September 2011 Archives

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE - In the moments before the opening kickoff before a heavily anticipated matchup against visiting West Ranch High, St. Francis assembled in the locker room, and as an overflow crowd awaited, coach Jim Bonds implored the host Golden Knights to do everything possible to stop West Ranch's prized running back, Jeff Coprich.

"Don't let No. 4 in the open field. We need 11 hats on him whenever he touches the ball," Bonds said. "I can see it in your eyes that you're fired up."

St. Francis did exactly as Bonds implored, swarming Coprich at all times, and the running back was a non-factor, as St. Francis jumped to a 28-point halftime lead in a 35-0 victory.
Coprich gained 13 yards on his first carry, but he did not do a thing the rest of the evening, finishing with 43 yards in 11 carries, as West Ranch never penetrated St. Francis' 50-yard line.

"I have a sprained ankle, but that's no excuse - St. Francis is a great team," Coprich said.
Among the swarming St. Francis defenders was Tyler Marona, who came through with several tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including two sacks, as the Golden Knights limited West Ranch to 61 yards total offense.

"We knew coming in that Coprich was highly touted and that he was the one who could make plays," Marona said. "We hit him hard, and he was very mature about it. He never complained and played with a lot of heart. I respect that."

Bonds was pleased, and rightfully so. He told his players what to do, and they did it.

"Obviously, we were keying on him, and these are smart kids," Bonds said. "Eleven brown jerseys every time Coprich touched the ball - they did a real good job, and they kept it up all night."

St. Francis' Lebowitz, a junior, completed 10 of 20 for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

Austin De Los Santos finished with 98 yards in 17 carries, and Travis Talianko had four catches for 111 yards.

St. Francis is really taking it to West Ranch. Jared Lebowitz has accounted for three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing, and the Golden Knights lead 35-0 with 5:22 left in the third period.

St. Francis looks sharp against visiting West Ranch, scoring on a 57-yard pass from Jared Lebowitz to Travis Talianko for a 21-0 lead with five minutes left in the first half.

Chaminade High in West Hills has a full 16-team field for its annual tournament.

Brackets will not be released until November.

Here are the 16 teams scheduled to participate.

Chaminade
Saugus
Bonita
St Bonny
Campbell Hall
Menlo
Valencia
Valley Torah
St. Monica
Lancaster
Golden Valley
Eastside Catholic (Washington)
Providence
Poly (Sun Valley)
Kennedy
Eastside

Chaminade, Campbell Hall, Valencia and Saugus have the inside track to the semifinals.

George Hees, who led Oaks Christian to four consecutive Southern Section boys' volleyball titles from 2005-08, has stepped down as Lions coach, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

Hees will remain as Oaks Christian's girls' volleyball coach, after leading the Lions to the Div. II-AA semifinals last year. Oaks Christian (12-1) is ranked No. 4 in Div. II-AA this season.

Hees posted a 174-40 record in eight seasons as boys' coach, winning playoff matches in three divisions. Oaks Christian advanced to the second round of the Div. II playoffs in the spring, losing to Beckman.

Jordan Thiel, a 6-foot-4 tight end for Simi Valley, has committed to San Jose State.

One week after being beaten out for the starting quarterback position at Oaks Christian, Luke Falk has left the school.

"He left (Monday). It's definitely a big loss," receiver Jordan Payton said. "All I know is it's a family situation. He really loves Oaks Christian. He told everyone goodbye."

Falk was not available for comment.

With sophomore Brandon Dawkins, the Lions' new starting quarterback, throwing for 168 yards and accounting for two touchdowns Friday in a 36-24 Marmonte League victory over St. Bonaventure, Chandler Whitbord is the new backup quarterback after being promoted from the JV team.

"He's pretty good," Payton said.

Oaks Christian plays host Friday to Calabasas, before a visit Oct. 6 to intracity rival Westlake.

In the wake of Jake Maulhardt's incredible performance of 28 receptions in one game this past Friday in a loss at Canyon -- we had him for 345 yards not 347 like Cal-Hi Sports -- here is a list of the all-time state marks for catches and yardage:

Most Yards (Game)
377 - Ramon Nevarez, Garden Grove Bolsa Grande (53) vs. Westminster La Quinta (23), 1996 (8 receps, 4 TDs)
373 - Keith Poole, Clovis (44) vs. Bakersfield Foothill (31), 1991 (9 receps, 4 TDs)
347 - Jake Maulhardt, Camarillo (28) vs. Canyon Country Canyon (52), 2011 (28 receps, 3 TDs)
340 - Cameron Rowland, Pleasanton Foothill (59) vs. Union Logan (37), 2010 (Jr.)
338 - Chris Camacho, Riverside Ramona (28) vs. Bloomington (52), 2003
335 - Tori Brown, Duarte vs. Alhambra Keppel, 1983
335 - Skyler Moore, Montclair (32) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (59), 2003
335 - Brayden Sanchez, Hanford (44) vs. Delano (39), 2009 (Soph.)
329 - Jason Lucky, Playa del Ray St. Bernard vs. Burbank Bell-Jeff, 1988
329 - Neima Khaila, Pleasanton Foothill (34) vs. San Ramon California (21), 2004
326 - Bryan Huston, Agoura Hills Agoura (52) vs. Newbury Park (49), 2002
326 - A.J. Conti, Lakeside El Capitan (43) vs. San Diego St. Augustine (51), 2006
323 - John McKay, La Puente Bishop Amat vs. Downey Pius X, 1969 (Jr.)
319 - Steve Martinez, Los Angeles Wilson vs. Los Angeles Marshall, 1977
318 - Fernando Olivares, Watsonville (60) vs. Felton San Loranzo Valley (51), 2009
318 - Logan Smith, Folsom Vista del Lago (41) vs. Galt Liberty Ranch (33) (OT), 2011
316 - Richard Mullaney, Thousand Oaks (34) vs. Westlake Village Oaks Christian (57), 2010
314 - Tanner Elliot, La Palma Kennedy (23) vs. Anaheim Canyon (34), 2003
312 - Steve Martinez, Los Angeles Wilson vs. Hollywood, 1977
309 - Roman Lozano, Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe vs. Whittier Pioneer, 1985
308 - Beau Smith, Roseville (35) vs. Elk Grove Pleasant Grove (55), 2010
307 - Brian Fleming, Laguna Hills vs. Santa Paula, 1987
307 - Alfred Varela, San Gabriel (20) vs. San Marino (3), 2005 (12 catches)
304 - Jeshua Anderson, Woodland Hills Taft (62) vs. Gardena (30), 2006
301 - Matt Luft, Thousand Oaks (38) vs. Arroyo Grande (31), 2004 (Jr.)
301 - Chris Rivas, Canyon Country Canyon (35) vs. West Hills Chaminade (21), 2008 (13 recepts, 4 TDs)
300 - Tom Bingham, San Jose Leigh (30) vs. San Jose Independence (27), 2003

Most Receptions (Game)
28 - Jake Maulhardt, Camarillo (28) vs. Canyon Country Canyon (52), 2011
26 - David Sepulveda, Fullerton vs. Buena Park, 1984
24 - Steve Martinez, Los Angeles Wilson vs. Los Angeles Marshall, 1977
24 - Bryson Lloyd, Santa Barbara (28) vs. Thousand Oaks (49), 2008
24 - Logan Smith, Folsom Vista del Lago (41) vs. Galt Liberty Ranch (33) (OT), 2011
21 - Rex Hudler, Fresno Bullard vs. Bakersfield West, 1977
21 - Corey Keller, Modesto Downey (35) vs. Modesto Johansen (41), 2009
20 - Johnny Ace, El Cajon Valhalla vs. El Cajon Valley, 1974
20 - Richard Rodriguez, El Monte Mountain View vs. La Puente Bassett, 1980
20 - Ricky Williams, Daly City Westmoor vs. Half Moon Bay, 1989
20 - Danny Flanagan, Cypress vs. Anaheim Katella, 1991
20 - Chuck Rogers, Ceres vs. Merced, 2000
19 - Mike Brady, Encino Crespi vs. Los Angeles Salesian, 1974
19 - Steve Martinez, Los Angeles Wilson vs. Los Angeles Lincoln, 1977**
19 - Marshall Jones, Blythe Palo Verde vs. El Centro Central, 1991
19 - Chuck Rogers, Ceres vs. Merced, 2000
19 - Matt Griffin, Watsonville Monte Vista Christian (28) vs. Watsonville (42), 2006
19 - Richard Mullaney, Thousand Oaks vs. Westlake Village Oaks Christian, 2010

Nick Isham, the Daily News Player of the Year at Westlake last season, is the starting quarterback Louisiana Tech, and the freshman is off to a good start.

He has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 926 yards and four touchdowns in four games.

Another former local, Darrell Scott, who played at Moorpark High and St. Bonaventure, has rushed for 348 yards and five touchdowns for South Florida. He also has three receptions.

DAILY NEWS TOP 20

Daily News preseason Top 20

1. Westlake (3-0) - Made quick work of Marmonte rival Thousand Oaks

2. Oaks Christian (2-1) - A star is born with sophomore QB Brandon Dawkins

3. Crespi (4-0) - No one has held Celts to fewer than 40 points

4. Alemany (3-1) - Who said Alemany was underdog vs. Chaminade?

5. Chaminade (2-1) - Mira Costa matchup should be like trip to beach

6. Canyon (4-0) - Plays fourth home game in row vs. Beverly Hills

7. Notre Dame (4-0) - Speed kills and Khalfani Muhammand is on a rampage

8. Moorpark (2-1) - Continues to improve as toughest games lie ahead

9. Valencia (1-2) - Don't expect high-scoring Santa Monica to do much

10. St. Francis (3-0) - Ready to give 4-0 West Ranch some real competition

11. Thousand Oaks (2-1) - Next three a breeze before Oaks, St. Bonnie

12. Hart (3-1) - Will be stronger once rash of injuries heal

13. West Ranch (4-0) - Win over St. Francis would confirm legitimacy

15. Saugus (3-1) - Defense should be key at Knight

16. Palmdale (1-2) - No shame in struggling against Valencia

17. Camarillo (1-2) - Tough preseason continues vs. 4-0 Ventura

17. Quartz Hill (1-1) - In midst of four-game road stretch

18. Taft (0-3) - Humbling loss in Utah

19. Sierra Canyon (4-0) - Dominated another intersectional opponent

20. El Camino Real (4-0) - Harvard-Westlake will toughest test yet

All games Friday

Vista Murrieta (3-1) at Crespi (4-0), 7 p.m. -- A year ago, Crespi accumulated 559 yards in a 45-31 win at Vista Murrieta, and the host Celts are looking to do more of the same. Crespi quarterback Cody Cordell, a junior, has done a fine job taking over for record-setting Kenny Stenhouse, who passed for 493 yards and five touchdowns when the teams last met. In four games, Cordell has thrown for 895 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Dorsey (3-1) at Alemany (3-1), 7 p.m. - Alemany is coming off an easier-than-expected 38-14 win at Chaminade, and the host Warriors, led by quarterback Devon Dunn and receivers Jerico Richardson and Steven Mitchell, look to parlay the momentum.

