September 2009 Archives

We have learned that the California state appeal for South Hills senior Jordan Canada and his sophomore brother Jamie will be heard on Friday afternoon. Both players were declared ineligible by CIF-SS officials after their change of residence transfer from Duarte to South Hills was denied by CIF-SS officials, who ruled it was an "athletically motivated," transfer.

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 and teams in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas.

The Guru Says: Well, the first half of the high school football season is just completed and if there is one phrase to summarize the season - it's this: A complete dud! After watching CO's implosion in the second half of their game Friday night against Rancho Cucamonga (and I don't want to hear the excuses...everyone was healthy, primed and ready for the showdown), this is the first thought that came to my mind.

The second annual pizza-eating fundraiser between San Dimas and Bonita high school football players is on Friday at Michealangelo's Pizza in San Dimas at 3:30 p.m.

A week later the football teams collide in the 38th annual Smudge Pot game between the rival schools, which is one of the most-attended games in the Valley.

Friday's pizza-eating fundraiser is for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides full scholarship grants and family counseling to surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions and immediate financial assistance to wounded special operations personnel and their families.

Last year players from both teams raised $4,904.68, and donations at the game raised an additional $1,854.35.

This year $1 from each ticket purchased for the Smudgepot game on Oct. 9 will go to the charity.

"It's a great rivalry, the kids always look forward to it," Podley said. "In the spirit of the rivalry, it's great to see the kids come together and raise money for such a worthwhile cause."

Above: The West Covina coaching staff deals with injuries and losses to start 0-3, but the Bulldogs are on their way back.

By Fred J. Robledo
Victories, not schedule strength, appear to be the most important criteria each week when the CIF-Southern Section polls are released. After defending Southeast Division champion Charter Oak's 35-25 loss to defending Central Division champion Rancho Cucamonga ended the Chargers' 17-game unbeaten streak while extending the Cougars' unbeaten streak to 18, the Chargers (3-1) were dropped to No. 4 in the Southeast polls.

Today's notebookWalnut High's Samantha Sheller now on the radar for Mustangs

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
ROWLAND HEIGHTS - It wasn't the Ganesha High School girls volleyball team's easiest match of the season, but meetings against Rowland rarely are cakewalks for the Giants. The host Raiders again proved to be quite a pest for Ganesha before succumbing 25-17, 22-25, 25-13, 25-16 in a nonleague match on Tuesday.

Correspondent John Honell is a longtime contributor to the Tribune, and well-known throughout the San Gabriel Valley. He knows the area's history, coaches, and always seems to have insider information. He will share some of it with his "Touching Base" pieces that will run from time to time.

Two Bagger:
West Covina football coach, Mike Maggiore, proved he has patience and a long memory. (or vice versa) Last Friday, West Covina knocked off Glendora 22-21 on a two point conversion. Ten years ago, when the Bulldogs were still in the Sierra League, they lost a homecoming game to Damien, 22-21. The Bulldogs were leading 21-7 when the Spartans scored then pulled off a surprise two point conversion. There are "cheat sheets" for coaches telling them when to go for a two point conversion or to kick the ball. Trailing 21-13, all those sheets say a kick for the extra point. The Bulldogs had the wrong defense on thefield and the surprise was total. The coach of that Damien team was
Mark Pasquarella, the current coach at Glendora.

Bishop Amat athletic director Michael Manzo confirmed today that Wallace Gonzalez is now at Bishop Amat High School. Gonzalez, a 6-foot-5 wide receiver and baseball standout, was removed from the Glendora High School football team after its first game against Upland, then left the school a week later. Glendora football officials have maintained that Gonzalez's departure from the team was mutual. Manzo indicated that transfer paperwork will likely be filed to the CIF-Southern Section shortly, and it will be up to CIF-SS officials in regards to whether Gonzalez will become eligible immediately or have to sit out a full calendar year of varsity sports.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TOP 10

1. Glendora (4-0)
The Tartans have looked impressive early on, and that includes a four-game win over previously No. 2 Walnut. Senior Valerie Brain came up huge against the Mustangs with 28 kills and nine blocks. Glendora closes out the nonleague season against Hart on Wednesday before opening up Sierra League play against Diamond Bar.
2. Bonita (5-3)
The Bearcats feature a solid triple threat in hitters Allie LaPierre and Katie Kirby and setter Ashley Maxfeldt. They survived a scare against San Dimas early before sweeping the rival Saints. But they followed it up by being swept at Troy, which is ranked No. 3 in Division 2-A.
3. South Hills (4-1)
The Huskies have looked good with the sister tandem of Melinda and Marissa Gomez, who are both capable of double-digit attack numbers. They will be tested when they travel to St. Lucy's on Thursday.
4. Walnut (3-2)
The Mustangs drop a bit after losing in four to Glendora, but this is still a solid team. Hitter Samantha Sheller has lived up to expectations early on.
5. Los Altos (9-2)
The Conquerors appear to be back. They swept St. Lucy's two weeks ago, battled Walnut before losing five games last week, then followed up by taking the Mayfair Tournament.
6. St. Lucy's (8-3)
The Regents appear to have settled into the season following up the loss at Los Altos with wins over Rosary and Alta Loma. We will find out more when they face South Hills this week.
7. San Dimas (5-2)
The Saints looked very solid in jumping out to a lead against Bonita. And although they dropped in three games, this is still a solid team. They get a test Wednesday against Walnut.
8. Diamond Bar (6-6)
The Brahmas, also a youthful, group are holding their own, but will need to step up once Sierra League play starts.
9. Ganesha (11-3).
The Giants have looked like their mascot early on, but should get a test from San Dimas in the Valle Vista League. They face Rowland today.
10. Gladstone (12-5)
The Gladiators are the team to beat in the Montview League and are off to a solid start. They had a solid weekend up north at the Carpinteria.

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

Tribune Roundup, Week 3: Saturday, September 26

Ramsey: Cross country is a tough sport - no breaks, no time outs to consult with the coaches, with steep and unpredictable surfaces. And in this part of the season - we also get heat. Saturday was blazing hot, but the SGV's runners overcame the heat to turn in some amazing performances, most notably Jessica Mendez's 19:32 for 5k at the Stanford Invite, ran when it was 104 degrees! She was joined by Duarte's Fabian Velasco as the SGV's top performer for Week 3, while the Los Altos boys turned in the top team performance with their Div 2 win at the Bell-Jeff Invitational at L.A's Griffith Park.

Trib Area Top Performers - Week 2
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
19:32 Jessica Mendez, SR-West Covina - Stanford 5k gently rolling
18:19 Lexie Jackson, FR-Bonita - Dana Hills, 3 miles net downhill
19:37 Reina Sotelo, Los Altos - Bell-Jeff, 3 miles hilly
19:34 Vanessa Lopez, Rowland - Sunny Hills, 3 miles rolling hills
19:36 Kristen Galvez, Rowland - Sunny Hills
18:33 Marissa Scott, FR-Bonita - Dana Hills
19:43 Carly Lake, SO-Charter Oak - Sunny Hills
19:35 Shavonn Johnson, SO-Bonita - Dana Hills
19:42 Heather Jackson, JR-Bonita - Dana Hills
20:41 Kristen Allen, SO-West Covina - Stanford

Boys
15:35 Fabian Velasco, Duarte - Bell-Jeff, 3 miles hilly
15:55 Avedis Gertmenian, SR-Duarte - Bell-Jeff
16:19 Miguel Gonzalez, Los Altos - Bell-Jeff
16:25 Judd Mateo, Los Altos - Bell-Jeff
15:48 Alexander Harvey - Diamond Bar - Dana Hills, 3 miles net downhill
16:51 Israel Orosco - SR, Azusa - Stanford 5k gently rolling
16:35 Jair Juarez, Los Altos - Bell-Jeff
16:38 Josh Sanchez, Los Altos - Bell-Jeff
16:44 Norris Sabio, Bassett - Bell-Jeff
15:58 Eric Espinosa, SR-Bonita - Dana Hills

Tribune Top Ten
1. Bishop Amat (3-0) - With St. Bonaventure next, the stay at the top could be brief. But lets be honest, this is where the Lancers belong. Are they really better than Charter Oak? That's still up for debate.
2. Charter Oak (3-1) - It's a good thing Friday's loss to Rancho Cucamonga wasn't for a championship, because the Chargers would have been sick to their stomach for giving up the momentum-swinging plays. The true measure is how they bounce back at home against Damien.
3. Rowland (3-0) - The Raiders are a lock at No. 3 at least the next two weeks with Covina and El Monte to follow before the league opener against Walnut.
4. Walnut (3-0) - Some aren't convinced the Mustangs are this good after squeaking past Covina, 31-27. But a bigger test looms on Friday against 2-1 Arroyo, hungry after a Claremont defeat.
5. West Covina (1-3) - Okay, so you think I'm crazy for leaping the Bulldogs from No. 14 to this spot. That's what happens when you lose to teams like Bishop Amat, Venice, then beat a Glendora. The schedule matters.
6. Glendora (1-2) - The Tartans are not as powerful as we thought they were when the season started, but there is still a long way to go. If they get their offense rolling, they should be fine.
7. San Dimas (3-1) - The Saints took one on the chin against Monrovia, and believe me, if they see the Cats again in the playoffs, they will be better for it.
8. South Hills (1-2) - I'm reluctant to drop teams too far when the losses are against La Habra, a defending champion, and Tesoro, a Pac-5 finalist. Injuries are still a problem, but the schedule isn't for the next two weeks against Northview and Rosemead.
9. Arroyo (2-1) -- How do the Knights jump into the top ten after a loss? Because they should have been here in the first place, and can prove they deserve it with a win over Walnut.
10. Baldwin Park (3-1) -- A tough 9-3 loss to Bonita, but they were in it all the way. So how come the Bearcats aren't ranked ahead of these guys, because they have three losses and the win over BP wasn't convincing enough to warrant it.

