Los Altos

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - It could be argued that the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team was in need of a challenge before the start of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs after the Falcons already outscored two Pacific League tournament foes by nearly 30 goals en route to capturing a league championship. For a while, it seemed like Division IV third-ranked Los Altos was that test. Yet, visiting Division V top-ranked Crescenta Valley responded to an early three-goal deficit by scoring 17 of the game's final 23 goals versus the Conquerors in an 18-10 victory Friday afternoon.

LA CRESCENTA ? There couldn?t have been a better way for the Crescenta Valley High boys? basketball team to start off Wednesday?s CIF Southern Section Division II-AA wild-card matchup with visiting Los Altos. Senior Clay Sierra threw down a monster two-handed dunk off an alley-oop pass from Eric Strangis to open the contest, setting the tone for the rest of the night for the Falcons. Sierra poured in 18 points, Eric Strangis scored 17 points and Alan Bagatourian added 16, as Crescenta Valley held off a gritty effort from Los Altos to win, 59-51, and advance into Friday?

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — An aerial approach to open the game by the St. Francis High football team gave way to a methodical ground attack later on. The result was a perfect blend of pass and run. Austin Heyworth threw for two first-quarter touchdowns, Dietrich Riley ran for 175 yards and a score and, in between, Evan King punched in two tallies en route to a Golden Knights 35-21 nonleague home win over Los Altos on Friday night....

The following are previews of today's CIF Southern Section division playoff games involving local teams. GIRLS' WATER POLO Crescenta Valley at Los Altos, Noon: The third-seeded Falcons (30-0) started the Division V playoffs on the right note Wednesday with a 19-6 win against Fontana at South Pasadena High. Crescenta Valley, which captured the Pacific League championship, got four goals from Sabrina Hatzer in the victory. Los Altos (16-15) earned an 18-10 opening-round victory against visiting Riverside Notre Dame.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan GLENDALE -- It didn't take long for St. Francis High Athletic Director Terry Terrazone to complete his search for a new baseball coach. A little more than a month after former Golden Knight Coach Jeff Durfee resigned because of personal issues, Terrazone tabbed former Cal State Northridge baseball player Mike Solar. "There is some talent [at St. Francis] and with some luck I think we are headed in the right direction," said Solar, who turned 31 Friday.

Hamlet Nalbandyan Editor's note: Taking a look at today's CIF Southern Section boys' water polo playoff matchups featuring local teams. GLENDALE -- Flintridge Prep vs. Los Altos at Pasadena City College, 3 p.m.: The Rebels are making their first CIF semifinal appearance in today's Division VI contest. Sam Vierra's squad (22-6) has been an offensive juggernaut in the postseason, thanks to hole/set Nick Seaver. The senior has 24 of Flintridge Prep's 41 goals in the playoffs, giving him 175 on the season.

Erik Boal EL MONTE -- For the first 18 minutes of Thursday night's semifinal game in the Arroyo Tournament, the La Canada High boys' basketball team outscored Los Altos by 15 points and appeared to be heading toward its fourth straight win. But during the final 18 minutes -- which included a four-minute overtime -- the Conquerors outscored the Spartans by 20, won their fourth straight game, and advanced to Saturday's...

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Crescenta Valley boys? basketball started the CIF-Southern Section playoffs on the right foot as the Clayton Sierra and Eric Sturgis tandem accounted for 37 points in their 59-51 victory over Los Altos in the wild card ?D? game. The Falcons sent a message early that they weren?t going to lose when Sturgis alley-ooped to Clayton Sierra for the first play of the game and CV?s first two points. The two did it a second time minutes later and the crowd went wild. Sturgis had a great game, leading the team in points with 19 ?

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - It could be argued that the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team was in need of a challenge before the start of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs after the Falcons already outscored two Pacific League tournament foes by nearly 30 goals en route to capturing a league championship. For a while, it seemed like Division IV third-ranked Los Altos was that test. Yet, visiting Division V top-ranked Crescenta Valley responded to an early three-goal deficit by scoring 17 of the game's final 23 goals versus the Conquerors in an 18-10 victory Friday afternoon.

