By Tim Peterson
Who’s a team to look out for this year? Who’s a team that can jump up and bite somebody? Who’s a team that can contend for a league title that may not be on you radar? It’s the Alhambra Moors.
Montebello should win the Almont with competition from Schurr, but then there are the Moors. Bell Gardens isn’t quite there yet, and of course Keppel and San Gabriel are a few years, (more than a few years?) away.
People forget Alhambra actually made the playoffs last year. The Moors fell in the first round to Santa Ana 32-8 to finish 5-6 overall. But they went 3-2 in league and knocked off Bell Gardens 26-21. They gave Schurr a battle before falling 41-28 and took third. The Moors have several skill players back including Salman Gurung (1045 yards rushing) and Dylan Araiza (244 yards receiving). The Moors looked good Saturday at the El Rancho Tournament beating Northview in the process.
Don’t get all crazy on me. I’m not saying they will hold up the CIF Trophy in December, but will they contend in the Almont and give opponents trouble? Absolutely.
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I’m getting word that Paraclete is absolutely loaded. The Spirits landed transfer quarterback Brevin White, who will be at his third high school, but is receiving D1 offers. White was most recently at Chaminade. They also have other D1 players all over the field including up front where they look physically intimidating.
“They look like a college team,” said one local coach who faced the Spirits recently in passing league.
All of this and they’re coming off of a Division 6 championship. Paraclete will compete in Division 5 this year but with all of that talent a one division jump won’t make dent in the Spirits.
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Crescenta Valley continues to impress. The Falcons keep on rolling in passing league tournaments, they took second at El Rancho, and now they have the size to match the speed. Heck, they call one kid “Gronk”. That’s all you need to know.
Former CV receiver, Jordan Lobianco, who was the Pacific League MVP in 2014, is now on the coaching staff helping the offense.
Look out Pacific, the Falcons are coming.
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No tacos at El Rancho but the dogs weren’t bad.
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I love the competition at the passing leagues and the trash talking doesn’t bother me, but please, it doesn’t need to escalate to blows. I missed the fight Saturday morning at ER, but I did hear about it. Passing leagues are coaching opportunities to coach your team. So worry about your team, not the team lined up across for you. Even the talking needs to be held in check if it begins to escalate. Nothing looks worse than a cornerback chirping to a receiver at the line of scrimmage only to get beat on the next play for a touchdown. I saw this happen several times last Saturday.
Just shut and play. C’mon man it’s passing league! Oh and while were at it can we lay off the referees and the kids running the tournament? It’s 100 degrees outside and they’re working for a cheeseburger and a water. Just be thankful that they’re out there.
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It’s taken a long time but it’s finally here. Northview quarterback Steven Comstock has reached his senior year. Doesn’t it seem like he’s been there for about seven years? That may be because of how much he’s improved since he was a freshman.
“He’s progressed very well. He’s gotten so much better over the last few years,” said Northview OC Chris Williams. “We’ll be putting a lot of the offense on him now and he knows that and is ready for it. “He’s a four year starter, he’s ready to go.”
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It was fun to see San Dimas and Pomona go it Saturday renewing an old Valle Vista League rivalry. When you look at the Red Devils, now playing in the Miramonte with the likes of Bassett, Ganesha, Garey and La Puente, they appear to be a slam dunk for the league title. Despite going 4-7 last year overall, they were 4-0 in league and they look better this season. Keep an eye on running back Marshon Smith, who ran for 604 yards and 11 touchdowns last year as a sophomore.
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Are you done with passing leagues yet? Well there are two more big ones remaining. The Bonita Air Assault is this Friday and Saturday June 23 and 24 and the SGV Shootout at Arroyo on July 1, so you’ll need to put up with the t-shirts and shorts a little longer. Also the West Covina Lineman Competition is this Saturday June 24.
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So I make it out to Chavez Ravine for the first time this year and Clayton Kershaw does something that he’s never done before. He gives up four home runs. Of course.
