FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Rio Hondo League

By Scott Galetti, Staff Writer

Monrovia High School's football team has been down this path before.
The Wildcats seem to open the season projected as Rio Hondo League champions, only to lose out to league rival Temple City.
This season, the Wildcats hope to keep everything the same, sans the losing out to Temple City part.
Temple City upended Monrovia, 41-24, to wrestle away the league crown last season.
The Rams enter the 2007 season with a new head coach in Randy Backus, a new lead running back and the same expectations they had under
former coach Mike Mooney, who took an assistant principal job at San Marino.
La Canada graduated 22 players from a team that finished third in league, including top running back Lavelle Peterson, so the Spartans have plenty of rebuilding to do.
And the surprise team of last season, South Pasadena, also needs to retool at key positions.

Monrovia
Despite finishing the season behind Temple City, the Wildcats (9-3) advanced to the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Mid Valley Division playoffs, where they were upset by La Salle, 35-28.
What made the loss so devastating was that the Wildcats had pounded the Lancers, 52-19, during the regular season.
"It was disappointing, but it was a learning experience," Wildcats senior wide receiver Daro Johnson said. "It got us not to play at the level of our opponent, always play at our level and never to underestimate other teams just because we beat them one time."
Added Wildcats head coach Steve Garrison: "We feel we have some unfinished business. We were disappointed with the outcome of last year's quarterfinal loss to La Salle and we had a little chip on our shoulder coming into camp and we want to build off of that."
With the departure of David Potts, the Rio Hondo League offensive back of the year, Matt Haggard has become the cornerstone as the Wildcats' quarterback.
"He's a smart quarterback, he thinks before he throws, he works hard to get better and takes his position seriously," Johnson said.
Added Garrison: "Matt's a little bit more vocal than David was right away, and that's something that we're going to have to get used to."
Johnson led the Wildcats in receiving yards with 266 and one touchdown.
"Daro's a hard-working young man and if we can give our quarterback some time this year, Daro can be a real force in this league and a threat to a lot of teams," Garrison said.
Junior wide receiver Kendal Boggs could also be a regular target for Haggard, as could senior Fernando Gonzales.

Temple City

The Rams begin a new era under Backus with high expectations.
"Our goal, first and foremost, is to win the league championship, Backus said.
In his 13th year at the school, Backus hardly enters his first season as head coach empty-handed.
Temple City returns 18 lettermen to a team that finished 10-2 in 2006.
The burning question is who will step up and take up the slack left by the departure of top running back Dwight Broadnax, who rushed for 2,181 yards and 22 touchdowns. He led the team in all-purpose yards as well with 2,357.
Senior Will Do is ready to answer the call. At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, he could give opponents a real headache.
Do was second in rushing with 366 yards and four TDs. Defensively, he was second on the team with 110 total tackles and was selected to the All-Rio Hondo League defensive team.
"Will brings a physicality that he will not go down with the first hit," Backus said.
Besides Do, the Rams return four other all-league performers: senior linemen Eric Becher and Nick Fry, tight end/linebacker Joe Reasner and fullback/linebacker Josh Willard.
Junior Morgan Hatch and senior Sebastian Orozco are fighting it out for the starting quarterback spot.

La Canada

The Spartans lost league co-MVP and All-CIF Mid Valley Conference selection Peterson from a team that finished 6-5 a year ago.
Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who departed.
With so many young and inexperienced players, La Canada head coach Rich Wheeler has a battle on his hands at just about every position as he heads into his 11th season.
"We don't have any superheroes, but we have a lot of good kids working together," Wheeler said. "Our statement this year is, `if you take care of the team, the team will take care of you,' "
Juniors Duke McCaffrey and Dale Robbins are competing for the quarterback job.
Senior Brian Kimball was the team's leading receiver a year ago with 184 yards and two touchdowns. Center Reid Gantney will anchor the line, along with senior Chris Tosello.

South Pasadena

The Tigers narrowly missed the CIF-SS playoffs a year ago.
To get there this season, they'll need to find a way to replace quarterback Michael Flynn and Rio Hondo League linebacker of the year and All-CIF selection Joshua Parish, who was also the team's leading rusher.
Senior Jonathan Troast will get the starting nod at quarterback after a solid summer. Wide receiver Will Smiland and David Allen will provide leadership.

San Marino

The Titans look to improve from their 5-5 record a year ago in D.R. Moreland's fourth season as head man.
Although a young team, many of the Titans come from a JV team that went 8-2 last season and bring a winning attitude.
San Marino will bank on returning running backs John Trawick and James Barbour to get the offense moving.
Trawick led the Titans with 667 yards and five touchdowns. Barbour had 391 yards and seven touchdowns.
Matt Hsu returns as one of defensive anchors after finishing seventh on the team in tackles with 37 last season. He was second in sacks with six.

Blair

The Vikings will rely on its line, led by 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior Brian Smith and 6-foot-3 235 senior Sean Horace as they attempt to improve on last year's 2-8 record.
Graduation wasn't the only thing that hit the Vikings hard. Of what were supposed to be 17 returning seniors, only five are on board.
"We're going to be very young," coach Tip Sanders said.
Freshman Kishon Sanders, the grandson of the head coach, has already proven to be a versatile athlete. He will start at quarterback for the first couple of games while the team waits on junior Torron Johnson, a transfer from North Carolina to become eligible.
He will start at defensive end and can also play middle linebacker.
"He brings the toughness that we need at middle linebacker," Sanders said.
Sophomore offensive guard Kory Alexander and tailback/corner Terrell Jones should also make an instant impact.