By Loren Kopff
ARTESIA PIONEERS
1-9 overall last season, 1-5 in the Suburban League, tied for fifth place
24-29 overall last five seasons
Head coach: Joe Veach (first full season, 1-6)
Lose 13 seniors of 33 from 2009 opening day roster
2010 schedule
Sept. 3 Edison (13-1 last season)
Sept. 10 Millikan (6-5)
Sept. 17 BYE
Sept. 24 @ Gahr (6-5)
Oct. 1 La Mirada (13-1)
Oct. 8 @ Westminster (7-5)
Oct. 15 @ Bellflower (3-8)
Oct. 22 @ Cerritos (1-9)
Oct. 29 John Glenn (5-5)
Nov. 5 @ Mayfair (4-7)
Nov. 12 Norwalk (11-2)
A season after winning seven games and finishing in a tie for second place in the Suburban League, the Pioneers stumbled amidst a coaching change three weeks into the season and a small team that saw as many as 33 players on the roster. When it was all said and done, Artesia had its worst season since 2003. During the offseason, the interim tag was removed from Joe Veach’s title and he resumes the full head coaching duties as the Pioneers will once again field a small team.
“I think one thing that we took away from last season was that we needed to work harder in preseason and in the offseason,” Veach said. “That’s something this year that we’re going to definitely be stronger than we were a year ago. We’ll be in better shape than we were a year ago. We will have gone through a lot more adversity football wise going into this season.”
OFFENSE
It took a while for the Pioneers to get into the end zone on a regular basis last season, having scored 33 points through their first five games but 132 in the final half of the campaign. During that stretch, Artesia posted its lone victory, a 44-40 triumph over John Glenn and took Suburban League power Mayfair to overtime after limiting the Monsoons to just eight second half points.
But the offense this season will be young and untested, beginning with sophomore quarterback Francisco Galan.
“As a freshman, he didn’t run anything like what our offense is,” Veach said. “He kind of had to start from scratch. We had to teach him everything that we do in the run game and everything we do in the pass game. I think he’s come a long way. I think he’s a real talented kid; it’s just a matter of getting him more comfortable.”
The rushing duties will be handled by senior Nathan Casanova, a transfer from Mayfair and sophomore Brian Stewart. Last season, the Pioneers rushed for just over 700 yards and didn’t have a player gain more than 277 yards. Seniors Trevon Frazier and Deveon Isreal will be the main receivers with Isreal having some varsity experience.
If there is one strength on the offensive side, it will be on the line where seniors Joshua Garcia, Lester Levy, Troy Sexton and possibly Asad Niazi all return. Sophomore Juan Ramos will most likely play left tackle with Sexton right next to him. Garcia is the center while Levy moves from right guard to right tackle, making room for junior Alex Farrell.
“Our numbers are pretty low but the line…those are three guys that we expect to be able to carry us,” Veach said of his main three returning linemen.
DEFENSE
For the Pioneers to be more competitive, they cannot give up an average of close to 40 points a game as was the case last season. Garcia and possibly Niazi will be the leading candidates on the line as Levy and Sexton will both move to become inside linebackers. The rest of the linebacking crew will consist of Isreal, senior Sean Valenzuela and juniors Michael Clayton and Darius Pyle. Isreal had 19 tackles last season and of the returning players, he is the leading tackler. The leading secondary personnel will be Frazier, senior Arturo Gonzales and junior Geoffrey Ricketts. Levy, Garcia and Sexton accounted for all of the sacks in 2009.
“We would like to have 50-60 guys out there,” Veach said. “Who wouldn’t? It’s more work for us but it also makes our job easier. We’ve dealt with small numbers before. In 2008, we dressed 24 guys for a couple of games and went 7-3, second in league and went to the playoffs.”
SCHEDULE
If the young Pioneers are going to make a statement this season, win some games and possibly reach the playoffs, then they will have definitely earned it. Eight of their 10 opponents reached the playoffs last season including the first six games. The first test will be against the runner-ups from the PAC-5 Division. La Mirada is not only the defending Suburban League champion, but also the defending Southern Division champions. The Suburban League moves to the Southeast Division where it will be joined by the Del Rio, Hacienda and Pacific Leagues. Three of those four leagues will automatically send four teams to the playoffs, meaning it’s possible a fifth Suburban League team can make the playoffs.
The last time Artesia visited Gahr, it put up 50 points and upset the Gladiators by 15. Artesia has lost at least 12 straight games to Mayfair and before last season’s loss to Cerritos, it had defeated the Dons five straight games. The Nov. 12 game against Norwalk may have to be moved due to a district-wide furlough day.
“We’re going to have a tough preseason,” Veach said. “We’re going to be tested in the non league games. When we get into league, it will be just like every other year. La Mirada is going to be tough, Mayfair is going to be tough and Norwalk is going to be tough. Bellflower is looking good and Cerritos is getting better. I don’t know what to expect from John Glenn with the coaching change. Making the playoffs is our goal. There are games out there I think we can win.”
