EDITED: I mistakenly took San Dimas coach Bill Zernickow’s quote out of context when I created this thread late last night under the headline Bill Zernickow: If we beat (Monrovia) three more times in a row, we might own them mentally.”
I failed to add the second half of the quote, which read: “We would sure hope to try and foster that, but we don’t own them mentally one bit right now. We’ve been fortunate enough to have circumstances fall in our laps and have taken advantage.” I must have read it quickly last night, but no excuses here. I also failed to comprehend the phrase “three more times” which was brought to my attention by Aram.
In short, I agree. If San Dimas does in fact beat Monrovia three more times, they would indeed own the Wildcats mentally. San Dimas certainly has Monrovia’s number right now, but it’s certainly not complete domination, or is it?
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Monrovia doesn’t need board material to get up for its nemesis in Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division semifinal showdown. But I guess it’s good to know the opposition’s thought process should a third-straight win come to fruition.
Aram’s hammered home the point throughout the season, relentlessly challenging Monrovia’s mental toughness, whether the Wildcats are capable of withstanding late surges, such as the one San Dimas mounted this season.
The answer: No, Monrovia was not.
The Wildcats surrendered a 28-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter as the Saints reeled off 21 straight points to force overtime, score first and later stop Nick Bueno at the 1-yard line to pull off a dramatic 35-34 come-from-behind victory. It should be noted that this is San Dimas’ signature win of the season.
Monrovia’s Ryan Maddox told Aram that “they wouldn’t want it any other way” and that they were rooting for San Dimas so they’d eventually cross paths for the right to play in next week’s title game. You have to like the sportsmanship displayed from Zernickow, though, who said: “You know what, these guys are really good. So if you get to play them twice in a season, it’s been a good year. If we don’t win this game, I want Ryan to win this thing because he’s such a good guy.”
So here its, Monrovia. This is what you wanted, and now you’ve got it. Now’s the time, and there’s absolutely no excuses for letting this one slip away. Injuries, schemes? Nah. It’s coming down to executing with heart. Who wants it more? The unforgiving cold December air pales in comparison to the feeling of dejection felt under the pouring rain last December. This is when you grab fortune by the horns and steer it exactly where you want it, straight into next week for a chance to hoist your very first CIF championship plaque,
