November 2009 Archives
Above: De'Shawn Ramirez & Co. ran past Paraclete in the semifinals. Can Monrovia do it again Saturday night when it hosts Whittier Christian?
It's going to be a busy week. The winter sports are well under way and some big basketball tournaments get underway today. While I concentrate on that today I will leave you with the chance to ask as many questions as you want regarding Monrovia and Whittier Christian in the Mid Valley Division and Rio Hondo Prep and Salesian in the Northeast Division. What do you want to know about your teams? What do you want to know about the opposing teams? Rio Hondo Prep's Mike Collins already asked why it is Salesian forfeited four of its games, and when I call the Salesian coach it's something I will definitely ask and hope to have for you in Tuesday's paper. There may also be some questions you want answered regarding the second round game, such as Ryan Maddox's thought process when he opted to punt on third down in the Wildcats' first series against Paraclete. What about Rio Hondo Prep's Cody Cowell and how he's feeling after returning since separating his shoulder in the first round game. How many of you are going to attend the other semifinals Friday night? I'm sure Monrovia's making the trip to San Dimas and Rio Hondo Prep's probably making the trip to Temecula to watch No. 2 seed Linfield Christian take on Chadwick. We will devote daily coverage of both teams leading up to what promises to be an action packed Saturday when Monrovia, the undefeated top-seeded team in the Mid Valley Division, and Rio Hondo Prep, the unbeaten, top-seeded and defending Northeast Division champions, try to keep its season alive and get closer to the promised land that is the championship game.
SATURDAY'S GAMES -- WITH PREDICTIONS
CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
SEMIFINALS
MID VALLEY DIVISION
Whittier Christian (9-3, Olympic League 3) at No. 1 Monrovia (12-0, Rio Hondo League 1)
PREDICTION: Monrovia
NORTHEAST DIVISION
Salesian (6-6, Santa Fe 1) at No. 1 Rio Hondo Prep (12-0, Prep League 1)
PREDICTION: Rio Hondo Prep
Discuss anything and everything you want to talk about...
Here we go again: Monrovia and Rio Hondo Prep are back in the semifinals. Top seed Monrovia (12-0) takes another Olympic League team in Whittier Christian (9-3) in the CIF-SS Mid Valley Division. MaxPreps has this game at Whittier Christian on Saturday night, but Freddy's got it listed at Monrovia. I'll make a phone call. Either way, I will be there and once again it'll be the Star-News Game of the Week. I'm off Friday, but I'm debating whether I should go watch Azusa-San Dimas or make it a rare Boys Night Out on a Friday night during football season. Decisions, decisions. Also on Saturday night, top seeded and defending champion Rio Hondo Prep (12-0) will host Salesian (6-6) in the Northeast Division. I had a chance to chat with Salesian coach Roddie Hiatt, who attended the Rio Hondo Prep-Saddleback Valley Christian game. All this week I'll bring you notes and tidbits not just on Monrovia (cuz I know you can't get enough of them) and Rio Hondo Prep, but also on their opponents. If you must know, I'm picking both teams to advance to the finals. San Dimas and Linfield Christian will be the losers in the Mid Valley and Northeast Division finals.
Finals Coin Flips: The coin flips for home games in the CIF finals were held this morning. In the Mid-Valley Division, Monrovia gets the home game over San Dimas, and Azusa gets the home game over Monrovia. Whittier Christian gets the home game in both scenarios if it advances.
Winter Begins: Basketball, soccer and other winter sports have begun or are soon to begin. The Rose City Classic Boys Basketball Tournament begins Monday at Pasadena High School. We will have a reporter covering the marquee game that night, and our boys basketball/girls basketball preview will run later this week. If you have tournament schedules for basketball and soccer be sure to post them here and/or e-mail them to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. With football still alive, and I suspect it'll go well into next week, it'll be tough getting a grip on Winter sports. You can help us by e-mailing updates to me and/or calling in box scores to 626.962.8811 Ext 2242 or 2233.
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO -- Seriously, can anybody stop Rio Hondo Prep?
There's a simple answer to such a complex question: No.
Junior stud running back Charles Quintero rushed for 244 yards on 15 carries and scored on runs of 8, 76, 7 and 67 yards to lead Rio Hondo Prep over Saddleback Valley Christian in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs on a cold and rainy Saturday night at St. Margaret's High.
Rio Hondo Prep (12-0) will host Salesian (6-6) next Saturday in the semifinals.
Quintero proved too elusive and strong for the Warriors (7-5) defense, which needed third and fourth efforts to bring Quintero down. Junior fullback Nick Preciado was just as dangerous, rushing for 153 yards on 12 carries. He scored on a 20-yard run with 5:09 left in the third quarter to give the Kares a 47- lead.
"Charles had a great game and Nick ran pretty hard himself," Rio Hondo Prep coach Ken Drain said. "He wasn't feeling well but played well."
The defense didn't skip a beat, limiting Saddleback Valley Christian to 64 yards rushing and 135 yards total.
Jason Sterris and Ed Drain each recorded an interception and Chris Llamas and Preciado each recorded a sack.
The biggest surprise of the game came when senior Cody Cowell played despite sustaining a separated shoulder last week. The injury is nothing new to Cowell, who separated both his shoulders last season but came back in time for the playoffs. The 6-foot-1, 225 pound linebacker/tight end anchors the Rio Hondo Prep defense, but he's just as valuable on offense.
"He's our enforcer on defense and he's a great tight end," Drain said. "He's our lead blocker on a lot of our running plays."
PALMDALE -- Monrovia's (12-0) season will be defined by what will simply be known as "The Drive." They showed heart, battled through adversity and didn't let a virtual wall deter them. Simply put, the Wildcats proved why they are favored to win the Mid Valley Division crown. Facing a second-and-6 at the Monrovia 24, sophomore standout De'Shaw Ramirez took off for a 33-yard gain, only to have it negated on a holding penalty. On third-and-20, Wildcats quarterback Nick Bueno connected on a 27-yard pass to a leaping Ellis McCarthy (below) for the first down. Bueno then connected on a 16-yard pass to Luke Williams, and a face mask on Paraclete (7-5) helped Monrovia move the ball all the way up to the Spirits 25 yard line. Bueno was nearly intercepted in the end zone on the next play, and on fourth-and-1 at the Paraclete 16, Bueno took off on a sneak and got the first down by a few millimeters. The roller coaster drive was capped by a 15-yard touchdown run by Ramirez to give Monrovia a 7-3 lead with 48.6 seconds left in the second quarter. That pretty much summed up Monrovia's night. Paraclete (7-5) was limited to a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter to take a 3-0 lead, but after that it was all Monrovia, particularly its defense which came up with two interceptions, one sack and constant pressure that deflated any momentum by the Paraclete quarterback in the second half.
I'm sitting in my car and parked at a gas station with my laptop at hand. All the scores are updated below, but I don't have much details on the game since I'm a world away in (ahem) beautiful Palmdale. Off hand, I'm stunned by Maranatha's loss to Ontario Christian. I guess Maranatha coach Joel Murphy was right, Ontario Christian's record was deceiving, and they proved it. San Marino at one point lead, 24-20, I believe but couldn't hold on. I'm shocked by St. Francis' double overtime loss. I thought the Golden Knights had this one. They were having such a good run and it's tough to see them go out like this. Pasadena Poly should take solace in that it reached the quarterfinals of the Northeast Division. Linfield Christian was a tough draw. I'll be at the Rio Hondo Prep game Saturday night. This is it for now. I'm headed home and will try to update this thread later. Someone asked why I didn't post scoring updates on Monrovia. I was roaming the sidelines the entire game and sent text updates to Robledo, hence the updates on his blog. Oh, and for those who made the trip to Palmdale, it was a chilly 48 degrees, but that was nothing compared to last year's finals. Still, I can barely feel my thumbs.
TONIGHT'S RESULTS
Monrovia 14, Paraclete 3
Linfield Christian 49, Pasadena Poly 0
Palmdale 49, St. Francis 42, 2OT
Azusa 27, San Marino 24
Ontario Christian 28, Maranatha 24
SATURDAY'S GAME
Rio Hondo Prep vs. Saddleback Valley Christian at St. Margaret's High, 7 p.m. -- Rio Hondo Prep
No truth to rumors that Paraclete coaches are sleeping on memory foam pillows this week, given the tall task at hand when the prowess that is Monrovia marches into the desert Friday night to face defending Mid Valley Division champion Paraclete. (By the way, the game may be pushed to 7:30 p.m. if Paraclete can't get someone from Knight High to open the stadium locker rooms by 4:30 p.m. I'll keep you posted)
Back to the Wildcats' offense .... They have so many weapons that it's virtually a "pick your poison" type of deal. It always has been and it'll remain that way throughout the playoffs. Paraclete coach Norm Dahlia agrees, to an extent. "Not so much about the offense, but it's more about the few players they have and what they can do on offense," Dahlia said. "Their offense is something we've faced six times this year."
Monrovia's Ryan Maddox begs to differ. "You can't stop everything. You have to pick what you're going to take away or try to confuse Nick, but he's a heady football player and gotten better and better at what he does. We'll just try to put him and the other players in the best positions to make plays."
Everywhere I go people always tell me the same thing: Stop writing about Bueno! Seriously. When I'm at Vons, the barber shop, even my mom who's never been to a football game in her life tells me she's had enough of Nick Bueno. But you can't neglect the fact that the Monrovia offense starts with Bueno. As he goes, so do the Wildcats, and Dahlia understands that much too well. "Obviously you have to contain Nick Bueno," he said. "I think that's the whole key to stopping everything. That's going to be a job in itself." So, the offense starts with Bueno, right? "Oh absolutely," Dahlia said. "He makes things happen. We've watched him from the Arcadia game on and he's definitely key on offense."
Yes, those guys wearing the black/red bomber jackets roaming the visitor sidelines and concession stands are just a fraction of the Spirits traveling army. Paraclete has attended four games this season: Arcadia, La Canada, San Marino and Blair. "Coach (Maddox) hasn't changed his offense," Dahlia says. "Saw a little wrinkles, a couple things out of trips, but nothing we haven't seen. Nick Bueno, yeah, he's got other weapons and we cannot turn away our eyes from anybody, but our biggest thing is containing Nick Bueno. Our whole slogan is we don't care who we play, as long as we don't beat ourselves we'll be OK."
Paraclete will go into Friday's game facing an early uphill battle. They'll have to play without stud tailback Rosevelt Davis who is out the rest of the season after two small hairline fractures in his right fibula. He suffered the injury in the waning seconds of the second quarter against La Puente. Davis rushed for 630 yards and five touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns.
