Weekly Football Previews: Crescenta Valley faces Burbank in battle for Pacific
Over the last three-plus seasons, the Crescenta Valley High football team has had its way with the Pacific League.
The defending league champion Falcons have scooped up two of the last three titles, are 23-2 in league play dating back to 2014, and are currently riding a 12-game league winning streak.
If there’s been a thorn in the Falcons’ side during this run, it’s been Burbank.
The Bulldogs handed Crescenta Valley one of its two losses – 7-3 on Sept. 25, 2015 at Moyse Field – while dropping contests in 2014 and 2016 by 14-point margins.
When CIF Southern Section Division VI No. 2-ranked Crescenta Valley (7-0, 4-0 in league) hosts Division VII Burbank (5-2, 4-0) at Moyse on Friday at 7 p.m., perhaps it’s fair to anticipate another close game in a first-place battle between the last two teams undefeated in league play.
The Falcons have won 15 consecutive regular season games and have been particularly potent this season.
Crescenta Valley is averaging 42 points per contest, while the squad has allowed exactly half that margin per game.
The Falcons’ 297 points this year puts them second in their division behind No. 3 Oxnard (351 points).
After two thrilling wins to open the season versus Florida Barron Collier (34-31 score) and Golden Valley (26-19), the Falcons have blown out their last five opponents by an average margin of 28 points.
As for how Crescenta Valley will attack, there’s no mystery.
The squad is averaging 217 yards per game on the ground behind running back Joe Suh (496 yards and seven touchdowns) and mobile quarterback Cole Doyle (565 yards and seven touchdowns).
When Doyle throws, he’s also dangerous with 1,184 yards and 18 touchdowns versus only three interceptions.
Senior Tyler Lobianco has become a serious threat at receiver with 507 yards and seven touchdowns.
On defense, senior linebacker Brian Erickson leads the team with 64 tackles, while defensive back Angel Ochoa has turned in five interceptions.
Crescenta Valley’s No. 2 offense will be countered by Burbank’s No. 2 defense as the Bulldogs have allowed 85 points this season, which puts them just behind South Hills (83) in Division VII.
Burbank’s defense has forced 11 interceptions and five fumbles and is led by a pair of talented ends.
Senior Anthony Lira enters with four sacks and 13 tackles for a loss, while Duncan Smith has five sacks and 12 tackles for a loss.
On offense, the Bulldogs average 184 yards per game behind leader Darnell Williams (477 yards and three touchdowns), while quarterback Matthew Porras has thrown for 1,245 yards and 16 touchdowns against four interceptions.
Versatile Drew Pendleton has caught 26 passes for 495 yards and eight touchdowns at receiver, while he leads the team with 51 tackles at linebacker.
Mission Prep at Flintridge Prep, Friday, 7 p.m.: With the craziness that is the world of CIF Southern Section Division I Eight-Man football, chances are a Flintridge Prep playoff berth is very likely.
But the Rebels (4-3), the No. 8 team in the division, have two weeks left in the regular season and two very big games, especially for playoff seeding.
The Rebels will end their season against rival Chadwick, the fourth-ranked team, but before that, the Rebels will host Mission Prep (4-1), the No. 6 team in the division, on Friday at 7 p.m. on the Prep campus.
Plagued by five turnovers, Flintridge Prep is coming off a 48-42 loss to Downey Calvary Chapel on Saturday.
Mission Prep, meanwhile, is coming off its first loss this of the season on Friday against Chadwick, 31-27.
Sophomore Dalton Strouss (team-high 50 tackles) leads a Royals team that is allowing just 17 points per game. Offensively, Mission Prep boasts two excellent running backs in Vance Rocha (75 carries for 491 yards and five touchdowns) and Brian Kowall (79 carries for 500 yards and nine touchdowns).
An All-Area selection last season, quarterback John Lytle continues to lead the Rebels as he had 361 yards passing against Calvary Chapel and Nick Davis continues to be his go-to guy having caught five passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns, while Ramzi Beshir has also been a weapon as evidenced by his seven catches for 103 yards and a touchdown on Saturday.
St. Francis at Salesian, 7 p.m. Friday: Over the last two games, running back Elijah Washington has rushed for 317 yards and seven touchdowns as the Golden Knights’ running game has taken center stage and St. Francis has risen to 7-0 and 2-0 in the Angelus League.
In past seasons, the matchup with Salesian has been a daunting one. But the Mustangs have seen better days and much of their past talent has moved on as and they are just 1-6, 0-2 with six consecutive losses.
Thus, Friday’s game for St. Francis might well be a game in which the Golden Knights must focus on not overlooking their competition.
Washington has rushed for 616 yards and 10 touchdowns in 95 carries as the St. Francis offense has gained 1,445 yards on the ground with Kevin Armstead emerging with 349 yards. Washington had five touchdowns in Friday’s 49-16 win over La Salle.
Blake Howard is quietly having an outstanding season on both sides of the ball for St. Francis. He leads the team with 39 tackles, seven tackles for a loss and four sacks, while hauling in a team-high 15 catches and four touchdown receptions for 326 yards.
Salesian has been held to seven points in each of its Angelus League losses, including Friday’s 47-7 loss to Harvard-Westlake. The Mustangs have allowed 40 or more points in five of their games.
A year ago, St. Francis beat Salesian, 20-13.
Hoover at Pasadena, Friday, 7 p.m.: Outside of rivalry week, this may be the best time for the Tornadoes to pick up a Pacific League victory as they travel to the Crown City.
Though Hoover is 1-6 and 0-4 in league, the Tornadoes have some playmakers.
Andrew Rangel filled in admirably for injured quarterback Quran Bouldin and completed 11 of 18 passes for 197 yards last week in Hoover’s 47-18 loss to Arcadia.
Receiver Sebastian Sologaistoa also turned in a strong effort with five receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown.
Pasadena (1-6, 1-3) has also seen its share of struggles this season with its lone victory coming Sept. 29 over Glendale, 67-14.
Arcadia at Glendale, Thursday 7 p.m.: The Nitros get to play the role of spoiler this week.
Glendale is 2-5 and 0-4 in Pacific League play and has lost four straight, having last been victorious Sept. 15 at Vasquez (32-27).
Glendale is also looking for its first Moyse Field victory this season and is currently riding a campus seven-game losing streak.
Last week was rather difficult for the Nitros, who were blanked for the second time this season, 55-0, at Muir. The Nitros fell behind, 42-0, at the end of one quarter and a running clock was employed.
Arcadia enters Thursday’s contest in the thick of the league title chase with a 4-3 and 3-1 mark, with its lone league blemish a 17-14 home loss to Burbank on Oct. 6.
The Apaches trail Crescenta Valley (7-0, 4-0) and Burbank (5-2, 4-0), who meet on Friday.
Glendale has never beaten Arcadia this century, while the Nitros have not scored a point versus the Apaches the last two seasons.
