July 2008 Archives

From ESPN: Manny Ramirez's stormy relationship with the Boston Red Sox appears to be over.
A baseball source has confirmed Ramirez has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN.com has learned. Jason Bay is going to Boston as part of the deal, Jayson Stark reported. And the Pittsburgh Pirates get four minor leaguers as part of the three-way deal. Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen will go to Pittsburgh, ESPN.com has learned.

The Pasadena Star-News is pleased to announce the hiring of Miguel Melendez, who is a former part-timer at the Tribune, and most recently was a big part of the Orange County Register's prep coverage. Miguel loves to blog, is tech savvy, likes UCLA, (which was important during the hiring process, ha, ha), but in all seriousness, will rock the Star-News coverage area. He's passionate, which makes me excited to work with him again, and I know you will enjoy his coverage. He knows the area well and is a regular follower of our blogs. He will start on Monday.
For more personal info on Miguel, click the thread to read his bio from the OC Register ...

While I was gone I missed the Orange County Register story on the Mater Dei Football player getting beat up at practice, with coaches apparently not too concerned. They didn't call 911, some noting that it's "just" part of football. A Day later, the OC Register followed up on the condition of Jonathan Sedeno, who was nearly unconscious when he was brought to St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, said his father, Joe. Here is more from the Register story...

The boy was released from the hospital this afternoon and was on his way to see an oral surgeon. Police learned about the fight when Joe Sedeno contacted the Santa Ana Police Department to file a report; they did not receive a 911 call, according to Santa Ana Cpl. Jose Gonzalez.
The other player was also taken to the hospital by his parents, Gonzalez said. It is unclear what, if any, injuries he suffered. The elder Sedeno said he talked to a Mater Dei assistant coach about what happened and was told it was "all a part of football."
"No, this is not a part of football," Joe Sedeno said. "His face looks like they took a baseball bat to him.''
He also said he asked to view Mater Dei's recording of the practice footage but was told he could not see it.
School President Patrick Murphy described the fight as "simply a football incident. It escalated and they took swings at each other." Sedeno said he was told his son, a wide receiver who was expected to play his first season of varsity football, was involved in a drill with another player. He said he was told that the other player grew frustrated with his son and began hitting him.
Coaches broke up the fight and an athletic trainer tended to the boys, Murphy said.
"They were running a football drill. Obviously it's a competitive situation. Something must have sparked it," Murphy said. Murphy said the dean's office at the school will launch an investigation, but he declined to comment on whether the boys involved have a disciplinary record or what the disciplinary action might be.

Man, the closest thing to this I remember is when a Muir player went to PHS looking to throw hands with a Bulldog player. A coach reportedly not only let them fight, but locked in the locker room to handle their business. Just wondering, is this the norm? I know fights happen and tempers flare, but how does your coaching staff and school handle it?

I don't know if it's safe, I'm still wondering what too much cell phone use is going to do to me ten or twenty years from now. But I do know this: Don't sneak out in mid-August for a pick-up game on the fake stuff. Not unless you've got a bucket of ice to soak your feet in afterward. Anyone whose played on the stuff knows what I'm talking about. It's like running on hot coals.

Damien High will soon introduce its new synthetic surface, and Bishop Amat is next in line, joining a handful of San Gabriel Valley schools that have switched to the artificial stuff, like West Covina, Baldwin Park, Sierra Vista, La Puente, Rowland with many more to follow. But is the synthetic surface safe? A USA today report earlier this month revealed that three schools in New Jersey closed their facilities, citing health risks related to elevated lead levels. But a story in Market Watch on Thursday gave synthetic surfaces a clean bill of health. The report said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission concluded that young children, as well as athletes that use these fields, are not at risk from exposure to lead in synthetic fields. Despite these findings, a Newsday report this morning still questions the results. What have you heard, and do you have concerns regarding your children using the synthetic fields?

As we move forward and discuss new ideas, we're debating whether our readers want traditional boxscores or roundups. Back in the old days we did both, but don't have the man power to do it anymore. In recent years we've just run just boxscores on page two, but boxscores have been difficult to copy and paste online (because of coding). If we do roundups instead of boxscores, it's much easier to copy and paste short stories on the website, which gives instant updates throughout the evening, which is popular on prep websites. Roundups are also in the paper each day.

Here's the deal, we're always looking for correspondents to cover Friday night football games, and since all the experts reside here, I thought I'd start with you. We generally don't ask that you write too much, and in some cases will just ask that you call in the box score with a recap of the game. You will receive a press pass to cover the games from the sidelines or in the press box, and be paid a small fee for your time. If you're a journalism major or thinking about it, this is ideal. If you're a football junkie who can spell, this will be great for you also. To be considered, please send an email with your contact information to set up an interview.
fred.robledo@sgvn.com

This was the 2007 cover shot, any thoughts on what we should do for 2008?