But no doubt the biggest lost for the Spirits has to be senior Todd Daivs, a 6-foot-2, 230 pound middle linebacker who was tossed out of last week's game after accumulating two personal foul penalty calls. "Absolutely he's a big loss but I'm not worried about it," Dahlia said. "He's a great player and obviously we'd love to play with him, but I have three linebackers who could have played the whole year, and one of them (John Tovar) was one vote away from All-CIF last year. He played four varsity games last year and he's extremely effective."
Above: Rosemead's Tra Sumler was a unanimous pick for the Star-News Player of the Year.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! With hardly of us working today I thought today would be a good day to throw up this thread and let you have your say about the Star-News' All-Area football teams while the turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie get set on the table. You can fill in the blanks and make your arguments. The AP is all purpose, which can be used for an extra quarterback, two-way standout or just about anyone that absolutely deserves to be on the team. You might think the hardest decisions are at quarterback, running back, but it's actually the offensive lineman, the ones that make it all happen.
Player of the year:
Coach of the year:
First Team Offense
QB: (1); RB: (2); AP: (1); WR: (3); OL: (5); PK: (1)
First Team Defense
DL: (3); LB: (4); DB: (3); SS: (1); P: (1)
CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION WESTERN DIVISION PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
FRIDAY, 7:30 p.m.
ST. FRANCIS (9-2) vs. PALMDALE (9-2) at PALMDALE HIGH (2137 E Avenue R, Palmdale)
Palmdale is led by quarterback Joshua Shaw's 1,586 yards and 12 touchdowns. St. Francis coach Jim Bonds is keeping an eye on the Florida-commit, who is the second-leading rusher with 637 yards and nine touchdowns. "They have a stud (Shaw) who is committed to Florida. He's a starting safety/defensive back and does some nice job running," Bonds said. "He can throw the ball. They have an outstanding back on Corey Washington whose another guy we need to account for." Washington's rushed for 758 yards and six touchdowns. Dietrich Riley, who injured his hamstring against Loyola, is getting closer to 100 percent, though he probably won't get there until the season's over. As Bonds put it, "When you're a guy of his speed, that's your game," he said. "You have to have a hamstring that's functioning. It'll linger but it won't be 100 percent." Quarterback Justin Posthuma (1,996 yards, 17 touchdowns) still has a cast in his non-throwing hand. It broke in two places against Alemany, though he returned in the final game of the season to lead the Golden Knights to an impressive win over Chaminade. "I was amazed the doctor let him go back in the game," said Bonds regarding the game against Alemany. "They thought he might have dislocated it in one place. In the game, the doctor taped it up and let him go." X-Rays later showed it was fractured in two places. He'll continue to play with the cast and a half inch of foam, per CIF rules. Posthuma (634 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns) no doubt is tough, and that much was accentuated by his late-game heroics. "If you have a fracutre you're gonna be in quite a bit of pain," Bonds said. "He's tougher than nails to get back out there and do what he was able to do." St. Francis will drive to the Palmdale area for a playoff game for the fourth time since 2002. The Golden Knights played at Palmdale in 2003 and lost 26-0 in the first round of the Division III playoffs. St. Francis had better luck the following year and beat the Falcons, 19-10, before reaching the semifinals and running into Mission League rival Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Last year, St. Francis lost in the first round, 30-17, to Quartz Hill, located just 16 minutes from Palmdale. As for the chilly weather in Palmdale ... "We told our guys it's going to be colder than it is down here," Bonds said, "but we're not going to overemphasize it. It's going to be cold for both teams, but they're used to it because they live up there." St. Francis defeated Gahr, 55-34; Palmdale defeated Santa Monica, 45-26.
CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION MID VALLEY DIVISION PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
FRIDAY, 7 P.M.
SAN MARINO (9-2) vs. AZUSA (9-2) at CITRUS COLLEGE (1000 E Foothill Blvd, Glendora)
RELATED LINK: Azusa on the verge of history again (SGV Tribune)
"They're 10-1 for a reason," San Marino coach D.R. Moreland said. "Offensively they spread the ball around and have their athletes in space. It's a challenge to cover them. They're going to definitely mix up our defensive schemes. They're physical and they fly to the ball. They're going to hit us when they get the chance." John Chavez leads things at quarterback for the Aztecs. He's completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,352 yards and 11 touchdowns. Running back Kendrec McDade's rushed for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns. Nick Valverde is tough as nails with eight sacks and Jose Nunez leads the team in tackles with 93 for an 8.5 average per game. San Marino's offense will present matchup problems for Azusa. It won't be easy to defend the Titans' Benny Hung, Stevie Yortsos and the mobile quarterback Joe Forgatch. "I think in our offense we're finding that you have a lot of weapons," Moreland said. "There's a lot of our offense to defend, which puts a lot of pressure on defenses." Yeah, tell that to Rosemead. The Panthers couldn't find a way to contain Hung, who rushed for 190 yards on 22 carries. Forgatch completed 12 of 19 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns. San Marino defeated Rosemead, 42-20; Azusa defeated Covina, 41-13.
CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION EAST VALLEY DIVISION PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
FRIDAY, 7 P.M.
MARANATHA (9-2) vs. ONTARIO CHRISTIAN (5-6) at ONTARIO CHRISTIAN (931 W. Philadelphia St., Ontario)
Ontario Christian's record is deceiving. The host Knights played Cerritos Valley Christian and were leading until the fourth quarter; they led by two touchdowns against Azusa before falling, 28-27; lost to the Northeast Division's No. 2 seed Linfield Christian, 27-26; and Ontario Christian lost in the last minute to Aquinas for the Christian League championship. "They easily could have been 7-3 or 8-2," Maranatha coach Joel Murphy said. Ontario Christian is a senior-heavy team, starting with quarterback Andrew Lachelt who's thrown for 563 yards and rushed for 746 yards and nine touchdowns. "He's mobile as could be and a dual threat at quarterback," Murphy said. "It'll be quite a task to keep him in check." Maranatha defeated Frazier, 59-13; Ontario Christian defeated 29 Palms, 14-9.
CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION NORTHEAST DIVISION PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
SATURDAY, 7 P.M.
RIO HONDO PREP (11-0) vs. SADDLEBACK VALLEY CHRISTIAN (7-4) AT ST. MARGARET'S HIGH (31641 La Novia Ave., San Juan Capistrano)
Someone asked if I was going to the Rio Hondo Prep game. To answer your question, yes I will be there live from St. Margaret's. It'll be the first opportunity I get to watch the Kares live and in action. I really hope my attending won't jinx their vibe. Rio Hondo Prep is the defending champion and no doubt have a target on its back. They've had it all year with teams gunning for them, but as always the Kares have taken care of business. Saddleback Valley Christian boasts a good quarterback in Zac Rodarmel who's passed for almost 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns. He's also the team's second leading rusher behind William Hinn's 1,177 yards and 22 touchdowns. "He's a tall kid and throws pretty darn good," Rio Hondo Prep coach Ken Drain said. "Their running back is fast and farily quick. Those guys do 99 percent of the offense; stop those guys and you can stop the offense, that's the plan." Rio Hondo Prep will have to go into Saturday nights' game without Cody Cowell, a 6-foot-1, 225 pound tight end/linebacker. Cowell separated his right arm in the first round. That injury is not new to Cowell. He separated both his shoulders last season, but returned in time to play in all the Kares' playoff games. Judging from Drain's words, Cowell is without a doubt Rio Hondo Prep's best player and heart and soul of the team. "He's our enforcer on defense and he's a great tight end," Drain said. "He's our lead blocker on a lot of our running plays. He'll be a big loss." Rio Hondo Prep defeated Desert Christian 34-0 in the first round. SVC squeezed past Riverside Christian, 21-20.
Fred J. Robledo
The top two-ranked teams in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division might feel more like underdogs in the second round on Friday. Top-seeded Monrovia (11-0) is at defending champion Paraclete (7-4) a week after the Spirits dismantled La Puente in the first round, 45-0. Olympic League champion Cerritos Valley Christian (8-3), which beat Paraclete in the league finale, whipped La Ca ada 45-0 and will be at No. 2 San Dimas (10-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. With Whittier Christian's 27-24 win over Mission Valley League champion Arroyo, the Olympic League went 3-0 in the first round.
To continue, click thread
Continue reading Cerritos Valley Chr.-Paraclete in Mid Valley Division final?.
Above: Nick Bueno when he was 5 ... Just kidding.
I'm no weather expert, but if you're making plans to make Friday night's game in the Palmdale area here's some word of advice: bundle up! We here in Los Angeles are ridiculously spoiled with picturesque weather, where a cold day can mean turning on the fire place when it dips into the 60's. That being said, you're going to want to brace yourselves for low to mid 30's when Monrovia and Paraclete clash at 7 p.m. at Knight High in the second round of the Mid Valley Division playoffs. St. Francis visits Palmdale at 7:30 p.m. in the Western Division. Since a year ago I went to Palmdale to cover the Mid Valley Division finals pitting Rosemead vs. Paraclete, I have a few tips that might be of benefit:
1. Bring munchies -- It's almost a two-hour ride up to Palmdale, and it can feel longer when you're driving through the winding roads and reception on your radio cuts off, unless you have XM Satellite Radio, then you're OK. Eating chips or whatnot can help fill awkward silence, depending on who you're driving up with.
2. Bundle up! -- You're gonna want to over do it, trust me. That way at least you're not like me who didn't have any gloves or a beanie to keep my hands and bald head warm. The hottest item at the concession stand last year were hand warmers.
3. Lights, action! -- Driving to Knight High can be surreal. It reminds me of the movie "Field of Dreams". When you get off the freeway you'll go through some residential streets before you go through the lonely roads. It'll be dark, so you're gonna want to keep those lights bright. You'll get to see the field from a distance, and the closer you get the bigger the lights will seem. Knight High sits in the middle of nowhere.
4. Drink up! -- Hot chocolate is the second hottest item in the concession stand, literally and figuratively. I'll take mine with six mini marshmallows.
5. Portable heaters -- You know it's cold when even Paraclete fans have portable heaters in the stands. Both teams will probably have heaters in the sidelines, but you're on your own.
"For most of the kids playing in the game it's not so much an issue but the kids in the sidelines and the ones standing will be a lot colder," said Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox regarding the cold weather. Monrovia will practice tonight and Wednesday at 7 p.m. in an effort to get acclimated to the weather, though it'll be warmer here than what the Wildcats should expect Friday. But in the bigger picture, Maddox opted for night practices rather than in the morning because of the obvious. "Morning practices are rough just because not everybody in the program is an early riser," Maddox said. "You're not always going to get the most out of the kids in the morning. They tend to be much livelier in the evening, which is good and makes for a better evening."
