Junior

Charles Rich GLENDALE -- The Village Christian baseball team couldn't capture a second consecutive Alpha League title, but fared well among representing the 2001 all-league team. The Crusaders, who finished second in league behind L.A. Baptist and were eliminated in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs by Downey Calvary Chapel after advancing to the semifinals last season, had three players make the first team and two to the second squad.

GLENDALE — Just like that, Jessica Ferri pitched herself to the top of the Mission League ladder. Though the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy junior softball hurler and her teammates didn’t qualify for the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs this season, Ferri proved she could handle the workload against quality teams in the formidable league. Ferri proved herself in a big way, as she was named the league’s co-pitcher of the year with sophomore Lindsey Webster of Alemany.

This is the fourth of six consecutive player profiles on football players from area teams leading up to the annual “Football Forecast.” It was just about a year ago that a novel concept was being thrown around at the Glendale High football team’s late summer practices. Then incoming Coach Edgar Torosyan was proposing to do something that had not been associated with the Nitros in recent years — throw the football. For a variety of reasons, the Nitros’ air attack never got off the ground last season.

CRESCENTA VALLEY COACH: Robert Miller, third year. LEAGUE: Pacific SWIMMERS TO WATCH: Keri Kunkel, senior, freestyle; Sandy Meidinger, senior, freestyle; Isla Zilbert, senior, freestyle; Corinne Ingalla, junior, breaststroke; Michelle Du, junior, backstroke; Ani Nalbandian, junior, backstroke; Ashley Kang, junior, utility; Kim Fraisse, freshman, butterfly. MILLER’S QUOTE: “We’re still upset about Arcadia beating us last year.

SOFTBALL FIRST TEAM Ciri Bryan, junior, third baseman Kim Gilmour, senior, catcher Annalise Rodli, senior, shortstop Courtney Turner, junior, first base/centerfielder SECOND TEAM Kim Chau, sophomore, rightfielder Erin Miller, sophomore, second baseman Lana Sanfilippo, junior, leftfielder BASEBALL FIRST TEAM Erik Bell, junior, shortstop Max Hibbs, senior, pitcher...

Heather Bacon, Crescenta Valley, Junior, Utility ? Kali Cancelosi, Crescenta Valley, Junior, Pitcher ? Caitlyn Cox, Crescenta Valley, Senior, Outfielder ? Lainey DePompa, Crescenta Valley, Senior, Catcher ? Jessica Ferri, Flintridge Sacred Heart, Junior, Utility ? Kerry Hodgins, Burroughs, Senior, Utility ?

BOYS' BASKETBALL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Matt Oliver, senior, Crescenta Valley, forward FIRST TEAM Sevada Bandari, junior, Crescenta Valley, guard Zack Garcia, junior, Crescenta Valley, center SECOND TEAM George Aposhian, senior, Crescenta Valley, guard Raymond Dagher, junior, Glendale, center Sevak Khodaghlogian, senior, Hoover, guard Vagram Shalvardzhyan, senior, Glendale, guard...

BOYS' BASKETBALL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Ramses Barden, senior, forward FIRST TEAM Andrew Beck, sophomore, guard SECOND TEAM Tim Mercer, senior, forward Mike Simon, junior, forward GIRLS' BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM Jami Quan, senior, guard Jordan Toyama, freshman, guard SECOND TEAM Megan Kimble, senior, forward Kelsey Wakasa, senior, guard Christina Watson,...

Following a rainstorm in the heart of Ventura County, Paul Park heated up. The Crescenta Valley High junior boys' golfer put things together nicely and proceeded to put on one of his best performances of the season. Park shot a two-under-par 70 to finish second overall in the CIF Southern Section Northern Team Divisional at Soule Park Golf Course in Ojai. "Things worked out well for me on the course and I hit a lot of my shots on the greens," said Park, who finished behind Sean Croker of Westlake (67)

PASADENA - Heading into the home stretch in the Pacific League, Paul Park is pleased with his overall play. Nonetheless, the way the Crescenta Valley High boys' junior golfer sees it, there's still room for improvement and Park's effort Thursday raised his confidence of doing that going forward. PHOTOS: Pacific League boys' golf “I'm doing a lot of things well right now, like striking the ball,” said Park, who shot a two-over-par 72 on Thursday in Pacific League match No. 4 at Brookside Golf Course No. 2. “That really helped me out today on some different holes.

