Maybe we don’t pay enough attention to the Montview League. Check this out, Sierra Vista High School’s Christian Huerta has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the area the past few weeks. Thursday, he showed how dominant, throwing the school’s first no-hitter in more than a decade in a 7-0 victory over Workman. Huerta, who just missed throwing a no-hitter lat week against Duarte, also STRUCK OUT 18 to improve to 4-2. He walked two batters. Sierra Vista improved to 10-4 and 5-1. Huerta becomes the first Dons pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Pete Flores in 1995. Flores threw five consecutive shutouts that season. “He should have two in a row,” Dons coach Brett Stevens said of Huerta. “He had one going last week when they bunted with us leading 24-0. He had 10 strikeouts in that game.” Question: At 10-4, should Sierra Vista crack the top ten rankings.
Correspondent John Honell called to thank me (sarcastically) for sending him to Thursday’s Chino Hills-Damien marathon. Chino Hills won 16-8 as Damien walked 11 in the first three innings alone.

Bonita back in action today hoping to rebound from Wednesday’s loss to Charter Oak.

Today’s games
Miramonte League
Los Altos at Bonita, 11 a.m.
Mission Valley League
Arroyo at El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Mountain View at South El Monte, 3:15 p.m.

With one big game today, Chino Hills at Damien at 3:15 p.m., I thought it was a good chance to show where everyone is ranked now that we have reached the midway point. The shocker is in Div. II, with the Sierra League shutout in the rankings. That should change, I mean, they have Arcadia and St. Francis ranked, but we know Glendora proved to be the best of the best in Arcadia’s own backyard for the second straight year. The race in Div. IV is on, Northview, San Dimas, and Bishop Amat all in the top five. How far will Bonita fall after losing again this week? I also posted the area hitting leaders, or should I say, the few leaders that coaches report to MaxPreps. San Dimas’ Josh Leyland is an absolute animal, his numbers are off the charts.

Joe Amat tipped me on to this feature at Maxpreps. What I did was localize it for us this way you can look at the area leaders, standings and check schedules of our local teams. Please coaches, update MaxPreps and you will all be included…Do you love this or what? To get baseball, just click top right corner

<a href="http://www.maxpreps.com">MaxPreps High School Sports</a>

CIF-SS rankings
Division II: 1. Yucaipa, 2. El Toro, 3. Crespi, 4. Notre Dame, 5. Palos Verdes, 6. Upland, 7. Arcadia, 8. St. Francis, 9. San Luis Opisbo, 10. Vista Del Lago, (NO SIERRA LEAGUE).
Division III: 1. Beckman, 2. Gahr, 3. Quatz Hills, 4. Bonita, 5. Hemet, 6. Paramount, 7. South Hills, 8. Alhambra, 9. California, 10. Corona del Mar. Others: San Gorgonio, Westminster, Charter Oak, Downey, Nogales.
Division IV: 1. El Segundo, 2. Northview, 3. San Dimas, 4. Bishop Amat, 5. St. Paul, 6. Palm Desert, 7. Torrance, 8. Patriot, 9. Fullerton, 10. Monrovia.

With most schools on spring break I thought it was a good time to show you the current CIF rankings and the area’s top batting leaders provided by MaxPreps. When I look at these rankings, the teams with a best chance at winning titles are Bishop Amat, San Dimas and South El Monte, all in winnable divisions. Glendora is not ranked in Div. II, and Bonita has a generous No. 4 in Division III. Don’t get upset Bearcats, just being honest.

