SportsScope : East All-Star Gridders Boast Array of Top Running Backs

Talented running backs head the East team that will face the West in the seventh annual National Football Foundation Hall of Fame All-Star Football Game on Aug. 8 at Arroyo High School in El Monte.

The East has Jeff Obert, who rushed for 1,584 yards and 34 touchdowns to lead Charter Oak to the CIF Southeastern Conference title last year, Leland Adams of West Covina, Scott Londo of Gladstone and Dean Lambo of Claremont.

Adams rushed for 1,275 yards and 15 touchdowns, Londo 1,489 yards and 14 TDs and Lambo 993 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Claremont, which won its second straight CIF Eastern Conference title, has the most players in the game. In addition to Lambo, offensive linemen Pete Pruitt and Louis Baiz, linebacker Sean Telish and place-kicker Steve Bayer are on the roster, and the Wolfpack’s Bob Baiz will coach the East.

Other top East players are quarterbacks Rick Carter of Bishop Amat and Mark Smith of Los Altos, offensive tackle Ryan McReynolds of Rowland, defensive back Mike Culwell of West Covina, nose guard David Foster of Ganesha and linebackers Dennis Karjala of Nogales, Ramon Diaz of Bishop Amat and Larry Vladic of Diamond Bar.

The West, coached by San Marino’s Bill Maloney, will counter with a strong passing attack led by Schurr quarterback Eric Rubalcava and wide receiver Hubert Turner. Another top receiver is Muir’s Cary Grant, who caught 46 passes for 675 yards and 7 touchdowns as a senior.

Other West standouts are linebackers Geoff Cook of Duarte, Mike Holguin of Arroyo and Kenny James of Pasadena, offensive linemen Steve Gilmour of Temple City and Mike Bender of Monrovia and defensive back Scott Robinson of San Marino.

Two prep standouts from the San Gabriel Valley have been named to the All-State baseball team by Cal-Hi Sports News of San Jose.

The players are pitcher Reed Olmstead of Blair High and shortstop David Hansen of Rowland, both seniors. Olmstead, one of most versatile players in the valley, batted .516 with 7 home runs and 35 runs batted in and posted a 4-1 record and 1.13 earned-run average.

Olmstead, named CIF 1-A Division player of the year, signed with the St. Louis Cardinals after being drafted in the second round of the amateur free-agent draft in June.

Hansen, one of the top power hitters in the valley, had 11 home runs and 27 runs batted in and a .432 batting average.

Dick Barnes, who guided Arroyo High to its first CIF Southern Section girls softball title in his first year as coach of the Knights, has been named state softball coach of the year by Cal-Hi Sports News.

The Knights, who finished with a 22-1 record and defeated El Toro in the 2-A title game, were ranked No. 3 in the publication’s final state 2-A poll. Aragon of San Mateo (23-1) was first and Healdsburg (17-4-1) second.

Maranatha, the only other ranked San Gabriel Valley team, was rated No. 10 in 1-A.

Diamond Bar High, ranked No. 1 in CIF 2-A baseball most of the season, was rated No. 2 in the state in 2-A in a final baseball poll by Cal-Hi Sports News.

The Brahmas were defeated by Mission Viejo in the 2-A quarterfinals and finished with a 21-5 record. Sonoma was ranked tops in the state.

Mountain View, 19-4, was ranked No. 10 in the state in 2-A and Arcadia (21-4) was rated No. 10 in Southern California.