La Puente finds its groove: Two teams that came into Thursday night’s nonleague game at Citrus College with two wins between them played as if a league title was on the line.
Gladstone and La Puente high schools had a combined 2-5 record, seemingly looking for a direction before their respective league schedules begin.
La Puente came away with a 27-19 win to improve to 2-2, while Gladstone fell to 1-4.
Warriors senior quarterback Jesse Hernandez completed 13 of 21 passes for a game-high 192 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 47 yards on 10 carries.

WEEK 5 HIGH SCHOOL GAMES AND PREDICTIONS
All games at 7 p.m., unless noted
Thursday’s games
Non-league
La Puente vs. Gladstone at Citrus College — LA PUENTE
Trinity Classical Academy vs. Southlands Christian at College of Canyons — TRINITY

Friday’s games
Mission Valley League
Gabrielino at Arroyo — ARROYO
Marshall at Rosemead — ROSEMEAD
Mountain View at South El Monte — SOUTH EL MONTE
Pacific League
Arcadia at Muir — MUIR
Pasadena at Burroughs — BURROUGHS
Suburban League
Mayfair at La Mirada – LA MIRADA
Non-league
Azusa at Rowland — ROWLAND
Bassett at Sierra Vista
Bell Gardens at San Marino — SAN MARINO
Bonita at Diamond Ranch — DIAMOND RANCH
Covina at Walnut — COVINA
Cypress at El Rancho — EL RANCHO
Damien at Monrovia — DAMIEN
Duarte at Vasquez — VASQUEZ
Granite Hills at Keppel — GRANITE HILLS
La Habra at Colony — LA HABRA
La Serna vs. Tesoro at California — LA SERNA
Montebello at Cantwell-Sacred Heart — CANTWELL
Newport Harbor at Los Altos — NEWPORT HARBOR
Pioneer at Wilson — PIONEER
Pomona vs. Northview at Covina District Field — NORTHVIEW
San Dimas at Diamond Bar — SAN DIMAS
San Gabriel at Temple City — TEMPLE CITY
Santa Fe at Downey — SANTA FE
Saugus vs. St. Francis at College of Canyons — ST. FRANCIS
South Hills at Charter Oak — CHARTER OAK
South Pasadena vs. Alhambra at Moor Field — SOUTH PASADENA
St. Paul at Warren — ST. PAUL
West Covina vs. Glendora at Citrus College — GLENDORA
Whittier at Schurr — WHITTIER
Workman vs. Bosco Tech — BOSCO TECH
Baldwin Park at South East — BALDWIN PARK
Notre Dame Prep, Scottsdale, AZ at La Salle — LA SALLE
Pasadena Poly at Rosamond, 8 p.m. — ROSAMOND

Saturday’s games
La Canada at Rio Hondo Prep — RIO HONDO PREP
Maranatha at Brentwood, 3 p.m. — MARANATHA

Here are the 10 burning questions for high school football
1. Is Charter Oak, St. Francis on collision course? – The CIF Southern Section Division 3 rankings came out Monday and there was no surprise Charter Oak is No. 1. The Chargers dominated Northview, Colony, Glendora and Damien in racing to 4-0 and will likely do the same to South Hills Friday before rolling through the Hacienda League.
St. Francis, ranked fifth, has been even more impressive than the Chargers, thoroughly dominating Mira Costa and La Serna on top of a rout of Pasadena.
Both look like going 10-0 is a real possibility and the potential of meeting in the playoffs, particularly in a championship setting, gets more real each week.

2. Why is Charter Oak’s secondary so dominant? Because Michael Anyanwu has five interceptions and Isaiah Hamilton has four, which rank the duo with just nine others in the Southern Section with four or more INTs through four games. Anyanwu is tied for the section lead with Citrus Hill’s Shawn Dourseau, who also has five.

3. How serious is Gabriel Tapia’s ankle injury? – The Montebello quarterback suffered a severe ankle injury according to coach Pete Gonzalez and will likely sit out Friday’s game at undefeated Cantwell Sacred Heart (3-0). Tapia suffered the injury on the first drive of Montebello’s 35-7 loss to El Rancho on Friday, and it hampered his ability the rest of the game. It makes sense to sit him against Cantwell because Montebello has a bye next week before the Almont League starts on Oct. 6.

4. Is Covina and Northview in South Hills’ future? – There always has been the sense that Covina and Northview, which share Covina District Field with South Hills, should take on South Hills in non-league games. It hasn’t happened for a long time because for years, South Hills swallowed up all the district talent, but times are changing. The three schools have never been closer in talent, and there is talk that Northview and Covina, who square off in the Valle Vista League, are trying to secure games with South Hills, possibly as early as next season.

