Valencia

Jared Baker rushed for 240 yards and four touchdowns in 20 carries as visiting Los Angeles Loyola upset Valencia, 39-24, on Friday night. Baker's final touchdown, a 56-yard run after a fumble recovery with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter, sealed the Cubs' win. The Vikings (4-1), ranked No. 13 by The Times, suffered their first loss of the season. "Valencia came into this game with all the momentum," Baker said. "No one gave us a chance. We came out fired up. We were confident and we wanted to prove we could hang with some of the best teams out there.

Animal Planet needs to get its cameras trained on the Burrill brothers, Casey and Brady , at Valencia West Ranch High. They are quickly becoming adept at capturing and eradicating rattlesnakes. Call them "Rattlesnakebusters. " Since August, 11 rattlesnakes have been found on or near the West Ranch baseball diamond and sent to rattlesnake heaven. The diamond is located near a hill that's probably a nice home to lots of rattlesnakes. Coach Casey Burrill and his brother, Brady, the top assistant, have been the primary trackers of rattlesnake intruders.

Chris Cappello rushed for two touchdowns to lead La Verne Bonita to a 21-14 victory over Valencia in a Southern Section Division IX playoff game Friday night at Bonita. Donald Morris gave Valencia a 7-0 lead on a 26-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. But third-seeded Bonita (10-1) scored 21 consecutive points to take a 21-7 third-quarter lead, led by Cappello with two one-yard runs.

The gig: Tim Burkhart, 54, is corporate vice president of maintenance and construction for Six Flags Entertainment Corp. , the parent company of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia and 17 other parks in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Burkhart's resume is pretty short. He has spent his entire career at Six Flags, starting in 1977 when he was in high school and worked as a ride operator on Revolution, the first looping roller coaster. It was meant to be a temporary job to raise money for some senior-year fun. Instead, Burkhart said, he fell in love with the park and its employees.

On the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Steven Manfro of Valencia did his best to make a statement that life must go on. He's 16 now and living far away from New York, where he was in 2001. "I was in school," he recalled. "It was pretty traumatic, and the fact it almost killed my father made it worse." His father, Marc, was a New York police officer who became ill in the aftermath of the attack. The family moved months later to Castaic to start a new life.

A 42-year-old Ventura man was killed early Monday when his motorcycle slammed into a water tanker truck in dense fog in Valencia, the California Highway Patrol reported. The victim, whose name was withheld pending notification of next of kin, was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He was eastbound on Magic Mountain Parkway when he broadsided the truck, which was northbound on Newhall Avenue, CHP Officer Harry Ingold said.

A Valencia man who says he was once a Golden Gloves amateur boxing champion knocked out a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy with one punch early Tuesday and was arrested after four deputies wrestled him to the ground, a sheriff's spokesman said. Two sheriff's deputies responded to a 1:45 a.m. call of a possibly armed man creating a disturbance at a home in the 24400 block of Vista Ridge Drive in Valencia. They were confronted by Frank Kucera, 45, a resident of the house, Deputy Roger Hom said.

Teams that won the Irvine Woodbridge softball tournament went on to win Southern Section titles each of the last two seasons, and Valencia looks like a good bet to make it three in a row. Valencia (15-1), which has never advanced past the section quarterfinals, defeated Corona, 3-0, in a tournament semifinal and Lake Forest El Toro, 7-4, in the final Saturday.

The son of an 89-year-old woman is suing a Valencia assisted-living facility, saying caretakers left the woman alone on an unshaded patio in 100-plus-degree weather last August, resulting in her death. Ronald Corn was at a Valencia care facility last year for one of his twice-weekly visits with his mother when he found her outside on a concrete patio, alone in the hot August sun, no shade in sight, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Corn brought his mother inside, complained to supervisors and scheduled a meeting with the executive director for the following week.

John Fewell rushed for 120 yards in 13 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead Valencia High School to a 58-12 victory over Sonora Friday at La Habra High School. Fewell was one of four Tigers to score touchdowns. Ryan Roskelly had 188 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns for Valencia (2-0). Willie Barnes carried the ball just twice, but had two touchdowns and 63 yards rushing. He scored on runs of 51 and 12 yards, both in the second half. Valencia led 23-0 at the half.