Melendez last week (overall): 8-4 (126-66-1)
Last week: Muir, San Gabriel, Pasadena Poly and La Cañada proved me wrong. To be fair, the Mustangs had one of their most unbelievable games in taking Charter Oak to the brink of elimination in the opener of the Southeast Division opener. The hot question I've posed coaches and our staff at the office is this: If you're Ken Howard, do you make the decision to go for the two-point conversion or go for the PAT. I would have gone for the PAT. You already have Charter Oak on the ropes and you've done near the impossible in making it such a nail biter; momentum is on your side and you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. I polled some coaches about the scenario later that night and through the weekend: Some said they'd take the PAT but surprisingly the majority said they would go for it. .... To be fair, La Cañada drew a tough Cerritos Valley Christian team. Is the Olympic League the most competitive league in the Mid Valley Division? The can make argument after all three teams advanced to Friday's second round. ... Pasadena Poly had an amazing game at St. Genevieve, posting 47-28 lead before hanging on, 52-42.
This week: You don't have to ask: Monrovia vs. Paraclete at Knight High is the Game of the Week. I'm bringing the wool coat, putting chains on the tires and strapping on some gloves, because I don't care what anybody says it gets cold up there. We're expected to battle a balmy 34 degrees on Friday night. The record low in Palmdale is 18 degrees, set in 1978. Bundle up and get ready for what is easily the most anticipated matchup in the Mid Valley Division. This is the championship game in my books. Nevertheless, I would like to see an All-Area final on Dec. 12. .... San Marino was definitely a lot of fun to watch last week. They're old school with Benny Hung rushing down the middle and unpredictable with Stevie Yortsos and Joe Forgatch as the driving force on offense. Ben Harwich compliments Hung's running game, and he's just as dangerous when he breaks off tackles. St. Francis (9-2) visits a tough Palmdale (9-2) team, led by QB Joshua Shaw's 1,586 yards and 12 touchdowns. But after enduring the air assault by Gahr's Casey Nielsen (400+ passing), the Golden Knights' secondary should have an easier time. Or not. Shaw's also the team's second-leading rusher with 637 yards and nine touchdowns. Maranatha and Rio Hondo Prep should advance to the semifinals in their respective divisions, but I'm not so sure about Pasadena Poly, which draws No. 2 seed Linfield Christian. On the bright side, the Panthers are the only area team playing at home while we're all on the road.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES -- WITH PREDICTIONS
Monrovia vs. Paraclete at Knight High in Palmdale, 7 p.m. -- Monrovia
Linfield Christian vs. Pasadena Poly at South Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Linfield Christian
St. Francis at Palmdale, 7:30 p.m. -- St. Francis
San Marino vs. Azusa at Citrus, 7 p.m. -- San Marino
Maranatha at Ontario Christian, 7 p.m. -- Maranatha
SATURDAY'S GAME
Rio Hondo Prep vs. Saddleback Valley Christian at St. Margaret's High, 7 p.m. -- Rio Hondo Prep
CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF FRIDAY'S ROSEMEAD-SAN MARINO GAME
TONIGHT'S GAMES
San Marino 42, Monrovia Rosemead 20 -- Benny Hung rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Joe Forgatch completed 12 of 19 passes for 188 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Titans in the dominating victory. Rosemead's Matt Fregoso rushed for 190 yards on 26 carries and quarterback Matt Macias completed 12 of 22 passes with one interception and three touchdowns to lead the Panthers. Rosemead had no answer for Hung, who scored on runs of 17 and 13 yards. Forgatch connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass to Stevie Yortsos and a 53-yard dart to Ben Harwich. Forgatch also scored on runs of 1 and 10 yards. It looked like the game was going to be a slug fest, but San Marino put that theory to rest when it scored 21 unanswered points to end the first half. Hung was just tough as nails down the middle, smash-mouth football at its best. Yortsos is fun to watch. He returned an interception 32 yards from the end zone, tippy-toeing at the goal line and letting one then two defenders fly by to miss the tackle. Forgatch is much much improved from last year and provides a dual threat for the Titans. He's tough and is not afraid to get the extra yards. San Marino went all out, going 3 for 3 on fourth-down conversions. This team will be dangerous and were definitely fun to watch from the Titans sidelines.
Monrovia 40, South El Monte 7 -- You knew it would be Monrovia's day when on its opening drive Dejawn Jones recovered Ellis McCarthy's in the end zone for the opening score. Nick Bueno's first run was for a touchdown and his last two throws also were for scores. No starters played in the second half, which had a running clock the rest of the way. See you all in Lancaster, err, Palmdale.
Burbank 21, Alhambra 14 -- Tipping my hat here for Gil Ruedaflores who after 21 seasons steps down as the Moors coach. Alhambra had a 14-0 lead with two touchdown passes from quarterback Darrian Cazarin. But Alhambra's offense was limited to 27 yards in the second half and Burbank's 21 unanswered points sealed the deal.
Cerritos Valley Christian 45, La Cañada 0 -- The visiting Spartans (5-5) trailed 31-0 at the half in the first-round loss of the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs.
Valley Christian (8-3) is the Olympic League champion that knocked off Paraclete, the defending divisional champion, in the season finale. Cerritos Valley Christian will play the San Dimas-Workman winner in the quarterfinals. La Cañada won a Rio Hondo League playoff against Temple City last week to earn a playoff berth as the league's third-place team, and made a playoff appearance after a long absence.
Charter Oak 20, Muir 19 -- Muir missed a two-point conversion in the final play of the game to let this one slip away. Trailing by seven late in the fourth quarter, Mustangs quarterback Jarron Williams connected with Ormoni Duncan for a dramatic 30-yard touchdown on fourth and 18 with four seconds remaining and cut Charter Oak's lead to one. Perhaps pulling a play from Bill Belichick's book, Muir coach Ken Howard opted to go for two points for the win, but Williams' quarterback draw was stuffed at the line of scrimmage by Chargers standout linebacker Keith Smith.
West Covina 40, San Gabriel 7 -- West Covina was led by sophomore Chris Soloman who rushed for a career-high 192 yards on just 15 carries.
Maranatha 59, Frazier 13 -- The Minutemen's Erik Johnson did much of the damage, accounting for 145 yards of total offense, 60 on the ground and 85 through the air in the first half. The second-quarter scoring barrage was a balanced attack. The Minutemen's offense scored on touchdown runs of 1 and 4 yards, and quarterback Cody Keith threw two passes for touchdowns from 7 and 44 yards.
St. Francis 55, Ghar 34 -- St. Francis scored 21 points in the fourth quarter with nine minutes left. Justin Posthumas rushed for 102 yards and passed for 145 yards with two touchdowns. Ghar's Casey Nielsen passed for 405 yards in the losing effort.
Rio Hondo Prep 34, Desert Christian 0 -- Rio Hondo Prep's Charles Quintero was lights out for the Kares, returning a 109-yard interception for a touchdown and a 60-yard punt return for a score to lead the defending Northeast Division champions. Quarterback Chris Llamas ran for one touchdown and caught one, too. Yes, caught one, too. He caught 4-yard touchdown pass from J.T. Parker on the trick play in the second quarter.
Pasadena Poly 54, St. Genevieve 42 -- Pasadena Poly quarterback Hunter Marryman connected on a 68-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Capehart with 22 seconds left to cap a dramatic 54-42 win over St. Genevieve in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs Friday night at L.A. Poly. Pasadena Poly (7-4) will play the Linfield Christian-CSDR winner next week at South Pasadena High. The Panthers withstood the Valiants' frantic effort in the waning minutes. St. Genevieve (9-2) had the ball at Pasadena Poly's 3-yard line but fumbled at the 1. The ball rolled for five seconds before the Panthers' Zach Murphy recovered with under a minute left in the game. Pasadena Poly's Blake Edwards had 295 yards on 25 carries and five touchdowns, helping the Panthers take a 47-28 lead at the half. "It was a track meet," Pasadena Poly coach Brenden McGrail said. "We got off to a good start offensively, but then we couldn't stop them and it was back and forth. In the end we were hanging on and we were fortunate to move ahead." Merryman completed 10 of 19 for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Crazy, indeed.
St. Joseph 55, La Salle 0 -- St. Joseph took a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and extended it to 48-0 at the half to overwhelm the visiting Lancers in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division playoffs. The Lancers (5-6) trailed 48-0 at the half.
Above: La Salle's Mark Dannhausen holding a photo of his dad John "Jack" Dannhausen and Mark when he was 2. Mark Dannhausen dad past away from Alzheimers disease before the Lancers game against Cantwell two weeks ago. (Staff Photo by Walt Mancini)
By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer
It was an early Friday morning when La Salle High School's Mark Dannhausen was getting ready for school and preparing for what was supposed to be a big day for him and the Lancers football team.
Dannhausen instead carried on with a heavy heart.
Two weeks ago, La Salle was in a must-win situation and desperately needed a win over Cantwell Sacred Heart to keep its CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division playoff hopes alive.
Even then, the game was a distant afterthought.
Not far across town, Mark's mother, Lynn, had just arrived at Regency Park, an assisted living home in Pasadena where she was visiting Mark's father, John "Jack" Dannhausen. He had been living there since 2005, four years after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
John's condition worsened as of late, to the point where Lynn, Mark and his older sisters Leigh and Michele spent the entire day beside him and preparing for the worst.
"We were informed it would be a lot slower before he'd be gone," Lynn recalled.
Only 10 minutes had passed since Lynn arrived to visit her husband of 30 years when she saw John - the man she met the summer of 1978 and married a year later - take his final breath.
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Continue reading Football: Dannhausen carries on through loss of father.
How long as it been, since Week 3 or Week 4 at least that we knew Monrovia would end up in the Mid Valley Division finals? They won't admit it, and why would they? But if you saw how the Wildcats manhandled San Dimas with such ease you'll realize why Monrovia early on became the clear cut favorite to win the Mid Valley Division. Three times Monrovia faced the No. 2 team in the division, first it was Rosemead, then San Dimas and then San Marino in Rio Hondo League action. Monrovia ran circles around the 'Mead and sent the Saints limping, err, marching back to the 909 licking their wounds. It's going to be no different this year. You can argue the game might be a bit closer, but how can you when Monrovia shredded the San Dimas defense, and it's likely the Wildcats will catch more fire now with everything on the line. To be fair, the Saints are a formidable opponent. The Valle Vista League champion has the necessary weapons to pummel opponents, but it's just not going to happen against Monrovia, who are much too fast, physical and smart to have a let down now. You really think Ryan Maddox is going to let it happen? No. The thing people don't seem to realize about the Wildcats is they have not played to their full potential and they have yet to unleash their entire arsenal, but guess what? It's coming, and it'll come hard, fast and often. The Eastsiders questioned Monrovia's physicality, conceding the Wildcats did have good team speed. And what happened when San Dimas and Monrovia met? Monrovia not only proved they were fast, but proved they were the more physical team, extending a 27-10 lead at the half to a 36-17 domination. It won't come easy, but Monrovia prevails.
