This is what makes a blog fun, to talk about the what ifs? I have some interesting proposals and scenario’s to share after speaking with sources involved in the discussions. What if, as CIF suggests, Damien, St. Lucy’s and Pomona Catholic are forced into the Catholic Athletic Association. Damien and St. Lucy’s are considering legal action to challenge the move to the CAA, but if everything plays out as CIF suggests, Damien, St. Lucy’s and Pomona Catholic’s preference, sources explained, is to be placed in the Camino Del Rey Association. St. Bonaventure, also, would prefer the Camino Del Rey Association if it has to move.

Then what? According to sources, teams in the Camino Del Rey Association would likely include: Bishop Amat, Bishop Montgomery, Gardena Serra, Cantwell Sacred Heart, Bosco Tech (boys), St. Bernard’s, St. Bonaventure, La Salle, St. Paul, Cathedral (boys), Mary Star, St. Monica, St. Joseph (girls), Damien (boys) St. Lucy’s (girls) and Pomona Catholic (girls). There would be 13 boys and 13 girls schools. More schools could be added or subtracted, but lets use this scenario under consideration. At that point, Camino Del Rey Association teams would be divided into two leagues for all sports except football, sources explained. And it would not be the same teams in the same leagues for all sports. Each sport (baseball, softball, basketball, etc), will look at the group of teams, and try to place them in two leagues with geography, competitive equity and playoff divisions in mind.

Just using geography, however, teams most likely grouped together for most sports include:
League One: Damien/St. Lucy’s, Bishop Amat, St. Paul, Cathedral/Pomona Catholic, La Salle, Cantwell Sacred Heart, Bosco Tech (boys)
League Two: Bishop Montgomery, Gardena Serra, St. Bernard’s, St. Bonaventure, Mary Star, St. Monica, St. Joseph (girls).

Football, however, would be completely different.
There are at least three football proposals already on the table for Camino Del Rey Association officials to examine, sources explained.

Proposal 1
Serra League, which would compete in Pac-5
Oaks Christian, St. Bonaventure, Bishop Amat, Crespi, Alemany, Loyola
Mission League of eight teams, divided into two leagues
Mission one: Notre Dame, Chaminade, Serra, Damien
Mission two: St. Paul, Cathedral, St. Francis, Harvard-Westlake
League D: La Salle, Bishop Montgomery, Salesian, Cantwell, Verbum Dei, St. Bernard’s
League E: Bosco Tech, St. Monica, Mary Star, Bell Jeff, St. Genevieve, St. Anthony

Proposal II
Eight team Serra League broken into two leagues, all compete in the Pac-5
Serra League Archdiocese Schools: Alemany, Amat, Damien, Serra, St. Bonaventure
Serra League Private schools: Crespi, Loyola, Notre Dame, Oaks Christan.
Mission League
Cathedral, Harvard Wesltake, La Salle, St. Francis, St. Paul
Del Rey
Bishop Montgomery, Bosco Tech, Cantwell Sacred Heart, Salesian, St Bernard
Camino Real
Bell Jeff, Mary Star, St. Anthony, St. Genevieve, St. Monica, Verbum Dei.

Proposal III
Serra League: Alemany, Bishop Amat, Crespi, Loyola, Notre Dame, Oaks Christian, St. Bonaventure
Mission League: Cathedral, Chaminade, Damien, Harvard-Westlake, Serra, St. Francis, St. Paul.
Del Rey League: Bishop Montgomery, Bosco Tech, Cantwell, La Salle, Salesian, St. Bernard
Camino Real League: Bell-jeff, Mary Star, St. Genevieve, St. Monica, Verbum Dei, St. Anthony.

Again, these are scenario’s shared with me under consideration when the new league cycle begins for the 2014-15 season.

Bishop Amat Jr. High Weight Room Camp
Amat press release: Open to 7th & 8th Graders beginning TONIGHT and every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m., for five weeks. Purpose is to gain a competitive edge in your strength and power development for your future in high school athletics. Wear athletic shirt & shorts, and running shoes. Cost is $15 per session or $100 for all ten sessions. Print PDF of registration flyer from school website under Boy’s Sports & Football. Call Coach Hagerty at 626-962-2495, ext. 6001 or email shagerty@bishopamat.org with questions

Third Annual Bishop Amat Alumni Flag Football Game
When: Saturday, May 11, 2 p.m.
Amat press release: All former players are invited to put their cleats and jersey back on one more time and run around Kiefer Stadium. The Odd graduation years will compete against the Even graduation years once again. Players are asked to contact Coach Hagerty at 626-962-2495, ext. 6001 to register for the game. At halftime, we will be holding a Punt, Pass & Kick Competiton for all pre-high school age kids who want to compete. There will be prizes for the winners. Tickets ($7 adults/$3 children) are being sold for the game in the Front Office and Athletic Office for those who want to come watch the Lancers of the Past compete for pride once again.

