Weekly Football Preview: ‘Battle for the Victory Bell’ — Glendale vs. Hoover
GLENDALE VS. HOOVER
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Glendale High
RECORDS: The Nitros are 1-8, 0-6 in Pacific League; The Tornadoes are 1-8, 0-6
LAST WEEK: Glendale lost to Burbank, 49-6; Hoover forfeited against Crescenta Valley
OUTLOOK: One of the oldest rivalries in California will resume with the Nitros and Tornadoes in search of their first league victory and city bragging rights. The.”Battle for the Victory Bell” began in 1930 and it wasn’t clear if the game would be played this season after Hoover was forced to forfeit its previous three games — all in league against Pasadena, Burroughs and Crescenta Valley — following repercussions from a brawl on campus Oct. 3. On Oct. 17, the Glendale Unified School District gave the green light for the game to be played. Hoover has had the upper hand in the crosstown rivalry, winning the last three meetings, including a 35-25 win last season that featured five touchdowns from Quran Bouldin. Bouldin finished with 30 points to match the all-time game mark set by Glendale’s Pathon Rucker in 1990. The Tornadoes will look to make it four straight wins despite not having played since Sept. 27, when they fell, 47-7, in a league game against Arcadia. The Tornadoes have lost eight games in a row since beginning the season with a 13-12 nonleague home win against La Cañada. Hoover will look to get back on track and win a fourth straight rivalry game against Glendale since it accomplished the feat from 1951-54. Hoover junior quarterback Mattis Richards has led Hoover. Glendale enters the contest having lost six games in a row. The Nitros have also dropped 27 straight league contests. Glendale’s last league victory came in 2014, when it registered a 19-0 win against Hoover. Glendale couldn’t muster much offense against Burbank last week, getting a touchdown with 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from quarterback Trent Lousararian to Seth Harley. Glendale also has a steady running back in senior Chris Ibarra, a reigning All-Area honoree. Glendale is averaging 14.4 points per game and yielding 57.8. The teams have combined for 14 straight defeats. Neither team has qualified for the CIF Southern Section postseason since Glendale accomplished the feat in 2003, and the last winning season turned in by either team was Glendale going 6-4 in 2008.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Glendale is 51-36-2 against Hoover in the rivalry game that’s been played under 15 United States presidents. Since the turn of the century, Glendale is 12-6 versus Hoover.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
