After not winning a Mission League title since 2007, the Crespi wrestling team returned to the top Thursday, securing its sixth league championship with a 48-25 win over Alemany in Mission Hills.
The Celts (4-0) had won five titles in a row between 2003-07, before Alemany took control of the league -- winning three straight times -- with Bishop Amat capturing the crown last year.
In the path to the title, Crespi defeated the defending champion 35-33 on Jan. 12 and avenged its 41-37 loss to the same team the previous year.
The Celts then had to travel to bitter rival Alemany in the last dual of the season.
The Warriors started the dual with two pins, but then the middle weights for Crespi were too much and the Celts went on to win it.
"It was a tough match to lose," said Alemany coach Ricardo Garcia, "but we're young. We'll come back next year."
After Nishan Mood (at 220 pounds) and Aubre Jackson (heavyweight) both won by fall, Crespi went on a streak.
Tristan Jimenez (106) pinned Lance Ornelas, Joshua Romero beat Shazad Jaffer 8-2 at 113 pounds and state-ranked Adrian Manzo won 15-0 at 120.
Alemany then won the next match by forfeit and the Celts took over again, dominating the remaining weight classes until the last match.
Anthony Igne won by pin at 132; another state-ranked wrestler for Crespi, Blayne Briceno won 17-0 at 138; Juan Carlos Ortiz (145) won 15-6 and Richard Ortiz got a 9-0 win
at 152 pounds despite being bloodied most of the match.
The consecutive wins put the Celts up 33-19 in overall score, but they weren't done.
Alex Marin continued the streak at 160 with a 9-3 win and Carlos Lazo - yet another state-ranked competitor for Crespi - punctuated the scoring barrage with a second period pin of Alex Perez at 171.
Alemany finally got back on the scoreboard when Andrew Hemphill pinned Chris Leon in the second period at 195 pounds, but the Celts were up by too many points and won the title.
Because of its first-place league finish, Crespi qualified to compete in the Div. IV dual finals at Quartz Hill on Feb 11.
"We're going to dual finals as the third seed," Celts coach Mike Odman said. "We're behind Ventura and Victor Valley and (Bishop) Amat is going too."
"After winning league five years in a row and then having a drought, its good to win again."
Seven football players from Crespi in Encino will be continuing their careers in college.
Jordan Simmons is the top recruit from Crespi. The 6-feet-5, 330 pound offensive lineman is headed to USC.
“I decided to go to USC because I felt like it was the perfect fit for me,” Simmons said. “I just want to compete when I step on that first day. I’m excited. I’m ready to start.”
Simmons wanted to enroll at USC in the spring, but he said Crespi wouldn’t allow him to graduate early. He will be competing for a spot on a USC team that is coming off NCAA sanctions and is expected to challenge for a national championship.
2/1/2012
IdahoStatesman.com: Idaho State announces recruiting class
Submitted by Brian Murphy on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 12:51pm, updated on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 12:59pm
Bios provided by Idaho State:
Colin Prestesater
6-6, 285, OL, Crespi Carmelite High School, Encino, Calif. Fr.
Played for coach Jon Mack … two-year varsity starter at offensive tackle for Glendora and Crespi Carmelite High School … team went 7-3 in arguably one the toughest leagues (Serra) in the state of California … currently wrestling with a 22-9 record in the Heavyweight division … plans to major in business … son of Kevin and Leslianne Prestesater … had one older sister, Hannah who attends Texas … was recruited by Cal Poly, San Diego State and San Diego ... was recruited by Anthony Tucker.
Kramer on Prestesater: “Having played for a coach with national accolades we recognized that Colin's training has kick started him into a very fine college career. He is a long, rangy tackle type body with the ability to glide in pass protection. He has exceptional reach and length which makes him a Nick Beckman type of offensive lineman for us. He has the ability to contribute right away.”
2/1/2012
USCFootball.com: Jordan Simmons says 'Yes' to USC
It was a star-filled night at the campus of Crespi Carmelite High School Tuesday.
Seven different schools received their share of Celt talent -- Idaho State, Western Oregon, UC Davis, Johns Hopkins, Azusa Pacific, California, and last but certainly not least, USC.
Gerard Martinez
Jordan Simmons said "Yes" to USC Tuesday night at Crespi Carmelite High School.
USC's future looks promising with this recruiting class, receiving the top two offensive linemen at their respected positions. Crespi's Jordan Simmons, No. 2 offensive guard, committed to USC, making him the newest five-star recruit in the Trojans recruiting class.
"I think that the incoming class is really good and has some highly recruited players, and to expect a lot of good things out of us," Simmons said. "And USC likes to play freshman so I think we have a good shot at playing."
Asked why he would pick USC, a school on probation with scholarship restrictions, Simmons simply said: "From Day One, when I first got my offer back in the 10th grade, I thought it was really good, and I know that SC wasn't too strong a couple years ago, but know they have rebuilt their program and I believe it is a good fit for me with the academics, coaching, alumni."
It seems that Jordan was a part of the Trojan family even before Tuesday evening, from his comments on becoming part of the 2012 class.
And even though he's known mostly as an offensive tackle, his position during his Crespi career, he could play any position of the offensive line for USC. Jordan thinks he would be able to play a number of positions.
But it's offensive line that's No. 1 for him.
"I believe that my run block and my pass protections are the best aspects of my game," he said.
Now Simmons looks ahead to moving on to Troy, discussing his approach to next season.
"My expectations are to go in and get used to the season, compete, hope to get a starting spot once the season comes," he said.
And be a part of what he, and Trojan fans, hope will be a national title run as part of the young reinforcements for the USC football program.
Dominic Stella is a member of the Crespi Carmelite High School Class of 2012, and he notes, "the biggest USC fan/supporter who looks forward to cheering for my classmate Jordan. Fight On!!!
2/1/2012
SGVTribune.com: APU's class has a Southland flavor
The Azusa Pacific University football team's first endeavor into national signing day proved to be quite successful.
The Cougars, who will compete in NCAA Division II after years in the NAIA, brought in a solid recruiting class Wednesday by mixing in some top Southland players.
APU signed 12 players, including Glendora running back Corey Victoria and Charter Oak defensive back Jonathan Thropay. The class also features defensive backs Sam Flemming of Etiwanda, Noah Ciccel of Crespi and linebacker Van Dennis of Corona Centennial, considered one of the top programs in the CIF-Southern Section.
Victoria, a speedy back who looks like a good fit for APU's spread option, rushed for 464 yards and scored two touchdowns last season for the Tartans.
Thropay is an aggressive defensive back who 61 tackles and five interceptions for the Chargers, who were 10-2 and won the Sierra League before losing in the playoffs.
The class also includes linebacker/defensive end JoJo Bones (Lincoln HS, Stockton); linebacker Matt Hackett (Enochs HS, Modesto); receiver Michael Martens (Centennial HS, Bakersfield); quarterback Nick Owens (Moorpark College); defensive lineman Talaiasi Taueli (Mesa HS, Mesa, Ariz.); DB/WR Mark Urtz (Ontario Christian HS) and offensive lineman Jordan Wernet (Decatur HS, Federal Way, Wash.).
Mt. San Antonio and Citrus colleges sent 14 athletes to four-year schools.
Mt. SAC, which advanced to the CCCAA championship game this fall, had 10 players sign letters, including five who went to Pac-12 schools.
The Mounties' signees were receivers Alonzo Agwuenu (Arizona State) and Darrin Durran (Western Michigan); offensive linemen Stanley Hasiak (Oregon State), Visesio Salt (Utah) and Joe Carrillo (Bethany College, West Virginia); defensive backs Anthony Goodwin (Montana), Ashtun Williams (Harding University, Searcy, Ark.) and Deon Shorter (McPherson College, Kansas); defensive lineman Koliniasi Leota (Utah) and kicker Travis Coons (Washington).
Agwuenu had 73 receptions for 1,175 yards and 19 touchdowns this season.
The Owls' signees were quarterback Blake Loncar (Indiana State); receiver Kelvin Chatham (Illinois State); defensive linemen Greg Triay (SE Louisiana) and offensive lineman Michael Wells (North Carolina Central).
Loncar threw for 2,241 yards and 21 touchdowns this season before getting injured in week eight.
Chatham had 49 receptions for 474 yards and nine touchdowns.
Jordan Simmons, the No. 29 rated recruit according to Rivals, has officially committed to the USC Trojans, making the announcement in a ceremony at Crespi High School in Encino, California, per Ryan Abraham of USCFootball.com. The 6'5", 333-pound offensive guard committed to USC in October, but made the news official on Tuesday.
Simmons is part of an impressive class of offensive lineman for USC, joining fellow U.S. Army All-Americans Zach Banner of Lakewood, Washington (No. 16 per Rivals) and Max Tuerk of Santa Margarita, California (No. 46 per Rivals). Simmons is the sixth-rated offensive lineman by Rivals.
The Trojans lost Matt Kalil to the NFL, as the All-American left tackle is expected to be the top offensive lineman selected in April. Kalil was part of an offensive line that saw quarterback Matt Barkley get sacked just eight times in 2011. USC returns four starters from the offensive line in 2012: center Khaled Holmes, guards Marcus Martin and John Martinez, and tackle Kevin Graf.
Crespi football lineman Jordan Simmons reveals his choice to go to USC to play football. (Photo by Gene Blevins)
The best of the best in high school football work all their young lives for a chance to sign an NCAA scholarship, and today's the day. This is national letter-of-intent day, as blue-chip prospects finally make their college choices official.
Some have waited a long time after committing more than a year ago, while others, like Crespi's Jordan Simmons, put things off until Tuesday.
As expected, Simmons, a 6-foot-5, 335-pound offensive lineman who was ranked No. 1 nationally at his position by Rivals.com, announced he will be signing with USC during a news conference at the school.
"It's finally here. I'll now know it's official," Simmons said. "I knew this day would come."
The five-star recruit, who had more than 30 offers, finally narrowed his choices down once the season ended, and he gave a non-binding verbal commitment to USC on Jan. 13. Today, he'll officially become a Trojan when players can sign their letter of intent.
Receiver Jordan Payton from Oaks Christian also made his announcement Tuesday, but this one came as a surprise.
Payton, who first committed to USC, then Cal, changed his mind again and pledged his commitment to Washington less than 24 hours before signing day. UCLA also was in the picture.
"It's a big commitment for Washington," ESPN recruiting director Greg Biggins said. "Jordan Payton is a high-profile player, and Washington is desperate for receivers. They want to sign two or three."
After committing to Cal, Payton (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) followed former Cal assistants Tosh Lupoi and Eric Kiesau, who recently took jobs at Washington.
Payton, a three-year standout, caught 61 passes for 840 yards while scoring nine touchdowns this past season. He's also a top defensive back.
About 40 area high schoolers and junior-college players are expected to sign a major-college scholarship today, with a few more inking with smaller universities.
Some, like Moorpark's Grant Rohach, have been itching for a long time.
Rohach committed nearly a year ago, on March 14, 2011. Unlike others who've rescinded verbal commitments, Rohach never wavered once he gave his word, and he's looking forward to playing at Iowa State because he has family there.
"It's a great feeling. I've been waiting for this day for a long time, and I can't wait to be a Cyclone," Rohach said.
Most scholarships are worth more than $100,000 over a four- or five-year period, so the signed agreement is like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
"It's a great feeling to know I will be playing D-I football at a great program. It's a dream-come-true," said Christian Tago, a Highland High multi-purpose back set to sign with San Jose State.
"All the hard work has paid off, and it's a great feeling knowing that my education will be fully paid for."
1/30/2012
L.A. Times: High school boys' basketball rankings
CIF-SS TOP-10
1 - Mater Dei
2 - Long Beach Poly
3 - Etiwanda
4 - Alemany
5 - Loyola
6 - Gardena Serra
7 - Bishop Montgomery 8 - Crespi
9 - Price
10 - La Verne Lutheran
Mater Dei, Long Beach Poly, Etiwanda and Alemany all had very good weeks, and those four schools make up the top of this week’s CIF-SS Top 10.
1. Mater Dei (19-2): The Monarchs had one of their biggest wins of the season, defeating St. John Bosco on the road, 86-71 on Friday. Behind Katin Reinhardt’s five three-pointers and 17 total points in the first quarter, the game was never in question. Mater Dei has three challenging games in a row, with contests at Orange Lutheran and at home against St. John Bosco and La Verne Lutheran all this week.
2. Long Beach Poly (18-1): Poly rolled at Compton on Friday, with star Roschon Prince scoring 33 points in the 66-56 road victory. Poly faces Lakewood and Woodrow Wilson this week before a showdown with Orange Lutheran on Saturday at Mater Dei.
3. Etiwanda (22-1): Star point guard Jordan McLaughlin put his team on his back again, scoring 27 points in a big 64-45 victory over La Verne Damien on Saturday. Etiwanda hits the road this week with games at Upland and Los Osos.
4. Alemany (20-3): A 95-81 victory at Loyola, an impressive 80-69 win over Santa Monica and first place in the loaded Mission League move Alemany up to No. 4. Against Santa Monica, senior Marqueze Coleman was terrific, knocking down seven three-pointers in the victory. Alemany has a tough week ahead, with games at Crespi and against Price.
5. Loyola (18-3): It was a busy week for the Cubs, who easily defeated Crespi at home, lost at home to Alemany, won at Chaminade and defeated Orange Lutheran on neutral ground. Loyola takes Notre Dame, Harvard-Westlake and Taft this week.
6. Gardena Serra (21-2): The Cavaliers keep winning and move up a spot because of it. There were no problems in a 30-point victory at Cathedral, and the 50-40 win at Fairfax was impressive. This week Serra will host Bishop Montgomery and Bishop Amat.
7. Bishop Montgomery (18-3): Two blowout wins over Bishop Amat and La Salle by a combined 88 points help the Knights move up a spot. This is a big week for the Torrance-based squad as it goes to Serra before hosting Cathedral and traveling to Redondo Union.
8. Crespi (19-4): Losses at Loyola and St. Francis by a combined 36 points drop the Celts a couple of spots. London Perrantes, scoring 27 points in the two games combined, tried to battle through an injury suffered against Harvard-Westlake but the team had a rough week. It will look to bounce back against Alemany and at Chaminade this week.
9. Price (17-5): Wins against Renaissance Academy and Windward continue the momentum for the Knights, who are playing their best basketball of the season. This week the Skylar Spencer and Chance Murray-led group will be challenged with games against Ribet Academy and Alemany.
10. La Verne Lutheran (16-5): It was another up and down week for Lutheran, which defeated Hope Centre 100-27 on Thursday but suffered a bad 67-62 loss at Westchester two days later. Lutheran will try to hold on to its spot in the rankings with games against Ribet Academy, Renaissance Academy and Mater Dei this week.
1/30/2012
Crespi All-Stars defeat City Section 44-12
Congrats to Crespi's football staff for their All-Star victory 44 to 12 over the L.A. City Section All-Stars last Saturday.
Highlights include Edwards interception and 14-yard return to set up an easy TD and outstanding offensive line play by Crespi center J Speer.
Crespi had a rough stretch losing three games in a row and dropping to No. 5 in the L.A. North top 10 rankings. The Celts snapped out of their little funk with a Mission League win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Friday night.
Canyon saw its 12-game winning streak come to an end, and then lost two Foothill League games in a row. The Cowboys dropped out of the L.A. North top 10.
Enter Renaissance Academy, a tiny school in Sunland with a 18-3 record. The Wildcats have a tough game on Wednesday night against La Verne Lutheran, the No. 3 team in the ESPN Los Angeles rankings.
Here’s a look at the L.A. North top 10:
(1) Woodland Hills Taft (19-3) – The Toreadors won two West Valley League games, including 70-58 over El Camino Real on Friday night. It was the 75th league win in a row for Taft and a much more comfortable margin of victory over El Camino Real. Taft won by one point, 45-44, the first time the two teams played this season. Anthony January scored 37 points for Taft against ECR in the latest meeting.
(3) Alemany (20-3) – The Warriors have won six games in a row including five against Mission League opponents. Alemany is all alone in first place in the Mission League standings after Crespi stumbled with three losses in a row. Alemany and Crespi meet on Wednesday night.
(5) Calabasas (19-3) – The Coyotes have won four games in a row and are in first place in the Marmonte League standings. They have a one-game lead over Royal. Coach Jon Palarz won the 300th game of his high school career as Calabasas beat Royal, 75-72, in double overtime on Wednesday night.
(4) Royal (16-6) – The Highlanders have won seven of their past eight games. The only loss, 75-72, in double overtime to Calabasas. Royal bounced back with a 51-45 win over Simi Valley and is in second place in the Marmonte League standings.
(2) Crespi (19-4) – The Celts lost three games in a row, all to Mission League teams, and fell into a tie for second place in the Mission League standings. Crespi ended its three-game losing streak by beating Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 66-52, on Friday night. The return of Michael Milligan Jr., who missed two games with a concussion, helped end the Crespi skid.
(6) Providence (19-4) – Since losing to Morningside by one point, 71-70, in the MLK Shootout, Providence has won three games in a row. The Pioneers are 6-0 in the Liberty League and freshman Marcus LoVett Jr. is averaging 31.7 points per game.
(8) Westlake (18-7) – The Warriors won both of their Marmonte League games last week. They have won four of their past five games. Joshua Brooks scored 23 points and hit three 3-pointers in Westlake’s 71-63 win over Moorpark.
(9) El Camino Real (13-7) – The Conquistadores had their four-game winning streak snapped by Taft on Friday night. Julian Richardson scored 20 points for El Camino Real against Taft.
(10) Oak Park (18-6) – The Eagles have won 10 games in a row and are 7-0 in the Tri-Valley League standings. They won both of their league games last week, including 73-43 over Nordhoff on Friday night.
(NR) Renaissance Academy (18-3) – The Wildcats had their 12-game winning streak snapped against Price on Thursday. They routed Besant Hill, 61-34, in the Oaks Christian Showcase on Saturday. Renaissance Academy plays La Verne Lutheran, the No. 3 team in the ESPN Los Angeles rankings, on Wednesday at L.A. Valley College.
The next 10: Agoura, Canyon, Crescenta Valley, Grant, Harvard-Westlake, Oxnard, La Canada, Oaks Christian, St. Francis, Village Christian.
1/27/2012
Daily News: Crespi boys' basketball senior Michael Avery has come full circle
Crespi boys' basketball senior Michael Avery has come full circle
Celts guard, who once committed to Kentucky as eighth-grader
By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News
Posted: 01/27/2012 09:15:38 PM PST
Crespi's Michael Avery, center, passes after drawing a double-team from Loyola on Monday. (Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer)
It has taken Michael Avery a long time to live up to his name.
That's what happens when make national news by committing to a University of Kentucky basketball scholarship as an eighth-grader, asAvery did fouryears ago.
Ever since, he has been chasing his potential.
It started as a spotlight player at Crespi High as a freshman, when, in his first game, Avery had 17 points, five assists and four steals. That was in 2008, when Avery was already 6 feet 4 and had been dunking for two years.
A lot of people bought tickets just to see if Avery was really that good.
"It was a lot to handle as a kid," Avery said.
Avery's father, Howard, never knew what was coming.
"Billy Gillispie, the Kentucky coach at the time, saw him play at a summer event in Indiana, when Michael was playing up against kids one year older, and the coach liked him," Howard said.
"When he offered him, I thought he was joking. I thought it was a joke. But Gillispie said, 'No, I'm serious.' My son really wanted to do it, so I said OK, and it was on the front page of Yahoo. It was totally national - USA Today, The Today Show, CNN. Katie Couric called, wanting to interview Michael on TV."
There was some backlash when Avery did not instantly prove to be the next Kobe Bryant. The youngster had his ups and downs in his first season at Crespi, averaging 9.6 points for a team that won 22 games.
Then Avery bolted, moving across the country to attend Montverde Academy, a Florida boarding school near Orlando with a national reputation for being a basketball factory.
"I thought it would help me mature, but there were seven or eight senior (Div.I)-bound guys on the team. I barely played," Avery said. "I thought it was a great opportunity for some great competition, but all I did was eat peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches - I missed my mom's cooking."
That brought Avery back to Crespi for his junior season last year, but the guard was declared ineligible by the Southern Section because his return to Crespi was deemed a transfer for athletic purposes. Everyone at Crespi was scratching their head about the decision, but a state appeal failed, too, so Avery could not play.
But Avery gained a new insight to the importance of basketball and the cathartic joy of playing the game - something the teenager figured out when it was taken away from him - and his focus shifted more than ever to a team-first approach.
Even though Avery knew he couldn't be out there on the court last season, he showed up to every practice, working extra to make up for lost time, and he was on the bench for every game, rooting on his teammates and giving out high-fives.
Crespi senior Michael Avery made national news when he committed to Kentucky while he was in eighth grade. (Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer)
"I didn't think (the suspension) was fair, but I had to live with it," Avery said. "I will say one thing, it made me look at basketball a lot differently."
Teammate Maasai Ephriam said Avery proved a big inspiration.
"Michael earned a lot of respect with the way he handled it because he showed a lot of dedication to the team," Ephriam said. "He made the best of the situation. I mean, to have to sit there and watch all of us go to war with him not being able to be out there with us. That's something that's hard to deal with."
Avery, now a senior, is back in the Celts starting lineup, averaging 10.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals as Crespi, looking to bounce back from a three-game losing streak, is among four Mission League teams still in contention for the league title.
The Kentucky offer faded when Gillispie was fired a year later. Avery has signed with Sonoma State, so the honor student's only focus is on being a high school kid and trying to help Crespi win - something that sounds so simple, but not for a phenom who was front-page news before he could shave.
"I'm just playing games, just trying to win," said Avery said, a sense of relief in his voice.
He did not always see eye-to-eye with Crespi coach Russell White, especially when Avery first enrolled, but now they have an unbreakable bond, having recommitted to each other after feelings could have been hurt when Avery first left.
"He's finding his way. He's a young man, and he is getting much better - much more fun than his freshman year," White said. "He was up front about first leaving. They told me it was a possibility and that it might happen, and it ended up happening. But it wasn't behind my back, and in the long run, it's not about me and my program. You have to do what you think is right, and he did what he thought was right, and he came back because he thought it was right for him, too."
His father, Howard, concedes the suspension affected his son's recruitment.
"It really hurt him, kind of ruined his chances," Howard Avery said. "A lot of colleges backed off."
Sonoma State could be a perfect fit. Michael Avery won't be playing in front of 10,000 spectators every night, but for once he will be building expectations.
"Sonoma State was on him early on, and when Michael went up there, he loved it," White said.
Meanwhile, the high school playoffs are coming soon, and the remaining games are precious moments for Avery.
"I'm not worried about all the pressure anymore," he said.
With fellow returnees London Perrantes, Michael Milligan, Jr., Justin Rubia and Christian Johnson, Crespi (19-4) is No. 3 in Southern Section Div. IV-AA.
"We have a lot of chemistry, and even though we're not that tall, we do a lot of the little things," Ephriam said.
Avery is finally at peace. But for the story to have a happy ending, perhaps he and his teammates can turn it on when it counts most. White believes Avery deserves it.
"Michael has put in a lot of time and effort, and we want to see the end result of all that time - both on and off the court," White said. "He's got a great smile, and he is a joy to be around."
gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com
1/25/2012
Rivals.com: Football Recruiting - Tyler Foreman
Tyler Foreman admits it's still really early in his recruitment but even still lots of programs are showing interest in him as the Encino (Calif.) Crespi defensive back takes his time.
Foreman is hearing from many programs across the country.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound prospect in the 2013 class already has offers from Arizona State and Boise State and said a host of other schools have taken interest.
"I'm just sitting back right now and letting it all happen," Foreman said at the recent U.S. Army National Combine. "It's still very early for me."
The Sun Devils offered when coach Dennis Erickson was in charge and Foreman said he hasn't talked to the new staff at all. He's looking forward to finding out if Arizona State is a viable option moving forward.
"I haven't talked to them much," Foreman said. "I hope to get in contact with them soon to see what's going to happen. I haven't talked to them since the new staff got there."
The Encino Crespi standout said he hasn't talked much with Boise State's coaching staff, either, but he's heard good things about the program. For Foreman, he's in no rush since recruiting has just picked up for him.
"I haven't really talked to the coach in a while but it's a nice program," Foreman said. "I've heard a lot of good things about them. They came up to the school to offer me. It could be a good fit for me."
UCLA and Pittsburgh are also showing a good amount of interest in Foreman, who said USC, Purdue, Tennessee, Oregon, Washington and Georgia have also reached out.
Getting to see the Bruins and Panthers could be of interest but it's still too early for Foreman to tell.
"The coach added me on Facebook and the linebackers coach has been keeping in contact," Foreman said of UCLA. "We'll see how it goes from here.
"Some of the Wisconsin coaches went out there (to Pitt) so it would be nice to see how it is and see what the culture is like out there."
Linemen lead best class of big guys in state history while two juniors take advantage of sub-par running back class and get up onto the first team.
Note: This is the fourth release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Previous releases focused on small schools, medium schools and underclass.
Here is a closer look at the 12 players chosen first team offense:
WR Deontay Greenberry (Washington, Easton) 6-3, 190, Sr. The ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Football State Player of the Year had a remarkable season with state record totals of 33 touchdown catches and 2,165 yards. Greenberry also caught 109 passes, played a ball-hawking brand of defense in the secondary and led Washington (14-0) to the CIF Division III state bowl championship. Greenberry has committed to Notre Dame.
WR Darreus Rogers (Carson) 6-2, 195, Sr. With a verbal to USC before the season even started, this standout wideout started and ended in big-time fashion despite being the focal point for the opposition. He opened with 12 catches for 255 yards and three scores in a win over Mater Dei and then caught 12 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Long Beach Poly. After ending with 13 catches for 251 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Narbonne, Rogers finished with 64 catches for 1,251 yards and eight touchdowns.
WR Bryce Treggs (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) 6-0, 175, Sr. The Trinity League Co-Offensive Player of the Year with Santa Margarita's Johnny Stanton caught 70 passes for 1,377 yards and 11 touchdowns. Treggs caught eight passes in three different games and had a best with 201 yards in a win over La Habra. He is headed next to Cal where his dad, Brian, set records as a receiver from 1988-1991.
OL Arik Armstead (Pleasant Grove, Elk Grove) 6-7, 285, Sr. Playing both sides of the football, Armstead finished with 42 tackles and 3.5 sacks on the defensive side of line. On offense, he was a big factor in the Eagles rushing for over 4,000 yards as they scored an average of 52 points per game. Auburn, Notre Dame, and Cal are among the leaders at getting his signature on letter of intent day next week. He is the No. 24 ranked player in the ESPNU 150 list and played his final high school football game at the U.S. Army All-American game.
OL Kyle Murphy (San Clemente) 6-7, 285, Sr. Besides being dominant on the offensive line, this two-time All-Orange County pick and U.S. Army All-American also excels in the classroom and in the community as he was honored with the Glenn Davis award at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. In a year of great offensive linemen, there are some recruiting analysts who think Murphy is the best of them all. He has yet to commit but Stanford currently has been mentioned as the favorite to get his autograph on next week on National Signing Day.
OL Jordan Simmons (Crespi, Encino) 6-5, 355, Sr. Before the season even started, Simmons turned heads at the Nike Football Training Camp at USC earning his position's MVP and then he went on to have an impressive season at Crespi for the second year in a row. Simmons, who transferred from Dorsey of Los Angeles aafter his sophomore season, is No. 88 in the ESPNU 150 player rankings. He committed to USC in October.
OL Freddie Tagaloa (Salesian, Richmond) 6-8, 310, Sr. First catching our attention on the basketball court in his freshman year as a player off the bench for Salesian’s CIF Division IV state championship team, this big man is an impressive athlete in football as well. He helped the Pride go 14-0 and capture the North Coast Section Division IV championship. He has committed to Cal, which is where former Salesian running back Jahvid Best also played. Tagaloa isn’t quite yet done with basketball, either, as he starts for a Salesian team currently No. 33 in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings.
OL Max Tuerk (Santa Margarita, Rancho SM) 6-6, 290, Sr. Johnny Stanton may have been the guy with the football to score the game-winning touchdown against Bellarmine in the CIF Division I state championship, but it was Tuerk who led the way with the block just like he did all season long. Among his postseason honors so far is being named Lineman of the Year by the Los Angeles Times. Before the season started, Tuerk gave a verbal to USC.
QB Zach Kline (San Ramon Valley, Danville) 6-2, 210, Sr. Passing for 3,630 yards and 36 touchdowns while also rushing for eight scores, Kline led the Wolves to a 10-4 record and deep into the CIF North Coast Section Division I playoffs before a season-ending loss to De La Salle of Concord. Even in the loss, Kline had a 299-yard passing performance against a talented Spartan defense. His best passing performance on the year came in a 42-38 shootout win over California of San Ramon as he passed for 337 yards and five touchdowns while completing 19 of his 23 pass attempts with no interceptions. The East Bay Offensive Player of the Year and the Gatorade State Player of the Year has already graduated from San Ramon Valley and has enrolled early to start classes at Cal in an effort to increase his chances of playing for the Bears next season.
RB Justin Davis (Lincoln, Stockton) 6-1, 190, Jr. In a year in which only a handful of senior running backs in the state were heavily recruited by major colleges, Davis had a a sensational junior season that ends with him being a first-team all-state junior. What stood out most about his season was that his best outings came against the toughest teams on Lincoln’s schedule. Davis, the Stockton Record Player of the Year, rushed for 2,599 yards and scored 39 touchdowns in leading the Trojans to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals. He has college offers, one reportedly from Oklahoma.
RB Olito Thompson (Concord) 5-10, 210, Jr. In a season full of big performances, Thompson ended with a Northern California record 54 carries for 285 yards and one score in a section championship loss to Windsor. On the year, he rushed for 3,488 yards and 34 touchdowns, which will place him in the top 10 for rushing yards in a season in state history. Thompson had 370 and 457 yards in back-to-back playoff outings and was named the East Bay Player of the Year. The talented junior has yet to decide on a college and will likely see some serious interest coming his way after a standout season.
PK Alex Ball (Westlake, Westlake Village) 6-3, 200, Sr. Ball already has been named the Herbalife 24 Chris Sailer Award winner, which recognizes the top high school kicker in the nation. Bouncing back from missing a field goal in the final seconds of the Northern Division championship game last season, Ball was an important part in the Warriors’ run to the CIF Open Division Bowl Game as he made 19 field goals and kicked touchback after touchback before getting hurt and missing the bowl game. Ball also finished with 36 career field goals, second-best in state history.
Name, position, height, weight, previous school (hometown)
Abe Abdulkarim, OL, 6-5, 310, Allen (Allen, Texas)
Alex Bertrando, OLB, 6-3, 206, Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.) Reggie Coates*, DE, 6-1, 240, Crespi High (Encino, Calif.)
Abel Daharo, OL, 6-3, 295, LA Valley College
Charles Faraimo, DT, 6-2, 275, Grant Union (Sacramento)
Jarred Gipson, WR, 6-0, 205, Cypress Creek (Houston)
Brian Guendling, DE, 6-4, 220, Poway (Calif.) High
Nigel Haikins*, DB, 5-10, 205, D. Valley College (P. Hill, Calif.)
Hasaan Henderson, QB, 6-3, 210, Las Vegas High
Andrew Main*, OL, 6-3, 270, Los Alamitos (Calif.) High
Markus Smith*, DB, 6-1, 185, Riverside (Calif.) CC
Xavier Stevens, RB/LB, 6-0, 220, Tulare (Calif.) Union
Cody Tuttle, WR, 6-3, 215, Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Randy Uzoma, WR/S, 6-2, 215, Canoga (Canoga Park, Calif.)
Nigel Westbrooks, WR, 6-2, 190, Palomar CC
Cortez Woods, DT, 6-3, 260, American River (Sacramento)
* -- denotes mid-year transfer
The Nevada football team announced a mid-year signing class of four players -- two defensive backs from California junior colleges and two players who grayshirted last season.
Nigel Haikins is a 5-foot-10, 205-pound cornerback from Diablo Valley College who also had an offer from Illinois and was receiving interest from Washington.
Markus Smith (6-1, 185) is a cornerback from Riverside Community College who also had an offer from San Jose State.
Both Haikins and Smith have three years to play two at Nevada.
The two grayshirts are Reggie Coates (6-1, 240), a defensive end from Crespi High in Encino, Calif., and Andrew Main (6-3, 270) an offensive lineman from Los Alamitos (Calif.) High. Both originally committed to Nevada last year before grayshirting.
Nevada coach Chris Ault was not available for comment and said through a spokesman that more information would be available on these four players when Nevada announces its complete signing class Feb. 1, the start of the national signing period for high school athletes.
Coates had offers from Washington, Iowa State, Tulsa and Colorado State coming out of high school.
Main received interest from Arizona, Colorado and UCLA a year ago.
The Wolf Pack also received a verbal commitment from Palomar College wide receiver Nigel Westbrooks.
Westbrooks switched a previous verbal commitment to Bowling Green and is now coming to Nevada.
Westbrooks (6-2, 190) led Palomar with 52 catches for 729 yards and had 11 TDs.
Westbrooks, from Mission Hills High in San Marcos, Calif., was a sophomore last season and has three years to play two.
A message left with Westbrooks on Facebook was not immediately returned, but on Monday he tweeted, "I will say this I just got of (sic) the phone with an alumni of the school I will be going to, his name is Frank Hawkins."
Hawkins is a College Football Hall of Fame running back from Nevada.
The action has been fast-paced over the past week, with many of the Southland's premier programs in league play. This is the time when teams begin to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
The top half of the ESPNLosAngeles.com rankings remains intact, for the most part. There is, however, some shuffling in the middle of the poll. And low and behold, we have a pair of worthy newcomers in the all-important mix toward the bottom half of things.
1. (1) Mater Dei (17-2): Can anyone stop the Monarchs? Doesn't appear to be likely. Starting to think these kids are capable of going wire-to-wire atop the poll. At least during regular season play.
2. (2) Long Beach Poly (14-1): One of the toughest stretches of the season looms particularly large this week for the Jackrabbits. They have three games, including a difficult test Friday at Compton.
3. (3) La Verne Lutheran (15-4): Business as usual for Grant Jerrett & Co. The senior forward and one of the Southland's top players is averaging 23 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per game.
4. (5) Loyola (15-2): Had a funny feeling it would be a mere matter of time before the Cubs found a way to climb into the thick of things. Can't imagine them falling on hard times anymore this year.
5. (7) Etiwanda (19-1): Jordan McLaughlin receives most of the headlines. He has had help along the way though, from Sheldon Blackwell, Dominique Walker, Brandon Townes and Sam Fleming.
6. (4) Crespi (18-2): The Celts suffered a surprising setback to North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake last week. Things don't get any easier with a Mission League showdown at Loyola on Monday night.
7. (8) Windward (13-6): The Wildcats have not played a game in 10 days. The time for rest and relaxation is a thing of the past. They will be back in the saddle on Tuesday against visiting Pacific Hills.
8. (6) Taft (17-3): Any questions about whether the Toreadors were the cream of the crop in the Los Angeles City Section were answered in a road victory over Los Angeles Fairfax this past weekend.
9. (13) Bishop Montgomery (16-3): With a rematch against Serra on Feb. 1, the Knights cannot afford to look too far ahead. Staying focused on the task at hand is paramount at this point.
10. (15) Garden Serra (19-2): Having faced six teams in the rankings thus far, all signs point to the Cavaliers being a more than ready, battle-tested bunch once postseason play begins in mid-February.
11. (11) Alemany (16-3): Marqueze Coleman doesn't receive nearly enough credit. The Nevada-bound senior is averaging 21 points, eight points, three steals and two assists.
12. (9) St. John Bosco (15-4): The Braves struggled in the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic last week in New Orleans. On the bright side, they got to take a cool trip.
13. (12) Pacific Hills (19-3): The Bruins were busy last week, winning four games. Will they have enough left in the tank Tuesday night on the road against Windward? Only time will tell, apparently.
14. (14) Price (13-5): Chance Murray is one of the more versatile guards around. Keep this in mind: He's still a junior, with more than enough time to develop. Sky's the limit for the underclassman.
15. (10) Orange Lutheran (12-6): Trinity League play is no joke. Ask the Lancers; they have lost three straight games. Bouncing back against Anaheim Servite and Santa Margarita this week is possible.
16. (16) Capistrano Valley (19-2): The Cougars staked claim to South Coast League supremacy after a 46-43 victory over Mission Viejo last week. They will be in the driver's seat the rest of the way.
17. (17) Damien (18-1): For those wondering about how good the Spartans potentially are, you're not alone. Everyone will find out if they're the real deal Saturday against Etiwanda.
18. (20) Westchester (12-4): Year in and year out, the Comets' game against Fairfax is circled on the calender. And on Wednesday, the two will meet again in what figures to be an entertaining affair.
19. (NR) Mayfair (15-5): In terms of the rankings, the Monsoons have been on the outside looking in for a while now. But they appear poised to take the poll by storm. No pun intended. Well, maybe a little.
