But in the end, Covina High School’s first trip to the Final Four in the school’s history was well deserved as the Colts steamrolled the Spartans in the second half to advance to the CIF-Southern Section Division 3A girls basketball semifinals with a 51-25 victory over the Spartans.
Covina (25-3), the second seed in the division, will face area juggernaut and third-seed Bishop Amat (19-11), a 54-30 winner over St. Joseph, at Bishop Amat in Saturday’s semifinal at 7 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL Wednesday’s second and quarterfinal results
Division 1A
Second round
Temecula Valley 57, Diamond Bar 33 Division 2AA
Second round
Ventura 62, Chino Hills 22 Division 3AAA
Quarterfinals
Bonita 53, Agoura 45 Division 3AA
Quarterfinals
Diamond Ranch 43, Palos Verdes 34 Division 3A
Quarterfinals
Oak Park 64, Charter Oak 29
Atascadero 60, St. Lucy’s 55
Bishop Amat 54, Lakewood St. Joseph 30
Covina 51, La Canada 25
San Dimas Jeanette Jimenez enjoys playoff ride in Saints’ 10-0 win
By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
After scoring three goals in San Dimas’ easy 10-0 victory over visiting Oxford Academy in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 girls soccer playoffs, senior midfielder Jeanette Jimenez walked off with an ice pack on her knee, a reminder that she wasn’t part of the Saints team that reached the divisional final a year ago.
Jimenez, who will play at USC next fall, is magic in the midfield with the ball at her feet, but she hasn’t been around to showcase her skills since arriving as a talented freshman.
Jimenez was injured in league as a sophomore and missed the playoffs, and tore her ACL last year, cheering her teammates on the sidelines as they were eliminated in the championship game.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve got to experience this and I’m giving it 110 percent,” Jimenez said. “This is it for a lot of us. We’ve got a lot of seniors and we’re determined to get back to the championship and finish the job.”
Inland Insider Highlights and Reaction: The Chino Hills Huskies defeated the La Mirada Matadors 4-1 in a CIF Division 3 Girls soccer game at Chino Hills. After taking an early 1-0 lead the Matadors held the Huskies till the 60th minute when a defensive mixup allowed Kara Tabita from CH give them a 2-0 lead. It got close, at 2-1 but Ashley Gonzales scored 2 goals in the final 8 minutes to help the Huskies move on into the Quarter finals.
GIRLS SOCCER Wednesday’s second round results Division 3
Bonita 3, Granite Hills 2
Chino Hills 4, La Mirada 1
Ayala 2, Quartz Hill 0
Bishop Amat 3, Yorba Linda 1
Claremont 2, Pasadena Poly 0
Diamond Bar 2, Serrano 1
St. Lucy’s 4, Mayfair 1 Division 6
Sierra Vista 5, Wilson 1
Segerstrom 4, Ganesha 0
San Dimas 10, Oxford Academy 0 Division 7
Citrus Valley 8, Arroyo 1
Firebaugh 3, Rosemead 3 (Firebaugh advances, 2-1 on penalties)
Division 3 Quarterfinals
Friday’s matchups
Bonita at Chino Hills, 3 p.m.
Bishop Amat at Ayala, 3 p.m.
Diamond Bar at Claremont, 3 p.m.
Placentia Valencia vs. St. Lucys at Damien, 3 p.m.
PREGAME: If there is anything to be learned from winter sports, it’s that area girls soccer is the strongest of all. There is a really good chance of area domination in Division 3. I will not be surprised at all if area D-3 teams go 7-for-7, which would set up a wild quarterfinal and finish over the next two weeks. But then again, picking favorites in soccer is no gimmie when games are decided by one or two goals. But still, the area is in good shape and the Sierra League could send all four to the quarterfinals and if Bishop Amat wins too, you have a great quarterfinal match-up of Amat and Ayala, a rematch from last year’s championship, on Friday. One of the intriguing area games today is Wilson hosting Sierra Vista in D-6 and last year’s D-6 finalist San Dimas against Oxford Academy which will be played at Bonita. D-7 is so watered down that I love Rosemead and Arroyo’s chances of going on a deep run, which is why girls soccer will appear so dominant. There is the potential for three CIF champions in the seven divisions. But today is crucial, we’ll see what’s left and I need all of your help, there are far too many games to cover. Send me your updates on sgvtribpreps@twitter so I can retweet scores and update the blog. And coaches, please, please, call us with your results to 626-962-8811, ext. 2233 or 2242 or email to scores @sgvn.com. Some parents have emailed wondering why we’re not writing up certain games in the paper, the answer is as simple as we get no calls from head coaches. As you can see, there are lots of games today, so we need help. I have not seen San Dimas this year and will be at its game today tweeting updates. I also chose San Dimas for practical reasons, I need to cover La Canada-Covina girls basketball tonight, and this allows me to write my story, post scores and get to Covina in time for the game. For all other results, we need your help. By the quarterfinals, we should be able to cover most games. Good luck tonight.
