Friday's results
Chino Hills 30, Glendora 28 -- The Tartans' bid to knock off the undefeated Huskies came up just short. Looks like they won't defend the Sierra League title, but they prove again they can play with anyone.
South Hills 41, Walnut 17 -- Okay, we can stop with the suggestion's that the Huskies are overrated. They continue to play great defense, and Cameron Deen is hitting his stride. He was 18 of 25 for 233 yards and three TD's. He also ran for two touchdowns.
Diamond Ranch 35, at Los Altos 13 -- Looks like the Panthers will at least earn a playoff berth unless they somehow stumble against Wilson. The Conquerors' march toward a winless season continues.
San Dimas 56, Baldwin Park 46 -- You have to be concerned if your a Saints fan. Yes, they're 8-0. But 46 points allowed to Baldwin Park? Their defense is anything but consistent. Um, when is Kyle Withem coming back?
Rosemead 42, El Monte 7 -- Let's see if they're still the seventh ranked team in the Mid-Valley Division after this? They should be at least No. 3.
Bonita 54, Wilson 14 -- Terry Paradez throws five touchdowns in the first half, then rests the second half as the Bearcats punch a ticket to the Miramonte League title game against Charter Oak on Nov. 13.
Gabrielino 24, South El Monte 16 -- Another surprise, and how the tables have turned. The Eagles started 0-4 and won seven straight last year. Now they're started 0-3 in league and have virtually no shot at a Mid-Valley playoff berth.
Covina 41, Pomona 34 -- This result could ultimately earn the Colts a playoff berth. Just think, if they're No. 3 in the Valle Vista, could that mean a first-round Mid-Valley playoff against Montview champ Azusa? Would be interesting.
Rowland 28, Nogales 7 -- The stage is set for next week's San Antonio showdown against South Hills. Should be great to see which defense wins out.
Arroyo 42, Mountain View 21 -- The Knights continue their march in the Mission Valley League, going to 3-0 after starting 0-5. But how will they do closing against South El Monte and Rosemead?
Duarte 55, Workman 41 -- This should be enough to cement the Falcons' second place finish in the Montview. The Lobos should still occupy one of the four playoff berths too.
Diamond Bar 35, Chino 14 -- The Brahmas snap an 11-game Sierra League losing streak, which is just their second win in the Sierra since 2004.
Ayala 35, Damien 6 -- Bulldogs dominate the Spartans, leaving them and Chino Hills as the only undefeated teams in the Sierra.
Sierra Vista at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Waiting
Other scores: Notre Dame 37, Crespi 17
Servite 14, Orange Lutheran 10

For quarter-by-quareter updates, click thread

SGV Football Standings
Serra League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Miramonte League
Valle Vista League
Mission Valley League
Montview League

Posted by Fred Robledo at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (153)

For those who can't make it, I'll provide live blogging of Saturday's Serra League showdown, Bishop Amat vs. Loyola at Glendale High School. Kickoff it at 7 p.m. We'll also have video highlights and interviews available on Sunday morning.

Until then, read about Bishop Amat running backs Deshawn Gaisie and Jay Anderson talk about their emergence and Saturday's game against the Cubs.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (33)

Thursday's results
Northview 38, Ganesha 7 -- That's three straight blowouts in the Valle Vista, San Dimas up next.
Gladstone 29, Bassett -- Not only do Gladiators get their first win, they do it with ease.

For quarter-by-quareter updates, click thread

Posted by Fred Robledo at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The Scouting Guru has been all over the San Gabriel Valley and beyond, and like always, he's offered to share his thoughts, free of charge. Don't hate, enjoy it for what it's worth, which is one man's opinion on the talent in the San Gabriel Valley. In this thread he answers readers' questions

Wow, I asked for questions...and for the most part, the readers have answered. And noticed that for the real stupid questions, we moved on. So we'll call this the Friday Morning Huddle. And before I begin, for those that say that I don't leave the East SGV, I hope to see you all at the Redlands East Valley vs. AB Miller game this Friday, or the Corona Centennial vs. Corona Santiago game next Friday.
Also, we had a chance to finally pop in the tape and watch Walnut's Leonard Rhodes. After watching game after game on him, I am convinced that he is a true college fullback. My major concern with him is his speed. Especially if he wants to be a Tight End in college. He runs average routes and just doesn't have that breakaway speed that you are looking for. Hopefully, he'll find a way to work on his speed in the off-season. But he is a D-1 prospect...no question about it.

Now to your questions and my answers, click thread

ADAM IS THE MAN...IN MORE WAYS THAT ONE

COHS Football asks: Hey scouting guru, I enjoy reading your posts keep it up, and what do you think about Adam Muema of Charter Oak? I think he's got a shot at the next level?

Can't believe it. My first ever question comes from a CO Fan...I love the passion of the Charger fans and I hope that you'll pull me over in a couple of weeks when I go to your game against Bonita. If the SH fans can buy me my snack at their game, so can the CO fans...just kidding, of course. In answering your question, I love Muema. Some schools will take a pass on him because of his height, but this is a football player. We can easily envision him getting an offer in the spring of next year. He has very good junior tape.

GIVE THE BIG GUYS SOME LOVE!

COJO points out: Guru, Allen is not the only prospect. Also you don't seem to think much of Charger O-line. Look at the bookend anchors on D-line Perri #18 and Williams #56. These two are a Q-backs bad dream. I bet their stats are as good if not better than any team in the Miramonte League.

COJO, love the screen name. Perri is a player that we like quite a bit. He had a really good game against Rancho Cucamonga. Cal Lutheran is one of our schools that pays for our stuff and we are making a huge push for him along with several other players. He would fit in nicely. Williams is another kid that has caught our eye on film. We just need to watch more film of him.

CHARACTER COUNTS IN THIS GAME

Just Wondering asks: Guru, I have a question for you. Do scouts pay a lot of attention to the nature of a prospects family life. We've seen some kids come out of the SGV with mad skills but really sketchy home lives. Could a youngster's family life limit his chances at attention from colleges? It seems to me that (with the exception of Fresno State and the Dallas Cowboys) sports teams have become more and more concerned with the PR exposure from players who are problematic.

This is kind of a tricky question. Some coaches take a look at the family life of a prospect, but it's not that big an issue as compared to a college prospect trying out for an NFL team. If you have a chance, go to a bookstore and try to find a book called "The Draft." It talks about the road many college prospects have to take to get drafted and how much character is looked at with college prospects. It's a great read. Anyway, many college coaches will look at the problems that a kid may have and say that once he enters a stable environment of a life at a university, he'll take a turn for the better. And there are some schools that will not take a chance on that. It just depends on the school in question. The bottom line is, if the player can play at a really high level on the football field, college teams, more times than not, are going to take a chance on the kid.

MORE SAN DIMAS QUESTIONS.

Just Wondering also asks: Mr. Guru - I've enjoyed reading your input here on the blog. Last week you mentioned Cwantas Brown and this week a few words about Kyle Salm. There are several other prospects at San Dimas and I'd love to hear you 10 cents worth...Nico Barbone - RB/DB, Ryan Doll - Line, Garrett Smith - Line and Daniel Joseph - RB/DB. Joseph has great speed but might be a little undersized. Barbone has great size, he hits really hard, and has great heart but might be a step slow. Doll hits like a train but might be a little undersized (maybe 6-1 and 220). Smith has great height (6-5 I think) but might be a little light (250 or so). I've really enjoyed watching these guys play this season and what they're accomplishing this season is remarkable. They are fine players and I wonder what you think their prowess might be at the next level. Thanks again for your thoughts... I enjoy reading them!

You are right when it comes to your assessment of the SD players, they play hard for one of the under appreciated head coaches in the area in Billy Zernikow. Garrett Smith is nice player, but just with Salm, I would like for him to be more physical. Nice player though. Ryan Doll is another nice HS player, but he would be a great player for APU. Size is going to stop a lot of coaches on Joseph, but he moves well on the field. As for Barbone, I think he's going to be a first-team all-area selection. He'll definitely be a first team All-CIF selection. But, he's a little undersized for big time football. Now, if he wants to walk-on at a D-1 school, he gets our highest recommendation. He works really hard and plays his heart out. He would make a terrific player over at a Cal Lutheran and he would hit the field, right away. Too bad is not 6-3!

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.

Trevino says: Guru, keep up the good work. Some people can't handle the truth. Not every athlete is meant to play Division 1 ball.

Thanks for the Jack Nicholson line. Trevino...I've heard that name before!!!!

WHO IS THAT COVINA PLAYER?

