Above: If former West Covina quarterback Jacob Shirley plays plays football and Jordan Canada becomes eligible, how dangerous will this make the Huskies?

At South Hills High School, the question still remains whether Jacob Shirley, who started at quarterback for West Covina as a sophomore before transferring to South Hills, will come out and challenge for the quarterback spot his senior year.
Freshman Vince Hernandez and sophomore Brock Booth are battling it out for the starting spot in spring, but Bogan is hoping to add a third to the depth chart.
“We talked to (Shirley) and let him know we would love him to play football,” Bogan said. “But that’s a decision he will have to make.” Duarte transfer running back Jordan Canada is practicing with the Huskies and making quite an impression. “Let’s just say he looks pretty good,” Bogan said. “I looked up good in the dictionary and there he was.” Canada still has to get clearance from the CIF-SS before he is eligible.

I had a chance to speak with Damien coach Greg Gano after opening spring practice on Monday. Here is what he said about the challenge of taking over a 3-7 team.
“It was a great first day. We had about 130 kids who were all enthused and ready to go. Everyone wants to know what team we’re going to have, but it’s way too early to tell. The most important thing is getting everyone comfortable with the coaching staff and buying into what we want to do. From that standpoint, we’re off to a good start.”
Gano’s top assistants at Los Altos, Lee Fair and John Howing, both moved to Damien with Gano, who got another gem when former Monrovia high school coach Steve Garrison joined his staff as well. Garrison took the year off after resigning at Monrovia, where he took the Wildcats to three CIF-SS divisional finals in the 1990s.
“Steve fits in perfectly, and he brings a lot of enthusiasm to the table,” Gano said.
Wilson athletic director Dave Merrill also is joining Gano’s staff. Not bad for a first impression.
“You have to surround yourself with quality coaches and quality people,” Gano said. “Kids aren’t stupid. They hear things and they read things. Hopefully we have that type of staff that they respect and want to play for.”
Junior James Guillen is still playing baseball, but he returns at quarterback after throwing for 1,319 yards and ten touchdowns. Running back Phillip Sainz returns too, but the biggest change will come in how Gano utilizes his players, particularly younger players that will challenge upper-classmen for starting spots.
“I don’t know if we have that super player, but we have a lot of good football players that if you blend them together right, we could have something,” Gano said. “I think the biggest difference is that we’re not going to platoon as many players as in the past. We’re going to have kids playing both ways. I come from the old school, your best kids have to be on the field.”
He also talked about a nonleague schedule that includes Bishop Amat, Charter Oak, Rancho Cucamonga and St. John Bosco.
“The biggest difference from starting at Los Altos and starting at Damien is the schedule,” Gano said. “Rancho is one of the best teams in the state, and everyone else we play are great football teams too. It’s a challenge, it really is, but that’s why I came here, to take it on.”

I received word that two of South Hills’ best, Wayne Goss and Alex Barrios, who were both injured during the Huskies’ Southeast Division quarterfinal run, will attend Division III’s California Lutheran, joining former Huskies standout Jacob Calderon, who was named to the 2008 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-America Team. With South El Monte’s Jose Garay going to La Verne, it’s great to see these players continue their careers and get a good education.

Jack Renkens from Recruiting Realities will be at Diamond Ranch at 7 p.m. tonight to give his motivational speech on the recruiting process, and it’s free for anyone interested in attending. Renkens is a motivational speaker who tours the country informing parents, players and coaches about the realities of the recruiting process and college sports.

With all the talk about Bishop Amat and Northview, the spoiler will be San Dimas.

SCORING UPDATES
Today’s wild-card resutls
Division II
Glendora 10, West Torrance 1
Damien 10, Miller 4
Chino Hills 5, Burroughs 2, 8 inn
Division III
El Rancho 6, Walnut 3
Laguna Hills 6, Wilson 1
Los Altos 3, Elsinore 3
Division IV
Baldwin Park 6, Carpinteria 5
Division V
Cathedral 3, Arroyo 2
Citrus Hill 14, Azusa 3
Gladstone 9, Bosco Tech 2

