Based on past history, it is Arcadia High School’s turn to win against neighboring Monrovia tonight.
The teams have traded victories the last four years and the Wildcats lead the current series 4-3. But it will be a tall order for the Apaches to keep pace with the historical back-and-forth nature of this rivalry when the 1-0 teams meet tonight at 7 at Arcadia.
The Wildcats have won at least 10 games in each of the last five seasons and are the top-ranked team in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division. The Apaches are on their third coach in as many years and, this time, Andrew Pollicky got a late start at Arcadia. They are unranked in the CIF-SS Southeast Division poll.
“Hopefully that holds true,” Pollicky said, with a laugh. “We’re excited for the opportunity to play them.”
Both teams won their season openers last Friday, Monrovia knocking off Ayala 21-13, and Arcadia defeating Alhambra 38-6.
“It’s a good rivalry,” Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said. “Arcadia is just down the street.”
The schools are only 2 miles apart and share some of the same youth programs. The Arcadia In-N-Out Burger stand is almost exactly the same distance between each school. If it’s not In-N-Out, players from both teams go to the same fast-food restaurants and stores, too. There is a familiarity in this game. Heck, the Apaches let Monrovia use Arcadia’s stadium for the 2010 CIF-SS championship game after CIF-SS officials deemed Monrovia’s visiting bleachers unacceptable, although they have been used for the last two CIF-SS title games.
Quarterback DeShawn Potts passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns and Kurt Scoby rushed for 140 yards in the Wildcats’ victory last week against Ayala.
But the Wildcats have lost running back Darione Jones for six weeks. Jones, who broke his collarbone in the victory, was already nursing an injured knee.
“That’s the silver lining,” Maddox said earlier this week. “He’s able to run and rehab the knee a little more and get that 100 percent while he’s waiting for his collarbone.
“He just landed wrong. It was nothing you don’t see everyday in a football game. He came down on his shoulder and it broke his collarbone. It looked normal.”
Monrovia defeated Arcadia 52-17 last season en route to their third consecutive CIF-SS Mid-Valley crown. The Wildcats also advanced to the CIF State playoffs for the first time. Arcadia lost all three of its preleague game, but still went to the CIF-SS Southeast Division playoffs, losing to La Mirada in the first round and finishing 4-7.
“We played a good first half of football, but we have to clean it up,” Monrovia’s Maddox said last week’s win. “We have to execute and focus on us so we can get better as a football team.”
Pollicky said the Apaches have to clean up their errors from last week, including only having 10 players on the field in special teams situations and illegal procedures.
“We have to play a clean game,” Pollicky said. “We cannot give away yards, be penalized and we have to win time possession and hold on to the football. We have to slow down that offense.”
The Apaches’ rolled on offense against Alhambra as quarterback Joey Harmon was making his first start in more than a year; the senior had to sit out all of last season because of an injury.
“Joey was a little rusty,” Pollicky said. “He was a little nervous and a little excited. He probably missed throws. He’ll tell you he can play a lot better.”