"It was a good win for us against Chaminade. Our kids came from seven points down and played very well," Alemany coach Dean Herrington said.

West Ranch (4-0) at St. Francis (3-0), 7:30 p.m. - Both have yet to lose a game, but St. Francis, led by quarterback Jared Lebowitz and receiver Christian Hess, has faced much tougher competition, and that should be the difference in this attractive showdown. West Ranch has a top RB in Jeffrey Coprich, a transfer from Golden Valley.

UNSUNG HERO

Hunter Sharp, WR, Highland - Sharp had eight receptions for 186 yards and touchdowns of 72, 35 and 42 yards in a 27-22 win at Serrano to break a six-game series losing streak.

"It's kind of like a small-town atmosphere at Serrano, and they really pack it in there, so it's a tough place to win, but we're learning how to do that," Highland coach Troy Jackson said. "Hunter was pretty good, and so was our quarterback, Christian Tago, who passed for 215 yards and four TDs. They both had monster games."

TOP PERFORMANCES

Dejon Coleman, RB, Arleta - For the second time over a three-game span, Coleman scored six touchdowns, rushing for 254 yards on 12 carries and scoring on runs of 1, 50, 14, 70, 5, and 36 yards in a 68-23 win over Cleveland.

Coleman has 13 touchdowns in three games.

"Dejon is electric. He's always a threat to score every time he touches the ball," Arleta coach Danny Kelley said. "He's doing a great job. He leads our team in tackles, too."

Ericson Penate, PK, El Camino Real - Penate kicked a 30-yard field with no time remaining in a 36-34 win over visiting Canoga Park, his second winning field goal this season after coming through two weeks earlier with a 37-yarder with nine seconds left in a 24-21 win over Palisades.

"He's a really talented kid," El Camino Real coach Kevin Williams said.

Marcus Jones, DL, Oaks Christian - Jones, the brother of UCLA running back Malcolm Jones and USC safety Marshall Jones, caused two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and registered three sacks and several hurries in a 36-24 win over visiting St. Bonaventure.

A career night? That would be understatement in the case of Camarillo's Jake Maulhardt, who set a California single-game record with 28 receptions Friday in a 52-28 loss at Canyon.

Most high school receivers never catch so many passes in their whole lives.

The previous mark was 26, by David Sepulveda of Fullerton, and that was 27 years ago in a 1984 game against Buena Park; Maulhardt's total is third nationally,

Maulhardt scored three touchdowns and amassed 345 yards receiving - second-highest in Southern Section history and fourth on the state list - and the 6-foot-6 senior said he had no idea.

"If you would have asked me right after the game, I would have probably said I had 14 or 15 catches. I was just running my routes," said Maulhardt, who had 94 receptions as a junior.

He has scholarship offers from BYU, Colorado and Boise State, and there is a good chance more will come flooding in once news spreads of his incredible night Friday.

"It's a great honor setting a California record because of all the people who've ever played football in California. I feel pretty good. I'm pretty happy about it."

Sophomore quarterback Michael Marin also had quite a night, completing 42 of 57 for 447 yards and four touchdowns.

In three games, Maulhardt has 52 receptions and four touchdowns.

The parents of El Camino Real linebacker Chance Smith are considering filing charges after Smith suffered a bloody lip after allegedly being punched by a Canoga Park assistant during a brawl immediately following El Camino Real's 36-34 win over the visiting Hunters late Friday, El Camino Real coach Kevin Williams said.

Both Williams and Canoga Park head coach Ivan Moreno agree the fight started when Moreno confronted Williams during the post-game handshakes, though Moreno said he was pushed first while Williams says it was the other way around.

"Ivan was very upset, and he started screaming at me, saying we didn't earn the win on the field," Williams said. "That's something I took exception to because the truth is, the game should not have even been that close because the refs killed us, not them. If anyone was getting screwed by the officials, it was us."

Williams said several witnesses allegedly saw a Canoga Park assistant punch Smith, but the El Camino Real coach said he is not sure of the assistant's name. Williams said Smith was treated by a team trainer and did not go to the hospital, adding that one of his own assistants, Ali Mireaha, also was punched in the face by a Canoga Park player.

"I was frustrated and upset about the way the game ended, but Kevin Williams is the one who got in my face," Moreno said. "I remember one of my assistants saying to the El Camino Real guys, 'Hey, relax, don't push,' and the next thing I know, kids are flying around."

It was a long night Friday in Santa Clarita, as lightening strikes caused Foothill League games to be delayed for more than hour because of a rule calling for play to be halted for 30 minutes whenever there's a lightning bolt. Some of the games did not end until close to midnight.

"It was very strange, the first time in my coaching career I've ever been involved in a lightning delay," Hart coach Mike Herrington said. "Every time, we'd get all wired up and ready to go back out there, another lightening would strike. It happened three or four times, and it was a little frustrating because you could see the lightning way in the distance, and you could tell it was pretty far out there, miles and miles away."

Hart defeated Arroyo 42-17 at College of the Canyons, as the Indians hosted a "Night of Champions" event by inviting players from the program's past eight championship teams to meet up. So the win was like a big reunion with close to 100 former players making an appearance - but not quarterbacks Kyle Boller and Matt Moore, of course, because they're too busy playing in the NFL.

"I've got to hand it to the Hart booster club. It was a great event," Herrington said. "There were a lot of old friends. It was good to see them."

In other late games, West Ranch defeated visiting Silverado 28-25; Antelope Valley lost 15-0 at Desert; Lancaster lost 28-21 to visiting Lynwood; Littlerock lost 44-0 at Oak Hills; Quartz Hill won 55-0 at Barstow; Poly lost 37-0 to visiting Hamilton;

Sun Valley won 43-0 over visiting Fulton Prep; Verdugo Hills lost 20-19 to visiting Lincoln; Grant lost 25-7 at Manual Arts; Panorama lost 20-19 at Franklin; and Village Christian lost 49-20 at Bishop's.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE -- A sophomore quarterback making his first-ever start against one of California's most powerful opponents before a capacity crowd of more than 7,000, Brandon Dawkins came through like a seasoned veteran Friday, completing 16 of 20 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown while also scoring a touchdown to carry Oaks Christian to a 36-24 football victory over visiting St. Bonaventure.

"I think it was a pretty good start for the first time. I had some fun out there," said Dawkins, whose 59-yard touchdown with just over five minutes remaining put a dagger in St. Bonaventure's comeback hopes.

The win was Oaks Christian's second in two years over St. Bonaventure (2-1, 1-1) since both joined the Marmonte League last season.

Oaks Christian's Marcus Jones was a force on defense, causing two fumbles, recovering two fumbles and totaling three sacks.

After falling behind by 17 at the half, St. Bonaventure pulled to within 27-24 but could get no closer.

The lights went out with 6:52 remaining, causing a 20-minute delay.

Oaks Christian's Carlos Mendoza rushed for 103 yards on 21 carries including a 2-yard touchdown.

St. Bonaventure has come roaring back in the second half, scoring on Sean Wick's 1-yard run to pull within 10. Then, after Oaks Christian extended the advantage to 27-10 in Adams' 5-yard run late in the third quarter, St. Bonaventure scored two quick touchdowns in the fourth to pull within 27-24, as Marc Evans scored on a 1-yard run, followed by a 55-yard touchdown pass from Evans to Montre Lee.

But now guess what happened? The lights went out.

With 6:52 left and Oaks Christian leading 27-24 with St. Bonaventure on its own 1, the stadium lights have failed, causing a 15-minute delay. So far.

Update: The lights are slowing coming back on. I guess we will resume play soon. It will interesting to see how the momentum changes.

Oaks Christian has jumped to a 20-3 halftime lead over visiting St. Bonnie, as Brandon Dawkins completed 9 of 12 for 75 yards, and he also scored on a 2-yard run.

After Oaks Christian pinned St. Bonaventure inside its own 5 on the first possession, the Lions quickly scored on a six-play, 35-yard drive, culminating in Carlos Mendoza's 2-yard touchdown run. Dawkins set up the touchdown with a 16-yard pass to Jordan Payton.

Following a St. Bonaventure field goal, Oaks Christian was busy again two series later. The Lions drove 82 yards on 11 plays, as Dawkins completed four passes for 30 yards, including a 17-yard strike to Zach Hernandez. Mendoza's 24-yard run to the 4 set up Dawkins' 2-yard touchdown run to make it 13-3.

St. Bonaventure then fumbled the ball away the the Oaks Christian 45, as Terry Johnson stripped Elijah Henderson on a short pass reception, and Marcus Jones recovered. Two plays, Ishmael Adams took a handoff, faked out a couple of defenders near the line of scrimmage, then sprinted to the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown to make it 20-3.

Oaks Christian twice threatened in the final minute of the second quarter but could not score. With 34 seconds left, Dawkins was intercepted by Bobby Marquez in the end zone when the quarterback floated a pass attempted for Payton, who was caught out of position to break it up.

Instead of running out the last few seconds of the clock to go into the locker room down by 17, St. Bonaventure tried to make something happen, and the plan backfired when St. Bonaventure lost another fumble at the 24. But with no time remaining, a 36-yard field goal attempt Wyatt Nelson fell short, and the score remained 20-3.

Oaks Christian looks good in a key showdown against visiting St. Bonaventure, jumping to a 13-3 lead on short TD runs by Carlos Mendoza and Brandon Dawkins.

Oaks Christian reciever Jordan Payton recently took an official visit to Michigan and is expected to commit soon.

Payton said he loved Ann Arbor, thinks he will get a chance to play right away and the fact Michigan is back on its way up the college football landscape under coach Brady Hoke.

Payton said watching the first night game at Michigan was a great experience.

Cole Huff visited the University of Denver last week but has not committed.

Huff is visiting UC Riverside this weekend and will be going to UC Irvine Oct. 7-8.

Pepperdine and Nevada are also interested in the 6'8 wing/forward, who committed to San Diego St last year but de-committed this past summer.

Canyon graduate Alyssa Selve and former Birmingham standout Mizrael Mendez won cross country races Friday for Glendale College at the Golden West Invitational at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

Selve led seven Vaqueros finishing in the top eight in the women's 5-kilometer race, winning in 18 minutes, 20 seconds for her first college victory. Glendale dominated with 18 points, ahead of runner-up Mt. SAC's 81 points.

Karen Rosas, who won the past two weeks for Glendale, finished second in 18:26. Angie Martinez (Burroughs) placed fourth in 18:45, Grace Zamudio (Hart) was fifth in 18:53 and Laura Pluemer finished sixth in 18:54.

Mendez won the for the second week in a row, covering the 4-mile course in 20:00 for the Vaqueros, who took runner-up with 48 points behind San Bernardino Valley (26).

