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2009 TOP 10 TEAMS OF THE YEAR:
Knights rule the field
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| The St. Francis High soccer team is the 2009 Team of the Year. |
After series of heartbreaking setbacks, St. Francis High soccer team captures CIF Southern California Division II Regional Championship with win over top seed.
By Charles Rich
The area’s top-10 high school teams from the 2008-09 season were selected by the Glendale News-Press sports department.
1 St. Francis soccer St. Francis soccer — For most of the regular season, the Golden Knights found themselves in the hunt to reel in the Mission League championship. Entering the last several league matches, things didn’t go as planned. The Golden Knights finished fourth in league. Then, things starting going St. Francis’ way throughout the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs and, surprisingly, beyond.
St. Francis Coach Glen Appels said the Golden Knights had an opportunity at redeeming themselves for the postseason.
“We faltered during the last week of league, but they were geared up for the playoffs,” Appels said.
St. Francis didn’t waste much time getting back to its winning ways. It picked up a 2-0 win against Tesoro before recording a 1-0 victory against Newbury Park. A goal by Amir Moore in overtime gave St. Francis a 3-2 win against Long Beach Jordan. St. Francis then suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to Long Beach Millikan, appearing to have ended its season in the semifinals.
But, the disappointment of falling just short of the championship match didn’t last long. St. Francis was invited to participate in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II Championships for the first time.
“We were given a new chance, and we didn’t want a third disaster,” said Appels, who led the Golden Knights to three CIF championships between 1996-2003. “We were finished with that.
“We were going to finish on a positive note.”
St. Francis marched through the tournament with victories against Canoga Park and Valhalla to reach the championship match. The Golden Knights completed their season in style with a 4-2 win against top-seeded San Diego Cathedral Catholic.
“Most of the guys were unsure of the whole thing,” Appels, the All-Area Boys’ Soccer Coach of the Year, said in reference to the Regional Tournament. “They were a little apprehensive about it because they didn’t know about it.
“They went into [the tournament] wanting to leave a mark. It was something for the younger guys to shoot for. The seniors had a feeling that they played up to their potential and that it would be their absolute last chance. Now, the returning players recognize that there’s more that can be done and now try to get it done next year.”
St. Francis (18-6-5, 7-3-2 in league) received more than its share of contributions from the likes of Eric Verso, Jordan Bell, Nick Rihn, Max Cadena, David Rios, Brett McCreary and Christian Swart. Verso was named the All-Area Player of the Year after finishing with a team-high 26 goals and 10 assists. Eight of Verso’s goals came in the postseason, earning him All-CIF first-team honors. Rihn, Rios and Cadena also received All-CIF accolades.
2 Crescenta Valley boys’ water polo Crescenta Valley boys’ water polo — With plenty of Pacific League championships in the program’s 40-year history, the Falcons for years fell short in their ultimate goal of winning a CIF crown. That changed dramatically.
Piloted by Coach Jan Sakonju, Crescenta Valley used a talented core and much-needed depth to finally bring the elusive title to La Crescenta with a 10-9 victory against top-seeded Rio Mesa in the CIF Southern Section Division VI final at William J. Woolett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Nov. 22, 2008.
“We played like a team and we knew we could pull it out,” said Alan Dearman, who scored the winning goal late in the fourth quarter, after the game.
Crescenta Valley, which earlier won the league championship, got impressive seasons from Chris Veselich, Matt Peters, Nelson White, Rane Colvin, Danny Mock and Division VI co-Player of the Year Tristan Winterhalter. Winterhalter was named the All-Area Boys’ Water Polo Player of the Year after posting a team-best 107 goals and 163 steals. He scored 18 postseason goals. The Falcons finished 26-6 and went undefeated in league.
“The personal growth and the maturity they’ve gone through to put themselves in a position to hold a one-goal lead late in the game, that all goes back to their hard work and staying together,” said Sakonju, who was named the All-Area Boys’ Water Polo Coach of the Year, after his team’s triumph.
