Sal Tovar returns for the Southmen (Photo by Duane Barker)
By Tim Peterson
We know, it’s only June but football is a 12 month sport now anyway. What better time to take a quick look at the Mission Valley League than in the middle of June?
Here’s how we see it stacking up…at least on June 12.
Arroyo: The Knights are coming off of a CIF championship and they have their quarterback Ernesto Camacho back. What’s not to like? Skill players Daniel Mendoza, Steven Ocariz and Rey Cotero return as well. Clearly the league favorites.
South El Monte: The Eagles still have Sal Tovar and he is expected to have another huge year, but South is looking to throw the ball more this year. HC Frank Gallardo feels that senior quarterback Daniel Olmos will be up to the task. The Eagles lost some key linemen to graduation and also opponents will try to stack the box which could lead to the SEM passing game. Olmos has looked good so far on the passing circuit and if he continues to improve South could contend for league.
El Monte: Can the Lions finish third? Why not? Jesse Ceniceros is one of the better coaches in the valley. He was a huge hire. If El Monte can pick op on his double wing offense quick enough the run game could be devastating. El Monte has a solid O-Line coming back which is exactly what it needs with Ceniceros at the helm.
Rosemead: It will be interesting to see what new HC Matt Castaneda can do in his first year as the Panthers HC. It was a struggle last year but a 2-8 season for the Mead is an anomaly. It’s not a complete rebuild for the Panthers as skill players Alex Argueta and Chris Alvarez return. They always compete down on Lower Azusa and Rosemead.
Mt. View: One of these years the Vikings will get over the hump…won’t they? View has Arthur Anguiano (509 yards rushing) returning as well as Armando Flores (162) on the ground. The Vikes will do what they always do…pound the ball and grind the clock. But will it be enough to compete in the MVL?
Marshall: The Eagles surprised some people last year going 6-4 overall and 3-3 in league. Was that an aberration or the new Eagles? Well considering there was talk of Marshall folding the program in the off season it may have been an aberration. The Eagles have some speed and some really good athletes, they always do. But until they get a consistent coaching staff and some support, they might be a few years away.
Gabrielino: Jonathan Omar and Jeremy Sanchez ain’t walking through that door anytime soon. It’s over at Gabrielino. The question is when will the Eagles be back?
Why do you think we were 9-3 overall, 5-2 in league this past season? We in fact should have whipped Burbank for the first time since 2011, yet if our quarterback was mentally faster in his strategies and we fell at Quartz Hill 21-22 same way Monrovia fell short to us. Yet if we beat Quartz Hill, we would have been very capable of making CIF champions where we anyways would have fallen to then champion Valley View which would/could/should have made us 12-2 overall, 6-1 in league. Yes, those Pasadena kids should have been more disciplined off the field and they need to behave better which Coach Policky obviously as a responsible head coach needs to take action. In 2015, we were capable of being league co-champions with John Burroughs and we should have beaten Burroughs, which could have made us at least 9-2 overall, 6-1 in league only making us fall to burbank back then.
Arroyo has got 0 transfers, to date, this off season. If they do, so what? There is no, has never been a, parent booster club so Singiser doesn’t have to answer to anyone. Go to a tournament recently? Coaches families almost exclusively attend & not many, if any, parents. So who is going to raise a stink? Hahaha! Their coach has been there 20+ years and just won CIF. Add to that he is the AD. I don’t think Arroyo is too worried about it. LOL!
El Ranchos somewhat successful run the last few years has been done with 99% homegrown kids, the few transfers during 2014 etc were all Pico kids who left a private school to come to their home school. I would go as far as to say that La Serna hasn’t gone on the recruiting trail and simply gets good players coming in as freshmen.. I am proud to say that if ER is successful they will be because they do things the right way…
@FunkyBunch: El Monte will not be able to stop SEM let alone Arroyo, Camacho from Arroyo will torch both SEM and El Monte, especially El Monte. Stay off that wacky tabacky.