Division II locals: Glendora (WC), Damien (WC), Chino Hills (WC), Chino.
Division II seeds: 1. El Toro, 2. Yucaipa, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Palos Verdes.
What should happen: The Sierra teams received tough draws, but it is what it is, making it extremely tough for the wild card teams to get out of week one. This isn’t like softball, pitching is a problem since teams will throw No. 1′s today and go with No. 2′s in the first-round on Thursday.
Prediction: Glendora and Damien will win wild card games at home. The Tartans would get another wild-card winner in round one, but then a huge second round game against top-seed El Toro ends their season, but will be fun to watch. Damien might want to throw their No. 2 today in hopes of having a chance on Thursday against No. 4 seed Palos Verdes. I know that’s not conventional wisdom, but why not take a shot. I wouldn’t be surprised if a Sierra team gets to the quarters, but getting two that far doesn’t appear realistic.

Division III locals: Charter Oak, South Hills, Nogales, Bonita, Walnut (WC), Wilson (WC), Los Altos (WC)
Division III seeds: 1. Beckman, 2. Bonita, 3. San Gorgonio, 4. Lancaster
What should happen: First, scratch all the wild cards, none of them will get to the first round. The top seeds are tough, but this could be a division full of surprises.
Prediction: For a No. 2 seed, Bonita could face a very tough game in the second round against Alhambra, but they should survive to face South Hills in the quarterfinals. In fact, I like Bonita’s chances of reaching the championship game. In fact, pencil it in. Nogales is my sleeper. They have a great No. 1 pitcher in Andrew Melchor, arguably as good as anyone in the division. Melchor could pitch games one and two, and two could be against Charter Oak in the second round. The quarterfinals could come against No. 1 Beckman, which likely ends Nogales’ season. But don’t count out the Nobles, I’ve seen teams ride No. 1 pitchers in the playoffs, and they’re riding this destiny thing. Does Bonita win it all? I’m not feeling it, but won’t be surprised if they do.

Division IV locals: Bishop Amat, Northview, San Dimas, Baldwin Park
Division IV seeds: 1. Bishop Amat, 2. Northview, 3. Torrance, 4. San Dimas.
What should happen: Bishop Amat and Northview meeting in the championship game, but hold that thought.
Prediction: I felt all along that Northview and Bishop Amat are good, just not as good as last year. But that doesn’t mean they’re not good enough to get back to the championship, I just won’t be surprised if they get knocked out along the way. Northview’s big hurdle could come in the second round against St. Paul, who has two solid pitchers to throw at them. Here’s how I will break this down, San Dimas will play Bishop Amat in the semifinals, and I’m predicting the big upset, Saints over the Lancers in a thriller. Northview will get past St. Paul and find its way to the championship, but San Dimas comes full circle and knocks off the Vikings in Anaheim. It’s about redemption, hunger, and a good story (haha). Bishop Amat-Northview seems to good to be true. This is the year of the spoiler, and who better to play the role than Mike Regan’s Saints.

Division V locals: Sierra Vista, South El Monte, La Puente, Arroyo (WC), Azusa (WC), Gladstone (WC).
What should happen: Quick early exit by local teams? Not so fast. There aren’t a bunch of world beaters in this division, and we have some teams that could make runs.
Predictions: I like Gladstone to win its wild card, but then it gets No. 2 Santa Ynez. Season over. Because Sierra Vista has one of the best pitchers in the division, I like their chances of reaching the quarterfinals, then it gets tougher against No. 1 San Jacinto. La Puente could win their first game, but Maranatha’s a tough second round game. All in all, I’m rooting for the Dons. Wouldn’t be shocked at all if they got to the semifinals, but history tells us otherwise.

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Above: South El Monte’s Reina Gaber hopes to take the Eagles all the way

Today’s Wild-Card games
Division III
Charter Oak 6, Arcadia 4
Chino Hills 4, Mission Viejo 2, 10 innings
Division V
Schurr 8, Gladstone 3
Rowland 2, Riverside Notre Dame 1
Covina 9, Magnolia 1
Cerritos Valley Christian 6, La Puente 0

Division III locals: Los Altos, Bonita, Glendora, Charter Oak (WC).
Top Seeds: 1. Cajon, 2. Oaks Christian, 3. Crescenta Valley, 4. Ayala
What should happen: Top seeds should do well. This is an extremely tough draw for the best teams in our area. Even if Glendora gets past either Downey or Dana Hills, they would probably get Knight in the second round, a 16-4-1 team that could mean good night for the Tartans. Chances are Los Altos will likely get Sonora, a tough 16-12 team that finished third in the competitive Freeway league. That’s a coin toss. Then there’s Bonita, who will likely get Chino Hills. Tartans coach Reese Mitchell said Chino Hills is the best hitting team in the Sierra, which probably means one-and-done for the Cats.
Prediction: Bonita will not get out of the first round and because of its late season scoring problems, Glendora will probably lose in the second round. If Los Altos gets past round one, I like their chances of reaches the quaterfinals, but that’s as far as they can go.