3 Crescenta Valley girls’ cross-country Crescenta Valley girls’ cross-country — The Falcons, piloted by Coach Mark Evans, lost four-year standouts Claire Collison and Rachel Lange to graduation.
That meant beginning a new chapter. Crescenta Valley did exactly that, as a talented group that featured Michelle Callister, Carlotta Pham, Claudia Pham, Megan Doeding and Anneke Kakebeen wound up placing third in the CIF Southern Section Division I final at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut.
Crescenta Valley then finished a respectable sixth (195 points) at the CIF-State Cross-Country Meet at Fresno’s Woodward Park. Callister clocked 18 minutes 27 seconds to place 25th overall. Carlotta Pam was 35th (18:40). Each Falcon improved their times from prior times at the state meet.
It marked the fourth time since 2005 that the Falcons competed in the state meet.
“It’s only 32 points that separates three through six, so what do you do?,” said Evans after the state meet. “It wasn’t that we ran poorly, everyone ran really well.”
4 Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer — The Tologs showed why they were one of the top teams locally and in the region. Flintridge Sacred Heart, which captured its first Mission League championship, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division II.
The Tologs, under co-Coaches Frank Pace and Kathy Desmond, went 16-5-4 and 7-1-2 in league and won their first playoff match since 1997 before suffering a 1-0 second-round loss to eventual champion Saugus. Flintridge Sacred Heart established a school record for most shutouts in a season with 14. Nine players received all-league honors, including Sinead Fleming, Breeana Koemans, Pip Harragin, Isabelle Johnson, Katie Johnson, Natalie Zeeni and Dominique Oro.
Fleming, Harragin and Zeeni also received All-CIF accolades.
Flintridge Sacred Heart played one of the toughest schedules among area programs, picking up victories against league rivals Harvard-Westlake and Chaminade, which were both ranked in the division’s top three during the season.
The Tologs, who qualified for the postseason for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, also posted wins against Desert Christian, Maranatha, Mayfield, Monrovia and La Salle.
Said Pace shortly after his team’s loss to Saugus: “They will always be the first team at Sacred Heart that won a Mission League championship.”
5 Crescenta Valley girls’ soccerCrescenta Valley girls’ soccer — With a familiar face taking over the coaching reigns following a five-year absence, the Falcons reclaimed the Pacific League crown. Under Coach Reggie Rivas, the Falcons (18-3-6 and 13-1 in league) normally got a quality defensive effort and found ways to score goals in bunches. The formula led Crescenta Valley all the way to the CIF Southern Section Division II quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. Crescenta Valley lost, 1-0, to eventual champion Saugus.
Still, the Falcons had an ultra-successful season which featured Tori Baldridge, the All-Area Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year, Brittany Berger, Jordan Royer, Danny Cardenas, Veronica Aguilar and Amanda Rose Johnson. The Falcons finished with 12 shutouts.
Baldridge, Berger, Royer, Johnson and Cardenas were named to the All-CIF team.
Rivas reflected on the program following the loss to Saugus.
“[The seniors] are gonna be sorely missed, but the sting will go away. And they’re gonna remember that they won a [Pacific League] championship and all the memories of this season,” Rivas said. “We’re still young. ...We’re loaded, we’ve got some great talent.”
6 Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball — With practically a new cast on board, Flintridge Prep wasn’t expected to necessarily challenge for a Prep League championship or make a deep postseason run. The Rebels more than surprised themselves, placing second in league and then marching all the way to the CIF Southern Section Division V semifinals for the second time in three seasons.
Flintridge Prep (20-6, 5-2 in league) got hot just before the playoffs began, earning the No. 4 seed in the postseason. It picked up playoff victories against California Academy of Math and Science, Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian and Arrowhead Christian Academy before succumbing in three games to top-seeded St. Margaret’s on the road.
