“If you really want to be great at something, you have to truly care about it. If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of people say they want to be great, but they are not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out. That’s totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody.” – Kobe Bryant, “The Mamba Mentality”
Rowland players ready to take the field against Eastside last Friday night. (Escarcega)
ROWLAND HEIGHTS – Citos Marinez is not interested in being average.
It doesn’t matter if he is coaching at a school like Jurupa Hills, which he built into a successful program, or at Rowland – where he has decided to rebuild the program from the ground up.
Marinez has a clear philosophy regarding a reconstruction project like the one he is undertaking at his alma mater.
“There are three things that I want from players,” Marinez said as he walked out of the school’s locker room and took the long but traditional route to the football stadium at 5:45 p.m. last Friday. “I want them to be smart, display toughness, and play with confidence. If we can do those things, we will win a lot of games here at Rowland.”
Many area insiders were surprised when we broke the news last winter that Marinez had stepped down as the head coach at Jurupa Hills High School. He had won a sectional title (defeating Charter Oak) in the finals and was sending players to play college football at the next level.
The one person who was not surprised was Rowland HS Athletic Director Mike Ortalli. “I’ve been trying to get him to come here for years,” Ortalli said as he watched the football team in the final phases of their warmup. “Each year, I would call him to see if he would be interested in returning. When we talked after the end of last year, the conversations got more interesting, and the next thing you know, he’s here.”
Marinez saw the timing as perfect. With teachers taking early retirements, teaching openings were becoming a reality. Not only would he become a teacher, but there were several openings for his coaches to join the school staff as teachers. In Marinez's mind, winning was not just a talking point but a reality.
“It also helped that my wife was going to be able to work here as well, so everything worked out perfectly,” Marinez said. For a school that has made a name for itself from an academic point of view, the time couldn’t be more appropriate for Rowland to once again make a name for itself on the football field.
To say that Marinez has been ready for this moment is an understatement. He has been a successful assistant coach and won a state title with Kurt Bruich at Redlands East Valley. In the early years of 2010, he was considered one of the rising stars in the area. So why would someone who is a respected coach in the talent-rich Inland Empire return to the SGV?
“This is home,” Marinez said. “I know that Rowland can be a winner, which is the ultimate goal. I’ve told our parents, administrators, and everyone else that this is my last stop. I don’t want to go anywhere else. This is my school, and I want to turn it into a winner.”
Hang around with Marinez; you see that he has a clear vision for his players and coaches. When he tells you that it's all in the preparations… believe him.
He has a schedule of what should occur on gameday in a PDF document.
Rowland coach Citos Marinez. (Escarcega)
From 2:30 in the afternoon to kickoff, everything is carefully scripted. From the team meal to reporting to the “Hideout,” everything is methodically planned out.
When we caught up with Marinez and his team, it was 5:30 p.m., and his team met with his assistant coaches for their final meetings. Many of these coaches drive one and a half to two hours to be part of the team. These were not touchy-feely meetings. The coaches' words had a level of intensity you don’t see in normal meetings.
It was opening night, and the first impression would be important for a school starving for a winner. When the meetings were over, the players began to make their way into the stadium for warmups.
At this point, Marinez, who tries to remain calm in pregame, shows a bit of emotion on a night when he desperately wants to be successful. “I applied for the Norco job, but it was a bit of a stretch, and in the end, I was their second choice,” Marinez said. “This job came at the right time. We had a great summer, and I feel rejuvenated.”
Rowland players get ready for their warmups. (Escarcega)
It is usually a tradition that when a new coach arrives at a school, he changes things. Marinez is no different. His team comes out for warmups in white game pants, a short-sleeve dry-fit shirt underneath, and a lightweight, lightly grey sweatshirt with gold numbers pressed on the backside.
The one noticeable thing was that no pads were on.
Another unusual thing we saw in pregame was the Raiders doing tackle drills. The purpose of the drills was simple: to take the nervous energy out of the players. After all, it’s opening night. Once that was done, it was time for a turnover circuit. As Pete Carroll loves to say, “It’s all about the ball.”