The L.A. Times’ Eric Sondheimer posted today that Damien, St. Lucy’s, St. Bonaventure and Oaks Christian are consulting with legal counsel in hopes of avoiding being sent to Parochial leagues beginning in the 2014-15 season. Damien and St. Lucy’s along with Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure lost an appeal with CIF on March 19 trying to avoid being sent to the Parochial Leagues. Damien and St. Lucy’s were moved out of the Sierra League and Mt. SAC area alignment to the Catholic Athletic Association, which is scheduled to place the schools in a new league by the end of the month.

Stories
Saturday Night’s featured events
Saturday afternoon’s locals
Photo Gallery from Saturday’s Arcadia Invitational

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
LA HABRA – There’s nothing in the Valley quite like San Dimas vs. Bonita.
The Saints and Bearcats, regardless of sport, always put on a show, and Friday was no exception.
Ashley Gauthier had a two-run single with two out in the sixth inning and San Dimas rallied for a 5-4 victory over Bonita in a Whittier Christian Tournament game that was halted after six innings due to a 90-minute time limit.
Deenah San Luis and Janell Wheaton also had RBIs for the Saints, who improved to 11-5. Bonita, getting a three-run home run from pitcher Bianca Cockrell, slipped to 10-7.
It looked bleak for San Dimas, which beat the time-limit by eight minutes and forced a sixth inning, which the Saints took advantage. San Luis, who went 2 for 3, led off with a double before Wheaton followed with a RBI single to cut it to 4-3.
Carlie Salm singled with one out before Rachael Connell drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Gauthier then followed with a pop up that fell between second and center field to score two runs and the 5-4 lead.
San Dimas coach Don Pollard: “Bonita used to be in our league and (the games) were always good battles. We don’t see them as much, but when we do, it’s alway a battle. Today was a good pitching duel. Bethie (Celaya) pitched a great game today, she finished and we had some timely hits late in the game to really help us out.”
San Dimas’ Ashley Gauthier: When I saw the pitch, I knew that was the one. I just went after it.”
Bonita coach Ken Carlson: You have to give credit where credit is due. Deenah is such a great hitter. We knew we had to be spot on with our pitching and we missed a couple spots. (They) capitalized off it.”

More than 3,900 athletes from more than 700 schools will compete. That’s 15 percent more schools than in past…Bonita’s Nikki Wheatley, pictured below, will compete in Saturday night’s girls invitational long and triple jump.

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
At some point in the future, winning a state high school track and field championship might not be enough. Winning a national title might be the expected goal.
The Arcadia Invitational is appearing to be a precursor to that ideal. The 46th annual meet features perhaps its deepest field with top athletes from 31 states and two foreign countries competing in the three-day meet, which began Thursday with the first day of decathlon and heptathlon events.
“The performances get better and better each year,” meet director Rich Gonzalez said. “We’re getting more and more kids traveling to high-end meets, and we’re one of the best.”
Nearly every California state leader will be competing, and several national leaders are scheduled to run in Saturday’s invitational portion of the meet.
More than 3,900 athletes from more than 700 schools will compete. That’s 15 percent more schools than in past years.
“It keeps getting bigger,” Gonzalez said.

Continue reading →

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
The Northview High softball tournament seems to bring out the best in Monrovia and junior pitcher Adrienne Guerra.
Guerra punctuated a strong week with a six-inning no-hitter to go with 15 strikeouts in a 6-0 win over Covina High for the tournament title on Thursday.
Guerra had six strikeouts over the first two innings and six strikeouts over the final two, walking just two batters.
It was her second straight shutout and she allowed just three runs during the four-game tournament.
Continue reading →

By John Honell
Charter Oak got an outstanding pitching performance from tournament MVP Nick Hernandez and knocked off Duarte 5-3 in the championship game of the Gladstone Tournament on Wednesday afternoon.
The defending champion Chargers (6-5) scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning then fought off a late charge by the Falcons for the win.
“Nick was outstanding today,” Chargers coach Tom Quinley said. “The kids played really well in this tourney. This is the best field we’ve seen this year and the kids appreciate playing on a nice field.”
Hernandez held the Falcons hitless until Grant Goldsmith singled with two outs in the sixth inning.
“I tried to pitch to spots and let my team do the work,” Hernandez said. “I try and get groundball outs and they were swinging at first pitches and that probably helped with my command of the ball today.”

