SGV/WHITTIER PREP SPORTS ZONE FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2023: AYALA, LA MIRADA
Bulldogs and Matadores have big questions to answer heading into the 2023 campaign.
Ayala’s Marquis Monroe (Twitter)
Ayala High School
Coach: A.J Gracia
2022 Record: 8-3
2022 Calpreps.com Rating: 31.4
Last Six Year Calpreps.com Avg. Rating: 26.5
Number of Returning Players: 8
Number of All-League Players Returning: 2
OFFENSE
Offensive Coordinator: Ryan Parks
Number of Off. Returning Starters: 5
Number of OL Returning: 3
Number of Off Skill Players Returning: 2
Rushing yards: 1,874 (170.4 YPG, 6.0 Avg Per Carry)
Passing Yards: 2,104 (191.3 YPG, 17.1 Avg. Per Completion)
Key Offensive Skills Players Returning
Marquis Monroe, 12, 5'9, 150, RB; ALL LEAGUE & ALL CIF DIV. 3
Drew Amico 12, 6'0 175, WR; 27 REC. 426 YARDS 1 TD
Key Offensive Lineman Returning
Nicholas Partida 12, 6'2, 245, OG: ALL LEAGUE & ALL CIF DIV. 3
Jacob Stewart 11, 5'11, 230, OT
Jeremy Goble 12, 6'0, 250 C
DEFENSE
Defensive Coordinator: Derek Calderon (First Year)
Number of Def. Returning Starters: 2
Number of DL Returning: 1
Number of Def. Skill Players Returning: 2
Key Defensive Skills Players Returning
Wyatt Summerford 12, 5'11, 185; LB, ALL LEAGUE
Marquis Monroe 12, 5'9, 150, RB; ALL LEAGUE & ALL CIF DIV. 3
Key Defensive Lineman Returning
Nicholas Partida 12, 6'2, 245, OG; ALL LEAGUE & ALL CIF DIV. 3
TOP NEWCOMING/TRANSFER SKILL PLAYERS
Diego Eligio 12, 5'9, 160, DB/OLB
Anthony "Jedi" Hernandez 11, 5'9, 160, RB; 89 CARRIES, 511 YARDS, 5 TD
Michael Saiz 11, 5'9, 155, WR
Jaden Valenzuela 10, 6'2, 165, WR/DB
TOP NEWCOMING/TRANSFER OFF/DEF LINEMAN
McArthur Grier 12, 5'10, 285, OL/DL
Alden Santos 11, 5'11, 215, OL/DL
Ari Panthaky 11, 6'3, 245, OL
Achilles Barroso 11, 6'0, 205, DE/TE; Transferred from Chino
COMMENTS FROM COACH GRACIA: “Strengths: Returning our top two RBs in Marquis and Jedi. Drew Amico leading a young group of talented WRs. Defensively returning key players in each position group Marquis at CB, Wyatt at LB, and Partida at DL. Senior Leadership will be a major strength this season. Weaknesses: inexperience and youth on the defense. Lost a lot of size on the OL but replacing them with young OL who are more athletic. We have a very tough schedule this year that will test our youth and inexperience early. However, I think this will only prepare us better for one of the toughest leagues in the area.”
2023 Schedule (with 2022 season records)
Week 0: vs. Colony (8-3, CIF-SS Div. 5 First Round)
Week 1: at Etiwanda (9-6, CIF-SS Div. 5 Champions)
Week 2: at Leuzinger (6-7, CIF-SS Div 5 Semifinals)
Week 3: BYE
Week 4: vs Chino Hills (4-6)
Week 5: at Citrus Valley (9-3, CIF-SS Div. 2 Quarterfinals)
Week 6: (Thurs.) vs Glendora at Citrus College (4-7, CIF-SS Div. 7 First Round)
Week 7: vs. San Clemente (10-3, CIF-SS Div. 2 First Round)
Week 8: vs. Bonita (League) (6-4)
Week 9: (Thurs.) at Charter Oak (League) (10-1, CIF-SS Div. 3 First Round)
Week 10: vs. Alta Loma (4-6)
CRYSTAL BALL: After a season that saw the Bulldogs pass for more than 2,000 yards, it appears as if Ayala will be going back to relying on its punishing run game to challenge Charter Oak for the top spot in the Mountain West League. And they have the running back to do it in 2x 1st-Team All-League senior Marquis Monroe. Monroe, who was also selected as a First-Team All-CIFSS player, will also be a key part of Derek Calderon’s (first-year Defensive Coordinator) defensive unit. A lot will be asked of Monroe, but we feel that he’ll do just fine. Look for “Jedi” Hernandez to also be involved in the offense at RB. Drew Amico will headline a young wide-receiving core. As is always the case, Coach Gracia will field one of the biggest offensive/defensive lines in the area. This position group will be headlined by veteran 2x First-Team All-League offensive/defensive lineman Nicholas Partida. You can make a serious argument that he is the best two-way lineman in the area. Throw in Jacob Stewart (5-11, 230), Jeremy Goble (6-0, 250), and newcomer McArthur Grier (5-10, 285) and you can see why the running game will be a high priority. The loss of quarterback Bryan Wilson of Eastvale Roosevelt is a major blow. If he was back, this team becomes a serious threat to winning a league title and making a deep run in the playoffs. Right now, the two quarterbacks that are competing for the QB1 spot are Alex Way and Max Barroso. Whoever wins it, will be thrown into the fire right away as the schedule is as tough as you will find in the area. 7 of the 10 teams on the schedule made the postseason last year and they include heavyweights Etiwanda and San Clemente. Injuries were the main culprit to a first-round loss in the playoffs in 2021 and the Bulldogs took another first-round exit in 2022. A projected record is very tough because of the unknown quality at the QB position. However, we feel pretty confident that Ayala will garner one of the two automatic qualifiers from the league. That would be a major accomplishment.
