May 2008 Archives

The Bishop Amat baseball won the CIF-Southern Section Division V baseball title for the second consecutive season, beating St. Paul 6-2 at U.C. Riverside. Amat becomes just the fifth area team to score back-to-back CIF-SS titles, joining Bishop Amat teams in 1968-69 and 2001-02, Edgewood in 1976-77 and South Hills in 1997-98.

lLIVE BLOGGING
9:14: Paez gets Sanchez for his seventh strike out. But Flores follows with an infield single. One out to go as Oddo grounds out to second with Flores taking second. It's up to Gonzales....he singles in back of second. Reyes grabs it and fires back and nearly gets pinch-runner Raymon Zazueta, who turned too wide, at third. . Gonzales takes second on the play. Adrian Montecinos pinch hits. He's down 0-2...Paez balks home Zazueta...back to Montecinos....little chopper to Reyes, who guns him down...Amat wins...and the dogpile ensues.
Final: Bishop Amat 6, St. Paul 2
9:00: Vinnie Pentaleo bats for Herrera and grounds out. Mistone is then hit by a pitch and Reyes unloads with a booming home run to center field as new center fielder William Thomas throws his glove in disgust. Bobby Santoyo replaces Encinas. Murakami singles. McClanahan strikes out to end it.
Top of 7: Bishop Amat 6, St. Paul 1
8:48: Wilson goes down swinging. Carrillo then hits a little roller up third, but Mistone fields it and nips him at first. We go to the seventh after Encinas hits a little tapper that Paez fields and throws him out.
End of 6: Bishop Amat 4, St. Paul 1
8:41: Seymour flies out to right and Rodriguez follows with a walk, which brings up the big guy - Fox, who proves he's human and hits into a 6-3 double play to end the inning.
Top of 6: Bishop Amat 4, St. Paul 1
8:36: Oddo strikes out, but Gonzales ends the no-hit bid with a line-drive single to center. Chico pops to right field. Ball follows with an infield single. Lets see what the Swordsmen can do with this....Chico pops to right field. Seymour makes a running catch, then guns down Gonzales, who for some reason was trying to advance while down by three.
End of 5: Bishop Amat 4, St. Paul 1
8:21: Encinas gets Reyes and Bergara before Murakami singles. But McClanahan pops out.
Top of 5: Bishop Amat 4, St. Paul 1
8:14: No-hitter through four as St. Paul goes down 1..2.....3
End of 4: Bishop Amat 4, St. Paul 1
8:10: Seymour grounds out to second, but Rodriguez follows with a single to left field. That brings up Fox, and we have some more fun as he lines a shot to center. Ball comes up too quick and the ball goes over his head for an RBI triple. Fox, though, doesn't settle for the triple and keeps on coming and his easily tagged out about 10 feet from the plate. Herrera walks. Mistone looks at strike three.
Top of 4: Bishop Amat 4, St. Paul 1
7:56: Chico grounds out, Wilson strikes out and Carrillo flys out as Paez has yet to yield a hit through three innings.
End of three: Bishop Amat 3, St. Paul 1
7:50: Mistone grounds out to shortstop. Reyes follows with a single to left field, but is forced at second on a fielder's choice after a ground ball to third by Bergara. Then its more fun as Murakami lifts a fly to left-center field. Ryan Ball is there, but is bumped by left fielder Sanchez and the ball drops for an RBI double. McClanahan then strikes out to end the inning.
Top of 3: Bishop Amat 3, St. Paul 1
7:37: St. Paul goes down, 1..2..3 as Nick Oddo flys out, Tim Gonzales grounds out and Ryan Ball looks at strike three.
End of 2: Bishop Amat 2, St. Paul 1
7:31: Brian Seymour and Mike Rodriguez both groundout to second. Then Foxy does it again, singles and follows with a stolen base. But Encinas strikes out Justin Herrera to end it.
Top of 2: Bishop Amat 2, St. Paul 1
7:24: Andrew Chico grounds out and Chris Wilson strikes out. But Amat's Paul Paez walks Chris Carrillo and Encinas and then the fun starts as Evan Sanchez pops up, but catcher Jerry McClanahan drops it, allowing Carrillo to score and Encinas to take third. Paez then wiggles out by getting Casey Flores on a fly to center.
End of 1: Bishop Amat 2, St. Paul 1
7:06 p.m.: Here we go....and it doesn't take long. Jordan Fox hits Gabe Encinas' first offering for a bloop double. He's sacficied to third and scores on an error. Tommy Reyes then has an RBI grounder to make it 2-0. Encinas gets out of the jam, getting a pair of groundouts.
Top of 1: Bishop Amat 2, St. Paul 0

Read Steve Ramirez's story by clicking on the thread

CIF-SS Division IV championship
Final: Ocean View 8, Bishop Amat 3

Bishop Amat High School senior pitcher Amy Lwin didn't have to explain how painful it was, it was painfully obvious. The Lancers were six outs away from something special when something disastrous happened.
Ocean View High School rallied with eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to turn a two-run deficit into an 8-3 victory in Saturday's CIF-Southern Section Division IV championship at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine. After CIF championship losses in 1993 and '94, the Lancers were hoping to win the school's first softball title, but that will have to come another day after the Lancers finished the season 22-9.
"It hurts," Lancers coach Walt Martin said. "But we've got a tough bunch of girls and they'll get over it."
After allowing just four hits through five innings and getting out of a tough jam in the fifth, Lwin couldn't handle Sara Craig's bouncer back to the mound to start the sixth, putting the Seahawks' lead runner aboard. Nichole Adams followed with a single to right, then Brenna Klein singled to center, scoring Adams to cut the Lancers' lead to 2-1.
With runners on first and second, Holli Floetker hit what appeared to be a double-play ball right at third, but that was mishandled for an error to load the bases.
Brandice Cutspec made them pay, hitting a grand slam to center for a 5-2 lead, and they added three more runs after Lwin left the game.
"To lose it like that hurts, it hurts a lot," Lwin said. "Especially when you're the pitcher who gives up a grand slam. That just took the wind right out of me."

Read today's game story about Northview's first title in 37-years, and also read about Diamond Ranch, who nearly played a perfect game as well.

Final Score: Northview 1, Diamond Ranch 0
Northview's 37-year drought ended on Friday in a 1-0 victory over Diamond Ranch to claim the CIF-Southern Section Division IV championship at Dodger Stadium, giving the top-ranked Vikings their first title since 1971. It was the Vikings' 12th straight win, finishing the season 26-4.
"I've always been a Northview guy, I went to Northview and it's always extra special when you win at your alma mater," said Northview coach Darren Murphy. "When I became head coach all I wanted was for Northview to win a championship. We've had some good teams and we've been close, but we could never get here and win it. I'm going to enjoy this for a long time."
And how fitting that in a season defined by pitching and defense, the Vikings' big three of Aaron Elias, Eddie Pedroza and closer Marc Andrade all got a turn, and one-by-one, they combined to give the Vikings their 12th shutout of the season.
"It wasn't just us, it was everyone behind us on the field and in the dugout," Elias said. "This is a memory than none of us are ever going to forget."

LIVE BLOGGING
6:15: Bottom of 7th: Marc Andrade pitching for Northview. Joel Lincon line-out to second. Derek Goodwin fly-out to right. Russel Allan ground out, game over. Northview mobs field.

6:10: Top of 7th: Shane Fraijo fly-out to right. Ruben Ramirez fly-out to center. Bernie Juarez, struck out.

6:00: Bottom of 6th: Jesse Gonzalez ground out, Mike Vinnitsky single to right-center. Nick Greene, infield single up the middle, first and second, one out. Northview coach Darren Murphy goes to the mound, but stays with Pedroza. Jericho Kelsey grounder to the right of Shane Fraijo at second. Fraijo makes a great play, gets Kelsey at first, runners on second and third, two outs. Kyle Lengel slap up the middle, shortstop Rich Pedroza grabs it over second, gets the out at first.

5:45: Top of 6th: Kevin Jones fly-out. Rich Pedroza single to right. Robert Williams fly out. Marc Andre single to left, Pedroza to third on the play. R.J. Arnold ground out to second.

5:40: Bottom of 5th: Vikings Sophomore Eddie Pedroza takes over for Elias, who gave up three hits in four shutout innings. Joel Licon leads off with a walk. Derek Goodwin bunt back to Pedroza, who gets the double play 1-6-3. Russell Allan two-out single to center. Joe Carillo grounds out.

5:35: Top of 5th: R.J. Arnold leads with poke-single to right. DRanch pitcher Lanuza throws over first trying to get Arnold, who goes all the way to third. Shane Fraijo grounder to second, great play by Jesse Gonzalez, who gets Fraijo and holds Arnold at third. Ruben Ramirez single to center, scores Arnold. Bernie Juarez ground out, Ramirez to second. Gabe Jaramillo fly out. Northview 1, Diamond Ranch 0

5:29: Bottom of 4th: Nick Greene leads off with single to left. Jericho Kelsey fly-out to center. Kyle Lengyel grounds into 4-6-3 double play.

5:20: Top of 4th: Kevin Jones single to right. Rich Pedroza sac-bunt, Jones to second. Robert Williams fly-out to left, two outs. Marc Andrade fly-out. DRanch starter Gus Lanuza only has allowed two hits through four innings.

5:13: Bottom of 3rd: Joe Carillo grounds out. Jesse Gonzalez fly out. Mike Vinnitsky fly out to center.

5:08: Top of 3rd: Ruben Ramirez gets Vikes first hit to center. But Bernie Juarez grounds into 6-4-3 double play. Gabe Jaramillo grounds out to third.

5:05: Bottom of 2nd: Joel Licon ground out. Derek Goodwin strikeout. Russell Allan bloop out to short.

4:55: Top of 2nd: Marc Andrade fly out to right. RJ Arnold fly-out to right. Shane Fraijo fly out.

4:45: Bottom of 1st: Pitching for Northview, Aaron Elias (10-0). DRanch's Jesse Gonzalez opens with a single to left and Mike Vinnitsky follows with bloop single to center. Runners on first and second. Nick Greene strikes out. Jericho Kelsey's SAC-ground out moves the runners to second and third, two outs. Kyle Lengyel strikes out.

4:38: Top of 1st, Northview goes down in order, fly-out, ground-out, ground out.

4:30: The game is on, pitching for Diamond Ranch, Guz Lanuza (6-4).

UPDATES
Bad News: El Modena 5, Glendora 0 in the first. Tartans give up two home runs.
2nd UpdateThe Tartans score a couple runs, but give up two more, trailing 7-2 after two innings.
3rd update: My man John Honell tells me the Tartans settled down after the first, but still trail 7-3 in the fourth inning.
4th update: It's getting worse folks, Tartans trail 9-3 in bottom of the fifth.
5th update: The dream ends as El Modena scores a 12-4 victory. Still, it was a good ride for the Tartans.

What: CIF-SS Division II championship
Where: Deanna Manning Stadium, Irvine
Who: Glendora (19-9) vs. El Modena (25-8-2)
When: 6:30 p.m.

It wasn't meant to be for South Hills, who had a fair share of calls not go their way.