CIF Rankings
Division III: 1. Tesoro, 2. Oaks Christian, 3. Patriot, 4. Bonita, 5. Ayala, 6. Crescenta Valley, 7. Los Altos, 8. Flintridge Sacred Heart, 9. Alemany, 10. Rigehtti.
Division IV: 1. Ocean View, 2. Lakewood St. Joseph, 3. Torrance, 4. Bishop Amat, 5. Segerstrom, 6. Aquinas, 7. Cabrillo, 8. Santa Monica, 9. El Segundo, 10. Cantwell Sacred Heart.
Division V: 1. Woodcrest Christian, 2. Whittier Christian, 3. Village Christian, 4. Calvary Murrieta, 5. Riverside Christian, 6. La Canada, 7. Estancia, 8. San Dimas, 9. Chadwick, 10. Sierra Vista.
Division VI: 1. La Salle, 2. Maranatha, 3. Marymount, 4. South El Monte, 5. Ramona Convent, 6. Oxford Academy, 7. Grace Brethren, 8. Campbell Hall, 9. Serra, 10. Viewpoint.

Softball Leaders
All stats from MaxPreps
Top Ten Hitters (Min. 22-at bats)
Rodriguez, South Hills Fr., .588, 30-51, 4 homers
Reina Gaber, South El Monte Sr., .588, 20-34, 4 homers
Jazzmin Arrant, Covina, So., .577, 15-26, 3 homers
Yumiko Hiroto, San Dimas, Sr. 568, 21-37, 2 homers
Molina, South Hills, So., .561, 32-57, 1 homer
Molly Ross, Covina, Fr., .543, 19-35, 4 homers
Gipsy Ramirez, San Dimas, Sr., .528, 19-36, 1 homer
Larae Gonzales, Arroyo, Jr, .526, 20-38, 3 homers
Brittany Flores, Sierra Vista, So, .524, 11-21, 3 homers
Monique Villasenor, Charter Oak, Fr., .500, 16-32
Veronica Ramirez, Azusa, So., 489, 23-47, 3 homers
Heather Harrison, Northview, Sr., .486, 18-37, 4 homers
Kyla Papez, Charter Oak, Fr., .474, 18-38, 1 homer
Ariel Shore, San Dimas, Sr., 18-38
Yvette Cano, West Covina, Jr, .465, 20-43, 2 homers
Note: South Hills doesn’t provide first names.

Breaking News: Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others, including a Diamond Bar woman, died Thursday morning after their car was broadsided by a suspected drunken driver. The accident occurred just hours after Adenhart, 22, made his first start of the season and held the Oakland A’s scoreless in six innings. The Angels postponed Thursday night’s game with the A’s. The players gathered at Angel Stadium in the afternoon to remember their teammate. “It is a tragedy that will never be forgotten,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said at a morning news conference. Adenhart, 22, a right-hander from Maryland, was one of three passengers in a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Courtney Stewart, 20, of Diamond Bar. The Eclipse was struck at Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street in Fullerton at about 12:30 a.m. by a minivan that apparently ran a red light, police said. The crash impact spun both vehicles, and one then struck another car.
The driver of that car was not hurt, police said. A passenger in the minivan, Raymond Alexander Rivera, 21, was hospitalized with minor injuries, police said. Rivera reportedly grew up in Covina and attended Northview High School. The minivan driver fled the crash scene on foot and was captured a half-hour later. Police identified him as Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of San Bernardino, and said he had a suspended license because of a previous drunken driving conviction. In January, Gallo had been convicted in West Covina Superior Court of disturbing the peace. His mother lives in San Gabriel, according to public records.”

Photo of alleged driver Gallo. A passenger in Gallo’s minivan when the crash occured is 21-year-old Raymond Alexander Rivera, who reportedly grew up in Covina and attended Northview high school. Rivera was hospitalized with minor injuries.

By Steve Ramirez
It’s funny how things work out sometimes.
Take the case of Damien High School’s Taylor Herrera, considered one of the top sprinters in the CIF-Southern Section, if not the state.
But there was a time when the senior, who also plays football and soccer for the Spartans, considered track and field as an afterthought.
“I’m a track guy who plays football,” said Herrera, who is one of the featured entries in the 100- and 200-meter runs for Saturday’s invitational portion of the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High School. “The funny thing is that my freshman year I played football, then soccer, and when spring came, I decided not to run track, because I felt I needed a timeout.
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This is what’s great about being in a newsroom, you don’t miss anything. Tiger tee’s off at 10:52, with ESPN beginning its coverage at 1. I’ve got Padraig Harrington in a pool, but it’s all about Tiger, why else would anyone watch. The Dodgers come on at 12:30, so as Vinny says, pull up a chair and enjoy.