The Rebels often turned to senior outside hitter Gavin Thomson, who was tabbed the All-Area Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year after posting an area-leading 461 kills and 52 aces. Thomson was also named to the all-league team and earned All-CIF first-team accolades. Also contributing plenty to the Rebels were Steve Morse, Edmund Chow, Kenyatta Smith and JT Treadwell.
7 Crescenta Valley softball Crescenta Valley softball — The Falcons had more than their share of talent to cruise to the Pacific League championship for the third straight season.
Led by senior shortstop Baillie Kirker, who will attend the University of Arizona in the fall, Crescenta Valley finished the season at 26-2 and 14-0 in league before marching to the CIF Southern Section Division III quarterfinals.
Kirker batted .519 with 16 home runs, 48 runs batted in and 48 runs scored. In addition, the All-Area Softball Player of the Year pick set the state high school record in career home runs with 53. Teammate Kali Canselosi won 12 games in the circle and batted .476 with 44 RBIs for the Falcons, who also received stellar seasons from All-Area members Heather Bacon, Alyssa Sovereign, Erin Ashby, Stephanie Ziemann and Kaela Green.
8 Crescenta Valley girls’ tennisCrescenta Valley girls’ tennis — Under veteran Coach Tom Gossard, the Falcons had plenty of depth. They used it throughout the bulk of the season to win the Pacific League championship for the ninth time since Gossard took over the program in 1995. Crescenta Valley (17-2, 12-0 in league) advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs after playing a difficult nonleague schedule that included La Cañada, Valencia Valencia, Viewpoint and Mayfield. The Falcons have won 34 league matches in a row.
The Falcons featured sophomore Erin LeVoir, who went 43-8 and won the league’s individual title before being named the All-Area Singles Player of the Year. LeVoir’s crowning moment came Nov. 5, when she picked up a 6-3, 1-6, 10-7 victory against Arcadia’s Caitlyn Ward for the league title. The top-seeded Ward entered the match having won the previous two league singles championships.
Crescenta Valley saw Courtney Pietsch and Talia Moradkhanian reach the semifinals of the league final.
9 Crescenta Valley boys’ swimming Crescenta Valley boys’ swimming — Crescenta Valley got an impressive effort from the quartet of Josh Chi, Tristan Winterhalter, Andrew De Jong and Sharif Alaoui, who combined to set a new school record mark of 3 minutes 12.06 seconds in the 400-yard freestyle relay at the Pacific League finals at Burbank High. The Falcons would go on to capture the league championship. They have won it outright or shared it for 17 years in a row.
Winterhalter (100 freestyle, 48.57), De Jong (200 individual medley, 1:58.50), Alaoui (100 butterfly, 53.14) and Chris Veselich (50 freestyle, 22.23) all won league titles.
Crescenta Valley used its depth at the CIF Southern Section Division II finals to finish seventh with 128 points. Winterhalter, Veselich, De Jong and Alaoui finished fifth in the 400 freestyle (3:10.39), Alaoui, Jason Kim, De Jong and Winterhalter swam the 200-medley relay in 1:38.65 to take seventh place.
Crescenta Valley got strong individual races from Alaoui in the 200 (sixth, 1:42.00) and 100 freestyle (sixth, 46.49), De Jong in the 200 individual medley (sixth, 1:58.47), Winterhalter in the 50 freestyle (seventh, 21.73) and Kim in the 100 backstroke (seventh, 54.44).
10 Crescenta Valley girls’ water polo Crescenta Valley girls’ water polo — The Falcons saw their string of five consecutive Pacific League championships fall by the wayside, but managed to place second behind Burbank in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.
However, Coach Pete Loporchio’s squad managed to be among the best squads in the area. Sparked by all-league selections Taylor Kuh, Olivia Trimis and Kim Fraisse, Crescenta Valley went 18-10 and 7-1 in league before moving on to the CIF quarterfinals.
Kuh had 58 goals, 32 assists and 61 steals in addition to being a shutdown defender. Trimis tallied 64 goals, 17 assists and 32 steals. Fraisse led the Falcons with 78 goals.