CIF-Southern Section Division III championship
Final Score: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 4, South Hills 2

LIVE BLOGGING
4:45: South Hills goes up 1-0 in 1st following leadoff single by Danny Roddy and consecutive walks to Tyler Buffington, Cody Doyle and Thadd McAlpin.
We're having slight computer problems, so updates may be slow.
5:20: South goes up 2-0 in the second on a one-out triple by Mike Martinez and a RBI fly by Roddy.
5:40: Notre Dame puts its firs two on in the 3rd, but Klena sandwiches a strikeout between two fly outs to get out of in to preserve the 2-0 lead.
5:50: Roddy comes up with runners on first and second and two outs. But he grounds into a force play to end the threat. South Hills still up, 2-0.
6:13: It all falls apart. Casey Ryan leads off with a single and Kyle Dugan walks. Trevor Gee then singles to right to score Ryan. But the ball gets by RF Cameron Deen, allowing the tying run to score, while Gee takes third. Nikolas Rodarte then follows with a sac fly for a 3-2 lead.
6:21: Here come the Huskies. McAlpin doubles. Miles Bevel pinch runs. He is caught in a rundown for the second out, then Martinez grounds out to end the theft.
6:39: South Hills gets the third out of the sixth. But its overruled, and ND turns in to another run for 4-2 lead after 6.
7:16: South Hills comes up empty in the seventh, Notre Dame wins, 4-2.

The Diamond Bar Tennis team wins the CIF-SS Division II title in dramatic fashion. They finish 9-9 on sets against Palm Desert, but win it in games, 83-74 to avenge last year's title loss.

Rowland wasn't as fortunate, losing the Division IV title to Cerritos, 10-8

The San Gabriel Valley North-South senior all-star softball game is on Wednesday, June 4 at Mt. San Antonio College at 6 p.m. The North practices Monday (5-7 p.m.) at Northview while the South Practices Tuesday (5-7 p.m.) at Bishop Amat. Admission for Wednesday's game is $5/adults, $3/students and children.
To view rosters of both teams, click thread

For all championship games Thursday-Saturday, tickets are $8/adults, $5/children under 13 and students with ID. I believe you can buy pre-sale tickets at the schools, or just buy them at the gate. Can anyone remember a year like this in the San Gabriel Valley? I've talked to Tribune prep legend Steve Hunt, Stevie R., John Honell and nobody can seem to remember ever having six teams playing for championships, four in baseball, two in softball. Maybe it's just me taking over the prep seat and spreading all the good karma. Whatever, the SGV is "where winning" happens.

Above: This was just a sprinkle of the 750-1000 fans at Northview on Tuesday.

LIVE BLOGGING: If you can't make the games, we will do live blogging with inning-by-inning updates from Dodger Stadium and UC Riverside.

MEN OF HONOR: It's a safe bet to assume the player and coach of the year will come from one of these four baseball teams.

Baseball
Thursday's Div. III championship at Dodger Stadium
South Hills vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 4:30 p.m.
Friday's Div. IV championship at Dodger Stadium
Northview vs. Diamond Ranch, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday's Div. V championship at UC Riverside
Bishop Amat vs. St. Paul, 7 p.m.

Softball
Friday's Div. II championship at Deanna Manning Stadium, Irvine
Glendora vs. El Modena, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday's Div. IV championship at Deanna Manning Stadium, Irvine
Bishop Amat vs. Ocean View, 12:30 p.m.

Northview: Aaron Elias threw six shutout innings, allowed two hits and Marc Andrade closed as the Vikings cruised 5-0 over Savanna to advance to the Div. IV championship on Friday at Dodger Stadium.

South Hills: Don't know all the details but except they won 6-2 over Elsinore, sending the Huskies to Thursday's championship at Dodger Stadium.

Diamond Ranch: Another big upset, Diamond Ranch knocks off No. 2 Patriot, 5-3, and will face Northview in championship on Friday.

Bishop Amat: Bishop Amat destoyed Bishop Montgomery 17-8, and will play for its second straight Division V crown on Saturday night at UC Riverside.

SGV ALL-STAR GAME: The San Gabriel Valley All-Star baseball game is on Sunday at Mt. SAC at 6 p.m. Batting practice starts at 4 p.m. Click the thread for rosters.

Full coverage from Tuesday's four semifinal games. The Trib comes through again!
Tuesday's semifinals
Division III
South Hills 6, Elsinore 2 -- Huskies looking for first title since 1998
Division IV
Northview 5, Savanna 0 - Gunning for first title in 37-years on Friday.
Diamond Ranch 5, Patriot 3 -- I said a Miramonte League team would be in the final, right?
Division V
Bishop Amat 17, Bishop Montgomery 8 -- Defending a title isn't supposed to be this easy.

Glendora: I just go word that Glendora knocked off defending champion Pacifica, 3-1, to advance to the the Division II championship on Friday or Saturday at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine. Unbelievable win Tartans.

Bishop Amat: The Lady Lancers are going to play for their first title in school history after knocking off Downey, 7-4, in the Division IV champoinship.

San Dimas: Give it up to the wild-card Saints, taking the top seed to the 15th inning before finally losing in the Division V semifinals, 3-1, to Torrance.

Tuesday's semifinals
Division II
Glendora 3, Pacifica 1 -- Tartans a game away from Cinderella finish.
Division IV
Bishop Amat 7, Downey 4 -- Lancers hoping for first softball title in school history.
Division V
Torrance 3, San Dimas 1, 15 innings -- Saints resilient till the end. Great year girls.

Didn't have time to work on football this week, too many teams left in baseball and softball. But here are the playoff groupings for 2008-10, which many have asked for. Just click on the thread.

I've been doing this for nearly 15 years and can never remember having this many teams left on semifinal Tuesday. Normally I spend this holiday working on a feature of a particular player of the one or two teams left, but this is ridiculous. Ridiculously great that is. Keep it going now, lets dominate the CIF championships with valley teams this weekend.

Tuesday's semifinals
Baseball
Division III
South Hills (22-5) at Elsinore (17-11), 3:15 p.m.
Division IV
Anaheim Savanna (23-6) at Northview (24-4), 3:15 p.m.
Diamond Ranch (16-11) at Riverside Patriot (27-2), 3:15 p.m.
Division V
Bishop Montgomery (18-10-1) vs. Bishop Amat (25-4) at East L.A. College, 3:15 p.m.

Softball
Division II
Glendora (18-9) at Garden Grove Pacifica (22-10), 3:15 p.m.
Division IV
Bishop Amat (21-8) at Downey (22-7-1), 3:15 p.m.
Division V
Torrance (27-4) at San Dimas (20-9), 3:15 p.m.

Quick thoughts: Of all the teams here, the Glendora softball team is the biggest surprise. I do think Glendora and Bishop Amat have a great chance of reach the softball finals, but not sure about San Dimas, I'm afraid this is where it ends. Except for South Hills being on the road, I still like their chances to advance. Bishop Amat baseball is a slam dunk and Northview at home is going to get it done. Not sure if Diamond Ranch can keep this going so by my count, we should at least five teams playing in championships this weekend.

Saturday's Quarterfinals
Division IV
Northview 8, Bonita 4
Patriot 1, Charter Oak 0

Northview-Bonita Highlights: What can you say, last year it was a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh that won it for Northview, and this time they rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the third inning to win it 8-4 and advance to the semifinals for the second straight year. Obviously the game-changing moment came in the third with the Bearcats up 3-0. With Vikings runners on first and second and two outs, Marc Andrade hit a chopper back to pitcher Nico Calderaro, who threw over to first for the inning-ending out. The base umpire, however, called it off, ruling that Andrade fouled it off his foot, incensing Bearcats coach John Knott, who stormed out of the dugout to no avail.
When play resumed, Andrade smacked a double to right, scoring Kevin Jones. Then Ryan Arnold followed with a double, scoring two more to make it, 3-3. Shane Fraijo followed with the Vikings' third-straight double, scoring Arnold to give the Vikings a 4-3 lead.
Bonita never recovered, but Knott, in classy fashion, didn't make excuses. "That's baseball," Knott said. "You have to give Northview credit. They handle adversity well. They brought a ton of energy, ran the bases well and made swings when they needed to make swings.
"We got the start we wanted, but you have to be able to handle a little adversity, whether it's an umpire, a bad play on defense, that's baseball. Northview did a wonderful job capitalizing on our mistakes, and I give them credit for it."
After Bonita tied the score 4-4 in the third inning, Northview came back and took a 5-4 lead on Kevin Jones' RBI single that scored Gabe Jaramillo. But the back-breaker came later in the inning when Fraijo's two-out grounder to short was dropped at first for an error, allowing two more Vikings to score for a 7-4 lead. Sophomore Eddie Pedroza started for the Vikings, but Murphy turned to senior Aaron Elias in the fourth, and he pitched three shutout innings before handing over to Andrade to close out the seventh.
"The turning point was getting those runs (in the third) but when Elias came into pitch he stopped everything," Murphy said. "He brought their offense to a halt, which is hard to do."

Charter Oak Highlights: Matt Lollis hit a line-drive home run to lead off the second inning and two Patriot pitchers made it standout, turning away Charter Oak scoring chances in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Chargers Tyler Garkow was solid in the loss, giving up just three hits and striking out six.

Amat at East L.A.? Let me get this straight, Bishop Amat wins the home-field coin flip and opts for East L.A. College? Is this tradition now since they did the same thing last year. Are they supersticious? What's wrong with APU, Mt. SAC or a handful of high schools nearby? Something in the SGV would do. Hey, whatever works, works, I get it. Just don't like it.

Baseball
Tuesday's semifinals
Division III
South Hills at Elsinore
Notre Dame at Quartz Hill
Division IV
Savanna at Northview, 3:15 p.m.
Patriot vs. Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m.
Division V
Bishop Amat vs. Bishop Montgomery at East L.A. College, 3:15 p.m.
Paraclete at St. Paul, 3:15 p.m.

Live Blogging
Bishop Amat 15, San Marino 1 .... Paez six innings, two hits, struck out eight
South Hills 2, La Serna 1... De La Fuente two-run homer in 6th, the journey continues
Diamond Ranch 6, St. Joseph's 1 ... Third place team from the Miramonte in semifinals

Postponements: Here's the deal, I will update throughout the day when I learn of game cancellations, location changes. South Hills had a meeting at 9:30 and as of now has decided to play their game at La Serna. Just talked to Bonita coach John Knott and Northview's Darren Murphy, who have agreed to postpone today's game and reschedule for Saturday at 3:15 p.m. Charter Oak coach Tom Quinley said they have postponed their game against Patriot, and will reschedule for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Bishop Amat is hoping to play, Nieto drove by there this morning and said the San Marino field, one of the newest and best around, looked great. Amat may actually drive there and let the umps make the decision. Diamond Ranch is on as of right now (Noon). AD Jim Weiss said they didn't get much rain, and that St. Joseph's is on their way.

What's at stake: The concerning part for all the coaches is that there is rain in the forecast for Saturday too, and you're not allowed to play on Sunday. If games somehow get pushed back to Monday with a Tuesday semifinal, the pitching is going to get all screwed up for our Valley teams.

Quarterfinal schedule updated
Division III
South Hills 2, La Serna 1 -- This must feel good at a school where everyone says they don't play anyone, especially me.
Division IV
Northview at Bonita -- postponed until Saturday, 3:15 p.m.
Patriot at Charter Oak -- postponed until Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
St. Joseph's at Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m. -- On as of now.
Division V
Bishop Amat 15, San Marino 1 -- Is this just too easy or what?

Semi-bound: Wow, who would have thought Glendora and Bishop Amat would be in the semifinals this season, especially in the difficult divisions they compete in. Should make for a great Tuesday along with San Dimas in a semifinal too.

