Look down a few threads, I said if Ariza and his poker-playing agent wanted to play games with the Lakers, they should go after Ron Artest if he's available, and now it appears they have him. As much as I like Trevor, Artest is a better player offensively, defensively, and gives the Lakers more toughness. They have two of thee best perimeter defenders in the league, and the big three inside of Gasol, Bynum and hopefully Odom. Even though the Lakers won a championship, I never felt good about standing pat while other teams got better. This makes them better.

Swimmer of the year: Conner Luster, Damien, Jr.
Coach of the year: Andrew Gates, Damien
First Team
Michael Sanchez, Glendora, Sr.
Aaron Woods, Damien, Sr.
Alex Huang, Rowland, Jr.
Henry Shieh, San Dimas, Jr.
Danny Lam, Sierra Vista, Fr.
Carlos Ibanez, Damien, Jr.
Phillip Chan, Rowland, Jr.
Michael Joyce, Charter Oak, jr.
Brad Quarto, Bonita, Sr.
Nick Phan, Walnut, Jr.
Second Team
Cody Moore, San Dimas, Sr. , Dylan Rudy, Charter Oak, Sr, Eric Ting, Wilson, So., Bennet Yuan, Diamond Bar, Fr., Brad Thompson, Chartr Oak, Jr., Jason Haney, Damien, Fr., Brian Donohoe, Damien, Sr., Matt Johnson, Charter Oak, Sr., Matthew Morales, Walnut, Sr., Johnny Beal, Damien, So.

Words by Justin Walsh from Slam Online ..Cezar Guerrero is one persistent, unrelenting guard. Call him cocky, call him headstrong, call him what you want, but stubborn might be the most appropriate. "Every single time, every single game, they always feel like if they go at me they get to make shine for themselves, but I won't let them; I'm too stubborn, too hard headed and too hard-nosed. They'll never get a game against me, I am too competitive." Said one scout in the story ...His length is solid for the "one", but it's his speed and quickness that separates him from most point guards his age. He is an absolute blur in the open court and yet has the ability to stop on a dime and nail the pull-up jump shot. You can also read ESPN's scouting report, which lists UCLA as a school he's considering. In the brief conversation I had with him during the season, he mentioned he's always been a big fan of UCLA.

I'm in this argument constantly with my high school buddy Andre Marshall, who incidentally or accidentally as I like to tease him, won the Valle Vista league tennis title and went undefeated three years in a row while we were at Edgewood. So you know where his heart is, with Federer, who I call the Larry Holmes of tennis, because the era is so weak. Where are the serve and volleyers? Where are all the great names? If Rafael Nadal is to Federer what Agassi and several others were to Sampras then heck, Federer isn't even the best of his generation, he's 7-13 all-time against Nadal. What tennis folks fail to understand is that for Tiger Woods to win a major, he has to be better than the 100-plus in the tournament, and he can't control what they shoot, that's why winning a major in golf is so much tougher than winning in tennis, where the best players dominate all the time, not part of the time or a fraction of the time. Federer gets to go head-to-head with his opponents, win seven matches and can control what his opponents do. All Tiger can control is what he does, and if someone gets hot, there is nothing he can do about it. I could go on and on, but what do you think?

Golf may not be as athletic as tennis, but you can certainly be more creative ....By the way, I got this shot

When I first approached Bishop Amat coach Steve Hagerty Tuesday night, his first words were, "This is for you," in regards to the exhibition passing league round-robin with Bishop Amat, Charter Oak, South Hills and host Upland. Obviously Hags is reading the blogs and knows how much we want to see these schools play each other in real fall football games, but this will do for now. South Hills coach Steve Bogan echoed the same. "We know this is great for sportswriters and players, and that's fine, it's a great night and people are enjoying it. The way I look at it, you're going to get better if you play Bishop Amat, Upland and Charter Oak. It can only make you a better team, it can't hurt you."

Above: Who will replace Chris Allen?

