Flintridge Prep gearing up for season opener with Blair
The following are previews of the area’s upcoming high school football games this week.
Flintridge Prep spent plenty of time on the road last season, making trips to Las Vegas, Kern County and the top of the Grapevine, among other locations. Flintridge Prep Coach Antonio Harrison wanted to significantly cut back on the travel in 2014.
“We had so many long trips last year and a lot of the players’ parents didn’t get to see their kids play too much,” said Harrison, whose team will begin its season at 7 p.m. Friday with a nonleague home contest against Blair at Occidental College in Los Angeles. “We wanted to play most of our games closer to home.
“Plus, a lot of teams in [the Prep League] have played Blair during the past few years. So, we want to see how we match up with them.”
Flintridge Prep went 2-8, 1-3 in league last season. Blair finished 0-10, 0-5 in the Rio Hondo League. The Vikings have lost 29 straight games and their last victory came Sept. 2011, a 25-14 intersectional win against Fulton.
Still, Harrison isn’t taking anything for granted.
“They have a brand new coach and we don’t know all that much about them,” said Harrison, whose squad went 2-1 in its last three games last season. “We don’t have any film on them, so we have no idea what they like to run on offense.
“It’s just about sharpening our tools and being ready for Blair.”
Flintridge Prep opened each of the past two seasons against Carlsbad Army-Navy, losing both nonleague contests. Flintridge Prep’s last season-opening win came Sept. 2, 2011, when it picked up a 12-8 nonleague road victory against Bellarmine-Jefferson at North Hollywood High.
Hollywood vs. Hoover at Moyse Field, 7 p.m. Thursday: The Tornadoes have plenty of incentive when they take the field for their intersectional contest. First, Hoover will look to snap an eight-game losing streak. The Tornadoes will also seek to win their second straight season-opener under the guidance of coach Matt Andersen.
Hoover and Hollywood did not meet last season and it’s the only different opponent the Tornadoes will face from last season. Hollywood, a member of the L.A. City Section, went 3-9 and advanced to the first round of the playoffs last season.
“From what we’ve seen on film, I think we’ll be able to compete against them and I like our chances,” Andersen said. “They run a 3-3 stack defense and I think our running game we’ll be able to make some plays.”
Hoover’s starting quarterback will be senior Vaughn Parawan. Andersen said the Tornadoes lost running back Rayvin Tanhueco to an injury during a scrimmage against Alhambra. Tanhueco suffered a hairline fracture of his collarbone and is expected to be out four to six weeks, Andersen said.
The injury leaves Hoover’s backfield with running back Davit Nersisyan and fullback Jessie Martinez.
The Tornadoes opened last season with a 65-0 nonleague victory against Blair. The Tornadoes have won two straight opening games, both against Blair. They didn’t allow a point in each contest.
Hollywood opened last season with a 27-13 win over Panorama.
