Chuck Lyons, who played on Gladstone’s 1973 quarterfinal team, shared his memories

Gladstone High School is in the boys basketball quarterfinals for the first time since 1973, facing No. 2 seed St. Francis on the road tonight at 7 in Division 3A. The last time they were in this situation was 41-years ago, when they lost 84-68 to Brawley after a long bus ride. Local resident Chuck Lyons, who played on that team, shared his memories of the season, and what it meant to be a Gladstone athlete four decades ago. The amazing part I took away from this was the school spirit and participation back then. Taking 11 buses to a playoff game? That’s Hoosiers stuff. Incredible. Too bad we don’t witness more of that today.

CHUCK LYONS, CLASS OF 1973: We lost after a five or six hour bus ride to Brawley so we were tired in the second half, and everyone was important to our success on that team, not just Jack Clark, who was a good guy. The starting five in alpha order because all added their own valuable strengths to the team, were David Castaneda, Jack Clark, Chuck Lyons, Eric Mustad and Casey Ruud, with Casey’s brother John probably still the school record holder with a 42-point and 35-rebound performance in a CIF playoff game when Gladstone was new in the late 1960s.
I can’t speak for the other players because I haven’t talked to them in years, my great memories of that team were that while the fans at Gladstone (classmates, parents and families, staff, neighbors and business people in the community) probably say that they were happy to be included (we took 11 rooter buses to Brawley because we couldn’t find any more buses to rent with people still wanting to go), some of my most vivid memories were our fans.
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Former Charter Oak standout Adam Muema tells U-T San Diego that God told him to leave the NFL combine and that he would play for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks

Adam Muema, a former Charter Oak standout who helped the Chargers earn back-to-back CIF-Southern Section titles in 2008 and ’09, told U-T San Diego that he left the NFL Combine on Sunday because God told him to do it. Muema, who played at San Diego State, reportedly said that he was “following God” who told him if he missed workouts he would play for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

“[God] told me to sit down, be quiet, and enjoy the peace,” Muema told the U-T.

Muema

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Northview wins another CIF-SS wrestling title; seven area athletes win titles

Northview's Vincent Parra prior to defeating Righetti's Andrew Ibarra (not pictured) in the 113lb match during the CIF-SS Central Division wrestling championships at Notre Vista High School in Riverside, Calif., on Saturday, Feb.22, 2014. (Keith Birmingham Pasadena Star-News)

Northview’s Vincent Parra prior to defeating Righetti’s Andrew Ibarra (not pictured) in the 113lb match during the CIF-SS Central Division wrestling championships at Notre Vista High School in Riverside, Calif., on Saturday, Feb.22, 2014. (Keith Birmingham Pasadena Star-News)


By Stephen Ramirez
@SteveRRamirez on Twitter
RIVERSIDE —
Northview High School has been one of the CIF-Southern Section’s elite programs for nearly two decades, and the Vikings added to that lore Saturday.
Senior Bryan Salinas, a favorite to win a state title, led a group of three Northview athletes who earned individual titles and the Vikings won their fourth consecutive team title at the Central Division championships at Norte Vista High.

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CIF-SS Girls Basketball Playoffs: Bonita, Bishop Amat onlhy SGV teams left

Follow the SGVN Daily Playoff Schedule and Scoreboard. Help us post final scores by tweeting results to @SGVNSCORES AND @SGVNSPORTS. Also, call in results to 626-544-0992 for a write-up in the newspaper and online.
VAMATGIRLS
SATURDAY’S CIF-SS GIRLS RESULTS
DIVISION 1AA

Bishop Amat 57, Oxnard Pacifica 43
Bonita 64, Silverado 26
DIVISION 2AA
Foothill 70, Arroyo 50
Tesoro 61, West Covina 47
DIVISION 2A
West Torrance 83, Baldwin Park 26
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 3AA

Palos Verdes 45, Diamond Ranch 43
San Juan Hills 73, Charter Oak 49
Tustin 51, South Hills 30
Lakeside at Wilson, 7 p.m.
DIVISION 3A
Oak Park 33, Covina 24

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CIF-SS Boys Basketball Playoffs: Damien crushes Diamond Bar 71-33; Gladstone topples traditional Southland power Artesia, 50-41; Amat wins

Follow the SGVN Daily Playoff Schedule and Scoreboard. Help us post final scores by tweeting results to @SGVNSCORES AND @SGVNSPORTS. Also, call in results to 626-544-0992 for a write-up in the newspaper and online.