...There was no need to keep scores since teams weren't exactly conforming to normal passing league rules, but Charter Oak appeared to have the most impact players and outscored each team it faced. Receivers AJ Powell and Denis Rufus were everywhere on both sides of the ball, but the quarterback competition is what it's all about so lets start there. I'm no Guru, but based on one night, I really liked sophomore Travis Santiago with junior Josiah Thropay a close second. Then I took a look at senior Kyle Brown and left thinking he could start on a lot of teams too. Thropay started at Monrovia, but left during his freshman year for Bishop Amat, where he worked out last spring and summer before transferring to Charter Oak his sophomore year. "It gave (Thropay) a year to watch Chris, learn our offense and see what it's all about," Chargers coach Lou Farrar said. "He's very talented, he just needs game experience. (Travis) will only be a sophomore and has the longest time with us. I'm sure he will inherit the job by the time he's a senior but he will have the chance to earn it now. We had an older starting quarterback in Drew Carreon a few years back and replaced him with Chris Allen when was just a sophomore. Chris went 33-2 as a starter, so we won't hesitate to make the moves that are necessary to win. Fortunately, we have a healthy dose of running backs in our backfield, so that will help us ease our quarterbacks along."

Above: Jerry McClanahan.

Hagerty will have a tough decision to make. Jerry McClanahan is the returning senior starter but I came away believing that sophomore Rio Ruiz has the most potential. It may very well come down to how much Ruiz can grasp in a short time, and how he reacts to a real live situation under the lights in September.
Hagerty on McClanahan - "I know there are a lot people in the San Gabriel Valley don't think much of him, but I would take him over a lot of people. He does all the little things well, and he's such a competitor. He has savvy and he makes stuff happen. There are a lot of quarterbacks who can throw, but they don't bring all the intangibles he does. That separates him from a lot of guys."
Hagerty on Ruiz - "He's a good football player who happens to play quarterback. He has a confidence about him, he's athletically gifted, smart and knows the game. He does a lot of things naturally that a lot of kids struggle to do naturally. We're in no hurry to make a decision, things will eventually evolve like they did last year and we will do what is best for our program. But regardless of what happens, they will both be on the field somewhere."


Above: Shown here as a sophomore, Shirley will not play for South Hills his senior year.

South Hills will not have Jacob Shirley in the fall. The onetime West Covina QB has decided to concentrate solely on baseball. The Huskies also once had Chris Wilson, who left for St. Paul, and Santiago, who left for Charter Oak. But Bogan isn't panicking, explaining that either sophomore Vincent Hernandez or junior Brock Booth will be more than capable. Both looked solid and shaky at times. After their first reps I liked Hernandez, then changed my mind to Booth later in the night. By the time I left, neither stood out over the other

Bogan on both QBs: "It's been fun watching them grow and develop," Bogan said. "You just have to let them compete the rest of the summer. You know what competition does in business, it does the same thing in athletics."

Quote of the night comes from Farrar in regards to how passing leagues help prepare for the fall. "Playing in your underwear doesn't prove anything," he said. "You have teams practicing summer stuff that they don't do in the fall. You also always worry about kids getting hurt when they play as fast and as competitive as they do. It's barely July, you have to be careful." There was some truth to that, South Hills sophomore Jamie Canada tweaked his knee and needed a trainer. He was done the rest of the night.

When you're young your health is like a new car, low maintenance, oil-changes and a tune-up now and then. Now that I passed 40, I feel like a car with a lot of mileage on it. You still have to change the oil (which essentially means more exercise), but you have to keep tabs on the major parts too, which brings me to my recent post-40 physical. Everything checked out alright except the darn cholesterol. Telling a sportswriter to cutback on hotdogs, hamburgers, french fries and all the other stuff we love to eat is like telling a teenager to cutback on cell phones and text messaging. But I'm determined so any eating tips are welcome, and if you see me at a game during the fall, don't allow me anywhere near the snack bar unless Turkey Burgers suddenly became popular :)

BTW, this has nothing to do with anything, except it is one of my favorite all-time movie scenes ever.

