October 2010 Archives

Temple City-Monrovia Video Highlights

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM FRIDAY'S TEMPLE CITY-MONROVIA GAME

CLICK HERE FOR QUARTER-BY-QUARTER UPDATES

Friday's Results

Monrovia 40, Temple City 0 -- Give credit to the Temple City defense in the first half. The Rams held Monrovia to 14 points in the first half and scoreless in the first quarter. Temple City intercepted a pass on Monrovia's first red zone trip. In fact, Monrovia's first three possessions resulted in an interception, a missed 33-yard field goal attempt and a fumble at the Temple City 9. It wasn't until Nick Bueno returned a 35-yard punt return for a touchdown to get things going in the second quarter. Bueno rushed for 163 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. He passed for 222 yards on 15-of-24 passing and three touchdowns to lead the Wildcats. Jay Henderson recorded an interception. He easily could have had three interceptions. Luke Williams, Anthony Craft and Brandon Wingenbach each caught a touchdown pass. George Frazier capped the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Burbank 45, Pasadena 26 -- There were seven different leads in the first half before Burbank pulled away in the second half. Burbank's Ulisies Ochoa shouldered offensive responsibility in absence of Quortney Brazier, who is serving a one-game suspension stemming from a scuffle in Burbank's 48-20 loss to Arcadia last week. Ochoa had 211 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. Pasadena's Brandon Cox completed 16 of 23 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Pasadena trailed 24-20 to start the second half, got all the way to the Burbank 1 and Burbank stopped them on fourth and 1 at the 1 before Burbank initiated an impressive 11-play, 98-yard drive that was capped by a touchdown. The game was never in doubt after that.

St. Francis 40, St. Paul 10 -- St. Francis scored 30 points in the third quarter to break the game open. In that quarter, the Golden Knights defense had two interceptions and a safety. Luke Anderson had an interception, a sack and also scored on a 6-yard run for St. Francis. Brett Nelson completed 15 of 28 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Ian Hamilton had a 26-yard pass off a double-reverse and a 69-yard reception. St. Francis improved to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in Mission League to keep its playoff hopes alive. St. Francis now has played its toughest part of league.

Arcadia 49, Hoover 6 -- The Apaches' special teams was, well, special. They returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns to lead the way. Maldonado returned both punts on 66 and 68 yards. Everett Frazier also got in on the fun, this time returning a kickoff for 88 yards. Arcadia improved to 4-1 in the Pacific League.

Muir 31, Glendale 6 -- Tairen Owens was an offensive machine for the Mustangs. Owens rushed for 157 yards and three touchdown on 12 carries to lead Muir, who improved to 3-2 in the Pacific League.

La Canada 42, Blair 0 -- The Spartans' Scott Gray rushed for 93 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground. He threw four passes only, completed three of them, all three to Jay Kolina, including one for a touchdown. Not all turned out good for the Spartans. La Canada's Jordan Johannes suffered right leg injury on a fumble recovery in the end zone by John Moon.

South Pasadena 42, San Marino 20 -- San Marino struggled for consistency on offense. The Titans had 153 yards of total offense. South Pasadena's Conor Bednarski completed 10 of 16 passes for 152 yards and four touchdowns, all thrown to Matt Nelson, who's longest touchdown reception was for 39 yards. Tigers running back Patrick Martin carried the ball 29 times for 203 and two touchdowns.

Montebello 17, Alhambra 7 -- Fernando Hoffens completed 21 of 44 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown to lead the visiting Oilers. Alhambra's Joshua Mendoza completed 9 of 25 for 136 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions in the losing effort. Alhambra generated 209 yards of total offense, which included only 73 yards on the ground.

OTHER SCORES
Rosemead 38, Mountain View 12
Bell Gardens 37, San Gabriel 35
Arroyo 49, Gabrielino 7
Schurr 42, Keppel 0
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 28, Bosco Tech 0
Workman 41, Duarte 7
Mary Star 35, La Salle 14
Pasadena Poly 42, Flintridge Prep 7

Saturday's games
Marshall at Campbell Hall, 1 p.m. -- Melendez (Campbell Hall)
Rio Hondo Prep at Chadwick, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (Rio Hondo Prep)
Maranatha vs. Village Christian at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Maranatha)

Above: Paul Crowley attends last year's game with his son, Jon. (Photo courtesy of Jon Crowley)

MIGUEL MELENDEZ COLUMN

TWO years ago I had the privilege to spend an evening talking football with Paul Crowley, 82, and his son Jon.

It was an enlightening experience for this sportswriter to listen to the history of San Gabriel Valley football, particularly the brewing rivalry between South Pasadena and San Marino high schools.

The teams will meet at 7 tonight at San Marino for the 56th time as they battle for the coveted Crowley Cup. San Marino (2-5, 0-2) has won the last two meetings convincingly, but South Pasadena (4-3, 1-1) still leads the series, 27-25-4.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the rivalry itself is the fact Crowley never has missed a game.

Jon is a football official who spends Friday nights on the gridiron, too. But tonight you'll find him at San Marino, wheeling a living legend onto the field. Paul has attended every San Marino-South Pasadena football game dating back to 1955 when the teams first met. Before that, the biggest rivalry used to be South Pasadena-Alhambra. Paul called it the "biggest rivalry in the history between the 1920s and 1930s."

Paul's health has been a concern as of late. He was in a fragile state when I met him a few years ago and his hearing was suspect. But the way he went about living, his personality and charming sarcasm are a page we can borrow from his book.

Then there's his love for football. His memory was as sharp as when he attended the 21st meeting in 1974, a game that was televised on NBC. It also was the first Saturday afternoon game in San Marino history.
So what are the chances Paul will make an appearance tonight?

"His orders are still to wheel him out to the game," Jon said, "even if in an iron lung."

Paul in 1990 created the perpetual plaque, and every year he personally has picked up the plaque, taken it to the trophy company to have the latest winner inscribed and returned it to the winning school.

Two years ago, the perpetual plaque deservedly was renamed the "Crowley Cup."

The honor was long overdue.

Lagace's no villain

Arcadia's Taylor Lagace is not the out-of-control, punching machine Burbank head coach Hector Valencia made him out to be in a Los Angeles Daily News article last weekend, and it was unfortunate to see Lagace's name dragged through the mud like that.

Lagace and Burbank's Quortney Brazier were involved in a scuffle in the Apaches' 48-20 victory. Both players were ejected and will sit out tonight's game.

Valencia told the Daily News that Lagace punched Brazier in the face and Brazier suffered a black eye. There was no mention of Arcadia's side of the story.

Arcadia coach Jon Dimalante refuted the report and said Lagace never threw punches, which would make sense given Brazier was wearing a helmet.

Lagace's a competitor. If he's guilty of anything it's that he's a fierce competitor. That he's a talented wideout makes him an easy target for defenders to instigate him.

At the very least Lagace, who will spend the next two days at a church retreat, should have been given a fair chance to defend himself.

That never happened in last weekend's article.

A long night

What a night if you happened to be at Maranatha last week. The game lasted nearly five hours and needed five overtime periods before Cerritos Valley Christian prevailed, 70-64, in an epic showdown that will be remembered for years to come.

It undoubtedly was the longest, most thrilling game I have ever been a part of in my decade-long career as a sportswriter. Believe us when we say we tried hard to get the story in the next day's paper, but that just wasn't going to happen when the Star-News' deadline is 11:10 p.m.

The game didn't end until 11:30 p.m. We weren't the only ones worried about deadline. There was talk about the lights possibly going out at 11, but fortunately the game continued.

It was nice to see a show of sportsmanship when the game ended, with both teams taking a knee at midfield and coaches from both staffs praising the teams.

