Recalling the Rebels
GLENDALE — This is the sixth of eight consecutive editions in which the News-Press looks back at the area’s 2009-10 seasons, school by school, before looking ahead at the year to come.
Whether it was Prep League titles won, CIF playoff appearances or even a defining performance at a state meet, there was plenty to keep track of during the 2009-10 school year as it relates to Flintridge Prep athletics.
The highlights began in the fall with the boys’ cross-country team’s turnaround third-place finish at the CIF state meet. The girls’ volleyball team also returned to the playoffs after a lengthy absence.
Winter saw the girls’ soccer team overachieve from wire to wire and claim the Prep League title.
The boys’ hoops squad also won its third straight league crown, but it was the girls’ basketball team that enjoyed the deepest CIF playoff run of the school year by advancing to the quarterfinals.
The spring contained the first Prep League title in nine years for the boys’ volleyball team and a run to the second round of the playoffs for a team assumed to be in rebuilding mode.
Finally, a group of track and field athletes capped off the year by representing the Rebels at the CIF finals.
All the wins and losses, successes and setbacks are relived as they happened here:
•Sept. 10, 2009 — The girls’ volleyball team begins its season with a nonleague sweep of Alhambra.
•Sept. 13, 2009 — The football team opens its season with a 46-13 nonleague loss to St. Genevieve at Occidental College. Jordan Whaley rushes for 80 yards and the team’s only touchdown.
•Oct. 2, 2009 — Eric Kazangian scores the game-winning touchdown with 7:38 left in the game and an Adam Grosbard sack and an Alex Bates interception help seal the first win of the season for the football team, 23-20, at Malibu.
“It’s enormous,” said Kazangian, who finishes with a game-high 115 yards rushing in 20 carries, of the victory. “This completely changed the way we’re gonna look at our season.”
•Sept. 15, 2009 — Senior Dot Silverman finishes first overall in 19 minutes 26 seconds at the first Prep League meet of the season, in which the girls’ cross-country team finishes third.
•Sept. 16, 2009 — The opening of Prep League play doesn’t go well for the football team, which is shut out, 48-0, by reigning league champion Rio Hondo Prep.
•Sept. 17, 2009 — The boys’ water polo team starts the season off 2-0 with a 13-3 nonleague win over Sierra Vista. Kevin Matthews finishes with four goals and three assists.
The squad would go on to finish 6-11 and 0-10 in the Prep League.
•Sept. 24, 2009 — After going 5-1 in nonleague matches to begin the season, the girls’ volleyball team, which won just one match the previous season, gets its first Prep League win, 25-19, 25-16, 25-19, over Rio Hondo Prep.
“We feel like we’ve turned things around because we are playing good defense,” said Marin Seifert, who finishes with 15 kills and 12 digs.
•Sept. 26, 2009 — The girls’ cross-country team wins the Division IV Blue race at the Bellarmine-Jefferson Invitational in 1:45.05 behind Silverman’s winning time of 19:03.
•Oct. 16, 2009 — The girls’ volleyball team wins its third straight league match, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 25-16, over Westridge behind 12 kills from Morgan Brown and 29 assists from Meagan Chow.
•Oct. 21, 2009 — Longtime Prep coach and teacher Tom Fry, who was the football team’s defensive coordinator, passes away in La Cañada Flintridge at 52 after a seven-month battle with a malignant brain tumor.
“Flintridge Prep was his life and passion,” Rick Fry said of his brother. “Within that, the students and alumni were like his second family.
“His legacy will live on with Flintridge Prep because he had an impact on so many lives.”
•Oct. 24, 2009 — At the 62nd annual Mt. SAC Invitational, the boys’ cross-country team finishes third in the Division V sweepstakes, led by a seventh-place finish from Kevin Heintz in 16:15.
•Oct. 27, 2009 — Kira Lee, Jenise Vargas and Ali Preiss combine for eight wins to help the girls’ tennis team best Poly, 10-8, and clinch fourth place in league and an automatic entry into the postseason.
“It was big, we needed this to squeak in,” said co-Coach Ron Catano, whose team would finish 6-4 in league.
•Oct. 30, 2009 — Kory Hamane catches a game-winning 10-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 1:29 to go in the football team’s 24-21 league victory over Webb.
•Oct. 31, 2009 — At the Prep League cross-country finals, the boys’ team sees its streak of 17 straight league titles snapped by Pasadena Poly, finishing second behind a fourth-place finish from Jason Bunn (16:07.68).
“It had to end sometime,” Rebels boys’ Coach Ingrid Herskind said. “The target’s finally off our back.”
