.............Star-Jibber.............

Huh??
no clue on who penned this one

You know the song. On the twelve days of Christmas, Golden Arm gave to the Rams...

12 Win season
11 Defensive stalwarts
10 Opponents weeping
9 "Attaboys" from New York
8 Super Sophomores
7 200 yard rushing games
6 Shut Out Victories
5 All League O-Lineman
4 Post season wins
3 Excellent recivers
2 Thousand yard rusher
1 Head Coach named___________

Merry Christmas to all and be safe in the New Year!

Nervo,

props to Beckton! thanks Nervo, I should have pulled a program and gave respect where due.

The 4th junior is Collin, Cary's younger bro. Swarzbaugh had the slot at season start, then moved to his real house...D line.

Coming up from JV we have 2 dudes in the 280 range - and a stumpy, fast freshman that I think might be a 3 year V player on line. Time will tell. In fact, we have solid JV talent, particularly at backer.

Until something concrete is known, I am going to bow out of the speculation. Bottom line, we have the right guy right now, and the right thing for all concerned is to keep him aboard.

Enjoy Christmas all.

From what I was told, RB is still teaching because the School board didn't want to have to get the lawyers involved. The HC position is a totally different issue. The school can choose at anytime to replace any coach they feel is detrimental ( in their eyes) to their program, pretty lame if you ask me. Hopefully all the chatter on the blog and the great show of support for RB will force (like I mentioned earlier) a change of heart......

Goldenarm,

I thought you said there were four juniors returning on the o-line. Anyways, things look gloomy for TC. The only good news will be that regardless if RB is gone, we will still have the same consistency of the past 10+ years at TC on Friday nights, Ben Beckon, the best groundskeeper in the RHL ;]

And that is exactly why our O-line (juniors)was so sucessful this year.

They have been running the same basic blocking schemes since freshman year. (Under Backus' tutelage coaches Luna and Camerano) Each year the kids get stronger, each year they refine and improve those blocks and learn to jive and communicate with the linemen they know around them. When they pull or down block - they know what to expect, having seen it 3 years straight. How can you not get better?

Witness O'Malley, Lumary and Sutton - and behind them -Ruckle, running the same 6 Power for the 400th time, all knowing well what the other can do. Recipe for success.

For the 50th time, I hope this is rumor. With a sideline of former TC'ers at SM and 2 additional gone already, we will be lucky to keep the groundskeeper.

New York,

You know what I mean about successful schools. I bet that Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, and Los Osos had a combination of walk-on and teachers to form good coaching staffs from Frosh to Varsity. TC needs to retain Backus and give him some help with staffing. He has a vision, is well grounded, and was putting together a common football template for all levels. This wasn't the case in the past as levels just did their own thing. Heck, when the AD was a lower level coach a few years ago, he wouldn't even run Backus's defense. Instead,he ran an old defense based on 1970's principles. All the levels need to learn the same terminology, schemes, and plays. The offense and defense must use the same teminology in formations and coverages. Backus was doing this.

"The schools that are succesful (Monrovia, Hart, Orange County schools)"---That's good company to keep, although Hart was down this year....

Backus was the ONLY on campus coach. All his help were walk-ons. The schools that are succesful (Monrovia, Hart, Orange County schools) have on staff help at all the levels. What Backus accomplished is truly remarkable. If there is a hiring freeze, and there is, who takes that job? The AD, a walk on? Talk about a recipe for disaster. If Backus is let go, he will be hired the next day at another school. How does that help TC if he doesn't leave his teaching position?

Say it aint so,

It seems that way.

From what I have heard, I would not think that RB would want to be in that work environment at is currently exists.

Man, all I can say is I hope that is not true.

Why bring the man back - and then terminate him?
If his offense was so heinous, he would not have been allowed back on campus.

If the Admin now sees him as a liability, then they have exceeded their recommended bong load capacity.

If this happens, and I say if....chances are, we will never know the real story. We (the kids, parents and TC supporters)will just be collateral damage - left with whatever strolls in after the smoke and dust clear. Like I said, I hope this is not true.

The admin is not going to find an upgrade from the bald dude we now have....at least not on the open market. I support his return.

Goldenarm, sources close to the TC program say RB is out. No one is given out any details only that there will be a new HC in place soon, that is too bad for the program. Hopefully the Admin will have a change of heart over the vacation and do whats right for the school, it's players and the community........

Concerned,

As far as transfers, we need talent in, not talent out.

We lose the RHL's best QB and linebacker, as well as multi-talents like GBL and Stewart. We have an excellent JV crew coming up, but when matched with the talent load of Monrovia (as usual) we are totally outgunned. The Rams cannot afford to lose 1 or a handful of players, owing to our notorious shallow box of skill position players.

With Maddox at the helm, M-town promises only to become more fundamentally sound, and as I stated last year during the Bonita passing tourney - all signs point toward the long term true resurgence of the Wildcat program.

Add that to SM now being on the map, SP are a year older and better and La Canada's best athletes now seniors..... winning the RHL starts looking very, very tough.

Concerned,

For many moons TC Admin has been an integral part of the success of Rams football, a symbiotic relationship where both academic and athletic departments worked toward bettering the other.

