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August 21, 2025
By Loren Kopff
Despite the four-minute drive or a mere 18-minute walk west on Artesia Blvd. to Dumont Ave. the Gahr High and Valley Christian High football programs have never been in the same league. Yet this has become one of the up and coming, but still quiet, rivalries in the immediate area.
The Gladiators and Defenders will display their new 2025 talent in the HMG-Community News Game of the Week with the aroma of V.C.’s famous tri-tip surrounding the renovated stadium that has a new press box and home bleachers.
Last season, V.C. (7-3 last season) jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead before host Gahr scored 17 points in the second quarter and trailed by 11 points at halftime. But V.C.’s defense held the Gladiators to six points in the second half as it posted a 49-23 win in the first game of 2024. The game was vastly different from the 2023 meeting when Gahr edged the Defenders 21-20 thanks to an unsuccessful two-point conversion on the last play of the game.
Gahr (8-6 last season) is coming off the program’s first appearance ever in a CIF-Southern Section divisional championship game and returns senior quarterback Roman Acosta. He’s being asked to be more of a playmaker this season, but the team also has an experienced backfield of seniors Jaidyn Backus and Malachi Williams and sophomore De’Mir Cunningham.
V.C.’s best bet lies with its defense as four starters on the offensive line and its quarterback graduated. But the Defenders have enough firepower with returning senior running backs Tyson McNeese and Lucas Witt and a plethora of wide receivers coming back, led by seniors Oliver Boateng, Seam Bouma and Dylan Teays, to name a few.
Since 2005, Gahr has won five of the nine meetings. The 2005 scheduled game never happened and V.C. was awarded a forfeit win. That was followed by four straight Gahr wins from 2006-2017 until the Defenders won back to back contests in 2021 and 2022.
Prediction: V.C. 28, Gahr 24
Long Beach Cabrillo High (2-8 last season) @ Artesia High (9-3 last season)
Artesia began last season with five straight wins and figures to get out to another fast start with Cabrillo as its first opponent of 2025. But, for that to happen, a different group will have to take over and be the new leaders. Although he had some varsity experience last season, senior Joey Peck is the new quarterback and will have a backfield that is expected to see juniors Izayah Carranza and Fermin Duran and sophomore Justin Pettus be the guys people should keep their eyes on.
Cabrillo was established as a high school in 1996 and three years later, the teams met for the first time. The Pioneers won that contest 27-0, then fell to the Jaguars the next three seasons. They would not meet until next season and Artesia came out on top, 29-26.
Cabrillo has not won more than two games in any season since finishing 4-6 in 2016 and has not had a winning record since 2011 when that squad went 7-4. Before that, you have to go back to 2004 when Cabrillo was above .500. The two wins Cabrillo earned last season came against Los Angeles Jordan High (49-32) a week after losing to Artesia, and Compton High (21-13) in the second Moore League contest.
Prediction: Artesia 35, Cabrillo 10
Cypress High (2-9 last season) @ Cerritos High (8-3 last season)
The last time Cerritos had three straight winning seasons was from 1999-2001. That could happen by the time we get to late October as the Dons begin the season with a new opponent in Cypress.
Cerritos is still stacked on offense with senior Justin Sagun returning as the signal caller and one of the top ground gainers. But make no mistake, he will be asked to throw a lot more this season. When he does, look for senior Suvan Pradham and juniors Terrance Grissom and Matthew McCoy to be the top recipients of the passes.
After five straight winning seasons in which Cypress lost in the 2019 Division 7 championship game and the 2022 Division 4 title game, the Centurions stumbled last season to win twice despite advancing to the playoffs. Cypress defeated La Mirada High to begin last season, lost two straight games before easing past Lawndale High 42-14.
Prediction: Cerritos 31, Cypress 17
John Glenn High (1-8 last season) @ Mountain View High (1-9 last season)
It’s a new era of John Glenn football as Dwon Drummer comes in for his first ever head coaching stint anywhere. This is the first of four straight games against teams that did not win more than three games last season. In fact, the combined 2024 record of Glenn’s first four opponents is 6-34.
Last season, the Eagles had no more than 21 players suited up in any given game and for the first contest of 2025, they will have numbers that exceed 30 with at least 14 seniors. Glenn returns senior Luis Vergara as their quarterback and senior Okoro Lee as their top running back with seniors Josiah Alcala, Jonah Mason and Evan Perez as the top targets of Vergara.
The first step in reestablishing your program is having comparable opponents on your schedule and Mountain View is one of them. This is the third meeting between Glenn and the Vikings, but they have not played each other since 2016 when Mountain View came away with a 35-18 win. The previous season, the Vikings knocked off the Eagles 49-14. Since 2004, Mountain View has had just one winning season, which came in 2023 when it finished 6-4. Three other times, the Vikings went 5-5 while the program has encountered a quartet of 3-7 seasons and the same of 2-8 campaigns.
