Arroyo beats Diamond Bar to win SGV Shootout — South Hills wins Santa Fe Tournament of Champions — Bishop Amat falls to St. John Bosco in quarters of Edison Tourney …

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PHOTO GALLERY OF SGV SHOOTOUT

Host Arroyo beat Diamond Bar, 42-24, to win the SGV Shootout.

The Knights were led by quarterback Nathan Coto, who is a returning starter and has looked very solid this offseason after some growing pains in 2012.

“It means that we have a really good team on July 13,” Arroyo coach Jim Singiser said of the win. “That’s all it means. We can throw the ball better than we could last year. The biggest thing I took away from this is that I think our guys are in really good shape. Talent-wise, I don’t think we’re a final-four team. But we just didn’t drop off. We just kept making plays and were able to dig in.”

In addition to Coto, Singiser cited the strong play of receivers Nico Lozano, Jose Valdivia and David Cotero. He also liked what he saw from linebacker Jesus Calvillo.

Arroyo averaged 35 points per game on offense on Saturday, according to Singiser. The Knights beat Crescenta Valley in the semifinals. Diamond Bar beat Monrovia in the other semifinal.

“This is great for the kids and the parents, but for me and our staff it’s way more about putting on the tournament than coaching the tournament,” Singiser said. “It’s not so much about coaching, but making sure the other 23 teams got what they paid for.”

Diamond Bar was playing without star receiver/safety Cordell Broadus, who was away due to a death in his family. Antonio “Noodles” Hull was in action for the Brahmas, however.

Aram’s take: Arroyo looked like a solid favorite to win the Mission Valley League and today only reinforces that.

HUSKIES WIN SANTE FE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

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South Hills beat West Torrance to win the Santa Fe Tournament of Champions on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies were primarily a ground and pound team last season, but have looked very strong passing the ball this summer. The Tournament of Champions had a field of 30 teams.

“You’re in your underwear and everyone looks good,” South Hills coach Albert Rodriguez said. “But the way we look at it is that we’re starting to get some athletes back in. Our skill guys are matching up. That’s what I really notice.”

Rodriguez cited the strong play of junior quarterback Garrett Fonseca on Saturday along with good performances out of skill players Adam Goss, Alex Powell and D’Angelo Ross. Fonseca is expected to see plenty of time under center despite the fact that last year’s QB, Goss, returns. Goss is likely to play heavy minutes at running back.

But does Fonseca’s play mean the Huskies are going to be a passing team?

“Hopefully not,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully we can run the ball. I never want to throw more than 20 times. I think our passing game will be better, but trust me, we’re not trying to hang our hat on throwing the football.

“It’s a great way to end our summer. We want to win football games in the fall. We want to win the Sierra League. This is good for morale. The kids feel good.”

Aram’s take: It will be a pretty nice dynamic to the Huskies’ offense if they can pass. Last year they really couldn’t, but were still solid. This definitely will open some eyes and certainly bolsters South Hills in my book. The skill players have improved and Fonseca looks like he might be a force in the passing game.

BISHOP AMAT FALLS TO LOADED ST. JOHN BOSCO IN EDISON TOURNEY QUARTERS

Bishop Amat lost to eventual Edison Tournament champion St. John Bosco in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

The tournament was a who’s who of SoCal powers … the final eight teams were Amat, St. John Bosco, Mater Dei, LB Poly, Westlake, Edison, Santa Margarita and Notre Dame.

Aram’s take: Amat was in its own element today and lost to what many consider to be the heavy favorites to win the Pac-5. Still a solid showing by the Lancers, who are historically not known for passing tournament success.