Prep basketball roundup: El Segundo finds new combination in upset win

From L.A Times staff reports

With one of its leaders relegated to the bench in the first half because of foul trouble, El Segundo coach Rick Sabosky turned to Tyler Hagan, David Howard and John Ryan to keep the Eagles within striking instance.

Instead, Sabosky found a winning combination in the threesome, who amassed 46 points to lead No. 14 El Segundo past No. 3 Crespi for an 84-65 upset on Tuesday in the first round of the Division IV Southern California Regionals.

With Brandon Jawato on the bench the rest of the half after picking up his second foul in the opening quarter, Hagan (18 points), Howard (16 points, 12 rebounds, six steals) and Ryan (12 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks) filled in nicely in his absence.

"We played a great game. I don't know how we did it," Sabosky said afterward. "It was a weird game in the first. We were hanging around and then Brandon picked up his second foul. But methodically, we outscored them in the second quarter (25-11)."

Defensively, El Segundo (20-11) picked apart Crespi's top two scorers - Matt Mounier (seven points) and Blake Stanton (10 points) - and got help off the bench from Brandon Reynoso, who doled out six assists.

Jawato had 14 points.

"We just kept on going on runs," Sabosky said. "They handled their pressure, made the right play and pass and 10 (points) is the closest they ever got.

"It was a nice team effort."

El Segundo advances to play at San Diego Horizon, a 72-59 winner over the host LACES.

Good afternoon Crespi swimming families,

This is Coach Robinson. I wanted to inform you all that practice for today will be at VNSO. This change of facility for today is due to another competition that the Pierce pool is being used for. This will probably occur several more times throughout our season. VNSO is our fall back pool, and we will swim there in the event of Pierce locking us out. The regularly scheduled bus will re-route to VNSO in order to transport all swimmers to that facility.

The address for VNSO is 14201 Huston St., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Click here for directions to the VNSO pool.

Thank you, and hope to see you all at Notre Dame tomorrow for our 1st League Meet of the year! It will begin at 3:15 PM.

The address for Notre Dame high School is: 13645 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-2494

Click here for directions to the Notre Dame pool.

PREP ROUNDUP: Crespi baseball rolls in Easton Tournament

Daily News

Scott Heineman had two hits and two RBIs and defending champion Crespi used a big first inning to defeat Ventura 10-3 Tuesday in the Easton Tournament.

The Celts (3-0) sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning and scored nine runs, chasing the Ventura starter.

John Kearns (1-0) got the win for Crespi.

Baseball: Ryan Brockett is sharp for Crespi

The top teams all have aces, but the championship teams have outstanding No. 2 pitchers, and Encino Crespi showed off a good one Monday in left-hander Ryan Brockett, who struck out eight and allowed one hit in six innings during the Celts' 7-0 victory over seven-time City Section champion Granada Hills Kennedy.

Michael Hubbard continued his hot hitting with three hits, making him seven for eight on the season. Crespi (2-0), ranked No. 2 by The Times, had three triples in the sixth inning by Hubbard, Jack Colick and Alex Gonzalez. Ryon Healy had a double and single.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Football: Late scholarship for Crespi receiver

Receiver Brandon Graves from Encino Crespi has signed with Central Missouri State.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Daily News

Mike Hubbard was 3 for 4 with a triple and an RBI to lead Crespi of Encino (2-0) to a 7-0 pool-play victory over Kennedy of Granada Hills in the Easton tournament.

Alex Gonzalez also had a triple and was 2 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs for Crespi (2-0).

Crespi boys' basketball hopes to continue momentum

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

Now that the state basketball playoffs have arrived, Crespi High of Encino is hoping to parlay the momentum from an exciting section championship victory Friday over Mission League rival Alemany of Mission Hills.

"It was fun. A game like that gives off a different kind of energy," Crespi's Ben Loth said.

The Crespi campus is buzzing with excitement, as the third-seeded Celts play host to El Segundo in a Div. IV Southern California Regional tonight.

Crespi comes from a tough Mission League that has placed five teams in the state playoffs, and after taking its lumps against larger programs Harvard-Westlake of Studio and Loyola of L.A. during the regular season, the Celts feel like they're ready for anything.

"Losing to Harvard-Westlake and Loyola has definitely made us a lot better," Loth said. "This is a good opportunity for us."

Added teammate Matt Mounier: "It's pretty exciting that we get to keep playing. I think we have a pretty good shot if we keep playing the way we've been."

Familiar foes

Kilpatrick of Malibu plays Delphic League rival Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth tonight in a Div. V opener at Pierce College, and Kilpatrick's players were happy the weather had cleared up by Monday because they practice outdoors.

The school gym has been condemned for 16 years since the 1994 earthquake.

"There's another gym we can use next door at Camp Miller, but the roof leaks," Kilpatrick coach Kurt M. Keller said. "That's been the key for us this season - good players and good weather."

Kilpatrick, a locked-down camp for juvenile offenders, plays all of its games on the road. The Mustangs have won seven of their past eight, including a one-point victory Feb. 2 over Sierra Canyon. In January, Sierra Canyon defeated the Mustangs by 11 points.

Notre Dame gets favorable draw

Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks owes the CIF state seeding committee a solid.

After losing in the Div. IV-A semifinals, Notre Dame coach Bill Bedgood admitted he was not even sure the Knights would qualify for the Southern California Regionals. Notre Dame not only made the field, but is seeded fourth in Div. IV.

"We kind of took a standpoint that until we saw our name up there, that's when we would concern ourselves with the state playoffs," said Bedgood, who gave the team a week off before resuming light workouts Thursday. "It was a long season. We had to pace ourselves."

Varsity Captains:
Greg Briggs, Sr. Goalie
Evan Deems,Sr. Defense
Kevin Fiskio, Sr. Midfield
Ryan Fass, Sr. Midfield
Brad Lattanzio Sr. Defense

Junior Varsity Captains:
Jonathan Cruz, Soph. Midfield
William Lynch Fr. Defense

Stanton tall: Third time's a championship for Crespi over Alemany

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

BOYS' BASKETBALL: Stanton leads Crespi to third victory over Alemany this season, Div. IV-A title.

SANTA ANA - Trailing by 13points in the most important game of his high school career, Blake Stanton took over for Crespi High of Encino, scoring 21 points and coming through with several key plays down the stretch in a 50-43 victory Friday over Alemany of Mission Hills in the Southern Section Div. IV-A basketball championship in front of about 4,000 at Mater Dei High.

Stanton made a 25-foot 3-pointer as time expired in the first half to give Crespi (21-11) a one-point halftime lead, and over the final 90 seconds of the fourth quarter Stanton scored five points and had a key steal, as the Celts defeated their Mission League rival for the third time this season.

"Words can't describe how I feel right now," Stanton said. "Losing was not in our mindset, even when we were down by 13. We knew what we had to do, and I knew what I had to do for my team."

Stanton missed several shots and did not score in the first quarter, as the Warriors (15-17) led 19-6 to the delight of a large crowd of Alemany fans who wore custom cardinal T-shirts and roared their approval.

But in the second quarter, Stanton scored three quick baskets on a couple of jumpers and an inside layup to help Crespi to an 8-0 spree to close the advantage, and the stocky senior guard soon added a fastbreak layup, a free throw, another fast-break layup, and then the long 3-pointer with a defender in his face as the halftime buzzer sounded.

"At first, I was trying to do too much. I had to let the game come to me," Stanton said.

Stanton connected on 8-of-18 shots with three steals and three assists, as the Celts overcame 18 turnovers while managing to make just 1-of-8 3-pointers.

Matt Mounier added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Kenny Stenhouse chipped in four points and 11 rebounds.

Stanton, a four-year starter, isn't through. Both teams have qualified for the Southern California regionals in the state playoffs. Pairings will be released .

"This was the culmination of an awesome career for Blake," Crespi coach Russell White said. "Tonight was a nice cherry on top of the whole thing."

Alemany shot just 28.6 percent (16 of 56), including 2 of 21 3-pointers.

"After the first quarter, I was thinking we had to play better defense, and we did," White said.

In the final minute, Alemany missed four shots and committed two turnovers. Perhaps nerves got the best of the Warriors, and that was not a big surprise considering their starting lineup includes two freshmen and two sophomores.

Max Guercy scored 14 points for Alemany, and Jordan Fuller added 11.

"We started getting complacent and turning the ball over, and that's not what we wanted to do," Fuller said. "This was the first CIF basketball championship ever for Alemany, so I guess it was a little nerve-racking, but I don't think nerves played that much of a factor."

Boys' basketball: Crespi wins Division 4A title

Crespi of Encino has defeated Alemany of Mission Hills 50-43 to win the Southern Section Division 4A championship at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana. The Celts defeated their Mission League rivals for the third time this season.

-- Steve Galluzzo, L.A. Times

Boys' basketball: Third time still a charm for Celts

It's hard to beat the same team three times in one season, but Encino Crespi did just that Friday night with a 50-43 victory over Mission Hills Alemany in the Southern Section Division 4A boys' championship game at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana. 
 
Blake Stanton scored 21 points for the second-seeded Celts (21-11) and Matt Mournier added 17 points, extending his double-digit scoring streak to 21 consecutive games. Stanton made three of four free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
 
Max Guercy had 14 points, Jordan Fuller had 11 and Jerico Richardson added 8 for the Warriors (15-17), who raced to a 19-6 lead in the first quarter but were outscored 21-6 in the second quarter and trailed 27-25 at halftime. 

Both teams will advance to the Southern California Regional playoffs, which begin Tuesday. 

-- Steve Galluzzo, L.A. Times

Boys' basketball: Crespi, Alemany fans deserve salute

OK, I admit being a skeptic about why anyone should be excited with Encino Crespi and Mission Hills Alemany playing for a Southern Section Division 4A championship when they weren't exactly at the top of their own league this season.

But the enthusiasm of their fans made me change my mind. Alemany's 18 rooter buses helped me understand that it doesn't matter if it isn't the top division. It's for a title, and both schools wanted to win badly.

Crespi won, 50-43, at Mater Dei, and what a crowd.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Chatsworth, Crespi baseball again are favorites heading into season

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

High school baseball kicks into gear this weekend with most of the area's top programs opening on Friday, and as usual the area is rich with talented teams, including defending Southern Section Div. II champion Crespi of Encino and defending City Section Div. I champion Chatsworth.

Crespi's Ryon Healy, a top pitcher and hitter who is the returning Div.II MVP and Daily News Player of the Year, is among a group of returning standouts for the Celts.

A 6-foot-5 right-hander, Healy was 11-0 with a 1.81 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 81 innings last season, and he also batted .468 with three home runs and 25 RBIs.

Other key returnees for Crespi include All-Southern Section infielder Kevin Williams (.323, two home runs, 26 RBIs), four-year starting infielder Austin Walker (.312) and outfielders Josh Mason (.349, four home runs, 30 RBIs) and Mike Hubbard (.338, two home runs, 14 RBIs).

Healy has signed with Oregon, Williams has signed with UCLA, Walker has signed with UC Irvine, and Mason and Hubbard have signed with Stony Brook.

"We haven't played a game, so it's hard to tell, but we're strong, fast and play pretty good defense," said Crespi coach Scott Muckey, entering his 23 rd season.

In an opening scrimmage Monday against Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, Healy had two hits and three RBIs with a bases-loaded double, and Walker and George Alvarez hit home runs.

Meanwhile, Chatsworth is an obvious favorite to repeat as City champions after winning the past three titles and seven over the past 11 seasons.

The Chancellors graduated most of their key starters from last year's team, but there is still plenty of talent, including power-hitting first baseman Derek Neely and left-handed pitcher Aaron Brown.

El Camino Real of Woodland Hills and Cleveland of Reseda again will contend with Chatsworth in the West Valley League. Cleveland lost to Chatsworth in the City championship last season, and El Camino Real returns pitcher Jose Cardona, perhaps the City's best after going 8-2 with three shutouts and a 2.79 ERA.

"We're looking pretty strong," Cardona said. "We have two goals — to win the league championship and to get the City championship at Dodger Stadium and win it. I'm sure Chatsworth is pretty good, but we're a good team, too."

C.I.F. Basketball Finals: Friday March 5th vs. Alemany High School at Mater Dei High School!

Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, March 3rd in the Main Office at Crespi.

$9.00 tickets for General Admission
$5.00 tickets for Students and children under the age of 13

$25.00 Rooter bus tickets for General Admission (includes game ticket)
$20.00 Rooter bus tickets for Students and children under the age of 13 (includes game ticket)

BOYS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: Crespi about to meet another familiar foe

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

A week after eliminating Mission League rival Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in the Southern Section Div. IV-A basketball semifinals, Crespi of Encino faces another familiar opponent in the title game.

The second-seeded Celts play Alemany of Mission Hills in an all-league final at 8:30p.m. Friday at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana.

Crespi defeated Notre Dame three times - twice in league competition, followed by the playoff victory - and the Celts are looking to do the same thing to the Warriors.

"I think we're pretty confident. We're looking forward to playing Alemany for the championship," Crespi's Cooper Goldie said. "We made it to the semifinals last year and kind of got a taste of it, and this year our goal was to get a championship. The difference is, this year we knew what we had to do to get here, we made a plan, and we've stuck to it."

Alemany, which has never qualified for a basketball final in the school's 53-year history, entered the playoffs as a fourth-place team with an 11-16 record, and nobody expected the Warriors to still be around - especially with a starting lineup that includes two freshmen and two sophomores.

"This is our third time playing Crespi, and the third time is the charm," said Alemany's Jerico Richardson, who ironically transferred from Crespi. "This is the championship, and we will be prepared and ready for this game."

Boys' basketball: Alemany is the true underdog

Encino Crespi fans got a thrill last week in beating rival Sherman Oaks Notre Dame for a third time this season to advance to the Southern Section Division 4A final despite the predictions of a sportswriter that it wouldn't happen, but don't expect Mission League rival Alemany to encourage any more predictions about the Celts' supposed demise.

"We don't need any extra reasons for them to get excited," Alemany Coach Tray Meeks said.

Alemany is the big underdog for Friday's 8:30 p.m. championship game at Santa Ana Mater Dei. The Warriors entered the playoffs as the fourth-place team from the Mission League with an 11-16 record. But they have earned the right to play Crespi because they upset No. 1-seeded Oaks Christian along the way.

Sophomore guard Jerico Richardson, a former Crespi player, has aided Alemany, along with sophomore guard Max Guercy and junior guard Jordan Fuller. Alemany lost twice during league play to Crespi, 74-65 and 71-61.

"The guys just believe in each other, and they thought they could get here," Meeks said.

Crespi has been led by junior guard Matt Mounier and senior point guard Blake Stanton. The Celts have improved immensely since the early season under Coach Russell White.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Crespi boys' basketball defeats Notre Dame, faces Alemany in Mission final

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

BOYS' BASKETBALL: Celts use 3-point shooting, defense in third quarter to shut down Notre Dame.

After defeating rival Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks twice during the regular season, most thought it was going to be tough for Crespi of Encino to do so once again Friday in a Southern Section Div. IV-A boys' basketball semifinal at Harvard-Westlake in Studio City.

But visiting Crespi showed hustle, crisp teamwork and, most important, some clutch shooting when it counted most to eliminate Notre Dame 69-54 in front of a raucous crowd of 1,280.

Trailing by five points early in the third quarter, Crespi (20-11) drilled a series of 3-pointers, while holding Notre Dame (18-14) without a field goal for a 10-minute stretch.

"A lot of people doubted us. They didn't think we could beat Notre Dame three times," Crespi's Kenny Stenhouse said. "It feels great."

Matt Mounier's 3-pointer put Crespi ahead 42-40 with five minutes left in the third quarter, and the Celts never relinquished the advantage.

Crespi plays Mission League rival Alemany of Mission Hills (15-16) in the title game at Colony High in Ontario, the date and time to be announced Monday.

Stenhouse played a key role by scoring 16 of his 17 points in the second half, including two 3-pointers, as the Celts hit five over a nine-minute span after converting just one 3-pointer in the first half.

"It was just the flow of the game," Stenhouse said. "In the first half, we weren't playing defense, and in the second half, we picked it up."

Crespi's Blake Stanton scored 13 points with nine assists, Justin Rubia added 13 points, and Mounier scored 11.

"We finally made it to a final, and I'm over-excited about it," Stanton said. "Everyone is stoked to be playing for a championship. We've beaten Alemany twice, too, but we can't look ahead."

Jeremy Sulker-Hall scored 17 points for Notre Dame, and Kennedy Edwards added 11.

"In the second half, we kind of lost control of our defense, and Crespi started hitting open 3s," Edwards said. "They wanted it more. To play in an environment like this with the place soldout, it was a great experience. It something that happens once in a lifetime."

Leading by four points with two minutes left in the third quarter, Stanton scored on a fast-break layup and a jumper to stretch the lead to 51-43.

"We kind of got out of sync offensively," Notre Dame coach Bill Bedgood said. "We were doing a good job of getting the ball inside in the first half, and in the second half we kind of got away from that."

Stenhouse scored six in a row to begin the fourth quarter, boosting Crespi's lead to 13.

"We're a streaky team, and we definitely came out and executed in the second half," Stanton said.

The Celts made four free throws in the final minute.

Since losing three in a row, Crespi has won six straight.

Second-seeded Crespi is competing for its second Southern Section basketball championship. In its only appearance in a final, the Celts won the 2001 Div. IV-AA title by defeating St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs 71-57.

GITTELSON: Notre Dame, Crespi renew rivalry in semis

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

Fierce neighborhood rivals for decades, Crespi High of Encino and Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks go at it again tonight, this time in the Southern Section Div. IV-A boys' basketball semifinals at Harvard-Westlake in Studio City.

Crespi has defeated Notre Dame twice this season in Mission League competition, and both victories came down to the final moments - first a 53-50 home victory Jan. 8, followed by a 61-59 win Jan. 27 at Notre Dame.

A championship berth is at stake tonight, so the atmosphere should be electrifying.

"I think it's going to be a big game. Crespi is our rival, and we're looking to get a win this time," Notre Dame's Johnathan Bell said.

What makes the Crespi-Notre Dame rivalry extra special is it transcends all sports, as both pride themselves not only on basketball but football and baseball, too.

"Even if we're playing Crespi in a little summer-league game, it's still huge," Notre Dame coach Bill Bedgood said.

Ben Loth, a Crespi standout in basketball and football, can barely wait.

"It's nice to play Notre Dame in the playoffs because it's so intense because it's single-elimination," Loth said. "It's going to be fun. It's awesome because Notre Dame is our crosstown rival. Yes, we've beaten them twice, but now there's more pressure because it's the playoffs. We think we can keep it up like we did the last two times and keep on rolling."

Second-seeded Crespi, led by Matt Mournier and Blake Stanton, is the only top-four seed remaining. The other three semifinalists, Notre Dame, Alemany of Mission Hills and Paraclete of Lancaster, all defeated top-four seeds in the quarterfinals.

"The bracket is all blown up. I don't think they got the bracket right in the first place," Bedgood said. "The top four should have been all Mission League teams, and Alemany should have been No. 5. I guess you have to give precedence to teams that win their league, but everyone knows the Mission League is the toughest league around."

The rise of Notre Dame, just 2-25 two seasons ago, is an intriguing story because the starting lineup includes two freshmen (guards Jahmel Taylor and Ausar Madison) and two sophomores (forwards Bell and Kennedy Edwards).

"It can be nerve-racking at times, but we knew we would have to rely on a lot of young guys," Bedgood said. "I have a lot of confidence in them. I told the freshmen that they're like sophomores now because they've already gone through such a tough season."

Boys' basketball: Crespi vs. Notre Dame

The rivalry between Encino Crespi and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame gets another opportunity in basketball, with a third meeting scheduled for Friday in a Division 4A semifinal game expected to be at Harvard-Westlake.

Crespi has beaten the Knights twice this season, and there's no way Crespi can beat Notre Dame three times. If the Celts pull it off, Coach Russell White deserves a parade. I still don't understand how Notre Dame lost the last time the two schools played.

But White deserves credit for getting the Celts to play at the top of their game during the playoffs. They are overachievers, and sometimes that's how championships are won.

I think it's going to be an all-Mission League final next week.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

BOYS BASKETBALL: La Salle falls to Crespi in 4A quarterfinals

Daily News Staff reports

Matt Mounier had 17 points and 10 rebounds for host Crespi High School, which used a 10-2 run at the end of the third quarter to take a seven-point lead entering the fourth en route to a 72-62 victory over La Salle in a CIF-Southern Section Division 4A quarterfinal on Tuesday.

La Salle (20-9), the No. 6 seed, cut the deficit to four early in the final quarter, but No. 2 Crespi (19-11) pulled away down the stretch.

Ryan Akinbayode led La Salle, which led 18-14 after one quarter, with 19 points.

Crespi faces Mission League rival Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in Friday's semifinals

Our Crespi basketball team has reached the quarter finals of the CIF Division 4A playoffs by defeating Templeton High School. Our 2nd seeded Celts take on the La Salle Lancers in what will be our final home game this season.

Our CELTS look to add another win to their 18 win season while battling the 20 win Lancers. We need ALL OF YOU to "Come Home" to Crespi tonight, at 7:00 PM. Tickets go on sale at 6:00 PM and will be $8 for adults and $5 for children under 13 of age or students with valid school IDs.

With a victory the Celts will go the Final Four this Friday night for the 2nd consecutive season. We need your help as the 6th man to make A LOT of noise and support the team. I look forward to seeing all of you at the game!

I'd also like to congratulate our wrestlers and soccer team on great seasons! The soccer team finished 3rd in a tough league and lost a close battle with Mira Costa in the playoffs 3-2 but played great this season. The wrestlers finished 2nd in league and had some exciting individual accomplishments in CIF led by John Kearns, Scott Haskell, and Blayne Briceno. Congratulations to all our CELTS and special thanks to Coach White (Basketball), Coach Kodama (Soccer), and Coach Odman (Wrestling) for all their time and efforts.

Thank you and see you tonight!

Local wrestlers remain on Mission at Southern Section regionals

By John Wareham, Special to the Daily News

WHITTIER -- If there was a theme to the Southern Section regional tournament Saturday at Whittier High, it would be redemption.

Five wrestlers from the Mission League medaled and qualified for the Masters tournament next week and all five did better than they had last year.

Craig Seidenglanz of Chaminade of West Hills (119 pounds) and Nick Truer of Harvard-Westlake of Studio City (at 152) both won titles, while Blayne Briceno of Crespi of Encino placed third, Anthony Espinosa (189) of Alemany finished fourth and Warriors teammate Akeem Espinosa placed fifth.

Seidenglanz's beat Daniel Wada of North Torrance in the finals to win his title -- where he redeemed himself from last year's loss in the semifinals.

"I feel pretty relieved actually," said Seidenglanz about his title. "Being the No. 1 seed, being in the finals sophomore year and not winning. Then last year, losing 1-0 in the semis. A big weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

Seidenglanz won all of his matches in the two-day event, including a pin and an 8-0 win in the quarterfinals. He didn't, however, have a rematch with the wrestler who beat him 1-0 in the semifinals last year, Richard Rios of Santa Fe.

Truer topped his steller season with a Mission League title and his first CIF title -- his best finish in his four years at Harvard-Westlake. It is the first time a Wolverine won a title since 2005 -- and he did this despite having a leg injury that has lingered for several weeks.

The second-seeded Truer won the title after he pinned top-seeded Dan Busch of Corona Del Mar of Newport Beach in the first round of the finals.

After his win, all of his teammates came running from all around the gym and coalesced around the senior.

"I don't know who the guy I beat was, but they (my teammates) were just really happy that after four years, that I won CIF. After four years of hard work," Truer said. "I'm going to go see a physical therapist about my legs. I feel pretty good though."

Briceno finished third in the same class as Seidenglanz, when he redeemed himself with a win over Blake Lowrie of Laguna Hills, who had beaten him Friday his only loss of the tournament.

Lowrie defeated Briceno 8-2 in the quarterfinals, which put the Celt into the consolation round. Briceno didn't place in the final last year and was the only Crespi wrestler to do it this season.

Espinosa's path was a little rougher after he put himself into a hole early, losing his first match of the tournament, 2-0 to Shawn Felix-Tuu of Dana Hills. The Alemany senior had to battle all the way back from that and finished fourth, losing again only on a controversial call in this final match.

"It was just like me being on my own. Like a journey," said Espinosa about his comeback. "I just had to come back because in my first match, I got big-headed. I thought I was gonna beat him.

Then I had to work hard again. I didn't want to let my parents or my team down."

After his first loss, Espinosa defeated Trevor Reddell of Morro Bay 5-1, Issac De La Cruz of Santa Maria 3-0, then he knocked Felix-Tuu out of the tournament in a revenge match in the consolation round.

Gonzales also had to battle back from an early loss, but won his final match to reach finish in fifth place and qualify for Masters after not making the cut last season.

"I feel great. Last year I didn't make it this far," said Gonzales. "I got to seventh place last year. Next year I plan on getting 1st place."

Next week will be new for Gonzales, since this is his first time going to Masters.

"I feel very good (about Masters). The last thing on my mind is getting nervous," he said. "Last year, before a good match, I would get nervous and look at the brackets. This year, I just have fun."

Several other wrestlers competed for that targeted fifth place, but lost in their final matches. John Kearns (171) and Scott Haskell of Crespi (119) Arsheep Gill of Chaminade (130) and Carlos Lazo of Alemany (135) all were defeated and placed sixth.

Daily News

Harvard-Westlake of Studio City's one-goal victory last season at Crespi of Encino denied the host Celts an opportunity to win the Mission League boys' soccer title.

Although Crespi isn't in contention to win this year's championship, the Celts made sure they returned the favor Friday night to Harvard-Westlake.

Craig Nitti and Justin Ibarra scored two minutes apart late in the second half to rally host Crespi to a 2-1 victory, likely costing the Wolverines (16-6-3, 7-4) a shot at the league title with Loyola of Los Angeles (16-6-5, 7-1-2) defeating St. Francis of La Canada Flintridge 1-0.

"Our whole momentum, the whole team picked up in the second half," said the Loyola Marymount-bound Nitti, whose 25-yard free kick in the 68th minute got through the Wolverines' defense and past goalkeeper Alex Silverman.

"We knew we needed two goals in order to get the win. My coach told me to keep it on the ground, so I just followed his instructions. (Alex) is a great goalkeeper, but the conditions definitely helped make that goal possible."

Crespi (6-7-8, 3-1-6) fed off the energy of Nitti's goal to increase its pressure, resulting in Vinnie Lannutti stealing the ball and playing it ahead to Justin Ibarra, who slipped a shot past Silverman for the deciding goal in the 70th minute.

"They got a hold of the momentum and took advantage," said Wolverines coach Freddy Arroyo, who received a goal from Victor Kroh.

"Soccer is game of momentum and we felt good scoring a goal late in the first half. We had one chance early in the second half to put ourselves ahead by two goals and we couldn't do it and we paid the price. We couldn't capitalize."

Crespi plays host Monday to St. Francis (7-10-2, 5-4-2), with the winner likely to finish third.

"Our goal every year is to get in the playoffs," Nitti said. "But we have St. Francis and Alemany next week, so there's a lot of work left to be done."

-- Erik Boal, Daily News

Signing day countdown: Meet future Oregon QB Bryan Bennett

By Lindsay Schnell, Special to The Oregonia...

RivalsBryan BennettMeet Bryan Bennett, who if he stays firm in his commitment will become an Oregon Duck on national signing day, which is Feb. 3:

• Position: Quarterback
• Height: 6-foot-3
• Weight: 185 pounds
• Hometown: Encino, Calif.
• High school: Crespi
• 2009 statistics: 170 for 266 passing for 2,370 yards and 27 touchdowns; 60 carries for 410 yards and 7 touchdowns

Ducks fans should be excited because: Bennett wants to win, period, and he knows a few ways to get it done.

"He's a stud, he's the most competitive kid I've coached," said Jeremiah Ross, Bennett's high school coach. "He does not like losing and will do anything he can to win."

Ross said he believes Bennett was the best multi-purpose quarterback in California and his stats back it up. What's more, Crespi ran an offense almost identical to Oregon's, minus a few wrinkles. The Celts put up almost 500 yards a game, and Bennett usually accounted for half of that.

"A lot of the stuff we ran was very similar so I think I'll be very familiar," Bennett said.

Bennett, who also played cornerback for Crespi, came up for his official visit Oct. 2 for the Washington State game. He was blown away by the atmosphere at Autzen and is anxious to begin play in Eugene.

"It's just really surreal to knowing I'm going to be a part of it," Bennett said. "I'm excited to go play and see how loud it can really get in Autzen."

- Lindsay Schnell, Special to The Oregonian

A taste of the Crespi-Notre Dame rivalry

Rivalry games are the best to see, especially when the competition is good, the fans behave and the game goes down to the final seconds.

That was the case for Wednesday night's Encino Crespi-Sherman Oaks Notre Dame Mission League boys' basketball game at Notre Dame.

Crespi won, 61-59, with Matt Mounier connecting on a game-winning three-pointer. Take a look at the video below on the sights and sounds of the Crespi-Notre Dame rivalry.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Boys' basketball: Crespi pulls out 61-59 victory

Matt Mounier made a three-point shot with under 30 seconds left, and it proved to be the game-winner as Encino Crespi, ranked No. 2 in Southern Section Division 4A, completed a Mission League sweep of rival Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, ranked No. 3, with a 61-59 victory at Notre Dame.

Freshman Jahmel Taylor had given Notre Dame (13-9, 5-4) a 58-57 lead by making a three-pointer with 1:40 left. The Knights later added a free throw for a 59-57 lead. But Mounier, who finished with 17 points, came through with his clutch shot.

Mounier helped Crespi (14-8, 6-3) wipe out a five-point fourth-quarter deficit when he scored eight consecutive points. Also making a major contribution during the game was reserve Cooper Goldie, who had two three-pointers in the first half.

"I'd love to face them in the final," Crespi Coach Russell White said. "It would be great for our league."

In other Mission League games, first-place Harvard-Westlake defeated Alemany, 75-62. Austin Kelly scored 19 points. The Wolverines face Loyola on Friday night at Loyola. Chaminade defeated St. Francis, 63-56. Jaron Martin and Jamal McClerkin had 20 points apiece.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Boys' basketball: The Crespi-Notre Dame rivalry is back

By Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

A graduate of and former assistant at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, and head coach at Ventura St. Bonaventure for 17 years, Mack will be returning to his San Fernando Valley roots.

When Jon Mack was an assistant football coach at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the 1980s, he used to try to inspire his players for their rivalry game against Encino Crespi by describing the Celts' school colors in not very complimentary terms.

So understand the culture shock he embraced on Saturday when he was introduced as Crespi's new football coach. He's a 1978 Notre Dame graduate deciding to take over the program of the neighborhood rival. His 10-year-old son, Justin, was given a brown Crespi sweatshirt.

Celts fans have reason to rejoice because Mack has proved himself to be one of the best high school coaches in Southern California. For 17 years, he was the head coach at Ventura St. Bonaventure, where he transformed the Seraphs from a little-known small-schools program into a Southern Section powerhouse, winning seven section titles and compiling a record of 163-47-1, including a 43-game winning streak.

He decided to resign at St. Bonaventure after the 2006 season for the chance to coach college players. In three years at Ventura College, he took his team to two bowl games.

But he clearly missed being in the spotlight, and the opportunity to return to his San Fernando Valley roots helped pave the way for his decision to accept the Crespi job.

The Celts have their own rich football tradition, being the only Valley school to have won a Division I championship, in 1986 when Bill Redell was the coach. They returned to the Pac-5 Division championship game in 2007 but failed to make the playoffs the last two seasons, and Jeremiah Ross resigned as coach.

Mack is known for his fiery demeanor, as is his wife, Kathy, a teacher at St. Bonaventure who patrolled the sidelines cheering loudly for Seraphs players. She'll now do the same for the Celts.

Mack does have some explaining to do to his many ex-Notre Dame players and friends. Jeff Kraemer, the longtime Notre Dame line coach who graduated with Mack and had him as his best man at his wedding, said his friend's decision to join the Celts "is like Tommy Lasorda going to manage the Cincinnati Reds."

Crespi Athletic Director Matt Luderer knows what Mack may be in for. While Luderer and two of his brothers graduated from Crespi, another brother, Mike, went to Notre Dame.

"We haven't talked to my brother since he left for Notre Dame," Luderer said jokingly.

But Celts players, parents and alumni warmly welcomed Mack during the announcement in the school's new multipurpose building. Ex-Crespi players Kevin Prince and Joseph Fauria from UCLA were in the audience.

Mack intends to commute from his home in Ventura, but he's prepared to get to work immediately.

"I will be here Monday morning, and I will challenge you to beat me," he told the audience.

While Crespi made a strong bid to land Anaheim Servite Coach Troy Thomas, a former Celts coach, Mack appears to fit the requirements of someone who can make an impact at the all-boys school.

"Obviously, the challenge is the competition," Mack said. "The league is incredible and the division is incredibly competitive. Those are huge opportunities and huge challenges that we need to rise up."

As for expectations, Mack said, "No one can put more pressure on themselves than I put on myself. No one will have higher expectations than me."

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

Jon Mack replaces Jeremiah Ross as head football coach at Crespi of Encino. (Photo by Alex Valladares)

Winning the job over an impressive group of applicants that included coaches Tim Lins of Moorpark, Dean Herrington of Alemany of Mission Hills and Troy Thomas of Servite of Anaheim, Jon Mack is the new head football coach at Crespi High of Encino.

Mack promises a successful turnaround after the talent-rich Celts have failed to make the Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs the past two seasons.

Mack, 49, is a proven winner. He was 163-47-1 in 17 years at St.Bonaventure of Ventura, including seven section championships and a runner-up over a 10-year period from 1996 to 2005. He coached at Ventura College the past three years, compiling a record of 19-12, including 7-4 this past season.

Mack was introduced Saturday at a campus news conference, and the first question was would he bring Crespi back to the playoffs.

"I wouldn't put a limit on just making the playoffs. I want to win the whole thing," Mack said. "We understand there's a lot of competition, and we want to be the best we can be."

Mack replaces Jeremiah Ross, who coached Crespi to the 2007 Pac-5 final but went 11-9 over the following two seasons, including a total of one Serra League victory. Ross was forced out in December. About 40 applicants from as far away as New York pursued the Crespi job, which was narrowed to six finalists this past week.

"Obviously, that adds to the honor of the position that there was so much interest," Mack said. "It says something special is ready to happen here. This is very exciting. I can't wait to get started."

Crespi has plenty of returning talent at the skill positions.

Among the key underclassmen are running backs Rhasheed Johnson and M. Ajani Shanks, and receivers Devin Lucien and Brian Irvine, along with blue-chip defensive lineman Reggie Coates, defensive back Charles Washington and kicker Patrick McDonough.

"We love great athletes of all shapes and size, but speed is something I especially love," Mack said. "That's the key to victory."

Mack said he has yet to decide on any assistant coaches and that he plans to interview as many Crespi assistants that are interested in coming back.

"I feel pretty good about the new coach. I think the team will respond well," Lucien said.

Shanks was impressed with Mack's positive attitude.

"He seems like he has a lot in store for us," Shanks said. "He doesn't seem like the type of guy who's going to give up easily."

Football: Jon Mack gets to work It was an early morning for Jon Mack, the new football Coach at Encino Crespi. He left his home in Ventura well before the sun came up and arrived at work at 5:15 a.m. "It's a good day," said Mack, who signed his contract to be Crespi's coach on Saturday night after directing Ventura College the last three years. "We're meeting with players and talking about summer school," he added. Mack needs to put together a coaching staff, and it will be interesting to see how many of his former St. Bonaventure assistants join him at Crespi. -- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

BONSIGNORE:

By Vincent Bonsignore, Daily News columnist

Full disclosure: As a teenager playing football and running track at Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks, Jon Mack despised Crespi of Encino.

"It was a competitive hate," Mack clarified, laughing.

Not that any Notre Dame graduate needs to explain his disdain for the crosstown rival Celts, but now that Mack is replacing Jeremiah Ross as the head football coach at Crespi, you have to respect his desire to make the distinction clear.

Truth be told, Mack got over his Crespi dislike decades ago, and for that you can thank former Celts' and NFL quarterback Babe Laufenberg.

Laufenberg and Mack were teammates at Pierce College in the late 1970s, and over time Mack got to know a bunch of Laufenberg's Crespi buddies. It made him realize the Crespi kids were no different than he was, so to hate them just because they went to a different high school was pretty silly.

"Bottom line is they were just a bunch of really good guys," Mack remembers. "So all that garbage that you learn as a young kid, I was able to let go of."

Nearly 30 years later, Mack intends to reach out to Laufenberg and those Crespi friendships he forged and encourage them to embrace what he's now trying to build in Encino.

