West Covina QB Jon Najera (knee) downgraded to a game-time decision vs. Covina on Friday night

West Covina High School quarterback Jon Najera missed Monday’s practice and is expected to sit out Tuesday as well due to a knee injury suffered in last Friday’s scrimmage against Claremont.

Bulldogs head coach Mike Maggiore said that Najera, a senior, will be a game-time decision on Friday night when West Covina opens its season in front of the FOX Sports cameras against Covina at Covina District Field.

Najera beat out sophomore Antonio “Noodles” Hull for the starting job after a prolonged battle this spring and summer. Hull would start on Friday night if Najera is unable to go.

“We have to see how it feels,” Maggiore said. “We’ll know a lot more on Wednesday. We’re not going to push something like that at this point in the season.

“He’s gotten a lot more range of motion in the last 48 hours, so I think he’ll be fine.”

Najera is scheduled to have an MRI next week to rule out whether there’s a meniscus tear. The injury is more bad luck for Najera, who started last year’s season opener against Covina only to leave the game early with an injury and never reclaim his starting job from then-senior Chris Caballero.

Aram’s take: You see? I had a feeling. I’m no doctor (at least not medical), but I do know that when you’re unable to walk off the field on your own due to a knee injury, it’s serious. I feel horrible for the kid because he may potentially miss a chance to play in front of the entire Southland on FOX, and that comes on top of what happened last year. I’m starting to get a little worried about WestCo. Running back Josh Best is already out for the next month with an injury. If Najera is out, Noodles goes to QB, but then who is the home run hitter at RB? And I don’t want to hear “West Covina has plenty of backs” unless you want to START NAMING THEM. This ain’t 2010 or ’11.