Football programs hand out MVPs
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 11th and final meeting of the year.
COACHES HAND OUT AWARDS
Each of the four area high school football teams affiliated with the Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club handed out their respective awards at Tuesday’s meeting.
The awards are presented in the form of scholarship funds donated by the Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club.
Glendale High, whose 4-6 record marked the team’s most victories since 2008, awarded its academic MVP to senior tight end/linebacker Osvaldo Cortez, who sported a 3.8 GPA. Senior Martin Marin, a two-way player who hauled in 38 receptions for 590 yards and six touchdowns and who also was credited with 23 touchbacks, was named the team most valuable player.
“Martin did everything for us. He was a wide receiver, kicker, couldn’t play quarterback – although we thought about it,” Tuttle quipped. “He’ll be irreplaceable next year.”
Hoover first-year Coach Matt Andersen awarded his academic MVP to quarterback Se Jun Kim, whom Andersen said “never missed a day of practice,” while senior Andres Perez was named the team’s MVP after being welcomed back before the season.
“After spending a year in the military academy, I’m glad this individual came back for his senior year of football,” Andersen said. “He did everything.”
Perez played wide receiver, safety, punter, kicker and kick returner.
When the microphone was turned over to Crescenta Valley’s Paul Schilling, the Falcons coach noted that football may have actually been a hindrance to his academic MVP, senior linebacker Austin Brines, who led the squad with 89 tackles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
“This guy never had a ‘B’ in any class in his high school career. Throughout high school, he’s maintained a 4.333 GPA. Part of the problem that that’s not higher is that football actually hurts his GPA because it’s not an AP class,” Schilling said.
All-everything senior Kevin Hello, who was a punter/running back/defensive back/linebacker, was named the team’s most valuable player after rushing for 548 yards on 67 carries with eight touchdowns, tallying 35 tackles, two sacks and five interceptions and averaging 37 yards per punt.
As for St. Francis, coach Jim Bonds noted how he would have preferred to have named senior quarterback Ty Gangi and senior running back/linebacker Joe Mudie both players of the year.
“Both are great students and both are great players and I’d love to introduce them as co-MVPs, but that wasn’t an option,” Bonds said. “I looked at who had just a little higher GPA and he got the scholar award and the other guy was the MVP.”
Gangi was selected the scholar MVP after finishing with a 3.84 GPA, while he’s thrown for nearly 2,500 yards through 11 games with 23 touchdowns versus only five interceptions. Mudie, the team MVP, rushed for almost 1,200 yards while totaling 600 yards receiving on 34 catches.
GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TALKS ABOUT GAME-CHANGER
With an opportunity for the Glendale Community College football team to clinch an American Division Pacific Conference championship and bowl berth, Vaqueros assistant coach Alan Eberhart had his audience captivated as he mentioned Glendale’s drive toward the end of the first half.
With the Vaqueros trailing, 17-7, Glendale marched to the Los Angeles Pierce one-yard line with 7.6 seconds left.
“That’s when we called a play-action pass that resulted in a touchdown,” Eberhart deadpanned. “A touchdown for the other team.”
Freshman quarterback Sean Murphy’s pass was intercepted and returned 100 yards for a touchdown by former Glendale player Bobby Baker, which propelled the Brahmas to a 24-7 halftime lead and eventual 41-16 victory.
“We just didn’t recover,” said Eberhart.
Even so, the Vaqueros finished with a 6-4 record, which marked the program’s best record since 2007. The team was not awarded a postseason bowl bid.
DAVID GREENBAUM IS SAM HARVEY AWARD WINNER
An annual award is presented to a member of the Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club Member for outstanding service to the club and the Glendale community.
The award is named after Sam Harvey, the former quarterback club member and 25-year principal at Wilson Middle School and Glendale High and the longtime president of the Pacific League.
This year’s award winner was David Greenbaum, a member of the Glendale Assn. for the Retarded, Glendale Lions Club, Greater Glendale Kiwanis Club and the honorary Yiddish president of the Atwater Club.
“The enthusiasm in this club over the last year has gone to another level,” Greenbaum said. “[Current president] Rick Dinger has a great deal to do with that. I’m honored to win this award.”