January 2010 Archives

National signing day is Wednesday!
If you have a player who is signing a letter-of-intent during this upcoming period, please send the information, any stats and a contact number to dave.werstine@presstelegram.com

Athletes of the Week
Boys
Nick Pena, Sr., Millikan
Pena won the title in the 152-pound class and led the Rams to first place at the Arroyo Tournament over the weekend. He is now 34-2 with 30 of those wins via pins, and is five pins shy of the school record of 96.

Girls
Chidiogo Ofoegbu, Sr., Mayfair
The Monsoons' double-double machine recorded 23 points and 14 rebounds in a 70-53 win over Cerritos in a battle for first place in the Suburban League on Friday. The following day, Ofoegbu racked her 19th double-double of the season, with 19 points and 18 rebounds, in a 63-50 loss to Rosary.

After losing a pair of receivers to Fresno State recently, Cal was in big need for a playmaker on the outside, so the Bears brought in Poly speedster Kaelin Clay over the weekend.

Clay jumped at Cal's offer.

"I had a great time on the visit and when they decided to offer me a scholarship, I basically committed almost on the spot. I told myself before the visit that if Cal offered and I was comfortable there, I would go ahead and jump on it and that's what happened. I talked with Coach (Jeff) Tedford and he's a real good guy. They have some big plans for me and I'm excited to be a Bear," Clay said in an ESPN report.

Clay caught 24 balls for 459 yards and four TDs, and he also ran for 548 yards and six more TDs this season.

Basketball Standings
Boys
Moore League
                    League Overall
Poly             5-0         16-3
Compton       5-1          10-10
Lakewood     3-3          11-8
Jordan          3-3          10-9
Cabrillo         2-3          12-5
Millikan        2-4          10-10
Wilson         0-6           9-10

San Gabriel Valley League
Lynwood       4-0        14-6
Gahr             3-1        17-3
Paramount    2-2        12-8
Downey        2-2        9-11
Dominguez   1-3        4-11
Warren         0-4       10-11

Suburban League
Mayfair        6-0        13-7
Cerritos       4-2        13-8
Artesia        4-2         9-10
Norwalk       3-3        10-11
La Mirada    3-3         9-12
Bellflower     0-5        9-10
Glenn          0-5        1-13

Others
St. Anthony       3-0   14-3
Valley Christian 1-3   11-9
Centennial         2-0  12-5
St. John Bosco  1-2   9-5
Calvary Chapel   2-3  5-15
Los Alamitos     4-1  15-6
Whitney            2-3   13-6
Avalon              0-4    5-9
CAMS              0-3  4-14

Girls
Moore League
Poly            5-0   15-2
Jordan         5-1   15-6
Millikan       4-2    11-8
Wilson        3-3    9-11
Cabrillo       1-2    7-8
Lakewood    0-5   4-15
Compton     0-4    2-12

San Gabriel Valley League
Lynwood     4-0    11-5
Warren       3-1    17-4
Downey      3-1     9-11
Gahr           1-3    10-9
Paramount   0-3    4-11
Dominguez   0-3    0-7

Suburban League
Mayfair        6-0   11-9
Cerritos       4-1   12-7
Glenn          3-1   10-4
Bellflower     3-2   5-14
Norwalk       2-4   10-10
La Mirada    1-5    4-13
Artesia         0-6   3-14

Others
St. Anthony       2-1  12-8
Valley Christian 2-1  15-4
Centennial        2-1   12-4
St. Joseph        0-2   9-12
Calvary Chapel  0-4   2-18
Los Alamitos    2-4    8-11
Whitney           2-3    6-13
Avalon              3-0    9-6
St. Matthias      1-1    6-7
CAMS               1-2   5-5
* - Records as of Jan. 24

Gahr High senior wide receiver Shaan Johnson has committed to Utah State, according to Gladiators offensive coordinator Jon Nielsen. Johnson caught 76 passes for 1,451 yards (19.09 per catch average) and 14 TDs last season.

With signing day approaching in February, let us know where you or your players are signing. Send the info to dave.werstine@presstelegram.com

Jordan High will play host to the second Martin Luther King Jr./Dr. Floyd
Massey Jr.. Boys Basketball Classic on Monday.

Things get under way at noon, with the JV teams from Compton and Centennial,
followed by the JV squads from Jordan and Serra at 1:30 p.m.

The Compton and Centennial varsity teams tip off 3 p.m. and Jordan and Serra varsity
teams square off at 4:30 p.m.