Girls track athlete of the year: Karynn Dunn, Diamond Ranch
Girls track coach of the year: Jason Romero, Diamond Ranch
First Team
Kylie Price, Bishop Amat, So.
Uchechi Anunkor, Charter Oak, Sr.
Sierra Brooks, Charter Oak, Sr.
Sarah Barnum, St. Lucy's, So.
Taylor Bernhard, West Covina, So.
Shannon McKee, San Dimas, So.
Alexis Brown, St. Lucy's, Sr.
Vanessa Lopez, Rowland, So.
Marissa Horton, St. Lucy's, So.
Robin Hannah, Diamond Ranch, Sr.
Second team: Jessica Mendez, West Covina, Jr., Erika Kalmar, San Dimas, Jr., Franceline Almanza, Bishop Amat, Fr., Jessica Deroux, West Covina, Jr., Angel Tsai, Walnut, Jr., Ifeoma Kpaduwa, Diamond Bar, So., Onyekachi Onyiah, West Covina, Sr., Candace Williams, South Hills, Fr., Kristina Bormann, West Covina, Sr.

A 13-year-old football player commits to Tennessee, "It's the only college I know right now and it seems the best for me," Evan Berry told Rivals.com. "My dad went there and my brother is there now. I know I can do the same things there. I have a real friendly relationship with the coaches there. I know I don't know them too well but I know I will have plenty of time to get to know them."
Fred says: Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, there are six, seven and eight year olds training four and five hours a day in skating and gymnastics all over the country in hopes of making Olympic teams ten years from now. There are kids the same age working vigorously to be the next 16-year-old Wimbledon sensation. There are child actors working more than you and me and going to school. It's just a verbal, nothing is binding until his junior season. The kid will probably change his mind 100 times before then, so I don't see the need to get all worked up over this. Now, coaches recruiting kids at his age is a different story entirely, but a kid making a verbal when he's 13 because his dad and brother went to school there is not a big deal at all.

By Steve Ramirez
COVINA - It's nothing new to see the Northview High School baseball team playing a game in the summer. But the opponent Tuesday was noticeably different. Tyler Grijalva had three hits and two RBIs as the host Vikings completed a three-game exhibition series against the Australia Expos with a 7-4 victory. But the experience outweighed the wins for Northview, which also scored victories on Saturday and Sunday.
"When we set this up, we thought it be would fun," said Northview coach Darren Murphy, who received an Australian flag from the Expos after the game Tuesday. "We've never had an experience like this, playing Australians. But one of the things I like to do is give the kids a new experience. I gave myself one too. It's pretty emotional. Our kids got really close to these kids in three days. It was a cool experience."

While the Lakers dive into free agency today, everyone is gaga over the idea of having to sign Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. San Antonio added Richard Jefferson to the "Big Three," and Shaq is with Cleveland and James on a team that won 67 games last year, so you have to continue to look at ways to get better. If Ariza is asking for more than mid-level money, would you go after Ron Artest for a multi-year mid-level deal instead? Artest's agent is saying today the Lakers are a team he would consider. How about Amare Stoudamire's Twitter this morning, saying he would take less money to join the Lakers and win a championship. Maybe he's joking, but would a deal for Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum make the Lakers better? I think the one guy you want to keep is Lamar Odom, you don't want him going to a competitor and pushing them over the top, and he brings too many intangibles to the table. But if available, I would make the moves for Artest and Stoudamire, both are young and both make your team better? How does a lineup like this look: Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Stoudamire and Gasol with Odom, Sasha, Walton, and Brown off the bench.

