November 2011 Archives

Oaks Christian didn't have to wait long to get another shot at Windward. And the Lions took full advantage of the opportunity Wednesday.

Although the visiting Wildcats weren't at full strength, it didn't diminish the satisfaction of Oaks Christian's 75-49 nonleague boys' basketball victory after Windward defeated the Lions twice last year, including a 58-52 win in the Southern California Div. IV regional final.

Chass Bryan had 22 points, including 13 in the second half with 7-of-8 free-throw shooting, and five assists for the Lions (1-0), who ended the game on a 15-0 run.

Jackson Miller added 12 points, including 7-of-7 free-throw shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists for Oaks Christian.

Jason Ghilarducci had 10 points for the Lions, who shot 23 of 35 from the free-throw line, compared to 13 of 34 for Windward.

The Wildcats received 16 points from Loyola Marymount-bound Nick Stover but was hurt by the absence of Charles Dawson and Jordan Wilson, who are playing Saturday in the Southern Section 8-man Div. I football final.

A year ago, Oaks Christian High started 2-2 and ended up winning the final 10 games including the Northern Division football championship. This season, the Lions (10-2) started 3-2 before winning seven in a row to qualify for the section semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday against host St. Bonaventure (10-2) at Ventura High.

The best teams always come through at the end, and Oaks Christian is hoping to qualify for a final for the ninth consecutive season, as the Lions have won seven championship with one runner-up over the past eight years -- a legitimate dynasty that Oaks Christian is hoping to build upon.

"I think we're peaking at the right time," Oaks Christian coach Bill Redell said. "The past three games, including two playoff games, our offense has played very well, and plus we're healthy. I think this game against St. Bonaventure, we're two teams that are pretty equal. They're good on defense, and we're good on defense."

Since former Westlake defensive coordinator Mike Leibin left in 2007 to take the head job at Thousand Oaks, the coach is 1-4 against his former alma mater, losing the last three by 26 points or more including a 38-6 Marmonte League loss on Sept. 23.

The schools meet again at 7 p.m. Friday in a Northern semifinal at Westlake (12-0), and Leibin and the visiting Lancers (8-4) must figure out a way to close the gap.

Leibin has a three-point plan.

"First, we have got to play well, which is something we didn't do last time," Leibin said. "Second, we need a better game plan than last time, and third, we've got the make the plays."

Leibin is the first to concede it's not going to be easy trying to pull an upset at Westlake, 38-2 over the past three seasons and vying a third consecutive section-final appearance.

"Obviously, there's no doubt Westlake is a really good football team," Leibin said. "They've got some really good football players, and there's no doubt about that, so we've just got to go out and throw it all out there."

Jake Maulhardt of Camarillo finished the year with 119 receptions - the second-most in area history - and as the season progressed, Maulhardt began facing gimmick defenses designed to stop him.

"The last couple games of the regular season, against Oxnard and Rio Mesa, I was getting triple-covered and quadruple covered," Maulhardt said. "I only caught five passes against Oxnard and four against Rio Mesa, but we won both games to clinch the Pacific View League championship."

Camarillo lost to San Luis Obispo 54-28 in the first round of the Western playoffs.

Maulhardt is staying busy. He is participating in a home recruiting visit with Boise State on Tuesday, and he's also playing basketball for Camarillo. Plus, Maulhardt is playing receiver for the West in the annual Daily News All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Pierce College.

Granada Hills, a City Section Div. II semifinalist, is enjoying its best season since 2003, and there is a buzz on campus.

"It's a great feeling. Even the administration and all the faculty is behind us," Granada Hills coach Billy Parra said. "The feeling of accomplishment is very thrilling because these kids have gone through a roller coaster."

Granada Hills (7-5), led by quarterback Josh Szin, running back Brian Sanchez and linebacker Victor Rabago, plays at L.A. Marshall at 7 p.m. Friday. The semifinal originally was going to be at nearby Franklin High because Marshall does not have stadium lights, but the host Barristers decided to bring in portable lights to preserve home-field advantage.

The winner qualifies for the championship game on Dec. 9 at East L.A. College - the first time in decades the City football championships will not be at the L.A. Coliseum.

Marshall (10-2) has won nine in a row by an average margin of nearly 29 points.

"Marshall is a pretty evenly balanced team, and they do a great job running the spread offense - probably one of the best spread offenses I've seen in terms of execution," Parra said. "We've got to slow down their quarterback and slow their running game."

Westlake's Johnny Stuart, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound defensive lineman who has eight scholarship offers even though he is only a junior, has narrowed his college choices to Arizona, Colorado and Boise State. He is taking suggestions on his Facebook page.

Austin McBroom, a former Campbell Hall star, is off to a good start as a starting freshman for Central Michigan. McBroom is averaging 10.8 points and 3.8 assists while shooting 55 percent from 3-point range (11 of 20).

His freshman brother Landon, competing for Paraclete, scored 18 points in his high school debut Monday against Tehachapi.

Defending Div. V-AA champion Valley Torah won its season opener in impressive fashion.

The Wolfpack had no troube with St. Monica Academy (not St. Monica from Santa Monica).

Nathaniel Liberman scored 23 points, Jack Turrell scored 11 points and Jake Stibelman scored 10 points to lead Valley Torah.

Thank You to Dave Rogahn for sending this report over

A most entertaining game - it was tied 54-54 late in the third quarter when foul trouble caught up to Littlerock and Hart finally pulled away.

For Hart -

Austin Maly - 29 pts, 9 3-pointers
Lewis Stallworth - 18 pts, 11 rebs, 3 asts, 3 stls
Nico Cruz - 14 pts, 8 rebs, 3 blks
James Chevious - 12 pts, 4 asts, 3 stls
Myles Franklin (freshman!) - 9 pts, 11 rebs, 9 asts, 2 stls

For Littlerock -
Cody Phillips - 26 pts, 4 threes, 3 rebs, 3 asts
Matthew Watts - 25 pts, 9 rebs
Anthony Burkhart - 19 pts, 10 rebs

Rio Mesa vs. Chatsworth, 3:30 p.m. at Simi Valley
Ventura vs. Verdugo Hills, 5 p.m. at Simi Valley
Dos Pueblos vs. Valencia, 6:30 p.m. at Simi Valley
Simi Valley vs. Sierra Canyon, 8 p.m. at Simi Valley

Golden Valley vs. Besant Hill, 4 p.m. at Camarillo
El Camino Real vs. West Ranch, 5:30 p.m. at Camarillo
Westlake vs. Camarillo, 7 p.m. at Camrillo

Things have not gone the way Harvard-Westlake would like in the first week of its basketbal season.

The Wolverines lost to Santa Monica Monday at the Redondo Union tournament and came back Tuesday and lost to tiny Pacific Hills of West Hollywood, 56-54.

Harvard-Westlake features four solid players, in Zena Edosomwan, Josh Hearlihy, Derrick Newton and Michael Sheng, but have found the going rough, so far.

The Wolverines play Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in consolation game that could feature Westcheste or Dominguez or Torrance.

Edosomwan is trying to go to college at Harvard, Hearlihy is committed to Utah and Newton and Sheng project as college-bound players.

Harvard-Westlake will figure things out

Village Christian only needs a victory against Renaissance Academy Wednesday at 8 p.m. to reach the semifinals of the Burbank tournament.

The Crusaders feature Marquis Salmon and sophomore Bryan Alberts and Marsalis Johnson, but will have their hands full with Renaissance Academy, which features Jessy Cantinol, Nick Troplent, Troy Fontanilla, Vince DeGuzman and Gherick Uneau.

The winner will likely play Royal in a semifinal Friday at 8 p.m.

The other semifinal could shape up to be Burbank vs. Canyon at 6:30 p.m.

The championship quarterfinals for the Pasadena tournament are all set.

LaVerne Lutheran vs. Corona Roosevelt, Wed. at 6:30 p.m.
Pasadena vs. Leuzinger, Wed. at 8 p.m.
Washington Prep vs. Etiwanda, Thu. at 6:30 p.m.
Price vs. Chino Hills, Thu. at 8 p.m.

Here is what the consolation quarterfinals look like:

Sylmar vs. Long Beach Jordan, Wed. at 3:30 p.m.
Arroyo Valley vs. Ribet Academy, Wed. at 5 p.m.
Cleveland vs. Cajon, Thu. at 3:30 p.m.
Birmingham vs. Canyon Springs, Thu. at 5 p.m.

Day two of pool-play at the Providence tournament.

St. Genevieve 76
Oakwood 66

Holy Martyrs 57
Waverly 6

St. Monica 79
Huntington Park College-Ready Acad. 32

Providence 69
Calvary Baptist 32

St. Genevieve will play Providence in a semifinal Friday at 6 p.m.
St. Monica will likely play San Marino in the other semifinal Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m.

Two games down for the Providence boys' basketball team and two victories.

Providence easily took care of Calvary Baptist in its second pool-play game of its own tournament, 69-32.

Patrick Gonzalez scored 24 pointsand had seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Freshman Marcus LoVett scored 22 points and had six assists, five steals and one rebound.

Providence looks like it could be a real contender for the Liberty League championship.

West Ranch 58
Ventura 55

Dos Pueblos 68
Rio Mesa 62 (OT)

Valencia 91
Chatsworth 86 (OT)

Valencia led 48-32 at halftime

Simi Valley 87
Sun Valley 35

D.J. Saul scored 23 points and Austin Hawk scored 15 points in the victory.

El Camino Real 57
Verdugo Hills 49

Michael Thomas scored 18 points in the victory.

ECR led 29-14 before the Dons tried to pull the same magic they had in the 2009 City Section Div. III championship game at Roybal Learning Center.

Verdugo Hills trailed by 19 points two years ago, but used a furious rally to upset ECR.

The Dons (0-2) cut the deficit to one point on three different occasions Tuesday but couldn't get over the hump.

Nabil Abdulrazak scored 13 points to lead the Dons and Luis Castro and Araz Stepanian each scored 12 points.

El Camino Real 57
Verdugo Hills 49

Verdugo Hills 7 18 11 13=49
El Camino Real 24 11 9 13=57

Verdugo Hills-Nabil Abdulrazak 13, Luis Castro 12, Araz Stepanian 12, Arechinga 4, Francisco 3, Hakoopian 2, Adkins 2, Menasi 1.

ECR-Michael Thomas 18, Maleke Haynes 10, Rochelin 8, Richardson 7, Mason 6, Conway 3, Francis 3, Wadlow 2.

As high school football teams try to qualify for a section title game by winning a semifinal this Friday, depth is a key issue as injuries continue to build. Nine Valley-area teams are still alive, and just about all of them have starters who are either out because of an injury, or in most cases, hurting but refusing to quit on their teammates and the prospect of winning a championship.

Or, as Westlake coach Jim Benkert put it: "If you've got a linebacker at this stage who isn't at least a little banged up, then he probably isn't worth much."

Tal Dardashti, a linebacker for Chaminade, separated his shoulder in the season opener, but he has not missed a game.

"He's the toughest kid around," Chaminade coach Ed Croson said. "He's dislocated it five or six times, and by now it's at a point where his shoulder just comes out sometimes."

Chaminade is expecting a physical game at Arroyo Grande, where temperatures have been dipping into the upper 30s this week.

Arroyo Grande eliminated Chaminade on the same field in the same round a year ago, and most of the Central Coast program's key players from last year's team have returned including star linebacker Seth Jacobs, who has 14 major offers including UCLA, Oregon, Cal and Washington.

"Arroyo Grande's only loss this season was an opening loss to a still-undefeated team. They have talent, and they're legit," Croson said. "The reason you don't hear much about them is because they're such a long way away with their own newspapers, and they don't stray too far from home. I would say we're the underdog."

Arroyo Grande is seeded No. 2, and Chaminade is No. 3. Top-seeded defending champion Serra was eliminated in the first round.

"I think we're going to have to play our best game to win," Croson said.

Neither Desert Christian nor Salesian has ever made it to a Southern Section football final, but that's about to change because they face off Friday in a Northeast semifinal at Lancaster High.

Desert Christian, founded in 1988, is coming on strong after reaching the quarterfinals last season, as most of the top players have returned, including running back Chance Guspeth (1,130 yards, 18 touchdowns) and Kiel Alcarez (1,170 yards, 21 touchdowns).

The Knights pride themselves on defense, forcing 36 turnovers including 24 interceptions, but they've seen few quarterbacks like Salesian's Jihad Vercher, who has passed for 3,032 yards (64 pct.) and 37 touchdowns.

Vercher, a junior, already has heavy recruiting interest, Salesian coach Roddy Hiatt said.

"I have letters for him today from Tennessee, Utah, San Diego State, Oregon, Nebraska, Alabama," Hiatt said. "He's got a great sense for the game, and he makes adjustments right on the field at the line of scrimmage. He's doing a great job."

Salesian, an all-boys school in Boyle Heights, has been around since 1958, but until Hiatt, a former East L.A. College head coach, signed on three years ago, the Mustangs had advanced past the second round just once.

In Hiatt's first season in 2009, Salesian made it to the semifinals. Then, last year they were bounced from playoff eligibility because of eight forfeit losses.

The small-schools showdown Friday is a contrast in styles, as Desert Christian runs a wing-T and did not attempt a pass Friday in a 14-7 win over top-seeded Bishop, the defending Northeast champion.

"They come right at you," Hiatt said.

Tyler Stewart is having a dream season for undefeated Sierra Canyon, passing for 2,003 yards and 30 touchdowns while directing an offense that averages 46 points and nearly 400 yards per game heading into an East Valley semifinal Friday against Bishop Diego at Granada Hills High.

But the key to Sierra Canyon's success -- especially if the Trailblazers want to eventually win the section title and to qualify for CIF State Bowl game - could be defense.

"If we play defense like we did in our quarterfinal win at Ontario Christian, we have an incredible chance because they were just lights out and very physical," Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse said. "Our team fed off of that, and from what I saw, we're a pretty special football team."