At 6:15 p.m., it's time for the final reps from an offense and defensive perspective. This lets us get our first look at Rowland’s returning starting quarterback, Damien Arrieta. It seems like yesterday that we saw Arrieta, a wide-eyed freshman. These days, he is anything but wide-eyed. He looks bigger and stronger, and most importantly, he can move around the pocket these days.
“He has taken a leadership role off the field,” Marinez said. “He has done everything that we have asked of him and more. We are very excited to see what he can do for us.”
One noticeable change was that a DJ was in the press box, getting the players excited about what would be one of the most critical games in the program’s era.
At 6:30 p.m., his team rushes off the field and sprints toward the locker room to don their new uniforms (with Marinez bringing back the navy blue jerseys with “RR” on the sleeves) and for one final message from Marinez.
After the players meet with the assistant coaches one final time, Marinez brings his team together with an intense 7-minute speech. You can tell he has spent months working on this speech. He has delivered plenty of pep talks… but this one is different. It’s different because of the work everyone has done to get to this moment.
Most importantly, it comes from the heart. No one is exempt from this speech. Not his squad, the critics, the other teams in the area. This is his final way to express to his team that he’s all in. And it’s not for the faint of heart.
And with that, the team leaves for the march to the field.
And on this night, they would not be alone.
Rowland HS girls flag football team (Escarcega)
On their way to the field, the school’s marching band’s drum unit would lead the players to the field. Behind the football team were 40 members of the school’s first-ever girls' flag football team—one historic line – a truckload of memories ready to be made.
The team takes the field with the DJ playing Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” in the background. At 6:57 p.m., the Citos Marinez era at Rowland is underway.
Last year, Eastside HS, the opponents on this night, won 20-6. On this night, the fortunes would be turned around in a big way.
The Raiders look like the more prepared team. Defensively, they are swarming to the ball. Senior Ezekiel McGlory makes an immediate impact with two big tackles at the line of scrimmage.
Offensively, Arrieta throws an interception on the team’s first drive on fourth down.
It would be the only mistake he would commit on the evening.
Rowland’s offense is like a well-oiled machine for the remainder of the first half. They scored nine touchdowns, amassing 325 yards of total offense with 15 first downs. Students were dancing in the stands. Those teachers who attended the game had broad smiles on their faces. While stands were not filled, they were more than enough to like what they saw on the field.
After Bryce Johnson scored his second touchdown, giving Rowland a 38-0 lead, the football players let their guard down. They were dancing on the sidelines, not focused on the game.
You knew something would happen for Eastside, and it did when Dallas Carolina took the kickoff for an 81-yard touchdown, giving the team a 38-6 lead. And while Rowland excused a perfect two-minute drill to score again in the first half's final seconds for a 45-6 lead at halftime, the kickoff was still in Marinez's mind when he talked to his team in the locker room.
“WE NEED MORE!” Marinez implores his team. “We’re dancing on the sideline, thinking our sh*t doesn’t stink, and we GIVE UP A TOUCHDOWN. The other thing is that we are not causing turnovers. We are losing the turnover battle. Don’t be satisfied beating sh*tty teams.”
Marinez gathers the team one final time after the players move into the offensive and defensive meetings. “It’s a new era! Let’s get better and make every rep count.”
The second half plays out much the same way from a defensive point of view as the Raiders hold Eastside to 59 total yards. Rowland’s Aidan Opatkiewicz has the final word in the scoring column as he scores on a 55-yard pass from Arrieta.
In a rare moment of celebration, Marinez gives Opatkiewicz a flying chest bump. “I want to have as much with them as possible,” Marinez said.
In the minds of Rowland fans, it was a night that will be remembered for years. The numbers from the 52-6 win were staggering. Rowland had 458 total yards and held Eastside to 125. Eastside was 2 of 13 on third-down conversions. The most important statistic on Friday night was the endless number of smiles on the Rowland sideline.
