March 2010 Archives

Track teams from the Inland Valley have produced some of the top times in the state, including three girls' 1600-meter relay teams in California's top 10. Etiwanda's time of 3:52.63 is third while Colony sits in fifth and Los Osos in eighth. Los Osos and Etiwanda are seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 400-meter relay.

Of the boys, Los Osos' Jaylan Mabry has run the second-best 200 meters (21.51 seconds) and the fourth-best 100 meters (10.83) in the state. The Los Osos boys' time of 1:29.43 in the 800-meter relay is good for fourth in the state and their 400-meter relay mark of 42.07 is eighth.

Here is a link to the state's top times updated through Monday.

Aaron Hale of Upland has high-jumped 6-feet, 8-inches, the third highest in the state and Rancho Cucamonga's Laijon White ran the 400 meters in 48.82, good for fifth. Claremont's Kori Carter, the defending state champion in both hurdling events, has the second best time in the 300 hurdles (43.94) and fifth-best in the 100 hurdles (14.18). Etiwanda's Vanessa Jones has the fifth-best time (55.68) in the 400 meters.

Tyler Singleton pleaded no contest on Tuesday to charges of statutory rape, part of a plea bargain that carries a jail sentence of six months to a year. Claremont's three-year starting running back will be sentenced on May 5 for allegedly having sex with 14- and 15-year old girls in January.

Here is a link to the story on DailyBulletin.com.

Here are the locals who were voted all-CIF:

DIVISION 1AA
Etiwanda's Dave Kleckner was voted co-coach of the year along with Mater Dei's Gary McKnight.
First team
Byron Wesley, Etiwanda, Jr.
Kendall Williams, Los Osos, Sr.
John Gilliam, Upland, Jr.
Second team
Jordan Daniels, Etiwanda, Jr.
Khalil Kelly, Los Osos, Sr.
Christopher Powell, Upland, Sr.

DIVISION 1A
First team
Derek Brown, Chino Hills, Sr.
Evan Brooks, Colony, Sr.
Second team
Julian Caldwell, Colony, Sr.
Justin Long, Rancho Cucamonga, Sr.

DIVISION 2AA
First team
J.J. O'Brien, Alta Loma, Sr.
Kenneth Morgan, Summit, Sr.

DIVISON 2A
Eisenhower seniors Alex Varner and Kirby Gardner were voted co-players of the year while Eisenhower coach Steve Johnson was voted co-coach of the year along with Marc Hart of Baldwin Park.
First team
Chris Adams, Damien, Sr.
Chris Reyes, Damien, So.
Second team
Bryan Bock, Eisenhower, Sr.

Here are the locals who were voted all-CIF:

DIVISION 1AA
First team
Teonna Campbell, Colony, Sr.
Jada Blackwell, Etiwanda, Jr.
Second Team
Jasmine Bernard, Etiwanda, Sr.
Janae Sharpe, Rialto, Jr.

DIVISION 1A
First team
Jillian Alleyne, Ayala, So.
Krishawn Tillett, Ayala, Sr.
Briana Baker, Rancho Cucamonga, Jr.
Ana Brodie, Summit, So.
Adrienne Thomas, Summit, Sr.
Second team
Ariel Marsh, Ayala, Sr.
Ericka Norman, Chino Hills, Sr.
Casey Zinn, Chino Hills, Jr.
Erica Evans, Rancho Cucamonga, So.
Ashley Weissman, Summit, So.

Three days after he was fired, Kenny Donavon was re-hired as the Ayala High School boys basketball coach on Friday.

At a Tuesday meeting called by Donavon to review his first season as the varsity head coach -- the Bulldogs finished 17-12, third in the Sierra League and reached the second round of the playoffs -- Ayala first-year principal Diana Yarboi fired Donavon much to the surprise of the coach and athletic director Steve Martin, who had not been consulted about the decision.

Yarboi, who could not be reached for comment, offered Donavon his job back on Friday.

"She told me she made a mistake," Martin said. "She's a principal in her first year and I think she was trying to placate as many parents as she could. I think she's discovering, in athletics you can't placate everybody."

Southern California quarterback camps are no longer exclusive to Steve Clarkson and Bob Johnson.

Colony head football coach Matt Bechtel, Corona Santiago head coach Jeff Steinberg and former Baylor University and Alabama State quarterback coach Ben Noonan are hosting a quarterback camp Saturday and Sunday at Kaiser High School that has attracted talent from across the Inland Empire.

"It's the only one of its kind in this area," said Bechtel, who played quarterback at the University of San Diego. "What Steve Clarkson and Bob Johnson do, that's the caliber of training you're going to get at this camp."

Ayala High School boys basketball coach Kenny Donavon was fired on Tuesday by principal Diana Yarboi after one season as the varsity head coach. After his promotion last year by then principal Mike Vaughn following several seasons as the junior varsity coach, Donavon led the Bulldogs to a 17-12 record, third place in the Sierra League and a first-round playoff victory.

In a meeting ostensibly for evaluation on Tuesday, Yarboi informed a surprised Donavon and athletic director Steve Martin the school wanted to "go in a different direction."

"I'm a little perplexed myself," Donavan said. "When I asked (Yarboi) why, she just repeated that they wanted to go in a different direction. It was a short meeting."

Yarboi, in her first year as the Ayala principal, could not be reached for comment.

