CHATTER: BIRMINGHAM MUST GET BIGGER.Byline: Lee Barnathan Staff Writer Friday's football playoffs produced some upsets that really weren't. --Top-seeded Birmingham lost. But by no means was it an upset. Fremont was a legitimate top-four seed, with a win over Crenshaw cren·shaw also cran·shaw n. A variety of winter melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus) having a greenish-yellow rind and sweet, usually salmon-pink flesh. [Origin unknown.] that the Pathfinders had to forfeit. That's why they dropped to the ninth seed. Coach Ed Croson didn't think it was an upset, either. ``Did you see those guys?'' Croson said. ``They were so much bigger. We couldn't stop them. They just knocked us off the ball. We used 12 defensive linemen.'' The Patriots gave up between 20 and 90 pounds on the lines, depending on which linemen were in. ``We had a hard time protecting our quarterback,'' Croson said. Croson thinks the area City teams have the advantage when it comes to the fundamentals, but the City teams over the hill have more players who are bigger, stronger and faster. ``Maybe Taft can beat Crenshaw,'' Croson said. ``I don't think Crenshaw is as physical as Fremont or Dorsey or San Pedro. We need to go back to the weight room and make our kids bigger.'' --Valencia beat Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. . This also is not an upset because the Vikings have eliminated the Falcons three consecutive years. Valencia showed it can beat a pass-oriented team such as Crescenta Valley because, as coach Brian Stiman says, ``The kids have gone out and executed what we tried to do.'' But the Vikings can't beat a pass-oriented Hart. Stiman knows why: The Indians have a solid running game. CV quarterback Hudson Gossard is his team's leading passer and rusher, making it an offense easier to stop. With Hart, there's the quarterback, in this case Matt Moore, and a running back in Mickey Mercado. ... Montclair Prep football coach George Giannini lives in San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. . For the past 15 years, he has commuted to the Van Nuys campus, then stays in the dorms during the week. ... Westlake's Jon Contos set a school record Friday night at Righetti. Contos became the Warriors' leading career rusher. He has 2,665 yards, passing Julian Lambert's 2,612 from 1998-99. Contos also needs 33 yards to reach Jonathan Weems' single-season record of 1,452 set in 1996 and 21 points to tie Joey Cuppari's school record 247. ... Newbury Park graduate Chris Czernek no doubt helped his chances to play either in the Arena League or NFL Europe NFL EUROPE National Football League Europe when he was named SCIAC SCIAC SIGINT Correlation Integration & Analysis Capability Offensive Player of the Year. Cal Lutheran's Czernek set school records with 424 pass attempts, 272 completions and 3,058 yards in nine games. He also threw 20 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. In addition, Occidental of Eagle Rock lineman Kevin Watson Kevin Watson is a professional footballer (born 3rd January 1974, in Hackney, London, England) currently playing as a midfielder for Colchester United in the Football League Championship. Watson started his career as a trainee with his local side Tottenham Hotspur. was named SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year. ATHLETE OF THE WEEK MICKEY MERCADO Senior Hart Football Mercado does so much for Hart, it's sometimes difficult to pinpoint his true impact. He provides the Indians with a tough, hard-nosed defender and a top-notch reserve running back in place of the injured Tim Gregory. On Friday, his value was never more apparent as he rushed for a team-high 134 yards and three touchdowns, including a 54-yard score. He was also effective as usual on defense. LINDSAY FLACKS Sophomore Harvard-Westlake cross country Flacks placed third and was the first nonsenior to finish in the state Division IV final in Fresno Saturday, running 18 minutes, 48 seconds over the 5,000-meter Woodward Park Woodward Park (34 acres) is a public park, botanical garden, and arboretum located between 21st Street and 24th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is open to the public daily. course. The effort, under rainy and muddy conditions, was the fastest of the day by an area runner and followed her victory in the Southern Section and Mission League finals. Flacks, who also plays on the Wolverine wolverine or glutton, largest member of the weasel family, Gulo gulo, found in the northern parts of North America and Eurasia, usually in high mountains near the timberline or in tundra. soccer team, started running during track last spring and went on to finish second in the Southern Section Division III
Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States. 3,200-meters. UP AND COMER CHRIS ARVANITES North Hollywood High
Arvanites, a freshman, excels at baseball. After graduating from Walter Reed Middle School Walter Reed Middle School is a year-round school located in North Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. Its original name was North Hollywood Junior High School. The school is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. , Arvanites has played himself into varsity consideration, having gone 5 for 11 with two doubles and three RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in in fall ball. Nominate other outstanding junior varsity and middle school athletes by calling (818) 713-3611. HEAD TO HEAD Matchup of the week: CHARLES BURNLEY Valencia Running back DEREK HAGAN Palmdale Wide receiver/defensive back Burnley has established himself as one of the most exciting running backs in the region, leading the area in rushing with 1,711 yards and 22 touchdowns. Burnley is a smooth, instinctive runner with an excellent burst of speed, an uncanny cutback cut·back n. 1. A decrease; a curtailment: "The political effects of food cutbacks could be devastating" New York Times. 2. ability and deceptive power. He can make people miss, but he isn't afraid to lower his shoulder and try to run over someone, either. Burnley's emergence, and that of Valencia quarterback Colin Carey, has the Vikings on the brink of their second trip to the Southern Section Division III final in three years. Hagan is Mr. Do It All for the Falcons, a guy who catches the ball, runs with it and is a top-notch defender who is tied for first among area Southern Section players with seven interceptions. Hagan has 64 catches for 836 yards and five touchdowns. Friday, 7:30 p.m. at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. . CAPTION(S): 5 photos, 5 boxes Photo: (1) MICKEY MERCADO (2) LINDSAY FLACKS (3) CHRIS ARVANITES (4) CHARLES BURNLEY (5) DEREK HAGAN Box: (1) STATILICIOUS (2) ATHLETES OF THE WEEK (see text) (3) UP AND COMER (see text) (4) HEAD 2 HEAD (see text) (5) ON DECK: Highlights of the coming week |
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