Now that I'm back from vacation, it's time to start planning for the Fall Football preview tab. Normally we have a big cover story, column, league and team-by-team breakdown, but I would like to add more to it this year. We're thinking of doing top ten's at each position, and a few feature strories, but I'm listening to anything else you suggest to make it even better. For instance, any features you think we should be working on. I'll be sitting with Stevie R., in the next few days to go over all the plans, so feel free to leave comments. Finally, the prep season is just a month away.....

Breaking news: Just had a quick meeting with Managing Editor Steve Hunt, who is concerned that our preview tab could be scratched at the last minute because lets face it, these are tough economic times and we're having trouble selling ads. Now, this is a last resort and what it would mean is running daily previews in our regular section leading up to the zero week games. Nobody wants it to come to that, and just like you, I want the tab because it has everything and it's a great memorabilia section. What I've suggested is that I meet with our ad director in the coming days about the possibility of "Best Wishes Player Pages," which is similar to a program or yearbook where parents can buy a small ad with a picture of their son and a best wishes note on the season. Hopefully if enough parents participate, we can fill up pages and get this tab out. And obviously, any local business can purchase ads, so get in touch with our ad department if you're interested. If I learn that any of this is possible, I'll post all the information to make it happen. But I would love your thoughts on these suggestions. Again, it might never come to this, but I would love to have a back-up plan in place in case it does.

2008 football schedules
These schedules are from CalPreps, which are much easier to read and follow than MaxPreps. CalPreps has added a preview feature next to the team, which gives some insight and info into each team. Great stuff!

Christian League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Week-to-week games of intrigue
Sept. 5 - Bonita at Covina
Sept. 12 - San Dimas at South El Monte
Sept. 19 - West Covina at Bishop Amat
Sept. 26 - South Hills at Duarte
Oct. 3 - Charter Oak at Damien; South Hills-Northview
Oct. 10 - Diamond Ranch at Bishop Amat; San Dimas at Bonita
Oct. 17 - Bishop Amat at St. Francis
Oct. 24 - Glendora at Damien
Oct. 21 - Diamond Ranch at Los Altos
Nov. 13 - Charter Oak at Bonita; South Hills at West Covina

Great News from Bonitasports.com: Jeff Gelalich became the second Bearcat baseball player this summer to commit to a major college when he recently selected UCLA from several scholarship offers, to continue his baseball career in Westwood. Jeff, a left-handed hitting outfielder/first baseman, chose UCLA for many reasons, including their high academic standards and the quality coaching staff.

Jeff joins fellow senior and good friend Jiovanni Mier in making his college choice this summer, after Jio committed to USC earlier. They are already enjoying their future rivalry and there is no doubt the two will remain close friends throughout their baseball futures. But both will be teammates for one more season at Bonita.

I'll have to follow up on the Wilson coaching situation when I get back to work on Wednesday because that last thread is blowing up. In the meantime, I'd like to continue with our area's top ten best of the best. We've already done quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers, so start thinking of the men in the trenches. "Hell Week" is just a couple weeks away so start nominating the best lineman on both sides. As always, these are the toughest positions to nail down, so feel free to share your thoughts on those you have knowledge of.

After just her freshman season at Diamond Bar High School, Brahmas shortstop Stephany LaRosa has given a verbal commitment to attend UCLA in 2011. Her mom Rhonda emailed in the good news.

I'm with the family in Northern California, but read a comment in one of the threads from a blogging friend at the Star-News. Looks like Muir's Mighty Mighty Mustangs are ready for the Southeast. The Orange County school's are gone, replaced by the more athletic teams from Muir and PHS. When I was at South Hills' practice last week I talked to Bogan about the realignment. Muir was one of his curious concerns.

Here's what Stang Fan wrote.

Freddie J,

LET'S GO STANGS!!!!!

WNBA star Becky Hammon, a U.S. native, will play for Russia in Beijing

Fred set the bar, adding a few mainstream topics in addition to the many prep topics on this blog. That being said, with the Olympics just around the corner, what a better time to discuss one of the more hot topics of the Beijing Games.
I'm sure you've heard of the Becky Hammon controversy and the WNBA star's decision to play for the Russian women's basketball national team in the upcoming Olympics. The story has made the rounds on ESPN, CNN and a variety of news and sports publications.
One publication labeled her a traitor, while her former coach, who is also the Team USA coach, said her actions were not very "patriotic."
Personally, I back her decision, almost to the point where I might root for Russia over the U.S. when or if they face each other. I'm as patriotic as the next guy, but Hammon appears to be getting a bad rap. She's been painted as the bad girl when that role should go U.S. coach Anne Donovan, who first made the faux pas when she didn't include Hammon on her Top 25 list of players, then fueled the situation by saying, "If you play in this country, live in this country and you grow up in the heartland - and you put on a Russian uniform - you are not a patriotic person, in my mind."
It has been Hammon's dream to play in the Olympics. She's earned that chance be being one of the top players in the WNBA, if not the top star. Russia gave her the chance to live out her Olympic dream, when her own country wouldn't.
What's wrong with that?

Charter Cove's Tyler Garkow makes a pitch in a recent American Legion 18th District playoff game at Charter Oak High School. Charter Cove advanced with two forfeit wins.