But rookie sensation Cody Bellinger saved the day with a pair of bombs in a 10-6 Dodger victory. That and the fact that there was an obnoxious New York Met fan sitting right next to me made it all worth while.
65 days until football season kicks off.
That’s my principle.
Tim can be reached at tim@midvalleysports.com or on Twitter @tspeterson40.
@oiler nation I will personally hand out churros to all the Montebello players this year just as a thank you for for comming down.
BeeGee,
Please put down the churros and grab an English book… you make yourself look uneducated and ridiculous. We don’t need to prove our point anymore. It goes through us now… As for Beltran, he definitely knows football and chili cheese fries…Good luck to all teams. Hopefully you can give us some competition this year…
Okay Montebello has won a few league titles. And yes BG football has been in a tailspin but the man at the helm is the right man to guide us. Beltrami is a proven winner and we have all the confidence in him. So we will take our Churros when we celebrate a win over Montebello and yes it’s comming.
@beegee
I’m just wondering how is Schurr the early favorites. Haven’t won league since 2010! Really hope to turn that around this year. Till they knock the Oilers, it goes through them.
You may have a championship ring that you enjoy showing off, but did you ever score four touchdowns in a single game against Andrew Johnson HS?
We’ll show up anyway just to be pests. We’re also anxious to find out how good we and our opponents really are. There could be some surprises ahead.
We don’t plan on quitting, and we have a bunch of guys who are looking forward to putting their talents on display. I think it will be a very competitive season.
Shurr is the early favorite this year only thing thats going to hurt you is your head coach Ramos cant coach we had may years of him. Montebello big drop off especially on the defensive side of the ball and you guys know it but still can’t count them out . Alhambra you guys don’t have that big back no more so that’s that for you guys. BG are a year smarter stronger and faster from last year’s very heavy sophomore team. It’s going to fun this year can’t wait good luck to all except when you play BG.
Jimmy?
You have a Championship ring but your grammar is in dead last. Do everyone a favor and go back to English class and repeat it till you pass again. Skipping school for football practice did nothing for you….
Haha yes the area remember you gotta go through us or better teams than us in the playoffs it Will be another league championship again but … if you want a CIF championship ring I’ll go show it all over the area like u like to call it tell Coach to play good teams not cheap teams to make record for Max preps look good Lol…. good luck win all you want it won’t be pretty come December enjoy clown
@Ron in theory would be nice to see. But let’s be real BG and Alhambra not close to Montebello and Schurr
Hey, how about a four-team race in the Almont League between Montebello, Schurr, Bell Gardens, and Alhambra? And, may the best team win.
I also hope that Mark Keppel and San Gabriel become more competitive in football sooner, rather than later.
A stronger league will help everyone’s CIF power rankings. (In my opinion, the CIF and MaxPreps algorithms are rather suspect, but they’re what we have to deal with right now.)
Strength-of-schedule and winning more games than you lose should be the most important factors in getting positive attention and maybe even moving up a division or two.
Jimmy?
Take a hike. You’re way to far from Montebello to be interested in our blog.. Must be a Schurr imposter again..
I’m happy to be back to defend MHS long standing 5 year dominance of the area. That is a fact and it’s undisputed. Until that changes which I don’t see happening very soon, please move aside…
Oilers who oh ya the ones we beat up on last year Moreno Valley us those guys ..lol…
And La Serna, actually, has not fallen at all lately. LS lost to LM in playoffs 32 to 31; then LM had to play Edison in finals. I think, not know anything, that LS never had to go through an “Edison” during any of the program’s great runs
Oilers!!!!!!
Interesting that the Zions brother choose to go to schurr instead of Alhambra
Alhambra looks solid with their running back
(just saying)
After seeing BG and Alhambra they will both compete for a title and playoff spot. League is wide open. Coaching and team discipline matters.
In answer to Schurr Dad, our top running back is actually Salman Gurung, who will be returning to Alhambra High for his senior season. Gurung rushed for 1,045 yards last year (as Tim Peterson said), despite having to sit out the San Gabriel game because of a concussion.