Division IV locals: Bishop Amat
Top Seeds seeds: 1. Ocean View, 2. El Segundo, 3. Santa Monica, 4. St. Joseph.
What should happen: You would expect the Lancers to make another deep run after reaching the championship last year, but this isn’t the same team and the road appears much tougher.
Prediction: The Lancers lose in game one against Morro Bay, the second place team from the Los Padres league with a 20-4 overall record. They’re probably the best team from the Los Padres, but they finished a game back of St. Joseph.

Division V locals: San Dimas, Azusa, South Hills, Northview, Sierra Vista, West Covina, Gladstone (WC), Rowland (WC), Covina (WC), La Puente (WC).
Division V seeds: 1. Calvary Murrieta, 2. Riverside Christian, 3. Montebello, 4. Village Christian.
What should happen:This is the division where you will likely play “something” Christian. The only team with a realistic chance of doing anything is San Dimas, though it has a tough road having to likely play top-seed Calvary Murrieta in the quarters. The only wild-card team with a chance of moving on is Rowland, which could give Sierra Vista all it can handle in a first-round game, though I will go with the Dons.
\Predictions: San Dimas gets to the quarterfinals and gets knocked out. West Covina will get to the second round and the more I look at the draw, I like Sierra Vista’s chance of reaching the quarters should they get past Rowland. Other than than, everyone else will be one-and-done.

Division VI locals: South El Monte, Arroyo
Division VI seeds: 1. La Salle, 2. Maranatha, 3. Marymount, 4. South El Monte
Thursday’s first round: Arroyo at Baptist Christian; Sacred Heart of Jesus at South El Monte
What should happen: Anything, it’s a wide-open division with no bonafide threats. This isn’t a great year even by La SAlle and Maranatha’s standards, and they’re the top seeds.
Prediction: South El Monte will win the championship. With the exception of Lone Pine (16-6), I don’t see anything stopping the Eagles from marching to the semifinals and probably playing La Salle, who they will beat. Reina Garber is a senior and ready for this, and this team has played tougher competition in local tournaments.

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Bill Schroeder was a little man who accomplished big things.
Among those accomplishments was the “inventing” of All-CIF teams. Before Schroeder, individual honors in high school athletics were viewed as gauche. Now, they are an accepted part of the sports landscape.
Schroeder inaugurated All-CIF teams in 1937. Working at the Helms Hall of Fame, he saw two things: 1) High school sports were becoming increasingly popular; 2) Southern California’s prep athletes were among the nation’s best.

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Click here for a look at the CIF-SS playoffs draw

Bishop Amat celebrates second of back-to-back Division V titles. The Lancers are looking to 3-peat and are expected to be the top seed in Division IV.

Division II seeds: 1. El Toro, 2. Yucaipa, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Palos Verdes.
Tuesday’s wild-card: West Torrance at Glendora, A.B. Miller at Glendora, Chino Hills at Burroughs Burbank.
Thursday’s first-round: West Torrance/Glendora winner vs. Pasadena-Redlands East Valley winner; Damien/AB Miller winner at Palos Verdes; Chino HIlls/Burroughs winner at La Mirada, Huntington Beach/Glenn winner at Chino.

Division III seeds: 1. Beckman, 2. Bonita, 3. San Gorgonio, 4. Lancaster
Tuesday’s wild card: Walnut at El Rancho, Wilson at Laguna Hills, Los Altos at Elsinore
Friday’s first round: Cajon at Charter Oak, Quartz Hill at South Hills, Pacific/Eastside winner at Bonita; Palmdale/Montebello winner at Nogales; Walnut/El Rancho winner at Downey; Wilson/Laguna Hills winner at Lancaster; Los Altos-Elsinore winner at Orange.

