games, along with posting a 3-4 record in 13 appearances. She pinch hit in Sunday's semifinal victory, but did not appear in the final.

Stanford senior Hilary Barte, a Harvard-Westlake graduate, captured the NCAA women's doubles title Monday with Mallory Burdette, defeating Clemson's Josipa Bek and Keri Wong 7-6 (6), 6-0 at Stanford's Taube Stadium.

Barte, who won last year's NCAA doubles championship with Lindsay Burdette, overcame a 6-1 deficit in the first-set tiebreaker with seven consecutive points.

She and the younger Burdette used the momentum to roll in the second set, securing their second victory this season over Bek and Wong, including a 6-3, 6-3 win in the Oct. 10 final of the ITA All-American Championships at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades.

Barte is the first player to repeat as women's doubles champion since Cal's Amy Jensen won three in a row from 1998-2000 and Stanford's first back-to-back winner since Linda Gates in 1984-85.

Ryan Thacher, another Harvard-Westlake graduate, and Bradley Klahn fell 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the men's doubles final to Texas A & M's Austin Krajicek and Jeff Dadamo, their third loss this season against the Aggies' duo.

Klahn and Thacher, who lost 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7) to Virginia's Drew Courtney and Michael Shabaz in last year's semifinals, were looking to win Stanford's first men's doubles title since 2004.

Seven years after reaching the Little League World Series together, outfielder Evan Ocello and coach Tom Ginther are reunited at Oaks Christian High.

Ocello, a senior, is batting .443 with five home runs, 27 RBIs and 36 stolen bases, and Ginther is an assistant under head coach Tim Penprase, as Oaks Christian (25-6) takes on top-seeded Palm Desert (27-4) at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday in a Southern Section Div. IV semifinal at College of the Desert.

The winner makes it to Dodger Stadium for the championship game Friday, and Ocello and Ginther know what it feels like to play on such a grand stage. In 2004, Conejo Valley made it all the way to Williamsport, Pa., playing in front of crowds of more than 30,000 and being on national television, as the 11- and 12-year-olds were crowned U.S. champions before losing to Curacao in the final, then coming home to a big parade and TV appearances.

Ocello, then a fifth-grader, was the youngest on the team, and he is the last to finish his high school career. Several of the others are playing college baseball, like Cody Thomson ( Pennsylvania), Sean McIntyre, (Loyola Marymount) and Jordan Brower (Cal Poly SLO).
Ocello is headed to Holy Cross, but in the meantime, he and Ginther are ready to celebrate one last hurrah.

"The Little League World Series is in the past, but it's something I'll never forget," Ocello said. "Every time I see coach Ginther in the dugout, it brings back memories. I mean, we definitely know what it feels like to be on a run. But like I said, that's all in the past. I've got to focus on what's going on now."

In Williamsport, Ocello was barely half the size of teammates like Thomson and star slugger John Lister, now playing football at Hawaii. But there was always something about Ocello that struck Ginther.

"Even back then, Evan had this baseball knowledge and savvy. I had to have him on the team," Ginther said. "He just knew what to do with the baseball. Now, looking back, he's been to the highest platform of success, but he was so darn young. Still, he'll always have a sense of being a winner."

Palm Desert is the reigning champion, but top pitcher Brooks Kriste (11-1) pitched eight innings Friday. Oaks Christian is scheduled to start ace Travis Radke (11-1), who got the save Friday.

"I'm always confident with Radke on the mound," Penprase said.

Oaks Christian, coming off championship seasons in football and boys' basketball, has never made it to a baseball final.

"This is the game we've been wanting all year - to compete with the best and to beat the best," Radke said. "We're ready to show everyone Oaks Christian is a team to be reckoned with."

Desert Christian is the other local still alive in the Southern Section, as the Knights play at Pasadena Poly at 3:15 p.m. today in a Div. VI semifinal. Oxford Academy, the opponent that defeated Desert Christian in last year's championship, plays host to Bishop in the other semifinal.

Three months ago, San Fernando defeated El Camino Real and star pitcher Jose Cardona 3-1 in the season opener.

The rematch is at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the City Section Div. I semifinals at USC, and Cardona gets the call again. The hard-throwing right-hander is the reigning City Player of the Year for the defending champion Conquistadores, and of course there will be a lot more on the line.

"It's going to be very exciting to play those guys again," Cardona said. "Now we know what it's going to take to beat them. Our returners from last year know what we have to do to get back to where we belong."

El Camino Real coach Josh Lienhard is hoping Cardona's experience pays off.

"He's our best, and he's been down this road," Lienhard said. "We need to score runs for him. In the first game, we scored one run, and obviously we've got to score more than that."

Chatsworth plays Birmingham at 3 p.m. in the preceding semifinal at USC.

Southern Section

Div. IV

Oaks Christian vs. Palm Desert at College of the Desert, 3:15 p.m. Tuesday
Div. VI

Desert Christian (Lancaster) at Pasadena Poly, 3:15 Tuesday

City Section

Div. I

Chatsworth vs. Birmingham, 3 p.m. Wednesday at USC
El Camino Real vs. San Fernando, 6 p.m. Wednesday at USC

Div. III

North Hollywood vs. Lincoln, 6 p.m Tuesday at Birmingham

A.J. Balta, a Valencia sophomore outfielder who hit 11 home runs, has been named Foothill League Player of the Year.

Harvard-Westlake graduates Hilary Barte and Ryan Thacher have advanced to their respective doubles finals today for host Stanford in the NCAA tennis tournament.

Barte, a senior, teams up with sophomore Mallory Burdette to take on Clemson's Josipa Bek and Keri Wong. Barte and Burdette defeated Cal's Jana Juricova and Mari Anderson 6-1, 6-4 in Sunday's semifinals at Taube Tennis Center in Palo Alto.

Barte and Burdette defeated Bek and Wong 6-3, 6-3 in the Oct. 10 final of the ITA All-American Championships at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades.

Thacher and fellow junior Bradley Klahn take on Texas A & M's Austin Krajicek and Jeff Dadamo, looking to capture Stanford's first men's doubles title since 2004.

Thacher and Klahn outlasted Florida's Sekou Coker Bangoura and Alexandre Lacroix 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in Sunday's final four, helping erase the disappointment of last year's 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7) semifinal loss to Virginia's Drew Courtney and Michael Shabaz.

Dadamo and Krajicek held off Thacher and Klahn 9-8 (8) on May 19 when Stanford defeated Texas A & M 4-2 in the NCAA round of 16.

Five former area softball standouts have helped their teams qualify for the Women's College World Series, which begins Thursday in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Hart graduate Jessica Shults and Canyon alumna Brittany Williams will lead host Oklahoma, which is attempting to win its first national title since 2000.

Shults, a sophomore catcher, boasts a .342 average with 19 home runs and 58 RBIs. Williams, a freshman outfielder, is hitting .309 with 12 home runs and 47 walks -- the most in the Big 12 Conference -- for the Sooners, who face Arizona State in their World Series opener.

Chatsworth graduate Cheyenne Coyle, a freshman shortstop at Florida, helped the Gators become the first Southeastern Conference program to reach the World Series four consecutive years. Coyle enters Thursday's showdown with Missouri hitting .318 with 51 runs, 15 home runs and 52 RBIs.

Missouri senior outfielder Kathryn Poet, a Flintridge Sacred Heart graduate, returns to the World Series as well. After hitting .225 with nine runs and eight RBIs in 35 regular-season games, Poet has added two hits, two runs and an RBI in the postseason.

Cal junior infielder Amy Bishop, a Glendale High graduate, has appeared in 13 games, collecting one hit and scoring one run. The Golden Bears, making their first World Series trip since 2005, open Thursday against Alabama.

UC San Diego defeated Saginaw Valley State 2-1 in the NCAA Division II softball tournament Sunday in Salem, Va., to reach today's national championship game against top-seeded Alabama-Huntsville (48-5-1), a 2-0 winner over Midwestern State.

Led by local graduates Jenn De Fazio (Simi Valley), Kris Lesovsky (Royal) and Jennifer Manuel (Camarillo), UC San Diego (44-13) is seeking the school's first national title in any sport since the women's soccer team captured a championship in 2001.

De Fazio, a senior catcher, is hitting .324 with 23 runs and 32 RBIs, including a solo home run against Saginaw Valley State.

Lesovsky, a senior outfielder and the Tritons' leadoff hitter, boasts a .307 average with 44 runs, six home runs and 26 RBIs.

Manuel, a freshman pitcher/utility, has hit .333 in 28 games, along with posting a 3-4 record in 13 appearances.

2011 War on the Floor Summer Tournament

June 18-20 or 21

Saturday thru Monday or Tuesday

Pierce College in Woodland Hills

Schedule will be released Tuesday May 31

Team list as of May 27, 2011

Taft

Palmdale

Oaks Christian

Chatsworth

Montclair Prep

Buckley

Calabasas

Renaissance Academy

Pasadena

Dorsey

Highland

Campbell Hall

Birmingham

Bell-Jeff

Sylmar

Canoga Park

Cleveland

Sun Valley

Gametymers

Northridge Academy

Here is the 2011 lineup of teams for the "The Tournament" at Santa Monica High

Dec. 5-10

One more team is needed

Call Dennis Magro for more information 818.585.6755

Alemany
Birmingham
Blair
Chaminade
Cleveland
Corona Centennial
Crenshaw
Eisenhower
El Camino Real
Fairfax
Loyola
Palisades
Price
Santa Monica
Windward

For five innings Thursday, Kennedy High played flawless defense, tracking down every fly ball, scooping every grounder and making every throw, as the host Golden Cougars were protecting a one-run lead against San Fernando in a City Section Div. I quarterfinal.

But with the pressure building and an overflow crowd of more than 500 hanging on every pitch, Kennedy imploded in the sixth, committing three infield errors and allowing three unearned runs to gift-wrap a 5-3 win for the visiting Tigers.

All three errors were potential double-play balls.

