La Mirada Wins on Game Ending Fumble, 27-24; Advances to CIF Final For the First Time Since 2001
La Mirada~La Mirada beat Laguna Hills tonight 27-24 in a semifinal contest, sending the Matadores to the final for the first time since 1992.
When Ralph Gramajo intercepted a Laguna Hills pass midway through the third quarter, it seemed La Mirada was on its way to a victory, leading 24-10.
However, Laguna came back, scoring two touchdowns within a span of around three minutes, including a recovered on-side kick, tying the score at 27 and sending into overtime.
The La Mirada defense, seemed dazed, tired, confused, like a prize fighter up against the ropes in the last rounds.
25th Annual Kiwanis Holiday Shopping Spree
La Mirada~With Christmas fast approaching, many La Mirada families are facing difficult financial circumstances. Sometimes, it can be tough to determine the best ways to lend a hand, but La Mirada Kiwanis has continued to find a way, year after year.
On Tuesday December 8th,La Mirada Kiwanis Club, in partnership with Sears and Ruby's Diner in Whittier, will be hosting their annual Holiday Shopping Spree to assist some of the city's economically challenged youth. Following the shopping spree, the children will be treated to breakfast at Ruby's and a visit from Santa!
This Tuesday's event will be the 25th annual, assisting 50 children selected from La Mirada schools. Each will be matched with a chaperone, and they will spend the morning shopping for new clothes at Sears and enjoying a tasty breakfast from Ruby's.
For some children, Tuesday will be the only day that they can purchase new clothes all year. Each child will have $100 to spend.
1st Annual La Mirada Blog All-Suburban League Football Team
So this is my version of the Suburban League All-Team. I have only a first team and I think it is a well represented one. I believe what a player does on the field merits their being on this team, not what their team did. The best players are represented on this team. They all play a multitude of positions, but they made this team at the spot I thought they would be their best at.
Matadore Hoopsters Start a New Quest
La Mirada~The La Mirada Boys Basketball squad opens the regular season tonight in a non-league contest vs. Tustin High at Matadore Gym.
The Mats are coming off a very succesful campaign in which they won the Suburban League title and advanced to the CIF Southern Division quarterfinals.
This will be the first game the Matadores are playing in their totally refurbished gymnasium. Game time is 7:00 p.m.
Suburban League Quarterfinal Recap: Semifinal Preview
Suburban League Quarterfinal Recap:
Man, who would have thought at this point in the playoffs, that the La Mirada Matadore and the Norwalk Lancer defenses would be so dominant. We all knew they could score points, and they have been doing just that. The manner in which they are scoring is remarkable. The Matadores have been getting a balanced attack from their offense, and their special teams have been great. The Lancers have seen one of their 1,000 yard rushers get dinged up in the playoffs but they have seen another one of their backs come up big.
Quarterfinal Results:
La Mirada 40 Garden Grove Santiago 0: On the first play of offense for the Matadores they saw RB JT Torres go 60 yards to the end zone. He has come up big for them in the playoffs 
becoming the steady force for them in the running game. He had three TD's in the game and proved to be a force that was unable to be stopped. QB Daniel Poncedeleon threw a 22 yard jump-ball to WR Julian Matta and he and out muscled the Cavaliers defender and came down with the TD. The defense for the Matadores was not to be outdone as Junior Aaryn Bouzos picked off Cavalier QB Chris Ortega and went 30 yards to the house untouched. In the post-season through two games, the Matadores defense which is led my RJ Lujan, Aaryn Bouzos, Shane Blood, and JT Torres has only given up only three points. They have been battle tested this season.
Trying to Ensure Everyone Has a Merry Christmas
La Mirada~The City of La Mirada's Annual Holiday Toy and Food Drive will run through December 14. New, unwrapped toys and non-perishable food items will be accepted for distribution to local children and families.
All food donations collected will help to prepare holiday food boxes that many families depend on for a wonderful holiday dinner. There are many families throughout the area who would not receive gifts and food for the holidays without the generosity of others in the community.
Donated items will be collected at City facilities including Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center, La Mirada Resource Center, La Mirada Activity Center, the Community Gymnasium, and the La Mirada Community Sheriff's Station.
Toy and food items will be presented to some of the following local organizations for distribution: Beatitudes of Our Lord, the La Mirada Volunteer Center, St. Paul of the Cross, and Interfaith Food Center.