Saturday's quarterfinal games
Division II
Glendora 3, Vista Murrieta 2
Division IV
Bishop Amat 1, Alemany 0
Division VI
Calvary Murrieta 1, South El Monte 0

Tuesday's semifinals
Division II
Glendora vs. Garden Grove Pacifica
Kennedy at El Modena
Division IV
Ocean View at Pomona Catholic
Bishop Amat-Alemany winner vs. Downey
Division V
Torrance-Whittier Christian winner vs. San Dimas
North Torrance at El Segundo
Division VI
Riverside at Paraclete
South El Monte-Calvary Murrieta winner vs. Woodcrest Christian

THEY DID IT: Those we're not going anywhere San Dimas High softballers pulled it out against San Jacinto, scoring two runs in the seventh inning to take a 2-0 lead, then had to battle out of a 2-1, bases loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the seventh, and dit it. Going to be corny here because the Saints do go marching on straight to Tuesday's CIF-SS Division V semifinal. You tell em coach, "That was the most exciting 20 minutes I've ever seen," Don Pollard said on the rather loud busride home.

Friday Update: Friday's Glendora High School game against Vista Murrieta has been postponed again. They have rescheduled for Saturday at 3:15 p.m. at Glendora. San Dimas is on their way to play San Jacinto High at Desert Hot Springs High School, whose field is in better shape. San Dimas-San Jacinto will resume their 0-0 game in the top of the seventh, Saints have a runner on first, no outs. Bishop Amat is playing Saturday at 1 p.m. at home. South El Monte was on their way to Calvary Murrieta for a Div. VI quarterfinal game, but that was postponed at 2:15 p.m. They have rescheduled for Saturday at 3:15 p.m.

Crazy thunderstorms and hail cancelled several games on Thursday. The Bishop Amat-Alemany softball game has been rescheduled for Saturday at Bishop Amat at 1 p.m. It was an act of God for the Alemany girls, who have prom tonight. Soon as they heard it was canceled, they started getting ready in the Amat gym. Also, just got an update that the Glendora-Vista Murrieta game was halted in the second inning, and then postponed. I've also just learned the Vista Murrieta-South El Monte game was canceled and rescheduled for Friday. Stevie R., reports that it's all sunny in North Torrance, so the Northview game is on as scheduled. San Dimas High School was on the road against San Jacinto High for its Div. V quarterfinal, but the game was halted in the seventh inning in a 0-0 game. "It started pouring," Saints coach Don Pollard said. "They delayed it and we tried to restart it, but we couldn't get it in." When it resumes this afternoon, San Dimas has a runner on first with no outs in the top of the seventh.

Northview story: Click thread to read Stevie R's story on the Vikings' 2-1 loss to North Torrance in 11 innings.

Quarterfinal schedule updated with predictions
Friday's games
Division III
South Hills at La Serna, 3:15 p.m. (SHills, I'm finally a believer)
Division IV
Northview at Bonita, 3:15 p.m. (Northview, still Co-No. 1 with Amat)
Patriot at Charter Oak, 3:15 p.m. (Patriot, sorry fellas, this is where it ends)
St. Joseph's at Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m. (DRanch, St. Joes has been lucky)
Division V
Bishop Amat at San Marino, 3:15 p.m. (BAmat, Titans out of pitching).

Second round impressions. The rematch is on! Bonita and Northview on Friday in a rematch of the "short heard around the San Gabriel Valley," which was the Vikings winning in last year's quarterfinal 5-4 on a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning. Give it up to the Miramonte League, which is 6-0 in the playoffs compared to the Valle Vista, which is 3-2. That should settle the argument over which league is tougher. South Hills continues to prove that it belongs in the argument with the area's best teams, and is in a good position in the quarterfinals against La Serna, who knocked off top-ranked Crespi. Bishop Amat isn't scoring, but with back-to-back shutouts it doesn't really matter. Azusa and La Puente, fine seasons and congrats for doing the Montview proud.

Second round results
Tuesday's games
Division III
South Hills 3, Don Lugo 1
Division IV
Northview 9, Norte Vista 2
Bonita 5, Torrance 2
Diamond Ranch 7, San Dimas 6
Charter Oak 11, Cathedral City 7
Division V
Bishop Amat 5, La Puente 0
St. Paul 8, Azusa 6

Quarterfinal schedule updated with predictions
Thursday's games
Division II
Vista Murrieta at Glendora, 3:15 p.m. (Glendora, why doubt Tarts now?)
Division IV
Alemany at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m. (Amat, Lancers win rematch)
Division V
San Dimas at San Jacinto, 3:15 p.m. (SDimas, My sleeper all along).
Northview at North Torrance, 3:15 p.m. (NTorrance, Those Pioneer teams are tough).
Division VI
South El Monte at Calvary Murrieta, 3:15 p.m., (Murrieta, It won 25-1 in 2nd round)

Second round impressions: Don't have all the scores yet, but obviously Bishop Amat has destroyed its first two opponents and Glendora pulled the shocker of the postseason, knocking off No. 2 Etiwanda in the second round. San Dimas is also moving on after an easy, 8-0 win over Schurr. And look what happened to our top team, Los Altos, getting outed in the second round. That hurts.

Tuesday's second round results
Division II
Glendora 1, Etiwanda 0
Division III
Paloma Valley 4, Los Altos 0
Division IV
Ocean View 3, Rowland 2
Bishop Amat 19, South Hills 0
Downey 9, Walnut 4
Division V
San Jacinto 2, Covina 1
San Dimas 8, Schurr 0
Northview 1, Village Christian 0, 9 innings
Division VI
South El Monte 2, Kern Valley 0

2007 CIF champions: SGV 2, Orange County 0
Total teams left in 2008 playoffs: Orange County 18, SGV 16
Division I: Orange County 7, SGV 0
Division II: Orange County 5, SGV 0
Division III: Orange County 3, SGV 2
Division IV: SGV 5, Orange County 2
Division V: SGV 6, Orange County 0
Division VI: SGV 3, Orange County 1
Division VII: SGV 0, Orange County 0

What does this mean: I included the SGV teams from our area and the Star-News area, which still doesn't come close to the number of schools that compete in Orange County. We don't have anyone competing in Div. I and only the Sierra League competes in Div. II. The only brackets where there are almost an even amount of SGV and OC teams are in Div. III and IV and the SGV leads 7-5 in those two divisions combined. I don't care how great the O.C. thinks it is, I realize than in overall depth they outweigh us and they should with their huge population of schools and their demographic and financial advantages that come with living in the O.C. But I'll take our five best against their five best any day of the week and feel good about it.

If you put the SGV's top five against the OC Register's top five, it would look something like this ...

1. Orange Lutheran (20-4) vs. Bishop Amat (23-4)
2. Los Alamitos (22-3) vs. Northview (22-4)
3. Mater Dei (19-6) vs. Alhambra (23-4)
4. El Toro (19-6) vs. San Dimas (19-7)
5. Capistrano Valley (17-8) vs. South Hills (20-5)

Quarterfinal outlook: This is nervous time for schools like Northview, Bonita and Charter Oak, who will be on the road where anything can happen. South Hills and Bishop Amat are locks, and I'm starting to believe that Azusa can sneak into the quarterfinals. In fact I'm picking Azusa because I wasn't that impressed with St. Paul when I watched them against Bishop Amat. Obviously the game of the day is San Dimas at Diamond Ranch, but when it's all over, I'm guessing we'll still have a few teams playing on Friday.

Northview plays Norte Vista next, and read what the Norte Vista coach told Barstow's Desert Dispatch about scouting Barstow last week prior to their 9-6 upset win over Barstow. He sounds like a lot of coaches around here.

Desert Dispatch -- Norte Vista's MaxPreps.com page wasn't left nearly blank out of laziness or computer illiteracy on the part of their coach. It was a strategic move by Norte Vista coach Ryan Simpson's to keep the opponents guessing.
"I know their coach stated in the interview with you guys that they researched the MaxPreps and they didn't haven't anything on us, well that's for a reason. I don't report those things for a reason so they don't stats on us."
Good luck scouting Northview, they do the same thing. I give the Vikes credit though, since my complaining about this, they've provided me with weekly stats, I just don't publish them. That's are pinky-promise agreement.

Second round games and predictions
Tuesday's games
Division III
Don Lugo at South Hills, 3:15 p.m. (South Hills
Division IV
Northview at Norte Vista, 3:15 p.m. (Northview)
Bonita at Torrance, 3:15 p.m. (Bonita)
San Dimas at Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m. (San Dimas)
Charter Oak at Cathedral City, 3:15 p.m. (Cathedral City)
Division V
La Puente at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m. (Bishop Amat)
St. Paul at Azusa, 3:15 p.m. (Azusa).

Quarterfinal outlook: I'm not surprised that San Dimas took the wild card route into the second round but I am surprised that the San Antonio is 3-0. Don't expect this to continue because it gets really difficult now. Here are my predictions and it doesn't look good. I'm thinking only four will be alive on Thursday.

Local matchup: Bishop Amat travels to South Hills in round two.

Second round games and predictions
Tuesday's games
Division II
Glendora at Etiwanda, 3:15 p.m. (Etiwanda)
Division III
Paloma Valley at Los Altos, 3:15 p.m. (Los Altos)
Division IV
Ocean View at Rowland, 3:15 p.m., (Ocean View)
Bishop Amat at South Hills, 3:15 p.m. (BAmat)
Downey at Walnut, 3:15 p.m. - (Downey)
Division V
San Jacinto at Covina, 3:15 p.m. (San Jacinto)
Schurr at San Dimas, 3:15 p.m. (San Dimas)
Northview at Village Christian, 3:15 p.m., (Northview)
Division VI
South El Monte at Kern Valley, 3:15 p.m. (Kern Valley)

Instead of a top ten impact players list this week, our scouting guru put together a list of the top ten prospects in the San Gabriel Valley. This is a list of the top ten players that have the best chance of succeeding at the next level. I'm kind of busy with the baseball and softball playoffs, so the impact players list will come out next week.

Charter Oak quarterback Chris Allen expects a huge senior season after two years as a starter.

Fred's reaction: First of all, there's a full breakdown of each of these players by clicking the thread, and our scouring guru also talks about many others, so check it out. Now, I don't know how he could have a top ten list and leave off Tim Gilmore of Wilson. Tim would be in my top three, and Nico Barbone of San Dimas would also be a top ten impact player. I would also have to include Los Altos kicker Jeremy Brown, who could be a big-time kicker in college. Maybe this is why I'm not a scout, I don't know, I'll let you discuss it.

1. Sheldon Price, Bishop Amat, Jr, DB
2. Cameron Deen, South Hills, Jr, QB
3. Brent Seals, Bishop Amat, Jr, LB
4. Brandon Sermons, Diamond Ranch, Jr, DB/RB
5. Adam Muema, Charter Oak, So, RB
6. Ricky Johnson, West Covina, So, RB
7. Taylor Herrera, Damien, Jr, WR
8. Wayne Goss, South Hills, Jr, LB
9. Chris Allen, Charter Oak, Jr, QB
10(t). Isaiah Bowens, Bishop Amat, Jr, LB/WR
10(t) Miles Bevel, South Hills, So, FS

The CIF-SS track finals converged at Mt. SAC on Saturday, and we have stories on how Diamond Bar did in Division I, along with Damien and others in Division II. Then of course there's Karynn Dunn doing her thing for Diamond Ranch in the the Division III finals, winning the long jump, triple jump and 100-meter low hurdles. For full results from Saturday, visit dyestat, the home of high school track results.

