September 2011 Archives

We should have a new No. 1 next week, and it will be a familiar name as St. Paul, taking advantage of La Habra's blunder on Thursday, rallied to be beat Ayala. Other big wins on Friday were La Serna getting back in the win column with a victory over Warren and Whittier Christian winning for the second-consecutive week. Also, Whittier fell from the unbeatens, with a loss to Paramount. There was also a big loss, with Santa Fe losing, 49-0, to Charter Oak. It's the Chiefs' third blow-out setback in five weeks.

Here's the Friday night roundup:
No.2 St. Paul 30, Ayala 27 -- Do the Swordsmen have the look of the top team in the area? You bet. While this was closer than I thought, nothing beats 4-0, so you can expect St. Paul to come on up, especially following La Habra's 41-6 loss to St. John Bosco on Thursday. Paul Echeverria rushed for 96 yards to lead the Swordsmen, who face Schurr next week before opening Mission League play in two weeks.
No. 3 Whittier Christian 29, Salesian 14 - That's two in a row for the Heralds, who are starting look like the team that went to the Mid-Valley Division finals last season. Whittier Christian, getting 259 yards and three TDs from quarterback Daniel Chacon, led 26-0.
No. 4 California 27, Schurr 0 -- You can throw the Condors in the mix for the Del Rio League chase after blitzing the Spartans. California, keyed by Nick Gonzalez, forced five fumbles and had six sacks to coast in a nonleague game. Running backs Gabriel Lozano, Justin Dankert and jAaron Garcia combined to rush for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Bellflower 21, No. 5 La Mirada 7 - Just when we think the Mats are about to step up, they fall back. Bellflower had an 82-yard interception return for a TD and a 54-yard fumble return to set up another score to beat La Mirada in the Suburban League opener.
Charter Oak 49, Santa Fe 0 - Boy the Chiefs are difficult to figure out. This is their third blow-out loss in five games. But all against the best. The question is how this will effect their psyche. Coach Jack Mahlsted says it won't. But you still have to wonder.Running back Joey Davis rushed for 98 yards.
La Serna 21, Warren 7 - The Lancers are beginning to look like the Del Rio League favorite after beating the Bears. O.J. Medina rushed for 147 yards and two scores to lead La Serna.
St. Bernard 27, Cantwell 24 - This one will hurt. The Cardinals, getting 150 yards rushing and a TD from junior Jared Gonzales, looked like they were on their way for a win in the Del Rey League opener, leading 21-6 at halft. But the Vikings showed why they are one of the favorites after rallying.
Paramount 24, Whittier 14 - Whittier's chance at at perfect season ended against the Pirates, who led 17-0 after three quarters.
Huntington Park 17, Pioneer 13 - It was close, but the Titans fall to 0-4.

La Habra, the top team in the area all season that looked so impressively despite losses to Pac-5 Division stalwarts Servite and Orange Lutheran, laid a big egg Thursday, dropping a 41-6 setback to another Pac-5 team, St. John Bosco,
The visiting Braves had nearly 500 yards total offense, including 228 during the first half as they took advantage of three Highlander turnovers to lead 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and 28-0 by halftime.
Royce Moore had 162 total yards and scored two touchdowns and quarterback Rene Medina threw for 221 and accounted for three scores as St. John Bosco improved to 4-1.
La Habra, getting 102 yards rushing from Nick Serrato, slipped to 2-3.
The Highlanders, who lost to Trinity League members Servite and Orange Lutheran by a combined 14 points the past two weeks, lost their sixth consecutive game to teams from the Pac-5 Division League. They also went 0-3 against those three last season.
The final quarter was played with a running clock.
La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta: "They're good and we didn't play well. We didn't execute, we
didn't take care of the football. We didn't do the things our football program normally does. But they had something to do with that. They're a very good football team. That's the reality of it. That's a good group of football players.

Here's my story on one of the good guys, Whittier football coach Walter Scott, who won the ABC7 NFL High School Coach of the Week award for the third time on Wednesday.

WHITTIER - Walter Scott is a legacy at Whittier High School.
He played there and for the past 23 years has been the Cardinals' football coach. His dedication to the school and community is widely known, and Scott was rewarded for his work this week when he earned the ABC7 NFL High School Coach of the Week award.
It marked the third time he won the award, making him the fourth coach to be so honored. He received the award Wednesday.
The presentation will air Saturday on KABC's Sportszone Show about 9:15 p.m.
"It's all about these kids," Scott said. "Whittier High School is a special place. Hopefully, (winning this award) puts them in that special category.
"Around here, it's about the kids. Hopefully that translates to them, and it did. I'm kind of humbled that they chose me again. I was really surprised when they called. But because our season was so difficult last year, it was important that the same message was being sent, and that being those life skills that we are trying to give these kids."
The message has been transmitted and received.
Whittier was winless in 2010 but has opened this season with three consecutive victories. It joined St. Paul as the area's only undefeated teams.
Part of the change is another year of growth for many of the players, but also what Scott always taught them - to keep pushing forward.
"He's a great coach," quarterback Gio Hernandez said. "He's great to play for.
He didn't give up on us after last year. He's always been here for us.
"He's very positive all the time, about us just getting better and trying to improve."

