SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone: End Zone to End Zone: Week 3 Edition
We take you inside Temple City's emotionally filled game with Alhambra, 5 Things That I Think I Think: Area Stat Leaders and much more.
“The game is full of ebbs and flows, the good, the bad, and everything in between. With all that was going around me, I had to figure out how to steel my mind and keep calm and centered. That’s not to say my emotions didn’t spike or drop here or there, but I was aware enough to recalibrate and bring them back level before things spiraled.” – Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality.
Temple City football coach Riley Saxon address his team during last Friday’s game against Alhambra. (Escarcega)
MONROVIA – Football, at its core, is a beautiful sport.
More than any other sport, it combines teamwork, camaraderie, athletic excellence, drama, and pure emotion. At one moment, you can feel like you are on top of the world; the next thing you know, something happens that makes you stare into the abyss, wondering what to do next.
If you need more evidence, you only had to stand on the Temple City sideline on Friday in their nonleague game against Alhambra. Before the game started, they had one of the premier wide receivers in the area.
Several minutes later, things changed.
Life changed.
And it all happened too damn fast.
If you want to play “the long game,” you can start on Thursday when the school is on lockdown for an apparent situation. Fortunately, nothing happened (which is a win considering the recent events that have taken place in this country), but having a lockdown doesn’t exactly put your football team in the right place.
Mother Nature decided to complicate matters as if that wasn’t enough, causing one of the most brutal heat waves the area has seen in years. Temperatures were hitting triple digits, and there wasn’t anything anyone could do. For any football stakeholder, whether you like it or not, you are playing on Mother Nature’s terms – not yours.
And if that means that you have to delay the start of the game because of the heat protocols that the CIF State Office has implemented, you don’t have a choice in the matter. That was the case on Friday night in Monrovia. School officials moved the game back to 8:00 p.m. – which was the right thing to do since temperatures were still 100 degrees at 7:00 p.m. However, as the clock kept ticking, the temperature started falling. By 7:30, it was in the low 90’s, and both teams decided to get the proceedings going.
This excited everyone because it meant it was time to see one of the more electrifying wide receivers in the area, Judah Douglas. Many, including yours truly, think this is the best wide receiver in the area.
Why?
He can do everything. He can make ridiculous catches look easy. He has the game-changing speed that football coaches crave. He has that grit that most area receivers don’t have. I’ve seen everyone in the area, and at full capacity, it's Douglas, and then there is everyone else.
He was the talk of the Baldwin Park Passing League Tournament over the summer, and he is the face of the Temple City program, which is slowly returning to becoming a contender for the Rio Hondo League title. He is one of two reasons people are talking about the Rams these days.
The other reason for it is two words: Riley Saxon.
He left Temple City several years ago and has returned for a second stint, and you can see that the players love playing for him—and most importantly, he’s having fun these days. Part of the reason is that he’s calling the offense, and everyone is taking notice. In his third year, the players understand his system, and he’s calling the game as if he’s playing Madden ’24 these days.
Last year, he developed Jack Jones into one of the area’s top quarterbacks, throwing for 2,315 yards. This year, he has another, and we will talk about him in a moment. He gave us a brief glimpse into his mind by saying he likes to keep his offensive terminology simple – fewer words and play fast.
“Each word has a purpose. One is the play, the second is the protection on a pass play, and the third is a possible route change within the play,” Saxon said.
Sophomore quarterback Jake Leones is the latest quarterback to grasp the offensive playbook and take his game to the next level. The 5-10, 160-pound right-handed gunslinger has become the latest Rams quarterback to become a wizard with the football. He has amassed 590+ passing yards (that lands him in the top 5 in the area) and loves playing in Saxon’s system.
“The great thing about the system is that we can run and pass the ball,” Leones said. “We have crazy things left and right, so it really shocks the defenses.”
It also helps to have someone like Douglas, who can get over the top of pass coverages and score regularly. However, Douglas is not the only receiver at Saxon’s disposal. Seniors Noah Fry and Jadon Griffin have become an integral part of the offense—and by the end of this night, their level of importance will play a key role.
