Question: What are the most intriguing games to cover on Thursday?

Thursday’s first-round Softball Games
Division 3
Kaiser at Bonita, 3:15 p.m.
Quartz Hill at Glendora, 3:15 p.m.
Patriot at Ayala, 3:15 p.m.
Division 4
Rancho Alamitos at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m.
Division 5
Rowland at Whittier Christian, 3:15 p.m.
Temple City at West Covina, 3:15 p.m.
Pasadena Poly at San Dimas, 3:15 p.m.
Village Christian at Duarte, 3:15 p.m.
Azusa at South Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Covina at Mayfield, 3:15 p.m.
Northview at Calvary Chapel, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra Vista at La Canada, 3:15 p.m.
Division 6
Mary Star at South El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Whitney at Arroyo, 3:15 p.m.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
First impressions aren’t everything when it comes to a football team, but new Nogales High School coach Sebastian Hernandez has liked what he’s seen from his players in their first week of spring practice. “The talent level is better than I thought when I first took the job,” Hernandez said. “I’m much more optimistic now. I thought there would be less talent judging from their record the past several years.” (To continue click thread)


Halftime use to be showtime at Nogales. Hernandez is trying to change that.
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By Aram Tolegian
Charter Oak long snapper Tanner Gibas won the National Kicking and Snapping Spring Event put on by Chris Sailer Kicking/Rubio Long Snapping in Las Vegas last weekend. Gibas, who is also expected to start at linebacker for the Chargers, beat out 79 other long snappers from 40 states to take home the prize. His time, from first movement to ball arriving at the punter, was .68 seconds. (To continue, click thread).

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The records continued to fall for Glendora High School junior Gretchen Jaques at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach during Tuesday’s CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet, which is a collection of the best of the best from the four CIF-SS divisions. Jaques, who owns the CIF-SS overall record in the 200-yard individual medley, a time of 1 minute, 57.91 seconds she set at the Division 2 finals on Saturday, blew away the competition in the Masters medley. She won by almost four seconds, finishing in 1:58.88 to set the Masters Meet record and breaking Chaminade’s Meghan Hawthorne’s previous record of 2:01.18 that she set in 2008. Jaques also set a Masters record later in the 100 breaststroke, winning in 1:00.47 to break Jordan Danny of Hart’s 2008 record of 1:02.19.

El Rancho wanted no part of Diamond Ranch’s Rouric Bridgewater, perhaps the best kept secret in the San Gabriel Valley (I know, blame us). Bridgewater, batting .588 with 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, 11 doubles and four triples, hit a home run in the first inning then was intentionally walked four times in the Panthers’ eight-inning 9-8 win. The lesson here: Maybe if they waked him five times El Rancho would have won.

Above: La Serna’s Connor Burke (7) knocks the ball loose from Los Altos catcher Steven Camberos (2) as he slides in safely at home plate in their 2-1 wild-card win over the Conquerors.

Tuesday’s Wild Card results
Baseball
Division 2
Chaminade 3, Diamond Bar 2
Division 3
Diamond Ranch 9, El Rancho 8, 8 innings
Palmdale 6, Nogales 3
La Serna 2, Los Altos 1
Division 4
La Salle 3, Covina 2
Division 5
San Jacinto 10, Mountain View 0
Serrano 3, Gladstone 1
Santa Ynez 7, Azusa 3

Softball
Division 3
Cajon 10, St. Lucy’s 0
Dana Hills 4, Los Altos 2
Division 5
Rowland 15, Gladstone 0
Covina 13, Tahquitz 0
Sierra Vista 1, Montebello 0

Division 2
This is like trying to predict the Central Division football playoffs, where upsets aren’t really upsets, and anyone can be knocked off in any round. This is the toughest of all the divisions, but the fact is even if you’re a Glendora fan and want to pencil them through with your heart, it’s a the smart bet anyway because they have a great No. 1 in Adam Plutko with the staff support to go deep. It’s a challenge, but the Tartans have as good as shot as anyone. Damien could get No. 3 seed Redlands East Valley in the second round, but I’m not sure they have the pitching depth to win round-after-round like Glendora. Same goes for Diamond Bar, who have to win a wild-card game. So, here is how it will shake out.
Semifinals
Glendora vs. La Mirada
El Toro vs. Crespi
Championship
Glendora over Crespi