Projected record: 5-5
La Mirada first year coach Lucas Mealy. (La Mirada)
La Mirada High School
Coach: Lucas Mealy (First Year)
2022 Record: 4-6
2022 Calpreps.com Rating: 13.3
Last Six Year Calpreps.com Avg. Rating: 20.3
Number of All-League Players Returning: 0
OFFENSE
Offensive Coordinator: Lucas Mealy
Number of Off. Returning Starters: 2
Number of OL Returning: 5
Number of Off Skill Players Returning: 4
Rushing yards: 1,235 (123.5 YPG, 4.4 Avg. Per Carry)
Passing Yards: 1,308 (130.8 YPG, 10.7 Yards Per Completion)
Key Offensive Skills Players Returning
Jordan Lauago 10 5'8 170 RB/Slot
Martin Aguilera 12 5'8 170 Slot
Santino Garcia 10 6'1 180 QB
Key Offensive Lineman Returning
Ryan Molina 11 6'4 260 LT
Zachary Stein 12 6'0 250 C
DEFENSE
Defensive Coordinator: Cameron Carr (First Year)
Number of Def. Returning Starters: 3
Number of DL Returning: 3
Number of Def. Skill Players Returning: 5
Key Defensive Skills Players Returning
Max Rankin 11 5'11 180 DB/WR
Frank Torres 12 6'0 180 Safety/LB
Gregory Leon 12 6'1 185 Safety
Jordan Lauago 10 5'8 170 Corner
Key Defensive Lineman Returning
Charlie Dowlin 11 6'0 230 DL
TOP NEWCOMING/TRANSFER SKILL PLAYERS
Isaiah Robbins 11 6'2 180 WR
Christopher Cuevas 12 6'4 230 TE
Ary Montes (Transfer) 12 5'11 215 LB
TOP NEWCOMING/TRANSFER OFF/DEF LINEMAN
Donovan Davis (Transfer) 10 6'2 225 DE
Genesis Afu 10 6'3 275 OL
Adrian Otero (Transfer) 11 6'6 300 OL
COMMENTS FROM COACH MEALY: Very young in a very tough league. Good physicality up front on offense; Young talent with offensive skills. Quick up front on DL. Experienced LB core and Secondary. Very young and very few returning starters. Completely new coaching staff. New Offense/Defense. Sophomore QB. Tough nonleague schedule (Cypress, Yorba Linda, Servite, LB Jordan, Baldwin Park).
2023 Schedule (with 2022 season records)
Home Games will be at Excelsior HS.
Week 0: vs. Cypress (13-1, CIF-SS Div. 4 Finalists)
Week 1: vs. Yorba Linda (14-1, CIF-SS Div. 3 Champions)
Week 2: at Servite (1-9)
Week 3: vs. Long Beach Jordan (6-4)
Week 4: at Baldwin Park (10-3, CIF-SS Div 10, Semifinalists)
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: vs Dominguez (League) (4-6)
Week 7: vs. Mayfair (League) (8-5, CIF-SS Div. 7 Semifinalists)
Week 8: at Norwalk (10-2, Div. 10 Quarterfinalists)
Week 9: at Warren (League) (8-2, Div. 2 First Round)
Week 10: at Downey (League) (12-3, CIF-SS Div. 4 Champions)
CRYSTAL BALL: It's a new era over at La Mirada as Lucas Mealy (a St. John Bosco alum) takes over for Mike Moschetti, who moved his tack over to St. Paul High School. Mealy has established himself as one of the top fastest-rising coaches in the profession. He comes with impeccable credentials. His first head coaching gig will not be an easy one. Last year La Mirada sported one of the top offensive units in the Whittier area. Despite having Garcia, Hicks, and Stillman on offense (quality starters) it was a tough year for the Matadors as they suffered a brutal loss to Servite and finished the season 4-6 with no playoff appearance. Coach Mealy admits that his team will be very young in 2023 and that could be a big problem when you have two CIF-SS champions and two semifinalists from 2022 on your schedule. Throw in an inexperienced QB in sophomore Santino Garcia and who knows where this team will end up at the end of the season. The Matadors appear to be just fine up front with Ryan Molina (younger brother of Nolan Molina) and Zachary Stein (6-0, 250) headlining the position group. Martin Aguilera will have to chance to prove his genuineness at the slot wide receiving position, and the program has high hopes for sophomore Jordan Lauago (strong family influence at La Mirada). Three transfers can only help the depth on both sides of the ball. Charlie Dowlin (6-0, 230) is the only returning defensive lineman so that position will be under a close eye when the season starts. As is always the case, with a new staff comes new schemes and the acclimation to those schemes can go either way. As for the schedule, you talk about diving into the deep end of the pool. 8 of the 10 teams on the schedule made the playoffs in 2022 and Servite comes from the Trinity League, so don’t let that record fool you. With a young squad, projecting a record is about as dicey as trying to figure out the Dodgers these days. We can see a 6-4 record, but we also see a 2-8 record. We’ll take the half-glass fill approach and project a five-win season for the Matadores.
Projected record: 5-5