"Some of the first calls I'll make as soon as I get to work will be to invite them to our youth camps," Mack said. "I just want to connect with all of them and ask them to be a part of what we're striving to accomplish."

More full disclosure: Mack never envisioned making this career change.

In fact, the great surprise isn't that the Celts turned to a former Notre Dame man to lead its football program into the next decade, it's that they actually pried Mack out of the comfort zone he crafted for himself 45 miles north in Ventura, the city he's called home since leaving the San Fernando Valley nearly 20 years ago to take over tiny St. Bonaventure High School.

Mack built obscure St. Bonny into a state power during a memorable 17-year run, going 163-47-1 with 11 league titles and seven CIF-Southern Section championships.

And for the past three years he's been making steady progress at Ventura College, where the Pirates went 20-12 and earned one co-Western State Conference title and two bowl appearances.

His wife teaches at St. Bonaventure, and his daughter, Kristin, is a junior at the school, so between the professional success he was enjoying and the family life he created in the quaint beachside community, the last thing he was looking to do was return to the Valley.

In fact, he politely declined the first few Crespi overtures to replace Ross, content with his life in Ventura and the challenge he faced in trying to build the Pirates into a junior college power.

"We've really invested in this community," Mack said. "Myself and my entire family. We weren't thinking about leaving."

Fortunately for Crespi, it has a determined athletic director in Matt Luderer, someone who wouldn't accept Mack's initial disinterest. Luderer gave Mack his space, but he also never terminated the pursuit.

"He kept calling and we kept listening," Mack said. "And with each conversation it just kept sparking my interest."

Not willing to settle for a no over the phone, Luderer convinced Mack to come visit the Crespi campus. Turns out that was the turning point.

It was late at night during Christmas break, with no students or faculty to be found. But even in that surrounding Mack could not resist an unmistakable feeling.

"An enormous sense of family and community," Mack said. "It was overwhelming, to be honest."

Mack experienced all the things he left behind at St. Bonaventure when he took the Ventura College job - the private high school setting and the devotion to the Christian religion, something he had to quell at a public community college.

He began seeing himself for who he really is: A private, Catholic high school coach, a guy who attended Notre Dame and coached there. A guy who was an assistant coach at Alemany of Mission Hills and Loyola of Los Angeles, and someone who enjoyed his greatest professional success at St. Bonaventure, a private Catholic school.

In Crespi, Mack was reconnecting with his roots.

"The Ventura College decision is something I'll never regret," Mack said. "It was an awesome experience and a great learning experience, and I can honestly say I am a better coach for having gone through it. But this is where I fit best.

"On top of that, Crespi is just a unique place. The sense of tradition is very dominant, and it's just a special situation that I really want to be a part of."

And a place with a rich football history.

Crespi is the lone team from the San Fernando Valley to win a Division I championship, having won the title in 1986 under current Oaks Christian of Westlake Village coach Bill Redell. Over the years, Crespi has sent Laufenberg, Randy Cross, Keith Eck, Christian Fauria, Russell White and Shaun Williams to the NFL and dozens of others to Div. I college programs.

There are challenges. Crespi missed the playoffs the past two years while competing in the highly competitive Serra League, where Notre Dame, Loyola and Bishop Amat always field formidable teams and have bigger student populations to find players. Division championships will be hard to come by playing in the Pac-5, where Long Beach Poly and Orange County powers like Mission Viejo, Servite and Mater Dei reside.

"We're really got to step it up and outwork and out-effort everyone," Mack said. He paused for a moment and laughed. "I'm fired up just talking about it," he said. "Just saying the words out loud I'm ready to get after it."

Once he gets his coaching staff in place, it will be full bore ahead. Mack proved what he could do by turning St. Bonaventure into a powerhouse, and he expects nothing less at Crespi.

"The goal is to win the state championship," Mack said. "Anything less than that will be a stepping stone toward that."

By David Lassen, Ventura County Star

Encino — Jon Mack walked in and took command — of the room, his newest coaching challenge, and the Crespi High football program.

Midway through his introductory news conference Saturday as Crespi’s new coach, the former St. Bonaventure and outgoing Ventura College coach was asked about getting the Celts back to the playoffs after a two-year absence.

“I wouldn’t put any limitations on us,” said Mack. “You say we’re just going to go to the playoffs. That disgusts me. We’re just going to go to the playoffs? Are you kidding me? Boys, would that be satisfying to you?” In unison, the shirt-and-tie clad Crespi players answered “no,” loudly.

“What do you want to do?” Mack continued. “You want to win the whole darned thing, right?

“Monday morning, we’re going to start paying the price for the playoffs.”

When he finished — in fact, even before he was finished — Crespi’s commons room was filled with cheers and applause from the players and parents on hand.

In political terms, this is called “solidifying your base.”

In practical terms, it gets to one of the reasons Mack is saying goodbye to Ventura County football: Jon Mack and this kind of job just fit together.

He’s a high-school kind of guy, a private high-school kind of guy, to be precise. It’s his kind of atmosphere, his kind of job. He showed that in 17 years at St. Bonaventure, and probably had it reinforced the last three years, though he has nothing negative to say about VC.

There are certainly financial aspects to the decision, just as there were to his last move. But on Saturday, this was about fit, a fit that had Mack grinning broadly as he talked about the family atmosphere he’d had with the Seraphs, a feeling that can probably never be created to the same extent in a college or community college setting.

“As an outsider,” he said, “I thought, with an all-boys school, how do you have that family feel? But the sense of family I’ve felt here is incredible. It really is. And that’s something we had at St. Bonaventure that we’ve been looking for, and missing, and that will be something I’ll be excited about.”

While his VC tenure was brief, Mack says it was in no way a mistake.

“It was good for me to experience public education, so I have a greater appreciation for things that occur,” he says. “But this is an environment that I’ve been in. And being able to talk about Christ is important to me. That’s part of me as a coach developing young men and faith.

“It’s interesting in sports today — you look at the Tim Tebows and some of the great leaders in college sports, and they’re very outspoken Christians. Yet I couldn’t promote that in that environment. This is an environment where I can be proud of it.”

Mack says he wouldn’t be making the jump if not for the work of Crespi athletic director Matt Luderer. “He recruited well,” Mack says.

And, after Mack emerged from a pack of 13 candidates who went through the first round of interviews, a half-dozen in the second round, and three finalists, Luderer is convinced Mack is the fit for Crespi in the same way Crespi is the fit for Mack.

“He has a lot of experience in administration. He has experience in development and fundraising. He has a lot of experience in the private Catholic environment,” said Luderer. “ We wanted to try to find the, quote, perfect candidate. And we had this long list of criteria. And he most closely resembled what was in that list of criteria.

“Obviously, he’s not a bad football coach, but for us, it’s more about the greater mission of Crespi — the Crespi man philosophy. He’s a leader of young men.

“We just thought he was a very good fit for our school, and what we’re trying to achieve, and for the greater mission of Crespi.”

And so Mack bids farewell to Ventura County football, where he built a program, as well as a record that earned him induction last year into the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame.

Not everyone at Crespi may know those details, but on Day 1 of Mack’s new job, they got some sense of what made that success possible.

“He seems like a winner,” said receiver Devin Lucien, “and that’s what we need here. I heard he was a great coach at St. Bonaventure. I heard he won a lot of CIF championships, and I’m very excited to see what he brings to Crespi.”

He’ll start bringing it immediately.

“I’ll be here first thing Monday morning,” Mack said, “and I challenge any of you to beat me here.”

Someone will probably try.

But they’re about to learn at Crespi what people in Ventura County have known for a while: It’s pretty tough to finish ahead of Jon Mack.

— Contact David Lassen at dlassen@VCStar.com.

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

Jimmy Clausen, Oaks Christian, 2006: Finished with California-record 146 career TD passes.

RUNNING BACKS

Malcolm Jones, Oaks Christian, 2009: Scored 45 TDs and 113 for his career.

Milton Knox, Birmingham, 2007: Finished as City's all-time leading rusher and scorer.

Marc Tyler, Oaks Christian, 2006: Scored 123 career TDs and set bar for Malcolm Jones.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Steve Smith, Taft, 2002: Finished with state-record 272 career receptions.

Sean Coen, Canyon, 2004: His 108 receptions among best ever single-season performances.

Ryan Wolfe, Hart, 2004: Had 93 receptions and was also a top DB.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Kevin Graf, Agoura, 2008: All-American went on to USC.

Sam DeMartinis, Notre Dame, 2006: Helped Notre Dame go 38-2 in three seasons.

George Halamandaris, Moorpark, 2006: At 6-7, 315 pounds, Halamandaris was an immovable force.

Joe Bernardi, Hart, 2004: Came off knee injury to have dominating season.

Adam Speer, Chaminade, 2003: Nobody could get around this guy.

TIGHT END

Jimmy Miller, Westlake, 2003: Also top DL, helped Westlake to undefeated season.

KICKER

Kai Forbath, Notre Dame, 2004: Totaled 26 FGs and averaged 40.7 yards per punt in two seasons.

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

Chris Frome, Hart, 2000: Helped Hart to three consecutive section titles.

Marquis Jackson, Birmingham, 2007: Anchored defense as Birmingham won City title.

Malik Jackson, Birmingham, 2007: Teamed with twin brother Marquis to form unbreakable duo, 2004.

Michael Stuart, Westlake, 2003: Had 11 sacks and finished with 30.5 in his career.

LINEBACKERS

D.J. Holt, Crespi, 2006: Totaled 26 sacks over two seasons.

Casey Matthews, Oaks Christian, 2006: Totaled 158 tackles as Oaks won CIF State Div. III Bowl.

Malcolm Smith, LB, Taft, 2006: Dominated on both sides of the ball before heading to USC.

Daryl Fields, Crespi, 2004: Totaled 141 tackles to finish with 311 for his career.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Dennis Keyes, Birmingham, 2002: Versatile standout also scored 35 TDs.

Delano Howell, Hart, 2008: Was a star on both sides of ball and special teams.

Dietrich Riley, St. Francis, 2009: Three-time All-Daily News selection.

Geoff Tisdale, Valencia, 2003: Had 12 INTs and now plays professinally in CFL.

Boys' basketball: Final eight teams for SFV Invitational

The 32-team San Fernando Valley Invitational is down to eight teams still alive in the championship bracket. Here's Monday's schedule:

At Granada Hills: Golden Valley vs. Sierra Canyon, 7:30 p.m.

At Alemany: Burbank vs. Hart, 7:30 p.m.

At Kennedy: Notre Dame vs. Antelope Valley, 7:30 p.m.

At Crespi: Crespi vs. L.A. Jordan, 7:30 p.m.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

By Tammy Marashlian
Signal Staff Writer
tmarashlian@the-signal.com

With activities like a bass fishing tournament and a visit from Santa Claus, the Castaic community on Sunday will come together to honor the life of a well-known community member.

Ron Smith died of a heart attack on Oct. 3 after he and his family had just left Crespi High School where he received an award for his swimming record, his widow Beth Smith said. He had turned 47 just a week before.

Ron always had a sense of humor and could always find a way to make the situation light, Beth Smith, 44, said.

“He always made our house joyous,” she said.

He initiated Hawaiian shirt Fridays at his construction company as a way to bring employees together and celebrate the weekend, she said.

“He was just a regular guy. He had a great family life and loved life and loved to fish,” she said.

Bill Siemantel, one of the coordinators for the Ron Smith Celebration of Life Family Festival to be held at the Castaic Regional Sports Complex, said he knew Ron Smith through common activities like fishing.

“It hit the community pretty hard,” he said of Smith’s death.

The event started with a bass tournament and over the last three weeks has grown to include a day-long event with a poker tournament, live music and performances and a visit to Santa Claus.

Siemantel, a firefighter, hopes the event will honor the everyday heroes.

“We forget so quickly how many good people that are beside us,” he said.

The couple moved to Castaic in 1988, a year after getting married, and quickly became part of the community.

“We’ve known a lot of people in the community,” she said. “They’re so supportive and they’re so wonderful.”

Sunday’s event will be a celebration of life.

“This is a celebration of our community that we’ve lived in for so long,” she said.

The event is a way for Beth Smith’s two daughters, 11 and 12, to grieve over their father’s loss.

“It really shows them that he was loved and appreciated,” she said. “It makes them very proud.”

Despite the hard work, Beth Smith would like to see the celebration become an annual event for the Castaic community.

“I think that would be fantastic,” she said. “I think Ron would be smiling from ear to ear.”

Boys' basketball: San Fernando Valley tourney begins

Friday is the start of the 32-team San Fernando Valley Invitational basketball tournament. Games will be played at Crespi, Alemany, Granada Hills and Kennedy.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Football: It's a Crespi reunion

On Monday in Long Beach, the Southern Section will hold its championship football luncheon, where the coaches of the teams playing for championships this weekend will show up with their top players. Encino Crespi didn't make it, but lots of ex-coaches will be represented.

Bill Redell (Oaks Christian), Troy Thomas (Servite), Jim Benkert (Westlake) and Tim Lins (Moorpark) all have close ties to Crespi. Thomas played for Redell on his 1986 Crespi championship team. Benkert and Lins were Redell's top assistants. Thomas used to be the defensive coordinator for Lins at Crespi, then the defensive coordinator for Benkert at Westlake and was the head coach at Crespi.

"I'm just fortunate to be in the same company with those guys," Lins said.

And Harry Welch, the coach at St. Margaret's, is an ex-Crespi assistant.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Seawolves announce signing of five to National Letters of Intent.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University head baseball coach Matt Senk announced today that five student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to play baseball for Stony Brook beginning in 2011. The five player class is made up of Bryan Tatelman (South Windsor, Conn.), Kevin Courtney (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), Frankie Vanderka (Levittown, N.Y.) , Josh Mason (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and Mike Hubbard (Northridge, Calif.).

A 6-1, 180 pound shortstop, Tatelman was a three-year letterwinner at South Windsor High School in South Windsor, Conn. An all-conference selection in both his junior and senior years, he hit .487 and led South Windsor to the Class LL State Semifinals as a senior and also earned a spot on the 2009 All-Hartford Courant High School Baseball Team. A member of Team Connecticut Baseball and graduate of SWHS in 2009, Tatelman is currently playing for head coach Robert Dowling at Avon Old Farms in Avon, Conn.

"Bryan possesses so many skills. He has tremendous arm strength, sure hands, and above average athleticism," Senk said. "He will give us considerable versatility in the infield for years to come."

A three year letterwinner and two-way standout, Courtney is a two-time captain for head coach John Habyan at St. John the Baptist in West Islip, N.Y. The Long Island Catholic League MVP in 2009, Courtney led St. John to the regular season conference championship and finished with a 6-1 record and a 1.14 ERA on the mound in addition to hitting .515 at the plate. As a sophomore in 2008, the 6-1, 195-pound Courtney led his team to the Catholic League Championship, boasting an undefeated 10-0 record and winning the deciding third game of the Championship series.

"Kevin will help us fill some immediate needs; he is an outstanding left-handed hitting first-baseman with power and is also a terrific fielder," Senk said. "On the mound, he has a quality left-handed arm, of which you can never have enough." A three year letterwinner for head coach Steve Costello at MacArthur High School in Levittown, N.Y., Vanderka is a right-handed pitcher that was an all-county and all-state selection as junior in addition to being named the conference MVP. An all-league pick as a sophomore, the 6-1, 185 pound Vanderka is a three year member of the MacArthur honor roll. He has also earned the Teacher's Choice and Class Leadership Award and been named to the National Society of High School Scholars.

"Frankie is the prototypical Stony Brook right-handed pitcher," Senk said. "Along with his projectable body type, he has an above average fastball and a hard plus breaking ball that will help us win on a consistent level. We expect great things from him."

A two year letterwinner and starting centerfielder for head coach Scott Muckey at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, Calif., Mason helped lead his team to the 2009 CIF Division II State Championship, hitting .349 with 30 RBI and four home runs including one in the state finals in Anaheim Stadium. He was honored as a California Area Code Games selection, playing for the Brewers Grey team as well as the SoCal Reds scout team. Mason has also been named to Crespi's honor roll and dean's list three times.

"Josh brings so many attributes to the table," Senk said. "Size, athleticism, speed, arm strength, and academics. Josh is as complete a student-athlete as you're going to find anywhere. An impact player undoubtedly."

A four year starter in the outfield for Muckey at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, Calif., Hubbard has been an instrumental part of a Crespi squad that has won Mission League titles over the past three years in addition to winning the 2009 CIF Division II State Championship. Hubbard is a career .460 hitter in the playoffs and was an All-Mission League team selection as a junior, when he batted .338 with two home runs and 16 RBI in addition to being named Crespi's Gold Glove Award winner. He also played for the highly selective San Gabriel Valley Arsenal, a top-five nationally ranked U-18 club team based in West Covina, Ca. "Mike is another outstanding athlete, highlighted by his foot and bat speed," Senk said. "He also has great instincts and his mental makeup is off the charts. Simply, Mike is a gamer."

Football: Bennett, Boggs are Serra League MVPs

Quarterback Bryan Bennett of Encino Crespi and running back Kenny Boggs of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame have been selected the most valuable players from the Serra League.

Quarterback Ryan Kasdorf of Notre Dame and running back Jared Baker of Los Angeles Loyola were chosen most valuable offensive players.

Linebacker Bronson Green of Loyola and defensive back Davis Cazares of La Puente Bishop Amat were chosen the most valuable defensive players.

And the most valuable lineman is Daniel Kane of Bishop Amat.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

It's been a little over a week since Crespi of Encino lost its final game of the regular season to fall out of playoff contention -- the second year in a row since advancing to the 2007 Pac-5 final that the underachieving Celts (6-4) fell out of the state top 20 and failed to qualify for the postseason.

"I'm disappointed. I'm especailly disappointed for our 25 seniors who worked really hard and gave it everything they had," coach Jeremiah Ross said. "Unfortunately, sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way. But I'm proud of our guys. They played hard. Sometimes when you play a really tough schedule, it comes back to bite you."

-- Gerry Gittelson, L.A. Times

UCLA's Prince, Su'a-Filo faced with higher calling

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel widely is considered one of the game's best recruiters.

Stick him in a living room with a glass of iced tea with that flowing blonde hair and a wide smile, and he could sell the merits of Westwood as if he were mayor.

Maybe he is.

He is competing first and foremost with the Bruins' big brother to the southeast, USC.

He competes for prospects with Pete Carroll, another youthful, brazen, wide-smiling winner.

He competes with Stanford's Jim Harbaugh and Cal's Jeff Tedford and even with Florida's Urban Meyer and Texas' Mack Brown.

He is used to the competition. He thrives on the competition. He lives for the competition.

But the question is - and it is a question UCLA fans want answered soon - can Rick Neuheisel compete with God?

The key to the Bruins' future rests in the faith of Kevin Prince and Xavier Su'a-Filo.

Prince is UCLA's redshirt freshman quarterback, its budding star with promise that just now seems to be shining through. He has 300-yard passing games in two of the last three weeks and was well on his way to a third when he suffered a concussion against Washington in Week 9. His field vision has improved and his arm has been on display in this little hot streak, as well as his legs, as he ran for a 68-yard touchdown against Washington State last Saturday.

And Kevin Prince is Mormon.

Su'a-Filo is UCLA's true freshman left tackle, its budding star with promise that has shown through all season. He is entrusted with protecting Prince's blind side, inarguably one of the premier positions on the field, and he has done so with vigor.

He almost certainly will be a candidate for freshman all-American honors at the end of the season.

And Xavier Su'a-Filo is Mormon.

Prince said he has decided not to go on his mission, a rite of passage for all men of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints faith. Su'a-Filo is undecided.

Bruin fans simultaneously are exhaling in relief and holding their breath.

"Whenever you get involved in recruiting LDS kids, you understand that's part of their faith," Neuheisel said. "It's a family decision, and you just understand that you're recruiting this young man and his family and you want them to make the decision.

"You let them decide."

Sometimes it is an easy decision.

Stephen Prince recalls with precise detail the day his son told him he was not going to go on his mission like Stephen had all those years before to Switzerland.

The younger Prince recently had signed with UCLA after originally committing to Washington and was expected to either embark on his mission, or greyshirt, after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the first game of his senior year at Crespi High in Encino.

The injury took its toll on Prince though, all that time away from football. He craved the sport and could not imagine being away from it for another two years.

Driving down the 405 freeway to Westwood for a UCLA-Oregon men's basketball game on Feb.23, 2008 - just days after signing his letter of intent with the Bruins - Prince looked at his father and told him of his decision.

"It became very real to me when I tore my ACL that football isn't forever, that it can be taken away like that," Prince said, snapping his fingers. "There was a part of me that said, `You've been working toward this your whole life,' and I kinda felt like I'd be throwing it all away if I went on a mission.

"I was at this standstill; `Where do I want to put my money?' "

Prince was a life-long UCLA fan and said it was his dream to play in blue and gold. He knew he could return to the team after serving his mission, but a part of him questioned what his abilities would become after three years away from the sport.

He had seen Mormon quarterbacks leave for missions and come back a shell of their former selves. Some lacked the physical attributes that once had made them great while others lacked the desire.

Prince thought about the decision, talked about it and prayed about it.

The chance to quarterback UCLA back to greatness, to live up to that dream, ultimately was too much to pass up.

"You're taught in the church that whenever confronted with an issue you pray about it," Prince said. "Ultimately, I felt that I was given a set of gifts to play football, and I've come a long way from getting hurt my senior year to being able to finally play.

"I feel like I'd be cutting myself short a little bit if I didn't try to carry this out."

Sometimes the decision is not so easy.

Su'a-Filo, a soft-spoken behemoth, hails from Pleasant Grove, Utah, a devoutly religious community of roughly 30,000. Last year, in Pleasant Grove City vs. Summum, the United States Supreme Court decided the city had the right to decline a statue donated by the Summum church, similar in size to a statue of the Ten Commandments already present.

On the field, Su'a-Filo uses his 6-foot-4, 310-pound frame to bully opponents into submission. Off the field, he is quiet, almost reserved, in offering a polite hello and timid handshake.

Prince empathizes with his teammate, who he feels undoubtedly is facing extreme pressure from outside sources to make the quick decision.

"Xavier is just a tough guy, so he's not going to let it show," Prince said. "But I'm sure it's tough. For me it was tough, even being from Los Angeles, where Mormons aren't as prevalent. There's still that community, and it's expected in the church that when you turn 19, as a man, you're expected to go. If you don't go, people sit and wonder why? Is he not doing things right?

"That was tough for me. You knew they were thinking things about you. For Xavier, I'm sure that's multiplied by 10."

Su'a-Filo remains undecided, torn between faith and football, church members and teammates, God and the gridiron.

It is a heavy decision, one he knows will change the course of his life.

"I'm still in the deciding phase," Su'a-Filo said. "Actually this weekend and the next I'm going to really talk to my parents about it and the coaches. I have to consider everything, what I could gain, what I could miss out on."

Former UCLA quarterback Ben Olson remembers what it was like to be faced with such a crisis of faith.

Olson was an all-world recruit out of Thousand Oaks High. He headed to BYU fully expecting to receive extensive playing time during his freshman season and was willing to put his faith on hold.

Circumstances changed drastically in that first year. Cougars coach Gary Crowton told Olson he would not burn his redshirt and, less than a week later, Olson decided to go on his mission.

"I just came to the decision that I knew it was the right thing for me to do," said Olson, who transferred to UCLA after returning home from his mission in Calgary, Canada. "It was hard, leaving football behind, something I'd worked so hard for.

"But I believed I'd be doing something for a greater cause. I still feel that way. At the end of the day, I have never, ever regretted serving at all. If anything, I'm more glad I did it, especially because of the way my career did go. Had I not gone on a mission and gotten that foundation of what life is all about, my life would be a complete wreck.

"Because of what I learned in the mission field, I was able to cope with things."

Olson, who had an injury-riddled career at UCLA, only offers this to Prince and Su'a-Filo: Make sure the decision is yours and yours alone.

Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow, also a Mormon who has had three sons serve as missionaries, agrees.

"They're brought up with an understanding that they'll serve when the time comes," Chow said. "It's an individual deal. It's a family deal. It's very personal and they'll do what they need to do. You try to present the pros and cons, and make sure whatever decision they make is the right one. If they go, it's right. If they don't, it's right."

And meanwhile Chow and Neuheisel wait like the rest of us.

Only their futures depend on it.

Football: Crespi should have been at-large entrant

Sometimes the formulas used by the Southern Section playoff selection committee don't add up. Just look at how Crespi lost out to Newport Harbor in the Pac-5 Division.

The committee determines at-large entrants based on 1) record, 2) strength of schedule, 3) head-to-head results, 4) strength of league and 5) record versus common opponent.

So let's break down Newport Harbor's 3-2 victory over Crespi:

1) Record. Crespi finished 5-5 and Newport Harbor 6-4. One point for Newport Harbor. But consider this: Newport Harbor's four losses came by a combined 81 points. The Sailors suffered a 34-point defeat against Dana Hills and a 28-point setback against Edison. Crespi? The Celts lost five games by 21 points, including a one-point overtime loss to St. Bonaventure and a two-point loss on a late field goal against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. I think the point here really should go to Crespi.

2) Strength of schedule. Crespi's opponents went a combined 58-42 while Newport Harbor's opponents went 57-43. Two points for Crespi even though it was pretty much a push.

3) Head-to-head results. The teams did not play each other. No points for either team.

4) Strength of league. The Football Coaches Advisory Committee ranked the Sunset League ahead of the Serra League (it actually had the Serra ranked third behind the Sunset and Trinity leagues), but for my money I'd take the Serra League. There are no Marinas in the Serra League and the Serra went 20-8 against nonleague opponents versus the Sunset's 22-8 nonleague record. Serra League teams had victories over St. Bonaventure, Alemany and Mira Costa while the Sunset League teams beat Servite, Dana Hills and Mira Costa. Pretty much a push even though Newport Harbor was awarded one point here.

5) Record versus common opponent. This was the killer for Crespi. The Celts lost to Loyola, 41-37, on Friday while Newport Harbor defeated Loyola, 28-14, on Sept. 17. One point for Newport Harbor. But consider the circumstances surrounding each game: Newport Harbor defeated Loyola  at home at a time when the Cubs were six days removed from the season-ending loss of standout running back Anthony Barr. Cubs Coach Jeff Kearin, who would resign only a few weeks after the Newport Harbor game, conceded to The Times' Eric Sondheimer that "I wasn't being as attentive to the program as I should be." Loyola had more than a month to regroup with its new coaching staff and had nothing to lose when it played Crespi in a home game for the Cubs.

My conclusion? Even though it was thisclose, I would have gone with Crespi over Newport Harbor.

--Ben Bolch, L.A. Times

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

Daily News: Top 10 rankings

1. Oaks Christian (9-0)

Not much suspense about finishing undefeated in regular season.

2. Moorpark (9-0)

Marmonte showdown vs. undefeated Westlake for all the marbles.

3. Notre Dame (8-1)

Finale at 8-1 Bishop Amat should be a barn burner.

4. Valencia (9-0)

Last eight victories by threetouchdowns or more.

5. Westlake (9-0)

Something has to give vs. Moorpark in clash of unbeatens.

6. Alemany (6-3)

Repeating as Mission League champs a given but Western Division wide open.

7. Crespi (5-4)

If nothing else, up-and-down...Celts are hard to predict.

8. Arleta (8-1)

Wouldn't it be fun if Arleta was in Div. I, not lightly regarded Div. II?

9. Taft (5-4)

The first three loses we can understand but there's no excuse falling to Birmingham.

10. St. Francis (7-2)

Nerves got best of Golden Knights in loss to Alemany.

OTHERS: El Camino Real (8-1), Newbury Park (7-2), Palmdale (7-2), Camarillo (8-1)

By Mark Dittmer, Special to the Daily News

Crespi High of Encino went into Friday night's home game against undefeated Bishop Amat High of La Puente as a .500 team. But against the Lancers, the Celts only played like a .500 team in one way: they showed once again that they can come back from big losses with big wins.

Crespi used a robust passing attack and a relentless pass rush to knock off the Serra League's last undefeated team, roaring out to an 18-point lead and holding on for a 38-25 victory.

"We feel good," said Crespi wide receiver-defensive back Blake Stanton, who had a touchdown catch late in the victory. "After last week (a last-second loss to Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks), we knew if we didn't do it this week, we were out of the playoffs. So we knew we had to get it done, and we got it done."

The Lancers didn't go without a fight, though, closing in the third quarter at one point to 21-18. And after Crespi pushed the lead back out to 17, Bishop Amat scored a touchdown shortly after a fourth-quarter Crespi turnover to close to 35-25 in the late going. But the score would get no closer.

"We grew up a little bit tonight," Crespi head coach Jeremiah Ross told his players after it was over. "They had a little momentum in the second half, and what'd you guys do? You put two more on `em."

Ross' team will get back to work tomorrow, as the Celts' finale next week at Loyola looks to have playoff implications. The top two teams in the four-team Serra League make the Pac-5 playoffs, and a win over Loyola would give Crespi a good shot at that second playoff position.

As has been the case throughout the year, Crespi relied on its passing game on offense, with quarterback Bryan Bennett completing 22 of 30 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns.

"He's slingin' it," said one Lancer player ruefully after Bennett hit Devin Lucien with a 14-yard bullet. Less than a minute later, Bennett and Lucien connected on a longer-version of the same pattern, with the result this time being a 27-yard touchdown.

Momentum then seemed in danger of slipping away from the Celts moments later in the second quarter when Bennett, a nearly-perfect 9-for-12 on his team's first two drives, saw the ball slip out of his hand on a pass down the left sideline.

But if momentum was fumbled momentarily, the Celts recovered it - along with the ball - after a blitzing Blake Stanton forced a Lancer fumble. Matt Tominac recovered, and then two plays later, Bennett's pass down the left sideline didn't slip.

Instead, Bennett's pass to streaking Brandon Graves was good for a 56-yard score and a 21-3 lead for the Celts.

"It was nice," said Graves, who finished with four receptions for 80 yards. "I knew my QB was gonna get it to me; so I just hustled down there so I'd be ready for it."

Bishop Amat fell to (5-4, 1-1) 8-1, 1-1 .

Daniel Stork has committed to UC Irvine to play for John Speraw and the NCAA 2009 Champions.  Daniel was highly recruited by several top schools in the country.  He is the best high school setter in California and he will be receiving a scholarship to attend Irvine.  This is an honor for Daniel and for Crespi.

Nike 5 Days 2 Friday: Crespi looks to change luck against unbeaten Bishop Amat

Tough-luck Celtics have lost three games by a total of seven points, but with Oregon-bound quarterback Bryan Bennett under center, anything is possible.

It would be easy for the Crespi High School Celtics to feel bad. … Snake-bitten. … Scorned.

Last week – for the fourth time this season – they lost a bitter game late, this one 23-21 on a 51-yard field goal by Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks kicker Eric Solis with 6.5 seconds remaining.

Crespi thought it had pulled out a 21-20 victory on a 17-yard pass from Oregon-bound quarterback Bryan Bennett to Brandon Graves with 57.1 seconds left. But reigning state Gatorade Player of the Year Ryan Kasdorf completed four straight passes, setting up Solis’ third field goal of the game and another bitter defeat for the Celts, who lost previous games to Alemany (21-17), St. Bonaventure (42-41) and Servite (38-28).

The combined records of those four teams is 26-6 and St. Bonaventure, Servite and Notre Dame have all been nationally ranked this season.

"We’ve played hard and played some great teams, but the bottom line is we need to figure out how to win those games at the end," Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross said.

They better figure it out fast. To reach the Southern Section’s Pac-5 playoffs – considered one of the toughest playoff tournaments in the country – Crespi (4-4) must win its last two games, beginning with undefeated Bishop Amat-La Puente (8-0) on Friday night in a Nike 5 Days to Friday game special in Encino.

MaxPreps reporters Nick Reasons and Karl Wilhelm have been in Encino all week and reached out to the Celtics, who aren’t feeling sorry for themselves.

"It’s been frustrating," said Iowa State-bound lineman Ben Loth. "We’re doing well, but we just can’t finish. We haven’t lost hope yet."

Said standout receiver and defensive back Blake Stanton: "We’ve bounced back from tough losses and won the games we’re supposed to. We just have to come out and execute (Friday)."

Indeed, the Celts have won the games they were supposed to. While the margin of defeat of the four games is 17 points, the margin of victory in the four wins is 192 (or an average of 48). A blowout win isn’t likely against the Lancers, who have been the antithesis of Crespi, winning four games by two touchdowns or less, including a 27-24 contest last week against Loyola-Los Angeles, which played without highly regarded running back Anthony Barr, out for the season with a broken ankle.

Amat also has close wins over St. Bonaventure (24-23), Damien (29-20) and West Covina (21-7). The Lancers are led offensive by quarterback Jerry McClanahan, who has been ultra efficient, completing 85-of-125 passes for 986 yards and five touchdowns. The team’s big running threat is Jay Anderson, who has 759 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns.

"Amat is a tough, scrappy team which has figured out how to win close games," Ross said.

Crespi is led by Bennett, a 6-foot-3, 185-pounder with 4.6 speed in the 40. He’s completed 104-of-163 passes (64 percent) for 1,468 yards and 20 touchdowns with just four interceptions.

"Personally, I think we could have done a lot better thus far," Bennett told Wilhelm and Reasons. "A couple close losses definitely could have gone our way. … But we’re very close and it helps with our chemistry."

Bennett, rated the No. 22 pro-style quarterback in the country by CBS recruiting expert Tom Lemming, has a plethora of weapons as four receivers have 15 catches or more, led by Devin Lucien (33 catches, 541 yards, eight TDs). Stanton (18-22-4) and Brandon Graves (17-326-5) are other big threats. Three have rushed for more than 300 yards, including leader Brad Lahanzio (437 yards and four TDs). Bennett, who also plays safety, has also rushed for 329 yards and a team-high five TDs.

If Bennett continues to have the hot hand and the Celtics win the close games, anything is possible, Ross said. It doesn't help that Crespi is without three-year starter and Oregon-bound lineman Hroniss Grasu.

"We win these last two games and get into the Pac 5 tournament, anything can happen," he said. "We just have to play well and stay healthy and really – anything can happen."

Baseball: Two more Crespi commitments

Outfielders Michael Hubbard and Josh Mason from Encino Crespi have committed to Stony Brook University. They will join a former Crespi pitcher, Tyler Johnson, who is already playing for Stony Brook.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

Charles Washington, a starting defensive back for Crespi of Encino, is basically playing one-handed after being fitted for a beehive-sized soft cast because of a broken hand.

"Nothing is going to stop me from playing. I don't even feel it because I have so much adrenaline," Washington said.

Washington, a junior transfer from Leuzinger of Lawndale who began his prep career at national power Katy High in Katy, Texas, wore the wrap for the first time Friday in a 23-21 loss at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.

On a pass play in the second half, Washington was in good position but failed to catch what would have been an interception, though he played well enough to remain in the game the entire night, as high-powered Notre Dame was held to its second-lowest point total of the season.

"You've got to respect Charles. He's a tough kid," Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross said.

Meanwhile, two seasons after advancing to the 2007 Pac-5 final and coming within a wisp of qualifying for a CIF state bowl berth, Crespi (4-4, 0-1) is in danger of not making the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

To qualify, the Celts probably have to win their final two games, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday against visiting Bishop Amat of La Puente (8-0, 1-0), ranked No. 14 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.

Only two of four Serra League teams qualify for the playoffs, and there is one at-large berth to split between the entire division.

"Going back to last year, we've lost our last three league games by a total of four points," Ross said. "That's why execution is so important in the Serra League."

HS FOOT: Crespi's Washington trudges on with broken hand

Charles Washington, a starting defensive back for Crespi of Encino, is like a one-armed bandit after being fitted for a bee-hive sized soft cast because of a broken hand.

"Nothing is going to stop me from playing. I don't even feel it because I have so much adrenaline," Washington said. Washington, a junior transfer from Leuzinger of Lawndale who began his prep career at national power Katy High in Katy, Tex., wore the wrap for the first time Friday in a 23-21 loss at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.

On a pass play in the second half, Washingon was in good position but failed to catch what would have been an interception, though he played well enough to remain in the game the entire night, as high-powered Notre Dame was held to its second-lowest point total of the season.

"You've got to respect Charles. He's a tough kid," Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross said.

Meanwhile, two seasons after advancing to the 2007 Pac-5 final while coming within a wisp of qualifying for a CIF State Bowl berth, Crespi (4-4, 0-1) is in danger of not making the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

To qualify, the Celts probably have to win their final two games, beginning Friday at 7:30 p.m. against visiting Bishop Amat of La Puente (8-0, 1-0), ranked No. 14 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports. Only two of four Serra League teams qualify for the playoffs, and there is one at-large berth to split between the entire division.

"Going back to last year, we've lost our last three league games by a total of four points," Ross said. "That's why execution is so important in the Serra League."