Division 3
Beckman and Alhambra are the top two seeds, but South Hills is still the best in the division and will prove it again. Huskies pitcher Andrew Morales showed me a lot in his 4-3 loss to Bishop Amat. He wasn’t afraid of the pressure or the crowd, nearly out-pitching Amat’s Paul Paez. He’s a gamer plus they have a guy named Dakota Behr who can pitch too. Bonita has been such a surprise, but too bad they would have to play the Huskies in the quarters. If they didn’t do it last year, not sure how they can this year. Walnut will be my sleeper, getting an unproven team like No. 4 Hemet in the second round that they can handle, so here is how it shakes out.

Semifinals
Beckman vs. Walnut
South Hills vs. Alhambra
Championship
South Hills over Beckman

Division 4
Look, if Bishop Amat doesn’t win it, it will be the biggest upset in any division by far. Hope that doesn’t add any pressure, it’s just the truth. They know it, you know it, we all know it. So who will be there with them? I absolutely loves Northview’s draw, especially if Eddie Pedroza is healthy. Oaks Christian could be dangerous if they meet in the quarters, but I like them to sneak though. St. Paul, Monrovia and Palm Desert are the best bets in the bottom half. Don’t sleep on St. Paul, they have a 1-2 punch on the mound better than anyone outside of Amat.

Semifinals
Bishop Amat vs. Northview
St. Paul vs. Palm Desert
Championship
Bishop Amat over St. Paul

Division 5
This is actually a difficult division. Maranatha has a major league first-round draft choice pitching, Woodcrest Christian and Tahquitz ae for real, making it a real chore for Sierra Vista or La Puente to advance past the second round. I love Sierra Vista’s chance when Christian Huerta’s pitching, but that might not be enough, especially if they reach the quarters and face No. 1 Woodcrest Christian.

Semifinals
Woodcrest Christian vs. Montclair Prep
Maranatha vs. Tahquitz
Championship
Maranatha over Woodcrest Christian

Bishop Amat has been formidable since the freshman took over

Division 3
The big question is Bonita really the top seed? You will have a better answer by the second round when they likely face Freeway League champion Sunny Hills and Yolando Rios, who has a 0.77 ERA after against a pretty tough schedule. My heart wants Bonita, but some strange losses down the stretch to Charter Oak and Los Altos make me wonder. Glendora on the other hand is playing well, hitting the ball as well as I’ve seen them it the past three years. So, here’s my final four.
Semifinals
Sunny Hills vs. Ayala
Glendora vs. Oaks Christian
Championship
Oaks Christian over Ayala

Division 4
The only local is Bishop Amat and I’ve got a great feeling about this. Once they take care of Rancho Alamitos at home, they will likely get No. 4 seed Aquinas (23-2-1). They have a great record but haven’t played anyone, losing to Bonita 8-1 early in the season in the Palm Springs tournament. Compare that to Amat, losing to the likes of Mater Dei 1-0 and beating St. Joseph at the near of the year and I like the Lancers. Here is how this will shake out.
Semifinals
La Quinta vs. Bishop Amat
Torrance vs. Santa Monica
Championship
Santa Monica over La Quinta

Division 5
There is no way I’m picking against San Dimas this time of season, especially the way they came on again, pounding Northview at the end of the season. This team just get it, and I like their road, going through a fourth seed like Duarte to get to the semifinals. The Saints should beat Pasadena Poly, and West Covina could be dangerous, but I like their trip to the semifinals. Northview and South Hills are on the bottom half, but I just don’t see it.
Semifinals
Whittier Christian vs. San Dimas
Cerritos Valley Christian vs. La Canada
Championship
Whittier Christian over Cerritos Valley Christian

Division 6
This will be short and sweet. South El Monte is the fourth seed, but Arroyo is probably still better. Either way, neither of these teams have enough pitching to get it done. If South didn’t do it with Reina, they probably won’t do it this year. I don’t see either team getting past the second round
Semifinals
Marymount vs. Oxford Academy
Oak Hills vs. La Salle.
Championship
Marymount over Oak Hills

Above: Anderson rushed for 1,121 yards and 22 touchdown in helping the Lancers capture the Serra League title and advance to the second-round of the Pac-5 Division playoffs.

