October 2011 Archives

Aram and I will go head-to-head in Tribskin Pick'em throughout the season with the loser buying lunch in December.
Last week: Robledo (15-3); Tolegian (16-2)
Season standings: Robledo (144-45); Tolegian (143-44)

Last week: Aram's hot streak continues and now he trails by just a game after picking up another victory this week. He's nickel an dimed his way close to the lead, going 16-2 to my 15-3 this past week. He took Amat over Loyola and I took Chino Hills over Damien, which was a wash. We both lost taking South Hills over Ayala, but Aram picked up a game with Nogales' 8-7 win Northview.
This week: Here we go again? What do you do with Amat, who in all likelihood will not have QB Rio Ruiz for the league finale at Notre Dame, a game in all likelihood they will need to make the playoffs. I still think a steady dose of Moore, Shay on offense, and an improved defense over the past couple weeks will get it done. And don't sleep on the soph, Koa Haynes, if he takes over at QB. Having a full week to prepare is different than being thrown in during the middle of a game. He will be improved. Damien at Charter Oak? The Spartans blew their chance and the momentum that comes with it last week. They haven't faced an offense like this, and with Charter Oak at home, kind of hard to pick against them. Bonita was very impressive against Walnut, throwing 50 on the board. The Hacienda is crowded in the chase for the second through fourth playoff spots, and at this point, I like the experienced coaching staff of Bonita to get it done at home against Diamond Bar. Two games that look good on paper but won't be are El Monte and South El Monte and La Puente at Duarte .. El Monte and La Puente will take care of business, setting up league title games next week against Arroyo and Azusa respectively.

This week's games and predictions
Thursday's games
Northview vs. San Dimas at CDF 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SDimas); Tolegian (Saints)
Pomona at Wilson, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Pomona); Tolegian (P-Town)
Friday's games
Damien at Charter Oak, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (COak); Tolegian (Chargers)
Diamond Bar at Bonita, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Bonita); Tolegian (Podley)
Bishop Amat at Notre Dame, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (BAmat); Tolegian (ND)
R. Cucamonga vs. Glendora at Los Osos, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rancho); Tolegian (Rancho)
Rowland at West Covina, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (WCovina); Tolegian (WestCo)
South Hills vs. Chino Hills at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (CHills); Tolegian (Chavez)
Walnut vs. Diamond Ranch at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DRanch); Tolegian (D-Ranch)
El Monte at South El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (El Monte); Tolegian (EM)
Gabrielino at Arroyo, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Arroyo); Tolegian (Arrojo)
Mountain View at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rosemead); Tolegian (Rosemead)
Bassett at Sierra Vista, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SVista); Tolegian (SV)
Gladstone vs. Azusa at Citrus, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa); Tolegian (Azusa)
La Puente at Duarte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (La Puente); Tolegian (LP)
Workman vs. Ganesha at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Workman); Tolegian (Workman)
Claremont at Ayala, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Ayala); Tolegian (Claremont)
Baldwin Park at Nogales, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Nogales); Tolegian (BP)

Bishop Amat quarterback Rio Ruiz hyperextended his left knee in Friday's 14-3 loss to Loyola, his father Rudy Ruiz said. Rudy Ruiz said x-rays over the weekend were negative, and that the family is scheduling an MRI this week. Rio will probably not play the Serra League finale on Friday at Notre Dame, according to his father, because the knee is still sore. "He's very sore and we don't have anything official yet without the MRI," Rudy Ruiz said Monday. "The good thing is that he's walking around the house without his crutches." If Amat beats Notre Dame or somehow makes the Pac-5 playoffs, Rio will be re-evaluated with two weeks off before the playoffs start. Also, Amat senior linebacker Andrew Varella, one of the best defensive players on the team, did no play in Friday's loss against Loyola, a disciplinary decision made by the school and coaching staff. No word on whether Varela will return for Friday's game at Notre Dame.

Bruinblitz.com moderator Rick Kimbrel posted on his site today that UCLA is taking a long look at Charter Oak quarterback Travis Santiago. It's not a huge surprise, the offensive coordinator is Michael Johnson, who starred at Baldwin Park.

Here is what Bruinblitz.com wrote: The Bruins are taking a long look at quarterback, Travis Santiago (6-0, 160, 4.6) from Covina (Calif.) Charter Oak. He has led his team to a 7-1 record after throwing for 2,073 and 18 touchdowns against three picks while hitting on 64.2 percent of his passes. He has also rushed for 492 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 10.3 yards a carry.

By Fred J. Robledo
It was a bad night all the way around at Kiefer Stadium. Bishop Amat quarterback Rio Ruiz suffered a knee injury in Friday's 14-3 loss to Loyola on homecoming, leaving Amat's playoff hopes in jeopardy, and Ruiz's immediate future in doubt.

Watch Chino Hills thrilling comeback win over Damien, we've got highlights and interviews from the Inland Insider and crew


Tonight's results and game stories
Loyola 14, Bishop Amat 3 -- Amat's playoff hopes and the rest of Rio Ruiz's football season in jeopardy after Lancers fall to 6-3 and 1-2 in the Serra. Ruiz injured his left knee in the first half and will have an MRI over the weekend to determine the severity. With Alemany beating Crespi, Amat's still in the playoff hunt. Loyola and Alemany are both 2-0 with Crespi and Amat 1-2 and Notre Dame 0-2. If Amat beats Notre Dame and Crespi loses its finale to Loyola, Amat would get in as the third place team, providing Alemany and Loyola finish first and second. But who knows, they can all beat each other.
Chino Hills 28, Damien 27 -- Can't wait for the Inland Insider's highlights. Chino Hills rallied in the final moments to pull out the thriller to move to 3-0 in the Sierra. Correspondent Brian Baiotto wrote: Things couldn't have seemed more grim for Chino Hills High when it trailed Damien 27-21 with 30 seconds to play. The Huskies were facing a 3rd-and-33 at their own 35-yard line. But Chino Hills quarterback Andrew Chavez heaved the ball deep down the visiting sideline and Jack Austin ran under it and took it 65 yards for the score to stun the host Spartans 28-27 in a Sierra League thriller Friday evening.
Arroyo 28, Rosemead 21-- The Knights might have ended the Panthers' playoff hopes with the victory. More importantly for Arroyo, it should keep them at No. 2 in the Mid-Valley rankings and still in position to win the Mission Valley league.
West Covina 42, Los Altos 24 -- The Bulldogs continue to show why they're the defending champs and No. 1 team in the Southeast Division. They've beaten all the contenders and should cruise to the Hacienda league title from here.
Upland 49, Glendora 3 -- Upland scored in the first 18 seconds, and it was all down hill for the Tartans at that point.
Bonita 50, Walnut 17 -- The win isn't a surprise, but the way they did it, crushing what has been a much improved Mustangs group is a surprise. Who knows, maybe Bonita will sneak in the playoffs and make some noise.
Diamond Bar 35, Rowland 19 -- Brahmas kept their playoff hopes alive with a much needed win, and an impressive one at that.
Charter Oak 49, Claremont 12 -- The Chargers continued their impressive play in the Sierra, improving to 3-0 in league with a game at home against Damien next.
El Monte 48, Gabrielino 28 -- The Lions, chasing their first league title since 1978, improved to 3-0 in the MVL along with Arroyo. If the Lions beat South El Monte next week, they will likely play Arroyo for the league title in week 10.
Ayala 49, South Hills 48 -- The Huskies led 28-7 at half, but once again, their defense let them down in dramatic fashion, losing another close game in the final minutes.
South El Monte 45, Mountain View 0 -- The Eagles kept their Mission Valley league playoff hopes alive with the win, and now face surging El Monte next.
Duarte 17, Gladstone 14 -- The Falcons won another close game in the Montview, setting up a huge game at hope next week against undefeated La Puente.
Covina 42,Wilson 0 -- The Colts clinched at least a tie for the Valle Vista league title and should keep its No. 1 ranking in the Mid-Valley Division. The Colts have a week off before facing rival Northview in the league finale.
Nogales 8, Northview 7 -- A mild surprise. The Nobles have come a long way this season, and this victory further proves it.
San Dimas 48, Baldwin Park 14 -- The Saints took out the frustration of last week's loss to Covina with a convincing win.
La Puente 56, Bassett 0 -- The Warriors improved to 8-0, marking the third straight year coach Brandon Rohrer has won eight game for the Warriors, which is a school record for wins in a season. The Warriors can set the school record next week at Duarte.
Sierra Vista at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SVista); Tolegian (SV)

There is no stopping West Covina .. watch Tyler Drohan's highlights and interviews

TribXtra Postgame show with Aram and Fred

For quarter updates of tonight's game, click link
Thursday's result
Azusa 41, Workman 13 -- That Aztecs are closing in on their fourth straight league title, improving to 5-0 in league with another easy victory, and their 23rd straight Montview win.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
West Covina High School freshman sensation Antonio "Noodles" Hull has been pulled up to the varsity football team and will likely make his debut on Friday night when the Bulldogs visit Los Altos in a key Hacienda League game for both teams. Hull, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound quarterback, made a name for himself during a dazzling youth football league career with the Compton Vikings in rapper Snoop Dogg's league. Hull was not able to play at the varsity level until he turned 14, which he did recently. Hull had thrown for 442 yards and six touchdowns, and rushed for 384 yards and six scores in five games at the freshman level.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
Rosemead High School's girls volleyball team rushed the Gabrielino court after the fifth game and jumped up and down in one big group hug. They cried in joy. Gabrielino, meanwhile, cried in disappointment. The Panthers may have scored their biggest volleyball victory Wednesday afternoon, ending the Eagles' 77-match Mission Valley League undefeated streak.
"We just put our hearts out there," Panthers junior outside hitter Priscilla Franco said. "I knew we could do it. It was all in ourselves."

Ramsey's Girls Rankings: Again, this is why we run the races. Arcadia ran very well in the tough Mt.SAC Team Sweepstakes, turning in the SGV's best performance of the weekend. Unlike the boys, where several ranked team's stumbled on the famous 2.93-mile course, the girls teams all either surged forward or held their places. Also unlike the boys, where there are some rather large gaps between teams in the rankings, the first five schools are very closely matched, as are the next four.
Mayfield, Glendora, and Claremont all had exceptional days, confirming their rankings. Walnut and Rosemead had excellent performances at the Invite to move into the rankings - the Mustangs will challenge #5 Bonita for the Hacienda League while the Panthers are heavy favorites in the Mission Valley. Flintridge Sacred Heart and El Rancho both ran well, but didn't make the improvement needed to stay in the top ten, ranking very narrowly behind Rosemead, along with a resurgent Whittier.

