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GIRLS BASKETBALL - Athletes from Burbank, Bell-Jeff and Providence named All-CIF in respective divisions.
Three area girls’ basketball teams enjoyed historic treks through the CIF Southern Section playoffs this past season.
Burbank High and Providence both advanced past the quarterfinals for the first time and also earned their first trips to state competition.
Bellarmine-Jefferson made its fifth straight appearance in the division semifinals, something no other team in city history has been able to accomplish.
With the historic accomplishments came unparalleled recognition, as all three programs had players earn All-CIF accolades in their respective divisions.
Earning the award for the Bulldogs was senior Damarie Gonzalez, a four-year varsity player who earned Division I-A first-team honors.
The Pioneers had three players honored. Senior Catherine Saint was a first-team selection in Division V-AA, while junior Bea Benedicto and freshman Katia Dabbaghian were second-team picks.
The Guards had a familiar face on the Division IV-AA first-team list. Senior Rishonda Napier, a McDonald’s All-American candidate, made her third appearance on the first team.
Providence Coach Andrew Bencze said it is rewarding to see his players receive the award among their peers.
“It was an appreciation of the kind of season that we had,” he said. “It’s nice to know that the other coaches in the division thought highly of the players on our team this season. It’s really nice for our program and it’s great for the players as well.”
Burbank Coach Bruce Breeden said he can’t remember the last time a Bulldogs player earned All-CIF honors. But as much as Gonzalez meant to the team his season, he said the senior is definitely deserving.
“For her to get All-CIF is awesome,” Breeden said. “I figured with as competitive as our division was, it would probably be a long shot for her to make the list. But to make it on the first team is really something.”
Along with averaging 12.2 points a game, Gonzalez also averaged 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals a game.
“She is just such a wonderful girl,” Breeden said. “Just to see the progress she’s made the past four years is incredible. She meant a lot to this program, and she was just a steadying force for us. We will definitely miss her.”
Burbank (19-14) finished second in the Pacific League and advanced to the Division I-A playoffs as the No. 13 seed. The Bulldogs worked their way to the semifinals, losing to No. 1 Summit, 72-49. In the Southern California Regional of the CIF State Basketball Championships, Burbank was defeated in the first round by No. 1 Mater Dei, 77-35.
Providence (27-6) rolled to an undisputed Liberty League championship. However, Saint injured an ankle in the final regular season game and missed much of the playoffs.
Undaunted, the No. 3 Pioneers went on to the Division V-AA semifinals for the first time in program history, losing to No. 1 Villanova Prep, 48-35. Providence received an invitation to state play and defeated Rock Academy, 68-35, and Orangewood Academy, 44-34, to advance to the regional semifinal. In the game, Providence saw its season come to an end with a 64-28 loss to Mission Prep.
Saint averaged 9.8 points and 2.9 steals a game.
“It kind of gives you a perspective about how good our season really was when we were able to get to the CIF semifinals without an All-CIF first-team player,” Bencze said.
While Benedicto averaged 11.7 points and 5.6 rebounds a contest, Dabbaghian averaged 7.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.6 steals and three assists.
“Catherine was kind of the flash and dash of our team and Bea was the bring-your-lunch-pail and go-to-work-kind-of-player for us,” Bencze said. “She just worked so hard under the boards and if you didn’t come and prepare for her she would make you pay.
“The thing about Katia is that she really stepped up when Catherine went down. The last couple of weeks of the playoffs she really came up huge for us. She is just so talented and what a great way to start out a career at Providence.”
Benedicto was also named the Liberty League Player of the Year.
Bell-Jeff (24-6) captured its fifth straight Santa Cruz League title. The No. 6 Guards advanced to the Division IV-AA semifinals where they fell to No. 7 Gardena Serra, 71-54. The team also won a game in the Division IV state playoffs against Los Angeles Baptist, 70-60, before falling St. Bernard, 65-51.
Napier averaged 21.7 points a game to go along with nearly three assists and three steals a game.
jeff.tully@latimes.com
Basketball: Storied careers of Napier, Smith come to a close in 65-51 loss to St. Bernard. In many ways, Saturday evening represented the end of an era for the Read more
WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Whether or not a rivalry grows between the Antelope Valley High and Bellarmine-Jefferson girls’ basketball teams remains to be seen, especially since the schools are no longer in the same division.
