Hes

Dietrich Riley is a busy young man these days. He just recently returned from the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in Texas, where he competed in a combine before the high school football all-star showcase. Having already received scholarship offers from USC and UCLA during the summer, the St. Francis High junior is receiving notice from the top schools across the nation. Meanwhile, he’s juggling it all while starting for the Golden Knights basketball team. Then, of course, there’s the junior football season he just left behind, one in which he became the first Golden Knights rusher since 2004 to eclipse the 1,000-yard barrier, as he started at running back, outside linebacker and returned kicks for St. Francis.

Kris Durham and Evan King have both lined up next to him and across from him. The former describes him as a nuisance, while the latter flat-out refers to him as an out-of-this-world creature. “It’s a real pain, me and him go at it everyday,” Durham says. “He’s strong, he’s quick off the ball.” King gets a little more blunt and a little more colorful. “He’s a monster,” he says. They speak of the soft-spoken Rian Younker, a 6-foot, 240-pound beast unleashed once he finds himself on the comforting confines of the gridiron.

Flying elbows and fists to the side of the face or the ribs — whether intentional or not — are part of the rugged side of water polo. From the bleachers, it’s rarely detected. Sometimes, even an official might miss one or two incidents. In the pool, the athletes absorb more than their share of abuse during a match. For Gor Asryan, it’s a sign that he’s getting somewhere while driving to the net or playing defense for Glendale High. “You get elbows and fists coming into you all the time, so that’s part of the game,” said Asryan, a junior hole/set who scored 126 goals last season for the Nitros.

Bringing in a 3.94 grade point average, a variety of awards and honors for sports, and making lives better through his community service efforts, this week’s CV Sun All-Star is a young man of whom any parent could be proud. In addition to being honored this week as CV Sun All-Star, Jacob Glaze, a senior at Village Christian School in Sun Valley, will be honored next month with the 2008-’09 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award during an awards banquet in Granada Hills.

GLENDALE — For the second consecutive season, the Crescenta Valley High boys’ water polo team navigated its way to a Pacific League title via an undefeated league run. And, for the second straight year, it was a Falcons standout who emerged as the Pacific League Most Valuable Player, as junior goalie Rane Colvin, one of six Falcons to receive an all-league selection, was voted the league’s highest honor. “I think he got it because he’s obviously a huge part of our team,” said Falcons Coach Jan Sakonju.

If Conor Dubin has demonstrated one thing during his football career at Flintridge Prep, it’s that he will do whatever it takes to help the Rebels win. If they need him to learn a new position on the fly, whether on offense or defense, he embraces it. When the Rebels felt the crunch of trying to play through injuries with a thinned out roster last year, Dubin took it upon himself to beef up their numbers for this season by personally recruiting...

He’s gone the extra few miles to prove he’s dedicated to water polo. Whether it’s running around the Rose Bowl, lifting weights or spending extra time polishing his shot in the sanctuary of his backyard pool, Crescenta Valley High boys’ water polo player Bryan Redfern doesn’t want the upcoming season to be wasted. He’ll shoot to score and help the Falcons win their fifth straight Pacific League championship. He’ll shoot to prove he can handle the bulk of the scoring responsibilities on a Crescenta Valley squad that’s been rebuilt after every starter from last year’s team graduated.

At first glance, it seems as if everything is speeding by for Roman Mitichyan. His big break as a contestant on the sixth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” lasted just one episode. His first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championships was over in 23 seconds. But that has merely been Mitichyan’s time in the limelight that is the UFC — the top mixed martial arts brand in the world. The 29-year-old Glendale resident has been fighting and training for more than two decades, and now he’s reached the industry’s pinnacle and he’s driven to stay there.

Richie Maloof’s demeanor can change in an instant. It’s part of his makeup while playing multiple sports at St. Francis High. On the football field, he’s intense while playing a rough-and-tumble sport in front of a large audience. On the golf course, he’s more reserved while focusing on a tee shot or a putt. Maloof acknowledges that the sports pose distinct challenges. “They are very different,” said Maloof, a junior defensive back and one of the top golfers on the Golden Knights.

“They” say a lot of things. But one of my favorite things “they” say is this: “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was meant to be yours forever.” With that in mind, I went to Mario’s Deli one recent Saturday, took a number and waited, bathed in the aroma of imported cheeses, cured meats and pasta sauces from scratch. When my number was called, I ordered the Mario’s House Combo sub, the perfect sandwich. I brought my precious cargo home, unwrapped her and rested her gently on a plate, sprinkled Doritos around her — nacho cheese flavor — a sprig of parsley by her side like an innocent kiss.