The Middle 10
11. Bonita (1-2), 12. Damien (1-3), 13. Workman (3-1), 14. Diamond Ranch (1-3), 15. La Puente (3-1), 16. Azusa (3-1), 17. Wilson (2-1), 18. Gladstone (3-1), 19. Bassett (3-1), 20. Los Altos (1-2).
On the bottom looking up
21. Sierra Vista (2-1), 22. Covina (1-2), 23. Rosemead (1-2), 24. Nogales (2-2), 25. Diamond Bar (0-3), 26. Northview (0-3), 27. El Monte (0-3), 28. South El Monte (0-4), 29. Mountain View (0-4), 30. Ganesha (0-4), 31. Duarte (0-4)

Southeast Division
1. Rowland, 2. Walnut, 3. Bell Gardens, 4. Charter Oak, 5. Crescenta Valley, 6. South Hills, 7. El Rancho, 8. Burbank, 9. Santa Fe, 10. Diamond Ranch, Others: Wilson, Whittier, Schurr, Alhambra.
Mid-Valley Division
1. Monrovia, 2. San Marino, 3. Pomona, 4. San Dimas, 5, Azusa, 6. Paraclete, 7. Arroyo, 8. Baldwin Park, 9. Bassett, 10. Rosemead, Others: Workman, Gladstone, La Puente, Village Christian, Sierra Vista, Temple City.
Central Division
1. Rancho Cucamonga, 2. Upland, 3. Elsinore, 4. Colton, 5. Colony, 6. Chino Hills, 7. Cajon, 8. Etiwanda, 9. Ayala, 10. Arroyo Valley, Others: Claremont, Glendora.
Pac-5 Division
1. Edison, 2. Mission Viejo, 3. Servite, 4. Notre Dame, 5. Lakewood, 6. Los Alamitos, 7. Fountain Valley, 8. Crespi, 9. Orange Lutheran, 10. Newport Harbor, others: Bishoop Amat, JSerra, Mater Dei, Millikan, San Clemente, Long Beach Poly.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

The San Gabriel Valley Football Officials Association will gather tonight in a special meeting in the aftermath of last week's game between Temple City and Arcadia high schools which ended in a 28-28 tie because game officials refused to stay for an overtime period. Temple City coach Anthony White and Arcadia's Jon Dimalante met at midfield after regulation was over and agreed to play overtime. The players wanted it and so did the crowd, which had been treated to an exciting game.

"They just told me it wasn't a league game and we weren't going to do overtime. My thought was it doesn't matter if it's a league game or not. It would be good for our teams to do overtime and good for (the) crew to practice overtime. They just decided that they weren't. Everyone wanted to see an overtime. I don't know why they didn't." -- Arcadia coach Jon Dimalante

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Imagine if Duarte High School still had Jordan and Jamie Canada, Wardell Crutchfield Jr., Demetrius Jackson, Jerome Cox, and the several other standouts that left the school or quit the team in the months after school officials removed Wardell Crutchfield as head coach. The Falcons would likely have been league favorites instead of where they sit now, which is 0-4 and still without any points, having been outscored, 205-0. It's hard to blame first-year coach Lavelle "Tip" Sanders, who inherited a team with only 18 players. But Sanders refuses to give up hope with the Montview League season beginning this week.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
Volleyball is near the top of Bonita High School senior Allie LaPierre's priority list.
But it's not the only thing that she finds important. LaPierre knows all about maintaining the proper balance between athletics and academics. But she also pays attention to the issues of the day. And now LaPierre has found a way to combine her love for volleyball with an issue that is important to her.

By Clay Fowler, Staff Writer
There were copious game-changing plays during Rancho Cucamonga's 35-25 victory over Covina Charter Oak on Friday in a battle of defending CIF champions, but here are five of the most important:

Below: St. Bonny's Devon Blackledge rushed for 1,189 and 17 touchdowns as a junior. The Lancers must do something about him on Friday. He already rushed for 300 yards in a win over Long Beach Poly, and is being wooed by the University of Colorado.

Check out this St. Bonaventure mix from 2007.

Steve and I will go head-to-head throughout the season. Here is our updated records on the Tribskin Pick'em thread.

Robledo: Last week/Total: 13-8/61-21
Ramirez: Last week/Total: 11-10/53-29

Last Week: In three years of doing this, we both have never had a worse week. Steve barely stayed about .500 and I had eight losses. I completely missed on the big three, taking Charter Oak, Monrovia and Damien, who all lost. Other mild surprises included West Covina beating Glendora, and Bonita knocking off unbeaten Baldwin Park. Workman also suffered its first loss.

This week: Calpreps projects St. Bonny as a 24-point favorite over Bishop Amat, which I don't think will be that lopsided, but the Lancers will suffer their first defeat. Damien and Charter Oak is interesting because both teams are coming off losses and are hungry. Whether you call me a homer or not, Charter Oak did more to lose that game against Rancho than Rancho did to win it, so I'm taking the Chargers again this week. Walnut hosting Arroyo is an intriguing game. After the Mustangs narrowly beat Covina, I like the Knights to bounce back from their loss to Claremont and get a win. The Montview gets going this week, look for Azusa, Gladstone and La Puente to all start 1-0.

Thursday, Oct. 1
Covina vs. Rowland at Covina District, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rowland); Ramirez (Rowland)
Diamond Bar vs. Troy at Fullerton, 7:00 p.m. -- Robledo (Troy); Ramirez (Troy)

Friday, Oct. 2
St. Bonaventure at Bishop Amat, 7:30 p.m. -- Robledo (St. Bonaventure); Ramirez (St. Bonaventure)
Damien at Charter Oak, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Charter Oak); Ramirez (Charter Oak)
Azusa vs. Bassett at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa); Ramirez (Bassett)
Duarte at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (La Puente); Ramirez (Duarte)
Gladstone at Sierra Vista, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Gladstone); Ramirez (Sierra Vista)
Glendora vs. Diamond Ranch at Bonita, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Glendora); Ramirez (Glendora)Baldwin Park at El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (BPark): Ramirez (Baldwin Park)
Nogales at Montebello, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Montebello); Ramirez (Montebello)
Mountain View at Keppel, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (MView); Ramirez (MView)
Temple City at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rosemead); Ramirez (Rosemead)
Ayala at South El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Ayala); Ramirez (Ayala)
South Hills vs. Northview, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SHills); Ramirez (SHills)
Arroyo at Walnut, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Arroyo); Ramirez (Walnut)
Los Altos at West Covina, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (WCovina); Ramirez (WCovina)
Blair at Wilson, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Wilson); Ramirez (Wilson)

Correspondent John Honell is a longtime contributor to the Tribune, and well-known throughout the San Gabriel Valley. He knows the area's history, coaches, and always seems to have insider information. He will share some of it with his "Touching Base" pieces that will run from time to time.

TOUCHING BASE
by John Honell
Fred has asked me to send my observations on high school sports, hence the name "Touching Base." I talk to almost everyone and hear things that might not rate a full story in the paper but deserve to be mentioned. Haven't done this for a while so will tell you my rules. I don't say negative things about high school athletes. I try and have fun and don't mind poking it at people and organizations that deserve it. I don't blog. (my dad told me to never argue with a fool. Others can't tell which one is the fool) Don't assume my political party based on what I write. I may take a shot at the Dems one week or Reps another. (I'm an Army vet and on Social Security and Medicare so I have "views.") I will take any info you want to send me but, you must include your (real) name and a phone number where, and when, you may be contacted. (I won't publish it). You may email me direct at: touchingbase2@yahoo.com. Hope you enjoy me staggering around the bases. Note: Joe Haakenson, the former Tribune beat writer for the Angels, is currently the sports editor at our sister paper, The Long Beach Press-Telegram. Joe was a wrestler in high school at 98 pounds. That weight class no longer exists for CIF or for Joe. To read John's Column, click thread

Anything and anyone you want to talk about..

The Refs blew it: According to our Miguel Melendez, who covered Temple City-Arcadia's 14-14 tie on Friday, both teams had agreed to play overtime, the crowd was screaming for it, but apparently the refs had other plans. "We don't get paid for overtime," was the excuse they used, according to Melendez. The refs then jogged off the field to a chorus of boos. I thought you got paid by the game, not the quarters. Ben Bolch takes a closer look in today's Times Article.

Quoteworthy: "The officials are supposed to be there until the game ends, period. You get paid from when the game starts to the game ends, depending on what those schools agree to." -- CIF spokesperson Thom Simmons tells the Times.

Ben Bolch wrote: Umpire Darren Winkley, who worked the game as part of the crew from the San Gabriel Valley Football Officials Assn., said none of the officials made a comment about overtime pay. Winkley said his crew's policy was not to allow overtime before league games.

Athletes of the week: Looking for nominations for boys and girls athlete of the week.

This Friday's game of the week: St. Bonaventure at Bishop Amat. There were others we considered, but this is the game. If you thought Charter Oak had it tough with Rancho, you haven't seen nothing yet. The Lancers are right where they're supposed to be, 3-0, with a chance to knock off one of the best teams in the Southern Section at home. Do they have a shot?

Top Teams: After updating the Trib's Top 20 records, how should the rankings change. This is I can guarantee, there will be some major adjustments.
1. Charter Oak (2-1), 2. Bishop Amat (3-0), 3. Glendora (1-2), 4. San Dimas (3-1), 5. Rowland (3-0), 6. South Hills (1-2), 7. Walnut (3-0), 8. Baldwin Park (3-1), 9. Damien (1-3), 10. Wilson (2-1), 11. Arroyo (2-1), 12. Diamond Ranch (1-3), 13. Workman (3-1), 14. West Covina (1-3), 15. Rosemead (1-2), 16. Los Altos (1-2), 17. Nogales (2-2), 18. Sierra Vista (2-1), 19. La Puente (3-1), 20. Azusa (3-1).

LA Times' new rankings: Amat gets No. 4 while Rancho Cucamonga's win over Charter Oak leaves them at No. 7
1. Crenshaw 4-0
2. Oaks Christian 3-0
3. Edison 4-0
4. St. Bonaventure 4-0
5. Lakewood 3-1
6. Servite 3-1
7. Rancho Cucamonga 4-0
8. Gardena Serra 4-0
9. Moorpark 3-0
10. Los Alamitos 3-0

Tonight's results
Rancho Cucamonga 35, Charter Oak 25 -- What can I say that you didn't see on television. The Chargers were up 14-0 and in control late in the first half when disaster struck. The ten-point switch in the final six seconds on the block punt that was returned for a TD tied the score 14-14, but more importantly sapped the confidence, energy and swagger from the Chargers for good.
Bishop Amat 29, Damien 20 -- No doubt the Lancers jump to No. 1 next week heading into the showdown against St. Bonaventure. Any predictions how the Lancers finish the final 7?
Monrovia 36, San Dimas 17 -- I never expected this. It looks like like its good times in M-Town again. When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. Our reporter Scott French said the Cats will go 14-0.
Chino Hills 17, Diamond Ranch 14 -- You know what the Panthers are doing, saving it for the Miramonte and another late season run. Yeah right.
Rowland 49, Northview 22 -- The Raiders continue to pile on the points, third straight blowout win.
West Covina 22, Glendora 21 -- The Bulldogs needed this in the worst way and got it, avoiding 0-4 while dropping the suddenly what's-going-on Tartans to 1-3.
Bonita 9, Baldwin Park 3 -- You knew the Bearcats were better than their record indicated, and they proved it against the undefeated Braves.
Azusa 34, Gabrielino 20 -- We're starting to find out the Aztecs weren't a one-year wonder. Coach Scherf is doing it again.
Walnut 31, Covina 27 -- The Colts are obviously much improved from last year, but so too are the Mustangs, now 3-0.
Claremont 42, Arroyo 21 -- The Knights suffer their first loss against a tougher-than-expected Claremont team.
Gladstone 10, El Monte 7 -- The Gladiators improve to 3-1, and if not for a close loss to Bosco Tech, would be undefeated.
Harvard-Westlake 42, Rosemead 0 -- The Panthers are a long way from the Panthers of old. Ouch.
Schurr 42, Wilson 0 -- I'm speechless.
Ayala 28, Los Altos 12 -- The Conquerors are getting better, but they're obviously not there yet.
Western Christian 16, Sierra Vista 8 -- That's Upland Western Christian to all of you. The Dons' good start comes to a screeching halt.
Chaffey 34, Nogales 7 -- Not a huge surprise, this is one of Chaffey's better teams and it showed.
Bassett 28, Mountain View 10 -- Is this the Tony Zane magic or what. He shows up and they're 3-1. Coaching matters.
Brea Olinda 20, Diamond Bar 12 -- With the Sierra League around the corner, it looks like another long year for the Brahams.
Montclair 23, Workman 22 -- The Lobos first loss of the season is a one-point setback. That's tough to swallow.