If one does develop, however, then it could be surmised the Antelopes will look for revenge, once again, after Bell-Jeff held on for a 43-36 victory in the Oaks Christian Shootout on Saturday afternoon.
The victory was the second in three games for Bell-Jeff (16-6) over Antelope Valley (12-7) in 11 months, as the Guards, sixth-ranked in Division IV-AA, eliminated the Antelopes, 77-73, in the quarterfinals of last year’s Division III-A playoffs.
Antelope Valley, ranked fifth in Division III-AA, exacted payback this season in a 53-39 victory on Nov. 30.
“This was our third time against them and it was fun again,” Bell-Jeff Coach Jaclyn Johnson said. “As either a player or coach, all you can ask for is to play good competition and that’s what Antelope Valley brings every time.”
The Antelopes trailed by 17 points early in the third and were down, 33-19, at the close of the same quarter.
Yet, Antelope Valley opened the fourth with a three-pointer from Crystal Brown, assisted by Angel Bailey, followed by a three-point play from Fresno State-bound guard Destini Price, who was fouled while converting a layup.
Price’s subsequent free throw brought Antelope Valley within 33-25 with 6:57 remaining.
While Bell-Jeff countered with a quick inside basket from San Jose State-signed Jasmine Smith, who was assisted by Rishonda Napier, the Antelopes pulled within 35-30 with 4:39 remaining.
The Antelopes’ surge proved unsustainable, though, as the Guards scored the next two buckets on an offensive put back from Smith and a scoop shot from senior forward Averie Guzman.
Smith later iced the game with a layup with 30 seconds left that pushed the Guards ahead, 43-34.
“Everyone gets involved. We don’t rely on one player or we wouldn’t be doing as [well] as we are,” said Guzman, who finished with eight points and two steals.
The Guards took a 23-13 advantage into the half thanks to team play.
Six Bell-Jeff players contributed at least one point in the first half, while only three Antelopes did the same.
Bell-Jeff committed five turnovers in the first quarter, but only one in the second, while Antelope Valley finished with 11 turnovers in the half.
Bell-Jeff led, 7-5, after one quarter, but surrendered its advantage to open the second on a three-pointer from Keiona Mathews.
The Guards, however, won the remainder of the quarter, 14-5, including scoring the last nine points after Antelope Valley led, 13-12, with 4:57 remaining.
Bell-Jeff responded with a two-footer from Guzman followed by a three-pointer from Napier to go up, 17-13.
Bell-Jeff closed the half with layups from Tiffany Ho and Smith and a free throw from Karina Moreno.
“Antelope Valley is a good team and I’m just glad we got the win this time,” said Napier, who was just named a McDonald’s All-American nominee.
Smith led Bell-Jeff with 13 points and Napier added 12 points.
Mathews paced all scorers with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Price scored 11 and Bailey chipped in nine.
by Andrew Camps
BURBANK - Less than a month after the departure of former coach, Guards tab Burbank High graduate David Machuca to help ‘restore the glory. Bellarmine-Jefferson High wasted little time replacing its football coach. In fact, less than a month after former coach Rolando Aguirre stepped down, a new coach has taken his place.
David Machuca, 27, a 2002 Burbank High graduate who most recently served as an assistant at Chaminade, has been picked to help revive the Guards’ program.
Bell-Jeff Principal John Matheus said it was imperative that the school find a replacement for Aguirre in as little time as possible.
“It was important for us to fill the position quickly,” Matheus said. “We had a search committee here at Bell-Jeff and we had about 25 applications. From those we narrowed it down to about six interviews, and this young man came out on top.”
Matheus added that Bell-Jeff was dedicated to bringing in an individual to turn around a program that has had its share of struggles the past few years.
“We’re really happy to have him,” Matheus said. “We are ready to continue to what I call ‘restore the glory’ here and we want to move ahead in football and build a successful program.”
Machuca is familiar with the football culture in the city. Along with playing for the Burbank Vikings Youth Tackle Football program, he also competed for the Bulldogs.