Whitter Daily News Football Rankings
Rk (PR) Team (Record)
1. (1) La Habra (2-2) - There's no doubt after watching the Highlanders bring Servite and Orange Lutheran, both Pac-5 Division powers, to the brink. that deserve to stay at No. 1. I've never been one to reward a team just for playing a top upper-division team. They have to play them, and play them well. And La Habra has exceeded that expectation. It just wouldn't be fair to drop them after they've proven they can compete against the CIF-SS' best. Adding to the argument was that St. Paul and La Habra are also both No. 1 in their respective divisions.
2. (2) St. Paul (3-0) - If anything, the Swordsmen are close to their counterparts from the east. St. Paul, after starting 3-0 and pounding one of the better City Section teams in Garfield, at least forced a decision of who's No. 1. I'm just not ready to put the Swordsmen ahead of the Highlanders. But oh, would I love to see them meet!
3. (7) Whittier Christian - Why it's there is discussion of who should be No. 1, it's clear there is separation between the the rest of the top two and the rest of the area's 13 teams. The Heralds get the No. 3 spot, mainly because they won convincingly the week before. But this is still a team that seeks consistency. If they get it, they might stay in this slot for another week.
4. (8) California (2-1) - The Condors, taking advantage of some big losses, make the big leap after routing Sonora last week. They should stay there with a trip to Schurr this week.
5. (9) La Mirada (1-3) - It's hard to rank a 1-3 team this high, but the Matadores are the best 1-3 team in the area, if not the CIF-SS. They lost to St. Paul 24-7 in a game that was close until the fourth quarter, lost to La Habra by nine points and pounded previously unbeaten La Serna, 31-0. The only bad outing was a 49-14 loss to Amat. La Mirada's four opponents are combined 11-4, and three of those losses are to teams ranked in the Pac-5 top10.
Others: 6. La Serna (3-1), 7. Santa Fe (1-3), 8. Cantwell (2-1), 9. El Rancho (3-1), 10.Whittier (3-0), 11. Montebello (2-2), 12. Pioneer (0-3), 13. Schurr (0-3).

Above: La Habra's Aaron Porter is the Highlanders' defensive force. (Staff photo by Keith Durflinger)

By Steve Ramirez
Football is considered the ultimate team game, where each player's success or failure relies on everyone else on that side of the field.
But there are exceptions, and for La Habra High School, that individual is senior linebacker Aaron Porter.
He's considered to be that good, a player whose impact can be game-changing.
Porter demonstrated that ability recently, playing a major part in the Highlanders taking two of the top teams in the CIF-Southern Section - Pac-5 Division stalwarts Servite and Orange Lutheran - to the brink before close losses.
The Highlanders didn't win, but Porter - and also the team - certainly earned respect from the Division I powers, including Servite coach Troy Thomas, who was simply, glad the Friars won't have to face La Habra or Porter for the rest of the season.
"He's incredible," said La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta, who is impressed by what he's received from Porter, a four-year starter. "He played against two of the best teams Orange County has to offer and dominated, just dominated.
"He was simply the best player on the field. It's not like they didn't know who he was. It's just hard to stop him. He's a force out there."

Here is some area tibbits, leading with El Rancho improved to 3-1 after an opening-week loss:
By Steve Ramirez

One game usually doesn't define a football season. But one loss appears to be a motivator for El Rancho High School.
The Dons, who opened with a surprising setback to Los Altos, have rebounded to win their past three and might now look like the team that most thought could challenge for the Del Rio League title.
Los Altos, which has since improved to 4-0 and is ranked No. 3 in the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division, beat El Rancho, 49-36.
"I think after we lost to Los Altos, we lost a little faith," said El Rancho coach Rick Zepeda, whose Dons responded with victories over Northview (13-10), Bell Gardens (27-26) and Montebello (22-7). We were young that day.
"It was an eye-opener for us. We just got back to the fundamentals and just concentrated on doing what we do best."

This season, our high school football columnist Aram Tolegian and I will go to head-to-head in giving our predictions for all the area games from week to week. Want to play? Just add your projections and keep your tally and see how you match up.
Records (season total, last week): Ramirez (25-16, 6-5); Tolegian (28-13, 8-3).
Last Week: Aram got a little breathing room by picking Pioneer over Sunny Hills and La Mirada, while I had Pioneer and La Serna in those games. We both missed on La Habra's near-win against Orange Lutheran and El Rancho surprising Montebello.
This week: The big game on the docket is La Habra hosting St. John Bosco on Thursday. It's the final encounter of the Highlanders' Trinity League trilogy. They made good account of themselves against OLu and Servite, and I banking they can get over the hump, especially returning to the friendly confines. Friday has some good matchups, with Charter Oak traveling to the area to face Santa Fe, and St. Paul hosting Ayala. I still don't have a solid read on Santa Fe, but on the surface it doesn't appear like they have what it takes to tackle Charter Oak, which might have one of its better teams in recent memory. Over at St. Paul, how can you not take the Swordsmen, who have looked solid the first three weeks.
Aram will provide his picks later.
This week's games:
Thursday
St. John Bosco at La Habra, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (La Habra); Tolegian (SJB)
Friday
Charter Oak vs. Santa Fe at Pioneer HS, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Ch.Oak); Tolegian (Charter Oak)
Ayala at St. Paul, 7:30 p.m. - Ramirez (SPaul); Tolegian (San Pablo)
Cantwell-Sacred Heart at St. Bernard, 7 p.m. (St. Bernard); Tolegian (St. Bernard)
Bellflower at La Mirada, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (La Mirada); Tolegian (La Mirada)
Whittier vs. Paramount at California, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Whittier); Tolegian (Paramount)
California at Schurr, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (CalHi); Tolegian (Cal)
La Serna at Warren, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (La Serna); Tolegian (La Serna)
Whittier Christian at Salesian, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (WC); Tolegian (Salesian)
Pioneer at Huntington Park, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (HB); Tolegian (Pioneer)

