Long Beach Poly

Hamlet Nalbandyan LONG BEACH -- The Glendale High boys' basketball team had nothing to lose but the game Friday night. Going up against a superiorly talented Long Beach Poly team in a first-round game of the CIF Southern Section Division IAA playoffs, the Nitros scored a hard-earned 40 points and were lucky to give up just 95 at Long Beach Poly. Then again, the end result was never in question. What was, however, was how Glendale (13-14) would respond to a challenge as stiff as this?

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan ANAHEIM -- The look on Loyola High running back Rafael Rice's face expressed exactly how the Cubs felt after their CIF Southern Section Division I football championship game against Long Beach Poly. With tears streaming down his cheeks, it uttered the Cubs sadness after a 16-13 overtime loss to the Jackrabbits Saturday night at Edison Field in Anaheim before 12,621. "We were outplayed for most of the game, but we managed to jump into the lead with 1:12 to go and I thought we had it won," Loyola Coach Steve Grady said.

CV baseball team to host playoff game today The Crescenta Valley High baseball team will meet Long Beach Poly in a CIF Southern Section Division I first-round playoff game at 7 p.m. today at Stengel Field. Crescenta Valley (22-3) won its seventh Pacific League title since 1998 under Coach Phil Torres. Long Beach Poly (16-10-1) finished third in the tough Moore League. It will mark the second time this season that the Falcons have faced a Moore League squad.

Erik Boal ANAHEIM -- As a coach, you can only ask so much from your defensive unit. Such was the case for Loyola High football Coach Steve Grady Saturday night at Edison Field in Anaheim. He asked his defense -- which allowed only 11.6 points per game -- to somehow contain, slow or possibly stop the offensive juggernaut known as Long Beach Poly. An ominous task considering the Jackrabbits entered the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game averaging 41 points and 385.2 yards per game.

TODAY BASEBALL Long Beach Poly vs. Crescenta Valley in CIF Southern Section Division I first-round game at Stengel Field, 7 p.m. FRIDAY BASEBALL Mountain View at La Canada in CIF Southern Section Division V first-round game, 3 p.m. Hoover at Norco in CIF Southern Section Division I first-round game, 3 p.m. SOFTBALL Culver City at Crescenta Valley in CIF Southern Section Division ...

SPORT Football SCHOOL CV YEAR Junior THIS SEASON Leads area with 1,187 total offensive yards and eight TDs. LAST WEEK AT A GLANCE Salazar continued to shine in his first year as the starting quarterback for the Falcons (2-2). He threw for a career- high 268 yards and rushed for 87 yards, scoring twice in CV's 25-13 nonleague win against La Canada on Friday. SPORT Volleyball SCHOOL La Canada YEAR Senior THIS SEASON One of the area's most talented middle blockers.

Hamlet Nalbandyan GLENDALE -- Odds and ends from the local boys' basketball scene: Poor, poor Glendale: At least Glendale High boys' basketball Coach Steve Snodgress has a sense of humor about it, because most coaches in his situation would be either down-right upset or down-right afraid. After finishing 4-6 for fourth place in a tough Pacific League, the Nitros (12-14) were rewarded with an at-large berth in the CIF Southern Section Division IAA playoffs.

Charles Rich With two possible first-round picks in next month's Major League Baseball Draft on display, whispers around Stengel Field focused on who would win the much-ballyhooed, head-to-head battle. Those individuals were Trevor Bell of the Crescenta Valley High baseball team and DeSean Jackson of Long Beach Poly, who are projected to be taken no later than late in the draft's opening round. The conversation became secondary after host Crescenta Valley High put on a hitting clinic en route to a lopsided 18-0 victory against Long Beach Poly in a CIF Southern Section Division I first-round playoff game Thursday night.

GIRLS? CROSS COUNTRY Flintridge Prep in Prep League Meet No. 1 : Senior Dot Silverman won the race at Pierce College on Tuesday in 19 minutes 26 seconds to lead the Rebels to a third-place finish with 80 points behind winner Chadwick (30) and Mayfield (40). Kaitlyn Kelleher (21:30), Elise Partos (22:37), Kandice Jung (22:50) and Joni Chow (22:58) all finished in the top 20 for Prep. ? GIRLS? VOLLEYBALL Flintridge Prep 3, Webb 2 : The Rebels opened up Prep League play with a come-from-behind 25-18, 18-25, 23-25, 25-10, 15-5 win on the road against Webb.

