LaSalle HC Antoine Peterson
By Andy Villanueva
(Sierra Madre) Beginning his third season at the helm, La Salle Head Coach Antoine Peterson has seen a positive improvement in the Lancer football program.
After a tough first season in 2008 that saw La Salle go 1-9 under Peterson, the Lancers rebounded with an impressive 5-6 season last year and a playoff appearance in the Northwest Division playoffs.
The 2010 version of La Salle football will be a little younger than in years past as they say goodbye to 16 starting seniors from last year.
“We have real good young team,” said Peterson. “Losing sixteen seniors to graduation will make the younger guys work hard. Beginning the first game we will be working hard every play.”
Most notably missing is an offensive line that protected second-year starting quarterback Mike Novell (72 of 119 for 1,167 and 12 touchdowns.) Gone from last year’s line are Andy Pankow, Mickey Sumner and Robby Quintanilla.
That doesn’t mean that Novell won’t have any experience on the line as seniors Jordan Barrett and Anthony Soliman will be asked to protect Novell and lead a new crop of linemen.
The biggest loss maybe felt at wide receiver with Michael Alexander heading to college. Alexander’s 1,608 all-purpose yards led the Lancers in 2010. He also had 34 receptions to help Novell learn Coach Peterson’s offense.
This season look for tight-end senior Kishon Sanders to help with a young receiving corp that includes returning junior Stephen Wright.
Antoine Peterson Jr. will have the bulk of the carries at running back. Peterson Jr, returns as one of the two-way players that is expected to contribute to the success of the Lancer program. He had 197-yards rushing last year on a limited basis.
Defensively, the big names are Chris Alvarado and Barrett who will bookend on the defensive front-line. Alvarado finished 2010 with two sacks and one fumble recovery.
Also on the defensive front will be Jacinto Dyson who closed out last year with an interception and two fumble recoveries.
Sanders will be asked to help develop a young line-backing unit that could see the emergence of Marcus Tappan.
The strongest part of the Lancer defense will be their secondary with Peterson Jr. and Terrell Oliver. Peterson Jr. saw much of last season playing cornerback and may end up playing safety by the time their opener on September 4th comes around.
A BRIEF LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE:
La Salle opens up with two on the road to begin their non-league portion of their schedule. The Lancers begin with Village Christian and will have to make sure they stay focused for their opener with Maranatha looming in Week One.
“Man that is a big one,” Coach Peterson said. “We will have to take care of business in Zero Week and stay focused. It will be our job to make sure the team doesn’t look ahead.”
What has become “bragging” rights for two religious schools takes center stage on the “west side of Pasadena” in Week One when La Salle travels to Maranatha. The teams have split their last two meetings.
The Lancers then play host to San Marino and Pasadena before opening up Del Rey League play against Bosco Tech.
The Del Rey League is no longer the home of California State Champ Serra, Cathedral and Harvard-Westlake as they have moved to the Mission League.
Del Rey League’s new look has some familiar faces for La Salle with Verbum Dei, Mary Star, Cantwell and Bosco Tech entering the same league. The only teams staying around will be St Bernard and Bishop Montgomery.
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