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEMIFINALS
ALL GAMES FRIDAY
SOUTHERN SECTION
NORTHERN
Thousand Oaks (8-4) at Westlake (12-0), 7 p.m.
Oaks Christian (10-2) vs. St. Bonaventure (10-2) at Ventura HS, 7 p.m.

WESTERN
Chaminade (10-2) at Arroyo Grande (11-1), 7 p.m.
EAST VALLEY
Bishop Diego (11-1) at Sierra Canyon (12-0) at Granada Hills HS, 7:30 p.m.
Paraclete (10-2) at Rim of the World (7-5), 7 p.m.
NORTHEAST
Desert Christian (10-2) vs. Salesian (10-2) at Lancaster HS, 7:30 p.m.

CITY SECTION
DIV. II
Canoga Park (8-4) at South East (11-1), 7 p.m.
Granada Hills (7-5) at Marshall (10-2), 7 p.m.

Ryan Gorman, a Valencia senior who was a dominant linebacker and also an effective receiver, running back and goal-line quarterback, has been named Football All-League Certificates 2011-2.doc
Canyon junior receiver Drew Wolitarsky is the offensive player of the year, Valencia senior defensive lineman Billy Shipman is the defensive player of the year, and Saugus junior defensive lineman Denley Rodriguez is the lineman of the year.

Providence High made a statement Monday in an easy 86-43 victory against Wildwood in a pool-play game of its own tournament.

Two guards had impressive season debuts.

Senior Patrick Gonzalez scored 34 points and had eight rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Freshman Marcus LoVett scored 24 points and had eight assists and eight steals.

Blair 100
Canoga Park 41

Calabasas 62
LaSalle 42

Hoover leading Campbell Hall, 19-14. Four minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Village Christian won its first pool-play game at the Burbank tournament.

The Crusaders destroyed Van Nuys, 66-25.

Village Christian has an intriguing matchup Wednesday at 8 p.m. against Renaissance Academy.

Osamu Igodan, the Cleveland High dunk-master, scored 21 points and had five rebounds to lead Cleveland to a 69-64 nonleague victory against University of Los Angeles.

Malik Johnson scored 12 points off the bench, J.R. Williams had 11 points and eight assists, Jason Moore scored 12 points and Amonte Dees added nine points for the Cavaliers, who are 2-0 heading into the competitive Pasadena tournament.

Cleveland opens up with a tough game against Etiwanda Tuesday.

Pool-play has started at Providence.

St. Genevieve 68
Sherman Oaks C.E.S. 59

San Marino 48
Holy Martyrs 41

Calabasas had no trouble in a 62-42 victory against LaSalle in a pool-play game at the Campbell Hall tournament.

Sophomore Jeremy Lieberman and Holden Israel each scored 14 points to lead the Coyotes, who are expected to challenge for the Marmonte League championship.

Josh Cohan added 13 points for Calabasas (1-0).

Mike Gaber, a long time Hart statistician and former L.A. Daily News employee -- and one of my best friends -- died Saturday from cancer. He was 78.

Gaber is survived by his wife, Nancy, and a sister.

Gaber was a volunteer but incredibly dedicated to all things Hart.

I'm going to miss him a lot.

Led by four Harvard-Westlake alumni and Reseda resident Jennifer Beltran, a former Marymount standout, 11 area graduates qualified for the NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament, which begins Thursday.

Here is the roster of local entries in the 64-team field:

California: Christina Higgins (Harvard-Westlake)

Delaware: Katie Hank (Valencia), Alyssa Walton (Flintridge Sacred Heart)

Illinois: Jennifer Beltran (Marymount, Reseda resident

Pepperdine: Michele Boskovich (Oaks Christian)

Sacred Heart: Maile Hetherington (Thousand Oaks)

Stanford: Katherine Sebastian (Harvard-Westlake)

UCLA: Rachael Kidder (Moorpark), Meg Norton (Harvard-Westlake

Washington: Jenna Orlandini (Flintridge Sacred Heart)

Yale: Dani Salka (Harvard-Westlake)

Michael Cohen (Sierra Canyon '11) continues to shine for Pomona-Pitzer.

Cohen had 21 points on 7 of 10 shooting against defending Division III national champion St. Thomas (Minn.) on Nov. 19 (a double-overtime loss).

This weekend, he had 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting in an easy win over Dominican (Ill.) on Friday, then had 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting in a 79-76 win over St. Olaf on Saturday.

Cohen was 5 of 6 on 3-point attempts, including 4 of 4 in the second half, which included the tying 3-pointer with 1:01 to play.

What does the week after Thanksgiving mean?

The unofficial start of High School basketball.

The region's own version of Feast Week gets underway with several tournaments.

Pasadena High, Burbank High, Providence High, Vaughn Charter High and Redondo Union High and Milken Community High have tournaments that begin Monday.

The 26th annual Simi Valley tournament starts Tuesday.

The girls' get going, as well.

Inglewood, Valencia and Crescenta Valley have tournaments with several local programs.

Some top boys' matchups include Sylmar vs. La Verne Lutheran at 6:30 p.m. at Pasadena, Van Nuys vs. Village Christian at 3:30 p.m. at Burbank, Providence hosts Wildwood at 7:30 p.m. and will show-off talented freshman guard Marcus LoVett, Jr.

Harvard-Westlake faces Santa Monica at 5:50 p.m. at Redondo Union.

Simi Valley tips things off Tuesday with Chatsworth vs. Valencia at 5 p.m. and El Camino Real taking on Verdugo Hills at 8 p.m.

The two-time defending Golden League champion Quartz Hill Rebels, Highland and Lancaster all went undefeated in a the 14 vs. 15 Tournament at Lancaster High.

Quartz Hill beat Palmdale 57-21, Desert 61-21, Granite Hills 43-33 and Serrano 45-30 to start its season. Highland finished the tournament with the most team points scored.

The same three teams will next compete at the Newbury Park invitational on Dec. 3.

The Saugus girls extended their own state record by winning a sixth consecutive state cross country title Saturday, producing a 67-point effort in the Div. II final at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Simi Valley, led by individual champion Sarah Baxter (17:08), placed fourth with 113 points.

Golden Valley captured its first Div. II boys' state crown with 86 points.

Desert Christian placed second in the Div. V boys' final with 98 points, trailing St. Margaret's (52).

Harvard-Westlake senior Cami Chapus was second in the Div. IV girls' final, followed by teammate Amy Weissenbach, both finishing in 17:57.

Knight senior Bryan Guijarro was third in the Div. I boys' final in 15:14.

After making a long trip Friday up the Central Coast in a 31-27 football victory at San Luis Obispo High, Chaminade gets to do it again this Friday in a Southern Section Western Division semifinal at Arroyo Grande - an opponent that's a bit closer but still a 300-mile roundtrip from Chaminade's campus in West Hills.

The twist? Chaminade was eliminated by the same Arroyo Grande team last year in the same round. Arroyo Grande has now twice won a coin flip against Chaminade for the privilege of being the home team.

"We're a little unlucky at coin flipping," Chaminade coach Ed Croson said. "In the playoffs, when there's a distance to travel, the kids feel like it's a field trip and kind of lose sight a little bit of the game. It's a distraction because sometimes the kids think of it as a vacation and not a dog-gone business trip.

"You've got to be focused this time of year because teams don't die easy."

Plus, it can be expensive. Croson said the nice coach busses cost $1,500.

Chaminade endured a challenge at San Luis Obispo, and it took a late rally to come back from three points, as Terrell Newby (252 yards, three touchdowns) scored on a 7-yard run with just over one minute remaining.

"I told the kids they've got to keep going, they've got to battle back," Croson said. "The place was packed, standing-room only with people lined up against the sidelines. Our side was packed, too. It was a little too wild."

Now Chaminade gets to do it all over again.

"We're coming back to the scene of the crime," Croson said.

Overall, nine schools are still alive in the football playoffs - seven in the Southern Section and two in the City Section - and the big showdown Friday is a Northern Division semifinal between visiting Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure at Ventura High.

Between them, the schools have won 17 section titles, 16 since 1996.

For the first time in decades, the Southern Section is conducted football semifinals on Friday only, instead of Friday and Saturday like it's always been in the past.

The change was made last year at the Southern Section football coaches advisory committee meeting, Southern Section spokesman Thom Simmons said.

"The change is for two reasons - one, high school football is historically a Friday night event, but most importantly when you have one semifinal on Friday and the other on Saturday, the Saturday winner has a one-day disadvantage," Simmons said. "The vote was unanimous to make the change."

Desert Christian never won a playoff game until last season, and this year the small school from Lancaster is performing even better. The Knights (10-2) have made it to the Northeast Division semifinals, facing Salesian (10-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Lancaster High.

Desert Christian qualified in dramatic fashion by defeating top-seeded, defending champion Bishop 14-7.

"This is the best Desert Christian team in history. It's the furthest we've ever gone," Desert Christian coach Israel Ifeanychukwu said. "We're very happy with the direction we're headed."

Desert Christian is the epitome of a High Desert program, relying on smash-football and hard-nosed defense, as the Knights did not attempt a pass in the win over Bishop. Chance Guspeth and Kiel Alcarez have both rushed for more than 1,100 yards this season.
Salesian (10-2) is the total opposite. The Mustangs average 45 points and 448 yards total offense, and Jihad Vercher has passed for nearly 3,000 yards.

What a difference at Granada Hills since moving from City Section Div. I to Div. II this season. The Highlanders had not won a playoff game since 2003, but they've made it to the Div. II semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Franklin.

A generation ago, Granada Hills had John Elway and was an annual power. The program has not been the same since longtime coach Darryl Stroh left, but that does not mean Granada Hills was going to go away forever.

"We want to put Granada Hills football on the map again," quarterback Josh Szin said. "For us seniors, that's been the goal for four years, and it's finally coming true. It's all coming together."

Szin has completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 1,578 yards and 17 touchdowns, and he has scored three touchdowns. Nick Boutros, a former backup quarterback, switched to receiver this season, and he has caught 37 passes for 445 yards and five touchdowns - a key development, Szin said.

"Nick has really come on strong, plus we have a great sophomore tight end, Bryson Bowman," Szin said.

Bowman has 27 receptions for 412 yards and seven touchdowns. Granada Hills also features running back Brian Sanchez (1,485 yards, 15 touchdowns), but defense could be the key at high-scoring Marshall, the No. 2 seed. Victor Rabago, a returning All-City linebacker, has 86 tackles, 76 unassisted.

"We're working on all 12 cylinders. We're playing as a team," Granada Hills coach Billy Parra said.

With Canyon and Hart both losing on Friday, for the first time since 1996 there is no Foothill League program competing in a section semifinal.

BIG GAMES

All games Friday

Kickoff times subject to change

Oaks Christian (10-2) vs. St. Bonaventure (10-2) at Ventura HS, 7:30 p.m. - In a Northern semifinal that figures to attract a crowd of more than 5,000, Oaks Christian is 4-1 all-time against St. Bonaventure while scoring 33 points or more in every game including a 36-24 Marmonte win Oct. 6.

Thousand Oaks (9-3) at Westlake (12-0), 7:30 p.m. - Thousand Oaks is a heavy underdog in this Northern semifinal featuring Marmonte League rivals. The visiting Lancers must figure out a way to slow Westlake's productive duo of QB Justin Moore and RB Dashon Hunt.

Chaminade (10-2) at Arroyo Grande (11-1), 7:30 p.m. - For the second week in a row, Western Division contender Chaminade, coming off a 31-27 win at San Luis Obispo, makes a long trip up the Central Coast. The visiting Eagles, led by RB Terrell Newby (1,853 yards, 31 TDs), look to avenge a semifinal loss to Arroyo Grande last season.

OTHER SEMIFINALS

SOUTHERN SECTION

EAST VALLEY

Bishop Diego (11-1) vs. Sierra Canyon (12-0) at Granada Hills HS, 7 p.m.

Paraclete (10-2) at Rim of the World (7-5), 7:30 p.m.

NORTHEAST

Desert Christian (10-2) vs. Salesien (10-2) at Lancaster HS, 7:30 p.m.

CITY SECTION

DIV. II

All games 7 p.m.

Canoga Park (8-4) at South East (11-1)

Granada Hills (7-5) at Marshall (10-2)

Top Performances

Brandon Dawkins, QB, Westlake - Dawkins passed for a school-record seven TDs - not six as reported in Saturday's edition - and also scored a TD in a 55-21 Northern win at Highland. Dawkins completed 27 of 37 for 341 yards.

"I'm very impressed with the kid," Oaks Christian coach Bill Redell said.

Justin Solis, DL, Westlake - Solis, a 6-3, 290-pounder, returning an interception 25 yards and also recovered a fumble in a 42-14 win over Hart in a Northern quarterfinal at College of the Canyons.

Cesar Vega, PK, Canoga Park - Vega kicked two field goals, including a winning 18-yarder in overtime in a 27-24 win over visiting Bell in a City Section Div. II quarterfinal.

HE SAID

"We only suited up 36 guys and they had 80, and we were battling, limping. I didn't know who was coming out and who was going in, but we made the plays at the end."

-- Thousand Oaks Mike Leibin, on a 21-14 playoff win over visiting Moorpark.

The Westlake High machine keeps right on rolling.

With aspirations of not just an eventual Southern Section Northern Division championship but perhaps a CIF State Bowl berth, visiting Westlake took care of business Friday in a 42-14 quarterfinal victory over Hart at College of the Canyons.

Westlake jumped to a 28-point halftime lead and totaled 432 yards in the latest in a series of dominant performances, as the top-seeded Warriors improved to 12-0 while winning their 38th in 40 games over the past three seasons.

Westlake plays host to Marmonte League rival Thousand Oaks (8-4) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Northern semifinals, as the Warriors look to reach a final for the third consecutive season.

Justin Moore completed 7 of 11 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns of 15 and 34 yards to Connor Cook, and the junior quarterback added 125 yards rushing on five carries including a 78-yard run.

"We played well. We came here and executed well," Moore said. "Our offense started fast and did a good job moving the ball, and we played hard."

