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What do Charter Oak, Los Altos and Orange County have in common? ...
NEW: This week's Prep Rally is up ...
Duarte is going back to where it all started ...
Slightly more chicks than dudes in Oak Park. Aram funna get there early!
Tribune Player of the Year ...
POSTGAME: Talk your smack or cry me a river ....
PREDICTIONS: Happy Thanksgiving, now make your picks!!!
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![](http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:x-cbb86mMfEg3M:http://www.rcenter.org/Images/PerformingArts/CrystalGayle.jpg")
It's not a crystal ball, it's a Crystal Gayle.
Friday's games
Los Altos vs. El Dorado, at Valencia HS (Placentia), 7:30 p.m.
Covina at Oak Park, 7 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE: Covina's kickoff is at 7 p.m. ... don't be late!
Saturday's games
Duarte vs. Verbum Dei, at Centennial HS (Compton), 7:30 p.m.
Charter Oak at Trabuco Hills, 7:30 p.m.
Nadia Link and Walnut might be headed higher than No. 3
1. Ayala
2. Bonita
3. Walnut
4. St. Lucy's
5. Diamond Bar
6. South Hills
7. Los Altos
8. Diamond Ranch
9. Glendora
10. Western Christian
... UH, NOTHING.
This division is so random.
Southwest Divsion: The Real CIF: OMG, the Southwest Division is so hard to follow. It totally makes me want to text message Coach Farrar and find out why Trabuco Hills wants to hook up with Charter Oak after hooking up with West Covina and Tustin. And did you see the way Coach Gano was acting on Tuesday? It was like so weird. I think something is up with him and El Dorado. He like totally used Foothill and now he wants somebody more popular. It's so random. The SGV is so full of players. I hate it. I'm so totally done with this division. I wish the SGV would just win it and go back to that smoggy Valley with the trophy.
Coto De Caza has nothing on the exclusive Charter Oak section of Covina.
Aram's semi-normal take: And so it is, the Southwest Division has come down to four teams - two from the SGV and two from the OC. This division has seen both regions fire their share of salvos. Boom! South Hills hit first by dropping seeded Canyon of Anaheim in the first round. Boom! The OC responded by sending Trabuco Hills to West Covina to tame the Bulldogs. They did it. Now, after a little cannibalism, it's come down to four. No more Yo Momma jokes, it's time to settle it on the field. Both games are in the OC. Los Altos won't have to go too far in. Not far enough that the LA cheerleaders will have to fear Cameron's charm. Charter Oak, on the other hand, that's a different story. CO moms, guard your husbands. You never know when one of the Real Housewives of Orange Country will set their eyes on him. Hey, SGV men are some of the most appealing in SoCal. And from what I hear, the OC is a great place to spend your mid-life crisis. Obviously, everybody in the SGV would like to see LA and CO win and turn this into a locals only affair. But there's a good chance the OC could kick us out of Disneyland and settle it amongst themselves in a week. Or, it could come down to one team from each region playing for all the beach sand and smog in SoCal. We'll see ... GET OUT TO A GAME!!!
Friday
Los Altos vs. El Dorado, at Valencia HS in Placentia
Saturday
Charter Oak at Trabuco Hills
Click here and then click on the link to see it.
NWA is nice, but whatever happened to Fila Fresh Crew?
But first, one of Aram's thoughts: As a chubby, half-white/half-Armenian kid growing up on the outskirts of San Marino, I couldn't help but feel like NWA's hit album "Straight Outta Compton" was made just for me when it debuted in 1988-89. Finally, no more Al B. Sure or New Order. I felt like Yella, Eazy and Dre were saying the things I just couldn't. They were telling it like how it really was on the streets. I just felt like shouting out "That'swhatI'mtalkn''bout" when I heard that album.
And then to hear former San Marino football standout Matt Solomon yell "Straight Outta Compton" while warming up for a Huntington Jr. High track meet, it was a sign that finally the message of the streets was being heard. It was really very moving.
Because of that, each time Compton is mentioned, a certain part of me has to pour some out for the pioneers of Rhythmic American Poetry (West Coast stylee).
Compton pertains this week because that's where the Duarte Falcons will be playing Verbum Dei in the semifinals of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs. We don't yet know if it will be at Centennial High or Compton College. But it don't matter, does it?
In addition to knowing it was the berth place of NWA, here are some other things you should know about Compton.
