By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor It turned out to be a week of blowouts for Pasadena area football programs. Maranatha, Poly, Muir, Pasadena and St. Francis all earned big victories in their respective leagues, and La Salle and Marshall lost sizeable league match ups in ‘Week 8.’ The Panthers, Mustangs, Bulldogs and Golden Knights each […]
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
It turned out to be a week of blowouts for Pasadena area football programs.
Maranatha, Poly, Muir, Pasadena and St. Francis all earned big victories in their respective leagues, and La Salle and Marshall lost sizeable league match ups in ‘Week 8.’
The Panthers, Mustangs, Bulldogs and Golden Knights each have two weeks left in their “regular season” schedule, and Maranatha plays its tenth game on the road.
Maranatha (6-3, 1-1) earned its first Olympic League win as the Minutemen crushed Whittier Christian, 58-29.
MHS’ ground game absolutely wore down the visiting Heralds, and they didn’t even need their star quarterback to carry much of the load for one night.
Kwon Peterson only had four attempts, and despite being used to firing all game long in the past, the selfless Peterson was completely OK handing the ball off all night.
If James Smith because an area star next season, we’ll all be able to point back to October 20, when he had his breaking out of the pack type night.
Smith ran for over 200 yards and scored 4 TD’s.
Both Zack McClendon and Awan Parker also did damage with their legs, as McClendon scored twice as did Parker.
But one of Parker’s TD’s was called back by penalty.
The thing that stood out most to this reporter was the passion and stones both Vic Hoffman and Jacob Moreno showed in returning from injury and battling all night long and all that despite the obvious pain they were fighting through.
Maranatha’s sixth win doubled their win total from all of 2016, and they’ll face first-place Heritage Christian this week.
Even if they were to lose on the road, the Minutemen still have a change at an at-large bid, because of their over-500 record.
Muir (5-3, 3-2) kept itself in the hunt for a CIF-SS playoff berth.
After the Mustangs’ 40-18 victory at Burroughs, Muir found itself in third place and just one-game back of second place Arcadia and Crescenta Valley.
Jonathan Stephens was huge with north of 200 yards and 3 TD runs.
Stephens now has 14 TD’s on the season.
Brian Love threw two TD passes, including an 80-yarder to Aryonis Harrison.
Most important, perhaps, was the Mustangs finding some consistency in their special teams.
Angel Aguilar had field goals of 25 and 30 yards, as the kicking game in the past was an Achilles heel for Muir.
They’ll face first-place Burbank on Friday at Burroughs High School, and then close out the regular season against Pasadena in the ‘Turkey Tussle.’
Muir has a really solid chance to make the playoffs, even if they only win one of their final two games.
Poly (6-1-1, 1-0) blew out another opponent and is playing their best football.
The Panthers dominated Trinity Classical, 54-6 on the road Thursday night.
Cameron McFarlane scored five TD’s, including three on the ground and two on defense.
Christian Henderson had a Pick-6 for Poly.
The Panthers will host Firebaugh on Friday at South Pasadena High in what will be more of an exhibition or a game in which coach Chris Schmoke’s program will look to sharpen up against an inferior opponent.
It will all be an attempt to get ready for next week’s Prep League title game with Rio Hondo Prep, and then obviously what they hope will be a deep playoff run.
The heartbreaker for Poly was seeing defensive back-kicker Matt Queen suffer a season-ending injury.
The popular senior was on the minds of all his teammates over the weekend.
One area to watch for is the Panthers effort to be more balanced offensively.
Schmoke is hoping focus on, and resurrect a consistent passing game, because of all the talent he has at receiver.
Pasadena (2-6, 2-3) has had an all-or-nothing season.
In their four losses, the Bulldogs have been outscored by a total of 244-113, but in wins, PHS had a 136-19 point advantage.
The Bulldogs destroyed Hoover, 68-6, Friday in a Pacific League game.
Senior quarterback Randy Santellan threw for over 200 yards and three scores.
