MidValleySports.Com

Pacific League

 

 

 

 

 

1.) Muir Mustangs

Head Coach: Ken Howard

Staff: Antyone Sims OC, Ryan Graves, Derrick Holmes, Kevin Johnson, Marcus Green, Ronnie Evans, Tom Albrich.

Last Year: 4-7

Last 5 Years: 39-18 overall, 29-4 league

Last Playoff Appearance: 2009 First Round: Lost Charter Oak 20-19

1^st Down: For all the speed there is lots of carne along the front in Danny Huerta, Cameron Palmer and Shawn Wilcox.

2^nd Down: Nice to have burners, but Jeff Davis having a big year at quarterback for defenses to respect the linear threat is crucial.

3^rd Down: Did we mention speed? Kevon Seymour, Karl Holmes, Dai Dai McFadden and then some. Might be best Mustang team in years.

4^th Down: Bishop Amat will prove them mortal, or melt the hearts of future opponents.

Game Plan: He may need to get his feet wet, but Davis can throw the ball. If the offense clicks, Muir can be anybody in the Southeast including La Mirada and Norwalk. If they’re one dimensional they’ll be good, but not great.

Non League Schedule: San Gabriel, at Saugus, at Bishop Amat.

***

2.) Burbank Bulldogs

Head Coach: Hector Valencia

Staff: Richard Broussard OC, Todd Seidler DC, Jim Summy, Stone Wall, Pete Roses, Dennis Ralsen, Richard Barragan.

Last Year: 9-3

Last 5 Years: 27-28 overall, 17-16 league

Last Playoff Appearance: 2009 Second Round: Lost California 24-21

1^st Down: They got miracle men in quarterback Adam Colman & Ulises Ochoa, they have Ryan Seidler back on defense with some other Bad Dudes. Bank knows how to win close games.

2^nd Down: Is this a very good team sharing the Pacific with a potentially great Muir squad?

3^rd Down: Spencer Lee keys the offensive line while Zech Crane is under the radar on defense.

4^th Down: Who are the wide receivers? 22 of Colman’s 24 touchdown passes left with graduation.

Game Plan: Into his second season Valencia has turned his alma mater into a contender, advanced in the playoffs, and beaten Burroughs. That’ll continue this year if they avoid injuries (knock on wood) and get someone to catch the ball.

Non League Schedule: at Warren, at Chaminade, at San Gabriel.

***

3.) Arcadia Apaches

Head Coach: Jon Dimalante

Staff: Ryan Press, Randy Backus, Gary Annas, Roger Wright, Richard Diaz, Eric Elias.

Last Year: 2-7-1

Last 5 Years: 26-26-1 overall, 18-15 league

Last Playoff Appearance: 2007 First Round: Lost RanchoVerde 53-28

1^st Down: A.J. Rail is ever so important…big year for this guy.

2^nd Down: Myles Carr had an excellent off-season. He can throw, he can run, he’s Arcadia tall.

3^rd Down: Now a veteran Rodney Arnett looks to be the school’s first 1000-yard back since Troy Amhaz in 2007

4^th Down: Oh yeah, there’s this receiver, defensive back, kick returner named Lagace. Taylor Lagace. He might be pretty good.

Game Plan: If any program is ready for a bounce back, its the Apaches. A two year playoff drought should end this season.

Non League Schedule: at St. Francis, at Monrovia, at Temple City.

***

4.) Burroughs Indians

Head Coach: Keith Knoop

Staff: Ken Knoop DC, Mike Reilly, Earl Hollingshed, Adam Freeman, Glenn Adriatico.

Last Year: 7-4

Last 5 Years: 31-23 overall, 22-6 league

Last Playoff Appearance: 2009 First Round: Lost Diamond Ranch 41-18

1^st Down: Passing game concern. Quarterback Lucas Yanez can play and he has receivers in Alexander Flemming, Matt Voland, Anthony Carter and Zach Meijer…but they spent a good part of the summer out of sync.

2^nd Down: Tadeo Zuniga. If passing game struggles, Zuniga, the feature back, will have to pick up a load similar to what Dalton Williams did in 2009.

3^rd Down: Steven Escoboza anchors a solid offensive line. Knoop always has one of these guys.

4^th Down: Charlie Hosea was among the graduation casualties, Austin Allen and Tyler Tilton will need to pick up the pace at linebacker to compensate for his loss.

