Highlyt-touted Mater Dei and Trojan-to-be quarterback Matt Barkley defeated Carson, 46-43, in triple overtime Wednesday night at Vets Stadium in Long Beach. If you weren't at the game or didn't see it, you missed one exciting game...more twists and turns than the route to Big Bear.
I'm not sure the Monarchs really deserved the victory; I felt more like big-time underdog Carson deserved to lose it with some of the mistakes they made in the final minutes of regulation and in overtime. With the score knotted at 34, the Colts had the ball 2nd down and 5 at the 50 with just less than two minutes to go and junior QB Daniel Torres decides to try to win it all on one play and gets his pass intercepted inside the M.D. 10. And Carson kick Juan Sanchez missed kick after kick, before hitting a field goal in the third OT. Too little, too late.
Everyone knew that Barkley was going to find paydirt again when he got the ball in the third OT, and it took just one play. Game over!!!
Barkley is certainly a top talent, his passing is about as good as it gets at this level, and maybe better than at some universities (Michigan could use a quarterback like him by its next game). But, I'll tell you what, coaches from Cypress, which play the Monarchs next Thursday, and those in the Trinity Leauge know they can beat Mater Dei after this one. And they also saw Barkley (304 yards, 6 TDs) throw four INTs, so it's not like the top prospect in the nation is Superman or anything.
Mater Dei didn't run the ball very well, especially between the tackles. The Monarchs tried to go over the top too often, even though they did hit a few home runs. Mixing in shorter routes and mid-range passes would have really shredded the Colts, but it didn't really happen until the OT. And about everytime Barkley was pressured, he seemed more panicked than relaxed, aiding in his INT total.
A smash-mouth team, like perhaps a Cypress, St. John Bosco and L.B. Poly, would seem to give the Monarchs some fits.
As for Carson, props to the Colts for even being in the game. It seemed when it was 12-0 early that it was going to be a blowout. But they hung in there. Morrell Presley was impressive, even though he only got a handful of balls thrown to him. With his speed and size, he is hard to bring down. He's off to USC, too. Colts RB Ezekial Graham is one quick little runner. I'm really excited by next week's Carson-Serra game.
Howdy, area sports fan, and welcome to the 2008-09 high school season.
The campaign kicks off, literally, with football, the granddaddy of all prep sports, and this year looks to be a very good one from preseason reports.
The football schedules have been posted for a couple of weeks, and I know that some of you have already perused them. I've taken a good look at them myself, and there are many, many good games and teams with tough challenges in front of them on the horizon.
At this point, I would like to make an editor's note: I don't want to write this thing for my own satisfaction, but to open up a line of communication and see what you all are thinking?
So with that, what area teams have the toughest schedules?
In no particular order:
Poly, ranked No. 2 in the state by maxpreps.com -- What a tough start to the season, with games at Florida power Miami Northwestern followed by Newport Harbor (No. 29), at Carson, (No. 60) at Lakewood (No. 25), the Moore League rivial with probably the best shot at upsetting the 'Rabbit's reign, and Ventura St. Bonaventure (No. 12). There's no time for Poly to get acclimated to the new season.
St. John Bosco (No. 68) -- Coming off a down season, the Braves have a decent nonleague schedule against the likes of Honolulu Kamehaheha, Loyola (No. 74) and St. Paul (No. 51). Where there schedule gets really rugged is when the Trinity League opens. There waits Orange Lutheran (No. 7), Mater Dei (No. 14) and the nation's top college prospect in QB Matt Barkley, and Servite (No. 16).
Carson -- The L.A. City Section's Marine League is always hard to win, and with the talent at Carson, Banning (No. 55), and Narbonne (No. 51) this season, expect more of the same. The Colts will be in the hunt if they can make it out of a nonlegue schedule that includes Mater Dei, Poly and Serra (No. 39).
Dominguez (No. 94) -- The Dons also have bitten off a big hunk of nonleague games that might be hard to swallow. At Utah power Pine View, at Fresno Edison (No. 33), Compton, Redlands East Valley (No. 11), then Gahr (No. 67) in a possible battle for the SGVL title.
Others with tougher schedules include Compton, Lakewood, Mayfair, Los Alamitos and St. Paul.
Take a look at the schedules and let me know what you think.