-- Gerry Gittelson, L.A. Times

Baseball: Crespi is returning to National Classic

November 2, 2009 |  9:48 am

Armed with seven returning starters and the top returning player in the San Fernando Valley in Oregon-bound Ryon Healy, Encino Crespi has decided to make a return to the National Classic in April.

The National Classic, held in Orange County, is perhaps the premier high school baseball tournament in Southern California. Teams set to play in the tournament are expected to be announced later this week.

Crespi won the tournament in 2007. This coming season, the Celts will have plenty of pitching depth, which is critical to winning the tournament.

Healy, a pitcher-first baseman, went 11-0 last season and helped Crespi win the Southern Section Division II championship. Also committed on this season's Crespi team are senior infielder Austin Walker (UC Irvine), senior outfielder Kevin Williams (UCLA) and junior infielder-pitcher Scott Heineman (Oregon). Add to those players, outfielder-pitcher Josh Mason is also being recruited.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

UCLA quarterback Prince's play is of no surprise to Neuheisel

By Jon Gold Staff Writer

In the fourth quarter of UCLA's 26-19 loss to Oregon State on Saturday, head coach Rick Neuheisel saw his redshirt freshman quarterback come of age.

He saw Prince calmly drop back and heave the ball into coverage, delivering the ball with precision.

He saw the Crespi of Encino product throw with accuracy and strength, but most of all, with conviction.

Or he saw nothing special at all, something he has expected to see all year.

"I just saw a quarterback sitting in the pocket and making throws down the field," Neuheisel said. "Being composed despite the circumstances. I think that was all very positive. Whether deserved or not, the confidence will grow from that. You just have to experience to understand what that feels like from the standpoint of, `I can do this."'

It was a different Prince in the final quarter against the Beavers than in the previous three. In the first 50 minutes of the game, Prince was 13 of 21 for 125 yards and no scores. In the last 10, he was 9 of 13 for 198 yards and two touchdowns.

The biggest difference? Prince was willing to throw into coverage, essentially daring the Oregon State defense like he has not all year.

"The definition of `covered' is a vague one," Neuheisel said. "As you grow as a quarterback you realize, `That guy can't see this throw and I can put it in a position for my receive to make a play."'

After everything, it makes Neuheisel wonder how far along Prince would be if not for missing two games with a fractured jaw.

"It's gonna take some time, and you don't get to jump ahead of that time just because you're watching from a different vantage point," Neuheisel said. "Everybody needs to have practical experience before you can be proficient at something."

UCLA's Prince, Brehaut will offer different game plans

By Jon Gold, Daily News Staff Writer

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Talk about a striking contradiction: UCLA has one quarterback who has had plenty of attempts but wants to throw the ball more, and another quarterback who has had scarce opportunities but wants to hand the ball off.

As the Bruins prepared for today's showdown at Oregon State, redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince and true freshman quarterback Richard Brehaut each got their fair share of repetitions with the starting unit.

Despite sharing time, though, they did not share focuses.

Prince is looking to take more chances, to bring some bravado to the position, to risk failure while knowing that an interception does not mean a demotion. He is trying to discover that "gunslinger" mentality only shared by the legends, those who are willing to gamble to be great.

"Growing up, I was kind of more tentative, and my stats would show that," the former Crespi High standout said. "If you look at my high school stuff, I didn't really go downfield unless it was there. But my favorite quarterback of all time has been Brett Favre, and that's what I love about him. That's something I've tried to slowly get myself into."

He'll need to speed up the process.

Prince's longest completion against Cal went for 48 yards. His longest against San Diego State was 34. It plummets from there - Arizona: 21. Tennessee: 14. Oregon: 11.

Either because of dropped passes or poor routes or simply Prince not testing himself downfield, the Bruins have not stretched defenses more than a few feet.

Case in point: Before being pulled for senior Kevin Craft against the Wildcats, Prince settled for a two-yard completion on third-and-10 at the Arizona 17-yard line.

Yes, UCLA came out with three points via a Kai Forbath field goal. No, three points is not good enough.

"It's tough to go out there and do it when so much is on the line, but you have to take that risk sometimes," Prince said. "It's something I'm trying to develop, that gunslinger attitude. I want to get the ball downfield and make big plays."

Brehaut, meanwhile, isn't so worried about the big play, but the little one.

With an arm only matched by his swagger, Brehaut is expected to enter a contest in the first half for the first time this season. He has played in three games this season, completing 9-of-15 passes for 114 yards for an average of 7.6 yards per attempt - Prince's average is 5.5 - but he has yet to play in the opening half.

After UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel virtually guaranteed Brehaut would get meaningful reps against Oregon State, the freshman went about the week of practice eager to simply run a standard offense for the first time.

Imagine it: A gunslinger who wants to keep it holstered.

"Every time I've gone in, I've gone out there and just been slinging the rock all around," Brehaut said. "But I haven't really had a chance to go through the whole game plan and have my run checks. Every time I've gone in, we've been down, so I've been throwing the ball. I think defenses were keying on that, and that's why I've struggled a little bit. They were just bringing guys.

"Now I can go in there and move the chains not just throwing the ball, but make my run checks."

That doesn't mean Brehaut won't take chances if they are there, though.

He can chuck it with the rest of them.

He just wants to prove he can lead an offense in the little things, too.

"When you know what you're doing and what the defense is doing, you can let your athletic ability take over and just play," Brehaut said. "I've always gone out there and my goal has been to have fun. I can't play all uptight and worry about making mistakes. You should be able to go out there and just let it fly."

Football: Crespi's Bennett shows plenty

Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

I have not been lucky when going to see Encino Crespi quarterback Bryan Bennett perform. He didn't play well last season when I saw the Celts lose to Ventura St. Bonaventure, and his receivers couldn't catch passes during the summer in a tournament I watched.

But his performance Friday night against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame showed me why Oregon is fortunate to get him. Besides passing for 302 yards and two touchdowns and scoring a touchdown, Bennett also saved two TDs as a cornerback.

Yes, Crespi lost, 23-21, and the Celts could be in jeopardy of not making the Pac-5 playoffs if they don't beat Bishop Amat and Loyola in the next two weeks, but there should be no doubt about Bennett's quarterback skills. He's definitely Pac-10 caliber, and we'll be seeing him on TV over the next four years.

Notre Dame gives Crespi the boot

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

The tradition of having great kickers is alive and well at Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks.

Eric Solis kicked three field goals Friday, including a 51-yarder with one second remaining in a dramatic 23-21 victory over rival Crespi of Encino in a Serra League opener at Notre Dame.

From Chris Sailer to Nick Folk to Kai Forbath, Notre Dame has had some of the best kickers, but Solis' field goal gave the Knights one of the most exciting comeback victories in the school's 62-year history.

"It feels incredible, it's a feeling words can't describe," Solis said. "It feels like a dream. I can't believe it."

It was a stunning end to a game that went back and fourth in the with quarter, as Crespi had the game all but won on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Bryan Bennett to Brandon Graves with 57 seconds left to give the Celts a 21-20 lead.

But 57 seconds was enough time for Notre Dame. Starting from his own 22, Notre Dame's Ryan Kasdorf completed four passes for 49 yards to set up Solis. Kasdorf finished with 246 yards passing, completing 17 of 25 with two touchdowns.

"Man, that was awesome. He just drilled it right through," Kasdorf said of Solis' winning kick. "We weren't nervous because this is a situation we work on all the time in practice, driving late in games."

Graves had 11 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yarder, for the Celts. He also caused a fumble on a Notre Dame kick return.

Bennett completed 23 of 32 for 302 yards and two touchdowns, and he also scored on a 14-yard run. Kenny Boggs added 103 yards on 18 carries.

Notre Dame (7-1, 1-0) is 14-1 over the Celts (4-4, 0-1) over the past 15 games.

Crespi's Rhasheed Johnson rushed for 102 yards in 21 carries.

Notre Dame led 17-9 at halftime on two Kasdorf touchdown passes and Solis' 26-yard field goal.

Down 6-0, Notre Dame took advantage of a questionable play call by Crespi, an option pitch from its own 6 that was fumbled away and recovered by Bryan Ruballo. Two plays later, Kasdorf connected with Tyler DiVincenzo on a 3-yard touchdown,

Two series later, Kasdorf hit Patrick Dayao on a short pass to the left flat, and he outraced everyone for an 81-yard touchdown to make it 14-6.

Bennett completed 14 of 18 passes for 215 yards in the first half but had just one touchdown to show for it, a 75-yarder to Graves on the third play of the game.

Late in the second quarter, Graves appeared to score on an 18-yard reception, but the touchdown was nullified by a penalty, and three plays later McDonough missed a 32-yard field goal attempt.

Wabby helps Pierce JC football team beat Valley College, stay unbeaten

Steve Goldstein, Daily News

Matt Wabby threw three touchdown passes to lead the Pierce College football team to a 45-28 American Pacific Conference victory Saturday night over visiting Valley College.

Wabby, a Crespi of Encino graduate, completed 16 of 30 passes for 336 yards and also ran for a touchdown for the Brahmas (6-2, 5-0).

Coleman Edmond had seven receptions for 117 yards, including touchdown catches of 30 and 5 yards.

"We've got great receivers out here, which makes my job easy," Wabby said. "Plus, I don't think I was sacked all night."

Daniel Lopez carried 34 times for 237 yards to lead the Brahmas' ground attack. Brandon Turner recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass that both led to first-half Pierce touchdowns.

Bret Visciglia completed 24 of 64 passes for 440 yards and two touchdowns for the Monarchs (3-5, 3-2). Josh Stangby caught eight passes for 181 yards and one score.

"We thought we had some good matchups with Stangby and (Travion) Odom against their tight man defense," Visciglia said. "We just made too many mistakes in the red zone."

Football: Live blogging for Crespi-Notre Dame

It's the battle of the Catholic school powers in the San Fernando Valley tonight, and I'll be live blogging from the game between Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Encino Crespi.

I saw the Orange County Catholic school battle last week between Anaheim Servite and Santa Ana Mater Dei, and I can say there's something special about these games. The players, coaches and fans get a little more excited.

The pressure is definitely increased, and particularly for this Serra League game. With only three league games, one loss puts a team in jeopardy of not making the Pac-5 Division playoffs. It's a cruel but real possibility that a good team won't make it.

What should make this game fun are the two quarterbacks, Oregon-bound Bryan Bennett from Crespi and Notre Dame's Ryan Kasdorf. Bennett beat the Knights when he was a sophomore. He needs his receivers to catch passes. Kasdorf needs his running backs to be effective, opening the door for his strength, which is to make good decisions.

And the rivalry matters. How else to explain Thursday night's freshman game when unbeaten Crespi drove almost the length of the field to pull out a 24-21 win over Notre Dame's unbeaten team with a TD pass in the final seconds.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

HS FOOT: Crespi's Graves catches on

By Gerry Gittelson on October 30, 2009

It was big news a couple of years ago when Brandon Graves, then one of the Southland's top young multi-sport athletes, transferred to Crespi of Encino.

There was great hope the fast, athletic Graves would continue to make quite an impact in football, basketball and track, as he did as a sophomore at Los Alamitos, a large public school known for its top sports programs.

But Graves was ruled ineligible at Crespi because of residency issues and was forced to sit out all of his junior year.

Then, a summer shoulder injury kept Graves out of Crespi's first three games this season, so it seemed like forever before he finally got a chance to contribute.

But the 5-foot-8, 165-pound senior receiver is making up for lost time in a big way. He has scored six touchdowns over the past three games - including an 88-yard kick return Friday in a nonleague victory over St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs - heading into tonight's Serra League opener between the Celts (4-3) and host Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (6-1). Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

"It was very frustrating for him. I think it was getting to the point where Brandon was wondering if he was ever going to play," said teammate Ben Loth, an offensive lineman. "So he's absolutely stoked to get on the field, and he can really do some things. I think he's going to have another big game this week."

In four games, Graves has 17 receptions for 326 yards, a 19.2 average, and he has scored six touchdowns.

"I feel good. I really feel good," Graves said. "It was hard last year, but I just kept talking to my coaches, and they told me everything would be fine and to keep believing. And now that I'm back, everything is fine."

At Los Alamitos, Graves caught 28 passes. He also was a starting point guard on the basketball team and a league track champion in the 200 meters.

"It took a couple of weeks for Brandon to get his legs under him, but he's done a good job. He's an explosive kid," coach Jeremiah Ross said. "I'm glad to see he's having some success because he has had to wait his time. He's an exciting player and a good kid. I'm glad to see he's doing well. We all knew how much he could help. He could have helped last year."

Since Graves could not participate in varsity football in 2008, he played on the junior varsity. One of the first times he touched the ball, he scored on a 98-yard run on a broken play. He finished with 22 touchdowns on the JV, including four against Saugus. He also participated in JV basketball and track.

Graves made his varsity football debut in September against Servite of Anaheim, entering late in the first half with Crespi down by 31 points. He ended up catching three passes for 65 yards to help the Celts make a game out of it in a 38-28 loss.

"Brandon is just a great player. Very athletic and very fast, and he uses his feet very well," offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu said. "He plays hard, too. He's not one of the biggest guys out there, but he has one of the biggest hearts, and he shows that on Friday nights. He's having a great year so far."

Graves is one of several top receivers for Crespi, including Devin Lucien (33 receptions, eight touchdowns), Blake Stanton (18 receptions, four touchdowns) and Iowa State-bound tight end Pierce Richardson (nine receptions, two touchdowns).

It helps having a top quarterback in three-year starter Bryan Bennett, who has completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 1,468 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Expect Crespi to pass the football a lot tonight at Notre Dame. The underdog Celts could use as many big plays as possible, and that's where Graves could help. He is on a hot streak and Crespi is hoping it continues in a crucial league game that figures to have playoff implications.

-- Gerry Gittelson, Daily News

Logger Men's Basketball Welcomes Class of 2013

Coming off a historic season that saw the Loggers run through the Northwest Conference season undefeated, the 2009-10 Puget Sound Loggers look to reload for another successful season.  After losing six players to graduation from a year ago, the Logger coaching staff has brought in five outstanding freshman who are expected to contribute as soon as they step on the hardwood.

Gabe Borboa

Borboa, a 6-8 forward from Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, Calif., will also be joining the Loggers for the 2009-2010 campaign. Borboa joins the Loggers after enjoying a successful season with 22-9 overall record, going 10-4 in the very tough Mission League of Southern California, before dropping their final game in the CIF Division IV semi-finals in overtime. Borboa led his team in three categories; averaging 12 points per game, nine rebounds per game, and two blocks per game. The 6-8 forward finished his senior year with First Team All Mission League honors, SecondTeam All-Southern Section Division IV CIF honors, and being names a scholar-athlete award winner at Crespi Carmelite.

"Gabe is an extremely mobile post that can run the floor very well, has great quickness for his size, and is able to finish around the rim," said head coach Justin Lunt.  "We are very excited about his future here and expect him to make an instant impact this season."

Link to MaxPreps Gallery #1

Link to MaxPreps Gallery #2

MIDWEEK FOOTBALL REPORT: Guzzi key in Crespi-Notre Dame matchup

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

There figures to be star power everywhere Friday when state powers Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and visiting Crespi of Encino face off in a much-anticipated Serra League opener.

Crespi (4-3) boasts Oregon-bound quarterback Bryan Bennett and game-breaking receivers Blake Stanton, Brandon Graves and Devin Lucien, while Notre Dame (6-1) features All-American quarterback Ryan Kasdorf and heavily recruited linemen Ben Gottschalk and Daniel Munyer.

But the key player of all could be Alex Guzzi, a 6-foot, 250-pound Crespi offensive lineman who has been thrust into the starting lineup in place of injured three-year starter Hroniss Grasu.

It will be Guzzi's responsibility to help protect Bennett and pave the way for running backs Brad Lattanzio and Rhasheed Johnson.

On defense, Grasu had five sacks through six games, and he is being replaced by Ben Loth and Michael Mitchell, who previously alternated on defense but now will play together full time.

Loth and Mitchell are being recruited as offensive linemen. Both have been offered scholarships by Nevada, and Loth also has offers from Iowa State, Fresno State and UNLV.

"I just took a recruiting trip to Iowa State, and it was nice," Loth said. "I really like it there."

Grasu tore his MCL during practice last week. His absence was not a factor Friday in a 63-14 victory over St.Paul of Santa Fe Springs that was all but over after the first quarter, but Notre Dame is expected to put up more resistance.

Grasu, who has committed to Oregon, said Tuesday that doctors told him surgery would not be required, so he is hoping to make it back in time for the playoffs.

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

High school football heats up in the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas Friday, as several top local rivalries are being renewed.

The anticipated showdowns include Crespi of Encino at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Hart of Newhall vs. Valencia at College of the Canyons and Sylmar at Kennedy of Granada Hills.

The Crespi-Notre Dame matchup features two of the area's most respected programs - Notre Dame (6-1) is led by All-American quarterback Ryan Kasdorf and Crespi (4-3) features several Division I-bound starters including Oregon-bound quarterback Bryan Bennett and Iowa State-bound tight end Pierce Richardson - and the loser will have to fight its way from the bottom of the four-team Serra League that also includes undefeated Bishop Amat of La Puente.

"It's a big game. It's going to show where we are as a team and how much teamwork we have," Crespi safety Kevin Williams said.

History favors Notre Dame. The Knights defeated Crespi by 20 points last year and have won 16 of 17 regular-season games beginning in 2008.

Crespi had won just three of its past nine games dating back to last season before a 63-14 victory Friday over St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs.

"You can look at what's on paper or whatever, but playing this game Friday is the only thing we're worried about," Williams said. "The best team Friday will win on that night, and that's it. It has nothing to do with what's happened the last couple of years."

The Hart-Valencia rivalry is huge in Santa Clarita, and past showdowns have drawn as many as 9,000 spectators. There was a time when Hart (5-2, 2-0) won 65 Foothill League games in a row, including a 10-0 record against Valencia (7-0, 2-0), but that changed in 2004 when Valencia defeated Hart 29-10 to end the streak.

Since that night, Hart is 2-1-1 against Valencia, but the Vikings won by 31 points last year.

The Kennedy-Sylmar rivalry is one of the City Section's biggest, drawing sellout crowds of 5,000 through the years.

Sylmar (4-3, 2-0) stands alone in first place in the Valley Mission League, and the Spartans have defeated Kennedy (4-3, 1-1) two years in a row.

"It's a big rivalry game. It's definitely huge," Sylmar coach London Woodfin said. "I think the Valley Mission League is a little tougher than usual this year because it's evened out - anyone can beat anyone on any given Friday night. This should be a tough game."

Few teams have endured a more brutal schedule than Alemany of Mission Hills, which is 4-3 including losses to Oaks Christian of Westlake Village and Bishop Amat of La Puente, and victories over Taft of Woodland Hills and Crespi of Encino - all four of which have been ranked in the Cal-Hi Sports state top 20 this season.

Bishop Amat, which defeated the Warriors 36-14 on Friday and previously handed national power St. Bonaventure of Ventura its only loss this season, was the toughest opponent yet, according to Alemany coach Dean Herrington.

"We think Bishop Amat is by far the best team we've played all year - better than Oaks Christian," Herrington said. "They do everything well, and we didn't play well enough to beat them - too many mistakes. It's just weird. We've played seven games, and now the real season starts with the Mission League. We've played a really tough schedule."

After shaking off its only loss, a seven-point defeat to Arleta three weeks ago, Poly of Sun Valley (6-1) continues to be a scoring machine, defeating Van Nuys 74-0 then trouncing Verdugo Hills 77-0 on Friday, to improve their scoring average of 52.5 points.

By Mark Dittmer, Special to the Daily News

St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs' hopes of stealing a win in its Friday night visit to Crespi of Encino ended less than 2 1/2 minutes into the first quarter.

After that, the best the visitors could hope for was to keep the game competitive.

But that wasn't how it turned out, as a determined Crespi team pounded its way to a 63-14 victory.

The level of dominance was unexpected against a St. Paul team that, led by longtime coach Marijon Ancich, usually stays more competitive. The Sworsmen lost 13-0 to Crespi last time the two programs met in 2007.

"They've got a real talent pool," said Ancich, whose team has also faced St. John Bosco of Bellflower and Bishop Amat of La Puente. "Team for team and player for player, they're far and away the best of those three (teams). But you've got to play the field."

The Celts scored touchdowns on their first five offensive possessions in the blowout, while giving up only a single first down on defense - that came on a running-into-the-kicker penalty on a St. Paul punt.

The game got away from the Swordsmen on another attempted punt, when Crespi's Brandon Graves ran down St. Paul punter Angel Gonzalez in the end zone for a safety and a 9-0 lead. That was at the 8:36 mark of the first quarter, and Graves would return to that end zone quickly.

He scored again on a 14-yard catch at 6:29 mark, and then again on a 20-yard catch four minutes later off a screen pass, making it 23-0.

Crespi then went up 30-0 on a 39-yard interception return by defensive lineman Reginald Coates.

And that still left time for one more potential score in the first quarter, when St. Paul fumbled a handoff on the first play of its next possession.

Quarterback Bryan Bennett went back to Graves again, and Graves' run after the catch got him to the goal line, where his stretch for the end zone fell just short.

"He was hurt for the first couple games," Bennett said of Graves, "but we know he's a great athlete. He's one of the (many) targets that we have; he's definitely a weapon."

Another of those weapons, M. Ajani Shanks, scored from 1 yard to make it 37-0 early in the second quarter.

Blake Stanton then scored on an 11-yard catch on a pass from Bennett minutes later to give Crespi a 44-0 lead, as the Celts took advantage of another St. Paul turnover.

The turnover came when Matthew Manzano coughed up a fumble after a Leo Collier strip. Crespi's Greg Briggs made the recovery.

Crespi now prepares for the three-game Serra League season, starting next week versus Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.

"We were coming off of a real tough loss," Bennett said, referring to a 21-17 loss to Alemany of Mission Hills.

"It was good to come out and dominate like we did; now we've got to get ready for league."

By Bob Daily, Daily News Correspondent

ENCINO - Crespi High School scored in just about every imaginable way and defeated visiting St. Paul, 63-14, in a nonleague game Friday night.

Crespi (4-3) had touchdowns on its first five possessions, during which the ball was never in Crespi territory, and the Celts also had two defensive scores en route to a 44-0 halftime lead.

The Celts scored on a 26-yard run by Bryan Bennett, touchdown passes of 14 and 20 yards from Bennett to Brandon Graves, Bennett's 11-yard pass to Blake Stanton, a 1-yard run by M.ajani Shanks, a 38-yard interception return by Reginald Coates and a safety by Graves, who tackled the punter in the end zone.

Late in the second quarter, St. Paul (3-4) drove 47 yards to the Crespi 13-yard line before losing the ball on downs. The drive started after a 27-yard kickoff return by Deion Williams, who added a 29-yard run during the series.

In the third quarter, St. Paul scored twice, on Williams' 7-yard run and a 10-yard pass from Chris Willson to Demitrius Gaitan, which was set up on a 75-yard pass play from Willson to Paul Lopez.

Sandwiched between the Swordsmen's scores was an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Graves.

Football: Crespi tight end commits

October 20, 2009 |  2:17 pm

Encino Crespi tight end Pierce Richardson has committed to Iowa State. He's 6 feet 5, 220 pounds.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Posted by Greg Biggins, ESPN

Tight end Pierce Richardson (Encino, Calif./Crespi) tripped to Iowa State over the weekend and said he nearly committed while in Ames.

Fast forward 24 hours later and the athlete decided to go ahead and pull the trigger.

Richardson has had the Cyclones at the top of his board for some time now. Boise State, his other co-leader, offered the tight end the opportunity to greyshirt, but Richardson decided he was Big 12 bound Monday night.

"Yep, I committed to Iowa State," Richardson said. "I'm excited and I think it's a great fit for me. I almost committed on my visit but I wanted to talk things over with my family first and I was able to do that.

"There were just so many pluses about the school. I like the offense, the coaches and the fans are great as well. I was very comfortable there and I just think it's a great overall fit for me."

Richardson's visit to Iowa State was his first official trip and he turned down offers from San Diego State, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah State and New Mexico State.

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

PASADENA — The locker room empty but for a few souls, UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel pulled up a chair next to his battered and bruised young quarterback and had a heart-to-heart with Kevin Prince after the Bruins' 45-26 loss to Cal on Saturday.

This was a new Prince, after his best performance in blue and gold, the team's first 300-yard passing day since Pat Cowan against the Bears in 2006.

He was an angrier Prince, a more demanding Prince.

The redshirt freshman quarterback out of Crespi of Encino was frustrated he could not lead his Bruins to the end zone often enough as the team settled for four Kai Forbath field goals.

As he sat and chatted with Neuheisel, Prince still found fault in his performance — 21 of 41 for 311 yards and one interception — but was pleased at his final stats.

"One of my main flaws is my footwork," Prince said. "Sometimes it's lazy, and that's why you see some of those bad throws. Coach Neuheisel as a quarterback wants to fix that, and right now. We were really focusing on that. He just said I had to keep getting better."

Compared with his performance in Week 5 against Oregon, he certainly did.

Against the Ducks, Prince finished 13 of 25 for 81 yards with an interception and a fumble.

Some questioned whether he was rushed back after missing three weeks with a broken jaw suffered against Tennessee in Week 2.

The same won't be asked this week.

"He got his confidence back," Bruins offensive lineman Jeff Baca said. "He wasn't able to do much and then five days later, he's in a game. That's tough to do. This is big time.

"When you take a couple weeks off like that, you're not the same player. He had his confidence back, he had a great week of practice and he was prepared for this game."

Forbath For Groza

Forbath continues his march to the Lou Groza Award. Forbath, who entered Saturday ranked second in the country with 2.60 field goals per game, had kicks of 46, 39, 35 and 24 yards.

Forbath moved into sole possession of third place on the UCLA all-time list with 61 career field goals.

Bumps and bruises

UCLA starting right guard Eddie Williams suffered a left ankle fracture and is expected to miss at least four weeks. ... Backup left guard Stanley Hasiak sprained his left ankle, but X-rays came back negative. ... Prince bruised his right index finger but was fine after the game.

Also ...

Johnathan Franklin's career-high 74-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was UCLA's longest since Maurice Jones-Drew's 83-yard run in 2003. ... Jahvid Best's 93-yard touchdown run also was a career-best, and ranks third all-time for Cal. ... UCLA wide receiver Terrence Austin's 182 kick return yards moved him past Tab Perry for No. 1 on the team's all-time list with 1,539 for his career. ... The Bruins have allowed 684 yards rushing in their past three games.

Prince wants to redeem himself

Jon Gold, Staff Writer

On Saturday, Kevin Prince stood defiantly in his post-game interviews and accepted full blame for UCLA's 24-10 loss to Oregon.

After a week of practice, his self-critiques haven't changed.

Perhaps that maturity is one reason Prince enters the Bruins' next challenge as starting quarterback.

"I can remember one particular practice in high school that was the worst practice I've ever had," said the Crespi of Encino product, whose Bruins will face 3-2 Cal at 12:30 on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. "It was when we were preparing for Chaminade my junior year, homecoming. I'm not kidding, worst practice I've ever had.

"But the game on Saturday, I felt like that was the worst performance I've ever had in a game."

In his first game action since suffering a broken jaw against Tennessee in a 19-15 Week 2 win, Prince completed 13 of 25 passes for 81 yards with an interception and a fumble. Both turnovers led to points, with the interception returned for a touchdown.

He entered this week of practice not embarrassed but resolved, not worried but optimistic.

He exits this week of practice convinced the Oregon miscues are a thing of the past.

"I feel like overall, it's been better," Prince said. "I feel more comfortable in the pocket. I'm taking more time looking at the defense and focusing on where to get the ball. It's definitely an improvement from Saturday."

Prince worked on timing this week while attempting to recreate the rhythm he had in back-to-back wins to start the season.

Prince also focused on the long ball throughout the week as he sharpened his touch and ironed out any rust.

"My own personal criticism of myself has always been the deep ball," Prince said. "Sometimes when I do get an open long ball, I tend to get overanxious and shoot it too long. That's part of what I've worked on this week - just being more relaxed and letting the game come to me.

"Those throws will come."

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

You never know what is going to happen in the topsy-turvy world of high school football.

Coming off an upset loss, Alemany of Mission Hills did a total turnaround Friday, knocking off state power Crespi of Encino 21-17 in a nonleague shocker at Alemany.

Vernon Adams, a junior quarterback with a total of five games experience, outperformed three-year starter Bryan Bennett, Crespi's star quarterback who is headed to Oregon next year.

Adams completed 11 of 19 for 200 yards and a touchdown pass, and also scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with more than three minutes remaining.

Bennett completed 16 of 26 for 173 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown to Brian Irvine that put Crespi (3-3) ahead 17-14 with nine minutes left.

After losing to lightly regarded Harvard-Westlake of Studio City by four points two weeks ago, Alemany had a bye last week, giving the Warriors (4-2) time to think about what happened and to make sure such a slip didn't happen again.

What a difference.

Alemany constantly pressured Bennett, recording six sacks, including two by Jordan Long on successive plays in the fourth quarter that all but killed Crespi's comeback bid.

Crespi impressed on its opening series, driving 75 yards on five plays before settling on Patrick McDonough's 35-yard field goal. Bennett came through with most of the key plays, gaining 30 yards on four carries and completing two passes for 19 yards.

But with Crespi on the 10, Bennett was sacked for a 7-yard loss, followed by an incompletion, to set up McDonough.

Alemany toughened up on defense, and Crespi did not record another first down the rest of the first quarter.

The other opportunity Crespi had to add some points in the first half was ruined on a lost fumble recovered by Nico Trinadad on the Alemany 25.

Like Crespi, Alemany also looked good on its first drive, but was not heard from again the the first half.

The Warriors drove 80 yards on 11plays, scoring on an 8-yard pass from Adams to Kevin Lenik, to forge a 7-3 lead. Adams keyed the drive with a 14-yard scramble and four completions for 35 yards.

Alemany also benefited from a 15-yard penalty.

By SCOTT MANSCH • Great Falls Tribune Asst. Sports Editor • October 16, 2009

Al Plouffe spent a lot of time on the gridiron back in the day when he was a Malta Mustang and now his wife Dorothy is familiar with this little prediction contest of ours because, as she says: "Great Falls is football country."

And so it is. But today's honored guests are in the news because of a connection to professional baseball. Their grandson, Trevor Plouffe, is a promising prospect with the Minnesota Twins organization and come next April just might be a major-leaguer.

"Yep," said Dorothy. "We're sure hoping he's in Minnesota because it's so easy to buzz right over there to watch him play."

Dorothy (Spaulding) grew up in Glasgow and spent a few years there after she and Al were married. A son, Warren Plouffe, was born in Glasgow before the family moved to California's San Fernando Valley and Al started his own pool maintenance and repair business.

That was 40 years ago.

Warren inherited his father's love of sports and became a youth baseball coach. One of his players was a young pitcher named Bret Saberhagen.

Warren's oldest boy, Marshall, was a pitcher at Sacramento State before arm problems ended his career.

And younger son Trevor became a superstar in high school who in 2004 was Minnesota's first-round pick in the amateur draft. He turned down a scholarship offer from USC to sign with the Twins.

Trevor is a shortstop with a good bat who recently finished the Triple-A season at Rochester, N.Y., with 23 doubles, 10 homers, 60 RBIs and a .260 average. Then in September he was selected to play for Team USA in the World Cup, with games in Italy, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Croatia and Sweden.

Trevor compiled a 10-game hitting streak with Team USA and smashed a walk-off home run as his team defeated Australia 4-3. He played shortstop well as the Americans won the World Cup championship with a victory in the title game over Cuba.

Al and Dorothy followed the action last month on the computer and via MLB Network. They've lived in Great Falls for the last decade, choosing to retire here because of family and, well, because Montana is home.

They live in north Great Falls just a few blocks away from where Tyler Graham, the Electric City's other professional ballplayer, grew up.

Not 10 minutes into our coffee and conversation on Thursday morning the phone rang — and it was Al and Dorothy's favorite ballplayer on the other end.

"I've been there a couple of times," Trevor said when asked about his Montana experience. "Last year we were there for Christmas. I got a chance to shoot a shotgun for the first time."

His grandparents chuckled at that.

"Trevor is a very personable young man," said Dorothy. "He's always had that going for him."

And on the baseball field?

"He's got quite a bit of speed," said Al. "And he's always been a good hitter with a real good eye."

Trevor, 23, is on the Twins' 40-man roster and will be reporting to spring training in February. He said Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire has told him that he's on the organizational depth chart.

"I definitely believe I'm on track to the majors," he said. "It's something I've worked my whole life for and I think I'm ready."

Al has many relatives in the Treasure State and more than a few here in Great Falls. Dorothy's mother, Rachel Crossan, still lives in Glasgow.

She's a big baseball fan, too, we assume?

"Not really," said Dorothy. "More of a pinochle fan. She lives for cards. But she follows Trevor's career, too."

Trevor's dad, Warren, remains in California, where like his father he runs his own business.

"My dad took me everywhere when I was a kid," Trevor said. "He was my coach from T-Ball on up. Never pushed me to do something I didn't want to do, but he was always helping me."

Al smiles when his grandson speaks that way to a reporter.

"Trevor's dad is his biggest fan," Al said.

Then Dorothy interrupts.

"And you brag more than I do about Trevor," she said.

"Well," responded Al, "it's just the truth is all."

As far as the old contest goes, Mike Towne has taken over first place following last week's 14-4 effort. The Guest remains very much in the race, although Kim Humerick limped in with a 10-8 record a week ago.

FRIDAY NIGHT REWIND

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

Daily News Top 10 rankings

1. Oaks Christian (5-0)

What a shock if Oaks Christian does not finish undefeated - including a state title.

2. Moorpark (5-0)

Defense is like a big green curtain.

3. Notre Dame (4-1)

Takes on undefeated but untested St. Francis in nonleague showdown.

4. Crespi (3-2)

Led by QB Bryan Bennett, Celts

averaging 45.2 points per game.

5. Valencia (5-0)

Opens Foothill competition against winless Canyon.

6. Westlake (5-0)

Has scored seven TDs or more in every game.

7. Taft (2-3)

Gave state power Serra of Gardena quite a scare, but lost 26-20 in overtime.

8. Chaminade (5-0)

Can't argue with perfection, as Eagles off to best start in years.

9. Newbury Park (4-1)

After Moorpark loss, Newbury Park can't afford another Marmonte slip and expect to win league.

10. Alemany (3-2)

Can defensive coordinator Rick Herrington design plan to stop Crespi?

OTHERS: Hart (3-2); St. Francis (5-0); Palmdale (3-2); Arleta (4-1); Burbank (4-1); El Camino Real (5-0); Camarillo (4-1).

Top performances

Josh Shaw, DB, Palmdale

Shaw intercepted a pass at the goal line with 17 seconds remaining to preserve

a 16-12 Golden League victory at Quartz Hill.

Bryan Bennett, QB, Crespi

Bennett passed for 237 yards and a school-record five TDs - all in the first half - in a 50-0 victory over visiting Saugus.

Marc Palacios, LB, Moorpark

Palacios helped key Moorpark's defense in a 35-14 victory at previously undefeated Newbury Park, as the Musketeers recorded five sacks and held Notre Dame-bound Cameron Roberson to eight yards on nine carries.

Big games for Week 6

All games Friday unless noted

CRESPI (3-2) at ALEMANY (2-3)

7:30 p.m.

Both have faced a series of difficult opponents, and now they square off in an intriguing nonleague showdown featuring

two of the San Fernando Valley's top QBs, Crespi's Bryan Bennett and Alemany junior Vernon Adams.

JC FOOT: Ex-Crespi QB throws eight TDs for Pierce in OT win

Former Crespi quarterback Matt Wabby, now at Pierce College, threw eight touchdown passes in one game Saturday, a 62-55 overtime victory over West L.A., as Pierce came from 21 points down.

-- Gerry Gittelson, L.A. Times

Bruins QB Prince owns up to shaky return

By Jon Gold, Daily News Staff Writer

PASADENA - You've got to hand it to Kevin Prince: the kid can handle pressure.

Perhaps not from a blitzing linebacker quite yet, perhaps not from a 21-3 deficit quite yet, but from a throng of media hounds, UCLA's redshirt freshman quarterback was contrite and sorrowful following Oregon's 24-10 win at the Rose Bowl on Saturday afternoon.

In his first game action since Week 2, when he suffered a fractured jaw at Tennessee with minutes left to play, Prince struggled mightily. The Crespi of Encino product misfired on his first two passes and things did not get much better, as he finished 13of 25 for just 81 yards, fumbling once and throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

After throwing consecutive passes into the hands of Duck defenders late in the third quarter, neither of which was intercepted, Prince was relieved for freshman quarterback Richard Brehaut.

Prince would have made the same decision.