Westlake and coach Jim Benkert were playing with a heavy heart, as Benkert's mother died Wednesday.

"It's been a tough week," Benkert said.

Hart is a big underdog tonight against visiting Westlake in a Northern Division quarterfinal at College of the Canyons, so the host Indians figure to play like gthey have nothing to lose.

It's about 20 minutes before kickoff, and there is a buzz in the air here in Santa Clarita.

For Hart to succeed, it must establish the running game. That means Hart's offensive line must hold its own against Westlake's talented defensive line -- and that's not going to be easy.

Stay tuned.

It is a San Fernando Valley reunion of former standout basketball players in Alaska this week.

Eight college programs are competing in the Great Alaska Shootout and there are several players meeting up and catching up.

Jaylen Bland (Cleveland High, Murray St.)
Michael Williams (Taft High, San Francisco)
Jabari Trotter (Harvard-Westlake, Dartmouth)
Temjae Singleton (El Camino Real, New Mexico St.)
Austin McBroom (Central Michigan, Campbell Hall)

Kennedy coach Manny Alvarado, a fixture at the Granada Hills school since since 1988, has been placed on administrative leave, he confirmed Wednesday.

"I'm not exactly sure what I'm being of accused of yet," Alvarado said. "No one has said anything to me. I don't know."

Alvarado confirmed a freshman baseball player was injured on campus.

"Some kids were messing around. They were hiding it from me because they thought that was being a good teammate," Alvarado said. "But I don't know if that's even a part of it."

Alvarado did not describe the incident as hazing.

"I certainly hope not," he said.

Here are the first-round matchups for the Trevor Ariza Tip-Off Classic, otherwise known as the Westchester tournament.

Taft vs. San Bernardino, Monday Dec. 5, 6 p.m.
West Torrance vs. Bishop Montgomery, Monday Dec. 5, 3 p.m.
Peninsula vs. Morningside, Monday Dec. 5, 4:30 p.m.
Washington vs. Locke, Monday Dec. 5, 7;30 p.m.

Serra vs. Lynwood, Tuesday Dec. 6, 4:30 p.m.
Gardena vs. St. Bernard, Tuesday Dec. 6, 6 p.m.
Long Beach Jordan vs. Compton Centennial, Tuesday Dec. 6, 3 p.m.
Westchester vs. Hawthorne, Tuesday Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m.

Sierra Canyon guard Jahmel Taylor is back and better than ever.

The highly-recruited 5'10 point guard who can score in bunches is fully recovered from a leg injury suffered in the summer.

Taylor will make his junior season debut Wednesday in the Simi Valley tournament.

Sierra Canyon plays host Simi Valley at 8 p.m.

Taylor has offers from USC, Oregon, Washington St. and Colorado, according to head coach Ryan Silver.

Virginia Tech is also showing interest.

Taylor will have Julian Brooks and Jesse Howell to help with the scoring punch, as the Trailblazers look to defend their Southern Section championship.

It would be quite an accomplishment to win a second consecutive title because Sierra Canyon was placed in the Div. IV-AA "Super-Division".

The Trailblazers will also have to find a way to come together quickly without sophomores Bryan Alberts and Marsalis Johnson, who both transferred to Village Christian.

Sierra Canyon transfers Bryan Alberts and Marsalis Johnson did quite well for Village Christian Tuesday in a nonleague season opening 81-65 victory against Verdugo Hills.

Alberts scored 22 points and Johnson had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Marquis Salmon scored a game high 24 points to lead Village Christian, which is a championship contender in Div. V-AA.

The Crusaders are scheduled to participate in the Burbank tournament next week

Rolando Aguirre, a 13-year coach at Bell Jeff, resigned this morning.

"We're down to 200 kids in the school, and it's a little rough," Aguirre said.

Aguirre, 56, won three league titles in 13 seasons.

New Cleveland High coach Damon Charlot was a winner in his high school coaching debut.

The Cavaliers easily took care of San Fernando, 92-68 in a City Section nonleague season opener for both schools.

Jason Moore poured in 20 points and Osamu Igodan had 17 points to lead Cleveland.

Igodan showed off explosive athleticism with two monster dunks, including one in traffic, in the paint, in the third quarter.

Cleveland led by 17 points at halftime.

Raymond Felix was excellent for San Fernando with 21 points, including five 3-pointers.

Four of the area's seniors with the best offensive statistics - running backs De'Jon Coleman of Arleta, Kawan Rally of El Camino Real and Zander Anding of Burroughs and receiver Jake Maulhardt of Camarillo -- all lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Coleman set a City Section single-season record with 47 touchdowns by scoring once in a 21-18 loss at Birmingham. He finished with 2,029 yards on 163 carries - a remarkable 12.4 average -and it's interesting to note his 27 attempts at Birmingham marked the first time Coleman has carried more than 20 times in a game.

Rally ran for 204 yards in a 55-17 loss at Crenshaw, as the three-year starter rushed for 2,384 yards this season and fell 12 yards shy of 5,000 for his career, finishing with 4,988 including 1,510 as a junior and 1,094 as a sophomore. Rally scored 32 touchdowns for a career total of 68. He also had eight 200-yard performances this season and 11 over the past 15 games dating back to last year.

Anding rushed for 224 yards and a 66-yard touchdown in a 37-29 loss to visiting Los Altos at Glendale High, ending one of the most productive seasons for a large-school back in area history. In 10 games, Anding totaled 2,692 yards and 31 touchdowns, including four consecutive 300-yard games and a total of eight performances of 222 yards or more.

Maulhardt had 10 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown in a 54-28 loss to visiting San Luis Obispo, finishing with 119 receptions - three shy of Thousand Oaks' Richard Mullaney's state-record of 122 last season.

After more than a decade struggling not to finish last, Van Nuys is making a bid for the feel-good story of the year. However, there remain a lot of skeptics because only one of the Wolves' nine victories have come against a .500 opponent.

Van Nuys (9-2) plays at Granada Hills (6-5) in a City Div. II quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Friday -- a chance for Van Nuys to earn some legitimacy.

"We want to keep improving, but we know it's going to be much tougher," Van Nuys coach Sean Pollard said. "We will definitely have our hands full."

After advancing to the Northern semifinals in each of the past three seasons, Valencia lost 17-10 to Moorpark in the first round, a disappointing end to a disappointing season. The Vikings (6-5) played strong defense, but their new skill players did not develop as well as expected.

Of course, it's hard not to feel the graduation losses of two-time 3,000-yard quarterback Alex Bishop and all-state running back Steven Manfro, two of the Foothill League's best ever.
"It hurts really bad to know the season is over," Valencia defensive back Tedric Thompson said.

DAILY NEWS TOP 20

1. Westlake (11-0) - Can't afford to slip against underdog Hart

2. Oaks Christian (9-2) - Peaking Lions have won six in a row

3. Chaminade (9-2) - All good now that No. 1 Serra is out

4. Canyon (10-1) - Plan is to go green in St. Bonnie showdown

5. Alemany (8-3) - Season is over

6. Hart (8-3) - Will need a lot more miracle plays vs. Westlake

7. Moorpark (7-4) - Among five Marmonte teams still alive

8. Valencia (6-5) - Season is over

9. St. Francis (8-2) - Wants Arroyo Grande to take long way home

10. Crespi (7-3) - Season is over

11. Notre Dame (6-4) - Season over

12. Thousand Oaks (7-4) - Looks to defeat Moorpark for second time

13. Highland (9-1) - Riding momentum of first league title in 14 years

14. Birmingham (9-2) - Hoping to ride defense in City playoffs

15. Quartz Hill (8-3) - Season over

16. Simi Valley (6-4) - Season over

17. Saugus (6-5) - Season over

18. Sierra Canyon (11-0) - Rematch with Paraclete still looming

19. Arleta (9-2) - Season is over

20. Paraclete (9-2) - Always comes on strong in playoffs

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS

All games Friday unless noted

SOUTHERN SECTION

NORTHERN

Westlake (11-0) vs. Hart (8-3) at College of Canyons
Moorpark (7-4) at Thousand Oaks (7-4)
Canyon (9-2) vs. St. Bonaventure (9-2), site TBA
Oaks Christian (9-2) at Highland (9-1)

WESTERN
Chaminade (9-2) at San Luis Obispo (8-3)
Arroyo Grande (10-1) at St. Francis (9-2)

EAST VALLEY
Sierra Canyon (11-0) at Ontario Christian (8-2-1)
Paraclete (9-2) at Aquinas (9-2)

NORTHEAST
Bishop (10-1) vs. Desert Christian (8-2) at Lancaster HS

CITY FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Friday, 7 p.m.

DIV. I
Birmingham (9-2) vs. Dorsey (10-1) at Rancho Cienega Park

DIV. II
Bell (5-6) at Canoga Park (7-4)
Van Nuys (9-2) at Granada Hills (6-5)

UNSUNG HERO

Steve Rojas, PK, Granada Hills - Rojas kicked field goals of 31, 41 and 47 yards in a 24-20 win over visiting University - the Highlanders' first playoff victory since 2003.

TOP PERFORMANCES

Connor Wingenroth, QB, Hart - Wingenroth passed 51 yards to Trent Irwin for a touchdown with 38 seconds left, followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to Wes Fitzpatrick in a dramatic 15-14 win over Palos Verdes at Mira Costa High. Wingenroth completed 15 of 25 for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

Omar Contreras, LB, Van Nuys - Contreras had 12 tackles, one sack and one interception in a 51-0 win over visiting Belmont, as Van Nuys allowed 47 yards total offense.

Christian Tago, QB, Highland - Tago completed 16 of 26 for 274 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-0 win over visiting Saugus, as the host Bulldogs recorded their first playoff victory since 2006.

HE SAID

"Oh, we know who's coming to town."

-- Lancaster coach Troy Jackson, on a Northern quarterfinal this Friday against state-power Oaks Christian

An Alemany High football season filled with so much promise ended in heartache Friday, as the Warriors gave up a touchdown with 45 seconds left in a 33-28 upset loss to visiting St. John Bosco before a capacity crowd in the first round of the Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

Alemany's Devon Dunn completed 14 of 23 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown, but he lost a fumble and was intercepted three times, including a critical pick with 2:04 remaining on the St. John Bosco 35 that gave the desperate Braves a golden opportunity.

Six plays later, DaVonte Young scored on a 3-yard run for the winning touchdown.

Alemany had one last chance, but Dunn was intercepted by Dalis Bruce with six seconds left.

"We just needed to play better, both on offense and defense, and we needed to not have any turnovers," Dunn said. "Football has got to be the toughest sport there is, and there is a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and I'm just going to have to deal with it. All I can say now is, 'Let's go get 'em next year.'"

Fourth-seeded Alemany (8-3) was hoping for more success after returning most key starters from last year's Pac-5 semifinalist team.

Dunn, a junior, finished with 2,670 yards passing and 23 touchdowns, and he also scored seven touchdowns.

St. John Bosco's Rene Medina completed 14 of 24 for 256 yards and a touchdown. Royce Moore added 108 yards rushing on 23 carries and a touchdown.

It was a bittersweet night for Arleta's De'Jon Coleman in a City Section Div. I first round playoff game at Birmingham.

Coleman set the single-season record for most touchdowns, but Birmingham scored a late touchdown for a 21-18 victory and advances to the quarterfinals next Friday at No. 3 Dorsey.

It looked like it was going to be an extra special night for Coleman and Arleta after the slippery tailback scored from nine yards out with 11:19 remaining to give Arleta an 18-14 lead.

However, with 5:53 remaining, Trae Smith engineered a 10-play, 72-yard drive, culminating with his 3-yard quarterback sneak and only left the Mustangs (9-2) 76 seconds on the clock.

"The whole drive I was just trying to get my team a win," Smith said. "The offensive line really stepped up tonight and did a great job. I kept confidence in my team."

Birmingham was lucky to get the ball back for the winning drive.

Isaiah Hastings fumbled at the Arleta 38-yard line with 7:55 remaining, and the way the Mustangs were moving the ball, it looked bleak.

Arleta had run 52 plays to only 26 for Birmingham.

The Mustangs dominated time of possession.

"When we fumbled, I was like 'oh no'," coach Jim Rose said. "I wasn't sure we would get it back the way they were moving the ball all night. But, we stpped them when we had to."

Birmingham finally came up with it's first three-and-out, holding Coleman to eight yards and dropping Mark Lemos for a 2-yard loss.

Smith came up huge on the ensuing drive with completions of 12-yards to Patrick Zamora and 16-yards to Bobby Baker.

"I had to come through in that moment," Smith said.

Coleman finished with 156 yards on 27 carries and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Lemos on a trick-play in the second quarter.

Coleman set a prestigious record but his season is over three wins short of winning a championship.

"I mainly feel proud of myself but the season was cut short," Coleman said. "I accomplished a big-goal. We played our hearts out. I am satisfied. I ran the ball hard and kept my team alive. We just couldn't make a few plays at the end."

Rose was satisfied with Birmingham's job on defending Coleman.

"He got his yards but he didn't get four or five touchdowns," Rose said. "The plan was not give up the big one. We saw him go 80-yards untouched on film so many times."

Smith came through late with his touchdown but came through early with his arm.

He threw touchdown passes of 28 and 35 yards to Marcus Harris and Detreon Day, respectively. Smith finished 8 of 11 for 115 yards.

Hastings gained 116 yards on 14 carries.

Harris had four receptions for 50 yards.

The Patriots (9-2) finally got a playoff win for Rose, after two seasons of winless postseasons.

"The turkey will taste that much sweeter next week," Rose said. "It's great to be playing football after Thanksgiving."

There were lots of big plays in the first half, as Alemany led 21-20 at the break.

Alemany's Steven Mitchell scored on a 34-yard interception return and a 4-yard run, and teammate Jeff Farrar scored on a 55-yard touchdown.

Alemany rebounded after a slow start that included a three-and-out on its first possession, then a Devon Dunn interception on its second possession.