Do you remember this 2005 Masters Moment

Former Muir football and track coach Jim Brownfield, 80, has been hospitalized at Kaiser Sunset in Hollywood. The legendary coach might need heart surgery. As many of you know, Brownfield ran the Hall of Fame all star football game for many years, and is one of the greatest coaches in San Gabriel Valley history. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Brownfield family. We’ll keep you posted when we learn more.

Courtesy of Star-Newbie Miguel Melendez ….
Glendora wins, 3-0: There would be no umbrellas or a comeback from the Arcadia High School baseball team for that matter.
Bryce Rutherford was stymied by Glendora’s Kyle Layton who scored all three runs to lead the Tartans to a 3-0 win on a chilly Wednesday night in the final of the Apache Invitational at Arcadia High. Arcadia (13-2) suffered its second setback of the season. They dropped one two nights ago to Beverly Hills, 5-4, and needed a late rally to oust West Covina, 5-3, on Tuesday night. Glendora (11-4) meanwhile was still riding its wave of momentum that carried over from an 8-7 win in 10 innings over San Dimas and 5-3 win over Nogales on Tuesday afternoon. This was the Tartans’ second straight Apache Invitational championship. Whether it was a cold shoulder (Rutherford had not pitched since Saturday) or jitters from watching a St. Louis Cardinals scout clock his pitches with a radar gun, it’s unclear what led to Rutherford’s uncharacteristic performance. The same could be said of Arcadia’s defense which committed two costly errors. The Apaches also left seven runners on base. Ruhterford was upped by Michale Gonzales who went the distance, throwing 87 pitches and allowing only four hits and six strikeouts. Rutherford pitched six innings and struck out seven, but a wild pitch in the second put the Apaches in an early uphill battle.

For information on this weekend’s 41st Arcadia Invitational, click here. Also, we will have a story on Damien sprint standout Taylor Herrera in tomorrow’s paper. As always, for the area’s top track marks, click the thread.

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I’m chilling at home watching the Dodgers, Lakers and okay I will say it, American Idol, but my inside source says Charter Oak is leading Bonita 2-0 in the fifth inning of the championship game of the Northview tournament. A drizzle has turned into a steady rain, so we’ll see what happens….
Update:The rain has lightened up, but Bonita’s chances are fading, it’s still 2-0 Charter Oak in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bonita has three outs left in the seventh….
Update II: Just when I said the rain was slowing, it started to pour and now there is a 30-min delay with Charter Oak (home team) leading 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning. If they can’t resume in 30 minutes, the Chargers win the title.
Update III: They have resumed (even though it’s still raining) and Charger Oak has added another run in the sixth to go up 3-0. They’re headed to the top of the seventh.
Final Update: It’s over, Charter Oak stuns Bonita, 3-0.

Glendora beat Nogales 5-3 this afternoon to advance to the championship game of the Arcadia baseball tournament on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Glendora will meet host Arcadia in the championship. The Apaches won with a 5-3 win over West Covina. Tartans pitcher Adam Plutko started and threw six shutout innings, losing a no-hitter in the fifth. Plutko was replaced in the seventh inning with a 5-0 lead, then had to watch and hold his breath as the Tartans held on for dear life to preserve the victory.

