Southern Section

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan NORTHRIDGE -- Every all-star game usually has an unforgettable moment, whether it be a specific play or the performance of a single player. Burroughs High girls' basketball player Gracie Coronado's basket in the sixth annual Battle of the Valley All-Star game between the CIF Southern Section and the L.A. City Section left her teammates and the near-capacity crowd at Cal State Northridge laughing and shaking their heads in disbelief.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan NORTHRIDGE -- In a contest that resembled more of a pick-up game -- when barely any defensive pressure is applied, nobody hustles and players try to show each other up -- Trent Cleveland and Jason Flowers enjoyed the competition and the excitement of participating in the sixth annual Battle of the Valley All-Star game. The Burbank High boys' basketball players competed for the Southern Section team that was routed by the City Section, 135-111, on Saturday night at Cal State Northridge.

BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON HIGH — Technically, the Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls’ basketball team clinched its third straight Santa Cruz League championship Thursday evening. Ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section IVA Division, the Guards were no doubt the favorites to capture the league title again this season. Maybe it was that expectation, or the fact the clinching game came with a 73-25 blowout win against St. Mary’s Academy at Bell-Jeff, but the moment was definitely anticlimactic.

Sang Lee BURBANK -- Everything was at stake: the playoffs, a rivalry, and perhaps most importantly, respect. The Burroughs High boys' golf team stepped onto Hansen Dam Golf Course Thursday knowing full well the implications: do well or it's the end of the season. The Indians outshot rival Burbank High by 10 strokes to finish third in the Foothill League final match, earning them a spot in the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the first time since 1996.

BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON HIGH -- It has been an eventful week for the Bellarmine-Jefferson High football team. While most teams in the Southern Section are anticipating their season-opening games next week, the Guards jump right into the thick of things tonight. At 7 p.m. at Burroughs' Memorial Field, the Guards will kick off the 2003 campaign with a nonleague contest against Compton Centennial. The game between the Guards and Apaches will be one of 24 so-called "early games" this week played in the Southern Section.

BURBANK HIGH — Most of the Burbank High players probably didn’t realize the history and success their opening postseason opponent possessed. However, Bulldogs Coach Jose Hernandez is all-too familiar with the winning Glendora program, as well as Tartans’ place in Southern California boys’ basketball lore. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, past success couldn’t save Glendora in a first-round game of the CIF Southern Section Division IIAA playoffs. Behind the shooting of Andy Karandganyan, coupled with a solid inside game, Burbank was able to notch a 58-44 victory at home.

For four years, Cassie Pappas honed her skills and increased her proficiency as a basketball player on the hardwood at Crescenta Valley High. In her first three years with the Falcons program, Pappas showed flashes of brilliance, impressing coaches, frustrating opponents and thrilling fans with her inspired play. But that was only a prelude for a senior season that helped lift the four-year starter into the upper echelon of girls’ players in the state. Adapting to a switch to point guard this past season, Pappas was called upon to run the Crescenta Valley offense.

F or four years, Cassie Pappas honed her skills and increased her proficiency as a basketball player on the hardwood at Crescenta Valley High. In her first three years with the Falcons program, Pappas showed flashes of brilliance, impressing coaches, frustrating opponents and thrilling fans with her inspired play. But that was only a prelude for a senior season that helped lift the four-year starter into the upper echelon of girls' players in the state. Adapting to a switch to point guard this past season, Pappas was called upon to run the Crescenta Valley offense.

BURBANK - After wrapping up their CIF Southern Section Division V first-round playoff match, the members of the Providence High boys' volleyball team noticed some pluses and minuses. On the positive side, the Pioneers got another strong effort from both Phil Harvey and Taylor Saldana. On the other end of the spectrum, the Pioneers agreed they need to work on raising their concentration level throughout an entire contest. Providence received 14 kills from Harvey and nine from Saldana on Tuesday to earn a 25-6, 26-24, 23-25, 25-15 home victory against California Academy of Math and Science.

BURBANK - A potential blowout for the Burbank High girls' basketball team nearly turned into a blown victory in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division I-A playoffs on Saturday evening. The Pacific League third-place Bulldogs led by as many as 14 points before holding their collective breath and holding back visiting El Toro, which cut that deficit to one possession before running out of steam in a 53-41 victory for host Burbank. With the win, the Bulldogs (16-12)

SOUTH PASADENA - A season's worth of aspirations came full circle for South Pasadena High sophomore Claire Kieffer-Wright on June 2 at Buchanan High Memorial Stadium in Clovis. Kieffer-Wright clinched the area's first CIF State Track and Field individual championship in two years by tying her previous personal record jump of 5 feet, 10 inches, which was nearly an inch better than second place and placed her second to none. The prodigious high jumper's amazing season, which included setting two new Rio Hondo League records and helping her team win a CIF Southern Section Division III championship, was capped the same way she started less than six months earlier in Fresno.

PASADENA - Every race has a finishing point. Yet, the same may not necessarily apply to every runner. Take La Salle High junior Daniel De La Torre, for instance. This year's All-Area Boys' Track and Field Athlete of the Year, as voted by the sports writers and editors of the Pasadena Sun, La Cañada Valley Sun, Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader, concluded a highly successful 2012 campaign in early June. This season, De La Torre was the lone area athlete to advance to the CIF State Meet in two events, was one of five area participants to win a CIF Southern Section Division championship, and claimed a handful of nonleague invitational titles.

SEAL BEACH - Maybe the most positive and yet frustrating aspect for Burroughs High junior Garrett Auproux was that the singles player had his chances at Saturday's CIF Southern Section Boys' Individual Tennis championships. Auproux entered his semifinal match seeded fourth and knocked on the door of a potential upset before falling to top-seeded junior Gage Brymer of Irvine University, 7-5, 6-3, at the Seal Beach Tennis Center. "This is not my first time playing Gage, I think I've already played him like eight times in my junior career," Auproux said.

PASADENA — There is a real possibility that no one from the Pasadena Poly girls' basketball program will ever match the entire body of work of graduating senior Michelle Miller. The 17-year-old, who lives within walking distance of the 378 student-campus, took the program to new heights. While it's one thing to win, and the Panthers certainly did that with a 92-18 (.836 winning percentage) record during Miller's reign, it's another matter to get a leg up on some of the greatest names in women's basketball history.

Competing in girls' golf for four years at Burroughs High, Emily Tubert was an important part on every Indian team in which she played. Although she did participate on teams, the individualistic aspect of the sport didn't hold the same camaraderie as other sports she had played as a youth. "I did play water polo my freshman year," Tubert said. "But the last few years playing golf was kind of lonely. " So, when Tubert had a chance to compete in another team endeavor, she jumped at the chance.

F or four years, Cassie Pappas honed her skills and increased her proficiency as a basketball player on the hardwood at Crescenta Valley High. In her first three years with the Falcons program, Pappas showed flashes of brilliance, impressing coaches, frustrating opponents and thrilling fans with her inspired play. But that was only a prelude for a senior season that helped lift the four-year starter into the upper echelon of girls' players in the state. Adapting to a switch to point guard this past season, Pappas was called upon to run the Crescenta Valley offense.

For four years, Cassie Pappas honed her skills and increased her proficiency as a basketball player on the hardwood at Crescenta Valley High. In her first three years with the Falcons program, Pappas showed flashes of brilliance, impressing coaches, frustrating opponents and thrilling fans with her inspired play. But that was only a prelude for a senior season that helped lift the four-year starter into the upper echelon of girls’ players in the state. Adapting to a switch to point guard this past season, Pappas was called upon to run the Crescenta Valley offense.