January 2011 Archives

At least in softball, it has been a good rivalry, until now. Courtney Gano, who has been one of the Valley's best softball players since her freshman year, checked out of Los Altos and is at Bonita like so many have speculated. It's not a surprise, her father Greg Gano, also the football coach at Damien, sold his home in West Covina and is now living in La Verne, which should make it a textbook change-of-address transfer as far as CIF is concerned, so you can already start thinking of Gano in the green and white. Bonita already was good, but adding Gano, who batted .458 her junior season and is on her way to Washington on scholarship, gives them a huge boost and a senior leader that steps right in.

Non-football athletes expected to sign national letter of intent on Wednesday .
Lauren Stupin, Los Altos, soccer, (Cal State Fullerton)
Heather Jackson, Bonita, cross country, (Utah Valley University)
Kylie Price, Bishop Amat, track, (UCLA)
Katherine Salcido, San Dimas, track (UCLA)
Khalalah Todd, Northview, soccer, (New Mexico State)
Jessica Smetherman, Glendora, soccer, (Cal State Fullerton)

Below: San Dimas stand-out hurdler and triple jumper Katherine Salcido will be signing her letter of intent with UCLA. Salcido will compete in the heptathlon for the Bruins. She chose UCLA over Stanford. Not a bad pair of choices.

Below: Los Altos soccer standout Lauren Stupin will sign with Cal State Fullerton ..

Friday's Boys Hoops Results
Sierra League
Chino Hills 69, Claremont 44
Ayala 60, Charter Oak 46
Damien 75, South Hills 52
Del Rey League
Bishop Amat 64, La Salle 37
Mission Valley League
Mountain View 56, Gabrielino 41
Montview League
Sierra Vista 73, Duarte 31
Hacienda League
Rowland 58, West Covina 43
Valle Vista League
Wilson 60, Northview 59

Amat romps: If defense wins championships, Bishop Amat High School has a chance to earn its first league title since 1988 when the school was in the Angelus League. Amat used a suffocating defense to shut down La Salle 64-37 in the first game of second-half play in the Del Rey League on Friday night.

Mountain View takes over first: Mountain View High School used strong starts in the second and fourth quarters to defeat visiting Gabrielino 56-41 and take sole possession of first place in the Mission Valley League boys basketball race.

The Bishop Amat softball team's flag football alumni fundraiser game is Saturday at 3 p.m. at Kiefer Stadium, bringing together some of Amat's legendary football players. Amat softball coach Jesse Mendez said marquee alumni players such as Ralph Brown, Daylon McCutcheon, Brian Polak and John Jackson are just a few that already have committed. The teams will be split up between odd and even years, meaning the 1992 championship team that featured McCutcheon would go against Brown's 1995 championship team. Mendez said they were hoping to get legendary quarterback Pat Haden, but Haden might not be able to commit until next year. There will be tailgating with food just like any other Amat game, so don't miss it.

Today's games at a glance: The Glendora High School boys basketball team knows it probably won't catch undefeated Etiwanda (21-0, 5-0) in the race for the Baseline League title, but finishing second and earning a top four seed for the CIF-Southern Section Division 2A playoffs remains a strong possibility, where the Tartans are ranked third.
Basketball in the postseason is different than other sports, teams from the same league often compete in different playoff divisions. For example, Etiwanda is the second-ranked team in Division 1AA, meaning Glendora won't have to deal with the Eagles in the playoffs.
So, Glendora's (18-4, 3-2) biggest concern is finishing second in the Baseline and stretching its four-game winning streak with a huge game at Los Osos (14-7, 3-2) tonight at 6:30 p.m., for sole possession of second with four games remaining after tonight, including a home game on Tuesday against Etiwanda.
Glendora opened the Baseline with a 46-45 win over Los Osos at home and won another crucial game earlier in the week, hanging on to defeat Upland, 57-56. (To continue click thread)

Friday's Boys Basketball Schedule
Baseline League
Glendora at Los Osos, 6:30 p.m.
Del Rey League
La Salle at Bishop Amat, 7 p.m.
Hacienda League
Diamond Bar at Bonita, 6:45 p.m.
Rowland at West Covina, 6:45 p.m.
Walnut at Diamond Ranch, 6:45 p.m.
Mission Valley League
Mountain View at Gabrielino, 6:30 p.m.
Rosemead at South El Monte, 6:30 p.m.
Arroyo at South El Monte, 6:30 p.m.
Montview League
Gladstone at Workman, 6 p.m.
Bassett at Ganesha, 6 p.m.
Duarte at Sierra Vista, 6 p.m.
Sierra League
South Hills at Damien, 6:30 p.m.
Claremont at Chino Hills, 6:30 p.m.
Ayala at Charter Oak, 6:30 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Wilson at Northview, 6:30 p.m.
Nogales at Covina, 6:30 p.m.
Pomona at San Dimas, 6:30 p.m.

The 2010 Tribune All-Area team is in today's PrepXtra Magazine, which you will find packaged in today's Tribune with stories online on our Tribune prep page. The magazine includes a San Gabriel Valley all-encompassing team, plus the selections from the Pasadena Star-News as well. Hope you enjoy, you can always purchase copies of PrepXtra at the Tribune or Star-News offices as well.

Tribune coach of the year: Mike Maggiore, West Covina
Tribune player of the year: Chris Solomon, West Covina, Jr.
Tribune offensive player of the year: Jalen Moore, Bishop Amat, Jr.
Tribune defensive player of the year: Maurice Dupleasis, West Covina, Sr.
For stories on all of the above, including Aram's column, click thread

Tribune First-Team Offense
QB - Garrett Pendleton, Bonita, Sr.
RB - Jalen Moore, Bishop Amat, Jr.
RB - Jamel Hart, South Hills, Jr.
WR - Aaron Dockery, Claremont, Jr.
WR - Anthony Miller, Arroyo, Sr.
WR - Dennis Rufus, Charter Oak, Sr.
OL - Christian Orduno, Bishop Amat. Sr.
OL - Tarez Lemmons, Bonita, Sr.
OL - Allen Brown, San Dimas, Sr.
OL - Joseph Gibson, West Covina, Sr.
OL - Nick Enriquez, Chino Hills, Jr.
ALL - Beejay Lee, West Covina, Sr.
K - Brandt Davis, Bonita, So
Tribune First-team Defense
DL - Julian Gener, Amat, Sr.
DL - Auston Johnson, Chino Hills, Sr.
DL - Edwin Garcia, Azusa, Sr.
LB - Maurice Dupleasis, West Covina, Sr.
LB - K.C. Huth, Bonita, Sr.
LB - Giamani Johnson, Bonita, Sr.
LB - Jose Nunez, Azusa, Sr.
DB - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Chino Hills, Sr.
DB - Demetrius Jackson, Baldwin Park, Sr.
DB - Vinny Venegas, Covina, Jr
DB - Anthony Molina, West Covina, Sr.
P - Christian Fulham, Glendora, So.

ALL CIF SOUTHEAST DIVISION FOOTBALL:
Offensive Player of the Year - Chris Solomon, West Covina
Defensive Player of the Year - Maurice Dupleasis, West Covina
Coach of the Year - Mike Maggiore, West Covina
To look at the teams click thread

ALL CIF INLAND DIVISION
Offensive Player of the Year - Michael Eubank, Centennial/Corona
Defensive Player of the Year - Chris Gonzalez, Centennial/Corona
Coach of the Year - Matt Logan, Centennial/Corona
To look at the teams click thread

ALL MID-VALLEY DIVISION
Offensive Player of the Year - Nick Bueno, Monrovia
Defensive Player of the Year - Derrick Johnson, Monrovia
Coach of the Year - Ryan Maddox, Monrovia
To look at the teams click thread

All-PAC-5 DIVISION
Offensive Player of the Year - Malik Felton, Servite
Defensive Player of the Year - Matthew Inman, Servite
Coach of the Year - Troy Thomas, Servite
To look at the teams click thread

Thursday's Boys Soccer Schedule
Hacienda League
Bonita at Diamond Bar, 3:15 p.m.
Walnut at Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m.
Mission Valley League
Mountain View at Gabrielino, 3:15 p.m.
El Monte at Arroyo, 3:15 p.m.
South El Monte at Rosemead, 3:15 p.m.
Montview League
Bassett at Ganesha, 3:15 p.m.
Duarte at Sierra Vista, 3:15 p.m.
Gladstone at Workman, 3:15 p.m.
La Puente at Azusa, 3:15 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Pomona at San Dimas, 3:15 p.m.
Wilson at Northview, 3:15 p.m.
Nogales at Covina, 3:15 p.m.

Boys Soccer standings, schedules, leaders
Baseline League
Del Rey League
Hacienda League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Thursday's girls soccer schedule
Hacienda League
Bonita at Diamond Bar, 3:15 p.m.
Diamond Ranch at Walnut, 3:15 p.m.
Mission Valley League
Gabrielino at Mountain View, 3:15 p.m.
Arroyo at El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Rosemead at South El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Montview League
Azusa at La Puente, 3:15 p.m.
Workman at Gladstone, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra Vista at Duarte, 3:15 p.m.
Ganesha at Bassett, 3:15 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Northview at Wilson, 3:15 p.m.
San Dimas at Pomona, 3:15 p.m.
Covina at Nogales, 3:15 p.m.

Girls Soccer standings, schedules, leaders
Baseline League
Del Rey League
Hacienda League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

By Clay Fowler Staff Writer
With a No. 1 ranking and a combined zero league losses in tow, the Damien and Claremont boys soccer teams were pleased entering Wednesday's Sierra League showdown. After a scoreless tie that included overtime, everybody left with similar emotions. "We knew it wasn't going to be pretty," Damien coach Eric McElrea said. "We knew it was going to be a lot of bumps and bruises, but this is a good result for us, especially on the road." Said Claremont coach Fred Bruce-Oliver: "I'm happy. The only way I could be happier is if we'd gotten one of those goals to go in."

Boys Basketball
Wednesday's Sierra League Results
Chino Hills 57, Ayala 41
Damien 66, Claremont 45
South Hills 57, Charter Oak 56

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM WEDNESDAY'S MATCH

By Miguel A. Melendez
MONROVIA -- This much is now clear: there's rich talent on each side of the San Gabriel Valley.

That message was sent loud as the East withstood a frantic rally from the West to record a thrilling 25-22, 27-25, 23-25, 21-25, 16-14 victory in the inaugural San Gabriel Tribune vs. Pasadena Star-News Girls Volleyball Senior All-Star game at Monrovia High.

The East All-Stars, made up of senior standouts from the Tribune circulation area, were thought to be a more balanced team. But the West All-Stars, made up of players from the Star-News circulation area, proved every bit their worth.

No more than three points separated each team in the first two sets, eventually won by the East. There also were 13 ties in each set.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

On Tuesday, Feb. 1, we're inviting players listed below to a photo shoot with video interviews at the Rose Bowl, which is a day before signing day. This is so we can have a great package in the newspaper with photo's and video's online, plus we're taking pictures at selected schools on the Feb. 2 signing day. Here is the list we have so far with more student athletes expected to make their decisions soon. If we missed anyone, let us know...

FOOTBALL SIGNEES
Joseph Gibson, West Covina (UTEP)
Allen Brown, San Dimas (Fresno St.)
Chase Price, Diamond Ranch (San Diego St.)
Brandon Tuliaupupu, Claremont (Washington St.)
Ifo Ekpre-Olumu, Chino Hills (Oregon)
Chad Jeffries, Glendora (San Diego St.)
Sioasi Aiono, South Hills (Utah)
Wardell Crutchfield, Baldwin Park, (Georgetown)
Jacoby Carter, Diamond Ranch (Sacramento State)
Tanner Gibas, Charter Oak, (Colorado State).