The girls’ team finishes third, led by Silverman in fifth place (19:24.38).
“We’re coming together,” girls’ Coach Mike Roffina said. “We have not had one race this season with the same varsity team. We’re settling in now.”
•Nov. 1, 2009 — With a tense 25-17, 21-25, 25-23, 21-25, 16-14 victory over Webb in its regular-season finale, the girls’ volleyball team is on its way to the CIF Southern Section Division III-A playoffs after clinching fourth place in league.
“Honestly, it’s really emotional,” Seifert said. “To actually make the playoffs is a real big deal.”
•Nov. 6, 2009 — The football team keeps its playoff hopes alive by improving to 2-2 in league with a 41-14 win over Viewpoint.
Jacob Steenwyck has two interceptions and two offensive touchdowns to lead the Rebels.
•Nov. 10, 2009 — Lee, Vargas and Preiss sweep every game in their singles sets to pace a 15-3 win over Fontana in a Division II wild-card match, the program’s first-ever playoff win.
Despite 11 kills from Brown and nine from Seifert, the girls’ volleyball team falls, 22-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-23, to host Ocean View in the opening round of the Division III-A playoffs.
“For us to make it back to the playoffs ... I think was a huge success,” said Coach Sean Beattie, whose team finishes 11-9. “Right now, it’s kind of bittersweet.”
•Nov. 12, 2009 — Palm Desert ends the girls’ tennis team’s season in the first round of the Division II playoffs with a 14-4 loss. The team finishes 11-7.
“I believe it was an extremely successful season,” Catano said.
•Nov. 13, 2009 — A painful 35-15 league loss to Chadwick ends the football team’s season at 3-6 and 2-3 in league for fourth place.
First-team selection linebacker Conor Dubin later leads a group of five Rebels named to the All-Prep League team.
•Nov. 20, 2009 — Lee advances to the second round of the CIF Individuals Tennis Tournament at Whittier Narrows.
Lee and Vargas are later named to the all-league team.
•Nov. 21, 2009 — With Heintz at the front of the pack in sixth place in 16:06, the boys’ cross-country team finishes sixth in Division V at the CIF Southern Section finals at Mt. SAC and becomes the only local program to advance to the CIF state meet.
The girls’ team finishes eighth, one spot away from qualifying for its ninth straight state appearance.
“It’s a moment that every team has to go through,” Roffina said, “and as one of the girls said, you don’t cry alone. This is a group that’s crying together and it’s about team.”
•Nov. 28, 2009 — Saving by far its best performance for last, the boys’ cross-country team finishes third in Division V at the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.
“We’re incredibly amped, we’ve been preparing for this the entire season and this was just the race of our lives that we all knew we had,” said Heintz, who finishes a team-best sixth in 16:11. “It was a great way to end my career. That was everything I had, I put it all out there.”
•Nov. 30, 2009 — The boys’ basketball team opens its season with a 61-44 nonleague win over Monrovia.
Kenyatta Smith scores 20 points and pulls down 14 rebounds.
•Dec. 2, 2009 — A 2-1 loss to Division II power Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy kicks off the girls’ soccer team’s season, but it’s the last nonleague defeat the Rebels will suffer before later heading into Prep League play at 4-1.
Also taking on Sacred Heart, the girls’ water polo team opens its season with a 12-2 nonleague loss.
The team would go on to finish 1-13 and 0-12 in the Prep League. Senior goalkeeper Patricia McGown later earns a spot on the all-league team.
•Dec. 5, 2009 — The girls’ basketball team opens the season with three straight wins in the San Marino Tournament, but on this day, loses to Bonita, 52-36, in the championship game.
•Dec. 8, 2009 — The boys’ soccer team kicks off the season with a 2-1 nonleague loss to Village Christian.
It would prove to be a difficult season for the Rebels, who go on to finish 4-11-2 and 1-4-1 in the Prep League.
•Dec. 12, 2009 — Megan Musashi scores 15 points to lead the girls’ basketball team to a 45-37 win over South Pasadena in the third-place game of the Pasadena Poly Tournament.
•Dec. 30, 2009 — Behind 16 points from Hamane, the boys’ basketball team defeats Temescal Canyon, 74-64, to take seventh place in the Mayor’s Cup Division in the MaxPreps/Torrey Pines Holiday Classic.
•Jan. 5 — The boys’ basketball team opens Prep League play with a dominant 74-36 win over Rio Hondo Prep, while the girls’ basketball team opens league with a 49-18 win over the Kares..
Smith leads the way for the boys with 18 points, while Musashi has 17 for the girls.