The local soccer players who were selected to the All-CIF teams:

BOYS
DIVISION 1
first team
Lee Nishanian, Sr., Los Osos, M
third team
Dane Johnson, Jr., Los Osos, D
DIVISION 2
first team
Marco Franco, Sr., Chino Hills, M/D
second team
Tarek Morad, Sr., Chino Hills, M/D
third team
Jacob Chavers, Sr., Chino Hills, M

DIVISION 3
first team
Saul Diaz, Sr., Garey, D
Daniel Nunez, Sr., Ontario, F
second team
Victor Cervantes, Sr., Garey, M
Jorge Virgen, Sr., Ontario, F
third team
Uriel Lopez, Sr., Kaiser, M
David Perez, So., Ontario, M
Bryan Rivera, Sr., Garey, F

BOYS BASKETBALL
MVP
Courtland Wharton, Sr., Aquinas
Coach of the Year
Jeff Wheeler, Western Christian

first team
Gerald Amene, Jr., Aquinas
Shaquille Gilbert, Jr., Aquinas
Courtland Wharton, Sr., Aquinas
Andrew Hyde, Jr., Western Christian
Gabe Perez, Sr., Western Christian
Sammy Santillano, Sr., Western Christian
Aaron Sanchez, Sr., Ontario Christian

Chino softball, fresh of a CIF semifinal appearance last year, is going for its first tournament championship in its three years under coach Mike Smith on Saturday in the Jurupa Valley Tournament, played at Big League Dreams in Mira Loma.
Chino downed Los Osos in the semifinals Thursday, while Corona Santiago outlasted Upland 1-0 in nine innings.
Upland and Los Osos played Friday in a Baseline League game (won by Upland 4-0) and will play again Saturday for third place at 4:30 p.m.
Chino will face off against Corona Santiago at 6:30 p.m. in the championship game. Smith said he knows Santiago coach John Perez very well and many of the Santiago players play for Smith's travel team. It should be interesting.

BOYS BASKETBALL
CIF State Division V Southern California Regonal Final
La Verne Lutheran vs. Los Angeles Windward
Saturday, 3 p.m. at Colony High School

The La Verne Lutheran boys basketball team has played at Colony High School enough to practically know every contour of the rims. The Trojans' opponent Saturday in a game determining who will play for the CIF Division V State championship in Bakersfield next week can almost say the same, it just doesn't have the evidence to prove it.

The last time it played La Verne Lutheran, defending state champion Los Angeles Windward could only watch as Bruce English's last-second jumper took the scenic route around the Colony High School rim before dropping in to give the Trojans a vengeful 62-61 victory 15 days ago in a CIF championship-game rematch from the year before.

When No. 2 seed La Verne Lutheran and fourth-seeded Windward meet at Colony High School for the third time in 13 months, the stakes will be higher than ever in this fast-developing rivalry.

BOYS BASKETBALL
MVP
Derek Brown, Chino Hills, Senior

first team
Michael Rodriguez, Chino Hills, Senior
Chris Collins, Chino Hills, Senior
Ian Corella, Chino Hills, Senior
Calvin Smith, Glendora, Senior
Kacy Barlow, Diamond Bar, Senior
William Hougan, Ayala, Senior
Chris Adams, Damien, Senior
Chris Reyes, Damien, Sophomore

BOYS SOCCER
Offensive MVP
Jeremy Bishop, Sophomore, Glendora
Defensive MVP
Marco Franco, Senior, Chino Hills

first team
Austin Vizcaino, Senior, Ayala
Tim Baker, Senior, Ayala
Bryce Chamberlain, Senior, Chino Hills
Robert Sanchez, Senior, Chino
Tarek Morad, Senior, Chino Hills
Jacob Chavers, Senior, Chino Hills
Matt Jean, Senior, Diamond Bar
Adam Camacho, Junior, Diamond Bar
Ozzie Alonzo, Senior, Diamond Bar
Suraj Pathak, Senior, Diamond Bar

With all the new alignments for Inland Valley leagues that begin next year, it's interesting to see how those new leagues will be placed in the new CIF divisions, which were released this week.

In wrestling, the Sierra League will be a bit stronger with the addition of South Hills, but bumping up that league from D3 to D1 in Dual meet wrestling seems a bit far-fetched. The Baseline (D2), Mt. Baldy (D3) and Citrus Belt (D4) all stayed in the same dual-meet divisions, while the Sunkist moved up from D6 to D5 aand the Valle Vista dropped from D1 to D2. The new Hacienda League, featuring not a single school that I would consider a wrestling power (including Inland Valley schools Bonita, Diamond Bar and Diamond Ranch) has been placed in D4.

For individual wrestling divisions, the Mt. Baldy League can at least be happy it won't be going to Oxnard again, where it has had to go for the last 4 years, I believe. The Mt. Baldy and Baseline will be in the same division. Those schools will be in the same division as Perris Citrus Hill, which hosted CIF the last couple of years that the Sierra league was at. The Sierra League is in a division with no other area leagues and could be going to Santa Ana Godinez, which hosted CIF this year. The new Hacienda League is placed in a division that includes the Sunkist League and the Valle Vista League (which includes powerful Covina Northview). The Citrus Belt League is in a division by itself among area leagues, again.

Those looking for some high quality basketball locally can catch any of four CIF State tournament basketball games at Colony High School on Saturday. The boys and girls Division IV and V Southern California Regional finals will be hosted by Colony, beginning with the girls Division V final at 1 p.m.

