Falcons

LA CRESCENTA — In a prime example that anything can change from game to game in the world of Pacific League girls' soccer, Wednesday's match between host Crescenta Valley High and Burroughs couldn't have been much more different than the teams' initial meeting. After playing to a one-goal draw earlier in the season at Burroughs, a focused and fired-up Falcons squad came out blazing to the tune of a 5-0 drubbing of the visiting Indians. "It was a total mental lapse, if you will, in the first game [and a]

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.

BURROUGHS HIGH — Unrelenting rain, bitter cold nor Burroughs High could slow down the Crescenta Valley girls’ water polo team as it continued its unbeaten run through the Pacific League. Paced by Keri Kunkel’s five goals and a tenacious defense, the Falcons continued their run to a fifth straight league title with a resounding 14-3 win against the Indians on a chilly Thursday afternoon at Burroughs High. “Playing in a steady downpour, you have to focus a little more — that’s the nature of a winter sport,” said Crescenta Valley Coach Pete Loporchio, whose team never seemed to lose focus, jumping out to an insurmountable 8-0 advantage.

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.

andrew.shortall@latimes.com LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — The Crescenta Valley High girls' soccer offense got a jolt of life at the expense of host La Cañada on Monday afternoon after having been dormant for most of the season prior. Crescenta Valley only had one goal to its name the entire season before manufacturing three goals against the Spartans for a 3-2 comeback win, with all three coming in the second half and the game-winner coming on a fall-away effort from Whitley Boller.

LA CRESCENTA — With the Pacific League finals scheduled for later in the month, many track and field athletes are heading down the home stretch in search of refining their strategies to possibly get there. That proved to be the case during Wednesday afternoon's league tri-meet between Glendale, Burroughs and host Crescenta Valley. Among those who stood out were Bob Anderson of Crescenta Valley, Glendale's Mike Davis and Danitza Eyo of Burroughs. Each won two events for their respective squads in a meet that concluded just before sundown, but it was the Falcons who swept through the opposition as a team.

BURBANK — Burroughs High swimming Coach Danny Garcia and his first-year counterpart at Burbank, Chris Goldberg, agree about which school should be the powerhouse in the Pacific League this season. "CV is just going to be untouchable," Garcia said. "They are just so good that I don't think anyone is going to come close to them in our league. " Goldberg offered a similar outlook. "They are going to be very tough," he said about the Falcons. "They usually have excellent swimmers, and I think they'll have another good group this season.

BURBANK - While the likes of Arcadia High, Burroughs and Crescenta Valley are jockeying for Pacific League softball playoff positioning, Burbank, the top-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division III, continues to ride roughshod over the league. The Bulldogs provided further evidence of that on Tuesday afternoon, taking a big step forward in the hopes of clinching a league crown, as they used big innings, powerful and opportunistic offense and the steady, if not spectacular, arm of Caitlyn Brooks to roll to a 10-2 league win over Crescenta Valley at McCambridge Park.

BURBANK - For a number of years prior to 2010, the Arcadia High boys' volleyball team was a nemesis for the Crescenta Valley squad. For the past three years, however, Burroughs has replaced Arcadia as the Falcons' top adversary in the Pacific League. The Indians, who have won or shared each of the past three league titles, have been a tough match for the Falcons, just like the Apaches were for more than a decade when Arcadia captured one championship after another. Burroughs was too much for the Falcons on Wednesday, as the Indians stormed to a 25-16, 25-21, 25-15 victory at home in the first meeting between the teams.

BURBANK - With its unforgiving barrancas and challenging layout, there were girls' golfers who didn't particularly enjoy playing at De Bell Golf Club Thursday, the site of the 12th annual Magnolia Park Optimist Club Girls' High School Invitational. Included in that group were Crescenta Valley High's Jocelyn Chia and Burbank's Irene Maemura, although it is her team's home course. However, there were also players who enjoyed the challenges that De Bell presented, including Burroughs' Stephanie Adachi and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame's Katelyn Reynolds.

LA CRESCENTA - For the first two games of their Pacific League match Tuesday afternoon, the Burbank High and Crescenta Valley girls' volleyball teams went toe to toe. The squads exchanged holding the lead on several occasions and neither could mount more than a five-point lead in either game. However, in the third, the Falcons seemed to waver and the Bulldogs were ready to attack. Despite a spirited effort by Crescenta Valley, it wasn't able to topple the league-leading Bulldogs, falling in three games on its home court, 27-25, 25-21, 25-19.

If you've ever been put off by a job interview that was intimidating, demeaning or just plain strange, be thankful you weren't among the candidates for a job at Burnham & Burnham, the fictional Fortune 500 company in “The Grönholm Method,” Catalan playwright Jordi Galcerán Ferrar's expectation-defying comedy at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. An American premiere, with translation by playwrights Anne Garcia-Romero and Mark St. Germain, this fierce satire of today's brand of corporate whip-cracking begins with a simple premise: In the tastefully monochromatic conference room of Burnham & Burnham's Wall Street headquarters, three men and one woman are awaiting their fourth interview for a high-level executive job. Or are they?

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.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE - After putting up five runs in the second inning, the Burbank High baseball team seemingly fizzled away as host Crescenta Valley continued producing at a consistent rate. Unfazed by the deficit, the Falcons steadily chipped away and caught the Bulldogs in the fourth, pulling away with the go-ahead run in the sixth Friday evening en route to an 8-5 win at Stengel Field and an undefeated Pacific League record. Despite giving up five runs and five hits in the second in, senior left-handed pitcher Elliot Surrey (3-0)

BURBANK - Burbank High's softball team and Coach Nicole Drabecki believe they have a legitimate shot to contend for a Pacific League championship this season. However, as opponents have discovered for almost a decade and a half, winning a league title has to go through Crescenta Valley. The Falcons have earned that respect, having won or shared 13 of the last 14 league crowns. The Bulldogs gave credence to their championship quest with a dramatic come-from-behind victory Thursday at McCambridge Park.

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.