Maranatha hires Pete Karavedas as new football coach

Maranatha High School named Whittier Christian defensive coordinator Pete Karavedas as its next head varsity football coach on Tuesday afternoon.

Karavedas spent the past four seasons at Whittier Christian, the last three as defensive coordinator, where he was part of a very successful run, that culminated with the Heralds finish last season 12-2 and reach the championship game of the Mid-Valley Division.

He replaces Joel Murphy, who resigned in January after compiling a 47-16 record in five seasons at the school.

“What I’m looking to do is take everything I’ve learned at Whittier Christian and bring it to Maranatha,” Karavedas said. “My goal has always been to become a head coach and when this opportunity came up, my eyes got wide because I knew it would be a good place to begin my career.”

Karavedas, 26, inherits a program on the rise thanks to the return of quarterback Andrew Elffers, who was dazzling as a sophomore and figures to become one of the top quarterback recruits on the West Coast over the next two seasons.

Elfers threw for 3,328 yards and 37 touchdowns as Maranatha finished 8-4 and reached the second round of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs.

“As a new head coach, it’s nice to be able to walk into a situation where you have the No. 1 sophomore quarterback in Southern California,” Karavedas said. “I got to coach against him last season, so I know. He passed for 330 yards against us. We’re going to build our offense around him for the next two years.”

Karavedas was a finalist for the Temple City job last season before pulling out toward the end of the process to remain at Whittier Christian.

Maranatha had contact earlier this month with South Hills coach Steve Bogan about the position before Bogan opted to remain at South Hills.

Aram’s take: Like it! Coach K was definitely ready for a head job and it looks like he’s stepping into a great situation for himself and the school, given his experience at a Christian school.

UPDATED: Sources: San Dimas assistant Mark Holman looking like front runner for Wilson job ….

UPDATE: I spoke to Montebello coach Pete Gonzalez on Sunday and he vehemently denied have any interest in the Wilson (or Los Altos) job.

San Dimas assistant coach Mark Holman has emerged as the front runner to become the new head coach at Wilson, according to multiple sources.

Sources also said that Workman coach Scott Morrison rebuffed overtures from Wilson. Holman was a final candidate for the Wilson job two years ago before the Wildcats decided to go with Brian Zavala, who resigned after two seasons.

Aram’s take:
This is the one time I’m questioning my sources. I don’t doubt that Holman is in the running, but I don’t quite think it’s the done deal that my sources say. So, I’m gonna call Holman the front runner and nothing more than that, at this point. Sources also say that Montebello coach Pete Gonzalez has shown interest in the Wilson. Gonzalez could also emerge as a candidate at Los Altos.

“Mike the Clone” weighs in on Glendora coaching situation …

As most know, my rants haven’t been about Pasqy as a person. Hands down Mark is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. But it’s the game plan between the lines that I often disagreed with. Some of the things we would see in the stands just left you shaking your head. (yeah I know now I sound like those bonehead parents at Wilson in the blog)

I think he is right about being burned out. He just wasn’t creative as time moved on, just predictable every game day. “Predictable Pasqy” I heard him called once in the stands. And as you know I refer to call him as “Marty” as in Schottenheimer. He’ll get you to the race but will he win the race? Guess not! The last couple of years even the hard-line “button wearers” knew what the next play was going to be. Hell even the water girls on the opposing team knew what he was going to throw at ya!

Pasquarella is a good coach who will win you league titles, But wait, I thought the goal was to win CIF titles. You see the diehard “button wearers” accept league titles I personally want the brass ring. The big daddy! The whole enchilada! But here at “Bagpiper U” league titles are the big thing. You win leagues titles and your Kirk Gibson going deep off “Eck” and your bonus is pizza for life down at Round Table. Imagine the Steelers saying “Ahh, we lost the Super Bowl, but hey we won our division”……Say What?

I wish him well, He’s a great guy. I’m sure he’s tired of hearing jerks like me ragging on him about what goes on down on the field.

As far as a replacement, whomever it is has got to clean house. The Lewallen’s, gone SEE YA! Lawrence time to go back to Damien SEE YA!, Vaniman well…. hit the pavement shall I go on? These guys can’t get the kids up to their potential. Quit bringing back Glendora guys because Pasqy is all they know. Complacency breeds complacency.

Personally, I think Strycula has some miles left in him. You can’t ask his defense to be on the field all the time and perform miracles. But the rest, show them the door. They are part of the problem. We need new ideas, fresh blood, mix it up, quit being so damn predictable.

UPDATE TO THE UPDATED UPDATE: The race to replace Pasqy: Here’s my list …

UPDATE: D-Ranch coach Roddy Layton says no interest in Glendora job.