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

Tonight's results
La Puente 35, South El Monte 6 -- Ray Hernandez's return to La Puente wasn't a memorable one. The Warriors jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back, improving to 3-1 while the Eagles dropped to 0-4.

Tesoro 34, South Hills 21 -- The Huskies were shorthanded and clearly outplayed, but still only trailed 14-6 before giving up a touchdown in the final minute of the first half to go down 21-6. In the second half they played them even, it just wasn't good enough.

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

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 and teams in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas.

The Guru Says: It's that time of year where the season is just about coming into focus and so is college football recruiting. I thought it would be a great idea to take a look the west coast schools and see where they stand from the point of view of the Inland Empire and the East San Gabriel Valley. For many football fans, the football season in college recruiting. So this week we will take a look at the Pac-10, next week the WAC and the Mountain West Conference. We'll start with the defending Pac-10 champions...

Charter Oak (3-0) is hosting Rancho Cucamonga (3-0) on Friday live on Fox Sports at 7:30 p.m. Both teams are 16-0-1 since last season and defending divisional champs. Their only blemish, a 14-14 tie against each other. We caught up with Rancho coach Nick Baiz to get his thoughts on the game.

Impression of Charter Oak
"They're obviously a really good team, they have a ton of great athletes a good coaching staff, it's a big concern."
On what to focus on
"You have to start with their running back (Adam Muema), he's a special player. We have to try and contain him before anything else."
On this game having state playoff implications
"I don't know about that, we have no say in those things. We're treating it as a big game, if feels like a CIF championship type of game. We're going to feed off the energy, but by no means is our season dependent on this game."
Who does it mean more to?
"I can't speak to that, that's something you have to ask Lou. For us, we know it's a big game. I wouldn't say it's a rivalry or anything. We know they're a good team and defending CIF champions. The fact that it's on TV probably adds a little more to it."
On how his team is playing
"I thought our first two games were a little flat. I don't know if our kids have played to their potential yet. They should get our best game on Friday."
On his quarterback Greg Watson, who was offered by Oregon in the spring, but has since had that offer pulled off the table.
"He's a phenomenal athlete and just a winner. He's a great student, a great leader and a competitor. He's one of those guys who hates to lose and plays that way."
On how live television changes things.
"This is our first time being on television with our coaching staff and kids. I'm not sure if (the hype) is about the rematch of two 13-0-1 teams or the television, but I think the team that blocks out the television (aspect) the best may win the game. The team in awe of it may not be as focused."
Last year's game ended in a 14-14 tie, will there be a tiebreaker this time in case of another tie?
"I don't think either one of us will agree to a tie. It will be settled one way or another."

Below: Rancho Cucamonga QB Greg Watson

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. Arroyo High School football coach Jim Singiser did last year, and now his decision is paying dividends. The Knights, who were just 3-8 last year, have broken out from the gate quick, winning their first two games, and are ranked No. 3 in this week's CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division poll. The big reason for the resurgence is the Knights' vertical game, led by sophomore quarterback Steven Rivera, who started as a freshman, and senior receiver Chris Rodriguez.

We mentioned a while back that South Hills infielder Jacob Shirley had a given a verbal to attend UCLA in baseball. It appears that Glendora pitcher Adam Plutko is joining him. The Times is reporting than both plan on making it official on the Nov. 11 signing day.

Above: Bishop Amat runner Samantha Cabrera.

By Andrew J. Campa, Staff Writer
A combination of heat, sand and fatigue made Wednesday afternoon's Camino Del Rey Association cross country cluster meet challenging and rewarding. While the individual times were a bit down for Santa Fe Dam's fast course, that didn't stop a few locals from putting up solid performances in the combo meet that joined the Camino Real and Del Rey leagues.

The Tribune's Fred Robledo, Steve Ramirez and Time Warner's popular Reginald Miller discuss four of Friday's top games. Don't miss it!

Friday's games
Rancho Cucamonga (3-0) at Charter Oak (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
Bishop Amat (2-0) at Damien (1-2), 7 p.m.
San Dimas (3-0) at Monrovia (3-0), 7 p.m.
Glendora (1-1) at West Covina (0-3), 7 p.m.

Fred J. Robledo
Damien football coach Greg Gano was finally able to exhale following Friday's 24-0 victory over Claremont, but now he takes another deep breath with parochial rival Bishop Amat in town next.
The undefeated Lancers (2-0) visit the Spartans (1-2) on Friday after Gano and Co. desperately avoided an 0-3 start. "You can say that again," Gano said. "You don't want to face those guys spinning your wheels and with your confidence shaken, and that's really what it's about for us." To continue reading, click thread

For some, three weeks of football are in the bank, and already we have early candidates for coach of the year. Wilson coach Brian Zavala is a no-brainer. This is a simple case of one of the worst programs a year ago, inner-turmoil everywhere, and he steps in and changes the culture, and everyone seems to have bought in. Not only are they 2-0, but they beat a 2-0 Glenn team, an amazing turnaround after going 1-9. San Dimas' Bill Zernickow is right there because frankly, the Saints look better this year than the senior-laden team a year ago. It's simply great coaching, they're not just winning, they're crushing opponents and seemed to have improved on defense to go 3-0. Others to consider are practically every coach in the Montview league because outside of Duarte, the rest of the Montview is 13-4 and no longer the worst league in the area, that tag probably goes to the Mission Valley, though nobody in the Montview could touch Arroyo, who's coach Jim Singiser deserves to be mentioned here as well. If Rowland coach Craig Snyder and Walnut coach Mike O'Shields continue winning and beat worthy opponents, they will leap into consideration too. And lets not forget the job Baldwin Park coach James Heggins is doing. If they defeat Bonita this week, I really believe they will go 9-0 before facing San Dimas in the VVL finale.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Walnut High School football fans are finally reacquainting themselves with quarterback Austin Cooper. As a sophomore, Cooper went through all the growing pains. He was 0-8 as a starter, throwing for just 441 yards with eight interceptions and one touchdown. Just five plays into the 2008 season opener against Diamond Bar, Cooper suffered a severe ankle sprain and missed the rest of the season. Now healthy, the senior is one of the big reasons the Mustangs are off to a 2-0 start and the third-ranked team in the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division poll.

I was sent this press release about former NFL Star Marcus Price, who will speak to high school student athletes and their parents at Azusa High School on Wednesday, Sept. 30 about the importance of college recruiting. This is open to everyone. Contact Azusa for more information.
Press release says: The start of a new school year offers high school student-athletes the opportunity to put their best foot forward in both athletics and academics. Success in both is extremely important especially for the student athlete hoping to pursue a collegiate athletic career. The recruitment process can be very confusing and frustrating for many students and their parents, but retired NFL star and Educational Speaker, Marcus Price, will be in town to clear up the myths and misconceptions of the college recruitment process through the popular seminar, "College Recruiting Simplified" at Azusa High School on Wednesday, September 30th.

Bonita spiked San Dimas in three games Tuesday.

San Dimas High School has controlled the Smudge Pot in football, but the girls volleyball rivalry between the Saints and intra-district rival Bonita has been colored Bearcat green.
That didn't change Tuesday.
Senior Allie LaPierre had 18 kills and 15 digs and junior Ashley Maxfeldt had 32 assists and seven aces and Bonita continued its recent dominance in the series with a 26-24, 25-16-25-20 victory in a nonleague match at San Dimas.
The Bearcats, who are ranked No. 1 in the area for the second consecutive week, are 7-0 against their rivals since 2004 and improved to 5-2 this season. San Dimas, ranked No. 7, received five kills from Ashley Burchfield. The Saints slipped to 3-2.
Bonita coach Adriana Contreras: "This is always a great match," Bonita coach Adriana Contreras said. "San Dimas and Bonita have always been rivals, so this is great school spirit on both sides.
"This is a match that everybody, the entire team looks forward to playing. They are just very pumped for it."
San Dimas coach Nicki Bonomo: "Bonita's a good team," Bonomo said. "Our girls are young and they played hard, they played well.
"They gave it their best shot. You can't take anything away from Bonita. They are a good team."

THIS WEEK'S TOP 10
1. Bonita (4-2)
2. Walnut (1-1)
3. South Hills (2-1)
4. Glendora (2-0)
5. Los Altos (2-0)
6. St. Lucy's (2-3)
7. San Dimas (3-1)
8. Diamond Bar (3-3)
9. Ganesha (9-3)
10. Gladstone (4-3)

A Glendora High school official has confirmed this morning that highly regarded baseball and football player Wallace Gonzalez has left the school one week after being removed from the football team for disciplinary reasons. Gonzalez, a 6-foot-5 junior who was one of the area's best receivers as a sophomore, has already given a verbal commitment to attend the University of San Diego on a baseball scholarship. According to a source, Gonzalez will likely wind up at either Bishop Amat or Charter Oak. Although Gonzalez currently resides in Glendora, I have heard that he has a family member that lives in the Charter Oak school district, and has a freshman sister at Bishop Amat. To add to this news, I heard on Friday Gonzalez was set to leave the school, and at least two well-placed sources have told me his first choice is with Bishop Amat. Stay tuned.

