Tribskin Pick’em, your predictions and ours

Steve and I will go head-to-head in Tribskin Pick’em throughout the season for our annual dinner bet. I lead the overall series, two years to one.
Last Week: Robledo (11-1); Ramirez (9-3).
Season: Robledo (189-55); Ramirez (184-60).

Last week: I was four-for-four in the Mid-Valley and Southeast, the only game I missed was taking Norco over Vista Murrieta, which wasn’t close. I blame our Norco blogger for that and me for listening. Steve missed one in every division, taking Muir, Covina and Roosevelt, who all lost.

This week: I’m going to be a mood spoiler, there will only be only one team left after the weekend, West Covina, who will go on to win the Southeast title, unless of course they run into injuries or a turnover-filled game that costs them. I can’t imagine them losing to Mayfair, though road trips are never easy. I have seen Bonita twice, against West Covina and Muir, and both times, didn’t come away extremely impressed. I do love how they battle, but they got a juggernaut in La Serna, who has won ten straight. The way Whittier schools have beat up on us in the Mid-Valley division, I’m taking La Serna, who does own a win over La Mirada. Speaking of the Mid-Valley, Monrovia will return the favor against San Dimas. It’s like the ‘Cats have two championships, Saturday’s to exact some revenge, then next week where they hope to win their first title after nine championship tries. We know they hate the name BillyCats, but until they win a title …well, they’re the Billycats. If you thought just because Bishop Amat was eliminated there was no football at the highest level, look again, Chino Hills is hosting undefeated Corona Centennial, who many believe are better than Servite and Mission Viejo. It’s the game of all games for the Huskies. I don’t think they win or come close, but what a treat for everyone. On Friday, Mike “The Cousin” Robledo and I will do dual Coveritlive’s. He will be at West Covina and I will be at Chino Hills. We will blog ’em both together, and you can join us during the chat. Should be a lot of fun.

This week’s games and predictions
CIF-SS Semifinals
Mid-Valley Division

Friday
Whittier Christian vs. Village Christian at Glendale HS, 7 p.m. — Robledo (Whittier Christian); Ramirez (Village Chr.)
Saturday
Monrovia at San Dimas, 7:30 p.m. — Robledo (Monrovia); Ramirez (San Dimas)
Southeast Division
Friday

West Covina vs. Mayfair at Bellflower HS, 7:30 p.m. — Robledo (WCovina); Ramirez (WCovina)
Saturday
La Serna at Bonita, 7 p.m. — Robledo (La Serna); Ramirez (Bonita)
Inland Division
Friday

Corona Centennial at Chino Hills, 7:30 p.m. — Robledo (Cor. Cent); Ramirez (Cor. Cent.)
Saturday
Rancho Cucamonga at Vista Murrieta, 7:30 p.m. — Robledo (Vista); Ramirez (Vista)

Chino Hills with have their hands full with Corona Centennial QB Michael Eubank

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South Hills win Cory Lidle tournament

South Hills defeated Temecula Great Oak, 7-4, in the final of the Cory Lidle Thanksgiving baseball tournament on Sunday. The Huskies’ Ryan Peterson hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give South Hills a 5-4 lead. South Hills’ Ty France was named MVP of the tournament and was awarded the Cory Lidle Foundation scholarship.

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Baldwin Park/Sierra Vista kick-off tournament season; please send us your schedules

Boys and girls basketball begins this week, beginning with the Sierra Vista-Baldwin Park Tip-Off Tournament, which includes Glendora, Verbum Dei and many other good local teams. We need all the other tournament schedules listed, so if you have them and want your tournament posted, email to fred.robledo@sgvn.com or fax to 626-856-2758. We need scores from basketball games called to our sports desk nightly. Remember, the number is 626-962-8811, ext. 2242 or 2233 or you can email results to scores@sgvn.com.

BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS
Baldwin Park/Sierra Vista tournament, Nov 29-Dec.4
Arroyo Tournament, Dec. 6-13
Azusa tournament, Dec. 14-18
Covina Tournament, Dec. 27
Nogales Tournament, Dec. 27

GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Wilson tournament, Nov. 29–Dec.4
Covina tournament, Dec. 7-11
Duarte tournament, Dec. 6-11
Arroyo tournament, Dec. 8-13
Rowland tournament, Dec. 28-30