Rowland quarterback Damien Arrieta watching film during their win over Eastside on Friday night. (Escarcega)
As for Arrieta, he finished the game by completing 10 of 15 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. “We got tired of being called losers, and it started when we worked together in the summer,” Arrieta said. “It’s the drive that everyone has right now. Tonight, we played as one.”
The subject didn’t take long to turn to this Friday’s showdown with Nogales in the annual “Battle for the Tracks” game. The Nobles will be featuring transfer quarterback Tyler Lewis, who many consider one of the top quarterbacks in the area.
When asked if he feels like he should be in the conversation as one of the top quarterbacks in the area, Arrieta said, “What I learned over that situation is one person’s opinion doesn’t define me as a player.”
And with that, Arrieta left the stadium as a winner. A win this week against Nogales would put him on the status of “The Big Man on Campus.”
In Marinez's mind, there is a lot that has to take place before that happens. It’s time to chase “The Standard” for another week. He wouldn’t want it any other way for a straightforward reason.
He’s home.
(Escarcega)
BISHOP AMAT IMPRESSES IN HOME OPENER
When the area coaches decided to vote Bishop Amat as the top team in the area in the first coaches poll of the season, it gave me a great excuse to attend the Lancers' first home game against West Covina on Thursday night.
It was my first time attending a Bishop Amat football game on opening night. Until you see it in person, there is nothing like attending a Kiefer Stadium season opener. Opening night at Bishop Amat hits differently, from the tailgating on the sidewalks to the energy that the fans and students generate once you are inside the gates.
West Covina came in as prohibited underdogs, but the game was exactly what coach Mike Maggiore was looking for. Sure, he could have scheduled a game against La Puente High School (which lost its game on opening night), but that would not have served his team appropriately.
It would be best if you gave Maggiore credit. He was the person who first approached Lancers coach Steve Hagerty to play this game. It's not the first time that he has done this, nor will it be the last. Unlike most coaches in the area, Maggiore is playing for the long game. He knows he won't see the type of defense he faced on Thursday night – unless it is deep in the playoffs.
And Bulldogs fans can be assured that Zander Requena will have bigger nights ahead for the program. He just ran into the best defense in the San Gabriel Valley.
Maggiore knows he won't see a team with the depth that Amat has. In the end, Bishop Amat had little trouble handling the Bulldogs in a lopsided 49-6 win. The Lancers amassed 451 yards of total offense, and West Covina went 0-8 on third downs.
In his first game as the undisputed starting quarterback for the Lancers, senior Frankie Villalbazo went 15 for 23 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. It was a good performance, but he understands there is more room for improvement.
"I think I would give myself a B-," Villalbazo said. "I know that I could have done a lot better. It felt great to be with my team; the offensive line stepped up nicely. The way that the offense is running is smoother now, and I feel like we have more of a connection. It's a whole new different team this year."
The one big take from this game for me was the performance of the Bishop Amat defense. It is a defense that longtime Amat fans can get excited about. The speed at which the players pursued the ball was impressive, as was the physicality at the point of attack. Make no mistake, the fingerprints of returning defense coordinator Mike DiFiori are unmistakable. They held West Covina to 74 yards of total offense, which is impressive because you don't see a Mike Maggiore-led offense get stifled like that.
One thing was also clear: Bishop Amat's special teams units were imposing. Even though they had one touchdown called back for a penalty, the best part of the play was that the Lancers punt return unit had set up the alley beautifully for Seth Tellez to run without getting touched. DiFiori was so fired up after the play that he went to Tellez and said, "I don't give a *@*@, that was beautiful."
One of the least talked-about performances was of starting center Brian Borjon. This was his first game at the varsity level as a transfer from South Hills. He has the size to be an outstanding basketball player (6-6, 250), but the CIFSS recently ruled that he can only play JV basketball this year.
On this night, he performed about as well as expected for his first game despite a few errand snaps. The coaching staff was pleased with his performance and know that his best days were still ahead of him.
While Steve Hagerty is still as intense a coach as you will find in the area, he shows everyone that he can be a player's coach when the moment calls for it. After the Lancers scored their last touchdown, he went over to kicker Nathan Hernandez, talked with him, and tapped him on the helmet. Hernandez had a big game, going 5 for 5 in PATs.
