AV Press Announces All-Valley Team

Lancaster, CA - Members from the AV Press announced the 2008 All-Valley Football team earlier this week. The following Spirits were named:

Brandon Buteyn, RB – Player of Year (overall)

Todd Davis, LB – Defensive Player of the Year (small school)

Kyle Steffes, K – Kicker of the Year

Branden Owen, OL – First Team Offense

Kyle Swanson, LB – First Team Defense

Jonny Torsney, DB – First Team Defense

Dante Donato, RB - Honorable Mention

Congrats guys!!!

Week 14 Stats

Follow the link to check out the stats from last weekend’s championship game against Rosemead.

• Week 14 Stats

2008 Championship Ring Orders

Representatives from Jostens will be on campus Tuesday, January 6, 2009 to take individual orders for your 2008 CIF SS Mid-Valley Division Championship ring. For those varsity players (including all players called up for playoffs) and staff members, a deposit of eighty dollars will be required on the 6th when you get fitted.

More info will be passed along as it becomes available.

Mid-Valley Division Final Bracket

The Paraclete Spirits are your

2008 CIF SS Mid-Valley Division Champions!!!!

• 2008 CIF SS Mid-Valley Division Final Bracket

Spirits catch Panthers out of habitat, win 21-10

Paraclete takes out Rosemead to capture Mid-Valley Division crown

Palmdale, CA – Before the game got started, the Rosemead Panthers tried to intimidate Paraclete as they entered the field last night. The Spirits refused to flinch, as they saved their rebuttal for the football field.

Paraclete’s offense set the tone early Saturday night, which carried over to the defense. And while the it was the defense who went on to shutdown a potent Rosemead attack, the Spirits special teams came in and mopped up the scene.

With the complete performance, Paraclete charged past the Panthers for the 21-10 win. The Spirits captured the 2008 CIF Southern Section Mid-Valley Division Championship, which was also good the schools seventh football title.

PHS got things rolling quickly, as they took the opening kickoff and charged down the field. Mixing up runs and quick passes, the team marched 80 yards on 10 plays before Dante Donato scored from eight yards out to put Paraclete up 7-0.

The Panthers balked on their opening series, as they were forced three-and-out. After punting the ball away, the Spirits setup shop on their own 25-yard line. But three plays later, Brandon Buteyn fumbled the ball. Rosemead’s Gilbert De La Rosa scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the house to knot things at 7-7.

The two teams traded series, until it appeared the Panthers found some momentum. But when they thought they had Paraclete on their heels, the Spirits dug in and stopped their drive. On fourth and long, Rosemead turned to kicker Bobby Maldonado for a 45-yard field goal. Though Maldonado’s kick had the distance, he hooked the try.

PHS came out on their fifth possession of the first half a bit slow. After the Panther’s defense was concentrating on Buteyn – every single down he was in – the Spirits mixed in the pass. Quarterback Robbie Thompson would hit Andrew DeLaRosa on a bubble pass to gain some more real estate. Though as Rosemead stretched their defense back out, Buteyn picked 22 yards on three consecutive plays. They would blend in a couple runs with another Thompson-DeLaRosa pass, before Thompson hit a wide-open Matt Cordova for a 28-yard score to make it 14-7.

The Panthers got the ball back before the first half ended. Quarterback Angel Alejandre would guide his troops down the field. With only seconds left, Alejandre yielded to Maldonado for another field goal try. With under ten seconds remaining, the senior hit the 32-yard attempt to put the score at 14-10.

Rosemead stumbled out of the gate to open the second half.  Kyle Swanson sacked Alejandre on their third play for a 9-yard loss, forcing the Panthers to punt.

With the Spirits facing third-and-long on their first drive, they looked to kicker Kyle Steffes. The junior’s 55-yard kick had the distance, but with the wind moving from right to left, he hooked the try.

The two teams traded more series, before Rosemead got things going with just under seven minutes remaining the third quarter. Running back Tra Sumler charged ahead, picking up 32 yards on four consecutive runs. However, after an incomplete pass and a personal foul, RHS was looking at third and extremely long. Alejandre tried to make up the distance when he hit Bobby Navarro for an 18-yard pass. Still short of a first down by seven yards, Rosemead decided to play it safe and punt the ball away. As Maldonado reared back to boot the ball off, sophomores Jonathan Tovar and Darian Thompson raced in and blocked the kick.