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Baldwin Park High School linebacker Wardell Crutchfield showed that in the end, grades were more important that football. Crutchfield had given a verbal commitment to the University of Texas El Paso on a full athletic scholarship back in August, but learned later that UTEP didn't have enough scholarships available for him to enroll in the fall. UTEP wanted Crutchfield to grayshirt, meaning he would have to enroll in a community college in the fall and start at UTEP next January - which is a delayed form of red-shirting and a way that UTEP could still honor the scholarship it offered to Crutchfield.
UTEP's decision forced Crutchfield to rethink his plans too, and on Wednesday he gave a verbal commitment to attend the University of Georgetown and its football team after weighing other scholarship offers from Eastern Michigan, Southern Utah and Villanova.

Charter Oak offensive lineman Tanner Gibas is one of the top-rated long snappers in the country, and the specialty paid off. Gibas announced on Wednesday that he has accepted a full ride to attend Colorado State. Gibas chose Colorado State, though Kansas and California were interested too. "When you think of scholarships in football you think of the glory positions like quarterback or linebacker, but long snappers are a valued position too," Gibas said. "I'm thankfull that I got offered. I loved my trip to Colorado State, especially the coaching staff and campus and when I got back home I made the decision to accept and go there."

By Steve Ramirez
Glendora High School's move to the Baseline League was supposed to spell gloom and doom for its boys basketball team. But the Tartans continue to show otherwise.
Sophomore Nick Colletta scored 16 points and senior Michael Doering had 14 and Glendora stayed in the hunt in the league race with a 57-56 victory over visiting Upland on Tuesday.

Aram summing up the breaking news out of Wilson: The writing was obviously on the wall when retired former A.D. and football coach Dave Merrill was brought back to "oversee" the program.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Wilson High School football coach Brian Zavala has resigned after two seasons at the school. Zavala resigned his position as football coach effective immediately and his teaching position at the school at the end of the year, according to Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Rob Roberts.

By Fred J. Robledo
If the Bishop Amat High School girls soccer team has visions of winning a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 title, it can look directly at its defense, specifically sweeper Jessie Gener and stopper Alyssa Cabral, whose chemistry is growing with each shutout.
Visiting La Salle had its chances in Tuesday's Del Rey League game that could have forced a three-way tie for first, but it didn't have a lot of quality chances, firing off just six shots and only a couple that forced Amat goalkeeper Nicole Ragano to work up a sweat.
Bishop Amat's Selena Quezada and Yazmin Montoya ended the drama late, scoring in the 73rd and 76th minutes respectively to give Amat breathing room in a 3-0 victory.
But more importantly it was Amat's fifth straight shutout -- a sign that the Division's second-ranked team could be hitting its stride as the playoffs near.

The Tribune/Star-News All-San Gabriel Valley football magazine will be in the Tribune and Star-News newspapers on Thursday, January 27 -- don't miss it. We're a little behind publishing it, but it looks like we're still publishing all-area teams before CIF, which still doesn't know when it's going to release its teams. CIF is still waiting for the Western Division to submit its team before releasing all the All-CIF football teams.

Right: Northview's Khalalah Todd (35 goals) leads the Southern Section in scoring with Bishop Amat's April Juarez (30 goals) not far behind and No. 3 overall in the section. For the first time in years, Walnut girls soccer has dropped from the top ten rankings. In boys soccer, Sierra Vista and Baldwin Park are tumbling and the Hacienda is proving to be a beast with four teams capable of winning it. Glendora is in first and loving its move to the Baseline League. And don't sleep on former area power Damien, they're at Claremont on Wednesday with both teams 4-0 in the Sierra.

Boys Soccer Rankings
1. Mountain View (7-2-3)
2. Claremont (12-0-4)
3. Bonita (10-3-5)
4. Glendora (9-6-5)
5. Ganesha (7-4)
6. Damien (7-2-5)
7. Los Altos (9-4-2)
8. Sierra Vista (11-4-2)
9. Diamond Ranch (8-3-1)
10. Baldwin Park (11-2-2)

Girls Soccer Rankings
1. Bishop Amat (16-1)
2. Ayala (12-4-2)
3. Los Altos (13-2-4)
4. Glendora (11-4-4)
5. Claremont (13-5-1)
6. Bonita (9-3-2)
7. St. Lucy's (6-4-2)
8. Northview (15-3)
9. Diamond Bar (9-5-1)
10. San Dimas (11-2-2)

Right: Bishop Amat's Leeah Powell scored game-winner at buzzer in Bishop Amat's 57-55 victory over Bonita in Saturday's Southern California Shootout at APU.
Boys Basketball rankings
1. Damien (18-2)
2. La Verne Lutheran (11-3)
3. Glendora (17-4)
4. Chino Hills (17-4)
5. Bonita (17-3)
6. Northview (18-3)
7. Ayala (12-7)
8. Bishop Amat (16-6)
9. Walnut (11-7)
10. Rowland (13-7)

Girls Basketball rankings
1. Bishop Amat (18-3)
2. Bonita (18-2)
3. Duarte (15-1)
4. Chino Hills (15-6)
5. Diamond Ranch (10-9)
6. Walnut (11-6)
7. St. Lucy's (11-8)
8. Sierra Vista (13-3)
9. Wilson (14-6)
10. West Covina (12-8)

By Steve Ramirez
Bonita High School's girls basketball team has played second fiddle to Diamond Ranch the past few years. But thanks to senior guard Taylor Anderson, that might change this season. Anderson's rebound follow with two seconds left and her ensuing steal of an inbound pass lifted the host Bearcats to a dramatic 50-48 victory over their recent nemesis in a key Hacienda League game on Monday.
Bonita, getting 14 points each from Anderson and freshman Nikki Wheatley and eight from senior Madison Zylstra, improved to 17-2 overall and 6-0 in league. Diamond Ranch, getting 20 points from junior forward Chelsea Barnes and 15 from junior Erika Williams, slipped to 9-9 and 5-1.

"This is huge," Anderson said. "We haven't beaten Diamond Ranch in a long time, so we knew we had to come out here and show them who wanted it more and we all worked really hard. It feels good."

But it wasn't feeling that way late.

The Bearcats, coming off a last-second loss to area stalwart Bishop Amat during Saturday's Southern California Shootout at Azusa Pacific, saw Diamond Ranch rally from 13-point deficit in the first half and take a 48-47 lead on a 3-point play by Barnes with 2:22 to play.

Brett Hundley and Baldwin Park's Mike Johnson .. I might get to talk trash again.

Life at our office is great. I give Mr. Lambert credit, I would never wear 'SC stuff if they lost to my Bruins. But his Bears lost and he's a good sport, forced to wear a Packers helmet at work today. Then there's weeklies reporter Rich Irwin, parading around in his Pittsburgh Steelers colors, and who will undoubtedly gloat for at least the next two weeks. On the sports desk, we always have to deal with Boston native Jason Cunningham, who reminds us all the time where his loyalties are ....

Walnut's 6-foot-5 wide receiver Aubrey Coleman intended on signing a national letter of intent to play football at the University of Washginton, but he told Dawgman.com because of his grades, he will attend Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. He still intends to go to Washington.
"I'm all set to head out to Kansas and play at Fort Scott for the next two years," Coleman told Dawgman.com. "I was getting good grades, but I didn't have the right classes for my credits to count toward my core GPA so, I talked with (Washington cornerbacks) coach (Demetrice Martin) and he gave me a number to call. I guess there is a former coach from Mount San Antonio, where coach Martin was, and he said I should call him, so I did and he's out at Fort Scott now. I'm definitely planning on it (going to Washington), but it's a ways away. I want to be a Husky and I like the staff and the direction of their program. We'll see if they still want me. My plan is to go there when I'm done."

With just over a week before high school football players can sign national letters of intent, Baldwin Park High School's Wardell Crutchfield and Demetrius Jackson are in limbo after their scholarship offers from the University of Texas El Paso were pulled in hopes the two would accept grayshirt offers instead. UTEP did not have as many scholarships available in the fall as it anticipated, according to Baldwin Park coach James Heggins. (To continue, click thread)

Above: This was our pre-season edition. To get a copy on the All-SGV edition, you have to be a subscriber, buy a newspaper on the rack or pick one up at the Tribune office.

BTW, signing day is on February 2, here is what we have so far.
Joseph Gibson, West Covina (UTEP)
Allen Brown, San Dimas (Fresno St.)
Chase Price, Diamond Ranch (San Diego St.)
Brandon Tuliaupupu, Claremont (Washington St.)
Ifo Ekpre-Olumu, Chino Hills (Oregon)
Chad Jeffries, Glendora (San Diego St.)
Sioasi Aiono, South Hills (Utah)

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
It will be hammer vs. hammer, friend vs. friend and teammate vs. teammate when the best high school senior volleyball players in the San Gabriel Valley play on Wednesday, Jan. 26. The hammers will belong to the arms of St. Lucy's Deanna Dalton and Monrovia's Tirah Le'au. The two outside hitters are both powerful, longtime friends, they have been teammates on the same club team and both were selected volleyball players of the year; Dalton by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Le'au by the Pasadena Star-News.
Both will also be playing NCAA Division I volleyball next season. Dalton will play at Army and Le'au at Georgia.
The best-of-five match will be played in Monrovia's new gym with a scheduled 7 p.m. start. (To continue click thread)

By John Honell, Correspondent
The California Elite Showcase lived up to its name, matching a pair of 2010 state champions in the feature game of the day-long extravaganza at the University of La Verne.
Price High School, the 2010 Division IV CIF State champion, faced off against La Verne Lutheran, the Division V champion, in front of a packed house Saturday night. The Knights' twin towers, Norvelle Pelle and Skylar Spencer, took control of the boards in the second half as Price pulled away for an 80-65 victory over the Trojans. (To continue click thread)

By Steve Ramirez
AZUZA -- There might be a time when the Damien High School boys basketball team can look back and reflect on the positives of pushing one of the top teams in Southern California to the brink.
But not today.
The Spartans, instead, can only think of what might have been after Clayton White missed a tying 3-pointer with eight seconds left before Damien dropped a 56-51 decision to Mission Viejo in the Southern California Shootout at Azusa Pacifc University.
The Diablos, ranked No. 1 CIF-Southern Section Division 2AA, got 16 points from Michael Cramer, who clinched it with two free throws with three seconds left, and 14 from Isaac Neilson to improve to 22-0. They are also ranked No. 3 in Orange County.
Damien, getting 25 points from Chris Reyes and 10 from Gian Demano, slipped to 18-2. It's also the second consecutive year that the Spartans nearly upset a high-ranked team, losing in overtime to Etiwanda.
"Not now. Maybe later, if we learn from this, than it will be a successful experience," said Damien coach Matt Dunn, whose Spartans are ranked No. 4 in Division 3-A. "Last year, we lost to Etiwanda and we learned from it and got better. If we did that ... but to be honest, we're kind of past the point where we can lose and it's OK.
"We didn't play our best. We didn't find a way to win. You have to give (Mission Viejo) all the credit in the world. They're good. They made all the big plays."
But Damien, which was held to just two field goals in the first quarter, made some of its own. The Spartans, getting back-to-back baskets from J.J. Pavia and Demano, rallied back from a 31-22 deficit at the start of the second half to take a 44-43 lead early in
the fourth quarter. Then after 3-pointers by Cramer and Brandon Henson gave Mission Viejo a 52-46 lead, the Spartans made one more push.
Reyes converted a 3-point play at 1:22 to cut it to 52-49 and White scored from the inside to make it 54-51 with 14.2 seconds left. The Spartans then caught a break when the ensuing in-bounds pass was deflected off the Diablos' James Cramer with 11 seconds left.
But White's 3-point chance was short, with Michael Cramer grabbing the ball following a rebound battle before making two free throws to clinch it.
"We knew we could come out and beat these guys," Reyes said. "It's a tough loss."
La Canada 60, Los Osos 36
Dario CiVon scored a game-high 20 points and Conner Boyd had 14 for the Spartans, who improved to 18-2. Michael McGlashan had 12.
Maranatha 57, Walnut 39
Josh Chamberlain scored 24 points and Jeremy Major had 16 and the Minutemen (16-5) were too strong for the Mustangs (11-8).
Bryan Gholar had 15 points to lead Walnut.
Righetti 74, Rowland 65
Van Holloway had 21 points and the Warriors (12-6) overcame an early-second half deficit to beat the Raiders (13-9).
Sharif Watson had a game-high 27 points and Joseph Dionisio had 17 to lead Rowland, which used a 15-10 blitz for a 43-41 lead early in the third quater.
Flintridge Prep 103, Covina 54
Kenyatta Smith scored 23 points and Kory Hamane had 21 and the Rebels (14-4) rolled to an easy victory.
Edgardo Campos had 14 for the Colts (12-9).
Other Scores
Girls: Bishop Amat 57, Bonita 55
Corona del Mar 80, Upland 67
La Canada 60, Los Osos 36
Etiwanda 66 vs. Colony 62
Glendora (15-4) vs. Baldwin Park (14-4), 9 p.m.

