One of the great individual seasons in the City Section football history came to an end Friday.

It didn’t go unnoticed, either.

With college coaches Pete Carroll of USC and Washington’s Steve Sarkisian on the sidelines, Jordan High School senior Deshawn Beck exhibited his immense all-around skills by completing 16 of 29 passes for 120 yards, rushing 25 times for another 120 yards and catching a pass for 10 yards in a 33-0 loss to Narbonne in the first round of the City Section Division I playoffs.

The two Pac-10 coaches had to be impressed with the unsigned Beck, who is being recruited as an athlete for the next level. At this point, Arizona is tops on his list, although things could change as the recruiting process heats up over the next couple of months.

“The kid had a phenomenal all-around year and got a chance to show it front of Pete Carroll and Steve Sarkisian,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “He did it all with his running, passing and receiving.”

A four-year starter and one of only five seniors on a young Bulldog team, Beck carried them to a 6-5 record, remarkable considering the caliber of schedule they faced. They opened with neighborhood rival Locke, then followed with games against such powers as Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei.

“That’s only going to help Deshawn in college because he’s never going to be overwhelmed by the caliber of competition he faces,” Asante said. “In the preseason we always look for the highest-ranked opponents we can find.”

Narbonne coach Manuel Douglas made no bones about his team’s area of focus while preparing for Jordan.

“Our goal was to corral him by keeping him in front of us,” Douglas said. “Deshawn Beck is a dynamic player, no doubt about it. He’d be one of the top players in our league (Marine) and he’s one of the top players in the City.”

Asante is expecting Beck, a certain All-City selection, and sophomore defensive back Patrick Wooten to earn all-state honors. Beck has already been selected the Eastern League MVP for this year.

Wooten, All-City as a freshman, recorded 106 solo tackles and assisted on 46 others. His 152 total tackles this year go along with his City-leading 150 a year ago.

Here are Beck’s final numbers for 2009:
Passing: 82 of 145 for 1,166 yards, 6 TDs
Rushing: 172 carries, 2,031 yards, 9 TDs
Receiving: 14 catches, 181 yards, 2 TDs
Kickoff returns: 14 for 412 yards, 29.4 avg.
That works out to 3,790 yards and 17 TDs. He also played defensive back and handled punting duties.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor

Story Published: Nov 24, 2009 at 11:57 AM PST

Roosevelt High School leaned heavily on the defense to escape its first-round opponent in the City Section Division II football playoffs.

The division’s top-seed had to.

Two late defensive stops enabled the Rough Riders (10-1) to hold off visiting Grant, 14-10 and advance to a quarterfinal game with Fairfax (6-5).

The Lions blanked Bell, 27-0 in their playoff opener.

Because of two lost fumbles that killed potential scoring opportunities, Roosevelt found itself in a tougher than expected opener.

“We ran the ball effectively up and down the field, but those two fumbles in the red zone were huge,” Rough Rider coach Javier Cid said.

They were bailed out by the defense.

“Our defense came up big,” he said. “We bent but didn’t break. Any time they got into the red zone, we stopped them.”

In the fourth quarter, Grant drove to the Rider 10, but two of the next three plays resulted in a minus-13 yards, five on a sack by lineman Ramon Barraza.

Grant had one more possession after taking over at the Rider 30. They managed to move to the Roosevelt 49 before giving the ball up on downs. The Riders then ran out the remaining time.

In the first half, Roosevelt turned away Grant when Armando Perez intercepted a pass in the end zone.

Manny Ayon led the offense by rushing for 143 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and completing three of five passes for 40 yards and a score.

Junior tailback Jesse Lira carried nine times for 125 yards and caught a scoring pass. Lira has 1,141 yards rushing for the year.

Fairfax scored 13 first-half points, then added 14 more in the third period in its win over Bell (7-4).

Adrian Lopez was 16 of 27 for 116 yards passing for Bell. He also rushed for 43 yards on 10 carries.

No. 5 seeded Franklin (9-1) earned a quarterfinal home game against Hamilton (8-3) with a 57-12 rout of Jefferson in a Division II first-round contest. Hamilton crushed Wilson, 63-20 to advance.

In the Division I playoffs, No. 4 Taft routed Garfield, 44-14. Lucky Radley rushed for 97 yards and a TD and also caught an 82-yard pass from D.J. Morgan, who moved to quarterback after starter Bam Goodall was shaken up, to pace the Toreadors.

Goodall’s 59-yard scoring pass to Donnell Robinson on the game’s first play sent Taft on a first-half surge in which they built a 34-0 lead by halftime. A 45-yard run by Shelton with 19 seconds left in the half capped the scoring in the first two periods.

The USC-bound Morgan carried five times for 68 yards and a TD and Shaquille Shelton carried seven times for 85 yards and a score.

Garfield, which did all of its scoring after the break, finishes the year 5-6.

Narbonne High School quarterback Chad Dashnaw takes off downfield as Jordan's Bryan Barnes (20) and Trayronn Archer (73) try to make the stop during Thursday's City Section Division I playoff game. Narbonne won, 33-0. (Photo by Mario Villegas)

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Nov 19, 2009 at 6:16 PM PST

Jordan High School’s young football team got an up-close-and-personal glimpse at what it might be in the future.

At this point, it just isn’t at the level of the team it ran into.

Narbonne, a bigger, stronger and more physical team, not to mention more experienced, dominated from beginning to end in a 33-0 victory over the Bulldogs Thursday in the first round of the City Section Division I playoffs.

With tailback Melvin Davis (16 carries, 115 yards, two touchdowns) providing the bulk of the ground attack and Chad Dashnaw (11 of 13, 120 yards, TD) mixing in just enough passing to keep the defense honest, the Gauchos rolled up 383 yards of total offense.

It gives the division’s 11th-seeded team a 6-5 record going into Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

“We’re an 11th seed, but I told the kids, are we really an 11th seed,” Narbonne coach Manuel Douglas said. “We’re really a 3 or 4. We were only 5-5 going in, but the way I looked at it, we were 0-0 going into the playoffs. Now we’re one of the eight best teams in the City.”

His focus against Jordan (6-5) was containing Deshawn Beck.

With coaches Pete Carroll of USC and Washington’s Steve Sarkisian on the sidelines looking on, the uncommitted Beck completed 16 of 29 passes for 120 yards and carried 25 times for another 120 yards. He even caught a pass for 10 yards.

“Deshawn Beck is a dynamic player, there’s no doubt about it,” Douglas said. “He’d be one of the top players in our league (Marine) and he’s one of the top players in the City. We knew we had to corral him, to always keep somebody in front of him.”

Jordan coach Elijah Asante saw the season for what it was — a rebuilding year.

“For being so young, we got all we could out of this season,” he said. “We went a long way with a group this young and this small. Now they see what they’ve got to do. They’ve got to get out there and run track, hit the weights in the offseason. We’re going to have to get bigger.”

Dashnaw’s one-yard run with 5:39 left in the first quarter got Narbonne out to a 7-0 lead.

A 51-yard interception return by Davis set up a 10-yard scoring pass from Dashnaw to Sean Parker in the second period. The Gauchos led, 20-0 when Davis ran 10 yards for a TD with 1:20 left in the half.

In the second half, Davis scored on a 22-yard run and William Riley caught a 14-yard pass from Dashnaw.

“I thought we were a little sloppy today,” Douglas said. “I knew we’d be able to run the ball, but we kept shooting ourselves in the foot (with penalties). That concerns me. We can’t continue to do that from now on.”

Thanks to his leadership, Garfield has become a competitive City Section Division I team even with its 44-14 loss to Woodland Hills Taft on Thursday. He's the one who chose to put his team in Division I, asking everyone to raise expectations, and slowly the Bulldogs are getting there.

Their lineup was full of juniors, and they just couldn't handle Taft's superior speed. But behind the scenes is what's so impressive.

I sat in the stands next to the Taft press box much of the game, and to see former players and freshman-sophomore players coming up to the assistant coaches, respectfully shaking their hands, and the lack of profanity coming from the fans, was so refreshing.

I can only conclude that Hernandez and his assistants are teaching lessons to last far beyond the football field, and that's someone Garfield needs to keep for years to come.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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-- Ben Bolch

-- Ben Bolch

Sun Valley Poly (8-2) was seeded 11th despite its excellent overall record and the distinction of giving Arleta its toughest game so far, losing 28-21 on Oct. 9.

The Parrots travel to South Gate to face South East (4-6), seeded sixth, from the Eastern League.

"They are big up front and, looking on film, they not only have a good defense but are very good tacklers," said Parrots Coach Scott Faer, in assessing South East. "I think our defensive speed might be too much for them. But we'll see on the field.

"I am really excited to be in the playoffs. This is my third year. We went from 3-7 my first year, to 5-5 and alternate seed last year, to going in 8-2 and the 11th seed. I'm feeling blessed."

Now the senior has been selected the Eastern League player of the year after a regular season in which he rushed for 1,876 yards, passed for 1,025 yards and had 171 yards receiving.

Beck will lead the sixth-seeded Bulldogs (6-4) against 11th-seeded Narbonne (5-5) at 2 p.m. Thursday in a first-round playoff game at Jordan.

--Ben Bolch

The win-loss records aren’t much different for first-round opponents Garfield and Taft high schools.

No. 13 seed Garfield enters the City Section Division I playoffs with a 5-5 mark, as opposed to No. 4 Taft’s 6-4. The teams collide at 7 p.m. Thursday at Taft.

That’s where the similarities end, according to Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez.

Pointing to such Toreador talents as USC-bound tailback D.J. Morgan and quarterback Antuan Goodall, as well as a huge offensive line, Hernandez said his Bulldogs will have their hands full against the West Valley League team.

“D.J. Morgan is a special kid,” he said. “We’re not going to stop him, we just hope to corral him and minimize the damage he does.”

Morgan has rushed for 1,284 yards and Goodall has passed for 1,1,49 yards while operating behind a line that includes a 6-7, 335-pounder and a 6-3, 325-pounder.

“They have a lot of talent and a lot of size,” Hernandez said. “I always talk about us playing the best, so I think this is a good test for us. We always seem to play to the level of our competition.”

Taft’s record is a bit deceiving in that three of the losses have been at the hands of Notre Dame, Alemany and Serra, which are a combined 26-4. The Toreadors also lost a West Valley League game to 3-7 Birmingham, 44-32. Birmingham drew top-seeded Crenshaw as its first-round opponent.

Where Garfield might be able to exploit Taft is in the depth department. Hernandez notes, as talented as the Toreadors are, many go both ways.

“We’ll try to outscheme them and try to wear them down,” he said. “We’ve got to play fundamental football and not make the mistakes we’ve been making all year.”

Garfield, which closed the regular season with a 48-7 rout of South Gate, is a run-oriented team.

Tailback Jonathan Lopez has rushed for 958 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the offense.

Leonardo Vaal, who became the starting quarterback midway through the season, has thrown for 642 yards and five TDs. He was 11 of 16 for 217 yards and three scores against South Gate.

Bobby Vargas, with 15 catches for 272 yards, is the top receiver, as well as being one of the leaders in the secondary.

Roosevelt High School’s selection as the No. 1 seed was not just a show of respect for the Rough Riders, but the entire Eastern League, as well, according to coach Javier Cid.

The league champion Rough Riders, who host Grant (5-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday in a first-round game, take a record of 9-1 into the City Section Division II football playoffs.

Considering defending division champion Arleta (9-1), whose only loss is a forfeit, drew the No. 2 seed and El Camino Real (9-1), which lost only to Hart of the Southern Section, drawing the top seed was somewhat of a surprise to the Rider coach.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Cid said. “We were voted the toughest league in Division II. The people who voted felt that other than Arleta, the other teams in that (East Valley) league were not that strong. It came down to strength of schedule.”

Cid felt second-place Jordan drawing the No. 6 seed in Division I helped his cause. The feeling the league was as strong as it was also helped South East (4-6) get the No. 6 seed in Division II to earn a home game against Poly (8-2) in the first round.

Records of 9-1, 8-2, 6-4 and 6-4 over the past four years have not gone unnoticed by the seeding committee, in Cid’s view.

“We’re finally getting more respect,” he said.

If Roosevelt does get past Grant, Cid sees a tough road ahead for his team if it is to advance to the Dec. 11 title game at East L.A. College.

A first-round win pits them against the Fairfax-Bell winner in the quarterfinals. Hamilton (No. 4) and Franklin (No. 5) are other potential opponents in the upper bracket.

“I think this is a tougher road for us this year,” he said. “Any of the top teams can win this. Arleta, El Camino Real, Hamilton and Reseda are all good teams.”

For the Riders to move on, they’ll need to do well what they’ve done all year.

“We’ll have to continue to run the ball and pass when we need to,” Cid said. “We’ll have to keep relying on our defense. They’ve been keeping us in games.”

The team’s best player, Manny Ayon, is ready to go after sitting out the final regular-season game with a bad ankle. Cid said he could have gone last week, but wasn’t needed in a 20-6 victory over South East.

The running attack, which has flourished most of the season, is led by tailback Jesse Lira, who has rushed for 1,016 yards and 15 touchdowns, and fullback Elgin Rosales, who run for 693 yards and three scores. Rosales ran for 106 yards and a TD (45-yarder) and Lira had 104 yards and a TD against South East.

Sifuentes, who Cid called the player of the game, was 7-of-9 for 69 yards passing and carried 12 times for 81 yards and a TD last week.

Their first-round opponent, Grant, finished third in the East Valley League behind Arleta and Poly.

“They run the spread offense and are in the shotgun a lot,” Cid said. “They’re pretty balanced and have some good athletes. Defensively, they run a 3-3, which we haven’t seen yet, so that’s a bit of a concern.”

While Roosevelt garnered the top seeding in Division II and will be favored to win the title, Garfield received only a No. 13 seeding and will be a heavy underdog in its first-round game against fourth-seeded Taft.

Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said the decision whether to "play up" in Division I ultimately rests with the coach.

"Do you move up to satisfy the critics or do you stay down because you understand the caliber of athletes you have?" he asked. "I did it because everyone thought we should be playing up.

"It's a hard decision as a coach because you can't satisfy everyone. If you win the lower division, people are going to expect you to move up. [But] after how many years do you realize you don't have a D.J. Morgan, a Trajuan Briggs, you don't have the big guys that Carson and these guys do?"

Hernandez said he likes playing in Division I because it brings out the best in him and his players.

"It's just a different atmosphere, everything from knowing that you're playing against Division I-caliber kids that are going to be moving on [to college] to coaching-wise," he said. "I appreciate the fact that you can play against the guys who go play against the Long Beach Polys and [Gardena] Serras.

"We'll stick around here as long as we can."

--Ben Bolch

An injury kept Roosevelt High School’s Manny Ayon on the bench for all but one play in the first half of last Friday’s game with archrival Garfield. It didn’t take long however for the Rough Riders’ quarterback-wide receiver to make his presence felt once he entered the game in the second half.

Despite playing with a sprained ankle, Ayon came in to play quarterback and raced 42 yards on his first carry to spark the Rough Riders’ on a 61-yard scoring drive that he capped with a six-yard touchdown run.

Ayon’s score enabled the Rough Riders to overcome a 9-7 halftime deficit and go on to defeat Garfield, 28-16, in the 75th East Los Angeles Classic before an estimated 20,000 spectators at East L.A. College.

“He’s a gamer and the time had come to take the reins off of him,” Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid said. “We purposely held him out and waited until the right moment to put him in, hoping that he would give us a lift. We knew he would get the job done.”

On a night when Roosevelt attempted only four passes and gained 322 rushing yards, Ayon rushed for a game-high 115 yards on 15 carries.

“I knew I wasn’t going to get much playing time because of my injury,” said Ayon after the game. “I got my chance and did what was possible to keep us going.”

Ayon also made the most of his one play in the first half, throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Brandon Sifuentes. The score staked Roosevelt to an early 7-0 lead.

“That was the first time we scored on our first possession this season,” Cid said. “We’re usually a slow-starting team, so I thought that was kind of special.”

Although cautious in using his versatile senior standout, Cid said he hoped the game would be close when he turned to Ayon.

“We probably would have put him in the game sooner if the score would have gotten out of hand,” Cid said.

Fullback Elgin Rosales also had a big night for the Rough Riders, rushing 114 yards on 13 carries, including a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory. Sifuentes had 40 yards on eight carries. Tailback Jesse Lira was limited to 37 yards on 10 attempts, but scored on a one-yard TD run in the final period.

They ran behind tackles Ramon Barraza and Angel Barrera, guards Chris Moreno and Ricardo Alfaro and center Zach Rivera on the offensive line.

“I thought we would have to throw the ball tonight, but we were running it pretty effectively so we stayed with it,” Cid said.

With the victory, Roosevelt clinched at least a tie for its second consecutive Eastern League title by raising its league record to 5-0. The Rough Riders (8-1 overall) can win the title outright by defeating South East (4-5, 3-2) Friday night in South Gate. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Garfield fell to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in league. The Bulldogs play South Gate (2-7, 0-5) Friday night at home.

A two-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Lopez and a 37-yard field goal by Marco Arce gave Garfield a 9-7 halftime lead.

But turnovers and penalties have plagued the Bulldogs for most of the season and last Friday was no different. They lost three of four fumbles and had a pass intercepted.

Garfield put together an impressive second quarter drive that started at its 26-yard line only to lose a fumble at the Roosevelt two. Roosevelt’s Jonathan Mariscal caused the fumble that was recovered by Richard Martinez.

Fullback Bobby Vargas led the Bulldogs’ drive with runs of 18, 19 and 13 yards.

Garfield re-took the lead, 16-14, in the third quarter, scoring on quarterback Leonardo Vaal’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Willie Fonseca.

But Ayon responded with a scoring drive of 12, 18 and 10 yard runs, capped off with a short scoring run by Lira.

Roosevelt’s Willie Linares recovered a fumble at the Garfield 18 and Roosevelt took advantage with Rosales scoring on his 23-yard run with 10:56 remaining in the game.

The Bulldogs tried to rally back, but lost the ball on downs at the Rough Riders’ 22 with 8:53 left and Roosevelt put together a time-consuming drive.

Martinez’s interception with 25 seconds left sealed the victory.

“We made the same mistakes we’ve made all season and Roosevelt did everything they needed to do to win the game,” Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “They controlled the ball and made our defense work. That hasn’t been done to our defense in a long time, so you have to give credit to where credit is due. Coach Cid and his staff did a great job.”

Roosevelt now leads the series, 40-29-6.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Nov 11, 2009 at 5:06 PM PST

From the standpoint of the coaches, the playoff consequences always took precedence over the hoopla and fanfare associated with the East Los Angeles Classic.

Roosevelt High School football coach Javier Cid, whose Rough Riders were trying to win the Eastern League title, couldn’t afford to look at it any other way.

His team was able to follow his lead by defeating Garfield, 28-16 last Friday before another packed house at East L.A. College.

The win clinched the title for Roosevelt (8-1, 5-0), which closes the regular season Friday at South East (4-5, 3-2). Garfield (4-5, 2-3) hosts South Gate (2-7, 0-5) Friday.

It took a big performance by Manny Ayon to help the Rough Riders turn a 9-7 halftime deficit into the 12-point victory they would ultimately get.

Because of a sprained ankle, Ayon was on the field for only one snap in the first half.

But the converted wide receiver who shares quarterback duties with Brandon Sifuentes, came off the sidelines after intermission to carry 15 times for 131 yards and a touchdown.

His 42-yard run on his first play was the start to a 61-yard drive that resulted in a Rough Rider TD.

“He’s a gamer and the time had come to take the reins off of him,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “We purposely held him out and waited until the right moment to put him in, hoping that he would give us a lift. We knew he would get the job done.”

Ayon said he wasn’t expecting to see a lot of duty because of the injury.

“I got my chance and did what was possible to keep us going,” he said.

Elgin Rosales carried 13 times for 114 yards and a TD and Jesse Lira added 10 carries for 37 yards and a score as the Riders rushed for 322 yards. Ayon and Sifuentes combined to throw only four times for 10 yards, although Sifuentes was on the receiving end of a scoring pass from Ayon that gave Roosevelt the early lead.

“That was the first time we scored on our first possession this season,” Cid said. “We’re usually a slow-starting team, so I thought that was kind of special.”

Garfield took its last lead on a 32-yard scoring pass from Leonardo Vaal to William Fonseca with 5:01 left in the third period.

On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Lira’s one-yard run gave Roosevelt the lead for good.

The Riders added an insurance touchdown on an 18-yard run by Rosales, which was set up when William Linares recovered a Vaal fumble deep in Bulldog territory.

Vaal was 7-of-13 for 127 yards and a TD and Jonathan Lopez carried 11 times for 50 yards and a score for the Bulldogs. Danny Vargas led them in rushing with 78 yards on six carries.

Bobby Vargas had three catches for 49 yards.

Defensively for Garfield, Hector Cazales had 11 solo tackles, four assists and a sack. Levi Peralta had seven solos and three assists.

“We made the same mistakes we’ve made all season and Roosevelt did everything they needed to do to win the game,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “They controlled the ball and made our defense work. That hasn’t been done to our defense in a long time, so you have to give credit where credit is due. Coach Cid and his staff did a great job.”

The end of the regular season arrives a week earlier for Jordan High School’s football team than it does for almost anyone else, which is just fine with Bulldogs coach Elijah Asante.

Having closed out with a 36-22 victory over Huntington Park Friday to clinch second place in the Eastern League, Jordan (6-4, 5-1) can use the week to rest, get over some bumps and bruises and check out possible future playoff opponents.

“We need it (break),” Asante said. “We’ve played a brutal schedule (Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei were nonleague foes). We’ve played 10 straight games and nobody else has done that.”

Looking ahead to the City Section playoffs that began next week, he figures a fairly high seed is in his team’s future.

“I’m hoping to be somewhere between fourth and seventh,” he said. “It depends how the rest of the leagues play out.”

It’s been a successful season to date for the Bulldogs, who survived a tough schedule while being in a rebuilding mode with a young squad.

They’ve had to replace a prolific passer in current USC football player James Boyd and his 4,462 passing yards, as well as several talented receivers.

They struggled early and didn’t have it easy in the Eastern League, either. But now they seem ready to compete with most teams once the postseason begins.

“This team has grown game by game,” Asante said. “This isn’t a year where we dominated. Last year we were worried about how many yards we were getting, how many touchdown passes, how many records we were setting. This year, we were just worried about winning.

“Considering the caliber of players we lost, what we’ve done is a testament to how hard these kids have worked.”

The Eastern League was no snap for the Bulldogs, who found themselves embroiled in tight games just about every week.

The finale was typical.

Although Huntington Park (3-6, 1-4) is in the lower half of the standings, it gave Jordan all it could handle for three quarters.

Relying heavily on a ball-control attack that featured a group of runners, the Spartans were tied, 22-22 entering the fourth quarter. Earlier in the contest, the visitors held leads of 8-0 and 15-14 (at halftime).

Mauricio Maldonado (17 carries, 73 yards) capped two drives with short touchdown runs and Henri Echevarria (19 carries, 48 yards) ended another with a one-yarder.

What separates Jordan from the rest of the league, though, is speed and that was the difference Friday at its homecoming.

Quarterback Deshawn Beck opened the fourth period with a 48-yard scoring run.

They added an insurance touchdown at the 5:35 mark on an eight-yard pass from Jackyle Cooper to Patrick Wooten.

Beck, who has been timed at 4.22 seconds in the 40 and has the University of Arizona at the top of his college wish list, according to Asante, carried 14 times for 164 yards, was 4-of-8 passing for 94 yards and two TDs, caught one pass for 14 yards and added another 34 yards in kick returns.

Raymond Ford caught seven passes for 75 yards and a TD. He also ran for a score.

Asante has the utmost respect for Huntington Park coach Leroy Wilson.

“He’s a great coach, so you better be on top of your game,” the Bulldogs coach said. “This is really a tough league.”

By Mario Villegas, Exclusive to EGP

One of the most storied high school football rivalries will reach a milestone Friday night when Garfield and Roosevelt meet for the 75th time in the East Los Angeles Classic before another expected crowd of more than 20,000 at East L.A. College.

Kickoff is at 7:30 and follows the frosh-soph game at 4 p.m.

There is much at stake in this year’s anniversary meetings besides neighborhood bragging rights.

Roosevelt is having a memorable season and with a victory against Garfield can clinch a tie for the Eastern League championship. The Rough Riders are 6-1 overall and 4-0 in league.

Roosevelt is led by quarterback-wide receiver Manny Ayon, quarterback Brandon Sifuentes, running backs Jesse Lira and Elgin Rosales, linebackers Ronny Lazo and Steven German and defensive back Jonathan Mariscal.

Garfield has struggled to a 4-4 record. The Bulldogs, however, have played well recently and have won consecutive games to improve to 2-2 in league.

The cliché “throw out the records” is heard most often when it comes to matchups between rivals and Garfield-Roosevelt is no exception.

“Roosevelt-Garfield is the most unpredictable game of the year,” insists Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid. “Garfield is much better than their record. I’ve been watching a lot of film on them and they have a great team. I would be a big fan of theirs, if I wasn’t coaching at Roosevelt.”

But the Bulldogs have been plagued by turnovers and penalties mostly in the red zone and the miscues were very evident in close losses to Paso Robles (8-7) Jordan (7-0) and Bell (13-7).

“We’ve got a young team and our inexperience has hurt us,” Garfield Coach Lorenzo said. “We do a get job moving the ball, but then we get into the red zone and it’s one mistake after another.”

Garfield is led by running backs Jonathan Lopez and Danny Vargas, quarterback Leonardo Vaal, wide receiver-defensive back Bobby Vargas and linebackers Hector Cazales and Moises Saucedo.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ? CBS As mentioned earlier here in the HS blog, we did our HS Preview Show from East LA College. Wednesday, they held the press conference for the 75th edition of the East LA Classic.

We had a great time out there. I learned this rivalry isn't bitter like some others we are accustomed to.

Instead, its more about uniting the community and everyone coming together and enjoying the experience.

Its the homecoming game for both schools each year and the turnout is tremendous.

Of course, each team wants to win but Garfield principal Michael Summe summed it up best when he said: its like playing against your brother, of course you try your hardest to beat him but at the end of the day, its still your brother and you love him dearly.

It should be an exciting game come Friday. To view the show, click here.

The East L.A. rivalry brings together Chris Moreno and Jose Victoria, who are inseparable, except for Friday night.

By Bill Plaschke

They sit next to each other at the kitchen table like oversized stuffed animals propped up on a bedroom shelf.

They are grown young men, but with the eyes of children.

They are natural enemies, but with the hearts of brothers.

"You're stronger," Jose Victoria says.

"You're faster," Chris Moreno says.

They grew up together in this East L.A. neighborhood, in the shadow of a freeway, bars on their windows but freedom in their friendship.

They were in grade school together, Boy Scouts together, youth sports together, separated only by six cluttered blocks that they would happily skip to share a tamale dinner or Madden marathon.

Victoria is tall and thick with a smooth boyish face, Moreno is shorter and rounder with a beard, but they act like twins.

"We were always the two biggest kids," Victoria says.

"So we just sort of stuck together," Moreno says.

Meeting for this interview at Victoria's house this week, they laugh at each other's jokes, finish each other's sentences, pat each other on the back in the firm but gentle way of those who are connected.

'My best friend," Victoria says.

"Yeah, best friends," Moreno says.

All of which shades this most vibrant of Friday nights in a deep streak of vicious.

For the 75th time in this city's greatest sports rivalry, soul mates like Jose Victoria and Chris Moreno will be asked to tear each other's heart out.

Victoria is a senior defensive lineman for Garfield High. Moreno is a senior offensive lineman for Roosevelt High.

At East Los Angeles College tonight, their teams will meet in that street-splitting battle for neighborhood ownership known as the East L.A. Classic.

Victoria will rush the quarterback. Moreno will line up directly across from his buddy and try to stop him.

After spending 18 short years living shoulder to shoulder, they will spend two long hours fighting helmet to helmet, taking their place in a battle that started long before they were born, trying to forge a memory that will last the rest of their lives.

Their words say it won't be hard. Their voices say it will be nearly impossible.

"You know, when the game starts, the friendship thing goes away," Victoria says.

"Oh yeah, sure," Moreno says.

"But I mean, if I knock you down, I'll pick you back up," Victoria says.

"Oh yeah, same here," Moreno says.

It's easy for the fans, as many as 25,000 packing the 20,000-seat stadium, cheering and booing everything from their rivals' quarterbacks to their tuba players, emotions flying far from the fray.

It's harder for the players, who can't just duel with their mouths, who actually need to block the buddy who once loaned him lunch money, or tackle the pal who once saved him from a bully.

"This is not like a match between two rival teams in some English soccer league," says Javier Cid, the Roosevelt coach. "This is like a match between the Williams sisters, this is a game of family."

The schools, while separated by about six miles, are part of the same long block that spans generations of neighbors torn in their allegiances.

This isn't like USC- UCLA, where some of the competitors simply grew up near each other.

Victoria and Moreno grew up with each other. Just look at their clothes.

"I remember wearing a T-shirt once that really felt tight on me, and I was like, hmmm," Moreno says.

"Yeah, it was a shirt you borrowed from me one night when you slept over," Victoria says.

This isn't like the Dodgers and Angels, who might be seeing each other for the first time in a year.

Victoria and Moreno talk at least three times a week, hang out on weekends, and share the most personal memories.

"Remember that time I beat you in a McDonald's eating contest?" Victoria says.

"Yeah, I quit because you were disgusting," Moreno says.

Because of position changes and injuries, they have lined up across from each other for only one play in their careers, last season during an extra-point attempt.

However, playing on opposing youth league teams in eighth grade, Moreno hit Victoria so hard, he gave him a concussion.

"Man, that hurt," Victoria says.

"I felt bad for a long time," Moreno says.

Tonight they cannot afford to feel bad. Not with both players considered team leaders and important cogs. Not with all eyes watching them.

"My friends are all saying, 'Ohhh, you're going against your homeboy, how you gonna handle it?' " Victoria says.

"I hear the same thing and I'm like, 'Hey, I'll be cool,' " Moreno says.

For two kids who never asked for any of this, it will never be any hotter.

They met in second grade at Our Lady Of Guadalupe School, the two biggest kids in a class photo saved by Victoria's mother, and soon became inseparable.

They would play basketball on a goal in Victoria's backyard, run errands for candy money at a local market, and even act together on a local drama club stage.

"Remember those Shakespeare plays we were in?" Victoria says.

"Yeah, like the one where I had to play a girl," Moreno says.

"Almost as bad as the one where we had to sing," Victoria says.

They triumphantly helped keep each other out of gangs. But in eighth grade, they also combined to send a nasty e-mail to a teacher that resulted in them leaving school six months before graduation.

"They did good things together and dumb things together," says Chris' father, Carlos, who is Roosevelt's equipment manager.

They ended up at separate schools when Chris Moreno, whose parents are divorced, moved to the Roosevelt school district to live part-time with his father.

"When I heard it, I was like, 'Oh, man,' " Victoria says.

"Yeah, it was weird," Moreno says.

But even at separate schools, they remained close, through family deaths and weekend parties and now this, the annual ultimate test of the tight East L.A. bonds.

They will surely be friends for the rest of their lives. How can they so quickly turn on each other tonight?

"I have to try not to focus on him," Victoria says.

"I can't even think about it," Moreno says.

"It might just pump us up to be across from each other," Victoria says.

"Yeah, pump us up," Moreno says.

The East L.A. Classic

There are times when you really want to throw out the records in this rivalry.

Roosevelt and Garfield have been playing since 1925, and in all those years neither team has won a title in the City Section's top division.

Yet their annual football game typically draws the biggest crowd for a high school event in Southern California, with a handful of the games being played at the Coliseum.

The game is homecoming for both schools, and the participants have a lot in common.

"If you look at the kids from both schools, they're identical," Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid said. "Same type of ethnic background and socio-economics."

Many players on opposing sidelines have been friends since attending Stevenson Middle School. Those who live east of Indiana Street matriculate to Garfield in East L.A.; those west of the dividing line go to Roosevelt in Boyle Heights.

The split remains in effect even after graduation. Couples who have inter-married from the schools often don't sit with one another during the game.

A victory in the East L.A. Classic means a successful season. In 1990, Roosevelt was winless and Garfield undefeated when the Roughriders pulled off a 7-0 upset.

"That made everyone's year," recalled Cid, whose team leads the series, 39-29-6.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Nov 4, 2009 at 5:10 PM PST

Garfield High School’s Bobby Vargas and Roosevelt’s Brandon Sifuentes epitomize the friendly nature and the natural links that mark the East Los Angeles Classic.

They’ve been friends for years and were teammates at the age of eight as members of the Pop Warner East L.A. Bobcats. Sifuentes was a running back, Vargas a receiver.

Set for the 75th edition of this neighborhood showdown Friday at East L.A. College, this link is only natural.

Husbands and wives who attended opposing schools are on opposite sides of the field for this game. It’s common for current players to have had fathers, uncles and brothers play in previous Classics.

This is the case for Vargas, a wide receiver and defensive back for the Bulldogs, and Sifuentes, who shares quarterback duties with Manny Ayon for the Rough Riders.

“For 48 minutes, we’ll be rivals, then it’s back to the friendship,” Sifuentes said.

Vargas, who leads Garfield in receiving with 11 catches for 194 yards and in interceptions with three, has quite a lineage when it comes to the Classic. His father, Ray, an assistant for Garfield, played in it, as did two older and one younger brother.

“My dad takes it very seriously,” Vargas said. “He tells me, this game is it, so do everything possible to win.”

Sifuentes, who has passed for 520 yards this year, said both parents are Roosevelt graduates, although his father only played “B” level football.

“He tells me he is living his dreams through me,” Sifuentes said.

So what is it like for a high school player to be in the unique situation of performing in front of 23,000 fans, as they will Friday?

Being four-year veterans of this game, they certainly can offer perspective.

“The first time, it’s pretty overwhelming because of all that noise,” Vargas said. “I try to tell the younger players to tune out the crowd and just play the game.”

“It’s an amazing feeling to come out in front of 20,000 fans,” Sifuentes said.

Roosevelt coach Javier Cid characterized this game as like a fight between two brothers.

The players see it in much the same way.

“It means everything — honor, tradition, courage and friendship,” Vargas said.

“It’s a friendly rivalry,” Sifuentes adds. “There’s the tradition, the respect and the community coming together.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Nov 4, 2009 at 5:02 PM PST

It’s understandable all the existing excitement and hype surrounding a football rivalry now in its 75th year, that has “classic” in its title and annually draws 23,000 fans.