Continue reading →

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
ARCADIA – Arcadia High School was probably beginning to wonder if it would ever win its invitational baseball tournament again.
The Apaches, who hadn’t scored the tourney title in nearly a decade, put an end to those worries on Wednesday.
Austin Georgen gave up two hits and struck out seven in five innings and Arcadia combined three doubles with three Glendora errors in the first three innings en route to a 4-1 victory over the Tartans in the Arcadia Invitational championship game.
Brendan Toy had a double and scored two runs for the Apaches, who improved to 10-5. Glendora, getting two hits and an RBI from Garrett Ouellette, slipped to 11-5
Arcadia coach Nick Lemas: We’re playing our best baseball right now. It’s exciting. We’ve been in the championship game (against Glendora) before, and we finally got them. We were able to hit the ball a little bit in the first inning and take advantage of some mistakes that they made. We were able to get it done. It means a lot, because I don’t think we’ve won it since 2004. It’s been a long time, so it feels good.”
Glendora coach Dan Henley: We had opportunities. They weren’t huge opportunities, but we just failed to put the ball in play. They are a quality opponent and are on a roll right now. We were very happy to be in this game. No, we don’t like the result, but we’ll learn from it.”

Gladstone Baseball Tournament Championship: Duarte vs. Charter Oak, at Gladstone, 2 p.m.

By Steve Ramirez Staff Writer
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
A victory in a spring break tournament usually doesn’t rank high on the priority list of most area baseball coaches.
Tuesday was the exception for Duarte High School.
Grant Goldsmith went 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs and Pablo Lopez was steady on the mound to lead the Falcons to a 9-4 victory over Covina in a Gladstone Tournament semifinal.
Duarte (6-7), also getting two hits each from Julian Ortega, will face Charter Oak in today’s title game at 2 p.m.
Anthony Moreno had a two-run home run for Covina (8-6).
“It’s a big win for us,” Duarte coach Brian Grimm said. “Any time you can beat a team from a higher division it’s big. (Some might) feel our league is a little lower, but we came out and played a complete game.
Continue reading →

By John Sherrard
Bonita High School, behind a complete-game performance from senior pitcher Parker Merritt, defeated host La Habra, 8-2, in the final pool-play game of the 39th Annual Anaheim Lions Baseball Tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

Merritt, who scattered five hits, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter, upped his record to 4-0 on the season.

Merritt had a three-hit shutout going until the seventh inning, before La Habra (7-9) scored twice.

Bonita (13-2-1) and La Habra will both play a final tournament game today. Bonita meets Viewmont, Utah at 11 a.m. at Servite High. La Habra faces Millikan at 7 tonight at Amerige Park in Fullerton.

Continue reading →

Arcadia Baseball Tournament
Wednesday’s Championship
At Arcadia
Championship
Glendora vs. Arcadia at Arcadia, 7 p.m.

Round-Robin Results
Saturday’s results
At Arcadia
La Canada 8, West Torrance 2
Arcadia 9, Los Osos 1
At San Dimas
Diamond Ranch 11, Temple City 4
Glendora 5, San Dimas 0
Monday’s results
At Arcadia
Los Osos 10, La Canada 0
Arcadia 8, West Torrance 4
At San Dimas
Glendora 11, Temple City 3
San Dimas 4, Diamond Ranch 1
Tuesday’s schedule
At Arcadia
Los Osos 7, West Torrance 1
Arcadia 1, La Canada 0
At San Dimas
Glendora 4, Diamond Ranch 1
San Dimas 4, Temple City 1