Here is the schedule:
1 p.m - Girls Division V final: Long Beach St. Anthony vs. Van Nuys Montclair Prep
3 p.m. - Boys Division V final: La Verne Lutheran vs. Los Angeles Windward
5 p.m. - Girls Division IV final: North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake vs. Torrance Bishop Montgomery
7 p.m. - Boys Division V final: Los Angeles Price vs. San Diego Parker

MVPs
Kenneth Morgan, Sr., Summit
Dorian Cason, Jr., Summit

first team
Cameron Lewis, Jr., Summit
Montigo Alford, Jr., Summit
Quinton Lilley, Jr., Summit
Arian Ochoa, Sr., Jurupa Valley
Peter Parks, Jr., Jurupa Valley
Steve Nava, Sr., Kaiser
David Wedge, Sr., Kaiser

It's probably safe to say the stakes were just lowered for the Baseline League. With the football playoff realignment landing it back in the stacked Inland Division beginning next season, the Baseline League likely won't be fighting amongst itself for CIF championships anymore. I'm not sure we need anymore evidence than the league's ONE collective post season victory while it was in the Inland Division from 2006-2007.

If the Baseline League has truly improved during the two years it ruled the Central Division, its members can hope to garner more respect from those football powers farther south along Hwy 15 (something it couldn't do locked in the Central Division with largely inferior leagues). But as far as championships go, the Baseline League shouldn't get its hopes up.

Its dominance in the Central Division was truly remarkable, while it lasted.

DIVISION 3
Player of the Year
Emily Donohoe, Jr., St. Lucy's

Coach of the Year
Ty Hudson, Corona Santiago

first team
Celena Photopulos, Sr., Corona Santiago
Megan Rowland, So., Corona Santiago
Julia Kirkland, So., Corona Santiago
Jillian Yocum, Jr., Riverside Poly
Sarah Lizotte, Sr., Riverside Poly
Cambria Shockley, So., St. Lucy's
Dallon Courter, Sr., St. Lucy's

Inland Division (no at-large entries)
Baseline
Big VIII (4 entries)
Citrus Belt
Sierra
Southwestern
Notes: The Baseline League essentially had four entries for the two seasons it was in the Inland Division, claiming the lone at-large berth each year. Last year the at-large team, Upland, won the entire division. In an Inland Division where it produced one collective playoff victory in its last two seasons there, life is going to be different for a Baseline League that produced six of the last eight semifinalists in the Central Division.

Central Division (no at-large entries)
Mt. Baldy (4 entries)
Desert Valley
Inland Valley (4 entries)
San Andreas (4 entries)
Notes: Colony won this division two years in a row before the arrival of the Baseline and Sierra Leagues two seasons ago. New coach Matt Bechtel, formerly Los Osos High's offensive coordinator, likely won't be disappointed he doesn't have to face his old league foes in the playoffs.

MVP
Alex Varner, Eisenhower, G, Sr.

first team
Bryan Bock, Eisenhower, Sr.
Kirby Gardner, Eisenhower, Sr.
Bernard Ireland, Eisenhower, Jr.
Darius Batts, Miller, Sr.
Marcus Davis, Redlands, Sr.
Matt Green, Redlands, Sr.
Paulin Mpawe, Redlands East Valley, Jr.
Terrell Todd, Redlands East Valley, Jr.
Jonathan Redman, Rialto, Sr.
Cole Hauso, Yucaipa, Sr.
Taijuan Walker, Yucaipa, Sr.

MVP
Chelsea Lesniak, Bloomington, GK, Sr.
Coach of the Year
Rosa Quiroz, Bloomington

first team
Katherine Bathgate, Bloomington, F, Sr.
Jennifer Espinoso, Bloomington, F, Sr.
Jasmine Medina, Bloomington, D, Jr.
Tanya Velasquez, Bloomington, MF, Jr.
Clarissa Contreras, Jurupa Valley, MF, Jr.
Becky Finn, Jurupa Valley, D, Sr.
Silvia Sanchez, Jurupa Valley, MF, Sr.
Francesca Escobedo, Kaiser, D, Jr.
Emma Martinez, Kaiser, MF, Sr.
Priscilla Martinez, Kaiser, D, Sr.

BOYS BASKETBALL
semifinals
Division I
Mater Dei 75, Taft 73
Westchester 67, Long Beach Poly 53
Division II
Compton 64, Eisenhower 61
San Diego Lincoln 81, Pasadena 45
Division III
Gardena Serra 50, Ocean View 45
Compton Centennial 83, Gahr 77
Division IV
Price 59, Pacific Hills 50
San Diego Parker 77, San Diego Horizon 65
Division V
WIndward 78, El Cajon Foothills Christian 73 (OT)
La Verne Lutheran 67, S.D. Maranatha Christian 50

GIRLS BASKETBALL
semifinals
Division I
Long Beach Poly 80, Summit 53
Fresno Clovis West 61, Santa Monica 57

If the Etiwanda High School boys basketball team can lose eight of its top nine players and come within three points of defeating the top-ranked team in the state for the CIF championship, imagine what it can do when it returns five of its top seven players next season.

Granted, the Eagles got a boost, to put it lightly, when Byron Wesley moved into their school zone prior to this year. The 6-foot-5 junior committed to USC may have been the best player in San Bernardino County this season. Coming back from the team that nearly topped Mater Dei and lost a heart-breaking CIF State semifinal by three to Long Beach Poly on Thursday are three starters and the first two players off the bench.

