FOOTBALL: Who will be the strong arm of the West SGV in 2007?

Good future for Nigel Ajere. He is a blessed young man with blesed talents. We will see him in the NBA.

Another thing is Stang Fan stop putting TC down we dont even play you. and Monrovias 3 loses were against TC(League Champs) WC (Effin Good) La Salle(CIF Finalist) this is the only time i will ever talk good about mtown. I really do think Muir is the best team hands down in our area and Monrovia cannot beat you but please don't talk about something you dont know.

wow i went on vacation i missed all of o-cat talking crap ah man. but i like prep fb realist he is a smart "cat" ahha. By the way in the TC locker room there is a big picture of Broadnax getting a hand-off and a quote that an unknown M-town defender said "all i could see was a big white wall" meaning we ran all over you and stop talking crap about Do if you dont know him. he is a great kid and has a great work ethic i am excited for him and am eager to see how he does going both ways.

thats for damn sure....
he is not superman!!
lol
but he can get it done and thats all that matters

I've seen Do play since he was in 9th grade. He's good but not superman.

What I think is funny is hearing how TC will lose confidence since mooney is gone!! HUH? Ummmm... Sure, mooney can not be replaced ( thats for sure ) but to read someone say " I dont know what type of offense backus will run," is freakin funny.... If you knew anything about him, he is a DEFFENSIVE coach, not offensive... But lets take a look at who is coming back!!! Two offensive coaches that have been there now for 5 years... One who has coached the QB'S and Recievers and one that has coached the O-line... Oh yeah, hasnt TC kicked the crap out of people on the ground??? I mean, Dwight was something else ( oh yeah 300 plus yards against M-town ) but Sushi was only 5'6 155 ( no matter what the roster said ) Most will say hey its the running back that gets the 1000 yards!!! Ummm, check out TC's O-line the past 5 years or so... Sure, teams will have its up's and downs, but they have come out with an awsome front five 2 or 3 years in a row.... Its because of those guys that TC can get it done on the field... As far as passing, TC has a much more athletic QB this year that is smart and has a strong arm... Look for a pretty decent ( not amazing ) year as far as passing goes.... But we all know that TC pounds the ball... With an all SENIOR O-line this year, all Do needs is a decent hole and sorry, not to many DB's can bring the kid down!!! I mean im not saying TC will be great this year ok, they have alot of young players and lost some really good kids, but to say they will do bad due to the lose of " A " coach is non-sence... As mooney always says, " NOTHING CHANGES "

BigM,
I'm not even sure if PG programs fall under the same sanctions as a typical CIF-type governing body. PG programs are definitely great for people who have access to them. Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia has one of the most successful PG programs that I know of. They have a couple past Heisman winners (Eddie George and Vinnie Testaverde).

I'd like to correct the 'Cats situation closer to the source and just get them ready to go by graduation.

We need to implement that in the CIF-SS, New York...

There are a few 'Cats I'd like to hang on to...

Post-Grad or PG years are fairly common on the east cost. A lot of boarding schools and military academies offer them. Essentially, it is a program that allows students to become better prepared for college. Often, students may improve their SAT scores or their grades. Sometimes athletes can get better exposure as a lot of PG programs play against collegiate Frosh/JV programs. The students do not receive college credit but do not get charged a year of eligibility either, unlike junior colleges.

The countries most prestigious universities often draw hockey and football players (among others) from such programs

Goodluck Nigel, you definitely have the talent and one more year in Prep school will help you even more. I think you can make to any level you want. Just keep up the hard work.

I believe Nigel Ajere was able to get 5 HS because he was able to pay the $40,000 boarding school fee to attend Stoneridge Prep so that he will be better prepared for the next level. Nearly all top players now attend Prep schools so that they can either play one of college and then try for the NBA.

Zuniga will start over Cuellar... Cuellar has had 2 seasons to get the starting job and has not come through. Zuniga has more talent and his his older brother coaching Qb's

Fred,

This is way off subject, but how did Nigel Ajere get a 5yr of HS at stoneridge prep in simi valley?

ahh I love these dicussions, nice to see you all, another season, and another season of whose who and what's what. Remember everyone, these are blogs that everyone reads! What you say about your school/alma matter will influence and how others think of you. TC fans and M-Town fans are doing a great job keeping the fire down..for the moment =) see you guys further down the road.

arcadia is for real...arcadia pride...I love this time of the year. Every team is 0-0

Haha. Great post Observantcat. =)

Does Muir open with Oaks Christian? If they get throttled again, then week one will be a tough gauge of how good the Stangs are.

How good Monrovia is and how good they can or could be are often very different measurements. O-Cat, here's to hoping for top-down focus, hardwork and enthusiasm.

PP

I dont think that is possible at this point, it seems most of the teams in the area are rebuilding and dont have any standout players that can truly make a difference without a few more great players backing them up. So if I were to take an educated guess, I would put it like this.

#1. Muir(according to Stang Fan)
#1. Monrovia (according to me and the rest of the Cat Fans)
#1 Arcadia (according to Big A and all of the Apache Fans.)
and so on. The real determiner will take affect after the first week of play but for now everyone holds in their heart their alma mater as their number one team, including TC! But time will tell.

Would it be possible for some of the "experts" to post your pre-season area top five lists?

Jerry,
Thanks for your comments. I was hoping my post would urge Fred to give us some info on San Marino and Blair. I'm sure you are pretty busy though Fred.

