Long Beach Poly

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...

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.

Erik Boal As the sun set over the Peninsula Racquet Club late Saturday afternoon, Crescenta Valley High girls' tennis Coach Tom Gossard took one last opportunity to partake in a photo opportunity with seniors Lauren Hawthorne, Hana Im, Nara Im, Katie Sullivan and Arlene Ward. Just moments earlier, Hawthorne and Sullivan had dropped a 6-3, 7-5 decision in the third round of their regional -- and round of 32 overall -- to the Dana Point Dana Hills duo of Amy Beck and Kendra Ivey, ending one of the most dominant runs for a doubles team in area history.

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.

From Staff Reports Wish becomes a reality: Loi Phan had a wish. Max and Albert Ocon made that wish a reality. Phan, the head coach for the Glendale High football program, wanted to see a sea of red in the stands during a home game. The Ocon brothers heard Phan's request and bought 1,000 T-shirts for Friday's game against Hoover. Albert -- the defensive coordinator for the Nitros -- and Max, who played for Glendale in 1990 and 1991, paid $3,000 for the red, CIF playoff shirts.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan Brent Smith wasn't about to fool himself. He possessed the necessary speed to win Pacific League track and field titles in the 200- and 400-meter events. But just qualifying for the CIF Southern Section Division I final in each race might have been too daunting. Not because Smith, a senior at Crescenta Valley High, wasn't good. He certainly was. He was faster than previous years. And he had learned the necessary techniques that factor into running a good race.

Erik Boal With their performance at the Sept. 21 Woodbridge Invitational, they had already proven that they could compete with Long Beach Poly, Murrieta Valley and Rancho Buena Vista, three of the elite boys' cross-country programs in the state. But the seven members of Crescenta Valley High's squad needed a new challenge, so they figured why not take on the defending Division I state champion, Canyon Country Canyon, at Saturday's 35th annual Kenny Staub Invitational.

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.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Panic set in for a squad that began the match clicking by playing poised. The Crescenta Valley High girls’ soccer team saw a two-goal lead quickly evaporate in a 15-minute stretch, possibly leaving the Falcons with their most frustrating setback of the young season. Crescenta Valley suffered a 3-2 loss to Long Beach Poly on Friday night in the third-place match of the Los Tacos Holiday Festival at the Glendale Sports Complex. Earlier, the Falcons (7-2-2)

Charles Rich Most of the local boys' volleyball and tennis teams were required to travel to their CIF Southern Section first-round playoff contests. That won't be the case for three of the four area baseball teams, which learned of their playoff foes after the Los Alamitos-based CIF office released its pairings. Flintridge Prep (13-7) will be the first team to take the field when they host Grace Brethren (13-13) in a Division VI wild-card at 3:15 p.m. today at the Glendale Sports Complex.