SCOREBOARD : FACTS, FIGURES AND COMMENTS FROM AREA EVENTS : PREP BASKETBALL

Southern Section schools in the area opened their basketball seasons this week and although there have been several changes in player and coaching personnel, one thing remains constant: La Canada is considered the best boys’ team in the area.

The Spartans feature 6-foot-11 junior Richard Mandeville, a returning All-Southern Section center who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery a few weeks ago and is expected to miss the first two weeks of the season. La Canada is competing this week in the Saugus tournament.

La Canada might also have the best girls’ team in the area. Led by All-Southern Section junior Melissa Lord, the Spartans will attempt to repeat as the Rio Hondo League champion.

Ribet Academy, which won the boys’ Division V state championship last season, has a new coach in Phil Sherman, who replaces Michael Miller. The Fighting Frogs, who won two consecutive Heritage League championships, will compete as an independent this season.

The Flintridge Prep girls’ team also has a new coach, Bailey Brown. He replaced John Ruch, who guided the Rebels to a 24-9 record last season.

Here’s a look at where Glendale-area boys’ teams are playing this week:

* Glendale: Simi Valley tournament.

* Hoover: Hoover-Burbank tournament.

* Crescenta Valley: Hoover-Burbank tournament.

* St. Francis: Hoover-Burbank tournament.

* Flintridge Prep: At Brentwood on Friday.

* Ribet Academy: Redwood tournament

* Glendale Adventist: Faith Baptist tournament.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Glendale College’s bid to advance to the community college state soccer final ended Saturday with a 2-1 loss to Irvine Valley in the championship game of the Southern California regional men’s tournament at Clark Community Center in La Crescenta.

Irvine Valley’s Piero Mendiola scored the only goal of the first half. Shawn Howshmand increased the Lasers’ lead to 2-0 in the second half, then Glendale’s Mario Bermudez scored the game’s final goal.

The Vaqueros finished 10-10-1.

The Glendale men’s basketball team has a 4-1 record entering today’s game against powerful Cypress in the first round of the Golden West tournament in Huntington Beach.

“We’re not rebounding very well or playing good defense when we need to,” said Glendale Coach Brian Beauchemin, who has lost several players because of personal reasons. “I’d like to be able to say that we’re going to be a good team. But we really need to start taking care of things for that to happen.”

The Glendale College football team, which finished 3-7, had five players selected to the All-Western State Conference team.

Sophomore running back Rafik Thorossian was a first-team selection.

Linemen Robert Montoya and Darren Jenkins, linebacker Jeff Dyrek and cornerback Jason Stanley--all sophomores--were named to the first-team on defense.

COLLEGES

The Occidental men’s basketball team has a two-week break in its schedule following Friday’s 102-77 loss to Cal Poly Pomona.

Occidental, which beat Christ College Irvine in its opener, takes a 1-1 record into its Dec. 16 game at UC Santa Cruz.

Occidental trailed Pomona, 38-35, at halftime but could not keep pace with the pressing Division II Broncos, who led by as many as 27 points in the second half.

PREP ATHLETE OF WEEK

Margarito Casillas, Hoover--Casillas, a senior, finished second in Division I Saturday at the state cross-country meet at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Casillas finished behind Angel Martinez of San Gabriel, who won the race in 15 minutes 6 seconds. Casillas, who led until the final 800 meters, covered the 3.1-mile course in 15:14.

Casillas will return to Woodward Park on Saturday for the Kinney Western Regional championships. The top eight girls and boys will advance to the national meet Dec. 14 at Balboa Park in San Diego.

COLLEGE ATHLETE OF WEEK

Sandy Brown, Occidental--Brown, a senior forward for the Occidental men’s basketball team, is averaging 23 points.

Brown, a 6-6, 175-pound senior, played at Manual Arts High and transferred to Occidental from Cal State Northridge.

Last season Brown averaged 17 points and was selected All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW

Brad Holland--Holland, a former All-Southern Section guard at Crescenta Valley High who played at UCLA and for the Lakers, is in his fourth season as an assistant at UCLA.

Holland, 34, averaged 34.5 points a game for Crescenta Valley during his senior season. He also led the Falcon football team to the CIF championship in his junior season.

Holland participated in Crescenta Valley’s alumni basketball game last week and scored 12 points.

MISCELLANY

Froylan Sanchez of St. Francis finished seventh in the Division III boys’ cross-country race at the state championship meet Saturday in Fresno. Sanchez finished in 15:45. Sarah Dien of La Canada was third and teammate Carlene Pengra was sixth in the Division III girls’ race. Dien clocked 18:52 and Pengra finished in 19:01. Sarah MacDougall of Crescenta Valley finished 21st in the girls’ Division II race in 19:17. . . . The Glendale YMCA, which is in the process of forming a table tennis club, will hold a demonstration of the sport on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. The demonstration will feature Wei Wang and Anita Zakarian, both of whom have been ranked among the top five women players in the United States.