Population (2000 Census): 93,493 (1990 Census: 90,454) (For latest population estimate, click here)
Population Density (2000 Census): 9,166.0 persons per square mile
Population over age 64 (2000 Census): 6.9% (1990 Census: 5.7%)
Population under age 18 (2000 Census): 38.5% (1990 Census: 36.7%)
Land Area: 10.2 square miles (26.4 square kilometers)
Racial breakdown: Latino 56.8%, Black 40.3%, White 1%, Island 1.1%.
Dang it, Coach Thomas. Where the heck are we going?
All you need to know about Oak Park. Covina, it isn't.
Population (year 2000): 2,320
Males: 1,147 (49.4%), Females: 1,173 (50.6%)
Races in Oak Park:
White Non-Hispanic (89.7%)
Hispanic (4.4%)
Two or more races (2.6%)
Other race (1.2%)
Asian Indian (1.0%)
Korean (0.7%)
Chinese (0.5%)
Median resident age: 39.7 years
Median household income: $92,921 (year 2000)
Median house value: $337,100 (year 2000)
Friday
Los Altos vs. El Dorado, at Valencia HS
Covina at Oak Park
Saturday
Charter Oak at Trabuco Hills
Duarte at Verbum Dei
For those of you arguing about who it should go to, you should know a few things:
1. I put the most weight on performance in the playoffs.
2. I poll the other guys who have covered games for us and whose opinions I trust.
3. All-league voting is NEVER considered.
4. Coach's opinion or nomination is NEVER considered.
5. It's an impossible award to decide BEFORE the playoffs are COMPLETELY over.
Friday's scores
Charter Oak 35, South Hills 0 (Complete domination by CO. Very sad day for the Huskies as Coach Steve Bogan's mother passed away early Friday morning.)
Duarte 41, Santa Clara 38, OT (Duarte's a football school again!)
Covina 47, St. Joseph 32 (Onward and upward)
Los Altos 37, Foothill 21 (The OC teams rarely do well against Gano, why would that be?)
Temescal Canyon 42, Damien 16 (ouch!)
Trabuco Hills 14, West Covina 6 (Trouble scoring at home can't happen in late November)
Aram's thoughts on CO's win over South Hills: First of all, if you say you expected that and you weren't surprised, then you're a flat out liar. If anybody in the entire Valley should sit here and say they thought CO could play like that, it should be me. Forget about who I picked in the game, just remember that I had CO No. 1 in the area for the entire off-season and started them No. 2 in Valley. Do you see how stupid all of this sounds? What anybody thought four months ago or an hour before last night's game doesn't really matter. All that matters is what took place after kickoff. Charter Oak played like a team on a mission. I think that's probably the best the Chargers will ever look this season, but I am hope I'm wrong because that will mean a CIF title if I am. It's funny, but when you reach the playoffs, it all comes down to the very best players making the biggest plays. You saw that out of Michael Johnson last night. He was the difference in the game in the first half. His first TD was an amazing catch that gave you the impression he was playing against boys. His pick return made him look like a USC defensive back playing in a Pop Warner game. The guy is just an awesome player who got to show it to everybody last night. Also, I think CO's offensive line really controlled things. South Hills just wasn't making stops and it's because CO was able to run the ball. The Chargers' offensive line had taken some heat this year for being big and looking good in uniform, but not dominating up to their appearance. That wasn't the case at all last night. My whole reason for hyping CO at the beginning of the season was because they had all of the elements to have a huge year - mammoth O-line, D-1 receiver/dback, veteran QB, great coaching and a psycho middle linebacker. They simply passed the look test. It's great to see that the Chargers never quit when things were going bad early on and are now playing their best football.
About South Hills - the Huskies have nothing to be ashamed of. It was a hard week. Coach Bogan's mom went into the hospital early in the week and as we all know, she passed on Friday. Now, isn't that typical of the kind of coaches we have here in the SGV? He loses his mom in the morning and yet he's out coaching his team later that night. There wasn't a person in the world who would've blamed him for missing last night's game, but Coach Bogan wasn't going to do that to his team. The Huskies just didn't have it. Charter Oak was simply better and it showed. But it should be remember that SH lost a ton from last year's team and struggled badly earlier this season. Yet, at the end of the day, SH wins a share of the SAL and upsets a seeded team on the road in the playoffs. Like Bogan said, they'll be back. Not quite so sure we'll be able to say that CO coach Lou Farrar who could hang it up if his team sends him out the right way. It could be the storybook ending to a storybook career.