Top Seeds: 1. Monrovia (10-0), 2. San Dimas (9-1), 3. Azusa (9-1), 4. Arroyo (8-2).
Unseeded Sleepers: Cerritos Valley Christian, Rosemead, San Marino, Baldwin Park.
Top Bracket
South El Monte 3-7 (MVL 3) at No. 1 Monrovia 10-0 (Rio Hondo 1)
Paraclete 6-4 (Olympic 2) at La Puente 7-3 (Montview 2)
Gladstone 7-3 (Montview 3) at Baldwin Park 8-2 (Valle Vista 2)
Whittier Christian 7-3 (Olympic 3) at No. 4 Arroyo 8-2 (MVL 1)
Bottom Bracket
Covina 5-4 (Valle Vista 3) at No. 3 Azusa 9-1 (Montview 1)
Rosemead 5-5 (MVL 2) at San Marino 8-2 (Rio Hondo 2)
La Canada 5-4 (Rio Hondo 3) at Cerritos Valley Christian 7-3 (Olympic 1)
Workman 6-4 (Montview 4) at No. 2 San Dimas 9-1 (Valle Vista 1)
Quarterfinals
Top Bracket
Monrovia vs. Paraclete
Baldwin Park vs. Arroyo
Bottom Bracket
Azusa vs. San Marino
La Canada vs. San Dimas
Semifinals
Monrovia vs. Arroyo
San Marino vs. San Dimas
Championship
Monrovia over San Dimas
From The Best High School Sports Blog ...
Charter Oak (9-1) is the defending Southeast Division champion and No. 1 seed, but don't expect Muir (4-6), which started 0-5 and needed to win its last three game to make the playoffs as the fourth place team from the Pacific League to be intimated when they visit the Chargers in the first round on Friday. Muir has played one of the toughest schedules in the division, losing to Southern Section powers Oaks Christian and Venice. In the Pacific League they lost three games, though just by a combined 11 points, which included a 29-28 loss to fourth-seed Burbank. "It's another team, they're not the team of old, that's a good thing for us," Muir coach Ken Howard said of Charter Oak. "We don't mind getting them because now they have all the pressure. They have everything to lose and we have nothing to lose. We have been struggling in the playoffs the last couple years and they won a championship. We're not going to worry about it, we're going to show up and give them our best shot."
Melendez last week (overall): 11-5 (119-62-1)
I'm off today, but I wrote this Sunday afternoon and auto-published the thread today. After all, what's a Monday without your favorite Star Picks thread? .... Now that you've gathered yourself and got up off the ground from all the laughing, lets slap on a serious face and get right down to business .... First, if your site, date and time changes PLEASE call or e-mail me with your changes (miguel.melendez@sgvn.com). There's nothing like having the wrong dates and sending a correspondent to the wrong high school. Also, there are two potential "Game of the Week" candidates as we get ready for the first round of playoffs. Rosemead seems to have gotten its act together, and could be a dark horse in the Mid Valley Division (Paraclete ... not so much). The Panthers visit San Marino, who had an unbelievable weekend. Then you have Muir at Charter Oak. You gotta love how Diamond Ranch last year was an at large team and went all the way to the finals. Will Muir have that kind of luck? Ken Howard is banking on it, and the way the Mustangs played last week in the Tussle -- flawless, punishing football -- it's not out of the realm of possibilities Muir knocks off the defending champion. I'm calling it now: Muir 21-13.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE -- WITH PREDICTIONS
Rosemead at San Marino, 7 p.m. -- San Marino
South El Monte at Monrovia, 7 p.m. -- Monrovia
Alhambra vs. Burbank at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Burbank
La Canada at Cerritos Valley Christian, 7 p.m. -- La Canada
Muir at Charter Oak, 7 p.m. -- Muir
San Gabriel at West Covina, 7 p.m. -- San Gabriel
Frazier at Maranatha, 7 p.m. -- Maranatha
Gahr at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m. -- St. Francis
Desert Christian at Rio Hondo Prep, 7 p.m. -- Rio Hondo Prep
Pasadena Poly at St. Genevieve, 7 p.m. -- St. Genevieve
La Salle at St. Joseph/SM, 7 p.m. -- St. Joseph
Monrovia vs. San Dimas in the finals? Paraclete, errr, South El Monte will have something to say about that. We'll see...
MID VALLEY DIVISION
Top Bracket
South El Monte (MVL 3) at No. 1 Monrovia (Rio Hondo 1)
Paraclete (Olympic 2) at La Puente (Montview 2)
Gladstone (Montview 3) at Baldwin Park (Valle Vista 2)
Whittier Christian (Olympic 3) at No. 4 Arroyo (MVL 1)
Bottom Bracket
Covina (Valle Vista 3) at No. 3 Azusa (Montview 1)
Rosemead (MVL 2) at San Marino (Rio Hondo 2)
La Canada (Rio Hondo 3) at Cerritos Valley Christian (Olympic 1)
Workman (Montview 4) at No. 2 San Dimas (Valle Vista 1)
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Top Bracket
Muir (Pacific 4) at No. 1 Charter Oak (Miramonte 1)
San Gabriel (Almont 2) at West Covina (San Antonio 2)
Rowland (San Antonio 3) at California (Del Rio 1)
Alhambra (Almont 3) at No. 4 Burbank (Pacific 1)
Bottom Bracket
El Rancho (Del Rio 3) at No. 3 Schurr (Almont 1)
Diamond Ranch (Miramonte 3) at Burroughs (Pacific 2)
Crescenta Valley (Pacific 3) at Santa Fe (Del Rio 2)
Bonita (Miramonte 3) at South Hills (San Antonio 1)
EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Top Bracket
Santa Paula (Frontier at large) at St. Margaret's (Academy 1)
Sierra Canyon (Alpha at large) at Aquinas (Christian 1)
Bishop Union (High Desert 2) at Brentwood (Alpha 2)
Bottom Bracket
Oak Hills (Freelance at large) at Kern Valley (High Desert 1)
Grace Brethren (Frontier 2) at Sage Hill (Academy 2)
Ontario Christian (Christian 2) at 29 Palms (De Anza 1)
Frazier Mountain (High Desert at large) at Maranatha (Alpha 1)
NORTHEAST DIVISION
Top Bracket
Desert Christian/L (Desert Mountain 3) at Rio Hondo Prep (Prep 1)
Riverside Christian (Big Sky 3) at Saddleback Valley Christian (San Joaquin 1)
Animo Leadership (San Joaquin 3) at Salesian (Santa Fe 1)
Calvary Murrieta (Big Sky 2) at Mojave (Desert Mountain 2)
Bottom Bracket
Bell-Jeff (Santa Fe 3) at Boron (Desert Mountain 1)
Bloomington Christian (San Joaquin 2) at Chadwick (Prep 2)
Pasadena Poly (Prep 3) at St. Genevieve (Santa Fe 2)
CSDR (San Joaquin 4) at Linfield Christian (Big Sky 1)
NORTHWEST DIVISION
Top Bracket
Santa Ynez (Los Padres) at Oaks Christian (Tri-Valley 1)
Harvard-Westlake (Del Rey 3) at Centennial (Pioneer 1)
Mary Star (Camino Real) at Cathedral (Del Rey 2)
Lawndale (Pioneer 3) at Pioneer Valley (Los Padres 2)
Bottom Bracket
La Salle (Camino Real 3) at St. Joseph/SM (Los Padres 1)
El Segundo (Pioneer 2) at Nordhoff (Tri-Valley 2)
Nipomo (Los Padres 3) at Verbum Dei (Camino Real 1)
Oak Park (Tri-Valley 3) at Serra (Del Rey1)
WESTERN DIVISION
Top Bracket
Quartz Hill (Golden 4) at Mira Costa (Bay 1)
Chaminade (Mission at large) at Inglewood (Ocean 2)
Gahr (San Gabriel Valley 2) at St. Francis (Mission 2)
Santa Monica (Ocean 3) at Palmdale (Golden 1)
Bottom Bracket
Highland (Golden 3) at Alemany (Mission 1)
West Torrance (Bay 3) at Warren (San Gabriel Valley 1)
Knight (Golden 2) at Redondo (Bay 2)
Dominguez (San Gabriel Valley 3) at Culver City (Ocean 1)
TONIGHT'S RESULTS
Muir 34 Pasadena 12 -- All is well in Westside Pasadena.
A season that started in despair for John Muir High School ended with a sweet ring of "The Bell." John Muir regained its old form and muscled its way to a 34-12 win over rival Pasadena for the 12th consecutive year in the 56th annual Turkey Tussle on Friday night in front of an estimated 4,200 at the Rose Bowl. Jarron Williams, who completed 9 of 21 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored twice on the ground. Senior running back Eddie Tripp proved unstoppable, rushing for 105 yards on 12 carries.
San Marino 19, Temple City 14 -- Stevie Yortsos caught three touchdown passes, rushed for 107 yards and made a key fourth-quarter interception to lead San Marino High School to a 19-14 victory over visiting Temple City in a Rio Hondo League showdown on Friday night. "That is huge. Our guys just stepped up,'' San Marino coach D.R. Moreland said. "It's inspiring to watch them play when they play like that against a great team like Temple City. "I'm so proud of our guys. It's really fun." The Titans' victory, the first over the Rams since 1997, created a tie for second in the Rio Hondo League. San Marino (8-2, 3-2) won a coin flip after the final whistle to officially become the second seed for the upcoming CIF-SS playoffs.
St. Francis 32, Chaminade 25 -- St. Francis High School quarterback Justin Posthuma was playing with virtually one arm Friday night, but it was enough to lead the Golden Knights to a 32-25, come-from-behind victory over Chaminade in both teams' Mission League finale. The victory was their first over Chaminade (6-4, 1-2) since 2004 and clinched second place in league for the Golden Knights (8-2, 2-1). Posthuma's left arm was in a cast, but it didn't affect him in the second half as he used his right arm to rally the Golden Knights from a 25-7 halftime deficit with two touchdown passes.
