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LCHS Athletes Back in Action After 11-Month Hiatus

Photos courtesy Eric Danielson
Jaden Milbrodt participated in La Cañada High School’s first sporting event in 11 months on Tuesday, when the school hosted a cross-country time trial for LCHS and South Pasadena runners at Hahamongna Park. More sporting events are expected to come soon after the recent decline in COVID-19 cases.

Local parents and students were at Hahamongna Park on Tuesday to witness the first La Cañada High School athletic event in 11 months, and more competitions are certainly to come.
The school hosted a Rio Hondo League time trial for cross-country runners from South Pasadena and La Cañada. San Marino, Pasadena Blair and Monrovia will participate in the 3-mile run Thursday afternoon. Each school was designated a time to avoid large groups of athletes running at the same time.
LCHS junior varsity cheerleaders created signs supporting all runners, and members of the varsity cheer squad cheered for the athletes crossing the finish line.
Continue reading “LCHS Athletes Back in Action After 11-Month Hiatus”

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Burbank, Burroughs Football Schedules Finalized

Photo courtesy Doug Brown
Burroughs and Burbank high schools’ football programs have finished scheduling for the fall season, which is set to begin in January.

After the CIF Southern Section unveiled its revised high school athletics calendar for the 2020-21 academic year, athletic directors and football coaches scrambled to contact their counterparts in other programs to finalize a schedule.
Fortunately for local coaches, the process was relatively seamless as both Burbank High School and John Burroughs High School locked in their opponents for the upcoming season, which is scheduled to begin Friday, Jan. 8. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the radical departure from traditional sports schedules.
Continue reading “Burbank, Burroughs Football Schedules Finalized”

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Now A.D., Providence Coach Looks for Bigger Impact

Providence High School boys’ basketball coach Brandon Lincoln was recently hired as the athletic director. In his three years leading the Pioneers, he has won two Prep League championships and was named CIF-SS Division IV Coach of the Year in 2019.
Photo courtesy Providence High School

The culture change of the boys’ basketball program at Providence High School has made the Pioneers one of the most competitive teams in the CIF Southern Section since the arrival of head coach Brandon Lincoln, and he hopes to carry over that success as an administrator.
The school recently announced Lincoln as the new athletic director after he’d served as an assistant A.D. and physical education teacher since his arrival in 2017. He assumed his new duties immediately and will continue to coach the boys’ basketball team.
“We are so excited to welcome coach Lincoln as director of athletics,” Head of School Scott McLarty said in a statement. “He is already an accomplished mentor to and supporter of students and coaches alike, and in this new role, will demonstrate his considerable leadership skills. We can’t wait to see the positive impact he will have on the entire Providence High School community in the years ahead.” Continue reading “Now A.D., Providence Coach Looks for Bigger Impact”

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Poly, Flintridge Prep, Maranatha, La Salle Athletes Earn All-CIF

Photo by Oscar Areliz / OUTLOOK
Stanford-bound Talie Wilmans made the All-CIF Division 4 first team after helping the Panthers reach the quarterfinals.

The CIF Southern Section released its All-CIF soccer and girls’ water polo lists last week and they included athletes from Polytechnic, Flintridge Prep, Maranatha High School and La Salle College Preparatory.
Two members of the Poly boys’ soccer team were recognized after a memorable season. Aaron Tyler and Josh Calichman helped the Panthers (13-4-3 overall record) reach the Division 6 semifinals and made the All-CIF team. Poly recorded playoff victories over Temple City, Santa Monica Crossroads and Palmdale Aerospace Academy.
Girls’ water polo standout Talie Wilmans of Poly also earned All-CIF honors in Division 4. The Stanford-bound senior led the Panthers to a CIF-SS quarterfinals appearance.
Continue reading “Poly, Flintridge Prep, Maranatha, La Salle Athletes Earn All-CIF”

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LC Basketball Affected by New CIF Winter Playoff Groupings

Morgan Tsujihara, one of La Cañada’s returning guards, will be competing in Division 1 this winter.
Photos courtesy Eric Danielson
Morgan Tsujihara, one of La Cañada’s returning guards, will be competing in Division 1 this winter.