Down 6-0, Alemany found its groove, driving 80 yards on six plays culminating on Mitchell's 4-yard touchdown run. Dunn completed two passes for 62 yards on the drive, including a 44-yard strike to Corey Sims to the St. John Bosco 15.

St. John Bosco pulled ahead 13-7 on Nick Lehman's 19-yard touchdown reception, but Alemany came roaring back two plays later when Dunn found Farrar on a deep post pattern, as the quarterback threw the football about 60 yards in the air as Farrar made the catch near the goal line.

With Alemany holding a 14-13 lead, the Warriors scored again when Mitchell returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown to boost the advantage to 21-13.

After a failed onside kick, St. John Bosco scored on Royce Moore's 1-yard run to cut the lead to 21-20 at the half.

Trae Smith has thrown two touchdown passes and Birmingham is out in front of Arleta 14-6 at halftime.

Smith connected with Marcus Harris on a 28-yard score, and then found Detreon Day for a 35-yard scoring pass-play.

De'Jon Coleman, who only needs one touchdown to set the single-season City Section record has not scored.

Coleman has 71 yards on 15 carries, but fumbled on first and goal from the nine yeard line in the first quarter.

Coleman might only have 24 minutes left to break Marlon Luck's record set in 2004.

It's a big night in Mission Hills, as Alemany prepares to face visiting St. John Bosco in a Pac-5 opener that should be a close and exciting game.

Alemany is seeded fourth and has won the Serra League two years in a row, but St. John Bosco is favored by four points on Calpreps.com.

West Valley League bragging rights will be on the line when San Francisco travels to Seattle for a 3 p.m. game Saturday.

Michael Williams (Taft) will go head to head with Prince Obasi (Cleveland).

Williams is a sophomore guard for the Dons, who made the All-WCC freshman team last year.

Obasi is in his first year at Seattle playing for former UCLA guard Cameron Dollar after spending a season at Saddleback JC in Orange County.

It's been 25 years since a San Fernando Valley program has won a football championship in the Southern Section's most competitive division. Tonight Alemany begins a quest to become only the second local school to pull it off (Crespi did it in 1986), as the fourth-seeded Warriors play host to St. John Bosco. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. in Mission Hills.

"Every game is going to be tough. There are no easy wins," receiver/defensive back Corey Sims said. "But if we play our game and keep focus, we will be a hard team to beat."

Oaks Christian looks to continue building a dynasty tonight in the first round of the Northern Division playoffs. The Lions (8-2) play host to Mira Costa (4-6) at 7 p.m., the first step in attempting to win their eighth Southern Section championship in nine seasons - a legacy of success matched by few programs in section history.

However, six of the championships came in lower divisions, and it was only last season that Oaks Christian won against top programs. If the second-seeded Lions do it again, especially with undefeated Westlake in the field, that would be quite an accomplishment.

Receiver Jordan Payton, who has been on the team since his freshman season, is 11-1 in the playoffs.

"We love the playoffs," Payton said. "We've got to handle our stuff."

Oaks Christian, which has scored 36 points or more in seven of 10 games, has lost to 10-0 Westlake and 11-0 Bellevue (Wash.).

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

All games 7:30 p.m. Friday unless noted

FIVE TO WATCH

St. John Bosco (7-3) at Alemany (8-2) - This is a tough first-round matchup for Alemany, but there is no easy pickings in the Pac-5, the Southern Section's most competitive division. St. John Bosco's Bryce Treggs is a top WR, and it will be fun watching him match up with Alemany's elite secondary led by DBs Jerico Richardson and DeRon Smith.

Moorpark (6-4) at Valencia (6-4) - These two know each other well, having met in the Northern playoffs the past three seasons. Valencia defeated Moorpark in the quarterfinals last year, and the visiting Musketeers look turn things around. To do so, Moorpark QB Grant Rohach must remain poised against Valencia's heavy defensive pressure.

Mira Costa (4-6) at Oaks Christian (8-2) - Defending Northern champion Oaks Christian, led by QB Brandon Dawkins, WR Jordan Payton and RB/DB Ishmael Adams, is looking to win its eight section title over the past nine seasons.

Los Altos (7-3) vs. Burroughs (6-4) at Glendale HS - All eyes will be on Burroughs RB Zander Anding, who has rushed for 2,468 yards and 30 TDs, including five 300-yard performances, as the host Indians look to make an impact in the Southeast Division.

Arleta (9-1) at Birmingham (8-2), 7 p.m. - In this attractive City Section first-round matchup, Birmingham looks to contain Arleta RB De'Jon Coleman, who has 46 TDs.

OTHER PLAYOFF GAMES

SOUTHERN SECTION

First round 7:30 p.m. Friday unless noted

PAC-5

Huntington Beach (8-2) vs. Loyola (8-2) at L.A. Valley College, 7 p.m.

NORTHERN

Eastside (4-6) at Westlake (10-0), 7 p.m.
Hart (7-3) vs. Palos Verdes (8-2) at Mira Costa, 7 p.m.
Thousand Oaks (6-4) at Quartz Hill (8-2)
Palmdale (6-4) at Canyon Country Canyon (8-2)
Saugus (6-4) at Highland (8-1), 7 p.m.

WESTERN

Inglewood (5-5) at Chaminade (8-2)
St. Francis (8-2) at Paramount (5-5)

SOUTHEAST

Crescenta Valley (6-4) at La Mirada (6-4)

NORTHWEST

Oak Park (3-7) vs. Cabrillo (8-2) at Lompoc, 7 p.m.

EAST VALLEY

Desert Hot Springs (5-5) at Sierra Canyon (10-0) at El Camino Real HS
Grace Brethren (6-4) at Paraclete (8-2) at Antelope Valley College

NORTHEAST

Viewpoint (7-3) at Bishop (9-1), 6:30 p.m.
Desert Christian (7-2) at California Military Institute (8-2)
Santa Clarita Christian (4-5) at Salesian (8-2)
St. Genevieve (7-3) at #3 Boron (7-2)

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

DIVISION II

Trinity Classical Academy (10-0) vs. Hope Centre (3-6) at Daniels Field (San Pedro), Saturday, 1 p.m.

Westmark (6-4) vs. Cuyama Valley (8-0) at Sykes Field (New Cuyama), 7:30 p.m.

CITY SECTION

CITY FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

7 p.m. today

DIV. I

El Camino Real (8-2) at Crenshaw (5-4)
Taft (4-6) at Venice (6-4)
Reseda (8-2) at Narbonne (7-3)

DIV. II

Grant (4-6) at South East (9-1)
Fremont (4-6) at Verdugo Hills (7-3)
Eagle Rock (4-6) at Canoga Park (6-4)
University (3-7) at Granada Hills (5-5)
Belmont (5-5) at Van Nuys (8-2)

CITY SECTION

DIVISION: I

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. San Pedro (10-0); 2. Narbonne (7-3); 3. Dorsey (9-1); 4. Venice (6-4).

LOCALS: Arleta (9-1); Birmingham (8-2); El Camino Real (8-2); Reseda (8-2); Taft (4-6).

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Antoine Anderson, WR, Narbonne; Eli Assouline, OL, El Camino Real; Nuoye Clemmons III, RB/LB, West Adams Prep; Dejon Coleman, RB, Arleta; Kwamhe Davis, QB, Reseda; Jordan Descalo, PK, Taft; Lance Fernandez, RB, Garfield; Kevin McMahon, QB, Carson; Adrian Mora, LB, Birmingham; Greg Morton, RB/LB, El Camino Real; David Orellana, OL, Birmingham; Kenny Potter, QB/DB, San Pedro; Kawan Rally, RB, El Camino Real; Darreus Rogers, WR, Carson; Marquis Smith, RB/DB, Fairfax; Michael Whitt, WR/DB, San Pedro; Troy Williams, QB, Narbonne.

OUR PICK: Dorsey - The Dons earned stripes by defeating Pac-5 power Alemany in nonleague game.

SLEEPER: Birmingham - Patriots have gone from 2-8 to 8-2 and are not through yet.

DIVISION: II

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. South East (9-1); 2. Marshall (8-2); 3. Granada Hills (5-5); 4. Jefferson (9-1)

OTHER LOCALS: Canoga Park (6-4); Eagle Rock (4-6) ; Grant (4-6); Van Nuys (8-2); Verdugo Hills (7-3)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Fabian Alomar, QB, Canoga Park; Daniel Belton, LB, South East; Anthony Benitez, QB, Marshall; Edgar Delgado, LB, Canoga Park; Robert Lewis, RB, South East; Iheanyi Obinna, WR/DB, Van Nuys; Mark Powell, QB, Verdugo Hills; Brian Sanchez, RB, Granada Hills; Jonathan Santos, QB, South East; Joshua Szin, QB, Granada Hills; Randy Uzoma, WR/DB, Canoga Park; Sylvester Williams, WR/DB,, Verdugo Hills;

OUR PICK: South East - Good luck stopping dominant RB Robert Lewis

SLEEPER: Granada Hills - Has enough skill talent to beat anyone

DIVISION BY DIVISION BREAKDOWN

SOUTHERN SECTION

DIVISION: Pac-5

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Servite (9-1); 2. Mission Viejo (8-2); 3. Long Beach Poly (9-1); 4. Alemany (8-2).

OTHER LOCALS: None

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Travis Averill, OL/DL, Servite; Alex Bridgford, QB, Mission Viejo; Devon Dunn, QB, Alemany; Kyle DeVaughn, DL, Alemany; Sam Hunt, DB, Servite; Chandler Leniu, LB, Lakewood; Steven Mitchell, WR, Alemany; Jalen Moore, RB, Bishop Amat;

Buth Pauu, LB, Servite; Cody Pittman, QB, Servite; Richard Smith, WR, Long Beach Poly; Bryce Treggs, WR, St. John Bosco; Max Tuerk, OL, Santa Margarita; Kodi Whitfield, WR/DB, Loyola; Travis Wilson, QB, San Clemente; Ryan Wolpin, RB, Santa Margarita.

OUR PICK: Alemany - It's time to bring the big trophy back to the San Fernando Valley

SLEEPER: Santa Margarita - Tough to pick against legendary Harry Welch

DIVISION: Northern

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Westlake (10-0); 2. Oaks Christian (8-2); 3. St. Bonaventure (8-2); 4, Valencia (6-4).

OTHER LOCAL: Canyon (7-3); Eastside (4-6)); Hart (7-3) ; Highland (8-1), Moorpark (6-4); Palmdale (6-4); Quartz Hill (8-2); Saugus (6-4); Thousand Oaks (6-4)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ishmael Adams, RB/DB, Oaks Christian; Rhett Almond, PK, Hart; Alex Ball, PK, Westlake; Osirius Burke, RB, Quartz Hill; Nathan DeBeikes, RB, Thousand Oaks; Bobby Eckert, LB, Moorpark; Marc Evans, QB, St. Bonaventure; Dashon Hunt, RB/DB, Westlake;

Jonathan Jerozal, QB, Canyon; Carlos Mendoza, LB, Oaks Christian; Justin Moore, QB, Westlake; Austin Murillo, DB, Hart; Jordan Payton, WR, Oaks Christian; Eric Rodriguez, OL/DL, Palmdale; Grant Rohach, QB, Moorpark; Justin Solis, DL, Westlake; Drew Wolitarsky, WR, Canyon.

OUR PICK: Westlake - The high-powered Warriors are 36-2 over the past three seasons.

SLEEPER: Canyon - When QB Jerozal and WR Wolitarsky are on, the Cowboys are tough to stop.

DIVISION: Western

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Serra (8-2); 2. Arroyo Grande (9-1); 3. Chaminade (8-2); 4. Ventura (10-0).

OTHER LOCALS: Camarillo (7-3), St. Francis (8-2)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Conner Armstrong, RB, Ventura; Kris Cooper, OL/DL, Serra; Jalen Greene, QB, Serra; Keishawn Haley, LB, Culver City; Taylor Hindy, OL, Chaminade; Seth Jacobs, LB, Arroyo Grande; Jared Lebowitz, QB, St. Francis; Dallas Lopez, RB, Downey; Jake Maulhardt, WR, Camarillo; Billy McCreary, PK, St. Francis; Terrell Newby, RB, Chaminade; Kache Palacio, TE/DL, Serra; Logan Scott, QB, Chaminade; Rodney Stanley, QB, Ventura.

OUR PICK: Chaminade - Coach Ed Croson looks to find a way to beat Serra in rematch

SLEEPER: Downey - Lots of speed and skill-position talent

DIVISION: Southeast

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. West Covina (9-1); 2. Santa Fe (6-4); 3. Burroughs (6-4); 4. La Mirada (6-4)

OTHER LOCAL: Crescenta Valley (6-4)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Zander Anding, RB, Burroughs; Pavle Atanackovic, PK, Crescenta Valley; Myles Carr, QB, Arcadia; Brandon Cox, QB, Pasadena; Jimmy Frazier, RB/DB, West Covina; Justin Fa'aola, RB/LB, Los Altos; Robbie Haines, TE/DL, Arcadia; Ryan Hunley, RB/DB, Bellflower; Taylor Lagace, WR, Arcadia; Christian Mahlsted, WR, Santa Fe; O.J. Medina, RB/DB, La Serna; Travis Newberry, RB/DB, Bellflower; Nick Ruiz, WR/DB, Crescenta Valley; Kevon Seymour, DB, Muir; Dorrin Turner, WR/LB, West Covina.

OUR PICK: West Covina - Reigning CIF State Bowl champs have advanced to quarterfinals or further every season since '06.

SLEEPER: Burroughs - If Zander Anding keeps rushing for 300 yards per game, who is going to beat the Indians?

DIVISION: Northwest

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Lompoc (10-0); 2. St. Bernard (10-0); 3. Cabrillo (8-2); 4. Nordhoff (6-4).

