September 2008 Archives

Thursday's result:
California 34, Garden Grove Pacifica 27
Condors QB Perea shows little guys can play, too.

Friday's results:
La Serna 31, La Mirada 14
Gluck 129 yards, 3 TDs, Lozano 89 yards, 2 TDs key ground game
St. Paul 28, Cantwell 0
Swordsmen too big a bite for Cardinals to chew
Montebello 20, El Rancho 13
Big win for Oilers; puzzling loss for Dons
La Habra 52, Westminster 7
Badly overmatched, Lions seemed to be indifferent about it.
San Clemente 21, Santa Fe7
Score not indicative of how close the game really was.
Cypress 41, Pioneer 7
Yes, Cypress was favored, but where was Titans' offense?
Schurr 31, Hacienda Heights Wilson 28
Spartans apparently hadn't read Tim Gilmore's press clippings.
LA Roosevelt 16, Whittier 14
Does it hurt more when you play a team even and lose on a late FG?
St. Margaret's 42, Whittier Christian 26
Heralds don't have to worry about meeting Tartans again in playoffs.

Last week's results: Roger Murray 10-3; Andrew Campa 9-4
Up to date: Murray 24-7; Campa 22-9.

This week's picks:
Thursday's game: GG/Pacifica at California: Murray (California); Campa
(Pacifica)

Friday's games:
La Mirada vs. La Serna: Murray (La Serna); Campa (La Serna)
Cantwell at St. Paul: Murray (St. Paul); Campa (St. Paul)
El Rancho at Montebello: Murray (El Rancho); Campa (El Rancho)
Westminster at La Habra: Murray (La Habra); Campa (La Habra)
Cypress at Pioneer: Murray (Pioneer)l Campa (Cypress)
Santa Fe at San Clemente: Murray (San Clemente); Campa (San Clemente)
Schurr at HH Wilson: Murray (HH Wilson); Campa (HH Wilson)
LA Roosevelt vs. Whittier: Murray (LA Roosevelt); Campa (LA Roosevelt)
WhChristian at St. Margaret's: Murray (St. Margaret's); Campa (St.
Margaret's)

And, just for fun:
Murray's upset special: Santa Fe over San Clemente
Campa's upset special: Pioneer over Cypress

.

The La Mirada vs. La Serna football game has been moved from Saturday to Friday.
Same time (7 p.m.), same location (Whittier College).
Also remember, both schools draw exceptionally well. Parking will be at a premium.
But then, walking is good, too.

La Habra defeated Southeast Division top-ranked host South Hills, and Santa Fe routed visiting Littlerock to lead local high schools to a 7-4 record in games this weekend.

La Habra 22, SouthHills 13:
Highlanders merely solidify reputation as area's best program.
Santa Fe 36, Littlerock 0:
Another big game for Turner overcomes Chiefs' sluggish start.
La Serna 14, Norwalk 8
Winners played just well enough to do just that.
California 14, La Mirada 10
Condors won battle of offensively-challenged teams.
Cantwell Sacred Heart 62, Bassett 0
Only running time in second half kept the score down.
El Rancho 31, Bell Gardens 30
Hopefully Aldecoa's injury won't prove the victory costly.
Whittier Christian 34, Savanna 16
Up to now, Heralds' perfomances impressive; Top-ranked St. Margaret's next.
Rowland 37, Montebello 6
Oilers seemingly can't find right combinations on either offense or defense.
South El Monte 49, Pioneer 40
Titans' offense stepping up; Should the defense feel guilty?
Downey 17, Schurr 13
Spartans lost home field advantage, then lost game.
Warren 42, Whittier 14
Cardinals spot Bears 21-0 advantage, can't recover.

Schurr athletic director Tom Thomson called to inform that tonight's game with Downey has been switched from Schurr to Downey High School. Seems the Spartans have lost power to light their field. Game time still 7, or whenever the officials arrive.

It took a while to get going, but Santa Fe managed to defeat visiting
Littlerock, 36-0, in a preseason football game Thursday night.
Senior running back Aaron Turner carried 26 times for 232yards,
including touchdown runs of 22, 50, 3 nd 11 yards. Turner has 579 yards and nine touchdowns in two games.
Junior quarterback Alex Flores was intercepted twice in the first half
but rallied in the second half to complete all five of his passes for 89 yards, including
a pair of 22-yarders to tight end Nikolai Crouch that set up Turner's
last touchdown.
Backup quarterback Ryan Garcia got the Chiefs' final touchdown on a
35-yard keeper in the final minutes.
Santa Fe sacked Littlerock quarterback Sean Duffy four times, two of
them by Crouch, and blocked a pair of punts, the first one setting up
Turner's 22-yard touchdown run.
Santa fe improves to 2-0; Littlerock slips to 2-1.

Several area schools opened the football season in spectacular
fashion, at least offensively. La Serna, 56 points; Cantwell, 49 points;
El Rancho, 49 points; La Habra, 40 points; Santa Fe, 40 points;
Whittier, 33 points.
And Whittier Christian scored 36 in a losing cause.