There's little doubt anyone on either side of the stands left the game early, and just glancing from the sidelines fans were on their feet.

Maranatha fans were just as gracious and, to an extent, appreciative of the warrior-like effort from the Minutemen who seemingly sweated every ounce and shed every tear because playoff hopes were on the line.

Here's hoping Maranatha players are remembered for playing out an instant classic.

An essay, err, comment made by Stang Fan on an earlier post, and he's pretty much nailed it.

This is EXACTLY why I don't beat my chest any more. This is EXACTLY why I just limit my comments to post-game analysis of the team I follow. This is EXACTLY why I regret acting like an ass on here the first few years of the blog...because this is the EXACT reason why the WSGV is laughed at and mocked.

Look man, no one on this side of the WSGV is good. No one. And by good I mean a team that is respected inside of AND outside of our area. Hell, not one team on this side is even in Aram's Top 12....of the SGV! Better days, we have certainly seen.

Does anyone on this side have one significant win? One? Just one?

No.

Has every team on this side lost to someone they could have, and maybe should have, beaten?

Yes.

Let's look at the 5 most talked about teams:

Monrovia: No significant win (please don't say South Hills) and Glendora and San Dimas aren't what folks thought they were, and the Cats still lost to them.

St. Franics: Four straight losses, two to teams they "should've" beaten, and two to significant teams.

Arcadia: Lost to the two teams above as well as Burroughs and has no significant win (sorry, Burbank is not a significant win.)

Muir: Where do I begin? Yes, injuries are part of the game, but it's still about wins and losses...and the Stangs have more losses than wins.

Maranatha: A little slack is cut for the Minutemen because they are a "smaller" school, but still....not one significant win and they lost to Big Bear.

So. Who is ranked ahead of whom? At this point, who cares? Does it even matter?

Maybe it's just me....all gloom and doom right now. But frankly, I'm tired of the WSGV being stuck in this mire of mediocrity. I've been frustrated with Muir this year, but honestly I'm frustrated with the entire WSGV right about now. We've ALL got to right this ship.....SOON. And I'm pulling for ALL of us.

Above: Rio Hondo Prep's Charles Quintero had a monster of a performance last week, rushing for 209 yards and three touchdowns in the Kares' 40-0 win over Flintridge Prep. Cool uniforms, Rio.

STAR-NEWS RANKINGS

1. MONROVIA (5-2) -- Will anyone score against the tenacious Wildcats defense in the Rio Hondo League? That's an honest question. Monrovia has recorded wins over Blair (57-0) and San Marino (56-0). The Wildcats should see a better challenge Friday against Temple City. I won't quite say Monrovia won't lose the rest of the season and through the playoffs, but I'm getting there. I'll get a chance to see the Wildcats on Friday since checking 'em out in a win over Arcadia.

2. ST. FRANCIS (3-4) -- The Golden Knights' playoff hopes hang in the balance. St. Paul comes to town. On paper, St. Francis has the weapons to overmatch the Swordsmen, but how will the Golden Knights respond as they head in to their homecoming with a four-game losing streak?

3. ARCADIA (4-3) -- The Apaches showed Burbank who's boss last week. They are 3-1 in the Pacific League, and my guess is they'll improve to 4-1 after Friday. Taylor Lagace will sit out the game because of a one-game suspension stemming from his ejection last week. Lagace could use the break anyway. Myles Carr, Rodney Arnett, David Maldonado, Sheldon McKinley -- the field's all yours.

4. MUIR (3-4) -- Look out for the Mustangs, who are quietly marching to a possible playoff spot. Muir is 2-2 in league and currently sits fourth. They'll host Glendale on Friday, so let's go ahead and make it 3-2 after Friday. Now's the time for the offense to hone its skills, iron out wrinkles and play with consistency. The Mustangs defense should take this as a challenge and do everything they can to record a shutout. The same goes for Arcadia.

5. ROSEMEAD (4-3) -- Arroyo has all but wrapped up the Mission Valley League title. OK, that's getting a bit ahead. But it's safe to say the Knights are in the driver's seat. The Panthers likely will finish no less than second in league, but don't count them out because I'm certain they still have a crown in mind.

6. RIO HONDO PREP (5-1) -- A big win over Village Christian has propelled the Kares into the rankings, and convincing wins in the Prep League is moving them ahead. Small school, shmall school. Rio Hondo Prep has some good athletes. That much was true when Cody Cowell anchored the defense last year, and that much is true with Charles Quintero in the backfield. He leads the team in rushing with 634 yards and 11 touchdowns. Nick Preciado is closely behind with 525 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Alex Tayco and sophomore Jake Holguin also are contributing big time. Circle Nov. 5, that's when Rio Hondo Prep and Pasadena Poly throw it down.

7. MARANATHA (5-3) -- To be honest, this may be a low ranking for the Minutemen. Looking at it purely from a record standpoint, Maranatha is No. 7. The Minutemen are 0-2 in the Olympic League, but it's certainly not indicative of how strong they really are. No need to go over the explosive offense, again. You know that by now. Close losses to Whittier Christian and Cerritos Valley Christian suggest Maranatha can not only compete in arguably the toughest league in the Mid-Valley Division, but that it can also stand its ground in the division. Maranatha likely will get an at-large berth, but it must take care of business.

8. SAN GABRIEL (3-4) -- A win over Keppel was a given. Bell Gardens will be a true test. Cal Preps has the visiting Lancers winning, 38-27.

9. PASADENA POLY (5-2) -- The Panthers likely won't face any real competition in the Prep League until visiting Rio Hondo Prep on Nov. 5. Until then, enjoy the wins.

10. ALHAMBRA (4-3) -- The Moors took one in the chin last week against Schurr. Montebello will be another tough test. Schurr is 2-0 in the Almont League, but Alhambra, Montebello, San Gabriel and Bell Gardens are all 1-1, meaning the No. 2 or 3 spots are nowhere near settled. It's gut-check week.

The Monrovia boys soccer team will hold a fundraiser today from 4-9 p.m. at Los Gueros Mexican Restaurant (423 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia). You can dine-in or take out, and if you bring the team's fundraiser flyer, the soccer team will receive 20 percent of your purchase.

Los Gueros
Mexican Restaurant
423 S. Myrtle Avenue
Monrovia
626-256-6720

Photo courtesy of David Thomas

If you happened to be at last Friday's game pitting Maranatha and Cerritos Valley Christian, you definitely got your money's worth. If you were there, you got to see more than several stars in the making. Omar Younger showed he can take a hit. The collision knocked Younger's helmet off, and ultimately Younger out of the game. He suffered a concussion and is listed day-to-day.

There were others who had impressive perofrmances. Jeremy Major, Mark Jebbia, R.J. Straker, Josh Jones quickly come to mind.

If you happened to be at the game, you also got a chance to see one of the best sophomore quarterbacks in the nation. Yes, in the nation.

Elffers, a 6-foot-2 slinger with stunning field vision, completed 34 of 57 passes for 587 yards and six touchdowns on Saturday. He completed nearly 67 percent of his passes, and perhaps more remarkable, is the fact he threw no interceptions.

So far this season, Elffers has completed 64 percent (127-of-200) of his passes through eight games. He's passed for 2,236 yards (279.5 yards per game) and 23 touchdowns against just six interceptions. That's a QB rating of 127.

More than impressive.

Now let's see how the numbers stack up against the rest:

Elffers' total yards passing is No. 1 in the Olympic League and it's also tops in the Mid-Valley Division as well as the entire Southern Section. Elffers also is the No. 1 quarterback among sophomores in California by more than 500 yards over Cathedral QB Hayden Rettig, brother of former La Salle QB and San Clemente QB Chase Rettig (Boston College).