Tribune Top Ten
1. Charter Oak (3-0) - We know the Chargers have offensive weapons, but the defensive is getting it done, allowing just 20 points in three games. Now comes the mother of all tests, Rancho Cucamonga.
2. Bishop Amat (2-0) - The gutty Little Lancers? Why not, they're not the biggest on the D-Line, but they're quick and have got it done two straight weeks. They need another win against Damien, then the schedule really gets difficult.
3. Glendora (1-1) - The last minute "drive" kept the Tartans from going 0-2. That's the kind of win that sets the tone the rest of the season. They can finally put the Wallace Gonzalez situation to rest.
4. San Dimas (3-0) - Everyone talks about the big three coaches, Farrar, Bogan and Gano, but Bill Zernickow is right there. When you lose as much talent as they did and continue to win with authority, that says a lot about a coaching staff.
5. Rowland (2-0) - The Raiders made a huge leap to No. 2 in the Southeast polls. They haven't beaten anyone worthwhile, but they have looked solid regardless.
6. South Hills (1-1) - We have seen this before, a slow start, tough schedule, this is nothing new to the Huskies who are still sorting themselves out. They get Pac-5 Tesoro on Thursday, and fortunately, Tesoro isn't what it use to be.
7. Walnut (2-0) - The Mustangs have just beat two opponents with a combined record of 0-5, but they're averaging over 40 points and doing it in dominating fashion.
8. Baldwin Park (3-0) -- When you look at their schedule, if they beat 0-3 Bonita on Friday, they could go 9-0 before facing San Dimas at the end of the season. If the Saints beat Monrovia, they could both be 9-0 when they meet.
9. Damien (1-2) -- They needed a victory over Claremont in the worst way, and got it with a 24-0 convincing victory. If they defeat Bishop Amat this week, the confidence is back.
10. Wilson (2-0) -- I bet nobody thought the Wildcats could make the top ten this season, but after defeating 2-0 Glenn, they deserve it. Can we say Brian Zavala is the early coach of the year candidate?

The Middle 10
11. Arroyo (2-0), 12. Diamond Ranch (1-2), 13. Workman (3-0), 14. West Covina (0-3), 15. Rosemead (1-1), 16. Los Altos (1-1), 17. Nogales (2-1), 18. Sierra Vista (2-0), 19. La Puente, 20. Azusa (2-1).
On the bottom looking up
21. Gladstone (2-1), 22. Bonita (0-3), 23. Covina (1-1), 24. Bassett (2-1), 25. Diamond Bar (0-2), 26. Northview (0-2), 27. El Monte (0-2), 28. South El Monte (0-3), 29. Mountain View (0-3), 30. Ganesha (0-3), 31. Mountain View (0-3), 32. Duarte (0-3)

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

Ramsey: The season's second week saw most area teams take part in the gigantic Woodbridge Invite in Irvine or what we could call the local version of that meet - the Rosemead Invitational. Both meets are run at the high school and surrounding park, both are flat, and both run under the lights, which leads to fast times.

Trib Area Top Performers - Week 2
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.

Boys
14:10 Jayson Perez, SR-South El Monte - Rosemead 2.9ish flat
16:07 Anthony Castro, JR-Glendora - Mt. Carmel, 2.95 miles rolling
16:14 Austin Goodheart, SR-Glendora - Mt. Carmel
16:36 Austin Mendoza, SO-Glendora - Mt. Carmel
15:03 Avedis Gertmenian, SR-Duarte - Rosemead
15:53 James McCreary, SO-Diamond Bar - Woodbridge 3 miles flat
15:09 Efren Alcala, SR-Arroyo - Rosemead
16:51 Kelly Hernandez, JR-Glendora - Mt. Carmel
15:10 Raul Quintero, SR-Duarte - Rosemead
15:10 Isaias Hinojosa, SR-South El Monte - Rosemead

Girls
16:24 Lauren Justus, JR-Glendora - Mt. Carmel 2.75 miles rolling
18:10 Marissa Horton, JR-St. Lucy's - Woodbridge 3 miles flat
18:14 Taylor Hebb, JR-St. Lucy's - Woodbridge
17:28 Brittnie Munoz, SR-Rosemead - Rosemead 2.9ish flat
18:23 Katy Hebb, SO-St. Lucy's - Woodbridge
18:26 Kristyn Hebb, JR-St. Lucy's - Woodbridge
17:44 Jessica Mendez, SR-West Covina - Rosemead
18:50 Lexie Jackson, FR-Bonita - Woodbridge
17:35 Vianca Holguin, JR-South Hills - Mt. Carmel
19:14 Emily Bruce, JR-St. Lucy's - Woodbridge

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer

It has been circled on the calendar since last year's stalemate and has continued to gain momentum since Fox Sports announced it will show it on live television. Rancho Cucamonga (3-0), defending CIF-Southern Section Central Division champion, will visit defending Southeast Division champion Charter Oak (3-0) on Friday in one of the most anticipated nonleague games in years. Both teams finished undefeated and 13-0-1 last season. Their only blemish was a 14-14 tie against each other at Los Osos High.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Baldwin Park's impressive 30-7 victory over previously undefeated La Puente on Friday night was just what coach James Heggins was hoping for. The Braves have been physical, especially on defense, where they're allowing just 12 points a game. "I like our energy, we're playing for the moment and enjoying it to the fullest," Heggins said. "The things we're talking about and practicing during the week are showing up on Friday." The undefeated Braves (3-0) host winless Bonita (0-3) on Friday, a game that concerns Heggins because of the Bearcats' tradition.

By Jim McConnell, Staff Writer
If there is one constant in high school football - then and now - it's emotion. Talent is important, but momentum means a lot. In putting together a mythical All-Valley playoff it is, of course, impossible to incorporate all the intangibles. But history does tell us strange things can happen. And happen they did in the second round of the playoffs. Here's how it went in this reporter's minds-eye: Continue on for all the games

Reaction: The new polls are out and there is much to debate. First, Bishop Amat is finally listed in "others" in the Pac-5 ahead of powers like Mater Dei, St. John Bosco and Loyola. This is what a 2-0 start will do for you. In the Southeast, no surprise that Charter Oak is No. 1, but Rowland (No. 3) and Walnut (No. 3) are right behind with Wilson at No. 7. This is not a shocker considering what has happened to West Covina, South Hills and Diamond Ranch, but lets be honest, scheduling plays a big role in this. If West Covina, South Hills and Diamond Ranch played the same teams as Rowland, Walnut and Wilson, they would be undefeated too. Once again, how do you weigh schedule strength against easy wins? And look at the Mid-Valley, with defending champ Paraclete going down, Monrovia and San Dimas are on top of the polls and meeting in an epic showdown on Friday. You gotta love it.

Pac-5 Division
1. Servite, 2. Mission Viejo, 3. Edison, 4. Orange Lutheran, 5. Notre Dame, 6. Lakewood, 7. Crespi, 8. Long Beach Poly, 9. Los Alamitos, 10. San Clemente, Others: Fountain Valley, Millikan, Bishop Amat, Newport Harbor, Compton, Mater Dei, St. John Bosco, Loyola.

Central Division
1. Rancho Cucamonga, 2. Cajon, 3. Upland, 4. Elsinore, 5. Colton, 6. Colony, 7. Chino Hills, 8. Etiwanda, 9. Glendora, 10. Ayala, Others: Arroyo Valley, Damien, Los Osos.

Southeast Division
1. Charter Oak, 2. Rowland, 3. Walnut, 4. Bell Gardens, 5. South Hills, 6. Crescenta Valley, 7. Wilson, 8. Burbank, 9. El Rancho, 10. Diamond Ranch, Others: Schurr, Burroughs, Santa Fe.

Mid Valley Division
1. Monrovia, 2. San Dimas, 3. Arroyo, 4. Paraclete, 5. San Marino, 6. Pomona, 7. Rosemead, 8. Baldwin Park, 9. Workman, 10. Temple City, Others: Sierra Vista, Whittier Christian, Valley Christian.

Steve and I will go head-to-head throughout the season. Here is our updated records on the Tribskin Pick'em thread.

Robledo: Last week/Total: 19-3/48-13
Ramirez: Last week/Total: 16-6/42-19

Last Week: Steve and I both missed Ontario Christian over Azusa and Glenn over Wilson, and my third loss was picking Diamond Ranch over Elsinore. Steve made a lot of other mistakes, taking Rosemead over Monrovia, La Puente over Baldwin park, Gladstone over Bosco Tech and Bonita over Santa Fe.

This week: This is one of the most exciting nonleague weekends of the season. Thursday night South Hills takes on once-mighty Tesoro at the District. Tesoro is 1-2 and Calpreps even predicts the Huskies will win, but until the Huskies can show consistency on offense, I don't see it. Rancho Cucamonga visits Charter Oak on Friday live on Fox Sports. It doesn't get any better than this, two 3-0 teams and defending divisional champions. Both are 16-0-1 over the last two years, with their only tie against each other. Take the Chargers at home, after a weak opening week, they look like the Chargers of old. We will see their best come Friday. Bishop Amat at Damien is another classic, and this time, I'm taking the Spartans in an upset. I was not that impressed with Bishop Amat against West Covina, they appeared small on the D-Line, and the Spartans are feeling good after a blowout over Claremont. San Dimas at Monrovia also has become huge. Both are 3-0 and both have made it look easy. It's a Mid-Valley showdown and don't be surprised if they meet again in the playoffs. I'm taking the Saints, they fooled me a couple times and won't do it again. Steve will update with his predictions later.

Thursday, Sept. 24
South Hills vs. Tesoro at CDS, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Tesoro); Ramirez (South Hills)
South El Monte at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (La Puente); Ramirez (La Puente)

Friday, Sept. 25th
Rancho Cucamonga at Charter Oak, 7:30 p.m. -- Robledo (Charter Oak); Ramirez (Charter Oak)
Bishop Amat at Damien, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Damien); Ramirez (Bishop Amat)
San Dimas at Monrovia, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (San Dimas); Ramirez (San Dimas)
Diamond Ranch at Chino Hills, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Chino Hills); Ramirez (DRanch)
Northview at Rowland, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rowland); Ramirez (Rowland)
Glendora at West Covina, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Glendora); Ramirez (Glendora)
Bonita at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Baldwin Park); Ramirez (Baldwin Park)
Azusa at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa); Ramirez (Azusa)
Covina vs. Walnut at CDS, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Walnut); Ramirez (Walnut)
Claremont at Arroyo, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Claremont); Ramirez (Claremont)
Gladstone at El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Gladstone); Ramirez (Gladstone)
Harvard-Westlake at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Harvard-Westlake); Ramirez (H-Westlake)
Wilson at Schurr, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Schurr); Ramirez (Wilson)
Los Altos at Ayala, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Ayala); Ramirez (Ayala)
Montclair vs. Workman at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Workman); Ramirez (Workman)
Sierra Vista at Western Christian, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Sierra Vista); Ramirez (Sierra Vista)
Nogales at Chaffey, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Chaffey); Ramirez (Chaffey)
Bassett at Mountain View 7p.m. -- Robledo (Bassett); Ramirez (Bassett)
Diamond Bar at Brea Olinda, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Diamond Bar); Ramirez (Diamond Bar)

"I had a feeling they would pick on me early," Price said told the L.A. Times about his start against Kansas State on Saturday. "I told myself, 'Just make plays, just make tackles, it will stop eventually.' "

Above: No. 22 Sheldon Price making a tackle for UCLA.