Every good team recruits transfer players. You have to in this environment to succeed. La Serna, La Mirada, Arroyo,La Habra all the teams that matter have tons of players that come from outside the attendance zone. If you have a great player that lives in Pioneer’s area why waste your career going there.?Help the kid a little.
Wow can’t believe SF would choose to have a poster boy for that thug life on their staff, doesn’t surprise me though that coach needs to win or he’s probably getting the axe…
Arroyo has kids that transferred in? Who are they and where are they from?
Santa Fe? You mean the team that accuses everyone else of cheating yet openly recruits players. Players that are picked up at homes in LA or bus stops in Whittier by coaches?
@ Arcadia
Why did those kids leave back to Muir? Was it because of some off the “field issues”… the staff has done nothing positive with the Arcadia local talent. The kids they win with are with Pasadena kids. And they have only done better inleague vs Glendale, Hoover, and down Burbank teams.
@Chief ranch demolition
Pellum, who’s lap top did you steal this time in order to write this post? As Seth famously said in Superbad,”People don’t forget”.
http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/romeo_pellum_rips_wsu/s1_2847_876233
49-3
What do you mean by “Arcadia’s OC is on a power trip and doesn’t know much about coaching kids up! Everyone’s talking about it but coach Policky doesn’t have the guts nor the options to fire 🔥 him”?
Coach Robert Maxie is a fine coach and a fine man who is a father of 2 young boys and a husband. We have had major significant improvements since policky hired this staff in 2015 and I am friends with them. If it wasn’t for them, there is no way our football team can be any better…
From: Arcadia High student class of 2018
Arroyo definitely picked up at least two transfers. This will not playout well here at Arroyo. It’s not like other schools that welcome transfers, parents of the kids who lose jobs to transfers will let ol’ jimmy football know exactly what they think about it. With all the extra negative issues currently on the Arroyo campus it’s an unnecessary headache. Plus, if you do start picking up transfers I’m sure League realignment will come soon after. Word is they are also after a receiver from BHS
@Really
With that being said Bet you arroyo loses to Schurr this year. I’m starting to believe in the hype I’ve heard come out of the Almont league!
Oh, by the way, isn’t it funny that the baby blue knights don’t have a single preseason game against anyone in a higher division? They play Covina at home and they are in Division 11 too. Hey gentlemen, that won’t get them another Regional Bowl home game, I mean, home dance. No, I mean, give away home game to a San Diego private school. That’s one way to try and stay in the lower Divisions! Schedule down! LOL!
Isn’t the title ‘” Early Look at the MVL?” Look, I know that everyone is excited about their teams. I get it! Its great to see the blogs active for football. Please, just put on your thinking guardian caps boys, and wait for your leagues “1st look”. Especially the same A–wipes from A-M town, Recruiter-Ville, the Pacifists and the Boarder River jumpers. Really! You can’t wait! Oh by the way I heard that Arroyo got a couple of transfers that want a ring that left the Apache camp.Arroyo still has a shot for a ring in Division 11. They can beat teams in Div IX!
Mission Valley League teams will be working their tails off trying to be as good as they can possibly be. Arroyo seemingly is there every year with built advantages. South El Monte has one of those kids that come along every so often and shakes up the balance of powers. El Monte has a coach that compete intellectually with the coaches in MVL which should spell wins. Rosemead is the other perennial power that is down right now but a new voice and new energy maybe good things come out of it. Mountain View is in transition but they never lose easy. It’s always tough to beat the Vikings. Gabrielino is a sleeper a talented Frosh class maybe a year away from being competitive again. Marshall who knows but they were fun to watch last year. Everyone starts out 0-0 and every season brings new hope. MVL is always entertaining whatever the result. I got SEM pulling the upset over Arroyo and I have El Monte finishing in third but every game will be fantastic. Good luck
Arcadia’s OC is on a power trip and doesn’t know much about coaching kids up! Everyone’s talking about it but coach Policky doesn’t have the guts nor the options to fire 🔥 him
SEM will contend for the title this year again.. sucks for Gabrielino that they haven’t had a good year since Elijah peters was QB. 2013 and 2014
Our hats will do the talking on October 20. Bring it!