Elffers is No. 3 among all quarterbacks in California and the No. 5 sophomore quarterback in the nation.

The consensus among Valley Christian fans who chimed on the blog over the weekend is that Maranatha is more than ready to compete in the Mid-Valley Division, despite what the Minutemen Olympic League record may indicate.

Fortunately for Maranatha, Elffers is only a sophomore, and he will only get better. Maranatha has produced Matt Schilz (Bowling Green) among other athletes who have gone on to play at Division I schools, but it may be safe to say that Elffers may soon be the Minutemen's best prospect.

Unfortunately for the rest of the Olympic League and Mid-Valley Division, Elffers is only a sophomore, and he will only get better. With his vision, powerful arm, ability to elude the pass-rush and extend plays with his legs, Elffers will make Maranatha a force to be recokned with for the next few years.

Good luck with that.

Above: Joshua Simangunsong (No. 2) has been a lightning rod for the Temple City offense. (Photo courtesy of Rick Ramirez)

Temple City's Joshua Simangunsong has taken the Rio Hondo League by storm. The 5-foot-8, 145-pound senior is a running machine, to say the last. The talented running back has rushed for 859 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and has rushed for at least 100 yards in four of the five games this season. He's scored at least one touchdown in each game and is coming off a remarkable 224-yard rushing performance on 27 carries and three touchdowns to lead the Rams to a 27-15 win over La Canada. That win helped the Rams improve to 2-0 in league. Temple City has its biggest test of the season Friday night at 7 when the Rams square off against Monrovia at Maranatha High. I got to spend a few minutes with Simangunsong during Monday's practice. For one, I learned how to properly pronounce his last name. He's well-liked among his teammates, and it's easy to see why. Simangunsong's mile-wide smile and outgoing personality makes it easy to root for the kid.

Born (date and location): April, 23, 1993 in Jakarta, Indonesia

Favorite TV shows: SpongeBob SquarePants and anything on Nickelodeon

What's in my iPod: Hill Song, Reliant K, All Time Low

Dream car: Not a car guy

Favorite movie(s): John Q

What I'm reading right now: Siddhartha (novel)

I'd love to trade places for a day with: Bob Sanders

A talent I'd most like to have: Dance

Favorite meal: Curry

Favorite athlete to watch: Bob Sanders

Dream vacation: Australia

Favorite sports team: Indianapolis Colts

Dream date would be with: Jessica Biel

My hero is: Jesus Christ

Goal for the season/year: Win league

Best advice I've received from a coach: Dip in, dip out.

By Miguel A. Melendez Staff Writer

The Burbank Police Department is reviewing the conduct of a Burbank High School assistant football coach who allegedly put his hands on an Arcadia football player after a scuffle broke out between the teams in a 48-20 Apaches victory Friday.

Burbank assistant coach Stone Wall was fired by Burbank head coach Hector Valencia for allegedly grabbing Arcadia's Taylor Lagace during a scuffle with Burbank player Quortney Brazier, which spilled over to the Burbank sideline.

No formal charges have been filed, but Burbank police were called to the scene Friday.

"We'll look into it regardless of what the parents' wishes are, because it involves a minor and an adult," Burbank Police Sgt. Travis Irving said. "We are looking out for the safety of the juvenile. A miscellaneous report will get reviewed by detectives.

"I don't know if they'll do a follow-up, but if they determine there's something criminal, they'll take it to the city attorney's office."

In a story published by the Los Angeles Daily News on Saturday, Valencia said Wall was fired for putting his hands on an opposing player.

Valencia said Wall was trying to break up a fight between Burbank's Brazier and Arcadia's Lagace.

"It wasn't like (Wall) threw a punch, but he pushed Lagace off Brazier, and obviously that's inappropriate," Valencia said. "What he should have done was pull our guy away. It looked bad, and I had to let (Wall) go. ... It was a tough night."

Both players were ejected from the game.

"All I know is one of the (Burbank) coaches inappropriately grabbed my kid," Arcadia coach Jon Dimalante said. "I can't accept that."

Dimalante added that during film review, he saw "that (Brazier) just kept grabbing him (Lagace) by the face mask, pulling him down."

There's no word on whether the Lagace family will file charges against Wall.

Valencia also told the Daily News that Lagace punched Brazier in the face and that Brazier had a black eye Saturday.

Dimalante, however, refuted that report.

"He wasn't throwing any punches," Dimalante said. "The kid had a helmet on, so I don't know how that black eye happened.

"After halftime he (Valencia) came over to apologize. He said I had every right to be upset and that his coach was fired and will never coach at Burbank again; that he had already been sent home. He apologized to Lagace for that through me."

Lagace's ejection from the game results in an automatic one-game suspension.

He'll sit out Friday's game against Hoover, and per CIF-Southern Section rules, Lagace is not allowed on the sidelines or anywhere on campus during the game.

Players who left the sidelines during Friday's scuffle also are subject to suspension, but CIF-SS spokesman Thom Simmons said that's handled on a case-by-case basis.

Rob Wigod, the CIF-SS assistant commissioner in charge of football, is out of the office until Wednesday, which means a report, if filed, was submitted but has yet to be reviewed by CIF.

"As of right now we don't have anything," Simmons said. "I don't suspect we'd entertain anything that has to do with this until Rob (Wigod) gets back.

"If we get information that would lead us to look at film and bring the two schools in, we'll do that, but right now we're not there."

The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season...

Melendez: 13-5 last week; total 90-38-1
Stang Fan: 16-2 last week; total 99-29-1

What a weekend. There definitely was no shortage of football this weekend, what with spending almost five hours Friday night at Maranatha, then spending my Saturday morning writing a story for Sunday's paper and, of course, watching football on Sunday. Stang Fan had a pretty great week. He lost only two games when he picked Burbank over Arcadia and Crescenta Valley over Pasadena. A slate full of interesting games this week. Temple City likely will finish second in the Rio Hondo League behind Monrovia. The third-place spot will be a battle between South Pasadena and La Canada. St. Francis' playoff hopes hang in the balance when the Golden Knights host St. Paul. Arcadia and Muir likely to win this week, but I can't be so sure about Pasadena against Burbank.

Friday's games
Temple City vs. Monrovia at Maranatha, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Monrovia)
Burbank at Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Burbank)
St. Paul at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (St. Paul)
Hoover at Arcadia, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Arcadia)
Muir at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Muir)
Pasadena Poly vs. Flintridge Prep at South Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Poly)
Blair vs. La Canada at Muir, 7p.m. -- Melendez (La Canada)
South Pasadena at San Marino, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (South Pasadena)
Arroyo at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Arroyo)
Montebello vs. Alhambra at Moor Field, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Alhambra)
Keppel at Schurr, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Schurr)
Bosco Tech at Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Cantwell)
Rosemead at Mountain View, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Rosemead)
Duarte vs. Workman at La Puente, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Workman)
Bell Gardens at San Gabriel, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Bell Gardens)
La Salle vs. Mary Star at Daniels Field, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Mary Star)

Saturday's games
Marshall at Campbell Hall, 1 p.m. -- Melendez (Campbell Hall)
Rio Hondo Prep at Chadwick, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (Rio Hondo Prep)
Maranatha vs. Village Christian at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Maranatha)

Above: Maranatha coach Joel Murphy (middle wearing blue sweatshirt) addresses both teams after an epic showdown.

MaxPreps: Cerritos team wins in five overtimes

Final box score

PASADENA -- What a night if you happened to be at Maranatha High School on Friday night. The game lasted nearly five hours and needed five overtimes before Cerritos Valley Christian prevailed 70-64 in an epic showdown that will be remembered for years to come.