But from the standpoint of the coaches — Roosevelt High School’s Javier Cid and Garfield’s Lorenzo Hernandez — the East L.A. Classic is just a football game once the two teams tee it up, as they will do at 7:30 p.m. Friday at East L.A. College.

“As a coach, I can’t get caught up in the hoopla,” Cid said. “I can’t look at it as we are in the ‘Classic.’ We’re playing Garfield. It’s my nature to think that way. All the festivities leading up to the game are great, but I’ve got to look at it like it’s just a football game.”

Cid, who played for Roosevelt in the 1982 and 1983 Classics and is in his fourth year as head coach of the Rough Riders, said that way of focusing comes from his old high school coach, Bob Drake.

“He taught us to just focus on the jobs in front of us,” he said.

To Hernandez, coaching in his eighth Roosevelt-Garfield game, “That it’s the Classic is an added incentive. As a coach, I have to look at it as how it helps us in the league standings and the playoff situation. We prepare the same way for this game as we do any game. We don’t try to break our routine.”

Cid feels a lot of life lessons are learned playing in this sort of environment.

“I had a great experience playing in this game,” the Rider coach said. “What I took from it was playing in front of such a big crowd, you get the feeling, maybe I can go on and play college football, which I did (at University of Pacific).

“This lets a player know they can go out and do bigger and better things. What they take from this game is work ethic, teamwork and sportsmanship. Also we want them to be proud of the community they come from.”

This year’s matchup pits Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0), which leads the Eastern League with two games left, and Garfield (4-4, 2-2), which is battling for a playoff spot.

Don’t think the difference in their records necessarily means a one-sided result.

“This is one of the toughest game to predict because it has had its upsets (in the past),” Cid said. “Garfield is not the same team that started the season. They’re jelling at the right time and that’s what concerns me.”

Both run-oriented teams have made midseason changes at quarterback that have proved beneficial.

The Rough Riders moved receiver Manny Ayon back there and the senior has completed 17 of 28 passes for 223 yards and rushed for 390 yards and seven touchdowns while sharing time with Brandon Sifuentes.

“I think they did the right thing when they put him at quarterback because he is their best athlete,” Hernandez said. “He and (junior tailback) Jesse Lira are their two best athletes on offense and No. 7 (junior cornerback Jonathan Mariscal) is their best athlete on defense.”

The main offensive weapon for Roosevelt is Lira, who has carried 120 times for 875 yards and 13 TDs. Fullback Elgin Rosales has 473 yards rushing and leads the team in receptions with 15 for 193 yards.

Mariscal, the leader of the defense, has four interceptions.

For Garfield, tailback Jonathan Lopez carries much of the load, having run for 856 yards and six TDs on 132 carries. Julio Silva has run for 418 yards on 71 attempts.

Junior Leonardo Vaal, installed as the quarterback four games ago, is 21-of-39 for 298 yards and a TD.

Bobby Vargas is the leading receiver with 11 for 194 yards and two scores. He also leads the team with three interceptions.

“I foresee this as a very good defensive battle,” Hernandez said. “Our strong point is defense, theirs is offense.”

“I think it’s going to be a defensive struggle,” Cid said. “Garfield is averaging about seven points per game on defense and we’re averaging eight or nine. So it’s going to be important for us to score points and to hold them.”

The destiny of the Jordan High School football team is only partly in its own hands with two weeks left in the regular season.

For Jordan (5-4, 4-1), it has only one more regular-season contest, Friday’s 2:15 p.m. home game with Huntington Park (3-5, 1-3), to keep its Eastern League playoff hopes alive.

The Bulldogs are a game out of first place behind Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0), which faces archrival Garfield (4-4, 2-2) Friday at East L.A. College, then closes the regular season next week at South East (3-5, 2-2).

A year ago, Jordan, Roosevelt and Garfield all shared the league title. Jordan, which would need some help to be co-champion this year, lost to Roosevelt earlier this season.

Thanks to an outstanding season by senior Deshawn Beck, the Bulldogs are finishing strong again.

Beck has rushed for 1,530 yards and seven touchdowns on 134 carries and completed 51 of 98 passes for 785 yards and five scores.

In last Friday’s 13-12 victory over Bell (5-3, 2-3), Beck completed 16 of 27 passes for 246 yards and a TD and carried 14 times for 178 yards and a score.

Defensive back Patrick Wooten, who earned All-City honors as a freshman after recording a section-best 150 tackles, had nine solo tackles, assisted on five others and intercepted a pass against Bell. Defensive lineman Trayronn Archer had 10 tackles and two sacks.

Story Published: Nov 3, 2009 at 6:32 PM PST

Garfield (4-4, 2-2) rode a strong ground game against South East (3-5, 2-2).

Jonathan Lopez carried 16 times for 87 yards and a TD and Paul Alvarado had 17 carries for 97 yards as the Bulldogs piled up 203 yards on the ground. Leonardo Vaal added a scoring pass to Justin Esquivel.

Miguel Montes (10 tackles) and Rolando Sandoval (nine) were solid on defense for South East.

In other league games, Roosevelt routed South Gate, 41-6 and Garfield blanked South East, 18-0.

Jesse Lira ran for three TDs, Elgin Rosales rushed for 82 yards and Hector Ortega had 99 yards as Roosevelt gained 402 yards as a team against the Rams (2-6, 0-4).

Deshawn Beck passed for 246 yards and one TD and ran for 178 yards and a score to lead Jordan past Bell, 13-12 in a pivotal Eastern League game.

Jordan is 5-4 overall and 4-1 in league and trails only Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0) in the standings. Bell slipped to 5-3 and 2-3.

Although Beck had a big game statistically, he was intercepted three times (by David Franco, Juan Gonzalez and Robert Soliz). Franco was also on the receiving end of a 41-yard scoring pass from Adrian Lopez (9-of-16 for 119 yards).

Julian Leon (12 carries, 50 yards) had a three-yard scoring run for the Eagles.

I spoke to Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez, Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid and a couple of players to get a feel for what it's like to participate in a game expected to attract 25,000.

Here's their thoughts via video. And remember, we'll be blogging Friday night at latimes.com/preps.

-- Eric Sondheimer

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Oct 28, 2009 at 12:48 PM PST

Based on win-loss records, this had all the makings of a down-to-the-wire game.

But Roosevelt High School turned this matchup of 5-1 teams into a mismatch by steamrolling Bell, 27-0 last Friday in an Eastern League football game.

Roosevelt improved to 3-0 in league and dropped the Eagles to 2-2 against league competition.

Most of the domination was up front where the Rough Riders controlled both lines of scrimmage. They amassed 249 yards rushing, another 90 passing and held an 18-6 edge in first downs. Bell was limited to 100 yards of total offense, including 16 net yards rushing. The Rider defense sacked Bell quarterback Adrian Lopez six times for 39 yards in losses.

“Our inside front guys controlled both lines,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said.

As for all the sacks, he said, “That’s big for us. We worked a lot on that in practice.”

The line’s control up front was also evident in the length of the scoring drives.

The Rough Riders went 95 yards for their first score, a one-yard run by quarterback Manny Ayon (10 carries for 111 yards, two touchdowns), and 82 yards for their second, a 13-yard run by tailback Jesse Lira (nine carries for 81 yards).

In the second half, they added touchdowns on a 14-yard pass from Ayon to fullback Elgin Rosales and a 38-yard run by Ayon, the converted wide receiver.

Bell actually got off to a good start by driving all the way to the Roosevelt five on its first possession before the Rider defense stiffened and held on downs.

The Eagles would not threaten again, largely due to the likes of Ronnie Lazo, Ricardo Marroquin and Alex Herrera putting all that pressure on Lopez (9-of-13 for 84 yards) and shutting down the Eagle ground attack. Jose Barba rushed for a team-high 36 yards for Bell, virtually none of it after the opening drive.

“I thought the defense was great for us,” Cid said.

Offensively, the philosophy is two heads are better than one. The splitting of quarterback duties between Ayon and Brandon Sifuentes, who was 4-of-5 for 60 yards against Bell, is growing on Cid week by week.

“I like the one-two punch at quarterback,” the coach said. “They both work hard in practice and both do a good job in games. They give us options and teams have to prepare for both.”

Roosevelt hosts South Gate (2-5, 0-3) at 7 p.m. Friday. The Rams are coming off a 24-21 loss to Huntington Park.

Emmanuel Leyva, who was 9-of-25 for 225 yards and two TDs and ran for a score, and Mario Avalos, who caught five passes for 159 yards and a TD, are players to watch for South Gate. So is running back Chris Bucknor, who scored a TD against the Spartans.

“They’re a young team and much improved,” Cid said.

Deshawn Beck rushed for 198 yards on 17 carries and completed six of eight passes for 49 yards and a TD to lift Jordan past South East, 20-13 in another Eastern League game.

The Bulldogs (4-4, 3-1) also received 161 yards and two TDs passing from Jackyle Cooper.

Defensively, lineman Trayronn Archer was in on 15 tackles, nine of them solo, and linebacker Patrick Wooten was in on 14, six of them solo, for Jordan.

South East (3-4, 2-1) got solid defensive efforts from Jason Avendano (seven tackles) and Ruben Rosero (six solos).

Returning All-City players Deshawn Beck and Patrick Wooten again made major contributions in Jordan’s 41-14 Eastern League victory over South Gate.

Beck carried 12 times for 159 yards, was 2 of 3 for 38 yards and a TD passing and also caught a scoring pass.

Wooten caught two scoring passes and was in on 15 tackles, seven of them solo, on defense.

Other contributors included Jackyle Cooper, who was 8 of 14 for 120 yards and two TDs and ran for another score, Raymond Ford, who caught a scoring pass, Rudolph Drayton, who had seven solo tackles and two sacks.

Jordan (3-4, 2-1) is at South East (3-3, 2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday. South East and Roosevelt (5-1, 2-0) share first place, with Jordan and Bell (5-1, 2-1) tied for second.

A lengthy losing streak would have given the Garfield High School football team something to stew over the next couple of weeks.

But thanks to a 38-3 victory over Huntington Park, the Bulldogs can concern themselves with how to build on a bit of success heading into their bye week.

Garfield, which had dropped its previous three games, is 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the Eastern League. The Bulldogs return to action Oct. 30 at South East (3-3, 2-0), one of the co-leaders in the league.

“We didn’t really want to go into our bye week on a four-game losing streak,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “We did a lot of things positive and cut down on the penalties on the offensive side.”

Tailback Jonathan Lopez had the best game of his career with 223 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries in a little more than a half against the Spartans (2-5, 0-3). After scoring his third TD three minutes into the second half, Lopez and the rest of the starters were given the night off.

“I haven’t seen the kid run like that since his freshman year,” Hernandez said of the sophomore. “He was phenomenal.”

Leonardo Vaal was 5 of 12 for 138 yards passing, while Danny Vargas and Giovanni Leon ran for TDs for the Bulldogs.

Defensively, Jonathan Valles had eight solo tackles and three assists and Hector Cazales was in on 10 tackles, six of them solo. Moses Saucedo had two sacks.

Looking ahead to South East, Hernandez knows what his team has to do to succeed — contain the Jaguars talented sophomore running back Robert Lewis.

“He’s a game-changer,” Hernandez said. “If we can neutralize him, we’ve got a shot.”

South East moved into a share of the lead with idle Roosevelt (5-1, 2-0) by defeating Bell, 24-8.

Rolando Sandoval completed eight of 12 passes for 115 yards, including a seven-yard scoring pass to Daniel Medrano, and Lewis carried eight times for 78 yards and two TDs to pace the Jaguars.

John Belton caught five passes for 88 yards for South East.

Defensively for the Jaguars, Allen Hall and Windale Scott had three sacks each, Jason Avendano had five solo tackles and two assists and David Godoy had an interception.

Bell (5-1, 2-1), which suffered its first league loss, scored its points in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Julian Leon.

Adrian Lopez was 7 of 18 for 56 yards passing and Jose Barba was the leading rusher for the Eagles with 64 yards on 12 carries.

David Franco was the leading tackler with eight.

Roosevelt, on the other hand, was trying to improve to 5-1 behind their punishing rush attack on Teacher Appreciation Night.

Roosevelt High teachers stand with players as they await to enter the stadium on Teacher Appreciation Night.

Lineman Oscar Fuentes enters with Ms. Mellisa Guangorena.

Ms. Letty Rodriguez shows her support for running back Elgin Rosales as the two are announced.

The Roosevelt dancers and band wait to enter the playing field prior to the game.

The Jordan Bulldog skill players warm up while coach Elijah Asante looks on.

Star athlete Deshawn Beck gets his arm loose during Jordan's warm ups.

The Roosevelt High School bands plays the national anthem while the United States and California flags are presented.

Defensive coordinator Frank Lewis goes over some final adjustments with the Jordan defensive backs before the start of the game.

Roosevelt's Jesse Lira sprints around right end for seven of his 104 rushing yards on the night. He scored his first touchdown of the night three plays later.

Jordan lined up in a number of offensive formations, including this unconventional one without a quarterback.

Roosevelt first down.

The Rough Riders lead 7-0 as the second quarter begins.

A holding call and a single piece of yellow cloth negates a 58-yard Deshawn Beck touchdown run. Jonathan Mariscal intercepted Beck on the next play and returned the ball to the Jordan 7-yard line.

Two plays after Mariscal's interception, Lira dances into the endzone for his second touchdown giving the Rough Riders a 14-0 lead.

Offensive lineman Fuentes (#64), Chris Moreno (#55), and Ricardo Alfaro (#74) take a breather after Lira's touchdown.

Beck is tackled by Enrique Barragan and an unidentified Roosevelt defender after a double reverse pass resulted in a first down.

Jordan lines up at the goal line where Jackyle Cooper would rush it in to cut into Roosevelt's lead. The extra point was blocked, however, making it 14-6.

With less than 30 seconds remaining in the half, Devante Smith hauls in a 45-yard tochdown pass from Beck to trim the lead to 14-12. The Bulldogs again fail on the conversion attempt leaving them with a two-point deficit.

Roosevelt defensive coordinator Ricardo Zepeda is in the face of Barragan after a blown coverage left Smith open on the touchdown catch.

Sitting in a Roosevelt High classroom, Beck and teammates look on as coaches give instruction during halftime.

Asante goes over Jordan's individual team mottos: Special Teams - "We stay ready," Defense - "We'll be there," Offense - "Count on us."

Roosevelt bursts through the banner and back on to the field for the second half.

Late in the third quarter, lineman Ramon Barraza (#51) and teammates look on as offensive coordinator Phillip Moreno implores his team to get a push up front.

As was the case for the majority of the second half, the Jordan defense swarmed around Lira bottling him up in the backfield.

When they weren't gang tackling Lira, the Jordan defense was upending Manny Ayon (#2).

Late in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs got the ball back trailing 14-12 with hopes to drive down the field for the game-winning score.

Asante put the ball in the hands of his star, Beck, who led the Jordan down to the 21-yard line with just over a minute remaining.

Back-to-back sacks left a decisive 4th-and-20. And though receiver Robert McCovery made a valiant effort cutting in front of a defender on an underthrown pass, the ball was knocked loose and Asante was left to console his players as they came to the sideline.

Final: Roosevelt 14 - Jordan 12

Beck's jersey shows the wear and, literal, tear of four quarters as he and his teammates listens to the Asante's post-game speech.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Oct 14, 2009 at 12:34 PM PDT

The blueprint for success against Jordan High School has been well-established.

Taking the air out of the football, at least when it comes to fellow Eastern League schools, is the best way to slow down the Bulldogs.

Following the lead of neighborhood rival Garfield, Roosevelt did just that to record a 14-12 victory over visiting Jordan last Friday. It was the second year in a row, the Rough Riders upset the Bulldogs by following that philosophy.

Despite not throwing a single pass, the Rough Riders (5-1, 2-0) maintained their share of first place with Bell (5-0, 2-0) by keeping Jordan’s explosive athletes in check.

Although Garfield (2-4, 0-2) did not win at Jordan a week earlier, the 7-0 loss did show what Roosevelt needed to do to at least stay in the contest.

Not that coach Javier Cid needed any convincing. A year ago, he had All-City quarterback Jesse Diaz throw only one pass in the Riders’ upset victory.

This time, he learned heavily on tailback Jesse Lira, who carried 30 times for 106 yards and scored both touchdowns on runs of 13 and three yards.

In both cases, the scores were on short drives of 42 and seven yards. A failed squib kick led to the first TD and Jonathan Mariscal’s 32-yard interception return to the Jordan seven set up the second.

Leading 14-12 at the half, the rest was up to the defense, which did an excellent job of bottling up Deshawn Beck, who was 9 of 18 for 121 yards and a touchdown passing and rushed for 82 yards on 18 carries, but produced few big plays.

“To hold those guys to two touchdowns is unbelievable,” Cid said. “Our defense played their hearts out. We wanted to take time off the clock one play at a time. To the kids, I used the analogy of chopping down a tree one chop at a time.”

Roosevelt defensive coordinator Richard Zepeda said, “It all came down to blocking and tackling and the kids trusting their assignments. We might not have their speed, but we do have good athletes.”

Mariscal is the exception when it comes to speed. In addition to his pick, the junior cornerback batted away a fourth-down pass inside the Rider 10 to seal the win.

“He’s the only guy we have who can match them speed-wise,” Cid said.

Junior defensive lineman Ricardo Marroquin and linebacker Ronnie Lazo, who blocked a point-after kick following a one-yard scoring run by quarterback Jackyle Cooper, also came in for praise.

Special teams rose up on another occasion.

Following Beck’s 44-yard scoring pass to Devante Smith with 24 seconds left in the first half, the Riders stuffed a two-point conversion run that would have tied the score.

“I tip my cap to them, they made the plays and we turned the ball over twice,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “You have to give credit to their defense. They put pressure on us. We didn’t just turn the ball over for no reason.”

Roosevelt has a bye this week prior to an Oct. 23 showdown with Bell. Jordan (2-4, 1-1) is at South Gate in the Eastern League play Friday.

“Bell is going to be a big game because they want us bad,” Cid said.

“We’re a young team, but we are improving,” Asante said. “We’re going to be ready.”

Bell High School is apparently serious about joining the usual contenders for the Eastern League crown.

The likes of Jordan, Garfield and Roosevelt have ruled the top half of the standings in recent years and all three actually shared the title last season.

On the other hand, Bell was 4-6 overall, 1-5 in league and was a non-qualifier when it came to the City Section playoffs.

This year, the Eagles find themselves 5-0 and more importantly, 2-0 in league. A 13-7 victory over Garfield in their last outing gives them even more momentum heading into Friday’s 7 p.m. game against visiting South East (2-3, 1-0), a 35-13 winner over Huntington Park in its league opener.

“This is the best corps of receivers they’ve had and their quarterback (Adrian Lopez) is a very poised, confident kid,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said of Bell.

Lopez has been giving Bell excellent play in the early going.

He was 7 of 15 for 106 yards, including a 16-yard scoring pass to Dale Estrada against Garfield.

David Franco returned an interception 50 yards for a score in the second period when the Eagles were getting all their points. Franco had two interceptions and was in on eight tackles, six of them solo.

Robert Soliz was also busy on defense with six solos and five assists.

Garfield (2-4, 0-2), which hosts Huntington Park (2-4, 0-2) Friday, scored in the fourth period on a nine-yard run by Jonathan Lopez (12 carries for 62 yards).

Julio Silva was the most productive Bulldog back with his 163 yards on 26 carries, which helped them rush for 240 yards.

But turnovers hurt Garfield. Leonardo Vaal, seeing his first action at quarterback, threw two interceptions and the Bulldogs also lost a fumble.

Vaal, in his first year of playing organized football, was 9 of 14 for 75 yards.

Hernandez plans to stick with his new signal caller.

“We were becoming too one-dimensional,” Hernandez said. “Hopefully, this change will be good.”

Linebacker Moses Saucedo was solid on defense for Garfield with seven solo tackles, four assists and two sacks. Jonathan Valles had four solos and five assists.

Although the rash of mistakes again proved costly, Hernandez is not down on his team.

“I feel good about this group because it hasn’t given up,” he said.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Oct 14, 2009 at 11:59 AM PDT

South East received 139 yards rushing on 12 carries from Robert Lewis, two touchdown runs from Christopher Ochoa and single scoring runs from Manuel Marquez and Malcolm Smith in the win over H.P.

The Jaguar defense was paced by Jason Avendano, who had seven solo tackles and two assists, and Rolando Sandoval, who had six solos, two assists and a 36-yard interception return. Christian Quinines also had an interception.

Manny Ayon, playing quarterback for the first time this year, ran for four touchdowns and passed for another to lead Roosevelt past Huntington Park, 35-7 in another Eastern League game. Ayon, who had scoring runs of 58, 15, 11 and 31 yards, had 147 yards on 11 carries. He also had a 20-yard scoring pass to Elgin Rosales.

The Rough Riders (4-1, 1-0) saw their three-TD lead trimmed to 21-7 when the Spartans (2-3, 0-1) got a third-quarter scoring run from Henri Echevarria (15 carries for 60 yards).

Christian Balbuena had nine solo tackles and Mauricio Maldonado had eight solos and an assist to lead the H.P. defense.

The Spartans host South East (1-3, 0-0) at 7 p.m. Friday.

By WAVE STAFF Story Published: Oct 7, 2009 at 3:33 PM PDT

Adrian Lopez passed for three touchdowns to lift unbeaten Bell High School to a 33-14 victory over South Gate in an Eastern League opener.

The win improved the Eagles to 4-0 overall. They continue league play at Garfield (2-3, 0-1) Friday. Garfield dropped its league opener at Jordan, 7-0.

The junior quarterback completed 11 of 17 for 182 yards, including 38- and 24-yard scoring strikes to David Franco and a 14-yarder to Oscar Gonzalez.

Jose Barba, who carried eight times for 72 yards, capped the scoring for the Eagles with a 20-yard run.

Elmer Grajeda returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown and finished with five solo tackles and five assisted ones to lead the defense. Robert Soliz also had an interception and Ever Diaz had six solo tackles and two assists.

South Gate (2-2) received scoring runs from quarterback Emmanuel Leyva and running back Ernesto Torres. Leyva completed 15 of 29 passes for 178 yards.

Chris Bucknor (nine carries for 40 yards) and Jose Magana (five for 55) led the Rams ground attack.

South Gate hosts Belmont (2-2) in a nonleague game Friday.

Manny Ayon made the switch from wide receiver to quarterback more out of necessity than anything last Friday.

He made the most of it.

Moved to the spot after starter Brandon Sifuentes was declared out with a concussion suffered the week before against Whittier, Ayon rushed for four touchdowns and passed for another as Roosevelt High School raced past Huntington Park, 35-7 in an Eastern League football opener.

The win enables the Rough Riders (4-1 overall) to take a 1-0 league record into Friday’s home game with Jordan (2-3, 1-0), a 7-0 winner over Garfield last Friday.

Ayon, who rushed for 147 yards on 11 carries and completed six of seven passes for 77 yards, scored on runs of 58, 15 and 11 yards during a second quarter in which the Riders were building a 21-0 lead.

After Huntington Park (2-3) scored on its first possession of the second half, Roosevelt struck again as Ayon raced 31 yards for his fourth TD of the night, then passed 20 yards to Elgin Rosales to complete the scoring.

“Manny really carried the load,” Rider coach Javier Cid said. “He became our next logical choice at quarterback because he has been the backup. We kind of went to a wildcat offense with him in there.”

Ayon, an All-City wide receiver in previous years, overcame two early fumbles before triggering an explosive offense.

Rosales, the fullback, came in for special praise from Cid.

In addition to his 39 yards on three receptions and 63 yards on six carries, Rosales was cited for his all-around game.

“He did a great job of blocking,” the coach said. “He’s one of the keys in our offense because we need him to run, block and catch.”

Tailback Jesse Lira added 93 yards on 12 carries.

Defensively, end Ronnie Lazo was the team’s MVP, according to Cid.

“He was our main force on defense,” he said. “He did a terrific job of taking on two blockers and allowing others to make tackles.”

Armando Perez had an interception, Alex Herrera recovered a fumble and inside linebacker Ricardo Marroquin had two sacks.

Roosevelt now takes on Jordan, which it upset a year ago.

Cid realizes it won’t be easy knocking off the Bulldogs in back-to-back seasons.

First, they’ll need to find a way to corral Jordan’s speedy skill players, one in particular.

“It’s going to take a huge effort on our part to compete with these guys,” he said. “(Deshawn) Beck is a hard guy to lasso. We’re going to try and duplicate Garfield’s game plan and pound them as much as we can. We did it last year.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Oct 7, 2009 at 1:56 PM PDT

It’s likely there’s never been a worse argument in favor of time of possession than last Friday’s Eastern League opener between Jordan and Garfield high schools.

When you hold a 69-24 edge in plays run, a 17-4 advantage in first downs and possessed the ball for more than 40 minutes of a 48-minute game, as Garfield did, logic holds you probably won handily.

But all Garfield (2-3) had to show for all those advantages was a big fat zero.

Jordan (2-3) made a 39-yard touchdown pass from Deshawn Beck to Raymond Ford on the fifth play from scrimmage stand up for a 7-0 victory. The Bulldogs had 63 yards on that drive, but only 40 more the rest of the day.

The Bulldogs spent the rest of the afternoon learning on a defense that did lots of bending, but no breaking.

“We’ll take our wins any way we can get them,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “We tell our kids you win with offense, defense and special teams, but in some games one area has to help out the other areas more.”

Asante gave credit to defensive coordinator Frank Lewis for a game plan that led to Jordan forcing and recovering three fumbles and intercepting a pass (by cornerback Marlon Taylor in the end zone with 8.6 seconds left).

“The defense did a great job,” he said. “Our defensive coaches prepared them phenomenally. It’s tough to shut them down. I don’t know the last time they’ve been shut out.”

From Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez’s standpoint, it was as frustrating a day as he’s experienced on a football field.

His team continually shot itself in the foot with turnovers and penalties. The Bulldogs were flagged nine times for 83 yards, with seven of the penalties being either holding or blocking below the waist by the offensive line.

Garfield had four drives end inside the Jordan 20 with nothing to show for it.

The Bulldogs were turned away inside the five as the first half ended and had the ball at the 13 following a blocked punt when a final pass into the end zone was picked off by Taylor.

Sophomore tailback Jonathan Lopez did his part with 112 yards on 23 carries, as did back Julio Silva (17 for 74) and fullback Danny Vargas (15 for 71). But the various mistakes kept them from converting those numbers into points.

“We kept the ball away from them, but if you keep fumbling, how are you going to win?” Hernandez asked.

The holding penalties, devastating to a team relying on a ball-control style, were another issue with the coach.

“That was ridiculous,” he said. “If you look close enough, you could see holding on every play. I know the referees are human and do the best job they can, but that was so one-sided.”

His main issues, though, were with his own offense.

“We’re having trouble finishing,” he said. “The offense is not getting it done and it probably has to do with us being young. It’s all mental.”

Asante is expecting more of the same Friday when Jordan visits Roosevelt. The Rough Riders (3-2, 1-0), normally a balanced team, threw only one pass in last year’s victory over Jordan.

Roosevelt opened league with a 35-7 win over Huntington Park.

“Roosevelt will show a similar style,” he said. “They’re going to try and play keepaway. Coach (Javier) Cid is a very crafty coach.”

Garfield, which hosts Bell (4-0) Friday, looks to bounce back.

“We’ve got to keep moving, grow and get better,” Hernandez said. “This (loss) was hard because of the playoff implications.”

Bell (3-0), a 35-0 winner over Eagle Rock last Friday, opens the Eastern League portion of its schedule Friday at South Gate (2-1). The Rams held off Lincoln, 21-14 in their last game.

Dale Estrada caught a pair of scoring passes, including a 49-yarder from Adrian Lopez, and Jose Barba ran for 62 yards and a TD to pace Bell. Brian Vannithone had a one-yard scoring run and Robert Soliz returned a fumble 13 yards for the Eagles’ other TDs.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 30, 2009 at 2:11 PM PDT

Taking better care of the football will be priority number one for Roosevelt High School in Friday’s Eastern League opener at Huntington Park.

The Rough Riders (2-2) didn’t take such good care of it last Friday and lost to Whittier, 28-21.

Five of their 10 posssessions resulted in turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles). Four of the six possessions in the second half ended with turnvovers and the Cardinals converted two into touchdowns.

“We just have to protect the ball better,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “You can’t turn it over like that. You do and it will hurt you in the Eastern League.

“Against Whittier, we put our defense on the field way too many times.”

In Huntington Park (2-2), the Riders are facing a tough-minded opponent that relies heavily on the run. Jorge Rios, a 6-foot, 210-pound senior, is the focal point of the offense.

“This is a very tough Huntington Park team that runs the ball well,” Cid said. “They have the leading rusher in the Eastern League. We’ve got to stop him. They also have a couple of other good runners.”

Roosevelt had bright spots against Whittier.

Jesse Lira carried 19 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns and Brandon Sifuentes was 11-of-17 for 182 yards, including a 42-yard scoring pass to Manny Ayon. The negative, though, was the three interceptions he threw.

Whittier’s Matt Viramontes was 9-of-12 for 162 yards and three TDs and Bryan Carrillo carried nine times for 77 yards and a TD.

Garfield High School’s attention will be squarely affixed on the No. 1.

That’s the number on the jersey of Jordan standout Deshawn Beck, who will be the target of the Bulldogs in Friday’s 3 p.m. Eastern League football opener at Jordan.

It had better be if Garfield (2-2) wants to get off to a good start in league.

“Mr. Beck is a phenomenal athlete,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “I compare him to a Reggie Bush-type athlete. He’s going to be tough to corral.”

Nobody has so far.

The returning All-City player, who depending on the play, lines up at quarterback, running back or receiver on offense. Mater Dei didn’t do such a good job last Friday of corralling Beck, who rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 116 in a 23-20 Monarch victory.

Jordan’s 1-3 record is deceiving because the losses have come to Esperanza, St. Bonaventure (the state’s third-ranked team) and Mater Dei.

There are other Jordan standouts, including All-City linebacker Patrick Wooten, who led the City with 150 tackles last year and 16 solos against Mater Dei last week, and Rudolph Drayton, who had 13 solos last week.

But, it’s Beck who Garfield really has to concern itself with.

“We’re going to have to play sound football if we’re going to contain him,”

Hernandez said. “I know he’s going to get his yards. We’ll try and tire him out, although he didn’t too tired against Mater Dei.”

Garfield is coming off a hard-luck 8-7 loss at Paso Robles.

The Bulldogs drove to the Bearcat five-yard line in the closing seconds, but misfired on a 20-yard field goal with six seconds left that would have won the game.

The running of Jonathan Lopez, who carried 25 times for 102 yards, was a bright spot for Garfield. Quarterback Jonathan Lazo was 7-of-20 for 135 yards passing and scored the touchdown on a run. Bobby Vargas had three catches for 83 yards.

Defensively, Hector Cazales (seven solo tackles, five assists), Moses Saucedo (six solos, five assists) and Jonathan Valles (six solos, five assists) led the way for the Bulldogs. William Fonseca had an interception.

“I thought it was good for us to go up there and play somebody out of that section,” Hernandez said. “It was a great small-town atmosphere. The fans packed the place. They weren lined around the field.”

“We’re going to try and contain him, although I don’t think you can,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Mr. Beck is a phenomenal athlete. I compare him to a Reggie Bush-type of athlete.”

Beck lines up at a number of positions on offense, most often at quarterback. He has rushed for 769 yards on 69 carries, has thrown for 255 yards and has another 112 yards on kick returns. He also plays in the secondary.

Jordan’s returning All-City linebacker Patrick Wooten continues to be a tackle machine. The sophomore, who had a City-leading 150 tackles a year ago, had 16 solos and five assisted tackles against Mater Dei.

Jordan takes a 1-3 record into the contest, though the losses have been to Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and the Monarchs.

Nothing will be official until the season ends, but Gardena can already find solace on one matter: It is a better team now than it was last season.

The Panthers' 42-0 drubbing of South East on Friday in South Gate proved it - Gardena collecting its third straight victory to help it surpass last year's 2-8 mark.

"It feels good, it feels good," Panthers Coach Ed Lalau said. "Our kids are playing well. ... (But) this is the calm before the storm."

Some big games are coming up. For now, Gardena (3-1) can bask in this victory, accomplished mainly on the strength of its running game.

The Panthers rushed for 326 yards - 240 in the first half - and had 47 yards in the air.

South East (1-3) had negative 29 rushing yards in the first half. It finished with a total of 75 after not throwing the ball in the second half.

Gardena QB Keshawn Malone remained a steady influence, finishing 3-for-9 for 47 yards and a touchdown pass. He sat out the entire fourth quarter. His contributions came when he rushed the ball.

Malone amassed 153 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns, including a 78-yard run to close out the first half with a 35-0 lead.

Dezden Petty also provided a sturdy boost, rushing for 87 yards on 10 carries, including two touchdowns in the second quarter.

- Mario Aguirre

-- Eric Sondheimer

Jesse Felgenhauer scored on a 1-yard run against the Bulldogs to put Paso Robles in position to tie or win it. A successful two-point conversion allowed the Bearcats to slip ahead for the victory.

Paso Robles, despite graduating 11 starters off last year’s defense, held a team under 28 points for the first time this season.

My hat goes off to the defense,” Bearcats coach Rich Schimke said. “We had too many turnovers. They really kept us in the game.”

Following a disappointing loss last week to St. Joseph, 28-13, the Paso Robles High School varsity football team will host Garfield High School from Los Angeles tonight.

In last week’s game against the Knights, Bearcat quarterback Thomas Bernal went 14-for-22 for 138 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. For the season thus far, Bernal is 36-for-64 for 430 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Knights limited the Bearcats’ leading rusher, Robbie Burbank, to just 135 yards on 32 carries. Overall, Burbank has 94 carries for 718 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Elias Stokes had six catches for 62 yards and one touchdown, and Brandon Todd had two catches for 44 yards and one touchdown. For the season so far, Stokes has 14 receptions for 241 yards and two touchdowns.

On defense, linebacker Jeremy Schwieger, middle line backer, Hunter Gay, corner Devin Upson, and defensive end Brandon Todd will shore up the line.

The Garfield Bulldogs come into the game against the Bearcats with a 2-1 record, the most recent a win on Sept. 18 against Wilson of Los Angeles, 35-11. Garfield tied for first in the Eastern League last season, and the Bulldogs won the Los Angles City Section Division Championship in 2007.

Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said the school has a long and established history within the community, having graduated the likes of comedian Carlos Mencia and boxer Oscar De La Hoya. It was also the site of the movie “Stand and Deliver,” which is based on a true story about Garfield High School.