Yo asks: You said with the exception of San Dimas and Covina... What Covina player do you refer to?

Some colleges are evaluating offensive left tackle Greg Reid. He's a good player, but another that needs to be a bit more physical.

I MUST HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE WRONG BUSINESS.

The Guru Himself adds: Mr. "GURU" -- I can pick way more players out of the SGV then you have. You're not even a real GURU you &*^ face you're not even a real scout you're an assistant coach for SHHS. . .stop fooling yourself and the Valley please Thanks

Hey, I love competition so if you can pick out the players better than we can, start hitting the streets and find the players. And if I'm an assistant coach at South Hills, then I must be doing a lousy job because we've been in attendance for only two games this year and one of them was with an assistant coach at Washington State. My days as an assistant coach are long gone! Thanks for your concern though.

AT LEAST SOMEONE IS ON OUR SIDE

RADIO says: Man your a cool dude, don't let all of these people side track the good your doing for Cameron Deen, and others across this valley. You are a very genuine person and you do make a difference, Take care and keep chest bumpin always. GO DAWGS!

Thanks for the kind words. My chest bumpin days are over with. But they were fun while it lasted.

UNDERCLASSMEN...ALREADY?

LUTHERAN ASKS: Guru, When you say underclassmen in the area, do you mean from Frosh-Jr? Or Soph/Juniors?

We are usually talking about sophomores and Juniors. But, if you feel like there are certain freshman that are looking good, drop me a line and I will take a look at those kids this summer. Thanks for the question.

THE PROBLEMS AT DAMIEN

Damien Dad asks: Guru, what do you think about what's going on over at Damien, we have all the talent in world and can't win a game. Lot's of parents talking about Morrison, they want him out. He's been in the HOT seat for a couple of years now but this year he's showing us that he crumbles under pressure, does NOT make any adjustments, and is a horrible leader, he needs to go.

Ok, I have waited until the appropriate time to address this issue. I had a chance this fall to take in a practice over at Damien and I will tell you that coach Morrison does a great job and those kids are getting good coaching. They were more than hospitable when I visited their practice and I will be making it out there in the next couple of weeks. Sometimes, there are years when the breaks don't go your way. And that has been the issue over at Damien this year. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong down there. It's one of those years. You must remember, this is a team that had a great year last year and made the playoffs. Trust me when I tell you, if the parents can be just a little bit patient and give Coach Morrison and his staff time, they will get the ship rolling in the right direction and Damien fans will be able to cheer on their team with pride. You can say the same thing over at Los Altos. We are in a society these days when people want to win now. What people don't realize is that coaches that coach at this level are making a huge impact on the lives of these players at such a young age. If the players just trust the coaching and the parents give coach Morrison the support he needs, things will be markedly better. I wish Coach Morrison and the rest of the staff the best of luck the rest of the season.

GURU JOKE ASKS: Hey Guru -Would you like to sport a Washington State sweat shirt or Princeton? My bet, is that some kids you have no idea about pick the academics first and not the Pac 10. Time to get out of your shell, because you're wrong on some of these so-called small tier schools. It's about academics first, but we all know you skipped that area in your life.

I didn't know that my fashion apparel would be the talk of the Valley. Well, you can spot me with a Villanova coaching polo shirt at the AB Miller vs. Redlands East Valley game Friday. I'll let you know what I'll wear at the Centennial vs. Santiago game next week. Oh and next time, edit your posts. Thanks!

SUPPORT THE LOCAL PLAYERS ASKED: "Guru" why don't you research and provide all the High Camp information on the blog to help out. Rivals.com (contain NIKE HS combine) and camp information, scout.com, and there is a freshman/Soph Camp for early exposure.

We will be more than happy to give all the information for the combines and camps. One thing to keep in mind, the Nike Combine is open to all underclassmen while the Nike and scout.com camps are invite only. Thanks for the question.

I hope to see you all at the Bishop Amat vs Loyola game Saturday night.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (55)

The regular season in girls volleyball is winding down, and on the eve of big league showdowns between Walnut and South Hills and La Puente and Gladstone, and next week's Sierra League encounter between St. Lucy's and Diamond Bar, I can't think of a better time than to dicuss area Player of the Year candidates.
Here's are a few who standout up to this point of the season:

Melinda Gomez (South Hills) - The junior is the arguably the top middle blocker in the area, and the key cog in the Husky machine. She is also the only returning player from last season's all-area first team.

Valerie Brain (Glendora) - The Tartans have used the Brain smarts this year, and that usually includes Brain being the focal point of an offensive attack that can come from a variety of options.

Courtney Donaldson (Bonita) - The go-to player for Bonita, who comes up big in the biggest games. She was huge as the Bearcats rallied from a two-game deficit to beat Charter Oak in five last week.

Samantha Sheller/Jennifer Silva (Walnut) - I couldn't separate these two, who are the two reasons Walnut is off to a stellar, or should I say, Sheller start. Both have come up big in matches and have similar attack numbers.

Jamie Parke (Diamond Bar) - She does a little of every thing for the Brahmas, leading the team in assists and holds her own on the attacking end.

Comments: This is just a rough draft. Next week and the playoffs will decide who is this season's Miss Volleyball and who makes the all-area first team. There are others to be considered, but these are by top five/six for now.

Ganesha knocks off San Dimas in four games

South Hills wins five-game thriller over Walnut

Posted by Steve Ramirez at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (59)

The Scouting Guru has been all over the San Gabriel Valley and beyond, and like always, he's offered to share his thoughts, free of charge. Don't hate, enjoy it for what it's worth, which is one man's opinion on the talent in the San Gabriel Valley.

For all of the Guru's notes and breakdowns, click this thread!

It's time to clear out the notebook and give some random thoughts as well as we get ready for the playoffs.

• There seems to be this misconception that I just do the SGV and that I have all this time to do the area. In reality, I only have one day to the area as I spend the rest of the time working in the IE. I hate to be the guy that brings bad news, but I have to work much harder to isolate the top players in the IE than I do in the SGV. The east side only has (at most) 9 schools to look for college prospects. In the IE, the number becomes 50. I could go on and on, but we at least try to make it out to a school one time in the month and try to find prospects. Hope to see you on I-15.

• There was an interesting post that asked me if there were college prospects in some of the lower tier schools in the area. Sorry, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but their isn't. With the exception of San Dimas and Covina, there isn't one. Now, maybe there might be one that pops up at the end of the year, but I can't see it.

• And while we are at it, we were asked a question on Kyle Salm, the offensive lineman from San Dimas. We've seen him on film and we had a chance to watch him in person at the Covina game, and we think he's a good lineman and will get some attention late in the year. He just needs to be a little bit more physical. Plus, he plays in the Wing-T so it's very tough to gauge whether he can handle a zone running scheme and if he can pass-protect. Nice prospect though.

• There also seems to be an misconception that we don't like Charter Oak's Chris Allen. Couldn't be further from the truth. We like the kid and he has thrived in CO's offensive package. He has risen on our boards and we've sent film out to colleges for evaluations. Like we said last week, we like Deen and Allen, but they are clearly behind Mt. SAC's Nick Lamaison who is making both of these guys look like middle-tier QB's on West Coast Recruiting boards. If I'm putting together my dream team, Lamaison is my first QB that I am taking in the area.

• Wanted to have a little fun this week, so let's take Robledo's Top-5 and find the right college teams that are in the national championship hunt this year and mix and match them. Just trying to find a way to have a little fun here.

1. Bishop Amat. (College: Notre Dame). Yes, they are the Fighting Irish of the SGV. With the tradition, the uniforms and the way that the fans talk about the team (Need, some comedy, go on a Fighting Irish Message Board...you'll find a lot of similarities between those fans and the Amat fans). Notre Dame's latest head coach (Charlie Weis) had a big-time honeymoon with the ND faithful in his first year...so is Amat's Steve Hegarty (I think the guy could go any where in the SGV right now and have his dinner paid for). Both have major questions with their opposition the next couple of weeks, but we think that Amat will be just fine. We'll be at the game Saturday night.

2. Charter Oak (College: Penn St.). Yep, between "Joe Pa" and "Big Lou' there are enough wins between both of them to last a lifetime. All we need is for "Big Lou' to get the big bottleneck glasses like Paterno and were all set. Lots of similarities here. A really nice QB, a good offense line and underclassman that are really athletic. Charter Oak will be no worse than a two seed when the pairings are really in a couple of weeks. A seminfinal team for sure.