20. (NR) Canyon Country Canyon (18-1): The Cowboys' strength of schedule leaves something to be desired. The only thing separating them from an unblemished record, however, is a loss to Crespi.
Sean Ceglinsky covers preps for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.
CIF-SS TOP-10
1. Mater Dei (17-2)
2. Long Beach Poly (15-1)
3. Etiwanda (19-1)
4. Loyola (15-2) 5. Crespi (18-2)
6. Alemany (16-3)
7. Gardena Serra (19-2)
8. La Verne Lutheran (15-4)
9. Bishop Montgomery (16-3)
10. Price (13-5)
Division play in the CIF Southern Section is heating up, with every team in our initial top 10 having faced several tests so far. Future rankings will take a look at the previous week, while this time we'll break down how we came to our first CIF-SS Top 10.
1. Mater Dei (17-2): The Monarchs have rolled through their in-state schedule, with no California team coming within 10 points of Mater Dei thus far. Victories over Lake Wales (Fla.), Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, Brooklyn Lincoln and Orange Lutheran make Mater Dei's ranking an easy choice. Last week, Mater Dei traveled to Springfield, Mass., for the Hoop Hall Classic, where Katin Reinhardt's nine three-pointers and 35 points helped the Monarchs defeat Christ the King 88-50. The local schedule gets tougher for Mater Dei, as the Monarchs travel to St. John Bosco and Orange Lutheran in the next 10 days.
2. Long Beach Poly (15-1): With the only exception being a narrow 70-65 loss to Loyola at the Redondo Union Pacific Shores Tournament, Long Beach Poly hasn't been challenged often in what's been a successful season. Led by two of Southern California's best players in juniors Roschon Prince and Jordan Bell, Long Beach Poly's wins over Pacific Hills, Santa Monica, Fairfax and Compton are impressive. Last week Poly traveled to Seattle and defeated the state of Washington's top team in Rainier Beach. Long Beach Poly still has challenging games at Compton and Orange Lutheran.
3. Etiwanda (19-1): Etiwanda has rolled all season, with its only loss being to La Verne Lutheran in the Rose City Classic at Pasadena High School. Sophomore Jordan McLaughlin has emerged as one of the West Coast's most promising point guard prospects and last week helped Etiwanda knock off Los Osos and Alta Loma by a combined 69 points. Etiwanda's Jan. 28 matchup with 18-1 La Verne Damien should be Etiwanda's biggest challenge left in the regular season.
4. Loyola (15-2): After starting January with losses to talented Crespi and Alemany teams, Loyola has bounced back with four straight victories. Loyola earns its ranking with a strong overall resume, including victories over Long Beach Poly (15-1), Alemany (16-3) and Tampa, Fla., Jesuit (20-1) as well as Redondo Union Pacific Shores, The Tournament at Santa Monica and George National Jesuit Christmas Classic championships. Loyola will be able to prove it belongs ahead of Crespi and Alemany with home games against both squads this week.
5. Crespi (18-2): Crespi boasts two wins over Alemany to go with victories over Loyola and Price. Led by junior point guard London Perrantes, Crespi has one of the best floor generals in California. Losses to Washington and Harvard-Westlake — two games Crespi should have won — prevent the squad from a better ranking, but a Jan. 23 game at Loyola gives the Celts the chance to move up.
6. Alemany (16-3): Victories over Price and Loyola show what Alemany is capable of, while two losses to Crespi and a setback to Loyola are nothing to be ashamed of. Led by Nevada-bound senior lockdown defender Marqueze Coleman, Alemany has a talented group of players. Seniors Coleman and Max Guercy, sophomore Bear Henderson and freshman Malik Anderson could have the opportunity to play D-I basketball. Alemany could move up by winning at Loyola on Jan. 25.
7. Gardena Serra (19-2): You could make a good argument that Serra deserves to be higher on this list with some solid victories, including one over a talented St. John Bosco squad. Losses to Bishop Montgomery and Price are both respectable. Senior guard Kajon Mack has helped lead Serra to Las Vegas Prep and Windward Classic titles. A Jan. 28 matchup with Fairfax will be a good test for Serra.
8. La Verne Lutheran (15-4): Despite four losses — two to out of state teams — La Verne is the only team to defeat Etiwanda, while victories over Compton and Orange Lutheran are also solid. Boasting arguably the state's top player in Arizona signee Grant Jerrett, the Trojans will have the chance to win almost every time they take the court. Games against Westchester, Ribet Academy, Mater Dei and Price should give a much better idea of how good this team is.
9. Bishop Montgomery (16-3): Ever since a loss to Mayfair to start the season, Bishop Montgomery has mostly rolled, with the exceptions being respectable losses to St. John Bosco and Gardena Serra. Victories over Gardena Serra, Pacific Hills, Westchester, Taft and Price are all impressive, proving Bishop Montgomery can compete with some of the best teams in Southern California. A rubber match with Serra on Feb. 1 is Bishop Montgomery's biggest challenge left.
10. Price (13-5): You could make arguments for Damien, Pacific Hills, Capistrano Valley, Orange Lutheran, Windward and St. John Bosco for this spot, but Price is better than its record indicates. Losses to Etiwanda, Alemany, Bishop Montgomery, Crespi and Baltimore Patterson are all excusable, while wins over Windward, Gardena Serra and Fairfax are solid. Price gets another shot at Windward, while matchups with Ribet Academy, Alemany, Compton and La Verne Lutheran are also on the schedule.
LOS ANGELES -- With so many options on the offensive end of the floor, sometimes it is difficult for opponents to determine which Loyola prep basketball player on which to focus their collective energy. It was Justin Childress ' turn on Monday night.
The senior guard was seemingly unstoppable from start to finish against visiting Encino Crespi. The Celts had no answer for Childress, who ended up with 17 points for the Cubs in a 70-52 victory in a pivotal Mission League showdown.
“I know that I'm capable of doing my part, you know holding my own, when my number is called for this team,'' Childress said. “I felt like I owed it to my teammates to step up. We needed this win, it puts us right back into race for the title.''
With the victory, Loyola (16-2, 5-2) is a game behind first-place Mission Hills Alemany in the league standings. Moreover, the result gives the Cubs, No. 4 in the ESPNLosAngeles.com top 20 rankings, added confidence moving forward.
The Celts (18-3, 5-2), on the other hand, took a step back. Ranked No. 6 in the most recent poll, Crespi needs to rebound from the loss quickly.
“Justin got off tonight for us, and it's not all that surprising, he's been rock solid for us all year long,'' Loyola coach Jamal Adams said.
The Cubs have four players who average 10 or more points per game, with Childress being one of them, of course. Julian Harrell, Jacob Hazzard and Parker Jackson-Cartwright are the others.
Similar to the first half, Childress was hot in the second half. He scored five points and the Cubs extended their lead to 14 points at the the end of three.
It was more of the same in the fourth quarter as Childress & Co. successfully maintained a double-digit lead and were up by as many as 20 points during one stretch.
“It's hard to matchup against Loyola, it's hard to stop all of their key players. We had a tough time,'' Crespi coach Russell White said.
Harrell got off to particularly slow start for Loyola, picked up two early fouls, and sat out a majority of the first quarter as a result. Back out on the floor midway through the second quarter, the senior and Penn commit never found his rhythm and finished with three points at the break.
Childress picked up the slack. He scored nine points in the first half to help the Cubs build some much-needed momentum and take an all-important 28-24 lead at intermission.
Crespi failed to score until the 3:16 mark of the first quarter when London Perrantes converted a layup in traffic and was fouled. He completed the three-point play with a free-throw. Aside from the lack of early baskets, the Celts managed to tie the score, 12-12, at the end of one.
Matters certainly were not helped by the fact that Michael Milligan Jr. didn't play for the Celts due to concussion-like symptoms. And one of the other players Crespi looks to for leadership, Michael Avery, was cold throughout and failed to score any points by the end of the night.
Sean Ceglinsky covers preps for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.
Rank; Team (Record); Division; Last week; Next games; (Last rank)
1. MATER DEI (17-2); 1AA; Def. Middle Village (N.Y.) Christ the King, 88-50; JSerra, 80-45. Next: vs. Santa Margarita, Wednesday. (1)
2. LONG BEACH POLY (15-1); 1AA; Def. Seattle Rainier Beach, 64-58; Long Beach Wilson, 79-33; Millikan, 70-33. Next: at Long Beach Jordan, Monday. (2)
3. ETIWANDA (19-1); 1AA; Def. Los Osos, 58-28; Alta Loma, 68-29. Next: at Rancho Cucamonga, Tuesday. (3)
4. ALEMANY (16-3); 3A; Def. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 85-62; Harvard-Westlake, 77-67. Next: vs. Chaminade, Monday. (5)
5. CRESPI (18-2); 4AA; Def. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 58-56; lost to Harvard-Westlake, 67-66. Next: at Loyola, Monday. (4)
6. LOYOLA (15-2); 1AA; Def. St. Francis, 68-54. Next: vs. Crespi, Monday. (6)
7. ST. JOHN BOSCO (15-4); 3A; Def. Orange Lutheran, 80-73; lost to New Orleans O. Perry Walker, 66-54; Birmingham (Ala.) Wenonah, 85-67; def. Slidell (La.) Salmen, 66-59. Next: vs. JSerra, Wednesday. (7)
8. LA VERNE LUTHERAN (15-4); 4AA; Def. Orange Lutheran, 60-58. Next: vs. Hope Centre, Thursday. (8)
9. DAMIEN (18-1); 3AAA; Def. Ventura, 52-47; Chino Hills, 63-55; Charter Oak, 53-33. Next: vs. Ayala, Wednesday. (9)
10. COMPTON (11-7); 2A; Def. Long Beach Jordan, 72-63. Next: vs. Lakewood, Monday. (11)
11. ORANGE LUTHERAN (12-6); 1A; Lost to La Verne Lutheran, 60-58; St. John Bosco, 80-73. Next: vs. Servite, Wednesday. (10)
12. GARDENA SERRA (19-2); 4AA; Def. Santa Monica, 63-56; Bishop Amat, 52-21, La Salle, 70-29, San Diego Hoover, 81-59. Next: at Cathedral, Friday. (12)
Even though San Fernando hosted the Sam de John wrestling tournament Saturday, the biggest focus in the finals matches, at least among local teams, was between Crespi and Granada Hills.
Both programs had wrestlers go head-to-head in the 152- and 160-pound divisions and each team came away with a title.
Crespi's Richard Ortiz defeated Granada Hills' Wilber Solares 4-3 in the 152-pound final when Ortiz got a takedown in the final seconds.
"Well, that's a hard loss to swallow, since it came down to a technicality," Solares said. "That was probably the hardest part. I can't blame anybody but myself. I stopped wrestling with 30 seconds left. He just kept going it at. He caught me."
Solares took a 3-1 lead early and increased it to 3-2 late, until Ortiz made his move and won the match.
"He (Ortiz) deserves that win as much as he earned it. It's definitely a learning experience. I'm bummed out, but you can't always win."
Solares had won by two pins in the early rounds and then got to the finals by an injury forfeit while Ortiz won by technical fall 15-0 in the first round, then won 8-4 over Mario Arcechiga of Venrura and defeated San Fernando's Anthony Contreras 7-5 to reach the final round.
Sohrab Movahedi of Granada Hills, the top seed, had a different result in his final match against Crespi's Carlos Lazo, the No. 2 seed, at 160 pounds.
Both wrestlers came out aggressively, with Lazo seemingly in the air for most of it, but
Movahedi came away the winner 13-7.
"I wrestled him before and I was pretty confident that I could be him again," Movahedi said. "I studied him to see what his weaknesses were and I used that and wrestled my style, instead of wrestling his style."
Movahedi won by technical fall twice in the first rounds and then he defeated Javier Vasquez of Channel Islands 11-6.
Lazo, who has finally come down to 160 after competing at 170 pounds for much of the year so far, beat Jonah Hershaman of Thousand Oaks 14-3, then won 23-8 and beat Nathen Ruiz of Royal 6-3.
The finals match was a rematch between the two, with Movahedi winning the previous match in overtime.
"People at the seeding meeting were talking (grief) about me, saying that I wasn't good and I shouldn't be ranked first and that he (Lazo) should be ranked first ahead of me," Movahedi said. "So it was kind of like 'you don't deserve it. I deserve it, you know? That was my motivation"
Several other local teams had wrestlers reach the finals.
San Fernando Sergio Mendez won the 106 title, but teammate Johnny Parada had the challenge of going against the nation's top wrestler at 113 pounds in Zack Valencia of St. John Bosco. Valencia won the match by pin in the first round.
Blayne Briceno of Crespi defeated Anthony Valencia 9-3 to capture the 132-pound title and teammate Juan Carlos Ortiz beat Jack Sarlee of Ventura to win at 138 pounds.
Royal had a finalist in sophomore Derrick Ginther, but he lost the 170-pound final by three points.
LOS ANGELES -- Lane Kiffin and the USC coaches hosted 11 recruits from across the country, stretching from Oregon to Florida, in the first of three big official visit weekends for the Trojans. Of the 11, five were committed prospects from California -- Kevon Seymour (Pasadena, Calif./Muir), Jordan Simmons (Encino, Calif./Crespi), Max Tuerk (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita), Jabari Ruffin (Downey, Calif./Downey) and Darreus Rogers (Carson, Calif./Carson). The out-of-state recruits included Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol), Kyle Dodson (Cleveland Heights, Ohio./Cleveland Heights), De'Van Bogard (Cleveland/Glenville), Isaac Seumalo (Corvallis, Ore./Corvallis), Tracy Howard (Miramar, Fla./Miramar) and D.J. Foster (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro). For the verbal commits, the official visit had a very positive effect. Simmons and Tuerk were never planning on taking visits after their trip to USC, and the two big linemen are locked into becoming Trojans. Simmons will be back on campus next week as an unofficial visitor for another big recruiting weekend.
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5. ALEMANY (14-3); 3A; Def. St. Francis, 79-69; lost to Crespi, 60-55. Next: at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Thursday. (7)
6. LOYOLA (14-2); 1AA; Def. Chaminade, 77-60; Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 86-68. Next: at St. Francis, Saturday. (8)
7. ST. JOHN BOSCO (13-2); 3A; Def. Servite, 66-34; Santa Margarita, 78-69. Next: vs. Orange Lutheran, Wednesday. (9)
8. LA VERNE LUTHERAN (14-4); 4AA; Def. Westminster, 53-33; Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick, 68-66. Next: at Orange Lutheran, Monday. (5)
9. DAMIEN (15-1); 3AAA; Def. Claremont, 64-52; South Hills, 44-41. Next: vs. Ventura at Los Osos Shootout, Monday. (10)
10. ORANGE LUTHERAN (12-4); 1A; Lost to Mater Dei, 65-41; JSerra, 67-52. Next: vs. La Verne Lutheran, Monday. (4)
11. COMPTON (10-7); 2A; Def. Long Beach Wilson, 75-40; Long Beach Cabrillo, 89-68; Windward, 86-68. Next: at Long Beach Jordan, Wednesday. (23)
12. GARDENA SERRA (15-2); 4AA; Def. Cathedral, 79-28; Bishop Montgomery, 51-47; lost to Price, 49-47. Next: vs. Santa Monica at MLK Showcase, Monday. (12)
13. BISHOP MONTGOMERY (14-3); 4AA; Def. La Salle, 78-47; lost to Gardena Serra, 51-47. Next: at Cathedral, Wednesday. (13)
14. PRICE (12-5); 4AA; Def. Gardena Serra, 49-47. Next: vs. Palm Springs at MLK Showcase, Monday. (20)
15. WINDWARD (13-6); 4AA; Def. Brentwood, 80-72; lost to Compton, 86-68. Next: vs. Pacific Hills, Jan. 24. (14)
16. TAFT (14-3); City I; Def. El Camino Real, 45-44; Granada Hills, 60-39; Grant, 83-53. Next: vs. Cleveland, Wednesday. (15)
17. RIVERSIDE NORTH (14-4); 2AA; Def. Corona Roosevelt, 70-66; Corona Santiago, 66-52; King, 75-48. Next: vs. Corona, Wednesday. (16)
18. CAPISTRANO VALLEY (17-2); 1A; Def. Aliso Niguel, 69-47; Dana Hills, 59-46. Next: vs. Mission Viejo, Wednesday. (17)
19. PASADENA (12-5); 3AAA; Def. Glendale, 65-53; Arcadia, 82-35; Crescenta Valley, 80-59. Next: at Hoover, Tuesday. (18)
20. MISSION VIEJO (18-1); 1A; Def. Tesoro, 63-30; El Toro, 76-72; Victor Valley, 84-45. Next: at Capistrano Valley, Wednesday. (19)
21. OAKS CHRISTIAN (14-3); 4AA; Def. St. Bonaventure, 84-57; Santa Clara, 73-60; Sun Valley Village Christian, 73-61. Next: vs. Nordhoff, Wednesday. (NR)
22. FAIRFAX (11-6) City-I; Def. Venice, 65-37; L.A. University, 46-44; lost to Palisades, 64-60; def. Narbonne, 51-40. Next: vs. L.A. CES, Wednesday. (11)
23. SANTA MONICA (11-5); 1AA; Def. Inglewood, 76-68; Culver City, 67-61. Next: vs. Gardena Serra at MLK Showcase, Monday. (21)
24. PACIFIC HILLS (15-3); 4A; Def. Sierra Canyon, 69-25; Ribet Academy, 57-43. Next: vs. Chino Hills at Los Osos Shootout, Monday. (22)
25. RIGHETTI (14-3); 2A; Def. Pioneer Valley, 77-39; Atascadero, 77-62. Next: at San Luis Obispo, Wednesday. (24)
Crespi (17-1): Crespi has won five games in a row, including all four of its Mission League games. The Celts beat Alemany, 60-55, on Wednesday night. London Perrantes scored 15 points against Alemany. He averaged 14.5 points per game in wins over Alemany and Chaminade and notched 11 assists against the Eagles on Friday night.
Woodland Hills Taft (14-3): Taft has won four games in a row, including its first two West Valley League games and a convincing 83-53 win over Grant in the Fairfax City tournament. Taft has won 71 league games in a row, dating to Jan. 12, 2005. The winning streak almost came to an end against El Camino Real on Wednesday night. Taft narrowly escaped, 45-44.
Alemany (14-3): The Warriors lost to Crespi, 60-55, and their seven-game winning streak ended. But their week started on a winning note: Alemany beat St. Francis, 79-69, in a Mission League game. Marqueze Coleman had a big week, averaging 22 points and 8.5 rebounds per game against Crespi and St. Francis.
Westlake (16-6): The Warriors pulled off a stunner, beating Calabasas, 51-50, in a Marmonte League game on Wednesday night. Westlake erased a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit behind the hot shooting of Grant Lozoya. He scored 15 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter. Westlake has won two games in a row and eight of its last nine.
Providence Burbank (16-3): Providence has won eight games in a row and improved to 4-0 in the Liberty League with wins over Glendale Adventist and Holy Martyrs Armenian last week. Providence will get tested tonight in the MLK Shootout against Morningside at Price High School.
Royal (14-5): The Highlanders have won five games in a row including an impressive 62-51 win over Westlake last week. Scott Woods has been a monster in the middle for Royal. He scored 22 points, had 10 rebounds and blocked four shots against Westlake.
Calabasas (16-3): The Coyotes had a tough loss, 51-50, to Westlake last week. But Calabasas bounced back with a 78-46 win over Thousand Oaks on Friday night. Calabasas has won four of its past five games.
Canyon (17-1): The Cowboys have a 10-game winning streak, including a 61-47 over Foothill League rival Valencia. Clay Kasdorf is averaging 26 points in the first two league games.
Harvard-Westlake (10-6): It was a bad week for the Wolverines. They lost two games, including a heartbreaker, 44-42, to Chaminade in a Mission League game. Harvard-Westlake is 3-3 in its past six games.
El Camino Real (10-6): The Conquistadores took Taft to the wire, losing 45-44 on their home court last week. El Camino Real beat Reseda Cleveland soundly, 73-46, on Friday night. Julian Richardson scored a game-high 17 points against Taft and was instrumental in controlling the grinding pace of the game.
The next 10, in alphabetical order: Crescenta Valley, La Canada, Oak Park, Oaks Christian, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Renaissance Academy, Valencia, Ventura, Village Christian.
There are a few changes to the ESPNLosAngeles.com prep hoops top 20 rankings this week. The cream of the crop remains intact, with some minor shuffling among teams in the middle of the pack.
Toward the bottom half of the poll, however, quite a few programs appear poised to take the next step. Joining the ranks of Southland's premier programs is the ultimate goal, of course.
1. (1) Mater Dei (15-2): The Monarchs will find out just how well they stack up against one of the nation's premier programs. Monday night's opponent, Middle Village (N.Y.) Christ the King in Springfield, Mass., is no joke. A tough test, indeed.
2. (2) Long Beach Poly (12-1): The Jackrabbits are also on the road Monday evening and face Seattle Rainer Beach at the King Holiday Hoop Fest in the Pacific Northwest. Moore League play resumes on Wednesday against host Long Beach Wilson.
3. (4) La Verne Lutheran (14-4): Right around this time next year, Eric Cooper could be one of the top point guards that the Southland has to offer. In the meantime, the junior figures to offer a preview of what's to come against Orange Lutheran on Monday night.
4. (5) Crespi (17-1): There are no easy games in the Mission League. Nevertheless, the Celts have made things appear to be rather simple with four consecutive wins. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake loom Tuesday and Thursday.
5. (6) Loyola (14-2): With Jacob Hazzard in the midst of some hot shooting, the Cubs are a legitimate threat. The senior guard and grandson of UCLA legend Walt Hazzard is averaging 11 points per game and hitting 43 percent of his attempts from three-point range.
6. (9) Taft (14-3): Can anyone in the Los Angeles City Section stop the Toreadors? Not likely. Chances are, they run the table until a highly anticipated showdown against Loyola Los Angeles on Feb. 4 at the Nike Extravaganza. Until then, it's business as usual.
7. (10) Etiwanda (17-1): The only thing standing between the Eagles and an unblemished record is an 11-point loss to La Verne Lutheran in early December. And now, 14 impressive victories later, there does not appear to be any signs of this group slowing down.
8. (7) Windward (13-6): An upset loss to Compton last week is difficult to explain. At home, no less. The Wildcats do not have any time to think about what could have been, though. Los Angeles Pacific Hills looms as another potential stumbling block on Jan. 24.
9. (11) St. John Bosco (13-2): Brothers Isaac and Daniel Hamilton have emerged as one of the more potent one-two combinations around. Another opportunity for the siblings to make a statement comes Wednesday at home against Orange Lutheran.
10. (4) Orange Lutheran (12-4): Gabe York recently had an appendectomy, and as expected, the Lancers have been lost without their standout senior guard. Things do not figure to get better anytime soon, with York expected to be out for as many as three weeks.
11. (12) Alemany (14-3): No shame in a loss to Encino Crespi last week. Similar results in a pair of key Mission League games over the course of the next couple days, however, would be disastrous. Nevertheless, the Warriors figure to bounce back well.
12. (13) Pacific Hills (15-3): These kids are young. Still, Devin Burleson, Namon Wright and Jared Allen have played with the poise of veterans at times this season and the Bruins are on a roll as a result. It will be interesting to see if the underclassmen can keep it up.
13. (8) Bishop Montgomery (14-3): With victories in four games against teams in the top 20 poll to start the season, the Knights appeared to be in the verge of separating themselves from the others in the pack. A setback to Gardena Serra was a humbling experience.
14. (15) Price (12-5): Skylar Spencer was touted as the Southland's top center at the outset of the season and the 6-foot-9, 220-plus-pound senior has done little to disappoint. The San Diego State commit has been seemingly unstoppable.
15. (14) Gardena Serra (15-2): The Cavaliers have played well recently but can not afford to overlook Monday's night game against Santa Monica, a team that appears poised to make a debut in the rankings and is one more quality win way from finally doing so.
16. (16) Capistrano Valley (17-2): Coach Brian Mulligan and the Cougars can establish themselves as a cut above the rest with a victory at home against Mission Viejo on Wednesday. The ultimate goal is to be mentioned among the top teams in Orange County.
17. (17) Damien (15-1): As Chris Reyes goes, so do the Spartans. And he is going. The 6-foot-6 senior is a double machine, with averages approaching 20 points and 15 rebounds per game. On deck: Ventura in the marquee game of the Los Osos Shootout on Monday.
18. (18) Mission Viejo (18-1): There have been many questions about whether the Diablos are a contender. We're about to find out. They have an all-important showdown against Capistrano Valley for South Coast League bragging rights on Wednesday.
19. (20) Murrieta Valley (16-1): Most are under the impression that it is a down year in the Inland Empire. The Nighthawks, however, are doing their best to prove the naysayers wrong. The schedule is favorable until the Southern Section playoffs being in mid-February.
20. (NR) Westchester (10-4): It was just a matter of time before the Comets made a debut in the rankings. Now comes the hard part, proving that they are worthy of an extended stay. Only Los Angeles Fairfax looms as someone who can play the role of spoiler.
Sean Ceglinsky covers preps for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.
Just because the USC Trojans lack a quarterback in the class of 2012 doesn't mean they lack a strong recruiting presence.
Offensive guard Jordan Simmons (Encino, Calif./Crespi) has taken a cue from the USC coaches and become arguably the strongest recruiter in the Trojans' class. Simmons himself was a big win for the USC coaches, at it appeared he could be heading to California or Oregon at various points of the recruiting process.
This past weekend, Simmons was one of five Trojans commits taking their official visits to USC and he said afterward in a Facebook post that it won't be his last time on campus before signing day.
While many commits are working on fitting in final official visits around the country during these two weekends before signing day, Simmons wrote that he will be back on the USC campus next weekend, when the Trojans again host a big batch of committed and uncommitted recruits. Simmons won't be able to participate in the activities that designate an official visit from an unofficial, but he will be sure to make his presence felt around uncommitted recruits such as Aziz Shittu (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony), Tyriq McCord (Tampa, Fla./Jefferson) and others scheduled to visit USC on Jan. 20.
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FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- Two area teams traveled to the prestigious 5-Counties wrestling tournament, and Crespi came away with the most medalists the school has had at the competition.
Blayne Briceno, who competed at 138 pounds, placed the highest, finishing third and Richard Ortiz (at 152 pounds) and Carlos Lazo (160) both finished fifth to lead Crespi.
None of the three wrestlers lost on the first day of the two-day tournament -- featuring some of the best teams and wrestlers in the state -- but each of them had trouble on the second day.
Briceno got bounced to the consolation round after he had two blowout wins, but then lost to Daniel Valles of Northview 12-10. Briceno got his revenge on Valles, beating him 4-2 in his final match to finish third.
"It was all right. I don't know. Third place is third place. It's tough competition," Briceno siad. "All my other tournaments I was taking first and I kinda got ahead of myself. Then I came here and realized I have a lot of work to do."
Lazo beat Abraham Jraisat of Etiwanda, 14-2, Javier Vazquez of Channel Islands 9-8, Wyatt Walsh of Rim of the World by injury default and Anthony Ball of Rancho Buena Vista by pin before he lost his first match of the day Saturday -- a 13-6 decision to to Bryan Garcia of Arroyo Valley.
"I'm happy because I've been coming to this tournament since the sixth grade," said Lazo, a senior. "I wanted to get the finals, but I came pretty close, I got to the semifinals. You know, I came up short in the end, but I still get to stand up there on the podium."
Ortiz also reached the semifinals in the championship round after wins over Zee Garcia of Palo Verde of Nevada 6-4, Garrick Gurney of Chino Hills 5-3, and J.T. Applegate of Laguna Hills.
He dropped a 10-7 decision to Javier Arellano of Northview, 10-7 to drop to the consolation bracket but bounced back with a 5-2 win over Dillon Crouch of Santa Fe. Ortiz then suffered a 2-1 setback to Colin Navickas of Marina 2-1.
Royal was the other team that sent wrestlers to the tournament and Jon-Bert Dones (145) was the team's only medalist, finishing seventh.
"I always feel like I could have done better," Dones said about his performance. "Stuff happens.You can't control how you go in. You just try your best and whatever happens, happens."Dones won by fall in his first two matches -- both in under 1:30 -- then beat Rocklin Loranger of Chester 10-8, before he lost twice in the consolation round and won his last match by default to grab the medal.
Like Dones, Nathan Ruiz (171), Taylor Amic (152) won consecutive matches on the first day, but ran they into too many losses on day two to reach the podium at the end.
1/12/2012
Daily News: Manzo wins by fall in final match to lift Celts to Mission League victory over Bishop Amat
The Crespi wrestling team got one step closer to a Mission League title after it staged a late rally and defeated last year's champion Bishop Amat 35-33 at home Thursday.
The Celts trailed 33-29 with one match to go and then Adrian Manzo, who was bumped up a weight class to 120 pounds, won by pin in dramatic fashion to lift his team to the come-from-behind victory.
"It was just an amazing night," Crespi coach Mike Odman said. "Just a thrill."
Crespi avenged last year's bitter 41-37 loss to the Lancers and positioned itself to potentially claim this year's title.
"We got clipped last year, but we flipped the script," Odman said. "I am pleased to report it went our way this year."
After two losses at 126 and 132 pounds, Blayne Briceno got Crespi on the scoreboard with a pin in 50 seconds, then Richard Ortiz won by major decision at 152, Alex Martin won by pin at 160 and Carlos Lazo won at 170 to give the Celts a comfortable lead.
Bishop Amat then came roaring back with wins in the 182, 195, 220 and heavyweight classes, which set up Manzo's dramatic win.
1/11/2012
Daily News: Crespi tops Alemany in Mission League first-place showdown
The Crespi boys' basketball team entered Wednesday night's Mission League showdown against host Alemany as the prohibitive favorite, fresh off a pair of rather impressive wins last week.
Nevertheless, the Celts remained focused. They jumped out to a lead at the start, sustained momentum throughout, and prevailed with a 60-55 victory to further strengthen their growing reputation as the program to beat in the league race.
"It wasn't pretty, we didn't play particularly well, but we'll take it, a win's a win," Crespi coach Russell White said. "We knew Alemany was pumped up to play us. We knew they wanted a victory. Our guys persevered, that was important."
Michael Milligan, Jr. provided a spark in the second half for the Celts (16-1, 3-0). The Warriors (14-3, 2-1) had no answer for him.
The junior scored seven points in the third quarter to help Crespi extend its lead to four points to begin the final eight minutes of play.
Down the stretch in the fourth, London Perrantes and Michael Avery hit free throws to help the Celts maintain some distance.
"We came out a little flat, and after halftime, I wanted to get things going for us," Milligan, Jr. said. "When you hit a big shot, it leads to a big rebound and big stop on defense. We needed that tonight, especially in the second half."
Crespi's Christian Johnson scored six points in the first quarter and added a three-pointer
in the second quarter as the teams went into the break tied 29-29.
Marqueze Coleman did his best to keep the Warriors close. The Nevada commit scored 14 points, eight in the second half.
He had help along the way. Jerico Richardson added 10 points, Max Guercy had nine points and Razhaun Henderson finished with eight points. In the end, their efforts were not enough and Alemany took a step back in the standings.
"This was a big game for us, it was a chance to put ourselves in the driver's race in league play, but we did not take care of business," Warriors coach Tray Meeks said. "The season is far from over though. We will bounce back, I'm confident. A win would have been nice, but we're not overly concerned. We have a resilient group of kids."
Milligan, Jr. finished with 15 points. Perrantes had 15 as well. Avery scored five points in the fourth quarter and ended up with nine.
1/11/2012
ESPN: New divisions separate public, private
The Daily News broke down the new CIF-Southern Section divisions for boys' and girls' basketball and found a huge disparity in public and private schools.
The biggest disparity is in Division 2A and 2AA. There are 16 public schools ranked in both divisions and no private schools.
Division 5A and 5AA is other way around, with 14 private schools and two public schools in both of the divisions.
Canyon Country Canyon is the No. 1 team in the Division 2A boys' basketball poll and Murrieta Valley is the No. 1 team in Division 2AA boys' basketball poll.
St. Bernard is the top team in the Division 5A boys' basketball poll. Burbank Providence is No. 1 in the Division 5AA boys' basketball poll.
On the girls side, Mark Keppel is No. 1 in Division 2A and Camarillo is No. 1 in Division 2AA.
Mission Prep is the top-ranked team in Division 5A and Rolling Hills Prep is tops in Division 5AA.
The Daily News contends some quality teams might be left out of the state playoffs because of the new divisions. For example, Crespi, the fifth-ranked team in Division 4AA, could win the Mission League and make a deep run in playoffs, but has to face Windward and Lutheran La Verne in the Southern Section playoffs.
Alemany, the top-ranked team in Division 3A, could finish behind Crespi in the Mission League standings, but will have an easier route through the Southern Section playoffs. St. John Bosco is ranked No. 2 and Santa Margarita is No. 3 in Division 3A.
Bottom line is that it looks as if the Southern Section divided the divisions by public and private schools, although officials will probably never admit to it. Division 3A has the closest mixture of public and private schools, 10 public and six private.
1/11/2012
L.A. Times: Easton tourney schedule is announced
The opening two days for the Easton baseball tournament on Feb. 24-25 have been released.
Here are the opening games: Alemany at Thousand Oaks, Chatsworth at Palmdale, Santa Monica at Moorpark, Cleveland at St. Bonaventure, Rio Mesa at West Ranch, Burbank at El Camino Real, Harvard-Westlake at Burbank Burroughs, Newbury Park at Lancaster, Simi Valley at St. Francis, Agoura at Saugus, Loyola at Camarillo, Dos Pueblos at Chaminade, Westlake at Oaks Christian, Valencia at Kennedy, Quartz Hill at Hart, Crespi at Calabasas.
Saturday, Feb. 25 games: St. Bonaventure at Alemany, West Ranch at Chatsworth, Moorpark at Burbank, Thousand Oaks at Cleveland, Palmdale at Rio Mesa, El Camino Real at Santa Monica, Saugus at Harvard-Westlake, Camarillo at Newbury Park, Chaminade at Simi Valley, Burroughs at Agoura, Lancaster at Loyola, St. Francis at Dos Pueblos, Hart at Westlake, Crespi at Valencia, Oaks Christian at Quartz Hill, Calabasas at Kennedy.
-- Eric Sondheimer
1/10/2012
EncinoPatch: Crespi Basketball to Face Alemany Wednesday
Crespi had a tight game recently against its opponents from Loyola, seeing off the visiting team 75-73, according to ESPN. Click on the video, right, to watch highlights from the game.
Crespi’s Christian Johnson came up with some big shots in his team’s 75-73 win over Loyola to open Mission League play last week. Teammate London Perrantes calls Johnson the team’s secret weapon. “He’s a baseball player first, but I definitely think he’s a great shooter for us,” Perrantes said. Johnson scored 14 points against Loyola and came on strong in the fourth quarter. He hit a 3-pointer, his only 3-point attempt of the game, to give Crespi a four-point lead, 71-67, with a little over two minutes to play in the game. He made five free throws in the final period to help his team maintain a slight lead. He finished the game 4-of-5 from the field and had seven rebounds. Perrantes, who scored 17 points to lead Crespi in scoring against Loyola, added that Johnson isn’t going to be the player opposing teams key on. If Johnson gets hot, he can be a dangerous player.
The opening of the Mission League boys basketball season lived up to the hype at the expense of Loyola. Crespi, Alemany and Harvard-Westlake won their first two games of league play. Crespi opened with a tight, two-point win over previously undefeated Loyola. The Celts followed with a 71-50 win over St. Francis. After Alemany won its league opener against Chaminade, the Warriors took care of Loyola, 69-63, to hand the Cubs their second loss in a row. Loyola opened the season by winning its first 11 games. Harvard-Westlake had a good news, bad news type of week. The Wolverines won their first two league games without much struggle, but also lost senior Josh Hearlihy to a knee injury. He isn’t expected back until playoffs. Luckily, sophomore Derrick Newton has filled in nicely by leading the team in scoring with 19.1 points per game. In the meantime, Crespi is home against Alemany on Wednesday night in a game for first place in league, for the time being.
The Foothill League put a hurt on Clovis North, the reigning Central Section Division II champion. Valencia and Saugus beat Clovis North on consecutive nights in the Santa Clarita Valley. Valencia’s Zach Davis and Troy Hammell each scored 17 points to lead the Vikings to a 55-45 win on Thursday night. Saugus hit 10 3-pointers and routed Clovis North, 69-54, on Friday night. Matt Coleman had a monster game on the boards with 16 rebounds and scored 10 points. Jeremy Gatewood led Saugus with 14 points. In Clovis North’s defense, the team graduated nine players from its championship team from a year ago. Coach Rob Streeter said only one of his seniors on the current roster had any significant playing time last year. Definitely a rebuilding year for Clovis North and huge confidence boosts for Saugus and Valencia before Foothill League play begins this week.
