No. 1 Falcons, No. 6 Nitros set for showdown

GLENDALE — The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene.

WATER POLO TEAMS EARN CIF RANKINGS

On the eve of the key Pacific League boys’ water polo match between Crescenta Valley High and Glendale, both teams maintained their CIF rankings.

For the seventh week in a row, Crescenta Valley (17-4, 3-0 in league) is ranked No. 1. Glendale (15-4, 3-0) remains ranked at No. 6, according to the latest rankings unveiled by the CIF office on Monday afternoon.

The teams will meet at 5:30 p.m. today at Burroughs High. Crescent Valley topped Glendale twice last season, including a 14-12 overtime win in the league’s tournament championship match.

St. Francis’ football team, which was ranked throughout the first half of the season in the Western Division, fell out of the top 10 after a 41-14 Mission League-opening loss to visiting Serra on Saturday. The Golden Knights fell to 3-3. Serra remains ranked No. 1 in the division.

The boys’ and girls’ cross-country polls are expected to be released today.

REID LEANING TOWARD KOLB

Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid, a former Glendale Community College football player, said Monday that he’s planning to start quarterback Kevin Kolb on Sunday against the host Tennessee Titans. Kolb enjoyed a banner game Sunday, as he completed 23 of 29 passes and tossed three touchdowns and one interception in Philadelphia’s 31-17 home win against the Atlanta Falcons.

Kolb has been in the lineup while Michael Vick recovers from a rib cartilage injury he sustained Oct. 3 against the Washington Redskins. Reid said Vick hasn’t completely recovered from the injury and is still battling discomfort around the ribs.

While Reid said he won’t completely rule out starting Vick against the Titans, he told the Associated Press that “there’s a pretty good chance” Kolb will get his third start in a row. The Eagles get a bye after the Titans before playing host to Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 7.

The Eagles have won two games in a row to improve to 4-2 and are atop the National Football Conference’s East Division with the New York Giants.

STANFORD BASEBALL GETS HIGH MARKS

According to baseballamerica.com, the Stanford University baseball team had the top recruiting class in the country. The Cardinal, which recruited former Crescenta Valley High and Burbank standout shortstop Lonnie Kauppila, were one of six Pacific Conference 10 programs ranked in the publication’s top. Stanford is joined by UCLA (third), Oregon (fifth), California (11th), Oregon State (14th) and USC (16th).

It marked the first time that Stanford had the top recruiting class since the poll was first launched 11 years ago. The Cardinal missed the regionals last season after going 31-25 and 14-13 in conference.

Kauppila, the two-time reigning All-Area Baseball Player of the Year, batted .443 last season before being drafted in the 44th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Draft by the Oakland Athletics in June. He earned All-CIF and all-league accolades after recording a .759 slugging percentage and a .930 fielding percentage last season.

QB CLUB TO HOLD MEETING

The Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club will conduct its sixth meeting at 11:30 a.m. today at The Elk’s Lodge, 120 E. Colorado St., Glendale.

The club, which is in its 68th year, is geared to support the Crescenta Valley, Glendale, Hoover and St. Francis high football teams and the Glendale Community College football program.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Fred Claire will be the guest speaker.