Thursday night, bombarding Daniel Murphy High School, 65-0,
in a nonleague game played at St. Matthias High School.
The Cardinals led only 7-0 after one quarter, then blew
it open with a 34-point second quarter.
The remainder of the game was played with a running
clock.
Deonta Woodard and Khamari English each scored two
touchdowns, but the rest of the scoring was balanced with
five players each getting one touchdown.
"We just worked executing our assignments," coach Pete
Smolin said. "We wanted to get sharper with our execution
and eliminate some of the mistakes and penalties we had last
week."
JV WINS AGAIN!
46-0
FRESHMEN BEAT LOYOLA 42-14
(FIRST OFFICIAL GAME ON THE JAMES SANTIAGO FIELD)
Cantwell opens up by beating
Salesian
By Michael Velasquez
Correspondent
Inside SOCAL
Article Launched:08/31/2007
11:23:37 PM PDT
DOWNEY - Just what you would
expect for an opening game of the 2007 high school
football season - turnovers, penalties, and missed
opportunities.
Fortunately for Cantwell Sacred Heart, it would
overcome some of those miscues and dominate to score a
27-13 victory over visiting Salesian on Friday night at
St. Matthias High.
Both teams came in ranked sixth in their respective
divisions, but the Cardinals were just too fast and
physical for the Mustangs.
After a Mustangs turnover, Cantwell wasted little time
and went 64 yards in just four plays as quarterback Pedro
Oliveras (8-of-16 passing 143 yards) connected with
fullback Deonta Woodard on a 9-yard scoring pass to give
the Cardinals an early 6-0 lead.
The Cantwell defense would strike again early in the
second quarter, forcing a fumble and recovering on the
Mustangs 20-yard line. Two plays later, running back
Khamari English gave the Cardinals a 12-0 lead with a
14-yard run.
English finished with a game-high 73 yards rushing in
13 carries.
With the Cardinals on the Mustangs 12 and appearing
ready to break open the game, Woodard fumbled and Salesian
returned the ball to the Cantwell 27.
Running back Sal Chavez later dove in from the 2 to cut
the deficit to 12-6 with 54 seconds left in the first
half.
That momentum didn't last long as Matt Rivera took the
ensuing kickoff and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown.
After a Woodard two-point conversion run, Cantwell led
20-6 at halftime.
Mistakes continued to plague the Cardinals, as they
fumbled the second-half kickoff and Salesian's Edgar
Quiroz picked up the fumble and raced 20 yards for a score
to cut the Cantwell lead to 20-13.
"We made some mistakes, and we had some young guys in
there, but we will get better each week," Cantwell coach
Pete Smolin said.
Oliveras struck right back, connecting with receiver
Jeffrey Taylor for a 65-yard scoring pass to climax the
scoring.
Cantwell's Weissenberger expects
results this season
By Andrew J. Campa, Staff Writer
Inside SOCAL
MONTEBELLO - Ralf Weissenberger likes
to keep things simple.
Perhaps that's the reason the Cantwell Sacred Heart senior
spells his first name in a phonetically correct manner.
Maybe that's also why his answer was brief when asked about
where he will attend school next year.
"Probably at San Diego State or Washington because they're
local," Weissenberger said. "I want to stay close to my
family."
At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Weissenberger simply is a big
target for Cardinals quarterback Pedro Olivares.
Yet, the 17-year-old tight end and defensive end knew
exactly where to point when he spoke about last season's
failure.
"I think I could have done more," Weissenberger said as he
reluctantly dragged his index finger toward his chest. "We all
could have done more."
While the demise of the 2006 Cardinals, who started the
season 6-0 but finished 1-3 and out of the playoffs, often has
been described as complex, Weissenberger tried to offer a
straight-forward explanation.
"We just didn't have the determination to finish," he said.
"We played OK and could have beaten some teams, but we just
didn't."
Weissenberger brought up how he had only three receptions
in a 35-7 loss to eventual Camino Real League champion La
Salle midway through the season.
"That's a game where I could have played better,"
Weissenberger said, apparently forgetting he also had six
tackles and blocked a field goal in that game. "I think we
could have done better."
But to Weissenberger, the La Salle game was more than just
a loss. It was the beginning of a disturbing trend.
"We could have beat them, but they came to play that day,"
he said. "If we would have come out with our `A' game, we
would have beat them.
"But that was our problem. We just didn't bring it all the
time."
While the Cardinals' Pete Smolin agreed with his senior to
an extent, the fourth-year coach also has a different take on
why his team didn't make it to the postseason for the first
time in his tenure.