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
GLENDORA – There are very few must-win situations this early in the league season.
Friday might have been the exception for Glendora High School, which showed that sense of urgency, rolling to a 7-2 victory over visiting Rancho Cucamonga in a Baseline League game.
The Tartans, who got a home run and two RBIs from catcher Garrett Ouellette and a steady six innings from pitcher Scott Burke, snapped a two-game losing streak with the win and improved to 8-4 overall and 3-2 in league play.
The Cougars, getting RBIs from Jared Gagnon and Joseph Hamilton, slipped to 7-7 and 1-2.
Burke, who has signed with UCLA gave up six hits in six innings and struck out six to improve to 4-1. Nick Kaye and Martin Gallegos also had two RBIs for the Tartans.
Glendora coach Dan Henley: “I think early on it’s one of those games that’s a must-win for confidence. After losing the last two — one to Los Osos, the other to Upland — you don’t want to fall behind. Worst-case scenario, we’re one game behind Los Osos through five games. Yeah, it’s a very important win heading into the Arcadia Tournament next week.”
Glendora’s Garrett Ouellette: “It was a good home run. I honestly didn’t think it was going to go out. I was getting ready to beat it to third, and then when I saw (it go out), I slowed up a bit.”

Baseline League
Glendora 7, Rancho Cucamonga 2
Hacienda League
Bonita at Diamond Ranch, 3:30 p.m.
Los Altos at Walnut, 3:30 p.m.
Mission Valley League
Rosemead at Mountain View, 3:15 p.m.
Nonleague
Chaffey vs. Rowland, Don Lugo Tournament, 3:15 p.m.

STORY: It wasn’t the 1951 New York Giants, but Baldwin Park senior Bernard Flores was yelling, “I feel like Bobby Thomson,” after he hit a game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat Valle Vista League leader San Dimas 5-2 on Thursday.

Video Highlights and interviews from Baldwin Park’s 5-2 10-inning victory over San Dimas on Thursday. The Guru spoke with Baldwin Park players and assistant coach Joe Laski. San Dimas coach Mike Regan chose not to speak with us.

Damien’s Grant Hockin tossed a four-hit shutout to lead the Spartans to a 4-0 victory over visiting Charter Oak on Thursday.
Staff photo by Keith Birmingham

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez

LAVERNE – Damien High School’s Grant Hockin began the season rated one of the top pitchers in the area.
He lived up to that billing Thursday.
Hockin tossed a four-hit shut out and struck out 11 to lead the host Spartans to a 4-0 victory over Charter Oak in a Sierra League game at Tom Carroll Field.
Damien, getting RBIs from David Cordova, Grant Woodward and Jordan Lofy, improved too 5-5 overall and 2-3 in league play. Charter Oak which beat preseason favorite South Hills last week, slipped to 3-5 and 2-3.
Damien took a 1-0 lead in the third after Kevin Macedo was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a throwing error.
Damien took advantage of two more Charter Oak miscues to push the lead to 4-0 in the fourth.
Jordan Abernathy and Jonathan Olsen each reached on errors to begin the inning. They advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt before a Grant Woodward RBI single made it 2-0 lead.
Jordan Lofy followed with a sacrifice fly and Cordova was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 4-0.
Hockin then finished it off, retiring 10 of the final 12 batters to win it.
Damien coach Al Leyva: “There’s a reason why he is so highly touted. It’s because he’s a good pitcher, and he’s starting to show it. He’s starting to really dial it in. It seems he gets better as the game gets going. If he stays healthy, a lot of good things are going to go his way.”
Damien’s Grant Hockin: “I just tried to stay focused. I gave up that double (in the first), and I got a little frustrated, But I tried to stay within myself. There was a lot of game left and it worked out.”
Charter Oak coach Tom Quinley: “We gave them the game. That’s a good team over there. I thought Nick, for his first game this year, was outstanding. He should have gone all seven probably, but not with the errors.”

Today’s Baseball schedule/scores
Sierra League
Damien 4, Charter Oak 0
South Hills 5, Chino Hills 2
Claremont 6, Ayala 4
Valle Vista League
Baldwin Park 5, San Dimas 2
Covina 7, Wilson 4
Pomona at Northview, 3:15 p.m.
Montview League
Duarte at Azusa, 3:15 p.m.
Bassett 19, Workman 2
La Puente 4, Ganesha 1
Nonleague
Bishop Amat vs. St. Francis at Brookside Park, 3:15 p.m.

Bishop Amat softball (11-2), winners of 10 straight and ranked 17th in the state and 37th nationally by Maxpreps, knocked off Corona Santiago (13-2) 5-3 on Wednesday. Santiago is ranked third in the state and fourth nationally by Maxpreps. Watch highlights and interviews with Lexi Gonzalez, Amanda Sanchez, Sabrina Anguiano and coach Jesse Mendez.

