All kickoffs are at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise indicated:
Thursday September 15
Damien (1-3) at La Serna (3-1) (California)
Damien is coming off a loss to Orange Lutheran while La Serna knocked off another good team in Tesoro. The Lancers keep lining up against solid teams and keep coming away with victories. They’ve only lost once, to Warren, in Week 1. Damien’s schedule has been brutal also. The Spartans have been right there but they keep coming up just short. It looks like it will happen again. La Serna wins a tight one.
La Serna 24 Damien 21
California (2-2) at Northview (3-1) (Covina District Field)
Northview’s running attack has been in high gear. That will continue this week. Cal will try to keep up but the Condors will be overmatched in this one. The Vikings will wear them down and eventually wear them out. Vikes roll.
Northview 35 California 13
El Monte (0-3) at Sierra Vista (3-1)
The Ceniceros Bowl: Coach Jesse Ceniceros led El Monte to a CIF and State championship in 2019 but now he will be on the opposite sideline as the HC at Sierra Vista. He already has the Dons cooking, especially Eric “Tarzan” Terrazas who ran for 410 yards and five touchdowns last week. Hector Spathias is a solid coach but it’s going to take him a couple of years at least to get the Lions back on track. Sierra Vista wins big.
Sierra Vista 35 El Monte 14
Friday September 16
Downey (3-1) at St. Paul (2-2)
St Paul needs a win after being outscored 77-13 in their last two games. Downey lost its first game but has been on a roll ever since. The Vikings have pillaged their last three opponents. St. Paul may have a slight advantage due to the home field but that shouldn’t slow down Downey. Downey takes an early lead and never looks back. Vikings win on the road.
Downey 31 St. Paul 14
Colony (4-0) at Pasadena (3-1)
Both teams have been impressive. Pasadena lost a one-point game in Zero Week to La Serna but has responded to win three straight including a one-point win over Loyola last week. Colony has won four straight navigating its way through a competitive schedule. Colony will again compete and may even take an early lead. But in the end the Bulldogs will find a way. Their offense really hasn’t exploded yet. This may be the week.
Pasadena 34 Colony 20
Schurr (2-2) at San Dimas (2-2)
San Dimas is coming off a tough loss to Bonita in the Smudge Pot in a game the Saints may have won had they not turned the ball over three times. Schurr beat a hot Baldwin Park team last week dropping 45 on the Braves. San Dimas’ running attack can be devastating when it gets going. The question is can Schurr stop it? Maybe once in awhile but not the entire night. San Dimas’ ground game will eventually be too much for the Spartans. Saints get the W.
San Dimas 28 Schurr 14
Muir (1-3) at St Francis (1-3)
Muir has struggled in its first four games losing three of them. The Mustangs finally picked up a win last week over St. Margaret’s. St. Francis has lost three of four as well but has faced some stiff competition. The Golden Knights may take out some of their frustrations in this one. Muir won’ be able to match up. St. Francis wins handily.
St. Francis 31 Muir 10
Baldwin Park (3-1) at Rosemead (0-3)
It’s going to take Rosemead a couple of years to get back on track. it’s been a rough go so far for new coach Arlin Slayton and the Panthers. Baldwin Park was flying high before being knocked down a notch by Schurr last week. The Braves will rebound this week. Their offense will be too much for the Mead.
Baldwin Park 42 Rosemead 13
Idk who answered Fri-Sun it was the whole bye week till Tuesday this week.
Anonymous,
LS against the world was a sentiment that one of your own followers put out there when they claimed that the MVS snubbed them when they didn’t do a match-up write up! LOL!
Yes, we do believe you fundraise like every other school, but let’s be real, one of your donor’s donation may equal half (or more) of what other local school fundraise altogether. No fault of La Serna fo course, having families with deeper pockets, but it isn’t apples to apples as you make it seem.
We know, you won’t complain if placed in the D3 bracket, but we could already hear it in the sidelines about the possibility of the D2 bracket, and yes, there will be many complaints from your camp if it happens. Shoot, I would be complaining too, put in all this work, only to be put up against a team that belongs in the D1 bracket. Maybe, just maybe you get past the 1st round, if going against the lowest seed, but come 2nd round….it really isn’t Any Given [Thursday or Friday].
Lion Parent…come on. Friday & Saturday on a bye week and they can’t practice/meet on Sunday. That is completely normal, no issue with that whatsoever.
