Sports Briefs: Longtime Glendale college football coach heads to HOF
Cicuto named to Hall of Fame
Glendale Community College athletic director John Cicuto was elected to the California Community College Football Coaches Assn. Hall of Fame earlier this month.
The inscription read, “for noteworthy achievement in football” and Cicuto certainly produced a memorable career at Glendale.
In 19 seasons as a head coach, Cicuto produced a 98-95-2 record with five bowl appearances and a 3-2 postseason record. His squad also produced 35 All-Americans.
Overall, Cicuto has been at the school for 43 years, having been an assistant coach and having served as the athletic director since 2007.
CV High Athletic Hall of Fame
The Crescenta Valley High Athletic Hall of Fame will induct its class of 2018 on May 19 at Oakmont Country Club, 3100 Country Club Drive, Glendale.
The inductees are Stacy Atwood (softball, class of 1992), Janelle (Del Soldato) Evans (track/cross-country, 2000), Michael Goetsch (water polo, 1978), Dennis Gossard (football coach), Erik La Com (football, 1994), Bill Penfold (basketball, 1980), Steve Rousey (baseball, 1981), Gail (Wolze) Malone (volleyball, 1975) and Nick Yerton (football, 1997).
Tickets are limited.
For more information, email Gossard at coachgossard@aol.com.
Estrada readies for new season
One of the more reliable pitchers on the Toronto Blue Jays staff, Glendale Community College product Marco Estrada is readying for his 11th Major League season and fourth in Canada.
Toronto opens the season Thursday hosting the American League East preseason favorite New York Yankees at 12:37 p.m. (PST).
According to MLB.com, Estrada is slated to start Saturday in the third game of the four-game series.
The 34-year-old right-hander has had a shaky spring training with a 1-2 record and a 4.60 earned-run average in five games and 15 2/3 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts and three walks.
Maybe there would be more concern if Estrada hasn’t followed a similar pattern of bumpy springs that have included ERAs of 4.60 or higher over the last four seasons.
Estrada is coming off a 2017 campaign in which he posted a 10-9 record and a 4.98 ERA with career-highs in games started (33) and innings pitched (186) strikeouts (176) and walks (71).
Last season, Toronto stepped back after-to-back postseason marches to the American League Championship series. The Blue Jays finished 76-86 and fourth in the American League East behind Boston (93-69), New York (91-71) and Tampa Bay (80-82).
Falcons baseball league home opener
Teacher appreciation night will be held during the Pacific League baseball game between Crescenta Valley High and Pasadena at 7 p.m. Friday at Stengel Field.
Also on hand, the Grilled Cheese Truck will be serving food.
Changes coming to Glendale Community College football
The make-up of the seven-team American Metro League football grouping that includes Glendale Community College underwent a change this week as one team left and another joined.
Nearby Pasadena City College is heading from the Metro League to American Pacific League, while Ontario Chaffey is moving from the National Central League to the Metro.
Glendale finished 1-1 versus Pasadena over the last two seasons with a 25-3 victory in 2016 followed by a 38-7 loss in Pasadena last season.
The current make-up of Compton College, Chaffey, Glendale, Los Angeles Southwest, Los Angeles Valley, Santa Ana and West Los Angeles has been locked in for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.