•Jan. 6 — Alina Okamoto scores three goals to lead the girls’ soccer team to a 5-1 win over archrival Poly in the Prep League opener.
“It was really important to see if our girls, since we are such a young team, could stay in it mentally and physically, because [Poly] seems like an older team and just much more physical than we are,” Okamoto said.
•Feb. 3 — Poly hands the boys’ basketball team a humbling 56-35 road loss, the Rebels’ first league setback since Jan. 19, 2008.
•Feb. 12 — Kaitlyn Kelleher, Kaelin King and Whitney Cohen all find the back of the net in the second half to propel the girls’ soccer team to a 3-1 win over Mayfield that clinches a share of the program’s first league title since 2001.
“This is the most amazing feeling ever and I’m pretty sure we’re all ecstatic,” junior forward Brooke Elby said.
Later that night, Chris Cynn scores 19 points to lead the boys’ basketball team to a 76-46 home win over Rio Hondo Prep that clinches the outright league championship.
The Rebels end up finishing 7-1 in league to claim their third straight league title.
“I just wanted to go out there with a bang, and I had confidence,” Cynn said. “I wanted to seize the moment because I didn’t want to share the league title.”
The girls’ basketball team closes its regular-season out with a 53-13 win over the Kares, its fourth straight, but finishes second in league behind Poly at 10-2.
•Feb. 17 — Seeded fourth in the Division V-AA playoffs, the boys’ basketball team suffers a shocking 46-44 first-round loss to Santa Clara at home.
Hamane’s three-point attempt in the closing seconds and a follow-up tip near the basket both roll out, as the Rebels finish the season 18-7.
“We got a good look,” Coach Garrett Ohara said. “That’s all you can ask for.”
Smith is later named to the All-CIF Division V-AA first team after being voted Prep League Most Valuable Player, one of five Rebels to make the all-league honor roll.
•Feb. 18 — The girls’ basketball team dispatches St. Matthias, 57-29, in the opening round of the Division V-AA playoffs behind 22 points and 10 rebounds from Musashi.
“She was feeling it,” Coach Todd Frost said of his star player. “She can be a real secret weapon for us.”
•Feb. 19 — After a 100-minute defensive stalemate, the girls’ soccer team’s season comes down to a penalty-kick shootout in a Division III first-round playoff match against Estancia.
The Eagles prevail, 4-2, but the Rebels finish with a record of 13-4 and 8-2 in league.
“I’m proud of the girls who stepped up to take [penalty kicks] because it takes a lot,” Coach Esteban Chavez said.”I asked them who wanted to take it and that’s who I go with, who wants to take it.
“It just didn’t work out for us.”
Elby is later named Prep League tri-MVP, one of six Rebels named to the all-league squad.
•Feb. 20 — Deanna Watson scores 22 points and Musashi adds 19 as the girls’ basketball team rolls on in the Division V-AA playoffs with a 57-37 second-round win over Milken Community.
•Feb. 24 — Long scoring droughts doom the girls’ basketball team in a 56-32 Division V-AA quarterfinal home loss to St. Paul.
“Against a team like this, you have to make shots,” Frost said. “It wasn’t our night.”
The team finishes 22-7 and Musashi is later named to the All-CIF Division V-AA first team after being one of three Rebels to net all-league honors.
•March 1 — The boys’ tennis team opens the season with a 14-4 nonleague win over Burbank. Alex Wood, Reza Gheissari and Albert Lee all sweep in singles.
•March 2 — The boys’ volleyball team opens its season with a 3-1 loss to Oakwood.
•March 4 — The boys’ golf team opens its season by finishing third in a nonleague tri-match with St. Francis and La Cañada at La Cañada Country Club.
Jack Bouchard shoots a five-over-par 39.
•March 5 — The baseball team opens its season with a 13-12 win over Santa Paula after overcoming a 10-run deficit in the third inning.
The Rebels would go on to win their next three games in the tournament, posting a total of 45 runs in that span, before falling to La Cañada in the semifinals.
•March 11 — After opening the season with three straight losses, the softball team picks up its first win, 9-8, over Rosemead in the Duarte Tournament.
•March 16 — The boys’ and girls’ swimming teams are swept by Glendale in a nonleague home dual meet.
For the boys, Garret Wax takes first in the 100 freestyle (54.31) and Bruce Park wins the 100 butterfly (58.84). The girls are led by Suzanna Tan, who wins the 200 individual medley (2:24.18) and 500 freestyle (5:58).