When the game starts, Alhambra decides to try to limit the impact on Douglas by rolling coverages to his side. This works to Leone’s advantage as he throws his first touchdown of the night to Fry for a 65-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
After getting stifled on their next offense series, Temple City starts its third possession, Douglas making one of those circus catches that makes him unique. Despite having two Moor defenders covering him, Douglas comes down a 50-50 ball on a 35-yard reception.
Unfortunately for Rams fans, it would be Douglas's final catch for the night and the next several weeks.
With the ball on the 15-yard line, Saxon calls for a fly-sweep pass play on the wide side of the field where Douglas is. The play calls for Douglas to block down on the “most immediate threat to his side,” which is called a crack block. It’s a block that is executed at every level of football.
As Douglas executes the block, Fry makes the catch, advances upfield, and scores a touchdown. However, during the play, Douglas’s ankle gets caught up in the numerous bodies, severely injuring it. He’s down on the ground, and within seconds, everyone knows that it is a serious injury.
As soon as the trainers arrive, they know that it is not a sprained ankle—it is more serious than that. The game stops, and everyone is holding their breath. Saxon makes his way to the spot where Douglas is lying, and he knows immediately that Douglas's ankle is not in a good spot.
The trainers decided it was time to call for the Monrovia Fire Department. Saxon walks over to his team, which is on a knee, and tells them the news that no one wants to hear.
“It’s a broken ankle.”
Temple City players look on as Judah Douglas is getting attended to by medical personnel on Friday night. (Escarcega)
The words went directly into the soul of every player. Jadon Griffin, who is Douglas’s best friend, starts to cry. When your best friend is left vulnerable, you cannot do much to help. The feeling of helplessness is palpable all over the sideline. Leones is next to cry, and his emotions are more visible.
“In the moment, that’s my brother,” Leones said after the game. “Just seeing him fall down, knowing that he has dreams of playing college football, that hurt a lot. I pray to God that he’ll be by Judah’s side.”
When the Monrovia Fire Department and paramedics arrive, they calm the situation. Their every move is well orchestrated. They’ve done this countless times and don’t miss a step needed to ensure that Douglas is appropriately secured to be put on the gurney.
Alhambra players take a knee after Judah Douglas’s injury. (Escarcega)
While this is going on, Saxon looks at the black night sky with a blank look on his face. He knows that while Douglas is going to be OK and the injury is not life-threatening, the composition of his team has changed dramatically. There are no coaching clinics to help you handle this situation.
“When you lose a player like (Douglas), your playbook shrinks quite a bit,” Saxon said. “We had to change the gameplan a little bit, but when you lose (Douglas), half of your playbook is gone.”
After a good 15-20 minutes, Douglas is carefully placed on the gurney with a temporary cast on his right ankle and gets wheeled away to the ambulance. After giving a thumbs up (in which everyone in the stadium gives him a round of applause), he says, “Bye, y’all… Love y’all.” He smiles, puts up four fingers for the person filming the scene, and then raises his thumb again, indicating that he’ll be OK.
As the saying goes, “It’s time for the next-man-up mentality.” On this night, the two guys that move into that situation are Fry and Griffin.
And they pick up where Douglas leaves off. Griffin makes a dazzling catch in the second quarter for a 27-yard touchdown pass and a 21-0 Rams lead.
On the next series, Fry scores on a nifty nine-yard touchdown pass for a 28-0 lead. And while Alhambra made a game of it in the fourth quarter, the result was never in doubt. The team wanted to “Win One for Judah,” and they did it with a 28-14 win.
“This was a big coming out party for Fry,” Saxon said. “We had some plays in for him because of his speed, and he took advantage of it.” Fry had seven receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown.
The team’s initial energy from a win was fleeting when the game ended. Everyone's mind was still on Douglas. Saxon tells the team that he is proud of them but keeps the speech short for one reason: the lights are about to be turned off thanks to a timer that turns them out at 10:55.
As soon as Saxon finishes his speech, an administrator from the school drops in and says, “We have an update on Judah; the doctors at the hospital say that he has dislocated his ankle and that there is a very good chance we get him back very soon.”
