Tim Peterson
Friday December 3
Whittier Christian (11-1, Olympic #1) at Village Christian (8-4, Olympic at large) – at Glendale High
Last Meeting: 11/5/10: Whittier Christian 29-26
2009: Whittier Christian 41-35
When the Mid-Valley brackets first came out we saw this coming. Now the rematch is here. If the Olympic League wasn’t considered the strongest in the Mid-Valley Division before the post season, it certainly is now. The Olympic League is a combined 5-1 in the playoffs with two teams in the final four.
Whittier Christian is tough to beat right now. Stephen Anderson is maybe more dangerous with his legs than with his arm. His mobility killed Covina last week. Cameron Stanley and Cody Bronkar are catching everything in sight.
On the Village Christian side the offense revolves around Amjed Aboul-hosn. He’s been terrific all year for the Crusaders but does VC have any other weapons to move the ball against Jeff Worthy, Rudy Robles and company. Last week Billy Livingston barely had time to breathe with the Herald front four living in the back field.
Village will give the Heralds a battle. The Crusaders always do. But Whittier Christian has a little too much. Hark the Heralds! Whittier Christian advances to Finals.
Whittier Christian 35 Village Christian 28
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Saturday December 4
Monrovia (10-2, Rio Hondo #1) at San Dimas (8-4, Valle Vista at large)
Last Meeting: 9/24/10: San Dimas 35-34 OT
2009 CIF Mid-Valley Final: San Dimas 12-7
For Monrovia the last two games against San Dimas have been extremely painful. Last year on a rain soaked Citrus College Field in December, the Wildcats fell to the Saints 12-7 in the CIF Finals. Many believe on a dry field it would have been all M-Town. Back in September, Monrovia led by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter before letting it get away in overtime.
San Dimas is playing well at just the right time. The Saints finished third in the Valle Vista and earned an at large berth but yet here they are again in the semis. Theo Darlington, Dillion Corona and now a healthy Jordan Taylor have all been running the ball well for the Saints. And Kevin Kolbeck can give Monrovia fits on the outside. Codee Watts likes to throw the ball up and let the 6’4” Kolbeck go get it. And of course there’s the line with Allen Brown, Adrian Guerra and company. Make no mistake the Saints will be ready.
But Monrovia has Nick Bueno and Jay Henderson. The Wildcats have Derrick “Bubba” Johnson and Anthony Craft. They even have another quarterback in George Frazier. But most of all they have Ellis McCarthy. At 6’5”, 295 pounds McCarthy is down right scary. He also is also is a Division 1 prospect who recently was offered a scholarship to UCLA.
With McCarthy coming off the edge or plugging up the middle, the Saints will have trouble running the ball. He makes throwing it difficult as well.
We already know Monrovia will score points.
In the first contest everything went wrong for Monrovia down the stretch. That won’t happen again. It won’t be easy but the Wildcats win.
Monrovia 34 San Dimas 24
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