Just one more win.
That will be the mantra coming from South Pasadena High football coach Jeff Chi and his staff this week as the Tigers close in on a Rio Hondo League football title.
South Pasadena set itself up to claim the crown outright after staying unbeaten in league with a lopsided 48-6 victory over Temple City at home Friday night.
The Tigers are now 7-2 overall but more importantly 4-0 in league play, while the other contenders have at least one loss. La Canada, South Pasadena’s opponent on the road next Friday to close out the league season, fell for the first time, 28-21, Thursday night to Monrovia and is now 8-1, 3-1 against league teams. With the victory, Monrovia improved to 7-2, also 3-1, its only league loss coming from South Pasadena.
By coming away with a big victory over Temple City, now 6-3, 1-3, the Tigers, on a five game winning streak, can earn at least a share of the title should they lose to the Spartans in the league finale. Monrovia winds up with struggling Pasadena Poly, 3-6, 0-4, coming off a 42-7 setback to San Marino (4-5, 1-3) Friday.
In one scenario – certainly not what they’re hoping for – South Pasadena, La Cañada and Monrovia could all end with one league loss and hold the championship together. Last year, the Tigers were in the same spot when they finished 9-2, 4-1 in league, and shared the title with both Monrovia and San Marino.
Defeating Temple City in a spirited homecoming “Blackout” game, in which South Pasadena fans were handed a black pompon upon entry, Chi and company simply wanted to take care of business, come out on top, and begin to set its sights on the larger task of how to get past La Cañada to close out the regular season ahead of the CIF playoffs.
They did it with a stifling defense, a unit that has been performing well all season, especially when it comes to stopping the run. “Overall, we’ve done a great job, enough that it puts less pressure on our offense and give us a chance to win ball games,” explained Chi.
Still unbeaten in league “feels nice,” insisted the coach, “but we don’t dwell on it much. We’re just focusing on the next game, making sure we don’t miss anything in terms of our scouting report and preparation so the kids will do what we ask them to do to have a chance in winning the game.”
Chi and his coaching staff, the nucleus a big part of the team’s success over the years, have created a situation where much of the focus is on putting players in position to maintain a strong work ethic during the off season and throughout the 10-game schedule. “It’s a habit we try to create for these guys,” he stressed. “Our player’s job is to come in and push yourself day in and day out, to be the best you can be.”
That message was made loud and clear ahead of Friday’s convincing win over Temple Ctiy, as the Tigers seized control early and mounted a 27-6 advantage at the half, added 14 points in the third quarter and seven more in the fourth, the clock running continuously the final period with South Pasadena holding a sizeable lead. The Rams scored their lone touchdown in the second period.
Trey Freking, one half of the Tigers’ strong double duo backfield, alongside David Ortega, rushed for 161 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. In a limited role to nurse a tender leg and to be rested for La Cañada in week 10, Ortega carried the ball only one time for five yards, good enough for a score. Rick Matsuda had another TD on the ground, going 22 yards on the night, packing the ball four times, and Jordan Rodgers also put six points on the board on a 10-run.
“Our running game was as expected,” said Chi when it was over. “Our line created holes for our running backs to get productive yardage.”
James Dowd was South Pasadena’s leading receiver with seven catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. Making the throws was Tigers’ quarterback Andrew Nott, who had his best outing of the season, connecting on 11 of 12 passes for 200 yards and a 19-yard third quarter scoring pass to Dowd, putting South Pasadena comfortably in front 34-6.
“Our passing game improved tremendously,” said Chi, pleased that Nott found four different receivers on the night. “I thought we had a balanced attack that helped to keep the defense on their heels.”
The mission now is to “fix our mistakes and get ready for La Cañada,” noted Chi, who is expecting a physical battle against the Spartans on the road.
“Every game is so important if you want to have that undefeated season, so a victory gets us that much closer,” said Chi. “We just want to take one game at a time and continue to prepare our kids so they can compete at the highest possible level.”
Since the season’s start, the Tigers’ running game behind Freking and Ortega has been solid. “Any given moment, we give them the ball and they get positive yardage for us,” said Chi. “It’s a very reliable tool on offense to have the two of them on our side.”
One feeds off the other, and they’re simply difficult to bring down at times, getting much needed help from a steady, dependable and trustworthy line up front opening running lanes.
“I think Trey is just getting better and better as the week’s go on,” Chi said. “He getting comfortable carrying the ball 20 or 30 times per game. Ortega is just a physical kid, who doesn’t want to go around people. He wants to go through people, where it intimidates some of our opponents who talk about how tough he is. His physical mentality just takes over a game.”
Life is good around South Pasadena’s football program these days, where the victories continue to mount, the defense is doing its job of shutting down teams, and there’s been plenty of production on the offensive side of the ball, spurred on by two of the finest running backs in the league.
Asked what it means to have Freking and Ortega – the Tigers’ one – two offensive punch all season – playing together in a pivotal role next week against the Spartans, a candid Chi paused a moment, laughed, then joked, “It allows me to sleep at night.”
And well he should, knowing his two workhorses on offense can help South Pasadena finish league play with a perfect 5-0 record, lock up the first place crown all by itself, and have sweet dreams recognizing his team controls its own destiny.
It doesn’t matter what any other team does. One more win, a big one indeed against La Cañada, and the Tigers are alone on top as the league champs.
“I’m really proud of our guys,” Chi said. “They’ve really put the work in to get where they are today.”