Track athlete of the year, Sheldon Price, Bishop Amat
Track coach of the year, Dan Lodolo, Bishop Amat
First Team
Joez Baez, Diamond Bar, Sr.
Edward Bonilla, La Puente, Sr.
Taylor Herrera, Damien, Sr.
Darien Johnson, Bishop Amat, Jr
Jayson Perez, South El Monte, Jr.
Chris Ramsey, Glendora, Sr.
Eric Rogers, Charter Oak, Sr.
Aaron Stockham, Glendora, Jr.
Scott Severin, Covina, Jr.
Graham Vickers, Diamond Ranch, Sr.
Second Team: Corey Bullock, Glendora, Sr; Austin Goodheart, Glendora, Jr.; Greg Greenwell, Damien, Jr.; Koree Hines, Diamond Ranch, Jr., Ricky Johnson, West Covina, Jr., Jared Jones, Diamond Ranch, Jr., Beejay Lee, West Covina, So, Samuel Rockwood, Diamond Bar, Sr., Brian Luc, Rosemead, Sr., Jacob Vowels, Damien, Jr.

St. Paul's Gabe Encinas (18-U), Bishop Amat's Rio Ruiz (16-U) and Diamond Bar's Kenny Mathews (16-U) were the only area players invited to participate for spots on the U.S. National teams. Who else should have been considered locally? USA 18-U story, 18-U Roster, 16-U story, 16-U Roster

We're actively pursuing story ideas for the summer, and would like to know what you're interested in reading about. Summer Passing League's, Volleyball and Soccer summer leagues. Do you want football notebooks on players to watch out in the fall? Babe Ruth and American Legion baseball? Little League playoffs? Features on past or current players getting ready for the fall. Also, if you have information to tournaments, post them here to help track down schedules.

Based on last year, here is a look at the leading candidates for the 2010 Tribune All-Area team. Of course this will change during the season, you never know what will unfold. But for now, this is the preseason team. I will do the preseason defense later in the week.

Above: What will West Covina's Ricky Johnson do for an encore?

First Team Offense
QB: Michael Ball, Rowland, Jr
RB: Adam Muema, Charter Oak, Sr
RB: Ricky Johnson, West Covina, Sr.
AP: Leonard Rhodes, Walnut, Sr.
WR: Geoffrey Vaughns, South Hills, Sr.
WR: Wallace Gonzales, Glendora, Jr.
WR: Aaron Stockham, Glendora, Sr.
OL: Michael Wells, Diamond Ranch, Sr.
OL: Richard Tejada, West Covina, Sr.
OL: Siasi Aiono, South Hills, Jr.
OL: Raymond Raygoza, Baldwin Park, SR
OL: Andy Orozco, Charter Oak, Jr.
PK: Henry Calistro, Rowland, Sr.

Above: Don't be surprised if Walnut's Rhodes has a monster season along with the Mustangs.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
LA PUENTE - There were members of the East who believed the West's victory in last year's San Gabriel Valley Hall of Fame Game was a fluke.
They proved the point Friday.
Charter Oak's Chris Allen and Kiely Rycraw accounted for four touchdowns between them, the Chargers' Evan Williams had an interception for a score and Rowland's Brandon Stansell returned a punt for another as the East cruised to a 34-9 victory in the 30th Hall of Fame Game at Bassett High School. It's the largest margin of victory by either side since the West scored a 26-0 victory in 2001.

Boys Tennis player of the year: Sammy Ho, Arroyo, Freshman
Coach of the year: Anthony Lim, Arroyo

Boys Tennis Tribune All-Area
First team Singles: Joshua Barnard, Glendora; Marcelo Bautista Rowland; Tim Chhay, S. Dimas. Doubles: Paul Bakahit/David Scheibe Bonita; Austin Chen/Maiki Kitagawa Diamond Bar;
Frank Peng, Josen Corpuz, Walnut
Second Team Singles: James Beardsley, San Dimas; Thach Do, El Monte; Kevin Ng, Wilson. Doubles: Brian Ledyard/Josh Thompson, San Dimas; Bob Huynh/Hansen Luong, Rosemead; Armando Rosales/Jesus Rosales Workman

To all athletes, coaches, parents and high school sports fanatics, if you have a Twitter account follow us on Twitter. This could be great for future "Breaking News," and an easy way for athletes to reach other, share what's going on, and make it easier for us to reach you. We will follow your twitter page too, let's have some fun with it.

