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By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
A quartet of last season’s Mid-Cities League teams are still in the circuit this season in the revised version that also includes California High and Santa Fe High. Two of those four teams who are no strangers to each other meet this Friday in search of a victory in the HMG-Community News Game of the Week.
Gahr High goes to Norwalk High in a battle of 0-1 teams in the league, knowing that a second straight loss would be difficult to rebound from. The Gladiators dropped to 3-2-1 overall following a 42-15 setback to Paramount High last Friday. Gahr took an 8-7 lead in the first quarter before yielding 28 straight points before scoring in the fourth quarter. It was the most points Gahr has allowed this season after recording a season-high 36 points against Gardena High on Sept. 24.
After a 35-35 tie against Valley Christian High in the season opener, the Gladiators have allowed 67 points as longtime head coach Greg Marshall has always had defensive-minded teams. Sophomore lineman Gavin Raposo has half of the team’s six sacks and junior cornerback Riley Bryant has three interceptions while junior linebacker Miguel Lopez and sophomore defensive back James Carter each has a pair of picks. The Gladiators have also allowed a pair of field goals in their three victories.
The Anthony Cobbs era as Norwalk’s first-year head coach hasn’t been a pleasant one as the Lancers dropped to 1-5 overall after a 30-14 loss to California last Friday. Senior running back Erick Dominguez rushed for 118 yards on 13 carried and scored both touchdowns while sophomore quarterback Jeremiah Lopez completed seven passes in 20 attempts for 63 yards as the Lancers gained 215 yards on offense. Those two have been the offensive leaders thus far with Lopez passing for 303 yards and three touchdowns and Lopez rushing for 394 yards and four touchdowns. The rest of the team has combined for 596 yards.
The Lancers have scored 44 points in their five losses and 42 points in their lone win while allowing 226 points this season, Last season, Norwalk defeated Gahr 27-13 for its second straight win in the series after dropping the previous four meetings.
Prediction: Gahr 35, Norwalk 7
GATEWAY LEAGUE
Cerritos High (1-5, 0-1) @ Mayfair High (2-4, 0-1)-It was not the reunion that Cerritos had hoped for when it faced longtime and former Suburban League rival La Mirada High last Friday, falling 49-14. Now, the Dons will see another former Suburban League foe in Mayfair and the urgency to get back in the winners column has never been high. The offense hasn’t been as productive as previous seasons as the Dons have scored 108 points this season, all in the five losses as the lone victory was a forfeit courtesy of Contreras Learning Center. The defense isn’t much better, allowing at least 42 points in four of the five setbacks.
Mayfair fell to Downey High 42-12 last Friday as the Vikings built a 35-6 halftime lead and added the final touchdown in the third quarter. The Monsoons have dropped three straight games, and their defense is suspect as well, allowing at least 40 points in five games including a 70-7 shellacking to Dana Hills High on Sept 18.
Cerritos and Mayfair have not faced each since 2017 and the Monsoons have won at least 18 straight against the Dons, never allowing more than 22 points in any of those contests.
Prediction: Mayfair 42, Cerritos 21
La Mirada (5-1, 1-0) @ La Serna High (5-1, 1-0)-Every game in the Gateway League is a big one, but now that sit out players are eligible, the stakes are higher and this one figures to be the biggest one for La Mirada. The Matadores have defeated the Lancers four times out of the last six meetings since 2016 and La Serna was a CIF-Southern Section Division 5 team last season. La Mirada has scored at least 24 points in four of the five victories and surrendered less than 20 points in all five wins.
La Serna had no problems with Warren High last Friday, turning a 6-3 halftime lead into a 27-3 contest as quarterback Grady Long was seven of 12 of 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and gained 29 yards on four carries with another touchdown. Daniel Moreno led the Lancers with 79 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. La Serna gained 203 yards on 30 carries, but La Serna is nearly a 50-50 passing to running team with the numbers separated by roughly 100 yards.