One of those returning starters alongside Wesley is point guard Jordan Daniels, who if he were five inches taller would be raking in the scholarship offers. The lightning quick 5-foot-9 junior may play some college basketball yet the way he is progressing. He is a pass-first point guard who has great range and is a defensive whiz. The other returning starter is junior post man Tyler La Cour, who seemed to find his stride near the end of the season.

Perhaps moving into the starting lineup will be 6-foot-3 guards Evan Jenkins and/or Troy Fiawoo, both of whom have adopted Etiwanda's devotion to defense. Fiawoo is a capable 3-point shooter and Jenkins is a hard-nosed player capable of getting to the rim with regularity, the combination of which may make the Eagles more dangerous next year without losing anything defsnsively. Replacing seniors Zach Smith and Aaron Crockett will be no small task, seeing as both played vital roles as starters this season. Crockett was a fierce rebounder and capable of scoring in bunches with his smooth jumper, though his number wasn't called often on the offensive end. Smith was plain and simply the Eagles' defensive stopper, a role essential to this team built around defense.

La Verne Lutheran led 29-22 at halftime, saw that whittled down to one point, but has it up to a 46-38 lead at the end of the third against San Diego Maranatha Christian.
Lutheran has a size and athleticism advantage, but Maranatha shoots free throws very well and doesn't turn the ball over much.

BOYS SOCCER
Coach of the Year:
Gerard Solarzano, Los Osos; Antonio Garcia-Bautista, Rancho Cucamonga
MVP
Lee Nishanian, Los Osos, Sr., MF

first team
Jacob Davies Alta Loma, Sr., D
Cameron Sonzena, Alta Loma, Jr., D
Ryan Conner, Claremont, Sr., D
Tim Christenson, Claremont, Sr., F
Leo Rendon, Etiwanda, Sr., F
Andrew Rios Flores, Etiwanda, Sr., MF
Corey Shostetter, Los Osos, Sr., F
Kameron Dunn, Los Osos, Sr., F
Dane Johnson, Los Osos, Jr., D

Damien High School will hold ceremonies Saturday afternoon to dedicated its remodeled baseball stadium after athletic director Thomas Carroll, who has been at the school for 38 years.

"It's quite an honor for us to recognize the efforts and contributions of Thom Carroll for all this years," said Al Leyva, the Spartans' baseball coach. "We expect many former players, not just baseball players, and alumni at the dedication."

Damien's baseball complex has been upgraded over the past year, and now includes a new scoreboard and stadium seating the school purchased from Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Co-MVPs:
Byron Wesley, Etiwanda, Jr.; John Gilliam, Upland, Jr.

first team
J.J. O'Brien, Alta Loma, Sr.
Donovan Poole, Alta Loma, Sr.
Jordan Daniels, Etiwanda, Jr.
Kendall Williams, Los Osos, Sr.
Khail Kelley, Los Osos, Sr.
Justin Long, Rancho Cucamonga, Sr.
Chris Powell, Upland, Sr.

The charges against Claremont High School senior running back Tyler Singleton were brought in court on Wednesday for two incidents involving 14- and 15-year old female classmates. Singleton, 18, was charged with two counts of statutory rape - one a felony and one a misdemeanor - that combined carry a potential prison sentence of three and a half years.

The Wolfpack's three-year starting running back, however, wasn't charged with forceful rape, which the 14-year-old alleged victim said happened last month at Cahuilla Park. Singleton admitted to having sex with her but said it was consensual. Here is a link to the story on DailyBulletin.com.

Etiwanda boys basketball coach Dave Kleckner left the Honda Center dejected after Saturday night's loss to Mater Dei in the Division 1AA championship game, but it only got worse once he arrived home.

Watching the Fox Sports Prime Ticket replay of the 68-65 loss to the top-ranked team in the state later Saturday night, Kleckner and the Etiwanda assistant coaches saw a slow-motion replay as Etiwanda's Evan Jenkins attempted a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. The junior was obviously raked across the arms by Mater Dei's Eli Stalzer, but no foul was called.

"I didn't think it was that obvious and that bad of a call at the time," Kleckner said. "But it looked like much more of a foul on the replay."

Saturday night, however, wasn't the most upset the Etiwanda coach has felt exiting the Honda Center.

The hoops for hope charity basketball event in February put on by Los Osos High School has raised nearly $19,000 to be donated to City of Hope and San Antonio Community Hospital for cancer reasearch.

Inspired by Los Osos boys basketball coach David Smith, who was deemed cancer free after a second surgery on Feb. 25, and Ontario fire fighter Chip Smith, whom David Smith met as they underwent cancer treatment together, the Ontario, Chino, Upland and Rancho Cucamongs fire departments played a basketball tournament at Los Osos Feb. 20 to raise money.

Ontario replaced recently departed girls basketball coach Bryan Grant with Kevin Crocker last week. An assistant coach in the Colony boys basketball program for the last seven years, Crocker could be approved as the Jaguars new head coach as early as a March 16 board meeting. Grant, who stepped down after the birth of his second child, led Ontario from four wins in his first season of 2007-08 to 18 wins and a second consecutive playoff appearance last season.

"Bryan Grant did a great job of turning the program back around the last couple of years," Crocker said. "We definitely have the athletes to build upon what he has done."

Tuesday's Scores
BOYS BASKETBALL
SoCal Regional, Round 1
Division I
Mater Dei 90, Clovis Buchanan 65
Rancho Verde 56, San Diego Rancho Bernardo 40
Leuzinger 91, L.A. Washington Prep 72
Woodland Hills Taft 66, Los Angeles Loyola 65
Etiwanda 67, Oceanside El Camino 58
Long Beach Poly 87, Crenshaw 62
Westchester 77, Colony 42

The question looming after the Etiwanda boys basketball team's 68-65 loss to Mater Dei in the CIF-SS Division 1AA championship on Saturday: Was Evan Jenkins fouled as he was stripped attempting the game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer? The clip below leaves nothing to mystery... take a look.

