Week 5: DRL regroups, wins four of five

Coach Rush went Neff, not LM

LM 4 Life
What I posted was Cullen was the most recruitable,or if you like the most recruited player on LM's team.There are different stages of being recruited getting letters, getting hand written letters,getting phone calls from the coaches on a weekly basis, being invited to games and overnight official visists.So if Cullen is getting 4 out of those 5. If not being recruited, they are watching him closely.Oh yeah by 2 division 1 schools.Now that doesnt mean he will get an offer it just means they are watching him.So these two schools must think he is at least recruitable.That being said he has to be on the field in order for these schools to evaluate him.
Now I never stated he was being recruited by USC and becouse I actually know what they told him,What I did say was The USC coaching staff was very complimentary Of Cullens technique and footwork.At the USC camp Cullen worked against some of the top recruits in the country and held his own. If you wish not to beleive me you can try to look up the article on the old We are sc.com site.
So please tell me what have I said not to be true.
Nobody on this LM team is bragging about anything.They are just trying to win the next game.

Young Mr. Mc Intosh
So all you had was Rudiger one of the top rated LB in the State that year who also played FB, and Meyer just a regular old QB who was player of the year in D-1AA and almost made it to the NFL. Nothing much.I am sure you desire for a win is so much greater then these kids on the field tonight that that made the difference in wins and losses.
Thanx for proving my point

Can anybody just say La Mirada is having a bad year. Wether it be the coaches, the player or both. I played for Coach Gauthier My freshman year and Coach Mele for three. We did Not have great talent those years with the exception of Erik Meyer, and Chris Rudiger, but we found a way to win. As everybody knows those two coaches did not have the most complicated or diverse offenses. Its all about having the will to win. Coach Mele was notorious for calling draws or screens and third and long. WE got the job done. It wasnt that we were great players we just wanted to win. It seems to me that these kids do not want it bad enough. In 01' my junior year we were not even ranked by anybody, because we had no talent. I believe we went 12-2 and made it to the cif championship game. its not that we were big strong or talented. We just wanted to win. 0 scholarship players while beating foothill and newport harbor with more scholarship players then the whole division alone. No talent + third year head coach - any school spirit = losing season. by the way i would like to bring this question to the table best high school football game in the last decade? i will put my vote in for la mirada vs. newport harbor 01'

wow here we go again parents hyping up players who dont need to be...gosh can this board stick to teams and not individuals?

and who the heck is jack francis?

thanks for the support im glad our alumni can come together and support us when we need it and not when were killing everyone but they spend there time bashing our players and coaches not trying to help us just making things worse

so thanks to all you who stand by us

Jack Francis is a big talent. Maybe not DI but he could play some JC ball. The Kid plays like a man posessed every game. This kid has big time heart

Its time once again to give my picks, here goes nothing...

La Serna 33 Whittier 14

Santa Fe 31 El Rancho 7

Cal 27 Pioneer 13

St. Paul 28 Amat 17

La Habra 41 Troy 35

Norwalk 28 La Mirada 10

Alhambra 42 Montebello 10

This La Mirada has NO potential D-1 players...give me a break. Being a resident for all my 27 years of living, I can say since i could actually judge talent (14), this is the WORST la mirada team i have ever seen.....and i played 4 years and was a 3 year letterman at OT.

Last year there were a only a couple who had a shot, who were far more gifted athetically than the rest, and even they couldnt make it, so dont tell me Cullen(who cant play an entire game without ejection or injury) will go D1 or even mention his name with USC, because that is a disgrace to the university itself, dont give out false information like that. Cerritos will likely be the end of the line for these guys, then while standing on the sidelines their freshman year they will realize its not in the cards, and will finally get the hint that its the education that counts...

who cares about how the football team was, because being on a 4-7 team your senior year is nothing to brag about especially when thats ALL you have...

La Mirada has always been a historic program, but all good things come to an end.