So who's No. 1 now?
Friday saw area power La Habra jump on Orange Lutheran only to lose to another Trinity League foe, dropping a painful 30-24 setback in overtime, while No. 2 St. Paul routed what some thought was a good Garfield team, 31-8. And how to you explain La Mirada, which was 0-3 and coming off a thrashing by Bishop Amat, scoring a 31-0 over previously-unbeaten La Serna.
Here's a brief look at how the area fared:

Orange Lutheran 30, No. 1 La Habra 24 -- What can you say? This is one the Highlanders appeared to have. La Habra, getting two first-half touchdowns from Brett Bartolone, led 24-8, only to see the Lancers rally for two second-half touchdowns before winning it when Brady Roelofs recovered Jabari Wilson's fumble in the end zone. If anything, the Highlanders proved they can go toe-to-to with the top teams in the section.
No. 2 St. Paul 31, Garfield 8 -- Paul Telles threw for 219 yards and two TDs and fullback Paul Echeverria scored two TDs and the Swordsmen laid claim to the top spot after routing a team that traditional-power Bishop Amat beat at home, just 14-0. Are they worthy?
La Mirada 31, No. 3 La Serna 0 -- I finally jump on the Lancers' bandwagon, and this is the thanks? But a big win for the Mats, who got 120 yards passing from Gerry Myres and 114 rushing from Adam Carraco. I can see La Mirada making a big jump in the rankings.
El Rancho 22, No. 4 Montebello 7 -- The Dons, getting 95 yards rushing from Ronnel Lone, finally lived up to those pre-season expectations, gaining an impressive win over the Oilers.
Esperanza 21, No. 5 Santa Fe 19 -- This was one i thought the Chiefs could win. It won't get easier next week as Charter Oak, one of the top teams in the East San Gabriel Valley, comes to town.
Whittier Christian 28, St. Margaret's 7 -- The Heralds, getting 169 yards from quarterback Daniel Chacon, bounced back from last week's loss to Kern Valley.
Cantwell 21, Bell Gardens 20 -- The Cardinals, getting a late TD from Jared Gonzales, edged the Lancers, who lost by one point to an area team for the second consecutive week.
California 33, Sonora 14 -- An impressive win for the Condors over the Raiders, who advanced to the Southwest semifinals last season. A monster game from Miguel Cardiel, who had 23 tackles and a key fumble recovery. Aaron Garcia also had 146 yards rushing for California, who are looking like a team capable of cracking the top five.
El Toro 48, Schurr 0 -- It's beginning to look like a long season for the Spartans, who got routed for the third consecutive week.
Whittier 27, L.A. Roosevelt 20 -- Look who is 3-0! An impressive win for the Cardinals on the road.

Clark Livingston, the former Orange Lutheran quarterback who transferred to La Habra during the summer and was denied eligibility by the CIF-Southern Section office, received word today that he has been granted an appeal hearing by the CIF State office. The hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25 at CIF-SS headquarters in Los Alamitos.
The hearing will be conducted by state officials, but CIF-SS director of communications Thom Simmons said CIF-SS commissioner Rod Wigod,and the assistant commissioner who handled the original eligibility request will sit in on the hearing, but only to offer testimony to state officials as part of the hearing process.
"I'm happy," said Scott Livingston, Clark's father. "All we ever wanted was an opportunity to be heard. We're grateful for this opportunity."

BUENA PARK - What was expected to be a promising season for the Pioneer High School football team turned into a nightmare Thursday.
Sunny Hills' Kalil Bushala rushed for 258 yards and two touchdowns and the host Lancers rolled to a 35-6 victory over the Titans in a nonleague game at Buena Park High.
Pioneer, picked fifth in the area to begin the season, slipped to 0-3. Tony Botello led the Titans with 78 yards rushing.
Sunny Hills, also getting two touchdown passes from quarterback Matt Larsen, improved to 1-2.

O

Above: La Habra lines up against a top foe again this week.

WHITTIER DAILY NEWS RANKINGS
FOOTBALL
1. La Habra (2-1) - If you didn't think the Highlanders were the best in the area before last week, there's not argument now after La Habra went toe-to-toe with Servite, arguably the top team in the state, losing 24-16. It doesn't get any easier for the Highlanders, who face Pac-5 ranked teams Orange Lutheran and St. John Bosco in the coming weeks.
2. St. Paul (2-0) - The Swordsmen have taken care of business, beating La Mirada (24-7) and Norwalk (48-6). We get a nice barometer this week when they travel to Garfield, which made things difficult for Bishop Amat before losing, 14-0.
3. La Serna (3-0) - Sure, the Lancers three opponents are a combined 2-6-1, but last week's 21-20 revenge game over Bonita should open some eyes - this is a very good football team.
4. Montebello (2-1) - We're buying the Oilers, who very easily could be 3-0, sans a 29-22 loss to Arroyo in the final seconds.
5. Santa Fe (1-2) - It's hard to get a read on the Chiefs, whose two losses are against the top team in Arizona (Hamilton, of Chandler) and one the top teams in the Pac-5 (St. John Bosco). I still think they can challenge La Serna in the Del Rio League, but they might enter the league slate 2-3 with games against Esperanza and Charter Oak next on the docket.
Others: 6. Cantwell Sacred Heart (1-1), 7. Whittier Christian (1-2), 8. California (1-1), 9. La Mirada (0-3), 10. El Rancho (2-1), 11. Whittier (2-0), 12. Pioneer (0-2), 13. Schurr (0-2).