Jesus Gutierrez finished sixth in 20:30, Issac Diosdado (Birmingham) placed 10th in 20:40, Alec Nelson (Saugus) took 17th in 21:07 and Vladimir Diaz followed in 18th, also in 21:07.

Glendale races next Friday at the Southern California preview meet at Cucamonga-Guasti Park in Ontario.

Here is some information for the 2011 Buzz Basketball/HoopLove Varsity Fall Classic I and it's going down on Sunday, September 25th, 2011 at Taft High School

The games will be played with four (4) eight (8) minute stop clock quarters with a 35-sec shot clock.

Game Schedule

10:00am Taft vs. Corona Roosevelt

11:10am Cleveland vs. Beverly Hills

12:20pm St. John Bosco vs. Chaminade

1:30pm Corona Roosevelt vs. Oaks Christian

2:40pm Chaminade vs. Culver City

3:50pm Oaks Christian vs. St. John Bosco

5:00pm Culver City vs. Alemany

6:10pm Dominguez vs. Sierra Canyon

Here is a look at the teams and players that will be playing Sunday.

1. Taft (2011 CIF City Division I Champions - New Head Coach Jason Hart) Seniors 6'6 Brandon Perry, 6'1 Steven Jones, 6'7 Anthony January, Juniors 6'2 Kris Yanku, 6'4 Sandro Alberto and 6'2 Teyvon Myers, Sophomore 6'7 Shaquan Aaron

2. St. John Bosco (2011 CIF Division 4AA Quarter-Finalist - New Head Coach Derrick Taylor) Seniors 6'5 Darryl Matthews, 6'4 Braiten Madrigal, 6'4 Mark Uy, Juniors 6'5 Issac Hamilton, 6'1 Eris Winder, Sophomores 6'6 Daniel Hamilton, 6'2 Jackie Davis and 6'1 Kameron Murrell

3. Corona Roosevelt (2011 CIF Division IAA 2nd Round - Head Coach Romone Neal) Seniors 6'5 Jalen Young, 6'4 Kendall Brown and 6'3 Shawn Joseph

4. Alemany (2011 CIF Division 4AA Semi-Finalist - Head Coach Trey Meeks) Seniors 5'9 Max Guercy, 6'3 Marqueze Coleman, 6'2 Junior KJ Moffett, 6'5 Sophomore Bear Henderson and 6'6 Freshman Malik Anderson

5. Oaks Christian (2011 CIF Division 4A Champion - Head Andre Chevalier) Seniors 5'9 Chass Bryan, 5'2 Mike Roletti, 6'2 Jason Ghilarducci

6. Cleveland (2011 CIF LA City Section Division I 2nd Round - New Head Coach Damon Charlot) Seniors 5'10 JR Williams and 6'2 Jason Moore

7. Chaminade (Head Coach Todd Wolfson) 5'9 Junior Jaron Martin, Sophomores 6'7 Jack Williams, 5'8 Justin Eisen and 6'0 Darryl Stewart

8. Sierra Canyon (2011 CIF Division 5A Champions - Head Coach Ryan Silver) Seniors Jesse Howell and Julian Brooks (Football right now), Juniors Jahmel Taylor and Justin Ifkeniguwe

9. Beverly Hills (2011 CIF Division 3A 2nd Round - Head Coach Jarvis Turner) 6'2 Guard Austin Mills

10. Culver City (2011 CIF Division 3AA 2nd Round - Head Coach Jon Chapman) Seniors 6'2 Aamahd Walker and 6'1 Keilan Horton

11. Compton Dominguez (Head Coach Grady Johnson) Guards BJ Hunt and EJ Johnson along with 6'7 Post TJ Traylor

It's official: Oaks Christian is switching quarterbacks Friday for a heavily anticipated showdown against visiting St. Bonaventure, starting sophomore Brandon Dawkins over junior Luke Falk, coach Bill Redell said Thursday.

"I decided to go with Dawkins. I want to see how he does against a real good team," Redell said.

Falk, a touted junior transfer from Utah who already has a Florida State scholarship offer, started the first two games, including an opening loss to Bellevue. After Oaks Christian fell behind by three points in the first quarter Friday against Agoura, Dawkins came in and guided the Lions to four quick touchdowns in a 50-11 win.

Dawkins completed 7 of 7 passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns.

The Notre Dame girls' volleyball team is on the verge of taking down perennial juggernaut Harvard-Westlake.

Notre Dame, which is 12-0 this season has won the first two sets, 25-23 and 25-16 in a Mission League opener for both schools.

Harvard-Westlake has gone 40-0 in league play the past for seasons but it looks as though that streak is coming to an end.

The Wolverines have won 47 league matches in a row while Notre Dame hasn't beaten the Wolverines in 13 consecutive contests dating to 2004.

Campbell Hall (3-0) not only was successful in securing a late replacement after Flintridge Prep decided Monday to cancel Saturday's football game citing a lack of healthy players, but the Vikings significantly upgraded their level of competition in the process.

Grace Brethren (2-0), which defeated Flintridge Prep 48-0 on Friday, was scheduled to have a bye week, but will now play host to Campbell Hall at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Moorpark College.

Grace Brethren had only nine regular-season games scheduled, allowing it to add Campbell Hall this week.

In the wake of Flintridge Prep canceling a game against Campbell Hall this coming Friday because of injuries, Campbell Hall is hoping to still play a game against another area school that happens to have the week off and only nine games scheduled for the season: Grace Brethren.

"We're in dire need. I put in the call to Grace Brethren's coach (Josh Henderson), and so did one of my assistants, so we're hoping to play. We're trying to get them to play. We think it would be a great deal for both schools."

Not surprisingly, Gordon is upset about the situation, and the coach feels slighted because Flintridge Prep has a JV program and could have put together a full varsity team with younger players.

"I'm a little irritated. Flintridge Prep has a responsibility," Gordon said.

Luke Falk, a touted junior transfer from Utah, has been Oaks Christian's starting quarterback since the summer, but now coach Bill Redell is not so sure. He pulled Falk and used backup Brandon Dawkins extensively Friday in a win over Agoura, and Redell said he will decide Wednesday night whom the starting quarterback will be for a heavily anticipated Marmonte showdown Friday against visiting St. Bonaventure.

"It depends how they practice. They're both very capable," Redell said. "I kind of think that right now we have two starters, and they'll probably both play quite a bit for the entire year."

In the win over Agoura, Dawkins, a sophomore, entered midway through the first quarter with Oaks Christian down 3-0, and he soon helped the Lions to a 40-point halftime lead, eventually finishing completing 7 of 7 passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns.

Flintridge Prep football coach Antonio Harrison decided Monday to cancel Saturday's nonleague game against Campbell Hall at Occidental College, citing several injuries that have diminished the Rebels' roster.

Flintridge Prep (1-2) suffered a 48-0 loss Friday to Grace Brethren and will look to heal in time for an Oct. 1 game at Malibu (1-2), which suited up only 18 players in Saturday's 17-3 victory over St. Monica.

"Our boys want to play and are willing to go out there for me, for their teammates, and for themselves. No one ever wants to have to cancel a game when the boys have worked so hard. However, with multiple injuries as a result of a small roster from last week, we are currently down to a 12 to 13 man roster with one of the boys being our kicker," said Harrison, a 2001 Flintridge Prep graduate.
"My first duty as a head coach is to have a concern for these boys' safety and well-being. As competitive as I am, I am not an idiot. It was an extremely tough decision to make, but I want these boys to be healthy and at least have a fighting chance as we head toward league play. As of now, we plan on playing the Malibu game on Oct. 1 and plan on playing out the rest of the season. But in our current state, we just don't have the manpower to play another team. Not just Campbell Hall, but any team. I need these boys to get healthy; not just for football but for their overall general well-being; for their future life as an adult."

10:00am Chaminade vs. Beverly Hills
11:10am Corona Roosevelt vs. Taft
12:20pm St. John Bosco vs. Chaminade
1:30pm La Verne Lutheran vs. Taft
2:40pm Alemany vs. Corona Roosevelt
3:50pm Culver City vs. St. John Bosco
5:00pm Oaks Christian vs. La Verne Lutheran
6:10pm Dominguez vs. Sierra Canyon
7:20pm Venice vs. Cleveland

BOYS

2. Bryan Guijarro (Knight) 14:17
12. Kristian Martinez (Golden Valley) 14:38
14. Juan David Garcia (Golden Valley) 14:39
30. Sam Peckham (Hart) 14:48
38. Austin O'Neil (Hart) 14:52
48. Mike Duncan (Crescenta Valley) 14:57
51. Aaron de Toledo (Harvard-Westlake) 14:59
57. Nolan del Valle (Golden Valley) 15:01
64. Sam Worley (Thousand Oaks) 15:04
69. Gerardo Granados (Hart) 15:07
76. Nick Privitelli (Crespi) 15:09
86. Carlos Lopez (Golden Valley) 15:11

GIRLS

1. Cami Chapus (Harvard-Westlake) 16:20
9. Erika Barr (Simi Valley) 16:57
11. Karla Vernola (Simi Valley) 17:02
14. Melanie Joerger (Thousand Oaks) 17:07
30. Amy Weissenbach (Harvard-Westlake) 17:24
36. Chelsey Totten (Golden Valley) 17:27
41. Sarah Riggs (Simi Valley) 17:28
51. Madelyn Vorgitch (Simi Valley) 17:34
52. Jenny Giguere (Westlake) 17:35
78. Ashton Padberg (Thousand Oaks) 17:55
93. Rachel Vinas (Simi Valley) 18:02

Former Royal standout Kathleen Wright had 20 digs Saturday in the championship match of the San Diego Mesa tournament, leading the top-ranked Pierce College women's volleyball team to a 25-22, 25-17, 22-25, 25-15 victory over No. 4 El Camino (7-1).

Wright, the tournament MVP, added 22 digs and seven aces in a 25-21, 25-15, 20-25, 25-9 semifinal victory over Western State Conference rival College of the Canyons.

Taft graduate Jasmine Levi, an all-tournament selection, had 15 kills and three blocks, and former Birmingham standout Danetta Boykin added 13 kills for the Brahmas (9-0), who have won 27 of 29 games this season.

Sakurako Fujii contributed seven kills and 10 digs, with Newbury Park graduate Veronika Ban adding six kills for Pierce, which has won two tournament titles, including the Modesto championship Sept. 2.

West Ranch graduate Janelle Futch followed a 47-assist effort against COC with 38 against El Camino, which suffered its second consecutive four-game setback to Pierce, following last year's Southern California regional final.

Fujii, an all-tournament pick, had 15 kills versus only one hitting error and Ban added 11 kills against COC.

Newbury Park graduate Veronika Ban had 11 kills and former Royal standout Kathleen Wright added seven aces and 22 digs Saturday for the Pierce College women's volleyball team, which defeated Western State Conference rival College of the Canyons 25-21, 25-15, 20-25, 15-9 in the semifinals of the San Diego Mesa tournament.

