California: Moorpark-Westlake could have special significance

It's just another league title, and maybe the passage of time is important to determine just how significant it is, but Moorpark or Westlake Village Westlake will have bragging rights to the final Marmonte League title as we know it.

It is a fact that heightens the intrigue in one of the CIF-Southern Section's marquee match-ups Friday at Westlake, and it's fitting that the two teams who have represented the league in its section championship appearances the past decade are both unbeaten and playing for all the marbles. As it stands, a year from now the league will have 10 teams instead of eight, and will include private school powerhouses Westlake Village Oaks Christian and Ventura St. Bonaventure.

A.J. Dettorre, Moorpark

File photo by Jann Hendry

"There have been comments, it has been mentioned, that it could be the last chance for a public school to win the Marmonte League title," said Moorpark coach Tim Lins. "I'm not sure that I agree with it."

Moorpark (9-0) is currently ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Northern Division, and Westlake (9-0) is No. 4. Moorpark is ranked No. 6 in the MaxPreps state rankings, and Westlake is No. 18. It's a semifinal-caliber game, at least, and a fitting sendoff for what has been a stellar eight-team public-school league through the years. Moorpark and Westlake are two of the Northern Division's three unbeaten teams, along with No. 2 Valencia (9-0) of the Foothill League.

Many are talking about Westlake's offense (averaging 45.3 points) against Moorpark's defense (allowing 10 points).

"I think people are downplaying Westlake's defense," said Lins, who hopes his quarterback platoon of Brady Rohach and Brian Blechen will keep the Warriors off-balance. In eight of nine games, Moorpark has scored between 27 and 35 points.

What people aren't downplaying is Moorpark's defense, which is led by inside linebacker Marc Palacios and defensive end Quen Kantaris, who has 10 sacks. "It's a really good, experienced defensive unit" with safety Joey Eckert and defensive back A.J. Dettorre joining Palacios as three-year starters, Lins said.

They'll be facing Westlake quarterback Nick Isham, who has thrown for 22 touchdowns with only two interceptions and has completed a whopping 78.2 percent of his passes. The explosive Warriors not only average 209 yards passing, but 211 rushing, led by Tavior Mowry, who accounts for about 93 of them at 8.0 yards per carry.

How will Isham's numbers and Westlake's balance translate against a defense that has been pushed beyond 14 points only twice? How will Moorpark's offensive versatility fare against a defense that has faced only three teams with winning records?

That's why they're playing. And to decide what could be a very special title.

Dana Hills opened in 1972, but the school has never won a league title in football. That could change on Friday when the Dolphins – ranked No. 12 in the MaxPreps state rankings – play at No. 2 Mission Viejo, which has won seven titles in the last nine years.

Brent Melbon, a second-year coach at Dana Hills (8-1, 4-0), is a strong candidate for coach of the year. A year ago his team finished 5-5 and didn't make the playoffs, and the program had nine consecutive losing seasons coming into this one. Quarterback Josh Dean (61.2 percent passing, 13 TDs, 3 INTs) leads the way, but he will look into a lightning-quick defense that has allowed only 28 points in South Coast League games, 21 in the fourth quarter and none in the first half.

Mission Viejo (9-0, 4-0) has been almost been under the radar this season. None of its nonleague opponents have been from Orange County, and none were the kind of high-profile teams that have fallen to No. 1 Huntington Beach Edison, No. 3 Anaheim Servite or No. 4 Los Angeles Crenshaw.

Offensively, Mission Viejo has more weapons than G.I. Joe. Jake Marshall, a safety and running back, is an outstanding football player; Exavier Edwards is a terrific runner (as is Dallas Kessman), and Dallin McEwen has developed into a competent force at quarterback.

Marshall and his teammates in the secondary could be the key; if Dana Hills is to have any chance, it will almost certainly have to beat the Diablos vertically at some point. The Dolphins will also have to do something that has been nearly impossible: press the Diablos throughout. More than half the points Mission Viejo has allowed has come in garbage time.

