October 2008 Archives

Bishop Montgomery 36, Cantwell 35, 3OT

-QB Brian Cabanas hits Chandler Jones for game-winning 25-yard TD

Friday, Oct. 31

BAY LEAGUE
Mira Costa 28, Peninsula 6
Palos Verdes 13, West Torrance 7
Redondo 28, Leuzinger 13

PIONEER LEAGUE
North Torrance 21, El Segundo 17
Torrance 42, Lawndale 32
South Torrance 44, Centennial 20

OCEAN LEAGUE
Morningside 31, Hawthorne 13
Beverly Hills 28, Inglewood 27
Culver City 35, Santa Monica 28

MARINE LEAGUE
Narbonne 40, Washington 6

DEL REY LEAGUE
Serra 56, St. Bernard 0

CAMINO REAL LEAGUE
Mary Star 31, La Salle 17

SAN JOAQUIN LEAGUE
Animo 26, Sherman Indian 24

And the winner is ... North Torrance 21, El Segundo 17 ... turnover-plagued game

Another Pioneer League game ... Torrance 42, Lawndale 32 ...

North and South (both 3-0 in league) meet next week ...

Mira Costa 28, Peninsula 6

Mary Star 31, La Salle 17

Palos Verdes 13, West Torrance 7

Narbonne 40, Washington 6

South Torrance 44, Centennial 20

Serra 56, St. Bernard 0

Tonight's football game between Serra and St. Bernard is at St. Bernard at 5 p.m. The information in today's Daily Breeze was incorrect. Please pass this along to anyone who might be interested in attending this game.

More details to come later ... or just check out the story and photo gallery on the Web site in a few hours. San Pedro improves to 7-1, 2-1 ... Banning drops to 3-5, 1-2.

Another Marine League final ... Carson 23, Gardena 8 ... Carson is 4-4, 2-1, Gardena is now 3-5, 0-3.

San Pedro and Banning are locked in another Marine League slugfest, dominated by defense. San Pedro (6-1, 1-1) forced a fumble on a sack in the first quarter to set up Donald Jarrin's 25-yard field goal. Banning (3-4, 1-1) missed a 33-yard field goal of its own, but this one's following the San Pedro template to this point ... not a lot of offense, but stifling the opponent with more stingy defense. Remember, they had Narbonne (6-1, 2-0) scoreless until the final minute of regulation last week before falling in three overtimes. ... The Banning band is rocking the house, as usual.

Halloween continues to wreak havoc on the prep football schedule this week.

With four Thursday games already, there are two more changes for South Bay teams.

*The Del Rey League showdown between Serra and St. Bernard has been moved from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.

*The Camino Real League matchup with Mary Star and La Salle has also been moved from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday at Daniels Field.

Watch for more changes. It might be a good idea to call the host schools on the day of the game to confirm game time and locations.

Torrance High's Jenny Shin (first team) and Jane Rah (honorable mention) were among 21 Los Angeles Area junior golfers who were named Rolex Junior All-Americans by the American Junior Golf Association this week, thus joining an esteemed collection of current and former top-level junior golfers from around the world, including former Torrance standout Angela Park.

Shin, a 16-year-old junior, claimed four top-10 finishes in the 2008 season, including her first AJGA victory at the Stockton Sports Commission Junior Classic where she carded a 3-under-par 213 and defeated fellow Rolex Junior All-American Victoria Sungmin Park in a sudden-death playoff. Shin's 2-under 214 landed her in second at the AJGA Las Vegas Junior, and she ended the season with a tie for fifth at The PING Invitational, recording a 14-over 230. After a run to the semifinals at the U.S. Girls' Championship, she is currently ranked No. 9 in the Polo Golf Rankings.

Rah, a 17-year-old senior, claimed two top-10 finishes in the 2008 season. She tied for eighth at the Rolex Tournament of Champions, where she recorded a 14-over 302 and was ninth at The PING Invitational where she shot a 15-over 231. The Oklahoma State commit is currently ranked No. 29 in the Polo Golf Rankings.

Introduced by the AJGA in 1978, the Rolex Junior All-America Teams annually recognize those players who have established themselves as the world's premier junior golfers. This year's selections distinguished themselves through their outstanding play in 80 national events, 64 of which were conducted by the AJGA. The Rolex Junior All-America teams were determined exclusively through the Polo Golf Rankings (as of Oct. 14).

The All-American teams are comprised of 96 junior golfers, ages 13-18, from 26 states and four foreign countries. These standouts will be honored at a banquet Nov. 23 at Ginn Reunion Resort in Reunion, Fla.

Regional players joining Shin on the first team were: Hyun Seok Lim of La Palma, Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos, Jennifer Johnson of La Quinta, Tiffany Lua of Rowland Heights and Alison Lee of Valencia.

Here is the schedule for the weekend's games. Mira Costa already won its showdown with Palos Verdes in the Bay League, and San Pedro-Narbonne, Serra-Harvard-Westlake and Torrance-South Torrance are also some nice early league showdowns.

BAY LEAGUE

Mira Costa 20, Palos Verdes 16
Leuzinger at Peninsula, 3 p.m.
West Torrance at Redondo, 7 p.m.

CAMINO REAL LEAGUE

Verbum Dei at Bishop Montgomery, 6:30 p.m.
Cantwell vs. Mary Star, at Daniels Field, 7 p.m.

DEL REY LEAGUE

Harvard-Westlake at Serra, 7 p.m.
Cathedral at St. Bernard, 7 p.m.

MARINE LEAGUE

San Pedro at Narbonne, 7 p.m.
Banning at Gardena, 7 p.m.
Washington at Carson, 7 p.m.

OCEAN LEAGUE

Culver City vs. Morningside, at Coleman Stadium, 7 p.m.
Inglewood at Hawthorne, 7 p.m.
Beverly Hills vs. Santa Monica, at Santa Monica City College, 7 p.m.