Staff Writer Adrian Cruz uncovered this video clip

Etiwanda went the length of the court with 5.2 seconds left and got a look at a potentially game-tying 3-pointer, but Evan Jenkins was stripped as he went up for the shot. The Etiwanda bench erupted thinking it was a foul, but nothing was called as the clock ran out on Mater Dei's 68-65 win in the Division 1AA championship game.

Etiwanda had possession down by one with 45 seconds to play, but a stagnant possession ended with Jordan Daniels hoisting a desperation 3-pointer from the corner as the shot clock wound down that didn't draw iron.

The referees didn't call Etiwanda's first intentonal foul attempt, so the Eagles didn't send Mater Dei's David Brown to the line until there was 5.2 seconds to play. The junior calmly made both to give Mater Dei a 68-65 lead.

If Etiwanda's Tyler La Cour isn't the coolest customer on the court, Mater Dei's Gary Franklin must be. The Etiwanda post man just calmly drained a baby hook while double teamed on the left block for La Cour's 15th and 16th points. Before you could blink, Franklin converted a three-point play at the other end to give Mater Dei a 66-63 lead with 2:31 to play in the game.

Byron Wesley is taking matters into his own hands. The USC-bound Etiwanda junior scored two of the last three times down the court to pull Etiwanda within a point before the teams traded offensive rebound put-backs to cut Mater Dei's lead to 62-61 with 3:40 to play.

Mater Dei went on a much-needed 8-0 run late in the third quarter to take a 53-49 lead with 49 seconds to play. The top-seeded Monarchs lead is 55-51 entering the fourth quarter. Tyler Lamb heated up again for Mater Dei, scoring the first four points of the 8-0 run that began with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Lamb now has 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting. His backcourt mate, Franklin, had a big quarter to up his total to 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

These two heavyweights traded blows to begin a third quarter Etiwanda entered with a one-point lead. With 2:41 remaining in the third, Etiwanda leads 47-45 after am Eli Stalzer 3-pointer closed the gap for Mater Dei.

Gary Franklin hit a pair of jumpers for Mater Dei and Stalzer has come off the bench to drain a couple of pivotal 3-pointers. Etiwanda has gotten contributions from several players, including point guard Jordan Daniels, who has four points and an assist in the quarter.

Etiwanda ripped off an 11-2 run to end the half and ignite the crowd at the Honda Center and take a 30-29 lead into the locker room. Eagles junior Tyler La Cour scored 9 points in the second quarter to lead the effort, including a surprising 3-pointer from the top of the key that sparked Etiwanda to life when it trailed 22-15. Wesley assisted La Cour for a bucket before hitting a pull-up 3-pointer of his own with 1:34 to play that pulled Etiwanda within three.

Some halftime numbers:
Mater Dei - Tyler Lamb, 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
Etiwanda - Byron Wesley, 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

Shooting percentage: Mater Dei - 37% (11 for 30); Etiwanda 42% (13 for 31)

Tyler Lamb scored five straight points - he has 11 on 5-of-8 shooting - to give the top-seeded Monarchs a 22-15 lead with 6:11 remaining before the half. The UCLA-bound senior is scoring from inside and outside. Meanwhile, Byron Wesley, Etiwanda's leading scorer is having trouble shaking his defender, Arizona State-bound Keala King.

Sixth-seeded Etiwanda appeared a little shaky early, but Byron Wesley's lay-up as he was fouled with 4:01 left in the first quarter sparked a 7-3 Etiwanda run. Mater Dei's three were a trio of free throws by Cal-bound point guard Gary Franklin, who was fouled shooting a 3-pointer.

Etiwanda junior Troy Fiawoo came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer after which Jordan Daniels dropped a nice assist to Aaron Crockett to make the score 12-9 with 1:15 left in the first.

After Mater Dei's Tyler Lamb, a senior guard headed to UCLA, buried a silky jumper to start the game, Mater Dei reeled off four straight fast break points to take a 6-2 lead. Katin Reinhardt added a transition 3-pointer for a 9-2 lead with 5:14 left in the first quarter.

Etiwanda's leading scorer Byron Wesley made a nice driving floater on the Eagles' second possession of the game. On their first, Mater Dei's Keala King bit on a Tyler La Cour pump fake and jumped OVER the Etiwanda post man.

When Etiwanda took the court to begin warming up for the CIF-SS Division 1AA boys basketball championship game against Mater Dei, the top-ranked team in the state, the Eagles were a little cramped on their side of the court as Fox Sports Prime Ticket was filming a promotional bit with Mater Dei's star players that spilled over mid-court.

It was a perfect illustration of the dichotomy between these two teams - a nationally ranked Mater Dei powerhouse (USA Today has them 11th in the country), and an Etiwanda team that was seeded sixth in its own division. Mater Dei averages 88 points per game and won its semifinal by 36 (yes, 36) points. Etiwanda plays a gritty defensive style that is certainly not sexy, but this program went to a CIF final in 2008 and lost a competitive game to Mater Dei in last season's semifinals.

We're about to tip off at the Honda Center in the final game of the night. This game appears a mismatch in a lot of ways, but I'm expecting a close contest similar to when these two met last year.

