Crescenta Valley football had bright summer
Spring and summer football has come and gone at Crescenta Valley High.
On July 31, the reigning Pacific League champions will head back to the practice field with full pads soon to follow before kicking off the season with an unprecedented venture to Florida for the season opener against Barron Collier of Naples, Fla. on Aug. 24.
While the game is wholly different once the pads are put on, the Falcons are still flying high after what can only be deemed an ultra-successful passing league campaign.
“We’ve had a great, great summer,” Crescenta Valley coach Paul Schilling said. “We’ve been in the finals of every tournament, we’ve had a great passing summer. We’re excited.”
Over the spring and summer passing league season, Crescenta Valley posted a 33-3-1 mark with tournament victories at its own tournament, Mountain View and Atascadero highs along with tournament finals appearances at Saugus and El Rancho.
“I think we have a great group of guys this year, a lot of talent,” said quarterback Cole Doyle, a reigning All-Area selection who will return for his junior season with two seasons of starting experience already. “We’ve won [some] tournaments … we’ve done well in 11 on 11s, so I’m pretty stoked.”
Doyle and Co. put together a 9-2 2016 season. That included a second league title in three seasons, but was also the last for Falcons mainstays Ty Hill and Brandon Beardt, four-year starters and standouts who also played key roles in Crescenta Valley’s magical CIF Southern Section Southeast Division undefeated championship season in 2014. Last season, Crescenta Valley was felled in first-round Division VI postseason play by Saugus.
But following the summer, optimism is high, much like the Falcons expect their offensive output to be.
“Offensively, we’ve got some guys,” Schilling said. “We should score a lot of points.”
Though Hill, Beardt and others have graduated, the Falcons are rich in returning talent, most notably on the offensive line with the likes of returners Riley Center, Tommy Chun and Destin Jordan.
“I think our offense is going to do some great things, especially with our big line,” Doyle said. “That’s the greatest thing you can hope for.”
Center is another returning All-Area pick who will likely play on both sides of the line and will be a four-year starter. Center and the linemen also experienced summer success with a linemen lifting tournament win at Mountain View , evidence of an offensive line that has turned heads with its size and strength.
“I think we’re gelling pretty good and everything’s coming together as it should,” Center said. “It’s gonna be a great offensive year. There’s not many things we can’t do.”
Senior receivers/defensive backs Tyler Lobianco and Grady Schilling, sophomore receiver/linebacker Chase Center, senior running back Joe Suh and junior running back/linebacker Daniel Cho have also displayed promise during the summer, which concluded on July 6 for Crescenta Valley.
While Crescenta Valley has long been known for its spread offense, recent success has very much come about just as much, if not more, due to coordinator Dennis Gossard’s defense.
The biggest question mark is likely to be the linebacking corps, which will be an inexperienced group.
But experience is gaining and chemistry is building.
“Our seniors this year need to step it up and lead the team,” senior Brian Erickson said. “Our chemistry’s good and it’ll get better.”
Erickson is likely to be an invaluable contributor for the Falcons who will basically play where he’s needed, lining up at tight end and H-back on offense and defensive end or any of the linebacking slots.
Crescenta Valley, which has won eight league games in a row and 19 of its last 21 league contests, is no doubt soaring as regular season practices will soon commence.
“I don’t think it’s good to be overconfident,” Doyle said, “but it’s great to be confident.”
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
