Keppel Stays Positive Despite Losing Streak

Duane Russell knew what he was getting into when he took over as football coach at Alhambra Mark Keppel before last season.

So when asked about the Aztecs’ state-long 26-game losing streak, he doesn’t hesitate to offer an optimistic outlook.

“There have been a lot of positive things going on here,” said Russell, who was an assistant at Keppel, Azusa Pacific College and Northview High before becoming head coach. “The streak isn’t some giant monster bearing down on us. The way we played in the past is vastly different from the way our kids are playing now.”

Keppel fell to 0-4 this season with a tough 12-6 loss to Gladstone on Friday. Quarterback Kyle Campbell and linebacker Jose Acevedo have performed well for the Aztecs, who play winless El Monte on Friday in a nonleague game at Arroyo. Moorpark set the state record for consecutive losses with 46.

“I’ve been coaching 14 years, and a lot of times at the end of a season it’s like you’re relieved,” Russell said. “But last year, we had a lot of kids who had never played before, and we were all bummed out because the kids and the staff had a lot of fun despite the losses.

“This year is different because we all expect more. We’re just making mistakes that regular teams make. If we correct them, we’ll be all right.”

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Hacienda Heights Wilson extended its winning streak to 19 games last Friday night with a 42-8 victory over El Monte. But the streak ended retroactively at 15 this week when they were forced to forfeit their season-opening victory over Rowland for using an ineligible player.

Wilson, the defending Division VI champion, had the second-longest winning streak in the state.

De La Salle of Concord leads the nation with a 68-game win streak. Santa Ana Mater Dei and San Pedro are now tied for second in the state at 18.

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Friday night’s football showdown between defending Division II champion Dominguez and powerful Long Beach Poly will be broadcast by Fox Sports West 2 on a tape-delayed basis.

The game will be shown Saturday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.