In the middle of it all, Kevin Martinez hit a two-run double to give San Fernando the lead for good, and in the seventh, Kennedy (26-6) committed another costly error that extended the lead to three runs.

"I love it. We play better under pressure," Martinez said. "All those people out there making all that noise - it makes you feel like a big leaguer."

During the regular season, the neighborhood rivals tied for the Valley Mission League championship, splitting a two-game series in the final week, then San Fernando was seeded sixth in the playoffs - three notches below Kennedy - so the Tigers have been playing with a chip on their shoulder.

San Fernando (26-6) faces defending City champion El Camino Real on Wednesday in the semifinals at USC, the first time since 2003 that the Tigers have advanced to the final four; it's been 20 years since San Fernando has won a City title.

"I'm fired up," San Fernando coach Armando Gomez said. "We'll enjoy this today, then we'll start preparing tomorrow for ECR."

San Fernando left-hander David Lira pitched a complete game, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out seven. By the seventh inning, he was limping under the sweltering heat, but after Chris Mallon tripled home Danny Alcantar with two out to pull the Golden Cougars to within two runs, Lira implored Gomez to let him get the final out, and the senior responded by inducing David Gutierrez to ground to second.

The City Section quarterfinals are scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, and seven of the eight participants are from the San Fernando Valley, including top-seeded Chatsworth, No. 2 El Camino Real and No. 3 Kennedy.

No big surprise considering a Valley team has won the City title 37 times over the past 38 years.

Chatsworth plays visiting Taft, an opponent the host Chancellors defeated 27-0 on April 29 after losing to the Toreadors 8-7 two days earlier.

"We need to come out strong regardless of what's happened in the past against those guys," Chatsworth shortstop Brady Conlan said.

Kennedy plays host to San Fernando after the teams split a two-game series in the final week of the regular season to share first in the Valley Mission League. This is the rubber game, and of course it's infinitely more important.

"We're looking forward to playing them again," Kennedy pitcher Ryan Cruz said. "It's going to be intense, and we love big games."

Birmingham advanced with an upset win over San Pedro, and the Patriots look to parlay the momentum against visiting Granada Hills.

"I'm excited. I feel like we have a very good chance to go very far in the playoffs," Birmingham pitcher/outfielder Kevin Torres said.

Defending champion El Camino Real, readying for visiting Narbonne, proved inconsistent during the regular season, but the second-seeded Conquistadores have been known to turn it on in the playoffs.

"We came out swinging and got past the first round, so hopefully that will carry over against Narbonne," pitcher/outfielder Jose Cardona said. "Narbonne is going to be hungry, but if we play our game, we can come out on top and keep going."

The second round of the Southern Section baseball playoffs proved brutal for local programs, especially among the top three divisions, in which only two of nine have advanced to the quarterfinals this coming Friday.

In Div. I, Simi Valley is the last one standing, as Valencia lost 8-6 at Dana Hills, Hart fell 12-2 to visiting Mater Dei, and Newbury Park was defeated 20-9 by Esperanza. In Div. II, Harvard-Westlake has made it through, but Notre Dame lost 7-5 to visiting Damien,

Chaminade lost 4-3 at Pacifica, and Alemany lost 5-2 to visiting Arcadia. And in Div. III, Quartz Hill was upset 3-1 at Woodbridge.

Overall, five of those seven losses were to Orange County opponents, an all too common occurrence in the playoffs.

Simi Valley, preparing for a semifinal against host Long Beach Wilson at Blair Field, has made a dramatic turnaround from a year ago, when the Pioneers finished last in the Marmonte League and won a total of 10 games.

Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, Simi Valley lost three league games in a row to fall out of first place, then ace pitcher Levi Shordon left the team just before the playoffs. Nevertheless, the Pioneers responded with a 17-10 opening win over Fountain Valley before eliminating El Toro 9-0 on Tuesday.

"I think because of the year we had last year, we definitely came into this season with a chip on our shoulder," third baseman Cole Acheronti said. "We're doing all the little things right."

Shordon was the only link from Simi Valley's 2008 Div. I championship team that defeated Long Beach Wilson in the final at Dodger Stadium. For Simi Valley to continue to succeed, pitchers Nick Vigo, Spencer Dubaich and Reece Schmidt must rise to the occasion.

"I think the best thing about this team is our team chemistry," shortstop Cody Ramer said. "We know the games are getting bigger and bigger, so we want to stay together and play as a team."

What Simi Valley lacks in brute force, the Pioneers make up for with fundamentals and gutsy moves, including a successful two-strike suicide squeeze Tuesday in the win over El Toro.

"The kids are playing well as a group, and they just believe they can win," coach Matt La Belle said.

Harvard-Westlake pulled a fast one Tuesday against visiting Arroyo Grande, deciding at the last minute to return with ace pitcher Lucas Giolito, who had pitched 6 1/3 innings the previous Thursday in a first-round win over Valencia of Placentia.

Giolito, a UCLA-bound junior who is 9-1 and throws 94 mph, pitched a no-hitter in a 1-0 victory, qualifying Harvard-Westlake for a quarterfinal at Santa Barbara.

Both before and after Harvard-Westlake's first-round win, coach Matt LaCour said freshman Jack Flaherty would start the second game, but the coach changed his mind.

"We looked at Arroyo Grande, and they have three really good pitchers, and Lucas' pitch count was down last Thursday, plus he had four days rest, so everything lined up for him to be back at full strength," LaCour said. "The last quarter of the season, Lucas has really turned it on with command of all his pitches and finding the strike zone. He's just doing a great job."

With five days between the first and second round of the Southern Section Div. II baseball playoffs, Alemany High and visiting Arcadia had the option today of coming back with their ace pitcher for the second time in a row instead of going with their No. 2.

Alemany decided not to do so, but the visiting Apaches did, and that was a key difference, as Alemany lost 5-2, while Arcadia advanced to the quarterfinals this coming Friday.

Alemany left-hander Ryan Paramo (3-3), who a year ago was the Mission League Pitcher of the Year but this season came in with a 6.49 ERA , lasted two-plus innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits.

By the time ace Cody Thompson was summoned, it was too late.

Meanwhile, Arcadia (25-3) did not think twice about returning with K.J. Edson (12-1), who turned in another masterful performance, going 5 1/3-plus innings while allowing two earned runs on six hits while walking none.

"I pitched pretty well. I was pumped -- I'm ready to pitch again Friday," Edson said.
Alemany (20-10) found Edson's submarine pitching delivery difficult to figure out, as 10 of Alemany's first 12 outs came on grounders.

"We tried to practice against side-arm pitching as much as we could, but his pitches tailed in on right-handers, and that threw us off a bit," Alemany right fielder Corey Sims said. "With that low delivery and those low pitches, it was hard to pick up the baseball."

Thompson was greeted by Haram Park's run-scoring triple, but the junior right-hander then pitched effectively for two innings before giving way to Edgar Montes, who had pitched a total of 5 2/3 innings during the regular season.

The City Section quarterfinals are set for Thursday and it will be a San Fernando Valley affair.

Taft at Chatsworth
Granada Hills at Birmingham

San Fernando at Kennedy
Narbonne at El Camino Real

Chaminade is coming off a 13-5 playoff win over Palos Verdes -- only the second time this season the Eagles have scored more than 10 runs in a game -- and Div. II Chaminade looks to keep the bats going in a second-round game today at Pacifica in Garden Grove.

"If we continue to hit like we did in the last game, and we pitch and play defense like we have been, then we will be in good shape," infielder Tanner Reibenspies said.

Michael Dingilian (9-0, 0.94 ERA) is the scheduled starter, and the right-hander is seeking his 17th career victory without a loss.

Christian Standley has resigned as Saugus track coach.

Cassandra Perez belted a game winning RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring Dani Gilmore as El Camino Real edged San Pedro, 1-0 in the City Section Div. I semifinals.

Karyn Wright pitched a three hit shutout with one walk and four strikeouts for the Conquistadores (24-4).

Wright was perfect through five, shutting down one of the most potent offenses in the City.

ECR advances to Fridays championship game at 3 p.m. at Cal St. Northridge, against Carson, a 2-0 winner against Marshall

Sierra Canyon has hired Raquel Alotis as its new girls' basketball coach, replacing T.J. Knox, who resigned.

Alotis has been the coach at El Camino Real the past several years and previously was at Chatsworth.

Alotis will inherit a team that graduated three starters and lost to Chaminade in the Div. IV-AA quarterfinals.

Alotis will build around forward Toni Oni.

The Verdugo Hills boys' volleyball team hadn't lost a match since April 7 in a setback against East Valley League rival Poly and L.A. Jordan hadn't lost a five-game match all season, so something had to give in the City Section Division II championship at Venice High.

Unfortunately, the Dons couldn't come through and win their first championship in a 14-25, 24-26, 25-22, 19-25 loss.

Down two games to none, Verdugo Hills answered with seven consecutive points to take game three but succumbed in game four as the net attack of Cesar medina and Jose Saldana was too much to overcome.

Medina had 32 kills, Saldana had 20 kills and Roberto Lopez contributed 63 assists.

C.J. Suarez had 13 kills and Michael Sanders had 35 assists to lead Verdugo Hills (14-3). Suarez and Sevada Artunyan combined for 25 digs.

"We couldn't get our receive together," Dons coach Will Reinhart said. "Jordan didn't make errors. They deserved it. "It was not a good time to not have our best game."

The Northridge Academy boys' volleyball team took a huge step this season by advancing to the City Section Small Schools championship after a semifinal setback a season ago but couldn't produce the schools third title in five years in a 25-27, 23-25, 26-24, 21-25 loss against Elizabeth Learning Center at Venice High.

Justin Bates had 20 kills and Joseph Wilkins added 10 kills but it wasn't enough to overcome two close losses in the first two games.

"We knew we could have won it but we didn't play our game," Wilkins said. "We could have pushed back but we needed to guard the tips better and do a better job blocking."

Elizabeth Learning Center was led by setter Raymond Gonzalez and outside hitter Daniel Salazar as it won its second championship in its fourth appearance in the last five years.