The Falcons picked up a 7-6 opening-round playoff victory against Nipomo before seeing their season conclude with a 13-6 loss to second-seeded Rio Mesa.
Others receiving votes: Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy swimming.
1 St. Francis soccer St. Francis soccer — For most of the regular season, the Golden Knights found themselves in the hunt to reel in the Mission League championship. Entering the last several league matches, things didn’t go as planned. The Golden Knights finished fourth in league. Then, things starting going St. Francis’ way throughout the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs and, surprisingly, beyond.
St. Francis Coach Glen Appels said the Golden Knights had an opportunity at redeeming themselves for the postseason.
“We faltered during the last week of league, but they were geared up for the playoffs,” Appels said.
St. Francis didn’t waste much time getting back to its winning ways. It picked up a 2-0 win against Tesoro before recording a 1-0 victory against Newbury Park. A goal by Amir Moore in overtime gave St. Francis a 3-2 win against Long Beach Jordan. St. Francis then suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to Long Beach Millikan, appearing to have ended its season in the semifinals.
But, the disappointment of falling just short of the championship match didn’t last long. St. Francis was invited to participate in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II Championships for the first time.
“We were given a new chance, and we didn’t want a third disaster,” said Appels, who led the Golden Knights to three CIF championships between 1996-2003. “We were finished with that.
“We were going to finish on a positive note.”
St. Francis marched through the tournament with victories against Canoga Park and Valhalla to reach the championship match. The Golden Knights completed their season in style with a 4-2 win against top-seeded San Diego Cathedral Catholic.
“Most of the guys were unsure of the whole thing,” Appels, the All-Area Boys’ Soccer Coach of the Year, said in reference to the Regional Tournament. “They were a little apprehensive about it because they didn’t know about it.
“They went into [the tournament] wanting to leave a mark. It was something for the younger guys to shoot for. The seniors had a feeling that they played up to their potential and that it would be their absolute last chance. Now, the returning players recognize that there’s more that can be done and now try to get it done next year.”
St. Francis (18-6-5, 7-3-2 in league) received more than its share of contributions from the likes of Eric Verso, Jordan Bell, Nick Rihn, Max Cadena, David Rios, Brett McCreary and Christian Swart. Verso was named the All-Area Player of the Year after finishing with a team-high 26 goals and 10 assists. Eight of Verso’s goals came in the postseason, earning him All-CIF first-team honors. Rihn, Rios and Cadena also received All-CIF accolades.
2 Crescenta Valley boys’ water polo Crescenta Valley boys’ water polo — With plenty of Pacific League championships in the program’s 40-year history, the Falcons for years fell short in their ultimate goal of winning a CIF crown. That changed dramatically.
Piloted by Coach Jan Sakonju, Crescenta Valley used a talented core and much-needed depth to finally bring the elusive title to La Crescenta with a 10-9 victory against top-seeded Rio Mesa in the CIF Southern Section Division VI final at William J. Woolett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Nov. 22, 2008.
“We played like a team and we knew we could pull it out,” said Alan Dearman, who scored the winning goal late in the fourth quarter, after the game.
Crescenta Valley, which earlier won the league championship, got impressive seasons from Chris Veselich, Matt Peters, Nelson White, Rane Colvin, Danny Mock and Division VI co-Player of the Year Tristan Winterhalter. Winterhalter was named the All-Area Boys’ Water Polo Player of the Year after posting a team-best 107 goals and 163 steals. He scored 18 postseason goals. The Falcons finished 26-6 and went undefeated in league.
“The personal growth and the maturity they’ve gone through to put themselves in a position to hold a one-goal lead late in the game, that all goes back to their hard work and staying together,” said Sakonju, who was named the All-Area Boys’ Water Polo Coach of the Year, after his team’s triumph.
3 Crescenta Valley girls’ cross-country Crescenta Valley girls’ cross-country — The Falcons, piloted by Coach Mark Evans, lost four-year standouts Claire Collison and Rachel Lange to graduation.