Yes, that's my infamous 1986 vintage Edgewood letterman jacket

Robledo's response: That is what Rosemead coach Matt Koffler told Star-News reporter Miguel Melendez after I promptly predicted a 35-14 East victory tomorrow night in the Hall of Fame game. So Koffler, err Coughler called me out, well Koffy should know I make these predictions when you have guys from the East who compete for CIF championships in bigger divisions and win, and because the East had won six straight until last year and is 17-10-2 overall. Besides, is it any secret the football on the East side of town is not only stronger at the top, but has more more parity than its west counterparts? To say the east should be favored is a no-brainer.

Northview coach Jim Arellanes on Rosemead's Matt Koffler relishing the role of underdog: "I'm sure he is saying that, that's his deal. He did that when we were at Rosemead (as teammates) and I'm sure he's going to continue to do that. But I don't buy it, they have some significant talent on that side. We talked the other day, we didn't have as sharp a practice as we have been. We're like 'Hey guys, we're not just going through the motions, we want to have fun, but at the same time we want to win.' Our guys understand that, they want to represent our side of the Valley. I don't buy into that underdog role at all, they have some players."

Robledo's prediction: East wins, 35-14
Melendez's prediction: West wins, 21-17

There won't be a better opportunity to watch more local teams go at it than on Friday and Saturday at Bonita High School in the Air Assault tournament. The tournament will start on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. with 12 fields going at once, finishing with the championship game on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Pools are as follows:
Pool A: Bishop Amat, Los Altos, Glendora, Jurupa Valley, Montclair, Riverside Poly
Pool B: Arroyo, Culver City, Carson, Santiago, Covina, Santa Fe
Pool C: Ayala, Hart, Monrovia, Workman, Walnut, Wilson
Pool D: Corona, Damien, Lakeside, Rancho Cucamonga, San Dimas, San Gorgonio
Pool E: Bonita, Maranatha, La Serna, Roosevelt, Lynwood, Upland

Tuesday night under the lights: Can we get a what, what? Bishop Amat, South Hills and Charter Oak will be at host Upland on Tuesday night in a four-team square off featuring three of our Valley's best at 7 p.m, sharp.

Bishop Amat quarterback Jerry McClanahan

Photo courtesy of Ted Aguirre

30th HALL OF FAME GAME
WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Bassett High
WHO: East (coached by Northview's Jim Arellanes) vs. West (coached by Rosemead's Matt Koffler)
LAST YEAR: The West snapped the East's six-game winning streak last year, winning 34-14 behind South El Monte wide receiver Tommy Cogburn, who stole the show with three touchdowns.
SERIES: East leads, 17-10-2

By Steve Ramirez
Friday's 30th Hall of Fame Game will be the final high school football game for the Valley stars. But unlike some of his teammates and competitors, it will be even more special for Charter Oak High School's Chris Allen, who will suit up in a football uniform for the final time on Friday at Bassett High School. Allen, the East Valley Player of the Year and CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division Offensive Player of the Year, received a Division I scholarship to play baseball for Cal State Northridge. The Matadors
don't field a football team. Keep reading, there is more on Bishop Amat running back DeShawn Gaisie

Here it is, more prestigious than All-League, tougher to crack than All-CIF, it's the infamous, non-political Tribune All-Area softball team, which represents the top 23-players in the East San Gabriel Valley for the 2009 season.

To purchase reprints of the all-area cover, click link

Softball
Player of the year: Dana Waldusky, Glendora, Sr.
Coach of the year: Dean Bunting, South El Monte
First team
Pitcher: Diana-lynn Patterson, Los Altos, Sr.
Pitcher: Reina Gaber, South El Monte, Sr.
Catcher: Kelly Nolan, Glendora, Sr.
Infielder: Courtney Gano, Los Altos, So.
Infielder: Brittney Flores, Sierra Vista, Sr
Infielder: Stephany LaRosa, Diamond Bar, So.
Infielder: Gipsy Ramirez, San Dimas, Sr.
Outfielder: Ariel Shore, San Dimas, Sr.
Outfielder: Brandi Andrews, Glendora, Sr.
Outfielder: Breeanna Sandoval, Bonita, Jr.
Utility: Ariel Whiteman, Bishop Amat, Sr.

