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Girls’ Basketball Preview: Big seasons ahead for several squads

Crescenta Valley High girls’ basketball player Rachel Dayag, center, and the rest of the Falcons are looking forward to a big season.
(Raul Roa/Staff Photographer)
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Quite a few area girls’ basketball teams are poised for big seasons as the 2017-18 campaign gets underway.

Maybe no area squad wants to improve upon last season’s exploits more than Crescenta Valley.

While the 2014-15 Falcons took home a CIF Southern Section Division I-A title, the 2015-16 version picked up a Pacific League title and finished 17-10.

The good vibes were somewhat soured after the Falcons lost in the first round of the Division I-AA playoffs last season.

“A lot of these girls were members of both teams and they know what it takes to be successful,” Crescenta Valley coach Jason Perez said. “In the past, I would have to motivate them, but not this year. They want to outdo what they’ve already done.”

Crescenta Valley’s roster of 14 players boasts eight returners and four starters back.

The Falcons lost co-league player of the year Polin Megerdichian and honorable mention Kaitlyn Jabourian, but return junior Caity Bouchard.

The guard earned the other half of the co-league player of the year award. Bouchard was also an All-Area second-teamer after averaging 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

“She’s the best defender in this league,” Perez said. “She defends post players, guards, it doesn’t matter. She’s a 6-foot point guard who can handle the ball, shoot the three and post up. She does everything.”

Joining Bouchard is senior guard Rachel Dayag, a league second-team selection who tallied 8.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Senior guard Sarah Perez, a 5-4 senior guard who’ll come off the bench, and junior guard Georgina Kregorgian will also factor into Crescenta Valley’s success.

Jason Perez said he’s excited about the post presence of senior center Mary Baun and senior forward Michelle Boghossian.

Sticking inside the Pacific League, no team enjoyed more postseason success than fourth-place finisher Glendale.

The Nitros finished 19-12 and 7-5 in league and advanced to the semifinals of the Division II-A playoffs.

Gone from that team are All-Area first-team forward Sylvia Vartazarian, league honorable mention Claire Yanai and five total seniors.

“We’re very young on this roster, that’s for sure,” Glendale coach Tadeh Mardirosian said. “My numbers aren’t very high, but I’ll take quality over quantity any day. Our goal this season is the same as last season, to win league.”

Mardirosian has a talented guard and leader back in senior Jillian Yanai, who averaged 12.2 points, 4.9 rebounds. 2.5 assists and 3.2 steals in earning All-CIF Division II-A first-team and All-Area and all-league second-team accolades.

One player Mardirosian believes is due for a breakout season is senior guard Lilia Vashanian, a shooting guard.

Freshman Mary Markaryan was the leader of the Glendale 20-0 freshman team and is expected to make valuable contributions this year.

It’s year No. 6 for the sibling coaching duo of Kevin Kiyomura and Jayme Chan at Flintridge Prep.

Last season the Rebels were stout again with a 24-3 record, which included a fourth straight Prep League title in a season in which guards Taylor Yoshida and Renae Tamura eclipsed the 1,000-point mark.

Flintridge Prep advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division III-A playoffs and such a run this season will have to be done without graduated All-Area guards Yoshida and Tamura.

“We’re very, very young and we’re only bringing back one senior,” Kiyomura said. “So, ‘young’ is the big word, but we’re hungry. I think we have a good upward trajectory and this will be a team on the rise.”

Flintridge Prep’s 12-girl roster will boast six returners and four freshmen.

The squad has an immediate go-to player in sophomore guard Kaitlyn Chen, who earned Prep League first-team honors after averaging 12 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Sophomore guard Andie Kim is also back after being named to the second team while averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 assistsper game.

Other players to watch are junior forward Madison Manning and junior guard Alison Fujimoto, both team captains, along with freshman Sofia Gonzalez.

“I expect a lot of energy and I expect them to play with a sense of urgency,” Kiyomura said. “I’d say with us being in the middle of the division, making the playoffs and maybe even getting a first-round win would be good for this team. Our focus is on league.”

The city’s most veteran team is Flintridge Sacred Heart.

The Tologs have 13 players with seven returners.

“We don’t really have any superstars, but I have about five to six kids that on any given day can do what’s needed,” Flintridge Sacred Heart coach Ty Buxman said. “It will be really interesting to see who steps up on any given day.”

For a second straight season, the Tologs will play in the relentless Mission League.

Last season, Flintridge Sacred Heart finished 8-18 and 1-7 in league.

Buxman will lean on a trio of sophomores in guard Janna de Vera (5.2 points a game) and twin forwards Kysa (6.1 points per game) and Manami Hayashi.

Junior guard Ryan Dubb, the team’s leading scorer who average nine points and 5.2 rebounds a game last season, and senior forward Claudia Ruder are also expected to carry the load.

“We’re really trying to set the defensive tone,” Buxman said. “We’re not big by any means and we’re really guard heavy. We’re just trying to work on setting our offense and getting offense generated by defense.”

The area’s longest winning streak resides at St. Monica Academy, which has controlled the International League for four seasons and has captured 35 consecutive league contests.

The Crusaders return six players on their roster of 13, which has coach Owen Keenan looking up. Last season, St. Monica Academy finished 14-10 and lost in the first round of the Division V-AA playoffs.

“Our expectations are to be competitive in league and build for the future,” Keenan said. “We’re a very young team and have seven girls who have never played basketball before in high school, so we’re looking to grow and improve.”

St. Monica graduated league MVP Molly Hagan and league first-team picks Hannah Acosta and Brigit Grimm.

Keenan returns junior center Kristina Turicchi, a league second-team choice that averaged 5.5 points a game.

Turicchi will be joined by senior guard Margaret Short and senior forward Liberty Crisp, two experienced players who will provide veteran play.

At Hoover, the Tornadoes are aiming to be competitive a season after finishing 1-23 and 0-12 in league.

It’s been a season since Hoover won a Pacific League game, which leads to an obvious expectations for coach Stan Watson.

“We want to win a league game, that’s goal No. 1,” Watson said. “We want to win some league games, not just one. We have to be more competitive in league and limit the number of [mercy-rule games]. We judge success sometimes by limiting the numbers of those types of games.”

Watson has six returners and seven seniors on his squad, but his top player might be sophomore center Hasmik Ter Martirosyan.

Watson is also high on the play of junior guard Xitlali Serrano along with newcomer Adrian Isajani, also a junior.

Last season, Glendale Adventist finished with a 5-10 mark and a 3-6 record for a fourth-place finish in the Independence League.

The Cougars have a bit of an unexpected obstacle this season, though, as coach Myles Alexander’s club is missing nearly half the team, which is playing girls’ volleyball.

Alexander will expect contributions from guard Izzy Salvador, who plays quarterback on the girls’ flag football team, and senior guard Taylor Nicolas.

Sophomore Ana Nicolas and senior Paige Singleton, a post player, are also key players.

“We have a couple of girls in the upper grades who haven’t played, so we’ll take a while to come together,” assistant coach Chris Lindstadt said. “We’re in a bit of rebuilding stage and I’m not sure how good we’re going to be right away.”

andrew.campa@latimes.com

Twitter @campadresports

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