Division IV seeds: 1. Bishop Amat, 2. Northview, 3. Torrance, 4. San Dimas.
Tuesday’s wild-card: Carpinteria at Baldwin Park
Thursday’s first round: Santa Ana Calvary Chapel/North Torrance winner at Bishop Amat; Laguna Beach at San Dimas, Granite Hills/Indio winner at Northview

Division V seeds: 1. San Jacinto, 2. Santa Ynez, 3. Maranatha, 4. Woodcrest Christian
Tuesday’s wild-card: Cathedral at Arroyo; Citrus Hill at Azusa, Gladstone at Bosco Tech.
Friday’s first-round: Arrowhead Christian at Sierra Vista; South El Monte at Downey Calvary Chapel, Mary Star at La Puente; Arroyo/Cathedral winner at San Jacinto; Azusa/Citrus Hills winner at Maranatha; Gladstone/Bosco Tech winner at Santa Ynez.

Click here for a look at the CIF-SS playoffs draw

West Covina celebrates Friday’s San Antonio League clinching victory over South Hills

Division III seeds: 1. Cajon, 2. Oaks Christian, 3. Crescenta Valley, 4. Ayala
Tuesday’s wild card: Arcadia at Charter Oak
Thursday’s first round: Sonora/Paramount winner at Los Altos, Chino Hills/Mission Viejo winner at Bonita; Downey/Dana Hills winner at Glendora; Arcadia/Charter Oak winner at Knight.

Division IV seeds: 1. Ocean View, 2. El Segundo, 3. Santa Monica, 4. St. Joseph.
Thursday’s first round: Bishop Amat at Morro Bay

Division V seeds: 1. Calvary Murrieta, 2. Riverside Christian, 3. Montebello, 4. Village Christian.
Tuesday’s wild card: Gladstone at Schurr; Notre Dame at Rowland, Covina at Magnolia, Valley Christian at La Puente
Thursday’s first round: Gladstone/Schurr winner at San Dimas; Azusa at Victor Valley; Keppel at South Hills; Northview at Savanna; Rowland/Notre Dame winner at Sierrra Vista; Valley Christian/La Puente winner at West Covina; Covina-Magnolia winner at Calvary Chapel.

Division IV seeds: 1. La Salle, 2. Maranatha, 3. Marymount, 4. South El Monte
Thursday’s first round: Arroyo at Baptist Christian; Sacred Heart of Jesus at South El Monte

Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section prelims results
Division I, Division II, Division III, Division IV
The CIF-SS Finals are Saturday at Cerritos College

We’ve got a superstar in the neighborhood, Glendora’s Gretchen Jaques followed her two titles as a freshman with two more titles and her name in the record books after breaking a 30-year-old mark. Even if you’re not a swim fan, she catches your attention. And so does Walnut’s Andrea Grant, an emerging super soph too. She won the 200 free, and finished second to Jaques in the 100 free. Nothing like the beginning of a great rivalry, and in the muscle events, even better.
For all of the CIF-Swimming Results, including the heat sheets for Tuesday’s Master Meet in Long Beach, click here. Jaques has the top Masters qualifying marks in 50 and 100 free. Grant is seeded fourth in the 200.

My only complaint is what does Nogales have to do to get ranked in Division III? If South Hills is No. 5 and Nogales beat them 2 of 3 and has a better overall record, shouldn’t the Nobles at least be ranked? Whatever happens, this has been an incredible coaching job by John Romano (above).

Area’s league champions
Del Rey: Bishop Amat; Miramonte: Bonita; Mission Valley: Gabrielino; Montview: Sierra Vista; San Antonio: Nogales (South Hills could tie today with win over WC); Sierra: Chino; Valle Vista: Northview

CIF-Rankings heading into Monday’s pairings
Division II: 1. El Toro, 2. Yucaipa, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Palos Verdes, 5. Upland, 6. Pacifica, 7. San Luis Obispo, 8. Arcadia, 9. Foothill, 10. Cypress. (No Glendora, Damien or Chino).

Division III: 1. Beckman, 2. Downey, 3. Bonita, 4. Hemet, 5. South Hills, 6. Alhambra, 7. San Gorgonio, 8. La Serna, 9. Lancaster, 10. Paramount.

