Hamlet Nalbandyan
GLENDALE -- The following is a preview of tonight's CIF Southern
Section playoff football games involving local teams:
Valencia vs. Crescenta Valley at Moyse Field, 7:30 p.m.: This won't be
the first or last time the Crescenta Valley High football team will be
considered an underdog.
Despite CV's 11-0 record and No. 4 seeding in CIF Southern Section
Division III, many "experts" believe Valencia will be able to stop Hudson
Gossard and hand Alan Eberhart's squad its first loss of the season.
Part of the reasoning here is that the Vikings (9-2) played in one of
the toughest leagues out there, finishing second in the Foothill League.
Valencia also has played a brutal schedule, with its two losses coming
against powerhouses Bishop Amat and Hart.
Of course, the Falcons -- Pacific League champions the past three
years -- haven't exactly played a bunch of cupcakes.
CV beat such teams as Thousand Oaks, St. Francis, La Canada,
Burroughs, Muir and Arcadia, all of which are tough playoff teams.
But it is also true that the Falcons haven't yet faced anyone as
strong as the Vikings.
It remains to be seen whether the 5-foot-10 Gossard could do his usual
thing -- he's passed for 3,299 yards and 32 touchdowns -- with players as
big as Alex Gottlieb (6-5, 280 pounds), Will Schwartz (6-3, 262) and
Jason Lance (6-5, 215) patrolling the Viking defense.
And another thing to consider here is the last time CV faced Valencia
was in the 1999 postseason, with the Vikings coming away with a 55-14
victory.
Mira Costa at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m.: Like the CV/Valencia game, this
Division III quarterfinal contest is up for grabs.
Mira Costa (11-0) is the No. 3 seed, but St. Francis (7-4) has been
playing some of the best football in the division since midseason.
The Golden Knights had no problem with Arcadia in the first round,
winning, 28-10, and that's with starting tailback Kevin Herron -- who is
third in the area with 888 yards rushing -- out of the lineup with a
season-ending hand injury.
The reason for St. Francis' success is its steady defense and bruising
rushing attack.
Quarterback Ricky Knauf is a perfect fit for Jim Bonds' new offense.
The senior has ran for nine scores and thrown for nine others, mixing the
run and pass extremely well.
Often-used backup Joe Orlandini is a capable runner as well. The
senior ran for 113 yards and two scores in last week's win.
La Canada vs. Santa Monica at Santa Monica City College, 7 p.m.: The
Spartans (8-3) are going up against a team that is coming off a 62-0
victory in the first round.
Of course, that's a bit misleading, considering Santa Monica (8-2) was
playing Workman, which is out of the traditionally weak Montview League.
The Spartans, on the other hand, are coming off an impressive 31-21
victory against Santa Maria St. Joseph, which had beaten the likes of St.
Francis this season.
The duo of Eric Young and Patrick Perrigue had a splendid night.
Perrigue caught nine passes for 136 yards and Young threw for 222 yards
and more importantly, no interceptions. He also threw a touchdown and
rushed for another.
If the two seniors perform similarly tonight, and players like Ryan
Young, Jesse Hirdler and Tony Naples contribute on offense, Rich
Wheeler's squad could be preparing for a trip to the semifinals.