PIONEER LEAGUE

El Segundo at Centennial, 5 p.m.
Torrance at South Torrance, 7 p.m. (PHOTO)
North Torrance at Lawndale, 7 p.m.

WESTERN LEAGUE

Palisades at Westchester, 3 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 25

PREP LEAGUE

Webb at Chadwick, 2 p.m.

SAN JOAQUIN LEAGUE

Bloomington Christian vs. Animo, at Harbor College, noon --

8-man, HARBOR LEAGUE

Lighthouse Christian at Rolling Hills Prep, 1 p.m.

8-man MAJESTIC LEAGUE

Pacific Lutheran at Temecula Prep, 1 p.m.

JC FOOTBALL
El Camino - bye
Mountain Conference: Harbor vs. San Diego Mesa, at Cathedral Catholic High, 1 p.m.

Mira Costa improves to 4-3, 2-0 with a 20-16 Bay League victory at Palos Verdes (1-6, 1-1) ...

and Leuzinger (5-2, 1-1 Bay) used a 70-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and a 17-point second quarter to win, 31-21, at Peninsula (3-4, 1-1).

Regardless of the outcome of tonight's West Torrance-Redondo game, the Mustangs are guaranteed of being in sole possession of first place in the Bay League just two weeks in.

It appears San Pedro isn't the only school to move their Friday football game on Halloween.

The Carson-Gardena and the Westchester-Fairfax games have also been moved to Thursday, according to the L.A. City Section Web site.

The Banning-San Pedro at San Pedro will be Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m.

The Carson-Gardena game at Gardena will be Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.

The Westchester-Fairfax game at Fairfax is Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.

 The Carson football team suffered more than just a deflating 6-5 loss to San Pedro last week.

The Colts lost USC-bound tight end Morrell Presley to a broken left wrist for at least six weeks, the Daily Breeze learned Thursday.

"It's frustrating, man," Presley said.

Presley, sporting a cast on his left arm at the Carson-San Pedro girls volleyball match Thursday night, said he broke the wrist early in the second half, but remained in the game, not knowing the full extent of the injury.

"I just kept playing," Presley said.

Carson would have to make the L.A. City Section Championship semifinals or possibly even the final to get back Presley, who is not only a top-notch pass-catcher but a superior blocker as well. Presley has 27 catches for 432 yards and two touchdowns.

Asked what USC coach Pete Carroll said to him, Presley said the message was simple.

"Just get healthy," Presley said.

Good advice.

El Segundo had its chance in boys water polo on Monday.

The Eagles held a two-goal lead at halftime before the wheels came rolling off in the second half of a 13-8 Ocean League loss at Santa Monica.

El Segundo watched as Santa Monica went on a 10-3 run in the second-half.

Beau Blacksten and Nic Curcio each scored three goals for El Segundo (15-7, 4-1), and Morgan Sommo and Max Reynolds also scored. But the match left Coach George Harris frustrated.

"In the first half, everything we asked the kids to do defensively, we did. It's just a Jekyl and Hyde deal," Harris said. "We got outscored 10-3 in the second half. No one's done that to us. And I hate to say it, but it wasn't as much Santa Monica as it was us. We're still an enigma. We just don't get it. But the sun will shine tomorrow. We know we can play with these guys, at least at home."

Narbonne's Byron Moore, already selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, was named the U.S. Army Bowl Player of the Week for his efforts in a 35-7 Marine League win over Banning.

The USC-bound Moore had two intersections and also had 122 receiving yards on five catches, including a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Moten.

Moore and the Gauchos have a big test this week against San Pedro in a game heavy with league title implications. Narbonne has won three of four against San Pedro following a 22-game losing streak to the Pirates that had dated back to 1983.

What a week. Just when you think you have a handle on the South Bay football scene, a week like this comes along and shakes up everything we thought we learned in nonleague play. Here's a quick rundown:

Game of the Day: San Pedro delivered a resounding statement that it is legit with a grind-it-out 6-5 victory over Carson. If San Pedro can somehow get past Narbonne next week, it has a real shot at a 10-0 season, which the Pirates haven't done since 1997. But if the Pirates are going to beat Narbonne, they'll need more offense than they put together against Carson. Or at least their impressive defense contributing on the scoreboard. Definitely a tall order for San Pedro, but Narbonne's line is suspect, meaning next week's showdown will be up for grabs. Carson's tough nonleague schedule hasn't paid off yet, and the Colts have many worries. They need to get back on track quickly before their Week 10 showdown against Narbonne.

MARINE LEAGUE SINKS: Banning appears not to be among the league's upper echelon after another disappointing effort. The Pilots may not have been expected to beat Narbonne, but 35-7 is much too lopsided for Banning. The Pilots have been given the benefit of the doubt thanks to a tough nonleague schedule, but that window has closed. Banning needs to get on track, and quickly. Gardena also had a disappointing opener, losing to Washington for the second straight year. It puts Gardena in a hole and makes its 3-2 start almost irrelevant.

SHIFT OF POWER: The Pioneer League race is shaping up to be quite interesting after El Segundo's emphatic win over a depleted Torrance team missing star running back Michael Andrews. Torrance is in a must-win situation next week against a resurgent South Torrance next week. El Segundo's quality win sets up an interesting showdown with unbeaten North Torrance in two week. The impression here is that Torrance is in a world of trouble and may be the odd team out of the playoff picture after an unbeaten league campaign a year ago.

TOPSY TURVY BAY: Can someone in the Bay League please stand up and start acting like a contender. Please. We thought Leuzinger was poised to start breaking away, then the Olympians not only lost to previously winless Palos Verdes, but were annihilated, 23-6. So much for that Leuzinger defense. So much for that 4-1 start. And does that mean 1-5 Palos Verdes is really a contender? Redondo, considered a darkhorse after the return of quarterback Erik Wilson, suffered an incomprehensible loss at Peninsula as its ground game completely disappeared. So who's the frontrunner now? It has to be Mira Costa, which posted a quality victory over West Torrance. But who knows. This league has become the most unpredictable. Or most unstable. However you want to look at it.