Everyone takes a deep sigh of relief. Douglas is expected to take 4-6 weeks to rehab the ankle and regain it to full strength, which is better than a broken ankle that takes 4-6 months.
As for the Rams, that 7-3 record we projected at the beginning of the season looks like a reality. They will be the heavy favorites to defeat Azusa and Bosco Tech these next two weeks, which gives them a 5-0 record. They’ll be favored to defeat Pasadena Poly on Oct. 18th, which provides them with six wins. All they need is a win against one of the “Big 4” in the RHL (Monrovia, La Canada, South Pasadena, or San Marino) to get to seven wins and a highly probable At-Large bid into the playoffs.
If you place them in Divisions 12, 13, or 14, they become a huge contender to win a sectional title… with Douglas back at 100 percent.
Which didn’t appear to be the case at 8:47 on Friday night.
This could be the season that vaults Saxon into the status of an elite football coach in the area.
Which says a lot after what he and his team went through on Friday night.
It’s what makes high school football special.
5 THINGS THAT I THINK I THINK
1. I think that Northview is the only area football team that can run the table and finish the regular season with a 10-0 record. Let’s break it down. With seven games remaining, and if you are using Calpreps.com as one of your metrics, the only teams that can give Northview a threat to an undefeated season are Covina (this Friday), San Dimas (Oct. 11th), and West Covina (Oct. 24th). Mark Holman, the coach at San Dimas, will have his team ready for the challenge, and West Covina is getting better each week. Don’t fall asleep on the Covina game this Friday night at CDF. Rivalry games are unpredictable, and you can be sure that Covina coach Joe Brown will have his team ready.
2. I think that St. Francis will be a team to be reckoned with once Angelus League play begins. The Golden Knights are playing for the long game, judging by Dean Herrington's comments to Jorge Ramos of the Pasadena Star-News after St. Francis’ 36-34 loss to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Once again, John Sanders didn’t play for the Golden Knights, and his younger brother Shawn had a big night as quarterback, throwing for 195 yards and three touchdowns. The defense let the game get away as they allowed a last-minute drive, culminating with Notre Dame converting the winning field goal with seconds left. Notre Dame racked up 385 yards of total offense. Once John Sanders returns, and the offensive line getting more reps in games, they’ll be just fine.
3. I think it’s about time Damien removed the interim tag from the current coach, James Stewart, and make him the full-time coach. What he has done with this since he took over for Matt Bechtel has been remarkable. The players love playing for him, and he continues to push all the right buttons. The season-defining win over St. Paul (37-10) should be the last piece of evidence that the Damien administration needs to promote Stewart to the top of the program. Coaches like Stewart don’t come off many trees; when you get someone like him, you need to ensure that you keep him. He is the right person for the program at the right time. This needs to happen sooner rather than later.
4. I think that it’s time to give Rio Hondo Prep a serious look at winning another section title. Their win on Saturday over Maranatha should raise everyone's eyebrows in the area. And they are doing it the old-fashioned way, by running the ball. They racked up 391 yards on the ground, with Caeden Holcomb rushing for 117 yards on seven carries. They had eight different players carry the ball on Saturday night. They keep coming at you in waves. Consider this – Maranatha is not a bad football. They amassed 305 total yards, and Luke McNulty will be one of the top quarterbacks in the Pasadena area. It’s just that Rio Hondo Prep is at another level. Mark Carson has done a terrific job keeping the proper culture at RHP. The only serious challenge that the Kares will face on their road to a 10-0 record is their Sept. 27th game against Torrance. The Kares are for real!
5. I think that Wilson should be considered the favorite to win the Montview League based on their 36-22 win over Rowland last week. The Wildcats have two prolific running backs in their arsenal, including seniors Dominic Ezeonye (17 carries, 205 yards, three touchdowns) and Derek Ochoa (11 carries, 179 yards, two touchdowns). Considering what Rowland did to Nogales a week earlier, it’s not hard to conclude that Wilson will be the team to beat in the Montview. In football, it comes to matchups, and right now, I don’t think anyone is fired up to play Wilson the way they are currently playing. The message is clear to the other teams in the league: you better start learning how to stop the run, or else it will be a long night when they play you.
