Top 10 Games of the Year: Glendale girls’ basketball sinks semifinal berth
The top-10 high school games from the 2016-17 season were selected by the sportswriters of the Glendale News-Press.
1 Glendale girls’ basketball picks up historic victory thanks to final free throw, Feb. 22
“Whether or not the Glendale High girls’ basketball squad is a team of destiny is a matter of debate. What can’t be argued, however, is the incredible run the Nitros are on. For the first time in program history, Glendale advanced to the semifinals after upsetting visiting second-seeded Aliso Niguel, 50-49, in front of a raucous crowd Wednesday evening in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division II-A playoffs. With the victory, Glendale girls’ basketball becomes only the second Nitros girls’ program to advance to the semifinals, matching the run of the 2007 water polo team.”
— Andrew J. Campa
It all came down to one free throw from hobbling Glendale High forward Sylvia Vartazarian. All season the senior had battled through a foot injury that at times slowed her at and other moments forced her to sit on the bench.
The Nitros were tied with second-seeded Aliso Niguel at 49 in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division II-A playoffs. Glendale was already in uncharted waters, having never progressed so far into the playoffs.
Momentum had shifted against Glendale, which led by five points with 2:14 remaining, but watched Aliso Niguel tie the game at 49 with 18.3 seconds left on a three-pointer from Suzette Quinlan.
Glendale’s first attempt to retake the lead failed when a three-pointer from Lilia Vasghanian rimmed out with six seconds left. A perfectly positioned Vartazarian, though, beat two Aliso Niguel players in the paint for a rebound and was fouled with 2.6 seconds left.
Vartazarian missed the first free throw to add to the drama, but sank the second to win the game. The historic victory was sealed a few seconds later when a half-court chuck from Aliso Niguel sailed wide of the basket as time expired.
“I was really nervous,” said Vartazarian, who led her team with 14 points, six rebounds and three steals. “I was like, ‘I could either make it or I can miss it.’ If I missed it, there’s no real pressure because we still go into overtime. I just told myself to shoot it and if it goes, it goes.”
2 Glendale softball posts improbable playoff victory against Carter, May 16
“Not bad for an opening act. Make that a high-wire act. Glendale High’s softball team used every last bit of energy to record its biggest and likely wildest win of the century. Tiffany Bartamian singled with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Glendale a heart-pounding 13-12 win against Carter in a CIF Southern Section Division III wild-card contest. A wild celebration took place with Bartamian, a senior catcher, surrounded by teammates after she drove home Valeria Hidalgo and Sammy Fabian with a line drive down the right-field line. It also was the first postseason win for Glendale this century.”
— Charles Rich
Normally a pull hitter, Bartamian hit an outside pitch to become the hero, as Glendale overcame its third and final deficit.
“It’s very rare that I hit the ball the other way,” said Bartamian, who finished with three hits, three runs batted in and two runs. “I just knew that I needed to relax and trust myself. I felt confident.
“I came to the plate and closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I just needed to zone in on the pitch and keep my breathing under control.”
With one out, Hidalgo singled and moved to second on a single by Fabian. After Esme Piedra walked to load the bases, Bartamian singled just inside the right-field line to bring home both runs.
Carter led, 11-7, heading in to the bottom of the seventh. A two-run double by Piedra brought the Nitros to within 11-9 and Bartamian followed with a run-scoring single to make it 11-10. With two outs, Janet Dominguez singled, sending Bartamian to third. On the play, Bartamian scored on a throwing error by the right fielder to tie it at 11.
Fabian finished with three hits, including a home run, two intentional walks, three runs and an RBI. Piedra finished with three hits, three runs and three RBI. Hidalgo had three hits and scored twice.
The Nitros had held a 4-1 lead entering the sixth before the Lions scored eight runs on nine hits while sending 13 batters to the plate to take a 9-4 lead.