3. San Dimas (College: Utah). A mid-major team of the area that hasn't been beaten this year. Had a nice win against Los Altos but we were not all that impressed with their performance against Covina a couple of weeks ago. I think that they would have fit nicely in the Southeast Division and would have been forced to play great football against some of the top teams and coaches in the area. But, with their placement in the Mid-Valley Division, they don't have to play great football and they can still go deep in the playoffs. Their win against Bonita was huge! Would have loved to seen SD take on CO...it would be an interesting game.

4. South Hills (College: USC). Let's dissect David Wharton's article this morning in the LA Times about USC and see if there are any similarities between them and South Hills. "There's a lot of times that we look like a championship football team and there are a lot of times we look like we haven't played football." Damien Williams, USC WR. Gee, sounds a lot like the SH Offense. "We kind of shoot ourselves in the foot at times," Mark Sanchez, USC QB. Yep, that could easily be said of the SH offense, too. "I believe this is a defensive team. If we keep playing great defense, teams won't beat us," USC DE Kyle Moore. Oh yeah, in our opinion, this is by far the best SH defense in 6 years. "We've been playing a lot of young guys who are getting better," USC Defensive Coordinator Nick Holt. Well, last I count, there were five players that are seniors in SH's starting defensive line-up. Interesting stat of the day for Robledo and everyone else to consider; in the last seven seasons, Carroll is 23-0 in November. Since 1999, Bogan has been 33-3 in the month of November. Hmm...I think the Rowland game is on November 7th. My money is Mr. November...Steve Bogan!

5. Glendora (College: Ohio St.). Lot of expectations on this team and they came out like a bolt of lightining and played well. But came that one game...for Ohio St it was USC. For Glendora, it was West Covina. Now, Ohio St. didn't come to play against SC. Glendora came to play against West Co...they just decided to make mistakes at the worst times imaginable. Both are going to finish like a house on fire, and in the case of Glendora, we see them winning the Sierra League) and being a team with a lot of momentum entering the 2010 season. Pascarella has clearly turned in one of the better coaching jobs of the year.

Well, we are totally flush out of stuff. And with our time being very limited over the next couple of weeks, it's time for you the reader to step-up. Next week I would like to do a Q and A column using some of the better questions you have sent me. But I can't do it without your input. So, if you have a legitimate recruiting question, please email me at sgvierecruiting@gmail.com. I will not be using questions on the blog. Think of it as our version of Peter King 's (of SI.com) Tuesday column. The ball is now in your court.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (51)

The CIF-SS Polls help determine seedings and playoffs pairings. With three weeks to go, here is how our locals stand.

Pac-5 Division
1. Long Beach Poly, 2. Orange Lutheran, 3. Los Alamitos, 4. Crespi, 5. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 6. Edison, 7. Mater Dei, 8. Tesoro, 9. St. John Bosco, 10. Mission Viejo. Others: Compton, San Clemente, Bishop Amat, Servite.
Fred's note:: Bishop Amat and Orange Lutheran have the same record, and Amat beat Orange Lutheran. The Lancers should at least be in the top ten. Will two losses in the Serra stop them from earning an at-large? It would be close.

Southeast Division
1. South Hills, 2. Charter Oak, 3. California, 4. Santa Fe, 5. Muir, 6. La Serna, 7. Crescenta Valley, 8. Rowland, 9. West Covina, 10. Bonita. Others: Walnut.
Fred's note: This is close and hard to complain about. All ten teams are legit with the exception of maybe Crescenta Valley. Muir should probably be No. 3 in my opinion considering their only loss is to Oaks Christian.

Mid-Valley Division
1. San Dimas, 2. Cerritos Valley Christian, 3. Monrovia, 4. Azusa, 5. San Marino, 6. Northview, 7. Rosemead, 8. Paraclete, 9. Workman, 10. Pomona.
Fred's note: This is so ridiculous there should be an investigation. Why is Rosemead still ranked behind Monrovia (whom they crushed 42-21), not to mention Azusa and San Marino? Azusa won't lose another game so will likely get a seed and be no worse than a No. 4. Top four should be San Dimas, Rosemead, Northview, Cerritos Valley Christian.

East Valley Division
1. St. Margaret's, 2. Marantha, 3. Brentwood, 4. Twentynine Palms, 5. Aquinas, 6. Fillmore, 7. Desert, 8. Santa Paula, 9. Malibu, 10. Big Bear. Othes: Arrowhead Christian, Western Christian.
Fred's note: Western Christian is in such a tough league, they may not make the playoffs.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)

Tribune Top 10
Girls Volleyball
1. Glendora (14-2) -- Tartans lost in five games to Diamond Bar, but came back with an impressive three-game win over Walnut in the Ayala Tournament on Saturday
2. Walnut (18-4) -- The Mustangs looked like they might jump over Glendora to No. 1, but stay at No. 2 after losing to the Tartans over the weekend. They play for first place in the San Antonio League with a road match at South Hills on Thursday.
3. Diamond Bar (16-3) -- The Brahmas have been on fire, winning seven in row, which includes a five-game victory over Glendora and sweeping through the Gabrielino Tournament
4. South Hills (9-4) -- The Huskies have had trouble with conistency most of the season, but they could make up for that with a win over Walnut on Thursday.
5. Bonita (12-5) -- The Bearcats came up big last week, rallying from two games down to defeat the undefeated Charter Oak in five.
6. Charter Oak (14-2) -- The Chargers hold the No. 6 spot after taking Bonita to the brink last week. They also rebounded with a good win over Diamond Ranch two nights later.
7. San Dimas (14-3) -- The Saints just keep taking care of business in the Valle Vista League. They get another chance when they visit second-place Ganesha on Wednesday.
8. St. Lucy's (12-7) -- The Regents have held their own against the rest of the Sierra League. They get a shot at rival and co-leader Glendora tonight.
9. Ganesha (16-6) -- The Giants move up a spot after another solid week. They look to gain a share of first place in the VVL with a win over San Dimas on Wednesday.
10. La Puente (18-1) -- The Warriors have been dominant in the Montview League, winning every game but one. Their only match loss was in a tournament over the weekend. They can all but clinch the league title when they travel to Gladstone on Thursday.
Note: Rankings are based on matches played through Oct. 25

Posted by Steve Ramirez at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)

About a year back Stevie R., listed his best high school football movies of all-time, but how about the best darn sports movies, period. I left out Steve's favorite, All the Right Moves, and also Eight Men Out, Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, but hey, this is my top ten. The comments aren't all mine, they're borrowed from film teaser's and MoviePhone with an added twist from your host. Here ya go, Robledo's top ten.

1. Rocky: The fist-pumping score, the charismatic turn by Sly Stallone, the glorious training montage, the pitch-perfect ending in which Rocky shows the champ what "showtime at the Apollo" really means ... I remember leaving the movie theatre and shadow boxing all the way to our car. I went back the next day to see it again.
2. Hoosiers: This David-and-Goliath tale of a volatile basketball coach (Gene Hackman) who leads a small Indiana high school team to the state finals has all the makings of a classic: chills-inducing score, superb game sequences, moving pep talk and, of course, the most badass line in sports movie history: "I'll make it." My favorite part of the movie is when Hackman says, "My team's on the floor."
3. Rudy: It's the ultimate underdog tale: A hobbit-sized goonie boy (Sean Astin) dreams of playing for Notre Dame. What do size, skill and smarts matter when you've got heart? When Rudy finally takes the field, not only does it instantly choke the throat, it makes the small, unskilled and dim-witted among us feel we've got a fighting chance. I watched with it with my dad, and will never forget the tears in his eyes when Rudy ran out the tunnel.
4. Caddyshack: With hilarious turns from Bill Murray as a deranged gopher-hunting, Bob-Marley-joint-smoking groundskeeper and Chevy Chase as a birdie-and-tequila-shooting womanizer, this might just be one of the most flawless comedies in history -- so it's got that going for it, which is nice. If I have to explain why this is here, you didn't get it.
5. Breaking Away: Though ostensibly about aspiring bike racers, this affecting drama is really concerned with how racing is seen as a way to escape the confines of a small town -- in this case, Bloomington, Ind., where the four heroes are derisively called "Cutters" by the college kids there. And so it's a universal theme, played out on two wheels. One of the most inspirational, funny, underdog movies you've probably never seen but should.
6. Karate Kid: Mr. Miage, a handyman/martial arts master agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and shows him that there is more to the martial art than fighting. It had the great line, "Get him a body bag, yeah, and the greatest girl, Elizabeth Shue."
7. The Bad News Bears: There's not an ounce of sentimentality in this comedy about a team of foul-mouthed misfits and their alcoholic manager, and that's what makes it great. One by one, 'Bears' takes aim at three sacred institutions -- sob-story sports flicks, treacly kids' movies and the hell of Little League -- and the result is a down-and-dirty delight. It's amazing watching this 30-years later, and realizing how foul-mouthed they actually were.
8. Slap Shot: There's a lot of comedy in hockey: scraggly mullets, toothless grins, Canadian accents. So it's no wonder this 1977 classic scores so many laughs with its ahead-of-its-time raunchiness and blistering vulgarity, mostly courtesy of that sailor mouth Paul Newman. If you don't like it, the Hanson Brothers will make you see otherwise.
9. Remember the Titans: "Inspirational sports movies" arrive in theaters on what seems like a monthly basis now, and the triumph that was 'Titans' is a big reason for that. It may be conventional, but this genuinely touching tale of ebony and ivory relations on and off Virginia football fields is the best in its class. My favorite movie this decade
10. Friday Night Lights: It's 'Varsity Blues' plus better acting and directing, minus the whipped cream bikini. With this true-life tale, director Peter Berg paints a moving (and disturbing) portrait of '80s small-town Texas: Racism still rages, the economy is ailing and the hopes of an entire community ride on high school football. Another today movie that needs no explanation.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)