The inaugural California Elite Showcase hosted by La Verne Lutheran. Saturday's Schedule at the University of La Verne.
Diamond Ranch High School vs Ayala, 2 p.m.
Eisenhower High vs Salesian, 3:30 p.m.
San Diego Hoover vs. Corona Roosevelt, 5 p.m.
La Verne Lutheran vs. Price, 6:30 p.m.
San Diego Lincoln High vs Sacramento High, 8 p.m.

It's probably the worst secret in college football, but UCLA finally made official what most have known for a few weeks -- that Baldwin Park High School alum Michael Johnson, arguably one of the top athletes to come out of the San Gabriel Valley is the Bruins football team's new offensive coordinator. Norm Chow, UCLA OC the past three seasons, was officially hired by Utah.
Welcome back, Mike.
Here's the release from UCLA

Andrea Villanueva found wide-open teammate Leeah Powell under the basket for an easy layup off an inbound pass as time expired to give Bishop Amat a 57-55 win over Bonita in a clash of the area's top-two girls basketball teams.

Bonita entered the game 16-1 and this appeared the year that somebody else beside the Lancers would dominate the local landscape, but Amat had other ideas and came from nine down in the second half to eek out the victory and maintain its status as the top girls team in the Valley.

Amat's Leticia Galarza led all scorers with 22 points. Bonita's Madison Zylstra was held to 10 points. Nikki Wheatley led the Bearcats with 17.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
It wasn't that hard for Baldwin Park High School boys basketball coach Marc Hart to understand why Northview is so difficult to defend in transition and on the boards. Hart and the rest of the Valle Vista League knew what the Vikings had returning in 6-foot-4 senior Brian Johnson, a hard-nosed rebounder with ball-handling skills.
But with 6-foot-4 junior Treavon Francis coming into his own, the Vikings have two versatile players that can play all five positions, and that was too much for the smaller Braves to deal with, despite their feisty attempts to stay close.
Francis punished the Braves in transition and hit two big third-quarter three-pointers to finish with a game-high 27 points to lead Northview to a 71-58 victory on Friday.

Friday's Boys Basketball Results
Baseline League
Alta Loma at Glendora, 6:30 p.m.
Del Rey League
Bishop Amat at Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Hacienda League
Bonita 63, Rowland 57
Los Altos at Diamond Bar, 6:45 p.m.
West Covina at Diamond Ranch, 6:45 p.m.
Mission Valley League
Mountain View 50, Rosemead 34
Arroyo 52, South El Monte 50
El Monte at Gabrielino, 6:30 p.m.
Montview League
La Puente 55, Bassett 36
Gladstone 59, Duarte 48
Azusa at Workman, 6:30 p.m.
Sierra Vista 63, Ganesha 53
Sierra League
Damien 59, Ayala 55, OT
South Hills at Claremont, 6:30 p.m.
Chino Hills at Charter Oak, 6:30 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Northview 71, Baldwin Park 58
San Dimas at Wilson, 6:30 p.m.
Pomona at Nogales, 6:30 p.m.

The Inland Insider, Tom Kiss, was at Damien's victory over Ayala, check it out ...

Above: 1986 State Championship will play in the 25th Anniversary Alumni game at Wilson High School on Saturday at 7 p.m.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
After plenty of time out, 25 years to be precise, together is exactly what that Wildcats will be again on Saturday night when they will reunite to play a fundraiser game against the school's current varsity team. "I've played in a lot of big arenas, but this is where it all started," said `86 team member Scott Williams, who went on to play at the University of North Carolina and later won three NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. "I can't believe it's been 25 years. To me, it feels like a flash. It all went by so fast. It was a special time." (to continue click thread)

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
When it comes to girls high school wrestling, no area in California features more top competitors than the San Gabriel Valley. It was that way last year, and it's been the case so far this season, with most of the favorites to win at the first CIF State championship in February coming from the Valley. (To continue click thread).

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
There were so many free runs on goal for Ganesha High striker Luis Flores it was almost surprising he didn't score more. Flores scored three goals in a 4-2 victory over defending Montview League champion Sierra Vista to help the Giants remain in sole possession of first on Thursday. (To continue, click thread)

CIF-SS Girls Soccer Rankings
DIVISION 2 -- 1. Palos Verdes; 2. Upland; 3. Los Osos; 4. Corona Santiago; 5. Long Beach Wilson; 6. Great Oak; 7. Buena; 8. Dos Pueblos; 9. Murrieta Valley; 10T. Sunny Hills; 10T. Troy. (Glendora not ranked).
DIVISION 3 -- 1. Granite Hills; 2. Ayala; 3. Bishop Amat ; 4. Righetti; 5. La Mirada; 6. La Salle; 7. Los Altos ; 8. Serrano; 9. Flintridge Prep; 10. Lakewood St. Joseph.
DIVISION 6 -- 1. St. Margaret's; 2. Hemet; 3. Sierra Vista; 4. Alverno; 5. San Marino; 6. San Jacinto; 7. Northview; 8. Crean Lutheran; 9. Tahquitz; 10. Beaumont (NR).

The 411: There are only three divisions that mean anything, and as you can tell, Sierra Vista is best positioned to make another championship run, though my money would be on Northview or San Dimas to make a deeper playoff run in D-6 than the Dons, who won a D-7 title last year. It's not on overwhelming division, but I don't expect any of our teams to win it. West SGV teams like Alverno and San Marino probably have a better shot. In Division 3, believe me when I say it's a crap shoot. There is no slam dunk. There is no team that's going to cruise through the division. There are a lot of good teams, not great ones, which means the team that plays the best defense and is most opportunistic will advance. I love that Walnut's not ranked, they could be a sleeper, that is if they stop screwing around and make the playoffs. But that's life in the Hacienda where a team like Bonita will have to scratch and fight for a playoff spot too. Diamond Bar's not ranked either, but they could take the lead in the Hacienda with a victory over Los Altos today, which is interesting because Diamond Bar's resume includes losses to Glendora (3-1), San Dimas (1-0) and Bishop Amat (2-1) with wins over Claremont (2-0), Diamond Ranch (1-0), Bonita (1-0) and a tie with Walnut (1-1). It actually makes you think the Hacienda isn't as strong as you thought it was. My impression of Los Altos is they can score, but aren't as solid in the back as they were last year, but still good enough to beat anyone in this division on any given day. No. 4 Bishop Amat seems to be back on track, but we'll no more after a game today at home against No. 10. St. Joseph and a home-and-away against No. 6 La Salle. My impressions on Amat is that they miss defender Jasmine Roth, now at Arizona State, but offensively, they create the most chances and are the best offensive team I've seen all year. Oh yeah, there is No. 3 Ayala, who has defeated Amat and Walnut already, though that was much earlier in season, and in Amat's case, several players were gone. Still, you know Ayala is good, too much club talent in the area for them not to be. Then there's Glendora, arguably a top-five area team, but they're over-matched in Division 2. It's one thing to have four or five premiere players on your team, but once you start competing in Div-2 and Div-1, you're facing teams with premiere players coming off the bench like Flintridge Sacred Heart. For those who haven't seen FSHA, you're missing the best team in the San Gabriel Valley by a landslide...

Girls Soccer standings, schedules, leaders
Baseline League
Del Rey League
Hacienda League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

If you were naming a mid-season all-area team, this would be my top five, all of whom are legitimate player of the year candidates. A lot can change between now and when CIF and state champions are crowned, but considering the individual seasons and how these players have impacted their teams, these are your front runners. Those teams/coaches who do not report season or individual game-by-game stats, sorry, I lean heavily on players I can follow. If you don't want the pub or recognition, as Hammer says, that's your prerogative. But I've said it once and I'll say it again, I'll bet every coach who regularly does not post stats or rosters loved seeing their name/career followed in the paper during their high school days.

Highlights of Reyes, having a monster year for Damien ...

In no particular order ...
Nick Colletta, Glendora -- The sophomore transfer from Lutheran is leading the area with 24 points a game for the 15-4 Tartans. If they make a run in playoffs, he'll be in the mix for sure.

Daniel Rodriguez, Bishop Amat -- Great numbers across the board, averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists for the 15-5 Lancers, who have a great shot at winning the Del Rey League and making noise in the playoffs.

Chris Reyes, Damien -- If you took a poll, Reyes would probably be the front runner for player of the year, averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks on the area's top-ranked team with an impressive 16-1 overall record. A force on both ends of the floor, he will get tested in Saturday's game against Mission Viejo.

Grant Jerrett, La Verne Lutheran -- In terms of pure talent and size, he has it all. The University of Arizona commit is averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds for the 10-3 Trojans, who have tackled a tough non-league schedule with several out-of-state games, and will be tested in the playoffs now that they're in the same Division as Price, who they will meet on Saturday

C.J. Cooper, La Verne Lutheran -- He's the straw that stirs the drink, averaging 16 points and five assists. He could probably average 25 points a game on most teams, but does what is needed to help the Trojans win.

By Clay Fowler, Staff Writer
Amy Campbell doesn't often mention the Ayala girls basketball team's Sierra League winning streak that reached 49 games with Wednesday's 50-37 victory over Claremont. Most of the players on this year's team have been part of only the last three. The same goes for Campbell, who is in her first year as Ayala head coach following Mel Sims' long tenure.
"Six players graduated from last year's team and one transferred," Campbell said of the Bulldogs team that reached the CIF semifinals. "These are kids that haven't played much varsity basketball. We're very young."
Nevertheless, an Ayala team with two seniors and no juniors has carried its league win streak into a sixth consecutive season. (To continue click thread).

