Photos by Tony PONCE

Contributors Paul D. Fitzgerald, Bruce Millstein, Chad Runnels, and Gary Campanella

JR. GREMLIN FLAG

La Cañada Gladiators v. East L. A. Bulldogs

(Teams do not keep Score)

The La Cañada Gladiator Jr. Gremlins took their show on the road Saturday to Garfield High School where they faced off against the East L.A. Bulldogs.

The Gladiators first Drive of the game was led by the “shake and brake” rushing of Andrew “Tiny” Sibbrell, and culminated with a touchdown pass on the goal line from quarterback J.J. Runnels to his outstanding wide-out Liam Pasten. The pass connection made possible by the protection of offensive linemen, Zeke Rodriguez, Timothy Runnels,  Derek Flores, Phoenix Vengco, and Gunnar Herman.

The defense lead by corners Isaac Rodriguez, Aaron Matthews, and Sonny Rodriguez, held the Bulldog passing in check all morning. Late in the first half linebackers Alec Heberger and Carter Freeman, defensive end Jade Fernandez, and corner “Tiny” Sibbrell made a touchdown saving stop to lead the Gladiators into halftime.

After halftime, Joseph Padilla, Jonathan Gutierrez, Matthew Merrill, put up a tough defensive front that stymied the Bulldog offense.

Tied in the fourth quarter, on a fourth and goal from 30 yards out, Runnels once again put the ball in the hand of his electric tailback, Tiny Sibbrell, who juked and moved his way through the entire Bulldog defense for a score. The only thing hotter than the Jr. Gremlins offense that morning was the temperature.

You better wake up early this Sunday and make your way to La Cañada High’s Spartan Stadium to check these boys out as they attempt to get their second victory of the season against the Tigers of Lincoln Heights.

Gremlins

La Cañada 19, East L.A. 6

The La Cañada Gladiator Gremlins improved their record to 2-0 with a 19-6 victory over the East L.A. Bulldogs last Saturday at Garfield High School.

The Gladiators struck quickly as quarterback Jacob Calnon ran in for a 7-yard touchdown during LC’s first possession. Calnon would go on to rush for 53 yards and all 3 Gladiator touchdowns. The Gremlin’s commanding defensive line led by Izziah Alzaga, Frank Higginbotham, Moises Guiragossian, Hudson Stimmler and Calnon allowed for only one Bulldog touchdown, occurring early in the 1st quarter. Both teams exchanged penalties and possessions through the remainder of most of the first half. The Gladiators scored their second touchdown late in the 2^nd quarter with a 12- yard run by Calnon.  Frank Higginbotham’s relentless tackling forced East L.A. to give up the ball on downs, closing the half with the Gremlin’s out in front 12 – 6.

LC’s formidable defensive linebackers and backs – Nevada Miller, Joseph De La Cruz, Scottie Smith, Corey Cheung, Shawn Irwin, Niko Anderson, Matthew Kurkdjian and Harrison Schloessmann held the Bulldogs to an average of less than 3 yards per play and only 4 first down conversions for the entire game. Respectively, it was the hard hitting of LC’s domineering offensive line – Thomas Sorensen, Jordyn Delgado, Luke Cullen, Joshua Byer, Stimmler and Alzaga, together with tight ends Maddox Freeman, Smith and Miller that enabled the Gremlins to rush for a combined total of 223 yards. Corey Cheung ran for 98 of those yards on 10 carries averaging almost 10 yards per carry. Niko Anderson rushed for 54 yards.

Midway through the third quarter the Gladiators scored their final touchdown on a 4-yard carry by Calnon. Guiragossian – who rushed for 17 yards on the day – ran in the PAT, increasing the Gremlin’s lead to 19–6. La Cañada’s defense, spurred on by the efforts of Sebastian Pascuzzo, Colin Massey, Flynn Millstein, David O’Connor, Byer and Sorensen pushed East L.A. back into negative yardage for the duration of the game. Both Miller and Anderson had near interceptions that were key to stopping two East L.A. drives. Calnon took a knee and let the clock run down on LC’s final possession, putting a period on a well-balanced and soundly executed Gladiator team victory.

Next Sunday La Cañada will square off against the Lincoln Heights Tigers at La Cañada High School.

Pee Wee

La Cañada 20 East L.A. 0

On Saturday afternoon at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles the La Cañada Gladiator Pee Wee team improved to 2-0 on the season with a dominating 20-0 performance against the East Los Angeles Bulldogs.

