Gone are the days when the San Dimas High School football team won its Valle Vista League games by an average of 34 points. Though it was only two years ago when the Saints mowed down their first three league opponents by a combined score of 126-0 on the way to the schools’ first CIF football championship, much changed last season.
San Dimas didn’t just lose out on the league title, it finished third in 2010. After dropping a dramatic game to Baldwin Park, the Saints had a chance to earn a share of the league title but fell to Covina, the same team that happens to be currently ranked one spot ahead of them entering Valle Vista League play tonight.
Fresh off a victory over defending CIF-SS Mid-Valley champion Monrovia, San Dimas (3-1) has risen to No. 3 in the CIF rankings, but league foe Covina (3-1) is resting comfortably at No. 2.
“Covina is looking to be a league champion and a CIF champion as well,” San Dimas coach Bill Zernickow said. “They’re very good and their program has been doing well at the lower levels too.”
San Dimas has recovered admirably from a 20-point season-opening loss to rival Bonita, following with three consecutive victories punctuated by a 31-14 win over Monrovia, the team that previously occupied No. 3 in the rankings.
Covina’s only loss thus far came in overtime to defending CIF-SS Southeast Division champion West Covina. Covina’s opponent tonight, Pomona, appears on the rise after taking down defending Mt. Baldy League champion Chino three weeks ago. Red Devils running back Sir-Darius Yabrough was averaging 200 yards per game until he was shut down by Chino Hills last week in a 37-6 loss.
“We don’t read too much into that score because (Chino Hills) is on a different level than teams in the Valle Vista League,” Zernickow said. “Pomona got a lot better since last year and they’re kind of the ‘X’ factor in our league.”