As far as my anonymity, I played for South Pas in the late 90's went to college in Boston and coached at Gloucester High School, hence the name. I will always be a fan of football and have been following the RHL ever since I left. Having this blog and great Prep Sports coverage of the local area has made it much easier to keep up with it. Fred I can't thank you enough!

New subject for anonymous:
SO Notre Dame vs Birmingham Van Nuys will be on ESPN Sept 20th.

I don't think that LaSalle passing league during a rebuilding year is a good proxy for who can beat whom in pads.

No way would Monrovia beat Muir, too many athletes. Just ask LaSalle in their scrimmage. Muir's speed destroyed them especially on Defense where they had multiple interceptions. If Muir can keep their players eligible then no one will touch them.

New subject please

Gloustercoach, I don't know who you are but that is a pretty dead on analysis of the Rio Hondo League.

fillmore and bishop diego...two of the teams that la salle faced in the playoffs. i'm not quite sure what you're getting at burbanksports

Yes...I know that is football season, but maybe you all know someone who needs a coaching job.
Burbank HS needs a Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach. If you know of anyone-they should contact Burbank High's Principal and/or Athletic Director.
I'll now let you get back to discussing Fillmore and Bishop Diego Football.

Do we really need to listen to all of this "my team is better then your team" for another month and a half? You have to give TC props because they won league last year with against a very talented Monrovia team.
I honestly think all schools in the Rio Hondo League are in a rebuilding year.

Let's break it down.

TC: Loses their head coach which was the beating pulse of the team. I don't care what you say "TC Football" having a great coach leave your program is going to have it's affects. TC has always had solid RB's. Sushi, Broadnax and now Doh. If Mooney was still there I would have to predict a 1000 yard season for him but without him we can only wait and see. We don't know what type of offensive scheme Backus will run.

Monrovia: Lots of talent has graduated but, like previous years they have a strong JV team coming up. You still have think though JV is not Varsity football but at the same time most teams in the RHL are in this predicament, with lots of young players coming up. Garrison is a good coach and I think they will have a solid season. Speed wins games and apparently Monrovia has a lot to spread around.

South Pas: Again lots of talent was lost to graduation. I keep on hearing good things about Troast, but will South Pas have the depth and size to protect him? Apparently, some receivers have impressed in passing league this summer as well. If SP is going to make a run for the title THIS is the year do it when the league is wide open. I'm still skeptical about this team. I don't think Coach Smith is going to change up his running style offense to take advantage of his talented passing attack. Lack of depth will hurt the Tigers and injuries will cause them to break down in the end.

San Marino: Haven't heard anything. But for some reason they are ranked #9 in the polls of the scoreboard. Maybe Fred knows something we don't

La Canada: The loss of Peterson hurts and I am hearing constant rumors about players quiting and or not playing. That doesn't sound like a formula for success. Wheeler is supposedly moving towards a spread offense. I don't know if that will work if you don't have speed. But again I don't know much about LC players besides the good ones are transferring to St. Francis and or not playing.

Last but not least Blair: Haven't heard anything about this team either. Coach Tip definitely has got the team going in the right direction.

That's why I like you O-Cat, you don't get offended easily. Talent-wise, Monrovia and Muir are the best in the area barnone. I do hope your team brings it this year. Even though I don't have a rooting interest in Monrovia-TC, it's still great- one of the best in the area. Good Luck.

Re:TC Fan;The paper the next morning is going to read"TC ramed in the A.."I was in the stands and watched that day at El Monte H.S.,enen though it was passing league and I don't hold much value in those games,you could really see the cupboard is empty for the Rams.Maybe two whole players stood out.The middle-backer and your big slow running-back.After that its a JV squad.I am a Lion fan and Monrovia worked us pretty good too.Don't come on here though and start boasting about whipping Mission-Valley teams,your team will maybe get third in your league.Monrovia on the other hands they are full of speed and weapons.I am curios to see how far they go this year.

Hey someone from Alhambra finally pipes up. Yes you have what looks to be a very strong and enviable running game and the Moors will most likely win the Almont league. But you still have the same offensive coaching philosophy that has gotten you beat early in the playoffs for how many years in a row? Maybe no one from Alhambra is talking because they know how the season will eventually end. In another disapointing playoff loss. You would think with the way the program is run and the talent that is assembled year in and year out that a quarterfinal, semifinal or dare I say final appearance should have happened by now. Good luck to Coach R. he deserves better results.

FB Realist

I try and keep it as real as it gets without comming off too arrogant. But you would almost have to be a Monrovia Fan to understand some of the confidence that I put on each of their teams. I've seen Monrovia make it to the Final game of the CIF championships and loose because they change the game plan to from a running game to a passing game. I think that in Big Games The Monrovia Coaching staff needs to be more consistant. As a team I think TC has the Discipline to out play any team they play and that does become the bottom line. I liked Broadnax over sushi in his Jr. Year. He was a threat then. I just dont see the same in William Do. TC has had a remarkable Run and If I were'nt betting on Monrovia I would be a TC Fan. Or if they were in the Pacific league I would give them a real chance of winning a few championships regardless of what the rest of the Pacific league faithfuls think. I'm going to go on the record and say that This is One of the biggest building years for the Wildcats and hopefully they will take advantage of it. The last time we had a year of this nature We took it all the way to the Finals and lost only 3 game is 3 years and they were all the Final games of the CIF playoffs. I'm not a HATER I just know what the potential of the team I'm rooting for has, the rest of you can support your teams and bring it to the blog. Peace and good luck.

