Top 10 Games of Year: Flintridge Prep girls’ basketball strikes gold in overtime
The top-10 high school games from the 2015-16 season were selected by the sportswriters of the Glendale News-Press.
1 Flintridge Prep girls’ basketball wins CIF title in overtime, 39-34, March 6
“If free-throwing shooting or defense wasn’t already a known commodity for the Flintridge Prep girls’ basketball team, the squad will forever have memories of utilizing both en route to delivering the program’s first-ever CIF Southern Section championship.The host Rebels shut out San Luis Obispo Mission College Prep in overtime and hit three of five free throws in picking up a 39-34 victory in Saturday’s afternoon Division V-AA title game at Godinez Fundamental High.”
- Andrew J. Campa
After several deep playoff runs in recent postseasons, the fourth-seeded Rebels (23-4) finally captured the elusive CIF championship. It certainly wasn’t easy, though.
Appearing in its first CIF championship contest since 2007, Flintridge Prep had to overcome plenty of obstacles against Mission College Prep.
The teams were tied at 34 following 32 minutes of regulation after Mission College Prep’s Jacqueline San Jule tied it with a three-pointer at the buzzer. While both teams struggled on offense in the four-minute overtime, Taylor Yoshida of Flintridge Prep made two free throws to make it 36-34 with 2:46 remaining. Renae Tamura then made three free throws the rest of the way to sew up the title.
“This feels so good,” said Flintridge Prep co-Coach Jayme Chan, who shares the coaching chores with Kevin Kiyomura. “I’m so happy for the girls, but it also feels great to be a part of this. I’ve been involved in basketball for 20 years and this is my first trip to a CIF finals. It’s real precious.”
Tamura, who was selected the division’s player of the year, collected a game-high 20 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Teammate Tala Ismail contributed six points, nine rebounds and three steals.
2 St. Monica girls’ volleyball rallies for five-game CIF title win, Nov. 21, 2015
“Saving their best rally for last, the St. Monica Academy girls’ volleyball team delivered its school a first-ever CIF Southern Section championship by defeating top-seeded Irvine Tarbut V’Torah, 16-25, 21-25, 25-13, 25-17, 15-11 in the Division V-A title match Saturday evening at Rio Hondo College.”
- Andrew J. Campa
The third-seeded Crusaders (24-3-2) returned to the CIF championship match for the first time since 2012. After digging a deep hole, St. Monica rallied from a two-game deficit to make school history.
“It’s special, if not unbelievable,” said St. Monica Coach Darren Bradley, who also serves as the school’s athletic director. “It’s like a dream. I was telling a couple of players, it’s unreal. I can’t believe this is happening. The girls worked so hard and it’s just amazing.”
St. Monica, which played its first season since the school moved to its current Montrose campus, had captured 12 of 13 sets entering the title match, but was down by two games in the championship with the match and a title on the line. But the Crusaders rallied with emphatic wins in the third and fourth games.
St. Monica yielded three of the first four points in the fifth set before going on a 5-1 spurt capped by an ace from libero Yamila Evans (19 digs and three aces) to make it 6-4. A kill by Sophia Vega (13 kills and two blocks) completed the comeback.
“We were shaky and nervous in those first games, but I thought we still had a chance,” said senior Michelle Hall, one of three members of the 2012 St. Monica team that advanced to and lost the Division V-A championship match that season. “We just told ourselves that we needed to pick it up.”
St. Monica received a team-best 26 digs and eight kills from senior outside hitter Therese Boles, the division’s player of the year, and 26 assists from junior outside hitter Molly Hagan.
3 Crescenta Valley girls’ basketball reels in CIF title victory, 37-36, March 6
“Perhaps it was fitting the Crescenta Valley High girls’ basketball team had its team picture taken at the free-throw line a few minutes after the program won its first CIF Southern Section championship Saturday. Plenty of pivotal moments played out at the free-throw line in the final moment of regulation, culminating in Crescenta Valley securing a 37-36 victory against top-seeded Mira Costa in the Division I-A title game at Azusa Pacific University’s Felix Events Center.”
- Charles Rich
The last few seconds of the fourth quarter must have seemed like an eternity for Crescenta Valley. In particular, the final tick of the clock.
