Girls Hoops: Covina beats Wilson in rematch: How a team bounces back from a loss can tell more about the character of the players than winning or losing.

In a rematch, this time in a Valle Vista League game, the Colts (11-3, 1-0) stifled the usually high-scoring Wildcats and came away with 32-22 win Monday night.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Valle Vista League
Northview 61, Pomona 49,
The Vikings proved to be too much for the Red Devils (5-9, 0-3). Treavon Francis scored a game-high 41 points to led Northview (13-5, 2-0). Pomona was led by Marcus Colbert, who scored a team-high 26 points.

Nonleague
La Verne Lutheran 55, Westminster 33
The Trojans handily defeated the Lions behind Grant Jerrett’s game-leading 18 points and eight rebounds. Lutheran’s Eric Cooper scored 16 points and had four assists while teammate Tide Osifeso added nine points and three steals. Brian Beard had seven assists as Lutheran improved to 13-4.

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Montview League
Duarte 68, Azusa 35
The Falcons never were challenged as they cruised in their league opener. Duarte (7-1, 1-0) was led by Imari Brown with a game-high 20 points while Yasmine Wilson scored 14 points and Sheree Cox added 9 points. Azusa was led by Marissa Chavez with 13 points, and Andriah Asati added seven points.

Valle Vista League
Northview 56, Pomona 16
The Vikings used a pressing defense to open the game, which forced six turnovers that led to a 22-4 first-quarter lead for Northview (4-11, 2-0).
“We executed our pressing defense really well tonight and that led to easy baskets for us, which allowed us to jump out to the early big lead,” Northview coach Desiree Almarza said.
Vikings senior guard Diamond Machabie was impressive for Northview in scoring 19 points to go along with 10 steals, five assists and three rebounds.
Cassie Ramirez also had a strong game by scoring 19 points, grabbing nine rebounds and collecting three steals. “The girls played hard, well-composed and aggressive basketball tonight,” Almaraz said.
The Vikings played tough man-to-man defense throughout the game, which did not allow the Red Devils to get on track as Northview jumped out to a 31-9 halftime lead. “I thought played really well on defense tonight and did an excellent job in boxing out and rebounding,” Alamarz said.

Monday’s CIF-SS Poll Results

Boys Basketball Polls: Damien and La Verne Lutheran at the top of their divisions.

Girls Basketball Polls: Bishop Amat and Covina No. 1 and 2 respectively in 3A

Girls Soccer Polls: Bishop Amat, Ayala, St. Lucy’s, Diamond Bar and Claremont all Ranked in Division 3

Boys Soccer Polls: Claremont, South Hills, Sierra Vista and Baldwin Park all ranked.

Girls Water Polo: Bonita No. 1 in Division 5

I wrote in the previous thread more big-time coaches could follow, and it took all of two hours for another big-namer to turn in his time card. And there are still more to come, sources say. Aram “SGVN football” Tolegian is a busy man today. In addition to Podley, Covina’s Darryl Thomas and Wilson’s Bob Burt also resigned: The good news for Aram is that they made their annoucements hours before tonight’s Alabama-LSU game. At least for now. Here’s the latest from Aram on what is a sad day for football fans in the SGV: Bonita High School football head coach Eric Podley resigned on Monday, with the school naming 27-year-old special teams coordinator Adrian Medrano as his replacement.

“The workload of being a full-time classroom teacher, athletic director and head coach seemed like it was expanding each year and something had to give at some point, and so I decided the head coach football job would be the one to go,” Podley said. “It was something I definitely thought about it, especially last year when I got so sick. An illness like that can make you reassess some of your priorities in life.”

Medrano takes over: “It’s a big opportunity and some big shoes to fill,” Medrano said. “There’s no other place I’d rather be right now than Bonita. I’m excited about it. It’s a program with rich tradition and expects to win. That’s the kind of place I want to be.

