Week 3 Football Recap: Poly, St. Francis Get Blowout Victories; Maranatha, La Salle Earn Gut Check Wins

L-R: Kwon Peterson (Maranatha), CJ Montes (La Salle), Darius Perrantes (St. Francis), Graham Olson (Poly) By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor Pasadena area schools went 5-1, as St. Francis, Poly, La Salle, Maranatha and even Marshall earned victories. For Marshall, it was their first win after starting the season 0-3 and by a combined score of […]

L-R: Kwon Peterson (Maranatha), CJ Montes (La Salle), Darius Perrantes (St. Francis), Graham Olson (Poly)

By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor

Pasadena area schools went 5-1, as St. Francis, Poly, La Salle, Maranatha and even Marshall earned victories.

For Marshall, it was their first win after starting the season 0-3 and by a combined score of 134-12.

The Eagles shut out Sotomayor of Los Angeles, 21-0, on Thursday.

St. Francis and Poly both got home blowouts.

Maranatha’s high-powered offense was quiet all night until the fourth quarter and the Minutemen clutched up again.

Arguably the biggest win of the week belonged to La Salle, which defeated Muir, 21-20, on the road.

St. Francis 49, La Serna 20:

A 29-point victory may sound like a convincing win, but in reality, this game was more like 49-7.

Despite several years of drag-out fights with La Serna, the Golden Knights absolutely crushed visiting La Serna.

The Lancers (2-2) scored one touchdown with 1 second left in the first half, another well after the first-string defense for St. Francis had left the game, and a third on the final play of the game.

La Serna actually called a timeout because of a running clock so they could try and convert on the game’s final play.

St. Francis led 42-0 and were never challenged.

Bobby Gazmarian started the rout with a Pick-6 on La Serna’s first drive and he picked off a second pass later in the game.

Darius Perrantes continued to be steady in limited action with a throwing and rushing TD.

Elijah Washington and Kevin Armstead both rushed for two TD’s apiece.

Blake Howard continues to surprise with his athleticism, including a TD catch and another reception that set up one of Armstead’s rushing scores.

Greg Dulcich had over 100 yards receiving again despite just two quarters of action at receiver.

Matt Barriga and Gabriel Grbavac continue to pace the Golden Knights defense as the area’s two most dominant defensive ends.

It’s going to be really interesting to see what kind of gaudy numbers Perrantes, Dulcich, Washington and the boys can put up when they all play a full game.

St. Francis is 3-0 by a combined total of 139-41, and the Golden Knights will travel to Saugus (2-2) on Friday.

Poly 60, Mary Star of the Sea 0:

Poly isn’t a real good host to visiting football programs.

The Panthers have home wins over Mission and Mary Star of the Sea this season by a combined score of 115-0.

On Saturday, quarterback Graham Olson threw for three TD’s.

Jackson Hayes, Cameron McFarlane and Jackson Treister each had 2 TD scores.

Christian Henderson caught a TD from Olson late in the second quarter and was effective as Olson’s back up at quarterback.

Thomas McConnell, just like Gazmarian at St. Francis, started the eventual blowout with an early Pick-6.

Mary Star was so thoroughly dominated that the entire second half was played with a running clock and the Stars didn’t even get a first down in the first half.

The Panthers hope to get quarterback Matt Loomis back soon after sitting out this week because of concussion symptoms he suffered at Brentwood the week before.

Loomis and Olson had been splitting series at quarterback for coach Chris Schmoke.

The versatility in touches and scores is something that could make Poly tough to beat as not only the season goes along, but also when they’re able to figure out their ‘holding’ issues that have resulted in a number of TD’s being called back.

La Salle 21, Muir 20:

The La Salle victory was impressive for a number of reasons.

First, with an all-new team and rookie quarterbacks, La Salle is 2-2, despite playing three of their first four games on the road.

Secondly, Muir entered the game 2-0 and won both games by a combined margined of 86-0.

Third, freshman quarterback CJ Montes had three more TD’s on the road.

Additionally, the Lancers overcame a couple potentially disastrous scenarios/challenges, including a late defensive stand.

You could make the argument that La Salle coach Russell Gordon has done the best coaching job thus far in the Pasadena area, considering the inexperience in his roster and three consecutive road games in the first four weeks of the season.

The Lancers entered the season without one returning player that had scored a touchdown last season.

Justin Lockhart was huge with 5 catches for 86 yards and 2 TD’s.

R’Mon Huff had Montes’ third TD of the day when they connected on a 15-yard score.

The Lancers will host Notre Dame Prep of Scottsale, Arizona on Friday at 7.

La Salle beat NDP last year in Arizona, 28-25, in three overtimes, despite falling behind 25-0 and in the brutal desert heat.

Maranatha 7, Campbell Hall 3:

The area’s best rags to riches story in 2017 is by far Steve Bogan’s Minutemen.

Last season, Maranatha went 3-6-1 and never got going.

This season, they’re already 4-0, and they finally got their first test of the season.

After three consecutive blowouts over Rim of the World, Pasadena and Azusa, Campbell Hall gave the Minutemen everything they wanted and then some in Friday’s homecoming game.

Campbell Hall’s lone score came on the first drive of the game.

They recovered an on-sides kick and turned it into 3 points.

The Vikings’ defense also held the high-scoring Minutemen scoreless into the fourth quarter.

But Kwon Parker continues to perform as one of the area’s elite quarterback, and the senior hit Sumner Ortlund on a 60-yard, fourth-quarter TD, and Maranatha defeated Campbell Hall, 7-3, in an unusually low-scoring game for both teams.

Campbell Hall had scored 129 points in their first three games (all wins) and Maranatha had put up 112 points in their first three wins.

Maranatha will travel Saturday to Brentwood at 3 against an Eagles team that tied Poly two last week after both teams failed in score in any of the three overtimes in Brentwood.

Next Week’s Schedule:
Friday: Notre Dame Prep at La Salle at 7
Friday: St. Francis at Saugus at 7
Friday: Pasadena at Burroughs at 7
Friday: Arcadia at Muir at 7
Friday: Marshall at Rosemead at 7
Saturday: Maranatha at Brentwood at 3
Saturday: Poly at Rosamond at 8

Football Standings:

Angelus League:
Harvard-Westlake (4-0)
St. Francis (3-0)
Cathedral (3-1)
La Salle (2-2)
Salesian (1-3)

Mission Valley League:
South El Monte (4-0)
Arroyo (4-0)
Mountain View (3-1)
El Monte (2-2)
Gabrielino (1-2)
Marshall (1-3)
Rosemead (0-4)

Olympic League:
Maranatha (4-0)
Heritage Christian (3-0)
Valley Christian (2-2)
Whittier Christian (2-2)

Pacific League:
Crescenta Valley (3-0)
Muir (2-1)
Glendale (2-1)
Burroughs (1-1)
Burbank (1-2)
Hoover (1-2)
Arcadia (1-2)
Pasadena (0-3)

Prep League:
Rio Hondo Prep (2-1)
Poly (2-1-1)
Trinity Classical Academy (1-2)
Firebaugh 1-3)

 

 

 

 

 

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