Machuca, who will also be a teacher at the school, said taking the Bell-Jeff was a prospect he couldn’t pass up.
“I’m just excited about the opportunity that I’ve been given at Bell-Jeff,” said Machuca, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard for four years after graduating from Burbank. “I am bringing over a few coaches from Chaminade and we’re young, we’re hungry and we are ready to help turn around this program.
“Burbank and Burroughs have done great jobs with their programs the past few years and I think the city of Burbank is just bursting at the seams with football talent.”
Machuca said his three-year tenure at Chaminade under Coach Ed Croson was invaluable. The past two seasons, the Eagles have been able to advance to the CIF Southern Section Western Division semifinals.
This past season, Chaminade went 10-3, placed second in the Mission League behind Gardena Serra and advanced to the division final four, losing for the second straight year to Arroyo Grande, 45-36.
The Eagles went 11-2 in 2010.
“Coach Croson has been a great mentor to me,” said Machuca, who was an assistant for three years. “When we got to Chaminade they were in rebuilding mode and we were able to turn the program around.”
Bell-Jeff has struggled the past two seasons, finishing last in the Santa Fe League both years. The Guards went 2-8 this past season and were 5-15 the past two years.
Under Aguirre, who finished with a 69-68 record in 13 years as head coach, Bell-Jeff proved it could be a successful program. In just his second season as coach in 2000, the Guards won a share of the Santa Fe League championship. It was the program’s first title in 46 years.
Bell-Jeff also captured undisputed championships in 2004 and 2007, as the teams finished with 9-2 records both seasons.
Machuca, who is in the process of assembling his coaching staff and who said he will meet with Bell-Jeff players Wednesday, said he sees no reason why the Guards can’t return to being a winning program.
“The objective is pretty simple with my staff and we’ve been talking about it the last couple of days,” Machuca said. “We want to get the student involvement and we want to bring the alumni back out to the football games and be proud of what’s going on with the program.”
Jeff Tully/LA Times
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL - It’s another undefeated Santa Cruz League season for Bell-Jeff. When The Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls’ volleyball team was struggling during the early portion of the season, Coach Miguel Segura still had hope.
The coach figured his team would fight out of its funk in time to capture its sixth straight Santa Cruz League championship.
The Guards not only won the league crown, they did so without dropping a match in league play. Bell-Jeff finished 8-0 in league Tuesday with a 25-21, 25-13, 25-22, victory against host St. Anthony.
“I knew that sooner or later the girls would come around and start playing like I know that they could,” said Segura, whose squad increased its unbeaten league streak to 44. “Our goal at the beginning of the season was to win another league championship, and we were able to do that.”
Under Segura, Bell-Jeff (11-6-2) has the longest league-title winning streak of any team, in any sport, in the city.
Against St. Anthony, All-CIF Southern Section middle blocker Jocelyn Cervantes had 13 kills and 12 digs. Teammate Taryn Nelson had 10 kills and Amanda Maalouf contributed 32 assists.
“We’re almost to where I want us to be,” said Segura, a Bell-Jeff graduate. “I won’t say we’re completely there yet, but we have definitely improved.”
In early-season matches, the Guards struggled at times after the loss of some key players from last year’s team and the addition of athletes who were playing volleyball for the first time.
Next up for Bell-Jeff, ranked No. 5 in CIF Southern Section Division IV-A, is the playoffs, as the pairings will be announced today. Last season, the Guards made it to the division semifinals and in 2009 advanced to the first championship contest in program history.
“We have had some pretty good playoff runs the last few years,” Segura said. “We are hoping to have another run this year, and maybe we can win it all. We are looking forward to CIF.”
Jeff Tully
LOS ANGELES — Salesian proves too tough in defeating Guards in Santa Cruz League play.
The Bellarmine-Jefferson High football team ended up on the wrong end of the scene that unfolded after Friday night’s game at Salesian.
One team celebrated at midfield, ringing a victory bell on the 50-yard line and entertaining a packed homecoming game crowd. The other, limped off the field dejectedly, the end result of an ugly blowout game marred by injuries and penalties.
