Starting with competing against neighboring nonleague schools helped set the table last season for the Falcons, who will open their season at 7 p.m. Sept. 11 against Verdugo Hills at Glendale High’s Moyse Field. Crescenta Valley will then embark on a two-game road trip against St. Francis at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18 and 7 p.m. Sept. 25 against La Cañada before starting league play at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 against Burbank at Moyse Field.
“It’s fun playing the schools along Foothill Boulevard because it adds to the community in terms of them being our neighbors,” said Crescenta Valley Coach Tony Zarrillo, who was named the All-Area Coach of the Year after guiding the Falcons to a record of 9-3 and 6-1 in league last season. “In some instances, the kids and families know each other from the other team, and it breaks out a great degree of interest that you might not get from someplace else.
“When we play those three teams, we’ll see things that we just might see during the course of league. In the era of the spread offense, you might see different things run by one of the teams in our league.”
Crescenta Valley, which returns the likes of All-Area selections Harry Pessy and Mike Bako, went 2-1 last season in its three-game stretch against Verdugo Hills, St. Francis and La Cañada. It posted 39-7 wins against Verdugo Hills and La Cañada, but suffered a 27-12 loss to St. Francis.
The Falcons then jump into the Pacific against a Burbank squad that went 6-6 and also reached the second round of the postseason. Crescenta Valley handed Burbank a 20-12 setback last season.