In case you missed, the Charter Cove Post 555 baseball team won the American Legion 18th District championship last week after getting forfeit wins against South Pasadena and Diamond Ranch last week.
The team, which consists mainly players from Charter Oak High School along with Northview's Aaron Elias, Marc Andrade and Robert Williams and Covina's Tyler Pill, advanced to the 6th Area tournament this week, which is scheduled Thursday-Sunday at UCLA.
Charter Cove won the 6th Area last year before finishing third in the State Tournament.

Ryan Doeppel bounced a one-out, bases-loaded single through a drawn-in infield to score Matt Quintero in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving Arroyo Seco a 2-1 victory over San Gabriel Valley in the Babe Ruth Baseball 16-18 Southern California state tournament championship game Friday night at Arcadia High School.
Doeppel's game-winning hit brought to an end a marvelously played, extra-inning contest that featured at times spectacular pitching and defense by both teams that created missed opportunities.
To continue reading, click thread

An open discussion, whoever and whatever you wanna talk about. I'm gone for another week but Stevie R., will be here to handle all the duties.

These are the football playoff groupings for 2008-10.

Pac-5 Division: Moore, Serra, South Coast, Sunset, Trinity.

Inland Division: Big 8, Citrus Belt, Inland Valley, Southwestern.

Western Division: Bay, Golden, Mission, Ocean, San Gabriel.

Northern Division: Channel, Foothill, Marmonte, Pac-7, Pacific View.

Central Division: Baseline, Mt. Baldy, San Andreas, Sierra, Sunbelt.

Southwest Division: Century, Empire, Freeway, Orange, Sea View.

Southeast Division: Almont, Del Rio, Miramonte, Pacific, San Antonio.

Eastern Division: Desert Sky, Desert Valley, Mojave River, Mountain Pass, Sunkist.

Southern Division: Garden Grove, Golden West, Orange Coast, Pacific Coast, Suburban.

Northwest Division: Camino Real, Del Rey, Los Padres, Pioneer, Tri-Valley.

Mid-Valley Division: Mission Valley, Montview, Olympic, Rio Hondo, Valle Vista.

East Valley Division: Academy, Alpha, Christian, De Anza, Frontier, High Desert.

Northeast Division: Big Sky, Desert Mountain, Prep, San Joaquin, Santa Fe.

Fred's thoughts: I absolutely love the Southeast Division, throwing Pacific League schools, Muir, Arcadia, etc, to go against the Miramonte and San Antonio. Then you have the Almont and Del Rio from the Whittier area. This is a true area championship. Also, the Valle Vista can compete in the Mid Valley Division. In fact they might be the toughest league right now, and that's not a joke. No more Oaks Christian for Covina and San Dimas, the Valle Vista champion could actually win CIF next year.

For every football practice I've visited, there are girls volleyball players sweating it out in the gyms nearby. Stevie R., did a great job with weekly top ten's, features and game coverage last year, but we want to do more this fall. Hope we get some girls volleyball folks that can keep us up to speed with all the heavy hitters. Let's start by discussing the best returning players, teams, and whatever you think makes for interesting girls volleyball discussion.

These were our final rankings from 2007
1. South Hills (16-8) Riding seven-match win streak
2. Los Altos (22-9) Gains some sweet revenge
3. Walnut (19-7) Best No. 2 in the area
4. Gladstone (20-6) Was perfect in Montview
5. Bonita (12-4) Slippin' and a slidin'
6. Bishop Amat (17-9) On four-match win streak
7. St. Lucy's (13-10) Has looked good lately
8. Diamond Bar (16-11) Opens playoffs at South Hills
9. San Dimas (16-6) Closed deal in Valle Vista
10. Glendora (10-5) Advances after big win

View from the sidelines: I was busy with the video camera, but that was the score whispered to me in what seemed like just an informal game of touch football at Thursday's passing league game between South Hills and Bishop Amat. Nobody keeps score, the winners just nod and wink afterward. South Hills looked better all the way around, but like everyone says, it's just a passing league game. Whatever it was, South Hills was more polished and QB Cameron Deen had everything to do with it. When talent and confidence come together, you've got something and that was the difference between Deen and the three QB's auditioning at Amat. Deen started five-for-five, marched down the field and moved it around with ease for the most part. Of the three Amat QB's, sophomore Josiah Thropay probably had the best day, and looks like the most natural QB. But senior incumbent Nick Lenhart is still the man to beat out, with Jerry McLanahan not far back. All of them had their moments, but I think the Amat coaches are waiting for one of them to step forward and not look back. Right now you see three guys who seem to be looking over their shoulder too much.
Tomorrow I'll post video interviews with both coaches, along with highlights from the game.