In the game against Wilson, Bulldog quarterback Jonathan Lazo went [6-for-9 for 102 yards, and one interception].

Leading rusher Julio Silva had 12 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns, Jonathan Lopez had 15 carries for 96 yards and Paul Alvarado had 10 for 71 and one touchdown. Hector Cazales and Bobby Vargas added the other two touchdowns in the win.

Behind a tough defense and a potent running attack, the Roosevelt High School football team is off to an impressive 3-0 start.

The Rough Riders, who play Whittier Friday night at home in an intersectional game, have recorded victories against Contreras (28-7), Wilson (27-13) and Alhambra (34-20).

“Our defense definitely has done a good job holding our opponents at bay, and unlike past years, we’ve been able to run the ball and become a good running team,” Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid says. “But I have to give a lot of credit to the defense.”

He noted that most of the points that the Rough Riders have allowed were scored late in the games when Roosevelt was playing mostly reserve players.

“Alhambra scored twice in the fourth quarter and Wilson scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter and our special teams gave up the only score we allowed against Contreras,” he said.

Jonathan Mariscal has been one of the leaders on defense. The junior cornerback intercepted two passes last Friday at Contreras, returning the first one a record-tying 99 yards for a touchdown. He returned his second pick 51 yards to end the first half.

Roosevelt High School’s (from left) Angel Barrera, Steven German, Ronny Lazo, Jesse Lira, Ramon Barraza and Zach Rivera have helped lead the Rough Riders to an impressive 3-0 start. (EGP photo by Mario Villegas)

He also had an interception against Alhambra and when he’s not picking off quarterbacks, he’s shutting down their top receivers. Mariscal also has a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

“He’s been a big part of our defense,” Cid says. “He’s very fast and athletic and has a good nose for the ball.”

Steven German has done a stellar job at middle linebacker where the senior has stepped in to replace Rafael Ortega, the Rough Riders’ All-City standout in 2008.

“Because of Ortega he was a reserve last year, but he has really stepped up and done a pretty good job,” Cid says.

Defensive end Ronny Lazo and defensive tackle Zach Rivera, a four-year varsity player who also starts at center, lead the Rough Riders up front.

“Rivera comes from a family of Rough Riders, so he has grown up as a Rough Rider and this is his year,” Cid says, noting that Rivera’s brothers, Xavier and Robert, and his father, Robert, and uncle, Felix, all played football at the school.

Roosevelt’s offense is led by Jesse Lira, a junior running back who has rushed for 356 yards and is averaging 8.6 yards per carry. He has 407 total yards and five touchdowns. Lira ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns against Wilson.

The versatile skills of fullback Elgin Rosales have been key. The senior averaging 100 yards rushing per game.

“Lira has been our main weapon and in Rosales we have a fullback that can run, catch and block,” Cid says. “Usually, we’ve had guys that can run, but can’t catch. Rosales can catch and block very effectively and Lira is doing a great job. We haven’t had a guy go over 1,000 yards in four years because we’ve used a lot of different backs over the years.”

The offensive line is led by senior tackles Ramon Barraza, a three-year starter and team captain, and Angel Barrera, who’s also a team captain.

“Barraza’s 6-2, 250 and really strong,” Cid says. “He plays tackle but he pulls for us. He can run block and pass block very effectively. He’s a team leader and captain. Put it this way, he’s everything you want in a varsity kid and the kind of player you want leading your team.

Barrera is also very athletic and is doing a really good job for us at right tackle. He’s very good.”

Lira scored on touchdown runs of nine and four yards at Contreras last Friday, finishing the game with 85 yards on 11 carries. Rosales had a team-high 108 yards on 11 attempts.

Wide receiver Manny Ayon caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brandon Sifuentes that gave Roosevelt a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. Ayon had four receptions for 62 yards and Sifuentes completed 10 of 15 passes for 138 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Miguel Garcia recorded five tackles.

Whittier (1-1), Roosevelt’s opponent on Friday, is coming off a 54-21 defeat to Warren last Friday. The Cardinals opened the season with a 35-13 victory over Chino.

Roosevelt and Whittier also met last season with the Rough Riders coming away with a tough 16-14 victory.

The Sheiks also got 78 yards passing from Steven DeGuzman (9-of-22) and 13 tackles on defense from Miguel Navarro.

Christian Bucknor led South Gate with 98 yards and a TD on 15 carries. Ernesto Renteria carried 14 times for 74 yards and Emmanuel Leyva ran for two TDs.

Defensively for South Gate, Miguel Barba had five solo tackles and 11 assists and Andres Siqueiros had one solo and 14 assists.

South Gate is at Lincoln Friday.

Lopez, who was 12-of-16, had scoring passes of 32 yards to Oscar Gonzalez and nine yards to David Franco.

The other Eagle scores were on a one-yard run by Jose Barba (12 carries for 68 yards) and a 65-yard kickoff return by Franco.

Defensively, Martin Lara had six solo tackles, an assist and two sacks to lead the Eagle defense. Rick De La Rocha had three solos and Franco had an interception.

Bell is at Eagle Rock Friday.

Alexander Mendez had 10 solo tackles and an assist and Michael Gutierrez added two sacks to lead H.P. defensively.

Huntington Park hosts Manual Arts Friday.

This will be another showcase for Jordan’s outstanding quarterback/running back/wide receiver DeShawn Beck, who had another big game in last week’s 42-21 loss to St. Bonaventure, the state’s top-ranked team.

Beck carried 16 times for 208 yards and two TDs and completed seven of 20 passes for 125 yards. He also handled punting duties and returned kicks.

Raymond Ford returned an interception 100 yards for a score, Rudolph Drayton was in on 19 tackles (14 solos) and Patrick Wooten was in on 12 for the Bulldogs.

In Mater Dei, they’ll be facing a Monarch team that has bounced back from a season-opening loss to Carson with victories over Cypress and Corona Centennial.

Max Wittek has replaced current USC quarterback Matt Barkley at that position for Mater Dei. His favorite target has been Victor Blackwell.

Defense spelled the difference in Roosevelt High School’s 28-7 nonleague football victory over Contreras last Friday.

Whether it was the two long interception returns by junior cornerback Jonathan Mariscal or keeping Contreras out of the red zone most of the night, the Rough Riders were outstanding on that side of the ball in improving to 3-0.

“Our defense really played well,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “They scored their touchdown on a kickoff return. They never got inside our 20. They had a lot of three-and-outs. That’s why we were able to throw two picks and lose two fumbles (both inside the Contreras 10) and still come out on top.”

Mariscal’s 99-yard interception return near the end of the first quarter got the Rough Riders on the scoreboard. Then as time was running out in the first half, he picked off another pass and brought it back 49 yards before being tackled inside the 10-yard line.

“He’s done a terrific job of defending the pass,” Cid said. “He’s been a pleasant surprise for us.”

Cid also cited sophomore Miguel Garcia, who recorded five tackles in his first start at linebacker.

Offensively, Elgin Rosales carried 11 times for 108 yards and Jesse Lira carried 11 times for 85 yards and two TDs to lead the way. Brandon Sifuentes was 10-of-15 for 138 yards, including a scoring pass to Manny Ayon (four catches for 62 yards).

Next up is Friday’s home game with Whittier (1-1).

The Cardinals are probably still smarting from a 54-21 loss to Warren in which Bears running back Jesse Callier rushed for 447 yards and six touchdowns.

Whittier has some weapons of its own in quarterback Matt Viramontes, tight end Thaddeus Glenn and running back Alex Gonzalez. Against Warren, Gonzales returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score. Viramontes passed for 146 yards and a TD.

The first road game of the season will do at least one thing for Garfield High School’s football team.

If nothing else, the approximately 250-mile trip north to face Paso Robles Friday should foster plenty of togetherness.

Eliminating the usual distractions is just fine with coach Lorenzo Hernandez.

“I think it’s going to be good to get away,” he said. “Because of the trip, they’ll be able to focus. They won’t have to deal with friends, girl friends, etc. Like one of our coaches said, they’ll be by themselves. They’ll have eight hours together with their teammates.”

The 7 p.m. nonleague game, held at Flamson Middle School in Paso Robles, should be quite a test for the 2-1 Bulldogs, particularly their defense.

The Bears are 1-2, but it hasn’t been for a lack of offense.

Paso Robles is averaging 31.3 points, while giving up 39.3 per contest.

“They’re 1-2, but they played some good schools (Westlake, Santa Maria St. Joseph and Central Fresno),” Hernandez said. “They’re physical and score a lot of points. Their running back (Robbie Burbank) is very fast and they have a good corps of receivers.”

Burbank, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior, has rushed for 718 yards and nine touchdowns. He ran for 395 yards and six TDs on 32 carries in a 55-42 win over Central Fresno.

Quarterback Thomas Bernal has complemented the running attack by throwing for 430 yards and three scores. Elias Stokes is the leading receiver with 14 catches for 241 yards and two TDs.

Garfield, which opens Eastern League play Oct. 2 at Jordan, is coming off a 35-11 victory over Wilson (0-2).

Though the Bulldogs had their bright spots, Hernandez saw room for improvement.

“We did some dumb things that we can’t do in league,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s experience, or what, but we are a young team. Hopefully, we learn from experience.”

The running game flourished against Wilson as Julio Silva carried 12 times for 112 yards and two TDs, Jonathan Lopez ran for 96 yards on 15 carries and Paul Alvarado added 71 yards and a TD on 10 attempts. Jonathan Lazo added another 102 yards passing.

“We established our running game early,” the coach said. “Jonathan Lopez and Julio Silva both did a great job. I thought our offensive line did well.”

Defensively, Bobby Vargas and Hector Cazales returned interceptions for touchdowns. Cazales had seven solo tackles and three assists.

Jonathan Valles had eight solos, five assists and a sack. Moses Saucedo had six solos, two assists and a sack.

South East High School’s football team got a taste of what Pac-10 schools will be facing in the future.

Santee’s standout all-around player Tevin Carter, who has given a verbal commitment to California, did a bit of everything in a 31-13 nonleague victory over South East.

The All-City player caught seven passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, carried four times for 65 yards and one score and recorded eight solo tackles, three assists and an interception on defense. The scoring receptions were 47- and 80-yarders. The TD run was from 45 yards out.

Santee quarterback Patrick Tyler also had a big game, completing 10 of 16 passes for 285 yards and three scores. Wilfredo Salazar (three catches for 78 yards) caught a 30-yard scoring pass.

Eusebio Carrillo gave Santee (1-1) a 3-0 lead with a 21-yard field goal in the opening quarter.

South East (1-2) was led defensively by Brian Montoya, who had six solo tackles and five assists. David Godoy had seven solos and two assists. Godoy also had a sack.

The Jaguars host Gardena (2-1) Friday. Gardena defeated Marshall, 34-6 in its last game.

LOS ANGELES — By his own assessment, Logan Meyer was in a slump.

No more.

The St. Bonaventure quarterback found his form quickly and emphatically Friday afternoon, jump-starting the Seraphs to a 42-21 win at Jordan High of Los Angeles.

Meyer completed his first seven passes — good for 187 yards and two touchdowns — and finished the day 18 of 25 for 312 yards with three TDs.

“It’s good to get on the board, get three (TDs) in there,” said Meyer. “Hopefully I can keep it going.

“We did really well. The receivers were running their routes. That’s what happens with a good week of practice.”

That was more than enough to ensure the Seraphs would withstand Jordan’s unconventional “Attack The Weakness” offense — and its star attraction, multi-talented Deshawn Beck.

With Jordan lining up in a wide (and wild) variety of offensive alignments — including one with players spaced at regular intervals across the width of the field, and another with a four-man box of players in the backfield — Beck ran for 124 yards and threw for 115. But in general, the Seraphs found a way to deal with the efforts to create one-on-one space for Beck; while he accounted for 239 yards, the Bulldogs finished with just 220.

“Our checks were fine,” said Seraph coach Todd Therrien. “We were good defensively. The opening drive of the third quarter” — when Jordan went 57 yards in nine plays to score — “we had some headaches just on missed tackles.”

For the most part, though, Therrien was happy with the discipline his team showed in its defensive assignments.

“It looks so undisciplined,” he said of the Jordan approach, “that sometimes you want to do more than you’re required to do. And I think our kids did a good job of playing within themselves.”

Defensive back Troy Hill — who Therrien noted kept Beck off the stat sheet as a receiver, another area in which he often excels — said it was a difficult defensive challenge.

“It takes preparing,” said Hill. “They’ve got an athlete over there in Beck, so everybody had to stay home and cover. It was real hard, just preparing as a unit to try to keep him contained. “That’s what it was, basically, discipline. All day at practice, our coaches were running around doing everything they did. And it was basically our coaches preparing us, and the will for the defense to come out and be successful.”

St. Bonaventure raced to the early lead, scoring three times in the first six minutes. An opening three-play, 50-yard drive ending in a 5-yard pass from Meyer to Austin Higbie made it 7-0 after a minute of play, and when the Seraphs got the ball back at their own 10 a little over four minutes later, they needed just two plays to score — a 69-yard pass from Meyer to Christian White and a 21-yard run by Devon Blackledge.

And after Jordan turned the ball over at its own 14 following an unsuccessful fake punt, the Seraphs needed just one play to score again, this time a 14-yard pass from Meyer to Daniel Wakam.

Six plays, three touchdowns.

“We started well,” said Therrien. “That was a good job. But then we got really sloppy. We’ve got to clean it up.”

Meyer’s 312 yards were just 2 yards shy of his total for the first two games. He played just three quarters, closing out his day with a 24-yard TD pass to Blackledge in the third.

“That’s a good day,” said Therrien. “That’s a real good day. And if we don’t stall out in the red zone twice in the first half, we’re looking at a real great passing day. At least of his incompletions were drops, maybe three.”

Diamond Schouder extended the lead to 28-0 with a 1-run run early in the second quarter; he would later add a 4-yard TD run and finish with 14 carries for 74 yards.

Jordan’s first TD came on a 98-yard interception return by Raymond Ford in the second quarter; Beck provided the other touchdowns, on runs of 4 and 6 yards, and also kicked his team’s extra points.

"He's doing a fantastic job," Coach Javier Cid said. "He's smashing linebackers. He puts them on their back."

Barraza has helped Roosevelt to a 3-0 start. Another important contributor has been junior running back Jesse Lira, who rushed for 186 yards in a 27-13 victory over L.A. Wilson.

"He's the most improved player," Cid said.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo by Nick Koza for Sentinel

By Evan Barnes
Sentinel Sports Editor

The first thing you notice at Los Angeles Jordan's first conditioning workout - there's quite a bit of players on the field.

Coach Elijah Asante said that there were around 50 players doing drills - nearly double of what the team played with last year.

That lack of bodies gave way to fatigue later in games. But it didn't diminish their effort as they went7-5 and earned respect for their grit and offensive firepower while winning the school's first ever 4A playoff game.

This year, just competing with the best isn't enough. They want to win and after three-peating at the Watts Sumer Games passing tournament and defeating Crenshaw twice in other tournaments, expectations remain high.

The same murderer's row schedule is back again (Locke, Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei to open the season). But instead of catching them off guard, they know what to expect.

"[Plus] it's home-field advantage this time for us," senior Deshawn Beck said.

That's the second thing you notice at Jordan - the new track around the field has been completed. The only downside is that the stadium still doesn't have lights so games will be played in the afternoon.

But that won't matter because Asante has planned a bag of new tricks on offense, a scheme called Attack the Weakness (ATW) that's expanding on the variety they showed last year.

"Reverses, double reverses, passes all over," Asante said, "It's designed to keep defenses on their toes."

It's an expansion of the Wildcat offense that utilizes the athleticism the Bulldogs have been known for. The ball will start in the hands of Beck, a two-time All-City selection who'll be a jack-of-all-trades on offense moonlighting as a quarterback and tailback.

The 5-foot-7 speedster - who Asante called the best player in the City - threw only 12 passes last year, but the four-year starter is ready to step into the shoes of last year's City Player of the Year James Boyd.

"I'm ready to work hard and just find a way to make big plays," Beck said, who listed Washington and Arizona State among his college choices.

While it won't be easy replacing valed Boyd and All-City defensive backs Delvon Purvis and Eric Hunter, the Bulldogs have experience on their side.

After shining last year as freshman, Raymond Ford, the MVP of the Watts Summer Games, and All-City linebacker Patrick Wooten will also be counted to step up along with senior wide receiver Robert Lewis.

Wooten was named one of the top 100 sophomores in the country by MaxPreps after leading the team with 150 tackles last year.

But Asante wants folks to keep an eye on talented freshman Denzale Lee, a strong, natural runner that he expects to be the next talented youngster in the program, something that's been a hallmark of his tenure.

"That's the new kid to watch right there," he said.

The Bulldogs may not sneak up on anyone like they did last year, but expect them to be in the hunt as one of the City's best and build on last year's success.

There are players stationed in areas you'll never see during a football game. Double passes and laterals. Coach Elijah Asante said the goal of the offense is to "confuse, exploit, surprise, manipulate _ whatever way we can dislocate the defense and have them off balance."

Here's a video look at some of the unusual plays of the Bulldogs.

-- Eric Sondheimer

With the proliferation of websites that provide information and projections for high school football, there are going to be some hurt feelings among players and coaches.

Los Angeles Jordan Coach Elijah Asante seemed a bit steamed that Calpreps.com has picked his Bulldogs to lose to visiting St. Bonaventure on Friday by a score of 56-0.

"That's the ultimate, saying you're not worthy at all," Asante said.

Asante said he wants to hold powerful St. Bonaventure running back Devon Blackledge under the five touchdowns he scored against St. John Bosco and the 291 yards he piled up against Long Beach Poly. And that's not all.

"As ridiculous as it might seem," Asante said, "we're going to try to win the game. I've never thought we were going to lose a game we were going into. My mind is not wired like that."

Jordan is coming off a 51-12 loss to Esperanza in which the Bulldogs suffered three key injuries and had to use 330-pound lineman Trayronne Archer out of the shotgun at quarterback after regular quarterback Jack Cooper was sidelined. Cooper is expected back this week, and Asante hopes it's enough to prove the prognosticators wrong.

"That's just a projection," he said of the 56-0 prediction. "They're about 85% accurate, but that means about 15% of the time they're wrong. We're banking on it being part of the 15%."

--Ben Bolch

Huntington Park (1-1) dedicated its new turf field with a 29-21 victory over Lincoln in a nonleague game.

Alexander Mendez had seven solo tackles and four assists and Christian Balbuena returned an interception 65 yards to lead the Spartan defensive effort.

Junior Christian Bucknor scored six touchdowns and rushed for 283 yards to help South Gate crush Bernstein, 47-0 in the season opener for the Rams.

Bucknor, who carried 12 times, scored five TDs on runs from scrimmage and a sixth on a pass reception. He had two catches for 29 yards.

Ernesto Renteria added 74 yards on eight carries as South Gate piled up 390 yards on the ground.

Ricardo Estrada led the defense with two interceptions.

Rebuilding years are nothing new for Jordan High School football coach Elijah Asante.

He went through a similar one in 2006 when his roster was populated with freshmen and sophomores. They would take the inevitable lumps for a year or so before maturing as upper classmen. It culminated last year when a group led by quarterback James Boyd (now at USC) led the Bulldogs to a quarterfinal finish in the City Section playoffs.

Asante faces a similar scenario this year with a 26-man roster dominated by underclassmen. Five sophomores and a freshman start for the Bulldogs, who are 1-1 and face traditional powerhouses St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei the next two weeks.

“We’re a young team again,” Asante said following last Thursday’s 51-12 road loss to 1-1 Esperanza of Anaheim. “These kids aren’t strong right now. Most would be starting JVs anywhere else. They have a lot of room for growth. But the best programs get knocked around. I do see us improving.”

As young as the Bulldogs are, that doesn’t mean Asante is going to ease up schedule-wise.

He has them playing their usual gauntlet of tough nonleague foes, including Friday’s 3 p.m. home game with Ventura’s St. Bonaventure, the state’s second-ranked team in the maxpreps.com poll. The defending Division III state champion Seraphs are led by talented running back Devon Blackledge, who is of concern to Asante.

“We’re going to have our hands full with him,” he said. “Somehow, we’re going to try and slow him down.”

Next week, they face Mater Dei.

Matt Barkley may now be USC’s starting quarterback, but that doesn’t mean the Mater Dei cupboard is bare. Even though, they aren’t as imposing as a year ago when Barkley was taking snaps, the Monarchs still have more bodies in uniform than the Bulldogs.

The current edition of the Bulldogs features lots of new faces, though, one of the holdovers from the previous years, Deshawn Beck, gives them experience along with plenty of talent.

With so many newcomers, Asante is putting a lot on the shoulders of the versatile Beck, who lines up at quarterback, running back and receiver, depending on the play. Against Esperanza, he rushed for a team-high 48 yards on 11 carries, caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown and completed one pass for 12 yards.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder, clocked as low as 4.22 in the 40, is one of the Southland’s more heavily recruited athletes. Arizona and New Mexico State have already offered him scholarships, according to rivals.com. USC, UCLA, Florida, Notre Dame, Cal and Oregon are some of the other schools showing interest.

“It might not be fair, but because we’re such a young team, he has to carry the load,” Asante said.

Junior quarterback Jackyle Cooper completed 16 of 26 passes for 162 yards and ran for 36 yards and a TD on nine carries before being shaken up.

Cooper was one of four Bulldogs to be sidelined by various injuries, thinning out what was already a thin roster.

Robert Lewis (eight catches for 74 yards) and Patrick Wooten (five for 64) were other returning veterans who had productive nights on the offensive side of the ball for Jordan.

Roosevelt High School, feared for its passing attack the last three years under quarterback Jesse Diaz, is now doing much of its damage on the ground.

The Rough Riders (2-0) turned in another solid rushing performance last Friday in a 27-13 nonleague victory over neighborhood rival Wilson (0-1).

Much of the damage was done by Jesse Lira, who carried 20 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He scored on a 10-yard run in the second quarter and a 15-yarder in the third.

In two games, Lira has rushed for 271 yards and is averaging 9.0 yards per carry.

“That was probably the best rushing effort we’ve had in the four years I’ve been here,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said of Lira’s performance. “He had several runs of 20 yards or more.”

Elgin Rosales added 54 yards and a TD (25-yarder) on six carries and quarterback Brandon Sifuentes had 50 yards and a score on eight attempts as the Rough Riders piled up 271 yards on the ground. Sifuentes passed sparingly, going 3-of-8 for 33 yards.

After Wilson drove 75 yards following the opening kickoff to take a 7-0 lead, Roosevelt got untracked in the second period and scored on four consecutive possessions to go up, 27-7.

Defense was also critical to the victory.

Cornerback Jonathan Mariscal, who shut out Alhambra’s standout wide receiver Mitchell Crockom the week before, held Wilson’s Cole Martinez in check, limiting him to a pair of catches.

“We went into the game wanting to keep him at bay,” Cid said.

Cid cited Armando Perez’s interception in the second quarter as one of the game’s turning points.

Jeffrey Simon had a fumble recovery in the third quarter that led to Lira’s second touchdown.

Linebacker Rene Garcia had nine tackles (five solos) and Steve German caused a fumble. Mariscal had eight tackles and reserve end Ricardo Marroquin had two sacks.

The Rough Riders are at Contreras Friday.

“We’ve got to get our passing game going and keep the running game going,” Cid said.

Narbonne pounded South East, 46-6 in another nonleague contest.

Robert Lewis rushed for 154 yards on 22 carries for South East.

Defensively, the Jaguars were led by Rolando Sandoval, who had two interceptions, and Allen Hall, who added five solo tackles.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 16, 2009 at 1:59 PM PDT

Coach Lorenzo Hernandez could sum up his Garfield High School football team’s 22-7 loss to St. Paul this way: It was a team effort.

As he noted, the Bulldogs were deficient in just about every imaginable in falling to 1-1 on the season.

“Everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” Hernandez said.

“Our line didn’t do its best job, special teams didn’t do a good job and our secondary got caught up in play-action. We were even horrible when it came to penalties. We must have had 100 yards of them. I don’t think I called a good game, so we even got out-coached. We usually have one bad game a year and hopefully, we’ve got it out of our way.”

Considering Garfield (1-1) hosts a Wilson team that defeated the Bulldogs last year, Hernandez is really hoping his players learned their lessons.

“Wilson always plays us tough,” he said. “They’ve got that spread offensive set, which we’ve always struggled against. Their defense always causes us problems, too.”

Garfield was tied, 7-7 at halftime, but St. Paul scored two touchdowns after intermission.

Offensively, the Bulldogs never got much going.

Jonathan Lazo was only 4-of-15 for 50 yards with an interception. Tailback Jonathan Lopez rushed for a team-best 40 yards on nine carries.

Defensively, Jonathan Valles had 11 solo tackles and eight assists, Moses Saucedo had eight solo, four assists and two sacks, and William Fonseca returned an interception 30 yards for their only score and had eight solos and four assists. Hector Cazales had nine solos and five assists.

“This was a good learning experience,” Hernandez said. “What we learned, is if we make mistakes against a team like St. Paul, we are going to pay for it.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 9, 2009 at 3:45 PM PDT

When the subject is shut-down corners, Roosevelt High School's Jonathan Mariscal has to be in the discussion.

The Rough Rider cornerback was the star of the show last Friday when he squared off with Alhambra and its brilliant wide receiver Mitchell Crockom.

The priority for the Rider secondary was simple: Prevent Crockom from going wild.

Consider it mission accomplished.

To say the heavily-recruited Moor (UNLV and New Mexico State are among those after the 6-foot-2, 197-pounder) was shut down would be an understatement.

Mariscal, who was handed the task of one-on-one coverage of the star, completely shut out Crockom, who had no receptions or any carries from scrimmage in Roosevelt’s 34-20 nonleague victory.

“He was clearly our player of the game,” Rough Rider coach Javier Cid said of Mariscal. “Not only did he hold Mitchell Crockom to no catches, but had an interception return for 23 yards and ran a kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown.”

The kickoff return was critical because Alhambra had just closed the gap to 27-14 in the fourth period on a 44-yard pass from Darrian Cazarin to Joseph Becerra. Mariscal’s return of the ensuing kickoff dashed any hopes the Moors would get any closer.

The Riders, who play at Wilson Friday, got what could be termed a complete-game effort.

The offense ran and passed the ball equally well.

Brandon Sifuentes, in his initial starting assignment at quarterback, was 9-of-11 for 104 yards and a touchdown and added 47 yards and two TDs (18, 14 yards) on five carries. His scoring pass was a 40-yarder to Brian Torres.

The Riders had 219 yards on the ground, led by Jesse Lira with 10 carries for 85 yards and a score and Elgin Rosales 11 for 82.

Defensively, Steven German had seven tackles and Jeff Simon had a sack. The secondary picked off two passes.

Alhambra, which is at La Canada Friday, got most of its offense through the air. Cazarin was 17-of-31 for 226 yards and two TDs. James Martin (five catches for 101 yards) hauled in a 53-yarder in the first quarter and Becerra (five for 92) had the 44-yarder in the fourth. Cazarin’s one-yard run closed the scoring.

“To beat a good Alhambra team with their skill players was impressive,” Cid said. “Alhambra had two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and that was against our second group.

“I thought our quarterback played well. We didn’t throw a lot, but when we did, he completed them. Offensively, we had four drives in the first quarter and scored on three of them.”

Next up is Wilson, which is opening its season.

This is a rivalry game, according to Cid.

“It’s been that way since I played at Roosevelt,” he said. “Everybody knows everybody else. I grew up with it being a rivalry and so did (Wilson) coach (Eddie) Martinez.”

Roosevelt has won the last three meetings, all by six points or less.

This beating Birmingham High School in openers is becoming a habit for Garfield.

For the second year in a row, the Bulldogs have opened the football season with a close victory over Birmingham, perennially one of the City Section’s upper-division powers.

They did it last Friday when Christian Hoyos kicked a 20-yard field goal with seven seconds left to edge the Barons, 25-24. Birmingham had taken a 24-22 lead 63 seconds earlier on a 34-yard field goal by Brian Gutierrez.

The game did not start well for Garfield, which found itself trailing, 15-0 after one quarter.

But behind quarterback Jonathan Lazo (14-of-23 for 195 yards, two touchdowns), the Bulldogs rallied.

Lazo’s 20-yard scoring pass to Bobby Vargas in the second quarter was their one score in the first half.

After Birmingham answered with a third TD for a 21-7 lead, Garfield got a little closer on a two-yard run by Jonathan Lopez (18 carries, 112 yards).

A five-yard scoring pass from Lazo to Vargas (five catches, 67 yards) with 2:48 left gave the Bulldogs a brief, 22-21 lead.

Defensively, William Fonseca and Jonathan Valles were each involved in six tackles for Garfield. Moses Saucedo and Alfonso Valdez each had sacks.

Birmingham quarterback Max Smith tested the Bulldog secondary all night by completing 17 of 25 passes for 310 yards, including touchdown strikes to Davontae Perry-Brooks of 82 and 31 yards. Perry-Brooks had seven receptions for 179 yards.

Perry-Brooks gave the Barons an early lead when he returned a fumble 24 yards for a score just 23 seconds into the contest.

Garfield hosts St. Paul Friday.

In another game involving an Eastern League team, South East defeated North Hollywood, 21-2.

Robert Lewis had 149 yards and two scores to lead the Jaguars, who limited North Hollywood to 188 yards. Fernando Magana scored the other TD on a pass reception.

North Hollywood’s only points came on a safety in the third quarter when South East quarterback Gilberto Rivera was sacked in the end zone.

Miguel Montes and Allen Hall were each involved in nine tackles for South East, which faces Narbonne Friday. David Godoy had an interception.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Last week, Lopez finally showed what he can do, rushing for 112 yards in 18 carries in the Bulldogs' 25-24 victory over Lake Balboa Birmingham.

"He's a special player," Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said.

Next up for Garfield is Santa Fe Springs St. Paul.

-- Eric Sondheimer

By Scott Kennedy Director of Scouting Posted Sep 7, 2009

Crenshaw's DeAnthony Thomas, a member of the 2011 Scout 100, immediately comes to mind when thinking of LA's most explosive players, but Jordan's DeShawn Beck served notice on Friday that he is not to be overlooked.

Generously listed at 5-9 and 170 pounds, Beck initially lined up at what can be called a quarterback position for Jordan, but in reality, he looked more like a point guard. Beck would line up as a slot receiver, with no quarterback, go in motion back, looking much like a point guard dribbling the three point line looking for the best place to attack the defense, call for the snap and attack the Locke defense.

The line was simply zone blocking and letting the best athlete on the field do his thing. It worked. Beck rushed for a touchdown and threw for a touchdown as Jordan built a big first half lead.

While Beck will not play quarterback in a conventional sense on the college level, players with his skill set are finding themselves more and more lining up behind center in variations of the Wildcat package. Beck has terrific vision setting up a play and in traffic. His low center of gravity allows him to spin out of tackles, and his speed allows him to beat a lot of defenders to the corner.

Beck could play either receiver or corner on the college level, and he would be an immediate weapon on special teams. Beck currently claims offers from Arizona, Duke, New Mexico State, and San Diego State.

Jordan next gets to face Anaheim Esperanza.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Jordan High School’s Deshawn Beck (1) is one of the City Section’s most versatile players. He was an All-City selection as a junior. (Marinmedia.org photo)

Despite the graduation loss of All-City quarterback/defensive end James Boyd to USC, Jordan (7-5) is probably the team to beat in the Eastern League.

There’s still plenty of returning talent for the Bulldogs, beginning with versatile De’Shawn Beck, who played wide receiver last year and could take snaps at quarterback this season.

Rudolph Drayton (6-3, 200), a middle linebacker and quarterback, and two-way lineman Trayronne Archer (6-1, 320) are also back.

Patrick Wooten was All-City as a freshman linebacker and recorded a remarkable 150 tackles. Receiver Raymond Ford is another key returnee.

Coach Elijah Asante cites speed, intelligence and competitiveness as strengths of the team. Replacing key players is a concern. So is depth, considering the Bulldogs suited up only 26 players for most games a year ago.

Roosevelt High School football coach Javier Cid barks instructions during a practice session. The Rough Riders are preparing for Friday’s season opener against Alhambra. (Photo by Gary McCarthy)

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 2, 2009 at 1:54 PM PDT

It might be assumed the Roosevelt High School football team would take a step back this year after losing two-time All-City quarterback Jesse Diaz to graduation.

But that may not be the case, according to coach Javier Cid.

With Brandon Sifuentes, Diaz’ backup a year ago, moving into the starting spot and a veteran group of receivers and running backs surrounding the senior quarterback, the Rough Riders may be just as potent as a year ago when they went 10-3 and shared the Eastern League title with Jordan and Garfield.

The first chance to see if Cid is correct is Friday when Roosevelt hosts Alhambra in the opener.

“I feel the passing game is better than expected considering the loss of our three-year starting quarterback,” Cid said. “I feel the running game is going to be stronger than expected, as well.

“I think we’re going to be able to score a lot of points. My main concern is how well we defend the pass. That doesn’t mean I think we won’t get the job done. We’re just untested right now.”

Sifuentes eased any fears the coaching staff might have had with a strong summer in the passing leagues. Though not as big as the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Diaz, or the possessor of as strong an arm, he compensates with accuracy.

“He’s a good leader and he’s smart,” Cid adds.

A talented corps of receivers also helps.

Manny Ayon is a returning All-City performer and Tino Lomeli, also a returning starter, gives them a deep threat. Returnee Brian Torres and junior Jonathan Mariscal, MVP of the freshman team two years ago, are also in the rotation. Mariscal is the fastest of the receivers.

Additionally, running backs Jesse Lira and Elgin Rosales return with plenty of experience. Lira is a good receiver out of the backfield.

Cid likes what he has upfront.

Tackles Ramon Barraza (6-2, 260) and Angel Barrera (6-0, 245) anchor the line. Barraza is the first player Cid has coached who was invited to the Nike Combine, an invitation-only event for college prospects.

Chris Moreno (5-11, 300) moves from the defensive line to offensive guard. He moves well for his size, according to the coach. Zach Rivera (5-11, 245), a four-year varsity performer, is the center. He also starts on the defensive line and is the long snapper.

Ronnie Lazo, a converted linebacker, and William Linares are the defensive ends. Rivera and returning starter Jovanny Mejia are the tackles. Junior Jeffrey Simon and Jonathan Toledo add depth to the line.