The L.A. Times wrote a nice piece on Sheldon Price this morning: Sheldon Price had jitters. It would have been strange if he didn't. Price, who was playing cornerback at La Puente Bishop Amat last season, was about to make his college starting debut for UCLA. Price knew his 6-foot-2, 160-pound frame was on the Kansas State game plan.

By James Wagner, Staff Writer
An agreement has been reached "in principle" in the ongoing settlement talks over the proposed NFL stadium in Industry, a city official said Friday. Industry Mayor Dave Perez said that all sides came to the tentative agreement concerning a settlement over a lawsuit filed by Walnut over Majestic Realty Co.'s 75,000-seat stadium. "It's fair for both sides," he said. Any agreement would have to be approved or rejected by Industry and Walnut city councils. Perez said he couldn't give specifics because of a confidentiality agreement barring public comments on the details of talks.

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

Friday's results
Bishop Amat 21, West Covina 7 -- After 7-7 at halftime, the Lancers pulled away in the second half. RB Jay Anderson finished with171 yards rushing and 3 TDs. QB Jerry McClanahan hit a big 53-yard pass to Darien Johnson to set up the go-ahead score, a 3-yard run by Anderson in the third quarter for a 14-7 lead. Ricky Johnson had 49 yards rushing for WC. George Johnson had the only TD, a 1-yard run in the second quarter
Monrovia 33, Rosemead 7 -- This sets up a huge game next week when undefeated San Dimas comes to town. Outside of Paraclete, these are the next two best teams in the division.
Arroyo 27, Northview 9 -- Yes, Arroyo appears to be the real deal, and they're still such a young team. We can say now they're the favorites to win the MVL
Baldwin Park 30, La Puente 7 -- The Warriors hung tough for a half, but the Braves are proving to be the real deal.
Charter Oak 48, Diamond Bar 0 -- Now that this is over, get ready for the mother of all games next week against Rancho Cucamonga, both are 16-0-1 since last season.
Damien 24, Claremont 0 -- The Spartans can breathe a little easy after avoiding an 0-3 start. Next up, bring on Bishop Amat.
Workman 14, South El Monte 7 -- Look at the Lobos, 3-0 with a big win over the Eagles. Their defense has been solid week in and week out.
Covina 13, El Monte 0 -- The Colts get a much needed win after a close loss against Rosemead. Face it, they're better than most thought.
Walnut 47, Garey 17 -- The Mustangs continue to deliver as advertised, making San Antonio league foes shake at the knees.
Nogales 42, Ontario 21 -- Big win for the Nobles, where did this offense come from?
Sierra Vista 14, Mountain View 7 -- After going 0-4 in nonleague last year, the Dons are 2-0 under coach Keith Locklear.
Wilson 35, Glenn 14 -- Look at the Wildcats, 2-0 under Zavala. This was a big win, and another huge confidence booster.
Santa Fe 43, Bonita 22 -- The Bearcats just don't have it. I'm starting to wonder what kind of chance they will have in the Smudge Pot.
Rowland 42, Montebello 12 -- Those who thought the Raiders were just about quarterback Michael Ball were dead wrong.
Bosco Tech 23, Gladstone 19 - The Gladiators winning were for most of the game before falling late in the fourth quarter.
Elsinore 15, Diamond Ranch 3 -- What's going on with the Panthers' offense. Just 3 points?
San Dimas 41, Magnolia 12 -- Could the Saints actually be better than last year. Considering they have a throwing game to go with their Wing T, maybe so.
Bassett 20, Ganesha 7 -- When was the last time Bassett won two straight. Congrats guys.
Azusa 28, Ontario Christian 27 -- What a thriller, I can hear Aztec Warrior telling us he told us so.

For all the latest schedules, standings, rosters and top ten area leaders, use the MaxPreps made easy San Gabriel Valley widget below

Thursday's results
Glendora 21, Canyon 20 -- After blowing an early lead, the Tartans rally. They go on a 91-yard game-winning scoring drive and finish with a touchdown pass by Chad Jeffries with four seconds left.
La Habra 37, South Hills 10 -- The Huskies hung tough early, but the two-time divisional champs beat the Huskies for the third straight year.
Pomona 29, Duarte 0 -- The Falcons shutout for the third straight week, continuing worst start in school history.

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

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 and teams in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas.

The Guru Says: In reading the comments on this blog after the first two weeks of football, you would think that it would be easy to pick a starting quarterback. Well as Lee Corso on ESPN would say, "Not so fast my friend." First, you have the Charter Oak situation that will most likely not be clear by the time the league starts. Those were the words of head coach Lou Farrar after the game. Then there is the situation at South Hills where the Huskies have three really good QB's and they are also working on the rotation system as well. What makes it more interesting is that one of them - Vincent Hernandez - is the best sophomore defensive back in the area...bar none!

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
The Montview League has long been the Rodney Dangerfield of the San Gabriel Valley, even though two Montview League teams, Azusa and Duarte, advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division quarterfinals last year, and Duarte had some other deep playoff runs in recent years. "It's no secret the Montview League doesn't get a whole lot of respect," Workman coach Fred DeLelio said. "We don't play the toughest teams in the Valley, but we're beating the teams in front of us." That's certainly true this season. Workman (2-0), La Puente (2-0), Gladstone (2-0) and Sierra Vista (1-0) are all undefeated, a huge turnaround from a year ago, when the Montview League was 5-23 and four Montview League teams went winless in nonleague games.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
Los Altos High School served notice to the rest of the area Wednesday that last season is a distant memory. The Conquerors, who were 13-12 in 2008, received five kills each from Erica Chavez and Amanda Brown and four each from Jazmen Russell and Katherine Nazaroff to score a 25-15, 25-21, 25-19 victory over visiting St. Lucy's Priory in a nonleague match featuring two of the top teams in the Valley.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer
The flu season is still months away, but with the swine flu (or H1N1 virus) outbreak still very much on people's minds - and its effects recently felt at some major Division I football programs - high school athletic directors and coaches across the San Gabriel Valley are stepping up precautionary measures to prevent the same from happening here.

According to an LA Times report, the CIF-Southern Section is reporting a record number of transfers. Section spokesman Thom Simmons told the LA Times that from Aug. 1 to Sept. 15, the section processed 670 transfers, 149 hardship, 76 foreign exchange and 364 valid chance of residence, for a grand total of 1,259. Simmons went on to explain why he felt transfers are at an all-time high, telling the Times that the economy and new rule that allows one-time transfers for sophomores are at the top of the list. Families paying thousands of dollars for their kids travel ball, club teams and personal instructors also plays a huge role, because if parents aren't satisfied with their kids high school sports experience, they will change high schools like a travel team.

Seriously, don't you wonder how many of these 1,259 transfers are "athletically motivated," or how CIF can possibly police them all and do justice for everyone so there is a level playing field across the board? They can't, it's impossible, which is why I always have said that if a kid transfers, is accepted, is making the grades and has no disciplinary issues, then CIF should get out of the way and let them participate in sports. This is between parents, children and the school they choose to go to. Why is it that in any other extra curricular activity, you can transfer from school to school and participate, whether it's cheerleading or the chess club? Why are sports any different? If you're athletically motivated, you're forced to become academically motivated too. Sports are a deterrent to other activities that might otherwise get you in trouble if sports were not available, why would you want to take that away? Why would you want to take scholarship opportunities away? I'm not saying you don't punish schools for blatant recruiting, or have restrictions for kids that want to transfer two or three times in the same school year. But I don't get the "athletically motivated," rule, because athletic motivation is what keeps a lot of kids in high school in the first place.

Longtime staffer Jim McConnell is trying to the impossible, pick the best Valley team in football history. A week ago he named the best teams ever, and now he's in search of a champion with his own mythical playoffs.

By Jim McConnell
Let the games begin.
Our mythical high school football playoffs produced a couple major surprises in round one. Here's the rundown, straight from the Then & Now computers - which look suspiciously like a dartboard and a Ouija board.

Top 10
1. Charter Oak (2-0) - The Chargers looked impressive in routing L.A. University. QBs Travis Santiago and Josiah Thropay combined for more than 200 yards passing and four TDs.
2. Bishop Amat (1-0) - The Lancers started slow before scoring a 28-14 victory over Dominguez. Jay Anderson rushed for 113 yards, 102 in the second half. West Covina is next.
3. South Hills (1-0) - The Huskies used a solid defensive effort in beating Ayala. They will have their hands full when they challenge La Habra, who just whacked La Mirada.
4. Glendora (0-1) - It's been a tough few days for the Tartans, who lost to Upland, 10-3, on Friday, and now are without stud receiver Wallace Gonzalez, who has left the team. A win over Canyon will soften the blow.
5. Diamond Ranch (1-1) - The Panthers play one of the toughest schedules in the area, and this week it takes them to Elsinore. They dropped a few spots after a tough loss at Colony.
6. Rowland (1-0) - The Raiders, led by Michael Ball, were steady in beating California. Now they get an improved Montebello squad.
7. San Dimas (2-0) - The Saints just march on, opening the season with routs of Los Altos and South El Monte.
8. Walnut (1-0) - The Mustangs were off and running, beating Diamond Bar 44-20. Austin Cooper proved to be a good compliment to running back Leonard Rhodes.
9. Baldwin Park (2-0) - The Braves make a major move after starting the season 2-0.
10. Damien (0-2) - The Spartans stay in the top 10 by default, but they will need to play better than last week's 40-7 loss at St. John Bosco to remain. A win over Claremont this week is a good start.
The Middle 10
11. West Covina (0-2), 12. Bonita (0-2), 13. Rosemead (1-0), 14. Workman (2-0), 15. Diamond Bar (0-1), 16. Arroyo (1-0), 17. Los Altos (1-1), 18. Wilson (1-0), 19. Northview (0-1), 20. La Puente (2-0).
On the bottom looking up
21. Azusa (1-1), 22. Gladstone (2-0), 23. Sierra Vista (1-0), 24. Covina (0-1), 25. Nogales (1-1), 26. El Monte (0-1), 28. Bassett (1-1), 29. Ganesha (0-2), 30. South El Monte (0-2), 31. Mountain View (0-2), 32. Duarte (0-2).

By Steve Ramirez
The road back to prominence for the Wilson High School football program began in earnest this past Friday. For some, the Wildcats' 28-13 victory over Sonora was just another football score. But for others, it meant so much more, especially from a program that had gone from winning back-to-back CIF-Southern Section divisional titles during the 1990s to being a mere 1-9 last season.

