Monrovia has proud, painful tradition
This story comes from longtime staffer Jim McConnell, the man we call, "The King" around the office. He writes a weekly Then & Now column. He gives us a bit of history today about Monrovia football.
THEN & NOW
Jim McConnell
Say "wait 'til next year" one hundred times. When you're done, you will have articulated the mantra of Monrovia High football.
Few Southern California football programs have been as successful as Monrovia's. None have been as star-crossed.
In the 100-year history of football at Monrovia High, the Wildcats have had legitimate shots at no less than 24 CIF-Southern Section titles. Incredibly, they've failed to win any.
Monrovia High was founded in 1887, which makes it one of the oldest high schools in Southern California. The school first fielded a football team in 1898. In 1914, it was one of the founding members of the CIF. By 1921, Monrovia was in the running for a berth in the CIF-SS playoffs and took a 7-1 record into its regular-season finale against L.A. Lincoln. A win would have vaulted the Wildcats into the playoffs, but Lincoln won 33-0.
By 1927, under the guidance of former USC star Hobbs Adams, the Wildcats were back among the top teams in Southern California. Monrovia was 7-1-1 entering its final regular-season game against league rival Covina. The powerful Colts - two-time defending league and CIF-SS champs - prevailed and denied Monrovia a playoff berth.
The 1928 season brought more heartbreak for Monrovia rooters. The Wildcats went undefeated in nine games, but were held to ties against league rivals El Monte and Citrus, and Covina once again wound up representing the league in the playoffs.
The leading player on the 1927 and 1928 Monrovia teams was quarterback Willard Brouse, who went on to play for Howard Jones at USC.
After a couple subpar seasons, Gene McAlister took over as Monrovia coach and put together a powerhouse in 1935. It was quite possibly the best team in school history and among the greatest San Gabriel Valley teams ever.
The Wildcats, led by quarterback Leroy Zimmerman, end Johnny Lindell and lineman Lou Bowman, shook off an early-season, 7-0 loss to Pomona to win the Pacific League title. In one of the bigger upsets in Valley sports history, however, Monrovia was stunned by Muir Tech 14-6 in its final league game a week after the Wildcats secured the league title.
Even so, McAlister's team seemed to have shaken off that loss when it rolled over its first two opponents in the CIF-SS playoffs. That set up a championship matchup with Santa Barbara High at the Rose Bowl.
Monrovia was favored, but the Dons had other plans. They held off the Wildcats 14-12 in one of the most exciting Large Schools finales to that point.
The loss certainly didn't hurt the careers of Zimmerman, Lindell and Bowman. Zimmerman went on to star at San Jose State, played nine years (1940-48) in the NFL and made the All-Pro team in 1944. Lindell, who also was a star in baseball, basketball and track at Monrovia, opted for baseball and played 11 years in the majors (1943-53), most notably with the New York Yankees. Bowman went on to star at New Mexico, where he earned all-conference honors.
By 1948, Bob Blackman had taken over the coaching duties at Monrovia and guided the Wildcats back to gridiron glory. They went 9-0 in the regular season and qualified for their first playoff berth since 1935. As fate would have it, Monrovia's first-round opponent was Santa Barbara. Once again, the underdog Dons bested the Wildcats.
John Daniels assumed coaching duties at Monrovia in 1950, and his 1951 team was a beauty. The Wildcats, led by lineman Hardiman Cureton, rolled over 11 consecutive opponents. That set up a classic matchup in the CIF title game against Pomona, which also was 11-0. Pomona prevailed, though, 26-13 in front of a standing- room only crowd estimated at 25,000 at Mt. San Antonio College.
In addition to Cureton, who went on to star at UCLA and in the Canadian Football League, distinguished members of that 1951 Monrovia team included guard Jim Pullman, who went on to play at UC Santa Barbara; end Lawrence Ross, who played at the University of Denver and then in the CFL; and fullback Bob Ballard, who followed Cureton to UCLA.