This looks familiar, Bishop Amat and Northview 1 & 2. This was a hard week to do rankings. With Bonita losing to Wilson, I was ready to jump San Dimas to No. 1, then they lose to Glendora on Monday. The only team without a glitch the past couple weeks is Bishop Amat, who’s pitching is catching up to their hitting. But let’s be honest, Bishop Amat, Northview, San Dimas and Bonita all make strong cases for No. 1, so I’m going with my gut, and my gut tells me these are the top four, in this order …

Bishop Amat gets big out in win over St. Paul

Big games today
Northview tournament championship
Bonita vs. Charter Oak at Maverick Field in West Covina
Arcadia tournament round-robin
Glendora vs. Nogales, 1 p.m.
San Dimas vs. St. Francis, 4 p.m.

Baseball top ten rankings
1. Bishop Amat (6-3) – Well, well, look who’s back on top. They have won seven straight, including a huge 1-0 win over rival St. Paul. Pitching that was missed earlier is back, having allowed just four runs over their last four games, including two shutouts. Don’t hate, appreciate, the boys in blue are back.
2. Northview (9-2) – After San Dimas dropped Northview, the Vikes come back with three straight, including a a 5-2 nonleague win over Harvard-Westlake. Look, we’re all waiting to see how they do in the National Classic next week. Hope they do the SGV proud.
3. Bonita (11-2) – Oh Bonita. Here is a team on the verge of winning their second straight local tournament tonight when they play rival Charter Oak in the championship of the Northview tournament, but how can you ignore their unexplainable 4-3 loss to Wilson?
4. San Dimas (9-3) - – I was so close to moving the Saints on top then they lose a heartbreaker to Glendora, 8-7, in 10 innings on Monday in the Arcadia tournament, which snapped their six-game win streak.
5. Glendora (9-4) – If the Tartans beat Nogales today they will play in the Arcadia tournament title game Wednesday night after winning a thriller in extra innings over San Dimas on Monday. They do have two eyesores, however, losses to Chino and Don Lugo.
6. Damien (9-3) – After a stinging 14-3 loss to Chino, they bounced back with a sweep over Azusa and now face Chino Hills in back-to-back games today and at home on Thursday.
7. South Hills (8-4) – The Huskies have won five straight since a 2-1 loss to Nogales, allowing just five runs during that stretch, which includes two shutouts. The problem early on was losing 4-1, 2-1 and 3-1. They have the pitching, and now with their bats coming alive, they’re starting to look dangerous again.
8. Charter Oak (12-5) – The Chargers rallied from six runs down to defeat Diamond Bar 11-9 in eight innings to reach tonight’s Northview championship against rival Bonita, a team it lost 2-1 to a week earlier. Four of their five losses were to Bishop Amat, Glendora, Crescenta Valley and Bonita. On any given day, they can play with anyone.
9. Nogales (12-4) – When Melchor pitches, they can play and beat anyone in the area. When he’s not in the hill, you just don’t know what you’re getting. Still, 12-4 is a good start. Let’s see how they do against Glendora today in the Arcadia tournament.
10. Diamond Bar (9-6) - They blew a 6-0 lead against Charter Oak in the semifinals of the Northview tournament. I still think they’re a good-hitting team, but I’m not sure if they have the pitching that the rest of our top ten enjoys.

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

The biggest surprise in this week’s rankings is that I’ve got an 8-8 Bishop Amat over a 9-1 Sierra Vista? That’s becuse there is a huge gap between the top five and bottom five. I look at it this way, Bishop Amat has six wins over teams that are better than any of Sierra Vista’s wins. But don’t sleep on the Dons, they have a legitimate pitcher, I just want to see them win against better teams. Glendora is the obvious No. 1, but here comes the blog’s drama-filled Bearcats, making a mid-season push for the top spot. Los Altos? I can’t figure them out yet.

Safe: Glendora runner slides safely at second in last week’s 3-1 win over Bishop Amat.

