Crescenta Valley High football faces La Serna with championship berth on line
When the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division pairings were announced, it was only natural that many a local eye looked toward a fortuitous semifinal showdown between fourth-seeded Crescenta Valley High and top-seeded St. Francis.
But along the way, reigning champion La Serna spoiled all hopes for a renewed rivalry in the Battle for Foothill Boulevard.
So now it is Crescenta Valley as the last area team standing, with the Falcons continuing to fly high in a season for the ages.
On Friday in the semifinals, undefeated Crescenta Valley will host La Serna at 7:30 p.m. at Glendale High’s Moyse Field.
“It’s like a dream come true. Every week it just gets better because we know we have another game,” said senior defensive end Matt Erickson of the Falcons’ season, in which they’ve returned to the semifinals for the first time since 1992 and sit a win away from the program’s second-ever CIF championship appearance. “We were actually really hoping that we got to play St. Francis to show what we’ve got. We were kind of shocked.”
The Southeast bracket has been shocking as a whole. Crescenta Valley, the No. 4 seed, is the highest seed remaining. In the other semifinal, Downey (9-3), the San Gabriel Valley League champion and only other league titlist standing besides Crescenta Valley, will host Salesian (6-6), an Angelus League at-large entrant. Salesian, which would have to win the CIF title to have a winning season, upset second-seeded La Mirada in the first round, while Downey defeated third-seeded Cathedral in the quarterfinals.
While the Falcons were doing away with Paramount, 35-14, to improve to 12-0 with their CIF quarterfinal victory, the Lancers (10-2), the second-place team out of the Del Rio League, were upsetting a previously undefeated St. Francis squad, 38-35, thanks in large part to two pivotal takeaways and a stellar running game out of La Serna’s wing-T offensive set that compiled 311 rushing yards in the game and has rushed for roughly 2,400 yards this season.
“La Serna beat St. Francis because they’re a great team like St. Francis,” Falcons quarterback Brian Gadsby said. “Obviously, us versus St. Francis in the semifinals with us both being 12-0 happens once in a blue moon, but La Serna’s a great team. We were a little surprised, but that just means La Serna is that much better [if it can beat St. Francis].”
One would wager that La Serna is riding high on the momentum of a victory that, at least in the seedings, was seen as an upset, but longtime Lancers Coach Margarito Beltran is quick to dispel that notion.
“That game is over,” Beltran said. “That week’s over and done with. Our focus is on Crescenta Valley and only Crescenta Valley.”
In Crescenta Valley, Beltran’s Lancers find a team in the midst of one of the greatest seasons in program history, having won its first Pacific League title since 2004, its first outright championship since 2001 and looking to become the first team in school history to earn its lucky 13th win. Thus, while the Lancers might not be reveling in the joys of a semifinal run, or at least not conveying that, the Falcons most assuredly are enjoying every minute of their CIF roller coaster ride.
“You couldn’t ask for anything better so far,” Gadsby said. “It feels great. Everybody’s pretty excited, obviously.”
Indeed, one notable difference between the teams lies within the road each has traveled.
While Crescenta Valley is collectively smiling wide with its newfound success, the Lancers, including winning last year’s championship, 41-38, over Norwalk, have gone to three straight title games and five consecutive semifinals.
Last season’s tile run saw La Serna defeat another Pacific League squad, Burbank, in the semifinals and it had previously defeated Burroughs in the first round, as it looks to defeat two area teams in the postseason for two years running. In the 2012 championship, La Serna lost to Downey, and in 2011, the Lancers lost against West Covina.
“They’re the reigning champions so they know how to win,” Gadsby said.
Their three-point win over St. Francis was the fifth game this year for the Lancers decided by seven points or less, including a first-round 24-21 win over Compton Dominguez. In those games, La Serna is 4-1 with its only loss coming to Del Rio League champion El Rancho, which was upset by Burbank in the first round.
“A big thing with them is the experience,” Falcons Coach Paul Schilling said. “They’ve been in the big games.”
Crescenta Valley is just the opposite, though, as it looks to vault into the CIF championship for the second time in program history after the Falcons won the CIF AAA title in 1973, which just happened to be the first season in which current defensive coordinator Dennis Gossard was an assistant. As for this season, the Falcons’ closest game came was a 38-26 win on the road against rival Muir in a game that proved to essentially be for the league title. Overall, the Falcons are averaging 43 points a game and are relinquishing just less than 17.
