CV, Burroughs poised for CIF

The Crescenta Valley High and Burroughs girls' golf teams proved they were among the top teams in the ultra-competitive Pacific League. Now, the Falcons and Indians want to prove they are among the top teams in CIF.

Crescenta Valley and Burroughs will be presented that opportunity when they participate in the CIF Southern Section Central Team Divisional at 8 a.m. Thursday at Jurupa Hills Country Club in Riverside.

Crescenta Valley finished second in league behind Arcadia and will make its first trip to the event since 2008, when it finished 10th at the Central Divisional. Burroughs finished third in league this season and will return to the playoffs again after taking seventh last season. The top three teams from the league punched their ticket to the postseason.

Crescenta Valley second-year Coach Lee Pope said he's eager to see how the Falcons perform following a second-half surge that saw them go from fourth to second in league.

"We have confidence going and we have proven to ourselves that we are a good team," Pope said. "At first, we didn't think we would get back to CIF until next year because we have a young team. All of our players more than lived up to their expectations.

"We can certainly improve, but it will definitely be tougher. We are going to have to have a career-best day to move on. It's not impossible. Maybe we can do it. Stranger things have happened."

Crescenta Valley will have Jocelyn Chia, who won the league's individual championship for the first time after winning in a card-off at Jurupa Hills on Thursday, Audrey Chung, Deborah Chin, Amy Park, Alice Yoon and Yoojin Lee in its lineup.

Burroughs will make it's fourth appearance in a row at the event. The Indians will field a lineup that will include Rivipa Losakul, who finished fourth in league, Joany Gao (fifth), Jasmine Daniel, Alex Chandler, Tatiana Rizzotti and Evyn Freedman.

"This is what we've been driving for throughout the season; to make it to the playoffs as a team," Burroughs Coach Greg Everhart said. "We didn't play as well as we would have liked our last couple of league matches, but the team as a whole is really focused on CIF competition.

"We know no matter what place we finish in league, first, second or third, you can still advance in the tournament. We are still going in there with high hopes and expectations and the girls are looking forward to it. The group of girls this year has been awesome and they've really come along as a team."

Crescenta Valley, Burroughs and Arcadia will be joined by teams from the Academy, Big VIII, Camino Real, Citrus Belt, Moore, Ocean, Suburban and Sunset leagues. The top four teams advance to the team final, which will be held Nov. 3 at River Course at the Alisal in Solvang.

Pope said Crescenta Valley, Burroughs and Arcadia might have an advantage in knowing the nuances of the par-70 course of Jurupa.

"That's something that can only help us," Pope said. "We know the distances and what the greens are like.

"It's not an overly long or wide course. There's lots of trees, so the emphasis will be on shot making and keeping the ball of the fairways."