Did we do that????
The Damien faithful were not happy campers leaving Bulldog Stadium.

Think about this for a second.

Who leaves a $80,000 a year job in this economy without having another $80,000 a year job ready unless it was forced upon him?

Who leaves their post as the head of the school he loves and attended in the first two months of the school year without there being a major fiasco in the making?

What school would allow a Principal to resign when the Football program is under siege and the Boosters have major concerns?

What Principal walks away from a school that his father in law holds the Athletic Director’s job and his brother in law also works at?

If Pearsall was ill, he’d get a leave of absence. If he was looking at another opportunity he’d announce that as well and we’d all wish him well.

This smells of a major scandal in the making on the scale that requires swift and deliberate action, legal eagles line up.

Damien is a mess right now and they will have no one to blame but themselves. Letting Father Travers go without a fight, after some dads set him up is called karma.

What a freakin mess.

Principle Pearsall’s resignation was announced on the school website immediately after school had ended on Friday. So as much as you all would like to believe it was related to the a$$ whiping Ayala put on the them, well that’s just nonsense. If his resignation was health related, then why not say it? Why leave everyone guessing and jumping to conclusions about scandal? Does the school or Mr. Pearsall owe us an explation for his resignation? No, but unless they do, then you have to assume it was something pretty serious. I just hope it wasn’t a debacle like the whole Father Travers incident. If it was, then shame on you Damien for letting go two outstanding individuals who cared for and loved the school. On a side note, I hope Gano is next in line to get the boot. He’s done nothing but get everyone’s expectations up only to be let down year after year. What a fraud! I’d take Salter, heck I’d be happy if Paredes took the job and came back to the SGV. Whoever they get, I hope it’s someone who’s legit, a proven winner, and can turn Damien into a winning program once again.

That place has been in shambles for more than 10 years. When bad happened Travers turned his back to it. never tried to fix it and just let it go. Its about time they keep trying to fix that place. Ever fr. Cronin was showing up to class drunk! If he even showed up at all!

@ Frustrated;

“Principle Pearsall’s resignation was announced on the school website immediately after school had ended on Friday. So as much as you all would like to believe it was related to the a$$ whiping Ayala put on the them, well that’s just nonsense.”

It’s good to know that a Football GAME did not force/compel an administrator to leave. Coaches, fine, it’s part of the job (perform or get canned), but admins (unless they are complicit in some sort of shenanigans) sould not be shown the door for on field performance or lack thereof.

Hope things work out for the best over there. Lots of kids that live in Chino Hills attend Damien. They pay good money I’m sure to attend a top notch academic school like Damien. Athletics… that’s another can of worms that I’m sure will be opened here very shortly. 2 months into the school and the Principal resigns. That’s never a good situation for all parties involved. Guessing that the Principal will not be the last domino to fall.

Something serious must have happened for this to happen only two months into the school year. Sam was appointed Principal a few years back as Fr. Travers became President. This was Fathers plan from many years ago as he urged Sam to continue his schooling and get the needed credentials to succeed him. My initial thought was the archdiocese forced him out as they wanted a new Administration that had no ties to Fr. Travers. Dont see this being the case as this would have happened before the school year started. Im not going to speculate on what actually did happen, but embrace the changes that will be coming. The resignation of Sam may come with a hefty price as he had great ties with an alumni, one who donated a great portion to make sure their new gym was built. Looking forward now, Damien lost a great candidate in former alumni, Casey Yeazel, who accepted the Principal position at St. John Bosco this year.

As for the football/sports program, look for changes in Administration here as well. Damien has a Co-Athletic Director this year, so by the looks of it they are trying to push out Mr. Carroll too. Gano better hope for an Administration that is willing to work with him and let him do what he has to do to turn the football program around, or he too will be shown the door, err I mean want to resign. Families and Alumni are not pleased with the progress Gano has made so far, so I am guessing this will be his last year. Talking new coaches, Bogan, Salters, Parades, whoever it may be, if they are not given free reigns to the football program the results will be the same. As Fred has pointed out, the Administration has to work hand in hand with the athletic coaches for athletic programs to succeed. This is especially so at private schools where they can bring in student-athletes from anywhere.

In other words, you would like coach Gano and I staff to play your $hitty son as a “real Spartan” and “4yr dedicated player” just because even though he can’t earn the spot?

Your motives are obvious. If your kid could help the team win and was good enough to beat out one of the “pay to play daddy’s boys”, dont you think he would play?

Gano is one of the most competitive and fair people I have met and there is NO WAY in hell that he would sit a kid that could help him win, especially with the heat he is getting from the blogs and cry baby parents.

Damien isn’t very successful because it doesn’t have the horse to win in the Sierra league and the inland division, period! You can only do so much with that team and the caliber of player they have in the league and division in which they find themselves.