This undoubtedly is the longest, most thrilling game I have ever been a part of in my decade-long career as a sportswriter. Believe us when we say that we tried extremely hard to get this story to be in Saturday's paper, but that just wasn't going to happen, not when the Star-News' absolute deadline is 11:10 p.m. and the game didn't come to an end until 11:30 p.m. But don't worry, we'll have something in Sunday's paper so that you all have a keepsake to remember. I know that doesn't seem all that enticing right now given that the Minutemen came away losing, but years down the road this will be a game you'll look back and remember it for what it was -- an epic smackdown.

The first half lasted exactly two hours, and if you were at the game you saw just about everything -- explosive offense, exciting defense, an offensive shootout with huge playmakers all over the field.

What makes this game even more difficult for Maranatha (5-3, 0-2) besides the fact it lost, is that the Minutemen now have to hope for an at-large playoff berth out of the Olympic League. You must understand that this isn't a game that Maranatha players should hang their heads over, but they did because the playoff hopes grew somewhat dimmer with another loss.

Maranatha coach Joel Murphy didn't hide the fact the Minutemen are now aiming for an at-large berth, and given that the Minutemen have gotten their two biggest competitors out of the way, Maranatha is likely to gain that at-large berth if it takes care of business down the road.

Maranatha led 17-7 with 9:07 left in the second quarter before Cerritos Valley Christian (5-3, 2-0) stormed back to take a 26-24 lead with 1:56 left in the second quarter. After that, there were four lead changes before Tyler Boer connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fronke with 36 seconds left to tie the game at 40 and force overtime.

It was Trevor Rodriguez who finally came through on a broken play to score from 25 yards out to lift the visiting Crusaders to an improbable 70-64 win in the fifth overtime period.

Maranatha's Mark Jebbia connected for a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andrew Elffers to take a 47-40 lead in the first overtime period. Cerritos Valley Christian responded with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fronke to Darrell Bush. The Crusaders maintained possession in the second overtime period, and that's when Fronke ran one in from 12 yards out to make it 54-47.

Maranatha didn't waste time in the second overtime as Jeremy Major caught a brilliant 19-yard touchdown pass from Elffers to tie the game at 54. Facing fourth and five at the nine, the Minutemen opted for a 26-yard field goal, and Matt Marbach was perfect, giving Maranatha a 57-54 lead.

That put the pressure on the Crusaders, and they didn't disappoint. Facing fourth and 10 at the 25, Cerritos Valley Christian took the safe route and attempted a 42 yard field goal, which Boer converted with ease to tie the game at 57.

Fronke then connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bush to take a 64-57 lead in the third overtime. Maranatha faced fourth and inches at the 4 before Elffers got the first down on a quarterback sneak. He then ran it in from 3 yards out to tie the game at 64.

Maranatha missed a 42-yard field goal on its next possession, allowing the Crusaders to bring the game to an end after Rodriguez's touchdown run from 25 yards.

"That was the most ugly (slash) beautiful game I've ever seen in my entire life," Cerritos Valley Christian coach Erick Streelman said. "What time is it? .... with the injury timeout and overitme, these guys have to be gassed."

When asked where this game ranks among the many he's coached, Streelman didn't hesitate.

"I think it's the best game I've ever seen," he said. "Five overtimes, down to the wire. We couldn't sop them and they couldn't stop us."

For Murphy, it wasn't quite the same feeling.

"You knew someone had to (lose)," Murphy said, "but I kinda wish it wasn't us.

"We thought it was going to go back and forth, but we had every opportunity to finish it with a field goal and gave them a touchdown. we just didn't finish and that's what it comes to.

"Now we have to win the last two games outright to give us in the right position (to make the playoffs)."

Maranatha had a chance to put the game on ice with 58 seconds left in the game leading 40-33. The Maranatha defense came up big when it stopped the Crusaders on fourth and 4 at their own 18. The Minutemen took over on downs with 1:51 left in the game. But it wouldn't be long before Maranatha faced a fourth and 7 at the Cerritos' 15.

That's when Maranatha took a timeout and settled on a 32-yard field goal attempt. The attempt, however, was wide left. That left 52 seconds left on the clock and plenty of time for Cerritos Valley Christian to come up with something. It wouldn't take long. In fact, two plays later that's when Boer caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Fronke. Boer's PAT tied the game at 40.

Cerritos Valley Christian attempted a pooch onside kick, which Valley Christian recovered. Two plays later, Josh Jones recorded his second interception to give the Minutemen the ball back at their own 5. But Maranatha took a knee to let the clock run out and take its chances in overtime, but to no avail.

Elffers did just about everything he could to keep the Minutemen within reach. Jones also did his part with more than several key plays late in the game. Elffers completed 25 of 45 passes for 460 yards and four touchdowns in regulation while Jones caught eigh passes for 155 yards and one touchdown. Major caught touchdown passes for 10, 70 and 19 yards while Mark Jebbia added two from 16 and 14 yards, respectively.

The Minutemen defense also made big plays despite what the final box score may have to say. Adam Harr recorded two sacks and the Maranatha defense recorded five interceptions -- two by R.J. Straker, two by Jones and one from Connor Pendley.

The game went long because of an injury delay midway through the first quarter. Austin Batiste fell on his right wrist and as a result broke it badly. He passed out and appeared to be in shock after suffering the injury. He lay on the field more 10 minutes before he attempted to get up and sit on a cart. It wasn't until 32 minutes had passed that paramedics arrived to take him to a nearby hospital. Later in the game, LeWayne Wright suffered a concussion and he also was taken to the hospital.

It should be noted that Maranatha's Omar Younger and Chris Cornell were knocked out of the game in the first half. Undoubtedly their presence would have been of big help for the Minutemen.

Maranatha took advantage of three turnovers which resulted in two touchdowns and a field goal. But each time the Minutemen appeared to pad their lead, the Crusaders came back to make it interesting, all but assuring fans that a shootout was in the works.

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM FRIDAY'S ROSEMEAD-ARROYO GAME

CLICK HERE FOR OTHER SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SCORES

Tonight's games
Arroyo 35, Rosemead 21 -- Mike Amaya intercepted a pass and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown to break a 14-14 tie in the third quarter. Moments later, Alexis Aceves returned an interception 35 yards to help host Arroyo ice a 35-21 victory and improve to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in league.

Cerritos Valley Christian 70, Maranatha 64, 5OT -- Maranatha held a 17-7 lead with 9:07 left in the second quarter before Cerritos Valley Christian stormed back to take a 26-24 lead with 1:56 left in the second quarter. After that, there were four lead changes before Tyler Boer connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fronke with 36 seconds left to tie the game at 40 and force overtime. It was Trevor Rodriguez who finally came through on a broken play to score from 25 yards out to lift the visiting Crusaders to an improbable 70-64 win in the fifth overtime. It was absolutely insane, and definitely a game you wish never came to an end, but it did, at exactly 11:30 p.m. I'll have more details Saturday morning, and we'll also have a full story in Sunday's paper.

Monrovia 56, San Marino 0 -- Monrovia dominated, including scoring 21 points in a 29-second span of the second quarter.

Temple City 27, La Canada 15 -- Joshua Simangunsong continued his string of big games for Temple City High School as the senior running back ran for 252 yards on 28 carries with three touchdowns in leading the Rams to a 27-15 Rio Hondo League win over La Canada Friday night.

