Falcons Believe in Afterlife

Seven months ago, Crescenta Valley High gave the No. 1 girls’ basketball team in the nation all it could handle.

Two weeks ago, the Falcons were getting handled by Rosary, an average team in Southern Section Division III, in the opening round of the Watts Summer Games.

Yes, after three Pacific League titles and 101 victories in four seasons, the Michelle Greco Era is indeed over at Crescenta Valley.

The region’s No. 2 all-time scorer has packed her gym bag and moved on to UCLA, leaving behind a team that must battle to maintain the lofty tradition she established.

“Michelle Greco gave us the confidence to win,” Coach Damian Scribner said. “Now, we’re becoming a team that doesn’t rely on any one person, and we’re better for it.”

Crescenta Valley showed that much Thursday night during a 43-14 rout of Santa Paula in the quarterfinals of the Santa Clarita Shootout at College of the Canyons.

The Falcons will play Notre Dame tonight at 7:15 in the semifinals.

Without Greco and All-Southern Section guard Tara Gregory, who has a track scholarship to Vanderbilt, the Falcons began the summer 1-2, including a 30-point loss to Palisades.

At that point, Scribner and the team sat down and seriously discussed life after Greco.

“We asked ourselves, ‘Do we want to be the Falcons without Michelle Greco, or do we want to be the best Crescenta Valley we possibly can be?’ ” he said.

Ever since, the Falcons have showed renewed confidence and balanced scoring. And they’ve won five consecutive games.

“I’m looking forward to the season,” said junior guard Kristie Umemoto, who scored 13 points against Santa Paula. “Everyone thinks we won’t be very good because we don’t have Michelle anymore, but I think we’re going to be fine.”

The cupboard is hardly bare at Crescenta Valley, where the Falcons have won 32 consecutive league games and three consecutive junior varsity league championships.

Umemoto averaged 10 points as a sophomore, and junior Sinnamonn Garrett is considered one of the region’s premier post players after averaging 15 points and 9.7 rebounds last season.

Garrett was in Oregon at an AAU tournament Thursday, and wasn’t expected back before the Shootout final Saturday.

But playing without its best player has become routine to Crescenta Valley, which won the Shootout last year without Greco, who was away at a tournament.

The void has been filled by returners Laura Zerebko, Kellie Paige, Danielle Proctor and Lar Chouljian, a cast of capable, if not spectacular, players.

“We’ve had an incredible run and it can be just as incredible with the group we have now,” Scribner said. “Instead of winning by 80, maybe now we have to grind some games out.”

Notre Dame 36, Highland 21--Jamie Fortin scored 12 points and Sierra Hauser-Price added 11 for the Knights, who took a 22-4 halftime lead and cruised to their 14th victory in 19 summer games.

Canyon 44, Hart 35--Canyon outscored the Indians, 14-4, over the final seven minutes to win its 10th consecutive summer game.

Janette Garcia scored 13 points and Latricia Fleming, a transfer from Monroe, added 12 for the Cowboys, who will meet Royal tonight the semifinals.

Tiana Jameson scored 10 points for Hart, which played without forward Briana Kentfield and guard Emily Reyna.

Royal 42, North Hollywood 24--Kellie Gesell scored 16 points and Melissa Cruz added 14 for Royal, which led, 22-8, at halftime.