REMEMBER: PLEASE GIVE FINAL SCORES WITH YOUR PREDICTIONS!
Southwest Division
Foothill at Los Altos
Charter Oak vs. South Hills, at Covina District Field, 7 p.m.
Trabuco Hills at West Covina
El Dorado at Diamond Ranch
Inland Division
Damien at Temescal Canyon
Mid-Valley Division
Santa Clara at Duarte
Northwest Division
St. Joseph vs. Covina, at Bonita HS
South Hills coach Steve Bogan will have his usual great game plan for Charter Oak
Aram's take: Spurrier vs. Bowden? That's what it feels like to me. I've got to tell you that I'm as anxious for this game as I would be a CIF championship. It's my vibe that Coach Farrar and Coach Bogan respect each other. I think they're both class acts and I don't want to set the stage for people to think there's going to be a Chaney v. Calipari showdown at midfield after the game. Lets get this right out of the way, both staffs are class acts. Intense, and classy. But I'd be lying if I glossed over the fact that it's my perception that these two coaching staffs really want to win this game. I know, all my devil's advocates out there will say "Aram, of course they want the win, it's the playoffs." Nope, sorry. There's more to it than that. And for whatever reason, even though the players involved weren't around during the rifts of the late 90s and early 00s, I think they all understand what's at stake. OK, I just wanted to say that. Please feel free to comment on whether you think the tension will be thick or if the heat is overblown.
THIS WEEK'S DRILLS, NO GAMES LEFT UNTOUCHED
St. Joseph vs. Covina
Foothill vs. Los Altos
Charter Oak vs. South Hills
Damien vs. Temescal Canyon
El Dorado vs. Diamond Ranch
Trabuco Hills vs. West Covina
Santa Clara vs. Duarte
Click Here to view "The Prep Rally"
It's that time of year, again.
1. Glendora
2. Diamond Ranch
3. Diamond Bar
4. Charter Oak
5. South Hills
6. San Dimas
7. Los Altos
8. West Covina
9. Damien
10. Wilson
St. Joseph wouldn't agree to play on Saturday, so the Colts will host at Bonita High on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF IT!
DON'T DOUBT THE SGV!!!
... FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MISSED MY COLUMN IN FRIDAY'S TRIBUNE ... here's an important excerpt ...
"The Good: Some might call the Valley's underdog status in the Southwest Division a bad thing. I call it good.
I know, it's hard to understand. The schools that have provided the Valley a CIF title every season this decade are taking a back seat to two Orange County leagues and one from the 562 area code.
Nobody around these parts is saying the prowess established by the Century, Sea View or Suburban leagues this season isn't warranted.
It's just that I'm adding up the recent CIF titles won in the division, and it's hard to understand why anybody would take the Miramonte or San Antonio leagues lightly.
CIF clearly did. There's five leagues in the division, yet the top four seeds went to three league champs and one second place team.
This slight has created a dangerous backdraft situation for the rest of the division. It makes teams like Charter Oak, Los Altos, South Hills and West Covina feel like massive underdogs.
It makes coaches like Lou Farrar, Greg Gano, Steve Bogan and Mike Maggiore feel like they have something to prove. Who wants to be the favorite if it means these guys are the underdog?
Hopefully, the Valley can prove people wrong either by producing a stunning upset or making a run at the title. "
West Covina 19, Mayfair 16 (uh oh, down goes the No. 1 seed)
South Hills 21, Canyon 14 (Bogan an underdog? Please ...)
Los Altos 35, Rowland 17 (Tradition)
Duarte 37, La Canada 7 (supposedly I give Duarte no respect ...)
Charter Oak 24, La Mirada 21
Redlands 40, Glendora 21
Hey Duarte, here comes 276 yards per game of Love-lle!
Lavelle Peterson and LC head east on the 210 tomorrow night for an SGV showdown in Duarte
NOTE: Don't waste our time by leaving predictions with no scores. ADD FINAL SCORES TO YOUR PREDICTIONS! Pick one game or all of them, I don't care. Just give us the darn score. I don't want to know if Rowland is going to win, I want to know by how much.
