Edgar-Melik Stepanyan
It's only six games into the Rio Hondo League schedule, and La Canada
isn't going to be dethroned without a fight, but the dawning of a new
top team in league might be on the horizon.
The Monrovia High softball team hasn't won a league title yet. The
Wildcats are far from clinching one this year, and they made the
playoffs last season for the first time in Coach Randy Medina's
four-year tenure.
But from the looks of the league landscape, the Wildcats might
have the tools to start a run toward several titles.
Monrovia looked impressive against the five-time defending league
champion Thursday, using 10 hits and benefiting from five La Canada
errors, en route to snapping the Spartans' 24-game league winning
streak with a 7-2 home win.
It marked the first time the Wildcats defeated the Spartans in at
least 15 years, according to Medina, who had reason to be excited
afterward.
"It feels like [something special might happen]," said Medina,
whose squad (13-2, 5-1 in league) -- which is in a first-place tie
with the Spartans (9-5, 5-1) -- boasts two seniors, one junior, two
sophomores and four freshmen in its starting lineup.
"These group of freshmen [twins Krissy Mihm and Courtney Mihm,
Katie McWhirter and pitchers Samantha Rogers and Brittney Bateson]
have brought an influx of youth and excitement."
La Canada Coach Brock Turner -- who was an assistant under
then-Coach Bart Dickins when the Spartans last dropped a league game
April 2, 2002, at Temple City -- gave the Wildcats due credit for a
job well done Thursday, but he wasn't about to proclaim them as the
league's best team yet.
"They are all good," Turner said. "My hats off to them.
"If you ask me after five years, and [if] they have won five
[league titles] in a row, then, I'll say they're a dynasty."
Rogers was arguably the most impressive of all the underclassmen.
The pitcher (6-2) scattered three hits -- one after the first inning
-- and set down 11 of the final 12, including retiring eight of nine,
spanning from the first to the third innings.
Rogers also drove in a run. Krissy Mihm and McWhirter scored two
runs apiece.
La Canada took a 2-1 lead when Lisa Leverton -- running for
pitcher Candace Ondrejcka -- scored on an error in the fourth.
Monrovia responded with two runs in its half of the inning to take
the lead for good.
"We lost the battle, but we haven't lost the war yet," said
Turner, whose squad will host Monrovia at 3:30 p.m. Monday in a
makeup of an April 1 rainout.
"We have to work hard and look at what has gotten us here."
Turner also said that Ciri Bryan -- a senior who was the Spartans'
top hitter until being dismissed from the team in mid-April -- is "no
longer playing softball at La Canada due to violations of team
policy."
He declined to further elaborate.