“And every single day, I’m trying to learn something. It’s not going to be easy, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Below: Even when Mr. Bonita’s not coaching football you run into him everywhere. He always answers your phone call and helps with everything involving Bonita sports, which I’m sure he will continue doing, some guys are just wired that way. At least he’s still on the varsity football staff and more importantly enjoying good health. See you on the sidelines coach …

Covina High’s Darryl Thomas resigned after 15-years as the head football coach, but will remain at the school as a teacher and athletic director. This is not a surprise, it has been rumored he would leave since the season ended. The Colts will begin the search of finding a replacement. That should be an interesting situation. With Thomas and vice principal Mark Pasquarella at the school, you have two of the best coaches in the Valley not coaching. Rumors are that varsity track coach and co-athletic director Kevin Glaspy could take over or is interested. Glaspy also was an assistant on the football staff. This is just the beginning, sources are saying there are more big-name area coaches who will be resigning soon.

Story: “It was a tough decision,” Thomas said. “The last two weeks, I’ve had a hard time sleeping. I absolutely still love coaching football and I love Covina High School.
“One of our mission statements was to have each kid reach their highest potential, but now it’s time for me to help my own kids reach their highest potential. My kids are all becoming high school age and it’s time for me to be a dad.”

Bob Burt resigned Sunday as head coach of the Wilson High School football team after one season on the job.

The Wildcats went 1-9 last season and won only their final game of the season against Baldwin Park.
Continue reading →

Above: New and improved Diamond Bar already 2-0 in the Hacienda after recent 1-0 overtime win over Diamond Ranch.

Tribune Girls Soccer Rankings
1. Claremont (15-0-2) – Did nothing to move the Wolfpack from the top spot. They’re numbers are looking Amat-like (from 2009 and ’10) with 43 goals for and just six against. If they’re the real deal, the Sierra League will let everyone know. BTW, they play St. Lucy’s on Wednesday.
2. St. Lucy’s (10-3) — What St. Lucy’s has more than anyone else is quality wins. The big one over Flintridge Sacred Heart, and just last week against Corona Santiago, winning 3-2. They also have a solid win over Walnut.
3. Bishop Amat (10-3-2) — The Lancers aren’t as dominant but they’re starting to get there again after beating Ayala, Cleveland and tying Redondo Union last week. The Lancers will probably go undefeated in the Del Rey.
4. Chino Hills (12-1-1) – Strong 3-2 win over Irvine to close out the non-league schedule. This is a team that was 12-13-1 last year. It hasn’t started league yet, and already has the same number of wins. Like Claremont, they have to prove they’re the real deal in league.
5. San Dimas (11-2-2) — The defending Valle Vista League champs already are 2-0 in the VVL and have a big one at home against Northview on Tuesday. The problem for San Dimas is the VVL. There aren’t enough teams to help them get prepared for the playoffs, and the Vikings without superstar Khalalah Todd might not be able to push them either. We shall see.
6. Diamond Bar (9-3-3) — I wrote last week the Brahmas are my favorite to win the Hacienda and they go out and start 2-0 with a big game on Thursday against Walnut. Not the same Walnut, but still a good side.
7. South Hills (5-1-6) — In recent years the problem with South Hills has been its defense. Not this year. You can blame the six ties on not enough scoring, defensively the Huskies only have allowed six goals. If they start scoring, they’re another dangerous team in the Sierra.
8. Ayala (4-4-2) — The Bulldogs lost the big rematch at Bishop Amat 2-1, but don’t sleep on the Bulldogs, not as long as they have a player like Makenzy Doniak, she can change a game in an instant.
9. Los Altos (6-2-2) — A good start in league with a tie against Walnut and win over Rowland. This team lacks the firepower of years past, but they can still defend, allowing just 11 in 10 games.
10. Sierra Vista (7-2-2) – The Dons are already 4-0 in the Montview and have the same problems as San Dimas. Once league starts, there is nobody to challenge them.