By Tyler Drohan, Correspondent
La Puente High School's German Pompa scored the winning basket with eight seconds remaining to give the Warriors a 34-32 victory over Sierra Vista on Wednesday and keep them in first place in the Montview League. Sierra Vista senior Herman Pech scored on a turnaround jumper from the baseline to tie the game at 32-32 with 21 seconds to play. Soon after, La Puente inbounded the ball inside to Pompa, who banked in the winner. Sierra Vista got a good look on the other end, but Andres Monteon's shot rolled out as time expired. (to continue, click thread)

By Nathan Cambridge, Correspondent
The Rosemead High School girls basketball team topped Arroyo 32-25 on Wednesday to give the visiting Panthers 19 consecutive Mission Valley League wins. "The victory means a lot to us because we are basically trying to keep our streak alive, and we know Arroyo is our biggest challenge," Rosemead coach Jay Gauthier said. (to continue click thread)

The slow time for us is between football and baseball (sorry basketball fans, that's just how it is). Looking ahead, who do you like in the new Hacienda League? Will anyone challenge Bonita? Yes, Diamond Bar with Kenny Mathews, aka, the best returning pitcher in the Valley, will be the favorite in my opinion. How much are you going to enjoy Damien, South Hills and Charter Oak in the Sierra League? This is the most intriguing. I'm not sure what Ayala, Chino Hills and Claremont bring to the table, but Damien, Charter Oak and South Hills all in the same league for baseball is as good as it gets locally. How will our lone defending CIF champion, Glendora, do in the Baseline? They will continue to win because they're a great baseball school, but what a shame they're not in the Sierra ... talk about wasting the perfect fit. Then of course there is always the Valle Vista, which a few years ago you could argue was the best league around. Not anymore, but it will be interesting with Wilson and Nogales joining to compete against Northview, San Dimas and Covina. Finally, will Bishop Amat have the pitching depth to be considered one of the best in the Southland again? Word is, QB Rio Ruiz will probably have to be a closer, that ought to be interesting ....

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Former Charter Oak High School linebacker Keith Smith certainly made the most of his freshman season at San Jose State. Smith recently was named to the Football Writers Association's Freshman All-American team and was named second-team All-Western Athletic Conference after finishing 30th nationally in tackles with 116. Smith led all freshmen nationally in tackles.

The college soccer season is over and this story is a few months old, but given we're in the middle of the high school season and that Nadia Link was a big-time part of our coverage just a few years back, I thought I would share her feel-good story that I ran across from Long Beach Press-Telegram columnist Doug Krikorian. Link's road to Long Beach wasn't conventional, but she's back on track fulfilling her potential. The extraordinary Long Beach State soccer player, Nadia Link, is seated in Starbucks in Belmont Shore speaking to the reporter when she spots her 20-month-old daughter outside the front door gazing with fascination at a pigeon.

Jack Renkens, a former high school coach, administrator, teacher and a regular contributor for several newspapers and magazines, founded Recruiting Realities, which explores the myths and truth's of high school athletic recruiting.
Diamond Bar High school invited Renkens to speak to student athletes and parents interested in knowing more about the recruiting process on Thursday at the school, which is open to anyone interested in attending. Renkens is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Diamond Bar athletic director Kurt Davies at (909) 594-1405 Ext. 154

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Waiting for the final whistle can be an excruciating feeling, especially in soccer where officials add injury time at their own discretion. On the other hand, it can be a blessing too, especially for the Sierra Vista High School girls soccer team, whose only goals came in the final seconds of injury time to close out each half.
That was the difference for the Dons, who salvaged a 2-2 tie against host La Puente after 80 minutes and two ten-minute overtimes to remain in first place in the Montview League while improving their league unbeaten streak to 19. (To continue, click thread).

Eric Sondheimer wrote that Bill Redell of Westlake Village Oaks Christian has tied the Southern Section record for most championships won by a football coach with eight. Redell is tied with late coach Randall Johnson from Rio Hondo Prep who won eight eight-man titles and Harry Welch, who won eight championships at Canyon Country Canyon and San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's. If eight championships is the standard, you have to like the coaching resume's in our little backyard. Los Altos legend Dwayne DeSpain is the area leader with seven titles, but there are several current coaches who have a chance to reach DeSpain and maybe reach eight before their careers are finished. Of our active coaches, who has the best chance to finish with the most championships. Personally, when all is said and done, I like Maggiore's chances to finish with the most, he's the youngest and in the best situation in terms of enrollment and football demographics. But you wonder, if West Covina keeps winning, how long before neighboring schools send them out of the area to compete for titles.

Lou Farrar, Charter Oak, 5 titles
Steve Bogan, South Hills, 4 titles
Greg Gano, Damien, 4 titles
Steve Hagerty, Bishop Amat, 3 titles
Mike Maggiore, West Covina, 2 titles

Above: Bishop Amat coach Richard Wiard has a big non-league game on Saturday in the SoCal Shootout at APU against top-ranked Bonita. Wiard didn't win multiple state titles by accident. On Friday, he was at Bonita scouting their game against Walnut. Now, who scouts non-league games in January? Wiard does. Preparation, that's what separates Wiard from the rest. Knowing this, I still like Bonita, think they're too talented and have been waiting for this opportunity a long time.

Tribune Rankings
Boys Hoops
1. Damien (15-1) - Facing undefeated Mission Viejo on Saturday at APU
2. La Verne Lutheran (8-3) -- Good record against a powerful schedule with Price in town on Saturday
3. Glendora (14-4) -- Impressive overall record, but might be third or fourth best in Baseline.
4. Chino Hills (14-4) -- Sorry Huskies, this is Damien's year to take the Sierra.
5. Bonita (12-3) -- Rowland, Walnut, Diamond Bar are all tough in Hacienda, but 'Cats are still the team to beat.
6. Ayala (12-5) -- Are they a team Damien should worry about? They meet on Friday.
7. Bishop Amat (14-5) -- No significant wins on resume, but they keep on winning and could be a factor in the Division 4AA playoffs.
8. Northview (17-3) -- Getting better each week and in the same playoff Division with Amat, wouldn't mind seeing them meet up down the road.
9. Rowland (13-5) -- Boom Boom Hamlow's best team in years, though a stinging loss to Diamond Bar hurts.
10. Mountain View (14-3) -- They haven't played a tough schedule, but overall record is best of the rest.

Girls Hoops
1. Bonita (15-1) -- Love the scheduling with a non-league game against Bishop Amat on Saturday in the SoCal Shootout at APU. Prediction: Cat's by 10.
2. Bishop Amat (15-3) -- In our neck of the woods, Amat not use to being No. 2. They can prove we're wrong on Saturday.
3. Duarte (13-1) -- Not only do they have size and are beating everyone in front, they're young and only going to get better.
4. Diamond Ranch (7-8) -- Tough schedule, bad record. Look, you know it, I know it, they're better than this.
5. Chino Hills (11-6) -- If they're the best in the Sierra, how do you explain a 26-point nonleague loss to Bishop Amat?
6. Walnut (11-6) -- Lori Huckler's crew not use to losing league game, but that happens in a league with Diamond Ranch and Bonita. Welcome to the Hacienda.
7. Wilson (12-6) -- Would love to see them win the Valle Vista for late coach Ed Bruyninckx, who passed away before the season started.
8. Sierra Vista (10-3) -- They don't like being No. 2 in the Montview, but they better get use to it with Duarte on a roll.
9. West Covina (10-6) -- You have to feel for the Dogs who will probably do no better than fourth-best in the brutal Hacienda.
10. Baldwin Park (13-3) -- Although they lost a tough game to Wilson, off to best start in years.

Tribune Rankings
Boys Soccer
1. Mountain View (5-2-3) Surging ahead in MVL
2. Claremont (10-0-4) -- Only undefeated team left
3. Baldwin Park (10-1-2) - 33 goals for, just 9 against
4. Diamond Ranch (7-2) -- 3-0 in Hacienda League
5. Sierra Vista (11-3-2) -- Surprising 1-0 loss to Azusa
6. Glendora (9-6-5) -- Huge 3-0-1 start in Baseline
7. Bonita (8-3-4) -- Defense playing well
8. Diamond Bar (9-3-2) -- Starting to pick up steam
9. Damien (5-2-5) -- Starting to make noise
10. South Hills (8-5-3) -- Can it survive the Sierra?

Girls Soccer
1. Ayala (11-4-2) -- Team to beat in the Sierra
2. Bishop Amat (14-1) -- Starting to resemble last year's team.
3. Glendora (11-4-4) -- Tough 2-2 start in the Baseline
4. Los Altos (10-2-4) -- Look who's on a roll again
5. Claremont (11-4-1) -- 44 goals, just 12 against
6. Bonita (6-3-2) -- Great 4-2 win over Walnut
7. Walnut (8-4-2) -- Only 2-1-1 in Hacienda
8. Northview (13-3) -- 5-0 in Valle Vista
9. Diamond Bar (9-4-1) -- Area's biggest surprise
10. Sierra Vista (11-2) -- Defending CIF champs solid again

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Among all of Duarte High School girls basketball standout Imari Brown's gaudy stats, there's only one that really matters to the sophomore: assists. She's got plenty of them, too, an average of 10.1 per game. But Brown's assists are just one part of a dynamic stats package that includes 17.4 points, 15.2 rebounds and 8.2 steals per game.
"I'd really rather have more assists than points because I like to see my team do well," Brown said. "Without my team, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I can't inbound the ball to myself. I can't pass it to myself. My team has really helped me a lot."

Martin Luther King
Boys Basketball Showcase
At Los Osos High School on Monday
Bishop Amat 67, Monrovia 49.
Glendora 74, Jurupa Hills 23
Damien 74, San Dimas 35

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 in the San Gabriel Valley.

The Guru Writes: Tuesday marks the first day that college coaches can get back on the road and start recruiting. There are two purposes of the visits these days -- they are looking for any players that have fallen through the cracks and see if there is any interest from the player to their school and to start work for the class of 2012 and 2013.

So here is the latest update from our some of the area schools in the valley. If you don't see your favorite school on here, don't worry - I'll have it for you next week. (To continue click thread).

For those of you who are Tribune subscribers, you have to take a look at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune's E Edition, which allows you to sort through stories online like a regular newspaper. For those not subscribers, you can take a free tour. Basically, you're looking at the newspaper just the way it is on the stands. To read a story, just lick on the story and read it the way it appears in the newspaper. After clicking on (View Demo), for sports, start on page C-1 (you will find the cursor near the top of the page) and thumb through (all sports pages in Cs), you will love it. Why is this huge for prep sports? Not only can you read stories, but you can read daily high school boxscores online just how they appear in the paper. Without a subscription, prep boxscores are not available online. In fact all sports boxscores can be easily read on the E Edition, including television listings and horse racing handicaps and results. For folks who live out of the area, this is like having your hometown paper wherever you live in the world. If you're not a subscriber, this is another reason to join. For 50 cents a day, it's still the greatest bargain there is.

I know I have been telling you that we were going to publish the TribXtra All-Area Football Magazine on Jan. 20, but that date was pushed back a week, so hopefully (crossing my fingers) this is the last time I have to update a change. Sorry for long delay, but I think you will the final product when it comes out.

San Dimas Coach Bill Zernickow said that Allen Brown, the Saints' 6-foot-4, 270-pound offensive lineman has accepted a full ride to Fresno State and that receiver Kevin Kolbeck has two trips to make before deciding his future.

By Aram Tolegian
Glendora quarterback Chad Jeffries said Friday that he still plans to attend San Diego State despite the fact that Brady Hoke, the coach who recruited him, has left to become the head coach at Michigan. San Diego State replaced Hoke with Rocky Long this week.
Jeffries, who shined at all of the offseason recruiting combines he attended, threw for 1,148 yards and 12 touchdowns in an injury-shortened season. In other football news, San Marino's Mike Mooney officially resigned from San Marino and Monrovia's De'Shawn Ramirez is working his way back to re-joining team. Read it all on "Inside the Huddle".