Pierce (8-0), which dropped its first game of the season, plays El Camino (7-0) in the championship match. Pierce, which received 15 kills from Japanese prep star Sakurako Fujii against COC (3-3), is the state's top-ranked team according to the California Community College Women's Volleyball Coaches Association and El Camino is No. 4.

Pierce, which had won 24 consecutive games dating to last year's victory over Santa Rosa in the state final, defeated Orange Coast 24‐26, 25‐18, 25‐16, 25‐23 in last year's Southern California regional final to advance to the state tournament.

Mizrael Mendez, a Birmingham graduate who captured the City Section title last year, secured his first victory for the Glendale Community College men's cross country team Saturday at the Orange Coast Invitational.

Mendez overcame a wrong turn by the pace bike midway through the race to cover the 4-mile course in 20 minutes, 21.41 seconds, helping the Vaqueros place third with 84 points behind San Bernardino Valley (43) and host Orange Coast (76).

Jesus Gutierrez (20:43.22) finished fifth and Saugus graduate Kurt Lutz (21:05.14) took 15th for Glendale, which defeated Orange Coast by a 34-point margin Sept. 10 at the Fresno Invitational. Monroe graduate Gabriel Guzman (20:48.15) was seventh for seventh-place Moorpark (232), which finished just behind Antelope Valley (167).

Karen Rosas won her second straight race for the Glendale women's team, which delivered another dominant effort to capture the title with 27 points, ahead of the host Pirates (66). Glendale prevailed 22-63 over Orange Coast at the Fresno Invitational.

Rosas clocked 18:05.47 on the 5-kilometer layout, followed by former Canyon standout Alyssa Selve (18:08.92) and Burroughs graduate Angie Martinez (18:18.77) in fourth place for the Vaqueros, who had Laura Pluemer (18:44.94) finish ninth and Hart alumna Grace Zamudio (18:47.53) take 11th.

Antelope Valley, which placed fourth with 93 points, had Lancaster graduate Danielle Chavarria (18:31.58) take seventh and former Knight standout Emma Ramirez (18:45.53) round out the top 10.

VALENCIA -- If high school football games ended at halftime, Valencia would be having a great year.

Instead, the Vikings blew a second-half lead for the second week in a row Friday in a 14-10 loss to visiting Chaminade, and Valencia could only shake its head.

Terrell Newby scored both touchdowns for Chaminade (2-0), including a 3-yard run with three minutes, 52 seconds remaining for the go-ahead score.

Considering Newby was coming off a 279-yard, five-touchdown performance, Valencia did a good job holding the ultra fast junior to 84 yards in 24 carries, but Newby came through when he had to, adding a 1-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion to account for all of Chaminade's scoring.

The Vikings (0-2) were so concerned with Newby that Chaminade quarterback Logan Scott rushed for 105 yards in 14 carries, including a 58-yard run to highlight a 14-play, 80-yard drive on the opening possession of the second half that gobbled six minutes.

"I think it shows a lot about this team by the way we were able to come back," Scott said. "It was kind of a different environment here, so it took us a while to get comfortable, but we kept playing as hard as we could and kept on working. Terrell Newby is as valuable as any player we have."

Hart's Dylan Edwards and Davis Koppenhaver both missed Thursday's 24-13 victory over former Foothill League football rival Burroughs at Canyon High with shoulder injuries.

Koppenhaver, scheduled to undergo surgery Sept. 30, is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Edwards is out for at least two weeks with a separated shoulder.

Hart overcame their absences thanks to Tim White, who rushed for 243 yards and a touchdown, as well as Connor Wingenroth, who added touchdowns on a 43-yard run and a 9-yard reception.

One of the surprising teams in the Mission League could be Chaminade.

A lot of attention has been focused on Loyola, Harvard-Westlake, Crespi and Alemany, but Chaminade has six solid players in 10th grade and below.

The best player is junior guard Jaron Martin, but watch out for sophomores Jack Williams (6 feet 7) and Justin Eisen.

The freshmen include Dylan Cuenca, Joel Loth (6-5), Bar Milo (6-5) and Chris Bounds (6-4).

Chaminade might be on the young and inexperienced side but a repeat of a 1-11 record in league play is not likely this season.

Here is the schedule for the 10-game showcase event Sept. 25 at Taft High

9 a.m. Venice vs. Cleveland
10:10 a.m. Pasadena vs. Culver City
11:20 a.m. Roosevelt of Corona vs. Beverly Hills
12:30 p.m. St. John Bosco vs. Chaminade
1:40 p.m. Washington Prep vs. La Verne Lutheran
2:50 p.m. Roosevelt of Corona vs. St. John Bosco
4 p.m. Alemany vs. Taft
5:10 p.m. Oaks Christian vs. La Verne Lutheran
6:20 p.m. Dominguez vs. Taft
7:30 p.m. Oaks Christian vs. Sierra Canyon

Big news from Alemany: Receiver/defensive back Jerico Richardson has committed to UCLA. He's also a talented basketball player.

Kennedy
Granada Hills
Crespi
Alemany
Morningside
Crescenta Valley
Terry Foxx (Canada)
Valley Torah
Golden Valley
Monroe
Chatsworth
Panorama
Burbank
Sierra Canyon
West Ranch
Notre Dame
Quartz Hill
Ribet Academy
Grant
Antelope Valley
Eastside
Poly (Sun Valley)
Hart
North Hollywood
Burroughs
Oak Park
University (L.A.)
Camarillo
Verdugo Hills
Westlake
Milken Community
Knight

For more information contact ddirish68@yahoo.com

Jeffrey Coprich, a talented running back for West Ranch, is being recruited by Nebraska and Army with official offers expected. He is a senior transfer from Golden Valley.

[Updated: Coprich has not been officially offered, as indicated in an earlier version]

Damiene Cain, a top basketball standout who picked Colorado over Boston College and San Diego State, has left the team to focus on academics with no plan of returning -- a surprising move considering he was ranked one of the top 150 players in the nation by Rivals.com.

Westlake plays Calabasas to begin the Marmonte season Friday, and here are some video highlights from Westlake's opening 30-27 win at Del Oro.

Andy Campbell had a rough time at Golden Valley, totaling three wins over two seasons including going 0-10 in the Foothill League.

He left a month before the opener, and Campbell is coaching at Ashby High in Minnesota. He is learning what it's like on the other side, winning in his debut 94-6 over Echo Park.

The Sierra Canyon boys basketball team should get a boost from three freshman ths year in its quest to repeat as Southern Section champion.

Robbie Feinberg is a 6'2 guard, Justin Waldorf is a 6'1 guard and Juwan Trotter could develop into a top point guard.

Feinberg scored 20 points, had eight rebounds and was 5 for 5 from 3-point range in a fall league game Saturday against Royal.

Max Archuleta, a top track sprinter, is making quite an impact in football, too. He scored on a 70-yard run and also broke off a 50-yard run to the 1-yard line Friday in a 42-14 win over Burroughs -- and he looked very fast doing it.

Overall, he rushed for 161 yards, 151 in the first half.

Julian Brooks, a Sierra Canyon receiver/defensive back who has committed to Arizona and is considered one of the area's top players, is out with a knee injury for this week's big game against Village Christian on Saturday.

Brooks injured the knee Saturday in a 42-7 win over visiting Bishop. He sat out for most of the first half but returned and finished with four receptions for 124 yards, including touchdowns of 60 and 46 yards. He also had a long touchdown on a return called back because of a late penalty that occurred way behind him.

Brooks made some of his biggest plays after re-entering, but by the next day the knee was not feeling better.

"I wait all week for game day, and I couldn't let anything ruin that," Brooks said.

Brooks said the team trainer did some tests and has ruled out having a torn cartilage, and the senior said he will know more Monday. He added he has not undergone an MRI, though he might do so soon.

"I have to do some rehab on it. I'm going to see what the trainer says," Brooks said.

It's the silver anniversary of Crespi's 1986 Southern Section Big Five championship -- still the only San Fernando Valley program ever to win a football championship in the highest division (now called the Pac-5) -- and the Celts are hoping eventually to be good enough to win another one.

In two opening victories, Crespi has outscored opponents by an average of 53 points heading into a heavily anticipated showdown Saturday at Clovis West, the defending Central Section Div. I champion whose only loss last season was a one-point defeat at Crespi.

"As a team, we're not satisfied," Crespi defensive back Noah Ciccel said. "There is still room for improvement. All we can do now is focus on the task at hand, Clovis West."

The trip to Clovis will make for a long day, as the Celts will spend a total of about eight hours on a bus for the round trip, beginning in the morning and ending sometime around 2 or 3 a.m. on Sunday -- if they make good time.

Clovis West (0-2) suffered a 31-30 double-overtime loss to Merced in its Sept. 1 opener followed by a 52-18 setback Friday to Del Oro of Loomis, but the program has been a state power for a long time and must be respected.

"Clovis will be looking to avenge last year's loss. We must prepare harder," Crespi coach Jon Mack said.

1. Alemany (2-0) - Outscored opponents by average of 47 points

2. Westlake (1-0) - Junior QB Justin Moore had big debut

3. Oaks Christian (0-1) - Should have easy time with Agoura

4. Crespi (2-0) - Makes long trip Saturday to Clovis West

5. Chaminade (1-0) - Tough stretch with Valencia, then Alemany

6. Canyon (1-0) - High-powered offense is tough to stop

7. Moorpark (1-0) - Attractive Marmonte opener vs. Thousand Oaks

8. Notre Dame (2-0) - Flyin' high after comeback win over Valencia

9. Valencia (0-1) - Needs to sharpen execution after Notre Dame loss

10.. Thousand Oaks (1-0) - Coach Leibin: "Good start but we need to get better"

11. St. Francis (1-0) - Four of next five are home games

12. Hart (1-1) - Jumped all over Palmdale in home opener

13. Camarillo (1-0) - Win over Buena closer than expected

14. West Ranch (2-0) - Two big wins but needs tougher competition

15. Quartz Hill (1-0) - Top RB has Quartz Hill living Lodge

16. Taft (0-1) - Needs to improve after shaky loss to Dorsey

17. Palmdale (0-1) - Looks to even record vs. City foe Kennedy

18. Saugus (1-1) - Big plays hurts Cents in Muir loss

19. Sierra Canyon (2-0) - Big nonleague showdown vs. Village Christian

20. Newbury Park (1-0) - Looks to avenge upset loss to Simi Valley

Top performances from Friday night:

Ericson Penate, PK, El Camino Real - Penate kicked a 36-yard field goal with six seconds left in a 24-21 victory over visiting Palisades.

"Ericson made the kick of his life to win it for us," El Camino Real coach Kevin Williams said. "It was a big win for us against a favored opponent."

Dejon Coleman, RB, Arleta - Coleman scored six touchdowns, including a 90-yard kick return, a 70-yard interception return and a 60-yard pass reception, in a 56-42 victory at L.A. Marshall.

