Daily News High School Spotlight

HS FOOT: Smith helps Alemany defeat St. Francis

2009-11-07T06:18:56Z

One year after transferring from St. Francis of La Canada to Alemany of Mission Hills, defensive back Deron Smith faced his former teammates Friday and came through with the performance of a lifetime.

The sophomore intercepted two passes and broke up another key fourth-down pass -- all in the second half -- to help Alemany to a 13-7 victory that clinched at least a share of the Mission League championship with one game remaining.

"We stepped up big tonight," Smith said. "This was really important."

Smith's first interception came in the end zone after St. Francis (7-2, 1-1) had driven 85 yards on 19 plays on its first drive of the second half.

"I was kind of surprised on that one. The ball came right to me," Smith said.

On St. Francis' next possession, Smith again came through by breaking up a fourth-down pass on his own 33. That left St. Francis with one last opportunity a few minutes later, and this time Smith again had an interception with less than one minute remaining.

"Deron came up big for us tonight, and that second interception was just unbelievable," Alemany coach Dean Herrington said. "I'm happy for him because he's such a nice kid. I thought the game would come down to something like this because St. Francis is a good team."

Alemany's Malcolm Marable rushed for 133 yards on 30 carries, scoring on a 2-yard run.

St. Francis' Justin Posthuma completed 9 of 24 passes for 135 yards and four interceptions, and he rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries.

Dietrich Riley, a star multipurpose back for St. Francis who is one of California's top unsigned recruits, played with a hamstring injury and was used sparingly. He rushed for 66 yards on nine carries and did make make his first appearance on defense until the second quarter.

"We were probably a little lucky that Dietrich Riley wasn't at full strength," Herrington said.

The highlight of the first half was a 54-yard field goal by Martin Meza, who added a 43-yarder just before the end of the second quarter to help Alemany to a 13-7 halftime lead.

Alemany (6-3, 2-0) scored on Marable's 2-yard run, as the Warriors drove 80 yards on 12 plays on a time-consuming drive that lasted six minutes, 27 seconds.

St. Francis opened with a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Michael Melnick.

Alemany's Vernon Adams completed 6 of 13 passes for 52 yards.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

HS FOOT: St. Francis hoping to come back vs. Alemany

2009-11-07T05:30:06Z

There is 2:57 left at Alemany, and St. Francis trails 13-7 but is driving. The Golden Knights are on the Alemany 43, and reserve QB Brett Nelson is in because Justin Posthuma just got hurt on a 23-yard run.

Alemany's Malcolm Marable has rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries, but Alemany has fewer than 200 yards total offense.

-- Gerry Gittelson

HS FOOT: Alemany leads St. Francis 13-7 at half

2009-11-07T04:40:18Z

The highlight of the first half was a 54-yard field goal by Martin Meza, who added a 43-yarder just before the end of the second quarter to help Alemany to a 13-7 halftime lead.

Alemany also scored on Malcolm Marable's 2-yard run, as the Warriors drove 80 yards on 12 plays on a time-consuming six minutes, 27 seconds.

St. Francis opened with a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Michael Melnick.

Riley played sparingly in the first half, rushing for 43 yards on three carries. He did not appear on defense until the second quarter.

HS FOOT: Injured St. Francis standout Riley expected to play

2009-11-07T02:45:43Z

We're here at Alemany in Mission Hills for a key Mission League game against St. Francis, and it looks like Dietrich Riley, St. Francis star multi-purpose back who has missed one game with a hamstring injury and hasn't practiced this week, is going to try to play.

He's been warming up after doing rehab today, and though he looks like he is limping just a bit, no one has said he is NOT playing.

Talked to St. Francis coach Jim Bonds, and he said it will be a game-time decision.

The winner tonight has the inside track for the league title with one more game remaining next week. Alemany is 5-3, 1-0, and St. Francis is 7-1, 1-0.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Girls Hoops: Bell-Jeff just reloading

2009-11-06T22:04:02Z

One year later and the Bell-Jeff of Burbank girls basketball team just keeps rolling along.

Last year, the Guards won the state Division V championship and this year they want more.

They could be on their way with three new players.

Freshman Leslie Lopez-Wood enrolled in the summer, Layana White transferred from Canyon and sophomore Marilyn Flynn transferred from Burroughs of Burbank.

If that wasn't enough, Bell-Jeff returns Margeaux Gupilan, Julia Tani, Rishonda Napier and Jasmine Smith.

There should be no shortage of victories for Bryan Camacho and the Guards.

Boys Water Polo: Oaks Chr.'s Reich commits

2009-11-06T19:47:33Z

Jet Reich, the top boys water polo player at the school has committed to Pepperdine.

