Rebels

SANTA ANA - After sailing through the first four rounds of the CIF Southern Section Division 5-AA playoffs, the Flintridge Prep boys' basketball team finally found an opponent it couldn't breeze by in Muir. And, after looking lost in a tough start to Saturday's title game at Mater Dei High, the Rebels dug deep and also found themselves in time to make a game-changing third-quarter run and staunch fourth-quarter stand to beat the Mustangs, 47-44, and claim the first CIF championship in program chronicle.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — On May 1, the Flintridge Prep boys' volleyball team hosted and promptly swept La Salle in a nonleague match. When the two met again in the Flintridge Prep gym for Tuesday's CIF Southern Section Division V second-round match, that first match had nothing to with nor resembled in any way the teams' rematch. In fact, the outcome was the complete opposite, as the visiting Lancers swept away the Rebels' season, 25-18, 27-25, 25-22. "We should've done better and they played really well [on May 1]

PASADENA — Six or seven plays into Flintridge Prep’s 14-play game- winning fourth-quarter drive Saturday at Maranatha High, the Bellarmine- Jefferson football team had to know what was coming. Whether it was a quick sweep to the right side by speedy tailback Joel Bryant for a few yards or a bursting run up the middle by Ian Sander or Adam Ross for a couple more, the Rebels kept it simple if not predictable. The Rebels passed just six times in the game, and not once in the final period.

If there is such thing as a complete package on the volleyball court, Dylan Walker may just be the epitome of it. Whatever it is that needs to be done, the Flintridge Prep outside hitter always seems more than capable of the challenge. "It's not just his hitting and passing, it's everything about him," Flintridge Prep Coach Sean Beattie said. "He is very down to earth and complimentary of his teammates." Whether it was a forceful kill, timely block, perfectly executed ace or just picking up his team's intensity, Walker embodied all the aspects of an all-round player and teammate.

BURBANK HIGH — Midway through the summer, the Flintridge Prep and Burbank High boys' water polo teams find themselves in very similar situations. Both programs have ushered in first-year coaches, both are retooling after losing a slew of key players from the previous season and both are fine-tuning their play in Division I of the Mid-Valley Summer League. So naturally, when the teams met on Thursday at Burbank High, they took part in a very evenly matched battle. However, it was the Bulldogs who were able to edge out the Rebels, 10-8.

Long before Dylan Walker first competed in a varsity boys’ volleyball match, Flintridge Prep Coach Sean Beattie had an inkling that better days might lie ahead. While Beattie doesn’t consider himself a prophet, he proved to be right about Walker, who would go on to become one of the more decorated players in the program’s history. “I had him in the seventh and eighth grades at Flintridge Prep and could see that he was becoming a great passer who could swing,” Beattie said.

COACH OF THE YEAR Sean Beattie, Flintridge Prep After losing several major players to graduation, guided fourth-seeded Rebels to CIF Southern Section Division V semifinals for second time in past three years. Rebels went 20-6 and placed second in Prep League.   Edmund Chow, Flintridge Prep, Senior, Libero Registered 244 digs, 35 kills and 18 aces. Selected to All-Prep League second team and helped Rebels advance to CIF Southern Section Division V semifinals.

BELL-JEFF VS. FLINTRIDGE PREP   WHEN : 7 p.m. today.     WHERE : Memorial Field (Burroughs High).     RECORDS : The Guards are 1-1; the Rebels are 1-0.     LAST WEEK : Bell-Jeff lost to Santa Clara, 20-0; Flintridge Prep defeated Malibu, 22-0.     OUTLOOK : After playing its first two games on the road, Bell-Jeff gets its first home game in a nonleague matchup with the Rebels from La Cañada Flintridge.

•  WHEN : 1:30 p.m. today. •  WHERE : Maranatha High. •  RECORDS : The Guards are 2-0; the Rebels are 1-0. •  LAST WEEK : Bell-Jeff defeated Mountain View, 42-16; Flintridge Prep defeated Malibu, 10-0. •  OUTLOOK : The nonleague game figures to be a defensive battle between the teams. Last week, the Rebels limited Malibu to just 177 yards of total offense and had two key fourth-down stops to halt drives by the Sharks.

Kenyatta Smith didn't have to wonder all that much to find the performance he deemed the worst game of his career. Smith, the towering center for the Flintridge Prep boys' basketball team, reflected back on a first-round playoff game last season. It was one in which he scored one point in the fourth-seeded Rebels' 46-44 upset loss to Santa Clara. Smith had hit rock bottom. It only proved to be temporarily. "I had a terrible feeling scoring one point and I could have made a difference and we could have won that game had I made a couple of more baskets," Smith said.

