Harvard Westlake

PASADENA — The window of opportunity for the St. Francis High baseball team to make the CIF playoffs out of the Mission League remains open, although the Golden Knights' recently completed two-game series with Harvard-Westlake certainly didn't do much to help the cause. After losing by 10 runs in a shutout on the road Tuesday, St. Francis was beaten, 9-3, by the Wolverines at Jackie Robinson Field on Friday afternoon for their fourth loss in a row and third straight in league.

GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL Harvard-Westlake 3, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 0 : The Tologs fell to the archrival Wolverines in straight games for the second time this season in Thursday night's 25-19, 25-15, 25-19 Mission League road loss. “I think it was more of the inexperience of playing in a harsh environment and just trying to climb over that ledge right there where you see what's going on and you understand what's going on, but then it's putting all of that into actually playing volleyball,” said first-year Sacred Heart Coach Ernest Banaag, whose team slipped to 10-11 and 4-3 in league.

PASADENA - With virtually an all new lineup in play this season, the members of the St. Francis High golf team have an eye toward reaching the CIF playoffs for the first time since 2009. In trying to achieve that goal during the next two months, the Golden Knights figure to be involved in some close Mission League matches to test their fortitude. So far, the Golden Knights have met essentially every challenge thrown their way and, in the process, are off to an undefeated start to league.

LA CANADA - Brimming with emotion and anticipation heading into its pivotal Mission League match Friday night, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's soccer team got the swift start it needed. But it was the resiliency displayed by the Tologs that carried them to their biggest victory of the season. Led by a goal and an assist each from Savannah Viola and Hailey James and a game-winning score from Sarah Teegarden, the Tologs upended archrival Harvard-Westlake, 3-2, at St. Francis High to stay in the hunt for a league crown.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Despite a stellar club and Olympic Developmental resume, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy freshman Tera Trujillo was foreign to all the pomp and circumstance that surrounded the Tologs playing rival Harvard-Westlake. After Wednesday night, she’s not. Trujillo’s goal in the 47th minute stood as the only score of the match, as Flintridge Sacred Heart upended the seven-time reigning Mission League champions, 1-0, in both teams’ league opener at St. Francis High’s Friedman Field.

Mirjam Swanson GLENDALE -- The 20 members of the Crescenta Valley girls' water polo team aren't hiding the fact that they're worked up about the 5;30 p.m. CIF Southern Section Division III semifinal match against Harvard-Westlake at L.A. Valley College. "The girls are ready," the Falcon's fourth-year coach Peter Kim said. "I'm sure they'll spend the first minute of the match calming themselves down, but then they'll be all right." Some nervousness can only be expected: This is match is huge.

Hamlet Nalbandyan FREMONT TENNIS CENTER -- There was a reason the Hoover High boys' tennis team didn't come into Thursday's CIF Southern Section Division I second-round match against Harvard-Westlake with high expectations. The Wolverines were the second seed in the division and had rolled past the first round without losing a set. And despite mixing up the lineup, the Tornadoes couldn't overcome the physical ability of Harvard-Westlake, falling 18-0, at the Fremont Tennis Center, the designated home court for Hoover.

Erik Boal GLENDALE SPORTS COMPLEX -- Over the past three weeks, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball team and Coach George Tibbetts have developed a stiff upper lip. Following Wednesday's 4-3, eight-inning loss to Harvard-Westlake, the Tologs' mental toughness and competitive spirit were tested once again. Sacred Heart took the No. 3-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division IV and Mission League-frontrunner to the limit, but fell short at the Glendale Sports Complex.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE ? The way things were going for Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy?s soccer team, it seemed as if this might very well be another season of disappointment when it came to playing rival Harvard-Westlake. But for the first time this millennium, victory was to be had by the Tologs against the Wolverines. A Mimi Roukoz first-half tally stood as the game-winner with the Sacred Heart defense standing tall for a full 80 minutes, leading the Tologs to a 1-0 Mission League win against Harvard-Westlake on Friday night at St. Francis High.

