Valley Invitational Baseball League breaking away from American Legion

The 2008 Valley Invitational Baseball League, or VIBL, began on Monday and teams from around the Foothill League compete in games played throughout the summer, with this year's championship game being held on July 31.

Floating on cloud nine

Shawn Smith was born 9-9-1990. So when he was taken first pick in the ninth round of the 2008 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, his mother attributed it to fate.

Passing league a time for growing

Grow up fast. That's the message Valencia football coach Larry Muir sent to his team. With four returning starters on defense and five on offense, the Vikings have a lot of growing to do. Ditto for Canyon and Hart, who took part in a passing league scrimmage, along with the Vikings and Oaks Christian at Valencia High School Wednesday night. "Football doesn't know that you're young," Muir said. For Valencia and Canyon, it was ...

Jessica Spigner: Conquering Viking

Like a conquering Viking, Jessica Spigner just keeps on reaping the rewards. On Tuesday, Spigner was named the Gatorade California Softball Player of the Year as a pitcher. The senior is a finalist for the National Gatorade Softball Player of the Year, which will be announced this month. She has a good chance of winning. Out of the 10 years since the award has been announced, five from California have been named National Player of ...

Danny does swimmingly

Hart's Jordan Danny continues breaking records, even in the offseason. Danny competed in the Janet Evans Invitational with the Canyons Aquatic Club this past weekend.

All-Foothill League softball teams

First Team Lelani Bernardino Senior Valencia Alexis Caso Senior Hart Megan Foglesong Sophomore Valencia Nicole Johnson Senior Canyon Alicia Junker Senior Saugus Devon Lindvall Junior Hart Madison Shipman Sophomore Valencia Jessica Shults Junior Hart Alexis Tellez Junior Saugus Brittany Williams Sophomore Canyon Second Team Lauren Boser Sophomore Valencia Melissa Brown Junior Hart Nicki Daher Senior Saugus Melissa Herndon Senior West Ranch Ashley Jaramillo Senior Golden Valley Jenna Kelly Freshman Saugus Breanne Lendman Junior West ...

Getting their kicks

To Steve Singer, wins and losses aren't as important as the way you play the game. His 14U soccer team, the Saugus Titans, lost Sunday in the championship game of the 11th Annual 2008 Splash Tournament held on June 7-8 in Santa Barbara but they didn't resort to the tactics used by their opponents, according to Singer. And for that, he commended them after the game.

Golden Valley hires new girls hoops coach

With a background of 12 years worth of coaching at the youth and junior varsity levels, James Wilson takes over as the head coach of the Golden Valley High School varsity girls basketball team. Coming over from West Ranch High School, where he was the head coach of a junior varsity girls hoops team that won the Foothill League JV title, Wilson hopes to improve on a Grizzlies team that finished 1-9 in the Foothill ...

Grizzlies hire new girls soccer coach

Golden Valley girls varsity soccer team welcomed a new head coach this week. Jose Leon joins the Grizzlies after a three year position as head coach for Hart's girls varsity team from 2003-05.

Jaramillo signs Letter of Intent

Golden Valley graduate Ashley Jaramillo has signed a letter of intent to play for Francis Marion Univeristy in Florence, S.C.

Saugus draft party

• Four Centurion graduates are taken in first 16 rounds of the draft, including pitchers Michael Hebert in the seventh round and Shawn Smith in the ninth When the Tampa Bay Rays selected Shawn Smith in the Major League Baseball draft Friday, he was of all places, sleeping.

Freshman shines brightly

Saugus High's 2007 cross country team had a record breaking season. Behind some of the team's success this season was freshman Kaylin Mahoney.

Canyon baseball coach resigns

Two years and you're out. Brandon Montemayor resigned Monday as the varsity baseball head coach of the Canyon Cowboys, nearly one month after the team finished 8-17-1 and 3-12 in the Foothill League.

Montgomery: A dream come true

There were a few tense moments in Michael Montgomery's house on Thursday. But as soon as the crowd gathered in his living room heard the words "the Kansas City Royals select Michael Montgomery" on the television screen, the house erupted, his teammates dogpiled on top of him, his father David bumped fists with his son, and his mom cried.

Montemayor out at Canyon baseball; Schulhofer returns

Two years and you're out. Brandon Montemayor resigned Monday as the varsity baseball head coach of the Canyon Cowboys, nearly one month after the team finished 8-17-1 and 3-12 in the Foothill League. The next day, former Canyon head coach Adam Schulhofer was hired as the new head coach of the varsity baseball team. "He's had an amazing run of success," Canyon High School principal Bob Messina said. "He's done an amazing job. We're incredibly ...

West Ranch's Michelle Kim: Wildcat sheds her shell

Editor's note: This is the sixth and final in a series of stories in which The Signal recognizes high school athletes whose greatest achievements go well beyond the playing field.

Valencia football's Davis Pitner: Finding his way on the line

Saugus' Charles Dulac: A message of acceptance

Editor's note: This is the fourth in a series of stories in which The Signal recognizes high school athletes whose greatest achievements go well beyond the playing field.

Hart's Kailie Kennedy: Listening to those in need

The summer heat on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona is intense.

Golden Valley's Tyshon Thompson: A golden child growing up

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of stories in which The Signal recognizes high school athletes whose greatest achievements go well beyond the playing field.

Canyon's Apsay offered scholarship by Colorado

Canyon senior quarterback Cade Apsay received his second scholarship offer this week and again it was a Pac-12 school.

Canyon's Amoni Henderson: It’s better to laugh than cry

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories in which The Signal recognizes high school athletes whose greatest achievements go well beyond the playing field.

Hart football takes center stage at passing tourney

Valencia High School may have been the location of a four-team passing tournament on Wednesday, but Hart seemed to be right at home on the Vikings' football field.

Pete Calzia: Coach com-Pete

In October, Pete Calzia's heart was out of his chest while a doctor was installing a new aortic valve into the longtime teacher and ultra-competitive coach.

Former Golden Valley baseball coach hired at Cleveland High

Scott Drootin, who announced his resignation as head baseball coach at Golden Valley High on May 20, has been hired by Cleveland High in Reseda for the same position.

SCV track and field season ends at state finals

Somehow it was fitting that the last three remaining locals of the high school track and field season were all distance runners from Saugus High School, a perrenial power in distance races.

Three Saugus runners left at CIF state track meet

The intensity of the track and field competition continued to whittle down the list Santa Clarita Valley athletes still alive in the postseason.

Hart's Davis Koppenhaver picks up two collegiate offers

Another member of the Hart High football team has received national attention this week, as wide receiver Davis Koppenhaver received two collegiate offers.

Saugus track's Rodrigo Ornelas: Determined to be the best

Even now, he still thinks about second place.

Around the SCV: Canyon hires new swim coach; Ensing named to prestigious v-ball team

The Canyon High swim team will have a new head coach next season, as the school hired Daniel Neswald to take over for the departed Steve Himes, co-athletic director Scott Arnold confirmed.