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By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on X
For the first time since 2023, longtime former Suburban League rivals La Mirada High and Norwalk High will meet at Goodman Stadium in a non-league contest on Friday in the HMG-Community News Game of the Week. Since the schools were broken off by the four ex-league schools who formed the 605 League to begin the 2018 season, the Matadores and Lancers have met six times, recently playing in 2023 when La Mirada prevailed in a 34-13 contest.
La Mirada has won 23 of 25 meetings since 1998, the most victories by the program against any other CIF-Southern Section in the past 28 seasons. The last time the Lancers prevailed came in 2013 in a 42-35 affair. That season, Norwalk won 13 straight games before falling to La Serna High 41-38 in overtime in the CIF-SS Southeast Division championship game. The only other time Norwalk defeated La Mirada since 1998 came in 2008, a 41-24 affair.
La Mirada began this season in high fashion against South Gate High, scoring all 34 points in the first quarter and 14 more in the second quarter in a 48-6 victory. Meanwhile, Norwalk was at the short end of a 60-7 decision to Lawndale High.
Prediction: La Mirada 35, Norwalk 14
OTHER GAMES ON FRIDAY
Artesia High (1-0) at Hacienda Heights Wilson High (1-0)-Last Friday, Artesia gave E.J. Ashby his first victory as a varsity head coach as the Pioneers were all over Gabrielino High 38-0 in the first meeting between the programs in over 28 years. Now, the Pioneers will face another opponent for the first time in over 28 years as they will go to Wilson. Last Friday, the Wildcats defeated Alhambra High 37-7.
Prediction: Artesia 28, Wilson 24
Gahr High (0-0-1) at Cerritos High (0-1)-The City of Cerritos and ABC Unified School District rivalry continues as the Silver Milk Barrell/Jug is once again up for grabs. This season’s contest takes on a different storyline as both enter the contest without a victory from their season openers. Cerritos dropped a 42-7 decision to Cypress High last Thursday as the Dons were limited to 156 yards of total offense. The lone touchdown came in the middle of the third quarter when senior quarterback Alex Laurin heaved an 80-yard strike to senior Sam Reeves.
“We played a lot of young guys who did some things,” said Cerritos head coach Demel Franklin. “We had probably six guys who had never played football before; it was their very first game. Our right tackle, [senior] Noah Edwards; he’s a starting center in basketball but [this was] his first game playing football. We have a lot of things to work on, so we’ll be busy tomorrow.”
Gahr is coming off a 35-35 tie against Valley Christian High.in which it never held a lead, trailed by a pair of touchdowns twice in the first half and tied the game on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Cerritos won last season’s contest 35-7 and has taken three of the last four meetings after the Gladiators reeled off 13 straight wins when they outscored the Dons 561-56 with seven shutouts. Both teams have new starting quarterbacks and are not as offensively strong as in the past.
Prediction: Gahr 28, Cerritos 14
Century High (0-1) at John Glenn High (1-0)-A 15-point fourth quarter performance helped enable the Eagles to a 22-15 opening season victory. Junior quarterback Ryder Perez threw three touchdown passes, two going to sophomore wide receiver Kellen Huckleberry and one to senior wide receiver Alijah Hunter.
Century is coming off a 43-0 loss to Riverside Prep last Friday as the Silver Knights scored 15 points in the first quarter and 14 more in the second quarter to put the game away. The last time these two schools met on the gridiron was in 2000 when the Eagles posted a 20-13 victory.
Prediction: Glenn 28, Century 7
Valley Christian (0-0-1) at Mary Star of the Sea High (0-0)-Despite gaining just over 300 yards of total offense at Gahr last Friday, the Defenders could only manage a tie. Now, V.C. goes on the road to avenge a 22-21 setback last season on its homecoming night. The Defenders led 7-0 at the half and 14-6 heading into the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Graham Lunzer threw a pair of touchdown passes and rushed for one as Aden Sierra booted a 35-yard line at the end of the game to give the Stars their first ad and only lead of the game. It was the first loss to Mary Star of the Sea since winning four straight meetings from 2004-2007.
Prediction: V.C. 28, Mary Star of the Sea 21
Last week’s predictions: 3-3
Season to date: 3-3
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Artesia won two of three matches last Saturday in the Montebello Tournament to go to 2-3 through the first games of the season and will be off until Tuesday when the Pioneers visit Montebello High.
Cerritos swept Western High last Thursday and St. Joseph High this past Tuesday to go to 3-1. The Dons will travel to Whitney High on Monday before hosting Pacifica High on Thursday.
Gahr’s nine-match winning streak to begin the season ended this past Tuesday when the Gladiators fell to Schurr High 17-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-27. Gahr entertained Pacifica on Aug. 27 and will travel to Sonora High on Tuesday and Santa Fe High on Thursday.
Glenn (2-1) went to Rosemead High on Aug. 27 and will travel to Workman High on Tuesday before hosting Bassett High on Wednesday.
La Mirada, which won one match last season, snapped a five-match losing skid with a 29-27, 25-12, 23-25, 25-16 win over Paramount High this past Tuesday. The Matadores (3-6) welcome Oxford Academy on Aug. 27 and will visit Pioneer High on Tuesday and Bellflower High the next day.
Norwalk improved to 6-4 with a 24-26, 25-23, 25-13, 25-11 won at Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High this past Tuesday. The Lancers entertained Western on Aug. 27 and will welcome California High on Tuesday.
V.C. was swept by Orange Lutheran High 25-18, 23-25, 22-25 to fall to 4-3 as the Defenders entertained Wilson on Aug. 27 and will welcome Bishop Amat High on Tuesday before going to St. Joseph on Wednesday.
Whitney (4-2) will host Western on Friday, participate in the Kennedy Tournament on Saturday and welcome California Academy of Math and Science on Wednesday.
GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL
Artesia dropped a 24-6 decision to Valley Christian for its first loss in three games. The Pioneers travelled to Century this past Wednesday and will host Long Beach Wilson High on Monday before going to Bishop Montgomery High on Tuesday.
Cerritos, which lost to Troy High 20-10 this past Monday for its first setback in five games, will entertain V.C. on Monday before going to Katella High on Wednesday.
Gahr blanked Buena Park High 34-0 this past Monday to remain undefeated through the first five games of the season and entertain Mayfair High on Monday before travelling to Downey High on Wednesday.
Glenn even its record through four games with an 8-6 victory over Bell Gardens High this past Monday. The Eagles entertain South Gate on Monday before a nine-day absence while La Mirada (1-1) hosts Canyon High on Wednesday
Norwalk did not score a point for the fourth time in five games in a 14-0 decision at Montebello this past Monday, The Lancers will host Villa Park High on Monday and Baldwin Park High on Wednesday.
V.C. improved to 3-1 in its first season following a 21-0 win against Bellflower this past Tuesday. after facing Cerritos, the Defenders will go to Millikan High and Rosary Academy on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
Whitney (1-5) will travel to Los Amigos High on Monday and Western on Wednesday before hosting Alhambra on Thursday.
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