Paraclete took over possession on the Panthers 39-yard line and went to work. They charged down the field, as Buteyn, Donato, and Robbie Thompson tore off runs against a tired defense. Facing second-and-goal from the 10-yard line, Thompson tired to hit John Anson in the corner of the end zone.  But Sumler – playing most of the night at linebacker on defense – came up big, reaching out and intercepting the pass for a touchback.

After the turnover, Sumler paced the offense once again, as Rosemead handed the ball off to him seven straight times. After gaining three first downs behind the senior running back, the Panthers decided to air it out, but had little success. Looking at fourth-and-long, Maldonado punted the ball back to the Spirits on their own 8-yard line. On the receiving end of the punt was Buteyn, who caught the ball and raced down the sideline 92-yards for the touchdown to put the game away at 21-10.

The Panthers came back out, but were turned away after getting down to the Spirits 34-yard line.

Paraclete gave Rosemead another life, when they fumbled the ball back on their first play from scrimmage.

After finding little success again, the Spirits defense stopped the Panthers short. Looking to make it a one-possession game, Rosemead called on Maldonado for a third time to chip in a 40-yard field goal. But as the snap skipped back to the holder, junior Branden Owen broke through the line and blocked Maldonado’s late try.

Paraclete would get the ball back, only to take some time off the clock before punting the ball away.

The visitors came out for one more try, but time ran out on the Panthers.

The Spirits finished the night with 223 yards in total offense. Donato led all running backs with 54 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. Thompson threw for 100 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 8 of 13 passing. DeLaRosa led all receivers with 36 yards on three catches.

Rosemead’s forceful offense was held to a total of 266 yards. Sumler led the Panthers ground game, gaining 123 yards on 30 carries. Alejandre threw for 149 yards on 18 of 38 passing.  Alex Chang was Alejandre’s top target, as he hauled in  three grabs for 34 yards.

With their 11th straight and final win, the Olympic League and Mid-Valley Division titleholders finish the 2008 season with an 11-3 record.

Congratulations to the players and staff on a job well done.

GO CLETE!!!

Rosemead @ Paraclete

Experience Saturday night all over again, as the Paraclete Spirits took down Rosemead to capture the 2008 CIF Southern Section Mid-Valley Division Championship.

more about “Rosemead @ Paraclete“, posted with vodpod

Newsflash: Brown commits to Rebels

Lancaster, CA - Head coach Norm Dahlia has announced that Kenny Brown (Class of ’06) has just committed to UNLV.

Brown played two seasons on varsity for the Spirits, where he was a key contributor both years. The former Spirit helped lay the foundation for underclassmen, which helped paved the way for Paraclete’s return to greatness in football.

After high school, Brown played for College of the Canyons. He was a standout safety for the Cougars.

Congrats Kenny!

Spirits look to trap Panthers

The 2008 Olympic League Champions are at home this week, as they host the Rosemead Panthers in the final round of the 2008 CIF Southern Section Football Championships. The two teams are set to square off in the Mid-Valley Division title game this Saturday, December 13th. Pete Knight High School in Palmdale, CA will host the game, with kickoff set for 7:00pm.

Paraclete returns to the divisional championship game for the first time since 2001. The Spirits already have two titles in this decade, from the 2000 and 2001 seasons. What makes it even more impressive is that the two championship years in this decade were part of a five-title run from 1997 to 2001. While this is familiar territory for the school, this is the first time they’ve reached the finals under third year head coach Norm Dahlia.

The road to get to the finals has been long but fruitful for the Spirits. After starting the season off 0-3, the team really came together and started to gel. By week four, the squad starting hitting on all cylinders and hasn’t looked back. They finished out non-league competition in dominating fashion en route to a 3-3 record. Taking that momentum into Olympic League play, PHS handled the opposition with no real difficulties. The 2008 crew continued their unbeaten streak going 4-0 and captured the school’s 14th league title.