La Cañada 39, South Pasadena 20 -- La Cañada did double duty Friday night. First, the Spartans overcame a sluggish first half to capture a 39-20 victory over South Pasadena and create a three-way tie for second place in the Rio Hondo League. Then they defeated Temple City in triple overtime to take the league's final CIF-Southern Section playoff berth. The Spartans had to wait for Temple City to arrive from San Marino, which won the three-way coin toss after its 19-14 victory over Temple City. Each team got the ball at the 25-yard line. The Spartans broke the tie when quarterback Rocky Moore hit Michael Arkfeld on an out pattern in the corner of the end zone on a two-point conversion
Maranatha 38, Campbell Hall 21 -- Maranatha's Cody Keith passed for 214 yards on 15 of 23 attempts, including three touchdowns, and rushed for 52 yards to lead the Minutemen to an outright Alpha League championship.
Rosemead 37, Gabrielino 14 -- Matt Fregoso rushed for 195 yards to help the Panthers pull away with the win.
Alhambra 31, Keppel 12 Alhambra's Mitchell Crockom had 114 all-purpose yard and two touchdowns to lead the Moors to a CIF-Southern Section playoff berth.
Monrovia 52, Blair 12 -- Quarterback Nick Bueno ran for two touchdowns and passed for two scores, Derrick Johnson caught one of those TD passes and ran for another, and Ellis McCarthy caught the other TD pass. The Wildcats led 46-0 at the half. None of the Monrovia starters played in the second half, when there was a running clock.
La Salle 31, Bosco Tech 21 -- Michael Alexander threw a 57-yard pass to set up a score and caught a 63-yard touchdown pass, and Antoine Peterson went 57 yards untouched to give La Salle a 31-21 victory.
San Gabriel 36, Montebello 8 -- Isaac Valdez went 17-for-24 passing for 273 yards with three touchdowns and an interception to lead the host Matadors.
Rio Hondo Prep 46, Webb 0 -- The Kares built a 26-0 first-quarter lead and substituted freely the rest of the way to complete an undefeated regular season and their sixth consecutive Prep League crown. Rio Hondo Prep did not play last week because of Pasadena Poly's cancellation.
Pasadena Poly 56, Viewpoint 12 -- The Panthers returned to the football field after a traumatic two weeks and made it worthwhile, earning a berth in the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division playoffs. The Panthers didn't play last week's game against Rio Hondo Prep because of the head injury of running back Jackson Allan two weeks ago in their loss to Chadwick. Friday afternoon, the 6-4 Panthers wore patches with his number 41 on their jerseys and opened a big lead to clinch third place in the Prep League and the playoff berth.
Chadwick 35, Flintridge Prep 15 -- "It was kind of a back-breaker," Rebels coach Perry Skaggs said. "If we stay close, we get the opening kickoff and can come back. But they made the big plays. They're too good and too talented." The Rebels needed a victory to create a three-way tie for second place in the Prep League. Instead, they finish 2-3 in league, 4-6 overall. Chadwick took second at 4-1, 9-1.
STAR-NEWS RANKINGS
1. MONROVIA (9-0) -- Nick Bueno. Nick Bueno. Nick Bueno. Nick Bueno. Nick Bueno. Just thought I'd get writing Bueno's name out of the way. Some "Monrovia" folks are saying they themselves are tired of hearing/reading about Bueno. But if you read my story last week carefully, I wrote: "While it's Bueno garnering most of the attention, there's also no doubt Monrovia (9-0, 4-0) is pummeling opponents with a valiant team effort. For instance, Bueno's 23-yard run with 9:13 left in the fourth quarter was set up by Monrovia junior Christian Blanco, who on third and 8 from the La Ca ada 33 ran for a 10-yard gain to give the Wildcats a first down. Bueno connected with Grant Haggard for a 40-yard touchdown score with 8:33 left in the second quarter. Bueno did it again with 10:58 left in the fourth quarter, this time with Jordan Trujillo, whose score also was from 40 yards. La Canada (4-4, 2-2) hurt itself with penalties and turnovers, and it didn't help that quarterback Rocky Moore established little, if any, rhythm. He was intercepted by Monrovia's Derrin Jenkins and Evan Sanchez. Moore also couldn't withstand the constant pressure in the pocket - Monrovia's Haggard, Ellis McCarthy, John Adams and Josh Lowden each recorded a sack; McCarthy, a sophomore, now has seven this season." .... Anyway, the Wildcats are the No. 1 team after St. Francis lost last week.
2. ST. FRANCIS (7-2) -- The Golden Knights drop to No. 5 in the Western Division rankings. They were ranked as high as No. 1 early in the season. St. Francis can't afford another loss this week when they travel to play Alemany Chaminade on Friday.
3. TEMPLE CITY (5-3-1) -- Isn't it odd that the Rams are not ranked in the Mid Valley Division? If you look closely, Temple City's opponent, San Marino, is ranked at No. 9. Aside from the Turkey Tussle, here's a huge showdown if you can't make it to the Rose Bowl.
4. RIO HONODO PREP (9-0) -- The Kares earned their second forfeit win of the season. To be fair, Rio Hondo Prep probably would have won anyway last week. Still, the Kares I'm sure would have wanted to play and keep their juices flowing.
5. LA CANADA (4-4) -- Nice try last week, but no dice. The Spartans were overwhelmed in all facets of the game by Monrovia.
6. SAN MARINO (7-2) -- Must-win game is Friday at home. What's the game plan? How do you stop Temple City?
7. SAN GABRIEL (5-4) -- I saw it coming. A loss to Schurr, again. The Spartans are used to playing in these pressure-moment situations. Simply put, San Gabriel is not.
8. PASADENA (5-4) -- The Bulldogs not only climbed a few spots in our rankings, but they also made their debut in the Southeast Division poll. Pasadena sits at No. 9 after its stunning win over Burbank. Aaron Simpson has become one of my new favorite players.
9. ALHAMBRA (5-3) -- Squeezed past Bell Gardens last week. A win's a win, and they'll need to find one Friday to make the playoffs. Alhambra should get the win, they play Keppel. And there's no way the Gil Ruedaflores era should end without a playoff trip. Regardless, Ruedaflores should be carried off the field and on the shoulders of his players. Over two decades at one school. That's impressive. Thanks for the memories, coach.
10. MARANATHA (7-2) -- Quite a few things are on the line for the Minutemen. They have not won an Alpha League championship outright in a long long time. Not only that, but the Minutemen are hoping to keep their No. 2 ranking in the East Valley Division.
Melendez last week (overall): 13-5 (108-57-1)
Last week: I'm still buzzing from last Thursday's game. PHS's Aaron Simpson connects on a 45-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Wells with 1.7 seconds left to give the Bulldogs an incredible 45-41 win over Burbank. It was easily the best game I've covered all season. I got wrong picks when I went with Bell Gardens (lost to Alhambra); Cantwell (lost to La Salle); St. Francis (lost to Alemany); Duarte (lost to Workman); and Burbank (lost to Pasadena).
This week: This is it. After today, some of you will never wear a football uniform again. For the seniors, soak in the experience. The lights. The band. The smell of the food. The smell of the dirt. The smell of the grass. When you walk onto that field it may be the last time you get to enjoy the roar of a crowd. Enjoy the night or day while it's still there. Win or lose, you were part of something special you'll cherish the rest of your lives. We will have Turkey Tussle coverage every day this week, leading up to Friday's game at the Rose Bowl. But this game isn't the only one with playoff implications on the line. St. Francis, Temple City, San Marino, Alhambra, La Salle, Flintridge Prep and Pasadena Poly all need to win to get an automatic bid. Flintridge Prep seems to have the hardest road there because it not only plays Chadwick but the Rebels also need the Panthers to lose. Thursday I'll be covering Arcadia and Friday I'll once again be at the Rose Bowl.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE -- WITH PREDICTIONS
Thursday
Arcadia vs. Crescenta Valley at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Arcadia
Sierra Canyon vs. Marshall at Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Sierra Canyon
Friday
Muir vs. Pasadena at Rose Bowl, 7 p.m. -- Pasadena
Temple City at San Marino, 7 p.m. -- Temple City
St. Francis at Chaminade, 7:30 p.m. -- St. Francis
La Canada at South Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- La Canada
Campbell Hall at Maranatha, 7 p.m. -- Maranatha
Keppel vs. Alhambra at Moor Field, 7 p.m. -- Alhambra
Blair at Monrovia, 7 p.m. -- Monrovia
La Salle at Bosco Tech, 1:30 p.m. -- La Salle
Duarte at Bassett, 7 p.m. -- Duarte
Rosemead at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Rosemead
Montebello at San Gabriel, 7 p.m. -- Montebello
Rio Hondo Prep at Webb, 2:30 p.m. -- Rio Hondo Prep
Pasadena Poly at Viewpoint, 2:30 p.m. -- Pasadena Poly
Flintridge Prep at Chadwick, 3 p.m. -- Chadwick
We should have quite a list of baseball, softball and basketball signing letters of intent on Wednesday, but until now I have yet to receive any comments or e-mail. We want to have a group photo for our story that will publish Thursday, but I need to know where your sons, daughters, players, nieces, nephews are signing. If you know of anyone signing, let us know or email me at miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. We're getting a list together for a group picture...
Pasadena High School was vandalized Sunday night in anticipation of the Turkey Tussle against rival John Muir.
School officials said parts of the school's field, including a depiction of the school's bulldog mascot, were painted blue, which are John Muir's colors.
Obscenities were spray painted in parts of the field as well as the word "Muir."
Police are investigating the vandalism, but don't know whether the culprits are Muir students or possibly just a couple of the school's football fans.
The two high schools meet Friday at the Rose Bowl.
Officials said that vandalism happens most years, but were hoping to avoid it this year since the high school put in a new field.
Discuss and anything you want, especially football...
CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF THE LA CAÑADA-MONROVIA GAME
Monrovia 43, La Cañada 7 -- The Nick Bueno Show officially kicked into third gear Friday night. That much was evident after Bueno rushed for 208 yards on the ground and scored on runs of 17, 81 and 23 yards. He also completed 10 of 14 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns (who said the kid can't throw?). Bueno almost single-handedly shredded the Spartans defense, completing two 40-yard touchdown passes to Grant Haggard and Jordan Trujillo. "We knew (Bueno) could throw," Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said, "and to be quite honest, our receivers finally stepped up and caught some balls. There's no question in Nick's ability to throw." La Cañada (4-4, 2-2) hurt itself with penalties and turnovers, and it didn't help that quarterback Rocky Moore established little, if any, rhythm. He was intercepted by Monrovia's Derrin Jenkins and Evan Sanchez. Moore also couldn't withstand the constant pressure in the pocket -- Monrovia's Haggard, Ellis McCarthy, John Adams and Josh Lowden each recorded a sack; McCarthy, a sophomore, now has seven this season. The victory, however, didn't come without some level of concern. Monrovia sophomore De'Shawn Ramirez left early in the first quarter with a slight left ankle sprain. He iced it and retaped it in the second quarter but never returned. On that drive, running back Derrick Johnson capped a 10-play, 52-yard effort with a 3-yard run with 7:00 left in the first quarter to put the Wildcats on the scoreboard. Bueno ran for the 2-point conversion to give Monrovia an 8-0 lead. Later, Justin De La Nuez, a senior running back, left midway through the second quarter with an ankle sprain. He was taken to the hospital for X-rays. Now, here's the million dollar question -- with St. Francis losing and Monrovia winning big, are yall expecting a swap come Wednesday in the latest PSN rankings? I know they mean nothing, but hey, I gotta do 'em. Shout out to our boys from the desert. The Paraclete coaching staff sat in the La Cañada side, and I had a nice chat with 'Clete coach Norm Dhalia at halftime. Gotta love the in-game updates from Desert Rat.
Alhambra 14, Bell Gardens 7 -- Brandon Wilson led Alhambra on both sides of the ball -- two key sacks and two long receptions and a second-effort rushing touchdown. Alhambra led 7-0 at the half. With the win, the Moors keep their playoff hopes alive and can clinch a spot against Keppel next week at Moor Field. Alhambra's Vailele Peko was hurt in the second half and carried off the field. He was carried off the field.
Schurr 38, San Gabriel 30 -- While the Montebello and Mark Keppel high school football teams hired new head coaches and Bell Gardens, San Gabriel and Alhambra welcomed back seasoned quarterbacks, Schurr made no such noise in the offseason. As the old axiom goes, though, sometimes it's the quiet ones who are most dangerous. Schurr proved that again Friday night by claiming a share of its seventh consecutive Almont League title in defeating San Gabriel.
La Salle 45, Cantwell 35 -- Mike Alexander exploded in a good way, scoring four touchdowns and 387 all-purpose yards. The Lancers keep their playoff hopes alive with the win. They'll close out the season next week at Bosco Tech. I have the Lancers playing at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon. If that's wrong, someone please e-mail yours truly. Our thoughts and prayers go out La Salle senior Mark Danhausen, who's father passed away Friday morning. Danhausen converted a 35-yard field goal, converted six PAT's and no kickoffs were returned.
Arcadia 42, Hoover 28 -- Facing a third-and-24 at their own 32-yard line with a 34-28 lead -- full momentum for Hoover -- Arcadia's David Maldonado got a screen pass and ran it back 68 yards for the dagger with 2:20 left in the fourth quarter. Arcadia's Garret Tuck and Taylor Lagace connected on touchdown passes of 23, 48 and 19 yards.
Temple City 35, South Pasadena 12 -- Temple City's David Spratt was the man. He scored three touchdowns to lead the Rams -- two on the air and one punt return. Next week's game is huge. A Temple City win, the Rams clinch a spot in the playoffs. A Temple City loss, oh boy, someone get me a Tylenol.
Muir 34, Glendale 7 -- The Mustangs defense had three interceptions and two fumble recoveries and a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown. Defensive ends Trayveion Yates and Michael White had a great game for Muir, holding Glendale to 180 yards on the ground. With the win, Muir keeps its playoff hopes alive and must beat Pasadena at next week's Turkey Tussle. I'm going on the record -- PHS wins.
Alemany 13, St. Francis 7 -- One year after transferring from St. Francis to Alemany, defensive back Deron Smith faced his former teammates Friday and came through with the performance of a lifetime. The sophomore intercepted two passes and broke up another key fourth-down pass, all in the second half, to help Alemany to the win and at least a share of the Mission League championship with one game remaining.
Workman 23, Duarte 0 -- Workman High School held winless Duarte to 110 total yards in cruising to a Montview League win on Friday. The Lobos (6-3, 3-2) were led by senior quarterback Richard Cabreros, who completed 4 of his 7 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Workman jumped out to a 6-0 lead when Michael Silva scored from a yard out. The score capped off a nine-play, 38-yard drive. After a Duarte turnover on downs, the Lobos drove 50 yards and scored on a quarterback sneak from Cabreros. The score pushed the lead to 13-0 early in the second quarter.
Rosemead 52, El Monte 20 -- The Rosemead duo of Matt Macias and Matt Fregoso put on a show in the Panthers' easy win. The Panthers (4-5, 3-1) used 35 second-quarter points to pull away from the Lions (0-9, 0-4) and take a 42-14 halftime lead. Fregoso finished the game with touchdown runs of 10, 51, 64, and 32. He also had a 78-yard punt return in the second quarter to give Rosemead a comfortable 28-7 lead.
Maranatha 49, Marshall 0 -- Maranatha quarterback Cody Keith threw for 175 yards and running back Erik Johnson rushed for 200 to lead the Minutemen in Alpha League action Friday night at Pasadena High School. Maranatha (7-2, 6-0) will play for an outright league championship next week when it hosts Campbell Hall. The Minutemen last season finished in second place and have not won an outright league title in 23 years. Maranatha shared the league title in 2006. Maranatha's Ben Young led the defense with two interceptions. Minutemen coach Joel Murphy has been pleased with his team's balanced attack. "What's nice is the last month or so we've been incredibly balanced," Murphy said, whose team is on a seven-game winning streak. "We're not just proficient but we can excel at it, too."
San Marino 51, Blair 0 -- Stevie Yortsos lined up in the backfield at tailback and proved to be just as effective as he is at receiving by scoring three touchdowns on the ground to lead San Marino High School to a 51-0 win over winless Blair (0-9, 0-4) in Friday's Rio Hondo League game. The Titans (7-2, 2-2) led, 35-0, at the half. The game was played with a running clock in the second half. Everyone got a piece of the action for San Marino, including linebacker Trent Converse, who returned a fumble for a score. The win helped the Titans keep their playoff hopes alive as they head into next week's must-win game against visiting Temple City. But as far as San Marino coach D.R. Moreland is concerned, the postseason already began. "The playoffs started Friday night," Moreland said. "That's the position we find ourselves in and starting tomorrow we have to prepare for Temple City." San Marino will have to deal with an explosive offense led by Rams running back Max Ruckle and quarterback Justin Smith. "Temple City's both sides of the ball will be a challenge for us," Moreland said. "We're going to have to play one of our better games next week, that's for sure."
Pasadena Poly athletic director Steve Beerman confirmed the Panthers' football game on Saturday against Rio Hondo Prep has been canceled. The game will not be made up, therefore giving the Kares a forfeit win. The news comes almost a week after Pasadena Poly's Jackson Allan sustained a serious head injury in the final minutes against Chadwick. He was rushed to UCLA Harbor Medical Center where he underwent brain surgery to relieve swelling and internal bleeding. Allan remains in the intensive care unit. Allan's parents, Les and Rhonda, posted a message Wednesday on Facebook saying "We had a quiet day with doctors satisfied at Jackson's progress although he remains in the ICU." The decision to not play Saturday came early Friday morning. "When you take the week into consideration,they were not prepared to play," Beerman said. " The administration and coaches talked and we just don't feel, based on the week of practices and preparations, we were ready to play." Pasadena Poly drops to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in Prep League play. The Panthers can still make the playoffs with a win over Viewpoint next week. Rio Hondo Prep coach Ken Drain said earlier this week the team planned on honoring Allan during Saturday's by wearing orange wristbands that had Allan's No. 41 number on it. "This is a situation where if they wanted to not play we would totally understand," Rio Hondo Prep coach Ken Drain said earlier this week.
CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF THURSDAY'S PASADENA-BURBANK GAME
CORRECTION: Pasadena did not clinch a spot in the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs with its 45-41 win over Burbank. The Bulldogs need Muir to lose to Glendale tonight to clinch a spot. Muir, however, is still in the hunt for a playoff spot with a win tonight, and would have to beat Pasadena in next week's Turkey Tussle to clinch a spot. It was erroneously reported in today's paper that Pasadena clinched a spot and in the process eliminated Muir from playoff contention. I jumped the gun and made a mistake. For that, I apologize. -- MM
Aaron Simpson connected on a 45-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Wells with 10.8 seconds left in the game to help Pasadena pull off a stunning 45-41 upset over Burbank on Thursday night in Pacific League action at Burroughs High. Pasadena (5-4, 4-2) clinched a spot in the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs while also knocking rival Muir out of playoff contention can clinch a spot in the CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs if Muir loses tonight. Burbank (7-2, 5-1) had one final chance with 1.7 seconds left and attempted five laterals before several flags were thrown, including one for a forward pass. That ended the game and sent the Pasadena crowd into a frenzy. The Bulldogs were back at their own 32 with 1:20 remaining. Simpson, faced with fourth and 2 at his own 40, found an open Eugene Tripling for a 15-yard gain and a first down. On the next play, without any hesitation and his eyes focused on the end zone, Simpson threw a pass to Wells, who had three Burbank defenders on him. Wells caught the pass, prompting the Bulldogs players, coaches and administrators to rush the field. Pasadena turned to the Muir football players watching from the visitors stands and yelled, "You're next." The Bulldogs were assessed with an unsportsmanlike penalty, but the damage was done. Burbank's loss put a damper on next week's showdown against rival Burroughs (6-2, 5-0), which also had players at the game.
OH NO! WHAT WAS HE THINKING??? (Thanks TCCHAMPS)
Photo courtesy of Steve Clarkson
Josh Peter over at Yahoo! Sports chronicles Cody Keith's path to Maranatha, his third school in three years. Keith is the Minutemen's starting quarterback, and we profiled him back in July. Peter writes: There are no simple answers with Cody Keith. Even to the biggest question: Can he be a star quarterback? On the night of Maranatha's season opener, Peterson watched Keith complete just 13 of 35 passes and throw three interceptions in a 20-14 loss to Linfield Christian. Afterward, Peterson still didn't know what to make of the 6-foot-4 senior. "You can see the potential is there," he said. "He has pretty good mechanics and he's making throws some quarterbacks can't make. I really can't say if he's a (college) quarterback." One thing is certain: He's been in the spotlight and under scrutiny for years. Warning, the story is pretty lengthy.
With less than a month before the playoffs, I'm going to list ten players in the running for player of the year. If you're not on this list, that doesn't mean you won't win it. So much can change once the playoffs begin, but if it ended today, these are the top ten in consideration, in no particular order of course.