O-Cat,

Your constantly one of the best bloggers out there, but I'm a little surprised by your last two posts. I'm neither a TC or M-Town fan, but where does your arrogance come from? Your team was supposed to DESTROY TC last year and was itself smacked in the face. I understand you want to back your team, but why don't you take that whistle out of your mouth and stop cheerleading. I mean isn't this the same old song and dance M-Town fans?

You laughed at Sushi and he in turn ran all over M-Town. You laughed at Broadnax and then he ripped up the defense. Now your ripping Williams Do? Wow, I can't wait to see what he does. O-Cat, one of these days you're going to realize that heart is as important as size and speed in high school football. That's why Sushi and Dwight beat M-Town. They weren't the most talented backs on the field, but they had heart.

I love it how you say TC will be a mediocre team this year. Couldn't you say M-Town has been pretty mediocre themselves over the last few years?

I also like your line - "But what TC is going to Lack overall is Confidence." Really.

Well TC can count on one thing from Monrovia every time- complete and blatant overconfidence.

As far as your take on South Pasadena being a serious challenger, didn't they lose half their team to graduation? It will be tough for them to compete. Let's not get too excited about passing league.

WHAT ABOUT ANTHONY BROWN, DUSHUAN SMITH AND ALHAMBRA'S O-LINE. THIS SEASON COACH RUEDAFLOREZ IS GONNA HAVE THE BIGGEST O-LINE SINCE HE HAS BEEN AT ALHAMBRA.AFTER LAST YEARS #65 GERRY MURRIETA WHO KICKED ASS IN THE HALL OF FAME GAME... WAS THE HEART OF THE O-LINE AND IF THEY FOLLOW THE WAYS OF GERRY BY BEING AGRESSIVE AND OPENING HOLES THEY WE HAVE GREAT SUCCESS. ONE O-LINEMEN WILL AND HIS NAME IS JONATHON SILVA HE PLAYED GAURD NEXT TO GERRY AND HAS LEARNED ALOT FROM HIM AND SILVA WILL LEAD THE O-LINE AND THE TEAM TO ANOTHER ALMONT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP.

GO MOORS

The whole entire football team has let the mooney incident go and is now moving on, yeah from time to time we think about it and wonder but that doesnt do anygood.. temple city football is very conifdent and has been working extremely hard hitting the weights driving the sled and running drills we accpet any challenge to anyone we are not scared and we know what we are capable of doing and its manythings. ;) everyone watch our opening game Sep 7th against arroyo were it will be a good game and a game of hear seeing that it is early in the season and watch TC PREVAIL!!!!

To All of the Fans out there!

William Do is a strong runner but with that comes fatigue, if the Passing game isn't on then he is just the target a team needs to focus on and I think that Most of the teams that play TC are going to do just that. Last year when the world thougt that La Canada was going to come out strong and walk over everyone, I stood up and said the same things about LaVelle Peterson. I know LaCanada is no TC but I attribute a lot of TC's succses to Mooney. He understands the game better than any Coach I have ever seen on the High School Level. But what TC is going to Lack overall is Confidence when it comes down to the hard fought close games this year and I'm not talking about Arroyo. San Gabrielle will be the best pre-season test for TC and without any excuses I dont think TC will respond the San Gabriels speed. As far as eating dust in the Rio Hondo League..I think that TC will just be another mediocur team. Monrovia will prevail as the team to beat for the next several years...Just look at their roster and check out who will be back for the next three and four years on the teams.

I think LC might surprise some people. Monrovia always under performs (coaching?) and TC won't be the same without their previous coach to keep them in line. Look for Monrovia to blow up like usual and TC to be in the middle of the Pac. LC will sneak up on everyone. The loss of the LC junior backup running back to Peterson, who fumbled more than not (sometime when he wasn't even hit)and the loss of the junior QB who had a passer rating of less than 20 is no great loss. The kids who are coming up are hungry and want to play. The line may be the biggest they have had in years.

Fact of the matter is TC mopped up Monrovia. Monrovia will always be 2nd best next to TC until proven otherwise. Talk is cheap.

As far as i can tell, TC has constantly been underestimated over the years. Now O-Cat you're right in saying that great coaching has been instrumental to Temple City's success, so it will be interesting to see if Randy Backus can continue where Mooney left off. As to your comments about Do, all i've heard is that this boy is a beast. He will be tough to take down no matter how much speed a team has and he is also deceptively fast. The rams are also returning all three of their lead tacklers from last year, one of them being Do. Speed i hear is something that Monrovia is touting this year so the matchup between TC and Monrovia this season will be great with the two totally different teams going at it, but in no way do i see Temple City fading away or being left in Monrovia's dust

O CAT

Thats what i like to hear... this is how it starts every year, people talk all this head on the internet.. this years seniors are very good.. conisdering that they took the RHL championship when they were jv... cant wait til SEPTEMBER 7th When RAMS head off the season against arroyo and the next morning the papers say "TC doubted again AND prevailed"