B. Vermont

Ryan is correct, you can have Lombardi coaching but even he needs something to work with.That being said talent needs to be guided with continued growth.
You state the how successful The freshmen have been, but D. Gauthier didnt win league with this team was he a bad coach that year?
In years past you knew that LM had good players and good players in the pipeline.Think about players who played at LM Watson ,3- Lemon brothers,Adams,Robinson,Rudiger brothers,Woods,Feula.Tevaga brothers.That covers aprrox 12 years of winning.How many programs wish they could of had half of these guys play for them .
Cullen seems to be one of the more recruitable kids on the team. He was one of the best offensive lineman at the USC camp and drew high praise from USC coaching staff for his technique and footwork.Does anybody here think that the offensiveline coach taught Cullen these techniques and footwork and didnt teach it to the other lineman.
Rush as a coach has helped some of the kids I mentioned before get to the next level, He continues to teach this to this group.
Football programs have high and lows,and LM had a very nice and long high,maybe its time for them to go through a low,to the delight of the rest of the Suburban league.
Seems that too many are trying to find fault and blame the coaching staff,and without doubt they are ultimately responsible.
I am 100% certain both the coaching staff and these kids are working with passion dedicaton to get back on the way to winning games
All things should be considered when evaluating both the coaching staff and Kids performance in a public forum such as this.

B Vermont

You are aware that this LM senior class did not win league as freshman.So maybe nothing was lost along the way.The problem is nothing has been gained along the way.

Notre Dame(coached by Weis) has not beaten SC

notre dame beat UCLA...

wow the arguement is totally invalid due to a lack of fact and common sense, UCLA is NO SC this season.....

and ucla lost 44-6 to utah and is playing a walk on QB, so its not the BIG of a deal..

To B.Vermont

I believe the question is are you for real?

I am a huge Notre Dame fan. But Notre Dame did not beat No. 2 USC moron. They beat UCLA. UCLA was unranked by the way. Stanford beat No. 2 USC. But obviously you no nothing about football and apparently nothing about sports. Notre Dame did beat UCLA but it definitly wasn't because of Weis' offensive genius. UCLA's top two quarterbacks got injured and they played with a walk-on freshman. They won because the players made pays not the coach. I stand by my statement players win the game not the coach. I challenge one coach to come on here and tell me he can consistantly win with no talent. Please don't state imaginary facts like Notre Dame beating USC they don't play for two weeks. I will quote a line from a book written maybe the greatest basketball coach ever John Wooden "You Don't Win Without Talent. Nobody Does." But I suppose you know more about coaching then John Wooden. When you don't even know who Notre Dame picked.

B. Vermont,

Where do you get your information? I must have been asleep when Notre Dame beat #2 SC, and I'm a huge Notre Dame fan!!!

Good luck to all Del Rio League teams, except Cal, Titans play them this week.

Vermont and others-
I also think the La Mirada JV team has won league the past few years, and are on a roll again this year. Frosh league champs, then JV league champs, then Varsity Chumps.....Can't be the kids!

Ryan;

Are you for real?

You cite Notre Dame as a team with no talent. Just how did they beat an SC team that was ranked #2 in the nation?? Despite their record, coach Weis had them prepared, especially, mentally. "Good coaches don't win football games." THINK again.
Don Gauthier, LM Freshman coach, has won 21 league championships in the past 25 years. So, tell me, what is the difference between these players playing for Mr. Gauthier and 2 to 3 years later at the varsity level. I guess they lost their "talent" along the way.
You are right "Good coaches get the best out of the players they have." Sorry, coach Rush is not a "good" coach. He should make changes or resign. The morale of the players STINK. They get one TD behind and they give up. The players go into games expecting to lose. The play calling STINKS. These are the fault of the head coach.

Navarro
You are right about the er dreaming it won't happen again. I think being manhandled is getting your butt kicked up and down the field by the other team. So if you win or lose 7-3 thats a tough game,and I think most people would agree. Went to your website nice job keep up the good work.

D.Navarro

Quit giving out second hand information on your website and go see a game.

When was the last time PiHi did anything maybe I'm to young to remember.

To Navarro. Let me ask you a question were you at the Verbum Dei vs. Whittier game? I know BIGRED was. I think he has a legitamite opinion. Yours is based on what? How do you know they were manhandled did you see even one play? The difference was three points that is not manhandle by any stretch of the imagination. I've never heard of a three point manhandling. Making comments about a game you never watched is complete ignorance. I wouldn't make excuses for Whittier but c'mon if you don't watch the game don't talk about it.