Press-Telelgram Top 10s
Boys Basketball
1. Poly 
2. Centennial
3. Gahr
4. Los Alamitos
5. Jordan
6. Compton
7. St. Anthony
8. Millikan
9. Cabrillo
10. Cerritos

Girls Basketball
1. Poly
2. Jordan
3. Centennial
4. Lynwood
5. Warren
6. Millikan
7. Valley Christian
8. St. Paul
9. Wilson
10. St. Anthony

Boys Soccer
1. Millikan
2. La Mirada
3. Paramount
4. St. John Bosco
5. Cabrillo
6. Artesia
7. Los Alamitos
8. Jordan
9. Norwalk
10. Lynwood

Girls Soccer
1. Wilson
2. Los Alamitos
3. Poly
4. Lakewood
5. St. Joseph
6. Downey
7. Mayfair
8. La Mirada
9. Valley Christian
10. CAMS

Wrestling
1. Downey
2. Millikan
3. Los Alamitos
4. St. John Bosco
5. Lakewood
6. Warren
7. Paramount
8. Norwalk
9. La Mirada
10. Wilson

Athletes of the Week
Boys
Allan Guei, Jr., Compton
The fleet-footed guard led the Tarbabes to a pair of wins as the Moore League boys basketball season opened up last week. He dropped 16 points in a 75-52 victory over Wilson, then added 18 in a 70-53 win against Cabrillo.

Girls
Ivana Castro, So. Warren
Castro had a hat trick or better in leading the Bears' water polo team to a fifth-place finish at the Western Tournament. She racked up eight goals against Torrance, three against Ayala in Warren's only setback at the tournament, seven against La Salle and five more against El Segundo.

If you would like to nominate an AOW, send the information to dave.werstine@presstelegram.com

According to sources, the new coach is expected to be former Brave Jason Negro, who has turned Trabuco Hills into a perennial winner over his seven years in charge of the program.

And coming with him likely will be another ex-Brave, his brother, Jake.

When contacted Monday, Negro did confirm he had talked with St. John Bosco officials, but said any deal was not yet complete.

"At this point, I can't really say anything," Negro said. "I have had conversations with them, but nothing is official. Hopefully, something will happen in the next couple of days or next week."

Negro graduated 1991 from St. John Bosco, where he lettered in both football and baseball, before going on to Santa Ana College, Cal State Dominguez Hills. He returned to SJB to begin his teaching and coaching career. He coached defensive backs and linebackers and held the position of defensive coordinator for two years under Mendoza.

After a three-year stint with the Braves, he found a home at Trabuco Hills, where he was an assistant two years before being named head coach in 2003. The Mustangs were 2-8 in Negro's first season, but they won two of the past three Sea View League championships, going 12-2 in 2009 and 2007. Since moving to the Sea View League in 2006, Trabuco Hills is 40-14. All told, Negro's coaching record is 52-33.

Leading the Braves to success in the Trinity League - arguably the toughest league in the state - will be a tough task, as Mendoza can attest. The Braves have won just six league games over four years and haven't made the playoffs since 2004.

Mendoza, an SJB grad himself, coached at the school for 20 years, including the last 12 as head coach. His overall record is just over .500.

The boys basketball teams from Millikan and Lakewood will not play Monday as scheduled, but have moved the meeting to Jan. 18. Tip-offs are the same.

Longtime St. John Bosco High football coach Kiki Mendoza was fired from the position earlier this week.

Mendoza confirmed the news just now, but didn't want to give any details, saying only that he is "trying to mend a broken heart."

Mendoza, an SJB grad, has coached at the school for 20 years, including the last 12 as head coach.

SJB athletic director Monty McDermott has not yet returned a call, so we don't know why the firing happened or who will take over just yet.

It's my opinion that Mendoza was a total class act. He had arguably the toughest job in the area, facing Trinity League foes like Mater Dei, Servite, etc. every week.

Wrestling
Team Top 10
1. Downey
2. Los Alamitos
3. Millikan
4. Lakewood
5. St. John Bosco
6. Warren
7. Paramount
8. Wilson
9. La Mirada
10. Mayfair

Individual Top-10
Damien Gomez   (103) Warren
Anthony Leonard (103) Los Alamitos
Ivan Garibay        (119) Downey
Bradford Gerl       (125) Calvary Chapel Downey
Jacob Barberena  (125) Downey
Kimo Napohaku   (130) Lakewood
Nick Pena           (152) Millikan
Brandon McDonald (171) Downey
Evan Vilander       (171) St. John Bosco
Joel Palafox         (285) St. John Bosco

Athletes of the Week
Boys
Damien Gomez, Sr., Warren
The 103-pound grappler claimed the title at the Mann Tournament last week. He defeated top-seeded Anthony Leonard of Los Alamitos in the championship round, running his unbeaten streak to 31-0 - 23 pins - on the season.

Girls
Jazlyn Fuller, Sr., Centennial
The high-scoring guard racked up a game-high 21 points to lead the Apaches to a 58-29 win over Antelope Valley in the championship game at the Gahr Winter Tournament. The day before, she netted 19 points in a come-from behind win over Jordan.

If you would like to nominate an AOW, send the information to dave.werstine@presstelegram.com