That meant beginning a new chapter. Crescenta Valley did exactly that, as a talented group that featured Michelle Callister, Carlotta Pham, Claudia Pham, Megan Doeding and Anneke Kakebeen wound up placing third in the CIF Southern Section Division I final at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut.
Crescenta Valley then finished a respectable sixth (195 points) at the CIF-State Cross-Country Meet at Fresno’s Woodward Park. Callister clocked 18 minutes 27 seconds to place 25th overall. Carlotta Pam was 35th (18:40). Each Falcon improved their times from prior times at the state meet.
It marked the fourth time since 2005 that the Falcons competed in the state meet.
“It’s only 32 points that separates three through six, so what do you do?,” said Evans after the state meet. “It wasn’t that we ran poorly, everyone ran really well.”
4 Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer — The Tologs showed why they were one of the top teams locally and in the region. Flintridge Sacred Heart, which captured its first Mission League championship, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division II.
The Tologs, under co-Coaches Frank Pace and Kathy Desmond, went 16-5-4 and 7-1-2 in league and won their first playoff match since 1997 before suffering a 1-0 second-round loss to eventual champion Saugus. Flintridge Sacred Heart established a school record for most shutouts in a season with 14. Nine players received all-league honors, including Sinead Fleming, Breeana Koemans, Pip Harragin, Isabelle Johnson, Katie Johnson, Natalie Zeeni and Dominique Oro.
Fleming, Harragin and Zeeni also received All-CIF accolades.
Flintridge Sacred Heart played one of the toughest schedules among area programs, picking up victories against league rivals Harvard-Westlake and Chaminade, which were both ranked in the division’s top three during the season.
The Tologs, who qualified for the postseason for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, also posted wins against Desert Christian, Maranatha, Mayfield, Monrovia and La Salle.
Said Pace shortly after his team’s loss to Saugus: “They will always be the first team at Sacred Heart that won a Mission League championship.”
5 Crescenta Valley girls’ soccerCrescenta Valley girls’ soccer — With a familiar face taking over the coaching reigns following a five-year absence, the Falcons reclaimed the Pacific League crown. Under Coach Reggie Rivas, the Falcons (18-3-6 and 13-1 in league) normally got a quality defensive effort and found ways to score goals in bunches. The formula led Crescenta Valley all the way to the CIF Southern Section Division II quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. Crescenta Valley lost, 1-0, to eventual champion Saugus.
Still, the Falcons had an ultra-successful season which featured Tori Baldridge, the All-Area Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year, Brittany Berger, Jordan Royer, Danny Cardenas, Veronica Aguilar and Amanda Rose Johnson. The Falcons finished with 12 shutouts.
Baldridge, Berger, Royer, Johnson and Cardenas were named to the All-CIF team.
Rivas reflected on the program following the loss to Saugus.
“[The seniors] are gonna be sorely missed, but the sting will go away. And they’re gonna remember that they won a [Pacific League] championship and all the memories of this season,” Rivas said. “We’re still young. ...We’re loaded, we’ve got some great talent.”
6 Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball — With practically a new cast on board, Flintridge Prep wasn’t expected to necessarily challenge for a Prep League championship or make a deep postseason run. The Rebels more than surprised themselves, placing second in league and then marching all the way to the CIF Southern Section Division V semifinals for the second time in three seasons.
Flintridge Prep (20-6, 5-2 in league) got hot just before the playoffs began, earning the No. 4 seed in the postseason. It picked up playoff victories against California Academy of Math and Science, Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian and Arrowhead Christian Academy before succumbing in three games to top-seeded St. Margaret’s on the road.
The Rebels often turned to senior outside hitter Gavin Thomson, who was tabbed the All-Area Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year after posting an area-leading 461 kills and 52 aces. Thomson was also named to the all-league team and earned All-CIF first-team accolades. Also contributing plenty to the Rebels were Steve Morse, Edmund Chow, Kenyatta Smith and JT Treadwell.