"Our new league was a lot more difficult than we expected,"
said Smolin, whose team previously had played in the Santa Fe
League. "We had this great record and great start and were
unable to handle or recover from our losses."
With the Cardinals only days away from the start of their
season on Friday at St. Matthias at 7 p.m. against visiting
Los Angeles Salesian, it would seem logical that 2006 would
have faded into the players' distant memory.
That's not entirely the case with Weissenberger.
"This is going to be our comeback season," Weissenberger
said. "But for us to win, we're going to need determination
from everyone. Everyone is going to have to lift harder, focus
better and just work harder."
Setting the example was Weissenberger, who already was
working out more than 30 minutes before Cantwell's 5 p.m.
scheduled practice.
"It's funny Ralf would call this a `comeback season,' "
Smolin said. "We did have seven wins, after all, last season.
And Ralf did have a pretty good year.
"I just think that's a testament to how hard of a worker he
is and how badly he wants to win."
And while Weissenberger seems ready to jump right into
league, he knows quite well how long a season can be.
"We're going to deal with Salesian first," he said. "That's
where it starts and that's all I'm going to think about. We've
got to take it week by week. I want to win this season and get
to the playoffs. It's that simple."
KABAT FIELD GETS A MAKEOVER
COACH SMOLIN IN JAPAN
AS A GUEST
COACH FOR THE NIGATA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL TEAM
Cantwell Quarterback Pedro Olivares, (right), and
Tight End Ralf Weissenberger, will lead the Cardinals this season. (Keith
Durflinger/Staff) • Video:
Cantwell Scr. Hrt. Football Preview
MONTEBELLO- They're three of the more valuable faces of this year's 2007
Cantwell-Sacred Heart football team.
Yet, as they took a short break from Wednesday afternoon's zero week
practice, the Cardinals' Kamari English, Joseph Loera and Deonta Woodard all
reflected on the same reason three kids from different areas of Los Angeles
County found themselves in Montebello.
"It was a chance for a good education," said Woodard, the team's fullback
and defensive lineman. "I mean, that's why I came."
Woodard, a Long Beach native, said the opportunities for quality learning
were few and far between in his home town.
Yet, how exactly did the senior end up at Cantwell?
"My cousin (Isiah Yandall) called up coach (Pete) Smolin and told him
about me," Woodard said. "My family was already sold on the school (from an
educational standpoint). But once I checked out the campus, I knew where I
was going."
It's Woodard's infectious smile that has endeared him to his teammates
and Smolin.
"It's difficult to imagine that we could be successful without smilin'
Deonta Woodard," Smolin said. "He blocks, he tackles, he does it all."
One direct beneficiary of Woodard's adroit blocking is Loera, a returning
junior.
It was Loera who often ran right behind Woodard, playing guard last year,
or through his blocks, en route to picking up 1,102 yards (6.7 yards a
carry) and 13 touchdowns last year.
Now, flanked with Woodard in the backfield, Loera feels even more
confident about his team's chances this upcoming season.
"It feels a lot different in these types of practices this year than last
year," said Loera, an El Monte resident. "I think we learned a lot from our
tough losses last year and hopefully we can make the playoffs this year."
However, while Loera admits that football is what he spends most of his
time thinking about, there's no denying why he wears cardinal and blue.
"I came to Cantwell because it's a pretty good school," Loera said. "But
I wasn't really thinking about football. I was thinking more about my
studies. There just wasn't a strong school in my area."
In fact, Loera knew little about Cantwell football until he arrived.
Yet, that hasn't stopped him from building quite a reputation.
"(Loera) is the hammer on this team," Smolin said. "He might look small
but he delivers quite a punch."
And while Loera might provide the brute strength out of the backfield, he
is perfectly complemented by the speed of English.
The senior already built himself quite a reputation in the Rio Hondo
League, winning multiple league titles in track during his sophomore year at
Monrovia.
However, English surprised several people, including Smolin, by
transferring to Cantwell before the beginning of his junior year.
"I have my reasons for going, the No.1 being I wanted to receive a more
complete education," English said. "Cantwell just offers more college prep
courses and better prepares me for college then Monrovia."
Unlike his teammates, however, football played a crucial role in
English's decision to attend Cantwell.
"I knew (Cantwell) was good in football," said English, who's personal
record in the 100 meter dash in 10.47. "In Monrovia, football is a big deal,
but it's pretty big around here as well."
Whatever his kids' reasons may be for arriving at Cantwell, Smolin is
glad to have a loaded backfield this season.
"Those guys just make us better," Smolin said. "It's pretty academic."