Bonita, which has started the season 0-2, will be without the services of fullback/linebacker K.C. Huth, who broke his foot during last week's 31-28 loss to Claremont. "It's a big-time loss," Bonita coach Eric Podley said. "He's one of our top linebackers and fullback." It's been a tough start to the season for the Bearcats, who opened the season with a 21-14 loss to Westview.
"We're still working hard," Podley said. "We've been our own worst enemy and have been beating ourselves. The kids are motivated to correct the errors."

Above: Glendora's Wallace Gonzalez, seen here last season, is no longer with the Tartans.

This was supposed to be an exciting season for the Glendora High School football team. It was thought with returning receivers Wallace Gonzalez and Aaron Stockham, considered two of the best in the area, and highly-touted junior quarterback Chad Jeffries, the Tartans would be able to score points in bunches. But it hasn't quite worked out that way. Stockham injured his back during the summer passing league schedule and hasn't seen the field, and now Gonzalez, who has committed to play baseball at the University of San Diego in 2011, has left the team to concentrate on that sport.

Above: Allie LaPierre is expected to lead a very good Bonita team this season.

Are you ready for some volleyball?
Here's my season outlook story. And tonight is a big top-10 meeting between No. 2 St. Lucy's and No. 6 Los Altos.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
This could be a special year for the Bonita High School girls volleyball team. The Bearcats, who have advanced to the CIF-Southern Section divisional semifinals and quarterfinals the past two seasons, are expected to make similar runs this fall with a returning class that features three of the top players in the area. "I'm very excited to have practically all the starters from last year returning," Bonita coach Adriana Contreras said. "It does look promising. We are training very hard to get everyone physically prepared to compete against top teams.

Above: And away they go

Last year this blog featured a weekly cross country report from Glendora assistant coach Bob Ramsey. We will continue it this year.
Click the thread to see the report

Fred and I will go head-to-head throughout the season. Here is our updated records on the Tribskin Pick'em thread.

Robledo: Last week/Total: 19-6/29-10
Ramirez: Last week/Total: 18-7/26-13

Notes: The three games we both missed were Sierra Vista over Hoover, Upland upending Glendora again and Claremount beating Bonita. I got Fred on Wilson over Sonora; Los Altos over Northview and Colony over Diaamond Ranch. Fred got me on Nogales over Garey; Venice holding off West Covina; Bell Gardens and St. John Bosco's routs of Azusa and Damien. We got some big games this week. It starts Thursday, with South Hills taking on La Habra, which is playing like USC these days. Take the Highlanders. We also like Bishop Amat over West Covina on Friday and Arroyo over Northview, also on Friday. I like La Puente over Baldwin Park on Friday; Fred's going with the Braves.

Thursday, Sept. 17
Canyon vs. Glendora at Citrus College, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Glendora); Ramirez (Glendora
South Hills at La Habra, 7 p.m - Robledo (La Habra); Ramirez (La Habra)
Duarte vs. Pomona at Ganesha, 7 p.m - Robledo (Pomona); Ramirez (Pomona)
Friday, Sept. 18
Bishop Amat at West Covina, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Amat); Ramirez (Amat)
Rosemead at Monrovia, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Monrovia); Ramirez (Rosemead)
Northview vs. Arroyo at Covina District Field, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Arroyo); Ramirez (Arroyo)
La Puente at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Baldwin Park); Ramirez (La Puente)
Charter Oak at Diamond Bar, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Charter Oak); Ramirez (Charter Oak)
Claremont at Damien, 7:00 p.m. - Robledo (Damien); Ramirez (Damien)
Workman vs. South El Monte at La Puente, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Workman); Ramirez (Workman)
Covina at El Monte, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Covina); Ramirez (Covina)
Garey vs. Walnut at Ganesha, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Walnut); Ramirez (Walnut)
Ontario at Nogales 7 p.m. - Robledo (Nogales); Ramirez (Nogales
Sierra Vista at Mountain View, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Sierra Vista); Ramirez (Sierra Vista)
Glenn at Wilson, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Glenn); Ramirez (Glenn)
Santa Fe at Bonita, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Santa Fe); Ramirez (Bonita)
Montebello at Rowland, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Rowland); Ramirez (Rowland)
Bosco Tech vs. Gladstone at Citrus College, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Bosco Tech); Ramirez (Gladstone)
Diamond Ranch at Elsinore, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Diamond Ranch); Ramirez (Elsinore)
San Dimas vs. Magnolia at Western, 7 p.m. - Robledo (SDimas); Ramirez (SDimas)
Ganesha at Bassett, 7 p.m.- Robledo (Bassett); Ramirez (Bassett)
Azusa at Ontario Christian, 7:30 p.m. - Robledo (Ont. Chr.); Ramirez (Ont. Chr.)

Here's hoping we see more of this from Tony Romo in this Associated Press photo.

As all of you know from time to time we will blog on something other than high school football. Fred usually does it for his beloved Lakers. For me, its the Dallas Cowboys, who again should be a contender for the Super Bowl, along with the Industry, er, Minnesota Vikings, NY football Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots in the AFC.
So welcome all to the true first day of fall - the opening day of the NFL Season.
Here's something to get you in the mood:

Above: South Hills sophomore Jamel Hart comes up just short, but finishes with two touchdowns in Huskies' win.

Friday's results
South Hills 21, Ayala 3 -- The Huskies force five turnovers and pick-off Bulldogs quarterback Ryan Orozco four times.
Charter Oak 43, University 6 -- Just some fun in the sun as the Chargers show why it's the Tribune's top team. Then again, University who?
Arroyo 27, Temple City 24 -- The Knights score late to win a thriller and avenge last year's playoff loss to the Rams.
Bishop Amat 28, Dominguez 14 -- The Lancers get a must-need win at home, a huge confidence booster after all the uncertainty.
Upland 10, Glendora 3 -- Either the Highlanders' defense is that good, or the Tartans offense isn't what we thought it was.
Claremont 31, Bonita 28 -- The Bearcats lose a close one for the second straight week. Look like defense could be a problem.
Walnut 44, Diamond Bar 20 -- With the Mustangs rolling like this, the San Antonio league is going to be mighty interesting.
Rosemead 23, Covina 20 -- Raise your hand if you thought it would be this close. Give the Colts credit, they hung with last year's divisional finalist.
La Puente 36, El Monte 20 -- The Warriors are off to a quick 2-0 start under new coach Brandon Roher.
Bell Gardens 34, Azusa 6 -- Not the great Aztecs start last year, but they're playing a tougher schedule.
Workman 24, Keppel 14 -- The Lobos keep rolling along, 2-0, just like their neighbor La Puente.
St. John Bosco 40, Damien 7 -- This is exactly what the Spartans hoped to avoid, an 0-2 start with the schedule only getting tougher.
Rowland 17, California 10 -- After all those departing seniors, the Raiders can still play some defense.
Baldwin Park 20, Montebello 14 -- The Braves continue on as advertised, making them early Valle Vista favorites with San Dimas.
Monrovia 59, Duarte 0 -- Sure looks like it's going to be a long season for the Falcons, who get crushed in the MD Classic.
Los Altos 34, Northview 6 -- What to make of this? Los Altos gets run by San Dimas, then runs Northview? I guess that's football.
Wilson 28, Sonora 13 -- The Wildcats get a huge win to start the Brian Zavala era. Someone's dancing in Wilsonland.
San Dimas 56, South El Monte 0 -- I guess they don't do rebuilding years at San Dimas. After two weeks, Zernickow early coach of the year favorite.
Venice 41, West Covina 33 -- Not bad considering how good Venice is, the Bulldogs' injuries, and the long drive west.
Colony 25, Diamond Ranch 20 -- After the big win over Muir, some of the air let out in close loss at Colony.
Bell -Jefferson at Mountain View, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Bell-Jeff); Ramirez (Bell-Jeff)

Below: Gladstone's Andrew Martinez (27) celebrating a Gladiators touchdown.

Thursday's results
Gladstone 35, Ganesha 6 -- The Happy Rockers are 2-0 and off to their best start since 2005; also the last time they won the Montview. Finally, no more talk about a down cycle.
Sierra Vista 12, Hoover 8 -- Another Montview eye-catcher with a first-game win under the belt. That makes the Montview 5-2 in openers.
Nogales 33, Garey 27 -- If they had any chance of competing in the San Antonio, they had to win games like this and they did.
Bassett 8, Firebaugh 6 -- Sounds like more of a baseball score, but the Olympians will take it.

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 and teams in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas.

The Guru says: One of the better college football blogs belongs to Ted Miller of ESPN.com. He covers the Pac-10 and it's required reading for Pac-10 fans. In reading the articles from the Washington game against LSU, here were some of the comments from observers and participants from the game....
"We want teams to respect us when they walk off the field," UW HC Steve Sarkisian on Monday at his news conference prior to the LSU game. "You guys are definitely building. Don't worry about that [the loss]. Keep it up." LSU RB Charles Scott told UW defensive lineman Alameda Ta'amu after the game.

Anyone around Duarte knows the man they call "Big Bob," who helped establish the inaugural MD Classic last year, complete with a trophy for the winner and an MVP trophy for the nonleague rivalry between Monrovia and Duarte high schools. It was a great event last year as Monrovia hung on for a 14-6 victory in front of a packed house. What about this year? Duarte will host the game on Friday at 7 p.m., but with the Falcons struggling and fielding only 18 players in last week's 55-0 loss to Cajon, and Monrovia showing why it's the No. 3 team in the Mid-Valley with a 2713 win over Arcadia, what will become of the "MD Classic." this week? If we were setting the over-under, you're talking Monrovia by 45.

In all seriousness, the Mid-Valley does a great job with video interviews, discussing area teams and has expanded its coverage area to include more of the SGV. Joe Torosian (center) might be our Valley's biggest homer, but he's a good guy.

High School football began last week, but girls volleyball, cross country, boys water polo, girls golf and girls tennis begin on Thursday. To all coaches and scorekeepers, if you want your results posted in the newspaper call 626-962-8811, Ext. 2242 or 2233. If you choose to email, send all results to scores@sgvn.com, and leave a CONTACT name and number in case we have questions. You will need to provide us with results from both teams, and it must include first and last names, and records of both teams.

Noteworthy: Every year I get calls from parents wondering why certain schools and sports scores are always in the newspaper, and others are left out. It's very simple, we obviously can't send reporters to most of these events, so we rely on coaches and volunteers of the programs to phone/email in results. Those that do it religiously are in the paper after every contest, those that don't, and some never call in all season, are obviously never in the paper and much harder for us as a staff to follow and know what's going on. Since phone lines are typically busy, you're encouraged to email.

Wilson High School's season opener against Sonora has been moved to Friday instead of Thursday at La Habra High School. They will kickoff at 7 p.m.