Daniels fielded another strong team in 1952, when the Wildcats went 8-2. One of the losses, to South Pasadena in the first round of the playoffs, ended their season. The same story held true in 1953, when the Wildcats again went 8-2. One of the losses, to Fullerton in a nonleague game, didn't hurt. The other, in the first round of the playoffs to Whittier, did. The Cardinals rode the momentum all the way to the Large Schools championship game, where they were beaten by Santa Monica 34-19.
Monrovia fielded another strong team in 1957 that featured halfback Keith Lincoln, who when on to be one of the early stars in the AFL with the San Diego Chargers. The Wildcats were 7-2 that year, but a tough 31-26 league loss to longtime rival Pomona kept them out of the playoffs.
By 1959, Monrovia had a new coach in Mike Giddings. Everything clicked for the Wildcats, who took an 11-0 record into the CIF 3A Division championship. Unfortunately, nothing worked for Monrovia in that one, and San Diego High posted a 53-0 victory. San Diego, long a target of complaints from fellow Southern Section schools, knew the game was its last in the section, with the San Diego section due to open for the 1960 season. The Hilltoppers used their exit as motivation and swamped the favored Wildcats.
Don Robbins took over as coach at Monrovia in 1960, but the switch didn't change the Wildcats' luck. They put together an 8-1 season, but the one loss was in league to Arcadia, and it cost them the league title and a playoff berth.
Robbins guided Monrovia to an 8-0-1 record in 1962 and into the Large Schools playoffs. Unfortunately, they were matched up against powerful El Rancho in the first round and lost 19-0.
The 1965 season provided almost an instant replay of 1962. Robbins' team won league and took an 8-1 record into the Large Schools opener, where it once again was paired up with El Rancho and once again lost.
One of the more notable players from the Don Robbins era at Monrovia was wide receiver Fair Hooker, who went on to play at Arizona State and for six years (1969-1975) with the Cleveland Browns.
First-round CIF playoff losses again were the Wildcats' fate in 1966 (again to El Rancho) and 1968 (47-20 to Blair).
Tom Paton became Monrovia coach in 1972 and produced a series of outstanding teams. After going 7-2 in 1972, Paton guided back-to-back 12-1 seasons. The 1973 team, led by quarterback Doug Hopper, lost in the CIF-SS 3A final 14-7 to Crescenta Valley. The 1974 team lost to Santa Ana Valley in the 3A Division semifinals. Santa Ana Valley went on to rout Colton 47-14 in the 3A title game.
Perhaps the most notable Monrovia player during Paton's tenure was halfback Obie Graves, who went on to star at Citrus College and Cal State Fullerton and played two seasons in the CFL.
The 1981 Monrovia team, coached by Rick Watson, also reached the CIF semifinals. The Wildcats took a 10-1 record into that year's Northwestern Conference semis but lost to Antelope Valley, which then beat Burbank Burroughs 24-14 for the title.
In 1982, Watson's charges went 9-2-2 and reached the CIF Northwestern finale but lost 7-0 to underdog Verbum Dei.
The 1983 Monrovia team might have been even better. The Wildcats had an 11-0 record heading into a much-heralded Northwestern Conference semifinal matchup against Canyon Country Canyon. Canyon nipped the Wildcats 27-25, and that was perhaps the most bitter of all Monrovia playoff setbacks.
Among the many outstanding players on the 1982 and 1983 teams was Chris Hale, who went on to star as a defensive back at USC and play four years in the NFL.
It took Monrovia 14 years to get back to a CIF title game. The 1997 Wildcats were 12-0-1 entering the CIF-SS Division IX finale, but they came up short against Mira Costa, 28-14. Amazingly, the 1998 season was a virtual re-run, with Monrovia taking a 12-0 mark into the Division X title tilt only to lose 28-24 at Paso Robles.
Again in 1999, it looked like Monrovia finally would end its CIF jinx. The Wildcats, led by running back Akil Harris, were 12-1 going into a Division X championship rematch with Paso Robles, but this time the game was going to be played at Citrus College rather than far-off Paso Robles. Unfortunately for Wildcats fans, the site didn't make a difference as Paso Robles came away a 24-10 winner.