Girls Softball top ten rankings
1. Glendora (6-2) – Who made their crummy schedule? Their 3-1 victory over Bishop Amat last week came two weeks after their loss to Etiwanda in the San Dimas tournament final, then they take another week off before playing Diamond Bar in the Sierra League opener on April 14. Still, they beat Bonita without Waldusky, so it’s a no-brainer, they’re No. 1.
2. Bonita (14-2) - You have to hand it to the ‘Cats, after losing a game they probably should have won at home to Los Altos, they go to Los Altos and get a big win, and are streaking again, winners of seven straight.
3. Los Altos (10-4) – The top spot was theirs to lose and they lost it. I just don’t see the hunger in their eyes that I see in other teams. Maybe that will come when the playoffs near, but it’s not there now. Talent-wise, they have it all, but it takes more than just talent.
4. San Dimas (8-3) – It must be April, because the slow-starting Saints are starting to warm-up. They have won five straight, and allowed just two runs over a four-game stretch, which includes back-to-back wins over Covina and Northview.
5. Bishop Amat (8-8) – I know they lost four of five, but they still looked pretty good in a 3-1 loss to Glendora at home last week. Their schedule is brutal, and maybe it pays off down the road. But if I’m being honest, they’re still a top five despite their .500 record.
6. Sierra Vista (9-1) – Hey Fred, why are you dissing the Dons? Because the only big win on their schedule was against some unknown 6-4 team named Connelly. I guarantee if they prove their worth in next week’s Charter Oak tournament, they will climb up the board in a hurry.
7. South El Monte (6-4) – They split a double-header against a very good Cantwell Sacred Heart team, the best evidence yet that they’re bouncing back from their early season troubles.
8. Charter Oak (8-5) – The loss of McKenna Gooden, arguably one of the area’s best hitters if not the best, is a tough blow on a team that relies on hitting. With Los Altos and Bonita in their league, that’s a tough spot to be in.
9. Walnut (6-4) – I was getting ready to bump the Mustangs up the rankings then they lose two-straight to Bonita and Rowland. Bonita I can forgive, but a 6-0 loss to a 6-8 Rowland team I can’t forget.
10. Covina (6-4) – The Colts won three straight, including a 6-5 win over rival Northview that puts them second in the Valle Vista all by themselves. They’re swinging the bat, I’ll give them that.

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

By Fred J. Robledo
Duarte High School athletic director Robyn Garcia confirmed on Monday that four varsity football players from the 2008 football season have left school, including highly touted senior-to-be running back Jordan Canada, a first-team Montview League selection as a junior. Canada, a 5-foot-10, 160-pounder, rushed for 1,956 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 195 yards for the Falcons during an injury-plagued junior season in which he missed three games. Canada began taking classes at South Hills High School last week along with his younger brother Jamie Canada, a talented running back/wide receiver and defensive back who made the Falcons’ varsity team as a freshman. Sophomore linebacker Wardell Crutchfield Jr., the son of former Falcons coach Wardell Crutchfield, and sophomore quarterback Demetrius Jackson left earlier this year for Baldwin Park, Braves athletic director Mike Zimmerman confirmed.
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Monday’s semifinals
At Northview HS
Charter Oak 11, Diamond Bar 9, 8 innings– Charter Oak scored three runs in the seventh inning to tie it, then Danny Tiffany hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to give the Chargers an 11-7 lead, and they held on to win it.
At Covina High
Bonita 9, Covina 1

Other scores
Sonora 11, Walnut 5
Santa Fe Springs 8, Montebello 3
South Pasadena 7, Del Oro 5
Glendora 8, San Dimas 7, 10 innings in Arcadia tournament.

Northview tournament finals on Tuesday
Bonita vs. Charter Oak, 7 p.m., Maverick Field in West Covina
Diamond Bar at Covina, 4 p.m, (3rd place)
Sonora vs. Santa Fe Springs at Northview, 1 p.m. (5th place)
Walnut vs. Montebello at Northview, 10 a.m. (7th place)
La Serna vs. South Pasadena at Covina, 1 p.m. (9th place)
Del Oro vs. Pasadena at Covina, 10 a.m. (11th place).