LAST WEEK IN THE HACIENDA LEAGUE
Since everyone agrees that the new Hacienda League is the most competitive in the area, we decided to give it its section in our weekly column. Week two was rough for the league, as they posted a combined record of 1-4.
Covina 45, Diamond Ranch 39: The Colts rallied from a 13-0 deficit to remain undefeated in nonleague action. It was another virtuoso night for the Colts offense as they amassed 439 yards of total offense. Jake Duronslet finished the night completing 18 of 23 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Kwame Parrish continues his torrid statistical pace as he rushed for 172 yards on 30 carries and scored a touchdown. He is the fourth-leading rusher in the United States with 689 rushing yards (9.8 Yards Per Carry). Diamond Ranch’s junior running back Jalen Gallegos also had a big night as he rushed for 182 yards on 15 carries.
St. Genevieve 53, South Hills 16: It was another tough night for the Husky defense as they allowed 413 yards of total offense. However, Sebastian Morinaga was the stat star of the game for South Hills, as he rushed for 188 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown.
Brea Olinda 41, Diamond Bar 18: The Brahmas trailed 21-12 at halftime and never recovered in a home loss to the Wildcats.
Sonora 42, Walnut 7: The Mustangs fell from the ranks of the undefeated as they were thumped at home by the Raiders. Sonora’s rushing game was on full display as they ran for 354 yards as a team, with the defense limiting Walnut to 190 yards of total offense.
Los Altos had a bye, and Chino lost on the road to Aliso Niguel 33-14.
Here are the current Calpreps Ratings for the league:
1. Covina (-4.8)
2. Chino (-17.4)
3. Los Altos (-18)
4. Diamond Bar (-19.5)
5. South Hills (-19.8)
6. Walnut (-25.6)
SGV/WHITTIER AREA STAT LEADERS
(As reported to MaxPreps)
RUSHING
1. Kwame Parrish (Covina), 689 Yards
2. Miles Omalley (Maranatha) 383
3. Joshua Griffiths (Monrovia) 359
4. Anthony Abad (Sonora) 354
5. Everardo Nunez (Mountain View) 335
PASSING
1. Isaiah Arriaza (Damien) 882 Yards (8th in Southern Section)
2. Jesse Saucedo (Monrovia) 839 (10th in Southern Section)
3. Corin Berry (Charter Oak) 813 (14th in Southern Section)
4. Jake Leones (Temple City) 594
5. Jake Duronslet (Covina) 522
RECEIVING
1. Matthew Olivas (Covina) 308 Yards
2. Legend Lyons (Charter Oak) 300
3. Isaiah Lucero (Northview) 298
4. Vince Paez (Monrovia) 289
5. Jaden Griffin (Temple City) 280
ON FURTHER REVIEW
It was an interesting night for the crew officiating the Alhambra vs. Temple City football game last Friday night. They lost count of downs during one series (giving Temple City possession when it was fourth down for Alhambra – and I have the play-by-play to prove it), but they did get a rule right that everyone should know.
In the second quarter, Alhambra was penalized for “roughing the kicker” on a punt and was given an automatic first down. Only three penalties in the 15-yard penalty category give the team that received the penalty yards a first down.
1) Roughing the passer.
2) Roughing the kicker or holder.
3) Roughing the snapper.
You might be asking, “What about an unsportsmanlike penalty?"
Great question. It is a little bit more nuanced in the high school game.
Rule 9-5 clearly states that the unsportsmanlike penalty is 15 yards. However, if the offensive team has more than 15 yards to obtain a first down, the 15 yards are marked off, and the next down marked is on the board. For instance, if John Doe HS has 3rd down and 16 yards to go and Ridgemont High is called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, it becomes fourth and one if a play took place. Anything less than 16 yards is a first down.
There is a considerable addendum to the penalty language for unsportsmanlike conduct. “Also disqualification if judged by the game official to be flagrant.”
A couple of other issues came up this week. One is weather conditions, such as the heat wave that Southern California has experienced this week. Rule 3-1, Article 5 states: “When weather conditions are construed to be hazardous to life or limb of participants, the crew of game officials is authorized to delay or suspend the game.”