Calabasas and Westlake meet on Wednesday night in a Marmonte League showdown for first place. Both teams are 4-0 in league play. While Calabasas was expected to be one of the top teams in the league, Westlake has been a bit of a surprise. Westlake has won six games in a row and three players are averaging double figures in scoring. Junior guard Joshua Brooks leads the team with 15.8 points per game and is averaging 4.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore wing Larry Bush has been putting up some big numbers in recent games. He is averaging 12.2 points per game and has scored in double figures in four of the team’s past five games. He scored a season-high 21 points in a loss to West Ranch on Dec. 16. Junior guard Grant Lozoya has been equally effective as Bush with 12.1 points per game. Calabasas, meanwhile, is coming off a 69-41 win over Agoura. Josh Cohan led Calabasas in scoring with 17 points and sophomore Jeremy Lieberman had 10 points and five assists.
Royal’s Scott Woods posted a triple-double in his team’s 55-41 win over Simi Valley on Friday night. He had 15 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks. Some other top performers from the weekend: Freshman Marcus LoVett from Providence had a couple of 30-point games. He scored 30 against Buckley in his team’s 69-53 win on Friday night. He followed with a 32 points against against Bell-Jeff in a 77-71 win on Saturday night. Buckley’s Tyler Coppin-Carter actually outscored LoVett with 31 points and had 15 rebounds. Grant’s Gor Plavchyan scored 31 points in an 81-72 loss to Birmingham. Campbell Hall freshman Aaron Holiday scored 24 points in his team’s 73-71 overtime win over Sierra Canyon.
The top 10 boys basketball teams from the L.A. North region have a pair of 15-1 teams, one at the top and one at the bottom.
Crespi of Encino is off to a 15-1 start, its only loss coming in the semifinals of the Redondo Sea Hawk Beach Classic.
The Mission League and Marmonte League well-represented in the top 10. Here's a look at this week's L.A. North top teams:
Crespi (15-1) – The Celts have won three games in a row and their only loss came against L.A. Wasington in the semifinals of the Redondo Sea Hawk Beach Classic. Crespi won its first two Mission League games, including 75-73, over Loyola to open league play. The Celts play at Alemany and are home against Chaminade in league games this week.
Woodland Hills Taft (11-3) – The Toreadors are coming off a 52-48 win over Lincoln in the L.A.-San Diego Challenge over the weekend. Taft snapped a two-game losing streak with the win over Lincoln. The Toreadors begin West Valley League play against El Camino Real on Wednesday night.
Alemany (13-2) – The Warriors are off to a 2-0 start in Mission League play to keep pace with Crespi. They have won six games in a row and haven’t lost since Dec. 21 to Crespi in the San Fernando Valley Invitational. Alemany plays St. Francis on Monday night before a Mission League showdown against Crespi on Wednesday night.
Calabasas (14-2) – The Coyotes are 4-0 in Marmonte League play and have won four of their past five games. The only loss for Calabasas in that stretch came against Rancho Verde in the Oaks Christian Tournament. Calabasas plays Newbury Park on Monday and Westlake on Wednesday in Marmonte League games.
Burbank Providence (14-3) – The Pioneers have won six games in a row and have a 2-0 record in the Liberty League. Marcus LoVett Jr. is one of the top freshman, if not one of the top basketball players, in the San Fernando Valley. He is averaging 32.8 points per game and shooting 42 percent from 3-point territory. He also has 3.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Harvard-Westlake (10-4) – The Wolverines are keeping pace with Crespi and Alemany in the Mission League standings at 2-0. They have won three games in a row, but the Wolverines have a tough road game against Loyola on Friday night. Utah-commit Josh Hearlihy looks like he will be sidelined at least until playoffs with a knee injury. He averaged 14.5 points per game in his junior season and was expected to be one of the senior leaders on the team. Sophomore Derrick Newton has stepped in to lead Harvard-Westlake in scoring with 19.1 points per game.
Westlake (15-4) – The Warriors have won six games in a row and are tied for first place in the Marmonte League standings with Calabasas at 4-0. Westlake plays Royal on Monday night and at Calabasas on Wednesday night.
Royal (11-5) – The Highlanders have won six of their past seven games. They lost to Hoover from San Diego in the championship game of the Clovis Elks Tournament on Dec. 30. Royal is all alone in third place in the Marmonte League and plays Westlake on Wednesday and Agoura on Friday night.
El Camino Real (9-5) – The Conquistadores have impressive wins over Chaminade and Westlake and are coming off a commanding, 81-45, win over a depleted Sierra Canyon team. They will be tested in West Valley League play right out of the gate against Taft on Wednesday night.
Canyon (15-1) – The Cowboys are off to their best start in school history and have won eight games in a row including the championship game of the Ventura tournament. Canyon opens Foothill League play against Saugus on Tuesday night and Valencia on Friday.
The Marmonte League is shaping up to be a three-team race after the first three games of league play.
Calabasas and Westlake are tied for first with 3-0 records. Royal is surprisingly in third place with a 2-1 record.
Fourth place is up for grabs with four teams -- Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Agoura -- with 1-2 records.
Calabasas is coming off a tight, 66-64, win over Moorpark on Wednesday night. Spencer Levy led Calabasas with 20 points.
Royal downed perennial powerhouse Thousand Oaks, 52-40, behind the sharp shooting of senior J.R. Powell. He scored 15 points, hit three 3-pointers and set the school record for most 3-pointers in his career. He has 155, breaking Matt Padavick’s record of 152.
Simi Valley beat Newbury Park, 74-62. Kameel Zriek scored 24 points for Simi in the win.
Calabasas is at Agoura on Friday night. Westlake travels to Moorpark and Royal is home against its crosstown rival Simi Valley.
The Mission League got off to a spirited start as well.
Crespi beat Loyola, 75-73, in the Mission League opener and handed the Cubs their first loss of the season.
Alemany beat Chaminade, 72-53. Max Guercy scored 30 points and had five assists for Alemany, winners of five in a row.
Harvard-Westlake beat St. Francis, 64-37.
Friday night is shaping up to be a big night in the Mission League too. Alemany plays at Loyola and Crespi is home against St. Francis.
1/5/2012
Dana Point Times: Crespi 2nd at Ed Spring Classic
The Dolphins competed at the Ed Spring Classic December 16-17 and wrapped up action on the mat with a sixth place finish and a total of 121 points. Troy (181.5 points), Crespi Carmelite (179.5 points) and Chino Hills (156 points) all finished in the top three, respectively.
Top individual placements at the tourney are as follows: Merritt Cruz (120, first place), Arryan Kianipey (132, fourth place), Austin Grimsley (138, fourth place) and Dalton Du’Casse (220, second place).
The team rumbled into its first Sea View League dual against Tesoro on January 5 before part of the team traveled to the Riverside Tournament January 6-7 while the other part of the team went on to face San Clemente in nonleague action on January 7.
Next 7 days: Jan. 12 vs. *El Toro. 7 p.m.; Jan. 13-14 at Five Counties Tournament, TBA
ENCINO -- Crespi’s London Perrantes came through with one of the biggest shots in his high school career. His little jumper in the paint with 2.9 seconds left was the difference in Crespi’s 75-73 win over Loyola in the Mission League opener at Crespi High School on Wednesday night.
Crespi (14-1) handed Loyola (11-1), winners of 11 games in a row to open the season, its first loss. Perrantes, who came into the game as the leading scorer on Crespi with 14.8 points per game, led four Crespi players in double figures.
Crespi coach Russell White said the plan was to let Perrantes decide the fate of the game.
“Get it in his hands and have him make a play,” White said.
Crespi had to rally on its home court. Down by 10 points in the first half, Crespi battled back to tie the score at 62-62 midway through the fourth quarter.
“We left a lot of plays out there on the floor,” Loyola coach Jamal Adams said. “Hopefully it will get our guys' attention. We have some things to work on.”
Christian Johnson came up big for Crespi in the fourth quarter. He scored eight of his 15 points in the final period, draining five clutch free throws and hitting a crucial 3-pointer.
“It’s a game. It has ebbs and flows,” White said. “He made some big plays.”
Johnson’s 3-pointer with 2:12 to play gave Crespi a four-point lead, 71-67.
After Loyola’s Julian Harrell made 1-of-2 free throws to cut the Crespi lead to three points, Parker Jackson-Cartwright hit a 3-pointer to tie the score, 71-71, with 1:40 to play.
Michael Milligan made two free throws to give Crespi a two-point lead, 73-71, but Loyola’s Justin Childress tied the score again with 24 seconds left to play.
With the clock winding down, Perrantes made his move. He drove the lane, into the paint and sank a 10-footer to win the game.
When asked if there was any significance to being the first team to hand Loyola a loss, White said, “I hope they have at least one more.”
Crespi and Loyola meet again at Loyola High School on Jan. 23.
1/4/2012
Daily News: Crespi makes big statement in Mission League opener
Perrantes hits winning shot with 2.9 seconds left to defeat previously unbeaten Loyola.
By Jacob H. Pollon jack.pollon@dailynews.com Special to the Daily News
Posted: 01/04/2012 10:33:06 PM PST
The Crespi boys' basketball team battled all night against undefeated and nationally ranked Loyola, and in the end all the hard work paid off Wednesday when London Perrantes made a 10-foot floater in the lane with 2.9 seconds remaining to give the Celts a wild 75-73 victory in both teams' Mission League opener.
"I have been living for that moment all season," Perrantes said. "Once I got the ball, coach called `flat' and I went to work."
Perrantes had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Michael Avery and Christian Johnson both had 14 points, Michael Milligan, Jr. recorded nine points and grabbed 16 rebounds and Justin Rubia contributed eight points in a balanced effort for the Celts (14-1).
Crespi trailed 57-49 late in the third before rallying.
Johnson made two free throws to cut the deficit to two points and Milligan made a baseline jumper to tie the score at 62-62 with 5:25 left.
Avery made a layup with 2:54 left to give Crespi only its second lead of the half after briefly leading 45-44 early in the third. Johnson followed with a 3-pointer and the Celts could smell victory, leading 71-67 with two minutes left.
Sophomore Parker Jackson-Cartwright made a 3-pointer to draw Loyola within two with 1:40 left and after Johnson missed two free throws, Justin Childress converted on a layup setting up Perrantes' deciding basket.
"I like to think we have competitiors," Crespi coach Russell White said. "We figured out how to win."
Julian Harrell scored 19 points to lead the Cubs (11-1), Jackson-Cartwright had 15 points, Childress added 13 points and Jacob Hazzard contributed 11 points.
Loyola hurt itself going 10 for 20 at the free-throw line and might have been feeling the effects of cross-country flight to a tournament in Washington, D.C. after Christmas.
Crespi started 7 of 19 at the free-throw line, but made 9 of 14 in the fourth quarter.
"We were just relentless and it starts with defense," Perrantes said.
Crespi battled back from a 10-point deficit behind Avery's six second-quarter points and trailed 44-42 at halftime.
"We played hard and played our game," Avery said. "They had some big plays but we battled through it. It gives us confidence to compete with anyone."
1/4/2012
L.A. Times: Crespi hands Loyola first defeat on Perrantes basket
London Perrantes, the junior guard for Encino Crespi, wasn't about to pass the ball to anyone. With the score tied and 14 seconds left, Perrantes got the ball on the inbound pass. Unbeaten Loyola let him control the ball until the final shot.
And Perrantes drove to the basket and scored on a short shot with 2.9 seconds left, giving Crespi the 75-73 upset victory over No. 2-ranked Loyola at Crespi in a Mission League opener. WATCH THE VIDEO.
It was Loyola's first defeat after starting the season 11-0. Crespi improved to 14-1.
Perrantes finished with 17 points. Christian Johnson and Michael Avery had 14 points apiece. Michael Milligan Jr. had 16 rebounds. Julian Harrell had 21 points and Parker Cartwright 15 for Loyola.
The Cubs opened a 10-point lead in the second quarter but had trouble stopping Crespi on defense all night.
Alemany opened Mission League play with a 72-53 win over Chaminade. Max Guercy scored 30 points. Harvard-Westlake defeated St. Francis, 64-37. Derick Newton scored 24 points and Zena Edosomwan had 16 points, 19 rebounds and eight blocks. Harvard-Westlake has been playing without Josh Hearlihy, who suffered a knee injury last month.
-- Eric Sondheimer
1/2/2012
L.A. Times: Locals set to play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl
A group of local high school football players will represent Southern California in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Saturday at 10 a.m. on NBC.
Scheduled to play are defensive back Ishmael Adams and receiver Jordan Payton of Oaks Christian, receiver Derrick Woods of Inglewood, cornerback Brandon Beaver of Compton Dominguez, linemen Jordan Simmons of Crespi, Kyle Murphy of San Clemente and Max Tuerk of Santa Margarita, cornerback Kevon Seymour of Pasadena Muir, defensive lineman Ellis McCarthy of Monrovia and linebacker Jabari Ruffin of Downey.
Several could announce their college decisions during the game.
12. GARDENA SERRA (12-1); 4AA; Def. Hanford, 85-35; Las Vegas El Dorado, 92-54; Las Vegas Bonanza, 64-20; Las Vegas Valley, 72-57; Las Vegas Clark, 75-64. Next: vs. San Diego St. Augustine, Saturday. (15)
13. FAIRFAX (8-5) City-I; Did not play. Next: at Venice, Jan. 9. (8)
14. RIVERSIDE NORTH (10-3); 2AA; Def. Charter Oak, 69-49; Bishop Amat, 54-36; Covina, 69-53; lost to Damien, 53-36. Next: at Corona Centennial, Wednesday. (11)
15. WINDWARD (8-5); 4AA; Def. Seattle O'Dea, 66-62; San Jose Archbishop Mitty, 73-71; Taft, 71-59; lost to Myattsville (Md.) DeMatha, 74-64. Next: at Campbell Hall, Tuesday. (19)
16. TAFT (10-3); City I; Def. Kirkland (Wash.) Lake Washington, 64-60; San Diego Torrey Pines, 56-39; lost to Windward, 71-59; Newark Memorial, 55-49. Next: at San Diego Lincoln, Saturday. (13)
17. CAPISTRANO VALLEY (13-2); 1A; Def. Reno (Nev.) Galena, 63-35; El Centro Central, 76-41; lost to Crenshaw, 47-43; def. Vista del Lago, 63-51. Next: at Tesoro, Wednesday. (14)
18. PASADENA (7-5); 3AAA; Def. La Jolla Bishop's, 80-39; Chula Vista Otay Ranch, 69-42; Downey, 54-47; San Diego Mt. Carmel, 53-42. Next: vs. Burbank, Wednesday. (21)
19. PRICE (9-4); 4AA; Def. West Ranch, 83-67; lost to Bishop Montgomery, 70-63; Crespi, 69-64. Next: at Gahr, Wednesday. (16)
20. MISSION VIEJO (12-1); 1A; Def. Schurr, 69-19; St. Anthony, 90-55; Laguna Beach, 72-49; JSerra, 62-56. Next: at Huntington Beach, Monday. (23)
21. SANTA MONICA (8-5); 1AA; Def. La Jolla Country Day, 57-55; Sacramento, 58-55; lost to Etiwanda, 56-52; Cleveland, 50-49. Next: vs. Redondo, Wednesday. (20)
22. PACIFIC HILLS (11-3); 4A; Def. Fallbrook, 71-30; Santa Fe Christian, 63-35; Lodi, 86-54; West Torrance, 57-39. Next: at Lancaster Baptist, Thursday. (NR)
23. COMPTON (7-7); 2A; Lost to San Jose Archbishop Mitty, 61-47; Seattle O'Dea, 68-60; def. Dominguez, 72-50; lost to La Verne Lutheran, 98-95. Next: vs. Long Beach Wilson, Jan. 11. (NR)
24. RIGHETTI (10-3); 2A; Def. Palm Springs, 75-64; Corona Roosevelt, 52-49; Seattle Roosevelt, 64-55; lost to Carlsbad La Costa Canyon, 60-52. Next: at Arroyo Grande, Wednesday. (NR)
25. CALABASAS (12-2); 3AA; Lost to Oaks Christian, 68-51; def. Compton Centennial, 63-38; Colony, 68-58; lost to Rancho Verde, 47-34. Next: vs. Moorpark, Wednesday. (18)
Crespi 63, Redondo Union 58 (OT): Tyler Foreman produced a big block with 1.4 seconds left in regulation, with Michael Avery and London Perrantes combining to score five points in overtime as Crespi held Redondo Union scoreless in the extra period Wednesday to prevail in the quarterfinals of Redondo's Sea Hawk Classic.
Perrantes had 21 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and seven steals for the Celts (12-0), who play Washington Prep at 8:30 p.m. today in the semifinals.
Avery added 13 points and 10 rebounds, with Michael Milligan, Jr. contributing 13 points and Justin Rubia scoring 10 points for Crespi, which rallied from a 44-41 deficit entering the fourth to force overtime.
Derek Diale had 22 points, including 20 in the first half, for Redondo Union (6-4). Massai Ephriam held Diale in check in the second half, allowing the Celts to rally from a 35-26 halftime deficit.
12/28/2011
Pasadena Sun: Crespi 2nd at Tiger Holiday Invite
SOUTH PASADENA — With about every opposing team hailing from a higher division, the prospects didn’t look too inviting for the San Marino High and South Pasadena wrestling teams at Wednesday’s day-long third annual Tiger Holiday Invitational at South Pasadena High.
Despite the odds, however, there were local success stories, including that of Tigers senior Ned Estrada.
The 171-pounder, who finished third at last year’s tournament, pinned Bonita’s Gabe Perez in the finals in 3 minutes 21 seconds to claim the area’s lone championship.
“It was really hard because [Perez] was all over the place, so it was kind of hard to get a hold of him,” Estrada said. “Once I did, it was real simple.”
Estrada notched two takedowns in the first round before Perez pulled within 4-1 on an escape about 20 seconds before the pin.
Estrada was one of three locals who reached title bouts as both South Pasadena’s James Yun and San Marino’s Paul Kimmel finished runner-up.
Yun, a freshman, was pinned by Crespi freshman Tristen Jimenez in 1:39 in a 106-pound bout. Yun already trailed, 5-0, after a takedown and near fall.
“I was really aggressive, but he caught me,” Yun said.
Kimmel fell to St. John Bosco sophomore Julian Gendrea at 4:38, as he trailed, 10-1, before the pin behind three takedowns.
“I was wrestling a pretty darn tough dude and St. John Bosco is just killing at this tournament,” Kimmel said. “I didn’t beat him, but at least I held out until the third [round].”
Due to the tournament’s unorthodox bracketing, there were two third-place bouts per weight class with the loser of each third-place match wrestling for fifth place and the tournament’s final medal.
South Pasadena’s Sean Ehrhich and San Marino’s Brian Chang were the next highest local medalists, each taking third.
Ehrhich had the benefit, or burden, of wrestling Rio Hondo League-foe Khal Simaan of Monrovia at 132 pounds, but came out on top, recording a fall at 2:42.
Chang defeated Bonita’s Andy Hoffman in a 10-9 wild, back-and-forth match at 182 pounds.
Hoffman, however, turned around and topped South Pasadena’s Aaron Refoua with a pin in 1:24 of their fifth-place match.
Refoua reached that bout after St. John Bosco’s Neal Andres bested him, 8-5, in a third-place match.
San Marino senior Andrew Barth initially missed his opportunity to finish third at 171 pounds when he was defeated by Esperanza’s Andrew Just, 14-5, in a third-place bout.
Barth rebounded, however, and pinned Bishop Amat’s Ryan Blaschke in 2:39 to medal in fifth.
“I’m a little bit sore from the first several matches, but going into the final match I was really determined to win,” Barth said. “Since I wasn’t placing first, second or third, I really wanted to get a medal.”
In the team competition, South Pasadena, ranked 10th in Division VI of the CIF Southern Section, earned sixth with 86 points, trailing Camarillo by a half point, while San Marino tied for 11th with Roybal with 42 points.
St. John Bosco, ranked No. 2 in Division II, won the tournament with 206 points with champions Gendrea (113 pounds), Johnny Zazueta (132), Cody Warr (138) and Lonell Woodhouse (220).
Crespi, ranked ninth in Division IV, finished second with 140 points and boasted champions Jimenez (103), the lower weight MVP, Blayne Briceno (145), Richard Ortiz (152) and Okalani Langi (182).
Bonita took third with 138 points, led by 160-pound champion Eddie Dominguez, the upper weight MVP.
Camarillo’s Daniel Kodama (120), Esperanza’s Luke Gonzalez (126) and Carl Hulick (285) and Bishop Amat’s Phillip Castellanos won the last four titles.
Encino Crespi is off to the best start in Coach Russell White's six seasons, improving to 11-0 on Tuesday after a 74-26 victory over Newbury Park in a first-round game of the Redondo tournament.
Michael Milligan Jr. scored 28 points and London Perrantes had 11 points.
In the Chaminade tournament, Valencia advanced to the semifinals with a 66-49 victory over Campbell Hall. Troy Hammel made eight three-pointers and scored a school-record 45 points, including 23 in the third quarter. Aaron Holiday had 26 points for Campbell Hall.
Chaminade defeated St. Bonaventure, 56-43, behind 22 points from Jaron Martin and will face Saugus in the semifinal. In a consolation game, Burbank Providence overcame an 18-point deficit to defeat La Verne Bonita, 55-50. Patrick Gonzalez scored 29 points and Marcus Lovett Jr. had 20.
In the Oaks Christian tournament, Donovan Johnson scored 17 points in Palisades' 72-31 win over Compton Centennial. Upland defeated Inglewood, 52-49. Reseda Cleveland got 20 points from JR Williams in a 68-54 win over Ontario Colony. Eisenhower defeated Rancho Verde, 60-42.
Santa Monica pulled out a 57-55 victory over La Jolla Country Day when Trey Thompson made a 12-foot straightaway bank shot with 1.5 seconds left. Thompson and Jordan Matthews connected on three-pointers in the final 1:15.
In the Torrey Pines tournament, L.A. Windward defeated O'Dea (Wash.), 66-62. Mason Shepherd had 19 points. Woodland Hills Taft defeated Lake Washington, 64-60.
In the Clovis tournament, JR Powell scored 15 points in Royal's 64-45 win over East Bakersfield. In the Hart tournament, Travis Wilson had 21 points in Grant's 76-50 win over Camarillo.
In Las Vegas, Westlake defeated Santee, 80-18. Josh Brooks had 16 points.
Some other basketball tournaments with top teams from the L.A. North region to keep an eye on: the Redondo Sea Hawk Beach Classic and the Hart tournament.
Undefeated Crespi (10-0) plays Newbury Park in one of today’s first-round games.
In other first-round games, West Ranch plays Diamond Ranch, Palmdale plays Narbonne and Price plays View Park.
The championship game is Friday night at Redondo Union High School.
A couple of City Section teams are entered in the Hart tournament. Grant plays Camarillo in one of the first-round games. Hart is playing San Fernando in another first-round game.
Here’s a look at the first-round games in the Sea Hawk Beach Classic:
10 a.m.: Price vs. View Park
11:30 a.m.: Washington Prep vs. Canyon Springs
1 p.m.: West Ranch vs. Diamond Ranch
2:30 p.m.: Crespi vs. Newbury Park
4 p.m.: Palmdale vs. Narbonne
5:30 p.m.: Bullard vs. North
7 p.m.: Long Beach Millikan vs. Bishop
8:30 p.m.: San Bernardino vs. Redondo Union
The Crespi boys' basketball team had little difficulty in its first-round game at the Redondo Union Sea Hawk Classic, holding Newbury Park scoreless in the second quarter to remain unbeaten with a 74-26 victory.
Michael Milligan, Jr. scored a game-high 28 points and London Perrantes added 11 points to lead Crespi (11-0).
The Celts stretched a 17-point lead after the first quarter to a 48-7 advantage at halftime.
12/26/2011
L.A. Times: Get the sleeping bags ready for Crespi-Loyola
Break out the sleeping bags and hot coffee, because basketball fans who want to attend the Jan. 4 Mission League opener between Los Angeles Loyola and host Encino Crespi might have to sleep overnight at Crespi to get a ticket if the two schools make it through this week unbeaten. And a fire marshal might want to show up, too.
Crespi (10-0), ranked No. 7 by The Times, begins play in the Redondo tournament on Tuesday. Loyola (8-0), ranked No. 2, travels to Washington D.C. to play in the National Jesuit Christmas Classic beginning Wednesday.
Imagine the excitement and frenzy that will be created if each school enters the league opener with an unbeaten record. All I know is that the two schools' athletic directors had better figure out a plan how to deal with the many people who will want to attend the game.
And I have a small request: Can I get a seat, too?
A look at the top 25 teams in the Southland as ranked by The Times.
By Austin Knoblauch | December 25, 2011, 4:15 p.m.
Rank, Team (Record), Division, Results, Next game
(Previous rank at end in parentheses)
1. MATER DEI (8-1); 1AA; Lost to Arlington (Texas) Grace Prep, 86-80; def. Bronx (N.Y.) St. Raymond Boys, 63-58; Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, 79-69. Next: vs. Burbank at Cathedral tournament, Tuesday. (1)
2. LOYOLA (8-0); 1AA; Did not play. Next: vs. Tacoma (Wash.) Bellarmine Prep at Father George National Jesuit Christmas Classic, Wednesday. (2)
3. LONG BEACH POLY (11-1); 1AA; Def. Long Beach Cabrillo, 89-49; Compton, 55-49. Next: at Long Beach Cabrillo, Wednesday. (3)
4. ETIWANDA (10-1); 1AA; Def. Eisenhower, 77-58. Next: vs. Morningside at Oaks Christian tournament, Tuesday. (5)
5. ORANGE LUTHERAN (7-2); 1A; Lost to Nashville (Tenn.) Christ Presbyterian Academy, 70-64; Memphis (Tenn.) White Station, 74-66. Next: vs. TBA at Orange Holiday Classic, Tuesday. (4)
6. LA VERNE LUTHERAN (7-2); 4AA; Def. Decatur (Ga.) Southwest DeKalb, 73-67; lost to Columbia (S.C.) Spring Valley, 69-65; def. Hopkins (S.C.) Lower Richland, 64-56. Next: vs. Newark Memorial at Torrey Pines tournament, Tuesday. (6)
7. CRESPI (10-0); 4AA; Def. Camarillo, 59-37; Ribet Academy, 77-60; Alemany, 64-59. Next: vs. Newbury Park at Redondo tournament, Tuesday. (11)
8. ST. JOHN BOSCO (9-2); 3A; Def. Narbonne, 68-53; Locke, 72-47; Windward, 71-68; lost to Gardena Serra, 85-79. Next: vs. JSerra, Jan. 4. (7)
9. FAIRFAX (8-5) City-I; Lost to Oakland Bishop O'Dowd, 48-39; Concord De La Salle, 53-30; def. Honolulu (Hawaii) Iolani, 41-40. Next: at Venice, Jan. 9. (8)
10. ALEMANY (7-2); 3A; Def. Grant, 74-63; Morningside, 67-57; lost to Crespi, 64-59. Next: vs. Turlock at Modesto Christian tournament, Tuesday. (9)
11. RIVERSIDE NORTH (7-2); 2AA; Lost to Cypress Bay, 48-44; def. Santa Clara, 68-39. Next: vs. Charter Oak at Covina tournament, Monday. (10)
12. DAMIEN (9-1); 3AAA; Did not play. Next: vs. Hacienda Heights Wilson at Covina tournament, Monday. (12)
13. TAFT (8-1); City I; Def. Seattle Prep, 54-46; Carlsbad La Costa Canyon, 58-52. Next: at San Diego Lincoln, Jan. 7. (14)
14. CAPISTRANO VALLEY (10-1); 1A; Def. Los Alamitos, 59-38. Next: vs. Reno (Nev.) Galena at Desert Heat Classic, Tuesday. (13)
15. GARDENA SERRA (7-1); 4AA; Def. Centennial, 55-38; Beverly Hills, 55-52; Shawnigan Lake (British Columbia, Canada), 81-9; St. John Bosco, 85-79. Next: vs. Cathedral, Jan. 11. (17)
17. BISHOP MONTGOMERY (8-2); 4AA; Def. Palos Verdes, 74-34. Next: vs. Millikan at Redondo tournament, Tuesday. (16)
18. CALABASAS (10-0); 3AA; Def. Indio, 72-28; Cochrane (Alberta, Canada), 78-37; Palm Desert, 61-43; Palm Springs, 57-53. Next: vs. Oaks Christian at Oaks Christian tournament, Tuesday. (19)
19. WINDWARD (6-4); 4AA; Def. Locke, 79-68; Narbonne, 64-45; lost to St. John Bosco, 71-68; def. Beverly Hills, 80-66. Next: vs. Seattle O'Dea at ESPN iScore Tournament, Tuesday. (18)
20. SANTA MONICA (6-3); 1AA; Did not play. Next: vs. La Jolla Country Day at Oaks Christian tournament, Tuesday. (19)
21. PASADENA (3-5); 3AAA; Did not play. Next: vs. Bishop, Tuesday. (21)
22. NORTHVIEW (10-1); 3A; Did not play. Next: vs. Garey, Monday. (23)
23. MISSION VIEJO (8-1); 1A; Def. White Rock (British Columbia, Canada), 73-41; Provo (Utah), 64-42; Inglewood, 62-49; Oaks Christian, 78-72. Next: vs. Schurr at Estancia tournament, Tuesday. (NR)
24. COLONY (8-1); 2A; Def. Ontario, 65-50. Next: vs. Cleveland at Oaks Christian tournament, Tuesday. (25)
25. ST. BERNARD (5-5); 5AA; Def. Kentfield Marin Catholic, 59-52; lost to Sacramento Sheldon, 69-57; def. Loomis Del Oro, 69-42; lost to Clovis Buchanan, 71-58. Next: vs. Houston St. Thomas Catholic at San Diego Torrey Pines tournament, Tuesday. (24)
After winning the 32-team San Fernando Valley Invitational for the second year in a row with Wednesday's 64-59 victory over Alemany, Crespi (10-0) can use as much momentum as possible heading into the tough Mission League that includes heavyweights Harvard-Westlake and Loyola, two of the Southland's premier programs.
"We're happy with our 10-0 record but we're not satisfied until we reach our goal of winning the league title," Crespi guard London Perrantes said. "We're all starting to play together, and that's why we're winning."
The Crespi and Alemany boys' basketball teams met in the championship game of the San Fernando Valley Invitational for the second year in a row. For the second year in a row, Crespi won the tournament.
Crespi beat its Mission League rival, 64-59, behind clutch free throws and 18 points from Michael Avery. He was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line and made eight free throws in the fourth quarter.
Crespi became the first team to win the San Fernando Invitational twice in a row in the seven-year history of the tournament.
Avery was selected to the all-tournament team. London Perrantes was tournament MVP and scored 17 points in the championship game.
In the Maui Tournament in Hawaii, Oaks Christian advanced to the semifinals with a 76-66 win over Redondo. Chass Bryan had another big game with 29 points.
In the National Prep Classic in Santa Maria, Providence of Burbank is in the semifinals of the Classic Division after a 68-41 win over Nipomo. Freshman Marcus LoVett continues to score at will, pouring in 28 points. He has 119 points, averaging 39.6 points per game, in the tournament. He scored 57 points against St. Joseph in the first round.
12/21/2011
Daily News: Avery hits eight free throws in fourth to lead Crespi past Alemany
Michael Avery was relegated to the role of spectator last season when the Crespi boys' basketball team defeated Mission League rival Alemany in the championship game of the San Fernando Valley Invitational.
Avery was forced to sit out his junior season following a return to Crespi after attending school at Monteverde Academy in Florida as a sophomore.
But when the Celts got a chance to deliver an encore performance Wednesday night against Alemany in the tournament final at Granada Hills High, Avery stood front and center, especially in the fourth quarter.
The senior converted all 11 free-throw attempts, including eight in the final eight minutes, to lead Crespi to a 64-59 victory, becoming the first team in the tournament's seven-year history to win back-to-back championships.
"In the first half, I was making a lot of turnovers, so I had to just come out with a new mindset and do whatever I could to help my team," said Avery, who earned all-tournament honors after scoring 18 points.
"I've been practicing a lot on my free throws for situations like this. I've been waiting for this since I sat out last year. It's great for me and my teammates to have this opportunity."
Alemany (7-2), which received 20 points from all-tournament selection Marqueze Coleman and 13 points from Jerico Richardson, cut a 54-44 deficit to three on three occasions in the final minute, but couldn't pull any closer.
Timely miscues and 10
missed free throws wound up being costly for the Warriors.
"Free throws can be your life blood and I think this game came down to us not making free throws and completing plays," Alemany coach Tray Meeks said. "It's the same Crespi. They play tough, they compete hard and they make you work for shots. They fought and they battled and they scrapped and they put pressure on us to make plays. Now, in league, we need to make them."
London Perrantes, selected MVP, had 17 points and Justin Gallo added 12 points for the Celts, who used a 19-point, third-quarter effort to erase a three-point halftime deficit.
Crespi (10-0) defeated Alemany 78-53 in last year's final, before the teams split their two league contests. It marked Crespi's second tournament title, following Canyon's Cowboy Classic. Alemany lost in its second final, after suffering an 82-69 setback Dec. 10 to Loyola in the Santa Monica tournament championship game.
12/21/2011
L.A. Times: Crespi defeats Alemany; wins SFV title
Michael Avery scores 18 points and London Perrantes adds 17 as defending champion wins San Fernando Valley Invitational championship in battle of two top-tier Mission League schools.
Crespi's Christian Johnson, left, Justin Rubia, center, and Michael Avery go up for a rebound during the Celts' 64-59 victory over Alemany in the championship game of the San Fernando Valley Invitational on Wednesday. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times / December 21, 2011)
By Steve Galluzzo | December 21, 2011, 11:28 p.m.
If early results are any indication, who comes out ahead in the Mission League will be another fight to the finish this season.
Michael Avery scored 18 points and London Perrantes added 17 as defending champion Encino Crespi won the San Fernando Valley Invitational championship with a 64-59 victory over Mission Hills Alemany on Wednesday night at Granada Hills High. It was the second tournament victory in a row for Crespi.
In a rematch of the final last year between Mission league rivals, neither side led by double digits until deep into the fourth quarter, as might be expected in a matchup of teams in The Times' top 25.
"We didn't run or press nearly as much last year because we weren't as athletic," said Perrantes, a junior point guard who was selected most valuable player of the tournament after averaging 14.2 points per game.
"It's my job to be the coach on the floor. I didn't do that in the first half. We were taking too many threes, but in the second half we made a conscious effort to get the ball in the paint."
Crespi raced to a 7-2 lead in the first four minutes, but the Warriors took a 13-12 lead on a three-point shot from the left corner by Marqueze Coleman in the final seconds of the first quarter. Jerico Richardson's fast-break layup increased Alemany's lead to 19-12 with 6 minutes 34 seconds left in the second quarter.
The No. 11 Celts (10-0) pulled to within 24-21 on Justin Rubio's three-point play with 23 seconds left in the second quarter, and neither team scored for the remainder of the first half.
"We really didn't do anything differently in the second half, we just played hard on defense," said Avery, who joined Perrantes on the all-tournament team along with Michael Milligan Jr., who finished with seven points. "Individual honors are secondary. I play for my team."
Crespi took its first lead of the second half, 29-28, on Avery's reverse layup, He added a three-pointer from the right corner on the Celts' next possession, increasing the lead to four points. Coleman's second transition dunk cut Crespi's lead to 37-35 with five seconds left in the third quarter, but Avery answered with a three-point play that gave the Celts a 40-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Richardson opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, but Perrantes answered with one that gave Crespi a 45-39 lead with 6:49 left in the game. Carter Gallo's corner three-pointer gave the Celts their largest lead, 52-42, at the 4:22 mark of the fourth quarter.
A three-pointer by Brandon Boyd, a pair of free throws by Coleman and another three-pointer by Bear Henderson pulled No. 9 Alemany to within 58-54 with 1:28 remaining. Crespi couldn't convert a three-on-one fast-break and Coleman was fouled on a drive, making one of two shots to cut the Warriors' deficit to 58-55 with 36 seconds left. Avery was fouled intentionally and made both shots, giving Crespi a 60-55 lead with 24.2 seconds left. He sank four more free throws to clinch the win, finishing seven for seven from the free throw line — all in the second half.
"That's what I live for... I want to win so bad," Avery said of his clutch free throws.
Gallo had 12 points and Rubio added nine for Crespi. Leading the way for the No. 9 Warriors were all-tournament picks Coleman, who had 20 points, and Max Guercy, who scored eight. Richardson finished with 13 points while Henderson and Boyd each added nine for Alemany (7-2), which suffered its second consecutive finals loss to a league opponent.
"I like the personal accolades, but mostly it feels great to be 10-0," Perrantes said. "We have high goals — winning league, winning CIF and winning state — but we can't get too far ahead of ourselves."
The Warriors fell to No. 2 Los Angeles Loyola, 82-69, in the Santa Monica tournament championship game Dec. 10, the same day Crespi defeated host Canyon Country Canyon, 57-40, to win the Canyon Classic.