The general sentiment is that Eisenhower is a Phoenix Suns-type of run-and-gun team who simply outscores people. On their biggest stage this season, the Eagles thwarted that theory with some gritty, nasty defense the Suns would have envied.

Imagine shooting 29 percent from the field - 29% for crying out loud! - and winning by nine points. Eisenhower scrapped for every loose ball, corralled most of the tipped rebounds and, indicative of the effort level, Keyon Sayles jumped over the media tables to save a loose ball... twice. Ike never quite picked up its shooting percentage from the field but after beginning the game 7-for-20 from the free throw line the Eagles made 8 of their last 10 in clutch fashion.

Here are some final numbers:
Shooting perecentage - Eisenhower 28.6% (16 for 56); Pasadena 27.4% (17 for 62)
3-point shooting percentage - Eisenhower 13.6% (3 for 22); Pasadena 20% (3 for 15)
Free throw percentage - Eisenhower 53.1% (17 for 32); Pasadena 60% (6 for 10)

Leading scorers: Eisenhower - Alex Varner 17, Kirby Gardner 15; Pasadena - Todd Lewis 21, George Toyama 9.
Rebounds: Eisenhower - Devin Garner 8, Bernard Ireland 8; Pasadena - Brandon Jolley 12.
Assists: Eisenhower - Kirby Gardner 2; Pasadena - Toyama 2, Jolley 2, Chris Bridges 2.

The Eagles made 8 of their last 10 free throws during Pasadena's desperate attempt to comeback from a 7-point deficit, claiming their second consecutive CIF-SS Division 2A championship by the score of 52-43.

Ike thoughtfully placed its dog-pile each just left of center court, where the CIF officials set up the table from which they would hand out the championship t-shirts and pins.

After shooting 6-of-16 from the free throw line in the first three quarters, then 1-for-4 to begin the fourth - including missing the front end of two 1-and-1's - Eisenhower's Alex Varner has made four straight from the charity stripe to give the Eagles a seven-point lead with 45 seconds to play.

The defending CIF champion Eagles answered Pasadena's 7-0 run with their own 6-0 run punctuated by a pull-up jumper by Kirby Gardner, his 10th and 11th points, to give Ike a 44-39 lead with 2:45 to play.

The Bulldogs came out firing in the fourth quarter, a 7-0 run giving Pasadena a 39-38 lead on a three-point play by Todd Lewis Jr with 5:30 remaining in the game. The good news for Eisenhower is that sharp shooter Bryan Bock got on the board with a free throw prior to the Pasadena run. Bock is 0-for-7 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range.

Ike built a six-point lead late in the third quarter, but Pasadena slowed the game back down to its pace and closed the gap to five on Nick Holden's lay-up with 1:05 left in the period. Both teams began the quarter with some hot shooting but the overall numbers weren't spectacular as Pasadena shot 5-for-16 and Ike 6-for-18. The Eagles were 2-of-7 from 3-point land in the quarter.

Eisenhower's Bernard Ireland canned a 3-pointer on the Eagles first shot of the second half, portending what was to come. Both teams, however, picked up the scoring and the pace in what quickly evolved into a third-quarter shootout.

In a 20-second stretch Pasadena hit a jumper and forced a turnover which it converted into a 3-pointer to tie the game at 29, but Alex Varner answered with a pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the key to regain the lead for Ike.

Eisenhower never trailed in a second quarter it ended with a 22-19 lead. The Eagles, however, still haven't found their shooting touch, likely a dangerous sign for Pasadena. Ike is shooting 8-for-28 (28.6%) from the field and 1-for-11 from 3-point range. Pasadena, meanwhile, is shooting 24 precent from the field (7-for-29).

I'm gaining a new appreciation for why Ike is so successful despite a small lineup dependent on outside shooting, something that isn't always the formula for consistent success. Scrappy may not do justice to the tenacity of their defense. It's not just about effort when they claw for every rebound and dive on the floor for loose balls, they're good at it. In fact, the play in the first half that drew the most ooohs and ahhhs was when Keyon Sayles, in pursuit of a loose ball, leapt not only over the waist-high protective wall surrounding the court but the tables set up behind it. The Eagles' help defense on the Pasadena post men has been phenomenal. Whenever a post beats his man, there are two or three Eisenhower defenders flying at him while the rest rotate down to help.

Kirby Gardner leads Eisenhower with nine points at the half on 4-of-12 shooting and Darren Lockett and Sayles have four points apiece. Point guard George Toyama leads Pasadena with eight points and two assists and post man Todd Lewis Jr. has six points. In addition to struggling from 3-point range, Eisenhower has made just 5-of-14 free throws. If the Eagles let Pasadena hand around too much longer, it could become dangerous.

Eisenhower finally connected on its first 3-point shot with 30 seconds left in the opening quarter when Keyon Sayles buried one from the corner to give Ike a 13-11 lead. But Pasadena point guard George Toyama, who has been generating most of his team's offense thus far, drew a questionable blocking call on the Eagles with 6.6 ticks left in the quarter. He made both free throws to tie the game at 13 before Gardner missed a free throw-line jumper at the buzzer.

Ike finished the first quarter 1-of-5 from 3-point land and 5-of-15 from the field. Pasadena shot 5-of-13 from the field, but the difference was the larger Bulldogs' misses came from much closer range than those from Ike's diminutive lineup.

