(La Verne, CA) The Damien Spartans had to wait 12-months to try and get some payback for last year’s 7-0 loss to the La Serna Lancers. Oh, what a difference the year made as the Spartans rolled to a 35-21 victory over the Lancers at home on Friday night.
It didn’t take long for the Spartans to get a 7-0 lead. On the first play from scrimmage from their own 40, Isaiah Arriaza found a streaking Ayden Gutierrez down the middle of the field. A few seconds later Gutierrez was in the endzone for the score. Preston Yado came on to boot through the extra point.
Damien held on to their 7-0 lead until a bolt of lightning wearing a #1 jersey tied the score.
Starting at their own one yard line the Lancers only needed two plays to cover the 99-yards
After again of 16 yards La Serna had the ball on their own 17. Owen Long took the hand off and followed his blocking over the left end. Just when it looked like the Spartan defenders had him hemmed in, Long escaped and burst down the sideline and outraced the Damien defenders to paydirt. Michael Lopez came on to add the extra point to knot the game at 7.
With just a couple minutes gone in the second, the Spartans got on the board again.
A Lopez punt was blocked and Aaron Escarcega scooped up the loose ball and scampered his way to the endzone for a touchdown.
The score remained 14-7 until a little over three minutes was left in the first half.
A big hit on Long by the Spartan defense for a fumble that popped up in the air. Isaiah Lucero came down with the loose ball and returned it to the Lancer 32. Four plays later Arriaza found Gutierrez again on a crossing route over the middle and Gutierrez found glory again and the Spartans went to the locker room with a 21-7 lead.
With 7:58 left in the third period the Lancers forced a turnover that led to a score. Elijah Blue Flores II picked off Arriaza at the Damien 34. From there Jayden Northrup hauled in a 34-yard pass from Aiden Leonardo for the score. The point after was blocked but the Lancers cut the lead to eight.
Damien responded to the La Serna score with one of their own. A five play 62-yard drive was capped by a seven-yard pass from Arriaza to Tony Najjar to extend the lead to 28-13.
On the ensuing drive for the Lancers the lead was cut to 28-21 when they completed a four play 80-yard drive with a 66-yard touchdown from Leondaro to Northrup.The Lancers went for two and Leonardo connected with Long for the two points.
That would be as close as La Serna would get as Damien put up another score on a five yard run by Jordan Young.
The Lancers did have another opportunity to cut into the lead but came up short when Leonardo’s pass fell short on fourth and two at the Spartan three yard line.
Damien will open Baseline League play next week when they host Upland. La Serna will open Del Rio League play next week on the road at Whitter.
That is absolutely inaccurate. Even if El Rancho still had enrollment of 3300 students it doesn’t compare to La Serna being able to pull the best athletes out of 10,000 students if you count the enrollment of La Serna, Cal High, Whittier, Pioneer and Santa Fe. 10k students to pull from and still have to go and get players from the Inland Empire? Is there not enough faith in what you have?
Since you asked
Owen Long has 6 D1 offers apparently
Jake George played at Arizona last year.
Milo Lopez is playing at Boise St. They also have a LB playing at Colorado St & a DE @UTEP. Plus former Lancer, before he transferred to Downey, Jalen Thompson, currently plays in the NFL.
That’s 6 D1 right there.
I find it hilarious that so many people complain about open enrollment and the advantage La Serna has.
Way back when I went to La Serna and it was still the Whitmont league we didn’t complain that El Rancho, Bell Gardens, & Montebello had over 3,000 students, triple the size of LS & SF 2,000 plus, so double the size of LS and our 1000+ students.
The open enrollment just even things out and now things are the way the always should have been. But keep on cryin’ and LS will just keep on winning.
I’m definitely not desperate to Win because I’m not a part of LS. I’m well beyond my years of being actively involved. I’m also not sure the student-athlete QB you appear to focused on left LS on a “BAD NOTE”. It seems you do though. And continue to be focused on him and LS.
And something else you mentioned struck me……”as parents we just want to make our child happy”. I agree to an extent. But come on, you just cant. They will be 18 years old soon. We must try to prepare our kids for the real world where life is not always roses. I hope you’re not a parent in favor of consolation trophies and everyone gets a participation award. Life is not that way. Kids need to experience failure and adversity so they can work at getting better or simply power through.
Again, my best to all of our area teams!!
well as a “Pico Rivera product” you understand how it works.
your with us or against us
respect : everyone respects La Serna bc they are not breaking any rules, LIKE AND RESPECT are two diff things.
as for allowing someone who left your program on a BAD NOTE. Letting them return is one thing, We should always understand these are just kids making decisions. People want to blame the parents but alot of times as parents we just want to make our child happy, this is there life. Letting someone return during off season and SHOW/EARN respect is one thing.
but
La Serna situation right now is they have NO QB. Desperate times. So LS bend over and throw away any character, morals, integrity , BS BS YOU PREACH. You are desperate to win. That is not respectable.
I’m a “Pico Rivera” product. Always proud of where I’m from. I’m not asking anyone to like La Serna. I’m shocked by all the hate because a kid is transferring back to the school.