The Inland Insider, Tom Kiss, wraps up Damien's win over Chino Hills

Damien wins: - A mass of shaving cream wasn't the only thing Matt Dunn had to wipe off his face Friday night. There was probably a smile under there somewhere after the Damien boys basketball coach led his team to a 59-50 victory, the first victory at Chino Hills in the history of Damien's program.

Northview wins: Junior Treavon Francis scored 22 points, including 18 in the second half, and senior Brian Johnson had 19 as host Northview took early control of the league race with a 66-57 victory over Nogales on Friday.

Friday's Boys Basketball results
Sierra League
Damien 59, Chino Hills 50
Ayala 56, South Hills 46
Del Rey League
Bishop Amat 57, Serra 49
Valle Vista League
Northview 66, Nogales 57
Baldwin Park 49, Wilson 41
Hacienda League
Bonita 57, Walnut 34
Diamond Bar 67, Rowland 61
West Covina 53, Los Altos 46
Mission Valley League
Mountain View 48, Arroyo 40
Montview League
La Puente 52, Ganesha 35
Sierra Vista 49, Gladstone 29
Note: For Boxscores, click thread
Pro Bass tournament of champions
La Verne Lutheran 74, Greater Atlanta Christian 61

By Fred J. Robledo
It took a moment for Bonita High School senior Madison Zylstra to figure it out, but once she saw her cousin Carly Horine walking on the floor after draining a three-pointer with 4:40 left until half against visiting Walnut, it all registered. Officials called timeout after Zylstra moved ahead of Horine to become the school's all-time leading scorer, and she didn't stop there, finishing with a game-high 23 points to lead the CIF-Southern Section Division 3A's top-ranked Bearcats to a 65-37 victory over the Mustangs. Zylstra's 1,300 career points moved her ahead of Horine's 1,284, which she set in 2006.
"I wasn't expecting anything like this at all," Zylstra said of the in-game ceremony. "But when I saw my family and Carly, it was great. It was great having my cousin out there with me, and the way we played tonight, I couldn't of been prouder."
Zylstra's averaging a team-leading 17 points on a team that seemingly has everything after the addition of freshman point guard Nikki Wheatley, giving the Bearcats' two great ballhandlers along with senior Taylor Anderson, heading to Loyola Marymount.(To continue click thread).

By John Honell, Correspondent
"It's all for Ed," said first-year Wilson High School girls basketball coach Tracy Calton, speaking about dedicating this season to longtime Wildcats coach Ed Bruyninckx, who died suddenly last summer. The Wildcats (12-6, 4-0) started slowly but dominated the second half Friday to knock off Baldwin Park 51-27 and take over sole possession of first place in the Valle Vista League.

Plenty of boys hoops on the schedule with the marquee game Damien at Chino Hills, which is where the Inland Insider will be for video interviews and highlights. Clay Fowler also will be there to cover the game. BTW, I like Damien, and don't think it will be that close. In any case, Steve Ramirez is covering Nogales at Northview in a key Valle Vista encounter and I will cover Walnut at Bonita girls hoops at 5 p.m. This is my opportunity to see the No. 1 team in Division 3A do their thing against an always steady Walnut squad. John Honell will cover another girls game for us, which is for first place in the Valle Vista League, Wilson at Baldwin Park, which starts at 5 p.m. I will update as many scores as I can late tonight.

Tonight's games
Boys Basketball
Baseline League
Glendora at Rancho Cucamonga, 6:30 p.m.
Etiwanda at Upland, 6:30 p.m.
Los Osos at Alta Loma, 6:30 p.m.
Del Rey League
Serra at Bishop Amat, 7 p.m.
Hacienda League
Diamond Bar at Rowland, 6:30 p.m.
Walnut at Bonita, 6:30 p.m.
Diamond Bar at Rowland, 6:30 p.m.
Mission Valley League
Arroyo at Mountain View, 6:30 p.m.
El Monte at South El Monte, 6:30 p.m.
Gabrielino at Rosemead, 6:30 p.m.
Montview League
Ganesha at La Puente, 6 p.m.
Sierra Vista at Gladstone, 6 p.m.
Workman at Bassett, 6 p.m.
Azusa at Duarte, 6 p.m.
Sierra League
Damien at Chino Hills, 6:30 p.m.
Ayala at South Hills, 6:30 p.m.
Charter Oak at Claremont, 6:30 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Nogales at Northview, 6:30 p.m.
Wilson at Baldwin Park, 6:30 p.m.
Pomona at Covina, 6:30 p.m.
Note: In most cases, girls varsity games are played just before the varsity

From the News-Leader.com:
In the JQH Arena locker room before his team's game against La Verne (Calif.) Lutheran on Thursday night in the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, Nixa High School basketball coach Jay Osborne scrawled two words on the dry-erase board: move right.
"Nixa's never moved right in this tournament," Osborne explained later of the Eagles' first-round history at the T of C. "We've always been in the consolation side."
That is, until Thursday, when Nixa (12-2) claimed a 60-59 win over La Verne (5-3). Nixa moved right thanks to a fourth quarter in which it made all the right moves.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
The CIF State wrestling championships are less than two months away, but who will stand out at the annual meet might begin to become clear today when some of the top athletes from California and beyond compete in the two-day Five Counties Invitational at Fountain Valley High School. The tournament, which begins today with preliminary matches at 11 a.m. and concludes with final-round bouts at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, traditionally is a barometer for the state meet. The Valley is expected to be strongly represented, with Northview's Gilbert Nakatani at 112 pounds and Rosemead's Matt Fregoso at 130 among the favorites. (To continue, click thread).

Below: Rosemead's Matt Fregoso doing his thing ...

Today's girls soccer games
Baseline League
Glendora at Alta Loma, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra League
Ayala vs. South Hills at CDF, 5 p.m.
Claremont at Charter Oak, 5 p.m.

Thursday's Girls Soccer Results
Del Rey League
Amat 10, St. Monica 0
La Salle 2, Bishop Montgomery 0
Hacienda League
Los Altos 10, West Covina 1
Diamond Bar 6, Rowland 1
Bonita 3, Walnut 2
Mission Valley League
Arroyo 5, Mountain View 0
Rosemead 3, Gabrielino 2
Valle Vista League
San Dimas 2, Covina 0
Montview
La Puente 4, Ganesha 1
Workman 1, Bassett 0

Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Bishop Amat High School's girls basketball team was leaving nothing to chance in its Del Rey League opener on Thursday against visiting St. Paul.
The Lancers, who shared last year's league title with Bishop Montgomery and Serra, figure this year's race is going to be just as tight and erupted in the first quarter for an early double-digit lead en route to a 67-34 win over the Swordsmen.
"I read what (Glendora boys basketball) coach Mike LeDuc said the other day after his team beat Los Osos," Amat coach Richard Wiard said. "He said 'If you want to win a league title, you'd better win the home opener. Otherwise, you're going to be in trouble.'
"We did that and the other three teams in our league are all very good. They're all ranked either No. 1 or 2 in their CIF divisions, so it's going to be a challenge.
Amat improved to 15-3 overall and 1-0 in league. St. Paul is now in a big hole considering Thursday was its second league loss (15-5, 0-2).The Swordsmen get a week off to regroup before they play Bishop Montgomery.

Do league races in basketball really matter? Since teams in the same league often play in different divisions in the playoffs, all that really matters is where you're ranked in your playoff division, not where you end up in league, right? Look at boys basketball, Glendora might finish third, maybe fourth in the Baseline, but they're ranked No. 2 in Division 2A, which is all the Tartans need to pay attention to. Chino Hills, for example, might win the Sierra League, but they're only No. 10 in the ridiculous Division 1AA, where Mater Dei, Etiwanda, Corona Centennial, Upland and others reside. Damien and Bonita might both win their leagues, but they're in a tougher position than Glendora, ranked fourth and fifth respectively in Division 3A, where Crespi, Harvard-Westlake and Inglewood occupy the top three spots. Bishop Amat hasn't done that great against top area teams, but they're No. 8 in Division 4AA. Even La Verne Lutheran's not a lock this year, they're up from Division 5A to 3AA, where they're No. 3 behind Price and Palm Springs. So, interestingly enough, Glendora who everyone knows got the short end by being sent to the Baseline, is in the best position of all when it comes to the playoffs.

For those of you who get offended about speculative reporting, then please go somewhere else and save the journalism ethics stuff for somebody who cares. If you don't like a town called Rumorville, then please keep driving until you reach Boringville, aka, the Mid Valley Snooze.

By Aram Tolegian Staff Writer
Think the celebration is over for the West Covina High School football team following its CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division championship won on Dec. 10? Think again.
The Bulldogs and their fans still were in party mode on Monday when the City of West Covina honored the champs with a ceremony in a courtyard at City Hall. West Covina mayor Steve Herfert spoke to the crowd before Bulldogs coach Mike Maggiore called to the stage his team and announced each player by name in attendance.
"We have a tremendous support group in West Covina," Maggiore said. "It's the only high school in the city. The city council has been great with us. "The community has been great. I'm extremely proud of our guys and this is another way that we can recognize them." (To continue, click thread)

Like I said, if you have YouTube video's to share, send them my way...
Diamond Bar quarterback Henry Omana ....

Brahmas WR/S, George Katrib

Too bad Amat nation can't post comments while our techs work into the second week trying to restore them, but here's what you all want regardless, your 2011 football schedule. It appears Long Beach Jordan was added in week two, forcing the Lancers to have a bye in week ten, something coach Steve Hagerty wanted desperately to avoid. Also, Amat's annual Hit & Hustle football camp is on Saturday, January 15 for grades 3-8. The $75 registration free includes a camp t-shirt, certificate of participation, group photo, lunch and of course instruction from the Amat coaching staff, including Hagerty. For more information call 626-962-2495, ext. 6001 or visit bahitandhustlefootballcamp@yahoo.com.

Bishop Amat's 2010 football schedule
Week 0 - vs Garfield
Week 1 - @ Servite
Week 2 - vs LB Jordan
Week 3 - @ Damien
Week 4 - vs Cathedral
Week 5 - @ Venice
Week 6 - vs Alemany
Week 7 - @ Crespi
Week 8 - vs Loyola
Week 9 - @ Notre Dame
Week 10 - BYE

Glendora led 21-11 after the first, but the Eagles scored 32 second-quarter points to take a 43-32 lead at half and that was that.

By Fred J. Robledo
Outside midfielder Lauren Stupin has heard it so much from Los Altos High School girls soccer coach Chris Reeder that it's finally registering. No longer can the Conquerors' most influential player be content running up and down the flanks waiting for opportunities to fall in her lap -- she needs to be the one creating opportunities for the rest of her teammates.
Stupin was more of the facilitator Reeder was looking for on Tuesday, playing a key role in three of Los Altos' goals in a 4-2 victory over Bonita that improved the Conquerors to 9-2-4 and 2-0 in the Hacienda League while the Bearcats dipped to 7-4-2 and 0-2. (To keep reading click thread).

What an outstanding docket put together by Gordon "Boom Boom" Hamlow.

Saturday, Jan. 22 at APU

9 a.m. Flintridge Prep vs. Covina
10:30 a.m. Bishop Amat vs. Bonita (girls)
Noon Walnut vs. Maranatha
1:30 p.m. Rowland vs. Righetti
3 p.m. Corona Del Mar vs. Upland
4:30 p.m. Los Osos vs. La Canada
6 p.m. Damien vs. Mission Viejo
7:30 p.m. Etiwanda vs. Colony
9 p.m. Glendora vs. Baldwin Park

A message from CIF: The All-CIF-SS 11 Man Football Teams will be released as soon as we receive all of the completed teams. As of today we have received 11 of the 13 division's with Western and Mid-Valley Division's scheduled to meet to select their teams this week. It is our hope to release those teams next Tuesday, January 18. We will send out a notification once we have received all of the teams with a scheduled date for their release. No teams are final until they are released by this office.