Tribune Boys Soccer Top Ten Rankings

1. Claremont (10-2-2) — It opens the Sierra at home against Damien on Wednesday, and ended last week with a 2-1 loss to Fontana. Keep an eye on Wolfpack forward “Great” Denes Kantor, he’s got four goals and six assists.
2. Sierra Vista (8-2-2) — After beating Gladstone 2-0, the Dons went back-and-forth with La Puente in a 4-4 tie. Good teams shouldn’t allow four goals. But look at it this way, it was the first time the Dons have allowed more than one goal in a game all season, so no reason to be concerned.
3. South Hills (8-2-2) – The Huskies ended nonleague with a 1-0 loss at Upland, but overall it was their best December in years. Let’s see if they can continue it in 2012.
4. Baldwin Park (6-3-2) — The defending CIF champs were beaten soundly by Cathedral 2-0 after beating San Dimas to open league earlier in the week. Health is their biggest concern, they will get better.
5. Arroyo (7-4) – The Knights have won four straight, but their last three are very, very impressive, beating Bonita (3-0), Damien (2-0) and Ayala (4-2). That’s showing serious game against upper-division teams.
6. Los Altos (7-4-3) – Opened league with a win over Walnut and tie against Rowland. It’s early league, but Tuesday’s game against Diamond Ranch puts the winner in the drivers seat in the Hacienda.
7. Pomona (5-2-2) – The Red Devils beat San Dimas and face Nogales laster in the week. If Baldwin Park doesn’t win the Valle Vista, then it will likely be Pomona.
8. Mountain View (3-3-4) – The Vikings are still my favorite in the improved Mission Valley until someone beats them. But they should be better than this. At Mountain View futbol is football.
9. Diamond Ranch (5-3) — Opened the Hacienda with a 1-0 win over Diamond Bar and who knows, if they can handle Los Altos on Tuesday, they could be the team to beat in league.
10. El Monte (6-3-3) — With Arroyo and El Monte playing well to go with usually tough Mountain View, the Mission Valley is the most improved league around. The Lions have wins over Azusa, Maranatha and tied Baldwin Park.

The Scouting Guru has been all over the San Gabriel Valley and beyond, and like always, he’s offered to share his thoughts, free of charge. Don’t hate, enjoy it for what it’s worth, which is one man’s opinion on the talent in the San Gabriel Valley.

The Scouting Guru, James Escarcega: First off, let me wish all of you and your families a Happy New Year. It’s been a busy month and half and now that the season has concluded we can take a deep breath and relax for a little while before the season starts again… January 9, 2012.
I know that is a little outrageous, but with the passion that you have as fans to the only sport that we can have a civil conversation with at the dinner table, I know that many of you will have opinions on the sport in our area.
One of the things that I like to do every year is keep track of the divisions that involve the teams in the SGVN and where I think they should be placed. And I try to use facts and numbers to come to conclusions. And with the CIF-SS office reevaluating the playoff division for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, it was time for me to delve into my worksheets and see where our leagues should be placed. (To continue reading click thread)

Continue reading →

By Aram Tolegian
Bishop Amat leading rusher Jalen Moore and leading receiver Adam Sanchez will participate in the Catholic/Christian Literacy Classic All-Star Game on Jan. 12 at Whittier College. Moore and Sanchez will be on the South/East team which will play the North/West team. Both teams are made up of players from private Catholic and Christian high schools.

There are expected to be several college scouts in attendance. That’s good news for Moore, who is trying to earn a scholarship after two consecutive dazzling seasons at running back.

Moore almost didn’t find out about the game, but game officials overcame a communication issue with Amat and connected with Moore via Facebook and got him in the game.

Standouts return
New Duarte head coach Jason Martin and former Duarte coach Wardell Crutchfield Jr. will host a skills and fundamentals camp at Duarte High today at 10 a.m.

Several former area standouts with ties to the Duarte area are expected to attend and compete. But the camp also is open to the public and all age groups.

Expected to participate are UCLA defensive back Sheldon Price, Fresno State defensive back Jermaine Thomas, Eastern Washington defensive back Jerone Cox, Georgetown linebacker Wardell Crutchfield III, Portland State defensive back Demetrius Jackson and Jordan and Jamie Canada.

The workout will feature cone work, position drills, one-on-one drills and a seven-on-seven scrimmage.

There is no cost.

Damien football camp

The will be a Prepare for Glory football camp at Damien High for youths grades 6-8 on Jan. 14 at 8 a.m.

