Lions Win Griffin and Capture MVL Crown: 53-7
By Rich Whittington
(El Monte) – For the first time since 1979, the El Monte Lions are the undisputed Mission Valley League football champions. The Lions made short work of the visiting
South El Monte Eagles, 53-7, Friday evening, in front of a capacity crowd at Lion field. This was El Monte’s first Griffin Bowl triumph since 2014.
South El Monte actually drew first blood in this annual rivalry game. With 11:43 remaining in the first quarter of play, the Eagles scored on a 72 yard TD run by Sophomore RB Andrew Munoz. The PAT was added by Gasper Beltran. This made the score 7-0. This would prove to be the only scoring for the eagles.
El Monte answered, almost immediately, as Davon Booth returned the ensuing kickoff for an 80 yard score. In the Lions’ usual fashion, Booth added the 2-Point PAT. This made the score 8-7, El Monte, at the 11:26 mark of the first quarter. El Monte was just getting started.
Davon Booth provided his weekly explosive performance. In addition to the kickoff return to open the scoring, Booth scored on a 5 yard TD run, caught an 80 yard TD pass, converted three additional 2 Point PAT runs, and caught a 2 Point PAT pass. If that wasn’t enough, Booth also intercepted a pass from South El Monte QB Mario Zamudio.
El Monte also sent a message to future opponents…that being that Davon Booth is not the Lions only offensive threat. Junior QB Nathan Velasquez proved to be no stranger to the end zone. In addition to throwing the 80 yard TD pass, that was caught by Booth, Velasquez scored on TD runs of 2 and 5 yards. Also adding to the Lions’ TD barrage was senior RB Abel Cueva, who scored on TD trots of 1 and 8 yards.
El Monte finishes their regular season with a 9-1 overall record, a perfect 5-0 in Mission Valley League competition. The Lions advance to the CIF playoffs, which begin next Friday evening. Their opponent, game time, and formal location are TBA.
South El Monte finished their 2018 campaign with an overall record of 5-5, 4-2 in the MVL. The Eagles’ playoff future will be announced on Sunday afternoon.
It’s hard to compare teams from different eras but it’s definitely fun. I would love to see EM play in 2005 when SEM, Rosemead and Arroyo all had very solid teams. Gabrielino won league in 2000! Seems like not long ago but it is already 18 years ago. Times have changed and the quality of football is not the same.
SEM teams led by Jerry Urías were up there with the Rosemead Finals team. Too bad for them that they had to play South Hills. The first 10 years of the 2000’s were definitely tougher than this decades version of the MVL. Gabrielino even had talented teams. Considering how good a coach Jerry is, those teams probably do to EM what San Marino did.
@ Anonymous very true. I would also love to see them against 2005, 2007, and 2012 SEM teams.
When Sanchez and T took over EM football was a joke. One small step above Mt View. Arroyo, Rosemead and even South had some really good teams back then. The MVL wasn’t the cake walk it is now. They turned that program around. It would be fun to see this EM team play the 2004 semi finals Arroyo team or 2009 finals Rosemead team. Back then Sanchez and T didn’t have a ton to work with and they still had good teams. Heck, they still don’t. They had to go out and recruit 3 kids.
@:) are you crazy? Look back at the stats and score of that game and you know that should have been only to SEM. El Monte that year was dominated by SEM. Only reason it was shared was because of a hiccup SEM endured against Rosemead.
NO THANK YOU
@anon maybe joel shouuld come on to ceniceros’ staff
Then they weren’t league champs if it was shared (:
Joel was always a solid coach some years just honestly didn’t have much talent but for T he was always a weird guy that thought he knew everything. I do think Joel could help out a staff somewhere
Yup best team El Monte has had like I said before! Past coaches for EM would’ve been satisfied with the arroyo win and gave up vs south but this team smacked both around LOL…… Joel and T are overrated coaches…..
@tiggers69 and Anonymous…that was a great squad and fun to coach….didn’t quite make it to the finals but we had a great time trying…..
well, El Monte was league champs in 2012 too but ended up sharing that with South El Monte when it should have been El Monte all the way, but kudos to them
Congratulations El Monte Lions. You guys left no doubt about it. Booth and Cueva are the real deal. Your two defensive ends are beasts. Good luck in D13 or rather I’d like to wish good luck to any of those D13 teams trying to stop you guys. Now that it’s over I’ll be pulling for you guys. Your coaching staff has indeed made a huge difference. Don’t make the same mistake our HC made and break up a good thing. To our Eagles players very proud of your effort you guys definitely played hard. It’s hard for me to send off players like Anthony Gomez who plays every night with passion and grit. I’m sure it was tough to go from Mooney to those two new coaches. Or Gaspar Beltran who has a talent that was wasted offensively because of our OC Melendez can’t coach his way out of a paper bag. We had a senior laden Offensive Line and stud backs like Montoya and Munoz power backs like Medina and Ivan. Even or QB can run but they couldn’t figure out a way to fit him into the offense. Gasper Beltran was used as a glorified lineman despite being our best athlete. Explain that logic? Frank Gallardo now has the distinction of owning the most lopsided loss in the history of the Griffin Bowl! And if you think that will go unnoticed you’re crazy. You can’t get embarrassed in this game because you embarrass the entire city. This team could’ve easily been 8-2 losing only to EM and Covina. But we had “young” coaches or a better word is green coaches. Disappointing season. I would hate for sons SR year be coached by these turkeys.
Seen Beltran looking foolish out there LOL and that Montoya kid runs scared. Looks like all that tough guy talk before the game didn’t work… El Monte made that south defense look like Gabrielino lol and they were missing 2 starters on offense..
Gasper was going to this, Gasper was going to do that to booth. Was at the game and Booth was making the whole defense look silly lmao. That d line should’ve cut the knees lol, that o line is something else
Congratulations Lions as a member of the last team to go 5-0 and win the MVL in 1979 this has been way to long of a dry spell Great job good luck in CIF .
THE 1979 EL MONTE FOOTBALL TEAM ALSO MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE CIF SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL GAME AGAINST DON LUGO WHERE THEY LOST
EL MONTE’S ONLY REAL UNDISPUTED UNSHARED MISSION VALLEY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FOOTBALL SINCE 1979 BACK WHEN HENRY OMANA RAY MCNEIL WE’RE PLAYING AND CO CHUCKER WITH THE COACH