TC Fan

The reason TC Fans have not made much noise so far in this blog is because maybe they are thinking ahead. Willam Do is not Broadnax nor is he even close. Dwight was 87 percent of your offense and with that being said you do the numbers. He is not your breakaway runner and he is not a game saver. I think that TC has had a good run and it is time they just slow down and join LaCanada at the Bottom of the RHL for the next 5 years. If I were a betting Man I think Monrovia will make a serious streak for the remainder of the century on you guys. Great coaching has always been a big part of TC's success but even with good coaching you still need a good offense and I dont think from watching your freshman and JV teams that You guys have the potential. South Pas is the next team in the RHL to compete for the Title against MHS. This year will be the year you realize that you will just be too slow. With the newbies headed for Varsity this year from POP Warner on I dont think many of them have even lost a game, and for the history of those kind of Monrovia teams, Everyone has to duck. But Good luck anyway and keep writing maybe some of your fans will agree with you someday.

to all you poeple out there....

every year you poeople talk about how good this team is and that team is and you guys always doubt temple city football... which we have no control over, plus we kind of like it because when it comes down to the pund for pound best team in the area after the first game starts is Tc... ALL you mtown and la canada and muir fans out there will see that TC football does it best... MTOWN IS GONNA GET KILLED THIS YEAR ITS A RAP, pack your bags every one.. our Offensive line and Williams doh are gonna run all over our opponents..!

New york,

It would have been nice if Arcadia schedule a week 3 team around the SGV instead of Lynwood. They are limited to 3 non-league games the have to play 7 league games now since the pacific has 8 teams.

Why are there so few matchups between West and East SGV teams? Why don't Muir, PHS, Arcadia or LaSalle play any? I wish Monrovia had a Miramonte or San Antonio top three on the schedule. Even playing Covina would be good. Maybe the annual all-star game would be more exciting if more of these teams would play during the season.

stang fan,

no need to bash la salle..you are probably just another jealous person

New York

I agree with you on that. I was thinking the same thing. The biggest problem that Arcadia will face is wearing down their line trying to block down field on 85 per cent of the plays. If they dont have at least two 800yrd plus running backs in the backfield they are in big trouble. Remember even LaVelle Peterson couldn't do it by himself.

O-Cat,

Walker as a running QB COULD do very well against Muir, but Arcadia's O-Line will have to play like they are from Canyon Country. Then it would be a pure execution ala Nebraska vs. Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl massacre.

Stang Fan,

Don't be so quick to look down from your ivory tower and put down the likes of LaSalle and Temple City, especially when Burroughs was a first round loss in the playoffs. LaSalle beat a very talented Verbum Dei team a couple weeks before playing Monrovia. I think Dwight would have racked up 300+ on you guys if Burbank's kid got 240, right? West Covina was one of those talented teams (Muir and Monrovia can relate) that you never knew which team would show up. WC had a strong showing againts Mater Dei. They hit a rough patch during league, but then beat the number one seeded Mayfair in the playoffs.

Muir definitely LOST to better teams (OC and Colony) than Monrovia LOST to last year, but the wins were not more impressive.

Personally, I think it is embarrassing that we lost to TC and LaSalle the way we did, but Muir would not be so lucky as to face the same Monrovia team that those two schools were able to. We don't always bring our A-game(a huge flaw that continually haunts us), but we would for a Muir game.

I will not join the banter, though, of predicting a 14-0 season (we certainly could do it and there is no good reason why we can't do it), but that would sound too much like last year when we put too much emphasis on CIF reallignment and looking at the brackets.

There is no substitute for hardwork and staying focused every week. Oh yeah, don't forget about the deatails. One of my best coaches ever, who now the O-Coordinator for the Packers would always say stuff like, "Don't focus too much on the elephants. The mosquitoes will nag you to death."

Good luck to Muir. So is Crutch officially on staff or what?

Stang Fan

I knew this would bring you out of hidding. I know we both have a great deal of confidence in our teams and our schools history but there are times when you just have to say We are Rebuilding and we are not always going to have the greatest of seasons either way. I personaly think that Overall the past 50 years MUIR has been the Better of all teams in the West San Gabriel Valley, but if you break it down Monrovia has been the most consistant winning team over the Last 20 Years and counting. Muir has some of the most talented you will find anywhere but I think that because their has never been a real rivalry between the two schools we seem to butt heads over who really is the best. Arcadia seem to be very compettive in your league and using them as a measuring stick is probably all we can do for now. But When Monrovia did play Muir a few years ago each team won a game apeice. I think that givin the talent that hails from both schools, It would be the best games of the year for both schools. I know PHS is your rivals but I think Monrovia would be a more copetitive game for Muir. If you disagree I can respect that but let the teams prove their worth. I see that Muir has a phenominal Freshman QB as does Monrovia, It would be great to see them in action in the next two or three years. No excuses I just think these would be by far the games of the week. As for Broadnax getting his 300 yards, I will be the first to admitt that Monrovias defense needed some slaps on the helmets that game but As far as putting TC down like they are no good, I would love to bet that they would be at least 50-50 in the pacific league over that past 10 years. Now I guarentee that all of your undecided Fans on this blog would agree to that. Muir's history is just that great players opting now to go to private schools.

ScottG,

I read that in the times. Canyon beat Hart. I guess they are going to pretty strong even with out Welch.

Stang Fan,

If you are talking about monrovia before league last year, I would have to say no after beating arcadia, duarte, la salle and coming within a FG of WC. But, if it was game 9 or 10 last year, I would have to say the Stangs. In the first half of the season, Monrovia was as strong as anyone in both the East or West SGV.

Actually, this conversation is has no purpose and is over anyway because the muir kids (11 kids?) could not even maintain a 2.0 average to play their 2nd round match up against colony.

In the lower levels St Francis runs a 4-4 defense.