The CIF Southern Section unveiled its new winter playoff groupings last Friday, shaking things up in boys’ and girls’ basketball.
The La Cañada High School varsity girls’ basketball team was bumped up to Division 1 after competing in 2AA last season.
The placement of teams is based upon a formula that takes the past two seasons into consideration. A power ranking is created based on strength of regular season schedule results and playoff performance.
LCHS head coach Owen Keenan wasn’t surprised about the announcement. “The system still has kinks that they need to work out,” the second-year coach wrote in an email. “We beat Glendora and Valencia last year. That gave us a lot of points. I was not surprised we moved up. We’ll play the schedule in front of us and do the best we can.” Continue reading “LC Basketball Affected by New CIF Winter Playoff Groupings”

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San Marino Remains Confident Following Historic Season

⬛  High School Girls’ Volleyball

Caitlin Nguyen
Photos courtesy Eric Danielson
Caitlin Nguyen is one of the defensive specialists returning this season. She solidified the backline during San Marino’s historic campaign.

The CIF Southern Section has not released its preseason polls yet but it did list the teams to watch in each division on Monday.
San Marino, the reigning Rio Hondo League champion, is one of the programs listed in Division 4 along with rival South Pasadena, which drew a mixed reaction from head coach Joseph Rios. Continue reading “San Marino Remains Confident Following Historic Season”

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New Fall Playoff Divisions Affect Local Programs

La Cañada High School varsity football team
Photo courtesy Eric Danielson
The La Cañada High School varsity football team was placed in Division 14, the lowest in CIF.

The CIF Southern Section recently released its new playoff divisions for football, girls’ volleyball, boys’ water polo and girls’ tennis, affecting several local programs.
CIF uses a formula to develop a ranking that is based on regular season record, strength of schedule and playoff performances the past two seasons. The La Cañada High School varsity football program has struggled to win games the last few seasons, placing the team in Division 14, which includes 70 squads. St. Francis was moved down to Division 3 this year. Continue reading “New Fall Playoff Divisions Affect Local Programs”

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Mayfield Senior Standout Running Toward Her Goals

Audrey Suarez
Photos courtesy Kevin Morris
Mayfield Senior runner Audrey Suarez had a memorable year and became the first Cub to win a CIF State championship.

The CIF State Track and Field Championships at the end of May are usually the conclusion of the spring season for runners after a grueling month that includes league races, CIF Southern Section finals and the Masters Meet.
For Audrey Suarez, it didn’t end until June 16. Continue reading “Mayfield Senior Standout Running Toward Her Goals”

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Local Athletes Earn All-CIF Honors

Ryan Graves
Photos courtesy Eric Danielson
Ryan Graves, who was named the Rio Hondo League’s most valuable player, made the All-CIF Division 3 first team.

Baseball, softball and boys’ volleyball players from La Cañada High School, Flintridge Prep and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy were recognized by the CIF Southern Section as it released the All-League lists last Friday.
Two members of the LCHS varsity baseball team were among those listed by CIF. Senior ace Ryan Graves, who will be playing at San Jose State in the fall, and standout Connor Buchanan, who committed to USC, made the All-CIF-SS Division 3 first-team.
Graves, the Rio Hondo League’s most valuable player, finished the season with an 8-3 record and an earned run average of 1.89. He struck out 64 hitters in 70 1/3 innings of work and was just as good in the batter’s box, hitting .424 and driving in 16 runs.
Buchanan was a leader on the mound and on offense. He posted an ERA of 0.76 and fanned 60 batters in 46 1/3 innings. He won three games and recorded five saves for the Spartans. Buchanan also hit .299, scored a team-high 33 runs, 24 RBI and belted eight home runs. Continue reading “Local Athletes Earn All-CIF Honors”