One blogger’s assessment of Tuesday’s three-way passing game between Bishop Amat, Monrovia and South Hills …

This was submitted as a comment on another thread by a blogger. It holds some very interesting takes.

3 way scrimmage @ Keifer said:

Without hating I will give my Honest opinion regarding the scrimmage at BA today. It was very entertaining to watch and then compare what you see vs what is speculated on the blogs. The 3 teams present were Bishop Amat(Pac5), South Hills(Inland) and Monrovia(Mid Valley). When Looking, the first thing you notice is the size of the players. Right off the bat, you will be impressed with the Size, speed and Athleticism of the South Hills Line Core. They are Huge. That is going to be their anchor this season. Bishop’s line is not very big, however they work well together. Monrovia’s line has size but needs to work on continuity. Next you Notice the size Of the Monrovia LB Core, Frazier, Walsh and Ainsworth are a big group. Bishop Amat does not have a group that stands out, only the tight end. Next you notice the speed of the players. Monrovia has speedy group of skill players. They were able to get behind people. They can really stretch a defense. Bishop Also has a deceptive speed. Blue and Andrews are studs. Valasquez Is also a stud on defense. However, beyond those Three, the overall athleticism of the Lancers is not impressive. Blue would be a great WR, but will have limited offers as a RB. Doesn’t have the body for it. South Hills Has one Big wr and a few dangerous skills as well, but they are very small. All of the QB’s struggle today, being that they have not went up against a line. However, Haynes threw 3 ints all in the same series. The south Hills QB threw a few, and Heyworth was all over the place. Out of the Defenses, Bishop Amat’s look Crisp, South Hills got after it, and Monrovia Ran around. It’s really amazing to see a Midvalley school running around and competing with Much larger programs. Remember 10 divisions separate these schools, and Monrovia did not look out of place. They have no business running around or behind Bishop Amat players. They are also 1-1 vs SH. They could win their schedule, but will blow through the Midvalley. South hills still might not be Inland ready. Their Line with Monrovia Skills would make them a Inland team. They just don’t have the horse to do well there. However, they play hard, and could beat some teams, Like Monrovia. Now we come to the big fish…Bishop Amat, Before I am called a hater, really think about it, Amat did not show anything to separate themselves from these two lower division teams. They did not display any size advantage nor speed advantage. Haynes, is not even in the top 5 QB’s I’ve seen personally this summer. I just did not see anything from them that would show signs that they could win the Serra, nor pac5. That’s not to say they can’t beat lower division teams in the SGV, they could and should. However, the pac5 will be too much for the lancers. I hate saying that too. They are good, don’t get me wrong, but no one can make a argument, that BA looks like a Pac5 team. That’s why games like Servite, SM or Alemany Concern me. Those are games where BA is physically outmatch, and facing a inevitable outcome. This season, I can’t say It would be a lock that Bishop could beat, Chino Hills, Charter Oak, West Covina, St Paul, Maybe even Monrovia. Favorites yes, but not a for sure thing. However 3rd place in the Serra would be a accomplishment for this group. They still would be playing SM Again. I think it’s time the Amat Nation really looks in the Mirror. Enough about Monrovia, you don’t even play them. Your team did not dominate them today. Even In Passing league BA should be dominating D11 schools. I don’t know where the arrogance comes from. You should discuss your present team. No ever talks about “this year’s team” at Amat. It’s always about the golden years. I have not heard one Amat fan give a honest evaluation about their line play, QB Play, and or a truthful prospectus for the serra or Pac 5 playoffs.

Has “The Savior” arrived at Amat? Lancers land potential future star in frosh RB Trey Sidney …

Behind the scenes this summer, there has been plenty of speculation as to where Duarte Hawks standout Trey Sidney would be playing his high school ball.

It was confirmed Monday that Sidney will be a Bishop Amat Lancer. Sidney, a running back, is being touted as the most explosive player to come out of the vaunted Hawks program since Kurt Scoby.

Sidney was reportedly between Amat and Monrovia, and some private schools who had less of a chance than the Lancers and Wildcats.

Aram’s take: Huge pick up for Coach Hagerty and the Lancers program. Obviously, good Duarte Hawk form does not translate into good PAC-5 form, so the kid will have to work hard and progress. But from what I’ve heard, he’s an electric player who’s thought to be a can’t-miss prospect. Can’t wait to follow his prep career.

Bishop Amat and Charter Oak headline Saturday’s Wolfpack Challenge at Claremont HS …

Wolfpack Challenge at Claremont HS
Saturday, first games at 9 a.m.