Mission Viejo has yet to trail this season, and through nine games has allowed only 14 points in the first quarter, 3 in the second, 7 in the third, 28 in the fourth. Only two teams have managed to hang with Mission Viejo into the third quarter: Vista (7-2) of the San Diego Section, down 10-3 at halftime, had a third-quarter score to pull to 14-10 – and then Mission reeled off 21 consecutive points in a 41-17 victory; Capistrano Valley (4-5, 1-3) trailed, 6-0, going into the fourth quarter of a 23-0 league loss.

Mission Viejo has outscored its league opponents 208-28. Against its primary league rivals, Mission Viejo opened a 53-0 lead in a 60-14 victory over Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro and a 49-0 lead in a 55-7 victory over San Clemente. Dana Hills counters with its own impressive offensive numbers: It has scored fewer than 34 points only once, and in that game it led Edison at halftime before losing, 34-17. Facing Mission Viejo, the Dolphins are definite underdogs. They will try to show they are underrated, as well.

The Inland Division may turn out to be the most interesting division in the Southland when the playoffs roll around after this week's games. Redlands East Valley (9-0) and Vista Murrieta (9-0) are 1-2 in the section's ranking and, like No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde (9-0), all are undefeated. Norco (8-1) and Corona Centennial (7-2) are teams No. 3 and 5, and anyone familiar with inland football doesn't need an explanation of why those programs are so appealing. The No. 7 team, Temecula Chaparral (6-3), came into the season as the team to beat.

Over the weekend, Norco's Taylor Viloria scored a two-point conversion with 27 seconds remaining to beat Centennial 29-28 and essentially assure itself of the Big VIII title. This week, REV plays No. 6 Redlands (8-1) with the Citrus Belt title at stake.

Of the top 10 teams in the division, six had games last week that were decided by 10 points or less. In last year's Inland championship game, Centennial beat Chaparral by a touchdown, 23-17.

"I think it depends on what happens between Redlands and REV, but by my count, there are eight teams that have a legitimate chance to win this title, which makes it fun," said Vista Murrieta coach Coley Candaele. "The team that's won isn't always the best, it's the team that's playing the best at the end of the year. A couple of years ago, Norco was third or fourth in their league and they won the title by 43 points."

Among the eight teams Candaele thinks could win it all is this week's opponent, No. 10 Murrieta Valley (6-3), with the Southwestern League title at stake.

"We're very concerned," Candaele said. And for good reason.

Edison, ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation in the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings, punctuated its position in the Sunset League with a 24-0 victory over previously unbeaten Fountain Valley in the annual "Battle for the Bell" game.

Edison relied on three field goals by Markus Trujillo (47, 39 and 30 yards) and two 3-yard scoring runs by Davion Orphey.

Edison quarterback Matt Viles completed 10-of-20 passes for 152 yards, but left the game with a hyperextended elbow. Viles has averaged 243.3 yards per game and has thrown for 16 touchdowns and five interceptions, but will miss the season-ending game against Huntington Beach Marina.

Edison (9-0, 4-0) should still be in good hands with backup Steven Andrew. Edison's defense, led by Jordan Zumwalt (14 tackles per game) and Charles Burks (13 sacks), hasn't allowed more than 10 points to any league opponent, and Marina (1-8, 0-4) has scored more than 10 points only twice this season. After a five-way tie for first place last season and missing the playoffs because of coin flips, Edison will stand alone this year. Edison has played eight consecutive games against opponents with a Freeman Rating of 32.4 or higher (five with a rating of 43.3 or higher) whose combined record is 51-21.

The 75th meeting between City Section rivals Los Angeles Roosevelt and L.A. Garfield turned out to be a 28-16 come-from-behind victory for Roosevelt. Down 9-7 at halftime, Roosevelt turned to backup quarterback Manny Ayon in the second half; he rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown, and also passed for another touchdown. Ayon's 111 yards, all in the second half, were second only to Elgin Rosales' 112.

With its victory, Roosevelt (8-1, 5-0) clinched at least a share of the Eastern League title and extended its advantage in the series to 40-29-6. Garfield dropped to 4-5, 2-3, in the game that was played before a near-capacity crowd at East L.A. College.