Ding...ding...ding...

O-Cat:

For starters, if you're not using your real name than you are "in hiding," which includes 98% of the posters in here.

Secondly, I've got to respect the fact that you are behind your 'Cats 110%. Any coach and player would be glad to have you as a fan. However, you are about as myopic as they come. I'm sorry but I didn't get the memo that Monrovia HS was the dominant force of the SGV. I don't know, did anyone else? Earlier you stated that if Arcadia beats you guys than they'll likely sweep the Pacific. Anonymous 4:00 p.m then proceeds to disagree with you, and you respond in turn that Monrovia is BETTER than Muir. Really? You know, this sounds a lot like the conversation you and I had in here last year, you know, before that invincible monster-of-a-team you swear owns the SGV, let a first-year RB run for OVER 300 yards against them. Oh yeah, they then followed that gem-of-a-game with a PLAYOFF loss to .....................La Salle???????????

Listen bro, matter of fact grab a pen, and do me a favor and mark this down. Never, and I mean NEVER, in one hundred years, will Muir ever, and I mean EVER, give up OVER 300 yards rushing to a TC running back AND follow that up with a loss to La "frickin" Salle all in the same season. As in the immortal words of Chris Tucker, "NEVER, ever,ever, ever!!!"

We weren't necessarily the big bad 'Stangs of old last year either, however, a look at the losses is quite telling:

Monrovia----West Covina, Temple City, and La Salle

Muir----Oaks Christian (champs), Burroughs, Colony (champs)

There is a reason that the Star-News has voted Muir as the best team the past two seasons. (As an aside, I predict that for the third year in a row Freddie J. will pick St. Francis as the top team in the area, only to have Muir finish atop the local poll once again. You've got to give SF a ton of credit though for their difficult schedule).

Suffice it to say, my dear friend O-Cat, Muir is in fact the BETTER team, and I'm quite sure most of the other non-Monrovia and non-Muir posters in here would agree.

Ding...ding...ding...

annon

so maranatha's matt shilz looks good how about his line? will he have protection to get the ball off? and how about his wide outs? any new running backs? i know mark love is still there but he can't do everything.

who is the famous QB guru?

Matt Shilz @ Maranatha will turn a few heads! He's gotten taller, has a strong arm and has worked hard with the famous Quarterback guru.

Frank P.,

We are playing lynwood in week 3.

Other lineman from St Francis was Schachter and the other I think was Carter? Imagine what St. Francis would have done this year with LC resident Lavelle Peterson at RB with that line vs. the stiffs they have running the ball.

Real, I don't believe anyone's indicated anything about passing leagues.
By the way, it turns out Canyon won the Claremont tournament so I guess they're not so bad in passing league this year afterall.
All I have to say about these passing tournaments is that you can tell who can throw the rock and you can tell who can catch it.
Crockom, Walker, Rettig and a few others that I've seen appear to be quite talented (pads or no pads, line or no line).
If a kid can't dive to make a catch in a passing league scrimmage, there's a good chance he'll have trouble in a real game. I've seen some impressive receivers so far that I otherwise wouldn't know about.
Finally, another element that's missing in passing leagues is the running game.
We're doing reports on teams during these events, not predicting who's going to win CIF.
Please keep up the good postings.

Big A or any St. Francis insider - St. Francis sent three linemen to the next level? I know of Roxas, who else?

Does anyone know if St. Francis is running that three man front again? Do they have a nose guy like #44 Darryl Carter from last year? He wreaked havoc the whole year? What kind of defensive front does St. Francis run at the JV/lower levels?

Monrovia - Monrovia always seems to have good skill players. Coach Garrison is a good coach (100+ wins) as well. I am glad they brought back the Monrovia - Arcadia rivalry. It would be sweet to see Arcadia play TC as well, just for bragging rights.

Big A - I think Arcadia goes to Lynwood in week 3. I know for sure that its Lynwood that we play but I am unsure whether it is home or away. What happened there? Did Bell Gardens just pawned us off on to Lynwood?

The Pacific League only gets three non conference games a year. I hope Arcadia schedules local teams for that third spot. How awesome would it be to have St. Francis, Monrovia and TC every year? Bragging rights for sure.

In the past Arcadia never scheduled local teams except for St. Francis because we were D-III, but those days are over. I think we would fit nicely in the Mid Valley Division. The Central Division doesn't make any sense geographically and if we constantly play Colton in the first round, I don't see a whole lot of success in the post season.

The brutal truth is that Arcadia's talent pool has run dry/run away. I don't ever see us going the way of Glendale or Hoover but look at the state of the CV program. I would say we match up with them demographically pretty well and it looks like things are getting awfully bad over there.

I think the countdown has us just over a month before camps open up and like 10 days from then for week 0 games. I'm hopping for big things from the APACHES!!

Save it for the field TC!

Alright Kids its this time where we start looking towards passing league, well PASSING LEAGUE DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING UNTIL IT COMES DOWN TO Pads... US TC FOOTBALLERS PLAYERS ARE GOING TO PROVE TO EVERYONE JUST THAT... ITS A RAP!

nice grammar ,sorry didn't proof read

Observant Cat;I really love the great input you have about our beloved CATS.Here are a couple things I can chime in on.I believe Matt Haggard is the man who will start and finish the 2007 season this year.He has been groomed for this spot since last year.Not to mention what a year that was.I think he threw for 20+TD's and really led the team down the stretch.Josiah is going to be a good one,there is no doubt about that,but he still needs time to grow with some GAME experience.You no game-speed,multiple fronts,and that will all come in time.O-Cat I really think you will be pleased with the way the senior plays and runs the team this year. .You now the CATS just got back from the Don Lugo Tour. and got 4th, heard Matt did real well.What ever the case I'm sure the staff has the teams best interest and will make the right decision on who starts......