"It was one of the greatest performances I've ever seen," Arleta coach Danny Kelley said. "Nothing against Marshall. They were a good team, but Dejon was a man among boys out there. Every time he touched the football, he was a threat to score. He even had two touchdowns called back."

Dominick Mugavero, DL, Notre Dame - Mugavero recovered a fumble at the 7-yard line in overtime to preserve a 17-14 win over visiting Valencia, as the host Knights overcame a 14-point deficit with seven minutes left.

UNSUNG HERO

Conner Harvey, QB, Santa Clarita Christian - Harvey, a junior, passed for 182 yards and four TDs in a 25-0 victory at Lucerne Valley to give the Cardinals their first 11-man win after moving up from 8-man this season.

Here are some Friday football previews:

Chaminade (1-0) at Valencia (0-1), 7 p.m. - Valencia did a good job Friday containing Notre Dame's Khalfani Muhammad in a 17-14 overtime loss, holding the ultra fast running back to 73 yards in 18 carries with no TDs. The Vikings look to do the same thing to Chaminade's Terrell Newby, but it won't be easy, as Newby is coming off a 279-yard, five-TD performance in a 41-21 victory over visiting Venice.

Valencia is focusing on finishing strong after surrendering a 14-point lead over the final seven minutes in the Notre Dame loss.

Taft (0-1) at Notre Dame (2-0), 7 p.m. - This is going to be tough road game for Taft, which lost most of its top players to graduation - including record-setting QB Michael Bercovici (now at Arizona State) - while Notre Dame has returned nearly every key starter.

Notre Dame QB Kelly Hilinski had an uneven performance Friday in a 17-14 overtime win over visiting Valencia, completing 7 of 24 for 109 yards with two interceptions while being sacked five times, but the 6-foot-6 junior came through at the end with a 42-yard TD pass to Kevin Carrasco with three minutes remaining, followed by an successful two-point conversion pass to force overtime.

Thousand Oaks (1-0) at Moorpark (1-0), 7 p.m. - The grueling Marmonte League season has begun, and this showdown should be interesting because both are bubble teams hoping to finish among the top half in the 10-team league to qualify for the playoffs.

Thousand Oaks scored a 62-0 win over Buena, but the Lancers should expect a lot more resistance from Moorpark, a traditionally strong defensive team featuring DL Brandon Hughes and touted LB Tony Mack.

Sierra Canyon (2-0), already with a pair of impressive victories over Horizon Christian of San Diego and reigning Southern Section Northeast Division champion Bishop, began its quest to play in the CIF state Div. IV bowl game as the South's No. 1 team in the first edition of the rankings compiled by Cal-Hi Sports editor Mark Tennis.

For a full list of the rankings for all divisions, click here:

Francis Parker of San Diego (2-0) is ranked No. 2, and Mission Prep of San Luis Obispo (2-0) is No. 6, but five other top 10 teams in the South already have suffered a loss, improving Sierra Canyon's chances if the Trailblazers can run the table.

Sierra Canyon faces Village Christian (2-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Glendale High.

Saturday was one of the busiest days of the young season for local girls' volleyball teams, which competed in four tournaments throughout Southern California with impressive results.

Notre Dame (9-0) continued its impressive start by capturing the championship at the University tournament in Irvine, relying on 27 assists from Callan Kinnan and eight digs from Elizabeth Inch to defeat Beckman 25-22, 26-24 in the final.

Emily Moss, a Seattle-bound outside hitter, buried 13 of her 44 playoff kills in the final for Notre Dame, which defeated Western 25-13, 18-25, 15-9 in the quarterfinals, followed by Dana Hills 25-20, 25-22 in the semifinals.

Oaks Christian staged a number of impressive rallies, including a rally from a three-point deficit in the final against Saugus to capture the 32-team San Luis Obispo tournament title with a 25-22 victory over the Centurions, who were led by all-tournament picks Ashley Guthrie and Kristin McCord. Saugus had won all 14 games entering the final.

The Lions (6-1) won 15 of 16 games during the two-day event, also overcoming a late three-point deficit to outlast Trabuco Hills 26-24 in the quarterfinals, followed by a 25-20 semifinal victory over Frontier of Bakersfield.

Tournament MVP Nicole Leonard, who had 42 kills and 34 digs, helped Oaks Christian survive a three-game battle with Agoura in its first pool-play match Saturday. All-tournament selections Madison Howard (36 kills, 16 blocks, eight aces) and Alexa Nestlerode (169 assists, nine digs, six aces) sparked the Lions during a rally from a seven-point hole in a pool-play sweep of Arroyo Grande.

Viewpoint was also strong at the finish, holding off Grace Brethren 25-23 to win the Laguna Blanca tournament title for the second year in a row.

Tournament MVP Elizabeth Sheffield led the Patriots, who got past host Laguna Blanca 25-21 in the semifinals after receiving a bye in the quarterfinals. Katherine Franz also received all-tournament honors for Viewpoint, which defeated St. Bonaventure 25-22 in last year's final.

Chaminade (2-3), led by eight kills from Molly Griffin and Sydney Wright, finished eighth in the Molten/Gahr Classic following a 25-16, 25-22, 28-26 loss to Mayfield at Lakewood High.

La Canada (3-1), which lost to South Torrance in Thursday's semifinals, will face South Hills for third place at 4 p.m. Monday at Gahr High.

Tyler Stewart completed 16 of 24 passes for 319 yards and five touchdowns to lead Sierra Canyon to a 42-7 nonleague victory against Bishop at El Camino Real High.

Julian Brooks, an Arizona-bound receiver, caught four passes for 122 yards, including scores of 46 and 60 yards.

Preston White had touchdown receptions of 27 and 15 yards in the second quarter.

Bishop won the Northeast Division championship last year, but graduated several key seniors.

Xavier Menifield and Danny Jordan combined to rush for 116 yards on 17 carries for the Trailblazers (2-0).

Menifield plunged in from 1 yard out for a touchdown and caught a 20-yard scoring pass.

Sierra Canyon has a huge nonleague showdown with Village Christian at 7 p.m. Saturday at Glendale High.

Trailing by 14 points with just over seven minutes remaining Friday, Notre Dame High rallied for a 17-14 overtime victory over visiting Valencia in a wild showdown between two of the area's top football programs.

Kevin Carrasco scored on a 42-yard reception from Kelly Hiliniksi with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining, followed by a tying 2-point conversion pass from Hilinski to Sam Robinson.

In overtime, Notre Dame sophomore Lucas Alfonso made a 40-yard field goal, then the host Knights clinched the victory when Valencia freshman Jay Jay Wilson was stripped on an 18-yard pass reception, and Dominick Mugavero recovered at the 7.

The place went wild, as a huge home crowd for Notre Dame erupted, while Valencia's players collapsed onto the turf in disappointment.

"When I saw the football pop into the air, I know I had to get it for my team," Mugavero said.

The win was Notre Dame's second without a loss after finishing 2-8 last season, and coach Kevin Rooney was utterly relieved to escape with the win.

"This was a great game, and it gets us ready for what needs to be done," Rooney said. "It was just great to come out on top."

Alfonso joined the team late in the summer, and he was buzzing with excitement after coming through with the go-ahead field goal.

"At first I was a little nervous, just thinking how far it was," Alfonso said. "But Niko Walsh made a great snap, Daniel Khan made a great hold, and it was just an amazing comeback."

Robinson's 7-yard touchdown run ignited the comeback.

Valencia (0-1) scored on Cody Anciano's 1-yard run and Billy Shipman's 70-yard interception return, but the Vikings, rebuilding after being hard by graduation, stalled in the second half.

Hilinski, a 6-foot-6 junior, completed 7 of 24 passes for 109 yards and two interceptions, and he was sacked five times. Khalfani Muhammad added 73 yards rushing on 18 carries.

Valencia's Sean Murphy completed 18 of 29 passes for 156 yards and two interceptions, and Anciano rushed for 98 yards on 18 carries.

It was a hard-hitting game with a playoff-like atmosphere. Murphy was knocked out of the game for a series in the fourth quarter because of a bloody nose, and Hilinski was knocked out on the last play from scrimmage in overtime with an unknown injury.

Notre Dame was limited to 80 yards in the first half before mounting its comeback. The Knights finished with 157 yards total offense, and Valencia had 266 -- way below the Vikings average of nearly 500 per game last season.

Reggie Bell found Jaydon Mickens for a 20--yard touchdown pass play and Dorsey squeaked by Taft, 10-3.

Both teams only had one field goal each until the only touchdown of the game came with 36 seconds remaining.

The setback ruined the debut of new Taft coach Chris Rizzo, who was a long time assistant under Troy Starr and Matt Kerstetter.

El Camino Real had a 14-point lead but needed an Ericson Penate 37-yard field goal with six seconds remaining to hold on against Palisades, 24-21.

Kawan Rally rushed for 267 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Conquistadores (2-0).

Two of the area's top programs go head to head in just a few minutes, as Notre Dame is preparing to face visiting Valencia in an attractive nonleague showdown.

It's Valencia first game after advancing to the Northern Division semifinals the past three seasons, while Notre Dame already has a victory, having defeated Serra of Gardena 35-13 in an impressive earlier opener.

This is my first glimpse of Notre Dame quarterback Kelly Hilinski. He's 6 feet 6, and for once it's an accurate height instead of the usual extra inch or two afforded most high school standouts.

It's going to be fun watching Valencia's athletic defense try to track down Notre Dame running back Khalfani Muhammad, who might be the San Fernando Valley's fastest kid since the great Justin Fargas.

All games played at Oaks Christian High School.

First round is Tuesday Dec. 27

Carondelet vs. Taft, 9 p.m.
Mater Dei Catholic vs. Palisades, 4:30 p.m.
Long Beach Poly vs. Agoura, 12 noon
El Camino Real vs. St. Joseph (Santa Maria), 1:30 p.m.

Oaks Christian vs. Carson, 6 p.m.
Thousand Oaks vs. Canyon Springs, 3 p.m.
Serra vs. Inglewood, 10:30 a.m.
La Jolla Country Day vs. Newbury Park, 7:30 p.m.

All first round games will be played Tuesday Dec. 27 at Oaks Christian High School

Etiwanda vs. Morningside, 6 p.m.
Eisenhower vs. Rancho Verde, 3 p.m.
Sacramento vs. Corona Centennial, 9 p.m.
La Jolla Country Day vs. Santa Monica, 4:30 p.m.

Palisades vs. Cleveland, 10:30 a.m.
Calabasas vs. Oaks Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Upland vs. Inglewood, 12 noon
Compton Centennial vs. Colony, 1:30 p.m.

Glendale posted a 20-6 nonleague victory over Hoover in Thursday's season opener for both football teams, marking only the second time in the history of the crosstown rivalry that the Nitros and Tornadoes met outside of their annual "Battle for the Victory Bell" in the regular-season finale.