The La Cañada Gladiators were unable to move the ball on the opening drive but the Bulldogs were stymied on fourth down when Jake Fitzgerald knocked down a pass thwarting the Bulldogs from scoring.   La Cañada took over and were able to move the ball as Andrew Sharman went for sixteen yards and a first down.  Shortly thereafter, Daylon Beasley took a hand-off and ran fifty yards for a touchdown.  Mycah Pasten kicked the extra point giving the Gladiators an early 8-0 lead.  East Los Angeles was unable to move the ball and gave the ball back to the Gladiators to end the first quarter.

In the second quarter the Gladiator defense again stepped up and on fourth and five Jake Fitzgerald sacked the East Los Angeles quarterback giving La Cañada the ball on their own forty-four yard line.  The Gladiator offense took advantage when Daylon Beasley scampered sixteen yards for a first down.  Pierce Clarkson picked up another first down with a nifty fifteen yard run giving La Cañada the ball on the Bulldog’s twenty-five yard line.  With about three minutes left in the half, Beasley struck again with a twenty-five yard touchdown run providing the Gladiators a 14-0 lead.   An unsuccessful on side kick gave the East Los Angeles Bulldogs the ball on their own forty-five yard line, but the La Cañada defense came up big as Matthew Watson stuffed an East Los Angeles running back for a five yard loss.  East Los Angeles punted and Clarkson returned the punt thirty-five yards down to the Bulldog thirty-five yard line.  After a Gladiator penalty erased a thirty-seven yard touchdown, on the very next play La Cañada did it again as Beasley scored for the third time providing the Gladiators with a 20-0 lead to end the half.

East Los Angeles was unable to move the ball to start the second half.  La Cañada took over and this drive featured a pair of nineteen and a twelve yard runs by Sebastian Deleon.  Unfortunately La Cañada could not convert as they turned the ball over to East Los Angeles.  Once again the Gladiator defense stepped up as East Los Angeles was unable to pick up a first down.  La Cañada moved the ball down the field as Beasley took a hand-off down to the Bulldogs ten yard line at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter witnessed continued domination by the Gladiators on both sides of the ball. The offensive and defensive line of Jonah Cisneros, Luke Waters, Caruana Damarcus, Sebastion Deleon, Fitzgerald, Chris Marfisi, Jake Okland, Brandon Shepherd, Charles Stewart, Matthew Watson and Laelan Wright controlled the line of scrimmage and were so dominant that the Bulldogs initial first down of the game down ocuured late in the fourth quarter.  La Cañada ran time off the clock and East Los Angeles took over where the clock ran down ending the game.

The Gladiator Pee Wee’s next game is against 0-2 Lincoln Heights Tigers at La Cañada High School this Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Jr. Midgets

La Cañada Gladiators 35, East L.A. 0

The La Cañada Gladiator Jr. Midget team improved to 2-0 this week with a decisive 34-0 victory over the East L. A. Bulldogs at Garfield High School in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon.

The first quarter was defensive battle with both teams having some measure of success with the running game, but failing to capitalize after making first downs.  The Gladiator defensive front with Chase Center, Jack Modrezejewski, Killian Trulik and Angel Ochoa made life difficult on the Bulldog backfield forcing the running game to the outside where they were able to pick up some yards.

The second quarter continued to be a slug fest.  The swarming Gladiator defensive secondary with corners Bryson Reeves, and Lucas Simblet, Safeties Colby Rees, Zeal Shumate and Aaron Garcia, along with Linebackers Max Herman and Max Grant continued to apply pressure to the Bulldog running attack.  At the end of the first half the game remained scoreless.

Rallied by Head Coach Jon Rees, the Gladiator offense came to life in the second half. The running game came alive behind the solid offensive line play of Duncan Sprengal, Chuck Meyer, Kyle Lewin, Jacob Zabala, Henry Whitford and Adam Griffin.  In the third quarter Zeal Shumate managed to get the ball into the end zone off a running play that was set up by a pass reception by Max Grant.  The Gladiator momentum continued to with a long break away run by Angel Ochoa that set up a Max Grant Touchdown.   A fumble recovery on the kickoff continued to have things go the Gladiator way.  Chase center plowed the ball into the red zone setting up another Grant touchdown.   The Gladiator defense continued to wear down the Bulldog offense with solid gap control by down linemen Lucas Ponce, Valentin Nunez, and Mher Baranian.

The fourth quarter was marked by relentless offensives drives aided by linemen Eugene Shin, ends Joshua Kibler and Jayson Sein, along with a solid defensive attack with support from defensive backs Efrem Rivera, Ryan Villalobos, and Luc Campanella.

A late 4^th quarter long touchdown run by Zeal Shumate sealed the Gladiator shutout victory 34 -0.

Next Sunday, the Gladiators play host to the Lincoln Heights Tigers, who bring a record of 0-1-1 to La Cañada.