OCEAN WATER CHOPPY: The Ocean League is not much better than the Bay League, except that Santa Monica is clearly the favorite with another resounding victory. Kudos to Inglewood for an eye-opening win over a Culver City team that is clearly not the same one that has dominated the league in recent years. After an atrocious start, Inglewood appears to be on track after wins over Palos Verdes and Culver City, though the Sentinels will certainly miss talented Shaquelle Evans next week while he serves a one-game suspension for being ejected. Watch for Inglewood to make a postseason push. And don't hold your breath for Morningside or Hawthorne.

ROLLING ALONG: Serra routs Bosco Tech, 50-3. Cavaliers better not be overconfident  next week against Harvard-Westlake, which is always an upset threat.

A NEW START: Bishop Montgomery made the most of its Camino Real League debut, beating Mary Star in overtime. But if you have to take Mary Star to overtime, that should signal some kind of alarm. Still, expect the Knights to be Camino Real League title contenders after being the Del Rey League doormats for so long. The Knights did what they needed to do.

BAY LEAGUE

Peinsula 17, Redondo 15
Mira Costa 21, West Torrance 8
Palos Verdes 23, Leuzinger 7

CAMINO REAL LEAGUE

Bishop Montgomery 21, Mary Star 20, OT

DEL REY LEAGUE

Serra 50, Bosco Tech 3

MARINE LEAGUE

San Pedro 6, Carson 5
Narbonne 35, Banning 7
Washington 22, Gardena 6

OCEAN LEAGUE

Inglewood 36, Culver City 28
Beverly Hills 57, Hawthorne 8
Santa Monica 51, Morningside 0

PIONEER LEAGUE

El Segundo 35, Torrance 17
South Torrance 49, Lawndale 13
North Torrance 35, Centennial 14

PREP LEAGUE

Chadwick 20, Rio Hondo Prep 7

WESTERN LEAGUE

Westchester 20, University 7

Pioneer League
El Segundo 35, Torrance 17

Ocean League
Santa Monica 51, Morningside 0
Inglewood 36, Culver City 28

Marine League
San Pedro 6, Carson 5
Narbonne 35, Banning 7
Washington 22, Gardena 6

Bay League
Peninsula 17, Redondo 15
Palos Verdes 23, Leuzinger 7
Mira Costa 21, West Torrance 8

Pioneer League
South Torrance 49, Lawndale 13
North Torrance 35, Centennial 14

Ocean League
Santa Monica 51, Morningside 0

Camino Real League
Bishop Montgomery 21, Mary Star 20, OT

Western League
Westchester 20, University 0

Prep League
Chadwick 20, Rio Hondo 7

Palos Verdes 23, Leuzinger 7
South Torrance 49, Lawndale 13

Bay League

Peninsula 17, Redondo 15

Camino Real League

Bishop Montgomery 21, Mary Star 20, OT

Prep League

Chadwick 20, Rio Hondo 7

The Carson-San Pedro showdown is most certainly a black and blue affair, as the teams are deadlocked, 3-3, at halftime.

It took 10 minutes for either team to get a first down. The teams traded field goals as Donald Jarrin made one for San Pedro and Juan Sanchez kicked one for Carson.

Other halftime scores ...

Washington 14, Gardena 0

Narbonne 20, Banning 0

Tonight marks the beginning of league play for most teams tonight. The Marine League has two doozies with Carson-San Pedro and Narbonne-Banning. Watch for the Pioneer League showdown between El Segundo and Torrance, and don't forget about a crucial Bay League matchup between Mira Costa and West Torrance.

Friday, Oct. 17

BAY LEAGUE

Redondo at Peninsula, 3 p.m.
Mira Costa at West Torrance, 7 p.m.
Palos Verdes at Leuzinger, 7 p.m.

CAMINO REAL LEAGUE

Mary Star at Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m.

DEL REY LEAGUE

Bosco Tech at Serra, 7 p.m.

MARINE LEAGUE

Carson at San Pedro, 7 p.m.
Narbonne at Banning, 7 p.m.
Washington at Gardena, 7 p.m.

OCEAN LEAGUE

Inglewood at Culver City, 7 p.m.
Hawthorne at Beverly Hills, 7 p.m.
Santa Monica vs. Morningside at Coleman Stadium, 7 p.m.

PIONEER LEAGUE

El Segundo vs. Torrance, at Zamperini Stadium, 7 p.m.
Lawndale at South Torrance, 7 p.m.
Centennial at North Torrance, 7 p.m.

PREP LEAGUE

Rio Hondo Prep at Chadwick, 3:30 p.m.

WESTERN LEAGUE

Westchester at University, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 18

DEL REY LEAGUE

St. Bernard at Harvard-Westlake, 7:30 p.m.

8-man, MAJESTIC LEAGUE

California Military Institute vs. Pacific Lutheran, at North Torrance, 1 p.m.

JC FOOTBALL
Coastal Conference: College of the Desert at El Camino, 6 p.m.
Mountain Conference: Victor Valley at Harbor, 6 p.m.

Following in the footsteps of Leuzinger cross country runner Jose Lezama, there appears to be another Olympian rising up quickly through the ranks of  the Bay League.

Meet Gustavo Rangel, who is in his second year in the United States after moving from Mexico.

In only his second Bay League meet, Rangel jumped from 22nd place to 10th place with a time of 16 minutes, 22 seconds on the three-mile Redondo High course, the highest non-Palos Verdes or non-Redondo runner in the field.

Rangel said he remembers hearing about Lezama's quick ascension in the Bay League, going from unknown junior varsity runner to Bay League champion in half a season. He even said it inspired him a bit.

"When I first got to high school, I saw Jose getting first place, and it made me want to go for it," Rangel said.

Rangel could have been ninth had he not lost a sprint at the end to Redondo's Justin Caracoza, but it was nonetheless an impressive performance, especially considering Lezama was out with an ankle injury.