Maxpreps' schedule, stats and roster below. This is a great way to see how area leaders stack up against each other. Now, if all coaches would send in their info, we would be on top of things. Also, click on the rankings, this gives you Maxpreps rankings of our 31 area teams.

By Steve Ramirez
West Covina High School football coach Mike Maggiore thought he had it all figured out. But there was something he couldn't plan for when the Bulldogs opened the 2009 season with a 28-17 loss at El Rancho last week - injuries. West Covina had it in droves. The Bulldogs lost all four of their captains, including their best offensive and defensive lineman Richard Tejada, linebacker/fullback Jesse Ili, fullback Charles Tucker and lineman Ryan McLaurin. "We lost Richard on the second play of the game," Maggiore said. "I don't want to make excuses and take away anything from El Rancho, because they did a good job, but when that happens, it kind of takes the wind out of your sails."

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Kalin Bradford, Workman
Senior Running Back
What he did: Began his senior year in style, rushing for three touchdowns and 172 yards on 12 carries in the Lobos' 41-7 victory over Mountain View. Bradford scored on runs of 18, 14 and 52 yards as the Lobos rushed to a 34-0 halftime lead.

Honor Roll
Manny Salcedo, Baldwin Park: The quarterback was 10 of 17 for 130 yards and a TD in the Braves' 26-16 win over Nogales.
Paul Flores, Gladstone: Threw four TD passes in win over Western Christian.
Robert Poage, Charter Oak: His three field goals made the difference in 15-14 win over Gardena.
Gus Viramontes, Diamond Ranch: Quarterback threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns in 35-20 win over Muir.
Ryan Kohler, San Dimas: Rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown in 33-6 blowout of Los Altos.

San Dimas, which lost several key offensive weapons from a team that advanced to the CIF-Southern Section divisional quarterfinals last year, hardly missed a beat last week, opening the season with an impressive 33-6 win at Los Altos. But lost in Ryan Kohler, Dillon Corona and Tre Evans combining for 316 yards rushing, was the play of the Saints defense, which held Los Altos to one touchdown and 250 total yards, 65 of which came in mop-up duty by Conquerors running back Alex Tibbs. San Dimas' defense this year is coached by former Wilson coach Brian Mustain, but head coach Bill Zernickow also credited the work ethic of his youthful, but talented group. "Coach Mustain makes a big difference," Zernickow said. "But these kids really want to be better. We have really good chemistry. "(Last week), we did a good job of adjusting and figuring out what (Los Altos) was trying to do. Our guys played very hard."
-- Steve Ramirez --

Central Division: 1. Rancho Cucamonga, 2. Chino Hills, 3. Colton, 4. Cajon, 5. Glendora, 6. Upland, 7. Chaffey, 8. Elsinore, 9. Paloma Valley, 10. Los Osos, Others: West Valley, Ayala, Etiwanda, Damien.
Mid-Valley Division: 1. Paraclete, 2. Rosemead, 3. Monrovia, 4. Temple City, 5. Northview, 6. San Dimas, 7. Azusa, 8. Arroyo, 9. San Marino, 10. Pomona, Others: Cerritos Valley Christian, Workman, Baldwin Park.
Southeast Division: 1. Diamond Ranch, 2. Charter Oak, 3. South Hills, 4. Rowland, 5. Burroughs, 6. Santa Fe, 7. Crescenta Valley, 8. Burbank, 9. Muir, 10. West Covina; Others: California, Bonita, Walnut.
Pac-5 Division: 1. Servite, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Mission Viejo, 4. Edison, 5. Long Beach Poly, 6. Crespi, 7. Orange Lutheran, 8. Lakewood, 9. Loyola, 10. Tesoro; Others: Los Alamitos, San Clemente, Newport Harbor, St. John Bosco, Fountain Valley, Jordan.

The Top Ten
1. Charter Oak (1-0) -- The Chargers couldn't handle the speed up front from Gardena? That's not a good sign, but it was opening week. Even though they slipped past 15-14, they're still the defending champs.
2. Glendora (0-0) -- Tough opener at Upland, a game that will be a telling sign of what to expect the rest of the way.
3. Bishop Amat (0-0) -- When you look at the Lancers' schedule, a win over Dominguez is a must off the bat. They're at home, it's opening night, and the schedule only gets tougher.
4. Diamond Ranch (1-0) -- Let's give CIF credit, they ranked the Panthers No. 1 in the Southeast, and they protected it nicely with a big win over Muir.
5. South Hills (0-0) -- The Huskies drop from No. 3 to No. 5 without losing a game, but the loss of Jordan and Jamie Canada is huge, and the quarterback spot is still uncertain heading into Ayala.
6. Rowland (0-0) -- The Raiders lost plenty from last year, but Michael Ball is back and we will see how much of an impact he makes against California.
7. San Dimas (1-0) -- They looked outstanding against Los Altos. The biggest surprise was not the offense, but the defense in winning 33-6.
8. Walnut (0-0) -- If the Mustangs beat Diamond Bar, they have a good chance of starting 4-0 or 5-0.
9. Damien (0-1) -- They hung for a half against mighty Rancho Cucamonga, now they get another tough one at St. John Bosco.
10. West Covina (0-1) -- Not even Whittier prep editor Roger Murray thought the Bulldogs would lose to El Rancho. The 28-17 setback is a shocker, no other way to explain it.
The Middle Ten
11. Bonita (0-1), 12. Baldwin Park (1-0), 13. Diamond Bar (0-0), 13. Rosemead (0-0), 14. Workman (1-0), 15. Northview (0-0), 16. Arroyo (0-0), 17. Los Altos (0-1), 18. Azusa (0-0), 19. Wilson (0-0), 20. La Puente (1-0)
On the bottom looking up
21. Covina (0-0), 22. Gladstone (1-0), 23. Sierra Vista (0-0), 24. El Monte (0-0), 25. Nogales (0-1), 26. South El Monte (0-1), 27. Mountain View (0-1), 28. Ganesha (0-1), 31. Bassett (0-1), 32. Duarte (0-1).

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/Total: 19-6/29-10
Ramirez: Last week/Total: 18-7/26-13

Notes: The three games we both missed were Sierra Vista over Hoover, Upland upending Glendora again and Claremount beating Bonita. I got Fred on Wilson over Sonora; Los Altos over Northview and Colony over Diamond Ranch. Fred got me on Nogales over Garey; Venice holding off West Covina; Bell Gardens and St. John Bosco's routs of Azusa and Damien. We got some big games this week. It starts Thursday, with South Hills taking on La Habra, which is playing like USC these days. Take the Highlanders. We also like Bishop Amat over West Covina on Friday and Arroyo over Northview, also on Friday. I like La Puente over Baldwin Park on Friday; Fred's going with the Braves.

Thursday, Sept. 17
Canyon vs. Glendora at Citrus College, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Glendora); Ramirez (Glendora
South Hills at La Habra, 7 p.m - Robledo (La Habra); Ramirez (La Habra)
Duarte vs. Pomona at Ganesha, 7 p.m - Robledo (Pomona); Ramirez (Pomona)
Friday, Sept. 18
Bishop Amat at West Covina, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Amat); Ramirez (Amat)
Rosemead at Monrovia, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Monrovia); Ramirez (Rosemead)
Northview vs. Arroyo at Covina District Field, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Arroyo); Ramirez (Arroyo)
La Puente at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Baldwin Park); Ramirez (La Puente)
Charter Oak at Diamond Bar, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Charter Oak); Ramirez (Charter Oak)
Claremont at Damien, 7:00 p.m. - Robledo (Damien); Ramirez (Damien)
Workman vs. South El Monte at La Puente, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Workman); Ramirez (Workman)
Covina at El Monte, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Covina); Ramirez (Covina)
Garey vs. Walnut at Ganesha, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Walnut); Ramirez (Walnut)
Ontario at Nogales 7 p.m. - Robledo (Nogales); Ramirez (Nogales
Sierra Vista at Mountain View, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Sierra Vista); Ramirez (Sierra Vista)
Glenn at Wilson, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Glenn); Ramirez (Glenn)
Santa Fe at Bonita, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Santa Fe); Ramirez (Bonita)
Montebello at Rowland, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Rowland); Ramirez (Rowland)
Bosco Tech vs. Gladstone at Citrus College, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Bosco Tech); Ramirez (Gladstone)
Diamond Ranch at Elsinore, 7 p.m. - Robledo (Diamond Ranch); Ramirez (Elsinore)
San Dimas vs. Magnolia at Western, 7 p.m. - Robledo (SDimas); Ramirez (SDimas)
Ganesha at Bassett, 7 p.m.- Robledo (Bassett); Ramirez (Bassett)
Azusa at Ontario Christian, 7:30 p.m. - Robledo (Ont. Chr.); Ramirez (Ont. Chr.)

The new rankings come out Wednesday, and already the gap is closing between Charter Oak and the rest of the top teams. They will stay No. 1 here, but Diamond Ranch made a strong case that CIF's top-ranking was deserved. If San Dimas winning convincingly was the biggest "wow" of the night, West Covina losing was the biggest, "what?" Workman and Baldwin Park took big steps up, South El Monte and Duarte big steps back. Damien, that's still a wait and see; great that it was close, but moral victories don't mean much.

San Dimas rolls past Los Altos, 33-6

Here's a brief look at Friday's results
Rancho Cucamonga 27, Damien 14: The Spartans keep it close for a while before divisional champion Rancho Cucamonga spoils Greg Gano's debut.
San Dimas 33, Los Altos 6: The Saints, sans last year's stars, just keep on rolling. Ryan Kohler and Tre Evans combine for nearly 250 yards rushing in an easy win.
Charter Oak 15, Gardena 14: Who saw this coming? Charter Oak keeps its unbeaten streak intact, but just barely.
El Rancho 28, West Covina 17: El Rancho looks like the Rancho of old, beats WesCo
Diamond Ranch 35, Muir 20: Viramontes shines as the Ranch romps.
Other Scores
Workman 41, Mountain View 7
Baldwin Park 26, Nogales 16
Gladstone 33, Western Christian 12
Westview 21, Bonita 14
Cajon 55, Duarte 0
Norwalk 63, South El Monte 3

Azusa Coach Joe Scherf just verified that the Azusa-Garey game has been moved to Saturday at 7 p.m. at Ganesha HS.

Calls are being made to area coaches but that's the only change that we have to report.

If anyone else has any legitimate updates, please post them. Thanks.

By John Honell, Correspondent
It could be the start of something big for first-year La Puente High School coach Brandon Rohrer. His Warriors beat Gabrielino 28-7 in the season opener for both teams on Thursday. The victory matched the season win total of 2008. The Warriors had too much experience for an outmanned Gabrielino squad. The Warriors defense dominated the first half and held the Eagles (0-1) to 69 yards on the ground.

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 and teams in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas.