Last Week's picks: Roger Murray 10-3; Andrew Campa 9-4.
Totals to date: Murray 14-4; Campa 13-5.

This week's picks:
Thursday's game:
Littlerock at Santa Fe - Murray (Santa Fe); Campa (Santa Fe)

Friday's games:
California at La Mirada - Murray (California); Campa (California)
Bassett at Cantwell - Murray (Cantwell); Campa (Cantwell)
El Rancho at Bell Gardens - Murray (El Rancho); Campa (Bell Gardens)
La Habra at South Hills - Murray (La Habra); Campa (La Habra)
Norwalk at La Serna - Murray (La Serna); Campa (La Serna)
Rowland at Montebello - Murray (Rowland); Campa (Rowland)
Pioneer at South El Monte - Murray (South El Monte); Campa (South El Monte)
Downey at Schurr - Murray (Schurr); Campa (Schurr)
Whittier at Warren - Murray (Warren); Campa (Warren)
Savanna at Whittier Christian - Murray (WhChristian); Campa
(WhChristian)

Six area teams ranked among the Top 12 in their respective CIF-SS
divisions, with three of them moving up, two dropping and one remaining
the same.

La Habra continues as the Southwest (Div. VI) Division's No. 2 behind
El Dorado after whipping Downey, 40-15.

Improving their rankings were Santa Fe, from No. 5 to No. 3 and
California, from No. 7 to No. 5, in the Southeast Division (Div. VII),
and St. Paul, which moved from No. 6 to No. 3 in th Western Division
(Div. III).

Santa Fe rousted Warren, 40-14, and California defeated Rowland,
23-10.

Dropping were Schurr, from No. 4 to No. 10 in the Southeast Division
after a tough, 17-14 loss to Burbank Burroughs, and Whittier Christian,
which fell from No. 6 to No. 10 in the Mid-Valley Division (Div. XI).

Locals listed among others receiving votes were La Serna, Whittier
and Pioneer in the Southeast Division, and Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary
in the Northwest Division (Div. 10).

Each of the Daily News' Top 5 ranked teams came out on top, four of them with decisive decisions and all of them impressive. As expected, in nearly all of the games, running backs were featured, and defense was a catalyst.

Thursday's result:
Whittier 33, Bell Gardens 30
Enriquez late run in clutch provides winning margin.

Friday's results:
La Habra 40, Downey 15
Hillman, Quezada and Co. set the stage for next week's titanic with
Southest Division favorite South Hills.
Santa Fe 40, Warren 14
Turner rushes for 275 yards, five touchdowns in three quarters; No chance for
Chiefs to sneak up on their DRL foes now.
St. Paul 31, LA Garfield 22
QB Lopez averages 10 yards per carry, throws for two TDs with top
rusher Bratcher still sidelined.
California 23, Rowland 10
Condors spot hosts the first score, then rallys as QB Perea throws
two TD passes, runs for another.
La Serna 56, John Glenn 0
QB Burke 7-11-150 yds, two TDs, runs for two more while defense
forces three turnovers, including two interceptions.
El Rancho 49, Cerritos 13
Marcus Aldecoa, Marcus Galan rush for 415 yards as Dons rebound in a
big way from loss in season opener.
Cantwell 49, Salesian 7
Visiting Cardinals showcase potent offense while defense manages
to grab some of the spotlight.
Fullerton 33, La Mirada 16
Visiting Matadores waste QB Poncedeleon's 213-yard passing.
Burroughs 17, Schurr 14
Second-half field goal spells defeat for Spartans.
Santa Paula 39, Whittier Christian 36
Sophomore QB Stephen Anderson, three TD passes, six in two games.
Charter Oak 52, Pioneer 28
Titans stay close for awhile, can't hang with powerful Chargers.
Baldwin Park 17, Montebello 7
Oilers still struggling to establish an offense.

Last week: Roger Murray 4-1; Andrew Campa 4-1

This week's picks:
Thursday's game
Bell Gardens vs. Whittier: Murray (Whittier); Campa (Bell Gardens)

Friday's games
California at Rowland: Murray (California); Campa (California)
Cantwell at Salesian: Murray (Cantwell); Campa (Cantwell)
Cerritos at El Rancho: Murray (El Rancho); Campa (Cerritos)
La Habra at Downey: Murray (La Habra); Campa (La Habra)
La Mirada at Fullerton: Murray (Fullerton); Campa (Fullerton)
John Glenn vs. La Serna: Murray (John Glenn); Campa (La Serna)
Montebello at Baldwin Park: Murray (Baldwin Park); Campa (Baldwin Park)
Pioneer at Charter Oak: (Murray (Charter Oak); Campa (Charter Oak)
Warren vs. Santa Fe: Murray (Santa Fe); Campa (Warren)
Schurr at B/Burroughs: Murray (Schurr); Campa (Burroughs)
LA Garfield at St. Paul: Murray (Garfield); Campa (Garfield)
Santa Paula vs. Whittier Christian: Murray (WhChristian); Campa (WhChristian)

Six area football teams rank among the top 10 in their respective divisions in this week's CIF Southern Section poll.
La Habra tops the list of locals by maintaining the No. 2 spot behind El Dorado in the Southwest Division. Both teams were idle last week.
Schurr and Santa Fe stayed at Nos. 4 and 5 in the Southeast Division, while California slipped a notch to No. 7. All three teams were idle last week.
Whittier Christian won big, rolling over Cochrane, a visitor from Alberta, Canada, 35-9, and jumped from the list of others-receiving-votes in the preseason poll to No. 6 this week in the Mid-Valley Division.
St. Paul, the Western Division's preseason No. 3, dropped to No. 6 this week after losing, 41-16, to Servite, which is ranked No. 7 in the Pac-5 Division.

