After an up-and-down pre-season, the Los Al Griffin basketball team is on a five game up swing after winning the KSA Tournament in Florida and then opening the Sunset league with a 106-87 win over Marina, last Friday night.
   Against Marina senior center Clint Amberry (shown at right) scored 36 points, the seventh highest single game total in Los Al history. Senior guard Cameron Jones added 28 points.
    The Griffins total of 106 was seven shy of their all-time high of 113 set in 1971.
   Jones’ effort marked his third straight twenty plus game. He had 26 points against Westlake (Ga.) in a 66-62 victory in the final of the KSA Holiday Tournament in Orlando, Florida, , and scored 24 points in the semifinal win over St. Francis de Sales of Ohio.
    Los Al, which is now 13-3. takes on Edison in their home opener Wednesday night.

Los Alamitos Girls Softball League sign-ups will continue on-line at lagsl.org until Jan. 19 and in-person Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9 a.m.-noon at Rossmoor Park. Girls age 5-14 as of Dec. 31 are eligible.
      Player evaluations are planned Saturday, Jan. 20, also at Rossmoor Park. Call (562) 938-4282 or e-mail playeragent@lagsl.org

      Behind goals by Daniel Crandall and Zac Rothman, the Los Al Boys soccer team got their first Sunset League win, downing Marina 2-1 last Friday afternoon.
      Overall, Los Al boys are now sporting an 11-2-6 record.
      The Griffins opened their league season last Wednesday, tying Newport Harbor 2-2, with junior Wes Feighner (shown right) scoring twice for the Griffins.
      Feigner, who was the leading scorer in the U17 Premier Club league this fall, has been used mainly in a defensive role for Los Al, although coach Donovan Martinez moved Feighner up front once the Griffins fell behind Newport.
      Feighner's fall offensive efforts for his club were noticed by the folks at US Soccer who invited him to a mid-December training camp for with the U-17 National soccer team at the US Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Wes played games against the Canadian National Team and the United States U20 National Team.
      Without Feighner, the Griffins reached the finals of the Irvine Tournament but lost to former Sunset League rival Huntington Beach 3-1 in the championship game. A week later, Los Al went 4-0-1 in the Marina Tournament, but in the quarterfinals they tied Wilson and the Bruins advanced on PKs, leaving Los Al to play for fifth place which they won with wins over Tustin and Bell.

      LAYB is still accepting late signups for the Spring 2007 season for kids ages 4-14.
      Tryouts are January 20 and 21, and Opening day is slated for February 24. For more information, go to www.layb.org

      The Los Al Girls basketball team, which went 9-5 in the pre-season, fell 49-48 in overtime in their Sunset league opener against Marina last Thursday night.
      The Griffins’ Katie Kovach hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, but the Vikings outscored Los Al 6-5 in the extra period. Kovach and Marissa Main each scored 12 points to lead the Griffin attack.
      The Griffins play at Edison on Tuesday and host Fountain Valley on Thursday night.
      Heading into league play, the Griffins had won five of their last six non-league contests, including winning three of four at the Lady Rebels Classic at Savanna High School between Christmas and New Year’s.

      The Los Al girls water polo team hopes that the momentum they gained by winning the Western OC Shootout this weekend carries over to their big Sunset League showdown with Newport Harbor on Wednesday night.
      The Griffins topped off their weekend’s efforts with a big 19-2 win over Loara in the championship game of the Western OC Shootout at Keennedy High School.
      Los Al was led by San Diego State-bound Sarah Brady (shown, right) who scored 3 goals in the match. Junior Kaylee Miller added 2
      Earlier in the day, Los Al downed El Segundo 9-2. Kaley Dodson scored five goals in the match. Brady, who was named the tournament MVP, scored a pair. Dodson and Miller also both had five goals in the Griffins resounding 12-0 win over Fountain Valley last Wednesday night in the team’s Sunset League opener. On the season, Brady has now scored 70 goals, while Miller has 69.
      Los Al, which now sports a 16-2 overall record, resumes Sunset League action this week against league favorite Newport Harbor in the Sailor’s pool at 6pm. Newport Harbor, last year’s Division II champion, is currently ranked No. 3 in the Orange County coaches' poll. The Griffins, winners of four straight Sunset League championships, are No. 6.

      Jon Bornstein, who led the Griffins to the CIF title, may get a chance to help the US national men’s soccer to a title on a bigger stage. The Los Alamitos resident has been training with the US National soccer team for the past week at the Home Depot Center. Bornstein, the 2006 MLS Rookie of the Year, was invited in December by the US team’s new coach, Bob Bradley, who coached Bornstein last season at Chivas USA.
      For day by day entries on the camp can be seen at the mens’ national team page at the US soccer website.

Former Griffin and current Long Beach State soccer player Hayley Bolt continues to accumulate the post-season honors. Bolt (LAHS ’05) was named to the first team All-West Region squad. Bolt’s teammate, Kim Silos, earned second team honors.

Former Griffin Niccole Grimaldi (shown above, right), a starting defender for No. 7 Oklahoma State, collected a pair of quality post-season honors of her own. Niccole Grimaldi, of Rossmoor, was named third team all-Central Region by Soccer Buzz magazine, after leading the Big 12 Conference with nine assists. A few days later she was named by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as All-South Region Scholars second team. Grimaldi has a 3.954 GPA in marketing. earned Big 12 all-academic honors for her efforts in the classroom his past season.