School's out, the kids are bugging, so now what? I'll tell you what, the NFL's junior player development camp is coming to Baldwin Park High School. And here's the best part: The camp is completely free for kids ages 12-14.
Registration is on Saturday at Baldwin Park HS at 2 p.m., and the camp runs Monday-Saturday, 5-7 p.m., at Baldwin Park's beautiful facility.
The kids will be under the direction of Baldwin Park coach James Heggins and his coaching staff, but through the NFL, everything is paid for. The kids will take home a free bag, jersey and a pair of shorts. You can't beat it, what an opportunity.
"This is something the NFL does a lot on the East coast and Pete Smolin at Cantwell Sacred Heart has been involved with it for a while," Heggins said. "When I heard about it I kept bugging the NFL people and we got it done. It's a great chance for us to teach these kids, give back to the community and it won't cost their parents a thing."

It's one of those summer days where I'm sitting in the office coming up with another top ten for y'all to chew on. How about this, the top ten sports in the SGV you want to read or follow most. No. 1 is easy, obviously football sets the tone for everything else, but what follows may or may not surprise you, so here goes.

1. Football - Absolutely and without question, this is the straw that stirs the drink in high school athletics.
2. Baseball - I am convinced this is the area's No. 2 sport. Not just in terms of talent across the SGV, but in fan interest, blog participation and readership.
3. Boys Basketball - In Orange County and other area's this is No. 2, but not in our backyard. There are still the Glendora's that keep the SGV on the map, but boys hoops in this area ain't what it once was. But obviously, still popular regardless.
4. Girls Basketball - Girls soccer and softball are closing in, but girls hoops still gets the nod at No. 4. Bishop Amat has obviously helped in that regard along with Walnut, Covina and others. While it's not a very big blog topic, there are more fans at girls basketball games than any other girls sport.
5. Softball: You can make an argument that softball is closing in on girls hoops in this area. Well attended crowds, solid history here, and it was a better than expected blog topic.
6. Girls Soccer: Yes, the girls before the guys. Girls soccer is the most participated girls team sport in the country at the moment. Club soccer is booming and there is a lot of reader interest. But my problem is the best girls don't always play because of club commitments. But it's still a sport that draws lots of reader interest and was a better than expected blog topic.
7. Wrestling: With Northview and South Hills, wrestling is still a huge thing. Back in my day, though, gyms were filled during big dual meets, but not as much today. I lived during the days of "Vision Quest." the best wrestling movie ever made. But as far as reader interest goes, not what it once was.
8. Track & Field: This gets better later in the season. It's big during Arcadia, Mt. SAC, and the postseason. Like wrestling, mostly individual and you wind up covering the same standouts every week.
9. Boys Soccer: This might irritate some people, but this is where boys soccer is. I hardly ever get complaints about boys soccer coverage, it's rarely talked about on the blogs, and part of that is because the SGV isn't a hotbed for boys soccer like it is in girls. For me personally though, boys soccer is one of my favorites.
10. Girls Volleyball: I'm finding this is a sport on the rise in the SGV. Places like Bonita, San Dimas and Los Altos showed a lot of passion. We'll definitely do more with girls volleyball this fall.
Others to consider: Cross Country, swimming, girls and boys water polo.

Caught up with Arroyo football coach Jim Singiser before his much deserved trip to Maui, (so jealous). He said that 6-1, 180 pound, senior-to-be Austin McFarland will take over at quarterback for 2,000 yard departing senior Brian Partida. McFarland led the Knights to the championship of their own 12-team passing league tourney over the weekend, losing to Northview 24-15 after defeating West Covina, Montebello and Alhambra. McFarland, a shortstop on the baseball team, was a solid sophomore quarterback on JV before becoming a wide receiver his junior season with Partida on board.
"He's (McFarland) a good athlete, very smart and has done a real good job all summer long. He's a guy who puts the ball where it needs to be put, he's not going to put you in danger."
The Knights don't have many seniors, but after having a talented freshman class, there will be 14 or 15 sophomores on varsity.
"We won't have that senior leadership but we'll be talented," Singiser said. "We'll be young, but we won't make excuses. We know that South El Monte and Rosemead look awfully tough. But it will be interesting to see how South does without Tommy Cogburn. He was so much of their offense. But again, they've got (QB, Jose) Garay and other guys, so they'll be fine."
While Arroyo has done well in summer passing leagues, Singiser said you can't read too much into it.
"We had a kid out last year that we were convinced would be a starting all-league corner," the coach said. "But once he got the gear on he couldn't tackle a girls third grade class. You find out who has a great arm and who the athletes are, but you never know until you get the pads on."

You won't see these two giants going at it in the fall, so this is as good as it gets. Don't miss the four-way passing league at South Hills on Thursday, which starts off with none other than South Hills vs. Bishop Amat at 5 p.m. Why don't they play an annual "nonleague" game? That's a good question. From everything I've heard, this game is on the table whenever South Hills wants it.
The games that follow South Hills-Amat Thursday include ...
Colton vs. St. Bonaventure
South Hills vs. Colton
Bishop Amat vs. St. Bonaventure.
St. Bonaventure vs. South Hills
Colton vs. Bishop Amat.
It should all be over around 8, so enjoy.

These aren't necessarily the best traditional rivalries, but the best rivalries in the San Gabriel Valley today.

