Weekly Football Previews: Hoover vs. Arcadia; Crescenta Valley vs. Burroughs; Glendale vs. Muir; St. Francis vs. Mayfair; Flintridge Prep vs. Thacher
HOOVER VS. ARCADIA
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Arcadia High
RECORDS: The Tornadoes are 1-4, 0-2 in Pacific League; the Apaches are 3-2, 2-0
LAST WEEK: Hoover lost to Muir, 67-7: Arcadia defeated Burbank, 45-28
OUTLOOK: Hoover continues to struggle, having lost four consecutive games. The Tornadoes will look to wrap up their five-game road trip with a victory against the talented Apaches. Hoover had a difficult time stopping Muir, yielding 10 touchdowns, three that covered more than 50 yards. The Tornadoes finished with minus-51 yards rushing and were sacked multiple times. Hoover quarterback Mathis Richards completed 14 of 35 passes for 107 yards and two interceptions. Arcadia remained unbeaten in league after going on the road to defeat Burbank, which won the league championship last season. Arcadia, one of several teams projected to contend for the league title this season, overcame a 14-3 deficit in the first half and rattled off 35 points in a row to take 38-14 lead. Arcadia quarterback Dylan Guerra leads the way for the Apaches, throwing for more than 10 touchdowns and 1,200 yards. The Apaches are coached by Andrew Policky, who previously served as head coach at Hoover from 2011-12.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Hoover has surrendered 37.6 points per game against Arcadia over the last five games, all losses.
BURROUGHS AT CRESCENTA VALLEY
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Glendale High
RECORDS: The Falcons are 5-0, 2-0 in Pacific League; the Indians are 1-4, 1-1
LAST WEEK: Crescenta Valley defeated Pasadena, 47-28; Burroughs defeated Glendale, 45-6
OUTLOOK: Crescenta Valley enters play tied for first in league with Arcadia after turning back Pasadena. The Falcons received another outstanding effort from quarterback Cole Doyle, who completed 21 of 33 passes for 250 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Doyle rushed for 204 yards in 18 carries for 204 yards and three touchdowns in becoming the second winningiest quarterback in program history with 22 victories. Doyle, who had four second-quarter touchdowns, trails Brian Gadsby, who had 26 victories. Receiver Colby Rees caught four passes, including two for touchdowns. Burroughs snagged its first win of the season with a convincing home victory versus Glendale. Running back Luke Rogers turned in an outstanding effort. The sophomore rushed for 207 yards in 24 carries and scored two touchdowns. Quarterback Nathan Piper completed eight of 14 passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Burroughs never trailed, building a commanding 21-0 halftime advantage. The Indians have averaged 21.6 points per game and have given up 38.8.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Crescenta Valley has won two straight games against Burroughs, including a 38-14 victory last season, but is 5-7 against Burroughs since Burroughs joined the Pacific League in 2006.
MUIR AT GLENDALE
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Glendale High
RECORDS: The Nitros are 1-4, 0-2 in Pacific League; the Mustangs are 4-1, 1-1
LAST WEEK: Glendale lost to Burroughs, 45-6; Muir defeated Hoover, 67-7
OUTLOOK: Glendale.lost its second straight with its defeat versus Burroughs last week. The Nitros continue to struggle on offense, as they have scored seven or less points three times during the first half of the season. Chris Ibarra, a reigning All-Area selection, has been a bright spot for Glendale. The senior caught a 78-yard touchdown pass for Glendale’s lone score against Burroughs. He finished with two receptions for 86 yards and blocked an extra-point attempt for the second consecutive contest. Ibarra leads Glendale with six touchdowns. The Nitros are averaging 13.4 points per game and yielding 38.6. Muir bounced back with a lopsided home win against Hoover, building a 33-7 halftime lead. The Mustangs tallied 10 touchdowns to best Hoover. Receiver Caleb Snowden caught five passes for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Glendale has been shut out by Muir in four of the last six meetings, including 55-0 in 2017.
ST. FRANCIS VS. MAYFAIR
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: La Mirada High
RECORDS: The Golden Knights are 3-2; the Monsoons are 5-1
LAST WEEK: St. Francis defeated Harvard-Westlake, 48-27, Mayfair defeated Gahr, 35-22
OUTLOOK: St. Francis will remain on the road after notching its first road win last week. Though the Golden Knights were without injured running back Kevin Armstead, they’ve found a sound replacement in freshman Max Garrison. Garrison finished with five touchdowns, all in the first half, to lift St. Francis to its second win in a row. Garrison scored four rushing touchdowns and has tallied seven in the last two games. He rushed for 165 yards in 16 carries to provide a jolt for the Golden Knights, who will likely have Armstead back this week. Receiver Tanner Tomko caught seven passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Darius Perantes completed 19 of 25 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Mayfair which competes in the Suburban League, has won two consecutive contests. Last week, Mayfair trailed, 16-14, at halftime before scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 28-16 lead. Quarterback Joshua Calvin tossed three touchdown passes for the Monsoons, including two to Jordan Brown.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: St. Francis and Mayfair will meet for the first time since Nov. 14, 2014, when St. Francis posted a 49-14 home win in a CIF Southern Section Southeast Division first-round contest.
FLINTRIDGE PREP VS. THACHER
WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Thacher High
RECORDS: The Rebels are 2-1; the Toads are 1-2
LAST WEEK: Flintridge Prep lost to Villanova Prep, 37-35; Thacher defeated Windward, 34-20
OUTLOOK: In eight-man football, Flintridge Prep appeared rusty at times in suffering its first loss of the season last week. Quarterback John Lytle had an impressive appearance, completing 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Ben Grable caught 11 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns and teammate Zach Kim had seven receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns for the Rebels. Thacher will be the second team from the Mount Pinos League that Flintridge Prep will face so far this dseason. The Toads have struggled on defense, surrendering 37.3 points per tilt.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Flintridge Prep and Thacher have split the last two games, with Flintridge Prep registering a 22-20 home win last season.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
