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Thursday’s result
Azusa 41, Workman 13 — That Aztecs are closing in on their fourth straight league title, improving to 5-0 in league with another easy victory, and their 23rd straight Montview win.
Game preview
By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
You don’t need a crystal ball to forecast the inevitable in the Montview League, where it appears three-time defending league champ Azusa and undefeated La Puente will meet for all the marbles in the league finale on Nov. 10 at Citrus College. The Aztecs (4-3, 4-0), winners of 23 straight league games, will likely extend that streak today against struggling Workman (3-4, 1-3) at 7p.m. at Citrus College. “We’re not overlooking any of our opponents,” Azusa coach Joe Scherf said. “But we’re playing well and building our confidence.” (to continue click thread)
La Puente (7-0, 4-0), the area’s only undefeated team and ranked third in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division, can match a school record of eight victories in a season by beating Bassett (1-6, 0-4) on Friday.
Although La Puente coach Brandon Rohrer hasn’t won a league title since taking over in 2009, he’s done a remarkable job, finishing 8-3 in 2009 and ’10.
When La Puente last won the Montview League title in 2007, it only finished 7-4.
Even for Rohrer, it’s surprising that nine wins would set a school record. As it is, La Puente is off to its best start ever.
“We have some historians here, some people who have been at the school a long time and they tell me we’ve never won nine games,” Rohrer said. “I was told back in the 60s, La Puente had some good teams and probably would have won nine games, but only the first-place teams made the playoffs back then, and La Puente would always finish second in league to West Covina.
“But in all honesty, nine wins is great, but we’re trying to win 10 and take it from there. We’re trying to win a league title.”
Coaches are careful of looking too far ahead, but with Azusa facing Workman followed by Gladstone next, it doesn’t take a football expert to predict what lies ahead.
The Aztecs have outscored their four league opponents 193-26, so Rohrer knows if both take care of business, it should set up a dramatic final week before the playoffs.
Even though Azusa opened the season with three straight losses to Maranatha, San Dimas and Don Lugo, Rohrer knew the Aztecs would be fine once league started.
“Look, Maranatha was No. 1 in the Mid-Valley for a while, San Dimas is easily a top-five (Mid-Valley) team and Don Lugo is big and physical,” Rohrer said. “They (Azusa) stepped up their schedule and were looking to win one or two of those games and they didn’t. But those were good teams and there’s no shame in losing to those teams.
“The bottom line is in league they’re dominating like they have in previous years. They’re obviously the team to beat regardless of what our record is or where we’re ranked.”
La Puente still has to beat Bassett and Duarte (5-1, 3-1) to clinch a playoff spot and set up the much-anticipated finale with Azusa, but Rohrer remains cautious when asked about the big picture.
“We don’t pay too much attention to the record and rankings, but I guess we do appreciate the compliment (of being ranked third in the Mid-Valley),” Rohrer said. “Right now we’re focused on winning games and winning the league title. If we do that, everything else takes care of itself. If we win the next two games, we can talk about Azusa.”