Prediction: Glenn 31, Mountain View 14
South Gate High (7-7 last season) @ La Mirada (3-7 last season)
For the first time in over two decades, La Mirada will face a team from the CIF-Los Angeles City Section. But don’t think this matchup will be a walk in the park. South Gate advanced to the Division II championship game, thus getting a full complement of game experience. The Matadores feel this is the season to bring the program to its winning ways as they have had 12 winning seasons from 2004-2021.
La Mirada will go young with its quarterbacks, either junior Isaac Cuevas, who attempted 34 yards, or sophomore Ace Faagata, who comes in from Las Vegas-based Desert Pines High. Even though the Matadores lost some key offensive threats to the transfer portal, they have enough talent who can put up some yardage and score some touchdowns.
After going through its third winless season since 2006, South Gate had a magical run all the way to the championship game. But this program has been inconsistent over the past two decades when it comes to wins and losses.
Prediction: La Mirada 28, South Gate 21
Norwalk High (8-3 last season) @ Montebello High (4-6 last season)
Norwalk begins this season the same way it began last season-playing Montebello. The Lancers pasted the Oilers 49-6 for their fourth straight win in the series dating back to 2006. In fact, each of the four games have been blowouts with the 2008 encounter being the closest (65-20). The Lancers are primed to have another great season, especially with senior running back Diego Cerritos coming back, seeking a second straight 1,000-yard campaign. Fellow senior running back Deron Walker figures to be his right-hand partner in getting close to or exceeding 1,000 yards.
Last season was the third straight in which Montebello lost six games. Before that, the Oilers had three straight full seasons of at least seven losses, which came after six straight winning campaigns.
Prediction: Norwalk 35, Montebello 7
2022 predictions: 47-19-1
2023 predictions: 53-19
2024 predictions: 49-19
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
The season officially began on Aug. 9, and half the area teams are north of .500 with a pair still undefeated. Artesia is winless in two matches as it hosted Mayfair High on Aug. 21 while Cerritos has won its first three matches including a 25-12, 25-12, 25-20 win over Katella High this past Tuesday. The Dons will visit California High on Friday before hosting Westminster High on Tuesday and Gahr on Thursday.
Gahr began the week at 2-1 with the loss coming to Sage Hill High this past Tuesday 25-20, 25-10, 25-15. The Gladiators entertained Whittier High on Aug. 21 and will host Schurr High on Tuesday.
Glenn’s only match thus far was a four-set loss to Calvary Chapel Downey High in four sets last Thursday. The Eagles went to Duarte High on Aug. 21 and will welcome Rancho Alamitos High on Friday, Alhambra High on Tuesday and South El Monte High on Thursday.
La Mirada is off to a 1-3 start having lost to El Rancho High 27-25, 18-25, 23-25, 25-27 this past Monday before sweeping California the next day. The Matadores hosted Diamond Bar High on Aug. 21 and will travel to Whitney High on Tuesday.
Norwalk’s lone match of the season was on Aug. 12 and resulted in a 25-17, 25-14, 25-8 win over Pacifica High. The Lancers went to Schurr on Aug. 21 and will be home to El Rancho on Friday, Whittier on Tuesday and Firebaugh High on Thursday.
The hottest team right now is Valley Christian, which claimed the Silver Division championship of the Tae Kim Lakewood/Molten Classic last Saturday. The Defenders defeated Long Beach Wilson High 25-23, 25-9, 25-12 in the semifinals, then outlasted Notre Dame Academy 25-20, 20-25, 16-25, 25-16, 15-10 in the finals. V.C. hosted St. Joseph High on Aug. 21 and will go to St. Anthony High on Tuesday before hosting California on Thursday.
Whitney’s two matches resulted in losses as the Wildcats went to La Serna High on Aug.21. Following the match with La Mirada, the Wildcats will travel to Whittier on Thursday.
GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL
Aug. 9 was also the first day of this sport, which is now in its third season, and the seven area schools which field a team have played anywhere from one to five games. Artesia dropped a 19-7 contest to Long Beach Jordan High this past Monday in its season opener and will welcome Rialto High on Wednesday.
After two straight losses, Cerritos (2-2) picked up its first home victory in school history, a 20-2 decision over Culver City High this past Tuesday.
Gahr has won all four of its games, including a 21-6 affair against Western High this past Monday. The Gladiators will visit Pioneer High on Tuesday and Buena Park High on Wednesday.
After a forfeit win over Alhambra on Aug. 13 in its season opener, Glenn lost to Cabrillo 28-22 two days later and will host La Mirada on Tuesday before going to Magnolia High on Thursday. Speaking of La Mirada, the Matadores have been shutout in their two games and will go to Los Altos High on Monday.
Norwalk is on a four-game winning streak following its opening season loss to Cerritos, including a 13-0 win over Saddleback High this past Monday. The Lancers hosted Alhambra on Aug. 21 and will be home to St. Bernard High and Palos Verdes High on Saturday, Santa Fe High on Tuesday and Port of Los Angeles High on Thursday.
Whitney went to Costa Mesa High on Aug. 21 and will entertain Magnolia on Monday before going to Katella on Wednesday.
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