Reich leads the Lions in goals scored this season.

Boys Volleyball: Crespi setter commits

2009-11-06T18:18:48Z

Crespi of Encino setter Daniel Stork has committed to UC Irvine.

Stork is one of the best setters in California and is excited to play for the 2009 NCAA champions.

HS FOOT: Friday football schedule

2009-11-05T23:56:07Z

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
All games tonight

BISHOP AMAT (8-0, 1-0) at CRESPI (4-4, 0-1), 7:30 p.m. - Crespi must shore up its special teams and avoid 15-yard penalties to knock off Serra League rival.

LOYOLA (3-5, 0-1) at NOTRE DAME (7-1, 1-0), 7:30 p.m. - Returning All-America QB Ryan Kasdorf is 18-2 as a starter for defending Serra League champ Notre Dame.

ST. FRANCIS (7-1, 1-0) at ALEMANY (5-3, 1-0), 7:30 p.m. - This should be a close one, so turnovers could be the difference in this Mission League showdown.

SAUGUS (3-5, 2-1) vs.Valencia (8-0, 3-0) at College of Canyons, 7:30 pm - High-scoring Valencia can clinch the Foothill League title with win over the rebuilding Centurions.

SYLMAR (4-4, 2-1) at RESEDA (5-3, 2-1), 7:00 p.m. - Both have hopes of wrestling away Valley Mission title from three-time champion San Fernando.

OTHER GAMES

All games tonight at 7 p.m. unless indicated

ALPHA
Campbell Hall vs. Sierra Canyon at Granada Hills HS, 7:00pm
Kilpatrick vs. Montclair Prep at Pierce College, 7:00pm

DEL REY
Harvard-Westlake at Cathedral, 7:00pm

FOOTHILL
Golden Valley at Canyon, 7:00pm
West Ranch vs. Hart at Valencia, 7:00pm

FRONTIER
Grace Brethren vs. Fillmore at Moorpark College, 7:30pm
Malibu at Santa Paula, 7:30pm

GOLDEN
Littlerock at Knight, 7:00pm
Highland at Lancaster, 7:00pm
Palmdale vs. Eastside at Antelope Valley, 7:00pm
Antelope Valley at Quartz Hill, 7:00pm

MARMONTE
Moorpark at Agoura, 7:00pm
Newbury Park at Calabasas, 7:00pm
Thousand Oaks at Royal, 7:00pm
Westlake at Simi Valley, 7:00pm

MISSION
St. Francis at Alemany, 7:30pm
Chaminade at St. Paul, 7:30pm

PACIFIC
Crescenta Valley at Burroughs, 7:00pm
Hoover vs. Arcadia at Glendale HS, 7:00pm
Glendale at Muir, 7:00pm

PACIFIC VIEW
Camarillo at Hueneme, 7:00pm

PREP
Viewpoint vs. Flintridge Prep at Occidental College, 7:00pm

RIO HONDO
Monrovia at La Canada, 7:00pm

SANTA FE
Bell-Jeff at Salesian, 7:00pm

TRI-VALLEY
Nordhoff at Oak Park, 7:30pm
Oaks Christian at Santa Clara, 7:30pm

Friday, November 6th

EAST VALLEY
Verdugo Hills at Arleta, 2:15pm
North Hollywood at Canoga Park, 7:00pm
Grant at Van Nuys, 7:00pm

NORTHERN
Eagle Rock at Lincoln, 6:00pm

VALLEY MISSION
Kennedy at Panorama, 7:00pm
Monroe at San Fernando, 7:00pm

WEST VALLEY
Granada Hills at Chatsworth, 7:00pm
El Camino Real at Cleveland, 7:00pm

NONLEAGUE
Poly at Bell, 7:00pm
Vasquez at Yucca Valley, 7:00pm

SATURDAY

OLYMPIC
Whittier Christian at Los Angeles Baptist, 1:00pm
Valley Christian vs. Village Christian at Glendale, 7:00pm

HS FOOT: By the numbers

2009-11-05T23:54:15Z

.813 - Combined winning percentage (26-6) of four opponents to beat
Crespi

4 - Consecutive shutouts by Paraclete

26 - Touchdowns scored by St. Genevieve's QB Chris Navarro

27 -- Area single-season sack record held by Mike Carl (Reseda, 1986)

28- Oaks Christian's winning streak

256 - Career wins by Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney, the area's
all-time leader

1,358 -- Rushing yards by Panorama's Malcolm Thomas

HS FOOT: Four Highland players kicked off team

2009-11-05T20:00:13Z

Four Highland players, two of them starters, have been kicked off the team in the aftermath of a Halloween incident Saturday in which an alleged robbery was committed against an adult. The four were arrested and are scheduled to appear Friday in juvenile court.

