La Canada quarterback Joe Bell will lead the Spartans offense this year.
By Tim Peterson
The Rio Hondo and the Pacific League, with one Mission Valley League team added, have combined to form one conference now – a super conference if you will. There will be three leagues, like the MAC 12, with the first league considered the top tier. The lower tier was originally supposed to be six teams but Blair and Marshall are not fielding teams this year. Here are the projections for the three leagues.
Leagues: Projected order of finish:
Arroyo League
1. Muir-Head Coach: Matt Villasenor. Muir’s Arthur Moreno was leading the Mustangs all summer but the quarterback transferred to Maranatha when Kaiden Agbung, a quarterback from Arizona with D-1 offers, transferred in. Muir has several skill players like receiver/ defensive back Noah Bozeman, running back/ linebacker David Cannon and athlete Deveon Blaylock. The Stangs ran the Pacific League last year and look ready to run the table in this league again.
2. La Canada – Head Coach: Dave Avramovich. Quarterback Joe Bell returns for the Spartans in what may be the most important piece of the puzzle. Bell can run (822 yards) last year and throw (1,050) and is the team leader. The receiving corp is led by Brandon Mohaghegh who hauled in 440 yards in receptions and four touchdowns last year. Linebacker CJ Mattman will anchor the defense at linebacker where he had 38 tackles last season. If the Spartans can hold down Muir they may give the Mustangs a run for the league title.
3. Monrovia – Head Coach: Jose Casagran. Quarterback Jesse Saucedo transferred out but then returned and is now back in the fold and will be the starter. But the Wildcats are young and several freshman could be playing starting roles. The question though is is there enough talent in M-Town to keep up with Muir and La Canada?
4. Burbank – Head Coach: Hector Valencia. Burbank went 6-1 in the Pacific League and 9-3 overall last year before falling in the second round of the CIF Division 6 playoffs to Roosevelt. Burbank lost quarterback Deshawn Laporte, who transferred to Quartz Hill and took his 3,900 passing yards with him. But the Bulldogs do have some talented players returning including running back Troy Wells. Finishing first or second in this league will be a challenge.
Boulder League
1. Crescenta Valley – Head Coach: Paul Schilling. Hudson Gossard stepped down after the season as head football coach but former head coach Paul Schilling took over so it’s a smooth transition. It should be smooth transition also into the Boulder League for the Falcons. They won’t have to deal with Muir or Burbank this year. Both teams beat Crescenta Valley last season. Ethan Martinez, who ran for over 400 yards last year, will lead the attack and Nathan Karsten will play a big part of the offense at receiver. The Falcons have high hopes for a league title.
2. South Pasadena – Head Coach: Jeff Chi. The Tigers took a huge hit when running back Trey Freking graduated. he ran for over 2,000 yards and 29 touchdowns last year. But the last few years South Pas has been able to plug those holes with talented young players. Quarterback Andrew Nott is back for his senior season. He threw for over 1,000 yards last year. Receivers Lorcan Swift, Lorenzo Jones and Grayson Ebner all return to provide a spark to the offense. With Jeff Chi ion the sidelines the Tigers are always in contention.
3. San Marino – Head Coach: Dujuawn “DJ” Jones. The Titans have some talent for first year head coach DJ Jones to work with. Receiver Chase Mena (750 yards, 12 TD), quarterback Parker Wilson (1,682 yards 20 TD passing, 689 rushing) and running back Nathan Nielson (321, 3 TD) are all back in place. San Marino can score, the Titans showed that last year, and with a solid defense they should be in the hunt.
4. Burroughs – Head Coach: Jose Calzadilla. The Bears won three Pacific League games last year but they came against the bottom three teams- Arcadia, Glendale and Hoover. They have some good skill players players back in quarterback Brandon Chapparo and running back Sho Fujita. Chapparo actually ran for more yards than he threw for – 718 and 659 respectively. Burroughs appears to be middle of the pack but the Bears have a shot to surprise somebody.
5. Gabrielino – Head Coach: Luis Gutierrez. People forget the Eagles finished 7-4 overall last year and did make the playoffs. They had a huge Mission Valley League win over South El Monte, a team that went on to win a CIF title. Alijah Sheppard ran for 884 yards and 11 touchdowns last year and is back for his senior season. Peter Ruiz is back as well and is threat at receiver. He hauled in 36 catches for 718 yards and 11 scores in 2025. If Gabrielino could knock off one of the top four teams it may go a long way in their quest for another playoff appearance.
6. Pasadena – Head Coach: Ron Jones. Pasadena had several key players transfer and at one point there were questions as to whether Pasadena would field a team this year. Head Coach Ron Jones assured that they will be out competing come opening night. The Bulldogs may have to bite the bullet this year until things are stabilized. A league win would be a step in the right direction.