Mid-Valley Division
La Canada at Duarte
Sierra Vista at Temple City
Azusa at Monrovia
Workman at Bishop Diego
Southwest Division
Los Altos at Rowland
West Covina at Mayfair
Bellflower at Diamond Ranch
La Mirada at Charter Oak
South Hills at Canyon
Northwest Division
Nordhoff at Covina
San Dimas at Morro Bay
Baldwin Park at Harvard-Westlake
Inland Division
Glendora at Redlands
Carter at Damien
Southeast Division
Schurr at South El Monte
Arroyo at La Habra
Rosemead at Saddleback
NOTE: It's the playoffs and you can bank on Harris getting carries, no matter what.
THIS WEEK'S PROJECTED TOTAL vs. Harvard-Westlake: 120 1/2 yards.
Week 1: 133 yards vs. Azusa UNDER
Week 2: 139 yards vs. West Covina OVER
Week 3: 156 yards vs. Sierra Vista UNDER
Week 4: 192 yards vs. El Monte UNDER
Week 5: 170 yards vs. Glenn UNDER
Week 6: 114 yards vs. San Dimas UNDER
Week 7: 169 yards vs. Pomona UNDER (by 1 yard)
Week 8: 16 yards vs. Covina UNDER
Week 9: 269 yards vs. Northview OVER
Week 10: 142 yards vs. Ganesha UNDER ... only six carries :(
Go here and click on what you'd like to hear...
WARNING: Like I said, I'm not messing around anymore. You might be, but I'm not. Feel free to comment. As always, I'll listen to your insight. But I'm warning everyone that I'm on edge.
Here are this week's games:
Los Altos at Rowland
South Hills at Canyon
Glendora at Redlands
La Canada at Duarte
Nordhoff at Covina
La Mirada at Charter Oak
Carter at Damien
Click Here and click on the link to download the opening show.
Try to keep the discussions about each division confined to that division's specific thread. I know this is hard, but try. Also, please make predictions. If you want to do first round only or go all the way to the finals with it, I don't care. Just do them!
Ira Thomas and Los Altos are off and running to Rowland Heights
NOTEWORTHY: The first thing LA coach Greg Gano said to me when he arrived at CIF-SS on Sunday was "I think we'll get Rowland." He was right. Great local matchup! Charter Oak, on the other hand, drew a team it already played/beat this season. West Covina is going to visit No. 1 seed Mayfair. It pays to take of business all the time. South Hills has a tough, second place team vs. second place team game against Canyon.
Aram's prediction: I've got Canyon and Mayfair in one semifinal and El Dorado and Los Altos in the other. Canyon will play El Dorado in the finals with El Dorado winning it all.
Aram's darkhorse: South Hills and Los Altos. Teams that have good QBs and coaches are usually dangerous in the playoffs. LA and SH both have that. Don't rule out South Hills upsetting Canyon in the first round. The Huskies have the QB and you know the staff will have that team ready. Also, Los Altos is dangerous if it recaptures its September form. The past two weeks indicate LA might be rounding back into form. If the Conqs play like they did against Damien, they can beat almost anyone in the division.
Top Bracket
West Covina
at
Mayfair (1)
Tustin
at
Trabuco Hills
La Mirada
at
Charter Oak
South Hills
at
Canyon (4)
Bottom bracket
Artesia
at
Foothill (3)
Los Altos
at
Rowland
Bellflower
at
Diamond Ranch
El Toro
at
El Dorado (2)
Jordan Edmond and Glendora are headed to Redlands.
NOTEWORTHY: Damien's not being ranked in the CIF polls cost the Spartans a Top 4 seed. Chino Hills would've been a top seed had it beaten the Spartans.
Aram's prediction: I've got Corona Centennial and Damien playing in one semifinal with Vista Murrieta and Norco playing in the other. Centennial and Norco will meet in the finals with Centennial winning.
Aram's darkhorse: Damien shouldn't be a darkhorse, but they are. Also, Chino Hills could give Norco a major battle in the first round. If the Huskies win, they'll have a great shot at reaching the finals. Don't rule out either Sierra League power.
Top bracket
Alta Loma
at
Corona Centennial (1)
Redlands E. Valley
at
Chaparral
Carter
at
Damien
Temescal Canyon
at
Los Osos (4)
Glendora
at
Redlands (3)
Bottom bracket
Etiwanda
at
Corona
Norco
at
Chino Hills
Yucaipa
at
Vista Murrieta (2)
Temple City's Dwight Broadnax has his Rams poised to add another CIF title to the collection.
NOTEWORTHY: The Rio Hondo League got the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in the division. It's rare that a second place team will get a seed that high. Duarte drew Rio Hondo League third place finisher La Canada. This is a much better matchup for a Montview League champ than what they'd get in the old Division X.