Nursing a 37-35 lead, Crescenta Valley was called for a foul on a three-point shot by Mira Costa’s Halle Maeda with three-tenths of a second left. Maeda made the first free throw before missing the next two shots. Crescenta Valley grabbed the rebound as time expired inside the loud venue.
“It looked like we had won it a couple of times and then there was the foul on the three-pointer,” said Crescenta Valley Coach Jason Perez, who took over the team in 2006. “I feel for [Maeda]. A lot of pressure. Lucky for us. Sometimes you get the breaks.”
Crescenta Valley (24-9) had turned the ball over twice on consecutive possessions in the final two minutes. It also missed the front ends of one-and-one free throws twice.
Alisa Shinn, who was tabbed the division’s player of the year, collected a game-high 14 points and 18 rebounds. Josie Brock contributed six points and eight rebounds for the Falcons, who got eight points from Polin Megerdichian.
4 Flintridge Prep baseball tops Salesian in semifinal thriller, 7-6, May 27
“Improbable comebacks are certainly nothing novel to the Flintridge Prep baseball team. But that certainly did not quell the jubilation that followed after senior Hamilton Evans lifted a walk-off single to right field to score Daniel Chiarodit with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel the Rebels past Salesian, 7-6, in a CIF Southern Section Division VI quarterfinal game on Friday afternoon at the Glendale Sports Complex.”
- Grant Gordon
When Flintridge Prep won the CIF Southern Section Division VI championship in 2015, it did so after outlasting Salesian in the semifinals, 10-9, in a wild game.
Salesian had its eyes set on avenging that loss and was in prime position to do so in the 2016 quarterfinals as Flintridge Prep trailed, 6-0.
The Rebels scored five runs in the sixth to tie it at 6 before winning it with a run in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Hamilton Evans.
“My heart was pounding,” Evans said. “We were in the same situation last year.
“Obviously we’re thinking, ‘Jeez, we’re down, 6-0,’ but I don’t think we ever lost faith.”
Flintridge Prep reliever Andrew Tsangeos picked up the win, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
5 Flintridge Prep boys’ soccer beats Rancho Mirage in overtime, 3-2, Feb. 26
“An unexpected postseason run from the Flintridge Prep boys’ soccer team will continue into another round thanks to an improbable and spectacular play. A huge kick from Rebels goalie Hamilton Evans was headed in by sophomore Garrett Gaines in the 87th minute in sudden-death overtime to deliver the Rebels a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over visiting Rancho Mirage High in Friday afternoon’s quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division VI playoffs.”
- Andrew J. Campa
Flintridge Prep wasn’t sure if it would qualify for the postseason after finishing fourth in the Prep League. But the Rebels received an at-large berth and made the deepest run in the area with a semifinal appearance.
It was a quarterfinal match against Rancho Mirage that made the journey all the more memorable.
“This is all house money,” Flintridge Prep Coach AJ Yates said. “We have nothing to lose and we’re playing with a bunch of young guys who don’t know any better. They just want to win.”
Flintridge Prep took advantage of its small field in the 87th minute when Evans booted a free kick. The kick entered the Rancho Miarge penalty box and Gaines headed the ball for the winning goal.
“The ball was in the air and I know that I can jump higher than most people,” Gaines said. “I timed my jump right and hit it over the goalie.”
The big kick was one of several smacked that afternoon by Evans.
“I’ve never actually scored a goal on a punt yet, but I’ve got pretty close,” said Evans, who finished with eight saves and the one key assist. “My strategy is to look back post because we have a lot of people there.”
Flintridge Prep knotted it at 2 in the 60th minute on a goal by Tim Treinen. Treinen finished with two goals.
6 Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer edges Pasadena Poly for share of league crown, Feb. 12
Flintridge Prep knew exactly what it needed to accomplish to gain a share of the Prep League championship, as it needed to go on the road and defeat Pasadena Poly in the final match of Prep League.
Flintridge Prep rose to the task, receiving a late goal from All-Area Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year Julia Gonzalez to secure a 3-2 win. It gave the Rebels their first league crown since sharing it in 2012 and ended a 42-match league unbeaten streak for Pasadena Poly.
“It was a perfect ball from Helen [Schaefer]. I knew what I had to do,” said Gonzalez, who scored in the 81st minute. “I just tried to stay calm.”