Popular Annual Sale for Student Artwork
Norwalk~The year's most eagerly anticipated event is coming again! The Cerritos College Art Club presents the Annual Student Art Sale and invites the community to attend.
The Art Sale will take place in the Student Center North Stage on Sunday, December 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., one day only! Woodworking will be participating in the sale.
Attendees can enjoy high-quality artwork, including ceramics, sculpture, wood, painting, jewelry and more. Pieces will be sold at prices ranging from a few dollars to $100.
The proceeds of the sale will benefit the artists, the different disciplines represented, and the Art Club programs. Previous art sales have enabled the Art Department to purchase much needed equipment and supplies.
Both cash and check payments will be accepted. Free parking is available in Lot C-9 and C-10.
Join us Sunday, December 6, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. in the Student Center North Stage at Cerritos College, 11110 Alondra Blvd., in Norwalk. 90650
A map of the campus is available at cerritos.edu/guide. Free parking is available in Lot C-10.
For more information, please contact the Cerritos College Art Department at (562) 860-2451, ext. 2600 or ext. 2614.
Suburban League Playoffs Round 1 Review; Quarterfinal Preview
Round 1 Review
This week proved that some teams just don't belong in the post season, and others proved that they are here to stay. I look for the semifinals to be as follows: La Mirada vs. Laguna Hills, and on the other side of the bracket, Garden Grove vs. Norwalk. These teams have been near the top of the brackets all season for a reason, and each team can state its case to be the Division champion.
Round 1 Results
Norwalk 63 Rancho Alamitos 8: Talk about an absolute thrashing. This one, from the opening whistle, was not even close. The Lancers offense just ran over any of the visiting Vaqueros in their way. The Vaqueros defense looked helpless as Norwalk's backfield was just too much for them to stop. The wild- card all season and in my opinion the best of the bunch is Junior Elijhaa Penny who uses every bit of his 6'2'' 245 lbs frame when he is running over defenders. He led all Lancer running backs with over 160 yards and two TDs. The kid is deceptively fast and is going to be one of the keys to helping Norwalk continue their run to the RING. The Lancers rushing attack is steady by three other players-Junior Billy 
Moore and Seniors Daveon Edwards and Adrian Goznales who is the smallest of all the running backs, but he runs just as hard as the others.
La Mirada 44 Santa Ana 3: The Matadores started slow, but they closed with blazing fashion, as they manhandled the Saints all night. The Saints looked to be in control after they went ahead 3-0 early in the second, but the Mats answered back with a 97-yard kickoff return by Aaryn Bouzos. After that it was all Matadores. The theme this season for the Mats has been balance, and they certainly have been adding to it lately; where they are led on the ground by a running back-by-committee with JT Torres, Max Gama, and Matt Haltom. All are getting carries, and each of the backs brings something different to the table. They are definitely not an easy team to prepare for. Their passing game is lethally accurate and it is executed very well by QB Daniel Poncedeleon. They are led by receivers Ralph Gramajo, Julian Matta, and TE Keith Coty.
La Mirada on the Road Friday; May Host Semi’s
La Mirada High School Football will play on the road this Friday against Santiago High; the game will be played at Garden Grove High beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Also, La Mirada won the latest coin-flip, meaning they will host the next game (semi-final), if they are fortunate enough to win.
Coach Ollie Lynch will guest on the "Tony Aiello Show" on November 23rd, beginning at 6:00 p.m PT. to talk about the win against Santa Ana and the pending game versus Santiago.
Check out this link to a story about last Friday's victory over Santa Ana from Thaindian News; and this link to the OC Register with bloggers talking Southern Division football.
Cerritos College Music Faculty to Perform in Gala
Norwalk~Cerritos College Music Department faculty members will showcase their talents in a Nov. 22 concert to raise scholarship funds for students in the applied music program.
The concert will include performances by some of the most accomplished musicians in the greater Los Angeles area and will encompass a wide variety of musical genres.
The faculty is honored to offer their talents in support of their students, many of whom have gone on to pursue degrees from USC, UCLA, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Fullerton, Berkeley School of Music, the San Francisco Conservatory and Chapman University.
Catch the conceret, Sunday, November 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Burnight Center Theatre (BC-17), Cerritos College, 11110 Alondra Blvd.,Norwalk, CA 90650
A map of the campus is available at www.cerritos.edu/guide.
General admission $10, Cerritos College students $5. Free parking is available in lots C-2 and C-3.
CONTACT: For more information, contact the Music Department office at (562) 860-2451 ext. 2629.
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