Guerrero and Rivera ready to put on a show for the West in Hall of Fame All-Star Game …

The last time Arroyo High School’s Steven Rivera and San Gabriel’s Andy Guerrero were on the field at the same time, they put on a offensive display that won’t soon be forgotten.

It was Nov. 25, 2011 in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs. Rivera was trying to quarterback Arroyo to the semifinals and appeared on his way to doing just that, but Guerrero piloted his team to an improbable victory punctuated by a thrilling finish.

Just moments after Rivera had given Arroyo a 38-35 lead on a 56-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Duran with 1:40 left to play in the game, Guerrero connected with Joey Villalobos on a 21-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-7 with under a minute to play to give San Gabriel a 42-38 win.

The end-game heroics from both quarterbacks were just one big chapter in stellar seasons for each player. Guerrero went on to be named the Pasadena Star-News Player of the Year. Rivera earned the same honor for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

And on June 22, the two players will take the field for the final time in their high school careers as teammates on the West squad in the Hall of Fame All-Star Game at West Covina High.

“I just feel like it’s Bird and Magic over here,” Rivera said of being paired with Guerrero as the West’s quarterbacks. “We feel that we’re going to be able to turn things around (for the West). We don’t come out here to lose.”

Guerrero and Rivera combined to throw for 6,669 yards and 67 touchdowns last season.

In their epic showdown, Guerrero threw for 233 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 140 yards and two scores.

Rivera wasn’t too shabby, throwing for 214 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for two more.

Memories of their playoff game still burn bright even to this day. For Rivera, it was the final game in a career that saw him leave as the valley’s all-time leading passer in career yards and touchdowns.

For Guerrero, the game sent his team on to the semifinals where they rode the momentum and upset San Dimas to earn a shot at Monrovia in the championship game.

Although San Gabriel was no match for Monrovia, Guerrero’s amazing season earned him the honor of being named the top player in the area.

Just as they may do someday as old men, Guerrero and Rivera can easily reminisce about their playoff classic.

Guerrero’s game-winning pass was set up by a long kickoff return by Alex Villalobos, also a West All-Star. But the Matadors didn’t do much with the good field position Villalobos gave them and found themselves with fourth-and-7 from the Arroyo 21 with less than a minute to play. Guerrero used his legs to escape Arroyo’s rush and rolled to his right before firing a pass to the end zone where Joey Villalobos made the catch as Rivera and another Arroyo defender rocked him. Villalobos held on and it was bedlam from there.

“It was a big play,” Guerrero said. “It was fourth down and it was either we do or we die. If I didn’t get that play done, we would have been out of the playoffs and he would have moved on.”

Unfortunately for Rivera, he won’t be able to forget the play during preparations for the All-Star game because it’s one of the play calls in the West’s arsenal.

“When we ran the play in practice, it’s called `Gator,’ ” Guerrero said. “Alex Villalobos reminded him that this is the play we won on. “It was just laughs and good memories.”

As much as the San Gabriel loss stung, Rivera has turned it into a positive.

“They pulled it off, but I wouldn’t want to go out any other way because I knew we gave it all we had and they gave it all they had,” Rivera said.

“Game week, we knew it was going to be a battle. We said to ourselves that if we look at our team, it’s a duplicate of San Gabriel.

“We were not very athletic. We were just a bunch of 5-foot-10 Mexicans running around in helmets and shoulder pads.”

And that’s exactly what the West will be in several spots on June 22 against an East team that has dominated the series in recent years because of its combination of dominant line play and speedy defensive players.

To combat this, both Guerrero and Rivera may have to use their legs to buy time or turn broken plays into something big. Both quarterbacks said they’re willing to do just that no matter what the ramifications might be.

The game won’t be the last for either player. Rivera will play next season at Whittier College. Guerrero plans to play at East Los Angeles College.

Unlike their last time on a field together, when somebody had to win and somebody had to lose, both players are hoping to go out a winner this time around and give fans one last taste of two of the top signal callers in Valley history.

“With two good quarterbacks, it’s going to be a real good game,” Guerrero said. “I don’t know who exactly is playing on their team, but I know they’ve got some real good players. The West is always chosen to lose because the East has all the talent out there. But it’s going to be a real good game.”

Follow me on Twitter @ChemicalAT

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St. Francis and Monrovia will finally meet, but if I’m ranking the Star-News in 2012, I’m starting with the Golden Knights and Jimmy “UCLA” Bonds

Until there is a new editor in charge, I’m sneaking in and giving my preseason top ten for 2012. Feels like I never left this place. St. Francis has been a dominant force for years and despite Monrovia’s title, I would have ranked St. Francis ahead of Monrovia last season based on quality wins, schedule and the division it played in. Monrovia’s a monster that gets better and better, but not sure if the Cats are on par with St. Francis, just yet. Monrovia and St. Francis will finally meet in Week 5, so the answer will come soon enough, and it’s about time. I always thought Monrovia, St. Francis and Muir — the top three in most years, should play each other every season. This is a start, and to start the year, I’m going with St. Francis No. 1 because year in and year out, they own the best wins on the resume and play the toughest schedule. Look at St. Francis’ record and opponents in 2011 and tell me I’m wrong. In any case, here is how I would rank football starting in 2012.