Aram's prediction: I've got Temple City and La Canada playing in one semifinal with Monrovia playing Bishop Diego in the other. Temple City and Monrovia will rematch for the championship with the Rams winning again, but closer than last time.
Aram's darkhorse: La Canada. Lavelle Peterson might be the best overall player in the division. Sometimes, that's good enough to make a run. Remember, LC gave TC a very good game and not too much separates any of the powerful RHL teams.
Top Bracket:
Sierra Vista
at
Temple City (1)
Verbum Dei
at
LA Baptist
La Canada
at
Duarte
Paraclete
at
Santa Clara (4)
Bottom Bracket
Mary Star
at
Village Christian (3)
Workman
at
Bishop Diego
Fillmore
at
La Salle
Azusa
at
Monrovia (2)
Manny Acosta hopes SEM will make a run comparable to last year.
NOTEWORTHY: Arroyo got a very tough draw, playing at La Habra in the first round.
Aram's prediction: I have Troy and Alhambra playing in one semifinal. La Habra and Westminster will meet in the other. The finals will be Troy against La Habra with Troy winning it.
Aram's darkhorse: Alhambra. The Moors have the skill players to make a run and the feel good story that is Gil Ruedaflores' final dance in the postseason could make this a magical ride for the veteran coach.
Top Bracket
La Serna
at
Troy (1)
Rosemead
at
Saddleback
Orange
at
Alhambra
Fullerton
at
Santa Fe (4)
Bottom bracket
Arroyo
at
La Habra (3)
Bell Gardens
at
California
Schurr
at
South El Monte
Whittier
at
Westminster (2)
Mike McDonough is ready to give the Northwest Division some pain.
NOTEWORTHY: Covina gets the No. 2 seed it deserved. The Colts are the highest seed of any Tribune team.
Aram's prediction: I have Oaks Christian and Harvard-Westlake meeting in one semifinal. Covina and Oak Park will meet in the other. The finals will be Oaks Christian against Covina, which I don't have to tell you who will win.
Aram's sleeper: There isn't one. This division will be very formful.
Top Bracket
St. Bernard
at
Oaks Christian (1)
San Dimas
at
Morro Bay
Pioneer Valley
at
South Torrance
Baldwin Park
at
Harvard-Westlake (4)
Bottom bracket
Templeton
at
Oak Park (3)
El Segundo
at
Serra
Torrance
at
St. Joseph
Nordhoff
at
Covina (2)
Then we'll start making predictions!
I will be doing a video webcast of the proceedings at CIF-SS offices tomorrow. It will be ready for you to view tomorrow evening, hopefully. This will be the first of a weekly show that Fred Robledo and I will be doing. Please watch the opening show for interviews with coaches and opinion about the playoff brackets. Also, I will have the playoff pairings up on this site ASAP tomorrow so we can all start breaking them down. What I need from all of you is to watch the webcast and to share your opinions about the playoffs starting tomorrow night. The more I can show the upper brass at SGVN that prep sports is where the most readers/hits are, the easier they will make it for me to provide the coverage it deserves. That's where you all come in - watch the webcast and hit this site. Thank you!
ARAM'S UNOFFICIAL TAKES: I feel like my Aunt Cheryl, who is a self-described "muller" about controversial situations. I don't know how I feel about this. I don't know if I agree that Bonita got jobbed, because that's to say LA or DR put one over. The point of a coin flip is that it inherently tells you that a win 30 seconds prior to the coin toss holds the same weight as a win two weeks earlier. A setting like last night just makes it feel so crappy. On the other hand, how can argue with any Bonita fan who is sour about being 7-3 and missing the playoffs? Or, being 8-2 last year and missing the playoffs? Obviously, league performance is truly all that matters in the sport. Just ask South El Monte, 1-4 in nonleague and 4-1 in league (tri-champs). It's all that matters. Bonita's losses the past two years have come at the wrong darn time. If any of you were Eric Podley, you'd have said the same damn things. I think that LA and DR should be commended for showing some major class. Coach Layton went over to his home stands and told the crowd to "shut up" as Bonita walked off of the field. The problem last night was the cruelty of the situation. The Bearcats made an amazing goal line stand, were in the midst of celebrating a great win and then BOOM! "We just flipped and you're not dancing." Nobody felt good about it. Nobody. I'd be in favor of the proverbial "California tie-breaker" ... flip a coin, the odd team out goes to the playoffs and the other two teams each get a possession at the opponents 25-yard line THE VERY NEXT MORNING.