Pool A
Claremont, Burroughs, Ontario, El Rancho

Pool B
Summitt, Muir, Crescenta Valley, La Serna

Pool C
Charter Oak, Lawndale, Alhambra, Woodbridge

Pool D
Bishop Amat, Culver City, Northwood, South Torrance

Aram’s take: This is the last biggie (locally) of the summer, so get on out there and see your teams. Charter Oak advanced to the semis last year before falling to Villa Park, which lost to Etiwanda in the title game.

West Covina, Yes, West Covina! wins SGV Shootout … and what a wild day it was …


Jon Najera was flinging it on Saturday.

Keith Birmingham’s AWESOME PHOTO GALLERY from Saturday’s SGV Shootout.

West Covina, yes, the same West Covina that has historically struggled in passing tournaments, beat Northview to complete a perfect day and win the SGV Shootout at Arroyo High School on Saturday.

The Bulldogs beat highly touted Monrovia in the semifinals and then topped Northview, which was another surprise team on Saturday, in the finals.

West Covina quarterback Jon Najera piloted a Bulldogs offense that hit on both short and long passes. Sophomore QB Antonio “Noodles” Hull also got in the mix, but Najera looked like he’s taking full control of the starting job on Saturday.

On to other things …

Monrovia — If I had to set odds before the tournament, I would have made Monrovia the odds-on favorite. So for the ‘Cats not to win it all, well, that’s a mild disappointment. Of course, it doesn’t really mean much in the overall scheme of things. M-Town’s coaching staff knows what it’s doing and you just can’t question programs like Monrovia when they don’t live up to expectation IN JULY!

Azusa-Gladstone brawl and then get ejected — I did not personally see this, but it wasn’t hard to find those who did because that’s all several people were talking about. “It was nothing but cheap shots,” said one person who witnessed it. “It looked like every punch thrown was a cheap shot.” And when I asked whether this was just one or two players going at it, another witness said “No, this was full blown 20-on-20.”

Mountain View impresses and ticks a lof of people off in the process — Mountain View, which has long been one of the Valley’s struggling programs, showed signs of life on Saturday. The Vikings reached the quarterfinals, which is pretty impressive considering that they’re a Double Wing team. Anyway, in the process of having such a nice showing, several coaches expressed their displeasure with Mountain View’s play calling on offense and its formations. The main thing at issue was that Mountain View lined up with a fullback and once everyone released, they ended up throwing the ball to him. “It was basically like shovel passes to the fullback without actually throwing a shovel pass,” one coach told me. There are certain etiquettes at passing games that you don’t tinker with. Mountain View showed some bad etiquette, according to many. “They were basically throwing the ball where the offensive guard would be in a normal game.”

Northview — I said this after the Bonita Air Assault and I’ll say it again: Northview is one of the most improved teams in the area, if not the most improved. Obviously, after today the word is out. Last summer, I said Northview was in big trouble after seeing them in passing games. I don’t think Vikes head coach Marcel Perez ever forgave me for that because when I came up to him at Bonita and told him how impressed I was with his team’s progress the vibe I got was basically “Thanks, now get the hell outta here.” Fair enough. I’m very impressed with Northview’s strides and they’re catching a wide-open Valle Vista League after San Dimas.

Arroyo coach Jim Singiser and Co. — Another amazing job by Singiser and his crew. The event was run very well, as always, and was a great showcase of mostly SGV talent. Kudos to Singiser and his crew.

Back to West Covina — I cannot say enough how impressed I am with what a sensational program head coach Mike Maggiore has developed. The sleeping giant was awakened and it’s just amazing how the Bulldogs continue to play within themselves with fantastic intensity and smarts. Not to mention, they’re lightning quick. But it goes beyond Maggiore. The Bulldogs fan base and booster club has become top notch. They have a good-sized contingent that sets up shop at passing games and makes sure the players are well cared for. It all goes together — the wins and the support. This is what happens when a program becomes wildly successful.

Damien beats Servite, Carlsbad, Cathedral Catholic advances to Under Armor Tournament semis before falling to Serra …

Damien, fresh off its win in the Ayalal Tournament last weekend, had another strong showing on Saturday at the Under Armor Tournament in El Toro.

The Spartans picked up wins over Servite, Carlsbad and Cathedral Catholic and reached the semifinals before falling to Serra.

“We competed,” Spartans coach Greg Gano said. “We’re competing against good people. There were a lot of athletes out there today. We’ve got some kids, they compete.”

Gano praised his defense, especially defensive back Jonathan Lyles. He also pointed out good offensive performances from Andy Sherwood, receiver Josh Savage and QB Gage Pucci.

Aram’s take: This team is getting scarier by the day. The loss of Alex Hernadnez hurts bad, but the gain of Ray Oseguera helps big. As I said in the first all-encompassing Top 25, I have a inkling to make the Spartans the No. 1 team in the area heading into fall.