Above: Bonita wins big game over Charter Oak on Tuesday.

Girls Volleyball Top 10
1. South Hills (14-8) Huskies are closing strong
2. Los Altos (19-8) Travels to Bonita Thursday
3. Walnut (17-6) Upset Bonita last week
4. Bonita (13-3) Goes for outright league title vs. L.A.
5. Gladstone (19-9) Rolling through Montview League
6. Diamond Bar (16-10) Lost in five to St. Lucy’s
7. Bishop Amat (13-7) Seeks second-place finish
8. San Dimas (14-6) Saints are back on track
9. St. Lucy’s (11-10) On playoff bubble
10. Glendora (10-8) Needs big week
Rankings are based on matches played through Oct. 29

Comments: This was the toughest week to rank our top 10. Walnut's upset of Bonita last week threw the rankings into a big scramble, but made it clear that the top four are separated by a slot you couldn't slide a credit card through. But someone has to be No. 1, and this week it is streaking South Hills, which have suddenly caught fire. As for the next three positons, I decided to fall back on my theory in rankings teams, which is that a season-long resume carries more weight than a one-game happening and that a loss to a lesser-ranked team trumps a win over a higher-ranked team. So with that in mind, Los Altos, Walnut and Bonita are No. 2, No. 3 and No.4, respectively. But they could very easily be 2a, 2b and 2c. ... Gladstone, which is No. 5 this week, continutes to take care of business in the Montview League, although the Gladiators dropped their first game of the league season after being pushed to four games last week in a victory over Sierra Vista. Gladstone, which is 11-0 in league play, has won 33 of 34 games in the Montview League.

http://www.cifss.org/download_playoff_bracketts.php?sport_id=16

On Sunday afternoon (around noon), CIF playoff brackets will be released. Click on this link above to access all the playoff pairings. Steve Ramirez will have a story in Monday's newspaper with all the local matchups.

Posted by Steve Ramirez at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (143)

1. Charter Oak (6-1-1)
2. South Hills (6-2)
3. Glendora (6-2)
4. Diamond Ranch (1-7)*
5. Duarte (7-1)
6. Baldwin Park (6-2)
7. San Dimas (8-1)
8. Los Altos (5-3)
9. South El Monte (4-4)
10. Rosemead (5-3)
11. Damien (3-4-1)
12. Northview (5-3)
13. Arroyo (5-3)
14. Bonita (5-3)
15. Bishop Amat (2-6)
16. Covina (5-3)
17. La Puente (5-3)
18. West Covina (4-4)
19. Mountain View (4-3)
20. Wilson (3-4)
21. El Monte (4-3)
22. Diamond Bar (2-6)
23. Rowland (2-6)
24. Nogales (2-6)
25. Azusa (3-5)
26. Workman (2-6)
27. Gladstone (3-6)
28. Sierra Vista (2-6)
29. Walnut (1-7)
30. Western Chirstian (2-6)
31. Bassett (0-8)
* Forfeited five wins

Posted by Fred Robledo at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (173)

Time Warner's Reginald Miller, Tribune Prep Editor Fred J. Robledo and staff writer Steve Ramirez discuss five of this week's top games. By the way, Miller does a great job following our local teams and beyond on his popular site "A Local Sports Show" ... go check it out.
http://www.alocalsportsshow.com/main.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alocalsportsshow.com%2F

Thursday's game
West Covina vs. South Hills at Covina District Field, 7:30 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/103107_WESTCOVINAVSSOUTHHILLS.asp

Friday's games
Ayala vs. Glendora at Citrus College, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/103107_AYALAVSGLENDORA.asp

Duarte at La Puente, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/103107_LAPUENTEVSDUARTE.asp

Bonita at Charter Oak, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/103107_BONITAVSCHARTEROAK.asp

Covina at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/103107_COVINAVSBALDWINPARK.asp

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (90)

Steve Ramirez and Fred J. Robledo going head-to-head throughout the season.

Records:
Robledo: Last week (17-1); Season (133-46)
Ramirez: Last week (17-1); Season (134-45)

Notes: Steve and I brought our "A" game last week. Obviously there was a reason we both picked all the same games. Our only loss was picking El Monte over Mountain View, and as you all know, the Vikes pulled off the big upset. We're in crunch time now, only two weeks left and then playoffs. Ramirez only has a one game lead and there is a big lunch riding on this, so the pressure's on.

Thursday's games
West Covina vs. South Hills at Covina District Stadium -- Robledo (South Hills); Ramirez (South HIlls)
Azusa vs. Bassett at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa); Ramirez (Azusa)

Friday's games
Duarte at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte); Ramirez (Duarte)
Glendora vs. Ayala at Citrus College -- Robledo (Glendora); Ramirez (Glendora)
Notre Dame at Bishop Amat -- Robledo (Notre Dame); Ramirez (Notre Dame)
Bonita at Charter Oak, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Charter Oak); Ramirez (Charter Oak)
Covina at Baldwin Park, p.m. -- Robledo (Baldwin Park); Ramirez (Baldwin Park)
Los Altos at Wilson, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Wilson); Ramirez (Los Altos)
Arroyo at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rosemead); Ramirez (Rosemead)
Northview vs. Pomona at Covina District Stadium -- Robledo (Northview); Ramirez (Northview)
Mountain View at South El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SEl Monte); Ramirez (SEl Monte)
Gladstone at Sierra Vista, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Sierra Vista); Ramirez (Sierra Vista)
Gabrielino at El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (El Monte); Ramirez (El Monte)
Diamond Ranch at Nogales, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Diamond Ranch); Ramirez (Diamond Ranch)
Rowland at Walnut, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rowland); Ramirez (Walnut)
San Dimas at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (San Dimas); Ramirez (San Dimas)
Chino at Damien, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Damien); Ramirez (Damien)
Chino Hills at Diamond Bar, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Chino Hills); Ramirez (Chino Hills)
Western Christian at Aquinas, 7:30 p.m. -- Robledo (Western Christian); Ramirez (Aquinas)

Final Thoughts: Is there anything better than live television? Don't miss the Fox Sports West telecast of South Hills vs. West Covina at the District Field on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. On paper, it looks like the Bulldogs will get blown out, but I bet they bring something special to this game. Should be a lot of fun and excitement for the valley and the San Antonio League title is on the line. Of course, two other great league title games with Glendora hosting Ayala and Duarte going to La Puente.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (116)

Above: South Hills' Brandon Parham making a tough catch against Los Altos

There is room for two, and sometimes three receivers on the Tribune All-Area first team. We have a great collection of wideouts, but we've narrowed it to the top ten (in no particular order).

Tommy Cogburn, South El Monte -- Obviously one of the most talked about entering the season. He had a slow start but has lived up to expectations of late, helping the Eagles go to 3-0 in the MVL. He has 54 receptions for 810 yards and 9 TDs.

Daniel Limon, Sierra Vista -- Area's leading receiver with 47 receptions for 1,101 yards and 9 TDs.

Brandon Parham, South Hills -- Who would have thought the starting quarterback at the beginning of the season would be on this list. He has great hands and big play ability. He's averaging 18.9 yards a catch with five touchdowns after starting at wideout in week three. Huskies are undefeated with him at receiver.

Donnie McWhirter, Western Christian -- Small school consideration because his numbers are so good, 48 receptions, 1,090 yards and 13 TDS.

Andrew Romero, Wilson -- I haven't seen him, but reporters who have rave about his athleticism and catching ability. He has 39 receptions for 667 yards.

Kyle Warren, Diamond Bar -- Maybe it helps when your brother is also the quarterback. But there's no doubt he's among the valley's elite.

Kevin Jones, Northview -- Very good playmaking receiver with 467 yards and seven touchdowns.

Mikey Harrell, Charter Oak -- With 36 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns, he doesn't have the numbers of the others, partly because the Chargers' offense is so versatile. But ask anyone, and they'll tell you he's among valley's elite.