Fabian led off the sixth with an inside-the-park home run to make it 9-5. Andrea Chacon followed with a run-scoring single to bring the Nitros to within 9-6 and a fielder’s choice by Amanda Gonzalez sliced the the deficit to 9-7.
3 Flintridge Prep girls’ xcountry wins state in record-breaking fashion, Nov. 27
Sasha Codiga was determined to send seniors Natalie O’Brien and Maia Cohen out on top. Sophie Gitlin was motivated to establish a level of excellence that even exceeded the past greatness of the Flintridge Prep girls’ cross country program. And O’Brien was inspired to leave a lasting impression in her final performance at Woodward Park. The Rebels not only met their lofty expectations Saturday at the CIF State Championships, but exceeded them once again by delivering the most dominant performance in Division V history. All five Flintridge Prep scorers placed in the top 25, with junior Gitlin earning all-state honors by finishing 10th, covering the 5-kilometer course in 18 minutes, 45.2 seconds to lead the Rebels to a 51-170 victory over Francis Parker and their third consecutive title.
— Erik Boal
It was a day of utter dominance in the final morning of the season for the Flintridge Prep girls’ cross-country team.
The Rebels entered after having rolled to a Prep League title and a CIF Southern Section Division V Championship. What was supposed to have been the most difficult and final stage of the triple crown at the CIF State Division V meet at Fresno’s Woodward Park was instead a laugher.
Flintridge Prep destroyed runner-up Francis Parker, 51-170, on the 5-kilometer course in a team time of 95 minutes, 19 seconds, which set a new division record. The Rebels’ dominant score also marked the greatest margin of victory by any girls’ team across all five divisions in the history of the state championships.
Junior Sophie Gitlin led the way by taking 10th in 18:45.2, while Prep League champion Sasha Codiga was next in 13th (18:51.11), University of Oklahoma-bound Natalie O’Brien placed 15th (18:57.3), Jenna Mijares took 17th (19:17.4) and Maia Cohen finished off the scoring in 22nd place (19:28).
“That was definitely our main goal to beat our own record. We wanted to run a time that would be hard for any team to beat for years to come,” Gitlin said. “Being part of this group and setting such amazing records means everything to me because it shows we’re so close knit and we run well for each other and we stay balanced for one another.”
4 Crescenta Valley softball ends Burroughs’ winning streak, March 31
It took four seasons, seven games and one extra inning, but the Crescenta Valley High softball team picked up a victory a longtime in the making in Pacific League play Tuesday afternoon. The visiting Falcons received a game-winning single from sophomore Vivian Bocanegra to defeat host Burroughs, 5-4, in eight innings at Olive Park. Crescenta Valley moved into first place in league by virtue of snapping a six-game losing streak versus the reigning two-time league champion Indians that dated back to 2013. The victory ended Burroughs’ 22-game league winning streak.
— Andrew J. Campa
All streaks must end and the unbeaten run of reigning Pacific League champion Burroughs High softball was snapped by Crescenta Valley at Olive Park in Burbank.
The Falcons jumped to a 4-0 lead against the Indians before Burroughs stormed back.
Junior Hannah Talavera connected on a two-run, two-out double in the bottom of the seventh that tied the score at 4.
With momentum suddenly against them and a four-run lead gone, the Falcons took flight in the top of the eighth.
Pacific League co-Player of the Year Jessica Yzaguirre, who batted .800 during league play, smacked a one-out double in the top of the eighth inning and scored on a single from Vivian Bocanegra to give Crescenta Valley the lead, 5-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Crescenta Valley pitcher Emily Mulcahey allowed Burroughs players to reach second and third base with two outs, but induced a pop up to first to end the game.
“Our girls picked up a great team win all around,” Crescenta Valley Coach Amanda Peek said. “Everyone contributed and it wasn’t a perfect game, but all that mattered was getting a ‘W.’”