“At the end of the day, you line up, you play and all that goes out the door,” Beltran said.
Nonetheless, Gadsby, who’s 22-2 as a starting quarterback for Crescenta Valley and led the school’s baseball team to the Division II quarterfinals this past spring, believes the Falcons will persevere if crunch time does come calling.
“We haven’t been in a lot of close games and, obviously, we hope that doesn’t change,” Gadsby said. “But if we are in a close game, I think that our team is strong enough if it is close that our defense will hold and our offense will step up. We’ll be OK.”
Another difference La Serna will face from last week to this week is that St. Francis was without starting quarterback Jeremiah Martin and standout linebacker Matt Bayle. Thus far, the Falcons have avoided serious injuries with a linebacking corps, led by senior Sean Bloks (team-high 127 tackles), and an offense keyed by Gadsby, ready to go.
“Their quarterback is exceptional,” Beltran said. “He goes out there, runs the offense, completes passes, throws to the right person. They don’t seem to make many mistakes.”
So far, Gadsby has thrown for 3,263 yards and 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, while completing 197 of 321 passes (61%) and adding seven rushing scores.
Led by Davo Hakobyan and Bryan Wong, the Falcons’ offensive line has allowed just two sacks in its previous two playoff games.
“They’ve done a great job of protecting the quarterback all year, so that’s gonna be a big challenge for us,” Beltran said.
Gadsby’s top target has been senior Connor Van Ginkel, who’s hauled in 60 passes for 1,237 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“[Van Ginkel] is a tall, big kid,” Beltran said. “He could cause some matchup problems.”
Often overlooked has been senior receiver Chase Walker, who has 33 catches for 648 yards and 10 touchdowns and possesses arguably the best hands in the area.
Senior running back Jonathan Jun has also turned in a terrific season as he’s balanced Crescenta Valley’s traditional spread, no-huddle offense with 1,234 yards rushing and 14 scores.
Crescenta Valley’s defense also boasts a bevy of statistical splendor such as senior Jordan Lobianco’s nine interceptions, which leads a team that has 31 takeaways (22 interceptions). Junior Colin Caver also has a team-leading 11 sacks for a squad that’s racked up more than 40.
“We have our work cut out for us,” Beltran said. “Obviously, Crescenta Valley has done a great job — they haven’t lost. They don’t make many mistakes and if you do, they make you pay.
“For us, it’s gonna be a key not to turn the ball over and give up big plays.”
La Serna’s offense scored four touchdowns against a previously staunch St. Francis defense in the quarterfinals, with two of the scores coming via long, time-draining drives.
“I think just execution of what we’re going to go out and do and following through with our game plan. That’s what I’m focused in on this week,” Erickson said of his team’s focus for stopping the Lancers’ running attack. “They’re running game is very strong. We’re just gonna go out and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes all those other defenses made.”
In a running game rife with misdirection, running backs Kevin Ramos and Anthony Garcia have each rushed for more than 600 yards and double-digit scores, while Ruben Rios has rushed for more than 500 yards.
However, quarterback Enrique Pacheco has completed 162 of 262 passes (62%) for 2,253 yards and 22 touchdowns. Against St. Francis, he was 10 of 15 for 112 yards and two scores.
“We’re gonna do what’s working,” Beltran said. “We’ll throw the ball 20-30 times if we have to if that’s what the defense is giving us.”
Whether by ground or by air, the Lancers and Falcons have both punched their tickets to Friday night’s semifinal, with La Serna looking to continue a run of success it has become accustomed to, while Crescenta Valley is hoping to continue its season for the ages.
“We know what they want to do, we just have to line up properly and make plays,” Schilling said. “They’re gonna be prepared; we’re gonna be prepared. It’s gonna be who makes the plays.
“It’ll be a good game.”
Note: The game time is officially 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on foxsportswest.com for FOX Sports and Prime Ticket’s Prep Zone. Game time was mutually agreed to change to 7 p.m., but was then changed back as all Prep Zone games begin at 7:30 p.m.