Tanner Zylstra, Bonita -- Marveled at Zylstra when I watched him against San Dimas. If we had a draft, I'm guessing he would be a top three pick.

Frank Lopez, Bishop Amat -- If the Lancers were having a better season, there would be more talk about this guy. He has great hands, and has 27 receptions for 415 yards.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (51)

It's official, three championship games on Friday

Montview
Duarte (4-0) at La Puente (4-0)

Sierra
Ayala (3-0) at Glendora (3-0)

Miramonte
Bonita (2-0) at Charter Oak (2-0)

Monday's results
Duarte 49, Bassett 6 -- The formality is over, time for the Falcons and Warriors to play for the league title.

Glendora 28, Chino 14 -- Not this close, really, Tartans led 21-0 in the first quarter and coasted home. Get ready Tartans fans, you've got a championship game on Friday against Ayala.

Ayala 19, Chino Hills 10 -- This Ayala story is amazing. To go from 0-10 to beating Damien, Chino Hills and now playing Glendora for the Sierra League title was unthinkable at the beginning of the season. And they sure do make Duarte's only loss not that big of a deal.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (131)

This weekends Saturday Morning Quarterback was the worst, and won't be tolerated any longer. The foul-language, signing on with well-known users screen names, and going so off topic that it's turning away our favorite people. I now have the authority to ban IP Addresses, and already have banned a few. If you're a regular poster, and someone else is using your screen name, email me ASAP and I will ban the imposters. To everyone else, consider this your only warning. And if you are banned and want to be reconsidered, you'll have to email me personally at fred.robledo@sgvn.com.
Sorry it came to this, but enough is enough.

Need your input: What are your thoughts on registration? You would still be anonymous but be required to use a screen name to post comments. Hopefully, these were just a few idiots I had to ban over the weekend and we can go back to normal conversation. Personally, I'd like to avoid registration. But if it comes to it, we may have to do it for the sanity of the blog.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (56)

Glendora on Monday: The Chino School District canceled all events for its teams through the weekend. Therefore, Glendora will be at Chino, and Chino Hills will be at Ayala on Monday Night, 7 p.m.

Duarte-Bassett postponed until Monday: Bassett football coach Leon Ward said their game against Duarte has been rescheduled for Monday night at 6 p.m.

Above: Eagles march out, then march past host Arroyo, 40-19.

South El Monte-Arroyo game of the week highlights and interviews

Friday's results
San Dimas 35, Northview 3 -- Had a feeling the Saints would bounce back.
Charter Oak 49, Los Altos 21 -- Conq's led 14-0, but Chargers just too good.
South El Monte 40, Arroyo 19 -- Three touchdowns in fourth broke it open for Eagles.
Diamond Ranch 35, Wilson 28 -- DRanch almost blew a huge lead.
Crespi 55, Bishop Amat 5 -- When's the last time Amat got beat this bad?
West Covina 44, Nogales 22 -- It's settled, South Hills-West Cov to play for title on Thursday.
South Hills 42, Rowland 10 -- Huskies cruise as expected; on Fox Sports live vs. Bulldogs
Damien 41, Diamond Bar 12 -- Spartans needed this in the worst way.
Rosemead 27, Gabrielino 6 -- No surprise, Panthers back in playoff contention.
Covina 40, Ganesha 21 -- BPark-Covina should be interesting this week.
Mountain View 33, El Monte 15 -- Well, lets call it the shocker of the night.
La Puente 34, Gladstone 7 -- Warriors ready for showdown with Duarte next.
Azusa 38, Workman 22 -- Azusa inching closer to playoff berth.
Bonita 35, Walnut 7 -- Okay, lets see how they finish against Los Altos and Charter Oak.

Saturday's games and predictions
Western Christian vs. Ontario Christian at Citrus College, Noon -- Robledo (Ont Christian); Ramirez (Ont Christian)

Monday's games and predictions
Duarte at Bassett, 6 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte); Ramirez (Duarte)
Glendora vs. Chino, 7 p.m.-- Robledo (Glendora); Ramirez (Glendora)

Baldwin Park 33, Pomona 22 -- Tied 14-14 at half, Braves go on 12-0 third-quarter run to improve to 3-0 in Valle Vista

For quarter-by-quarter updates of Friday's games, click scoreboard:

http://lang.sgvtribune.com/preps/scoreboard/week8.asp

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (376)

Tonight's scheduled games
Baldwin Park vs. Pomona at Ganesha, 7 p.m.
Glendora at Chino, 7 p.m., Monday, 7 p.m..

Live blogging of today's events, with updates as soon as we get them ....

4:35 p.m. -- Just finished my final round of phone calls with coaches, and everything scheduled for Friday is still on. In fact, nearly every coach I talked to sounded optimistic about getting the games in. If there are any cancellations on Friday, I'll let you know as soon as I can. Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

3:54 p.m. -- Glendora school officials said they will not play on Friday. They're hoping to play on Saturday instead.

3:50 p.m. -- It is official, Baldwin Park is playing tonight vs. Pomona at Ganesha, 7 p.m.

12:18: p.m. -- Glendora athletic director Brock Jacobsen said their game against Chino has been postponed because of poor air quality. They will try to reschedule it for Friday, but have not determined a site. Chino High School is unavailable, so they're looking at the possibility of playing at Chino Hills High.

11:51 a.m. -- Whittier Daily News reporter Roger Murray informed me that the Whittier School District has postponed all outdoor athletic events through at least Friday. This means all Del Rio League football games scheduled for Friday (La Serna-California; El Rancho-Whittier, and Santa Fe-Pioneer) have been postponed. They're discussing the possibility of play them on Saturday instead.

10:45 a.m. -- Los Altos coach Greg Gano said that he expects to play Friday's game against Charter Oak. He said the Hacienda Heights school district has given them the green light to do a light practice today. Also, at Rowland, coach Craig Snyder said they will take a wait and see approach and make a final decision on whether to play Friday's game against South Hills on Friday. As of now, the plan is to play the game.

10:18 a.m. -- Went to L.A. Times website, in which reporter Dan Arrittt reports that all football games scheduled to be played this week in Orange County have been canceled, according to county superintendent Bill Habermehl, who spoke on Fox news this morning and said:
"We had a conference call with all of our districts and superintendents and their representatives this morning to talk about the air quality and the decision about, not only athletics, but other extracurricular activities, and the weather and air is so bad here in Orange County and all of Southern California that all 15 of our district superintendents decided to cancel all athletic events and extracurricular activities through the weekend."

10:05 a.m. -- I spoke with Glendora officials, who repeated that they will wait until noon to make a decision on whether to play tonight's game at Chino. The alternative is to play at Downey High School.

9:54 a.m. -- Just got off the phone with Baldwin Park athletic director Mike Zimmerman who told me that Baldwin Park's game vs. Pomona at Ganesha tonight is still on.
"We're doing everything possible to get it played," Zimmerman said. "We're monitoring the situation closely, and would never put kids health in jeopardy. Unless something drastic changes, the plan is to play the game tonight. Our bus leaves at 4 p.m., so we have until then to make a final decision. But as of now, the game is on."

Thursday's game and predictions
Baldwin Park vs. Pomona at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (BPark), Rameriz (BPark)

Posted by Fred Robledo at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (89)

LATEST: Because of an ineligible player, Diamond Ranch, which was in prime position to make a run at the Miramonte League title, is now fighting for its playoff life. The school learned of an ineligible player, and reported itself to CIF, thus forfeiting all wins up to this point, including both Miramonte League wins over Bonita and Los Altos. Diamond Ranch was 5-2 and 2-0, and now will be 0-7 and 0-2, according to CIF spokesperson, Thom Simmons. Simmons also informed me that they have received the paperwork requesting a hardship for the player who Diamond Ranch has declared ineligible. Simmons said typically, it takes 7-10 days for CIF to make a determination on his eligibility.

