Glendora-Upland III
For spectators, it's a lot of fun, but Glendora High School football coach Mark Pasquarella isn't all that thrilled about Friday's rubber match against Upland in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Central Division playoffs. Glendora ended Upland's 2007 season in the first round of the Inland Division playoffs when quarterback Drew Kaluzny hit Michael Edwards for the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime to lift the Tartans to a 29-28 victory. Upland answered back in this season's opener in September, handing the Tartans a 35-21 nonleague loss. Glendora (8-3) opened the playoffs last Friday with a 56-21 victory over No. 3 West Valley, and Upland (9-2) beat Mt. Baldy League champion Chaffey 52-18, setting up Friday's game at Upland.
"It's fun, but in some ways you wish you were playing somebody else," Pasquarella said. "This is our third time playing them in 12 games and we open with them next year. But obviously we're familiar with each other and the kids are fired up about playing them. It doesn't really matter who you get at this point because there are legitimately eight teams left that can win it." All three Sierra and Baseline teams advanced to the quarterfinals.
"That doesn't surprise me, and it makes it kind of neat because you've got a lot of strong teams with different strengths and styles," Pasquarella said. "We think we're capable of winning the whole thing, but you can't look that far. All we're thinking about is getting our guys ready for Upland." The Tartans fumbled three times in their season-opening loss to Upland, and Kaluzny was intercepted once despite completing 13 of 21 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown. Highlanders quarterback Josh Nunes was steady too, completing 17 of 27 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. "What makes (Nunes) tough is not that many people get to him," Pasquarella said. "They do a nice job with their protection scheme, and on defense they make you work for everything. It's a battle, it always is with them." The Tartans were senior-oriented a year ago and had to replace several starters, especially on defense. But they've improved over the course of the season and might even be stronger with junior Andre Holmes, receiver Wallace Gonzalez and stable seniors Kaluzny and Chad Young, the latter of whom's insertion at fullback has added another dimension. "We expected to start off slow defensively," Pasquarella said. "The difference is on offense, because we think we're more explosive."
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Good Luck Glendora,
It will be a very tough game vs upland, but I hope you pull it out. Looking forward to WC vs Glendora
next season, but thats too far away, both our teams need to focus only on tonight, take it to those Hilanders!!
Some of us over at Saint Land wish you Tartans much success tonight.
Work hard on every play, like it was your last!
BELIEVE IN EACHOTHER AND IT WILL HAPPEN....
Dream Teams are called that for a reason, they only exist in dreams. With the defense that let Corona Centennial put up 49 and an offense that only put up 17 on a WEAK Damien team.
Come on Centennial would of wooped any team in the country except the #1 team in the country De La Salle
They might of stayed close with Vista Murrietta and Chaparral or even Santiago.
We can talk about dream teams or we can talk about how to shut down Nunes and run the ball effectively and get the ball out of their control, and stop their screen/draw offense.
Someone once told me everything is relative, but not everything is applicable, my friends i like our President Elect would say "I am looking toward the future"
wow Aztec Pride, thank you... and no im not on the team. even though how much i'd love to play another season of Tartan football.
less turnovers this time around tartans, 3 the last time was no good. play smart!
happy thanksgiving
tartan vet are u related to the school?
you teach jw
Lets do it again boys, last year was a blast on that field best exsperiance of my life. get at them slow and steady and play smart! all the luck to my boys.
TARTAN VET
Tartan fan
Your right on! Could you believe what the Tartans would accomplish if we had last years defense playing with this years offense. We all know the Tartan D last year was one of the best talented and experienced D's in SGV. And, now look at this years explosive offense with more options than ever before. That truly would have been a DREAM TEAM.
Tartan fan
Your right on! Could you believe what the Tartans would accomplish if we had last years defense playing with this years offense. We all know the Tartan D last year was one of the best talented and experienced D's in SGV. And, now look at this years explosive offense with more options than ever before. That truly would have been a DREAM TEAM.
Good luck Tartans, we're pulling for you. It's nice to see them finally in a division where they have a shot to win it all. What a difference a division (or 3) makes. The drop from DII to DV for the Sierra and the league has already won more playoff games this year than the last 3 combined I believe. The timing is great for another good run at Glendora that started last year (too bad that defense couldn't be with this offense). Let's hope coach Pasqy doesn't have to reach down into his bag of tricks to win this year :)
cant wait 2days congrats tartans every team wishes they can pratice on thanksgiving and your one the few!
dont let it get to the head few more to go
as far the games if we dont turn it over we got hell of a shot heck we were up for awhile last game!
I MEAN FRIDAY,TOMORROWS THANKSGIVING!
GLENDORA GOOD LUCK TOMORROW, AND I HOPE YOU WIN!
My niece goes to Glendora, so i'm pulling for you guy's to win, just like you did last year. Plus i'm right on the boarder of AZUSA, and Glendora. LOL...
SAINT TARTAN, GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT FRIDAY! My throat is killing me, if you know what I mean! GOOOOOOOOOOO!
From your neighbors!
AZUSA AZTECS!
AZTEC PRIDE!
Speaking of which, we really lost the "battle of the bands" in a blowout on Friday - yes?
Long Beach Poly's band is great and the Drumline was better!
I saw some of the Tartans on film a year ago and really like Kaluzny. I heard they are running a bit more of a spead offense this year, which I think he'd be good at. Tough call - a lot of respect for former Lancer Tim Salter, the coach at Upland.
It's a shame CIF doesn't try to avoid these rematches... it creates a whole different dynamic that could decide games (ie: DRanch & Muir) That's why it's tough for D1/Pac-5 teams to schedule and still avoid the deadly rematches. You don't *really* want to play too many like teams... because you may face them again. It almost forces schools to find the best teams at a division or two lower - or play games from out of the section.
I saw Glendora play a this year against Diamond Bar, and I came away impresed.
I believe that they have a very good football team and if they limit the turnovers, and play solid defense, then they should do very well this week.
Also, and for what its worth, they have a great band too !
Good luck Tartans.