LOCAL: Oak Park (3-7)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Austin Brasher, RB/LB, El Segundo; Luca Bruno, DL, Oak Park; Lavon Coleman, RB, Lompoc; Andy Drifka, QB/LB, Nordhoff; Jack Gerstenberger, QB, Oak Park; Joshua Hill, WR/DB, St. Bernard; Jonathan Kim, PK, Bishop Montgomery; Lee Jensen, TE/LB, Santa Ynez; Aaron Lacombe, WR/DB, Oak Park; Brandon Loera, RB/LB, South Torrance; Caylin Moore, QB/S, Verbum Dei; Isaac Seymour, RB, Nordhoff; Christian Smith, QB, St. Bernard; Ryan Welker, QB, Santa Ynez.

OUR PICK: Lompoc - Top seed is averaging 37.4 points, 305 yards rushing

SLEEPER: Bishop Montgomery - Good special-teams play can go a long way

DIVISION: East Valley

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Sierra Canyon (10-0); 2. Paraclete (8-2); 3. St. Margaret's (8-2); 4. Bishop Diego (9-1).

OTHER LOCAL: Grace Brethren (6-4)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Tyler Carvalho, QB, Paraclete; Christian Dirksen, PK, Ontario Christian; Samuel Franklin, QB/LB, Brethren Christian; Jack Gilliland, WR/DB, Grace Brethren; Brandon Gonzalez, RB/DL, Bishop Diego; Elijah Gutierrez, WR/DB, Paraclete; Christian Guzman, WR/DB, Desert Hot Springs; Nolan Hayes, QB/DB, Desert Hot Springs; Tyler Stewart, QB, Sierra Canyon; Taylor Syvertsen, QB, Linfield Christian; Jacob Taylor, RB/DB, Rim of the World; Andrew Terry, OL, Sierra Canyon; Nolan Tisdale, QB/LB, Bishop Diego; Brandon White, RB/LB, Brethren Christian; Daniel Young, RB/DB, Rubidoux; William Young, LB, Sierra Canyon.

Our Pick: Sierra Canyon - Top-seeded Trailblazers defeated No. 2 Paraclete in regular season

Sleeper: Ontario Christian - Always a factor in playoffs

DIVISION: Northeast

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Bishop (9-1); 2. Rio Hondo Prep (9-1)); 3. Boron (7-2); 4. Salesian (8-2).

OTHER LOCALS: Desert Christian (7-2) Santa Clarita Christian (4-5); St. Genevieve (7-3); Viewpoint (7-3).

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Chance Callahan, QB, Bishop; Jamadre Cobb, RB/DL, Salesian; Austin Cooper, RB/CB, California Military Institute; John Curran, RB, Saddleback Valley Christian; Cameron Larsen, TE/LB, Desert Christian; Adam Markun, RB, Viewpoint; Greg Nolan, RB/DB, California City; Hank Trumbull, QB, Chadwick; Jihad Vercher, QB, Salesian; Joey Verhaegh, QB, Viewpoint; Marquis Ware, TE/DL, Salesian.

OUR PICK: Boron - The little team that could.

SLEEPER: Mojave - They grow 'em tough in the desert

1, Can Alemany succeed in the Southern Section's top division?

Yes, but it will not be easy. Alemany is seeded fourth in the Pac-5, and the Warriors are hoping to bring home a championship in the section's most competitive division - an accomplishment that's achieved by a San Fernando Valley program just once back in 1986 when Crespi won the Big Five. In the Pac-5, every round is a major challenge, but Alemany has a shot if junior quarterback Devon Dunn can continue to perform spectacularly - while keeping his poise - and if the Warriors' hard-hitting defense can rise to the occasion.

2, Is Westlake really that good?

Absolutely. The Warriors have rarely been challenged while winning all 10 games by an average margin of more than 32 points, plus there is major incentive to succeed: If Westlake, led by quarterback Justin Moore, running back Dashon Hunt and defensive lineman Justin Solis, can win the Northern Division title, a CIF State Bowl berth is all but a certainty.

3, Any chance for a San Fernando Valley program to win the City Div. I championship?

No. It's a down year for local City Section schools. Sixth-seeded Birmingham figures to be the only one capable of making a challenge, but the Patriots do not have quite enough firepower to keep up with San Pedro, Narbonne, Dorsey and some of the other top City programs.

4, Can anyone other than Serra win the Western Division?

A ridiculous proposition in past seasons, yet this year it is possible. Serra is 48-4 since 2008, but the rebuilding Cavaliers have proved a bit more vulnerable than usual after being hit hard by graduation. Then again, Serra already owns a regular-season victory over Chaminade, which was No. 1 at the time.

5, Is this the year small-school power Sierra Canyon finally goes all the way?

Yes. The Trailblazers have been knocking on the door, losing to rival Paraclete in the East Valley championship last season, and with star quarterback Tyler Stewart back, Sierra Canyon is like a steamroller.

The Southern Section has done an about-face, and now Canyon is being forced to forfeit only one victory and not two, according to CIF Southern Section spokesman Thom Simmons.

"There was some confusion. Blame it on me. I made a mistake and got it wrong," Simmons said. "As it turns out, Canyon only has to forfeit one game - the Saugus game."

Saugus is now co-champion with Valencia, and they're among four Foothill League teams along with Canyon and Hart that have qualified for the Northern Division playoffs. None of the first-round matchups change.

Originally, Canyon was forced to forfeit a season-ending win Golden Valley, which had never won a league game. But then it was discovered the ineligible player played in an earlier win against Saugus, so Canyon's win over Saugus was overturned, too.

But according to CIF rule 500.2.1, if a player is ineligible because of a paperwork error and he appears in a game, the win is forfeited but no proceeding wins are forfeited if the ineligible player again participates.

"Because of that rule, it was a paperwork error, so Canyon only needs to forfeit the first game," Simmons said.

As a result, Golden Valley's first-ever league win has been taken away. The Grizzlies are 0-29 in Foothill competition since joining in 2006.

Running backs Kawan Rally of El Camino Real, Zander Anding of Burroughs and Amjed Aboul-Hosn of Village Christian are the latest to commit to the 16th annual Daily News All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Pierce College. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. Information: (818) 999-5197.

Defending Northern champion Oaks Christian has won seven section titles over the past eight seasons, and the Lions must again be taken seriously because their two losses have come to opponents with a combined 21-0 record.

Though Oaks Christian lost six weeks ago to Westlake by 22 points, the Lions are continuing to find their identity under sophomore quarterback Brandon Dawkins, who took over the starting position in the third week and has passed for 1,686 yards (66 pct.) and 19 touchdowns while scoring two touchdowns.

"It's a new season, and it's time to take our game to the next level," said Oaks Christian receiver Jordan Payton, who has 46 receptions for 588 yards with nine touchdowns.
"We want to get back to the championship game, and in doing that, we need to take it one week at a time."

That's the mentality of a lot of programs, as teams now face elimination.

"From here on out, the only stat that counts is the win stat," Burroughs coach Keith Knoop said.

Or, as Birmingham coach Jim Rose put it: "Turkey taste a lot better if you're still playing after this week."

Eastside has squeaked into the Northern playoffs for only the second time in school history, and the reward for the fourth-place Golden League school is a matchup Friday at top-seeded Westlake (10-0), which has climbed to No. 13 in the Rivals Hot 100 national rankings and is averaging 45 points.

"We have a very big challenge ahead of us. Westlake is big, fast and well-coached," Eastside coach Richard Lear said. "It will take a perfect game for us to keep this matchup competitive. It's a tough draw, but our players and staff are excited about it.

"We're looking forward to the opportunity of facing one of the top teams in the state."

Westlake is in line for a CIF State Bowl berth, so no one is expecting the host Warriors to take it easy.

"It's time to kick it into gear," Westlake running back/defensive back Dashon Hunt said. "The real season is finally here, and this is where you separate the men from the boys. We're preparing to play our hardest and to give no slack."

Canyon has been forced to forfeit two Foothill League wins - not one, as first reported - because of an ineligible player, overturning wins over Saugus and Golden Valley.

The Cowboys have been stripped of the title - Saugus and Valencia are co-champions - but their playoff positon won't change, as Canyon opens Friday against visiting Palmdale as planned.

Canyon goes from 9-1, 4-1 to 7-3, 2-3, while Saugus goes from 6-4, 3-2 to 7-3, 4-1 and Golden Valley goes from 1-9, 0-5 to 2-8, 1-4.

Canyon coach Rich Gutierrez, also the school athletic director, self-reported the information to the Southern Section, and Southern Section spokesman Thom Simmons later confirmed the forfeits.

"We didn't change the bracket because the Foothill League decided not to change its submissions," Simmons said. "Why they didn't is a question for the Foothill League, but there was no argument about it."

Saugus coach Jason Bornn said he applauds Gutierrez's honesty.

"That's the kind of man Rich Gutierrez is. I'm not sure others would do the same thing," Bornn said. "I had no idea. But he went back and reviewed the film. To do that, that's a man of integrity."

Westlake is Socal's top team in the Rivals Hot 100, climbing to No. 13 -- an nine-spot jump from last week. The Warriors open the Northern playoffs Friday against visiting Eastside.

Winless in the Foothill League since joining in 2006, Golden Valley's season-ending 48-21 loss to Canyon this past Friday has been overturned by forfeit because of an ineligible player -- so the Grizzlies have backed in to their first-ever league victory.

Canyon's playoff status is not affected. The Cowboys play host to Palmdale at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the first round of the Northern playoffs.

The game started at 1 a.m. Los Angeles time on ESPN Tuesday morning as part of a 24-hour college basketball marathon but it didn't seem to bother two former area standouts.

West Ranch's Trevor Wiseman and Agoura's Stephan Hicks were front and center in Hawaii's 86-67 victory against Cal St. Northridge.

Wiseman had 19 points and 16 rebounds for Hawaii.

Hicks had 22 points and 17 rebounds for CSUN.

The college basketball landscape is littered with former area stars, the most ever in recent memory.

Keep checking back in for updates, keeping tabs and whatever happened to? during the course of the season.

There is no other sport in the Southern Section than basketball that doesn't release which teams are in what playoff divisions until a week before the regular season begins.

Finally, the divisions were released Monday and some of the most drastic movement in years was unveiled.

The biggest changes came in Div. IV-AA.

It is being referred to as a "Super-Division".

Top teams include in alphabetical order:

Bishop Montgomery, Centennial/Compton, Chaminade, Crespi, Harvard-Westlake, JSerra, La Verne Lutheran, Morningside, Muir, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, Oaks Christian, Paraclete, Price, Serra, Sierra Canyon and Windward.

That is four Southern Section champions (Harvard-Westlake, Oaks Christian, Price, Sierra Canyon) and two state champions (La Verne Lutheran and Windward) from a year ago.

Alemany stayed away from the "Super-Division" but was placed in Div. III-A with Trinity League-powers St. John Bosco and Santa Margarita.

St. John Bosco has former Taft coach Derrick Taylor and impact transfers Daniel and Isaac Hamilton from Crenshaw.

Alemany coach Tray Meeks weighed in.

"It is nice because it seems we have more of a chance but it would have been nice to get really challenged in 4-AA," Meeks said. "Obviously 4-AA has many more teams but we still have to put our hard-hats on and go out and play."

Another top division is Div. I-AA.

It includes, Centennial Corona, Eisenhower, Etiwanda, Gahr, King, Loyola, Mater Dei, Long Beach Poly, Rancho Verde, Corona Roosevelt, Santa Monica and Upland.

Loyola and Mater Dei could be the two best teams in the state with La Verne Lutheran.

Crescenta Valley and West Ranch have solid teams this year but will have to deal with Orange Lutheran in Div. I-A.

Orange Lutheran like most of the teams in Div. 4-AA were moved up based on a weighted point system rewarding successful playoff runs in the last four years.

Divisions 2-AA, 2-A, 3-AAA, 3-AA and 3-A look devoid of many elite teams and will give more average and mediocre teams a chance to win a championship.

Canyon, Royal, Saugus, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks were placed in 2-AA and will deal with Canyon/Anaheim, Inglewood, J.W. North, Ocean View, Redondo Union, Tesoro and Villa Park.

Camarillo, Eastside, Moorpark and Westlake ended up in 2-A.

Top teams there include Compton, Leuzinger, Mayfair, Murrieta Valley and Peninsula.

Hart landed in 3-AAA with Damien and Pasadena.

Calabasas and La Canada are with 26 teams that were moved down based on not winning a playoff game the past four years.

Division 4-A seems pretty reasonable with Brentwood, Buckley, Campbell Hall, Fairmont Prep, Pacific Hills, St. Joseph/Santa Maria and Verbum Dei.

St. Bernard and Village Christian are the early favorites to meet in the Div. V-AA championship.

It looks like Providence and Ribet Academy are the favorites in Div. 5-A.

The luckiest team of all. That would be Renaissance Academy, which was placed in a revamped Div. 6. Only one big division. It is not sub-divided.

There will be no team that comes close to beating the Wildcats in Div. 6.

Hope Centre Academy might have a chance to hang around with Sid Cooke's team.

The girls' divisions mirrored the boys'.

Again, Div. 4-AA was the deepest.

It includes, Bell-Jeff, Bishop Montgomery, Centennial/Compton, Chadwick, Chaminade, Harvard-Westlake, JSerra, Muir, Notre Dame, Oaks Christian, Santa Clara, Serra, Sierra Canyon, St. Anthony, St. Bernard, St. Joseph, Valley Christian Cerritos and Windward.

The bottom line is there will be plenty of talk and discussion for a long time about these new divisions.

Some points already being floated around are the Southern Section will not be sending all of its best teams to the state playoffs and Divs. 2 through 3 will have champions that would be beat by teams that lose in the first round of Div. 4-AA.

Defending Southern Section Div. V-AA champion Sierra Canyon will be holding a huge Midnight Madness basketball event Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Montclair Prep in Van Nuys.

The team will hold a light practice and perform drills and conduct slam dunk and 3-point contests.

The team will be give their championship rings after edging former Olympic League rival Montclair Prep by two point in overtime last March at Mater Dei of Santa Ana.

Junior guard Jahmel Taylor will be presented his Div. V-AA player of the year award and coach Ryan Silver will be honored for the Div. V-AA coach of the year award.