"The last 400, that was actually the best I felt," Rangel said.

Could this be the year the Olympians have two top-five Bay League runners? Rangel would probably need a top-five finish to advance to the CIF finals, a goal he has firmly established in his mind. 

"To qualify for CIF would be my dream," Rangel said.

From Dave Thorpe:

Has Peninsula's girls tennis team really closed the gap on Palos Verdes like Thursday's 9-9 (76-69) loss at Peninsula would suggest?

Perhaps. Jenna Glimp has become a solid No. 1 singles player and the team's doubles units are sublime.

But Palos Verdes coach Danny Moscovici would suggest that his team wasn't exactly at full strength. Moscovici had to play singles star Brooke Schweyer, pictured, in doubles because of a minor leg injury, which potentially could have taken away a set or two for Palos Verdes. Also, Palos Verdes was without Austin Ruth, who is expected back soon from an ankle injury.

"She's a force in doubles," Moscovici said.

As good as Schweyer was in doubles with partner Charlotte Newell (they swept), Movcovici said the team is better served with Schweyer in singles.

"The best spot for Brooke is in singles," he said. "When she feels better, that's where she'll be. Taking her out of singles puts more pressure on Kathryn Webb."

Not that it mattered much against Peninsula. Webb swept her sets, and Palos Verdes remains in the driver's seat for a second straight league title.

If Torrance is going to defend its Pioneer League football championship, it is going to have to do so without leading running back Michael Andrews.

Coach Rock Hollis said Thursday that Andrews has been expelled from the school for what he called "a violation of school rules." Torrance Unified spokeswoman Tammy Khan clarified that statement by saying Andrews is suspended, not expelled, but refused to give a timetable for how long the suspension will last, citing pricacy laws. Either way, Andrews is off the team indefinitely.

"He had been a great guy up to this point, but he just made a bad decision," said Hollis, declining to elaborate further. "Principal O'Brien had a difficult decision to make, not one made lightly. He is trying to look out for Mike's best interests."

Andrews' suspensiopn began last week when he sat out last week's 23-21 nonleague loss to Warren for the same rules violation. But now Torrance must make a major adjustment on its run-heavy, misdirection double wing-T offense heading into Friday's Pioneer League opener against El Segundo in a battle of 4-1 teams.

"Without him, we don't have that breakaway guy," Hollis said. "We still have a lot of guys who can run well, but Mike was a guy who could beat you on his own. Now we're going to have to rely on the whole team."

Andrews had rushed for 394 yards on 59 carries in four games, but his seven touchdowns made him special because Hollis said he knew how to punch it into the end zone.

Joseph Dacosta (275 yards, 2 TDs) and Keami Owens (184 yards, 2 TDs) will almost certainly become the focal points of Hollis' beloved double wing-T offense.

Brandon Ibarra impressed with some big runs last week against Warren, and Hollis said he is kind of like MacGyver in that he can do almost anything. Alex Taylor and Joey Olsin are also expected to carry a bigger workload.

Torrance still rushed for 360 yards against Warren, but did not have the game-breaking play that Andrews usually provides.

"We just didn't have the muster," Hollis said. "With Mike, it would be a different game, but now we're going to have to be a better team."

It is the second year in a row that Torrance lost its top running back. Nehru Peters was kicked off the team last year for rules violations, but the Tartars still put together an undefeated league campaign.

"We figured out how to make it work last year, and we've just got to get over the initial shock and go back to work," Hollis said. "Andrews stepped in last year, and now we're going to need someone else to do the same this year."

It's not the only loss Torrance experienced this week. Defensive back Aaron Bradley was lost for the season due to a broken collarbone sustained last week, and defensive end Sam Turpin has a knee injury that will sideline him for at least this week.

"We have to make up for three losses, not just one," Hollis said. "It's kind of like a microcosm of life. We're going to see what kind of mettle we have."

Hold your breath double wing-T fans, but quarterback Amos Solomua might even play a bigger role in the offense. He had eight passes last week, which is unprecedented in Hollis' double wing-T.

"My eyes were spinning," Hollis said, laughing about the extra passing. "It was like, 'What's going on.' It was like Armageddon or something."

You may have overlooked this item on the weekly Page 2 golf package in Wednesday morning's edition, but ...

UCLA All-American Lucas Lee, a former Torrance High golf standout, announced Tuesday he will forgo his senior year and play as a professional in Stage 1 of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament, Oct. 27-28 at Carlton Oaks Country Club in San Diego. Prior to that, he will play professionally in the Golden State Tour's event on the same course, which started today (Wednesday).

"I would like to thank everyone at UCLA for helping me during my college career," said Lee, 21. "I will miss my teammates, the coaches and UCLA, but this has been my dream and it's time to pursue it."

A third-team All-American in 2007, Lee recorded five collegiate victories in three seasons, and leaves UCLA with a career scoring average of 72.7 and 14 career Top-10 finishes. Last season, he won the weather-shortened Augusta State Invitational with scores of 69-65 for a 10-under-par 134. He was a three-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection, earning second-team honors the last two seasons.

"Lucas has been a tremendous asset to the team on and off the golf course. He feels he is ready to pursue professional golf and we wish him great success," UCLA head coach Derek Freeman said in a statement. "We are disappointed that he is leaving UCLA. He feels that he is ready to pursue professional golf and we wish him great success."

Lee enjoyed a productive summer, finishing fourth at the Porter Cup and tied for seventh at the Western Amateur. Last fall he tried unsuccessfully as an amateur to advance through Q-School.

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Lee graduated from Torrance in 2005. He twice earned AJGA All-America honors during an exceptional junior career.

Lee joins former Tartar Angela Park in the pro golf world ... Park earned LPGA Rookie of the Year honors in 2007 and has had the lead at the last two U.S. Women's Opens.

With this year's girls team (led by Jane Rah, Jenny Shin and Demi Runas) again considered among the best in the state, it's safe to say Lee and Park will see more Tartars teeing off on the pro tours in the not-so-distant future.

