AFTER DONS' CLASS OF 2007, WHO'S NEXT? VERDUGO HILLS BOYS' VOLLEYBALL SENIORS COULD BE BEST GROUP TO EVER WALK HALLS.Byline: ERIK BOAL Special to the Daily News Among the multitude of banners hanging on the north wall in the Verdugo Hills High gymnasium gymnasium In Germany, a state-maintained secondary school that prepares pupils for higher academic education. This type of nine-year school originated in Strasbourg in 1537. , one that rests in the east corner is hard to ignore. That's because it doesn't feature a sport, a year or athletes' names, nor does it celebrate a league title. Instead, on the black and red canvas it simply states: "Who's next?" With Bobby Blake  The of all or part of this article is disputed.Please see the discussion on the talk page. But Verdugo Hills volleyball coach Will Reinhart knows there might not be another class of athletes like the group of seniors spending their final weeks walking the Tujunga campus. "I really believe this Class of 2007 is the best ever to graduate from Verdugo Hills," said Reinhart, whose team plays host to Marshall of LosFeliz at 7 p.m. today in the second round of the City Section playoffs. "I'm pretty familiar with Verdugo Hills sports history and they match up as well as any guys ever. The number of league championships they've won and the individual accolades they've received is pretty impressive." Of the 12 players on Reinhart's roster, 11 are multi-sport athletes, including seven seniors. Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is a prolific American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Raised by his mother and grandmother, Adams dropped out of school at age 16 and performed with several local bands before moving to Raleigh and , Daniel Kuoch and Peter Seller play two each, Vache Minasyan and Ian Simonton are three-sport standouts, and Eric Moser and Brendan Nulty have played at the varsity level in four sports, competing on the school's inaugural water polo water polo, swimming game encompassing features of soccer, football, basketball, and hockey. The object of the game is to maneuver, by head, feet, or hand, a leather-covered ball 27 to 28 in. team this year. "I haven't had an offseason (in high school), but if we all didn't play, then we wouldn't have had a chance to win another league title," said Simonton, who also plays football and basketball. "We're all pieces to a puzzle. If one of us didn't play, then the puzzle would crumble crum·ble v. crum·bled, crum·bling, crum·bles v.tr. To break into small fragments or particles. v.intr. 1. To fall into small fragments or particles; disintegrate. ." Although Reinhart's seniors have played on football and volleyball league championship teams and helped the boys' basketball team reach the City playoffs, the group began achieving success at a young age. They're considered local legends, with a banner highlighting their youth flag football title still hanging at nearby Sunland Park Sunland Park may refer to:
"We've played everything together since we were 7 years old," said Seller, an All-City selection in football and standout outside hitter in volleyball. "We always had an idea coming to Verdugo Hills that we'd be successful. It's our home school and we wanted to come here and play and win championships together." Although the Dons have won several girls' league titles the past four years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time male athletes have received the majority of the attention because of their chemistry. "We all have character and we all get along so well," Nulty said. "We're surrounded by amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. players and we have a great leader and great teammates." That bond helped the football team capture back-to-back varsity championships, ending a 25-year drought, and allowed the boys' volleyball team to secure consecutive crowns after not winning one since 1991. "It's going to be pretty hard (for future classes to top us)," Adams said. "We've accomplished a lot this year." The Dons' success is even more impressive considering some members of the group have relocated since their days at Mount Gleason Middle School. Lavelle Peterson is competing in football and track at La Canada, Andy Weissberg is playing baseball at Chatsworth, and perhaps the best athlete in the group, Mike Stanton William Michael (Mike) Stanton (born June 2, 1967 in Houston, Texas) is a left-handed specialist relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. From 1989 through 2006, Stanton has posted a 67-60 record with a 3. , is concluding a stellar three-sport career at Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks. "We still hang out with those guys all the time," Moser said. "When my brother went to Verdugo, they were never good at any sports. So, we made the decision that we wanted to go to school here and make it better." Although Reinhart relishes the opportunity to hang more banners in Verdugo Hills' gymnasium next year, his biggest source of pride comes from watching a group of hometown home·town n. The town or city of one's birth, rearing, or main residence. Noun 1. hometown - the town (or city) where you grew up or where you have your principal residence; "he never went back to his hometown again" boys succeed. "They're throwbacks to the old days. They're neighborhood kids who have represented the school well," Reinhart said. "I think this is a special generation. They're the real deal." erik.boal@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Seven seniors on the Verdugo Hills boys' volleyball team play at least two sports for the school. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer |
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