Second team
Pitcher: Chloe Wurst, Bonita, Jr.
Pitcher: Kortnie Clark, San Dimas, Jr.
Catcher: Heather Harrison, Northview, Sr.
Infielder: Shelby Dopps, San Dimas, Sr.
Infielder: Latisha Dedeaux, Los Altos, Sr.
Infielder: Britney Rodriguez, South Hills, Fr.
Infielder: Vanessa Bracamonte, Wilson, Jr
Outfielder: Amber Bachman, Bonita, Sr.
Outfielder: Asha Prithviraj, Diamond Bar, Sr.
Outfielder: Lauren Salgado, Bishop Amat, Sr.
Utility: Laura Banuelos, Rowland, So.

"We finally came to a deal," Mier told MLB.com. "I'm glad we came to a conclusion and my (agents) got it done. I'm trying to get out there and play."

Bonita's High School's Jiovanni Mier, the Astros' top pick and new Million Dollar Kid in the neighborhood, told MLB.com today that he has reached a deal with the Houston Astros, who selected him in the first round and 21st overall in this month's Major League Baseball amateur draft. Mier reportedly will receive a $1.358 million signing bonus, and will make it official pending a physical, opting to skip his verbal commitment to attend USC. The 6-foot-2 Mier batted .394 with 10 doubles, five homers and 18 RBIs in leading the Bearcats to the Miramonte League title and Division III quarterfinals.

The Northview High School baseball team will host the Australia Expos in a three-game Goodwill Series beginning Saturday. There are four teams consisting of a Northview older and younger team, and an Australian older and younger team. All games are at Northview High School; Saturday (10 a.m., 12:30 p.m.); Sunday (Noon, 2:30 p.m.), Tuesday (1 p.m. at 4 p.m.). The Australia Expos are celebrating their 20th consecutive year touring California and playing games. Covina Mayor Kevin Stapleton will officially welcome the Australian team on Saturday morning. "I'm still learning on the protocol and what is customary when you host a foreign team, but we're excited for the weekend." Northview coach Darren Murphy said.

Below: Does anyone remember this big Vikings victory?

ASSOCIATED PRESS - A 24-year-old former high school football player walked into the school's weight room Wednesday morning and fatally shot his former coach, before sheriff's deputies arrested him at a nearby home a short time later, authorities said. Mark Becker shot Aplington-Parkersburg High School football coach Ed Thomas several times with a handgun after walking into the room at about 8 a.m., authorities said. Thomas was rushed to nearby Waterloo hospital, where he died.

About a year ago, ESPN did a nice piece on Ed Thomas ...

The United States' win over the world's top-ranked Spaniards ended their 35-game unbeaten streak since winning the European Championships in 2008. Spain's world-record unbeaten streak had equaled Brazil's 35-game win streak set between 1993-95. Even bigger, the United States snapped Spain's 15-game winning streak, another world record, launching the U.S. into Sunday's championship against Brazil. Spain hadn't been beaten since a loss to Romania in November 2006. Is this the biggest win in U.S. history? Not quite, nothing will ever touch the United States' shocking 1950 victory over England in the World Cup. But there are others to compare it with, like the United States' win over world No. 4 Colombia 2-1 in the 1994 World Cup and the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup win over Brazil. There is also the 3-2 win over Portugal in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, or the 2-0 win over Mexico in the same 2002 World Cup that launched the U.S. into the World Cup semifinals for the first time ever? Folks, today's win is No. 2. Never has the United States been to a FIFA final and beat the No. 1 team in the World in a non-friendly, and they did it after the most improbable of circumstances to reach the semifinals, needing a 3-0 win over Egypt coupled with Brazil's 3-0 win over Italy. Do you believe in Miracles? Yes.