A lot of the power rating , especially at this time of year is determined by what your previous opponents do on that given weekend ; if all your previous opponents pull off upsets ….or in that direction ….your rating willl improve !
@ Del Rio you know that makes so much sense with the way the playoff system is for 2022. La Serna Def shutting out Damien is no easy feet.
@Del Rio Watcher
Believe me we all joke about tanking against Tesoro, Damien and Culver City because of this new system… but you can’t stop being competitive. It’s against football nature.
@ everyone else
And to all the morons saying LS is always saying their against the world, that we’re an all-star team, or that they are a team with infinite resources because of the area you’re just flat out clueless.
We fundraise just like everyone else, we are constantly picked to lose in non-league games (hell even last year Robledo picked us to lose to Los Osos and ER, who we put 42 points on), and if you saw the height and weight of our guys you’d know we don’t have an option of preference of kids from anywhere. If that were the case the OL and DL would average 6’2″ and weigh 250+ pounds. We average 5’9″ and 200 lbs lol and all our skill guys would be going D1 every year. You guys are pulling stuff out of your *** at this point and it’s comical.
LS will end up in D3 (maybe D2) and have to play the best we’ve ever played each week to have a chance at a ring – you won’t hear us complaining about it.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday is not a week off. It’s a bye week. Rest when you’ve been getting smacked around might be a good thing. If you didn’t want your kid to suck then you shouldn’t have enrolled at El Monte.
I hope Damien beats LS but not for the reason you might think. I would like to see LS power ratings to lower. I found it interesting when after Monrovia spanked ER the next day ER rating was better by several points. If LS rating is in the 50’s after they beat Damien just ER playing LS will kick them up 4 ticks and a close game maybe 8 rating points. That might get them a 1st round match again against a top seed in D7. ER is doing itself no favors by playing Mayfair tight Friday but the Dons have always been to stubborn to play politics. BTW La Serna did itself no favors by beating Tesoro. They are facing one and done also in the playoffs. Their hope now is to win out and maybe get a top seed in D2 or 3 and get to play a 16 seed in the 1st round. This playoff system sucks. Right now Glendora, La Habra, West Co., Bonita and San Dimas are my picks for rings. Losers end up winners.
YOU ARE THE UNDER DOG WHEN YOURE IN D3!! LS DIVISON 3 CHAMPS!!!
La Serna is very good, and has been one the most consistent high school football programs of the last two decades.
Damien is fools gold, and has been campaigning for unearned attention and undeserved praise for quite some time.
Having said that, I believe Damien will win this game vs La Serna, and when they do, they will have earned it.
@area yeah they have so much money smh clueless bruh
When you are the best coaching staff in the sgv you can take a vacation when ever you feel like it!
Yes, during the bye week they took Friday, Saturday and Sunday off.
Area,
It was one guy, IMO, who was already putting it out there when they didn’t get a Game Night: Week 3 write up. LOL!
What’s with LS tryna take this us against the world underdog role, they are like the absolute opposite, their district provides them every advantage, the parents provide tons of money, all this fake underdog stuff is so unlikeable.
Are you saying that the El Monte head coach is taking week off at present ??
Please clarify
@LS
if you knew anything about LS then you would know the DEFENSE IS TOP TIER! filled with experience from last year … TESORO didn’t want to lose to those whittier (all-Star) boys !! AHAHAHAH!!!
What kind of coach goes on a vacation for a week during the season? I know coaches need a break but they give kids a hard time for missing one day than they go and miss over a week! Hope my son isn’t going to have to suffer like I did when I went there just beating Mountain View in league and that’s it.
MVS, thank God you did a matchup write up for the La Serna v Damien game! You already had IMO claiming MVS was snubbing La Serna!!! La Serna v the World!! HAHAHAHA
Lol ! What! Are you seriously saying Tesoro tanked the second half ?
You are spot on with your picks, but I see a few upsets this week. The coaches are settling in and learning more about their players. Some of those teams that are picked to lose have good coaches and they can pull a rabbit out of a hat. Fun week of high school football. Ramos did it last week. I think Damien has a fighters chance along with all the other schools.
Good Mid Valley. You put La Serna game #1. Maybe Damien will stop playing in the 2nd half in hopes of a lower playoff division like Tesoro did.