IS ALL ABOUT THE PADS, SHELLS, AND HELMETS!!!!

Hurry up and wait...

DAWG

ScottG,

Passing league still doesn't indicate anything otherwise you could have crowned arcadia passing champs of the SGV beating such schools like Monrovia last summer league.

Pasadena is a good example, passing league they'll do will, but upfront with pads they can't push anyone around.
They look like the pasadena panthers jr. all american team.

Pads are a whole different story.

Anon,

Muir beat arcadia last year 9 to 7 in 3 OT's. So, your statement is down right dumb.

The apaches can beat muir anytime.

Big A & Frank P,

I am completely confident that we'll start off well. Everyone is basing the apaches off of one bad year, the 2006 year. As you guys know, we beat muir in '99, '00, 01', '02, and '03.

Monrovia was good last year, however they have not faced a good Arcadia team, no excuses this year. Just take last year out of the picture because that wasn't typical apache football. I believe with Willim, Picard, Walker, Golper, Amhazz, Rambeau and others will clean house.

Picard will be a bright spot for the Apaches. Yes, he had 4 sacks in one game, but that was his first game playing DE, so who knows what he would have done because his appendiz burst during the next game at burbank.

Ps..As for Anonymous, if you think that MUIR cant loose to Arcadia, you should stay anonymous forever. Make no mistake about it Muir is good but the Wildcats are better. Stay in hiding and enjoy the blog!....

BigA

I think that Monrovia will start it's JV QB who has the arm and the stamina to play the game well. A lot of people might under estimate this kid but with all of the weapons he has around him it could become a great year for the unknowns (Matt Haggard) As Far as talented Running Backs Monrovia is never short of the real deal. They have plenty of guys that are talented enough to start just about anywhere, but I will keep my eye out for a kid by the name of Marquise Williams he is about 6'2 195 and he is a speedster with good coordination, the other guys are Sophmore Brandon Golden who I think will be the next Akil Harris at MHS, and their is a mystery person who I haven't gotten the name of yet, but he is from the state of Texas and from what I have heard, he may be the starting RB?..who knows. There are a few other guys competing for that starting position but these are the front runners. Also at QB the Freshman phenom (Josiah Throplay) may see quite a bit of action He is about 6'3 185 but very very talented. This should be a great rebuilding year for the Wildcats and a great future for the teams to come.

Even if Arcadia beats Monrovia by 20, they'll still lose to Muir.

Frank P,

That is a great assessment of the Arcadia squad. I just felt that your statement towards Picard #32 was a bit harsh considering he almost lost his life to a non-football accident. An injury waiting to happen? I'm sorry but I felt very hostile towards that statement.

I don't know much about Arcadia other than the fact of what I read in the newspaper so to hear an insider with this info is great. It's disheartening to hear your news on the commitment issues with kids because you are exactly right, Arcadia SHOULD be fielding teams with 50+ players.

I think St. Francis will determine Arcadia's season. If they fight hard and stay close or win that game, I believe that will set the standard for the rest of the season for Arcadia's season. Monrovia will be the other test. If Arcadia starts 0-2, last year will become a repeat.

BTW, who does Arcadia play the third game of the season?

Eric Willm was an All-Area safety so I expect him to be even better. 78 tackles and 3 interceptions isn't bad for a free safety. I expect to see good things out of him this upcoming season.

With Golper, all I know is that according to maxpreps he had 9 tackles and a sack in his first game against 3 linemen from St. Francis who went 1-A or 1-AA.
Statistically, it's not a bad game but you must know something I do not. On Maxpreps, his biggest games were St. Francis, Muir, and Monrovia.

Frank P, could you find out some more info on Golper? Obviously he has something positive about him to be recruited by UCLA.

I don't know much about the rest of Arcadia's LB's because they are not talked about. Hopefully they will have some depth or help at that spot so Arcadia can once again become a dominant D.

Observantcat,

It's fun to hear about other teams especially Monrovia. Do you have any info on who is starting at RB or QB?

BigA

what about st. francis rbs?

Frank P.

I'm glad you tell it like it is. Some of these guys wish they had a remote control in their hand so that they can control what goes on in the game. If you are observant and can catch the strengths and weakness of your team you are far better off than guessing. I am a Monrovia supporter who has seen the Wildcats win under the most critisized years at the school. The think that I think you were trying to tell Big A is that the Apaches will have to bring their A Game to the Wildcats field and play with complete confidence. On the other hand Monrovia is going through probably the biggest changes in the Pasadena Area and I still see them as area champs. Their Freshman and JV team were phenominal and the few seniors that have returned to the team will speak volumes for the underclassmen. Arcadia Will See a Completly new Backfield this year at MHS but I hope they dont under estimate them. James, Potts, and Sparks are gone but this years backs are bigger, faster and younger and most have not lost a game in their freshman and sophmore years. Well good luck to you guys and hopefully this will be a good year for all of the Pasadena Area schools.