Division IV: 1. Bishop Amat, 2. Northview, 3. San Dimas, 4. Torrance, 5. Palm Desert, 6. Fulleton, 7. Colony, 8. Anaheim, 9. La Quinta, 10. Patriot.

Division V: 1. San Jacinto, 2. Downey Calvary Chapel, 3. Santa Ynez, 4. Maranatha, 5. Gladstone, 6. Woodcrest Christian, 7. Linfield Christian, 8. Citrus Hill, 9. Campbell Hall, 10. Western Christian.

The Queens of Cameron will be crowned today. After South Hills’ 4-1 victory on Wednesday, South Hills (15-8-1, 7-4) and West Covina (14-9, 7-4) are locked in a tie heading into today’s final game at West Covina at 3:15 p.m. West Covina should have wrapped this up already, but two of its four league losses have come against the Huskies, and a sweep would provide the final knockout blow. I don’t know if it’s a case of South Hills having their number, but I’m guessing the Bulldogs won’t get swept without a fight.

Click for instant swimming results from the CIF-SS Division preliminaries and finals

San Dimas’s Henry Shieh competes in the 100 yard butterfly during the CIF Division IV swim finals at Mt. SAC on Thursday.

Thursday: Division IV finals, San Dimas’ top individual finish was a sixth by Scott Jones in the 100 breast in 1:01.86. “I did the best that I could,” he said. “All that training paid off.” He later helped the Saints to a fourth- place finish in the 400 relay. The team, which included freshman Michael Wells, Cody Moore and Henry Shieh, swam a 3:27.00. The Saints were followed by Maranatha and Gabrielino.

Story: Mt. SAC fills in as host for CIF

Feature Story: Rowland’s Garcia coming up big in the pool

Breaking News: Due to pump problems at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, CIF has moved all swimming preliminaries and finals to Mt. San Antonio College College through Saturday. The Div. IV finals begin tomorrow at 6 p.m., and includes the great swimmers from San Dimas and a super freshman from Sierra Vista named Danny Lam.

SCHEDULE UPDATE AT MT. SAC:
Division II Prelims – FRIDAY, MAY 15 competition starting at 10 a.m.
Division I Finals – Friday, May 15, competition starting at 6 p.m.
Division III Finals – Saturday, May 16, competition starting at 10 a.m.
Division II Finals – Saturday, May 16, competition starting at 4 p.m.

Above: After winning two individual titles as a freshman, Gretchen Jaques, is hoping to add two more titles and set meet records in today’s championships.

FRIDAY’S RECAP FROM DIV. II PRELIMS
Glendora High School’s Gretchen Jaques and Walnut’s Andrea Grant are close friends and focused competitors about to embark on a journey that could spark an exciting rivalry over the next two years. Both sophomores, Jaques stormed onto the scene by winning the CIF-Southern Section Division II 50 and 100-yard freestyle titles as a freshman, with Grant finishing fourth her freshman year in the 200-freestyle. At Friday’s Division II prelims at Mt. San Antonio College, Grant won her heat in the 100 freestyle in 51.01, then turned and watch Jaques swim a 50.44 to qualify first overall, with Grant second. They will square off in the 100 freestyle finals when the CIF-SS Division II swimming championships resume Saturday at Mt. SAC beginning at 4 p.m.
Jaques said the Div. II 100-free meet record of 49.77 set in 1979 by Wilson High School’s Jill Sterkel is within reach.

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“The point I stress to parents and student-athletes is the need to be proactively open-minded throughout the discovery process of finding the right school. My message is very simple – It’s A Game, Know The Rules!” — Jack Renkens, founder and president

No, this isn’t a where-is-Roddy Layton-going-now thread, rather Layton called yesterday to inform you about an excellent opportunity for all parents and high school athletes in the San Gabriel Valley curious about the recruiting process. This is open to all sports, not just football and it is free, how great is that? On Tuesday, May 19, Jack Renkens from Recruiting Realities will be at Diamond Ranch at 7 p.m., for anyone interested in listening. Renkens is a motivational speaker who tours the country informing parents, players and coaches about the realities of the recruiting process and college sports.