By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer
It wasn’t exactly shock and awe, but the Pasadena High School boys basketball team came close to it.
With precision, speed and execution, the second-seeded Bulldogs blitzed Bonita in the first quarter to end on a 15-3 run, en route to a 64-50 win Tuesday night in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 3AAA playoffs.
Pasadena (22-7) will host Beverly Hills (20-9) in Friday’s semifinals at Muir.
Bonita (25-5) had no answer for the Bulldogs in the first quarter, succumbing to their pressure that resulted in nine first-quarter turnovers. The Bearcats finished with 19 turnovers.
Pasadena led 22-7 after the first, and although Bonita, which trailed by as many as 19, made a valiant second-half run it never closed the gap under 10. (To continue click thread)
TUESDAY’S BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS Division 1A
Second Round
Capistrano Valley 58, Walnut 39
Vista Murrieta 69, Chino Hills 68 Division 2A
Second Round
Leuzinger 68, Glendora 59 Division 2AA
Second Round
Riverside Poly 44, Ayala 42 Division 3AAA
Quarterfinals
Arroyo Grande 50, Damien 43
Pasadena 65, Bonita 50 Division 3A
Quarterfinals
Alemany 68, Bishop Amat 37
St. John Bosco 68, Covina 35 Division 3AA
Quarterfinals
Yorba Linda 45, Charter Oak 28 Division 4AA
Quarterfinals
La Verne Lutheran 50, Oaks Christian 48
Friday’s Division 4AA semifinal
Crespi vs. La Verne Lutheran at University of La Verne, 7 p.m.
Glendora can’t match Leuzinger from distance By Fred J. Robledo
Glendora shot the ball well from distance against visiting Leuzinger during Tuesday’s CIF-Southern Section Division 2A second-round boys basketball playoff.
But Leuzinger stroked it better, nailing 10 three-pointers and hitting clutch three’s at the end of the half and third quarter and rode that momentum to a 68-59 victory to eliminate Glendora from the playoffs.
Update on Quarterfinal Schedule
Thursday’s games Division 2
Claremont at La Sierra, 3 p.m. Division 5
Mountain View at Lakeside, 3 p.m.
By Miguel A. Melendez Staff Writer
It’s usually the La Caada High School boys soccer team that keeps teams on its heels.
Mountain View flipped the script on Tuesday.
The visiting Vikings, mounting constant pressure, made a set piece and attack down the wing count in a 2-0 victory in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 playoffs.
Mountain View (13-4-5) lost the coin flip and will be on the road and face the Lakeside-Paso Robles winner.
La Caada (14-6-5) bows out of the playoffs in the second round for the third consecutive season. The Spartans’ season practically came in full circle. The teams previously tied 1-1 in the season opener. In that game, the Vikings also were dominant and finished with a 23-3 advantage in shots. (To continue click thread)
Note: Softball Preview will run on Tuesday, Feb. 28
From left, Rio Ruiz, Daniel Zamora and Adam Alcantara help make Bishop Amat one of the top high school baseball teams in the Southland. (Keith Birmingham / Staff Photographer)
By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
It’s just a start, but what a way to get the 2012 high school baseball season under way.
On March 1, at 6 p.m., defending CIF-Southern Section Division 4 champion Bishop Amat goes to Mater Dei to take on the Monarchs, Maxpreps’ second-ranked team in the nation.
On Friday at 6, the second annual Dicks Sporting Goods tournament begins and features area heavyweights Damien and Bonita meeting at Bonita.
The Valley has been blessed over the years with superstar talents such as Michael Young (Bishop Amat), Jason Giambi (South Hills), Mark McGwire (Damien), Cecil Fielder (Nogales), Fred Lynn (El Monte), Rick Aguilera (Edgewood), Tom Brunansky (West Covina), Corey Lidle (South Hills) and many others who have gone on to play major league baseball.