Above: Inland Insider Tom Kiss and former Bishop Amat great Kristen McCarthy with highlights, and interviews of Chino Hill’s open Division victory over Bishop Montgomery

Chino Hills wins Open Division opener: The packed crowd came to its feet in anticipation.
Chino Hills’ UCLA recruit, Lonzo Ball, had the ball on a breakaway in the final minute and went up for what he hoped to be a thunderous dunk. Somehow it did not go in.
It was about the only thing that went awry Friday night for seventh-seeded Chino Hills in a 69-58 victory over No. 10 Bishop Montgomery to open the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs.

Walnut goes down: No. 14 seed Walnut ran into a buzz saw against Los Osos in a CIF-Southern Section Division 1AA first-round game on Friday night.
The Grizzlies (15-12) were just too big and too strong under the basket as they knocked off the Mustangs 75-73 in front of a standing-room only crowd.

Damien plays Diamond Bar in their CIF playoff boys basketball game at Damien High School in La Verne on Friday February 21, 2014. Damien defeated Diamond Bar 71-33. (Staff Photo by Keith Durflinger/San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

Damien plays Diamond Bar in their CIF playoff boys basketball game at Damien High School in La Verne on Friday February 21, 2014. Damien defeated Diamond Bar 71-33. (Staff Photo by Keith Durflinger/San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

DAMIEN 71, DIAMOND BAR 33

LA VERNE — Any thought of the Damien High School boys basketball team resting on its laurels of last season’s CIF-Southern Section Division 3AA championship, it’s first the 50-plus history of the school, were quickly put to rest Friday.
Jeremy Hemsley scored 16 points and Malik Fitts had 12 and the Spartans opened the Division IAA playoffs with a bang, routing Diamond Bar, 71-33.
Damien, the division’s No. 4 seed, improved to 22-6 and will face either No. 13 Great Oak or Highland in Tuesday’s second round, Diamond Bar, getting eight points from Leo Li and seven from Christian Manalo, finished 11-17.
The Spartans put this one away by halftime, holding the Brahmas to four field goals in the first half and led 36-11.
Damien, getting a 3-pointer by Micah Robinson and consecutive inside shots by Bryce Peters and Isaiah McCullough opened the game with a 12-4 run before opening the second quarter with a 12-2 surge to go up 26-9 following a 6-footer by Hemsley and 3-pointer by Fitts and a dunk off a turnover by the Fitts for a 26-9 lead with 3:51 left in the half.
The Spartans then closed the quarter with a 10-2 run for its 36-11 lead.
Damien opened the third quarter with an 11-5 surge to put it away at 47-16.

Damein’s Jeremy Hemsley: “This was a game to prove to people that we’re ready to make another run like last year. I think we did a pretty good job, both defensively and offensively. We had four days to prepare. We were ready. I think we just knew more about them than they knew about it us.”

Malik Fitts: “This is a game we were looking forward to. It’s playoff time, so everyone was a little excited. We didn’t get off to a great start, but we finished strong. I’m proud of my team for that.”
Diamond Bar’s Leo Li: “They’re a good team. We didn’t play our best game. But they’re a good team. I will give them that. We just didn’t execute.”

CIF-SS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
BOYS BASKETBALL
FRIDAY’S FIRST ROUND
OPEN DIVISION

Chino Hills 69, Bishop Montgomery 58
DIVISION 1AA
Damien 71, Diamond Bar 33
Los Osos 75, Walnut 73
DIVISION 2AA
Westlake 65, Rowland 40
Eisenhower 89, Glendora 88
Claremont 63, Cajon 58
DIVISION 2A
Sonora 73, Nogales 42
Kaiser 74, Los Altos 70
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 3AA

La Mirada 48, Bonita 34
DIVISION 3A
Bishop Amat 45, Antelope Valley 43
Lompoc Cabrillo 77, El Monte 61
Gladstone 50, Artesia 41
St. Francis 69, San Dimas 45
DIVISION 4AA
Oaks Christian 82, Workman 53

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