"I wasn't making plays," he said. "They were going to try to calm me down, get me back feeling confident.

And give Richard a shot, that's only fair. I understood their decision completely. I wasn't able to move the ball, and we just weren't clicking as an offense. As a coach, you have to try something new."

After Oregon's 21-point explosion in four minutes to start the third quarter, perhaps it was a bit too little, a bit too late.

With Prince under center, the UCLA offense simply ran out of gas at times, managing nine drives of less than six plays, none leading to points.

Even when the Bruins did move the ball, as in a 6-minute, 29-second, 12-play drive in the first quarter, they could not score points, four plays within the Oregon 2-yard line coming up fruitless.

"There are little things that I'm just not getting done," Prince said. "Making the right reads on third downs that stall drives, missing a corner, missing an easy wide-open play for a first down. Little things you can't do. You can't do that and win games. I feel like I rushed things, tried to make things happen, and I wasn't going through the right progressions."

Prince, though, isn't ready to throw in the towel.

He's not about to call 2009 a rebuilding year, not after UCLA did not even call 2008 one, even mired in a 4-8 finish.

"I think it's always been about now," Prince said. "Coach Neuheisel made it clear last year that we weren't going to label it a rebuilding year. That's disrespectful to the seniors, to the guys who have been working their whole careers here at UCLA. It's always been about now for us. That should be a wakeup call to myself. I can't sit here and make those mistakes and keep on playing. I need to start improving now."

The Times' Top 25

Southland high school football rankings by Ben Bolch.

Rk.	Team (Rec., Sec.-Div.)	Comment (Last week's ranking)
1	CRENSHAW (5-0, City-Division I)	Cougars spent week off auditioning for "American Idle." (1)
2	OAKS CHRISTIAN (5-0, SS-Northwest)	Just imperfect: Lions' first two Tri-Valley League opponents a combined 0-10. (2)
3	EDISON (5-0, SS-Pac 5)	To paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield, Chargers' rivalry with Esperanza was something before -- and after -- electricity. (3)
4	LAKEWOOD (5-1, SS-Pac-5)	Ding-dong, the King Kong of all league winning streaks is dead! (4)
5	SERVITE (4-1, SS-Pac-5)	Coach Troy Thomas calls off practice this week after learning St. John Bosco lost to Loyola. (5)
6	GARDENA SERRA (5-0, SS-Northwest)	Cavaliers might need victory over Bishop Montgomery to keep pace with unbeaten JSerra. (7)
7	RANCHO CUCAMONGA (5-0, SS-Central)	Call it a shakeup near the Epicenter: Cougars drop one spot after another unconvincing win. (6)
8	MOORPARK (5-0, SS-Northern)	Simi Valley stands could be empty with Musketeers fans busy watching alums Jeff and Jered Weaver in playoffs. (8)
9	LOS ALAMITOS (4-0, SS-Pac 5)	Griffins have finally reached part of schedule where scrubs don't play until fourth quarter, if at all. (9)
10	MISSION VIEJO (5-0, SS-Pac 5)	Coach Bob Johnson exudes the warmth of Tony La Russa after losses. (10)
11	REDLANDS EAST VALLEY (5-0, SS-Inland)	Wildcats don't need to steel themselves for matchup with struggling Fontana. (11)
12	BISHOP AMAT (5-0, SS-Pac 5)	Receive "Good luck" call from Bob Ladouceur since he's tied with St. Paul's Marijon Ancich for most coaching wins. (12)
13	ST. BONAVENTURE (4-1, SS-Northern)	Season will be over for Seraphs if they need overtime to get past San Marcos. (13)
14	S.O. NOTRE DAME (4-1, SS-Pac 5)	Freshman cutups try convincing Coach Kevin Rooney they will turn out like Brendan Ryan. (14)
15	MATER DEI (3-2, SS-Pac 5)	Losses are like a clockwork Orange (Lutheran) last four times Monarchs have played Lancers. (15)
16	CORONA CENTENNIAL (4-1, SS-Inland)	Just when the Huskies needed a breather after a close call, along came Riverside Poly. (16)
17	CRESPI (3-2, SS-Pac 5)	Saugus' offense proved about as potent as St. Louis Cardinals' lineup against Dodgers. (17)
18	VALENCIA (5-0, SS-Northern)	Victory over Loyola comes with a Barry Bonds-sized asterisk because Cubs missing coach, top running back. (18)
19	FOUNTAIN VALLEY (5-0, SS-Pac-5)	It will be sailor hats off to Barons if they beat Marina big as expected. (19)
20	NORCO (4-1, SS-Inland)	Gerhart family could help produce Big VIII, Pac-10 titles this season. (20)
21	CARSON (3-2, City-Division I)	Given choice to play Washington of Marine League or Washington State of Pac-10, Colts opt for Cougars. (21)
22	CHAPARRAL (3-2, SS-Inland)	Coach Tommy Leach consulted running-it-up playbook when Pumas eked out 70-0 victory over Cathedral City. (22)
23	VISTA MURRIETA (5-0, SS-Inland)	Broncos collar Jessie Callier, holding highly touted running back without a touchdown. (24)
24	WESTLAKE (5-0, SS-Northern)	Warriors complain that Oaks Christian-for-Calabasas is not a fair exchange. (25)
25	CHARTER OAK (5-1, SS-Southeast)	Starting to have rankings regret about Chargers after their one-point victory over Etiwanda. (23)

Baseball: Two more Crespi commitments

Encino Crespi, expected to have one of the top baseball teams in Southern California this spring, has had two more players make college commitments.

Versatile senior infielder Kevin Williams has committed to UCLA. Junior infielder-pitcher Scott Heineman has committed to Oregon. Heineman primarily was used as a pinch runner last season because of an elbow injury, but he made strong progress in the summer.

Two other players, pitcher Ryon Healy and shortstop Austin Walker, have committed to Oregon and UC Irvine, respectively. Another player, outfielder Josh Mason, is close to committing.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Funeral for ex-Crespi swimmer Ron Smith

On Saturday night, former Encino Crespi swimmer Ron Smith was inducted into the school's sports hall of fame. After giving his speech, he became ill and died. He was 47.

A rosary will be held on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Holy Cross Church in Moorpark. A funeral Mass will take place Monday at 11 a.m.

Smith is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and daughters Rachel Nicole and Lauren Marie.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Ron Smith, a former All-American swimmer at Crespi of Encino, died late Saturday from a heart attack shortly after being inducted into the school Hall of Fame. Smith was prounounced dead at Encino Hospital. He was 47.

"My heart was torn in two the next morning when I heard about it," said Harry Welch, a fellow Crespi alum who served as master of ceremonies at the Hall of Fame event.

"He looked great. His brother looked great. His whole family was there to honor him. What a tragedy. I send my prayers to Ron Smith's family. I'm deeply moved."

In 1980, Smith won two Southern Section individual events, as Crespi finished No. 2 in the section. He went to Utah State on a full scholarship.

Smith is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Ferrone, and two daughters.

- Gerry Gittelson, Daily News

By Gerry Gittelson

There are a lot of top head football coaches with historical ties to Crespi of Encino, either as a former player or coach: Pat Hill (Fresno State), Bill Redell (Oaks Christian), Jim Benkert (Westlake), Tim Lins (Moorpark), Troy Thomas (Servite) and Harry Welch (St. Margaret's/ex-Canyon).

Also, John Becker, Crespi's head coach from 1965 to 1969, coached for many years in the NFL as an assistant, most recently with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring last season.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Bruins quarterback has faced setbacks but remains driven to succeed.

By AL BALDERAS
The Orange County Register

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince passes against San Diego State in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009.

REED SAXON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince was on the practice field tonight for the first time in three weeks, and was able to do more than a simple workout routine.

The redshirt freshman will have his jaw X-rayed today and is hopeful he will be cleared to play in Saturday's game against Oregon at the Rose Bowl.

That's not bad for someone who didn't have a whole lot of interest in college football during the first several years of his life.

That's also not bad for someone who, when he finally started playing, had no desire to be a quarterback.

"I was a running back," said Prince, thinking back to his flag football days. "I was fast for my age. Not so much now.

"Everybody wants to be the skill guys and catch the ball. No one wants to be the quarterback until later on."

Prince didn't have much of a choice. His first year of organized football came when he was a fifth-grader. His flag football coach asked everyone on the team to throw the ball. Prince had the best arm and was automatically awarded the position.

"He had no aspiration of being quarterback," said Prince's father, Stephen. "To see him out there, he looked more like a linebacker the way he would throw his body around.

"After one year of being the quarterback, that kind of hooked him on it."

Prince continued to play flag football in middle school and when it came time for high school, had the choice of going to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks or Crespi of Encino. He interviewed with both schools and was brutally honest when asked by Notre Dame's coach what he would do if he was accepted by both schools. Prince said he'd go to Crespi. The acceptance letter from Notre Dame never did come.

His high school experience was one that was full of pain and promise. He broke his collarbone at the end of his junior season and missed the playoffs. Before that, he had completed 112 of 197 passes (56.9 percent) for 1,422 yards and 12 touchdowns.

He wasn't able to improve on those numbers as a senior because he injured his knee in the first quarter of the first game and sat out the rest of the season.

The broken collarbone that he suffered as a junior wasn't his first injury in football. As a child, Prince wasn't as interested in football as the rest of the family. While everyone was watching games on TV, he chose to go to his room, where dinosaurs were more to his liking.

When he was about 6years old, he started to come around and was playing in the living room with his older brother, Austin. Kevin's head ended up going through a window.

"He had to stay real still while I helped him get his head back through the window so that he wouldn't cut himself," Austin Prince said.

Prince's latest football mishap happened just over three weeks ago. The Bruins were putting the finishing touches on a narrow victory at Tennessee when he suffered a broken jaw.

"My wife (Meredith) gets nervous," Stephen Prince said. "I get a little bit. Before the Tennessee game, she was very nervous.

"She wants him to do well and she's worried about how it's going to go."

If there is one thing that can be said about Prince, it's that he won't stay down. Now that he's all but recovered from his latest injury, he's ready to pick up where he left off and push the Bruins back into the win column.

But it will still take a little bit of work.

"It's not going to be perfect on the first day out after three weeks," Prince said.

"I'm anxious to get going but I'm not freaking out that things didn't go exactly the way I wanted. I'll get the touch by Saturday if I get to play."

Now that Prince is back and running the inner workings of the offense, he has to get his timing back. That's an area in which he feels he can use more work.

"It's just the rhythm of things, the timing," he said. "I missed some throws that I really shouldn't miss and that I don't want to miss, ever. That's something that I'll work on, and getting my timing back with my receivers. I feel that by (today) or Thursday, things should be back to normal.

"I did some throwing last week but it's not the same. It's a little different. I've done it throughout the summer and throughout the spring so it should come back pretty quickly."

Prince spent some of his down time watching fellow quarterback Kevin Craft, who started against Kansas State and Stanford.

A discussion with UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel revealed that Prince was beginning to rush things instead of letting the flow of the game come to him. If there was a blessing in disguise that came from sitting out the last few weeks, that might have been it.

"In the Tennessee game, I was starting to rush things," he said. "I was starting to force things. Part of that was the incredible atmosphere we were in, and part of it was that close game. Coming back here (tonight), I was more relaxed."

New football rankings

Here's an early look at the new football rankings that will be published in Monday's paper (with last week's ranking in parentheses):

1. Crenshaw 4-0 (1)

2. Oaks Christian 3-0 (4)

3. Edison 4-0 (6)

4. St. Bonaventure 4-0 (3)

5. Lakewood 3-1 (5)

6. Servite 3-1 (2)

7. Rancho Cucamonga 4-0 (7)

8. Gardena Serra 4-0 (9)

9. Moorpark 3-0 (10)

10. Los Alamitos 3-0 (11)

11. Mission Viejo 4-0 (12)

12. Redlands East Valley 3-0 (20)

13. S.O. Notre Dame 3-1 (13)

14. Mater Dei 3-1 (14)

15. Corona Centennial 2-1 (15)

16. Chaparral 2-1 (16)

17. Crespi 2-2 (17)

18. Orange Lutheran 1-2 (8)

19. Valencia 3-0 (19)

20. Fountain Valley 4-0 (23)

21. Norco 2-1 (24)

22. Charter Oak 3-1 (21)

23. Newport Harbor 3-0 (25)

24. Alemany 3-1 (NR)

25. Vista Murrieta (NR)

Games of the week: FRIDAY: Crenshaw (4-0) at Culver City (3-0), Oaks Christain (3-0) at Venice (3-0), St. Bonaventure (4-0) at Bishop Amat (3-0). SATURDAY: Servite (3-1) at Chaparral (2-1).

--Ben Bolch, L.A. Times

St. Bonaventure beats Crespi in overtime

A missed extra-point attempt by Crespi is the difference at the finish in a 42-41 victory for St. Bonaventure.

In a game that featured six lead changes and four ties, No. 3 Ventura St. Bonaventure prevailed, 42-41, in overtime Friday against No. 17 Encino Crespi -- an outcome that wasn't decided until the last kick.

Seraphs quarterback Logan Meyer rolled to the far side of the field for a two-yard touchdown run to tie it up at 41-41. Sophomore kicker Mason Kirk clinched the victory with the extra point.

On the previous possession, Crespi running back Rhasheed Johnson ran in for a one-yard touchdown, but Patrick McDonough's extra-point attempt sailed wide left.

St. Bonaventure (4-0) is undefeated in its last 14 games. Crespi (2-2) dropped its second consecutive game.

Meyer completed 17 of 28 passes for 169 yards with two touchdowns while Crespi quarterback Bryan Bennett was 18 for 27 for 227 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Seraphs running back Devon Blackledge had 28 carries for 137 yards and Troy Hill led with two touchdowns, an 11-yard run in the first quarter and a 95-yard kickoff return in the third.

Johnson rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns in 16 carries.

The Celts tied the Seraphs at 14-14 when Bennett connected with Blake Stanton on a 51-yard touchdown pass at the 10:25 mark.

With 5.8 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Bennett connected with tight end Pierce Richardson on a nine-yard touchdown pass. That happened after Celts defensive back Brad Lattanzio recovered a fumble by Meyer on Crespi's 41-yard line.

Jalen Jefferson intercepted a Bennett pass and ran for a 45-yard touchdown with 10:34 remaining in the third quarter, though the Celts still led 14-13 after Kirk missed the extra-point attempt.

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

Crespi's Pierce Richardson, left, celebrates his second-quarter TD catch against St. Bonaventure on Friday. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)

Crespi High of Encino played its heart out Friday against national power St. Bonaventure of Ventura, but the special teams let the Celts down in their heartbreaking 42-41 overtime home loss.

Crespi (2-2) allowed a kick-return touchdown for the second time in two games, and a missed extra point in overtime proved to be the difference, as St.Bonaventure's sophomore Mason Kirk kicked the winning extra-point following a 2-yard touchdown run by Logan Meyer in overtime.

"There are three sides to football, and special teams is one of the most important aspects," Crespi offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu said. "This was a learning experience."

At 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds, Kirk was the smallest player on the field, but hecame up with the biggest play by converting the winning extra point.

"To tell you the truth, I was really nervous at first, but after our coach called a timeout, I felt good," Kirk said. "I was relieved when I made it. It felt good."

The loss was Crespi's second in a row.

"I'm proud of my kids. They showed character," Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross said. "We're going to continue to get better each week."

St. Bonaventure (4-0) is ranked No. 1 in California and No. 16 in the nation by USA Today, but Crespi gave the Seraphs all they could handle.

Crespi's Bryan Bennett completed 17 of 26 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Rhasheed Johnson rushed for 158 yards in 16 carries, including three touchdowns. His 2-yard touchdown run in overtime gave Crespi its lead. Devin Lucien scored Crespi's final touchdown in regulation on a 47-yard pass with 3:35 left.

With the score tied at 35 just overand more than two minutes remaining, Crespi got the ball on the 50 but fumbled it away on the first play. But the Celts held St. Bonaventure to three-and-out and got the ball back with 1:09 remaining on their own 10 but could not break the tie.

Meyer completed 16 of 25 for 168 yards and two touchdowns, and he rushed for 56 yards and one touchdown. Devon Blackledge added 94 yards on 24 carries.

Crespi failed to record a first down on its first two possession, but then Bennet got hot. He hit Blake Stanton on a 46-yard touchdown pass to forge a 7-7 tie, then connected with Pierce Richardson a 9-yard touchdown with 5 seconds remaining in the half to give Crespi a 14-7 lead.

Bennett completed eight of his first nine passes and finished the first half 11 of 16 for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

Crespi's second touchdown drive in the final minutes of the first half was set up by Brad Lattanzio's fumble recovery on the Crespi 41. The Celts drove 59 yards on 10 plays, including four Bennett completions.

St. Bonaventure had difficulty moving the ball but put together a 12-play, 82-yard touchdown drive late in the second quarter, culminating with a 10-yard scoring by Troy Hill.

Once St. Bonaventure scored, the Seraphs failed to cross midfield again in the first half.

The momentum changed in the second half, when Jalen Jefferson returned a Bennett interception 45 yards for a touchdown. But the ensuing point-after kick was wide right, and Crespi remained ahead 14-13.

Then Crespi scored again on a Johnson's 23-yard run to make it 21-13, as the Celts drove 63 yards on 10 plays, with Bennett completing 4 of 5 for 34 yards on the drive.

An eight-point lead in the second half seemed like a good cushion, but St. Bonaventure immediately scored on a 95-kick return by Troy Hill - the second kick-return touchdown allowed by Crespi over the past two games. Hill's touchdown, followed by Devon Blacklege's two-point conversion run pulled the Seraphs forged a 21-21 tie.

The kickoff return seemed to take the air out of Crespi's wings. The Celts went three-and-out, and St. Bonaventure then drove 61 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown, converted two fourth downs before Tieler Souza scored on a 13-yard pass to put St. Bonaventure ahead 28-21.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

St. Bonaventure & Crespi make for an exciting finish

In a game that featured six lead changes and four ties, No. 3 Ventura St. Bonaventure prevailed, 42-41, in overtime against No. 17 Encino Crespi - an outcome that wasn't decided until the last kick.

Seraphs quarterback Logan Meyer rolled to the far side of the field for a two-yard touchdown score to tie it up at 41-41. Sophomore kicker Mason Kirk clinched the victory with the extra point.

On the previous possession, Crespi running back Rhasheed Johnson ran in for a one-yard touchdown, but Patrick McDonough's kick sailed wide left.

St. Bonaventure (4-0) has remained undefeated in its past 14 games while the Celts (2-2) dropped it second consecutive game.

Meyer went 17-of-28 for 169 yards with two touchdowns while Crespi quarterback Bryan Bennett finished 18-of-27 for 227 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Seraphs running back Devon Blackledge had 28 carries for 137 yards and Troy Hill led with two touchdowns, an 11-yard run in the first quarter and a 95-yard kickoff return in the third.

Johnson rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns off 16 carries.

Crespi held a 14-7 half-time lead and appeared capable of upsetting St. Bonaventure. The Celts tied the Seraphs when Bennett connected to Blake Stanton on a 51-yard touchdown pass at the 10:25 mark.

With 5.8 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Bennett connected with tight end Pierce Richardson on a nine-yard touchdown pass. That happened after Celts' defensive back Brad Lattanzio recovered a fumble by Meyer on Crespi's 41-yard line.

But St. Bonaventure quickly answered in the second half.

Jalen Jefferson intercepted a Bennett pass and ran for a 45-yard touchdown with 10:34 remaining in the third quarter, though the Celts still led 14-13 after Kirk missed the extra point.

Later in the third quarter, Hill ran for a 95-yard touchdown off a kickoff return. The Seraphs tied the game at 21-21with 6:32 remaining after Blackledge ran for a 2-point conversion.

The two teams traded two touchdowns each in the fourth quarter, setting up the showdown in overtime that ultimately was decided by an extra point.

--Mark Medina, L.A. Times

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

PREP FOOTBALL: Crespi sees tonight's game against St. Bonaventure as measuring stick to see how far it has come as a team.

Any team has the right to be intimidated by two-time Northern Division/CIF State Div. III champion St. Bonaventure of Ventura, including top programs from the Valley areas such as Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, Moorpark, Hart of Newhall, Westlake and Newbury Park - all of which have lost by wide margins to the Seraphs over the past few seasons.

Crespi (2-1), which plays host to St.Bonaventure (3-0) at 7:30 tonight, is on that list, too, but the Celts hold the distinction of being the last local program to defeat St. Bonaventure, in 2007. Crespi has also taken its lumps, including a 31-14 loss last season that gave St. Bonaventure a 4-1 series advantage.

Since 2004, St. Bonaventure is 68-5, including an 18-3 record against Valley-area opponents, and the Seraphs have won eight section titles over the past 10 years. This season, the Seraphs are No. 1 in the Northern Division and No. 1 in the state, according to Cal-Hi Sports. USA Today has them No. 16 in the nation.

Teams with championship aspirations love to play St. Bonaventure - except in the playoffs, of course - because there is no better measuring stick.

That's the way Crespi sees things. The Celts are 13-point underdogs on Calpreps.com, and they're OK with that. They're not willing to concede anything, and they would enjoy nothing more than an upset victory, but either way tonight's outcome should prove telling.

"It's always good to play St. Bonaventure because they're a great team and will give you a fight every time," Crespi lineman Hroniss Grasu said. "I obviously hope we don't lose, but if we do we will see our mistakes on film the next day and improve from there.

"If we win, it will be big because St. Bonnie is one of the top schools in the state, so getting on them is big."

Tonight's showdown comes one week after Crespi fell 38-28 to Pac-5 rival Servite of Anaheim after falling behind by 31 points in the first half. The fact Crespi came back strong makes coach Jeremiah Ross believe the Celts are on the right track.

"This is going to be a great opportunity because last week we kind out found out about ourselves, so there is no reason to doubt ourselves anymore," Ross said.

"Sometimes a loss is beneficial. Had we squeezed out a win against Servite, it might not have registered as much."

St. Bonaventure has won a lot more games through the years than Servite.

"I remember one of the times we played them, St. Bonnie was like 89-4 or some ridiculous number like that," Ross said. "They're not used to losing. You have to play perfect, or more, against them, and our kids are excited about that. It's going to be a great opportunity. It's going to be fun to compete against them."

Meanwhile, the loss to Crespi in 2007 remains fresh in St. Bonaventure's mind, particularly coach Todd Therrien.

"This is a big-time game. Crespi is very talented and very well-coached," Therrien said. "They have a lot of weapons."

Therrien said the key to St. Bonaventure's success is parental involvement and has nothing to do with Xs and Os.

"We might have the best parental support in America," Therrien said. "We get 30 or 40 or 50 parents just at practice. They cook for the team, they give them a bag lunch with chips and cookies on the bus ride home after games. They're just awesome. It's what we call `Seraphs Family."'

St. Bonaventure's top players are quarterback Logan Meyer, who passed for 312 yards and three touchdowns last week, along with running back Devon Blackledge, linebacker Dylan Davis and defensive back Troy Hill.

Crespi also has a top quarterback in Oregon-bound Bryan Bennett. Key teammates include running back Brad Lattanzio, linemen Grasu and Ben Loth, tight end Pierce Richardson, receivers Blake Stanton and Devin Lucien and defensive lineman Reggie Coates.

"It's going to be a good fight," Lattanzio said. "We love playing good teams. We want to play the best to get ready for the playoffs."

Sports Central On-Line HS Preview Heads To Crespi
STUDIO CITY (CBS) ―

This week's Sports Central High School Preview Show is in Encino where Crespi High School takes on Saint Bonaventure. Rahshaun Haylock previews the week in L.A. area football. Look for it tonight only on KCAL.COM/PREPS.

Click here for the "Week 2 High School Rewind".

The Times' high school football rankings by Ben Bolch:

Rk.	Team (Rec. Sec, Div.)	Comment (Last week's ranking)
1	CRENSHAW (3-0, City-Division I)	Deprived of fractured ring finger, receiver Geno Hall proudly holds index finger aloft to denote Cougars' ranking. (1)
2	SERVITE (3-0, SS-Pac-5)	Who's the boss? Troy Thomas finally gets the best of former apprentice Jeremiah Ross. (2)
3	ST. BONAVENTURE (3-0, SS-Northern)	Los Angeles Jordan couldn't find many weaknesses to attack in Seraphs' defense. (3)
4	OAKS CHRISTIAN (3-0, SS-Northwest)	Steve Sarkisian scraps plans to have lunch with Nick Montana and a reporter during Lions' trip to Seattle area. (4)
5	LAKEWOOD (2-1, SS-Pac-5)	Considering developments in Long Beach, Moore League play could be easiest part of Lancers' schedule. (5)
6	EDISON (3-0, SS-Pac 5)	Fresh off record 486-yard game, quarterback Matt Viles switches focus to upstaging Tommy Grady's college career. (6)
7	RANCHO CUCAMONGA (3-0, SS-Central)	Rankings committee thinks both teams should have to forfeit if game against Charter Oak ends in another tie. (7)
8	ORANGE LUTHERAN (1-1, SS-Pac 5)	Victory over Tustin could come with big loss after Garret Gilliland suffers ankle injury. (8)
9	GARDENA SERRA (3-0, SS-Northwest)	Let's dispense with the formalities and let Cavaliers fast-forward to section title game against Oaks Christian. (10)
10	MOORPARK (2-0, SS-Northern)	Coach Tim Lins adds Carson to schedule, as in the Home Depot Center for a state championship bowl game. (11)
11	LOS ALAMITOS (2-0, SS-Pac 5)	This could be rare instance when Griffins would rather play Long Beach Poly (1-2) than Long Beach Wilson (2-1). (14)
12	MISSION VIEJO (3-0, SS-Pac 5)	"X" marks the spot defenses can't seem to hit when trying to stop Diablos running back Xavier Edwards. (16)
13	S.O. NOTRE DAME (2-1, SS-Pac 5)	Knights left Taft feeling bogged down after unveiling a running game to complement Air Kasdorf. (17)
14	MATER DEI (2-1, SS-Pac 5)	Rankings committee decided having Monarchs and Long Beach Poly unranked just seemed too weird. (NR)
15	CORONA CENTENNIAL (1-1, SS-Inland)	You can't win them all, though Huskies had made it seem otherwise since December 2007. (9)
16	CHAPARRAL (1-1, SS-Inland)	Unless Pumas upset Servite in two weeks, they might have to go to Pechanga to hit it big. (12)
17	CRESPI (2-1, SS-Pac 5)	If it's any consolation, Celts avoided a 3-and-uh-oh start that last year resulted in missing playoffs. (15)
18	TAFT (1-1, City-Division I)	Gardena Serra will probably claim if it loses to Toreadors in a few weeks that it was because Taft got Lucky (Radley). (13)
19	VALENCIA (2-0, SS-Northern)	Only way Vikings lose to Palmdale is if passing through Sleepy Valley on way to game has lingering effect. (19)
20	REDLANDS E. VALLEY (2-0, SS-Inland)	It might not be a down year for Inland Empire after all if Wildcats can outlast Orange Lutheran. (21)
21	CHARTER OAK (3-0, SS-Southeast)	Chargers decide against wearing ties to school on day of Rancho Cucamonga game. (22)
22	CARSON (2-1, City-Division I)	Colts hope to avoid the agony of defeat during trip to Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. (18)
23	FOUNTAIN VALLEY (3-0, SS-Pac-5)	Temescal Canyon offered few hurdles for sprinter Kyle Middlebrooks during Barons' lopsided victory. (23)
24	NORCO (1-1, SS-Inland)	Cougars will learn against La Quinta if country boys can survive against a team from the desert. (24)
25	NEWPORT HARBOR (2-0, SS-Pac 5)	Rivalry with Corona del Mar should be dubbed "Battle for the Beach Ball." (NR)

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

Team USA will face Venezuela on Tuesday in Firenze

BOLOGNA, Italy -- Trevor Plouffe tallied the last two RBIs of the game, including a walk-off homer to lift Team USA (9-1; 7-0) past Australia (7-3; 5-2), 4-3, at Stadio G. Falchi in Bologna, Italy. The U.S. clinched the No. 1 seed in Group G for the final pool stage with the victory.

Justin Smoak got Team USA on the board when he slammed his ninth home run of the tournament to deep left field to tie the game at one in the sixth. Jon Weber later added an RBI fielder's choice on a grounder to second base to put the U.S. up 2-1.

Trevor Plouffe tied the game once again in the seventh with an RBI groundout to the shortstop, holding the score at three heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. He then lifted a two-out, walk-off home run to deep left field to close out the game, securing an unblemished 7-0 record in Round 2 action for Team USA.

U.S. starter Cory Luebke pitched six innings, giving up three runs, one earned, and striking out five Australia batters in a no-decision. Jason Childers added two innings of scoreless relief, striking out three batters. Ehren Wasserman (1-0) got the win, closing the game for the Red, White and Blue.

Plouffe finished the game 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Lucas May was the only other Team USA hitter with two hits on the day.

The U.S. will begin Final Round action of the 2009 Baseball World Cup on Tuesday, Sept. 22, against Venezuela at 8 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) in Firenze, Italy. Venezuela defeated Team USA in its first game of the 2009 World Cup, a 13-9, extra-inning tie break defeat.

Game Notes:

Trevor Plouffe has registered a hit in the last nine consecutive games, currently the longest hitting streak for Team USA in the 2009 World Cup.

-USABaseball.com

By Scott French, Special to the Daily News

PREP FOOTBALL: Crespi falls behind 31-0 at halftime, then second-half comeback falls short.

NORWALK - Crespi High of Encino found itself in a big hole against its division's best team Friday night, down by 31 at halftime with little evidence it could stop the onslaught.

Up stepped Oregon-bound quarterback Bryan Bennett, who engineered a tremendous comeback as the Celts turned its showdown with Servite of Anaheim into a real battle.

Crespi couldn't come all the way back, but its 38-28 defeat at Cerritos College felt a little like a victory.

"We just kept battling," said Celts coach Jeremiah Ross, whose team fought back from 31-0 and 38-7 deficits in the second half. "We just can't put ourselves in that situation against a great team like that. We've got to execute a little earlier, but we'll learn from that, though."

Bennett totaled 394 yards, completing 22 of 37 passes for 318 yards and running for a team-best 76 more on 11carries, but he'd have traded all of it for a victory over a Servite team ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section's Pac-5 Division, No. 4 in the state and, by ESPN, No. 33 in the nation.

"To win is all that matters to me," Bennett said. "I just did what I could for my team. We couldn't get stuff going in the beginning, which we needed to do. We just got to start working on that, starting tomorrow."

The victory gave Servite coach Troy Thomas, who won CIF Southern Section titles at Crespi as a player and coach, his first victory over his alma mater. The Celts pulled out an overtime victory in the Pac-5 Division semifinals in 2007 and a one-point decision in a nonleague meeting last season.

The Friars (3-0) took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and extended it to 31-0 by halftime.

Crespi (2-1) began its comeback late through the third quarter. Bennett drove the Celts 94 yards on eight plays, connecting with Devin Lucien on a 44-yard touchdown pass with 46seconds to go in the quarter.

Servite restored its lead to 31 points as Chris Nicholls returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, his third of the game, but the fourth quarter belonged to the Celts.

Bennett completed five passes, including a 29-yarder to Lucien that moved the ball to the Friars' 21, on Crespi's next possession, an 80-yard drive capped by his 4-yard run.

Servite, which totaled 319 yards through three quarters, couldn't move the ball, and a blocked punt by Reginald Coates was followed by Bennett's 39-yard touchdown toss to Lucien with 7:29 to play. Rhasheed Johnson's two-point run made it 38-22.

Crespi's defense again stopped the Friars, and Bennett engineered a quick 49-yard drive - the key play a 20-yard pass to Brandon Graves, a LosAlamitos transfer making his Crespi debut - and ran the final 4 yards to make it 38-28. Bennett's two-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

No. 2 Friars build a 31-0 halftime lead and ease to a 38-28 victory behind a strong running game.

The tone had been set by the opening kickoff.

That's when Anaheim Servite's Christopher Nicholls opened the game with a 76-yard kickoff return from the Friars' six-yard line.

It was only the beginning of a big night for Nicholls, who ran for three touchdowns in Servite's 38-28 victory over No. 15 Encino Crespi Friday at Cerritos College.

The Friars, ranked No. 2 in the Southland by The Times, are 3-0 and captured their first victory over the Celts after losing the last two games involving the teams.

Even if Crespi (2-1) scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to make a blowout appear respectable, the Friars' dominance in the first half gave them enough of a cushion to stave off the rally.

Nicholls had eight carries for 54 yards, with one of his touchdowns being a 90-yard kickoff return. That gave the Friars a 38-7 lead after Nicholas Echeverry's extra point with 35 seconds left in the third quarter.

Servite running back Sean DeRosa rushed for 102 yards in 22 carries with one touchdown.

The Friars can thank their running game for giving them a 31-0 halftime lead with 25 of Servite's 35 plays consisting of running plays. Nicholls' 76-yard kickoff return to start the game eventually set up Echeverry's 27-yard field goal that gave Servite a 3-0 lead with 10:17 left in the first quarter.

DeRosa's seven-yard touchdown run with 5:46 left in the second quarter gave the Friars a 10-0 lead after Echeverry's extra point.

A 48-yard run eventually set up Troy Niklas' 11-yard touchdown pass from Cody Fajardo. That made it 31-0 with 29 seconds left in the first half after Echeverry's extra point.

The Friars' running game finished with 253 yards in 41 carries.

-- Mark Medina

Encino Crespi finally gets on the scoreboard

At least it won't be a shutout.

Encino Crespi quarterback Bryan Bennett connected with Devin Lucien on a 54-yard touchdown pass. Patrick McDonough's extra point reduced Anaheim Servite's lead to 31-7 with :46 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Friars answered 11 seconds later with Christopher Nicholls breaking to the nearside of the field and into the endzone. Nicholls' 90-yard touchdown off a kickoff return illustrated how Servite can score much quicker than Crespi. The Celts' touchdown came off a 14-play, 67-yard drive that took 5:43. The Friars lead 38-7 after three quarters.

--Mark Medina, L.A. Times

Our Celts go into Friday night's game with a 2-0 record after resounding victories over Lancaster and Birmingham. Servite comes into this game with a 2-0 record, as well, with victories over Long Beach Poly and Clovis West. It promises to be a hard fought battle between two juggernauts!

The game takes place at Cerritos College located at 11110 Alondra Blvd., Norwalk, CA. 90650 on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 7:30 PM. This game is being televised on Fox Sports and is the High School Game of the Week.

The ticket booth is located at the north end of the stadium. Entry to the stadium is located directly East of the ticket booth for our contingent of supporters. Faculty and students get in free of charge with valid school IDs.

We have a student rooter bus with space still available. We will also be sending an adult rooter bus to the game. Please arrive at 4:30 PM for the rooter buses as they will be leaving promptly at 5 PM on Friday. To reserve your spot on the rooter buses, please contact the Athletic office. The cost for the student rooter bus is $5 per person and $10 per person for the Adult rooter bus. Payment can be made to Virginia Musich in the front office or when you arrive at the bus.

So come out, support our CELTS, and enjoy some quality Friday night football! CELT PRIDE!

MIDWEEK REPORT: Crespi looks to knock off Servite

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

For the past two football seasons, Crespi High of Encino and coach Jeremiah Ross have gotten the better of Servite of Anaheim and coach Troy Thomas, who happened to be Ross' mentor for two seasons when Thomas was Crespi's head coach and Ross his assistant.

Crespi and Servite, both 2-0, reconvene Friday in a much-anticipated showdown at Cerritos College, as Ross looks to defeat Thomas for the third consecutive time.

Servite is a substantial favorite after defeating state powers Long Beach Poly 30-7 and Clovis West 47-13. Crespi's victories have been more decisive, but against lighter competition, as the Celts have defeated Lancaster 58-0 and injury-strapped Birmingham of Lake Balboa 49-14.

"I don't know if it's really more competitive than any other game just because it's me against Troy Thomas," Ross said. "We're friends, and we wish the best for each other. I mean, yes this would be a good win, but so would every win. We just want to keep getting better each week, and if that happens we'll be in a good position no matter what our record is."

Friday also marks the debut of Crespi receiver Brandon Graves, a touted transfer from Los Alamitos who sat out all of his junior season at Crespi last year because of transfer restrictions.

Graves, who caught 28 passes for Los Alamitos in 2007, has recovered from a leg injury and figures to eventually be Crespi's top return specialist.

The schedule for cross country has been updated. Please click here to view any changes or visit our Cross Country Page.

Crenshaw remains in top spot despite poor defensive showing, and Anaheim Servite maintains its spot in rankings entering showdown later this week with Encino Crespi.