On a day when the local junior college soccer programs played each other, the results confirmed what we already knew.

Harbor is the superior men's program while El Camino reigns on the women's side.

The Harbor men posted a 4-1 victory over El Camino. Ricky Ramirez had a goal and two assists, and Johnny Aleman, Alex Chavez and Gavin Sim added goals for Harbor (10-2-2, 2-1-2).

The encouraging part for Harbor was that Ralph Delgado moved to defense and marked El Camino star Luis Paz, preventing him from taking a shot. Tony Sandoval scored El Camino's lone goal.

Harbor, ranked 12th in state, expects to have injured players like Tiburcio Casillas and Kenny Geray back soon.

The first true shock of the South Bay boys water polo season rippled throughout the area as Palos Verdes dominated Mira Costa for a 9-5 Bay League victory on Tuesday.

Connor Virjee, pictured, scored four goals, and Palos Verdes rode a smothering pressure defense that left Mira Costa frustrated and off its game.

It is Palos Verdes' first win over the two-time defending Bay League champions since 2005, which is the last time the Sea Kings won the Bay League title.

It was especially sweet for Palos Verdes, which has been inconsistent during its nonleague schedule. Now the Sea Kings climbed back over .500 to a 7-6 record and a 2-0 league mark.

"This was kind of our coming-out game," Virjee said. "We've had a rough start this year, but I told the guys before the game this could make our season."

Indeed it can.

Mira Costa (11-4, 2-1) entered the match ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division IV. Palos Verdes was No. 6.

These two teams will have a rematch on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. at Miraleste Middle School in Palos Verdes.

We've added a searchable data base to the Daily Breeze Web site that you can use to keep up with area history. There are hundreds of former South Bay athletes entered, and it's a list we know will expand substantially when all of you begin contributing the names and histories of those we may have missed.  It's probably weighted toward more recent graduates in the early stages, largely because those people have been easier to keep tabs on in recent years.

The more you contribute or help plug the gaps, the more accurate the information can be and the more up to date we can keep all of you when it comes to who's gone on to which college, etc. If you know of a Banning High linebacker from the 1960s who went on to play some college or pro ball, go ahead and add his name to the list.  Did we miss a South Bay-bred volleyball standout who played collegiately and/or overseas, a former cross country runner who went on to great things?  Fill us in.

We want your feedback -- you'll see there's an option for you to contribute names of former South Bay standouts who should be added to the list.  We want this to become a robust list of area history, a place you can turn to see who has starred for your alma mater over the years or perhaps see what became of a former classmate you lost track of.

Here's the link to the database, also available through a button on the prep portion of the Breeze Web site. Thanks again.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/southbayathletes

Glad to see so many of you appear to be making use of the area football schedule on the main breeze Web site. For those who haven't seen that feature yet, it's worth a look as we prepare to enter league play. It's searchable by team, league, week, etc. and it's a good way to check any scores you may have missed. The week's scores generally get updated Saturday morning.

Here's the link again if you don't have it bookmarked.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/prepschedule

Reminder to area coaches and athletic directors to check it out and alert us if you see any inaccurate schedule information that requires an update.  Please contact Tony Ciniglio or a member of the sports desk via sports@dailybreeze.com with that information.  It's not uncommon for schools to agree to change the date or site of a game, so we want to keep all that information current. thanks.

Nothing like a wild Week 5 to shake up the South Bay. Narbonne, Torrance and Lawndale fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, and Serra established itself as a true power with a surprising rout of Taft.

BIG WINNER: Serra. With a win over 2007 L.A. City Section finalist Carson already under their belts, the Cavaliers brought down a second City title contender in Taft. And in dominating fashion, cementing their spot atop the all-important Daily Breeze poll.

BIG RETURN: Redondo welcomed back quarterback Erik Wilson, who sustained a broken collarbone a week before the Sea Hawks' season opener. And what does Wilson do? Oh, he just goes out and takes down defending Ocean League champion Culver City, which is no small task.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Well, it would've been Torrance had it not taken a siesta in its final nonleague tuneup. So the surprise of the early season is certainly unbeaten North Torrance. A strong quarterback in B.J. Denker and an aggressive defense has the Saxons thinking about a Pioneer League title, though they still must get past Torrance (4-1) and surprising El Segundo (4-1). And yes, the Saxons have an inferority complex about rival Torrance.

BIGGEST SHOCK: Palos Verdes. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, from champs to chumps. Palos Verdes has not looked like the defending Bay League co-champ in a stumbling, bumbling 0-5 start. With a 31-30 loss to Inglewood, Palos Verdes might want to make a run to the panic room as the area's biggest disappointment through the first half of the season, with neighboring Peninsula not too far behind after a less-than-impressive 2-3 start that is more like a 1-4 start had it not been for a forfeit victory from Lakewood.

BIGGEST BUST: Certainly the Bay League. While Leuzinger has looked sharp in a 4-1 start since an embarrasing season-opening loss to Santa Monica, no one else has looked like a contender, at least so far. West has shown flashes, but is less than inspiring at 2-3. Redondo might be a major threat despite a 2-3 record considering it overcame a major injury to Wilson (thanks in large part to fill-in Chris Mares). Mira Costa has an impressive win at Esperanza, but has stalled significantly since then and stands at 2-3. And even if you combine the two P.V. schools again, the Hill still might not make the playoffs.

