No stunner here, just a battle expected

Chaparral and Vista Murrieta meet in first-ever all-area CIF SS football final

JEFF SANDERS - | Posted: Friday, December 11, 2009 12:35 am

MURRIETA ---- An all-Southwestern League final? The idea isn't a shock to Corona Centennial coach Matt Logan, a five-time winner on this stage and the defending state champion.

His Huskies, after all, went through three Southwestern League teams a year ago ---- Vista Murrieta in the quarterfinals, Murrieta Valley in the semis and Chaparral in the finals ---- before claiming the 2008 CIF Southern Section Inland Division title. He'd be eying No. 6 tonight if it weren't for Chaparral upending Centennial with an overtime thriller last week.

"We've been playing that league regularly in the playoffs and nonleague," said Logan, whose team plays in the Big VIII. "You can call this a rise if you want, but we've known (the Southwestern League) was tough for a long time."

Both Vista Murrieta (13-0) and Chaparral (10-3) finally proved it once and for all on the field last week, with the Broncos securing their first title game berth with a 34-33 comeback win over Norco and the Pumas snapping a four-game skid at the hands of Centennial for their third championship game appearance in the last four years. The victories set up tonight's all-Southwestern League final at 7:30 at Vista Murrieta in a rare replay of the Valley's biggest ongoing rivalry.

"There's something about Chaparral," Broncos wide receiver Casey Marquez said with a sheepish smile. "Every time we play them, I always get this feeling in my stomach. It's going to be a great game. They are playing their best football right now. I think we're playing our best football.

"They deserve to be here and so do we. We'll see what happens Friday night."

Seven Fridays ago, Vista Murrieta walked off the field at Chaparral a 32-13 winner, with a stubborn yet quick defense led by linebacker Ryan Hofmeister (161 tackles, 7 sacks) limiting the Pumas to 25 yards on the ground and harassing quarterback Mitch Glasmann for five sacks. Defensive backs Eddie Lackey and John Hardy also came up with interceptions in the game for the Broncos, who've rolled to 13 straight wins and their first championship game berth.

"I've dreamed of this my whole life since I was a little kid," said Broncos quarterback Derrick Brown, whose 11th playoff touchdown ---- a 32-yard heave to Marquez late in the fourth quarter ---- completed a comeback win against Norco last week.

The Pumas, on the other hand, had yet to really get on the kind of roll that made them an Inland Division favorite at the onset of the season. They suffered a season-opening setback against Centennial, another close loss to Anaheim Servite ---- one of the top-25 teams in the state ----- and they went into the midseason showdown with Vista Murrieta with head coach Tom Leach suspended after a display of unsportsmanlike conduct earlier in the season.

The loss there sent Chaparral's staff and players into a state of soul-searching that offensive coordinator Jon Mitchell believes was the best thing that happened to the team all year.

Linebacker Matt Lester, who missed most of the Vista Murrieta game with concussion-like symptoms, agreed.

"I think it really was," Lester said. "We were No. 1 (in the division) to start the season and we had a tough loss against Centennial and then again against Servite. But those losses were against good teams, so we figured we must have been right up there with them.

"We were overconfident and cocky. We weren't really the team we are now."

Taking their ideas and roster back to formula, the Pumas won out from there, finishing second behind Vista Murrieta in the Southwestern League before withstanding perhaps the toughest draw in the Inland Division. First, Chaparral went toe-to-toe with Corona Roosevelt in a game kicker Peter Keks won on a field goal as time expired. Then, the Pumas kept top-seeded Redlands East Valley in check in a 14-7 win capped by a goal-line stand as time expired.

Last week's victories for both the Pumas and Broncos ---- against programs with a combined 10 section titles between them ---- only re-iterated that the Week 7 matchup between Chaparral and Vista Murrieta was half a season ago.

A lot's changed for both teams.

"That game was seven weeks ago," said Glasmann, who has produced 10 touchdowns during the Pumas' three playoff wins. "Our last three playoff games have helped us prepare for this moment."

