NEWS AND NOTES FROM PRESS ROW: League configurations, schedules for 2026 fall season set for new conference

By Loren Kopff

Sports Editor | Follow X

December 18, 2025

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 It’s never too late to start planning for the 2026 fall season and now that we have put a wrap on the 2025 season for the fall sports, seven area schools now know who, when and where they will play their league contests eight months from now. The proposed league schedules were recently released, pending approval from the 20 principals of the schools that will be part of the new Suburban Valley Conference.

The leagues were put together based off power rankings from the past two fall seasons with 75 percent coming from this past season. In football, Cerritos High and La Mirada High will be placed in the new Gateway League, or upper league, along with Downey High, La Serna High, Mayfair High and Warren High.

The new Mid-Cities League, the middle of the three leagues, will have Bellflower High, California High, Gahr High, Norwalk High, Paramount High and Sante Fe High. The lower league, which has yet to be named yet, will house Artesia High, Firebaugh High, John Glenn High, Lynwood High, Pioneer High and Whittier High.

League contests of area interest are Cerritos at La Mirada on Oct. 2 in the league opener, Gahr visiting Norwalk on Oct. 9 and Glenn entertaining Artesia on Oct. 16. Other interesting league matchups are Cerritos at Mayfair on Oct. 9, Cerritos visiting La Serna on Oct. 16 and Artesia going to Lynwood on Oct. 30.

Four leagues of five teams is the setup for girls volleyball with Cerritos and Gahr in the Gateway League along with Downey, La Serna and Warren while Norwalk and Whitney High will be in the Mid-Cities League with Oxford Academy, Paramount and Santa Fe. The next league will feature Artesia, Firebaugh, La Mirada, Mayfair and Whittier while the last league will have Bellflower, California, Glenn, Lynwood and Pioneer.

Area teams that will be in the Gateway League in the other sports are Gahr for flag football, Cerritos and Whitney for girls tennis, La Mirada for boys water polo and Cerritos, Gahr and Whitney for girls golf.

Boys and girls cross country and girls volleyball are the only sports which will have all 20 schools.

WINTER SPORTS

ARTESIA

Boys basketball went 1-2 in the Lynbrook Winter Classic in San Jose with the only victory coming against Prospect High out of Saratoga 53-37 last Saturday behind the second straight 20-point performance from senior Christian Stewart. The Pioneers (4-6) will pace South Pasadena High in the St. Anthony Classic on Saturday in their last game of the month.

Girls basketball remains winless through seven games as they were scheduled to go to Las Vegas to participate in the HBCU Holiday Jam Friday through Tuesday.

Boys soccer was 3-4-0 after a 1-0 loss to Orange High this past Monday as the Pioneers hosted Norwalk this past Wednesday. They will visit Valley Christian High on Friday and Long Beach Wilson High on Monday before entertaining Paraclete High on Tuesday.

Girls soccer defeated Marquez High (2-0) and Victor Valley High (7-0) last Saturday in pool play action of the Best in the West Winter Classic. The Pioneers (4-1-2) will host Calvary Chapel Santa Ana High on Saturday in the final pool play game in tournament, then a playoff game before hosting Savanna High on Tuesday.

CERRITOS

Boys basketball got past Kennedy High 78-75 last Friday to improve to 4-7 as the Dons hosted city rival Gahr on Dec. 18 before welcoming Sunny Hills High on Saturday and going to Sonora on Tuesday.

Girls basketball has dropped two straight games, including a 67-42 contest to Marlborough High last Friday. The team went to Garfield High on Dec. 18 and will host Valencia High on Friday and Segerstrom High on Saturday before going to Fountain Valley High on Tuesday.

Boys soccer is 2-2-1 after a 2-1 loss to New Roads High last Friday and will be home to Inglewood High on Friday before going to Bellflower on Monday while girls soccer defeated Shadow Hills High 1-0 before falling to Muir High by the same score last Saturday in the Best in the West Winter Classic. The Dons (3-4-0) will face Marina High on Saturday in the first of two games in the tournament.

GAHR

Girls basketball evened its mark to 4-4 after defeating Patriot High 39-32 last Friday and will face Serra High on Saturday, Lakewood High on Monday and Carson High on Tuesday in the San Pedro Tournament.

Boys soccer tied Yorba Linda High 2-2 this past Monday to move its record to 4-2-1 as the Gladiators will host Katella while girls soccer has lost four in a row, including pool play games to Laguna Hills High (5-1) and Simi Valley High (3-0) last Saturday in the Best in the West Winter Classic, and 4-0 to La Mirada this past Tuesday. Gahr hosted V.C. on Dec. 18 and will wrap up pool play action on Saturday against Mayfield High.

GLENN

Boys basketball fell to Bell Gardens High 68-39 this past Monday to fall to 4-6 and will visit Compton High on Saturday and Baldwin Park High on Monday while girls basketball was blown out by Santa Ana Valley High 64-6 this past Tuesday to go to 2-10. The Eagles will visit La Mirada on Friday and Baldwin Park on Monday.

After going 0-1-3 in the Troy Warrior Classic, boys soccer had no problems with Bassett High in a 6-1 game this past Monday, improving to 2-4-3. The Eagles will travel to Ocean View High on Friday while girls soccer has been outscored 51-1 in seven games this season and will not have a game until Jan. 6.

LA MIRADA

Boys basketball lost to St. John Bosco High 62-51 last Saturday in the final day of the Braves Winter Classic as the Matadores (4-4) head to Las Vegas to play Perry High out of Gilbert, AZ on Friday in the opener of the Tarkanian Classic. The tournament runs through Tuesday.

Boys soccer lost to Santa Fe 1-0 this past Tuesday to drop to 2-5-0 as the Matadores will visit Brea Olinda High on Friday while girls soccer tied Cypress High 0-0 and lost to Oak Hills High 1-0 last Saturday in pool play action of the Best in the West Winter Classic. La Mirada (2-3-1) hosted Katella on Dec. 18 and will face South Pasadena on Saturday in the last pool play game in the tournament.

NORWALK

Boys basketball fell to Kennedy 41-34 this past Tuesday for its third loss in 11 games as the Lancers will travel to Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High on Friday and Sunny Hills on Tuesday while girls basketball got to 6-6 after a 66-24 win over Workman High on Dec. 10. Norwalk hosted Western High on Dec. 18.

Boys soccer is 1-4-1 after its loss to Gahr while girls soccer tied Bell High 1-1 and lost to Wilson 2-1 last Saturday in pool play action of the Best in the West Winter Classic. The Lancers (1-6-1) will face Capistrano Valley Christian High on Saturday in the first of two games of the tournament.

VALLEY CHRISTIAN

Boys basketball (5-4) hosted Paramount High on Dec. 18 and will go to Santa Fe on Friday while boys soccer (6-1-1) won the Troy Warrior Classic with a 2-1 win over Crean Lutheran High last Saturday.

Girls soccer blanked Calabasas High 1-0 and defeated Jordan High 3-1 last Saturday in pool play action of the Best in the West Winter Classic. V.C. improved to 5-1-2 and will face Magnolia High on Saturday in pool play action of the tournament.

WHITNEY

Boys basketball defeated Godinez High 69-63 this past Monday to improve to 5-10 as the Wildcats hosted Irvine High on Dec. 18 and will go to Garden Grove High on Saturday while girls basketball is 8-6 after a 53-49 win against Savanna last Friday. It’s the last game of 2025 for the team.