The latter team was Bell-Jeff, the victim of a 53-6 Santa Fe League loss at the hands of the Mustangs (5-2, 1-0 in league).
“We met a very explosive team,” said Bell-Jeff Coach Rolando Aguirre. “All their kids played hard. They’re just a good team. But I’m proud of how we played.”
The Guards (3-4, 0-1) showed resiliency, continuing to play tough throughout the contest despite scoring just once. Bell-Jeff put six points on the board with a quarterback sneak by junior Mitch Kellogg early in the second quarter. The touchdown came as the result of a labored and hard-fought drive, in which the Guards’ offense managed to convert a trio of third downs and a fourth down, showing their resiliency.
Sophomores Eric Agaverdyan and Demitri Moreno were prime examples of that work ethic. Running back Moreno, a running back, had 73 rushing yards on 13 carries after suffering an injury on a kick return early in the game. Agaverdyan, a fullback, ran for 42 yards on 10 carries. The duo helped Bell-Jeff outgain the Mustangs, 163-119.
“You know who rose to the occasion on our team? Our sophomores,” Aguirre said. “I’m so proud of them. They were tremendous. All the sophomores stepped in and did it. They did a great job.”
While Moreno was able to return to the game, Agaverdyan saw more carries as the unfortunate result of Joshua Martinez leaving the contest in the first half. The tailback was the victim of a helmet-to-helmet collision so vicious it drew a loud gasp from the crowd. Martinez was the Guards’ second-leading rusher at the time with five carries for 14 yards.
“We didn’t come fully prepared to hit, and that’s what happens,” Aguirre said.
The Mustangs came ready to hit right from kickoff. After going four-and-out on their first possession, the Guards’ Alejandro Marroqin had his punt blocked by Luvon Lucas and it was recovered on the Bell-Jeff 27-yard line by the Mustangs.
On the first play of Salesian’s first drive of the game, Jihad Vercher hooked up with Keishawne Rowe on a 27-yard touchdown pass at 10:20.
The Mustangs would score again before the Guards finally got on the board, but Salesian then scored on its next drive. Another blocked punt was returned it to just outside the goal line but a personal foul penalty gave Bell-Jeff another chance with a 1st down at the 50.
But a fumble on a first down at their own 37-yard line led to a turnover. Armando Valdez scooped up the ball and ran it back the other way for a touchdown, putting Salesian up, 26-6, with 5:53 left in the opening half. Salesian scored again with 43.3 seconds left in the frame, leaving the Guards down, 33-6, at the half.
The second half began with Salesian’s Shakare Ina returning the opening kickoff for an 80-yard touchdown, which effectively doomed the Guards, leaving them in a 39-6 deficit. One more long, laborious drive failed to materialize and the Mustangs went on to score two more times in its homecoming victory.
By Abbey Mastracco, Special to the Leader
BELL-JEFF VS. VIEWPOINT
WHEN: 3:30 p.m. Friday.
WHERE: Viewpoint High.
RECORDS: The Guards are 2-2; the Patriots are 2-1.
LAST WEEK: Bell-Jeff lost to Malibu, 49-12; Viewpoint had a bye.
OUTLOOK: It will be a battle of different offensive styles when the teams meet for a nonleague contest. Bell-Jeff likes to keep the ball on the ground, employing a double-wing to pick up the majority of its yardage. In contrast, Viewpoint runs a more balanced offense and can throw the ball with efficiency when needed.
Leading the aerial blitz is senior quarterback Joey Verhaugh, a transfer from Crespi. Verhaugh has thrown for 411 yards and five touchdowns. The Patriots also have two solid running backs in Adam Markun (265 yards, five touchdowns) and Dakota Williams (178 yards, three touchdowns). Bell-Jeff has a productive running back of its own in junior Joshua Martinez, who was sidelined in last week’s game after sustaining a leg injury. Martinez has scored eight touchdowns this season. The Patriots are coming off of a bye week after last playing against Los Angeles Baptist on Sept. 16 and coming away with a 49-7 win.
SOMETHING INTERERSING: The Bell-Jeff and Viewpoint defenses both have surrendered an average of 21.7 points a game.
Jeff Tully
BELL-JEFF VS. MALIBU
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday.
