El Segundo

Charles Rich CRESCENTA VALLEY HIGH -- Michael Hoy draped a multiple color towel over his body to shield himself from the cold air Thursday. He could be forgiven if he had used it as a device to cover up the black and blue marks on his upper body. Hoy, the Crescenta Valley High boys' water polo goalkeeper, was the center of attention as he turned aside numerous skip shots that made him appear as if he were a massive pinball machine target. Hoy made 12 saves, including eight in the second half, to lead Crescenta Valley (22-4)

EL SEGUNDO — Ever since ending last season as its champion, the Crescenta Valley High boys’ water polo team has been ranked as the top team in CIF Southern Section Division VI. But so far this season, the cohesive play and precision that earned the Falcons that prestige in 2008 have been missing all too often, leaving questions in the wake of some early losses as to whether this team can duplicate that success. Amid the process of working out some kinks, Crescenta Valley was effective for stretches of its nonleague matchup with El Segundo, the fifth-ranked team in Division V, on Thursday, but never really threatened to erase a five-goal lead the Eagles built in the second quarter of a 15-9 loss at Urho Saari pool in El Segundo.

LA CRESCENTA ? A clever defense might be the determining factor as to how far the Crescenta Valley High boys' water polo squad will advance in the postseason. Crescenta Valley Coach Jan Sakonju will be the first to admit that, even after the Falcons finally began to click on offense with a five-goal fourth quarter that allowed Crescenta Valley to record a come-from-behind 9-5 nonleague victory against visiting El Segundo on Tuesday. There's a reason why the Falcons (7-3) are ranked first in CIF Southern Section Division VI. It didn't take long for Sakonju to address the issue.

Tough competition and close finishes have done nothing but magnify the magnificence that has been the fantastic start to the 2008 season for the Crescenta Valley High boys? water polo team. ?It?s a phenomenal start,? said Falcons Coach Jan Sakonju, whose team outlasted top-ranked Pasadena Poly on Saturday and staved off a game El Segundo, 13-11, in Wednesday afternoon?s nonleague tilt at Crescenta Valley High. ?It?s good to get these matches against these top teams.? It was El Segundo that knocked off Crescenta Valley in the CIF Division VI semifinals two seasons ago, but both squads have clearly changed.

THOUSAND OAKS — "Carmageddon" didn't stop the La Crescenta 14-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team from making it to Thousand Oaks High on Saturday morning. The closure of the 405 Freeway for construction and maintenance near the vicinity didn't prove to be much of a deterrent for the locals, but they did encounter some gridlock on the field in their attempt to cut a clear path to the championship game of the Babe Ruth League Southern California State Tournament. La Crescenta was knocked from the winner's bracket in its morning game against El Segundo with a 9-1 loss before rallying back to the championship round with a 9-5 win over Simi Valley in a loser's bracket game Saturday afternoon.

GLENDALE — The La Crescenta 14-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team found itself in a tough predicament — having to compete in four games in less than 48 hours. While La Crescenta was able to get through the grueling schedule of the Southern California State Tournament, the exhaustion from the high level of competition ultimately led to the closure of its season. Still, La Crescenta went down to its final at-bat with the bases loaded in a 10-6 loss to El Segundo in the tournament's championship game Sunday at Thousand Oaks High.

Hamlet Nalbandyan The spurts were there. Not all the time, but enough times. The La Canada High boys' water polo team was far from its best Tuesday in a nonleague match against visiting El Segundo, but with that said, the Spartans still had plenty of firepower. Fueled by the return of News-Press All-Area first-teamer Eric Murphy, Larry Naeve's squad had little trouble beating the Eagles, 13-9. It was just the second match of the season for Murphy, who's missed most of the season because of an orbital blowout fracture in his left eye. He scored a team-high three goals Tuesday in helping the No. 2-ranked Spartans (7-6)

Charles Rich There's a behind-the-scenes story concerning the La Canada High boys' water polo team. It goes something like this: The Spartans have toppled opponents with a take-charge offense, but there's also a gritty defense that's on track to possibly help the Spartans win their first CIF Southern Section Division III championship since 1999. As an example, take a look at La Canada's convincing 12-2 victory Saturday against El Segundo in a quarterfinal match at Santa Monica High.

Hamlet Nalbandyan GLENDALE HIGH -- The Glendale High softball team dropped to 1-3 with Thursday's 2-1 loss to El Segundo in a winners'-bracket game of the Hoover Classic, but the Nitros are far from a team that resembles their record. All three of their losses have come way of 2-1 setbacks, two of them to Burbank High in which Glendale led 1-0 both times. Against El Segundo at Glendale High, both runs the Eagles scored were unearned. The Nitros will now play in the third-place game of the tournament against Hoover High, which fell to Burbank, 2-1, Thursday.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan The La Crescenta Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Stars still have one more game left in them. If Coach Joe Sember's baseball team has its way, it will make room for another. La Crescenta advanced to the championship game of the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament by defeating Bakersfield Southwest, 9-6, on Monday in the second-chance bracket final at El Segundo Recreation Park's Stevenson Field. -- BOX SCORE -- -- Bakersfield SW 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 -- 6 9 0 La Crescenta 1 1 5 1 1 0 x -- 9 11 4 -- -- Bakersfield SW IP H R ER BB K Hoyt 2.1 6 6 6 5 0 Valdez 2.2 4 3 3 2 1 Inman 1 1 0 0 0 1 Totals 6 11 9 9 7 2 -- -- La Crescenta IP H R ER BB K Costanzo 6 9 6 3 2 6 Klein 1 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 7 9 6 3 2 6 -- -- WP-- Costanzo (2-0)