Juniors Rene Garcia and Richard Martinez, who each had a couple of starts a year ago, are the outside backers. Filling the middle linebacker spot (previously held by All-City pick Rafael Ortega, now at NCAA Division II Minnesota-Crookston) will be either George Avila or Steven German.

Safety Armando Perez, who led the team in interceptions with three a year ago, is back to lead the secondary. Enrique Barragan and Kevin Rios are the other safety candidates.

Victor Gomez, Aaron Hernandez and Manuel Mendoza are the leaders for the cornerback spots.

“I think we’ll do just as well, if not better, than we did last year,” Cid said. “We’re definitely a playoff team. Jordan and Garfield are the two favorites in league. After that, it’s Huntington Park and Roosevelt. South East and Bell are right there, too.”

Garfield High School quarterback Jonathan Lazo hands off to a running back during preseason drills. The Bulldogs open the season Friday against Birmingham. (Photo by Gary McCarthy)

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 2, 2009 at 2:00 PM PDT

Though coach Lorenzo Hernandez characterizes his Garfield High School football team as young, he is quick to point out, the kids will be all right in time.

First, the Bulldogs must survive a rugged preleague schedule that begins Friday with City Division I power Birmingham and its standout tailback Trajuan Briggs (USC commit). St. Paul, L.A. Wilson and a road trip to Paso Robles follow.

Then comes the competitive Eastern League, which includes the likes of Jordan and Roosevelt. Garfield shared the title with those two and finished 6-5 a year ago.

“We are young, but we should gradually get better as we get experience,” Hernandez said. “By the time league comes around, we should be able to compete for a league title.”

In Garfield’s favor is that many of the players saw extensive action a year ago as backups.

Among the key newcomers is senior quarterback Jonathan Lazo, who did not play football last year. Still, Hernandez likes who he has taking snaps.

“He has a rocket for an arm,” he said.

Lazo has some pretty good receivers around in wideouts Bobby Vargas and Andrew Rodriguez, as well as tight end Andrew Salas (6-4, 205).

Hernandez is excited about new tailback Jonathan Lopez (5-9, 180). Garfield has had a series of 1,000-yard rushers in recent years and Lopez may eventually rank with any of them, according to the coach.

“He could be as good as any we’ve had in the past,” he said. “He is capable of putting a team on his back.”

The offensive line is a bit on the young side, although senior tackle Santiago Sanchez (6-1, 240) is a returning starter. The anchor though is junior center Richard Torres (5-8, 230), up from the frosh-soph team.

As young as they are, Hernandez feels they will grow into a solid unit.

Defense is where Hernandez has fewer concerns.

“I’d say our strength is defense, especially the defensive line,” he said. “We’re pretty big on the D-line.”

Jose Victoria (6-1, 270) and Alfonso Valdez (5-10, 205) are returnees among the down linemen. Moses Saucedo (5-10, 180) is a returning starter at end.

Hector Cazales, a returning starter, headlines the linebacking corps.

Hernandez is high on sophomore linebacker Jonathan Valles (5-10, 190), a talented player and scholar-athlete (he was a 4.0 student last year).

“He’s an impressive kid who is very talented,” Hernandez said.

The L.A. City Section, which is made up of schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, has produced some of California's most legendary talent. McElhenny, Garrett, Lofton, and Elway are just four of the names that nearly all football fans know on a one-name basis that got their start at a L.A. City school. L.A. City Section title contender Taft of Woodland Hills leads the way with four players, but watch out for Crenshaw, Narbonne, Carson, San Pedro, Westchester, and Jordan. All those schools place more than one standout on this talented 30-man team. Next stop in Southern California is the all-Orange County team.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Offense

OT -- Trayronn Archer (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-10, 328 Sr.
This space-eater is yet another talented two-way lineman on this year's team. As a junior, Archer was named second team All-City by coaches for his work protecting all-state QB James Boyd and helping the Bulldogs advance to the L.A. City Section quarterfinals. He was an All-City choice as an offensive lineman, but as a nose tackle, Archer recorded 39 tackles, 22 assists, one sack and two fumble recoveries.

Defense

LB -- Patrick Wooten (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-11, 165 Soph.
As a first-year player, Wooten was left off last year's all-state underclass team for good reason. He was deserving, but he was only a freshman! We recall a few freshman (such as the New York Giants' Steve Smith) earning all-city honors in basketball, but the younger brother of former Bulldogs all-state player Ricky Thenarse probably would have been named state freshman of the year if such an honor existed in football. In a game we watched against Esperanza of Anaheim, Wooten was the leading tackler and he finished the season with 104 solos, two interceptions, two caused fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

WR/QB/RB/DB/KR -- DeShawn Beck (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-9, 150 Sr.
A repeat selection, Beck will be this year's jack-of-all-trades for Jordan coach Elijah Asante, who relied on USC freshman and 2008-09 Div. I State Athlete of the Year James Boyd in that role last season. Last year, he spelled Boyd at quarterback, but this year he'll spend a majority of his time on offense under center, according to Asante, after catching 72 passes for 1,141 yards and 15 TDs as a junior. This four-year letterman can also run the ball, play in the defensive secondary (4 INTs for 148 yards) and showed what he could do at last spring's Nike Combine at nearby L.A. Southwest College. Beck clocked a digital 4.49 forty, a 36.5-foot Power Ball toss, a 36.5 inch vertical jump and a 4.11 20-yard shuttle, good for a 108.30 SPARQ Rating, the best at the event.

Honorable Mention

OL -- Ramon Barraza (Roosevelt, Los Angeles) 6-2, 230 Sr.
DB -- Raymond Ford (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-10, 145 Soph.

All-City quarterback/defensive end James Boyd has moved on to USC, but that doesn’t necessarily portend a dropoff for Jordan.

Coach Elijah Asante certainly isn’t taking it easy, schedule-wise. Once again, he’s got the Bulldogs facing their usual killer preleague gauntlet of Southland powerhouses.

After hosting Locke in the Sept. 4 opener, Jordan faces Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei in consecutive weeks. St. Bonaventure, the defending Division III state champion, is ranked fourth in maxpreps.com’s preseason state poll.

With super talented wide receiver DeShawn Beck and linebacker Patrick Wooten returning, the Bulldogs will be going into battle with weapons of their own.

Beck, who can play just about anywhere on the field, including quarterback, caught 72 passes for 1,141 yards and 15 touchdowns, rushed for two scores, passed for three and had four interceptions on defense as a junior. He also returned kicks.

He was impressive at the University of Arizona camp in the summer and has drawn recruiting attention from the likes of Arizona, Cal, Florida, Notre Dame, USC, UCLA and Washington, among others. A 4.4 40-yard dash will do that.

Wooten earned All-City honors as a freshman after recording an amazing 150 tackles.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009
By: Stephen Spiewak
MaxPreps.com

It’s no secret that the recruit process has been accelerated. College football coaches are involved in what amounts to escalating rounds of game theory. If one school starts recruiting a player at a younger age, the next school runs the risk of missing out if it does not follow suit.

Much like the collegiate level, where freshmen like A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Robert Griffin made a major splash in their first year, high school football sees its fair share of fresh faces that make a name for themselves as ninth graders. These are often the same players that colleges are reaching out to at such a young age.

The MaxPreps Fresh Faces Top 100 profiles projected impact sophomores. By the time the class of 2012 is ready to head to college, some of these players will be household names, and others may be relatively unknown. This group won’t sign national letters of intent until the first week of February, 2012.

Patrick Wooten, LB, Jordan (Los Angeles, Calif.)

The talent-rich Los Angeles area continues to churn out top notch football players. Patrick Wooten is a fine example.

Wooten posted an incredible 150 tackles as a freshman anchoring Jordan’s defense. He rose to the occasion against some of the team’s stiffest competition, tallying 17 tackles against St. Bonaventure, 12 against Mater Dei, and 14 against Crenshaw.

At 5-foot-6, Wooten is undersized right now but seems to have the quickness to play defensive back at the next level. He recorded two interceptions and recovered five fumbles on his way to being named an All-City player.

If their showing in the East Los Angeles College high school passing tournament is any indication, the Roosevelt Rough Riders could be a football team to watch again this fall.

Roosevelt lost the championship game of the annual 16-team ELAC Shootout to Coliseum League power Dorsey, 33-25, but not until after the Rough Riders had scored victories over Rosemead, Pasadena, Gabrielino, Locke, Bell and Huntington Park.

“I was very surprised that Alhambra didn’t win the whole thing,” said Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid, whose team opens the season against Alhambra Sept. 4 at home. “They were very impressive and have a very good receiver in Mitchell Crockom.”

But his Rough Riders led by All-City receiver Manny Ayon were very impressive, too. Ayon, who caught 37 passes for 600 yards last season, made several clutch receptions in the final against Dorsey.

Cid and his staff were encouraged with what they saw because the Eastern League figures to be another competitive race between Garfield, Jordan, South East and much improved teams in Bell and Huntington Park.

Roosevelt was 10-3 in 2008 and shared the Eastern League title with Garfield and Jordan. However graduation did take away three-year starting quarterback Jesse Diaz, the All-City quarterback who passed for over 2,000 yards last season in helping to lead the Rough Riders to a 10-3 record.

Senior Brandon Sifuentes has stepped in and performed well in his new role as starting quarterback.

“I think he’s doing a great job,” Cid said.

A big part of the game plan this season will be to get the ball into the hands of the play-making Ayon.

“We have all of our receivers back except one and we have two of our running backs back,” Cid said.

Senior Jonathan Alatriste and junior Elgin Rosales return in the backfield. Alatriste rushed for 600 yards last season and Rosales had 288.

“If we can protect the quarterback, we’ll be OK,” said Cid, noting that the offensive line lacks experience.

The Rough Riders are also young on defense, but Cid and defensive coordinators Alfred Robledo and Richard Zepeda say the unit is coming together.

“This (the ELAC tournament) was a good learning experience for us,” Cid said. “We handled situations the way we needed and that’s more important than winning right now. This is about learning.

“I feel good about our chances,” he said. “I think we’re going to be all right.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Jul 22, 2009 at 1:01 PM PDT

Life after Jesse Diaz may not be so bad after all for the Roosevelt High School football team.

The graduation of the three-year starting quarterback, a two-time All-City selection who led the Rough Riders to a 10-3 record and share (with Jordan and Garfield) of the Eastern League title last fall, left questions about their prospects for the upcoming season.

But Roosevelt’s strong showing at the East L.A. College-hosted Husky Shootout passing tournament over the weekend probably alleviates some of those concerns.

With senior Brandon Sifuentes, part of the receiving corps as well as Diaz’ backup at quarterback in 2008, at the helm, the Rough Riders advanced to the finals of the 16-team tournament before losing in the finals to Coliseum League power Dorsey, 33-25 Saturday.

They posted victories over Rosemead, Pasadena, Gabrielino, Locke, Bell and Huntington Park, the latter two fellow Eastern League teams, to reach the title game.

“I think we’re going to be all right,” Rough Rider coach Javier Cid said. “I feel good about our chances.”

Not that the league race is going to be a cakewalk. There’s Jordan, arch-rival Garfield and up-and-coming power South East to be concerned with, not to mention the other two league teams in the tournament.

“Bell and Huntington Park are going to be much improved,” Cid noted.

The Rough Riders have a good group of returnees to build around when they open the 2009 season at home against Alhambra, another Husky Shootout participant.

All-City receiver Manny Ayon, who caught 37 passes for 603 yards a year ago, figures to be the top target for Sifuentes, who has the unenviable task of replacing the 2,060 passing yards and leadership of Diaz a year ago.

“We want to get him the ball a lot so he can make plays,” Cid said of Ayon.

Senior Jonathan Alatriste, who ran for 604 yards in 2008, and junior Elgin Rosales, who ran for 288, are the leading returning running backs.

“We have all our receivers back except one and we have two of our running backs back,” the coach said. “My biggest concern is being able to protect the quarterback. If we do that, we’ll be okay.

“We have a lot of new kids on defense. We’re young there, but we’re coming along. We’ll be fine.”

He felt his team got a lot out of the tournament. He especially liked the way the Riders responded with a late touchdown after trailing the Dons by two scores.

“We finished the way I wanted,” he said. “It was a perfect learning situation. We stopped them (Dons) when we had to. We handled the situation the way we needed. That’s more important than winning at this time. This is a learning experience.”

As for Sifuentes, he said, “I thought he did a great job.”

Cid praised the way second-year ELAC coach Lynn Cain and his staff ran the tournament. He said the concerns the prep coaches had after last year’s event were satisfactorily addressed.

“This Husky Shootout was the best I’ve been to in the last eight years,” he said. “There was no tension and no one got hurt.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor

Story Published: Jul 15, 2009 at 1:23 PM PDT

For many of the participants, the Southern California Fiesta Bowl was a springboard to their college football careers.

But for Roosevelt High School’s Jesse Diaz, one of three quarterbacks for the L.A. County all-stars, Saturday’s game at Whittier College was likely his final game, period.

One of the most talented players in Rough Rider history, Diaz will be attending Long Beach State, which doesn’t have a football program, in the fall.

It’s a decision the academically-oriented Diaz is comfortable with.

“I’m looking forward to being a full-time student,” he said after throwing for 65 yards and a touchdown in L.A.’s 35-27 loss to the Inland Empire. “I’ve always balanced athletics and academics before. Now it’s purely academics.”

He wants to major in psychology, with a special interest in sports psychology.

“My big thing is helping out others where I can,” he said. “That’s always come naturally for me.”

Javier Cid, his coach at Roosevelt and in the Fiesta Bowl, said he is happy with the decision of Diaz, who was accepted to a number of schools academically.

“Education is what we emphasize to our kids,” he said.

“Maybe he’ll get the itch (to play again), but if he doesn’t, he can come back here (to Roosevelt) and run the offense (as a coach). He knows it better than anybody.”

Because it would be the last time he would put on the pads, Diaz wanted to make the most of it.

“I wanted to have as much fun as I could since it was my last game,” he said.

The outcome took some of that fun away.

“In my opinion we should have won,” he said. “We made too many mistakes.”

As coach of the L.A. County all-star team, Javier Cid’s approach to Saturday’s Southern California Fiesta Bowl was simple.

With the memory of the ugly ending to last month’s Gridiron War All-Star Football Classic still vivid in the minds of many, Cid’s emphasis to this players was to have fun, but do it with class and show sportsmanship.

Also, hope for a competitive game, something the Gridiron War, which ended with the Inland Empire winning, 36-3 and with a sideline-clearing brawl that led to the premature ending, was not.

By all accounts, Cid got his wish in the contest won by the Inland Empire, 35-27 at Whittier College.

“Our emphasis during practice was about character, about sportsmanship,” the Roosevelt High School coach said. “I told them to treat this, not like it’s your last high school game, but your first college game as far as demeanor is concerned. The kids responded really well. I’m just happy it wasn’t like the other game.”

It wasn’t, as far as he was concerned.

“This was a beautiful game, the kind we hoped for,” Cid said. “You didn’t want a blowout. You wanted a game where either team had an opportunity to win at the end.”

The game was also one last chance for Cid to coach two of his stars from Roosevelt, quarterback Jesse Diaz and middle linebacker Rafael Ortega.

“It was an honor coaching both of them for a last time,” he said.

For Diaz, this is his final game, period, since he will be attending Long Beach State in the fall. Accepted to a number of universities academically, Diaz is heading to one that doesn’t have a football program.

The All-City quarterback had his moments while splitting time with Palmdale’s Brandon Mims and Locke’s Lamonta Green.

Diaz completed five of eight passes for 65 yards, including a 29-yard scoring pass to Cesar Roldan of El Rancho that tied the score, 21-21 with 6:46 left in the third quarter.

“I really wanted to have as much fun as I could since it was my last high school game,” Diaz said.

He pointed to turnovers (two lost fumbles and two interceptions, one of which he threw) as the difference.

“In my opinion, we should have won,” he said. “We made too many mistakes.”

A number of outstanding athletes got a chance to showcase their skills.

Mims, the L.A. County MVP headed to Iowa State, was 6-of-10 for 115 yards and a touchdown passing and rushed for 102 yards and a score on 11 carries.

“I can’t say enough about Brandon Mims,” Cid said. “What he did tonight he was doing all during practice.”

Manual Arts wide receiver Dayvon Ross had a chance to shine and came through with three catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. He hauled in a 33-yard pass from Mims to set up a 24-yard scoring hookup between the two moments later that trimmed the deficit to 35-27 with 8:55 to go.

Johnathan Davis of Locke had one reception for 44 yards and Wilson’s Anthony Denham had one for 25.

Cathedral’s Demonte Bell returned four kickoffs for 151 yards. His 51-yarder in the first half set up the game’s most unusual play.

Green’s 13-yard scramble to the Inland Empire 30 preceded a fumblerooskie, which worked to perfection.

The ball was snapped, then laid on the ground. With the flow going to the right, Cesar Estrada, a 6-foot-2, 270-pound offensive lineman from Bell Gardens, picked the ball up and raced down the left side virtually unnoticed until he reached the end zone.

Cid credited offensive coordinator Andy Moran from Marshall as the inspiration for that bit of razzle-dazzle.

“It makes the game fun and exciting,” Cid said.

Eight City Section and eight Southern Section schools will be part of the 11th annual Husky Shootout summer passing tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at East L.A. College.

The lineup of City teams includes Bell, Belmont, Dorsey, Huntington Park, Lincoln, Manual Arts, Marshall and Roosevelt high schools.

Action begins at 4 p.m. Thursday with Roosevelt facing Lincoln in pool A and Manual Arts matched with Bell in pool B.

The Southern Section teams are Alhambra, Baldwin Park, Gabrielino, Inglewood, Morningside, Pasadena, Rosemead and Schurr.

They open at 4 p.m. Friday. Pairings were still to be determined. Saturday’s games begin at 8 a.m. with the championship game at 2 p.m.

"It was very bizarre," Gardena Serra Coach Scott Altenberg said of Jordan's offense earlier this week in a passing competition. "You didn't know who their quarterback was."

Coach Elijah Asante calls his offense ATW -- Attack The Weakness. His top player is quarterback-receiver-running back De'Shawn Beck.

There's going to be double and triple passes, balls bouncing on the ground behind the line of scrimmage and multiple quarterbacks. Asante is just hoping the officials know the rules before the game so his team doesn't get penalized on legal plays.

Jordan opens the season against Los Angeles Locke and has nonleague games against Anaheim Esperanza, Ventura St. Bonaventure and Santa Ana Mater Dei.

-- Eric Sondheimer

State Division I Athlete of the Year: James Boyd (Jordan, Los Angeles) Sr.

It was a close call between Boyd, Reggie Wyatt and eventual winner Tyler Gaffney for State Athlete of the Year honors. When it comes to Div. I athletes only, Jamaal Franklin and Tyler Honeycutt also deserve mention, but it's too hard to overlook Boyd's accomplishments on both sides of the football and his raw numbers in basketball. The 6-4, 215-pounder led the state in passing, throwing for 4,266 yards with 44 TDs. He also rushed for 608 yards and two scores. On defense, where he will play at USC as a defensive end, Boyd had 104 tackles, eight sacks and forced 10 fumbles, recovering two. Against Santa Ana Mater Dei, Boyd threw a state record 73 passes, completing 38, for 446 yards and three TDs, while on defense he recorded seven tackles and forced two fumbles, recovering one. Against Div. III bowl champ St. Bonaventure, Boyd threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 55 yards. He added 23 tackles and three sacks on defense. In basketball, Boyd averaged 23.8 ppg and reportedly led the state by pulling down 22.4 rebounds per game. Danny Williams from L.A. Fremont (2004-05) was the last athlete from the L.A. City Section to be honored in this division.

All-State Freshman Athletes of Distinction

Patrick Wooten (Jordan, Los Angeles) football

Players for the Inland Empire team include Corona Centennial wide receiver GeShun Harris and offensive lineman Ben Letcher and Chaparral inside linebacker/quarterback Andrew Taylor and defensive back Zach Stephens.

The L.A. County team includes Long Beach Poly defensive back Ryan Willis and Roosevelt quarterback Jesse Diaz. Roosevelt's Javier Cid will coach the L.A. County team and Colony's Anthony Rice will coach the Inland Empire team.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-17. Children under age 6 get in free. For more information and complete rosters, click here.

Beck was named MVP of Sunday's seven-on-seven competition. Grace was selected the most outstanding defensive player at the camp.

"He played incredible," B2G director Ron Allen said of the speedy Beck.

"He was a manchild," Allen said of Grace.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Sophomore defensive back Raymond Ford III was named the tournament MVP from Jordan. He had three interceptions in the final. Receiver DeShawn Beck of Jordan was the top offensive player.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Los Angeles Jordan High School WR/Athlete Delvon Purvis is receiving considerable interest from the Ball State University Cardinals. Purvis has also been shown considerable interest from a number of PAC 10 schools most notably Washington, Arizona and Oregon State as well as WAC member Neveda.

Purvis is being reported to visit campus sonn and is of the same ilk talent wise of the graduating Dante Love and Ball State freshman sensation Briggs Orsbon.

Stay tuned to the BallStateInsider.com for more information as we try and track down Purvis and bring you the latest on his interest in the Ball State Cardinals. Check out our front page as we will borrow a story from our national archives written in January about the talented Delvon Purvis.

As announced yesterday in the Los Angeles Times and by our own Doug Schrader, Delvon Purvis, a 5-11 185 athlete from LA Jordan, is expect to visit Muncie after signing day and might eventually be a memeber of this class. Purvis, who can project at WR, RB or even S, is a solid athlete and would be a welcome addition to the Cardinals.

On Monday Inside Sparta presented incoming walk-on Delvon Purvis of Jordan High School in Los Angeles. Today it's time to introduce his teammate Brandon Caldwell, who will join Purvis this fall at San Jose State.

In recruiting, package deals - where teammates profess a desire to attend college together - are often talked about but rarely realized. For one reason or another the dream just doesn't become reality and lifelong friends head in different directions. However, in the case of Delvon Purvis and Brandon Caldwell of Jordan High School in Los Angeles, the two friends looked at two schools and made a common decision - they would both walk-on at San Jose State.

"We both got it down to Fresno State and San Jose State," Caldwell said. "San Jose State was just the better place for both of us. Coach (Charles) Nash was talking to us a lot and we like him, so we're both going up to State."

Caldwell said he had been getting attention from Tennessee State, Utah State, and Arizona but none of them offered.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Caldwell plays both receiver and defensive back. For his senior season he had 38 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns. On defense he reports 97 tackles - 66 solo, along with two sacks and two interceptions - both of which were run back for touchdowns, one from 103 yards against Fremont.

"I don't really care where I play," he said. "I prefer to play wherever the coach tells me he needs me to play."

Caldwell also runs track, where he participates in the 4X100 and 4X400 relays, the 400-meter run, and the 110 hurdles.

"Delvon and I have beaten each other once in the 110 hurdles," Caldwell said.

Like Purvis, Caldwell said he is already enrolled and registered for classes in the fall. He said he would like to major in business.

Purvis told Inside Sparta that he is attempting to enroll in summer school. Caldwell said he is going to wait until fall, but that he would be at San Jose State in the summer.

"I'm supposed to go up in July," he said.

It was reported earlier that wide receiver/defensive back Delvon Purvis of Jordan High School in Los Angeles would walk-on at San Jose State. Inside Sparta spoke on Monday with Purvis and Jordan head coach Elijah Asante, and both confirmed the news.

Delvon Purvis of Jordan High School in Los Angeles describes himself as a playmaker, someone who can make a difference on the football field. When a reporter happened to be present during a recruiting visit by the University of Washington - a violation of NCAA bylaw 13.10.1, which states that that "a member institution shall not permit a media entity to be present during any recruiting contact made by an institution's coaching staff member" - his chance at a scholarship from the Huskies evaporated. Washington's loss is San Jose State's gain as Purvis has made the decision to attend SJSU, and walk-on to the football team.

"I got accepted academically and I'm enrolled," the soft-spoken Purvis said. "I decided to go to San Jose State because they have a good architecture program and a good football team."

After Washington ended its recruitment of Purvis, Mid-American Conference powerhouse Ball State jumped into the picture, but nothing ever came of that. In the end, Purvis's decision came down to two WAC schools.

"It was between Fresno State and San Jose State," he said. "The architecture program made the difference."

Jordan head coach Elijah Asante said the Spartans got a steal. "He's a great receiver, definitely a (Football Bowl Subdivision) player," Asante said. "He was captain of our team and great in the classroom, and he was All-City three years."

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Purvis will be joined at San Jose State by Jordan teammate Brandon Caldwell, who will also walk-on. Purvis said the two made the decision together.

The Bulldogs scrambled this week and found an opponent. They will travel to Paso Robles on Sept. 25 for a nonleague game.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Purvis caught 69 passes for 1,175 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and Caldwell caught 38 passes for 723 yards and six touchdowns.

--Ben Bolch

"We were able to bring two rival communities together and play some good football," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said. "That might have been one of the biggest things to come out of it."

Washington and Fairfax also participated and more games are scheduled for Saturday at Jordan.

--Ben Bolch

Explosive wide out DeShawn Beck (Los Angeles, Calif./ Jordan) landed his first two offers in writing. Arizona and New Mexico both have offered and Cal could be close as well according to Beck.

In a close call over Kevin Greene of S.F. Sacred Heart Cathedral, Boyd would be the 2009 Grid-Hoop State Player of the Year. Last week, he was the only Californian to be named an ESPN RISE Grid-Hoop First-Team All-American after dominating on both sides of the football field and averaging over 20 points and 20 rebounds per game on the court. Boyd had a season high 575 yards passing with eight touchdowns in a win over South Gate as he passed for over 4,200 yards and 44 touchdowns on the year. Not taking time off while on defense, the 6-5, 225-pounder also led the team in sacks with 14. Boyd averaged 26 points and reportedly led the state in rebounding with 22 per game. He was an all-state selection in both sports and will head to play football at USC where he will team up with fellow Kevin Greene to make a fierce tandem on defense for years to come.

CalHiSports.com Grid-Hoop Players Of the Year

2008-09 – James Boyd, Los Angeles Jordan
2007-08 - Nelson Rosario, Oceanside El Camino
2006-07 – Rob Jones, San Francisco Riordan
2005-06 – David Ausberry, Lemoore
2004-05 – Danny Williams, Los Angeles Fremont
2003-04 – Marcus Everett, Chaminade West Hills
2002-03 – Steve Smith, Woodland Hills Taft
2001-02 – Marcedes Lewis, Long Beach Poly
2000-01 – Antwon Guidry, San Jose Leigh
1999-00 – Teyo Johnson, San Diego Mira Mesa
1998-99 – Josh Shavies, Oakland Fremont
1997-98 – Matt Barnes, Fair Oaks Del Campo
1996-97 – Jason Thomas, Compton Dominguez
1995-96 – Chris Claiborne, Riverside J.W. North
1994-95 – Johnnie Sanders, Los Angeles Franklin
1993-94 – Tony Gonzalez, Huntington Beach
1992-93 – Stais Boseman, Inglewood Morningside
1991-92 – Stais Boseman, Inglewood Morningside
1990-91 – Rob Johnson, El Toro
1989-90 – Willie McGinest, Long Beach Poly
1988-89 – Shante Carver, Stockton Lincoln
1987-88 – Eric Bamberger, Concord Ygnacio Valley
1986-87 – Junior Seau, Oceanside
1985-86 – Dan McGwire, Claremont
1984-85 – Michael Johnson, Baldwin Park
1983-84 – Jerald Jones, Vallejo
1982-83 – John Paye, Atherton Menlo School
1981-82 – Reggie Rodgers, Sacramento Norte Del Rio
1980-81 – Jack Del Rio, Hayward
1979-80 – Don Rodgers, Sacramento Norte Del Rio

USC-bound football recruit James Boyd, 6-5, 235 pounds, might be the best athlete in the history of Los Angeles Jordan. He was the City player of the year in football as a quarterback-defensive end. He was All-City in basketball. He played center field for the baseball team this season for several games. Now he's competing in the shotput for the track team. If he had time, he would join the volleyball team.

By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor

Nearly 800 athletes from California and the West converged on South Los Angeles on Saturday to show their football-related skills at the 11th Nike Combine of 2009 at L. A. Southwest College.

California is known for diverse talent at every position and there were some excellent scores in the four different testing protocols that make up the SPARQ Rating. In fact, four players posted SPARQ Ratings higher than one-hundred (100.0).

Leading the way with the day's top SPARQ Rating of 108.3 was De'Shawn Beck from nearby Jordan of Los Angeles. The Bulldogs' top players have been staples at ESPN RISE produced combines and camps in recent years, as head coach Elijah Asante has turned Jordan's fortunes around after two decades of futility. In fact, Jordan made school history by hosting and winning its first-ever L.A. City Section upper division playoff game last season and Beck played a major role.

On Saturday, he showed why he's ready to keep the Bulldogs a threat in the L.A. City Section despite the graduation of all-state quarterback James Boyd, who led the state in passing and will play defensive end at USC. Beck, a four-year standout for the Bulldogs, ripped off a 4.49 in the 40, the second fastest time of the afternoon, and a 37.1 inch vertical jump, also the second best mark. He also recorded an excellent 4.11 shuttle run and a 36.5 kneeling Power Ball Toss.

The diminutive but speedy Beck knows he has to step up his game, not to mention his leadership role, next season without Boyd. He may even spend quite a bit of time under center, even though he's a major prospect as a slot receiver on the next level.

"I just have to, I got to step up with James gone," remarked Beck, who earned second team all-state underclass honors in 2008 after catching 72 balls for 1,141 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns. "I have a lot of goals this season and I think we can accomplish a lot. Last year just made us more hungry, we let that playoff game (against Crenshaw) slip through our fingernails."

"As far as recruiting goes, I don't have any offers, but I'm getting looks from Cal, Florida, Nebraska, USC, and Arizona State. I'm open right now and don't have a favorite."

All-Combine Team
WR: DeShawn Beck, 5-9, 151, Jordan (Calif.)
Results: 4.49 40, 4.11 shuttle, 36'5" PB, 37.1" VJ, 108.30 SPARQ
Breakdown: Finished with the top SPARQ Rating in the camp.

Nearly 800 athletes from California and the West region converged on South Los Angeles on Saturday for the 11th Nike Combine of 2009 at L. A. Southwest College.

The state of California is known for diverse talent at every position and there were some excellent scores and four players posted SPARQ Ratings higher than 100.

Leading the way with the day's top SPARQ Rating of 108.3 was DeShawn Beck (Los Angeles, Calif./ L.A. Jordan). It's not often the top college prospect at the combine also lands the top SPARQ Rating, but Beck is a rare talent. The receiver is a two-time All-State underclass selection and had 18 touchdowns a year ago.

Beck is hearing from colleges from all over the West region, but schools are just waiting on his grades to improve a bit before throwing a scholarship his way. The receiver said Cal is his top school over USC, UCLA and Oregon.

40-yard Dash:
2. Deshawn Beck, Jordan (Calif.), 4.49
Breakdown: The 5-9, 151-pound receiver is among the top pass-catchers in the West region.

Vertical Jump:
2. Deshawn Beck, Jordan (Calif.), 37.1
Breakdown: Beck finished with the top SPARQ Rating of the day at 108.30.

The Bulldogs will also play home games against St. Bonaventure and Locke, tentatively scheduled for L.A. Southwest College, and will play Esperanza at Placentia Valencia High.

"It's not easy to get these schools because everyone wants a shot at them," Asante said. "We might be a top team in the City Section, but these teams we're going after are the top teams in the country."

Jordan played the same nonleague schedule last year, going 1-3 with a victory over Locke, but Asante hailed it as a success because it prepared the Bulldogs for Eastern League play and the City Section playoffs. Jordan won a 4-A playoff game for the first time in school history, defeating Fremont, 21-12.

--Ben Bolch

Things have been a little slow in the recruitment of one of the top receivers in the West. Jordan (Los Angeles, Calif.) standout DeShawn Beck is hearing from a host of schools, locally and nationally, but still waiting for his first written offer.

Beck could be the fastest receiver in the state next year and has run consistently in the low 4.4-40 range. He had the fastest 40 time at the USC Rising Stars camp last summer and is one of the most explosive players in the region after the catch.

Beck earned 2nd team all-state underclass honors a year ago after catching 72 balls for 1,141 yards and 15 touchdowns. He added two more scores on the ground and threw for three touchdowns. He'll move to quarterback full time as a senior.

"I'm hearing from a lot of schools but no offers that I know of," Beck said. "My coach handles that for me but as far as I know, no one has offered. UCLA, USC, Cal, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Arizona State and Arizona are the ones I've heard from so far."

Jordan coach Elijah Asante added a few more schools to the mix.

"In addition to the Pac 10 schools, Florida called me today about him and Notre Dame likes him a lot too," Asante said. "I'm not sure what schools are waiting on to be honest but every year, it's the same thing. I feel like schools are always slow to offer our kids, it's like they don't want to be the first one to offer or something.

"Last year, USC was the first school to offer James Boyd. With DeShawn, he's wide open and he'll be a national kid. I'm going to try and have him camp with as many schools as possible. Right now, his top schools are UCLA, USC, Cal, Oregon, Washington and Notre Dame but he's open and we're just going to try and find the best fit for him."

Story Published: Feb 19, 2009 at 3:45 PM PST

USC coach Pete Carroll had his usual star-studded recruiting class, but even he had to point out the uniqueness of one recruit _ Jordan High School quarterback/defensive end James Boyd.

All the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Boyd did as a senior was pass for a state-best 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions, and record 106 tackles and 11 sacks on the other side of the ball. The City defensive player of the year as a junior was the City and Wave Newspapers player of the year as a senior.

“James Boyd is an extraordinary kid,” Carroll said during the news conference announcing the class. “Talk about a dynamic football player and athlete. To know he was an MVP in his league as a quarterback, and also caught passes and ran the ball and played wide receiver and tight end, and was an extraordinarily effective defensive end and rusher.

“And he is leading his league (Eastern) in scoring and rebounding (in basketball). He’s an extraordinary athlete. We’ve never had a guy who could do that much coming to play defensive end here.

“I look back to all the guys we’ve had that have played so well and try to think of Kenechi (Udeze) being a quarterback or Lawrence Jackson being a leading scorer in basketball. This is a very skilled athlete and we’re really pumped about him that he’s coming and looking forward to all the things he brings. He’s a very well-rounded athlete.”

Washington already has their collective eyes on Jordan (Los Angeles) QB/DE James Boyd and he's scheduled a visit to the Huskies the last weekend of the month. Joining Boyd will be his talented teammate, ATH Delvon Purvis who could play a number of positions and while he doesn't have an offer yet, he's very high on what is going on at Montlake.

