Baseball, football camps for area youths

Hit and Run Baseball will host a youth baseball camp at Bishop Amat High School for children ages 5-14 (K-8th grade). The camp runs from Aug. 4-7, with sessions lasting from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The registration fee is $200. Checks should be made payable to Hit and Run Baseball.
Camp director Andy Nieto, head baseball coach for two-time defending CIF Southern Section, Division V champion Bishop Amat, said all phases of the game would be covered. For more information call Nieto at (626) 818-3142, or email zuni24@charter.net

The Pete Gonzalez Youth Football Camp at St. Paul High School is scheduled Friday through Sunday for boys and girls ages 6-14.
Friday will feature testing (height, weight, agility) from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday sessions will stress fundamentals in all phases of the game.
The registration fee is $50 and includes a t-shirt and lunch Saturday and Sunday. Participants should bring suitable footwear.
Gonzalez is head coach of CIF-SS, Western Division champion St. Paul. For more information, call Teresa at (562) 698-6246, Ext. 713.

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Burbank’s Moroldi sets record straight

[BYNAME]By Roger Murray
Staff Writer
[BODY]Nobody was certain what the record was, or for that matter, if any record had ever been posted for the event.
Justin Moroldi made sure there is no question now.
The Ninth Annual Tournament of Champions passing and linemen competitions were held Saturday at Santa Fe High School. Lakewood dominated the action, winning the passing competition by beating Narbonne, 29-23 in the championship game.
The Lancers then capped the day by taking home the linemen trophy, too.
The question about that absent record was about weight lifting in the linemen competition.
Burbank’s Moroldi stole some of Lakewood’s thunder when he topped the power clean category by lifting 185 pounds 91 times.
Ninety-one times!
Afterward, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Moroldi, a two-way senior tackle who will be a third-year varsity player this fall, said he heard someone else had done 68 reps earlier in the day, and he wanted to top that.
Mission definitely accomplished.
Although Santa Fe coaches Jack Mahlstede and Bob Costa couldn’t come up with a number even in a general area that might have been the former record, they both were adamant that it couldn’t have been anywhere close to Moroldi’s performance.
Burbank coach Ted Amorosi was there to help tally the count.
“I watched the whole thing,” Amorosi said. “The amazing thing about it is that he was 40, 50 pounds lighter than a lot of the other guys doing it. Obviously, he’s one of the strongest kids in our program, and probably the strongest, pound-for-pound.”
“He has a great work ethic, and he showed great heart because at around 50 to 70 (repetitions), his body was telling him to ‘stop this stuff.’
“I know all this doesn’t mean anything this fall, but it was one of those moments you’re proud to be a coach when you get to watch a kid give the absolute maximum effort to achieve success. We as coaches stress giving effort and making commitment, and this was the epitome of that concept.”
Just a footnote: Moroldi hoisted a combined weight of 16,835 pounds.

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Lakewood rules SFe’s TofC passing/linemen competitions

Lakewood dominated play en route to winning the passing championship in
Saturday’s Ninth Annual Tournament of Champions passing and linemen
competitions at Santa Fe High School.

The Lancers were one of four teams (the others Glendora, California
and Narabonne) that rolled unbeaten through four games in pool play,
posting a remarkable +94 points differential to earn the No. 1 seed for
the afternoon session that was broken into championship and consolation
flights.

Lakewood finished with an 8-0 record after defeating Narbonne, 29-23,
in the title game. Cypress won the consolation crown by defeating
Palmdale Highland, 30-14. The Centurians also won the tug-o-war, beating
Lakewood in the finals.

Lakewood captured the linemen competition with 260 points to outdistance
Glendora, 250, Santa Fe 240, West Torrance 239, Peninsula 234 and
California 229.

Whittier finished with 157 points and Santa Fe’s second squad totaled
146.

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Stage set for Santa Fe’s TofC competition

A full field is ready for the Ninth Annual Tournament of Champions
passing and linemen competitions at Santa Fe High School. The action
begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and will wind up with the team
tug-o-war somewhere around 3:30 p.m. Here’s a complete list of the
entries:
Arcadia
Bellflower, The Bishop’s (San Diego), Brea Olinda, Burbank, Burroughs
(Burbank)
California, Carson (defending champion), Cerritos, Chadwick, Colony,
Contreras, Cypress
Franklin
Glendora
Highland, Hollywood
Jurupa Valley
Lakewood, La Quinta/La Quinta, Lynwood
Marina, Monrovia, Morningside, Mountain View
Narbonne, North Torrance
Paraclete, Peninsula
Redondo Union
St. Margaret’s, Santa Fe
West Torrance, Whittier

Keep in mind there are no pads and, relatively speaking, no contact, but the caliber of talent that will be on display throughout the day, in both the passing and linemen competitions, can be spectacular and certainly entertaining. And naturally, it provides great fodder, however insignificant in the long run, for summer evaluations, comparisons and prognostication.