GLENDALE — The La Crescenta 14-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team found itself in a tough predicament — having to compete in four games in less than 48 hours. While La Crescenta was able to get through the grueling schedule of the Southern California State Tournament, the exhaustion from the high level of competition ultimately led to the closure of its season. Still, La Crescenta went down to its final at-bat with the bases loaded in a 10-6 loss to El Segundo in the tournament's championship game Sunday at Thousand Oaks High.

THOUSAND OAKS — "Carmageddon" didn't stop the La Crescenta 14-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team from making it to Thousand Oaks High on Saturday morning. The closure of the 405 Freeway for construction and maintenance near the vicinity didn't prove to be much of a deterrent for the locals, but they did encounter some gridlock on the field in their attempt to cut a clear path to the championship game of the Babe Ruth League Southern California State Tournament. La Crescenta was knocked from the winner's bracket in its morning game against El Segundo with a 9-1 loss before rallying back to the championship round with a 9-5 win over Simi Valley in a loser's bracket game Saturday afternoon.

EL SEGUNDO — Ever since ending last season as its champion, the Crescenta Valley High boys’ water polo team has been ranked as the top team in CIF Southern Section Division VI. But so far this season, the cohesive play and precision that earned the Falcons that prestige in 2008 have been missing all too often, leaving questions in the wake of some early losses as to whether this team can duplicate that success. Amid the process of working out some kinks, Crescenta Valley was effective for stretches of its nonleague matchup with El Segundo, the fifth-ranked team in Division V, on Thursday, but never really threatened to erase a five-goal lead the Eagles built in the second quarter of a 15-9 loss at Urho Saari pool in El Segundo.

GLENDALE — Just a day removed from staving off elimination to the tune of a 15-run offensive, it was the La Crescenta 15-year-old Babe Ruth All-Star squad that was on the wrong end of an offensive onslaught. La Crescenta gave its best in rallying from an early double-digit deficit, but it wasn’t enough to stay alive, as Torrance prevailed, 13-7, to eliminate the locals in Friday night’s Babe Ruth 15-year-old Southern California All-Star Tournament at Stevenson Field in El Segundo.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — One regrettable pitch in the decisive sixth inning was the only costly mistake Crescenta Valley High starting pitcher Jake Lehne made on Wednesday evening against El Segundo, but the price of that hanging curveball was great indeed. The senior right-hander carried the Falcons through a game that remained scoreless going into the sixth and he had allowed just one hit and two baserunners through 5 2/3 innings. But with two outs in the top of the sixth, pinch-hitter Richard Seigel poked an opposite-field single to left field and catcher Justin McCullough followed with a 395-foot blast to dead-center field.

Tough competition and close finishes have done nothing but magnify the magnificence that has been the fantastic start to the 2008 season for the Crescenta Valley High boys? water polo team. ?It?s a phenomenal start,? said Falcons Coach Jan Sakonju, whose team outlasted top-ranked Pasadena Poly on Saturday and staved off a game El Segundo, 13-11, in Wednesday afternoon?s nonleague tilt at Crescenta Valley High. ?It?s good to get these matches against these top teams.? It was El Segundo that knocked off Crescenta Valley in the CIF Division VI semifinals two seasons ago, but both squads have clearly changed.

Four members of the Crescenta Valley boys' varsity water polo team have been named to the All-CIF Southern Section Division VI teams. According to the All-Southern California Water Polo Coaches' Association, seniors Mason Hawthorne, the Pacific League Player of the Year, and goalie Sam Blum, who is the school's all-time saves leader in water polo, were named to the All-CIF First Team. Seniors Ben Stephens and Jin Kim made the Second Team and Nick Lee was picked for the Third Team.

IRVINE — Slow starts were as much a part of the Crescenta Valley High boys' water polo team's year as the No. 1 ranking that preceded it all season. So, as the Falcons entered the fourth quarter Friday afternoon down by two goals, the CIF berth they had been seeking all year still seemed within reach. "We have seven minutes to decide who's going to Belmont," the public address bellowed at Irvine's William Woollett Jr., Aquatics Center. Only this time, the Falcons were unable to escape their early match hesitance.

LA CRESCENTA ? A clever defense might be the determining factor as to how far the Crescenta Valley High boys' water polo squad will advance in the postseason. Crescenta Valley Coach Jan Sakonju will be the first to admit that, even after the Falcons finally began to click on offense with a five-goal fourth quarter that allowed Crescenta Valley to record a come-from-behind 9-5 nonleague victory against visiting El Segundo on Tuesday. There's a reason why the Falcons (7-3) are ranked first in CIF Southern Section Division VI. It didn't take long for Sakonju to address the issue.