"I'd rather not play a [league] team three times in one season; I'd rather us beat up on some other leagues, but that's the way it worked out," Alemany Coach Tray Meeks said. "I'm proud of my guys. We battled hard all week and we were in this the whole way. A couple of shots here or there and it's a different game."
Morningside beat Ribet Academy 75-49 in the third place game Wednesday afternoon while Burbank beat No. 22 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (8-3) in the fifth-place game. Notre Dame finished fifth in the Mission League last season. Studio City Harvard-Westlake (5-3), which tied Loyola for first place in league last winter, dropped out of The Times' rankings this week.
Crespi finished third in the Mission League last season, winning two of three games against Alemany, including a 78-53 victory in the final of the San Fernando Valley Invitational. Crespi lost by one basket to Inglewood in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 3A playoffs while Alemany finished fourth in league and lost to Los Angeles Windward in the semifinals of the Division 4AA playoffs.
Woodland Hills Taft won the Mission Prep tournament Tuesday in San Luis Obispo by defeating La Costa Canyon, 58-52, in the championship game. Brandon Perry was named tournament most valuable player.
In a consolation game, Campbell Hall defeated San Luis Obispo, 71-60. Aaron Holiday had 31 points and Cole Huff 28.
Encino Crespi and Mission Hills Alemany advanced to the championship game of the San Fernando Valley Invitational. Alemany defeated Morningside, 67-57. Jerico Richardson had 21 points and Max Guercy added 18. Unbeaten Crespi defeated Ribet, 77-60. London Perrantes had 22 points and Christian Johnson 16. The two Mission League rivals will square off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Granada Hills.
In consolation games, Westlake defeated Quartz Hill, 73-67. Josh Brooks had 18 points. Sierra Canyon defeated University, 67-61. Jahmel Taylor scored 26 points. Burbank defeated Grant, 58-50. Andre Spight had 18 points for Burbank. Gor Plavchyan scored 19 points for Grant.
In the Windward tournament, St. John Bosco defeated Locke, 72-47. Isaac Hamilton scored 22 points. The Braves face Windward on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
In Hawaii, Oaks Christian defeated Mount Si (Wash.), 75-47. Chass Bryan had 12 points. Oaks Christian plays Redondo in the semifinals.
In Florida, Mater Dei defeated St. Raymond (N.Y.), 63-58. Elijah Brown had 12 points.
Burbank Providence defeated Los Angeles Fremont, 83-78, in overtime of the National Prep Classic. Freshman Macus LoVett had 34 points and hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
Compton Dominguez defeated Redlands East Valley, 70-62. EJ Johnson scored 20 points and had seven assists.
12/20/2011
ESPN: Crespi advances to SFV Invite semifinals
The Windward girls basketball team upset MacArthur of Texas, the No. 8 ranked team in the nation by ESPNHS, 56-50 in the first round of the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. MacArthur (18-1) lost for the first time this season.
Sophomore point guard Jordin Canada scored 26 points and 11 in the fourth quarter for Windward (7-1).
On the boys side, Crespi (8-0) remained undefeated and advanced to the semifinals of the San Fernando Valley Invitational with a 59-37 win over Camarillo. Michael Milligan Jr. had 11 points and 10 rebounds against Camarillo.
Alemany (6-1) also advanced to the semifinals of the San Fernando Valley Invitational with a 74-63 win over Van Nuys. Max Guercy scored 29 points and Marqueze Coleman had 17 points.
Crespi plays Ribet and Alemany plays Morningside in the semifinals on Tuesday night.
12/20/2011
Daily News: Celts advance to SFV Invite finals
Facing a much taller opponent, Crespi High refused to be intimidated Tuesday in a 77-60 boys' basketball win over Ribet Academy in the semifinals of the seventh annual San Fernando Valley Invitational at Granada Hills High.
With 6-foot-5 guard Michael Avery the tallest player on Crespi's team, the Celts figured out a way to neutralize Ribet Academy's 6-10 Idrissa Diallo and 6-4 freshman phenom Tyler Dorsey, who came in averaging 25 points a game.
Diallo was limited to 11 points, and Dorsey scored 19 but needed a lot of shots to do it, as Crespi led all the way in improving to 9-0 heading into the tournament championship at 7 p.m. today against Mission League rival Alemany at Granada Hills.
"They were a lot taller, but we're just a scrappy team like we always are," said Crespi's London Parrantes, who scored 22 points with seven assists. "I think we're a pretty competitive team."
Ribet Academy hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter, but it was Crespi's plan to force the Fighting Frogs to keep shooting, and eventually they cooled down, as Crespi stretched the lead to 13 at halftime and eventually led by 20.
Avery started the fourth quarter with a three-point play, followed by a driving layup for a 71-51 advantage. Avery scored 12 points with nine rebounds and seven assists, and Christian Johnson added 16 points.
"We played well as a team," said Avery, who's active again after sitting out his junior season because he
was ruled ineligible. This is his second stint at Crespi, and his fourth school overall.
"I love it. I couldn't ask for more. I just want to win," Avery said.
Ribet Academy coach William Middlebrooks said four of his starters are playing despite ankle injuries.
"I've got four of five guys hurt," Middlebrooks said.
But the coach did want to discredit Crespi's performance.
"Crespi is a very solid team, and they're very well-coached," Middlebrooks said. "They out-worked us, and they beat us."
Dorsey said he hurt the ankle two days ago.
"I couldn't put too much pressure on it because it would give," Dorsey said.
Tyler Foreman, Crespi's designated defender, did not score a point but played tough defense against Dorsey.
All but two of Crespi's victories have been by 17 points or more.
Crespi is the defending tournament champion, defeating Alemany by 25 points in last year's final.
Alemany 67, Morningside 57: Jerico Richardson scored 21 points, including five free throws down the stretch, as Alemany (7-1) qualified for the tournament final at 6 p.m. today at against Crespi at Granada Hills.
Max Guercy scored 18 points for the Warriors and Marqueze Coleman added 15 points.
12/19/2011
L.A. Times: Alemany, Crespi advance to tourney semifinals
Mission Hills Alemany (6-1) received 29 points from Max Guercy and 17 from Marqueze Coleman to defeat Van Nuys Grant, 74-63, in a quarterfinal game of the San Fernando Valley tournament.
Unbeaten Encino Crespi (8-0) also advanced to the semifinals with a 59-37 win over Camarillo. Michael Milligan Jr. had 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Celts will face Ribet, a 76-66 winner over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Granada Hills. Alemany will face Morningside at 7:30 p.m.
In consolation games, Oak Park defeated Crenshaw, 61-46. Westlake defeated Sierra Canyon, 64-56. Grant Lozoya had 24 points. Quartz Hill defeated University, 50-48.
In Florida, Santa Ana Mater Dei lost its first game of theseason, falling to Grace Prep of Texas, 86-80, in overtime in the City of Palms Classic. Katin Reinhardt had 20 points for the Monarchs.
In the Mission Prep tournament, Woodland Hills Taft defeated Seattle Prep, 54-46. Kris Yanku had 23 points and Anthony January scored 12 points in his debut. In a consolation game, Brentwood defeated San Luis Obispo, 73-67, with Leland King scoring 31 points.
In the Windward tournament, St. John Bosco defeated Narbonne, 68-53. Daniel Hamilton scored 19 points and brother Isaac had 17.
In Hawaii, Oaks Christian defeated San Pedro, 62-46. Jackson Miller had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
12/19/2011
Daily News: Crespi ties Sylmar in Kickoff Classic
Ericson Penate has wasted no time in making his impact felt for the El Camino Real boys' soccer team.
The senior had two goals, including the winning score, to lead the Conquistadores to a 3-2 victory Monday night over Royal in a quarterfinal match of the Valley Kickoff Classic at Crespi High.
ECR's win sets up a semifinal showdown against West Valley League rival Taft -- a 3-2 winner over Moorpark -- at 5:30 p.m. today at Crespi.
ECR (8-2), which won its fourth straight match, built a 2-0 halftime lead, but the Highlanders scored twice to tie it 2-2.
Domonick Riehl scored in the 42nd minute off a rebound of his own penalty shot and Luis Castaneda scored in the 55th minute. Five minutes later, Penate answered, burying a 40-yard shot from the right side into the back of the net.
"As soon as I turned around, I saw the keeper out of position and I sent a rocket into the net," Penate said. "I was trying to get to get another one after I scored the second time we wouldn't have pressure on us."
Royal (6-2-1), the defending tournament champion, had chance to tie it in the 71st minute but Francisco Rodriguez blocked a point-blank shot from the right side by Hector Vitela.
"I told the boys to keep the pressure on," Royal coach Ignacio Saldian said. "I thought we did a good job of generating our opportunities than they did. The opportunities they got, they put away."
Taft 3, Moorpark 2: Miguel
Palafox continued his goal-scoring rampage, producing a hat trick in the quarterfinal victory at Calabasas High.
Tied 1-1 at halftime, Palafox, who has 12 goals in six matches, scored in the 68th and 75th minute to give Taft (5-0-1) a 3-1 lead.
Allesandro Gracy recorded two assists and Jovany Arriaga added an assist for the Toreadors. Moorpark added a goal on a late penalty shot.
Sylmar 1, Crespi 1 (Sylmar wins 4-2 on PKs): The visiting Spartans converted on their penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals for the second straight year.
Jason Merino, Javier Carcamo, Jonathan Noriega and Jose Flores all scored in the shootout for Sylmar (4-2-1), which will face Granada Hills - a 4-2 shootout winner over Harvard-Westlake - at 7:30p.m. today at Crespi.
Chris Rivera scored off an assist from Jose Acevedo in the 78th minute to tie the score at 1-1 and send it into a shootout.
Acevedo stole the ball at midfield, raced down the right side and slipped the ball to Rivera, who one-timed it into the left side of the net.
Crespi (2-1-4) took a 1-0 lead in the in 49th minute when Alek Berkolds scored on a penalty kick.
12/18/2011
Daily News: Crespi 2nd at Ed Springs Classic
Crespi's Blayne Briceno was selected lower weight MVP after winning the 138-pound division Saturday at the Ed Springs Classic at Brea-Olinda High, helping the Celts wrestling team to a second-place finish.
Adrian Manzo won the 113-pound title and Richie Ortiz was victorious at 152 for Crespi, which finished with 179 1/2 points, edged by Troy (181 1/2) for the team title.
Juan Ortiz (145) was second, Joshua Romero (106) and Carlos Lazo (171) finished third and Okalani Langi (182) placed fourth for Crespi, which had seven wrestlers place in the top eight to Troy's nine.
Thousand Oaks was 12th with 96 1/2 points, led by fourth-place finishes from Josh Cortes (145) and Austin Welty (171). Jonah Hershman (160) and Brian Ward (195) both placed sixth and John Pipolo (152) was eighth for the Lancers.
12/17/2011
Daily News: Perrantes shows signs of bright future for Crespi
London Perrantes is far from a finished product. The junior point guard from Crespi is a work in progress, consistently learning and improving, both on and off the court.
Perrantes showed several flashes of his immense upside in Saturday's 66-31 victory over Chatsworth in a San Fernando Valley Invitational game and listened intently to multiple Division I college scouts afterward when they spoke to him about ways to take his game to the next level.
"He is a good player, even when he's not great, he is better than most," Celts coach Russell White said after Perrantes scored eight points and added six assists in his 20-plus minutes of work.
His statistics would most likely have been better had the game not been a blowout.
Perrantes did a good job of distributing the ball early on and getting all his teammates involved as the Celts (7-0) took an 18-5 advantage at the end of first quarter. He handed out multiple assists to Michael Milligan Jr., who scored six points in the opening eight minutes.
It was more of the same in the second quarter. Perrantes found Michael Avery on several occasions and Crespi built what proved to be an insurmountable 38-13 lead at the break.
Milligan Jr. had the hot hand after the intermission. Perrantes set him up down in the low post and Milligan Jr. finished around the rim, scoring seven points against Chatsworth (5-7).
"I feel like I'm starting to round into shape, I'm close to full speed," Perrantes said. "It's important for me to stay focused, because when I do that, things come easy for me. That happened tonight. My shot was falling and my teammates were doing a good job around me, too."
One of the keys for Crespi heading into the game was attempting to limit the overall effectiveness of the Chancellors' Terrell Funches. The 6-foot-2 senior guard was coming off a 31-point effort on Friday in a nine-point tournament victory over Sierra Canyon.
Tyler Foreman was assigned the task of stopping Funches for the Celts and the junior did his job well. Funches finished with three points.
"Our offense runs through Terrell, when he is on, we're tough to beat," Chatsworth coach Scott Switalla said. "We can't rely on him all of the time, though. He needs some help.
Montel Shirley attempted to fill the void for the Chancellors. The senior guard scored a game-high 15 points.
"We locked down Funches tonight, that was the goal," White said. "Once we took him out of the game, I think they had a tough time making things a close game."
Avery and Milligan Jr. each finished with 13 points.
12/15/2011
Daily News: Taft, Thousand Oaks play transfer waiting game
Taft and Thousand Oaks could be receiving some welcome news for the holidays. Both schools are eagerly awaiting word from the City Section and Southern Section, respectively, on the status of transfer students.
Taft got good news earlier this week when Compton transfer Anthony January was ruled eligible for competition starting Monday.
New Taft coach Jason Hart is also waiting to see if Mater Dei transfer Shaqquan Aaron's appeal Wednesday will overturn an earlier decision declaring the talented sophomore out for varsity competition due to pre-enrollment contact.
Aaron and representatives met for nearly two hours with an appeal panel.
"I'm fairly optimistic," Taft assistant principal Robert Clarke said.
Clarke and athletic director Mark Drucker indicated Alessandro Alberto is expected to regain eligibility when grades are posted Wednesday.
Taft (4-1) instantly gets better with January, a UTEP commit, in the lineup and would become a City championship contender with two or all three players in the lineup. The Toreadors took fifth place at the Westchester tournament behind Brandon Perry, Kris Yanku and Steven Jones.
Thousand Oaks (7-3) has a much tougher time getting Derrick "Deejay" Brown cleared for action.
Marmonte League principals voted down allowing the Brooklyn native to play for the Lancers this season. That decision was forwarded to the Southern Section, and it would be highly unlikely for section officials to go against
the recommendation.
Complicating matters even more, Brown lives with Thousand Oaks coach Rich Endres, who has become his legal guardian. Endres resides in Moorpark.
Tournament time
The San Fernando Valley invitational gets underway today with Crespi, Alemany, Granada Hills and Kennedy playing host to eight-team regionals.
Crespi and Alemany could meet each other in an all-Mission League final Wednesday at Crespi. Alemany has already played league rival Loyola in the championship game of the Santa Monica tournament Saturday.
"Well, you have to win four games in a row to get to the championship and that's tough," Alemany coach Tray Meeks said. "That is tough as it is, so that's on the forefront of our minds. I believe the Mission League is one of the toughest leagues in the state from top to bottom. We'd prefer to wait to battle teams like Crespi in January and February. But, if that is how it ends up, we will be ready to compete."
Bell-Jeff is playing host to a four-day event beginning Monday, which includes Cleveland and Sylmar.
Freshman watch
There are several talented freshmen in the region, more so than in recent years, but two have clearly stood out above the rest.
Campbell Hall's Aaron Holiday and Providence's Marcus LoVett have not only been scoring in bunches, but showing excellent floor leadership.
Holiday and Lovett have both benefited from the fact that they were needed to contribute immediately.
Holiday recently scored 32 points against Mira Costa and LoVett had a Providence tournament-record 39 points in a 71-69 victory against San Marino in the championship game.
Holiday and LoVett will go head-to-head Jan. 21 at Pierce College in the War on the Floor Extravaganza.
Avery selects Sonoma State
Crespi senior Michael Avery has verbally committed to play basketball at NCAA Division II Sonoma State.
Avery, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound guard, averages 10.2 points for the Celts (5-0).
Avery had verbally committed to play at Kentucky in eighth grade.
He began his high school career at Crespi, averaging 9.6 points as a freshman, then moved to Monteverde Academy in Florida where he averaged 4.3 points as a sophomore, before returning to play for the Celts this year after Southern Section officials forced him to sit out last season.
12/15/2011
L.A. Times: Michael Avery commits to Sonoma State
Michael Avery of Encino Crespi has committed to Sonoma State.
The 6-foot-5 senior guard committed to Kentucky prior to his freshman year, receiving national attention as one of the youngest commitments ever.
The offer was taken away after Billy Gillispie left Kentucky.
Avery sat out his junior season after returning to Crespi following a transfer to Montverde Academy in Florida.
Crespi Coach Russell White said in a statement, "Obviously, a lot has changed for Mike since he committed to Kentucky prior to his freshmen year at Crespi. But what hasn't changed is his love for the game. On a recent visit [to Sonoma State], Mike fell in love with the campus, Coach Pat Fuscaldo, and the current players. Our program is excited that Mike will continue his basketball journey at the next level."
Wide out Chris Harper (Encino, Calif./Crespi) committed to SMU two weeks ago on an official visit. He still tripped to Cal over the weekend and when the Bears put an offer on the table during the visit, the receiver jumped on it.
“Cal is kind of like a dream school for me,” Harper said. “I visited in the summer with Bryce [Treggs] and fell in love with the place. They recruited me all year, but I had no idea if they were going to offer me or not.
“On Saturday, I talked to Coach Tedford, and he told me they were offering me a scholarship and he wanted me to be a Bear. I couldn’t believe it. I was seriously blown away. I wanted to commit right there on the spot, but I knew I had to talk to my dad first. When I told him I wanted to switch to Cal, he wasn’t too happy at first, but we discussed it again Tuesday night and decided Cal was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
If the first day of Marmonte League play is any indication, history could repeat itself with the league champion not being decided until the last day of the regular season. Five teams, including Agoura and Thousand Oaks tying for the title last season, have claimed at least a share of the league crown the past four years and no team has gone unbeaten in league play since Royal finished 10-0-4 in 2006-07.
2. Can the recent regular-season success finally turn into postseason prosperity for the Golden League?
Knight, the defending league champion, has several key players returning including Alexis Soto, Alonso Medina, and Jessie Reyes, and the Hawks will be highly motivated after being upset by Oxnard in the first round of the Div. III playoffs as the top seed last season after losing its opener to Dos Pueblos in 2010. Palmdale is also capable of making a deep playoff run. The Falcons, led by Corey Nieto and Oscar Torres, have suffered first-round losses the past two years as well. Since Quartz Hill shared the Div. I title in 2002, Palmdale is the league's last team to reach the final four, losing to Santa Margarita in the semifinals in 2006.
3. After no local team advanced past the quarterfinals last year, can any area program reach the City final?
Yes. Many of the area's City programs
return key players and are capable of challenging for a title. Although San Fernando graduated leading scorer Fernando Lucas, the Tigers return Hugo Blanco and Francisco Alvarez. Canoga Park has a knack for hitting its stride at the right time, and the Hunters seem to be the team nobody wants to face in the playoffs. After first-round exits the past two seasons, El Camino Real will make look to make a deep run with more offensive firepower.
4. With several offseason coaching changes, which local teams will benefit the most from their new leaders?
Crescenta Valley and La Cañada. The Falcons turned to Grant Clark, an assistant on the JV team last season, to replace Kiel McClung, the most successful coach in program history. Clark inherits a team that has won two straight Pacific League titles and reached the Div. IV quarterfinals last year. The Falcons return Pavle Atanackovic, the reigning league MVP, Alex Berger and Salar Hajimirsadeghi. La Cañada turned to one of its own when Barry Ritson resigned to pursue other professional interests by hiring Alex Harrison, a La Cañada graduate and assistant under Ritson at L.A. Premier Soccer Club. The Spartans, 47-4-3 the past two seasons, reached the Div. V quarterfinals last year. Adonay Joval is the new man in charge at Hart, which is coming off its most successful season since 1983 by reaching the Div. III quarterfinals. Joval, who coached at Cleveland last season, replaced Fausto Arana, who left to take over the program at Golden Valley. After guiding West Ranch to the Foothill League title last season, Mo Burgess left to coach at Cleveland. Burbank also has a new coach in Loi Phan, the former Bulldogs girls' coach.
5. Which area players are primed for breakthrough seasons?
Taft's Miguel Palafox, San Fernando's Hugo Blanco and Agoura's Matt Solomon. Palafox played behind All-City selection Abraham Bernal, the Toreadors' leading scorer last year, but could emerge in a big way this season. Blanco was part of San Fernando's championship team as a sophomore in 2010, but ineligibility cost him the majority of his junior year. His speed and athleticism add depth to the Tigers' backline. Solomon figures to be a big part of Agoura's offense once he rehabilitates a separated shoulder, an injury he suffered in the first half of the Chargers' season opener against Santa Barbara. The junior is ready to make an immediate impact upon his return.
TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Knight
2. Palmdale
3. Cres. Valley
4. Harvard-Westlake
5. San Fernando
6. Chaminade
7. Royal
8. Oaks Christian
9. Valencia
10. Oak Park
PLAYERS TO WATCH
SENIORS
Garrett Apel, La Cañada
Bryce Arenson, Oak Park
Pavle Atanackovic, Crescenta Valley
Francisco Baez, Burroughs
Jeff Becker, La Cañada
Alex Berger, Crescenta Valley
Marino Bianchi, Crespi
Hugo Blanco, San Fernando
Agustin Cena, Highland
Gabe Chavez, Paraclete
Wade Clement, Harvard-Westlake
Kelley Cislo, Oaks Christian
Andrew Delaplane, Oaks Christian
Thor English, Royal
Alex Avelar-Escalante, Burroughs
Jhovani Garcia, Canoga Park Julio Guillermo, Burroughs
Salar Hajimirsadeghi, Crescenta Valley
Christian Hernandez, Canoga Park
Kai Imazu, Crespi
Brandon Lara, Brimingham
Chad Latch, Santa Clarita Christian
Miguel Lopez, Sylmar
Shawn McNitt-Gray, Buckley
Miguel Montenegro, Verdugo Hills
Jesus Moya, Taft
Roberto Naranjo, Taft
Jonathan Noriega, Sylmar
Manny Ornelas, Birmingham
Justin Phillips, Oaks Christian
Charles Porter, Harvard-Westlake
Lucas Reilly, West Ranch
Jessie Reyes, Knight
Francisco Rodriguez, El Camino Real
Mario Rodriguez, San Fernando
Brandon Ryvkin, Viewpoint
Christian Sanchez, Canoga Park
Carlos Solis, Kennedy
Alexis Soto, Knight
Wiley Webb, Harvard-Westlake
Adam Wininger, Harvard-Westlake.
JUNIORS
Jovany Arriaga, Taft
Armand Bagramyan, La Cañada
Alex Chambers, Quartz Hill
Liron Cohen, Agoura
Nico Corti, Agoura
Nico Ferrero, Hart
Ty Gilhuly, Harvard-Westlake
Danny Lee, Campbell Hall
Raul Martin, San Fernando
Alonso Medina, Knight
Manuel Murillo, Van Nuys
Corey Nieto, Palmdale
Kevin Ortiz, Kennedy
Miguel Palafox, Taft
Chris Rivera, Sylmar
Matt Solomon, Agoura
Bryan Suarez, Canoga Park
Carlos Tiscareno, Camarillo
Oscar Torres, Palmdale
Charlie Villa-Lovos, Agoura
Alvaro Zambrano, Calabasas.
FRESHMEN/SOPHOMORES
Andres Aguilar, Burroughs
Nolberto Alcantar, Burroughs
Francisco Alvarez, San Fernando
Aleks Berkolds, Crespi
Chet Castellaw, Crespi
Angel Cova, Knight
Brandon Gerlach, Burroughs
Spencer Held, Agoura
Alex Manzo, West Ranch
Peyton Parrish, Agoura
Brian Quintero, Crespi
Angel Torres, Knight
Armaan Zare, La Cañada.
MATCHES TO WATCH
Saturday, Monday: Valley Kickoff Classic
Dec. 27: South East vs. San Fernando at ELAC
Dec. 27-30: Hart tournament
Jan. 6: Palmdale at Knight
Jan. 9: San Fernando at Canoga Park
Jan. 11: El Camino Real at Taft
Jan. 13: Valencia at Canyon, Oak Park at Oaks Christian
Jan. 18: El Camino Real at Birmingham
Jan. 20: Eastside at Knight
Jan. 21: Loyola at St. Francis
Jan. 23: St. Francis at Harvard-Westlake
Jan. 24: Hart at Canyon
Jan. 27: El Camino Real at Taft
Jan. 30: Canoga Park at San Fernando
Jan. 31: Canyon at Valencia
Feb. 1: Knight at Palmdale
Feb. 3: Birmingham at El Camino Reala
12/14/2011
Bear Insider: Harper Makes the Switch to Cal
One of the more interesting recruiting stories to track in the Class of 2012 was the recruitment of Crespi Carmelite High School (Encino, CA) wide receiver Chris Harper.
Playing with Cal targets like Ishmael Adams last summer for Keyshawn Johnson's 1925 7-on-7 passing league team, Harper fell in love with the Cal program and expressed his desire to don the blue and gold of the Bears if an offer was extended after visiting Berkeley unofficially in the spring. His official visit this weekend only confirmed things more, despite a recent verbal commitment to SMU.
“Cal is kind of like a dream school for me,” Harper told ESPN's Greg Biggins. “I visited in the summer with Bryce [Treggs] and fell in love with the place. They recruited me all year, but I had no idea if they were going to offer me or not.
“On Saturday, I talked to Coach Tedford, and he told me they were offering me a scholarship and he wanted me to be a Bear. I couldn’t believe it. I was seriously blown away. I wanted to commit right there on the spot, but I knew I had to talk to my dad first. When I told him I wanted to switch to Cal, he wasn’t too happy at first, but we discussed it again Tuesday night and decided Cal was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
A fan favorite for his intense desire to be a Bear as well as his second-to-none work ethic, the 6-0/180 Harper excelled at this summer's Elite 11 camp at Pepperdine University, earning rave reviews from the participating quarterbacks and QB coach Trent Dilfer, who wondered aloud why Harper didn't have more offers.
“You can see it in his eyes, Chris is a different person once he steps on the field,'' Crespi coach Jon Mack told ESPN. “He has bought into to what we're doing here. He's a leader, in every sense.
“What people might not know about him is, he's great student with a GPA well over 3.0. He has no issues in the classroom. There are no roadblocks in his future. When you think about what it means to be a student-athlete at Crespi, Chris Harper if one of the first kids that comes to mind.
He does all the little things coaches ask of players. Chris is fearless if we ask him to catch a ball over the middle. He can go up and get the ball in the end zone with the best of them, about as well as anyone I've ever seen. He's a great blocker, and to do that, you have to be unselfish. As far as I'm concerned, Chris is one of the best wideouts in the state. Try and find me a player better.''
12/13/2011
Daily News: 2011-12 PREP WRESTLING OVERVIEW
1. Can there be more local state medalists than last year?
There were three medalists last season, the most in the same year in recent memory. Although two graduated, the returner is El Camino Real's Ali Naser (138 pounds), who finished seventh last season as a sophomore. Simi Valley's William Gockel-Figge came within a whisker of medaling also, and he returns at 195 pounds. Crespi, which had the last state champion in Sione Fua in 2006, has two other returning state qualifiers in Carlos Lazo (152 last year) and Adrian Manzo (113). The Celts welcome the return of Blayne Briceno, (138) who wrestled on the team as a freshman only to transfer out and then come back as a junior. There could be as many as five medalists if The California Newsletter's state rankings are any indication. Naser is ranked third, Gockel-Figge is No. 6, Briceno is ninth, San Fernando's Sergio Mendez (at 106) is 10 th and Lazo 11 th.
2. Which area wrestlers have the potential to win a state title?
Barring injury, several have the opportunity. El Camino Real's Ali Naser has to contend with three-time defending state champion Alex Cisneros of Selma in his weight class and would need to beat the undefeated champion. Simi Valley's William Gockel-Figge won't have to meet Morgan McIntosh of Calvary Chapel, who was in his weight class but graduated last year. Crespi's Adrian Manzo will have to beat one of the Gaytan brothers at Clovis to win it and San
Fernando's Sergio Mendez will run into North Torrance's Johnson Mai at some point. Crespi's Blayne Briceno and San Fernando's Anthony Figueroa, another state contender from last season, are in the same weight class as Naser.
3. Which area league is the most competitive?
Top to bottom, again, it's the Marmonte League. Simi Valley has risen to the top with a strong core group, including William Gockel-Figge, Austin Braddock (138/145), Brandon Campbell (138), Sam Duchene (152) and Shane Murphy (132). Thousand Oaks, led by Austin Welty (171) is not far behind. Moorpark is solid with Andrew Singer (220), Ryan Thompson (138) and his brother Matt (heavyweight). Royal is always in the hunt for the title, with Justin Veditz (160 last year), Tomas Castillo (135 last season), Jon-Bert Dones (152) and Nathan Ruiz (171). Newbury Park has Connor Cady (132) and Max Quiroz (145). Westlake's Amir Hassan (138) is strong and Jonathan Dehhaghi (heavyweight) is a solid contender for Calabasas.
4. Who is favored in the City Section?
Perennial winner San Fernando is on probation, and with a roster anchored by state qualifier Jacob Gorman (at 112 last season) and state-ranked Anthony Figueroa and Sergio Mendez, it will definitely contend again for the title. ECR, last year's champion, could do it again, led by Ali Naser, Shayan Shahangian, who reached state at 152, and Connor McClellan (145/152). Wilber Solares (160) and Sohrab Movahedi (171) lead Granada Hills.
5. Which team could emerge as a Southern Section team dual champ?
Crespi, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley all have potential. Simi Valley won the Irvine tournament with the most team points after four wrestlers won their weight class and four others placed second. Quartz Hill relied on the strength at least eight quality wrestlers to win two years ago.
TOP WRESTLERS
SENIORS
William Gockel-Figge, Simi Valley
Sam Duchene, Simi Valley
Anthony Figueroa, San Fernando
Andrew Singer, Moorpark
Jacob Gorman, San Fernando
Wilber Solares, Granada Hills
Shane Murphy, Simi Valley
Carlos Lazo, Crespi
Jonathan Dehhaghi, Calabasas
JUNIORS
Ali Naser, El Camino Real
Blayne Briceno, Crespi
Adrian Manzo, Crespi
Sergio Mendez, San Fernando
Arashdeep Gill, Chaminade
Richie Vaillancourt, Moorpark
OTHERS TO WATCH
Austin Braddock, Simi Valley, Sr.
Brandon Campbell, Simi Valley, Sr.
Justin Veditz, Royal, Sr.
Austin Welty, Thousand Oaks, Sr.
Matt Thompson, Moorpark, Soph.
Travis Skidmore, Royal, Jr.
Johnny Parada, San Fernando, Soph.
Ryan Thompson, Moorpark, Sr.
Juan Ortiz, Crespi, Jr.
Richard Ortiz, Crespi, Sr.
Shayan Shanangian, El Camino Real, Jr.
Sohrab Movahedi. Granada Hills, Sr.
Connor McClellan, ECR, Jr.
Jon-Bert Dones, Royal, Sr.
Colton Wegrzyn, Royal, Jr.
Maury Lemons, Chatsworth, Sr.
MATCHES TO WATCH
Dec. 20: Gold Coast Classic at Camarillo
Jan. 5: Simi Valley at Thousand Oaks
Jan. 6-7: Doc Buchanan at Clovis High
Jan. 12: Bishop Amat at Crespi
Jan. 13-14: 5-Counties Tournament, Fountain Valley High
Jan. 21: Sam De John at San Fernando
Jan. 28: BIV at Chaminade
Feb. 2: Crespi at Alemany; Simi Valley at Royal
Feb. 4: Marmonte, Mission and Golden League championships
Feb. 11: Southern Section girls' final at Beaumont High
Feb. 24-25: City Section final at Roybal Learning Center
TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Crespi
2. Simi Valley
3. San Fernando
4. Thousand Oaks
5. Highland
6. Royal
7. Quartz Hill
8. El Camino Real
9. Moorpark
10. Lancaster
12/12/2011
ESPN L.A. North: Five things from the weekend
The Oak Park and St. Bonaventure girls basketball teams played a game for the ages in the Bishop Diego Tournament. Oak Park won the tournament beating St. Bonaventure, 98-90 in five overtimes, in the championship game. The game was the longest in Southern Section history. The two teams combined to score the third-most points in state history. Oak Park’s Leah Greenberg hit a 3-pointer to tie the score with 14 seconds left in regulation and send the game into overtime. Oak Park held St. Bonaventure scoreless in the fifth overtime period to eventually win the game. Greenberg hit five 3-pointers in the game and scored 19 points. She earned the tournament MVP award. Teammate Kelsey Haines scored 28 points and was selected to the all-tournament team. Sarah Buchnovitz scored 25 points, had 13 rebounds and five blocks against St. Bonaventure.
The Crespi boys basketball team won the Canyon Classic Tournament, defeating host Canyon, 57-40, in the championship game. London Perrantes earned tournament MVP for Crespi. He scored 11 points in the game against Canyon. Perrantes is averaging 12.4 points and 6.2 assists per game in the first five games of the season. Crespi takes its undefeated record to the San Fernando Valley Invitational starting on Friday.
The Sherman Oaks of Notre Dame boys basketball team won the Moorpark Tournament and handed Oaks Christian its first loss of the season. Kennedy Edwards scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds for Notre Dame in his team’s 62-58 win over Oaks Christian in the championship game. Edwards earned tournament MVP honors. Teammate Jonathan Bell scored 15 points and had seven rebounds for Notre Dame and was selected to the all-tournament team. Notre Dame is also headed to the San Fernando Valley Invitational.
Buckley of Sherman Oaks won the University’s Jim Nakabara Tournament and has a six-game winning streak to open the season. Buckley beat host University, 41-38, in the championship game. Tyler Coppin-Carter, the tournament MVP, recorded four double-doubles in the tournament including 20 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game. He averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds in the tournament. Buckley will be challenged in its next game against Price on Tuesday night. Price reached the championship game of the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA playoffs and lost to La Canada last year.
The Village Christian boys basketball team won the Viewpoint Tournament beating Viewpoint, 70-41, in the championship game. A pair of transfers are paying early dividends for Village Christian. Bryan Alberts scored 17 points and had seven assists against Viewpoint and earned tournament MVP. Marsalis Johnson, who was selected to the all-tournament team, scored 25 points and had nine rebounds for Village Christian. Village Christian has a six-game winning and plays Santa Clarita Christian tonight.
12/12/2011
HomeTownStation.com: Canyon Falls To Crespi In Title Game
In the fifth-place game of the Canyon Classic, Valencia beat Lancaster, 67-56, to finish the tournament on a winning note.
Troy Hammel scored 24 points to lead Valencia.
The Saugus boys beat Agoura, 74-60, in the Oak Park Tourmament. Chris Lockwood scored 20 points and teammate Jeremy Gatewood had 18 points and six assists for Saugus.
On the girls side, West Ranch lost to Chaminade, 72-60. Whitney Branham led West Ranch with 15 points.
In high school soccer, the Valencia boys advanced into the winners bracket of the Monrovia Tournament after beating Ontario, 5-4, on penalty kicks. The two teams played to a scoreless tie in regulation.
Michael Fischbach scored the game-winning goal in the shootout.
The Saugus boys lost to Moorpark, 3-2. Brian Perez scored both goals for Saugus.
The Santa Clarita Christian girls shut out LA Baptist, 2-0. Susannah Gwinn and Makenna Gale scored for Santa Clarita Christian. Goalkeeper Jessie Rodriguez recorded the first shutout of her high school career.
In college basketbal, The Master’s College clobbered Central Bible College, 96-46, behind 21 points from Leif Karlberg.
In college soccer, Bobbie Roberts of The Master’s College was selected to the NAIA All-American team. The defender scored three goals and had two assists. She was selected to the All-Ameican team for the second year in a row.
Encino (Calif.) Crespi Carmelite wide receiver Chris Harper has created quite the buzz this morning. The SMU commit was offered by Cal this morning during an official visit.
Rumors are swirling the 6-foot-1, 170-pound three-star may be ready to flip his commitment.
Harper said he remains committed to SMU at this time.
"Yeah cal offered me this morning," Harper said. "My final decision is still in the air. I'm going home now to talk to my parents about things. But as of now I still consider myself committed to SMU."
Cal has been one of his dream schools since the early stages of his recruitment. The visit, which featured some of California's best athletes, left a positive impact on Harper.
"The new facilities are going to be insane at Cal," he said. "The high-performance center is one of the nicest things I've ever seen. I really like the coaches and the campus too. They told me they need a wide receiver in this class still and they want it to be me. They said they like me as an all-around person, not just a player."
SMU has been recruiting Harper since early this summer. His recent official visit to Dallas solidified why he likes SMU.
"The facilities were great and they throw the ball a lot. I know coach (June) Jones is a great coach and I like how they started recruiting me a long time ago."