Stop being “that parent” and try supporting the team and program even if your kid sucks and can’t get any meaningful playing time despite the fact that YOU think he is a real spartan and the fact he has been taking up space in the program for 4 years!

nice to see delusional Stanford dad weighing in, still deflecting any blame,responsibility away from GG.What has GG done at this level in 4 years? nada..he was a success at the far lower levels, not at all in D2……the FACTS don’t lie. Time for someone who has won, Salter, Paredes….someone who identifies and understands the culture of a Cathiloc HS

Libero, sorry my man, but “too good riddance” is me, a Gano fan and former player going back 33 years and not Stanford Dad. I am a Gano fan and supporter.

I have no special insight into the program and I don’t talk to coach much and never much more than superficially about the program. What perspective I bring to the table is many years of playing for coach in many sports (football, basketball and baseball) and having known him as a plYer, coach and friend.

Not great qualifications, but he is working with limited resources and inadequate players to compete on the level that you and the others want. Damien hasn’t been able to compete on that level in a long time. It takes horses to win in this race and Damien just does t have them. Vince Lombardi couldn’t win with the talent there, sorry.

It’s GG’s fault for having the talent he has. That’s on him. These are his guys that he is playing with. His coaching staff and his players. This was supposed to be his year with his guys with all these “skill position” players. He is the head coach, the program’s success and failures fall on him. Vince Lombardi would have recruited better players. Vince Lombardi would have brought in better coaches. And lastly Vince Lombardi wouldn’t be coaching at Damien. But I’m certain if Vince Lombardi were coaching at Damien the players would run through a brick wall for him. A head coach is supposed to lift his players up not break them down. Who’s fault is it if the players aren’t motivated? Who’s fault is it if the players don’t want to play for their coach? Who’s fault is it if the players come out flat? The great coaches get the most out of their players and those players play better than they even thought possible. You are an idiot if you think that Vince Lombardi couldn’t get more out of the players. All this great press is going to do wonders for incoming freshman who want to play football. Damien is the last place those kid will want to enroll. Is the program better than 4 years ago? It would be if Vince Lombardi were coaching.

“Gano can’t win at this level”

Epic!!!

Gano went 3-1 against Damien when he was the coach at lower-level Los Altos. Try, try again.

Aram,
Yes Gano beat Damien when he was at LA a long time ago,and he also had stellar talent there compared to what Damien had and has. But really has he won at the current level he is at ? They just may be headed for 4th place in the Sierra this season . He has yet to win the Sierra or get past the first round in CIF . I know you and Fred were filled with glee when it was announced he was headed to Damien for the fact of him in a private school enviroment but as of yet nothing has happened and not one big win or a league title . Maybe the private school way is just not for him , too many politics and especially at Damien as you can see by some posts on the blog . The man is a good coach , you don’t get 4 titles on luck, I just think he is out of his element.

Amat 73, what does that mean won at the current level? Has Amat won at its current level, Hagerty has just one playoff win in his previous four years as coach, but obviously Hags and staff has done the best with what they have.

Difference is, Amat has a much better administrative support staff than Damien, and Amat has given Hagerty top money to use former head coaches as assistants, including DiFiori and Verti, the previous two Amat head coaches.

Damien is what it is, it’s not winning on the Division 2 level until it changes its ways. Could they be better, yes, absolutely. But Division 2 contenders? No way, and you know what, that’s not Gano’s fault, it goes a lot deeper than that.

Does he shoulder some blame, absolutely. But to drop it all on Gano is ridiculous.

Come on Fred , we are not talking about AMAT nor Hagerty .But if you want to go there . Did Hags win a league title ? YES. Did Hags go to the second round in the playoffs ? YES , Has Hags done a great job with coaches who do it for the love of AMAT and not for dollars alone ? YES .If you think Mngsr has openned up the vault for coaches then you are sadly mistaken . Has Hags kept AMAT’s reign over the SGV ? YES .You all thought different about that situation this season , didn’t you . Winning at the current level means just that “WINNING SOMETHING” . If Gano could beat CO or CH at least once that would be huge , but not even close and I don’t mean on the scoreboard so don’t throw in that last minute loss to CH last year in here . Then dropping AMAT from the schedule was no help especially when AMAT was replaced by that powerhouse St Bernard who dropped their football program . Kind of like running away from competition isn’t it . How long are you going to keep making excuses for Gano . Can’t he cosch up the kids of Damien ?????? You can’t tell me there is no talent at Damien .Aren’t there any alums who coach or bleed green and gold ( like many of ours who bleed Blue and Gold ) to put on staff. What happened to that staff he hired from AMAT .It was big news when they were picked up by Damien . I’ve heard they are gone , why ???? The seniors are from his first year at Damien and should be playing ball Gano style . He has had his hands on every class since then , so what’s up ???? As I said he was a good coach at LA but what, he doesn’t have as much talent now as he had then .So now the difference is the other schools he faces do and the tables aren’t tilted in his favor as they were in his LA days . It’s time for him to show just how good of a coach he is with what he has .Like the old saying , either shiat or get off the pot !!!!! One last point on Hags , many of you were saying we were losing all the talent we had with no new talent coming in after Verti . Even lately according to the blog and you and Aram we had very little talent and virtually no D-1 prospects . So has Hags and staff coached up these LANCERS beyond belief because at this point in time we are looking pretty damn good ,even to the point of you now going for AMAT this Friday and feeling stronger about it everyday closer to the game . Didn’t even mention our last 2 freshman classes who are loaded and some of last years freshmen are now on Varsity. So yes Hags has turned it around and we are starting to see the hard work by him and his staff paying off .

