A Case for Steven Rivera

Steven Rivera will be back in 2011

What post season awards do you get when you throw for 1963 yards, 21 touchdowns and have an overall quarterback rating of 123? Well if you were in a quarterback in the Mid-Valley Division in 2010 not many.

That’s exactly what happened to Arroyo’s Steven Rivera. He accumulated these numbers in only nine plus games (8 regular season, 1 playoff) after being injured early in week two against Montebello. Rivera led the Knights to an undefeated Mission Valley League title and an overall regular season record of 9-1 before Arroyo fell in the first round of the playoffs to San Dimas.

Rivera threw for over 200 yards on six different occasions and put up 300 on Mountain View. In the first round loss to San Dimas he completed 19 of 30 for 207 yards with no interceptions – good enough numbers to win a lot of games.

Speaking of interceptions, you won’t see that word and Rivera in the same sentence very often. He was picked off only four times all year and didn’t throw any in seven of the 11 games he played.

Rivera is also as tough as nails. When he came back from the injury in the Montebello game he wasn’t completely healthy. He played seven games with a hairline fracture in his ankle and had to get treatment on Saturdays just to be able to practice on Monday…and then got treatment every day so he could play on Friday.     

So what’s the problem? Why wasn’t Rivera named the first team quarterback on every list from here to the Star/Trib to the CIF to the Rosemead Review? Well, it’s because of a guy named Nick Bueno. You know, that kid from Monrovia that just won a CIF Championship and ran and passed for over 3000 yards combined.

Bueno was named to the first team on every post season team compiled. It usually went hand in hand with an MVP or player of the year award as well.

And if it wasn’t Bueno in the Mid-Valley, there was Aaron Cantu at Schurr or Stephen Anderson at Whittier Christian. Oh yeah and Andrew Elfers at Maranatha or Billy Livingston from Covina. There were more solid Mid-Valley quarterbacks in 2010 then there are bridal shops on Las Tunas Drive in Temple City.

We heard several complaints when we released our all Mid Valley picks but not many on the quarterback position (with the exception of the Schurr contingent of course.) With Bueno and company around it was just the wrong year to get proper recognition in the Mid-Valley Division.

“Do you think I would get ticked off for Rivera not getting selected as the number one quarterback? Steven is the only player in school history that should end up being a 4-year varsity lettermen and a 4-year all Mission Valley League selection,” said Arroyo Coach Jim Singiser. “But no, Bueno deserves it. He has the total package between having to deal with the pass/run threat. I think if you’re picking a number 1 QB in 2010 it should be Bueno. But I would still take Rivera every day of the week and twice on Friday night.”

The great thing for Singiser is he gets Rivera back in 2011. It’s hard to believe that the southpaw quarterback has been doing his thing at Arroyo since he was a freshman.

Was Bueno the dude in 2010? Yes. But is there a case for Steven Rivera? Absolutely.

There may be an even stronger one next year.

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