The Times' high school football rankings by Ben Bolch:

Rk.	Team (Rec. Sec, Div.)	Comment (Last week's ranking)
1	CRENSHAW (2-0, City-Division I)	Coach Robert Garrett wore sunglasses against Norco to shield eyes from shaky defense. (1)
2	SERVITE (2-0, SS-Pac-5)	During Crespi week, Coach Troy Thomas knows what Phil Jackson feels like when Lakers play Chicago Bulls. (2)
3	ST. BONAVENTURE (2-0, SS-Northern)	Seraphs are so good they might skip invitation from Pac-5 and head straight for Pac-10. (4)
4	OAKS CHRISTIAN (2-0, SS-Northwest)	Laugh factory could close regarding Lions' schedule if they beat mighty Sammamish (Wash.) Skyline. (3)
5	LAKEWOOD (1-1, SS-Pac-5)	USC-bound Jesse Scroggins gives a "How do you do?" shout-out to 0-2 rival Long Beach Poly. (5)
6	EDISON (2-0, SS-Pac 5)	Going to play at 2-0 Dana Hills won't be as carefree as most trips to the beach. (8)
7	RANCHO CUCAMONGA (2-0, SS-Central)	Sequentially speaking, Cougars should follow game against Carter with one against Reagan. (10)
8	ORANGE LUTHERAN (0-1, SS-Pac 5)	Scary thought for Lancers: Tustin tailback Anthony Wilkerson compares favorably to DeShaun Foster. (11)
9	CORONA CENTENNIAL (1-0, SS-Inland)	Matt Logan rumored to be next Oakland Raiders coach because all he does is win, baby. (17)
10	GARDENA SERRA (2-0, SS-Northwest)	Any hits on an opponent's midsection Friday could be shrugged off as going for Carson's ribs. (13)
11	MOORPARK (1-0, SS-Northern)	Brody Rohach, Austin Edmonson, A.J. Dettorre are three Musketeers Sherman Oaks Notre Dame can't stop. (20)
12	CHAPARRAL (0-1, SS-Inland)	It could be "Valley of the Dead" if Pumas stumble against Paloma Valley or Valley View. (7)
13	TAFT (1-0, City-Division I)	Win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame would prompt City Section to request two CIF state championship bowl berths. (14)
14	LOS ALAMITOS (1-0, SS-Pac 5)	Outscored by 60 points in first two games, Fremont should request running clock in first quarter vs. Griffins. (16)
15	CRESPI (2-0, SS-Pac 5)	Celts ready to hum a different tune after losing "Battle of Bagpipes" last year. (18)
16	MISSION VIEJO (2-0, SS-Pac 5)	Exavier Edwards no longer welcome at Loyola hot spot John O'Groats after helping Diablos rout Cubs. (19)
17	SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (1-1, SS-Pac 5)	Knights' defense misinterprets Moorpark's inkblot schemes, fails (Brody) Rohach test. (6)
18	CARSON (2-0, City-Division I)	Showdown with Gardena Serra worthy of a Goodyear blimp fly-over. (21)
19	VALENCIA (1-0, SS-Northern)	If talented running back Steven Manfro grew out his hair, you could say he had a man-'fro. (23)
20	LOYOLA (1-1, SS-Pac 5)	Anthony Barr's broken ankle could result in lost season for Cubs. (9)
21	REDLANDS EAST VALLEY (1-0, SS-Inland)	A loss to San Gorgonio would be a red flag one week before Orange Lutheran showdown. (24)
22	CHARTER OAK (2-0, SS-Southeast)	Diamond Bar will be the amuse-bouche for Chargers before the mouthful that is Rancho Cucamonga. (25)
23	FOUNTAIN VALLEY (2-0, SS-Pac-5)	Barons ding Tesoro as a warm-up for "Battle for the Bell" next month against Edison. (NR)
24	NORCO (0-1, SS-Inland)	What Coach Todd Gerhart described as "junior varsity mistakes" cost Cougars' big boys. (22)
25	NARBONNE (1-0, City-Division I)	Gauchos could drop Long Beach Poly to 0-3 for first time since Jackrabbits wore leather helmets. (NR)

By Jon Gold, L.A. Times Staff Writer

UCLA's Kevin Prince, left, is sacked in the end zone for a safety by Tennessee's Dennis Rogan in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game. Prince broke his jaw on the play and will miss three to four weeks, the Bruins announced. (Joe Murphy/Getty Images)

A day after upsetting Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in his first road start, UCLA redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince was lost for approximately 3-4 weeks with a fractured jaw.

Bruins head coach Rick Neuheisel confirmed Prince was injured during the team's late fourth-quarter drive.

With third-and-9 from the 1-yard line and 1 minute, 48 seconds left, Neuheisel tried to catch the Volunteers off-guard, telling his young quarterback to look for the first down on a pass.

With tight ends Ryan Moya and Logan Paulsen covered, though, Prince was hit in the end zone by Tennessee junior defensive back Dennis Rogan. The hit appeared to be helmet-to-helmet, and though replays show otherwise, Neuheisel said Prince was also hit on the ground.

The play call was certainly a dicey one, but with no Volunteers timeouts remaining and a six-point cushion, Neuheisel said he would've allowed the safety on fourth down anyway.

"They were out of timeouts so if you make a first down, the game's over," Neuheisel said. "The risk was, 'Kevin, you're not throwing this ball unless a guy is wide open, you're not going to fumble, and if you can't (find anything), I understand and we'll punt and take the 30 yards of field position.

"Had you told me I was going to lose my QB, I think I would've gone with your QB sneak."

Prince's injury leaves the ball in the hands of either redshirt senior Kevin Craft - who threw a school-record 20 interceptions last season - or freshman Richard Brehaut.

Craft was thrown into the fire in 2008 after season-ending injuries to quarterbacks Ben Olson and Pat Cowan, shifted to starter behind a porous offensive line that afforded little time.

As a redshirt sophomore at Mt. San Antonio College in 2007, Craft threw for 4,231 yards, 44 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, after transferring from San Diego State.

Brehaut, meanwhile, graduated high school early to attend UCLA during the spring, getting a jumpstart on his college career after a standout senior season at Los Osos High of Rancho Cucamonga.

Brehaut, rated the No. 9 quarterback nationally by Scout.com, completed his senior year with 2,406 yards and 22 touchdowns, against just four interceptions. Brehaut played sparsely in UCLA's season-opening 33-14 win over San Diego State, completing both of his passes for 39 yards.

"(Offensive coordinator Norm Chow) and I will talk and watch practice and go from there," Neuheisel said. "You've got an experienced player in Kevin Craft who has played a lot of football. You've got a kid who played pretty well in a brief stint against SDSU. We have a lot of confidence in Richard Brehaut - he was a big-time recruit and he's proven he belongs at this level. He didn't look nervous (against SDSU), he went out and he played well. And I've seen enough good things from Kevin Craft to know we can go out and play fine."

But after a huge road win at Tennessee, the question is simple: Is "fine" enough?

"This is a different edition of UCLA football," Neuheisel said. "We're going to weather it. We weathered the Aaron Hester injury a week ago. I think these guys are resilient."

jon.gold@dailynews.com

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

Humbled after failing to live up to all the hype a year ago, Crespi High of Encino is on the comeback trail.

The Celts were ranked No. 1 in the area by the Daily News for most of 2008 before losing all three Serra League games to fall out of playoff contention.

The Celts took out some frustration on poor Lancaster, the sacrificial lamb in Crespi's opening 58-0 victory last week. Now comes City Section power Birmingham (0-1) at 7:30 tonight, and the visiting Celts (1-0) want to keep the heat on.

For Crespi's core group of three-year senior starters - quarterback Bryan Bennett, receiver/defensive back Blake Stanton and linemen Hroniss Grasu and Ben Loth - there is new meaning to the phrase "one game at a time."

The foursome no longer are talking in September about eventually winning a Southern Section championship at Angel Stadium, but they do mean business.

A letdown tonight would be a total shock for a Crespi team bound and determined to prove last year was an anomaly.

This year is about redemption.

"Last year was not a very good year. I definitely do not like to lose," Bennett said. "We're trying to come back and to make a statement for our team. No matter what has happened in the past, we come to practice every day to work. Losing those three in a row last year really got to me."

In the opening victory over Lancaster, Bennett completed 12 of 18 passes for 178 yards and four touchdowns, including a 13-yarder to Stanton. On the same night, Birmingham lost to Garfield of Los Angeles 25-24, and tonight Crespi is a big favorite to beat the Patriots. But Bennett and Co. now know nothing is automatic, and their attitude reflects it.

"We're hungry as a team. We're going to get after it," Grasu said.

The four are close friends on and off the field, and Stanton can see a difference in Bennett this year, a passion Stanton never witnessed before despite the fact Bennett already has a college scholarship sewed up by committing early to Oregon.

"The whole team hates losing, but I think Bryan took it personally," Stanton said. "He was real bitter, but he has really come back with his head on right. He has been ready to work since Day One. It's a fresh new season, and everyone is pumped."

The players are tired of talking about last year.

"We don't want to dwell on all that. Now it's about proving everyone wrong and showing we can be the team we're supposed to be," Stanton said.

Stanton caught 46 passes last year and has entered this season ranked as the Daily News' No. 1 receiver. By now, he and Bennett have a special camaraderie that allows them to know where each other is and what each other is doing at all times.

"That's the kind of chemistry you get by being together for three years," Grasu said. "They have great chemistry."

Added Bennett: "I've worked with Blake on routes for so long that I kind of know by second nature where he wants the football."

Birmingham is no pushover. Over the past seven seasons, the Patriots have averaged more than nine victories and have won four City titles. Birmingham has played Crespi the past five seasons, winning in 2004 and 2005 before losing three in a row, including a 31-0 defeat last season.

Birmingham receiver Davontae Perry-Brooks, who had seven receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns last week, concedes nothing.

"A lot of people are saying we're going to get rolled, but in the game of football anything can happen, and we should know because we've been on both sides," Perry-Brooks said.

"Personally, I think we can win this game because we've been working hard and we're going to come in ready. We're the underdog, so the pressure is on them. All we have to do is play hard every play."

By Gerry Gittelson Special to the Daily News

Crespi wide receiver Blake Stanton, right, hauls in a touchdown pass over Birmingham's Gomez Justin. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)

PREP FOOTBALL: Celts erase early deficit, scores six straight TDs in rout over Birmingham.

Falling behind in the first quarter Friday against underdog Birmingham of Lake Balboa was the wake-up call Crespi of Encino needed.

The Celts responded by reeling off six consecutive touchdowns in a 49-14 nonleague football victory at Birmingham.

After failing to make the playoffs last year by losing its final three games, Crespi means business this season. The Celts have scored 107 points in two games heading into a showdown next Friday against Servite of Anaheim at Cerritos College.

"I think we came ready to play, but we gave up a few big plays before we finally jelled in the second quarter and got connected," Crespi receiver Blake Stanton said.

Bryan Bennett completed 16 of 30 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns, and he also scored on a 56-yard run.

"Everyone had a great game, but Bryan was the leader, and he put it all together," Stanton said.

After going three-and-out on its first possession, Birmingham put a scare into Crespi by scoring two quick touchdowns for a 14-7 lead.

Max Smith keyed Birmingham's first scoring drive, passing to Devin Johnson for 41 yards, followed by a 40-yard pass to Tashawn White, then a 1-yard sneak for a touchdown.

Crespi could not move the ball, and Davontae Perry-Brooks scored on a 65-yard punt return, showing some nice open-field moves and eluding several tacklers.

But that was it for Birmingham, which did not manage another first down the rest of the first half, while Crespi scored three second-quarter touchdowns for a 28-14 halftime lead - two Brad Lattanzio touchdown runs of 23 and 10 yards and a 19-yard scoring pass from Bennett to Brian Irvine.

Birmingham was limited to 171 yards (33 rushing), Smith (10 of 23, 138 yards) was sacked five times, and he also had two punts blocked.

Not having USC-bound running back Trajuan Briggs (broken ankle) hurt Birmingham.

The Patriots were held to six yards rushing in the first half while being outgained 247-93. White, a junior, rushed for 77 yards on 18 carries, with 56 yards coming on one breakaway. Perry-Brooks had four receptions for 36 yards.

Lattanzio rushed for 79 yards on nine carries and scored two touchdowns. Rhasheed Johnson added 39 yards on five carries.

Jill Painter, Daily News Staff Writer

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince passed his first test in the Rose Bowl, but directing an offense with 100,000-plus Tennessee fans in Knoxville should prove to be much more difficult.

The Bruins are preparing to deal with crowd noise in case Prince can't hear the plays being called.

"We try to take every precaution," Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "We'll use hand signals. We'll use different cadences and counts. You do the best you can. The noise isn't going to go away. It's a huge challenge and we need to embrace it. We'll welcome it."

Prince, the redshirt freshman, will play in front of the biggest crowd in his career.

"The toughest environment I played in was in front of 6,000 people," Prince said.

That was during his junior year at Crespi of Encino, and the game was at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.

Add 100,000 people or so, and you have Neyland Stadium, or about double the size of the crowd at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

"I like being on the road. I like noise and hearing quiet. That's awesome," Prince said. "That's our goal to try to keep them quiet."

Prince engineered UCLA to a come-from-behind 33-14 win over San Diego State. He had a better first half than second. Chow believes Prince will be just fine.

"He has that `it' factor, whatever that `it' is," Chow said.

Added coach Rick Neuheisel, "I think he's a mature young man. I think he's proved he can handle nerves because certainly there were nerves a week ago. I'm looking forward to watching him in this kind of environment. You know what? Sometimes you think about how big it's going to be and you get there and it feels just like football. That's what I'm hoping is going to happen."

New No. 2

Kevin Craft entered the season as the official backup quarterback, but he didn't throw a pass Saturday. Los Osos High School graduate Richard Brehaut, who completed both of his passes, now is the backup.

"I'm the No. 2 guy, so I'm a snap away (from playing)," Brehaut said. "I'm a snap away so I have to prepare like I'm the No. 1 guy.

"I have to do everything like I'm the No. 1 guy because you never know what can happen."

Confidence builder

Prince hopes Saturday's victory sent an important message about the season.

"Knowing we can move the ball on people and run the ball," Prince said.

"All those weaknesses we had last year, that doesn't mean that's this year's team."

jill.painter@dailynews.com

By Gerry Gittelson, Special to the Daily News

Humbled after failing to live up to all the hype a year ago, Crespi High of Encino is on the comeback trail.

The Celts were ranked No. 1 in the area by the Daily News for most of 2008 before losing all three Serra League games to fall out of playoff contention.

The Celts took out some frustration on poor Lancaster, the sacrificial lamb in Crespi's opening 58-0 victory last week. Now comes City Section power Birmingham (0-1) at 7:30 tonight, and the visiting Celts (1-0) want to keep the heat on.

For Crespi's core group of three-year senior starters - quarterback Bryan Bennett, receiver/defensive back Blake Stanton and linemen Hroniss Grasu and Ben Loth - there is new meaning to the phrase "one game at a time."

The foursome no longer are talking in September about eventually winning a Southern Section championship at Angel Stadium, but they do mean business.

A letdown tonight would be a total shock for a Crespi team bound and determined to prove last year was an anomaly.

This year is about redemption.

"Last year was not a very good year. I definitely do not like to lose," Bennett said. "We're trying to come back and to make a statement for our team. No matter what has happened in the past, we come to practice every day to work. Losing those three in a row last year really got to me."

In the opening victory over Lancaster, Bennett completed 12 of 18 passes for 178 yards and four touchdowns, including a 13-yarder to Stanton. On the same night, Birmingham lost to Garfield of Los Angeles 25-24, and tonight Crespi is a big favorite to beat the Patriots. But Bennett and Co. now know nothing is automatic, and their attitude reflects it.

"We're hungry as a team. We're going to get after it," Grasu said.

The four are close friends on and off the field, and Stanton can see a difference in Bennett this year, a passion Stanton never witnessed before despite the fact Bennett already has a college scholarship sewed up by committing early to Oregon.

"The whole team hates losing, but I think Bryan took it personally," Stanton said. "He was real bitter, but he has really come back with his head on right. He has been ready to work since Day One. It's a fresh new season, and everyone is pumped."

The players are tired of talking about last year.

"We don't want to dwell on all that. Now it's about proving everyone wrong and showing we can be the team we're supposed to be," Stanton said.

Stanton caught 46 passes last year and has entered this season ranked as the Daily News' No. 1 receiver. By now, he and Bennett have a special camaraderie that allows them to know where each other is and what each other is doing at all times.

"That's the kind of chemistry you get by being together for three years," Grasu said. "They have great chemistry."

Added Bennett: "I've worked with Blake on routes for so long that I kind of know by second nature where he wants the football."

Birmingham is no pushover. Over the past seven seasons, the Patriots have averaged more than nine victories and have won four City titles. Birmingham has played Crespi the past five seasons, winning in 2004 and 2005 before losing three in a row, including a 31-0 defeat last season.

Birmingham receiver Davontae Perry-Brooks, who had seven receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns last week, concedes nothing.

"A lot of people are saying we're going to get rolled, but in the game of football anything can happen, and we should know because we've been on both sides," Perry-Brooks said.

"Personally, I think we can win this game because we've been working hard and we're going to come in ready. We're the underdog, so the pressure is on them. All we have to do is play hard every play."

By Jacob H. Pollon, Special to the Daily News

TOP 10 TEAMS

1. Agoura

2. Harvard-Westlake

3. Royal

4. La Canada

5. Thousand Oaks

6. Rio Mesa

7. Oaks Christian

8. Crescenta Valley

9. Glendale

10. Westlake

Others: Newbury Park, Crespi, Burroughs, Notre Dame, Malibu

10 PLAYERS TO WATCH

James McNamara, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.

Bryce Tobias, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.

Alex Popof, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.

P.J. Iannone, Agoura, Sr.

Danny McClintick, Agoura, Soph.

Cody Moore, Royal, Soph.

Rane Colvin, Crescenta Valley, Jr.

Aria Mahboubi, La Canada, Sr.

Jet Reich, Oaks Christian, Sr.

Nick Tomasello, Rio Mesa, Sr.

OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

Zack Began, Rio Mesa, Jr.

Lucas Villa, Rio Mesa, Jr.

James Altman, Agoura, Sr.

Bruk Campbell, Agoura, Sr.

Trevor Roszkos, La Canada, Soph.

Chris Veselich, Crescenta Valley, Sr.

Udo Gyene, LaCanada, Sr.

Gor Asryan, Glendale, Jr.

Hagop Kaplanyan, Hoover, So.

Ryan Fass, Crespi, Sr.

Travis Matoesian, Crespi, Sr.

Christian Renfro, LaCanada, Jr.

Christian Brock, Thousand Oaks, Sr.

Ray McIntyre, Notre Dame, Sr.

MATCHES TO WATCH

Wednesday: Mira Costa vs. Agoura at Thousand Oaks HS

Sept. 17-19: Riverside Poly tournament

Sept. 22: La Canada at Harvard-Westlake

Sept. 24: Agoura at Thousand Oaks

Oct. 1-3: Villa Park tournament

Oct. 14: Oaks Christian at Malibu

Oct. 15: Harvard-Westlake at Loyola

Oct. 28: Royal at Agoura

Nov. 3: Loyola at Harvard-Westlake

THREE BURNING QUESTIONS

1. Can Harvard-Westlake make noise in Division I?

The Wolverines need to take care of business in the Mission League first before they start thinking about the playoffs. Loyola of Los Angeles will be plenty to handle in league play but Harvard-Westlake should be right there and challenge division heavyweights Newport Harbor of Newport Beach, Dos Pueblos of Goleta and Corona del Mar of Newport Beach.

2. Can Oaks Christian win the Tri-Valley League?

Yes. Behind Jet Reich and new coach Larry Felix, this could be the Lions' year to not only win league but do well in the Div. IV playoffs. Last year's champion Malibu was decimated by graduation losing Sean Merrick, Carter Baldwin, Michael Galate, Alex Greenberg and Jake Philbrick.

3. Who'll be the Marmonte League MVP?

It should come down to Agoura senior P.J. Iannone and sophomore Cody Moore from Royal of Simi Valley. Iannone is a savvy three-year veteran while Moore took the league by storm as a freshman.

Please view the updated schedule for our football games against Birmingham as they have been changed.

Moy Gomez Scores his First Goal and Brandon Ibarra Earns First Career Shutout

September 6, 2009

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The Cal State Northridge Matadors (1-1) earned their first win of the season in their 2009 home opener with a 1-0 win over the Loyola Marymount Lions (1-1) on Sunday.

Both teams played to a standstill throughout the first half, as neither team was able to break through for the first 45 minutes. Once the second half got underway, Moy Gomez put the Matadors on the board after a shot from Sunghyun Kim was blocked by LMU goalkeeper Patrick Sampson.

Sampson was unable to cleanly control Kim's shot, enabling Gomez, who was hovering in front of the goal to score on the rebound in the 47th minute. The goal was Gomez's first of the young season.

That goal was all the offense the Matadors needed, as they stifled LMU throughout the remainder of the second half, only allowing six shots to their opponent.

Goalkeeper Brandon Ibarra, making only his second career start for the Matadors in net, kept the Lions off the scoreboard with three saves. By preserving the CSUN 1-0 win, he earned his first career shutout.

Despite the close score, the Matadors pressured LMU throughout the game, outshooting their counterparts 21-11, including 12-6 in the second half. Northridge also racked up six shots on goal, while the Lions were only able to fire away at Ibarra three times.

This is the second consecutive game the Matadors have outshot their opponent.

Cameron Sims, Gomez and Sunghyun Kim each had two shots on goal for CSUN, with Kim leading the way with seven total shots.

The win for the Matadors was their first victory over the Lions since a 6-1 triumph at Matador Field in 1997.

Starting Friday, the Matadors will host the Big West Challenge at Matador Field, as they welcome in the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, UW-Milwaukee Panthers and the Cal State Fullerton Titans for a four-team invitational tournament.

Northridge will host the Knights next Friday at 4:30 p.m., following the inaugural match of the tournament between the Titans and the Panthers at 1:30 p.m. On Sunday, the tournament will conclude with CSU Fullerton squaring off against Fairleigh Dickinson at 11:00 a.m. followed by the Matadors taking on UW-Milwaukee at 1:30 p.m. All games will be available on GameTracker at www.GoMatadors.com.

Freshman quarterback goes through highs and lows, but Bruins come away with victory

By Jon Gold Staff Writer

PASADENA - Kevin Prince's chewed mouthpiece sat untouched, wedged into his battered helmet.

His kneepad rested unattended to, his shoulder pads tucked away, his cleats dirty and worn.

Prince was in the shower, far away from those who had already had their turn with UCLA's freshman quarterback. He was alone, the last one in the locker room, each drop of water reminding him of his successes and failures.

For better or worse, Kevin Prince is the UCLA starting quarterback.

In the Bruins' season-opening, 33-14 win over visiting San Diego State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, there was better and there was worse.

"We're 1-0 and I'm pleased with that, but I'm obviously a little disappointed in myself for some of the things I did," said Prince, who was 12 of 16 for 140 yards and a touchdown in the first half but then just 6 of 13 for 36 yards and two interceptions in the second.

"I'm also pleased with how I came out and started. It's going to be a great tape to watch (today); seeing what I did well and building on that and seeing what I didn't do well and learning from that to make sure I don't do it again."

If Prince was up and down, San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley took that to an extreme.

SDSU jumped to a 14-3 lead as Lindley had touchdown passes of 79 and four yards on the team's first two drives. By the end of the first quarter, Lindley was 7-of-12 for 142 yards and the two scores.

By the end of the game, Lindley was 18-of-45 for 238 yards and three interceptions, all to Bruins safety Rahim Moore.

"We had everyone's adrenaline pumping and everyone's nerves were kind of pumping, and they had a couple of good drives on us," UCLA linebacker Kyle Bosworth. "But once all that happened, and it was all of a sudden 14-3, we all came up as a defense and said, `Calm down, you know what to do.' After that second touchdown, five three-and-outs, and things started clicking."

UCLA's ability to bounce back helped a bit, too.

After Lindley found favorite target Vincent Brown for the 79-yard gain - one of Brown's five catches for 139 yards - Bruins kick returner Terrence Austin returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to the SDSU 12-yard line. Redshirt freshman running back Johnathan Franklin took a handoff on the next play, waited as his linemen advanced to the second level, and scurried into the end zone untouched, on his first collegiate carry.

From there, UCLA would not look back.

Sophomore running back Derrick Coleman added a 29-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter, part of a four-carry, 69-yard day, and Prince threw a 6-yard touchdown to Terrence Austin to put UCLA up 23-14 heading into halftime.

"All the running backs work on our long runs," Franklin said. "In practice, we always break to the end zone. We trained our muscles to do what we did today. What you put in, you're going to get out; I thought we put in a lot at practice and we got a lot of it out today."

All those practices were essentially test prep for a host of young players, mainly Prince.

At times, he looked brilliant, lofting the ball with perfect touch to streaking receivers. On others, he looked harried, or more simply, freshman-like.

The Crespi High of Encino product fumbled two snaps in the first quarter, losing one. On the second botch, he simply tripped over his own feet before falling on the ball, two plays after a 31-yard run by Coleman.

A young quarterback could have drooped his head as his heart dropped, forgoing the next plays as he stayed focused on the previous ones.

But Prince lifted his chin, rallied, and found sophomore wideout Taylor Embree for a 34-yard gain on the very next play before hitting Austin for the 6-yard touchdown next.

"He said at halftime how much fun he was having," UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "All of a sudden, there was a notch of letdown in his concentration. Both of his interceptions were easily avoidable. That is a reminder of how young these guys are. We are lucky to get that lesson without costing us a game."

By Jacob H. Pollon Special to the Daily News

Crespi of Encino took a big step toward erasing the bitter memories of going winless in the Serra League and not making the Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs last year with an impressive 58-0 season-opening victory Friday at home against outmanned Lancaster.

Bryan Bennett had a strong game, completing 12 of 18 passes for 178 yards and four touchdowns.

Bennett threw a 9-yard touchdown strike to Pierce Richardson near the end of the first quarter. Bennett threw three more touchdowns in the third quarter, hooking up with Devin Lucien twice on scoring plays of 12 and 33 yards.

"We definitely wanted to come out here and make a statement," Bennett said. "We wanted to prove we weren't going to let one bad season define us. We are not going to fold."

Brad Lattanzio led the rushing corps with 100 yards on 11 carries, including an 11-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Crespi added two more rushing touchdowns in the second half by Majani Shanks (five yards) and sophomore Michael Davison (two yards).

The defense did its part as well, holding the Eagles to 39 total yards.

Hroniss Grasu had a fumble recovery and Reggie Coates was unstoppable from his defensive end position.

Lancaster completed only 5 of 13 passes for 16 yards.

Timothy Singleton led Lancaster with 25 yards rushing on 10 carries.

The Eagles played tough throughout the first quarter but a squad of less than 30 total players took its toll as Crespi took advantage of a tired bunch by halftime.

Lucien finished with 78 yards receiving on four catches for the Celts and Blake Stanton added two receptions for 39 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown.

"All the guys have been working extremely hard," Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross said. "Bennett has had a great offseason. He is becoming the leader we want him to be. He really settled down and focused in.

"We just have so much work to do still. We were a little shaky the first few minutes but that's Week Zero for you. We want to hold everyone accountable in all places and maximize our God-given abilities."

Front row: Ben Loth, Crespi; Antwaun Woods, Taft; Collin Keoshian, Santa Clarita Christian; Christian Thomas, Highland; Erik Kohler, Oaks Christian Brandon Mitchell, Taft; DeAndre Roberts, North Hollywood; Hroniss Grasu, Crespi; Alani Fua, Oaks Christian;' Cassius Marsh, Oaks Christian; Ben Gottschalk, Notre Dame. Back row: Stephen Pucchini, Moorpark; Ryan Kasdorf, Notre Dame; Josh Shaw, Palmdale; Nick Montana, Oaks Christian; Zac Stout, Oaks Christian; Blake Stanton, Crespi; Brock Vereen, Valencia; Zach Tartabull, Valencia; Malcolm Jones, Oaks Christian; Malcolm Marable, Alemany; D.J. Morgan, Taft; Dietrich Riley, St. Francis; Lucky Radley, Taft; Blake Stanton, Crespi; Trajuan Briggs, Birmingham; Matt Goudis, Chaminade; Brando Tessar, Chaminade (Photo by Ernesto Elizarraraz)

OFFENSE

QB - Nick Montana, Oaks Christian, Sr. - Son of NFL legend Joe Montana looks to lead Lions to seventh consecutive section title. Committed to Washington.

QB - Ryan Kasdorf, Notre Dame, Sr. - Accounted for nearly 4,000 yards and 38 TDs as junior (32 passing, six rushing). Can do it all.

RB - Malcolm Jones, Oaks Christian, Sr. - Among the nation's top recruits in any position, Jones is big, fast and super tough. Expect 2,000 yards, 30 touchdowns.

RB - D.J. Morgan, Taft, Sr. - USC-bound blazer is one of California's fastest players. Rushed for 1,841 yards, caught 32 passes and scored 33 TDs.

RB - Malcolm Marable, Alemany, Sr. - Best Alemany running back since De'Andre Scott. Marable rushed for 1,655 yards and 23 TDs.

OL - Erik Kohler, Oaks Christian, Sr. - Will protect Nick Montana and open holes for Malcolm Jones. One of Southern California's top prospects.

OL - Hroniss Grasu, Crespi, Sr. - Oregon-bound standout is also a top defensive lineman. Grasu is a three-year starter with great natural instincts.

OL - Ben Gottschalk, Notre Dame, Sr. -An immovable force for the Knights, Gottschalk has terrific fundamentals and a hitter's mentality

OL - Ben Loth, Crespi, Sr. - Very tough with great technique, teams with Grasu for great one-two punch. Loth is a 285-pounder with a mean streak.

OL - Brandon Mitchell, Taft, Sr. - At 6-2, 308 pounds, Mitchell bench presses 360 pounds and has a 29-inch vertical leap.

WR - Zach Tartabull, Valencia, Sr. - Son of former major-league baseball star Danny Tartabull, he caught 50 passes last year.

WR - Blake Stanton, Crespi, Sr. - Three-year starter also an impact defensive back and top basketball player. Totaled 45 receptions, including 10 for 101 yards vs.Notre Dame.

WR - Brando Tessar, Chaminade, Sr. - Super quick returning All-Mission League performer also excels in baseball. An impact defensive back, too.

TE - Christian Thomas, Highland, Sr. - Golden League standout has been offered by USC and many others. Coming off consecutive 30-catch seasons.

P - Matt Goudis, Chaminade, Jr. - No one has a more powerful leg. Excels as both a punter and place kicker.

PK - Steven Puchinni, Moorpark, Sr. - Kicked 11 field goals as a junior and is primed for another big year.

DEFENSE

DL - Cassius Marsh, Oaks Christian, Sr. - Recorded 16 sacks as junior. Marsh is among California's top prospects at any position.

DL - Alani Fua, Oaks Christian, Sr. - Younger brother of former Crespi standout Sione Fua, Alani is also a top tight end.

DL - DeAndre Roberts, Sylmar, Sr. - At 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, Roberts can overpower blockers but also has speed to run around them.

DL - Antwuan Woods, Taft, Jr. - One of nation's top juniors who already has been offered by USC, Woods should be among City's most dominant players.

DB - Dietrich Riley, St. Francis, Sr. - The Daily News' No. 1 defensive back two seasons in a row, Riley is also a top running back.

DB - Josh Shaw, Palmdale, Sr. - Should be another big year for Shaw, one of California's top recruits. He also is the starting quarterback.

DB - Brock Vereen, Valencia, Sr. - With such speed and athleticism, Vereen is a marked man. Most of Valencia's opponents will avoid him.

DB - Trajaun Briggs, Birmingham, Sr. - Briggs has committed to USC and should be a vital component for the Patriots, though he is fighting a foot injury.

LB - Lucky Radley, Taft, Sr. - This is Radley's third school in three years, but he is an impact player on both sides of the ball.

LB - Zac Stout, Oaks Christian, Sr. - Naturally aggressive and a pure tackler, Stout is the kind of standout you can build a defense around.

LB - Collin Keoshian, Santa Clarita Christian, Sr. - Forget the fact he plays eight-man football. BYU-bound Keoshian would be a star at any program.

- Gerry Gittelson, Daily News

Crespi Celts vs. Lancaster Eagles
Crespi Football opens the season against Lancaster at 7:30 pm, this Friday, September 4, 2009 at "The Pit", Crespi Carmelite's home field on campus. Following the game join the Usual Suspects for the first Celt 5th Quarter of the year at the Alumni House.

Schedule Update
Due to the fires and air quality in the desert, both the Frosh and J.V. games against Lancaster have been moved to Crespi Carmelite High School. Contingent upon the air quality of the San Fernando Valley, the Frosh game is scheduled for 3:30 pm and the J.V. will follow at 5:30 pm. For more information please contact the athletic office, (818)-654-1301.

2009 Football Preview
By: James Bononi '82
The 2009 Crespi varsity football team is loaded with talent as they look to rebound from a disappointing 6-4 2008 season. Crespi is ranked #26 in California by Cal-Hi Sports, #19 in Southern California by the LA Times, and #8 in the PAC 5 Division. Bryan Bennett '10 begins his third varsity season as the starting quarterback and will be protected by a huge and talented offensive line. Three year varsity starters Hroniss Grasu '10 and Ben Loth '10 are joined by returning starter Michael Mitchell '10 and should be the strength of the football team. Wide receiver Blake Stanton '10, another three year starter, and returning tight end Pierce Richardson '10 give Bennett dangerous weapons down field.

Defensively, Grasu and Reginald Coates '11 form an awesome defensive end tandem. Linebackers Greg Briggs '10 and George Alvarez '10, starting defensive tackle in '08, lead a deep group of linebackers as the Crespi defense switches to a four linebacker alignment. In the secondary, cornerback Brad Lattanzio '10 and safety Stanton should make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. The Crespi defense will be hurt by the loss of two returning 2008 starters: defensive tackle Duke Bautista '11 out for the season with a shoulder injury and safety Kevin Williams '10 focusing on baseball.
Three key transfer students look to make their marks both offensively and defensively in 2009. Brandon Graves '10, wide receiver/cornerback, Matthew Tominac '10 defensive tackle, and Charles Washington IV '11 wide receiver/safety give Crespi great athletic ability and strength.

2009-10 SCHOOL YEAR MARKS 13th SEASON
OF HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ON PRIME TICKET

10-Game Regular Season Schedule Highlights Local Schools and Athletic Programs;
‘High School Spotlight Preview’ Show Airs Wednesday, August 26 at 9PM

Oaks Christian at Alemany Kicks-Off Schedule on Friday, September 4

Los Angeles – PRIME TICKET, in partnership with the CIF-Southern Section, announces the “High School Football Game of the Week” selections for the 2009 regular season.

On Friday, September 18, 2009, Servite will host Crespi at 8:00 PM. The game will be televised on FOX Sports West. WATCH IT!!!

For more information, click here.

 

RANK, SCHOOL (Last year)
1. Oaks Christian (14-0)
2. Notre Dame (11-1)
3. Crespi (6-4)
4. Moorpark (12-2)
5. Alemany (11-2)
6. Valencia (10-3)
7. Taft (11-2)
8. Westlake (7-5)
9. Newbury Park (7-4)
10. Saugus (10-3)

OTHERS: Palmdale (11-2); Hart (5-6), Quartz Hill (13-1), St. Francis (6-5), Canyon (5-5), Thousand Oaks (10-2), Birmingham (6-6), Arleta (14-0).

-- Gerry Gittelson, Daily News

Jerramy King, a 2008 graduate of Crespi High, is expected to be a walk-on member of Coach Dan Monson's Long Beach State basketball team this season.

The 6-foot King, who averaged 13 points as a Crespi senior, attended the Kent School (a prep school in Connecticut) in the past academic year. Click the link below to read the article in the Long Beach Press - Telegram.

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_13243042

Eric Sondheimer's list of the top high school tight ends in the Southland.

PLAYER	SCHOOL	HT	WT	COMMENT
Alani Fua	Oaks Christian	6-6	215	Sr., Brigham Young commit, makes clutch catches.
Dylan Gutierrez	Ventura	6-3	220	Jr., has the hands, size and intelligence to excel.
Albert Jackson	Eisenhower	6-2	205	Jr., all-league as a sophomore.
Gardner Kennedy	Morro Bay	6-5	215	Sr., showed potential a year ago.
Tyler Perry	Buena	6-5	240	Sr., Oregon State commit is best in Ventura County.
Anthony Quiroz	Franklin	6-1	250	Sr., can block and catch passes.
Pierce Richardson	Crespi	6-5	240	Sr., a big target who's developing.
Randall Telfer	Rancho Cucamonga	6-4	230	Sr., USC commit makes an impact.
Christian Thomas	Highland	6-3	235	Sr., lots of speed for someone big and strong.
John Young	Loyola	6-4	255	Sr., a good athlete with mobility.