VALLEY GLEN - Hoover High boys' tennis Coach Julie Hoppe knew her team had a daunting task in traveling to face third-seeded Harvard-Westlake for its CIF Southern Section Division I match on Wednesday. And while the match at L.A. Valley College didn't result in a major upset, rather a 15-3 win for Harvard-Westlake, Hoppe was pleased with her team's effort and overall showing against the Mission League champion Wolverines. “We knew coming in they were a really good team,” said Hoppe, who coached the Tornadoes to a 9-7 record and third-place finish in the Pacific League.

For a second season in a row, the Hoover High boys' tennis team finds itself in the CIF Southern Section playoffs and the Tornadoes find themselves with a daunting task. Hoover is set to face Harvard-Westlake, the third seed in the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs, in the first round on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Elsewhere in Division I, Crescenta Valley will host Redondo Union in Tuesday's wild-card round, while Flintridge Prep, in Division II, will travel to face Walnut in a Division II wild-card matchup.

LA CANADA - Brimming with emotion and anticipation heading into its pivotal Mission League match Friday night, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's soccer team got the swift start it needed. But it was the resiliency displayed by the Tologs that carried them to their biggest victory of the season. Led by a goal and an assist each from Savannah Viola and Hailey James and a game-winning score from Sarah Teegarden, the Tologs upended archrival Harvard-Westlake, 3-2, at St. Francis High to stay in the hunt for a league crown.

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE - - The Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club, in its 70th year, meets Tuesdays at the Elk's Lodge. The following are odds and ends from the ninth meeting of the year. TUTTLE, POLICKY REWIND TO VICTORY CLASH The memories from many of the plays that took place in the latest chapter of the annual "Battle for the Victory Bell," still burn bright in the minds of Glendale High football Coach John Tuttle and Hoover Coach Andrew Policky . The teams wrapped up their respective seasons Friday with Glendale posting a 44-13 Pacific League victory against crosstown rival Hoover and maintaining possession of the bell for the third straight season.

GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL Harvard-Westlake 3, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 0 : The Tologs fell to the archrival Wolverines in straight games for the second time this season in Thursday night's 25-19, 25-15, 25-19 Mission League road loss. “I think it was more of the inexperience of playing in a harsh environment and just trying to climb over that ledge right there where you see what's going on and you understand what's going on, but then it's putting all of that into actually playing volleyball,” said first-year Sacred Heart Coach Ernest Banaag, whose team slipped to 10-11 and 4-3 in league.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - Trailing by 26 points with less than 11 minutes remaining, the St. Francis High football team finally got back on track. A couple of recovered onside kicks led to two touchdowns. And the Golden Knights had one last chance to complete a miraculous comeback, but saw their bid fall short in the closing seconds. “It was a valiant effort and they fought to the end,” said St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds, whose team suffered a 41-36 road Mission League loss against Harvard-Westlake on Friday night.

ENCINO - With two of its top athletes out of the lineup because of a previous engagement, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy cross-country team found itself in a tough spot Thursday afternoon during the second Mission League meet at Woodley Park. The Tologs were without Gabby Fitzpatrick and Noëlle Niederhaus, leaving coach Kirk Nishiyama to hope they could still pick up no worse than a third-place finish. With Maddie Peterson on board, the short-handed Tologs met Nishiyama's goal.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE - There isn't a sense of panic surrounding the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy volleyball team. Not after splitting its first two Mission League matches. However, Flintridge Sacred Heart first-year Coach Ernest Banaag said there might be some tinkering with the lineup. “Right now, we are inexperienced,” Banaag said after Harvard-Westlake recorded a 25-17, 25-7, 25-13 against host Flintridge Sacred Heart on Tuesday night. “You can sit hear and nitpick, yell and scream, but we will get back at it and make some adjustments.

ENCINO - For most of the year, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and St. Francis High cross-country teams train on hilly terrain, as both campuses are tucked away in the hills of La Cañada Flintridge. The Tologs and Golden Knights found themselves on unfamiliar ground when they opened their Mission League seasons Thursday at Woodley Park in Los Angeles, which is a much flatter course than they're accustomed to. “This is a new course for us so we're trying to adjust to that,” said Sacred Heart senior Gabby Fitzpatrick.