All Encompassing SGV Girls Cross Country Rankings

1. Arcadia - Div. I (#3) - Arcadia rebounded from a tough week of racing twice over hard courses with the SGV's best performance at Mt.SAC, improving by over 90 seconds from the previous week. They'll face a tough League Finals challenge and will need to progress to stay tops in the SGV
2. Mayfield - Div. IV (#4) - Confirmed their quality with a solid third in the Div. IV sweeps and the best SGV time on Friday. The Cubs move from strength to strength as they're ranked #2 in the CIF-SS this week.
3. Glendora - Div. II (#2) - A strong third in the first heat of the very tough Div. II races. Their tight 1-5 gap and strength at Mt.SAC will help them in the big races to come. Twice winners in the Baseline League, they'll be challenged by Div. I ranked Rancho Cucamonga at Mt.SAC on Tuesday.
4. Claremont - Div. II (#8) - Confirmed their status as a team for tough courses with an excellent finish in the heat on Saturday afternoon. They'll have to run well to advance out of the loaded Sierra League on Tuesday at Mt.SAC.
5. Bonita - Div. III (#1) - Choosing not to run Sweeps at Mt.SAC, the Bearcats won their heat early on Friday. Their performance was a very slight step back on a weekend where other teams surged forward. Could be challenged by Walnut at the Hacienda League Final.
6. La Cañada - Div. III (#5) - Chose to run the flat Dog Days of Fall meet instead of Mt.SAC and were narrowly second there. They'll have a league deciding rematch with South Pasadena at Lacy Park on Thursday.
7. Walnut - Div. I (NR) - Led by two frosh and a soph, the Mustangs are excellent up front, but will need 4-7 to get closer to contend. Nevertheless, an excellent 1-7 performance Saturday morning at Mt.SAC. Next, they'll try to unseat Bonita from atop the Hacienda League at Mt.SAC on Thursday
8. South Hills - Div. III (#6) - A bit of an off day at Mt.SAC, but the Huskies are still ranked in Div. III, so they'll receive and at-large CIF bid regardless of their finish at the Sierra League. Their scoring group has changed from week to week, they'll need all five running well to advance at CIF.
9. South Pasadena - Div. III (#7) - Ran well at Mt.SAC in the Div. III sweeps, but their team time hides a pretty big 1-5 gap. As with several others, they've moved down because other teams have moved up.
10. Rosemead - Div. III (NR) - Dropped easily their best performance of the year at Mt.SAC to move into the final spot in the rankings, but they'll need to take another big step to stay there.

Ramsey's Boys Rankings: Arcadia holds the top spot in our second ranking of the 2011 season for San Gabriel Valley Cross Country. All of the SGV's top teams ran at last weekend's Mt.SAC Invitational, and the results created quite a bit of movement in the rankings. While the Apaches are still on top, their team depth is now merely really good rather than extraordinary, and so the gap to the new number two Damien - who had a strong performance on Friday - has narrowed.
Glendora, and California both had their first bad performances of the year, and fell in the rankings, but not quite as far as their results on Saturday would indicate. Both teams will need better League Finals results to just stay where they are. Div. V Flintridge Prep is the biggest surprise. They have run well all year, but it's tough for a school from the smallest division to rank with the others. They finished an excellent third in the Div. V Sweeps at Mt.SAC with a performance that would have won almost any other year but this one. Los Altos also ran well enough to enter the CIF and SGV for the first time, but they are just barely ahead of Santa Fe and Claremont, teams ranked last time, along with Bonita.

1. Arcadia -Div. I (Last ranking #1) - Still tops in the SGV, and 2nd in CIF-SS Div. I. Lost for the first time since '09 at Mt.SAC but were 2nd in a very strong field. Backed up by meet record wins at Woodbridge and Central Park, two Pacific League wins over a very strong Burbank team, and a big win at the national Bob Firman Invite in Idaho.
2. Damien - Div. III (#4) - Followed up up a league stumble with an excellent 4th place (and SGV #2 adjusted time) in the Div. III Sweeps at Mt.SAC. Excellent strength 1-3, 4-7 runners will determine their team's destiny
3. Bosco Tech - Div. IV (#5) - The boss of Div. IV all year, the Tigers solidified their top spot with a Sweeps win at Mt.SAC. Tough league showdown ahead with Div. III Cathedral, but if they can continue to heal from their earlier injuries and illness they could run the table.
4. California - Div. I (#3) - Had an off day at Mt.SAC, but ran well up 'til then: fast at the Great Cow Run, two wins in the highly competitive Del Rio League meets and good trip to Clovis. Del Rio finals will be telling.
5. Glendora - Div. II (#2) - Fell out of the CIF rankings after a rough outing at Mt.SAC but had been solid up 'til then, winning their opener at Bronco, a meet record win at Sunny Hills, and the divisional race at Clovis. They meet up with California #1 Rancho Cucamonga again at League Finals, which will show if Mt.SAC was bad moment or a revelation.
6. El Rancho - Div. I - (#6) - Excellent 80:19 effort to win their heat at Mt.SAC, making up for an off day at Clovis. Still 1-3 head to head with CalHi leading up to a big Del Rio showdown.
7. South Pasadena - Div. III (#9) - Hasn't raced often, but made up for a rough day at Clovis with solid performance in the Div. III sweeps at Mt.SAC. 1-5 depth will still be a problem in the post-season.
8. South Hills Div. III (#7) - Rough day at Mt.SAC follows two strong thirds in the tough Sierra League, and a win in their own Super XC Classic. They'll have to compete well at Finals Tuesday at Mt.SAC to advance over rapidly improving Chino Hills and Claremont.
9. Flintridge Prep - Div. V (NR) - The Rebels made a huge statement with their third place finish in the Div. V Sweeps at Mt.SAC, ranking #8 SGV on adjusted team time. More importantly, their team time comes from solid 1-5 grouping rather than one or two extraordinary frontrunners.
10. Los Altos - Div. III (NR) - An solid performance, despite a key runner returning from illness, in the the Div. III Sweeps at Mt.SAC puts the Conqs into the CIF rankings for the first time. They're facing a big showdown with Bonita and Walnut at the Hacienda League finals next Thursday at Mt.SAC.

I thought I would share this anonymous comment from a person who claims to be a local college coach. He had a beef with Upland's win over Rancho Cucamonga, and there's a video he says prove's his point...Does he have a legitimate beef? I'll let you decide...

Fred
I am a local college coach in the area and wish to remain anonymous because i recruit many of the schools in the sgv and i.e. A lot of people in your area comment on Charter Oak and there loss to Rancho and have commented on Rancho's loss to Upland this past weekend. A lot of people don't know that Upland flat out cheated! Below is a link to a play that Upland ran with 10 min to go in the 4th quarter against Rancho. THEY FLAT OUT CHEATED!! They put there TE in between the Center and Left Tackle and he released to catch the deciding score against Rancho. I really don't care wins as long as I can get their kids to go my school (haha), but I felt that I had to comment on this because anyone who has ever laced up cleats knows this is as bad as it gets. For those that don't know the rules as well as others there is not reporting of ineligible players in hs football. You are either eligible or you are not. You have to have an eligible number and you have to line up in an eligiible position. Your TE doesn't line up accidently as the guard. The play was obviously planned and executed and it disgusted me to see it on the fox feed. I hope you and following take a look at this!

By Clay Fowler, Staff Writer
Sweeps are en vogue in the Sierra League volleyball race, and not necessarily from expected sources. Chino Hills High School, coming off the wrong end of a sweep last week that dropped it to third place, kept the trend alive Tuesday with a three-game victory over first-place St. Lucy's, 25-18, 25-17, 25-15.

Also, read Aram's feature on Arroyo QB Steven Rivera: The numbers don't lie when it comes to Arroyo High School football standout Steven Rivera.
The senior quarterback and safety is putting up statistics so impressive at his respective positions he's earning consideration for postseason accolades at both spots.

Damien senior forward Chris Reyes committed to St. Mary's on Monday night.

Reyes averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds last season for the Spartans. Reyes, a 6-foot-7 power forward, has been a Tribune All-Area selection the past two seasons.

St. Mary's men's basketball program has gained fame recently by reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2005, 2008 and 2010. The 2010 team advanced to the Sweet 16.

St. Mary's is located 10 miles east of Oakland, Ca. in Moraga.

With Reyes back, the Spartans figure to be one of the area's top teams again this winter. Damien went 26-4 last season.

Personally, Damien at Charter Oak would have been a better game for the San Gabriel Valley, but it appears the Fox Sports people want to showcase West Covina..Those with Time Warner Cable (not me) can watch Friday's Loyola at Bishop Amat game on a delay Friday at midnight. The game will be on Channel 101 for those with Time Warner.

Mid-Valley: 1. Covina (7-1), 2. Arroyo (6-1), 3. La Puente (7-0), 4. Monrovia (4-3), 5. Whittier Christian (5-4), 6. Maranatha (6-1), 7. San Dimas (5-2), 8. Pomona (5-3), 9. Alhambra (6-1), 10. El Monte (5-2).
Fred's thoughts: I knew previous No. 1 Maranatha would drop after losing their first game to Whittier Christian, but all the way to six? No surprise Covina is No. 1, they deserve it, but with Arroyo, La Puente and now Monrovia to follow, what if this is the way they finish? Covina will not lose again, so they finish No. 1. Arroyo has to go through Rosemead and El Monte, but will still probably win out and stay No. 2. La Puente is the only team of the top four that might lose, to Azusa in week 10, and Monrovia will win out. So, the game of the year is La Puente-Azusa, that controls everything. If La Puente wins, Covina and Monrovia most likely meet in the semifinals, and it's a dream draw for Arroyo. If Azusa wins, Monrovia likely finishes third and would play be in line to face Arroyo in the semifinals, which would be relief for Covina. It's fun speculating, the Mid-Valley will be a lot of fun come playoff time.