Above: The Piedmont High School football team lines up against St. Mary's in Piedmont, CA October 3, 2008. (Max Morse for The New York Times)

The A-11 offense was created by a group of coaches in Piedmont who wanted to compete with the big schools

Here's how the NY Times explained the offense:
By placing one of the quarterbacks at least seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, and no one under center to receive the snap, the A-11 qualifies as a scrimmage kick formation -- the alignments used for punts and extra points.
Thus interior linemen are granted an exception from having to wear jersey numbers 50 through 79. (The exception was intended to allow a team's deep snapper not to have to switch to a lineman's jersey if he was a back or an end.)
Any player wearing jersey numbers 1 through 49 and 80 through 99 is potentially eligible to receive a pass. Piedmont's basic A-11 formation calls for a center flanked by two guards, who are essentially tight ends. Two quarterbacks, or a quarterback and a running back, line up behind the center, with three receivers split to each side.
Under football rules, seven players must begin each play on the line of scrimmage and only five are permitted to run downfield to receive a pass -- the two players at the end of the line and three situated behind the line.
The difficult task for a team defending against the A-11 is to quickly and accurately figure out who those five eligible receivers are.
Prior to each Piedmont play, only the center initially goes to the line of scrimmage. The two "guards" and the split receivers each stand one and a half yards off the line.
Then, just before the ball is snapped, Piedmont shifts into formation for the signaled play.
With this simple movement, the possibilities for eligible receivers become dizzying.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Piedmont High and Saddleback Valley Christian in Orange County are believed to be the only schools in the state to run the A-11 offense. Schools in at least five states are banned from using the formation. In North Carolina, the first attempt to run the A-11 will result in a 15-yard unsporting penalty and the second in disqualification of the head coach.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Rumor has it that one of our local coaches is going to walk the sidelines dressed up as Darth Vader on Halloween. I have no idea if this is true, just one of the many "anonymous" emails I get from time to time. Remember PHS coach Kevin Mills, he didn't need Halloween to bring out his costume. BTW, my apologies to the kids in my neighborhood, I will not be able to entertain and hand out candy on Friday due the unfortunate circumstances of having to cover a high school football game.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

1. Bishop Amat (6-1) -- There's no breathing room, the Serra League is here and Loyola is awaiting on Saturday at Glendale High School at 7 p.m. Whatever happens in the next three weeks, the Lancers have at least cemented one certainty: They're back on top of San Gabrield Valley football.
2. Charter Oak (7-0-1) -- With Halloween off, the Chargers get two weeks rest before facing winless Los Altos. However, the Miramonte League title will be settled against Bonita on Nov. 13.
3. San Dimas (7-0) -- At times they've looked unstoppable, and other times human. I'm guessing the bigger the game, the bigger the Saints deliver, which is why I still think they will run the table.
4. South Hills (6-1) -- We've been somewhat hard on the Huskies, but the truth is, we'll find out if they're deserving of this spot over the next three weeks. Walnut up first.
5. Glendora (5-2) -- Not world beaters by any stretch, but considering the Tarts' schedule, 5-2 at this point is very respectable. If they're going to defend the Sierra, however, they must find a way to beat undefeated Chino Hills on Friday.
6. Rowland (6-1) -- The Raiders jump from No. 9 based on their big win over West Covina. We have to remember, the Raiders' only loss came against undefeated California in the season opener. They've won six straight since.
7. Rosemead (5-2) -- The Panthers are looking more unbeatable each week, and each week there's someone else on the sidelines of football games telling me they won't lose another game.
8. West Covina (6-2) -- You have to ask if Rowland was that good or if we hyped the Bulldogs too much? It was probably a combination of both, so the Dawgs must drop a few spots.
9. Bonita (5-2) -- So many people told us we had Bonita way overrated, but it's simply not the case. Give them credit, beating Los Altos and DRanch in back-to-back weeks was impressive.
10. Northview (5-2) -- Since losing a competitive game to South Hills, the Vikings have defeated Nogales, Baldwin Park and Covina by a combined score of 119-14. And with all due respect to San Dimas, the Vikes have looked the best in the VVL.
Rounding out the top ten: 11. Walnut (5-2), 12. Azusa (6-1), 13. Diamond Bar (3-4), 14. South El Monte (3-4), 15. Pomona (5-2), 16. Diamond Ranch (1-6), 17. Damien (1-6), 18. Arroyo (2-5), 19. El Monte (3-4), 20. Workman (5-2), 21. Western Christian (5-2), 22. Baldwin Park (3-4), 23. Duarte (2-5), 24. Covina (1-6), 25. Los Altos (0-7), 26. Wilson (1-6), 27. Sierra Vista (2-6), 28. Mountain View (2-5), 29. Ganesha (2-5), 30. La Puente (1-6), 31. Nogales (1-6), 32. Bassett (1-6), 33. Gladstone (0-7).

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (48)

Once again, a local coach has stepped up and offered to help give insight to what's going on in cross country. This comes from Glendora assistant coach Bob Ramsey

Above: Los Altos High School junior Judd Mateo, left, finishes with a time of 16:58, along with teammate junior Miguel Gonzales, who finished with a time of 16:59 at the 61st annual Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational.

Mt.SAC is the home of Southern California cross country. The famous 2.91 mile course, covering three giant hills, hosted most of the SGV over Friday and Saturday at the giant Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational.

For Ramsey's complete breakdown and top ten list's, click thread.

Cluster Meets: On Tuesday, Western Christian traveled to Riverside for the Christian League meet on the rolling 3 mile course at the AB Brown Sports Complex. The boys finished third, led by junior Caleb Meister's (17:34) second place finish. The girls were led by senior Kara Quintana's eighth place finish in 23:03. The San Antonio League held their second cluster meet Wednesday on the 3 mile course at Bonelli Park. No results were submitted, but a comment on last week's blog indicated West Covina won both the boys and girls competitions.

Mt.SAC: The smaller schools, CIF Divs. III, IV, and V got things started on a hot Friday afternoon, with the girls from St. Lucy's and South Hills competing in the prestigious Div. III Sweepstakes late in the day. St. Lucy's soph Marissa Horton brought home the top honor of the day with her 9th place 19:22, leading her team to a third place finish. Bonita were fourth in the top Div III race, led by soph Heather Jackson's 19:44 seventh place finish. She was followed closely in ninth by Rosemead junior Brittnie Munoz (19:56). Wilson, paced by senior Angela Tu's sixth place, were the winners of the third Div III heat. Samantha Cabrera (Junior/Bishop Amat) was eighth in the same race.

Jayson Perez (Junior/South El Monte) led the SGV boys with his 15:58 to take home the race winner's Cow Bell for the top Div III race, followed by Victor Serrano's (Senior/Rosemead) 16:40, third place finish. Ganesha, led by seniors Oscar Castro (16:45 for 3rd) and Elijah Durian (16:52 for 6th) won the second Div III heat.
On Saturday morning, the temperature was down and so were the times. Glendora soph

Anthony Castro led all SGV performers with a breakthrough 15:49 (92nd overall) in the top Div. II race. In the second Div II heat, Los Altos was paced to a fourth place finish by senior Sergio Rodriguez' 15:59 fifth place. John Garcia (Soph/Damien) ran 16:04 for eighth in the same race. In the afternoon, the heat went way up, suppressing times and filling local emergency rooms!