FINAL SCORES LIST
Serra 49, Taft 13
North Torrance 28, West Torrance 21
El Segundo 35, Bishop Montgomery 13
South Torrance 27, Peninsula 7
Inglewood 31, Palos Verdes 30
Gardena 24, Huntington Beach 7
San Pedro 38, Sylmar 14
Redondo 23, Culver City 22
Linfield Christian 42, Chadwick 14
Los Alamitos 41, Narbonne 28
Newport Harbor 42, Mira Costa 14
Warren 23, Torrance 21
Leuzinger 35, Hawthorne 6
Lynwood 49, Lawndale 13
Cathedral 37, Morningside 7
Valencia 35, Westchester 0
Twin Pine 27, Animo 20

Saturday's score

Verbum Dei 20, St. Bernard 7

The initial reports on injured Banning fullback Joel Panteau appear positive after a major scare on Friday night when he was injured on the final play of Banning's 42-7 nonleague road loss to Orange Lutheran and was taken by paramedics to a local hospital.

Banning coach Chris Ferragamo said Saturday that an MRI revealed only a pinched nerve in his neck and that Panteau was released from Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach at around 3 a.m. on Friday night/Saturday morning.

"I called the hospital twice last night, and his dad called me this morning, and it's a very positive thing," Ferragamo said. "His shoulder is fine, and he's recuperating well. They didn't keep him at the hospital overnight. His MRI proved well. It looks like he's going to be OK.

"At least he came out of it without anything serious. That's important. I'm happy and thankful for that. I was worried at the time, but the paramedics did a heck of a job. So did the people from Orange Lutheran, our trainer too. Everyone was perfect for the guy."

Ferragamo said Panteau will go to his own doctor on Monday for a follow-up, but was pleased the injury is not considered serious.

Ferragamo said Panteau will miss at least 2-3 weeks, but was thankful it was not worse, especially after tending to Panteau for 30 minutes after the game until the paramedics arrived.

"We don't want him rushing back. Definitely not," Ferragamo said. "He's definitely out this week, and we're going to play it week by week and see how he progresses. It's a tough thing coming back from that kind of injury, but it's a week-by-week injury. This week, he's definitely out."

Panteau was given the ball on a draw for the final play of the game. He was brought down by the shoulders, and his head was pulled back as well in what Ferragamo called a "freaky-type thing."

"I've had players with dislocations - on shoulders and fingers. I've had broken legs, but not a serious neck injury," Ferragamo said. "You get players with stingers all the time, but that goes away pretty quick. It's like hitting your crazy bone.

"We do a lot of work on our necks at practice to try and prevent this kind of thing."

Panteau's injury is a blow for a Banning team that opens Marine League play against Narbonne (4-1) this week.

Kome Eteuati is expected to be one of the players moved into Panteau's place at fullback, though Ferragamo has been one of Panteau's biggest fans all year.

"He's the best," Ferragamo said. "He's fast, he's athletic, and he has all the physical tools to play.  I hope he's back soon, but we're definitely not rushing him."

El Segundo 35, Bishop Montgomery 13
South Torrance 27, Peninsula 7
Inglewood 31, Palos Verdes 30
Gardena 24, Huntington Beach 7
San Pedro 38, Sylmar 14
Redondo 23, Culver City 22
Linfield Christian 42, Chadwick 14
Los Alamitos 41, Narbonne 28

Narbonne is down, 21-14, to Los Alamitos at halftime of their intersectional game at Narbonne.

North Torrance has a 14-0 lead on West Torrance at halftime of their nonleague football game at North. Chris McDaniel scored the first touchdown, then North quarterback BJ Denker found Michael Capo with a touchdown pass with 34 seconds left in the second quarter.

The North defense has been getting good pressure on the West QB all night.

Here is the Week 5 schedule, the final slate of nonleague games before most leagues begin in earnest next week. Watch for Serra-Taft and Los Alamitos-Narbonne in two battles between 4-0 teams.

WEEK 5

Friday, Oct. 10

Inglewood at Palos Verdes, 3 p.m.
Serra at Taft, 7 p.m.
Los Alamitos at Narbonne, 7 p.m.
Banning vs. Orange Lutheran, at Orange Coast College, 7:30 p.m.
Sylmar at San Pedro, 7 p.m.
Huntington Beach at Gardena, 7 p.m.
Westchester at Valencia, 7 p.m.
West Torrance at North Torrance, 7 p.m.
Peninsula at South Torrance, 7 p.m.
Bishop Montgomery at El Segundo, 7 p.m.
Leuzinger at Hawthorne, 7 p.m.
Newport Harbor at Mira Costa, 7 p.m.
Warren vs. Torrance, at Zamperini Stadium, 7 p.m.
Culver City at Redondo, 7 p.m.
Cathedral vs. Morningside at Coleman Stadium, 7 p.m.
Lawndale vs. Lynwood, at Lynwood Middle School, 7 p.m.
Chadwick at Linfield Christian, 7 p.m.

SAN JOAQUIN LEAGUE

Animo at Twin Pines, 3 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 11

NONLEAGUE

St. Bernard vs. Verbum Dei, at Centennial, 7 p.m.

8-MAN

MAJESTIC LEAGUE

La Verne Lutheran vs. Pacific Lutheran, at North Torrance, 1 p.m.

NONLEAGUE

Santa Clarita Christian at Rolling Hills Prep, 1 p.m.

JC FOOTBALL

COASTAL CONFERENCE: Chaffey at El Camino, 6 p.m.
Harbor: bye

If you listen to El Segundo boys water polo coach George Harris, he brings a certain doomsday attitude when talking about this year's team.

El Segundo might not have the same kind of team he's had in recent years when he has made CIF finals appearances, but the Eagles are still pretty darn good, as evidenced by a 13-12 overtime victory over visiting Chadwick in a rematch of last year's CIF Division VI semifinal, also won by El Segundo by one goal.

Beau Blacksten, pictured, scored two overtime goals and finished with three overall despite two ejections in the first quarter, and Max Reynolds scored four goals for El Segundo.

"At the beginning of the year, we would not have won this game, so we're improving," Harris said. "Close games, we were losing early in the season."

Harris liked El Segundo's 13-12 nonleague victory over Chadwick because it gave the Eagles a preview of what might be to come in a Pioneer League showdown on Monday against Torrance and star Ryan McDonald.

Chadwick also has a dominating player in Kurt Buchbinder, who scored 10 goals against El Segundo.