Harper said he does not have a timeline when he will make a firm decision. A possible switch in his commitment would not be any real surprise after he talks things over with his parents.
The top seven teams in the Southland remain the same, with Mater Dei leading the way. Bishop Montgomery and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame enter the top 25, as Washington and Valencia drop out.
By Austin Knoblauch | December 11, 2011, 6:25 p.m.
1. MATER DEI (5-0); 1AA; Def. Palm Desert, 71-56; Next: vs. Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot or Lake Wales (Fla.) at Bishop Verot tournament, Saturday. (1)
2. LOYOLA (8-0); 1AA; Def. East Bakersfield, 75-36; El Camino Real, 70-62; Fairfax, 60-56; Alemany, 82-69; Next: vs. Tacoma (Wash.) Bellarmine Prep at Fr. George National Jesuit Christmas Classic, Dec. 28. (2)
3. LONG BEACH POLY (7-1); 1AA; Def. Fresno Edison, 72-29; Clovis Buchanan, 57-43; San Joaquin Memorial, 48-33; Melbourne College (Australia), 58-33; Next: vs. Minden (Nev.) Douglas, Friday. (3)
4. LA VERNE LUTHERAN (5-0); 4AA; Def. Chino, 87-24; Next: at Windward, Tuesday. (4)
5. ORANGE LUTHERAN (5-0); 1A; Def. Providence, 74-47; Next: vs. Morehead (Ky.) Rowan County, Saturday at King of the Bluegrass tournament. (5)
6. ST. JOHN BOSCO (5-0); 3A; Def. Millikan, 94-63; Next: vs. Long Beach Jordan, Monday. (6))
7. ETIWANDA (4-1); 1AA; Def. Summit, 76-51; Next: vs. Silverado at Miller tournament, Monday. (7)
8. FAIRFAX (5-3) City-I; Def. Palmdale, 61-48; Santa Monica, 45-41; lost to Loyola, 60-56; Price, 54-41; Next: at L.A. CES, Wednesday. (13)
9. ALEMANY (3-1); 3A; Def. Birmingham, 86-71; Palisades, 77-60; Price, 91-69; lost to Loyola, 82-69. Next: vs. North Hollywood at San Fernando Valley Inv., Friday. (11)
10. RIVERSIDE NORTH (4-0); 2AA; Did not play; Next: at Corona, Tuesday. (9)
11. CRESPI (5-0); 4AA; Def. Panorama, 87-42; Eastside, 70-33; Grant, 55-50; Canyon Country Canyon, 57-40; Next: vs. Golden Valley at San Fernando Valley Inv., Friday. (15)
12. PASADENA (2-2); 3AAA; Did not play. Next: vs. Palo Cedro Foothill at Sacramento tournament, Wednesday. (14)
13. DAMIEN (4-1); 3AAA; Def. Covina, 64-34; Fairfield, 60-48; Antioch Deer Valley, 71-57; lost to Concord De La Salle, 43-39; Next: vs. Alta Loma at Glendora tournament, Monday. (16)
14. CAPISTRANO VALLEY (4-1); 1A; Def. Palm Desert, 57-40; Next: vs. Bell Gardens at North OC Championships, Monday. (18)
15. PRICE (6-2); 4AA; Def. Canoga Park, 96-46; Windward, 69-64; lost to Alemany, 91-69; def. Fairfax, 54-41; Next: vs. Buckley, Tuesday. (8)
16. BISHOP MONTGOMERY (6-1); 4AA; Def. Lynwood, 71-27, Taft, 50-49; Washington, 73-53; Gardena Serra, 54-44; Next: vs. St. John Bosco, Saturday. (NR)
17. GARDENA SERRA (3-1); 4AA; Def. West Torrance, 52-38; St. Bernard, 72-61; Westchester, 40-31; lost to Bishop Montgomery, 54-44; Next: vs. TBA at Windward tournament, Dec. 19. (12)
18. CALABASAS (4-0); 3AA; Did not play. Next: at Royal, Tuesday. (19)
19. SANTA MONICA (5-3); 1AA; Def. Cleveland, 60-47; lost to Fairfax, 45-41; def. El Camino Real, 64-62; Windward, 65-61; Next: vs. Valencia, Thursday. (20)
20. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (2-2); 4AA; Did not play. Next: vs. Mira Costa at Palos Verdes tournament, Tuesday. (22)
21. WINDWARD (2-2); 4AA; Def. Chaminade, 57-50; lost to Price, 69-64; def. Palisades, 67-63; lost to Santa Monica, 65-51; Next: at Chaminade, Monday. (10)
22. ST. BERNARD (3-2); 5AA; Def. Gardena, 90-70; lost to Serra, 72-61; Long Beach Jordan, 66-62; def. Morningside, 72-50; Next: at Inglewood, Tuesday. (23)
23. GLENDORA (5-1); 2A; Lost to Summit, 54-53; Next: vs. Bassett at Glendora tournament, Monday. (17)
24. COMPTON (3-1); 2A; Did not play. Next: TBA at Sacramento tournament, Tuesday. (25)
25. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (4-1); 4AA; Def. Sun Valley, 90-20; Granada Hills, 65-57, Moorpark, 69-67; Oaks Christian, 62-58; Next: vs. L.A. University at San Fernando Valley Inv., Friday. (NR)
The Canyon boys basketball team got off to a hot start this season, winning its first seven games and advancing to the championship game of the Canyon Classic on Saturday.
And that’s when the Cowboys faced their toughest test yet, falling 57-40 to Crespi High of Encino in a contest that saw the Celts use a dominating second quarter to effectively put the game away early at Canyon High School.
With the referees letting the teams play through contact for most of the night, the Celts benefited from a high-pressure, physical style of play to outscore the Cowboys (7-1) in the second quarter 16-4 and take a 26-8 lead into the half.
“The way they played benefited with the way they called the game,” said Canyon head coach Chad Phillips. “Crespi did a good job of utilizing their strengths.”
The Celts (5-0) attacked the basket on almost every possession, helping Crespi get to the free throw line 32 times, compared with Canyon’s seven free-throw attempts.
Crespi’s Michael Milligan Jr. led the way for the Celts, scoring a game-high 18 points with teammate London Perrantes scoring 11 points.
The Cowboys got to the championship in large part due to the play of seniors Clay Kasdorf and Coley Apsay, but on Saturday the pair were shut down for most of the night.
“The defense obviously was very effective,” said Crespi head coach Russell White. “We focused on Apsay and Kasdorf and we did a great job on them for 25 minutes.”
Apsay finished 2-of-9 from the field for five points and Kasdorf added 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting with 13 of those points coming in the final quarter.
Sophomore Dean Hendrix-Davis added eight points in three quarters but fouled out of the game with 4:35 to play in the third when a double foul was called.
Phillips was whistled for a technical foul for arguing the play.
The loss wasn’t all negative for the Cowboys, though, with Phillips adding that the experience that comes with playing a team of Crespi’s caliber in the preleague season will be invaluable when Foothill League play begins.
“We’ll refer back to this game all season long,” Phillips said. “We’ll remind (the players) why we played this (game)”
Notes: Canyon’s Apsay and Kasdorf were named to the all-tournament team along with Crespi’s Michael Avery and Michael Milligan, Jr. Crespi’s Perrantes was named the tournament’s MVP.
12/9/2011
L.A. Times: Big night for Mission League teams
There are four Mission League teams that have reached basketball tournament championship games on Saturday night.
Mission League rivals Loyola and Alemany will meet in the championship game of the Santa Monica tournament.
Loyola outlasted Fairfax, 60-56, in overtime. Julian Harrell had 22 points for Loyola, which received a big three-pointer in overtime from Jacob Hazzard. Ronny Price led Fairfax with 11. Alemany defeated Price, 81-69. Marqueze Coleman scored 30 points and Max Guercy added 28 points.
Encino Crespi is in the Canyon tournament final after a 55-50 win over Grant. Justin Rubia had 11 points and London Perrantes 10. The Celts will play Canyon, which defeated Granada Hills Kennedy, 58-43.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame is in the Moorpark tournament final against Oaks Christian after a 69-67 win over Moorpark. Kennedy Edwards had 23 points and 17 rebounds. Johnathan Bell had 18 points. Freshman Ryan Ducar made 10 of 11 free throws after making 12 of 12 the previous night.
-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times
12/6/2011
ESPN: L.A. North: Boys' basketball Top 10
Here is the top-10 boys basketball teams in the L.A. North region. The teams are ranked with their 2010 records in parantheses:
Harvard-Westlake (29-5) – The Wolverines won the Southern Section Division 3A championship and advanced to the semifinals of the Southern California Regional in the CIF State Division 3 playoffs last year. Harvard-Westlake has two talented seniors returning. Zena Edosomwan averaged 17.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in his junior season. He scored 11 points and had 15 rebounds against Inglewood in the championship game of the Southern Section Division 3A playoffs. Josh Hearlihy averaged 14.5 points per game in his junior season. Sophomore forward Derick Newton has already made an impact with Harvard-Westlake, dropping 30 points on Dominguez on Saturday (Dec. 3). He was 8-for-10 from the field and 11-for-13 from the free-throw line.
Key returners: Edosomwan (senior forward), Hearlihy (senior guard).
Key newcomers: Newton (sophomore forward), Alex Copeland (freshman guard).
Can’t-miss games: Harvard-Westlake vs. Loyola at Roybal Learning Center (Jan. 13), Harvard-Westlake at Crespi (Jan. 20), Alemany at Harvard-Westlake (Jan. 21), Harvard-Westlake vs. Loyola at L.A. Valley College (Feb. 3).
Woodland Hills Taft (29-3) – One of the key losses for Taft team is coach Derrick Taylor. He guided Taft to the City Section Division I championship last season, beating longtime nemesis Westchester, 66-62, in the title game. Jason Hart takes over a talented team, despite the loss of three key seniors. Seniors Brandon Perry and Steven Jones will anchor a promising team. They saw limited action last year, but displayed moments of brilliance. Perry averaged 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a junior. He scored a season-high 17 points against El Camino Real in a 67-36 win for Taft. Jones only scored 3.9 points per game, but had one of his best games in the CIF State Division I playoffs. He scored 10 points and was one of five players from Taft in double figures in a 94-81 loss to Centennial in the semifinals of the Southern California regional. Much of the success of this team will depend on if or when Anthony January will become eligible to play for Taft. He transferred from Compton and isn’t expected to be able to play for Taft until next month.
Key returners: Perry (senior forward), Steven Jones (senior guard).
Key newcomers: Hart (head coach).
Key transfer: January (Compton).
Can’t-miss game: Taft at El Camino Real (Jan. 11).
Crespi (24-9) – The Celts lost their top scorer and floor leader, Matt Mounier, to graduation, but have three talented seniors returning. Crespi lost in the semifinals of the Southern Section Division 3A playoffs, 42-40, to Inglewood. The Celts earned a berth in the CIF State Division 3 playoffs and advanced to the second round before losing to La Canada, 43-42. Senior guard London Perrantes averaged 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. Justin Rubia will most likely join Perrantes in the backcourt for Crespi. He averaged 7.3 points per game as a junior. Forward Michael Milligan will provide senior leadership in the frontcourt.
Key returners: Perrantes (junior guard), Michael Avery (senior guard), Rubia (senior guard), Milligan (junior forward).
Key newcomer: Sammy Linn (freshman guard).
Can’t-miss games: Crespi at Alemany (Jan. 11), Harvard-Westlake at Crespi (Jan. 20), Crespi at Loyola (Jan. 23).
Alemany (20-11) – Alemany advanced to the semifinals of the Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs and lost to Windward, 79-67. The Warriors will be an experienced and talented team. Point guard Max Guercy returns after leading Alemany in scoring at 15.6 points per game. He also led the team in assists with 3.3 per game and was the top 3-point shooter at 39 percent. He made 49-of-127 3-point shots in his junior season. Senior guard Marqueze Coleman scored a team-high 15 points in the semifinal playoff game against Windward and averaged 13.1 points per game in his junior season. He was one of the top rebounders as well, pulling down 5.7 per game. Jerico Richardson, who also plays football at Alemany and is headed to UCLA next season, will be a key player off the bench for Alemanty. He averaged 9.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game last year. Freshman Malik Anderson is a man-child at 6-feet-6 and 200 pounds.
Key returners: Coleman (senior guard), Guercy (senior guard), Coleman (senior guard).
Key newcomer: Anderson (freshman forward)
Can’t-miss games: Loyola at Alemany (Jan. 6), Crespi at Alemany (Jan. 11), Alemany at Harvard-Westlake (Jan. 21), Alemany Showcase (Feb. 4)
Calabasas (20-9) – Calabasas made a quick exit in the Southern Section Division 3A playoffs last year losing to Cerritos, 68-56, in he first round. The 2011 version of the Calabasas basketball team is already starting to turn heads though. Calabasas won the Campbell Hall Tournament on Saturday (Dec. 3). The Coyotes beat host Campbell Hall, 72-57, in the championship game. Sophomore guard Jeremy Lieberman scored 22 points and had eight assists for Calabasas. Senior Josh Cohan poured in 15 points and was 7-of-15 from the field. Calabasas has a nice mix of veteran and young players. Spencer Levy provides senior leadership in the backcourt. A trio of sophomores led by Lieberman are expected to see considerable playing time.
Key returners: Cohan (senior forward), Levy (senior guard).
Key newcomers: Lieberman (sophomore guard), Max Hoetzel (sophomore guard), Austen Smith (sophomore forward).
Can’t-miss game: Calabasas at Royal (Dec. 13), Calabasas vs. Oaks Christian in Oaks Christian Christmas Tournament (Dec. 27), Thousand Oaks at Calabasas (Jan. 13).
Royal (19-11) – Royal reached the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division 2A playoffs and lost to Foothill, 62-54. A pair of juniors will lead an experienced team at Royal this year. Max McCoy averaged 14.9 points per game and led Royal in 3-point percentage, making 49-of-122 shots at a 40 percent clip. Nick Creber was Royal’s top rebounder at 8.3 per game and averaged 11.2 points per game. Senior J.R. Powell took 233 3-point shots and made 84 of them last year. He averaged 14.2 points per game and had 1.4 steals per game. Scott Woods is a big man in the middle at 6-feet-9. He averaged 2.8 blocks per game in his junior season and had 7.4 points per game.
Key returners: Power (senior guard), Creber (junior forward), McCoy (junior guard), Weston Park (junior forward), Woods (junior center).
Can’t-miss game: Royal vs. Oaks Christian in Moorpark Tournament (Dec. 8), Calabasas at Royal (Dec. 13), Royal at Thousand Oaks (Jan. 4), Royal at Calabasas (Jan. 25).
Crescenta Valley (20-8) – After a promising season, Crescenta Valley was upset in the first round of the Southern Section Division 1A playoffs. Quartz Hill, an at-large team from the Golden League, eliminated Crescenta Valley, the seventh-seeded team in the playoffs, 49-46, in the first round. Christian Misi leads a senior-heavy team at Crescenta Valley. Nick Springer is a bit of an unknown, a sophomore transfer from the Virgin Islands.
Key returners: Misi (senior forward), Davis Dragovich (senior forward).
Key newcomer: Springer (sophomore guard)
Can’t-miss game: Crescenta Valley at Pasadena (Jan. 13), Muir at Crescenta Valley (Jan. 17), Pasadena at Crescenta Valley (Feb. 3).
Ventura (29-3) – Ventura had a magical season, winning the Southern Section Division 2AA championship, 56-55 in overtime, against Mission Viejo. The Cougars lost in the second round of the CIF Division 2 State playoffs, 66-45, to a red-hot Summit team, the eventual Southern California champion. Senior point guard Zach Gwin and senior Nick Rudolph, who also plays football and is one of the top receivers in the state, return to lead a senior-heavy, yet inexperienced, team. Gwin averaged only 5.1 points per game in his junior season, but he did have a team-high 3.2 assists per game. Rudolph averaged 6.5 rebounds per game. Jammal Ennis and Gage Henley have started the 2011 season strong. Ennis is averaging 11.6 points per game in the first four games of the season. Henley is averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in the first four.
Key returners: Rudolph (senior forward), Gwin (senior guard).
Key newcomers: Ennis (senior guard), Henley (senior forward)
Can’t-miss games: Ventura Kiwanis Tournament (Dec. 26-29), Ventura vs. Buena at Ventura College (Dec. 14).
Campbell Hall (17-10) – Campbell Hall was a one-ring circus in 2010. Austin McBroom led the team with 25.1 points per game. He graduated, leaving Campbell Hall in the hands of Cole Huff and Jared Harper. Campbell Hall lost to Cypress, 61-52, in the first round of the Southern Section Division 3AA playoffs. Campbell Hall will rely on a quartet of freshmen, including highly touted Aaron Holiday, to make an impact this season. Huff wll provide steady scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game in his junior season. He was also a threat from 3-point territory, making 23-of-62 shots at 39 percent. Harper, a junior, doesn’t score much, but he is handy in the backcourt. He aveaged 1.3 steals per game in his sophomore season.
Key returners: Huff (senior forward), Harper (junior guard).
Key newcomers: Holiday (freshman guard), Kahlil Simplis (freshman guard)
Can’t-miss games: Windward at Campbell Hall (Jan. 3), Sierra Canyon at Campbell Hall (Jan. 6), Flintridge Prep at Campbell Hall (Jan. 7), Campbell Hall at Sierra Canyon (Jan. 31), Campbell Hall at Windward (Jan. 7)
La Canada (30-4) – Can La Canada recreate the chemistry that led the team to the championship game of the CIF Division 3 Southern California regional playoffs last year? La Canada won the Southern Section Division 3AA championship, 50-47, over Price before making an emotional run through the CIF Division 3 State playoffs and losing to Lutheran from La Verne, 57-47, in the Southern California regional final. The 2010 La Canada team started five seniors. Jay Srinivasan and Darrell Dansby didn’t play much last year, but they are the senior leaders on this team. La Canada has a big body in the paint, 6-9 center Conner Boyd.
Key returners: Srinivasan (senior guard), Dansby (senior guard).
Key newcomers: Ryan Lee (junior guard)
Can’t-miss games: La Canada Holiday Classic (Dec. 12), Muir at La Canada (Dec. 16)
Wide receiver Chris Harper of Encino (Calif.) Crespi said he was thinking of pulling the trigger on his visit to SMU last week, and that’s exactly what happened a little while later.
“I committed on Saturday,” Harper said. “The campus is great and the facilities are amazing. The coaching staff was very welcoming and they were very straightforward with everything they said to me and my dad.
“The locker rooms are tight and the theater room is where the receivers meet for position meetings, and I thought that was pretty cool. I’m still planning to visit Cal this weekend, but I’m happy with my commitment to SMU. I feel it’s a very good fit for me.”
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12/3/2011
Daily News: Wrestlers from Simi Valley, Crespi, ECR excel at Newbury Park Invitational
NEWBURY PARK - The Newbury Park Invitational has continued to attract the top talent and teams in the state.
This year's lineup was the biggest yet, with state-ranked teams and wrestlers.
No. 1-ranked Clovis and second-ranked Bakersfield came to the tournament and, expectedly, finished 1-2 in the team standings. However, several local wrestlers and teams excelled among the giants.
El Camino Real's Ali Naser, a state-ranked competitor, beat Vincente Hernandez of Clovis 16-7 in the semifinals and then MLK's Nolan Kistler 11-4 in the finals to win the 132-pound weight class.
Andrew Singer of Moorpark was another of the local champions when he recovered from a near-fall early in the first period and rallied back for a 7-5 victory over Joseph Ramirez of Rio Mesa.
Singer was also crowned Upper Weight MVP of the tournament.
"I'm really surprised. I didn't know," said Singer about his MVP award. "I'm really happy that I got it. I mean, I don't know what to say."
Simi Valley, which finished third in the team standings behind Clovis and Bakersfield, also fared well, with 195-pounder William Gockel- Figge winning a championship after a beating Robert Flores of Westlake 11-1 in the semifinals and Derrick Ruiz of Quartz Hill 10-1 in the final. Teammate Austin Braddock also reached the finals, but lost to A.J. Fierro of Bakersfield 10-3 in the 145-pound class, which was the same result for fellow Pioneer Brandon Campbell,
who lost to Crespi's Blayne Briceno 3-1 at 138pounds.
"The whole day was really good - it was a good experience," said Campbell, who had alternated between the varsity and junior varsity team last season. "I was happy to get my first final in my senior year. To wrestle Blayne (Briceno) is really good experience because he's ranked in state."
Briceno, who had wrestled at Crespi as a freshman then transferred away last season and then back this year, won by fall in his first match, then by technical fall over Ryan Thompson of Moorpark before beating Kameron Aiken of Ventura 4-0 in the semifinals, which set up the finals match against Campbell.
Among the other wrestlers who performed well included 113-pound champion Adrian Manzo of Crespi, Wilber Solares of Granada Hills, who finished in third place at 160pounds and Arashdeep Gill of Chaminade, who finished fourth at the same weight.
Teammates Robert Flores and Amir Hassan of Westlake finished in third place at 195 and 138, respectively.
1. Despite the departure of coach Derrick Taylor, can Taft still win another City Section championship?
Yes. New coach Jason Hart has attracted top transfers to blend with returning talent. The Toreadors have won three City championships since 2004 and Hart plans on more. The only question will be pending residential and academic eligibility of Compton transfer Anthony January.
2. Which area league is the most competitive?
Mission. Every team is talented and every game will be played with postseason-level intensity. Chaminade went 1-11 a year ago, but could have finished in the upper half of most other leagues.
3. Which Southern Section playoff division is the most competitive?
Div. IV-AA. The way the revised postseason pairings are structured, most private schools that have had success in the past four years are all grouped together in this super division, which includes Price, La Verne Lutheran, Crespi, Serra, Sierra Canyon, Oaks Christian and Windward among others.
4. Which freshman will emerge as a major Division I college prospect?
One of the deepest ninth-grade classes in area history features several athletes that will contribute immediately at the varsity level, but Campbell Hall's Aaron Holiday stands out among the best. Holiday scored a mind-boggling 54 points in his first varsity summer league contest. Holiday has
long arms, explosive speed, the ability to finish at the rim and family genes that are undeniable.
5. Which area team benefited the most from the new Southern Section playoff pairings?
Renaissance Academy. After three consecutive losses in section finals (2005-07) followed by a setback in the Div. V state title game in 2008, Wildcats coach Sid Cooke might finally be able to raise a championship plaque as Renaissance Academy returns senior Jessy Cantinol, who is surrounded by a young, talented supporting cast.
TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Harvard-Westlake
2. Crespi
3. Alemany
4. Taft
5. Calabasas
6. Royal
7. Crescenta Valley
8. El Camino Real
9. Oaks Christian
10. Village Christian
OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Valencia, West Ranch, La Canada, Campbell Hall, Sierra Canyon, Chaminade, Notre Dame, Burbank, Chatsworth, Renaissance Academy, Cleveland, Oak Park, Canyon, Moorpark
TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chass Bryan, Oaks Christian, Sr., Guard
Has offers from UC Davis and Cal Poly
Marqueze Coleman, Alemany, Sr., Guard
Headed to Nevada
Zena Edosomwan, Harvard-Westlake, Sr., Forward
Has multiple Pac-12 offers
Kennedy Edwards, Notre Dame, Sr., Forward
Much-improved post threat for Knights
Max Guercy, Alemany, Sr., Guard
Speedy, quick on perimeter with good range
Josh Hearlihy, Harvard-Westlake, Sr., Guard
Versatile threat on his way to Utah
Cole Huff, Campbell Hall, Sr., Forward
Signed with Nevada
Ron Lee, Oak Park, Jr., Guard
Eagles floor leader also an underrated scorer
Jaron Martin, Chaminade, Jr., Guard
A diminutive scoring machine
Christian Misi, Crescenta Valley, Sr., Forward
A load to deal with for Falcons
London Perrantes, Crespi, Jr., Guard
Has offer from San Francisco
Brandon Perry, Taft, Sr., Forward
Committed to Cal State Northridge
Gor Plavchyan, Grant, Sr., Forward
Hard-charging, bruising post player
Jahmel Taylor, Sierra Canyon, Jr., Guard
Can score in bunches
Ryan Wright, Palmdale, Sr., Guard
Exceptional athlete from Golden League
GAMES TO WATCH
Monday-Saturday: Burbank tournament, Campbell Hall tournament, Pasadena tournament, Redondo Union tournament
Tuesday-Saturday: Simi Valley tournament
Dec. 5-10: Beverly Hills tournament, Canyon tournament, Crescenta Valley tournament, Moorpark tournament, Santa Monica tournament, Westchester tournament
Dec. 13: Calabasas at Royal
Dec. 16-22: San Fernando Valley Invitational
Dec. 26-29: Chaminade tournament, La Salle tournament
Dec. 26-30: Torrey Pines tournament
Dec. 27-30: Hart tournament, Oaks Christian tournament
Jan. 6: Loyola at Alemany
Jan. 7: El Camino Real showcase, Providence showcase
Jan. 11: Taft at El Camino Real, Crespi at Alemany
Jan. 13: Harvard-Westlake vs. Loyola at Roybal Learning Center, Crescenta Valley at Pasadena, Valencia at Canyon
Jan. 14: Oaks Christian vs. Village Christian at Taft
Jan. 20: Harvard-Westlake at Crespi
Jan. 21: Alemany at Harvard-Westlake, Providence showcase
Jan. 23: Crespi at Loyola
Jan. 28: Fairfax showcase, Oaks Christian showcase
Feb. 3: Harvard-Westlake vs. Loyola at Valley College
Feb. 4: Alemany showcase, Mater Dei showcase
OTHERS TO WATCH
SENIORS
Coley Apsay, Canyon, Guard
Michael Avery, Crespi, Guard
Jonathan Bell, Notre Dame, Guard
Jack Borenstein, Viewpoint, Guard
Julian Brooks, Sierra Canyon, Forward
Jessy Cantinol, Renaissance Academy, Forward
Emerson Castaneda, St. Francis, Guard
Josh Caton, West Ranch, Forward
Josh Cohan, Calabasas, Forward
Michael Coleman, Alemany, Guard
Darrell Dansby, La Cañada, Guard
Zach Davis, Valencia, Guard
Amonte Dees, Cleveland, Guard
Davis Dragovich, Crescenta Valley, Forward
Andrew Estes, Birmingham, Guard
Terrell Funchess, Chatsworth, Guard
Zack Gardea, St. Francis, Guard
Jeremy Gatewood, Saugus, Guard
Jason Ghilarducci, Oaks Christian, Forward
James Glass, Valencia, Forward
Patrick Gonzalez, Providence, Guard
Kory Hamane, Flintridge Prep, Guard
Troy Hammel, Valencia, Guard
Austin Hawk, Simi Valley, Guard
Josh Horosny, Granada Hills, Guard
Jesse Howell, Sierra Canyon, Forward
Chase Isaacs, Agoura, Guard
Steven Jones, Taft, Guard
Clay Kasdorf, Canyon, Guard
Spencer Levy, Calabasas, Guard
Teddy Linn, Reseda, Guard
Jake Maulhardt, Camarillo, Forward
Zach Miller, Chaminade, Guard
Jason Moore, Cleveland, Guard
Steven Mopsikoff, Highland, Guard
Austin Pope, Burbank, Forward
J.R. Powell, Royal, Guard
Elijah Reed, Bell-Jeff, Guard
Wade Rodriguez, Golden Valley, Guard
Michael Roletti, Oaks Christian, Guard
Justin Rubia, Crespi, Guard
Jordan Russell, Moorpark, Guard
Mitchell Sagely, Moorpark, Guard
Marquis Salmon, Village Christian, Forward
D.J. Saul, Simi Valley, Guard
Montel Shirley, Chatsworth, Guard
Jay Srinivasan, La Cañada, Guard
T.C. Toomey, Hart, Center
J.R. Williams, Cleveland, Guard
JUNIORS
Nick Creber, Royal, Forward
Isaiah Cooper, Vaughn, Guard
Tyler Coppin-Carter, Buckley, Forward
Cole Currie, Crescenta Valley, Guard
Andrew English, Village Christian, Forward
Tanner Fanjoy, Thousand Oaks, Guard
Jorge Flores-Pere, Burroughs, Forward
Jared Harper, Campbell Hall, Guard
Kevin Harris, West Ranch, Guard
Dominic Hernandez, Reseda, Guard
Kareem Ismail, Flintridge Prep, Forward
Ako Kaluna, West Ranch, Forward
Max McCoy, Royal, Guard
Michael Milligan, Crespi, Forward
K.J. Moffett, Alemany, Guard
Jake Myers, Moorpark, Guard
Weston Park, Royal, Forward
Jonny Paul, Viewpoint, Guard
Dakota Pierce, Thousand Oaks, Guard
Kody Riewthong, Cleveland, Guard
Cody Rodino, Sylmar, Guard
Michael Thomas, El Camino Real, Forward
Dom Vargas, Kennedy, Guard
Scott Woods, Royal, Forward
Kris Yanku, Taft, Guard
SOPHOMORES
Bryan Alberts, Village Christian, Guard
Aleksandr Abrams, Oaks Christian, Forward
Richard Bivens, Paraclete, Forward
Brandon Boyd, Alemany, Guard
Larry Bush, Westlake, Guard
Robert Cartwright, Flintridge Prep, Guard
Idrissa Diallo, Ribet Academy, Forward
Justin Eisen, Chaminade, Guard
Jordan Flannery, Oaks Christian, Guard
Maleke Haynes, El Camino Real, Guard
Razhaun "Bear" Henderson, Alemany, Guard
Dean Hendrix-Davis, Canyon, Guard
Max Hoetzel, Calabasas, Guard
Marsalis Johnson, Village Christian, Forward
Jeremy Lieberman, Calabasas, Guard
Derrick Newton, Harvard-Westlake, Forward
Julian Richardson, El Camino Real, Guard
Michael Sheng, Harvard-Westlake, Guard
Shawn Sidhu, Simi Valley, Guard
Austen Smith, Calabasas, Forward
Nick Springer, Crescenta Valley, Guard
Evan Wardlow, El Camino Real, Guard
Jack Williams, Chaminade, Forward
FRESHMEN
Malik Anderson, Alemany, Forward
Trent Atkinson, Royal, Guard
Justin Bessard, Crespi, Forward
Bennie Boatwright, Oaks Christian, Guard
Chris Bounds, Chaminade, Guard
Steven Brotz, Canyon, Guard
Andre Chevalier, Oaks Christian, Guard
Blake Colquitt, Harvard-Westlake, Forward
Alex Copeland, Harvard-Westlake, Guard
Dylan Cuenca, Chaminade, Guard
Kevin Dinges, Renaissance Academy, Guard
Tyler Dorsey, Ribet Academy, Guard
Ryan Ducar, Notre Dame, Guard
Robbie Feinberg, Sierra Canyon, Guard
Myles Franklin, Hart, Guard
Cameron Glassen, Notre Dame, Forward
Tyler Harris, Oaks Christian, Forward
Ryan Hiepler, Oaks Christian, Guard
Aaron Holiday, Campbell Hall, Guard
Kenneth Koffi, Calabasas, Guard
Michael Krkeykan, Crespi, Guard
Noah Levine, Agoura, Guard
Sammy Linn, Crespi, Forward
Conner Longmire, Reseda, Forward
Joel Loth, Chaminade, Forward
Marcus LoVett, Providence, Guard
Landon McBroom, Paraclete, Guard
Bar Milo, Chaminade, Forward
Marquis Moseley, Renaissance Academy, Guard
Cesar Reyes, Notre Dame, Guard
Kahlil Simplis, Campbell Hall, Guard
Kenny Smith, Oaks Christian, Guard
Stone Spellman, Viewpoint, Guard
Ben Taufahema, Canyon, Guard
Chris Terry, Royal, Guard
Justin Waldorf, Sierra Canyon, Guard
11/27/2011
Scout.com: Harper getting ready for official SMU visit
Chris Harper, a three-star wide receiver from Crespi (Encino, Calif.), will join at least six other California prospects on an official visit to SMU this weekend. This will be an important weekend for Harper, as he said he's very interested in SMU, but doesn't have a clear-cut No. 1 right now.
The invitations are going out via email for the 18th Encino Crespi over-the-line tournament started by baseball Coach Scott Muckey in 1994. Last year, there were 44 three-man teams. No need to be an alumnus...just show up and pay!
Date: November 25, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM
Cost is $15.00 per team
11/21/2011
L.A. Times: Jordan Simmons most valuable lineman
Defensive lineman Kyle DeVaughn of Mission Hills Alemany has been selected by the Serra League most valuable player by the coaches.
Eamon McOsker of Loyola was named the defensive MVP. Steven Mitchell of Alemany and Kodi Whitfield of Loyola were the MVPs on offense. Jordan Simmons of Encino Crespi was the most valuable lineman.
First-team all-league offense: OL_Travis Harvey, Loyola, Sr.; Josue Najera, Notre Dame, Sr.; Kyle Sulka, Notre Dame, Jr.; Stephen Hutchinson, Crespi, Jr.; Tyler Ansoms, Alemany, Sr.; John Trice, Alemany, Sr.; WR_Chaz Anderson, Loyola, Sr.; Chris Harper, Crespi, Sr.; Sam Robinson, Notre Dame, Sr.; B_Wyatt Bradford, Loyola, Jr.; Mike Davison, Crespi, Sr.; Khalfani Muhammad, Notre Dame, Jr.; Devon Dunn, Alemany, Jr.; Jalen Moore, Bishop Amat, Sr.; Pat Casserly, Crespi, Jr.
Note: Top 7 teams in each division advance to CIF State Championships. Top 5 individuals not on qualifying teams also advance as long as they place in the top 20.
BOYS
Division IV
Teams: 1. Los Angeles Salesian 95, 2. Rosemead Don Bosco 111, 3. Encino Crespi 131, 4. Big Bear 139, 5. Ojai Nordoff 180, 6. San Juan Capistrano JSerra 181, 7. Fillmore 185.
Individuals: 1. Daniel De La Torre (Pasadena La Salle) 15:24, 2. Bryan Hayes (Big Bear) 15:29, 3. Matt Bloch (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) 15:29, 4. Kyle Bueekert (Sierra Madre Maranatha) 15:32, 5. Aaron de Toledo (Havard/Westlake) 15:34, 6. Angel Barranco (Salesian) 15:36, 7. Gustavo Sanchez (Nordoff) 15:37, 8. Nick Privitelli (Crespi) 15:42. 9. Anthony Allen (Ventura St. Bonaventure) 15:53. 10. J.J. Dominguez (Don Bosco) 15:55.
A new format concentrates many top private schools into what has been labeled a super-division with a few public schools. Some coaches grumble, but an administrator points out that previous formats were criticized too.
By Eric Sondheimer | November 15, 2011, 8:13 a.m.
The Southern Section has released its boys' and girls' basketball playoff divisions, and there are lots of winners and losers.
A new format that places schools in divisions based on a combination of their enrollment and a formula evaluating their last four seasons of performance has created controversy.
Because there's a 1,250-enrollment cutoff to compete in state championships in Division IV, lots of top private schools in the Southern Section have been put in Division 4AA for boys, creating what has been labeled a super-division.
No matter how many championships they win, 4AA is the highest division they can reach because of the enrollment cutoff. And that means 4AA will become what some coaches are calling a private school division, even though there are public schools in the division.
In 4AA this coming season will be powerhouses La Verne Lutheran, Los Angeles Price, Los Angeles Windward, Studio City Harvard-Westlake, Westlake Village Oaks Christian, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon and Encino Crespi. All have won section titles in recent years. Now they'll have to compete among themselves for one title. Lutheran, with 6-foot-10 Arizona-bound Grant Jerrett, is the favorite.
"It's definitely a super division if you want to call it that," Price Coach Michael Lynch said.
Said Crespi Coach Russell White: "I look at it as we had an easier run when we won in 2009. Now we're going to go through a gantlet. If we can get it done, it will make it more valuable."
One problem for coaches this season is that they already scheduled tournament and nonleague games not knowing which teams might be in their division. Price, La Verne Lutheran and Windward are all scheduled to face each other well before the playoffs.
"We have almost everybody on the schedule that's in the division," Lynch said.
The big losers are the public schools stuck in 4AA. Schools such as City of Industry Workman, Twentynine Palms, Malibu, Carpinteria, Laguna Beach and El Segundo will have little chance of competing for a championship. Of course, if they don't do well, they will be moved down a division based on performance in future years. Schools that succeed can't go any higher than 4AA because of the enrollment cap.
In 1AA, private schools Santa Ana Mater Dei and Los Angeles Loyola will take on public-school power Long Beach Poly. Loyola won the 1A championship last season.
"The veil has been lifted," Loyola Coach Jamal Adams said. "We have a good idea what we'll face."
There are also three separate divisions: 3AAA, 3AA and 3A. In 3A is Bellflower St. John Bosco, which could challenge for a championship under former Woodland Hills Taft Coach Derrick Taylor. It will have to get past Mission Hills Alemany.