LS time is up.
Ranch wait your turn it’s the Santa Fe era. Grab a seat get your popcorn and enjoy the show.
Jeremy Sanchez, there’s a name I haven’t heard in a while
Must be some mistake, I’m fairly sure he’s still playing and he’s not known to be a problem kid…I know he was there for the spring game…
I know Medrano can be a tough coach but….. I noticed several returners are no longer listed on the roster. Vela and also the younger Huerta. Did he quit too?
@m-town
That must be the kid with the dad that yells out all kinds of BS from the stands. The kid is alright he can be a player for Monrovia this season. He ain’t no Elijah Hall tho
@ A-Town Relaxe there .. that is why your OC always text me or calling me trying to get my boy over there .. cause all the Pasadena kids are transferring back to Muir …
Alfonso Castillo
You’re right, as far as I was told his mind was always with baseball for the last 3 years and didn’t want to get hurt so he could be good for baseball. Good kid, just football wasn’t for him anymore, he could have been one of the first 4 year letterman in football and baseball in a very long time since he was playing varsity freshmen year. Oh well we play with what we have.
If anyone thinks SEM , Arroyo are easily 1 & 2 that easy you’re crazy. EM and Rosemead will have something to say about that believe me.
@ A-town; lets not talk about (private School) if we all hate them so much not because they are the best but for the cheating ways, lets all stop commenting and making remarks or answering to D1 Fan , no more exposure, and when D1 Fan comments lets all ignore him
I saw ER play last year against LS. Hearing that Jr. running back is forgoing his senior year for baseball is not at all surprising. Often soph and jr. seasons are more productive than sr. year. Plus if your heart is not in it and are overly concerned about injury best call it a day for the football field. Many teams lose senior players every season. At every level from pro to high school you can see players that give up as the season grinds on. This is where coaching really comes to a head. Ability to keep your players engaged and enthusiastic is paramount. Football is a huge grind along with time and training commitments. I”am always impressed by those that can persevere.
Not this year.A-Town All those Cats are on the roster and from what I know the upcoming Fresman squad is going to be very good this year. These parents had their day with Cathedral. My question is WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RIVALRY GAME BETWEEN THE CATS & Da BRATS?
I can assure you Walker is not at Cathedral!
El Rancho has a great coaching staff maybe one of the best in the area, QB play will be crucial, the loss of RB/DB Jason Vela who decided to sit out for baseball hurt, but there is some solid players ready to fill in. Santa Fe will overthrow LS, but don’t be surprised if they finish 4-1… Whittier and Cal will battle it out for 4th… pioneer will continue to be pioneer it its final Del Rio League campaign…
Easy wild kitties. You have no qb all those weapons and no trigger man. And I thought walker was at cathedral? Keep mentioning all those names and cathedral will come creeping
Monrovia has a very good underclassmen group. The QB is most likely Be AJ Carreon, he is going to be much better at the possition than most have given him credit to be. Another guy coming up the ranks at RB is Sophomore Devan Mayes, I see great things happening for this kid before its all said and done. Jr, Maury Rams is going to be a BEAST for the next two year. He has put on some weight and has very mature vision as a RB along with Alphonso Castillo who I think is the strongest kid pound for pound on this team and would start at 98% of all high schools in the west SGV. My favorite player is Javen Walker who will be All CIF on defense in Div. 7 and could be up for MVP on the D. All that said, I think the CAT’s Are BACK, don’t believe me just check them out! Ps… they have one of the biggest lines in the entire SGV as Well. Bigger question is Where’s Arcadia? Monrovia was coming this season….
Chen,
Calm down on throwing the DOMANATE word around. Let’s get to the first game. MUIR will get its revenge on ARCADIA. Don’t forget. Your coaching staff is home grown Pasadena talent.