UPDATE: Adding new coach to potential list. See Steve Garrison below … AND FOR ANOTHER UPDATE.

Before Mark Pasquarella showed us what we all knew about the potential of Glendora’s football program, the Tartans head varsity football coach job wasn’t as coveted as it is now. So, with Pasqy stepping down, there should be plenty of interest from all over to be the man in charge of The Pride of the Foothills. Some say it’s a one-man race, others, i.e. me, think it may not be that easy. Here’s what I got for good potential. I have no clue if any of these coaches will apply, but let’s have some fun with it.

Steve Garrison: UPDATE: Garrison is no longer an assistant at Damien, he’s actually on staff at San Dimas now coaching tight ends and special teams. I want to thank Robledo for reminding about this one. Garrison really coveted the Glendora job and went for it when Pasquarella got hired. If Coach Garrison is itching to be the head man again somewhere, Glendora would probably be at the top of his list. If Glendora can’t open a teaching position, you can move Garrison right to the top of the list because he’s used to teaching at Monrovia and commuting east along the foothills everyday for practice. Garrison’s body of work at Monrovia speaks for itself and Glendora would be score big time if it got him.


Brandon Rohrer:
Robledo and his sources seem to think Rohrer, a Glendora grad, is the overwhelming favorite. Sounds plausible as Rohrer has done a solid job at La Puente and even has a former Tartans legend on his staff in ex-QB Jacob Crook at LP. But going from LP and the Montview League to Glendora and the Baseline League is a big leap. And would the current veterans on Glendora’s staff want to take orders from somebody half their age? I don’t have the numbers, but I have to think that Rohrer would be the youngest coach in the entire Inland Division. Rohrer’s hiring would usher in a very new era, if it happens. It seems fitting, but it would be a very, very bold move by Glendora’s administration if it happens.

Bill Zernickow:
Coach Z had a pretty legendary athletic career at Glendora as a student. He’s probably done all he can at San Dimas. So wouldn’t it make sense if he takes an even bigger challenge at his alma mater? And with a defensive coordinator like Brian Mustain at his side, those two could more than handle the challenge of stepping up into Baseline League and Inland Division.

Dominic Farrar and Roger Lehigh:
Glendora is just right over the hill from Charter Oak and there’s no doubt that Farrar and Lehigh know just how fruitful the Tartans program can be. But it’s probably longshot since both have designs on staying at CO The Godfather retires. Still, though, if contacted, I think both would listen.

Mike Mooney: Glendora basically is what Temple City used to be, but on a larger scale. So who better to handle the lay of the land than a coach like Mooney? He got a raw deal at San Marino and (almost) everybody knows it. From what I can tell, there are people in high places throughout Glendora’s upper echelon with Temple City ties, so that makes Mooney’s case even better. Does Mooney want to get back into coaching at the high school level? I don’t know, but obviously the situation would have to be right.

Roddy Layton: Yes, Layton is entrenched at Diamond Ranch where he’s become an almost iconic figure, but the Pomona school district isn’t known as one of the worst around for no reason. So, why not try something new if you’re Layton? We all know Layton likes to play the big boys, whether D-Ranch is a big boy itself or not. At Glendora, Layton would be to play against the Baseline League and Inland Division, which is chalk full of coaches and programs he knows quite well. A longshot, sure. But intriguing nonetheless.

Steve Bogan:
I thought there may be something to this, but I called Coach Bogan, whose reaction was “I think they should talk Mark into staying. He’s a great coach and an even greater human being.” Bogan went on to stay that he’s not interested and that he’s come to the realization that South Hills is definitely the place for him.

Jim Arellanes and Brian Zavala:
Yes, it’s a real longshot. But when Arellanes and Zavala were together at Northview, they did some good things. These two are both young. Arellanes knows offense and Zavala knows defense, and they both want back in eventually. So why not here? A packaged deal, no matter who it is, isn’t likely given the current state of teaching jobs, but if somebody at Glendora wanted to gamble, hiring these two could pay off nicely.

Scott Morrison:
Personally, I’ll be stunned if Morrison isn’t coaching at Wilson or Los Altos next season. But, I think his past experience having coached against Glendora puts him in the mix if he does apply. Morrison knows the area well having been at Damien and could use that to his advantage. Like I said, I think Morrison’s next stop is elsewhere in the HLPUSD, but this is a thought.

Brian Mustain: As I said in the Mooney comment, there are Temple City ties in high places at Glendora Unified. So Mustain will be well-known to the powers that be and he certainly has only strengthened his resume while at San Dimas under Coach Z. Mustain has head coaching experience before, so if he applies, he has to be in the mix.