B. Vermont I don't know about coach Rush, but the fact is nobody not even football genius' wins without talent. Yeah coaching is can help but you need talent. I have never heard a coach say the opposite. Good coaches get the best out of the players they have. Good coaches don't win football games. Players do. Look at Coach Weis at Notre Dame. He is considered by almost everybody to be an offensive genius, yet Notre Dame has one of the worst offenses in the nation. Why? Because they don't have talent. I don't know the La Mirada program to judge I just know u need talent to win.

"DO NOT HATE ON THE DRL...St. Paul cliams to be the class of the area....act like it...So you beat El Rancho, LM, and Cantwell, so what

You guys should beat Bishop Amat who is not that good this year.

Lets see how you do against Crespi and Chaminade, hopefully you win and represent the area well"

Trust me, this one particular poster is not indicative of all St. Paul posters.

Some of our faitful tend to get a little overzealous as do many fans.

Winning with dignity, pride and class are trademarks of the SP program.

Some of our guys forget that. Don't worry, we'll remind them. :)

Oh come on Big Red. You're sounding liking erfootball dreaming about what might have been except for a fumble or time ran out, or trafic backed up on whittier blvd. A loss is a loss. Highest score wins. The cardinals only scored 7 point. That's being manhandled. I give whittier their fair due over on the DRL website. Anything more, they have to earn on the field.

First of all Mr. McIntosh. You surely know, there is a huge difference between "knowing" football and coaching football.
The play calling so far this year is HORRIBLE. If coach Rush is not calling the plays then it is up to him, as head coach, to make a change.
Excellent coaches get results with or without a team loaded with talent.
I never said coach Rush was not a good person. I'am sure he is. Let's not confuse a persons character with their ability to coach H.S. football.

Anonymous,

DO NOT HATE ON THE DRL...St. Paul cliams to be the class of the area....act like it...So you beat El Rancho, LM, and Cantwell, so what

You guys should beat Bishop Amat who is not that good this year.

Lets see how you do against Crespi and Chaminade, hopefully you win and represent the area well

and you are not the only good team, La Habra just might be better than you, maybe, and there are other teams in the DRL besides ER, play them and see you if you get a shutout

Anonymous,

DO NOT HATE ON THE DRL...St. Paul cliams to be the class of the area....act like it...So you beat El Rancho, LM, and Cantwell, so what

You guys should beat Bishop Amat who is not that good this year.

Lets see how you do against Crespi and Chaminade, hopefully you win and represent the area well

and you are not the only good team, La Habra just might be better than you, maybe, and there are other teams in the DRL besides ER, play them and see you if you get a shutout

D Navarro
You said you explore data, Explore this. Whittier did not get manhandled by Verbum Dei the score was 10-7. Whittiers offense had the ball 4 times after the half, one punt,two were fumbles and one was the last drive when they were on the 29 yard line and driving when time ran out, and the 1:40 time that ran while their was a injured player that the ref's didn't put back on the clock. Take away the kicker and the score is Whittier 7 VD 6 Manhandled I think not

Who's the better team... Really?

Does it take more than W's and schedules to decide.

As we anticipate Game Night for our favorite team we run into comments like... My team is better in spite of their record because they played a tougher schedule... much ado is made about schedules when ranking a team.

In the Southeast Division La Habra (Freeway) and California (DRL), are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 respectively. La Serna (DRL) is ranked No. 3. Santa Fe (DRL) sits at No. 5, while Whittier (DRL)comes in at No. 8, one ahead of Pioneer (DRL), No.9.

Five of six DRL teams made the top ten list. Do they belong? And is the order correct?

Over at the DRL website, http://pioneer-hs.com/drl , we've broken it down. What we found out when it come to schedules is ... it's much ado about nothing. In the end, what counts is what happens between the goal posts under the Friday Night Lights.

With the start of League play the next list will shake out the pretenders and over the course of the next few weeks a real leader will emerge.