Paraclete entered the playoffs this season for the third straight year under coach Dahlia. With early exits hanging in the balance, both players and staff vowed to make this year different. In the opening round, they handled San Marino with ease, earning a big 42-14 win. The Spirits came back in the second round to face a much larger and balanced Northview team. In their best game to date, they shutdown a fierce Viking squad for a 14-0 win. Last week in the semifinals, the squad met a surging Temple City team. After getting off to a slow start on offense, the team quickly rallied around the defense. And before long, the Spirits got the spark they needed as they wore down the Rams in a thrilling 27-6 win.

As they turn to this week, Paraclete will have to continue to do the things that have made them so successful over the last 11 weeks. The stakes are absolutely at the highest point they’ve ever been, but the game itself remains the same.

Defensively, the team will continue to look to their front seven to wreck havoc on the opposition. Defensive end Branden Owen leads the Spirits quick and disruptive defensive line. With 96 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, and eight sacks, the junior captain will lead the young group that also features fellow juniors John Pratt and Justin Vargas, and sophomore Lavonte Barnett. Both Pratt and Vargas have worked well clogging up the middle and making it hard for opposing rushers. The junior tackles have combined for 142 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for a loss, and 8.5 sacks. They also share the team lead with three fumble recoveries apiece. After stepping into a new position (during week 3) at the other end, Barnett has progressively got better week after week. His combined speed and size has made him pretty hard to handle, as he leads all down linemen with six pass break-ups to go along with one interception, and eight tackles for a loss.

The Spirits get even tougher in the middle, with linebackers Kyle Swanson, Todd Davis, and Jonathan Tovar. Utilizing his speed, vision, and overall tenacity, Swanson’s 153 total tackles leads the team. Davis is right behind him with 148 tackles, but the junior leads the team with 13 sacks and 20 tackles for a loss. Tovar joined the varsity squad after an all-star regular season with the junior varsity team. Patrolling the weak side, the sophomore has made an immediate impact and has remained one of the team’s top tacklers over the last three weeks.

Senior Jonny Torsney pilots Paraclete’s fleet-footed secondary. In addition to leading the team with four interceptions, the captain also leads all defensive backs with 84 tackles. Kyland Warren, Cole Kaz, and Andrew DeLaRosa make up the rest of the Spirits downfield unit. Warren is right behind Torsney with 67 total tackles and three interceptions, but leads the team with seven pass break-ups. Working the sidelines, Kaz and DeLaRosa have been all over opposing receivers. Together, the foursome has pestered and stopped some formidable passing teams this year.

Offensively, the Spirits are led by a strong rushing attack. Running back Brandon Buteyn leads the team with 2059 yards and 17 touchdowns on 222 carries. The senior has 12 triple digit efforts and has eclipsed the 200-yard mark in three of those contests. Behind Buteyn is Paraclete’s “ground pounder,” Dante Donato. The senior has added 810 yards and seven touchdowns on 131 carries. Both make up a very potent backfield, especially when you add-in the likes of quarterback Robbie Thompson. Just shy of 200 yards, the senior ringleader’s numbers are really a misnomer.  Having returned two weeks ago from injury, Thompson has sparked the offense with his ability to break big runs.

Through the air, the team is averaging 87 yards a game. In Thompson’s absence, Gabe Martinez led the way going undefeated as a starter in five straight. During that span, the junior threw for 558 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions, while going 40 for 73 (55%) passing. Thompson is right behind him, as he’s thrown for 542 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions on 44 of 86 (51%) passing.

Paraclete’s receiving core of Swanson, Buteyn, DeLaRosa, and Matt Cordova are full of talent. Swanson leads the team with 385 yards and three touchdowns on 16 receptions. Cordova follows Swanson with 215 yards and two touchdowns on 17 catches. Buteyn has also has three touchdowns coming out of the backfield, while DeLaRosa is tied with Cordova for the team lead in receptions.

Rosemead returns to the CIF divisional title game for the first time in 26 years. It’s been quite the layoff since 1982, but Panthers head coach Matt Koffler has his team primed and ready to go for the challenge.