Some could argue the current faculty leadership already cost us a rare opportunity to compete in the CIF championship game in 08- by preventing and/or stalling the return of our head coach to his position of leadership. The school and the man have both taken their discipline for the alleged incident - let us return to business as usual. That is, the business of learning, on the field and in the classroom.

Backus' tenure and record of dedication and diligence entitle him to treatment above the level he is currently being accorded. It is high time the administration step to the podium and strongly voice support for coach Backus. Otherwise, we are facing a COMPLETE purging of talent in the coaching ranks, and will lose one of the premier head coaches in the SGV. Our varsity staff is already decimated.

I have no knowledge of what is happening as far as re-instatement. Barring any announcement, or better yet, in advance of any announcement, both the petition and request to address the school board are good ideas. I am sure at the upcoming varsity banquet - the show of support for RB will be off the chart.

After a trip to the CIF semi-finals, a program rebuild seems unfathomable.

Golden Arm,

Went to the TC Frosh FB banquet. There are a quite a bit of Backus supporters there. They want to start a petition or go to the school board. From what I heard, it is the same feelings on the JV and Varsity as well. People in the community and the staff at TCHS want Backus back as well. Grades are up, all 3 levels improved, and the Rams went to the semis. What more does Backus have to do? He is getting railroaded by the principal and AD. Backus was the backbone of the program through Soumakian, Difiori, and Mooney. If Backus isn't allowed to come back, there might be a few transfers. That won't be good.

Golden Arm,

Went to the TC Frosh FB banquet. There are a quite a bit of Backus supporters there. They want to start a petition or go to the school board. From what I heard, it is the same feelings on the JV and Varsity as well. People in the community and the staff at TCHS want Backus back as well. Grades are up, all 3 levels improved, and the Rams went to the semis. What more does Backus have to do? He is getting railroaded by the principal and AD. Backus was the backbone of the program through Soumakian, Difiori, and Mooney. If Backus isn't allowed to come back, there might be a few transfers. That won't be good.

Thanks, guys. I can imagine those guys were monsters.

I'm sure Grant is a public school. I think most schools named after presidents are public. Isn't Poly a public school with about 4,700 students? I think Grant has about 2,200, but who knows how many select transfers they get from the rest of Grant Joint Union...

Does Poly have their usual 7 guys committed to Pac-10 schools?

does anybody know when All-CIF comes out and where?

Enjoyed the blog comments between the Antelope Valley Paraclete people and the SGV fans. Can't wait till next year.

Miguel, has anyone sent you the Alpha League Awards. Get on these guys, I know we are small school but man, we, our players like to read ink as well.......Come on coaches do your jobs, send Miguel the info!!!!!!!

@ New York.

For the first time, I saw guys bigger than Poly's normal sasquatches! The tightend for Grant looked as if he could play DT in the league. The gentleman was huge! Grant came to make a point, and they did. North has just as much talent as the South. Although, I believe if they played Corona Cent., they might come up short. Corona would surely be outsized, but their speed would def compensate. No lie, i was sort of happy to see Poly fall. I still vote for the campaign the private schools should be in there own divisions. Public schools cant recruit, its not fair. Not sure if Grant is a pub or priv, but the guys def have some traces of Mt. Olympus in them, and they played for Grant.

sidebar: Vontaze Burfict lived up to the hype. Trojans are getting a good recruit. Especially when partnering with Ken Norton Jr.(if he doesnt go the 'the other school' aka the jv team of LA), he should be able to don the #55.

DESERT RAT,

COME BACK IN THE SPRING OR PRE-SEASON
Look forward to hearing your views on Paraclete in 09

O line graduates? Returnees, etc

New York,

Mt.Olympus may have been involved, as well as the Sasquatch DNA studies.

NY

As far as the news from TC - it is a slowing rollercoaster from the period of "what the hell is going on"...people are tired of the departures and the not knowing. The post La Canada
game stretch without an HC kind of numbed everything.
No question the program is hurt by the loss of Loya and others...I really don't know much beyond that. I just hope if there are decisions to made - they are made quickly and intelligently. I believe we have the right man in Coach Backus. The banquet is coming up in mid-January...after the year we had, that should be a great close out.

RE RHL AWARDS - When your O-line has the year our line had, it sucks when only 2 of the 5 get recognition as far as RHL honors. RT Tackle J. Sutton and Center D. Lumary should have made 2nd team Offense - at the minimum. Guard O'Malley and center Lumary were the reason Ruckle found consistent daylight straight up the middle. They also were the "push" when coach Loya called Stewart's number at the goal line.

From the offside Ouelette buried the backers and the show was on. Tackle Sutton kept DE' ends away from Hatch's throwing arm all season. It was a great year seeing the 4 juniors work together and develop. Line Coach Valdes...great job.

Any updates on Pasadena and Temple City football coaches?

uscfan,

all area selections come out christmas day, if im not mistaken.

Can anybody give a State Bowl recap? Goldenarm? Did the LB Poly vs Grant game feature some guys who appear to be direct decendents of Mt Olympus?

when do the all area selections come out?

when do the all area selections come out?

Miguel,

Have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year. There is a lot of turmoil going on in the world and Prep Sports provides a great escape. It provides us with a chance to teach our children through sports and to watch them grow and thrive. Thanks for all that you do.

Where is the story about Alhambra's tournament last nite? I did'mt get to go