The Pumas (18-9) held leads in the 20's in the first tow games but let both games slip away.

"We play better when we are down," Elizabeth Learning Center coach Elias Gomez said.

When you can hit like Valencia High, a three-run deficit is no big deal.

It happened twice Friday in a Southern Section Div. I playoff game against visiting Moorpark, and both times Valencia managed to catch up.

Once the Vikings managed to pull even a second time, they made sure it would not happen again, scoring eight runs in the fifth inning to pull away in a 17-7 victory that left the visiting Musketeers shaking their heads.

"They really know you to swing the bat. You've got to respect their ability to hit," Moorpark first baseman Jake Woolley said.

Moorpark (18-11), coming off a wild-card win Wednesday that used up ace Matt Higginbotham, did its best to pitch around Valencia's dynamic duo of Trey Williams and A.J. Balta by intentionally walking Williams twice and Balta once.

But that left everyone else to worry about in Valencia's stealth lineup, as the Vikings banged out 15 hits, including James Bonds' two-run home run that sailed deep beyond the right-field fence.

Quincy Quintero was 2 for 2 with a double, three RBIs and three runs, Alex Lightfoot was 2 for 3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs, Alex Bishop was 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs, Balta was 2 for 4 with two runs and Shane Zeile was 2 for 3 with a run.

"If one guy is not hitting, we just pass the rope to someone else," pitcher Jake Roberge said. "We trust each other because everyone is a tough out."

Overall, Valencia has out-homered opponents 40-5, and though the Vikings lack a dominant pitcher because ace Nick Rivas is sidelined because of a sore arm, they plan to make a strong bid in the section's toughest division, as the eventual champion must win five games over a 14-day span.

"I think we can definitely win this thing, as long as we play our game," first baseman Brian Mundell said.

Shant Bicakci, 23, is the new head coach at West Ranch, replacing Sean Legaux.

Bicakci, who played at Saugus, has been a West Ranch assistant the past two seasons.

Harvard-Westlake High has been around for 111 years and still has not won a Southern Section baseball championship, so the Wolverines are pulling out all the stops.

A scrappy team on the rise, Harvard-Westlake had three bunt singles, two sacrifices and two stolen bases while playing errorless defense Thursday in a 5-0 win over visiting Valencia of Placentia in a Div. II opener at O'Malley Field in Encino, as the Wolverines are doing everything possible to stay alive.

It helps having a pitcher like Lucas Giolito (8-1). The 6-foot-6 right-hander pitched six innings, allowing three hits while striking out eight in another dominant performance for the UCLA-bound junior who throws 94 mph.

"Yes, 111 years is a long time," Giolito said. "But we're trying not to think about all that. We have a good team, and we're playing well. That's all that matters. We just have to play good baseball, and the sky's the limit."

Harvard-Westlake (22-7) plays Arroyo Grande on Tuesday at a site to be determined.
Jason Garfinkel was 2 for 2 with a two-run double, and freshman Jack Flaherty was 2 for 2 with two runs.

"It was a good start for us. I think we have a good chance," Garfinkel said. "Our defense played really well today, and Giolito was solid."

Valencia (16-10-1) went hitless over the final 4 1/3 innings, and the bottom seven in the lineup went a combined 0 for 18.

Harvard-Westlake coach Matt LaCour is in his fifth year as a school that has gone the longest in the San Fernando Valley without a baseball championship. He's not a history buff, but LaCour feels compelled to help guide the Wolverines to as good a performance as possible.

"After the season is over, then we'll reflect," LaCour said. "It's a great accomplishment whenever it ends, and we're going to play until the final game."

LaCour has a decision to make. Giolito threw 89 pitches in lowering his ERA to 1.11. Flaherty (6-1, 1.92 ERA) is scheduled Tuesday, but by that time Giolito will have four days rest, and some of the other first-round survivors figure to come back with their No. 1.

"Jack will start, but Lucas will be available, too," LaCour said. "I thought Lucas did a good job throwing strikes today, and I could not have asked for more - two ground-ball singles and a grounder through the 5-6 hole. That was it."

Keith Case has been hired as new girls' basketball coach at Moorpark.

Case coached at La Reina of Thousand Oaks last season and has coached at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.

Can our local Div. I programs get past the Orange Curtain? That's a compelling issue as the first round of the playoffs is Friday, and 13 of 34 teams are from Orange County, a baseball mecca with a bunch of top programs known for being Valley killers.

Three of top four seeds are from Orange County, included top-seeded Edison.

Hart, for instance, is 4-7 against O.C. playoff opponents since 1988. If the Indians survive Friday against visiting Los Alamitos, a second-round matchup with No. 2 Mater Dei could be looming.

Meanwhile, if Valencia defeats Moorpark, the Vikings could see Dana Hills in the second round.

"The O.C. teams are good. It's one of the hot beds for baseball in the United States," Valencia coach Jared Snyder said. "There's a lot of good players, and a lot of teams that are very deep with big kids, with confident kids. You have to give them credit. They're good, and they're well-coached - but I don't think we're that far behind. We can compete day in and day out."

Also, Quincy Quintero, Valencia's hard-throwing right-hander bothered by a sore shoulder, has regained strength, and he's probable Friday.

Calabasas is getting another talented freshman guard.

Jeremy Liberman made an impact last year and the Coyotes are expected to be bolstered by the addition of Kenneth Koffi.

Koffi attends Valley School Junior High in Van Nuys and plays with Sierra Canyon-bound Malik Anderson

ONE -- Is one year a long time for Chatsworth to go without a winning a City title?

Yes. The Chancellors lost in the semifinals last season, and that was not good enough for a program that had won seven City championships over the previous 10 years (nine titles overall), including back-to-back national championships in 2003 and 2004. With defending City champion El Camino Real in a down year, Chatsworth does not have as many challengers from the San Fernando Valley - significant because the Valley has produced the past 18 City champions and 37 of the last 38.

TWO - Except for Crescenta Valley winning the Div. I championship in 1998, none of the other local programs participating in this year's Div. II playoffs (Alemany, Chaminade, Crescenta Valley, Harvard-Westlake, Notre Dame and xxxSt. Francis) have ever won a section title. Can someone - anyone - step up?

No. The top teams in the bracket, particularly No. 1 Cypress and No. 2 Arcadia, are too good. Alemany is too streaky; Chaminade lacks power hitters; Crescenta Valley looked really bad Friday in a 8-1 loss to Arcadia for the league title; Harvard-Westlake has gone more than 100 years without winning one; Notre Dame does not have the pitching depth; and undermanned St. Francis is too much of a long shot.

THREE - Is there a team that probably won't win a title but is the most fun to watch?

Yes. It's Valencia. The Vikings have 39 home runs, tops in the Southern Section, so they're always a quick three-run homer away from being back in the game. A.J. Balta is having an out-of-this-world sophomore season with 11 home runs, and junior Trey Williams has nine, including several tape-measure shots.

FOUR - Div. V hopeful Montclair Prep is 6-0 in championship games but has not reached a final since 1991. Is this the year of the Mounties?

No. With UCLA-bound left-hander Max Fried among the Southern Section's top pitchers in any division, unseeded Montclair Prep has a decent chance. But at some point the Mounties must get past defending champion and top-seed Woodcrest Christian - the opponent that eliminated them in the semifinals last season -- and that's no picnic.

FIVE: Of the locals in the smallest divisions, anyone worth keeping an eye on?

No. None have enough pitching. Then again, you never know, because in Div. VI and Div. VII, routine fly balls and easy grounders can sometimes be an adventure.

SOUTHERN SECTION

DIV. I

TOP FOUR SEEDS:

1. Edison

2. Mater Dei

3. Vista Murrieta

4. JSerra

LOCALS: Camarillo, Hart, xxMoorpark, Newbury Park, Royal, Valencia, Westlake,

PLAYER TO WATCH: Christian Lopes, Edison, Sr. - Lopes, a dynamic, power-hitting shortstop, hit 25 home runs over two seasons at Valencia before transferring two years ago. Valencia has not won a playoff game since.
TEAM TO WATCH: Royal - After reaching the section final a year ago, no one expected to hear from the Highlanders again following the graduation of star pitcher Cody Buckel, drafted in the fourth round by the Texas Rangers. Nevertheless, Royal got hot at the end of the season, and the Highlanders have won 12 in a row.

DIV. II

TOP FOUR SEEDS:

1. Cypress

2. Arcadia

3. Redlands

4. Santa Barbara

LOCALS: xxxAlemany, Chaminade, Crescenta Valley, Harvard-Westlake, xxxHoover, Notre Dame, xxxSt. Francis

PLAYER TO WATCH: K.J. Edson, Arcadia, Sr. - Fresh off a three-hit win Friday over Crescenta Valley to secure the Pacific League title, Edson, a submarine pitcher, is 10-1 with a 0.56 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 75 innings. He has allowed a total of three extra-base hits.

TEAM TO WATCH: Chaminade - With a deep pitching staff led by Mathew Troupe, Michael Dingilian and Dalton Brown - all Division I-bound seniors with an ERA of 1.30 or better - the Eagles, still searching for their first section title, have enough arms to hang tough with anyone.

DIV. III

TOP FOUR SEEDS:

1. Bonita

2. Quartz Hill

3. Alhambra

4. Beckman

OTHER LOCALS: Knight, Lancaster,

PLAYER TO WATCH: Justin Garza, Bonita, Jr. - He's just 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, but no one has been able to touch the ace right-hander whose pitching has helped Bonita secure the top seed. Garza is 11-0 with a 0.60 ERA and six complete games.
TEAM TO WATCH: With such tight dimensions on Quartz Hill's home field - plus you never know when the wind might be blowing out - anything can happen, and the streaking Rebels, led by pitcher/shortstop Jay Sheeley, have won six in a row by an average of more than 10 runs.

