Weekly Football Previews: Crescenta Valley vs. Arcadia; Flintridge Prep vs. Chadwick; St. Francis vs. Crespi
CRESCENTA VALLEY VS. ARCADIA
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Arcadia High
RECORDS: The Falcons are 8-1, 5-1 in Pacific League; The Apaches are 7-2, 6-0
LAST WEEK: Crescenta Valley won by forfeit over Hoover; Arcadia defeated Muir, 41-14
OUTLOOK: There will be plenty at stake for Crescenta Valley when it meets archrival Arcadia in the final contest of the regular season. Though Crescenta Valley received a forfeit victory over Hoover because Hoover didn’t have enough players to field a full team following an on-campus brawl Oct. 3, it might be a bit rusty heading into Friday. Crescenta Valley last competed Oct. 13, when it posted a 49-22 league win against Glendale. Arcadia clinched a share of the league championship following its win against Muir. Crescenta Valley comes in a with a two-fold purpose: hand Arcadia its first league loss and gain a share of the league title. The Falcons are tied for second with Burbank (5-1 in league). Crescenta Valley lost to Burbank on Oct. 5. The Falcons have been led by impeccable senior quarterback Cole Doyle, who has completed 123 of 195 passes for 1,689 yards in eight games. He’s thrown for 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Doyle has proven to be steady running the ball, as he’s rushed for 1,127 yards in 142 carries and scored 21 touchdowns. Doyle finished with seven total touchdowns against Glendale. Receiver Colby Rees has caught 25 passes for 452 yards and four touchdowns. The Falcons have been reliable, allowing 18.6 points per game. Linebacker Daniel Cho leads the Falcons with 68 tackles, followed by lineman Tom Lee with 60. Expect Crescenta Valley to be tested by Arcadia, which has won six straight games and is averaging 42.2 points per contest this season. The Apaches have turned to standout quarterback Dylan Guerra throughout the season. Guerra completed 12 passes for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns against host Muir. Arcadia receiver Ahmad Lipscome had five receptions for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns. Teammate Frankie Contreras caught five passes for nearly 150 yards and one touchdown. The Falcons are No. 6 CIF Southern Section Division VII, while the Apaches are No. 5 in Division VIII.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Crescenta Valley is attempting to win its third league title since 2014.
FLINTRIDGE PREP VS. CHADWICK
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Flintridge Prep
RECORDS: The Rebels are 4-3, 1-1 in Prep League; the Dolphins are 7-0, 2-0
LAST WEEK: Flintridge Prep defeated Milken Community, 68-20; Chadwick defeated Windward, 39-29
OUTLOOK: In eight-man football, Flintridge Prep will face its biggest challenge in the Prep League entering its final regular-season game. Flintridge Prep is tied for second with Windward and trails Chadwick by one game in league. A victory by the Rebels, who lost to Windward on Oct. 20, would give them a share of the league championship. Flintridge Prep has impressed on offense, scoring a mind-boggling 432 points in seven games (61.7 points per game). The Rebels went to work against Milken Community, jumping out to a 38-20 lead and then blanking the hosts in the second half. Flintridge Prep quarterback John Lytle, a senior, completed six of 10 passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns. The Rebels received 151 yards rushing in 20 carries and four touchdowns from running back Alex Payne. John Stetson intercepted a pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown for Flintridge Prep, which forced three turnovers. Chadwick claimed a share of the league crown with its come-from-behind home victory against Windward. Chadwick trailed, 21-18, after the third quarter before closing out with a 21-point fourth. The Dolphins have been paced by quarterback Alex Losso, who has passed for more than 600 yards and 10 touchdowns. On the ground, the Dolphins have been anchored by running backs Otyan Hamlin and Zach Goodman. Hamlin and Goodman have each scored more than 10 touchdowns for the Dolphins, who are averaging 62.1 points per tilt. The Dolphins and Rebels are ranked third and 10th, respectively, in CIF Southern Section Division I.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Flintridge Prep is 1-1 against Chadwick since becoming an eight-man squad in 2016. The Rebels and Dolphins were members of the Prep League when they competed at the 11-man level.
ST. FRANCIS VS. CRESPI
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: St. Francis High
RECORDS: The Golden Knights are 5-4. 1-1 in Angelus League; the Celts are 3-6, 0-2
LAST WEEK: St. Francis lost to Cathedral, 31-17; Crespi lost to Salesian, 24-21
OUTLOOK: St. Francis saw its bid to win the Angelus League outright foiled following its defeat to host Cathedral. The Golden Knights will turn their attention to trying to gain a share of the league crown in the final game of the regular season. A St. Francis win against Crespi and a Cathedral loss to Salesian would give it a split of the league championship. A Cathedral victory versus Salesian, tied for second with St. Francis, would give it an outright league title. St. Francis last won league in 2014. St. Francis senior quarterback Darius Perrantes completed 16 of 32 passes for 180 yards and an interception last week. Receiver Tanner Tomko caught nine passes for 104 yards for the Golden Knights, who got 92 yards rushing in 24 carries and one touchdown from running back Kevin Armstead. Armstead scored a touchdown to tie it at 14 late in the second quarter. Crespi suffered its fourth loss in a row following a double-overtime home defeat against Salesian. The Celts’ last win came Sept. 28, when it posted a 26-23 intersectional win against El Camino Real. During its losing skid, Crespi has allowed an average of 40 points per contest. The Celts are a newcomer to the league after previously competing in the Mission League.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: St. Francis and Crespi last met in 2008, when Crespi recorded a 34-0 nonleague victory.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
