Holy Family

For some three decades Holy Family Grade School has presented its Fiesta Tropicale. In keeping with tradition, more than 1,000 families visited the fiesta between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, in spite of the drizzle. An early morning breakfast started the festivities, but it was the Scooby-Doo Bouncer and food booths in the school yard that attracted the crowds. Event co-chairwoman Brenda De Borja and her fundraising chairwoman Mary Avila stayed busy making sure that the tamales, tacos, beans, rice, churros and skewered meat were regularly replenished.

SAN GABRIEL — With two starters out for different reasons, the Holy Family softball team was forced to go to Plan B. That plan of attack didn't turn out well for the Gaels, who made seven errors en route to a 4-1 road loss against San Gabriel Mission on Tuesday afternoon in a Horizon League contest. Holy Family (3-4, 2-1 in league) competed without starting catcher Melanie Leyva because of a hand injury and left fielder Kiara Ardines (academics), forcing Holy Family Coach Greg Ziomek to insert players into new positions for the first time this season.

BURBANK - Both the Providence High and Holy Family girls' volleyball coaches praised the resiliency of their teams after the two squads took Thursday night's match to five games. Holy Family walked away feeling better about the contest after pulling out the victory, 26-24, 25-20, 16-25, 16-25, 15-10. Providence still had something to be proud of, though, fighting with its back against the wall, after dropping the first two games, to force a fifth game. Pioneers Coach Josh Eggleston said his team lost because it didn't play up to its ability from the beginning.

GLENDALE — With the Southern Section divisional playoff brackets released by the CIF offices on Sunday, the girls' volleyball teams from Holy Family High , Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and Crescenta Valley now have a roadmap for their respective playoff journeys that will begin on Tuesday. Holy Family, which captured the Horizon League championship this season, will host Santa Clarita Christian in the opening round of the Division 4-A playoffs at 4 p.m. at Providence High.

GLENDALE — For the second straight season, the Holy Family softball team qualified for the postseason. In doing so, the Gaels counted on a reliable core of juniors to accomplish that feat. While the quartet of Rachel Turner, Elena Lomeli, Aurora Aguirre and Jennifer Rodriguez expected to be a large part of the team again next season, they'll each have something to build on after securing All-Horizon League honors for helping the Gaels go 9-7 and 6-2 in league for second place.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE — Right from the start, things clicked for the members of the Holy Family volleyball team. And they couldn’t have picked a better time for it to happen, as their stellar play led to them clinching a playoff spot. Holy Family received nine kills and 20 digs from sophomore outside hitter Ashlee Sandoval on its way to recording a 25-16, 25-18, 25-17 Horizon League victory against visiting San Gabriel Mission on Tuesday afternoon at Pacific Park Community Center.

PANORAMA CITY — The Holy Family girls' volleyball team wasted little time getting acclaimated to the playoffs. The Gaels stormed out of the gate on the way to sweeping St. Genevieve, 25-9, 25-10, 25-12, in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Division IV-A playoffs at St. Genevieve High School. "A win is a win wherever it happens," said Holy Family Coach Robert Bringas, whose squad was forced to play a scheduled home game on the road because of a venue issue.

BURBANK — While strolling up a familiar driveway Thursday afternoon, James Jimenez received numerous greetings and well wishes from former students and co-workers. When he entered the Providence High gymnasium, Jimenez found himself preparing for a new chapter in his life as coach of the Holy Family volleyball team after spending the previous several seasons piloting Providence’s girls’ and boys’ volleyball teams. What Jimenez got several hours later might have been one of his more extra-special victories.

SIERRA MADRE - For a team featuring six seniors in the starting lineup, Holy Family softball Coach Greg Ziomek didn't like what he saw from the Gaels during a key Horizon League contest Thursday. Much to Ziomek's surprise, the Gaels committed four errors in a 9-0 loss against host Alverno. Holy Family came into the game tied for second with Alverno in league behind defending league champion San Gabriel Mission. A victory by the Gaels in the first of two head-to-head meetings with the Jaguars would have boosted the Gaels' confidence.

