By Tim Peterson
The Dodgers have won nine straight, the NBA Finals are set, and the Summer Olympics are just a couple of weeks away. So of course we’ll talk some high school football.
Two big summer passing tournaments are already out of the way with two more looming over the next three weeks. What have we learned from the “Rumble at the Ranch” at El Rancho and the Charter Oak Super 7 Tournament? Well besides being a quick turn around (the spring season just ended two months ago), and the temperatures nearing 100 degrees, we have to look at California, Yes Cal! as being a possible serious contender.
No, we’re not contacting CIF to see if they can start engraving the championship trophy just yet, remember this is passing league, but what Cal has done in these first two tournaments has definitely raised some eyebrows. The Condors won the El Rancho tournament beating Culver City in the Finals. They also had to go through Del Rio power La Serna to get to the championship game.
Cal followed that up the next week with a semi final appearance at Charter Oak. This time the Condors lost to La Serna in the semis before the Lancers fell to Charter Oak (yes Charter Oak won its own tournament). But when you looked at the teams at Charter Oak, Cal wasn’t a team that you would have tabbed as a semi finalist.
Along with La Serna and Charter Oak, there was Monrovia, Ayala, Rancho Cucamonga, Diamond Ranch and Arroyo among others. However there was Cal in the final four. The Condors are led by sophomore quarterback Daniel Torres who threw for close to 400 yards in three Spring games as a freshman. Cal has a couple of solid receivers returning in Adrian Moreno and Alex Petigny. The Condors lost only one game in the Spring, to La Serna, going 4-1 overall. They beat all of the other opponents in the Del Rio and surprised Los Altos in the opener.
Make no mistake, the Del Rio League runs through La Serna, but this year, in the second season of 2021, Cal looks ready to make a run.
Speaking of La Serna Head Coach Andy George told me they were young but he has been impressed at the way the Lancers have been battling so far. La Serna went 5-0 in the Spring while rolling over everybody in the process. They did lose a heavy senior laden class including quarterback Dylan Long and running backs Steven Pinales and Blake Clay. But they do return the coach’s nephew, receiver Jake George, who has already received an offer from New Mexico. And based on their passing league performances so far, the offense hasn’t skipped a beat. La Serna is the Del Rio favorite but Cal could be…yes I said could be…a threat.
Where does El Rancho fit in the Del Rio? Adrian Medrano will have them ready, he always does, and the Dons are returning running back Anthony Bonilla who rushed for 700 yards in five Spring games. Keep an eye on Bonilla, he can play.
Have you seen Monrovia yet? I have and I can confidently tell you now that they will have zero competition in the Rio Hondo. San Marino and La Canada are rebuilding with new coaches, South Pasadena doesn’t have enough and Temple City currently doesn’t have a head coach. Monrovia has Noah Rodriguez back for a full season behind center, Carlos Hernandez and Kaden Taylor along with a host of other talented playmakers. The only question for the Wildcats is how far they go in the playoffs.
One thing Monrovia won’t have is Matt Villasenor as offensive coordinator. The former Sierra Vista Co-head coach was at Northview early in June but that apparently didn’t work out. Then it was reported (to me at least) that he was at Monrovia as OC. I had that confirmed that he was there until…he wasn’t. He took a job at Bishop Amat the next day. Where will he be next week? Mater Dei?
I saw San Dimas at the El Rancho tournament. Right, I know…what is San Dimas doing at a passing tournament? Well the Saints got in some good work and they will throw the ball…two or three times a game. As usual though the Saints MO once they put on the pads in August will be running over opponents.
That’s my principle.
Tim can be reached at tim.midvalleysports@gmail.com or on Twitter @tspeterson40 or Facebook.
@ER Yeah you are right. My fault. That is super cool and that’s what it’s all about. Go get em this year.
@ Ed: Yeah, those mighty biceps. You looked like you were in playing shape during the years you officiated in the NFL. Hard work does pay off!
@RV: I’am considering getting back and calling a few high school games. The problem is I don’t fit into my stripes anymore, my guns are too big.
You’re right, in the grand scheme of things red patches don’t matter, just thought it was cool that a lot of those kids played together and are finishing high school together on the same team.
@ER “Red Patches”?! Seriously?! No one cares about that DELETED! Come on!!
When I was coaching, the officials would always try to recruit us to come to the other side. “Let me know when you want to move on they would say”.
@ Ed: Maybe you can come out of retirement to help out in the CIF Southern Section. You were an all-time great as a referee in the NFL; your expertise and ability to keep games under control would be a big plus. (I’m engaging in a little tongue-in-cheek humor, unless you really are Ed…)
Along with Bonilla are a core of returning starters from the pandemic spring season who also have been playing together since their days at the Pico Rivera Dons winning multiple Red Patches under Coach Rick Ulibarri. Angel Diaz is going into his junior year as the leading tackler in the Del Rio league and will be starting at LB for the 3rd straight year, expect a huge year for Diaz. Lots of returning all league players, some key additions at OL, Medrano will have his boys ready.
I’ve said it before, the DRL is going to be a dog fight in 2021. Expect the unexpected, you heard it here first.
It’s nice to hear about Cal’s passing league success, but let’s not forget the role played by the guys up front. These are the players who give the QB time to find his man, block to get backs up field, and who fill gaps to stop the other team’s attack. If Zamora’s group is to best the Lancers this fall, they will have to do it on the line of scrimmage…that’s what football is all about.
Mark my words, the big problem in CIF will be the refs. Spring told us there were not enough competent officials. The ref associations are supplying leagues with folks that never played the game in and are just in it for easy money. This will lead to a crazy amount of personal fouls and expulsions. Sideline warnings will be flagged before the kickoff. PI’s and holding will not be called because they have not seen it enough and procedure penalties will be non existent. Wait and see.