Rainer Wulf, the assistant commissioner in charge of basketball, said the divisions should produce more competitiveness. As for those who are not happy about the divisions, he said, "If the coaches don't like the system, we can go back to straight enrollment, which they hate. We can go back to strength of league, which they hated even more."
This new format is a "hybrid" of previous formats, taking into account a school's enrollment along with recent success in basketball.
It's going to take some getting used to and it remains to be seen if this format will bring forth quality championship games in multiple divisions.
In girls' basketball, 1AA is clearly the best, with Mater Dei, Long Beach Poly, Brea Olinda, Orange Lutheran and Long Beach Wilson.
The Southern Section has released its basketball playoff divisions, and in boys' basketball, Division 4AA looks stronger than 1AA.
Division 4AA includes La Verne Lutheran, Harvard-Westlake, Los Angeles Price, Encino Crespi, Los Angeles Windward, Oaks Christian, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon and Compton Centennial, all of whom have won section titles in recent years.
Los Angeles Loyola was moved up from 1A to 1AA, joining Santa Ana Mater Dei and Long Beach Poly.
"The veil has been lifted," Loyola Coach Jamal Adams said. "We have a good idea what we'll face."
There's also separate divisions for 3AAA, 3AA and 3A. More chances for public schools to win titles now that the private schools got mostly put into one division. St. John Bosco was put in 3A, so beware. Former Taft Coach Derrick Taylor just might win a title in his rookie season if he can knock off Alemany.
Two of the undefeated teams in the L.A. North Top 10 earned No. 1 seeds in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs. Westlake, as expected, is the top seed in the Northern Division playoffs. Sierra Canyon is No. 1 in the East Valley Division playoffs.
Ventura, the other undefeated team in the L.A. North top 10, is the No. 4 seed in the Western Division playoffs.
It was a rough end to the regular season for a few teams in the top 10. Crespi lost to Loyola in the Serra League season finale, then lost coin flips to determine the third and final team from the Serra League to advance to the Pac-5 Division playoffs.
Chaminade lost to Gardena Serra in the Mission League season finale and dropped from the No. 1 to the No. 3 seed in the Western Division playoffs.
Simi Valley cracked the top 10 for the first time this season and proceeded to lose to Moorpark in the Marmonte League finale and ultimately was eliminated from playoff contention in the Northern Division on coin flips.
Here is a look at the L.A. North top 10:
(1) Westlake (10-0) – Coach Jim Benkert will never admit it, but his team comfortably beat St. Bonaventure, 35-14, in the Marmonte League championship game. Quarterback Justin Moore picked apart the St. Bonaventure defense throwing for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 69 yards and scored the last touchdown of the game on a quarterback sneak.
(2) Alemany (8-2) – Receiver Steven Mitchell had a huge game, catching nine passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns, in Alemany’s 21-14 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the Serra League finale. Maybe a little too close for comfort for coach Dean Herrington, but Alemany earned the No. 4 seed in the Pac-5 Division playoffs with the Serra League championship and an undefeated record in league play.
(5) Oaks Christian (8-2) – With a 42-7 win over Newbury Park and a St. Bonaventure loss to Westlake in the Marmonte League finales, Oaks Christian earned the No. 2 seed in the Northern Division playoffs. The reigning Northern Division champs went up 42-0 at halftime behind four touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Brandon Dawkins.
(6) Ventura (10-0) – The Cougars didn’t play last week, polishing off the Channel League championship with a 41-0 shutout over San Marcos two weeks ago. The Cougars have had two weeks to prepare for the start of the Western Division playoffs. They will look to extend a perfect season and make a run at a CIF championship.
(3) St. Bonaventure (7-3) – The 1-2 punch of Shaun Wick and Zack Green wasn’t as effective as anticipated against Westlake. Green rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns, but Wick was a little nicked up and only gained 22 yards on 10 carries. If St. Bonaventure faces Westlake again with a healthier Wick, it might be a different outcome.
(4) Chaminade (8-2) – Instead of heading into the Western Division playoffs with a seven-game winning streak and the Mission League championship, Chaminade stumbled across the finish line in a surprising 35-29 loss to Gardena Serra. Chaminade is the No. 3 seed in the Western Division playoffs and won’t have to play Serra again until the championship game. That is if both teams make it through their brackets.
(7) Sierra Canyon (10-0) – The Trailblazers capped their first Alpha League championship with a 48-0 shutout over Calvary Chapel of Downey. They are the No. 1 seed in the East Valley Division playoffs and have their sights set on their first CIF football championship.
(9) Highland (8-1) – The Bulldogs beat Lancaster, 55-13, in the Golden League finale and earned a share of the league championship with Quartz Hill. Quarterback Christian Tago threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns and scored two rushing touchdowns. Highland has won five games in a row and hasn’t lost since Oct. 7 to Quartz Hill.
(8) Crespi (7-3) – The hard-luck Celts had about as bad a weekend as a football team can have. They blew a 15-point lead and lost to Loyola in overtime in the Serra League finale. They finished in a three-way tie for third place with Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Bishop Amat in the Serra League standings. Only one team advanced to the Pac-5 Division playoffs and Crespi lost out to Bishop Amat after a coin flip because of the Celts' loss to the Lancers' earlier.
(NR) Moorpark (6-4) – The Musketeers had about as good a weekend as a football team can have. They shut out Simi Valley, 20-0, in the Marmonte League finale and forced a three-way tie for fourth place with Simi and Thousand Oaks in the league standings. The top five teams in the Marmonte earned playoff berths in the Northern Division. Moorpark and Thousand Oaks advanced on coin flips and the Musketeers were the last team from the Marmonte League with a playoff berth.
11/12/2011
Daily News: Season ends in heartbreak for Crespi
What a brutal ending to Crespi's season. The Celts were flying high in the Serra League before losing their final three games, finishing with a 30-28 loss to league champion Alemany, followed by a 36-35 overtime loss Friday to second-place Loyola.
A late field goal was the difference against Alemany, and a missed extra point by Crespi in overtime was the difference against Loyola.
Then a three-way coin flip to finish Crespi for good.
"We should have taken care of it on the field," Crespi coach Jon Mack said. "But if you think about it, we were a field goal and an extra point away from winning the league title."
Instead, the Celts will miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Bishop Amat started the week in last place and had a bye.
Interestingly, the Lancers had requested the just-in-case coin flip to be conducted Monday so the Lancers would not have to practice with no incentive. The request was denied, but luckily, Bishop Amat got the last laugh.
Chaminade on a Mission
Chaminade was ranked No.1 in the Western Division ahead of No. 3 Serra before the teams met Friday in the Mission League finale.
Now that Serra is the league champion after upsetting the visiting Eagles 35-29, it will be interesting to see how far Chaminade drops today when playoff pairings are released.
"I'm thinking Serra should be No. 1, Arroyo Grande should be No. 2 and we should be No. 3," Chaminade coach Ed Croson said. "I think Arroyo Grande has earned the No. 2 spot because they made it to the final last year, and they only have one loss. But I think we have a good team, too. We have as good a chance as anyone."
St. Francis (8-2) finished third in the six-team Mission League and has lost only to Serra and Chaminade, but the Golden Knights are technically an at-large hopeful because only two Mission teams earn automatic berths because there are six leagues in the Western Division compared to five in most other divisions.
But it's just a technicality because St. Francis is the most qualified, and there are four at-large slots available.
"The Mission League is the toughest league in the division," St. Francis coach Jim Bonds said. "We've already played Serra and Chaminade, and I think that gives us an advantage. We feel good about our chances, and I think we can do some damage."
Big game, big impact
Burroughs is the Pacific League champion for the third year in a row after clinching the title Friday with a 34-7 victory over neighborhood rival Burbank in the "Big Game" -- which was moved to Arcadia High this season because of construction.
"The game is something I will remember for my entire life," Burroughs defensive back Eli Peppmuller said. "There's nothing better than beating your crosstown rival for the league championship."
Easy as 1-2-3
In the Northern Division, it's going to be tough for the seeding committee to come up with something that makes sense besides rankingMarmonte powers Westlake No. 1, Oaks Christian No. 2 and St.Bonaventure No. 3.
Westlake is a no-brainer. Defending champion Oaks Christian's two losses have come to opponents with a combined 21-0 record (one was to Westlake, of course), and St. Bonaventure has lost only to Westlake and Oaks Christian.
Oaks Christian is trying to win its eighth section title over the past nine seasons.
"It's time for the playoffs, so there is no more messing around," Oaks Christian linebacker Cole Taylor said. "It's time to go to work."
Not quite
Simi Valley was hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 1992, but the Pioneers lost 20-0 at Moorpark in a finale the visiting Pioneers had to win to earn an automatic berth. After finishing among three tied for fourth, Simi Valley lost a coinflip.
The Pioneers probably won't be granted the Northern Division's one at-large berth because Hart, which finished fourth in the Foothill League, is clearly more deserving based on the section's criteria.
"We played hard but Moorpark was the better team that night," Simi Valley linebacker Reece Schmidt said. "We're still hoping for an at-large berth, and if we get it we won't let that chance slip away."
Brains and brawn
For the second season in a row since moving up from the lesser Del Rey League and the lightly regarded Northwest Division, Harvard-Westlake took its licks in the Mission League, finishing in fifth place with an overall record of 5-5, 1-4.
"Although we improved immensely, we must gain physical strength to maintain the stamina to finish strong," Harvard-Westlake coach Vic Eumont said.
On the bright side, junior Chad Kanoff had a breakout season, passing for 2,603 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Daily News Top 20 rankings
1. Westlake (10-0) - High-powered Warriors are like a buzzsaw
2. Oaks Christian (8-2) - Losses to opponents with combined 21-0 record
3. Alemany (8-2) - Now hard part begins with Pac-5 playoffs
4. Valencia (6-4) - Hard-hitting Vikings have three shutouts
5. Chaminade (8-2) - Must rebound after loss to Serra in finale
6. Canyon (9-1) - Cowboys are 21-3 over past two seasons
7. Crespi (7-3) - Season is over after loss, then coin flip
8. St. Francis (8-2) - Golden Knights have one playoff win since 2005
9. Hart (7-3) - Northern at-large berth should be sure thing
10. Notre Dame (6-4) - Knights miss Pac-5 playoffs again
11. Moorpark (6-4) - Not expecting favorable draw in playoffs
12. Quartz Hill (8-2) - Playoffs big step up from Golden League
13. Highland (8-1) - Has momentum of first league title in 14 years
14. Simi Valley (6-4) - Only hope is to beat out Hart for at-large spot
15. Birmingham (8-2) - Don't be surprised if Pats make playoff impact
16. Saugus (6-4) - Needs to toughen up on defense to stick around
17. Thousand Oaks (6-4) - Still a dangerous first-round opponent
18. Sierra Canyon (10-0) - Big-time program in small-time division
19. Arleta (9-1) - Ready to hang with big boys in City Div. I
Zander Anding, RB, Burroughs - In yet another spectacular performance, Anding rushed for 360 yards on 30 carries and scored four touchdowns in 35-7 win over Burbank at Arcadia High, giving Zander 2,468 yards and a school-record 30 TDs - the senior's fifth 300-yard performance and his seventh of 222 yards or more. He has 2,464 yards in nine games.
Scott Maxwell, DB, Village Christian - Maxwell intercepted three passes, returning one 98 yards for a touchdown in a 25-14 win over Whittier Christian - the opponent that knocked Village Christian out the playoffs last season. Village Christian needed the win to remain qualified for a possible at-large berth in the playoffs.
Randle Williams, KR, Kennedy - Williams returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown with 42 seconds left in a 17-14 win over visiting Sylmar.
Unsung hero
Cesar Vega, PK, Canoga Park - Vega kicked a 44-yard field goal with 1 minute, 48 seconds left in 17-14 win at San Fernando to secure second place in the Valley Mission League. Vega, a junior, has three field goals this season.
They said it
"I was running out of juice at the end."
- DASHON HUNT, Westlake running back, on nearly getting caught from behind on a 70-yard touchdown in a 35-14 win over St. Bonaventure
11/12/2011
C.I.F. Division IV Cross Country Prelims Results, Mt. SAC
Individuals *Individual Qualifiers For CIF–SS Finals
1.Daniel De La Torre (La Salle) 14:52*; 2. Matt Bloch (Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks) 14:56; 3. Nick Privitelli (Crespi) 15:01; 4. Christopher Bates (Whittier Christian) 15:02; 5. Bryan Hayes (Big Bear) 15:03
Team Qualifiers For CIF-SS Finals
1. Don Bosco 67; 2. Crespi 69; 3. Big Bear 94; 4. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks 112; 5. Twentynine Palms 131; 6. San Marino 154; 7. Laguna Beach 156; 8. Whittier Christian 214
Heat 2
Individuals *Individual Qualifiers For CIF–SS Finals
1. Kyle Bueckert (Maranatha) 14:58; 2. Anthony Allen (St.Bonaventure) 15:14*; 3. Aaron de Toledo (Harvard-Westlake) 15:24; 4. Robert Blackwell (Costa Mesa) 15:28*; 5. Gustavo Sanchez (Nordhoff) 15:28; 6. Sean Pino (Crean Lutheran South) 15:29; 7. Billy Vedrin (Morro Bay) 15:30*; 9. Dillon Murphy (Paraclete) 15:35* ; 10 Kyle Willis (JSerra) 15:37
Team Qualifiers For CIF-SS Finals
1. JSerra 67; 2. Fillmore 75; 3. Crean Lutheran South 121; 4. Salesian 140; 5. Havard-Westlake 142; 6. Santa Ynez 150; 7. Nordhoff 174; 8. Maranatha 196
11/11/2011
Daily News: Crespi takes two painful losses: one to Loyola, other to coin flip that ends its season
Crespi's Corey Peoples, right, is congratulated by teammates after recovering a Loyola fumble and running it in for a touchdown on Friday, Novemeber 11, 2011, at Valley College. (Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer)
All Crespi High needed to do was win.
A victory Friday over Loyola in the Serra League finale would have meant a Southern Section Pac-5 Division automatic playoff berth. But instead, Crespi blew a 15-point lead and missed three extra-point kicks, including one in overtime that proved a killer, as the visiting Celts lost 36-35 in a heartbreaker at Valley College.
Crespi (7-3, 1-3) suffered more disappointment following the game when it lost a three-way coin flip with Notre Dame (6-4, 1-3) and Bishop Amat (6-4, 1-3) for third place and the league's final automatic postseason bid. Bishop Amat will join Alemany (8-2, 4-0) and Loyola (8-2, 3-1) in the Pac-5 playoffs, which awards no at-large bids in the 16-team bracket.
Alemany defeated Notre Dame 21-14 on Friday.
With the score tied at 29, Crespi scored first in overtime on Cody Cordell's 1-yard run, but the extra-point kick was pulled left, leaving the Celts with a vulnerable six-point lead. Loyola answered when Nicolas Cotton hit Kodi Whitfield on a 25-yard touchdown pass, followed by Conrad Ukropina's successful point-after kick, setting off a massive celebration.
"I'm just upset. It was a heartbreaker," Crespi safety Tyler Foreman said. "I can't believe we lost this game."
Crespi (7-3) was penalized 12 times for 123 yards, as two touchdowns were called back.
"You've seen my team so many times. Have you ever seen us called for so many penalties?" Crespi coach Jon Mack asked. "It's hard to play against a 12th man."
Cordell completed 15 of 21 for 251 yards and a touchdown. Terrence Williams added 97 yards rushing and a touchdown on 20 carries, and he also had five receptions for 79 yards.
Cotton was 16 of 29 for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and Whitfield had five catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
"It came down to rehearsal. We've practiced being in that situation so many times," Whitfield said. "That's why I wasn't
nervous."
Crespi head coach Jon Mack gives an earful to Sean Lemoto after he was penalized during their game against Loyola on Friday, Novemeber 11, 2011, at Valley College. (Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer)
Crespi built a 22-7 lead in the first quarter, and it looked like the Celts might run away with it by halftime. But Loyola scored on Cotton's 32-yard pass to Eamon McOsker with eight seconds left in the first half to cut the lead to 22-14.
After waiting two weeks to play a game because of a bye, Crespi did not take long to score on its first possession. On the second play from scrimmage, Williams scored on a 44-yard run, breaking through a nice hole up the middle and darting past a couple of tacklers.
Crespi scored again on its next possession on Pat Cassley's 38-yard field goal.
After Loyola scored on Cotton's 12-yard pass to Whitfield to pull Loyola to withing 10-7, Crespi extended the advantage by driving 80 yards on 10 plays, scoring onCordell's 1-yard run. The key play was Cordell's 38-yard pass to Mike Davison.
Crespi added another touchdown on Corey Peoples' 27-yard fumble return. Peoples picked up the football in mid air when Cotton lost control on a jarring hit by Raymond Davison.
The invitations are going out via email for the 18th Encino Crespi over-the-line tournament started by baseball Coach Scott Muckey in 1994. Last year, there were 44 three-man teams.
This year's tournament is set for Nov. 25 and begins at 10 a.m.
"It's a circus," Muckey said.
Lots of ex-Crespi players show up and desperately want to leave as a champion. But you don't have to be an ex-Crespi player to particpate. Cost is $15 per team.
It's always good to see who still has some competitive spirit in them. Even Crespi's athletic director, Matt Luderer, has been known to participate. He's a member of the over-the-line hall of fame.
-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times
11/9/2011
L.A. Times: Bishop Amat wanted coin flip before Friday
La Puente Bishop Amat is in limbo this week. The Lancers have a bye and won't know if they will get a chance to participate in a coin flip to decide third place in the Serra League until after Friday's results involving other teams.
Coach Steve Hagerty wanted to hold coin flips with Encino Crespi and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame well before Friday to determine if the Lancers should even practice this week.
But the league coordinator, Stephanie Contreras of Flintridge Sacred Heart, said she asked Notre Dame and Crespi if they wanted to do the coin flips before Friday's games. They rejected the idea. Contreras said the league has always waited to do coin flips following the last games.
And that's a good idea. Imagine if word leaked that a team had lost the coin flip and was out of the playoff hunt.
So if Notre Dame and Crespi both lose on Friday, they will tie with Bishop Amat, requiring coin flips to decide third place. And that will occur Friday night. So get your lucky charms ready.
-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times
11/7/2011
ESPN L.A. North: Five things from weekend
Let’s try to make sense of some of the league standings and playoff possibilities on this all-important week of regular season finales. First, the Serra League. Alemany, with a 28-14 win over Loyola, already has at least a share of the league title. The Warriors have yet to lose a Serra League game since joining last year. They are in the Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs regardless of what happens Friday night. The other two teams from the Serra League that will make the playoffs is anyone’s guess. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Loyola actually control their destiny. If Loyola beats Crespi, the Cubs are in the playoffs and the Celts are out. If Notre Dame beats Alemany, the Knights are in and Crespi and Bishop Amat are out. “Notre Dame is a solid team,” Alemany coach Dean Herrington said after the Loyola game. “They might be playing for a playoff spot. We gotta come ready to play.” Amat is on a bye and needs a lot of help to make the playoffs. The Lancers are 1-3 in league but can still get in if Notre Dame and Crespi lose. Amat, Crespi and Notre Dame would each have 1-3 records in league and coin flips would decide which team makes the playoffs. The Pac-5 Division has no wild-card berths, which means some very good teams are going to see their seasons end prematurely.
The playoff picture in the Marmonte League is a little more clear but not by much. Westlake heads into its season finale with St. Bonaventure with an 8-0 league record and all alone in first place. St. Bonaventure is tied for second place with Oaks Christian at 7-1. Believe it or not, Oaks Christian still has a chance to win a share of the Marmonte League title if the Seraphs, at home at Ventura High School on Thursday night, can beat Westlake. Whichever team wins the Marmonte League title will most likely earn the top seeding in the Southern Section Northern Division playoffs. The last guaranteed playoff spot from the Marmonte League will go to either Moorpark or Thousand Oaks. Both teams are tied for fifth place with 4-4 records. Moorpark is home against Simi Valley, the surprise of the Marmonte League and sitting comfortably in fourth place. Thousand Oaks ends the Marmonte League schedule at home against Calabasas, a team that hasn’t won a league game all season.
Three teams are tied for first place in the Foothill League. Valencia, Saugus and Canyon head into the league finales with 3-1 records. Canyon has the easiest road to the league championship. The Cowboys play Golden Valley, a team that hasn’t won a league game since joining in 2006. Valencia and Saugus play at College of the Canyons on Friday night. The winner most likely earns a share of the league championship. The loser might be at the mercy of a coin flip to determine its playoff fate. Hart, all of a sudden in fourth place in league and fighting for a playoff spot, can move into the picture with a win over West Ranch. Hart is 2-2 in league after blowing a 10-point lead and losing to Canyon last week. The loser of the Valencia-Saugus game will be 3-2 and possibly in a tie for third place with Hart when the Foothill League season ends.
The Mission League has its own drama. Chaminade and Gardena Serra come into the Mission League finale with undefeated 4-0 records. Serra has home-field advantage, but Chaminade has been crushing Mission League teams. The Eagles have shut out two of their Mission League opponents and are coming off a 33-0 win over Cathedral. Serra, the reigning Mission League champion, dropped a season-high 70 points on Harvard-Westlake last week. Not only will the winner take the Mission League championship, but most likely earn the top seeding in the Southern Section Western Division playoffs. Chaminade is the top-ranked team in the Western Division. Serra is ranked No. 3.
Finally, out in the West Valley League, Birmingham pulled off a stunning, 48-7, win over El Camino Real to move into first place with an undefeated 4-0 record. El Camino lost its first league game of the season and saw its three-game winning streak snapped. Birmingham can wrap up the West Valley League championship with a win over Reseda Cleveland, a team that has not won a league game all season. But even with a win, Birmingham will have a tough time in the City Section Division I playoffs. The Patriots might not be seeded higher than fifth, behind San Pedro, Narbonne, Dorsey and Venice. With strong showings in their season finales, Carson or Crenshaw could jump over Birmingham in the playoff seedings. It would be nice to see some respect dished out to the West Valley.
Westlake, Ventura and Sierra Canyon, the three undefeated teams in the L.A. North top 10, had impressive wins over the weekend.
Westlake won big, as expected, over an Agoura team that has won only one game all season.
Ventura completed its first undefeated regular season since 1984 and won its first Channel League championship since 1996.
Sierra Canyon added a touch of legitimacy to its undefeated record with a 10-point win over Alpha League rival Paraclete, the reigning Southern Section East Valley Division champion.
Here's a look at how the L.A. North top 10 fared:
(1) Westlake (9-0) – The Warriors dismantled Agoura, 45-9, behind a nearly perfect game from quarterback Justin Moore. He completed 12-of-13 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran in a touchdown in Westlake's prep game for the Marmonte League finale with St. Bonaventure.
(2) Alemany (7-2) – Maybe those two one-point losses are producing some dividends. Tied 14-14 in the fourth quarter, Alemany scored two touchdowns in the final minute to beat Loyola, 28-14, and improve to 3-0 in the Serra League. The Warriors are guaranteed at least a share of the league title. A win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Friday night, by no means a gimme in the eyes of Warriors quarterback Devon Dunn, and Alemany will win its second Serra League title in a row.
(4) St. Bonaventure (8-1) – The Seraphs didn’t mess around against Calabasas. St. Bonaventure was up 29-0 after the first quarter and 53-7 at halftime en route to a 60-7 win. Shaun Wick carried the ball four times, scored two touchdowns and gained 125 yards. That’s 31.2 yards per carry if you're keeping score at home. It's safe to say the Seraphs are ready for their game against Westlake on Thursday night.
(3) Chaminade (8-1) – No disrespect to Chaminade, 33-0 winners over Cathedral, but the Mission League has been anything but challenging for the Eagles. Chaminade was up 30-0 at halftime, cruised to its sixth win in a row and has outscored its Mission League opponents 150-19. Chaminade travels to play Gardena Serra, also 4-0 in the Mission League, on Friday night.
(5) Oaks Christian (7-2) – Two close calls in a row, but Oaks Christian keeps on winning. This time the Lions needed a last-minute field goal to beat Moorpark, 17-14, and keep pace with St. Bonaventure in the Marmonte League standings. Oaks Christian wraps up Marmonte League action against Newbury Park on Thursday night.
(7) Ventura (10-0) – Not only did Ventura shut out San Marcos, 41-0, to win its first Channel League championship in five years, the Cougars completed their first undefeated regular season in 27 years. The 1984 Ventura football team went 9-0-1. The only other Ventura football team that was undefeated after 10 games was the 1951 team that went 10-0-2. Ventura awaits the Southern Section Western Division playoff pairings and perhaps an eventual showdown with Chaminade.
(8) Sierra Canyon (9-0) – The Trailblazers have lost only two games in the last two seasons. Both times it was to Paraclete. Sierra Canyon was tested but came away with a 36-26 win over its Alpha League nemesis. The two teams will most likely meet again in the Southern Section East Valley Division playoffs in a rematch of the championship game from a year ago.
(6) Crespi (4-3) – The Celts could only sit back and wait for the Serra League drama to unfold Friday night. Crespi was on a bye and awaiting Loyola in the league finale. Alemany, meanwhile, knocked Loyola into second place in the league standings. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame pulled off the upset of the night with a dramatic, 17-12, win over Bishop Amat. Now Crespi actually has a shot at the playoffs, despite a 1-2 record in league. A Crespi win over Loyola, combined with an Alemany win over Notre Dame, will put Crespi, Alemany and Loyola in the Pac-5 Division playoffs. It will be coin flipapalooza if Loyola and Notre Dame win.
(9) Highland (7-1) – The Bulldogs won their fourth game in a row and scored a season-high 53 points against Antelope Valley. Quarterback Christian Tago threw three touchdown passes and running back Leonard Meriweather scored three rushing touchdowns. Highland is tied with Quartz Hill with 5-1 records atop the Golden League standings. The Bulldogs wrap up Golden League play against a 1-8 Lancaster team on Thursday night.
(NR) Simi Valley (6-3) – After a 33-9 win over Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley is in position to make the playoffs. The Pioneers defense came up big against the Lancers, forcing six turnovers and returning two interceptions for touchdowns. Simi Valley recorded five sacks and scored a safety. The Pioneers are on the road against Moorpark in their Marmonte League finale on Thursday night.
11/6/2011
L.A. Times: Playoff intrigue in Trinity and Serra leagues
It's the final week of the regular season, and only a few playoff spots remain to be decided in the powerful Pac-5 Division. Here's how things look in the Trinity and Serra leagues.
Anaheim Servite (8-1, 4-0) and Santa Margarita (8-1, 3-1) are in. Bellflower St. John Bosco (6-3, 2-2) gets third place if it beats Orange Lutheran (6-3, 1-3). But an Orange Lutheran win, combined with a victory by Santa Ana Mater Dei (3-6, 1-3) over JSerra (4-5, 1-3) would enable Orange Lutheran to make the playoffs, since the Lancers would own wins over St. John Bosco and Mater Dei.
If JSerra were to beat Mater Dei and end up in a three-way tie for third, then coin flips would be needed.
In the Serra League, Mission Hills Alemany (7-2, 3-0) and Los Angeles Loyola (7-2, 2-1) are in. Loyola plays Encino Crespi (7-2, 1-2) and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (6-3, 1-2) plays Alemany. La Puente Bishop Amat (6-4, 1-3) has a bye.
If Loyola and Alemany each win, there will be a three-way tie for the final playoff spot among Notre Dame, Crespi and Bishop Amat, resulting in a coin flip. If Crespi wins, it qualifies, along with Loyola, because each has beaten Notre Dame. So Notre Dame needs Loyola to beat Crespi no matter what.
-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times
11/6/2011
H2O Polo makes playoff for 1st time since '04
The Agoura boys' water polo team was the only local program to earn a top seed in its division, leading 16 area entries that secured berths in the Southern Section playoffs Sunday.
The Chargers (23-4) made sure they did not share the Marmonte League title this year, sweeping Royal to create more space between themselves and the rest of Div. IV.
The third-seeded Highlanders (20-7) are looking for revenge from last year's 9-7 championship loss to Agoura, but Royal slipped behind No.2 Righetti in the 23-team draw. The Highlanders will need big production from senior driver Cody Moore in a possible semifinal rematch against the Warriors, who defeated Royal 12-10 at the Villa Park tournament Oct. 1, before they get another opportunity to face the Chargers.
Adam Abdulhamid and Danny McClintick will be looked to once again to help Agoura keep the championship trophy. Both teams receive a first-round bye, one of nine teams in Div. IV to advance to Thursday's second round.
Thousand Oaks (20-8), Westlake (20-10) and Newbury Park (12-13) all play Tuesday.
One of the most significant storylines in Div. V is that Pacific League champion Glendale is in and seeded fifth, with Crescenta Valley (9-18), a semifinalist last year, needing to win a wild-card match Tuesday just to play No. 4 La Serna in the first round Wednesday.
The Nitros defeated Hoover (18-5) for their first league title since 2002. This is Glendale's best chance for the title
in recent history, as the Nitros defeated top-seeded Bonita 10-9 on Oct. 21, and could face the Bearcats in a possible semifinal rematch.
The Nitros (22-7) face Webb in the first round in a rematch of a 2009 semifinal setback.
Oaks Christian (12-9) received a higher seed in the Div. VI playoffs than Tri-Valley League rival Malibu. The teams split regular-season matches, but the Lions took advantage of the Rose Bowl rule and secured the No. 4 seed since they have not made it to the championship game in program history.
Malibu (20-6-1) received the sixth seed, but with top-seeded Beaumont in the same half of the bracket as Oaks Christian, the Sharks might have gotten the better draw.
Malibu's biggest hurdle would be No. 2 Rio Mesa in the semifinals, which would be the ninth meeting between the teams in the past three years.
La Cañada is making its fourth consecutive attempt to capture the Div. III title as the No. 4 seed with new coach Stephen Neville, a former Spartans standout.
La Cañada (20-7) defeated Mira Costa 9-7 on Oct. 7 in a rematch of last year's quarterfinals. The teams could play again in the semifinals.
Harvard-Westlake earned the No. 7 seed in Div. I, the same recognition as last year and quite likely the same fate. The Wolverines have a possible matchup against second-seeded Newport Harbor in the quarterfinals.
Brian Flacks, a former Wolverines standout and first-year coach, and senior Alec Zwaneveld would have to take on former Harvard-Westlake coach Robert Lynn to make a run for its first title in nine years.
Notre Dame and Crespi will compete in Div. I wild-card matches Tuesday, along with Burbank, Crescenta Valley and Flintridge Prep in Div. V.
Earlier in the season, Cami Chapus was on a recruiting trip to Georgetown when the Harvard-Westlake cross country program produced two individual winners at a Mission League dual meet for the first time in school history Oct. 6 at Woodley Park.
At Wednesday's league finals at Crescenta Valley Park, Chapus made sure she was in on the act.
Chapus became the first Harvard-Westlake girls' runner to win four league titles and fellow senior Aaron de Toledo became the Wolverines' first boys' league champion.
Chapus covered the 3-mile course in 18 minutes, 2 seconds to lead the Wolverines, who scored 36 points to win their fourth consecutive title.
"I wanted to run a hard race and push myself today," Chapus said.
"I didn't want to cruise. Knowing this is the last time I would run at C.V. Park, I wanted to feel like I ran a race. It was exciting to finish my Mission League career."
Amy Weissenbach finished second in 19:23 and Yasmin Moreno came in ninth at 20:37 for Harvard-Westlake.
Behind a third-place finish from Kazia Mermel (19:42), Notre Dame took second with 45 points. Stephanie LaFace (20:19) was sixth and Andrea Aksentijevic (20:25) placed eighth for the Knights.
Flintridge Sacred Heart, led by Stephanie Vargas (19:47) in fourth and Riley Gilmartin (20:07) in fifth, was third with 51 points.
In winning the boys' title in 15:38, de Toledo ended Loyola's run of 10 straight individual championships.
Crespi's Robert Kubler captured the title in 2000, before Mark Matusak began the Cubs' run the following year.
Loyola's Jared Jones held the lead entering the final kilometer, but was passed by a determined de Toledo, who gave Harvard-Westlake two individual league winners for the second time this season.
"I heard my team chanting and I knew I had to make my move," de Toledo said. "With a mile left I was surrounded by guys from Loyola. I could sense they were going to make a move. I just kept up with the pace and made my move. Loyola is as good a team as we will see in our division. Yes, they are good, but they are not unbeatable."
It was strong response for de Toledo following a lackluster performance in the Div. IV sweepstakes race Oct. 21 at the Mount SAC Invitational.
"I went into Mount SAC with heavy legs and not well rested after a hard workout earlier that week," de Toledo said. "I know I am in good shape. I knew I could've run a lot better than I did. It was important to come out and run a good race today."
Loyola placed five runners in the top 10 to win a 13th straight team title with 24 points, followed by Crespi (73) and Harvard-Westlake (83).
Nick Privitelli (16:17) placed seventh and Alex MacMiller (16:21) came in ninth for Crespi.
Matt Bloch (16:15) was Notre Dame's top finisher in sixth place and Colin Peterson of St. Francis placed eighth in 16:18.
Alemany's Marcelo Rosales earned all-league honors with an 11th-place finish in 16:25.
11/2/2011
Boise State Offers Top 2013 DB
Boise State Offers Top 2013 DB
By Jared Crews
BroncoCountry Staff Reporter
Date: Nov 2, 2011
Crespi HS DB Tyler Foreman (Encino, CA) is projected to be one of the top DB prospects in Southern California for the 2013 class and just recently picked up his second offer as Boise State put an offer on the table just last week. So, what are his thoughts on the offer? And his current season thus far? He spoke to BroncoCountry.com about that and more.
Twenty-one of last week's ranked teams won, making for minimal noise in our weekly top 25 rankings. Encino Crespi took the hardest fall -- from 18 to 25 -- following its loss to defending Serra League champion Alemany. The rankings heading into Week 9:
1. Servite (7-1)
Timely defense and a relentless running attack helped the Friars come back from two deficits on Friday. Quarterback Cody Pittman praised his physical offensive line. Last week: Beat St. John Bosco, 35-27. Next: vs. Mater Dei at Angel Stadium, Friday.
2. Westlake (8-0)
Running backs coach Ellis Green got a great birthday present from his group, led by tailback Zach Mumford. Quarterback Justin Moore continued his hot streak, passing for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Last week: Beat Newbury Park, 49-3. Next: vs. Agoura, Friday.
3. St. Bonaventure (7-1)
The dynamic duo of Shaun Wick and Zack Green keeps getting it done for the Seraphs. The running backs combined for 256 yards and four touchdowns Friday, and Marc Evans was good through the air. Last week: Beat Thousand Oaks, 50-3. Next: at Calabasas, Friday.
4. Corona Centennial (7-1)
Romello Goodman ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns and Hayden Gavett once again eclipsed the 200-yard passing mark. The improving defense allowed just two field goals. Last week: Beat Corona, 49-6. Next: vs. Roosevelt, Friday.
5. Long Beach Poly (7-1)
The Jackrabbits earned their first shutout of the season, showing no signs of rust following a bye week. Nick Pope was impressive in place of quarterback the injured Chaiyse Hales (concussion). Last week: Beat Millikan, 54-0. Next: at Long Beach Wilson, Friday.
6. Santa Margarita (7-1)
Tailback Ryan Wolpin rushed for 169 yards and scored four touchdowns, and the Eagles avoided a letdown before the two remaining league games. Last week: Beat JSerra, 42-14. Next: vs. St. John Bosco at Saddleback College, Friday.
7. Redlands East Valley (8-0)
There were concerns hovering over the offense's productivity, but the Wildcats scored plenty Friday. The defense has not given up more than 14 points in any game this year. Last week: Beat Eisenhower, 34-14. Next: vs. Fontana at Citrus Valley High, Friday.
8. Mission Viejo (6-2)
Buzzy Yokoyama, who had been sidelined because of a foot injury, returned to the lineup and scored two early touchdowns. The Diablos jumped out to a 23-0 lead at halftime. Last week: Beat San Clemente, 29-21. Next: vs. Tesoro, Friday.
9. Vista Murrieta (3-5)
Having to forfeit five nonleague wins earlier in the week didn't appear to affect the Broncos' psyche when they took the field Friday. Junior running back Su'a Cravens rushed for three touchdowns. Last week: Beat Great Oak, 45-24. Next: vs. Murrieta Valley, Friday.
10. Upland (8-0)
Talk about efficiency. The Highlanders scored on six of their first seven possessions Friday, blowing past a helpless Glendora team to set up a battle for Baseline League title. Last week: Beat Glendora, 49-3. Next: vs. Los Osos, Friday.
11. Oaks Christian (6-2)
It was far from pretty, but the Lions made up for the sloppiness by playing well defensively. Their inefficiency in the red zone could be a concern, especially this late in the season. Last week: Beat Simi Valley, 38-7. Next: vs. Moorpark, Friday.