The teams are scheduled to meet again in a Pacific League game Nov. 10 at Glendale High's Moyse Field.

Glendale improved to 48-33-2 in the all-time series, which began in 1930. The Nitros won for the second year in a row following a 15-7 setback in 2009 to Hoover, which saw its losing streak reach eight.

In 1937, the teams tied 7-7 in their first meeting, then Glendale posted a 12-0 victory in the rematch that decided the league title.

Valencia (0-0) at Notre Dame (1-0), 7 p.m. - Notre Dame has the advantage of having played a game after opening with a 35-13 upset at Serra of Gardena - an opponent that had won 52 of its past 56.

The key for Valencia will be containing Notre Dame RB Khalfani Muhammad, one of California's fastest players. Muhammad rushed for 151 yards and two TDs against Serra, and the Knights have simplified their offense compared to previous seasons to make him the focal point.

Sean Murphy has big shoes to fill for Valencia. He's the new QB, and he has replaced Alex Bishop, who passed for 37 touchdowns in each of the past two seasons.

Palmdale (0-0) vs. Hart (0-1) at College of the Canyons, 7:30 p.m. - After defeating Hart by 35 points in Palmdale last season, Hart looks to return the favor on its own field.

Hart surrendered seven sacks in a 35-21 opening loss to Tesoro that saw QBs Cory Mayes and Connor Wingenroth switch off. The Indians will need to block better because Palmdale has a strong defensive line led by Eric Rodriguez and Danny Smith.

Wingenroth, a sophomore, passed for 118 yards and two TDs and rushed for a 71-yard TD. Dylan Edwards, one of the Foothill League's top returning RBs, can help by taking the pressure off Hart's passing game.

Venice (1-0) at Chaminade (0-0), 7:30 p.m. - Venice was a bit shaky in an opening 34-27 comeback win at Harvard-Westlake, and the visiting Gondoliers will need to be a lot better to compete with Chaminade, which advanced to the Western semifinals and has returned most of its top players.

Among Chaminade's experienced standouts are QB Logan Scott, RB Terrell Newby, OLs Taylor Hindy and Andrew Chen, LB Tal Dardashti and DB Jacob Bowman. The Eagles defeated Venice 37-30 last season.

The opener marks the debut of Chaminade's new field featuring blue turf.

Arleta (0-0) at Marshall (1-0), 3 p.m. -- After winning 35 games over the past three seasons, Arleta launches a new era under first-year coach Danny Kelley, who has replaced legendary Jeff Engilman.

In an opening 50-18 win over Belmont, Marshall totaled 432 yards on 38 plays - an average of 11.4 yards per play.

"The key this week is to stop Marshall's running game and force them to pass because they have two great runners with Walter Moctezuma and QB Anthony Benitez," Kelley said.

Arleta's top player is RB/DB Dejon Coleman.

Eastside (0-1) at Alemany (1-0), 7 p.m. - With so many top returning players, plus the momentum of an opening 55-0 win over Pasadena, Alemany is an obvious favorite, so Eastside plans to play like it has nothing to lose.

"We want to test ourselves, and it's not like we're worried about qualifying for a bowl game," Eastside coach Richard Lear said. "Our kids are excited to play a team like Alemany. We'll have to play our best game to keep it interesting."

Some of Alemany's top players are QB Devon Dunn, WRs Jerico Richardson and Steven Mitchell, LB Bryce Henderson and DBs Basil Boyd and Devon Smith.

DAILY NEWS TOP 20

1. Alemany (1-0) - Should score lots of points against Eastside

2. Westlake (1-0) - Colorado-bound Justin Solis taking his official visit

3. Oaks Christian (0-1) - Thankful for no more double-wing opponents

4. Crespi (1-0) - OL Jordan Simmons: "We owed Dominguez one"

5. Chaminade (0-0) - Big opening test vs. City power Venice

6. Valencia (0-0) - QB Sean Murphy ready to take over for Alex Bishop

7. Canyon (0-0) - Looking to build after 10-win season

8. Moorpark (1-0) - Idle this week like most Marmonte teams

9. Notre Dame (1-0) - Tough nonleague sked continues vs. Valencia

10.. Thousand Oaks (1-0) - Not much to work on after 62-0 opening win

11. St. Francis (0-0) - Coach Bonds on opener: "This is best Arcadia team in 10 years"

12. Hart (0-1) - Looks to avenge 35-point loss to Palmdale in '10

13. Taft (0-0) - Lots of newcomers but Toreadors must still be respected

14. Camarillo (0-0) - Licking chops after Buena lost opener 62-0

15. Palmdale (0-0) - Let's see if scouting report on Hart works out

16. Saugus (1-0) - Can Centurions contain Muir's potent offense?

17. West Ranch (1-0) - Light nonleague schedule continues with Burbank

18. Quartz Hill (0-0) - RB Mario Lodge should be a key

19. Sierra Canyon (1-0) - Would be surprising if Bishop still around in 2nd half

20. Newbury Park (1-0) - Looking to prove last year was an aberration

Sierra Canyon boys' basketball coach Ryan Silver confirmed junior star point guard Jahmel Taylor suffered a bad leg injury this past weekend at the Labor Day Showcase at Pierce College.

Silver said Taylor could be out anywhere from four to eight weeks.

Taylor should be ready for the regular season but it was just more bad news for a team that recently lost sophomore stars Bryan Alberts and Marsalis Johnson to Village Christian.

The Cal State Northridge women's basketball program is holding a free coaches clinic.

The date is Saturday, Oct. 29. It will run from from 9 a.m. to noon

The clinic features:

On-court demonstration
X's and O's Discussion
Individual Skill Breakdown for Post and Perimeter Position
Video Session
Q & A with CSUN Coaching Staff

The clinic is free and open to all coaches from all levels (boys and girls), including junior college, high school, middle school, and AAU.

Please RSVP to Coach Mario Trutanic at mario.trutanic@csun.edu or 818-677-4949.

Former Saugus and USC left-hander Tommy Milone made his major league debut Saturday in an 8-7 victory against the New York Mets.

His outing of 4 1/3 innings pitched won't really be the highlight. He gave up four runs on six hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

The big deal will be that he became the eighth pitcher in major league history to hit a home run on the very first pitch he saw.

The last to do it was Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.

2011 SF Valley Fall League

September 10 and 17 schedule.

Sept. 10
Boys Games at El Camino Real
10 a.m. Simi Valley 2 vs. El Camino Real 2
11 a.m. Simi Valley 1 vs. Ventura
12 p.m. Harvard-Westlake vs. Ventura
1 p.m. Agoura vs. Stockdale
2 p.m. Harvard-Westlake 2 vs. Westlake 2a
3 p.m. Harvard-Westlake 3 vs. Westlake 2b
4 p.m. Birmingham vs. Stockdale

Boys Games at Panorama High
10 a.m. Royal vs. SF Wolves
11 a.m. Canoga Park vs. Northridge Academy
12 p.m. Sierra Canyon 1 vs. Royal
1 p.m. Sierra Canyon 2 vs. Agoura 3
2 p.m. Calabasas 2a vs. Agoura 2a
3 p.m. Calabasas 2b vs. Agoura 2b
4 p.m. Panorama vs. Sun Valley

Girls Games at Cleveland High
11 a.m. Village Christian vs. Royal
12 p.m. 1000 Oaks vs. Notre Dame
1 p.m. 1000 Oaks jv vs. Newbury Park jv
2 p.m. Sierra Canyon vs. L.A. Baptist
3 p.m. Calabasas vs. Cleveland
4 p.m. Westlake jv vs. Cleveland jv

Saturday Sept. 17
Boys Games at El Camino Real High
10 a.m. Oxnard vs. West Ranch
11 a.m. Sun Valley vs. A.G.B.U.
12 p.m. Oxnard vs. Independence
1 p.m. Buckley 1 vs. Birmingham
2 p.m. Agoura vs. Independence
3 p.m. Agoura 4 vs. Buckley 2
4 p.m. Agoura 2 vs. Westlake 1
5 p.m. Agoura 3 vs. Westlake 2

Boys Games at Panorama High High
10 a.m. Oaks Christian vs. Canoga Park
11 a.m. Harvard-Westlake 2 vs. Simi Valley 2
12 p.m. Harvard-Westlake 1 vs. Simi Valley 1
1 p.m. Harvard-Westlake 3 vs. Calabasas 2
2 p.m. Panorama vs. Northridge Academy
3 p.m. Sierra Canyon 2 vs. Calabasas 1
4 p.m. Sierra Canyon 1 vs. SF Wolves

Girls games at Cleveland High
10 a.m. Conejo Quakes vs. Village Christian
11 a.m. Newbury Park jv vs. Threat jv
12 p.m. Conejo Quakes vs. Cleveland 1
1 p.m. Notre Dame vs. Sierra Canyon
2 p.m. Royal vs. L.A. Baptist
3 p.m. Calabasas vs. A.G.B.U.
4 p.m. 1000 Oaks 1 vs. Oaks Christian 1
5 p.m. 1000 Oaks 2 vs. Westlake 2
6 p.m. Cleveland 2 vs. Oaks Christian 2

From CIF:

BROADCAST SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK
GAME BROADCAST ENTITY
Crenshaw at Norco Fox Sports WEST
St. John Bosco @ Lakewood Fox Sports WEB
Santa Margarita vs. Tesoro @ Saddelback CC Fox Sports WEB
Bishop Amat vs. Servite @ Cerritos C Fox Sports WEB
St. Bonaventure @ Centennial/Corona Fox Sports WEB
Venice @ Chaminade TW So Cal 101
Palmdale @ Hart SCVTV
Carson vs. Long Beach Poly @ Veterans Stadium IBN
Jordan @ Crespi IBN
Serra @ Redondo Union IBN
Valencia @ Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks IBN

After a long summer of conditioning and repetitive practice drills, the high school football season opened last week, and most teams were happy to be under the Friday night lights.

"We were motivated and fired up about hitting someone who wasn't on our own team," said Alemany receiver/defensive back Jerico Richardson, who helped the Warriors to a 55-0 win over Pasadena. "We were excited about our first game."

There are more rookie coaches than usual, including six new faces among San Fernando Valley City Section schools.

The Golden Valley-Simi Valley opener was interesting because both brought in new coaches just a few weeks ago as late replacements. With coach Ryan Taggert leading the way, Simi Valley defeated the Grizzlies 45-14.

"Turnovers and mistakes cost us the game. Our goal is to limit the mistakes and play a more disciplined game," Golden Valley coach Robert Fisher said.

About half of the schools in the area opened last week, and most of the others begin Friday.

Canyon running back Max Archuleta, held out of an opening scrimmage because of a hip injury, should be back Friday for an opener against visiting Burroughs - the first of four consecutive home games to open the season for the Cowboys.

"We're all excited. We haven't been under the lights in a long time," Archuleta said.

Saugus plays at Muir in Pasadena on Friday, and it will be like a coming-home party for Saugus coach Jason Bornn, who got his start as Muir assistant. Bornn says he is less concerned about sentimentality than he is about Muir's team speed.