Arcadia 48, Burbank 20 -- The game got off to a sloppy start. Arcadia fumbled the snap on a third-and-15 on its opening series and had to punt. Still in the first quarter, Arcadia blocked a punt by Burbank inside the Bulldogs' 20 that flew out of the end zone for a safety. Late in the first quarter, a fight broke out on the Burbank sideline, with Arcadia's Taylor Lagace and Burbank's Quortney Brazier ejected. Arcadia's Sheldon McKinley gained 137 yards on 23 carries, with one touchdown. Rodney Arnett added 87 yards rushing and a score. Quarterback Myles Carr was efficient in going 11 for 15 for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Everett Frazier caught two of those touchdowns.

Muir 53, Hoover 0 -- The Mustangs' playmakers put on a show. Quarterback Jeffery Davis was sharp with 150 yards passing on 7 of 10 attempts. Davis connected on three long passes for scores, including two to Daityevon McFadden (47 and 75 yards) and one to Deshawn Hayes (49 yards).

Pasadena 21, Crescenta Valley 14 -- Andreece Brown's 3-yard touchdown run capped an eight-play, 89-yard drive to lead Pasadena High School to a 21-14 victory over Crescenta Valley at Glendale High in a Pacific League game on Friday night. The Bulldogs (3-4, 2-3) got the ball at their own 11-yard line with 4:59 left in the game and the score tied 14-14. On fourth down and 3 from the Bulldogs' 33, coach Randy Horton rolled the took a chance. Brandon Cox rolled to his left and hit Riian Simpson slanting across the middle for a 30-yard catch and run to the Falcons' 33. Following a short run, Cox scrambled 36 yards to the Falcon 3. Brown covered the last 3 yards for a 21-14 lead with 1:56 to play.

Chaminade 29, St. Francis 26 -- Logan Scott's 5-yard run with 55 seconds left led Chaminade High School to a 29-26 victory over St. Francis on Friday night.

Schurr 44, Alhambra 16 -- The Spartans dominated the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter when they scored 28 points. Aaron Cantu finished with 12 completions in 21 attempts for 205 yards and three touchdowns.

San Gabriel 42, Keppel 0 -- After struggling in an Almont League loss to Montebello last week, the Matadors roared back with a 42-0 victory over visiting Keppel on Friday in another Almont League game. Junior Andy Guerrero threw three touchdown passes to Alex Villalobos and Arthur Brown rushed for two touchdowns. San Gabriel led, 22-0, at the half. The second half was played with a running clock.

South Pasadena 44, Blair 7 -- The Vikings couldn't stop Tigers quarterback Conor Bednarski and running back Patrick Martin. With 9:46 in the first quarter, Bednarski hit receiver Matt Nelson with a 20-yard touchdown pass. Two minutes later, Martin ran it in from 34 yards. With 6:57 on the clock, Bednarski found Nelson again on a 52-yard pass. At the end of the first quarter, the Tigers led 23-0.

El Monte 31, Gabrielino 19 -- The Lions scored 24 consecutive second-half points. Gabrielino led, 19-7, at the half.

Bishop Montgomery 49, Bosco Tech 21 -- Bosco Tech had its opportunity. But it all fell apart within a matter of a few plays. The host Tigers failed to score and Bishop Montgomery capitalized en route to a 49-21 Del Rey League victory Friday afternoon. "That's a 14-point swing," Bosco Tech coach Chris Shockley said. "That's a momentum swing and everything else. It's really tough to overcome that."

Saturday's games
Pasadena Poly at Webb, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (Poly); Stang Fan (Poly)
Rio Hondo Prep vs. Flintridge Prep at Occidental, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (RHP); Stang Fan (RHP)

San Marino Unified School District Superintendent Gary Woods issued an official statement on Wednesday, confirming that San Marino High School vice-principal and varsity football coach Mike Mooney has in fact been placed on administrative leave. This is all Woods was at liberty to share.

"Mr. Mooney has been placed on administrative leave," Woods said. "Because it's a personnel issue, we really can't comment any further."

Woods also confirmed that principal Loren Kleinrock will coach the football team on an interim basis.

Mike Mooney maintained all along that he never resigned his position as vice principal or football coach.

An email sent by Woods and Kleinrock to parents of the Titans football team was obtained by this newspaper on Tuesday, which read as follows:

Dear Parents of San Marino High School Football Players:
As you may already know, Mr. Mike Mooney has stepped down as Varsity Football Coach. We are not allowed to comment on the specifics.
We would like to invite you to a parent meeting (Wednesday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.) in the high school cafeteria. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the plan to move forward for the remaining weeks of the season.
Please understand, Mr. Mooney's departure has NO connection to any external complaint or criticism.
Sincerely, Loren Kleinrock and Gary Woods.

San Marino High School football coach and assistant principal Mike Mooney said on Tuesday that he has been placed on administrative leave by the school, but declined to comment why.
Also on Tuesday, San Marino superintendent Gary Woods and high school principal Loren Kleinrock put out a letter to team parents saying that Mooney had in fact resigned, but did not say why. Kleinrock's letter said that Mooney's departure had "NO connection to any external complaint or criticism."
Mooney says he has not resigned from either position -- assistant principal or head football coach. Kleinrock is expected to coach the football team on an interim basis.
Parents were invited to attend a meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria to discuss the direction of the program. San Marino is currently 2-4 and just lost its Rio Hondo League opener to Temple City last Friday night.
Mooney, who was an assistant coach last season, took over as head coach in April 2009 after former coach D.R. Moreland resigned in March.
San Marino gave Mooney his first head coaching job in 1996. Mooney left in 1998 to become head coach at Temple City. Mooney left Temple City in 2006 to return to San Marino as an assistant principal with the option to coach, something Temple City would not afford him if he wanted to be an administrator. Mooney, a 1988 graduate of Temple City, played at USC between '88-'93.
Aram Tolegian, Miguel Melendez and Fred Robledo contribunted to this report.

...The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season, though I guess I don't see what's the point anymore....

Melendez: 13-4 last week; total 77-33-1
Stang Fan: 15-2 last week; total 83-27-1

====

Here's what Stang Fan proposes our bet should be. What do you guys think?

If I win you've gotta replace that picture on the blog for an entire week, and in the new pic you've gotta wear USC shirt and a SF Giants hat, OR a silk-screened tee that says Stang Fan>Me.

If I lose, I'll mail you a gift card to whichever restaurant you choose, for you Freddie J, and Aram.

Take it or leave it?

====

I was sick to my stomach. No, really. For the first time in almost five years I actually called in sick thanks to a notoriously bad food poisoning that practically sidelined me for the weekend, and then some. Not calling in sick in years is a streak I was very proud of, but if only I had such an impressive streak when it comes to Star Picks. I guess 13-4 ain't all that bad, but it doesn't bode well for me when a blogger is beating yours truly. But I guess you're not all that surprised, anyway. I lost when I picked South Pasadena, Arcadia, Glendale and San Gabriel. Stang's two wrong picks came when he selected San Gabriel and Crescenta Valley. This week brings us a Mission Valley League showdown when Rosemead visits Arroyo. No doubt the winner of that game is in the driver's seat for the league title. Freddy and Aram will have a two-minute drill breakdown later today. I'm interested to see how Maranatha bounces back against visiting Cerritos Valley Christian ... and will you look at that, two Rio Hondo League unbeatens going at it when La Canada visits Temple City. Huge wins by both teams this past week.