My compadre coached at a school in Montebello where a kid left the school his senior year and played football somewhere else in Whittier. After that Fall semester was done, the kid transferred back to the high school in Montebello. This was about 15 years ago or so. The only people who complained were the ones who were getting beat by that football team or the ones that couldn’t get that kid in the first place.
Maybe I’m am getting too old to understand the impact it has but I will tell you this, we played with some of the greatest in our city and beat most who lined up against us. We still have the upmost respect for each other and for those we competed against. That word RESPECT sometimes is hard to find in today’s world.
Again, I wish the very best to ALL of our local area teams.
You can call it evolution I’ll call it disrespectful to every kid in that program past and present who remained loyal to their school. News flash if you didn’t earn a scholarship playing at Alemany and Cathedral the last 2 years, you’re not going to earn one by playing a handful of games at LS.
You are wrong, I know of a coach in the DRL who was in a position to bring on players who didn’t even leave the school but wanted to join the team late, they were denied, why? because the hard work of players who remained committed is not something we can throw away for a kid who was never loyal to begin with. Winning is great, but we can’t cannibalize our own kids for it.
old has been got himself Aphasia secondary to CTE
grandpa where do you see anyone complaining about La Serna?
everyone knows what you just typed in your boring paragraph.
La Serna better win with 90% of the local talent that has experience playing football.
Transfers will always be part of the game, so what? you want everyone to be ok with it?
You want everyone in DRL to like La Serna? oh please! Who is going to like its kids leaving to a local school in the same district. Whittier unified should have its boundaries back in place. Let it be pioneer , whittier, cal , or Sf whining the same way and they would have the hammer by now. Look what they did to pellum when he began to “attract” kids .
Your saying La Serna is so great, when was the last time La Serna signed a kid D1?
*hint: its not more than any school in the DRL
I tell two ppl to build me a birdhouse
First person I give a electronic drill
Second person I give a SCREWDRIVER
Have the race, obviously the one with electronic drill will finish faster but that does not make him better.
LONG? hahahahahahahahahaha
*NEWS FLASH*
This is the evolution of high school and college athletics. And from what I’m hearing, it’s just as bad at the youth level with these club & travel clubs. Parents and athletes “trying” to out their kid in the best position to eventually earn an athletic scholarship. When in reality, it probably won’t happen.
I’m pretty confident that all programs would welcome such a move if they haven’t already. I’m guess La Serena is just late to the game.
Well I’m from another DRL school, news flash bud with or without this kid LS wins the Del Rio League easily so it really has no effect on any of us. Pretty crappy for the kids in that program though, I didnt think I would see the day that program accepted and allowed such a move this late in the season.
Let’s try this again for all you hating little babies out there.
It’s really unfortunate that kids and/or parents feel the need to shuffle around to place themselves in the best possible situation as student-athletes with hopes to get themselves to the “next level”. Less than 10% of the student athletes will be recruited out of high school to play college ball. Probably even less with the NCAA transfer portal’s current system.
Now to sit here and read most of you complain about this move is quite entertaining. Most of you are probably pissed because you or your kid is possibly concerned about his future playing time. The other bunch of you (parents, players or coaches) are probably from a local school that is struggling to get guys to play for your school or you’re simply struggling to compete against La Serna.
Well “news flash” for you all, transfers have been an issue across CIF for decades. It has gradually developed into the new norm. CIF is only gonna hold schools accountable if there are blatant violations. If everything is within the guidelines of CIF, then good for the player, good for the program and tough DELETED for you if you’re one of the ones complaining. Parents and players make a conscientious choice to attend La Serna and there’s a reason, they WIN!!! There is no area public school winning like them in the immediate surrounding areas. They compete in the top four divisions during the post season. People refer to the previous coach and his success but that may have been division 7 at best back then. And he’s still be there if he didn’t screw it up. Knock it off with the whining and just get better!!!
Ask yourselves: How many of your kids or players on the team are getting offers right now? How many are satisfied with how your program operates? Probably not many of you.
Just be happy CIF has adjusted the playoff systems so your team has a chance to play in the postseason.
My best wishes to all of our local schools in the greater Whittier, Pico Rivera & Montebello areas
Coach Georgie setting up the scenario is so predictable. throwing Bobadilla in against Damien.
While his golden boy Long waits until he gets the transfers next year to be the savior.
La Serna will get the top talent within a 20 mile radius of the “Glass House” on the hill.
Throw in some IE transfers and the table is set, Just what WUHSD wants.
Friendly Hills money buys alot.
tempered glass
bulletproof glass
unlike your fragile soft glass you have at el rancho
The glasshouse on the hill.
La Serna football like a creepy bordello. Open all night.
Coach Georgie proving how empty that head of his is.
Yes . Baseline #2 league behind Trinity
get with the program or go cry with rancho18
losers
Why would Friendly Hills kids need to be cleared?
What happened to La Serna’s “Courage, Character, and Commitment”
Mid-season transfer. Bringing in players. I guess Coach George figures he needs
that. Doing things the right way, coaching the local kids. LS was believing
their own BS for too long.
La Serna true test will start next week. DEL RIO LEAGUE
time to walk death row
Poor kids, schools better get them waivers signed by parents.
La Serna is coming hot with new New QB and a handful of other players who will be cleared this week, including that new WR that has alot of hype
Will 6-4 overall and 0-4 in the Baseline get you into the playoffs?