Erik Boal CERRITOS -- CIF TRACK AND FIELD FINALS Cerritos College (Team points awarded for 1st - 6th place finishes in individual and relay events on 10-8-6-4-2-1 basis) BOYS' DIVISION I 1. Gahr 55 2. Long Beach Poly 50 3. Littlerock 42 4. Esperanza 39 5. Don Lugo 34 800 METERS -- 1. Serratos (Don Lugo) 1:54.27 2. Houston (Gahr) 1:54.42 3. Monte (Capistrano Valley) 1:55.14 Others: 7. Alvarado (Hoover) 1:58.28 POLE VAULT -- 1. Odden (Marina)

GIRLS? CROSS COUNTRY Flintridge Prep in Prep League Meet No. 1 : Senior Dot Silverman won the race at Pierce College on Tuesday in 19 minutes 26 seconds to lead the Rebels to a third-place finish with 80 points behind winner Chadwick (30) and Mayfield (40). Kaitlyn Kelleher (21:30), Elise Partos (22:37), Kandice Jung (22:50) and Joni Chow (22:58) all finished in the top 20 for Prep. ? GIRLS? VOLLEYBALL Flintridge Prep 3, Webb 2 : The Rebels opened up Prep League play with a come-from-behind 25-18, 18-25, 23-25, 25-10, 15-5 win on the road against Webb.

The Laguna Beach High girls' tennis team steamrolled over two opponents to pick up two more victories in Pacific Coast League play. The Breakers started with an 18-0 win over visiting University, and on Tuesday they eased past visiting Calvary Chapel, 16-2. The wins moved Laguna, ranked third in CIF-Southern Section Division I, to 4-1 in league play. Against Calvary Chapel, three Breakers who normally play doubles earned sweeps in singles action.

Hamlet Nalbandyan Since the age of 4, there was never any doubt: Baseball was going to be Trevor Bell's pastime. "This is it," said the recent Crescenta Valley High graduate, pointing to the diamond at Stengel Field. "There's nothing else that I've wanted to do." The sportswriters and editors of the Glendale News-Press, Foothill Leader and Burbank Leader understand what it's like to be so sure. Because when it came time to naming the All-Area Player of the Year in baseball, the choice was obvious.

In the CIF playoffs, the 10-run mercy rule that exists during the regular season is not used. Perhaps the powers-that-be at the CIF offices need to rethink that policy after Crescenta Valley's 18-0 drubbing of Long Beach Poly in a Division I first round playoff game at Glendale's Stengel Field on May 19. The Falcons, who improved to 23-3, avenged last year's first round loss to Long Beach Millikan by beating up on the Jackrabbits, the third...

Hamlet Nalbandyan The following are previews of today's CIF Southern Section playoff games featuring local teams. BASEBALL Crescenta Valley (23-3, Pacific League No. 1) at Mater Dei (20-8, Serra League No. 1), 7 p.m.: There were two high schools from Southern California that were recently listed as being among the nation's 25 best by Sports Illustrated. One was Long Beach Poly and the other was Mater Dei, but don't tell that to Crescenta Valley.

Charles Rich With two possible first-round picks in next month's Major League Baseball Draft on display, whispers around Stengel Field focused on who would win the much-ballyhooed, head-to-head battle. Those individuals were Trevor Bell of the Crescenta Valley High baseball team and DeSean Jackson of Long Beach Poly, who are projected to be taken no later than late in the draft's opening round. The conversation became secondary after host Crescenta Valley High put on a hitting clinic en route to a lopsided 18-0 victory against Long Beach Poly in a CIF Southern Section Division I first-round playoff game Thursday night.

CV baseball team to host playoff game today The Crescenta Valley High baseball team will meet Long Beach Poly in a CIF Southern Section Division I first-round playoff game at 7 p.m. today at Stengel Field. Crescenta Valley (22-3) won its seventh Pacific League title since 1998 under Coach Phil Torres. Long Beach Poly (16-10-1) finished third in the tough Moore League. It will mark the second time this season that the Falcons have faced a Moore League squad.

TODAY BASEBALL Long Beach Poly vs. Crescenta Valley in CIF Southern Section Division I first-round game at Stengel Field, 7 p.m. FRIDAY BASEBALL Mountain View at La Canada in CIF Southern Section Division V first-round game, 3 p.m. Hoover at Norco in CIF Southern Section Division I first-round game, 3 p.m. SOFTBALL Culver City at Crescenta Valley in CIF Southern Section Division ...

Charles Rich Something didn't look right when he stood on the mound or sat in the home dugout at Stengel Field. With a barrage of multi-colored banners hanging along the chain-linked outfield fence, Crescenta Valley High baseball pitcher Dustin Emmons had difficulty reading them. A visit to an eye doctor resulted in Emmons having prescription glasses made for him. The glasses have stabilized the near-sighted Emmons, who is now a new-and-improved pitcher for the Falcons.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan Over the course of 75 years, some amazing athletes have graced Hoover High sporting venues. Among those are Forrest Beaty, Joe Hillman, Nancy Evans and Anita Siraki -- only a handful of Hoover's alumni who have left an indelible mark on the local sports landscape. The Tornadoes have a rich sports history, which began in 1929 and will be commemorated at today's 75th anniversary celebration at Hoover High. It's a history that includes seven CIF team championships and 69 individual CIF titles.