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/teveRRAmirez
LA PUENTE – Bishop Amat High School, after outscoring its previous three opponents, 26-0, was in need of a challenge.
The Lancers got it Wednesday and showed it belongs with the top teams in the CIF-Southern Section.
Alexis Gonzalez and Amanda Sanchez each had RBIs during a three-run sixth inning to lead host Amat to a 5-3 victory over nationally-ranked Corona Santiago in a nonleague game.
Sabrina Anguiano was steady in the circle, giving up seven hits with five strikeouts for the Lancers, who improved to 11-2 overall.
The Sharks, ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 12 nationally by MaxPreps.com, slipped to 14-2.
Bishop Amat, after Santiago took a 3-2 lead on a RBI double by Marissa Varrati in the top of the sixth, countered with three runs in its half of the inning. Alyssa Barerra started the winning rally with a bunt single and advanced on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Eryn Sustayta. Gonzalez, after falling behind in the count, tied it at 3 with a single to right field. Sanchez, who had an RBI single in the fourth, then grounded a single past the drawn-in infield to score Sustayta for a 4-3 lead. Victoria Saucedo’s hit an RBI single to push it to 5-3.
Bishop Amat coach Jesse Mendez: This was a major challenge by a great team. There’s a couple of teams in our league that push us. St. Joseph and St. Paul are no walkovers, and Santiago is a powerhouse team. Their coach told me they put in five hours of practice preparing for us, and we put in some time, too. It paid off.”
Alexis Gonzalez: “This just proves that we can hang and we have it. We give it our best, no matter what. We’re solid one through nine and know we can get a hit when we need it.”
Amanda Sanchez: “Honestly, we just had to find our pitch. We had to lay off the rise ball. That’s what we did and came back. BaseballWe showed a lot of heart, one through nine. Everyone stepped up.”
Today’s Baseball schedule/scores
Hacienda League
Diamond Ranch at Bonita, 3:15 p.m.
Walnut at Los Altos, 3:15 p.m.
Baseline League
Upland 3, Glendora 1
Mission Valley League
Arroyo at Rosemead, 3:15 p.m.
South El Monte at Gabrielino, 3:15 p.m.
Mountain View at El Monte, 3:15 p.m.

LOOK WHO’S NO. 1: Nogales, off to its best start in recent memory, takes its spot atop the area baseball rankings.
Staff photo by Keith Birmingham

Here’s this week’s area baseball top 10 rankings:
1. Nogales (11-0) – Romano’s clan just keeps on winning. The Nobles one-two pitching tandem gives them the best chance in the home-and-home Valle Vista League format.
2. Bonita (9-1) – The Bearcats showed some of their muscle, rallying for a 6-5 victory over Cypress, which is one of the top teams in Orange County and ranked No. 5 in CIF-SS Division 2. Bonita still looks like the favorite in the Hacienda League.
3. South Hills (7-2) – It was a hit and miss week for the Huskies, who hit a bump in the road with an 8-7 loss to un-ranked Charter Oak, but responded with a 1-0 victory over Damien. You still have to put them as the Sierra favorite
4. Northview (8-2) – The Vikings tumbled a bit after losing to rival Covina at home, then returned the favor to beat the Colts. Expect Northview to be in the thick of the Valle Vista League race.
5. Diamond Bar (8-1) – The Brahmas looked like the real deal, sweeping Los Altos in dominating fashion after outscoring the Conquerors, 15-2. Are they ready to challenge Bonita? We find out later.
6. San Dimas (9-2) – The Saints took care of business with a sweep of Wilson. Now comes the real tests in coming weeks with home-and-homes against Baldwin Park, Covina, Northview and Nogales.
7. Glendora (7-3) – The Tartans drop a spot after losing on the road at Los Osos. But I still like Glendora to take the Baseline.
8. Bishop Amat (4-5) – The Lancers are finding their second win, riding a three-game win streak into this week, including an impressive win over Alemany, which was undefeated in the Mission League.
9. Baldwin Park (6-2) – It took a two-run seventh for Nogales to beat the Braves. This is a team that will make some waves in the Valle Vista title chase.
10. West Covina (9-2-1) – The Bulldogs are showing they are for real, holding their own in the Hacienda so far in the Hacienda, spliting their first two series.
OTHERS: Damien (4-4), Los Altos (5-4), Charter Oak (3-3), Covina (5-5), Ayala (7-3)