When it comes to basketball, it's hard for Courtney Chen to take a break or slow down. This past season, opponents were probably hoping that Chen would give them a break, as the talented point guard put together a successful season playing for the La Cañada High girls' team. “I really don't like to just sit around and do nothing during basketball season,” Chen said. “You know when the NBA will be on TV or even college, I'll be sitting around watching that and I just get this feeling like 'Oh my gosh, I have to go out and play.' Sitting and watching stuff like that just makes me want to play more.

There was no argument at the meeting to determine the All-Prep League boys' basketball team when it came to deciding the most valuable player for the 2012-13 season. The obvious choice was Flintridge Prep point guard Robert Cartwright, arguably the best offensive and defensive player in the league. While the Rebels have dominated the Prep League in recent years and have boasted a number of talented players - including center Kenyatta Smith, who recently showcased his skills to the whole nation in the NCAA Tournament with Harvard University - Flintridge Prep Coach Garrett Ohara said the uniform decision was a little unusual.

PASADENA - it certainly didn't come easy for Will Dixon on Friday afternoon. The junior Flintridge Prep boys' tennis player is normally slotted in doubles, but an illness to the Rebels' top singles player forced the team to rearrange the lineup accordingly. PHOTOS: Flintridge Prep vs. Maranatha nonleague boys' tennis In stepped the versatile Dixon, who displayed patience and the ability to overcome a huge deficit to record a sweep and help Flintridge Prep register a 12-6 nonleague victory against Maranatha at Muir High.

It didn't take long for Garrett Ohara to realize Robert Cartwright was going to be something special on Flintridge Prep's basketball court. The Rebels boys' basketball coach first saw Cartwright, who was first a student in his junior high math class, display his skills on the court about four years ago on a school trip when a group of kids started playing basketball during free time. “I went, 'Oh my goodness, this kid is going to be special,'“ Ohara said of Cartwright, who was a seventh grader at the time.

The sound of thundering basketballs echoes throughout the Glendale YMCA's large gym every Saturday morning. Some 150 youngsters, ages 5 to 13, are members of the Junior Lakers League, a sports program that the YMCA is looking to expand. The YMCA hosted an all-star game and pizza party on Dec. 15 to reach out to the community and bring attention to the camaraderie and sports training it offers to the youth of Glendale, said Mineh Petrosian, assistant sports director of the league.

A cross-country season that officially began in the sweltering heat of late August concluded on an overcast day in December for a pair of Crescenta Valley High runners. Falcons juniors Gabe Collison and Nick Beatty both competed and ended their 2012 campaigns with varying degrees of success at Saturday morning's boys' seeded race at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships West Regional at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. Collison and Beatty, who had both raced at Mt. SAC two weeks ago in the CIF Southern Section Division I Finals, placed 75th in 17 minutes and 184th in 18 minutes 12 seconds, respectively.

With many of the top high school cross-country runners from across the West region ascending upon Mount San Antonio College Saturday morning for the Foot Locker West Regional, Crescenta Valley High junior Gabe Collison will attempt to assert himself as one of the best in the nation. Taking part in the boys' seeded race at 10:40 a.m., Collison is aiming to advance to the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Finals on Dec. 8 in San Diego. “I kinda want to go for 10th place,” said Collison, who will be part of a field vying for the top 10 spots that qualify for the nationals.

PASADENA - This time, Jocelyn Chia avoided all suspense. The Crescenta Valley High girls' golfer won her second consecutive Pacific League individual championship Wednesday afternoon at Brookside Golf Course No. 1 rather comfortably by six strokes after taking the title last season in a card-off. Chia maintained her six-stroke lead entering Wednesday's round, as she shot a two-over-par 77 to finish with a total of 255 to best Burbank's Irene Maemura by six strokes. “Last year when I found out I won, it was like wow,” said Chia, the reigning All-Area Girls' Golfer of the Year.