The Peterson Principle: 3/17/2021

By Tim Peterson

High School football season has finally kicked off. There were just a few games last week in what I’m calling Zero Week and then its gets underway in earnest this week. There will however be a couple of hiccups along the way.

With the La Mirada-Segerstrom game scheduled for March 25 canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test from Segerstrom, it makes at least the third high school football game that has been canceled due to the virus. Like the NFL, NBA, and college basketball or any other sports competition that has started during the pandemic there are going to be postponements, cancellations and schedule changes.

It’s nothing to freak out about but it is reality. Think about it. If just one player or coach tests positive, out of the maybe 60 or 70 people involved in the game, it has to be canceled. The case rate is very low, and decreasing by the day, and 1 in 70 is extremely low, but again 1 positive can stop the contest. There’s no way around that. You can expect this to happen a few more times during the abbreviated 5 or 6 game season. The important thing though is the players, especially the seniors, are getting a chance to play. They’re trying to make it work.

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I don’t mind Muir, Pasadena and Pasadena Poly playing all of their games in the Rose Bowl, It is kind of cool for the kids. But with most schools allowing just two family members per player in attendance, isn’t it going to seem like ghost town? All of these schools have their own stadiums on campus. Why not just play their games there? With the limited number of fans it would be a better atmosphere in the smaller venue. I don’t know….just a thought.

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Speaking of Muir, it was reported this week that Deshon Thompson has transferred from Northview to Muir and is practicing with the Mustangs this week. Wait, didn’t this already happen? I looked it up and I had written the same story back in December of 2019. Thompson had confirmed it with me at that time. Apparently what happened was that it was right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and it flew under the radar. But either way…just to refresh everybody’s memory, yes, Thompson is at Muir. The good thing is it didn’t come as a shock to Northview. The Vikings have been preparing for this for the last 15 months.

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The whole Sierra Vista-Baldwin Park game went off the rails on Twitter. Bottom line is the schedules are already set. Sierra Vista would have to cancel its game with El Rancho on April 9 to make the Baldwin Park game work. But would that be fair to El Rancho? Adrian Medrano’s team has already been preparing for the game with Sierra Vista and like most of the schools their schedule is already set. Let’s leave well enough alone. It’s not the end of the world if Sierra Vista and Baldwin Park don’t bang heads this year. Nobody is ducking anybody. It just didn’t work out. Plus missing one year will just make next year’s game that much more entertaining. Set it up for fall 2021. I’ll even buy the winning coach a large pizza at Rios.

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Nice to see St. Francis win in the final seconds last week over Mira Costa in its first game since the passing of Jim Bonds. You just know the coach was looking down and smiling when the Golden Knights pulled that one out. Great moment for the players.

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If you’re not doing anything Saturday night, and have a connection to get in, go check out Muir and La Serna at California High School. Both teams had to cancel their original games due to a COVID-19 positive test by their opponents so they were able to set up this game. Great match up and really the only thing going on a Saturday night. Should be a barnburner.

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Anybody else notice that San Dimas has only one road game on its five game schedule? Must be nice to be a Saint. Home Sweet Home. Circle April 9 on your calendar. The San Dimas-Northview game, as it usually is, should be a classic. By the way Northview has only one road game as well- at San Dimas.

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Final note on Sierra Vista: Coach Matt Villasenor says his team is better than last year. The Dons will get their first big test April 2 at Monrovia before facing the other Dons – El Rancho on April 9. “If we can win both of those games that would be huge,” Villasenor said. Huge indeed, but it still won’t get him a pizza. That only comes with a win over BP.

That’s my principle.

Tim can be reached at tim.midvalleysports@gmailcom or on Twitter @tspeterson40.

3 Comments to "The Peterson Principle: 3/17/2021"

  1. Del Rio FB fan's Gravatar Del Rio FB fan
    March 22, 2021 - 11:30 am | Permalink

    100% agree. They don’t have any standout players like they did in the past. Definitely a rebuilding year for them. And am I mistaken, did they lose one of their best lineman? Heard through the grapevine he transferred to another school. Can someone confirm?

  2. Areafan's Gravatar Areafan
    March 17, 2021 - 11:49 pm | Permalink

    Ouch, could get ugly

  3. Pac 5 Scout's Gravatar Pac 5 Scout
    March 17, 2021 - 4:37 pm | Permalink

    SV need not worry about ER. ER is not only very small but also slow and young with poor coaching and not a D1 prospect anywhere to be seen. SV 52-ER6

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