Layton’s message: “As a player who has gone through the recruiting process, a parent, and as a coach, I highly recommend coming. In the last few seasons I have had an opportunity to listen to speakers at Rivals, The Army All-American Bowl and the National Youth Football Association. Jack Renkens is really good at getting the valuable information out in an entertaining and realistic way. The presentation begins at 7:00 so we suggest showing up early for a seat.”

Anything and anyone you want to talk about.

I know I talked about spring football news this week, but I simply don’t have the time to run down coaches with baseball and softball league races and swimming and track hitting the heart of their season. This is busy time. So for now, why don’t you tell us what you see, what you’re hearing. I found it interesting that one of our correspondents, John Honell, said a Glendora coach told him they will have the best quarterback in the Valley next year, maybe one of the best they ever had when all is said and done.

RESULT: Glendora 3, Ayala 2; Chino 13, Damien 5

Sierra League Baseball title: Will Damien (18-7, 8-6) do Glendora (17-7, 9-5) a favor and beat Chino (18-7, 10-4) today. The Spartans are already locked in third place. Even if they win and Glendora lose’s at Ayala, Glendora can do no worse than second because it defeated the Spartans in the season series. If Damien wins and Glendora wins, the Tartans tie for the league title with Chino, but also win the tiebreaker to finish first for the playoffs. The Spartans will pull it off. Those up-and-down fans hating on Damien need to remember one thing. Remember what happened in basketball? If the Spartans win it could be just the momentum they need to knock off a league champion in the first round of the playoffs.

Above: Ayala’s Jessica Hall throws back-to-back shutouts. Because she’s going to UCLA, I’ll give her props.

Result: Ayala 5, Glendora 0
Sierra League softball title: Glendora (18-3, 8-1) is at Ayala (20-9, 7-2) after getting hammered 8-0 earlier in the week at home against the Bulldogs. That will not, I repeat, not happen again. I’m sure the Bulldogs are feeling good about themselves, but all they have done is give the Tartans the motivation they need to win the title today. But we should point out, regardless of what happens, the Tartans already have clinched at least a share of it. I bet Glendora takes it, 2-0

Result: Gabrielino 5, South El Monte 1
Mission Valley League baseball title: What’s better than a win-or-go-home championship game at the end of the season. South El Monte (11-6, 10-4) is at Gabrielino (13-11, 10-4) for all the marbles. South won the first meeting 9-4, then Gabrielino came back and won the second game 9-4 too. Anything can happen, there is no dominant pitcher, which makes this wild race to the finish even better. I bet the South takes it, 8-6.

For a year I have had to stare at his smile and the same ugly “Beat LA” green shirt worn constantly by night sports editor Jason Cunningham, who is from Boston and couldn’t look any more like a Celtics fan. But do we really want the Celtics to lose tonight against the panic-stricken Magic? I’m so worried about Cleveland that I’m actually hoping the Celtics finish off Orlando and somehow, someway, pull off another miracle and beat Cleveland. I don’t know about you, but I want the rematch with Boston. But if the Lakers lose again tonight in Houston, we do have a problem.

I can’t wait for the parade

After building one of the better girls varsity volleyball programs in the Valley, Los Altos girls varsity coach Anthony De La Vara said he was fired by principal Cheli McReynolds. De La Vara said the reasons given were vague, “She said some parents weren’t happy with me and some kids were afraid of me, but she wouldn’t put anything in writing detailing why she made her decision.” The Tribune received a letter from the president of the Los Altos volleyball booster club in support of De La Vera, who said he has continuously fought for equal gym time with the school administration, and several other Title IX issues, which he thinks played a role in his removal. A coach in the Valley for nearly 30 years, De La Vara graduated at Los Altos and has also coached at West Covina, South Hills, Covina and was an assistant many years for the Los Altos boys program. “I love that school and what I was building there,” De La Vara said. “I don’t want to say anything bad, they have great kids and I wish them nothing but the best.”

I copied this from Miguel Melendez’s Star-News blog….