Tribune Super 35 Rankings

1. Charter Oak (6-1) -- The Chargers' favorable schedule extends one more week against Claremont, then it's all hands on deck against Damien, Chino Hills and the Inland playoffs. Offensively, they can do no wrong, averaging 40 points a game. But then again, they haven't played a defense worth mentioning since Rancho Cucamonga.
2. Bishop Amat (6-2) -- Maxpreps has Amat ranked 42nd in the state and Charter Oak 43rd. They're that close. If Amat follows a Crespi win with a victory over Loyola, I may have to seriously considering bumping Amat back to No. 1. But that's a big if, though I do like their chances with Zach Shay back. Speaking of Shay, I was surprised he played so well at Crespi considering he missed more than a month. He stepped in and it looked like he had never missed a beat. That was impressive.
3. West Covina (6-1) -- The Bulldogs remind me of Charter Oak 2007 and '08 in that they're in a league and division where I don't think anyone can touch them. It's almost boring watching them win in workmanlike fashion since starting the Hacienda. Can Los Altos change that this week? I don't think so.
4. Damien (6-1) -- If coach of the year was handed out today, Spartans coach Greg Gano would be in the hunt because of a good mixture of non-league wins, and their 2-0 start in league. But let's see if we're still talking about it after they go through Chino Hills and Charter Oak.
5. Covina (7-1) -- The Colts have basically wrapped up the Valle Vista League title with a win over San Dimas and Pomona, and with it probably the Mid-Valley Division's top seed, because they will cruise to victories in their final two games. Just don't get complacent Colts, the title is there for the taking.
6. Chino Hills (4-3) -- The Huskies' tough schedule has paid off in league, though they've beaten the two worst teams in Ayala and Claremont. Let's see how they finish against Damien, South Hills and Charter Oak, because the jury's still out.
7. San Dimas (5-2) -- The Saints were No. 7 last week, but how do you drop them with Los Altos and South Hills, the teams ranked below them, losing also? Also, this is when I start buying San Dimas. The loss to Covina will probably be beneficial, because if they meet again in the playoffs, I like teams who get second shots.
8. Arroyo (6-1) -- The Knights and all-purpose QB/safety Steven Rivera continue plugging along toward another MVL title. Say this about Rivera, he leads the area in passing and is second in the area in tackles. When's the last time you remember a player do that, and how amazing would it be if at the end of the season, he was the leader in both.
9. South Hills (3-4) -- It's too bad they play no defense, because this is one of coach Steve Bogan's best offensive teams since winning titles in the mid 2000s. And though they've lost four games, three could have gone either way against Colony, West Covina and Damien. But that's been their story the last two years. They play good enough to make it entertaining, but find some way to foul it up when the game is on the line.
10. La Puente (6-0) -- It's time for the area's only undefeated team to crack the top ten rankings. Like Azusa in other years, you wonder if the record is legitimate, but at least La Puente and Azusa will be tested in week 10, when they get to face each other for the league title.
The rest: 11. Los Altos (6-2), 12. Pomona (5-3), 13. Diamond Ranch (4-4), 14. Glendora (3-4), 15. El Monte (5-2), 16. Claremont (4-3), 17. Bonita (3-4), 18. Azusa (5-3), 19. Diamond Bar (3-4), 20. Ayala (2-5), 21. Walnut (2-6), 22. Rosemead (4-3), 23. South El Monte (5-2), 24. Duarte (5-1), 25. Rowland (2-5), 26. Nogales (3-5), 27. Northview (2-5), 28. Baldwin Park (2-5), 29. Mountain View (3-4), 30. Workman (3-4), 31. Sierra Vista (3-4), 32. Gladstone (2-5), 33. Wilson (0-7), 34. Ganesha (1-6), 35. Bassett (1-6).

"I think we're better than (last year), so I hope we don't get blown out 42-7 again. But those guys (Chino Hills) are good. We're going to give it heck. It's an important game and means a lot to us." -- Damien coach Greg Gano

"They got some good transfers who have helped them out. Overall team speed, they're a lot better. They're a very good football team this year. And they were very good at the end of last year. You know, Damien helped us get into the playoffs last year." -- Chino Hills coach Derek Bub

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Damien High School's football team had three payback games on its football schedule entering the season. Last season, the Spartans suffered identical 42-7 losses to Bishop Amat, JSerra and Chino Hills. So far, Damien has done a pretty good job proving it is much improved from a year ago. The Spartans played Amat close for a half before falling 28-7. They later beat JSerra and now seek revenge against Chino Hills on Friday in a critical Sierra League game for both teams. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Damien. (To continue click thread).

Aram I discuss Arroyo vs. Rosemead, with Bishop Amat-Loyola, and Chino Hills-Damien drills to follow over the next two days....BTW, Arroyo's coach Jim Singiser and Arroyo's Matt Koffler will join the PrepXtra LIve Tuesday show at 7 p.m., don't miss it.

Area's statistical leaders reported to MaxPreps...
Quarterbacks
1. Steven Rivera, Arroyo, 2,084 yards, 23 touchdowns
2. Travis Santiago, Charter Oak, 1,845, 14 touchdowns
3. Brandon Martinez, 1,572, 20 touchdowns
4. Billy Livingston, 1,364, 18 touchdowns
5. Jacob Martinez, Azusa, 1,284, 10 touchdowns

Running Backs
1. Sir-Darius Yabrough, Pomona, 1,515 yards, 15 touchdowns
2. Jalen Moore, Bishop Amat, 1,134 yards, 16 touchdowns
3. Gevontray Ainsworth, 1,001 yards, 6 touchdowns
4. J.R. Nelson, Wilson, 916 yards, 5 touchdowns
5. Kurt Scoby, Charter Oak, 910 yards, 11 touchdowns

Wide Receivers
1. Hunter Duran, Arroyo, 45 receptions, 862 yards, 12 TDs
2. Aaren Vaughns, Charter Oak, 40 receptions, 753, 7 TDs
3. Jamie Canada, South Hills, 36 receptions, 721, 8 TDs
4. George Katrib, Diamond Bar, 37 receptions, 588 yards, 9 TDs
5. Terell Mosby, Pomona, 25 receptions, 526, 6 TDs

For standings, schedules and all statistical leaders, look at the SGV Tribune MaxPreps Widget.

Aram and I will go head-to-head in Tribskin Pick'em throughout the season with the loser buying lunch in December.
Last week: Robledo (15-3); Tolegian (15-3)
Season standings: Robledo (129-40); Tolegian (127-42)

Last week: Aram and I both went 15-3, but we took different roads there. We both missed taking Los Altos over Bonita, but I also missed taking South Hills over Damien, and Walnut over Diamond Bar. Aram lost taking Crespi over Bishop Amat and for whatever reason, Wilson over Northview. Our race is shaping up, with three weeks left and playoffs, I'm up by two.
This week: After calling Amat on the road at Crespi, I'm calling them at home on Friday too. They've already lost one Serra home game, you think they're going to lose two? On homecoming? In another must-win? I don't think so, but Aram does. I don't think Tolegian will pick Amat to win any Serra games. As great as Damien has been in recent weeks, I think they lose the next two weeks and wind up finishing third in the Sierra. Chino Hills and Charter Oak will play for the league title at the end, and Chino Hills will show why by doing its part. Of course, Tolegian disagrees again. The other game Tolegian and I disagree on is Northview-Nogales, I like the Vikes, he likes the Nobles. Rosemead could screw up the Mid-Valley with a win over Arroyo, but don't count on it. West Covina has another test at Los Altos, but the Bulldogs are passing all tests these days.

This week's games and predictions
Thursday's game
Azusa vs. Workman at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa), Tolegian (Azusa)
Friday's games
Loyola at Bishop Amat, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Bishop Amat); Tolegian (Loyola)
Chino Hills at Damien, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (CHills); Tolegian (Damien)
Arroyo at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Arroyo); Tolegian (Arroyo)
West Covina at Los Altos, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (WCovina); Tolegian (WestCo)
Glendora vs. Upland at Citrus, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Upland); Tolegian (Upland)
Bonita at Walnut, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Bonita); Tolegian (Bo-Hi)
Rowland at Diamond Bar, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DBar); Tolegian (D-Bar)
Gabrielino at El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (El Monte); Tolegian (EM)
Mountain View at South El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SEM); Tolegian (SEM)
Bassett at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (La Puente); Tolegian (La Puente)
Gladstone at Duarte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte); Tolegian (Duarte)
Sierra Vista at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SVista); Tolegian (SV)
Charter Oak at Claremont, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Coack); Tolegian (Chargers)
South Hills at Ayala, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SHills); Tolegian (Huskies)
Covina at Wilson, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Covina); Tolegian (Chovina)
Northview at Nogales, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Northview); Tolegian (Nogales)
San Dimas at Baldwin Park, p.m. -- Robledo (SDimas); Tolegian (San Dimas)

Larry Stout, who graduated from West Covina in 1978, wanted me to share this email with West Covina facing Los Altos this week.

Fred,
I am a transplanted West Covina Spartan, class of 1978, living in Missouri. First I want to thank you for you coverage of the SGV sports scene. My very best friend in the world was Bill Dunn who passed away 2 years ago and we had monthly phone conversations about the Bulldogs, tough for a Spartan to say that. Your coverage has allowed me to fill the info gap but the friendship gap will always be there. I know I am biased but one of the best SGV football games was the 1977 West Covina vs Los Altos game. We were both highly ranked going in and it was a tough, tough game (I personally took the hardest hit I ever took by a line backer named Jay Fairmon on a cut back run). West Covina won the game with no time on the clock as Los Altos lined up off side on the last play which allowed us one more play. As the two schools are playing this weekend I thought would share the blast from the past with you. Thanks for your work.

Vista Murrieta, one of the top teams in the Inland Division, was forced to forfeit five games because of an ineligible player, according to the CIF-SS office. Vista, which was 7-0 and 2-0 in the Southwestern League, is now 2-5 and 2-0. What will this do to the Inland rankings? One of the games forfeited was a win over Crespi, which makes the Celts 7-1 overall.

For quarter updates of tonight's games, click scoreboard link.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Moments during which the Covina High School football team has been clicking on all cylinders have been few and far between this season, but when they happen, it's obvious that few teams in the Mid-Valley Division will be able to hang with the Colts. Friday night was the Colts' best game of the season, and when the dust settled they'd put a 39-21 whipping on San Dimas in a victory that puts Covina in prime position to win a second consecutive Valle Vista League title. (To continue click thread)

Friday's results and game stories
Covina 39, San Dimas 21 -- With Mid-Valley No. 1 Maranatha going down to Whittier Christian, there should be no doubt who No. 1 is. Pound for pound, nobody's better.
Bishop Amat 28, Crespi 14 -- What a difference a Shay makes. The Lancers needed a boost and Zach Shay gave it to them, returning for the first time sine the concussion against Servite, eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown run. Rio Ruiz, Jalen Moore, Adam Sanchez all had great nights too, but with Shay back, it looked like early 2010 again.
Damien 47, South Hills 38 -- Was getting texts back and forth-- Spartans up big early, Huskies rally back, Spartans close with a Jalen Castille touchdown. Look, I'm not the only one who thought South Hills would win this week. Give the Spartans credit, it's not just a good start for them, they're in it to win it.
Diamond Bar 26, Walnut 22 -- This throws another wrinkle into the Hacienda title and playoff chase, and more importantly for the Brahmas, a must-needed feel good win.
Charter Oak 62, Ayala 34 -- What's that, 63 last week, 62 this week -- it's the best show in town. I don't know if they can do any damage in the Inland, but when they get it rolling, they get it rolling.
Diamond Ranch 20, Rowland 0-- Never count out the Panthers, it was just one Hacienda League loss last week to Los Altos. That's what good teams do, follow tough losses with wins.
Bonita 35, Los Altos 28 -- Great win for the 'Cats, and a painful one for Los Altos, who let the lead and win slip out of their hands.
El Monte 50, Mountain View 14 -- That's right, the Lions are serious MVL contenders and get Arroyo in week 10. A lot has to happen between now and then, but I like the chances of both running the table until they meet.
La Puente 36, Sierra Vista 16 -- I speak for everyone when I say we all expect the Warriors to be 9-0 when they face Azusa in week 10. Then your guess is as good as mine.
Rosemead 24, Gabrielino 6 -- No way the Panthers lose after losing to El Monte last week, and having to face rival Arroyo next week.
Duarte 31, Workman 28, OT -- After getting routed by Azusa, the Falcons needed a picker-upper, and nothing like an overtime feel-gooder to forget about last week.
Chino Hills 35, Claremont 14-- As great as Charter Oak has looked, the championship still goes through Chino Hills. This is why you play tough preseason schedules. Don't look at the overall record, 2-0 in the Sierra is what counts.
Gladstone 24, Bassett 6 -- It's been a tough year for both teams, especially Bassett, who hung tough after a few lopsided losses.
Azusa 56, Ganesha 0 -- What can you say really, except good for the Aztecs, their 23 straight Montview League win.
Pomona 42 Nogales 15 -- Red Devils dropping 40 like it's nothing for three straight weeks. Better take them seriously.