Members of Damien’s football staff will be teaching offensive and defensive fundamentals. Registration is between 7:15-7:45 a.m. on Jan. 14 and the cost is $25. Groups of 10 or more will get a discount of $20 per player.

For more information call (626) 260-1917.

Los Altos beats Rowland down the stretch: The Hacienda League boys basketball race appears to be wide open this year, so winning at home is going to be critical toward making the playoffs.

After a heart-breaking loss to Walnut on the road Wednesday, Los Altos struggled from the 3-point line in the first half but came out of the locker room on fire in the second half to down Rowland 48-43 in a league game Friday night.

Girls Basketball Roundup
Hacienda League
Los Altos 57, Rowland 54
Natalie Edwards connected on five of six free throws in the fourth quarter to lead the Conquerors (7-9, 1-1) to the victory.
“We played a hard-fought game tonight,” Los Altos coach Maurice Siboldoro said. “We defended their (Rowland) perimeter game real well, and stepped up and stopped their 3-point shooters.” Conquerors junior forward Jasmine Hamori poured in 17 points, while grabbing 16 rebounds to go along with two steals.
Senior center Savannah Blackiston added 17 points, 17 rebounds and two assists. Edwards finished with nine points, four blocks, three steals and six assists.
Rowland (9-7, 0-1) was led by Alice Liau with a game-high 18 points and Briel Jordan with 17 points.
Nonleague
St. Paul 67, La Puente 20
The Swordsmen kept the Warriors at bay with their consistent offense which was evident during the second quarter as St. Paul (12-5) went on a 13-0 run.
Priscilla Hidalgo led the Swordsmen with 11 points and three rebounds while teammate Lisa Gutierrez added eight points, four rebounds and two assists. Holly Shafer held down the defensive end for St. Paul with a team-leading five rebounds and two steals.
St. Paul opens Camino Del Rey League play Tuesday at St. Bernard.

Bishop Amat 62, Alhambra 16
The Lancers’ stingy defense against the Moors (2-11) paved the way for a calm and deliberate offense. “We played pretty well defensively. Our offense was balanced. Twelve kids scored tonight,” Bishop Amat coach Richard Wiard said. Kaysee Tayag led Bishop Amat (13-4) with 12 points, three steals and two assists. Leeah Powell added eight points, four rebounds and four steals.
The Lancers play tonight at Redondo Union in their final nonleague game.

Check out the must-see video of La Verne Lutheran coach Eric Cooper speaking to his team before Thursday’s 61-36 win over Chino Hills, and highlights and postgame interviews from the Inland Insider, Tom Kiss. The Valley is watching what could be the greatest team in Valley history, enjoy it while it lasts. And while playing Chino Hills is great, there is only one area team that would have a reasonable shot against theTrojans, and they happen to be just a few blocks away at Damien. Too bad we won’t see it, we’ve only been begging for it for three years now. Why is it always so difficult to get the two best teams to play? Imagine what the SoCal Shootout at Azusa Pacific would be like at the end of the month if its featured game was Damien-Lutheran? You might just pack the place. Isn’t that what it’s all about, selling tickets and giving the fans what they want? Special thanks to Coach Lee and Coach Cooper for giving us access to the locker room before the game. Lutheran’s Grant Jerrett scored a game-high 22 points.

READ ALL ABOUT IT: Games against local competition are rare for the La Verne Lutheran High School boys basketball team. So when Trojans standout Grant Jerrett got the chance to play five minutes from his house against Chino Hills on Thursday night, he was not about to let it pass without putting on a show.

The 6-foot-10 Arizona-bound Jerrett scored a game-high 22 points, including three monster dunks, before leaving the game less than a minute into the fourth quarter due to the score as Lutheran beat Chino Hills 61-36.

POSTGAME HIGHLIGHTS AND INTERVIEWS…

COACH COOPER’S PREGAME SPEECH….

Update: Graig Moore, the father of Bishop Amat running back Jalen Moore, confirmed that his son Jalen Moore and receiver Adam Sanchez will compete in Thursday’s all-star game at Whittier College on Jan. 12.