Santellan hit his brother, Anthony for two scores, and connected once to Elijah Simmons.
The PHS quarterback wanted to thank the school’s fans, coaches and his teammates for a memorable Friday night.
He also praised coach Todd McNair for his play calling.
PHS has an uphill battle when it comes to making the playoffs, but that won’t stop the Bulldogs from competing their butts off.
They will travel to second-place Arcadia on Friday and then close out with Muir in the ‘Turkey Tussle’ at the Rose Bowl.
St. Francis (8-0, 3-0) did what everyone knew they would do, and that was to blow out lowly Salesian.
The Golden Knights took many of their starters out after the second series of the game.
Not the second quarter, the second series of the game, in their 69-0 road victory.
It was so out of hand so fast that from the second quarter on, they played with a running clock.
Blake Howard, one of the area’s best athletes and football players scored twice at receiver and had his first Pick-6 in limited action.
Darius Perrantes combined on four scores from quarterback, and Kevin Armstead gained 113 yards on just four carries, including two TD runs.
St. Francis finishes out the regular season with two huge home games.
On Thursday, second place Harvard-Westlake (7-1, 2-1) will head to La Canada.
If the Golden Knights hold serve, they will host the defending champion Phantoms of Cathedral on November 3.
SF would like nothing more than to get revenge for last year’s heartbreaking meltdown at Cathedral, a loss that cost them the Angelus League title.
Worse yet, it also cost them a first-round home game.
But first thing’s first, and that’s the Wolverines on Thursday at 7.
La Salle (3-5, 1-2) dropped a 49-6 decision at Cathedral in a match up the Lancers were just over matched in.
It’s a rebuilding year for La Salle, after losing 22 seniors to graduation.
It the Lancers can defeat St. Paul on the road Thursday night, their chances of getting an at-large playoff bid goes up exponentially.
Week 8 Scores:
Poly 54, Trinity Classical 6
Maranatha 58, Whittier Christian 29
Muir 40, Burroughs 17
Pasadena 68, Hoover 6
Cathedral 49, La Salle 6
St. Francis 69, Salesian 0
Arroyo 55, Marshall 0
Week 9 Schedule:
Thursday: Harvard-Westlake at St. Francis at 7
Friday: La Salle at St. Paul at 7
Friday: Firebaugh vs Poly at South Pasadena High at 7
Friday: Muir vs Burbank at Burroughs High at 7
Friday: Pasadena at Arcadia at 7
Friday: Gabrielino vs Marshall at Pasadena at 7
Friday: Maranatha at Heritage Christian at 7
Football Standings Through October 21
Angelus League:
St. Francis (8-0 overall, 3-0 in league)
Cathedral (7-1, 3-0)
Harvard-Westlake (7-1, 2-1)
La Salle (3-5, 1-2)
St. Paul (2-6, 0-3)
Salesian (1-7, 0-3)
Mission Valley League:
Arroyo (9-0 overall, 5-0 in league)
South El Monte (7-1, 3-1)
El Monte (5-3, 3-1)
Rosemead (3-6, 3-2)
Mountain View (4-4, 1-3)
Gabrielino (2-6, 0-4)
Marshall (1-8, 0-5)
Olympic League Standings:
Heritage Christian (7-0 overall, 1-0 in league)
Valley Christian (6-2, 1-0)
Maranatha (6-3, 1-1)
Whittier Christian (3-5, 0-2)
Pacific League Standings:
Burbank (6-2 overall, 5-0 in league)
Crescenta Valley (7-1, 4-1)
Arcadia (5-3, 4-1)
Muir (5-3, 3-2)
Burroughs (3-4, 2-3)
Pasadena (2-6, 2-3)
Glendale (2-6, 0-5)
Hoover (1-7, 0-5)
Prep League:
Poly (6-1-1, 1-0 in league)
Rio Hondo Prep (5-2, 1-0)
Trinity Classical (2-6, 0-1)
Firebaugh (2-6, 0-1)