Nothing went right for Lake Balboa Birmingham for most of the season, but the Patriots (2-7) have now posted consecutive City Section victories, including a 44-32 West Valley League upset of first-place Woodland Hills Taft. As victories go for Birmingham, that's the kind of result that can salvage a season and make the next nine months a bit more palatable.

The season got underway with the fiasco involving the "Bruno" photo shoot to publicize Sacha Baron Cohen's movie (all the wrong kind of publicity); the lingering knee injury to USC-bound running back Trajuan Briggs that a couple of weeks ago finally ended his season without it ever really beginning; and on-field performances that were anything but Birmingham-like when the program was under the direction of Ed Croson. It's been an unforgettably forgettable season for first-year coach Jim Rose, whose predecessor won his first five games at West Hill Chaminade (6-3).

But a victory over Taft is like a teaspoon of honey for Birmingham. It not only gives the Patriots some playoff hope, but puts Taft (5-4, 3-1) in a must-win situation against Reseda Cleveland (7-2, 3-1) to clinch at least a share of the West Valley title with El Camino Real (8-1, 3-1). More drama for Taft: Coach Matt Kerstetter drew an ejection after the game while berating an official; now, he will have to sit out the game against Cleveland.

The City pairings for the playoffs will be determined on Saturday morning, and the Southern Section pairings will be released Sunday.

No question, the City pairings process is the more entertaining event, as coaches who are involved in the playoffs try to position themselves into the most advantageous position in the bracket. You half expect Groucho Marx to walk in at some point to oversee the proceedings – or to make sense of it all.

Sure, it's a conflict of interest as the coaches do their own bidding, but it can be wildly entertaining. The most interesting arguments this season (and usually every season): the fourth-best team arguing that it should be No. 3, and then arguing with the fifth- and sixth-best teams about who deserves to be No. 6 (in order to avoid being on the same side of the bracket as No. 1 Crenshaw).

Former Los Alamitos senior quarterback Dylan Cook told The Los Angeles Times what led to his decision to quit the team following the transfer into the school of sophomore Dylan Lagarde of Long Beach Poly.

Said Cook: "(Coach John Barnes) told me, 'We want to give this kid a shot and see what he can do.' . . . He then asked me, 'Can you promise me you'll win these next four games?' I said yes. He then said, 'I don't believe you.' At that point, I felt like, 'How do you play for someone who doesn't believe in you?'"

No comment in the story from Barnes, who is Orange County's all-time winningest coach.

Los Alamitos (7-2, 2-2) this week is No. 27 in the state rankings; the Griffins face No. 26 Fountain Valley (8-1, 3-1) on Thursday in a must-win game to try to get one of the Sunset League's three berths for the Pac-5 playoffs; there could be a three-way tie for second place with Newport Harbor (5-4, 2-2), which beat Los Alamitos in Cook's final game. Los Alamitos isn't the only perennial contender competing for its playoff life in the Pac-5.

Santa Ana Mater Dei (5-4, 2-2), which last failed to make the playoffs in 1987, faces Bellflower St. John Bosco (5-4, 2-2) in what looks like a battle for third place in the Trinity League. In the Serra League, No. 19 La Puente Bishop Amat (8-1, 1-1) plays host to No. 10 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (8-1, 2-0) with Encino Crespi (5-4, 1-1) lurking. Crespi just beat Bishop Amat, 38-25.

And get this: If Long Beach Poly (4-5, 3-2) is upset by Compton (4-4, 2-3), it would create a three-way tie for third place. However, Poly would have lost to the other third-place teams, Compton and Long Beach Millikan (6-4, 3-3). How's that for a scenario surrounding the section's most successful program? There is one at-large berth available in the division, and more than one really fine program that's going to miss the cut.

The stars on the helmets of Santa Ana Godinez players don't come from touchdowns or decleaters or big plays. Coach Aron Kaye hands them out for every week that a player maintains a 3.0 grade-point average.

"We ran out of stars," Kaye said prior to Godinez (2-8, 0-4) completing its second varsity season with a 20-14 overtime loss to Santa Ana Calvary Chapel. "We really believe in the term student-athlete that student comes first."