Eisenhower is yet to hit a 3-pointer with 2:30 to play in the first quarter, but thanks to the penetration of senior guard Kirby Gardner, who has eight points, the Eagles lead 10-9. You've got to figure the Eagles are going to heat up soon, which could be bad news for Pasadena.

Gardner's mid-range jumper with 2:40 to play gave Ike its first lead since 1-0. Pasadena doesn't seem afraid to run with Eisenhower but the Eagles haven't made them pay yet with their own transition game. They have been relying on Gardner to create his own shot with the 3-point shooters yet to find their range.

At the Honda Center in Anaheim, the defending section champion Eisenhower High School boys basketball team is just finishing up warm-ups on the same court it won a CIF championship last year. Of course, the Eagles didn't stop there. A Division 2A championship turned out to be just one stop on the way to a Division 2 state title last season.

With the championship games from different divisions back-to-back here at the Honda Center, the format is such that Eisenhower had to stand courtside and watch a raucous Murrieta Valley celebration after the D2AA championship game. Still two hours from the conclusion of the biggest game of their season, it has to be strange for the Eagles to watch another team pour their hearts out.

For the first time since 1984 and 1985, the Inland Valley has no state placers in wrestling for back-to-back years.
The two wrestlers who made it to Saturday, Cody Dixon of Colony and Giordan Porter of Rialto lost their first matches Saturday in Bakersfield.
Dixon never got anything going against Ian Roy of Poway (ranked No. 7) and lost 7-1 and was unable to become his school's first state placer.
Porter, ranked sixth, was trying to do the same thing, and he lost a heartbreaker 3-2 to second-ranked Orry Elor of Pleasant Hill College Park and was eliminated. Porter was not awarded a takedown with about 12 seconds to go (although it looked like a takedown), when the official ruled it was out of bounds.

Of the 4 Inland Valley wrestlers competing at state, two have made it to the second day.
Colony senior 160-pounder Cody Dixon and Rialto heavyweight Giordan Porter, are both hoping to become their schools' first-ever state placers.
Dixon will wrestle No. 7-ranked Ian Roy of Poway to stay alive Saturday morning. Dixon lost to the No. 3-ranked wrestler and defeated No. 4
Porter lost his third-round match in double overtime, and remained alive in consolation, winning his last match 1-0 on a late escape.
Tim Maldonado (119) of Los Osos and Brian Ryu of Diamond Bar (heavyweight) did not make it to Day 2.

BOYS BASKETBALL CIF-SS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Thursday's scores
Division 6AA
Los Angeles Ribet Academy 71, Irvine Tarbut V'Torah 59
Division 5AA
La Verne Lutheran 62, Los Angeles Windward 61

Friday's Scores
Division 4AA
Los Angeles Price 73, Orange Lutheran 70
Division 4A
Encino Crespi 50, Mission Hills Alemany 43
Division 6A
Malibu Kilpatrick 65, West Hills West Valley Christian 41

For those of you who won't be able to make the trip to the Honda Center in Amaheim for Saturday's CIF-SS basketball championships, I'll be live blogging from the Eisenhower and Etiwanda games.

No. 1 seed Eisenhower takes on second-seeded Pasadena at 12:30 p.m. in the Division 2A final. Sixth-seeded Etiwanda will face No. 1 seed Mater Dei, the top-ranked team in the state and USA Today's No. 11 team in the country, in the Division 1AA final at 6:30 p.m.

Here's how the Inland Valley wrestlers fared so far through two championship rounds at the CIF State championships in Bakersfield on Friday. Two losses on the first day and you're eliminated. Some wrestlers didn't have to wrestle until the second round.

Tim Maldonado, Los Osos (119)
won 11-6, lost 12-4

Cody Dixon, Colony (160)
lost to No. 3-ranked Bryce Hammond, 15-1

Giordan Porter, Rialto (heavyweight)
won via pin in 1:46

Brian Ryu, Diamond Bar (heavyweight)
defaulted first match due to injury (it appeared to be an ankle). not sure if he'll continue. He'll have a few hours before his next match.

The Etiwanda boys basketball team vaulted from unranked to ninth in the state's highest division after outsing Long Beach Poly from the CIF-SS playoffs. Here are the CalHiSports.com rankings though the Feb. 27 games (with last week's rank in parenthesis)... for more check out all the divisional rankings on CalHiSports.com which include defending state champ Eisenhower and Summit in D2, and La Verne Lutheran in D5.

Division I
1. (1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 28-1
2. (2) Westchester (Los Angeles) 26-3
3. (4) Newark Memorial (Newark) 26-3
4. (5) Taft (Woodland Hills) 24-4
5. (3) Poly (Long Beach) 26-4
6. (6) Leuzinger (Lawndale) 23-6
7. (8) De La Salle (Concord) 25-2
8. (10) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 25-2
9. (NR) Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga) 23-8
10. (7) Loyola (Los Angeles) 26-3
11. (13) Castro Valley 23-5
12. (15) Serra (San Mateo) 23-5
13. (12) Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 21-4
14. (NR) Santa Monica 24-6
15. (NR) Sheldon (Sacramento) 23-5

Click the link below to see CalHiSports.com's girls Division 1 state rankings (hint: Etiwanda fans, you'll be interested in these, too)...

Here is a link to a scout.com story about Upland High School freshman quarterback Nate Romine, who worked out with UCLA's Richard Brehaut and Brehaut's offensive coordinator at Los Osos, Matt Bechtel, the current Colony head coach.

Romine has a busy summer ahead, during which he'll take part in several prestegious quarterback camps before taking a few unofficial visits to some big-name Pac-10 schools including USC, UCLA, Oregon, Cal and Arizona.

