The La Cañada Gladiators played their opening season games last weekend. Below are their scores. The next contests will be played on Saturday, Sept. 25 at La Cañada High School, 4463 Oak Grove Drive, La Cañada Flintridge.

Jr. Gremlin – Cardinal

(Teams Do Not Keep Official Score)

On Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. on a hot afternoon at Muir High School in Pasadena the La Canada Gladiators Jr. Gremlin-Cardinal Flag Football squad took on the always tough Panthers of Pasadena.

The Gladiator team, consisting Caden Smith, Andrew Sharman, Jonah Cisneros, Brian Harley, Arthur Amorosi, Zachary Roh, Easton Caneva, Andrew Kim, Andrew Scarsi, Max Saucedo, Andrew Seace, Adam Griffin, Matthew Buntich, Marus Martin, Michael Lund, Ryan Gonzalez, Jordan McWhorter, and Bryson Reeves played hard and gave it their all for their first game of the 2010 season!

Quarterbacks Michael Lund Bryson had a great game along with returning center Adam Griffin.  Running backs Andrew Sharman and Bryson Reeves both had good games behind the solid blocking of the Gladiator line.  On the other side of the ball, the Gladiator defensive line had a busy day. Matthew Buntich pulled his first flag, and 20 Ryan Gonzalez caused a Panther fumble.  Gladiator defensive linesman, Gonzalez, Jordan McWhorter, Jonah Cisneros, Andrew Sharman, Reeves, Kim and Buntich continued to put pressure Pasadena and caused three fumbles in the first half. Lund also had a touchdown-saving stop on the goal line.

Next up for the Gladiators are the tough Temple City Rams at 9:00 a.m. at La Canada High School on Saturday, September 25^th.

Jr. Gremlin – Gold

(Teams Do Not Keep Official Score)

The La Canada Jr. Gremlin-Gold Flag Football Team took on the Pasadena Panthers’ Flag Football Team at John Muir High School in Pasadena on Sunday, September 19th.

Playing for the La Canada Jr. Gremlin Gold Team were players Sebastian Aviles-Maya, Khalil Bush, Jacob Hurtado, Brady Kline, Mike Oakes, Christopher “CJ” Corlett, Nathan Lee, Jake Oakes, Matthew Banich, Dexter Mathews, Charlie Stewart, Jordan Hershman, Dylan Luper, Bennett Oakes, Andrew Ortiz, Angel Martin, Chris Nava, and Valentine Nunez.  Players worked really hard during the first game of the 2010 season!

A highlight of the game was a twenty yard pass completion from Quarterback Mike Oakes to Chris Nava.  Another highlight of the game was the efforts of Gladiator Gold defensive player Nathan Lee who stopped a Panther run, pulling a flag to stop a Panther touchdown.  Another Gladiator defensive player who went the extra mile was the always tough Matthew “Animal” Banich.

Gremlins

Final Score: Pasadena 32 La Canada: 6

Despite the outstanding running of Elijah Washington, who rushed for over 123 yards, the Gladiator Gremlin squad fell short on Sunday morning at Muir High School to the Pasadena Panthers, 32-6.

The La Canada Gladiator Gremlins were led in offense by quarterback Tanner Gish and running back Elijah Washington who had 123 yards in 20 carries. The second highest rusher was Thomas Mc Connell with 19 yards in 7 carries. Other Gladiators who shared rushing duty were Chris Wood, Tanner Gish, Evan Estrada and Charlie Rocca with one carry apiece.

Tanner Gish who completed 2 passes for 20 yards, 1 pass to Elijah Washington for 9 yards and 1 to Chris Wood for 11 yards

On defense the Gladiators were led by Gish, Wood, Washington, Estrada, Zach Howorth, Adam Crawford, Mitch Espinosa, McConnell, Dylan McGoldrick, Emmet “Wild Man” Hurley, Clayton Esparza, Aaron Wilson, Blake Northrop, Derek Albanese, Gunner Millis, Tyler Shakibai, Carson Okland and Jacob Buntich.  Esparza made 2 tackles in the Panther backfield and Elijah Washington and Carson Okland each had one tackle in the Panther backfield.

Other players in the hard fought game for LC were Ronald Shin, Jake George, Mitchell Frus, Devein Matthews, Miles Haxton, Ian Harding, Ian Goodstein, Alex Hartwick, Triston Kekahuna, Jack Rothgeb, Will Stewart and Chuck Meyer.

Next up for the Gladiators are the Temple City Rams next Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at La Canada High School.

Jr. Pee Wee

Final Score: Pasadena: 31  La Canada: 0

The 2011 Gladiator Junior Pee Wee squad made the trip to John Muir High to face the always-tough Pasadena Panthers for their first contest of the season.  While the game play was closer than the final score indicated, ultimately the speed and big-play strike capability of the Panthers allowed them to prevail over the Gladiators by a score of 31-0.