Godinez nearly won its first Orange Coast League game, but suffered typical growing pains: It didn't finish. The Grizzlies took a 14-0 lead late in the third quarter, then Brandon Perez returned a kickoff 99 yards, caught a 56-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter and a 5-yard TD pass in overtime. Calvary Chapel, which didn't muster a first down until 10:58 remained in the game, gained 112 of its 125 total yards after the fourth quarter began.

Ra'Shon Harper has rushed for 1,239 yards and 21 touchdowns this season to become the Woodland Hills El Camino Real career leader with 4,135 yards and 48 touchdowns. With a deep run in the playoffs, Harper could blow the record out of the water.

Athletes who have reportedly committed to colleges as the National Letter of Intent signing period begins for non-football sports:

Boys' basketball: Richard Soloman and Allen Crabbe, of L.A. Price, were to sign with California to play men's basketball; Casey Trujeque is to sign with Montana State. . . . Byron Wesley (6-5), a junior at Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda, has committed to USC. He played last season at San Bernardino Cajon. . . . Gary Franklin (6-3), a point guard at Mater Dei, has committed to California. . . . Keala King (6-6), a guard/forward at Mater Dei, has committed to Arizona State. He played last season at Compton Dominguez. . . Tyler Lamb (6-5), a guard at Mater Dei, has committed to UCLA.

Girls basketball: Lindsay Sherbert, a guard at Temecula Great Oak, has committed to California. . . . Trinidee Trice, a forward at Riverside North, has committed to Northern Arizona. . . . Shayla Batson, a wing at Mater Dei, has committed to Northern Arizona. . . . Alexandria Thomas, a guard at Mater Dei, has committed to Cal State Fullerton.

Baseball: Jose Cardona, a junior pitcher from Woodland Hills El Camino Real, has committed to Cal State Fullerton. . . . Derek Campbell, an outfielder at Mater Dei, has committed to California. . . . Cory Hahn, a shortstop at Mater Dei, has committed to Arizona State. . . . Jacob Medina, an outfielder at Mater Dei, has committed to Loyola Marymount.

Softball: Jessica Hall, a pitcher at Chino Hills Ayala, has committed to UCLA. . . . Talee Snow, a second baseman at Chino Hills, has committed to UCLA. . . . Olivia Fimbres, a catcher at Fontana Summit, has committed to Colorado State-Pueblo, where she is expected to play shortstop. . . . Carly Wade, a pitcher at Mater Dei, has committed to Stony Brook. . . . Amy Nunez, a first baseman at Mater Dei, has committed to UC Davis.

Swimming: Melissa Bates of Mater Dei has committed to California.

Football: Joshua Mitchell, a defensive back at Corona Roosevelt, has committed to Nebraska. . . . Andrew Hudson (6-3, 230), a defensive end at Redlands East Valley, has committed to Washington. . . . Tony Washington, a defensive end at Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos, has committed to Oregon. . . . Sean Alston (5-10, 175), a receiver/defensive back at Los Osos, has committed to Fresno State. . . . Trevor Romaine, a kicker/punter at Corona Centennial, has committed to Oregon State. . . . Jim Jones, a quarterback/receiver at San Bernardino Aquinas, has committed to UTEP.

One of the most anticipated days of the year is National Letter of Intent Day. However, a trend has developed that has made following an athlete's collegiate search difficult and disappointing, perhaps even sad: Many players no longer keep their commitment.

The most comical commitment is the one in which an athlete says, "I'm there," but continues to take recruiting trips. Huh?

A verbal commitment is not binding, but the current environment illustrates two important factors: The competition for athletes by colleges is intense and they will recruit to the very end, and the failure of athletes to stand by their word. The argument is that the athlete should make the right decision so reneging on his word is fair game, so to speak.

But why commit unless you're absolutely sure? Until the signature is on the dotted line, is there any reason to believe any commitment that comes before National Signing Day?

Martin Henderson began covering Southland preps in 1993 for the Los Angeles Times. He contributes to the Orange County Register, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and San Bernardino Sun, and offers up motorsports opinions at Racescribe.com. You can reach him at southlandpreps@yahoo.com.