WHERE: North Hollywood High.
RECORDS: The Guards are 2-1; the Sharks are 1-2.
LAST WEEK: Bell-Jeff defeated Rosamond, 27-18; Malibu defeated St. Monica, 17-3.
OUTLOOK: After a rough start in their season-opening game — a 12-8 loss to Flintridge Prep — the Guards have been able to notch two straight victories. In just two games, Bell-Jeff has been able to equal its win output of 2010, when it went 2-8. One reason for the success the last two games has been the play of junior running back Joshua Martinez, who has been on a tear. Last week, he scored three touchdowns to bring his season total to eight. Malibu has had problems scoring this season, totaling just 14 points in its two losses. The team averages 10.3 points a game. Under Coach Rolando Aguirre, Bell-Jeff’s defense gives up an average of 12.6 points a game. But it was the Sharks’ defense that stepped up last week, yielding just a field goal. After falling behind, 3-0, against St. Monica — which, like Bell-Jeff, plays in the Santa Fe League — Malibu scored 17 unanswered points. The Sharks have a good running back in senior Nate Dowler and a solid quarterback in sophomore Dylan Miller.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: The Guards will have two more nonleague games against Viewpoint and Mountain View before opening league play Oct. 14 at defending champion Salesian.
Jeff Tully
BURBANK - With just two wins last year, the Guards hit the season with a new offense and a renewed outlook.The 2010 football season is one that Bellarmine-Jefferson High Coach Rolando Aguirre can’t put behind him fast enough.
“We definitely had our problems last season,” said Aguirre, whose team went 2-8 and finished last in the Santa Fe League with a 0-4 record. “Things didn’t go very well for us and we just didn’t play very well either.”
The Guards have had to deal with their share of adversity in the summer, as they have been unable to practice at their usual venue, Brace Park, because of ongoing improvements to the facility. Instead, Bell-Jeff has been relegated to tiny Palm Park for its preseason workouts.
On top of that, the team — along with Burroughs and Burbank — will not have the use of its home field this season, as Memorial Field is undergoing a renovation.
“We will be playing our home games at North Hollywood High,” Aguirre said. “That was the closest field that we could find. We might not be playing our home games at our own field, but at least we have a place for our home games.
“It’s a good stadium and we’re happy to be playing there.”
Bell-Jeff will also be dealing with the loss of its best player from a year ago, Micah Shirley, who graduated. Shirley, who played quarterback, running back, wide receiver and defensive back, was a bright spot for the struggling Guards in 2010, earning him All-CIF Southern Section Northeast Division honors.
On offense, Shirley had 119 carries for 1,210 yards (10.2 yards a carry) and seven touchdowns, hauled in 24 passes for 402 yards (16.8 yards a catch) and eight touchdowns and he completed nine of 27 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown. In addition, he scored 92 points. On defense, he had 122 tackles (12.2 a game) and four interceptions.
With Shirley running the show last season, Aguirre retooled the offense, opening it up more. The Guards tried more of a passing game, which ultimately didn’t pay many dividends. But this year, Aguirre has switched to a more ball-control offense, and will try and keep the ball on the ground more.
“We are going back to the basics, we’ve got to,” Aguirre said. “The good thing about us is that we have a good [junior varsity] nucleus, and that will help us. We have some workhorses and the guys have been working very hard.”
The Guards will get a chance to start the season on the right foot when they open the campaign at 7 p.m. Friday with a nonleague Zero Week game against Flintridge Prep at North Hollywood High.
Aguirre said he has a group of running backs who should be able to implement the new offense. Junior Joshua Martinez (5 feet 10, 180 pounds) will be joined by sophomores Demitri Moreno (5-9, 160) and Vartan Bekarian (5-11, 190).
“We have some young guys in the backfield, but they also have some talent,” Aguirre said. “It’s going to be a competition to see who gets the most yards this season. We will see who wants to be the top dog. It’s going to be fun to watch.
“I’m also excited about our o-line. We have some big boys up front.”
Opening holes for the running backs on the offensive line will be senior Brian Del Valle (6-0, 310) and juniors Ryan Okiishi (6-0, 265) and Geraldo Paz (5-8, 275).