The Panthers took the opening kick-off, and the defensive line of Ethan DeMoulin, Theo Chamberlain, Jules Buenabenta and Julian Martinez, supported by line-backers Brian Erickson, Eli Chavez, Will McConnell and Michael Chan, quickly bottled them up to a 3^rd long, but the Panthers responded with a 32-yard sweep outside to their left for the first down, foreshadowing what would be a problem for the Gladiators all game long.  The Panthers scored to take a 6-0 lead, but the Gladiator D held strong and stopped the PAT with great team tackling.

The Gladiator offense, led by quarterback Erickson, running back Chavez, and the offensive line of Chamberlain, Brandt Lukas, DeMoulin, Chan and Buenabenta, and tight ends Jackson Totleben and Martinez, ground out a couple of first downs before being stopped by the Panther defense.

Linebacker McConnell and defensive back Bobby Gazmarian made some great stops during the Panthers’ next series, but the Panthers scored to make it 12-0.  McConnell stop the Panther conversion to end scoring for the first quarter with the Panthers up 12-0.

In the second quarter, McConnell made several nice gains at running back.  On the Panthers’ possession, they scored a TD on a run off left tackle, but Chamberlain stuffed the extra point attempt.  The Gladiators forced a fumble on the next series, recovered and returned 30 yards by Chavez at the end of the half.  The Panthers led at the half 18-0.

The second half started with a Gladiator drive from the 50, but the Gladiators were unable to move the ball and Pasadena returned the ensuing punt for another score.  At the end of the third quarter, the Panthers led 25-0.

The Gladiators defense played well the second half.  On the Panthers’ next series, McConnell forced and recovered a fumble on the first play.  The Gladiators drove down to the Panther’s 35-yard line before the drive stalled.  The Panthers roared back and scored on a 55-yard run over the left side, with the PAT stopped by the swarming Gladiator to make the score of 31-0.

Michael Chan also recovered a Panther fumble, and DeMoulin had 3 consecutive tackles in the Panther backfield to stall a drive. Andrew Van Ginkel nearly caught a great 30-yard pass to make a Gladiator statement late in the game.

Additional Gladiators who made great contributions on offense, defense, kickoff and return squads include:   Conrad Oakes, Matthew Lim, Ellis Rothrock, Drake Barron, Kyle Ramirez, Peter Simmath and Jordan Kruglov.  Defensive stand-outs include Oakes, Barron, Connor McGoldrick, Justin Sabourin and Rothrock.

The La Canada Gladiators Jr. Pee Wee team’s next game is Saturday, September 25 at 7:00 p.m. at La Canada High School where they will take on the La Puente Warriors.

Pee Wee

La Canada 14 Pasadena 7

LC Gladiator Pee Wees vs. Pasadena Panthers
Final Score: La Canada 14  Pasadena 7

A rejuvenated Gladiator Pee Wee team faced off againt the formidable Pasadena Panthers on Sunday afternoon at Muir High School and pulling out a tough 14-7 victory to open the season

The Gladiator running attack was well supported by the blocking of the offensive line consisting of Jason Chang, Michael Doud, Martin Guerrero, Tyler Hill, John Monroe, Mathew Moulin, Jack Rappard and Jason Rowton.  Quarterbacks Brett Gangi, Will McCracken and David Yoon, along with running backs Daivon Grayson, Max Meyers, Thomas Stea, and split ends Jacob De La Hoya, Angel Salazar, Andrew Sarceda and Jack Webster all had solid performances. The total offensive effort set up two key touchdown runs by halfback Mario Martinez. Pasadena blocked the first attempt for a point after touchdown. The second and successful attempt was the result of a quick count by placeholder Andrew Sarceda and kicker Daivon Grayson, giving La Canada the lead and final score of 14-7 in the second half.

Defensively, the Pee Wee squad came to play with several key plays. Gladiator Pee Wee linebacker Thomas Stea brought down the Panther offense in a key tackle forcing a fumble and stifling a Panther deep in Gladiator territory. A great defensive performance by Gladiator interior linemen prevented few yards by the Panthers coming up the middle of the field. Rotating in from the sidelines were Abel Fernandez, Max Meyer, Matthew Moulin, Augustin Saucedo, Anthony Saravia, and David Vardanian. The outside running by Pasadena’s quicker offensive backs was kept to a minimum by the defensive ends and defensive secondary, Dominic Jones, Brandon Sharman, Tyler Hill, Angel Salazar, Mario Martinez, Jacob De La Hoya, Martin Guerrero and Drew Sarceda. Key defensive tackles by Brett Gangi and Drew Sarceda broke critical Panther momentum, stopping them in their tracks.

With several players sidelined for the week, the Pee Wees are looking forward to a full roster for their first home game this Saturday, September 25th against the Temple City Rams.

Jr. Midget

La Canada 14 Pasadena 6

The 2010 Jr Midgets opened their season with a hard fought 14-6 victory against their rivals from Pasadena on Sunday afternoon at Muir High School.

On Pasadena’s second play, a wide receiver screen was mishandled by the Panther receiver and linebacker Ross Niederhaus picked up the lateral in full stride and was brought down after a 30-yard run inside the Panther 20-yard line.