Real, Canyon might not be a great passing league team this summer, but if that's the case, that's not the norm. Those schools up in the Santa Clarita Valley live and die for passing leagues. They also seem to make what they learn carry over to the regular season.
St. Francis is at Hart for passing league against Hart, Newbury Park and Van Nuys (Crespi won't be there)and, unlike most of the during the week passing leagues I've witnessed this summer, this one will be timed and they keep score.
Not the usual 10 plays each, although I think the players get more out of the scrimmages.

first, i never post on this board with the sole intent to offend anyone. these are just my observations/opinions.

arcadia is always known for their hard work. the team suffers from the numbers game because coach d is a no nonsense guy who DEMANDS a lot from his players. from 6 am workouts to an almost mandatory summer program, i've seen a lot of players turned away because they could not make that commitment. remember audarius bailey from a couple years back? coach d sat him in the st francis game to prove a point.

at the end of the day, it is a numbers game and i think arcadia has a team in like the mid 30s. whats arcadia's enrollment these days? 3500+? a school like that field a team at least 50 deep. im not even talking about talent, just pure numbers. i have confidence in caoch d and his staff to "develop" talent, but i think he needs numbers to "better his odds."

observant cat, i totally agree that the monrovia game will definetly test our squad. its also at monrovia this year so that should be a hostile environment. i think walker is as good of a pure athlete and you can find in so cal. can he play qb? that seems to be the question. at times, he showed just how dangerous he can be, phs 1st qtr 60 yd td and at times, he looked far from a polished player who should show a little more poise; st francis, colton.

the fact is that arcadia's days of lining up in I and running down your throat are over. the days of big beef and pro type running backs are done. this new offensive experiment is just that. conventional wisdom says that they are going to experience some growing pains. there is talk of an improved o-line but i dont buy it. they were downright terrible at times last year and like i said before, three of the five were seniors.

then there is the question of the defense. what are they going to do there? kevin hess was their only play maker. im sorry, big a, i know picard had 4 sacks but he only had one game like that and it was against pasadena, and their o-line was terrible also. i don't see their front seven doing anything. im hearing wilm and golper are expected to do good things but we'll see. i saw golper being mentioned in next year's ('09) ucla class as a lb. he was terrible at st francis (1st varsity game, and he was a soph, i know that) but wasn't he delegated to playing dline by the colton game? who else do they have at lb? both lbs from last years squad were undersized and played like it. they never made any plays. #6 looked like he was playing with one arm for most of the year (seriously) and 33 was terrible and so small and slow. what is up with that? the linebackers are supposed to be our STRENGTH!!

so golper will move back to LB, i hope he gets the job done and i trust coach d's eyes more than i do mine. he doesn't just bring up soph LB to stroke his ego. he must see something in golper and scout.com confirms that. so who is going to play the other spot? hopefully not #33. there is hope for #6, if he grew 6 inches and gained 50 pounds but he plays fast and looked like a maniac in the crescenta valley game but cv is starting to look more and more like glendale and hoover.

who is going to step up? i remember last year, and this year sounds so similar that it's eerie. a good qb who is in his first year at qb, an improved oline. that is the same talk as last year, and well lets just say that all apache fans should just erase the '06 season from their memories.

If Arcadia gets past Monrovia this year they might have a chance to run the table in the Pacific league. Having a running QB can be a good thing and it can also hurt. If he just focuses on running the ball, a team like Muir will take you down simply by allowing their secondary to become Linebackers and blitz like crazy and wear a QB out with 5 minutes of the first quarter. Monrovia should be a good match for Arcadias running game. Speed will have to prevail on either side or you must change your offensive strategies....Just a post for you BigA. Ps stop hurting ffrom the comments of Frank P. Your team has a lot more to worry about than a couple of running back.

Frank P,

your statement is absurd...picard an injury waiting to happen? From what I've heard, the kid almost died! Not due to a football injury so shame on you for saying such a thing against him.

The difference in the arcadia team this year and last year according to Coach Dimalante in articles that I have read is that fact that these kids are no-nonsense. Hard workers and full of experience who don't spend their time sitting on their butts. Instead, they are working hard out on the gridiron preparing for the season. THAT, my friend will be the difference.

So whether you see them in pads or not, HEART is where football is truly won.

Frank P.,

Let's keep our arcadia pride. I feel you pain, but there are many bright spots this year.

at the end of the day, i bleed cardinal and gold but i'll believe it when i see it.

walker's never thrown a football in with shoulder pads on, picard is an injury waiting to happen and ahmaz, well he seems to fumble the ball at the most un-opportune times.

how is the o-line any better? three of the five where seniors... they weren't even really that good to begin with anyway.

im going to check out their practices in august when they have pads on.

anon,

arcadia has a o-line this year unlike last years team. that will be the difference maker.

Passing league doesn't mean anything. Canyon is a bad passing league team, but they are the state champs and top ten in the nation because they pound the ball with there o-line. And, thats what football is really about.

the apaches backfield will be the best in the league this year. im not a big apaches fan but seeing who they have running for them this year will be scary. you have the speedy walker whos a threat everytime he touches it. you have troy ahmaz who is nearly impossible to take down with one guy (just needs to hold on to the ball) then you have eric willm who will get some reps at running back who is one of the most elusive players on the team and casey picard who will run your whole team over. thats four legit guys who can tote that rock.

can we get a topic about running backs since DO is gonna tear it up

if the kid is as good as you are making him to be then i'm sure the coaches will bring him up to varsity once CIF playoffs start.

Youngster, you are correct. That's the same thing that I was told, along with the plan to put him on JV. There is no CIF rule that would keep him off varsity.

