Football: The grind begins for Chaminade and Serra

In the old days, Chaminade and Gardena Serra always knew they’d meet to decide the league championship in football and even meet again to decide the section title. That enabled them to rest players against certain teams and focus on their annual two-game competition.

Now Chaminade and Serra can no longer take it easy against league opponents. Both have moved to the seven-team Mission League and the Pac-5 Division. Chaminade opens against Loyola and Serra faces Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Friday.

It’s going to be a weekly grind that players and coaches have not experienced.

“We don’t know how we’re going to respond week after week,” Serra Coach Scott Altenberg said.

Altenberg has been playing lots of players in nonleague games in an attempt to develop depth, because injuries will be inevitable.

Chaminade also has been trying to develop depth.

How good is the Mission League?

“I don’t look at scores anymore in our league,” Altenberg said. “I assume they all won.”

Serra has scheduled Notre Dame as its homecoming game for Friday.

Serra and Chaminade don’t play until Oct. 31. Last season some people think Chaminade didn’t care about losing the first time to Serra, holding back plays and players, then ended up beating the Cavaliers in the section final.

This season, every victory will be needed to make the Pac-5 playoffs.

It’s a whole new world to experience weekly top competition.
Twitter:@LATSondheimer