Coach Smolin and Staff
to Coach:
"The BATTLE for Los
Angeles" "Los Angeles Fiesta Bowl
High School All-Star Game"
City earns
one-point Fiesta win
By Andrew J.
Campa Staff Writer
Inside SOCAL
MONTEREY PARK - It
seemed improbable at the 6:24 mark of the first quarter of
Saturday night's inaugural Fiesta Bowl high school all-star game
at East Los Angeles College, that the outcome would be anything
other than a CIF-Southern Section blowout win.
At that point, the Southern Section
all-stars were up 14-0 and were seemingly scoring at will. Yet,
from then on, the undersized CIF-Los Angeles City Section team
rallied and outscored its opponent 22-7 to come away with a
22-21 win.
"We made a lot of adjustments at
halftime," Roosevelt High and City co-coach Javier Cid said.
"They were passing so easily so we mixed in six defensive backs
to slow them down and it worked."
Down 21-6 at the half, the City's
adjustments began to stifle the Southern Section's quarterback
trio of Schurr's Joe Orduno, Bosco Tech's Cameron Kusnier and
San Gabriel's Saile Ramirez, who began to need more time to find
open receivers.
The added time resulted in increased
pressure from the gritty front four of the City, which
ultimately led to more sacks.
The most costly sack came with 2:22
left in the third quarter.
With a third down and 21 at his 9-yard
line, Orduno dropped back to pass only to find that his
receivers were blanketed. As the quarterback began to scramble,
pressure came from his blind side, forcing him to back track
right into the path of the City's Aaron Morgan.
As Morgan began to drag down Orduno at
the 2-yard line, the recent Schurr graduate desperately tried to
unload the ball. Unfortunately, Orduno's pass was thrown behind
him and eventually rolled out of the end zone for a safety. The
two points gave the City its only lead at 22-21.
"We couldn't seem to stop the
pressure," Cantwell Sacred Heart and Southern Section coach Pete
Smolin said. "They were in our backfield way too much."
The safety capped a 16-point quarter
for the City.
"They just wanted it more than us
tonight," said George Fletcher, Southern Section linebacker from
Bishop Amat. "They're from the City. So you knew they were going
to play. They just beat us."
After the safety, the Southern Section
failed to mount any serious scoring threats.
The Southern Section's final hope was
snuffed out with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter when the City's
Darrell Ficklin stripped the Southern Section's Glenn Carrera at
the Southern Section 40. The fumble was recovered by the City's
David Lara.
"It's kind of tough to lose," Kusnier
said. "I still can't believe it."
The Southern Section opened the game
with two Orduno touchdown passes to Julian De Lay Hay and
Anthony Pines in a matter of three minutes.
Kusnier had a one-yard touchdown run
right before the end of the first half for the other Southern
Section score.
TUESDAY NOV. 14 at 3:00
Pete Smolin of Cantwell-Sacred
Heart Honored as ABC7/NFL HS Coach Of The Week - November 18, 2006
By Michael Francis, ABC7
Coach Pete Smolin of Cantwell-Sacred Heart High
School in Montebello was named the ABC7 / NFL High School Coach of the Week
for Southern California. He was honored on ABC7's Sports Zone, following the
College Football Game of the Week between USC and Cal on November 18, 2006.
Pete Smolin's Cantwell Cardinals had what would
have been a very good year for most teams, with a 7-3 record. But the
Cardinals didn't make the CIF playoffs, even with that record. What they did
learn, though, was what it was like to compete in a tougher league, and a
higher division.
Usually when a team moves up a division, it's
either because the size of the school has grown, or the CIF feels they'd
have better competition in a higher division. But at Cantwell, striving to
be better, looking to take on challenges and competing with anyone, no
matter the size, is part of the school strives for, even off the field.
Coach Smolin, who also doubles not only as the
Athletic Director, but also the Dean of Students at Cantwell-Sacred Heart,
is proud of the fact that 98% of his players and students go on to 4-year
colleges. That's the job of a college preparatory school. And the job of a
football coach at such a school is to make sure his players can succeed both
on and off the field. Pete has a saying that all players read before the
season begins, "You are here at Cantwell Scared Heart of Mary School to get
an education first. School must come first. Those not ready to work in the
classroom should not be out for football."
At the forefront of Pete's philosophy is teaching
his players how to play the game with Class on the field. "Class is
sportsmanship", Pete explains. "It is playing by the rules at all times. It
is showing respect for your opponents and for the officials. It is shaking
your opponent's hand after a game - win or lose - and giving him credit for
their efforts. Class is never 'showing up' your opponents by hot-dogging or
cheap talk. Act like you are supposed to score and that you've done so
before. Celebrate a win as if you expected to win."