All-Star game: St. Paul’s Marijon will coach his final high school game in Thursday’s Inaugural Catholic Christian All Star Football Game at Whittier College at 7:30 p.m. The website includes Bishop Amat as one of the participating South Schools, but nobody from Bishop Amat has told us who’s involved.

Call in boys and girls soccer, basketball,wrestling and water polo results to 626-962-8811, ext. 2233 or 2242. Or email information to scores@sgvn.com. Please provide as much information as you can, our desk of reporters will write as much information as you can give them so we can share your game story with everyone. If the phones are busy, I encourage you to email a short write-up, and include a contact number in case we have questions. This is how roundups get in the papers and the blogs.
Thursday’s Girls Soccer Results
Valle Vista League
San Dimas 8, Pomona 0
The Saints (10-2-2) took a 3-0 lead into halftime and never looked back.
Jeanette Jimenez led the scoring with three goals, one off an assist from Maribel Duran.
Amanda Nalbadian chipped in with two goals and Jordan Haynes also had two goals with Duran getting another assist.

Wilson 4, Northview 0
Sarah Martinez scored three goals for the Wildcats with assists from Briana Vedolla, Kaylin Richards and Dalailah Gonzalez. Wilson got its final goal from Allison Kung with an assist from Martinez. Wilson goalkeeper Kaylin Richards preserved the shutout with four saves. Wilson took 15 shots on goal to Northview’s six.

Hacienda League
Walnut 7, West Covina 0
The Mustangs received single goals from Stephanie Catone, Catrina Gonzalez, Marissa Lara, Julie Lizarraga, Katie Argumosa, Amber Marani and Jayme Stanford.

Montview League
Sierra Vista 3, La Puente 0
Jessica Lopez scored two goals to lead the Dons (7-2-2, 4-0). Jasmine Loera added an unassisted goal and Daisy Ruiz had two assists. Christine Montero had 11 saves for La Puente (3-5-2, 3-1). “Great game. The team was fighting hard until the end,” Sierra Vista coach Steve Jimenez said.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Before heading into its daunting Del Rey League schedule, the Bishop Amat High School girls basketball team will sneak in two final tuneup games, starting tonight with a home game against Alhambra and ending Saturday night with a road game at powerful Redondo Union.

Amat’s league season begins on Tuesday with a road game at Serra, which will be the Lancers’ third game in five days. Tonight’s and Saturday’s preps may either be a good tuneup for the Serra game, or a bad thing that exhausts the Lancers before such a key league road game.

“It’s not ideal,” Amat coach Richard Wiard said. “I’d rather have a little more practice time to get ready for Serra. We played Redondo the past two years on a Saturday night in January and this was the best time for us to do it. They’re a big team, so they’ll help prepare us for Serra as well.

“We have Sunday off and practice Monday and then play on Tuesday. We’ve played Serra before, so we know what they’re about. Obviously, it’s a different year.”

The good news for Amat is that it will get plenty of rest following the Serra game. The Lancers get their league bye next week also, so they won’t play again after the Serra game until a week later when they take on rival St. Paul.

Amat enters tonight’s game against Alhambra with a 12-4 record and some solid tournament performances. The Lancers began the season light on experience, but have worked sophomore transfer Paulina Santana into the lineup nicely.

Amat’s 45-44 win over J.W. North (13-2) in the Ayala Tournament shows what the Lancers are capable of when on their game. They’ll need more performances like that to repeat as league champions given that every Del Rey foe enters league play with a winning record.

“The league is really, really good,” Wiard said. “Serra was a CIF champion last year and they’ve got a lot of kids coming back and got three transfers in. St. Bernard should have won a CIF title last year and they got a couple of transfers in, so they’re pretty good. Bishop Montgomery was in the CIF finals (last year) and they have their best player coming back this year. And St. Paul is probably No. 1 in their division.

“Everybody having a winning record is not surprising.”

Montview showdown looms
Two of the top players in the area could be headed toward a showdown with more on the line than a scoring title.