The Inland Insider Tom Kiss' highlights and interviews from San Dimas' win over Covina..

Highlights and interviews from Damien's big win over South Hills from TDro

WATCH TRIBUNE POSTGAME REWIND WITH RECAPS OF FRIDAY'S BIG GAMES.

Arroyo 28, South El Monte 7 -- Steven Rivera threw for 254 and three touchdowns, all of them in the second half, as Arroyo erased a 7-6 halftime deficit for an easy win. The Knights defense was very stingy, allowing just one touchdown which came after SEM got good field position after a bad punt snap. The Eagles played good defense for a while, but Rivera was too much. Arroyo now 6-1 overall and 2-0 in league.

Northview 18, Wilson 7: Vikings keep their playoff hopes alive and well by beating the winless Wildcats.

Glendora 20, Alta Loma 16: Tartans needed that. Their faint playoff hopes stay alive, but they will likely still have to knock off one of the Baseline's Big 3 of Etiwanda, Upland and Rancho.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
The CIF-Southern Section council voted 46-26 on Thursday to reject a proposal that would have created a double-elimination playoff for high school baseball teams in Divisions 1-4.

Girls Rankings: This is why we run the races. Arcadia came out blazing, running an amazing 89:20 at Woodbridge, outpacing SGV rivals Bonita by nearly four minutes. But a month later on the hills of Mt.SAC at Saturday's SGV One on One Challenge, the Bearcats had turned the tables and bested the now short-handed Apache's by 30 seconds. Meanwhile, Glendora had the SGV's best performance at the Clovis Invite, their 98:54 converting to just in between Bonita's and Arcadia's efforts from Saturday, and so that's how we'll rank them going into this week's Mt.SAC Invitational.
The quality of the girls teams in the SGV is not quite as deep as the boys, and this means more schools from the lower divisions have a spot in our rankings. Also, the move from flat courses to Mt.SAC can be difficult for some teams, so this weekend's races will tell us a lot.

1. Bonita (Div. III - Hacienda League) - the Bearcats were CIF finalists in '10 and have been highly ranked all season. Division winners at Woodbridge and twice League winners, they turned in their best performance at last week at Mt.SAC in winning the SGV Challenge in 97:02
2. Glendora (Div. II - Baseline League) - the Tartans, who feature six sophs and one frosh in their seven, ran well at Clovis and in their opening win at the Bronco meet, but their best performances have been their two wins in the Baseline League meets. Their heat at Mt.SAC is loaded, so we'll get to see how they stack up.
3. Arcadia (Div. I - Pacific League) - As noted above, the Apaches had an amazing opener at Woodbridge, but as the season progressed they're been missing at least one key athlete and lost twice last week to Crescenta Valley in the Pacific League and to Bonita at Mt.SAC. They'll have a chance to turn things around in the Sweeps race Saturday morning.
4. Mayfield (Div. IV - Prep League) - the Cubs have made huge strides this year, starting with a dominating win at Rosemead, and then a divisional win at Clovis, where their top four improved by an average of 78 seconds per person from last year. They'll be very strong in their own division, but by finishing just seconds behind Glendora at Clovis, they showed they can compete with anyone in the SGV
5. La Cañada (Div. III - Rio Hondo League) - Winners at the Bell-Jeff meet, the Spartans have been on a tear, winning their division on the hilly Staub-Barnes course, and then defeating South Pasadena on that same course last week in the second Rio Hondo cluster meet.
6. South Hills (Div. III - Sierra League) - the Huskies ran well at Bronco and Woodbridge and were winners at their own Super XC Classic. They stumbled a bit in the extreme heat of the second Sierra League meet but generally have run their best on hilly courses, which bodes well for them.
7. South Pasadena (Div. III - Rio Hondo) - like Arcadia, the Tigers started with a bang at Woodbridge, but didn't run quite as well at Clovis. Friday's Div. III sweeps at Mt.SAC will show if their loss to La Cañada was more about their slipping back or the Spartans moving up.
8. Claremont (Div. II - Sierra League) - this young team made CIF finals in '10 for the first time in a number of years and has been a bit inconsistent this year. Their best efforts have come at Clovis and the second Sierra League meet, so they're a team that can run tough courses.
9. Flintridge Sacred Heart (Div. IV - Mission League) - the Tologs have run in some big meets, starting well at Fastback and Woodbridge, and showing well at Stanford. They've rested or run incomplete teams in recent weeks, and it appears they'll keep things low-key on Friday, waiting for Finals and CIF to showcase their team.
10. El Rancho (Div. I - Del Rio League) - the Dons (Doñas?) have run very well at their two league meets and followed up good early performances at Bosco Tech and Woodbridge with a solid effort at Clovis.
Note: With the exception of La Cañada, all of these teams will be competing Friday or Saturday at Mt.SAC.

Boys rankings: Rankings in Cross Country are notoriously difficult. Teams run on flat courses and hilly courses, and in different weather, so that even schools running on the same course on the same day, as will probably happen at Mt.SAC this Saturday, can face very different conditions.
That said, here's our first attempt to rank the 70 schools of the San Gabriel Valley, regardless of CIF Division. These rankings give preference to recent performances, and to performances achieved on hard and/or hilly courses, since Southern Section XC always points to Mt.SAC and Woodward Park. And so we can have something to talk about before the athletes sort it out themselves at Mt.SAC this weekend, here are the rankings:

1. Arcadia (Div. I - Pacific League) - Easily the class of the SGV, the Apaches ranked #1 in Div. I until last week, the defending National Champs really haven't stumbled at all, notching meet record wins at Woodbridge and Central Park, two Pacific League wins over a very strong Burbank team, and scoring a big win at the national Bob Firman Invite in Idaho.
2. Glendora (Div. II - Baseline League) - The Div. II ranked Tartans have kept something of a low profile, but have won every Invite they're entered - their opener at Bronco, a meet record win at Sunny Hills, and the divisional race at Clovis. They were second twice to State #1 Rancho Cucamonga in the Baseline League
3. California (Div. I - Del Rio League) - The Condors continue to build on the their CIF Finals qualification from last year. Starting fast at the Great Cow Run, their biggest honor is their two wins in the highly competitive Del Rio League meets. Ran well at Clovis.
4. Damien (Div. III - Sierra League) - Fast our of the box with a win at the Bosco Tech meet over much of the SGV and ran well again at Woodbridge and won the first Sierra League meet. They stumbled a bit in the second Sierra meet, their only competition in the last month
5. Bosco Tech (Div. IV - Del Rey League) - Ranked #1 in Div. IV all year, the Tigers started with a strong 3rd overall at their own meet, but then struggled mightily with sickness and injuries. Their victory over Div. III ranked Cathedral in last week's Del Rey League indicates they're nearly back to full strength.
6. El Rancho (Div. I - Del Rio League) - Fast at Don Bosco and Woodbridge, the Dons best efforts have been their two seconds to Cal in the Del Rey League, while they had a bit of an off day at Clovis.
7. South Hills (Div. III - Sierra League) - #6 SGV at Woodbridge, the Huskies have been third both times in the tough Sierra League, and won their own Super XC Classic.
8. Santa Fe (Div. I - Del Rey League) - Two strong thirds in the Del Rio League meets and a #7 SGV ranking at Woodbridge are their top achievements so far.
9. South Pasadena (Div. III - Rio Hondo League) - Started well with the #4 SGV time at Woodbridge, and held form with two wins in the Rio Hondo League. Had a rough day at Clovis.
10. Claremont (Div. II - Sierra League) - This CIF and State podium team in '10 was hurt by graduation, and their young team can't break through in the deep Sierra League. Top performance was an 83:18 at Clovis

Pictured below: Bishop Amat beat Palm Desert at Dodger Stadium for the title in June. However, If the double-elimination proposal passes, it probably means no championship games at Dodger or Anaheim Stadium for Divisions 1-4.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Area coaches have mixed feelings over a radical proposal that would create a double elimination high school baseball playoff tournament that would begin in May for the 2012 baseball playoffs. The CIF-Southern Section Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on a two-year pilot program that would create a double elimination baseball playoff for Divisions 1 through 4 this spring -- a proposal that Northview High School baseball coach Darren Murphy was part of introducing. According to sources, however, it has a small chance of passing.
"If you're a baseball follower or baseball purist, you know baseball is not a single-elimination game," Murphy said. "In college, professional and even Little League, it's a series.
"In baseball, you shouldn't get eliminated just because a team has a dominant pitcher. In a double elimination, it allows the best teams to win most of the time."
According to the double-elimination proposal, the regular season would end one week earlier to allow for an extra week of playoffs, and there would be single elimination wild card games to create a 32-team field for each playoff division. (to continue click thread).

"All of them are must-win, but at the same it's feasible that if we don't win, we would have to win our last two and make the playoffs. We don't want to be in that situation, and we're going to put our best foot forward on Friday night." -- Bishop Amat coach Steve Hagerty

By Aram Tolegian
Steve Hagerty knows a win Friday at Crespi would do wonders for his team's postseason outlook, but the fourth-year Bishop Amat coach also is stressing it won't be the end of the world should the Lancers falter. "All of them are must-win, but at the same it's feasible that if we don't win, we would have to win our last two and make the playoffs," Hagerty said. "We don't want to be in that situation, and we're going to put our best foot forward on Friday night."

Amat lost its Serra League opener last Friday in a hard- fought game against defending league champ Alemany. The Lancers now hit the road in trying to get back into the league title race against a Crespi team they ran all over last year. The plan Friday may not be much different than what it was last year - use tailback Jalen Moore to chew up big chunks of yards and keep the Crespi offense off the field.

"He's one of our better players, so we definitely want him to have success," Hagerty said of Moore, who rushed for 262 yards and two scores last year against the Celts. "I wouldn't use the word `pound,' because I'm not sure that fits us. We just have to execute."

It's still questionable whether Amat gets back all- purpose threat Zach Shay, who's missed a large portion of the season after suffering two concussions. Hagerty said Shay is "running around" with the team but isn't taking any contact. He could be cleared by doctors soon, though.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Diamond Bar coach Ryan Maine is well aware Los Altos' win over Diamond Ranch gave his team a bit more postseason hope than it had at this time a week ago, but Maine also is aware the new life is something his team can't squander. The Brahmas are 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the Hacienda League, with losses to West Covina and Diamond Ranch. With games still to come against Walnut and Los Altos, the Brahmas can put themselves squarely in the playoff race and possibly even in second place if everything falls just right.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
The 64th annual Mt. San Antonio Cross Country Invitational begins Friday and concludes Saturday at Mt. SAC's 2.93-mile course, which features hilly terrain with names such as "Poopout Hill" and "Switchbacks." With 57 of the Valley's high schools competing and more than 600 schools from around the nation in the field, it's a chance to watch the best of the best go at it in a preview of what lies ahead, with the CIF-Southern Section and state meets fast approaching.