Crest League
1. Arcadia – Head Coach: Eric Elias. Last year Arcadia was young. Eric Elias’ troops may still be young but now have several players that had experience last year and are ready to step up. Running backs Ethan Long and Aaron Cerda are both back. Long ran for over 600 yards last season. Quarterback Freddy Bysshe has a had a good summer and will start behind center. Aiden Reyes, who had 1,159 yards receiving last year, will be his primary target. If Arcadia can beat Temple City in the “Brawl for the Mall” they have a good shot of going unbeaten in the Crest.
2. Temple City – Head Coach: Riley Saxon. The Rams are out of the Rio Hondo League and into the Crest which will give them a golden opportunity to make the CIF playoffs. The Rams have some pieces. Jacob Paredes, who threw for 866 yards last year, will be back behind center and Jake Leones, a do everything guy, had 563 all-purpose yards in ’25 including 331 receiving. Tyler Womack will man the front lines. Last season he had 40 total tackles. It will all come down to the “Brawl for the Mall”. If the Rams can win that, like Arcadia, they can take the league title.
3. Glendale – Head Coach: Manny Lemus. Glendale had two victories last season. If they can improve on that by one or even two victories it would a successful campaign. Glendale has a solid running back in Arman Papazyan who rushed for 1.063 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. Other returners that will make an impact on defense are Margo Stoychev, Ethan Parada and Cory Graham. Graham will play tackle and defensive end. Glendale beat rival Hoover last year but will need a victory over another league opponent to have a shot.
4. Hoover – Head Coach: Jordan Ward. Hoover is another team that could benefit from being placed in the Crest League. The Tornados didn’t win a league game in the Pacific last season but in the Crest they have an opportunity to bite somebody. Dveen Aghanian, who rushed for 677 yards and seven touchdowns last season, will be the key to the running game. The Tornados face Temple City and Glendale in their last two regular season games in what may turn out to be must wins for Hoover.
Tim Peterson can be reached at tim.midvalleysports@gmail.com or on Twitter (X) @tspeterson40. Facebook-Tim Peterson
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Laporte was coming from the AV all along, most of their players were recruited through hellstar 7v7, where some of their coaches coach as well (cif violation)…already proven players before getting there. Brown is lucky to have coached already proven players let’s see how he can do when coaching up less talented players.
@ the watcher
I’m pretty sure more than one player had been coming from far. Probably should look at the CIF transfer page the last couple years and then look at how much it actually cost to live in Burbank, especially on the side of town that would place someone at BHS. Then compare those names to guys that have attended certain camps. May not be true, but man it sure looked suspicious.
Lazy journalism shouldn’t be rewarded. I agree with Mr. Brown. I hope every team has a great season and comes out healthy! My bold prediction @anon
1.) Muir
2.)Burbank
3.) La Canada
4,) Monrovia
Great response Brown! I’ll take advice from a guy who doesn’t understand how to be a professional. Nevertheless good luck and maybe grow up a little.
@the watcher
it wasn’t just one player…how many came from the sfv or antelope valley area? A good handfull of those kids weren’t from Burbank. I haven’t seen the roster for this year, but I would believe it’s possible that another handful aren’t from Burbank either.
@BHF
Because one player came from far it’s BM or Narbonne now. Dude think of something better.
I don’t know…Muir has the talent for sure, but can Matty V come up with the schemes and keep the kid’s heart in the game like Coach Mitchell did? Matty V even said in an interview (in so many words) that wins/losses don’t matter as much as getting the kids college offers. I commend that approach 100%, getting kids in college should be every high school’s mission. But, as far as who wins a league? Give me schemes and heart over D1 talent any day. I think La Canada wins the Arroyo, CV takes Boulder, and Arcadia takes Crest
I think it’s very fitting that TC is in The Crest League. IYKYK.
From Joe T.: Speaks to the condition of commerce when that place was the only place to get a steak, potato, and salad in the Home of The Camellias.
@RPR…. That explains everything!
Alright! Haven’t got this kind of traction on a thread since something about Spathias, Beltran, Jude, or La serna/el Rancho feud!
@ Castillo and Anonymous.
Hellstar. That’s all you need to know.
Even though they are now in separate leagues, South Pas and La Canada have a match up on 9/11 at SPHS. LC had a good run last season with their only blemish in the regular season being a loss to SP. SP currently has a 10 or 11 game winning streak against LC. Will this be the year LC breaks the streak?
This burbank coach may have been lucky to have a talent like Laporte, but has he coached anyone else or anywhere else? Never heard of this coach.
I really hope that brown guy isn’t a coach. For the sake of those kids.
From T. Peterson: He’s the OC.
I also want to add about the coverage thing that I thought it was weird after their playoff game against Lancaster they didn’t get talked about much considering one of the safeties (Diego Plancarte) who had only played like 2 or 3 varsity games until that point got 4 INT’s in that game and the team got 6 in total. Keep in mind this was against and undefeated league champion who had playoff success in recent memory.
