Crescenta Valley

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.

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.

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.

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.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Shortly after helping the Crescenta Valley Junior All-Star softball team win the District 16 championship against Burbank on Tuesday night, pitcher Olivia Thayer paused briefly before describing the makeup of her team. "Our team is like a puzzle and we know how to put the pieces together," Thayer said after Crescenta Valley posted a 15-1 victory in the championship game called after six innings because of the 10-run mercy rule at Scholl Canyon Ball Fields.

GLENDALE — Even with a four-run lead in the middle innings, Burbank baseball Coach Bob Hart knew it wasn't large enough against a Crescenta Valley team capable of posting another comeback. Hart's thought proved to be correct. Crescenta Valley got a key bases-loaded triple from Elliot Surrey in the bottom of the fifth inning to help rally to an 8-7 victory against Burbank on Tuesday night in a Pacific League game at Stengel Field. Crescenta Valley improved to 24-2, 13-1 in league, while Burbank concluded its regular season at 11-16, 6-8. The Falcons also stayed alive in their attempt to clinch a share of the league championship, provided they beat first-place Arcadia on Friday night on the road.

Pavle Atanackovic asked his Crescenta Valley High Coach Kiel McClung an interesting question prior to the beginning of the winter boys' soccer season. The Falcons standout forward inquired about how many goals his coach had scored during his junior season when McClung played in high school? The answer was 33. McClung's was himself a standout at Quartz Hill High in Palmdale. The coach's tally that year helped lead the Rebels to a co-CIF Southern Section Division I championship, as McClung was named the Golden League Player of the Year, as well as the division's player of the year.

OLIVE PARK — With Burroughs High entering Thursday's Pacific League game as the reigning league champion and Crescenta Valley coming in as, arguably, as the league's hottest team, the showdown certainly had its fair share of implications. And though there's still plenty of season left, concluding Thursday's action with an 8-2 win over the visiting Falcons at Olive Park, proved to be a rather emphatic victory for the Indians. "It's one thing to talk about being league champs and beating CV and having a target on your backs, but it's another to experience it," Burroughs first-year Coach Doug Nicol said.