Also, Round Robin play in the Arcadia tournament on Tuesday
Tuesday: Beverly Hills vs. La Habra, 10 a.m.; Nogales vs. Glendora, 1 p.m.; San Dimas vs. St. Francis, 4 p.m.; Arcadia vs. West Covina, 7 p.m.

You don’t have to thank me or send a percentage of your winnings, but after North Carolina wins tonight, remember it was your favorite sports writer that told you to take the Tar Heels to win it all.

Could there be a 16-game football season? Yes, and sooner than you think. Read what the Orange County Register’s Steve Fryer has to say.

Boys game: Another year, another Star-News Victory.
Boys photo gallery by Keith Birmingham
Pasadena High School’s Joseph Henson and Darius Johnson had 14 and 13 points, respectively, and the Star-News boys team won for the fifth time in six years, 101-85, at the annual Tribune/Star-News High School All-Star Basketball Classic at Azusa Pacific University Felix Event Center on Saturday night. “This means a lot,” said Henson, who was selected Star-News MVP after scoring 11 of his team-high 14 points during the first half. “It was neat that we all came together as a team and got it done.” The Star-News also received 12 points from Blair’s Deon Geary, 11 from Pasadena’s Travis Flye and 10 from Blair’s Katorio Walker. The Tribune, which has lost the previous two encounters, got 17 points and 15 points, respectively, from the Diamond Ranch duo of center Chris Cunningham and guard Garrett Johnson. Cunningham earned team MVP honors. South El Monte’s Manny Acosta scored 10 points for the Tribune. “I just tried to come out here and have fun,” Cunningham said. “This was about playing basketball with my friends, all my boys who I grew up with. It was fun to come out here and play again.” Flye won the slam-dunk competition, with Glendora’s Kos Russell taking the 3-point contest.

Girls Game: Star-News takes control
Girls photo gallery by Keith Birmingham
Living up to pre-game hype is always tough but once again the Tribune/Pasadena Star-News All Star Classic managed to do just that. The Star-News girls basketball team avenged a 20-point loss from last year with a 78-68 win over the Tribune squad. That improves the Star-News record to 4-2 against the girls from the East Valley. “I hope the girls enjoyed the experience as much as I did,” Tribune coach Keith Locklear (Sierra Vista) said. “That Star-News team was pretty loaded. They were long and got a lot of tips and steals.” Led by Brittany Henderson (Muir) Janise Ho (Keppel) Jasmine Gordon (Monrovia) and Maryum Jenkins (Monrovia) the Star-News girls dominated the boards at both ends of the court. “This is a very good group of kids from all the schools,” Star-News coach Gary Johnson (Muir) said. “We definitely wanted to get the ball inside to our low post.” Johnson was on the losing end of this game a few years ago so he had a simple game plan. “This was my first win,” Johnson said. “I needed some revenge so we were pleased. We just wanted to keep the pressure on, get the ball inside and keep rolling and have some fun.” The Star-News led most of the first half until the Tribune team, led by Jacqueline Salas (Amat) and Katie Moreno (Amat), tied the score at 27 when Sandy Perez (Azusa) hit a layup with 4:30 left in the half. “We had a couple of kids play really hard,” Locklear said. “Sandy Perez is a defensive specialist and she just leaves it all on the court and that’s a true blessing.”
The Star-News turned it over to their bigs and ran off the final 15 points of the half. Jenkins hit a 3-pointer. Nicol Biesek (South Pasadena) scored twice and Henderson put back an offensive rebound at the buzzer to cap the run.

The best evidence yet that standout running back Jordan Canada has transferred from Duarte to South Hills was found on Scout.Com, which actually profiles Canada as a South Hills player for the 2009 season. I heard this move was taking place last week, but couldn’t find anyone willing to confirm it. If he becomes eligible, this makes South Hills an absolute contender for the Southeast title along with Charter Oak. Now can the Huskies talk Jacob Shirley into playing quarterback his senior year. Stay tuned, I’ll track this down on Monday. Canada rushed for 1,956 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 195 yards a game after missing three games because of injuries as a junior.

