Weekly Football Previews: Crescenta Valley begins difficult run to Pacific League title

There’s plenty at stake between Crescenta Valley and Burroughs in a crucial Pacific League contest at 7 p.m. Friday at Moyse Field.

Crescenta Valley and Burbank are tied for first in league with three games remaining, with Burroughs, the defending league champion, and Arcadia just one game back.

The Falcons have easily defeated the bottom half of the Pacific League standings so far, but their quest to win the league title will be amped up in the final three weeks of the regular season, starting with Burroughs before taking on Burbank and finally Arcadia.

“It’s almost like the start of the mini-playoffs for us, because we can be anywhere from first in league or down to fourth,” Falcons Coach Paul Schilling said. “We like the way we are playing right now and we know we’ll have some tough games left with Burroughs, Burbank and then Arcadia.”

Crescenta Valley (6-1, 4-0 in league) will likely have its hands full trying to stop standout running back Chance Bell of Burroughs (4-3, 3-1).

“We know Chance is an outstanding runner and they have a great offensive line,” Schilling said. “We have to be able to put forth another good defensive effort. We like the way our defense has been playing.”

Crescenta Valley, ranked 10th in CIF Southern Section VI, won its fifth game in a row following a 49-13 home win against Pasadena on Friday.

Crescenta Valley received a huge boost from its newest player, Omri Edwards, a junior who transferred from Ramona in Riverside. Edwards missed the first six games due to the CIF transfer rule, but made an immediate impact Friday after returning a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. He added 10 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

Crescenta Valley quarterback Cole Doyle completed 15 of 19 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown.

On the season, Doyle has completed 76 of 114 passes for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Falcons, who won league and CIF Southern Section Southeast Division crowns in 2014, limited Pasadena to 65 yards of offense Friday in a 49-13 win.

Nobel Leduc leads the Falcons with 67 tackles, followed by Brian Erickson at 58. The Falcons have the best defense among league teams, yielding 8.7 points per game.

Burroughs recorded a 64-7 victory against Glendale on Thursday. The Indians received another superb effort from the San Diego State-bound Bell, who finished with 332 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

It marked the second time this season Bell has notched six touchdowns and rushed for more than 300 yards in a contest. Bell has found the end zone 25 times this season.

Burroughs picked up a 34-3 win against Crescenta Valley last season as it’s one six of the last seven meetings between the teams and seven of 10 since the Falcons joined the Pacific League in 2006.

“We always had good battles with Burroughs,” Schilling said. “It just seems like they’ve had our number most of the time since they came into the league.”

Muir at Glendale, 7 p.m. Thursday: Once a perennial Pacific League power, Muir has fallen on tough times and travels to Moyse Field with a 3-4 record after collecting just its first victory league with a 28-26 win over Hoover.

The Mustangs were without standout defensive back/receiver Elijah Blades against Hoover and it’s unknown if the Florida commit will be in action Thursday.

As for Glendale, it was also without starting quarterback Tyler Artavia in its 64-7 defeat against Burroughs on Thursday, though Artavia will be back on Thursday, according to coach George Maiale.

With that loss, the Nitros (1-6, 0-4) have dropped 11 league contests in a row.

On the season, Glendale is allowing 39 points per game and countering with just 13 points a contest scored. Those numbers are worse over four league games, as the Nitros are giving up an average of 51 points a contest and scoring just eight in return.

While the Mustangs aren’t their usual selves in recent seasons, history still doesn’t bode well for the Nitros, who haven’t defeated Muir since 1991 and lost last season, 37-14, which broke a streak of three consecutive shutout wins for the Mustangs in the matchup.

St. Francis at Harvard-Westlake, 7 p.m. Friday: St. Francis (7-0, 2-0 in league) and Harvard-Westlake (3-4, 0-2) are teams going in opposite directions and the Golden Knights’ road game against an opponent on a losing streak would seem to have all the makings of a “trap game,” with St. Francis’ much-ballyhooed matchup with fellow Angelus League heavyweight Cathedral coming the week after.

Yet, it would be surprising if the Golden Knights looked past the Wolverines, who have lost two in a row and four of their last five. Last season, St. Francis lost to visiting Harvard-Westlake, 27-21, on a last second hail Mary and the teams have split their last four matchups.

St. Francis, which begins a three-game road trip to end the regular season, is on the heels of a 20-13 nailbiter against Salesian, while Harvard-Westlake is coming off a 41-21 loss to St. Paul that followed a 51-14 defeat against Salesian.

Ranked fourth in CIF Southern Section Division III, St. Francis has been keyed by quarterback Michael Bonds (1,355 yards passing, 16 passing touchdowns), who has three receivers with 15 or more catches, led by Daniel Scott (23 catches for 435 yards and seven touchdowns).

Defensively, the Golden Knights were without All-Area linebacker Maxx Jakeway against Salesian and it’s unknown if he’ll play Friday. Still, Scott has four interceptions, Bobby Gazmarian has three and defensive end Gabriel Grbavac has nine sacks.

Hoover at Arcadia, 7 p.m. Friday: Hoover lost its fourth consecutive game, but might well have taken a step in the right direction with its 28-26 defeat to Muir.

The Tornadoes put up their stiffest fight in decades against the once-mighty Muir and it came without running back Quinton Smith. It’s unlikely Smith will return Friday as he’s been hampered by a hamstring injury.

However, Hoover (3-4, 0-4 in league) will likely face a stiffer test in Arcadia (6-1, 3-1), which is coming off its first Pacific League loss of the season against Burbank, 26-16. Previously, Arcadia defeated Muir, 19-12. The Apaches, coached by former Hoover Coach Andrew Policky, also owns a win over Burroughs, which previously lost to Arcadia.

Hoover Coach Matt Andersen’s squad is having one of its better seasons in years, though, and has quarterback Andrew Rangel, running back Maurice Herrera and tight end Chris White as legitimate threats.

The Tornadoes, who lost to Arcadia, 40-0, last year, haven’t defeated the Apaches since 1987.

Flintridge Prep at Thacher, 2:30 p.m. Saturday: After beginning the season with four straight victories, the Rebels have hit a rut with two consecutive losses. The latest loss came Saturday, when host Flintridge Prep fell, 38-37, to Downey Calvary Chapel in an eight-man Division I contest.

Flintridge Prep (4-2) trailed by 23 points early in the fourth quarter before pulling to within 38-37 on a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Lytle to receiver Nick Davis with 1:16 left. The Rebels, ranked sixth with Downey Calvary Chapel in the division, couldn’t convert on the two-point conversion.

Lytle completed 19 of 37 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns. Davis had eight receptions for 82 yards and three touchdowns.

A week earlier against visiting Cate, Flintridge Prep suffered a 55-48 defeat.

Thacher (3-2) had a bye last week after earning a 48-18 Condor League win against Villanova Prep on Oct. 8. Running back Zion Alcindor finished with 121 yards and three touchdowns in 17 carries.

Thacher is ranked second in the division behind Mojave. The Toads have won three straight games.