The only stipulation placed on 14 year old's participating on Varsity is this: 1) They need to get a doctor's clearance saying that they are physically ready to handle the rigors. 2) The parent's need to sign off on the form from CIF. 3) The school's administrator has to keep a duplicate copy on file at the school for CIF to check if they wanted to.
Other than that, there are no restrictions imposed by CIF.

Monrovia did beat SF...but manhandled?...no.
Wildcats got a respectable fourth in the tourney.

Heard Monrovia man-handeled St. Francis in the Don Lugo tournament.Anybody have any scoop on that.It was this past Sat.

It's uncertain whether he'll be able to play on varsity. I was told that he would have to get special clearance ultimately signed by his parents and that the plan was for him to play JV this season. From what I saw, the kid could have a bright future ahead.

Hey Scott,

I'll take a cue from Stang Fan and thank you for your great coverage this summer.

I do have a question, though.

In your brief, you said that Rufus would not be able to play varsity football because he had not reached the age of 15.

Is that a CIF rule or a Muir HS rule, that you can't play or be on a varsity football roster if you are under 15? I asked because wasn't that dynamo receiver from St. Francis, Dietrich Riley, a freshman last year when he played. I know he only played in a few games in the second half, but wouldn't he have been subject to that rule. I'm not trying to point the finger at him but am wondering if you could clarify the rule. Thanks.

just to clear things up...wong will not be playing football for st francis. but watch out for austin heyworth he has a pro build and is a gunslinger that refuses to lose

Scott G:

Just wanted to say thanks for covering all of the programs this summer. The coverage and exposure is great for the teams, players, and fans. Keep up the good work bro!

BTW, I've been hearing about the freshman for a few years now. It'll be great to see him grow, mature, and prosper in that blue and gold.

Prep, I was assigned elsewhere on Thursday. I saw Muir on Friday and will see St. Francis this week.

Austin Heyworth has been tearing apart teams in passing league this summer. He has a very good set of receivers and its suprising he was not a starter last year. I guarantee there is not another QB in the SGV that looks as much like a college quarterback as Heyworth. He will be something to talk about once the season starts.

07 season:

Are you out of your frickin mind. Muir DB's torched? You either haven't a clue or you simply weren't at the game. Tell me when you think your WR's were open and I'll show you the tape where they were getting HANDLED.........All.........night ............long! Especially Walker.

Good to hear the news on the Apaches! Obviously from Anon 11:56 they must have looked good. Golper a D 1 player? I guess we'll find out after a pretty good sophomore season.

I heard that that Rettig kid from La Salle looked awesome! Props to him and his family for preparing him for varsity.

Austin Heyworth? I believe he played receiver last year for St. Francis but I don't know much about him.

Anyone know how Muir is looking with the star Lance Mitchell gone? Who is playing quarterback for them?

Big A

Hey Scott San Gabriel and TC play at TC on Monday.Come check out the action.

SGV Shootout at Arroyo tomorrow might give a glimpse of some the guys chucking it this year in the SGV.

prep fb

good point i do remember arcadia being unstoppable in the preseason last year. but in the regular season, if you have so much talent with a QB with no heart to step in the pocket, deliver a throw and take a hit, what can you do. apaches easily could've wetn 7-3 or 8-2 if the qb stepped up some games, especially against muir. the secondary of muir was getting torched just ponce was getting shook in the backfield and couldnt deliver

Who is the QB at La Canada? Heard that last years starter quit the team and the freshman QB also quit. What is goin on over there? The asian kid running back also quit. He had a chance to be exciting.

Hey Scott,

How come you weren't at Thursday's passing league that included Muir and St. Francis? Those are some big teams, no?

To Anon 11:56,

Here's the thing about the Apaches. They're always going to make the playoffs because they're better then CV, Glendale, Hoover and probably still better then Pasadena. It's against the rest of the league I'm curious to see them against. I still remember how Apaches fans were bragging last year over their trouncing of Temple City in the last scrimmage before their 5-6 season. Let's not get too excited Arcadia too early Arcadia.

arcadia was at la salle today along with so. pasadena. arcadia handled both teams with walker ripping apart both defenses at QB and WR. threw a bunch of tds and caught a couple also and also made a la salle defender look SILLY when he was being pressed. eric willm lookd impressive and todd golper will be a D1 LB. picard was legit and the apaches looked dominating. i can definitely tell, with walker stepping up to QB and being the leader of this team, the difference in attitude this year. ponce was a good player but had no emotion. walker jumps on guys if they drop a pass and the team just has a different vibe to them this year. Apaches will be a force to reckon with if they play up to their potential

heyworth will not be the "very best" he'll be lucky if he makes top ten. fast runner?? haha come on now we played him last year and he might be the slowest player of the skills on the knights.

GKnights, the list reflect schools that I've covered so far this summer. St. Francis is on the list for next week.

This looks like a down year for SGV QB's. But, I can't wait to see the running backs. Willie Youngblood should be as productive as a Lavelle Peterson. Last year he suffered all season with a calf or quad problem.

what about Austin Heyworth from St. Francis. He is definately going to be one of the best if not the very best in the Valley. He is physically capable at 6ft 3 and 200 with a strong arm and also a fast runner who can take a hit. Also the Golden Knights will have their top four receivers back from last year ( Garcia, Riley, Wong and Bessolo) making his transition very easy. Look for big things out of this kid in the fall.