The 2011-2012 squad features Taylor, Julian Brooks, Jesse Howell, Justin Ifekeniguwe, Brandon White, Jarmani Spencer, Reggie Prince and freshman Justin Waldorf, Juwan Trotter and Robbie Feinberg.

The girls' basketball team will also take part in the event. New coach Raquel Alotis will show-off her new team, including top freshman Kennedy Burke and Cheyanne Wallace.

Sierra Canyon is in the middle of building a top-notch facility on campus.

The brand-new gym will be ready in January or February.

Things are alive and well at Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley.

The fifth-year post-grad team has a full roster and schedule that will take the Wildcats to Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Nevada, and Arizona.

The team features several Div. I prospects, including point guard Dustin Watts from Seattle's O'Dea High School.

Watts is committed to UTEP and scored 34 points in a 92-79 loss against Findlay Prep (Las Vegas) over the weekend.

Marko Gujanicic had 23 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and five assists and former Community Charter of Lake View Terrace standout had 11 points and seven rebounds.

The head coach for Stoneridge Prep is former Community Charter coach Les Bean.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the Winter months

Former Sylmar forward Victor Rudd has landed at South Florida.

Rudd started and scored 12 points with three rebounds in 30 minutes of action for South Florida in a 61-59 victory against Vermont Friday.

Rudd played at Arizona St. as a freshman in 2010.

He transferred and sat out last year for the Bulls.

Osirius Burke, an unheralded junior from Quartz Hill, has made quite an impression -- on both sides of the football.

Burke has rushed for 1,549 yards and 24 touchdowns, totaling 116 yards or more in every game except a 55-0 win over Barstow when Burke had four carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, he has 88 tackles, three fumble recoveries and three sacks.

There is no argument about the Marmonte League being the strongest in the Southern Section Northern Division. The top three teams, Westlake, Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure, are the top three playoff seeds, as pairings were released Sunday.

Westlake (10-0), hoping eventually to reach a final for the third year in a row, opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday against visiting Eastside (4-6), an opponent that enters with a three-game losing streak.

"I think maybe being No. 1, you have a better run to the title, plus a home game, and that's important," Westlake coach Jim Benkert said. "But I looked at our half of the bracket, and it has all the league champions."

Westlake could play at Hart in the quarterfinals in what could be a compelling second-round matchup, as Hart made the playoffs as the an at-large entry after nearly missing out for the second in a year row after 21 consecutive playoff appearances.

"I have a lot of respect for Hart and coach Mike Herrington's accomplishments," Benkert said. "Whomever they prepare for, I'm sure they'll play a whale of a game."

LONELY AT THE TOP

As the only Serra League team from the San Fernando Valley to make the playoffs, Alemany is by itself in the Pac-5, the Southern Section's top division. The fourth-seeded Warriors (8-2) open against visiting St. John Bosco from the tough Trinity League.

"St. John Bosco is a good football team. They're very good," Alemany coach Dean Herrington said. "At this point, they're all good. We have our work cut out for us."

Alemany has made it to the semifinals or better or in each of the past three seasons, but it's been 25 years since a San Fernando Valley program has won a title in the section's highest division.

"Playoff time is always fun," Herrington said.

Through the years beginning at Hart, where Herrington had a long, successful run as an offensive coordinator, the coach has been known to install innovative trick plays for the playoffs. This year, he is being coy.

"Trick plays are the furthest thing from my mind," he said. "Well, maybe a few new wrinkles."

LOOKING AT THE OTHER DIVISIONS

In the Western Division, Chaminade is No. 3, and the Eagles could face high-scoring Camarillo in the second round.

In the East Valley Division, Sierra Canyon is seeded No. 1, and if the Trailblazers can win the title, they almost certainly will earn a CIF State Div. IV Bowl berth. Defending champion Paraclete is seeded No. 2.

In the Northest Division, at-large entry Viewpoint qualified for the playoffs for only the second time since moving up from eight-man football in 2004. The reward? A long trip to top-seeded Bishop, the defending section champion.

Former Cleveland of Reseda guard Jason Johnson scored 21 points and was named MVP of the Ventura tournament after leading Antelope Valley College to an 84-79 championship game victory against San Diego City College.

Inglewood High product dished out 12 assists for the second consecutive game to help the Marauders.

AVC is 3-0.

Congratulations are in order for former Sierra Canyon guard Michael Cohen.

Cohen made his college debut Saturday for Pomona-Pitzer in a 59-50 setback against Pepperdine.

Cohen had two points, four rebounds and one assists in 18 minutes of action.

Cohen worked hard throughout his high school career, was part of a start-up program at Sierra Canyon and always kept his nose to the ground.

TOP PERFORMANCES

Zander Anding, RB, Burroughs - In yet another spectacular performance, Zander rushed for 360 yards on 30 carries and scored four touchdowns in a 35-7 win over Burbank at Arcadia High, giving Zander 2,468 yards and a school-record 30 TDs - the senior's fifth 300-yard performance and his seventh of 222 yards or more. He has 2,464 yards in nine games.

Scott Maxwell, DB, Village Christian - Maxwell intercepted three passes, returning one 98 yards for a touchdown in a 25-14 win over Whittier Christian - the opponent that knocked Village Christian out the playoffs last season.
Village Christian needed the win to remain qualified for a possible at-large berth in the playoffs.

Randle Williams, KR, Kennedy - Williams returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown with 42 seconds remaining in a 17-14 win over visiting Sylmar.HE SAID

UNSUNG HERO

Cesar Vega, PK, Canoga Park - Vega kicked a 44-yard field goal with 1 minute, 48 seconds remaining in a 17-14 win at San Fernando to secure second place in the Valley Mission League.

Vega, a junior, has three field goals this season.

HE SAID

"I was running out of juice at the end."

--Westlake running back Dashon Hunt, on nearly getting caught from behind on a 70-yard touchdown in a 35-14 win over St. Bonaventure

Former Cleveland High guard Jason Johnson scored 30 points to lead Antelope Valley College to an 83-76 victory against Ventura in the semifinals of the Ventura tournament.

A.V.C. plays San Diego City College at 5 p.m. in the championship.

Birmingham's reward for a turnaround season that has included going from 2-8 to 8-2 and winning the West Valley championship?

The No. 6 seed in the City playoffs -- including a first-round game with dangerous Arleta featuring running back De'Jon Coleman.

"I think we should have been seeded higher," Birmingham coach Jim Rose said.

Here are the matchups for Div. I:

No. 16 Gardena at No. 1 San Pedro

No. 9 El Camino Real at No. 8 Crenshaw

No. 12 Garfield at No. 5 Carson

No. 13 Taft at No. 4 Venice

No. 14 Fairfax at No. 3 Dorsey

No. 11 Arleta at No. 6 Birmingham

No. 10 Westchester at No. 7 West Adams

No. 15 Reseda at No. 2 Narbonne

All Crespi High needed to do was win.

A victory Friday over Loyola in the Serra League finale would have meant an automatic playoff berth. But instead, Crespi blew a 15-point and missed three extra-point kicks, including one on overtime that proved a killer, as the visiting Celts lost 36-35 in a heartbreaker at L.A. Valley College.

Crespi then lost a three-way coin flip for the last playoff spot from the league -- Bishop Amat won, as Notre Dame was another casualty -- and the season was over.

With the score tied at 29, Crespi scored first in overtime on Cody Cordell's 1-yard run, but the extra-point kick was pulled left, leaving the Celts with a vulnerable six-point lead. Loyola answered when Nicolas Cotton hit Kodi Whitfield on 25-yard touchdown pass, followed by Conrad Ukropina's successful point-after kick, setting off a massive blue celebration.

By winning, Loyola (8-2) finished second in the five-team league, earning one of the three playoff berths along with first-place Alemany, which defeated Notre Dame 21-14 on Friday to force a three-way flip.

"I'm just upset. It was a heartbreaker," Crespi safety Tyler Foreman said. "I can't believe we lost this game."

Crespi (7-3) was penalized 12 times for 123 yards, as two touchdowns were called back.

"You've seen my team so many times. Have you ever seen us called for so many penalties?" Crespi coach Jon Mack asked reporters. "It's hard to play against a 12th man."

Cordell completed 15 of 21 for 251 yards and a touchdown. Terrence Williams added 97 yards rushing and a touchdown on 20 carries, and he also had five receptions for 79 yards.

Cotton was 16 of 29 for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and Whitfield had five catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. His winning touchdown in overtime was the kind of stuff kids dream about.

"It came down to rehearsal. We've practiced being in that situation so many times," Whitfield said. "That's why I wasn't nervous."

It's going to come down to the wire, as Crespi and Loyola are tied 22-22 after three quarters. Crespi has the ball at midfield, trying to respond now that Loyola has erased a 15-point lead.

Crespi jumped to a 22-7 lead in the first quarter, and it looked like the Celts might run away with it by halftime. But Loyola scored on Nicolas Cotton's 32-yard pass to Eamon McOsker with eight seconds left in the first half to cut the lead to 22-14.

After waiting two weeks to play a game because of a bye, Crespi did not take long to score on its first possession. On the second play from scrimmage, Terrence Williams scored on a 44-yard run, breaking through a nice hole up the middle and darting past a couple of tacklers.

Crespi scored again on its next possession on Pat Cassley's 38-yard field goal.

After Loyola scored on Cotton's 12-yard pass to Kodi Whitfield to pull Loyola to withing 10-7, Crespi extended the advantage by driving 80 yards on 10 plays, scoring on Cody Cordell's 1-yard run. The key play was Cordell's 38-yard pass to Mike Davison.

Crespi added another touchdown on Corey Peoples' 27-yard fumble return. Peoples picked up the football in mid air when Cotton lost control on a jarring hit by Raymond Davison.

Well, the rain has not come down too hard, as visiting Crespi and Loyola get ready for a Serra League showdown at L.A. Valley College set to begin in just a few minutes.

Crespi can guarantee a playoff berth by winning the game no matter what any other team does. If the Celts lose, they could find themselves in a coin flip to make the postseason.

The key could be Crespi quarterback Cody Cordell. He has played sparingly since spraining an ankle Oct. 6 in a win over Taft.

Loyola's specialty is pass defense, so Crespi will need to pass effectively to succeed.

Coach Alan Eberhart has resigned at Glendale. More news when it develops.

The 2011 West Coast Holiday Festival will take place Dec. 26-30 at four different schools.

There is a 16-team bracket and a 32-team bracket

Here is the 16-team bracket first round matchups, including several top local programs.

Monday Dec. 26
Rancho Cucamonga vs. Silverado, 6 p.m. at Norco High
Vista Murrieta vs. Rancho Verde, 7:30 p.m. at Norco High
Saugus vs. Keppel, 3 p.m. at Burroughs High
Sierra Canyon vs. Alemany, 4:30 p.m. at Burroughs High

St. Bernard vs. Pacifica (Oxnard), 7:30 p.m. at St. Bernard
Santa Monica vs. Monroe, 6 p.m. at St. Bernard
Canyon vs. Chaminade, 6 p.m. at Burroughs High
Bell-Jeff vs. Camarillo, 7:30 p.m. at Bell-Jeff

Nicolas Ovendale, a Hart assistant on the frosh team, was arrested Thursday on a felony sex charge, according to a story in The Signal.

Ovendale, 20, is a former Hart lineman who graduated in 2009.

MOORPARK -- For two months Westlake High had coasted to a series of easy football victories, winning its past eight games by 21 points or more.

On Thursday, the Warriors knew they would be in for a challenge against high-powered St. Bonaventure in the Marmonte League finale, and Westlake rose to the occasion with 35-14 victory before a crowd of about 6,000 at Moorpark College.

Entering No. 1 in the Northern Division, Westlake (10-0) clinched the league title outright and kept its perfect record intact while all but assuring the top seed in the playoffs when pairings are announced Sunday. Also, Westlake kept its chances alive to participate in a CIF State Bowl game if the Warriors can win the section final with four playoff victories.

Westlake's Dashon Hunt rushed for 184 yards on 17 carries, scoring two touchdowns including a 70-yard run, and he also had three catches for 34 yards and several key hits on defense. Fellow junior Justin Moore completed 14 of 19 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, and he rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown.

"Dashon was a beast tonight. The kid is a man-child," Westlake receiver Cody Tuttle said.

Westlake has won 36 of its past 38 games, and the Warriors are shooting for their second Northern championship and third appearance in a final over the past three seasons.

"I think this is a great way to end the season by winning the league title. We all did our part," Westlake kicker Alex Ball said. "It couldn't have gone better. This is a perfect way to get ready for the playoffs."

Westlake leads St. Bonaventure 4-3 in the series, including three wins over the past four.

St. Bonaventure's Zach Green rushed for 137 yards in 20 carries, scoring on runs of 3 and 17 yards. Marc Evans added 177 yards passing, completing 16 of 21, and he also rushed for 36 yards.

Oaks Christian 42, Newbury Park 17
Thousand Oaks 28, Calabasas 0
Santa Barbara 35, Buena 7

Haltime scores:
Malibu 20, Santa Clara 17
Channel Islands 21, Hueneme 0
Oxnard 28, Pacifica (Oxnard) 14
Westlake 21, St. Bonaventure 7
Santa Paula 13, Fillmore 13
Oak Park 13, Nordhoff 10

Thousand Oaks 3, Long Beach Wilson 1
Mission Viejo 3, La Canada 2
Los Alamitos swept Louisville
Sierra Canyon swept Excelsior Education Center
Oaks Christian swept Bishop Amat
Saugus swept Anaheim Canyon
Newport Harbor swept Notre Dame
Laguna Beach swept Valencia
Claremont swept La Reina
Camarillo swept Los Altos

Westlake leads St. Bonaventure 21-7 at halftime in a Marmonte game at Moorpark College.

Westlake had no trouble moving the ball from the start.

On its first possession, the Warriors drove to the St. Bonaventure 16, but Justin Moore was intercepted by Paul Thompson near the goal line to end the threat.

