Change highlights wild football schedule for Flintridge Prep
A third season at the eight-man level will include many changes for the Flintridge Prep football team, which recently released its 2018 schedule.
The Rebels’ eight-game slate is the smallest since 2004, while the squad retained only three opponents from a 2017 campaign in which it finished 4-6 and lost in the first round of the Division I playoffs.
“Yup, this year it’s just eight games,” Flintridge Prep coach Russell White said. “We had a little scheduling conflict with Orcutt Academy and decided not to fill it with a game, so that’s how we ended up with eight instead of nine games.”
This year’s Rebels’ slate features five teams with winning records and four postseason squads. Overall, the eight teams combined for a 41-30 record.
“We’ve played some teams a couple of times and we wanted something a little different this year and we’re playing a pretty good schedule,” White said. “Bell-Jeff unfortunately closed up shop and we played [Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies] twice, too, so it was time for something different.”
Flintridge Prep, which competes as a freelance team, opens the season Friday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. hosting Sun Valley.
The Los Angeles City Section Wildcats finished 5-3 and tied for second in the Valley League. Unfortunately for Sun Valley, it lost a tie-breaker and did not qualify to the postseason.
Sun Valley is the third straight City Section opponent the Rebels will open the season against after back-to-back years versus Fulton Prep.
One thing that did not change for Flintridge Prep was the Rebels’ venturing spirit. After long road trips to Santa Maria and Carpinteria in 2017, Flintridge Prep goes even farther with a monster 608-mile round trip to Mammoth Lakes.
There the Rebels will play on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. versus Mammoth, a squad that finished 1-6 with a notable 48-38 victory over playoff squad Desert Christian.
“Basically, it’s just a team-bonding thing and it worked out well for us last year,” White said. “The guys really loved it, so we decided to give it another shot this year.”
Following the Mammoth contest, the Rebels head into a bye week and return to action on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. at home against a tough opponent in Villanova Prep.
The Wildcats won a Mt. Pinos League championship, finished 11-1 and advanced to the Division I semifinals before succumbing to juggernaut Mojave, 86-44.
Flintridge Prep returns to the road Saturday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. for a 156-mile round trip to Ojai Thacher (0-6) to take on a Toads squad in the midst of a seven-game losing streak.
One of those defeats was a 22-20 victory by the Rebels’ last season.
Sticking in the same league, Flintridge Prep will host Cate on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 3 p.m.
The Rams (6-4) finished third in the Mt. Pinos League and advanced two rounds in the postseason. Cate crushed Flintridge Prep, 70-20, last season after narrowly defeating the Rebels, 55-48, in La Cañada Flintridge in 2016.
Flintridge Prep hits the road for two straight after Cate, beginning with a tilt at Los Angeles Windward on Friday, Oct. 12 at 4 p.m.
The year of the Wildcat continues as these Wildcats finished 7-3 last season and reached the second round of the Division I playoffs.
Six days later, Flintridge Prep travels back to Los Angeles to face yet another set of Wildcats, these from Milken (1-6) on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 3 p.m.
Maybe the most anticipated game also happens to be the season finale as Flintridge Prep will host archrival Chadwick (10-1) on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. on homecoming.
Since the teams renewed an old Prep League rivalry in 2016, each has won a thriller.
Flintridge Prep rallied from a 17-point, second-half deficit to stun Chadwick, 39-36, in the regular season finale in 2016.
A year later, Dolphins kicker Joey Merkin converted a 34-yard field goal as time expired to deliver host Chadwick a wild 43-41 victory.
“That’s our rivalry game and rivalry games are always at the end of the year,” White said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
2018 Rebels Schedule
vs. Sun Valley, Friday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m.
at Mammoth, Saturday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m.
vs. Villanova Prep, Friday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m.
at Thacher, Saturday, Sept. 29, 2 p.m.
vs. Cate, Saturday, Oct. 6, 3 p.m.
at Windward, Friday, Oct. 12, 4 p.m.
at Milken, Thursday, Oct. 18, 3 p.m.
vs. Chadwick, Saturday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.