Friday's games
Rosemead at Arroyo, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Arroyo); Stang Fan (Arroyo)
Valley Christian at Maranatha, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Maranatha); Stang Fan (Maranatha)
San Marino at Monrovia, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Monrovia); Stang Fan (Monrovia)
La Canada at Temple City, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Temple City); Stang Fan (Temple City)
Arcadia vs. Burbank at Burroughs, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Burbank); Stang Fan (Burbank)
Hoover at Muir, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Muir); Stang Fan (Muir)
Pasadena vs. Crescenta Valley at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (CV); Stang Fan (CV)
Chaminade at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Chaminade); Stang Fan (Chaminade)
Schurr vs. Alhambra at Moor Field, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Alhambra); Stang Fan (Schurr)
Keppel at San Gabriel, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (San Gabriel); Stang Fan (Keppel)
Blair at South Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (South Pasadena); Stang Fan (South Pas)
El Monte at Gabrielino, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (El Monte); Stang Fan (El Monte)
Azusa at Duarte, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Azusa); Stang Fan (Azusa)
Kilpatrick vs. Marshall at Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Marshall); Stang Fan (Marshall)
Bishop Montgomery at Bosco Tech, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (BM); Stang Fan (BM)
Verbum Dei at La Salle, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Verbum Dei); Stang Fan (Verbum Dei)

Saturday's games
Pasadena Poly at Webb, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (Poly); Stang Fan (Poly)
Rio Hondo Prep vs. Flintridge Prep at Occidental, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (RHP); Stang Fan (RHP)

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE WHITTIER CHR.-MARANATHA GAME

CLICK HERE FOR OTHER SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SCORES

Friday's results
Temple City 31, San Marino 21 -- Joshua Simangunsong continues to be the central offensive weapon for the rams, rushing for 112 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded an interception that set up one of his scores. Temple City won going away, at one point the lead was 25 points before San Marino scored 15 in the fourth quarter to make it respectable. Sophomore Ryan Wood had 30 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown to lead the Titans, whose passing game struggled to stretch the field.

Whittier Christian 31, Maranatha 24 -- The Minutemen trailed in the fourth quarter 28-24 and an interception all but sailed Maranatha's fate as it opened the Olympic League with a loss.

Burroughs 21, Arcadia 14, OT -- Arcadia turnovers and penalties derailed its chances to remain unbeaten in the Pacific League. The game was scoreless at the half, and the Apaches got up on a 7-0 lead in the third quarter when Myles Carr connected with Taylor Lagace. Burroughs responded with a 67-yard touchdown pass to tie the game and added another on a 20-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the third quarter. Brian Ponce punched in from 1 yard out to cap a 13-play, 76-yard drive. Arcadia had the ball in field goal territory with 2.2 seconds, but AJ Rail's 44-yard field goal attempt went wide right. Burroughs needed four plays and scored on fourth and 1 to take a 21-14 lead. Arcadia ran the ball and threw three incomplete passes to end the game. The Apaches squandered two chances in the first half to take a comfortable lead. Penalties pushed Arcadia from first and 10 at the Burroughs 14 to first and 36 at the 40. Three plays later, Arcadia punted. An interception on first and goal a the 3 halted the Apaches long drive.

La Canada 28, South Pasadena 21 -- Kevin Stoner rushed for 131 yards and Daleep Sandhu rushed for 51 yards and two touchdowns and Scott Gray passed for 161 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Spartans. The game was close. South Pasadena was at the Spartans 2, but a false start moved them back a bit, to the 7, and the Tigers never recovered. Two rushing plays and an incomplete pass was all South Pasadena could muster. Patrick Martin rushed for 145 yards and scored two touchdowns in the losing effort.

Muir 39, Crescenta Valley 16 -- The Mustangs' defense was on. Four of CV's first five possessions resulted in punts. The one that the Falcons didn't punt away resulted in a fumble which the Mustangs recovered. Muir's Traveion Yates carried the ball four times for 28 yards, more than the Mustangs' 14 yards rushing in the first half. Jeffrey Davis completed 12 of 21 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. Muir's defense recorded six sacks as well. Way to bounce back, 'Stangs.

Pasadena 26, Glendale 13 -- Cleo Bates rushed for 111 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs. As a team, the Bulldogs ran for 279 yards, and sophomore QB Brandon Cox contributed with 96 yards rushing.

Alhambra 45, Keppel 0 -- Defense, defense, defense. The Moors defense forced five turnovers, an interception and a fumble, and held Keppel to 100 yards of total offense. Alhambra's Demetrius Russell had an awesome 70-yard interception return for a touchdown, including stopping on a dime and jogged into the end zone.

Rosemead 42, Gabrielino 6 -- Rosemead's Matt Fregoso rushed for 136 yards and QB Matt Macias completed 11 of 16 for 139 yards. Two blocked punts resulted in touchdowns for the Panthers. There was a scary moment

Rio Hondo Prep 27, Village Christian 26 -- Charles Quintero scored all four touchdowns for the Kares, who improve to 4-1. Village Christian scored on a 1-yard run with 35 seconds to go, and decided to go for two. The ball was just out of the receiver's reach. Village Christian attempted an onside kick, but the ball went out of bounds. Rio Hondo Prep went into victory formation to end the game. Village Christian scored on its first possession of the second half to take a 20-7 lead. Huge win for the Kares, going up against a Mid-Valley Division.

OTHER SCORES
Montebello 27, San Gabriel 26
Chadwick 33, Flintridge Prep 19
Sierra Canyon 56, Marshall 7
Bosco Tech 45, St. Bernard 44

Saturday's games
Viewpoint at Pasadena Poly, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (Poly); Stang Fan (Poly)
Serra at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Serra); Stang Fan (Serra)

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM FRIDAY'S BLAIR-MONROVIA GAME

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

PASADENA - It's supposed to be tackle football, but what Monrovia High School witnessed in its Rio Hondo League opener against Blair on Thursday night at Muir High was more like touch football. Only the Wildcats were never touched the entire first quarter.

The first five times Monrovia (4-2 overall) had the ball, the Wildcats scored untouched en route to a 57-0 victory. The entire second half was played with a running clock.

CLICK ON THREAD TO CONTINUE READING

Monrovia athletic director Randy Bell is working on finding the Wildcats football team a neutral site for their final two home games of the season because of on-going work that needs to be done at the new stadium. The football portion of the newly renovated stadium -- the artificial turf field, stands and scoreboard -- were complete in time to play Arcadia, but the all-weather track and weight room (under the stands) was not.

"They told us it'd be ready for the Arcadia game, which it was," Bell said. "But we all thought the stadium mean the football field and the track. Well, the track wasn't done by them and the track company needs an 18-day window to get it done, and they're not available til late October."

This means work will begin on Oct. 25 to install the all-weather track, pushing Monrovia's final two home games against Temple City (Oct. 29) and La Canada (Nov. 12) to what Bell hopes will be a neutral site. That's proving to be a big hurdle, however, and so far Bell's had little to no luck.

"I've been busting my butt to get a neutral site; there's pressure from (Monrovia) parents to do that," Bell said. "They don't want to go to Temple City and give them a home game. It's not that easy because there are other things to consider."

Pasadena High?

"Not getting anywhere there," Bell said.

PCC?

"They already told me they're not available."

Citrus?

"It's not available for the date we need. It's difficult."

Monrovia's worse case scenario is giving Temple City and La Canada home games, meaning concession money would likely go to those schools.

As for the gate money?

"The difficulty is that you keep the gate receipts for your home games," Bell said, "then when you play (somewhere) else what do you do?

The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season...

Melendez: 15-1 last week; total 64-29-1
Stang Fan: 12-4 last week; total 68-25-1

By the way, check out Aram's All-Encompassing SGV(N) Top 25, as Maranatha and Arcadia make an appearance.

NOTE: St. Francis plays Saturday, according to CalPreps.com. I've changed it on the schedule here.

NOTE 2: Pasadena plays Friday, not Thursday. This is what happens when I update my budgets past midnight...