12. Alemany (6-2)
It will be far from easy but the Warriors can successfully defend their Serra League title with a victory Friday. Devon Dunn-led Alemany seems to be hitting its stride at the right time. Last week: Beat Crespi, 30-28. Next: vs. Loyola, Friday.
13. Loyola (7-1)
The defense came up big, helping the Cubs earn a crucial Serra League win on the road. They benefited from the return of Chaz Anderson, a versatile athlete who had been down because of a knee injury. Last week: Beat Bishop Amat, 14-3. Next: at Alemany, Friday.
14. San Clemente (8-1)
The misery continued as the Tritons saw their losing streak to Mission Viejo extend to 11 games. They fell behind 23-0 before making the score more reasonable. Last week: Lost to Mission Viejo, 29-21. Next: vs. Tesoro, Nov. 10.
15. Rancho Cucamonga (7-1)
The post-Upland letdown nearly happened. The Cougars, though, avoided the upset thanks to Chris Hawkins' clutch 93-yard kickoff return. Last week: Beat Etiwanda, 30-27. Next: vs. Glendora at Los Osos High, Friday.
16. St. John Bosco (6-2)
The Braves played Servite close, proving that they're good and, perhaps most important, a serious threat if they reach the Pac-5 Division playoffs. Another tough test awaits. Last week: Lost to Servite, 35-27. Next: vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College, Friday.
17. Bishop Amat (6-3)
The Lancers were doomed when quarterback Rio Ruiz left Friday's game because of a knee injury. He's as important a player as there is in the area and the offense couldn't get it rolling without him. Last week: Lost to Loyola, 14-3. Next: at S.O. Notre Dame, Friday.
18. Chaminade (7-1)
Another week, another gritty home win for the Eagles, whose second-half surge had former Mission League contender St. Francis seeing blue. Terrell Newby stomped his way to 164 yards and three touchdowns. Last week: Beat St. Francis, 31-13. Next: at Cathedral, Friday.
19. Narbonne (6-2)
Senior receiver Antoine Anderson has emerged as a key weapon for the Gauchos. He hauled in six passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns Friday. The league crown is now at stake. Last week: Beat Banning, 36-3. Next: at San Pedro, Friday.
20. San Pedro (8-0)
Who could have predicted that the Pirates would go into Carson and shut out a solid offense. Yeah, they're undefeated, but now they're really on the radar in the City Section. Last week: Beat Carson, 21-0. Next: vs. Narbonne, Friday.
21. Dorsey (7-1)
You expect a letdown sooner or later, but the Dons keep playing sound defense. They figure to get a test against Coliseum League rival Crenshaw. This one will be for all the marbles. Last week: Beat Fremont, 43-6. Next: at Crenshaw, Thursday.
22. Orange Lutheran (6-2)
The Lancers couldn't afford another loss in the Trinity League and they responded, shutting out a strong Mater Dei attack. Conner Sullivan tossed three touchdown passes. Last week: Beat Mater Dei, 28-0. Next: vs. JSerra at Orange Coast College, Thursday.
23. Charter Oak (7-1)
Naturally, it's difficult not to look toward next week's highly anticipated contest against defending Sierra League champion Chino Hills. The Chargers, though, have no cakewalk this week. Last week: Beat Claremont, 49-12. Next: vs. Damien, Friday.
24. Lakewood (6-3)
The Lancers pulled away after a slow start Friday. They won't win the Moore League but they're doing all they can to gain steam heading into the Pac-5 playoffs. Last week: Beat Long Beach Jordan, 46-24. Next: vs. Millikan, Friday.
25. Crespi (6-3)
Suddenly, things aren't so promising for the Celts. A second straight loss has them gasping for air in the unforgiving Serra League. Last week: Lost to Alemany, 30-28. Next: vs. Loyola at L.A. Valley College, Nov. 11.
Dropped out: None
Newcomers: None
10/30/2011
ESPN: L.A. North: The Top 10
L.A. North: The Top 10
October, 30, 2011
By Tim Haddock
Three teams in the L.A. North top 10 stayed undefeated. The Westlake football team made quick work of Newbury Park. Ventura and Sierra Canyon also rolled to easy victories to stay unbeaten.
Two teams in the L.A. North top 10 lost and it cost one of them a spot. Thousand Oaks was no match for St. Bonaventure. Just when it looked as if Valencia had things figured out, the Vikings lost to Foothill League rival Hart.
The Foothill League is a mess with four teams with 2-1 records and tied for first place. Valencia beat Canyon. Hart beat Valencia. Saugus beat Hart. Canyon clobbered Saugus to open league play.
Exit Valencia. Enter Highland, winners of three games in a row and tied for first place in the Golden League.
(1) Westlake (8-0) – Quarterback Justin Moore threw three touchdown passes and rushed for a touchdown in a 49-3 win over Newbury Park. Any chance the Warriors look past Agoura in preparation for St. Bonaventure in two weeks? Don’t count on it.
(2) Alemany (6-2) – Alemany finally won a close game, 30-28, over Serra League rival Crespi. And it was an important Serra League win. Alemany improved to 2-0 in league. Crespi dropped to 1-2. Alemany coach Dean Herrington said quarterback Devon Dunn had his best game of the season. He passed for a touchdown, ran in two more and continually made plays to keep his team in the game.
(3) Chaminade (7-1) – The Eagles started slow, but came on strong in the end and beat St. Francis, 31-13. It was the second loss in a row for St. Francis, winner of its first six games. Chaminade has won five games in a row, including its first three Mission League games.
(5) St. Bonaventure (7-1) – Running backs Shaun Wick and Zack Green combined for four touchdowns and 256 rushing yards in a 50-8 win over Thousand Oaks. Any chance St. Bonaventure looks past Calabasas in preparation for Westlake in two weeks? See Westlake above.
(6) Oaks Christian (6-2) – The Lions easily disposed of Simi Valley, 38-7. The Oaks Christian defense forced and recovered four fumbles, returning one for a touchdown. Oaks Christian racked up 242 rushing yards led by Jordan Payton’s 80-yard reverse for a touchdown. Chris Davis led the Lions with 65 yards on six carries.
(4) Crespi (4-3) – After a thrilling, 28-26, win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to start Serra League play, Crespi has lost two games in a row. In the loss to Alemany, Crespi quarterback Cody Cordell injured his ankle in the first quarter and did not return. It might have been a different outcome if Cordell played the entire game.
(7) Ventura (8-0) – The Cougars have won at least a share of the Channel League championship, their first since 1996. A win over San Marcos on Friday night and Ventura will win the Channel League championship outright.
(9) Sierra Canyon (8-0) – Even without Arizona-bound receiver Julian Brooks, Sierra Canyon beat Brentwood, 42-8. It’ll be a different story if the Trailblazers face Paraclete, the reigning East Valley Division champions, without Brooks. He sat out the game against Brentwood because of an injured big toe and might not be fully healed in time for the game against Paraclete.
(8) Thousand Oaks (5-3) – The difference between the third-place team and the fourth-place team in the Marmonte League is 42 points. Quite a dropoff, but Thousand Oaks might be the fourth-best team in the Marmonte League and the Northern Division.
(NR) Highland (6-1) – The Bulldogs have won three games in a row. Perhaps more impressive is that the Bulldogs have won three Golden League games in a row by a combined score of 116-14. Highland is in a three-way tie for first place in the Golden League, but the Bulldogs are playing a notch better than Quartz Hill and Eastside of late.
10/29/2011
L.A. Times: Crespi has young talent to watch
Encino Crespi lost to Alemany, 30-28, but the Celts have several young players that will be heard from this year and beyond.
For the first time since DJ Holt, Crespi started a freshman, linebacker DJ Beavers, and he was smashing Alemany ballcarriers.
And 6-foot-4 sophomore quarterback Ben Kaaya came close to rallying the Celts off the bench. He's got the size, arm and athleticism to take over the quarterback position.
Crespi still is in the playoff hunt. The Celts will need a win over Loyola in their regular-season finale in two weeks and they need Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to defeat Bishop Amat next week.
MISSION HILLS -- When Devon Dunn plays well, so does Alemany. And on Friday night, the junior quarterback played about as well as he has all season.
Dunn completed 18-of-25 passes for 259 yards with a touchdown. Wait, there's more. He also carried the ball 14 times and gained 75 yards on the ground with another two scores. The end result: A 30-28 Serra League victory over visiting Encino Crespi.
“How Devon goes is how we go, most times,'' Warriors coach Dean Herrington said. “He played some darned near perfect football for us tonight. He is getting better and better every week. I think that bodes well for this team the rest of the season.
It was an important win for the Warriors (6-2, 2-0), No. 13 in the ESPNLosAngeles.com rankings. They remain in the hunt for the league title with two games left in regular season. Crespi (7-2, 1-2), No. 18 in most recent poll, could be in trouble.
“This was big, Crespi is our rival, we played our buts off, gave it 150 percent,'' Dunn said. “There was no way we were going to lose at home.''
Following a penalty in the fourth quarter, John Sanchez booted a 41-yard field goal to give Alemany a 30-28 lead with 7:37 remaining in the game.
Chris Harper made a diving catch, a 37-yarder, to move the ball into Alemany territory. On the next play, in the wildcat formation, Mike Davison took the snap and scored on a 27-yard run to give Crespi a 28-27 lead with 1:10 left in the third quarter.
Trailing by a point midway through the second half, Dunn directed a time-consuming drive that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown run by Steven Mitchell. With 2:45 remaining in the third quarter, the Warriors took the lead once more, 27-22.
“Dunn is great player, he proved that tonight,'' Crespi coach Jon Mack said. “We knew we had to stop him, but he was too good for our defense.''
Raymond Davison recovered a fumble at the Alemany 40-yards line to open the second half and the Celts went right to their bag of tricks.
Harper took the ball from fellow wideout Davison and threw what appeared to be a 33-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Massai Ephriam. The score, however, was called back for penalty. It did not matter though. A few minutes later, Harper caught a 25-yard touchdown pass to give Crespi a 22-21 lead with 7:41 left in the third quarter.
Dunn had his way with the Crespi defense in the first half. His 11-yard touchdown run extended the advantage to 21-12 with 2:41 in the second quarter. Dunn 158 yards passing and another 57 yards on the ground in the first 24 minutes of play.
“I don't worry about stats, I don't feed into the hype,'' Dunn said. “As long as we win, that's all that matters. The other stuff will take care of itself.''
Brad Kaaya replaced starter Cody Cordell in the second quarter and directed a scoring drive. He connected with Harper on a 9-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion failed and Crespi trailed 14-12 with 3:35 before the break.
The Warriors moved the ball particularly well through the air in the first quarter. Accordingly, they went back to what worked in the second quarter as Dunn completed passes to multiple receivers. Then on fourth down, he hit Corey Sims on a 25-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 14-6 with 8:57 remaining in the first half.
The Celts appeared determined to establish the run early on. They did just that behind Terry Williams, who had gains of 38 and 27 yards. Cordell scored on a 1-yard run to give Crespi a 6-0 lead with 10:04 left in the first quarter of play.
The Warriors wasted little time in answering. Dunn completed four passes for 67 yards and capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown. As a result, Alemany took its first advantage of the game, 7-6, with 7:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Unbeaten Vista Murrieta has forfeited football victories over Etiwanda, Corona Santiago, Los Osos, Encino Crespi and Palisades after discovering an ineligible player.
The Mustangs go from 7-0 to 2-5. They found out about the player who had moved from Georgia in 2009 before league play started, so they're 2-0 in league and very much alive for an Inland Division playoff berth.
The player's transcript from his former school was incorrect, Coach Coley Candaele said. Vista Murrieta found out the player was in his ninth semester. They are seeking a hardship waiver to enable him to keep playing but the forfeits stand.
In a statement, Athletic Director Ray Moore said, “This entire issue occurred because of misinformation provided to us by the transferring school. There was never an intention on anyone’s part to provide false or inaccurate information to gain additional time for athletic eligibility. I am very proud of Coach Candaele and our entire football staff for bringing this information to light. Their actions are a reflection of our school and athletic program’s mission of CLASS.”
Orange Lutheran took another hard fall in our weekly top 25 rankings after its loss to Santa Margarita, further complicating its bid for a Pac-5 Division playoff spot. Upland gained control of the Baseline League with its clutch victory over Rancho Cucamonga, and Bishop Amat rejoined the Serra League race by beating Crespi on the road. The rankings heading into Week 8:
1. Servite (6-1)
No issues against the league bottom-dwellers as the Friars earned their 16th consecutive Trinity League victory. Senior quarterback Cody Pittman was effective on the ground and through the air. Last week: Beat JSerra, 42-14. Next: at St. John Bosco, Friday.
2. Westlake (7-0)
A slow start Friday was just a minor glitch for Warriors quarterback Justin Moore, who passed for 225 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Dashon Hunt added 118 yards rushing in 14 carries. Last week: Beat Moorpark, 34-13. Next: vs. Newbury Park, Friday.
3. St. Bonaventure (6-1)
It's becoming a weekly thing for the powerful tandem of Shaun Wick and Zack Green, who combined to score six of the team's eight touchdowns Friday. The Seraphs gave up only 12 yards rushing. Last week: Beat Agoura, 56-0. Next: vs. Thousand Oaks, Friday.
4. Corona Centennial (6-1)
The defense bent but didn't break, forcing four turnovers despite surrendering 438 yards of total offense Friday. The high-powered Huskies capitalized behind Hayden Gavett's 248 total yards and four scores. Last week: Beat Norco, 45-18. Next: at Corona, Friday.
5. Long Beach Poly (6-1)
A bye week might have come at the wrong time for a Jackrabbits offense that seemed to be finding its groove recently. Players, meanwhile, probably weren't complaining about the extra rest heading into the final Moore League games. Last week: Idle. Next: at Millikan, Friday.
6. Santa Margarita (6-1)
A solid bounce-back win Friday for the Eagles, who were coming off an upset loss in the Trinity League opener. Johnny Stanton had 235 total yards and scored twice in the final five minutes. Last week: Beat Orange Lutheran, 31-10. Next: vs. JSerra at Saddleback College, Friday.
7. Redlands East Valley (7-0)
The Wildcats needed overtime to survive their crosstown rivals' upset bid Friday. They raised the Smudge Pot trophy after quarterback Austin Decoud scored the game-winner on a 16-yard run. Last week: Beat Redlands, 21-14. Next: at Eisenhower, Friday.
8. Mission Viejo (5-2)
You can argue that the schedule worked out well for the battle-tested Diablos. They are well rested heading into Friday's crucial matchup, which will likely decide the South Coast League champion. Last week: Idle. Next: vs. San Clemente, Friday.
9. San Clemente (8-0)
The Tritons erased an early deficit against rival Dana Hills on Friday, relying on running back Mike Elespuru and Utah-bound quarterback Travis Wilson. Elespuru rushed for 146 yards and Wilson passed for 205. Last week: Beat Dana Hills, 35-10. Next: at Mission Viejo, Friday.
10. Vista Murrieta (7-0)
The dominant defense forced nine punts Friday, holding Temecula Valley to just 64 total yards. On the other side, Aaron Piecukonis was effective running the ball. Last week: Beat Temecula Valley, 41-3. Next: at Great Oak, Friday.
11. Upland (7-0)
Difficult scheduling appears to have paid off for the Highlanders. They secured the important win Friday on a creative play-action pass from Nate Romine to Anthony Romero. Last week: Beat Rancho Cucamonga, 31-17. Next: vs. Glendora at Citrus College, Friday.
12. Oaks Christian (5-2)
The Lions held on thanks to safety Jordan Payton, who broke up a pair of passes in the final minute Friday. They did it without tailback Ishmael Adams, who sat out because of a sprained ankle. Last week: Beat Thousand Oaks, 24-17. Next: vs. Simi Valley, Friday.
13. Alemany (5-2)
The defending league champion Warriors can gain control of the unpredictable Serra League with a victory Friday. They'll have to do it against an explosive offense that is coming off a loss. Last week: Idle. Next: vs. Crespi, Friday.
14. Bishop Amat (6-2)
It was quarterback Rio Ruiz's turn to play the role of hero for the Lancers. The senior completed 19 of 25 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns on the road Friday. They're back in the league race. Last week: Beat Crespi, 28-14. Next: vs. Loyola, Friday.
15. Loyola (6-1)
Three interceptions for the talented Cubs secondary on Friday, including a 70-yard touchdown return by highly recruited Kodi Whitfield. Quarterback Nicolas Cotton did enough on offense. Last week: Beat S.O. Notre Dame, 27-14. Next: at Bishop Amat, Friday.
16. St. John Bosco (6-1)
If there were any questions about the Braves' validity still lingering, they were answered Friday. They're real Trinity League contenders this year, thanks in large part to a defense that is sneaky good. Last week: Beat Mater Dei, 24-3. Next: vs. Servite, Friday.
17. Rancho Cucamonga (6-1)
A botched handoff near the goal line hurt Rancho Cucamonga and, ultimately, led to its first loss of the season. The Cougars must now avoid a letdown in league play. Last week: Lost to Upland, 31-17. Next: vs. Etiwanda at Los Osos High, Friday.
18. Crespi (6-2)
Friday's defeat at the hands of Bishop Amat was surprising, if only because the Celts' potent offense managed only 14 points against a defense that had been struggling. Perhaps the pregame Senior Night festivities were a distraction. Last week: Lost to Bishop Amat, 28-14. Next: at Alemany, Friday.
19. Chaminade (6-1)
Think the Eagles like their new blue turf? They're averaging more than 35 points at home. They play host for the fourth straight week Friday looking to retain control of the Mission League. Last week: Beat Harvard-Westlake, 55-0. Next: vs. St. Francis, Friday.
20. Narbonne (5-2)
The Gauchos eked out an important Marine League win against rival Carson thanks to a botched snap on a last-minute extra-point attempt that would have tied it. Coach Manual Douglas will take it. Last week: Beat Carson, 38-37. Next: vs. Banning, Friday.
21. Dorsey (6-1)
The Dons lowered their points against average to under 11 with yet another strong defensive showing Friday. They'll have to be careful not to look past this week with the ever-important Crenshaw matchup looming. Last week: Beat Manual Arts, 46-6. Next: at Fremont, Friday.
22. San Pedro (7-0)
The undefeated Pirates hit the road looking to remain perfect. It won't be an easy task against a motivated Carson squad that lost on a late-game special-teams blunder. Last week: Beat Gardena, 35-7. Next: at Carson, Friday.
23. Orange Lutheran (5-2)
Back-to-back losses have the Lancers on the outside looking in as far as the Pac-5 Division playoffs go. They can't afford another defeat in the Trinity League, that's for sure. Last week: Lost to Santa Margarita, 31-10. Next: vs. Mater Dei at Orange Coast College, Friday.
24. Charter Oak (6-1)
The Chargers don't get the publicity of other noted Inland Division teams like Corona Centennial, Redlands East Valley, Vista Murrieta and Upland, but they're good. Quarterback Travis Santiago is impressive. Last week: Beat Ayala, 62-34. Next: at Claremont, Friday.
25. Lakewood (6-2)
Credit the Lancers for putting their loss to Long Beach Poly behind them. They shut down a strong offensive attack on Friday, led by super sophomore Jaleel Wadood's two interceptions. Last week: Beat Cabrillo, 31-6. Next: vs. Long Beach Jordan, Friday.
Dropped out: Canyon Country Canyon (20), Mater Dei (25)
Newcomers: Charter Oak, Lakewood
Blair Angulo covers preps for ESPN Los Angeles. Follow him on Twitter. Make sure to follow @ESPNLAPreps for live in-game updates, final scores and news.
Crespi, St. Francis and Canyon lost last week. Crespi was the only team to stay in the L.A. North top 10. The Celts lost a crucial Serra League game, 28-14, to Bishop Amat. St. Francis lost its first game of the season, 44-30, to Gardena Serra.
But Canyon might have suffered the most embarassing setback, losing 34-7 to Foothill League rival Valencia. Canyon lost its first game of the season and let a golden opportunity to unseat Valencia as the Foothill League champ slip away.
Westlake and Ventura won to stay undefeated. Sierra Canyon enters the top 10 with an undefeated 7-0 record. Valencia comes in at No. 10, despite a 4-3 record.
Here’s a look at the L.A. North top 10:
(1) Westlake (7-0) – The Warriors easily took care of Moorpark, erasing a 7-0 first-quarter deficit and rolling to a 34-13 Marmonte League win. Quarterback Justin Moore threw three touchdown passes and running back Dashon Hunt rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown.
(3) Alemany (5-2) – The Warriors from Mission Hills had a bye last week. But at least they didn’t lose. They’ve had two weeks to prepare for a Serra League showdown with Crespi on Friday night.
(4) Chaminade (6-1) – The Eagles showed Harvard-Westlake no mercy in a 55-0 shutout. They were up 49-0 at halftime and the game ended with a running clock. Running back Terrell Newby scored three touchdowns and had 120 rushing yards.
(2) Crespi (4-2) – The Celts committed four turnovers and lost their first Serra League game of the season to Bishop Amat, 28-14. The Lancers scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to break a 7-7 tie at halftime.
(6) St. Bonaventure (6-1) – The Seraphs crushed Agoura, 56-0. Shaun Wick scored three touchdowns for St. Bonaventure, one on a 58-yard punt return. He scored his other two touchdowns on runs of 41 and 47 yards.
(5) Oaks Christian (5-2) – The Lions are counting their blessings after a too-close-for-comfort 24-17 win over Thousand Oaks. The Lancers rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit scoring 10 points in the third quarter. Oaks Christian running back Carlos Mendoza shouldered the load for his team with 239 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
(9) Ventura (8-0) – The Cougars are winning ugly these days. Nick Januska had two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, in Ventura’s 20-6 win over Buena. Receiver Leo Camacho caught six passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.
(10) Thousand Oaks (5-2) – The Lancers’ second-half rally came up eight yards short against Oaks Christian. Thousand Oaks running back Nathan De Beikes rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown.
(NR) Sierra Canyon (7-0) – The Trailblazers shut out Campbell Hall, 33-0, but lost two players to injuries. Receiver Julian Brooks, who committed to Arizona, injured his right big toe in the first quarter and did not return to the game. Kick returner Kieran Yancy broke his leg and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
(NR) Valencia (4-3) – The Vikings didn’t waste any time showing who’s the cream of the Foothill League crop. Valencia jumped out to a 14-0 lead and was up 24-7 at halftime against previoulsy undefeated Canyon. Valencia’s three losses are against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Chaminade and Loyola, all teams that have been ranked in the ESPNLA.com top 25.
10/22/2011
Daily News: Crespi's Peoples OK after injury
Friday was a rough night for injuries, but the good news is what was feared to be a serious neck injury to Crespi linebacker Corey Peoples has turned out to be just a scare, Celts coach Jon Mack said.
Peoples was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital after going down in the fourth quarter of a 28-14 loss to visiting Bishop Amat, but Mack said a CT scan was negative and that Peoples had feeling in his extremities.
"He's OK. It was just a bad scare," Mack said.
Crespi quarterback Cody Cordell, coming off an ankle injury, also left because of a new injury, but Mack said Cordell was just "dinged up" and is OK.
Drew Wolitarsky, Canyon's star receiver, appeared to be in a lot of pain after injuring his leg in the fourth quarter in a 34-7 loss at Valencia, and the injury turned out to be just a bruise. It's unclear if Wolitarsky will miss a game.
Meanwhile, Sierra Canyon standout receiver/defensive back Julian Brooks, an Arizona commit, is out for at least a week because of a foot injury suffered in a win over Campbell Hall, Trailblazers coach Jon Ellinghouse said.
Plus, Sierra Canyon return specialist Kieran Yancy broke his leg and is out for the year, and Campbell Hall receiver Jared Harper also broke his leg and will miss the rest of the season.
Both underwent surgery Saturday.
"It was an incredibly physical game. There was a lot of hitting going on," Ellinghouse said.
ENCINO -- Rio Ruiz is known as a baseball player, first and foremost. More than a few scouts project him as a first-round draft pick in the 2012 MLB Draft.
Friday night, however, the senior from La Puente Bishop Amat played the part of football player. And then some. Ruiz completed 19-of-25 passes for 236 yards and pair of touchdowns to guide the visiting Lancers to a 28-14 Serra League victory over Crespi.
“Every week, this is what we get from Rio, he's a gamer,'' Bishop Amat coach Steve Hagerty said. “We know baseball is his first priority, we have no problems with that. We're just happy to have him around during football season. We'll go as far as he takes us.''
That was apparent from start to finish against the Celts (6-2, 1-1), no. 14 in the ESPNLosAngeles.com rankings. Ruiz was on point for the No. 14 Lancers (6-2, 1-1).
“Baseball is my first love, but I'm a competitor, that's why I play football,'' Ruiz said. “Tonight, I would not have been able to do anything without my offensive line. They rewarded me with time, I rewarded them with touchdowns. Things worked out good for all us.''
The fact the Celts had four turnovers didn't help their cause.
Crespi's Corey Peoples suffered what appeared to be a stinger at the 5:49 mark of the fourth quarter. A 30-minute delay followed because of the injury. He had use of his lower extremities, but was taken in an ambulance to a nearby hospital as a precautionary measure.
Once play resumed, Bishop Amat scored again. Jalen Moore took off on an 18-yard touchdown run to extend the advantage to 28-14 with 5:14 remaining in the game.
When all was said and done, Moore had 157 total offensive yards.
With starting quarterback Cody Cordell struggling, having already thrown a pair of interceptions, Brad Kaaya entered in the fourth quarter. Crespi responded to the change
Kaaya spotted Chris Harper in end zone and the senior receiver went up between multiple members of the Lancers' secondary to come down with a difficult 31-yard touchdown catch. All of a sudden, the deficit was down to 21-14 with 8:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Zachary Shay hadn't played in five games for Bishop Amat because of concussion-like symptoms. He returned Friday and finished 10 catches for 90 yards.
Bishop Amat opened the second half with a sense of urgency. Adam Sanchez caught a 50-yard pass from Ruiz to give Lancers a 14-7 lead with 8:24 left in the third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Crespi fumbled. Four plays later, Shay scored on a 1-yard run on fourth and goal to extend the advantage to 21-7 with 6:48 left in the third quarter.
Trailing by a touchdown in the second quarter, the Lancers answered. Ruiz found Idilio Sanchez on a 5-yard touchdown to tie the score, 7-7, with 5:33 left on the first half clock.
“No. 9, that kid Ruiz, he was phenomenal,'' Crespi coach Jon Mack said.
In the opening minutes of the second quarter, Harper caught a 14-yard pass to keep a key drive alive. Minutes later, Cordell threw a swing pass out in the flat to Mike Davison and he did the rest, scoring on a 17-yard pass-play to give Crespi a 7-0 lead with 10:25 left in the first half.
Harper ended up with six catches for 86 yards. Davison had three catches for 32 yards. Teammate Terry Williams finished with 126 all-purpose yards for the Celts.
Sean Ceglinsky covers preps for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.
10/18/2011
ESPN: Hard work paying off for Crespi's Harper
ENCINO -- It appears to be a typical afternoon of football practice at Crespi. The first player to emerge from the locker room is Chris Harper. The senior receiver makes a beeline to the adjacent field. Right then and there, you get the sense that things are far from normal.
There is work to be done, and apparently, Harper is intent on being first in line for reps.
Courtesy of Angela MeansCrespi's Chris Harper has 10 touchdown receptions this season, ranking among the state's top 10.
A few teammates walk and talk on their way to practice. Some individuals lightly jog. However, there does not seem to be a sense of urgency. That is, until Harper decides it's time to speed up the process. Some choice words of encouragement follow. He is ready to get started.
A grueling session ensues. The drills seemingly are never-ending -- too many to count.
More than three hours later, the sun is beginning to set. Practice has been finished for the better part of 30 minutes. Most of his teammates are long gone at this point. Nevertheless, Harper is at midfield, fine tuning his skill set with a group of Celts' assistant coaches.
His work ethic is relentless. Unwavering. On a different level from everyone else.
The resolve Harper exhibits during the week in preparation for game day separates him from his peers. That type of sheer determination is paying off underneath the Friday night lights, of course, and has Harper on the verge of adding his name to the Southland's list of premier prospects.
“I let my actions speak for themselves, there is always ways to get better, to improve, that's why I never take a day off, or a play off,'' Harper said. “Nothing in life comes for free. I was always taught that if you want something bad enough, you half to work for it. That's just the way I am.''
The strategy has worked out particularly well for Harper so far. Full steam ahead.
He has been largely, although not solely responsible for the fast start at Crespi (6-1 overall) this season. The Celts are No. 14 in the ESPNLosAngeles.com Top 25 rankings as they head into Friday's Serra League showdown against No. 16 La Puente Bishop Amat (5-2).
“You can see it in his eyes, Chris is a different person once he steps on the field,'' Crespi coach Jon Mack said. “He has bought it to what we're doing here. He's a leader, in every sense.
“What people might not know about him is, he's great student with a GPA well over 3.0. He has no issues in the classroom. There are no roadblocks in his future. When you think about what it means to be a student-athlete at Crespi, Chris Harper if one of the first kids that comes to mind.
“He does all the little things coaches ask of players. Chris is fearless if we ask him to catch a ball over the middle. He can go up and get the ball in the end zone with the best of them, about as well as anyone I've ever seen. He's a great blocker, and to do that, you have to be unselfish. As far as I'm concerned, Chris is one of the best wideouts in the state. Try and find me a player better.''
For argument's sake, the gurus at ESPN rank local players such as Lakewood's Darius Powe, Inglewood's Derrick Woods and Bellflower St. John Bosco's Bryce Treggs ahead of Harper. In fact, by most accounts, Harper has flown below the recruiting radar for a while now.
Westlake Village Oaks Christian's Jordan Payton, Long Beach Poly's Richard Smith, Upland's Kenny Lawler and Carson's Darreus Rogers are also held in higher regard. The same thing can be said about Los Angeles Loyola's Kodi Whitfield and Los Angeles Venice's Gabriel Marks.
Courtesy of Angela MeansChris Harper's recruiting is picking up. Among the schools with scholarship offers on the table are Colorado, Georgia Tech and Southern Methodist.
“Chris Harper is one of those kids we did back in the early summer that showed real promise,'' said Tom Luginbill, ESPN.com's national director of scouting. “He is a savvy, tough slot receiver that is quicker than fast and very competent in his production because he knows how to get open and he is not afraid to work the middle of the field.
“I would agree he is picking up steam and it is not surprising. He is not a burner and may have long field speed limitations at the next level, but is an ideal short and intermediate level receiver that can manipulate coverage and create separation."
The wide receiver pool for the 2012 class is about as deep as any position in the greater Los Angeles area. It best best explains why Harper works so diligently. The lofty recognition others receive likely serves as motivation.
Harper, mind you, has comparable numbers with many of his high-profile counterparts. In some cases, the statistics put forth by the 6-foot, 180-pounder are better.
With 10 touchdowns, Harper is among the state's top 10, three more than Treggs and five more than Rogers. A 25 yards-per-catch average ranks Harper No. 7 in the state. The total trumps that of Lawler and Payton, among others in the aforementioned group.
Perhaps Mack was onto something with his assessment.
“My goal is to show everyone what I can do,'' Harper said. “I understand that I'm not acknowledged as much as some of the other receivers in Southern California. I'm in the same category though. I work just as hard, if not harder, whenever I get the chance.
“At the end of the day, I'm fine with the way things are. I have to be. It lights a fire underneath me. I plan on catching everything thrown my way and take care of my other responsibilities too. Bottom line, I'm starting to get noticed for the things I do on the field.''
Harper has scholarship offers on the table from several Division I programs, most notably Colorado, Georgia Tech and Southern Methodist. He has been contacted by a number of different schools and has some official visits set up over the next couple of months.
Colorado is the first stop, on Nov. 4. Cal is up next, on Dec. 9.
“When it comes down to colleges looking for someone to contribute, Chris is a no-brainer pick,'' Mack said. “He shows up on our highlight film all the time, he always makes a big play. I think he's starting to heat up right now. Sky's the limit. Recruiting is going to take off.''
Given his family bloodlines, it comes as little, or no, surprise that Harper figures to be heading to the next level sooner rather than later. The gene pool was kind to him.
His father, Mark Harper, was a star running back at Santa Monica (1989-90). Stints at El Camino College and Cal State Northridge followed. Uncle James Harper Jr. was big man on campus at North Torrance High (1982-84) before moving onto Oregon (1984-90). Grandfather James Harper was about as big they come in Wilshire Pop Warner coaching circles. The Venice High graduate helped guide the development of NFL players Chad Ochocinco and Brandon Marshall.
Growing up, Harper was privy to the benefits of determination and hard work. He has not forgotten his roots. One need not look any further than Crespi's record book for proof.
As a junior, Harper finished second on the Celts single-season list for most receiving yards with 940. Devin Lucien, currently at UCLA, is the record-holder with 1,259.
With another year of experience under his belt, Harper has 671 receiving yards this season. He is on pace to overtake Lucien for the top spot on the all-time yardage list.
It appears as if Harper's hard work is paying off, and that practice does make perfect.
Sean Ceglinsky covers preps for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.
There was no "Miracle in the Valley" this year, but according to news reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN, it was a game whose outcome was not certain until the final play.
Along with footage on the ESPN blog, a spectator from Friday night's game has posted a video on YouTube. It features "Crespi's killer start." ESPN describes that start as Crespi’s Nate Walker, who returned the opening kickoff for 99 yards, scoring a touchdown. Click on the video link above to see the play.
Were you at the game? Patch wants to hear from you! Tell us in the comments, and be sure to upload your photos above.
10/16/2011
L.A. Times: It was a big weekend for Crespi
First the Celts beat neighborhood rival Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 28-26, on Friday night. Then former Crespi quarterback Bryan Bennett, a redshirt freshman at Oregon, is forced into action because of an injury and ends up rushing for 65 yards in five carries and rallies the Ducks to a 41-27 win over Arizona State on Saturday night.
It wasn't only Bennett leading the Ducks. Former Crespi center Hroniss Grasu is Oregon's starting center, and he was leading the way on the ground attack.
Santa Margarita's loss to Mater Dei was the big upset of the week and it shook up our weekly top 25 rankings. Others, like Servite, Long Beach Poly and Crespi, took care of business by beating ranked opponents. Bishop Amat and Orange Lutheran fell the hardest -- nine spots each -- after stumbling against Alemany and Servite, respectively. Here are the rankings heading into Week 7:
1. Servite (5-1)
Much to the delight of coach Troy Thomas, the Friars looked like their old selves Friday. Cody Pittman found Ainslie Johnson twice for long touchdowns, and Butch Pauu led a stingy defense. Last week: Beat Orange Lutheran, 21-8. Next: vs. JSerra at Cerritos College, Friday.
2. Westlake (6-0)
The league-leading Warriors turned the ball over on their first two possessions Friday but responded well. UCLA commit Dashon Hunt, a junior, ran for two touchdowns and added a pick-six. Last week: Beat Simi Valley, 45-14. Next: at Moorpark, Friday.
3. St. Bonaventure (5-1)
Running backs Shaun Wick and Zack Green shouldered the load for the second straight week, combining for 195 yards in 20 carries Friday. Defensively, the Seraphs were solid. Last week: Beat Newbury Park, 38-6. Next: vs. Agoura at Ventura College, Friday.
4. Corona Centennial (5-1)
The Huskies have never lost to Santiago, their neighboring rivals, but were a little too excited in victory Friday. They were flagged 17 times. Romello Goodman ran for four touchdowns and Hayden Gavett passed for three. Last week: Beat Santiago, 56-34. Next: vs. Norco, Friday.
5. Long Beach Poly (6-1)
A packed house saw a more motivated bunch after the break, as the Jackrabbits reached the end zone on their first three possessions of the second half. The Moore League is theirs to lose. Last week: Beat Lakewood, 38-21. Next: at Millikan, Oct. 28.
6. Santa Margarita (5-1)
The Trinity League got its first "upset" Thursday, putting the Eagles in catch-up mode early. Johnny Stanton and Ryan Wolpin, the two main weapons, were contained by the Monarchs. Last week: Lost to Mater Dei, 21-14. Next: vs. Orange Lutheran at Saddleback College, Friday.
7. Redlands East Valley (6-0)
A surprisingly slim margin of victory for the Wildcats, whose defense gave up a season-high 13 points. They maintain the high ranking thanks to the impressive win over Mission Viejo. Last week: Beat Miller, 21-13. Next: at Redlands, Friday.
8. Mission Viejo (5-2)
The Diablos got back to their winning ways behind Alex Bridgford's 389 yards passing and three touchdowns. Receiver Brandon Neville had two of the scores, six catches and 129 yards. Last week: Beat Dana Hills, 48-21. Next: vs. San Clemente, Oct. 28.
9. Rancho Cucamonga (6-0)
Tailback Tyan Washington ran for three touchdowns, making sure Rancho Cucamonga handled its business. Now the intriguing Baseline League matchup between two undefeated teams is here. Last week: Beat Alta Loma, 41-17. Next: at Upland, Friday.
