Vaqueros looking for return of Hunter
SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — The Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club, in its 69th year, meets Tuesdays at the Elk’s Lodge. The following are odds and ends from the seventh meeting of the year.
VAQS MIGHT REGAIN SIGNAL CALLER
While Glendale Community College continues to search for its first win, it might have starting quarterback Kevin Hunter under center for the first time since Sept. 24 when the Vaqueros travel to Santa Barbara City College for a Pacific Conference American Division contest at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Glendale college Coach John Rome said the Vaqueros plan to receive word from Hunter’s doctor if he will be cleared to play. Hunter suffered a lacerated kidney while making a tackle against Allan Hancock College in a nonconference home game Sept. 24. Hunter also serves as the team’s punter and holder for extra points.
“We are hoping to get him back and we’ll see,” Rome said. “Without him, it just takes the dimension out of our offense.”
Hunter has completed 60 of 111 passes for 585 yards in parts of four games. He’s thrown four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Glendale has had three other players attempt passes. The trio has gone 12 for 27 with three interceptions and no touchdowns.
Glendale is 0-7, 0-3 in the division. Santa Barbara is 0-8, 0-4.
BONDS REFLECTS ON FIRST LOSS
Nobody said St. Francis would have an easy time navigating its way through the Mission League. It will be anything but simple, something St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds found out following a 44-30 league road loss against Gardena Serra.
St. Francis trailed, 31-7, at halftime before mounting a comeback that saw it close to within 38-30 in the fourth quarter with an opportunity to tie the game.
“It wasn’t as one-sided as the score indicated,” said Bonds, whose team dropped to 6-1, 1-1 in league. “We had a chance to tie it late, but we couldn’t convert.
“We were tied at 7 with them in the second quarter and then the second half of the second quarter was like Murphy’s Law in which we gave up 24 points. We continued to fight in the second half and made it close. They then scored a late touchdown.”
Next up for St. Francis, ranked No. 6 in the latest CIF Southern Section Western Division poll, will be a league road game against Chaminade at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Eagles are 6-1, 2-0 and are the top-ranked team in the division.
Bonds also said that the Golden Knights will be without starting defensive lineman Jose Padilla for the remainder of the season. The senior suffered a knee injury in the first half against Serra.
“It’s a tough loss, but it’s an opportunity for somebody else to step in,” Bonds said.
FALCONS LOOKING TO REGROUP
Crescenta Valley has lost two straight Pacific League games, including a 35-22 loss to defending league champion Burroughs on Thursday. The good news for the Falcons (4-3, 2-2 in league) is that they won’t have to deal with Burroughs standout running back Zander Anding for the rest of the season.
Anding rushed for 368 yards in 21 carries and three touchdowns to power Burroughs past Crescenta Valley.
“He’s a real good player,” Crescenta Valley Coach Paul Schilling said. “Our best defense against him was that he had a couple of long runs that were called back because of penalties, so he had to come out [for a play] because he was tired.
“It was a great came as long as you aren’t the coach. We had some drives that ended up with us throwing an interception, then fumbling and we missed a field goal. We had two turnovers and they had had zero.”
