By Tim Peterson
I’m trying to remember the last time on the local high school scene that a team went from first to worst in one year. Arcadia is staring at that scenario now.
After advancing to the CIF title game last year, the Apaches lost a huge senior class to graduation. Also some players that were supposed to be back transferred out including quarterback Dylan Guerra who is now at Warren. Friday night against Valencia Arcadia was down 60-0…at halftime. There was a running clock the entire second half.
A quick look at Arcadia’s schedule and there is maybe one win on the board. The Apaches will lose their next two non-league games to La Serna and Whittier and then Pacific League starts with Burbank. With Hoover done the only game that is winnable is Glendale. And if something happens there…how the mighty have fallen.
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So I’m out at San Dimas last Friday night and somebody on the sidelines reminds me that it’s still Week 1. Wait what? This is the third week of the season so wouldn’t that make it Week 2? Zero Week, then Week 1, Week 2. No he assured me, it’s Week 1. So when Pasadena played St. Genevieve on August 16th wasn’t that Week Zero? This has got to be Week 2. What was that then? Week Double Zero? But it was the Saints first game of the season so that would make it Week 1. Ok, I’ll go with that and this week is Week 2. What’s next though in 2020? Triple Zero Week games?
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Charter Oak looks like it’s back. The Chargers knocked off San Marino in the opener…ok…but followed it up last week with a win over Colony. We’ll know more this week when the Chargers host 2-0 Glendora.
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Speaking of Dylan Guerra, he completed 20 of 32 passed for 399 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 112 yards and a score for Warren in a 44-27 win over St. Anthony. That’s got to sting for Apache fans.
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El Monte is the number two rushing team in the nation after Week Two. Davon Booth leads the way with 331 yards on 15 carries while Abel Cueva has 304 yards on just 11 carries. Now the Lions’ opponents didn’t exactly resemble Alabama and Clemson but over 1000 yards rushing in two games is impressive. Like Charter Oak, we’ll find out more about El Monte this week at San Marino. The Titans, although a different team, dropped 76 on the Lions a year ago. Stay tuned…
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How long do we wait until it’s ok to say a team is undefeated? Is 2-0 really enough? It should be a sports writing rule, especially in football, that a team needs to be at least 5-0 before it’s written that they’re undefeated. With that being said Los Altos-Monrovia and Charter Oak-Glendora this week are both the battle of the unbeatens.
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San Dimas HC Mark Holman always gathers his team together in the locker room for a pregame prayer before they charge out on the field. And then they do what they seemingly always do – pound the rock. When the dust had settled, or in this case turf, Friday night, the Saints had racked up over 300 yards on the ground. Three things you can count on – death, taxes and San Dimas’ running attack. Just another day at the office.
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Yes, I see you Muir. I really do. With nice wins over Western and Hart the Stangs are definitely one of the favorites to win the Pacific. Don’t worry you’re in the rotation. We’ll catch up with you soon when league starts. I’m circling the Burbank and the Crescenta Valley games on my calendar now.
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Norwalk snapped a 12 game losing streak with a 26-0 win over Bell last Friday night. Was it that long ago that Rashaad Penny and Norwalk were a power?
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Los Altos’ 64-16 win over Wilson last Friday night marked the last game of the “Battle for the Wheel” as the game will be discontinued. It’s too bad but Wilson has just fallen too far off the map.
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Former Azusa Pacific assistant Ben Buys won his first high school game in his debut as the head coach at La Salle with a 46-6 victory over Salesian. It was nice to see him get that out of the way in Week 1. Or was it Week 2?
That’s my principle.
Tim can be reached at tim.midvalleysports@gmail.com or on Twitter @tspeterson40.
When’s West Covina going to turn things around? Bring Maggiore back!!!
What do Arroyo Football and Charmin have in common????
Lol couldn’t agree more!
Not praying for safety praying for four more years of Trump…
How do you justify praying to God for safety when the entire game is designed to take each others head off?
Maybe it’s time.
Look like someone is (up-set) because they are NOT a Child of GOD. Prayer and the child
of GOD are TWINS. Keep praying for other and your safety on the football field saints; you have a RIGHT to do so!
Hahaha yeah Arroyo homers and Singiser hates that EM is a better team. Maybe they’ll stop recruiting kids from EM and start plucking them out of Paramount and Vegas haha
If the annual Congressional softball game can have a group prayer on the pitcher’s mound before the game, I think high school football coaches can have a prayer with their players before and/or after the game.
@ Bernie
If your not a parent of one of the student-Athletes who’s in that group prayer then it’s not your business. I’m sure America has bigger issues to worry about like Arroyo peeps can’t stand to be runner ups!!!!
First thing I’m going to look into after I take the oath of office is why San Dimas is holding group prayers on school grounds?