El Monte cheerleaders posing with sign that caused a stir in the Mission Valley League this week …


Here’s the sign that El Monte’s cheerleaders came up with all on their own after reading Fred’s blog. They busted it out for Panthers coach Marc Paramo to see AFTER the Lions beat Rosemead last Friday.

By Aram Tolegian, SGVN

Some hard feelings still lingering over Friday’s win by El Monte High School over Rosemead has prompted principals from both schools to get involved in an attempt to smooth things over.

Following El Monte’s 50-34 win to spoil Rosemead’s homecoming signs were unveiled by the Lions cheer team that mocked Rosemead coach Marc Paramo for comments he made to this newspaper leading up to the game that were later taken out of context on a blog posted on this newspaper’s website.

Further adding fuel to the fire were accusations of some coaches not shaking hands following the game, foul language used by coaches during the game and several personal foul penalties called against Rosemead, including the ejection of one Panthers player.

“I’m not going to take anything away from their kids,” Paramo said. “They kicked our butts. It kind of bothered me that here I am complimenting them and that sign comes up.”

The sign or signs Paramo was referring were estimated to be 20×20-foot signs made by the El Monte cheerleaders and brought out following the game. The signs mocked Paramo’s comments and made reference to “clown comments” and “broken play offense.”

Leading up to the game, Paramo told this newspaper that El Monte’s best play on offense was arguably the broken play, which eludes to the ability of Lions quarterback Brandon Martinez to make something out of nothing.

“I saw the signs,” El Monte coach Joel Sanchez said. “I saw them after we were done and I was talking to reporters. I didn’t think anything of it. It said “broken offense” and that’s pretty much it. I don’t know who got upset or anything because I was being interviewed by the media. By the time I got done, everyone was gone.”

Paramo and Sanchez did shake hands following the game, but that may not have been the case for the assistant coaches.

“He told me good job and said have a good season,” Sanchez said of Paramo’s comments to him after the game.

But shortly after, Paramo was alerted to the signs and did not take kindly to them, feeling that his words were misunderstood and taken out of context.

“I didn’t have anyone make them,” Sanchez said of the signs. “I don’t think they were offensive in any way, and that’s not my call in any way. Whatever they (cheerleaders) make, that’s not my call. I don’t oversee what they write. Obviously, if they said something inappropriate, I wouldn’t be happy with that.”

While administrators tried to calm any ill will on Monday, both coaches were saying the issue was now dead and their focus were on this week’s opponents.

For El Monte, that means a home game against Mountain View. The Lions are 5-2 overall and 2-0 in league. They are bidding for the school’s first league title since 1979. Rosemead is 3-4 overall and 1-2 in league. The Panthers host Gabrielino in a game that will be key to both teams’ playoff chances.

Aram’s take: I cannot understand why El Monte’s coaching staff and/or cheer team would take Rosemead coach Marc Paramo’s quote so out of context. Most coaches I’ve spoken to who have played El Monte AGREE that the most dangerous about El Monte is QB Brandon Martinez on a broken play. For El Monte to take Paramo’s comments and turn it into such a big deal is a bit ridiculous. To me, it’s a real stretch to get offended by what he said and try to use it as motivation.