Bonita 17, Diamond Ranch 14
Coin flip
Los Altos (heads)
Diamond Ranch (heads)
Bonita (tails)
IMPORTANT NOTE: Bonita beat Diamond Ranch Friday night, 17-14, but lost a three-way coin flip between itself, the Panthers and Los Altos to determine the Miramonte League's final two playoff spots. League champion Charter Oak holds the other spot.
Others ...
Bishop Amat 34, Loyola 31 OT (Apologies are in order, our scoreboard has this one flip flopped.)
Duarte 42, Gladstone 10 (Don't tell Coach Crutch it's a down year for Gladstone)
A coaching fashion statement!
Pasadena football coach Kevin Mills defied all cosmetic logic at last night's Turkey Tussle.
Aram's lone thought: You're right, Fred. I don't understand football on your side of town.
Damien went from No. 8 in August to No. 1 in November.
Special thanks to Big Reg for suggesting I re-post this. I should say that with sarcasm becuase some of these picks didn't come to fruition. But hey, some of them I stand by. You be the judge. It's always great to see how a season matriculates.
Tribune Top 10
August 31, 2006
1. West Covina - Finished 6-4 and split league title with Rolwand and South Hills.
2. Charter Oak - Finished 7-3 and won Miramonte League title. Closed season on 6-game win streak.
3. Los Altos - Finished 6-4 and don't playoff fate yet. At one point, this was the top team in the area.
4. Bishop Amat - 4-5 heading into tonight's game against Loyola. Won't make playoffs, but did beat St. Francis.
5. Rowland - Finished 8-2 and split league title with West Covina and South Hills.
6. South Hills - Finished 5-5 with some bad luck and split league title with Rowland and West Covina.
7. Covina - Finished 9-1 and won league title. On 9-game win streak.
8. Damien - Finished 8-2 and won league title. Obviously, this ranking was way off. Current No. 1 in the area.
9. Wilson - Finished 4-6 and didn't win a game in league. Was very competive in four of six losses. Another league, a better result?
10. Arroyo - Quickly fell out of Top 10, but finished 5-5 with a shared league title.
Glaring exemption: Glendora
Not so glaring exemptions: Duarte and Diamond Ranch.
Aram's thoughts: A couple of things really stand out to me. The first is that Damien went from No. 8 to No. 1. The Spartan contingent was on this site since spring saying they should be ranked higher. Guess what? They were right! The other thing that stands out is Glendora being left out of the opening rankings. Obviously, this angered most Glendora fans and like Damien, they were right! Glendora is clearly one of the Top 10 teams in the area. It would've been hard to rank them so high due to what was lost from last year's team (which opened last season ranked No. 3 (I believe) so don't call me biased).
The performances of West Covina and Charter Oak made these rankings look pretty bad for the first half of the season. But wow, what a turnaround! Both teams could not have been more impressive with the way they finished the season. I think anybody who saw West Covina over the past two weeks knows now that the lofty expectations were justified. The same can be said for Charter Oak. In the end, both of these teams walked with league titles.
And that brings us to Bishop Amat. It's always difficult to rank the Lancers because you can't base the ranking solely on how they'd fare against the rest of the Valley. With the exception of Damien and maybe Los Altos (on a good night), Amat beats every other team in the rankings by double digits. But that's not how Amat is judged. The Lancers have to step out of the Valley and be judged by the company they keep. When you do that, Amat doesn't deserve a high ranking. They don't play in an SGV league and they don't play in a division with any other local team. Beating St. Francis is nice, but that doesn't mean squat when you're not competitive in league.
Here's to hoping all of the teams in the first Trib Top 10 or the latest Trib Top 10 keep it going in the postseason (if applicable)!!!
Will the real WestCo please stand up!
Bulldogs QB George Munoz reacts to beating Rowland.
West Covina 48, Rowland 20 (Where's that been all season?)
Damien 23, Chino Hills 21 (Incredible play at end ... please tell us about it)
Rosemead 23, South El Monte 21 (Go against the grain in the MVL, you'll be alright)
Charter Oak 21, Wilson 17 (Wildcats refuse to win games)
Workman 38, La Puente 6 (The Lobos are 7-3!!!)