5 Flintridge Prep girls’ tennis pulls out calculators to upset La Serna, Nov. 8
Never has a mathematical equation held so much significance for the Flintridge Prep girls’ tennis program. The Rebels staged a comeback Monday afternoon in their CIF Southern Section Division IV quarterfinal match against No. 2 La Serna. Flintridge Prep won the final set of the the contest at the Arcadia Tennis Center to tie the score at 9. With play concluded, Rebels and Lancers players and coaches huddled around their respective score sheets, calculators in hand, trying to add up the game scores to determine the winner. When a Rebels player finished the tabulation and came up with an outcome that had Flintridge Prep winning, coach Morisa Yang said, “Check it again.” Fortunately for the Rebels, the recount held the same result and Flintridge Prep had won on games, 79-67.
— Jeff Tully
Trailing throughout the match, Flintridge Prep was down, 7-5, after two rounds before turning in a terrific rally versus No. 2-seed La Serna in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs.
The Rebels clinched the victory by winning the last round, 4-2, to pull even at 9.
Thanks to Flintridge Prep’s dominance in singles, the Rebels not only tied at 9, but won the match via games, 79-67. Overall, the Rebels won singles in a strong fashion, going 7-2.
Flintridge Prep’s No. 1 singles player Crystal Juan finished 3-0 with wins of 6-1, 6-0, 6-0, while No. 2 player Libby Penn was also 3-0 with victories of 6-3, 6-0, 6-0. No. 3 singles player Suzie Kim picked up a 6-3 triumph.
The win sent Flintridge Prep to the semifinal round for the first time in school history.
“I think the girls are super proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish this season,” Flintridge Prep Coach Morisa Yang said. “Each round you could just see them getting more confident and believing in themselves and that’s just beautiful. They have been working so hard to get to this point.”
6 Crescenta Valley girls’ tennis takes down top seed, Nov. 2
On the road and against a top seed, the Crescenta Valley High girls’ tennis team had the odds stacked against it.
Behind the brilliant play of their doubles teams, the Falcons picked up a big upset win, defeating host and Almont League champion Alhambra, 10-8, in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs.
Pacific League third-place finisher Crescenta Valley took advantage of doubles sweeps from Camille Gibney and Kiran Hamkins (6-3, 6-1, 6-0), Marie Arutyunyan and Marina Saroyan (6-0, 6-1, 6-2) and Rachel Shin and Michelle Jung (6-3, 6-2, 6-0).
“We felt like we had a chance coming in,” said Crescenta Valley Coach Sam Hyun, whose team began the postseason the day earlier with a 13-5 wild-card win against Louisville. “I did some research on Alhambra and they played some of the teams we did in the regular season.
“We knew we’d have to be strong again in doubles to have a chance and it turned out to be big winning all nine again.”
7 Glendale girls’ basketball bests Burroughs to end massive streak, Jan. 13
It proved to be a memorable week for upstart Glendale, which tipped it off with a Pacific League win against Crescenta Valley.
Things got more exciting for Glendale, which then faced four-time defending league champion Burroughs.
Glendale rose to the occasion with a 29-27 win against Burroughs, ending Burroughs’ 45-game league winning streak in the process. The Nitros handed the Indians their first league defeat since Feb. 7, 2013.
“This just feels great. This was such a big win for us,” said Glendale senior Sylvia Vartazarian, who contributed a game-high 16 points and eight rebounds. “But I’m honestly not surprised that we won today. We came out today and we looked at it like this is our game.
“It feels good to break their streak, but at the same time, I know a lot of players on their team and I know how they must be feeling right now after losing.”
The squads were deadlocked at 22 coming in to the fourth quarter. Glendale held a 26-23 lead with less than four minutes remaining. Then, with 1:0 left, Vartazarian made a three-pointer to extend the lead to 29-23. Burroughs cut the deficit to 29-27 with 25.9 seconds left.
