I got a text late last night from a usually reliable source that Diamond Ranch coach Roddy Layton has left and become the new coach at Corona Santiago. I also read a couple messages on the blog this morning asking about these rumors. I will be gone for most of the day, but I thought I would put it out there. If this happened, it came as a complete surprise. I will follow up later, but I’m sure Diamond Ranch folks can shed some light. Again, I have not talked to Roddy, so until I confirm it, this is just speculation. Update 3:56 p.m. The usually reliable source said that he’s hearing that Jeff Steinberg of A.B. Miller will become the next coach at Santiago. So who knows? Don’t expect many more updates, the big fight is tonight, and Hatton’s going to beat him like the 50-1 shot in the Derby.

FINAL UPDATE 5 P.M. I just received a text from coach Layton saying the Santiago rumor is not true and that he never applied. “I believe in what we are doing at the Ranch and the DR Family,” Layton wrote. Thanks for clearing that up coach, and glad you’re staying.

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The most unlikely hero, junior outfielder Anthony Ramos, hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning that stretched a 3-2 lead into a 5-2 cushion that gave the Bearcats the breathing room they needed to close the door on Charter Oak. With the scored tied 2-2 in the fourth, Bonita’s Jiovanni Mier was on third with two outs when Evan Highly appeared to hit a routine ground out to third to end the inning. With the Chargers running back to the dugout, it was appealed, and the home plate umpire ruled that Chargers first baseman Kenny Kissell came off the bag on a throw in the dirt, allowing Mier to score for a 3-2 lead. Two pitches later, Ramos hit the big homer, a devastating blow to the Chargers. Bonita pitcher Nico Calderaro was great. After giving up a two-run homer to Chris Allen, he led 5-4 when he got Allen to strikeout with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, then got a ground out to end the game with the tying runner on second in the seventh. Bonita is now 15-5 and 7-3 to take a half game lead over Charter Oak, 14-7, 6-3. More importantly, Bonita holds the 2-1 series advantage should they finish in a tie.

A heart-warming email from Jayme Macias, Secretary of the Covina Hills Girls Fastpitch.
I received an email from my sister in La Mirada. The La Mirada Little League President’s granddaughter, Hannah, has been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma stage IIA Breast Cancer. She plays on a 10U Girls Softball team. They are in need of donations. I am going to ask my team for donations. If we can get a few teams to donate, we can send one donation in the name of Covina Hills Girls Softball. It is wonderful when we can come together and help out others! As a league we will have a donation jar at the Snack bar for All Star try-outs on Saturday and at the Championship games on Sunday for Hannah at Covina Park (4th Ave At W Badillo St.). Please let your parents know what we are doing and why. Remember to hug them and love them, because we are so fortunate at this time. Our league believes it is for the girls, in this case any softball child is one of ours.
Thanks again,
Jayme

By Airan Scruby, Staff Writer
LA MIRADA – Hannah is 10 years old, but she is fighting a grown-up battle.
Hannah Powell-Auslam, a fifth-grader at Escalona Elementary School, is being treated for breast cancer. “It’s very surreal,” said Jeremy Auslam, Hannah’s father. “We can’t be the only ones.” Incidents of breast cancer among pre-pubescent children are extremely rare. To continue reading, click thread

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Fred J. Robledo
Charter Oak, Glendora, Rowland and South Hills high schools filed appeals with the CIF-Southern Section after 42 high school principals from the Mt. SAC area voted on new league alignments that would take effect in the fall of 2010. The appeals will be heard on Wednesday, with the CIF-SS issuing a release asking that: the appeal should address any or all of the three criteria — geography, enrollment or competitive equity, with the appealing school showing how any or all of the criteria were not addressed in their placement. To continue reading, click thread

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By Brian Day
COVINA - Police arrested two teens Wednesday who were allegedly planning to indiscriminately open fire on fellow Covina High School students at an upcoming school assembly. The 15- and 16-year-old suspects, both West Covina residents, admitted their plans to police after they were arrested shortly before 2 p.m., West Covina Police Chief Frank Wills said.

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