Playoffs

GLENDALE ? With the 2007-08 high school boys? basketball regular season in the rear-view and the playoffs speeding toward their conclusion, three area standouts can claim one exclusive memento of their time on the court that will last a lifetime. Renaissance Academy forward Justin Cook and guard Josh Thomas and Crescenta Valley forward Eric Strangis were each among 1,179 boys? prep players nationwide to be nominated for a spot on the 2008 McDonald?s All-American Team. A strong junior season and subsequent outstanding performances in camps and AAU tournaments over the summer are the essential criteria for selection.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan Crescenta Valley High girls' tennis Coach Tom Gossard didn't want to sound too confident or cocky when describing the 2002 version of his superb and talented team. "We're very encouraged," the eighth-year coach said. As much as Gossard wants to downplay his squad's probable success, the Falcons' Pacific League opposition realizes CV has the tools to advance past the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs.

GLENDALE — Advancing to the postseason for the first time this decade proved to be a battle for the members of the St. Francis High tennis team. Many of their regular-season matches went down to the wire with the Golden Knights finding a way to pull out victories. The postseason proved to be a different story. St. Francis saw its season conclude Thursday afternoon with a 16-2 loss to host Mater Dei in a CIF Southern Section Division I first-round match. Mater Dei (19-4)

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — For the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball players to make the playoffs for the first time in two years, maybe it’s best to treat their remaining regular-season games like postseason games. Sacred Heart saw its chances of competing in the playoffs slightly diminish Tuesday afternoon following a 2-0 Mission League loss to Alemany at the Glendale Sports Complex. The Tologs (8-9, 2-5 in league) have three league games left. They entered Tuesday’s contest tied for fourth place in league with Harvard-Westlake.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan One athlete was the star of her team. And the go-to player. And the leader. The other might not have been as talented, but she was definitely the most valuable player to a squad that advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division I girls' soccer playoffs. For their efforts, Hoover High's Kristal Phillips and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's Jackie Fisher were honored on the All-CIF team. Phillips received a second-team nod in Division II and Fisher was a third-team selection in Division I. Phillips did it all for the Tornadoes, who finished the season 10-10-3, 3-4-3 in Pacific League, which was good for third place.

MEN'S BASKETBALL GCC 64, Rio Hondo 59: Glendale Community College recorded its first win of the season Wednesday in a nonconference home game against Rio Hondo. GCC (1-2) received 15 points from Alton Preston and 11 from Gino LaBomme. Ron Ruffin had 10 points and Glendale High graduate Isa Hall grabbed nine rebounds for the Vaqueros, who will play another nonconference game at Oxnard on Wednesday and a Saturday home game against Allan Hancock. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Ventura 76, GCC 56: The Vaqueros (3-3)

Charles Rich SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- A large tilt-a-whirl formed on the hardwood. Players scrambled for rebounds with reckless abandon in a circular motion. The ball usually landed in the hands of Glendale High girls' basketball player Melina Shahverdian. Shahverdian grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to spearhead Glendale to a 58-46 victory against visiting Pasadena in a Pacific League game on Tuesday night. Spilling her 5-foot-5 frame over the court didn't bother Shahverdian, a junior forward who broke her left elbow about four years ago playing basketball on concrete.

Erik Boal GLENDALE -- The St. Francis High boys' volleyball team's season was definitely not the blueprint on how to achieve postseason success, but that suited the Golden Knights just fine, because their season was anything but ordinary. Coach Mark Frazee had to wait on the arrival of two players who competed on the Golden Knights' CIF championship boys' soccer team, and was forced to reshuffle his lineup with the loss of Scott Smiland to a shoulder injury.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — For the members of the Flintridge Prep boys’ basketball team, the next week will be spent practicing and getting rested up for the CIF Southern Section Division V-AA playoffs. The Rebels earned that right after going undefeated in the Prep League for the first time since 2006. Flintridge Prep had three players reach double figures on Tuesday night to close out the regular season with a 75-41 league home win against Chadwick. The Rebels, ranked No. 8 in the division, will learn their first-round playoff opponent when the playoff pairings are revealed Sunday afternoon by the CIF office.

Coming off two straight Mission League losses in the past six days, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball team didn?t have much spring in its step coming into Tuesday?s league game against Louisville at the Glendale Sports Complex. The Tologs had more than enough in reserve to keep the Royals, who are winless in league, at bay during a 6-1 victory that locked up second place in league. But with the playoffs on the horizon, Sacred Heart is looking to rediscover its intensity and swagger from earlier in the season.