Gladiator Tackle Report – All Teams Playoff Bound!

For the first time in its 49-year history the La Cañada Gladiators have completed the regular season with four of the five tackle teams in first place in their respective divisions and all five teams headed to the playoffs. The Jr. Gremlin flag division does not keep score and has no playoff system.

“In a very good year we may send one or two teams to playoffs,” said Kevin Lacey, the Gladiator president for the past 13 years, “and last year we sent three.”

Sending all five tackle teams to the playoffs is an unprecedented first for the program. Rarely does any city in the 28-member San Gabriel Valley Jr. All American Football Conference send more than one team to the playoffs.

Lacey was also impressed with how well the teams played this season.

“Two of our squads finished the season undefeated, and two only had one loss. They dominated their opponents on the field.”

The La Cañada Gladiators have participated in the San Gabriel Valley Jr. All American Football Conference for almost 50 years. Between the mid-1960s and 2002 the Gladiators won a total of two conference championships. Since 2002, the Gladiators won 11 conference championships and more than 20 league titles. This season, the Gladiators are poised to add a few more.

Sending more than one or teams to playoffs is rare in such a large league.  For the Gladiators, the achievement is even more remarkable because La Cañada’s recruiting area is dwarfed by its competition.

“Glendale, El Monte, Pasadena and other franchises have an overwhelming advantage in demographics,” said Lacey, “while our recruiting area is slightly large than a postage stamp. But through hard work and great coaching, we had a great season across the board.”

The Gremlins (ages 8-10) defeated the El Sereno Stallions 28-0 on Sunday at La Cañada High School to finish the season undefeated at 7-0-1.

After a first week tie against the Rosemead Rebels, the Gremlins crushed their next seven opponents, scoring 221 points while allowing only 12 points all season. Head coach Sugi Sorensen complimented his team on a stellar season as they enter the playoffs.

“The team has worked very hard since July to establish themselves as the dominant team in the Arroyo League,” Sorensen said. “All the players have contributed, each and every one improving over the season. Their hard work and dedication has paid off.”

Coach Sorensen observed that success was a total team effort.

“Unlike other top teams at this level, it is not because of one or two gifted athletes who dominate,” he said. “It is because they work hard and play as a team that they’ve enjoyed success.”

The Gremlins will take on the Pico Rivera Dons next Sunday at 9 a.m. at Charter Oak High School in the quarterfinal round of playoffs. The Dons come with a record of 4-1-2.

The Jr. Pee Wee squad (ages 9-11) crushed the West Covina Bruins this weekend at La Cañada High School 48-0.  They finished the season with a record of 7-1. The team’s only loss was in week one against Rosemead. The team then strung together seven straight wins scoring 222 points while a stingy defense allowed only 13 points during the entire seven-game streak.

“We had high expectations for this team but with 11 new and first year players, we knew it would take time to get the team going,” said head coach Keenan Cheung. “After the loss to Rosemead our kids just dug in and worked very hard … We have developed a very balance offensive attack with no less than 10 players scoring touchdowns this year.”

At the same time, on the other side of the ball, Cheung noted, “Our defense has been dominant since our first game only allowing two touchdowns.”

On Saturday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. at District Field in Covina the Gladiators will face the tough Bell Gardens Lancers, who finished the regular season at 5-2.  This will be the second meeting between these two teams. On Oct. 15 the Gladiators edged the Lancers 14-6.

The Pee Wee (ages 10-12) team under head coach Eddie Guiragossian finished the regular season with a 40-14 romp over visiting El Sereno on Sunday afternoon. Like the other Gladiator teams headed to playoffs, the Pee Wee team had problems in week one, losing a close game 8-0 to Rosemead. Since then the team has won seven games in a row – including five consecutive shutouts – to finish 7-1.

Coach Guiragossian contributes the team’s success “to our unending support from our players, parents, coaches and board members. Our next stop is playoffs and we are well prepared and ready to work harder than we ever have to bring the championship home to La Cañada.”

Since the first week of the season, the Pee Wees have scored 202 points while allowing only 20. This success is even more remarkable because, at the beginning of summer training, it was not at all clear whether there would be a Pee Wee team at all. Coach Guiragossian recalled starting with only a “handful” of players. But team recruiting and hard work got the job done. The Pee Wee team will travel this Sunday to Muir High School in Pasadena to take on the Duarte Hawks, who finished the season with a record of 5-3, in the quarterfinal round of playoffs.

The Junior Midget squad (ages 11-14) has run the tables this year, finishing the season with a perfect 8-0 record. On Sunday, they defeated a tough Stallion team 40-6. Over the past four years this team has accumulated a record of 38-1, with their only loss being a regular season defeat in 2014. They have won three consecutive conference championships and are ready to attempt a fourth.

“I am proud of the boys in winning the Arroyo League,” said head coach Jeremy Cisneros, “and we are excited to see what they do in the play-offs. It’s been an honor to coach and watch them grow into young men.”

The Jr. Midgets scored a league-high 309 points this year while allowing only 26. This Saturday the Jr. Midgets will travel to Mt. View High School to take on the 6-2 Covina Vikings in the quarterfinals.

JR. GREMLIN FLAG

La Cañada Gladiators v. El Sereno Stallions

(Teams do not keep Score)

The La Cañada Gladiators Jr. Gremlins hosted the El Sereno Stallions on an overcast morning Sunday Oct. 30 at 8:30 a.m.

The Gladiators scored early and often. A three-play 33-yard drive in the first quarter was punctuated with an 11-yard touchdown run by Alec Heberger. Heberger would make the most what was his last game at the Jr. Gremlin level scoring two touchdowns on the day running, and netting two interceptions on defense.

After the Gladiators got on the board in the first quarter with Heberger’s touchdown run, they scored again on a one-play 20-yard touchdown pass from Liam Pasten to Christopher Spears. After Heberger’s first interception, the Gladiators would quickly add another touchdown this time on a 12-yard touchdown run from Phoenix Vengco to bring the score to 21-0 in the first quarter.

The Stallions had difficulty getting any offense going throughout the first half. Their first two drives, a punt and turnover on downs, were held up by a strong pass rush from Joseph Padilla, also finishing his career at the Jr. Gremlin level with his last regular season game. The ensuing Stallion drive also resulted in an interception by the Gladiator’s Thomas De Lucia who has been a standout on defense and offense throughout the season. The Stallions’ best chance at scoring was an eight play, 29-yard drive in the second quarter. But stellar defensive play by Carter Freeman, Wyatt Zinn, Heberger and C.J. Mattmann made sure the Stallions stayed out of the end zone.

Mattmann contributed on offense as well with a 30-yard touchdown run in the second quarter where he showed some impressive slashing and cutting through defenders as he raced towards the Gladiator’s fourth score of the game. The Gladiators rounded out the half with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Pasten to Padilla.

The second half of the game resembled the first: stout Gladiators defense and little offensive production by the Stallions. The Stallions’ second half drives included a punt, an interception, two turnovers on downs and nearly a safety to close out the game. The Gladiators scored second half touchdowns by Heberger on a 15-yard run, and two throwing scores, Pasten to Padilla and Pasten to Angel Loza.

The offensive/defensive line including Padilla, Wyatt Zinn, Maddox Vengco, Adrian Garcia, Timothy Runnels, DeLuccia and Flores all contributed greatly to the team’s success.

This was, without doubt, a very most talented group of youngsters.

According to head coach Austin Heberger, “We had a great core of veterans and a very coachable group of new kids for the Jr. Gremlins. We played disciplined football, which is a bit unusual at this age. We asked a lot of them and they responded. A great group of kids that promises the Gladiators a very bright future.”