LA MIRADA IS HORRIBLE!!!

what happened these past 4 years, its awful playcalling!!!

this weeks la mirada/norwalk prediction

norwalk 24

La mirada 10

this will complete the end of the era of LM "hard rockin" football, say hello to the new team in the Norwalk -La Mirada district, the lancers of Norwalk. With la mirada's enemic d-line, big emosi and moreno will create HUGE holes for Penny & Guzman, say hello to the at-large if ur lucky playoff spot vs. el dorado or troy la mirada.....=)

okay everyone stop writing about the boring del rio league and start bogging it up on the only good local team. The St. Paul Swordsmen. Write about the way they are going to stomp Bishop Amat. Go Swordsmen. And yes the Del Rio League is boring.

The DRL is so strong this year that 5 of the 6 teams are ranked in the top 10 in the Southeast Division

Cal #2
LS #3
SF #5
WHS #8
PHS #9

DRL Football will be competitive!!

First of all B. Vermont. You know how hard it is to take over such a sucessful program like la mirada. Just look at the college level with Louisville. I had the privlege of playing for coach Rush. He is a great coach, and a good person overall. I mean the guy knows football. Played at the college level and was inducted into his colleges hall of fame. I hear know one calling for the resignition of John Glenns or Norwalks coaches. one bad year is not that bad. Plus look at the talent coming in to the school.i mean they only have a handful of quality ball players. the past years LMHS has been stacked. look at the talent that has come through there. Erik meyer, Mike Cardona, Dave Rush, Kenny Watts. Mike Moschetti, Ben Adams, Xavier Lebrija, Chris Rudiger, the Tevaga brothers, and Many more. THe talent pool has simply run out for a while. THe demographic has changed. I mean when i started on the offensive line in 01 and 02 are line avereged 6'2 300 pds. what is it now. 5'8 250. im not knocking these kids i have coached them at one point or another, but its not the athletes of old.So Just give it a year or two. What they need to do is get back to the days when la mirada was tough and a bunch of madmen playing like it was there last game ever. thats how we played.

hsfootballfan,
While I agree that it is far too soon to plan a CIF Championship game, there are some clear favorites. The Southeast Division is comprised of five leagues; Almont, Del Rio, Freeway, Golden West and Mission Valley.

Alhambra was putting a lot of points on the board, than lost to an 0-4 South El Monte squad.

Bell Gardens seems tough this year. Many fans' favorite.

Schurr is not the team they were last year and an missing O.C. was a big part of the game.

Del Rio,,,Hard to read....La Serna, CAL, PHS and WHT have all having good pre-seasons. Or are they considered non-league games???

I'm not to aware of how tough these teams were tested in the pre-season. Beginning league play will be very interesting. Last year the Del Rio sent 4 teams to CIF playoffs. If pre-season wins are used as a guide to decide the 16th team for the bracket, it may happen again.

Freeway,,,,I met Troy running back Derrick Coleman in person. What a class act and humble. Yes, he is all of 6' 225. No wonder UCLA is giving him him an athletic scholly to play linebacker... He told me he wasn't looking forward to playing La Habra at their house.

Mazzotta at La Habra is a fierce competitor. It may be a high scoring game, like last year. Winner decided in the last minutes.

Fullerton plays a tough pre-season. They will be ready to battle in CIF playoffs.

Golden West,,,

Saddleback and Westminister are looking really good.

Mission Valley,,,Arroyo early favorite, returning QB and a big TE.

With that said, in High School football, the team that wants it the most will be victorious come Friday night. Anything can happen.

hey Patrick what did Randy Castillo win his two CIF championships in. Be careful what you write on here because people with a much greater knowledge than you can reveal your tales. So if you want to pop off about championships make sure you clarify what sport. You must be talking about basketball on a football blog. Wait til december or choose another blog

LM coach Rush;

Think of the players, students and the school.

Resign...IMMEDIATELY.

HS Football Observer,

Thanks for the info about Troy, I didnt even know...Tell me, do you think this is a preview of what I believe are by far the two best teams in the Southeast Division on the field and on paper? The Southeast Division does include the Almont and DRL but I just feel that La Habra and Troy who both have basically the same teams from last year coming back have to be the clear favorites right now to compete for the CIF crown.

