Plenty of positives in Etiwanda's 0-2 start
Entering this week's game with perennial Inland Empire power Norco, the Etiwanda High School football team is winless two games into the season. Looking a little deeper than the number in the win column, the Eagles may have already demonstrated their program is in better shape than expected after losing the largest football senior class in school history.
It wasn't determined until the final seconds of the game, but Etiwanda dropped its season opener 42-35 to a Summit team that appears very much on the rise. Last week the outcome was less in doubt in a 49-27 loss to a Vista Murrieta team that finished a touchdown short of the 2009 CIF-SS Inland Division championship. For an Etiwanda team replacing six starters on each side of the ball, including three-year starting quarterback Angel Santiago who accounted for 9,500 yards and 65 touchdowns during his tenure, there have been plenty of positives thus far.
"We're not at all disappointed with where we are," Etiwanda coach Steve Bryce said. "We play this schedule because we want to expose our weaknesses so we can fix them. We could have scheduled some teams we could have beat 60 or 70 to nothing but what good is that going to do us?"
Filling the biggest shoes on the team, quarterback Larry Cutbirth has been one of the brightest spots thus far averaging a whopping 325 passing yards a game in helping Etiwanda score 62 points through two contests. Less of a running threat than Santiago, the 6-foot-5 junior has made up for it through the air, completing 56 percent of his passes with five touchdowns. Cutbirth does have six interceptions, but several have been the result of catchable passes bouncing off the hands of his receivers, according to Bryce. Cutbirth's favorite target, senior Mike Sena, has compiled some impressive numbers thus far as well with 15 receptions for 204 yards and three touchdowns.
Etiwanda is also missing their leading tackler of a season ago, middle linebacker Chandler Scott, who led the Baseline League in tackles at the end of the 2009 regular season. Only a junior this year, will miss the entire season after tearing two ligaments in his knee but Bryce has been encouraged by his replacement, converted defensive end J.J. Everard, among others. The Etiwanda defense, however, has allowed 45 points per game, bringing into question if the Eagles' schedule is too difficult.
"If we're 0-5 going into league and we're better off, we're 0-0 anyway," Bryce said. "But every loss will effect your psyche a little bit so there is a detriment to the overall team. We teach our guys to never quit but there is a fine line between losing too much."
Unlike any other level of football, in high school there is a portion of the season in which losses don't necessarily effect playoff status. In the Inland Division in which Etiwanda plays there is no at-large playoff entry, meaning only the last five games of the season will have bearing on whether the Eagles' season lasts more than 10 games.
"Nothing we see in league is going to surprise us," Bryce said, "after what we've seen in the preseason."
About Clay
Clay Fowler has been covering high school sports for six years in California and Texas. He was born in Dallas, attended the University of Texas and worked in Central Texas before joining the Daily Bulletin staff in 2006.
Email Clay here
Leave a comment