This is a lot of teams on the verge of quarterfinal appearances. Congrats to all who made it this far, you're doing the SGV proud. I have no idea how we're going to cover all of you, so please, if you don't see a reporter at your game, call the games into the Trib so we can write something up. As far as which games we will cover, well, we've got four reporters and home games have priority. If you were me, which games would you cover?

CIF-SS Playoffs
Second Round
Baseball - Tuesday's games
Second Round
Division III
Don Lugo at South Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Division IV
Northview at Norte Vista, 3:15 p.m.
Bonita at Torrance, 3:15 p.m.
San Dimas at Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m.
Charter Oak at Cathedral City, 3:15 p.m.
Division V
La Puente at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m.
St. Paul at Azusa, 3:15 p.m.
Monrovia at Paraclete, 3:15 p.m.

Softball - Tuesday's second round
Division II
Glendora at Etiwanda, 3:15 p.m.
Division III
Paloma Valley at Los Altos, 3:15 p.m.
Division IV
Ocean View at Rowland, 3:15 p.m.
Bishop Amat at South Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Downey at Walnut, 3:15 p.m.
Division V
San Jacinto at Covina, 3:15 p.m.
Schurr at San Dimas, 3:15 p.m.
Northview at Village Christian, 3:15 p.m.
Division VI
South El Monte at Kern Valley, 3:15 p.m.

Friday's first round results
Division II
Santa Barbara 16, Damien 2 -- Spartans go down, and go down bigtime.
Division IV
Northview 8, Beverly Hills 2 -- Top-ranked Vikings did what they're supposed to do.
Diamond Ranch 3, Santa Monica 2 -- Okay, this sets up a game against San Dimas.
San Dimas 8, Granite Hills 2 -- I know this is so cliche, but the Saints go marching on.
Charter Oak 8, Victor Valley 1 -- Defending champs take care of business.
Cathedral City 8, Covina 5 -- Who would have thought they could score 5 and lose.

SHILLS, BONITA, AZUSA, AMAT WIN

Huskies celebrate Christian Ibarra's grand slam.
"When you face Loyola (last season), who goes on to win it, and face Paramount (two years ago), who is the No. 4 seed and goes to the semifinals, we've just haven't had great draws," South Hills coach Kevin Smith said. "But part of that has been our own fault. We felt pretty good about (Glenn). They played hard, they never gave up, never quit. But it's a playoff win, and we're really happy about it.

First round observations: We had a vote on how the Montview League teams would do and 39 percent said they would go 0-4 and only 22 percent said 2-2. With La Puente and Azusa winning the latter is true which is great for the league's respect. I hope we get more Montview bloggers because La Puente-Bishop Amat is going to be fun. Seriously, are the Lancers vulnerable. How do they barely squeak by Calvary something? Also, have to give it up for South Hills. I've been kind of hard on them because of their cupcake schedule, but if they keep this going in the playoffs, they've got my respect. It would be great to see the Hills win again when it matters. Then there's Bonita, who's looks great every time I see them, but Mali-who had a lot to do with it. I was sitting with Bearcats fans who think I'm in love with the Valle Vista. Yes, they're reading the blogs in La Verne, and love the fun-spirited trash talk. But as well as Bonita played, I had to explain the Valle Vista teams will go further than the Miramonte three. Why? Pitching, pitching, pitching.

Division III
South Hills 5, Glenn 1 -- Derek Klena threw a three-hitter and Ibarra hit a slam.
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 13, Nogales 3 -- Nobles get pounded in the first round.
Paramount 7, Rowland 0 -- Hey, 1-1 in the postseason isn't so bad.
Division IV
Bonita 7, Malibu 0 -- Not impressed with Mali-who? This was easy from start to finish.
Division V
Bishop Amat 3, Downey Calvary Chapel 0 -- And I thought this would be 15 or 16-0.
Monrovia 9, Sierra Vista 5 -- Not a bad result considering Cats are No. 2 seed.
La Puente 9, Ontario Christian 2 -- Wow, the battle for La Puente is on, Amat next!
Sultana 6, Duarte 1 -- Falcons bats failed them again. What else is new?
Azusa 8, Aquinas 5 -- Mark it down, that's one for the Montview league champs.
Mary Star 8, Arroyo 4 -- With Gabrielino losing, Mission Valley league 0-for-3.
Hesperia 9, South El Monte 1 -- Those Desert teams will do this to you.
Paraclete 5, Western Christian 2 -- Still a great season for Christian league champs.

Tuesday's Second Round
Division III
Don Lugo at South Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Division V
La Puente at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m.
St. Paul at Azusa, 3:15 p.m.
Monrovia at Paraclete, 3:15 p.m.

It was about this time last year when South Hills was beaming with the news that Dorian Wells had enrolled from Bishop Amat, and of course Wells went on to earn Tribune player of the year honors following the Huskies' CIF semifinal run. Well, the news isn't as good this spring as coach Steve Bogan reported that soon-to-be senior running back Evan Heard is not expected to be with the Huskies when they start spring practice on Monday, and Bogan said that Heard likely will not be with the Huskies next fall, though he's remaining hopeful. "I've always got an open door policy," Bogan said. Heard is considering a move back to North Carolina, where he is from originally. But even if he remains at the school, he might not play football. "Evan has personal and family issues that he's dealing with," Bogan said. "My best hope for him is that he gets his life issues straightened out. That's more important that football." Without Heard the Huskies will look to SS/WR Miles Bevel, who had four carries as a sophomore but is looking like he will play a much more prominent role as a junior. "He's like a Dorian," Bogan said., "He's fast, quick and athletic so we'll need him to step up."

Quick Oberservations: The Valle Vista league going 3-0 is a huge surprise. What a win by San Dimas, knocking off No. 3 Rim of the World. Hannah Fraijo knocks two homers and Covina handles Sierra Vista. Great job girls. Los Altos and Glendora both get easy wins. And South El Monte, a 7-1 winner, could make some noise in Division VI.

Friday's first-round games
Division II
Glendora 14, San Luis Obispo 0 -- Wow, do the Tartans have some swagger or what?
Division III
Los Altos 11, Arcadia 1 -- Conquerors pound out 21 hits in win. Patterson two-hitter
Highland at Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m.
Division IV
St. Joseph at Rowland, 3:15 p.m.
South Hills 8, Estancia 3 -- Way to like, beat like, those O.C. girls. That's hot.
Coachella Valley at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m.
Aquinas at Walnut, 3:15 p.m.
Division V
Northview 18, Riverside Notre Dame 0 --Hannah Fraijo two homers, and struck out 11
Covina, 4, Sierra Vista 1 -- This is about what I expected, Colts just a little too much.
Azusa at El Segundo, 3:15 p.m.
San Dimas 4, Rim of the World 1 - What have I been saying about the Saints, Wow!
Division VI
South El Monte 7, Eastside Christian 0 -- Eagles could be a serious contender in D-6
Arroyo at Cantwell Sacred Heart, 3:15 p.m.

Hannah Fraijo not only struck out 11, but she banged two homers.

The playoffs have started and already the SGV is 2-0. Shows what I know, I had them both going down. FYI, Bonita's home baseball game was moved to Thursday.
Division III
Rowland 9, Colony 7 -- Maybe the San Antonio is tougher than I thought.
Glenn 7, Costa Mesa 3 -- Glenn plays SHills.
Division IV
Beverly Hills 6, Lompoc Cabrillo 1 -- Northview gets the rich boys from 90210
Division V
Sierra Vista 7, Cantwell Sacred Heart 2 -- Always nice to beat a Whittier school.
Downey Calvary Chapel 6, Riverside 1 -- Amat finds out who it will whip on in round one.

There's no slowing down Glendora freshman Gretchen Jaques, who set a Masters Meet record in the 100-free and finished second in the 50 free. Walnut senior Vincent Pai finished in style too, winning the 100 breaststroke by a nail. Read all about it.

Here's my latest after preps take. You can also find it here: Look who's in the top 10 now

How about Cal State SGV, er Fullerton.
The Cal State Fullerton baseball team, which has shown some San Gabriel Valley flavor for much of the past decade and beyond, has turned around what early appeared to be an average season and is suddenly on fire, rising from outside the Top 25 to inside the Top 10, dropping into the No. 8 slot in this week's Baseball America ranks.
It looks to be like another Omaha summer for the Titans.
And again the Titans have some SGV roots to thank. In the past it was such former area players as PJ Pilitterre of Bishop Amat, Dustin Miller and Danny Dorn of Diamond Bar, Brett Pill of Covina, Sergio Pedroza of Northview and Wes Roemer of Glendora.
Now Gary Brown, of Diamond Bar, is bringing that 626 flavor to the 714, being a steady .285 hitter with a speed persona on the base paths with 16 steals in 19 attempts. Brown has also shown some power, hitting five home runs with 24 RBIs.
He will be action when Fullerton hosts San Diego State in a nonconference series this weekend before closing the regular season against rival Long Beach State at Blair Field in Long Beach.

I was at Amat on Tuesday for a national letter of intent signing when those in the know told me that a player from Orange Lutheran, Damien and Rancho Cucamonga is transferring in to play football. They could already be there, but nobody is ready to name names. They've already landed Monrovia's 6-foot-3 freshman quarterback Josiah Thropay, who transferred to Amat a couple months ago. By the way, give it up to the Big Six Division I signees. In baseball Tommy Reyes and Jordan Fox both signed with UC Irvine, with Andrew Mistone signing with UC Riverside and Keith Murakami signing with the University of San Francisco. Lancers softball ace Amy Lwin signed with UC Riverside and sure-handed shortstop Jessica Traxler signed with the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Congrats to all.

Read this press release from CIF on the schedule and format for the 2008 state football championships. CIF, which recently approved increasing its state football games to five divisions, has determined the format for the five games as well as the 2008 game schedule. The five games will take place over two consecutive days at The Home Depot Center in Carson. The championship event will feature an "Open Division" in which the Selection Committee, made up of the 10 Section Commissioners, will select the top state qualifying team from Northern California to compete against the top qualifying team from Southern California. The other four games will be enrollment based.

I was talking with Bishop Amat baseball coach Andy Nieto, who said CIF told him they're exploring the possibilities of state baseball playoffs in the future. Wouldn't this make sense? Baseball is the one sport where a Div. VI team could beat a Div. I in a playoff, and it's a tournament you could do in a week at a place like Cal State Fullerton. I'd take the seven division champions plus an at-large from Division one. Perfect, an eight-game playoff that would decide everything. Football and basketball do it, but it makes the most sense in baseball where Cinderella's actually have a fighting chance.

John Honell wrote a nice feature on Bonita's Jiovanni Mier, who batted .494 with 42 hits and 13 stolen bases. He's also their closer, and is aware if Bonita faces Northview again in the semifinals, he wants the ball, even though he gave up the three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh of last year's quarterfinals that gave the Vikings a 4-3 victory. Said Mier, "That left a bad taste in our mouth. I love closing. There is nothing better than coming in and closing it out. Now, I'm just looking forward to the third game."

The playoffs are here and with it comes the predictions. Don't take it personal, this is just the truth according to Fred. You might be surprised with how I think it will unfold.

