Bulldogs football prepares for Phantom menace

If there was a common sentiment shared through the first two weeks of the season for the Pasadena High football team, perhaps it’s what if.

Bulldogs Coach Randy Horton witnessed his team taken apart by Alemany, 45-8, two weeks ago in the season opener with a Warriors squad that featured several local players.

After a bye, the Bulldogs also welcome out-of-area Los Angeles Cathedral, which boasts a squad with five Pasadena-area athletes, Friday at 7 p.m.

“We wouldn’t need all of them at PHS, but maybe two or three Pasadena guys from Alemany and Cathedral and we would win league,” Horton said. “Don’t get me wrong. We have talent here now, but it never hurts to have some more hometown talent playing at home.”

The visiting Phantoms are led by Pasadena resident and starting quarterback Hayden Rettig, the younger brother of one-time La Salle standout Chase Rettig, currently starting at Boston College.

Hayden Rettig, who verbally committed to Louisiana State University in the spring, is one of three starters from the area that includes wide receiver Cameron Akins (a CIF State Track and Field qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles) and defensive end Hassan Allison.

Rettig heads into Pasadena red hot, having led the Phantoms to a 2-0 start behind 497 passing yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I just want to have fun and come out and do my best,” Rettig said. “We started off strong because everyone is stepping up and playing their best so far.”

The game holds special meaning to Rettig, who was tore the ACL and meniscus in is right knee in the fourth quarter versus Pasadena last season in the second game of the year and was lost for the season.

“They didn’t hurt me as much as I hurt myself,” Rettig said. “I made a mistake, but now I’m healthy and I get to see Pasadena again.”

Rettig isn’t the only talented signal-caller, as the Bulldogs (0-1) will showcase their own star in Arizona-bound senior Brandon Cox.

“If you give the quarterback at Cathedral all day to throw, he’ll pick you apart,” Horton said. “For Brandon, it’s just a matter of trusting his guys around him and not trying to do too much.”

Kilpatrick (0-1) vs. Marshall (1-1) at Pasadena High, Thursday at 7 p.m.

With their 31-14 victory over intracity rival Blair last week, not only did the Eagles snap a nine-game losing streak, but they gave themselves confidence going into their Alpha League opener versus visiting Kilpatrick.

Perhaps as important as the victory was the progress of starting quarterback De’Angelo Sweeney, who fortified a starting position after successfully leading Marshall’s option offense with 10 carries for 82 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Thursday’s game may very well mark the final time Marshall will ever face Kilpatrick, as the institution recently announced it would shudder all athletics at the conclusion of the fall season for a two-year span.

Crescenta Valley (1-0) at San Marino (1-0), Friday at 7 p.m.

While the Titans’ 30-14 victory over Eagle Rock was no surprise, the manner in which San Marino dominated the host Eagles was unexpected.

San Marino running back Ryan Wood rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns, while the Titans ran for over 300 yards.

Yet, the Titans will face a challenge in the visiting Falcons, who traveled to Santa Paula last week and won, 26-21, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.

Crescenta Valley’s defense performed well in forcing four turnovers, but might have been overshadowed by the exploits of running back William Wang, who rushed for 260 yards and one touchdown.

San Marino Coach Mike Hobbie said the Titans’ defense clamped down on Eagle Rock. San Marino held Eagle Rock without a first down on 10 of its 15 possessions.

“We executed our game plan defensively,” Hobbie said. “Now, we have to find a way to stop [Wang].

“I like Crescenta Valley’s lines. They are very aggressive and good sized. We missed some blocks [against Eagle Rock], and that’s something we’ve got to fix.”

La Salle (2-0) vs. Village Christian (1-1) at Occidental College, Friday at 7 p.m.

Visiting La Salle is 2-0 for the first time since 2009 under its third coach since that season.

Over the last two weeks, the Lancers have outscored Temple City and Glendale by a combined score of 72-16. Yet, in Village Christian, the Lancers face the first three consecutive opponents that finished .500 or better last season, with two reaching the playoffs.

Senior running back Israel Lacy has turned in a lofty two-game effort, having rushed for close to 200 yards with five touchdowns, two of which came via explosive kick returns last weekend.

Perhaps lost in the offensive stats is the Lancers’ defensive effort, led by defensive back Garrett Stone, who has two interceptions.

After opening the season with a 28-7 victory St. Monica, the Crusaders lost last weekend at Fillmore, 35-17.

Maranatha (0-2) vs. Azusa (0-1) at Citrus College, Friday at 7 p.m.

Despite opening the season with two losses, there isn’t much despair from the Minutemen camp.

In fact, Coach Pete Karavedas is happy to be back in the Northwest Division after running into two significantly larger schools in upper-division Antelope Valley and Don Lugo.

“This year, we have a schedule that’s going to prepare us for league,” Karavedas said. “Last year, we started 6-0 and then struggled in league. It’s not about starting strong, but finishing strong.”

It could be argued that Maranatha can only go up, especially a week after quarterback Andrew Elffers uncharacteristically struggling in throwing a career-high five interceptions.

In that contest, however, the Minutemen received a breakout effort from receiver Troy French, who hauled in five receptions for 111 yards.

Azusa also will likely only improve after losing to San Dimas, 50-7, last week.

Muir (0-2) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (1-1) at Los Osos, Friday at 7 p.m.

The three-week gauntlet that included top-10 teams in Upland and Alemany comes to an end for the Mustangs with perhaps the most difficult team in the Inland Division No. 4-ranked Cougars.

While the Mustangs were competitive in three quarters versus Upland in a 34-6 defeat, they had no such luck in a 49-12 loss at Alemany last Friday.

Perhaps the lone positive over the first two weeks is that Muir has established a good passing vibe with quarterback Joshua-Muema Washington and Mason Taeon, who connected for a score in consecutive weeks.

Cougars quarterback Adam Friederichsen was effective in his team’s 40-17 season-opening win over Redlands, completing 13 of 22 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns.

Rancho Cucamonga defeated Muir last season, 35-6, in what was the final game for Mustangs Coach Ken Howard.

South Pasadena (1-0) vs. Hoover (1-1) at Glendale High, Friday at 7 p.m.

Maybe no team posted a bigger upset locally than did the Tigers, who defeated last year’s CIF Southern Section Mid-Valley Division runner-up at its home in last Friday’s season opener.

South Pasadena both overcame a 14-point first-half deficit and a 13-point second-half hole in rallying for a 49-40 win thanks in part to a monster effort from running back Rudy Murillo, who rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

What made the victory more impressive is that San Gabriel already had a win under its belt from the previous week.

Hoover is hoping for its second win this season after taking its bye last week.

The Tornadoes opened with a convincing 46-0 win over Blair two weeks earlier.

Blair (0-2) at Pasadena Poly (1-0), Saturday at 2 p.m.

While the rosters of the Panthers and Vikings are similar in size, the results this season haven’t been that close.

Poly opened its season with an impressive 28-12 road victory in San Juan Capistrano last Friday over Saddleback Valley Christian in a contest highlighted by running back Griffin Carter, who carried 14 times for 117 yards.

Running back Jake Zelek punched in two second-half scores in the win.

Blair showed some improvement in a 35-14 loss to Marshall on Friday in which the Vikings were led by quarterback Rayjon Moore, who rushed 12 times for 169 yards and a touchdown.