A kids look at the Mt. SAC cross country course, where I ran a 19.36 for Edgewood High School in 1986 ...

The skinny: Claremont (13-6, 4-2) handed St. Lucy's (14-4, 5-1) its first league loss as the Wolfpack beat the Regents 25-22, 25-17, 25-22. Briana Holes scored 12 kills, Ariana Holmes scored 11 kills and Rylee Jackson had 30 assists and 10 digs for Claremont.

Other Scores
Sierra League
Chino Hills 3, Ayala 2
Hacienda League
Diamond Bar 3, Diamond Ranch 0
Los Altos 3, Rowland 1
Montview
Gladstone 3, Sierra Vista 0
Azusa 3, Duarte 0
Bassett 3, Workman 2
La Puente 3, Ganesho o
Valle Vista League
Covina 3, Wilson 1

Tribune Super 35 Rankings
1. Charter Oak (5-1) -- It's not arguable anymore, Charter Oak is the best team in the area at the midway point after thoroughly dominating South Hills. Will they be good enough to run the table in the Sierra and last a few rounds in the Inland? Who knows, but it will be fun watching them try.
2. West Covina (6-1) -- Because of the contrast in styles, West Covina and Charter Oak would be this year's dream match-up. But after watching South Hills play both West Covina and Charter Oak, Bulldogs are a distant No. 2 -- for now.
3. Bishop Amat (5-2) -- For the past few years Amat has touted itself as an undersized blue-collar team that rolls up its sleeves and wins when its backs are against the wall. After last week's lost to Alemany, it's onto Crespi in almost a do-or-die situation. You don't want to start 0-2 in the Serra.
4. Damien (5-1) -- The Spartans started the season at No. 4 and have looked like the No. 4 team, but quiz time is over, the real tests come next. How they do against South Hills, Charter Oak and Chino Hills will answer all our questions.
5. Covina (6-1) -- Are they back firing on all cylinders now that Billy Livingston is back at quarterback? We shall see, no more holding back, San Dimas is in town on Friday.
6. Chino Hills (3-3) -- There is not a person in the Inland Empire that doesn't believe the Huskies could beat any of our top five, and rightfully so considering the Huskies' schedule. But they did lose some of those games in lopsided fashion. In any case, let's see if they can defend the Sierra.
7. San Dimas (5-1) -- Absolutely dominating over the last month punctuated with the big win over Monrovia. Now comes their biggest test since then, and against the most physical team they've faced since a season-opening loss to Bonita.
8. Los Altos (6-1) -- You have to give them credit. In what was a stunning league-opening loss to Walnut, the Conquerors answered back with big wins over Rowland and Diamond Ranch. If they keep it going against Bonita this week, you may not be so quick to dismiss their chances against West Covina.
9. South Hills (3-3) -- Only .500 and coming off a 63-28 loss No. 1 Charter Oak. So what, they're still a top ten team and a good one. Don't be surprised when they beat Damien and go toe-to-toe with Chino Hills.
10. Arroyo (5-1) -- The Knights haven't looked like word beaters, but they're off to another impressive start and their only loss is to powerful Hart. If they run the table in the improved Mission Valley, then yes, I will call them a legitimate Mid-Valley contender.
The rest: 11. Claremont (4-2), 12. Glendora (2-4), 13. La Puente (6-0), 14. Diamond Ranch (3-4), 15. Pomona (4-3), 16. El Monte (4-2), 17. Bonita (2-4), 18. Ayala (2-4), 19. Diamond Bar (2-4), 20. Walnut (2-5), 21. Azusa (3-3), 22. South El Monte (5-1), 23. Rosemead (3-3), 24. Rowland (2-4), 25. Nogales (3-4), 26. Duarte (4-1), 27. Baldwin Park (2-5), 28. Northview (1-5), 29. Workman (3-3), 30. Mountain View (3-3), 31. Sierra Vista (3-3), 32. Wilson (0-5), 33. Gladstone (1-5), 34. Ganesha (1-5), 35. Bassett (1-5).

By Aram Tolegian
Covina quarterback Billy Livingston made his first start since Sept. 23 on Friday night and seemed to pick up right where he left off before he suffered a shoulder separation against Walnut. Livingston was 16 of 23 for 353 yards and four touchdowns in Covina's 49-14 victory over Nogales. The Colts (6-1, 3-0) host San Dimas (5-1, 2-0) on Friday night at Covina District Field in the game of the year in the Valle Vista League. "Billy did a good job (last Friday)," Colts coach Darryl Thomas said. "He was a little rusty early on, but after that he was pretty good.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
El Monte High School's football team hasn't won a Mission Valley League title since 1979, or since Spectacular Bid won the Kentucky Derby, but with junior quarterback Brandon Martinez in the saddle, El Monte finally has a horse in the race with which to compete. Back in September, Martinez made his varsity debut by throwing for 223 yards and four touchdowns, and rushing for 126 yards in an eye-catching 43-17 victory over Baldwin Park. When asked afterward if he expected more such performances from Martinez, coach Joel Sanchez said, "If he does, you'll be writing about him every week."

"All I know is that I've got a team that's got a thin roster, has 14 sophomores and some injuries to key players. We're scrambling to put the best kids we can on the field. The reality of the situation is that we're working as hard as we can to be competitive," --Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
The Charter Oak High School football team's blowout victory over South Hills last Friday in the Sierra League opener for both teams has caused the Chargers' bandwagon to grow, but veteran head coach Lou Farrar has found a way to not get caught up in the hype. "My son (offensive coordinator Dom Farrar) fends off everything from the outside world," Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar said. "I feel bad about that. If I'm out of town, the next person they go to is him."
Farrar was out of town this weekend following Charter Oak's 63-28 victory over the Huskies. The win, and the manner in which it happened, has many Chargers fans thinking big, even though a difficult stretch still awaits in the Sierra and presumably the Inland Division.

The South El Monte-Arroyo game was moved to Thursday night, listen to Aram and I discuss it on the two-minute drill. Tomorrow we'll discuss Covina vs. San Dimas.

Aram and I will go head-to-head in Tribskin Pick'em throughout the season with the loser buying lunch in December.
Last week: Robledo (16-2); Tolegian (17-1)
Season standings: Robledo (114-37); Tolegian (112-39)

Last week: For the second straight week, Aram went 17-1 to close my lead to two, but I also went 16-2, so he didn't gain much ground. Not much separated us, he got me on Los Altos over Diamond Ranch, but I got him back taking El Monte over Rosemead. The difference was Bishop Amat. He took Alemany and I took Amat, and we know what happened there.
This week: The big game is Friday at the District, and I like the Colts. There are certain games that you don't need a pep talk for and this is one of them. I like Covina in a big game with their cards on the table. I didn't think they could win at San Dimas last year -- they did -- and this year they're better. As long as QB Billy Livingston is healthy, they should get it done. San Dimas hasn't played a team this physical defensively since beating Monrovia, and the Cats aren't as physical as the Colts. I'm rolling the dice with Amat too. They've been their greatest with their backs to the wall, and their backs are too the wall. They're in a position where they have to win on the road, so lets see if the Blue-Collar guys can pull off another mild stunner. I also like South Hills over Damien. While many may have given up on this team, I thought Charter Oak was that good on Friday. South Hills can still score, and my guess is they outscore Damien in a shootout. Finally, I like Los Altos over Bonita. This should set L.A. up nicely for the West Covina game, and give them the inside track toward a playoff spot.

This weeks games and predictions
Thursday's games
South El Monte at Arroyo, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Arroyo); Tolegian (Arroyo)
Wilson vs. Northview at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Northview); Tolegian (Wilson)
Glendora vs. Alta Loma at Chaffey, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Glendora); Tolegian (Glendora)
Friday's games
San Dimas vs. Covina at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Covina); Tolegian (Chovina)
Bishop Amat at Crespi, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Amat); Tolegian (Crespi)
South Hills at Damien , 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SHills); Tolegian (Damien)
Diamond Bar at Walnut, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Walnut); Tolegian (D-Bar)
Ayala at Charter Oak, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (COak); Tolegian (CO)
Diamond Ranch at Rowland, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DRanch); Tolegian (D-Ranch)
Los Altos at Bonita, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Los Altos); Tolegian (Los Altos)
El Monte at Mountain View, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (El Monte); Tolegian (El Monte)
Ganesha vs. Azusa at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa); Tolegian (Azusa)
Gladstone at Bassett, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Gladstone); Tolegian (G-stone)
Sierra Vista at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (La Puente); Tolegian (LP)
Workman at Duarte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte); Tolegian (Duarte)
Rosemead at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rosemead); Tolegian (Rosemead)
Claremont at Chino Hills, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (CHills); Tolegian (CH)
Nogales at Pomona, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Pomona); Tolegian (P-Town)

Just Tribbin is anything and anyone you want to talk about. But I thought I would start it off by asking who has the best chance of winning a title in their division?

1. West Covina (5-1), No. 1 Southeast: If you're telling me Arcadia has the best chance of stopping them, then yes, the Bulldogs have the best chance of winning and going back-to-back. They would have to make mistakes for someone to beat them. WestCo at its best is better than anyone else at their best.
2. Covina (6-1), No. 2 Mid Valley: Recent scores don't support it, but I'm remembering how they battled West Covina and blew out its next couple opponents before Billy Livingston was injured. When healthy and firing again, I like their chances over San Dimas and Monrovia.
3. San Dimas (5-1), No. 3 Mid Valley: They could climb to No. 1 with a win over Covina, especially a convincing win over the Colts. But this will be more like the Bonita game, the Colts' defense is too physical for them.
4. Los Altos (6-1), No. 5 Southeast -- After West Covina, the Southeast is up for grabs. The Conqs won a big game over Diamond Ranch, and are back on track in the Hacienda.
5. Arroyo (5-1), No. 4 Mid-Valley: With a quarterback and all-around player like Steven Rivera, the Knights always have a shot. The Knights need to win the MVL and get a favorable draw, something they haven't got in recent years.
6. Pomona (4-3), No. 10 Mid-Valley: After watching them against Northview, I'm convinced they're a dangerous team with playmakers that could go on a run. They're getting better each week and could peak come playoff time.
7. Diamond Ranch (3-4), NR, Southeast: What it did against Bonita and Diamond Bar proves it's an on any given Friday type of team. If the Southeast wasn't so watered down after West Covina and Arcadia, I wouldn't rank them this high. But you and I know, the Ranch are capable of taking down the big boys.
8. Charter Oak (6-1), No. 6 Inland -- The area's top team also competes in what is arguably the Southland's toughest division in 2011. However, if it runs the table and finishes 9-1, there's a good chance they could climb to a top four ranking and seed. In the Inland, you need a great draw. Even so, and as great as the Chargers are locally, hard to imagine them winning a title with Corona Centennial, Upland and Vista Murrieta residing.
9. Bonita (2-4), No. 6 Southeast: I don't care that they lost to Diamond Ranch and West Covina, they would have a shot, not a great one, but a shot if they played both again. With the teams left to rank, the Cats are in the mix.
10. Bishop Amat (5-2), No. 4 Pac 5: They have to make the playoffs first, which is a giant task after losing to Alemany. But the Serra and Pac-5 is strange, you never know who beats who from week to week. The lower divisions are more predictable in terms of chances of winning it, which is why Amat is ranked over the others. At least they have a punchers chance, even if it's a small one.
The contenders: Rosemead, La Puente, Azusa, Diamond Bar, South Hills, Damien, Chino Hills, Rosemead and El Monte are all good, but I can't envision a scenario where they have a better chance of running the table than the teams ranked ahead of them.