CIF Girls Soccer Polls
Girls Soccer Tribune Rankings
1. Ayala (8-4-2) -- Will say the same thing as last week, beat Walnut and Bishop Amat with Sierra League about to start.
2. Bishop Amat (12-1) -- Starting to resemble last year's impressive start with 59 goals to go against just 12 against.
3. Walnut (8-3-1) -- With arguably the best defense in the Valley, the Mustangs always among the area's best.
4. Glendora (10-3-4) -- Considering the schedule and tough penalty kick loss to Walnut, the Tartans' record is impressive.
5. Los Altos (8-2-4) -- Big game at Bonita today, but seems like every game in the Hacienda is a big game.
6. Northview (12-3) -- Vikings proving they're more than just Khalalah Todd after last week's big win over San Dimas.
7. Sierra Vista (9-2) -- Probably won't lose a game in the Montview
8. San Dimas (8-2-2) -- Record should be better considering the schedule they have played.
9. Claremont (9-4-1) -- May give Ayala run for their money in Sierra.
10. Diamond Bar (8-4) -- Surprise 2-0 start in the Hacienda with wins over Diamond Ranch and Bonita.

CIF Boys Soccer Polls
Boys Soccer Tribune Rankings
1. Mountain View (3-2-3) -- Win over Baldwin Park and tie against CIF divisional champ Paraclete. Not a bad week.
2. Claremont (8-0-4) -- Great stat, but big league games against South Hills, Damien and Chino Hills yet to be played.
3. Sierra Vista (10-2-1) -- Giovanni Munoz with 9 goals and 8 asssists.
4. Baldwin Park (9-1-1) -- Suffered tough 1-0 loss to Mountain View
5. Walnut (6-0-3) -- Nothing changed from last week, except recent matches not reported.
6. Bonita (6-3-4) -- Lost or tied last four games.
7. Diamond Bar (7-3-2) -- 3-2 loss to Diamond Ranch followed by 1-0 win over Bonita.
8. Los Altos (6-3-1) -- Juan Mendoza leading in goals and assists
9. Glendora (7-6-5) -- Off to a solid 1-0-1 start in the Baseline.
10. South Hills (7-4-3) -- Best start in a while for Huskies

Boys Soccer standings, schedules, leaders
Baseline League
Del Rey League
Hacienda League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Girls Soccer standings, schedules, leaders
Baseline League
Del Rey League
Hacienda League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Here's something interesting, the Division 3 girls soccer polls just released. Um, where's Walnut? I guess that's what the Mustangs get for not updating their record on Maxpreps.
Girls Division 3.
1. Granite Hills, 2. La Salle, 3. Ayala, 4 Bishop Amat, 5. Serrano, 6. Righetti, 7. La Mirada, 8. Los Altos, 9. St. Joseph, 10. St. Lucy's

CIF-SS Boys Basketball rankings

TRIBUNE RANKINGS
BOYS BASKETBALL
1. Damien (13-1) -- The Spartans lose to Gahr and former Nogales coach Ricky Roper. Still, they're the best of the rest.
2. La Verne Lutheran (5-2) -- Lutheran in the Arrowhead League is like Bishop Amat competing in the Prep League in football. Okay, enough of Amat, but you get the point.
3. Chino Hills (13-3) -- This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Huskies, but it appears they just picked up where they left off.
4. Glendora (14-2) -- Don't talk to me about Glendora's schedule, they're in the Baseline League. Beating Los Osos in the opener was a pretty big deal. Tonight they're at Etiwanda.
5. Bonita (12-3) -- The Bearcats need to learn how to win the pressure games, losing in both the La Canada and Covina tournament finals.
6. Ayala (10-5) -- The Bulldogs have the best chance of giving Chino Hills a run for their money in the Sierra.
7. Bishop Amat (12-5) -- Let's be honest, the Lancers have too good of a basketball facility to not be better than this.
8. Rowland (12-4) -- Wouldn't call them the Hacienda League favorites, but they're going to give Bonita a run for their money.
9. Northview (14-3) -- Vikings favored to win another Valle Vista League title. So, how many league titles will that be for coach Rice?
10. Mountain View (12-3) -- The Vikings are off to their best start in years, by far the area's biggest surprise.

The inaugural California Elite Showcase will bring together some of the top High School Basketball teams from California, all competing at the University of La Verne. This year's match-ups include three California State Champions, two Sectional Champions, one Sectional Finals Runner-Up, four players currently ranked as one of the top 25 best players in the USA.

Saturday, Jan. 22 at the University of La Verne
Diamond Ranch High School vs Ayala, 2 p.m.
Eisenhower High vs Salesian, 3:30 p.m.
San Diego Hoover vs. Corona Roosevelt, 5 p.m.
La Verne Lutheran vs. Price, 6:30 p.m.
San Diego Lincoln High vs Sacramento High, 8 p.m.

For your daily dose of results for boys and girls soccer, basketball, wrestling and girls water polo box scores, this is for you. During the week I will post box scores emailed or phoned into us the previous night. For you results to appear in the newspaper and on the blog, call your results to 626-962-8811, ext. 2233 or 2242 or email them to scores@sgvn.com. For Monday's boxscores, click thread.
Monday's results
Boys Basketball
Valle Vista
Northview 58, Wilson 28
Nogales 65, Covina 48
San Dimas 63, Pomona 61
Girls Basketball
Valle Vista
Covina 56, Nogales 20
San Dimas 58, Pomona 17
Wilson 45, Northview 26
Girls Soccer
Bishop Amat 3, Serrano 0

CIF-SS Girls Basketball polls

GIRLS BASKETBALL
1. Bonita (13-1) -- Great games ahead for the 'Cats, including Friday's against Walnut and of course big league games against Diamond Ranch and a showdown against Amat on Jan. 22.
2. Bishop Amat (13-3) -- In the post state championship era, what makes Lancers coach Richard Wiard so great is they always win games they're supposed to, and spring a few upsets now and then.
3. Chino Hills (10-5) -- Is it me or is Chino Hills good or great in every sport? Makes you wonder why Glendora is in the Baseline and not the Huskies, doesn't it?
4. Duarte (11-1) -- Gonna make the Azusa high football prediction in that the Falcons won't lose another game until the postseason. Mark it down, they're starting 22-1.
5. Diamond Ranch (7-7) -- Yes their schedule is difficult, but seven losses this early in January is a big surprise, especially for a team as talented as this.
6. Walnut (11-5) -- Last week's loss to Diamond Ranch means the Mustangs probably won't do better than third in the Hacienda after dominating the San Antonio for so long.
7. St. Lucy's (9-5) -- Absolutely crushed Glendora last week, 63-42.
8. Wilson (9-6) -- The Valle Vista is welcome relief after finishing behind Diamond Ranch and Bonita in the old Miramonte League.
9. Sierra Vista (8-3) -- The Dons' dominance of the Montview may finally be coming to an end after getting blown out by Duarte, 66-38
10. West Covina (9-6) -- Let's face it, in a league with Diamond Ranch, Bonita and Walnut, the Bulldogs have an uphill battle.

The 1986 Wilson High School basketball "Dream Team," winner of the CIF-State Division II title, will have a 25th anniversary reunion game against the current Wilson varsity squad on Saturday, January 22.
Former NBA standout Scott Williams will return to play for the Wilson Dream Team. After starring at North Carolina, the 6-foot-10 Williams went undrafted after graduating from North Carolina in 1990, but signed with the Chicago Bulls and won three NBA titles with Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson.
Donations from the charity game will go to the Boosters Club. Umm, I graduated in '86, has it really been 25 years?

Anyone who has season highlights they wanted shared on the blog, upload them to YouTube and let me know about it ....

Rose Bowl general manager Darryl Dunn has graciously allowed us to take pictures and do interviews for the February 2 football signing day for the Whittier Daily News, Pasadena Star-News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Once we get a list of all the signees together, we will invite them to the Rose Bowl, where players can get a close-up view of the stadium. We will gather everyone together for the shoot and interviews on Monday, Feb. 1, the day before signing day so that on the actual signing day, we can take pictures of the players at the school's actually signing their national letters of event. I guess you can call it a two-day celebration.

Comments are working again, perhaps better than ever and Aram is expected back from vacation on Tuesday and yes, the Tribune all-area football team will be out later this month, on Jan. 20 is the date given to us. The Oregon mascot will do plenty of push-ups tonight, still can't understand how the Ducks are 2 1/2 point underdogs to Auburn. With all their speed the Ducks are going to crush them, can easily imagine them winning by two touchdowns or more. In any case, the blog is up and running.

Steve's Take: This from the guy who gave me TCU and 14 points over Wisconsin. But seriously, this one will be close. As I wrote in my bowl season preview column: Both teams feature two of the best offenses in the country. On one side you have Darron Thomas and LaMichael James for Oregon matched against Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newston. But as great as these offenses are, this one will be decided by the defenses. And Oregon, led by linebacker Casey Matthews and Cliff Harris, has been more consistent than Auburn, led by tackle Nick Fairley. Expect a shootout, but color this one green by game's end.

And as a reminder of what it takes to win, here's some advice from the one they called the Bear:

MaxPreps' computer rankings work much better in football. While we're still waiting for the CIF-Southern Section to release their second basketball polls since the start of the season, I thought I would post where MaxPreps ranks our local teams. It's obviously way off, any ranking without Damien on top isn't realistic. Look at La Verne Lutheran, way down at No. 7. I don't know how strength of schedule works on the computer, but it obviously doesn't factor it in all that much. In any case, what do you think of Glendora on top of the polls and Damien No. 3?

Boys Basketball
MaxPreps Top Ten
1. Glendora (14-2)
2. Ayala (10-5)
3. Damien (13-1)
4. Chino Hills (13-3)
5. Bonita (12-3)
6. Bishop Amat (12-5)
7. La Verne Lutheran (4-2)
8. Rowland (12-4)
9. Northview (14-3)
10. Claremont (9-8)

FYI: We need Lutheran's Bruce English in the Star-News/Tribune dunk contest. Check this out, he won second place in the Dunk Contest in Myrtle Beach.

By Carly Hill, Correspondent
Joe Hernandez's 1966 Ford Mustang found a new home Saturday, three months after it was donated to help a baseball team. The Northview High School team hosted a car show at Solo 1 Kustoms in Azusa to kick off the raffle, bringing together hundreds of people from around California. The show featured more than 15 cars. "I hope this means a lot of goals can be accomplished by the team," Hernandez said. The team plans to put the money toward a new playing field, uniforms and bleachers. Tony Serrato, the father of a Northview wrestler, was the winner of the shiny orange car, which has a rebuilt motor and transmission, a stereo and original molding. Serrato was not at the car show and has 10 days to claim his prize.