The 21st century brought yet another outstanding Monrovia team. The 2002 Wildcats were 11-0 heading into their Division X semifinal against Lompoc, but fell short. Lompoc went on to win the division title, a story that by then was all too familiar to the Monrovia faithful.
jim.mcconnell@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2383
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About this blog
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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In the 1960 playoff game, I told my boys to take it easy on Monrovia. If I hadn't, the final score would have been SD 120, Monrovia 0.
== dm
In the 1960 playoff game, I told my boys to take it easy on Monrovia. If I hadn't, the final score would have been SD 120, Monrovia 0.
== dm
I played for Montebello High in a qtr final game at the Rose Bowl. Would appreciate a shout out about the score. My job was to block Hardiman Cureton and it was the hardest task I ever had...
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Robbie Bartlett did come down with the flu but it was the year before against Antelope Valley in the semi-finals, in 17-15 loss. MHS had committed on three turnovers all season until that game when they committed seven.
I have been around MHS football my entire life and I can tell you this, and some may disagree but I have the facts on my side. There has never been a greater assembly of talent at MHS 1981-83 as there were 11 guys from those teams that received DIV I scholarships. There is no era in the storied history of MHS football that can make that claim.
Robbbie Barlett (East Carolina)
LaShawn Wells (University of the Pacific) (University of Colorado)
Kennedy Bryant (University of the Pacific)
Kevin Scott (Oregon State)
Matt Smith (Air Force Academy)
Chris Hale (Nebraska) (USC)
Willie Griffin(Nebraska)
Paul Hewitt(San Diego St, (New Mexico)
Cliff Soujka(New Mexico St.)
Reggie Stark (Wash St)
Leland Adams (Arizona State)
Andy Bourne (Who was drafted By the LA Dodgers)Chose BB
Kim Ainsworth(Considered the best QB to ever play @ MHS
I may have even missed a few but that was by far the best talent ever assembled at MHS. And without a doubt the greatest team to never win a Championship is the 1982-83 as 8 of those guys are listed above.
And as the soul singer Betty Wright sung Tonight is the Night. Besay Coolay
I also heard that Robbie Bartlett was sick and missed the Verbum Dei game. Is that true?
Another point about Rick Watson's 1981 Monrovia team: they beat a stacked Bishop Amat team (Don Hiti, Pernell Taylor, Randy Tanner, Ron Brown, Arnold Fields) at Kiefer Stadium 28-21. Not very many SGV teams can claim that. That night Monrovia QB Robbie Bartlett completed 14 of 15 passes and a couple TD's. Another interesting fact: Most of the '81 WIldcat starters came down with the flu and didn't even play in the semi-final game agianst Antelope Valley. There may have been a different outcome. The '82 and '83 teams also had a great RB by the name of Paul Hewitt. He was a BEAST! I wish coach Maddox the best. Hopefully the Cats can build on that tradition and get over the hump.
Joe Amat,
Markam's MO is to have a small roster and have zero assistant coaches. I remember when Bloomington set the national scoring record in 1994. Markham cut his roster from 21 down to 19 going into the playoffs. I think the only "assistant coach" was his wife who filmed the games. He also has his guys live in the weight room. I assume Colton in the 1980s (maybe even 1970s) was good for him. Rumor has it Markam's Colton team would designate an "Enforcer" that wore a different color helmet. Apparently, the "Enforcer" had the authority to headslap his teammates on the field for making mistakes. Anyway, times change and teachers and parents eventually had enough. The other rumor is that he got expelled from California coaching for a while and went up to Oregon prior to returning and coaching at Bloomington in 1994. I think the 1993 Bloomington team was 1-9 and then Markham's first year they went 14-0. Of course, the other rumor is that he utilized his status as a foster parent and had some key transfers. Do you know anything about this stuff? Is there any truth to it?
I am a huge fan of Markham's offense for small schools. I really think that average talent can be competitive with it.