5. Is Friday’s Pacific League opener more important to Muir or Arcadia? It is equally important because Muir, in Division 9 and Arcadia in Division 11, begin the seven-week chase to make the playoffs.
It is important to remember that while both divisions give Muir and Arcadia a chance to go deep in the playoffs, finishing top three in the Pacific is vital to making the playoffs. There will be tough games later against Burbank, Burroughs and Crescenta Valley so for Muir and Arcadia, dropping a game before it gets to those three could do big damage to its playoff pursuit.

6. Is Monrovia favored to win the Rio Hondo League? South Pasadena and San Marino are both 3-1 and even Temple City, who was terrible last year, is 2-2.
While all that looks good on paper, Monrovia, which is 0-4 and about to go 0-5 hosting Damien this week, is probably still the favorite, but not the slam-dunk it has been in the past.
The Wildcats are playing a non-league schedule that made sense five years ago when they were rolling, but not today. Still, a close 42-40 loss to La Salle can’t be ignored, though Monrovia took a big step back getting rolled by Whittier, 27-0.
South Pasadena probably has the edge, but Monrovia started 1-4 and went undefeated in the Rio Hondo to win it last year, including a 46-16 win over South Pasadena. So who knows, maybe nothing’s changed.

7. Who leads the Southern Section in passing? – Bonita’s J.P. Andrade is the leader in the clubhouse with 1,431 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, an average of 357 yards per game. Second is Whittier Christian’s Quinn Commans with 1,331 yards, 11 touchdowns and an average of 332 yards per game.
This is according to MaxPreps, so unless there are some teams out there hiding super quarterbacks, you don’t have to go far on a Friday to watch these two light it up.

8. Will anything change in the Mission Valley League? – No, while the MVL starts on Friday there is only one game to circle on the calendar, and that’s when South El Monte (4-0) visits Arroyo (4-0) on Oct. 6. Even then, not sure much will change from a year ago when Arroyo won, 38-14. The Knights have looked so impressive during non-league, especially the dominant win over Schurr, that following a Division 12 championship with a Division 11 title is a real possibility.

9. So who’s favored in Division 12? That appears to be Schurr (3-1), who was ranked No. 1 this week despite the 31-10 loss to Arroyo two weeks ago. Pollsters were obviously impressed with how the Spartans bounced back routing West Covina, 42-6.

10. Will La Mirada finally have a chance to breathe? – Yes, after going 0-4 and being outscored 149-14 in non-league, the Matadores open the Suburban League Friday at home against Mayfair (3-1), who just lost to Santa Margarita, 49-3.
If La Mirada wins, it becomes the favorite to win league and all will be OK again.

SGVN, WHITTIER, TRIBUNE LEADERS
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
PASSING
1. J.P. Andrade, Bonita, 1,431 yards, 357 avg., 12 TDs
2. Quinn Commans, Whittier Christian, 1,331, 332 avg., 11 TDs
3. Kody Olmos, Los Altos, 985 yards, 246 avg., 12 TDs
4. Ernesto Camacho, Arroyo, 983 yards, 245 avg., 6 TDs
5. Kwon Peterson, Maranatha, 941 yards, 234 avg., 13 TDs
6. Nathan Delgado, Whittier, 869 yards, 217 avg., 8 TDs
7. Steven Comstock, Northview, 851 yards, 212 avg., 7 TDs
8. Miguel Aguero, Schurr, 848 yards, 212 avg., 11 TDs
9. Jacob Rodriguez, El Rancho, 804 yards, 201 avg., 6 TDs
10. Darius Perrantes, St. Francis, 792 yards, 264 agv., 6 TDs

RUSHING
1. Abel Cueva, El Monte, 756 yards, 189 avg., 5 TDs
2. Armando Flores, Mountain View, 699 yards, 174 avg., 9 TDs
3. Sal Tovar, South El Monte, 638 yards, 159 avg., 9 TDs
4. Eric Cuellar, Covina, 513 yards, 171 avg., 3 TDs
5. Matthew Chavez, Charter Oak, 506 yards, 126 avg, 7 TDs
6. Blake Cabot, San Marino, 480 yards, 120 avg., 8 TDs
7. Skyler Taylor, La Habra, 476 yards, 119 avg., 10 TDs
8. Alex Retana, Whittier, 462 yards, 155 avg., 0 Tds
9. Armando Velasco, St. Paul, 411 yards, 102 avg., 3 TDs
10. Francisco Ibarra III, Nogales, 401 yards, 100 avg.., 2 TDs

WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Lance Babb II, Schurr, 452 yards, 113 avg., 3 TDs
2. Christopher Vargas, Baldwin Park, 427 yards, 106 avg., 5 TDs
3. Daniel Centeno, Temple City, 409 yards, 102 avg., 3 TDs
4. Ryan Romero, Whittier Christian, 409 yards, 102 avg, 3 TDs
5. Noah Guzman, Bishop Amat, 391 yards, 97 avg., 1 TD
6. Jermaine Braddock, Charter Oak, 383 yards, 95 avg, 5 TDs
7. Noah Sanchez, Whittier Christian, 378 yards, 94 avg., 4 TDs
8. Quinn Peoples, Los Altos, 344 yards, 86 avg., 3 TDs
9. Rene Zaldivar, Los Altos, 330 yards, 82 avg., 5 TDs
10. Greg Dulcich, St. Francis, 323 yards, 107 avg., 3 TDs

DEFENSIVE LEADERS
TACKLES
57 – Devin Escobedo, Damien; 53 – Nathan Alba, Damien; 52 – Mark Tolmachoff, Whittier; 47 – Jesus Lopez, Baldwin Park; 43 – Andrew Tarango, El Rancho.

SACKS
7 – Ray Dominguez, Baldwin Park; 6 – Mark Sosa, South El Monte, Noah Sanchez, Whittier Christian; 5 – Luis Valerio, El Monte, Eduardo Rodriguez, Sierra Vista, Frank Hernandez, Monrovia, Alexandre Dumais, St. Paul, AJ Carreon, South El Monte.

INTERCEPTIONS
5 – Michael Anyanwu, Charter Oak; 4 – Isaiah Hamilton, Charter Oak, Daniel Mendoza, Arroyo; 3 – Marcos Figueroa, El Monte, Jared Schoenick, Glendora.

La Salle freshman quarterback CJ Montes is having quite a month. After being featured with Snoop Dogg during an American Online documentary piece, he’s now getting shout outs from Lakers legend Shaq. On Friday, Montes threw three touchdowns in a 21-20 victory over Muir.

We're catching people's attention … @SHAQ #golancers #lancersftbl pic.twitter.com/ffnOTEsXTD

— La Salle Football (@LSFootball626) September 18, 2017

TRIBUNE/STAR-NEWS/WHITTIER SUPER 20 FOOTBALL RANKINGS
School, Record, Division
1. Charter Oak (4-0), D-3
Passed every test with flying colors
2. St. Francis (3-0), D-3
Strong argument Golden Knights should be No. 1
3. La Habra (2-2), D-2
Easy 49-0 win over Oak Grove
4. South Hills (3-0), D-7
Next in line to get shot at Charter Oak
5. Damien (3-1), D-4
Offense blanked in 23-0 loss to Charter Oak
6. La Serna (2-2), D-3
Completely dominated by St. Francis
7. Glendora (2-2), D-4
Beat previously undefeated Los Altos
8. Los Altos (3-1), D-5
Exposed in loss to Glendora
9. Bishop Amat (0-4), D-1
Worst start in decades, and could get worse
10. Arroyo (4-0), D-11
Should finish regular season undefeated
11. La Salle (2-2), D-8
Big win on the road at Muir
12. Muir (2-1), D-9
A two-point conversion from beating La Salle
13. Northview (2-2), D-8
Blew lead late against Don Lugo
14. Arcadia (1-2). D-11
Opens Pacific League at Muir
15. San Marino (3-1), D-6
Looks like Rio Hondo League favorites
16. Maranatha (4-0), D-9
Big 7-3 win over previously undefeated Campbell Hall
17. Schurr (3-1), D-12
Easy time routing West Covina, 42-6
18. South El Monte (4-0), D-13
Undefeated after easy non-league schedule
19. La Mirada (0-4), D-2
Finally, the Suburban starts for winless Mats
20. St. Paul (2-2), D-6
Takes care of St. Anthony, 34-6

Aram Tolegian’s Saturday Morning Quarterback: It was one thing to think St. Francis was favored over La Serna on Friday night, but it was another to imagine the Knights going right through the Lancers for a 49-20 victory. This was supposed to be a game between two legitimate Division 3 championship contenders. In its wake, it looks like this might be the game that stamps the Knights the favorite.

Charter Oak dominating again: The challenging part about Charter Oak’s schedule is the Chargers are facing the same five nonleague opponents it beat last year, and they’re not the usual pushovers, they’re good football teams.
You figure at some point, one of them is going to get payback.Or maybe not.
After already defeating Northview, Colony, and Glendora in consecutive seasons, undefeated Charter Oak added Damien to the list, putting the clamps on the Spartans’ offense for the second straight year to come away with a 23-0 victory on Friday.

St. Francis routs La Serna: Tough and hard-fought playoff games in 2014 and 2015, plus a close matchup in the regular season last year, have made the St. Francis-La Serna High game a must-follow for those who enjoy competitive prep football. However, St. Francis’ unstoppable offense and ferocious defense stopped La Serna from keeping things close this time around as the Golden Knights cruised to a 49-20 win on Friday night in nonleague play.

