Bell-Jeff Falls To Boron In CIF Opener!
November 22, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
BURBANK — Finishing third in the five-team Santa Fe League, the Bellarmine-Jefferson High football team figured it would Read more
Guards Pull Out Win!
November 14, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
LONG BEACH — Touchdown pass helps Bell-Jeff defeat St. Anthony, 38-28. With just over three minutes to play Read more
Guards Able To Stay Grounded!
October 28, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
MEMORIAL FIELD — The Guards needed this one. After last week’s loss to St. Genevieve High — which Bellarmine-Jefferson football Read more
Bell-Jeff Effort Just Falls Short!
October 21, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
MEMORIAL FIELD: Despite playing well against a tough St Genevieve team, Guards can’t claim Santa Fe League win, 41-38. Read more
Guards Hold On For Win!
October 16, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
MEMORIAL FIELD— Bellarmine-Jefferson football Coach Rolando Aguirre was not happy after his team’s 36-24 Homecoming victory Read more
FOOTBALL PREVIEW!
October 3, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
BELL-JEFF VS. CREAN LUTHERAN SOUTH
WHEN: 7 p.m. today.
WHERE: Memorial Field (Burroughs High).
RECORDS: The Guards are 2-2; the Saints are 0-2.
LAST WEEK: Bell-Jeff lost to Frazier Mountain, 52-14; Crean Lutheran South lost to San Diego Jewish Academy, 67-0.
OUTLOOK: The Guards come into the nonleague game with two of their top players injured. Both players were hurt in last week’s loss to Frazier Mountain. Junior starting quarterback Philip Diaz suffered a concussion on a late hit and had to be helped off the field. “A concussion usually takes at least a week to get over,” Bell-Jeff Coach Rolando Aguirresaid. “But his doctor said he could be out two to three weeks.” Diaz has led the Bell-Jeff offense, completing 53 of 108 passes for 915 yards and five touchdowns. Also going down with an injury last week was All-CIF Southern Section senior linebacker Alex Davidians, who rolled his ankle. Aguirre said Davidians — who also plays running back — didn’t practice all week and he is questionable for today’s contest. Davidians is the team’s leading tackler with 46. With the absence of his two star players, Aguirre said the Guards have changed around their offense and will be running some new plays. “Some people might be surprised at a few of the things that we’re going to do on offense,” Aguirre said. “I had no choice but to switch some things around.” Bell-Jeff will be taking on a Saints team that has not scored in two games, as they were outscored, 111-0. Crean Lutheran South, from Irvine, plays in the Academy League. It is the Saints’ first season as a varsity program. The Guards will play one more nonleague game — against Silver Valley on Oct. 10 — before opening Santa Fe League play Oct. 17 against St. Genevieve. Bell-Jeff comes into the contest ranked No. 8 in the CIF Southern Section Northeast Division.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Bell-Jeff has scored 93 points and given up 93 points in its four nonleague games.
— Jeff Tully
Bell-Jeff Football Team Has A Tough League Road Ahead!
September 16, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
BURBANK - The Bellarmine-Jefferson High football team is off to a great start this season.
The Guards are 2-0 heading into Saturday’s 7 p.m. nonleague game against Malibu at Burroughs’ Memorial Field.
The team opened the season Sept. 4 with a 28-21 win at Saddleback Valley Christian. If followed that up with a 33-0 victory Friday at Mountain View.
Although the Guards still have four nonleague games left before they open Santa Fe League play, they might be thinking about the tough road that league will bring.
Currently, two teams are ranked among the top 10 in the CIF Southern Section Northeast Division. The Guards are the highest ranking league team at No. 4. However, league rival St. Genevieve is right behind at No. 5.
League teams St. Anthony and Salesian are listed among “others” in the division.
Bell-Jeff opens league play Oct. 17 at Memorial Field against none other than St. Genevieve. That game could likely be for the league crown.
The Guards are trying to build on a 2008 campaign when they went 8-4. The team finished second in league behind league-champion St. Genevieve.
Bell-Jeff also had success in the playoffs, winning its first postseason game in more than 50 years. The squad also advanced to the playoff quarterfinals.
Roger Wilson/The Leader
Shirley Paces Guards To Win!
September 12, 2009 by admin · 3 Comments
FOOTBALL: Receiver scores five TDs in Bell-Jeff’s 33-0 road win against Mountain View.