Overall, they’ve had a pretty steady season. In non-league competition, they opened the season with convincing back-to-back wins against Covina and Monrovia. Though, they went on to lose two of their next three games. In week 5, Rosemead opened up play in the Mission Valley League with a 3-2 record. From there, they rolled up five consecutive wins to take the league title.

Even after closing out the regular season a solid 8-2 overall, they failed to earn a top ranking heading into playoffs. Regardless, the Panthers seem to have taken the oversight personal, as they’ve made quite the statement in the postseason. In the opening round, they dominated Olympic League foe Valley Christian quickly, winning 45-14. During the second round, Rosemead literally hammered the Mid-Valley Division’s early favorite San Dimas, 59-22. Last week in the semifinals, they patched together another strong performance to beat Monrovia 16-6.

The Panthers offense starts and stops with running back Tra Sumler. The senior has had an all-star year, rushing for a Mid-Valley Division best 2315 yards and 31 touchdowns on 269 carries. Averaging 192 yards a game, Sumler has rushed for triple digits in 10 contests, while breaking the 200-yard barrier for the past four weeks.

Regardless of the fact that Rosemead prefers to run, you can’t overlook senior gunslinger Angel Alejandre. The Panthers quarterback has spearheaded quite a campaign of his own. Throughout the season, Alejandre has thrown for 2138 yards, 16 touchdowns, and three interceptions, while going 141 for 219 (64%) passing. He’s does a great job distributing the ball, as receivers Raul Lira, Bobby Navarro, Luis Diaz, Alex Chang, and Cesar Chavez all have over 300 yards. While the five have shared the wealth, Navarro has the most grabs (31). Diaz leads all receivers with five touchdowns, while Lira boasts an average of 30 yards per catch.

While the Panthers offense gets has got a lot of the praise this year, their defense is probably one of the most underrated bunches in the Mid-Valley Division. They’ve held their opponents to an average of 14.8 points per game. The strength of Rosemead’s defense comes from a strong linebacking crew in Gilbert De La Rosa, Joey Diaz, and Chavez. De La Rosa leads the team with 115 total tackles, while Diaz leads the bunch with 12 sacks. Chavez ranks fourth on the team in total tackles, but is tied for the teams lead in interceptions with two.

The secondary is made up Sumler, Navarro, Chang and Matthew Fregoso. Sumler’s 95 total tackles are second to De La Rosa, but he leads the team with 13 sacks. Chang is also tied for the teams lead in interceptions with two, while Fregoso leads the team with five fumble recoveries. Navarro ranks in the top half in total tackles and has collected a total of four turnovers.

• 12/11: Rosemead @ Paraclete
• 12/11: Week 14 Quick Roster

Week 13 Stats Recap

Follow the link to check out the stats from last week’s playoff game against Temple City.

• Week 13 Stats

Paraclete’s Dahlia is legally blonde

Head coach makes good on promises to players

If you’ve run into Spirits head coach Norm Dahlia in the last 24 hours, chances are you’ve noticed something rather different about him. You’re not crazy and you’re not having vision problems.

Not only has he ditched his signature bald head for a little duck fuzz (and a beard to boot), but he’s recently gone blonde.

First things first. No, he’s not looking to grow out his blonde locks in a coup attempt to takeover Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives from the colorful and hungry host, Guy Fieri.

Seriously, don’t worry Guy….you’re safe. Dahlia’s not coming for your job in the off-season.

Truth be told, coach Dahlia’s extreme “head” makeover comes compliments of his players.

Since the 2008 season started, the players made a motivational wager with coach. If the team lost, the players had to shave their legs. If they won, Dahlia had to grow his hair out.

Well, some 14 weeks later and on a 10 game winning streak, looks like the players won.

So where does the blonde come from you ask?

You can thank Branden Owen for that one. After the junior returned an interception for a touchdown against Desert High School in week 4, he returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against Whittier Christian in week 6. So Dahlia looked to keep the motivation flowing. So he challenged Owen by telling him if he got another defensive touchdown this season, the hair would go blonde.

Well….coach  you’re 0 for 2. But we all know that’s a stat you’re more than happy to live with.