High Schools: May 2009 Archives

DIV. II

Redlands East Valley (23-6) at Crespi (19-11), 3:15 p.m.

DIV. III

No. 4 Lancaster (21-7) at No. 1 Beckman (25-4), 3:15 p.m.

DIV. VII

Rolling Hills Prep (19-3) at No. 1 Camarillo Cornerstone Christian (20-0), 3:15 p.m.

Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies of Reseda recorded a 3-1 victory Tuesday over Elizabeth Learning Center in the City Section Div. III baseball semifinals, earning a berth in the inaugural Div. III title game at 4 p.m. Friday at USC's Dedeaux Field.

SOCES (18-2), the No. 2 seed, will take on fifth-seeded Maywood (13-14), a 7-2 upset winner over No. 1 Community Harvest Charter.

DIV. II

Crespi (18-11) at Damien (21-8)

DIV. III

Downey (23-6) at No. 4 Lancaster (20-7)

DIV. V

Campbell Hall (18-7) at No. 3 Maranatha (23-5)
Paraclete (16-11) at Tahquitz (18-8)

DIV. VI

No. 4 Vasquez (24-3) at Oxford Academy (19-5)

DIV. VII

Thacher (10-9) at No. 1 Camarillo Cornerstone Christian (19-0)
Rolling Hills Prep (18-3) at No. 4 Faith Baptist (15-6)

DIV. I
Wild card, today
Brea Olinda at Moorpark
Oxnard at Saugus
Vista Murrieta at Newbury Park
Hart at Camarillo
First round, Friday
Brea Olinda/Moorpark at No. 1 Norco
Oxnard/Saugus at Mater Dei
El Dorado at West Ranch
Dana Hills at Rio Mesa
Santiago/Temescal Canyon at No. 4 Simi Valley
Vista Murrieta/Newbury Park at Valencia
Villa Park at Royal
Hart/Camarillo at No. 2 Jserra
DIV. II
Wild card, today
Bellflower at Burbank
Alemany at Vista del Lago
Chino Hills at Burroughs
St. Francis at Buena
Crescenta Valley at Righetti
First round, Thursday
Bellflower/Burbank at Pacifica/GG
Paso Robles/Alta Loma at Crespi
Alemany/Vista del Lago at Dos Pueblos
Rialto/La Sierra at No. 3 Notre Dame
Chino Hills/Burroughs at La Mirada
St. Francis/Buena at Cypress
Crescenta Valley/Righetti at No. 2 Yucaipa
DIV. III
Wild card, today
Montebello at Palmdale
Knight at Santa Monica
Eastside at Pacific
First round, Friday
Montebello/Palmdale at Nogales
Laguna Hills/Wilson at No. 4 Lancaster
Knight/Santa Monica at No. 3 San Gorgonio
Quartz Hill at South Hills
Eastside/Pacific at No. 2 Bonita
DIV. IV
Wild card, today
Bishop Montgomery at Oak Park
La Canada at South Torrance
First round, Thursday
Bishop Montgomery/Oak Park at Palm Desert
La Canada/South Torrance at Anaheim
Oaks Christian at St. Paul
DIV. V
Wild card, today
Lompoc at Montclair Prep
L.A. Baptist at Paraclete
First round, Friday
Lompoc/Montclair Prep at No. 4 Woodcrest Christian
Big Bear/Heritage at Campbell Hall
L.A. Baptist/Paraclete at Western Christian
DIV. VI
Wild card, today
La Verne Lutheran at Oakwood
La Sierra Academy at Bell-Jeff
Flintridge Prep at Kern Valley
Sierra Canyon at Grace Brethren
First round, Thursday
La Verne Lutheran/Oakwood at No. 1 Bloomington Christian
Bishop at Desert Christian/L
Buckley at Salesian
Hesperia Christian/Redlands Adventist at No. 4 Vasquez
La Sierra Academy/Bell-Jeff at No. 3 Windward
Baptist Christian at Viewpoint
Flintridge Prep/Kern Valley at Nordhoff
Sierra Canyon/Grace Brethren at Pasadena Poly
DIV. VII
First round, Friday
Lennox Academy/Pacific Lutheran at No. 1 Cornerstone Christian/C
Hillcrest Christian/GH at Immanuel Christian
Lee Vining at Delphi Academy
Valley Torah at No. 3 North County Christian
Shalhevet at No. 4 Faith Baptist
Newbury Park Adventist at Pacifica Christian

Schedule for Monday May 18

Baseball:

City Section play-in games, 3 p.m.

Kennedy at Taft
Marshall at San Fernando

Softball:

City Section, 2:30 p.m.

Chatsworth at El Camino Real
Banning at Kennedy
Carson at Granada Hills

The City Section is hard at work trying to come out with new leagues for a four year cycle starting with the 201-2011 season.

But right now the West Valley League is absolutely dominating across the board.

Just this spring the boys volleyball playoffs have three of the four remaining teams in Taft, Granada Hills and El Camino Real.

Same story in softball with El Camino Real, Granada Hills and Chatsworth.

Back in March, Taft and Cleveland made the semifinals in boys basketball with Taft barely losing to juggernaut Westchester.

Chatsworth, Taft and El Camino Real made the semifinals in girls basketball. Chatsworth beat Taft in the final.

The league is far and away above the rest in the City Section.

Former Valencia standout Casey Mulligan was a top infielder and catcher in high school and was best known for his hitting, earning All-Daily News honors in 2006 as a catcher who hit .407 with six home runs while pitching a total of nine innings.

But Mulligan is really catching on as a relief pitcher in the minor leagues at Single-A Quad Cities. The 21-year-old right-hander is 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA and seven saves with 23 strikeouts and just two walks in 11 innings -- which means he is developing into one of the country's brightest young prospects as a closer.

-- Gerry Gittelson

After hitting 10 home runs as a highly-touted freshman a year ago, Valencia's Christian Lopes is having an All-Amercian type season.

He went 5 for 5 with two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs Friday in a 22-6 victory over West Ranch to push the Vikings into first-place in the Foothill League with two games remaining and giving Lopes 13 home runs, four over the past three games.

Less than halfway through his career, Lopes already has tied Jared Clark's school career record of 23 -- and it would not be a total surprise if Lopes eventually doubles Clark's mark before the young shortstop is finished.

This season, Lopes, a leadoff hitter, is batting .427 with 36 runs and 28 RBIs in 24 games, and his slugging percentage is an out-of-sight 1.200 -- all the more impressive considering Valencia has played one of the area's toughest schedules. He has been walked 24 times.

Furthermore, Lopes again has turned it on toward the end of the season. He has eight home runs over the past 11 games after hitting eight over the final 12 as a freshman.

Of course, none of this is a surprise. As a 13-year-old, Lopes was rated as the No. 1 player in the United States in his age group. He entered high school as perhaps the Valley area's most hyped freshman of all-time.

-- Gerry Gittelson