Joe T.
By Joe Torosian
“You’re gonna talk! You’re gonna beg to talk! Because someone is going to talk!”—Jimmy Malone
Kick it!
Right off the Top: “I think I was seeing ghosts.”—Case Keenum
Unfortunately for me, I was seeing the Monday night game between the Rams and the 49ers.
***
While Keenum, obviously, deserves top billing for Monday’s horror show I think a lot of people are undervaluing left tackle Greg Robinson’s performance.
Robinson’s in his third year and the jury is in…
“Will the defendant please stand…Have you reached a verdict?”
“Yes, your honor…We find the defendant; Greg Robinson, the number two overall all pick in the 2014 NFL Draft out of Auburn, to be a BUST in the first degree.”
Harsh?
The Rams took Robinson in 2014, they took Jason Smith (Baylor) second overall in 2009, and they took Alex Barron (Florida State) 19th overall in 2005.
These guys are/were so bad that we can’t even label them solid grinders. Forget Pro Bowls, just guys that did their job constantly for half a decade or a little more…but no…They are, were, all BUSTS.
Before turning so quickly on Sam Bradford and Nick Foles remember who Ram quarterbacks have had to play behind for the last eleven years.
I understand drafting Todd Gurley…great player…but I was sitting in the RamCave with Barker and Peterson the night they took him and I remember Barker and I being frustrated they didn’t take an offensive lineman.
(Peterson cares now, but he didn’t care then…Any old bandwagon is good enough for Peterson. He’s always got a hand up and a leg out.)
From the mid-1960’s through 1989 the Rams always had one of the best offensive lines. It’s what made them competitive year in and year out. Quarterbacks came and went, the running backs came and went from Lawrence McCutcheon, to Wendell Tyler, to Eric Dickerson, to Charles White, on to Greg Bell…they were all thousand-yard rushers, some even led the league rushing…
Every year they loaded up on offensive linemen…from draft picks to free agents they continued for years to bring in guys that could play…It left you as a fan with a very secure feeling…
Now, it just hurts…
It’s now up to me to pass sentence…Despite feeling a unique frustration and tangible pain as a result of Monday night’s loss in San Francisco…I am left with no other option but to support this team…May God have mercy on our souls…Court is adjourned…
Go Rams!
***
On this date in 1995, Arcadia beat San Marino 14-0, Alhambra beat Pioneer (Oh, Pioneer!) 20-15, Beverly Hills beat Pasadena 27-22, Crescenta Valley beat Blair 38-0 (some things never change), Muir shutout Pomona, Hoover knocked off South Pas, and Monrovia played South El Monte to a 13-13 tie.
At North Field, Temple City got 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns from fullback Brian Betts in a 43-13 victory over San Gabriel. TC rushed for 240 yards on the night, including Dean De La Pena’s 93 yards on 12-carries.
“We just fell apart at the line,” said San Gabriel HC, Sean Hampton.
The Matadors finished the season, however, a very successful 3-7…
Joe T.’s High School football novel is available through Amazon.com
“A literary snapshot of what goes on over the course of a high school football season…an awesome read and a story that truly will transcend time.”—Jim Singiser, AD/HC Arroyo Knights Football
“Thrill, dread, anxiety, love, agony, success, and failure; basically all the emotions you feel as a football player/coach as you do in life, all wrapped up in a single book.”—Marc Paramo, HC Rosemead Panthers Football
“I read the book and really enjoyed it a great deal. I would think coaches and parents could Learn a lot.”—John “Coach” Kentera, former sports talk host at Mighty 690 & Mighty 1090
Last Add SG: It’s interesting to note that on October 13 of the 1995 season, San Gabriel won it’s first ever Almont League (created in 1992) game with a 16-14 victory over Alhambra.
***
Doesn’t “Mookie Betts” sound like a bar drink?… “I’ll have a double-shot of Mookie Betts.”
Of course, in Boston “Mookie Betts” sounds like an MVP.
***
Did you know that South El Monte kicked off its varsity football program on September 10, 1993, and to this point, it has never played Bassett? It’s taken 23 full seasons and the start of the 24th to finally get on the field with the Olympians.
That first game was a 21-0 loss to Cantwell…The second game, September 17, 1993…Well, (not trying to kick a horse when it’s down) it was a 24-16 win at Monrovia…Eagles quarterback Frank Venegas rushed for one and threw for another in the victory.
***
Really last Add SG: The victory over Alhambra was the Matadors first league victory since a 28-0 win over Foothill League foe, Burroughs.
***
Last Add SEM: The Southmen are looking to start a season 4-0 for the first time since 2011…Sal Tovar has rushed for 795 yards and 10 touchdowns while chasing “The Devil’s Herd” of Chris Lopez at left tackle, Anthony Gomez at left guard, Anthony Hernandez at center, Adrian Torres at right guard, and team captain, Kevin Salvador at right tackle.
***
Temple City One More Time: The Rams finished 1995 with a playoff birth (41-13, loss to Norte Vista) and a 4-6-1 record in Gabe Soumakian’s last season as HC. The tie was a 14-14 contest with Hoover…So in retrospect, that should be considered a loss.
***
Mt View faces Duarte this week in Valhalla (my new name for Vikings Stadium)…Last year against the Falcons, Victor Ambruso’s double-wing offense accounted for 530 rushing yards in a 51-48 victory. Josue Martinez rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Kevin Martinez rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns.
The victory was Mt. View’s first over Duarte since 1988 (a playoff year by the way). The Falcons spent 12 seasons (1982-1993) in the Mission Valley League and own a 12-2 all-time record against the Vikes.
Note: Duarte came to the MVL to replace Schurr which went to the Foothill in 1982 along with Alhambra and San Gabriel out of the Pacific.
All three of these schools (not Duarte) would join the Almont with Keppel (from the MVL), Montebello, and Bell Gardens.
Thus, the “Tough Mexican League” as former Alhambra HC, Gil Ruedaflores called it, was born.
***
Midbits (same as ‘Tidbits’)
Midbits: Former Bonita linebacker Eric Mikity turns 23 today.
Midbits: “I remember going to an LA Stars game as a kid and seeing Zelmo Beatty.”—MVS commenter Coach Paul Barraza on the demolition of the Los Angeles Sports Arena
Midbits: For the record Arroyo has never lost to Rowland in football.
Midbits: Remember where there was a time people thought Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith was a bust?
Midbits: I’m going to take La Canada in an upset over CV this week…If it doesn’t workout for the Spartans I’ll just tell everyone I had pneumonia.
***
MLB GAMES JOE T. HAS WATCHED THIS SEASON (Minimum 5-innings)
New York Mets: 107
Los Angeles Dodgers: 17
San Francisco Giants: 14
Los Angeles Angels: 8
Quick Pitch (Watney/Ryan): 83
The Dude abides…
637
Psalm 130: 4
Contact Joe at joe@midvalleysports.com
Author of “Tangent Dreams: A High School Football Novel” available through amazon.com …and “The Dead Bug Tales” available this fall.
Follow Joe on Twitter @joet13b
“Joe T.’s Scoreboard” is found at www.midvalleynews.com every Wednesday & in the hard copy of the Mid Valley News, published every Wednesday.
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