NEWS AND NOTES FROM PRESS ROW: John Glenn football program facing unchartered territory in the positive way

September 23, 2026 By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on X Last week, a pair of area football teams saw their games turn into forfeits as San Gabriel High called off its game with Artesia High last Friday and Miguel Contreras Learning Center pulled the plug against Cerritos High the previous day. Artesia (3-1) and Cerritos (1-4) have their byes on Friday as does La Mirada High (4-1) and Valley Christian High (3-1-1) as league play begins on Oct. 2 with the seven area football teams. So, with three games on the docket this week, the HMG-Community News Game of the Week features surging John Glenn High hosting Alhambra High in its homecoming tilt. The Eagles are off to the program’s best start in over 30 seasons at 4-0, considering this is only the 10th time since 1998 that Glenn has won at least four games for an entire season. Since the 1998 season, Glenn has won its season opener eight times, the last time coming in 2021 when that team won its first two games. In fact, the program has had a pair of 3-0 starts since 1998 with the other coming in 2009. The Eagles are coming off their bye week and have outscored their opponents 122-42 with their last game being a 26-15 contest against Compton Early College on Sept. 11. In fact, the combined record of Glenn’s four opponents this season is 2-16. This is a passing team as junior quarterback Ryder Perez has completed 53 of 82 passes for 709 yards and has thrown 10 touchdowns opposite five interceptions. His favorite target is sophomore Kellen Huckelberry, who has caught 23 passes for 384 yards and has scored eight of those 10 touchdowns while senior Andre Romo, who has been known in the past for his defensive play, has hauled in 10 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. Senior Matthew Vasquez leads the rushing attack with 171 yards on 35 carries with a pair of touchdowns while Perez is next in line with 149 yards on 25 rushes and a pair of six-pointers. Defensively, junior lineman Jayden Chavarin leads the way with 31 tackles and three and a half sacks while Romo and junior Damian Hernandez, both linebackers, each have a dozen tackles. Alhambra has split its four games with the last two games coming in victories, including a 42-21 win against Wilson High from the CIF-Los Angeles City Section. The Moors scored 21 points in the second quarter and blew the game open in the third as they led 28-13. Quarterback Joshua Calderon completed 12 of 23 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown but was picked off twice. Christopher Aguilar led Alhambra with 160 yards on 13 carries and scored three times while Nathan Rabadan added 47 yards on nine touches and scored once as the Moors collected 368 total yards. Alhambra is the first of two opponents that Glenn will face that went to the playoffs last season and the Eagles have not faced the Moors in at least 29 seasons. Prediction: Glenn 31, Alhambra 21

GAME PLAYED ON SEPT. 24

Gahr High (2-1-1) @ Gardena High (0-5)-After having a relatively solid offensive performance in their first three games, Gahr was knocked off by Ocean View High 19-9 last Friday. The Gladiators had outscored their first three opponents 73-41 and had allowed just a field goal in each of the last two games before facing Ocean View. The score was tied 6-6 after the first quarter as senior Cody Lockhart scored from two yards out and it was still 6-6 until the fourth quarter. The Gladiators should get back into the win column against the CIF-L.A. City Section team that lost to Santa Monica High 42-8 last Friday. The Panthers have scored only 55 points this season, but 14 in the last three games while the defense has allowed an average of just over 44 points a game. This is believed to be the first meeting between the two programs. Prediction: Gahr 42, Gardena 7

FRIDAY’S GAME

West Covina High (1-3) @ Norwalk High (1-3)-A pair of teams with identical records are looking to turn it around ahead of league action meet as Norwalk is coming off its bye week after falling to Venice High 41-0 on Sept. 11. The lone win for the Lancers came the previous week against a Pasadena High team that has since cancelled the remainder of its season. The Lancers have been outscored 145-49 and have been shutout twice. A trio of quarterbacks have combined to complete 43 percent of their passes for 408 yards, a pair of touchdowns and four interceptions while senior running back Erick Dominguez leads the ground game with 254 yards on 39 carries and a pair of touchdowns. West Covina also didn’t play last Friday and has lost two straight one possession games, including a 28-21 affair with Vanden High out of Fairfield, CA on Sept. 11. The last time Norwalk faced West Covina was in 2013, and the Lancers prevailed 42-27. Two seasons before, the Bulldogs came out on top 38-8. Prediction: West Covina 28, Norwalk 13 Last week’s predictions: 4-1
Season to date: 19-8

GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL

GATEWAY LEAGUE

Gahr (8-4, 2-4) was nipped by Warren High 7-6 this past Monday and visited Mayfair High this past Wednesday. The Gladiators will host Downey High on Monday and go to Leuzinger High on Wednesday.