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Running back: Area high schools rich in ball carriers

With a plethora of returning running backs in the area, this could be
the season that most area high school football teams will move their
offense primarily on the ground.

And it’s not just that nine schools have returning starters, or
players who played significant roles a year ago, nearly every school has
talented individuals around whom to build an offense.

In no particular order:
La Habra – The defending CIF-SS Southeast Division champions return
all-CIF selection Ronnie Hillman, a 5-11, 180-pound versatile senior who
was one of the area’s best running backs and receivers as a slotback
last season. Also returning is Joshua Quezada (jr., 6-0, 185), who
figures to pick up for graduated standout Jason Davis.

Whittier – Daniel Enriquez, a three-sport starter who rushed for
1,213 yards and 13 touchdowns while sharing the spotlight with graduated
Jonathan Quezada (1,039 yards, 16 TDS). Also back is Cody Westfall (sr.,
5-9, 160), who averaged 8 yards a carry in limited action.

Santa Fe – Arguably the area’s best running back, Aaron Turner (sr.,
6-0, 190) is a two-sport all-area selection who rushed for 932 yards,
averaged nearly 7 yards per trip and scored 11 touchdowns. Also back for
the Chiefs are Nikolai Crouch (sr., 6-1, 215, 9.5 ypc) and speedster
Aaron Black (sr., 5-8, 150)

California – After sharing the load last year, Matt Urquiza (sr.,
5-8, 170, 940 yds, 5.5 ypc, 12 TDs) is a tough, hard-nose runner with
speed who figures to be the Condors’ main threat over land.

El Rancho – The Dons’ Marcus Aldecoa (sr., 5-8, 185) averaged 5.6
yards a carry and teams with Marcus Galan (sr., 5-7, 160, 4.5 ypc) to
provide one of the area’s best one-two punches.

La Mirada – Senior Devon Tracy (5-9, 180, 500 yards, 5 TDs) struggled
at times but he had moments of brilliance that bodes well for the
Matadores this season. Also back are Zach Salerno (sr., 5-11, 180) and
Justin Torres (jr., 5-10, 210).

Pioneer – Matt Botello (sr, 5-7, 175, 643 yards, 5.2 ypc, 8 TDs) will
be a third-year starter and with returner Victor Renteria (sr., 5-11,
170), will complement the Titans’ very mobile QB, Ronnie Palacios, in
perhaps the area’s most explosive offense.

St. Paul – The area’s most underrated performer, Luis Garcia (sr.,
5-8, 165, 685 yds, 4.5 ypc, 9 TDs), has been mainstay who plays bigger
than his size might indicate. Will team with transfer Darius Bratcher,
along with Deion Williams (jr., 6-0, 165) and receiver Donte Webb (jr.,
5-9, 170) to give the Swordsmen a potentially potent ground game.

Whittier Christian – The Heralds figure to ride versatile Mark
Edwards (sr. 6-1, 220, 946 yds, 7.5 ypc, 11 TDs), who has been a
standout performer at RB, TE, LB, just about anywhere coach Jon Caffrey
has needed him, for two seasons. This also could be a breakout season
for tailback Nick Camarillo (sr., 5-8, 160), who has been plagued by
injuries the past two years. Garrett Fulbright (jr., 5-7, 150) also is
in the mix.

Cantwell – Steve Levin (jr., 5-9, 180) was a backup a year ago, but
he figures prominently in coach Pete Smolin’s plans this year. The
Cardinals will get a big boost if Joseph Loera (sr., 5-10, 185) can stay
healthy. Loera was a sparkplug as a sophomore, then spent last season on
the injured list.

La Serna – Coach Margarito Beltran has some big holes to fill
considering Rudy Jordan, whose 180 carries were more than the rest of
the team’s combined, as were his 1,127 yards and 14 touchdowns, is gone.
QB Ben Burke is the leading returning rusher with 309 yards and 5.2 ypc,
but much will be expected of returnees Louie Lozano (sr., 5-11, 175, 8.9
ypc) and Kyle Gluck (sr., 6-1, 175, 5.8 ypc), who combined for 328 yards
and five scores).

(Note: No information available on Montebello or Schurr)

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