Bshop Amat coach Andy Nieto and the rest of his team showed its support for La Salle baseball coach Harry Agajanian who was suspended Monday for what’s left of the the regular-season in what La Salle officials are calling a violation of school policy. Without going into all the details, school officials can confirm that Agajanian’s suspension stems from a players refusal not to play in a game against Cantwell Sacred Heart. Agajanian sent that player to the bus after his refusal to play, and words were later exchanged. School officials met, and felt a suspension was warranted. The Lancers played Bishop Amat yesterday and the coaches taped Agajanian’s number on their hats. It was a gesture that surely meant a lot for Agajanian. How classy of your opponent to show support. It shows how well-liked Agajanian is among his colleagues. Agajanian had a meeting today with the principal to discuss his future with the baseball program. We’ll have more as it becomes available.

Story: Mt. SAC fills in as host for CIF
Feature Story: Rowland’s Garcia coming up big in the pool

Breaking News: Due to pump problems at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, CIF has moved all swimming preliminaries and finals to Mt. San Antonio College College through Saturday. The Div. IV finals begin tomorrow at 6 p.m., and includes the great swimmers from San Dimas and a super freshman from Sierra Vista named Danny Lam.

Click this link for instant swimming results from the CIF-SS Divisional preliminaries and finals.

SCHEDULE UPDATE:
Division II Prelims – Friday, May 15, competition starting at 10 a.m.
Division I Finals – Friday, May 15, competition starting at 6 p.m.
Division III Finals – Saturday, May 16, competition starting at 10 a.m.
Division II Finals – Saturday, May 16, competition starting at 4 p.m.

We received a memo from Media News Group Executives outlining future plans that will likely end free access to our newspaper websites. You may have to pay a subscription fee or register to gain access. How this affects the blog, I do not know. However, here is an important part of the memo that reads, “ We will begin to move away from putting all of our newspaper content online for free. Instead, we will explore a variety of premium offerings that apply real value to our print content. We are not trying to invent new premium products, but instead tell our existing print readers that what they are buying has real value, and to our online audience (who don’t buy the print edition), that if you want access to all online content, you are going to have to register, and/or pay. If a non-subscriber wants the newspaper content in its entirety online, they will be directed to some sort of registration or pay vehicle (and if they are a print subscriber, they will have full access at no charge). To be clear, the brand value proposition to the consumer is that the newspaper is a product, whether in print or online, which must be paid for. In other words, you can help yourself and help us all out by going back to the old days of home delivery, it’s cheap, and will give you access to everything else for free. You can read the memo by clicking the link above to learn more. There is no set date when this will all begin, but I’m curious, how do you feel about these changes?

Wednesday’s games
South Hills 4, West Covina 1
Rowland 4, Walnut 2
Friday’s games
South Hills at West Covina, 3:15 p.m.
Walnut at Rowland, 3:15 p.m.

Here’s the up to date standings heading into Friday’s games.
West Covina 7-4 (14-9) – Home on Friday for outright league title.
South Hills 7-4 (15-8-1) – At West Covina on Friday for outright league title.
Walnut 6-5 (12-11) – At Rowland on Friday to clinch playoff berth or stay home.
Rowland 6-5 (11-13) – Home against Walnut to clinch playoff berth or stay home.

As first reported by Joe Amat (who says we never give him credit), Hall of famer Joe Montana is joining the Oaks Christian football coaching staff. The staff already includes 19-year NFL veteran Clay Matthews, Bob Richards and Bob Bates, two former California coaches of the year, and former University of Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen, the older brother of Jimmy. “Our coaching staff is second to none,” Oaks Christian coach Bill Redell said. “It is a very experienced staff and the average age of our staff is 65. Nobody cares who gets the credit because by the time the game ends, none of us can remember who should get the credit.” Montana, who, according to Redell, will be in the press box. The move has brought about a change in the head coach’s philosophy. “We have a policy where we don’t want fathers coaching their kids,” Redell said. “But we made an exception. So the new rule is, if you’ve been a three-time Super Bowl MVP, you can come out and coach your kid.”
Note: BTW, Oaks Christian plays Muir in week 3

South El Monte quarterback Jose Garay, who earned Tribune first-team honors as a junior, has decided to attend the University of La Verne and continue his stellar football career. This is a great fit for a tremendous athlete who will do wonders for their program. Garay holds all but one school passing record at South, including most passing yards in a season, 2,712; most passing yards in a game, 491; most TDs in a season, 31, most TD’s in a game, 6, and career passing yards, 7,215 and career TD passes, 77.