Staff photographer Walt Mancini's famous image following the 1994 World Cup final at the Bowl. This is Old Town Pasadena partying afterward..

The L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke thinks Manny Ramirez's suspension should keep him out of his minor league assignment with Albuquerque. TJ Simers admits that he can't stay mad at him. What's all the fuss, it's like serving a sentence then finishing the rest of your time at a halfway house before your official release. It's not the bigs so it's not a big deal. People like Plaschke think the Dodgers should trade him away, but the people who pay money to go to Dodgers games and sit in front of their television and cheer the Dodgers want him to stay, and can't wait to welcome him back. Plaschke even pleaded with the Lakers to trade Kobe two years ago. That's why you don't listen to sportswriters, you listen to the beating heart of loyal fans, like the one I saw wearing a shirt that read, "Stand by your Manny."

(Photo by Craig Fritz/The Associated Press)

Here it is, more prestigious than All-League, tougher to crack than All-CIF, it's the infamous, non-political Tribune All-Area baseball team, which represents the top 23-players in the East San Gabriel Valley for the 2009 season.

To purchase a reprint of the all-area cover page, click here.

TRIBUNE ALL-AREA
Baseball
Player of the year: Josh Leyland (San Dimas, Sr.)
Coach of the year: Kevin Smith (South Hills)

First team
Pitcher: Erik Salcido, San Dimas, Sr.
Pitcher: Derek Klena, South Hills, Sr.
Catcher: Jerry McClanahan, Bishop Amat, Jr.
Infielder: Richy Pedroza, Northview, Sr.
Infielder: Jiovanni Mier, Bonita, Sr.
Infielder: Thomas Jenson, San Dimas, Sr.
Infielder: Erik Lewis, Damien, Jr.
Outfielder: Kevin Ponzo, San Dimas, Sr.
Outfielder: Jacob Smigelski, Glendora, Jr.
Outfielder: Mark Garcia, Damien, Sr.
Utility: Andrew Melchor, Nogales, Sr.

Second team
Pitcher: Nico Calderaro, Bonita, Sr.
Pitcher: Brady Zuniga, Bishop Amat, Sr.
Catcher: Jake Bailey, Charter Oak, Sr.
Infielder: Christian Ibarra, South Hills, Jr..
Infielder: Jason Plowman, Bonita, Sr.
Infielder: Ryan Arnold, Northview, Sr.
Infielder: Nick Bergara, Bishop Amat, Sr.
Outfielder: Chris Allen, Charter Oak, Sr.
Outfielder: Chester Pak, Diamond Bar, Sr.
Outfielder: Jon Hernandez, West Covina, Jr.
Utility: Christian Huerta, Sierra Vista, Jr

To read stories, click thread

30th Hall of Fame Game, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Bassett High School, $8 admission
East leads series, 17-10-2

Above: Azusa's Rauley Zaragoza returning an interception for a touchdown in the Aztecs' playoff win over Covina.

This is a sneak preview for Wednesday's newspaper.
By Fred J. Robledo ..
When Sierra Vista High School's Daniel Limon told Mt. San Antonio College coaches he would like to try out at slot receiver this fall, they told the generously listed 5-foot-10, 173-pounder they were more interested in him as a kicker. After all, he did make 12 field goals for the Dons.
"They laughed to be honest with you," Limon said. "But that's alright. You come from Sierra Vista, you're going to have doubters. It's nothing new to me." To continue reading with more from Miguel Melendez on the West practice, click thread. West coach Matt Koffler calls RB Tra Sumler the best player in the SGV

South El Monte High School's Manny Acosta and San Dimas' Ariel Shore bucked the trend of specialization in high school sports and once again showed the multiple-sport athlete is alive and well. After earning several accolades during their senior years in multiple sports, Acosta and Shore can add the 2008-09 San Gabriel Valley Tribune Athlete of the Year award to their collection as well. To continue reading, click thread

