Tim Peterson
You know you’re getting close to the official beginning of the football season when the coaches start telling you they’re done with passing leagues for the summer. Arroyo Coach Jim Singiser told me that last Thursday and West Covina Coach Mike Maggiore told me the week before that.
And indeed we are. We’re on the home stretch so to speak. Most teams will be practicing “in house” from here on out and then they’ll be putting on the pads by mid August. It all kicks off Thursday August 29, just 37 days from now.
A lot of news still coming in on transfers. Noodles Hull to Diamond Bar and Jake Payton to Upland have both been denied. Hull appealed the decision and that was also rejected. No word yet on whether Payton will appeal. Any news on Rosemead’s Matt Henderson who went Cathedral? His name is noticeably absent on the CIF website.
I’m not completely against transfers. If a kid really wants to leave for whatever reason he should be able to. It’s better for both parties for him to go if he doesn’t want to be there. However there should be a deadline when it comes to football. The sport has developed to the point where it’s now a 365 day a year season. I’m sure when the year ends in December, or earlier depending on how far your team goes in the playoffs, the player knows whether he wants to come back or not. Give him maybe a couple of months but that’s it. Make the deadline March 1. Any transfer after that date will be automatically rejected. Transfers prior to that would still be subject to review but they must be submitted by March 1 or they would be denied.
No more of this transferring in May, June or July. By that time coaches are already looking at their rosters and determining positions. There’s nothing worse than your star returning wide receiver walking into the coaches office on May 10 and saying that’s he transferring to a school down the road. The March 1 deadline would cut that out. It’s not a perfect solution but it would help control things a little more.
The only exception to this rule would be a situation like what took place at Alhambra. If the entire coaching staff is fired, then yes a kid should be allowed to move on.
I feel bad for Hull and Payton but I do like the fact that from now on kids might think twice about transferring. Doesn’t it all go back to what all the coaches say anyway. “If you’re good, they’ll find you.”
Not ready to make predictions yet but it would be safe to say that it wouldn’t be too difficult to pick four of the five league winners right now in the Mid-Valley Division. Well actually five of the six if you count the East and West leagues in the Alpha.
In the Alpha East it’s Paraclete and in the West it’s Sierra Canyon. Arroyo wins the MVL, while Monrovia takes the Rio Hondo and San Dimas wins the Valle Vista. The one that has me stumped is the Almont. Bell Gardens went 5-0 and has quarterback Charles Ontiveros among others coming back. Montebello is much improved – Jordan Fowlkes! And Schurr HC Marco Ramirez tells me that Abel Troncoso has been an absolute stud this summer and Sal Chavez does everything except sell hot dogs. Marqus Valenzuela makes Keppel respectable and although they are struggling with some things can we really completely write off San Gabriel and Alhambra?
Maybe a late transfer will make the difference.
That’s my principle
Tim can be reached at tim@midvalleysports.com.
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