The Moors are going to need big plays out of Vai Peko in 2010
T-Minus-112 Days until “The Mid Valley Classic”
Good Morning!
The post-dawn column experience feels much more natural than the pre-dawn column experience. As Frank Cross would say; “I’m alive! And so are you!”
To tell you the truth, I’m excited to see what is going to happen at Azusa this fall. After a great 2008, most wrote them off in 2009 and the Aztecs extended their season all the way to the semifinals. Even the semifinal game at San Dimas was in play halfway through the third quarter.
Now they’ve lost Kendrec McDade and bunch of other players, I think Joe Scherf has the rest of the Montview and quite a bit of the Mid-Valley Division right where he wants them.
Note to the Curious: The Mid Valley News goes without the hyphen…the Mid-Valley Division employs the hyphen…
Last Add Really Interested: Tip Sanders is in his second year at Duarte, now that is going to be interesting.
Actually had somebody, other than Loyal Fanview Reader Bonita Alum, tell me Bearcats quarterback Garrett Pendleton is going to have an excellent 2010.
As sister Shania once sang: “He’s got the look, but has he got the touch? But don’t get me wrong, yeah, I think he’s alright…”
Pendleton is more than alright. His play down the stretch was excellent and should be better this season.
No, I am not predicting El Monte will go 8-0 to start next season, I’m just saying if certain things go right for them…It could be very interesting heading into a Week Nine conflict with Arroyo. How does the old song go? Oh yeah; “You ain’t messing with a patsy, now you’re messing with a son…”
Moving right along…
Now, since we’ve given some Junior All American love to the Rosemead Rebels and the El Monte/South El Monte Jets…The Temple City junior league wants some attention… Happy to oblige…just send us a website.
Speaking of Temple City, what would the reaction of the faithful be if the new boss (Mike McFarland) decided to run the ball 90% of the time?
Well if he did that and won a CIF title, they would probably put his picture on the wall down at The Crest.
Good question was floated to me this morning: Has anyone ever asked former Monrovia HC Steve Garrison to do some motivational speaking?
Got lectured by a loyal reader for not doing enough feature pieces here at The Mid.
I can appreciate the argument, we hardly do them at all, but I must admit they are an incredible bore to me for the most part. You can only delve so deep at the prep level and just because a player runs for a thousand yards it doesn’t necessarily mean there is more to learn.
However the recent story the Star News’ Miguel Melendez did on Monrovia stat guy Wayne Tao was excellent, but when I’ve read other writers attempting to do similar features I’m just not interested. Several years ago a story actually highlighted how one kid enjoyed eating tacos with his family.
It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly like the Wayne Tao story Melendez did.
Don’t get me wrong, I like eating tacos with my family…I prefer going out for lobster but I’ll take tacos. It just doesn’t make it worth a feature…to me. If I’ve gotta write it, I’ve got to be interested.
Then again, if my pay check was attached to it I’d be interested.
Speaking of lobster, I just read somewhere that expensive lobster purchased for a local sportswriter can put a stop to any curse which prevents coaches from advancing beyond the second round of CIF.
…But I’m not asking Mike Mooney for anything.
Just when you thought it was safe…another coaching move is in the air. More to come.
One place which has had a coaching change is flying under the radar in local circles. Lou Torres has stepped in to replace the retired Gil Ruedaflores at Alhambra. The Moors still play one of the more interesting schedules around with Roosevelt, La Canada, Temple City, L.A. Wilson, and South Pasadena on the non-league docket.
Torres doesn’t have Darrian Cazarin or Mitchell Crockom on offense anymore, and his best returning player on offense might be bad dude Chris Salgado along the line.
On defense linebackers Jacob Caraballo, Devin Lara and George Gonzalez come back. Dominic Gonzalez returns along the front and in the secondary James Martin along with Vai Peko are playmakers who perform on offense as well.
Out of the brutal Southeast and into the light and love (as Brick would say) of the Mid-Valley experience look for the good ship Alhambra to grind it out on land and unleash the warrior spirit of its solid defense for success.
Success could be third place in the Almont, but even that kind of success will not guarantee a playoff spot in the new configuration.
See, knew the Dodgers would blow it.
I’ve been kind of hoping Ramon Ortiz would regain the five earned runs a game form that made him so impressive with the Angels back in the day.
Although I do like the Bums chances better going forward than say…Oh I don’t know…the Orlando Magic’s.
I wonder if they can convince Dennis Scott to come out of retirement?
Last Add Dodgers: Blue State was kind of quiet after last night.
Note to Parents: I’m all for you getting on your teenager’s case. I still the got the boot marks on my case from where it was stepped on as a teen and I was deserving. However, don’t interrupt everyone’s pleasant lunch at a restaurant with a verbal tongue lashing of your young person.
Home? Absolutely appropriate, let’em have it.
At Marie Calendars as I’m doing business with my albacore tuna melt? Bad timing.
This advice is free.
Glad to see Daunte Culpepper has found work with Sacramento in the UFL. Now if the team can sign a Chris Carter and Randy Moss, Culpepper should be back in the NFL by midseason.
The good news about the UFL is its expansion from four to five teams, the Omaha Nighthawks have joined the fiesta.
Did I mention in Tuesdays column that El Monte had over thirty people in the stands watching its second day of spring workouts? They did, and while I understand those are hardly Alabama numbers in the spring it shows a swelling interest in football. Even at a school that struggled in 2009.
I’m told something is in the offing regarding a return of “Andy’s Rants” as a weekly column. Don’t hold your breath or hold it…I’m not sure how to advise. Waiting for Villathedevil to get a column together is like the wait music fans had for Boston to come out with its third album.
Even when you got it you were left thinking… “I waited this long for this?”
Stay thirsty my friends…
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