Workman should be 3-0 in the Montview League when it takes on Duarte, which should be 1-0 in league, Wednesday. But no matter what the records are, the game will have interest because it pits Workman’s Evelyn Herrera (25.6 points per game) against Duarte leading scorer Imari Brown, who is believed to be averaging close to the same number.

The Lobos and Falcons are the only teams in the Montview with winning records and figure to battle for the league title.

Duarte’s success was expected, but Workman is this season’s area surprise team with Herrera being limited to no worse than 19 points in a game this season.

Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/preps/ci_19686450#ixzz1ihFXZpRH

By Fred J. Robledo, staff writer
What started out as a way to get in shape for soccer has turned into a dominant sport for Bonita High School junior Marissa Scott.

Scott began running cross country her freshman year and quickly became one of the San Gabriel Valley’s finest. And though she admittedly has far more room to grow, Scott’s superb junior season was punctuated by being named the Tribune 2011 girls cross country Runner of the Year.

Girls Cross Country All-Area
Coach of the year: Don Sumner, Glendora
Runner of the year: Marissa Scott, Bonita, Jr.
First team
Emily Hubert, Bishop Amat, Fr.
Kailyn Scott, Bonita, Fr.
Danielle Murrietta, South Hills, Fr.
Emily Hoey, Glendora, So.
Merin Arft, Claremont, So.
Megan Renken, Claremont, So.
Second Team
Alex Borunda, South Hills, Sr.
Diana Garcia, Bonita, So.
Jaclyn Gonzalez, Ayala, Sr.
Chandler Colquitt, Ayala, Sr.
Jordin Prado, Bonita, Fr.
Tori Whitworth, Glendora, So.
.
Continue reading →

Diamond Bar’s Nicole Monteros scored the game winning goal in the 92nd minute (second overtime) on an assist from Analyssa Vasquez. It was Monteros’ first goal in her third year with D.B. The Brahmas are my favorites to win the Hacienda League. Coaches feel free to post results from other games, or call in results to 626-962-8811, ext. 2233 or 2242, thanks.

Read all about it: Nicole Monteros picked a good time to score her first varsity goal.

“It (the goal) felt amazing. It’s my first goal I’ve ever scored playing in high school varsity soccer in three years, so it felt really good,” Monteros said. “I saw an opportunity and just hit it.”

Check out Keith Birmingham’s photo gallery of today’s game.

Okay, so this isn’t Amat-Ayala related, but did you see Tim Howard’s goal on Wednesday night. Yes, I said, Howard, as in goalkeeper Tim Howard..Check it out..

Call in results to 626-962-8811, ext. 2233 or 2242. Or email information to scores@sgvn.com. Please provide as much information as you can, our desk of reporters will write as much information as you can give them so we can share your game story with everyone. If the phones are busy, I encourage you to email a short write-up, and include a contact number in case we have questions. This is how roundups get in the papers and the blogs.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Hacienda League
Walnut 60, Los Altos 57
The Mustangs played without their leading scorer, Brandon Croom, due to food poisoning; however, James Te and Rob Harrelson picked up the slack as each scored 12 points to lead the win.

Valle Vista League
Northview 86, Baldwin Park 61
Treavon Francis finished with a game-high 38 points, while grabbing nine rebounds to pace the Vikings (12-5, 1-0). Nick Fuentes tossed in 18 points, while Danny Johnson contributed 15 points. Baldwin Park (9-8, 0-1) was led by Alexis Baron with 16 points while Eugene Nierras contributed 14 points and Alex Delgado added 10.

Wilson 51, San Dimas 43
The Wildcats (8-6, 1-0) were led by Bryce Kato, who scored 14 points, and Matt Ng, who scored 13. Ryan Del Rosario came up big with six rebounds, five assists and eight points. Brandon Miramontes contributed five blocks, 11 rebounds and six points for Wilson.

