Raiders fall to Packers
The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene.
JACKSON, RAIDERS STUMBLE AGAIN
The Oakland Raiders, coached by former Glendale Community College quarterback Hue Jackson, appeared to have things under control in the American Football Conference’s West Division a few weeks ago. However, a two-game slide and the emergence of Denver Broncos second-year quarterback Tim Tebow has seen Denver overtake Oakland for first place in the division.
The Broncos hold a one-game lead over the Raiders with three games remaining. Oakland’s defense continued its struggles on defense Sunday, as Oakland suffered a 46-16 loss against the Green Bay Packers. Denver’s 13-10 overtime home win against the Chicago Broncos allowed them to grab hold of first.
The Raiders trailed, 31-0, at halftime. They allowed 391 yards of total offense against the undefeated Packers (13-0).
Jackson said the Raiders need to turn things around quickly after allowing 40 points per games in losses against the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay.
“I’m not going to let this team keep going backward,” Jackson told the Associated Press. “The last two weeks, we haven’t come close to playing or looking like the football team we’ve been.”
Quarterback Carlson Palmer threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions for Oakland, which will next face the visiting Detroit Lions on Sunday.
REID, EAGLES GET BACK ON TRACK
The Philadelphia Eagles, who are coached by former Glendale Community College offensive lineman Andy Reid, kept their faint playoff hopes alive Sunday with a 26-10 road victory against the Miami Dolphins. Philadelphia entered the season as a favorite my many to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl title, but have fallen on hard times with speculation rising that Reid’s job might be in jeopardy.
The Eagles (5-8) won for only the second time in six games. They will need to sweep their final three games — beginning with Sunday’s home contest against the New York Jets — to have any shot at winning the National Football Conference’s East Division for the second season in a row.
On Sunday, Philadelphia recorded nine sacks and forced three turnovers to help snap a two-game losing streak in front of a large contingent of Philadelphia fans.
“The fans were unbelievable,” Reid told the Associated Press. “Unbelievable. At times you almost felt like you were at home.
“They were loud. They were aggressive, right from the get-go.”
FALCONS PICK UP TEAM HONORS
The Crescenta Valley High football team conducted its banquet and awards ceremony Dec. 2 at Angeles National Golf Club. The Falcons placed fourth in the Pacific League before advancing to the first round of the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs under Coach Paul Schilling.
At the event, several players were honored and received scholarship awards. Nearly $3,000 in memorial scholarships were handed out to players to continue their education beyond high school.
“This is our way of remembering the contributions of past Falcons, the values they learned playing football at CV and continuing the tradition of developing confident young men ready to move on in the world from high school” Schilling said in a statement.
Defensive back Justin Springfield was awarded the Gordon Warnock Memorial Scholarship Award, combined with the Character Leadership Integrity Faith Award to best represent what it means to be a Falcon. Warnock, a former Crescenta Valley football coach, died in 2010.
The John Barbaro Award went to defensive back Kevin Cooper and recognizes the player that shows the most positive intensity, focus and competitiveness during practice and games. Barbaro was an All-League wide receiver, linebacker and kicker for the Falcons from 1996-99.
Linebacker and center Nathan Sarreal was honored with the Pat Kennelly Award for his leadership and character. Kennelly was an All-CIF linebacker and Pacific League Defensive Player of the Year in 1989.
Lineman Armen Pashai received the Leon Panduro Award for his talent on the field coupled with his positive influence in the classroom including study habits and high academic achievement. Panduro was a three-year varsity standout for the Falcons from 1986-88.
The Nicholas Steinbacher Award was presented to defensive lineman Noah Stubblefield. The award recognizes the player that shows the most spirit and sacrifice for the good of the football team. Steinbacher played center for Crescenta Valley from 1999-2002. Steinbacher then joined the Army and Stubblefield will be a part of the United States Marine Corps.
In addition to playing offensive line and linebacker, Danny Morales played on all special teams during his time at Crescenta Valley from 1997-2000. The Danny Morales Award recognizes the player that continues the tradition of playing hard every down with that same passion and enthusiasm. The honors were given to Springfield and Cooper.
AREA TEAM EARN CIF RANKINGS
Eleven local high school teams received CIF recognition after the CIF Southern Section office revealed its latest rankings Monday. Two are top ranked in Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer and Renaissance Academy basketball.
Flintridge Sacred Heart is ranked first in Division I and Renaissance is No. 1 in Division VI-A. In girls’ water polo, Crescenta Valley and Glendale are ranked Nos. 3 and 7, respectively, in Division V. Flintridge Prep’s girls’ soccer team is No. 10 in Division III, while Crescenta Valley’s boys’ team is ranked fifth in Division IV.
Three other boys’ basketball teams are ranked, including Flintridge Prep (No. 4 in Division V-AA), Crescenta Valley (No. 6 in Division !-A) and St. Francis (No. 12 in Division III-A).
Crescenta Valley’s girls’ basketball team is No. 8 in Division I-A and Glendale Adventist Academy is No. 14 in Division VI-AA.