After a Burroughs foul, Glendale missed the front end of a one-and-one with 12.6 seconds remaining. The Indians couldn’t convert on the ensuing possession and Glendale’s Merina Latu grabbed the rebound. With 1.1 seconds left, Glendale inbounded the ball as the buzzer sounded.
8 Crescenta Valley girls’ basketball rallies for huge win against Burroughs, Feb. 7
Entering the season, Crescenta Valley and Burroughs were the favorites to contend for the Pacific League title.
Heading in to the final week of the season, the Falcons and Indians were tied atop the league standings and the teams met in the second-to-last game at Burroughs.
What happened in the topsy-turvy contest wound up leaving both teams stunned.
Burroughs, which had won four straight league crowns, appeared to be heading to victory in the final minute. Then Crescenta Valley completed a comeback before posting a 54-46 overtime win.
“This team had to overcome a bunch,” Falcons Coach Jason Perez said. “To be able to overcome [all] of that and overcome the hurdles in this game, they did a great job.”
Burroughs had possession with 6.9 seconds to go in regulation with a 44-41 advantage. The inbound pass was deflected into the air by Sarah Perez. Crescenta Valley’s Caity Bouchard came up with the ball in the backcourt before coming downcourt and making a three-pointer as time expired to make it 44-44.
In overtime, Polin Megerdichian of Crescenta Valley tallied nine of her team’s 10 points. The senior scored the first seven points of the extra session.
Megerdichian finished with a team-high 20 points and Bouchard added 19.
9 Crescenta Valley baseball edges Arcadia to win Pacific League championship, May 9
Looking to win a second straight Pacific League championship, Crescenta Valley found itself on the cusp of completing the task. Crescenta Valley first had to dispatch rival Arcadia, which found itself just one game behind entering the final week of the regular season.
Crescenta Valley wrapped up the outright league title with a 1-0 win at Stengel Field.
“I was just so worried about winning games that I wasn’t concerned about sharing or not,” Crescenta Valley coach Phil Torres said. “The goal was to win tonight.”
Crescenta Valley starting pitcher Drew Atherton and reliever Trevor Beer retired 11 straight entering the top of the seventh inning.
Arcadia’s Jeffrey Castillo led off with a check-swing dribbler down the line that he beat since the first-base umpire ruled Castillo wasn’t tagged out. Torres argued the tag was made and the umpires overturned the original call. Arcadia’s John Woo singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Beer then got the next two batters for the save and title.
Beer scored the lone run on a single by Max Meyer in the fourth.
Atherton, who filled in for the injured Scott Vinceri, gave up two hits in five innings and struck out two.
10 Kikkawa scores eight touchdowns in playoff victory, Nov. 5
Running back Kendall Kikkawa had a field day in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Eight-Man Division I playoffs in Moreno Valley.
The senior found holes all day and rushed for 189 yards on 33 carries and seven touchdowns. Kikkawa also hauled in a 25-yard touchdown reception from quarterback John Lytle for the final of his whopping eight touchdowns.
Kikkawa’s eight scores and the Rebels’ late defensive stand were enough to propel the squad to a high-scoring 63-48 victory over Riverside County Education Academy.
Flintridge Prep trailed, 40-31, at halftime, but held the home team to only eight points in the second half. Flintridge Prep also held on versus RCEA’s hard-charging running back Keith Houston, who was sublime with 407 yards and five touchdowns on 23 carries.
“We just really go all out in the second half,” said Kikkawa, who scored the game-winning touchdown in the third quarter. “They hit us hard in the mouth in the first half … and we came into the second half with a different attitude and different mindset. The defense got some stops and our offense kind of fed off that.”
Honorable Mention: St. Francis football defeats La Serna, 24-21; Crescenta Valley football defeats Burbank, 35-21; Flintridge Prep football defeats Chadwick, 39-36; Hoover boys’ water polo defeats Dos Pueblos, 12-8; Glendale girls’ basketball defeats Crescenta Valley, 42-41.