Breaking News: Keith Anderson, the father of Bishop Amat junior running back/outfielder Jay Anderson, informed us this afternoon that Anderson will not play football for the Lancers in the fall, opting to concentrate on his studies and baseball his senior season.
“It was a difficult decision, but Jay’s not going to play football,” Keith Anderson said. “I called and spoke with (Bishop Amat coach) Steve Hagerty and informed him. It was a decision as a family, after his mother and I sat down and talked with Jay about it that we all felt as a family it was best for him to focus on baseball his senior year.”
Although Anderson had not been attending mandatory football weightlifting sessions so that he could concentrate on baseball and his studies, Keith Anderson believed that wouldn’t have prevented him from playing football, which was speculated.
“I think it all would have been worked out if Jay was going to play,” Keith Anderson said. “If Jay decided later he wanted to play, I’m sure Steve wouldn’t of said flat out that you couldn’t play football at Bishop Amat. He never told me that, and I don’t think he would have handled it that way.”
Keith Anderson said his son wants to focus on baseball in hopes of earning a scholarship and being the best baseball player he can by concentrating on the sport all year round.
“He’s (Jay) never had a chance to do this, to be in the type of showcase tournaments that he’s wanted to be in because of football,” Keith Andreson said. “He’s done a lot of great things in football that we’re all proud of, but he’s looking forward to the opportunity of devoting himself 100 percent to baseball.”

By Fred J. Robledo
There were no real surprises following the CIF-Southern Section baseball playoff pairings on Monday, with Sierra League champion Glendora High School the top seed in Division 2, and Del Rey League champ Bishop Amat the top seed in Division 4, which is where the Tartans and Lancers finished in the polls. Defending Division 3 champion South Hills, which lost a game to Walnut down the stretch, was awarded a No. 3 seed, with wild-card games on Tuesday afternoon and first-round games on Thursday for Division’s 3 and 5, and Friday for Division’s 2 and 4. (To continue, click thread)

CIF-Southern Section area Baseball Pairings are here, or you can go straight to the CIF-Southern Section website to view the pairings sheets.

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
Division 2
Friday’s first-round
Top Half
Wild-Cards on Tuesday
Top Half
No. 1 Glendora vs. Peninsula-Norwalk winner
Foothill vs. Arroyo Grande-Harvard-Westlake winner
Upland vs. Arlington-Redlands winner
Arcadia vs. Valencia-Atascadero winner
La Mirada vs. Rancho Cucamonga-Vista Del Lago winner
Alemany vs. Rialto-Burbank winner
Mira Costa vs. San Marcos-Nipomo winner
No. 4 Cypress vs. Woodbridge-Burroughs winner
Bottom Half
No. 3 Redlands East Valley vs. Bellflower, San Luis Obispo winner
Damien vs. Palos Verdes-Pasadena winner
Canyon Springs vs. Pacifica-Alta Loma winner
El Toro vs. Dos Pueblos-Loyola winner
Paso Robles vs. Chaminade-Diamond Bar winner
Santa Barbara vs. Los Osos-AB Miller winner
Mayfair vs. Crescenta Valley-Northwood winner
No. 2 Crespi vs. Yucaipa-Rancho Verde winner

Division 3
Thursday’s first-round
Wild-card on Tueday
Top Half
No. 1 Beckman vs. Highland-Warren winner
Colton at Charter Oak
Bell Gardens at California
La Quinta at Ocean View
Rancho Alamitos vs. Cajon-Corona del Mar winner
Santa Monica at Quartz Hill
Gahr at Walnut
No. 4 Hemet vs. Diamond Ranch-El Rancho winner
Bottom Half
No. 3 South Hills vs. Beverly Hills-Montebello winner
Santa Fe at Lancaster
University at Downey
Bonita vs. Orange-Elsinore winner
San Gorgonio vs. Nogales-Palmdale winner
Garden Grove at Culver City
No. 2 Alhambra vs. La Serna-Los Altos winner