"Washington has been on me since coach (Steve) Sarkisian took over," Purvis told Dawgman.com. "Coach (Demetrice) Martin is the coach recruiting me for them and he wants me to come visit with James at the end of the month (January 30th) so I'm going up there that weekend."

Purvis was a monster on both sides of the ball for Jordan in 2008, posting 69 receptions for 1,175 yards and 13 touchdowns while notching 71 tackles, one sack and two fumble recoveries as a defensive back.

"I think Washington is mainly looking at me on offense, but that's just a guess right now," Purvis said. "I could play corner or safety or wide receiver, it really doesn't matter to me, I just want to play."

Besides the Huskies, Arizona, Oregon State and Nevada have been looking at Purvis and his 4.5 speed, but at this point Washington has shown the most interest and he said if the Huskies offer, "I'm going to take it."

We'll continue to track Purvis' progress over the coming weeks and update things as news breaks.

Talented, accomplished players who don't fit the physical mold colleges are looking for often fall through the cracks on letter-of-intent signing day. Case in point: Garfield's Lanny Delgado. Eric Sondheimer
5:50 PM PST, February 8, 2009

On letter-of-intent day, there were slick news conferences, big celebrations and lots of picture taking to capture the moment of teenagers' officially accepting college football scholarships.

For Lanny Delgado, a two-time All-City defensive back at Los Angeles Garfield High, Wednesday started with trying to fix the family computer, followed by a trip to the laundromat to wash a uniform, then an appearance in a soccer match, where he scored a goal in a 3-2 loss.

"I didn't even know today was letter-of-intent day," he said.

He didn't have any reason to pay attention, because no coaches offered him a scholarship.

"He didn't know, because no recruiters have talked to him and no one has shown any interest," Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said.

They didn't notice or didn't care that he more than held his own covering USC-bound De'Von Flournoy in two games last season.

"He's a good player," Flournoy said. "He plays with a lot of heart. He didn't back down, which I respected the most."

At 5 feet 11, 150 pounds, with 40-yard speed of about 4.6 seconds and grades that saw him receive an A in AP calculus and an A in trigonometry, Delgado would seem a good candidate to help a college football program.

"I'm still puzzled," Hernandez said. "This is a guy with a 3.6 GPA and played solid defense."

Unfortunately, there are lots of successful high school players who go unnoticed or unappreciated by college recruiters. Another is Josh Brannon, a running back at Garden Grove Pacifica who rushed for 2,175 yards and scored 22 touchdowns but had no takers at the next level.

People can place blame on lack of exposure or failure to impress at camps or combines, but the bottom line is football recruiters know what they want, and if you don't fit into their mold, it will create obstacles to reaching the next level.

"I'm dedicated and convinced I can take on a higher level," Delgado said. "I'm fast enough, I'm quick enough and I'm strong enough."

Hernandez keeps making phone calls and sending out tapes, hoping someone will see something special in Delgado, a three-year varsity standout.

Perhaps Delgado, Brannon and others who didn't sign letters last week will get a chance to play after enrolling at a college as a walk-on or making it through the junior-college ranks.

It's frustrating, but opportunities come to those who don't give up.

Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said wide receiver-linebacker Brandon Caldwell is scheduled to visit Prairie View A&M next week and receiver Delvon Purvis is scheduled to visit Ball State. Asante said Caldwell has also received interest from Fresno State and might walk on with the Bulldogs.

--Ben Bolch

Some members of the selection panel for the 33rd Press-Telegram Best in the West Football team, given the opportunity, would re-tailor the makeup of the 20 players who were selected to the first team.

Among the 10 honorable mention players (those who finished 21-30 in the balloting among the seven BIW voters), James Boyd of Los Angeles Jordan was singled out for mention by Ronnie Flores, the Senior Editor of CalHiSports.

Boyd, who is expected to sign with USC during the NCAA's National Letter of Intent period which begins Wednesday morning, was No.4 on the honorable mention list after throwing for 44 touchdowns and accumulating 4,874 yards in offense for the Bulldogs.

Playing for a team that rarely suited more than 25 players, Boyd sacked opposing quarterbacks 13 times among his 104 tackles at defensive end, where he is projected to play for the Trojans.

He's also an exceptional player for one of the better teams in the L.A. City ranks and would seem a viable walk-on candidate for Coach Tim Floyd's hoopsters a year from now.

"What he did (this past season), while playing on every down for that team, was just incredible," Flores said.

Brandon Huffman, the West Coast Regional Recruiting Analyst for Scout.com, agrees with Flores.

"Boyd is an amazing athlete," he said.

Honorable Mention
James Boyd Los Angeles, CA/Jordan DE 6-4 211 56

One of the most interesting recruits to track in the coming days will be Los Angeles Jordan's Delvon Purvis, the player at the center of the firestorm that erupted last week over secondary NCAA violations committed by Washington.

Purvis was scheduled to take an official visit to Washington last weekend with teammate James Boyd, but the pair canceled the trip in the wake of the controversy that ensued after a Times story detailed a recruiting visit from Huskies Coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt.

Though Purvis does not have a scholarship offer, Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said Tuesday morning that the receiver is now drawing interest from Ball State. Asante said Purvis probably won't sign with the Cardinals on Wednesday during the first day players can sign national letters of intent, but Purvis may visit the campus in Muncie, Ind.

Ball State finished 12-2 last season after a 45-13 loss to Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl.

-- Ben Bolch

Los Angeles Jordan two-way standout James Boyd and receiver Delvon Purvis, pictured, have canceled their official visits to Washington this weekend in the wake of the controversy that has ensued from a recruiting visit last week from Huskies Coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt.

Washington announced today that it would self-report to the Pacific 10 Conference two secondary violations of NCAA rules, which occurred during a recruiting meeting that was detailed in a story by The Times.

In a statement, Washington acknowledged, "It is not permissible for coaches to have off-campus contact with prospective student-athletes until July 1 before their senior year, nor is it permissible to have recruiting contact with prospects in the presence of media."

Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said Boyd and Purvis "just decided to back off because of all the negative publicity about" their visit. Purvis does not have any scholarship offers, but Notre Dame recently showed some preliminary interest. Boyd has committed to USC.

--Ben Bolch

Boyd, who has committed to USC, had previously said he would make his decision Sunday after returning from his official visit to Washington.

Complicating Boyd's decision is the recent commitment USC received from Devon Kennard, a five-star defensive end from Desert Vista High in Arizona.

"It affects it," Asante said of Boyd's decision. "If James doesn't beat this guy out, he's sitting on the bench for three or four years."

Washington could entice Boyd by offering him the chance to play quarterback and providing a scholarship to Jordan receiver Delvon Purvis, a friend of Boyd's. Boyd and Purvis depart for Seattle on Friday for their official visit.

Ben Bolch

Schools sometimes will take a lesser player in the hopes of attracting a star as part of the package. Jordan's James Boyd and Delvon Purvis are getting a rush from Washington.
By Ben Bolch
January 28, 2009

Steve Sarkisian clutched his cellphone and let it blare.

It didn't ring. It didn't chime.

It barked.

For effect, the Washington Huskies' new football coach then held the phone up to James Boyd, star quarterback and defensive end of the Los Angeles Jordan High Bulldogs.

Boyd smiled, having received the intended message.

Dogs should stay together.

Only weeks earlier, Sarkisian and Huskies defensive coordinator Nick Holt had been part of a USC coaching staff counting on a commitment from Boyd to come and play defense for the Trojans. Having since been hired by Washington, they were now trying to entice Boyd to switch allegiances.

And so, huddled over a corner table at the Watts Coffee House one morning last week, the Huskies' coaches met with Boyd in the presence of his high school coach, two teammates and a reporter.

Holt sat at the head of the table with junior receiver Deshawn Beck to his left, then Boyd, Sarkisian, Jordan Coach Elijah Asante opposite Holt, and, circling back around, the reporter and senior receiver Delvon Purvis -- who, by the time Boyd officially signs an NCAA letter of intent one week from today, might become the most influential person at the meeting.

Purvis is a mid-range recruit -- three stars out of a possible five by most experts -- a player thought to have plenty of potential who is not high enough on any major college's wish list to have yet attracted a scholarship offer.

He's tight with Boyd, though, and Washington has invited both of them on a recruiting trip to Seattle this weekend.

"I just want to get him to a Division I school," Boyd would later say of his teammate.

Washington might be willing. By offering Purvis a scholarship and Boyd the chance to play quarterback, the Huskies have hopes of stealing the highly coveted Boyd away from USC.

College coaches cannot comment on recruits until they sign letters of intent, but Asante called Purvis "an integral person in this process."

"It's really like a Rubik's cube with a lot of pieces and everyone's scrambling at the last second," the high school coach said. "One move affects five other moves."

Similar maneuvers are playing out across the country as coaches make a final push to secure commitments and sway loyalties in the run-up to national signing day Feb. 4. For example, UCLA has received commitments from a pair of mid-level recruits from Honolulu Punahou High, the home of All-American linebacker Manti Te'o, the nation's top uncommitted prospect.

"You'll see it a couple of times every year," said Tom Lemming, a recruiting expert for CBS College Sports Television. "BCS-type schools will try to bring in a buddy or a teammate to land a great player. And a lot of times it does work."

It's a calculated risk. Sometimes schools get stuck with the lesser player if the star decides to go elsewhere.

Scholarship offers can be rescinded until the paperwork is officially signed, but "that's a real bad PR move," Lemming said. "Most of the time they're going to have to bite the bullet and take the other player anyway."

Oral commitments such as the one Boyd has made to USC are not binding, and Washington's coaches aren't the only ones out there seeking to flip recruits. Just last week, Harbor City Narbonne receiver Byron Moore Jr. decommitted from USC -- this after he had switched to the Trojans after first saying he would attend UCLA. And Carson tight end Morrell Presley enrolled at UCLA after first committing to USC.

"Bobby Bowden is doing it. Joe Paterno is doing it. Pete Carroll is doing it," Asante said. "It's on. Game on right now."

Asante also has a stake in the game. Equipped with a law degree from USC and bigger aspirations than coaching on the high school level, Asante made several not-so-subtle references about being added to the Washington staff as a quarterbacks coach. Evidence of similar quid pro quo arrangements can be found throughout big-time college athletics, with coaches, friends and relatives of star recruits often finding employment connected with the university.

Holt played along, quizzing the coach about some of the formations that helped make Jordan's passing offense the most prolific in California last season. Asante meticulously spelled out plays dubbed "Fried Chicken," "Fried Meatloaf" and "Al-Qaeda" -- a triple pass that got its name, the coach explained, because it "terrorizes defenses."

Pressed about his involvement later, Asante said he's primarily serving a larger purpose: getting as many players as possible to major colleges and out of the inner city. The importance of this endeavor recently became clear to the coach when he took Purvis to the sand dunes at Manhattan Beach.

It was the first time the teenager had seen the ocean.

"When he saw the water, he said, 'Is that the water? Is that the beach?' " Asante said. "And this is at 17 years old. It really blew my mind."

The Washington coaches converged for their recruiting visit at a hair salon owned by Asante at the corner of Wilmington Avenue and 107th Street in South L.A.

By the time Sarkisian pulled up in a Cadillac Escalade, Purvis had already planted himself in a swivel chair and was watching his own highlight DVD set to rap music. Soon Holt, Boyd and Beck arrived and everyone viewed Purvis' highlights on a flat-screen television perched high on a wall.

The group reconvened a few minutes later at the coffee house, sitting at a table surrounded by pictures of black luminaries such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Even though NCAA rules forbid college coaches from contact with underclassmen, Asante had asked Beck, his budding star, to tag along in preparation for the deluge of recruiting visits that will ensue next season.

Between bites of waffles, scrambled eggs and bacon, Sarkisian spoke excitedly about Boyd's official visit Friday to Seattle, telling the recruit he would be put up on the 36th floor of a swank downtown hotel, in a room with panoramic views.

Boyd wanted to know how far downtown was from the airport, having recently endured a 90-minute commute from Portland, Ore., to Corvallis during a recruiting trip to Oregon State. Sarkisian assured him it was only 10 minutes.

The players and coaches quickly moved on to a second course, baskets of fried chicken and french fries accompanied by pitchers of pink lemonade. Holt asked Boyd about his stats and the player answered, only to be corrected by Asante, who noted that the City Section player of the year had passed for 44 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions.

"Those are better than Barkley's stats," Holt said, eliciting laughter from everyone at the table with his reference to USC-bound quarterback Matt Barkley of Santa Ana Mater Dei High.

As the banter between the coaches and players began to wane, Asante's salesmanship veered into overdrive. The coach pitched a pair of linemen at nearby Compton Centennial and another player at L.A. Verbum Dei that he felt the Washington coaches should take a look at.

Asante handed Sarkisian his cellphone and told him to leave a message for Centennial Coach Eric Scott.

"Hey, E. Scott, this is Sark," Sarkisian said. "I want to come see your guys."

Before they left, Holt and Sarkisian hashed out their schedules for the rest of the day and made plans to attend Jordan's basketball game later in the afternoon to catch up with Boyd and Purvis, who are members of the team.

There were handshakes and smiles all around as the meal -- paid for by Asante -- ended. The Washington coaches had won over at least one of the players -- Purvis.

"They are cool guys who I would love to play for," he said.

As for Boyd, the Huskies are still fighting an uphill battle.

A few days after Boyd met with the Washington coaches, USC sent a Lincoln Town Car to pick him up for his official visit. The Trojans put Boyd up at the downtown L.A. Marriott and so impressed him that he proclaimed them the runaway leader for his services.

"Right now it's Southern Cal," said Boyd, adding that he would announce his college decision Sunday afternoon after returning from Seattle. "Washington has to come up with a miracle."

Might that miracle be spelled P-U-R-V-I-S?

Purvis said he wouldn't mind being a bargaining chip as long as he got a scholarship.

"It wouldn't matter to me," he said. "I'd be cool with it."

There is a good argument that long time USC four-star athlete commit James Boyd (6-4, 211, 4.7) from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan is the best two-way player in the state if not the nation. There aren’t many who made Boyd’s impact as a two-way player.

Boyd led the state of California in passing yards with 4,266 and 44 touchdowns while completing 62.2 percent of his passes while playing quarterback. He even was a threat running the football, as he led his team in rushing with 608 yards on the ground. He also had two rushing touchdowns.

On defense, Boyd had to fight through double teams, and still he racked up 104 tackles, eight sacks and two fumble recoveries.

How many two-way players made that kind of impact and influence on a football game the way Boyd did as a senior?

With Washington in hot pursuit, Boyd took his official visit to USC this weekend.

“James is feeling really good about USC,” Jordan head coach Elijah Asante said. “He is still going to take a trip to Washington, but they will have to something spectacular.”

“Pete (USC head coach Pete Carroll) told James that he could play a number of positions at USC,” Asante said. “He could end up playing defensive end or linebacker on defense and tight end for them if he ends up on offense.”

“James really enjoyed himself and he is really solid with USC,” Asante said. “Washington can’t afford to be average with him. They will have to go all out.”

Look for Washington to put up a great fight for Boyd. They were busy last week putting on the full court press on Boyd.

New Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian and his defensive coordinator Nick Holt broke bread with Asante at the Watts Café last week.

“Washington likes James as a quarterback, but more importantly they just want to get him on the field as soon as possible,” Asante said. “They don’t care he plays quarterback, tight end or defensive end. They just want to get him on the field.”

“I was very impressed with Steve (Sarkisian) and Nick’s (Holt) presentation and their energy,” Asante said. “I appreciate the respect that Steve and Nick show our program at Jordan.”

So there is another chapter to play out in this very roller coaster like recruiting season. Boyd will be joined this weekend on his visit to Washington (Jan. 30) with his Jordan high school teammate and wingman, Delvon Purvis.

Los Angeles Jordan two-way standout James Boyd, the City Section player of the year, said Sunday he would announce his college choice at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 after returning from his official visit to Washington next weekend.

USC, which just hosted Boyd during his official visit over the weekend, appears to be a strong front-runner.

"Right now it's SC," said Boyd, who has also visited Oregon State. "Washington has to come with a miracle."

USC picked up Boyd in a Lincoln Town Car during his visit and put him and other recruits up in the downtown L.A. Marriott.

"He had the five-star treatment," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said.

UPDATE: After checking with Boyd, Asante said Monday afternoon that the star recruit was picked up in a Lincoln Town Car, not a limousine.

--Ben Bolch

San Diego State made--and then rescinded--a scholarship offer to L.A. Jordan receiver/defensive back Eric Hunter earlier this week, drawing the ire of Bulldogs Coach Elijah Asante.

Asante said Hunter was OK with the reversal because he had already committed to New Mexico State, but Asante might have second thoughts about welcoming the Aztecs' coaching staff back to campus.

"It wasn't a good move by them because now it tells me not to trust them," Asante said. "For you to come down and offer a kid and renege the next day, I'm looking at them like I'm not" dealing with them anymore.

--Ben Bolch

A three-time first team All-City Section selection, Hunter is expected to primarily play defensive back for the Aggies, though he will also play on offense. Asante said New Mexico State Coach DeWayne Walker, the former UCLA defensive coordinator, was instrumental in enticing Hunter to become an Aggie.

--Ben Bolch

By Ron Guild

Story Published: Jan 15, 2009 at 9:23 PM PST

(Story Updated: Jan 15, 2009 at 9:23 PM PST )

Two-way players are hardly unusual in high school football.

Backs and receivers on offense commonly move to the secondary on changes of possession. Fullbacks often turn into linebackers when they go on defense.

Then there’s the case of Jordan High School’s James Boyd, a two-way performer with a unique twist.

Not only does Boyd stay on the field when his team goes on defense, he moves to the line as a pass-rushing end. He does both with uncommon excellence.

As Jordan coach Elijah Asante said of the Wave Newspapers 2008 Player of the Year, “He plays two positions that are polar opposites and is able to do it. He goes from the cerebral position of quarterback to the smash-mouth position of defensive end just like that.”

Boyd, an All-American and all-state selection headed to USC as a defensive player, put together mind-boggling numbers while leading Jordan’s 26-man roster to a share of the Eastern League title and the first upper-division playoff victory in the history of a school that has been in existence since 1925.

Here are just some of the senior year statistics compiled by the 6-foot-5, 225-pound three-year starter:

He completed 280 of 450 passes for a state-leading 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns. The yardage total ranked third nationally.

Operating primarily out of the shotgun in Jordan’s spread offense, he also ran the ball 84 times for a team-leading 608 yards and two touchdowns.

From his spot at defensive end, he was in on 104 tackles, 73 of them solo, and had eight sacks.

Along the way, he had outstanding individual games.

He threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-20 loss to State Division III champion St. Bonaventure.

He launched a state-record 73 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-32 loss to Southern Section power Mater Dei the following week.

He threw for 424 yards and six TDs against Bell, for 368 yards and four TDs against South East and an eye-popping 578 yards and eight scores against South Gate.

Boyd’s career numbers were 8,575 yards and 74 TDs passing, the yardage third-best all-time in City history behind Palisades’ David Koral (8,964 yards from 1999-2000) and Wilson’s Ron Cuccia (8,804 from 1975-77).

The maturation process was even more impressive for someone who went through his share of ups and downs the last three seasons.

Asante, tabbed the Wave’s Coach of the Year, threw him in there as a sophomore against some of the toughest competition in Southern California (Edison, Esperanza, Dorsey) and the results were not always pretty.

In addition to the yardage, there were interceptions, lots of them, and not many wins (three) as a 10th grader.

The next year there was a league title, playoffs and 2,499 yards passing. He also had 72 tackles and 11 sacks, earning City defensive player of the year honors.

But emotional displays led to more than one suspension, including the first half of the playoff loss to Taft his junior year.

“It’s been a constant, on-going job of keeping his emotions in check,” Asante said. “I had to bench him a lot, but it’s all about being accountable and responsible. I had to punish him like he was the worst kid on the team. I couldn’t show any favoritism.”

Asante cited Boyd’s sophomore year as an example.

“He’d throw an interception and come off the field crying,” he said. “He was an emotional wreck. The second year he got the big head. This year his demeanor was calmer. He never missed a practices or was even late to practice.”

Boyd took on more of a leadership role.

“He had a lot of fire as a senior, but it was contained,” he said. “As the maturation process grew, he took on a lot more responsibility.”

It was all about winning for Boyd.

“He has a great will to win. He sacrificed his body and never worried about his stats. He had a historic effort against Mater and the three touchdown passes he threw against St. Bonaventure was the most they gave up all year. He threw a touchdown pass in every game this year.”

Asante feels Boyd ranks with the best the section has ever produced.

“He’s one of the legendary players in City history,” he said. “I’ve got to put him up there with all the great ones like Michael Alo, Freeman McNeil, John Elway and Ron Cuccia.

“He’s one of the all-time greats. How many can say they were the City defensive player of the year as a junior and the overall City player of the year as a senior?”

Asante has repeated as Coach of the Year after directing the Bulldogs to a 7-5 record and a share of the league title.

The record may appear lackluster, but few teams in Southern California played as challenging a schedule as Jordan. Nor did they have to play the entire schedule on the road because the home turf was being dug up to build a new one, set to open in the fall of 2009.

On consecutive weeks, the Bulldogs faced Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei. While all resulted in losses, it toughened them up for league and beyond.

Jordan won a hard-fought game over Fremont in the first round of the City playoffs, the first postseason victory in the upper division in the history of a school that opened in 1925.

The season ended the following week with a 39-20 loss to Crenshaw in the quarterfinals.

Asante’s philosophy is, to be the best, you’ve got to play the best.

“We relish this kind of schedule,” he said. “It makes us stronger. We’re trying to emulate the programs like Esperanza. Playing them has helped us grow.”

The Bulldogs will open with a zero week game against Birmingham at Garfield, play St. Paul, L.A. Wilson and Hart at College of the Canyons.

"It's exciting," Hernandez said. "It's good motivation."

Hernandez is an example of a coach who keeps raising his program by playing tough teams and getting his players to raise their level too.

Hart is playing another City Section school, Woodland Hills El Camino Real, in its opener.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Athlete James Boyd (Los Angeles/Jordan) committed early in the recruiting process to USC but has decided to take his visits. Does any school have a chance to steal him away from the Trojans?

Of all the players currently committed to USC, Boyd always looked like one of the most solid of the bunch. I still don't see the two way-standout leaving the fold, but there could be one school to watch out for.

Jordan coach Elijah Asante has told me several times that if a school came in and offered Boyd a chance to play quarterback, his favorite position, that school would have a chance to unseat the Trojans.

"James really wants to play quarterback, that's his dream position," Asante said. "He won't say that too often but he would love that opportunity. SC and everyone else recruited him for defensive end and he's fine with that. He loves SC but wants to take these visits to see what else is out there."

Boyd had a huge season throwing the ball completing 62 percent of his passes for 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns. He also rushed for 608 yards and two more scores. He added 104 tackles and eight sacks on defense.

Boyd will visit Arizona State this weekend, USC the following weekend and Washington (Jan. 30).

"Washington wants James to play quarterback and they have a real shot at him," Asante said. "(Steve) Sarkisian talked to him and said they would give him a shot at quarterback and I know James is very interested in that.

"Plus Washington is tripping in another one of our players that weekend, Delvon Purvis, and he and James are like best friends. I still think James will stick with USC but I wouldn't be surprised if he heads over to Washington to play quarterback either."

The 6-foot-4 Boyd passed for 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns. He also had 106 tackles and eight sacks.

Bound for USC, Boyd helped Jordan reach the quarterfinals of the City Championship Division playoffs and did some of his best work against such quality teams as Mater Dei, St. Bonaventure and Esperanza.

Here's the complete All-City team:

Player of the Year

James Boyd, Jordan

First team Offense

QB James Boyd, Jordan, Sr. QB Josh Moten, Narbonne, Sr. QB Barry Heads, San Pedro, Sr. QB Jesse Diaz, Roosevelt, Sr.

First team Defense

DL Alonzo Lefridge, San Pedro, Sr. DL Michael Metcalf, San Pedro, Sr. DL Gabe Vallejo, Arleta, Sr.; LB Hayes Pullard, Crenshaw, Jr. LB Tim Tucker, Narbonne, Sr. LB Robert Franco, San Pedro, Sr. LB Jonathan McNeal, Venice, Jr. LB Nick Bruce, Taft, Sr. LB Rafael Ortega, Roosevelt, Sr. LB Anthony Uribe, San Fernando, Jr.; DB Lanny Delgado, Garfield, Sr. DB Rashaad Reynolds, San Fernando, Sr. DB Byron Moore Jr., Narbonne, Sr. DB Sean Parker, Narbonne, Jr. DB Corey Hughes, San Pedro, Sr. DB Delvon Purvis, Jordan, Sr. DB William Hernandez, Franklin, Sr.; P Malcolm Chapman, Dorsey, Sr.

Second team offense

QB Jonathan Rojas, Wilson, Sr. QB Adrian Diaz, Franklin, Sr. QB Bryan Choto, Arleta, Jr. ; RB Tim Wilson, Canoga Park, So. RB Rashon Harper, El Camino Real, Jr. RB Preston Oliver, Marshall, Jr. RB Davion McGee, Locke, Sr. RB Melvin Davis, Narbonne, Jr. RB Omar Sanchez, Arleta, Jr. RB Joseph Deguchi, San Pedro, Sr. RB Daniel Lopez, San Fernando, Sr. RB Trevion Johnson, North Hollywood, Sr.; OL Raul Quintero, Franklin, Sr. OL Timote Tonga, Birmingham, Sr. OL Trevize Strickland, Dorsey, Sr. OL Vincent Barbosa, Fairfax, Jr.; TE Benjamin Weischedel, San Pedro, Sr.; WR A.J. Little, Chatsworth, Sr. WR Noel Grigsby, Crenshaw, Sr. WR Albert Sandobal, Arleta, Jr.

Second team defense

DL James Brock, Crenshaw, So. DL Josh Harmon, Chatsworth, Sr. DL John Fifita, Birmingham, Sr.; LB Dominique Echols, Fremont, Sr. LB Gabriel Soto, Garfield, Sr. LB Kris Bass, San Pedro, So. LB Patrick Wooten, Jordan, Fr. LB Dawan Marzett, Westchester, Sr. LB Eric Velazquez, Huntington Park, Sr.; DB Eric Hunter, Jordan, Sr. DB Chris Hill, Carson, Sr. DB Cole Martinez, Wilson, Jr. DB Drayron Ballard, San Pedro, Sr. DB Jarrett Tryon, Taft, Sr. DB Oliver Johnson, Taft, Sr. DB Marcus Andrews, Crenshaw, Sr.; P Sergio Macedo, Garfield, Sr.

Bold indicates Eastern Leaguer

Roosevelt High School running back Jonathan Alatriste rips off a gain and picks up some of his 115 yards in last week’s City Section Invitational quarterfinal against El Camino Real. The Rough Riders won, 25-11. (EGP Photo by Mario Villegas)

It will be the Eastside versus the Northeast Friday night when the Roosevelt and Franklin high school football teams square off in a City Section Invitational semifinal playoff game at Roosevelt. Kickoff is at 7.

Third-seeded Franklin, the Northern League champion, extended its winning streak to nine games last week by defeating West Adams, 28-8, in a quarterfinal at Franklin. The Panthers, who defeated Canoga Park, 42-3, in the first round, are 10-2.

Roosevelt, the No. 2 seed, has managed to re-group and move on since losing to Garfield, 26-7, in its final regular season game by scoring playoff victories over Jefferson, 35-16, and El Camino Real, 25-11, last week.

The 10-2 Rough Riders, who shared the Eastern League title with Jordan and Garfield, can reach a City Section final for the first time since 1984 when they won the City 2-A title with a victory over Franklin.

“Franklin has always been known as a passing team, but this year they are balanced,” Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid said. “They’re very well coached and have some pretty good athletes.”

A win by Franklin Friday and the Panthers could wind up playing Northern League rival Wilson in the City Invitational championship game Dec. 12 at East Los Angeles College. The last two Franklin-Wilson games were decided in overtime, including the three-overtime thriller won by Franklin, 31-30, Oct. 24.

But first Franklin must get past Roosevelt and Wilson will need to defeat top-seeded Arleta in the other semifinal Friday at Monroe High School in Sepulveda.

“We match up pretty well against them and it should be a good game,” Franklin Coach Eric Jaimez said about his team’s game with Roosevelt. “I think offensively we’re pretty darn close to being even in yards rushing and yards passing, so it’s going to be very interesting.”

Defensively, the Panthers shut down a West Adams team that had averaged 48.3 points per game in its last six games. Franklin was led by the play of linebackers Gensey E. Pacay and Adam Martinez. “Our defense has really been improving,” Jaimez said.

Franklin will be attempting to return to a City championship game for the first time since 1989, when the Panthers won the City 3-A crown at East L.A. College.

Roosevelt’s Jonathan Alatriste’s 115 yards on 12 carries helped lead the Rough Riders past El Camino Real in a Nov. 26 quarterfinal at Roosevelt. The footing was difficult on the mostly muddy field, but the Rough Riders had success gaining yardage on the ground. Jose Guillen rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, Elgin Rosales gained 60 on three attempts. Guillen returned the opening kickoff 56 yards to set up his eight-yard touchdown run.

Quarterback Jesse Diaz attempted only four passes, but he ran for 53 yards on 10 carries.

“We’re a better team this year because we can run and throw the ball,” Cid said. “Jesse’s (Diaz) passing stats are down this year compared to last year, but we were only 6-5. Now we’re winning and that’s because we can run the ball.”

Wilson (9-3) has won five straight games since losing to Franklin in triple overtime, including playoff wins over Santee, 52-50, and Fairfax, 34-26. The Mules also probably wouldn’t mind getting another shot at Roosevelt, which defeated Wilson 21-20 in a nonleague game the second week of the season.

But more than anything the Mules would like to return to the finals for the first time since 1996, when they won the 3-A title, regardless of who they play.

To get there, however, they have to stop unbeaten Arleta (12-0), the East Valley League champion. The Mustangs have defeated South East, 42-7, and Huntington Park, 28-10, in the playoffs.

In Wilson’s victory over Fairfax Nov. 26, the visiting Mules took a 34-14 lead into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jonathan Rojas completed 17 of 21 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns. He has now thrown 38 touchdown passes this season.

Anthony Denham caught three passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns. He also intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards. James Fowler had five receptions for 66 yards.

The big highlight was delivered by Cole Martinez who returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown.

Finding anything separating City Section Invitational Division semifinal opponents Roosevelt and Franklin high schools is not easy.

Mainly because, No. 2-seeded Roosevelt, which hosts the 7 p.m. game Friday, and No. 3 Franklin have more in common than they don’t.

Both take 10-2 records into the contest. Each won their respective league championship — Roosevelt the Eastern, Franklin the Northern.

They also have a common opponent in Wilson (9-3), which is playing at top-seeded Arleta (12-0) in the other Invitational semi Friday. That doesn’t provide many answers, either, since Roosevelt and Franklin each defeated the Mules by a single point.

Offensively, there are plenty of similarities between the Rough Riders and Panthers. Each has an All-City quarterback operating spread offenses with the capabilities of running and throwing.

Adrian Diaz has already surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in passing for Franklin, a 28-8 winner over West Adams in the quarterfinals. Running back/defensive back William Hernandez is one of the more talented and versatile athletes in the City.

Other Panther threats are receivers Anthony Quiroz and Erik Duarte and running back Enrique Macias.

Roosevelt is led by quarterback Jesse Diaz, who has thrown for 1,974 yards and 19 touchdowns with two interceptions.

A big reason the Riders have improved on the 6-5 mark of a year ago is the ability to run the ball effectively. Diaz only threw four times, completing one for 15 yards, in the 25-11 quarterfinal victory over El Camino Real.

The team rushed for 342 yards with Jonathan Alatriste running for 115 on 12 carries, Jose Guillen running for 65 yards and two TDs on 11 attempts and Elgin Rosales gaining 60 yards and a score on three carries.

“Last year, we passed the ball more, but this year we’re doing both,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “That’s why Jesse’s stats are down. But we were only 6-5 last year. Now we’re winning and that’s because we can run the ball.”

He feels that’s why he feels Franklin is such a threat, as well.

“In the past they’ve been known as a passing team, but this team is balanced,” he said. “They can run and throw the ball.

“They are a very well-coached team with some kids who are pretty good athletes.”

Two-way standout at L.A. Jordan has matured into prolific passer

As Jordan quarterback/defensive lineman James Boyd winds down his high school career, he can only marvel at far he and the program have come since he joined the varsity as a 10th grader.

That 2006-07 season saw Jordan finish 3-7 and Boyd finish with seven touchdowns and 20 interceptions, along with 1,810 yards. Like most young players, his emotions sometimes got the best of him

"He'd often cry after some losses," Jordan coach Elijah Asante said, "But he's an emotional kid

Fast forward to today. The Bulldogs are 7-4 and made history after defeating Fremont in the opening round of the City Section playoffs. After being ousted at this point the last two years, the 21-12 victory was the school's first at the 4A level and it came after the Bulldogs earned their highest seed ever at No. 5.

As the team matured, so did Boyd. When mistakes came, he'd immediately move on to the next play and stay focused. Even when he threw a season-high four interceptions against Mater Dei on September 25, his poise was evident to those who watched him throw a state record 73 passes that night.

"He's still an emotional kid but he's controlling it a lot better than he has in the past," Asante said, "It's been a process and he's matured a lot."

The personal growth has matched his growth as a quarterback as the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Boyd has become one of the most prolific signal callers in the City's history. Entering the Bulldogs' game against Crenshaw this week, he's ranked third all-time in passing yardage (8,241) and fourth in touchdowns (71).

It's partly been a reflection of being mentored by Asante, a former quarterback at Eastern Illinois and with the semipro Los Angeles Falcons, where he won 10 championships, and also from him limiting mistakes by changing his focus.

"In 10th grade, I was trying to go deep too much," Boyd said, "In 11th grade, I was trying to go short and deep. This year, I'm reading defenses and watching college football more."

The improvement has been evident. 446 passing yards and three touchdowns against Mater Dei. 424 yards and six touchdowns against Bell. And against South Gate in the regular season finale, Boyd had a day that resembles something out of a video game.

In the 63-7 victory, he passed for 575 yards - the third highest single-game total in City Section history - and eight touchdowns. For good measure, he also ran for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Leading up to the game against Crenshaw this week, Boyd has passed for 3,932 yards - good for No. 2 in the state - and a state-leading 41 touchdown passes to go against 14 interceptions.

You almost forget that Boyd was voted the City's best defensive lineman last year as he racked up 11 sacks and six fumble recoveries among his 72 tackles. This year, he's racked up 99 tackles, a team-high eight sacks and two fumble recoveries against double coverage most of the year.

