November 25, 2009 | 10:47
am
The Woodland Hills El Camino Real boys' soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the preseason ESPN RISE rankings.
But El Camino Real Coach David Hussey said it will be difficult for the Conquistadores to maintain that ranking because they will start the season next week missing two of their top players, All-City goalie Keon Parsa, bound for Stanford, and Ericson Penate, who scored the winning goal in last year's City final. Both are playing for an Academy team.
Hussey said he hopes both will return at some point during West Valley League play. But the Conquistadores still return Jose Velasquez, who had 13 goals in 18 games.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 25, 2009 | 10:31
am
Our favorite City Section blogger, Crenshaw Nation, is calling Crenshaw''s home stadium, "Bone Crusher Field," and that's where I'll be blogging tonight on the Crenshaw-Westchester City Section quarterfinal game. At least the first half. We'll see if Westchester can put up much of a fight against the unbeaten Cougars (11-0).
I haven't seen Crenshaw since its week five demolishing of Culver City, so I'll be curious to see what kind of improvement the Cougars have made and whether they are equal or have surpassed the pass City team from this decade, the 2007 Milton Knox-led Birmingham team.
We'll also have updates on Dorsey-Taft and Venice-Narbonne.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 24, 2009 | 2:35
pm
Jordan McCraney, a junior outfielder-pitcher from La Puente Bishop Amat, has committed to USC. He's part of an outstanding group of college prospects on the Lancers' roster.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 24, 2009 | 12:58
pm
The news was not good today for Woodland Hills Taft football-track standout D.J. Morgan. An MRI diagnosis on his injured knee revealed a torn ACL and partial tear of the meniscus, according to Coach Matt Kerstetter. His football season is over and his track season is in jeopardy. Surgery will be needed.
Morgan, who has committed to USC, was injured Thursday night during Taft's City Section Division I playoff opener against Garfield. An MRI was done on Friday. A team doctor had expressed concern after examining the injury Thursday night.
It's a devastating blow to sports fans in Los Angeles and elsewhere, because Morgan is the No. 1 hurdler in the world for his age group at 110 meters. Last summer in Italy, he won the 110 hurdes at the World Youth championships.
He also has rushed for nearly 4,800 yards in his four-year football career at Taft.
Taft has lots of depth at the running back position and will likely turn to Lucky Radley to replace Morgan for Wednesday’s quarterfinal playoff game against Los Angeles Dorsey.
But Morgan’s speed and versatility made him a unique player in the City Section. He even served as the backup quarterback last week when starter Bam Goodall was injured in the second quarter. But Morgan went down after a 15-yard run at the outset of the third quarter, and that injury will have ramifications for the rest of the sports season.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 24, 2009 | 12:01
pm
The Chris Sailer kicking group that includes long snapper coach Chris Rubio has struck again. Drew Ferris, a long snapper from Tehachapi, has accepted a scholarship to Oregon.
Another Sailer kicking product, Kip Smith from Broomfield (Colo.), has committed to UCLA. He made a 67-yard field goal this season.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 24, 2009 | 11:51
am
Defensive back Max Napolitano of Westlake Village Oaks Christian has committed to Yale, becoming seventh player off the Lions' 11-0 team to make a college commitment.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 24, 2009 | 11:18
am
Thousand Oaks High was projected to have a very strong girls' basketball program this season -- until the team's top senior tore her anterior cruciate ligament and the squad's best junior decided to quit.
Senior guard Jenna Bandy tore her ACL at the end of summer while playing in a pickup basketball game with her friends at Pepperdine University. She will most likely miss the entire season.
And one of the nation's most heavily recruited juniors, 5-foot-11 forward Karina Alofaituli, decided not to play high school basketball early this fall.
"I can't speculate why she didn't want to play," Coach Rick Cromwell said. "It'll make it a lot easier for the other teams in the Marmonte League."
The coach said she's going to focus on club basketball and she's training with former Canyon girls' basketball coach Stan Delus three times a week.
--Melissa Rohlin
November 24, 2009 | 11:03
am
North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, expected to be one of the top teams in the San Fernando Valley, will not be at full strength when the Wolverines open their season Monday in the Redondo tournament against Torrance Bishop Montgomery at 7 o'clock.
Standout guard Austin Kelly is still recovering from knee surgery and won't be available until mid-December. Sophomore guard Josh Hearlihy is not expected to play this season because of a fracture in his back.
Of course, the good news is that Harvard-Westlake's basketball players playing football could become immediately available because the Wolverines face Oaks Christian on Friday in a playoff game.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 24, 2009 | 10:21
am
Running back Jesse Callier of Downey Warren is putting up rushing statistics that are extraordinary. He has rushed for more than 200 yards in six consecutive games, raising his season total to 2,874 yards and 43 touchdowns.
On Friday night, Warren (10-1) plays host to Mission Hills Alemany (8-3) in a Western Division quarterfinal playoff game, and Alemany Coach Dean Herrington said Callier might be the best running back the Warriors have faced.
"This kid is unbelievable," Herrington said. "The guy is so fast. You miss a tackle and he's gone."
Callier has committed to Washington. Here's a YouTube video from last season.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 24, 2009 | 10:01
am
SOUTHERN SECTION
Quarterfinals, Friday, 7:30 p.m. unless noted
PAC-5 (I)
Dana Hills (9-2) vs. #1 Edison (11-0) at Orange Coast
College
Bishop Amat (10-1) at #4 Lakewood (10-1), 7 p.m.
