The following are odds and ends from the area sports scene.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS
HOST TOURNEY
So far so good for St. Francis High’s football team this summer.
“We’ve had a good summer,” said St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds, whose team has made it to the semifinals in two past tournaments, losing to Helix in a tournament in San Diego and St. Boneventure in a Pasadena tournament.
The Golden Knights host their annual summer passing tournament today with eight teams on the slate.
The Golden Knights, who lost to Mission League rival Alemany, 38-16, last year in the final, won’t have any league competition to contend with.
Pool play, which consists of three games, begins at 3 p.m. with St. Francis’ first game against Pasadena Poly. Royal and Valencia are also in the Golden Knights’ pool.
La Cañada, which co-hosts the tournament, West Ranch, Moorpark and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame make up the other pool.
After pool play, the three-round tournament begins at 5:45 p.m. The finals are set to begin around 7:30 p.m.
The Golden Knights are led by returning All-Area Player of the Year Dietrich Riley, a defensive back and linebacker on defense and a receiver/running back on offense.
Riley grabbed his share of notice already this summer, garnering scholarship offers from both USC and UCLA before even starting his junior season.
Other prominent returners for St. Francis include quarterback Justin Sciarra, All-Area defensive lineman Rian Younker, All-Area linebacker Chris Sember and All-Area offensive lineman David Sternau — although the linemen won’t have much to do with today’s seven-on-seven competition.
ST. FRANCIS BASEBALL
LIKING NEW LEAGUE
Second-year St. Francis High baseball Coach Brian Esquival is quite thrilled with the Golden Knights first year in the Valley Invitational Baseball League.
“It’s absolutely great for us,” Esquival said. “This is hopefully gonna prepare us for next year.”
The 32-team VIBL features a slew of well-respected teams such as Crespi, Chatsworth, Hart, Saugus, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Cleveland and Moorpark.
“It gives them a chance to see pretty good competition all summer long,” said Esquival, who had seniors-to-be Scottie Morrow and Jeff Johnson represent St. Francis in the VIBL All-Star game on July 6.
St. Francis finished second behind Moorpark in the West Division, going 14-7, while Moorpark went 15-6.
Now, the Golden Knights begin the VIBL playoffs.
They’ll host Valencia at 7 tonight at Jackie Robinson Field, with the winner moving on to face either Royal or Calabassas on Sunday in a best-of-three series.
According to Esquival, the quarterfinal round is also a best-of-three series, before single-elimination semifinal and championship games.
GLENDALE NATIVE
RACES THIS TODAY
Glendale High graduate Bob Faieta is back at it in the Motor Sports Assn. Challenge GT3 Platinum Cup series.
He’ll look to close in on points-leader Dino Steiner at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at the IMSA Challenge.
Faieta, the 2007 series champion, is in second place, but returns to a course in which he won at last sason.
The seventh round of the Porsche 911 GT3 racing begins today at 8:55 a.m., with round eight starting at 1:40 p.m.
“My concern now is catching Dino,” said Faieta in a press release. “I think we’ll be able to catch him.”
