It’s Birmingham, then everybody else

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Most teams have reached the halfway point of the regular season, or will do so by next week, but the King of the Mountain is already established.

Birmingham has a firm grip on the title of ‘Best Team In City Section Football.’ And someone will have to be awfully good to tear it out of the Patriots’ hands.

What has to concern Birmingham’s upcoming West Valley League and potential playoff opponents -- normally the Pats are slow starters. Veteran Patriots watchers are used to seeing the team stagger through a concrete-tough nonleague schedule with a losing record, then grow stronger as the season goes on. That formula has delivered three City titles in the last five years.

But this year, Birmingham has emerged 4-1 from that schedule, with victories over Long Beach Poly, Valencia, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Dorsey. Crespi is the only team to beat Birmingham, and its becoming apparent that the Celts just caught the Patriots at the right time -- in their season opener.

Beyond an eruption of injuries, the biggest threat to Birmingham -- and maybe the only one -- is complacency. But the Pats know that to have a shot at playing in this year’s State Bowl championship game, they cannot afford another misstep. I suspect their focus and determination will not waiver.

I also think the Patriots genuinely enjoy wearing the target of ‘City’s Best’ on their backs, a target that will grow with each passing week.

- Mike Terry

(Editor Bob: I predict a Birmingham-Venice final at the Coliseum.)