Taking over the duties at quarterback is junior Mitch Kellogg, who had two brothers who also played in the program for Aguirre. The coach said Kellogg has a strong arm and is “very competitive and brings so much to the table.”
Some of Kellogg’s targets will be tight end Matt Landini (6-0, 195), a senior, and junior wide receivers Andrew Belsito (6-2, 185) and Michael Gomez (5-11, 175).
On defense, the linebackers will be sophomore Eric Agaverdyan (5-10, 165), Bekerian, Gomez and Moreno.
“We have linebackers who are quick and have the talent,” Aguirre said. “That’s something that we haven’t had here in a while. While our linebacking is strong, our secondary is slightly suspect.”
The defensive backs will be Martinez, junior Jarel D’Costa (5-8, 145) and sophomore Alejandro Marroquin (5-8, 155).
Manning the defensive line will be juniors Trystin Navarro (5-11, 265) and Jomar Navarro (5-11, 275), along with senior Mario Ramos (5-9, 240). Aguirre said he also plans on rotating some of the offensive linemen to play on defense.
Marroquin will handle the kicking duties and D’Costa will be the punter.
While the coach said he hopes to get back to the postseason, he expects a tough going in league.
“Salesian has a great running back and they should be good,” he said. “St. Genevieve has a very good quarterback and St. Anthony will throw quite a bit. So, it’s going to be tough.
“We missed the playoff last year. But about five years ago we also missed the playoffs. But the year after missing it we came back to win the league. So, you never know.”
With just four league games, the Guards will play six nonleague contests. Following their opener against the Rebels (2-6-1), the Guards take on Fairmont Prep (4-7) on Sept. 10 at North Hollywood High, face host Rosamond (2-8) on Sept. 16, take on Malibu (1-8-1) on Sept. 24 at North Hollywood High, travel to Viewpoint (2-6-1) on Sept. 30 and take on host Mountain View (5-5) on Oct. 7.
The Guards start Santa Fe League play Oct. 14 at Salesian (2-8).
Jeff Tully - LA Times
BURBANK - Individual, team success for Guards Bell-Jeff athletes made their marks with impressive efforts, while the school’s basketball, girls’ volleyball and softball squads had their share of accomplishments.
There were some impressive individual performances turned in this past school year by Guards athletes. Standout efforts in football, girls’ and boys’ basketball, girls’ volleyball, baseball and softball highlighted the school’s top efforts.
But more than just individual accolades, there was also a group of Bell-Jeff teams which enjoyed their share of success during the 2010-11 campaign. One of those squads, the softball team, even advanced to a CIF Southern Section championship contest.
When it came to outstanding individual contributions, however, no one stood out more than senior Micah Shirley. Along with being a standout in football at multiple positions, he was also a big force on the basketball court for the Guards.
In football as a running back, Shirley rushed for a Santa Fe league-best 1,210 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging more than 10 yards a carry. As a receiver, he had 24 receptions for 402 yards and eight touchdowns. As a quarterback in the wildcat offense, Shirley passed for 200 yards and a touchdown. And, while leading the league in scoring, he threw just one interception and had just one fumble.
A standout as well on the defensive end, Shirley totaled 122 tackles, a sack, three fumble recoveries and four interceptions as a defensive back.
For his efforts, Shirley made the All-CIF Northeast Division first team as a defensive back.
Unfortunately for Bell-Jeff (2-8), it finished last in the five-team Santa Fe League. Only Shirley and senior lineman Eric Lopez made the all-league first team. Senior wide receiver-cornerback Kevin Yuenyongsakul was a second-team choice.
It was a different story in basketball. Behind the athletic senior, the Guards put together a winning campaign that included a Santa Fe League championship. It was Bell-Jeff’s first league title in 13 years.
With that success, it’s was not surprising that Bell-Jeff had five athletes who were honored on the all-league list. Leading the way was Shirley, who earned Santa Fe League Player of the Year honors. Also making the all-league first team were junior guard Elijah Reed and sophomore guard Brandon White.
Shirley averaged 16.6 points a game and scored 24 in a game against St. Genevieve on Feb. 10 to help the Guards secure the league crown.
