Rio Hondo League preview: La Cañada part of strong league start

As the start of the Rio Hondo League football season gets going Friday evening, perhaps the league in total has not looked stronger in recent memory.

Five of six squads have a winning record, but only three will earn an automatic berth to the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

The league’s recent postseason success, due almost exclusively to Monrovia and San Marino highs, led to the league’s move from the Mid-Valley Division (Division X) to the Central Division (Division VIII), despite a protest and appeal this summer.

As the league season gets underway, one of the more pleasant surprises has been La Cañada.

The Spartans are one four league teams to conclude a 4-1 run through the nonleague schedule. In their nonleague finale, the Spartans rallied for 17 unanswered points and stunned visiting small-school powerhouse Rio Hondo Prep, 26-19.

“It was a big win for this program certainly against a very good, disciplined team like Rio Hondo Prep,” Spartans first-year Coach Ramsey Lambert said. “I know it sounds like a cliché, but we just stuck to what worked for us and didn’t panic. We relied on our defense and our offense got going and before we knew it, we took a lead.”

There’s no question the team’s defense, with an opportunistic secondary, has been the catalyst for the Spartans’ early success.

La Cañada has totaled 10 interceptions and seven fumbles in making talented quarterbacks think twice.

Even in the team’s worst effort this season, a 35-0 setback at rival Crescenta Valley on Sept. 19, wasn’t without four interceptions of All-Area first-team quarterback Brian Gadsby.

Three of those picks were turned in by junior defensive back Andrew Sarceda, son of the squad’s defensive coordinator Jason Sarceda. The younger Sarceda has interceptions in four of five contests and leads the area with six picks.

Other standouts so far come on the defensive line in sophomore David Vardanian (five sacks, nine tackles for loss) and in senior linebacker Cal McFadden (nine tackles for loss).

The Spartans’ read-option offense has been a work in progress, with a backfield of Jace Harrick, Ryan Breneman and Anthony Connell combining to rush for a little under 100 yards a game, while quarterback Kevin McGowin has limited mistakes.

La Cañada opens the league season Friday at Temple City at 7 p.m.

Last season, the Spartans defeated the Rams, 31-7, in the season finale to clinch the league’s final guaranteed playoff berth.

The winner of the La Cañada-Temple City contest the last two seasons has finished third in league and advanced to the postseason.

Unlike every other team in league, the Rams enter with a losing record of 2-3 after a 34-28 loss to Azusa last Friday.

Like La Cañada, the Rams rely heavily on a ground attack that averages 199 yards per game with senior Brad Chi averaging 8.6 yards per carry with four touchdowns.

Temple City can pass, though, with senior signal-caller Rico Salcido averaging 143 yards per game, while having tossed nine touchdowns.

With respect to La Cañada and Temple City, arguably the most important league game of the week, if not the season, takes place at Monrovia at 7 p.m.

The seven-time defending league champion Wildcats (4-1), the league’s only ranked team in the division at No. 3, host San Marino (4-1).

“They are by far the best team we’re going to see,” Monrovia first-year Coach Chris Stevens said of San Marino. “With their talent and their abilities, with their quarterback being a young left-handed junior with very skilled wideouts, we’re not overlooking them by any means.”

There some questions as to how the Wildcats would respond under the leadership of Stevens, an Inland Empire transplant who replaced three-time CIF champion coach Ryan Maddox.

Through five games, it doesn’t appear the Wildcats have missed a beat as their only loss came against St. Francis in a 35-13 defeat in which Monrovia held its own versus the Golden Knights through three quarters.

The Wildcats have a dynamic signal-caller as well in junior Asaph Zamora, who has thrown for 1,168 yards and 15 touchdowns against six interceptions.

Perhaps in any other year, San Marino would be up to task.

This season and this Friday, in particular though, Titans Coach Mike Hobbie’s squad might just be too banged up.

“I really don’t know what the assessment of our team is to be honest with you,” Hobbie said. “We’ve been banged up a lot more than any team I’ve ever coached in 40 years.

“We’re a different team from week to week. We’re a very thin team to begin with 22, 23 players and it’s going to be tough.”

The Titans have managed despite several obstacles thanks in part to quarterback Carson Glazier, who’s averaging 260 yards per game with 18 touchdowns versus only one interception.

Friday’s other opener pits a pair of surprising teams, as South Pasadena (4-1) hosts Blair (3-2).

While the Tigers’ nonleague schedule includes four wins versus teams with sub-.500 records and a loss against Eagle Rock (3-2), South Pasadena has been consistently strong on defense, posting two shutouts while holding four teams to less than 10 points.

Despite South Pasadena having posted two winning records and a 16-14 record under coach Marty Konrad heading into this season, South Pasadena is still looking for its first postseason berth since 2003.

As for Blair, the Vikings have already concluded their best season in years, regardless of what happens going forward.

After a 45-0 season-opening loss to Flintridge Prep, the Vikings snapped a 30-game losing streak with a 19-9 victory over Marshall Fundamental.

Blair is on a two-game winning streak with wins over Sherman Indian and California Military Institute and is hoping to win its first league contest since 2008.

Valley Sun predicted order of finish for Rio Hondo League: 1) Monrovia 2) San Marino 3) La Canada 4) South Pasadena 5) Temple City 6) Blair