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

1. Long Beach Poly 2. Oaks Christian 3. Lakewood 4. St. Bonaventure 5. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6. Orange Lutheran 7. Chaparral 8. Tesoro 9. Crenshaw 10. Servite 11. Edison 12. Mater Dei 13. Rancho Cucamonga 14. Loyola 15. Gardena Serra 16. Taft 17. Los Alamitos 18. Corona Centennial 19. Crespi 20. Mission Viejo 21. Moorpark 22. Norco 23. Valencia 24. Redlands East Valley 25. Charter Oak --Ben Bolch, L.A. Times

Eric Sondheimer's list of the top high school quarterbacks in the Southland.
By Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Top 10 quarterbacks

Bryan Bennett, Crespi, 6-3, 190, Sr. Oregon commit set to return to sophomore form.

Devon Blackmon, Summit, 6-1, 180, Jr. Rising college prospect.

Brandon Connette, Corona Santiago, 6-2, 195, Sr. Duke commit is ready for big season.

Ryan Kasdorf, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 6-1, 205, Sr. Knows how to run spread offense to perfection.

Nick Montana, Oaks Christian, 6-2, 190, Sr. Washington commit has made steady improvement.

Chase Rettig, San Clemente, 6-4, 205, Sr. La Salle transfer is committed to Boston College.

Jesse Scroggins, Lakewood, 6-2, 200, Sr. Versatility, mobility, strong arm make USC commit the best.

Tyler Shreve, Redlands East Valley, 6-4, 215, Sr. Top athlete who wins games.

Matt Viles, Edison, 6-3, 190, Sr. If the line protects him, beware.

Greg Watson, Rancho Cucamonga, 6-0, 190, Sr. Led his team to 13-0-1 record a year ago.

Others to watch

Justin Alo, Carson, 6-0, 180, Jr. Made terrific summer progress.

Michael Ball, Rowland, 5-9, 160, Jr. Passed for 1,871 yards, ran for 676 yards.

Brian Blechen, Moorpark, 6-3, 200, Sr. Utah commit.

Michael Bundy, El Segundo, 5-11, 180, Sr. Gets the ball to open targets.

Darrian Cazarin, Alhambra, 5-11, 175, Sr. Passed for 30 TDs.

Bryan Choto, Arleta, 5-10, 175, Sr. Guided team to 14-0 record.

Patrick Cvengros, LaVerne Lutheran, 5-10, 195, Sr. Passed for 2,278 yards, rushed for 1,605 yards.

Chad Dashnaw, Narbonne, 6-4, 220, Sr. Vasquez transfer could be standout in City Section.

Fie Faaituala, Wilmington Banning, 6-2, 208, Sr. Converted defensive end with ability.

Cody Fajardo, Servite, 6-2, 195, Sr. Completed 65% of his passes.

Mitch Glassman, Chaparral, 6-3, 210, Sr. Veteran QB with strong arm.

Bam Goodall, Taft, 6-1, 175, Sr. His versatility is key asset.

Sean Guik, Huntington Beach, 6-1, 185, Sr. Passed for 2,392 yards, 21 TDs.

Chad Jeffries, Glendora, 6-3, 185, Jr. Shows lots of potential.

Jeff Mathews, Camarillo, 6-4, 225, Sr. Has excellent arm strength.

Logan Meyer, St. Bonaventure, 6-1, 215, Sr. Has lots of experience and toughness.

Chris Nevarro, St. Genevieve, 6-0, 180, Sr. Returning league MVP.

Ryan Orozco, Ayala, 6-5, 215, Sr. Has size, arm to be effective.

Conner Preston, Gardena Serra, 6-2, 200, Jr. Palisades transfer gets to work with elite receivers.

Angel Santiago, Etiwanda, 5-11, 165, Sr. Passed for 2,449 yards, 19 TDs.

Bobby Wheatley, Orange Lutheran, 6-3, 210, Sr. Finds the open receivers.

Compiled by Eric Sondheimer

Eric Sondheimer's list of the top high school offensive linemen in the Southland.
By Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Top 10 offensive linemen

Sil Ajawara, Tesoro, 6-6, 315, Sr. A rising college prospect.

Ma'Autua Brown, Paramount, 6-5, 305, Jr. Could be best in 2010.

Mike Christie, Mission Viejo, 6-5, 295, Sr. Ready for big season.

Giovanni DiPoalo, St. Bonaventure, 6-4, 255, Sr. USC commit has versatility, agility, toughness.

Ben Gottschalk, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 6-4, 260, Sr. Athletic and makes adjustments.

Hroniss Grasu, Crespi, 6-3, 265, Sr. Oregon commit doesn't make mistakes.

Erik Kohler, Oaks Christian, 6-6, 285, Sr. Has athleticism, strength needed to succeed.

Colin Tanigawa, Loyola, 6-3, 290, Sr. All-Serra League pick is gaining offers.

Chris Ward, Mater Dei, 6-5, 295, Sr. Will be dominant blocker.

Wade Yandall, Carson, 6-4, 296, Sr. Big-time college prospect.

Others to watch

Patrick Carroll, St. Francis, 6-5, 270, Jr. Left tackle who pass blocks well.

Zack Dilley, Paloma Valley, 6-5, 285, Sr. He's moving up the recruiting ladder.

Sergio Figueroa, Alemany, 6-1, 230, Jr. An improving blocker.

Joe Frank, Moorpark, 6-4, 290, Sr. Committed to Air Force.

Matthew Jakubiec, Servite, 6-8, 310, Sr. Committed to Arizona.

Michael Lorenzo, Westlake, 6-2, 265, Sr. Has started every game at OT last two years.

Ben Loth, Crespi, 6-5, 290, Sr. Three-year starter.

Shane Moniz, CC Canyon, 6-3, 270, Sr. Foothill League standout.

Sean McEvilly, Orange Lutheran, 6-4, 260, Sr. One of the best in Trinity League.

Nolan O'Sullivan, Valencia, 6-3, 260, Sr. Three-year starter.

Steven Oviedo, Granada Hills, 6-3, 240, Sr. One of the best in the West Valley League.

Brandon Owen, Paraclete, 6-2, 215, Sr. Lineman of year in Olympic League.

David Peterson, Redlands East Valley, 6-4, 270, Sr. One of the best in his county.

Juan Rodriguez, San Fernando, 6-8, 350, Sr. Can't dismiss his size.

Corey Robinson, Crenshaw, 6-3, 220, Sr. A center who never stops trying.

Roman Sapolu, Edison, 6-2, 240, Sr. Good bloodlines and good instincts.

Derek Stickney, El Dorado, 6-7, 295, Sr. Has lots of potential.

Tyler Sulka, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 6-5, 270, Sr. Has size and strength.

Compiled by Eric Sondheimer

Bruins hoping Crespi product can become their first prominent quarterback since Cade McNown

By Brian Dohn, Staff Writer

Freshman quarterback Kevin Prince, left, works out under the watchful eye of UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow. (Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer)

Kevin Prince called it his "Cade McNown" jersey, but quickly admitted he had it before the left-hander made his name running all over the Rose Bowl turf and leading UCLA to 20 consecutive wins.

Freddie Mitchell signed it, as did a few others from better Bruins teams of the past.

There also is a UCLA wall clock in Prince's bedroom.

So, although Prince is yet to play for UCLA, he is well-versed in what it means to be the Bruins' starting quarterback and even more versed in the problems the program has had since McNown left town.

"As a sports fan myself, you want to see it get done now," said Prince, a redshirt freshman and the Bruins' starting quarterback as camp begins today.

"UCLA football fans have been waiting for a real good team to come along for a while, so I don't think they're going to be forgiving of youthful mistakes."

There is plenty for UCLA to improve upon after last season's frustration-filled 4-8 season, and much of it is on offense.

While an improved offensive line, which could include freshmen Xavier Su'a-Filo and Stan Hasiak as well as Colorado transfer Kai Maiava, is a necessity and plenty of eyes will be on unproven junior running back Christian Ramirez, whether Prince can re-establish the quarterback position at UCLA holds the key to the Bruins having a successful season.

"He's very composed. He's wise beyond his years," Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel said. "He's got all the physical things you look for.

He can stand in the pocket. His arm is dangerous at all portions of the field. He can make the out throw, he can make the comeback out throw. He can make all the difficult throws.

"He's got a great grasp of the offense. He works at studying what we're trying to get accomplished. He understands defenses and how they play."

The 6-foot-2, 226-pound Prince won the job with a solid spring, although he did not perform well in the spring game. But the coaching staff likes his strong arm, mobility, ability to feel pressure and move in the pocket and his intelligence.

Another bonus is Prince does not seem to be prone to interceptions. He was intercepted only five times as a junior at Crespi.

"Kevin Prince, as far as composure, is probably the best quarterback I've seen," senior linebacker Reggie Carter said. "We say some crazy stuff to him out there, and we move around a lot. He never gets nervous, he doesn't flinch. He stays in the pocket and makes the right decisions. If (the play) is there, he throws it. If not, he keeps it. That's all I need.

"As long as he throws it or keeps it, as long as somebody on our team has it, I'm happy."

On the surface, Prince shouldn't have difficulty improving on last season's quarterback play. Kevin Craft, now a senior, established a dubious school record with 20 interceptions. In the final five games, he threw no touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

UCLA had one of the worst offenses in the nation. The Bruins averaged 17.7 points per game and a paltry 2.6 yards per rush.

There was such dissatisfaction with the way UCLA's offense performed in Neuheisel's and offensive coordinator Norm Chow's much-anticipated first season, there could be more pressure on Prince to perform well.

"We're going to have to endure some freshman-itis," Neuheisel said. "There will be some growing pains. And we're going to have to protect him better. Kevin Craft took a lot of the brunt last year and the blame, but the fact of the matter is we didn't protect him very well and he was a man among men getting up after some of the hits he took last year."

But a possible complication is Prince's lack of experience. He redshirted last season and missed all but one quarter of his senior season at Crespi because of a knee injury.

"I think there's something to it that there's going to be a learning curve," Prince said. "Playing Pac-10 football, and playing football for the first time in a couple of years - coach Chow is realistic about it."

dnlasports@dailynews.com

Baseball: Healy continues his impressive play for Crespi

Oregon-bound Ryon Healy of Encino Crespi is having a great summer. He hit a three-run home run Saturday to lift the Celts to a 5-1 victory over Saugus in the Valley Invitational Baseball League playoffs. Madison Dang allowed one run in six innings.

Crespi advances to Monday's quarterfinals and will take on Valencia at Valley College. Valencia defeated Calabasas, 4-1.

All-City pitcher Jose Cardona threw five solid innings as Woodland Hills El Camino Real defeated North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, 5-3. El Camino Real will face top-seeded Valencia West Ranch, which outlasted St. Francis, 14-13.

Christian Lopez threw a complete game and contributed an RBI double in Chatsworth's 11-5 victory over Newhall Hart. Chatsworth will play Agoura in the quarterfinals.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Crespi of Encino senior Chris Capo, the 2008 Mission League boys' golf champion, has committed to play at Pepperdine.

-Daily News

Crespi is happy to announce Chris Capo has verbally committed to play golf at Pepperdine University. More news to follow...

Mater Dei is winner in receiving TV money from Southern Section

Santa Ana Mater Dei received $7,800 from the Southern Section for its sports teams appearing on television and Internet broadcasts during the 2008-09 school year.

In second place were Anaheim Servite and Encino Crespi, which received checks for $3,150. Much of the money comes from appearing on football games televised by Prime Ticket.

Among other schools, Westlake Village Oaks Christian received $2,950, Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame $2,450 and La Puente Bishop Amat, Temescal Canyon and Tesoro $2,000 apiece.

A total of $42,250 was distributed to 33 high schools.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Baseball: Top locals set to play for Brewers in Area Code Games

The Milwaukee Brewers have two teams in next month's Area Code Games, and both are loaded with top players from Southern California.

I love the pitchers on the Gray team, including Oregon-bound Ryon Healy of Encino Crespi, UCLA-bound Zack Weiss of Irvine Northwood, Pepperdine-bound Cody Buckel of Simi Valley Royal and Dylan Covey of Pasadena Maranatha.

Shortstop Lonnie Kauppila from Burbank is also on the team.

The Blue team also has some outstanding pitchers, including UCLA-bound Peter Tago from Dana Hills.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Hroniss Grasu, a top returning offensive and defensive lineman for Crespi, committed to Oregon on Sunday, and he says the plan is for him to play center in college. Grasu's commitment to the Ducks means he will remain teammates with Crespi quarterback Bryan Bennett, who committed to Oregon last month. Grasu also had Pac-10 offers from Washington and Washington State.

- Gerry Gittelson, Daily News

CHATTER: Crespi's Healy commits to play baseball at Oregon

By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News

Crespi of Encino senior Ryon Healy, the Daily News player of the year, has verbally committed to play baseball at Oregon, choosing the Ducks over UCLA and USC.

Healy, the Southern Section Div. II player of the year, went 11-0 with a 1.81 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings. Healy pitched a complete game, in addition to hitting a home run and a two-run single, in the Celts' 8-1 victory over Huntington Beach in the June 6 division final.

The Cal-Hi Sports all-state first-team selection hit .468 with 29 runs and 24 RBIs.

Healy could be a future teammate of Newbury Park graduate Jack Marder, an Oregon signee. Marder is playing this summer on the Conejo Oaks collegiate all-star team.

Baseball: Pitchers take charge in VIBL all-star games

They played two all-star baseball games Saturday night at Birmingham in the Valley Invitational Baseball League, and the pitchers were dominant.

In the first game, the American League defeated the National League, 1-0, with North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake's Joe Cadiff driving in the game's only run with a single. One of the most impressive pitchers was sophomore Lucas Giolito of Harvard-Westlake. He threw a scoreless inning on seven pitches.

In the second game, Crespi's Kevin Williams hit a two-run home run, but he was on the losing side. The National League defeated the American League, 4-2.

Valencia West Ranch (13-1) and Chatsworth (16-3) continue to lead the league standings. Playoffs begin this month.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

CHATTER: Area swimmers competing at U.S. national meet

By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News

Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta graduate Yumi So took 14th in the women's 200-meter butterfly Friday at the ConocoPhillips National Swim Championships in Indianapolis.

The USC-bound So, competing in the consolation final, clocked a lifetime-best 2 minutes, 12.81 seconds.

Canyon senior Kearsten Livingstone - representing Canyons Aquatics in the bonus final - took 18th in a personal-best 2:12.64, more than a two-second improvement from her prelim time.

So, competing for Swim Pasadena, finished 21st in the 100 butterfly Tuesday in a personal-best 1:00.66. So holds the state record (53.03) in the 100-yard short-course butterfly.

Chaminade of West Hills senior Meghan Hawthorne, competing for Rattlers Swim Club, finished 20th in the 400 individual medley in a personal-record 4:49.92, a drop of more than two seconds from her previous best set in March.

Former Crespi of Encino standout Patrick Simpkins, a senior at Stanford, took 19th in the 100 butterfly Thursday in 53.87, just ahead of Cal sophomore Kevin Nielsen (53.96), an Oaks Christian of Westlake Village graduate.

Cal sophomore Nolan Koon, also an Oaks Christian grad, finished 12th in the 100 breaststroke Wednesday in 1:03.04. Koon recorded a personal-best mark of 1:01.88 in the prelims.

Hart of Newhall graduate Jordan Danny, a USC signee, was 29th (1:11.95) in the 100 breaststroke Thursday.

Finally, after much anticipation and a lengthy waiting period, Crespi has hired a water polo coach. Mr. Jason Nevis will take the helm of our water polo program for the 2009-2010 season.

PRE-SEASON CONDITIONING:
Our first practice will be on Friday, July 10th at 10:00 A.M. at the San Fernando Regional Pool. All players must be there by 9:30 A.M. for a brief meeting and introduction before practice begins. There will be no transportation provided until the Fall semester begins. Practices will continue at the San Fernando pool until August 17, where we will resume practices and games at Pierce College. More information to follow.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Athletic Director, Matt Luderer at (818) 654-1305, or email: mluderer@crespi.org.

2009 JUNIOR OLYMPIC VOLLEYBALL RESULTS
 
16 Crespi Volleyball players participated in the Junior Olympics in Atlanta Georgia from July 1-8 representing SMBC (Santa Monica Beach Club).  Here are the highlights:
 
Juniors Harrison Rhodes and Quinn Costello placed 5th in the 16 Club Division. 
 
Seniors Daniel Stork and Brandon LeBrock  placed 5th in the 17 Open Division.  
Brandon received All American Tournament Honors for his outstanding play.
 
Freshmen Brandon Enbody and Corey Flynn were on the 14's Team that won the Bronze Medal!
 
Congratulations to all the players who performed so well in the 2009 Junior Olympics!  The 2010 Crespi Volleyball Season should be awesome!    

DAILY NEWS 2009 BOYS' VOLLEYBALL ALL-AREA TEAM

By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jake Kneller

Westlake, Sr.

After helping the U.S. Youth national team win a gold medal at the North and Central Americas and Carribean tournament last August in Miami, just one final goal remained in Kneller's prep volleyball career.

The Stanford-bound outside hitter not only delivered Westlake's first Southern Section title, but his leadership secured him Div. II player of the year honors and cemented his place as one of the area's all-time clutch performers.

The 6-foot-5 Kneller, the Marmonte League co-MVP, recorded 22 kills, 11 digs and five aces in a five-game victory over Royal in the Div. II final and played one of the best matches of his career in the Div. I regional semifinals, producing 18 kills and eight digs in a sweep of La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad.

FIRST TEAM

TYLER HONEYCUTT (Sylmar, Sr.)

Better known for his basketball prowess, the UCLA-bound Honeycutt was a dominant force on the volleyball court, leading the Spartans to the City Section final against Granada Hills. The 6-foot-8 Honeycutt, a first-team All-City honoree, finished with 302 kills, 165 digs and 35 blocks in best-of-five matches, including a career-high 32 kills, 16 digs and six blocks in a Valley Mission League victory against Reseda.

GEORGE IKEJIRI (Granada Hills, Sr.)

The shortest player on the floor for the Highlanders often produced some of Granada Hills' biggest contributions, earning All-City first-team honors after demonstrating his talents as one of the top liberos in Southern California. Ikejiri, who recorded 231 digs, helped the Highlanders win 14 in a row at one stretch, including the West Valley League title and a third City Section championship in four years.

TREVOR JONES (Royal, Sr.)

After securing Marmonte League MVP honors and helping the Highlanders capture the league championship last season, the 6-foot-5 Jones elevated his play to another level to contribute to Royal's run to the Div. II final. The BYU-bound outside hitter had a team-leading 176 kills, to go along with 41 blocks, 32 digs and 13 aces, earning Marmonte first-team honors. Jones was also a Div. II second-team selection.

RYAN KACHOLD (Quartz Hill, Sr.)

After helping the Rebels become the first Antelope Valley team to win a Southern Section title last season, the UCLA-bound talent led Quartz Hill to 20-match winning streak - winning 54 consecutive games - before the repeat bid was halted by Oak Park in the Div. III semifinals. The 6-foot-5 left-handed attacker, who was selected MVP of the Crescenta Valley tournament, was a Div. III first-team honoree.

SCOTT KEVORKEN (Westlake, Sr.)

One of the most imposing front-line players in the state, the 6-foot-9 middle blocker followed a strong performance with the U.S.Youth National team - along with Westlake teammate Jake Kneller - during the summer to cap his high school career in impressive fashion. The UC Irvine signee, who earned first-team Marmonte League and Div. II honors, had 21 kills in the semifinals against Thousand Oaks and added 14 more kills in the final against Royal.

JERAME MAAS (Royal, Sr.)

The Marmonte co-MVP was the catalyst behind Royal's run to a second straight league title and an appearance in the Div. II final and the Div. I regional playoffs. The 6-foot-2 setter, headed to Cal State Northridge, recorded 452 assists, 47 kills and 54 blocks for the Highlanders, earning Div. II first-team recognition.

JEFF SAKAIDA (Oak Park, Sr.)

The 6-foot-3 outside hitter, who will attend Moorpark College, led the Eagles to their third division final in four years - the other two coming in Div. IV - highlighted by a semifinal upset of defending Div. III champion Quartz Hill. Sakaida finished with 198 kills, 20 blocks, 51 digs and 17 aces, receiving Tri-Valley League and Div. III first-team honors.

JOHN SOUISA (Valencia, Sr.)

Thanks to the outside hitter's leadership, a young Valencia team was able to survive the rigors of a demanding nonleague schedule to capture a ninth consecutive Foothill League championship and reach the Southern Section Div. II quarterfinals. Souisa, the Foothill MVP, recorded 32 kills in the postseason, highlighted by a 16-kill effort against Royal, helping the Vikings rally from a two-game deficit to force a deciding game.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

TRAVIS MAGORIEN (Westlake, Soph.)

Being the coach's son can be a no-win situation for any student-athlete. Being a first-year varsity setter on a championship contender leaves little margin for error. And being able to handle the pressure of both roles demonstrates tremendous poise and maturity, as well as the characteristics of a great leader. Magorien handled the expectations of playing for his father, Doug, and orchestrating an offense featuring two Division I college prospects to help Westlake win its first Div. II championship, recording 57 assists in the final against Royal.

COACH OF THE YEAR

MARK KNUDSEN (Valencia)

Although the Vikings missed reaching the Southern Section semifinals for the first time since 2000, the season was anything but a disappointment for Valencia. Knudsen has won four Div. II titles, but his ability to overcome the loss of seven Division I college prospects and lead the Vikings to their ninth consecutive Foothill League title was one of the most impressive coaching jobs of his career. Valencia extended its Foothill winning streak to 82 in a row and reached the Div. II quarterfinals, pushing Royal to five games.

SECOND TEAM

Matt Bagnard, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.

Jon Ben Haim, Granada Hills, Sr.

Josh Duarte, Valencia, Jr.

Mikel DuBoise, El Camino Real, Sr.

Nick Ferry, Valencia, Jr.

Alani Fua, Oaks Christian, Jr.

Felipe Garcia, Sylmar, Sr.

Michael Hatch, Agoura, Sr.

Hunter Horn, Quartz Hill, Sr.

Matt Janke, Royal, Sr.

Chad Kingi, Thousand Oaks, Sr.

Evan Mottram, Quartz Hill, Sr.

Broc Oppler, Valencia, Soph.

Tyler Petersen, Royal, Sr.

Daniel Stork, Crespi, Jr.

Keats Stanley, Westlake, Soph.

Gavin Thomson, Flintridge Prep, Sr.

Eric Varney, Oak Park, Sr.

Nick Weaver, Westlake, Jr.

TOP TEN RANKINGS

1. Westlake

2. Royal

3. Valencia

4. Oak Park

5. Quartz HillT

6. Crespi

7. Harvard-Westlake

8. Granada Hills

9. Thousand Oaks

10. Oaks Christian/Sylmar

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Alpha: Windward

East Valley: Van Nuys

Foothill: Valencia

Golden: Quartz Hill

Liberty: Oakwood/Viewpoint

Marmonte: Royal/Westlake

Mission: Loyola

Northern: Eagle Rock/Marshall

Olympic: Valley Christian/Cerritos

Pacific: Claremont

Pacific View: Oxnard

Tri-Valley: Oak Park

Valley Mission: Sylmar

Westside: West Valley Christian

West Valley: Granada Hills

MATCH OF THE YEAR

SOUTHERN SECTION DIV. II FINAL (May 30)

Marmonte League rivals Royal and Westlake didn't need any extra incentive to capture a Div. II title. But their rubber match wound up being one of the most thrilling championship contests in area history. Westlake had enough firepower in the deciding game to defeat the Highlanders 25-17, 25-22, 13-25, 21-25, 15-13 at Thousand Oaks High to capture its first division title. Royal, which was seeking its first crown since 1994, rallied for a 9-9 tie in the fifth game, but Jake Kneller recorded a kill and Scott Kevorken added a block to put Westlake in position to clinch the title.

- Erik Boal, L.A. Times

CHATTER: Local ballplayers named to All-State baseball teams

By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News

Led by Daily News Player of the Year Ryon Healy, four area baseball players were among the 30 athletes recognized on the all-state first-team roster by Cal-Hi Sports.

Healy, a junior who led Crespi of Encino to the Southern Section Div. II title, was 11-0 with 101 strikeouts in 83 innings. He also hit .468 with 29 runs and 25 RBIs.

Valencia shortstop Christian Lopes, who hit .453 with 39 runs, 15 home runs and 33 RBIs, followed his recognition as Cal-Hi Sports' state sophomore of the year.

Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks' Kelly Dugan, recently signed by the Philadelphia Phillies, was honored as an infielder. Dugan hit .379 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.

Chatsworth pitcher Michael Renner, the City Section player of the year, was 10-2 with a 1.44 ERA, leading the Chancellors to their third straight City title.

Notre Dame's Josh Goossen-Brown, Newbury Park's Jack Marder, Simi Valley's Drew Sandler, Chatsworth's Andy Weissberg and Harvard-Westlake of Studio City's Austin Wilson were all honored on the second team.

In addition to Healy, Lopes and Wilson, Burbank's Lonnie Kauppila, Camarillo's Andy Yingling, Crespi's Josh Mason, Royal's Cody Buckel and Westlake's Christian Yelich were selected to the all-state underclassmen roster.

Montclair Prep of Panorama City's Matt Hartunian, Campbell Hall of North Hollywood's Tyler Johnson and Cornerstone Christian of Camarillo's Aaron Roth were on the all-state small schools team.

By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News

BOYS' SWIMMER OF THE YEAR

Chase Bloch

Oaks Christian, Jr.

It was a season filled with All-America honors for an all-around performer, who demonstrated that the Lions were still a force despite the graduation of Nolan Koon and Kevin Nielsen.

Bloch won the Div. II title in the 100 butterfly in 48.03 seconds, breaking the 2000 division record (48.42) held by Olympic silver medalist Michael Cavic. His mark was the second-fastest in the state and No. 7 in the country.

Bloch added a division record in the 200 free relay (1:25.36), clocking 20.20 on the second leg. His runner-up finish in the 200 free (1:37.04) was the state's third-fastest mark and No. 7 nationally.

Bloch added All-America honors in the 50 free (20.78), 100 free (45.98) and 100 backstroke (51.75), along with the 400 free relay (3:08.72).

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

ARMEN DARBINYAN (Crespi, Fr.)

Not since Patrick Simpkins have the Celts had a swimmer with as much potential as Darbinyan, who won Mission titles in the 200 and 500 freestyles, then placed in the top 15 in both events at the Div. I final. Darbinyan's marks of 1:42.91 in the 200 free and 4:37.09 in the 500 free were among the top 10 fastest times by a freshman nationally.

FIRST TEAM

SHARIF ALAOUI (Crescenta Valley, Sr.)

After finishing 15 th in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 100 free, Alaoui moved up to sixth in both events this season in Div. II, clocking a season-best 46.49 in the latter. Alaoui's 1:40.96 in the 200 free was second in the area to Oaks Christian's Chase Bloch.

KONRAD ANTONIUK (Hart, Jr.)

Although he suffered a pair of narrow losses to West Ranch's Riley Mita at the Foothill final, Antoniuk still posted the area's fastest time in the 500 freestyle (4:33.67) to finish fifth in Div. I. He was also on the Indians' Masters-winning 200 medley relay team.

COLLIN BARATTE (Oaks Christian, Sr.)

Baratte's runner-up mark of 50.65 in the 100 backstroke at the Div. II final was second in the area, trailing only state-leader Tony Cox of Alemany. Baratte also finished fourth in the 200 individual medley (1:54.87), helping the Lions place second behind La Canada.

ALEX CAMPBELL (La Canada, Jr.)

In addition to taking fifth in the 100 freestyle (46.19) and 100 backstroke (52.22) at the Div. II final, Campbell was also part of a record-setting 400 free relay (3:06.39) in the prelims and delivered a crucial leg in the final as the Spartans prevailed in 3:06.44.

TONY COX (Alemany, Sr.)

The Auburn-bound talent established himself among the great backstrokers in the state by clocking 47.70 in the Div. I prelims, the fastest time in California this year - No. 3 in the country - and fourth in state history. Cox added a Div. I title in the 50 free (20.69), the state's No. 5 time this year.

KEAUNUI HARRIS (Canyon, Jr.)

After capturing Foothill League titles in the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle, Harris finished seventh in both events at the Div. I final, clocking season-bests of 52.86 in the backstroke and 47.02 in the 100 free prelims.

BOB HWANG (Valencia, Soph.)

Hwang lowered his own Foothill League record in the 100 butterfly to 51.25, then dropped his time to 50.94 to finish sixth at the Div. I final. He also captured the league title in the 200 individual medley (1:55.76).

NICK KORTH (Hart, Sr.)

In addition to excelling in the butterfly, Korth broke John Criste's Foothill record in the 100 breaststroke by clocking 57.26 in the prelims en route to the title, then lowered his best time to 56.75 to finish third in Div. I.

JAMES McNAMARA (Harvard-Westlake, Jr.)

Secured the Wolverines' lone Mission title by winning the 100 butterfly (50.90). McNamara's best time of 49.75 ranked second in the area behind Oaks Christian's Chase Bloch, good for third place at the Div.I final. He also led off the Wolverines' fourth-place 400 free relay.

RILEY MITA (West Ranch, Soph.)

In two of the area's most exciting races, Mita clocked 1:45.44 in the 200 freestyle and 4:43.64 in the 500 freestyle to hold off Hart's Konrad Antoniuk by the narrowest of margins at the Foothill final. Mita lowered his 500 free mark to 4:36.43 to take 10 th in Div. I and dropped his 200 free to 1:44.99.

CHRIS MYERS (La Canada, Sr.)

In addition to contributing to the victorious 200 free relay (1:24.88) at Masters and the triumphant 400 free relay (3:06.44) at the Div. II final, Myers also placed second in the 50 free (20.92) and took fourth in the 100 free to lead the Spartans to their fourth straight title. His 45.08 in the 100 free at the Rio Hondo final was the area's top time.

CHRIS WEBER (Hart, Sr.)

Weber teamed with Konrad Antoniuk, Nick Korth and Andrew Skvarna to win the Masters title in the 200 medley relay. He also placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke and eighth in the 100 butterfly at the Div. I final, posting best times of 57.46 and 50.73.

COACHES OF THE YEAR

GREG BISHEFF and ELIOT SAKI (Viewpoint)

Three years ago, the Patriots had four male swimmers qualify for the Div. IV final, resulting in a 26 th-place finish. Thanks to the efforts of Bisheff and Saki, Viewpoint was able to celebrate a second-place finish with 162 points, trailing only Patriot of Riverside (1712 points). The Patriots, who improved upon last season's ninth-place finish, also made history by capturing its first Southern Section title in the 400-yard freestyle relay and making the program's first appearance at the Masters meet.

DIVER OF THE YEAR

JOHN GEYER (La Canada, Sr.)

Geyer not only became the second four-time boys' diving champion in Southern Section history - following Beverly Hills' Mike Copeland (1952-55) - but he became the championship, becoming the first diver to win individual and team titles four straight years.

SECOND TEAM

David Armstrong, Thousand Oaks, Soph.

Gary Arthur, Kennedy, Sr.

Danny Fujinaka, Harvard-Westlake, Jr.

Patrick Caloz, Viewpoint, Sr.

Andrew DeJong, Crescenta Valley, Soph.

Dylan Duimovich, Oaks Christian, Jr.

Cameron Hargitai, Newbury Park, Sr.

Michael Hartwick, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.

Alex Ngan, Hart, Soph.

Christian Renfro, La Canada, Soph.

Josh Renfro, La Canada, Sr.

Conner Rothe, La Canada, Sr.

Andrew Skvarna, Hart, Sr.

Jared Stern, Viewpoint, Jr.

Michael Tsay, Crespi, Soph.

TOP TEN RANKINGS

1. La Canada

2. Hart

3. Oaks Christian

4. Valencia

5. Harvard-Westlake

6. Crescenta Valley

7. Thousand Oaks

8. Agoura

9. Crespi

10. Rio Mesa

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Foothill: Hart

Golden: Quartz Hill

Liberty: Viewpoint

Marmonte: Thousand Oaks

Mission: Loyola

Pacific: Crescenta Valley

Pacific View: Rio Mesa

Rio Hondo: La Canada

Tri-Valley: Oaks Christian

West Valley: Cleveland

RACE OF THE YEAR

DIV. II 200 FREESTYLE FINAL (May 15)

Oaks Christian's Chase Bloch and Pasadena Poly's Andrew Saeta were both successful in breaking the Div. II record of 1:38.23 set in 1983 by Upland's Jeff Kostoff. Unfortunately for the Lions junior, the Stanford-bound Saeta lowered the mark by five-hundredths more. Bloch led Saeta entering the final turn, but the 6-foot-6 senior finally pulled ahead in the last five yards to prevail in 1:36.99, with Bloch finishing in 1:37.04, good for the state's second- and third-fastest times this year and the Nos. 5 and 6 marks in California history.

By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News

ATHELETE OF THE YEAR

Conor McCullough

Chaminade, Sr.

McCullough didn't seek the same limelight as several of his peers. The Princeton-bound talent just wanted to break records, and his final season demonstrated why he should be considered among the best athletes in area history.

McCullough broke the national high school weight throw record twice in March -- producing a mark of 93 feet, 3 1/4 inches in New York -- followed a month later by posting the best hammer throw mark by a senior with an effort of 256-9, just off his national record of 260 feet.

In addition to capturing a fourth state hammer throw title (251-10), McCullough won a Southern Section Div. III crown in the discus throw (170-2) and a Mission League championship in the shot put (58 feet).

FIRST TEAM

KYLE BALLEW (El Camino Real, Sr.)

Ballew's best mark came the week after the state meet, clearing 16 feet 1 1/4 inches at the Golden West Invitational. He captured the City Section title and placed fourth in the state, clearing 15-11.

JONATHAN CABRAL (Agoura, Soph.)

Cabral won the Div. II title in the 110 hurdles in a personal-best 14.15, the area's No. 2 time behind state champ DJ Morgan of Taft. Cabral went on to place third at the Masters meet (14.29) to qualify for the state prelims.

CHRIS CHENG (Harvard-Westlake, Sr.)

Cheng won the Div. III 800 title in 1:54.07 en route to qualifying for the state meet. He made the most of his chance by running a lifetime-best 1:52.96 in the state prelims, before finishing fifth in the final (1:53.58).

MAXWELL DYCE (Moorpark, Sr.)

The UCLA-bound Dyce won the Div. II 100 title in a wind-aided 10.43 and boasted the No. 2 wind-legal time in the state (10.51) to 21.38 in the 200 at the Ventura County meet.

TRAVIS EDWARDS (Royal, Jr.)

After winning the 1,600-meter title at the Ventura County meet, Edwards took fifth in Div. I and at the Masters meet, then ran a personal-best 4:11.73 in the state prelims, before taking seventh in the final (4:11.89).

THOMAS GARNER (Royal, Jr.)

Garner went undefeated during dual-meet competition and won three Ventura County titles, boasting top marks of 14.17 in the 110 hurdles, 38.55 in the 300 hurdles and 22-4 1/2 in the long jump.

MARCELLUS GOLLIDAY (Eastside, Sr.)

Golliday led the Lions to their first Golden League title in any sport, boasting the area's top long jump mark (24-1 3/4). The Div. II long jump champion (22-7 1/2) also ran 10.92 in the 100 and triple-jumped 45-2 1/2.

KEVIN GRAF (Agoura, Sr.)

The USC-bound Graf finished third in the shot put at the state meet, throwing 59-7 1/2. He posted the area's top mark of 61-7 1/2 at the Div. II prelims, but finished fourth at the division final.

DJ MORGAN (Taft, Jr.)

After capturing both hurdles titles at the City Section final to lead the Toreadors to the team championship, the USC-bound star clocked the No.7 time in the country (13.76) to win the state 110 hurdles crown and took second in the 300 hurdles in 36.98.

WESTERN NELSON (Burroughs, Sr.)

Nelson recorded a fourth-place finish in the 3,200 at the Div. I final and again at the Masters meet in a personal-best 9:04.19. Nelson placed 16 th in his first state meet.

JULES SHARPE (Oaks Christian, Sr.)

The Stanford signee won Div. IV titles in the high jump (6-11) and triple jump (45-10), helping the Lions finish second. Sharpe, who produced season-best efforts of 46-5 1/4 in the triple jump and 7-1 in the high jump, took fifth in the state high jump final (6-9).

DANIEL SWARBRICK (Saugus, Sr.)

The Iowa State-bound talent was the only Southern Section male athlete to place at the state final in the discus (fourth) and shot put (fifth). Swarbrick, who had season bests of 61-5 1/2 in the shot put and 188-4 in the discus, won the Div. II discus title.