I know that the CIF playoffs are far away right now and alot can happen....so feel free to leave your "unbiased" opinion of who will compete for CIF...

and NO BIG RED as you said it was Whittier and everyone else for the DRL crown, the case is not the same for CIF. Although the teams in DRL that make playoffs will be battle tested, but I believe Troy and La Habra will just want it more since they both just came up short in the CIF semis last year

It's not uncommon for bias to play a part when picking who will win. We see alot of that in these blogs. Schurr fans reliving last year and expecting more of the same. Santa Fe fans juiced up on funny fumes convinced that the Chiefs will continue their dinasty. Homres stubbornly clinging to hope for the Dons. Condor junkies salivating over California's 5-0 start. And, Titan hopefuls for a Cinderella happening.

I made a quick list (below) of a possible DRL finish. But as I continue to explore data for my DRL website at http://pioneer-hs.com, thing look a bit different... at least on paper.

While Whittier's receipt of a forfeit following their loss to Verbum Dei moved the Cardinals to 5-0, that doesn't say much, beyond making Whittier suspect, since the winless VD manhadled them even without the use of the ineligible kicker. However, when one looks at the cumulated stats Whittier comes up as a team to be reconned with.

The Cardinal's Alec Campos is 3rd in passing with 527 yards, behind PHS's Ronnie Palacios leading with a hefty 687. Whittier also sports two of the top five rushers in Daniel Enriquez and Jonathan Quezada. Add to that Quezada and Enriques' one-two punch as scoring leaders, along with Quezada's receiving stats and the Whittier Cardinals come out on top of the DRL.

Does that mean they will win over California and La Serna? Not necessarily. After all, ink on paper and what happens on the field against any given team are never equal. If it were, the duo of Ronnie Palacios and Matt Botello could also lay claim to the crown. As could Ben Burke and Rudy Jordan of La Serna. And while Cal Hi stats are not as impressive there is still those 100 yds between the goal posts where the unexpected rules night.

Having said all this, I'm not yet ready to pick a winner but will continue to present the whole picture and possibilities of DRL 2007 over on the website. Stop by and help unravel the puzzle, with or without your bias.

ok for starter; This year the DRL is stacked with good teams and its by far one of the most competetive years. I personally am leaning towards Whittier or Cal. The cardinal offense is moving the ball down field with no haste, and slowly but surely the defense is coming along. Cal Hi defense true is putting the hurt but can the offense be as affective as their d-side. La serna to me has really played no one yet worth bragging about, but this game this week against the cards should test them out.

hsfootballfan,

Agreed, La Habra will have a big test against Troy. Should be some fireworks. However, Troy is no longer undefeated, they lost a nail-biter, 43-42, this past Friday against a tough Gargen Grove Pacifica team.

hey
i think everyone needs to stop all these predictions and let the boys play and the helmets do the talking. Yes i think we can all agree that this year there is not clear DRL champ. Also i find that all the teams have talent but, the champ this year will be the one with the heart and the will to want to be league champs. it will be interesting though but, lets just watch and see not make bold predictions and just let the young men play. This year the league champ will either go undefeated or there will be a tie

Is Can'twell still trying to find its own identity? It seems they can't win games against teams at their own level. Look out! here comes La Salle and Verbum Dei

Speaking of DRL Football...
Now retired, I have returned to following and tracking it. Including DRL team trivia. So, for all you DRL fans, if you have some interesting tidbits to offer please visit me at http://pioneer-hs.com/drl and send me interesting stats and info about your favorite DRL team. Dave said it.

The del rio league should be interesting this year. I am a Whittier graduate so I am looking forward to the Whittier vs. La Serna game. Last year Whittier dominated the game and was playing without it's quarterback. Whittier was forced to move its best runningback to quarterback but still dominated. Last years La Serna team looked slow against Whittier and it really wasn't much of a game. It will be interesting to see if Rudy Jordan and others have added enough speed to keep up with the Cardinals. To awnser profiler's question nobody in the league has beaten a great team yet. Whittier did beat Bell Gardens. Cal Hi beat Schurr. But I do not think that Schurr is the team of a year ago. If anything Whittier hasn't gotten enough respect except by their supporters.

DRL 2007-08 Final Standings

California 5-0-0
La Serna 4-1-0
Pioneer 3-2-0
Whittier 2-3-0
Santa Fe 1-4-0
El Rancho 0-5-0

La Mirada is like my favorite breakfast...Toast!

wow some rivalry the past 3 years scoring 14 points against mayfairs 106..... wow.