The Guards (12-13) couldn’t carry over their success in league into the CIF Southern Section playoffs, however, as No. 14 Bell-Jeff was defeated in the first round by visiting Chadwick, 58-56.
Shirley was an All-Area honoree in both sports.
Another fine effort during the fall season was turned in by Jocelyn Cervantes, a dominating junior outside hitter for the Guards’ girls’ volleyball team.
Cervantes was a terror at the net, tallying 317 kills this past season. Along with her kill total, Cervantes made good on 52% of her kill attempts, had 44 aces, 22 blocks, 165 digs and 30 assists to pace Bell-Jeff to its fifth-straight Santa Fe League championship.
She was rewarded by being named the league’s player of the year. Cervantes received another honor when she earned a CIF Southern Section Division IV first-team accolade. It is the second season the Guard was named to the All-CIF squad.
Behind Cervantes — an All-Area honoree — Bell-Jeff (17-7) advanced to the Division IVAA semifinals, losing to No. 1 Hemet, 25-16, 25-11, 25-14.
In just three seasons Cervantes has put up impressive numbers, as she will go into her senior season with 731 career kills and 166 aces.
During the winter season, both of Bell-Jeff’s basketball teams flourished.
The Guard girls had a talented team, as it landed two players on the All-CIF Division III-A first list. Juniors Rishonda Napier and Jasmine Smith were the latest in a string of Guards who have won the award the past few seasons.
Earning All-CIF accolades is nothing new for Napier (13.7 points last season) and Smith (12 points). As a freshman, Napier was a first-team selection and Smith earned second-team honors during the 2009-10 campaign as a sophomore.
The two were also pivotal members of a Bell-Jeff team that captured CIF Southern Section Division VA and state Division V championships in 2009.
This past season, the Guards (23-8) won a league title and advanced to the Division III-A semifinals, losing to Orange Lutheran, 43-40. The team also made it to the second round of the state playoffs.
The spring season saw the Bell-Jeff softball team make history.
The Guards posted an undefeated record in the Santa Fe League to claim their second straight championship.
It was indeed a breakthrough campaign under Coach John Castaneda. The Guards won their second consecutive Santa Cruz League title and enjoyed a historic march in the Division VII playoffs, advancing to their first-ever CIF championship game.
Unfortunately, the Guards (22-6) fell short of the title, losing, 7-6, against Pomona Catholic at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine.
Since his arrival two seasons ago, Castaneda and his staff have been able to transform the Bell-Jeff into a winner in very little time. The coach took over a program that hadn’t won a league crown in more than a decade and a half and hadn’t got past the second round of the playoffs.
The team was led by freshman outfielder Jaylen Watson, sophomore infielder Monique Landini and senior infielder Maddy Gionoli, who all earned first-team all-league honors.
Gionoli hit .523 with 22 runs batted in, 37 hits, six doubles and four home runs, Watson batted .503 with 42 RBI, 35 hits, six doubles, seven triples and 16 home runs and Landini hit .475 with 28 RBI, 27 hits, five home runs, three triples.
Teammate Amanda Maalouf, a freshman pitcher, was the Santa Cruz Pitcher of the Year after posting a 15-1 record.
In baseball, senior Philip Diaz-McTague helped lead the Guards (11-9) to a second-place finish in the
Santa Fe League and a berth in the playoffs. Bell-Jeff was the only city team to make the postseason.
Diaz-McTague played wherever the Guards needed him, seeing time at pitcher and in the infield.
He finished the season hitting .492 (30 for 61) with 27 runs scored, 15 RBI, one home run and four stolen bases (on five attempts). His six doubles, three triples, on-base (.549) and slugging percentages (.738) were all team highs for the Guards.
He was also one of Bell-Jeff’s go-to pitchers, even though he had limited experience on the mound coming into the season. He tossed the second-most innings for the Guards (28 1/3).
For his efforts, Diaz-McTague was voted the Santa Fe League Player of the Year. It was the sixth time a Bell-Jeff player captured the award during Coach Hector Perez’s 11-year tenure that ended last season. He was also an All-CIF first-team selection for the second time in his career.
Jeff Tully
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