1. Bonita-San Dimas - There is real emotion in this. Even in down years, the Smudge Pot is a huge game and draws thousands of fans. This year should be one of the best ever, with two teams capable of competing for CIF championships in their respective divisions. By the way, I'm going with Bonita at home in '08.

2. South Hills-West Covina - This was a good rivalry that became a great rivalry when West Covina beat South Hills for a CIF title a few years back. South Hills is usually the favorite, but the Bulldogs always play them tough.

3. Los Altos-Charter Oak - This slips from No. 1 to No. 3 with the departure of Gano. I loved the Farrar-Gano side story, and now that L.A. may slip from the area's elite, it's still a huge game, but not worthy of our top two.

4. Glendora-Damien - The perfect public vs. private league rivalry. Or is Glendora a private disguising itself as a public? No, that would be South Hills, L.A. or COak? Just kidding guys. Having said that, this is a much better game at Damien. I haven't warmed up to Citrus yet, wish Glendora had its own stadium.

5. Northview-Covina - It's one of the dreamy games at the District Field every year. There's a lot of history, it's usually for the Valle Vista League title and lets face it, they don't like each other that much. And now that the VVL is in the Mid-Valley Division, the league's elite could meet deep in the playoffs too.

For all you Saturday Morning Quarterbacks, here's your chance. The Foothill-Citrus Football Association is seeking candidates to become high school football officials for the upcoming season. No experience necessary .... okay, just kidding, but that's how it feels sometimes. Those interested should contact Jack O'Cain at 626-919-8200.
While we're on the subject, how would you rate the referees in the San Gabriel Valley? On the sidelines every week, some coaches get a way with a lot more than others. Maybe its because some coaches have been around a long time, or some have the respect of certain referees, but it's like the NBA, the superstars, or in this case the super coaches, can bark longer and louder.

In the Varsity Times Insider Blog, former prep sports editor Bob Rohwer wrote that he was part of the 150 layoffs on Monday, which has decimated their prep sports staff. In his last entry, Rohwer wrote:

Don't know if you're aware of the layoffs going on at The Times, but we lost 150 reporters and editors on Monday ... and I am one of them, along with most of our high school sports staff.
This will be my last blog for Varsity Times Insider.
Not sure what The Times' prep coverage will look like beginning this fall, but columnist Eric Sondheimer will still be around, so you can expect as much excellent coverage as one reporter can possibly give you. Remember to keep your eye on the ball, and maybe I'll see you at a game.
-- Bob Rohwer, former prep sports editor

A website called Tellzell has posted the names of those who lost their jobs, which includes a good friend in Jaime Cardenas, who did a great job covering the San Gabriel Valley for the Times. Some other notable names on the list included longtime veteran reporters Steve Springer, Larry Stewart, Eric Stephens, Bob Miezerski and Peter Yoon.

The Webb School in Claremont is looking for a varsity girls basketball coach, varsity baseball coach, JV tennis coach, assistant wrestling coach and an assistant girls varsity volleyball coach. If you're interested, contact athletic director Stephen Wishek at 909-482-5257 or swishek@webb.org
------------------------
Hit and Run Baseball will be hosting a youth baseball camp at Bishop Amat High School to children ages 5-14 (K-8th grade). The camp is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., August 4 to 7 at the Bishop Amat baseball field. The cost is $200 made payable to Hit and Run Baseball. Camp Director will be Andy Nieto, head baseball coach at Bishop Amat.
Walks-in are welcome to the camp. For information, call (626) 818-3142

You saw what South El Monte's Tommy Cogburn did in the all-star game, virtually taking over with his speed, quit cut moves and sure hands. His three touchdowns made the difference and that's what a great wide receiver can do, change the game in an instant. These are our top ten game-breakers for 2008.

Above: Damien's Taylor Herrera

1. Taylor Herrera, Damien, Sr.
He's flat-out the best talent in the area and right out of the Cogburn mold. A CIF-stud in the 100 meters and quick. He's listed at 6-1, 170 pounds, was a second-team All-Sierra League selection as a junior after hauling in 49 receptions for 612 yards and seven touchdowns. The only question is at quarterback, and if there is someone who can utilize him on a consistent basis.

2. Geoffrey Vaughns, South Hills, Jr.
Only had 16 receptions for 173 yards as a sophomore, but the 5-foot-10 stud was playing behind Brandon Parham and Dorian Wells for the most part. He's emerged during the summer as one of the best prospects in the San Gabriel Valley, has great hands and lets face it, with Cameron Deen at QB, Vaughns will get a lot of use and should have a spectacular season.

3. Manny Acosta, South El Monte, Sr.
The returning first team All-Mission Valley wide receiver has size, 6-foot-4, nearly 200 pounds and has great hands. He was the second option to Cogburn last season, but still had 35 receptions for 624 yards. He's going to be QB Jose Garay's No. 1 option, and they will throw the ball a lot. He could wind up leading the area in receiving yardage when the year is through.