MID-CITIES LEAGUE

Artesia fell to La Mirada 13-7 this past Monday, falling to 3-6 overall and winless in three league games. The Pioneers hosted Santa Fe High this past Wednesday and will go to Cerritos on Tuesday. Cerritos (10-1, 3-0) went to Paramount High this past Wednesday and after the Cerritos game, will host Santa Fe two days later. La Mirada’s win over Artesia sent the Matadores to 3-5, 2-2 as the Matadores will welcome Santa Fe on Monday before going to Paramount on Wednesday.

RIO VISTA LEAGUE

Glenn (6-4, 3-1) posted a 27-0 win over Oxford Academy this past Monday and went to Pioneer High this past Wednesday. The Eagles will host Norwalk on Monday and Whittier High on Wednesday. Norwalk blanked Whitney High 26-0 this past Monday to post its second win of the season in 12 games with both wins coming in league play. The Lancers hosted Whittier this past Wednesday and after facing their city rivals, the Lancers will entertain Oxford Academy on Wednesday. After facing Norwalk and V.C. this past Wednesday, Whitney (1-12, 0-3) will travel to Whittier on Monday and Pioneer on Wednesday.

INDEPENDENT

Also, V.C. is enjoying its first season as it recorded the most points scored in program history in a 52-17 win over Fairmont Prep this past Monday. The Defenders (7-4, 1-1) will host Capistrano Valley Christian High on Wednesday before going to Warren the next day.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

GATEWAY LEAGUE

Cerritos defeated La Serna High 25-22, 23-25, 25-16, 25-17 this past Tuesday to move its record to 19-3, 3-0. The Dons, who are on the verge of a second straight 20-win season and fifth in the past eight seasons, wrapped up the first round on Sept. 24 when they went to Downey and will travel to the other side of the city for a rematch with Gahr on Tuesday. Two days later, Cerritos travels to Warren. Gahr posted a 25-17, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16 win against Downey this past Tuesday and is 22-8, 3-1 ahead of its key match with Cerritos. Two days later, the Gladiators will visit La Serna.

MID-CITIES LEAGUE

For the second straight match, Norwalk went the distance and unlike last Thursday, the Lancers were on the winning side, rallying to defeat Santa Fe 21-25, 20-25, 25-21, 28-26, 15-9 this past Tuesday. The Lancers (14-9, 2-1) hosted Oxford Academy on Sept. 24 and will welcome Paramount on Thursday. Whitney improved to 16-7, 2-0 after sweeping Paramount this past Tuesday. The Wildcats will host Oxford Academy on Friday, visit La Serna on Tuesday before going to Oxford Academy on Thursday.

OLYMPIC LEAGUE

V.C. remained hot in league action after sweeping Heritage Christian High this past Tuesday to improve to 15-5, 3-0. The Defenders hosted Whittier Christian High on Sept. 24 to end the first half of league play, then will welcome Maranatha High on Thursday.

RIO VISTA LEAGUE

Artesia began the week at 4-6, 0-2 ahead of this past Tuesday’s match against Firebaugh High and visited Mayfair on Sept. 24. The Pioneers will go to La Mirada on Tuesday before visiting Whittier on Thursday. La Mirada was swept by Mayfair 25-20, 25-17, 25-16 this past Tuesday to drop to 5-17, 1-2. The Matadores will host Firebaugh on Thursday.

605 LEAGUE

Glenn was swept by California High this past Tuesday to drop to 3-7, 1-3 as its first round action ended. The Eagles will host Lynwood High on Tuesday before going to Pioneer on Thursday.