On Wednesday, The Pomona Unified School Disctrict released this statement
When a student transfers to another high school and wants to compete in athletics, the proper transfer-eligibility paperwork has to be filed with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). It was discovered late Tuesday afternoon that in the case of one Diamond Ranch High School (football) player that didn’t happen. As a result, the Panthers must now forfeit their two league wins, and it’s not yet known whether that player will be given permission to play in the team’s remaining games, pending a hardship application.
“This was our mistake entirely,” said Principal Monica Principe. “The rules are very clear and we just didn’t follow up to make sure CIF had received the paperwork we sent, and they say they didn’t. We’re terribly sorry for disappointing our players, their families, our students, and all the fans.”
Diamond Ranch still has two Miramonte League games left, and could still be playoff- eligible, depending on the results of those games and on the end-of-season decision by league members on which teams to send to the playoffs.
“We have personally delivered the required paperwork to CIF today, and are hoping to find out by Friday if this student will be allowed to play in the remaining games,” said Principe.

As a result, the Miramonte League standings are as follows.
Bonita 2-0
Charter Oak 1-0
Los Altos 1-0
Diamond Ranch 0-2
Wilson 0-2

Posted by Fred Robledo at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (181)

Above: Single parent Tina Withem stands with her sons Bronze (right) and Kyle (left) in front of the Red Roof Inn Motel in San Dimas, where she and her four other children lived for nearly three years. Bronze and Kyle are standout linebackers on the Saints football team.
For the full story, click link
http://www.sgvtribune.com/preps/ci_7263690

Posted by Fred Robledo at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

UPDATE: Glendora coach Mark Pasquarella said as of now, Thursday's game at Chino High School is still on, but they will make a final determination on Thursday at Noon. If the game can't be played at Chino because of poor air quality, he said the schools have tentatively agreed to move the game to Downey High School. Also, Baldwin Park coach James Heggins said they're in the same situation. They're scheduled to play Pomona at Ganesha on Thursday. A final decision will be made on Thursday, but no alternate site has been selected at this point. As soon as I have new information, I'll pass it along.

Fire Update: We have not been informed of any Thursday or Friday night football games being canceled because of poor air quality stemming from the fires throughout the Southland. Several High School football teams were forced to cancel practice on Tuesday, and more may continue today. We will keep you posted.
If there are cancellations, leagues have two options on how to handle it because CIF will not extend the season.
The 2003 fires in Corona and Riverside forced the postponement of several league games. As a result, several leagues opted to use the final week of the regular season to play on Monday and Friday to get the games in. Some leagues decided not to reschedule, and played a shortened league season.
"The plan is to let the leagues and the schools decide what's best for them," said CIF-SS spokesperson Thom Simmons. "If they can't play their full compliment of games, that's their decision."
Question: How would you decide it?

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)

Time Warner's Reginald Miller, Tribune Prep Editor Fred J. Robledo and staff writer Steve Ramirez discuss four of this week's top games. By the way, Miller does a great job following our local teams and beyond on his popular site "A Local Sports Show" ... go check it out.
http://www.alocalsportsshow.com/main.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alocalsportsshow.com%2F

Thursday's game
Glendora at Chino, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/102407_GLENDORAVSCHINO.asp

Friday's games
South El Monte at Arroyo, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/102407_SELMONTEVSARROYO.asp

Charter Oak at Los Altos, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/102407_CHARTEROAKVSLOSALTOS.asp

Northview at San Dimas, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/102407_SANDIMASVSNORTHVIEW.asp

Posted by Fred Robledo at 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)

Above: San Dimas players celebrating win over Ganesha on Monday.

Girls Volleyball Top 10 Rankings
1. Bonita (10-2) One-two punch has Bearcats rolling
2. South Hills (9-6) Starting to find some consistency
3. Los Altos (17-5) Falls after back-to-back losses
4. Walnut (13-4) Gets shot at Huskies tonight
5. Diamond Bar (14-9) Still in Sierra hunt
6. Bishop Amat (12-7) Scored big win over La Salle
7. Glendora (7-6) Rallied vs. St. Lucy's, then lost
8. Gladstone (14-4) Has yet to drop a game in league
9. San Dimas (13-6) Valle Vista is Saints to lose
10. St. Lucy's (9-8) Here come the Regents
Note: Rankings and records are based on matches played thru Oct. 22

Above: South Hillscelebrates Tuesday's win over Walnut

Comments: After several comments from a few readers, I've decided it would be best to base the rankings through Monday's matches, and will will continue that through the rest of the season...The extra day to determine the top 10 had no bearing on who's No. 1, however. Bonita showed it deserved to be King for the week after knocking off previous No. 1 Los Altos in four games...It was a tough week for the Conquerors, who drop to No. 3 after following up the loss to the Bearcats with a five-game setback to South Hills, whiich appears to have solved its consistency problems...Props go to Covina, which is slowing moving up the latter following last week's upset of Valle Vista frontrunner San Dimas...The Saints recovered nicely with a victory over Ganesha in a battle for first place Monday, sweeping the Giants in three...St. Lucy's, which lost its coach a few weeks ago, is also making a second-half push and has now won four consecutive matches going into today's first-place battle with Sierra leader Ayala. The Regents' streak inlcudes a five-game win over rival Glendora, which rallied from two games down to force a fifth game before losing.
Quote of the week: "It's interesting how the mental toughness was there (in game four), but not in the fifth game. If you can figure that out, let me know." - Glendora coach Jen Barbone after the Tartans lost in five games to St. Lucy's.

Posted by Steve Ramirez at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (69)

Above: Baldwin Park players celebrate a touchdown. The Braves made the biggest jump in this weeks rankings, going from No. 13 to No. 9 after 12-6 win over San Dimas

Tribune rankings from top to bottom
1. Charter Oak (5-1-1)
2. Diamond Ranch (5-2)
3. South Hills (5-2)
4. Glendora (5-2)
5. Los Altos (4-3)
6. Duarte (6-1)
7. Northview (5-2)
8. Arroyo (5-2)
9. Baldwin Park (5-2)
10. San Dimas (6-1)
11. Bishop Amat (2-5)
12. El Monte (4-2)
13. Rosemead (4-3)
14. Damien (2-4-1)
15. South El Monte (3-4)
16. Bonita (3-4)
17. Covina (3-3)
18. La Puente (4-3)
19. Diamond Bar (2-5)
20. Wilson (3-3)
21. West Covina (2-4)
22. Mountain View (3-3)
23. Rowland (2-5)
24. Nogales (2-4)
25. Sierra Vista (2-5)
26. Workman (2-5)
27. Gladstone (3-5)
28. Walnut (1-6)
29. Azusa (2-5)
30. Western Christian (2-5)
31. Bassett (0-7)

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (90)

In no particular order, these area the area's top offensive lineman. Obviously this is the toughest category to nail down. Stats don't do these guys justice, and they hardly ever get their names mentioned in the newspaper, but they're the heart and soul of any football team. Thanks to the coaches and those of you who emailed in to help put this list together. Inevitably, there will be a few players who are deserving that we left off, but we did the best we could.

Above: Glendora center Austin Sefton getting ready to snap the ball to Drew Kaluzny.

Dominique Austin, Bishop Amat, 6-4, 250, senior -- The area's biggest and baddest stud.
Willie Vess, Covina, 5-11, 230, senior, -- One of the reason's the Colts move so easily on offense.
Nick Longoria, Los Altos, 6-2, 240, senior -- Need to step up more than ever with depleted frontline.
Domanic Blanco, Charter Oak, 6-0, 240, senior -- When pressed, Farrar said he's the one
Robert Diaz, Northview, 6-0, 270, senior -- Vikings don't have a lot of seniors, but he's a special one.
Austin Sefton, Glendora, 5-10, 235, senior, -- Arguably the area's best center.
Ryan Doll, San Dimas, 6-0, 220, junior -- Already a two-year starter who makes life easy for Nico Barbone.
Carl Schmitz, Damien, 6-6, 322, senior -- Incredible size and potential.
Charles Cisneros, Diamond Ranch, 6-3, 275, senior -- Three year starter who thrilled coach at Army All-American combine.
Roland Penaloza, Arroyo, 5-11, 225, senior -- Knights coach Jim Singiser has nothing but praise for the tough guy.
Jarred McGarry, Glendora, 5-11, 290, senior -- Another one of the Tartans' big hogs.
Andrew Oviedo, Rosemead, 6-1, 240, senior -- Koffler always has good offensive lineman and he's one of them.
John Earnest, South Hills, 5-10, 270, senior -- Was second team all league as a junior.
Stephen Ochoa, Bishop Amat, 6-4, 235, senior -- Guys love running behind this big senior.
Rod Arrant, Covina, 5-11, 280, senior -- Another Colt that league coaches had high praise for.
Cory Geer, San Dimas, 6-4, 205, senior -- Saints three-year varsity starter.

