This is the No. 2 at Alberto’s on Colorado Blvd. in the ‘Dena (relli, help me out).

As soon as I walked in and saw four college-aged girls eating, I knew I was in trouble. Nonetheless, I pressed forward.

The dilemma Tuesday afternoon was that I wanted beef tacos, but I didn’t want to drive all the way from “where I stay at” (relli is that good?) in Pasadena to El Monte where I know Alfredo’s on Santa Anita will take care of me just like it has 10,589 times before.

On Tuesday, I was a victim of the current gas crisis. After having driven by Alberto’s on Colorado (a new locale) hundreds of times now, I thought to myself “Maybe I don’t have to go all the way to Alfredo’s in El Monte”. Big mistake. Stupid thinking.

You see, if there’s anybody out there who knows there’s a HUGE difference between Alberto’s and Alfredo’s, it’s me. The menus look the same. The vibe is sort of the same. But the food is not the same. The hot sauce ISN’T CLOSE TO THE SAME.

Alfredo’s is the kind of Mexican food that your Trendy Green co-worker in the cubicle next to you, you know the one with the banana chips, Fiji water and pics of he and his dog, WILL NEVER TOUCH!

So, I strolled in and knew I was in trouble right away because none of the peeps in there looked like they knew what good Mexican food is. You see, college-aged girls aren’t down with legit, take-a-few-days-off-your-life Mexican food like they have at Alfredo’s. But Alberto’s is different, obviously.

I got my standard No. 2 — two beef tacos w/rice and beans. I loaded up on the red-colored hot sauce. From top to bottom, it was all garbage. Very little lettuce in the tacos. The cheese was a mix and not straight cheddar. No grease dripped out after each bite. The hot sauce was ranchera sauce, not the runny acidic kind I like. The beans had very little melted cheese on them. The rice was the only thing comparable to Alfredo’s. Big deal.

Down in El Monte, there both Alfredo’s and Alberto’s locations. Back in the day, the now Santa Anita Ave. location of Alfredo’s was an Alberto’s. The name changed, the food didn’t. Alfredo’s is legit. If anybody tells you they’re the same, give them a breathalyzer.

Painful lesson learned for me. Now I’m stuffed and I don’t like how I got there. There’s a difference between being stuffed on good stuff like Petrillo’s or The Oinkster or Portillo’s or Alfredo’s and being stuffed on garbage like Alberto’s.

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Aram’s take: If Mason Bryant isn’t the best all-purpose player in the Valley, then somebody better start talking. Just another major reason why M-Town has got the juice right now. About the soundtrack, The Fat Man is still waiting for the day when one of these football players puts his reel to “Think About It” by Special Ed.

For a photo gallery of the ceremony go HERE

Anthony Calvillo gave La Puente High School plenty of reasons to break its long-standing tradition of not retiring former athlete’s numbers. Over 70,000, in fact.

On Monday afternoon before a packed gymnasium, the school did just that by retiring Calvillo’s No. 13 jersey while he was surrounded by family and old friends.

Calvillo, a 1990 graduate of La Puente, became professional football’s all-time leader in passing yards this past season as a member of the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes. He currently leads the way with 73,412 career passing yards.

“I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know they were going to retire my number until yesterday (Sunday),” Calvillo said. “Then you find out it’s the first number to be retired here at the school and it’s very heartwarming to see where you came from and that people are still very aware of what you’re doing.

“To come back and not only have me here, but have my family experience this, it’s spectacular.”

Calvillo, 39, grew up in La Puente and was a two-sport standout in football and basketball. As a varsity quarterback, Calvillo led the Warriors to a 7-3 record his senior year, but due to an ineligible player, the team forfeited its wins and missed the playoffs.

After high school, Calvillo landed at Mount San Antonio College where he became the starting quarterback by the middle of his freshman season. Success at Mt. SAC led to a scholarship to play at Utah St., but that’s where Calvillo assumed his football career would end.

“I was planning on coming back to La Puente where I planned to teach and coach,” Calvillo said.

Instead, the Canadian Football League came calling. By 1994, Calvillo was an established quarterback in the CFL and signed a free-agent deal with the Alouettes. Calvillo has piled up the numbers in Montreal and also has won three Grey Cups, the Canadian equivalent to the Super Bowl, and three Most Outstanding Player awards.

Cancer threatened to derail Calvillo’s bid for the history books after the 2010 season when he had to have neck and throat surgery due to thyroid cancer. But by summer of 2011, Calvillo was back at it. The records soon started to fall.

This past season, Calvillo joined Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Brett Favre as the only professional quarterbacks to throw for more than 400 career touchdowns. In addition to holding the mark for most career passing yards by a professional football, Calvillo is also the CFL’s all-time leading passer.

“I think it just really started to sink in once my football season ended,” Calvillo said. “I didn’t really have time to celebrate any of my records this past season, but just the recognition I’ve been getting not only Canada but in the states has been great.

“It’s kind of mind boggling because I think about where I came from, and of course, that’s right here in La Puente. I never thought in a million years that I would be in any position to set any all-time records whatsoever.”

Calvillo’s family has moved east toward Riverside. He currently lives in Montreal with his wife Alexia and their two children, and has no plans of returning to the U.S. after his playing days are over. When that is exactly, nobody really knows.