Scouting Guru says: Ah yes. The 2009 football season has finally arrived. After the countless amount of hours of time spend in the weight room, after running hills and laps like crazy, after going through a grueling fall camp (that had to be shorten a bit because of the fires), for the players - the season couldn't have arrived at a better time. And with it comes dreams of playing for a CIF title or landing that coveted D-1 scholarship offer.

South Hills high school officials received a letter from the CIF-Southern Section on Thursday explaining that its decision to rule brothers Jordan (senior) and Jamie (sophomore) Canada ineligible for the 2009 season based on an "athletically motivated transfer," has been upheld. Gala Canada, the mother of Jordan and Jamie Canada, met with CIF-SS officials last week hoping to get the decision overturned, but CIF-SS officials weren't convinced.

5:30 p.m. Diamond Ranch coach Roddy Layton said Friday's game against Muir has been moved to Ganesha high school. All games in Pasadena were moved or canceled because of the poor air quality.

11:16 a.m. -- The Pomona-Keppel game scheduled for Friday at Ganesha has been postponed and will be replayed Sept. 17 at Ganesha. Keppel did not have enough practice time because of the fires.

11:54 a.m. -- Bonita coach Eric Podley is hopeful they will play at home Friday against Westview. He said if the air quality is "moderate," which it currently is, they will play.

5:30 p.m. -- The Garey-Azusa game has been cancelled according to CIF. The schools are hopeful they can play on Saturday at Ganesha. We will continue to follow.

2:32 p.m: Gabrielino intends to play its home game tomorrow against La Puente. If the air quality worsens, they will reschedule it for Saturday at La Puente.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
When Charter Oak's Lou Farrar, Damien's Greg Gano and South Hills' Steve Bogan gathered together recently, it was a reminder to enjoy the ride while the three coaching legends are still on board. Farrar is reminiscent of Penn State's Joe Paterno and Florida State's Bobby Bowden, at 63-years-old and his 42nd year of coaching, he's still having the time of his life, and whipping kids half his age. He's a time capsule of coaching memories that dates back to the late 1960s, and the best days could still be ahead.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
By this time next year Charter Oak, South Hills and Damien could all be in the Sierra League. Glendora could be in the Baseline League and Wilson and Nogales in the Valle Vista League. With area realignment having gone through a vote of 42-area principals and two subsequent appeals, the final verdict is due in October, bringing both a sense of urgency and relief for many area schools.

Urgency for those feeling this is the time to capitalize on a CIF championship, and relief for those hoping to be in that position next year. What hasn't changed, and doesn't appear to change in the foreseeable future are the area's top programs, once again dominated by the usual suspects with a few knew schools hoping to prove worthy.

Will Charter Oak win a second consecutive CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division title, or will South Hills, West Covina or Diamond Ranch wrestle it away? Is this Glendora's best chance to make a run at a Central Division title? Will Baldwin Park, Northview, Rosemead, Arroyo or anyone else become the front-runner in a wide open chase at the Mid-Valley Division title? Can Bishop Amat possibly muster another memorable season and will new coach Greg Gano transform Damien into one of the area's elite? The answers will come over the next 14 weeks, but the anticipation begins today with the Tribune's annual preseason football poll. To continue, click thread

Fred J. Robledo column
The best part of a new high school football season is what we don't know. Will new coach Greg Gano turn Damien into the power he had at Los Altos at the turn of the century, when Gano and the Conquerors won four CIF-Southern Section titles?

Will Charter Oak continue to remind folks that it has surpassed Bishop Amat as the area's dominant team by winning its first back-to-back CIF championship in school history? Will Bishop Amat take another step in reviving its glorious past under second-year coach Steve Hagerty, or will it take a step back and cause mass chaos in the chat rooms?

How will the new coaches, Duarte's Tip Sanders, South El Monte's Ray Hernandez, La Puente's Brandon Roher, Wilson's Brian Zavala and Pomona's Johnny Brown perform under the bright lights now that practice time is over?

By Fred J. Robledo
Staff Writer
From the large grassy area that forms tailgate haven east of Kiefer Stadium to the legion of bloggers and faithful fans that dissect everything that is Bishop Amat football, Lancers coach Steve Hagerty knows his rookie season was a calming and rewarding experience for all involved.
The Bishop Amat alum took over a 3-7 slumping program that had missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, leading to the resignation of young coach Mark Verti.

By Fred J. Robledo
Staff Writer
The Miramonte League took a big step toward proving it's the most competitive league in the Valley when undefeated Charter Oak defeated league foe Diamond Ranch 30-14 in the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division championship game, giving the Chargers and coach Lou Farrar the school's fourth CIF championship. The Chargers finished 13-0-1 and though they lose area player of the year Chris Allen at quarterback, they have a handful of prized returning starters in pursuit of their first back-to-back championship in school history.

By Fred J. Robledo
Staff Writer
The Northview and San Dimas High School football teams were so dominant in the Valle Vista League in 2008 that remembering that 4-7 Covina finished third is trivial.
Northview's 40-39 victory over San Dimas gave the Vikings the Valle Vista League title, but the Vikings (9-3) and Saints' (10-2) season ended abruptly in the Mid Valley Division quarterfinals, a disappointing finish for senior-oriented teams that had championship aspirations.
Now what? With Northview and San Dimas reloading and the rest of the Valle Vista looking like question marks searching for answers, Covina coach Darryl Thomas said the league championship is up for grabs.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
All the hype about the Sierra League this season is centered around former Los Altos High School coach Greg Gano turning his blue and red for Damien green and gold. But the league, considered the Valley's version of the Southeastern Conference, is expected to be colored Glendora scarlett, black and white. The Tartans, who under coach Mark Pasquarella, have won at least a share of the past two league crowns and a three-peat looks to be on the horizion this season.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
There was a time when the San Antonio League was the South Hills High School football team's to lose. The Huskies were the top dog during the first few years of the league's existence. South Hills won or shared the league title from 2002-05. But it's been a different story recently, where there's been a three-way tie twice during the past three seasons. More the latter is expected this season, where South Hills comes in as the favorite, but rival West Covina and Rowland are just a tad behind, and Walnut is picking up steam.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
It's the usual suspects.
Rosemead, Arroyo and South El Monte high schools have been on the top of the Mission Valley League for the last five years. For good reason. Each has won or tied for the league title each of those years. Rosemead, which advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division title game last season, and Arroyo have both gone to the playoffs in each of those seasons.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
The Montview League has been a revolving door of sorts in recent years.
It's not expected to change this season, where Workman comes in as the favorite to sit atop a league that has featured three different champions -- Duarte, La Puente and Azusa -- in each of the past three seasons.

Starting in the wee hours Wednesday morning, I will post everything on the blog, a league-by-league breakdown, top ten story, column and the feature story ....

South Hills was scheduled to host Corona Centennial in a scrimmage on Friday night at Covina District field, but that game has been moved to Corona Centennial high on Friday because of the poor air quality. They will kick-off at 7.

The plan: Using Mt. SAC, Cal State Fullerton or anywhere air quality is reasonable enough, schedule three to four games at one venue on Saturday. Picture a Saturday lineup at Mt. SAC kicking off with Western Christian vs. Gladstone, followed by Azusa-Garey, then heavyweights fill the late afternoon and evening, Gardena vs. Charter Oak, followed by Muir-Diamond Ranch. Four games, a great day for area fans. Hey, it's a thought. There are many games in limbo at the moment, administrators are looking for alternate venues, Saturday games or if it comes to it, cancellation. We will keep you posted.

The CIF-SS Preseason rankings are fresh off the press, and the big shocker out here is that Diamond Ranch is No. 1 in the Southeast over Charter Oak. I can't think of a reasonable explanation why, but it is what it is. Glendora is No. 5 in the Central, Rosemead gets the respect it didn't get last year with a No. 2 in the Mid-Valley and Bishop Amat is nowhere to be found in the Pac-5.

Central Division
1. Rancho Cucamonga, 2. Chino Hills, 3. Colton, 4. Cajon, 5. Glendora, 6. Upland, 7. Chaffey, 8. Elsinore, 9. Colony, 10. Paloma Valley, Others: Los Osos, West Valley, Ayala, Etiwanda, Alta Loma, Damien.
Mid-Valley Division
1. Paraclete, 2. Rosemead, 3. Monrovia, 4. Temple City, 5. Northview, 6. San Dimas, 7. Cerritos Valley Christian, 8. Azusa, 9. Arroyo, 10. San Marino, Others: Pomona, LA Baptist, Duarte, Workman, Whittier Christian, Baldwin Park.
Southeast Division
1. Diamond Ranch, 2. Charter Oak, 3. South Hills, 4. West Covina, 5. Muir, 6. Rowland, 7. Burroughs, 8. Santa Fe, 9. Crescenta Valley, 10. California, Others: La Serna, Bonita, Schurr, Burbank, Walnut, San Gabriel.
Pac-5 Division
1. Long Beach Poly, 2. Servite, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Mission Viejo, 5. Edison, 6. Orange Lutheran, 7. Lakewood, 8. Crespi, 9. Tesoro, 10. Los Alamitos, Others: San Clemente, Esperanza, Mater Dei, Newport Harbor, St. John Bosco, Fountain Valley, Loyola.

Azusa activities director Mike Larson said Thursday's opener between Azusa and Garey at Citrus College could be moved to another location, postponed to Friday or canceled altogether because of the poor air quality stemming from the fires. "If it's the same air quality (Thursday) as it is today, we can't play it anywhere in the area," Larson said. Several games continue to be in question.

There is no better way to get ready for Wednesday's football preview and the start of the season than Jim McConnell's take on the best football teams in San Gabriel Valley history. "The King" says the 1992 Bishop Amat team than went 15-0 is the best ever. Some have told me the 1969 Blair team with the "Blair Pair," was the best ever. I think the best teams of this decade, bigger, stronger, faster, would stack up well against any of them.

COMING NEXT WEEK: McConnell will divide the 24 teams into playoff brackets and begin our mythical Valley playoffs in earnest with eight wild-card games.

By Jim McConnell, Staff Writer
The best high school football team in the history of the San Gabriel Valley?
Most would say the 1992 Bishop Amat squad. That year's Lancers, under coach Mark Paredes, won all 15 games. They won the CIF-SS Division I title and a special state playoff game to boot. They are the only 15-0 team in CIF-SS history.
However, on further review ...

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
Retirement just didn't sit well with Tony Zane.
He enjoyed his time away from high school football but, unlike soldiers, old coaches don't just fade away. They continue coaching. Zane, who left Baldwin Park High School after the 2002 season, is back doing what he does best - coaching. The former Baldwin Park mentor, who won two CIF-Southern Section divisional titles with the Braves, is at Bassett, where he hopes to revive a program that has won just two games the past two seasons and only two league titles since 1995.