Division IV seeds: 1. Northview, 2. Patriot, 3. St. Bonaventure, 4. Savanna.
Breakdown: First off there are always surprises in baseball. It's not like basketball or football, where you can impose your size or strength or you're just simply too much. In baseball a team can go on a roll, a pitcher can get hot while the bats get cold, but nevertheless, if you're betting against Northview, you're making a bad bet. The Vikes have the pitching, and the will to match the skill. They don't just have one ace, they've got three aces, so unless there bats go dead cold, march them through to the finals. I'm not sure if Bonita will get by Malibu or possibly Torrance in the second round. They have good pitching, but not a dependable No. 1. On the bottom half I'm taking Covina to upset Cathedral City, then beat Charter Oak in the second round with Pill starting both games. And he should start both games. But in the semi's you gotta go with Patriot. Pill will only be available for three innings, and those bats at Patriot are supposedly too much. This leaves us with San Dimas, who I think will beat Diamond Ranch in the second round, and will upset St. Bonaventure to reach the semifinals. Then you've got Drossel or Ponzo to throw against Patriot and whoever it is, I like San Dimas.
Championship:Both teams have enough pitching even after they get here, but I think San Dimas swings the bat a little better and will get it done. Northview's hearts are broken again. San Dimas 3, Northview 1.

Division V seeds: 1. Bishop Amat, 2. Monrovia, 3. St. Paul, 4. Sultana
Breakdown: I know I said anything can happen in baseball, but not when a Division I caliber team, and a good Division I caliber team goes against a very mediocore group of teams. Amat beat Monrovia last year when Monrovia had McKiernan, perhaps the toughest pitcher I've ever covered. The Cats aren't half the team they were last year while the Lancers picked up where they left off. An interesting matchup would be if Gabrielino reached the quarters and could throw ace Angel Cabral, because he's the type who could give the Lancers problems, but not enough to beat them. They could also meet Temple City in the semifinals, but if the Rams couldn't win it for two years when they had Ryan Tucker, who was drafted in the first round by the Marlins in 2006, they're not beating Amat either. Azusa will be the only Montview team to win a first-round game, then they will be out. In the bottom half Monrovia might still be good enough to get to the final. I don't see anyone that scares me. Figure St. Paul and Monrovia meet in the semifinals, and I'm going with St. Paul.
Championship: Bishop Amat wins the All Del Rey league final, 9-2, and with it their second straight championship.

Division III seeds: 1. Crespi, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Cajon, 4. Paramount
Breakdown: South Hills should have no problem getting out of the first round and Nogales could beat Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, but will lose to No. 2 Notre Dame in the second round. Rowland is in the wild card, and that's as far as they go. I can see South Hills reaching the quarters, but that's where it ends against Crespi.
Championship: The Mission league is awfully tough with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, and in the final, I like Notre Dame over Crespi, 4-2.

Division II seeds: 1. Redlands East Valley, 2. West Torrance, 3. Vista Murrieta, 4. Palos Verdes:
Breakdown: I'll make this short and sweet since Damien is the only local in this group. No Glendora. No Diamond Bar, which is too bad. The Spartans will be fortunate to get to get out of the first round against Santa Barbara, then could await a Paso Robles (22-4-1) in the second round. They've got the hitting, but their pitching isn't strong enough to endure a long playoff run. Did you see how many runs they score in the Sierra? That won't get it done in the playoffs:
Championship: Vista Murrieta 4, Crescenta Valley 2

TRIB'S FINAL TOP TEN POLL
1a. Bishop Amat (22-4)
Won't be touched in Div. V
1a. Northview (21-4)
Best pitching staff in SGV
3. San Dimas (18-7)
Hitting and pitching well
4. Damien (17-8)
Great finish in wild Sierra
5. South Hills (19-5)
Can it make noise in Div. III?
6. Bonita (17-7)
Lost two of last three
7. Charter Oak (13-11)
Champs won't go quietly
8. Covina (16-8)
Best is yet to come
9. Glendora (13-11)
Best team not in the playoffs
10. Azusa (13-7)
Montview champs on a roll

I've been waiting for a first round game like this. Montview champ Sierra Vista will face Valle Vista co-champ Covina in a Div. V first-round game on Friday.

Click here for a complete breakdown of the CIF softball playoff pairings

Division III: With a 13-game winning streak to end the season, the Los Altos High school softball team earned the No. 3 seed in the CIF-Southern Section Division III playoffs, which begin with wild-card games on Wednesday followed by first-round games on Friday. The Miramonte League champion Conquerors and stud pitcher Diana-lynn Patterson will host the wild-card winner between Arcadia and Hawthorne on Friday. Diamond Ranch, second in the Miramonte League, is on the road against Highland, the second place team from the Golden League. The winner will likely face undefeated Crescenta Valley (26-0) in the second round. After finishing third in the Miramonte Charter Oak will host a wild-card on Wednesday against Oaks Christian, with the winner facing San Andreas league champion Cajon on Friday.
Division II: Glendora shared the Sierra League title with Ayala but entered the Div. II playoffs as the league's top entry. The Tartans drew a home game in Friday's first round against San Luis Obispo, the second-place entry from the Pac-7 league. However, if the Tartans advance, they will likely meet No. 2 seed Etiwanda, who plays a wild-card team in the opening round.
Division IV: Del Rey League champion Bishop Amat leads four area teams in the Div. IV playoffs, which open on Friday. The Lancers will host Desert Valley third-place entry Coachella Valley. South Hills, third in the San Antonio League, will be at Estancia. If the Lancers and Huskies both win, the Huskies will host the Lancers in the second round. San Antonio champ Walnut is at home against Aquinas and Rowland earned a home game against Santa Maria St. Joseph.
Division V: Montview League champion Sierra Vista will host Valle Vista League co-champion Covina in a highly anticipated first round game in the Div. V playoffs on Friday. Meanwhile, Valle Vista league No. 1 entry Northview hopes to get off to solid start against either La Puente or Riverside Notre Dame, who meet in a wild card on Wednesday. Azusa, second in the Montview League, has a tall order against No. 2 seed El Seguno. In other wild card games on Wednesay, Duarte hosts Keppel and San Dimas is home against Twentynine Palms.

Tribune's final top ten poll
1. Los Altos (20-5)
Ready for long playoff run
2. Bishop Amat (18-8)
Won 9-of-10 entering playoffs
3. Glendora (16-9)
Playing as well as anyone
4. Northview (19-5)
Needs to get mojo back
5. Covina (19-5)
Div. V sleeper
6. Charter Oak (20-9)
Won five of last six
7. Sierra Vista (19-3)
Gets Covina in first round
8. South El Monte (17-7)
Good enough to win Div. VI?
9. San Dimas (16-9)
Everything coming together
10. Walnut (14-6)
San Antonio League champs

"The shot heard around the SGV," which Aram playfully called it. Northview's R.J. Arnold belted a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Vikings to a 4-3 playoff victory over the Bearcats in last year's quarterfinals. Guess what, they're on track to meet in the quarters again.

Start discussing the CIF baseball pairings as they come off the CIF website. I posted the links and times below.

Click here to view a full breakdown of the CIF pairings from the CIF website

Division II: Damien is the lone local here, and they will be on the road in the first round at Santa Barbara, the Channel League champion. Both teams are 17-8.
Division III: San Antonio League champion South Hills is on the top half of the Div. III bracket and will host the wild-card winner between Costa Mesa and Glenn on Thursday. Nogales, the San Antonio runner-up, is on the road against Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, who won the Orange Coast League. Rowland will be on road Tuesday against Colony in a wild card-game.
Division IV: Northview earned the top-seed in Div. IV and will host the winner of Tuesday's wild-card between Beverly Hills and Lompoc Cabrillo in the first round on Friday. Bonita is at home against Malibu, and could meet Northview in quarterfinals. In the bottom half, Diamond Ranch is on the road against Santa Monica and San Dimas is at home against Granite Hills. If DRanch and San Dimas, win, DRanch would host San Dimas in the second round. Also, Covina is at Cathedral City with Charter Oak at home against Victor Valley. If both win, Covina would host Charter Oak in second round.
Division V: Defending champion Bishop Amat earned the top-seed in Div. V and will host the winner from Tuesday's wild-card between Calvary Chapel Downey and Riverside Christian in Thursday's first-round game. La Puente will host Christian runner-up Ontario Christian, and if they win, would likely face Bishop Amat in the second round in a battle for La Puente-area bragging rights. Montview League champion Azusa will host Aquinas with the winner likely to face No. 3 St. Paul. Arroyo is on the road against Mary Star and South El Monte makes the long haul to Hesperia in first-round games. Christian League champ Western Christian is at home against Paraclete and could meet No. 2 Monrovia in the second round. Duarte is at Sultana and Sierra Vista has a wild-card game today at Cantwell Sacred Heart.

Spring Football is finally here this week, and with it comes the dawn of new expectations. I'm predicting right now that Bishop Amat will make an immediate turnaround. Don't underestimate the value of coaches that players respect, especially when you've already got the talent in place. And now they've just added quarterbacks coach Chris Rix to the mix. The Lancers will handle nonleague locals Diamond Ranch and West Covina with relative ease, and will make the Division I playoffs. South Hills is another team I'm loving because of QB Cameron Deen, who has the size and pedigree to have a special season. The only concern is if their deep enough at wide receiver to utilize him to their fullest potential. Then again, they've got that master in coach Bogan and a back-up plan in RB Evan Heard, so look out. I can go on and on, but those are the top two teams heading into spring. Here's a breakdown of the Trib's 2008 spring top ten with their 2007 records.

1. Bishop Amat (3-7) - This would have been a controversial choice if it not for the hiring of established CIF championship coach Steve Hagerty, who reeled in La Salle head coach Ealar Gallagher, brought back former coach MIke DiFiori, to go along with superstar alums that fill out the staff. And look, this is a team that beat Western Division champion St. Paul during the regular season. What other area team had a bigger win on its resume in 2007? The Lancers finished with a nice win over Loyola, and return seven players that either made first or second team from the Serra League, which says a lot. Quarterback Nick Lenhart is back for his senior season along with running back/linebacker Jesse Prieto. Also back are soon to be seniors Brent Seals (LB) and Sheldon Price (DB) - both Serra League first team selections who are going to UCLA. This is not about being a Lancers honk, which I'm accused of being all the time. This is about the facts, and the facts speak for themselves. The Lancers are back!

2. South Hills (10-3) -- I'm going to throw this out right now, I continue to hear rumblings that this could be coach Steve Bogan's final season. I'll keep on him about this, but with his best friend Greg Gano gone at Los Altos, don't be surprised if Bogan is next. And all along you thought the first of the big three to go would be Lou Farrar, but the big guys isn't going anywhere. Look, the Huskies have Deen, Mr. 10-1 as a starter. They've got Heard. They've got OLB/SS Wayne Goss, who one guy told me is Notre Dame's version of Tom Zbikowski. I'll go on, they've got DE Alex Barrios, LB/DE Chris Bowden. And in the new Southwest Division, c'mon, if they're not the top-ranked team when the polls come out, someone's not doing their homework.

3. Bonita (6-5) - Had a conversation with coach Podley at a recent Bonita baseball game and he's excited as ever. Look for QB Terry Paradez to have a fantastic season, especially with a healthy receiver in stud Jiovanni Mier, who I'm starting to think is the SGV's best all-around athlete. Leading tackler Jeff Galalich is back along with tough guy Robert Schmitt. The Miramonte League should be tight again, but at this point I'm going with Boinita as the slight favorites over DRanch and COak.

