South Hills High School Varsity Football Team

One could look at the South Hills High School football team’s 34-31 loss to Charter Oak in overtime on Friday night as a cruel ending to a cruel season.

I’m still not sure what to make of it, but I’m leaning toward it being anything but a cruel ending. A cruel season, yes. A cruel ending, no.

How the Huskies were two fourth-quarter leads away from making it to the CIF-SS Inland Division playoffs is beyond me. How they beat Claremont, then took Charter Oak to overtime is total mystery unless you’re judging heart.

On Friday night, two of what would have been South Hills’ biggest offensive threats were wearing Charter Oak blue.

Several zip codes away, three more Huskies starters were wearing Amat blue in a loss to Alemany.As for the players who didn’t seek greener pastures, South Hills’ best offensive threat and defensive back Jamie Canada was in street clothes, as he’s been all season because of a knee injury. That’s OK, because there still was a hobbled Jamel Hart, a cagey Jordan Gutierrez, a gutty Vince Hernandez, several exhausted linemen and a sharper-than-ever head coach all using heart to try and stun the Valley and reach the playoffs. Raise your hand if you thought in October this motley crew was going to come within a whisker of extending their season to an 11th week. Most teams, when faced with such circumstances, would have packed it in. It appeared the Huskies were doing just that after they dropped five consecutive games earlier this season.

Then something happened. Just when everybody had them dead and buried, they turned to playing with heart. That’s what should happen with a powerhouse program. Pride kicks in when physical skills cannot handle the full load. Why there was a mass exodus this offseason has made less and less sense as the year has progressed. Was the grass really greener? No transferred player won a league title. True, Amat and Charter Oak will be dancing next week while South Hills turns in gear.

The record books will show 3-7 next to the 2010 South Hills team. It won’t say anything about what led to it and how it almost ended with an improbable 11th game. But those who were there know the immeasurable qualities – the ones that numbers can’t describe – were there at the right time, and that made this ending anything but cruel.

Read More: Aram Tolegian - http://www.sgvtribune.com/southhillshighpreps/ci_16602753

That’s because Chino Hills (5-1), with nonleague victories over Tesoro and Redlands East Valley, has become a huge league favorite as it prepares for Friday’s game against Claremont (5-1), another school projected to be in the playoff hunt along with Charter Oak (3-2), which visits Ayala (4-1).
South Hills (1-4) is hosting Damien (3-2) at Covina District Field in the league opener Friday following four consecutive losses, which include a 42-27 thumping by West Covina, a 59-6 loss to Tesoro, and a 43-28 loss last week to Los Osos.
In fact, the 42, 43 and 49 points allowed were the most points the Huskies have allowed in a single game this decade, and it all happened in a month’s time.
Although Damien has a winning record, in two games the Spartans had a chance to measure themselves, they were beaten soundly by Bishop Amat (42-7) and JSerra (42-7).
How times have changed for two of the area’s winningest coaches.
“It’s been humbling, it really has,” Gano said of the lopsided losses. “It’s been humbling for Steve too, but nobody’s feeling sorry for us, we’ve got a game on Friday we have to win, and so do they.”
Nonleague records are often misleading because of schedule strength, but it’s hard to make a case that South Hills and Damien are better off for playing tough schedules because they haven’t been competitive in big games.

“We’re in a similar boat,” Gano said. “The loser almost has no chance of making the playoffs, that’s just common sense.

“We’re both struggling, we both need a win, it’s important. It doesn’t guarantee you’ll make the playoffs, but the winner at least has a fighting chance and some momentum, because a win in the first game of league is always important for (your mental makeup)….”

Read more: Fred Robledo – http://www.sgvtribune.com/preps/ci_16315153#ixzz12U6hZGWd

Monrovia and South Hills high schools are in unfamiliar territory heading into tonight’s football showdown at Covina District Field. The programs have established themselves as area powers, but each enters tonight’s game with a 1-2 record and some regret to go with it.

“I would imagine you’ll see two angry football teams,” Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said.

Indeed. Monrovia comes in off a 35-34 overtime loss to San Dimas in which the Wildcats blew a big fourth- quarter lead against a Saints team they’d been waiting the whole offseason to get revenge against after losing to it in last year’s Mid-Valley Division championship.

For South Hills, there was no lead to blow in last week’s loss to Tesoro. The Huskies saw a close game turn into a 10-point deficit just before halftime before things really snowballed in the second half of a 59-6 loss.

“It was two different halves of football,” Huskies coach Steve Bogan said. “We played a great first half, but then we got worn out in the second half. That’s part of the deal when you play up, school-size wise. We just have to keep improving every week.”

Neither coach is convinced the other team’s record is indicative of how good they truly are. For Monrovia, South Hills is another stop in a string of tough nonleague opponents set up by Maddox, who wanted to challenge his team before league started.

“They’re a good football team,” Bogan said of Monrovia. “Turnovers killed them against Glendora and against San Dimas; I think they just turned it down a knob. This team could very easily be undefeated.”

In addition to Tesoro, South Hills has faced one of the best West Covina teams in years and Baldwin Park. The Braves account for the Huskies’ only win, and Maddox doesn’t want to be their second victim.

“They’re just a good football team who has played some good football teams,” Maddox said of South Hills. “They’re huge up front. That’s what really stands out to me.”

If South Hills wants to stifle Monrovia, it will have to find a way to slow down quarterback Nick Bueno, who’s dangerous with his feet and arm.

Bogan said limiting Bueno’s big plays will be critical for his defense, which starts three sophomore linebackers.

“You can’t let him get in space, but that’s easier said than done,” Bogan said about Bueno. “Mobile quarterbacks are definitely a problem – ask Pete Carroll. They’re unique people. You don’t stop them, you contain them. If we can do that, we’ll be in a good place.”

South Hills’ offense also has proven effective on the ground and is led by running backs Jamel Hart and Jordan Gutierrez. Hart has 276 yards and three touchdowns while Gutierrez has 260 yards and one score.

Given the past success of both programs, being 1-2 is a major disappointment and going 1-3 would be unthinkable, but neither coach would go so far as to call today’s game a must-win. Whichever team shakes off last week’s setback quicker may find itself in position to even its record and finish nonleague the following week with a chance at a winning record.

“Kids are resilient,” Maddox said.

As for the Huskies, well, don’t expect them to be taking Monrovia lightly.

Read More: Aram Tolegian – http://www.sgvtribune.com/southhillshighpreps/ci_16212269