4. Kevin Jones, Northview, Sr.
The returning first team Valle Vista League wideout had 42 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. As a junior he was one of the area's best athletes, excelling in basketball and baseball, and will no doubt be a game-breaker for the Vikings this senior season. If the Vikings are going to break through and beat out San Dimas for the VVL title, Jones will have a big say in it.

5. B.J. Gonzalez, Glendora, So.
A true star in the making. As a freshman he was listed at 6-5, 200 pounds and had 19 receptions for 273 yards and two touchdowns, then lit it up in the Bonita passing tournament, showing that he's the real deal for the next three years. No doubt one of the best sophomores in Southern California, and a real treat for Tartans fans worried about going through a rebuilding season.

6. Derrick Price, Bonita, Sr.
The Bearcats are loaded offensively, and with QB Terry Paradez back, Price is going to have another great season as well. He had 23 receptions for 425 yards, and should become the number one target. They also have Dewayne Gatti, giving Bonita a legitimate one-two punch at wideout.

7. B.J. Oyefeso, Rowland, Sr.
The Raiders had a forgettable 2007 season, which made Oyefeso's second team All San Antonio league selection even more appreciated. He's certainly deserving of this list, he has great hands and can run after the catch, but again, he will go unnoticed unless the Raiders return to contention in the San Antonio.

8. Ify Umodo, South Hills, Jr.
At 6-3 and 185 pounds, will be a great compliment to Vaughns and another bonafide target for Deen. His best postion is at cornerback, but one of the best two-way players for sure. No wonder South Hills lit up all the passing leagues.

9. Alonzo Navarez, West Covina, Sr.
If the Bulldogs get their quarterback situation sorted out now that Jacob Shirley won't be back, they'll have a good place to start in Nevarez, who was a second team San Antonio selection as a junior.

10. Daoud Ibrahim, Bishop Amat, Sr.
Lancers coach Steve Hagerty likes his 5-foot-10 wideout, but a lot remains to be seen. There is a three-way battle for QB between Nick Lenhart, Jerry McLanahan and sophomore Josiah Thropay, who transferred in from Monrovia. McLanahan is apparently pushing Lenhart, but if he does not win out, he will go back to WR, where he could become the top option. In any case, Ibrahim is the man of the moment at wideout.

Hi All,

I just wanted to let you know about my latest update on Prep Stars: Where are you now?
I write about former Bishop Amat baseball players - pitcher Dan Haren of the Arizona Diamondbacks and infielder Michael Young of the Texas Rangers - who will play in the 79th MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Remember this name, Rio Ruiz.
From everything I hear the 6-foot freshman-to-be could start on Bishop Amat's baseball team right now, and could be starting at quarterback when he's a sophomore. I have some close friends who know the kid very well and they can't wait to follow his high school career. All they keep telling me is he's the next "Great One." I mentioned his name to Lancers baseball coach Andy Nieto, and his eyes lit up. He said everything I've heard is legit, and many more think he could go Div. I in baseball or football, and that it's all up to him. He's a baseball player first, but he's excited about playing football at Amat too.
We wrote a story on Ruiz in our weekly papers a couple months back, click this thread to read it

We're a month away from working on the football tab, so time to start thinking about the best-of-the best at their position. With summer league finishing up, we'll start with the top quarterbacks.

1. Cameron Deen, South Hills
Nobody has raised their stock like this kid has. He's had a great spring and summer, has Pac-10 heavyweights after him, and in these parts, should tear it up. The 6-foot-2, 188-pound senior-to-be is ranked No. 35 nationally on Rivals.Com, with a 5.5 three-star rating. I'm starting to believe that South Hills should be No. 1 when the rankings come out this fall. The King of Cameron is Cameron.

2. Jose Garay, South El Monte
This is without a doubt one of my favorites. He's not going to be recruited like Deen because of his size, but if you're just talking high school, he rivals Deen and will probably put up better offensive numbers than Deen. And lets face it, Erick Escamilla is a great coach, he showed it in the all-star game and with a competitor like Garay, he will ride him all fall.

3. Chris Allen, Charter Oak
He's as good as Charter Oak needs him to be. What I mean by that is they have a great junior running back in Adam Muema, who will probably be option number one. But this is Allen's third year starting, so it will be interesting to see how many attempts he gets per game. But from a pure quarterback standpoint, he's as good as anyone around here. He threw for 1,575 yards last year, and had a 64 percent completion percentage. I bet with Muema he's going to rack up the RAC yards.

4. Terry Paradez, Bonita, Sr.
The 5-foot-10, 180 pound senior-to-be led the Miramonte in passing as a junior, throwing for 2,140 yards, 21 touchdowns and has a trio of talented receivers back in Derrick Price, Dewayne Gatti and Jiovanni Mier. This could get scary if Podley decides to open it and ride his senior QB. By the end of the season, Paradez and Garay could reach the 3,000 yard plateau.

5. Nick Lenhart, Bishop Amat, Sr.
Was very inconsistent as a junior, but so were the Lancers. From a talent standpoint, he's dangerous and with QB coach Chris Rix mentoring him, skies the limit. From all accounts the Lancers have looked great during the summer, and Lenhart is a big reason why.