Coach Smolin accepts the award
from ABC7's John Hartung.
Winning is what Coach Smolin expects even more of
next season. "We've been building from the bottom up, and it's starting to
pay off," Coach Smolin told ABC7. "Our JV's have been undefeated two years
in a row. We have a solid Freshman team that won some really big games for
us." So next year, and years to come, the Cardinals look to be competing for
the Camino Real League title and going deep into the CIF Playoffs.
Last summer, for a second straight year, Coach
Smolin had the opportunity to coach the California All-Star team, made up of
graduating seniors, in a pair of games in the Down Under Bowl. Played this
year in Auckland, New Zealand, his teams won both games against the New
Zealand Junior National Team.
And Pete's brought a little of the "down under"
back with him to Cantwell. In the off-season his players have the
opportunity to play on the school's Rugby Team, the only one in a Southern
California high school. Playing in a tough league, against teams usually
from men's clubs, it gives his players a unique way to stay in shape.
Coach Smolin has also put Cantwell-Sacred Heart in
the forefront of youth football development by hosting the National Football
League's JPD Full Contact Football Skills Camp. It's a program for boys
10-14 that gives them a chance to learn every position, in full pads,
through a step-by-step progression of skill instruction. It also includes
counseling through a life skills/character development curriculum. Current
Cantwell football players are given a chance to mentor the younger players.
When the program first started only about 100 kids came, but this last
summer that number had risen to over 300.
In recognition of his dedication to the
student-athletes of Cantwell High School, and youth football in Montebello,
ABC7 and the National Football League are proud to name Pete Smolin as
Southern California's High School Coach of the Week. For being so honored,
Cantwell-Sacred Heart High School will receive a $1,000 grant from the NFL
Youth Football Fund. In the presentation that was aired on ABC7's Sports
Zone, ABC7 Sport's John Hartung presented Coach Smolin with a plaque signed
by NFL Director of Operations Gene Washington, and a special NFL Coach of
the Week cap.
Bosco can't keep up, 38-7
By Andrew Campa Correspondent
Inside SOCAL
Article Launched:10/07/2006 12:22:34 AM PDT
DOWNEY - For the first time since 2001, the
Cantwell-Sacred Heart and Bosco Tech football teams met Friday night at
St. Matthias High.
The two schools, separated by less than five miles, entered with high
expectations as both had small winning streaks.
But it was the Cardinals, through hard running and an opportunistic
defense, who showed that perhaps the schools are close only in distance
by dominating the Tigers, 38-7.
There were several questions surrounding the Cardinals (6-0) entering
the game.
Bosco Tech (3-2) was the best defensive team Cantwell had faced so
far and only the second with a winning record.
"A lot of people underestimated us," Cardinals running back Joseph
Loera said. "We wanted to show that we were the best."
Despite the Tigers' best efforts, they were unable to contain Loera.
The sophomore rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.
"What can you say about Joseph," Cantwell coach Pete Smolin said. "He
played with heart and emotion."
But Loera's most interesting contribution perhaps came when he acted
as a decoy in the second quarter.
With the Tigers keying on the back, Cardinals quarterback Pedro
Olivares heated up.
Despite starting the game only 3 of 8 for nine yards, Olivares
connected on four consecutive pass attempts as the clock wound down in
the second quarter.
His last completion of the half was a 19-yard touchdown strike to
tight end Ralf Weissenberger with 1:09 left that proved to be a
back-breaker, giving Cantwell a 17-7 lead.
The touchdown came only two minutes after Bosco Tech got on the board
with a Cameron Kusnier 9-yard touchdown pass.
"I have to give credit to Bosco Tech," Smolin said. "They're a good,
tough team. We had to take it to them and not let them get up."
If the Tigers had hoped to open the second half in comeback mode,
Cardinals defensive back Jeffrey Taylor spoiled those plans.
On Kusnier's first pass of the second half, Taylor jumped in front of
the senior's pass, deflating the Tigers' chances.
"The defense was one," Smolin said. "They played great."
It was a tough night for Kusnier, who went 7 of 17 for 35 yards and
three interceptions.
The Tigers also didn't help their chances by committing 13 penalties
for 114 yards.
Broncs can't get well against Cantwell
Ray Conner-Sports Editor
Kern Valley’s Justin Sulu, No. 5, and David Hill, No. 52, zero in on the
Cantwell running back in Friday’s contest played at Kern Valley. The Broncs
were defeated 19-6 in a hard-fought battle with the speedy Cardinals squad.
