His team moves up a notch from the Southeast Division to the Southwest
Division, by the roman numeral from Division VII to Division VI, but La
Habra football coach Frank Mazzotta finds his team at No. 2 in Calpreps’
preseason division rankings.

Asked about his team’s chances to repeat as a division champion, he
merely expresses concern about, among others, two-time defending
champion El Dorado, No. 3-ranked Trabuco Hills (No. 3) and fellow
Freeway foe Fullerton (No. 5). He also adds he is excited, as are his
players, about being in this new division. He talks about “having a lot of
fun, getting to play some new teams and welcoming the new challenge.”

He also quietly adds his Highlanders, who are coming off a 13-0 (4-0
in league) CIF championship season, should be pretty good. No
arrogance, no boasting, no chest thumping, just answering a question.

He has always been that way.

Clearly he has the credentials to thump some chest.

In Mazzotta’s 10 years at the helm, La Habra has posted a 91-30-1
record overall and a 41-8 mark in league. Over the past six seasons, the
Highlanders are 27-2 in league.

His teams have won seven league championships, six of them with
undefeated records. They’ve reached the CIF Southern Section division
championship finale four times and come home with three CIF titles
(2002, 2003, 2007).

Has La Habra replaced Santa Fe as the area’s most dominant program?

Perhaps, if that is of any importance. What is more important is what
the players are getting out of being part of and playing in Mazzotta’s
program.

Sometimes one wonders if the community realizes what the program
provides, or maybe they know, and because of its consistency, merely
takes it for granted.

La Habra begins it’s bid for more trophy case hardware Sept. 12 on
the road against Downey. It should be a good opener, not necessarily for
the host Vikings.