For the first time in the storied history of the annual Smudge Pot football game between rivals San Dimas and Bonita, the game will be played at Citrus College to kick off the 2011 season. San Dimas is the host of the Smudge Pot game this year, which has become the area's biggest rivalry with thousands in attendance. Because the Saints are under contstruction for a new football stadium and field turf surface that's scheduled to debut in the fall of 2012 -- the Saints will play their home games on the road in 2011 at either Citrus, Mt. SAC or Bonita high school.
San Dimas' first preference is to play as many of its home games at Citrus, which is also the home of Glendora, Azusa and Gladstone.
Saints coach Bill Zernickow has a meeting with Citrus officials in March to learn how many dates are available.
Zernickow said the Smudge Pot will either be played on Thursday or Saturday the week following Labor Day, with Thursday being his first preference.
"Citrus will be a great place for the Smudge Pot," Zernickow said. "(Bonita coach Eric) Podley and I would love to see more than 10,000 at the game. A packed house at Citrus would be great." Zernickow said he's not too concerned with not having a game on campus in 2011. "I don't think it will affect us much," Zernickow said. "In the end we're going to have the best football facility in the Valley, so it's worth the wait."

Just a reminder, to post comments you must click on sign-in or comment anonymously. Most of you click on comment anonymously and when that happens you will see a captcha box below the comment screen, which are the squiggly letters you must type in before sending your comment.

By Steve RamirezStaff Writer
Glendora High School won 13 of its first 15 games and secured two tournament championships in December.
But the only thing that matters today is that the Tartans boys basketball team is 1-0 in its new league.
Kyle Gordon scored 11 points and C.K. Bolado had four of his nine points in the final two mintues and Glendora returned to the Baseline League with a 46-45 victory over visiting Los Osos on Friday.
The Grizzlies, who slipped to 10-5, had a chance to tie it, but Cameron Tagge's 3-point shot with five seconds left was short, leaving Los Osos one point short on a Jonathan Solomon' layup at the buzzer.
Glendora, also getting eight points from Nick Colletta, improved to 14-2. It was the Tartans first game in the Baseline League since moving to the Sierra League prior to the 2002-03 season.
"I really felt this was the most important game of the year for us," Glendora coach Mike LeDuc said. "When you're playing at home in the league opener, if you have any chance to be competitive, you have to try and win it. It didn't matter how we did it, we just had to score one more than (Los Osos), and that's pretty much what happened."
The Tartans used their defense to give themselves enough of a cushion coming down the stretch.

Daily News Online Editor Steven Rosenberg may have saved us. He's been working to restore comments, which are back on. We will use the weekend as a test run and if everything runs smoothly, we should be in the clear. From now on, post comments with the new captcha feature (those squiggly letters you must type before you send a comment, which is located under your comment). Captcha was added to reduce/eliminate the spam. Let's see how it goes, I felt so good to get a comment through I posted the dance ...

You voted by an overwhelming margin to replace the blog with a new one. Then Rosenberg came to the rescue like Jimmy Chitwood. The recount is in, blog stays.

By Fred Robledo
Just a few days after John Martin announced his resignation as the Diamond Bar High School football coach, the Brahmas found a former champion to lead them. Former quarterback Ryan Maine, who was part of the Brahmas' back-to-back CIF-Southern Section Divisional championship teams in 1998 and '99, has been named the head football coach after serving as Martin's offensive coordinator since 2008. (To continue, click thread).

By Fred Robledo
South El Monte high school football coach Ray Hernandez resigned after two years and a 4-17 overall record, telling his players over lunch on Friday that he wants to spend more time with his family. Hernandez took over at South El Monte in 2009 after longtime coach Erick Escamilla resigned but remained a teacher at the school. Escamilla has submitted applications for neighboring head coaching positions since, and his return to the helm is a strong possibility, though athletic director Sonia Ayala said the position will be floated.
"Coach Hernandez resigned for family and personal reasons," Ayala said. "He just told the kids and handed us his letter (Friday). At this point, we're going to fly the position. We don't have anyone in mind, we will go through the process."
When asked if Escamilla might return, she said it was too early to tell.
"He's (Escamilla) still teaching, and never ruled out returning but what he plans to do we haven't heard," Ayala said.

Covina High School showed off its new gymnasium during its annual Christmas boys basketball tournament the final week of December, but tonight is the official grand opening of the gym, in the Colts' Valle Vista League boys and girls basketball openers against visiting Wilson. The girls will play at 4:45 p.m., which will be followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m., followed by the boys game at 6:30 p.m. Many former players and coaches are expected to be in attendance, including players who competed for legendary Colts coach Doc Sooter. The game of the night, however, is at Glendora HIgh School, where the hot Tartans open Baseline League action against Los Osos.
Tonight's games
Boys Basketball
Nonleague
Chino Hills at Bishop Amat, 7 p.m.
Arroyo at South Hills, 6:30 p.m.
San Gabriel at Mountain View, 6:30 p.m.
Arrowhead League
Hamilton at La Verne Lutheran, 7 p.m.
Baseline League
Los Osos at Glendora, 6:30 p.m.
Hacienda League
West Covina at Rowland, 6:45 p.m.
Diamond Ranch at Walnut, 6:45 p.m.
Bonita at Diamond Bar, 6:45 p.m.
Montview League
Sierra Vista at Azusa, 6 p.m.
La Puente at Workman, 6 p.m.
Gladstone at Ganesha, 6 p.m.
Bassett at Duarte, 6 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Northview at Pomona, 6:30 p.m.
Wilson at Covina, 6:30 p.m.
Baldwin Park at San Dimas, 6:30 p.m.

By Steve Ramirez
Northview High School has lived in the shadow of Valle Vista League girls soccer stalwart San Dimas the past few seasons. The Vikings took a step toward changing that on Thursday. Freshman Amanda Fuentes scored two goals, including the game-winner in sudden death overtime, and senior Khalalah Todd had a goal and two assists and Northview took early control of the league race with a 3-2 victory over the Saints in sudden-death overtime.Northview, also getting two assists from Kendahl Anderson, improved to 12-3 overall and 4-0 in league play. San Dimas, which scored two goals in the final four minutes of regulation to force the extra period, slipped to 8-2-1 and 3-1.
"This was a big test of character for us," Northview coach Al Lorello said. "(San Dimas) scoring the last minute or so to tie it up and us to comeback and compose ourselves and put that goal in was pretty special."
The winning play started with a throw in from senior Jade Vehawn. Anderson received the pass and went down the right side before feeding Todd, who drew goalie Rachel Jones away from the net.
Todd then passed to Fuentes, who tapped it in for the game winner.
The Vikings, getting a first-half goal from Fuentes and an eary-second half tally from Todd, looked to have the game comfortably put away. (to continue click thread)

In their Trinity League opener with perennial power Mater Dei, Braves senior guard Cezar Guerrero scored an eye-popping 48 points, including 30 in the second half, but Mater Dei managed to hold on for an 86-77 win that was closer than the score indicated.

Girls Basketball, Duarte 66, Sierra Vista 38: The Falcons (10-1, 1-0) jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead and never looked back. Danielle Reed got a steal and a layup to start the run, and the Falcons never let the Dons (8-3, 0-1) get into their offense en route to taking an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

For your daily dose of results for boys and girls soccer, basketball, wrestling and girls water polo box scores, this is for you. During the week I will post box scores emailed or phoned into us the previous night. For you results to appear in the newspaper and on the blog, call your results to 626-962-8811, ext. 2233 or 2242 or email them to scores@sgvn.com. For Wednesday's boxscores, click thread.

Wednesday's Scores reported to the Tribune.
Boys Basketball
Hacienda League
Rowland 64, Los Altos 47
Montview League
La Puente 55, Azusa 52
Sierra Vista 74, Duarte 27
Valle Vista League
Baldwin Park 83, Pomona 53
Northview 61, Covina 55
Nonleague
Mountain View 42, Pioneer 34
South Pasadena 83, South Hills 80 (2OT)
Girls Basketball
Hacienda League
Diamond Ranch 53, Diamond Bar 27
Walnut 60, West Covina 48
Montview League
Duarte 66, Sierra Vista 38
Valle Vista League
Northview 39, Covina 25
San Dimas 41, Nogales 30
Nonleague
Bishop Amat 58, Santa Fe 33
St. Lucy's 61, Glendora 45
Girls Soccer
Nonleague
Arroyo 4, Alhambra 1

ALL-AREA CROSS COUNTRY
BOYS
Runner of the Year: Anthony Castro, Glendora, Senior
Coach of the Year: Rob Lander, Claremont
GIRLS
Runner of the Year: Lauren Justus, Glendora, Senior
Coach of the Year: Lonny Carr, Bonita

Above: For the second straight year, Glendora's Anthony Castro and Lauren Justus were named the Tribune boys and girls cross country runners of the year.

By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
Anthony Castro and Lauren Justus have been the Glendora High School cross country teams' one-two punch the past few seasons. It was no different in 2010. Castro earned a second consecutive trip to the CIF State championships and finished 15th in Division 2, with Justus winning the Baseline League championship and advancing to the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 finals. For their efforts, Castro and Justus are the area boys and girls cross country runners of the year. (To continue click thread)

Boys First Team
Paul Ross, Claremont, Senior
Henry Falotico, Claremont, Senior
Kelly Hernandez, Glendora, Senior
Alan Callison, Northview, Senior
Nick Rivera, Rowland, Junior
Austin Mendoza, Glendora, Junior
Boys Second Team
Colin Domonoske, Claremont, Senior
Jonathan Garcia, Damien, Senior
Dillon Nobbs, Bonita, Freshman
David Galvez, Rowland, Sophomore
Timmy Reed, Ayala, Senior
Moises Baiden, Damien, Junior

Girls First Team
Marissa Scott, Bonita, Sophomore
Taylor Khan, Ayala, Junior
Lexie Jackson, Bonita, Sophomore
Jaclyn Gonzalez, Ayala, Junior
Alexandra Borunda, South Hills, Junior
Mikayla Flores, Bonita, Freshman
Girls Second Team
Karina Velasco, Ayala, Freshman
Anna Trejo, Nogales, Junior
Chandler Colquitt, Ayala, Junior
Bailey Sanin, Claremont, Sophomore
Vianca Holguin, South Hills, Senior
Raquel Arteaga, Chino Hills, Sophomore

By Steve Ramirez
Staff Writer
COVINA -- Northview High School opened Valle Vista League play with a win Wednesday.
But more importantly the Vikings' boys basketball team is also 1-0 against rival Covina.
Treavon Francis scored a game high 20 points and Nick Fuentes had 14, including a key 3-pointer down the stretch and the Vikings took the early bragging rights over their neighbors with a 61-55 victory at Northview High School.
The Vikings, also getting 15 points from Brian Johnson, improved to 13-3 overall. Covina, getting 17 points from Justin Mason and 16 from Justin Diaz, slipped to 10-5.
"There always great games when we play Covina because they play so hard and it's a cross-town rivalry," Northview coach Ron Rice said. "We talked about (how) opening the league with them makes it that much more important to get off to a good start."
But it was how Northview finished that made the difference on Wednesday.
Covina, after missing its first nine shots and falling behind 9-0 to start the game, battled back and twice cut the the deficit to one point late.
"We play three sophomores and two juniors most of the time," Covina coach Will Bissman said. "Big games just seem to get us in the beginning. It takes us a while to settle down. But once we did, we played well."
But each time Covina rallied, the Vikings countered in the fourth quarter.
Johnson, who made 10 of 12 free throws, followed a layup up by Mason with a pair for a 47-44 lead at 4:03. He then countered a 15-footer by Diaz with two more free throws to push the lead back to 49-46 with 3:23 to go.
Covina still had its chance to tie it late, but Mason missed from beyond the arch at 1:39. Fuentes, who six of his 14 in the second half, grabbed the rebound and ran down the shot clock before dropping a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 55-49 cushion with 1:07 left.
"You knew at the beginning it was one of those false leads, where one team jumps on the other a little bit," Rice said. "We knew it wasn't going to be that easy the rest of the ballgame.
"We had different guys come through. Danny Johnson hit some big shots, and Nick hit that big one."
Northview then made six of six free throws down the stretch to clinch it.
steve.ramirez@sgvn.com
626-962-8811, ext. 2296

By Fred J. Robledo
Mountain View, winners of back-to-back CIF-Southern Section Division 6 boys soccer titles, accomplished something during a December non-league game that Baldwin Park couldn't do in two tries. The Vikings defeated back-to-back Division 5 champ Salesian 1-0, the school that knocked Baldwin Park out of the playoffs each of the past two years, which included a championship loss in 2009 and semifinal loss in 2010. (To continue, click thread).