7 Crescenta Valley softball Crescenta Valley softball — The Falcons had more than their share of talent to cruise to the Pacific League championship for the third straight season.
Led by senior shortstop Baillie Kirker, who will attend the University of Arizona in the fall, Crescenta Valley finished the season at 26-2 and 14-0 in league before marching to the CIF Southern Section Division III quarterfinals.
Kirker batted .519 with 16 home runs, 48 runs batted in and 48 runs scored. In addition, the All-Area Softball Player of the Year pick set the state high school record in career home runs with 53. Teammate Kali Canselosi won 12 games in the circle and batted .476 with 44 RBIs for the Falcons, who also received stellar seasons from All-Area members Heather Bacon, Alyssa Sovereign, Erin Ashby, Stephanie Ziemann and Kaela Green.
8 Crescenta Valley girls’ tennisCrescenta Valley girls’ tennis — Under veteran Coach Tom Gossard, the Falcons had plenty of depth. They used it throughout the bulk of the season to win the Pacific League championship for the ninth time since Gossard took over the program in 1995. Crescenta Valley (17-2, 12-0 in league) advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs after playing a difficult nonleague schedule that included La Cañada, Valencia Valencia, Viewpoint and Mayfield. The Falcons have won 34 league matches in a row.
The Falcons featured sophomore Erin LeVoir, who went 43-8 and won the league’s individual title before being named the All-Area Singles Player of the Year. LeVoir’s crowning moment came Nov. 5, when she picked up a 6-3, 1-6, 10-7 victory against Arcadia’s Caitlyn Ward for the league title. The top-seeded Ward entered the match having won the previous two league singles championships.
Crescenta Valley saw Courtney Pietsch and Talia Moradkhanian reach the semifinals of the league final.
9 Crescenta Valley boys’ swimming Crescenta Valley boys’ swimming — Crescenta Valley got an impressive effort from the quartet of Josh Chi, Tristan Winterhalter, Andrew De Jong and Sharif Alaoui, who combined to set a new school record mark of 3 minutes 12.06 seconds in the 400-yard freestyle relay at the Pacific League finals at Burbank High. The Falcons would go on to capture the league championship. They have won it outright or shared it for 17 years in a row.
Winterhalter (100 freestyle, 48.57), De Jong (200 individual medley, 1:58.50), Alaoui (100 butterfly, 53.14) and Chris Veselich (50 freestyle, 22.23) all won league titles.
Crescenta Valley used its depth at the CIF Southern Section Division II finals to finish seventh with 128 points. Winterhalter, Veselich, De Jong and Alaoui finished fifth in the 400 freestyle (3:10.39), Alaoui, Jason Kim, De Jong and Winterhalter swam the 200-medley relay in 1:38.65 to take seventh place.
Crescenta Valley got strong individual races from Alaoui in the 200 (sixth, 1:42.00) and 100 freestyle (sixth, 46.49), De Jong in the 200 individual medley (sixth, 1:58.47), Winterhalter in the 50 freestyle (seventh, 21.73) and Kim in the 100 backstroke (seventh, 54.44).
10 Crescenta Valley girls’ water polo Crescenta Valley girls’ water polo — The Falcons saw their string of five consecutive Pacific League championships fall by the wayside, but managed to place second behind Burbank in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.
However, Coach Pete Loporchio’s squad managed to be among the best squads in the area. Sparked by all-league selections Taylor Kuh, Olivia Trimis and Kim Fraisse, Crescenta Valley went 18-10 and 7-1 in league before moving on to the CIF quarterfinals.
Kuh had 58 goals, 32 assists and 61 steals in addition to being a shutdown defender. Trimis tallied 64 goals, 17 assists and 32 steals. Fraisse led the Falcons with 78 goals.
The Falcons picked up a 7-6 opening-round playoff victory against Nipomo before seeing their season conclude with a 13-6 loss to second-seeded Rio Mesa.
Others receiving votes: Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy swimming.
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