Lauren Justus (Soph/Glendora) had the top SGV girls performance of the weekend with her 18:53 win (Cow Bell!) in the top Div II race. Lauren's time was 89th overall. Charter Oak frosh Carly Lake's big PR 19:19 was tenth in the same race.

Up Next: Most teams take a step back this week to prepare for the League Final meets held the following week. On Wednesday, the Montview will hold it's second cluster meet at Schabarum Park in Hacienda Heights. On Thursday, a few SGV teams will tune up for finals at the Apache Invite at Arcadia Park or that evening at the Cougar Two-Miler on the Track at Azusa Pacific University

SGV Trib Area Top Performers for Week 7

Note: Finally (almost) all of the SGV teams competed on the same course, but under very different weather conditions. It was really hot Saturday afternoon, hot on Friday, cooling by late afternoon, and cool Saturday morning when most of the times below were achieved. Those differences are noted below.

Girls
18:53 - Lauren Justus - Soph/Glendora
19:22 - Marissa Horton - Soph/St. Lucy's - *
19:44 - Heather Jackson - Soph/Bonita - **
19:53 - Liz Zuniga - Senior/South Hills - *
19:55 - Johanna Murray - Senior/Glendora
19:56 - Brittnie Munoz - Junior/Rosemead - **
19:56 - Michelle Jimenez - Senior/Baldwin Park

20:00 - Amanda Camarillo - Senior/South Hills - *
20:02 - Krissy Hebb - Frosh/St. Lucy's - *
20:03 - Taylor Hebb - Soph/St. Lucy's - *
20:04 - Shavonn Johnson - Frosh/Bonita - **
20:12 - Alex Thompson - Senior/St. Lucy's - *
20:18 - Reina Sotelo - Junior/Los Altos
20:19 - Nicolette Garcia - Soph/Los Altos

Teams: St. Lucy's, 1:40:02; Bonita, 1:42:35; Los Altos, 1:42:59; Glendora, 1:43:17; South Hills, 1:43:29

Boys
15:49 - Anthony Castro - Soph/Glendora
15:58 - Jayson Perez - Junior/South El Monte - **
15:59 - Sergio Rodriguez - Senior/Los Altos
16:04 - John Garcia - Soph/Damien
16:12 - Christopher Ramsey - Senior/Glendora
16:13 - Jesus Corral - Senior/Baldwin Park
16:18 - Joshua Sanchez - Frosh/Los Altos

16:22 - Efren Alcala - Senior/Arroyo
16:23 - Austin Goodheart - Junior/Glendora
16:28 - Kyle Maclellan - Senior/Arroyo
16:33 - Paul Nay - Senior/Baldwin Park
16:39 - Abraham Lin - Senior/Los Altos
16:40 - Victor Serrano - Senior/Rosemead
16:42 - Paul Ruiz - Senior/Arroyo

Teams: Glendora, 82:22; Los Altos, 82:36; Arroyo, 83:04; Baldwin Park, 84:20; Ganesha, 86:19

Posted by Fred Robledo at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

San Dimas High linebacker Kyle Withem, suspended since the third week of the season for violating team and school rules, will begin practicing with the Mid-Valley Division's top-ranked and undefeated Saints (7-0) this week. However, Withem will not be allowed to play unless the Saints reach the second round of the CIF playoffs, which is almost a certainty. Coach Bill Zernickow said that Withem must finish a mandatory "10 week" suspension for violating the school's athletic code. Zernickow, decided against, however, suspending his senior for the remainder of the season.
"I wanted to see how he responded to this, and how he would do with his school work," Zernickow said. "He's a special kid in my heart."
Robledo note: Comments will not be allowed.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 1:31 PM | Permalink

Steve Ramirez and I will go head-to-head throughout the season, and I will update our records each Monday on the Tribskin Pick'em thread.

Robledo: Last week - 14-4; Season - 119-32
Ramirez: Last week - 14-4; Season - 113-38

Notes: There were only two games that Stevie R., and I both missed, and that's Rowland over West Covina and Arroyo over El Monte. BTW, Who would have thought Arroyo would be 2-0 in the MVL after their horrible preseason? Steve could have picked up ground by taking Bonita over DRanch and Ayala over DBar, who both won. But I broke even by taking Sierra Vista over Bassett and Gabrielino over Mountain View, hence, no blood. Robledo still has a six-game lead and is looking forward to that free meal from Stevie R., at the end of the season.

Next Up: Friday's game of the week is Chino Hills-Glendora, and I don't see anyway the Tarts can pull this out, not the way CHills has been playing of late. South Hills begins a tough stretch against Walnut, Rowland and West Covina. By the way, could next week be any better? Northview-San Dimas (Thurs, Nov. 6); South Hills-Rowland, Bishop Amat-Crespi (Fri, Nov. 7).

This week's games and predictions
Thursday's games
Northview at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (NView); Ramirez (NView)
Gladstone at Bassett, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Bassett); Ramirez (Bassett)

Friday's games
Glendora vs. Chino Hills at Citrus, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (CHills); Ramirez (Glendora)
South Hills at Walnut, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SHills); Ramirez (SHills)
Diamond Ranch at Los Altos, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DRanch); Ramirez (DRanch)
Baldwin Park at San Dimas, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SDimas); Ramirez (SDimas)
El Monte at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rsmd); Ramirez (Rsmd)
Bonita at Wilson, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Bonita); Ramirez (Bonita)
Pomona vs. Covina at CDF 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Covina); Ramirez (Covina)
Gabrielino at South El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SElM); Ramirez (SElM)
Nogales at Rowland, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rowland); Ramirez (Rowland)
Mountain View at Arroyo, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Arroyo); Ramirez (Arroyo)
Sierra Vista at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SVista); Ramirez (SVista)
Workman at Duarte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte); Ramirez (Duarte)
Chino at Diamond Bar, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DBar); Ramirez (DBar)
Damien at Ayala, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Ayala); Ramirez (Ayala)

Saturday's games
Loyola vs. Bishop Amat at Glendale H.S., 7 p.m. -- Robledo (BAmat); Ramirez (BAmat)
Aquinas at Western Christian, Noon, -- Robledo (Aquinas); Ramirez (Aquinas)

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (94)

We'll post a Bishop Breakdown thread to evaluate Friday night's games, the players, coaching staff's, and the next opponent.

With the coaching staff in place, this feels like a make or break year at Bishop Amat. It's probably not fair to expect too much from Steve Hagerty and staff in their first season, but there's nothing like the excitement and emotions of a quick turnaround. Whatever happens, week-by-week, we'll follow the ride.

Last week: Bishop Amat 38, Chaminade 21
Saturday's game: Bishop Amat (6-1, 0-0) vs. Loyola (4-3, 0-0) at Glendale College, 7:30 p.m.
CalPreps prediction: Bishop Amat 31, Loyola 28.
Breakdown: First, nobody thought the Lancers would be 6-1 at this point, and nobody with a straight face could have predicted that if Orange Lutheran started 6-1, one of those losses would have been to Bishop Amat, and at home. That remains the key win, because it proves the Lancers can play with the heavyweights, and now it must prove it again if they hope to earn a Pac-5 playoff berth. Loyola's lost three games, but two were to De La Salle and St. John Bosco. It's a critical game, because Crespi and Notre Dame are even tougher. If the Lancers lose the opener, they will have to beat at least Crespi (home) or Notre Dame (road) just to hope for an at-large berth. Isn't that something, the eight week honeymoon can end in an instant. But hey, this is why you got to Bishop Amat, to be in this position. But are they ready to take the next step? We'll find out on Saturday in what I call the playoff before the playoffs.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

Hi All,

I just wanted to let you know about my latest post on Prep Stars: Where are you now?
I write about former Damien star Ian Johnson, who after being in the national spotlight following Boise State's upset over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl is now enjoying a limited role for the Broncos. I also share my best memory of one Johnson's biggest moments in high school.

Posted by Steve Ramirez at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Your thread to blog about anyone and anything you want.

