Weekly Football Previews: Crescenta Valley looks to pass first big league test against Muir
Pacific League titles have often been won and lost upon the outcome of the yearly clashes between Crescenta Valley High and Muir.
It is likely safe to say that the rivalry has waned a bit, as the Falcons have won three straight against the Mustangs with a blowout last season heading into Friday’s contest at Glendale High’s Moyse Field at 7 p.m.
Still, Muir (2-2, 0-1 in Pacific League) boasts a defense that’s posted shutouts at Compton (38-0) and Las Vegas Desert Oasis (48-0) before losses at home to La Salle and Arcadia to open league play.
Many believe Crescenta Valley (4-0, 1-0), ranked second in CIF Southern Section Division VI and the reigning and defending league champ, is on a collision course with Arcadia (2-2, 1-0) for the league title in the league finale. The Apaches, No. 4 in Division XI, are playing Burroughs (2-1, 1-0) in the week’s other marquee game within the Pacific League. But the Mustangs have never been a team to be overlooked.
Crescenta Valley drubbed Muir, 33-0, a season ago, but the Mustangs seem to be improved.
Still, Crescenta Valley is no doubt the favorite as it’s won four straight and nine consecutive league games.
Falcons quarterback Cole Doyle seems to be hitting his stride and has 603 yards and 10 touchdowns passing along with 266 yards and four scores rushing. Running back Joe Suh has five touchdowns on the ground and 337 yards, while the defense has been keyed by defensive back Angel Ochoa (three interceptions), linebacker/defensive end Brian Erickson (37 tackles, three sacks) and defensive lineman Jaedin Springfield (33 tackles, four sacks).
As with all Falcons home games, the contest will be streamed on https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/.
St. Francis at Buena Park, 7 p.m. Friday: St. Francis might well have dealt with its most difficult contest on Friday at College of the Canyons against Saugus, but still came away with a lopsided 49-20 victory.
Now, the Golden Knights will stay on the road, look to improve to 5-0 and carry some momentum into the start of Angelus League play when they tackle host Buena Park at 7 p.m. Friday.
St. Francis (4-0), which is ranked sixth in CIF Southern Section Division III, has won nine straight nonleague games, which includes a 28-19 win against Buena Park last season that put the 2016 Golden Knights at 5-0.
Buena Park (1-3) is on a surprising three-game losing streak, coming off a 56-17 loss at El Cajon Grossmont. The Coyotes’ only win was in week zero against a currently winless Pasadena, 31-25. St. Francis owns a 42-0 victory over Pasadena.
Buena Park has been led by running back Edric Gowdy and defensive end Kevyn Scott.
Against Saugus, quarterback Darius Perrantes, who has thrown for 10 touchdowns and 884 yards, was injured. Standout receiver Greg Dulcich, who has 11 catches for 323 yards and three scores, filled in and threw two touchdowns. Perrantes is day to day at practice and questionable for the game at Buena.
However, the running game has also been formidable for the Golden Knights. Elijah Washington (47 carries for 259 yards and six touchdowns this season) had 21 carries for 109 yards and two TDs against Saugus, while Kevin Armstead (26 carries for 153 yards and five scores) also had a rushing score. Golden Knights defensive end Gabriel Grbavac also has four sacks in four games for a defense that’s produced 13 sacks.
Burbank at Hoover at Glendale High, 7 p.m. Thursday: Leading off the week’s slate of area football games will be the Tornadoes hosting a Burbank squad that has won 13 consecutive contests — all by at least 36 points — over Hoover.
Last season’s 77-16 loss for Hoover saw Burbank run up a school record point total. The Bulldogs (2-2) advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division VIII title game last year, but have graduated a good portion of that squad. Like Hoover with first-year coach Terrance Jones, the Bulldogs also have a new coach in Adam Colman.
Hoover (1-3) has lost 27 consecutive Pacific League games to teams other than archrival Glendale.
Burbank beat Glendale, 59-0, in its league opener, while the Tornadoes are coming off a 54-22 defeat to Crescenta Valley.
Glendale at Pasadena, 7 p.m. Friday: From one uplifting streak to one disappointing one went the Nitros when they opened up Pacific League play Friday with a 59-0 defeat at Burbank.
Following the program’s first two-game winning streak since 2013, Glendale’s Pacific League losing streak extended to 15 straight.
The Nitros will look to end that streak along with a three-game losing streak against Pasadena, which is 0-4 and has lost five straight overall. Last season, the Bulldogs edged the Nitros, 23-8.
Glendale is looking to defeat Pasadena for the first time since 2013.
Thacher at Flintridge Prep, 7 p.m. Friday: Flintridge Prep got back on the good foot with a predictable drubbing of Bellarmine-Jefferson at home on Friday by a lopsided 58-0 final tally.
The Rebels (3-2) are likely to have a more arduous opponent in front of them at home Friday in Thacher (0-2).
Thacher drubbed Flintridge Prep, 68-41, and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division I semifinals, just as the Rebels did.
This season, though, both teams are struggling to an extent. While Prep is above .500, it has lost via lopsided scores to Orcutt Academy (51-23) and Cate (70-20), who are members of the Mt. Pinos League along with Thacher.
Thacher’s struggles might be of a greater degree than Prep’s, though, as it lost to Branson (44-14) and Windwa
rd (34-6) by uneven tallies.
Quarterback John Lytle and receiver Nick Davis have been the Rebels’ most consistent offensive weapons.
The Rebels are 2-0 at home.
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
