In his ideal world, Jeff Chi, wishing the situation were far different, would like nothing more this week than to be preparing his football team to play in a game South Pasadena High hasn’t won in a half century.
Had the Tigers not come up short, falling to Valley View 28-21 in overtime in last week’s CIF-Southern Section semifinal, Chi, South Pasadena’s longtime coach, would be fully entrenched, taking all the necessary steps to get his team ready to host Baldwin Park in a matchup Friday night to decide the Division 11 champion.
Oh, so close, under Chi’s guidance and a dedicated coaching staff, the Tigers have now reached the doorstep to the finals four out of the past five years but just haven’t been able to kick the door down, as they continue to strive to capture their first CIF crown since 1975.
Chi will tell you just making the playoffs is no easy task, and going as deep into the playoffs his club has consistently gone, is a testament to the hard work his players have made in making South Pasadena’s program one of the most respected in the San Gabriel Valley.
In so many words, he told his team following the Valley View loss to keep their heads held high, be proud of what they accomplished.
“For a football program from a small public school, in my opinion, it’s impressive,” said Chi, looking back on his club’s 8-5 overall record, a tumultuous 2-4 non-league start, only to turn it around with four straight wins to claim the Rio Hondo League title for the second straight year, then continue what turned out to be a six-game winning streak with a first round CIF 42-17 victory over San Marcos of Santa Barbara, and a 41-7 quarterfinal win over Palmdale ahead of the setback to Valley View in the semis.
“I have to say that our staff has done a remarkable job of preparing these young men, year after year working off-season and during season,” said Chi. “And also, to our players for believing in the program and diligently working and being coachable, they have accomplished many great goals. And I believe that there are expectations from the players every year to reach their utmost potential as a team.”
The Tigers’ coach will tell you it’s a little different around the Chi household when the season ends abruptly while expecting more. He longs for the day when he can have his squad play in the CIF championship and holding a morning practice on Thanksgiving Day be a part of it. Scheduling a contest beyond the major holiday is a boon for high school football coaches. Instead, the Baldwin Park and Valley View will have that opportunity Friday night as South Pasadena must wait at least another year.
“It’s always strange at the end of the season when you don’t have to prepare for a game,” he said. “However, I did reflect on the (Valley View) game and see what we could have done to change the outcome, and it’s something I will remember for the next time.”
Setting the stage for another successful season gets underway at the beginning of the new year for returning players as off-season field workouts are held, combined with weight training, followed by spring football in late April. Summer work starts in mid-June ahead of fall practice sessions in late July.
Chi has a lot on his plate, especially during the season, when he’s not only coaching X’s and O’s but teaching four math classes on the South Pasadena High campus.
“As the season moves along, it seems that there is not enough time to prepare for a game,” explained Chi, seemingly always taxed for time. “We are constantly working until game day. Typically, we get our opponent’s film on Saturday morning. I watch (the film) mostly all Saturday to get a game scouting report to the players by Sunday morning so that they can start their preparation. Watching film is non-stop, trying to see our opponents’ weaknesses, player mismatches, play calling tendencies, etc. And during practice, we see our game plan in action and then make adjustments. We utilize time effectively to get our players ready each week.”
As he closes the book on the 2025 season, Chi knows he’s going to miss Trey Freking, who behind solid offensive line play, embodied greatness as South Pasadena’s senior running back, combining a relentless work ethic, leadership and big-play toughness that lifted his team all-season long.
“Trey is one of those rare athletes that made my job enjoyable,” said Chi. “He was coachable, and it was fun to watch him play football. He was well-rounded, he can run, he can catch and he can block, but most importantly he was a leader. He made the team better and he encouraged the team to get better. He definitely left an indelible impact on the team and his teammates. Besides being a great football player, he is also a great individual with character and personality.”
Away from the game, Freking is part of ASB, which stands for Associated Student Body, a student government organization that represents the student community and helps plan events like dances, rallies, fund raisers, spirit weeks and other activities.
Chi praises that Freking is a solid example for others, “demonstrating that you can be successful in academically and athletically,” noting that he’s intelligent both on and off field exhibited by the fact Trey will be attending University of Chicago with ambitions of continuing to be a top student while playing football for the Maroons.
Freking finished his final year in a South Pasadena uniform with 2,013 yards on the ground on 285 carries, a 7.1-yard average, and a whopping 29 touchdowns. Through the air, he caught five passes for 45 yards and scored twice.
Not surprisingly, he was named the Rio Hondo League’s Most Valuable Player.
“Trey will be dearly missed, and it will be hard to fill his place next year, but we are looking forward to seeing who that might be because Trey believes that we will continue our success,” said Chi.
And so now returning Tiger players can take some time away from the gridiron, rest up a bit before the long hours, the grind of next season begins. Like Chi, they can take a moment to appreciate the full scope of their milestones over the course of the 13-week campaign.
“I believed from the beginning that this team is made up of very special and talented individuals that could accomplish great things, and they have,” Chi said. “They did not let me down as they did everything that we asked of them and overcame some setbacks and improved to win the League title and reached the semi-finals in the playoffs. This team had some grit. They were very tough mentally. Very proud of their persistent effort in every game.”