Los Altos Auxiliary members gathered recently at the beautifully renovated home of Susan and Steven Peterman for their annual holiday party and to celebrate a year of fundraising success on behalf of the boys, ages 6 to 17, in residential care at Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services' El Nido campus. The auxiliary's efforts will culminate later this month, when members will deliver Target gift cards, homemade cookies and holiday cards to each of the boys. Hathaway-Sycamores President and Chief Executive William Martone thanked the auxiliary for its continued support.

COMMERCE - With a sophomore goalkeeper and a high-scoring junior leading the way, the Glendale High boys' water polo team took a big step Saturday in its quest to qualify for the CIF Southern Section Division V championship match. In a quarterfinal contest against Los Altos at the Brenda Villa Aquatics Center in Commerce, the Nitros turned in a shining effort at both ends of the pool. Led by a stifling defense that held the Conquerors scoreless for nine minutes and 10 seconds midway through the contest, Glendale stepped up to defeat Los Altos, 11-6, in a quarterfinal match.

Should the Glendale High and Flintridge Prep boys' water polo teams win their respective CIF Southern Section Division V quarterfinal road matches Saturday, they would meet in a semifinal match Wednesday. Glendale Coach Forest Holbrook and Flintridge Prep Coach Dan Hare aren't concerned about that. They've got more pressing issues to handle. Top-seeded Glendale (19-5) will face Los Altos (16-14) at 5 p.m. today at Brenda Villa Aquatic Center in Commerce. Fourth-seeded Flintridge Prep (17-8)

BURBANK - The Glendale High boys' water polo team jumped out to a quick five-goal lead in the opening minutes of its CIF Southern Section Division V first-round match Wednesday against JW North of Riverside. But then the Nitros backed off a bit, giving the Huskies a chance to get back into the contest. The team's propensity to not keep up the pressure on an opponent once it gets ahead is a problem that Nitros Coach Forest Holbrook said his squad has been facing all season. Fortunately for Glendale, it had enough talent to stave off a comeback by JW North, as the Nitros regrouped and were able to roll to a 19-10 victory at Burbank High.

As expected, Glendale High's boys' water polo team was granted the No. 1 seed when the CIF Southern Section offices released playoff pairings on Sunday morning. In a Division V bracket cluttered with area teams from the Pacific and Prep leagues, the Nitros roll in after having steamrolled through the Pacific en route to a second consecutive league crown and clearly have the mind set of a No. 1 team. "Our team's peaking at the right time of the year," said Nitros Coach Forest Holbrook, whose squad will host JW North, an Inland Valley at-large entrant that Holbrook admitted he knows little about, though that didn't seem to matter.

BOYS' WATER POLO Glendale in Los Altos Tournament: The Nitros won the Los Altos Tournament's platinum division on Saturday after they overcame a five-goal deficit at halftime to knock off La Serna, 14-12, in the championship match at Schurr High. The Lancers came into the tournament ranked first in the CIF Southern Section Division V polls. Arman Momdzhyan scored a team-high six goals in the win for Glendale, which also received four scores from Martik Chatalyan and two more from David Papazian and is currently ranked third in Division V. "The boys have been working really hard and it's nice to see them rewarded for it," Glendale Coach Forest Holbrook said.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS — After all the instances in which it seemed the Crescenta Valley High girls' water polo team had victory in its grasp only to see it slip away, it appeared that host Los Altos was the one that had finally closed a firm grip upon triumph. But it was the shot clock that sounded rather than the final horn when Conqueror Kimberly Conde put a shot past Crescenta Valley goalie Gabriel Isacson. Seconds later, amid the chaos and bedlam of a celebratory and confused home crowd, Falcons sophomore Shannon Hovanesian quickly drew an ejection in front of the Los Altos goal and passed back to teammate Nayiri Kechichian, who immediately fed it back to Hovanesian.

The following are previews of today's CIF Southern Section division playoff games involving local teams. GIRLS' WATER POLO Crescenta Valley at Los Altos, Noon: The third-seeded Falcons (30-0) started the Division V playoffs on the right note Wednesday with a 19-6 win against Fontana at South Pasadena High. Crescenta Valley, which captured the Pacific League championship, got four goals from Sabrina Hatzer in the victory. Los Altos (16-15) earned an 18-10 opening-round victory against visiting Riverside Notre Dame.