Who’s next?
Perhaps it will be Bishop Amat’s Rio Ruiz, South Hills’ C.J. Saylor and Los Altos’ Joe Munoz, all of whom all ranked in Baseball America’s list of top 100 seniors in 2012.
Or how about Bonita’s Justin Garza, who recently was clocked with a 94 mph fastball and is back after one of the best high school baseball seasons in Southern Section history. He’ll play for Cal State Fullerton next year.
Ruiz, the reigning CIF-SS Division 4 Player of the Year, ESPN California junior Player of the Year and Tribune Player of the Year, already has signed a national letter of intent with USC and is projected to be a first-round draft pack in this spring’s Major League Baseball First-Year
Player Draft.
Saylor and Munoz have committed to San Diego State, more proof that this is one of the most highly anticipated baseball seasons in recent memory.
As always, we begin with The Tribune’s annual top 10 preview. It’s loaded with heavyweights, starting with the defending champion. (To continue reading, click thread)
San Gabriel Valley Tribune Baseball Top Ten
1. Bishop Amat (29-4)
2. South Hills (21-5)
3. Bonita (27-5)
4. Damien (17-13)
5. Covina (16-11)
6. Los Altos (18-10)
7. Glendora (17-7-1)
8. Diamond Bar (15-12)
9. San Dimas (19-9-1)
10. Charter Oak (10-14)
Note: Bishop Amat opens the baseball season at Mater Dei, ranked second in the nation by Maxpreps, at Mater Dei on Thursday March 1 at 6 p.m.
Dicks Sporting Goods Preseason Baseball Tournament Pool A: Bonita, Covina, Arroyo, Damien, Tahquitz, Paloma Valley Pool B: Northview, Claremont, Los Osos, Fullerton, West Covina, Keppel Pool C: Orange Lutheran, Charter Oak, Los Altos, Alta Loma, La Puente Pool D: South Hills, Crescenta Valley, Yucaipa, Chaffey, Rancho Cucamonga
Friday’s game
Damien at Bonita, 5 p.m. Saturday’s games
Tahquitz vs. Paloma Valley at UC Riverside, Noon
Crescenta Valley vs. South Hills at UC Riverside, 3:30 p.m.
Yucaipa vs. Charter Oak at UC Riverside, 7 p.m.
Covina at Arroyo, 1 p.m.
Claremont vs. West Covina at Citrus College, 10 a.m.
Orange Lutheran vs. Alta Loma at Citrus College, 1 p.m.
Fullerton at Keppel, 1 p.m.
Los Altos at La Puente, 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27
Rancho Cucamonga vs. Chaffey at Cal Poly Pomona, 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28
Alta Loma at Los Altos, 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29
Arroyo at Bonita, 5 p.m.
Tahquitz at Damien, 3:15 p.m.
Paloma Valley at Covina, 3:15 p.m.
Claremont at Northview, 3:15 p.m.
Fulleton at Los Osos, 3:15 p.m.
Keppel at West Covina, 3:15 p.m.
Yucaipa vs. Crescenta Valley at Stengel Field, 6 p.m.
Rancho Cucamonga at South Hills, 3:15 p.m.
Cahffey at La Puente, 3:15 p.m. Friday, March 2
Claremont vs. Los Osos at Chaffey College, 3:15 p.m.
Orange Lutheran vs. Los Altos at UC Riverside, 4 p.m.
South Hills vs. Yucaipa at UC Riverside, 7 p.m.
Rancho Cucamonga at Crescenta Valley, 6 p.m. Saturday, March 3
Keppel vs. Northview at Littleton Field, 10 a.m.
West Covina vs. Fullerton at Littleton Field, 1 p.m.
La Puente vs. Charter Oak at Littleton Field, 4 p.m.
Covina vs. Bonita at Littleton Field, 7 p.m.
Arroyo at Tahquitz, 1 p.m.
Alta Loma at Chaffey, 1 p.m. Monday, March 5
Paloma Valley vs. Damien at UC Riverside, 7 p.m.
Semifinals: Wednesday, March 7, at Bonita High, 3 and 7 p.m. Championship: Saturday, March 10, at Bonita High, 7 p.m.