Montclair Prep Silences Doubters

When Montclair Prep football players saw an article in a local newspaper predicting their team’s demise Friday night against Simi Valley, they knew just how to react.

“It was a joke,” senior tailback Michael Jones said. “We laughed hard at it. We hooped and hollered.

“Then we blew it up and ripped it to shreds.”

A mighty symbolic gesture, considering that the Mounties did to Simi Valley what they did to the newspaper, tearing up the Pioneers, 28-6, at Simi Valley.

“We just knew that we shouldn’t believe the hype,” junior fullback Derek Sparks said.

How ironic, indeed, that Sparks made that statement, considering that he and Jones certainly backed up most of their preseason hype as one of the state’s top backfields.

Jones gained 208 yards in 27 carries and scored once. Sparks gained 162 yards in 25 carries and scored three times.

And, like true troopers, they credited their offensive line for all the glory.

“We talked with the O-line all week, working on what they should do,” Sparks said.

More specifically, Montclair Prep Coach George Giannini said, the line worked on picking up stunts.

The work paid off. Each of the Mounties’ four touchdown drives was orchestrated entirely on the ground.

After building a 14-6 lead late in the second quarter on touchdown runs of two and one yards by Jones and Sparks, Montclair Prep burst out with a two-play, 63-yard touchdown drive that put a firm exclamation point on the evening and fairly sealed the game by halftime.

Jones took the first carry on a sweep to the right, then reversed his field for a 34-yard run. Sparks took the next pitch on the right side, battled through some tacklers, and scampered 29 yards for the score with 26 seconds left in the half.

Presto--two carries, lots of yardage and a 20-6 lead.

From there, Montclair Prep let its defense--the part of the team that Giannini calls the “most underrated”--do the work.

Still, Simi Valley running back Eric Hale was impressive, carrying 16 times for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Hale, though, was all the Pioneers could muster on offense. Clearly, the Mounties were in firm control.

And with some doubters silenced, does Giannini feel that Montclair Prep is now on top of its game?

After all, this was a game many thought would be his team’s toughest of the year.

“I don’t think so,” he insisted. “We can still play better.”