CERRITOS DONS
1-9 overall last season, 1-5 in the Suburban League, tied for fifth place
7-43 overall last five seasons
Head coach: Chad Reed (second season, 1-9)
Lose nine seniors of 29 from 2009 opening day roster
2010 schedule
Sept. 3 Gabrielino (3-7 last season)
Sept. 10 BYE
Sept. 17 @ Gahr (6-5)
Sept. 23 Rancho Alamitos (6-5)
Oct. 1 @ Pioneer (3-7)
Oct. 8 @ Mayfair (4-7)
Oct. 15 La Mirada (13-1)
Oct. 22 Artesia (1-9)
Oct. 29 @ Norwalk (11-2)
Nov. 5 Bellflower (3-8)
Nov. 12 @ John Glenn (5-5)
It wasn’t the return that head coach Chad Reed had hope for in 2009. Reed, who was part of the coaching staff in the late 1990s when the Dons went to the playoffs, fielded a very small team. Cerritos has not had a winning season since 2003 and has lost 11 straight home games. Despite the woes, Reed believes the program is making baby steps.
“I think the kids reaped the shots,” Reed said of last season. “I could notice that even from the Beckman game (Sept. 3, 2009). We’re in the game late and the kids are real happy even though we’re losing. We were just happy being in some close games for the first time in quite some time.”
He was referring to the fact that Cerritos trailed Beckman 21-0 at the half but scored all 13 of its points in the third quarter to make it a game. This season, the team will once again be young as there will be a projected 12 seniors on the squad. Despite winning just one game for the second time in three seasons, Reed did see an improvement from the day he took over the head coaching duties.
“The kids’ overall commitment to football,” Reed said of one improvement. “I think it was way down on their priority chain. But just the commitment now…I have to tell myself we’re still far from where I want it to be but where we were from this point last year to now is miles apart.”
OFFENSE
Junior Austin Young, who was the signal caller most of last season, vacates that position to be a tight end. The quarterback job belongs to senior Jimmy Guevara with crafty junior Marquis Moss as his backup. Cerritos quarterbacks combined to throw only two touchdown passes last season. With that said, the brunt of the offense was from the ground where the graduated Derek Jones and senior Aaron Francis kept the Dons from being completely shut down. Francis scored six rushing touchdowns and returned another two to the house. He will be joined in the backfield by junior Kevin Cook.
Cerritos figures to be just as fast, if not, faster with its receiving corps which begins with Moss and junior Montel Hawkins as inside slot receivers. Juniors Darrion Gordon, Paul Ndawula and Kyle Williams will be on the outside. All five receivers were on varsity last season.
The line should be able to protect Guevara with senior Kevin Vaca in the middle. On the left side will be senior tackle Danny Gutierrez, a varsity newcomer and senior guard Alejandro Sosaysilva. On the right side will be junior guards Paul Luevano and Michael Hannum, among others, and newcomer senior tackle Austin Khym. It was the performance of the line that kept Cerritos from being blanked in more than just one game.
“That’s a testament to last year’s offensive line and I do believe this year’s offensive line needs to be, and is, the strength of our football team,” Reed said. “We need to keep control of the ball, shorten the games and play a little defense. We’re going to win or lose with our offensive line.”
DEFENSE
This has been a major concern for the Dons in the past six seasons. Cerritos yielded at least 20 points in all 10 games and over 40 points six times.
“Defense has been our big point of emphasis,” Reed said. “We were horrible. Part of that is because they never had to really play a real structured style of defense. This year we’ve added some things and done some things and the kids are buying into it.”
Vaca is the lone returning lineman and will be joined by juniors Tommy Lemusu, Branden Wilson and Anthony Zelada, the latter two with varsity experience. The secondary will be anchored by Gordon, Ndawula and Williams while Luevano and senior Andy Tang will be the main inside linebackers while Cook and senior Matt Villalba will be on the outside.
“We’re starting to get to the point where the kids have basic concepts and understanding,” Reed said. “In my opinion, we’re Cerritos; we’re not as talented as Gahr or Artesia who can run more simplified schemes, and do just because they’re more athletic.”
SCHEDULE
Just like Artesia’s upcoming season, nothing will come easy for the Dons if they want to add to their victory total of the past few seasons. Reed says Gabrielino, the week zero opponent, runs the option while Gahr runs a spread offense. Since 2004, the Dons have scored just 13 points against their city rivals from the north side of town. Two of the first four opponents failed to reach the playoffs last season while the meeting with Rancho Alamitos will be the fourth since 2005. Cerritos won the first two of those games.
Over the past 12 seasons, Cerritos has a winning record against one league team-John Glenn (8-4). The Dons homecoming game will be against Artesia, one of two league foes in the past 12 seasons they have yet to host in their homecoming game; La Mirada is the other.
“I like our non-league schedule,” Reed said. “To me the only purpose of preseason football is to get us as absolutely ready as possible for Suburban League. Whether we go 4-0 or 0-4 doesn’t matter to me. My question at the end of that will be are we ready for Suburban League play? Our goal every season is to try to make the playoffs.”
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