With the loss Kern Valley fell to 0-4 in the non-league with one game
remaining in non-league against Bell-Jeff of Burbank on Saturday.
Despite playing its best defense of the season, Kern Valley couldn't
match the Cantwell Cardinals offensive output and fell 19-6 in Friday's home
game.
The Broncs were hanging tough, but the offense couldn't find itself as
they were limited to just 153 total yards of offense.
Kern Valley rushed for only 79 yards and threw for 74 yards.
The 74 yards of passing came on the only reception of the game that set
up the Broncs' lone touchdown.
Kevin Emery hit Pablo Anzaldo midway through the fourth quarter for the
74-yard toss that put the ball on the Cardinals' four-yard line.
Four plays later Justin Sulu inched across the goal line for the score.
The touchdown cut Cantwell's lead to 16-6, but the Broncs were shut down
the rest of the way and fell for the fourth consecutive game to start the
year.
The first quarter was all defense as neither team would yield.
The quarter came to an end with the score tied at 0-0 and Kern Valley
playing inspired defense.
At the start of the second quarter, the Cardinals were driving as they
were on Kern Valley's 39-yard line.
A quick pass for 20 yards, a 10-yard scamper, four yards on the ground
and a five-yard scoring toss put the Cardinals into the lead. The extra
point was good and the Broncs were sitting on a 7-0 deficit.
Trying to answer, Emery was picked off at the Broncs' 25-yard line.
Five plays is all it took for Cantwell to increase their lead as they
threw an 11-yard scoring toss.
They missed the PAT and the score was 13-0 with five minutes to go in the
first half.
On their next possession, Kern Valley turned the ball back on downs when
their drive stalled at the Cantwell 38-yard line.
An exchange of punts saw the first half come to an end with Cantwell
ahead 13-0.
The teams played evenly in the second half as the Cardinals kicked two
field goals, one from 33 yards and the other from 36 yards out.
The Broncs had one last scoring opportunity, but they missed the 41-yard
field goal try.
With the loss Kern Valley sits at 0-4 on the year with one non-league
game remaining on Saturday against Bell-Jeff of Burbank.
Cameron Sulu was the leading ground-gainer for the Broncs with 43 yards
on eight carries.
Justin Sulu rushed for 22 yards on 10 rushes. Emery picked up 20 yards on
13 rushing attempts, and was sacked four times for a minus 23 yards.
He threw the ball only seven times with the one completion to Anzaldo for
74 yards.
Emery hurt his hand early on and his passing attempts were limited in the
contest.
The Broncs defense collected three sacks in the game. Eric Wilson, Kevin
Felgenhauer, and Bryan Frenes each had one sack.
Felgenhauer was the tackle leader with 13 and a fumble recovery.
Andrew Varga collected 11 tackles, while Anzaldo and Frenes finished with
10 tackles apiece.
C. Sulu had nine tackles, while Jacob Carr had seven. Wesley Chubback
collected six tackles, while Dylan Pues and Will Schmidt each finished with
five tackles.
Mitch Paneno had three tackles, while Clayton Sprouse had two tackles.
Michael Henson, J. Sulu and Justin Speakman rounded out the defense with one
tackle each.
“We played an excellent defensive game. A vast improvement over the last
three weeks,” head coach Ben Goffinet said. “We are starting to get an
identity defensive-wise, which is good. Had some kids step up against a
pretty potent Cantwell offense.
“Offensively, we are in a rut, he added. “We are not executing the way we
can and the way we should. This week we are going to narrow it down and get
after it. Making sure we can run the plays we run well.”
Speaking on Emery's hand injury Goffinet said, “He got it banged up on a
play, but he is fine now.”
Kern Valley will travel to Burbank on Saturday to take on
Bellarmine-Jefferson High School. The game will start at 7 p.m.
See driving directions to the games at the bottom of page C1.
Scorpions turn game over to Cardinals
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Saturday, September
23, 2006.
By Brian GoldEn
Valley Press Staff Writer
EDWARDS AFB- Scoreboard cruel, clinical.
They don't keep track of heart, perseverance, courage or the number of
players evacuated by ambulance with severe concussions.
So when Desert High School coach Chris Hinton surveyed the
just-the-facts-ma'am look of Friday's 29-7 loss to Cantwell-Sacred
Heart, he was proud of his own team's heart.
"Our kids gave everything they had tonight," Hinton said. "We lost our
quarterback, our backup quarterback and both our safeties.