BREAKING NEWS: Fox’s The Best Damn Sports Show period called to say they will be at Saturday’s game, so look for a highlight or two on the show.

Boys and Girls Basketball All-Star Game
Sixth Annual Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic
Tonight, Azusa Pacific University
Girl’s game: 5:30pm
Boy’s game: 7:30pm
SERIES RECORD
Boys: Star-News leads series, 4-1
Girls: Tribune leads series, 3-2

By Fred J. Robledo
In the short history of the Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic, the memorable moments are piling up. Marshall High School’s Rawlston Charles still holds the scoring record with 38 points in the inaugural victory for the Star-News team in 2004. There was also La Ca ada’s Philip Anderson hitting the game-winning shot at the buzzer to lead the Star-News to victory in 2005, and who could forget Keion Bell’s jaw-dropping dunks in last year’s dunk contest? The Tribune boys’ lone victory came in the 2006 game at Bishop Amat, the only time the game was not held at Azusa Pacific, with Diamond Bar’s Edwin Edukere winning MVP honors. The girls all-star games have been just as compelling, with the Star-News holding a 3-2 edge in the series.Pasadena’s Brittany Spears poured in 31 points to lead the Star-News in 2007, but Bishop Amat’s Kristen McCarthy led the Tribune to a 20-point victory last season with a game-high 18 points to earn MVP honors? Who’s got next? We will find out tonight.
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Monday’s semifinals
At Northview HS
Charter Oak vs. Diamond Bar, 4 p.m.
At Covina High
Covina vs. Bonita, 4 p.m.

NORTHVIEW TOURNAMENT
Pool A: Diamond Bar, Sonora, South Pasadena
Pool B: Charter Oak, Del Oro, Walnut
Pool C: Covina, La Serna, Montebello
Pool D: Bonita, Pasadena, Santa Fe Springs.

Saturday’s games
Pool A
Diamond Bar 9, Sonora 2
Sonora 16, South Pasadena 6
Diamond Bar 12, South Pasadena 4
Pool B
Charter Oak 12, Walnut 5
Walnut, 7, Del Oro 3
Charter Oak 6, Del Oro 1
Pool C
Covina 8, La Serna 5
Montebello 3, La Serna 2
Covina 9, Montebello 2
Pool D
Bonita 17, Santa Fe Springs 4
Santa Fe Springs 11, Pasadena 3
Bonita 11, Pasadena 1

Monday, April 6
At Northview HS
Pool A #3 vs. Pool B #3, 10 a.m.
Pool A #2 vs. Pool B #2, 1 p.m.
Charter Oak vs. Diamond Bar, semifinal, 4 p.m.
At Covina High
Pool C #3 vs. Pool D #3, 10 a.m.
Pool C #2 vs. Pool D #2, 1 p.m.
Covina vs. Bonita, semifinal, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, April 7, Championship Day
Championship at Maverick Field, West Covina, 7 p.m.
Other Games at Northview
Fifth place game, 10 a.m.
Third place game, 1 p.m.

Anything and anyone you want to talk about

After careful consideration I have delayed peaking too far ahead and putting together a pre-season top ten football poll, and discussing the top players returning at each position, etc, etc. We can do that when spring football begins, plus I need to save some of that good conversation for the dog days of summer. But I’m curious to know what you think the top ten might look like next fall. Without a doubt Charter Oak starts No. 1 in my opinion, but the rest is debatable. Where will Damien fall under first year coach Greg Gano, and how will all the teams that made other coaching changes do? What will San Dimas, Northview, Diamond Ranch, Bonita, Bishop Amat and Rosemead look like after graduating so many studs. And how far will West Covina, Glendora, Rowland and Walnut rise with so many studs back. Anyways, this is your chance to give us a sneak preview. What does your top ten look like?

