Huddle up: Elijah Zabludoff on high school football

Editor’s note: Elijah Zabludoff is a senior football player from St. John Bosco High and an aspiring journalist. Each week during the high school football season, he has been blogging about his personal experiences and his thoughts about prep sports in general. Zabludoff is a returning starter at center for the Braves, who are undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the Southland by the Los Angeles Times.

The week is finally here. On Saturday, the St. John Bosco Braves will play Santa Ana Mater Dei in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 championship at Angel Stadium.

For both teams, this is an exciting game. Not only is it for a championship, but each team knows the other well. It’s a rematch of the top two Trinity League finishers.

Over these past 13 weeks, things have only gotten harder. Long 12- and 13-hour days have taken a toll on the body and mind. Knicks and scratches are turning into bumps and bruises, and icing muscles is turning into complete submergence into an ice bath.

By no means am I complaining, though, because all the work has been worth it. We made it through 13 weeks of a grueling season and we’re in the championship -- a goal we set for ourselves last January.

In these championship weeks, coaches are careful about the drills we do. They don’t want to further wear our bodies down, but they also don’t want to sacrifice the nature of our physical practices.

We do the same things we’ve done in practice all season. We play physical just as we would during games. Our coaches are still loud and maybe even more intense. In each and every word, you can hear their desire. They want it just like we do and will do anything, as will the players, to win a championship.

Santa Ana Mater Dei is playing great football. Every week during the playoffs they have gotten better. Running back Justin Allen and receiver-defensive back-linebacker Ben Humphreys have returned from injuries and are adding to the athleticism of Jonathan Lockett and Matt Rockett.

On defense, the Monarchs’ secondary is creating turnovers, and their front seven are sticking to what they do best -- playing physical. On Saturday, I will line up against Soli Silao, a solid nose tackle, and face Malik McMorris, a two-way threat. The entire Monarchs defense is stout, and we are anticipating a tough game.

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Last Friday, St. John Bosco defeated Alemany, 56-14, in a semifinal. The Warriors were very fast and flew around the field. The Alemany fans were loud and made it difficult to hear. This win put the Braves in the Pac-5 championship, and it felt extra good to win after Thanksgiving.

When Saturday night hits, it’s going to be intense, physical football. I can’t wait for this game, and I can already feel the hype surrounding this game. It’s going to be fun walking out of the tunnel at Angel Stadium and once again playing our Trinity League rivals, the Mater Dei Monarchs.

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Finally, I would like to applaud all the teams and athletes that have made it to championship week. I’m sure it’s been a season of ups and downs for everyone. I know how all the teams and athletes are feeling, and even when you win, let me tell you, it doesn’t always feel good. Good luck to all the championship contenders. This is what you’ve worked for, so enjoy it.