NEWS AND NOTES FROM PRESS ROW: Defending CIF-SS champions kick off football season against city rival

August 20, 2026

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

The time has come for the area’s 11-man football teams to kick off their 2026 football seasons and for the third straight season, the two Artesia Blvd. neighbors separated by approximately a mile will get things started in the HMG-Community News Game of the Week on Friday. This will be the 12^th meeting between city rivals Gahr High (7-5 last season) and Valley Christian High (11-4 last season) since 2002 with Gahr holding a 6-5 advantage.

But lately, it’s been the Defenders owning the series with two straight wins and four out of the last five dating back to 2021. Last season. V.C. led 13-0 at the half but broke away in the second half with a pair of touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to blank the Gladiators 41-0. Six different players scored for V.C. and senior quarterback Graham Lunzer threw three touchdown passes and scored on a three-yard run in his V.C. debut.

It marked the third straight win over Gahr in which more than 40 points were scored by the Defenders. Three seasons ago, a failed two-point conversion on the last play of the game cost V.C. in a 21-20 affair. These two programs have reached the CIF-Southern Section championship game three times since 2022 with V.C. winning two titles and Gahr falling in the 2024 finals.

This season, the Gladiators will be going with a new quarterback, whether it’s senior Jacob Burson, sophomore Brandon Martinez or sophomore Kalen Swanson. The success of Gahr’s offense this season lies with its rushing attack. Meanwhile, Lunzer comes back from a season-ending injury and despite the Defenders graduating 22 players from last season’s CIF-Southern Section Division 9 championship game, still have enough in the tank to pull out a victory.

Prediction: V.C. 35, Gahr 14

GAMES PLAYED ON AUG. 20

Cerritos High (9-3 last season) @ Cypress High (3-7 last season)-This game will be played at Handel Stadium at Western High. Last season, Cypress held a 17-0 halftime lead before seniors Jayden Bagaygay and Labrenton Wilson scored on 10-yard rushing runs in the second half. Xavier Guerrero completed nine of 17 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown and picked up 11 more yards on four carries for the Centurions while Mekaih Felix caught four passes for 61 yards and the touchdown. Those two are back for the Centurions and will be facing a new Cerritos quarterback as junior Evan McDonald, a transfer from St. Paul High, takes over. The Dons lost a lot of offensive threats and for now, the defense may not be as strong as last season’s crew but if they can pull out a win against the only non-league opponent who did not have a winning record last season, it will be a confidence builder for next week’s game against Gahr.

Prediction: Cerritos 21, Cypress 17

La Mirada High (4-7 last season) @ South Gate High (11-4 last season)-For the second straight season La Mirada opens the season against the Rams, who it defeated 34-16 in last season’s opener. The Matadores had an 8-7 lead after the first quarter, and it remained that way until the third quarter when they tacked on a second touchdown. The game was put away in the fourth quarter with a 20-point performance. Senior quarterback Isaac Cuevas completed three of five passes for 26 yards and threw a touchdown pass to sophomore Kaiden Wardlow. Senior running back Ismael Garcia rushed for 237 yards on 27 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns.

Michael Gonzalez led the Rams in that contest, completing 11 of 24 yards and throwing for 211 yards with a pair of touchdowns, but was intercepted three times. South Gate split its four non-league games last season before going 5-1 in the Eastern League. After winning its first four playoff games, including a 63-58 decision over Marquez High in the Division II finals, the Rams fell to Bishop Union High 47-28 in the state playoffs.

Prediction: La Mirada 28, South Gate 21

GAMES TO BE PLAYED ON FRIDAY

Gabrielino High (7-4 last season) @ Artesia High (4-6 last season)-It’s a new era for Artesia football as head coach E.J. Ashby takes over a team looking to rebound from the program’s first losing season since 2022.  This is the first meeting between the teams in at least 29 years. The Pioneers lost only 10 seniors from last season’s team, and their top returning player is junior Justin Pettus, who had close to 700 yards rushing.

The Eagles had four straight losing seasons before 2025, including going 0-10 three seasons ago. Last season was also the program’s first trip to the playoffs since 2013.

Prediction: Artesia 27, Gabrielino 17

Mountain View High (4-6 last season) @ John Glenn High (2-8 last season-For the first time in a long time, Glenn has a schedule that does not include one opponent who was over .500 last season. Head coach Dwon Drummer is in his second season and the Eagles got off to decent start last season, going 2-2 in their first four games before scoring 32 points in the final six games. Last season’s opener was a 47-21 setback to Mountain View in which Glenn trailed 14-0 at halftime before scoring 15 straight points within the first 3:15 of the second half. Junior quarterback Ryder Perez completed all three of his passes for 44 yards and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass.

Before last season’s contest, the teams faced each other in 2015 and 2016 with the Vikings coming away with 49-14 and 35-18 victories, respectively.

Prediction: Glenn 21, Mountain View 14

Lawndale High (4-6 last season) @ Norwalk High (10-1 last season)-It’s a new era for Norwalk football as Anthony Cobbs takes over and for the first time in about 20 seasons, the Lancers will not be operating under the double wing offense. Norwalk graduated about a third of its 2025 roster, including its quarterback and a pair of 1,370 yard-plus running backs. This is Norwalk’s only opponent who failed to get to the playoffs until it visits California High on Oct. 2.