DIV. IV

TOP FOUR SEEDS:

1. Palm Desert

2. Bishop Amat

3. Torrance

4. Laguna Beach

LOCALS: Grace Brethren, xxxLa Canada, Oaks Christian

PLAYER TO WATCH: Rio Ruiz, Bishop Amat, Jr. - Ruiz, a third baseman, is having an MVP-type season with a .460 average, two home runs, 32 RBIs and 12 doubles and 11 stolen bases, plus he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA.

TEAM TO WATCH: Oaks Christian - With ace left-hander Travis Radke (8-1, 0.82 ERA) on the mound, the Lions are especially lethal, plus there's lots of supporting talent with outfielder Evan Ocello, shortstop Drew Hacker and first baseman Trevor Gretsky, all of whom are headed to major colleges.

DIV. V

TOP FOUR SEEDS:

1. Woodcrest Christian

2. Cathedral

3. Campbell Hall

4. Whittier Christian

OTHER LOCALS: Montclair Prep, Paraclete,

PLAYER TO WATCH: Adam Ehrlich, Campbell Hall, Sr. - Ehrlich, a Loyola Marymount-bound catcher, loves playing at home because of the short left-field fence, as he has hit all five of his home runs there. "It's a lefties' field," he said.

TEAM TO WATCH: Woodcrest Christian -- It's hard to pick anyone else considering the defending champion Royals from Riverside average nine runs with a team ERA of 1.24. Trevor Oaks, a 6-foot-3 senior who is 9-0 with a 0.24 ERA, has not given up a run in his last six outings, and he has 104 strikeouts in 58 innings.

DIV. VI

TOP FOUR SEEDS:

1. Oxford Academy

2. Pasadena Poly

3. Desert Christian (Lancaster)

4. Bishop

OTHER LOCALS: Bell-Jeff, Buckley, Flintridge Prep, Vasquez, Viewpoint

PLAYER TO WATCH: Tyler Sprague, Viewpoint, Jr. - Sprague, a hard-throwing left-hander, has been lights out. He is 5-1 with one save, a 1.31 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 42 innings. He's also batting .342 with 17 RBIs.

TEAM TO WATCH: Desert Christian - A small program in name only, Desert Christian is coming off a loss to Oxford Academy in last year's final, and this season the Knights have played seven nonleague games against Golden League competition (going 4-3) in hopes of being well-prepared for the playoffs.

DIV. VII

TOP FOUR SEEDS:

1. New Roads

2. Rolling Hills Prep

3. Firebaugh

4. Riverside Christian

LOCALS: Delphi Academy, Hillcrest Christian (Granada Hills), L.A. Lutheran, New Community Jewish, xxxTrinity Classical Academy,

PLAYER TO WATCH: Josh Clark, Hillcrest Christian, Jr. - Clark has 23 career home runs, including 10 this season in 59 at-bats, and he's batting .644 with 39 RBIs and an out-of-sight 1.345 slugging percentage while striking out a total of three times.

TEAM TO WATCH -- New Roads: Freshman Christian Vibiano is 6-0 with a 1.54 ERA, and junior Anthony Carrillo is 7-1 with a 2.02 ERA.

DIV. I

TOP FOUR SEEDS

1. Chatsworth

2. El Camino Real

3. Kennedy

4. Banning

OTHER LOCALS: Arleta, Birmingham, Cleveland, Granada Hills, San Fernando, Sylmar, Taft, Verdugo Hills

PLAYER TO WATCH: Alberto Flores, Kennedy, Sr. - In his last start, Flores (10-1) pitched six innings of no-hit ball before settling for a one-hitter in a 3-1 win over San Fernando to clinch the Valley Mission title.

TEAM TO WATCH: Chatsworth - How can you pick against a team that has won seven City titles over the past 11 years and is seeded No. 1 for the eighth time over the past nine seasons? The Chancellors have so much pitching depth that seniors Aaron Brown, Steven Karkenny, Angel Rodriguez and a now-healthy Christian Lopez would all be the No. 1 pitcher on just about any City team.

Div. II

TOP FOUR SEEDS

1. Maywood

2. Hollywood

3. Crenshaw

4. Locke

OTHER LOCALS: Canoga Park, North Hollywood, Van Nuys

PLAYER TO WATCH: Nolan Flashman, Univeristy, Sr. - Flashman leads the division with six home runs, and he's batting .493 with 28 RBIs.

TEAM TO WATCH: Lincoln - Led by Alberto Oliden, who has 34 stolen bases, Lincoln loves to run. The Tigers have 127 stolen bases in 139 attempts.

Div. III

TOP FOUR SEEDS

1. Sherman Oaks CES

2. Community Harvest

3. Los Angeles CES

4. Port of Los Angeles

OTHER LOCALS: Fulton Prep, Northridge

PLAYER TO WATCH: Jose Cedillo, Fulton Prep, Sr. - Cedillo, a 6-1, 230-pounder, is batting .489 with three home runs and 25 RBIs.

TEAM TO WATCH: Community Harvest - The undefeated Golden Eagles have scored 174 runs in a 14 games, an average of 12.4.

After being postponed one day because of rain, Alemany's Div. II wild-card game against visiting San Luis Obispo has been switched to Ventura College. First pitch is 3:15 p.m.

The Div. II wild-card game between Alemany and visiting San Luis Obispo has been rained out and rescheduled for Wednesday.

The 15th annual War on the Floor boys' basketball tournament has 16 committed teams for June 18-20 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

The schedule will be released shortly

Oaks Christian

Chatsworth

Montclair Prep

Buckley

Calabasas

Renaissance Academy

Pasadena

Dorsey

Highland

Campbell Hall

Birmingham

Bell-Jeff

Sylmar

Canoga Park

Cleveland

Sun Valley

Oaks Christian is the site of an impressive summer tip-off showcase June 10-12.

Here is the schedule.

Friday June 10
Thousand Oaks vs. El Camino Real, 5 p.m.
Oaks Christian vs. Calabasas, 6:15 p.m.
Simi Valley vs. Sierra Canyon, 7:30 p.m.

Court #2
Rio Mesa vs. Cleveland, 5 p.m.
Westlake vs. Renaissance Academy, 6:15 p.m.
Newbury Park vs. St. Francis, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday June 11
Oaks Christian vs. Reseda, 10 a.m.
Simi Valley vs. Renaissance Academy, 11:15 a.m.
Taft vs. Pasadena, 12:30 p.m.
Calabasas vs. Muir, 1:45 p.m.
Taft vs. Thousand Oaks, 3:00 p.m.
St. Francis vs. Calabasas, 4:15 p.m.
Muir vs. Newbury Park, 5:30 p.m.

Court #2
Royal vs. El Camino Real, 10 a.m.
La Canada vs. Moorpark, 11:15 a.m.
Reseda vs. Rio Mesa, 12:30 p.m.
Moorpark vs. Cleveland, 1:45 p.m.
Pasadena vs. Royal, 3 p.m.
Oaks Christian vs. La Canada, 4:15 p.m.
Westlake vs. Sierra Canyon, 5:30 p.m.

Sunday June 12
Renaissance Academy vs. Royal, 2 p.m.
Thousand Oaks vs. Pasadena, 3:15 p.m.
Renaissance Academy vs. Cleveland, 4:30 p.m.
Simi Valley vs. El Camino Real, 5:45 p.m.
Oaks Christian vs. Sierra Canyon, 7 p.m.

Court #2
Newbury Park vs. Reseda, 2 p.m.
Rio Mesa vs. St. Francis, 3:15 p.m.
Westlake vs. La Canada, 4:30 p.m.
Thousand Oaks vs. Muir, 5:45 p.m.
Reseda vs. Moorpark, 7 p.m.

Perhaps there should be a big prize for winning the Mission League baseball title considering the league has produced four section champions and three runners-up over the past eight seasons -- but not this year.

Harvard-Westlake (21-7) came from two games back over the final stretch to win the Mission title, but the Wolverines were snubbed Monday by the Southern Section seeding committee by not being granted a top-four seed in the Div. II playoffs beginning Thursday against the Pasadena-Valencia of Placentia wild-card winner.

In both Div. I and Div. II, no local program was granted a top-four seed, a surprise considering the San Fernando Valley area is known for being such a baseball mecca.

"You know what? There's no time for crying at this point in the year," Harvard-Westlake coach Matt LaCour said. "We've got to play and beat the teams they put in front of us, and there's no other way to do it. I let others figure out the top-four seeds. But I've said the Mission League champion should be a top-four seed, and my opinion has not changed."

LaCour, in his fifth year, is a proven winner who won a City title at El Camino Real and three as a Chatsworth assistant. Harvard-Westlake, led by hard-throwing junior right-hander Lucas Giolito, is hoping to have enough pitching to get through the grueling 48-team tournament that concludes June 2 at Dodger Stadium.

"It's all about pitching, especially early-game pitching," LaCour said. "We have to have our pitchers show up in the first inning and be ready to go. And if we get the pitching, we need to ways to score."

First-round games start Thursday in some divisions and Friday in others. The second round is Tuesday, so some Division II survivors undoubtedly will come back with their ace because of an extra day's rest, though Harvard-Westlake does not plan to overuse Giolito. If the Wolverines win, freshman Jack Flaherty is slated to pitch the next game.

"We're going to play it pretty straight up. We have confidence in Jack as our No. 2," LaCour said. "Yes, we have options, but we're not going to mess around with Lucas. We're doing well right now, and I think we have the depth."

The Div. I playoffs start Friday. Among those granted a home opener are Marmonte League champion Westlake and Foothill League champion Valencia, which could see wild-card entry Moorpark in the first round if the Musketeers can eliminate visiting Millikan on Tuesday.

"This kind of atmosphere, this is when you come to realize what it's all about - performing your best at the end of the season," LaCour said. "We're in a good state of mind and we're playing well, so let's go out and do this."

Div. III Quartz Hill is seeded No. 2, Div. IV Campbell Hall is No. 4 and Div. VI Desert Christian is No. 3.

City Section pairings are scheduled to be released Wednesday, and the first round is slated for May 24. Chatsworth is expected to be the No. 1 seed in Div. I.