4. Diamond Ranch (2-8) - If you take away the forfeits, Diamond Ranch went 7-3 in 2007 and will be better in 2008. This prediction only counts if soon-to-be senior Brandon Sermons, who was the player declared ineligible which led to the forfeits, returns despite rumors that he could be going back to Bishop Amat to follow his brother Rodney Sermons, who bolted the DRanch coaching staff to go back to his alma mater. After Wilson's Tim Gilmore, I think running back Brian Spirlin is the best prospect. I love his style, even moreso than Heard, Seals and San Dimas' Nico Barbone. Also back is tight end/linebacker Bryan Bonilla and leading tackler Kyle Lengyel. If they find a suitable replacement for graduating quarterback Joe Carillo, they will be very explosive.

5. San Dimas (9-2) - Nico, Nico, Nico. How will San Dimas follow a 9-2 season and a tri-league title? With a CIF Championship in the new Mid Valley Division. I can even envision a championship of Northiew and San Dimas. Or Covina and San Dimas. Not afraid of the Valley Vista or Montview teams at all in this Division. This is going to be the greatest thing to happen to Valle Vista football in years. And not only do the Saints return Nico Barbone, but you have to love the fact that Erek Brown and Daniel Joseph return in the backfield too. Mick Kalmar is also back at quarterback, and then you have Randy Hoskins, Kyle Withem and Ryan Doll, all of whom made all-league, returning. The Saints aren't going anywhere. This could be an offensive machine and if they take care of business defensively, they could be even better that 2007. At least there's no Oak Christian to stand in their way.

6. Charter Oak (10-2-1) - They're such a wild card after so many senior departures, which was a class that Farrar described as one of his best senior-laden teams ever. We know quarterback Chris Allen is going to be great. He's got the body, experience and he's a leader. Adam Muema will be the best junior running back in the area, and I've heard rumors than another RB has enrolled there, and that's he's an impact RB, so we'll see. But back to Muema, I was so impressed with him last year that I won't be surprised if he takes another big leap forward and ends up leading the area in yards and touchdowns. He showed flashes of brilliance in spotted time behind Kanaan Snowden in 2007. Will there be enough on the O-Line to compliment Allen and Muema, that's the question. Defensively, there will be lots of new faces, but also returning are TE/DE Tyler Perri, WR/DB Kyle Rycraw and lets face it, with all due respect to Bishop Amat, this is the best all-around coaching staff in the area.

7. West Covina (6-6) - After a so-so season the Bulldogs are back and equipped to go toe-to-toe with the Huskies in 2008? That's what I keep hearing but I'm not sold. They're good, don't get me wrong. They're just not South Hills good. First, we don't know how the departure of defensive coordinator Ryan Maddux, now at Monrovia, will affect them. But they do bring back soon to be junior Jacob Shirley, who was nails toward the end of the season as a sophomore. Also look for Ricky Johnson to have a big season at tailback following the departure of Isaac Tucker. And there are other big returnees like Albert Cid (down lineman), Alonzo Nevarez (linebacker), Richard Tejada (Guard), Jon Hernandez (DB), and Donald Scheffler (LB). Coach Mike Maggiore is excited so we'll see. On paper, I like them, just not as much as our top five.

8. Glendora (9-3) -- Following its first Sierra League title since 1993 and its 9-3 season and quarterfinal appearance in the Inland Division playoffs is going to be tough for a Tartans squad that graduated so many impact seniors, especially in the trenches. The Tartans lose nine Sierra League first team players, including league MVP Michael Edwards, running back Jake Vega, and many others. QB Drew Kaluzny is back for his senior year, but he will have several new faces around him. In fact, the Tartans had 13 sophomores on their roster, so how they develop with the next group of seniors will be key. OL/DL Cody Tescher was spectacular at the Nike Combine. What you know for sure is that coach Mark Pasquarella will have a plan and they will be competitive. But it will be interesting to watch how this unfolds.

9. Northview (7-4) - The best news coming out of the spring is that Vikings coach Jim Arellanes didn't get the Monrovia job, and should be back this fall. The Vikings started off strong in 2007 and then tailed off, so we'll see how that experience helps them, because they have a great senior class returning. Expectations are huge because QB Oscar Robles is back along with wide receivers Anthony Farmer and Kevin Jones. Linebackers Andrew Rodriguez and Christian Vargas also are back with many others. My only problem with them last year is I thought they lacked the camaraderie that the Vikings baseball team has. And they need to drink their bottle of get tough, because they were soft in the big games. That won't get it done with someone like South Hills on the schedule.

10. South El Monte (7-5) -- I'm probably going to get this wrong for having the defending Mission Valley League champions so far down the list when they return someone like QB Jose Garay, the Tribune's quarterback of the year who is sure to have a big senior season. Although receiver Tommy Cogburn graduates, Manny Acosta is more than capable of becoming their big impact split end and Neiko Padilla replaces Jonathan Mendoza in the backfield. Offensively, Carlos Chacon (tackle), Robert Cedeno (guard) are back after earning first team league honors. Another league title is theirs for the taking.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 31 PREDICTIONS
11. Damien (5-5-1)
12. Los Altos (5-5)
13. Wilson (6-6)
14. Covina (5-5)
15. Walnut (1-9)
16. Rosemead (7-4)
17. Rowland (3-8)
18. Baldwin Park (7-4)
19. Arroyo (6-5)
20. Duarte (8-3)
21. La Puente (7-4)
22. Diamond Bar (3-7)
23. El Monte (5-5)
24. Mountain View (4-5)
25. Nogales (2-8)
26. Azusa (4-7)
27. Sierra Vista (3-8)
28. Gladstone (3-7)
29. Western Christian (3-7)
30. Workman (2-7)
31. Bassett (1-9)

COMING NEXT WEEK: Area's list of top ten IMPACT players. These are the guys who mean the most to their teams, and who I expect to have the biggest year at their position or as a two-way player. Also, as I have time, I will be calling coaches to discuss how the spring is going, along with their schedule to give you an idea of what their up against.

Read all about San Dimas' Erika Kalmar and Diamond Ranch's Karynn Dunn's big afternoon at the CIF-SS Div. III qualifying meet.. Also, read about Damien's Taylor Herrera. He had a huge afternoon at the Division II's in Moorpark, which also recaps the Div. IV prelims. The finals are next week at Mt. SAC, and for all the qualifying marks, visit dyestat, the home of high school track.

The 2008 CIF-SS Swimming and Diving results can be found here. On Saturday, Glendora freshman Gretchen Jaques and Walnut senior Vincent Pai took home titles in the Division II races. Jaques took home a pair of titles in winning the 50 and 100 yards sprints. You can see how everything unfolded by clicking on Keith Birmingham's photo gallery.

Not that it's a huge surprise, but the Northview High School baseball team will get the top-seed in Division IV when the pairings are released on Monday while defending champion Bishop Amat will assume its position as the top seed in Division V.

Last week's final CIF Poll
DIVISION III
1. Notre Dame/SO, 2. Cajon,3. Paramount 4. Mayfair, 5. South Hills,
6. El Rancho, 7. Alhambra, 8. Crespi, 9. Paloma Valley, 10. Don Lugo

DIVISION IV
1. Patriot, 2. Northview, 3. St Bonaventure, 4. Sonora, 5. Savanna, 6. Torrance, 7. San Dimas, 8. Charter Oak, 9. Bonita, 10. Cathedral City

DIVISION V
1. Bishop Amat, 2. Monrovia, 3. St Paul, 4. Sultana, 5. Hesperia, 6. Mary Star of the Sea, 7. Campbell Hall, 8. Temple City, 9. Gabrielino, 10. Carpinteria

Western Conference semifinal
Tonight: Lakers at Utah, 6 p.m.
TV: ESPN, Ch. 9
Lakers lead series 2-0

I'm starting this Lakers game thread so you discuss each playoff game. I know this is what we focus on after preps. I see the Lakers flags. I know everyone's talking Lakers. I was at BJ's in WestCov the other night and the crowd was out in full force. I don't know if you're like me, but when the Lakers win, I can watch Sports Center center all night. I'm reading everything I can on the web. When they lose, is back to HBO. I don't even read a Lakers story until they play again. Of course, the Lakers are 6-0 in the postseason which is probably why I'm starting this thread so it better not be a curse. I have to go back to the 80s to remember a Western Conference playoff run that felt this easy. You know it won't stay like this. Even when the Lakers went 12-0 in the Western Conference finals in 2001, there were so many tight games until they blew away the Spurs in the conference finals. The Jazz won't go away quietly, and I can't stand when people tell me this series is over. 37-4! That's the Jazz's record at home. Of course, the Lakers own one of those victories and it came without Pau Gasol, so I'm feeling good it, until tip-off that is.

This is your favorite sportswriter in support of the Doo-Dah queen, otherwise known as Trib feature's writer Michelle Mills.

Charter Oak's Ethan Bradley came up just short in his signature races, the 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle. But overall, it was a solid day for area swimmers. Also click on Keith Birmingham's full photo gallery of Thursday's event.

The CIF-SS 2008 Swimming and Diving championships take place this week in Long Beach, with the finals Thursday-Saturday. You will find up-to-date heat sheets with results immediately following races on this link I've posted above.

Thursday's final league games. The CIF-SS pairings will be released on Monday.

Christian League
Western Christian 9, Arrowhead Christian 3 - WC wins league title
Del Rey League
Bishop Amat 9, St. Monica 2
Miramonte League
Diamond Ranch 3, Charter Oak 1
Bonita at Los Altos, 3:15 p.m.
Mission Valley League
South El Monte 9, El Monte 4
San Antonio League
West Covina 3, Walnut 2
Nogales 5, South Hills 1
Sierra League
Damien 5, Glendora 1
Ayala 8, Diamond Bar 7
Valle Vista League
Northview 11, Pomona 0 (North 1st)
San Dimas 13, Ganesha 1 (SD 2nd)
Covina 8, Baldwin Park 1 (Cov 34d)

We've talked so much about Los Altos, Northview, and Bishop Amat's softball teams but what about Glendora? The Tartans beat St. Lucy's 5-2 on Thursday, and with Chino Hills losing to Chino and Ayala beating Diamond Bar, the Tartans earned a share of the Sierra League crown along with Ayala for the first time since 2002. This all became possible last week when the Tartans split with an Ayala team that beat Bishop Amat 10-0, and an Ayala team that beat a 25-3 Kennedy squad. Maybe I've been wrong all along. Maybe the Tarts are the area's best team.

UPDATE 2: I've been told that the freshman game raised more than 3,000 dollars for the Ginter Family, and that donations continue to arrive.
Lynda Denman, who organized this great event, sent an email. Let me share part of it ...

We will continue to give our own league players and families who were unable to attend Tuesday night's game an opportunity to contribute through this Saturday's games. It was absolutely thrilling to see the number of people who showed up to support this - it was so well supported by our own league, all the players and their families from all three of our high school's baseball teams as well as a packed stand of Damien supporters and well-wishers and others who were drawn to support the cause."

Lovin you in the SGV: Thanks to all of you for making this a special week. I got an email from the Ginter family and they were overwhelmed by your support. It's little things like this that make all the difference in the world. In the most difficult time of their lives, you helped lift a families spirit. I can't think of anything more honorable or heart-warming -- Fred.