Added Broncos coach Coley Candaele: "It's a championship ---- anybody can win any game at this point. You've got two teams that have got here for a purpose and anybody can win that game."

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS

VISTA MURRIETA

Offense

Pos. Player Year Ht. Wt.

QB Derrick Brown Jr. 6-4 234

RB Benjamin Madison Sr. 5-10 175

WR Hollis Jones Sr. 6-0 175

WR Casey Marquez Sr. 6-0 175

WR Scott Terrazas Sr. 6-4 175

TE Jordan Allen Sr. 6-1 210

OL Spencer Giron Jr. 6-2 240

OL Dylan Cassiani Sr. 6-2 220

OL Morgan Weisel Sr. 6-2 250

OL Zayde Khalil Jr. 6-3 360

OL Mo McClellend Sr. 6-2 220

K Tyler Rausa So. 5-8 150

Defense

Pos. Player Year Ht. Wt.

DL Jeremy Castro So. 6-1 240

DL Mario Jacobs Jr. 6-3 210

DL Emil Mejares Sr. 5-10 225

DL John Sanchez Jr. 6-3 220

LB Chris Navarro Sr. 6-1 205

LB Ryan Hofmeister 6-2 205

LB Hayden Clegg Sr. 6-2 215

CB John Hardy Sr. 6-1 175

CB Shane Hunter Sr. 6-0 175

S Eddie Lackey Sr. 6-0 205

S Andrew Olson Sr. 5-10 170

P Derrick Brown Jr. 6-4 234

CHAPARRAL

Offense Pos. Player Year Ht. Wt.

QB Mitch Glasmann Sr. 6-4 220

RB Jonathan Diaz Sr. 5-8 180

WR Antoine Arnold Jr. 6-5 185

WR Darius Guillory Jr. 5-10 180

WR Deshawn Hathorn Sr. 5-10 165

TE Tyler McDowell So. 6-3 200

OL Mike Hurst Jr. 6-1 250

OL Tyrone Knight Jr. 6-0 210

OL Jonathan Johnson Sr. 6-2 215

OL Brian Robertson Sr. 5-11 211

OL Randy Patterson Sr. 5-10 250

K Nick Fernandez Sr. 5-7 170

Defense

Pos. Player Year Ht. Wt.

DL Billy Conn Sr. 6-4 225

DL Jonathan Johnson Sr. 6-2 215

DL Michael Perez Jr. 6-3 280

DL Aaron Watkins Sr. 5-10 245

LB Curtis Dozier Jr. So. 6-2 185

LB Matt Lester Sr. 6-0 205

LB Johnathan Tingley Sr. 5-9 185

CB Deshawn Hathorn Sr. 5-10 165

CB Dylan Valentine Jr. 5-10 160

S Jonathan Diaz Sr. 5-8 180

S Darius Guillory Jr. 5-10 180

P Jonathan Diaz Sr. 5-8 180

GAME LOGS

CHAPARRAL (10-3)

27 at Corona Centennial 31

40 at Paloma Valley 14

56 VALLEY VIEW 13

21 ANAHEIM SERVITE 28

70 at Cathedral City 0

47 at Murrieta Valley 23

13 VISTA MURRIETA 32

27 TEMESCAL CANYON 21

66 at Temecula Valley 35

35 GREAT OAK 21

36 CORONA ROOSEVELT 33

14 REDLANDS EAST VALLEY 7

43 at Corona Centenial 35 (OT)

at Vista Murrieta, 7:30 p.m.

VISTA MURRIETA (13-0)

26 at Colton 9

35 CORONA SANTIAGO 7

17 at R.C. Los Osos 14 (OT)

43 at P.V. Peninsula 21

42 DOWNEY WARREN 28

28 TEMESCAL CANYON 0

32 at Chaparral 13

45 TEMECULA VALLEY 7

21 at Great Oak 14

32 MURRIETA VALLEY 17

38 CORONA SANTIAGO 17

33 at Redlands 6

34 NORCO 33

vs. CHAPARRAL, 7:30 p.m.