ZACK TORRES (Crescenta Valley, Sr.)

Torres clocked a personal-best 9:02.50 in the 3,200 at the Arcadia Invitational and placed second at the Div. I final. The UCLA signee, who had a top 1,600 mark of 4:14.51, reached the state 3,200 final for the first time.

HEYDEN WOOFF (Camarillo, Soph.)

After winning the Southern Section Div. II 3,200-meter title in 9:04.72, Wooff captured the Masters meet crown in 8:57.66. His third-place mark of 8:55.16 at the state final ranked as the No. 8 time in the country and the fastest this year by a sophomore.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

JACOB SMITH (Notre Dame, Fr.)

Notre Dame coach Joe McNab said Smith had the potential to be better as a freshman than past Knights sprinting standouts Justin Fargas and Rodney Glass. Smith didn't disappoint, clocking the fastest 100-meter time (10.91) in the state by a freshman and the No. 2 mark by a ninth-grader (22.00) in the 200. Smith was also a member of Notre Dame's 400 relay (42.13) that took fourth at the Div. III final, helping the Knights capture their sixth division title in eight years.

COACHES OF THE YEAR

SAUGUS (Christian Standley, head coach)

The last time Saugus won a boys' track and field league title, Standley was a freshman and the Centurions competed in the Golden League. But 23 years later, with Standley's leadership and the efforts of assistants Art Baldi, Cal Linam, Kathryn Nelson and Rene Paragas, Saugus capped an undefeated dual-meet season with a 102-34 victory at Hart of Newhall -- atoning for an eight-point loss to the Indians last year that denied the Centurions a championship -- to secure its first Foothill boys' crown. Although Daniel Swarbrick was the Centurions' lone male state qualifier, Saugus received contributions from every part of its roster to win the title.

SECOND TEAM

Uriel Aquino, Knight, Sr.

Bryan Bennett, Crespi, Jr.

Falco DiGiallonardo, Valencia, Soph.

Niko DiMartino, Oaks Christian, Soph.

Greg Dotson, Burbank, Jr.

James Flynn, Notre Dame, Sr.

James Goldstein, Oak Park, Jr.

Brandon Greenberg, Crespi, Jr.

Matt Harmon, West Ranch, Sr.

Brandon Jauregui, Saugus, Sr.

Jamison Jordan, Rio Mesa, Jr.

Anthony Pizzo, Canyon, Sr.

Tyler Ruiz, Notre Dame, Sr.

Steven Semler, Simi Valley, Sr.

Maxwell Villalba, Quartz Hill, Sr.

TOP TEN RANKINGS

1. Notre Dame

2. Saugus

3. Moorpark

4. Taft

5. Rio Mesa

6. Thousand Oaks

7. Royal

8. Canyon

9. Burroughs

10. Harvard-Westlake

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Alpha: Paraclete

Desert Mountain: Desert Christian

East Valley: Poly

Foothill: Saugus

Frontier: Santa Paula

Golden: Eastside

Marmonte: Moorpark

Mission: Loyola

Pacific: Arcadia

Pacific View: Rio Mesa

Tri-Valley: St. Bonaventure

Valley Mission: Reseda

West Valley: Taft

RACE OF THE YEAR

FOOTHILL LEAGUE 3,200 METERS (May 8)

Seldom is an eight-lap race decided by a well-timed lean at the end, but Canyon's Anthony Pizzo and Saugus' Brandon Jauregui both used final surges to thrust their bodies across the finish line, producing a thrilling conclusion to the last Foothill League race of their impressive careers. Jauregui had recorded several narrow victories throughout the league schedule, including an April 2 win by three-hundredths over Pizzo in the 3,200. But after Jauregui was initially declared the winner, the photo finish clearly revealed Pizzo as the champion in 9:36.24, prevailing by the same microscopic margin as Jauregui (9:36.27) had during the regular season.

By Jacob H. Pollon, Special to the Daily News

Crespi's Ryon Healy

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

RYON HEALY

Crespi, Jr., Pitcher

The junior standout was a threat at the plate and on the mound in leading the Celts to the Div. II championship. Healy went 11-0 with seven complete games and 101 strikeouts against only 16 walks in 83 innings.

Healy hit .468 with 25 RBIs and had 37 hits and 29 runs scored en route to Div. II Player of the Year honors.

Healy was at his absolute best in the championship game at Angel Stadium against Huntington Beach on June 6.

Healy pitched a seven-hitter with seven strikeouts and had a two-run single and a solo home run in an 8-1 victory.

Healy was selected the Div. II Player of the Year and was an All-Mission League first-team selection.

FIRST TEAM

MICHAEL RENNER (Chatsworth, Sr., Pitcher)

Renner was unhittable on the mound and a first team All-City selection.

ANDY WEISSBERG (Chatsworth, Sr., Outfield)

Weissberg was one of the most feared hitters in the Chatsworth lineup hitting 10 home runs with 61 RBI. Weissberg had 60 hits, was a first team All-City Section selection and a second team All-West Valley League pick.

CARLOS ESCOBAR JR.

(Chatsworth, Sr., Catcher)

Escobar is as good as it gets behind the plate. He threw out 8 of 12 runners trying to steal and batted .320 with six home runs and 27 RBI. Escobar hit a three run homer at Dodger Stadium in the City Section Div. I championship game against Cleveland of Reseda.

JOHN WILSON (Cleveland, Sr., Pitcher)

Wilson led the Cavaliers to the West Valley League championship going 11-2 with a 2.84 ERA. He had 83 strikeouts and only 14 walks. Wilson was an All-City Section first team selection and All-West Valley League to boot.

JUAN PEREZ (Cleveland, Sr., Shortstop)

Perez led the team in hits (55) and stolen bases (30). The first-team All-West Valley League pick hit .487 and played stellar defense.

MICHAEL BOOTH (El Camino Real, Sr., Pitcher)

Booth was 6-2 on the mound and hit 15 home runs with 46 RBIs as the best all-around player on a talented ball club. Booth made the All-West Valley League first team and became a two time All-City Section first teamer as well.

TRAVIS KEPPEL (ECR, Jr., Outfield)

Keppel flew under the radar but hit .424 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs while picking up first team selections on West Valley and All-City teams.

TREVOR FREDRICKSON

(West Ranch, Sr., Pitcher)

The Cal State Northridge-bound left-hander was 9-4 with a 1.10 ERA, earning Div. I second-team honors. The All-Foothill League first team pick had 83 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .191 average.

CHRISTIAN LOPES (Valencia, So., Shortstop)

One of the best 10 th graders in the country, Lopes was selected Foothill League Player of the Year and named to the Div. I first team after hitting .453 with 15 home runs, 33 RBIs and 39 runs scored.

DREW SANDLER (Simi Valley, Sr., Catcher)

Sandler was named Marmonte League MVP after going 5-3 with a 2.14 ERA and 48 strikeouts and hitting .305 with 15 RBIs, twohome runs and 25 runs cored. Sandler, aDiv. I first-team pick, also threw out 10 of 12 baserunners attempting to steal when he was playing catcher.

BRYAN BERGLUND (Royal, Sr., Pitcher)

Berglund is committed to Loyola Marymount but was drafted 66 th overall by the Florida Marlins after going 5-2 with a 1.58 ERA and 51 strikeouts.

KELLY DUGAN (Notre Dame, Sr., First Base)

Dugan, a Div. II first-team selection, hit .379 with eight home runs and 35 RBI leading the Knights to the Mission League championship. Dugan is headed to Pepperdine but could sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, who drafted him in the second round.

JACK MARDER (Newbury Park, Sr., Shortstop)

The Oregon-bound defensive wizard hit .427 with six home runs and 21 RBIs and scored 37 runs. Marder was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 30 th round.

AUSTIN WILSON

(Harvard-Westlake, Jr., Outfield)

Wilson hit a robust .543 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs. Wilson scored 33 runs and was a first-team All-Mission League selection.

JOSH GOOSSEN-BROWN

(Notre Dame, Sr., Pitcher)

The Mission League co-MVP with Crespi's Ryon Healy, Goossen-Brown hit .330 in addition to being a 10-game winner. He also received Div. II first-team honors.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Trey Williams (Valencia, Fr.)

Williams made headlines with a transfer from Alemany of Mission Hills to Valencia but didn't disappoint on the field. The smooth hitting third baseman checked in with a .453 average, five home runs, 27 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Scott Muckey (Crespi)

Muckey won his second championship in the past seven years in an 8-1 victory against Huntington Beach at Angel Stadium on June 6.

Muckey guided Crespi to a 7-0 start before a mid-season tailspin had everyone wondering what was going on. However, Muckey switched John Kearns from being a reliever in the bullpen to No. 2 starter and the rest is history. The move gave Crespi another bonafide arm in the rotation and eased the load on the entire pitching staff, including Div. II Player of the Year RyonHealy.

SECOND TEAM

Alex De Leon, El Camino Real, Sr., First Base

Robert Almendarez, Cleveland, Sr., Third Base

Niko Garcia, Cleveland, Sr., Second Base

Devin Rodriguez, Hart, Sr., Outfield

Jose Cardona, El Camino Real, So., Pitcher

Lonnie Kauppila, Burbank, Jr., Shortstop

Lucas La Point, Knight, Sr., Outfield

Cody Buckel, Royal, Jr., Pitcher

Josh Mason, Crespi, Crespi, Sr., Infield

Matt Hartunian, Montclair Prep, Sr., Catcher

Christian Yelich, Westlake, Jr., First Base

Dylan Jones, Valencia, Sr., Outfield/Pitcher

Mark Strazzeri, Alemany, Sr., Outfield

Brent Keys, Simi Valley, Sr., Outfield

HONORABLE MENTION

Ryne Kahikina, Burroughs; Kevin Williams, Crespi; Andrew Klausmeier, Chatsworth; Mike McAllister, Verdugo Hills; Aaron Roth, Cornerstone Christian/Camarillo; Alex Mejia, El Camino Real; Spencer Horowirz, Cleveland; Jake Bernards, West Ranch; Tim Rowley, Chaminade; Zack Wiley, Crespi; Casey Ryan, Notre Dame; Tyler Johnson, Campbell Hall; Jordan Berger, Taft; Boyd Bell, Granada Hills; Jimmy Sherfy, Newbury Park; Jonathan Meyer, Simi Valley; Adam Landecker, Calabasas; Landon Hunt, Moorpark; Richard Stock, Agoura; Kasey Toven, Chatsworth; Nick La Face, Notre Dame, Sr.; Ranney Lowe, Notre Dame, Sr.; Brent Keys, Simi Valley, Sr.

TOP TEN RANKINGS

1. Chatsworth (30-4)

2. Crespi (21-11)

3. Notre Dame (23-6)

4. Cleveland (26-8)

5. Valencia (19-8)

6. Simi Valley (20-9)

7. Royal (19-7)

8. West Ranch (21-8)

9. Lancaster (21-8)

10. El Camino Real (23-10)

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Desert Mountain: Desert Christian/Lancaster

Foothill: Valencia

Frontier: Grace Brethren

Golden: Lancaster

Heritage: Milken Community

High Desert: Rosamond

Liberty: Viewpoint

Marmonte: Simi Valley

Mission: Notre Dame

Olympic: Campbell Hall

Omega: Cornerstone Christian/Camarillo

CIF CHAMPIONS

City Section Div. I: Chatsworth

Southern Section Div. VII: Cornerstone Christian/Camarillo

- Jacob H. Pollon, Daily News

Baseball: West Ranch off to 9-0 start in VIBL

Valencia West Ranch is 9-0 in the Valley Invitational Baseball League. It's a good summer league to see which teams are going to be strong for the coming season from the San Fernando Valley and Ventura areas.

Other teams off to a good start are Moorpark (8-1), Newbury Park (6-1-1), Encino Crespi (10-2), Chatsworth (10-2) and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake (7-2). There are 32 schools competing.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Boys' basketball: Fairfax's Weathers scores 29 points against Crespi

Los Angeles Fairfax started its tournament game Wednesday against Encino Crespi trailing, 11-0. Then 6-foot-3 guard Jordan Weathers got hot. He finished with 29 points in the Lions' 66-57 victory.

Fairfax will play Santa Monica in a 7 p.m. quarterfinal game on Friday. Santa Monica defeated Dorsey, 75-65, with Solomon Singer and Harry Horn each scoring 16 points.

Long Beach Poly defeated St. Francis, 70-46. Ryan Anderson led the Jackrabbits with 23 points. Poly will play Orange Lutheran Friday at 8:30 p.m.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

By Jacob H. Pollon, Special to the Daily News

Without Blake Stanton and Matt Mounier, few in attendance at Fairfax High gave Crespi of Encino any chance of beating the host Lions in a first-round game of the 23 rd annual Nike Fairfax Summer Classic boys' basketball tournament.

Although the Celts suffered a 66-57 setback, Crespi gave the Lions a scare.

The Celts scored the game's first 11 points, led 19-7 at one point and didn't relinquish the lead until midway through the second half. Crespi had four players in double figures, led by sophomore-to- be Justin Rubia's 15 points.

The Celts are finding ways to adjust without key players and the loss of Michael Avery, who transferred to a boarding school out of state.

"It has been hard to adjust and play through things," Crespi forward Reggie Coates said. "We have to learn how to play through situations. We have a lot of new guys from J.V. When we get Blake (Stanton) back it will help because he is a senior guard."

Coates and sophomore-to-be Jericho Richardson each had 11 points and Kenny Stenhouse added 10.

Crespi was running the floor and hitting shots early but had trouble sustaining the momentum against a Fairfax team that used 14 players.

Crespi's lead was cut to one by halftime and Fairfax finally took its first lead with 8:45 remaining on a 3-pointer from Jordan Weathers.

Weathers scored a game-high 29 points, including four 3-pointers to lead Farifax, which is adjusting to life without Mississippi State-bound Renardo Sidney.

Donte McFrazier made a 3-pointer with 2:08 left to give Fairfax a 12-point lead, capping a 14-2 Lions' run.

"We just aren't used to being in these situations, it's tough without your senior guard in there," Coates said.

Crespi coach Russell White was upbeat about the gritty effort, but also a bit frustrated.

"We have to do better in second halves," White said. "It could be we are out of shape, inexperience..."

Crespi figures to get better and build more team chemistry as the season approaches, but Loyola of Los Angeles and Harvard-Westlake of Studio City will be tough hurdles in a deep Mission League.

Baseball: Crespi's Healy is voted MVP of North-South series

Encino Crespi pitcher-first baseman Ryon Healy was voted the most valuable player at the California Baseball Coaches' Assn. North-South all-star series held Saturday and Sunday at San Diego State.

Healy, a senior, picked up the award in an event that featured many of the top baseball players in the state. Healy was the Southern Section Division II player of the year and has scholarship offers from UCLA, USC and Oregon.

"He was crushing the ball," said Simi Valley Coach Matt LaBelle, who helped coach the South team.

Also making a favorable impression were Hueneme pitcher Jesus Valdez and Westlake Village Westlake outfielder Tim Wise.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

The Celts are hosting an amazing varsity basketball tournament, and we need your help to make this a great event.

If everyone is able to give 3 hours of their time (2 games worth of working) on EITHER day, we will be able to run a GREAT event.

If you would like to help with the snack bar, please email Moira Cornell at: gulfstreamaussie@aol.com to let her know when you can work.  The snack bar is open all day on both days, so we need a lot of help.  Also, if you can donate a case of water or Gatorade, or a 12-pack of soda it will help the cause.

If you can help work the gate accepting money and giving out wrist bands to fans, please let me know what day and time by responding to this email.

If you would like to help by working the scoreboard, scorebook, or shot clock, you can also let me know what day and time by responding to this email.

The schedule for the tournament is below.  This might help decide when you want to work by seeing who plays when.

There are 5 league champions from last year playing in this event.  Teams are coming from all over Southern California.

Saturday, June 20	Time	Sunday, June 21
Santa Monica v. Simi Valley	9:00 a.m.	Thousand Oaks v. Santa Monica
Crespi v. Thousand Oaks	10:30 a.m.	Ocean View v. Simi Valley
Santa Monica v. Ocean View	12:00 p.m.	Crespi v. Mater Dei
Mater Dei v. Thousand Oaks	1:30 p.m.	Thousand Oaks v. Ocean View
Los Alamitos v. Simi Valley	3:00 p.m.	Mater Dei v. Los Alamitos
Loyola v. Mater Dei	4:30 p.m.	Loyola v. Santa Monica
Crespi v. Ocean View	6:00 p.m.	Crespi v. Los Alamitos
Loyola v. Los Alamitos	7:30 p.m.	Simi Valley v. Loyola

By Jon Gold, Special to The Daily News

There's the summer for regular high school boys - sand, sun, beaches, babes, bikinis, pools, parties, relief, release.

Then there's the summer for high school basketball players.

Dribbling, games, shooting, practices, up-downs, games, zone defenses, practices.

This is not the time for a program to rest on its laurels, to survey the previous season with a sigh and a smile. This is game time. Seven months before the regular season begins.

"When I was in high school, you played one game a week and maybe practiced twice," said Crespi of Encino coach Russell White, who will host the Crespi Summer Shootout this weekend, featuring some of the region's best teams. "What's made it different is everyone takes it more seriously. Being successful is important. But along with that is work ethic. Is this necessary, is it required? No. But I don't know any successful teams who don't do this."

Certainly all the teams who will participate in the Shootout put a premium on this period.

The two-day event, which begins at 9 a.m. today with Simi Valley facing Santa Monica, will feature five league champions, two CIF champions, one state finalist and a state semifinalist. Last season's combined record for all eight teams - Crespi, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Loyola, Santa Monica, Mater Dei, Ocean View and Los Alamitos: 206-47.

"These are the building blocks for those later playoff games," said Thousand Oaks coach Rich Endres, who will bequeath duties to assistant John Monise as he attends his son's wedding. "This is the type of competition you need. You're putting players who anticipate being backup players, guys who give limited minutes, in main roles. It gives them the kind of feel, the kind of confidence, the starters might have during the season."

It worked for the Lancers last season, as a deep bench helped the team coast through league play and the playoffs, en route to its first CIF championship.

"It lets them know that they're as capable as anybody else," Endres said. "That kind of confidence carries over. That's how you end up with a strong bench, or if someone gets in foul trouble, big deal."

The confidence can play huge dividends come playoff time, though the summer is not without its disappointments.

Last weekend, White's Celts traveled to Mater Dei for a weekend tournament, and missing many players, had a tough trip, with some big losses. Still, White found things to work on, certain tendencies in each player that he'll have to work on for the next several months.

"I see instant results," White said. "We went down to Mater Dei last weekend and got our lunch handed to us. It allows us to come back to practice and instantly start working on things. In the last week and a half, I've seen vast improvement because of playing in these summer events."

But isn't summer supposed to be all cotton candy and cookouts?

It's one thing that high school football players sacrifice most of their summers; the season is eminent, game one coming within days of summer's end.

Who knew there was such a time demand on high school hoopsters, whose season does not begin for months?

It all adds up to a difficult decision for high school coaches: when is the time for work, when is the time for fun?

"It's a tough call," Endres said. "Summer is meant to kind of wind down, but at the same time, it's the time when teams are made. ... We have a saying at T.O., we're not going to get outworked. Especially during the summer. Unfortunately, that means a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of work. It is not a vacation, by any means."

Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Crespi's Ryon Healy hit .468 with 25 RBIs this season and homered during the Celts’ Division II championship victory over Huntington Beach.

Tyler Matzek, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, Pitcher, Sr.: The Colorado Rockies drafted Matzek 11th overall after the left-hander pitched 18 1/3 scoreless innings during the playoffs to finish with a 13-1 record and 0.97 earned-run average. He also hit .404 with eight home runs and 32 runs batted in.

Henry Owens, Huntington Beach Edison, Pitcher, So.: The unshakable left-hander gave up only one unearned run in seven innings during a semifinal playoff victory over Mater Dei to finish 10-1 with an 0.98 ERA.

Ryon Healy, Encino Crespi, Utility, Jr.: Versatile first baseman and pitcher hit .468 with 25 RBIs this season and homered during Celts' Division II championship victory over Huntington Beach. He also was 11-0 with a 1.81 ERA and seven complete games.

Matt Hobgood, Norco, First baseman, Sr.: Power bat and power arm. Hit .475 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs. As pitcher was 11-1 with an 0.92 ERA. Gatorade national player of the year was drafted fifth overall by Baltimore.

Wes Hatton, Norco, Infielder, Sr.: Combined with Hobgood to give the Cougars the finest one-two hitting and pitching duo around. Drafted in the fourth round by the Angels after going 5-1 with a 1.24 ERA and hitting .500 with six homers and 22 RBIs.

Matt Davidson, Yucaipa, Infielder, Sr.: Third baseman has drawn comparisons to the New York Mets' David Wright. Hit .553 with 11 homers and 45 RBIs. Was drafted 35th overall by Arizona.

Nolan Arenado, Lake Forest El Toro, Infielder, Sr.: Walked in nearly one of every five plate appearances, Arenado still hit .517 with five homers, 14 doubles and 23 RBIs. He also went 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA as a pitcher. Drafted in the second round by Colorado.

Carlos Escobar Jr., Chatsworth, Catcher, Sr.: Threw out eight of 12 runners who tried to steal and hit a three-run homer during the Chancellors' City Section championship victory over Reseda Cleveland. Batted .320 with six homers and 27 RBIs.

Cory Hahn, Santa Ana Mater Dei, Outfielder, Jr.: Sparked Mater Dei's quarterfinal playoff victory over Norco with two homers, including a grand slam against Hobgood. Hit .367 with six homers, 17 RBIs and a .500 on-base percentage.

Jake Marisnick, Riverside Poly, Outfielder, Sr.: Batted .404 with six homers, nine doubles and 31 RBIs. One of the homers helped the Bears upset San Juan Capistrano JSerra in the playoffs.

Austin Wilson, North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, Outfielder, Jr.: Hit .543 with seven homers, 29 RBIs, a .986 slugging percentage and 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts.

-- Ben Bolch

Football: Crespi QB commits to Oregon

Quarterback Bryan Bennett of Encino Crespi said Thursday night he has committed to Oregon. Bennett, the Celts' starter the last two seasons, has grown to 6-foot-3 and should fit in well with the Ducks' spread offense. He had been making a series of college visits.

"Getting to see the facilities and meet the coaches really sold me on the program," he said. "I'm looking forward to being a Duck."

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Ben Bolch's final rankings of Southland high school baseball teams.

Healy, Roth earn awards

After leading their teams to Southern Section baseball titles, Crespi of Encino's Ryon Healy was selected Player of the Year in Div. II and Cornerstone Christian of Camarillo's Aaron Roth was recognized with the same award in Div. VII. Crespi coach Scott Muckey was recognized as the Div. II Coach of the Year and Cornerstone Christian's Dean Drulias received the honor in Div. VII.

- Erik Boal, Daily News

Baseball: Crespi pitcher is subject of recruiting battle

Encino Crespi pitcher Ryon Healy, coming off an 11-0 junior season and a Southern Section Division II championship, is suddenly the target of college recruiters, with UCLA, USC and Oregon making strong bids to sign him for the 2011 season.

Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said Healy intends to visit the three schools.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Boys Basketball: Big - 10 Summer League recap from Monday June 15

By Jack Pollon on June 15, 2009

2009 Big - 10 summer league at Taft High on Mondays

First week recap - June 15

Crespi 66
Golden Valley 40

Matt Mounier had 18 points and Reggie Coates provided the bulk down low to lead the Celts.

Golden Valley was missing 6'7 forward Trevor Wiseman, who was out with a wrist injury.

Crespi was without Blake Stanton, who will probabaly stick with football for most of the summer.

El Camino Real 47
Buckley 29

Treyare Holden had 26 points and six rebounds to lead El Camino Real. Dushon Carter and Keith Dawkins also played well. Carter had five points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Nick DeBonfilhs and Andrew Farhadi led Buckley. De bonfilhs had seven points, six rebounds and five blocks. Farhadi had 10 rebounds and four assists.

Birmingham 60
Alemany 45

Rene Reyes had 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead Birmingham. Angel Gutierrez had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Sahdi Odu had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Steven Jones and Max Guercy led Alemany. Jones had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Guercy had nine points.

Taft 72
Agoura 51

De'Andre Daniels had 25 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and one thunderous dunk to lead the Toreadors.

Bryce Jones had 15 points and eight rebounds while sophomore Spencer Dinwiddie had nine assists.

Taft led 36-10 before Agoura came back to cut it to eight in the second half.

Stephan Hicks and Hasan Khan played well for Agoura.

Harvard-Westlake 65
Simi Valley 45

Four players scored in double figures for the Wolverines led by Austin Kelly's 17 points.

Damiene Cain had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Cain has been offered by Oregon St., UNLV and San Diego St. and is only going into the 11th grade next September.

Erik Swoope had 13 points and an electrifying right handed put back dunk in the second half with six minutes remaining.

The league takes a break next Monday for the annual War on the Floor tournament but will resume again June 29.

By Erik Boal, Special to the Daily News

Tonight marks the beginning of an eight-week schedule for the Big Ten boys' basketball summer league at Taft High in Woodland Hills, showcasing several of the area's top teams.

Agoura, Alemany of Mission Hills, Birmingham of Lake Balboa, Buckley of Sherman Oaks, Crespi of Encino, El Camino Real of Woodland Hills, Golden Valley, Harvard-Westlake of Studio City and Simi Valley are all scheduled to join the Toreadors every Monday.

Healy, Goossen-Brown share Mission League honors

Encino Crespi pitcher Ryon Healy and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame pitcher Josh Goossen-Brown have been selected the co-players of the year in the Mission League.

Other first-team all-league choices were Kelly Dugan, Nick LaFace and Ranny Lowe of Notre Dame, Austin Wilson and Gavin McCourt of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, A.J. LaBruna of Los Angeles Loyola, Mark Strazzeri and Cody Sulflow of Mission Hills Alemany, Scott Morrow and Mark Saatzer of La Canada St. Francis, Greg Goshgarian of West Hills Chaminade and Zack Wiley of Crespi.

-Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times Blogs

Published by The Tidings ONLINE, Friday, June 12, 2009

CIF titles won by Crespi, Marymount, Loyola, Salesian

Four Catholic schools claimed California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section titles over the past two weeks in three sports.

In baseball, Crespi High School of Encino won the Division II championship with an 8-1 triumph over Huntington Beach in a game played June 6 at Angels Stadium in Anaheim. The Celts finished 21-11, with junior Ryon Healy (11-0) tossing a 7-hitter and hitting a home run, as did Josh Mason.

That same day in Irvine, Marymount High School of Westwood, champions of the Sunshine League, edged La Salle High School of Pasadena, 3-2, to win the Division VI softball championship. The Sailors (24-4) took a 3-0 lead, then held off a late rally by the Lancers (25-6).

In boys volleyball, Loyola High School of Los Angeles and Salesian High School of Boyle Heights won CIF titles on May 30 at Cypress College. Loyola took the Division I crown with a straight set victory over Mater Dei, while Salesian topped St. Margaret's to win Division V.

In the state high school championship track and field meet held June 5-6 in Clovis, several local athletes earned high honors.

Among the girls, Turquoise Thompson of Junípero Serra High in Gardena won the 400-meter run, while Serra won the 1,600-meter relay and placed second in the 400-meter relay. St. Mary's Academy of Inglewood was third in the 400 relay, and Paraclete of Lancaster sixth.

Among the boys, Randall Carroll of Cathedral High School won the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Robert Woods of Serra was third at 400 meters, and the school won the 400 relay. Loyola's Elias Gedyon placed second in the 1,600-meter run, and Miles Beal of St. John Bosco in Bellflower was third in the high jump.

Dustin Doty and CRESPI Carmelite High School were honored by Dustin's selection as a 2009 US Lacrosse High School All American. This caps off Dustin's 4 year career with the Celt's Lacrosse program as a defender. A unanimous 2 time All Mission League Selection in 08 & 09 Doty led the Celts in ground balls, forced turnovers and take-aways. Doty has been a 4 year player for the  CRESPI Celts and was also a unanimous selection for All American. Dustin will be playing NCAA Division 1 Lacrosse for Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. Please join us in congratulating Dustin on this great personal accomplishment as we wish him well with the Wagner SeaHawks.

Jonathan Oswaks
Head Lacrosse Coach
Crespi Carmelite High School

Click here to view the video of Crespi Baseball winning C.I.F. Divsion II Champs!!!

By Eric Sondheimer

Jogging around the bases as if nothing special had happened, Josh Mason of Encino Crespi seemed to be in his own little world after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning of the Southern Section Division II championship baseball game at Angel Stadium.

"When I hit that home run, I didn't believe it," Mason said. "I was just shocked."

There was nothing shocking about the way Crespi performed Saturday. The Celts have been a well-oiled, fundamentally-sound, extremely focused title contender in the playoffs, and they completed their mission with an 8-1 victory over Huntington Beach.

Junior right-hander Ryon Healy (11-0) struck out seven, walked one and gave up seven hits. He also hit a home run.

The Celts (21-11) got all the runs they would need in the opening inning, with Healy contributing a two-run single on a 3-and-0 pitch, and Mason following with his home run over the left-field fence.

Healy was the standout throughout the playoffs on the mound and at the plate.

"He had a phenomenal tournament," Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said.

Crespi finished with 14 hits. Austin Walker had a double and two singles, and Mason had two hits.

By Jon Gold Special to the Daily News

ANAHEIM - When the Crespi of Encino baseball team opened the season with seven straight wins, Ryon Healy thought his Celts were the best team in their division. When the team lost three of four following the undefeated start, Healy thought his Celts were the best team in their division.

When the slide continued, and Crespi lost eight of 12 to end the regular season, Healy thought his Celts were the best team in their division.

When he looked up at the Angel Stadium scoreboard after the Southern Section Div.II championship game and saw the final numbers, guess what Healy thought?

"I don't think we ever lost that swagger," said Healy, who pitched seven innings, allowing seven hits with seven strikeouts, in Crespi's 8-1 win over Huntington Beach. "We were on top of the world that first seven games, but we were surprised. `Oh, this is the team we have?'

"Then we kind of got smacked down in the face. But coach said, `This is the kind of team you are boys. Settle in, accept it, and win some ballgames.' "We finished strong just like we started strong: 7-0 and 5-0. Can't have any better."

A microcosm of the season, in the championship game, Healy only had trouble on the mound in the middle against the Oilers (19-13).

No. 3 hitter Beau Amaral led off the fourth inning with a two-strike triple past a diving Kevin Williams. Amaral scored on a groundout by Jon Combest, and Blake Cestr followed with a single. But Healy induced a double-play groundout by Buddy Johns to end the inning. In the fifth, Healy loaded the bases after two quick outs before forcing an Amaral flyout to left field.

"Instead of getting that 13-strikeout performance, I had, what, seven today?" Healy said. "I got my groundballs when I needed them, a couple double plays to get out of innings. That saved me."

Healy staked himself a 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the first inning, and teammate Josh Mason pushed the lead to 4-0 with a two-run home run. Healy would add a solo shot in the sixth inning.

Mason's effort came as part of a monster day by the bottom of the Crespi lineup, as batters six through nine - Mason, Michael Hubbard, Spencer Wendt and Austin Walker - went a combined 8-for-16, with four RBIs, three runs, two doubles and a home run.

The performance was a true example of Celts coach Muckey's theory of two lineups within a lineup, the one-through-five batters, and the six-through-nine hitters.

"It just seems that the right guy is coming up for the right situation," said Muckey, whose Celts (21-11) belted 14 hits. "You don't have a power-hitter coming up with no one on. It just seems to work."

Added Mason, who added a double to go along with his homer: "With our lineup, what's dangerous is that all nine of us can hit at any given time. We can all hit for power. He can all hit in clutch time. Everyone can come through when we need to."

Baseball: Crespi 7, Huntington Beach 1

Five innings have been completed in the Southern Section Division II championship game at Angel Stadium, and Encino Crespi holds a 7-1 lead over Huntington Beach.

Austin Walker contributed his second hit of the day, an RBI double, in the fourth for the Celts.

There was a strange play in the fifth for Huntington Beach. The game was delayed more than five minutes as umpires huddled. Sean Guite appeared to strike out on a 2-and-2 count, with the ball in the dirt, but the home-plate umpire refused to ask for help. Then on a 3-and-2 count, Crespi Coach Scott Muckey called for a pitchout, and the umpire called a third strike.

But he later reversed himself, giving Guite a walk. Up came Beau Amaral with the bases loaded, and he flied out. Ryon Healy has struck out five and allowed five hits in five innings for Crespi.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

by Coach Muckey

Crespi 7, Redlands East Valley 5---Crespi (20-11) rallied for 6 runs in the bottom of the third inning and held on for the win and a trip to Angel Stadium in a CIF Div. II semifinal game at Valley College.

After surviving jams in the second and fourth innings, John Kearns took the win allowing 5 runs, 4 earned, 9 hits, and striking out 2 before giving way to Ryon Healy, who pitched a scoreless seventh for the save. Healy allowed 1 hit and struck out 1.

The Celts scored 1 in the first inning as Zack Wiley singled, stole second, and scored on Healy’s RBI single.

Redlands made use of 2 singles, a double, and an error to score 3 runs in the top of the third.

Crespi came back with 6 in the bottom of the third as Aaron Ammann walked and Kevin Williams was hit by pitch. Both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Ammann scored on Wiley’s ground out before Healy and Jordan Camacho walked.

Williams and Healy scored on Josh Mason’s single, Camacho and Mason scored on Mike Hubbard’s double, and Hubbard scored on Spencer Wendt’s single. Redlands used 3 hits and a walk to score 2 more in the fourth inning before hitting into an inning-ending double play.

Crespi, playing in a CIF Championship game (03 win, 04 loss) for the third time in seven years will play Huntington Beach Sat. at 4:30.

By Jon Gold, Special to the Daily News

There is a giant "C" sprawled across Zack Wiley's chest, just as there is a giant "C" sprawled across the chest of the other 22 Crespi of Encino baseball players.

But Wiley's "C" means a little something more.

As the Celts head to Angel Stadium for the Southern Section Division-II championship game today at 4:30 p.m., Wiley will be the one doling out advice, giving his teammates a few words of encouragement, tossing out pick-me-ups like a cheerleader in cleats.

"He is not particularly vocal, but he's very encouraging to everybody out there, especially when guys are making mistakes," Crespi coach Scott Muckey said. "You have a coach yelling, he's the guy who says, 'Hey, come on, pick it up. It's no problem.' He's a calming presence, very positive on the field.

"He's just a great kid, let me just say that."

During the middle of the season, he needed a bit of support himself.

Mired in a slump that coincided with his team's - after a 7-0 start, the Celts finished the regular season dropping 11 of their final 20 games - Wiley found himself hurting, mentally and emotionally. The slump was difficult to break out of, particularly because it was not even that bad. There were plenty of 1 for 3 days, and Wiley either registered a hit or a run in all but five of the team's 31 games. But Wiley is not used to 1 for 3.

It took some time for Wiley to rebound, but he did, with multi-hit games in four of Crespi's last nine games.

His teammates stood by him, his coach stood by him.

"It says a lot about coach Muckey," Wiley said. "The guy knows his baseball. Last year, I started off really, really poorly. But he gives you time. He understands that you go through slumps. Everybody goes through slumps; nobody's perfect. Coach Muckey has been around so long, he understands that, he respects you as a player."

There was a method to Muckey's madness.

He views Wiley as an ideal No. 3 hitter, able to make contact even when a hit is not necessary, capable of laying down a bunt or sacrificing to right field.

"Even when he's not doing well, he's still good in that three-hole," Muckey said. "He doesn't strike out much. The three-hole is a good spot; if a guy starts going down a little bit, you can hit-and-run with him. He can bunt. He can do all those things that hurt another team. It's not like he's an out, let's go to the next guy.

"That's why he hits third, and why he's stayed hitting third."

Healy saw his teammate struggling in the middle of the season and he felt for him.

Wiley is not one for bravado, but Healy could see that his teammate was down. Every out seemed like an eternity.

And Healy would know: The teammates hit together every Monday night, getting in their extra hacks while offering each other advice.

"Wiley's a great hitter, whether he's batting .350 or .500," Healy said. "Nothing changes with him. The same mentality. He always talks about, 'What are you seeing?' He listens, which is a great thing for a senior. I know he cares. You see a guy like him struggling, and you just want to pick him up."

But even when the bat wasn't there, the glove was.

Wiley has been a pillar of consistency at shortstop, after splitting time between third base and the outfield last season. He makes the routine look effortless and the spectacular look routine.

Late in Crespi's 7-5 win over Redlands East Valley in the Div. II semifinals, a Wildcat smoked a line drive off pitcher John Kearns' mitt, and the ball went sailing to the left side of the infield, near the third-base line. Wiley sprinted in, bare-handed the ball and threw a dart to Healy at first base, beating the runner by an eyelash.

