But times — and records — have improved, at least on the Nitros’ side, as Glendale enters Friday’s 7 p.m. contest at Moyse Field with a 5-4 overall mark, a 2-4 Pacific League standing and a shot at making the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs.
Indeed, the 2008 season has been one of turnaround for the Nitros.
“The kids put in a lot of time in the offseason and it showed,” Glendale second-year Coach Rafik Thorossian said. “It’s a huge improvement from last year.”
While improvement hasn’t been seen in terms of victories for winless Hoover (0-9, 0-6 in league), first-year Coach Chris Long maintains that his program has advanced in avenues not seen on the scoreboard — intangibles such as better practices, improved attitude and the advancement of his new spread offense.
“Our record won’t indicate that, whether it’s 0-10 or 1-9,” he said.
Glendale will most assuredly go in as the favorite, but in a contest in which every season finds coaches saying you can throw out the records, Long and the Tornadoes are hoping for just that.
“From our standpoint, I hope we can throw the records out,” Long said.
Hoover’s inspiration will likely come in the form of the age-old bragging rights and the hope of breaking a 19-game losing streak that dates back to the Tornadoes’ 2006 win against Glendale.
“Everyone’s excited,” said Long, who as the Tornadoes’ first-year coach will get his first taste of the madness that is the “Battle for the Victory Bell” and all its buildup. “It’s a big day for our school and our community and our football program.”