If not for my laughable 6-9-1 record in Week 5, I'm confident I would be running away with 2010 picks against Stang Fan. It's a tight race and Week 6 could be crucial as most teams begin league play. (Folks, there's still no wager between Stang and myself, so suggestions are definitely welcome). My lone loss last week was St. Francis (lost to Paso Robles 42-28. Muir, La Canada, St. Francis and Sage HIlls were Stang Fan's wrong picks last week. Let me say this: I was not surprised to see Arcadia win big against Muir. The Apaches completely outplayed the Mustangs, and so far I've yet to see Muir respond when its back are against the wall. Arcadia went up 7-0 in a matter of minutes. Muir responded with a three-and-out, the end result a 72-yard fumble return for a touchdown to put the Apaches on top 14-0. I have Muir winning this week because Crescenta Valley's record is bloated. The Mustangs have played the tougher schedule and within that schedule have shown they can compete. It's time to finish. As for Arcadia, now's not the time to get too high. Yes, huge win Friday and nice to see your league record unblemished, but the Apaches must maintain focus as they head into a Pacific Leauge showdown against Burroughs, also 2-0 in league. If Arcadia stays focused, disciplined and ready to show its back, then the Apaches will be a force to be recokned with. Big game for the folks at Maranatha. The Minutemen (5-1) travel to Whittier College to battle Whittier Christian (5-1) in an Olympic League showdown. Is it just me, or has the San Marino-Temple City game lost its luster because of recent struggles? Still, the Rams have shown steady improvement, and this is when Temple City will put it all together. Once again it should be an exciting week ahead.

Thursday's game
Blair vs. Monrovia at Muir, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Monrovia)

Friday's games
San Marino at Temple City, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Temple City); Stang Fan (TC)
Whittier Christian vs. Maranatha at Whittier College, 7 p.m. -- MM (Whittier Christian); Stang Fan (WC)
Arcadia at Burroughs, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Arcadia); Stang Fan (Burroughs)
South Pasadena at La Canada, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (South Pas); Stang Fan (LC)
San Gabriel at Montebello, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (San Gabriel); Stang Fan (San Gabriel)
Crescenta Valley at Muir, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Muir); Stang Fan (CV)
Pasadena at Glendale, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Glendale); Stang Fan (PHS)
Alhambra at Keppel, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Alhambra); Stang Fan (Alhambra)
Gabrielino at Rosemead, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Rosemead); Stang Fan (Rosemead)
Flintridge Prep vs. Chadwick at Occidental, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Chadwick); Stang Fan (Chadwick)
Sierra Canyon vs. Marshall at Pasadena, 7 p.m. Melendez (Sierra); Stang Fan (Sierra)
Duarte at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Ganesha); Stang Fan (Ganesha)
Bosco Tech at St. Bernard, 7 p.m.-- Melendez (Bosco Tech); Stang Fan (Bosco)
Village Christian at Rio Hondo Prep, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (RHP); Stang Fan (RHP)

Saturday's game
Viewpoint at Pasadena Poly, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (Poly); Stang Fan (Poly)
Serra at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Serra); Stang Fan (Serra)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY FOOTBALL SCORES

Friday's results
Arcadia 34, Muir 13 -- Myles Carr completed 14 of 17 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns, two to John Wong and one to Taylor Lagace. Nader Doumani returned a fumble 72 yards in the first quarter to put the Apaches up 14-0. Lagace recorded two interceptions and laid one of the biggest hits I've ever seen in my 10 years of covering high school football. Lagace and Muir's Daityevon McFadden collided, with McFadden getting the brunt end of it. McFadden was slow to get up, but to his credit remained in the game and soldiered on. Arcadia recovered several fumbles, including one by Lagace and Wong. Straight up, Arcadia outplayed Muir in just about every facet of the game. After the game, Muir coach Ken Howard said, "I didn't expect that kind of performance" and when I asked from which team, he said both. No doubt he was impressed, as I'm sure the rest of the West San Gabriel Valley is, too. Muir was healthy, had its weapons at its disposal, but the Apaches made it difficult moving the ball. Muir also didn't help itself with penalties halting drives and negating several first-down conversions. Good win for Arcadia, that it gave Dimalante his 100th career win at Arcadia must have felt even more special.

Rosemead 29, Temple City 28 -- Rosemead scored 20 unanswered points in the second half by way of three touchdown passes by quarterback Matt Macias, who bounced back from a rough outing last week in a loss to San Gabriel. Temple City's Joshua Simangunsong rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort. Temple City led 21-9 at the half and 28-9 in the third quarter before the Panthers stormed back.

Monrovia 27, Paramount 7 -- Nick Bueno completed 9 of 12 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Jay Henderson and Luke Williams had a spectacular performance.

Cathedral 37, South Pasadena 7 -- Cathedral's Zachary Green had eight carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Kristan Ivory had seven carries for 128 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown run to lead the Phantoms on the ground. Justin Kornford caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Conor Bednarski for the Tigers' only score in the first quarter. Cathedral controlled the field position and the defense recorded eight sacks. South Pasadena had eight false start penalties, including four straight in one drive in the middle of the first quarter.

Burroughs 35, Pasadena 8 -- The Bulldogs got held to 144 yards of total offense, gave up over 400 yards on the ground. Not the recipe for success. Pasadena led 8-0 in the first quarter, but it was downhill from there.

Golden Valley 35, San Marino 21 -- Earl Johnson had 18 carries for 188 yards and four touchdowns to lead the visiting Grizzlies. Ryan Wood had 25 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown to lead the Titans.

Maranatha 59, Western Christian 7 -- Chris Cornell recorded three interceptions and scored two touchdowns, including one from 80 yards; Jeremy Major scored on a 60-yard touchdown run and fellow sophomore Omar Younger added another one from 74 yards. The Maranatha defense recorded two interception returns for scores from Xavier Dansby and Mark Jebbia. The Minutemen improved to 5-1.

OTHER SCORES

Paso Robles 42, St. Francis 28
Arroyo 26, La Canada 7
Bassett 6, Duarte 0
St. Bernard 29, La Salle 23
Brawley 51, Blair 0
Pasadena Poly 35, Sage Hill 14
Marshall 49, Calvary Chapel 20

The following is a comment by fellow blogger Reno Hightower posted on another thread. Someone mentioned Reno is the best thing on this blog, and that's not all that farfetched. It's a funny post so I though I'd share.

Saint Francis. Welcome to Paso Robles! Reno wants to point out several truths about Paso Robles football as New York can attest to.

#1 Ten to fifteen SF fans will get speeding, no left turn, texting, etc tickets by the local Barney Fife. Hey, you're helping thew local economy!

#2 The junior high will be packed. The showers don't work. And the low stadium lights give War Memorial Field an eerie Twilight Zone Effect.

#3 Get there early as the PRHS boosters start the tri-tip at 2pm. Have a couple of sandwiches and bring Reno one.

#4 You haven't had hometown officiating until you been "HOMERED" by the white hat at PR. He is the brother to Barney Fife and brother in law of Paso Robles Head Coach. Reno swears on the bible to this.

Seriously, Saint Francis will do fine with QB Nelson, Travis T, and the rest of the hard nosed Lancers. Best of Luck. It is like going to St. Paul; only longer!

For the third consecutive year, Blair High School makes a 400-mile round trip to play Brawley on Friday, and Vikings and Pasadena-area fans are asking the obvious question: why?

The answer is simple: money.

Blair's trip to Brawley, which is an hour west of Yuma, Ariz., and just north of Mexicali, is in the third and final year of its agreement. Blair coach Gary Parks was in his first season three years ago when close friend and Brawley athletic director Bill Brewer called to ask if the Vikings would be interested in making the trip south.

