Wheeler to Take Tougher Stance to Help Spartans

Veteran La Cañada High varsity football coach Rich Wheeler admits to being “Old School” in his approach to coaching.

If you didn’t have the discipline, the drive or the passion, then you didn’t belong on his team.

When Wheeler took over the La Cañada High team in 1996, they had been to the CIF playoffs only twice in the previous nine seasons.

He took the Spartans into the post season his first year and the following season got them into the quarterfinals for the first time in 10 years.

His ‘no tolerance’ coaching helped La Cañada make the playoffs for the next three seasons, including 2000 when the Spartans went 10-2 and captured the Rio Hondo League title for the first time in 20 seasons.

But things started to slip in 2001. The Spartans dipped a little to 8-4. They fell further the next year to 4-5-1 and hit bottom last season with their worst overall record (2-7-1) in more than 20 years.

Wheeler said he knows what happened and blames himself. “When we won, I started to loosen up (on the rules). I started to tolerate things like players missing practice.

“We have an unusual situation here. The kids are always doing things for school. We started to take things easy and we started to lose,” Wheeler said.

To be fair, the Spartans lost two games by a single point last season and they staged one of their greatest comebacks ever in the history of the school when they scored 28 points with less than two quarters remaining to tie South Pasadena, 28-28.

But, those days are over. Wheeler said he’s a “kinder, gentler” coach now, but one who will no longer tolerate players who take a too lax approach to playing football for La Cañada.

“This season, we’re setting up meetings to meet with every player and their parents to let them know what’s going to happen this season.

“The meetings are going well and it’s the players themselves who tell us we should go back to strong discipline. If you miss practice, you don’t play,” Wheeler said.

The coach said the summer practice sessions were fun for the players. “The kids know what’s happening and they all get along with each other,” Wheeler said.

Stepping into the starting quarterback position will be senior Tom Michael (6’3”, 190 pounds) who spent the last two seasons on the varsity as a some time wide receiver and defensive back.

“I’m excited to be the starting quarterback. I played quarterback in the past, but I had to switch to receiver because somebody was ahead of me at quarterback,” Michael said.

That ‘somebody” last season was graduating senior Matt Stoner who tossed a school record 17 touchdowns and gained 1,644 yards in the air last season.

“There’s a new coaching staff and the players are showing more enthusiasm than last year,” Michael said.

“T.J. Trumbo, who played quarterback on the junior varsity last season, will be Michael’s backup,” Wheeler said.

Michael or Trumbo will have a number of tight ends and wide receiver to throw to including senior John Young and juniors Pat Gallagher and Nick Sparks.

Wheeler said a number of players will be vying for starting running back spots. “There’s (senior) Matt Motia, (senior) Nick Crisci and (sophomore) Roger Romero. Chris Walters, who will be doing the kicking this season, is still in the fray for a running back spot.

Dave Hopkins, a junior, will be doing the punting for us,” Wheeler added.

Wheeler said he has to rebuilt both the offensive and defensive line. “We’re smaller, but we’re quicker,” he said.

A number of players, he said, will probably be asked to switch positions or play both sides of the ball this year.

No matter what happens, Wheeler said he is going to try to look at things from a positive angle.

“If we win some games, it’s going to be interesting. If we don’t win games, it’s going to be more interesting,” he said.

Spartans Varsity Schedule 2004

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME

9/10 Burbank BHS 7:00 p.m.

9/16 Glendale GHS 7:00 p.m.

9/23 Gabrielino LCHS 7:00 p.m.

10/1 Crescenta Valley LCHS 7:00 p.m.

10/8 La Salle LCHS 7:00 p.m.

RIO HONDO LEAGUE

10/15 Temple City TCHS 7:00 p.m.

10/22 Blair PCC 7:00 p.m.

10/29 San Marino** LCHS 7:00 p.m.

11/5 Monrovia MHS 7:00 p.m.

11/11 South Pasadena LCHS 7:00 p.m.

** indicates Homecoming Game