GLENDALE — The following are area previews of the area’s upcoming high school football games.
While the high school football season is but two weeks old, the first two weeks for Glendale High have bordered on disaster.
And with tonight’s 7 p.m. nonleague contest against visiting South Pasadena at Moyse Field serving as the Nitros’ last game before Pacific League play commences, a budding sense of urgency surrounds Glendale.
“We have to show we can play or it’s gonna show we can’t,” said Nitros first-year Coach Alan Eberhart. “More than momentum, we just have to believe we can compete. I think if we show we can, momentum will take care of itself.”
The Nitros (0-2), who have been outscored 87-13 in two games, are coming off a 35-0 loss to La Cañada that stunned many and emphasized Glendale still needs to shore up fundamentals, particularly tackling and executing when opportunities present themselves.
“They physically beat us,” Eberhart said.
Meanwhile, the Nitros hope a likewise 0-2 South Pasadena squad is just what the doctor ordered.
The Tigers, Glendale’s second straight Rio Hondo League opponent, lost last week to Hoover, 16-13, as the Tornadoes stopped an 0-21 losing streak. In fact, tonight’s game pits the last two programs that Hoover defeated. But Eberhart does not believe in the least that last week’s result proves anything will be gift-wrapped for his Nitros.
“Hoover played a real nice game,” Eberhart said. “[South Pasadena] is a pretty good team.”
As for Eberhart’s team, it seems as though Glendale still owns belief that a successful season can be had, but doubt has assuredly crept in.
“I think they’re in pretty good spirits, they still believe we can do it,” said Eberhart before later admitting that doubt is still at hand, at least until his team gets over the hump. “Right now, I think there’s some doubt, can we win? But I think if we can, the momentum takes care of itself.”
Last week, the Nitros gave up nearly 300 yards through the air, while countering with just 62 of their own from quarterback Moises Chavez, emphasizing clear problems on both sides of the ball. But, Eberhart believes all the ills can be remedied.
“They’re things that should be fixable,” he said.