The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene. FOUR GAELS NAB HONORS After finishing in second place in the Horizon League and advancing to the CIF Southern Section Division V-AA playoffs, four members of the Holy Family basketball team earned all-league accolades. Those named to the first team were senior guard Gaby Diaz and senior forward Jennifer Rodriguez . Diaz and Rodriguez averaged seven and 6.8 points per game, respectively, for the Gaels (5-17, 5-3 in league)

LOS ANGELES - The Holy Family High basketball team fought, battled and grinded through all four quarters of Thursday afternoon's CIF Southern Section Division 5-AA first-round playoff game against Bishop Diego. No loose ball went unchased and a solid effort was given on each possession. Despite the hustle, the Gaels still ended up on the wrong end of a 53-28 score against Bishop Diego at Bishop Conaty-Loretto, ending their season at 5-17. Gaels Coach Ernest Siy was still plenty proud of his players, however.

For the four local girls' basketball teams that earned playoff berths, the common theme for all of them is that of being an underdog. Only Holy Family received a first-round home game, while Crescenta Valley, Flintridge Prep and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy - all at-large entries - will take to the road. “It's gonna be a big challenge for us,” said Gaels Coach Ernest Siy, whose Holy Family squad will host 12th-seeded Bishop Diego on Thursday in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 5AA playoffs.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE - It was a furious, yet improbable and perhaps unforeseen offensive outburst for the Holy Family basketball team in the fourth quarter of its Horizon League contest with first-place Bishop Conaty-Loretto. The second-place Gaels struggled in the first three quarters of the second meeting of the season between the two teams, struggling to make just six field goals for 16 points. Then everything changed. Led by Gaby Diaz, Holy Family's offense came alive in the fourth quarter, as the team shot seven of 18 and outscored Bishop Conaty-Loretto by 10 in the frame to hand the Wildcats their first loss in league play this season, 36-32, Tuesday at Pacific Park Community Center.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE - All of those losses that piled up throughout December and into early January are now a distant memory for the members of the Holy Family basketball team. Since the start of Horizon League play, the Gaels have turned around their fortunes. On Tuesday night, the Gaels found another way to win despite surrendering an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter before going overtime against the defending league champion. Holy Family turned to a sophomore guard to keep the Gaels heading down the right path.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL Pasadena Armenian General Benevolent Union 49, Holy Family 40: Gaby Diaz had 14 points and Jennifer Rodriguez added eight on Thursday for the visiting Gaels (3-14) in a nonleague contest. GIRLS' WATER POLO Burroughs 20, Hoover 1: Maria Alcantar scored the lone goal Thursday for the visiting Tornadoes (1-8, 0-3 in the Pacific League) in a league match.

SAN GABRIEL — Every match the Holy Family High girls' soccer team has played this season has come with a handicap, as the Gaels' roster consists of just 10 players — one short of a full team. On Wednesday, the team's numbers were whittled down even further to nine due to a missing player and, with opponent San Gabriel Mission fielding a full 11 with bench players to spare, the deck was stacked even more heavily against Holy Family. The Gaels never got a shot attempt off in a 10-0 Horizon League loss that saw the host Pioneers continue to attack the goal with full force right up until the final whistle.

Prosecutors filed charges Wednesday against a 47-year-old Monrovia man who allegedly twice stole from an offering box at Holy Family Catholic Church. Robert Amabisca faces two felony counts of second-degree commercial burglary and a misdemeanor count of possessing burglary tools, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Amabisca was arrested Monday on the church grounds at 209 E. Lomita Ave. after a facilities manager recognized him from surveillance video footage of a Dec. 29 theft, during which he was seen flipping the offering box upside down to steal money from a slot, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

PASADENA - Something had to give when the Holy Family High and Alverno girls' basketball teams met Thursday night without a win between the two squads. It didn't look good for Holy Family starting out, but the Gaels bounced back and used a lot of double teams to force 28 turnovers and pull out a 28-21 victory. It may have taken a while for the victory to come, but it was perfect timing for the Gaels (1-12) in their Horizon League opener against Alverno at Foothill Community Church.