Sierra Vista-Baldwin Park Winter Tip-Off
Boys Basketball Nov. 30-Dec. 4

Today’s round-robin games
El Monte vs. Esteban Torres, 6 p.m., Sierra Vista HS
Rosemead vs. Sierra Vista, 7:30 p.m., Sierra Vista HS
Southeast vs. Rowland, 6 p.m., Baldwin Park Hs
Academia Avance vs. Baldwin Park, 7:30 p.m., Baldwin Park HS
Tuesday’s round-robin games
South East vs. Santa Fe at Sierra Vista, 3 p.m.
LA Garfield vs. Diamond Bar at Sierra Vista, 4:30 p.m.
Covina vs. Sierra Vista at Sierra Vista, 6 p.m.
Glendora vs. Azusa at Sierra Vista, 7:30 p.m.
Rowland vs. Esteban Torres, at Baldwin Park, 3 p.m.
South El Monte vs. Bell Gardens at Baldwin Park, 4:30 p.m.
Rosemead vs. Baldwin Park at Baldwin Park, 6 p.m.
Verbum Dei vs. Arroyo at Baldwin Park, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s round robin
Academia Advance vs. Covina at Sierra Vista, 3 p.m.
El Monte vs. Rowland at Sierra Vista, 4:30 p.m.
Baldwin Park vs. Sierra Vista at Sierra Vista, 6 p.m.
South El Monte vs. Glendora at Sierra Vista, 7:30 p.m.
Arroyo vs. Garfield at Baldwin Park, 3 p.m.
Esteban Torres vs. Santa Fe at Baldwin Park, 4:30 p.m.
Bell Gardens vs. Azusa at Baldwin Park, 6 p.m.
Verbum Dei vs. Diamond Bar at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m.
Thursday’s round-robin
Academia Advance vs. Sierra Vista at Sierra Vista, 3 p.m.
El Monte vs. Santa Fe at Sierra Vista, 4:30 p.m.
Glendora vs. Bell Gardens at Sierra Vista, 6 p.m.
Garfield vs. Verbum Dei at Sierra Vista, 7:30 p.m.
Esteban Torres vs. South East at Baldwin Park, 3 p.m.
South El Monte vs. Azusa at Baldwin Park, 4:30 p.m
Covina vs. Rosemead at Baldwin Park, 6 p.m.
Arroyo vs. Diamond Bar at Baldwin Park, 7:30 p.m.
Friday – Semifinals, 7:30 p.m. at Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista
Saturday – Championship, Baldwin Park HS, 8:30 p.m.

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Grant Jerrett and Eric Cooper Jr., heading to Arizona, giving Lutheran four D-1 starters

With seniors C.J. Cooper going to UTEP and Bruce English going to Loyola Marymount, La Verne Lutheran’s big underclassmen made their intentions known over the weekend. Trojans 6-foot-9 junior forward/center Grant Jerrett and 6-foot-4 sophomore Eric Cooper Jr., both committed to Arizona — giving the Trojans four division one players in their starting lineup.

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Sunday Tribbin: Monrovia-San Dimas IV … Set for Saturday night, San Dimas HS, 7:30 p.m.

I bet Monrovia is thinking they should be 3-0 against these guys. They won the first of three encounters last season 36-17 and lead 77-64 in total points over three games. But the Saints beat them 12-7 in the pouring rain for a championship and again with a fourth quarter come-from-behind 35-34 overtime win in September. Maybe the ‘Cats are just unlucky, they’ve lost nine straight championship games. Still, they looked so good when I saw them against South Hills, I just can’t imagine them losing to the Saints again. In any case, this is what the playoffs needed, a spicy rematch.

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State Playoffs: St. Lucy’s advances to regional finals, Chino Hills loses in four sets to Troy

CIF-State Southern California playoffs
Tonight’s regional semifinals
Division II

St. Lucy’s def. Downey 25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 25-15
Troy def. Chino Hills18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21

Next: St. Lucy’s will face Troy on Tuesday in the Southern California Regional finals at the University of La Verne, 7:30 p.m. If the Regents win again, they play for the state title in San Jose on Saturday.

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Aram, I agree, it was a bad night of officiating

I’m rarely hard on the refs because I realize it’s a thankless job and we need those guys to keep the local circuit going, but what happened tonight at Muir was a fiasco. It’s just ridiculous to have that many flags in one game. Every other play, there was a flag. Sometimes these guys let the game get away from them and it becomes this cycle of flag after flag after flag. Terrible. — Aram’s comment on Saturday Morning QB

There were so many flags and the game was so long Aram and I had to change our plans in the middle of the Bonita-Muir game. I hope I get a final tally, but there was easily over 30 flags, maybe closer to 40. Instead of writing a game story and having Aram write a column — Aram left at halftime and bolted to the office, where I called in scoring updates and quotes from coaches to him. Without a press facility or place to write from the field, this was all we could do, the game ending at 10:45, right on deadline. Aram sent his story soon after I sent comments from coach Podley and Howard to him. It was that kind of night, and unusually cold too. My poor cousin Mike, he finished his live blog shaking on the chilly tower at Muir, learning first-hand these nights aren’t always as comfortable as an Amat press box. Gotta love winter football.

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