Another issue that came up in the Temple City vs. Alhambra game was the game lights at Monrovia Stadium. The game was pushed back to 8 p.m. because of heat issues (we started at 7:45), and Douglas's injury and every other injury that occurred didn’t help matters, so the game was not moving very fast. The automatic alarm to turn off the stadium lights was scheduled for 10:55 p.m. Fortunately, the game was completed at 10:45 p.m., and no one had to worry about it.
What If the lights had been turned off before the game was over?
Rule 3-1 Article 4 states: “Games interrupted because of events beyond the control of the responsible administrative authority shall be continued from the point of interruption unless the teams agree to terminate the game with the existing score, or as otherwise provided for by state association adoption.”
Finally, we’ve had some lopsided results, and fans have asked about the rules for a running clock. The CIFSS Blue Book states, “At the conclusion of the third quarter or any point thereafter, if there is a point differential of 35 or more points, a running clock shall be instituted for the remainder of the game regardless of the score. The game clock shall stop only for a score, a free kick following a fair catch or awarded fair coach, a charged team timeout, a coach-referee conference, or an official’s timeout. This Bylaw applies to all levels of play.”
If you have a question about a rule that was administered at the game you were at, please email me (James_Escarcega@outlook.com) or DM me on X (@James_Escarcega).
FINALLY
We feel that it is our job to consider the mental well-being of coaches and players. Having lived a coaching life from an unhealthy perspective, I want to prevent coaches from falling down the same rabbit hole I once did.
For instance, in the latter part of my coaching stint at Crespi HS as the video coordinator, gameday brought me a gush of stress from the moment I stepped on campus at noon until I left campus to go home. I only made things worse by eating at 1 pm and then not eating again until midnight. It probably didn’t help that I would eat pizza and hamburgers to relieve my stress. It’s commonly called “Stress Eating.”
It didn’t get any better when I was working as a stringer for a newspaper, responsible for turning in my story by a hard deadline of 10:00 p.m. Want to put years into a writer's life? Have him cover a football game with two teams that run the “Air-Raid” offense and score consistently. It can drive a writer crazy with a “tight” deadline.
What would I do when I got home from covering a game? You guessed it, more stress eating.
Now that I am on a path to a better life from a physical and mental point of view (and it’s not easy; I continually work at it every day), I want to share some knowledge so that a coach, player, or stakeholder in high school sports doesn’t do the same thing I did years ago.
I am passionate about coaches staying off social media and participating in things like “Twitter Spaces.” It doesn’t do you any good. Mostly, the people who host these things don’t have your best interests in mind. All they are doing it for is their ego, and that’s it. They are using you to feed that ego that they are creating for themselves.
I don’t object to doing a podcast if you trust the person interviewing you. It’s a two-way street. But Twitter Spaces is just another version of “Sports Talk Radio,” and it is unhealthy for coaches and student-athletes.
However, it is also vital for high school student-athletes to avoid using these platforms. Former coach Pete Carroll, in a forward to “5-Star QB, It’s not about the Stars, It’s About the Journey” (written by Yogi Roth and Joey Roberts), stated the following.
“In 50 years of coaching, there is one fact that has never changed: the best players play. Not the highest-paid players, nor the most followed players on social media… the best! There are multiple examples of players rising to the top and overcoming all odds at times, but what is most commonly the deciding factor is, who is the best competitor? Who consistently comes through and gets the job done for their team?
“This distinction of “the best competitor” has always been the crucial gauge that tips the final decision about who plays. Talent is a given vital factor, but passion, perseverance, and resilience are equally key to the successful makeup of the QB. It is when this intricate combination of elements come together that we see the makings of a QB take shape.”
My advice to coaches and players is straightforward: If you want to be the best, work on the factors that Coach Carroll recommends—work on your passion, perseverance, and resilience. Do it on your terms, in your laboratory with your friends, coaches, and teammates, and not on social media.
You’ll be surprised by the success you will gain – and it will be rewarding because of the hard work you will have to turn in to become the player Coach Carroll challenges you to be. Or you can want instant gratification from people who don’t know you and do it for their ego – at your expense.
Consider this your free advice – you’ll thank me later.
Have a great week.