"Muir's nickname is the Mustangs, and that's very appropriate," Bornn said. "They're extremely fast and could give the Jamaican track team a run for their money."

Kawan Rally of El Camino Real rushed for 225 yards and four touchdowns Thursday in a 48-7 victory at North Hollywood - the stocky, 5-foot-11, 230-pound senior's fourth 200-yard performance over the past five games dating back to last season.

"Kawan is hard to bring down. He's the best running back in the City Section," said El Camino Real coach Kevin Williams, who added that USC and UCLA are both interested.

Among Rally's top blockers in El Camino Real's double-wing offense are three-year starter Eli Assouline and Johnny Medina.

Johnny Stuart, a Westlake tight end/defensive lineman who is among the West Coast's top juniors, is recovering from a preseason knee injury and should be ready for the Marmonte League opener Sept. 16 against visiting Calabasas.

In the meantime, quarterback Justin Moore did a fine job stepping in late Saturday for graduated Nick Isham, last year's Daily News Player of the Year who is now a starting freshman quarterback for Louisiana Tech. In an opening 30-27 overtime win at Del Oro, Moore completed 16 of 27 for 264 yards, and he rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns as Westlake totaled 506 yards.

Another junior, Dashon Hunt, had five tackles and a forced fumble while adding 85 yards rushing on five carries, including an 80-yard touchdown.

"It was really close and a really good game," Hunt said.

San Fernando is expected to be one of the San Fernando Valley's most improved teams after winning a total of three games in each of the past two seasons, and the Tigers opened Friday with a 46-8 win over Sun Valley.

Will Settle, whose father, Bill, used to play for the Tigers with current San Fernando coach Tom Hernandez, rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries, and the Tigers limited Sun Valley to 65 yards, as a running clock was used in the second half.

"We looked good all-around," Hernandez said.

Among the opening-week disappointments was Canoga Park. The Hunters are expected to contend for a Valley Mission League title, but they blew a second-half lead in a 30-10 loss to lightly regarded Jefferson.

"We need to close out games," Canoga Park coach Ivan Moreno said.

Sylmar has a tough opener Friday against visiting Compton, coached by legendary Don Markham, the innovative double-wing guru with San Fernando Valley roots, as Markham played at Birmingham High and Cal State Northridge and coached at L.A. Baptist and Pierce College.

Compton, 3-7 last year, lost its opener 36-32 to Compton Centennial, but Markham, in his first season, has a reputation for instantly turning programs around.

"This should be a good challenge for us," Sylmar coach Andrew Kasek said.

Former Oaks Christian swim standout Hayley Shillington has continued on to a Division 1 college swimming career at University of the Pacific.

In her freshman season, Hayley was a top point-achiever.

In addition to being on the fastest relay teams, she posted top times in five events: the 200 yard backstroke and the 50, 100, 200 and 500 yard freestyle.

Shillington was also a finalist in the 2011 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships. She is just beginning her sophomore year at UOP, where she studies sports management.

At football practice today at Village Christian, a fire broke out at one of the homes near the football field, and receiver Josh Rolls and some of his teammates rushed over and helped uncage annd rescue some of the family pets.

"Now I'm a professional animal rescuer," Rolls said.

The high school football season got underway with several week 0 games Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

El Camino Real has All-City water girls team thanks to Karyn Wright and Dylann O'Connor.

Wright is the star pitcher on the softball team and O'Connor has a scholarship for soccer to New Mexcio. O'Connor also plays softball.

The best burrito is at Alemany, by far. It is not even close. The $7 price tag is well worth it.

Generous portions of steak, chicken or pork with rice, beans, cheese and salsa.

It was unreal.

The Sierra Canyon cheerleaders might have the biggest biceps by the end of the season.

The cheerleaders do push-ups each time the Trailblazers score.

Sierra Canyon scored 58 points in its opening victory against Horizon Christian and I don't think many teams will hold the high-powered Trailblazers down.

That means Kendall and Kylie Kardashian (younger sisters of Kim, Kourtney and Khloe) and Corrine Fox (Jamie Fox's daughter) might be able to show off their arms on the big screen one day.

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Westlake's football team survived its trip Saturday night to Loomis, defeating Del Oro 30-27 in overtime.

Alex Ball kicked a 27-yard field goal in the extra period to lift the Warriors after having a field goal attempt blocked late in regulation.

Ball missed a 41-yard field goal attempt off the right goal post in the Southern Section Northern Division final last year that would have secured the title for Westlake. Instead, Oaks Christian held on for a 29-28 victory.

Westlake returns to action Sept. 16 against Calabasas.

It was an especially long night Saturday for Oaks Christian High.
In a football opener that did not finish until nearly midnight, the Lions lost 31-21 to Bellevue (Wash) at Mission Viejo High - the second year in a row Oaks Christian lost its first game.

A year ago, the Lions rebounded to win the Southern Section Northern Division championship. It's a new season, and the Lions have every intention of coming back once again.

"We played hard, but Bellevue did very well," Oaks Christian running back/defensive back Ishmael Adams said. "We just have to keep believing. We'll be back."

Oaks Christian's Luke Falk had a successful debut at quarterback. The junior transfer from Logan, Utah completed 24 of 43 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns, and he scored on a 1-yard run, but the Lions managed just one touchdown in the second half and could not hold down Bellevue's tricky misdirection running attack.

Falk completed 13 of 23 passes in the first half for 183 yards and a touchdown to help the Lions to a 13-10 halftime lead.

But Oaks Christian allowed three touchdowns in the second half, and after falling behind by 10, the Lions never seriously threatened.

MISSION VIEJO - Oaks Christian High's football opener against Bellevue (Wash.) was heavily anticipated, but the game got off to a late start at Mission Viejo High, as Oaks Christian was leading 13-10 as the first half ended.

Oaks Christian's new quarterback, junior Luke Falk, impressed. He completed 13 of 23 passes in the first half for 183 yards and a touchdown, and he also scored on a 1-yard run to help the Lions to a 13-10 halftime lead.

Oaks Christian got off to a slow start. On the opening series, Falk completed 2 of his first 4 passes before missing badly from his own 31 on an overthrow that was intercepted by Tyler Hasty, who returned it to the 12.

Oaks Christian hung tough defensively, and Bellevue was forced to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Andy Boulware to forge a 3-0 lead.

Following a 40-yard kick return by Ishmael Adams, Oaks Christian scored on its next possession. The Lions drove 55 yards on 11 plays, scoring on Falk's 1-yard sneak. The key play was a 34-yard completion from Falk to Jordan Payton to the Bellevue 5, and after three running plays, Falk scored on fourth-and-1.

A few plays later, Payton came through on a jarring hit, decking receiver Bishard Baker after a short completion, but Bellevue eventually scored on John Nguyen's 12-yard run to pull ahead 10-6.

Oaks Christian took over, and Falk passed 45 yards to Adams, but Adams was stripped by Hasty, and Bellevue recovered.

Three plays later, Bellevue returned the favor by fumbling the ball away, and Oaks Christian took over on its own 39.

Oaks Christian then drove 61 yards on 10 plays, scoring on Falk's 20-yard touchdown pass to Payton, who did a nice job fielding the football in coverage in the back of the end zone to give the Lions a 13-10 lead.

Oaks Christian was busy again on its next series, driving from its own 31 to the Bellevue 17. But instead of trying a fourth-down field goal, the drive ended on a Falk incompletion.
Oaks Christian got the football one last time before halftime, but Falk was intercepted near the end zone as time expired, and the score remained 13-10 at the break.

Oaks Christian, No. 13 in the USA Today's national rankings, entered with seven Southern Section titles over the past eight seasons, including the Northern Division championship last year. This is the Lions' second season in a large division after nearly a decade of dominance at the small-school level.

The Lions came in with 61 victories over the past 64 games. Some of the top returning starters include running back/defensive Ishmael Adams, receivers Jordan Payton and Chris Davis and linebackers Carlos Mendoza and Cameron Judge.

In 2009, the Lions defeated another top Washington program, Skyline, by a score of 28-25 in a nationally televised interstate game on ESPN.

Bellevue, ranked No. 22 by USA Today, entered with three consecutive state championships. The Wolverines were 13-1 last season. Most have the top starters from last year have returned, including quarterback Tyler Hasty, running back Bishard Baker and offensive linemen Michael Kneip, Jake Eldrenkamp and Kyle Bentz.

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Sierra Canyon was stung this summer when outstanding sophomore prospects Bryan Alberts and Marsalis Johnson transferred to Village Christian.

The Trailblazers are moving on.

They looked good Saturday at Pierce College in Woodland Hills in the Labor Day showcase.

They stayed close with state power La Verne Lutheran.

Jahmel Taylor was unstoppable, according to coach Ryan Silver, and freshman Justin Waldorf has a bright future.

Waldorf is a 6-foot-1 sharp-shooting guard with a 35 inch vertical leap.

Waldorf is the son of professional golfer Duffy Waldorf.

Silver also pointed out junior guard Justin Ifkeniguwe, who transferred from Loyola two years ago.

Mike Davison's fun-to-watch factor is off the charts. He's a 5-foot-2 multi-purpose back for Crespi, and the senior scored on runs of 15 and 21 yards Friday in a 48-6 win at Dominguez.

On the 15-yarder, the football squirted loose before Davison could get his hands on it, and he soon found himself surrounded by defenders about 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage. But the speedy senior somehow broke several tackles and eluded four defenders to weave his way into the end zone.

"Every time I get the ball, I see green," Davison said. "Sometimes, some of the players from the other teams tease me at first, but not after they see me play. I don't do a lot of talking. I just laugh at them because it gets me more hyped up."

Crespi coach Jon Mack loves watching Davison, just like everyone else.

"When he's out there, I think we should charge double," Mack said.

Village Christian made a sparkling debut under new coach Jay Schroeder, coming from 21 points down in the second half in 26-21 win at La Salle.

"I guess we wanted to make it exciting," Schroeder said. "We made some mistakes, turned the ball over, that type of stuff, but we got it together at the end. I'm real glad for the kids.

"I told them they did a good job fighting through adversity. That's something you can't coach and you can't teach. To keep battling, it has to come from the players themselves. You never want to lose your first game."

Saugus pulled out a 31-20 victory Thursday over Burroughs, but only after surrendering 277 yards rushing to unsung Zander Anding -- not including Anding's 84-yard kick return for a touchdown.

The Centurions need to tighten their defense, and it better come sooner than later because next is Muir, featuring Washington-bound running back Tarien Owens.

"We were disappointed about the big plays, but we know what we need to do," Saugus defensive back Scott Hamilton. "We're going to work on tackling in practice. We'll get there. I think for the first game, it was a little sloppy but it was pretty good.

"We got better as the game progressed and kind of picked it up at the end. We're going to be one of the better teams in the Foothill League."