Playoff pairings are slated to be released today, beginning at noon (highest is d2) for some divisions and an hour or so later for others. Stay tuned.

Jimmy Steuve has resigned as coach at Thousand Oaks.

Stueve is moving to Visalia.

Interested applicants shluld send resumes to the athletic director at Thousand Oaks.

ARCADIA --- It was one of those Friday-the-13th type of baseball losses that seemed cursed from the start.

Before an overflow crowd of about 500, Crescenta Valley High blew a chance to forge a tie with first-place Arcadia in the Pacific League finale, falling 8-1 in a mistake-filled game the Falcons are hoping to forget about as soon as possible.

Not only did Crescenta Valley hit and pitch poorly, the Falcons committed six errors - and Arcadia was only too happy to capitalize on just about all of them in winning its 30th league game in a row and claiming the league title for the third consecutive year.

"It was kind of disappointing and kind of embarrassing," Crescenta Valley pitcher Elliot Surrey said. "We can play a lot better."

Crescenta Valley probably blew a chance to be a top-four seed when the Southern Section Div. II playoff pairings are released Monday.

"We just didn't come to play. We made too many mistakes," Crescenta Valley center fielder Troy Mulcahey said. "We need to take this loss and forget about it and get back on a winning streak again."

Crescenta Valley coach Phil Torres called it "a clunker."

"I can't tell you why it happened. It's tough, it's no fun, it's not fair," Torres said. "We've been struggling over the past week trying to out-hit our own pitching, and it caught up to us. We made mistakes, and that's tough because Arcadia is a well-coached team."

Coming in with a seven-game winning streak, Crescenta Valley (23-4, 13-2) totaled just three hits off Arcadia's K.J. Edson (10-1), who pitched a complete game with five strikeouts while allowing just one runner past second over the final four innings.

Surrey, a left-hander, lasted 2 2/3-plus innings while losing for the first time this season.

"I wasn't hitting my spots well, and I was the leaving ball out over the plate," Surrey said.

After going 1-2-3 in the first inning, Arcadia (23-3, 14-0) got to Surrey in the second. Erik Trask and Gary Huang singled, followed by George Papavasiliou's opposite-field three-run home run over the right-field fence for a 3-0 lead.

One inning later, Arcadia chased Surrey. Haram Park walked and eventually scored on consecutive wild pitches, then Brendan Campbell singled and scored on Huang's single combined with an outfield error.

Down 5-1, reliever Kyle Murray was summoned. An inning later, Arcadia scored again, parlaying two infield errors, a stolen base and a wild pitch that scored Brandon Benson.

Crescenta Valley scored in the second when Ted Boeke got aboard on an infield, took second on Cam Silva's grounder, advanced on Tyler Pollak's single and scored on Cole Currie's grounder to second.

In the sixth, Arcadia was busy again. With two out, Benson and Tyler Dominguez singled, both advancing on a wild pitch before scoring on Park's two-run single to make it 8-1.

Damon Charlot has been named boys' basketball coach at Cleveland High in Reseda.

Charlot is a former player at Cleveland under Bobby Braswell and was an asst. coach last year to Osiris Nalls.

Congrats to Chatsworth senior Steven Karkenny, who has been named 2011 CIF/Farmer's Scholar-Athlete of Year for the L.A. City Section, according to a CIF State media release.

Crespi coach Russell White previously coached at Calabasas and had an asst. coach named Ernie Wallengren, who succumbed to ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).

In his honor, White started a fundraiser to help medical research for the crippling disease.

The 8th annual Ernie Wallengren Hoopfest is scheduled for Saturday at Calabasas High.

The event is from 9 a.m. until around 4 p.m. and will be a full day of basketball games and a silent auction.

Teams and individuals can enter.

The cost is $50 for adults, $35 for children.

Anybody can show up and will be put on a team.

San Fernando Valley officials have donated their time.

Auction items include sports and entertainment tickets and sports memorabilia among many other items.

Games will be 5 on 5 on two courts.

Donation includes a t-shirt and lunch from Ruby's Diner.

There also will be a 3-point shooting contest.

Most importantly, all money goes to benefit ALS research.

Men, women and children are encouraged to attend.

www.dreamsdontdie.org for more information

It has taken a long time for Royal High's baseball team to recover from the graduation of superstar pitcher Cody Buckel, drafted in the fourth round by the Texas Rangers.

At one point, the Highlanders (19-8) lost six of seven games, but today they're among the Southern Section's hottest team in any division after finishing with 11 consecutive victories.

"We didn't have any pitching returning, just a lot of kids with no varsity experience, so we took our lumps," coach Dan Maye said. "We lost a few games that we were leading, but then we made some adjustments, some position changes, and we've gotten better each game. We're on a roll."

Justin Greco, a key returnee from last year's 25-7 team, endured a 3-for-22 slump, but he's on a seven-game hitting streak - including a three-run home run Thursday in a win over Moorpark - and he's hitting .316 with four home runs and 34 RBIs. Fellow returnees Nick Kinsman (.419, three home runs, 23 RBIs) and Ryan Tinkham (.403, two home runs, 27 RBIs) are also performing well, and Nick Murphy is 6-1 with a 2.03 ERA.

By finishing fifth in the Marmonte League, Royal figures to sneak into the playoffs as a at-large entry, but there probably are not a lot of league champions out there who want to see the Highlanders in the first round.

"We've kept on working hard, we've never taken a Saturday off, and I think we're dangerous," Maye said. "We're dangerous because we're not a ranked team, so we don't have anything to lose. But we can score some runs."

Valencia is tearing the cover off the ball with 37 home runs - tops in Southern Section, according to Maxpreps - as sophomore A.J. Balta has 11 and junior Trey Williams has eight.

The high-powered Vikings, who've advanced past the section quarterfinals just once in school history, were hoping to make a Division I playoff run. But now top pitchers Nick Rivas and Quincy Quintero are out indefinitely with arm problems.

"We're hoping to get at least one of them back, but we're not really sure," coach Jared Snyder said. "We need our guys healthy, or we need other guys to step up."

David Hausman, a top right-hander, remains out for the season, too. So if Valencia is going to succeed, the Vikings must really get into the swing of things.

"I think we're seeing the ball pretty well, and everyone is having a good season," Balta said. "That's what this team is all about."

Shane Zeile (five home runs) and Alex Bishop (three home runs) are among nine with at least one home run in a season supposedly favoring the pitchers because of new bat restrictions.

"We have some good hitters on our team," Bishop said. "We've been working hard, hitting every day, and it's paid off."

After hitting 10 home runs as a sophomore, Hillcrest Christian's Josh Clark is having another big season with nine home runs, six over the past seven games. He's batting .611 with 34 RBIs in 17 games, and he's 6-2 with 3.55 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 45 innings.

Monroe pitcher Manny Villa is 2-7, but his record is misleading because Monroe totaled two runs or fewer in five of the losses.

He also has a 14-game hitting streak, and the senior first baseman is batting .479 with 27 RBIs -- one of the most productive seasons in the East Valley League.

Tyler Glasnow has 90 strikeouts, and if he can be the next Hart pitcher to reach 100 in a season, the 6-foot-6 right-hander will be in good company. The others are Andrew Lorraine, Bobby Graves, James Shields and Trevor Bauer. Lorraine and Shields made it to the majors, Graves reached double-A, and Bauer is the top college prospect in the USA at UCLA.

Another top strikeout pitcher is Calvin Bonilla, an Eagle Rock senior who is 4-3 with 91 strikeouts in 63 innings - an average of more than 10 per seven innings.

Wednesday Jan. 11
Birmingham at Granada Hills
Taft at El Camino Real
Chatsworth at Cleveland

Friday Jan. 13
Birmingham at Chatsworth
Granada Hills at Taft
El Camino Real at Cleveland

Wednesday Jan. 18
Cleveland at Taft
El Camino Real at Birmignham
Granada Hills at Chatsworth

Friday Jan. 20
Cleveland at Granada Hills
Chatsworth at El Camino Real
Taft at Birmingham

Wednesday Jan. 25
Taft at Chatsworth
Birmingham at Cleveland
El Camino Real at Granada Hills

Friday Jan. 27
Granada Hills at Birmingham
El Camino Real at Taft
Cleveland at Chatsworth

Wednesday Feb. 1
Chatsworth at Birmingham
Taft at Granada Hills
Cleveland at El Camino Real

Friday Feb. 3
Taft at Cleveland
Birmingham at El Camino Real
Chatsworth at Granada Hills

Wednesday Feb. 8
Granada Hills at Cleveland
El Camino Real at Chatsworth
Birmingham at Taft

Friday Feb. 10
Chatsworth at Taft
Cleveland at Birmingham
Granada Hills at El Camino Real

MISSION LEAGUE
BOYS BASKETBALL
2012

WED.
Jan. 4
H/W @ ST. FRANCIS

LOYOLA @ CRESPI

ALEMANY @ CHAMINADE

BYE- NOTRE DAME

FRI
Jan. 6
LOYOLA @ ALEMANY

CRESPI @ ST. FRANCIS

NOTRE DAME @ H/W

BYE- CHAMINADE

MON
Jan. 9
CRESPI @ NOTRE DAME

ST. FRANCIS @ ALEMANY

CHAMINADE @ LOYOLA

BYE- H/W

WED
Jan. 11
NOTRE DAME @ LOYOLA

CHAMINADE @ H/W

CRESPI @ ALEMANY

BYE-ST. FRANCIS

FRI
Jan. 13
CHAMINADE @ CRESPI

H/W @ LOYOLA

ST. FRANCIS @ NOTRE DAME

BYE- ALEMANY

THU
Jan. 19
ST. FRANCIS @ CHAMINADE

ALEMANY @ NOTRE DAME

H/W @ CRESPI

BYE- LOYOLA

SAT
Jan. 21
ALEMANY @ H/W

NOTRE DAME @ CHAMINADE

LOYOLA @ ST. FRANCIS

BYE- CRESPI

MON
Jan. 23
ST. FRANCIS @ H/W

CRESPI @ LOYOLA

CHAMINADE @ ALEMANY

BYE- NOTRE DAME

WED
Jan. 25
ALEMANY @ LOYOLA

ST. FRANCIS @ CRESPI

H/W @ NOTRE DAME

BYE- CHAMINADE

FRI
Jan. 27
NOTRE DAME @ CRESPI

ALEMANY @ ST. FRANCIS

LOYOLA @ CHAMINADE

BYE- H/W

WED
Feb. 1
LOYOLA @ NOTRE DAME

H/W @ CHAMINADE

ALEMANY @ CRESPI

BYE- ST. FRANCIS

FRI
Feb. 3
CRESPI @ CHAMINADE

LOYOLA @ HW

NOTRE DAME @ ST. FRANCIS

BYE- ALEMANY

MON.
Feb. 6
CHAMINADE @ ST. FRANCIS

NOTRE DAME @ ALEMANY

CRESPI @ H/W

BYE- LOYOLA

WED.
Feb. 8
H/W @ ALEMANY

CHAMINADE @ NOTRE DAME

ST. FRANCIS @ LOYOLA

BYE- CRESPI

Crespi's Jack Colick has committed to Cal State East Bay, where he'll join Crespi teammate Madison Dang, a pitcher.

