Heartbreak, sorrow and sadness might say it best, sizing up South Pasadena High’s season ending football loss Friday night.
Three games into the playoffs, the Tigers’ long-awaited quest for a CIF championship fell short as Silverado of Victorville closed out South Pasadena’s hopes with a lopsided 58-7 win at home in a CIF-Southern Section Division 10 semifinal contest.
With the setback, South Pasadena finished the 2024 season with a solid 10-3 overall record, including its first outright Rio Hondo League championship in 47 years after showcasing a perfect 5-0 mark.
No strangers to the CIF postseason, the Tigers had reached the semifinals three out of the past four years.
Oh, and there were plenty of memorable moments in, well, another memorable season, as South Pasadena coach Jeff Chi thanked his players, a dedicated bunch, for their effort in getting the Tigers deep into the playoffs.
“I’m really proud of the team on how they played throughout the season,” he said. “They have accomplished so much as a team. Collectively, they became a great team.
Over the long haul, Chi was also appreciative of his coaches – Jason Barnes, John Fonseca, John Morant, Nate Olsen, and Paul Hugasian – for putting in the long hours, along with the parents of players for their overwhelming support, and the fans’ backing, many of whom not only filled the seats at home but traveled long distances, like Moreno Valley and Victorville, for road games.
The Hawks snapped the Tigers’ eight-game winning streak with the victory and South Pasadena’s hopes of winning a CIF crown for the first time since 1975.
Ahead of going up against a powerful Silverado team, the Tigers got past Patriot 35-28 in first round CIF action and 34-31 over Valley View, putting South Pasadena in position to play in the semis, with a chance to play for the title the day after Thanksgiving.
On the other side, Silverado improved to 8-5 on the year and playing a solid brand of football after going 2-2 for third place in the Desert Sky League. The Hawks have now won three straight in the postseason after a 52-35 first round CIF victory over Lincoln Christian, a quarterfinal win against Chino and knocking off South Pasadena in the semifinals. Next week in the Division 10 finals, the Hawks will face St. Anthony, a 17-14 winner over Pacifica in Friday’s other semifinal game.
“Tonight we played against the toughest opponent of the season, and they fought to the end,” said Chi. “They left everything on the field. Even though we lost, there are no regrets but gratitude for the opportunities to play our last game as a team. The team is a special group of young men who will be remembered for a long time for all that they have done this year.”
Silverado took a 13-0 lead after the first quarter and increased it to 32-7 at the half, 45-7 after three periods before scoring two more touchdowns in the final period to run away with it.
It didn’t help matters that the Tigers’ top two running backs, Trey Freking and David Ortega, sat this one out as a result of injuries. Freking, sidelined late in South Pasadena’s win over Valley View in CIF quarterfinals, finished the year with 1,247 yards on 233 carries and 15 touchdowns while Ortega, out the past four weeks, contributed 721 yards, packing the ball 99 times, to go along with his nine rushing TDs.
The Tigers scored one touchdown against Silverado in the second quarter on an 8-yard run by SPHS Senior David Eisenberg.
Looking back on the campaign up to now, 13 weeks including a bye, Chi appreciates the amount of time his team put into the program. “The relationship we have in them, and the trust they have placed in us is very special and meaningful for our coaching staff,” said the coach. “We joke around, and get on them at times, but they all know our ultimate goal is win football games. Every week, we ask them to put in the best effort and be the best they can be. It has been a very enjoyable year.”
