Crescenta Valley

LA CRESCENTA — In 2006, its first season in the Pacific League, the success enjoyed by the Burroughs’ High girls’ volleyball team was a pleasant surprise. Welcoming almost all of their starters back, the Indians entered 2007 Pacific League play poised to surpass the accomplishments of last season, in which they went 15-9, placed third in league and reached the quarterfinals of the CIF playoffs for the first time in 20 years. With a 25-11, 25-22, 25-17 victory on Thursday against host Crescenta Valley, last year’s fourth-place team in league, the Indians ran their league record to 4-0 and are quickly emerging as one of the top teams in the Pacific League.

GLENDALE — The Crescenta Valley and Burbank Little League teams were living by the long ball Tuesday in the District 16 Major Baseball championship game. Eleven of the first 14 runs in the game came off of six home runs, as balls were being rocketed out of Babe Herman Field. And that was just through four innings. Although the teams split in the homer department, Crescenta Valley was able to score more runs off its dingers, as it downed Burbank, 8-6. The win avenges a 5-3 Crescenta Valley loss Monday against the same Burbank squad.

GLENDALE — For an hour, summer turned to winter. At least it seemed that way when the Crescenta Valley and Burbank high boys' basketball teams met Thursday afternoon during a pool-play game of the eighth annual Vaquero Summer Tip-Off Tournament at Glendale Community College. Crescenta Valley and Burbank are certainly no strangers to one another, as both are members of the Pacific League, but they found themselves squaring off in early July. Crescenta Valley got a game-high 17 points from guard Alan Bagatourian and 12 from forward Clayton Sierra to record a 64-57 victory against Burbank.

OLIVE PARK — Burroughs High softball Coach Jose Valle had an inkling that trying to win the program’s first league championship since 1982 wasn’t going to be easy, especially when factoring in Crescenta Valley has held the top spot for the past three seasons. Valle’s suspicion became reality after Crescenta Valley got a two-run single from Sydney House in the top of the sixth inning en route to a 3-1 Pacific League win Wednesday afternoon at Olive Park. “CV took care of business and they got the hit when they needed it,” said Valle, whose team held a one-game lead over crosstown rival Burbank and a two-game bulge over Crescenta Valley entering Wednesday’s competition.

BURBANK HIGH — It wasn't a good day at the pool for the Burbank High and Burroughs water polo teams. Both teams lost in the prelims of the Pacific League Tournament on Tuesday at Burbank High. Burbank dropped a close match to Arcadia, 13-10, while Burroughs fell to Crescenta Valley, 14-6. The second-seeded Bulldogs might have been looking ahead to a possible rematch with Crescenta Valley, and failed to focus on the opponent at hand. "There were just some minor mistakes," said Bulldogs Coach Dro Hovanessian, whose team is ranked No. 10 in CIF Southern Section Division VI. "Little mental mistakes are what cost us the game."

LA CRESCENTA — For at least one match, it wasn’t the red and white of Burroughs High taking on the blue and navy of Crescenta Valley in a Pacific League girls’ volleyball match. Instead, both teams were in the pink — literally. The Indians and Falcons players and coaches were decked out in pink and white Thursday as part of the “Dig for the Cure” fundraiser in conjunction with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Along with holding a raffle for various prizes at the match at Crescenta Valley, the athletes from both squads solicited donations for digs accumulated during the league contest.

GLENDALE ? The Burbank 11-year-old All-Star baseball team played Crescenta Valley on Monday closer than any other team in the Little League District 16 Tournament. And it still lost by 13 runs. Crescenta Valley ? which defeated its first two tournament foes by 34 and 21 runs, respectively ? pulled away from Burbank early en route to a 13-0 mercy-rule victory in the district's title game at Pacific Park. "We have a very strong team," said Crescenta Valley Coach Dan Mulcahey, whose team will next play the District 51 representative at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in a first-round game of the Section 2 Tournament at Babe Herman Field.

GLENDALE — Trailing in the second half and searching for a sparkplug for its struggling offense, the Burbank High football team got just what it needed to save its sinking season and put a sizable speed bump in the path of Crescenta Valley’s own campaign. With a combination of offensive grit and defensive aggression, the Bulldogs scored three touchdowns in a span of just over four and a half minutes to escape with a 22-16 road win — its first victory of the year.

LA CRESCENTA — The girls’ volleyball teams from Crescenta Valley and Burbank highs realized the importance of Thursday’s Pacific League match — and both were prepared for a battle. The winner of the contest would control its own destiny and be in the driver’s seat to earn the league’s final CIF Southern Section postseason spot. In a match which featured a host of momentum changes, the Falcons were able to fight their way back to earn an emotional five-game victory against the Bulldogs at home, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-12.