Division 4
Friday’s first-round
Top Half
Wild-Cards on Tuesday
No. 1 Bishop Amat vs. Patriot-Oak Park wild-card winner
Colony at Estancia
South Pasadena at Savanna
Torrance vs. Victor Valley-Cathedral wild-card winner
Fullerton vs. South Torrance-Calvary Chapel winner
Temple City at Oaks Christian
Jurupa Valley at Indio
No. 4 Nortvhiew vs. Bastow-Century wild-card winner
Bottom Half
No. 3 St. Paul vs. Costa Mesa-La Canada wild-card winner
Kaiser vs. Troy-La Quinta wild-card winner
San Dimas at Garey
El Segunodo vs. Carpinteria-Magnolia wild-car winner
Monrovia vs. Covina-La Salle wild-card winner
St. Bonaventure at Sonora
Anaheim at Granite Hills
No. 2 Palm Desert vs. Don Lugo-Laguna Beach wild-card winner

Division 5
Thursday’s first-round
Wild-Cards on Tuesday
Top Half
No. 1 Woodcrest Christian vs. Aquinas-Desert Mirage winner
Sultana at Calvary Chapel
Serra at Lompoc
Sierra Vista vs. San Jacino-Mountain View winner
St. Monica at Heritage
Gabrielino vs. Paracle-St. Josephs winner
Big Bear at Arrowhead Christian
No. 4 Montclair Prep vs. Gladstone-Serrano winner
Bottom Half
No. 3 Maranatha vs. Calvary Murrieta-Twentynine Palms winner
Citrus Hill at Hesperia
South El Monte at Campbell Hall
Western Christian vs. Azusa-Santa Ynez winner
La Puente at Lompoc Cabrillo
Cathedral vs. Whittier Christian-Rim of the World winner
Linfield Christian at Yucca Valley
No. 2 Tahquitz vs. Ontario Christian-Village Christian winner

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By Fred J. Robledo
Bonita High School softball coach Ken Carlson wasn’t bothered at all when Ayala coach John Ameluxen last week discussed the Bearcats’ lofty No. 1 ranking in the final Division 3 poll, questioning the Bearcats’ strength of schedule and noting their non-existent history in the postseason. On Monday, the Miramonte League champion Bearcats were awarded the top-seed in the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs, with wild-card games Tuesday and the first-round on Thursday. (To continue, click thread)

CIF-Southern Section area softball pairings listed below, or you can go straight to the CIF-Southern Section website to view the pairings sheets.

CIF-Southern Section Softball Playoffs
Division 3
Wild Card Games
Tuesday, 3:15 P.M.
A–Lancaster at Kaiser
B–Pioneer Valley at Burbank
C–St. Lucy’s at Cajon
D–Fullerton at Aliso Niguel
E–Charter Oak at La Reina
F–Fillmore at Quartz Hill
G–Righetti at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
H–Dana Hills at Los Altos
I–San Gorgonio at Chino Hills
J–Arcadia at Paramount

First Round, Thursday
Wild-card A at Bonita
Wild-card B at Sunny Hills
Wild-card C at Mission Viejo
Oak Park at Downey
Wild-card D at Alemany
Wild-card E at Highland
Paso Robles at Burbank Burroughs
Patriot at Ayala
Wild-card F at Glendora
La Habra at Tesoro
Crescenta Valley at Colton
Wild-card G at Warren
Wild-card H at Atascadero
Wild-card I at Summit
Chaminade at Knight
Wild-card J at Oaks Christian

Division 4
Wild Card Games
Tuesday, 3:15 P.M.
A–Morro Bay at St. Paul
B–Westminster at Culver City
C–El Segunod at Lompoc

First Round, Thursday
Wild-Card A at LQ La Quinta
Hawthorne at Buena
W. La Quinta at Ocean View
Hemet at South Torrance
Paloma Valley at Serrano
North Torrance at St. Joseph
Rancho Alamitos at Bishop Amat
Palm Springs at Aquinas
Wild-card B at Torrance
Dos Pueblos at Lompoc Cabrillo
Indio at Hesperia
Ontario Christian at Lakeside
Ventura at L St. Joseph
Segerstrom at Pomona Catholic
Apple Valley at Garden Grove
Wild-card C winner at Santa Monica