"Heck, we had to shift to a 4-4 on defense, because so many guys were
playing out of position."
The Scorpions (0-3) didn't touch the ball in the second half until 2:32
remained in the third quarter. By then, Cardinals tailback Joseph Laora
had burst in for a 17-yard score, capping a 14-play, 72-yard offensive.
It was the capper for the Cardinals sophomore on a night when he rushed
for 138 yards on 25 carries, just missing his fourth straight 140-yard
performance.
Desert only ran eight plays in the second half, and three of them
resulted in turnovers. Only a holding penalty kept Laora from turning a
screen pass into 70-yard TD return.
Desert's third string quarterback, Daniel Brown, was only in the game
because starter Sean McDonald was knocked out by dizziness at half time.
Backup Lakota Nez, after a brilliant first quarter defensively, was
knocked out with a concussion then needed a trip to the hospital.
When they were in the game, it was a spirited battle. Phil Pleasant
recovered a Laora fumble at the Desert 40 in a 27-yard burst Clayton
Fawcette advanced the Scorpions to the Cardinals 23-yard line.
On third-and-goal from the 11th, McDonald connected with 6-foot-8 Robert
Thurman on a jump-ball pass in the end zone for McDonald's fifth scoring
strike in 2 weeks.
The Cardinals, dressed as though the USC Trojans got lost on the way to
Tucson, Ariz., regrouped and drove 65 yards on 14 plays to a 39-yard
field goal by Rene Regalado.
The visitors from Montebello got the ball back when the ball was fumbled
at the end of a 9-yard scramble at the Desert 44 three minutes into the
second quarter.
Laora finished a nine-play drive with a 9-yard dash to the right pylon
of the end zone for a 10-7 lead.
With 2:10 left, Brown had to flag down a bad punt snap, and was buried
at his own 22-yard line. Laora went over from four yards out for a 17-7
half time lead.
"That is very well-coached team over there," said Cantwell-Sacred Heart
coach Pete Smolin. "They battled us physically. They forced us to make
adjustments to do the things we wanted to do.
"That 55 (Desert senior defensive tackle Robert Suszek), he's
incredible. He's got to be all-CIF."
Suszek had three sacks as one of the few Desert players who was not
playing out of position.
The Cardinals (4-0) added a touchdown in the fourth quarter when Lamar
Alexander turned a simple middle screen into a 31-yard touchdown through
a forest of weary arm tackles.
The visitors ran for 181 yards and passed for 78.
They also forced six turnovers.
Fawcette led Desert with 56 yards rushing on eight carries. The
Scorpions rushed for 84 yards and passed for 34.
Desert hopes to be healthy soon
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Monday,
September 25, 2006.
Desert High School's Lakota Nez doesn't remember anything from Friday's
game, a 29-7 loss to Cantwell Sacred Heart.
The Scorpions senior suffered a severe concussion in the third quarter
of the game and was hospitalized. He stayed overnight at the hospital.
"He's OK. He doesn't remember anything," coach Chris Hinton said.
"They're keeping him in for tests. I looked at it on film and I couldn't
tell where he got hit."
Hinton said that Nez, an all-High Desert League tight end last season
and the backup quarterback, is the best all-around player on the team.
He's third on the team in tackles with 16 and also has a rushing
touchdown.
Nez's injury came after quarterback Sean McDonald, who is second in the
HDL in passing with 475 yards, left at halftime with a mild concussion.
The Scorpions (0-3) also lost Frankie Gutierrez to a sprained ankle.
All three play safety on defense, leaving Desert thin at the position.
"We had to move the guys to different spots," Hinton said. "Cantwell is
good though."
Wide receiver David Brown finished the game at quarterback for the
Scorpions.
Brown usually plays quarterback for the scout team in practice.
The Scorpions face a tough challenge this week, if they are at full
strength or not. Desert plays at Boron on Friday.
"It's the second undefeated team in a row we will face," Hinton said.
The brotherhood of football
Alexander, Loera are united in leading
Cantwell to 2-0 start
By James Figueroa, Staff Writer
Inside SOCAL
MONTEBELLO - Off the field, they come from
different backgrounds and different cities.
But at Cantwell Sacred Heart High School, where a youth movement has
already injected the football program with more players and a greater
desire to win, they're brothers in arms united by their age and
excellence on the field.
'We just have this bond,' said Lamar Alexander, a sophomore fullback
who is a two-way starter for the Cardinals. He also plays linebacker.
His teammate, Joseph Loera, acknowledges that he and Alexander can
always be found discussing football strategy and helping each other out
at Cantwell, where there is an emphasis on academics and hard work.