DIETRICH RILEY
Dietrich Riley, St. Francis, RB/DB -- Riley, one of the most coveted recruits in the nation, does just about everything for the Golden Knights. Offensively, he's rushed for 518 yards and nine touchdowns and has caught 21 passes for 381 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, he has three interceptions and averages six tackles per game. The scary part is Riley's played in only two complete games this season and played only the first half in the first six games of the regular season. Riley is perhaps the most versatile player in Southern California this season.
ISAAC VALDEZ
Isaac Valdez, San Gabriel, QB -- Valdez leads the San Gabriel Valley in passing with 2,033 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's the primary reason why the Matadors are in hunt for an Almont League championship. In addition, he's also rushed for 444 yards and seven touchdowns.
JUSTIN POSTHUMA
Justin Posthuma, St. Francis, QB -- Looking at MaxPreps and it doesn't list Posthuma having thrown an interception. I'm not sure about that, but I could be wrong. Nevertheless, Posthuma's proven to be one of the Valley's elite quarterbacks. Dietrich Riley is the heart and soul of the team, but without Posthuma anchoring the offense it's uncertain how good the Golden Knights would be this season. He's thrown for 1,398 yards and 12 touchdowns, and if MaxPreps is correct, no interceptions. As if that wasn't enough, he's also rushed for 441 yards and eight touchdowns.
MAX RUCKLE
Max Ruckle, Temple City, RB -- Ruckle's been impressive with 1,043 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. He's lightning quick and tough to bring down.
JUSTIN SMITH
Justin Smith, Temple City, QB -- Whether the Temple City fans will admit it or not, the Rams have on their hands a legitimate quarterback in Smith. He's thrown for 1,405 yards and 10 touchdowns, helping Temple City's offense with good deception. Smith is mobile and not afraid to take a hit. He doesn't go down without a fight.
NICK BUENO
Nick Bueno, Monrovia, QB -- Bueno is CIF's sixth-leading rusher at the QB position with 795 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He's thrown for 517 yards and three touchdowns this season.
DARRIAN CAZARIN
Darrian Cazarin, Alhambra, QB -- He's thrown for 1,628 yards to lead the Moors offensively. He has 15 touchdowns and rushed for two more.
JOSH LOWDEN
Josh Lowden, Monrovia, LB -- Mr. 55 averages 11 tackles per game and has one sack this season. Monrovia heavily prides itself for its tenacious defense, and anchoring the D is Lowden.
DE'SHAWN RAMIREZ
De'Shawn Ramirez, Monrovia, RB -- The sophomore sensation has rushed for 732 yards and nine touchdowns. He averages nearly 12 yards per carry and has returned three kickoffs for touchdowns.
STEVIE YORTSOS
Stevie Yortsos, San Marino, WR/DB -- Yortsos has 27 receptions for 484 yards and six touchdowns. More impressively, Yortsos five interceptions to lead the West San Gabriel Valley.
ROCKY MOORE
Rocky Moore, La Canada, QB -- Moore is leading the Spartans to an unbelievable years. I wasn't expecting first-year coach Dan Yoder to have La Canada competing, but that's exactly what he's done. Moore is at the forefront and his numbers don't lie. He's thrown for 1,641 yards and 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Two!! If the Spartans make the playoffs you can bet Moore will be a serious candidate come season's end.
Above: Will anybody sneak up on the Monrovia Wildcats? Me thinks not.
There's a better chance of me landing in the moon than anybody knocking off Monrovia for the Rio Hondo League championship. That being said, there are no assurances from second on down. Temple City (4-3-1, 2-1), La Cañada (4-3, 2-1) and San Marino (6-2, 1-2) are going to have quite the battle. With the remaining games left this season, here's what I think we all expected would happen before the start of the season: La Cañada loses to Monrovia, beats South Pasadena; San Marino beats Blair, loses to Temple City; Temple City beats South Pasadena; beats San Marino. Now, because La Cañada beat San Marino last week that kind of threw off the rest of the league. There are a few scenarios that can play out, but the most obvious people thought would unfold would have Monrovia, Temple City and San Marino headed to the playoffs. All eyes will be on South Pasadena-Temple City and Monrovia-La Cañada. The team with a decent chance at pulling off the upset in Week 9 is South Pasadena. The Tigers held Monrovia to 14-first half points. A Temple City loss would wreak havoc and put the Rams, Spartans and Titans all at 2-2. Then La Cañada beats South Pas in Week 10, putting them at 3-2. If Temple City beats San Marino, the Rams are 3-2, and they move represent the RHL at No. 2 because of its tiebreaker over LC, which would finish third. A San Marino win puts them at 3-2 but would finish third because of its loss to the Spartans. This, of course, will only play out if the Rams lose Friday night, but don't count on it.
Good morning Pasadena. The Scouting Guru is someone I use often at the Tribune. Since a lot of this information has a bearing on Pasadena teams, I thought I would share it with you. The Guru has been all over the San Gabriel Valley and beyond, and like always, he's offered to share his thoughts, free of charge. Don't hate, enjoy it for what it's worth, which is one man's opinion on the talent and teams in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas. I know those guys at the Mid-Valley don't care for him, but what do they know.
Guru Says: Well, this is my favorite time of year. We are watching tons of film for 2010 prospects. But more than that, it's close to playoff time - which means it's time for a little bracketology for the playoffs. Let's dive into it.
First, what needs to be understood is the protocol directly from the CIF-SS Handbook that is online at cifss.org. "The initial step is to designate four teams (maximum) as seeds, with No. 1 and No. 4 placed in the top bracket, and No. 2 and 3 in the bottom bracket (see Diagram 1). An exception to this procedure would be if seeds in the same half of the bracket are from the same league......Is it possible to designate more than four seeds? The task would be virtually impossible on two counts. Attempting to delineate which team is the No. 7 seed, as opposed to No. 8, or No. 12 rather than No. 13, would result in 25 different answers by 25 different people. Additionally, an attempt at a "true seed" would be in opposition to the CIF-SS Constitution and By-laws, which specify a league's designated No. 1 entry shall meet a No. 3 entry, and a No. 2 shall meet another No. 2, where the draw provides for same in the opening round."
Ricky Pickens has been relieved of his duties as head coach at Marshall High. Pickens was in his second season coaching the Eagles. He led Marshall to a thrilling 36-24 win over Pasadena Poly that helped the Eagles snap a 33-game losing streak earlier this season.
"We agreed to release him due to personal issues," said Jason Taylor, Marshall's athletic director.
Pickens said Taylor was supportive in his decision to leave with two games left in the regular season.
"My mom is sick," Pickens said. "She's got some health issues and it's something I want to take care of. I didn't want to stay around when I wasn't going to be 100 percent. I had made a decision that I was going to let (Taylor) know by the end of the season, but I wanted him to have ample time to look for someone so we just made a decision to go ahead now.
"I would have liked to finished but it's taken a toll on me. My mom doesn't live in the city. She lives in Victorville. I have to leave and get across the freeway and fight traffic and it becomes an issue. (Taylor) agreed and said your family comes first. I didn't want to do it like that beause I love Marshall. The opportunity I had was phenomenal. I certainly wish them the best and I"ll always be a fan. I do want to coach again once i iron these things, and I believe i can do it somewhere when this is over."
In his nearly two years at the helm, Pickens compiled a 2-16 record as head coach.
Germel Ford will take over on an interim basis. Ford served as Marshall's linebackers coach. He teaches physical education at Marshall.
"We felt that was a great fit," Pickens said, "and i definitely support it."
STAR-NEWS TOP 10 RANKINGS
1. ST. FRANCIS (7-1) -- Is there really any debating St. Francis is not the best ream in the PSN area? Enough. St. Francis is the undisputed No. 1 team in the WSGV. Despite losing a few weeks ago to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, the Golden Knights dropped only one spot to No. 2 in the CIF-SS Western Division rankings. Say all you want about the CIF polls' validity, but the pollsters finally showed a deserving team some respect, and that team was St. Francis. Most teams after losing a game drop several spots, just like San Marino did in the CIF-SS Mid Valley Division, dropping from No. 2 to No. 6 after losing to Monrovia, the No. 1 team in the Mid Valley. St. Francis' biggest task comes Friday night at Alemany. This won't be easy, and you'd be crazy to think Friday's outcome doesn't define the Golden Knights' season.
2. MONROVIA (8-0) -- The Wildcats have played down to opponents, and was that ever more evident last week against South Pasadena? Monrovia mustered 14 first-half points before De'Shawn Ramirez saved the day. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Monrovia's only enemy right now is itself. They can't play down to opponents and lose focus. If and when they do, they'll get caught off guard and the domino's will follow.
3. TEMPLE CITY (4-3-1) -- The Rams scored a yawner of a victory last week against Blair. The powers that be must have grown tired of watching Temple City have its way with Blair because with less than four minutes left in the game at Muir, the lights went out. Nevertheless, the Rams jump up one spot from No. 4 after San Marino's loss.
4. LA CÃNADA (4-3) -- The Spartans surprised the world when they knocked off San Marino. Despite a soft preseason schedule, the Titans were the favorite to win. Were they exposed? Rocky Moore is about as good as any quarterback in the Rio Hondo League, and probably the rest of the San Gabriel Valley. The Spartans' win over San Marino throws the Rio Hondo League into whack, a bit. La Canada is probably going to finish 3-2 in league after losing to Monrovia and beating South Pasadena, while San Marino will be 2-2 heading into its finale against Temple City. A loss to the Rams, San Marino is out of the playoffs. A win over Temple City and we've got ourselves quite the scenario that certainly will give us all a reaching for Tylenol.
5. SAN GABRIEL (5-3) -- San Gabriel's making me look bad, and I'm sure they're enjoying every second of it. As you may have noticed by now, I picked Schurr to win and already the SG fanatics are saying that guarantees the Matadors will win. Not necessarily. Schurr owns San Gabriel like I own my 2006 Accord -- I beat it up, wear it down and tear it down. Sure, San Gabriel's knocked off a few good opponents, but the Matadors are walking in uncharted waters right now. They're in prime position to take the driver's seat in the Almont League, but they'll probably fumble the opportunity to land the coveted seat because they'll succumb to pressure. I digress. This post was supposed to be about San Gabriel's impressive win over Alhambra. The Matadors didn't just win handily. They destroyed the Moors. My brother, a San Gabriel alum, gave me grief the entire Saturday morning. I got the last laugh when Oregon beat USC.