Alemany looked sharp Friday in 55-0 opening win over Pasadena, but Alemany coach Dean Herrington is quick to notice the rest of the Serra League is doing well, too.

"It's going to be a lot tougher down the line," Herrington said. "Like I've said before, everyone in the league is better this year. You saw what Crespi did to Dominguez. You saw what Notre Dame did to Serra. You saw Loyola won. It's going to be a dogfight."

All five Serra League teams won Friday, with Crespi defeating Dominguez 48-6, Notre Dame knocking off Serra 35-13, Loyola prevailing over Mira Costa 28-14 and Bishop Amat looking strong against Garfield with a 14-0 victory.

Since winning the 2007 City Section Div. I championship, Birmingham has had a difficult time dealing with tough nonleague opponents, winning just two of 15 nonleague games heading into this season.

The Patriots have finally eased back with some more manageable nonleague games this season. After opening Friday with a 49-16 win over West Adams Prep, Birmingham plays Belmont and Grant over the next two games, a big difference compared to last season when the Patriots played Corona Centennial and Valencia in the second and third games of the season.

"I think last year against Corona Centennial, we had four or five guys that got injured, and all of them were lost for the season. It was all downhill after that," Birmingham coach Jim Rose said.

In the win over West Adams, junior Issiah Hastings rushed for 111 yards on 11 carries and scored three touchdowns, including an 84-yard kick return.

"We knew Issiah was going to be good. We just weren't sure how good," Rose said.

Defending East Valley Division champion Paraclete has CIF State Bowl aspirations, so some might be wondering why the Spirits scheduled such a difficult first game against Serrano, which scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to defeat the Spirits 7-6 on Friday to mar a potential perfect record.

"The reality is, an opening opponent like Serrano makes us a better football team," Paraclete coach Norm Dahlia said. "We could have found lots of teams that we could have beat 50-0 or 60-0, but that's not what football is all about. You win with honor, and you lose with honor.

"We want to play the best and then be able to look in the mirror and know we gave 100 percent.

"There are 13 more games, and it's about building character and getting ready for the Alpha League, not about where everyone is ranked in the state and in the division."

Paraclete suffered a 35-14 setback to Serrano in last year's season opener, but won its final 13 games, including the Southern Section East Valley Division title.

Former Birmingham and Glendale College cross country standout Rosa Del Toro, a senior at Long Beach State, relied on an impressive surge in the final kilometer to win the 6-kilometer race at the Fullerton season-opening invitational Saturday at Carbon Canyon Park in Brea.

Del Toro, who moved up from 11th at the midway point of the race, won in 22 minutes, 3.7 seconds, just ahead of Glendale Community College sophomore Karen Rosas (22:08.5), making her return to cross country for the Vaqueros following 5,000- and 10,000-meter state track titles in the spring.

Loyola Marymount won the team competition with 39 points, followed by Long Beach State (61) and Glendale College (73).

Saugus graduate Nina Moore, a Long Beach State junior, also closed well in the final kilometer, edging Loyola Marymount's Caroline Draper (22:25.4) at the finish line to finish fourth (22:25.3).

Canyon alumna Alyssa Selve, a Glendale College sophomore, placed seventh in 22:44.0, with Saugus graduate Toccoa Kahovec rounding out the top 10 by clocking 23:03.1 for Cal Lutheran.

Cal State Northridge's Fany Alvarado, a Taft graduate, placed 14th (23:15.7), with Burroughs alumna Angie Martinez, a Glendale College sophomore, taking 15th (23:17.3). Hart graduate Grace Zamudio, a Glendale College freshman, was 24th (23:25.8) and Simi Valley alumna Amanda Miller was the No. 2 runner for 10th-place Cal Lutheran (295 points), clocking 24:20.7 to finish 53rd.

In the men's 8-kilometer race, Birmingham graduate Mizrael Mendez led Glendale by placing 13th in 25:58.7.

Long Beach State junior Jared Long, an El Camino Real graduate, was ninth (25:53.8) for the 49ers, who won with 25 points. Glendale took sixth with 136 points.

Santee graduate Jesus Gutierrez finished 23rd for the Vaqueros (26:21.1), followed by Saugus alumnus Alec Nelson in 33rd (26:40.9) and former Taft star Mario Castillo (26:52.0) in 46th.

Former Simi Valley standout Michael Vorgitch was 29th in his debut for Loyola Marymount (26:32.9).

Following a competitive first game, visiting Thousand Oaks made quick work of Marmonte League rival Westlake in the final two games in Friday's 27-25, 25-7, 25-13 season-opening victory.

Kendall Frisoli had 14 digs and Erin Foley added 13 assists for Thousand Oaks, which received six kills from Summer Esseff.

Westlake had won the Las Vegas Invitational at Bonanza High on Aug. 27, but lost momentum after pushing the defending league champion Lancers in the opening game.

With several local high school graduates contributing, the defending state champion Pierce College women's volleyball team won all three matches Friday to capture the Modesto tournament title.

Former Birmingham standout Danetta Boykin had 12 kills and two aces against Porterville to help Pierce defeat Porterville 25-19, 25-14, 28-26 in the final.

Taft graduate Jasmine Levi added eight kills and Japanese prep star Sakurako Fujii shined for the Brahmas with 15 kills.

West Ranch alumna Janelle Futch had 36 assists and four aces for Pierce, which didn't drop a game on the day.

Boykin had eight kills and three aces in a 25-15, 25-10, 25-11 semifinal victory over Merced, with Fujii contributing 11 kills and former Royal standout Kathleen Wright and Cleveland graduate Sofia Granato both recording four aces.

Newbury Park graduate Veronika Ban led Pierce with 12 kills and Levi added seven kills in a 25-13, 25-6, 25-4 first-round victory over West Hills. Futch contributed 24 assists and Shayne Guitare added five kills and five aces for the Brahmas, who play its home opener Sept. 9.

A year after losing its season opener to Dominguez High, Crespi made sure it did not happen again.

The Celts jumped on the host Dons for five first-half touchdowns Friday in a 48-6 victory, as junior quarterback Cody Cordell completed 7 of 11 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns -- all in the first half, as Crespi jumped to a 28-point lead.

A running clock was used in the second half.

Cordell, a junior transfer from Oaks Christian, is helping the Celts make a smooth transition now that standout Kenny Stenhouse has graduated after setting Crespi single-season records last season for yards and touchdowns.

"I've been waiting for this night my whole life," Cordell said.

He twice connected with Chris Harper for touchdowns in the first half on passes of 25 and 75 yards.

"Chris made it easy for me. I just threw it up, and he made the plays," Cordell said.

Crespi scored two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half to put the game away, including a 3-yard scoring pass from Cordell to Callahan with two seconds left before intermission to boost Crespi's lead to 34-6.

After transferring during the summer from Oaks Christian, Cordell found himself in a crowded situation at quarterback, but he ended up beating out a total of five hopefuls for the starting job, and he was keen to make a good first impression.

Cordell completed his final five passes in the second quarter.

Crespi's Terrence Williams added a 5-yard touchdown run, carrying eight times for 53 yards in the first half, including a 22-yard run.

Crespi played good defense, too, closing the gaps on Dominguez's power-pitch running attack. The Dons did not manage a first down until three minutes remaining in the first half.

Overall, Dominguez totaled 73 yards in the first - all but 8 in its final drive of the second quarter, as the Dons scored on their only pass of the first half, a 20-yard touchdown from Javan Tate to Dameon Manette.

That touchdown pulled Dominguez to within 15 points, but Crespi answered on the next play from scrimmage when Cordell found Harper on a deep pass near the Crespi sideline, and the fleet receiver broke a tackle and outrun a couple of defenders to the end zone.

In the second half, Crespi fed the football to freshman running back Okalani Langi, who carried seven times for 66 yards. Nicholas Metoyer scored Crespi's final touchdown on s 15-yard run with just over a minute remaining.

Crespi's Mike Davison scored on touchdown runs of 15 and 21 yards.

Dominguez turned the ball over four times. Kenneth Williams was ejected in the second half for unsportsmanlike conduct.

CRESPI 48, DOMINGUEZ 6

Crespi 7-27-0-14-48
Dom 0-6-0-0-6

C- Williams 5 run (Cassley kick)
C-Davison 21 run (Cassley kick)
C-Harper 25 pass from Cordell (Cassley kick)
D-Manette 25 pass from Tate (run failed)
C-Harper 75 pass from Cordell (Cassley kick)
C-Callahan 3 pass from Cordell (kick failed)
C-Davison 15 run (Cassley kick)
C-Metoyer 15 run (Cassley kick)

Leaders:
Passing
C-Cordell 7-11-0-197
D-Tate 2-5-55
Rushing
C-Langi 7-66; Williams 8-55
D - Garrison 8-37
Receiving
C-Harper 4-145
D-Manette 1-25
R: C 1-0; D 0-1

A year after losing its season opener to Dominguez High, Crespi are making sure it does not happen again.

The Celts jumped on the host Dons for five first-half touchdowns to forge a 34-6 lead, as junior quarterback Cody Cordell completed 7 of 11 for 197 yards and three touchdowns - as Crespi jumped to a 28-point lead.

Cordell, a junior transfer from Oaks Christian, is helping the Celts make a smooth transition now that record-setting Kenny Stenhouse has graduating after setting Crespi single-season records last season for yards and touchdowns.

He twice connected with Chris Harper for touchdowns in the first half, first on a 25-yarder, then a 75-yarder, as Crespi scored two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half to put the game away.

Cordell also passed 3 yards to Trevon Callahan for a touchdown with two seconds left before intermission to boost Crespi's lead to 34-6.

After transferring during the summer from Oaks Christian, Cordell found himself in a crowded situation at quarterback, but he ended up beating out a total of five hopefuls for the starting job, and he was keen to make a good first impression.

Cordell completed his final five passes in the second quarter, finishing the first half 7 of 11 for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

Crespi's Terrence Williams added a 5-yard touchdown run, carrying eight times for 53 yards in the first half, including a 22-yard run.

Crespi played good defense, too, closing the gaps on Dominguez's power-pitch running attack. The Dons did not manage a first down until three minutes remaining in the first half.

Overall, Dominguez totaled 73 yards in the first - all but 8 in its final drive of the second quarter, as the Dons scored on their only pass of the first half, a 20-yard touchdown from Javan Tate to Dameon Manette.

That touchdown pulled Dominguez to within 15 points, but Crespi answered on the next play from scrimmage when Cordell found Harper on a deep pass near the Crespi sideline, and the fleet receiver broke a tackle and outrun a couple of defenders to the end zone.

Devon Dunn, Steven Mitchell, Jerico Richardson, Deshon Randall, Cameron Washington, Major Armstead and all of the Alemany Warriors are taking it out on Pasadena.

Dunn has thrown three touchdown passes and Washington has rushed for two scores.

Alemany led 41-0 at halftime and now leads 48-0 midway through the third quarter.

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Monroe 26, Hollywood 20 in OT. more to come...