CIF-SS Football Polls
Mid-Valley Division
1. Maranatha (3-0), 2. Arroyo (3-0), 3. Monrovia (1-1), 4. Covina (2-1), 5. Village Christian (2-1), 6. San Dimas (2-1), 7. La Puente (2-0), 8. Montebello (2-1), 9. Whittier Christian (1-2), 10. Pomona (2-1). Others: Alhambra (3-0) 3‐0; South Pasadena (1-1).
Steve's take: Montebello and Whittier Christian are in good spots. Monrovia and Covina are still the best two teams in the division, but you have to give credit to Maranatha for taking care of business. Monrovia and Covina have losses to upper-division teams, but in Monrovia's case, they didn't play well, either.
Southeast Division
1. West Covina (2-1), 2. La Serna (3-0), 3. Arcadia (1-1), 4. Los Altos (3-0), 5. Bonita (1-2), 6. Muir (2-1), 7. Mayfair (1-2), 8. Rowland (2-1), 9. El Rancho (2-1). 10. Santa Fe (1-2). Others: Whittier (2-0), Diamond Bar (2-1), Bellflower (2-1), Glenn (2-1), California (1-1), Crescenta Valley (1-1), Diamond Ranch (0-3).
Steve's take: I get why West Covina is No. 1. They are the 2010 champs and played upper-division teams the past two weeks, losing to Loyola and beating South Hills. But I thought they should have dropped after losing to Loyola, 35-7. You reward teams who step up and punish teams who don't play well. La Serna is probably in the best spot, because of the former, I would have the Lancers No. 1. Neither El Rancho or Santa Fe have lived up to expectations. I give credit for Santa Fe for playing top competition, but you also have to play well.
Southwest Division
1. La Habra (2-1), 2. Villa Park (3-0), 3. Tustin (1-2), 4. Yorba Linda (3-0), 5. Laguna Hills (2-0), 5. Cypress (2-1), 7. El Toro (2-1), 8. Brea Olinda (3-0), 9. Fullerton (2-1). 10. Aliso Niguel (3-0). Others: Troy (2-0), El Dorado (1-2), Western (2-1), Esperanza (2-1), Foothill (1-2).
Steve's take: La Habra is the best team in the division and did nothing to dispute that despite losing to Servite last week. It will be interesting to see what happens the next two weeks if the Highlanders drop one or both games against Orange Lutheran and St. John Bosco.
Western Division
1. Chaminade (2-0), 2. St. Paul (2-0), 3. Arroyo Grande (2-1), 4. Serra (2-1), 5. St. Francis (2-0), 6. St. Joseph/Santa Maria (1-1), 7. Culver City (2-0), 8. Dominguez (1-2), 9. Atascadero (2-1), 10. Ventura (3-0). Others: Gahr (3-0), Cathedral (2-0), Righetti (2-1), Paso Robles (1-1).
Steve's take: One thing is clear: There are very good odds that a team from the Mission League will win this division, with four teams in the top 10, including the top 2. St. Paul is in a good spot, but league play is going to be a war.

Here is the two-minute drill for Friday's La Habra vs. Orange Lutheran, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Cerritos College:

This season, our high school football columnist Aram Tolegian and I will go to head-to-head in giving our predictions for all the area games from week to week. Want to play? Just add your projections and keep your tally and see how you match up.
Records (season total, last week): Ramirez (19-11, 7-6); Tolegian (20-10, 7-6).
Last Week: In what seemed like the Whittier area's version of the Saturday Night Massacre, except this one was on Friday when nine of the 13 schools lost, Aram and I took some hits, each going 7-6. He got me by picking Downey over Schurr, but I rode Whittier's success from the week before and picked the Cardinals over Pacifica.
This week: There are some interesting matchups, with none bigger than La Habra returning to Cerritos College to face Orange Lutheran. The Highlanders looked respectable there last week before falling to Servite. I like La Habra in the return, but it will be close with the Lancers looking like a traditional power again. Another key match up pits undefeated La Serna at winless La Mirada, which has played better than its 0-3 record. Can the Lancers drop the Mats into the 0-4 basket? La Serna, at this point, looks like the team to beat in the Del Rio League.
Here are this week's games:
Thursday, Sept. 22
Pioneer vs. Sunny Hills at Buena Park HS, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Pioneer); Tolegian (Sunny Hills)
Friday, Sept. 23
La Habra vs. Orange Lutheran at Cerritos College, 7:30 p.m. - Ramirez (La Habra); Tolegian (La Habra)
La Serna at La Mirada, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (La Serna); Tolegian (La Mirada)
Montebello at El Rancho, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Montebello); Tolegian (Montebello)
Santa Fe vs. Esperanza at Pioneer HS, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Santa Fe); Tolegian (Santa Fe)
Bell Gardens at Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Cantwell); Tolegian (Cantwell)
El Toro at Schurr, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (El Toro); Tolegian (El Toro)
Sonora at California, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (California); Tolegian (California)
St. Margaret's vs. Whittier Christian at Whittier College, 7 p.m.- Ramirez (WC); Tolegian (WC)
St. Paul at Garfield, 7:30 p.m. - Ramirez (St. Paul); Tolegian (St. Paul)
Whittier at Roosevelt/Los Angeles - Ramirez (Roosevelt); Tolegian (Roosevelt)

Above: La Mirada saw a lot of this Friday night.

