Tim Peterson
Monrovia didn’t lose the game Friday night. St. Francis won it. The Golden Knights took it. When big plays needed to be made, it was St. Francis that made them. The Golden Knights were bigger, deeper, stronger and ultimately better.
Dylan Crawford was the best player on the field. He scored on the St. Francis’ first possession when he simply outran the Monrovia secondary. He scored late in the fourth quarter to ice the game by running through the Monrovia defense. He has speed, hands and size and that’s why he’s received several Division 1 offers. St. Francis has those types of players.
Monrovia drove down to the St. Francis 12 yard line on the possession just before Crawford’s touchdown, and was looking to tie the game. Asaph Zamora threw a pass intended for Octavius Spencer in the left corner of the end zone. Just as Spencer began to leap to make the reception, Mason Williams jumped in front of him and picked off the pass. One of the two was going to make the play and it was Williams who made it. Spencer was good, Williams was better.
St. Francis has those types of players. After Crawford scored to make it 28-13 Monrovia got the ball back still clinging to hopes to get back in the game. Zamora threw a pass that was tipped and caught in mid air by lineman Nick Horner who rumbled 59 yards for the final touchdown. The Wildcats needed a miracle, Horner stomped out any hope.
With the score still 14-13 early in the fourth, Areg Nazarian ran through a hole that you could have driven a UPS truck through on a counter play and raced 53 yards for a score. Great call by HC Jim Bonds, solid blocking up front and an even better run by Nazarian. It wasn’t necessarily bad defense by Monrovia but instead a perfectly executed play by St. Francis from start to finish.
Monrovia will be fine in the Central Division. The Wildcats might even win it. They’re a great team. But St. Francis is better. Monrovia didn’t lose the game. St. Francis won it.
Beating San Marino, a team that had outscored its two previous opponents 114-7, was a great win for Cal Friday night. The Condors, who had been shellacked by Troy and Buena Park the two previous weeks, got off the floor to stun the Titans 38-35. La Serna is the class of the Del Rio but after that it’s wide open. With Santa Fe struggling, Cal has as good as a chance as anybody to grab that second spot.
“Adam Satti hit six different receivers, and the defense stepped up in the second half to make big stops. Nathan Lowden closed out the game with four straight runs and Robert Leos had a pick and a touchdown,” said first year HC Kyle Trudell. “The kids finally trusted each other.
I think La Mirada really is this good but I don’t think Montebello is this bad. I got San Dimas, Paraclete and Sierra Canyon has three of the final four in the Mid-Valley. Who’s that fourth team?
That’s my principle
Tim can be reached at tim@midvalleysports.com or on Twitter @tspeterson40
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