Savanna

An owl peered down from a massive valley oak tree set among rolling hills overlooking the College of the Canyons. Other than two teenagers hiking along the narrow dirt paths that crisscross what conservationists say is one of the last remaining valley oak habitats in the Santa Clarita Valley, the scene looks much as it did when it was discovered two centuries ago.

Scott Akamine pitched a five-inning two-hitter Monday as Savanna defeated Orange Lutheran, 11-0, in the Anaheim Lions baseball tournament at Glover Stadium. Akamine struck out four and walked none in the pool-play game, which was stopped after five innings due to the mercy rule. Ken Castaneda had four hits, three runs batted in and two runs and Edwardo Assad had a double, single and three RBIs for the Rebels. Orange Lutheran's hits were doubles by Brent Concolino and Chris Hansen.

Savanna senior Reanita Starr set a school record in the triple jump, leaping 38 feet 2 1/2 inches as the Rebels defeated Sonora, 67-56, in a nonleague girls' track and field meet Thursday at Savanna. Starr broke the record of 37-7 1/2 she set last year at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays. Starr also won the 200 meters (26.9) and the long jump (17-8) for Savanna (1-0). In other nonleague girls' track and field: Aliso Niguel 69, San Clemente 63--Sophomore Marquita Taylor won the 100 (12.

Savanna is supposed to be much improved over last season, so Coach James Honell wanted a good early season test for the Rebels. They will get it tonight at 7 when they open the Tournament of Champions against the county's top-ranked team, Mater Dei, at Ocean View High. The 16-team TOC features four of the county's top 10 teams and is one of six tournaments in the county this week.

Tom Osborn scored two touchdowns to help Troy defeat Savanna, 28-7, in a Division IX Southern Section first-round playoff game Friday night at Fullerton High. On its second play of the game, Troy quarterback Jordan Oliver connected with Dan Diaz for a 65-yard touchdown pass. This was the first of four big plays that enabled the Warriors to come away with the victory.

Kenny Casteneda's 24-yard field goal with 13 seconds left gave Savanna a 23-22 victory over Western Friday night and an automatic berth in next week's Southern Section Division IX playoffs. The battle for third in the Orange League was settled by the kicking game. After Savanna scored a touchdown on a Micos Benjamin's six-yard run to reduce Western's lead to 22-20 with 2:46 left to play, the Rebels were forced to gamble.

Brea Olinda jumped out to a 38-0 lead and defeated Savanna, 38-21, in an Orange League game Thursday at Western High. The eighth-ranked Wildcats (8-0-1, 3-0-1), who rushed for a school-record 432 yards against Magnolia last week, gained 349 yards on the ground Thursday and scored on four of five first-half possessions.

Micos Benjamin and Marcus Jimmerson took turns running through the Anaheim defense as Savanna beat the Colonists, 45-0, in an Orange League game Thursday night at Glover Stadium. Benjamin rushed for a season-high 133 yards for the Rebels, including a six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Jimmerson saw a bit less action than usual, but still rushed for 83 yards and four touchdowns, one in each quarter. The sophomore also accounted for 86 yards on two punt returns and a kickoff return.