In exchange, Blair gets charter buses for the trip, food and a $2,000 appearance fee, all paid for by Brawley's football boosters, according to Parks.

"Financially it's great," Parks said. "It allows the kids to get out of the city for a day and do something different before we start (Rio Hondo) league. We use the trip as a bonding experience."

Brawley, a cattle town where summer temperatures often are higher than 120 degrees, is the only high school in its district. The public school plays in the CIF-San Diego Section, and all of its nonleague opponents are at least an hour's drive away, with Blair traveling the farthest. Brawley's Imperial Valley League games aren't any closer. The Wildcats' first league game this season comes against Palo Verde Valley High in Blythe, which is an 89-mile drive one way.

Parks met Brewer through church, and they go back to when Parks was coaching football at Verbum Dei.

"We were always looking for one long road trip at Verbum Dei," Parks recalled. "So when I came to Blair, I wanted to bring that aspect, too. (Brewer) knows we're strapped for cash, and the money we get helps us get the things we need outside what PUSD (Pasadena Unified School District) has cut."

Parks said he'd like to continue making the trip, but his principal "wants us to stay closer next year."

Added Parks: "We're really going to miss it."

Brawley has won both meetings by a combined score of 95-12.

If not for Maranatha's 43-21 win over La Ca ada last week, no high school football team from Pasadena would have recorded a win in Week 4.

Pasadena and Muir each lost its Pacific League opener, to Arcadia (44-7) and Burbank (22-19), respectively. La Salle lost its Del Rey League opener to Bosco Tech (28-21) while Blair and Marshall were shut out in losses to St. Monica (42-0) and Paraclete (62-0), respectively. Pasadena Poly had a bye.

Maranatha's defense deserves a lot of credit for the big win against its first Mid- Valley Division opponent this season. The defense recorded nine sacks while Minutemen quarterback Andrew Elfers threw for 200 yards on 9-of-19 passing with three touchdowns to lead the offense.

The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season...

Melendez: 6-9-1 last week; total 49-28-1
Stang Fan: 10-5-1 last week; total 56-21-1

Enjoyed a rare Monday off, but it's good to be back -- even after going an atrocious 6-9-1 last week. My boy Stang Fan didn't fare that much better, but at least he didn't have a sub. 500 record. No Thursday games this week, and quite a few teams have a bye, including the Almont League. Arcadia coach Jon Dimalante will go for his 100th career win at Arcadia High. I think for the first time in years it's Muir with depth issues while the Apaches have numbers. This game will serve as a barometer to see how much Arcadia has grown since 2009. Arcadia also will debut its newly renovated football stadium, and you can bet the Apaches want this win for Coach D, especially since Arcadia hasn't beaten Muir since 2003 when the Apaches won 41-26 to finish 5-0 in Pacific League play.

Thursday's games
No games scheduled

Friday's games
Muir at Arcadia, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Arcadia); Stang Fan (Muir)
Rosemead at Temple City, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Rosemead); Stang Fan (Rosemead)
Paramount at Monrovia, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Monrovia); Stang Fan (Monrovia)
La Canada at Arroyo, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Arroyo); Stang Fan (LC)
Cathedral at South Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Cathedral); Stang Fan (Cathedral)
Burroughs at Pasadena, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Burroughs); Stang Fan (Burroughs)
Golden Valley at San Marino, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Golden Valley); Stang Fan (Golden)
Western Christian at Maranatha, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Maranatha); Stang Fan (Maranatha)
St. Francis vs. Paso Robles at Flamson MS, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (St. Francis); Stang Fan (SF)
Bassett at Duarte, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Bassett); Stang Fan (Bassett)
La Salle at St. Bernard, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (St. Bernard); Stang Fan (St. Bernard)
Blair at Brawley, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Brawley); Stang Fan (Brawley)
Pasadena Poly at Sage Hill, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Poly); Stang Fan (Sage Hill)
Marshall vs. Calvary Chapel at Downey, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Calvary); Stang Fan (Calvary)

Saturday's games
Verbum Dei at Bosco Tech, 1:30 p.m. -- Melendez (Verbum Dei); Stang Fan (Verbum Dei)
Rio Hondo Prep at Webb, 2 p.m. -- Melendez (RHP); Stang Fan (RHP)

Above: Alhambra's Chris Salgado making way for the running backs.

CLICK HERE FOR QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORES

Thursday's Result
Monrovia 28, South Hills 25

Friday's Scores
San Gabriel 48, Rosemead 20 -- Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. San Gabriel returned three Rosemead fumbles by two different quarterbacks for touchdowns. The Matadors defense also recorded three interceptions, which proved to be the difference. Andy Guerrero passed for three touchdown passes, two to to Andres Fernandez. Rosemead's Matt Macias was pulled in the third quarter, but that move didn't fare any better for the Matadors.

Alhambra 27, South Pasadena 14 -- Alhambra's punishing pass-rush defense was enough to set the tone early as the Moors put pressure on South Pasadena QB Conor Bednarski. The first two Tigers series resulted in a punt and Patrick Bruno interception, the latter setting up a touchdown on a Joshua Mendoza QB sneak. Mendoza completed 7 of 14 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns through the air and another on the ground. Bednarski clearly was rattled. He finished 8 of 24 for 166 yards and two interceptions.

Maranatha 43, La Canada 21 -- The Maranatha defense definitely had its Wheaties for breakfast this morning, recording nine sacks on the night. Minutemen QB Andrew Elfers passed for 200 yards on 9 of 19 passing with three touchdowns, including a 40-yard hookup to Josh Jones. Omar Younger broke off for a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, call it the nail on the coffin. I'm a believer.

Arcadia 44, Pasadena 7 -- Taylor Lagace returned a 92-yard kickoff for a touchdown. Lagace had three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Just when Pasadena thought momentum swung its way, Lagace returned the kickoff to say otherwise.

Burbank 22, Muir 19 -- Burbank scored the winning touchdown with 11.8 seconds left in the game, a quarterback sneak. Jeffrey Davis completed 19 of 29 passes for 254 yards and rushed for another 46 yards in the losing effort. Muir dominated the third quarter, but missed on a third and four in the fourth quarter that allowed the Bulldogs to get the ball back with some time on the clock.

Temple City 27, South El Monte 6 -- The Rams' rushing attack again came to life, only this time it resulted in a win. Running back Joshua Simagunsong carried the ball 20 times and rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown. Carlos Mota added 69 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.

West Ranch 35, St. Francis 34 -- West Ranch scored the winning touchdown with 1:14 left in the game to stun the Golden Knights.

Bosco Tech 28, La Salle 21 -- Bosco Tech's Devin Welsh rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns and made a 59-yard touchdown reception to lead the Tigers. Dillon Welsh completed 12 of 18 for 188 yards and two touchdowns, adding 56 yards on the ground. The game was tied at 21 in the fourth quarter. Bosco Tech was at the La Salle 11 with 6 minutes left in the game. Instead of opting for a field goal to take the lead, the Tigers went for it on fourth down, as Welsh connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Christopher Alvarez. La Salle's Israel Lacy had 346 all-purpose yards as a receiver (79 yards), running back (61 yards) and on kickoff returns (206 yards). He also recorded an interception and a forced fumble. He's definitely someone to look out for since dude's only a sophomore.

Other Scores
Bell Gardens 35, San Marino 12
Gabrielino 43, L.A. Roybal 14
Malibu 14, Flintridge Prep 14, tie
Mountain View 40, Keppel 0

Saturday's Games
Paraclete vs. Marshall at Pasadena HS, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Paraclete)
St. Monica vs. Blair at Muir, 7 p.m. -- Melendez (Blair)