Ten things that will happen in the next three weeks....
1. Bishop Amat will go 1-2 in the Serra but get an at-large playoff berth.
2. Rowland will beat South Hills and win the San Antonio.
3. Bonita and Charter Oak meet in the Miramonte finale for title, Charter Oak wins.
4. South El Monte will win three straight and make the playoffs.
5. San Dimas will beat Northview for the VVL title
6. Los Atlos will beat Wilson and finish 1-9.
7. Diamond Ranch will win out and make the playoffs
8. Walnut will be the best team not to make the playoffs
9. A high profile player will be declared ineligible ... always happens this time of year.
10. Glendora finishes third in the Sierra behind Chino Hills and Ayala.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (29)

We make this decision on Tuesday, so if there is someone you want considered, blog it to us. Cross Country, Girls Volleyball, and Tennis.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)

Above: Rowland's Brandon Stansell rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown in shocker over West covina.

Friday's results
Rowland 16, West Covina 7 -- Don't believe what I just typed. Brandon Stansell rushed for 165 yards in a huge upset over the Bulldogs. Will the Raiders be a real factor in Southeast? It sure appears that way. When you can play defense like this, anything is possible.
Azusa 44, Duarte 6 -- This isn't a Cinderella story anymore. The Aztecs are legit, and I'm talking Mid-Valley Division legit. I won't go so far as to say they're as good as San Dimas or Rosemead, but they can play with just about anyone else.
Northview 48, Covina 7 -- I thought shutting Baldwin Park out was impressive. This is more convincing, and over a heated rival that nearly knocked off San Dimas.
Rosemead 52, South El Monte 14 -- Yes, Eagles QB Jose Garay played. And yes, the Panthers are this good.
Bishop Amat 38, Chaminade 21 -- After six straight wins, now it's time to hold your breath. The Serra League is up next.
Bonita 17, Diamond Ranch 7 -- It could be Bonita-Charter Oak all undefeated at the end of the Miramonte. Looks like the Panthers must win out just to earn a playoff berth.
Glendora 17, Damien 14 -- Raise your hand if you thought it would be this close? Were the Tartans sloppy, or did the Spartans finally show up?
Charter Oak 42, Wilson 15 -- No surprise, we figured the Chargers would score and score often.
Ayala 40, Diamond Bar 0 -- This isn't the time for the Brahmas to start going backwards again.
Walnut 45, Nogales 35 -- Nobles put up a big fight, but the Mustangs pull it out anyway.
Arroyo 9, El Monte 3 -- One week after El Monte upsets South El Monte, Arroyo knocks off the Lions. You never know what to expect in the MVL. Suddenly, the Knights are in playoff position while South El Monte is fading.
Baldwin Park 35, Ganesha 26 -- This sure was a lot closer than anyone expected. What's going on with the Braves' D.
Gabrielino 28, Mountain View 14 -- The Vikings continue to struggle in the MVL.
Workman 22, Gladstone 12 -- Lobos bounce back to improve to 5-2 and 3-1 in the Montview. But it wasn't easy.
Muir 54, Arcadia 0 -- I put this score up so teams like Charter Oak, South Hills, Bonita, Rowland and West Covina can go, "hmmm."

Video highlights, Duarte-Azusa

For quarter-by-quarter updates of tonight's games, click link

SGV Football Standings
Serra League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Miramonte League
Valle Vista League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
Christian League

Reginald Miller, prep editor Fred J. Robledo and sports writer Steve Ramirez discuss three of Friday's big football games. By the way, Miller does a great job following our local teams and beyond on his popular site "A Local Sports Show" ... go check it out.

Friday's two-minute game breakdowns
Rowland (5-1) at West Covina (6-1), 7 p.m.
South El Monte (3-3) at Rosemead, (4-2), 7 p.m.
Duarte (2-4) vs. Azusa (6-1) at Citrus College, 7 p.m.

Before you start screaming and shouting at the refs tonight, your thoughts on the referee who tackled the South Carolina quarterback during their game with LSU. I swear I thought it was a commercial, is he really lowering his shoulder and taking him out? This can't be legit.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (171)

Thursday's results
San Dimas 34, Pomona 8 -- We said in the two-minute drill that the Saints are too physical and would make a statement after last week's sluggish win over Covina. Looks like they learned their lesson.
Thursday's two-minute prediction
San Dimas (6-0) vs. Pomona (5-1) at Ganesha, 7 p.m.

South Hills 30, Los Altos 7 -- A convincing win over a team that has been difficult to be convincing against, despite losing its seventh straight. Not a bad first test in the post-Goss era.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (36)

The Scouting Guru has been all over the San Gabriel Valley and beyond, and like always, he's offered to share his thoughts, free of charge. Don't hate, enjoy it for what it's worth, which is one man's opinion on the talent in the San Gabriel Valley.

Above: Bishop Amat's Sheldon Price (6) getting ready to make a tackle.

We thought we start breaking up the seniors and the underclassman. It's about time for the separation to occur. So here are the Top-10 Seniors with some up-to-date comments.

1. Sheldon Price, Bishop Amat - The UCLA commit is a player that we still have questions on when it comes to his physicalness. He's a CB at the next level and remains our top rated player on our board.
2. Brandon Sermons, Diamond Ranch - See our notes section at the bottom of this report.
3. Cameron Deen - South Hills - He's numbers are fine, so is his game tape and so is the record of SH with him under center. He'll be the next player that will be offered soon.
4. Brent Seals - Bishop Amat - And when Deen gets his offer - so will this guy. Mark us as president of the Brent Seals Fan Club. Keep ballin' Brent.
5. Chris Allen - Charter Oak - Here is a player that has good senior film that could get him in line for a future in college football. He's just not at the proper playing weight and his 40 times is going to come back to haunt him. Solid prospect.
6. Kyle Lengyel - Diamond Ranch - OF all the players that played in the BA vs. DR game, this was the best player on the field...and it's not even close.
7. Albert Cid - West Covina - His future could wind up on the defensive side of the ball. We are very intrigued with this guy as a 3-technique defensive tackle.
8. Drew Kaluzny - Glendora - What a year for QB's in the area. Has much more improved mechanics than in his junior tape. Another product of the Chris Rix QB program. I guess Rix knows how to develop top-notch QB's
9. Wayne Goss - South Hills - He'll end up at a nice D-1AA school and be worth the money. He is the true Joe "The Plummer" of the SGV on the football field. Now...about that trampoline thing?....
10. Isaiah Bowens - Bishop Amat - I've been on record in saying that I just didn't see it last year with this prospect. A true boom or bust kid...but, he's not the only kid that I have questions about with the current UCLA class.

For much, much more, including the top ten underclassmen, click thread

Here is our top-10 underclassmen list, junior and sophomores

1. Ify Umodu - Jr. South Hills - He is hands down the best athlete in the SGV bar none. And he is on all Pac-10 boards. He'll have a very busy winter.

2. Adam Muema - Jr. Charter Oak - Size will stop this guy from being on all Pac-10 boards. But, he'll be a winter offer kid. He's a tough physical runner that plays at a high level.

3. Dennis Rufus - Soph. Charter Oak - When all of the coaches at Rancho Cucamonga tell you that this kid is real deal...well, that was good enough for us. And the tape confirms it. The Pac will be after this kid next year.

4. A.J. Powell - Jr. Charter Oak - Heads up one of the top underclassman secondaries in the area. I call him in "The Hammer" and - as is always the case - the film confirms it.

5 Ricky Johnson - Jr. West Covina - He's stepping up game and it's good that he is. This is the money portion of the season...can he take it take it up another notch?

6. Darian Johnson - Jr. Bishop Amat - This is the best cornerback in the SGV. Was the MVP of the University of Oregon camp and has great junior tape. For those you that say he is too small I give you this name, Alphonso Smith, CB Wake Forest, 5-9 190 and projected to be a 1st round draft pick in the 2009 Draft.

7. Geoffrey Vaughns - Jr. South Hills - When he quits feeling sorry for himself and decides to play football, he's fun to watch. He's can play either CB or WR depending on the needs of the college that is looking at him.

8. Cawantas Brown - Soph. San Dimas -- I've done the homework and here the deal...he's going to make it. Love the way he plays and has a really nice upside. This is a true legitimate D-1 prospect from the Saints.

9. Wallace Gonzalez - Soph. Glendora -- He has the size, the hands the ability to play at the next level. Now, he just needs the speed. It's the difference from getting a Pac-10 offer to getting on an offer from a lesser D-1 school. The ball is in his court.

10. Andre Holmes - Jr. Glendora - Inside zone runner has a little wiggle in him. He's showing up well on film.

SERMONS TO UCLA: We got a call last night informing us that Brandon Sermons had given a verbal commitment to UCLA. It's a great call as far as we are concerned. It was our feeling, plus the feeling amongst those in the Pac, that Sermons will play Free Safety and he will adjust nicely. UCLA has taken the top-2 players on our board and thus becomes the big winners when signing day comes from an area point of view. They have a ways to go to catch up to USC, but they are on their way.