The next time Westlake saw the football, Moore threw a long to pass to a wide open receiver, but the ball was dropped. No problem, on the next play, Dashon Hunt scored on a 70-yard run, breaking through a nice hole up the middle, cutting to his left, then sprinting down the sideline untouched.

Westlake again was busy on the ensuing possession, driving 90 yards on nine plays and scoring on an 8-yard pass from Moore to Connor Cook for a 14-0 lead. Moore completed four passes for 46 yards on the drive, and Hunt broke a 23-yard run to the 12.

After St. Bonaventure scored on Zach Green's 2-yard run to cut the lead to seven,
Westlake scored another touchdown, driving 80 yards on 10 plays, culminating on Moore's 17-yard touchdown pass to Tyler McGhee.

Arleta High running back De'Jon Coleman tied the City Section record for most touchdowns in a single season Thursday in a 40-6 East Valley League regular season finale against Verdugo Hills.

Coleman entered with 42 touchdowns and tied the mark, held by Marlon Lucky of North Hollywood since 2004.

Coleman scored with 1:34 remaining on a 9-yard run and didn't play the rest of the way.

Coleman scored two quick touchdowns in the first quarter, and then was held scoreless until returning an interception 52 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Coleman will get a chance to break the record next Friday in a Div. I playoff opener.

To The Rack Showcase @ Alemany H.S.
February 4, 2012

2:00pm Campbell Hall v. Sylmar

3:30pm El Camino Real v. Renaissance Academy

5:15pm Oaks Christian v. Morningside

6:45pm Alemany v. Price

8:15pm Harvard-Westlake v. Centennial Compton

Harvard-Westlake senior Cami Chapus, the two-time Div. IV state cross country champion and reigning state 1,600-meter champion, has decided to attend Stanford.

Chapus follows Harvard-Westlake teammate Amy Weissenbach, who decided to attend Stanford last week, to give the Cardinal one of the nation's elite recruiting classes.

Chapus and Weissenbach contributed to the Wolverines setting a national high school record in the distance medley relay, along with winning a national outdoor title in the sprint medley relay.

"I am extremely happy to become a Cardinal," Chapus said. "Stanford is the right fit for me academically, athletically and socially. I know I will thrive in a community filled with students who have diverse talents and an excitement for learning. With accomplished coaches and an amazing team, I anticipate great experiences in the future. I look forward to taking my running career to the next level in college and beyond!"

Rosters are being finalized for the 16th annual Daily News All-Star Football Game, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at Pierce College, and among the confirmations are Canyon quarterback Jonathan Jerozal and Arleta running back De'Jon Coleman for the East, and quarterbacks Logan Scott of Chaminade and Tyler Stewart of Sierra Canyon and Crespi receivers Chris Harper and Mike Davison for the West.

After winning two Foothill League football titles in a row, advancing to the Northern Division semifinals the past three years and beginning this season No. 6 in the Daily News rankings, Valencia needs a win Friday to guarantee a playoff spot.

If the Vikings lose to Saugus, combined with a Hart victory Thursday over West Ranch, then Valencia is out - unless the Vikings are awarded the division's one at-large spot.

Valencia (5-4, 3-1) is tied for first with Canyon and Saugus, but fourth-place Hart (6-3, 2-2) would get the nod over Valencia in a tiebreaker because Hart defeated the Vikings in league competition.

"It's a must-win game," Valencia coach Larry Muir said. "We screwed th

ings up when we lost to Hart, so we're treating this game against Saugus like a playoff game. Our backs are against the wall. It's going to a real physical game."

Chaminade plays at 7 p.m. Friday at Serra, and there is a lot on the line. The visiting Eagles (8-1, 4-0) look to knock off the defending Mission League and Western Division champion Cavaliers (7-2, 4-0), who are 49-4 over the past four-plus seasons. Hanging in the balance is the division's top playoff seed, as Chaminade is No. 1 and Serra is No. 3 heading into the heavily anticipated showdown.

What makes the matchup especially intriguing is the end-of-a-dynasty angle, as Chaminade has returned most of its top players from last year's semifinalist team - including star running back Terrell Newby, standout quarterback Logan Scott and top lineman Taylor Hindy - while Serra graduated most of its top players from last year's 14-1 state-finalist team.

"We're not going to hold anything back to prove we're No. 1," Newby said.

Van Nuys has a bye this week, but assuming nothing crazy happens, the Wolves already have done enough to secure a City Section Div. II playoff berth - the program's first postseason appearance since 1998.

Van Nuys (8-2, 4-2), led by multi-purpose back Iheanyi Obinna, can finish no worse than third, and among those ahead in the standings is first-place Reseda, a Div. I program.

"Right now, I see us in the No. 6 spot (in Div. II). We're really happy, we're really excited," Van Nuys coach Sean

Pollard said. "It's a big accomplishment, but we're still hungry."

Taft and Chatsworth ruled City Section football last year, particularly among San Fernando Valley programs, as Taft made it further than anyone by advancing to the Div. I semifinals - the fourth year in a row the Toreadors made it to the quarterfinals or better - while Chatsworth finished as the Div. II runner-up.

The climate has changed this season. They face off at 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Taft, and the winner will be fortunate just to make the playoffs as a third-place team. Taft is 3-6, 2-2 but has won two and in row, while Chatsworth, having moved up to Div. I, is 5-4, 1-3 with just one victory over a .500 opponent.

"We need to beat Taft to be considered for the playoffs, and they're in a similar situation," Chatsworth coach Andrew Kim said. "It's a very important game for both teams."

Meanwhile, Birmingham (7-2, 4-0) clinched the league title Friday with a 48--7 win over El Camino Real (7-2, 3-1) in a showdown that was not as close as expected.

"Hats off to Birmingham, but we couldn't have played any worse," El Camino Real coach Kevin Williams said.

2011 Crescenta Valley tournament

Dec. 5-9

Pool A: Crescenta Valley, Simi Valley, South Pasadena, Antelope Valley
Pool B: Hart, St. Francis, Flintridge Prep, Newbury Park

Monday Dec. 5
Antelope Valley vs. Simi Valley, 4 p.m.
St. Francis vs. Newbury Park, 5:30 p.m.
Hart vs. Flintridge Prep, 7 p.m.

Tuesday Dec. 6
Hart vs. Newbury Park, 4 p.m.
St. Francis vs. Flintridge Prep, 5:30 p.m.
Crescenta Valley vs. South Pasadena, 7 p.m.

Wednesday Dec. 7
South Pasadena vs. Antelope Valley, 4 p.m.
Flintridge Prep vs. Newbury Park, 5:30 p.m.
Crescenta Valley vs. Simi Valley, 7 p.m.

Thursday Dec. 8
South Pasadena vs. Simi Valley, 4 p.m.
Hart vs. St. Francis, 5:30 p.m.
Crescenta Valley vs. Antelope Valley, 7 p.m.

Friday Dec. 9
Pool A #4 vs. Pool B #4, 3:15 p.m. (seventh place)
Pool A #3 vs. Pool B 3#, 4:45 p.m. (fifth place)
Pool A #2 vs. Pool B #2, 6:15 p.m. (third place)
Pool A #1 vs. Pool B #1, 7:45 p.m. (championship)

2011 Pasadena tournament

Nov. 28-Dec. 3

First round matchups

LaVerne Lutheran vs. Sylmar, Monday Nov. 28 6:30 p.m.
Roosevelt (Corona) vs. Long Beach Jordan, Monday Nov. 28, 3:30 p.m.
Arroyo Valley vs. Pasadena, Monday Nov. 28, 8 p.m.
Ribet Academy vs. Leuzinger, Monday Nov. 28, 5 p.m.

Washington Prep vs. Cajon, Tuesday Nov. 29, 6:30 p.m.
Etiwanda vs. Cleveland, Tuesday Nov. 29, 3:30 p.m.
Canyon Springs vs. Chino Hills, Nov. 29, 5 p.m.
Price vs. Birmingham, Tuesday Nov. 29, 8 p.m.

Destini Price and Keiona Mathews are close to reaching decisions on college for next September.

Price is signing Wednesday with Fresno State while Mathews is still making up her mind.

Fresno Pacific and Cal State L.A. are under consideration.

Royal standout pitcher Nancy Bowling will be signing with Arizona Wednesday.

El Camino Real outfielder Whitney West will be signing with Long Island University

El Camino Real is honoring Veterans Day on Thursday for a West Valley League game against visiting Granada Hills. Players will wear camouflage jerseys -- in El Camino Real colors -- and members of the armed forces will be honorary captains.

Also, the team and Buddy's All-Stars are donating $1,000 to the Wounded Warriors Project.

As if there is not enough on the line for visiting Westlake on Thursday in a Marmonte showdown against St. Bonaventure -- a league title, a No. 1 seed in the Northern playoffs, an undefeated record, a possible CIF Bowl berth down the line -- Westlake coach Jim Benkert has 199 victories.

Damiene Cain could be rejoining the Colorado basketball team.

Cain played at Harvard-Westlake but quit the team in early September to concentrate on academics.

However, Cain recently told coach Tad Boyle that he misses basketball and has been working out with coaches on individual drills.

Cain hasn't taken part in full-fledged practices.

Cain would be part of a stellar freshman calls that includes Taft's Spencer Dinwiddie and Price's Askia Booker.

Colorado also has a commitment from Mater Dei's Xavier Johnson for the 2012-2013 and is in the running for Tyrone Wallace from Bakersfield.

Highly-decorated Taft transfer Shaqquan Aaron from Mater Dei has been ruled ineligible by the L.A. City Section for the 2011-2012 school year.

Los Angeles Unified School District athletic administrator Trent Cornelius confirmed the news by phone and indicated pre-enrollment contact was an issue.

Aaron is a 6-foot-6 forward, who was a star freshman for coach Gary McKnight last season.

There are also further reports another transfer at Taft has been kicked out of school.

Teyvon Myers, a 6'6 forward from New York, is now at Cleveland High in Reseda.

2011-2012 Burbank tournament schedule

Nov. 28-Dec. 3

Pool A: Burbank, Monroe, San Marcos
Pool B: Agoura, Canyon, Roosevelt
Pool C: Bell-Jeff, Glendale, Royal
Pool D: Renaissance Academy, Van Nuys, Village Christian

Monday Nov. 28
Van Nuys vs. Village Christian, 3;30 p.m.
Bell-Jeff vs. Glendale, 5 p.m.
Agoura vs. Roosevelt, 6:30 p.m.
Monroe vs. San Marcos, 8 p.m.

Tuesday Nov. 29
Renaissance Academy vs. Van Nuys, 3:30 p.m.
Glendale vs. Royal, 5 p.m.
Roosevelt vs. Canyon, 6:30 p.m.
Burbank vs. Monroe, 8 p.m.

Wednesday Nov. 30
Canyon vs. Agoura, 3:30 p.m.
Royal vs. Bell-Jeff, 5 p.m.
San Marcos vs. Burbank, 6:30 p.m.
Village Christian vs. Renaissance Academy, 8 p.m.

Thursday Dec. 1
Pool B #3 vs. Pool A #3, 3;30 p.m.
Pool D #3 vs. Pool C #3, 5 p.m.
Pool B #2 vs. Pool A #2, 6:30 p.m.
Pool D #2 vs. Pool C #2, 8 p.m.

Friday Dec. 2
Loser Thur. 3:30 p.m. vs. Loser Thur. 3:30 p.m.
Winner Thur. 3:30 p.m. vs. Winner Thur. 5 p.m., 5 p.m.
semifinal: Pool B #1 vs. Pool A #1, 6:30 p.m.
semifinal: Pool D #1 vs. Pool C #1, 8 p.m.

Sat. Dec. 3
Games at 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4;:0 p.m. and championship at 6 p.m.

It was a long time coming for the Sierra Canyon football team.

The Trailblazers ended over a year of frustration Saturday night at Granada Hills High with a thrilling 36-26 victory against nemesis Paraclete.

Reggie Prince and Tyler Stewart came through with huge performances and the Trailblazers did it without top receiver Julian Brooks and top running back Xavier Menifield, who were both out with injuries.

Prince returned interceptions 77 and 72 yards for touchdowns and caught a 33-yard score from Stewart.

Stewart connected with unsung hero Brian Tucker on what turned out to be a game winning six-yard touchdown pass with 3:25 remaining on fourth-and-goal.

Tucker was big, catching four passes on the 12-play, 61-yard game wining drive.

Sierra Canyon remained undefeated, will be the No. 1 seed for the East Valley Division playoffs barring a monumental upset next week against Calvary Chapel Downey in a regular season finale.

It was a sweet victory for the Trailblazers, who played without top receiver Julian Brooks and top running back Xavier Menifield.

Brooks has a toe injury that will keep him out for several weeks and Menifield left in the first half with a concussion.

Sierra Canyon looks like it needs five more victories to qualify for a state bowl bid.

But, the Trailblazers will probably need to get by Paraclete one more time, in the championship game Dec. 10.

On a cold night with the Serra League football title on the line, Alemany High rose to the occasion Friday with a muddy 28-14 victory over visiting Loyola before a crowd of about 3,500.

Devon Dunn passed for three touchdowns, including a 4-yarder to Corey Sims for the go-ahead touchdown with 46 seconds remaining, then Alemany (7-2, 3-0) put an exclamation point on the victory when Steven Mitchell returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown in the final seconds.

"When I saw the football in the air, I had to take it. The ball was mine," Sims said. "That kept the team alive, and it feels great to get the win. It's all about execution."

Dunn, a junior, completed 10 in a row at one point, finishing 15 of 20 for 147 yards, and he also rushed for 50 yards on 16 carries. He has passed for 2,032 yards and 20 touchdowns.

"Devon came up big," Alemany coach Dean Herrington said. "In all three of our league games, he has been outstanding. He's playing really well, and our defense played great tonight. Loyola couldn't run the ball, and when that happens, the defense is usually doing something."

Alemany has won five league titles in a row, two since moving up to the Serra League in the Pac-5 Division, the Southern Section's most competitive division.