HAMMERING THE COMPETITION: Bishop Amat, helped by Alexis Gonzalez (above), has felt very little resistance while racing to the top of the area rankings.
Staff photo by Keith Birmingham

Here is this week’s top 10 rankings:
1. Bishop Amat (9-2) – The Lancers are showing they have no peer in the Valley and beyond, outscoring rivals St. Paul and La Salle, 22-0 last week.
2. Chino Hills (10-4) – The Huskies were idle last week, but should be refreshed for their Sierra League title run.
3. Ayala (8-2) – The Bulldogs also took a respite. They resume with tournament play before opening up the Sierra League in two weeks.
4. South Hills (11-3) – The Huskies showed their prowess with an impressive sweep over Bonita. Next up: The Sierra League.
5. Bonita (8-5) – Another hit and miss week for the Bearcats, who dominated Rowland before losing two to South Hills.
6. Charter Oak (10-2) – The Chargers are having a solid season, and continued it with a sweep of Fullerton and beating Schurr on Monday.
7. San Dimas (7-5) – The Saints are the favorite in the Valle Vista and showed it with an easy win at Wilson.
8. Northview (5-4) – The Vikings won another slugfest, beating rival Covina. Eventually, they’ll have to pitch.
9. Duarte (7-2) – The Falcons are the team to beat in the Montview and showed it against Azusa.
10. St. Lucy’s (3-6) – The Regents are a lot better than their record, which includes an impressive schedule.

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
SAN DIMAS – It would have been easy for the San Dimas High School baseball team to fold after giving up the lead Tuesday afternoon.
But there’s a reason why the Saints are regarded as one of the top teams in the area, and they showed by scoring six runs in the sixth to score an 8-2 victory over visiting Baldwin Park in a Valle Vista League game.
San Dimas, getting three hits from Elias Orona and two RBIs from Andrew Espinoza, improved to 8-2 overall and 3-0 in league play. The Saints’ also received a solid effort from pitcher Jimmy Lambert, who gave up six hits and struck out six for the complete-game victory.
Baldwin Park, which nearly beat preseason league favorite Nogales last week, slipped to 6-3 and 0-2. Justin Tellez led the Braves with two hits and an RBI.
San Dimas sent 11 guys to the plate and had four consecutive hits with two outs in the sixth, including a RBI double by Logan Murratalla and a RBI single by Josh Avila for the six-run lead. Avila started the barrage with a single. It was followed by a walk to Rick Ramirez. Ryan Cruz then relieved Bernardo Flores and Lambert followed with a RBI single for a 3-2 advantage. Peter Lambert then had a bunt single on a safety squeeze to make it 4-2 before Aaron Torres had a single and Espinoza an RBI groundout to make it 5-2.
San Dimas coach Mike Regan: “I think our guys did in (the sixth) everything we constantly work on. Our guys were pretty resilient today. The team effort was great all the way around. We had some big hits early. Our guys stayed with the approach and hit really, really well.”
Baldwin Park coach Jake Barendregt: “It looked like (Flores) wasn’t being very aggressive with those pitches (in the sixth). It was like he was trying to get them over the strike zone instead of pounding the strike zone. I don’t think he was tired. But there was definitely a difference in his velocity that inning. But San Dimas is a good team. They have some guys who can swing the bats and if you make some mistakes, they’re going to get you.”

Tuesday’s schedule/scores
Sierra League
South Hills 6, Ayala 5
Claremont 8, Charter Oak 6
Damien at Chino Hills, 3:30 p.m.
Valle Vista League
Wilson at Covina, 3:15 p.m.
San Dimas 8, Baldwin Park 2
Northview 6, Pomona 0
Montview League
Azusa at Duarte, 3:15 p.m.
Ganesha at La Puente, 3:15 p.m.
Gladstone at Sierra Vista, 3:15 p.m.
Workman at Bassett, 3:15 p.m.

Kandyce Smith, who averaged 17 points for the La Salle girls basketball team, has transferred to Bonita, where she will team up with Nikki Wheatley, one of the best points guards in the Southland. Smith and Wheatley play on the same travel ball team and both will be seniors in the fall. Smith competed in the Del Rey League against giants Serra, St. Bernard, Bishop Amat and Bishop Montgomery. Amat coach Richard Wiard said Smith is the real deal. There is also speculation that another talented area player — a freshman — will transfer to Bonita by next season.

