St. John Bosco's running game dazzles in league-opening win
For the first time this season, St. John Bosco's running game outgained its passing game, and that led the way to the team's 42-7 win against Santa Margarita in a Trinity League opener Friday.
The Braves ran for 248 yards and five touchdowns on 31 carries. They were led by senior running back Chauncey Sylvester, who had 17 carries for 83 yards and three touchdowns, and senior running back Cameron Jones (UCLA commit), who gained a teamhigh 136 yards rushing and two touchdowns on eight carries. Junior running back Jeremy Lenore added 22 yards rushing on three carries.
Senior quarterback Caleb Sanchez went 20 of 30 passing for 175 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Bosco (5-1, 1-0) on Friday will host Servite (4-2, 0-1), which is coming off a 49-0 loss to Mater Dei.
The Friars gave up only 84 yards rushing and one touchdown on 18 carries to Mater Dei. However, the Monarchs torched Servite through the air by throwing for 341 yards and six touchdowns. Nearly 300 of those passing yards were from Elijah Brown, a Stanford commit who has remarkably lost only one high school football game as a four-year starter.
St. John Bosco will host Mater Dei on Oct. 13.
Bellflower's Wing-T offense alive and well
Senior running back Tristan Green scored five touchdowns in Bellflower's 44-21 win at Gahr in their Mid-Cities League opener on Friday.
Green's big game (11 carries, 84 yards and five rushing TDs) followed senior Marvin Williams' six-touchdown game in Bellflower's 44-29 win against Whittier on Sept. 21.
Friday's win gives the Buccaneers (4-3, 1-0) the inside track to earn one of the Mid-Cities League's two automatic playoff berths.
Bellflower will host Firebaugh (3-4, 0-1) on Friday. However, Bellflower's toughest test in league play will likely be against Paramount on Oct. 13. The Pirates were in the Gateway League last season, the Suburban Valley's premier league, but were relegated and swapped places with Norwalk.
CalPreps rankings continue to take shape
Despite the fact that Lakewood beat Jordan 24-13 on Friday, the Panthers are still rated higher than the Lancers in CalPreps' CIF Southern Section rankings. The CalPreps ratings will be used to determine the playoff divisions at the end of the regular season. Jordan (4-2, 0-2) is ranked No. 102 and Lakewood (3-4, 2-1) is ranked No. 103. Both teams are projected to be Division 7 playoff teams.
Meanwhile, at-large priority for the playoffs is given to teams with overall winning records.
Also, despite the fact that St. Anthony pulled out a 21-14 overtime win at St. Pius X-St. Matthias in a Del Rey League opener on Friday, the Warriors are still a higher-rated and ranked team compared to the Saints. St. Pius X (1-5, 0-1) is ranked No. 130, which is 10th in the area among the local teams. St. Anthony (5-2, 1-0) is ranked No. 144, which is 13th in the area.
Here are the CalPreps overall rankings, as of Tuesday, for all 27 of the area teams. The ranking takes into account a team's strength of schedule and its opponents' winloss record.
2. St. John Bosco (5-1)
6. Poly (5-1)
15. Los Alamitos (4-2)
33. Millikan (4-3)
38. Warren (4-2)
51. Downey (5-1)
95. Mayfair (4-2)
102. Jordan (4-2)
103. Lakewood (3-4)
130. St. Pius X-St. Matthias (1-5) 136. La Mirada (2-4)
141. Dominguez (5-1)
144. St. Anthony (5-2)
188. Wilson (3-3)
201. Bellflower (4-3)
227. Gahr (3-3)
229. Cerritos (2-4)
232. Valley Christian (2-4) 234. Paramount (2-4)
242. Norwalk (3-3)
273. Compton (3-3)
307. Lynwood (4-2)
308. Artesia (4-2)
322. Glenn (5-2)
324. Centennial (1-5)
329. Cabrillo (2-5)
349. Firebaugh (3-4)
Note: The CIF-SS has 373 teams that play 11-man football.
NADIA MEJIA
School: Millikan
Sport: Cross country
Year: Sophomore
Noteworthy: Mejia won the Moore League cross country meet at El Dorado Park on Sept. 26 with a time of 17 minutes and 26 seconds, which set a new school and course record over 3 miles. It was Mejia's first varsity Moore League race. She will look to make it two wins in a row at the second Moore League meet at Discovery Wells Park on Tuesday.