HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

The Poly High girls’ basketball team this week welcomed back Loretta Bolongaita, with open arms.

The sophomore point guard, who started and led the Parrots in assists and steals last season as a freshman, quit the team three weeks ago but returned Thursday to play in a loss to San Fernando.

Bolongaita recently met with the team and asked to be allowed to rejoin the Parrots (0-9).

“She had some personal problems but she got them taken care of,” Coach Lou Goodman of Poly said. “She said she wanted to come back and pretty much everybody wanted her to come back.

“I’m glad to have her back. Talent is talent. But she’s been gone for three weeks, so we’ll have to see how it goes.”

So far, so good. Bolongaita scored seven points in her first game back Thursday, although Poly lost, 52-26, to San Fernando.

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Reseda High’s girls’ team is optimistic about its chances of competing in the new Valley Mission League.

Some of those hopes are pinned on Kristin Armendariz, a sophomore transfer from Texas who is averaging almost 15 points.

“She’s one of the most athletic players I have ever seen,” Coach Mike Wagner of Reseda said.

Armendariz has teamed with senior Andrea Bermas, who also averages 15 points, to give the Regents (5-7) two versatile options.

Both players are 5-foot-7, and each is capable of playing all five positions, according to Wagner.

“They’re a good combination,” he said.

Girls’ Coach Byrd Newman-Milic of Buckley enjoyed the wave of success the Griffins rode while playing their way to the championship game in the Small Schools Division of the recent Kona Classic in Hawaii.

He took less of a liking to one 10-foot wave he rode while boogie-boarding with his players at Harpoona Beach during the team’s final day on the Kona Coast.

“I took a couple of big waves,” Newman-Milic said. “I was out there having fun. I was trying to act like I was 20 again, and all of a sudden I got knocked off my board, my face was in the sand, and I didn’t know where I was for a minute.”

Enter junior forward Elizabeth Burnside, who was the first to reach the coach and pull a shaken Newman-Milic from the water.

“She was right there,” Newman-Milic said. “Liz kind of dragged me to shore. She was like, ‘Coach, are you OK?.’

“I was fine after a couple minutes. But it was pretty scary.”

Newman-Milic, who suffered a broken nose and has lingering back pain as a result of his wipeout, remains grateful to Burnside, a starter early in the season who recently has come off the bench for the Griffins.

“She’s probably starting now,” he said with a laugh. “Although we joke about it now, it’s one of those things that really does kind of make you look at somebody a little differently.”

On the court, Buckley (10-3) lost to Rolling Hills Prep, 60-40, in the Kona tournament Small Schools Division final game.

“We did pretty well,” Newman-Milic said. “It was a great trip. Except for the ending.”