Prediction: La Serna 38, La Mirada 21
IRONWOOD LEAGUE
Valley Christian (4-1-1, 1-0) @ Village Christian High (4-2, 0-1)-If there was ever a game to get ready for the league’s premier team, this one has to be it as Valley Christian is looking for a fifth straight victory ahead of next Friday’s road game against league favorite Aquinas High. The Defenders piled up 405 yards of offense against Capistrano Valley Christian High last Friday in a 56-47 contest. It marked the fourth straight game the Defenders have put up at least 42 points. Senior quarterback Graham Lunzer was nearly perfect as he completed 12 of 14 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 10 times for 103 yards and three more touchdowns. For the season, he has passed for 1,266 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding 455 yards on the ground with nine more touchdowns.
Senior Blake Butler (25 carries, 114 yards) and sophomore Tae Cooley (12 carries, 103 yards, two touchdowns) are the only other players over 100 yards on the ground while seniors Byron Louis (438 yards, five touchdowns) and Sam Melcher (295 yards, six touchdowns) and sophomore Eli Zoetewey (296 yards, two touchdowns) are the favorite receivers. Zoetewey and Cooley also have 36 and 26 tackles, respectively.
Village Christian dropped a fourth straight game following a 28-14 contest to Heritage Christian High last Saturday as the Crusaders have been outscored 120-35 in those contests. Village Christian trailed 21-0 at the half and scored a touchdown in the third and fourth quarters and was held to 193 offensive yards. But in the first two games of the season, Village Christian outscored their opponents 72-8.
Last season, Valley Christian defeated Village Christian 28-21 to snap a three-game losing streak to the Crusaders. The Defenders have now won seven of the 11 in the series.
Prediction: Valley Christian 42, Village Christian 21
RIO VISTA LEAGUE
Artesia High (4-1, 1-0) @ Firebaugh High (4-2, 1-0)-This game was played on Oct. 8. Artesia began the Rio Vista League with an emphatic 49-0 homecoming game victory over former 605 League opponent Pioneer High last Friday, gaining over 350 yards on offense, Junior quarterback Zyir Lewis completed seven of 13 passes for 124 yards and tossed a pair of touchdowns, one each going to juniors Amir Lewis and Andrew Quarles. But the workhorse of the game was junior running back Justin Pettus, who gained 139 yards on nine carries and scored once. He now has 547 yards and nine touchdowns while senior halfback Izayah Carranza has 236 yards on 45 carries.
For the Pioneers to be successful against a worthy Firebaugh opponent, those two will have to have another big game. The Falcons got past John Glenn High 14-7 with a touchdown in the second and third quarters as they picked up their second straight win and fourth in their last five games.
Firebaugh can put up the points as it has scored 102 points in its victories while the defense has posted a pair of shutouts. This is the second meeting between the teams with Artesia winning 35-0 last season.
Prediction: Artesia 38, Firebaugh 21
Glenn (4-2, 0-1) @ Whittier High (3-3, 1-0)-After winning its first four games by a combined score of 122-42, Glenn has fallen back the last two games, losing to Alhambra High 33-0 and last week to Firebaugh. The lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a three-yard run from junior quarterback Ryder Perez. There is still time for the Eagles to get back to their winning ways ahead of next Friday’s home game with Artesia or else it would be tough for Glenn to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
After being outscored 100-22 in three straight losses, Whittier climbed back into the win column last Friday in a 38-13 victory over Lynwood High. Charlie Ancich rushed 19 times for 181 yards and scored three times as the Cardinals gained nearly 400 yards on the ground. Ancich already has over 600 yards on the ground and Anthony Hernandez has added 330 yards as Whittier is clearly a running team, amassing 1,312 yards opposed to 319 through the air.
Prediction: Whittier 28, Glenn 14
Last week’s predictions: 5-1
Season to date: 26-10
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