WE NEED A CHANGE...NOW: We got a letter in the mail alerting us to the Inland Empire having their all-star game the weekend after the state championship game. It's timed perfectly so that college scouts (like us) and coaches can go to the game, evaluate it and get film on the game. And it got us to think that there is absolutely no reason why the valley can't do one the day before or the day after the Inland Empire game. There are way to many positives for the SGV Hall of Fame Foundation not to seriously consider changing the game to December. First off, it gives kids a final shot at getting a possible scholarship. Second, it gives kids a final chance to get evaluated by college coaches that are in town recruiting. Third, most of the kids are still in football shape with football in their mind, so the play will not be as ragged. Fourth, area coaches would be able to do it, rather than in the summer when it conflicts with their summer program. And fifth, scouting services, like ourselves can film the game and send it out to all the schools that subscribe to us. So were throwing down the hammer to Jim Brownfield and the rest of the gang at the HOF Foundation. The game needs to happen in December, not in July when many of these kids are no longer in the area. It's called doing the right thing for the benefit of the players in the valley.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (103)

Once again, a local coach has stepped up and offered to help give insight to what's going on in cross country. This comes from Glendora assistant coach Bob Ramsey

Mt. SAC UP Next: We've reached the halfway point of the cross country season. SGV athletes have completed most of their league cluster meets, and have competed in some of the biggest meets in California. But now we turn the page to the championship portion of the season, beginning with this weekend's Mt Sac Invitational. This will be the first time all of the Valley's top runners and teams will compete in the same meet, and on the one course that matters in CIF - Southern Section.

For more cross country news, including rankings, click thread

Overall Rankings: Until they sort themselves out on the weekend, the lists below are a rough attempt to rank the top performers of this season, but it is a very rough attempt. Comparing cross country times is notoriously difficult, given the wildly different surfaces, terrains, field sizes and weather in which the athletes race.

Boys
Sergio Rodriguez - Senior/Los Altos 15:42 10/11 Mt Sac 2.91m, very hilly, cool
Jayson Perez - Junior/South El Monte 16:14 10/4 Carbon Canyon 5k, rolling, cool
Corey Bullock - Senior/Glendora 15:55 10/11 Woodward Park 5k, rolling, cool
Anthony Castro - Soph/Glendora 16:04 10/11 Woodward Park
Christopher Ramsey - Senior/Glendora 16:16 10/2 Bonelli Park 5k, rolling, hot
Jonathan Garcia - Soph/Damien 16:17 10/2 Bonelli Park 5k
Victor Serrano - Senior/Rosemead 15:19 10/18 Legg Lake 3m, flat, cool
Jonathan Taylor - Senior/Rowland 15:21 10/18 Legg Lake
Paul Nay - Senior/Baldwin Park 15:23 10/18 Legg Lake
Austin Goodheart - Junior/Glendora 16:30 10/2 Bonelli Park 5k

Conversions: Legg Lake 3m (+0:44) Mt.Sac 2.91m ( - ); Woodward Park 5k (-0:06); Bonelli Park 5k (-0:16); Carbon Canyon 5k (-0:26)

Girls
Lauren Justus - Soph/Glendora 19:07 10/2 Bonelli Park 5k, rolling, hot
Priscilla Llanos - Soph/Rowland 18:51 10/11 Mt. Sac 2.91m, very hilly, cool
Iliana Vazquez - Soph/Bishop Amat 19:12 10/4 Crescenta Valley 3m, hilly, cool
Katy Hebb - Frosh/St. Lucy's 19:14 9/27 Stanford 5k, rolling, warm
Marissa Horton - Soph/St. Lucy's 19:15 10/2 Bonelli Park 5k
Heather Jackson - Soph/Bonita 18:56 10/11 Mt. Sac 2.91m
Shavonn Johnson - Frosh/Bonita 19:12 10/11 Mt. Sac 2.91m
Reina Sotelo - Junior/Los Altos 19:15 10/11 Mt. Sac 2.91m
Amanda Camarillo - Senior/South Hills 18:43 10/4 HB Central Park 3m, rolling, cool
Brittnie Munoz - Junior/Rosemead 18:25 10/18 Legg Lake 3m, flat, mild

Conversions: Legg Lake 3m (+0:55); HB Central Park (+0:35); Mt Sac ( - ); Stanford, Bonelli 5k and Cresenta Valley (-0:20).

Among the boys South El Monte junior Jayson Perez and seniors Sergio Rodriguez (Los Altos) and Corey Bullock (Glendora) have been separated themselves from the field. Perez has won both of this big races, the Rosemead Invite and the Brea Invite at Carbon Canyon, by comfortable margins, but Rodriguez and Bullock have high finishes against stronger competition.

You can put a hat over next six boys, five of whom have raced each other a number of times. Glendora senior Christopher Ramsey has the best record against the others in the group, but hasn't met Victor Serrano (senior/Rosemead), who beat several on the list while winning last Saturday's Bell Gardens Invite at Legg Lake.

Glendora has been the top SGV team so far, winning every head to head meeting with Valley teams, and enters the weekend ranked 9th in the CIF-SS Div II. Los Altos is moving up, having been very strong in their league competitions and the SGV invite run two weeks ago at Mt Sac.

The top six girls best performances are within seconds of each other. No one has emerged as a consistent leader, and since all six are frosh or sophomores, this should probably be expected. Priscilla Llanos (Rowland) has the top SGV time at Mt Sac so far, but has not raced the girls from Glendora and St. Lucy's. Among those girls, Tartan Lauren Justus has the best performance, but she has a mixed record against Katy Hebb and Marissa Horton of St. Lucy's, who have taken turns beating each other. Iliana Vazquez (Bishop Amat) won her division on the tough hilly course at the Kenny Staub Invite in Crescenta Valley and Heather Jackson has shown her quality on flat courses and with a very strong effort at Mt Sac.

St. Lucy's has been the class of the SGV, moving up to 4th in Div III of the CIF-SS and 7th in State in this week's rankings. Bishop Amat, Bonita, Rowland, Los Altos, and South Hills all will be looking to move up this weekend.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Above: Azusa quarterback Adrian Gaeta

Azusa-Duarte Two-Minute Drill Breakdown. Don't Miss It!

The most difficult game to pick on Friday is Azusa (5-1, 3-0) against Duarte (2-4, 2-0) at Citrus College, which will ultimately decide the Montview League title. The Aztecs haven't had a winning season this decade, but they're playing with so much emotion and have the quarterback in Adrian Gaeta to lead them. The Falcons were the consensus pick before the season, but injuries led to early losses and they've faced tough teams in losing to South Hills, Ayala, Monrovia and surging Pomona. But the key is running back Jordan Canada, who in his two-game return since an injury rushed for 263 yards against Sierra Vista, and 309 yards against Gladstone. It's a game where two-game breakers, Gaeta and Canada, will have a huge say in the outcome. But the difference for me is the emotional part. This has been Azusa's dream season since week one, and Friday is the pay-off. BTW, this will be our video-highlights games of the week.

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (40)

Diamond Ranch cornerback Brandon Sermons gave a verbal commitment to attend UCLA on Tuesday night. Our Brian Dohn talked to Panthers coach Roddy Layton about the signing. "I played under (UCLA defensive coordinator) DeWayne Walker, and he and Brandon are very similar," Layton said of his days with Walker at Mt. SAC. "They're quiet, straight shooters. They're pure work. You want to be there and play for him. He's very quiet, very technical and very hard working, and Brandon's that way."

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

South Hills linebacker Wayne Goss broke his foot over the weekend in a trampoline accident. Huskies coach Steve Bogan said he is hopeful to have Goss back by the second-round of the playoffs, should they advance that far. What's interesting is Bogan's take on it, which is why I've always admired him as a coach.
"You can't live you life in a bubble," Bogan said. "There's reasonable risk and unreasonable risk and this was probably something he did his whole life and never got hurt. Do we wish he wasn't playing on a trampoline, yeah, but he's a kid and kids want to have fun, you can't lose sight of that. When I was at Edgewood we played Saturday morning football after games on Friday night's. Our coaches hated it, but we loved to play, that's what you did. If you're a pro player it's written in your contract what you can and can't do, but this isn't the NFL. I've been coaching a while and never made any rules when it comes to this sort of thing. You have to let them learn life's lessons."

Fall-out: How will this affect the Huskies San Antonio and CIF playoff
chances?