Week 0, as in zero, and time to initiate the local pigskin pick'em. Sort of a test run and trying to get out of the box on the right foot.
Same as last season, Andrew Campa and I will make our selections each week and we'll keep a running total to decide something -- I'm not quite sure what -- at the end of the season.

Tonight's games:
El Rancho at West Covina, 7 p.m. -- Murray (West Covina); Campa (West Covina)
Tesoro at La Mirada, 7 p.m. -- Murray (Tesoro); Campa (Tesoro )
Montebello vs. Norwalk, at Excelsior HS, 7 p.m. -- Murray (Norwalk); Campa (Norwalk)
Cochrane, Alberta vs. Whittier Christian, at Whittier College, 7 p.m. -- Murray (Cochrane); Campa (Cochrane)
St. Paul vs. Servite, at Cerritos College, 7:30 p.m. -- Murray (Servite); Campa (Servite).

]"A work in progress."
That's St. Paul High School football coach Pete Gonzalez's progress report on the Swordsmen after they played their Blue-White scrimmage Saturday.
"It went OK," Gonzalez said of the intrasquad scrimmage. "We were playing a (simulated) game, hoping to see where our players stand, and to fix some things. We're still trying to find the right combinations."
One of the Gonzalez's priorities is finding the right equation in the offensive line. The Swordsmen may have taken a step closer to the solution, but he's still looking.
"It's a work in progress," Gonzalez said. "We're still moving guys around. Nothing is set. The good thing is the players and coaches are working hard to get it settled."
It appears the offense in general will rely more on execution than surprises, at least for the time being.
"We did OK overall," Gonzalez said. "We're a pretty basic team (offensively) right now, at least until we get it down. A work in progress. We're not going to move forward to the complicated stuff until we get the little things right first."
Linebacker Michael Demery, a transfer from Mayfair, was impressive.
"He's a very smart player," Gonzalez said. "He pays attention and works hard. He knows our stuff already."
Gonzalez also cited the efforts of Luis Garcia, who is doubling as a running back/defensive back.
"He can do a lot of things," Gonzalez said. "We're very fortunate to have someone like him."
The Swordsmen worked without Darius Bratcher, another transfer from Mayfair, who fractured two ribs in practice and is questionable for Friday's game.
That means Garcia, junior Jared Morales and returning letterman Deion Williams will get most of the reps against Servite in Friday's season opener.
Also missing Saturday was linebacker Markus Viramontes, who is recovering from surgery that removed a tumor from his toe.

While some Del Rio League football coaches are hesitant to rank the
teams in preseason, the general implication for 2008 is the same as it
has been for more than a half dozen seasons.

1. Santa Fe
2. California
3. La Serna
4. Pioneer
5. Whittier
6. El Rancho

The only one that was pretty much consensus is Santa Fe. And that
isn't set in stone. Quarterback and receiver positions are being slightly
scrutinized, hence the obvious query concerning the Chiefs ability to
pass successfully, and perhaps exposing their vulnerability.

The Nos. 2 and 3 slots were tilted toward Cal/La Serna, but there
also was support for La Serna/Cal. And add Pioneer anxious to break into the mix.

Whittier and El Rancho can be flip-flopped, too, and both are given
credibility as having potential to finish higher, and certainly the ability to be
spoilers.

The bottom line: it's basically a toss-up. Perhaps not quite as balanced
as last season, but clearly balanced enought to keep everbody interested
and paying attention.

No matter the sport, new coaches require time to get their philosophy
and Xs and Os in place. So how long is it going to take the players at
El Rancho, La Mirada and Schurr to make the necessary adjustments under
Rick Zepeda, the combination of Mike Moschetti/Ollie Lynch, and Ben
Negrete, respectively.

And which of those coaches figures to have the easiest job, or the
hardest, take your pick, in bringing his team up to speed to compete
in Del Rio, Suburban and Almont league play, respectively?

El Rancho returns two solid runners and a quarterback with some
experience from a year ago. La Mirada has a quarterback returning and
the potential for a running game, if consistency can be developed.
Schurr perhaps is in best position with the return of its starting
quarterback and running back, plus the possibility of a second quality
ball carrier via transfer (if his papers are cleared by CIF).

The offensive lines at all three schools have potential but are
suspect at this point. Same for the defenses.

None of the cupboards were left bare by the outgoing regimes, but
from here it looks like Schurr's is a bit better stocked coming into the
season.

Agree, or agree to disagree?