LOCALS CONTINUE ASCENT UP CIF RANKINGS
Upon the release of the CIF Southern Section's newest top-10 rankings, there are currently eight local squads ranked in the top five.
Both La Cañada High and Crescenta Valley have boys' water polo teams atop Division I and VI, respectively, where they've been all season.
Both will be tested mightily this week.
The Spartans host Harvard-Westlake, the fourth-ranked team in Division I, today at Pasadena City College. The Falcons host La Serna, Division III's ninth-ranked squad on Thursday.
St. Francis' football team held strong to its No. 2 slot in the Western Division, but will face the Central Division's No. 3 team, Burroughs on Friday at Friedman Field.
Also on the gridiron, La Cañada held its No. 3 spot.
Flintridge Prep's cross-country contingent, both the girls and boys, are ranked second in the latest Division V poll.
Rounding out the top-five teams in the top 10 are Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's volleyball team, which stayed at fifth in Division IA, and Crescenta Valley's third-ranked girls' cross-country team, which resides in Division I.
Flintridge Prep football (East Valley Division, 10th), Flintridge Prep boys' water polo (Division VI, 10th), Crescenta Valley's boys' cross-country team (Division I, seventh), Crescenta Valley's girls' volleyball team (Division IIA, 10th) and La Cañada girls' volleyball (Division IIA, seventh) are also ranked.
COMING UP SHORT IN
PIONEER LEAGUE
Former area baseball standouts Trevor Bell of Crescenta Valley High and RJ Brown of St. Francis had their minor league seasons recently ended in the Pioneer League postseason.
Bell is a starting pitcher for the Orem Owlz, a rookie league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Brown is a first baseman for the Billings Mustangs, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Both had their teams swept in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Brown's Mustangs lost to the Missoula Osprey, 6-4 and 10-2, in respective games Sept. 9 and 10.
The former Golden Knight didn't play in either game, however. His last game played was on Sept. 6, as he went 0 for four with a walk and one run scored.
Brown, a rookie free agent, hit .211 for the year with Billings, appearing in 39 games and tallying 24 hits in 114 at bats.
His first minor league season saw him hit a collective .234, as he hit .348 in seven games for the Gulf Coast League Reds.