Friday Night massacre?
It felt that way for area teams, who went 3-9. But it wasn't all bad as La Serna got some revenge on Bonita to improve to 3-0, while La Habra stood toe to toe with powerful Servite before falling. Then there's La Mirada, which after close losses to St. Paul and La Habra, laid an egg against traditional power Bishop Amat.
Here's a brief recap at Friday's games:
Bishop Amat 49, La Mirada 13 - The host Lancers, getting 303 yards rushing and five TDs from running back Jalen Moore, scored on its first seven possessions to route the Matadores, who had played reasonably well in losses to St. Paul and La Habra. "Those two teams aren't Bishop Amat," La Mirada coach Mike Moschetti said. "It's not even close."
Servite 24, La Habra 16 - The Highlanders didn't earn the upset of the year, but got some respect, staying close to the Friars. I can't see moving La Habra from it's No. 1 spot after scaring Servite a bit.
St. Paul 48, Norwalk 6 - It no match as the Swordsmen make a case for No. 1 in the area by routing the Vikings.
St. John Bosco 51, Santa Fe 0 - The Del Rio League can't start quick enough for the Chiefs, who suffered their second big loss of the season. It doesn't get any easy in the coming weeks with home games against Esperanza and Charter Oak.
La Serna 21, Bonita 20 - I believe! The Lancers, getting a 69-yard fumble return from John McFarland, showed their for real with their third win of the season, while also getting some revenge on the Bearcats, who eliminated La Serna in the semifinals last season.
Baldwin Park 23, Cantwell Sacred Heart 14 - Corey Collins rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, but the Cardinals couldn't overcome an early deficit in step up game.
Arroyo 29, Montebello 22 - The Oilers suffered a heartbreaker as Arroyo's Steven Rivera threw a 30-yard TD pass with 50 seconds left to lift Arroyo. You have to be pleased with Montebello which showed it can compete with the best of the Mid-Valley Division.
Downey 50, Schurr 14 - It's been a rough start for Schurr, which also lost 22-0 to Cantwell last week. Can they regroup?
Troy 21, California 10 - Lawrence Gomez had a 45-yard TD run to lead the Condors in a loss.
Salesian 28, Pioneer 7 - Tony Botello was held to 67 yards rushing as the Titans fell to 0-2.
El Rancho 27, Bell Gardens 26 - The Dons stopped a two-point conversion with a minute left to improve to 2-1.
Kern Valley 28, Whittier Christian 21 - The Heralds fell to 1-2 with a loss to Kern Valley.

This is your chance to talk about what you want to talk about, from high school sports to whatever crosses your mind. How about who should be No. 1 in this week's Daily News Elite 13? Should we drop La Habra from the top spot for losing? Or should we reward the Highlanders for playing Servite tougher than any one expected they could?
Go at it!

Just got the official word, direct from Servite, that Friday's La Habra vs. Servite game at Cerritos College is at 7 p.m. Fox Sports West will televise the game on a delayed basis, beginning at 8 p.m. Sorry for the confusion.
As another side note, La Habra will be on the home side.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.
The La Serna High School football team graduated the majority of players who keyed last year's 11-2 record and a trip to the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division semifinals and was expected to fall back in line.
Instead, the Lancers have continued to look like one of the better teams in the area. They opened the season with a 32-14 victory over Bonita Vista of San Diego and followed with a 42-7 win over Downey.
La Serna, which travels to Bonita on Friday, is ranked No. 3 in the area and No. 5 in the Southeast Division.
"It's like I said before, we're fortunate to have all our levels win league titles (last season)," La Serna coach Margarito Beltran said. "The players have done a good job so far. They haven't been pretty games. It's been rough with penalties and stuff like that.
"We only have three starters back, but the kids have responded well. We've asked them to step up and they have stepped up. We're young and sometimes we play like it, but sometimes we play really well. But it's only two games and it's a long season."

The first part of the 2010 season was one California High would like to forget.
The Condors, hit hard by injuries, lost their first six games before rebounding to finish third in the Del Rio League and making the playoffs.
But that was then and this is now.
California opened this season with an impressive 41-14 win over Rowland.
"It was a nice way to start the season," said coach Jim Arnold, whose team hosts Troy (1-0) on Friday night at 7. "It was great to get that monkey off our back. It was a good win.
"It was nice for the seniors. But it's still only one game."
The key for the Condors - and what Arnold hopes can become a trend - was their running game, which blitzed the visiting Raiders for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Aaron Garcia rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown.
California also got a steady game from quarterback Drew Castro, who completed 4 of 5 passes for 103 yards and three touchdowns. Castro also ran for a score.
"We ran the ball very well," Arnold said. "We only threw five passes, and our quarterback did well when they loaded the box.
"But our thing is to run the ball. We'll continue to run it until (the defense) stops it."

Miguel, Fred and I discuss this week's big games, including Friday's huge La Habra-Servite matchup, which is will be televised by Fox Sports West at 8 p.m. on Friday. Ramirez thinks it could be closer than most experts think. .Watch it and give us your answer? We also have an interview with South Hills coach Steve Bogan....check it out.