'Everybody is really close here,' said Loera, who lives in El Monte,
far in the other direction from Alexander, who lives in Compton.
At Cantwell, which is in the third year of a youth movement to
rebuild the football program, Alexander and Loera are already playing at
the top level, earning their starting positions following MVP campaigns
on the JV squad - Alexander as the defensive MVP and Loera earning
offensive honors.
This year, they are already making key contributions.
In Cantwell's first game, a convincing 28-6 win over St. Anthony,
Alexander had 20 tackles and two touchdowns, scoring with a 21-yard run
and a 1-yard run. Loera was just as impressive, scoring with a 68-yard
touchdown run and tallying 173 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Loera had another 100 yards and two more touchdowns in Cantwell's
following game, a 36-8 defeat of Daniel Murphy.
Their success is a testament to how well Cantwell's program is
preparing its young athletes to succeed.
'When we began we were the small guys,' Loera said of the step up to
the varsity team. 'Everybody thought we weren't going to do well.'
'(At this level) everybody's bigger and faster than you,' Alexander
added. 'We just got to work hard and do a lot of training.'
Cantwell coach Pete Smolin says he has seen a significant improvement
in both players' approaches this season.
'These two have tremendous athletic ability,' Smolin said. 'If they
keep going on the road they are on now, they'll have a chance to earn
good college scholarships.
'We knew they were extremely talented, we just didn't know how they'd
do in their first game.'
Alexander, whose brother, Gerald, is a junior cornerback with Boise
State and an NFL prospect, got a chance to experience the sort of
training and work required to make it to the college level when he
attended a Boise State football camp this summer.
'It gave me a bigger heart for football,' Alexander said of the camp.
The experience had an obvious effect in his performance at Cantwell.
'I saw a big change in him,' Smolin said. 'He had more focus and
determination. You could see it in his goals for this season.
Loera, who also competes in track and soccer and whose family has
always been enthusiastic about playing soccer, also grew into his role
as an athlete a little more this summer.
'Joseph is really talented, he has a tenacious, aggressive nature
that started coming out,' Smolin said. 'And he has one of the highest
GPAs on the team.'
Loera has even enlisted Alexander to start running for the track team
later this school year, adding another level to their bond as teammates.
Besides football, both players are active in Cantwell Sacred Heart's
rugby club, which Smolin started as a way to keep his players active
after football season is over, sharpening the kids' physical and mental
skills thanks to rugby's lack of pads and all-out style of play.
Cantwell now has the only rugby team in the Los Angeles area that is
composed of players from a single high school, and the team finished
fifth in Southern California last year, earning an invitation to an
international competition in Fullerton.
'It's a lot of fun,' said Smolin, who had experience playing rugby
for 20 years when he started the club at Cantwell. 'It really took off
and kept the team going. Now, even the girls want to start a team.'
The rugby team, along with Cantwell's sponsorship of an NFL Junior
Player Development camp, has helped generate renewed interest in the
Cardinals football program. When Smolin arrived at the school three
years ago, there were only 45 players total on both the varsity and
junior varsity teams.
The Cardinals are young, with only three starting seniors to begin
the year, one of whom was injured before the first game - opening up a
chance for Alexander to show what he could do.
Other young players have also stepped up, including safety and
receiver Jeffrey 'JT' Taylor, who made the same sort of impact as Loera
and Alexander when he played varsity as a freshman last year. Junior
lineman Ralph Ponce, junior tight end/defensive end Ralf Weissenberger
and junior quarterback Pedro Oliveras have also made a difference.
Cantwell stepped up into a higher division and joined the Camino Real
League this year, so the team will have to work hard against perennial
powers such as La Salle and Verbum Dei.
But Smolin thinks that promising youngsters such as Loera and
Alexander, Cantwell will easily earn a solid reputation on the field.
james.figueroa@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2731
2006 FUNDRAISERS
Stateline Turn-around
(approved)
July 28 Game Program Ads(pending)
Community discount cards due
August 1st (pending)
July 17 to July 29 NFL JPD camp
snack bar (approved)
CANTWELL SACRED HEART OF MARY H.S.
IS HOSTING THE 2006 LOS ANGELES
NFL JPD FULL CONTACT FOOTBALL SKILLS
CAMP
SIGN UPS AND PHYSICALS ($20) SUNDAYJULY 16
at 12 NOON
FREE PROGRAM FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 10-14
2 WEEKS STARTING
July 17 2006
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The National Football League has developed an introductory/
developmental youth tackle football program for boys 10-14. The
program is designed to teach every participant, every position,
through a step-by-step progression of skill instruction packaged in
a re-adaptive, fun and entertaining manner. All participants receive
instruction from NFL selected high school coaches from the local
market. All participants receive counseling through a life
skills/character development curriculum to be incorporated
throughout all on-field activities. Every week a different life
skill message is designated as a theme for that particular week.