Flintridge Prep built a 2-0 advantage midway through the second half, only to see Pasadena Poly rally to tie it.
7 Crescenta Valley baseball rallies past Arcadia for split of league title, May 13
With a share of the Pacific League on the line, Crescenta Valley turned to one of its stalwart players for a milestone moment at Stengel Field on the final day of the regular season.
Senior shortstop Ryan Lynch registered a bases-loaded two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift Crescenta Valley to a 5-4 win and a split of the league title with Burroughs.
“We got some big hits and Ryan is the MVP of the league,” Crescenta Valley Coach Phil Torres said. “I know other people think other people are, but I think Ryan is.”
Lynch was later voted the Pacific League co-Player of the Year.
The Falcons trailed, 4-3, entering the bottom of the sixth. Crescenta Valley received singles from William Smiley and Max Meyer. With two outs, Charles Weinmann notched an infield single to tie it before Lynch put the Falcons ahead.
8 Crescenta Valley girls’ soccer gets through Arcadia, 2-1, Jan. 22
It had been nearly four years since Crescenta Valley had topped rival Arcadia. That changed when the Falcons went on the road and registered a 2-1 win against the Apaches, who saw their 43-match league winning streak conclude.
Backed by a sturdy defense and goalkeeping effort from Nicole Jabourian, Crescenta Valley bucked the odds and received the match-winning score from freshman Brianna McReynolds with about 10 minutes remaining.
Rachel Bird gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick drawn by McReynolds before the Apaches tied it in the second half. Arcadia came in ranked second in CIF Southern Section Division IV.
“I’m so proud of the girls today,” Falcons Coach Tyraysha Peterson said. “Everybody stepped up and did their job.”
9 Crescenta Valley football topples Arcadia, 28-27, Nov. 5. 2015
In need of a victory to advance to the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs, Crescenta Valley accomplished the feat by turning back rival Arcadia on the final week of the regular season.
Freshman quarterback Cole Doyle tossed a 52-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Will Rees with 2:40 remaining to give Crescenta Valley a 28-27 win at Glendale High’s Moyse Field and clinch the third and final automatic playoff berth out of the league. Kicker Alex Atanackovic tallied the game-winning point with his subsequent point-after kick.
“What an incredible, amazing game,” Crescenta Valley Coach Paul Schilling said. “I give our offensive coordinator [Hudson Gossard] all the credit on that last touchdown. He called the play and had faith in a freshman. It all worked out.”
Crescenta Valley’s Tyler Hill had a phenomenal game with two touchdown passes, one touchdown run, more than 100 yards rushing and two interceptions on defense. Hill’s three touchdowns cast a 21-0 lead for the Falcons, only to see Arcadia rally, culminating with a 91-yard punt return for a score with 3:02 left. Through it all, one of the biggest plays of the game came with a blocked extra-point attempt by Ben Lizer that resulted in the Falcons’ winning margin.
10 Hoover boys’ soccer bests Pasadena, 3-1, Jan. 19
Under first-year coach Anastacios Metallinos, Hoover pulled off one of its biggest wins in a long time by ending the reigning Pacific League champions’ 22-match league unbeaten streak.
“It’s a great win,” Metallinos said. “We came out flat in the first 15 minutes and Pasadena hit the crossbar twice.
“It’s 1-1 going into the second half and things came together. We had a lot of chances and we had possession of the ball a lot.”
The Tornadoes got second-half goals from Jesus Rodrguez and Suren Kurazyan in the 45th and 60th minutes, respectively. Romio Sislian scored in the first half to give Hoover a 1-0 lead.
Honorable Mention: Crescenta Valley softball beats Glendale ends Sammy Fabian’s 61-game hitting streak, May 5; Crescenta Valley boys’ water polo edges Hoover in OT, Oct. 6, 2015; Crescenta Valley water polo beats Hoover in league final, Nov. 5, 2015; Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball defeats Redlands, May 14; Hoover wrestling defeats La Cañada, Jan. 21: St. Francis soccer tops Alemany, Feb. 10; St. Francis football beats Moorpark, Sept. 11, 2015; St. Francis football topples Cathedral, Oct. 23, 2015.
