Glendale Community College football praised for gutsy effort
GLENDALE — The Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club, in its 71st year, meets Tuesdays at the Elk’s Lodge. The following are odds and ends from the seventh meeting of the year.
VAQUEROS JUST HOLD ON
After seeing a 17-point lead turn into a four-point deficit, Glendale Community College football Coach John Rome couldn’t help but feel Saturday’s game at West Los Angeles College would have a bad ending.
The Vaqueros came back and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 28 seconds left to secure the 24-21 victory, but with less than 30 seconds to go Rome still wasn’t comfortable with a three-point edge.
“We had a kickoff still and the past couple of weeks that’s been a problem,” said Rome, who told his kicker to squib the kickoff, at the Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club. “I must speak a different language because he kicked it up in the air. As I passed out yelling, somebody made a tackle and the game ended and we won, so I’m pretty fired up about that.”
GCC improved to 3-3, 1-1 in the American Division Pacific Conference and snapped an 11-game conference losing streak in the process. Glendale’s defense kept it in the game and forced four interceptions, while quarterback Sean Murphy threw the game-winning touchdown pass three yards to Tanner Mays.
“I have a good group of young players,” said Rome, whose team will host Los Angeles Southwest at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sartoris Field. “They are great men of character and we’re looking for good things in the future.”
KNIGHTS RUN OUT TO 7-0
In its closest game of the year, the St. Francis High football team turned to Joe Mudie. Once again, the senior running back delivered.
The three-way player on offense, defense and special teams finished with 187 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and added five catches for 73 yards in a 31-21 Mission League win over Cathedral Friday at Friedman Field.
“He had close to 260 yards on offense and is also a kick returner and punt returner,” St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds said of Mudie. “He kind of does everything for us and had an outstanding game.”
Mudie was named the Golden Knights’ offensive player of the game, while sophomore Avery Williams was named the team’s defensive player of the game after posting a team-high 13 tackles and defending two passes.
Andy Cesta received St. Francis’ Will to Win Player of the Week honor after injuries gave the defensive tackle double duty on the offensive line, as well.
All three standouts helped keep the Knights perfect on the year, with a game against Harvard-Westlake coming up this Friday.
“To go 7-0 and 2-0 in the Mission League is pretty huge,” Bonds said.
TROJANS CHASTIZED BY HYDE
While it was hard to tell where Harvey Hyde’s guest speech was going to veer next, the former college football coach and current college football analyst with ESPN 710 radio always seemed to come back to USC football.
In his half-hour speech, the former UNLV and Long Beach State coach delivered a fiery speech on changes in high school education, his route to coaching and the media bias toward to Southeastern Conference football.
Hyde also spoke on how disappointed he was in the Trojans’ play Saturday night in a 14-10 loss at Notre Dame and also shared his opinion on why they fell from the elite ranks.
He credited former USC and current Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll for elevating not only the Trojans program, but the entire Pac-12 Conference. USC’s dominance under Carroll forced teams in the conference to step up or get out, Hyde said.
It has been poor recruiting that has taken USC out of the glory years, Hyde said, and he doesn’t see a return in sight for the Trojans. Reason being, NCAA football has become so competitive it’s tough for teams lower on the totem pole to make up ground.
“Whoever coaches USC is going to have a difficult time getting back to the standards that the USC fans and alumni expect,” Hyde said. “They expect Rose Bowl or national championship every single year and nothing else.”