That last post was garbage…puts hags at Bassett or keppel and they would have the same record. You need horses, plain and simple.

I never said he couldn’t coach. I’m very sure he’s a dam good coach just as I am sure that Gano is one too. After all, he does have 4 CIF CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!

Lol,

No, you said 73′s post was garbage. Garbage is pretty close to saying a guy can’t coach. Guarantee if Hags is at Bassett they don’t have the same record. And pretty good chance they’d be Montview champs in due time. But that’s speculation. The only comparison and questions you should ask yourself:

1) is Amat better off today than the day Hags was hired? If so, how much?
2) is Damien better off today than the day Gano was hired? If so, how much?

Lol,

You’ll never get it because you are wearing Gano colored glasses. You are saying that whoever has the best players will always win. That isn’t always the case. Amat’s program is far batter off because of Hags. If Damien is handcuffing GG’s success then why doesn’t he just resign? If the school prevents him from getting “the horses” he needs to win then why doesn’t he resign? Why stay 4 years?
If this is on the school then why would he stay?

Well there you have it. Just a job. I hope the players don’t buy into your BS. They have talent. They have several standout payers. Very sad that you don’t believe in them. Underdogs win all the time.

“Underdogs win all the time”.
Yup, we did!!!!

Reality,

What are you talking about? Now that was garbage. We can go back and forth all day on this matter. We agree to disagree. But I played sports All my life through college and I know for a fact that you need players. Can a coach make a difference? Absolutely! But you ask any coach, they will tell you that they are successful because they have good players. Get a clue!!!

Insider Really?

What was your first clue?

If your really an insider give us something everyone in the valley doesn’t already know.

lol: Pocket pool is not really a sport.

Lol,

Your takes are getting weaker. You left out 37 other players from that team. Oops.

“The Auburn Tigers are coming off of a remarkable run to a National Championship, but after that run came the loss of many seniors to graduation and juniors like Cam Newton and Nick Fairley to the NFL. The Tigers lost 38 scholarship players from last seasons National Championship team. With the new season just around the corner, Auburn will have to find new leaders on its team in an effort to reload and not rebuild against a tough SEC schedule.”

Lol, you need to get fired from this blog. You should stop. You are bringing the football knowledge on this blog down several notches. What’s next, 11 players is better than 10?

Took me 30 seconds to find that nugget. It’s called google Genius. You typie wipie in the search engine…..hit the return button….might be kind of hard for you to pull off considering you are a child. Make sure you ask permission. Did GG also lose 38 players? Nope. You lose again Lol. When you say “I’m out” that means you are leaving. Heaven forbid anyone criticize you beloved coach. Just because you love him doesn’t give him a pass.

This is a scandal for sure. Lets start to look in the finances of the school. Who is in charge? Why have their been so much turnover in that department. Why did 33 families get told that there children could not write the final exams because of “payments” that the administration found outstanding from years ago. The families were blind-sided…didn’t think that they owed these fees!! The children were held ransom (not allowing them to write the final exams until payment in full.) Many families could not afford the outstanding very steep payments. Leggio (the extremely rude person in the office that collected payments) and Cronin pointed fingers at Pearsall. Pearsall, Fall guy, never have the people skills,christian attitude or expertise for the job anyways. Hey everybody and Sam Pearsall…if the Archdiocese every asks you to resign or be fired..take the being fired route. With time the scandals of the Archdiocese present in your favor.

ogdenforbes said:
“The families were blind-sided…didn’t think that they owed these fees!!”

How dare they!! I thought Damien HS was free!!! Tuition!? They never told us about this tuition thing! OMG, mijo can’t graduate now. I thought the $250 registration fee we paid freshman year covered everything for all four years.
LOL