Valle Vista All-League
Boys Basketball
MVP: Mike Peters, Covina
First Team: Jordan Stokes, San Dimas., Alexis Baron, Baldwin Park., Matt Hicks, Covina., Alex Delgado., Baldwin Park., James Santiago, Nogales., Elias Hernandez, Covina., Daniel Johnson, Northview., Justin Diaz, Wilson., Brandon Miramontes, Wilson., James Cunnigan, Northview.

Girls Basketball
MVP: Kelli Calton, Wilson
First Team: Kaelyn Kawamoto, Wilson., Dominique Theus, Covina., Marisol Chavez, Balwin Park., Ashley Rendon, Nogales., Dy’mond Mitchell, San Dimas., Megan Ward, Northview., Kelli Iwamoto, Wilson., Jenae Erickson, San Dimas., Tiffany Rojas, Baldwin Park., Janae Yip, Wilson.

Boys Soccer
MVP: Dayker Villalobos, Baldwin Park
First Team: Ezequiel Pena, Nogales., Juan Gutierrez, Pomona., Kevin Sandoval, Baldwin Park., Josue Flores, Baldwin Park., Thomas Samayao, San Dimas., Adrian Vera, Northview., Antonio Hernandez, Wilson., Eddie Hurtado, Pomona., Brian Sanchez, Pomona., Omar Hermosillo, Nogales., Jeffrey Hwang, Wilson., Christian Cruz, Northview., Alex Godina, Baldwin Park.

Girls Soccer
MVPs: Daisy Duran, San Dimas; Ciara Balderamma, Covina
First Team: Morgan Quaternik, San Dimas., Alisson Kung, Wilson., Abi Celaya, San Dimas., Edith Zuniga, Baldwin Park., Alondra Bibian, Nogales., Hannah Huskey, Covina, Christie Cornejo, Covina., Heidi Gomez, Nogales., Carol Garcia, Northview., Taylor Sunga, San Dimas., Danielle Aparicio, Covina., Leticia Bustamante, Baldwin Park., Hanna Isidoro, Pomona.

HACIENDA ALL-LEAGUE
Boys Basketball
MVPs: Nnadi Udengwu, Diamond Ranch, Sr., Dane Hollar, Bonita, Jr.
First Team: Joseph Dionisio, Rowland, Sr., Christian Manalo, Diamond Bar, Jr., Rob Harrelson, Walnut, Jr., Ryan Ramirez, Bonita, Sr., Chris Arzadon, Rowland, Sr., Christian Espinoza, Los Altos, So., Anthony Macklin Jr., Diamond Ranch, Sr., Lawrence Besong, Walnut, Jr..

Girls Basketball
MVP: Nikki Wheatley, Bonita, Jr.
First Team: Amanda Britt, West Covina, Sr., Yewan De Alabi, Diamond Bar, Sr., Nonah Wu, Dimaond Bar, Jr., Ariana Abo, Bonita, Jr., Kim Mayekawa, Walnut, So, Jasmine Hamori, Los Altos, Sr., Taj Lark, Diamond Ranch, Sr., Farrah Castillo, Diamond Ranch, Fr.

Boys Soccer
MVP: Matthew Lares, Rowland, Sr.
First Team: Oscar Briseno, Rowland, Sr., Wyatt Deane, Bonita, Sr., Fernando Martinez, Diamond Ranch, Sr., Alex Henry, Los Altos, Sr., Tanis Leal, Los Altos, Sr., Adam Fox, Los Altos, Jr., Mario Interiano, Walnut, Sr., Danny Hernandez, Walnut, Jr., Cameron Siete, Walnut, Sr., Salvador Oliva, West Covina, Jr., Gabe Brown, Diamond Bar, Sr., Kase Vollebregt, Diamond Bar, Sr., Guy Horcasitas, Diamond Bar, So.

Girls Soccer
MVP: Tatum Lockett, Diamond Bar, Sr.
First Team: Rachel Curley, Bonita., Camille Trotter, Bonita., Amanda Castellanos, West Covina., Samantha Verduzco, Los Altos., Daisy Macias, Diamond Ranch., Daysia Avery, Los Altos., Cassie Duran, Walnut., Catrina Gonzalez, Walnut., Erin Harris, Walnut., Raquel Herrera, Rowland., Marissa Favela, Diamond Bar., Helena Kisor, Diamond Bar., Iris Yam, Diamond Bar., Angela Schmidt, Diamond Bar.