Above: Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar looking over his O-Line.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (77)

Steve Ramirez and Fred J. Robledo going head-to-head throughout the season.

Records:
Robledo: Last week (14-4); Season (116-45)
Ramirez: Last week (14-4); Season (117-44)

Notes: With three weeks left in the regular season and the playoffs looming, Ramirez and I are neck-and-neck. We both went 14-4 last week, sharing three of the same losses. We both picked Bishop Amat over Alemany, Rosemead over El Monte and San Dimas over Baldwin Park. Steve got me on picking La Puente over Sierra Vista, but I had Chino beating Diamond Bar, so he will take his one-game lead into this week. And nothing's going to change. For the first time, we picked all the same games. That's just how it worked out, I always pick my games first then ask Steve for his. He doesn't know who I picked, so that's how the cards fell.

Game of the week: South El Monte (3-4, 2-0) at Arroyo (5-2, 2-0), 7 p.m.

Thursday's games
Baldwin Park vs. Pomona at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (BPark); Ramirez (BPark)
Glendora at Chino, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Glendora); Ramirez (Glendora)

Friday's games
Northview at San Dimas, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (San Dimas); Ramirez (San Dimas)
Charter Oak at Los Altos, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Charter Oak); Ramirez (Charter Oak)
South El Monte at Arroyo, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SElMonte); Ramirez (SElMonte)
Diamond Ranch vs. Wilson at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DRanch); Ramirez (DRanch)
Bishop Amat vs. Crespi at L.A. Pierce College, 7:30 p.m. -- Rolbedo (Crespi); Ramirez (Crespi)
Nogales at West Covina, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (WCovina); Ramirez (WCovina)
South Hills at Rowland, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SHills); Ramirez (SHills)
Damien at Diamond Bar, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Damien); Ramirez (Damien)
Rosemead at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rosemead); Ramirez (Rosemead)
Covina vs. Ganesha at Covina District, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Covina); Ramirez (Covina)
Duarte at Bassett, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte); Ramirez (Duarte)
El Monte at Mountain View, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (El Monte); Ramirez (El Monte)
Gladstone at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (La Puente); Ramirez (La Puente)
Workman vs. Azusa at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa); Ramirez (Azusa)
Walnut at Bonita, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Bonita); Ramirez (Bonita)

Saturday's game
Western Christian vs. Ontario Christian at Citrus College, Noon -- Robledo (Ont Christian); Ramirez (Ont Christian)

Final Thoughts: Los Altos apparently has lost Bryce Mahmud-McBride for the rest of the season with a broken leg. He joins fellow seniors Raymond Rodriguez and Josh Contreas, who were all potential Miramonte League standouts if not obvious first-team choices. Yet, even without Mahmud-McBride for nearly the whole game, the Conquerors had Diamond Ranch beat with less than a minute left before Diamond Ranch's miracle. What I'm saying is as bad as looks, don't ever count Los Altos out in a game against Charter Oak, which I'm guessing will be much closer than people think it will. I thought Friday would settle the Valle Vista League title until Baldwin Park showed up and knocked out undefeated San Dimas. If Northview wins on Friday, circle your calendar for Nov. 9 -- when the Braves take on the Vikings at Covina District. Arroyo and yes, South El Monte could be deciding the Mission Valley League title this week. Both teams are 2-0 while pre-league favorite Rosemead is a shocking 0-2. South El Monte is becoming the feel-good story of the year. To start 0-4 and come back the way they have says a lot about those kids character, and the determination of their coaching staff.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (71)

Friday's results
Glendora 27, Chino Hills 20 -- Tartans in the drivers seat in Sierra, now lets see how they handle the drive home. Clearly, a huge win for their program over another quality opponent. Games left against Chino, Ayala and Diamond Bar. Ayala obviously poses a threat, but it's their title to lose now.
Charter Oak 55, West Covina 28 -- That's back-to-back whippings over Wilson and West Cov.
Baldwin Park 12, San Dimas 6 -- Who would of thought a year after losing Harris the Braves would be in the thick of the Valle Vista League race. Got to tell ya, they have a tough, tough defense. They'll give Northview fits when they meet in the Nov. 9 league finale.
Arroyo 37, Mountain View 12 -- Knights set up showdown next week with South El Monte
El Monte 17, Rosemead 16 -- My gosh, what happened to the Panthers. I know, I know, I should be giving El Monte credit. But who in the world thought Rosemead would start 0-2 in the MVL?
South El Monte 18, Gabrielino 7 -- Forget the 3-4 record, that's three straight wins and 2-0 in the MVL.
Gladstone 15, Bassett 14 -- Gladiators rallied from a 14-0 deficit
Duarte 49, Workman 0 -- That's why I call getting your mojo back
La Puente 34, Sierra Vista 18 -- Warriors looking more and more like a playoff team.
Bonita 42, Wilson 7 -- Bearcats roll while Tim Gilmore goes out with a hurt knee in second quarter.
Rowland 14, Nogales 7 -- Finally, the Raiders on the winning end of a close game
South Hills 42, Walnut 3 -- No surprise at all, Huskies should continue to cruise through San Antonio
Ayala 34, Damien 33 -- Spartans blow a 33-14 lead; playoff chances fading
Covina 41, Pomona 14 -- Colts bounce back after Northview loss
Alemany 27, Bishop Amat 9 -- What's it gonna take for the Lancers to win in consecutive weeks?
Chino 49, Diamond Bar 36 -- Brahmas scoring points, but giving up way too much
Aquinas 27, Azusa 24 -- Much closer than Ramirez and I thought it would be

Thursday's results
Diamond Ranch 28, Los Altos 24 -- Conquerors took a 24-21 lead with just over five minutes left and appeared to have it won. But Diamond Ranch's Brandon Sermons got open for an 83-yard TD reception with 26 seconds left to give DRanch the victory. Amazing it was close considering Mahmud-McBride got injured on his first play from scrimmage and watched the rest of it on crutches. Appeared to be his knee, but don't know his status, which would be another terrible blow to the Conqs. DRanch coach Roddy Layton was ejected, and will miss their next game.
Northview 34, Ganesha 0 -- The warm-up show is over, time to face San Dimas. Do the Vikes have what it takes to be the first to knock off the Saints? Find out next Friday unless Baldwin Park figures it out first.

For quarter-by-quarter updates and scores, click scoreboard

http://lang.sgvtribune.com/preps/scoreboard/week6.asp

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (652)

Above: Bonita players celebrating victory over top-ranked Los Altos on Tuesday.

Girls Volleyball Top 10 Rankings
1. Los Altos (17-3) Taking care of business
2. Bonita (8-2) Swept its past five matches
3. South Hills (7-6) Finding its rhythm
4. Walnut (11-4) Drops one after splitting two
5. Diamond Bar (9-7) Battling inconsistency
6. Glendora (7-6) Big win over Ayala
7. Bishop Amat (11-5) Hitting its dead zone
8. San Dimas (11-5) Road to VVL title runs through the Saints
9. Gladstone (19-9) Rolling through Montview
10. Northview (9-2) Falls after losing last two
Note: Rankings and records are based on matches played thru Oct. 13

Above: St. Lucy's celebrates five-game victory over Glendora on Wednesday.

