By Brandon HENSLEY

The train kept on rolling for Crescenta Valley football this week as the Falcons varsity team was recognized at Supervisor Mike Antonovich’s office on Tuesday at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting. The players each were given a certificate from the County of Los Angeles with the Falcons logo and the players’ name across the middle.

“It was a pretty cool atmosphere,” said Coach Paul Schilling. “I didn’t think much about it until we got there and saw the TV cameras and all the people. After going through the security check and seeing we had reserved seats, we felt very special.”

Since the Falcons wrapped up the CIF Southern Section Southeast championship in December, they haven’t had much time to rest. The team was featured in the Montrose Christmas Parade the night after the victory. The team banquet a couple of weeks later was a late-night affair with a full house of fans and family members at Angeles National Golf Course. They were also honored by the Glendale Unified School District, and this week it was Antonovich’s turn to applaud the boys.

“It does seem like a lot of recognition, but it is such an amazing accomplishment,” Schilling said. “So many things have to click and it doesn’t happen very often. We are spoiled at CV with the 17 titles we have as a regular community public school. A lot of places would love to have 17 CIF titles.”

Despite most prognosticators picking Crescenta Valley to compete for the playoffs but not do much else, the team had its best season in school history. The Falcons won the Pacific League for the first time since 2004 and completed an undefeated 10-0 regular season. The Falcons then won four games in the playoffs to claim its first CIF title since the 1972 did it with a 12-1 record. But these Falcons went 14-0, the first ever undefeated season for the program.

The Pacific League is often seen as weaker than others around the area, but the Falcons earned their championship in the playoffs. They beat Harvard-Westlake in the first round, a game many thought they would lose. They went on the road and beat Paramount in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they pulled out a last minute comeback against reigning Southeast Champion La Serna. The final game came against Downey, which won the Southeast two years ago. Thanks to a great defensive effort, CV won 21-14.

So while it might be a little exhausting to keep shaking hands and taking pictures in front of big crowds, it certainly is warranted.

“It’s one of those things that the coaches know is special. I think the players will realize it in a few months,” Schilling said. “The certificates they each received were really nice. It was a great experience.

“It seems tiring organizing 55 kids plus our managers to get them to these events,” he continued, “but once we are there it’s totally worth it.

Photos by Mary O’KEEFE

  Brandon Hensley, Mary Okeefe