"It's like Halloween is a night where you can push your limits, but when you're 15 sometimes you don't know what those limits are," Highland coach Randy Block said. "I was told to remove them from the team, and that's what I've done."

-- Gerry Gittelson

HS FOOT: Get ready for high school hoops

2009-11-05T01:35:20Z

For many years, the San Fernando Valley's top two Southern Section
boys' basketball programs, Harvard-Westlake of Studio City and
Campbell Hall of North Hollywood, have wanted to play each other.

It has never happened, even though the campuses are just two miles
apart.

They were always in different playoff divisions, and because
Harvard-Westlake participates in the seven-team Mission League there
were never extra nonleague games after the Wolverines filled their
quota of three tournaments.

But things have changed.

The new Southern Section playoff divisions have been released, and
this season both are in Div. III-A. That means Harvard-Westlake,
which has won nine section titles and two state titles, and Campbell
Hall, which has won five section titles and three state titles, could
meet in the playoffs.

It's something to think about, as the first day of basketball
practice is right around the corner. City Section teams begin Monday,
and Southern Section teams start the following Saturday, Nov. 14. The
City season opens Nov. 23, followed by the Southern Section on Nov.
30.

"I would love to play Campbell Hall. It would be great because
they're right down the street," Harvard-Westlake coach Greg Hilliard
said. "I guess now there's a reasonable chance we could see them in
the playoffs, but that's so far ahead it would be conjecture. But if
the draw worked out, even though it's so far down the line, if we're
both still around, I would love to have that chance to play them."

Both return two of their top players. Damiene Cain and Erik Swoope
are back for Harvard-Westlake, and James Johnson and Austin McBroom
are back for Campbell Hall.

Some of the area's other elite returnees are Bryce Jones and De'Andre
Daniels from Taft of Woodland Hills, Lonnie Jackson of Valencia and
Alex Tiffin of Thousand Oaks.

-- Gerry Gittelson

HS FOOT: Call him the Canyon kid

2009-11-05T01:34:02Z

Canyon's football team is having a tough year, but the Cowboys
(0-8) have one of the area's top young receivers in freshman Drew
Wolitarsky, who had five receptions for 121 yards last week in a
Foothill League loss to West Ranch of Stevenson Ranch.

Wolitarsky, a 6-foot-1, 185-pounder, has 35 catches for 649 yards, an
18.5 average, and five touchdowns.

Another Foothill League freshman making a football impact is
defensive back Tedric Thompson, who has worked his way into the
starting lineup for first-place Valencia (8-0).

-- Gerry Gittelson

HS FOOT: Chaminade DB is true blue

2009-11-05T01:33:06Z

Greg Seidenglanz, a senior football player at Chaminade of West
Hills, should be called Greg "Blue Shoes" Seindenglanz because of his
one-of-a-kind, shiny blue cleats.

"They are a little bright," coach Ed Croson said.\

-- Gerry Gittelson

HS FOOT: Now you can check out highlights on net

2009-11-05T01:31:51Z

In today's world, if you never get a chance to see some of the
area's top athletes in person or on TV, you can do so by pushing a
button. I did a quick check on YouTube and found online video of
football player Malcolm Jones from Oaks Christian, basketball player
Bryce Jones from Taft and baseball player Ryon Healy from Crespi of
Encino.

-- Gerry Gittelson

HS FOOT: St. Francis still going retro

2009-11-05T01:30:49Z

-- St. Francis of La Canada has unique football uniforms because of
the cloth retro numbers, a nod towards the school's proud past that
included a Southern Section championship in 1964.

"The old-fashioned numbers, it's been that way for a long time,"
coach Jim Bonds said. "We've always liked them, so we've kept them.
It's pretty cool, but our uniform supplier doesn't like them because
he has a hard time tracking down those retro numbers because nobody
uses them anymore."

In other St. Francis football news, star multipurpose back Dietrich
Riley said he's feeling better after missing one game because of a
hamstring injury, but Bonds said Riley remains doubtful for a Mission
League showdown Friday between the visiting Golden Knights (7-1, 1-0)
and Alemany of Mission Hills (5-3, 1-0).

"Dietrich's status has not changed, and he is not practicing," Bonds
said. "I'm a little skeptical. Yes, he's feeling better but for a guy
whose game is speed, I would hate to put him out there without his
hamstring being 100 percent. It might have long-term effects. So it's
day to day right now, and it will be a game-time decision."

-- Gerry Gittelson