30th HALL OF FAME GAME
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bassett High
WHO: East (coached by Northview's Jim Arellanes) vs. West (coached by Rosemead's Matt Koffler)
LAST YEAR: The West snapped the East's six-game winning streak last year, winning 34-14 behind South El Monte wide receiver Tommy Cogburn, who stole the show with three touchdowns.
SERIES: East leads, 17-10-2

Practice: The Beasts from the East are practicing Monday-Thursday at 3:30 p.m., at Northview. Drop by to check it out.

Miguel Melendez says: Alright guys, you've asked for it so here it is. The 30th Hall of Fame game is Friday night and as the game approaches we'll be bringing you reports from the East and West practices. Both teams already have been practicing in preparation for the 30th anniversary of the senior game, and once again, the East appears to have a star-studded roster for Arellanes. Charter Oak quarterback Chris Allen, the Tribune player of the year and Southeast Division MVP, will be joined by Chargers teammates Tyler Perri (DT), Evan Williams (DE), and Kiely Rycraw (WR) - all of whom won a section title the last time they played. "Those Charter Oak kids are the real deal," Arellanes said. "They're as good as advertised. They obviously have been coached well. Their knowledge of the game is unbelievable, and they have been flying to the football with a passion." The East is loaded in the backfield with Bishop Amat's Deshawn Gaisie, Rowland's Brandon Stansell and San Dimas' Daniel Joseph, who has transitioned well from the Winged T to an I formation.

Miguel continues ... Call it a dis or call it motivation, but If memory serves me right, it was the folks over on the East (cough cough, Robledo) who predicted San Dimas would handily beat Rosemead in the quarterfinals. Uh, no. Rosemead came out burning on all cylinders and took care of business and reached the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division finals. Koffler said he's looking forward to Friday's game and the West has practiced like it's a championship game. "I know on our side we're approaching this game like it's going to be very physical," he said. "I'm not sure what's going on on the other side, but our practices are very physical; that's the way we coach and that's the only way we coach. We're not slowing down just because it's an all-star game. We're picking up the pace and showing the rest of the San Gabriel Valley how we do things at Rosemead."

We begin with the Tribune postseason-awards on Tuesday, beginning with the Boys/Girls athlete of the year award. Baseball is on Wednesday and Softball on Thursday. The rest is as follows.

Boy/Girls athlete of the year, June 23
Baseball, June 24
Softball, June 25
Boys Tennis, June 26
Boys Track, June 30
Girls Track, July 1
Boys Swimming, July 2
Girls Swimming, July 3

Last chance: It's a chore getting everyone in for pictures after school is out. We have almost everyone, but we're missing Charter Oak's Uchechi Anunkor, Bonita's Amber Pezzolla, Bonita's Paul Bakahit and David Scheibe and Walnut's Josen Corpuz. If anyone can contact these athletes, ask them to get in touch with me at fred.robledo@sgvn.com. I will do what I can to set up a last-minute pictures.

Someone asked if Bishop Breakdown will be back in the fall ... Absolutely.

More Amat highlight video's....Don't hate, if you have a school highlight video, send it here and I will post it too. By the way, this is long, but it's fantastic

Amat HighLights from Chris M on Vimeo.

Okay, so that's a lame headline, but I had to come up with something. I wish it was more of an East-West underclassman game so I could brag how much better the East side of the Valley is over the slumping West. But we already knew that, right?

By Miguel Melendez
PASADENA - The heavy, dark clouds threatening rain could not dim the spotlight from the future baseball stars in San Gabriel Valley. The second annual Underclassman All-Star Game set the stage for the North to shine with a 15-5 victory over the South on Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Glendora junior Jacob Smigelski earned MVP honors after striking out three in two innings and allowed just one run on three hits. He also also walked, stole a base and scored a run. "I tried to fire it out there and try my best," Smigelski said. "It was fun playing with all the guys."