"Monday we go against McDonald. He's the same type of player as Buchbinder," Harris said. "We can't let one player dominate like that."

Today, they let one player dominate and lived to tell about it. But the Eagles can't make that a habit.

Congrats to Narbonne defensive back Byron Moore for being named to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Here is a photo from Wednesday's event at Narbonne High honoring the USC-bound star, courtesy of the Moore family. Catch Moore and the Gauchos this week in an intriuging nonleague home game against Los Alamitos in a battle of unbeatens.

Mira Costa gets another chance on the national girls volleyball stage this weekend when it travels to the Torrey Pines Tournament, where it could face off against Long Beach Wilson and La Costa Canyon.

Mira Costa, led by junior Falyn Fonoimoana (pictured), is ranked No. 13 in the prepvolleyball.com national poll. La Costa Canyon is No. 1, and Wilson is No. 14, still feeling the effects of a narrow loss to Mira Costa in the exhibition Iolani Tournament in Hawaii.

Mira Costa should have no problem in its pool against La Jolla or Bakersfield Christian on Friday, but it gets a stern test right away on Saturday against possibly Long Beach Wilson.

"I think it will be tough," Mira Costa coach Lisa Zimmerman said after a 25-20, 29-27, 25-20 victory over Palos Verdes on Wednesday. "We don't get a lot of matches, and it's going to be intense right away on Saturday.

"Long Beach Wilson just keeps getting better, and they'll be eager to pay us back for Hawaii, even though that was just a practice tournament. And La Costa Canyon, if we get to play them, are strong and play with a nice flow. They have a nice game."

Mira Costa's  game is still developing, with junior Falyn Fonoimoana leading the way. With so many younger players on the team, Fonoimoana calls herself the "mama" or the team or the "babysitter" and said after the team has had time together to get used to playing with such a new group, the Mustangs will be quite lethal.

Sheridan Taylor and Alyssa Anderson are also strong players for Mira Costa, and Emma White is coming off a stellar effort against Palos Verdes. Erica Lau and Andi Zbojniewicz are also ones to watch.

How about the rest of the Bay League after the opening matches this week?

That's a little more up in the air. Mira Costa might be younger than normal, but its players are still the best in the South Bay.

Redondo also has a young team and appears vulnerable, though the Sea Hawks showed their mettle with a key road win at Peninsula this week. Lara Dykstra allows this team to do many different things, and never underestimate a Tommy Chaffins-coached team.

Palos Verdes appears to have the most upside. Coach Pinter Aguirre has the right blend of veterans and youngsters who have already shown they are not the doormats they have been in recent years. They beat Bishop Montgomery, North Torrance and El Segundo, have a viable setter in Madison Smith, a fearless hitter in Katie Hardy, a solid blocker in Caroline Daly and superb freshmen in Kelly Johnson and Dana Connors.

Peninsula coach Mike Jagd said this is his deepest team in his 37-year coaching history, and you have to expect the Panthers will be able to turn it around soon after losses to Torrance, South Torrance and now Redondo in the past week. Allison Lee and Amy Van Buren are a potent 1-2 punch, and the Panthers have weapons all over the court.

And don't count out West Torrance. The Warriors somehow beat South Torrance this season and might have their best team in recent years, but their first step in the Bay League was less than encouraging with a rout at the hands of Mira Costa. It will be important for West to set the tone for the rest of the year in its next Bay League match.

Former Mira Costa High standout Jarrod Knight won the inaugural Coast BMW-Coast Nissan Collegiate Golf Championship in San Luis Obispo, helping Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo win the team title by 45 strokes.

Knight, a sophomore at Cal Poly, shot a final-round 68 to finish with a 10-under-par 203 for an eight-stroke victory over UCLA's Gregor Main.

Knight shot rounds of 68 and 67 Monday on the 6,724-yard, par-71 course for his first tournament title and his third top-five finish.

Redondo senior Cody Schmidt set an all-time meet record of 14 minutes, 33 seconds at the Warren-Stauffer Invitational at Hollydale Park in South Gate. Schmidt's three-mile mark bettered the 1999 time of 14:49 set by Ozzie Pina of Lakewood. Schmidt's twin brother, Simon Schmidt, was second in 14:47, also under the previous record.

Redondo junior Chloe Curtis covered the same course in 17:33 to post the top girls time of the day and the No. 5 time in meet history.

OK, OK, so my prognostication for Hawthorne did not pan out. For the record, I have never done predictions, and after this debacle, I won't be doing them in the future. Just thought I saw something that apparently wasn't there.

Congrats to Torrance, San Pedro, Lawndale, Narbonne and North Torrance for remaining unbeaten. Here's our final score list for Friday night:

Leuzinger 13, Dominguez 0
Vista Murrieta 42, Peninsula 13
Carson 42, West Adams 19
San Pedro 37, Locke 13
Taft 23, Banning 14
Narbonne 56, Westchester 34
Crenshaw 21, Culver City 14
Torrance 49, Morningside 0
North Torrance 24, Bishop Montgomery 13
West Torrance 24, South Torrance 7
El Segundo 49, St. Bernard 6
Lawndale 28, Verbum Dei 22, OT
Centennial 38, Hawthorne 27
Gardena 12, Inglewood 0
Chadwick 20, St. Monica 18
Aquinas 41, Mary Star 7
Rolling Hills Prep 42, First Lutheran 16
Pacific Lutheran 80, Noli Indian 50

Leuzinger 13, Dominguez 0
Vista Murrieta 42, Peninsula 13
Carson 42, West Adams 19
San Pedro 37, Locke 13
Taft 23, Banning 14
Lawndale 28, Verbum Dei 22, OT
Centennial 38, Hawthorne 27
Rolling Hills Prep 42, First Lutheran 16

The Pilots are tied with Taft, 14-14, at halftime.