VALENCIA, Spain - A 2009 snapshot shows the president of Spain's Valencia region cruising along in a $200,000 Ferrari. It was Francisco Camps' victory lap, after presiding over the Formula One European Grand Prix and the America's Cup yacht race. Valencia was dubbed the "California of Spain" for its gorgeous coastline, modern architecture and mind-set. Construction of upscale homes and resorts was booming. Four years later, that Ferrari photo has become an embarrassing reminder of Valencia's heady growth years - and how much has gone awry since then.

A Newhall Hart student wearing a wig and dressed as Moses showed up just before the start of the third quarter of Friday night's Foothill League basketball showdown against host Valencia West Ranch and parted the red-clad student section, igniting Hart fans and adding even more fire to a fired up Hart team. West Ranch couldn't reach the intensity level or equal the sense of urgency exhibited by the Indians, who turned a three-point halftime lead into a convincing 84-65 victory, avenging their only defeat in 22 games this season.

Role players are needed to contend for a championship, and that's what Valencia West Ranch High displayed Tuesday night, relying on its two usual standouts, Ako Kaluna and Kevin Harris, while also turning to unsung contributors in knocking off Newhall Hart, 70-63, in a Foothill League opener at Hart. Kaluna scored 24 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Harris had 18 points, including four three-point baskets. They were the expected standouts for a West Ranch (11-4) team that ended Hart's winning streak at 16 games.

Phiona Mutesi's journey from a Ugandan slum to the world stage as champion chess player was inspired by hunger. "I was yearning for porridge," the 16-year-old Mutesi said as she recalled how one day in 2005 she followed her brother to a place where poor kids gathered and she knew she would get food. There she met Robert Katende, a missionary, who was trying to improve the lives of local Ugandan children by teaching them to play chess on boards spread out on the dirt. Those who showed up got a free bowl of porridge.

Senior Matt Lopes ran for 215 yards and four touchdowns Friday to carry Palos Verdes into the Northern Division final with a 50-33 win over Valencia at Valencia High. The Sea Kings, winners of 10 in a row, will meet Bay League rival West Torrance in the title game Dec. 1. It will be Palos Verdes' first appearance in a championship game in nearly five decades and the first since the school reopened in 2002. "We've been taking little steps every year," said Palos Verdes Coach Guy Gardner, who has led the school to 28 wins in the last three years.

Friday's games Garfield (3-5, 3-1) vs. Roosevelt (8-1, 5-0) at East Los Angeles College, 7:30 p.m. (Time Warner Cable Deportes): After a week of rallies, banquets and distractions, the players finally get to focus on trying to win an Eastern League championship. Roosevelt, led by versatile running back Gilbert Herrera, has the more consistent offense. Garfield will need players to step up on both sides of the ball to have a chance for the upset in this always memorable rivalry game.

After reading the article "Largely Latino High School Fights Ethnic Stereotyping" (April 13), I feel I have to reply. Mr. (Brahim) Zabeli feels his children will receive a better education at El Dorado High School than Valencia High School, regardless of Valencia's higher test scores, National Merit Scholarship record, fine teachers, outstanding football team, top marching band and other excellent qualities. I have two sons who graduated from Valencia and a daughter who attends now. When my daughter completed sixth grade, the Placentia School District gave us a choice of which high school area (for her to)

1985 records--Westminster (8-5), Valencia (9-3) The site--Valencia High School Westminster update--The Lions, ranked No. 1 in the Big Five Conference and Orange County Sportswriters Assn. preseason polls, return 14 starters from a team that advanced to the semifinals in 1985 before losing to eventual co-champion Edison, 7-3.

The son of an 89-year-old woman is suing a Valencia assisted-living facility, saying caretakers left the woman alone on an unshaded patio in 100-plus-degree weather last August, resulting in her death. Ronald Corn was at a Valencia care facility last year for one of his twice-weekly visits with his mother when he found her outside on a concrete patio, alone in the hot August sun, no shade in sight, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Corn brought his mother inside, complained to supervisors and scheduled a meeting with the executive director for the following week.

The improbable playoff run for the Corona High baseball team has led to a trip to Dodger Stadium to play in the Southern Section Division 1 championship game. The Panthers (19-14), who began the playoffs as the fifth-place team from the Big VIII League and a lowly wild-card team, won their semifinal game against Valencia West Ranch, 2-1, on Tuesday at Blair Field in Long Beach. Senior right-hander Daniel Pena gave up six hits, struck out four and walked one. In five playoff games, Pena has been the winning pitcher in three games and has saved two. "He deserves a lot of credit," Coach Andy Wise said.