Renaissance Academy

BURBANK — Renaissance Academy has gotten the best of Burbank the past few years in the annual Bulldog Tip-Off Classic. Last season, the Wildcats defeated the host Bulldogs in the title game to win their second straight tournament championship. Three years ago, Renaissance Academy downed Burbank in a third-place game. That’s really not something the Bulldogs should be ashamed of, as the Wildcats have advanced to at least the CIF Southern Section semifinals the past four seasons, and played in the Division V state championship last year.

The area’s top-10 high school teams from the 2007-08 season were selected by the sportswriters of the Crescenta Valley Sun and Glendale News-Press .   1 Renaissance Academy boys’ basketball — For the first time in the program’s history, the Wildcats advanced to the CIF Division V State Championship game. Renaissance suffered a 40-33 loss to powerhouse Ross Branson in Sacramento’s Arco Arena, but it was still a history-making season that will be looked back upon for a long time to come.

LA CAÑADA-FLINTRIDGE ? When Michelle Lo first started working on her ball handling skills with Renaissance Academy boys? basketball Coach Sid Cooke six years ago, her height had many projecting her to be a post player. Now, at 5 foot 8, Lo has the size of a forward and the handles of an All-Almont League point guard, which is exactly what she was this season in averaging 12.8 points and more than four assists per game to lead the varsity girls? basketball team at Alhambra?s Mark Keppel High to an undefeated league championship as a sophomore.

BURBANK — Don’t tell the members of the Renaissance Academy and La Cañada high boys’ basketball teams that, at the very least, it didn’t resemble a regular season game. The schools, separated geographically by just a couple of miles, saw their respective teams provide some drama on Tuesday night during La Cañada’s 45-43 victory in a Burbank Summer League contest at Burbank High. Three-point shooting, blocked shots and some crisp passing added to the game’s flavor.

BURBANK ? The search to replace its top player is officially underway for the Renaissance Academy boys? basketball program. With Justin Cook, the reigning All-Area Player of the Year, graduated, the Wildcats will spend at least part of the summer trying to find a replacement. It won?t be easy trying to replace somebody who averaged almost 20 points per game. ?We are going to try to replace Justin as best we can,? said Renaissance Academy center Anthony Stover, whose team dropped a 59-53 decision to Harvard-Westlake in a Burbank Summer League contest at Burbank High on Thursday night.

TODAY BASEBALL ?St. Francis at Birmingham, 5 p.m. ? TUESDAY BOYS? BASKETBALL ?Glendale vs. Grant in Burbank Tournament, 4 p.m. ?Hoover vs. Canyon in Burbank Tournament, 6 p.m. ?Renaissance Academy vs. North Hollywood in Burbank Tournament, 9 p.m. ? WEDNESDAY BOYS? BASKETBALL ?St. Francis in Pasadena Poly Tournament, 7 p.m. ? BASEBALL ?St. Francis at Golden Valley, 5 p.m. ?

Searching for answers immediately following Saturday?s CIF Division V State Championship, star Renaissance Academy guard Justin Cook could only muster up three words when asked to describe what went wrong. ?I don?t know,? a visibly shaken Cook said. It was just one of those days for the Wildcats. Amid all the pomp and circumstance that encompasses a state title game, Renaissance never seemed to find its comfort zone against an experienced Ross Branson team that was playing in its fourth straight state championship and, as a result, the Wildcats went down in defeat, 40-33, on Saturday in Sacramento?

SACRAMENTO ? Searching for answers immediately following Saturday?s CIF Division V State Championship, star Renaissance Academy guard Justin Cook could only muster up three words when asked to describe what went wrong. ?I don?t know,? a visibly shaken Cook said. It was just one of those days for the Wildcats. Amid all the pomp and circumstance that encompasses a state title game, Renaissance never seemed to find its comfort zone against an experienced Ross Branson team that was playing in its fourth straight state championship and, as a result, the Wildcats went down in defeat, 40-33, on Saturday in Sacramento?