"I definitely wasn't surprised when he made that play," Healy said. "A guy like Zack Wiley playing shortstop, you expect him to make that play. He makes that look routine, easy. My job as a first baseman is to sit there and watch him make plays like that, and hopefully catch the ball. I just admire him from there."

Muckey admires simple things though, the routine ground ball, the perfect rake-and-throw.

"Defensively he's just a solid defensive shortstop," Muckey said. "He's a little too nonchalant, and we've worked on that, and he's gotten better at it. But he's been very steady for us. We talk about finding a level of predictability with a guy, and he's pretty predictable. He's going to make plays for us."

Next year, he'll make plays 3,000 miles away.

Wiley is headed to Le Moyne University in Syracuse, N.Y. in the fall, choosing to return to the childhood home of his father.

"My dad grew up in Syracuse, so it's cool to go back where he lived," Wiley said.

"His whole family is there, and it will be fun to play in front of them. They've never seen me play. I hope I get the shot."

He's not ready yet, though.

There's one high school game left to play. One more time to lift a fallen teammate, to drop a perfect single over the third baseman's head, to make a diving catch look like a walk in the park.

Eric Sondheimer: L.A. Times

Crespi pitcher Ryon Healy is 10-0 with a 1.91 earned-run average and has 94 strikeouts and 15 walks in 74 innings this season. The junior pitcher will try to lead the Celts to the Southern Section Division II title on Saturday. His mother helped El Camino Real win two City Section softball titles in the '80s.

Teenagers never believe the stories their parents tell about their own high school days, and Ryon Healy of Encino Crespi was among the skeptics when it came to his mother.

"I always bagged on her, 'Mom, you were never that good,' " Healy said. "One day, she pulled out these articles from back in the day. I was pretty impressed. She was legit. She was the real deal."

Laurie Healy, known during her pitching days at Woodland Hills El Camino Real as Laurie Romero, was the best player in the City Section when she led the Conquistadores to consecutive City softball titles in 1983 and 1984, going 34-1 with nine no-hitters and 23 shutouts.

Twenty-five years later, she will sit in the seats at Angel Stadium on Saturday as a proud mother watching her son try to pitch Crespi to a Southern Section Division II championship in baseball.

"It's so exciting and tremendously nerve-racking," she said. "I've decided it's easier to play than watch your kid play."

What she and her husband, Pat, have passed on to their 17-year-old son is a bulldog attitude of never wanting to give an inch to a batter.

Healy's competitiveness and accuracy have made him one of the top junior pitchers in the Southland. He's 10-0 with a 1.91 earned-run average and has 94 strikeouts and 15 walks in 74 innings.

Scott Muckey, who has been Crespi's coach since 1987, said Healy's ability to throw strikes puts him in the same category as the Celts' most famous pitching graduate, major leaguer Jeff Suppan, who walked only 14 in 91 innings in 1993.

"I'd rank him right there at the top with Suppan as far as throwing strikes," Muckey said.

"Strike throwers," as Muckey calls them, are what he looks for every winter when he compiles statistics for his pitchers.

"Muckey is a quiet guy, and when you're not throwing strikes, that's the one time he'll get on you," Healy said. "It's his pet peeve. If you get hit around, so be it. But if you're throwing strikes, it's a good day for him."

Healy has made for lots of good days since he began this season with a 13-strikeout, two-hit shutout against Palmdale. Seemingly every outing, he gets better.

He didn't pitch as a sophomore because the Celts were loaded with pitchers and he needed time off to recover from tendinitis in his right arm. His junior season has been a revelation, with Pacific 10 Conference schools starting to pursue him.

He enters Saturday's 4:30 p.m. final against Huntington Beach in peak form.

"He's gotten control of his curveball," Muckey said. "He pretty much throws that for a strike any time he wants."

Crespi has produced its share of outstanding pitchers in recent years. Sean Gilmartin, the closer on last year's team, was a freshman All-American at Florida State this season. Trevor Plouffe has switched from pitching to hitting and is one of the top prospects in the Minnesota Twins organization. And Suppan is in the starting rotation for the Milwaukee Brewers.

So Healy has put himself in select company in Crespi lore, almost good enough to match his mother, though he's a championship or two short of that. But his mother doesn't care. She's just going to enjoy seeing her son do something he loves.

"It's everything you've hoped for," she said.

Our baseball team, led by Coach Scott Muckey, has earned a trip to the CIF Division II Final by beating Redlands East Valley 7-5 on Tuesday afternoon.

The final game vs... Huntington Beach is this Saturday, June 6, @ 4:30 PM @ Anaheim Stadium. Tickets are on sale now AT THE ANGEL STADIUM TICKET OFFICE THROUGH FRIDAY, JUNE 5. THE TICKET OFFICE IS OPEN FROM 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Tickets will also be on sale the day of the contest. PLEASE NOTE:

WE ARE NOT PRESELLING TICKETS AT THE SCHOOL. TICKETS WILL BE $10 FOR ADULTS, $5 FOR STUDENTS, AND $5 FOR CHILDREN (UNDER 13). TICKETS WILL BE SOLD ON GAME DAY AT THE HOME PLATE GATE. ADMISSION TO THE STADIUM WILL BE ONLY AT THE HOME PLATE GATE AS WELL.

ONLY CASH IS ACCEPTED AT ANAHEIM STADIUM. THERE ARE ATM'S ON SITE.

PARKING AT THE STADIUM IS AVAILABLE AND WILL BE $10 PER VEHICLE.

ALL SEATING WILL BE CONFINED TO THE FIELD AND TERRACE LEVELS OF THE STADIUM. WE ARE THE VISITING TEAM FOR THIS GAME AND WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE FIRST BASE SIDE OF THE STADIUM. SEATS BEHIND HOME PLATE ARE ALSO AVAILABLE. STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO SIT BEHIND THE 1ST BASE DUGOUT.

THERE ARE NO BANNERS ALLOWED INSIDE THE STADIUM. PAINTED FACES, BODY PAINTING, OR MARKED FACES ARE NOT ALLOWED DUE TO CIF REGULATIONS. NOISE MAKERS AND MEGAPHONES ARE ALSO NOT ALLOWED AT THE GAME.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO TAIL GATE AT THE STADIUM, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IS PROHIBITED AT THE STADIUM, INCLUDING THE PARKING LOT. POLICE WILL BE PATROLLING THE PARKING LOT AND WILL ARREST OR REMOVE PATRONS FROM THE SITE FOUND CONSUMING ALCOHOL. ALSO, THE STADIUM PROHIBITS BOTTLES, CANS, AND ICE CHESTS FROM BEING ALLOWED INTO THE STADIUM.

PROGRAMS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE GAME AND SOLD FOR $5 PER PROGRAM. THEY WILL INCLUDE ROSTERS, PICTURES, RECORDS, AND STATS.

IF YOU WISH TO BE PRESENT FOR GAME INTRODUCTIONS, THEY WILL BEGIN PROMPTLY 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO GAMETIME OR 4:15 PM. PLEASE ARRIVE IN TIME TO PARK, PURCHASE A TICKET, AND GET TO YOUR SEATS!!!

CRESPI WILL BE PROVIDING A ROOTER BUS TO THE GAME AT $10 CASH PER PERSON. A SIGN UP SHEET WILL BE ON THE DOOR AT THE ATHLETIC OFFICE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. PLEASE COME AND SIGN UP TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT. WE WILL COLLECT $10 CASH PER PERSON ON SATURDAY AS YOU BOARD THE BUS. THE ROOTER BUS WILL DEPART CRESPI CAMPUS AT 1:45 PM.

Please come out to the game, support the boys, and enjoy the experience of a CIF championship game!

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at the ballgame!

CELT PRIDE!

Matt C. Luderer '90-Athletic Director

By Jon Gold Special to The Daily News

PREP BASEBALL: Starter keeps Redlands East Valley offense at bay, gets support from Crespi lineup with six-run third inning.

John Kearns did not come out against Redlands East Valley on Tuesday and hope to throw a no-hitter.

There were no visions of fooled batters and laughable swings, of 14 strikeouts and zeros after zeros.

His goal was simple: Do enough.

Kearns did, and Crespi of Encino is heading to the Southern Section Div. II final at Angel Stadium because of it.

The Celts defeated the visiting Wildcats 7-5 as Kearns threw six innings - four scoreless - and survived two major scares with minimal damage.

"All week, all I heard was how great their hitting was," Kearns said. "When I came out here, I told myself that if we can hold them to under four or five (runs), we might have a chance. When you come out and give up five, it's a little iffy.

"But it was good enough."

It was only because of a monster third inning by the Crespi offense. The Celts scored six runs on three hits, three walks and a hit by pitch, nearly every batter playing a role in the big inning.

Josh Mason and Mike Hubbard came through with back-to-back, two-RBI at-bats, Mason scoring Kevin Williams and Ryon Healy with a single and Hubbard knocking in Camacho and Mason with a double. Spencer Wendt joined in, too, plating Hubbard with a single before being thrown out at third to end the inning.

"When we see the guys before us hit, we knew we need to, too," Mason said. "Today, everybody hit. We did feed off the guys above us. When we see them do it, we think we can do it, too. It burns a fire inside us and makes us want to do it, too."

Against undefeated starter Jeremy Perez, the Celts (20-11) needed production, especially from the bottom of the order.

Perez started getting a bit wild early in the inning, walking leadoff hitter Aaron Ammann on four pitches, and Redlands East Valley coach James Cordes beckoned two Wildcats (23-7) to the bullpen.

But Cordes could not pull the cord in time, and Crespi piled it on.

"Postseason, you've got to hit with runners on base, and they did," Cordes said. "It happened pretty quick there. Jer's been our guy all year, and he's worked out of a lot of jams. You want to hang with him as much as you can."

That was Crespi coach Scott Muckey's thinking with Kearns. Kearns allowed three runs in the second inning and two more in the fourth before inducing a flyout double play to Healy at first base.

Kearns said he was hurt early in the two big innings, with either the first or second batters getting on base, and that changed the entire outcomes of the innings.

"When they got their first guy on, and I had to pitch out of the stretch, I was looking ... not to give up the big hit," Kearns said. "When I started doing that, they started hitting me more and more. Working from the windup, I was able to throw maybe a 1-1 curveball, because there's no one on second base."

But then he settled down. In the fifth and sixth innings, Kearns threw just 18 total pitches.

"You know when you throw only 18 pitches, they're not putting up many runs," Kearns said. "I felt that the butterflies left my stomach in those last two innings, and it was time to bear down. I wasn't concentrating on throwing it as hard as I could or the best pitches, maybe just hittable pitches where the fielders can make the plays."

Healy picked up his second save of the postseason with a scoreless seventh.

By Kevin Carden
SCPlaybook.com
Posted Jun 1, 2009
Click here to read the full article on SCPlaybook.com

While there were several of the top players in California in attendance for the L.A. Scout Combine this past weekend, Kenny Stills, Shaquille Richardson, James McConico, George Uko and others stood out above the rest. Look inside to see which recruits elevated their stock with strong performances.

Bryan Bennett – Quarterback – Crespi High School
The Crespi quarterback was the top passer on the day and received rave reviews from Kenny Stills, and even Robert Woods, who watched but didn’t participate, was impressed with Bennett’s arm strength and accuracy. Bennett showed great touch on deep passes as well, hitting Stills in stride for a deep touchdown pass. Bennett has offers from Pittsburgh and Wyoming but looked like a Pac-10 level quarterback on Saturday.

Brandon Graves – Wide Receiver – Crespi High School
Graves is a small, shifty wide receiver that got good separation from the cornerbacks with his speed and didn’t drop a pass the entire day. Graves is another under the radar recruit that made some noise on Saturday. Graves transferred to Crespi from Los Alamitos and was not eligible to play as a junior, so that cost him valuable exposure with scouts and college coaches. He caught 21 of 21 passes thrown to him on Saturday and there was never a doubt whether he was going to catch any ball thrown his way.

By Jon Gold Special to The Daily News

Crespi of Encino coach Scott Muckey has been around the block a few times. He's seen his ups and his downs - mostly ups recently - and knows a thing or two about the game.

So when Muckey is surprised, particularly by his own Celts, it must be something curious.

Yet there was Muckey, sitting in the Damien High of La Verne visitor's dugout after Crespi's 6-2 Southern Section Div. II quarterfinal win Friday, shocked as ever by his pitching staff.

Going into the season, the Celts expected their lineup to be the driving force to a deep playoff run. But now Crespi pitchers Ryon Healy and John Kearns have allowed just three runs in three games, with Kearns taking the mound today against visiting Redlands Valley East.

The inconsistencies that plagued the Celts during an up-and-down, 16-11 season have been cured - for now.

"We were winning on Tuesdays and losing on Thursday or Friday," Muckey said. "It didn't do us much good. Kearns wasn't quite ready to move into the second spot arm strength-wise. It wasn't a really smooth transition. By the time we got to the playoffs, we were just hoping we were set.

"So far, that's been the case."

Healy settled into the role of staff ace quite easily, readily doling out wisdom to Kearns and fellow starter Ryan Brockett. On the mound, he's been nothing short of brilliant, ringing up 10 wins and a save in 3 innings, with a 1.91 earned-run average to go along with 93strikeouts.

"Before every game, when he's in there warming up, I go in there and I talk to him," Healy said. "I'll go and take a look at his curveballs because John has a great fastball and changeup, but his curveball is the one pitch he needs to get over to be successful. He just needs someone in his ear if the coaches can't be."

Healy has learned to do that for himself, too.

He regularly barks at himself on the mound, scowling as he sets his feet, freaking out the hitter. He said that as he has grown as a player - even just from last season to this - he has discovered that he can't just ask a coach what he's been doing wrong, snap his fingers and watch it all turn out roses.

He understands he has to figure out what works on his own and keep doing it.

But he still screams.

"I've heard in the past that I show too much emotion on the field, but you know what? I use that emotion and channel it into positive energy," Healy said. "I let my team grab that and really run with it; I feel I give off so much energy no matter where I am."

That intensity is in stark contrast to the laid-back Kearns and the frenetic Brockett.

But the pitchers differ in more than just make-up.

Healy is overpowering with a dominant fastball and a curveball that drops faster than the stock exchange. Kearns mixes a fastball that hits 83 miles per hour with a changeup that leaves guys guessing. And Brockett comes in with a slider and curveball that resembles neither Healy's nor Kearns'.

"Healy goes out there and has like 90 strikeouts, and I have like 20," Kearns said.

"I think he's struck out more guys in one game than I have the entire season. When a scout goes out and sees Ryon Healy throwing hard and getting all these strikeouts, I think they expect that out of me. Then when I go out and I'm throwing - not as hard - and getting groundballs, I'm pretty sure the players are thinking, 'This is not what we expected."'

Added Brockett: "Healy's got an armada of pitches, but his best is his fastball. John's is definitely his changeup. Mine is my slider. We all throw differently, and I think that keeps get guys off-balance."

With the pitching up and the hitting still strong, the Celts once again find themselves in the semifinals.

If Kearns can get Crespi through today, then it's on to the finals - and on to Healy.

"The main word of this whole season has been probably been execution," Healy said.

"These playoffs, we've been really executing well. And it's why we're winning. I think we finally bought into the season. We have a lot of independent guys - me, included, to be honest - and we want to be successful with our own numbers.

"Once we got into the word `team,' it started to work."

Brandon Greenberg’s season continues to excel as he posted another season best on his way to qualifying for the California State Track & Field Championships. At last week’s CIF Championships he posted a season best 56’ 4” winning the CIF Division III shot put title. Last Friday at the CIF Southern Section Masters meet Greenberg’s goal was to hit 56’ 8” (the automatic qualifying mark for State).

Not only did he qualify for the State Championships he placed 4th with a huge throw of 57’ 10.75” another foot and a half improvement. Greenberg heads to the CIF State Meet held at Buchanan High School in Clovis. This is the 3rd straight year Crespi has had athletes qualify for the State Meet. Good Luck Brandon!!!

Crespi's Healy strikes out 13 Div. II quarterfinal victory over Damien

By Jon Gold, Special to the Daily News

PREP BASEBALL: Crespi starter records 13 strikeouts in Div. II quarterfinal victory.

LA VERNE -- Ryon Healy screamed and he shouted and he spit and he swore.

One ball, he could understand.

Two errant pitches, he could swallow.

Three wild throws over the batter's head?

Unacceptable.

But there Healy was, with a three-ball, no-strike count against Damien of La Verne's Mark Garcia, the penultimate batter in Crespi of Encino's Southern Section Div. II matchup with the host Spartans.

Healy collected himself, went back to his bread -- his fastball -- for two pitches, and his butter -- his curveball -- for the third strike, and pumped his fist emphatically.

Then Healy threw another strikeout, his 13th of the game, and the Celts were headed to the semifinals with a 6-2 win.

"I threw three pitches above his head, and I just got really frustrated," said Healy, sheepishly, after throwing a four-hitter.

"`I was like, `Come on, you've come this far; you've got to finish this out.' I beared down with two fastballs over the middle, and then I got a curveball -- a (gutsy) pitch with a 3-2 count, but I got him to chase."

The Spartans were chasing Healy all afternoon.

Healy was brilliant early, with four strikeouts in the first five batters, and late, striking out the last five. Damien only got to the Celts pitcher when he deviated from his game plan of fastball, fastball and more fastball in the middle innings, scoring single runs in the third and fifth innings to tie the score at 2-2.

"I think coach (Scott Muckey) and I got away from my game plan," Healy said. "My fastball is probably my No. 1 pitch, and I got away from that. I threw too many curveballs, and they were sitting on it.

"Those last four innings, I started mixing the fastballs in a little more, and I got them off-balance."

Crespi responded to Damien's runs immediately, mixing a little small ball with some power hitting in the top of the sixth inning.

Kevin Williams led off with a single, and Zach Wiley followed with an impeccable bunt, just beating the throw as Williams moved to third.

Healy followed with a sacrifice fly for an RBI, after leading off the second inning with a home run, and then Jordan Camacho smashed a pitch over the centerfield wall, scoring two more.

Just like that, the Celts were in control.

"It's always important to work in the small ball," Camacho said. "If you know Muckey's style of play at all, you know he's going to. As a hitter when I go up there, no offense to my coach, but I'm always hoping that he's gonna say, `Go ahead and hit.' "I want to hit the ball as far as I can, again and again."

Muckey, for one, was a bit relieved by the display of power.

Throughout the season, he has begged and pleaded with his players to execute the simple things of the game -- the bunt, the sacrifice fly, the taking of an extra base.

"I'll tell you what, we have not been very good with the small-ball game," Muckey said. "But it comes in handy. It sets the pace, keeps the defense on edge, and you do get a few more fastballs for the hitter to hit."

Crespi 6, Damien 2 - Crespi pitcher, Ryon Healy, tossed a complete game 4-hitter in the quarterfinals of the CIF Division II Championships at Damien High School. Healy struck out 13, including the last 5 hitters of the game, in route to his tenth victory of the season against no defeats.

Healy battled out of trouble in each of the third, fourth, and fifth innings. He left a runner on second in the third, first and second in the fourth, and second and third, 1 out, in the fifth. He retired the final 8 hitters in order to finish the game.

Crespi (19-11) scored 1 run in the second inning with Healy’s towering solo homerun. With the score tied at 1, Healy singled, moved to third on Josh Mason’s double, and scored when Mike Hubbard’s ground ball was thrown away at first base.

  

The Celts scored 3 in the sixth inning as Kevin Williams walked, move to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on Zack Wiley’s bunt single and scored on Healy’s sacrafice fly. Wiley then scored on Jordan Camacho’s opposite field homerun to put the game at 5-2.

  

Crespi scored an insurance run in the seventh inning as Spencer Wendt and Austin Walker singled. Wendt later scored on Williams’ sacrafice fly.

The Celts will move to the CIF semifinals with Redlands East Valley at L A Valley College Tuesday at 3:15. Winner moves on to Angel Stadium.

By Francis James, Daily News Correspondent

LA VERNE - Ryon Healy's arm was as good as advertised. His bat may have even been more impressive.

The total package was enough to knock Damien High School's baseball team out of the CIF-Southern Section Division II playoffs Friday.

Healy, a junior from Crespi High, threw a six-hitter and struck out 13. He also hit a home run estimated at 430 feet that landed near second base on the freshman field beyond in left-center.

Healy's efforts led the Celts to a 6-2 victory that ended Damien's season at 21-9. Crespi (19-11) will play in the semifinals Tuesday.

"You have to tip your hat off to him (Healy) and their team," first-year Damien coach Al Leyva said. "They made the plays, got the big outs and their pitcher made the big pitches.

"He is the real deal."

Healy drove in the first two Crespi runs, including his towering blast to start the scoring in the second.

"I like to hit," said Healy, who at 6 foot, 4 inches and 205 pounds was an imposing figure on the mound and in the batter's box. He improved to 10-0 this season.

"The big thing with the homer was it got us the lead. We wanted to stay in front all game. That was important."

The Spartans had their chances. After doubles by Adam Young and Ray Ortega tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth, Damien had runners on second and third with just one out.

"We had a few chances but that was our big chance," Leyva said. "We sure could have used pushing across a couple of runs right there and put the pressure on them."

Healy instead got George Ortega to fly out to short right and struck out Josh Herrera to end the threat.

"The first five hitters in their lineup can really rake," Healy said.

"Getting them out and keeping us tied was big. I think that changed the game for good and gave us momentum."

The Celts used the energy to score four times off a pair of Damien relievers in the sixth and seventh innings. The big blow was a two-run homer by Jordan Camacho in the sixth, which proved to be more than enough for Healy.

"Once we got the lead I didn't want to give it back," said Healy, who struck out six of the last seven batters he faced.

Junior James Guillen got the loss for the Spartans.

Damien starter Mark Garcia, a senior left-hander, kept the Spartans in the game with four solid innings.

Garcia allowed just one earned run while giving up three hits and striking out three. He didn't walk a batter.

"We had a great run and a very good season," Leyva said. "Hopefully we started something here that we can really build on."

Baseball: Healy improves to 10-0 for victorious Crespi

Junior right-hander Ryon Healy struck out 13, allowed four hits and improved to 10-0 as Encino Crespi defeated Damien, 6-2, in a Southern Section Division II quarterfinal game Friday.

Healy also had two hits. Crespi (19-11)  received a two-run home run from Jordan Camacho.

The Celts will host Redlands East Valley in a Tuesday semifinal.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Josh Kearns allowed one earned run in six innings, and Ryon Healy came in for the save in the seventh to help Encino Crespi defeat Garden Grove Pacifica, 2-1, in a Southern Section Division II second-round playoff game.

The Celts (18-11) scored both of their runs in the fourth inning on a Healy single, a triple by Josh Mason and a single by Austin Walker.

-- Eric Sondheimier, L.A. Times

by Coach Jess Garner, Crespi Track & Field

Brandon Greenberg has had an amazing year. Early in the season the junior had a goal of hitting 50 feet in the shot put. He surpassed that goal at the second meet of the season. He spoke with his shot put coach, Tim Selby, and made a new goal of 55 feet. He accomplished that goal and more. Last Saturday Greenberg won the CIF Division III Shot Put at Cerritos College with a throw of 56 feet 5 and a quarter inches. Not only did that garner him an individual CIF championship, it also qualified him for this Friday’s Masters Southern Section Finals at Cerritos College. If he finishes in the top five he will qualify for the state meet being held at Buchanan High School in Clovis. He would also qualify by hitting the automatic qualifying mark of 56 feet 8 inches, just 2 and three quarter inches beyond his personal best. Congrats Greenberg!!

By Scott French, Special to the Daily News

GARDEN GROVE - Scott Muckey's plan is all about trying to win a CIF Southern Section championship, so he didn't hesitate Tuesday in giving the ball to his No. 2 pitcher, even with his ace ready to go.

And John Kearns didn't disappoint, settling down after a shaky start to outduel one of Southern California's top throwers and lead visiting Crespi High of Encino into the Div.II quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory against Pacifica of Garden Grove.

Kearns kept the Mariners' potent attack off kilter and worked out of several tough situations before giving way to star hurler Ryon Healy, who added a save to his 9-0 record with a 1-2-3 seventh as the Celts (18-11) advanced to a showdown Friday with Damien of LaVerne (21-8).

"We battled out of some definite jams there, and that was it," said Muckey, Crespi's coach. "And we caught a couple of breaks and scored a couple of runs, and there you go. And we turned it over to Healy, and three up, three down."

Healy had tossed a two-hitter in a 6-0 romp over Alta Loma in the first round, but Muckey went with Kearns (3-2) because "we're not playing to survive and advance, we're trying to go all the way."

Kearns stumbled at first - he walked Nick Lum with one out in the first, gave him second base with an errant pickoff throw then surrendered a run-scoring double to Kyle Maury - but shut out Pacifica (20-9) over the next five innings, even as the Mariners put runners in scoring position in every inning through the fifth.

"First inning came out a little shaky," Healy noted, "but John Kearns settled down and threw a gem of a game."

Said Pacifica coach Mike Caira: "You have to take your hat off to that pitcher. He did real well, kept us off balance."

"He made the pitched he needed to make," Muckey said. "I think in any ballgame if you rise to the occasion on four or five pitches, you'll win that ballgame. And if you don't, you'll probably lose that ballgame. And he made those pitches."

Pacifica star Brett Gerritse (10-2), who is headed to Long Beach State, dazzled the Celts with a 90-plus mph fastball and a curveball that was even better.

"It was fun to watch him throw," Kearns said. "He threw strikes, and he threw curveballs that were just like money. It was fun to watch."

But Crespi got to Gerritse in the fourth, scoring twice on three hits, then survived the would-be tying run in the fifth, successfully appealing at third base after a sacrifice fly.

"It looked to me like they were going to beat us 1-0," Muckey said. "And then all of a sudden we score those two runs, and, `Hey, maybe we've got a chance here."'

Healy singled to center to start the fourth, then scored when Josh Mason clubbed a one-out double off the wall to deep center, taking third when center fielder Clay Leonard fumbled the carom. Mason was out at the plate on Michael Hubbard's bunt, but Hubbard stole second and scored on Austin Walker's single up the middle.

The Mariners appeared to tie the score in the fifth. Freshman Trent Chatterton doubled past a diving Mason in center, took third on a sacrifice, then headed home as right fielder Hubbard made a diving catch of Daniel Urbina's flair. When Kearns threw to third on appeal, the umpires ruled that Chatterton had left early, erasing the run, and four Pacifica coaches took the field to protest. One assistant was tossed from the game.

"We just threw the ball to third," said Muckey, who was watching Hubbard make the catch when Chatterton took off. "Someone in the stands yelled, `He didn't tag up,' so, `OK, let's throw the ball to third."'

Caira said Chatterton "was on the bag the whole time; we practice guys diving, to make sure you take that extra second," but was philosophical: "The kids are devastated, but games aren't won and lost on one play. We'll just have to go back and try harder next time."

Kearns got Pacifica out 1-2-3 in the sixth, and Healy finished the job.

"The weight just shifted over here (on the appeal play)," Healy said. "That just kind of broke their hearts, that play right there, and that really just gave us an extra boost for the rest of the game."

Congratulations to the following members of the Aqua Celts for breaking a spectacular 5 school records this season!

Varsity School Records Broken

500 Freestyle – Armen Darbinyan, 4:37.09 at Mission League Finals
***Previously held in 2005 by Patrick Simpkins ’06, 4:41.61

Frosh-Soph School Records Broken

200 Medley Relay – 1:41.83 at C.I.F. Prelims
Backstroke leg, Devon Blankenship
Breastroke leg, Michael Tsay
Butterfly leg, Brennan Simpkins
Freestyle leg, Armen Darbinyan

***Previously held in 2003 with the time of 1:42.81
Backstrock leg, Brock Roverud, ‘05
Breaststroke leg, Matt Majcher, ‘05
Butterfly leg, Patrick Simpkins, ‘06
Freestyle leg, Cory Seeholzer, ‘05

200 Freestyle – Armen Darbinyan, 1:42.91 at C.I.F. Prelims
***Previously held in 1989 by Rusty King ’91, 1:43.62

200 I.M. – Michael Tsay, 1:59.03 at C.I.F. Prelims
***Previously held in 2008 by Michael Tsay, 1:59.97

500 Freestyle – Armen Darbinyan, 4:37.09 at Mission League Finals
***Previously held in 1989 by Mark Wong ’82, 4:49.48

400 Freestyle Relay – 3:23.60 at the dual meet vs. Alemany
Michael Tsay
Brennan Simpkins
Nick Haney
Armen Darbinyan

***Previously held in 1989 with the time of 3:30.34
P. Vincze
T. Behrens
B. Edwards
J. Michel

Congratulations to Daniel Stork and Brandon LeBrock for receiving 1st Team All Mission League Honors.

Also, Ryan Callahan and Liam Gallagher received 2nd Team All Mission League Honors.

Dustin Doty, Senior Defenseman, 1st Team All Mission League
Brad Lattanzio, Jr. Long Stick Midfielder, 2nd Team All Mission League
Kyle Milack, Sophomore Defense, 2nd Team All Mission League

Seven athletes from the Track & Field team have qualified for CIF Division III preliminaries to be held at Estancia High School in Costa Mesa on Saturday, May 16th.

Qualifiers include:
4x100m Relay of Jeremiah McKibbins, Cameron Bivens, Bryan Bennett & Kevin Cummings
Kevin Cummings in the 100m dash
Bryan Bennett in the Long Jump & Triple Jump
Harrison Knight in the Triple Jump
Brennan Ricketson in the Pole Vault
Brandon Greenberg in the Shot Put

Go Celts!!

Junior pitcher Ryon Healy continues to have a standout season for Encino Crespi. On Tuesday night at Birmingham, he struck out 14, walked none and allowed one hit in the Celts' 9-1 Mission League victory over Mission Hills Alemany.

Crespi (16-10, 8-3) remained one game behind Sherman Oaks Notre Dame with one to play.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

Crespi had four players advance to the second round of Mission League final which is being played today at Encino. All of these players shot 79 or better, The Crespi coach also qualified by shooting a 79 and is in second in the coach's competition.

Chris Capo
Russell McFall
Luke Desisti
Tyler Munroe

Chaminade 79 - Crespi 75

Singles

#1 Kiarash Shirazi
vs  1 Josh Noddle 5-7
vs 2 Scott Kaplan 1-6
vs Jeff Stroesenreuther 6-1

2 Arin Safarian
vs 1 6-4
vs 2 6-4
vs 3 4-6

3 John Poupis
vs 1 0-6
vs 2 2-6
vs 3 4-6

Doubles

#1 Max Segal / Jules Urbanski
vs 1 S Stewart / C Roewe 6-4
vs 2 A Bagley / A Reyes 6-0
vs 3 C Stewart / C White 6-4

#2 Joey Laskin / Charlie Onorati
vs 1 6-4
vs 2 6-2
vs 3 6-2

#3 Britton Henriksen / Conor Beesemyer
vs 1 2-6
vs 2  3-6

vs default 0-6

By Jack Pollon - Daily News Blogs

Crespi of Encino didn't make the playoffs last year after going a surprising 0-3 in the Serra League but the Celts are more than excited about 2009.

Crespi returns several impact players including seven who were recently invited to a photo shoot at the Rose Bowl for the TomLemming.com recruiting service.

QB Bryan Bennett, WR Blake Stanton, RB/WR Brandon Graves, OL/DL Hroniss Grasu, RB Rasheed Johnson, TE Pierce Richardson and WR Devin Lucien lead the Celts.

Crespi has also picked up transfer Charles Washington from Leuzinger of Lawndale, a wide receiver, who started his high school career in Katy, Texas.

Other key players for Crespi include DE Reggie Coates, S Kevin Williams, RB/DB Brad Lattanzio, OL/DL Mike Mitchell and OL/DL Ben Loth.

Here is Crespi's schedule.

Week 0 vs. Lancaster
Week 1 at Birmingham
Week 2 at Servite
Week 3 vs. St. Bonaventure
Week 4 vs. Saugus
Week 5 BYE
Week 6 at Alemany
Week 7 vs. St. Paul
Week 8 at Notre Dame
Week 9 vs. Bishop Amat
Week 10 at Loyola

by Chris Foster, L.A. Times

Kevin Prince today was named UCLA's No. 1 quarterback by Coach Rick Neuheisel, confirming what had been obvious throughout spring practice.

Prince, who will be a redshirt freshman in the fall, spent most of spring practice almost exclusively working with the first-team offense. His performance was spotty at times, including missing his first six passes -- one of which was intercepted -- in the spring game. But he also demonstrated a strong and accurate arm and was quick to grasp the offense.

by Jacob Pollon

Crespi defeated Harvard-Westlake 31-29, 35-33, 25-21.

Brandon LaBrock had 23 kills and David Stork had 47 assists to lead the Celts (20-6, 8-2) in a three game sweep.

Ryan Callahan had 10 kills and Liam Gallagher contributed 15 digs to help Crespi stay in second place behind undefeated Loyola of Los Angeles.

The victory for Crespi was its second sweep of Harvard-Westlake.

"We kept our composure," Callahan said. "We played solid all night. The passing was good and we put balls away when we needed to."

Matt Bagnard and Ryan Plueger had 17 and 12 kills to lead the Wolverines (13-8, 5-4).

Harvard Westlake 16 - Crespi 2

Singles:

1. Calvin Page
vs #1 J Frons 6-0
vs 2  J. Bu     7-6
vs 3 J Sperling 3-6

2. Giancarlo Battaglia
vs #1 J Frons 4-6
vs 2 J Bu 3-6
vs J Sperling 4-6

3 Martin Lopez
vs #1 J Frons 2-6
vs J Bu          1-6
vs J Sperling 6-2

 

Doubles
1. Kiarash Shirazi / John Poupis
vs #1 S Kesluk / A Schwartz 1-6
vs 2 N. Natsis / S Suk        0-6
vs 3 Joey Laskin/ Jules Urbanski (subs)  vs A Moelis / W Hinson 6-7 tb 4-7 

2 Kevin Noori / Conor Beesemyer
vs 1 0-6
vs 2 0-6
vs 3 0-6

3 Max Segal / Charlie Onorati
vs  #1 2-6
Britton Henriksen / Arin Safarian (subs) vs #2 N Natsis / S Suk 5-7

vs #3 0-6

Congratulations to the swim team who dominated Alemany yesterday with a score of 104 – 65. The Aqua Celts have finished their regular season with a winning record of 6 -2, losing only to Loyola and Harvard Westlake.

Stand out swims yesterday came from Freshman Armen Darbinyan and sophomore Michael Tsay who finished 1st place in all of their individual events. Senior Paul Wagner also touched 1st in the 50 Yard Freestyle. The Celts also won both the 200 and 400 Freestyle Relays. Also congratulations to the 400 Freestyle relay team of Michael Tsay, Brennan Simpkins, Nick Haney, and Armen Darbinyan who further improved on their record set previously in the season.

Mission League prelims begin next Friday, May 1st at the San Fernando Aquatic Center. Wish us luck!

Crespi 10 ND 8

#1 Singles Giancarlo Battaglia
vs 1 Mark Ellis 4-6
vs2 Will Berman 6-4
vs 3 Jonathan Prydekker 6-1

#2 Kiarash Shirazi
vs 1 0-6
vs 2 4-6
vs 3 5-7

#3 Arin Safarian
vs 1 1-6
John Poupis (sub) vs 2 0-6
vs 3 2-6

Doubles
#1 Charlie Onorati / Jules Urbanski
vs1 Ethan Barnes / Jordan Gipe  4-6
vs 2 Eddie Lee / Michael Choy 6-2
vs RJ De Los Santos / Nick Chihaia 7-6 tb 7-0

#2 Calvin Page / Max Segal
vs 1 6-1
vs 2 6-1
vs 3 6-2

#3 Martin Lopez / Joey Laskin
vs1 6-4
vs2 6-1

vs 3 6-1

Crespi 9 - Chaminade 9 (Tiebreak Score Chaminade 74 - Crespi 69

#1 Singles Giancarlo Battaglia
vs 1 Scott Kaplan 6-4
vs 2 Cameron Villadiego 6-0
vs 3 Andrew Bagley 6-1

#2 Kiarash Shirazi
Arin Safarian ( Sub) vs 1 Scott Kaplan 1-6
vs 2 C Villadiego 7-6 TB 7-1
vs 3 A Bagley 6-2

#3 Britton Henriksen
vs 1 S Kaplan 2-6
Conor Beesemyer (sub) vs C Villadiego 2-6
vs A Bagley 6-1

Doubles
#1 Calvin Page / Charlie Onorati
vs 1 C. Rowe / C White 6-1
vs 2 J Deardoff / S . Stewart 0-6
vs 3 J Noddles / J Reuther 6-0

#2 Joey Laskin / Max Segal
vs 1 0-6
vs 2 5-7
vs 3 3-6

# Kevin Noori / John Poupis