•March 17 — Kyle McDonald delivers a two-run triple to highlight a three-run fifth inning and spark the baseball team to a 6-3 win over Chadwick in its Prep League opener at the Glendale Sports Complex.
•March 23 — The softball team opens Prep League play with an 8-4 win at Webb.
Abby Deckop goes two for four and drives in three runs.
•April 16 — The baseball team suffers the second of back-to-back losses to Poly, 16-4, running its overall losing streak to a season-high six.
•April 20 — A huge 25-18, 22-25, 20-25, 25-15, 15-13 home win over four-time defending league-champion Chadwick keeps the boys’ volleyball team on top of the Prep League standings at 4-0.
“The coaches told us to get pumped,” said Smith, who finishes with 14 kills and eight blocks. “We had lost a little momentum in the second and third games and we knew we couldn’t ease up anymore going into the fifth game.”
•April 28 — Bouchard cards a four-over-par 76 to finish second overall in the Prep League Individual boys’ golf final to move on to the CIF Northern Individual Regional.
•April 30 — The boys’ tennis team wraps up its regular season with a second-place finish in the Prep League.
•May 6 — With the outright league title on the line, the boys’ volleyball team falls to Chadwick, 17-25, 25-11, 25-7, 25-21, in the final match of the regular season.
The Rebels still finish 6-2 and clinch a share of the crown, their first in nine years.
Five athletes from the boys’ and girls’ track and field teams win a combined nine league titles at the Prep League finals at Claremont McKenna College.
Elby finishes first in the 300-meter hurdles and the 400, Arielle Baptiste is first in the long jump with a mark of 16 feet 8 inches and the triple jump (34-1) and Stephanie Bathke clocks 12.61 seconds to take the 100 and then wins the 200.
Tyler Shum finishes first in the 100 and 200 and Jason Bunn clocks 10:15 to take the 3,200 title.
The Rebels’ girls place third in the team competition, while the boys’ squad is fourth in its portion of the meet.
•May 11 — The boys’ volleyball team sweeps through the first round of the Division V playoffs, 25-21, 25-22, 25-9, over St. Anthony at home.
Edmund Chow contributes nine kills and Smith adds five kills and four blocks.
•May 12 — A 13-5 loss to Santa Monica in the first round of the Division II playoffs ends the boys’ tennis team’s season at 12-6.
“Overall, we had a great season,” Catano said. “In league we lost a few close matches, but we played well enough to get back to the playoffs.”
•May 13 — Visiting Sage Hill knocks the boys’ volleyball team out of the Division V playoffs in the second round, 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 26-24, ending the Rebels season at 16-8.
“I told the guys for a quote-unquote rebuilding year, to win the first league championship in nine years for the school, to be ranked in the top five [in Division V] for most of the year and to play some amazing games with some great teams, I couldn’t be more proud than I am of our team,” Beattie said.
Later, Chow and Smith are named All-CIF after the two led a group of five Rebels named all-league.
Also on May 13, Karlsen Termini comes off the bench to hit a walk-off grand slam in the baseball team’s 11-7 regular-season and league finale win over Chadwick.
It’s the fourth win in the last five games for the Rebels, who finish second in league at 8-4.
“We just wanted to get the win and some momentum going into the playoffs,” Termini said.
Also on this day, Denise van der Goot holds Poly to one earned run over seven innings in a 7-2 win for the softball team in its regular-season finale that helps the Rebels hold onto second place in league at 7-5.
•May 17 — Bouchard shoots a 79 at the CIF Northern Individual, but misses the cut for advancement to the championship round.
•May 18 — One bad inning dooms the softball team in its 4-1 home loss to Paraclete in the wild-card round of the Division V playoffs.
“It’s a good experience for us to get back to the playoffs,” van der Goot said. “It’s a good experience to go and face good teams.”
First-teamers van der Goot and Emma Vine later lead a group of four named to the all-league squad.
•May 21 — Boys’ tennis players John Lee and Jonathan Kim are eliminated in the first round of the CIF Individual Tournament at Whittier Narrows.
An early lead doesn’t hold up for the baseball team in its Division first-round game.
Capistrano Valley Christian wins, 8-3, to end the Rebels’ season at 12-12.
Later, first-team selections Royce Park and Connor McCann lead a group of five Rebels named all-league.
•May 22 — Three track and field athletes represent Prep in Division IV at the CIF Southern Section Track & Field Divisional Finals at Cerritos College.
Silverman places fourth in the 1,600 meters in 5:13.72, Elby is eighth in the 300 low hurdles in 47.73 and Bunn places eighth in the 3,200 in 9:59.59.