By playing defense, he said, "it gives you an advantage because you know what to expect. You know what the line is going to do and their options are."

It's the kind of numbers that makes USC glad that he's suiting up for them in the fall. In addition to defensive end, he could see time at linebacker or tight end.

The versatility is nothing new to those who've seen him since his Pop Warner days at Ted Watkins Park in Watts. His uncle, Quincy "Q-Ball" Nance, saw it firsthand as his coach for two years.

"He hated to lose so he would do anything to win a game," Nance said.

He would play Boyd at cornerback, wide receiver, nose guard and safety in addition to quarterback and defensive end. No matter where he played, he dominated his position.

"He's the best all-around player I've ever seen come out of Watts," said Nance, who's seen a lot of players in his 16 years of coaching.

But in his young nephew, he also saw a concern for his teammates. Instead of tearing down them down when they missed assignments, he would encourage them to get ready for the next play.

That has translated to his role on the Bulldogs where as a co-captain, he addresses the team after every game. Along with fellow seniors Delvon Purvis and Eric Hunter, the positive feedback has been a big help to freshman teammates Patrick Wooten and Raymond Ford.

It's perhaps the biggest benefit of Boyd's success. Not only does he provide inspiration to his younger siblings and joy to his mother Helen, but he's giving another positive light to the Watts community.

Just one more stage in his evolution from Pop Warner standout to an unforgettable City Section two-way player to a future Trojan representing the best of Watts.

Roosevelt 25, El Camino Real 11: Jose Guillen rushed for two touchdowns to lead Roosevelt of East Los Angeles (10-2) to a quarterfinal victory against visiting El Camino Real of Woodland Hills (7-5).

Roosevelt scored on its opening possession on an 8-yard run by Guillen. Guillen gave Roosevelt excellent field position by returning the opening kickoff 56 yards.

ECR responded when Brandon Mack ran 33 yards for a touchdown to put the Conquistadores up 8-7 in first quarter. Mack finished with seven carries for 53 yards and Rashon Harper had 44 yards on 14 carries.

Guillen carried 11 times for 48 yards. Teammate Jonathon Alatriste had 89 yards on 10 runs.

- Steve Goldstein

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 27.NOV.08

There would be no repeat performance for Garfield.

The rematch of the season opener went in the direction of Birmingham, which used a strong second-half performance to beat the Bulldogs, 27-15 in a first-round game of the City Division playoffs.

Birmingham (6-5), which earned a quarterfinal game at No. 1 Narbonne (10-1), had four interceptions in the second half to win the game going away. Sergio Perez ran back one of the picks 72 yards for a score.

Trajuan Briggs had 120 of his 184 rushing yards in the second half and scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter for the Patriots.

Garfield (6-5) fell behind on the first play when De’Von Flournoy went 64 yards with a shovel pass.

But Sergio Macedo kicked field goals of 32, 41 and 37 yards to give the Bulldogs a 9-6 lead by halftime.

As the No. 2 seed, Roosevelt High School won about as easily as expected in the first round of the City Section Invitational Division football playoffs.

It remains to be seen how far they go in the lower-division tournament, but the Rough Riders can expect tougher competition from now on, beginning with Wednesday’s quarterfinal showdown with visiting El Camino Real.

Roosevelt (9-2) advanced with a 35-16 victory over Jefferson (4-6). El Camino Real (7-4) edged Marshall, 35-28 in overtime in its playoff opener.

“I thought we played well and did what we wanted to do,” Rough Rider coach Javier Cid said of his first-round win. “We were up 21-0 after the first quarter and 28-0 at halftime. It gave us a chance to play our backups a lot in the second half.”

Jose Guillen ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries, Isaac Huerta ran for 96 yards and one TD on seven carries and Jesse Diaz (8-of-14 for 69 yards) threw a 10-yard scoring pass to Manny Ayon for Roosevelt.

Though only a 15th seed, Jefferson managed a couple of touchdowns, one on an interception return against Diaz. It was only the second interception all season for Diaz, who last threw one in the season opener against Torrey Pines.

Turnovers proved more costly for the Democrats, however.

“Jefferson has some decent athletes, but just made some mistakes,” Cid said. “Our second and third touchdowns were off an interception and fumble.”

Cid is expecting to run into some pretty good athletes wearing El Camino Real uniforms.

The Conquistadores played Taft, the No. 3 seed and a first-round survivor in the City (upper) Division playoffs, to within a touchdown during West Valley League play.

They have one of the City’s top running backs in junior Rashon Harper, who has surpassed 1,500 yards rushing. Brandon Mack is another key runner. Cid is also impressed with Jerrald Hines, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound tight end and linebacker.

“They run the double-wing T and average 330 yards rushing per game,” Cid said. “They’re going to be very tough. They’re going to try and pound us.”

Normally resting on a flashy high-powered spread offense to win football games, Jordan High School advanced beyond the first round of the City Section’s City Division playoffs by leaning more on its defense to hold off Fremont, 21-12 in a gritty smash-mouth type of game.

It was pretty much business as usual for Crenshaw, which relied on big plays to crush Banning, 42-6.

Now, the two meet at Crenshaw Wednesday looking to advance to the Dec. 5 semifinals.

The No. 5 seeded Bulldogs (7-4), having posted the first upper-division playoff victory in the history of a school that opened in 1925, will see if it can extend its season one more week.

No. 4 Crenshaw (8-2), which roared through the Coliseum League without much trouble, is going to be a serious challenge because the Cougars are one of the section’s hottest teams.

“Crenshaw has some of the fastest players in the state of California,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “We played them in the passing leagues, so we know all about their talent level.”

The first-round win over Fremont showed Jordan the playoffs are not going to be like the regular season when the Bulldogs were rolling up 40 or more points on a regular basis and James Boyd was slinging touchdown passes to everybody.

Unlike a week earlier when Boyd threw for 575 yards and eight scores in a 63-7 rout of South Gate, Jordan had to rely on defense to hold off Fremont (6-5).

Brandon Caldwell’s 99-yard interception return not only killed a potential tying score by the Pathfinders, but increased Jordan’s lead to 14-0. Then on the final play of the first half, Eric Hunter intercepted a George Limbrick pass in the end zone and returned it 65 yards.

In the closing seconds, the Pathfinders threatened again by driving to the Jordan three. That potential score was turned away when Limbrick was sacked at the 20 on fourth down.

“Our defense was excellent tonight,” Asante said. “Our defensive coordinator made some great tactical adjustments. He put players in the right place to make the plays. Our defense showed it could play, too.”

The defense needed to make big plays at critical times because Fremont controlled the ball for long portions, evidence being a 53-43 advantage in plays run and a 346-205 edge in total yardage.

Deshawn Beck’s one-yard run capping a 67-yard march following the opening kickoff was one of the few times the Bulldogs put together a significant drive.

Boyd’s 41st scoring pass of the season, a three-yarder to Robert Lewis in the third quarter, gave them a 21-6 lead.

Dominique Echols, who carried 22 times for 140 yards, did much of the work on the two Fremont scoring drives. The first ended with Limbrick (12-for-21 for 181 yards) scoring from the one, the other with Echols going over from a yard out.

Crenshaw left little doubt against Banning, beginning with the opening kickoff, which Geno Hall returned 93 yards for a touchdown. Hall later returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score.

Noel Grigsby caught six passes for 136 yards and two scores (35, 60 yards).

DeAnthony Thomas, the speedy sophomore who competed in the state track championships last spring, returned an interception 62 yards for another score.

L.A. Jordan played pretty much every Southern Section power it could fit on its nonleague schedule and didn't beat any of them. The Bulldogs lost to Esperanza, 9-8, fell to St. Bonaventure, 38-20, and ran out of gas against Mater Dei after holding an early 20-0 lead, falling, 49-32. They were close in every game but couldn't pull out a statement victory.

So, some two months later, the question arises: Was it worth it? Did playing some of the best teams in Southern California prepare Jordan for the City Section playoffs?

Some might say the Bulldogs need to at least beat Crenshaw on Wednesday and reach the semifinals to validate their schedule.

Not Jordan Coach Elijah Asante.

Asante pointed out that the fifth-seeded Bulldogs were seeded higher than traditional City powers Birmingham, Dorsey and Carson. And, for the first time in the program's history, Jordan won a Championship Division playoff game when it defeated Fremont, 21-12, in the first round.

"It already paid off. We've never been this far before," Asante said. "There's no question it was the right thing to do."

--Ben Bolch

Los Angeles - It's about 4 p.m. on game day and coach Elijah Asante, donning a sharp black suit and a pair of shined shoes, is answering questions about his team's postseason position.

When asked about a former player, Bruce Adams, who died earlier this year following a gang-related crime, Asante pauses, looks up and points out his surroundings. Across the street from Jordan (Los Angeles) High, just in front of the Bulldogs' field that is under construction, are the projects, a series of rundown apartment buildings.

Located just across the baseball field and the Jordan fieldhouse is public housing

Jordan is in the heart of Watts, a community with the lowest average household income in Los Angeles County ($17,987), where 49.1 percent of families are below the poverty level, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," Asante said to a reporter about 30 minutes earlier. He'd just arrived at the school from the barbershop he owns, located a few blocks away.

Asante is part-time teacher, part-time salon owner and full-time Bulldogs coach.

He's reluctant to talk about his previous work. After getting his law degree at USC, he practiced sports and entertainment law and worked as a sports agent for about 15 years. He dropped that, despite the higher salary, when he heard about the Jordan gig. Asante doesn't have much to say about his legal days.

But he'll tell you about his time at Eastern Illinois, where he was a quarterback. He'll mention the 10 championships he won while playing semipro football with the Los Angeles Falcons. And get him started on the Jordan Bulldogs, and he might not stop.

Thursday was as big a day as any. The Bulldogs were preparing for their first-round playoff game against Fremont (Los Angeles) High, a team they were expected to beat. Jordan lost in the first round the past two years, but this game was supposed to be different.

It was. Jordan (7-4) didn't pounce on Fremont like it has other opponents this season, but it advanced to the second round, winning 21-12 - the school's first playoff victory in the CIF Los Angeles City Section - on the shoulders of USC-bound four-star quarterback/defensive end James Boyd. The Bulldogs will play Crenshaw (Calif.) High on Wednesday in the section quarterfinals.

The entire day, though, was filled with much more than football. At Jordan, it's hard to ignore the connection between life values and the Bulldogs' commitment to football.

Making the grade

At about 4:30 p.m., the players are scattered around campus - some are in the weight room, some are outside and a handful are in the locker room. Sophomore running back Darnell Jackson doesn't have the luxury to be in any of those places.

Jackson played junior varsity this year, and come playoff time the more talented underclassmen typically get called up to varsity. Jackson has the skill, junior varsity coach Clinton Dunlap said, but he didn't have the grades.

USC bound James Boyd is using football to avoid many traps others in the neighborhood fall into

To be eligible, players need a 2.5 grade point average. At the most recent grading period, Jackson didn't.

So Dunlap is lecturing him, his back pinned to the outside locker room wall.

"He doesn't realize how good he really is," Dunlap said. "He's a great athlete; I just want to make sure he keeps his head right so he can play. I know he's hurting from this, because now he sees his buddies on JV getting called up, and he wishes he showed up to class more."

Dunlap's not mad because he thought Jackson could be an impact player on varsity this season. He's mad because he's seen too many kids like Jackson, with all that talent, throw it all away.

Carell Johnson is a good example. A two-star running back recruit in the 2006 class, Johnson landed a scholarship to Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla. Dunlap was happy Johnson found an opportunity away from the neighborhood, away from the gangs and drugs and violence.

It didn't take long, though, before Johnson got homesick. He left Bethune-Cookman in the middle of his first year, came home and got involved with a gang. Now he's in jail for life - Dunlap wouldn't say what for.

In Watts, Johnson's neither the exception nor the rule. He's somewhere in between. There are players like Boyd, senior three-star receiver Delvon Purvis and senior three-star defensive back Erick Hunter. They seem to have their heads on straight, and likely all will play at the Division I level.

Then there are the ones who couldn't avoid trouble, like Johnson and Adams, the former player who was murdered earlier this year. He would have been a senior this season. There's Kejuan and Brandon Bullard, too.

Both were murdered this year in gang-related shootings. Both were former Bulldogs. They never made it out of Watts.

"I'm tired of losing my kids when football season ends," Dunlap said. "Now they're in to gangbanging. Now he's selling dope. Now he gets shot. Now he's getting killed. I'm just tired of it."

So are the players. It's nearing 5 p.m., and they're leaving the weight room, heading toward the basketball gym to take a team photo. On the way out, they tap a sign that reads "Shock And Speed" three times. Perhaps three times for three former teammates.

Now they're in the gymnasium, seated on the foldout bleachers, making jokes, squirming and generally making life difficult for the photographer.

Then a voice quiets everyone down.

"What the hell are we, some school girls," says Rodney Nichols, defensive backs coach. "Let's get this done so we can get out of here and take care of business."

Making a difference

Nichols, 29, is the youngest coach on staff. But his words do the trick. He's not shy. Not during the photo shoot, and not during the game. He jumps on players when they err, and he's the first to celebrate when it's warranted.

When Boyd leads the team on a decisive touchdown drive in the third quarter, the two do a sideline dance - obviously previously choreographed - that puts the cheerleaders to shame. When Hunter drops passes on consecutive drives, Nichols chews him out.

Coach Nichols was raised in Watts and uses his time with the team to lead by example

The players listen to him not because he's big or intimidating. They listen because he is them.

Nichols grew up in Watts and started school at Jordan before getting expelled his freshman year for fighting. He moved to Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) High, where he played basketball, football and baseball.

Expulsion aside, Nichols stayed out of trouble. He watched four of his older brothers join gangs and knew he wanted something else. He cherished his time away from home. He played every sport he could to keep busy. He even got into bowling.

Nichols finished high school, joined the Navy for seven years and earned a criminology degree at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., and Westwood College in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, two of his brothers landed in jail, one for murder, the other for drug trafficking.

"The thing I want these kids to learn is what I learned," Nichols said. "I love my brothers, but they don't define who I am. It is a part of who you are, but you don't have to be that yourself."

So Nichols doesn't hesitate to offer his opinion.

During stretches before the game, he approaches every player with a few words of wisdom. He jokes with the other coaches and teases a few players. Like Asante, he's wearing a suit, a far cry from his typical khakis and T-shirt.

"Having [Nichols] around helps us a lot," Hunter said. "When he's getting on me, I might give him something back, but I know he's telling me what's best for me. He knows what he's talking about. He's been there, done that."

Except Nichols almost couldn't make this game. Two weeks ago, he was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a disease that results from inflammation of tissues in the body, typically the lungs or lymph nodes. It causes frequent fatigue and shortness of breath.

After holding Nichols in the hospital for a week, doctors released him and told him to take it easy. That was last Thursday. He coached that night when Jordan dominated South Gate (Calif.) High, 63-7.

"I just love being here," Nichols said while walking to the team bus after the playoff win. "It's just really, really special being here, helping these kids. I feel like I'm giving back this way."

Jordan lost to Taft, 36-28, in the first round last year and fell to Venice, 37-34, in the first round in 2005.

The fifth-seeded Bulldogs play at fourth-seeded Crenshaw in a quarterfinal on Wednesday that figures to be extremely entertaining. Ninth-seeded Birmingham and top-seeded Narbonne will also play in a quarterfinal that figures to be high scoring.

--Ben Bolch

Patriots say they didn't take the Bulldogs seriously in the season opener and lost. The teams meet tonight in first round of City Section playoffs.

By Ben Bolch
November 20, 2008

Los Angeles Garfield High's football team spent last summer focusing on its first opponent, Lake Balboa Birmingham.

Birmingham had spent much of its preseason practice preparing for the powerful team it would play second, Encino Crespi.

So perhaps it should have come as no surprise when Garfield upset the two-time defending City Section champion Patriots, 29-28.

"We took them for granted," Birmingham Coach Ed Croson said on the eve of the teams' rematch tonight in a City Section Championship Division first-round playoff game at Garfield. "We were working on our Crespi game plan and there was stuff we weren't going to use for Garfield."

Things will be different tonight, at least with personnel.

In the teams' first meeting, the Patriots were without defensive lineman Ariel Ford because of a hand injury and free safety Donte Gilmer because of ineligibility.

Standout receiver De'Von Flournoy, limited because of a sprained ankle, did not return kicks or play cornerback because he could not backpedal or cut. Birmingham's secondary was further depleted during the game when cornerbacks Kenny Pool and Davontae Perry were lost to injuries.

And still, Birmingham had a chance to win until backup quarterback Steven Zamora was stopped on a late two-point conversion attempt. The play was controversial because the ball appeared to cross the goal line before falling out of Zamora's hands.

The Patriots (5-5), seeded No. 9 in the Championship Division, are expected to be at full strength tonight against the No. 8 Bulldogs (6-4).

Garfield will hope for a repeat performance from 5-foot-3 quarterback Patrick Vargas, who passed for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the teams' first meeting. Sergio Macedo rushed for 108 yards.

Said Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez: "We know they feel this game is an opportunity to prove 'We can beat those guys.' "

Bolch is a Times staff writer.

Now, the Jordan High School football team finds out if that killer preleague schedule was worth it.

Beginning Thursday, the Bulldogs will find out if a steady diet of Southern Section powers Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei prior to Eastern League play proves beneficial in the City Section’s City Division playoffs.

Jordan (6-4), the No. 5 seed, hosts Fremont (6-4) in a first-round game.

“We’ll see if the schedule helped,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “The proof will be in the pudding. I feel we’re ready to go to war.”

The Bulldogs are clicking on all cylinders offensively.

In their 63-7 rout of South Gate that gave them a share of the league title with Garfield and Roosevelt, they got a spectacular performance from senior quarterback James Boyd, who threw for 575 yards and eight touchdowns, both career highs. The 575 yards ranks third on the all-time City single-game list, trailing only 764- and 583-yard performances by David Koral of Palisades in 1999 and 2000. The eight scoring passes are tied for second behind the 10 Koral, a future UCLA player, passed for against Kilpatrick in 1999.

Boyd, who ranks first in California and third in the nation in passing according to maxpreps.com, has thrown for 3,721 yards and 40 touchdowns in 10 games.

He spreads the wealth among a group of receivers that includes Deshawn Beck (62 catches for 969 yards, 14 TDs), Delvon Purvis (60 for 967, 11), Robert Lewis (54 for 684, six), Eric Hunter (42 for 566, six) and Brandon Caldwell (33 for 646, six).

Fremont, courtesy of its 22-20 win over Locke, heads into the playoffs as the Coliseum’s No. 3 team. The Pathfinders shared the second spot with Dorsey and Locke.

Fremont has already played teams — Rancho Verde and Los Alamitos — that feature similar spread offenses like Jordan. The results, though, weren’t good since the Pathfinders lost by a combined 73-0.

But as Fremont coach John Washington said, “I can’t imagine Jordan being any faster than those teams.”

Still, he’s leery of the section’s most explosive offense.

“They’re very good and very well-coached,” he said.

“I guess we’ll see if that was a fluke or not,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Our kids are going to be fired up about it. I know they’ll step up their game.”

With a deep playoff run, L.A. Jordan quarterback James Boyd could become the most prolific passer in City Section history.

Boyd has 8,030 yards and 70 touchdowns in his career, ranking him third on the career yardage list and fourth on the career touchdowns list, according to the Cal-Hi record book. Boyd was selected as the Eastern League most valuable player Tuesday night.

The record for passing yardage in the City is held by David Koral, who passed for 8,964 yards for Palisades from 1999-2000. Ron Cuccia of L.A. Wilson passed for 8,804 yards from 1975-77. (Perry Klein, by the way, isn't on the list. He threw for 3,899 yards as a junior but Cal-Hi doesn't list career numbers for him.)

Koral also had 100 career touchdown passes. Cuccia had 91 TD passes and Daniel Gonzalez of Franklin had 79 from 1998-2000.

Topping Koral's touchdown mark seems a longshot, though Boyd threw eight touchdown passes in the Bulldogs' regular-season finale against South Gate. Jordan (6-4) opens the playoffs Thursday against Fremont (6-4) at South Gate High in a Championship Division first-round game.

--Ben Bolch

Birmingham at Garfield. Yes, I've already projected Birmingham to win this one. The reason is I can't believe the Patriots aren't a better team than the one that lost, 29-28, to Garfield in August. But I was very disappointed in their performance against Taft. I think Garfield isn't going to be ready for its best after an emotional win against Roosevelt.

Jefferson at Roosevelt. Forgive me, but my alma mater, Poly, deserved to get the No. 15 seed. Roosevelt is going to rout Jefferson, and Roosevelt is my pick to win it all.

Huntington Park at Lincoln. The Eastern League was one of the strongest in the City Section, and that strong competition will help Huntington Park win.

The scoop: Arleta, a second-year varsity program coached by Jeff Engilman, has passed every test this season. But playing in the East Valley League is no way to get ready for what's going to happen over the next month. Roosevelt is battle tested, and its league win over Los Angeles Jordan serves notice that the Rough Riders are the team to beat.

Prediction: Roosevelt.

Marine League rival San Pedro (9-1), which lost in triple overtime to Narbonne, was seeded No. 2. West Valley League champion Taft (9-1) got the No. 3 seed, with Coliseum League champion Crenshaw (7-2) the No. 4 seed.

The best opening-round matchup has No. 8 Garfield (6-4) hosting No. 9 Birmingham (5-5). The two teams played in August, with Garfield winning, 29-28. The winner will likely get to face Narbonne in the quarterfinals.

Here are the complete pairings: No. 16 Washington (5-5) at No. 1 Narbonne (9-1); No. 9 Birmingham (5-5) at No. 8 Garfield (6-4); No. 12 Fremont (6-4) vs. No. 5 Jordan (6-4) at TBA; No. 13 Banning (4-6) at No. 4 Crenshaw (7-2); No. 14 Locke (5-4) at No. 3 Taft (9-1); No. 11 Dorsey (7-3) at No. 6 San Fernando (7-3); No. 10 Carson (5-5) at No. 7 Venice (5-5); No. 15 Sylmar (7-3) at No. 2 San Pedro (9-1).

-- Eric Sondheimer

Roosevelt (8-2) was seeded No. 2, Franklin (8-2) No. 3 and Fairfax (6-4) No. 4.

Here's the City Invitational pairings: No. 16 South East (3-7) at No. 1 Arleta (10-0); No. 9 Huntington Park (5-4) at No. 8 Lincoln (6-4); No. 12 Santee (5-5) at No. 5 Wilson (7-3); No. 13 Reseda (4-6) at No. 4 Fairfax (6-4); No. 14 Canoga Park (5-5) at No. 3 Franklin (8-2); No. 11 Cleveland (5-5) at No. 6 West Adams (7-3); No. 10 Marshall (7-3) at No. 7 El Camino Real (6-4); No. 15 Jefferson (4-5) at No. 2 Roosevelt (8-2).

By Austin Knoblauch
November 15, 2008

Quarterback Patrick Vargas completed 17 of 28 passes for 220 yards, throwing for two touchdowns, as Garfield rallied from a first-quarter deficit to defeat rival Roosevelt, 26-7, in front of more than 25,000 fans at the 74th annual East Los Angeles Classic at East Los Angeles College on Friday night.

Garfield (6-4, 5-1) took the lead for good early in the third quarter when Vargas connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass to receiver Lanny Delgado.

Credit City Councilman Tom LaBonge for the save of the year. The City Section had given up on playing at the Coliseum because of financial issues, but LaBonge, an alternate member on the Coliseum Commission, got involved and will provide financial assistance, along with others, through coordination of the Coliseum Commission to make up for the budget deficit, according to City Section Commissioner Barbara Fiege.

It will be the 13th consecutive year the City Championship Division final has been held at the Coliseum.

-- Eric Sondheimer

The longtime friends are both team captains and top students awarded $500 academic scholarships this week by State Farm. They are also both three-year varsity players who will lead their respective teams into the 74th annual East Los Angeles Classic on Friday night at East Los Angeles College.

"We would say we're brothers from other mothers jokingly, but in reality we are in a way because I consider him my brother," said Franky Diaz, who spent much of Wednesday's pregame media conference at East L.A. College hamming it up with Jesse Diaz and posing for photos together. "Sometimes I wish he would be on our team."

The Diazes played on the same flag football team at Stephenson Middle School before realizing they wouldn't play together in high school because they live on opposite sides of Indiana Street, which is the borderline for high school enrollment.

"I've always wanted to have a chance to play with Franky," Jesse Diaz said. "Playing against him is one thing but playing with him would be a whole different experience and I've always wanted that."

Both players are also bound for college, and Jesse Diaz will probably play at that level. He is being pursued by Idaho State and UC Davis. Franky Diaz said he has applied to Loyola Marymount and USC, where he hopes to major in business.

Eric Sondheimer
November 14, 2008

It's a startling sight, seeing Los Angeles Garfield football players line up after a game to exchange handshakes with their opponents and watching the reaction when 5-foot-3 quarterback Patrick Vargas finally greets his pursuers.

"I shake hands, they look down at me, and it's shocking to them," he said.

Their stunned response: "Are you the quarterback?"

Patrick Vargas will be the starting quarterback when Garfield plays Roosevelt High School on Friday.

The fact Vargas is playing, let alone completing passes and usually leading his team to victory in a sport that typically favors the physically imposing indicates how special his story is.

Tonight, he'll become the smallest quarterback to start in the 74-year history of the East Los Angeles Classic, a neighborhood game matching Garfield and Roosevelt at East L.A. College that's expected to attract a crowd of close to 25,000.

Vargas, a 150-pound senior, is an A student who uses intelligence, cunning and instincts to succeed.

His father, Ray, who coaches the quarterbacks at Garfield, said, "As a parent, I fear for him. As a coach, I root for him."

Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid, a former Garfield assistant, watched Vargas growing up, remembering him as a tiny 9-year-old running around the field and preparing for the day he'd get to put on a Bulldogs uniform.

"If he would be 6-3, he'd still be great," Cid said. "The fact he's his size is even more amazing."

Vargas welcomes those who underestimate him.

"I've been playing Pop Warner football since I was 7," he said. "I was the smallest out there and just adjusted. Now I'm in high school, I had to adjust again. I'm not afraid. This is just a passion I love to do."

To see how Vargas operates on a field where he comes up to the chin of many players is a sight to behold. He has a simple strategy in trying to release his passes.

"I place it like it's a window," he said. "When the receivers are running their routes, there are little areas where the linebacker shows weakness, so I hit them in that area."

Many of his passes are timing patterns. At the line of scrimmage, he examines the defense and picks out a target. He retreats on the snap and fires the ball long before anyone can reach him and usually before his receiver has made a final cut. If all goes well, the ball will arrive at the same time the receiver reaches his spot, leaving the defensive back helpless.

"It's just a lot of practice," Vargas said. "They have me practice sometimes with my eyes closed."

It's a family affair for Vargas, whose younger brothers, Bobby and Danny, start at receiver and fullback.

"Our mom is laughing, yelling and screaming her heart out," Vargas said.

His line is determined to protect him, and teammates don't take kindly to comments some defensive players like to make.

"They call him midget," center Edgar Rosales said. "They call him all kinds of names. It gets me motivated because I know he's capable of doing anything."

The student body at Garfield found out how big a heart Vargas has when he helped the Bulldogs upset two-time defending City Section champion Birmingham, 29-28, in the season opener. Vargas completed 13 of 17 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns. With that victory, football players became celebrities on campus.

"It was better than winning the City Invitational championship," Vargas said.

"The whole off-season, our goal was to shock the world and shock the City. We knew beating Birmingham would do it. You could see the joy in everyone's eyes and faces."

And now Vargas gets to start in a game that will probably draw the largest high school crowd of the season in Southern California. It doesn't matter that Roosevelt is 8-1 and Garfield is 5-4. Records mean nothing in this rivalry game. It's homecoming for both schools, with alumni coming from around the nation.

His counterpart at quarterback, Jesse Diaz, is equally impressive, with a 3.8 grade-point average, more than 1,700 yards passing and just one interception for Roosevelt.

Diaz is 6-2, a giant compared to Vargas, but both are examples of how high school sports can bring out the best in individuals. Vargas has dreamed of this moment.

"It's something I wanted to do all my life," he said.

Sondheimer is a Times staff writer.

The 74th East Los Angeles Classic brings together an entire community, as more than 25,000 fans are expected for Friday's game at East L.A. College.

By Ben Bolch
5:04 PM PST, November 13, 2008

They didn't know each other in high school and didn't care to in college.

Tommy Lopez and Javier Cid were football rivals in the East Los Angeles Classic in the mid-1980s who went on to play on the same defense at East Los Angeles College. Yet the teammates didn't exactly give it the old college try when it came to forging a friendship.

"I didn't really care to talk to him," recalled Cid, who had been an All-City Section linebacker at Roosevelt High. "He was a Garfield guy."

So it goes in one of the longest, most emotional rivalries in Los Angeles high school sports, one that is expected to draw a crowd of about 25,000 to East L.A. College tonight for the 74th regular-season meeting between the schools' football teams.

Mike Garrett, Roosevelt class of 1961, won a Heisman Trophy as a USC tailback and is now the Trojans' athletic director. He compares the high school game favorably to USC's against crosstown UCLA and to what is generally considered college football's greatest intersectional rivalry, USC versus Notre Dame.

"The teams might both be great or they might both be down, but it's always a big game and extremely important to the fans of each team," Garrett said. "That game is like a season within a season."

For Lopez and Cid, the rivalry took on a new meaning more than a decade after their playing days ended. It wasn't until they became assistants on the same coaching staff that they realized they had more in common than East L.A. roots.

"Once we got on the field and I saw how he coached and how we worked together," Lopez said, "I figured we were kind of the same."

As colleagues, they spent endless nights munching on chicken enchiladas and breaking down film at Lopez's Monrovia home. It was at one of these marathon sessions in 2001, when they were assistants at Los Angeles Cathedral High, when Lopez pulled out a black-and-white photo depicting his touchdown in the 1983 East L.A. Classic on a blocked field goal.

Cid gazed at the photo and couldn't believe what he saw. Sure enough, there was another familiar figure in the frame -- about five yards behind Lopez giving chase.

"He looks at it," Lopez recalled, "and goes, 'That's me.' "

Funny seeing you there.

"That's a cherished moment he has and I just happened to be in that shot," said Cid, now the head coach at Roosevelt. "It's an amazing thing, really, because here we are now."

That the men would be forever linked in that photo makes perfect sense since the rivalry that long divided them now unites them.

Their friendship runs so deep that Lopez, a corrections officer for the Chino state prison, has ceded his loyalties to Garfield (5-4 overall and 4-1 in the Eastern League) this week to help Cid and the Rough Riders (8-1, 5-0) prepare for tonight's East L.A. Classic. Tuesday night was spent poring over film at Lopez's home, and tonight Lopez hopes to don a headset and spot formations and tendencies that could help his longtime friend's team prevail.

Against his alma mater.

So, is he conflicted? "Not until my brothers find out about this," the 1985 Garfield graduate jokingly said of the batch of Bulldogs who preceded him.

Indeed, this game, matching two of the Los Angeles Unified School District's largest high schools located just six miles apart, seems to annually test allegiances. Tonight, for example, two players named Diaz -- no relation to each other but so close as kids that they were thought by some to be brothers -- will be on opposite sidelines.

Jesse Diaz is Roosevelt's quarterback; Franky Diaz is a running back for Garfield. They were nearly inseparable flag football teammates at Stevenson Middle School until split apart as high school freshmen because they lived on different sides of Indiana Street.

"We would say we're brothers from other mothers jokingly, but in reality we are in a way because I consider him my brother," Franky Diaz said. "Sometimes I wish he would be on our team."

Just like Lopez is siding with Roosevelt now, in 1983 he gave his all for Garfield. Consider his effort in the aftermath of that blocked kick:

Garfield was clinging to a narrow lead in the fourth quarter when Roosevelt tried the field goal. Lopez heard a thud as the kick was blocked, found the ball bouncing in front of him, scooped it up and found 73 yards of open field ahead.

"It was like the gates of heaven," Lopez recalled. "I was gone."

Cid saw Lopez racing for a touchdown that would essentially put away his team and knew "somebody had to chase him down.

"He had a head start and was probably 20 yards ahead of me," Cid recalled, "but I got within five."

They're even closer now. They became fellow assistants under then-coach Ray Galarze at Garfield in 1999, though initially the development didn't suit Cid.

Cid thought he was in line to become defensive coordinator until Galarze told him he had just hired another assistant.

His name? Tommy Lopez.

"I was like, 'What?' " Cid said. "I felt like my duties were being reduced as a coach, and sometimes that doesn't feel very good. It had nothing to do with him."

Cid coached the inside linebackers and Lopez was responsible for the outside linebackers. It quickly became apparent the duo was a potent combination when it helped the Bulldogs engineer a 16-13 upset of heavily favored Roosevelt in 1999.

"Their rapport together was great," said Alfred Robledo, a fellow assistant on the Garfield staff who now coaches under Cid at Roosevelt. "There was no, 'I'm better than you.' The rivalry kind of went away and the friendship started and it's been a great friendship ever since."

Their epic late-night film sessions became such a habit that Lopez's wife, Elaine, joked that the pair had become "boyfriends" because they spent so much time together.

They were united again two years later at Cathedral, where Cid was the defensive coordinator and Lopez coached the linebackers, before Lopez took his prison job.

They kept in touch when they could over the years that followed but it wasn't the same.

"He came over a few weeks ago and brought some film," said Lopez, 41. "My wife said, 'This is like old times. I miss this.' "

Cid, 42, predicted the friends would coach together again.

"Without a doubt," he said. "It's like we're brothers. Growing up and having the same experiences, there are a lot of things we can relate to."

Bolch is a Times staff writer.

By Harold Abend
Special to CalHiSports.com

There are two-way players, and then, there are two-way players.

As players who see action on both sides of the ball go, James Boyd is probably one of the most unique combinations to ever come out of the Los Angeles City Section, or possibly even the entire state.

Boyd is a 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback who also lines up as a defensive end. In fact, even with gaudy offensive numbers last season (2,499 yards passing and 23 touchdowns plus five TDs rushing), Boyd was the 2007 Los Angeles City Section lineman of the year, after finishing with 11 sacks and six fumble recoveries, many caused by his bone-crushing tackles. "He's pretty extraordinary. He's easily as good as anyone I've seen in the last 15 years," said Ron Guild, sports editor of the Los Angeles Wave, and a veteran observer of L.A. City Section football.