When I asked an assistant about that moment, he paused for a second, then said, "That's Hags being Hags. He's telling the kid, "There are not many sophom*ores that are having a night you are. Enjoy it and keep doing your job.'"
This summed up the night for the Lancers. There are bigger battles ahead, including Friday night's showdown with St. Paul, but it appeared that the Lancers were doing their jobs and having a great time.
5 THINGS THAT I THINK I THINK FROM WEEK 0:
I think these are my impressions from watching the St. Francis vs. St. Bonaventure game on the NFHS Network.
a) You knew it might be a long night for the Golden Knights when Shawn Saunders, the team's starting free safety, kicker, and backup quarterback, was hurt late in the first quarter. His absence was a blow for fans of St. Francis as his older brother John sustained an injury late in the 3rd quarter and missed the rest of the game. The status of John Sanders' availability for this week's game against Mira Costa is still uncertain.
The one player that stood out on tape was Deveon Blaylock. The shifty sophom*ore had eight touches in the game and had a couple of nifty kickoff returns to put St. Francis in positions to score. Look for him to play a more prominent role in Dean Herrington's offense.
Despite the final score, the game was much closer for almost three quarters. St. Francis had a chance to trim St. Bonaventure's lead to 19-13 late in the third quarter as they advanced the ball to St. Bonnie's one-yard line. St. Francis got stuffed on fourth and goal, which was converted into a touchdown several plays later when Kaden Glover hit Jaden Few on a 92-yard touchdown pass that effectively took the winds out of St. Francis' sails.
It was a long night for the Golden Knights on defense as they gave up 483 yards of total offense, 310 of which were on the ground. Defensive Coordinator Mark Gibbons must find a way to improve in that department. Giving up that many yards in the Angelus League could be hazardous to your health.
2) I think it's great that running the ball in high school football is still fashionable these days. The evidence remains that running the ball is the key to victories. Rowland rushed for 269 yards in their win over Eastside. Bishop Amat rushed for 223 yards in their win over West Covina. Mountain View rushed for 465 yards in their win over Mark Keppel. San Dimas amassed 402 yards in their win over Burbank. Northview rushed for 202 yards in their 33-0 victory over Durango in Las Vegas. Vince Lombardi would be proud.
3) I think that was a tough-luck loss of the night for Diamond Bar. The Brahmas were down 21-13 to El Dorado late in the fourth quarter when OLB/SS Ethan McNeil intercepted a pass for a touchdown that cut the lead to 21-19. Diamond Bar failed to convert on a two-point play and failed to get any traction in the final stages. History will be the critical indicator of whether this game was a quality loss. At first blush, it is.
4) I think Judah Douglas will be the area's undisputed leader at the wide receiver position once the season concludes. He put on another show on Friday night for Rams fans as he was responsible for four touchdowns in Temple City's 41-22 win over Whittier. He had eight receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns (both of which were amazing). He also rushed for another score and threw for a 25-yard touchdown. He's simply amazing. And let's give some credit to coach Riley Saxon. He's quietly become a rising star at developing quarterbacks in the area. His latest project is sophom*ore Jake Leones, who completed 11 of 16 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns, earning a QB Rating of 151.0. We'll be checking out the Rams in a couple of weeks.
5. I think that these are my additional thoughts from week 0:
a. It was a rough night for coaches making their first appearance with new teams. Rowland's Citos Marinez was one of only two coaches that made debuts with new teams that won. We'll get to the other one in a moment. Alhambra's Mike Macintosh suffered a 21-6 loss to South El Monte. Diamond Ranch fell to Claremont 19-14 in Chris Williams' first game as their new head coach. Luis Gutierrez saw his Gabrielino team drop a 26-12 decision to Century. Arroyo's Pete Moye' lost his first game as coach of the Knights to Capistrano Valley Christian, 34-6, and San Marino lost to Heritage Christian, 25-7, in the first game for Richard Nila as the Titan's new coach.
