Football: All-CIF Mid-Valley Division

Coming through the standpoint of a fellow member of your fashion business, I really enjoy your report.

For what it's worth: If Monrovia didn't have any transfers this year they would have dominated the entire SGV in the game of Football. All of the Top transfers on the team ended up on the top of their leagues votes including Dwight Smith who transferred all the way to Texas to play his senior year. Here is a clip from a Texas Newspaper:

Every season, a new superstar seems to emerge in the playoffs. The 2008 season might be remembered for the rise of Carthage RB Dwight Smith, a Carthage native who played his 2007 season in California before transferring back to Carthage for his senior season. Smith's arrival gave Carthage the final piece to a state championship squad. Smith (who teamed perfectly with QB Si'Darius Blackshire) rushed for more than 2,500 yards this season, breaking the school's record, punctuated by nearly 300 yards and 5 TDs in the state championship game. Final Score: Carthage 49, Celina 37 Dallas Morning News: Celina can't win No. 9 Longview News-Journal

hey mr atthegame, did I once say Paraclete wasn't good? No I did not. they did beat us bad, but that has nothing to do with the fact that undeserved players got on first team. Way to miscue a persons words. Paraclete deserves all the credit for winning a championship. But Branden Owen is a complete joke. Thats the main point. and yes I know we lost, thanks.

vc football(valley or village christian),
If Paraclete D-end a joke and linebackers over rated how come it took a fake field goal(valley)or a fake punt(village) to score a touchdown.Valley got a last second TD when sub's were in because it was a blow out.One stat stands out,Paraclete's D gave up one offensive TD in four play-off games.Rosemead spanked vc in the play-off's and put up 40+ and Paraclete D held Rosemead's Offense to 3 points.Seem's like vc football our the one's who got dominated by two teams!!!!

SGV & McDonalds,
Even if he had grades, Tra is not a D-1 player. Speed, Speed, Speed!!!

SGV

NADA

NO GRADES

Anyone know where Tra Sumler is going next year? Has to be major D1 right?

Good points Joe, not to mention the inconsistency of the way “slots” or votes are awarded from league to league. If it was all done the same way, at least within a Division, there might be a little less hooting come All-CIF time.

I've always thought it fair to start all coaches with the same # of votes, say 11 each, and give the third place team an additional vote with two more to the second place and three more to the first place team. Leagues could consider adding one more vote for every playoff win so a team like Charter Oak tis year would have ended up with a total of 18 votes after running the table.

I also think leagues need to revisit the issue of a Coach voting for kids from their own team. Presuming all the voters are picking, as you say, objectively, voting only for players from other teams makes sense. The way it stands now, (in most leagues), it only leave more power in the hands of the big dog to politic as he sees fit.

Don,

The other things I've seen(and heard) is in leagues where there are a slotted # of spots based on the teams finish in league - accompanied by x# of voted on spots.

Coaches try to "outsmart" the group by nominating the marginal guy and leaving the "shoo-in" off the nomination - in hopes of getting more guys on the team. This backfires sometimes and that's why we see *first-team players* on second team - or *second-team guys* only getting honorable mention.

When the coaches start looking at the voting as an "art" or a "science" instead of being objective.... the kids are the ones that get hurt.

The biggest problem in the All-League selections comes from the attention paid to the “old boys network”. Too much wrangling and “paying back” of voting favors, current, past, and future. You know what I mean, “Hey, vote for this wide receiver, I know he was only the seventh or eight best in the league, but his pop was my assistant”. Or, “OK, so my kicker had a rotten year, the whole team did; we only got the kid into the red zone ten times all season, but he's a Senior and made all league last year”.

Consider also the way the names are placed in nomination, some coaches will only put forth a few guys, some want almost everyone in the mix. When you see a kid making it both ways, especially from a team that had a crummy year, you are seeing a coach who only named a small group of kids. When you see 2 or 3 guys named at QB or PK or P, teams spots held by a single kid, you are seeing the effect of both mixed in the same vote. Coaches feel any team deserves “SOME” of their vote and if they only have three or four guys up, so be it. Sadly, they end up sharing the spot with a kid who DID have a solid year. Regretably, the coach who names 14 or 15 kids, dilutes the votes for the best.