Comments: First off, if these rankings were based as of today, the top two would obviously be flip-flopped. Bonita definitely showed its ability with Tuesday's four-game win over Los Altos. But the Conquerors showed they are no slouch, surviving five match points before the Bearcats finally broke through. The rematch is scheduled for Nov. 1, so circle your calendar. ... Is there a tougher league than the Sierra? While the Miramonte boasts the top two clubs in the area, its harder to find a more balanced league in the Sierra League, where Ayala, Diamond Bar, Glendora and Chino Hills began the week separated by a match and now you can add St. Lucy's to the mix after the Regents beat Chino Hills on Monday....South Hills, after struggling with inconsistency, appears to have found its second wind after winning its last three, including a win over Walnut. The Mustangs hope to pay back their San Antonio League rival when they host the Huskies next Tuesday...The Valle Vista League is once again San Dimas' to win or lose after the Saints exercised their might with back-to-back wins over contenders Northview and Ganesha.

For a complete list of CIF-SS rankings, click thread

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Division I-AA
1. Mira Costa; 2. Los Alamitos; 3. Newport Harbor; 4. Redondo Union; 5. Vista Murrieta; 6. Long Beach Wilson; 7. Lakewood; 8. Long Beach Poly; 9. Orange Lutheran; 10. Mater Dei.
Division I-A
1. Santa Barbara; 2. Harvard-Westlake; 3. Flintridge Sacred-Heart; 4. Marymount; 5. Dos Pueblos; 6. Notre Dame Academy; 7. Arroyo Grande; 8. El Dorado; 9. Brea Olinda; 10. Upland (tie); 10. Thousand Oaks (tie).
Division II-AA
1. Laguna Beach; 2. Corona del Mar; 3. Bishop Montgomery; 4. University; 5. La Habra; 6. Oxnard; 7. Ayala; 8. Walnut; 9. Glendora; 10. South Hills.
Division II-A
1. North Torrance; 2. Elsinore; 3. M.L. King; 4. South Torrance; 5. Riverside Poly; 6. Redlands East Valley; 7. La Canada; 8. Burbank Burroughs; 9. Arcadia; 10. Pasadena.
Division III-AA
1. Oak Park; 2. Santa Ynez; 3. Oaks Christian; 4. Cypress; 5. Santa Monica; 6. Downey; 7. La Reina; 8. Quartz Hill; 9. Warren; 10. Lancaster.
Division III-A
1. La Quinta; 2. Los Altos; 3. Brentwood; 4. Bonita; 5. Village Christian; 6. Cerritos Valley Christian; 7. Bell Gardens; 8. La Mirada; 9. Palm Desert; 10. Mayfair.
Division IV-AA
1. Mayfield; 2. Westridge; 3. St. Margaret’s; 4. Chadwick; 5. Arrowhead Christian; 6. Ontario Christian; 7. St. Paul; 8. Oxford Academy; 9. Rio Hondo Prep; 10. Gladstone.
Division IV-A
1. Calvary Murietta; 2. Woodcrest Christian; 3. Bishop Conato Loretto; 4. Laguna Blanca; 5. Twentynine Palms; 6. Big Bear; 7. Lucerne Valley; 8. Dunn; 9. Frazier Mountain; 10. Crossroads.
Division V-AA
1. Desert Christian/Bermuda Dunes; 2. Baptist Christian; 3. California Lutheran; 4. Victor Valley Christian; 5. Milken Community; 6. Upland Christian; 7. Faith Baptist; 8. Santa Clarita Christian; 9. La Verne Lutheran; 10. Hesperia Christian.
Division V-A
1. Connelly; 2. Coastal Christian; 3. Valley Christian/Santa Maria; 4. Liberty Christian; 5. Fairmont Prep; 6. Saddleback Valley Christian; 7. Pacifica Christian; 8. Shandon; 9. Maricopa; 10. Cornerstotne Christian/Wildormar.

Posted by Steve Ramirez at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (84)

Tribune rankings from top to bottom
1. Charter Oak (4-1-1)
2. Diamond Ranch (4-2)
3. South Hills (4-2)
4. Los Altos (4-2)
5. San Dimas (6-0)
6. Glendora (4-2)
7. Bishop Amat (2-4)
8. Duarte (5-1)
9. Northview (4-2)
10. Damien (2-3-1)
11. Rosemead (4-2)
12. Arroyo (4-2)
13. Baldwin Park (4-2)
14. Wilson (3-3)
15. West Covina (3-3)
16. Diamond Bar (2-4)
17. Bonita (2-4)
18. Covina (2-3)
19. South El Monte (2-4)
20. El Monte (3-3)
21. Mountain View (3-2)
22. La Puente (3-3)
23. Nogales (2-4)
24. Rowland (1-5)
25. Workman (2-4)
26. Sierra Vista (2-5)
27. Walnut (1-5)
28 Gladstone (2-5)
29. Azusa (2-4)
30. Western Christian (2-4)
31. Bassett (0-6)

For a complete list of the CIF-SS polls, click thread

CIF-SS TOP 10 POLLS
FOOTBALL

Central Division
1. Rancho Verde; 2. Chaffey; 3. Moreno Valley; 4. Arcadia; 5. Colony; 6. Paloma Valley; 7. Colton; 8. Arroyo Valley; 9. Muir; 10. Vista del Lago.
Eastern Division
1. Serrano; 2. J.W. North; 3. M.L. King; 4. Hesperia; 5. La Quinta; 6. Rim of the World; 7. Bloomington; 8. Apple Valley; 9. Palm Desert; 10. Silverado.
East Valley Division
1. Citrus Hill; 2. Big Bear; 3. San Jacinto; 4. Notre Dame/Riverside; 5. Chadwick; 6. Twentynine Palms; 7. Ontario Christian; 8. Desert; 9. Frazier Mountain; 10. Flintridge Prep.
Inland Division
1. Cor. Centennial; 2. Vista Murrieta; 3. Redlands East Valley; 4. Norco; 5. A.B. Miller; 6. Temescal Canyon; 7. Chaparral 8. Los Osos; 9. Corona Santiago; 10. Murrieta Valley.
Mid-Valley Division
1. Duarte; 2. Paraclete; 3. Bishop Diego; 4. Santa Clara; 5. Blair; 6. Cantwell-Sacred Heart; 7. San Marino; 8. Fillmore; 9. Malibu; 10. L.A. Baptist.
Northeast Division
1. St. Margaret’s; 2. Saddleback; 3. Brentwood; 4. Bell-Jeff; 5. Maranatha; 6. Whittier Christian; 7. Calvary Murrieta; 8. Hamilton; 9. Sage Hill; 10. Boron.
Northern Division
1. Hart; 2. Newbury Park; 3. St. Bonaventure; 4. Saugus; 5. Atascadero; 6. Valencia; 7. Moorpark; 8. Canyon Country Canyon; 9. San Luis Obispo; 10. Paso Robles.
Northwest Division
1. Morro Bay; 2. Oaks Christian; 3. St. Joseph/Santa Maria; 4. Oak Park; 5. San Dimas; 6. Serral; 7. Templeton; 8. Harvard-Westlake; 9. South Torrance; 10. Bosco Tech.
Pac-5 Division
1. Mater Dei; 2. Orange Lutheran; 3. Long Beach Poly; 4. Nortre Dame/Sherman Oaks; 5. Servite; 6. Los Alamitos; 7. Compton; 8. Crespi; 9. Mission Viejo; 10. Esperanza.
Southeast Division
1. La Habra; 2. California; 3. La Serna; 4. Troy; 5. Arroyo; 6. San Gabriel; 7. Ocean View; 8. Santa Fe; 9. Rosemead; 10. Schurr.
Southern Division
1. Anaheim; 2. University; 3. Placentia Valencia; 4. Western; 5. Laguna Hills; 6. Kennedy; 7. Pacifica; 8. Cypress; 9. Irvine; 10. Savanna.
Southwest Division
1. El Dorado; 2. Anaheim Canyon; 3. Charter Oak; 4. Trabuco Hills; 5. Foothill; 6. El Modena; 7. Diamond Ranch; 8. South Hills; 9. Los Altos; 10. Norwalk.
Western Division
1. Culver City; 2. Dominguez; 3. West Torrance; 4. Chaminade; 5. Palmdale; 6. Leuzinger; 7. Santa Monica; 8. St. Paul; 9. Alemany; 10. Mira Costa.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (189)

