Fox Sports Analyst and San Gabriel Valley friend Chris Rix joins the conversation at the 7:45 mark, talking about Charter Oak-Upland, and his thoughts on Bishop Amat’s season and QB Rio Ruiz. Great, great stuff, click the player…
Aram posted this on his blog this morning and I had to share it too. Great video produced by Azusa’s football team, so good it might even make Aztec Pride cry with joy.
By John Honell, Correspondent
LA VERNE – Delayed by traffic and no GPS, Bonita Vista High School took more than four hours to drive from Chula Vista for the opening round of the Southern California State-CIF Division II playoff match against second-seeded St. Lucy’s. It will seem like a much longer ride home as the Regents (28-6) defeated the Barons in four games, 26-24, 25-17, 17-25, 25-17 on Tuesday at Damien High. (To continue click thread)
CIF-State Playoffs — Division II
Saturday’s Southern California Regional Quarterfinals
St. Lucy’s (28-6) vs. Downey (27-5), Damien HS, 7 p.m.
La Salle (20-6) at La Costa Canyon (29-8), 7 p.m.
Continue reading “St. Lucy’s advances in state playoffs with four-set win over tired Bonita Vista” »
Michelle Yamamoto, left, and Leeah Powell are two of the top players on the Bishop Amat girls basketball team this season. (Keith Durflinger / Staff Photographer)
By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
It’s hard to imagine an encore resembling anything close to last year’s local girls basketball season, but if it happens it probably will be the same teams producing the magic. Last year’s impressive run by Bonita High School is something that won’t soon be forgotten. On their way to a deep run in the postseason, the Bearcats avenged an earlier loss to area stalwart Bishop Amat. Another meeting in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs between those teams won’t happen because of division realignment, but they appear ready to take their fans on another fantastic journey. It won’t be all about the Bearcats and Lancers this season. Duarte returns every key contributor from last year’s record-setting team, and Diamond Ranch is loaded once again. It should all add up to another stellar winter on the hardwood. Here’s how they stack up at the dawn of a new season. (Click to continue top ten story)
Girls Hoops preseason top ten
1. Bishop Amat
2. Diamond Ranch
3. Bonita
4. Duarte
5. Wilson
6. St. Lucy’s
7. Diamond Bar
8. Rosemead
9. Arroyo
10. Walnut
I’ve had a few emails praising area coaches in what certainly has been the year of the coach in high school football. We’ll crown a coach of the year in a few weeks, but has there been a year like this with so many that are deserving. Duarte’s Tip Sanders led the Falcons back after back-to-back 0-10 seasons, leading them to 6-3 and on the brink of a playoff berth. La Puente’s Brandon Rohrer led the Warriors to their best start in school history before finishing 9-2. And look at Azusa’s Joe Scherf, going undefeated his fourth straight year in the Montview, and still alive in the quarterfinals. There is probably no better feel good story than what’s happening at Los Altos, where coach Dale Ziola is 8-3 and in the quarterfinals after the Conqs’ program was left for dead, 0-10 last year with virtually nobody wanting a piece of that job. West Covina’s Mike Maggiore continues to establish himself as one of the Valley greats, gunning for his second straight and third CIF title. And how about Roddy “playoff” Layton. That’s all he does is advance in the postseason. What if this is the year he finally gets the prize. The Valle Vista League is full of contenders. Covina coach Darryl Thomas may finally gets his CIF title in a few weeks, Bill Zernickow is on course to take San Dimas back to the title game and what about Pomona’s Anthony Rice, whose team is now part of the SGV conversation. The Mission Valley league is full of feel good stories too. El Monte and coach Joel Sanchez chased their first league title since 1979, South El Monte’s Ibis Aguilar got the Eagles in the postseason after a miserable 2010, and Arroyo coach Jim Singiser has his first real shot at a title with one of the Valley’s all-time greats at QB. Damien coach Greg Gano’s team finally turned the page in the Sierra when few thought they could and Sweet Lou Pa Farrar is back at it again, winning a Sierra League title and chasing a title in a division that you thought was unthinkable last year. It’s not right we have to pick just one in a few weeks, but no matter who gets it, there are so many others that are just as deserving.
Well this sort of squashes our plans for Coveritlive, unless you want Mike the Cousin there for a live Q&A…let us know what you think.
Friday’s up-to-date game time and locations
CIF-SS Playoffs
Inland Division
Charter Oak (10-1) at Upland (11-0), 7:30 p.m.
Southeast Division
West Covina (10-1) at Pasadena (6-5), 7 p.m.
La Mirada (7-4) at Arcadia (9-2), 7 p.m.
La Serna (8-3) at Los Altos (8-3), 7:30 p.m.
Diamond Ranch (6-5) at Muir (7-4), 7:30 p.m.
Mid-Valley Division
Covina (10-1) vs. Alhambra (8-2) at Moor Field, 7 p.m.
Monrovia (8-3) vs. Whittier Christian (7-4) at Whittier College, 7 p.m.
San Dimas (9-2) vs. Azusa (8-3) at Citrus College, 7 p.m.
San Gabriel (7-4) at Arroyo (10-1), 7 p.m.
“I think our parents are thinking it’s going to be the same Azusa, but our kids are pretty dialed in. Our kids saw them in person and saw them on film. I think it’s basically trying to get our parents to believe that they’re going to be good, too. They’re two different groups.” — San Dimas coach Bill Zernickow
By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
It’s hard to imagine San Dimas High School would be at any disadvantage Friday when the Saints play the same Azusa team they beat by 25 points on Sept. 8 in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs. But some disadvantages can be of the mental variety, and nobody knows how true the age-old adage “it’s hard to beat the same twice in the same season” better than Saints coach Bill Zernickow. (To continue click thread)
By Aram Tolegian, staff writer
Upon being told about this newspaper’s discovery that he’s the Valley’s all-time leading in passing in career yards and touchdowns, Arroyo quarterback Steven Rivera took things in stride.
“I called him up and told him about it because I was pretty excited,” Arroyo coach Jim Singiser said. “His reaction was `Thank you, coach.’ “We’ve got more to do.”
Rivera’s four-year total of 8,296 passing yards and 91 touchdowns makes him tops in Valley history. His 91 career touchdown passes rank seventh on the CIF-Southern Section list. Rivera needs 179 yards this week against San Gabriel to move into 10th on the Southern Section’s all-time yards list.