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Hacienda League
Diamond Bar 42, West Covina 41
Although they were outscored in the third quarter 17-12, the Brahmas (10-4, 1-0) beared down defensively in the fourth quarter and came away with the win.
“They (West Covina) took apart our zone defense in the third quarter and that’s why we switched to man-to-man in the fourth and that proved to be the difference in the win tonight,” said Brahmas coach Tony McCabe.
The Brahmas were led by senior point guard Katie Jagodka, who scored 11 points,grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists. “Katie played a great game tonight,” said McCabe. “Her 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter tied the game at 32 and we carried that momentum into the fourth quarter which helped us tremendously.”
Diamond Bar also received a good effort from Natalie Wong, who hit two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 points. Her second 3-pointer extended Diamond Bar’s lead to 40-36 with 2:30 left. The Bulldogs (7-8, 0-1) were led by senior guard Leslie Antonio, who scored 11 of her team-high 14 points in the third quarter.

Walnut 57, Los Altos 56
The Conquerors were defeated by the Mustangs with 7.5 seconds left to fall to 6-9 overall and 0-1 in league play.
The Conquerors were led by Jasmine Hamori, who had 18 points and eight rebounds. Natalie Edwards tossed in 15 points and added 10 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
Erika Bessera scored 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Valle Vista League
Wilson 50, San Dimas 38
Kelli Calton had 12 rebounds to go with her 15 points to lead the Wildcats (11-4, 1-0) to the win.
Jaimie Hou contributed four assists, four steals and 13 points.
Wilson, which led at halftime 26-17. also got a big effort from Kaelyn Kawamoto, who scored 12 points. The Saints (7-8, 0-1) were led by Taylor Jackson with 16 points. Karissa Conner tossed in 12 points.

Nonleague
Rosemead 55, San Marino 48
The Panthers overcame a 22-21 halftime deficit to pull out the win.
Melody Gauthier had a game-high 24 points to lead Rosemead (9-6). She also grabbed nine rebounds to along with three blocks, four steals and four assists.
Sydney Hua chipped in with eight points, while Priscilla Franco controlled the boards with 11 rebounds. The Titans (9-6) were paced by Emma Wong’s 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Felita Salim added nine points and five rebounds for San Marino.

After Bonita sophomore Nikki Wheatley scored 26 points to lead the Bearcats to a 51-39 victory over Diamond Ranch, I get a text from Aram saying she might be the best guard he ever covered. Last year she was the best freshman I’ve ever seen.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
It may have been only the first game of Hacienda League play, but the Bonita High School girls basketball team took a giant step toward winning a second straight league title on Wednesday night. The Bearcats rallied from a slow start, thanks to another huge outing from sophomore guard Nikki Wheatley, to beat host Diamond Ranch, 51-39, in a battle of the Tribune’s top two ranked teams.

“It’s one game and we have to come back next Wednesday against West Covina because they’re going to be shooting for us,” Bonita coach Darren Baumunk said. “We played a tough schedule in preseason knowing that we were going to get Diamond Ranch first.

“I think it’s a lot of pressure off of our girls to understand that we can still do it. We lost a lot of girls from last year. I think we’re still a very good basketball team. I think we can do just as good as last year, if not do more. We just have to believe.”

Duplicating last year’s 30-win season will be difficult, but with Wheatley one of few holdovers from that team, anything might be possible.

Continue reading →

By Fred J. Robledo
Damien High School’s Tom Ebiner could have sulked after a disappointing 26th-place finish in the CIF-Southern Section Division3 finals on a morning he wasn’t feeling up to par.

Ebiner, who won the Sierra League individual title in 15:27, finished a stellar four-year varsity career and has been selected the Tribune boys cross country Runner of the Year. To continue click thread

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY ALL-AREA
Coach of the year: Dr. Mike Williams, Damien
Runner of the year: Tom Ebiner, Damien
First team
Nick Rivera, Rowland, Sr.
Mike Duke, Glendora, So.
Doug Negrete, Damien, Jr.
Jair Juarez, Los Altos, Sr.
Christian Eagon, Ayala, Sr.
Kenny Tanner, Ayala, Sr.
Second Team
David Galvez, Rowland, Jr.
Ryan Sanchez, Glendora, Jr.
Aaron Forburger, Glendora, Sr.
Conor Brandt, Damien, Sr.
Jorge Hernandez, Nogales, Sr.
Austin Mendoza, Glendora, Sr.