Valencia's Lonnie Jackson and Taft's Spencer Dinwiddie have been named second-team all-state by Cal Hi Sports. Here's the full list:

All-State First Team Overall

C - Ryan Anderson, Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 6-8 Sr.

G - Roderick Bobbitt, Castro Valley (Castro Valley, Calif.) 6-2 Sr.

G - Jabari Brown, Oakland (Oakland, Calif.) 6-5 Sr.

C - Angelo Chol, Hoover (San Diego, Calif.) 6-9 Sr.

F - Dominique Dunning, Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.

F - Aaron Gordon, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 6-8 Soph.

G - Cezar Guerrero, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-1 Sr.

F - Darius Nelson, Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 6-6 Sr.

G - Norman Powell, Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.) 6-3 Sr.

F - Byron Wesley, Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 6-5 Sr.

All-State Second Team Overall

G - Chris Anderson, Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.) 5-9 Sr.

C - Brandon Ashley, Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 6-9 Jr.

G - Spencer Dinwiddie, Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) 6-3 Sr.

G - Lonnie Jackson, Valencia (Valencia, Calif.) 6-3 Sr.

C - Grant Jerrett, Lutheran (La Verne, Calif.) 6-9 Jr.

F - Xavier Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-6 Jr.

G - Reese Morgan, Peninsula (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) 6-2 Sr.

G - Katin Reinhardt, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-3 Jr.

F - Wesley Saunders, Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-6 Sr.

C - Stuart Wesonga, San Marin (Novato, Calif.) 6-9 Sr.

All-State Third Team Overall

C - Juan Anderson, Castro Valley (Castro Valley, Calif.) 6-7 Sr.

F - Jabari Bird, Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) 6-6 Soph.

F - C.J. Blackwell, Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) 6-5 Sr.

G - Michael Caffey, Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 6-2 Sr.

F - Dorian Cason, Summit (Fontana, Calif.) 6-7 Sr.

C - Robert Garrett, Sacramento (Sacramento, Calif.) 6-10 Sr.

G - Dylan Garrity, Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 6-2 Sr.

G - Alexis Moore, Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 6-2 Sr.

F - Travis Pacos, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 6-3 Sr.

C - Antonio Worthy, Montebello (Montebello, Calif.) 6-11 Sr.

2011 Cal-Hi Sports Boys Basketball
All-State Teams By CIF Divisions

Division I

Juan Anderson (Castro Valley) 6-7 Sr. C
Ryan Anderson (Long Beach Poly, Long Beach) 6-8 Sr. C
Kevin Bailey (Clovis East, Clovis) 6-5 Sr. F
C.J. Blackwell (Taft, Woodland Hills) 6-5 Sr. F
Roderick Bobbitt (Castro Valley) 6-2 Sr. G
Jabari Brown (Oakland) 6-5 Sr. G
Michael Caffey (Centennial, Corona) 6-1 Sr. G
Jordan Daniels (Etiwanda) 5-8 Sr. G
Johnny Dee (Rancho Buena Vista, Vista) 5-11 Sr. G
Spencer Dinwiddie (Taft, Woodland Hills) 6-4 Sr. G
Dominique Dunning (Centennial, Corona) 6-4 Sr. F
Ramon Eaton (Sheldon, Sacramento) 6-8 Sr. C
John Gilliam (Upland) 6-1 Sr. G
Robert Gsellman (Westchester, Los Angeles) 6-6 Sr. F
Justin Gudger (Murrieta Valley, Murrieta) 6-4 Sr. F
Lonnie Jackson (Valencia) 6-3 Sr. G
Denzel Johnson (Clovis West, Fresno) 6-3 Sr. F
Xavier Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-6 Jr. F
Drew Kitchens (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad) 6-5 Sr. G
Alexis Moore (Long Beach Poly, Long Beach) 6-3 Sr. G
Darius Nelson (Sheldon, Sacramento) 6-6 Sr. F
Travis Pacos (De La Salle, Concord) 6-3 Sr. F
Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-3 Jr. G
Ashton Robinson (Redlands) 6-2 Sr. G
Michaelyn Scott (Washington Prep, Los Angeles) 6-2 Sr. G
Joe Stein (Loyola, Los Angeles) 6-2 Sr. C
Darnell Taylor (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 6-3 Sr. G
Mark Tollefson (San Ramon Valley, Danville) 6-9 Sr. C
Byron Wesley (Etiwanda) 6-5 Sr. F
Antonio Worthy (Montebello) 6-11 Sr. C

Player of the Year: Ryan Anderson
Coach of the Year: Gary McKnight (Mater Dei)

Division II

Montigo Alford (Summit, Fontana) 5-10 Sr. G
Chris Anderson (Canyon, Anaheim) 5-9 Sr. G
Dorian Cason (Summit, Fontana) 6-7 Sr. F
Angelo Chol (Hoover, San Diego) 6-9 Sr. C
Jonathan Davis (Simi Valley) 6-7 Sr. F
Treaven Duffy (Las Lomas, Walnut Creek) 6-2 Sr. G
Dylan Garrity (Edison, Huntington Beach) 6-2 Sr. G
Aaron Gordon (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) 6-7 Soph. C
Dylan Houck (Ventura) 6-1 Sr. G
Shaquille Hunter (Villa Park) 6-2 Sr. G
Reese Morgan (Peninsula, Palos Verdes Estates) 6-2 Sr. G
Devin Murphy (Woodcreek, Roseville) 6-1 Sr. G
Isaac Nielson (Mission Viejo) 6-10 Sr. C
David Nwaba (University, Los Angeles) 6-4 Sr. F
Davon Potts (Gahr, Cerritos) 6-3 Sr. G
Norman Powell (Lincoln, San Diego) 6-3 Sr. G
Christian Scott (University, Irvine) 6-4 Sr. F
Rasean Simpson (Lincoln, San Diego) 6-7 Sr. F
Kyle Toth (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) 6-1 Sr. G
E.J. Twyman (Elsinore, Lake Elsinore) 6-1 Sr. G

Player of the Year: Angelo Chol
Coach of the Year: Dan Larson (Ventura)

Division III

Brandon Ashley (Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland) 6-9 Jr. C
Askia Booker (Price, Los Angeles) 6-2 Sr. G
Damiene Cain (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood) 6-7 Sr. F
Kyle Caudill (Brea Olinda, Brea) 7-0 Sr. C
C.J. Cooper (Lutheran, La Verne) 6-3 Sr. F
James Douglas (Lutheran, Orange) 6-0 Sr. G
Max Fujii (Analy, Sebastopol) 5-10 Sr. G
Robert Garrett (Sacramento) 6-10 Sr. C
Cezar Guerrero (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) 6-1 Sr. G
Jabri Jenkins (El Cerrito) 6-4 Sr. F
Grant Jerrett (Lutheran, La Verne) 6-8 Jr. C
Austin McBroom (Campbell Hall, North Hollywood) 5-11 Sr. G
Mike McGlashan (La Canada) 6-2 Sr. G
Rhon Mitchell (Inglewood) 6-5 Sr. F
Troy Norris (Atascadero) 5-10 Sr. G
Norvell Pelle (Price, Los Angeles) 6-10 Sr. C
Joseph Soto (Rio Mesa, Oxnard) 6-1 Sr. G
Stewart Wesonga (San Marin, Novato) 6-8 Sr. C
Aaron Wright (Cerritos) 6-2 Sr. G
Gabe York (Lutheran, Orange) 6-3 Jr. G

Player of the Year: Brandon Ashley
Coach of the Year: Eric Cooper Sr. (Lutheran, La Verne)

Division IV

David Andoh (St. Mary's, Berkeley) 6-6 Jr. F
Dominic Artis (Salesian, Richmond) 6-0 Jr. G
Jabari Bird (Salesian, Richmond) 6-6 Soph. F
Gerry Blakes (Morningside, Inglewood) 6-0 Sr. G
Deandre Dickson (Washington, Easton) 6-7 Sr. C
Colin Gruber (Harbor, Santa Cruz) 6-3 Sr. G
Robbie Herndon (St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Vallejo) 6-3 Sr. F
Blair Holiday (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) 6-2 Sr. F
Reed McConnell (Sacred Heart Prep, Atherton) 6-5 Sr. G
Eric Norman (Parker, San Diego) 6-9 Sr. F
Anthony Pratt (Modesto Christian) 6-5 Sr. F
Wesley Saunders (Windward, Los Angeles) 6-6 Sr. F
Bobby Sharp (Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa) 5-11 Sr. G
Nick Stover (Windward, Los Angeles) 6-4 Jr. F
Grant Verhoeven (Central Valley Christian, Visalia) 6-8 Sr. C

Player of the Year: Wesley Saunders
Coach of the Year: Miguel Villegas (Windward)