Division 5 wild-card games
Tuesday, 3:15 p.m.
A–Gladstone at Rowland
B–Rio Hondo Prep at Riverside Notre Dame
C–Magnolia at Temple City
D–Godinez at Village Christian
E–Tahquitz at Covina
F–Paraclete at Flintridge Prep
G–Victor Valley at Riverside Christian
H–Montebello at Sierra Vista

First Round, Thursday
Wild-card A at Whittier Christian
Western at Schurr
Costa Mesa at San Marino
Wild-card B at Calvary Murrieta
Wild-card C at West Covina
Pasadena Poly at San Dimas
Ridgecrest Burroughs at Beaumont
Wild-card D at Duarte
Keppel at Cerritos Valley Christian
Wild-card E at Mayfield
Woodcrest Christian at Barstow
Azusa at South Hills
Wild-card F at Heritage
Wild-card G at Savanna
Northview at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
Wild-card H at La Canada

Division 6 Wild Card
Tuesday, 3:15 p.m.
A–Bishop Diego at Gabrielino
B–Los Angeles Lutheran at Mary Star
C–Lone Pine at Windward
D–Holy Family at Baptist Christian

Thursday, First Round
Wild-card A at Marymount
Viewpojnt at St. Monica
Lancaster Desert Christian at Alverno
Twentynine Palms at Maranatha
Marlborough at Oxford Academy
Big Bear at Bermuda Dunes Desert Christian
Silver Valley at Grace Brethren
Wild-card B at South El Monte
Wild-card C at Oak Hills
San Gabriel Mission at Ramona Convent
Mesa Grande Academy at Yucca Valley
Providence at Nordhoff
Carpinteria at Faith Baptist
Marshall at Boron
Whitney at Arroyo
Wild-card D at La Salle

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It’s usually an easy choice as to which is the toughest Southern Section division for the baseball playoffs. It’s Division 1, right? Except 12 Division 2 teams were ranked in The Times’ final regular-season top 25 rankings compared to 11 Division 1 teams.

Private high schools can very publicly be made to look foolish when they play fast and loose with the rules, as the case at Santa Margarita shows.

Check out the Masteres Heet Sheets. for Tuesday’s final swimming event of the season at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, which starts at noon in the prelims and 5 p.m. for the finals.

By Fred J. Robledo
In the CIF-Southern Section Divisional swimming championships there is at least a day between the preliminary races and the finals, but you get no such rest in the Masters, which is the final high school swimming event of the season. The Masters, which began in 2006, brings together the best of the best from the four CIF-SS swimming divisions and wastes no time crowning its champions, with the preliminaries at noon Tuesday, and the finals at 5 p.m., all at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach. (To continue, click thread)

Below: This is priceless, Glendora and Walnut huddling and showing each other respect after Saturday’s CIF-SS Division III finals. Glendora won the final relay, but Walnut won the team title to edge out Glendora.

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The CIF-Southern Section track and field championships for all divisions are on Saturday at Cerritos College in Norwalk, starting at 10:30 a.m. $9 general admission, $5 students/kids, $5 parking.

CIF-SS Division I Results
CIF-SS Division II Results
CIF-SS Division III Results
CIF-SS Division IV Results
Best combined marks from Saturday’s four CIF-SS Divisions

BAKERSFIELD – There will be no back-to-back state titles for the Mt. San Antonio College softball team.
But the Mounties didn’t go quietly.
Amanda Fama hit two home runs and Vanessa Alvarado had three hits as Cypress withstood two Mt. SAC rallies to win its first California Community College Athletic Association title since 2006 with a 7-6 victory at Bakersfield College on Sunday.
Mt. SAC (38-13), getting two RBIs each from Christie Nieto and Tarra Smith (Covina), rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie the score and trailed the Chargers 7-6 when Crystal Venegas grounded out with runners on second and third to end the game.
“We pulled out all our magic tricks,” said Mt. SAC coach Kelly Ford, who won state titles with the Mounties in 2003, ’05, ’07 and last season. “I’m just so proud of these athletes. To get to the (championship game) seven years in a row is not easy. There were so many people in the state who counted us out.
“I knew they had it in them, and like today, they just kept coming back.”