For quarter updates of tonight's games, click link.

Chargers roll: South Hills High School tried going toe-to-toe with Charter Oak, but the video-game-like efficiency of Chargers quarterback Travis Santiago was too much to deal with.
On a night Santiago threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 54 yards and three touchdowns, his evening might be best remembered for scrambling out of trouble and running over a defender for a first down that few quarterbacks have the guts to try.
When it was over, Charter Oak had amassed over 500 total yards and ran South Hills off the field 63-28 in the Sierra League opener at Covina District Field on Friday.

Tonight's results and game stories
Alemany 26, Bishop Amat 21 -- For the Lancers to make the playoffs, they will have to beat either Crespi or Notre Dame on the road and Loyola at home in two weeks. Impossible? No. Likely? It doesn't look good.
Charter Oak 63, South Hills 28 Can't remember the last time I've seen an area quarterback as complete as Travis Santiago. His legend continues to grow after throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing for 54 yards and three touchdowns.
Los Osos 20, Glendora 7 -- The Tartans will probably get a win over Alta Loma next week, but that's as good as it gets the rest of the way in the Baseline.
Los Altos 27, Diamond Ranch 14 -- So much for Roddy's Hacienda League predictions, the Conquerors are back in the playoff and Hacienda title picture.
Walnut 38, Rowland 26-- Suddenly, the Mustangs are 2-1 and their only loss to West Covina and a win over Los Altos. Looks like they're sitting pretty. Who do they think they're, Diamond Ranch?
West Covina 38, Bonita 14-- The Bulldogs are too much for everyone these days. Forget an Amat-Charter Oak match, I want a Charter Oak/Royal Oak vs. West Covina -Edgewood special. Only the old school folks know what I'm talking about.
Arroyo 42, Mountain View 3 -- The Knights did what they're supposed to do, but still have lots of tough games in the MVL left.
El Monte 31, Rosemead 28-- For weeks I've been telling anyone that listens the Lions are the real deal and a real Mission Valley contender. Tonight they proved it.
South El Monte 13, Gabrielino 10-- Another good win for the Eagles, but not sure if they're as good as Arroyo, Rosemead or El Monte in the MVL.
Sierra Vista 21, Gladstone 20-- The Dons squeeze out another Montview League win.
Workman 41, Bassett 0 -- Not a surprise, seems like the Olympians are last year's Duarte.
Chino Hills 40, Ayala 9 -- Ok, so when is that Charter Oak-Chino Hills game?
Damien 31, Claremont 10 -- The Spartans continue to improve by the week, and get an even bigger test at home next against South Hills.
Pomona 49, Baldwin Park 14 -- Don't sleep on the Red Devils. They will make the playoffs and make somebody nervous.
San Dimas 48, Wilson 10 -- Finally, bring on Covina.

Highlights of West Covina-Bonita with TDro...

Tonight's results
Azusa 45, Duarte 10 -- Azusa running back Desmond Reed sat out the first quarter for missing practice, and with the miscues, bad snaps, flags and everything else that went wrong for the Aztecs, they were disappointed and fortunate to be up by nine at halftime against visiting Duarte on Thursday.
"It was really sloppy," Aztecs coach Joe Scherf said. "I started yelling at them at halftime to get going. It was one screw-up after the next."
Once the Aztecs and Reed settled in, though, the Falcons couldn't keep pace. Reed rushed for 168 yards and four touchdowns, and quarterback Jacob Martinez threw for 160 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 92 yards as the Aztecs (3-3, 3-0) extended their Montview League winning streak to 22 with a 45-10 win over the Falcons at Citrus College.
Covina 49, Nogales 14 -- Covina High School won its sixth consecutive game and showed why it deserves the No. 2 ranking in the CIF-Southern Section Mid- Valley Division with a 49-14 win over much-improved Nogales on Thursday.
La Puente 59, Ganesha 14 -- - It's only Week 6, but good luck telling that to the young Ganesha players who were in tears after Thursday's 59-14 loss to La Puente.
Or to Giants running back Aaron Gaulding, who carried the ball three times - all with his right hand, since his left hand was concealed by a bulging cast to protect a broken metacarpal. For Gaulding, it was easier to play injured than to watch from the sideline.

Click on the thread for the CalHiSports state bowl rankings. You might find it interesting that Covina has the best chance of representing the SGV in a state bowl game. The Colts are ranked eighth in the Division 3 South Rankings. Obviously they would have to win out and hope others lose for a state bowl berth, but with half a season left, there's an outside chance. When it comes to state rankings, Sierra League teams are in Division I, which means teams like Charter Oak, South Hills, Damien, and Chino Hills have virtually no chance, not unless they schedule a monster preseason schedule. In Division 1, Bishop Amat has the area's highest ranking at No. 14.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
With games still to come against Upland (5-0), Rancho Cucamonga (5-0) and Etiwanda (3-2), it's pretty easy to see that the Glendora High School football team's Baseline League opener Friday night against Los Osos is a must-win. And that's how first-year Tartans coach Todd Quinsey is approaching it this week. "The reality is this week is probably an elimination game," Quinsey said. "With Upland, Rancho and Etiwanda the top three on paper going in, I think the loser of this game is in trouble.

Most area fans don't seem to be giving Claremont (4-1) the same respect as Charter Oak, Chino Hills, Damien and South Hills going into Sierra League play, but Damien coach Greg Gano isn't one of them. "They're 4-1, that's how I view them," Gano said. "If you're going to soften up on anybody or think somebody is not good, you're gonna get your butt beat. They have some weapons and it's a crosstown rivalry. They're going to be ready to play."

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
One would think revenge is on the mind of the Bonita High School football team as it heads into Friday's showdown with West Covina, which used victories over the Bearcats to win the Hacienda League and CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division championships last season. But the Bearcats simply aren't a good enough team at this point to focus on aesthetically pleasing things like avenging last year's high-stakes losses to the Bulldogs, according to coach Eric Podley.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Danny Sheehan's role on the South Hills High School football team is a week-to-week thing. Need him to fill in at quarterback for injured starter Vince Hernandez? No problem. Need him to play wide receiver when Hernandez is healthy? No problem. Need him to hit the game-winning field goal as a place-kicker? Consider it done.
All this from a senior who strongly considered not playing this season because of a serious concussion suffered last year. For the Huskies' sake, though, thank goodness football is in Sheehan's blood.

By Aram Tolegian
When told of the CalPreps.com prediction that had his team beating Rosemead 26-24 this week, El Monte coach Joel Sanchez was quick to jump on the projected good fortune. "I'll take it and let's not play the game," Sanchez said. "I'll take it, 26-24. Call it in. Let (coach Matt) Koffler know that they said we're going to win, we're calling it in and that I'll take it."

Aram and I will go head-to-head in Tribskin Pick'em throughout the season with the loser buying lunch in December.
Last week: Robledo (13-5); Tolegian (17-1)
Season standings: Robledo (98-35); Tolegian (95-38)

Last week: Aram picked up four wins to cut my lead to three. He had a great week, going 17-1, missing only Pomona's rout over Northview. I took a beating, taking Los Osos, Diamond Bar, Workman, Mountain View and JSerra.
This week: South Hills and Charter Oak could be epic with arguably the two best offensive teams in the area. But the reason I like Charter Oak is defense, they're just a little better in that area than the Huskies, who haven't stopped anyone except lowly St. Monica. Bishop Amat is in a must win at home and they owe Alemany. For Amat to make the playoffs, they have to win home games against Alemany and Loyola in two weeks. They will probably lose to Crespi on the road and have a shot at Notre Dame in the finale. My guess is they go 2-2, or 3-1 at best. But yes, I think they make the playoffs. Duarte will give Azusa a run for its money, but it's not time yet. The Falcons will win a league title under coach Tip Sanders, but not this year. L.A. and Diamond Ranch is a coin flip, but no way I pick against Roddy's Ranchers again.

This week's games and predictioins
Thursday
Azusa vs. Duarte at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa); Tolegian (Azusa)
La Puente at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (La Puente); Tolegian (LP)
Covina vs. Nogales at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Covina); Tolegian (Covina)
Friday
Glendora vs. Los Osos at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Los Osos); Tolegian (Los Osos)
Los Altos vs. Diamond Ranch at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DRanch); Tolegian (Los Altos)
Walnut at Rowland, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Walnut); Tolegian (Walnut)
West Covina at Bonita, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (WCovina); Tolegian (WestCo)
Arroyo at Mountain View, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Arroyo); Tolegian (Arroyo)
Rosemead at El Monte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (El Monte); Tolegian (Rosemead)
South El Monte at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (South); Tolegian (SEM)
Gladstone at Sierra Vista, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SVista); Tolegian (SV)
Workman vs. Bassett at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Workman); Tolegian (Workman)
Alemany at Bishop Amat, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Amat); Tolegian (Alemany)
Chino Hills at Ayala, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Chills); Tolegian (Chino Hills)
Damien at Claremont, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Damien); Tolegian (Damien)
South Hills vs. Charter Oak at CDF -- Robledo (COak); Tolegian (Charter Oak)
Baldwin Park at Pomona, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Pomona); Tolegian (Pomona)
Wilson vs. San Dimas at Charter Oak, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SDimas); Tolegian (San Dimas)

PrepXtra Postgame Rewind with reaction from Damien coach Greg Gano (at 12:45 mark) and another you-don't-want-to-miss interview with Diamond Ranch coach Roddy Layton at the 30:45 mark!...

Inland Insider and crew's video highlights and interviews in Diamond Ranch's big win over Diamond Bar for the Mayor's Trophy

Tyler Drohen, aka TDro, has highlights and interviews from Los Altos' win over Rowland

For quarter updates of tonight's games, click link.

Roddy promises and delivers: With the stands filled with rival fans from neighboring high schools, there were plenty of sounds echoing across Diamond Bar's football stadium Friday night, not the least of which was the prediction Diamond Ranch head coach Roddy Layton made last week that his team would "smack" Diamond Bar. Layton made good on his prognostication as Diamond Ranch intercepted the Brahmas' final two passes and returned one for a touchdown in a 31-19 win over its Hacienda League rival.