Time Warner's Reginald Miller, Tribune Prep Editor Fred J. Robledo and staff writer Steve Ramirez discuss three of this week's top games. By the way, Miller does a great job following our local teams and beyond on his popular site "A Local Sports Show" ... go check it out.
http://www.alocalsportsshow.com/main.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alocalsportsshow.com%2F

Friday's games

San Dimas at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/101707_SANDIMASBPARK.asp

Glendora at Chino Hills, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/101707_GLENDORACHINOHILLS.asp

West Covina at Charter Oak, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/101707_WESTCCHARTER.asp

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)

I know many of you have asked why Charter Oak and Glendora are not playing each other next season, so I asked both coaches why the contract wasn't renewed. The answers were interesting, leading me to believe there is much more going on behind the scenes.

Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar: "They (Glendora) dropped us. We would have loved to play them, it was very disappointing. I always thought it was a great game. There was a mayor's trophy involved and all that good stuff. It was good for both places in terms of excitement about the game and from a revenue standpoint. You would have to ask them why we're not playing, we wanted to continue it."

Glendora coach Mark Pasquarella:: "From our standpoint, there was a difference in philosophy. I'd rather not get into all the details, but it's an emotional game for our kids, and I didn't like the way it was set up."

Noteworthy: As a result, Farrar went on to say that he tried to schedule Northview next year, but he heard the Vikings are already signed to play Los Altos in week one.

Five games I would love to watch next season
Bishop Amat vs. Los Altos
South Hills vs. Diamond Ranch
Charter Oak vs. Muir
San Dimas vs. Glendora
Northview vs. Damien

Posted by Fred Robledo at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (126)

Above: South Hills' Damon Kuklinski getting ready to make a tackle.

In no particular order, these are the area's top muscle men. Obviously, this is a tough group to pick. There are so many more names that we could have included, but this isn't a bad list to start with. By the way, this list isn't broken down into top linebackers, lineman, etc, just top defensive front guys.

Dominique Austin, Bishop Amat - Could be best of the best. Listed at 6-5, 250 pounds, the Lancers standout is leaning toward Arizona and San Diego State.

Damon Kuklinski, South Hills - He's out with an injury, but he was the Huskies' leading tackler when he went down.

Spencer Stueve, Diamond Ranch -- The senior is averaging 10 tackles per game on one of the area's best defenses.

Chris Kovar, Glendora - All conversations about the Tartans' talented D-Line starts and ends with Kovar, a returning All-Sierra League selection.

Nick Padilla, Charter Oak - Coming off his best game, a three-sack performance in a 50-6 win over Wilson.

Marc Felix, Los Altos - Ray Rodriguez and Josh Contreas should be on this list too, but both are out with season-ending injuries. In any case, Felix is having another great season.

Bronze Withem, San Dimas -- The 5-foot-11, 200 pound senior is averaging 11 tackles per game and has 69, including 39 solo on the season.

Kebin Umodo, South Hills -- The returning All-CIF Southwest Division first-team selection is having another fine year for the Huskies. In fact, the Huskies are loaded with guys on the D-Line.

Andrew Rodriguez, Northview - The Vikings need more tough guys like Rodriguez if they hope to stop San Dimas next week.

John Rabe, Damien -- The Spartans standout is having a great season despite his teams struggles. At 6-5, 260 pounds, should make a great addition at Oregon.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (113)

Steve Ramirez and Fred J. Robledo going head-to-head throughout the season.

Records:
Robledo: Last week (11-7); Season (102-41)
Ramirez: Last week (14-4); Season (103-40)

Notes: The world's falling apart. I haven't won the office pool since Labor Day and now Ramirez has passed me in the season total. Time to man-up and drink by bottle of get tough. Steve got me in the big games, going with Bishop Amat over St. Paul and Glendora over Damien, and got lucky with Walnut over Nogales. We both missed South El Monte over Rosemead, Gabrielino over Rosemead, Western Christian over Riverside Christian (upset of the week) and Ayala over Diamond Bar. Well, guess it's time to find my second wind.

Thursday's games
Diamond Ranch vs. Los Altos at Ganesha, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Diamond Ranch); Ramirez (Diamond Ranch)
Northview vs. Ganesha at Covina District Stadium, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Northview); Ramirez (Northview)

Friday's games
Arroyo at Mountain View, 7 p.m.-- Robledo (Arroyo); Ramirez (Arroyo)
Rosemead at El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rosemead); Ramirez (Rosemead)
South El Monte at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (South El Monte); Ramirez (South El Monte)
Bassett vs. Gladstone at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Gladstone); Ramirez (Gladstone)
Duarte vs. Workman at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte); Ramirez (Duarte)
La Puente at Sierra Vista, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Sierra Vista); Ramirez (La Puente)
Wilson at Bonita, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Bonita); Ramirez (Bonita)
Rowland at Nogales, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rowland); Ramirez (Rowland)
South Hills vs. Walnut at Covina District, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (South Hills); Ramirez (South Hills)
Diamond Bar at Chino, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Chino); Ramirez (Diamond Bar)
Glendora at Chino Hills, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Glendora); Ramirez (Glendora)
Ayala at Damien, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Ayala); Ramirez (Ayala)
San Dimas at Baldwin Park (CA), 7 p.m. -- Robledo (San Dimas); Ramirez (San Dimas)
Covina vs. Pomona at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Covina); Ramirez (Covina)
Bishop Amat at Alemany, 7:30 p.m. -- Robledo (Bishop Amat); Ramirez (Bishop Amat)
Azusa at Aquinas, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Aquinas); Ramirez (Aquinas)
West Covina at Charter Oak, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Charter Oak); Ramirez (Charter Oak)

Final Thoughts: Hard to go with Los Altos over Diamond Ranch. I don't know if Ray Rodriguez would have changed the outcome in last week's loss to South Hills, but it was obvious the Conquerors missed him. You have to think that DRanch, after shutting out Bonita, will pin a second straight loss on the Conqs. Also wondering if Baldwin Park, whose only two setbacks were close losses to West Covina and El Monte, can hang with San Dimas at home. If not, it will likely set up the Valle Vista league title showdown next week when the Saints take on Northview at the District Field. The Sierra League title will likely be decided this week. Yes, Ayala's a sleeper, but if Glendora can follow its win over Damien with a win at Chino Hills, you have to like their chances of winning the Sierra, or at least earning a tie. Glendora fans may not like this, but I'm going with the Tartans this week. I know I've been more wrong that right with you guys, but I've got that feeling again.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1321)

Above: South Hills High's Brandon Parham, left, congratulates Alex Bromstead, right, after Bromstead scored in the first quarter against Los Altos.

Friday's results
South Hills 35, Los Altos 21 -- Nobody playing better than the Huskies in last four games. All their big names showed up and had an impact.
Glendora 35, Damien 14 -- Didn't see them putting a whipping on the Spartans like this
Bishop Amat 31, St. Paul 30 (3 OT) -- Fans treated to a triple-overtime thriller at Kiefer
Charter Oak 50, Wilson 6 -- After all those close Miramonte wins last year, this must of fell great for Farrar and Co.
Northview 38, Covina 13 -- The Vikings needed a wake-up call, and that's what their crosstown rival provided. There will be a new champion in the Valle Vista. It Should probably come down to Northview-San Dimas.
Diamond Ranch 19, Bonita 0 -- You know what the Panthers are thinking: Bring on Los Altos, coming Thursday.
Arroyo 19, El Monte 14 -- Lions figured to give the Knights all they could handle, and did.
West Covina 27, Rowland 0 -- Bulldogs figure to be only team that might, and that's a big might, that can compete with South Hills in San Antonio.
Duarte 31, Azusa 17 -- Wasn't this closer than you thought it would be?
South El Monte 20, Rosemead 14 -- Unbelievable. Best 2-4 team not named Bishop Amat.
San Dimas 41, Pomona 13 -- Nothing can stop this scoring machine
Ayala 29, Diamond Bar 0 -- Hmmm, Glendora, Chino Hills have another contender to worry about.
Sierra Vista 34, Bassett 7 -- The Don's high-flying aerial show continues
Walnut 7, Nogales 6 -- Finally, Mustangs find the win column.
Gabrielino 27, Mountain View 6 -- Vikings great start goes up in flames against Eagles.