“There’s always been some thought of that because I know it’s going to happen,” Calvillo said of retirement. “Basically, I’ve told the organization that I’m year-to-year. They give me the leeway to evaluate whether I want to come back or not.”

At least for Monday, though, Calvillo was a La Puente Warrior once again.

“Not only has he made it as a professional athlete, he’s also overcome battles,” La Puente football coach Brandon Rohrer said of Calvillo. “The best part about him is that he’s a great man. He’s a husband and a father of two. We tell our kids all the time that when you leave here, we want you to be productive citizens. He’s an example of that.”

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I really like this quote from Coach Sanchez: “You need to know where you’re at. I’m at El Monte High School. I don’t know when was the last we won a CIF championship, if we even did. We want to win, of course, but the reality is that I’m not here to win. I’m not at Orange Lutheran or Santa Margarita where if you have a 5-5 season, you’re fired. I’m here to get these kids better; keep them in school, get their grades up, teach them responsibility, show them there’s other things they can do after high school other than getting a job to get by. There’s college and they can do things with their life … become someone in life.”

El Monte High School football coach Joel Sanchez was presented with the United State Marine Corps Semper Fidelis during last Friday’s Glazier Football Coaching Clinic in Costa Mesa.

Sanchez, who is entering his 10th season at El Monte, still isn’t clear about who even nominated for the award. But the honor of being presented by two Marines is something he’s quite proud of.

“I don’t know exactly who nominated me, but when I found out about it I wanted to know why and how it works,” Sanchez said. “It’s not necessarily for a coach who is winning CIF championships and league titles, but somebody who makes a difference in the kids’ lives and represents some of the same qualities that the Marines represent.

“I was surprised in the beginning because I didn’t know what the award was. To have the two Marines that were there give it to me, it was an honor to get something like that from them.”

Sanchez graduated from El Monte in 1997 and played football and baseball at Azusa Pacific University. He was a linebacker on APU’s 1998 NAIA national championship team.

Sanchez has breathed life into El Monte’s football program since returning to his alma mater as head coach. The Lions have seen a gradual rise in wins, including last year’s 7-4 record. El Monte was alive for the Mission Valley League heading into the final week of the season before losing to Arroyo.

The Lions made the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs, but were hamstrung in a loss to Whittier Christian with standout quarterback Brandon Martinez, who was nursing a sprained ankle.

Off the field, El Monte’s program has sparked excitement from the community and alumni. Much of that is due to Sanchez’s fundraisers and frequent barbecues. The result has been excellent attendance at El Monte games and increased involvement from the community.

“You need to know where you’re at,” Sanchez said. “I’m at El Monte High School. I don’t know when was the last we won a CIF championship, if we even did. We want to win, of course, but the reality is that I’m not here to win. I’m not at Orange Lutheran or Santa Margarita where if you have a 5-5 season, you’re fired.

“I’m here to get these kids better; keep them in school, get their grades up, teach them responsibility, show them there’s other things they can do after high school other than getting a job to get by. There’s college and they can do things with their life … become someone in life.”

Aram’s take: We have a bunch of coaches in our area (less than last year, but still …) who are tasked with more than just figuring out ways to win a game. Sanchez is one of them. He has done an amazing job at his alma mater because he understands his alma mater. Much like how James Heggins was at Baldwin Park. Sanchez has put in ample time trying to get the community and student body to take pride in the Lions football program. And it’s now starting to really show. The Lions were pretty darn good last year, and this coming season they should give another good account with QB Martinez and quite a few others back. Without Sanchez, it’s scary to think what El Monte’s program would be.

By popular demand, I have put together a list of this offseason’s wild comings and goings on the SGV football scene. If any of you find that I have missed a school or a situation, please let me know by posting a comment. Thank you!

School—>Old coach—>New coach

Alhambra—>Lou Torres—>Joe Kanach
Baldwin Park—>James Heggins—>OPEN
Bassett—>Aubrey Duncan—>Hector Spathias
Bonita—>Eric Podley—>Adrian Medrano
Covina—>Darryl Thomas—->Joe Brown
Duarte—>Tip Sanders—>Jason Martin
El Rancho—>Rick Zepeda—>Venencio Lopez
Glendora—>Todd Quinsey—>Jerry Lewallen
Keppel—>Bobby Madrid—>OPEN
La Canada—>Dan Yoder—>OPEN
Mountain View—>James Wilson—>OPEN
Muir—>**Ken Howard—>**OPEN
Pomona—>Anthony Rice—>***OPEN
Rosemead—>Matt Koffler—>Marc Paramo
Santa Fe—>Jack Mahlstede—>Dave Pierson
Schurr—>Ben Negrete—>Marco Ramirez
South Hills—>Steve Bogan—>Albert Rodriguez
St. Paul—>Marijon Anchich—>Elijah Asante
Whittier—>Walter Scott—>Visko Ancich
Wilson—>Bob Burt—>Nick Christos

**On administrative leave. Haven’t heard if job is officially open.
***Don’t know if a replacement has been named for Coach Rice.

Aram’s take: Again, if I’ve left anybody out, please post a comment. If I’ve gotten anything incorrect, please post a comment. Pretty crazy list. I posted it not only because it’s interesting to sit in awe and stare at, but also because coaches from around the area have asked so that they can start putting together the upcoming passing tournaments. So it’s very important that if anybody knows of anything in error on this list, or something is left off, please let us all know by posting a comment.