However, our number-two back in 2016, sophomore Lu-Ring Paialii, has transferred to Valencia High School in Valencia. I’m confident AHS will have a good running attack anyway, since we still have Gurung and other guys who can play. Paialii’s departure will create an opportunity for someone else.
It should be an interesting season; a lot will hinge on whether we can throw the ball well enough to spread the opposing defenses and keep them off balance. We started running the ball pretty well two seasons ago, but the lack of an effective passing game has been holding us back.
And, yes, Two Notes, Alhambra’s 26-21 victory over Bell Gardens last year wasn’t the prettiest, but it was our first win against the Lancers on the road since 1994. We’ll gladly take any kind of a win at B.G.
I encourage everyone to come out and see us play in a couple of months. We’ll open the 2017 season against the South El Monte Eagles at Moor Field on Aug. 25.
It should be a fun matchup, featuring the Eagles’ 2,000-yard rusher, Sal Tovar, and the Moors’ 1,000-yard rusher, Gurung. South El Monte is coming off an 11-2 season and a run to the semifinals, and Alhambra will be seeking a playoff berth for the second straight year.
@Soggybiscuit tell me how BG is a mess.
It’s about time Alhambra returns to the top of the almont. The coaching turnover hurt them but they have had stability for some time now which has helped
Alhambra can’t compete against schurr or Montebello. Like always Tim underestimates Schurr. Bg is a mess. It’s either Montebello or Schurr who will be league Champions
From T. Peterson: Wait, so saying that Montebello should win the Almont with competition from Schurr is a stretch?
Yes we are!
Let’s play a game first before we give out league. It’s going to be a season full of surprises that’s for sure.
I heard Schurr’s offense is loaded and if they open it up this year it might be a wrap for the league title. What’s the word with their new coach and what is he exactly bringing to the table?? Been hearing positive things but the league is still going through Montebello
#22 Stephens checks out of Arcadia??
It’s still a good accomplishment for an upcoming team,(not a moor fan) you seem idiotic give credit where it’s due they played well don’t bash them for out playing a lesser lancer team, because every team has their struggles …ohh and light years is a measurement of distance ,good luck to the lancers, Moors and the almont
I had been told that Alhambra’s top running back (the Sophomore) had transferred out. Is this true? If it is Alhambra is in trouble when the pads come on, that kid was a stud. I don’t care what they do in 7 on 7 vs. Northview. If Northview and Alhambra play a game Northview pulls its starters start of the 3rd quarter because they are up by 40. The Almont League goes thru Schurr! Montebello should be second and don’t be surprised if BG upsets Montebello (there is a lot of positive stuff coming out of BG). But Schurr should roll thru the Almont!
Hate to say it but this might be the year Schurr takes the Almont. MHS should have whooped on them last year but instead MHS let them feel they had similar talent which they didn’t. What they did have was better coaching at the top. They both play Garfield early so the trash talking will start early. Though MHS QB is much better than his counterpart, Schurr has more overall talent and a better line.
It pays a program no compliment to say that they beat last year’s Bell Gardens team. Beltran’s culture change at BG caused a good portion of upperclassmen to quit, leaving the portly fellow with what amounted to a JV squad for his varsity group. The fact that the Moors barely bested this diluted Lancer crew (while others were pounding them) is something to be embarrassed about, not written-up as a feather in the cap.
I do, however, agree with you that Keppel and SG are only a couple years away from relevance….a couple of light years that is.
Generally I examine your takes Pete to look for something to bash you with. Not this one. Comstock is interesting.I hope he has a great senior year. I have heard several HC’s say that early stars best seasons are 1st and 2nd years then a decline happens year 3 and 4. Many prefer the unknown star that shows up late in their Jr. year and explodes in their 4th. Hard to compete at the highest level for 4 years in football. Comstock is the Sundance Kid, gunslinger with plenty of bad hombres hoping to take him down. To hot to really enjoy the food at these tourneys but a cold one afterward, man that is what beer is made for.