It may be only Week 1, but there were quite a few surprises. And we are beginning to see the 2008 picture come into focus a bit. Here are some Week 1 observations:
The big winner: Serra. Showing it can compete with the bigger and more physical Carson Colts, the Cavaliers registered a surprise 21-19 victory, showing that it might indeed be the best team in the South Bay at this point. Kudos to the Cavaliers' line, and that line must get inspired blocking for a running back like Carl Winston.
Starting strong out of the gate: the Marine League. It's clear the Marine League has four top-notch teams, though San Pedro, Banning and Narbonne each played creampuffs. But they did what they were supposed to do against that kind of competition. Carson might be 0-2 (one of the biggest surprises thus far), but the Colts lost a triple-OT game to Mater Dei and a nail-biter to an impressive Serra team. And congratulations to Gardena and Coach Marshall Jones, who broke a 12-game losing streak and started the season strong with a win over Jefferson. Expect Gardena to be 2-0 next week after playing Marshall.
Eye opener: Not only did El Segundo beat West Torrance, but it was the way the Eagles did it. In a 3-0 game. Normally when one thinks of El Segundo, it's a pass-heavy team that puts a ton of points on the board. To shut out a team, let alone West, shows maybe the Eagles are in store for a strong year.
What happened? The Bay League has not had a good showing so far. West Torrance threw up a big fat zero against El Segundo. Leuzinger was absolutely demolished by Santa Monica. Peninsula was manhandled by Lakewood (while there is no shame in losing to a top team like that, the Panthers were less than impressive). Redondo is 0-2 and has not looked good. The good news is that Mira Costa bounced back strong against South Torrance, and defending champion Palos Verdes could salvage the week by beating Loyola on Saturday night.
We'll find out more about the Pioneer League after Saturday with North Torrance and Torrance playing road games. Stay tuned. This could be a memorable football season.
The big winner: Serra. Showing it can compete with the bigger and more physical Carson Colts, the Cavaliers registered a surprise 21-19 victory, showing that it might indeed be the best team in the South Bay at this point. Kudos to the Cavaliers' line, and that line must get inspired blocking for a running back like Carl Winston.
Starting strong out of the gate: the Marine League. It's clear the Marine League has four top-notch teams, though San Pedro, Banning and Narbonne each played creampuffs. But they did what they were supposed to do against that kind of competition. Carson might be 0-2 (one of the biggest surprises thus far), but the Colts lost a triple-OT game to Mater Dei and a nail-biter to an impressive Serra team. And congratulations to Gardena and Coach Marshall Jones, who broke a 12-game losing streak and started the season strong with a win over Jefferson. Expect Gardena to be 2-0 next week after playing Marshall.
Eye opener: Not only did El Segundo beat West Torrance, but it was the way the Eagles did it. In a 3-0 game. Normally when one thinks of El Segundo, it's a pass-heavy team that puts a ton of points on the board. To shut out a team, let alone West, shows maybe the Eagles are in store for a strong year.
What happened? The Bay League has not had a good showing so far. West Torrance threw up a big fat zero against El Segundo. Leuzinger was absolutely demolished by Santa Monica. Peninsula was manhandled by Lakewood (while there is no shame in losing to a top team like that, the Panthers were less than impressive). Redondo is 0-2 and has not looked good. The good news is that Mira Costa bounced back strong against South Torrance, and defending champion Palos Verdes could salvage the week by beating Loyola on Saturday night.
We'll find out more about the Pioneer League after Saturday with North Torrance and Torrance playing road games. Stay tuned. This could be a memorable football season.
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