Thursday's games
Miramonte League
Wilson at Charter Oak
Mission Valley League
Arroyo at El Monte
South El Monte at Rosemead
Gabrielino at Mountain View
Montview League
Workman at La Puente
Azusa at Sierra Vista
San Antonio League
Walnut at Nogales
Rowland at West Covina
Sierra League
Ayala at Chino
Damien at Chino Hills
Glendora vs. Diamond Bar, at Citrus College
Valle Vista League
Ganesha at Baldwin Park
Covina vs. Northview, at Covina District Field
San Dimas vs. Pomona, at Ganesha HS
Friday's games
Miramonte League
Bonita vs. Diamond Ranch, at Ganesha HS
Montview League
Duarte vs. Gladstone, at Citrus College
Serra League
Bishop Amat vs. Loyola, at Glendale HS, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday's game
Christian League
Calvary Chapel vs. Western Christian, at Charter Oak HS
NOTE: Harris shattered last week's projection, sending backers to the windows long before the game was even over. This week, hapless Ganesha comes calling and without knowing just how long AH will play, it's hard to make a number. Too low, and he gets it in the first quarter. Too high, and he never gets a chance to carry in the second half. But that's why we oddsmakers get the big bucks.
THIS WEEK'S PROJECTED TOTAL vs. Ganesha: 189 1/2 yards
Week 1: 133 yards vs. Azusa UNDER
Week 2: 139 yards vs. West Covina OVER
Week 3: 156 yards vs. Sierra Vista UNDER
Week 4: 192 yards vs. El Monte UNDER
Week 5: 170 yards vs. Glenn UNDER
Week 6: 114 yards vs. San Dimas UNDER
Week 7: 169 yards vs. Pomona UNDER (by 1 yard)
Week 8: 16 yards vs. Covina UNDER
Week 9: 269 yards vs. Northview OVER
You out there, listen, learn ... a 4-pack this week, folks!
Go here and click on what you want to hear.
This week's games:
Damien at Chino Hills
South El Monte at Rosemead
Bonita vs. Diamond Ranch, at Ganesha HS
Rowland at West Covina
Again, bored and sick, looking for something to do. This is just pure speculation as sent in by a loyal reader. If any of you have legit projected playoff brackets for other divisions, then please send them to me for review. my personal email address is aram.tolegian@sgvn.com
Upper Bracket
Los Altos (Miramonte 3)
(1) Mayfair (Suburban 1)
El Toro/Trabuco Hills (Sea View 2)
Canyon (Century 2)
Charter Oak (Miramonte 1)
Tustin (Century 3)
La Mirada (Suburban 3)
(4) Rowland (San Antonio 1)
Lower Bracket
(3) Foothill (Century 1)
Artesia (Suburban 4)
Diamond Ranch (Miramonte 2)
West Covina (San Antonio 3)
South Hills (San Antonio 2)
Bellflower (Suburban 2)
El Toro/Trabuco Hills (Sea View 3)
(2) El Dorado (Century 1)
NOTE: I'm sick and bored, so this is what you get. If I'm wrong, or you have something kinky to add, please don't be afraid to type.
Bishop Amat - Likely to miss the playoffs for the third time this decade, and it's only 2006.
West Covina - ADJUSTED - Averaging 13 points per game against teams with winning records, hence the Bulldogs are 2-3 iin those games. This doesn't include scoring three points against South Hills, which is 5-5.
South Hills - Speaking of South Hills, coach Steve Bogan has hadn't a losing season since going 4-6 in his first season (1992). Huskies are 5-5.
Glendora - The Tartans own wins against four league champs this season - Covina (Valle Vista League), Charter Oak (Miramonte League), Duarte (Valle Vista League) and Rowland (San Antonio League).
Los Altos - Has beaten just two teams with winning records, one of which (Bonita) may not make the playoffs.
Diamond Ranch - The combined record of teams that have beaten Diamond Ranch is 36-9. The combined record of teams Diamond Ranch has beaten is 11-26.
Rowland - The Raiders are 8-1 and have not beaten a team with a winning record.
Aram - Since going to the doctor for an ear lobe infection in mid-October, I've lost 18 pounds. Need to get my ear lobe infected more often.
More South Hills - The Huskies' five losses have come against teams with winning records. All five wins have come against teams with losing records. South Hills' average margin of defeat in its losses is 6 points.
Covina - The Colts have beaten two teams with winning records. Those two teams (Baldwin Park and Ontario Chr.) have combined to beat one team with a winning record. That lone win is Ontario Christian's victory over Hamilton.