The question is, how busy will Romine be when the season starts in the fall? We may have a great battle brewing for the starting quarterback job with the incumbent Justin Nunes, who battled injuries last season but ended the year as the signal caller for the CIF champions.

BOYS BASKETBALL CIF-SS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Thursday's games
At Colony High School
Division 6AA
Los Angeles Ribet Academy vs. Irvine Tarbut V'Torah, 6:15 p.m.
Division 5AA
La Verne Lutheran vs. Los Angeles Windward, 8:15 p.m.

Friday's games
At Mater Dei High School
Division 4AA
Los Angeles Price vs. Orange Lutheran, 6:30 p.m.
Division 4A
Mission Hills Alemany vs. Encino Crespi, 8:30 p.m.
At Colony High School
Division 5A
Chatsworth Sierra Canyon vs. Ojai Besant Hill, 8:15 p.m.
Division 6A
Malibu Kilpatrick vs. West Hills West Valley Christian, 6:15 p.m.

Saturday's games
At the Honda Center
Division 1AA
Etiwanda vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei, 6:30 p.m.
Division 1A
Santa Monica vs. Lawndale Leuzinger, 2:15 p.m.
Division 2AA
Murrieta Valley vs. Compton, 10:45 a.m.
Division 2A
Eisenhower vs. Pasadena, 12:30 p.m.

Two local baseball players made Baseball America's top 100 high school players in the class of 2010.

Los Osos catcher Jake Hernandez, who signed with USC on Feb. 3, is No. 77. Hernandez, who had been verbally committed to the Trojans since his freshman year, batted .365 with five home runs and 21 RBI last season.

Upland's 6-foot-6 pitcher Scott Frazier is Baseball America's 98th-ranked prospect. The right-hander is committed to Pepperdine.

With only 4 Inland Valley wrestlers competing at the state meet, here's a look at how they stack up entering the CIF State Championships that begin on Friday in Bakersfield. Check back in this space Friday and Saturday for live updates from Bakersfield.

Tim Maldonado, sophomore, Los Osos (119)
He gets to wrestle early on, as he doesn't have a first-round bye in the 40-man bracket. A win against the North Coast Section's fourth-place finisher would put him against the No. 5-ranked wrestler in the state, Isaiah Hurtado of Sheldon in the second round. His ability to place will depend not only on how he wrestles Hurtado (if he makes it there), but how he wrestles after that.

Cody Dixon, senior, Colony (160)
As the CIF-SS Masters champion, you'd figure he'd get a favorable draw in state. Not so. After not having to wrestle he in the first round, he's facing the seventh-place finisher from the Central Section, Bryce Hammond of Bakersfield, who also happens to be ranked No. 3 in the state in the second round. He clearly has ability to place at state, but this is new territory for him, and for his school, which has never had a state qualifier before. But, coach Jason Smith was an assistant at Don Lugo in 1996 when Jose Aguliar won the 215-pound state title, so he's coached in big situations before.

Giordan Porter, senior, Rialto (heavyweight)
The CIF-SS Masters champ is also ranked No. 6 in the state, and could face No. 1-ranked Drew Meulman of St. Francis in the quarterfinals. Porter is the nicest guy you'd never want to face on the mat, and he'll need to dial it up a notch at state. He has the motivation of possibly wanting to wrestle in college (football is also an option), and doesn't have a college secured yet.

Brian Ryu, junior, Diamond Bar (heavyweight)
One of the wild-cards in the field. Few expected Ryu would get here, even Ryu himself, but he's been helped by the memory of his late teammate, Brandon Riley. He might not have to face a ranked wrestler until No. 3 Peter Angiuano of Franklin in the quarterfinals. At that point, he'd need to win just once more, either in the quarterfinals or in consolation, to place in the top eight. Certainly is possible.

After Kendall Williams and UCLA mutually agreed to end the Los Osos point guard's two-year commitment this summer, Williams has found a new college basketball destination. The 6-foot-3 senior verbally committed to New Mexico on Monday after considering offers from Clemson and Florida. Other schools who showed late interest were Georgetown, Iowa and Colorado.

"I feels good to be re-locked up," Williams said. "I think (de-committing from UCLA) was behind me the week after it happened. It was actually pretty fun to play this season not committed to anyone. Luckily some schools were interested in me and I ended up in an even better situation for me."

Williams was famously the second-ever sophomore to which Duke issued a scholarship offer after Florida coach Billy Donovan set off a recruiting frenzy by offering Williams at a 2007 summer camp to which the rising sophomore wasn't even fornmally invited.

When David Smith received a call from his doctor on May 26, "He basically told me, 'You're gonna die.'"

Ten months later, the Los Osos High School boys basketball coach is cancer free. Smith underwent his second surgery on Thursday, this to combat any cancerous tumors in his liver. The remaining seven to nine tumors that had spread from his colon - where the cancer originated - were all calcified, according to Smith's wife Mary Jane, who sent this text message Thursday night.

"Another mircle. Cancer could not be found. All tumors were calcified."

Tuesday's Scores
GIRLS SOCCER
semifinals
Division 2
Harvard-Westlake 4, Redlands East Valley 0
Division 4
Sultana 1, Bishop Amat 0
Granite Hills 1, Los Altos 0
Division 6
Malibu 1, Ontario Christian 1 (Malibu wins on PKs, 3-2)
Lancaster Desert Christian 4, St. Margaret's 1