Game Plan: In another year this team is higher, but there is nothing tranquil about the Pacific. Burroughs is a good team, surrounded by a lot of good teams. The offensive line can be trusted, like gold in finance.

Non League Schedule: Saugus (at College of the Canyons), at Canyon Country, at Hart (College of the Canyons).

***

5.) Crescenta Valley Falcons

Head Coach: Paul Schilling

Staff: Hudson Gossard OC, Dennis Gossard, Gordy Warnock, Dennis Hughes, Dan DeMonbrun, Reid Merlo.

Last Year: 8-4

Last 5 Years: 27-28 overall, 19-14 league

Last Playoff Appearance: 2009 Second Round: Lost South Hills 33-23

1^st Down: CV has continually struck gold at quarterback. Zach Wilkerson is next in line, if he falters look for Paul Perigini.

2^nd Down: Marro Lee will get the nod as the lead running back, and Lee will get the advantage of running behind left tackle Bryan Luna.

3^rd Down: Luna also anchors a linebacker foursome including Wes Berg on the inside and outside backers Patrick Arnold and Chris Fierro. Adam Fletcher will man the nose along the line.

4^th Down: With a Gossard calling the plays on offense expect big numbers for receiver Nick Ruiz

Game Plan: Schilling replaces the retired Tony Zarrillo, who guided the CV ship through some rough waters. Zarrillo also had Karsen Reedy and Kyle Cota, Schilling needs Wilkerson to be that guy.

Non League Schedule: at Verdugo Hills, St. Francis, La Canada.

***

6.) Pasadena Bulldogs

Head Coach: Randy Horton

Staff: Brian Cox OC, Addison Hawthorne DC.

Last Year: 5-5

Last 5 Years: 21-31 overall, 15-18 league

Last Playoff Appearance: 2007 Second Round: Lost Canyon Springs 21-20

1^st Down: This team just missed the playoffs in 2009, but won’t get as close in 2010.

2^nd Down: New coach, new quarterback. Brandon Cox will be special, but its going to take some time.

3^rd Down: Aaron Simpson ranks among the Pacific’s best Miracle Men.

4^th Down: Can they stop anybody on defense? That became a tough chore last season.

Game Plan: The Bulldogs lost talent, but PHS always has talent. Its about finding consistency, its about buying time. Put them in the Almont and we’re talking shop, but in the Pacific they’ll be left looking up.

Non League Schedule: Westchester, Cathedral, at LaSalle.

***

7.) Hoover Tornadoes

Head Coach: Chris Long

Staff: Andrew Policky, Sam Picture.

Last Year: 2-8

Last 5 Years: 6-44 overall, 2-31 league

Last Playoff Appearance: 1987

1^st Down: This team can be 3-0 coming into league play

2^nd Down: Long has a pair of beasts in Sergio Arenas (6’3” 240) & Enrique Diaz (6’0” 310).

3^rd Down: The HC has a pair speedsters in Dymond McRae & Devaughn Williams.

4^th Down: …He also has a quarterback in A.J. Pule who can do a lot of things.

Game Plan: Long is likable, but the playoffs are impossible to consider. CV, Glendale, and PHS though need to walk softly or they’ll get hit by a twister.

Non League Schedule: at Sierra Vista, South Pasadena, at Mt. View (“The Swamp”).

***

8.) Glendale Nitros

Head Coach: Al Eberhart

Staff: Billy Irace, Steve Holmoe, Nate Barber, Chris Boiles, Alex Pappas, Karsen Reedy.

Last Year: 1-9

Last 5 Years: 10-39-1 overall, 5-28 league

Last Playoff Appearance: 2003 First Round: Lost St. Paul 46-17

1^st Down: Eberhart laid a foundation last year, the Nitros should be competitive.

2^nd Down: After Narek Babakhani (6’1” 265) there is a serious lack of size in the trenches.

3^rd Down: There will be a new quarterback.

4^th Down: An improved Hoover will turn up the pressure.

Game Plan: There is very little wiggle room. Eberhart has assembled an excellent coaching staff but its like trying to find land between here and Hawaii in the Pacific, there’s no place to go. We do like Linden Anderson and Dillon Fuller.

Non League Schedule: Cathedral, at La Canada, at South Pasadena.