Girls Water Polo
MVP: Stephanie Contreras, Los Altos, Sr.
First Team: Natalie Rivas, Bonita, Jr., Samantha Snow, Bonita, Jr., Angela Gomez, Bonita, Sr., Erin Gonzalez, Bonita, So., Erica Venegas, Los Altos, Sr., Rose Takeuchi, Los Altos, Sr., Mia Rycraw, Walnut, Sr., Ardele Aquino, Walnut, Sr., Ashley Hernandez, Rowland, Sr., Hannah Rueter, West Covina, Sr.

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
HACIENDA HEIGHTS – San Dimas High School has been the dominant softball program in the Valle Vista League for more than a decade, and they Saints showed Friday that the trend might continue.
Jennifer Aguinaga scored three runs and led a trio of Saints with two RBIs each and San Dimas opened league play with a 14-3 victory over Wilson in a game that was halted after six innings due to the 10-run rule.
Deenah San Luis, Kennedy Anderson and Carlie Salm all had three hits and two RBIs to lead an 18-hit attack for the Saints, who improved to 7-5 overall. Bethie Celaya was steady in the circle after a slow start, giving up four hits with three strikeouts.
Yecenia Cardenas had a homerun and two RBIs for Wilson, which slipped to 5-3.
San Dimas, after falling behind 2-1 after the first inning, put it away with three runs in the third, four in the fourth and five in the sixth.
San Dimas coach Don Pollard: “The league opener you never know. (Wilson) had been playing well, so you never know. You just have to take it, play hard and see what happens. It came our way this time.”
Wilson coach Lindsay Schatzman: “Obviously, San Dimas has some big hitters. They had good approach at the plate and went after it. They attacked every pitch we threw at them. They got a lot of base hits and came back.”

Mt. SAC area league representatives met today to discuss league placement/realignment for the 2014-16 cycle, which begins in the 2014-15 season. Before new leagues can be created or reconfigured, schools were given a chance to ask for relief, with seven area schools in the Mt. SAC area asking for relief in advance of May 13, which is the day the Mt. SAC area must finalize league configurations for the 2014-15 season. According to multiple sources at the meeting today, Charter Oak and South Hills asked for relief from the Sierra League. Pomona and Baldwin Park asked for relief from the Valle Vista League. Glendora and Alta Loma asked for relief from the Baseline League and Garey asked for relief from the Mt. Baldy League. Damien and St. Lucy’s are no longer part of the Mt. SAC area after losing an appeal with the CIF-SS on Tuesday to remain in the Sierra League. Damien and St. Lucy’s will be placed in Parochial leagues for the 2014-15 season and beyond. Also, one of the big decisions decided today is that beginning in the 2014-15 season, the Mt. SAC area will re-league every two years instead of the current structure, which is every four years.

Fred’s thoughts: Now that schools have asked for relief, the big question is, will they get it, and where will they go? Charter Oak, South Hills and Glendora almost certainly will get relief, but where? Could a super 10-team, north-south Hacienda League be created? Possible. Pomona and Baldwin Park would like to drop to the Montview League. Edgewood High School, back in business since closing its doors in 1988 is back in the mix and will likely be placed in the Montview League. Could the Montview become a 10-team league of the north-south variety as well? Possible. And who joins the Valle Vista if Baldwin Park and Pomona leave? These are all things that have to be decided by May 13. Your thoughts?

Here is my proposal
Hacienda League North or Sierra League
Bonita, Glendora, South Hills, Charter Oak, West Covina
Hacienda league South
Los Altos, Rowland, Diamond Ranch, Diamond Bar, Walnut
Montview League North
Sierra Vista, Azusa, Pomona, Duarte, Ganesha
Montview League South
Workman, La Puente, Edgewood, Bassett, Gladstone
Valle Vista League
Covina, Northview, Wilson, Baldwin Park, San Dimas, Garey
Baseline League
Etiwanda, Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga, Etiwanda, Chino Hills, Ayala
Mt. Baldy League:
Chaffey, Chino, Colony, Don Lugo, Claremont, Montclair, Ontario, Alta Loma