"He's different than some of the recent city talents like Stafon Johnson (now at USC) and Jeremiah Johnson (now at Oregon) from Dorsey [Los Angeles]. Physically, James is as talented as they come," continued Gould. "He has an arm and he's extremely athletic. He's unusual. Pete Carroll recruited him for defense."

Boyd won't be going far when he suits up next fall to play football in college. The University of Southern California, to which he's earned a scholarship, is a short ride up the 110 freeway.

That ride up the 110 is one Boyd, his current Bulldogs' teammates, and Jordan head coach Elijah Asante know very well.

It's been a year of mixed emotions for Boyd, the team and its coach. Renovations have left the school without any fields this entire school year and disrupted what had hoped to be a promising season.

Presently, the team is 4-4 with somewhat expected losses against state-ranked teams such as St. Bonaventure (Ventura) and Mater Dei (Santa Ana) but it also has suffered losses against Esperanza (Anaheim) and league rival Roosevelt, both painful setbacks.

Not only are all games away, but they can't even practice nearby. The team must take a daily bus ride 45-minutes into the teeth of L.A. freeway traffic, up the 110 to downtown Los Angeles where they use the field at Roybal High. "The ride back doesn't take quite as long," joked Boyd.

"We've had a lot of challenges. Besides not having a field and all the travel, we only have about 25 players," said Coach Elijah, as they call him. Asante, who grew up in Watts himself, is a special education teacher in Los Angeles Unified in Watts, is coaching his sixth year at Jordan, with three years as head coach.

Coach Elijah can't say enough about Boyd. With a small squad, the big, strong, senior and team leader has played every down against some of the state's top programs.

"Just look at his skill set. It's not something that is usual. James is a phenomenal athlete, one that comes around every 20 years," said Asante, who besides coaching and teaching, owns a barber and beauty business in the community. "With a 4.7 in the 40, he's extremely fast for a quarterback let alone a defensive end."

His ESPNU Football Recruiting evaluation is also highly positive. The following is a portion of what was an unusually long report.

"He has a tall lean frame and should be able to add good bulk in time. He is an interesting kid at quarterback. You can tell this kid works hard to play with good technique. While he is athletic he looks to be a passer first and a runner second. Will use his legs to buy time and create second chances, but will keep his eyes down field and try and make a play with his arm. Boyd has the potential to be a college quarterback, but his highest ceiling may be on defense. He is a defensive end/outside linebacker 'tweener', but will be best served to add some weight and be an end. He has good quickness off the ball and can regularly be the first one moving."

"He always wants to do better," continued Asante. "Besides working hard on the field and in practice, he's working hard in class."

His mother, Helen Boyd, has stayed on him about his studies, and it's paying off.

"Schoolwork and keeping my grades up is important," Boyd told CalHiSports.com. "My mom has been pushing me. I'm taking extra courses online and this spring I'm taking some community college classes to get extra credit."

On the gridiron, Boyd's numbers are astronomical.

Last week, in a 53-14 victory at South East of South Gate, the section passing leader threw for 368 yards on 26-of-36 attempts with four touchdowns and one interception. Boyd also rushed for 50 yards and two scores, and caught an 8-yard option pass from Brandon Caldwell for a seventh touchdown. On defense, he added nine tackles.

Boyd is already well ahead of last year's numbers. On the season, he's passed for 2,735 yards on 201-of-337 attempts, with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He's gained 366 yards on the ground in 62 carries with the two scores. Add in the TD reception last week, and Boyd has 3,124 total yards and 30 touchdowns combined.

On defense, Boyd has registered 87 tackles, seven sacks and two fumble recoveries.

His high water mark offensively was against Mater Dei in a 49-32 loss. In that game, Boyd completed 38-of-73 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was picked off four times.

The week before in a 38-20 loss to St. Bonaventure he passed for 378 yards on 39-of-58 attempts with four touchdowns and three interceptions. He also had three sacks in the game and 23 tackles, both season-highs.

When CalHiSports jokingly asked if he has a rubber arm with all those passes, he responded with a chuckle. "As long as my teammates run the routes and my line blocks, my arm never gets tired."

"It's tough being on the bus every day, getting home late with homework left to do, and not having a home field, but it's pushing us harder to win the city," Boyd added.

Being a role model is something of which Boyd is keenly aware, and winning an award like the state athlete of the week is important to him and his family, especially little brother Ronald Reed, a linebacker in Pop Warner who will start high school next year. "He really looks up to me and I want to be his role model," James remarked.

Not many kids from Watts get the opportunity Boyd has gotten, and he's well aware of that fact.

"I'm just a kid who grew up in the inner city and wants to make my mom proud, and all the little kids who look up to me proud and keep their dreams alive," Boyd said. "Winning an award like this feels good, knowing people outside the city appreciate my efforts."

Virtually unknown outside the Los Angeles metro area before making a name for himself at USC's Rising Stars Camp where Carroll offered him a scholarship, James Boyd goes unknown to the rest of the football world no longer.

Somehow, we think we'll be hearing his name again before he hangs up the pads for the last time.

With the help of City Councilman Tom LaBonge, the City Section has resumed negotiations with the Coliseum on trying to play its football championship game at the Coliseum next month. John Aguirre, a City athletic administrator, said a final decision needs to be made this week because the seedings meeting is set for Saturday morning.

East Los Angeles College is the likely site if an agreement can't be worked out with the Coliseum.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo: Los Angeles Coliseum. Credit: George Wilhelm / Los Angeles Times

The final stop of the regular season on the 5 Days 2 Friday Nike Road Tour takes place at East Los Angeles College when Roosevelt and Garfield compete for the Eastern League title in the East LA Classic.

The rivalry between the two East Los Angeles schools is one of the better match-ups each year in the L.A. City Section. The two teams have battled for over 70 years with Roosevelt leading the all-time series 39-26-7. The game annually draws nearly 20,000 fans, many of whom have friends and family aligned with both teams on the field.

Garfield is the defending Los Angeles City Section Invitational Tournament champion, knocking off University in the finals 28-23. The Bulldogs lost to Roosevelt in the East LA Classic, 23-15, but came back to beat the Rough Riders 31-13 in the first round of the playoffs.

This year, Roosevelt is on a roll, winning its last eight games after opening the season with a 41-0 loss to Torrey Pines. Eastern League play has seen some wild games for the Rough Riders, who have played three straight high-scoring affairs against South East (36-29), Jordan (33-21) and Huntington Park (39-29).

Jesse Diaz, an All-LA City Section pick last year, leads the Rough Riders at quarterback. After throwing for 2,461 yards last year, Diaz has had a similar senior season except for one category – interceptions. While he has thrown for 1,727 yards this year along with 18 touchdowns (the same number of TDs he threw as a junior), Diaz has thrown just one interception in 2008 compared to 11 as a junior.

“He’s a much better quarterback,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid told the Los Angeles Times.

Manny Ayon has been the main target for Diaz, catching 32 passes for 542 yards and three scores. However Diaz has spread the ball around, completing passes to 12 different receivers – 10 of whom have scored at least one touchdown.

Cid also spreads the wealth when rushing the ball. Four different Rough Riders have carried the ball at least 40 times, led by Jonathan Alatriste with 62 carries for 347 yards.

Garfield is 5-4 on the season, but the Bulldogs knocked off defending LA City Section champion Birmingham 29-28 in the season opener and they won their first four league game before falling to Jordan last week 48-29.

The Bulldogs have a more balanced offensive attack with quarterback Patrick Vargas throwing for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns and Sergio Macedo leading the rushing attack with 760 yards and 12 scores.

Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez was the Invitational All-City Coach of the Year last season and returning players Frankie Diaz and Roy Fonseca also earned All-City first team honors. Diaz has rushed for 326 yards on 76 carries while Fonseca has 41 tackles and two interceptions at defensive back. Macedo and defensive back Lanny Delgado were both second team picks. Delgado leads the team with three interceptions this year.

Unlike seasons past, the two teams won’t have the chance to meet again in the playoffs. Garfield has chosen to move up to the Championship Division this year while Roosevelt will compete in the Invitational Division.

13.NOV.08
PASSING

James Boyd (Jordan)

14 for 27 for 327 yards, 5 TDs in 48-29 win over Garfield

Jonathan Reyes (South East)

14 for 20 for 239 yards, 5 TDs in 56-20 win over South Gate

Jesse Diaz (Roosevelt)

Francisco Rodriguez (Bell)

18 for 28 for 173 yards, TD in 20-15 loss to Poly

Patrick Vargas (Garfield)

13 for 21 for 169 yards, TD in 48-29 loss to Jordan

RUSHING

Franky Diaz (Garfield)

25 carries for 92 yards

Senen Carson (South East)

9 carries for 81 yards, 2 TDs

Sergio Macedo (Garfield)

13 carries for 73 yards, 2 TDs

RECEIVING

Delvon Purvis (Jordan)

7 catches for 128 yards, 4 TDs

Jorge Lopez (South East)

5 catches for 104 yards, 2 TDs

Deshawn Beck (Jordan)

4 catches for 138 yards, TD

Fernando Magana (South East)

4 catches for 90 yards, 2 TDs

Robert Lewis (Jordan)

2 catches for 103 yards, TD

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 13.NOV.08 When Jesse Diaz first went out for football at Roosevelt High School, he thought catching passes, not throwing them, would be the quickest path to success.

“They had eight guys trying out at quarterback and three at wide receiver,” he said. “I thought my chances were better at wide receiver.”

That has to seem like a lifetime ago for Diaz, who will be starting at quarterback for the Rough Riders against Garfield Friday in his third East L.A. Classic.

Now, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder who is drawing looks from college programs, Diaz has developed into one of the City Section’s premier quarterbacks.

He heads into the 74th edition of the series having thrown for 1,726 yards and 18 touchdowns with only one interception for the Eastern League-leading Rough Riders, who are 8-1 overall and 5-0 in league.

Three years ago, attrition at the position opened the doors for Diaz. One quarterback got hurt, another was lost to grades. Coach Javier Cid, spotting Diaz throwing the ball around in practice, liked what he saw and decided to give him a shot behind center.

His first start came in the final regular-season game against South East and he threw three touchdown passes.

The rest is history for Diaz, who earned All-City honors a year ago and engineered an upset of Garfield in last year’s Classic.

Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said arm strength and smarts are what led him to make Diaz his quarterback three years ago.

“I chose him without any experience because I liked his size and his grade point average,” the coach said. “For the offense we needed to run, we need someone who has the size and the smarts. Jesse doesn’t just go up there and throw the ball. He knows how to read defenses. Not every kid can do that.

“I have to give a lot of credit to one of our assistants, Oscar Tavera. He played quarterback at Roosevelt in 1988 and has helped Jesse develop. He’s been his tutor on the field.”

Cid is confident Diaz will make it at the next level.

Idaho State, UC Davis and Stanford are some of the college football programs that have displayed an interest.

“He doesn’t get the press a lot of these guys (top recruits) get, but he’s going to surprise a lot of people,” Cid said. “I think Jesse is going to be one of those guys that make it happen. I want it to happen so we can create a pipeline to the colleges. If he makes it, maybe the recruiters will start to come out and look at us more.”

For his part, Diaz is focused now on Friday’s game.

“This means the world to me because I grew up watching this game,” he said. “Being it’s my last one, I don’t want to lose. The fact it’s for the league title makes it even more of an honor to be part of it.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 13.NOV.08 It isn’t enough neighborhood pride will be at stake in the 74th edition of the East L.A. Classic.

An Eastern League title and positioning for the upcoming City Section football playoffs will also be on the line when Roosevelt and Garfield high schools meet in front of crowd expected to exceed 20,000 at East L.A. College in the regular-season finale Friday. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Roosevelt, which leads the all-time series, 39-27-7, takes records of 8-1 overall and 5-0 in league into the contest. Garfield, tied for second with Jordan, is 5-4 and 4-1.

“That the league title is on the line makes it even more special,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “I was actually rooting for Garfield to beat Jordan last week (Jordan won, 48-29), so both of us would be 5-0 going into the game.

“If we win, we win the title outright, which Roosevelt hasn’t done since 2002.”

“We really want to get a share of the title,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said.

To do that, the Bulldogs will have to do a better job of pass defense than last week when Jordan amassed 441 yards and seven touchdowns (five by quarterback James Boyd) through the air.

Roosevelt, which is led by senior quarterback Jesse Diaz, runs a spread offense similar to Jordan, but Hernandez adds, “I don’t think they have quite the speed Jordan has.

“There have been times we’ve struggled against good passing teams. Hopefully, we can put some pressure on Diaz. We got to Boyd a few times, although he was pretty hard to bring down.”

Diaz, wide receiver Manny Ayon and a running back-by-committee approach that is led by Jonathan Alatriste, gets most of the attention for Roosevelt.

But Hernandez isn’t overlooking the Rough Rider defense.

“Their defense is really good, especially their middle linebacker (Rafael Ortega),” he said. “He’s really quick to the ball.”

Garfield attempts to counter Roosevelt’s quick-striking offense with a power-oriented ground attack that is built around Sergio Macedo (760 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Franky Diaz (326 yards, one TD). Fullback Omar Hernandez is a short-yardage threat.

Senior quarterback Patrick Vargas, who has thrown for 1,173 yards and 12 touchdowns, has given the Bulldogs a little more balance than it has had in the past.

Defensively, backs Dominic Lam and Lanny Delgado are among the best in the City when it comes to pass coverage.

Rising to the occasion is no concern for Hernandez when it comes to Garfield.

“Our guys always play to the level of the competition,” he said.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 13.NOV.08

Consider it a lesson learned.

A midseason loss to Roosevelt High School showed the Jordan football team it can’t take anything for granted once it steps on the field.

The Bulldog showed they learned from their mistakes by administering a 48-29 thrashing last Friday to a Garfield team that had not lost an Eastern League game to that point.

And coach Elijah Asante promises Jordan will take a similar approach Frday in its final regular-season game, even if the opponent is cellar-dwelling South Gate (1-8, 0-5).

“We got caught taking Roosevelt lightly and it cost us,” Asante said. “That’s why we have to take South Gate seriously.”

That said, Jordan (5-4, 4-1) shouldn’t have too much trouble in its final tuneup before the start of the City Section playoffs next week.

When their high-powered spread offense is clicking on all cylinders, there isn’t much any team, even one the caliber of Garfield, can do to stop it.

Quarterback James Boyd, the trigger man, threw five touchdown passes and finished 14-for-27 for 327 yards. Delvon Purvis caught seven passes for 128 yards, including four for touchdowns.

“Delvon was the star of the game,” Asante said. “He was dominant tonight.”

Jordan’s versatility is such that Deshawn Beck lined up at quarterback in the first quarter and tossed scoring passes of 62 yards to Purvis and 52 yards to Robert Lewis. Beck, who had four catches for 138 yards, hauled in a 60-yard touchdown pass from Boyd in the fourth quarter after Garfield had closed the gap to 34-29.

Boyd, who now has 32 touchdown passes, closed out the scoring with a 39-yard scoring toss to Brandon Caldwell.

“I’ve never seen them play so perfect,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “They seemed to have another gear out there. We just couldn’t stop them.”

Garfield (5-4, 4-1), which faces first-place Roosevelt (8-1, 5-0) at East L.A. College Friday, displayed pretty good balance.

Patrick Vargas completed 13 of 21 for 169 yards and a score and Franky Diaz led the ground attack with 92 yards on 25 carries. Sergio Macedo ran for a pair of touchdown and gained 73 yards on 13 carries.

Michelle Serrato would love to play in the East Los Angeles Classic on Friday night, but only if her coach thought the Roosevelt fullback could help the Rough Riders defeat their archrival in the biggest game of the season.

"She says, 'Don't do me any favors. I want to earn everything I get,' " Coach Javier Cid said.

Serrato, who also plays on special teams, participated in Roosevelt's 39-29 victory over Huntington Park last Friday and got a few carries earlier in the season against L.A. Contreras, making her decision to play with the boys seem worthwhile.

"Practice and everything is all worth it in the end when you're on the field and play in the games," said Serrato, who is 5 feet 6 and 155 pounds.

Cid said he doesn't give Serrato special treatment because of her gender.

"I told her, 'Hey, I'm not going to let you play just because you're a girl,' " he said. " 'Is that what you expect? If you're going to get any playing time it's because you earn it.' "

Serrato said she hasn't been subjected to any ribbing.

"For the most part, everybody's positive and asks me how it is playing on the team and if it's difficult to keep up with the boys," she said. "I've been playing since I was a freshman, so I've kind of learned to catch up with them."

Serrato nearly had a female counterpart in the East L.A. Classic last year. Cid and Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez had talked about letting Serrato match up against Bulldogs defensive end Stephanie Lopez, but Lopez quit the team early in the season.

"That would have been a neat deal," Hernandez said. "[Lopez] was stronger than a lot of boys on the team."

--Ben Bolch

Photo: Roosevelt fullback Michelle Serrato. Credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times

He has passed for 1,726 yards and 18 touchdowns with just one interception. And Roosevelt (8-1) has won eight consecutive games, including a 5-0 mark in the Eastern League.

"He's a much better quarterback," Coach Javier Cid.

Roosevelt is a much better team considering the Roughriders made it to the City Invitational playoffs last year only after Jefferson failed to show up for a film exchange. In fact, Roosevelt is the overwhelming favorite to win the City Invitational title and probably could be competitive in the City Championship Division.

Cid said next season, Roosevelt would consider moving up to the Championship Division, just like Garfield (5-4) decided to do.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Barbara Fiege, the City Section commissioner, said the decision is "pretty solid."

The district could not afford to play the City Championship Division final at the Coliseum because of budget issues. The game had been played at the Coliseum for 12 years.

The City Invitational final will start at 4 p.m., followed by the Championship Division at 7:30 p.m.

-- Eric Sondheimer

The Bulldogs host Jordan (4-4, 3-1) at 7 p.m. Friday. Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez has a game plan similar to the one Roosevelt had when it knocked off Jordan, 33-21.

“We want to go right at them and control the ball,” Hernandez said. “We want to give them the long field and not give up the big play.”

There will be a lot of pressure on defensive backs such as Lanny Delgado and Dominic Lam to stay with Jordan’s talented receivers, DeShawn Beck, Delvon Purvis and Brandon Caldwell.

USC-bound quarterback James Boyd is another major challenge for Garfield. He has thrown for 2,735 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Last week in a 53-14 Eastern League rout of South East, Boyd accounted for seven touchdowns, including one on a reception. He was 26-for-36 for 368 yards and four TDs through the air and rushed eight times for 50 yards and two scores.

“Defensively, we need Lanny and Lam to shut their receivers down and have our defensive ends put enough pressure on Boyd to force him into quick decisions.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 06.NOV.08 If it worked for Roosevelt High School, why can’t it work for archrival Garfield?

The issue in question: Putting the breaks to Jordan’s explosive spread offense.

Roosevelt had the answer a couple of weeks ago by completely taking the air out of the football (by throwing only one pass) in a 33-21 victory over the Bulldogs.

Garfield, which hosts Jordan at 7 p.m. Friday in a pivotal Eastern League game, is planning on taking a similar approach.

“We want to go right at them and try to control the ball,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Our whole goal is to be patient, give them the long field and not give up the big play and be in the game in the fourth quarter.”

Since Garfield (5-3, 4-0) is tied for first place with Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0), a win is imperative against Jordan (4-4, 3-1) with next week’s East L.A. Classic looming.

That means finding a way to control USC-bound quarterback James Boyd and a group of talented receivers, headed by the likes of DeShawn Beck, Delvon Purvis, Brandon Caldwell and Robert Lewis.

Boyd, a 6-foot-5, 225-pounder who also plays defensive end, has passed for 2,735 yards and 27 touchdowns. He accounted for seven TDs in last week’s 53-14 thrashing of South East.

In addition to throwing for 368 yards and four scores and running for a pair of touchdowns, Boyd caught a scoring pass.

Purvis (eight catches for 103 yards), Caldwell (five for 108, two TDs) and Lewis (six for 73, TD) did their share of damage against South East.

“Defensively, we’re going to rely on (backs) Lanny Delgado and Dominic Lam to shut those guys down,” Hernandez said. “Our defensive ends are super fast, so hopefully, they’ll force Boyd to make some quick decisions.”

Garfield is coming off a 22-7 win over Huntington Park (4-3, 2-2).

Tailback Sergio Macedo (17 carries for 78 yards) and fullback Omar Hernandez (five for 32) ran for touchdowns and quarterback Patrick Vargas (11-for-17 for 122 yards) passed for one to tight end Aaron Salas to pace the Bulldogs.

“I thought our defense did a great job,” Hernandez said. “We forced two or three turnovers.”

Huntington Park, which is at Roosevelt Friday, got a solid performance from Hector De La Rosa, who carried 14 times for 108 yards and a TD against Garfield.

South East (2-7, 1-4) hosts South Gate (1-7, 0-4).

Bell (4-4, 1-4) knocked off South Gate, 24-7 last Friday in the other league game. Julian Leon ran for 68 yards on 19 carries, while Juan Lucero and Antonio Williams had scoring runs for the Eagles. Francisco Rodriguez had a touchdown pass to Jaime Villa.

Felipe Valdez rushed for 36 yards and caught a pass for 17 yards for South Gate.

Some folks might think playing for smudge pots or leather helmets is great, but the storied rivalry between Garfield and Roosevelt is arguably one of the nation's greatest high school events. The game typically draws about 20,000 fans (about twice as much as Servite-Mater Dei), pitting neighbor against neighbor in a community that shares a unbreakable bond with its respective team.

But I want you to tell me why this rivalry is so great. Is it the history, the community or just great football? I'll be heading out to East Los Angeles College on Nov. 14, and I want to get a feeling as to what this game means to people who've actually been apart of it. Free feel to use the comment board to post your thoughts.

Also, who's the favorite to win this game? Roosevelt leads the all-time series (39-26-7) and proved its definitely one of the City Section's best with its upset over Jordan a couple of weeks back. Of course, Garfield's season-opening triumph over two-time defending champions Birmingham was very impressive.

I'll leave you with some video highlights of the 2006 game:

East Los Angeles Classic Football Game 2006. Garfield Vs Rooseve - video powered by Metacafe

-- Austin Knoblauch

Aguirre thought he had an agreement to play the City Championship Division final at the Coliseum on Dec. 13 but no longer.

"I was verbally given significantly less in prices," he said of an original proposal.

A written offer to rent the Coliseum is $30,000 above what the City had planned.

L.A. Southwest College and four high schools _ Birmingham, Crenshaw, Granada Hills and San Pedro _ are under consideration as sites for the City Championship Division final on Dec. 13 and the City Invitational final on Dec. 12.

Aguirre said he is still planning to make a counter offer to the Coliseum this week, but he's not optimistic of getting an agreement that the City Section can afford.

Not playing at the Coliseum would be a big disappointment to the high school football players in the City Section. The game has been played at the historic facility every season since 1996.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Everyone knows about USC bound James Boyd (Los Angeles, Calif./Jordan) but the Jordan High Bulldogs have a handful of other Div. I prospects as well.

Delvon Purvis is an explosive receiver and is also getting looks on the defensive side of the ball. In six games, Purvis has 34 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns to go with 36 tackles and a sack from his corner position.

"No one has offered yet but USC has already told me he's going to get a late offer from them," Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. "They like him as an athlete who could play on special teams and also at receiver.

"If Delvon does get that offer from them, he'll likely jump on it on the spot. That's his dream school and he really believes he can play there. He understands the competition they have but he's confident in his ability on the field."

Defensive back Eric Hunter is another two-way standout, and he does a little of everything for Jordan. He has rushed nine times for 85 yards and two touchdowns, caught 24 passes for 290 yards and three more scores and has 39 tackles from his safety position.

"He's being recruited as a defensive back," Asante said. "Oregon and Arizona are both close to offering him and he's basically hearing from the entire Pac 10 right now. He was all-city last year and is having a great season for us. He's a definite Pac 10 level player."

In terms of overall upside, the player with the most natural ability on the team might be junior receiver Deshawn Beck. Beck is on the ESPNU 2010 Watch List and will be recruited at the national level this coming spring.

Beck has caught 46 passes for 668 yards and nine touchdowns. He has also rushed for 142 yards and a score and is one of the fastest players in the state having clocked a 4.47-40 at the USC Rising Stars camp last summer.

"Once his highlight video comes out, which will probably be in a week or so, everyone is going to be amazed," Asante said. "He has some runs on there that are amazing and his stats would be even better but he has had a few touchdowns called back.

"Honestly, when you see this tape, it's going to remind people of Noel Devine's high school film that had the whole country buzzing. He has chance to break all the records and should finish with 100 catches and 20 touchdowns this year."

Surprisingly, no one has offered Beck yet but according to Asante, they should come flooding in when his film gets out.

"Everyone knows about him and his ability speaks for itself. He's going to have offers from everyone and unlike a lot of kids out here, he's not locked in for USC. I think he wants to get away from home and really likes Miami and Cal. Miami is his dream school as a kid and he loves Cal's offense."

Garfield is 5-3 overall, 4-0 in league.

The Bulldogs, 4-3 overall and 3-0 in league, travel to Huntington Park Thursday to face the 4-2, 2-1 Spartans in a pivotal contest.

Jordan (3-4, 2-1) and Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0) close out the schedule the final two weeks for Garfield, a 43-6 winner over South Gate (1-6, 0-3) last week.

“This week will be an indicator of how good we are,” Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Huntington Park is a good, well-disciplined team.

“Hopefully, we’ll come with our ‘A’ game because Leroy Wilson teams are well coached.”

The Bulldogs didn’t get much of a test against a rebuilding South Gate team.

They were up, 35-0 by halftime and coasted the rest of the way.

Sergio Macedo ran for more than 150 yards and a touchdown, while Damian Guzman and Marcos Villasenor ran effectively for the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Patrick Vargas added a pair of scoring passes.

By proverbally taking the air out of the football, Roosevelt High School was able to ground one of the City’s most explosive teams in Jordan last Friday, the result a 33-21 Eastern League victory.

Despite featuring an All-City quarterback in Jesse Diaz, who entered the game with 1,494 yards passing, the Rough Riders went in the other direction to pull off the upset.

Diaz threw one pass (it was incomplete), relying instead on a running game that totaled 391 yards and controlled the ball for at least 30 of the 48 minutes.

Would Roosevelt coach Javier Cid define it as the perfect game plan?

“Because we won, I would say, yes,” he said. “We had the run working so well, we didn’t have to pass.

“It was all about being patient. The first time we had the ball, we went three and out and punted. We never punted again.

“The next we got the ball, we went 90 yards and fumbled. But we knew we could move the ball. Then we started clicking. We wanted to take a lot of time off the clock, then score. After we recovered an onside kick to start the second half, we took seven minutes off the clock and scored.”

Also, for the plan to work, the Riders had to minimize big plays by Jordan, which features the City’s top passer in James Boyd and a group of explosive receivers. Boyd completed 12 of 30 for 186 yards and three touchdowns, but was also intercepted twice.

The turnovers (there was also a fumble recovery) and the onside kick were key because, “We turned all of them into scores,” Cid said. “Defensively, we rushed three and played eight in pass coverage. We wanted to eliminate the long passes and keep everything in front of us.”

Jose Guillen rushed for 141 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries to lead the Rough Riders, but had plenty of help. Jonathan Alatriste carried 17 times for 83 yards, Isaac Huerta carried 12 times for 76 yards and a score and Alex Ramirez had 65 yards on four carries. Fullback Elgin Rosales added 18 yards on four carries.

Because he threw only one pass, Diaz’ contributions were more subtle, though, hardly insignificant.

“I told Jesse that quarterbacks, besides throwing passes, have to manage the game,” Cid said. “They have to get the handoffs off and run the clock. He did a terrific job of that.”

The Riders (7-1, 4-0) take a half-game lead in the league race into their bye week. They return to action next week against Huntington Park (4-2, 2-1).

“Huntington Park is very tough,” he said. “We’ve lost to them two years in a row. They’re very physical.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 30.OCT.08
For South East High School to pull off an upset, all it has to do is look to Roosevelt’s game plan last week as the model.

The Jaguars (2-6, 1-3) host defending champion Jordan (3-4, 2-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday in an Eastern League game. Jordan is still smarting from a 33-21 loss to Roosevelt (7-0, 4-0), which has a half-game lead in the standings.

It is how Roosevelt defeated Jordan that has to draw the attention of the South East coaching staff.

In order to slow the Bulldogs’ explosive passing offense, the Rough Riders literally took the air out of the ball. Though it possessed an All-City quarterback in Jesse Diaz, who was averaging 249 yards per game passing, Roosevelt took a dramatic shift by attempting only one pass (it was incomplete).

The strategy worked to perfection since the Rough Riders controlled the ball for approximately 30 of the 48 minutes while rushing for 391 yards on 55 carries.

“For us to have a chance, we had to do it that way,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “We wanted to run a lot of time off the clock, then score. I’d have to say our game plan worked to perfection.”

South East, a 31-0 winner over Bell last week, has the personnel to make it work.

Tailback Senen Carson, the league’s top rusher, is approaching 1,000 yards on the ground this year. He carried 16 times for 92 yards and a touchdown against Bell (3-4, 0-4).

The Jaguars have another dependable runner in Ramon Altamirano, who had a season-high 116 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries last week.

If they need to throw, the Jaguars can rely on quarterback Jonathan Reyes (7-for-17 for 123 yards, TD last week) and receiver Fernando Magana (four catches for 57 yards, TD).

Bell hosts South Gate (1-6, 0-3) in a clash of the league’s bottom two teams.

Against South East, Julian Leon rushed for 62 yards on 16 carries to lead the Eagles offensively.

Juan Lucero had four solo tackles and 11 assists and Jonathan Valdivia had two interceptions to pace them defensively.

South Gate looks to bounce back after a 43-6 loss to Garfield (4-3, 3-0).

The Rams, who were down, 36-0 at halftime, didn’t score until the fourth quarter when Donaven Huff (6-for-9 for 56 yards) threw a touchdown pass to Josue Valdez.

Felipe Valdez (nine solos, six assists) and Steven Ibarra (five solos, eight assists) led South Gate defensively.

In the other Eastern League game, Garfield is at Huntington Park (4-2, 2-1) Thursday. H.P. had a bye last week.

- Photo by Jackie Satti

Cid's quarterback, Jesse Diaz, came in having passed for 1,494 yards and 14 touchdowns with one interception.

So what was Cid's game plan against Jordan? He had Diaz attempt only one pass, and it fell incomplete. The Roughriders rushed for 391 yards, which kept the ball away from Jordan's high-powered offense.

"The way you beat Jordan is by running the ball straight at them," Cid said.

It was Roosevelt's seventh consecutive victory after a season-opening loss to Torrey Pines.

And afterward, Diaz didn't mind that his passing stats took a beating.

"He loved it," Cid said. "He understands it's a team effort. He did an outstanding job managing the game. He took so much time off the clock. He was the MVP of the game."

But is Roosevelt going to pass only once in a game again?

"It's the first time and hopefully the last," Cid said.

Sondheimer is a Times staff writer.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

James Boyd (Jordan) 20 of 31 for 363 yards, 4 TDs in 44-27 win over Huntington Park

Jesse Diaz (Roosevelt) 8 of 11 for 258 yards, 3 TDs in 44-3 win over Bell

Jonathan Reyes (South East) 7 of 23 for 103 yards in 28-14 loss to Garfield

RUSHING Eric Velazquez (Huntington Park) 15 carries for 100 yards

RECEIVING Delvon Purvis (Jordan) 8 catches for 181 yards, 3 TDs

Manny Ayon (Roosevelt) 4 catches for 103 yards, TD

Brandon Caldwell (Jordan) 3 catches for 155 yards, TD

"It's a school site issue, but we've tried to keep the lid on that for the elusive equal playing field," Commissioner Barbara Fiege said. "It's just starting to be talked about."

That means a change probably won't happen until late this season or next season, but change is coming, and coaches may finally get to turn on the lights to help increase use of their field site.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Brandon Caldwell (six catches for 120 yards, TD), Delvon Purvis (five for 81, TD), Robert Lewis (five for 45, TD) and Deshawn Beck (for four for 79, two TDs) shared the receiving wealth. Beck also had an interception.

Patrick Wooten was busy on defense with nine solo tackles and two assists.

Jordan (3-3, 2-0) hosts Roosevelt (6-1, 3-0) at Gardena Friday in a showdown of unbeaten teams in league.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 23.OCT.08

In the view of Roosevelt High School coach Javier Cid, there’s only one way to slow down Jordan’s high-powered spread offense.

And that’s to play keep-away.

Cid’s theory gets tested Friday when the Rough Riders (6-1, 3-0) take on Jordan (3-3, 2-0) at Gardena.

Roosevelt, which has a half-game lead over Jordan and Garfield (3-3, 2-0), is coming off a 36-29 victory over South East. The challenge will be improving on that considering Jordan quarterback James Boyd is coming off a performance in which he passed for 424 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-0 rout of Bell.

“They’ve got a lot of speed and are very athletic, so we’re going to try and slow the game down as much as possible,” Cid said. “They have an excellent quarterback who makes things happen and five great athletes at wide receiver.

“We’re going to get in our jumbo package and try to run the ball, to possess it as much as possible.”

The Rough Riders are hardly hurting themselves from an offensive standpoint. Jesse Diaz completed 15 of 21 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 70 yards on nine carries to key an offense that piled up 486 yards against South East (1-6, 0-3).

Manny Ayon (seven catches for 104 yards, TD), Alex Ramirez (35-yard scoring reception) and Tino Lomeli (12-yarder) give Diaz some excellent targets to throw to.

But if Cid’s plan goes the way he wants, running backs Jonathan Alatriste (seven carries for 56 yards against South East) and Jose Guillen (four for 32, TD) have to be productive.

“We don’t want to get into a passing match with them,” Cid said. “We want to pound them.”

Boyd, who has thrown for 2,170 yards and 20 touchdowns in six games, will not make it easy for Roosevelt to carry out its game plan.

Receivers Deshawn Beck, Delvon Purvis, Brandon Caldwell and Robert Lewis have made life miserable for opponents once they get into space. Caldwell caught six for 120 yards and a touchdown and Purvis caught five for 81 and a score against Bell.

Cid feels fortunate to be heading into this game still undefeated in league.

South East, behind quarterback Jonathan Reyes (12-of-28 for 132 yards, two TDs), converted four fourth-and-10 plays and recovered an onsides kick in the fourth quarter to keep the outcome in doubt until the end.

Reyes had scoring passes to Jorge Lopez and Fernando Magana and Senen Carson rushed for 124 yards and another touchdown to pace the Jaguars.