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Joe Amat,
Check now, they have been fixed. BTW, I agree. I'd wish people would pick blog names and stick to them. Makes it more fun. Earlier in the season there was a guy who would go by the name of "MiguelHater" and I haven't heard of him in about two months. There was another guy named "MiguelHater2" and he's disappeared, too. Is it because I found out their true identity? Who knows, but I love haters; the story of my life.
Miguel,
the "spam-monster" ate a couple of posts - one here explaining the Markham situation New York asked about and another on the Alhambra blog.
apparently they needed to go to instant replay for "further review"
If they come out OK... does that cost you a time-out?
NY,
Agree that Garrison was probably not considered- but maybe applied.
As for Markham - interesting story... and interesting guy. You would think the "no boundaries" thing would have been good for him... especially back then before open enrollment when it was a much bigger advantage.
Markham's first problem was that he was a bit of a "lone-wolf" and a rebel... not a good mix at a booster involved private school. Second, he had a liking for small rosters and wanted to cut kids. Again, not the private school MO. Finally he had a little problem with a kid during a PE class as Markham was "sunning" himself in his lawn-chair outside the weightroom. Needless to say, the confrontation didn't end welll and we were looking for a new coach.
To his credit he made a huge contribution to Amat in getting the program to buy into players getting bigger-stronger-faster. We went from competing with undersized kids under Patricio to being a breeding ground for Division 1 offensive linemen. That laid the groundwork for the next dozen years of excellence.
Now some conspiracy theorists think that Parades (who was the baseball coach/AD at the time) didn't feel he was ready to be a head football coach and had a feeling that Markham would eventually shoot himself in the foot - positioning Parades to take over when he did.
And that's exactly what happened... with tremendous success.
Nice story, and well writen. I look forward to the next one !
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Joe,
I doubt that Coach Garrison was in consideration at Amat in the mid-1980s. At that time, Coach Garrison was about the same age as Mark Verti was when he got the call at Amat. Monrovia 1993 was Coach Garrison's first assignment as a Varsity head coach, and he ended up doing VERY well within a few years. However, I've always viewed Bishop Amat as too big of an assignment to grant a coach the luxury of on-the-job training.
Coach Garrison may have been under consideration during the same time that Mike DiFiori was interviewed. That would not surprise me at all. DiFiori was at TC at the time, but never won a league title and always finished behind Monrovia. I think that was around the spring of 1999, which was really the peak of Coach G's tenure.
As far as Don Markham, what happened with his stint at Amat. I think his team was 11-1, right? At least that is what his website says. I assume that Bishop Amat's lack of enrollment boundaries would have been good for Markham.
NY,
Speaking of Garrison, I think I remember his name coming up as an applicant at Amat for our head coaching vacancy back in the mid'80s when we hired Don Markham (who lasted one year) Do you happen to have any inside knowledge on whether that's accurate?
A couple other interesting names I think were floated during that search... Notre Dame's head coach Kevin Rooney (who was still an infant head coach at ND) and their present D.Coordinator Joe McNab (who I think was at Chaminade back then).
Funny how a single decision could have changed so much of history... for so many. What woulda/coulda happened at all of those schools if the ball bounced a different way
Great call Campanario. Coach Garrison took Monrovia over in 1993, after a few consecutive years of Monrovia not winning ANY RHL games. We had not even made the playoffs since 1987. Losing varsity games had become accepted on campus. Maybe PHS should bring him in.
Thanks for the article. The truth hurts, but it won't forever. Also, I gotta believe it would be appropriate to mention Steve Garrison (15 year tenure) along with all the other coaches mentioned...
What about a couple years back when they were poised to make another run at a title but were haulted by a stingy La Salle team? What a shocker that was!
That was really fun to read.
GREAT recount of Monrovia football. Thank you very much.
Quick correction: Akil Harris was a senior on the 1998 team that lost AT Paso Robles. If they had played at Citrus (short grass, dry, etc) in 1998, Monrovia likely would have blown Paso Robles out by at least three or four touchdowns.
Very interesting to see that we were once in the same division as Canyon Country.
Man that was some good stuff. I didnt know it was that bad, and are history was of the CIF Jinx, grant it I was born in the late 80's but. Will the Jinx ever end??????