6. Drew Kaluzny, Glendora, Sr.
Not sure what the Tartans will do with Kaluzny. He had a modest junior season throwing for over 1,400 yards, led the Tarts to a Sierra league crown and the quarterfinals of the playoffs, but there is a sophomore named Chad Jeffries that our scouting guru has been raving about. He says Jeffries is a Div. I prospect, and is rumored to be working with Rix as well. We'll see how this develops. But obviously a good problem for coach Pasky.

7. Oscar Robles, Northview, Sr.
Let's be honest, we hyped him up pretty good as a junior, but he struggled, throwing for just 972 yards and 10 touchdowns in an offense designed for a quarterback to put up big numbers. Maybe with a year under his belt, he'll be ready because he has all the tools and the Vikings have a lot of weapons to get him going, like Anthony Farmar and Kevin Jones.

8. Hunter Warren, Diamond Bar, Sr.
You can't blame Diamond Bar's miserable 2007 season on Warren, he finished with 1,649 yards and threw for over 100 yards in all ten games. He did throw 12 interceptions, but a lot of those came during desperate moments when games were already decided. Look for him to put up great numbers once again.

9. Angel Alejandre, Rosemead, Sr.
Threw for 1,867 yards and 14 touchdowns and will only get better. He had five games where he threw for over 200 yards and threw for 234 and 243 against Arroyo and Gabrielino, respectively.

10. Mick Kalmar, San Dimas, Sr.
He nearly threw for 1,000 yards in an offense designed to run, run, run behind Nico Barbone and Co. It should be more of the same his senior year, but what a luxury to have an experienced QB to bail you out should the run game run into problems. If anything, Kalmar will be the QB of the Mid Valley Division champion Saints.

Watch this video of the LA Times' Jaime Cardenas interviewing Lenhart....

An open discussion, whoever and whatever you wanna talk about. I'm back for a week, so tell me what's happening? All I've been hearing is how South Hills has been tearing up the summer passing leagues, but how about everyone else? Who looks like the big winners and losers?

Something for the South Hills Cameron Crazies

Ah yes, nothing like watching Little Leaguers celebrating a championship. Congrats to the boys from Pasadena (above) and Covina National for moving on.

I can't say that I miss covering baseball games in July, but there is certainly a lot going on in the San Gabriel Valley. Have you been following the Pasadena Southwest Little League team, who beat Arcadia National to reach the sectionals. Or closer to home, how about the little guys at Covina National, who won the District 19 title by beating my Little League alma mater, West Covina National, 4-3, at Cypress Park. And of course, there's always the two-time "why do they call it the" World Series champion Babe Ruth 16-18 team. the 10-time World Series champions will try to make it three in a row starting with the eight-team Southern California State Tournament which runs Saturday through Friday at Arcadia High School.

I'm hearing that UCLA has offered Diamond Ranch cornerback Brandon Sermons. The brother of former Bishop Amat and USC standout Rodney Sermons is a hot commodity, however. Several Pac-10 schools are after him so it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Above: L.A. Times photo of Nick Montana, Trevor Getzky and Trey Smith.

Valle Vista league teams won't have to worry about having Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky and mega star Will Smith in attendance this playoff season. But what a box office attraction for Oaks Christian High School, the high school mecca to the stars. Montana's son Nick, Wayne's son Trevor and Will's son Trey are all on the team this season. Can you say paparazzi. Read about it in today's LA Times

The All Valley Sports Academy and former Denver Broncos great Terrell Davis will join their team of coaches at their Football Skills Camp on July 19-20 at Bonita High School's Glenn Davis Stadium.
"Sports training is more than just a physical workout," Davis said. "It's about working out the mind and having a positive attitude. This, along with consistent physical training is the blueprint for success."
The two-day camp will include classroom and on-field training.
For more information, contact Kevin Glaspy, (626) 824-0852.

Hi all,

I've updated Prep Stars: Where are you now? blog.
I write about former area prep stars Jason Giambi of South Hills and Aaron Rowand of Glendora, who are among the 10 players fans can vote for in the All-Star Game Final Vote.
Lets back these two local players and help them make the MLB All-Star Game.

An open discussion, whoever and whatever you wanna talk about. I'm on vacation for another week, so use this thread for all you football chatter. Curious to know who looked the most impressive during the summer passing leagues, if everyone's still healthy and what are your predictions for the fall? Man, I can't wait till the fall.