“They almost pulled it out,” Cid said. “Jonathan Reyes did real well and so did their receivers. They’re 1-6, but playing pretty good football. That’s the best 1-6 team I’ve ever seen. They could have won that game.”

----------

Garfield comes off its bye week with a game at South Gate (1-5, 0-2) Friday.

Balance has been the hallmark of Garfield through the first six games.

Sergio Macedo (103 carries for 474 yards, six TDs) and Franky Diaz (44 for 161, one) lead the ground game. Patrick Vargas has completed 54 percent of his passes for 832 yards and nine TDs with seven interceptions.

Lanny Delgado, the leading receiver with 15 for 210 yards and two scores, has a team-best three interceptions on defense.

South Gate is looking to rebound from a 46-6 loss to Huntington Park (4-2, 2-1).

Donovan Huff (5-for-10 for 58 yards) and Irving Villasenor (7-for-13 for 57) shared the quarterback duties. Huff had a scoring pass to Josue Valdez in the fourth quarter.

Hector De La Rosa and Eric Velazquez each scored a pair of touchdowns for the winning Spartans. De La Rosa ran 35 yards for one score and hauled in an 18-yard pass from Arnie Murillo for the other. Velazquez scored on a kickoff return and fumble recovery.

- Photo by Jackie Satti

Through the first six games of the season, Boyd has accumulated 529 more yards passing and six more touchdowns, and has a better completion percentage. Each player has 11 interceptions and has faced a similar level of competition.

"I don't see a better quarterback in the country," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said of Boyd, who has completed 159 of 271 passes (58.7%) for 2,175 yards and 20 touchdowns. Barkley has completed 107 of 189 passes (56.6%) for 1,646 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Though Boyd has committed to USC to play defensive end, things could get interesting if another big-name college enters the recruiting fray and tells the two-way standout that it wants him as its quarterback.

"He loves to play quarterback," Asante said.

Asante said the Bulldogs were really starting to click on offense and predicted that Boyd would tally at least 500 yards passing per game the rest of the season. Now that would be something.

-- Ben Bolch

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 16.OCT.08
Though it didn’t result in a victory, Huntington Park High School’s approach to Jordan will serve as a model to the remainder of the Eastern League teams on the Bulldogs’ schedule.

Jordan provided just enough big plays to offset the time of possession advantage held by the Spartans and come away with a 44-27 victory that was tougher than the final score indicated.

Currently 2-3 overall and 1-0 in league, the Bulldogs visit Bell, 3-2, 0-2, Friday. The Eagles are reeling from a 44-3 loss to Roosevelt.

The Spartans, 3-2, 1-1, are at South Gate, 1-4, 0-1 Friday.

Though Huntington Park put together several time-consuming drives that kept the game in doubt until the final six minutes, Jordan offset that with touchdowns covering 88, 88, 81 and 41 yards. The Spartans held a 66-43 advantage in plays, yet the Bulldogs outgained them, 446-327.

James Boyd completed 20 of 31 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns for Jordan. All four scoring passes and 284 of the yards were during a first half in which the Bulldogs were building a 26-7 lead.

Wide receiver Deshawn Beck also took a few snaps at quarterback and completed three of four for 93 yards and a touchdown.

“This win is huge because it’s over one of the premier teams in our league,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “They were playing keepaway and we still scored 44 points.”

Asante, who earned his first road win over the Spartans in his six years at the Jordan helm, praised his coaching counterpart.

“Leroy Wilson is one of the best coaches I’ve ever gone against,” he said. “He has to be one of the five best coaches in the City (Section). His teams are always well coached.”

While Boyd had his usual solid effort at quarterback, the Bulldogs also got superior efforts from the wide receiver crew.

Delvon Purvis, a senior who is being looked at by USC, according to Asante, caught eight passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns, including an 81-yarder in the second quarter in which he turned a 10-yard outpattern into a streak down the sidelines.

Brandon Caldwell turned a similar pattern in the first period into an 88-yard scoring play. Caldwell had 155 yards on three catches.

Beck, who caught a one-yard scoring pass from Boyd just before the end of the half, returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown 19 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Then just after the Spartans had closed the gap to 32-27 by converting a halfback-pass to Eric Velazquez on fourth down for a score with 6:15 left, the Bulldogs struck with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Beck to Purvis. Eric Hunter’s five-yard run as time expired accounted for the final points.

On the big plays, Asante said, “We just took advantage of one-on-one mismatches.”

As for why it took so long to put the Spartans away, he said, “Their keep-away style prevented us from doing that. They rely on three-and-a-half yards per carry and don’t deviate from that. They wait for you to makes mistakes.”

Huntington Park led, 7-6 after one quarter thanks to a seven-minute, 75-yard drive that ended with Carlos Hernandez scoring on a one-yard run and Michael Ruiz kicking the extra point.

Arnie Murillo’s 41-yard scoring pass to Hector De La Rosa 50 seconds into the third quarter got the Spartans within 12 points of Jordan.

An interception by Ricardo Ramirez set up the next H.P. score, a two-yard run by Rios that closed the gap to 26-20.

The Spartans netted 226 yards on the ground with Velazquez gaining 100 on 15 carries. De La Rosa carried 13 times for 64 yards and caught three passes for 72. Murillo was 5-for-10 for 86 yards.

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Garfield (3-3, 2-0), the co-leader in the Eastern League race, knocked off South East, 28-14.

South East (1-5, 0-2), which visits co-leading Roosevelt (5-1, 2-0) Friday, has been pretty good offensively this year with quarterback Jonathan Reyes and running back Senen Carson giving the Jaguars good balance.

“They have a pretty good little passer and Senen Carson is probably the best running back in the league,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “They’ve been scoring a lot of points and every one of the games they’ve lost has been close, except for one.”

Reyes completed seven of 23 for 103 yards and Carson rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries against Garfield. Jorge Lopez caught three passes for 73 yards and stood out defensively with 10 solo tackles and two assists.

Cesar Gonzalez kicked a pair of field goals for the Jaguars.

Huntington Park High School's Eric Velazquez celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against Jordan.
- Photo by Gary McCarthy

The Rough Riders, at 5-1 overall and 2-0 in league, share the top spot in the standings with Garfield (3-3, 2-0).

South East, on the other hand, is 1-5 and 0-2. Another loss puts their playoff hopes in jeopardy, meaning the Jaguars are in a must-win situation.

Though they are at opposite ends of the standings, Roosevelt coach Javier Cid is not taking the Jaguars lightly.

“We’ve lost to them the last two years,” he said. “We need to go 3-0, but they’re looking to rebound. They need to beat us if they want to go to the playoffs, so I’m expecting a difficult game. Except for one, every one of their losses has been close.”

South East has some threats on the offensive end.

Quarterback Jonathan Reyes is one of the Eastern League’s top passers, wide receiver Fernando Magana is one of its top receivers and tailback Senen Carson is generally regarded as the premier ball carrier.

“They’ve got a pretty good little passer who is close to 1,000 yards,” Cid said. “They have probably the best running back in the league in Senen Carson. They’ve been scoring a lot of points.”

So has Roosevelt, which is coming off a 44-3 rout of Bell (3-2, 0-2).

Playing nearly penalty-free football, the Rough Riders rolled behind the passing of Jesse Diaz, who threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns despite throwing only 11 passes (he completed eight). He lost credit for a fourth scoring pass when Alex Ramirez, at the end of a 55-yard gain, had the ball knocked loose. It rolled into the end zone where Ramirez recovered for the touchdown.

Diaz did get credit for scoring tosses to Manny Ayon (67 yards), Jose Guillen (30) and Elgin Rosales (69). Ayon had four catches for 103 yards.

Sophomore running back Isaac Huerta, playing primarily in the fourth quarter, rushed for a team-high 55 yards on eight carries and scored the final touchdown on a six-yard run.

Safety Daryl Lazo’s 45-yard interception return for a score highlighted a defensive effort that featured three turnovers.

“The big key for us was limiting our penalties,” Cid said. “We didn’t have the penalties we usually have. We moved the ball on everyone, but have hurt ourselves in the past.

“Defensively, we were solid. They (Eagles) were missing their quarterback, so it made them one-dimensional. We only had to worry about stopping the run.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 16.OCT.08 Garfield High School put together three solid quarters of football last Friday, good enough for a win but not good enough to satisfy the coach.

Though the 28-14 decision over South East sends the Bulldogs into their bye week at 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the Eastern League, there will be things to work on in preparation for the remainder of the schedule that resumes Oct. 24.

“I thought we played really well until the last quarter,” Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “We started off well and were ahead, 21-0 at the half.

“Then, maybe we got in a comfort zone. Patrick (Vargas) was throwing well until the final quarter, then he threw three interceptions. We kind of gave them opportunities to score. Their touchdown drives were only 20, 30 yards. It wasn’t like they had to drive the length of the field.”

There were bright spots for Garfield.

Sergio Macedo ran for two touchdowns and Franky Diaz scored one on the ground. Marcos Villasenor took a middle screen 30 yards for another touchdown.

The defense did a solid job of holding down South East’s high-powered offense.

Tailback Senen Carson, the league’s top back, was limited to 47 yards on 16 carries, though he did score once. Jonathan Reyes was limited to seven completions in 23 attempts for 103 yards. Garfield defensive back Lanny Delgado did a good job of shutting down Fernando Magana, the Jaguars’ top receiver.

Hernandez credit defensive coordinator Sergio Martinez for the job on Carson.

“He understands how to stop the run, how to make adjustments,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez welcomes the bye week.

“It’s an opportunity to go back to basics, to let the bodies refuel and get ready for the rest of league,” he said.

Tepa is a Samoan tackling machine. He is controlling games with his nonstop energy. The USC-bound Boyd is the most unusual athlete in the Southland, playing quarterback, defensive end, nose guard and anything he's asked.

For the complete list click on the link below.

Three-star wide receiver Delvon Purvis (5-11, 190, 4.5) from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan is off to an outstanding season. His nickname is “Never Nervous Purvis”. He many never be nervous, but his big playmaking ability sure makes his opponents nervous.

Against a tough preseason that included games against SoCal powerhouse teams Ventura (Calif.) Saint Bonaventure, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and Anaheim (Calif.) Esperanza, Purvis has been making plays as a receiver and special teams player.

In his last contest against Huntington Park, Calif., Purvis hauled in eight receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, Purvis has 29 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns. He has also scored a special teams touchdown.

On the recruiting trail, Purvis is still searching for his first offer, but that first scholie could be coming any day. Schools such as USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington and Arizona State are all looking at him.

Jordan head coach Elijah Asante is sure that his talented wide receiver will soon be getting his first offer.

“When you look at Delvon, it is about his work ethic,” Asante said. “He gets it done in the classroom, the football field and in the community.”

“USC is heavily interested in Delvon and he is very likely to get an offer from the Trojans,” Asante said. “He runs great and precise routes. Delvon is fearless over the middle and will catch the ball in traffic, plus gets yards after the catch.”

“Delvon is also outstanding on special teams,” Asante said. “Against Mater Dei he took the opening kickoff 88 yards to the house to get the ball rolling for Jordan.”

Keep an eye on Purvis, he could be one of those guys who explodes with offers as his senior season progresses.

Purvis earned a spot on the Rivals. com California Preseason Top 100 for the class of 2009 landing as the Golden State’s No. 96 prospect at any position.

Los Angeles Jordan senior quarterback and defensive end James Boyd completed 21 of 37 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns with one interception during the Bulldogs' 44-27 victory over host Huntington Park in their Eastern League opener. Boyd also made two tackles.

Jonathan Reyes (South East) 17 of 23 for 239 yards, TD in 28-23 loss to Huntington Park

Jesse Diaz (Roosevelt) 18 of 30 for 226 yards, 3 TDs in 32-13 win over South Gate

Irving Villasenor (South Gate) 12 of 20 for 127 yards, TD in 32-13 loss to Roosevelt Patrick Vargas (Garfield) 5 of 9 for 91 yards, 2 TDs in 35-0 win over Bell

RUSHING Senen Carson (South East) 28 carries for 189 yards, 2 TDs

Sergio Macedo (Garfield) 18 carries for 109 yards, TD

Jesse Diaz (Roosevelt) 8 carries for 101 yards

Isaac Huerta (Roosevelt) 15 carries for 86 yards, TD

Julian Leon (Bell) 19 carries for 75 yards in 35-0 loss to Garfield

RECEIVING Fernando Magana (South East) 11 catches for 182 yards

Jesse Diaz has engineered some impressive offensive showings over the last three years, but the Roosevelt High School senior quarterback may have outdone himself in last Friday’s 32-13 win over South Gate.

The win in the Eastern League football opener for both schools improved the Rough Riders to 4-1 overall. South Gate is 1-4.

The numbers for Diaz were impressive enough — He was 18-for-30 for 226 yards and three touchdowns through the air and rushed for 101 yards on eight carries.

But the team’s numbers were even more impressive — 550 yards total, including 324 on the ground.

“We didn’t have one punt,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “We either went for it on fourth down in the red zone or we tried to kick field goals (two, which were missed). And Jesse had a big day.”

Diaz had 25- and 16-yard touchdown passes to Matthew Trillo and a 21-yarder to Jose Guillen.

Jonathan Alatriste scored the first touchdown on a seven-yard run.

Sophomore third-string tailback Isaac Huerta, playing mostly in the fourth quarter, carried 15 times for 86 yards and scored on a three-yard run with 11 seconds left.

The Rough Riders used eight different ball carriers and nine different receivers. Manny Ayon was the top pass catcher with four for 48 yards.

The first-team defense limited the Rams to two first downs. South Gate got two more in the fourth quarter against Rough Riders backups.

Next on the schedule for Roosevelt is Bell (3-1), a 35-0 loser to Garfield in its league opener.

“Bell lost its quarterback, so I don’t know what they’re going to do,” Cid said. “I know they have a strong offensive line and are very good offensively. They are an experienced team with a lot of returnees.

“Garfield beat them, 35-0, but a lot of that had to do with the quarterback going out in the second quarter.”

As much as the power programs on the preleague portion of the schedule meant, the more meaningful games are the ones ahead for the Garfield High School football team.

A steady diet of Birmingham, St. Paul, Wilson and San Pedro contributed to an uneven start and 1-3 record for the Bulldogs, who were at least battle tested from the experience.

While not every team in the Eastern League rises to the level of their early-season opponents, the Bulldogs need to treat them as if they were. Based on opening night, they are taking the second half of the regular season seriously.

They got it together last Friday in their Eastern League opener and rolled to a 35-0 victory over previously undefeated Bell.

Dominating in every aspect, Garfield rolled to a 21-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

The Bulldogs host South East (1-4, 0-1), a 28-23 loser to Huntington Park last week, at 7 p.m. Friday.

“The kids came out to play,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “They’re playing at a faster level. League has started and that’s where playoff berths are won, and the kids realize it.”

Patrick Vargas (5-for-9 for 91 yards) threw touchdown passes to Bobby Vargas and Dominic Lam, while Sergio Macedo (18 carries for 109 yards) and Franky Diaz (nine for 33) ran for touchdowns to key the offense.

Special teams produced the other touchdown when Wences Rivas returned a blocked punt 18 yards in the first half.

The defense completely shut down the Eagles, who fell to 3-1. Other than Julian Leon rushing for 75 yards on 19 carries and Antonio Williams adding 44 on 10, Bell did little when it had the ball.

Some of Bell’s problems could be attributed to the loss of its starting quarterback to injury. Once he went out, the Eagles pretty much had to shelve the passing game.

“I think we’re going to have a better contest with South East,” Hernandez said.

The Jaguars feature the league’s top tailback in Senen Carson, who rushed for 189 yards and two touchdowns against Huntington Park. Their passing combination of quarterback Jonathan Reyes and wide receiver Fernando Magana has also been effective. Reyes was 17 of 23 for 239 yards, with Magana catching 11 for 182 yards last week.

“Carson is always a threat and Magana is really good,” Hernandez said. “I really like their rover, Danny Cu.”

Hernandez feels he’ll have a better handle on how the league teams stack up after Friday. The matchups include Jordan at Huntington Park and Bell at Roosevelt.

“After this week, we’ll have a sign of where everybody is at,” he said.

Huntington Park High is one of the co-leaders in the Eastern League football race heading into Friday’s home game with Jordan.

But the Spartans (3-1 overall) had to do a highwire act last week to remain that way. After Jorge Rios’ 30-yard touchdown run gave them a 28-23 lead, the Spartans saw South East drive to the H.P. 15 in the closing seconds turning the ball over on downs.

They withstood a 28-carry, 189-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance from Senen Carson and 239 yards passing from Jonathan Reyes of South East to secure the win.

The defense faces another assault this week in Jordan (1-3), which is coming off a bye after losing a wild one to Mater Dei, 49-32 the previous week.

Jordan, the defending league champion, is led by quarterback/defensive end James Boyd, who leads the league in passing yards (1,349), tackles (56) and sacks (six). The USC-bound senior threw a state-record 73 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns against Mater Dei.

In the other Eastern League games Friday, South East is at Garfield (2-3, 1-0) and Bell (3-1, 0-1) is at Roosevelt (4-1, 1-0). All have 7 p.m. starts.

Last Friday, Garfield crushed Bell, 35-0 and Roosevelt pounded South Gate, 32-13.

Garfield got a pair of touchdown passes from Patrick Vargas and scoring runs from Sergio Macedo and Franky Diaz against Bell.

Sophomore tailback Julian Leon (19 carries for 75 yards) and Antonio Williams (10 for 44) were Bell’s top offensive threats.

Defensively, Juan Lucero led the Eagles with four solo tackles and five assists.

Roosevelt piled up 550 yards of total offense in its rout of South Gate.

Jesse Diaz completed 18 of 30 for 226 yards and three scores and ran for 101 yards on eight carries to pace the Rough Riders.

South Gate quarterback Irving Villasenor completed 12 of 20 for 127 yards and a touchdown. Felipe Valdez rushed for 59 yards and caught four passes for 59, including the scoring play. Josue Valdez ran for a TD and had 56 yards on three carries.

Felipe Valdez had nine solo tackles and six assists to lead the Ram defense.

South East had one last drive to win it, but it turned the ball over on downs at the H.P. 15-yard line.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 02.OCT.08 Now is the time the Garfield High School football team finds out if its rugged preleague schedule pays off.

After going 1-3 during a run that included Birmingham, St. Paul, L.A. Wilson and San Pedro, the Bulldogs face a test that really matters when they open Eastern League play at Bell Friday.

Bell (3-0), under co-coaches Frank Medina and Ramon Ochoa, is the league’s only team to get through preleague unbeaten.

Though, the Eagles didn’t face the same level of competition as Garfield, Bulldog coach Lorenzo Hernandez is wary of his opponent.

“I don’t care who they’ve played,” he said. “They are 3-0, they’ve got an awesome running back (sophomore Julian Leon) and are very big. Their line averages 5-11, 6-0 and 250 pounds. Their tight end is a monster. They run that power-I and will be tough.”

In last week’s 28-6 win over Eagle Rock, Leon ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Francisco Rodriguez provided just enough passing to keep the defenses honest by throwing for 43 yards and a score (to Andrew Ruiz).

Garfield, on the other hand, is trying to end a three-game losing streak.

Since the 29-28 upset of defending City Division champion Birmingham in the opener, the Bulldogs have been on the short end of scores the last three weeks. The 24-3 loss to San Pedro, though, didn’t reflect the competitive nature of the contest.

It was 3-3 until late in the third quarter when San Pedro scored two quick touchdowns. One was on an interception return and before the Bulldogs knew it, the game was out of reach.

“I thought we played hard,” Hernandez said. “It was even looking decent for us when it was 10-3. Then the pick went the other way.”

Quarterback Patrick Vargas completed 14 of 27 for 133 yards and Sergio Macedo paced the ground game with 41 yards on 16 carries. Lanny Delgado had five receptions for 54 yards.

The only points were provided by Julio Silva on a 26-yard field goal that tied the score, 3-3 in the third quarter.

Gabriel Soto (seven solo tackles, two assists) and Moses Saucedo (two sacks, four solos) paced the defense.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 02.OCT.08 There are probably few past victories that made Jordan High School football coach Elijah Asante as proud of his team than last Thursday’s 49-32 loss to one of the state’s premier programs, Mater Dei.

Though severely outmanned (Mater Dei had an 82-man roster, Jordan’s was 24 strong, virtually all of whom played the entire 48 minutes), the Bulldogs hung tough for most of the night before running out of gas in the final quarter.

With fatigue exhibiting itself in Bulldogs being treated for cramps on seemingly every play, Mater Dei scored 22 points in the final 4:28 of the third quarter to turn a see-saw game into the 17-point margin it would end up.

“I just love these kids to death,” Asante said. “What great heart. How could you do better against a team like this.”

What Asante has been trying to achieve with a killer preleague schedule that also included Orange County power Esperanza (9-8 loss) and St. Bonaventure (38-20 setback) was get his team so battle tested, it would be able to handle anything it faced once Eastern League play, then the City Section playoffs arrived.

You can’t get more battle-tested than facing Mater Dei, a nationally-recognized program that is 3-1 and features maybe the nation’s number one prep quarterback in USC-bound Matt Barkley.

“I chose this game for a reason, and that’s because it is nationally-recognized,” Asante said. “From the coaches, to the players, to the fans, to the boosters, to the cheerleaders, to this field (Santa Ana Stadium), it’s top-notch. It’s won two national championships and has had two Heisman Trophy winners (John Huarte and Matt Leinart).

“So to fall short is no shame. We scared them to death for three quarters, then attrition got to us. We just didn’t have the depth to play with them for four quarters.”

Mater Dei had to be stunned when Jordan jumped out to a 20-0 lead before the game was five minutes old.

Delvon Purvis returned the opening kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. Deshawn Beck then drilled Barkley from behind on a sack, forcing a fumble that Donte Gray returned 33 yards to the 10. A two-yard scoring pass from James Boyd to Beck followed. Minutes later Beck intercepted a Barkley pass, returning it 79 yards for another touchdown.

Although the Monarchs would score three times before the quarter expired to take a 21-20 lead, Jordan kept counter-punching.

Boyd’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Eric Hunter early in the second quarter enabled the Bulldogs to regain the lead at 26-21. Then with 9:54 to play, Boyd’s 66-yard pass to Beck gave Jordan its last lead at 32-27.

Stamina would ultimately be the difference.

Nobody represented that as much as Boyd, the Bulldogs’ USC-bound quarterback and defensive end. The senior launched a state-record 73 passes, completing 36 for 409 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, he recorded seven tackles, including a key fourth-down stop of running back Jared Allen for no gain that gave the Bulldogs possession.

Beck had 12 receptions for 145 yards and Purvis had 10 for 90. Robert Lewis (eight for 92) and Hunter (five for 77) were also productive receivers.

The defense even made life tough for Barkley (17 of 36 for 244 yards), intercepting him twice. Raymond Ford killed one Monarch scoring threat in the first half with an end-zone interception.

Jordan (1-3) has a much-welcomed bye this week before opening the Eastern League Oct. 10 at Huntington Park.

“What we will take from this is the competition level,” Asante said. “There is no higher level than the teams we played. Playing these teams expose your weaknesses and helps you make adjustments.”

- Photo by Marinmedia.org

Riding on the Los Angeles Jordan team bus from Watts to Santa Ana on Thursday night for its game against Mater Dei, I made the mistake of asking a stupid question of Coach Elijah Asante.

I was wondering whether his team of 25 players might be intimidated when first walking into Santa Ana Stadium and seeing 82 Mater Dei players dressed in their pristine red uniforms.

"I've been to four funerals this year," Asante said.

"Do you think these kids are intimidated? It's just football."

What I learned spending eight hours behind the scenes with the Bulldogs is that they have a coach making a difference, and they have players who follow instructions, are willing to sacrifice their bodies for the good of the team and are proud of where they come from.

Asante is a USC law-school graduate who gave up entertainment law for the love of coaching. He beat out 10 other candidates to become Jordan's head coach four years ago, and what a job he has done building the program.

While others laughed at his idea of scheduling Southern Section powers Anaheim Esperanza, Ventura St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei for three consecutive nonleague games, his team has come out of the experience much stronger and ready to make a run at a City Championship despite a 1-3 record.

"Our environment isn't conducive to having a great program, but if you can do it under these conditions, it's a great charge," he said. "I emulate what we do off those three programs. We chose them because we know they're the best."

What everyone has learned from their tough schedule is that Jordan has a group of skill-position players as good as any team around.

Quarterback James Boyd, receivers DeShawn Beck and Delvon Purvis, safety Eric Hunter, freshman cornerback Raymond Ford and freshman linebacker Patrick Wooten all have a chance to play college football if they take care of their academics.

Asante, in a pregame talk, tried to remind his players that one of their teammates who was killed in a shooting earlier this year, Bruce Adams, should have been playing against Mater Dei.

"Tanky belongs in this room right now," he said.

He challenged his players to have fun and not waste the opportunity. Jordan came out and opened a 20-0 lead before losing, 49-32.

The comparisons of the two programs were startling. Jordan showed up in a yellow school bus while Mater Dei had two air-conditioned charter buses.

Jordan assistant coach Frank Lewis, who works as a Los Angeles City firefighter, served as the team trainer, taping athletes. Mater Dei had its own training crew.

Jordan couldn't wear white jerseys because they haven't arrived yet and they had some mismatched blue jerseys. Mater Dei players were perfectly dressed in 82 red jerseys.

All that was beside the point. The Bulldogs just wanted to play football, and they did.

"We're warriors," Asante said.

By Matthew Montes, Correspondent
Article Launched: 09/26/2008 11:19:55 PM PDT

WHITTIER - Jonathan Alatriste kicked a 24-yard field goal with 1:18 left to give Roosevelt High School the nonleague victory over Whittier on Friday night at California High.

Roosevelt scored first on quarterback Jesse Diaz's 54-yard scoring pass to Elgin Rosales with a little less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Whittier running back Jeremy Lara scored on a 16-yard touchdown run with 11:05 left in the second quarter to make it 7-7.

The Cardinals' Daniel Enriquez scored on a 19-yard run with 47 seconds left in the half to give Whittier a 14-7 lead at halftime.

Roosevelt pulled to within 14-13 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Jose Guillen with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Rough Riders' Manny Ayon returned a 35-yard punt to put Roosevelt in Whittier's territory. An 18 yard-pass completion from Diaz to back Jose Guillen put the Rough Riders into field goal range, setting up Alatriste's game-winning kick.

When it comes to discussions of the Eastern League football race, defending league champion Jordan High School, defending City Invitational Division champ Garfield, Huntington Park, South East and Roosevelt draw most of the talk.

But only one team is still undefeated at this point: Bell.

The Eagles (2-0) may just have a say in this race after all.

Their 24-14 nonleague victory over Belmont last Friday featured a strong running attack.

Julian Leon carried 17 times for 106 yards and Antonio Williams scored touchdowns on runs of six and 18 yards to lead the way. Juan Lucero also ran for a score.

Francisco Rodriguez completed nine of 15 for 80 yards and Rafael Ochoa kicked a 31-yard field goal.

Defensively, David Franco had five tackles three assists.

The Eagles host Eagle Rock (2-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.

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Despite some fine offensive performances, South East (1-2) fell to Santee, 30-26 in nonleague action.

Senen Carson rushed for 123 yards and two TDs and Jonathan Reyes was 20 of 30 for 215 yards and two scores for the Jaguars. Reyes’ TD passes went to Jorge Montes and Ramon Altimirano. Fernando Magana was the leading receiver with six catches for 66 yards.

South East is at Franklin Friday.

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Hollywood’s Steven DeGuzman passed for a TD and ran for another in a 13-7 victory over South Gate (1-1). DeGuzman’s scoring pass went to Bryan Quinteros.

Jose Rivas carried 15 times for 71 yards and a TD for South Gate. Quarterback Irving Villasenor was 5 of 15 for 64 yards.

Defensively for the Rams, Steven Ibarra had five solo tackles and 14 assists and Josue Valdez had seven solos and three assists.

South Gate hosts Lincoln Friday.

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Huntington Park (1-1) rolled to a 41-7 victory over Verdugo Hills. The Spartans led, 20-0 at halftime and 26-0 through three quarters.

James Boyd, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior, will move to defensive line at USC next year, but at L.A. Jordan High he's a dual threat quarterback and standout at defensive end.

The USC recruit, who is 6 feet 5 and 230 pounds, plays quarterback for his high school team but will be a defensive end for the Trojans.

By Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 24, 2008 James Boyd is a quarterback celebrated for his superior size, sturdy arm and uncanny elusiveness.

All of which should make the L.A. Jordan High standout a valuable USC freshman next season.

At defensive end.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior is a rare hybrid, combining agility and precision with heft and brute strength. He primarily plays quarterback and defensive end for the Bulldogs but also has unnerved opponents at other positions.

"He might even be a better nose guard because he's so disruptive and his instincts are so quick," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said. "He vexes the center and the quarterback is thinking about him coming across that line."

Boyd has also played receiver and linebacker for the Bulldogs (1-2), who will need their versatile star to thrive on both sides of the line Thursday night at Santa Ana Stadium against Santa Ana Mater Dei (2-1), ranked No. 5 in the Southland by The Times.

Boyd will be the third future college teammate of Mater Dei's Matt Barkley to face the Monarchs quarterback in four weeks, following Morrell Presley, a tight end and defensive end from Carson, and Vontaze Burfict, a linebacker from Corona Centennial.

But, unlike the others, Boyd will have a chance to outshine the reigning Gatorade national player of the year at his own position.

"At the end of the fourth quarter, that's when we're teammates," Boyd said. "Until then, I'm coming after him."

Boyd has been playing quarterback and chasing them since Pop Warner, where his girth made him a natural defensive lineman. When his coaches got a glimpse of his arm strength, they decided he should also play quarterback.

Boyd says he receives quizzical looks from those who hear about the combination.

"People don't understand how I do it," Boyd said.

Then there are his coaches, who can't imagine utilizing him any other way -- especially on an undermanned Jordan team that has only 26 players.

"You usually don't have a guy that big that can play such a physical position and then play a skill position. That's what makes it different," Asante said. "I'll say once every 20 years you'll see something like that."

Though Boyd has no position preference -- "Both are fun," he said -- his mother, Helen Boyd, says he favors defense.

"On the defensive line," she said, "he can take his frustration out."

Boyd must have been completely relaxed, then, by the end of Jordan's 42-15 victory over L.A. Locke on Sept. 5. He had 14 tackles, including two sacks, plus one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles. He also passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 74 yards.

"He presents problems for you no matter which side of the ball he's on," said Locke Coach Wayne Crawford, who used two players to block Boyd when he lined up on defense. "I fear him more on defense because he's pretty much unblockable."

Last week, Boyd nearly engineered an improbable rally against No. 6-ranked Ventura St. Bonaventure, leading the Bulldogs back from a 24-0 halftime deficit with three third-quarter touchdowns during an eventual 38-20 defeat. He also had 23 tackles, leaving his teammates once again shaking their heads in admiration.

"He's just an athlete," senior receiver Delvon Purvis said. "Put it that way."

Asante says he has no doubt that Boyd, who has completed 62.4% of his passes for 909 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions, could play quarterback at the next level.

Boyd says he'll miss playing every down at USC, where he is expected primarily to be a defensive lineman but could also be used at tight end and linebacker. An agreeable sort, Boyd says he just wants to help wherever he's needed.

"If I was big enough," he said, "I'd play O-line and block for them."

ben.bolch@latimes.com

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 18.SEP.08

Cutting down the number of penalties will be the priority of Roosevelt High School’s football coaching staff this week.

The Rough Riders, who have a nonleague game at Contreras Friday, need to eliminate some of the infractions that plagued them in a 41-0 loss to Torrey Pines and 21-20 victory over Wilson the first two weeks of the season.

Considering the lopsided nature of the Torrey Pines game, other factors besides penalties contributed to that outcome. But the mistakes probably prevented them from winning by a bigger margin against Wilson.

“We had at least three drives stopped by penalties,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said of the Wilson game. “We need to minimize our mistakes. We’re never going to be perfect, but we should have scored at least three more touchdowns.”

Despite the mistakes, the Rough Riders wiped out a 20-7 first-half deficit to record the win.

Senior quarterback Jesse Diaz (13 of 23 for 148 yards, 10 carries for 80 yards) did a solid job of running and passing and scored a touchdown on a 15-yard dash.

Sophomore Jesse Lira’s two-yard run and Jonathan Alatriste’s conversion also contributed to the victory. Lira’s 25-yard pass to Manny Ayon (six catches for 89 yards) set up the score. Alex Ramirez scored the first Roosevelt touchdown on a one-yard run.

Defensively, the Rough Riders clamped down on Wilson in the second half, putting special emphasis on Mules wide receiver Anthony Denham.

Denham caught a 45-yard scoring pass in the first half to contribute to Wilson’s lead. In the second half, Ayon was put on him and Denham did not catch a pass after the break.

The defense played well, even though two starting linebackers were sidelined by injuries and middle backer Rafael Ortega was playing despite a sore ankle.

“We’re kind of inexperienced and banged up on defense right now,” Cid said.

Even though this is the first time this year Garfield High School’s football team won’t be playing someone who won a championship last year, it still can’t afford a letdown.

After opening with a 29-28 victory over defending City upper-division champion Birmingham, the Bulldogs dropped a 31-22 decision to St. Paul, the defending Southern Section Western Division titlist.

Friday, they visit Wilson, which gave Roosevelt all it could handle before losing, 21-20 in its opener. Wilson has been a perennial qualifier for the City Invitational (lower division) playoffs.

“If we don’t come with our ‘A’ game, we’ll struggle,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Coach (Eddie) Martinez always has them ready. They’re big, their linebackers are fast and their quarterback is not bad. They have a great wide receiver (Anthony Denham).”

Hernandez said the Bulldogs certainly didn’t bring their ‘A’ game to St. Paul.

“We were there physically, but not mentally,” he said. “We didn’t execute at times, our defense didn’t perform well and we made a ton of mistakes.

“I think St. Paul just wanted it more.”

St. Paul led 17-6 at the half and soon increased the advantage to 24-6 in the third quarter when a blocked punt set up a 35-yard scoring pass from Paul Lopez to Willie Duff.

A bright spot for Garfield was quarterback Patrick Vargas, who completed 13 of 28 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Bobby Vargas and Dominic Lam caught the scoring passes.

The running attack was led by Sergio Macedo, who had 61 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Defensively, Hector Cazales had six tackles, two assists and a sack and Willie Fonseca had five tackles and two assists.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 18.SEP.08

There are some who think