WHAT WAS WRITTEN EARLIER THIS WEEK --We don't normally promote freshman baseball games, but this is no ordinary event. Glendora and Damien's freshman team will play Tuesday night at Henderson Field at 7 p.m., in what has become a fundraiser for Ayala varsity baseball player Kyle Ginter, who was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma on April 17, and has been fighting his illness at the City of Hope in Duarte. The schools are not charging for the event, but they're accepting donations, and will donate all proceeds from the snack bar to the Ginter family. The snack bar staff is also donating their wages for the night, so anyone who has a few bucks and the time to spare, please visit Henderson Field on Tuesday night to offer your support. If you can't make the game, you can send a donation to Kyle Ginter, in C/O Tami Thomann, 14291 Willowood Lane, Chino HIlls, 91709. Do what you can, what happened to Ginter could have happened to any of us, and lets wish him well in his recovery. To read more on Ginter's progress click this thread or his name above to take you to Ayala's website.

UPDATE:I just got a call that the Glendora High School booster club will match the donations raised at tonight's event. I can't tell you how heartwarming it is to hear the community coming together like this.

Playoffs start next week, and what makes the Tribune baseball MVP great is that post-season weighs heavily. Will it be someone from Northview, Bishop Amat, Bonita, Damien, San Dimas or Charter Oak? Quite possibly. I have a few in mind already. I know who I would pick if I had to do it today. But I'm not going to say. I don't want to put any more pressure on these players than they already have going into next week. Good luck all, I'm expecting a wild playoff run.

La Puente's 10-9 victory over Duarte on Monday followed by another 9-6 win over the Falcons on Wednesday not only gave the Warriors a playoff berth, but the sweep enabled the Aztecs to win the Montview League title. The Aztecs finished 9-3 with Duarte and Azusa tying for second at 8-4. We would have mentioned that the Aztecs won the title in today's paper, except we didn't learn of their win over Bassett until this morning. This is what happens when school's don't call in results or report to MaxPreps, or answer phone calls when we leave messages trying to get results.

You can also blog this on http://www.insidesocal.com/afterpreps/

This blog is usually about keeping up with the sporting careers of past area prep stars. But in the wake of former area prep star Felipe Aguilar being named just the fourth football coach at Los Altos last week, I thought what better time than to discuss how in 2000 I picked Aguilar over Shaun Cody, who is now with the Detroit Lions, as this area's football Player of the Year.
A variety of different people have asked me over the years how I could make such a decision when Cody had more upside potential for future greatness of the two.
But my view of Player of the Year, as does college football's Heisman Trophy, is not all about what player has greater potential, but who had the better season that year and who is more valuable. That's always been my criteria, and will continue to be.
It's the same reason I didn't didn't select Charter Oak's Chuck Tiffany first team all-area during his junior season. While he was clearly the player in the area with the most talent, he didn't play enough due to injury that season, in my mind, to warrant first team all-area. But that's an argument for another post.
Back to the topic.
Cody was clearly the most-talented player in the area in 2000. You knew he had the potential to be a collegiate All-American, and to eventually play in the NFL. But again, I've always judged it by what happens on the field, not potential or talent.
The Aguilar argument:  He had arguably the single-best season ever by a Valley quarterback, matching Pat Haden's Valley record of 42 TD passes and coming within 67 yards shy of Mike Smith's passing yardage mark. He also  marched  Los Altos back from playoff elimination, leading them on an 80-yard TD drive with less than two minutes to play in a 28-27 victory over  California in the divisional semifinals.
The Cody argument: From an athletic standpoint, the most talented player in the area in 2000. He would later become an All-American at USC and play for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He was a sack machine at Los Altos, getting 33 his junior year and backing it up with 23 in 2000. He also was the top tight end in the area, and also showed is worth as bull-dozing fullback near the goal line. He also came up big in Los Altos' victory over Charter Oak in the divisional finals.
The final decision: As far as I was concerned, there was no wrong decision here. Cody, like stated above, was clearly the most-talented player in the area, but matching a Valley record that was held by arguably one of the area's all-time players, was hard to overlook, and in the end, I couldn't. Also, Aguilar leading Los Altos on the drive in the semifinals ranks, on the high-school scale in my mind, right up there with John Elway's "The Drive." It's what quarterbacks are expected to do, and when they do, they are rewarded. I did the same with Aguilar.
Final thoughts: I still have no regrets and stand by my decision to this day.
I've never heard any arguments from either player, so I will take that as approval.
Thoughts?

Damien can clinch a share of the Sierra League title when it plays Glendora again. The Tartans need a win Thursday just to have an outside chance of making the playoffs. Give it up to Damien, though, what a comeback after its start in the Sierra. Read the story, the Trib inspired them, :)

Someone once said revenge is a dish best served cold. Damien High School (16-8,8-6) proved that old adage by beating rival Glendora 10-0 on Tuesday and clinching a spot in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
The Spartans lost to the Tartans 16-1 in their first Sierra League meeting in April.
"We started the league 1-4," Spartans coach Rich Vasquez said. "There were some articles in the Tribune that didn't give us much of a chance after that. The best thing that happened to us was when they (Glendora) handed us our butt 16-1. Our boys rallied and we've been 8-2 since. They (Glendora) might not want to hear it but they're the reason why we got back into this thing because of that loss. We're peaking at the right time." The Spartans have one league game left and a win over Glendora on Thursday, coupled with a Chino Hills loss, will give them a share of the title.
"The kids were excited this week," Vasquez said. "Not only for a chance to still fight for the league title and make the playoffs, but to keep them (Glendora) out. The goal was to make the playoffs, and we did. It's a new season and anything can happen."

Glendora High School will play for the Sierra League softball title Thursday. The Tartans got their chance after rolling to an 11-0 victory at St. Lucy's in a league game that was stopped after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule. Glendora, getting a one-hitter from Dana Waldusky and three hits and two RBIs from Natalie Hernandez, improved to 14-8 overall and remained in a three-way tie for first place with Chino Hills and Ayala, all with 6-3 league records. The Tartans can earn a share of the crown with another victory over St. Lucy's, which visits Glendora on Thursday.

Damien wrestling coach Frank Lucero has become another one of my heroes. He cared so much about his wrestlers that he didn't tell them he had cancer. He delivered a three-hour speech at Februrary's wrestling banquet and never stopped standing. And from everyone I've talked to, he's a hero and inspiration. Let's pray and wish him well.

After Kobe Bryant won his MVP today....

Coach Phil Jackson
"I don't know anybody who ever deserved this trophy more," said Jackson. "I've never known anybody who worked this hard." That would include someone named Michael Jordan.

Then this from Kobe.
"I get goose bumps thinking about it," Bryant said. "I'm proud to represent this city." Then sign an extension :)

BTW, Lakers in Five.

Above: Glendora and Damien will battle two more times this week with Damien hosting Tuesday's encouter at 3:15 p.m., followed by Glendora hosting Damien on Thursday.

Tribune Rankings
1t. Bishop Amat (20-4)
Ten straight wins and have outscored its opponents 204-77. What's impressive is not the streak but how easy they're winning too. La Salle is a pretty-good team and got hammered 13-5 and 12-2, which came a week after the Lancers swept St. Paul, who was No. 2 in Division V behind the top-ranked Lancers. The question isn't if they will reach the championship, but who they will play.
1t. Northview (19-4)
After losing to San Dimas the Vikings have won five straight, including a huge come-from-behind win at San Dimas to claim their third straight Valle Vista League title. I had the Vikes at No. 2 last week, but think it's only fitting that they share No. 1 with Bishop Amat at the moment. Bishop Amat is hotter, but Northview has been the hottest all season. It's obviously debatable, but why separate them. If they both go on to win championships, they'll both finish in a tie in my eyes.
3. San Dimas (16-7)
It's had to believe this team lost four in a row in early March. But they've gone 12-3 since, which included back-to-back wins over Covina and a split with Northview. They will beat Ganesha twice to finish 18-7, and they're obviously a team with a great chance to make a playoff run when you think of Drossel, Ponzo and how well they hit the ball.
4. South Hills (18-4)
The San Antonio League champions want to finish strong against Nogales today, and I'll tell you this, If they go on and win the Division III title, then all that talk about their schedule will be moot. If the Huskies win everything, I'd have to seriously consider them as the area's top team. But that's still a huge if.
5. Bonita (16-6)
The Bearcats had won 12 straight, beat Charter Oak early in the week then had their win streak snapped in a costly 6-2 loss to the defending Div. IV champion Chargers on the road. Charter Oak is now in first by a game in the Miramonte, but the Chargers finish with Diamond Ranch, which won't be easy. Bonita will likely sweep Los Altos, so a Diamond Ranch win would give them a piece of the title, but to win it outright, DRanch has to sweep, and that's not going to happen. Big-picture wise, Bonita still deserves to be ranked ahead of Charter Oak.
6. Damien (15-8)
Remember when they started 1-3 in the Sierra, and their playoff potential started shrinking by the week. That's when we find out what a team is really made of, when its backs are to the wall. Give the Spartans credit, they're now second in the Sierra after a huge sweep over Chino, and have won five of six to give themselves not just a chance at making the playoffs, but a chance to win the league title with a sweep over Glendora.
7. Glendora (13-9)
Read what I wrote about Damien, because now it's Glendora's turn to show what it's made of with its back to the wall. This is the team that started off well in the Sierra, looked like solid a playoff pick more than a week ago then lost two straight and four of five to slip into a must-win situation against Damien this week.
8. Charter Oak (12-10)
I'm trying to figure out what this says about the Miramonte that the Chargers are 4-8 against everyone else, but 8-2 in league. I guess it says the Chargers had trouble being the defending champs early in the season. They didn't know how to play with a bullseye on their chest. But they've settled down and have a lot of pieces from last year's title team, so you have to think this was about finding its confidence, and finding that swagger again. Still don't think they're all the way back, but getting close.
9. Covina (14-8)
I've said this from day one and I'll say it again, the Colts will be a dangerous third-place team for a league champion in the playoffs. Whoever the Colts face, they won't have a No. 1 like Cal State Fullerton bound Tyler Pill. And they way the playoffs are structured, Pill could pitch them into the quarters if the Colts are swinging their bats.
10. Diamond Ranch (12-10-1)
Believe it or not if the Panthers sweep Charter Oak this week, they could finish second and drop the Chargers all the way to third. So much can still happen and with the Panthers on a modest five-game win streak, who knows how this will end up.

Area Standings and Schedules
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Game of the day: Glendora (13-8, 5-3) at St. Lucy's (13-10, 4-4), 3:15 p.m.