Division V

Jake Abel (Vacaville Christian) 5-10 Sr. G
Lydell Cardwell (Mid-Peninsula, Palo Alto) 6-2 Sr. G
Tyler Cross (Horizon, San Diego) 6-6 Sr. F
Trey Dickerson (Montclair Prep, Van Nuys) 6-0 Jr. G
Justin Jeangerard (Trinity, Weaverville) 6-4 Sr. F
Brendan Keane (St. Joseph Notre Dame, Alameda) 6-10 Sr. C
Raymond Nelson (Calif. School for the Deaf, Riverside) 6-3 Sr. G
Brandon Randolph (St. Bernard, Playa del Rey) 6-3 Soph. G
Kenyatta Smith (Flintridge Prep, La Canada) 6-8 Sr. C
Noah Springwater (University, San Francisco) 6-3 Sr. G
Jahmel Taylor (Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth) 6-0 Soph. G
Logan Vos (Ripon Christian) 6-4 Sr. G/F
Jacori Whitfield (St. Joseph Notre Dame, Alameda) 5-9 Sr. G
Daniel Wohl (Poly, Pasadena) 6-5 Sr. G
Sheldon Wright (View Park Prep, Los Angeles) 5-10 Jr. G

Player of the Year: Brendan Keane
Coach of the Year: Mike Jarvis (Vacaville Christian)

2011 Cal-Hi Sports Boys Basketball
All-State Underclass Teams

First Team Juniors (15)

Brandon Ashley (Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland) 6-9 C
Zena Edosomwan (Harvard-Westlake, N. Hollywood) 6-8 F
Julian Harrell (Loyola, Los Angeles) 6-5 F
Grant Jerrett (Lutheran, La Verne) 6-8 C
Donovan Johnson (Palisades, Pacific Palisades) 6-0 G
Tajai Johnson (Vallejo) 6-2 G
Xavier Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-6 F
Joe Rahon (Torrey Pines, San Diego) 6-1 G
Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-3 G
Chris Reyes (Damien, La Verne) 6-7 F
Matt Shrigley (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad) 6-4 G
E.J. Twyman (Elsinore, Lake Elsinore) 6-1 G
Grant Verhoeven (Central Valley Christian, Visalia) 6-8 C
Tyrone Wallace (Bakersfield) 6-3 F
Gabe York (Lutheran, Orange) 6-3 G

Second Team Juniors (15)

David Andoh (St. Mary's, Berkeley) 6-6 F
Dominic Artis (Salesian, Richmond) 6-0 G
Alex Fertig (Buchanan, Clovis) 6-2 G
Daaron Flagg (Sultana, Hesperia) 6-5 G
Max Guercy (Alemany, Mission Hills) 5-9 G
Jimmy Jackson (Cypress) 5-10 G
Richard Longrus (Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland) 6-6 F
Trevor Priest (Santa Teresa, San Jose) 6-5 F
Victor Robbins (Compton) 6-5 F/G
Skylar Spencer (Price, Los Angeles) 6-8 F
William Stallworth (Tulare) 6-1 G
Nick Stover (Windward, Los Angeles) 6-5 F
Parker U'u (Jesuit, Carmichael) 6-4 F
Javion Watson (San Ysidro) 6-3 G
Dion Wright (Mayfair, Lakewood) 6-6 F

Player of the Year: Brandon Ashley

Sophomores (15)

Jabari Bird (Salesian, Richmond) 6-6 F
Nick Colletta (Glendora) 6-4 F
Eric Cooper Jr. (Lutheran, La Verne) 6-2 G
Stephen Domingo (St. Ignatius, San Francisco) 6-6 F
Aaron Gordon (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) 6-7 C
Isaac Hamilton (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 6-5 F
Jordan Matthews (Santa Monica) 6-2 G
Roschon Prince (Long Beach Poly, Long Beach) 6-6 F
Brandon Randolph (St. Bernard, Playa del Rey) 6-3 G
Tyree Robinson (Lincoln, San Diego) 6-3 G
Tyrell Robinson (Lincoln, San Diego) 6-3 F
Jahmel Taylor (Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth) 6-0 G
Quentin Taylor (Palm Springs) 6-2 G
T.J. Wallace (McNair, Stockton) 6-3 F
D'Erryl Williams (Sheldon, Sacramento) 6-3 G

Player of the Year: Aaron Gordon

Freshmen (10)

Shaqquan Aaron (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-3 F
Bryan Alberts (Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth) 6-4 G
Ajon Efferson (Taft, Woodland Hills) 5-9 G
Tra Holder (Brentwood, Los Angeles) 6-0 G
Parker Jackson-Cartwright (Loyola, Los Angeles) 5-9 G
Rashad Jackson (Garces, Bakersfield) 6-1 G
Marsalis Johnson (Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth) 6-6 F
Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-4 F
Spencer Mattox (Sweetwater, National City) 6-0 G
Murshid Randle (Central, Fresno) 6-2 G

Player of the Year: Parker Jackson-Cartwright

Kennedy High's Alberto Flores took a perfect game into the bottom of seventh inning Wednesday, settling for a one-hitter in a 3-1 victory at San Fernando that clinched a share of the Valley Mission League baseball title.

"I sort of knew I was pitching a perfect game, but I wasn't thinking about it," Flores said. "It wasn't my main concern. I was just trying to throw strikes."

It's a baseball tradition not to talk about a potential no-hitter, especially a perfect game. So with Kennedy (23-7, 11-0) safely ahead by three runs, by the time the last inning rolled around, just about everyone was thinking about it without saying anything out loud.

"I knew exactly what was going on," Kennedy catcher Chris Mallon said.

David Garcia's slicing liner looked like it was going to be caught by Kennedy right fielder David Gutierrez, but the outfielder got a bad jump as the baseball cleared his head and bounced into the corner.

"He's a good defensive player. That's a play he makes nine out of 10 times," Kennedy coach Manny Alvarado said.

Garcia eventually scored on an infield error on a pickoff attempt, taking away the shutout, too, but there was still a lot to celebrate, as Kennedy, a seven-time section champion hoping to regain its status among the City Section's top teams after losing in the first round of the playoffs last season, can win the league title outright Friday when the teams meet again in the finale.

"I knew it was a no-hitter, so I moved up closer to the plate and was just trying to get on base," Garcia said. "When I hit it, I saw the ball going up, and I thought, 'This could be good.'"

Riding a seven-game winning streak including the past three by shutout, San Fernando entered with a team batting average of .403, but the Tigers managed to hit just two balls out of the infield, as Flores , a 6-foot right-hander, mixed a fastball that tailed in on right-handers along with a sharp-breaking curve that snapped away at the last moment.

Flores was constantly ahead, and when the senior did miss, he did not do so by much, finishing with five strikeouts as the game concluded in a breezy 90 minutes.

"I could have closed my eyes and just stuck my mitt out, and Alberto would have hit it every time," Mallon said. "He was doing his thing."

Sierra Canyon returns all five starters from last season and could be even better with two top freshman expected to join them.

Juwan Trotter and Malik Anderson could have a big impact.

Anderson (6'5) is the son of former NBA player Nick Anderson.

Notre Dame certainly has endured its share of players leaving recently.

Top freshman Jahmel Taylor and Ausar Madison left after the 2010 season and now sophomore Anthony Swan is reportedly headed to a prep school in Virginia.

Don't feel too bad for coach Bill Bedgood and the Knights just yet.

Notre Dame is expected to get a boost this fall when top 8th graders Cameron Glassen, Ryan Ducar, Tristan Dohs, Matthew Davidson and Cesar Reyes enroll at the Sherman Oaks campus.

Sophomore point guard Jahmel Taylor has had quite a year.

Taylor transferred from Notre Dame to Sierra Canyon, led the Trailblazers to a Southern Section Div. V-AA championship and received scholarship offers from USC and San Francisco.

Taylor was recently named to the Cal-Hi Sports all-state sophomore team and coach Ryan Silver reports Washington, Washington St. and Colorado have come in with offers bringing the total to five.

San Fernando and Kennedy have defeated every Valley Mission League opponent this season, and now they play each other in what figures to be an compelling two-game series beginning today at 3 at San Fernando, followed with the season finale Friday at Kennedy.

A win today clinches a share of the title.

"We're hoping to do something because we've been under the radar," Kennedy coach Manny Alvarado said.

The Golden Cougars (22-7, 10-0) have won seven City titles through the years, five during Alvarado's 23-year reign. But they've won a total of one playoff game over the past two seasons, including bowing out in the first round last year.

"After a couple of off years, it's good to be back where we belong," Alvarado said.

San Fernando (23-5, 10-0) has more wins than anyone in the Valley with only one loss to a City opponent, but the Tigers still need to prove themselves against elite competition.

"Both of these games are really important, but the first one is even more important because it wins the title and gives you some breathing room," San Fernando coach Armando Gomez said. "It's going to be rah-rah to the extreme today."

Cleveland High has narrowed its search down to Dave Goossen and Damon Charlot for its next boys' basketball coach.

A decision could come by the end of the week.

Current L.A. Baptist girls coach Jerry DeLaurie was another finalist but pulled out of the running this week.

Sierra Canyon's Jasmine Sneed has signed a National Letter of Intent with Northern Arizona.

Sneed was the point guard for the Trailblazers for four years and was an all-CIF selection.

Former Cleveland of Reseda star Nick Young will be hosting a youth summer camp at Oaks Christian school in Westlake Village.

The camp will be July 11-15 and run from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. There is also a half-day option from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Young led the Cavaliers to a City Section semifinal appearance in 2004 before starring at USC ans now plays for the Washington Wizards.

The camp will be run in conjunction with Oaks Christian boys' basketball coaches and will focus on offense, defense, individual skills and team concepts.

There will be a snack bar, time provided for lunch and swimming.

For more information: www.oakschristian.org

The Moorpark College Invitational boys' basketball tournament is scheduled for June 18 and 19.

Each team will play four games. Two on Saturday and two on Sunday.