Each theme is addressed through the context of football. Instructors
will make connections between life skills as they are applied in
football as well as other areas of life, especially school, at home
and in the community.
VARSITY LOST A TOUGH GAME
AND J.V. DEFEATED KERN VALLEY 30 TO 6
NEXT GAME AT HOME HOSTING
LUCERNE VALLEY
J.V. at 4:30 and VARSITY
at 7:00
FROSH TRAVELS TO
LOS
OSOS
10/8 sat.10:00 a.m.
VARSITY WINS!
CSHM 37 VS. DESERT 23
J.V. WINS 36 TO 8
FROSH SOPH at OAK PARK
IS CANCELLED
Article Last Updated: 9/23/2005 10:31 PM
Cantwell 37, Desert 23
Inside SOCAL
Cantwell High School executed its game plan to
the coach's delight and earned its first win of the season and first win
over a nonleague opponent in two years as the Cardinals downed visiting
Desert High, 37-23.
Junior running back Michael Medina rushed for a game-high 175 yards
on 36 carries and scored on runs of 1 and 21 yards to lead Cantwell's
rushing attack.
"Michael's a real workhorse for us and plays hard always,' coach
Peter Smolin said.
Stepping up also for the Cardinals (1-3) was sophomore quarterback
Pedro Olivares, who completed 6 of 13 passes for 113 yards and two
touchdowns. Cantwell scored on six of its 11 possessions.
On the Cardinals' second possession, Medina scored his first
touchdown of the night from 1 yard out to give Cantwell an early 7-0
lead.
On Cantwell's next possession, Olivares connected with Aldama on a
21-yard scoring pass midway through the second quarter.
With 2:04 remaining until halftime, Medina scored his second
touchdown on a 21-yard run to put Cantwell up, 21-15.
The Cardinals added two touchdowns and a field goal in the second
half to round out the scoring.
Rudy J. Ramos
Gate receipts from the Cardinals' home game against
Lucerne Valley on Oct. 7 will be donated to St. Joseph High School in
Biloxi, Miss. one of the many schools whose athletic programs have been
severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
J.V.
WIN! 16-6 over LA SALLE
J.V. WINS AGAIN OVER SANTA
PAULA 28-0
J.V.
IS NOW 3-0
CONGRATULATIONS!
FROSH-SOPH TEAM WINS
AGAIN!
CSHM 48-TEMPLE CITY-7
STILL UNDEFEATED
FROSH SOPH IS NOW 4-0
EASTSIDE HS. 23-12
DOMINATING IN THEIR
SEASON OPENER DEFEATING
BISHOP MONTGOMERY 48-6
SPECIAL THANKS GO TO BISHOP AMAT for
BRINGING THEIR FRESHMEN RESERVE BOYS
Cantwell Sacred Heart High School is 0-3.
Normally that would be a major concern, but coach Pete Smolin says the
Cardinals are "doing better every week.'
"We're doing a lot of little things better, executing better,'
Smolin said Monday morning. "It's just that we're playing teams that
are better than us. The important thing is that we're getting ready
for league.'
One constant for the Cardinals appears to be running back Michael
Medina, who rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 36-8 loss
to Santa Paula. He's run for 442 yards this season, averaging 147.3
yards per game.
Quarterback Michael Toledo has completed 22 of 49 passes for 274
yards and two touchdowns, but he has also thrown four interceptions.
In the loss to Santa Paula, Cantwell got behind early and never
really found its rhythm.
"They got up on us, and while we moved the ball OK we couldn't get
it into the end zone,' Smolin said. "They only had two real drives in
the first half. They scored off a fumble recovery for a touchdown and
then had a freak pass play that we blew coverage on.'
Strong safety Andre Flores turned in another stellar performance
with a team-high 12 tackles. Wide receiver Jeffrey Taylor and
offensive guard Jonathan Deleon also were singled out by Smolin.
The Cardinals host Desert on Friday. Desert played tough in losing
to a strong Vasquez team on Friday, 16-12.
Gate receipts from the Cardinals' home game against Lucerne Valley
on Oct. 7 will be donated to St. Joseph High School in Biloxi, Miss.
one of the many schools whose athletic programs have been severely
impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