10. San Clemente (7-0)
Utah-bound quarterback Travis Wilson threw the ball only nine times Friday, but the Tritons still put up a monster offensive performance, led by a rushing attack that amassed 305 yards. Last week: Beat Trabuco Hills, 43-14. Next: vs. Dana Hills, Friday.
11. Vista Murrieta (6-0)
Junior sensation Su'a Cravens was everywhere Friday, recovering a fumble, catching the go-ahead touchdown and returning an interception for the game-sealing score. Last week: Beat Chaparral, 27-10. Next: vs. Temecula Valley, Friday.
12. Upland (6-0)
Is Friday's season-low showing in points a cause for concern? We'll say no, given that Etiwanda also made it difficult on I.E. powers Vista Murrieta and Norco. Last week: Beat Etiwanda, 24-17. Next: vs. Rancho Cucamonga, Friday.
13. Oaks Christian (4-2)
The Lions took out their frustrations Friday by hanging 50 points on helpless Royal. Sophomore quarterback Brandon Dawkins set a school record for passing yards with 387, breaking Jimmy Clausen's mark of 367. Last week: Beat Royal, 50-0. Next: at Thousand Oaks, Friday.
14. Crespi (6-1)
Receiver Chris Harper caught the go-ahead touchdown Friday, proving why he's one of the top players at his position this year. The Celts had to come back to win their Serra League opener, but they'll take it. Last week: Beat S.O. Notre Dame, 28-26. Next: vs. Bishop Amat, Friday.
15. Alemany (5-2)
Are the Warriors the most puzzling team in the Southland? They went on the road and eked out a crucial league win following Devon Dunn's late-game quarterback sneak. Which team will show up in two weeks? Last week: Beat Bishop Amat, 26-21. Next: vs. Crespi, Oct. 28.
16. Bishop Amat (5-2)
Defensive woes did the Lancers in again as they couldn't get a stop when they needed the ball back. Jalen Moore rushed 112 yards and had two scores, but there's only so much he can do. Last week: Lost to Alemany, 26-21. Next: at Crespi, Friday.
17. Orange Lutheran (5-1)
Conner Sullivan isn't the first quarterback to have a tough time against Servite's vaunted defense and he won't be the last. The Lancers didn't strike until the final minute. Last week: Lost to Servite, 21-8. Next: vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College, Friday.
18. Loyola (5-1)
The well-rested Cubs kick off the Serra League against a team that already has lost. Tailbacks Wyatt Bradford and Cameron Walker figure to be key players. Last week: Idle. Next: vs. S.O. Notre Dame at L.A. Valley College, Friday.
19. St. John Bosco (5-1)
We'll find out if the Braves are serious contenders in the Trinity on Friday when they take on Mater Dei, which is coming off a surprising upset of Santa Margarita. It's time for quarterback Rene Medina to show how much he has progressed. Last week: Beat JSerra, 48-14. Next: vs. Mater Dei, Friday.
20. Canyon Country Canyon (6-0)
Quarterback Jonathan Jerozal keeps throwing the ball and receiver Drew Wolitarsky keeps catching it. Jerozal broke Nate Longshore's school record for career touchdown passes Friday; Wolitarsky had six catches for 175 yards and two scores. Last week: Beat Saugus, 51-28. Next: at Valencia, Friday.
21. Dorsey (5-1)
Quite a difference from last year as defense keeps proving to be the Dons’ strength. They’ve allowed an average of 11.3 points per game, by far the least among Coliseum League schools. Last week: Beat West Adams, 21-12. Next: vs. Manual Arts at Rancho Cienega Park, Friday.
22. Chaminade (5-1)
No problems for the Eagles against highly regarded St. Paul, the top-ranked team in the Western Division according to the most recent CIF-Southern Section poll. Logan Scott passed for 220 yards. Last week: Beat St. Paul, 31-6. Next: vs. Harvard-Westlake, Friday.
23. San Pedro (6-0)
Another game, another blowout for the undefeated Pirates. Senior Kenny Potter is one of the better pro-style quarterbacks in the area. Four of his six completions Friday went for touchdowns before sitting out the entire second half. Last week: Beat Washington, 48-12. Next: vs. Gardena, Friday.
24. Narbonne (4-2)
The Gauchos make their first appearance in our rankings. Strong-armed quarterback Troy Williams was 22 of 29 for 237 yards Friday, bringing his total to a City Section-leading 1,549 on the season. Last week: Beat Gardena, 43-20. Next: vs. Carson, Friday.
25. Mater Dei (3-3)
Never count out the Monarchs, who re-enter our rankings after falling off since their exit three weeks ago. An upset of Santa Margarita has caught the attention of other Trinity League teams. Last week: Beat Santa Margarita, 21-14. Next: at St. John Bosco, Friday.
Only one team in the top 10 lost last week. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, the No. 10 team in the L.A. North, lost to Crespi, 28-26, in the Serra League opener. It was a close game and another tough loss for Notre Dame, which dropped its second in a row.
Enter Thousand Oaks at No. 10. The Lancers can make a mess of the Marmonte League if they can figure out a way to beat Oaks Christian on Friday night.
Four teams remain undefeated, including top-ranked Westlake. St. Francis needed a last-second field goal to beat Harvard-Westlake and stay unbeaten. Canyon got a record-breaking performance from quarterback Jonathan Jerozal in its Foothill League opening win over Saugus. Ventura scored just enough to beat Dos Pueblos in the Channel League opener for both teams.
Here’s a look at the top 10:
(1) Westlake (6-0) -- Dashon Hunt scored three touchdowns in Westlake’s 45-14 win over Simi Valley. He scored two rushing touchdowns and intercepted a pass for a touchdown.
(2) Crespi (5-1) -- Crespi’s offense was far from crisp in a 28-26 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Special teams, on the other hand, came up with some huge plays. Crespi had a kick-off return for a touchdown and a blocked field-goal attempt for a touchdown. A blocked punt set up a third touchdown for the Celts.
(3) Alemany (5-2) -- The Warriors started Serra League play with a huge win over Bishop Amat, 26-21. Coach Dean Herrington won his 50th game at Alemany. Quarterback Devon Dunn wasn’t spectacular but threw a touchdown pass to Jerico Richardson and rushed for a touchdown.
(4) Chaminade (5-1) -- After playing some of the top teams in Southern California, Chaminade had a bit of a cakewalk against St. Paul, the No. 1 team in the Southern Section Western Division. Chaminade, the No. 2 team in the Western Division, beat St. Paul, 31-6, in the Mission League opener. Looks as if there will be a new Western Division No. 1 on Monday.
(5) Oaks Christian (4-2) -- Sophomore quarterback Brian Dawkins threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns in his team’s 50-0 shutout over Royal. Dawkins broke Jimmy Clausen’s school record for passing yards in a game. Clausen threw for 367 yards against Santa Paula in 2006.
(6) St. Bonaventure (5-1) – Quarterback Marc Evans accounted for five touchdowns in his team’s 38-6 win over Newbury Park. He threw four touchdown passes and rushed for a touchdown. Elijah Henderson caught two of Evans’ TD tosses.
(7) Canyon (6-0) – Quarterback Jonathan Jerozal threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns in a 51-28 win over Saugus. Jerozal broke the school record for career touchdown passes. He has 62 and broke the mark set by Nate Longshore.
(8) St. Francis (6-0) – Kicker Billy McCreary made a 37-yard field goal with two seconds left in the game to give St. Francis a 23-20 win over Harvard-Westlake. He made three field goals in the game.
(9) Ventura (7-0) – Conner Armstrong and Leo Camacho scored the only two touchdowns in Ventura’s 13-6 win over Dos Pueblos. Armstrong finished with 104 yards in 24 carries.
(NR) Thousand Oaks (5-1) – The Lancers beat Agoura, 37-13, for their third win in a row. More important, Thousand Oaks has only one loss in Marmonte League play. Quarterback Clark Abourisk threw five touchdown passes, three to Landon Poling, against Agoura.
ENCINO -- An hour after the football game between Encino Crespi and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Celts coach Jon Mack was asked to sum up his team’s performance.
“I still haven’t recovered,” Mack said.
The Crespi players gave their coach and their fans several heart-stopping moments in their 28-26 win over Notre Dame in the Serra League opener for both teams Friday night.
Crespi scored touchdowns on a kickoff return and a blocked field-goal attempt. Notre Dame returned two interceptions for touchdowns and scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter.
In the end though, Crespi came up with three huge plays on special teams and escaped with a narrow victory over its Serra League and San Fernando Valley rival.
“Special teams helped keep us alive in the first half,” Mack said. “We found a way in the end.”
Crespi’s Nate Walker returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and gave the Celts an early 7-0 lead.
But Notre Dame battled back scoring two touchdowns in the last four minutes of the second quarter. Sam Robinson caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Kelly Hilinski to tie the score, 7-7, with 3:58 to play in the first half.
Kevin Carrasco gave Notre Dame a 10-point lead when he intercepted a pass from Crespi quarterback Cody Cordell and returned in 30 yards for a touchdown with 1:16 left in the first half.
Notre Dame kicker Lucas Alfonso added a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter. He was setting up for his second field-goal attempt of the half, a 51-yarder, when Crespi’s Noah Ciccel broke through the Notre Dame line and blocked the kick. He picked up the loose ball and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half.
It was a 10-point turnaround. Instead of going into the half with a 20-7 lead, Notre Dame saw its lead shrink to 17-14.
Crespi running back Terry Williams gave the Celts a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter on a touchdown set up by a blocked punt.
Matt Jacques broke through to block Dylan Pritchard’s punt and Massai Ephriam recovered the football on the Notre Dame 5-yard line. Three plays later, Williams scored on a one-yard run.
Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney had no explanation for his special teams' woes.
“For some reason, it just fell apart,” Rooney said. “We’ve been doing a great job in every aspect of our kicking game.”
Despite its miscues on special teams, Notre Dame regained the lead early in the fourth quarter. Nick Holland picked off Cordell and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Holland’s touchdown gave Notre Dame a 24-21 lead with 11:02 to play.
On the ensuing drive, Crespi drove 80 yards on 11 plays to take the lead for good on a five-yard touchdown catch by Chris Harper.
Harper finished with four catches for 53 yards. His touchdown gave Crespi a 28-24 lead with 7:05 left.
Notre Dame finished the game with a 23-play drive that stalled on the Crespi 11-yard line. Facing fourth-and-2, Hilinski tried to find Robinson in the end zone, but his pass fell incomplete with 45 seconds to go.
Crespi ended the game by taking a sack in the end zone for a safety. There were two seconds left on the clock after the safety, giving Notre Dame one last chance to return a free kick.
The game ended after a lateral pass and a desperation pitch by Notre Dame at midfield. It was the second heart-breaking loss in a row for Notre Dame. The Knights lost to Chaminade, 36-32, on a last-minute touchdown last week.
“We expect to win,” Rooney said. “Coming close doesn’t do us any good.”
10/14/2011
Daily News: Crespi gets past Notre Dame in another frantic finish
Crespi's Nathan Walker, above, heads for the end zone for a touchdown on a 99-yard opening kickoff return Friday against Notre Dame. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Notre Dame's Sam Robinson, center, hauls in a touchdown pass Friday against Crespi. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
In another exciting chapter in Crespi High football, Tyler Foreman broke up a potential winning fourth-down pass in the end zone with 50 seconds left Friday to preserve a 28-26 win over archrival Notre Dame in front of a capacity homecoming crowd of more than 5,000 at Crespi.
Notre Dame (5-2, 0-1) was down by four points on Crespi's 10-yard line when Kelly Hilinski passed to Sam Robinson, who was hit just as the ball arrived and could not hold on, setting off a huge celebration.
"I saw the slant play, and I knew I had to break it up," Foreman said. "We got the job done tonight. I love it 100 percent. The defense put the team on its back tonight."
Leading 28-24, Crespi (6-1, 1-0) gave up an inconsequential safety in the final seconds to account for the final points in the Serra League opener for both teams.
In a showdown filled with big plays and dramatic twists, Crespi scored two touchdowns on long returns - a 99-yard kick return by Nathan Walker and Noah Ciccel's 40-yard blocked-punt return - and blocked two kicks, as poor special-teams execution by Notre Dame proved a key factor.
"It was a tough game. Crespi is a great team, but mistakes killed us," Notre Dame defensive back Kevin Carrasco said. "We can't have mistakes like that. This league is too competitive."
Notre Dame has won 14 of the past 17 in the series, but Crespi has won two in a row, including a last-second win in the regular-season finale last season that eliminated Notre Dame from playoff contention.
The past three have come down the final seconds, and this time Foreman was the hero.
"He played great pass defense. He's a great football player," Crespi coach Jon Mack said.
Crespi pulled ahead for good on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Cody Cordell to Chris Harper with just over seven minutes left.
Cordell completed 13 of 23 passes for 130 yards, fighting off the effects of a sprained ankle that cost him four practices. The junior has passed for 1,340 yards and 22 touchdowns.
He was picked off twice, and both were returned for touchdowns - a 32-yarder by Carrasco and a 58-yarder by Nick Holland.
Crespi's Terry Williams added 51 yards in 15 carries, Hilinski completed 15 of 28 for 124 yards and a touchdown. Khalfani Muhammad rushed for 89 yards in 25 carries. Crespi got off to a great start when Walker returned the opening kick 99 yards, picking up a couple of key blocks near midfield and racing down the left sideline.
Notre Dame answered with 17 consecutive points, scoring on 5-yard pass from Hilinski to Sam Robinson, followed by Luke Alfonso's 32-yard field goal, then Kevin Carrasco's 32-yard interception return with 1:16 left in the first half.
After stopping Crespi on a fourth-and-1, Notre Dame got the ball back with 18 seconds left at the Crespi 49. After a couple of completions, Alfonso lined up for a 50-yard field goal attempt with four seconds left, and it was blocked. Noah Ciccel picked up the ball after a couple of bounces and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with no time remaining to cut Notre Dame's lead to 17-14.
Here's what's happening in and around Encino Friday.
1. Today will be partly cloudy with a high temperature of 89 degrees, according to Aol Weather.
2. The cheapest place in town to fill your tank is still the Arco at 16851 Sherman Way (at Balboa Boulevard), where gas is $3.67 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.
3. Crespi's homecoming game against long-time rivals Notre Dame kicks off tonight; check out Patch's preview of the showdown by clicking here.
4. Do you still load your groceries into single-use plastic and paper bags at the checkout? You may not be able to do so for long. Read Patch editor Paul Chavez's article to find out why.
Celts block a field-goal try and a punt, leading to two touchdowns, and break up a potential game-winning pass with less than a minute to play to win the teams' Serra League opener.
By Baxter Holmes
October 14, 2011, 11:15 p.m.
Encino Crespi's Tyler Foreman saw the opposing wide receiver break on a slant toward the end zone.
The pass, thrown on fourth down from about 10 yards away with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter, was right on target, headed straight for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame's Sam Robinson.
A sold-out stadium, more than 5,000 fans who had been through ups and downs of a thrilling back-and-forth game Friday night, held its breath.
A catch and Notre Dame would re-take the lead. Anything else and Crespi would likely hold on for a win in the teams' Serra League opener.
Foreman met Robinson just as the ball arrived, helping knock it incomplete and sealing Crespi's 28-26 homecoming victory.
"I just had to go break it up," Foreman said after making the biggest play in a game full of them.
Crespi (6-1, 1-0), The Times' No. 18-ranked team, staved off Notre Dame (5-2, 0-1), The Times' No. 25 team, which was seeking to avenge a heartbreaking loss to Crespi last season that kept the Knights out of the playoffs.
"Crespi is a great team, but mistakes killed us," said Notre Dame defensive back Kevin Carrasco.
Notre Dame scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17-7 lead in the second quarter. But Crespi blocked a field-goal attempt and Noah Ciccel ran it back 40 yards for a touchdown at the halftime gun.
The Celts blocked another Notre Dame kick in the third quarter, this one a punt from the Knights' 25-yard line. That set up a touchdown a few plays later to give Crespi a 21-17 lead.
"I think the special teams was the turning point of the whole game," Crespi Coach Jon Mack said. "I'm really proud of our kids."
Notre Dame jumped back on top with a long interception return for a touchdown, but Crespi took it back after Cody Cordell threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Chris Harper with 7 minutes 5 seconds to play in the fourth.
The Knights tried to engineer a game-winning drive at the end, but Foreman wouldn't let it happen.
Notre Dame quarterback Kelly Hilinski completed 15 of 28 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Cordell was 13 for 23 for 130 yards with two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns by Notre Dame defenders.
Long Beach Poly 38, Lakewood 21: Nicholas Pope threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Richard Smith in the second quarter to move the No. 9 Jackrabbits into the lead for good as they cemented their status as Moore League title favorites with a victory over their longtime rival.
Chaiyse Hales scored on a one-yard run in the second half and Poly teammate Jaylen Massengill recovered a blocked Lakewood punt in the end zone as the Jackrabbits (6-1, 3-0) overcame early turnovers and penalties to pull away in the final 24 minutes. Hayden Hunt kicked a 47-yard field goal for Poly.
Jaleel Wadood scored the game's first touchdown on a 64-yard fumble return for Lakewood (5-2, 2-1).
Poly has won 18 of the last 19 Moore League titles.
Written by Mike Terry, Contributing Writer Thursday, 13 October 2011 02:24
Five Winning And Balanced Football Teams Will Have Four Games To Decide Three Playoff Slots And A League Champion
League play begins for every prep football team this week in Southern California. And no league involving Valley teams is as potentially compelling as the Southern Section's Serra League.
Although other area teams in the City Section's respective East Valley, West Valley and Valley Mission leagues in the City may want to differ, the Serra League – which includes Valley teams Alemany, Crespi and Notre Dame – has the most balanced slate of good teams with only four weeks of league games to decide a champion.
And this year could be very difficult to do that.
Four of the five teams – La Puente Bishop Amat, Crespi, Los Angeles Loyola and Notre Dame – are 5-1. Alemany, the defending league champion, is 4-2.
"I think it's probably this year that, definitely, everybody is good and pretty even," Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney said. "You never know until you starting playing, but they are all good teams."
Crespi Coach Jon Mack agrees.
"The league is very tough," Mack said. "I've been able to see most of (the teams play), and it's unbelievably competitive. There is nobody in the league that looks like a weakness. Everybody is that good."
Adding to the pressure: three teams will automatically qualify for playoffs (the last year the league will get three automatic bids, but there is no at-large berth for the others because it is only a five-team league.
"We could have been 6-0, 0- 6, 4-2 or 2-4 – and it doesn't really matter," said Alemany Coach Dean Herrington, in discussing the nonleague season. "What we have now is a four-game season, and hopefully we're ready."
That's the beauty and the curse of being in such a balanced league; even if you play your best, you still might not qualify for the postseason.
And just imagine the nightmare if all five teams finish league at 2-2, and officials have to go through tie-breakers and coin flips to decide who goes on and whose season is over.
Just how did the Serra League reach this glorious yet perilous position? "What has happened is the bottom of league has caught up to the top," Mack said. "There were a number of years where there was more separation. But now everybody is good."
And then there is Alemany, which came into the Serra League last year from the Mission League, and caught everyone's attention by going undefeated in Serra the first time out.
"It's another good team in the league, and makes it tougher," Rooney said. "There was a little surprise that they won, but people knew they would be good."
The initial success, Herrington said, has made the bulls-eye on the Warriors' backs a little bigger this season, as demonstrated in the two nonleague one-point losses this season to Riverside JW North and Los Angeles Dorsey.
"That's what we have told (the team)," Harrington said. "Teams like Dorsey and North come in excited to play us. We've been in their shoes as the underdog, when we were excited to play everyone. But now, if we don't bring our 'Agame' every week, we're going to be in trouble, especially if we keep [teams] in the game.
"They're going to play good football, and they're excited to be playing us. So we have to match that intensity. And in our two losses, we didn't do that."
Among the Valley teams, Notre Dame was the last to lose, falling to Chaminade last week, 36-32. Crespi's loss was to Murrieta Vista Murrieta on Sept. 30, 38-20. The Alemany defeats came in consecutive weeks, 36-35 to North on Sept. 16, and 13-12 to Dorsey on Sept. 23.
Bishop Amat's loss was to Anaheim Servite, 49-14 on Sept. 9. Loyola's lone setback was to Upland, 38-23, on Sept. 30.
That suggests that Notre Dame has the least amount of time to fix whatever was wrong and exposed by Chaminade. And that might seem like a miniscule problem in the grand scheme of things.
But in a league race that projects to be as close and as even as this one appears to be, any edge or liability can be huge.
"Mistake-free," said Mack, when asked what kind of football teams needed to play to win the league. "That is critical. You control what you can control. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win because everybody is that even. That makes it nerve-wracking."
Pound-it-out, defensive slugfest, 10-9 kinds of games are probably something fans won't be subjected to. Every team has offensive stars somewhere in the lineup.
In the Valley, the stars are still young.
Notre Dame has running back Khalfani Muhammad, a junior, has rushed for more than 700 yards and 10 touchdowns. Alemany has outstanding wide receiver Steven Mitchell, a junior, who has 28 receptions and nine touchdowns. Crespi quarterback Cody Cordell, a junior, has not thrown fewer than three touchdown passes in a game this season, and has 21 touchdown passes against five interceptions overall in 2011.
This week Alemany travels to Bishop Amat. Notre Dame and Crespi will square off at Crespi.
So buckle up and get ready for the beginning of a month of angst-ridden, spine-tingling football.
"Every game is critical," Rooney said. The thought process is to win every game, and you have to win at least two to make playoffs. When everybody is good, don't know how it works out. But it does make it exciting; it's fun.
"In a word, a 'gauntlet.' That's what we're all about to go through," Herrington said. "When I was at Hart, there were always a few teams that weren't strong, and you knew you were probably going to win those games. Here, it's a pick 'em game every week these next four weeks."
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ENCINO -- The accolades continue to mount for Jordan Simmons from Crespi.
The prep football season, mind you, is not over yet. We're at the midway point.
Nevertheless, Simmons accepted an invitation to play in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl this week. His selection comes as little surprise. The honor is one of many for the 6-foot-5 and 325-plus pound senior offensive lineman, considered one of the country's premier prospects.
Some recruiting experts think Jordan Simmons' ability will be a fit at guard at college.
"I'm really looking forward to competing against some of the best guys,'' Simmons said with regards to playing in the all-star game featuring the nation's elite. The action take places in a few months, on Jan. 12. Simmons will represent the West against a team of standouts from the East. NBC will broadcast the event live at 1 P.M. EST from the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas.
“This game will give me a chance to see how I measure up against some of the top competition that's out there,'' Simmons added. “My goal is to come out and establish my name. I know if I keep working hard, and keep working on my fundamentals, then I should be fine."
ESPN Recruiting ranks Simmons as the nation's No. 5 player at guard and No. 86 overall. Closer to home, Simmons is No. 6 in the Southland and No. 9 in the Golden State.
He has close to 30 scholarship offers on the table, quite a few from Division I powerhouse programs. Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame are among the many potential suitors. Nearby, coaches and scouts from UCLA and USC are constant contact with him.
“Simmons is a big boy who will we feel will fit best at guard in college,'' said Craig Haubert, a well-respected ESPN national recruiting analyst. “This ESPNU 150 prospect brings more to the table than just his massive size though. He also has good flexibility and foot quickness. He needs to watch his pad level at times, but he can be a dominant blocker in the run game.”
A decision about his future does not figure to be made anytime soon. Simmons said he plans on waiting until after the season to make his all-important college commitment.
In the meantime, his focus figures to be on Friday's Serra League opener against visiting Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Simmons and Crespi (5-1 overall) are No. 16 in the ESPNLosAngeles.com rankings and can not afford to look past the Knights (5-1), who are No. 24 in the poll.
"Jordan is physically gifted. He's the total package," Crespi coach Jon Mack said. "I'm just glad he's on our side and we don't have to play against him on a weekly basis. He's a tremendous drive blocker and gets off the ball great in pass protection. He is a kid who can do it all.
"We support Jordan when goes to camps and combines, high-profile events. Everyone out there gets a chance to see what he can do. We're talking about someone who's going to make an impact at the next level right away. He won't have any issues making the transition.''
Simmons will be the first Crespi player to participate in the U.S. Army All-Amercian Bowl, in its 12th year of existence. Some notable alumni include Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck from Stanford, along with current NFL stars Adrian Peterson and Ndamukong Suh.
Several players from the greater Los Angeles area are expected to join Simmons in Texas for the game. Defensive back IshmaelAdams and receiver Jordan Payton from Westlake Village Oaks Christian were also recently selected to participate. As many as three other local products figure to be announced as U.S. Army All-Americans in the next couple of weeks.
Simmons will indeed have some company from out in this neck of the woods when he travels to the Midwest at the start of the next calendar year.
“Things are happening fast, especially with recruiting stuff and the U.S Army All-American Bowl,'' he said. “It seems like every month, every week, sometimes every day, something comes up like an honor or an award. This is a good time for me. I'm excited about the future.''
Sean Ceglinsky covers preps for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.
10/12/2011
Scout.com: Top Five OG an Army All-American
By Greg Powers National Recruiting Analyst
Posted Oct 12, 2011
Crespi Carmelits star Jordan Simmons is set to play in the longest running prep All-American contest which pits the stars of the West versus the stars of the East. (Click here to view a video reel of Simmons.)
(Wharton, NJ) October 12, 2011 – Jordan Simmons of Crespi Carmelite High School, Encino, CA, has been selected to play in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, joining an elite group of All-Americans. Those selected will play in the game on Saturday, January 7, 2012, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 1:00 p.m. EST and will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.
“Jordan is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Crespi Carmelite High School,” said John Myers, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “Only the strongest wear the Army colors, and Jordan possesses similar mental, emotional and physical strengths to Army Strong Soldiers. We are proud to honor all of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and congratulate each of them on their selection.”
The 6-foot-5, 340-pounder adds some beef to an impressive roster for the U.S. Army All-American contest. Simmons is currently rated as the #3 offensive guard in the country by Scout.com, making him a 4-star prospect.
Simmons is still considering many schools, but USC, Oregon, LSU, UCLA and Ohio State seem to be the schools highest on his recruiting radar.
Scout Eval: Simmons projects best as an offensive guard. He's mammoth player that can handle the strongest of bull rushes. When he gets in trouble is when he over extends and reaches for a player, getting off balance and letting a quicker, smaller end get around him. When he uses his athleticism and trusts his base and lets a player come to him, he is virtually unbeatable.
U.S. Army Sergeant 1st Class Kristian Yochum (Left), Jordan Simmons (Right)
10/11/2011
Daily News: Rematch time for Crespi, Notre Dame
PREP FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Rematch time for Crespi, Notre Dame
Eleven months ago, Crespi defeated Notre Dame with a Stanford-versus-Cal-style last-second touchdown, knocking the Knights out of the playoffs for the first time in more than 20 years.
Now comes the rematch.
A capacity crowd in Encino is expected when the teams meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Crespi. It's also the Serra League opener, in addition being Crespi's homecoming game.
A lot of the elite players from both teams are returning starters, and if ever the emotion can carry over from one season to the next, this is the game.
Notre Dame (5-1) is coming off a tough 36-32 loss Friday at Chaminade, one night before Crespi (5-1) defeated Taft 56-7, so players from both teams got a chance to do their own scouting report this past weekend.
"Our team, coaches included, are taking the aggravating loss from last week's game and the storybook ending against Crespi last year, and it's filling us with emotion and fuel to prepare us for Friday," Notre Dame defensive lineman Brandon Jett said. "I can assure you, it will be an amazing game."
Every game should prove crucial in the Serra League, as the five programs have a combined record of 24-6. With only three teams guaranteed Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoff berths, it's full speed ahead from this point forward.
"This game has been circled on our calendars all year," Notre Dame quarterback Kelly Hilinski said. "Preseason is over, and we have learned from our mistakes. The real season starts Friday. It's time to earn a playoff spot, and it all begins with this game."
Hilinski has passed for 655 yards and five touchdowns, and he has scored five touchdowns. Khalfani Muhammad has rushed for 744 yards and scored 11 touchdowns, and Jett and defensive back Kevin Carrasco are among the league's most intimidating defenders.
Crespi counters with quarterback Cody Cordell, who has completed 75.3 percent of his passes for 1,210 yards and 21 touchdowns, along with receivers Chris Harper (22 receptions, 616 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Mike Davison (19 receptions, 223 yards, three touchdowns), All-American offensive lineman Jordan Simmons and returning all-league linebacker Luke Wilkerson.
"We are mentally and physically focused for Notre Dame, and it's going to be a dogfight the whole game," Davison said.
What must Maulhardt do?
Jake Maulhardt, a 6-foot-7 receiver for Camarillo who is among the national leaders with 73 receptions - including a state-record 28 against Canyon on Sept. 23 - has not received a scholarship offer.
Some Internet sites have published Maulhardt has offers from BYU, Colorado and Boise State, but he says it's not true.
"I have no idea where they got that or where that came from," Maulhardt said. "Some schools have kind of told me they wanted me to go there, but nothing is official."
He took a visit to San Diego State this past weekend, and the Aztecs did not offer, Maulhardt said.
Maulhardt had 96 catches last year despite missing two games, and this season he is on pace to surpass 100 and perhaps break the state mark of 122.
"We played a game against Ventura, and every time we lined up, every guy on Ventura would point to me and yell, 'Ball! Ball! Ball!" Maulhardt said. "I get that a lot."
Camarillo coach Dennis Riedmiller can't figure out why USC and UCLA are not pounding on Maulhardt's door and begging the kid to sign.
"I just don't get it," Riedmiller said. "I know UCLA was interested before, but I'm not sure if they are anymore. If it was me, oh my God, I would take Jake Maulhardt any day of the week. I would take him over anyone in Southern California."
Maulhardt is a extremely tough for 5-foot-10 cornerbacks to cover one-on-one.
"Most of the teams we've faced try to put their best athlete on Jake, but with his jumping ability, it's like he's 10-feet tall," Riedmiller said.
"Plus, he has done a great job to improve his speed. He's not the fastest guy on the team, but he's right there."
Headed to the pit
Not only must Alemany try to win Friday in unfriendly confines at Bishop Amat in LaPuente, the team also has to figure out a way to slow Jalen Moore, one of California's most talented running backs.
Moore has rushed for 1,012 yards -- one of the few in California to already reach 1,000 -- and he carried 38 times for 213 yards and three touchdowns in a win Thursday over Venice.
"Jalen Moore is really good. He's the heart and the soul of that team," Alemany coach Dean Herrington said. "He carried 38 times last week, so obviously they want to give him the ball. But they pass the ball well, too, so it's not like we can just zero in on him."
Bishop Amat draws big crowds, and the stadium's tight design includes end zone seats occupied by home fans.
"It's a fun place to play, a pretty rowdy crowd," Herrington said. "There should be a lot of people. It should be fun."
Jordan Simmons was close to making his commitment Tuesday, but the four-star offensive lineman from Encino (Calif.) Crespi has decided to hold off until he takes some visits.
Jordan Simmons decided he wasn't quite ready to make his college choice.
It was a big day, anyway, since Simmons was presented with his U.S. Army All-American Bowl jersey during a ceremony at his high school.
The 6-foot-5, 333-pound prospect is really looking forward to his week in San Antonio - whether he's playing offensive tackle or offensive guard.
"It's a real big honor," Simmons said. "I'm the first one in my family to do it and the first one at Crespi.
"I feel I worked hard for it and I feel like everything has paid off. I appreciate the Army All-American committee for recognizing me as one of the top players in the country. It's a huge honor to play in this game and I couldn't ask for anything more.
"I'm really looking forward to competing against some of the best guys from back East. I got a little taste of it at The Opening. A lot of guys from The Opening will be playing in this game and if I keep working hard and keep working on my fundamentals then I should be fine."
No official visits are set up yet but Simmons, the top-rated offensive guard and No. 36 overall in the 2012 class by Rivals.com, said he would definitely like to visit Oregon, LSU and Ohio State for sure.
An official trip to USC might also happen. Simmons has joked in the last few weeks that he still has a top 15.
It is believed Simmons was going to decide between USC and Oregon if he committed Tuesday but after discussing his recruitment with his parents has decided to see some college campuses before ending things.
"I talked to my family and they thought it was best for me to weigh out my options and see what was best for me to pick a school," Simmons said.
"They also want me to make the perfect choice because I don't want to look back a year from now or four years from now saying, 'I wish I never went to that school.'"
One of the reasons why Simmons, No. 8 in the California state rankings by Rivals.com, wanted to make his pledge is so that things wouldn't be so hectic.
Since he has offers from pretty much every major program in the country, Simmons has dealt with recruiting for years and that he feels it's about time to make his decision and focus on the rest of his senior year.
But it looks like Simmons will wait just a while longer until he can take some visits - with Oregon, LSU and Ohio State almost certainly on the official visit list - to announce his choice.
"I wanted to get it out of the way," Simmons said.
"It's kind of stressful, really every week people are asking me about my top 10, top five and when I'm going to make a decision."
Simmons isn't ready to make his commitment. Fans from schools across the country will have to wait a while longer to find out where he ends up.
There’s a new No. 1 football team in the L.A. North area. Westlake knocked off Oaks Christian in impressive fashion with a 22-point win on Thursday night on national television. The Warriors dominated on the offensive line, defensive line and with its rushing attack.
Westlake moves up to No. 1. Oaks Christian drops to No. 5. Chaminade jumps three spots to No. 4 after a thrilling, come-from-behind win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
Four top-10 teams, Westlake, Canyon, St. Francis and Ventura, are undefeated.
Here’s a look at the top 10 teams in the region:
(2) Westlake (5-0) – Westlake quarterback Justin Moore threw the ball only 13 times in his team’s 43-21 over previously top-ranked Oaks Christian. He didn’t need to throw the football that many times as Oaks Christian couldn’t stop the Westlake running attack.
(4) Crespi (5-1) – The Celts easily took care of Woodland Hills Taft, 56-7. Now Crespi begins its Serra League schedule against a stunned Sherman Oaks Notre Dame team on Friday night.
(5) Alemany (4-2) – Alemany wide receiver Steven Mitchell had a big game against Beverly Hills. He caught five passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s 48-12 win.
(7) Chaminade (4-1) – It wasn’t the prettiest game against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, but Chaminade ended the roller-coaster night on the upswing and won 36-32. That never-say-die mentality will be hard to beat.
(1) Oaks Christian (3-2) – Westlake found a weakness in the Oaks Christian defense: Run straight up the middle. The good news for Oaks Christian is that the Lions probably won’t face a team as tough as Westlake until the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division playoffs.
(3) St. Bonaventure (4-1) – The Seraphs ground game looked incredibly intimidating against Moorpark. Running backs Shaun Wick and Zach Green combined for 170 yards in 33 carries and didn’t give Moorpark much of a chance on offense.
(6) Canyon (5-0) – The Cowboys don’t deserve to drop a spot in the rankings after a dominating 42-0 win over Dos Pueblos. Quarterback Jonathan Jerozal had his best game of the season passing for 302 yards and four touchdowns.
(9) St. Francis (5-0) – The Golden Knights scored only one touchdown in a 9-3 win over Paso Robles. The St. Francis defense was stellar, forcing three turnovers, holding Paso Robles to 27 rushing yards and keeping the Bearcats out of the end zone.
(10) Ventura (6-0) – The Cougars finished their preseason with an undefeated record and a convincing 42-7 win over Oxnard. Quarterback Rodney Stanley threw for 217 yards and four touchdowns.
(8) Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (5-1) – If the game between Notre Dame and Chaminade is any indication of how the Serra and Mission leagues will play out, it’s going to be an exciting next five weeks of high school football in the San Fernando Valley. Tough loss, but it’s a game that will be remembered for a long time.
10/10/2011
Patch.com: Homecoming Showdown: Crespi vs. Notre Dame [VIDEO]
Crespi will play Notre Dame in its homecoming game Friday evening, and a dramatic showdown between the two teams is expected.
The clashes between Notre Dame and Crespi stretch all the way back to the 1980s, when the two schools had a sporting, cross-Valley rivalry. Paul Rewarte, the director of marketing and public relations at Crespi, told Patch that it was the high school equivalent of the rivalry between USC and UCLA.
"Two years ago, Notre Dame kicked a last second field goal to beat us," said Rewarte, "and last year we had the play
One of the more interesting recruiting stories to track in the Class of 2012 was the recruitment of Crespi Carmelite High School (Encino, CA) wide receiver Chris Harper. 
Rumors are swirling the 6-foot-1, 170-pound three-star may be ready to flip his commitment. 
Courtesy of Angela MeansCrespi's Chris Harper has 10 touchdown receptions this season, ranking among the state's top 10.
Courtesy of Angela MeansChris Harper's recruiting is picking up. Among the schools with scholarship offers on the table are Colorado, Georgia Tech and Southern Methodist.
ESPN.com Illustration
By 
(Wharton, NJ) October 12, 2011 – 
Jordan Simmons decided he wasn't quite ready to make his college choice.