And the SGV isn't alone, Jack Mahlstede , at Santa Fe, a guy I have long admired, wrangled a spot on the all del rio team, (WR), and all se team (DB), for his Grandson Adrian. Don't even ask about Adrian's stats. Those were votes for Jack. This is where the “bloat” comes in, too many coaches insisting “their guy” deserves a place at the table with the kids who really had great years. Sometimes they are rewarding Seniors for four years of loyalty, sometimes a parent.

Paraclete football should thank whoever does their stats for getting so many people on first team defense. Every players stats are exagerated. I went against Branden Owen from Paraclete and hes a joke. And he knows it. 107 tackles for a DE? When I went against him he had one assisted tackle. MaxPreps says he had 6. Including one sack. I would love to send the film to anyone who doubts it. I made first team all cif and dominated him. And two linebackers with 160 and 180 tackles? Nice try

Garvey is in the other Hall of Fame. You know the one that Chamberlain and Hefner is in. Most Hoes Hall of Fame. Very exclusive club.

TS, we are in total agreement. Sorry for the off the handle comment. Taxman and all. I've had this running argument with Fred and Aram and anyone who would listen.

11 on offense
11 on defense
1 kicker
1 punter
1 Special Teams player (could be a great kick off returner or tackling machine) but even thats pushing it. How many Beebee's are there anyway?

Second Team...same thing, except no ST player.

Finally. Please no make ups. Let's ay there are 6 great backs. Sorry...2 backs. That's why it's called B.E.S.T.

Back when I played Honarable Mention meant nothing. Because there was no record to confirm of deny that distinction. In other words ...some one "mentioned" you and the other coaches said, '''Ummmmm...NO!"

Here's my real beef...Ricky henderson doesn't get into The Hall of Fame unanimously?

That's CRAZY!!!!!

Jim Rice ...WAITS and Steve Garvey ...not AGAIN????

Come on ...Garvey?

Stay Away...

Work on your reading. Notice that I contrasted all-CIF to the leagues, which I said lacked restraint. I am not in support of this. For instance, I think it's silly that the 2008 All-Sierra football team is so massively bloated, second only to the Miramonte league. I'm glad, however, that my post let you get some feelings about last year's picks off your chest.

My point: All-League, all area and all-CIF teams should equal the number of players in the game. So football-11, baseball-9, basketball-5. I think you can see the point.

When a "first" team has more than 11, it's no longer a first team. I'm fine with honoring more kids, but the first 11 are first team, the next 11 are second team, the next 11 are third team.

And while I'm at it - these teams should correlate to the actual positions: one quarterback, two running backs, five linemen for football, three outfielders for baseball, volleyball should include setters and not just hitters, and so on.

I am curious, when did the bloat start? When I played, it was just eleven a team for football. Is this a recent phenomena? Are the any leagues in SoCal that have resisted expanding their all-league lists?

Bobby by far is one of the best kickers in the valley and Max prep, Star News, and The Mid Valley News recongnizes him but CIF looks the other way. Bobby you had a great year and the Panther family is proud of you.

Fred

Randy Backus was fired at TC today

Booby Maldonado makes ALL STATE as a PUNTER but Damien's Ethan Betance beats him out for All Tribune/Area and then Maldonado DOESN'T make ALL CIF? Talk about a lack of consistentcy.

Tarten supporter....you have a lot of nerve. The 07-08 All Sierra League and all Area team were the most bloated ever. And the Tartar sauces had the most, with that stiff of a running back Vega completely unworthy, leading the way with his pathetic 640 yards as a starting tail back and you make all everything? Give me a break...saucer!

There's a second team for the various leagues, not for CIF.

Congrats to all who made the list.

Yes there was a second team selected.

Twenty offensive players and nineteen defensive players were chosen! We still play football with eleven at a time, right?

One would think that at the CIF level coaches would show more restraint than they did with their all-league teams, but one would be wrong.

Surprised to see Steven Arceo of Azusa absent from the defensive list.

RHS PANTHERS,

Thanks For The Memories .

And congrats to all the Panthers who made

ALL MID-VALLEY

FIGHT ON
TM

There was no second team in the mid valley