Your Saturday Morning prep results and game stories
Diamond Ranch 31, Diamond Bar 19-- You have to give it to Roddy and the Ranchers, they went to Diamond Bar with all the pressure and came through with a win again. Maybe Roddy's right, maybe they will run the table to set up a dramatic finish with West Covina in Week 10
Covina 26, Baldwin Park 18 -- QB Billy Livingston didn't start, but he made an appearance and the Colts did enough to win. It was nervous time for the Colts in the fourth quarter, but they pulled it out. Word is, Livingston took another shot to the shoulder, but we'll see how he recovers over the next week.
Pomona 45, Northview 14 -- Brandin Shreiman threw for 163 yards and three touchdowns and RB Sir-Darius Yabrough ran for 165 yards and three touchdowns in a thoroughly dominating performance.
West Covina 48, Walnut 10 -- This is what everyone's afraid of in the Hacienda and Southeast -- the Bulldogs healthy and blowing out opponents.
Azusa 50, Bassett 0- The Aztecs haven't loss a Montview league game since coach Joe Scherf took over in 2008.
Sierra Vista 19, Workman 15 -- The Dons get a nice win over an improved Workman team.
Arroyo 23, La Canada 21 - If you're thinking MVL title and deep Mid-Valley playoff run, this result is concerning.
Bell Gardens 24, South El Monte 14 -- The Eagles finally lose their first game, but still a great first month.
Duarte 21, Ganesha 0 -- The Falcons are one of two undefeated teams left in the East San Gabriel Valley. How do you like that? But, they face Azusa next.
Rosemead 35, Temple City 9 -- Like Pomona, the Panthers are a team that can play with anyone in the Mid-Valley.
Los Altos 28, Rowland 12- The Conquerors bounced back after last week's tough loss to Walnut, racing to a big lead and not looking back.
Damien 41, JSerra 39-- What a great win for the Spartans, beating a Pac-5 team on the road to go to 4-1. I want to hear what the Spartans naysayers have to say now.
El Monte 41, Cerritos 0 -- I watched them early in the season and still feel the same way, they can beat anyone in the MVL.
La Puente 33, Gladstone 9-- The Warriors are the other undefeated team in the ESGV, and will probably stay undefeated for a while the way they're winning in the Montview.
Bellarmine-Jefferson 20, Mountain View 14, OT -- Eric Agaverdyan scored on a three-yard touchdown run in overtime for the win.

By Clay Fowler, Staff Writer
Of the five times Sean Douglas thought his team had lost Thursday night, the St. Lucy's Priory volleyball coach was the most certain when his libero, Arianna Sifuentes, dove over her team's bench to save a ball with St. Lucy's trailing 20-19 in the fifth game. Of the five times Douglas thought his team had won, the only time he was certain came two points later, when Veronica LaPierre's kill bounced off the hands of a Chino Hills blocker out of bounds to put an end to No. 1 St. Lucy's five-game marathon of a victory over their Sierra League foe in a rematch of last season's CIF-SS championship match.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Bishop Amat started slow again, but followed the same script, rallying from 14 points down to post a 38-35 victory on the road at Venice Thursday behind another stellar performance from running back Jalen Moore, and a couple reverse touchdown runs from Adam Sanchez.
Moore was a workhorse, carrying it 37 times for 219 yards and three touchdowns, and Sanchez scored on two reverses, a 17 yard TD that gave Amat an early 7-0 lead, and a key 48-yard TD run early in the third quarter that tied the score, 21-21, after the Lancers trailed 21-7 midway through the second quarter. Amat, ranked fifth in the CIF-SS Pac-5 Division, improved to 5-1 while Venice dropped to 1-4.

Thursday's results
Game story: San Dimas 42, Nogales 6 -- The Saints impressed Aram so much that he wrote, "they might be the best team in the division RIGHT NOW." Looks like the Saints and Aram's opinion of them have made a dramatic turnaround since the season opener.
Game story: South Hills 31, Los Osos 28 -- Los Osos lost to undefeated Orange Lutheran by only two touchdowns, and lost to Vista Murrieta by only nine points, the same team that beat Crespi by 18. When you mention Amat, Charter Oak, West Covina as the area's top three, the Huskies aren't too far back. I heard QB Danny Sheehan took care of business and kicked the game-winning 27-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, but the fact is the Huskies won without their starting QB Vincent Hernandez, who played receiver because of his injured shoulder. So you tell us, who do you like next week, Charter Oak or South Hills?
Game story: Bishop Amat 38, Venice 35 --With the advantage Amat has with Jalen Moore, who finished with 219 yards and three touchdowns, it shouldn't be this close. Amat can score, they scored last year and they're scoring this year. But if they don't start getting more three-and-outs, more pressure on the QB and better push off the line, they'll have a tougher time coming back against teams in the Serra. It's finally here, defending champ Alemany in town next week.

Read the Scoop on Snoop, who I'm sure won't be filing a hardship transfer: Corde and Cordell Broadus, sons of famous rapper Snoop Dogg, checked into Diamond Bar High School this week after playing football at Long Beach Poly this season. Corde, who played some special teams this season at LB Poly, is seeking to gain immediate eligibility from CIF. A decision on that won't be known until after all pertinent paperwork has been filed.

Story with reaction from DB coach Ryan Maine:"They're good, respectful kids," Maine said. "On the outside, it's exciting to have them here. But to be honest, we want to treat these kids like they're normal high school kids. We want them to enjoy their high school football experience. So, there is some excitement to it, but on the other hand, we want them to be a part of our team. And that's what they want, too. They don't want the big spotlight. They just want to play football and be part of a team."

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
With one week to go in its nonleague schedule, the Mission Valley League is looking to add to what's become a pretty impressive resume so far this season. Not generally known as one of the area's power leagues, things might be different this year if the current body of work is any indicator: Heading into this week's games, the Mission Valley is a combined 17-8.
South El Monte High School's 4-0 record leads the way. The Eagles were 1-9 last season. "Our league is definitely on its way up," first-year South El Monte coach Ibis Aguilar said. "Obviously, Arroyo and Rosemead are still doing well like always, but El Monte is coming up and even Mountain View is coming up. Gabrielino has won a few games as well. I think it's good for all of the teams involved in the league."

Gabrielino beats Arroyo 25-23, 13-25, 25-22, 25-16: The Gabrielino High School volleyball team may lack the firepower of years past, but the Eagles certainly can play a mean defense and display a lot of heart. "We work on a lot of control," first-year coach Silvia Apodaca said. "We like to control the ball. We teach them to look at the other side of the court."

El Monte 3, South El Monte 0
The Lions remained unbeaten in league play as they swept the Eagles 25-15, 25-14, 25-18. El Monte (13-2, 3-0) received outstanding performances from Luz Mendoza and Cristella Gonzalez, who had nine and eight kills, respectively. Setter Connie To added 21 assists and 12 digs in the win.

Latest Update: A confidential school district memorandum calls into question the behavior of a football coach and a "belligerent" student who were involved in a scuffle that lead to the coach being placed on administrative leave.

The skinny: Muir football coach Ken Howard, a former school security guard who spent 17 years patrolling the Muir halls, said he was asked by vice principal Dr. Charles Park to conduct a search of a student reportedly armed with a knife on Friday, and a scuffle ensued in what Howard described as necessary to defend himself, and apparently, after meeting with police, they felt so too, opting not to file charges. "The police officers that responded said I did everything right," Howard said. Even so, Howard was placed on administrative leave, and removed as head coach while the school conducts an investigation. Howard said in Tuesday's story that Park apologized to him for authorizing the search and Howard's attorney said Park authorized the search. However, in tomorrow's paper there will be an update in which Park declares he never asked Howard to conduct a search. I hate to write it, but it sounds to me that administrators are prepared to make Howard the scapegoat. We will continue to update as this develops. Just to clarify, the administrative leave was his removal from coaching. Howard is no longer a full-time security guard at Muir, he was laid off as part of budget cuts more than a year ago. But he still volunteers to help with security since he's the football coach, something he does to help keep his players in line at school. This I also find interesting. The suspension of Howard came the same day a fatal stabbing occurred at Southeast High in South Gate. Four people were stabbed, including the school's dean. Although a knife was never found during Howard's search, the result of not searching when you suspect someone has a weapon could end up a South Gate situation if you don't err on the side of caution, something school officials should keep in mind when sorting this out.

Friday's breaking story: John Muir High School head football coach Ken Howard was placed on administrative leave Friday after a scuffle with a student.

Monday's updated story: On Friday the popular Howard was placed on administrative leave after an altercation Wednesday with a student who was reportedly armed with a knife. A scuffle ensued after Howard attempted to search the student's backpack. Howard said he was told to search the backpack by a school administrator. His attorney Joe Hopkins identified the administrator as Dr. Charles Park. "(Howard) was trying to protect other people from being harmed by some missing deadly weapons, i.e. knives," Hopkins said. "He was trying to find where they were and the result is he ends up being suspended ... (it) makes me think Howard is the scapegoat."

By Aram Tolegian
Covina quarterback Billy Livingston, who missed last week's win over Pomona with a Grade 2 shoulder separation, still is considered day-to-day by Colts coach Darryl Thomas and will be a game-time decision when the Colts play at Baldwin Park on Friday at 7 p.m.

La Puente running back/defensive back Nick Barrientos suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee in last week's win over Workman and will miss 1-2 weeks, according to Warriors coach Brandon Rohrer. "He is walking around pretty good and so far it looks like it is healing well," Rohrer said via email. Barrientos was leading the Warriors in rushing and was a key contributor on defense.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
West Covina High School is getting healthy at just the right time. The Bulldogs have had a touch-and-go situation with reigning Tribune Player of the Year Chris Solomon ever since he injured his ankle in the season opener against Covina, but they had to love what they saw last week when Solomon ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Diamond Bar. (to continue click thread)

By John Honell
The Sierra League, with three teams ranked in the top five, has been recognized as the premier volleyball league in CIF-Southern Section Division 2AA. Top-ranked and defending champion St. Lucy's Priory looked like a champion in knocking off fifth- ranked South Hills 25-23, 25-14, 25-16 Tuesday. The first game was close, with the Huskies (11-4 overall, 1-1 league) jumping out to a 14-9 lead before the Regents (11-3, 2-0) battled back to tie the score 15-15. "They were beating us pretty good," Regents coach Sean Douglas said. "This place gets really loud and it's hard to play in here." No. 1 St. Lucy's will host No. 2 Chino Hills on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., in a rematch of last year's Division 2AA title, won by the Regents after both teams split during the Sierra League.(to continue reading click thread)

Tuesday's league results
Baseline
Upland 3, Glendora 1
Hacienda
Bonita 3, Walnut 1
Diamond Bar 3, Rowland 0
Los Altos 3, West Covina 0
Montview
Azusa 3, Gladstone 0
Bassett 3, Sierra Vista 2
Sierra
Ayala 3, Charter Oak 0
Chino Hills 3, Claremont 0

Girls Volleyball Top Ten
Records provided by Maxpreps
1. St. Lucy's (11-3)
2. Chino HIlls (14-2)
3. South Hills (11-4)
4. Claremont (6-5)
5. Bonita (8-6)
6. San Dimas (13-1)
7. Bishop Amat (7-3)
8. Diamond Bar (8-3)
9. El Monte (11-3)
10. Los Altos (7-6)