Rank, Team, Last year’s record
1. St. Francis (9-3)
2. Monrovia (11-3)
3. Muir (8-5)
4. Arcadia (9-3)
5. Rio Hondo Prep (13-1)
6. Maranatha (8-3)
7. San Gabriel (9-5)
8. Pasadena (6-6)
9. Alhambra (9-3)
10. San Marino (7-4)

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And the beat goes on ….

With Miguel Melendez officially leaving on Friday, we’re in transition at the Star-News office until a replacement is named. During the interim, Keith Lair is in charge and working on the Spring all-area teams. Steve Ramirez, Aram Tolegian and I will post over the summer to deliver up-to-date football news and coaching changes.

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I’m hitting the snooze button to pursue my next dream.


Above: Just another day in the office interviewing Rose Bowl MVP Andy Dalton.

I don’t know if my career in journalism has come to an end. What I do know is I’m getting off this amazing roller coaster ride I’ve been on for nearly 12 years. It’s time to get in line for the next ride.

Today is my last day at the Pasadena Star-News, and I leave a dream job as a sportswriter in pursuit of my childhood dream of one day going to law school. The road there is long and filled with challenges, but I overcame a similar path when I started my career in journalism at 17.

The dream started in high school, and it wouldn’t have been realized without the help of a lot of people I’m thankful to this very day.

I was 15 when my math teacher, Dr. Roz Collier at Alhambra High, asked why I always asked for her L.A. Times. I told her I loved reading the sports section and that I one day wanted to be a sportswriter. From that day forward until my senior year she saved the sports section for me every day.

I was 16 when TJ Simers at the L.A. Times replied to my email seeking advice, and he did more than send back a short message. He offered his home phone number and a plan on how best to break into the business. It was his advice that led to an interview with Art Wilson, my first editor who I can’t thank enough for hiring me fresh out of high school.

Doug Spoon, my first sports editor at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, was encouraging as I learned the ropes and was always up front with me, a quality I always admired. Like the time I was offered a plush freelance gig at the L.A. Times. He said he couldn’t pay me as much as The Times but would do everything he could to give me more writing assignments and more shifts on the sports desk to help make up the difference.

It was that mix of experience that undoubtedly helped me land my first big boy job at The Orange County Register where David Bean hired me at 20, and I knew how lucky I was when my colleagues there were surprised to hear how young I was to be a staff writer at what was then the 34th largest newspaper in the nation. Greg Gibson and Todd Harmonson became two of the best editors any writer could ask for. They partnered me with seasoned writers at the Register to polish my writing and ultimately fulfilled my dream of helping cover the Angels and Lakers, among other plush assignments they threw my way.

In March when I informed Steve Hunt, my managing editor, about my plan to leave in June he presented a couple options for me to stay. I was moved by the appreciation shown towards me, and it proved what I knew all along: that I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by great people who cared and found a way to show it.

My life in one word?

Lucky.

In what world would an 11-year-old kid have his favorite watch stolen at knife point while on his way to a corner market in Lincoln Heights also have the chance to one day cover a press conference for The Boston Globe.That’s my claim to fame, when I camped out Scott Boras’ office in Newport Beach as negotiations intensified between the Red Sox brass and Boras’ new client,Daisuke Matsuzaka. I was transcribing a long press conference with a tight East Coast deadline. I wasn’t sure how to spell Daisuke, so to save time I spelled it “Dice-K”. I filed the story forgetting to change Dice-K to Daisuke.The next day, there was a poll on the Boston Globe’s website asking readers to weigh in on what Daisuke Matsuzaka’s nickname should be, and “Dice-K” was one of options. Sure enough, that’s how Matsuzaka was referred to on ESPN, too.

You’re welcome, Boston.

When I came here in 2008 I was excited to be back where it all started. I’ve known and worked with Fred J. Robledo, Aram Tolegian, Steve Ramirez and Keith Lair since I was 17. Believe me when I say this group is passionate about covering preps. They continue to bring you the best coverage despite uncertainty and challenges along the way.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with great high school coaches, athletic directors, players, parents and teachers.

The best part about covering high school sports is seeing kids you’ve covered succeed at the next level.

I covered Matt Barkley as a freshman quarterback at Mater Dei High back in my Register days, and now he might be leading USC to a preseason No. 1 ranking.

I covered Steve Johnson as a talented freshman tennis player at Orange High. He’s now a two-time NCAA singles national champion at USC.

There are some seniors I’ve covered here at the Star-News since their freshman year, and I’m excited to see how they’ll do in college, maybe even the pro’s.I’m talking to Bowdien Derby and Ellis McCarthy, among others.

When I look back at my career and tell my friends about the places I’ve visited and teams I’ve covered they wonder why on earth I would leave a dream job. The answer is simple, I’m selfish and want to chase another dream.

If my path somehow takes a detour ahead and merges with journalism I hope I still recognize this industry I love and owe so much to. A lot has changed in 12 years. I’ve seen my friends fall victims to layoffs and buyouts, many of whom continue to work outside of journalism.

That being said,this decision is my own, and I leave with a bank full of fond memories and experiences I could only dream about as a homeless kid.

That I came to this decision ina seemingly bed-ridden economy, well, you can see now why I feel so lucky.

I don’t know what I’ll do Monday when I wake up and have nowhere to go, no phone calls to make and no interviews to conduct. I’m not scared about the uncertainty that lies in the short-term. In junior high I was held at gun point for simply witnessing a car theft.

That was scary.

This is exciting.

miguelmelendez83@gmail.com

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