6. RIO HONDO PREP (8-0) -- The Kares are taking care of business the way Monrovia isn't. Rio Hondo Prep is the No. 1-ranked team in the Northeast Division and they're leaving no doubt they are the best. The only reason why Monrovia hasn't dropped from No. 1 is because they haven't lost, but they've yet to dominate opponents like they did at the start of the season, particularly against Rosemead and San Dimas. One thing the Kares do need is a more efficient passing game. This week's showdown with Pasadena Poly took a hit when Panthers sophomore Jackson Allan suffered a serious head injury and underwent brain surgery over the weekend. While the game has Prep League implications on the line it's certain everyone will be thinking about Allan and his family.
7. SAN MARINO (6-2) -- De ja vu? San Marino exposed Monrovia a few weeks ago and now they got a taste of its own medicine against La Canada last week. The Spartans secondary was a virtual wall against the Titans offense. A lot will be riding on the Temple City-San Marino game on Nov. 13. Wish I could be there.
8. ALHAMBRA (4-3) -- The Moors still have a shot at the playoffs if they beat Bell Gardens and Keppel. Alhambra coach Gil Ruedaflores said the Moors would need a balanced attack to beat San Gabriel, but there was quite a lot of passes thrown and Alhambra never really established the run. This was a problem last year and it's a problem this year.
9. MARANATHA (6-2) -- The Minutemen escaped with a 19-12 win over Sierra Canyon. Maranatha coach Joel Murphy said the team's made drastic improvements since the starting the season at 0-2. It's safe to say the Minutemen will extend their streak to seven after taking on Marshall on Friday.
10. PASADENA (4-4) -- Huckster I'm sure is banging his head somewhere on Sierra Madre Boulevard after seeing the Bulldogs make the list. Sure, Pasadena lost to Crescenta Valley, but after La Salle (3-5) dropped out of the rankings there was no other viable team to replace the Lancers. The Bulldogs in my book have surpassed all expectations. I'm sure that's not what coach Mike McFarland is saying, but already at Week 9 he's set the bar for next season. He's building a solid foundation for Pasadena football, and in only his first year it appears McFarland has the Bulldogs ready to dethrone Muir from its pedestal that is the Turkey Tussle streak. Never mind that Muir's having an atrocious season thus far. That's besides the point. I last covered Pasadena against Saugus. The defense was solid and nearly came away with a win. That was Week 2. Lets see what things look like Thursday night.
As usual, the top 10 rankings will more than likely start with Pasadena on top, but what about everybody else? Temple City lost the San Gabriel Valley's highest scorer in James Chen; Alhambra is doing without coach Joe Petralia who retired after nearly three decades at Alhambra; Monrovia and La Salle are young this season, and was Keppel a one-year wonder or can they be counted on as a basketball school?
LAST YEAR'S REGULAR-SEASON FINAL RANKINGS
1. Pasadena (19-5); 2. Temple City (15-7); 3. Alhambra (16-8); 4. Monrovia (16-7); 5. La Cañada (18-6); 6. Flintridge Prep (16-6); 7. Keppel (15-9); 8. La Salle (13-11); 9. Marshall (16-6); 10. Blair (12-9)
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There never seems to be a shortage of good girls basketball teams, is there? Monrovia and Muir advanced to the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division III-A playoffs. The Wildcats mounted an amazing comeback after trailing by 22 points, and then-freshman Gina Hendreson dropped 38 points. Muir lost in the final seconds to Inglewood, and if not for those two losses we have ourselves an all-WSGV final. Keppel met its nemesis in Bishop Amat early in the playoffs, and you know La Cañada is always tough and disciplined with Tamar Hill at the helm.
LAST YEAR'S REGULAR-SEASON FINAL RANKINGS
1. Muir (18-3); 2. Keppel (15-10); 3. Monrovia (15-5); 4. La Cañada (18-6); 5. Pasadena Poly (17-4); 6. La Salle (14-9); 7. South Pasadena (14-9); 8. Alhambra (13-9); 9. Rosemead (10-10); 10. Flintridge Prep (13-10).
I unsuccessfully tried installing just a Top 5 for soccer this season. I'm not saying last year was a down year for soccer, but after the top 5 it was a real struggle putting together a legitimate 6-10 ranking. There's no doubt St. Francis and La Cañada will always compete in boys soccer; they're the Muir in football, they don't rebuild, they reload. (Well, maybe not Muir this year, but you get what I'm saying). Then you have Monrovia and Pasadena which had a strong year last year. Rosemead also was in the mix. Nevertheless, I'm asking your input for the top 10 preseason rankings this year. Is it going to be another down year? Is St. Francis star Eric Verso playing this year? Will St. Francis successfully defend its CIF Southern California championship? Who is No. 1? Monrovia? St. Francis? That was the big debate last year. I guess it never ends, whether it's football this year or soccer -- St. Francis vs. Mornovia, the matchup we'd all like to see.
LAST YEAR'S FINAL REGULAR-SEASON RANKINGS
1. Monrovia (17-2-3); 2. Pasadena (10-1-6); 3. St. Francis (12-5-4); 4. Temple City (5-4-4); 5. La Cañada (15-6-2); 6. Rosemead (11-4-4); 7. Muir (6-6-2); 8. Alhambra (5-5-1); 9. San Marino (8-9-2); 10. Blair (6-8-2).
===================================
In girls soccer, Alverno is the defending CIF champion in Division VII, and I can already hear all the talk about how Alverno played a weak schedule ... yada, yada, yada, yada ... The word on the street is La Salle is the top team in the WSGV. If you get a chance you will want to check out La Salle's Samantha Whitehead. She's a junior with tremendous speed.
LAST YEAR'S FINAL REGULAR-SEASON RANKINGS
1. Flintridge SH (15-4-3); 2. Arcadia (13-4-2); 3. Alverno (15-1-1); 4. Monrovia (6-5-3); 5. La Cañada (11-4-3); 6. Maranatha (13-6-4); 7. Ramona Convent (15-5-1); 8. South Pasadena (10-7-4); 9. La Salle (11-5-4); 10. Westridge (5-4-3).
Below: Can Alverno repeat as CIF champions this season?
Courtesy of Facebook
If you want to show your support for this young man and his family, visit his Facebook page by clicking here. Tina Cocumelli, a teacher at Pasadena Poly, perhaps said it best. "You are so precious to all of us in your Poly family," Cocumelli wrote Sunday night on Facebook. "Coach Ryan spent a lot of time on the junior trip telling me that you're the "toughest guy on the team"; well, we've all seen proof of that on the playing field. We know you'll use that same toughness to battle back to full health ... "When you're well enough to read this page, you'll know that there's a spiritual army of people loving you and praying for you and your family. None of us will rest until you're safely through this and back "home" with us at Poly."
Story in today's sports section of the Star-News on page B2
Pasadena Poly sophomore Jackson Allan, injured in a football game Saturday, underwent brain surgery over the weekend to remove swelling and a blood clot, according to accounts posted on Facebook and the school's Web site.
Allan is in critical but stable condition, said his father, Les, who has been updating his son's status on the Facebook group page "Get Well Jackson Allan," which was created Saturday.
"Jackson had a good night and his mom and I are with him constantly," wrote Les Allan on Facebook. "He is at UCLA Harbor and in the best possible hands. He had surgery which went as well as it could have. He remains stable but critical, and the next few days are key. He is under very heavy sedation but still manages an occasional response to the loving and kind words that we are relaying to him.
CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING
Continue reading Football: Pas Poly's Allan in critical but stable condition.
The Stang Fan last week: (TSF, anyway you can e-mail me your picks/results?)
Melendez last week (overall): 14-5 (95-52-1)
Last week: My five losses were Pasadena (lost to Crescenta Valley); Alhambra (lost to San Gabriel); Bosco Tech (lost to Cantwell); La Salle (lost to Mary Star); and San Marino (lost to La Cañada). PHS and San Marino made it close, but can't say the same about the rest.
This week: This week's "game of the week" is still up in the air. Does La Cañada have a chance against Monrovia? Not many expected the Spartans to come into Titan territory and knock them with a dose of reality. What about St. Francis at Alemany? A huge Mission League showdown. Both teams are 1-0 in league and the winner all but claims the league title, something St. Francis hasn't done in quite a while. For the record, Calpreps has the Golden Knights winning by 10. My only problem with this game is that it's way over in Mission Hills, and with a 7:30 start it could get ugly come deadline. Then we have Schurr at San Gabriel, a HUGE Almont League showdown. The winner of this game gets in the driver's seat for a league championship. I hear folks at San Gabriel are worried I might pick the Matadors to win. As you recall, every time I've picked San Gabriel to win they've lose and every time I've picked them to lose, they've won, except for the Keppel game. Nevertheless, the nod here goes to Schurr because lets face it, the Spartans own the Matadors. Most likely I'll be covering PHS on Thursday night. It's homecoming, isn't it? The 30 minute halftime show should be fun. So we'll have PHS in the cover Friday, a school TBD in the cover Friday.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE -- WITH PREDICTIONS
THURSDAY'S GAMES
Pasadena vs. Burbank at Burroughs, 7 p.m. -- Burbank
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Monrovia at La Cañada, 7 p.m. -- Monrovia
Bell Gardens at Alhambra, 7 p.m. -- Bell Gardens
Schurr at San Gabriel, 7 p.m. -- Schurr
Cantwell Sacred Heart at La Salle, 7 p.m. -- Cantwell
Arcadia vs. Hoover at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Arcadia
South Pasadena at Temple City, 7 p.m. -- Temple City
Glendale at Muir, 7 p.m. -- Muir
St. Francis at Alemany, 7:30 p.m. -- St. Francis
Duarte vs. Workman at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Duarte
Rosemead vs. El Monte at Arroyo, 7 p.m. -- Rosemead
Keppel at Montebello, 7 p.m. -- Montebello
Viewpoint vs. Flintridge Prep at Oxy, 7 p.m. -- Flintridge Prep
Maranatha vs. Marshall at Paadena, 7 p.m. -- Maranatha
South El Monte at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- South El Monte
Blair at San Marino, 7 p.m. -- San Marino
SATURDAY'S GAMES
Rio Hondo Prep at Pasadena Poly, 2:30 p.m. -- Rio Hondo Prep
Serra at Bosco Tech, 1 p.m. -- Serra
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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Surgical Instruments on Boys Basketball: Pas Poly hoping to even things out: Nice information, i appreciate your efforts (specially the quality of ...
Kennedy Bryant on Football: WR Alex Villalobos with some much-deserved pub : Great Job, wishing you continued success in whatever you do. Ur a grea ...
Big Dog on Football: WR Alex Villalobos with some much-deserved pub : Great video young man, I pray that God will use your life to touch oth ...
sikolec on BREAKING NEWS: Arcadia football coach Jon Dimalante resigns. "It was the right time," he said.: Awesome man and fantastic coach. He had a great career. Hopefully he ...
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