August 22, 2024
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
That one famous phrase of five words has officially arrived for many CIF-Southern Section schools, including the seven in the HMG-Community News realm. Are you ready for football? The answer, obviously, is yes, and whether you’re prepared or still need another week or two to get healthy, eligible or work out any last minute kinks, Week Zero waits for nobody. Here is what is on tap, with two games slated for Aug. 22 and the rest on Friday.
FOOTBALL
Artesia High (8-5 in 2023) @ Long Beach Cabrillo (2-8)-Last season, Artesia won its first two games by a combined score of 109-6. Expect the Pioneers to roll all over the Jaguars in this contest. Cabrillo won its two games by a combined score of 85-6 but in its eight losses, managed only 60 points and was shutout twice. The two teams had a common opponent last season, which was Los Amigos High. The Pioneers won that contest 35-15 to move to 4-1 at the time while the Jags were edged 28-27, which began a seven-game losing streak.
The last time these teams faced each other was back in 2002, a 20-7 Cabrillo win. It was the fourth straight meeting as the Jags were put in the former Suburban League before finding its current home, the Moore League. Artesia won the 1999 contest 27-0 before falling 21-12 and 34-0 the next two seasons, respectively.
Prediction: Artesia 42, Cabrillo 14
Cerritos High (9-6) @ Buena Park High (6-6)-This game was played on Aug. 22. Cerritos begins the season winners of seven of its last eight games with the lone loss coming to Wasco High in the CIF Division 6AA State championship game. The Dons got past the Coyotes 14-7 in last season’s opener with Buena Park grabbing the lead in the first quarter before the Dons scored twice in the second quarter. The 21 combined points were the third fewest in any Cerritos game.
The two teams had one common opponent last season, but not until the playoffs as Buena Park lost to Yucca Valley High 35-0 in the second round of the playoffs, who then fell to the Dons two weeks later 19-13 in overtime in the CIF-SS Division 12 title game. Both teams scored a lot in 2024 as Cerritos put up 371 points, 21 more than the Coyotes.
Cerritos has won two of the last three meetings in as many seasons. Prior to the 2021 game, the last time the teams met was in 2012, a 74-0 Coyotes win.
Prediction: Cerritos 35, Buena Park 17
GAME OF THE WEEK
Valley Christian High (3-7) @ Gahr High (7-4)-The battle for Artesia Blvd. with the 605 Freeway the dividing point resumes its short, quiet rivalry with the visitors seeking revenge after a heartbreaking 21-20 loss last season as a potential game-winning two-point conversion with no time remaining was unsuccessful. The win snapped a two-game slide to the Defenders, who won 42-9 in 2022 and 34-14 in 2021. Before that, Gahr had won four straight in the series.
The teams did not face a common opponent last season but will face Cerritos within the first two weeks of the season. Gahr’s high scoring performance last season was 48-12 win at Santa Ana Valley High while V.C.’s best game was a 38-0 whitewash against Sierra Vista High.
Prediction: V.C. 28, Gahr 21
John Glenn High (6-4) @ Bassett High (5-5)-This game was played on Aug. 22. Despite the turnaround last season, by Glenn standards, the 2024 season opener comes with drama. Multiple negative comments on social media and emails from parents, and an opening day roster hovering around 20 players at the beginning of the week have put the Eagles at a disadvantage before the game even begins. Last season, Bassett edged the Eagles by one point, despite scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter. Before last season’s opener, the teams had not met since 2012, a 26-12 Glenn victory.
Bassett’s defense was solid last season, yielding 164 points. In fact, the 28 points given up to Glenn were tied for the most allowed in any game. The Olympians ended the season on a three-game losing streak following a four-game winning streak and all five losses were decided by a touchdown.
Glenn and Bassett had two common opponents last season as they both defeated Glendale High 46-6 and 10-7, respectively. Glenn also knocked off Pioneer High 28-17 while the Olympians defeated the Titans 26-20.
Prediction: Bassett 35, Glenn 14
La Mirada High (3-7) @ Cypress High (7-5)-La Mirada will be seeking to avenge a 28-0 season-opening loss to the Centurions last season, and by the offseason chatter around La Mirada, this game plans to be closer than last season’s contest. It was one of three games the Matadores were held to under 20 points.
But La Mirada will have its hands full against a Cypress program that scored at least 20 points in all seven of its wins. When it was all said and done, the Division 6 quarterfinalists had scored 336 points while giving up 270 points.
Prediction: Cypress 28, La Mirada 21
Norwalk High (3-7) @ Montebello High (4-6)-For the first time since 2008, Norwalk will face Montebello, hoping to win a season opener for the first time since two seasons ago when it won eight straight games to begin that campaign. When the Lancers and Oilers last met, it was a resounding 65-20 win by Norwalk, the third straight victory in the series.
The Oilers weren’t much of a scoring team last season, putting up less than 250 points, scoring over 20 points just twice in their six losses. In contrast, the Lancers reached the 25-point plateau six times.
Prediction: Norwalk 35, Montebello 14
2022 predictions: 47-19-1
2023 predictions: 53-19
GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL
Last year was the introduction of girls flag football to the CIF-SS with 120 teams. Although that number wasn’t enough to have a postseason, the 2024 season sees 270 teams participating in the new sport, which began its season on Aug. 10. Of local interest, Artesia lost to Norwalk 18-6 this past Tuesday, visited Cabrillo on Aug. 22 and will go to Westminster High and Bellflower High on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
Gahr, one of two area teams to have a team last season, blanked Bell Gardens High 24-0 this past Wednesday and will host Narbonne High and St. Paul High on Saturday, Pioneer on Monday and Whittier High on Wednesday.
Glenn fell to Compton High 40-25 this past Monday in its first ever game. The Eagles will face La Mirada on Monday before hosting Anaheim High on Wednesday. La Mirada, the other area team to have a team last season, lost to Millikan High 38-0 this past Monday. The Matadores will also host Magnolia High on Tuesday.
Norwalk has been the busiest area team, splitting its first four games with wins over Artesia and Bell Gardens and losses to Cabrillo and Yorba Linda High. The Lancers were home to South El Monte High on Aug. 22 and will go to California High on Monday and Sunny Hills High on Wednesday while Whitney High plays its season opener on Wednesday at Katella High.
