CIF cross country: Plenty to watch for

Anything short of a CIF championship would be a major disappointment for Saugus girls cross country, which has stood atop the CIF-Southern Section Division II rankings all season long.

College golf: Grimes takes fourth

Kris Grimes almost had a perfect finish to her College of the Canyons career. The sophomore was leading the California Community College Athletic Association Women's Golf State Championship headed into Tuesday's final round. It would have been her second straight state title and second consecutive tournament victory after she won the CCCAA Southern California Championship a week earlier. But she hit a rough patch through the final four holes on Tuesday at the par-72 Temecula ...

Saugus' Samantha Ortega: Improbable upturn

Saugus cross country head coach Rene Paragas has never been one to mince words. Earlier this season, when he was asked about this year's six-time defending state champion girls cross country team, he described his team as "a bunch of blue collar runners," and said he didn't expect anyone to win any individual races. That was two months ago, and Paragas was being honest. Then entered sophomore Samantha Ortega, who is putting together one of ...

Pro baseball: Next step for Valaika

Hart High graduate and former third-round draft pick Chris Valaika is headed to the Miami Marlins organization.

CIF cross country: Foothill shows off at prelims

The Foothill League passed with flying colors at Saturday's CIF-Southern Section Cross Country Prelims.

CIF football playoffs: Drew, 42 and a first-round W

Drew Wolitarsky really knows how to add style points to major milestones. In yet another record-setting night for the Canyon senior wide receiver, Wolitarsky torched San Luis Obispo for nine grabs, 128 yards and two touchdowns on his way to setting the new mark for most career receptions in the history of California high school football. "I come out more fired up just because I know I'm so close (to the record), and once you ...

CIF volleyball playoffs: Battle back

As girls volleyball matches go, it was as bizarre as they come. At times, Valencia looked incapable of scoring a point. At other moments, the Vikings looked like their usual solid, poised selves. Despite getting blown out in two games, Valencia rallied back and hung on for a 3-2 win over Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy on Tuesday in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division IA playoffs at Valencia High School. The Vikings lost ...

West Ranch's Sarah McGough: Staking her acclaim

If she played basketball, Sarah McGough would win the sixth man award, her coach says. West Ranch girls volleyball head coach Gerrit Maxwell explains by saying she is the most valuable player on the court that the casual onlooker doesn't know about. "She understands that she doesn't have to be the girl in the sunshine to be successful," Maxwell says. In pro basketball, the Sixth Man of the Year Award is given to the best ...

CIF volleyball playoffs: Cents keep finding a way

Saugus girls volleyball hasn't exactly been the most fortunate team this season. But the Centurions continue to make it work despite an already thin roster becoming even thinner with midseason injuries. Yet still, Saugus isn't going anywhere after its 3-0 win over Simi Valley in a CIF-Southern Section Division IA wild-card match on Monday at Saugus High School. Senior Hannah Nua was on fire with a 23-kill night to lead the Centurions (22-12) to game ...

CIF tennis playoffs: One too many setbacks

Knowing full well she was playing the last set of her high school tennis career, Brigitta Benitez wasn't about to end it early on account of darkness.

CIF cross country: Foothill teams learn heat times

The CIF picked the right time to notice Canyon girls cross country. Despite finishing fourth place in the Foothill League and just missing out on an automatic spot into Saturday's CIF-SS prelims at Mt. San Antonio College, Canyon learned it will be making the trip after all thanks to an at-large postseason berth. The invitation was extended to Canyon due to the team's No. 13 rank on this week's CIF-SS Division II poll. In order ...

CIF football: 11-man playoff brackets revealed

Three Santa Clarita Valley football teams found out where they landed in this year's CIF-Southern Section playoffs.

College football: Nothing but ‘O’ in L.A.

LOS ANGELES - Last week, USC's hopes of playing for a national championship were all but washed away with a loss to Arizona.

Foothill football: Ain’t that a kick

All season long, Canyon made its name with big offense and, at times, struggled on defense. In a rivalry game, apparently all bets are off. Israel Cabrera's interception deep in Hart territory with 1:26 to play set up Bonifacio Rojas' 17-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to give Canyon a 17-14 win over Hart on Friday night at College of the Canyons. "As a kid, I've always known the rivalry, Canyon-Hart. I've gone to ...

Golden Valley's Leon Jacobs: The rise of the idle

Sitting alone at a lunch table last spring in the cafeteria at Golden Valley High School, Leon Jacobs couldn't help but ask, "How did I get myself into this?"

TMC baseball's A.J. Work: Homeward Bound

When A.J. Work last left Idaho as a high school baseball player, he was just a wide-eyed kid trying to figure out how he was going to compete with the "big boys."

West Ranch softball makes first quarterfinal

West Ranch Wildcat Julia Lombardi hit the ball into center field for what appeared to the final out of the softball team's season.

Golden Valley's Nolan Del Valle commits to UC Irvine

One of the best runners in Golden Valley High School history just finished his four-year career at the school.

Pair of Golden Valley coaches step down

Scott Drootin didn't guide the Golden Valley Grizzlies baseball team to any championships, but he built up the program in many other ways.

'Cowboy Round-Up’ passing tournament a success

When Canyon High football head coach Rich Gutierrez thought of the idea of hosting a passing tournament in the spring, his goal was to get some top level football programs involved.

CIF track and field finals: Onward they move

Was it the traditional display of dominance for the Foothill League? Not exactly.

COC's Tim White wins state triple jump title

One year later, Tim White wasn't going to let anyone get in his way of a state championship.

Golden Valley's Azaria Hill: Athlete in her blood

Clusters of runners whiz by every couple of minutes.

Valencia can't handle Harvard-Westlake in Division I playoffs

Foothill League announces all-league boys volleyball

Einstein baseball is in and out

In its first playoff appearance in team history, Albert Einstein Academy baseball didn't get any breaks.

Valencia baseball wins CIF-SS Division I wild card

The bats may be coming around just in time for Valencia Vikings baseball. Patient and effective hitting put Valencia in front early and an A.J. Balta grand slam put the game out of reach as the Vikings beat the Westlake Warriors 11-2 on Tuesday in a CIF-Southern Section Division I wild-card matchup at Valencia High School. "We saw the pitches we wanted and we hit them," said Balta, who started for the first time in ...

Valencia tennis caps it off in the quarters

One break of serve here, another tough bounce there, and that was enough to prevent the Valencia Vikings boys tennis team from moving on in the postseason.

COC men's golf wins its sixth state title

College of the Canyons golf head coach Gary Peterson still vividly remembers when his men's golf team won its first state championship 20 years ago.

COC softball knocked out of playoffs

It isn't the kind of repeat College of the Canyons softball was looking for.