Above: South Hills Derek Klena delivered a win for South Hills on Friday.

Klena keeps South Hills in first: Derek Klena scattered five hits and struck out eight as South Hills took control of the San Antonio League race with a 3-0 victory at rival West Covina on Friday. The Huskies, also getting RBI singles by Dakota Behr and Tommy Rodriguez and two hits from Cody Doyle, improved to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in league play. They remained one game ahead of second-place Nogales. West Covina, getting a six-hit, five-strikeout performance from Daniel Clark, slipped to 6-6 and 1-3.
Wilson beats Bonita: Steven Baltierra tossed a three-hitter and Kevin Niebla hit a home run as the Wildcats stunned the No. 1 Bearcats, 4-3, at home. Nico Calderaro struck out eight for Bonita, which falls to 8-2 and 3-1. Also the battle for third-place appears to be Wilson vs. Los Altos as the Conquerors routed Diamond Ranch, 11-1. I don’t think the Panthers are going back to the divisional finals. In fact, just making the playoffs may now be a stretch.

Other Scores
Miramonte League
Los Altos 11, Diamond Ranch 1
Wilson 4, Bonita 3
Mission Valley League
South El Monte 9, Gabrielino 4
Softball Scores
San Antonio League
South Hills 12, West Covina 7
Valle Vista League
San Dimas 12, Baldwin Park 1

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

Today’s big game: Is anyone going to touch Walnut. The Mustangs (6-3, 3-0) are undefeated in the San Antonio league and will host Rowland (5-8, 1-2) in hopes of staying that way. Just to let you know how good thing are going Nut Town, Bonita barely edged out Walnut 3-2 last week.

Covina is also in action at Pomona today.

Today’s schedule
San Antonio League
Walnut at Rowland, 3:30 p.m.
South Hills at West Covina, 3:30 p.m.
Valle Vista League
San Dimas at Baldwin Park, 3:15 p.m.
Ganesha at Northview, 3:15 p.m.
Covina at Pomona, 3:15 p.m.
Nonleague
Sierra Vista at Schurr, 3:15 p.m.
Duarte at Arroyo, 3:15 p.m.
Nogales at Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m.

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

BREAKING NEWS: Fox’s The Best Damn Sports Show period called to say they will be at Saturday’s game, so look for a highlight or two on the show.

Boys and Girls Basketball All-Star Game
Sixth Annual Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic
Saturday, April 4, Azusa Pacific University
Girl’s game: 5:30pm
Boy’s game: 7:30pm
SERIES RECORD
Boys: Star-News leads series, 4-1
Girls: Tribune leads series, 3-2

Star-News notes on Saturday’s all-star game

Below: Nogales standout Randal Guillory, the brother of Nobles legend, Shomario Richard.

By Fred J. Robledo
Former Nogales High School boys basketball coach Bob Withers recalled a meeting several years ago when then-Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian made a recruiting visit in hopes of snagging Nobles standout Shomario Richard, arguably the best player in the school’s history. Richard averaged 26 points and nine assists his senior season, leading the Nobles to the 1995 Division I-A championship game against Mater Dei.
The Nobles were overwhelmed by the Schea Cotton-led Monarchs, losing 83-33 in the championship, but Richard already had left his mark, finishing his career with 781 assists, which ranks ninth all-time in the CIF record books. “When Shomario was getting a home visit from Jerry, I rushed over to the house in a cub scout uniform because I was my son Ricky’s cub scout leader,” said Withers, now the assistant principal at Rowland High School. “I sat there in a blue shirt and yellow tie and helped change this little kid’s diapers while Jerry talked to Shomario.” That little kid was current Nogales standout Randal Guillory, Shomario Richard’s brother, who will compete for the Tribune team in Saturday’s Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic at Azusa Pacific University.
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