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By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
An afternoon of shock and awe unfolded at the CIF-Southern Section Divsion II swimming finals at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach on Saturday.
The awe belonged to Glendora High School’s Goliath Gretchen Jaques, who broke two Division II meet records that she set in the prelims on Friday in the 200 yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke, as well as win two more titles in relays.
But the shock belonged to four wide-eyed girls from Walnut, Christina Vu, Tiffany Hsu, Emily Hu and workhorse Andrea Grant, who rallied from nowhere and benefited from a Tartans disqualification in the 200 freestyle relay to capture the Division II team title, the Mustangs’ first championship since 1994. Walnut finished with 158 points to capture the team competition with Glendora finishing second with 147 points. (To continue click thread)

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Anything and anyone you want to talk about. With baseball and softball playoffs starting next week, swimming ending this weekend and track getting ready for its biggest three weeks of the season, the end of another high school sports season is near. Which reminds me, any thoughts on the boys and girls athletes of the year? Or just talk about what you want, that’s what Just Tribbin is for …

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Bonita coach Eric Podley is still waiting to get all his players back from other sports, but when he does, the makings of one of the area’s top offenses should begin. It starts with returning quarterback Garrett Pendleton and continues with a receiving corps that’s got height and speed to burn. The Bearcats are six deep at running back, according to Podley. And sophomore-to-be Reggie Turner is somebody to keep an eye on. (To continue click thread)

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BAKERSFIELD — Mt. San Antonio College has been in this
situation before.
But can the Mounties do it again?
If Mt. SAC expects to win the school’s fifth state softball title
and its second
in a row, the Mounties will have to.
Mt. SAC is in this position after splitting two games Saturday at the
California Community College Athletic Association championship
tournament at Bakersfield College.
The Mounties dropped a 2-1 setback to Cypress in the semifinals
before coming back to score a 7-4 victory over Cosumnes River, who
they pounded, 12-0, in the opener on Friday, in an elimination game
Saturday night.
Now Mt Sac (38-12) will face Cypress for the state title at noon. The
Mounties must sweep two games from the Chargers, who are seeking
their first CCCAA state title since 2006. A second game today, if
necessary, will be 30 minutes after the first game.
Mt SAC, which is in the state title game for the seventh consecutive
season, was in this position last week when the swept two games from
Fullerton to win a super regional at Cerritos college.
But it won’t be easy, especially against Cypress, which looked
formidable in its 2-1 victory on Saturday.
The Chargers got a solid seven innings from Alyssa Freight, who gave
up just four hits. Cypress pushed across a run in the sixth to take a
2-1 lead.
Mt. SAC, getting two RBIs each from Korinne Randazzo and Samantha Sloniker, came back to advance to the championship round with a 7-4 victory over Cosomnes River.

Friday was both good and bad for two area college softball teams.
Mt. San Antonio continued its quest for its fifth CCCAA title and its second consecutive state title with an impressive 12-0 victory over Cosumnes River in the first round of the State Final Four at Bakersfield College.
The Mounties got big help from three former local standouts = Northview’s Heather Harrison, Los Altos’ Sarah Velasquez and Covina’s Tarra Smith. Harrison hit two home runs and had three RBIs and Velasquez hit a pinch-hit grand slam. Smith also had three hits as Mt. SAC advanced to face rival Cypress in the semifinals tonight at 5:30 p.m. The winner advances to Sunday’s championship round. The loser plays an elimination game today at 8, against either Cosumnes or College of the Siskiyous.
I will be in Bakersfield later today and will attempt to provide updates.
Friday wasn’t so good for La Verne, who lost two games and was eliminated from the NCAA Division III Regionals in Pineville, La.
The Leopards dropped a tough 1-0 setback to host and top-ranked Louisiana College in the opener and then after hold leads of 4-1 and 8-5 dropped an 11-8 decision to No. 2 Texas-Tyler in an elimination game. La Verne, which got two RBIs each from Ashley Paul (Glendora) and Mandy Brenner (South Hills) and two stolen bases from Melissa Carlson (San Dimas) finished 27-20.
.