SANTA ANA - After sailing through the first four rounds of the CIF Southern Section Division 5-AA playoffs, the Flintridge Prep boys' basketball team finally found an opponent it couldn't breeze by in Muir. And, after looking lost in a tough start to Saturday's title game at Mater Dei High, the Rebels dug deep and also found themselves in time to make a game-changing third-quarter run and staunch fourth-quarter stand to beat the Mustangs, 47-44, and claim the first CIF championship in program chronicle.

COACH OF THE YEAR Sean Beattie, Flintridge Prep After losing several major players to graduation, guided fourth-seeded Rebels to CIF Southern Section Division V semifinals for second time in past three years. Rebels went 20-6 and placed second in Prep League.   Edmund Chow, Flintridge Prep, Senior, Libero Registered 244 digs, 35 kills and 18 aces. Selected to All-Prep League second team and helped Rebels advance to CIF Southern Section Division V semifinals.

GLENDALE — Judging by their offensive abilities this season, Tuesday’s nonleague game between Providence High and Flintridge Prep had all the makings of a slugfest. Coming into the contest, the teams had combined with opponents to tally double-digits in runs in 15 of 19 games, as well as scoring 15 or more runs nine times. The teams stayed true to form, combining for 15 runs. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, they scored just four of those runs, as the host Rebels rolled to an 11-4 victory in windy conditions at the Glendale Sports Complex.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — It didn’t take long to figure out who would be victorious when Flintridge Prep hosted Providence on Wednesday night in a first-round playoff game. Flintridge Prep built a 13-point lead at the end of the first quarter that swelled to a 24-point advantage by first half’s end, leading to a lopsided Rebels triumph against the underdog Pioneers. Junior guard Jonathan Woo collected 18 points, four assists and three steals to help Flintridge Prep record an impressive 71-41 victory in a CIF Southern Section Division V-AA contest.

Long before Dylan Walker first competed in a varsity boys’ volleyball match, Flintridge Prep Coach Sean Beattie had an inkling that better days might lie ahead. While Beattie doesn’t consider himself a prophet, he proved to be right about Walker, who would go on to become one of the more decorated players in the program’s history. “I had him in the seventh and eighth grades at Flintridge Prep and could see that he was becoming a great passer who could swing,” Beattie said.

GLENDALE — The way the Flintridge Prep baseball team began its game against Providence, it appeared the Rebels were going to make it a one-sided affair. However, after giving up six runs in the first inning, the Pioneers battled back and threatened to take the lead a few innings later. But Providence was never able to claw its way completely back, as Prep survived the comeback attempt to notch an 11-7 nonleague win Thursday at the Glendale Sports Complex. “We have been able to score our share of runs in games this season,” Prep Coach Robert “Buzz” Cook said.

BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON HIGH — When a resilient Bellarmine-Jefferson High squad made a strong push late in the game, the Flintridge Prep boys’ basketball team pushed back. One night after fending off an attempted comeback by St. Francis to reach the championship of the 24th Annual Bell-Jeff Holiday Classic, the Rebels made a tough stand against the host Guards Saturday night to secure a 65-56 win and the tournament title. “We played hard, we got up, but then they came back,” said sophomore guard Jonathan Woo, who led Prep with 15 points and nine rebounds.

PASADENA — Six or seven plays into Flintridge Prep’s 14-play game- winning fourth-quarter drive Saturday at Maranatha High, the Bellarmine- Jefferson football team had to know what was coming. Whether it was a quick sweep to the right side by speedy tailback Joel Bryant for a few yards or a bursting run up the middle by Ian Sander or Adam Ross for a couple more, the Rebels kept it simple if not predictable. The Rebels passed just six times in the game, and not once in the final period.

•  WHEN : 1:30 p.m. today. •  WHERE : Maranatha High. •  RECORDS : The Guards are 2-0; the Rebels are 1-0. •  LAST WEEK : Bell-Jeff defeated Mountain View, 42-16; Flintridge Prep defeated Malibu, 10-0. •  OUTLOOK : The nonleague game figures to be a defensive battle between the teams. Last week, the Rebels limited Malibu to just 177 yards of total offense and had two key fourth-down stops to halt drives by the Sharks.