El Camino Real vs. Westlake, 9 a.m. on Court 1
St. Francis vs. Oxnard, 9 a.m. on Court 2
Calabasas vs. Crescenta Valley, 10:30 a.m. on Court 1
Ventura vs. Chaminade, 10:30 a.m. on Court 2

Simi Valley vs. Camarillo, 3 p.m. on Court 1
Dos Pueblos vs. Canyon, 3 p.m. on Court 2
Chatsworth vs. Burbank, 4;30 p.m. on Court 1
Notre Dame vs. Verdugo Hills, 4:30 p.m. on Court 2

The Newbury Park baseball team had its aspirations of a Marmonte League championship hanging in the balance Monday against Westlake but received some huge performances in a 7-5 victory.

Emergency starter Griffin Paul pitched into the seventh inning and Wilson Horne came up with the defensive play of the game with two out and a runner on second in the seventh.

Westlake's Matt Baynard was on second when Michael Miller grounded a ball up the middle.

Horne dove to his right and snared the ball from going into center.

With no play on the batter, Horne executed a perfect fake throw to first and caught Baynard rounding third too sharply.

Horne threw quickly to his third baseman and Baynard was caught in a rundown ending some tense moments for the Panthers, who carried a five run lead into the final inning but saw it shrink to two and the tying run at the plate.

"I just had to think fast right there," Horne said. "I knew I didn't have a play at first. I did that play at a camp one time. Luckily it worked. I figured that was our best chance to win the game on that play."

It was Paul's pitching that put Newbury Park in great position to win.

Paul has a scholarship to UC Santa Barbara but has rarely seen action after overcoming a hip injury and transferring from Calabasas.

Paul was up to the task going for hard-throwing Danny Keller, who will now start Wednesdays league decider at Simi Valley.

Paul gave up only two runs until the seventh on seven hits with only one walk and eight strikeouts.

Paul had three 1-2-3 innings and got out of a two on no out jam in the fifth, inducing Collin Yelich into a fly out and striking out Baynard and Zak Daniels.

"Our ace got hurt a little bit and I hadn't started in a couple months but I hit my spots and let me defense work behind me. I'm working to get stronger."

Newbury Park Coach Matt Goldfield couldn't have been happier with Paul.

"He really hadn't pitched much and came through with his performance of the year. He wasn't throwing too hard but his command was good.

The Panthers got the early jump on the Warriors with two runs in the first inning and two more in the third.

Daniel Barnett singled home Taylor Zander in the first and Barnett doubled and scored in the third on Matt Haskins' single.

Joe Christian came through with a sacrifice fly for a run in the fifth and belted a two run double in the sixth for what would be the winning runs.

"We were pumped for this game," Christian said. "I knew we had something going because we were hitting well early."

Barnett finished with three hits and Zander, Eubank and Haskins each had two hits.

Zander reached base four times and scored three runs.

The Warriors' Blake Yuckert singled home Daniels and Miller in the fourth for two unearned runs after a Horne error.

Yelich doubled home Ryan Kort and freshman Luke Dykstra in the seventh.

"We lost, period," Westlake coach Zach Miller said. "It is what it is. We'll practice tomorrow and see what happens."

Westlake has to win Wednesday when it hosts Agoura and hope Simi Valley upsets Keller to win the league championship outright.

Newbury Park is in the same position needing a victory and Westlake loss for an outright championship.

If both teams lose there would be a three-way tie with Simi Valley.

"We are the best team in the league," Goldfield said. "I've talked to the other coaches. We threw our first game away against Westlake and we gave two games away to Royal. I told our guys it may take a miracle but if we get the chance to not le tit slip away. We got back in there."

Quarterback Vernon Adams and lineman Akeem Gonzales of Alemany are participating in the first annual Arizona Vs. California All-Star Game on June 25 in Surprise, Ariz.

Others are on the California roster include receiver Richard Mullaney of Thousand Oaks and receiver Michael Thomas and lineman Traves Raphael of Taft.

If it is summer time then it must be time for the annual War on the Floor tournament at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

Schools scheduled to participate include:

Campbell Hall, Sylmar, Taft, Highland, Paraclete, Sierra Canyon, Oaks Christian, Calabasas, Renaissance Academy, Montclair Prep, Buckley, Pasadena, Chatsworth, Birmingham, Brentwood, Dorsey, Bell-Jeff and Sun Valley

Christian Bradley of Montclair College Prep School in Van Nuys has been selected to compete at the Blue-Grey National Super Football Combine in Canton, Ohio on June 18, 2011.

This event, which features top high school recruits from 36 states, is held at the NFL Hall of Fame Stadium.

Bradley, a junior, was ranked the #1 wide receiver in the Alpha League's regular season.

He had 60 receptions for 1,053 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also was an outstanding performer on defense as an outside linebacker with 53 tackles and six interceptions. We have great anticipation and expectations for his senior season.

Behind a pair of strong pitching performances from Nevada signee Emily Seidel and clutch hitting from Marshall-bound junior Katie Lucas, the Village Christian softball team won the El Segundo tournament title Saturday night with a 5-2 victory over North Torrance in the final.

Seidel (13-9) gave up eight hits to North Torrance (19-8), but struck out 15 to secure MVP honors.

Lucas had a two-run double during Village Christian's four-run first inning, in addition to stealing home. Lucas, who scored twice, added a triple for the Crusaders (14-10), who held off a Saxons' rally in the seventh.

Seidel pitched a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts, in addition to belting two solo home runs in a 4-0 semifinal victory over host El Segundo.

Lucas added a double and drove in two runs, with Maddi Velasquez going 3 for 4 with a run for Village Christian, which has won seven in a row since a 5-0 loss April 14 at Whittier Christian (17-7, 4-2). The Crusaders knocked off Whittier Christian 4-3 in Thursday's rematch to take over sole possession of first place in the Olympic League, a game ahead of the Heralds entering Tuesday's contest at Maranatha (8-13-1, 1-6).

Christian Aurand has resigned as head coach of Simi Valley for family reasons after 12 years as head coach.

Here is the schedule for the City Section Division I PLAYOFFS

Second round, Tuesday, 7 p.m.

#16 Los Angeles Marshall at #1 Granada Hills

#9 Van Nuys at #8 Sylmar

#12 San Pedro at #5 Birmingham

#13 Bell at #4 Narbonne

#14 El Camino Real at #3 Poly

#11 West Adams at #6 Taft

#10 Cleveland at #7 Carson

#15 Kennedy at #2 Palisades

Zach Hernandez, one of the top receivers in the Mission League at Alemany, has transferred to Oaks Christian.

Carlos Mendoza, an Oaks Christian junior linebacker, has been offered a scholarship by Arizona State.

The good ones save their best for last, so it's no surprise high-powered Chatsworth High is peaking in the final stretch of the baseball season.

The host Chancellors took a big step today toward winning the West Valley League championship with a 4-0 victory over rival El Camino Real that gave Chatsworth (16-5, 6-1) a one-game lead with three to play, starting with a rematch Friday at El Camino Real.

Angel Rodriguez, a right-hander with a sharp-breaking curveball and pin-point control, pitched a three-hitter with no walks, holding the defending City Section-champion Conquistadores to one single over the final 6 1/3 innings while out-pitching reigning City Player of the Year Jose Cardona (5-3).

Rodriguez struck out eight and allowed just two runners past first base.

"Whatever I had in me, I put it all out there today," Rodriguez said. "We just went out and competed from the beginning. We're in a good position, and we're just going to keep moving forward."

Chatsworth has a deep, experienced pitching staff with Rodriguez, Aaron Brown, Steven Karkenny and Christian Lopez, all of whom won five games or more last season, and a sweep on Friday would almost surely give the Chancellors the No. 1 seed in the playoffs -- providing they can take care of fourth-place Birmingham in a closing two-game series.

Today was Rodriguez's day, and it's always satisfying to defeat El Camino Real, one of the few San Fernando Valley programs in the same class as the nine-time City champion Chancellors.

"Angel just bore down and shoved it today," Karkenny said.

Or, as teammate Brady Conlan put it: "Angel was just pounding the zone. He was attacking, flat out."

Cardona, who entered with a 1.96 ERA, was not as dominant as usual, but the right-hander turned in a strong enough performance to beat most teams, allowing four runs (two earned) on 10 hits, two walks and a hit batter.

"Our team just wasn't ready to play today," Cardona said. "We made a couple of errors that cost us a couple of runs, and then the team just folded and never responded back. Angel put the ball where he needed to. He did his job and let the defense work and make plays for him."

Conlan and Ricky Obando both had two hits and an RBI, Aaron Brown chipped in two hits, and second baseman Jake Holley had five putouts, including a couple of nice plays.
"I just thought we came out with the right attitude and the right mindset," Conlan said. "We need to keep that same mindset."

It was a good win for Chatsworth, but not as important as the rematch on Friday. If the Chancellors win again, they all but clinch it. If El Camino Real comes back, they're tied again with the Conquistadores finishing with two games against third-place Taft.
"It's a must-win game," El Camino Real coach Josh Lienhard said.

El Camino Real is 15-12, 5-2, but the Conquistadores are 8-2 at home.
"It's not over yet," Cardona said.

Eric McIntyre has been named football coach at Antelope Valley.

McIntyre has previously been an asst. at Notre Dame, Reseda, Glendale College and Valley College.

Fausto Arana is the new boys' soccer coach at Golden Valley following a three-year tenure at Foothill League rival Hart.

"We are fortunate to have Coach Arana step in and take over our program," athletic director Robert Fisher said. .

Nelson Spruce, a star receiver for Westlake, was arrested Wednesday for marijuana possession on campus, according to a report on localcrimenews.com. and other sources.

Spruce, 18, has signed with Colorado.

I've put in several calls to Westlake. Stand by.

Patrick McGoldrick, a freshman offensive lineman and linebacker who was the MVP for West Ranch's frosh team this past season, has transferred to St. Francis.

McGoldrick has a 4.0 grade-point average.