#3 Servite (10-1) vs. Long Beach Poly (6-5) at Veterans
Stadium (Long Beach), 7 p.m.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (9-2) at #2 Mission Viejo (11-0), 8 p.m.
INLAND (II)
#1 Redlands East Valley (11-0) at Chaparral (8-3)
Corona Centennial (9-2) at #4 Rancho Verde (11-0), 7 p.m.
#3 Norco (10-1) vs. Arlington (10-1) at Ramona
#2 Vista Murrieta (11-0) at Redlands (9-2)
November 24, 2009 | 6:44
am
The Simi Valley alumni game is this week, but it looked like Monday night at Pauley Pavilion the game was already being played when UCLA was facing Pepperdine.
Among the Simi Valley graduates were Pepperdine's Lorne Jackson and UCLA's Tyler Trapani. Pepperdine assistant coach Marty Wilson is a Simi Valley grad. Announcing the game for Prime Ticket was Don MacLean, the best player in Simi Valley history. And one of the officials was Mike Scyphers, the former Simi Valley baseball coach.
Now, if only Simi Valley Coach Christian Aurand could have found a way to get into the conversation.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 24, 2009 | 6:35
am
Junior kicker Jake Van Ginkel of Upland has been known since the Wall Street Journal did a story on him two years ago. It was about his family dedication to kicking, his talent and making a 58-yard field goal on the freshman team.
Well, this season, he's producing spectacular results. He has made 14 of 17 field goals, and is nearly perfect on field goals inside 50 yards (14 of 15).
He has made six field goals in his last two games. In a playoff game last week against Damien, his field goals from 45 and 30 yards gave Upland a 9-6 lead in the third quarter. He's also an outstanding punter.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 23, 2009 | 7:37
pm
GIRLS' TENNIS
SOUTHERN SECTION
Championships, Monday at Claremont Club
Division 1: Campbell Hall 10, Dana Hills 8
Division 2: Palm Desert 13, Chadwick 5
Division 3: San Marino 12, San Luis Obispo 6
Division 4: St. Margaret's 12, Rio Mesa 6
Division 5: Viewpoint 10, Buckley 8
November 23, 2009 | 7:22
pm
Dr. Richard Ferkel, the team doctor for Westlake Village Oaks Christian and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, has a problem on Friday. The two schools are playing each other in a Northwest Division quarterfinal playoff game, so who's Ferkel going to be rooting for?
"He'll be rooting for Harvard-Westlake because they send him more business," Oaks Christian Coach Bill Redell said.
Ferkel has been taking care of Redell-coached teams for 25 years. But his son, Eric, played football for Harvard-Westlake, graduating in 1998, and has become a doctor himself.
The two Ferkels are expected to be on the sideline helping both teams. That's what doctors do.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 23, 2009 | 5:24
pm
The Southern Section has conducted coin flips for semifinal games in football as to who will be the home team. Take a look here to see if you'll be traveling. Anaheim Servite was the luckiest school. It gets to be the home team if it beats Long Beach Poly in the quarterfinals on Friday whether it faces Mission Viejo or Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 23, 2009 | 5:10
pm
Running back Kyle Middlebrooks of Fountain Valley is starting to pick up recruiting offers. Arizona and Arizona State have come forward with offers, according to Greg Biggins of ESPN.com.
Middlebrooks is the favorite to win the state 100-meter track championship this spring.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 23, 2009 | 4:48
pm
The City Section rules committee is expected to vote Tuesday to allow varsity basketball players to use private transportation for league games to help deal with having freshman-sophomore and JV games being played prior to the varsity contest.
Because of budget cuts, schools were going to have to travel together in one bus. Leagues requested flexibility so that varsity players did not have to sit in the bleachers for two games prior to their game.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 23, 2009 | 4:40
pm
The Southern Section boys' and girls' preseason soccer rankings are out, with El Toro and San Clemente ranked No. 1 in Division 1.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 23, 2009 | 4:32
pm
Former Valencia High quarterback Michael Herrick set a Northern Arizona record Saturday when he passed for 574 yards, completing 47 of 65 passes, in a 49-45 loss to Eastern Washington.
Herrick, a junior, was named the co-offensive player of the week in the Big Sky Conference.
-- Eric Sondheimer
November 23, 2009 | 1:14
pm
Harvard-Westlake will scrimmage Santa Monica on the Vikings' home turf tonight at 7 p.m.
Harvard-Westlake won the CIF Division IVA championship last season, finishing with a 22-10 record. The Wolverines will be playing without their top scorer, Nicole Hung, who participated in the tennis championships last Friday. Coach Melissa Hearlihy said she will be sitting out for "safety issues."
The team will run their offense through UC Santa Barbara-bound point guard Nicole Nesbit, University of Hawaii-bound Sydney Haydel and junior sharpshooter Skylar Tsutsui.
Santa Monica was eliminated by Canyon Springs in the CIF Division IA semifinals last season, finishing with a record of 23-8.
The Vikings are led by UCLA-bound Thea Lemberger, UC San Diego-bound Lilly Feder, and two new transfers from Arizona, juniors Bianka Balthazar and Moriah Faulk.
-- Melissa Rohlin