LA Times veteran Eric Sondheimer wrote, "The semifinals of the Bonita tournament featured Valencia, Moreno Valley Rancho Verde, Bonita and Fontana A.B. Miller. In the championship game, Rancho Verde defeated Valencia, 42-12. Rancho Verde, coached by former Los Angeles Fremont Coach Pete Duffy, is loaded with college prospects, including running back Daniel Jenkins, linebacker Eric Martin, receiver Terrence Miller, safety Richard Spencer and receiver Kapeilie Pomee.
In the Conejo Valley tournament, Thousand Oaks won the top division championship, beating Palmdale in the final and defeating Canyon Country Canyon in the semifinals. Quarterback Ian Shultis and receivers Curtis Dempster, Bobby Mullaney and John Lister were the Lancers' top players. Westlake and Riverside J.W. North also won division titles.
In the San Bernardino tournament, Pasadena Muir won the championship, defeating Paloma Valley in the final.
Note: That would be the same Muir that will compete in the playoffs with our heavyweights from the Miramonte and San Antonio. I can tell you this, Muir started licking their chops after learning of the division realignment, they feel from a physical standpoint they can compete in this division, and with their athletes, that should put them over the top.

Well, my final day in New York ended with experiencing what ESPN refers to as "The Greatest Rivarly in Sports."
Personally, I always that that was USC vs. UCLA. But I have to admit this seemed like more than a baseball game tonight. It actually had that feel of a UCLA-USC football game.
You could just feel the excitement at the beginning, but it soon subsided as the Red Sox, who have owned the Yankees since rallying from three games down in the 2004 American League Championship Series, scored two runs in the first, two more in the second before settling for a 7-0 win.
I'm glad I was able to witness this classic series and this ball park for the first time.
They can now give it to the wrecking ball.

Here's I am at Thursday's game.

After the game my friend and I dropped by the famed "Restaurant" on the 'Seinfeld' series, and no I didn't see Jerry, Elaine, Kramer or even George. And the place doesn't look anything like the stage set.

But here I am at the "Restaurant."

Now, it's time to come home. Thank you, New York, for a wonderful time.

Today, I took the train down to Washington, DC and my first observations are that every American should make this trip at least once in their life. I had friends who made the trip previously tell me that you can really only enjoy the DC sites while taking a few days. I attest to that, because I had just six hours and was only able to hit the big memorials - like the Lincoln, Vietnam and World War II memorials - and buildings - the White House, Capitol, and even the famed Watergate Hotel.
The two that effected me the most was the Vietnam Memioral and the Eternal Flame of John F. Kennedy's Grave Site.
Due to the sunlight, I was unable to get a good picture of the Vietnam Wall, but I did find the name of my cousin, Kris Perdomo, who was killed in 1970. I felt a variety of emotions, but mainly knowing that these aren't just names on the Wall, they all have meaning, to their family and friends, just as Kris was to our family.

While I couldn't get a good picture of the Wall, here's a photo of the Vietnam Memorial
For more, click thread

Another prep sports editor is leaving. A year after replacing me at the Star-News, veteran reporter Scott Galetti is leaving to become the radio play-by-play announcer for football and basketball at the University of New Mexico. By the way, I called Aram and he's not coming back. Is there anyone out there you'd like to see take over at the Star-News.
To read the story, click thread.

An open discussion, whoever and whatever you wanna talk about.

A lot has happened since the Charter Oak High School yearbook controversy, where racially insensitive names were used to identify members of the black student union, two of whom were on the Chargers track team. Initially, Charter Oak wanted to put stickers over the names of the members instead of reprinting the yearbooks, but civil rights leaders responded and reacted by calling for a "hate crime" investigation." On June 27, Charter Oak principal Kathy Wiard said the school is considering reprinting the yearbooks, noting that "Students put incorrect names throughout the index and did not go back and correct them," Wiard said. "Most are not as offensive as the Black Student Union names but nonetheless they are incorrect." Then came the toughest words to date from Democratic senator Gloria Romero, who called the incident, "Blatant racism."
"This is an outrage," Romero said Tuesday. "This is the manifestation of racism in the San Gabriel Valley. We need to correct this and ensure that it never happens again."
Wiard said she is "sickened" by what was printed but insisted there are no racial issues, "There is no racial tension on this campus," Wiard said. "I don't want to make this something that it's not."
School officials, who have been working with publisher Herff Jones, plan to meet with BSU students and their families in an attempt to come up with a solution to the error.
"We kind of have an idea of what we want to do," Wiard said Tuesday. "We want the opportunity to meet with students and families so that we are all on the same page."

Above: Charter Oak black student leader Jordan Smith, whose name was misprinted with a racially insensitive name.

Robledo's reaction: From the beginning I said Charter Oak needed to apologize and reprint immediately. I knew it would become a huge story, and one that wouldn't go away without an apology and quick response. This is sad, because this does not reflect the Charter Oak high school community. I know Mrs. Wiard and she's a great person. I believe her when she says she's "sickened" by it. I've been to Charter Oak many times over the years, dealing with coaches and students, and have never felt a "racial tension" on campus. Unfortunately, this is going to affect the school's image for a long time.

For Day 2 in the Big Apple, we took a tour of the city, stopping at several historic places, including the Empire State Building, Ground Zero and Times Square, which is just a few steps from my hotel.
Later, went to see my first Broadway musical, the critic-acclaimed "Jersey Boys"

Here's a view of Times Square.

....and here's a view of The City from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building.

Tomorrow, I take the train down to Washington, DC, so it should be a lot of fun.