BURROUGHS HIGH — Almost to the midway point of its PacificLeague schedule, the CrescentaValley High girls’ tennis team hasleft a trail of opponents in itswake on the way to perfectleague mark. Doing it against some of thearea’s most talented teams, the Falcons have proven to be a major force to be reckoned with. But Burroughs Coach Roy Bernhardt wasn’t exactly wonover by the Falcons’ ability quite yet. “They weren’t as strong as I thought they would be,” Bernhardt said.

ARCADIA - With the Crescenta Valley High, Burbank, Burroughs and Arcadia boys' golf teams having already clinched postseason berths, the first round of the Pacific League Tournament on Tuesday afternoon focused more on the field. Sixteen players - including 10 locals - from the field of 36 kept their bids alive for the league's individual crown at Santa Anita Golf Course. The group, which is determined by overall league scoring for the year as well as Tuesday's results, will compete in the tournament's individual final at 1 p.m. today at the same site.

BURBANK — While its dominance temporarily wavered midway through Friday's Pacific League match, the Burroughs High boys' volleyball team regrouped in plenty of time to keep Crescenta Valley from getting close to an upset on the road. And although the Falcons made a strong run at getting back in the match after coming alive down the stretch in the second game, the Indians rediscovered their intensity in the third game to finish off their 25-13, 25-21, 25-17 sweep just as solidly as they began.

Francisco Baez was an invaluable member of a Burroughs High boys' soccer team that was able to turn its season around. Beginning the year with a 1-5-1 record, the program's worst start since 1985, the Indians came on during Pacific League competition and finished second behind a strong Crescenta Valley squad that went on to win a CIF Southern Section Division III championship. Baez helped lead the turnaround, breaking the program record for goals in league and putting together a string of high-scoring results.

LA CRESCENTA — The Crescenta Valley High boys' basketball team got pushed by Burbank in Friday's Pacific League game. Down by nine points early in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs started draining three-pointers and not only grabbed the momentum but also jumped in front of the host Falcons. But Crescenta Valley responded to the challenge like a team determined to remain within striking distance of the league leaders. The Falcons stopped the Burbank run, wrestled back control of the contest and ultimately turned back the Bulldogs to gain a 62-55 victory.

LA CRESCENTA — Several story lines were prevalent during Friday's Pacific League boys' soccer match between Crescenta Valley High and Burbank. Crescenta Valley looked to remain unbeaten in league despite having to play with two of its starters serving mandatory one-match suspensions, while Burbank had an opportunity to take advantage of those absences and climb in the standings. Blocking out the windy weather and personnel distractions, Crescenta Valley managed to record a 4-0 home victory and move the Falcons a step closer to their third league championship in a row. Alex Berger recorded one goal and two assists for the Falcons, who improved to 12-0-6, 9-0-2 in league for 29 points despite competing without forward Pavle Atanackovic and midfielder Michael Shahnazarians.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL Providence 42, Holy Martyrs 25 : The Pioneers took another step in their quest to capture an undisputed Liberty League championship with a win Thursday on the road. Providence (18-3, 6-0 in league) ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA — jumped out to a big lead, outscoring the Armens, 17-0, in the first quarter. Neither team was able to score in double figures in any quarter the remainder of the game. Bea Benedicto led the Pioneers in scoring with 11 points.

BURBANK — The Crescenta Valley High boys' basketball team possesses a dual challenge for opposing defenses. The Falcons move the ball around with exacting precision, opening shooting opportunities for their outside shooters. Couple that with the fact the squad has its share of bigs who can pound in the ball down low, and the double threat can be daunting for teams trying to stop it. Burbank found that out Friday night. Crescenta Valley connected on nine three-pointers and received a big game from junior Cole Currie to defeat the host Bulldogs, 67-55, in a Pacific League contest.

BURBANK - After losing the chance to defend their Pacific League Tournament title with a loss in Tuesday's semifinals, the members of the Crescenta Valley High boys' water polo team didn't look all that interested in competing for third place either when they faced Burbank on Thursday. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, came out with plenty of motivation to topple last year's league champion and stuck it to a lackluster Falcons team for the better part of three quarters before Crescenta Valley made a late rally.

When Erin Ashby arrived upon the Crescenta Valley High softball diamond as a freshman, she was a complement to an already star-studded and established cast of Falcons that included the likes of Baillie Kirker, Lainey DePompa, Ashleigh Viers-Gordillo, Stephanie Ziemann and Alyssa Sovereign. But after a senior season in which she stood out just as she did during her sophomore and junior campaigns, it's quite clear that Ashby has left a mark on the program and the area all her own. "She showed what you can do by working hard and she started out with a good work ethic and kept it," says Falcons Coach Dan Berry.