Above: Corey Collins and Cantwell are up to No. 5 in this week's Whittier Daily News Elite 13.

Whittier Daily News Elite 13
1. La Habra (2-0) -- The Highlanders, also ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Southwest Division ran their streak against non-division I opponents to 49 with a 28-19 victory over La Mirada. The streak will remain intact since they travel to Cerritos College against arguably the best Division I team in the state - two-time Pac-5 champion Servite. The question is how will La Habra do in this step-up game, which is the first of three against D-I opponents. The Highlanders follow with games against Orange Lutheran and St. John Bosco in the coming weeks.
2. St. Paul (1-0) -- The Swordsmen, who were off last week, are also No. 2 in the Western Division. St. Paul features one of the top running attacks in the area, which should carry themselves in nonleague play. The real tests come later in the Mission League.
3. La Serna (2-0) -- So much for those graduation losses that was supposed to spell doom for the Lancers. La Serna, which was 11-2 last season, has picked up where it left off, outscoring its first two opponents, 74-21.Quarterback Frankie Palmer has accounted for eight TDs the first two weeks. This week the Lancers, ranked No. 5 in the Southeast Division, look for some payback against Bonita, which ended their playoff run last season.
4. Santa Fe (1-1) -- The Chiefs showed they aren't as bad as their 52-0 loss to 2010 Arizona champ Hamilton during Week 0, but are they as good as last week's 42-26 victory over Warren last week. Finally somewhere in between. They get another test on Friday when they travel to St. John Bosco.
5. Cantwell (2-0) -- The Cardinals got a mixed review last week, jumping on Schurr for 16-0 in the first quarter before playing sluggish in the second half for a 22-0 victory. The good was quarterback Tim Walsh, who threw for 228 yards and three TDs. They get Baldwin Park this week.
Others: 6. Montebello (2-0), 7. Whittier Christian (1-1), 8. California (1-0), 9. La Mirada (0-2), 10 Pioneer (0-1), 11. El Rancho (1-1), 12. Whittier (1-0), 13. Schurr (0-1).

This season, our high school football columnist Aram Tolegian and I will go to head-to-head in giving our predictions for all the area games from week to week. Want to play? Just add your projections and keep your tally and see how you match up.
Records (season total, last week): Ramirez (12-5, 6-4); Tolegian (13-4, 7-3).
Last Week: Aram edged me, 7-3 to 6-4. He picked Montebello over Rosemead.
This week: There top matchups this week feature La Mirada traveling up the 605 freeway to traditional power Bishop Amat, while the area's best, La Habra, takes on SoCal's best, Servite. La Mirada, after losing to St. Paul, 24-7, and La Habra, 28-19, might be the best 0-2 team in SoCal. The Matadores take on a Bishop Amat unit that might be a big angry after being demolished, 49-14, by Servite last week. The task for La Habra might be even more difficult. Servite won this game last season, 23-0. I'm going with the out-of-area team on both occasions.
Here's the picks for t his week:
Friday, Sept. 16
La Mirada at Bishop Amat, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Bishop Amat); Tolegian (Amat)
La Habra vs. Servite at Cerritos College, 8 p.m. - Ramirez (Servite); Tolegian (Servite)
Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Cantwell); Tolegian (Cantwell)
La Serna at Bonita, 7 p.m. Tribune - Ramirez (Bonita); Tolegian (Bonita)
Montebello at Arroyo, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Arroyo); Tolegian (Arroyo)
Santa Fe at St. John Bosco - Ramirez (St. John Bosco); Tolegian (SJB)
Salesian at Pioneer - Ramirez (Salesian); Tolegian (Salesian)
Schurr at Downey, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Schurr); Tolegian (Downey)
St. Paul vs. Norwalk at Excelsior Adult School, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (SPaul); Tolegian (San Pablo)
Troy at California, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Cal); Tolegian (Cal)
Whittier Christian at Kern Valley, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (WChr.); Tolegian (WChr)
Bell Gardens at El Rancho, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Bell Gardens); Tolegian (BG)
Saturday, Sept. 17
Whittier vs. Pacifica/Garden Grove at Bolsa Grande, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Whittier); Tolegian (GG)

The status quo was the norm during the second week of the high school football season Friday night, with very few surprised. The big story on the night by be Whittier, which won on the field for the first time since 2009 with a big win on the road over Artesia.
Here's a recap of the games:

Cantwell Sacred Heart 22, Schurr 0 -- The Cardinals, getting some quick hitters from quarterback Tim Walsh and receiver Corey Collins, jumped out to a 16-0 in the first quarter and were never threatened. Walsh, making his high school debut, threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns, with Collins getting 168 receiving yards. Cantwell held Schurr to 129 yards.
La Habra 28, La Mirada 19 -- This was closer than most probably expected as the Matadores played well only to lose to one of the top teams in the area. Last week, it was a 24-7 setback to St. Paul. Stud receiver Brett Barolone had TD receptions fo 28 and 25 yards to go along with 101 yards rushing to lead the Highlanders, who go big time when they face 2010 Pac-5 champ Servite. La Mirada, getting a 20-yard TD pass from Gerry Myres to Dallis Shipp,pulled with 21-19 with six minutes left before Bobby Freudenberg's interception with two minutes to play sealed it.
California 41, Rowland 14 -- There will be no 0-6 start for the Condors, who rolled the Raiders in the opener. Aaron Garcia rushed for 126 yards to lead an ground game that gained 258 yards.
El Rancho 13, Northview 10 -- Josh Lopez scored on a 38-yard run and Joey Sanchez threw a 15-yard TD pass to Adrian Rodriguez to lead the Dons. Sanchez sealed the win with an interception inside El Rancho's 20 with less than a minute to play.
La Serna 42, Downey 7 -- So much for those concerns for the Lancers' graduation losses. La Serna, led by Frankie Palmer, have picked up where it left last season, scoring its second impressive victory in as many weeks. Palmer threw for 187 yards and three TDs and had a 29-yard run for a TD. Next up is rematch against Bonita, which beat the Lancers in the semifinals last season. Oh my!
Montebello 20, Rosemead 9 -- Don't look now, but guess who is 2-0? It's the Oilers, using 112 yards passing from quarterback Matt Saenz, were too much for the Panthers,
Glenn 38, Pioneer 33 -- The Titans, expected to challenge in the Del Rio League, couldn't contain Eagles' quarterback Anthony Escobar, who threw for 201 yards, and running back Steven Reed, who blitzed them for 254 yards. Tony Botello had a 71-yard TD run to lead Pioneer.
Santa Fe 46, Warren 26 -- The Chiefs, throttled by Hamilton, of Chandler, Ariz.. last week, rebounded with an impressive victory. Justin Retiz threw for 154 yards and Joey Davis had 120 yards receiving. It's back into the fire place next week as the Chiefs travel to Pac-5 foe St. John Bosco.
Whittier 54, Artesia 14 -- The Cardinals, who did not win on the field last season, opened their season with a bang. Gerry Pantoya had 113 yards rushing and three TDs to lead Whittier, which also got 114 yards from Chris Velasco and 88 from Jonathan Mazon.

RIVERSIDE -- Whittier Christian High School football coach Sergio Gradilla vowed this week that his Heralds would make a better effort to use their running game.
He wasn't kidding.
The Heralds, using the services of senior running backs Ryan Morales and Johnathan Marquez, blitzed host Notre Dame of Riverside for 339 yards rushing to cruise to a 49-7 victory over the Titans Thursday night in a nonleague game at Riverside Community College.
Morales rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns, with Marquez piling up 125 and three scores as Whittier Christian improved to 1-1. Quarterback Daniel Chacon, who threw for more than 300 yards last week in a loss to Esperanza, passed for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
Joshua Ivery rushed for 95 yards, all in the first half, to lead Notre Dame, which slipped to 1-1.
"In order for us to be successful, (running the football) is what we need to do," Gradilla said. "It was great. We want to run the football, and we did it tonight.
"I'm really proud of this team. Last week's opponent was good. To come back like this was good for us. We finally got a win on the season."

Here's the two-minute drill for Friday's La Habra-La Mirada matchup:

I thought this year it would great to rank all 13 teams in the Whittier Daily News coverage. So here's the list, with notes on the top five, after the first week of play. And yes, La Habra still finds itself on Highlander ground:
Whittier Daily News Elite 13
1. La Habra (1-0) -- The Highlanders, despite some saying their were a few holes in the armor, showed they still have a lot of bite after receiver Brett Bartolone rushed for 95 yarrds, and three touchdowns and quarterback Cole Wolterman, getting his first career start was solid with 102 yards passing and two touchdowns in an easy 55-27 victory.. Next up is La Mirada. But the first real test comes next week against Servite.
2. St. Paul (1-0) -- The Swordsmen offensive scheme worked to a tee as a quartet of running backs combined to gain more than 200 yards and quarterback Paul Telles was steady in a 24-7 victory over La Mirada.
3. Pioneer (0-0) -- The Titans took advantage of a bye week and some big losses from No. 3 Santa Fe and No. 4 El Rancho to move up into the three hole. Pioneer, with running back Tony Botello, should be able to push aside Glenn in their opener.
4. La Serna (1-0) -- The Lancers showed no signs of heavy graduation losses by pounding Bonita Vista for the second consecutive season. Frankie Palmer was solid in accounting for four TDs. They get a Downey team this week they should handle.
5. Santa Fe (0-1) -- It's hard to get a read when you lose to the No. 2 team in Arizona. But the Chiefs needed to play better than losing 52-0. I think this team will be there at the end, but some big improvement is needed this week.
The rest: 6. Cantwell (0-0), 7. Montebello (1-0), 8. Whittier Chr. (0-1), 9. La Mirada (0-1), 10. El Rancho (0-1), 11. California (0-0), 12. Schurr (0-0), 13. Whittier (0-0).

Here's the two-munute drill looking at Friday's Schurr at Cantwell Sacred Heart football game:

This season, our high school football columnist Aram Toegian and I will go to head-to-head in giving our predictions for all the area games from week to week. Want to play? Just add your projections and keep your tally and see how you match up.

