Nov 5, 2009 7:19 pm US/Pacific
California: These Games Could Be Real Bell-Ringers
Martin Henderson
(maxpreps.com)
Looking ahead is easy this week when there are so many outstanding games going on around the Southland.
No game is bigger in the Southern Section than the one for Sunset League supremacy when longtime bitter rivals Huntington Beach Edison (8-0, 3-0), ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps State Ranking, takes on No. 17 Fountain Valley (8-0, 3-0) at Cal State Fullerton.
That game, originally scheduled for Orange Coast College, sold out so quickly more than a week ago that tickets were reportedly being sold online for $55, but the new venue will add 2,400 more seats to the mix. It's annually billed as the "Battle for the Bell," and this season it should be a real bell-ringer: Fountain Valley has sparked memories of bygone days in the 1980s when it was a section power. Much of the Barons' success can be attributed to the offensive balance provided by quarterback Dominic Ragland (158 yards/game, 10 TDs, 5 int.; 53.5 yards/game rushing, 7 TDs) and running back Kyle Middlebrooks (168.4 yards/game, 20 TDs).
Fountain Valley's defense faces outstanding quarterback Matt Viles (254 yards/game, 16 TDs, 5 int.), who may have more offensive options than anyone in the Southland and certainly anyone in Orange County.
Fountain Valley wasn't happy with its sloppy 37-32 victory over Newport Harbor, and Edison's potent offense failed to score in its 27-10 victory over No. 26 Los Alamitos. Remarkably, Edison's defense and special teams scored three touchdowns: Steve Malone returned a fumble 40 yards, Luke Eddy returned a blocked field goal 80 yards and defensive back Wade Houston recovered a fumble in the end zone. Edison has won four in a row and leads the series, 25-14-1.
Edison players celebrate their 14-7 win over Fountain Valley on Nov. 7 2008.
The Trinity League could have something special brewing. In three previous seasons, Orange Lutheran beat Santa Ana Mater Dei, Mater Dei beat Anaheim Servite, and Servite beat Orange Lutheran. This season, Lutheran still beat Mater Dei, but so did Servite. That means No. 6 Servite (7-1, 3-0) will play Lutheran (5-3, 3-0) on Friday at Cerritos College with the league's first outright title on the line. Both have won four in a row, although the Lancers have been just scraping by. Still, one point is enough. Servite, which seemed so clearly superior in the early going, is banged up, but quarterback Cody Fajardo (70.9 percent, 1,071 yards passing, 7 TDs; 583 yards rushing, 5 TDs) is still walking, which means the Friars will be tough customers.
In the Big VIII, it's a battle of the perennial Big II in the Inland Empire: No. 10 Corona Centennial (7-1, 5-0) playing host to No. 24 Norco (7-1, 5-0). Centennial's spread offense against Norco's power game presents a contrast in styles. No one can accuse Norco of not being showmen: The Cougars have played five games decided by a touchdown or less, including their season-opening 47-44 setback to Los Angeles Crenshaw, as well as victories over Corona, 50-43, and Corona Santiago, 44-39. Centennial, whose only loss was to an inspired Mater Dei, has played only one game closer than 10 points, a season-opening victory over Temecula Chaparral, 31-27.
Even the City Section has marquee games en masse, starting with Crenshaw (8-0, 3-0), ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 1 in the City, against Dorsey (7-1, 3-0) in a Coliseum League showdown. On paper, it doesn't look like anything but a rout, but rivalry games aren't played on paper. Maybe the City's fifth-ranked Dorsey has a mongoose ready for Crenshaw's DeAnthony
"The Black Mamba" Thomas.
Another biggie is Carson (6-2, 3-0) at Harbor City Narbonne (5-3, 3-0) in the Marine League. They are ranked Nos. 2 and 3 in the City, respectively. And, of course, the annual Eastern League game between L.A. Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0) and L.A. Garfield (4-4, 2-2) at East L.A. College could attract as many as 25,000. It will be tough to top that, anywhere. But the Southland will try.
Kicking a habit
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has a history of producing fine kickers. Eric Solis galvanized his name to that list last week when his third field goal, a 51-yarder with one second remaining, beat Encino Crespi, 23-21, in a Serra League squeaker.The 14th-ranked Knights (7-1, 1-0) play Loyola this week before a showdown with No. 11 Bishop Amat (8-0, 1-0) on Nov. 3.
Establishing a new Baseline
Etiwanda (6-2, 3-0) was an afterthought in the Baseline League, but its upset of Upland, 18-16, courtesy of Angel Santiago's sneak with 2:07 remaining, put the Eagles in position to win a share of the league title this weekend against Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos (4-4, 2-1). A program that lost six of its 11 games last season, Etiwanda could be playing defending section champion and league favorite Rancho Cucamonga (7-1, 2-1) in two weeks for the outright title. Upland (7-1, 2-1), which has allowed double-digit scoring only twice this season and hasn't allowed more than 18 points, will play Rancho Cucamonga in a rematch of last season's Central Division title game.