Rank, team, record, (previous ranking)
1. Bishop Amat 4-1 (1) -- Amat is like all the other Serra League teams scheduling middle-of-the-road opponents with one or two big nonleague games. That's why the league is 20-5 and everyone has a solid record. Can you blame them? They're gearing up for a brutal month playing each other. In Amat's case, say what you want, but they're winning, and winning easy again.
2. Charter Oak 4-1 (2) -- At this point, I do believe they will run the table in the Sierra. I didn't think anyone would go undefeated a few weeks ago, but I do now. Who's going to beat them ... Chino Hills, South Hills, Damien? Not this year, offense is too good, and defense is good enough to get by.
3. West Covina 4-1 (3) -- No problem in the Hacienda opener on the road against a motivated Diamond Bar squad. As the Dogs heal, they're only going to get better. Come playoff time, who's going to stop them? Aram keeps mentioning Arcadia. I'm not buying. With Solomon back to go with Frazier and Salgado, they're unstoppable in the Hacienda and Southeast.
4. Covina 4-1 (6) -- They took their foot off the gas before putting away Pomona 16-14, but a notable win considering they did it without quarterback Billy Livingston. Of all the Mid-Valley teams I've watched, the Colts are still the best.
5. Damien 3-1 (8) -- The Spartans are improved, no doubt about that. But improved enough to finish where in the Sierra? That's hard to answer. They got a solid win over Temescal Canyon, and if they can beat a Pac-5 Trinity League team in JSerra on Friday, then I like their chances of finishing top three in league and making the playoffs.
6. Chino Hills 2-3 (5) -- What's disturbing is not that the Huskies lost step-up games to Tesoro and Redlands East Valley, what's disturbing is how bad they lost them, 27-3 and 34-0, respectively.
7. San Dimas 4-1 (9) -- The Saints look like the dominant 2009 Saints since the Smudgepot loss and with a week off, they host Nogales on Thursday. I can't picture the Saints losing to anyone in the VVL with the exception of Covina. Can you?
8. Claremont 4-1 (4) -- Serrano crushed Claremont 42-0, and like I mentioned last week, after a 4-0 start and with the Sierra schedule next, they will probably finish 4-6 or 5-5..
9. South Hills 2-2 (NR) -- The Huskies are an any-given-Friday team because their offense can score at will with the best of them. But they give up too many points, too many big third downs and that won't cut it against the Charter Oak's, or probably Thursday's opponent, Los Osos.
10. Glendora 2-3 (NR) -- Considering a new coaching staff, what players returned and the Tartans' brutal schedule, few thought they could be 2-3. What's more impressive is that they competed in all three losses.

The rest: 11. Arroyo (3-1), 12. Diamond RAnch (2-3); 13. Los Altos (4-1), 14. Bonita (2-3); 15. La Puente (4-0), 16. South El Monte (5-0), 17. Diamond Bar (2-3), 18. Ayala (2-3), 19. Rowland (2-2), 20. Rosemead (2-2), 21. Duarte (3-0), 22. El Monte (2-2), 23. Pomona (2-3), 24. Walnut (1-4), 25. Azusa (1-3), 26. Nogales (3-2), 27. Northview (1-4), 28. Baldwin Park (2-3), 29. Mountain View (3-1), 30. Workman (2-2), 31. Gladstone (1-3), 32. Wilson (0-5), 33. Sierra Vista (1-3), 34. Ganesha (1-3), 35. Bassett (1-3).

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Bishop Amat High School football coach Steve Hagerty isn't sure if or when all-purpose standout Zach Shay will return. Shay, a running back/defensive back who Hagerty described as the Lancers' best all-around player before the season, suffered a concussion in the first quarter of their Sept. 9 loss to Servite and hasn't returned. It was Shay's second concussion since summer practice started. Last year, Amat was 6-0 when Shay suffered a season-ending ankle sprain. "As of now he's out indefinitely," Hagerty said. "It's a decision that's between his doctors and his family. They will let us know if Zach will play again. I don't want to speculate and say he'll give it a shot here or there."

erry Ford's time has finally arrived.
After spending the past two seasons stuck behind standouts like Brandon Stansell and Ervin Crawford, the keys to the Rowland High School football team now belong to Ford. And the senior running back is doing his best not to disappoint.
Ford has rushed for 578 yards and five touchdowns this season. He also had a key kickoff return for a touchdown to the help the Raiders beat Rosemead on Sept. 15.
Rowland will take its 2-2 record to Los Altos (4-1, 0-1) on Friday night in a crucial Hacienda League game for both teams.

La Puente and coach Brandon Rohrer are 4-0 and No. 5 in the Mid-Valley

Inland Division
1. Corona Centennial (3-1), 2. Vista Murrieta (4-0), 3. Upland (5-0), 4. Rancho Cucamonga (5-0), 6. Redlands East Valley (4-0), 7. Norco (3-1), 8. Charter Oak (4-1), 9. Etiwanda (2-2), 10. Yucaipa.
Fred's thoughts: A Southeast coach and Aram argued today that the Inland is as good as the Pac-5 after what Upland did to Loyola and Vista Murrieta to Crespi. I wouldn't go that far, yet.

Mid-Valley Division
1. Maranatha (5-0), 2. Covina (4-1), 3. San Dimas (3-1), 4. Arroyo (3-1), 5. La Puente (4-0), 6. Village Christian (3-2), 7. Monrovia (1-3), 8. Whittier Christian (3-2), 9. South Pasadena (1-0), 10. South El Monte (4-0).
Fred's thoughts: I think Covina, San Dimas and Arroyo are better than Maranatha, but I have no problem with pollsters tagging the Minutemen No. 1.

Pac-5 Division
1. Servite (4-1), 2. Mission Viejo (4-1), 3. Santa Margarita (5-0), 4. San Clemente (5-0), 5. Bishop Amat (4-1), 6. Long Beach Poly (4-1), 7. Loyola (4-1), 8. St. John Bosco (4-1), 9. Orange Lutheran (5-0), 10. Alemany (3-2).
Fred's thoughts: Amat might be the highest ranked Serra team in the Pac-5, but are they the best in the Serra? Hard to tell, looks like they can all beat each other.

Southeast Division
1. West Covina (4-1), 2. Arcadia (3-1), 3. La Serna (4-1), 4. El Rancho (3-1), 5. California (3-1), 6. Los Altos (4-1), 7. Bonita (2-3), 8. Mayfair (2-2), 9. Crescenta Valley (3-1), 10. Muir (2-2).
Fred's thoughts: Does preseason matter? It does in the polls. Diamond Ranch beats Bonita and Walnut beats Los Altos, but the Conqs and Cats don't fall far in the polls. I understand in Los Altos' case, they're 4-1. But hard to argue Bonita at No. 7 when they have the same 2-3 record as Diamond Ranch.

Aram and I will go head-to-head in Tribskin Pick'em throughout the season with the loser buying lunch in December.
Last week: Robledo (16-3); Tolegian (13-6)
Season standings: Robledo (85-30); Tolegian (78-37)

Last week: After picking up four wins on Aram last week, I picked up three more this week. We both missed taking Los Altos over Walnut, Bonita over Diamond Ranch and Baldwin Park over Northview, but Aram also missed taking Wilson over Nogales, Temple City over South El Monte and Bassett over Duarte -- three games I nailed.
This week: I'm going to be stubborn and take Diamond Bar over the Ranch. After the way the Brahmas were embarrassed last year, and after Layton saying they will go out and "smack" Diamond Bar, the purple is going to stand up and fight back. Although Damien is favored on Calpreps, I like JSerra at home. I also like Los Altos to bounce back and beat Rowland, and thought Northview will give Pomona a fight, take the Red Devils.

Thursday's games
San Dimas vs. Nogales at Citrus College, 7 p.m., -- Robledo (SDimas); Tolegian (SDimas)
South Hills vs. Los Osos at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Los Osos); Tolegian (South Hills)
Bishop Amat at Venice, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Amat); Tolegian (Amat)
Friday's games
Diamond Ranch at Diamond Bar, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DBar); Tolegian (D-Ranch)
Rowland at Los Altos, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Los Altos); Tolegian (LA)
Walnut at West Covina, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (WCovina); Tolegian (WestCo)
Azusa at Bassett, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Azusa); Tolegian (Azusa)
Ganesha at Duarte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte); Tolegian (Duarte)
Gladstone vs. La Puente at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (LP); Tolegian (LP)
Workman vs. Sierra Vista at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Workman); Tolegian (SV)
Covina at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Covina); Tolegian (Covina)
Pomona vs. Northview at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Pomona); Tolegian (Northview)
Arroyo at La Canada, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Arroyo); Tolegian (Arroyo)
Bellarmine-Jefferson at Mountain View, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (MView); Tolegian (Bell Jeff)
Damien vs. JSerra at Saddleback, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (JSerra); Tolegian (Damien)
El Monte vs. Cerritos at Gahr, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (El Monte); Tolegian (El Monte)
South El Monte at Bell Gardens, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (SEM); Tolegian (BG)
Temple City at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rosemead); Tolegian (Rosemead)

With Diamond Ranch at Diamond Bar this week for the Mayor's Trophy, The Brahmas might enjoy today's press clippings after Diamond Ranch's 21-13 win over Bonita. Take it away Roddy .."We're going to go out there and smack Diamond Bar, go after Walnut, take a break, have our bye week, go after Los Altos on our homecoming, beat Rowland to qualify for the playoffs and then beat West Covina to win a league championship -- Diamond Ranch coach Roddy Layton, Sept 30, 2011

There are anonymous commenters not that bold, but that's Roddy, and why we like him. In a day most coaches stay clear of bulletin board material, he's not afraid to stick out his chest. I've always thought it is his way of publicly challenging his players because he's not always this brash. He picks and chooses his spots in the season to deliver the verbal throwdowns, and this was a good one. That's why he's good and why the Ranch fools us every year and flips the switch come league. Take a look at this week's games, still looking for our game of the week...

This week's schedule
Thursday's games
San Dimas vs. Nogales at Citrus College, 7:00pm
South Hills vs. Los Osos at Covina District Stadium, 7:00pm
Bishop Amat at Venice, 7:00pm
Friday's games
Diamond Ranch at Diamond Bar, 7:00pm
Rowland at Los Altos, 7:00pm
Walnut at West Covina, 7:00pm
Azusa at Bassett, 7:00pm
Ganesha at Duarte, 7:00pm
Gladstone vs. La Puente at Citrus College, 7:00pm
Workman vs. Sierra Vista at La Puente, 7:00pm
Covina at Baldwin Park, 7:00pm
Pomona vs. Northview at Covina District Stadium, 7:00pm
Arroyo at La Canada, 7:00pm
Bellarmine-Jefferson at Mountain View, 7:00pm
Damien vs. JSerra at Saddleback College, 7:00pm
El Monte vs. Cerritos at Gahr, 7:00pm
South El Monte at Bell Gardens, 7:00pm
Temple City at Rosemead, 7:00pm