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Local Teams Get Taste Of What’s In Store!
July 1, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
FOOTBALL: Schedules reveal some tough competition for 2009 season.
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Top Guards - Student/Athlete Spotlight!
Bell-Jeff is known for their exceptional academics but, they boast a number of top athletes as well.
Through this a new segment, we will take time and get to know some of these “Top Guards”, young men and women who are somehow able to balance a high GPA with a successful career as a high school athlete.
Over the coming weeks, it is these, “Student/Athletes”, who we will be spotlighting here.
Our first pair of “Top Guards” come from the volleyball court and football field, Itria Licitra and Elliot Dennis!
Itria Licitra
IItria Licitra is enjoying her Senior year at Bell-Jeff, unlike many other seniors across the nation, she is still carrying a big load.
While others fill their last days with, electives and easy classes, Itria is taking AP Calculus, AP English, Honors Government and Physics.
Itria is looking towards college and beyond and with a 4.4 GPA, she’s certainly on her way. By taking these AP classes, she makes herself eligible to take an exam which, if passed, will allow her college credit for that subject.
As of last semester, she has already been recommended for college credit in History and working on more!
Itria also finds time for sports and plays volleyball and softball for Bell-Jeff.
She was voted First Team All League for the Santa Cruz League (Volleyball 2008) as well as MVP by her coach and was just one vote shy of League MVP honors. She was also named First Team All League for Softball in 2008 as well as Best Defensive Player.
Along with all that, She is Senior Class President and was just honored by the Noon Rotary Club of Burbank for Student of the Month. Girls Athletic Director Patti Bertole calls Itria Licitra “an Outstanding citizen, a delightful person and a fabulous representative of our school.”
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Elliot Dennis
To learn Elliot Dennis’ story, you have to go to Oakland Calif. That’s where Elliot was born and attended school for most of his life. It was also there he developed a love for football.
If you let Natalie Dennis (Elliot’s mom) tell it, “Elliot’s game is not football, but basketball,” a sport he played since he was a young kid. “Elliot played basketball on several local and travel teams with many of the top players in the area and made several All-Star teams!” But, when he enrolled at Saint Mary’s High School in the Bay area, Elliot felt that his 200lb/5′11″ frame was better suited for the gridiron and went out for football instead. And play he did helping Saint Mary’s become one of the top teams in the region.
Fast forward to 2007. Though imposing in stature, Elliot is basically low key and quiet. He now sports dreads and bears a slight resembelance to another star high school football player from the bay area, Maurice Jones-Drew. High energy on the field, his demeanor off the field is the complete opposite. Rather than hang out all the time, he prefers to put his spare time in the books because he to, has college asperations. So, Natalie began to search for a new school for her son. Elliot liked the Los Angeles area and had family here so, she decided to find a school out this way for him to attend.
After several visits, they settled in on Bell-Jeff because of it’s, curriculum as well as it’s, “family environment.” Though he initially stayed with an uncle, Elliot eventually moved in with Kirk and Rhonda Shirley who’s son Micah is a sophomore at Bell-Jeff and brother Andrew (graduated 2008) his best friend last year.
According to head football coach Rolando Aguirre, “Elliot was a pleasant surprise when he arrived at Bell-Jeff” “Because he came mid-year, he only played one year for us. But, it was evident during passing league this past summer, that he was going to be a great addition to this program!”
Elliot played multiple positions including, safety, flanker and running back. Where he contributed the most, was on defense and earned Second Team All- Defense as an Outside linebacker for his efforts. Said Aguirre, “He gave us a lot and still has a lot more to give.”
The Guards (8-4), made school history this season by defeating Fairmont Prep 28-21 to become the first team ever, to make it to the second round of the CIF playoffs!
Elliot Dennis also excelled in the classroom maintaining a high “B” average and being named one of Bell-Jeff’s “Scholar Athletes” this past grading period. He has set his sights on Southern University where he plans to continue his football career. Even though football is his new love, Elliot still finds time to play basketball and run track for the Guards as well.
Boys Athletic Director Bryan Camacho says, “Elliot brought a lot of confidence to this school, he’s a quiet leader and a great person with a good heart.”
We salute Elliot Dennis along with Itria Licitra, true Student/Athletes in every since of the word!
Story by: Eric “Rico” Reed
