Elijah Penny will carry the load for Norwalk
(San Gabriel) – I was told it was a six shooter but I only counted five schools. Norwalk, El Rancho, Roybal, and Flintridge joined San Gabriel to toss the ball around Thursday.
I figured it out later after SG assistant Donald Bernard advised me that the Matadors were running an A and a B team.
As far as San Gabriel goes, Head Coach Jude Oliva still won’t let me throw a pass. I even got Bernard to lobby for me. “Nah I can’t do it. Joe (Torosian) said it would be the cardinal sin to put the ball in your hands and I think he might be right,” Oliva said.
Somehow right or wrong, my reputation precedes me. I don’t think Oliva is aware I once threw the ball 60 yards down the field. It shouldn’t matter that it took me four throws to do it.
Oliva also told me who would be throwing passes for the Mats. ”I like Andy Guerrero but the thing is he can do so many other things that I would hate to use him at just quarterback. He can line up wide or at running back, a lot of places. ” Oliva said. “If I get him at quarterback and I wouldn’t want to move him around and I don’t think I want that.”
Donovan Gumbs will line up behind center in Norwalk's Double Wing offense
Eric Alvarez continues to impress and battle Guerrero for the starting job.
I advised Bernard that I saw Muir’s line up close and personal on Wednesday and that SG might have its work cut out in zero week. He was quick to point out that the Mats had some big boys up front too. We’ll see what happens on September 3.
Norwalk threw the ball more Thursday than they will in the first six weeks of the season.
“Seriously we’ll probably throw four or five times a game,” said Norwalk Coach Jesse Ceniceros. “We can pass it if we have to but in the double wing offense we won’t need to.”
When you have Elijah Penny (1560 yards), and Billy Moore (1170 yards) returning Ceniceros is right. You don’t need to throw it. When they do pass it Donovan Gumbs will be the guy. Expect Gumbs to do a lot of running also.
The Lancers get Los Alamitos, Cypress, St. Paul and Morningside before opening Suburban Meyer League play with Mayfair on October 1.
El Rancho should make some noise in the Del Rio
Norwalk will participate in the lineman competition at Santa Fe High this Saturday.
El Rancho won’t have to worry about matching up with Norwalk in the regular season but the Dons will have their hands full with the Del Rio League. They have some skill players returning in QB Troy Campos, running backs Art Franco and Ronnel Lone and linebacker Joseph Murillo.
Rick Zepeda’s squad has Los Altos, Northview, Bell Gardens, Montebello and Fontana on the non league schedule.
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