This is the first meeting between the schools since at least 1998. The Cardinals won their first three games last season by a composite score of 179-20 but ended the season with five straight losses, scoring 32 points.

Prediction: Norwalk 31, Lawndale 20

2022 predictions: 47-19-1

2023 predictions: 53-19

2024 predictions: 49-19

2025 predictions: 47-26

Four-season total: 196-83-1

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

The regular season for this sport, as well as girls flag football, began on Aug. 8 and all eight area schools have already been in action. Artesia, the defending CIF-Southern Section Division 8 champions, were swept by Lakewood High on Sept. 11 in its season opener. The Pioneers who were scheduled to host Bell Gardens High last Friday and Mary Star of the Sea High this past Tuesday, will entertain St. Anthony High on Friday before participating in the Montebello Tournament on Saturday.

Cerritos swept Bellflower High 25-9, 25-13, 25-11 last Thursday in its season opener before falling to Kennedy High 25-23, 26-24, 23-25, 20-25, 19-17 this past Monday. The Dons hosted Western on Aug. 20 and will welcome St. Joseph High on Tuesday.

Gahr participated in the Sacred Hearts Academy Lancer Invitation in Honolulu last Thursday through Saturday and won all seven matches, dropping three of 17 sets in the process. The Gladiators travelled to Bell Gardens this past Wednesday and will entertain Norwalk on Friday and Schurr High on Tuesday before going to Whittier High and Pacifica High the next two days.

In its season opener, Glenn has already matched its win total from last season as the Eagles swept Calvary Chapel Downey High this past Tuesday. They will host Mountain View on Friday, Alhambra High Tuesday before going to Rosemead High on Thursday.

La Mirada fell to 2-5 after getting swept by Norwalk 25-14, 25-8, 25-21 this past Tuesday. The Matadores led 8-5 in the first set before junior defensive specialist Ellejhaye Estores had her first kill, giving the serve to junior middle blocker Guadalupe Sarahy Munoz who immediately reeled off nine straight points, five of which went for aces. Later in the set, Estores served the final eight points with six aces and a pair of kills from sophomore middle blocker Lailanee Cano.

In the second set, Norwalk scored the first 19 points as Estores worked her magic again with eight more aces while senior outside hitter Mirei Sanchez pounded down six of her match-high 15 kills. La Mirada went to El Rancho High on Aug. 20 and will host Paramount High on Tuesday before welcoming Oxford Academy on Thursday.

Norwalk hosted St. Paul on Aug. 20 before its meeting with Gahr and will visit Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary on Tuesday before coming back home on Thursday to face Western.

V.C. took third place in the Lakewood Tournament and with a loss to Los Alamitos High on Aug. 12, are 3-2 as the Defenders went to Cypress on Aug. 20. They will then host Orange Lutheran High on Tuesday and Long Beach Wilson High on Thursday.

Whitney High is off to a 3-1 start, having been swept by Edison High on Aug. 10 before defeating North Torrance High in four sets the next day, sweeping La Quinta High last Friday and getting past Valencia High in five sets this past Tuesday. The Wildcats will go to West Torrance High on Tuesday and Esperanza High on Thursday.

GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL

Artesia got its season going in a big way as it pounded Oxford Academy 40-6 this past Monday in its season opener. The Pioneers hosted Norwalk this past Wednesday and will entertain V.C. on Monday before going to Century High on Wednesday.

Cerritos is off to a 3-0 start as it shutout West Covina High 23-0 on Aug. 10 and Mark Keppel High 52-0 last Saturday before defeating Montebello 21-6 this past Monday. The Dons hosted Garfield High this past Wednesday and will be in the Downey Tournament on Saturday before visiting Troy High on Monday. Two days later, Cerritos hosts Villa Park High.

Gahr got past Lakewood 19-12 on Aug. 12, then breezed past Dominguez High 54-6 the next day. The Gladiators then posted a 34-0 win over Claremont High this past Tuesday and hosted Inglewood High on Aug. 20 before going to Buena Park High on Monday and Warren High on Wednesday.

Glenn dropped a 15-0 decision to California Military Institute on Aug. 10 before defeating Mountain View 25-13 two days later. This past Tuesday, the Eagles fell to V.C. 27-12 in the school’s inaugural girls flag football game. Glenn will visit Bell Gardens on Monday and Ocean View High on Wednesday.

La Mirada was doubled up by La Serna High 28-14 in this past Monday’s season opener, then blanked Pioneer High 12-0 the next day. The Matadores will go to Oxford Academy on Monday before hosting Colony High on Wednesday.

Norwalk fell to Bell Gardens 15-7 this past Monday and will go to Montebello on Monday and Santa Ana Valley High on Wednesday.

V.C. visited Mayfair High on Aug. 20 and following its meeting with Artesia, will host Bellflower on Tuesday and Oxford Academy on Wednesday while Whitney has dropped its first two decisions of the season, 51-7 to Santa Ana Valley on Aug. 12 and 26-7 to Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary last Friday. The Wildcats went to Mountain View this past Wednesday and will travel to Compton Early College on Friday before hosting Long Beach Cabrillo High on Wednesday.