TOUGH LUCK STITCHES UP VALENCIA STAR.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Community Sports

Valencia High girls' basketball standout Kelley Tarver, who swears she isn't superstitious, has been wearing jersey No. 13 for as long as she can remember.

``People always ask me about No. 13 being bad luck, but I don't believe in that stuff,'' Tarver said.

However, some misfortune finally caught up with Tarver last week. The senior guard suffered a cut on her cheekbone that required 18 stitches after she collided with an opponent during a tournament game in Santa Barbara.

``She looked like a boxer,'' said Tarver's father, Bernard.

Tarver said: ``Yes, it was pretty bloody. I had to keep the blood from dripping on my jersey.''

Superstitious? No. But tough? Definitely. Tarver returned the next night and had 13 points and eight rebounds in a loss to national power Lynwood.

Tarver had the stitches removed Monday. But to make her doctor's appointment, she had to leave practice midway to make a long drive through the rain to Santa Barbara.

--It should be another challenging week for the Valencia girls' team, and the boys' team, too. Both are hoping for momentum heading into Foothill League competition beginning Friday.

The girls (9-5) play host to Ventura (14-1) at 6 tonight. Ventura is an intimidating opponent that has a victory over Foothill League-favorite Hart this season.

The boys (10-3) won nine in a row before falling 65-55 to Calabasas in the championship game of the Chaminade tournament in West Hills on Thursday. Another stiff challenge awaits them at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against La Canada (14-0), which has held all but three opponents to 52 points or fewer.

The girls won seven of their first eight but have lost four of their past six against more difficult competition. The Ventura matchup figures to be a good indicator for a team hoping eventually to keep pace with annual power Hart for the first time in four years.

Tarver, averaging 16.8 points, isn't scoring as much as last year. But the Cal State Bakersfield-bound senior has proved consistent, scoring 13 points or more in all but two games. She's also leading the team in rebounds and assists. Day Weathersby (12.5 points) and Brittany Sansone (10.9 points) are other key contributors.

For the boys' team, once the La Canada matchup is out of the way, Valencia has a relatively easy three-game stretch against Burroughs of Burbank, Oaks Christian of Westlake Village and Burbank.

But Valencia doesn't want to look ahead because an upset of La Canada could set the tone for the rest of season.

``We know La Canada is undefeated, and we've talked about it,'' Valencia coach Rocket Collins said. ``We need to prove we can play with anybody.''

Chad Allan leads Valencia with averages of 19.6 points. 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. David Horst (13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds) and Ted Goetz (12.9 points, 6.9 rebounds) are also producing.

--Burbank High football coach Greg Sobiech, who said he considered resigning after a group of parents signed a petition in November seeking his dismissal, has rededicated himself after meeting with the school principal.

``I'm still coaching because I've gotten tremendous support from the community and local newspaper,'' Sobiech said. ``I'm thrilled with my job because we've made some progress, but we've got a long way to go and a lot more to accomplish.''

In three seasons, Sobiech is 12-19, including 4-6 this past season. In the nine years before Sobiech's arrival, Burbank failed to win more than two games in a season.

--Chris Smith, considered the top middle-school boys' basketball player in Burbank a year ago, is coming along slowly as a freshman for Burroughs' junior varsity.

``Chris is going to be a very good player but he's not quite as polished as I thought,'' varsity coach Art Sullivan said.

--Chris Butler, limited to a total of just six football games during an injury-plagued high school career at Canyon, is on the verge of a Division I scholarship after two successful College of the Canyons seasons.

Butler, a 6-3, 250-pound tight end, has scheduled an official recruiting visit to UNLV next week, and he is also setting up a visit to Boise State.

--Former Hart girls' basketball standout Amanda Patton has yet to make an impact in her second season at Loyola Marymount. The sophomore guard has appeared in just six games, averaging 0.5 points in six minutes per game.