b. A couple of great storylines for South Hills football fans in their 52-29 win over Baldwin Park. First, it was great to see legendary coach Kevin Smith doing the coin flip for the game. He is a graduate of Baldwin Park HS, coached the school, was also the coach at South Hills HS, and coached current head coach Jacob Calderon when he was a player from 2002-2004. The second was the performance of junior girls kicker Breanna Castruita. She was a perfect 6 for 6 in PATs and made a 28-yard field goal. Her other attempt was blocked. She plays club soccer and is a varsity girls soccer team member.
c. Damien's Caden Arellano and James Taylor were busy for two days. They both played pivotal roles on Thursday night in the Spartans 42-21 road win over La Serna. Friday, they took a trip down south to San Diego to watch their former teammate Elijah Bechtel lead San Marcos to a 53-8 win over Rancho Buena Vista. Bechtel had one carry for 57 yards, one reception for five yards, and was credited with two solo tackles.
d. These were Frank Gallardo's remarks after watching his South El Monte team defeat Alhambra, 21-6. "Sloppy game being the first game of the year. Alhambra is a much-improved team, being a junior-heavy team. The defense play was excellent, with Julian Lopez grabbing three interceptions. We have been hit with the injury bug early this year, so we need to improve every week." South El Monte had a road game in the South Bay at Bishop Montgomery this Friday.
e. One of the big games this week is Chino Hills vs. Charter Oak. Last week was the first game for Huskies QB Alex Medyn, a transfer from Orange Lutheran. The junior completed 14 of 22 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown. "He was another coach and leader in the huddle," Chino Hills coach Keland Johnson said. "He can just make a lot of throws look easy. But his competitiveness was what took over." Key in mind, Chino Hills is one of my "Surprise Teams" of 2024.
LAST WEEK IN THE HACIENDA LEAGUE
This is a new feature, and we can thank the Mt. SAC Realignment Committee for this. Since everyone agrees that the new Hacienda League is the most competitive in the area, we decided to give it its own section in our weekly column. It was a good week for the league as it went 4-2 in week 0 action. Here is a recap:
South Hills 52, Baldwin Park 29: The Huskies rushed for 357 yards and scored seven touchdowns in the win. Tyler Arguinzoni was the workhorse for South Hills, with 23 carries for 117 yards and three TDs. Danny Resendiz had ten carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
Covina 51, California 14: This game's story was senior Kwame Parrish's performance. He had a huge night, rushing for 251 yards on 18 carries and scoring three touchdowns. Senior quarterback Jacob Duronslet was 6 of 11 for 135 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for 96 carries and scoring a touchdown.
Los Altos 22, Wilson 0: In a scoreless game at the half, Diego Castillo (a junior) paved the way for the Conquerors to win their 14 consecutive games in the series. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown.
Walnut 37, Garey 13: In a game that the Mustangs led 16-13 at the half, Walnut scored 21 points in the second half to earn the season-opening victory. Christopher Mardueno was the leading rusher for Walnut, with 12 carries for 68 yards.
Diamond Bar was mentioned earlier in the column and Chino suffered a 26-0 setback to host Santa Monica.
FINALLY
I saw something from the season's first week that bothered me quite a bit. Many local media members are starting to use the Calpreps as the "holy grail" regarding the state rankings. While I understand it's easy to do that because the ratings are free, this seems wrong.
For 40 years, my good friend Mark Tennis at Calhisports.com and his staff writers have been making the most accurate state rankings. One look at the website, and you begin to understand why they are the undisputed leaders. They do all-area preseason teams for the entire state and provide weekly rankings for the top 50 teams in the state.
Tennis, Harold Abend, and others have conducted extensive research to compile the rankings over the years. Yet, the local media here in the South do not support them because (and this is my guess) their rankings are behind a paywall.
We have to do better.
I have been a loyal subscriber to the website and will continue to do so. They do a great job of covering the biggest state in the US. If you are a serious football fan, do yourself a favor and subscribe to CalHiSports to get the most accurate state rankings for football, basketball, baseball, and softball. No one works harder than Mark, and it comes much appreciated from a loyal subscriber in Southern California.
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