      Former Griffin Stephanie Duda (LAHS '03) poured in a career-high 22 points to lead the Anteaters to a 84-73 victory over Cal Poly in the conference opener in SLO last Thursday.
      Not only did the Duda's effort help the Anteaters snap a seven-game losing streak and go to 1-0 in the Big West (3-11 overall), but it is the first win in a Big West opener since UCI beat Cal State Fullerton to begin the 2002 league schedule. (And that trivia should win you a couple drinks at a down and out sports bar.)
      Duda recorded her league-leading seventh double-double with 11 rebounds to go with her 22 points. Duda was 6-11 from the floor, 10-13 from the line and had a game-high five steals.

      Landry Fields, now a freshman at Stanford University, is getting good minutes for the Cardinal basketball squad this season. Last weekend he played 22 minutes in Stanford’s nationally televised 76-75 win over Virginia. Fields, one of the best three-point shooters in SoCal high school ball last season, has struggled with his shot in Stanford’s early games, but his rebounding and defense have kept in in the rotation.
      Ironically, one of Field’s best performances so far was an 11-point effort in Stanford’s 71-60 win over Arizona State on Dec, 28. He scored 11 points in 11 minutes in the first half, but only played two and a half minutes in the second half. Stanford, which is 9-4 overall, hosts Washington and Washington State this weekend.

      Former Griffin Kyle Brucculeri is working his way back into game shape after missing much of UC Davis' early season with an injury to his non-shooting (left) elbow which he injured during the early portion of preseason practice. Brucculeri, made 63 three-pointers to lead the team and was third in scoring (10.9) and made his three-pointers at a .417 clip.

      Ex-Griffin basketball player Alexis Olivier (of College Park East) made the Bruin roster as a walk-on this season and is playing for her mom, UCLA coach Kathy Olivier. UCLA downed Oregon, 77-70, last Sunday to improve its record to 9-9, 3-3 in the Pac-10. The Bruins host cross-town rival USC this Saturday.

      It may be tenuous but at least the Los Al AYSO Region 159 GU12 all-stars hold their destiny in their tiny hands after this weekend’s first round of play in Area E all-star tournament action.
      The local 12-sters tied a tough Cypress team 1-1 on Sunday morning, then held off a plucky Whittier squad 2-1 in the afternoon fray. Allie Emmons scored the lone local goal against Cypress while Mallory Strawther and Emmons tallied against Whittier.
      The tie and win give Los Al four points, essentially tying them with La Habra (which technically has an edge by virtue of beating Whittier 3-0 Sunday morning before tying Cypress 1-1 in the nightcap.
      A Los Al win on Sunday over La Habra clinches first place in their pool and advances them to the afternoon’s semi-final match. A tie keeps them tied with La Habra but puts them at the mercy of tie-breakers (a. fewest goals allowed; most goals scored; differential), most of which are not favorable to Los Al.
      The 12’s are still undefeated after two weekends of play. The team closed out 2006 with four wins and a championship at the Hi-5 Tournament in Fountain Valley on Dec. 30-31.
      Los Al opened with a 4-2 win over Cypress, sparked by great first half goals from Lea Albers and Jenna Hudson, then followed with wins over Quartz Hill (3-0) and Fountain Valley (5-0, with Emmons scoring two goals in the latter) before facing a much taller and more physical Arcadia squad. After a scoreless first half, Los Al parlayed second half goals by Albers and Kelly Peterson for a 2-0 victory. NOTE: If the other coaches would send me information, I’d be happy to report on their teams. (In fact, send it now, and we'll add it on our AYSO page) Click here for the AYSO Area E results page (which might be informative if they ever update it)

Los Alamitos Girls Softball League sign-ups will continue on-line at lagsl.org until Jan. 19 and in-person Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9 a.m.-noon at Rossmoor Park. Girls age 5-14 as of Dec. 31 are eligible.
      Player evaluations are planned Saturday, Jan. 20, also at Rossmoor Park. Call (562) 938-4282 or e-mail playeragent@lagsl.org

Here's a potpourri of articles that reference locals from past and present. Click at your own risk.

Los Alamitos expands in planners minds: Rossmoor placed with Los Al "sphere of influence" (OC Register, Jan. 11, 2007)

Manicurist Gerry Mejia takes seat on Los Al council.

Robert Kleinberger finds niche in rockets for schools

Los Al officials ask SB to study traffic for Rossmoor Center (Dec. 26, 2006)

Negotiations for Parasol Building delayed (Dec 13, 2006)

Edison, Los Alamitos discuss park under power lines

Opposition to new Home Depot near wetlands continues despite setbacks

Fred Shafer--former Seal Beach resident, found life’s vocation at Marineland

For Seal Beach wetland volunteer, inner world meets outer

Leisure World must open its records to residents

Margaret, Mooesser, former Seal Beach resident, sets “style” in Chicago

Former Los Al resident,Terrell Hansen, dies – inspired famous mystery novel

It's the perfect post-Christmas/pre-Martin Luther King birthday stocking stuffer for kids of all ages who have gone off the deep end of life.