In tomorrow's newspaper you can expect to read about the following games: Northview and Covina isn't just a rivalry, the two teams are playing great and figure to contend for the Valle Vista League title. Duarte and the quadruple-double waiting to happen, Imari Brown, hope to take it to reigning Montview League champ Sierra Vista in the league opener. Also, won't find a much more intriguing non-league boys soccer game than Mountain View at Baldwin Park. And of course, anytime Mt. SAC and PCC meet in women's basketball, you're watching two of the best community college programs in the state.
Today's featured games
Boys Basketball: Covina at Northview, 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Duarte at Sierra Vista, 5 p.m.
Boys Soccer: Mountain View at Baldwin Park, 3:15 p.m.
Women's Basketball: Mt. SAC at PCC, 5 p.m.

Diamond Bar Principal Catherine Real issued a press release announcing the resignation of Brahmas football coach John Martin. "I appreciate John's dedication and commitment to our program and look forward to his service to our school and community in other arenas for many years to come," wrote Real, who also said they expect to announce a new head coach shortly. The Brahmas were 6-4 this past season, the best during Martin's four years. He compiled a four-year record of 14-26.

For your daily dose of results for boys and girls soccer, basketball, wrestling and girls water polo box scores, this is for you. During the week I will post box scores emailed or phoned into us the previous night. For you results to appear in the newspaper and on the blog, call your results to 626-962-8811, ext. 2233 or 2242 or email them to scores@sgvn.com. For Tuesday's boxscores, click thread.

Note: Commenting is still disabled while techs work to counter our spam issues.

ALL-AREA BOYS WATER POLO
Player of the Year: Nick Estevez, Nogales, Junior
Coach of the Year: Alex Matal, Nogales

By Steve Ramirez
This now is a world in which Nogales High School is a CIF-Southern Section boys water polo champion. The Nobles couldn't say that before but it all changed, partly because of junior Nick Estevez and coach Alex Matal, who were named All-Area Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively. The rest of the first team features Nogales' Daniel Morales and Christiaan Ortiz; Damien's Johnny Beal, Eric Osterberg and Adam Sarrail; Bonita's Alec Williams and Walnut's Danny Overstreet. But this will be remembered as the year of Nogales. The Nobles, with Estevez leading the way, won a league title for the first time in 22 years and their first division title in school history. (To continue, click thread)

First Team
Danny Morales, Nogales, Senior
Adam Sarrail, Damien, Junior
Johnny Beal, Damien, Senior
Eric Osterberg, Damien, Senior
Danny Overstreet, Walnut, Senior
Alec Williams, Bonita, Senior
Christiaan Ortiz, Nogales, Junior
Second Team
Brandon Cheng, Wilson, Junior
Keaton Renta, Bonita, Junior
Second Team
Brandon Cheng, Wilson, Junior
Keaton Renta, Bonita, Junior
Kyle Garwick, Damien, Sophomore
Austin Miller, Damien, Junior
Ramon Sanchez, Nogales, Junior
Alex Arias, Walnut, Senior
Doug Marriott, Walnut, Junior
Alex Munson, Bonita, Junior

By Fred J. Robledo
For years the Glendora High School girls soccer team struggled to stay afloat in the Sierra League, making strides in recent years with back-to-back CIF-Southern Section playoff appearances. The Tartans always field a competitive side, but the Sierra League might feel like AYSO compared to the Baseline League its about to enter, where all six teams boast non-league winning records, which includes nationally recognized Upland.
Glendora opens the Baseline at Los Osos (9-2-1) today then will host Etiwanda (3-1-1) on Friday while also preparing for its rain-delayed championship in the Walnut tournament against host Walnut on Saturday night. That's why it was important for the Tartans to start the week on a good note, which is exactly what the doctor ordered in a thorough 4-1 victory over South Hills on Tuesday. (To continue, click thread)
Click here for gallery of the game. Below, Amie Jepsen, who scored two goals in the Tartans' 4-2 win, battles for a ball.

2010 ALL-AREA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Player of the Year: Deanna Dalton, St. Lucy's Senior
Coach of the Year: Sean Douglas, St. Lucy's

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By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
The past girls volleyball season couldn't have ended any better for Deanna Dalton of St. Lucy's Priory. The Regents made history by winning a CIF-Southern Section division title for the first time and advanced to the Southern California Regional finals. A big part of that success was Dalton, who is the Tribune's girls volleyball Player of the Year. She is joined on the All-Area first team by Coach of the Year Sean Douglas of St. Lucy's and Regents middle blocker Alissa Young. (To continue click thread)

First Team
Outside Hitter: Katie Kirby, Bonita, Senior
Outside Hitter: Jazmen Russell, Los Altos, Senior
Middle Blocker: Alissa Young, St. Lucy's, Senior
Outside Hitter: Nicole Ellis, San Dimas, Senior
Setter: Ashley Maxfeldt, Bonita, Senior
Setter: Jordyn Sikyo, Chino Hills, Senior
Second Team
Outside Hitter: Heather Trueman, Chino Hills, Junior
Outside Hitter: Kathleen Torres, Diamond Bar, Junior
Middle Blocker: Megan Callen, St. Lucy's, Senior
Oppossite: Jasmine Warmington, St. Lucy's, Junior
Libero: Tori Haebe, Chino Hills, Senior
Setter: Jackie Macy, St. Lucy's, Junior

TRIBUNE RANKINGS
BOYS BASKETBALL
1. Damien (13-0) -- Three tournament titles
2. La Verne Lutheran (2-2) -- Tough out-of-state opponents
3. Chino Hills (9-1) -- Four straight Covina titles
4. Bonita (12-2) -- Still can't beat Chino Hills
5. Glendora (12-2) -- Great starts part of the tradition
6. Bishop Amat (12-3) -- Has shooters, lacks size
7. Ayala (9-5) -- Very good wins on resume
8. Rowland (10-4) -- The biggest surprise so far
9. Northview (12-3) -- Another solid coaching job
10. Covina (10-4) -- Won Azusa tournament

GIRLS BASKETBALL
1. Bonita (12-1) -- Talent all coming together
2. Bishop Amat (12-3) -- Good showing in Ayala tourney
3. Chino Hills (8-5) -- A win over Diamond Ranch
4. Walnut (9-3) -- Never has a bad season
5. Diamond Ranch (5-6) -- Two losses to power Etiwanda
6. Duarte (9-1) -- Imari Brown the real deal
7. St. Lucy's (8-3) -- Good showing so far
8. Sierra Vista (7-2) -- Runs system to perfection
9. Wilson (8-6) -- On five-game win streak
10. West Covina (9-5) -- Best of the rest

Team records based on scores reported to MaxPreps. If you do not report to MaxPreps the only way to be considered for rankings is for coaches to email updated records to me each Monday morning at fred.robledo@sgvn.com. FYI, I'm covering South Hills at Glendora girls soccer today, and the mammoth Mountain View at Baldwin Park boys soccer game on Wednesday at Baldwin Park. Both games are at 3:15 p.m.

Claremont's Russell Donaldson (13) is elbowed in the face by Fontana's Brian Lopez during the championship game of the Upland soccer tournament. Claremont won 3-2 to leap to No. 2 in the Trib's 2011 rankings.

TRIBUNE RANKINGS
Boys Soccer
1. Baldwin Park (7-0-2) -- Hosting Mountain View today
2. Claremont (8-0-4) -- Wins over Damien, Diamond Bar
3. Mountain View (2-2-2) -- Finally, a win over Salesian
4. Sierra Vista (9-2-1) -- Unbeaten in eight straight
5. Walnut (6-0-3) -- Won six of last seven
6. Bonita (6-2-3) -- Only allowed nine goals
7. Diamond Bar (6-2-2) -- Another Hacienda contender
8. Los Altos (5-2-1) -- Solid defense, needs offense
9. Glendora (6-6-4) -- 30 goals for, 30 against
10. Damien (3-2-5) -- Not quite Damien of old

Girls Soccer
1. Ayala (8-4-2) -- Beat Walnut and Bishop Amat
2. Bishop Amat (11-1) -- April Juarez with 17 goals
3. Glendora (8-2-3) -- More offense than other years
4. Los Altos (7-2-4) -- Unbeaten in five straight
5. Walnut (2-2) -- Still rounding into form
6. Bonita (4-1-2) -- Defense much improved
7. San Dimas (6-1-1) -- Six straight shutouts
8. St. Lucy's (2-2-1) -- Nice 1-0 win over Walnut
9. Sierra Vista (7-2) -- Lost two after 7-0 start
10. Charter Oak (6-2-2) -- 1-0-1 against Bonita

Boys Soccer standings, schedules, leaders
Baseline League
Del Rey League
Hacienda League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Girls Soccer standings, schedules, leaders
Baseline League
Del Rey League
Hacienda League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Did you know: Duarte sophomore guard/forward Imari Brown led the Falcons girls basketball team to to the Glendora tournament title with a mammoth effort in the championship game, netting a quadruple double with 27 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals in a 71-57 victory over La Serna. Brown is averaging 16 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and eight steals per game for the 9-1 Falcons.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
With the December basketball tournament season finished and three titles in the bank for the undefeated Damien High School boys team, Spartans coach Matt Dunn isn't ready to look too far ahead. But he is pleased with the effort of the Spartans, who have advanced to back-to-back Division 2A semifinals. "It's a really enjoyable team to coach," Dunn said. "They get along great and they play well together. It's not just one person; they're spreading the ball around and playing to their potential." (To continue, click thread).

Note: From what I understand, comments should be available again sometime today. I will let you know when I know.

The Tribune All-Area teams will be published on the following days:
Girls Volleyball, Tuesday, Jan. 4
Boys Water Polo, Wednesday, Jan. 5
Cross Country, Thursday, Jan. 6
Girls Tennis, Friday, Jan. 7
Football, Thursday, Jan. 20, PrepXtra Magazine

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As you probably already know, several blogs throughout SGVN have been malfunctioning for several days, this blog having the most problems. Entries that I post do not show up for several hours, sometimes days. Hopefully this entry is up much quicker. The only way of commenting at this point is with an established sign-on name, but even doing so, comments are filtering in very slow. Because of this, I will not post any new entries unless it's to update you on the blog or until we're functioning properly. I wish we had better news, but it is what it is.

NO COMMENTS: The comment section was shutdown by our system administrator while techs work on the spam/blog problems.

UPDATE, 9:45 MONDAY MORNING
Received this email from our system administrator: "Things are not looking good on the blog front, but we're working on it. Here's the latest, as of 9:45 this morning: The Movable Type blogging system is 36 hours behind in building entries. Sorry for this major inconvenience/breakdown of this essential system."

All blogs at the SGVN are back up and running. We were shut down since Wednesday, but everything is fine now. Happy New Year to all of you. Steve, Miguel and I are at the Rose Bowl and if you remember last year, don't be surprised if you spot me again in the background.

Miguel and I doing are part to represent the SGVN ...