More Bishop Amat - The average margin of victory in Amat's four wins this season is just 4.7 points.
Mission Valley League tri-powers - Arroyo, Rosemead and South El Monte have combined for just one win over a team with a winning record - Rosemead's 28-27 win over Orange.
Thursday
Covina 40, San Dimas 12 (What can you say about Covina?)
Friday
Charter Oak 21, Diamond Ranch 20 (Lou Farrar wins No. 200 at CO)
West Covina 47, Walnut 0 (WestCo switches offense and rolls up 400 yds.)
Rowland 36, Wilson 35 (Raiders almost got trapped in a trap game)
Los Altos 24, Bonita 0 (Bo-Hi's offense has completely stalled out)
Glendora 31, Ayala 28 (Hey Glendora, the win over Chino is only nice if you win the last two (one now).
Baldwin Park 41, Northview 7 (Aaron Harris drops 269 yards and 5 TDs on the Vikes)
South El Monte 48, El Monte 7 (Eagles continue to soar, er, fly, er, perch themselves in first, er, win)
Notre Dame 49, Bishop Amat 0 (And for the third time this decade, the Lancers won't be dancing)
Today's game
Valle Vista League
Covina vs. San Dimas, at Covina District Field
Friday's games
Christian League
Western Christian at Hamilton
Miramonte League
Los Altos at Bonita
Diamond Ranch at Charter Oak
Mission Valley League
South El Monte at El Monte
Arroyo at Gabrielino
Rosemead at Mountain View
Montview League
Azusa vs. La Puente, at Citrus College
Workman vs. Bassett, at La Puente HS
Duarte at Sierra Vista
San Antonio League
West Covina at Walnut
Nogales vs. South Hills, at Covina District Field
Serra League
Bishop Amat at Notre Dame
Sierra League
Glendora at Ayala
Damien at Chino
Diamond Bar at Chino Hills
Valle Vista League
Northview at Baldwin Park
Pomona at Ganesha
Nonleague
Rowland at Wilson
THIS WEEK'S PROJECTED TOTAL vs. Northview: 150 1/2 yards
Quick thought: Covina did a great job against Harris last week. I thought he didn't get enough carries, but what can you do when you're way down in the game? Plus, Angel Acevedo has developed into a very good second threat.
Week 1: 133 yards vs. Azusa UNDER
Week 2: 139 yards vs. West Covina OVER
Week 3: 156 yards vs. Sierra Vista UNDER
Week 4: 192 yards vs. El Monte UNDER
Week 5: 170 yards vs. Glenn UNDER
Week 6: 114 yards vs. San Dimas UNDER
Week 7: 169 yards vs. Pomona UNDER (by 1 yard)
Week 8: 16 yards vs. Covina UNDER
... go to District Field for some football
Mike McDonough will be very sad if you don't go watch his team play on Thursday.
FELLOW FANS/BLOGGERS: Those of you questioning Covina's football team are invited to Covina District Field on Thursday night to either see your argument proven right or wrong when the Colts face San Dimas. There's no excuse for any Valley football fan not to be there. This is the only game in the area and unless you're young enough to know that Thursday is the new Friday, you should be go. Who knows, San Dimas might spank C-Town and you'll see a big upset. Or, Covina will continue its impressive roll and you'll be a believer. Anyway, this game is isolated on its own and there will be some good players to watch i.e. Nico Barbone, Mike McD, JJ, J2, Tre McNair and so on. Not to mention, Big Reg will be doing some TV along with Kamron the King and possibly myself.
Rowland is up to No. 2 ... is that a high water mark?
NOTE: It was requested in a lower thread that I post this week's Trib Top 10. Not subscribing to the Tribune is a lot like doing your own taxes - you can get by, but you're probably costing yourself something somewhere. Hey, what am I supposed to say?
1. Damien (6-2) - Holding top spot longer than most.
2. Rowland (7-1) - Bidding for high seed in the playoffs.
3. Covina (7-1) - Hasn't lost since Week 1.
4. Charter Oak (5-3) - Big Lou lives for November.
5. Glendora (5-3) - Devastating first half vs. Chino.
6. Bishop Amat (4-4) - Facing uphill battle in league.
7. Diamond Ranch (4-4) - Among the hottest around.
8. Bonita (6-2) - Under pressure again.
9. South Hills (4-5) - Defense unleashed on West Covina
10. Duarte (6-2) - Living up to potential, thus far.
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