Tim Peterson
Ready or not it’s here. For the first time in recent memory the football season kicks off on August 23. Have all the coaching vacancies even been filled yet? Have all the transfers been approved? Have all the transfers been completed?
Actually the season kicked off Saturday night when Crespi traveled to Arizona and beat Salpointe Catholic 35-20. Opening night on August 18? Did anybody take a dead period?
Most of the coaches I talked to don’t like it. Families plan their vacations in August and some had to cut them short to accommodate the season.
“I mean school will not be in session yet. We won’t start for two more weeks. Why are we starting the season in the middle of summer?,” a local coach told me. “It’s hard enough getting players out here but now we start games two weeks before school does?”
The heat might be a factor as well. Can you imagine the players strapping on the helmets and pads and going full throttle when it’s nearly 100 degrees outside?
Well like it or not, it’s here and the coaches and players are ready to go.
The spotlight Thursday night will be on Citrus College as Bonita and San Dimas square off in the Smudgepot. The game which used to alternate between the two schools will now be played at Citrus on a permanent basis.
“It’s just a lot less expensive,” said San Dimas Coach Bill Zernickow. “I know for our school it would cost about 12,000 more to bring in bleachers, etc. and play the game on campus.”
The Saints are loaded at running back as usual. Everybody knows about Jake Payton but he’s only part of the problem for opposing defensive coordinators. There’s also transfer Reece Alvarado, Andrew Espinosa, Denzel Mitchell, and Adam Casillas. Zernickow just takes one back out and brings in another one.
Former San Dimas running back Dillon Corona (class of 2012), who is now an assistant on Zernickow’s staff, pretty much summed it up. “Oh we always have a lot of backs,” he said.
I don’t see Bonita stopping the Saints running game. There should be a lot of points put up on the board but I like San Dimas by a couple of touchdowns.
The Saints should win the Valle Vista going away. They might get pushed by Northhview who has guys like Roy Torres, Javon Taylor and Victor Garcia all returning. The Vikings were young last year and has almost everybody back.
Nobody is talking about Covina for obvious reasons. Last year was the Colts window with a senior class that had been together for years. Coach Joe Brown is keeping it positive and is looking forward to the season. The Colts stayed with South Hills in the scrimmage Friday night and will be counting on guys like Darren Torres, Evan Stretton and David Gonzalez to keep them in the Valle Vista hunt.
Monrovia, who looks like the class of the Mid-Valley Division again has to contend with a new league this year. Paraclete and Sierra Canyon have come over with the Alpha League looking to knock the Wildcats off their pedestal. I still like Monrovia…stay tuned.
In the Southeast Division West Covina, like Monrovia in the Mid-Valley, is shooting for its third straight CIF title. But did you know that La Mirada has five current payers that have received Division 1 college offers? OL Spencer Ueli Fa’atoalia has offers from Alabama State, Nevada and Hawaii. Linebacker Koa Kaleopaa has nine offers including Colorado, Arkansas and Washington State. Tight end Tyler Lutua has several offers that include USC, UCLA and Michigan, quarterback Kevin Dillman has been offered by Florida State and UCLA among others, and Colorado wants OL Anthony Cerillo.
The road to the title will have to run through Mike Moschetti’s crew.
And it all kicks off this week. For all the football coverage click on to www.midvalleysports.com. Also check out our Friday night football show starting this week at 10:30 pm.
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