TP, this may make me sound like someone who knows nothing or is an idiot, but Ive actually only been into high school football for like a year. So from what I’ve seen over the last year or so they didn’t get as much coverage as I feel like they deserve. As far as James Williams goes, I know he’s one of the greatest players in the team’s history and that he was a beast. I just assumed that they haven’t ever gotten much coverage based on what I’ve seen recently.
Use your real name like an adult. Don’t be mad cause I’m speaking my mind. You sound soft. #staymad @anon
@ Anon,
I’m not necessarily saying that what Oharjee is saying is smart to say on here, but all I’m gonna say is that the Burbank players and staff want to be respected outside of their area (from what I’ve seen they don’t get that much coverage outside of the Burbank area even when they are really good). They are out here to prove a lot of doubters wrong and if they don’t as someone who pays a lot of attention to the team I will be truly surprised.
From T. Peterson: Yeah I get what you’re saying but we’ve been covering Burbank since Hector was the head coach…the first time. Haha! Remember James “Boobie” Williams?
Maybe stay off the blogs Brown, if you truly are a coach for Burbank. Way to represent, I see that the Burbank admin should tighten the reins on their staff spewing the kind of garbage that should reserved for Twitter! What a joke!
& For the rest of yall grown men…. Stop hiding behind computers like females use your real name when commenting. #keepitreal2026 😂
@ The Watcher,
Maybe they didn’t pay anyone illegally. All I am saying is that this looks very suspicious and it seems a lot like the Bishop Montgomery and Narbonne scandals. If I’m wrong by the end of the year I’ll eat my words.
TP, told you the team is confident. For context, Oharjee Brown is the Burbank offensive coordinator.
Much more fun leagues for everyone! Except for the teams playing Muir.
Gonna be a good Arroyo League battle for #2: I like the matchup of La Canada vs. Burbank. Two programs that seem to be heading in different directions. It’s a playoff game – Good community football. Contrast in styles. Monrovia is probably #4. Would be clear #4 if that QB didn’t come back. Muir, LC, Burbank, Monrovia for me.
Gonna be a good Boulder League battle for #1. CV seems like a lock to me. Schilling is a CIF championship coach. They’re just bigger both physically and with solid numbers. They’re gonna be a lot tougher than the other teams in the league besides SP. Also, they’re MASSIVE up front compared to the rest of the league. San Marino is gonna score. Can they hang in the box? I like it as CV, SP, SM, Burroughs, PHS, then Gab.
Gonna be a good Crest League battle for a playoff spot. Saxon can coach. Same with Lemus. Hoover has the bigs & bodies. Arcadia probably walks away with first. Gonna be a good battle for top 2. Been a long time since any of these teams have been in the playoffs. Fun opportunity for everyone!! I’d go Arcadia, Glendale, Hoover, then TC.
We’re not finishing 4th . 😂😂😂 Keep D Riding the SGV teams like always
From T. Peterson: In which league? There are three.
If you think we’re finishing 4th this year you’re smoked out the game . Keep D riding the SGV teams
@BHF
Paying for players come on man where did you pull that from? Plus that all legal with the right paper work it’s NIL. If your team can’t beat them that’s fine don’t talk outta your DELETED though.
TP, I totally understand what you are saying and I think La Canada is honestly the better team on paper in that game they play each other, but as a fan of the team I am a believer in them and I also think Hector Valencia is a pretty underrated head coach.
No offense, but the disrespect I’ve seen for Burbank this offseason is kind of crazy. Maybe it’s just that I’m a fan of them and I understand that they lost 3,900 passing yards, but from what I’ve seen recently the players seem determined to win and I think they are going to prove everyone wrong. Also there is no way they are worse than Monrovia in my opinion. I also want to note Tyler Hudson is at Quartz Hill as well and has been there for a few months. Anyway, here’s my predictions:
Arroyo:
1. Burbank
2. La Canada
3. Monrovia
4. Muir – could get caught for paying Agbunag and potentially others, causing them to have to forfeit their season. However, if they don’t get caught or they weren’t paying anyone, they are going to get first.
Boulder:
1. South Pasadena
2. Crescenta Valley
3. Burroughs
4. San Marino
5. Gabrielino
6. Pasadena
Crest:
1. Arcadia
2. Glendale
3. Temple City
4. Hoover
From T. Peterson: No disrespect at all to Burbank but losing Deshawn Laporte was huge. Thanks for the info on Hudson but that makes it even worse. That’s a lot for Burbank to overcome. I don’t see them beating Muir or La Canada but I did struggle with the third-place team. In the end I just thought the loss of Laporte (and now Hudson) was too much so I went with Monrovia. It will be close though and I wouldn’t be shocked if Burbank won, but right now I’m leaning Monrovia. Your other picks are fairly close to mine but I don’t think Glendale beats Temple City in the Crest.