Whoever thought the team might have a chance to lose to Norwalk was right...

Norwalk 24
La Mirada 10

Class of 02'

DRL:
California
Heir apparent. Has the D-FENSE to subdue pretenders and the ability to score in bunches.

La Serna
If the Condors mis-step La Serna will not hesitate to steal the throne.

Pioneer
All the King's men would have to conspire to let Cinderella share in the coronation.

Whittier
Laying in wait. The Cardinals will quickly take advantage of miscues by the favorites.

Santa Fe
Those were the days my friend... we thought they'd never end; alas only the fear factor (reputation) can help the Chiefs pull off the upset and repeat as King.

El Rancho
As much as the Don's have in talent, they lack in heart. Any DRL win is a feather in their sombrero.

Hey Big Red,

Your always saying things about Pioneer. This and that about the RB,QB,or the coaching staff. We play in two weeks and then will see who wins. Your offense can't be stop right now. But your defense is lacking something. You guys have a great chance to win league.
It would be great to see us or you win league. Well good on friday and hope you run all over the Lancers. And once again great job to Coach Scott and him staff going 5-0.

and as far as Whittier TOP FIVE...

1. La Habra 5-0, they got a big test against undeafeated and #1 in Southeast division Troy possibly a preview for the Southeast Divsion Championship

2. St. Paul 4-1, ran some through Cantwell, LM, and ER. They got a test in Bishop Amat coming up.

3. Cal Hi 5-0, finished pre-season undefeated, but still kind of untested.

4. La Serna 4-1, Jordan struggled towards the end of pre-season, but La Serna showed they have other weapons.

5. Santa Fe 3-2, alot of speed everywhere but can there O-LINE bring it together.

strongly considered Pioneer and Whittier, but i only said top 5 and not 7.

im a big whittier high fan ...but the question is have they played any one ?now as i see it whittier's test would be vs la serna. yeah whittier played a hell of a game last night but who does wch have on their team this year?

im not putting whittier down ..im all for the big red ..go cardinals..but lets be realistic

BIG RED,

hahahahaha!! you gotta be kidding, not just everyone but yourself too!!

The DRL is up for grabs for grabs this year and I honestly can't determine a favorite but I believe that the league title contenders are Cal Hi, La Serna, and Santa Fe, but Whittier, Pioneer and ER are no push-overs this year and should not be overlooked.

1. Santa Fe, Cal-Hi, La Serna,
There could very well be a tie this year atop the DRL, the champ could even be 3-2 this year bc it is so competitive, Santa Fe is the 6-time defending champs and 8 or 9 out of 10 so they will compete and will probably be in contention for the title til the end,

Cal-Hi has alot of talent everywhere and had a great showing in pre-season,

La Serna stumbled a lil at the end of preseason but Burke stepped up, this is not a one-man team.

These 3 programs have been the cream of the crop over the last few years, so disrespect to rest but this is the way I see it, with those 3 on top.

4. Pioneer
Could compete for a playoff berth and possily the league title, they have some talent, but are they deep enough?

5. Whittier
Will compete for a playoff berth, they can run, but can they contain on defense for 4 quarters against the DRL?

6. ER
They can only go up, they will compete this year, and don't be surprised if they win a game or two.

Ok I'll try again
1. Whittier - Great offence, and the defence is starting to come around.
2. Santa fe - Played the toughest non league
3. Cal hi - Played the weakest non-league, but still has the best OL in the DRL.
4.& 5. la Serna or Pioneer both teams played a weak non-league. are not as good as they think they are.
6. El Rancho - Tough players, but it's not enough.
I do agree that on any given night even the best teams in the DRL could lose if they are not ready to play that night.

Yo, Big Red:
Not sure I'd go that far, but indeed, Whittier did look very good in besting Whittier Christian. Daniel Enriquez is as good a back as I've seen this season, and Jonathan Quezada isn't far behind. The big thing was the play of the line. Nearly every DRL team has the ability to run the ball, so I think the difference will be in the line play.

1. Whittier
Let the rest fight it out for 2nd