Above: Baldwin Park running all over Ganesha.

Thursday's results
Baldwin Park 38, Ganesha 0 - Braves (4-2, 1-0) are just a few plays from being undefeated after close losses to West Covina and El Monte. Do they have any chance next week against San Dimas?
Workman 29, Gladstone 20 - It was a must win for the Lobos, and they got it, knocking off Happy Rock for the second straight year.

Watch Friday's video highlights of Bishop Amat's thrilling 31-30 triple overtime victory over St. Paul

Also, nobody tailgates like Bishop Amat, and enjoy the 50th homecoming celebration with fans

For final scores, click scoreboard

http://lang.sgvtribune.com/preps/scoreboard/week6.asp

Posted by Fred Robledo at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (348)

Tribune rankings from top to bottom
1. Los Altos (4-1)
2. Charter Oak (4-1-1)
3. Diamond Ranch (3-2)
4. South Hills (3-2)
5. San Dimas (5-0)
6. Glendora (3-2)
7. Damien (2-2-1)
8. Bishop Amat (1-4)
9. Rosemead (4-1)
10. Duarte (4-1)
11. Wilson (3-2)
12. Northview (3-2)
13. Covina (3-2)
14. Diamond Bar (2-3)
15. Bonita (2-3)
16. Arroyo (3-2)
17. Baldwin Park (3-2)
18. West Covina (2-3)
19. El Monte (3-2)
20. Mountain View (3-1)
21. South El Monte (1-4)
22. La Puente (3-3)
23. Rowland (1-4)
24. Nogales (2-3)
25. Gladstone (2-4)
26. Azusa (2-3)
27. Sierra Vista (1-5)
28. Workman (1-4)
29. Walnut (0-5)
30. Western Christian (1-4)
31. Bassett (0-5)

Note: By popular demand, coming next week, area's top ten defensive lineman.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 7:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (133)

Time Warner's Reginald Miller and Tribune Prep Editor Fred J. Robledo discuss four of this week's top games. By the way, Miller does a great job following our local teams and beyond on his popular site "A Local Sports Show" ... go check it out.
http://www.alocalsportsshow.com/main.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alocalsportsshow.com%2F

Friday's games

South Hills at Los Altos, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/101007_SHILLSVSLOSALOS.asp

St. Paul at Bishop Amat, 7:30 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/101007_BAMATVSSTPAUL.asp

Covina vs. Northview at Covina District Field, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/101007_NORTHVVSCOVINA.asp

Rosemead at South El Monte, 7 p.m.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/multimedia/asps/101007_ROSEMEADVSSELMONTE.asp

Posted by Fred Robledo at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (63)

Above: South Hills middle blocker Melinda Gomez in a match against St. Lucy's. Gomez was named the Tribune athlete of the week

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TOP 10 RANKINGS
1. Los Altos (15-3) The Conquerors train keeps on rolling
2. Bonita (6-2) Bearcats taking care of business
3. Walnut (10-3) Drops a spot after South Hills loss
4. Diamond Bar (9-6) Showing steady progress
5. Bishop Amat (11-4) Big three doing their part
6. South Hills (7-6) Shows it still rules San Antonio
7. Northview (9-0) Even coach didn’t expect this start
8. Glendora (6-3) Scored nice split last week
9. Gladstone (10-4) Looks ready to reclaim Montview
10. San Dimas (9-5) Off to good start in VVL
Note: Rankings and records are based on matches played thru Oct. 6

Above: San Dimas players celebrate recent win over Northview

Comments: South Hills shook up the rankings a bit after pushing Los Altos to five games and upsetting Walnut in five. The Huskies have some impressive wins in the early season, but coach Charm Doyle is still looking for some consistency. If she gets it, this could be a team to watch in November. ... There are two big matches today to keep an eye on. Undefeated Northview faces its first big test of the season when it hosts defending Valle Vista League champion San Dimas at 3:15 p.m. ... There's also a top-five battle when No. 2 Bonita hosts No. 3 Walnut at 5:15 p.m. in a nonleague match... Gladstone, which gave up its stranglehold of the Montview League last season, appears ready to move back to the top of the Montview League mountain after starting 5-0 in league play. ... Charter Oak, which falls just outside the top 10, gets a chance to bump its way in today as it faces No. 1 Los Altos.

St. Lucy's fire head volleyball coach, Art Garcia
Read Pete Marshall's story and Garcia's explanation ...
http://www.sgvtribune.com/preps/ci_7143616

Posted by Steve Ramirez at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (76)

Posted by Fred Robledo at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (70)

Los Altos paid a hefty price for defeating Western, 35-27, last week.
A week after losing two-way lineman Josh Contreas to a potential season-ending broken leg, two-way standout Raymond Rodriguez suffered a broken arm in last week’s victory, and will miss the remainder of the season.
Rodriguez, a senior, is not only one of the area’s best defensive ends, but arguably the area’s best tight end. As a junior, he was named to the Tribune first-team.
“It’s devastating,” Conquerors coach Greg Gano said. “You can’t replace Ray. He did too much on this team to just replace him. He was an anchor for us on offense. We were counting on him to make big plays for us, and he already has.
“But again, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, we’ve got South Hills coming here on Friday."
The Huskies also will be without one of their marquee players. Running back/linebacker Damon Kuklinski suffered a sprained MCL in Thursday’s 28-7 win over Rancho Cucamonga.
Huskies coach Steve Bogan said Kuklinski could be out two to four weeks.
“Damon’s our LenDale White on offense,” Bogan said. “And one of our best linebackers. Anytime you lose someone like that for an extended period of time, it’s tough to replace.”

Posted by Fred Robledo at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)

Duarte coach Wardell Crutchfield, who abruptly resigned last week following the suspensions handed down after a sideline-clearing brawl between Duarte and Gladstone, met with principal Dr. William Martinez on Monday, who agreed to give him his job back. There will be more in Tuesday's newspaper.

Principal Bill Martinez released this statement
Press Release
Mr. Wardell Crutchfield has developed a successful football program at Duarte High School. His student/athletes have been accepted at a number of colleges and universities. His student/athletes display the character traits I want to see in my own children and in all of my students. They are punctual, hardworking, courteous, dedicated, respectful and disciplined. They display these traits on and off the field. They are champions!
The past week has been very difficult for our players. Mr. Crutchfield and I have met several times since September 28. After carefully evaluating the situation, analyzing what is best for my students, the program and our school, I have decided not to accept Mr. Crutchfield’s decision to resign, and Mr. Crutchfield has agreed to meet my expectations.
I will have no further comment. We remain committed to the student/athletes at Duarte High School. We look forward to a great football season.
Dr. Bill Martinez
Principal
Duarte High School

Posted by Fred Robledo at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)

Steve Ramirez and Fred J. Robledo going head-to-head throughout the season.

Records:
Robledo: Last week (12-10); Season (91-34)
Ramirez: Last week (15-7); Season (89-36)

Notes: I didn't choke as bad as USC and UCLA, but I tasted my share of humble pie, and let Steve Ramirez back in it. I've only got a slim two-game lead after posting TEN, yes TEN losses. Ramirez didn't do much better with seven losses, so it shows what a tough week it was to pick games. Some were unexplainable, like South El Monte beating Alhambra, but we probably should of known better than to pick Bishop Amat over Carson or Tahquitz over Mountain View. We both had West Covina over Ayala, but I hurt myself picking Western over Los Altos and DRanch to upset Oaks Christian while Steve got both of those right. I could go on and on with our bad picks, but that would take to long.