Posted by Fred Robledo at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)

Girls Volleyball
Top 10


We have a new No. 1 after Walnut took down South Hills last week.

1. Glendora (10-1)
Tartans, behind the steady play of Valerie Brain, Randi Toomay and Kristine Matsuura, have won 12 of 13 games en route to a 4-0 record in the Sierra League.
2. Walnut (14-2)
The Mustangs, getting a stellar effort from Samantha Sheller, were impressive last week, beating previous No. 1 South Hills in five and sweeping No. 5 Bonita.
3. South Hills (7-4)
The Huskies are loaded, but have yet to find their groove. They won the first game against Walnut with ease, but then looked out of sync after Melinda Gomez went down with an injury.
4. Diamond Bar (11-3)
Cassandra Momah and Jessica Dimitruk stepped up big as the Brahmas went 2-0 with a sweep of Chino and a five-game win over St. Lucy's.
5. Bonita (10-5)
The Bearcats, led by Courtney Donaldson, are the queens of the Miramonte League, but they will need to defuse the Chargers tonight.
6. Charter Oak (13-0)
The Chargers have yet to be challenged. But that changes tonight when they host Bonita.
7. San Dimas (12-3)
The Saints laid claim to Valle Vista League supremacy with a five-game win over Ganesha last week.
8. St. Lucy's (9-6)
The Regents, after a slight slump, appear to have found their second wind, taking down Ayala and pushing Diamond Bar to five games last week.
9. La Puente (14-0)
The Warriors have hardly been challenged in the Montview League. They are 7-0 and have been stretched past three games just once, beating Gladstone in four two weeks ago. The rematch is next week.
10. Ganesha (11-6)
The Giants lost their Valle Vista League showdown against San Dimas, but showed they are the best of the rest with a four-game win over Covina.

Comments: Again, these rankings and records are based on matches played through Oct. 18. Walnut shook up the ratings a bit, beating previous No. 1 South Hills in five games. The Mustangs then took down previous No. 4 Bonita in three. Those were two impressive victories, but Glendora moves up to No. 1 by virtue of the Tartans, sweeping a pair last week and their four-game win over Walnut earlier this season. Then why isn't Bonita ranked above Glendora, you ask? Didn't the Bearcats beat Glendora earlier this year as well? True, but for rankings I also take in account a team's season body of work, and Glendora's resume is more impressive than Bonita's record, especially after the Bearcats were just swept last week, albeit to a very good Walnut squad. Glendora's body of work is equal to Walnut's, with the difference being the Tartans victory over the Mustangs.

Posted by Steve Ramirez at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (140)

Game of the week ...

1. Bishop Amat (5-1) -- Orange Lutheran, West Covina and St. Francis would all be undefeated if not for losses to the Lancers. Amat gets Chaminade (1-5) at home Friday before the real work begins in the Serra.

2. Charter Oak (6-0-1) -- The only difference between the Chargers and Amat is probably depth. From a starters standpoint, the Chargers match-up. Too bad we won't get to see them play. I'm not sure the Chargers will lose another game the rest of the season.

3. San Dimas (6-0) -- A week after we move them past South Hills, they look flat in the first half against Covina before pulling away for a 35-24 victory. Let's see if they learned their lesson heading to what has become "mighty" Pomona on Thursday.

4. South Hills (5-1) -- Hard to learn much after an easy blow-out win over Nogales, and next comes the showdown against winless Los Altos on Thursday. Can you imagine if the Conq's get their first win against Bogan. That alone makes it interesting.

5. West Covina (6-1) -- After beating surging Walnut, the Bulldogs could get a big jump on the San Antonio with a win over Rowland on Friday. About the only concern for Maggiore and crew is their inconsistent defense.

6. Glendora (4-2) -- -- The defending Sierra League champs took care of business against Diamond Bar, and knows that Damien won't just roll over this week. Seriously, if Damien doesn't turn the ball over ten times, this is a game.

7. Rosemead (4-2) -- If reports that South El Monte QB Jose Garay has a hurt shoulder and won't play Friday, this will play a huge role in what we thought would be a thriller. In any case, the Panthers were going to win and should have an easy time the rest of the way in the MVL.

8. Bonita (4-2) -- After losing the Smudge Pot it was mighty impressive to watch the Bearcats show up a week later and pound Los Altos, 39-10. They play Charter Oak at the end of the season so a win over Diamond Ranch on Friday would pave the way for a big week 10.

9. Rowland (5-1) -- After a 41-13 win over Wilson, the Raiders will find out just how good they are at West Covina on Friday. My guess is it will be close, but the Bulldogs will have just enough to pull it out.

10. Northview (4-2) -- The Vikings' 31-0 win over Baldwin Park was their most complete, especially from an offensive standpoint against a very good defense. Can they keep it going against rival Covina?

Rounding out out the top 33: 11. Walnut (4-2), 12. Diamond Bar (3-3), 13. Pomona (5-1), 14. South El Monte (3-3), 15. Diamond Ranch (1-5), 16. Azusa (5-1), 17. Damien (1-5), 18. Western Christian (5-1), 19. El Monte (3-3), 20. Baldwin Park (3-3), 21. Workman (4-2), 22. Duarte (2-4), 23. Covina (1-5), 24. Los Altos (0-6), 25. Wilson (1-5), 26. Ganesha (2-4), 27. Arroyo (1-5), 28. Sierra Vista (1-6), 29. Mountain View (2-4), 30. Nogales (1-5), 31. Bassett (1-5), 32. La Puente (1-5), 33. Gladstone (0-6).

Posted by Fred Robledo at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (54)

Once again, a local coach has stepped up and offered to help give insight to what's going on in cross country. This comes from Glendora assistant coach Bob Ramsey

This past Saturday was a slow one for cross country, as most teams looked forward to next weekend's massive Mt. Sac Invitational. The busiest meet for SGV teams was Saturday's Bell Gardens Invite at Legg Lake, while South Hills traveled to San Luis Obispo. The Sierra, Valle Vista, and Miramonte Leagues are held mid-week cluster meets, but only the Sierra League submitted results.

Tribuns area's top performers week six
Note: It is notoriously difficult to compare XC performances over different terrain, distances, surfaces and weather conditions. The rankings below reflect a rough attempt to rank performances while trying to account those differences. Your mileage may vary.

Girls
Lauren Justus - Soph/Glendora 19:30 Bonelli Park 5k, rolling, warm
Brittnie Munoz - Junior/Rosemead 18:25 Legg Lake 3 miles flat, mild
Liz Zuniga - Senior/South Hills 19:55 SLO 5k, hilly, mild
Kristen Galvez - Junior/Rowland 18:35 Legg Lake
Marissa Horton - Soph/St. Lucy's 19:50 Bonelli 5k
Krisy Hebb - Frosh/St. Lucy's 19:52 Bonelli 5k
Johannah Murray - Senior/Glendora 19:52 Bonelli 5k
Alex Thompson - Senior/St. Lucy's 19:57 Bonelli 5k
Brittany Armas - Junior/Diamond Ranch 19:13 Legg Lake
Michelle Jimenez - Senior/Baldwin Park 19:19 Legg Lake

Boys
Corey Bullock - Senior/Glendora 16:08 Bonelli Park 5k, rolling, warm
Victor Serrano - Senior/Rosemead 15:19 Legg Lake 3 miles flat, mild
Jonathan Taylor - Senior/Rowland 15:21 Legg Lake
Paul Nay - Senior/Baldwin Park 15:23 Legg Lake
Christopher Ramsey - Senior/Glendora 16:29 Bonelli 5k
Austin Goodheart - Junior/Glendora 16:33 Bonelli 5k
Sergio Rodriguez - Senior/Los Altos 15:41 Legg Lake
Jesus Corral - Senior/Baldwin Park 15:45 Legg Lake
Anthony Castro - Soph/Glendora 16:51 Bonelli 5k
Neill Netzeband - Junior/Glendora 16:57 Bonelli 5k

For more on last week's events and what's next, click thread.

Cluster Meets: the Glendora boys and St. Lucy's girls each lost a spot in the team results as they finished second and third, respectively, in the tough Sierra League meet, held Tuesday on the 5k course at Bonelli Park. The Diamond Bar boys, led by seniors Scott Pressman and Dennis Hong, moved into CIF contention with a third place finish. Glendora senior Corey Bullock (16:08 - 2nd) and soph Lauren Justus (19:30 - 6th) were the top SGV individual finishers.

On Wednesday, the Valle Vista League, racing over the 3 mile Lake course at Bonelli, had a near replay of the first cluster meet. Onc