All of a sudden, life has changed drastically for South Pasadena High football coach Jeff Chi.
The usual course of action following a Friday night game calls for spending the weekend preparing for the next one, watching tape of an upcoming opponent and preparing with coaches on how to seek the next win, or overcome a loss.
After the Tigers’ CIF semifinal Division 10 setback to Silverado, a lopsided 58-7 nightmare, Chi returned home by bus, making the 160-mile round-trip journey with his team, finding himself a bit out of synch without the usual tasks that a long season provides.
So, what did he do? Once in the front door, his wife, Felicia, asked him if he wanted to spend the weekend with family members in Paso Robles, and off they went Saturday morning.
It was a well deserved retreat for the Tigers’ coach who seldom gets away during the rigors of a demanding job lasting 13 weeks or more counting bye weeks, on top of a longtime math teaching position on campus.
With its rolling hills, small town charm, abundance of wineries, and a good place to simply get away from it all, Paso Robles has become the perfect getaway for the coach over the years.
“I’m on it,” said the coach when asked to go.
On Sunday and now two days in, Chi, in a relaxed mode, noted: “I’m not really thinking about football much. Just kind of enjoying the nature and the wine country here. Yet, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking about what ifs, but there’s not much to it in this past game. I think we were just physically outmatched.”
Dominating it from the start, Silverado – big, fast and talented – jumped out to a 13-0 first quarter lead, increased it to 32-7 at the half and added from there, scoring 13 points in each of the final two periods to run away with it.
“That was a tough one,” said Chi. “I know the score indicates it was lopsided, but I love how our guys fought to the end. It is what it is. We were up against a very good team.”
Silverado will now play St. Anthony, a 17-14 winner over Pacifica in the other semifinal, for the CIF title Friday night.
Chi says it likely wouldn’t have changed the outcome, but not having two of his best players – running backs David Ortega and Trey Freking – both sidelined due to injury, didn’t help matters. Missing was the impact of Freking’s 1,427 yards on 233 carries and 15 rushing touchdowns through 12 games and another 721 yards by Ortega, packing the ball 99 times over 10 games.
There was a silver lining to all this, however, as Chi came away knowing the last team his club faced was simply better, and that the Tigers season had been a successful one, winning two playoff games, going deep into the post-season and finishing 10-3 overall.
“The way our guys played throughout the year, playing a tough game after game, after game, I just can’t say enough good things about our team,” he said. “Silverado is a good team. Credit to them.”
Following the contest, Chi thanked his seniors for putting in all the time, setting a standard for others. “At the moment it felt bad, losing the game like we did, but when you look back on the whole season, they accomplished a lot, individually and collectively as a team,” Chi explained. “I wanted them to remember that. And, I’m sure they will as the years go on. They’ll remember this season and what they have brought to this program and to our school.”
During his stay in Paso Robles, Chi watched his alma mater UCLA fall to USC 19-13 in Saturday night football. “I was bummed about that, too,” he said, followed by a laugh. “Back to back (losses) you know. That’s part of the game. There’s always a winner and always a loser. You have to learn how to win with humbleness and lose with grace. As long as you learn from that and get better each week, one of these days we’ll be back there in the championship game.”
South Pasadena High continues to push for that dream, reaching the CIF semifinals three out of the past four years, knocking on the door of the title contest, only to fall short. Yet, in the process, the Tigers have built a highly touted program, one that is envied by many neighboring communities throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
“I think our kids coming into the program have a high expectation of being excellent,” Chi stressed. “Every year we have a goal of No. 1 beating San Marino, No. 2 is to win the league title, No. 3 is to get to get to the playoffs, and No. 4 is to win the CIF championship. At least for this year, we accomplished the first three, came up a little short of winning the CIF title, but I know the kids are going to keep striving for that. They’ll keep working hard and one day we’ll have that opportunity again. We just have to figure it out and see what we have to do to improve our chances next time.”
The 2024 campaign is over, but already Chi is looking forward to the next one. “It’s already starting,” he said. “I’m starting to mentally put kids into spots, and so for the sophomores and juniors coming back we’ll give them a few weeks off, very light if any work, then we’ll pick it up again in January. It has been a very long season. We’ve been at it since May, so we have to give them some time to get away from it, play other sports or start weight lifting and be excited about the upcoming season.”
In a heartfelt measure of respect for his team and what it endured and sacrificed over the long haul this year, Chi said he was “overly proud” as South Pasadena won its first outright Rio Hondo League crown, going 5-0, since 1977. The pursuit to win a CIF football title, something that last happened in 1975, won’t be lost on the Tigers’ coach either.
“What we accomplished this year was not easy,” insisted Chi. “Every year, each group (of players) sets standards, sets expectations for the younger guys to follow, and I’m grateful for that. I think our coaching staff did an outstanding job this year preparing our kids, getting the most out of them. I have a great staff. And, of course, our team parents have been very supportive everyway possible, providing meals on Thursdays, before long bus rides, they’ve been outstanding, too. And, obviously, our administration, they’ve been there with us every step of the way, providing everything that we ask and need.”
In a way, it comes with the territory, the magnitude of support from so many. “We live in a very nice community,” Chi summed up. “I really does take a village to raise a child. That’s the mentality that we have, and I’m very grateful to be a part of that.”
And now, at least for a while, Chi can put coaching high school football on hold, but not for long.
“Oh yes, it’s a little different,” he admitted, while taking a break in Paso Robles, resting and putting his feet up. “My wife tells me she sees me during the season and notices the difference of focusing on football compared to not. So, yes, it’s nice to get away.”