Quotable: Bonita coach Eric Podley after losing 24-10 to San Dimas, "They're ranked No. 7 for a reason, I don't know why you guys (Tribune) all picked them to lose. You guys don't know what you're talking about. You should stick with your rankings." You should have heard Ramirez crying afterward, "I don't count, I don't count." Yes, Steve, you picked San Dimas to win. The dummy Podley was talking about was me.

Thursday
Gladstone vs. Workman at Citrus College, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Gladstone); Ramirez (Gladstone)
Baldwin Park at Ganesha, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Baldwin Park); Ramirez (Baldwin Park)

Friday
South Hills at Los Altos, 7 p.m. - Robledo (South Hills); Ramirez (South Hills)
Damien vs. Glendora, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Damien); Ramirez (Glendora)
St. Paul at Bishop Amat, 7:30 p.m. - Robledo (St. Paul); Ramirez (Bishop Amat)
Charter Oak at Wilson, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Charter Oak); Ramirez (Charter Oak)
Covina vs. Northview, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Northview); Ramirez (Northview)
Diamond Ranch at Bonita, 7 p.m. - Robledo (DRanch); Ramirez (DRanch)
El Monte at Arroyo, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Arroyo); Ramirez (Arroyo)
West Covina at Rowland, 7 p.m. - Robledo (West Covina); Ramirez (West Covina)
Azusa at Duarte, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Duarte); Ramirez (Duarte)
Rosemead at South El Monte, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Rosemead); Ramirez (Rosemead)
Pomona at San Dimas, 7 p.m. - Robledo (San Dimas); Ramirez (San Dimas)
Diamond Bar at Ayala, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Diamond Bar); Ramirez (Diamond Bar)
Bassett at Sierra Vista, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Sierra Vista); Ramirez (Sierra Vista)
Nogales at Walnut, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Nogales); Ramirez (Walnut)
Mountain View at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Mountain View); Ramirez (Mountain View)

Saturday
Western Christian at Riverside Christian - Robledo (Riverside); Ramirez (Riverside)

Final Thoughts: When I glanced over the season schedule, this was a week I circled on the calendar. South Hills-Los Altos, Glendora-Damien, St. Paul-Bishop Amat, Charter Oak-Wilson, Covina-Northview, Diamond Ranch-Bonita. And other games have become intriguing, like El Monte-Arroyo or South El Monte-Rosemead. Diamond Bar-Ayala should be a great game. Two weeks ago, I would have picked Glendora over Damien and Los Altos over South Hills, but last week's results changed my mind. It wasn't Glendora's loss to ElDo that changed me, it was how they lost. Los Altos losing Ray Rodriguez and Josh Contreas going down a week earlier has to catch up with them at some point, and the South Hills team I saw last week looked on the brink of going on a serious run. And Bishop Amat, oh Bishop Amat. Are you really going to start 1-5? It's looking that way. Losing 21-0 to Carson could be a confidence killer, but maybe the emotions of having St. Paul in town will stir up the emotions. Heck, if it doesn't, don't even bother showing up.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (129)

Complete coverage of the annual Smudge pot, including game story, photo gallery, game highlights and a special piece on the fans who make it what it is.

This is why it's a special rivalry. Enjoy this piece on the fans from Bonita and San Dimas

And always, Keith Birmingham's photo gallery
http://sgvtribune.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=347365

Friday's results
San Dimas 24, Bonita 10 -- Podley scolded me afterward for picking Bonita. I can't blame him, the Saints looked awfully good, offensively and defensively. I'll say it now, they will be 10-0 going into the playoffs. Nobody in the Valle Vista is going to touch 'em.
Ayala 34, West Covina 21 -- Now I see why Duarte lost 35-7 to those other Bulldogs.
Baldwin Park 14, Rowland 7 -- Solid win for the Braves, and another close loss for Raiders.
Carson 21, Bishop Amat 0 - Thought the Lancers would do better than this after a week off
Charter Oak 24, Claremont 18. - Big win heading into Miramonte League opener.
Rosemead 38, Orange 15 -- Them Panthers are getting better by the week.
Chaffey 30, Wilson 23 - Wildcats didn't take care of the football and it cost them
Northview 21, Nogales 20 - Vikings end two-game skid with squeaker over Nobles.
Covina 37, Sonora 20 -- Say this about the Colts, they can still score points
Gladstone 14, Azusa 0 -- Even with eight suspended, Gladiators still pull it out
Sierra Vista 31, Workman 20 - Dons finally in win column
South El Monte 38, Alhambra 27 -- This is why there's no such thing as a sure thing. How in the world did they beat Alhambra?
La Puente 34, Bassett 0 -- Warriors perfect in all areas
Jurupa Valley 42, Walnut 23 -- Mustangs go down again
Tustin 42, Arroyo 21 -- Knights have to work on their defense if they want to be Mission Valley League contenders.

Thursday's results
South Hills 28, Rancho Cucamonga 7 - This could have very easily been 35 or 42-0. Rancho only scored on a fluke fumble and never came close to scoring on offense. You might as well throw away the Huskies first two losses. They're 3-0 since they made the change to Deen at QB and Parham at WR. And when you think of also having Wells, Heard and Kuklinski, that's a lot of weapons. Looks like Bogan's has the right pieces in place, now we'll see how he molds it together.
Oaks Christian 34, Diamond Ranch 21 - Thought DRanch would get them. I know DRanch had some nagging injuries, but still thought they would pull it out. For the second straight week, Trib No. 1 goes down.
Los Altos 35, Western 27 - What a great win on the road against a solid O.C. team. This is why the Conquerors have the great history they have. They lose a game they never should of lost at St. Francis, then immediately come back and make a statement. They never lose their confidence. But on a sad note, Raymond Rodriguez might have fractured or broke his arm. That would be a tough loss after losing Josh Contreas last week.
El Dorado 35, Glendora 14 - Don't know what to say. It's Glendorable. Called our phone guy to get an update and he said "28-0 El Dorado." Our Glendora faithful are going to have to explain this.
La Serna 45, El Monte 14 -- Well, it's a good thing the Lions don't compete in the Del Rio League. They would be 0-2.
Mountain View 32, Hemet Tahquitz 23 -- Should we be paying closer attention? They're 3-1 now.

For quarter-by-quarter updates of all our games, click our scoreboard page.
http://lang.sgvtribune.com/preps/scoreboard/week5.asp

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (333)

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TOP 10 RANKINGS
1. Los Altos (13-3) Team to beat in Miramonte
2. Walnut (9-2) South Hills tilt on Thursday
3. Bishop Amat (11-4) Gave Conqs a battle
4. Diamond Bar (8-5) Opens league vs. Ayala
5. Bonita (4-2) McCreery does it again
6. Glendora (4-3) Will challenge, St. Lucy’s, Ayala
7. Northview (6-0) Vikings continue to roll
8. South Hills (6-5) Huskies show their youth
9. Wilson (6-4) Starting to adjust to new coach
10. Gladstone (8-4) Solid opening in league

Note: Rankings and records are for matches played through Sept. 29

Comments: Bishop Amat makes its appearance in this week's rankings. The records here are the best to my knowledge and Amat coach Stephanie Cruz admitted to Fred that she had't updated the team's record, so that's why they were omitted last week. But I feel No. 3 is a very deserving rating, especially after they took No. 1 Los Altos to four games last week...Northview jumps into the top 10 after improving to 6-0 with a pair of nonleague wins last week. The Vikings replace San Dimas in the top 10. The Saints dropped out after being swept by Walnut...There are two big matches today. St. Lucy's and Ayala resume their Sierra League rivalry, while South Hills hosts Walnut in a battle of the top two teams in the San