The Gladiator offense, led by quarterback Kyle Cheung, came out blazing; marching down the field with a combination of runs and short passes.  The offense scored on a 4- yard pass play from Cheung to tight end Mike Reilly.  They converted a 2-point conversion with a strong run up the middle by halfback Kyle “Tavi” Tavizon to take an early first quarter 8-0 lead. It looked as if the Gladiators would break the game open early in the second quarter when Cheung hit Niederhaus with a 32 yard strike deep in Panther territory but a penalty and a tough Panther defense stifled the drive.

After the early score, both defenses settled down, and although the Gladiators moved with ease, they had difficulty putting more points on the board.  The game remained a defensive stalemate until the mid way through the final quarter.  The Panthers converted a long pass play to give them a first down inside the Gladiator 5 yard line. Led by the strong defensive line play of Matt Ericson, Skyler Payne, Dominic Domento, Christopher Harb, Jack, Reilly, Joe Reilly, and Andrew Dehne, the Gladiator defense negated the potent Panther running attack.  The Panthers were unable to score.

The defensive stand seemed to give the offense a lift. Three plays after the Gladiator offense took over, Ernesto Jauregui busted loose for 94-yard scoring run on a counter play behind the blocking of Trent Bauer, Henry Stellwagon, Christopher Basso, Alex Espinosa and Jason Reyes, giving the Gladiators a commanding 14-0 lead with only a few minutes left in the game.

There was, however, no quit in the Panther team.  After taking the kickoff to mid-field, the Panthers scored on a 46-yard pass to narrow the Gladiator lead to 14-6.  The Gladiator offense, however, drove downfield and consumed the remainder of the final period.

The Jr Midgets next opponent is the Temple City Rams this Saturday, September 25, at 3:00 p.m. at La Canada High School.

Midget

La Canada 26  Glendora 22

On a beautiful warm Saturday afternoon, the La Canada Midgets won a tight game against the Glendora Tartans 26 to 22 at the Louie Pompei Sports Park in Glendora. The Gladiators are now 1-0 on the season.

After Glendora won the toss, the Gladiators shut them down on defense, led by the linebacking corp of Will Lombardo, Andrew Kaminski and Adam Rowton, the defensive line of Julian Najera, Russell Marki, Jonathan Sotoodeh, Nicholas Peters, Tanner Costi, James Doyle, Justin Curran, Armando Alberto, and Joseph Bolin, defensive ends Matt Bayle, Todd Murray, Ta’Von Duker, and Bobby Baldocchi, and defensive backs Connor Van Ginkel, Chase Walker, Chip Crowley, Wes Walker, Jeronimo Rodriguez, Scotty Platisa, Kevin Lentz, Kevin Aguilar, Jonathan Jun and Brett Klein.

The Gladiators’ first offensive play was a brilliant 25-yard pass from quarterback Jeremiah Martin to Chase Walker.  A couple of plays later, the Gladiators drew first blood with a 20-yard touchdown catch by tight end Murray.  An unsuccessful conversion attempt left the Gladiators ahead 6-0.  After a nice kickoff by Crowley, the special teams crew was able to pin Glendora back at their own 10 yard line.  After a couple of first downs, Glendora was able to tie the score with an impressive long scoring run.  Glendora’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful, so the score at the end of the first quarter 6-6.

The Gladiators began the second quarter with an impressive kick-off return out to their own 36-yard line.  After a short drive, which featured another impressive catch by Chase Walker, La Canada surrendered the ball on downs.  The Gladiators’ forced a punt and Lombardo made a nice return of the punt.  The following first play from scrimmage was an apparent 45-yard touchdown run by running back Bayle, however the play came back on a penalty. At the end of the first half, the game remained deadlocked 6-6.

The second half did not start well with Glendora successfully orchestrating an onside kick, but the Tartans were unable to capitalize and turned the ball over on downs  after a couple of strong-armed tackles in the backfield by Najera and Van Ginkel.  The Gladiators immediately took advantage with a second touchdown pass by Martin, this one going to Lombardo for 30 yards.  The conversion was again unsuccessful, but the Gladiators had regained the lead 12-6.

The final quarter was definitely the most exciting, and opened with another great reception by Chase Walker, that was followed by and then a superb catch and run by Lombardo.  A few plays later, Lombardo punched it in following the blocking of Bayle and offensive linemen, including Christian Woodward and Thomas Rhee. The Gladiators again missed the extra point, but took the lead 18-6.

Forced by the Gladiator defense to switch their offense from the double wing to a more conventional pro-style offense, Glendora was able to march down the field taking advantage of the height of their receiving corp.  Glendora scored a touchdown and after a successful conversion had cut the gladiator league to 18-14.  Although the Glendora defense managed to shut down the Gladiator offense, a muffed punt was recovered by Bayle.  Bayle immediately followed with an electric run off the right tackle to score from 55 yards out.   The Gladiators converted the two point conversion with a pass from Martin to Lombardo to take a 26-14 lead with just under two minutes to play.

The Tartans were, however, able to score one more time to make the final score: La Canada 26, Glendora 22.

The Gladiator Midgets next game is against the Whittier Redskins at La Canada High School on Saturday, September 25th, at 5:00 pm.

Submitted by Kevin Lacey