Tribune Rankings
1. Los Altos (19-5)
This isn't debatable anymore. The Conquerors have won 12 straight and are streaking toward the playoffs. Patterson is the best pitcher in the area, and her run support makes this a very dangerous team in the post-season.
2. Bishop Amat (16-8)
Having seen everyone, the Lancers are a deserving No. 2. They're a perfect 6-0 in the Del Rey League and their non-league schedule was brutal in comparison to others on this list. We're talking about close losses to La Serna, Mater Dei and a split against Los Altos. And if there's a better all-around shortstop than Jessica Traxler, I haven't seen her.
3. Glendora (13-8)
From No. 7 to to 3? Absolutely. I've always believed the Tartans were this good. For them to be in a three-way tie in the Sierra going into the last week is all you need to know. They had a huge split with Ayala, and split with Chino Hills a couple weeks back. All that stands in the way of an improbable league tittle is a two-game set with St. Lucy's, which obviously won't be easy.
4. Northview (17-6)
I have to be honest, the Vikes are losing their edge. This was a team soaring with confidence heading into last week, then it dropped two huge games to San Dimas and Covina, which won't take their No. 1 playoff seed, but still leaves the Vikes in a tie with Covina for the VVL title. Hannah Fraijo is a warrior, but not sure if the whole team shares that same confidence anymore.
5. Covina (17-5)
From the very beginning I thought Covina had the best team in the VVL. I give a slight edge to Fraijo over Colts pitcher Jill Huntsman, but I think the Colts are more solid defensively, and hit a little better. Of course, the Vikings won two out of three from the Colts, but the Colts won the last meeting, and must be feeling good about how they're playing at the moment.
6. Charter Oak (18-9)
That 2-1 victory over an 18-3 La Serna team is still shocking. What it shows is the Chargers are capable of beating anyone, and obviously a dangerous playoff opponent. For them to win their own tournament, which also included a 6-5 semifinal win over Los Osos is just more proof. Logic says they can't keep winning this way. Logic says you need a dominant pitcher. But this is a team that keeps surprising me when I'm ready to count them out.
7. Sierra Vista (18-3)
It's hard not to look at the Dons and think this is like comparing the Big West Conference to the Pac-10. The Dons are dominating the Montview League, but the Montview isn't strong at all with the exception of Azusa, who is talented but young. Truth is, I don't really know how good Sierra Vista is capable of being. We'll know that answer come playoff time.
8. South El Monte (15-7)
Okay, we know the Eagles beat Charter Oak and San Dimas way back in the beginning of the season and are dominating the Mission Valley League with an 8-0 record. But the Eagles are 7-7 outside the MVL, and lets face it, the MVL hasn't been the toughest of leagues in recent memory.
9. St. Lucy's (13-10)
The Regents are 4-4 in the Sierra, a game behind three-way leaders Chino Hills, Glendora and Ayala, who are all at 5-3. That can change with a two-game series against Glendora starting this afternoon at St. Lucy's. What a great way to finish the season. St. Lucy's needs a win to stay in the playoff hunt while the Tartans can clinch a playoff spot with a win.
10. San Dimas (14-9)
I can say this, I never gave up on this team. I knew the Saints were too good to be playing so bad through the middle of the season. Now they've won six of seven, which includes wins over Covina and Northview, and the Saints will be a dangerous No. 3 team in the playoffs.

SOFTBALL STANDINGS AND SCHEDULES
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valle League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

We don't normally promote freshman baseball games, but this is no ordinary event. Glendora and Damien's freshman team will play Tuesday night at Henderson Field at 7 p.m., in what has become a fundraiser for Ayala varsity baseball player Kyle Ginter, who was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma on April 17, and has been fighting his illness at the City of Hope in Duarte. The schools are not charging for the event, but they're accepting donations, and will donate all proceeds from the snack bar to the Ginter family. The snack bar staff is also donating their wages for the night, so anyone who has a few bucks and the time to spare, please visit Henderson Field on Tuesday night to offer your support. If you can't make the game, you can send a donation to Kyle Ginter, in C/O Tami Thomann, 14291 Willowood Lane, Chino HIlls, 91709. Do what you can, what happened to Ginter could have happened to any of us, and lets wish him well in his recovery. To read more on Ginter's progress click this thread or his name above to take you to Ayala's website.

UPDATE:I just got a call that the Glendora High School booster club will match the donations raised at tonight's event. I can't tell you how heartwarming it is to hear the community coming together like this.

The CIF-SS 2008 Swimming and Diving championships take place this week in Long Beach, with the finals Thursday-Saturday. You will find up-to-date heat sheets with results immediately following races on this link I've posted above.

What will happen in 2008?
1. Bishop Amat
2. South Hills
3. Diamond Ranch
4. Bonita
5. Charter Oak
6. West Covina
7. San Dimas
8. Glendora
9. Northview
10. South El Monte
This is the top ten I wrote in January, but since we've had coaching changes at Bishop Amat, Los Altos, Gladstone, Azusa, Wilson and Sierra Vista, so there will be changes when I unveil the "Spring 2008 Top Ten" with comments, and the "Super 31," next Monday. We'll discuss who's on the rise, who's going to fall, who's under pressure, etc, etc, it all starts next Monday when Spring Practices begin to heat up, and we'll keep it going through the SGV All-Star game on June 27, followed by the Summer Passing League and our final march to the fall. For now, how should our spring top ten look next week?


GOOD POINT: This was part of a comment left by Bracketology on the "Blog" thread, who made a real good point in discussing Felipe Aguilar taking over for Gano this week.
It read: Gano calls it quits on Wednesday and when you read the thread for the rest of the week, it's all about people who think they are "experts" and already have questioned whether Aguilar will even win a game next year. Now, if the blogs were active when Gano first got the job at LA, there is not a shadow of a doubt that many of you would have persecuted Rob Roberts for the hire because, "He wasn't a winner."

Fred's thought: He is so right, If Gano was following DeSpain today, bloggers would never have given him a chance. And what did he go on and do, win four championships? Give Aguilar some time, even with Gano coming back this wasn't a team with a lot of expectations for 2008. It was and still is a rebuilding year, so if you're a Los Altos fan, be patient with Aguilar, give him a couple of years to turn things around before you bring out the hammer.

Did any of you watch Bob Costas' show on HBO discussing the pro's and cons of sports blogging, it got pretty serious with that dude from Deadspin, Will Leitich, who founded the popular sports blog and who's motto is, "sports without access, favor or discrection." Think TMZ, or prep bashing on this blog times a 100. The Deadspin founder irritated author Buzz Bissinger by dismissing one of our hallowed rules, "No Cheering in the Press Box, " by saying "I've never quite understood the idea that, like, now I'm a journalist and now I cheer for no team. Oh, really? Why did you get into sports news in the first place?" Leitich said.
To which Bissinger replied, "I feel strongly about this," he said, turning to Leitch. "I really think you're full of [expletive]. I think that blogs are dedicated to cruelty, dedicated to journalistic dishonesty. Maybe that's why I'm so heated and so angry," he said as the show wrapped up. "Because this guy [Leitch], whether we like it or not, is the future. I'm not the future.
"I have a son who's 16, who's ... going to read much more what's on the Internet, and much more on blogs than he is in a newspaper or what's in a book. And what he's going to read is going to be glib. It is going, generally, to be profane. It's going to be quick. ...
"There are some good blogs out there, but I think they are very, very few and far between. I think the quality of the writing, generally, is despicable.

You don't know how many times I've been asked that question. In a seventh game I'm taking Northview. In a championship I'm taking Northview. Their will has been unmatched this season. But in a series, Bishop wins out. Both teams have great pitching staff's, but the Lancers hit better, they do, and that would win out in a long series. But hey, why am I even arguing this, Northview beat Amat 4-1 in a championship already, and as someone keeps telling me, "That's it, there is no question, head-to-head answers it." Whatever, why don't you answer it.

We've never had this award at the Tribune, but I've always wanted it and will approach management again. This award would recognize the best boys and girls athlete of the year, and you would have to participate in at least two sports to be considered. Specialization has ruined the three-sport athlete, but there are still plenty of throwbacks who play multiple sports and should be recognized for their year's worth of achievements. Your thoughts, and those we should consider?

When's the last time you saw all six teams in play going into the final week of the season? You can finish first or last just like that.

Friday's results
Ayala 5, Glendora 4
Damien 7, Chino 2
Chino Hills, 11, Diamond Bar 1

Sierra League Standings
Chino Hills 8-5
Damien 7-6
Chino 6-7
Glendora 6-7
Ayala 6-7
Diamond Bar 6-7

Tuesday's games
Chino at Chino Hills
Ayala at Diamond Bar
Glendora at Damien

Thursday's games
Chino Hills at Chino
Diamond Bar at Ayala
Damien at Glendora

Should it go to the coach who had the best season, or the coach whose team exceeded everyone's expectations? We won't know who it is or who to discuss until the playoffs are over, but how would you break down the criteria for this award?

Don't know the extent of this, but someone metioned that South Hills football coach Steve Bogan was summoned to the dugout for a baseball game. Can anyone shed some light?

Nice to have the blogs up and rolling again. It was all a conspiracy by coach Gano, it started going out of whack after he announced he was leaving. I just know he had something to do it, he always had great things to say about the blog. Anyway, on a more important note, the good man promised to take Aram, Stevie R., and myself out to Petrillo's, imagine what that will be like.

Azusa High School has promoted offensive coordinator Joe Scherf to become the next head football coach. Scherf succeeds Craig Schuster, who resigned in April. For more on Scherf, click thread

As I get more results, I'll post them. Here are the results from the Valle Vista League, Sierra League and Mission Valley League, track finals.

Covina's Jill Hunstman got it done against Northview, throwing a two-hit shutout to move the Colts into a first-place tie in the Valle Vista

Bishop Amat softball rallied for a 6-5 victory over St. Paul to take over control in the Del Rey League

Charter Oak, the defending CIF-SS Division IV championship baseball team, shaked off a loss against Bonita earlier in the week with a 6-2 win over the Bearcats on Thursday to take over sole possession of first with a week to go.

It looks like the blog is working again, or starting to work again. It appears the comments are showing up in minutes and so are my blog topics. Hopefully it keeps getting quicker. At the Tribune we're in "Day Three" of a major computer system failure. We're emailing stories to our editors, and deadlines are ridiculously early to make sure we get a paper published. The Whittier Daily News, Pasadena Star-News and Tribune local stories are all going on the same page to make it easier to get the paper out. It might be like this through the weekend so be patient, we'll have this straightened out soon. Just be glad it's not happening during the playoffs.

The latest from Tribland is that we had a major crash to our system, and will not be able to run local game stories in Friday's newspaper, with the exception of some features that should have run in today's newspaper, like the Gano story. The Gano story should run in Friday's newspaper, but don't hold me to it. BTW, did you see today's newspaper? Bold print, wire stories only, it was ugly but the best we could do under the circumstances. Our plan this afternoon is to cover the three big games of the day, Northview-Covina softball for first in the VVL, Charter Oak and Bonita baseball for the outright lead in the Miramonte, and the St. Paul-Bishop Amat softball battle for first in the Del Rey. You won't see these stories in Friday's newspaper, but they can all be read online, so make sure to visit sgvtribune.com/preps.
ALSO, don't ask about the blogs, this obviously hasn't been fixed yet, your comments are taking forever to go through, and my posts sometimes take a couple hours to actually reach the blog. That's enough terrible news for a day, sorry y'all.

I got a call last night that our system locked, froze or whatever, and that they couldn't get local stories in today's paper, you know, big ones like Gano "stepping away." And I'm sure you can tell we're having blog issues again, I don't even know how long it's going to take for this to post, but I'll try. For all of you that have left comments, I can see them in our system, they're just not moving over to the actual blog. When they get this fixed, I'll let you know immediately. Thanks for you patience.

BTW, here's the News Editor's note on today's homepage

Due to extraordinary technical difficulties, delivery was delayed for today's print edition, and many of our regular news and sports stories and features did not appear.
We apologize for the inconvenience and the omissions.
We intend to resume our regular coverage in Friday's print editions.
We will update our Web site throughout the day with local news, sports and features.