The Stang Fan and I will go head-to-head this season…
Melendez: 17-2 last week; total 107-40-1
Stang Fan: 17-2 last week; total 116-31-1
My two losses last week came when I picked St. Paul and Alhambra to win. St. Paul lost to St. Francis and Alhambra lost to Montebello, respectively. Stang Fan also had two losses, coming when he picked La Salle to beat Mary Star and San Marino to beat South Pasadena. Unless I make a crazy run over the next few weeks, it’s looking like Stang Fan will win the series. As for the bet, it’s looking like I’ll have to use a new blog picture for a week wearing a USC shirt and hat. But first, let’s see how this week goes.
It’s safe to say that our game of the week honors goes to the Prep League showdown when Pasadena Poly (6-2, 3-0) visits Rio Hondo Prep (6-1, 3-0). I’m not a big fan of 7:30 games, but the fact this game will ultimately decide the league championship makes it enticing for yours truly to make his first ever assignment covering Rio Hondo Prep. I’ve been waiting for this matchup since I first saw the schedule, and as I had hoped for both teams are unbeaten in league heading into Week 9. We’ll have a 2-minute drill on this game later in the day on Tuesday. South Pasadena has a tough one at home with Monrovia heading into town. So far, no team has scored on the Wildcats, and now it’s up to the Tigers’ potent balanced attack to get a shot at pulling off an upset. I don’t see it happening, but stranger things have happened. Pasadena went 0-5 at home this season, but fortunately for the Bulldogs their next two games are on the road, where they are 3-0.
Friday’s games with predictions
Monrovia at South Pasadena, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Monrovia)
Pasadena Poly at Rio Hondo Prep, 7:30 p.m. — Melendez (RHP)
San Gabriel vs. Alhambra at Moor Field, 7 p.m. — Melendez (San Gabriel)
San Marino at La Canada, 7 p.m. — Melendez (La Canada)
Glendale at Arcadia, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Arcadia)
Burroughs at Muir, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Muir)
Pasadena vs. Hoover at Glendale, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Pasadena)
Blair at Temple City, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Temple City)
Rosemead at South El Monte, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Rosemead)
Gabrielino at Mountain View, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Mountain View)
Duarte vs. Gladstone at Citrus College, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Gladstone)
St. Francis at Cathedral, 7 p.m. — Melendez (St. Francis)
Marshall vs. Montclair Prep at Pasadena, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Montclair)
L.A. Baptist at Maranatha, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Maranatha)
Bell Gardens at Keppel, 7 p.m. — Melendez (Bell Gardens)
La Salle at Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m. — Melendez (BishopM)
Flintridge Prep at Viewpoint, 2:30 p.m. — Melendez (Viewpoint)