Glendora junior Gretchen Jaques broke a record at Friday’s CIF-SS Division II prelims at the Belmont Plaza pool that she won’t soon forget. Jaques’ winning qualifying mark of 1:59:00 in the 200 individual medley broke U.S. Olympian Janet Evans’ 1989 record of 1:59.96 that she set with El Dorado High School. Evans is arguably the most celebrated U.S. women’s swimmer ever. Jaques, who entered the race with a qualifying mark of 2:04.06, shattered her personal best and will compete for the title on Saturday.
More breaking News: Jaques also set a record in the 100 breaststroke, winning in 1:01.03, breaking the Div. II meet record of 1:01.96, set in 2008 by Hart’s Jordan Danny.

This could break the heart of Bishop Amat football fans, but the word is, through several reliable sources, that junior running back Jay Anderson is not on the spring football roster, and might possibly not play football at all next season. Those speculating that he might transfer can forget it, a family member telling me he’s not going anywhere. (To continue, click thread)

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There is a great chance of this happening, with Glendora in Division II, South Hills the reigning champ in Division III and Bishop Amat heavy favorites in Division IV, despite losing the Del Rey League finale to St. Paul. You can even have a sleeper like Sierra Vista make a run in Division V, and don’t count out Bonita in Division III. Player of the year, coach of the year, all-team first team honors, all this stuff will be decided over the next few weeks. There is no clear cut favorites at this point, the postseason will determine all that, but enjoy it, the next few weeks should be exciting. The Pairings are released on Monday.

Above: Glendora pitcher Adam Plutko put together a spectacular season. Next up, the CIF playoffs.

Click here for a complete list of swimming prelims, finals results and schedules.

Above: San Dimas’s Henry Shieh in the 200 yard IM during the CIF-SS Division 4 swim finals at Belmont Plaza Pool

Division IV Swim Finals: San Dimas High School’s Henry Shieh got a pair in Thursday night’s CIF-Southern Section Division 4 finals at Long Beach’s Belmont Plaza indoor pool. He finished fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1 minute, 2.58 seconds and sixth in the 200 individual medley in 2:05.06. He had a personal best in the IM. “All of my strokes were the same,” the senior said. “But the biggest improvement was on the turns on the butterfly and the backstroke. I thought I swam pretty well.”

Saturday’s Division II @ III Preview: The area’s best boys and girls swimmers will take an important step toward CIF-Southern Section individual titles when they compete at the Division II prelims, scheduled for this morning at 10 at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach. Locals led by Glendora’s Gretchen Jaques, Walnut’s Andrea Grant and Rowland’s Kylie Garcia have a good shot at individual championships. Damien’s Jason Haney and Johnny Beal also will be in the running for Division II glory. Jaques and Grant won CIF-SS titles last season. The finals are scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m., also at Belmont Plaza. Jaques, who has won the 50-yard and 100 freestyles the past two seasons, is competing in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly this season, but hardly has missed a beat.

Saturday, at Mission Viejo HS: Division I Prelim heet sheets.
Saturday, at Moorpark HS: Division II Prelim heet sheets.
Saturday, at Estancia HS: Division III Prelim heet sheets.
Saturday, at Carpineria HS: Division IV Prelim heet sheets.

Above: Glendora’s Lauren Justus in the 3,200 meters.

By Steve Ramirez, staff writer
This is a big weekend in track and field, which will have Saturday’s CIF-SS divisional prelims. They will be held at four sites. Division 1 is at Trabuco Hills High in Mission Viejo; Division 2 at Moorpark High; Division 3 at Estancia in Costa Mesa and Division 4 at Carpinteria High. All four meets begin with field events at 11 a.m., with the running events scheduled to begin at noon. The finals are scheduled for Saturday, May 22. The area will be led by sprinters Beejay Lee of West Covina and Remontay McClain of Covina. They have two of the quicker times in California in the 100 and 200 meters, respectively. Bishop Amat’s Kylie Price, one of the better competitors in the 200 and long jump, also is expected to do well.