Alemany held touted running back Wyatt Bradford to 79 yards 17 carries. Except for a 38-yard touchdown run, Bradford did gain more than six yards on any of his other attempts, as Loyola (7-2, 2-1) was limited to 270 yards.

"Everyone says we're not as good as we've been in the past, so this was a big step," Alemany defensive lineman Kyle DeVaughn said. "The defense played well. Loyola is a great running team but not tonight."

Alemany's Jerico Richardson scored on touchdown receptions of 13 and 7 yards, and he also played tough defense at safety.

"This feels good. It was an exciting game," Richardson said. "The defense was definitely fired up, and we wanted to show how physical we are as we get ready for the playoffs."

Alemany can win the title outright with a victory in the finale Friday at Notre Dame.

Alemany's Major Armstead rushed for 57 yards on nine carries, and Richardson had five receptions for 42 yards. Loyola's Nicholas Cotton completed 13 of 25 passes for 178 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown to Kodi Whitfield.

Alemany 28, Loyola 14
Oaks Christian 17, Moorpark 14
Westlake 45, Agoura 9
Camarillo 63, Oxnard 50
Pacifica (Oxnard), Hueneme 7
Santa Paula 28, Santa Clara 9
Ventura 41, San Marcos 0
Rio Mesa 14, Channel Islands 10
Royal 42, Newbury Park 14
Simi Valley 33, Thousand Oaks 9
St. Bonaventure 60, Calabasas 7
Grace Brethren 23, Malibu 15
Canyon 47, Hart 24

Alemany did a fine job defensively to jump to a 14-7 halftime lead, holding Loyola to 112 yards and three first downs at the break.

Alemany scored first, driving 66 yards on 10 plays, culminating with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Devon Dunn to Jerico Richardson. Dunn completed 3 of 3 for 25 yards and added 24 yards rushing on the drive.

Loyola answered with Wyatt Bradford's 38-yard touchdown run to forge a 7-7 tie, slicing through a hole, faking out a couple of defenders close to the line of scrimmage, then sprinting into the end zone untouched. Nicholas Cotton helped spark the drive by completing two passes for 23 yards, including a 17-yard strike to Eamon McOsker.

Loyola had a good chance to score another touchdown in the second quarter after recovering a fumble at the Alemany 25. But after moving to the 16, Cotton lost a fumble with 5:19 left.

Except for the 38-yard touchdown run, Bradford could not do much in the first half, totaling 49 yards on seven carries. Cotton completed 6 of 9 for 54 yards through two quarters.

Dunn finished the first half by completing nine in a row, finishing the half 10 of 13 for 109 yards and two touchdowns while adding 28 yards on eight carries.

It's 7-7 after one quarter in Mission Hills in a Serra League game between host Alemany and Loyola.

Alemany scored first on a 13-yard pass from Devon Dunn to Jerico Richardson, and Loyola answered with Wyatt Bradford's 38-yard touchdown run.

The Mission Prep Christmas Classic is scheduled for Dec. 16-20

Brackets will be released later this month

Here are the teams scheduled to participate:

PARTICIPANTS

NATIONAL BRACKET

TAFT

SEATTLE PREP

DILLARD (FL).

RIGHETTI

SAN JOAQUIN MEMORIAL

LA COSTA CANYON

WASHINGTON PREP

DESERT VISTA (AZ).

ELITE BRACKET

MISSION PREP

BRENTWOOD

CAMPBELL HALL

CYPRESS BAY (FL).

J.W. NORTH

MIRAMONTE

SAN LUIS OBISPO

SANTA CLARA

Autumns are a bit warmer than they used to be, but it's going to be cold and perhaps rainy tonight in Mission Hills for a key Serra League game between Alemany and visiting Loyola.

It's already been raining on and off since last night, and the report tonight calls for a low of 40 degrees and a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms.

The rain would probably favor Loyola because Alemany relies more heavily on passing plays. The more slippery, the harder it is to pass and catch a football.

L.A. UNIVERSITY VARSITY TOURNAMENT (2nd annual)
in the "New" South Gymnasium
December 5-10, 2011

POOL 'A' - University, Bernstein, Los Angeles, Huntington Park College Ready
POOL 'B' - Banning, Buckley, North Hollywood, Reseda

MONDAY, DEC. 5
5:00 North Hollywood v. Buckley
6:30 Banning v. Reseda
8:00 University v. Bernstein

TUESDAY, DEC. 6
No games allowed to due LAUSD Professional Devel Mtgs.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7
5:00 Buckley v. Banning
6:30 Bernstein v. Hunt. Park C.R.
8:00 University v. Los Angeles

THURSDAY, DEC. 8
5:00 Reseda v. Buckley
6:30 Banning v. North Hollywood
8:00 Hunt. Park C.R. v. Los Angeles

FRIDAY, DEC. 9
5:00 Los Angeles v. Bernstein
6:30 Reseda v. North Hollywood
8:00 University v. Hunt. Park C.R.

SATURDAY, DEC. 10
12:00 7th Place Game
1:30 5th Place Game
3:00 3rd Place Game
4:45 Championship Game

Pool A: St. Genevieve, Sherman Oaks C.E.S., Oakwood
Pool B: Holy Martyrs, San Marino, Waverly
Pool C: St. Monica, Pilibos, Huntington Park College-Ready
Pool D: Providence, Wildwood, Calvary Baptist

Monday Nov. 28
St. Genevieve vs. Sherman Oaks C.E.S., 3 p.m.
Holy Martyrs vs. San Marino, 4:30 p.m.
St. Monica vs. Pilibos, 6 p.m.
Providence vs. Wildwood, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday Nov. 29
Holy Martyrs vs. Waverly, 3 p.m.
St. Genevieve vs. Oakwood, 4:30 p.m.
St. Monica vs. Huntington Park College-Ready, 6 p.m.
Providence vs. Calvary Baptist, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday Nov. 30
Wildwood vs. Calvary Baptist, 3 p.m.
Pilibos vs. Huntington Park College-Ready, 4:30 p.m.
San Marino vs. Waverly, 6 p.m.
Sherman Oaks C.E.S. vs. Oakwood, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday Dec. 1
Pool A #3 vs. Pool D #3, 6 p.m.
Pool B #3 vs. Pool C #3, 7:30 p.m.

Friday Dec. 2
Pool A #2 vs. Pool D #2, 3 p.m.
Pool B #2 vs. Pool C #2, 4:30 p.m.
Pool A #1 vs. Pool D #1, 6 p.m. (semifinal0
Pool B #1 vs. Pool C #1, 7:30 p.m. (semifinal)

Sat. Dec. 3
12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. (championship), 7:30 p.m. (third place)

Zander Anding, a Burroughs running back who has rushed for 300 yards or more four times in a row, has been cleared after missing one game because of a lung injury.

Burroughs plays Hoover tonight in a Pacific League game at Glendale High. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

"He is 100 percent," Burroughs coach Keith Knoop said.

Here are the first round matchups for the 60th annual Pacific Shores tournament at Redondo Union High School.

Fairfax vs. Hawthorne. 7:15 p.m. Monday Nov. 28
Mayfair vs. Bishop Montgomery, 8:40 p.m. Monday Nov. 28
Long Beach Poly vs. Pacific Hills, 3 p.m. Monday Nov. 28
Harvard-Westlake vs. Santa Monica, 5:50 p.m. Monday Nov. 28

Compton vs. Westchester, 4;25 p.m. Monday Nov. 28
Loyola vs. Dominguez, 7:15 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 29
Palisades vs. Torrance, 5:50 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 29
Bakersfield vs. Redondo Union, 8:40 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 29

Darryl Stewart was going to be another talented guard in the rotation for Chaminade coach Todd Wolfson this year.

However, Stewart's dad received a job promotion and the family is relocating to Atlanta, Georgia.

Stewart played at Taft in 2010-2011.

Don't feel too bad for the Eagles.

Wolfson still has Jaron Martin, Justin Eisen, Zach Miller and freshman Dylan Cuenca to split minutes.

There are two games remaining before the playoffs start, and injuries are taking a toll,

At Oaks Christian, key lineman Marcus Piechowski is out for the season because of a back injury, and running back-linebacker Carlos Mendoza has yet to be cleared after injuring his shoulder last week.

At Burroughs, Zander Anding, riding a streak of four consecutive 300-yard rushing performances, is questionable after missing one game because of punctured lung. He is slated to be examined again on Thursday.

The 12th annual Canyon High tournament starts Dec. 5 and runs through Dec. 10

Here is the schedule.

Pool A: Crespi, Eastside, Panorama
Pool B: Grant, Quartz Hill, Valencia
Pool C: Highland, Kennedy, Paraclete
Pool D: Canyon, Lancaster, Sun Valley

Monday Dec. 5
Lancaster vs. Sun Valley, 3 p.m.
Quartz Hill vs. Grant, 4:30 p.m.
Crespi vs. Panorama, 6 p.m.
Paraclete vs. Kennedy, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday Dec. 6
Panorama vs. Eastside, 3 p.m.
Highland vs. Paraclete, 4:30 p.m.
Valencia vs. Quartz Hill, 6:00 p.m.
Canyon vs. Lancaster, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday Dec. 7
Kennedy vs. Highland, 3 p.m.
Eastside vs. Crespi, 4:30 p.m.
Grant vs. Valencia, 6 p.m.
Canyon vs. Sun Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday Dec. 8
Pool B-3 vs. Pool A-3, 3 p.m.
Pool D-3 vs. Pool C-3, 4:30 p.m.
Pool B-2 vs. Pool A-2, 6 p.m.
Pool D-2 vs. Pool C-2, 7:30 p.m.

Fri. Dec. 9
Loser Thur. 3 p.m. vs. Loser Thur. 4:30 p.m.; 3 p.m.
Winner Thur. 3 p.m. vs. Winner Thur. 4;30 p.m.; 4;30 p.m.
Pool B-1 vs. Pool A-1, 6 p.m. (semifinal)
Pool D-1 vs. Pool C-1, 7:30 p.m. (semifinal)

Sat. Dec. 10
Loser Thur. 6 p.m. vs. Loser Thur. 7:30 p.m.; 2 p.m.
Winner Thur. 6 p.m. vs. Winner Thur. 7;30 p.m.; 3:30 p.m.
Loser Fri. 6 p.m. vs. Loser Fri. 7:30 p.m.; 5 p.m. (Third-place)
Winner Fri. 6 p.m. vs. Winner Fri. 7:30 p.m.; 6:30 p.m. (championship)

Alemany gave up four touchdowns in a 30-28 win Friday over Crespi, and the Warriors face another stiff challenge this coming Friday against visiting Loyola with a lot more on the line -- a guaranteed share of the Serra League championship with still another week remaining before the playoffs.

Alemany is an underdog against the visiting Cubs, perhaps the Pac-5 Division's most improved program, and the Warriors probably are going to find themselves in a tough, physical game that could see fewer touchdowns and fewer affordable mistakes than last week.

Giving up 28 points against Loyola might not cut it.

That means Alemany linebackers Bryce Henderson and Quintin Tartabull need to rise to the occasion, as the Warriors continue to cope without standout linebacker Rene Deleon, who left the school for disciplinary reasons prior to the Crespi showdown.

Tartabull, a sophomore, is the son of former major league baseball Danny Tartabull and the brother of former Valencia football standout Zach Tartabull. Quintin leads the team with 49 tackles, and Henderson has 48.

Alemany's key assignment Friday is to slow Loyola running back Wyatt Bradford (725 yards, nine touchdowns), who has four 100-yard performances despite recovering from an ankle injury.

A funeral service is set for Griffen Kramer, the Thousand Oaks High quarterback who died Sunday. He was 18.

The funeral is at 10 a.m. Saturday at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Griffen Kramer memorial fund, 5521 Rainbow Crest Dr, Agoura Hills, CA 91301.

Saturday January 21 at Providence High in Burbank

Girls-Village Christian vs. Rolling Hills Prep, 11:00 a.m.
Boys-Rolling Hills Prep vs. St. Genevieve, 12:30 p.m.
Boys-Hillcrest Christian Granada Hills vs. Hillcrest Christian Thousand Oaks, 2:00 p.m.
Girls-Providence vs. St. Lucy's, 3:30 p.m.
Boys-Pacific Hills vs. Sylmar, 5:00 p.m.
Boys-Campbell Hall vs. Providence, 6:30 p.m.
Boys-Sierra Canyon vs. Flintridge Prep, 8:00 p.m.

The 6:30 p.m. game will feature two freshman guards who have a chance to be McDonald's All-Americans.

Campbell Hall's Aaron Holiday and Providence's Marcus LoVett are worth the priceof admission.

All first round games Friday Dec. 16

Four locations
8-team regionals

Games at Alemany
Alemany vs. North Hollywood, 5:30 p.m.
Hart vs. Oak park, 8:30 p.m.
Grant vs. Burroughs, 4 p.m.
Crenshaw vs. Eastside, 7 p.m.

Games at Crespi
Crespi vs. Golden Valley, 4 p.m.
Chatsworth vs. Sierra Canyon, 7 p.m.
West Ranch vs. Westlake, 5:30 p.m.
Camarillo vs. Verdugo Hills, 8:30 p.m.

Games at Granada Hills
Crescenta Valley vs. Poly (Sun Valley), 8:30 p.m.
University (Los Angeles) vs. Notre Dame, 5:30 p.m.
Granada Hills vs. Quartz Hill, 7 p.m.
Ribet Academy vs. Panorama, 4 p.m.

Games at Kennedy
Morningside vs. Monroe, 5 p.m.
Valley Torah vs. Milken Community, 2 p.m.
Kennedy vs. Terry Fox (Canada), 6:30 p.m.
Knight vs. Burbank, 3:30 p.m.

I am predicting Alemany vs Crenshaw, Crespi vs. West Ranch, Notre Dame vs. Ribet Academy and Morningside vs. Knight will be the final eight.

The Kennedy bracket is by far the least taxing.

The Crespi bracket is the most talented and even.