You read it here first: Hawthorne will win its first on-field football game since 2005, a span of 25 straight games (sorry, forfeit wins don't count when you lose 56-0 to Dominguez on the field in 2006). Hawthorne is playing winless Centennial, and while it should be a close game, this should be the night Hawthorne finally moves back into the win column.

Here's a schedule for the rest of the games:

Thursday, Oct. 2
Fountain Valley 17, Palos Verdes 3

 

Friday, Oct. 3
South Torrance at West Torrance, 7 p.m.

Morningside vs. Torrance, at Zamperini Stadium, 7 p.m.
Taft at Banning, 7 p.m.

North Torrance at Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Westchester at Narbonne, 7 p.m.
Carson at West Adams, 7 p.m.
Gardena vs. Inglewood, at Coleman Stadium, 7 p.m.

Locke at San Pedro, 7 p.m.

El Segundo at St. Bernard, 7 p.m.
Dominguez at Leuzinger, 7 p.m.
Peninsula at Vista Murrieta, 7 p.m.
Aquinas vs. Mary Star, at Daniels Field, 7 p.m.
Centennial at Hawthorne, 7 p.m.
Verbum Dei at Lawndale, 7 p.m.
Chadwick vs. St. Monica, at Santa Monica City College, 7 p.m.

Culver City at Crenshaw, 7 p.m.

SAN JOAQUIN LEAGUE
Animo at Ribet Academy, 3 p.m.

8-MAN, NONLEAGUE

Pacific Lutheran vs. Noli Indian, at Soboba Oaks Ranch (San Jacinto), 1 p.m.

 

Saturday, Oct. 4

8-MAN, NONLEAGUE

First Lutheran at Rolling Hills Prep, 1 p.m.

 

JC FOOTBALL

COASTAL CONFERENCE: El Camino at Riverside, 6 p.m.
MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE: Southwestern at Harbor, 6 p.m.

David Cardona of North Torrance emerged as the big winner in the South Bay Cup in a meet where many of the other South Bay runners decided to take the day off, even if they eventually ended up running the race.

Kudos for Cardona, pictured to the near-right, for giving a full effort, using every ounce of his energy on a rare hot October day to overtake the Rosales brothers of San Pedro in the final 800 meters, winning in 15:02. Pablo Rosales finished second in 15:08, and David Rosales took third in 15:10.

Chadwick's Kelly Owen, pictured on the far right, won the girls race in 18:24, but admitted she treated the race on the flat 2.9-mile Columbia Park course as more of a workout than a true race. Teammate Jaye Buchbinder finished second in 18:29.

Mira Costa, obviously the deepest girls team in the area, won the girls team title despite a laid-back effort. Savannah Pio and Shadeh Tabatabai acted more as pacesetters for their teammates than runners trying to win a big meet. Pio admitted, "I don't even know my time, it's chill."

At least Mira Costa's big guns ran the race. But is this how far the South Bay Cup has fallen? To not attract all the area's stars is one thing with all the scheduling complications and such. But for most of the participants to coast through the meet is a sad state of affairs in what should be an exciting local meet that pits the Bay, Pioneer, Marine and Prep Leagues in a rare showdown. Teams are missing out on a great meet.

Talk about a stunning result.

Torrance surprised Peninsula, 25-19, 12-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-13 in a thrilling nonleague match at Torrance, giving the Pioneer League an impressive victory over its Bay League counterparts.

Katie Judd had 14 kills, 13 digs and four aces for Torrance. Chelsea Tupuola added 11 kills, 24 digs and two aces. Alyssa Bargerion had 15 digs, and Mylan Hosokawa had 23 assists and seven kills.

This establishes Torrance as a viable threat to South Torrance in the Pioneer League and takes some of the luster away from the South-Peninsula match on Thursday. Peninsula fancies itself as a Bay League contender, but it must close out matches better if it stands a shot in the ultra competitive Bay League.

It also bodes well for the Kim Blankinship Tournament on Saturday at South Torrance that features three matches: North Torrance-Palos Verdes at 3 p.m., Torrance-Bishop Montgomery at 5 p.m. and South Torrance-West Torrance at 7 p.m.

So who saw this coming?

Peninsula earned another win in football on Tuesday, but it's not what you might think.

Lakewood had to forfeit four football games due to a clerical error, as reported by our sister paper in today's Press-Telegram. Apparently Lakewood unknowingly used an ineligible player and decided to forfeit the games themselves as a corrective measure.

That means Peninsula's 37-10 season-opening loss to Lakewood will be wiped from the books and recorded as a Peninsula win.  Lakewood also gave back victories to Crenshaw, Mayfair and Verbum Dei and will enter Friday's game against Long Beach Poly as an 0-4 team, not a 4-0 team. 

That also gives Peninsula a winning 2-1 record heading into a massive test at Vista Murrieta on Friday.

The entire Marine League in girls volleyball talks about it being a three-team race between San Pedro, Narbonne and Carson, but it appears San Pedro and Narbonne are getting a bit of separation.

San Pedro is in control of the league title race having beat Narbonne in four games and Carson in three games so far in league play, but San Pedro and Narbonne also distinguished themselves at the Van Nuys Tournament this past weekend.

Narbonne advanced to the tournament final by beating host Van Nuys before losing to Granada Hills in the final.

San Pedro advanced to the semfinals before being bounced by the same Granada Hills team. While San Pedro has lost to both Palisades and Granada Hills, the Pirates are still a viable L.A. City Section title contender.

Usually the rivalries on the Palos Verdes Peninsula bring out some heated matches, and it was no different Tuesday.

And every once in a while, little Chadwick ascends to the top in these rivalries.

Kurt Buchbinder scored in the fifth overtime Tuesday to lead Chadwick to a 12-11 nonleague boys water polo win at Peninsula.

Peninsula's Nick Shariat scored with 35 seconds left to force overtime.

Joe Farrell led Chadwick (3-2) with five goals, and Buchbinder and Matty Gallas each had three goals. Shariat and Travis Larsen scored four goals each for Peninsula (5-4)