Guards Able To Stay Grounded!

MEMORIAL FIELD —  The Guards needed this one. After last week’s loss to St. Genevieve High — which Bellarmine-Jefferson football Read more

Bell-Jeff Football Team Has A Tough League Road Ahead!

BURBANK - The Bellarmine-Jefferson High football team is off to a great start this season.

The Guards are 2-0 heading into Saturday’s 7 p.m. nonleague game against Malibu at Burroughs’ Memorial Field.

The team opened the season Sept. 4 with a 28-21 win at Saddleback Valley Christian. If followed that up with a 33-0 victory Friday at Mountain View.

Although the Guards still have four nonleague games left before they open Santa Fe League play, they might be thinking about the tough road that league will bring.

Currently, two teams are ranked among the top 10 in the CIF Southern Section Northeast Division. The Guards are the highest ranking league team at No. 4. However, league rival St. Genevieve is right behind at No. 5.

League teams St. Anthony and Salesian are listed among “others” in the division.

Bell-Jeff opens league play Oct. 17 at Memorial Field against none other than St. Genevieve. That game could likely be for the league crown.

The Guards are trying to build on a 2008 campaign when they went 8-4. The team finished second in league behind league-champion St. Genevieve.

Bell-Jeff also had success in the playoffs, winning its first postseason game in more than 50 years. The squad also advanced to the playoff quarterfinals.

Roger Wilson/The Leader

Football Preview

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

 

BELL-JEFF VS. ST. MONICA

• WHEN: Friday 7 p.m. 

• WHERE: Santa Monica College

• RECORDS: The Guards are 3-2; the Mariners are 0-5.

• LAST WEEK: Bell-Jeff had a bye; St. Monica lost to Villanova Prep, 17-14.

• OUTLOOK: The Guards get back into action after last playing Oct. 4, gaining a nonleague win against Lucerne Valley, 39-0. Saturday’s game is an important one, as Bell-Jeff begins defense of its Santa Fe League championship. With the departure of Daniel Murphy — the school closed down — St. Monica is a new addition to the league this season. The Mariners went 0-10 last year and were winless in the Camino Real League. St. Monica has a steady running back in senior Hector Santiesteban, who has 83 carries for 426 yards (5.13 yards a carry) and two touchdowns.

 

The Mariners like to keep the ball on the ground and the team is averaging just 10 passes a game. In 54 attempts, Mariners quarterbacks Joe Giesregen and Sam Holguin have completed 23 passes with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. The squad’s offense has had trouble putting points on the board this season, as it averages only 10.6 a contest. The Mariners’ record might be a little deceptive. Only one of their games was one-sided, and three of its losses have been by a combined 12 points. Bell-Jeff has played well its last two games after struggling earlier in the season. The Guards have won two straight games and three of its last four. In the shutout against Lucerne Valley, Bell-Jeff proved that it could be successful throwing as well as running the ball.

Senior running back Bronson Ketchum leads the ground game, gaining 414 yards in 71 carries (5.83 yards a carry) with two touchdowns. Senior Elliot Dennis has 34 carries for 198 yards and three touchdowns and senior quarterback Daniel Radoccia has 24 carries for 205 yards and a touchdown. Radoccia has also passed for six touchdowns. With both teams likely keeping the ball on the ground a great deal, this game could be won in the trenches.

• SOMETHING INTERESTING: Junior Alex Davidians has been a workhorse for the Guards, as he leads the team with 64 tackles.

— Jeff Tully

Guards run out of gas against Malibu!

FOOTBALL: Bell-Jeff unable to stop the run and the result is a 23-8 nonleague road loss.
By Kristopher Wynne - Burbank Leader Read more