Records (season total, last week): Ramirez (6-1, 6-1); Tolegian (6-1, 6-1).
Last Week: Aram and I both went 6-1, with both missing on Los Altos beating El Rancho, but who saw that coming. We were dead on everything else.
This week: There are two big local matchups. La Habra, the area's top team over the past decade takes on La Mirada, which looked a little better than advertised before losing to St. Paul, 24-7, last week. La Habra chewed up and spit out El Dorado, and is the easy pick, but I wouldn't be surprised if La Mirada gave the Highlanders a game for a bit. But the pick is La Habra. The other big local matchup features Schurr calling on Cantwell. The Cards went into Schurr last season and came away with a 40-28 victory. The Spartans would like to return the favor. I just don't see it happening. Both teams lost a few players to graduation, but Cantwell looks like it will win this battle of Montebello - with no disrespect to Montebello High. Speaking of the Oilers, they have an interesting matchup against Rosemead, which also has divisional implications. It should be another close one for Montebello, but I'm thinking Rosemead edges them out.
Note: Aram will provide his picks later

This Week's Games
Thursday
Whittier Christian vs. Notre Dame/Riverside at Riverside CC, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Whit. Chr); Tolegian (Whit. Chr.)
Friday
Schurr at Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Cantwell); Tolegian (Cantwell)
La Habra at La Mirada, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (La Habra); Tolegian (La Habra)
Glenn at Pioneer, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Pioneer); Tolegian (Pioneer)
Downey vs. La Serna at Whittier College, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (La Serna); Tolegian (La Serna)
Northview at El Rancho, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (El Rancho); Tolegian (El Rancho)
Rosemead at Montebello, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Rosemead); Tolegian (Montebello)
Rowland at California, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Rowland); Tolegian (Rowland)
Santa Fe at Warren, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Santa Fe); Tolegian (Santa Fe)
Whittier at Artesia, 7 p.m. - Ramirez (Artesia); Tolegian (Artesia)

La Serna High School senior Anthony Ayala is back resting athome after spending part of Friday night and early Saturday morning in the hospital after suffering a concussion late in the Lancers' 32-14 victory over Bonita Vista at California High.
"At this point, it's just a very bad concussion," La Serna coach Margarito Beltran said. "The scary part was he was unconscious for a few minutes. But he's home now. The doctors ran a (CT scan) and determined it was just a severe concussion."
The starting offensive lineman was injured near the end of the fourth quarter when his head came in contact with a knee during the scrum on an extra-point attempt. He was treated and transported to a hospital by emergency technicians. He received a CT scan, which came back negative, before being released about 4 a.m.
Beltran, who visited him in the hospital early Saturday morning, gave no time table on when or if the senior would return to the football team.
"He's playing status is irrelevant at this point," Beltran said. "We just want him to be OK, and be back at school. We'll worry about that down the road and address it later, if that's an option.
"Right now, we're worried about his health and making sure that he's OK. I was able to talk to him. He was breathing and is OK. The point is the test came back negative, which is very fortunate."

Friday's Results
St. Paul 24, La Mirada 7: The Swordsmen vaunting running game was working perfectly, rushing for 205 yards, including 105 from senior Michael Ortega. David Cabral and Paul Echeverria also combined for 85 yards, with Echeverria scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Paul Telles stepped up, throwing for 182 yards and a TD. The score was somewhat deceiving as La Mirada, getting 141 yards passing from quarterback Gerry Myres had two long drives come up empty, the second one which could have given the Matadores the lead in the third quarter. Dallis Shipp also had 106 yards receiving with a TD to lead the Matadores.
Los Altos 49, El Rancho 36: Josh Lopez and Ronnel Lone combined for nearly 200 yards rushing, but the Dons' road to become one of the elite teams in the area came tumbling down after three lost fumbles helped Los Altos score its first win in more than a year.
Montebello 21, L.A. Roosevelt 19: The OIlers didn't win the close games last season. They corrected that problem Friday with a win in their opener at Roosevelt.
Marcus Portillo set the tone early, returning a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Then with the game on the line late Montebello's defense, led by senior Daniel Servin, came up big stopping Roosevelt inside the Oilers' 20 to preserve the victory.
La Habra 55, El Dorado 27: The Highlanders, seeking their fifth consecutive CIF-Southern Section title, hardly missed a beat in the opener. Senior receiver Brett Bartolone rushed for 95 yards and three TDs as La Habra romped. Quarterback Cole Wolterman looked good in replacing Cody Clements, throwing for 102 yards and two TDs. The Highlanders jumped out to a 28-0 lead.
La Serna 32, Bonita Vista 14: The Lancers rolled in their opener, but it was a somber mood after lineman Anthony Ayala suffered a major injury near the end of the game. Ayala took a knee to the head during an extra-point attempt and had to be wheeled from the field by emergency technicians. We'll try to track down his condition on Saturday. Before the injury, quarterback Frankie Palmer led the way with three touchdown passes.
Esperanza 49, Whittier Christian 36: Troy Poole rushed for 317 yards and five TDs as the Aztecs proved to be too much for the Heralds. Whittier Christian was led by quarterback Daniel Chacon, who threw for 340 yards and two TDs. Receiver Grant Escobar had 155 yards receiving on 15 catches
Hamilton, Ariz. 52, Santa Fe 0: The Huskies, who won their 42nd consecutive game, were too much for the Chiefs in this opener in Chandler. Hamilton led 43-0 at halftime.

.

Montebello football coach Pete Gonzalez announced some exciting news for the Oilers program this week. Gonzalez said that former Wilson football coach Brian Zavala has joined his staff at Montebello.
This is a good pickup for the Oilers. Zavala, while at Northview, was one of the top defensive coaches in the Valle Vista, and perhaps the Mid-Valley Division. He played a big part in the Vikings winning two VVL titles in three seasons.
The Oilers open their season tonight at Los Angeles Roosevelt.