Bishop Amat still winless: With the Bishop Amat offense sputtering over most of the season’s first three games, all losses, an injury to a key player was the last thing the Lancers needed.
That is exactly what happened when quarterback Blake Archuleta went out of the game in the first quarter with an apparent right shoulder injury.
Rancho Cucamonga (3-0) didn’t help matters either. The Cougars intercepted Amat backup quarterback sophomore Aiden Sanchez four times en route to a 31-7 victory on Friday night.

Glendora beats undefeated Los Altos: Glendora halted Los Altos’ winning streak at three games with a 41-25 nonleague football victory Friday night at Citrus College.
The Tartans (2-2) led throughout on a night when senior quarterback Bryce Wooldridge completed 14 of 27 passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns.
Leading the triple-threat receiving corps was Parker Haveles (six catches, 104 yards, two touchdowns), Cameron Keller (five catches, 79 yards, two TDs) and Dylan Hill (three catches, 61 yards).

La Salle beats Muir in thriller: It was lights out at Muir High School. Momentarily.
The Mustangs hosted the La Salle Lancers on Friday with an undefeated record and having outscored its opponents, 86-0.
But La Salle spoiled it all, defeating Muir at home, 21-20, in a Pasadena thriller.

El Rancho takes care of Montebello: Montebello High’s 77-yard opening drive Friday night against El Rancho was sort of a double-edged sword for the Oilers.
On one hand, the Oilers had just capped off the game’s first drive with a 22-yard touchdown run by running back Kris Rodriguez. On the other, quarterback Gabriel Tapia suffered a twisted ankle on the first play, which hampered his ability to make plays for a Montebello team that relies heavily on the senior captain.

Don Lugo rallies past Northview: Turns out Greg Gano’s return to the San Gabriel Valley was one he’ll remember for quite a while.
The longtime area head coach saw his Don Lugo Conquistadors (3-0) rally from a 19-7 halftime deficit to defeat the Northview Vikings 38-27 on Friday at Covina District Field.
Senior Korey Bentley spearheaded the comeback by scoring three touchdowns in the second half.

Temple City dominates Gabrielino: Temple City soundly defeated Gabrielino 35-7, in a game it controlled from the start.On the Rams’ opening possession, junior running back Sam Jackimowicz scored on a five-yard run, capping a five-play, 36-yard drive.
Sophomore Adam Kuo added another touchdown for a 14-0 lead, finishing off a nine play, 71-yard drive.

Friday’s scores
Rancho Cucamonga 31, Bishop Amat 7
San Marino 41, Viewpoint 12
Charter Oak 23, Damien 0
La Salle 20, Muir 19
St. Francis 49, La Serna 20
Brea Olinda 31, Diamond Bar 14
Fairmont Prep 28, Workman 17
Whittier Christian 42, Bell 38
St. Paul 34, St. Anthony 6
Ganesha 26, San Gabriel 19
Whittier 27, Monrovia 0
El Rancho 35, Montebello 7
Wilson 14, La Puente 12
Alhambra 47, Los Angeles Wilson 6
Baldwin Park 30, Sierra Vista 7
Glendora 41, Los Altos 25
Bell Gardens 50, Azusa 36
Buena 39, Bonita 35
Mountain View 49, Duarte 40
El Monte 34, Gladstone 0
Arroyo 49, Rowland 0
Don Lugo 38, Northview 27
Bassett 18, Bosco Tech 13
Upland 49, La Mirada 7
Nogales 28, Walnut 14
Temple City 35, Gabrielino 7
Schurr 42, West Covina 6
Elsinore 27, Chino Hills 14
Claremont 25, Pomona 20
Summit 32, Ayala 17
Loyola 17, Cathedral 7
Crescenta Valley 59, La Canada 20
Diamond Ranch 38, Burbank Burroughs 33
Maranatha 7, Campbell Hall 3

Thursday’s final scores
California 45, Rosemead 14
Covina 49, Montclair 20
South El Monte 35, Bellflower 8
Marshall 21, Sotomayor 0

Colts hot streak continues: Each week the Covina High School football team has improved and Thursday night at Covina District Field the Colts put an exclamation point on their nonleague schedule with a resounding 49-20 win over visiting Montclair.
It was an all-underclassman showcase for the Colts as four sophomores figured in the bulk of the scoring.
“As sophomores they’re way ahead of the curve,” Covina coach Joe Brown said. “With the amount of pressure that we put on them, they handle it great.”
Cal too much for Rosemead: Rosemead High came into its final nonleague game against California looking to shake off the funk from not having won a preseason game since 2013.
Unfortunately for the Panthers (0-4), they had to face a Condors team with stout offensive and defensive lines.
Behind running back Sebastian Patino’s four touchdowns and 60 yards on the ground, California cruised to a 45-14 victory over Rosemead on Thursday.