From what I heard and seen nobody transferred. They got a big line that’s getting strong. With the athletes the way they’ve bought in. El Monte isn’t going to be a cakewalk for any team in the MVL. And it’s a lot easier to talk about stopping the double wing then it is doing it.
And 5th place, come on guy. View, Gabby, Marshall and Mead don’t stand a chance not because they’re bad teams but because they’re rebuilding.
Rio Hondo League will come down to Monrovia and San Marino. I give the edge to the Cats however. They have speed everywhere and with Michael Washington,Maury Rams, Alfonso Castillo if they get decent QB play the offense will pile on points. On defense look out for top returning tackler Javen Walker along with Washington and Castillo and some new faces will be better than last years defense!
Tim, are you guys going to do this with some other leagues? I hope so, this is the stuff that will keep all of us high school football fans in check until season!
Del Rio League – Can Santa Fe overthrow La Serna? Will El Rancho make a run?
Almont League – Is this the year Schurr finally breaks thru? Can Bell Gardens upset one of the Big Two? Can Alhambra build on its 3rd place and playoff appearance?
Pacific League – Can Arcadia or Muir topple CV?
And all of the other interesting questions surrounding the other leagues
South El Monte wants to throw more? Well that’s a contradiction. Are they ditching the wing t as well?
If commenter ‘finally’ is trying to say that SG has hired Sarkisian, then CIF needs to announce that Jack Daniels is the new sponsor for sports drinks.
How about for Pacific and Rio Hondo leagues?
For pacific, I know we Arcadia and crescenta valley will dominate pacific league, john Muir’s coming back, John Burroughs loses chance bell, Jesse chamberlain, and some other key class of 2017, burbank loses class of 2017 but has some key class of 2018, Pasadena may lost some class of 2017 but who knows who will return from class of 2018, Hoover–they may lose Coach Andersen since I heard he will take reigns of full time AD from retiring coach van patten, glendale-despite how much their coach tries really hard, glendale still struggles…good luck to everyone in pacific
Good luck to Rio Hondo too.
El Monte O’line will not be able to perform at the level Ceniceros wants them to perform, lost key players to graduation and transfers. Double Wing is all about misdirection; Stack the box, fill the gaps, double wing falls. As soon as you shut the down the running game, he’ll have to resort to passing, that ‘s their achilles heal. Defensively, no solid corners, no safeties, middle linebacker will be solid, if Ceniceros does not use him as running back. 5th place finish for sure.
This time this time it’s real guys sg has a coach held practice today ,saw it with my own two eyes, I will get his name latter , he was the steelers head coach and USC OC like a great man once said huge hire
Arroyo vs South El Monte will be epic this year!!!
The game of the year in the San gabriel valley. Question… Can Arroyo stop a bigger stronger faster Sal Tovar?
Can the Eagles stop a bigger stronger better Ernesto Camacho?
Knights want to stay on top, the Eagles want the throne. Who ya got?
Who has bigger bragging rights. The dad whose son is the best player on a little league all-star team or the dad whose kid is the mop up reliever on the Oakland A’s? El Monte is 3rd place if they are lucky on a little league team. Good for you!!
I think the MVL is gonna be real competitive this real and for years to come I see EM getting better with their coach and Rosemead being able to do something with theirs. Wouldn’t be surprised if arroyo takes an L in league and it have a pair or 4 win teams after them.
Yes, El Monte will probably finish third in the MVL, but Pioneer was given a higher CIF power rating because it has perfected the art of finishing last in the Del Rio. Simply stated, nobody fails better.
Daniel Olmos is a true dual threat he has to be great if SEM has a shot at getting over the hump vs Arroyo. With all eyes on Tovar he’ll have some great chances.
Arroyo is building on last years success and dare I say maybe even better than last year. Definitely bigger. Camacho looks like he took the off season very serious. The “Showdown” should be a great game but the Knights are too much offense for SEM.