Continue reading →

Two great days of baseball instruction coached by the Bonita HS Baseball Staff, directedby Bonita Head Varsity coach John Knott. Campers will be instructed on the fundamental skills essential for success at the next level, as well as participate in a competitive game. The camp will also include instruction from former Bearcats’ great Jiovanni Mier, who is in the Houston Astros organization and Jeff Gelalich, now at UCLA. Any questions please contact John Knott, at 626-483-5464. All proceeds benefit the Bonita baseball program.

CAMP 1
For 6-12 yr olds
When: Saturday Jan 7, 9am-1pm and Sunday Jan 8, 12pm- 4pm at La Verne Little League at Pelota Park.

CAMP 2
For 13-14 yr olds
When: Saturday Jan 7, 10am-2pm and Sunday Jan 8, 12pm-4pm at Bonita High School.
Cost: $125 per camper.

GIRLS SOCCER
Hacienda League
Diamond Bar 6, West Covina 1
The Brahmas were led in scoring by Favela with two goals.
Walnut 1, Los Altos 1
Amber Marani led the Mustangs in the first half. The equalizer goal was shot by Daysia Avery of Los Altos in the 75th minute of the game.[/BODY][/SUB1]

Valle Vista League
Wilson 2, Covina 1
The Wildcats were led in scoring by Alisson Kung with an assist from Sara Martinez and Kaylin Richards scored with an assist from Emily Amezquita. The Colts got their lone goal from Maria Robles. Goalies from both sides kept the game close with Maria Martinez having ten saves for Covina.
San Dimas 4, Baldwin Park 0
The Saints got two goals from Daisy Duran and two assists from Lindsey Toneck.

Tuesday night was a rare home game for the La Verne Lutheran High School basketball team. In fact, due to the Trojans’ national schedule, its 75-45 defeat of Montclair was just the third time this season they played a team from the Inland Valley.

“They’re as good as anyone in this area and we scheduled them for that reason,” Montclair coach Bill Blades said. “I know these guys are technically in a lower division, but they play all the teams from our division. We’ve got to learn from a loss like this.”

Charter Oak 65, Monrovia 43
The Chargers (9-7) defeated Monrovia (6-5) behind Cody Brown’s 23 points, and a three pointer. Adding to the win was Chris Gilchrist scoring 12 points. Charter Oak’s Coach John Phillips stated “We did a few more things correctly this year, making us one game up from where we were this time last year. We are looking forward to our home game up against Rancho on Thursday. It’s our final tune-up before league games start next week.”

By Fred J.Robledo
The do-or-die nature of the CIF-Southern Section girls volleyball playoffs brought out the best in St. Lucy’s 6-foot-1 senior Jasmine Warmington, whose clutch performances in postseason helped the Regents secure their second consecutive Division 2AA championship, including a 25-18, 30-28, 31-29 sweep of La Salle in the final.

Warmington, who finished with a team-best 325 kills and 42 blocks, was named CIF-SS Division 2AA Player of the Year and The Tribune girls volleyball Player of the Year in 2011. To continue reading click thread.

TRIBUNE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL ALL AREA
Player of the year: Jasmine Warmington, St. Lucys, Sr.
Coach of the year: Jeff Pang, San Dimas
First Team
Libero: Arianna Sifuentes, St.Lucy’s, Sr.
Middle Blocker: Jene Lee, San Dimas, Jr.
Outside Hitter: Marissa Gomez, South Hills, Sr.
Outside Hitter: Karly Shockey, Chino Hills, Sr.
Outside Hitter: Taylor Scott, Claremont, Sr.
Setter: Jackie Macy, St. Lucy’s, Sr.
Second Team
Middle Blocker: Victoria Dennis, Bonita, Sr.
Middle Blocker: Elisa Valenzuela, La Puente, Jr.
Outside Hitter: Kathleen Torres, Diamond Bar, Sr.
Outside Hitter: Heather Trueman, Chino Hills, Sr.
Outside Hitter: Amanda Duenas, El Monte, Sr.
Setter: Emily Pincin, San Dimas, Sr.

Continue reading →