Driving the Suburban
La Mirada (7-1, 4-0) came from behind to post a 42-33 victory over Norwalk (7-1, 3-1) to seize control of the Suburban League. La Mirada trailed 26-14 in the third when QB Daniel Poncedeleon spearheaded the comeback with an 80-yard TD run and a 27-yard TD pass. The quarterback passed for 266 yards and three touchdowns.
Mission matchup might depend on Riley
The four-team Mission League could be decided when Mission Hills Alemany (5-3, 1-0) plays host to La Canada St. Francis (7-1, 1-0). The Los Angeles Daily News reports that all-purpose back Dietrich Riley is doubtful for St. Francis because of a hamstring injury. All systems are go for Alemany running back Malcolm Marable. You have to believe Riley will play even if he's less than 100 percent; St. Francis is No. 2 in the section's Western Division ranking, Alemany is No. 5. Huge playoff implications in this one.
Tough night for passers
Both quarterbacks were injured in Woodland Hills Taft's 28-21West Valley League victory over crosstown rival El Camino Real (7-1, 2-1). Three-year starter Bam Goodall of Taft (5-3, 2-0) suffered a bruised vertebrae, and ECR's Ryan Meier suffered a concussion. This week Taft plays rival Birmingham (1-7, 1-2), which is coming off its first victory of the season, a 50-23 victory over Chatsworth (1-7, 0-3).
Good night for doctors
A tragedy was avoided for No. 2 Mission Viejo (8-0) when strong safety Jake Staszak nearly stopped breathing after making a tackle against Aliso Niguel. On the play, both Staszak and Aliso Niguel rusher Anthony Robinson were injured. Doctors tended to both players, with Robinson suffering a leg injury but able to walk off with assistance after about five minutes.
Staszak required immediate medical attention to clear his airway as he started to lose consciousness and sight. Dr. Mark Legome oversaw rescue efforts as it took paramedics 11 minutes to arrive. Needless to say, without prompt medical attention from Legome and team trainer Jo Schafhausen, there might have been dire consequences. Staszak suffered a cracked vertebrae and concussion, but it was a good night for the medical profession which often donates its time to help high school programs during football season.
Mission Viejo went on to score a school single-game record with a 70-7 South Coast League win. This week the Diablos play longtime rival San Clemente (5-3, 2-1) before closing the season against No. 12 Dana Hills (7-1, 3-0).
Congratulations to Garden Grove
No team this season knows tragedy like Garden Grove, whose Kevin Telles died after collapsing in the final minutes of the Argonauts' season-opening game.
"They know what they're playing for," coach Joe Hay said. This week, Garden Grove (8-0) was voted No. 1 in the Southern Section Southern Division ranking.
Dominguez coach Russell Otis convicted
Russell Otis, who courted success and controversy and won six state boys basketball titles from 1987 to 2008 while the coach at Compton Dominguez, was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor child molestation stemming from hundreds of text messages sent to one of his players. An L.A. Superior Court jury deadlocked 10-2, in favor of conviction, for a felony charge of meeting for a lewd purpose. In doing so, the jury ruled after 10 days of deliberations that Otis repeatedly propositioned a 16-year-old boy who played on his team.
Otis was acquitted of felony grand theft and forgery charges stemming from $15,000 that Nike earmarked for the Compton Unified School District. A hearing has been set for Dec. 1, at which time prosecutors will announce whether they will retry Otis on the felony sex charge, and Otis' attorneys will appeal the misdemeanor conviction.
The misdemeanor sex crime would require Otis, 46, to register as a sex offender the rest of his life. He had previously been acquitted in 2001 of all counts stemming from a claim made by another player who alleged that Otis had sodomized and molested him; Otis' attorney, Leonard Levine, argued the accusation was fabricated in order to gain the OK to transfer from Dominguez to another school as Otis' accuser in 2000 had done.
More jurisprudence
Jerry Stone, the former Lakewood running back who has missed this season because of his own legal entanglement, will be tried as an adult, it was determined last week. Among other things, Stone has been charged with two counts of attempted murder in connection with a drive-by shooting in which no one was injured. Stone was allegedly the driver. Stone, 17, could face life imprisonment if convicted. Stone was to be one of the top returning players for Lakewood (8-1), which this week is ranked No. 5 in the Pac-5 Division.
And finally
If the Marmonte League really does compete next season as a 10-team league instead of two five-team factions (it would require special dispensation from the Southern Section office to do so), those schools will only have one nonleague game. With Oaks Christian, Ventura St. Bonaventure, Moorpark and Westlake Village Westlake in the league, the lone nonleague game each will play could have a huge impact on consideration for a State Bowl Championship.
This week, for example, unbeaten Oaks Christian's strength of schedule took a hit when its best opponent recently lost; Oaks tumbled from No. 2 in the MaxPreps State Rankings to No. 9 and is now the second-ranked Northwest Division team, behind No. 5 Gardena Serra. It will be intereseting to see who schedules who in that one open spot in 2010 and beyond.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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