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Roosevelt High School’s selection as the No. 1 seed was not just a show of respect for the Rough Riders, but the entire Eastern League, as well, according to coach Javier Cid.

The league champion Rough Riders, who host Grant (5-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday in a first-round game, take a record of 9-1 into the City Section Division II football playoffs.

Considering defending division champion Arleta (9-1), whose only loss is a forfeit, drew the No. 2 seed and El Camino Real (9-1), which lost only to Hart of the Southern Section, drawing the top seed was somewhat of a surprise to the Rider coach.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Cid said. “We were voted the toughest league in Division II. The people who voted felt that other than Arleta, the other teams in that (East Valley) league were not that strong. It came down to strength of schedule.”

Cid felt second-place Jordan drawing the No. 6 seed in Division I helped his cause. The feeling the league was as strong as it was also helped South East (4-6) get the No. 6 seed in Division II to earn a home game against Poly (8-2) in the first round.

Records of 9-1, 8-2, 6-4 and 6-4 over the past four years have not gone unnoticed by the seeding committee, in Cid’s view.

“We’re finally getting more respect,” he said.

If Roosevelt does get past Grant, Cid sees a tough road ahead for his team if it is to advance to the Dec. 11 title game at East L.A. College.

A first-round win pits them against the Fairfax-Bell winner in the quarterfinals. Hamilton (No. 4) and Franklin (No. 5) are other potential opponents in the upper bracket.

“I think this is a tougher road for us this year,” he said. “Any of the top teams can win this. Arleta, El Camino Real, Hamilton and Reseda are all good teams.”

For the Riders to move on, they’ll need to do well what they’ve done all year.

“We’ll have to continue to run the ball and pass when we need to,” Cid said. “We’ll have to keep relying on our defense. They’ve been keeping us in games.”

The team’s best player, Manny Ayon, is ready to go after sitting out the final regular-season game with a bad ankle. Cid said he could have gone last week, but wasn’t needed in a 20-6 victory over South East.

The running attack, which has flourished most of the season, is led by tailback Jesse Lira, who has rushed for 1,016 yards and 15 touchdowns, and fullback Elgin Rosales, who run for 693 yards and three scores. Rosales ran for 106 yards and a TD (45-yarder) and Lira had 104 yards and a TD against South East.

Sifuentes, who Cid called the player of the game, was 7-of-9 for 69 yards passing and carried 12 times for 81 yards and a TD last week.

Their first-round opponent, Grant, finished third in the East Valley League behind Arleta and Poly.

“They run the spread offense and are in the shotgun a lot,” Cid said. “They’re pretty balanced and have some good athletes. Defensively, they run a 3-3, which we haven’t seen yet, so that’s a bit of a concern.”

An injury kept Roosevelt High School’s Manny Ayon on the bench for all but one play in the first half of last Friday’s game with archrival Garfield. It didn’t take long however for the Rough Riders’ quarterback-wide receiver to make his presence felt once he entered the game in the second half.

Despite playing with a sprained ankle, Ayon came in to play quarterback and raced 42 yards on his first carry to spark the Rough Riders’ on a 61-yard scoring drive that he capped with a six-yard touchdown run.

Ayon’s score enabled the Rough Riders to overcome a 9-7 halftime deficit and go on to defeat Garfield, 28-16, in the 75th East Los Angeles Classic before an estimated 20,000 spectators at East L.A. College.

“He’s a gamer and the time had come to take the reins off of him,” Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid said. “We purposely held him out and waited until the right moment to put him in, hoping that he would give us a lift. We knew he would get the job done.”

On a night when Roosevelt attempted only four passes and gained 322 rushing yards, Ayon rushed for a game-high 115 yards on 15 carries.

“I knew I wasn’t going to get much playing time because of my injury,” said Ayon after the game. “I got my chance and did what was possible to keep us going.”

Ayon also made the most of his one play in the first half, throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Brandon Sifuentes. The score staked Roosevelt to an early 7-0 lead.

“That was the first time we scored on our first possession this season,” Cid said. “We’re usually a slow-starting team, so I thought that was kind of special.”

Although cautious in using his versatile senior standout, Cid said he hoped the game would be close when he turned to Ayon.

“We probably would have put him in the game sooner if the score would have gotten out of hand,” Cid said.

Fullback Elgin Rosales also had a big night for the Rough Riders, rushing 114 yards on 13 carries, including a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory. Sifuentes had 40 yards on eight carries. Tailback Jesse Lira was limited to 37 yards on 10 attempts, but scored on a one-yard TD run in the final period.

They ran behind tackles Ramon Barraza and Angel Barrera, guards Chris Moreno and Ricardo Alfaro and center Zach Rivera on the offensive line.

“I thought we would have to throw the ball tonight, but we were running it pretty effectively so we stayed with it,” Cid said.

With the victory, Roosevelt clinched at least a tie for its second consecutive Eastern League title by raising its league record to 5-0. The Rough Riders (8-1 overall) can win the title outright by defeating South East (4-5, 3-2) Friday night in South Gate. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Garfield fell to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in league. The Bulldogs play South Gate (2-7, 0-5) Friday night at home.

A two-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Lopez and a 37-yard field goal by Marco Arce gave Garfield a 9-7 halftime lead.

But turnovers and penalties have plagued the Bulldogs for most of the season and last Friday was no different. They lost three of four fumbles and had a pass intercepted.

Garfield put together an impressive second quarter drive that started at its 26-yard line only to lose a fumble at the Roosevelt two. Roosevelt’s Jonathan Mariscal caused the fumble that was recovered by Richard Martinez.

Fullback Bobby Vargas led the Bulldogs’ drive with runs of 18, 19 and 13 yards.

Garfield re-took the lead, 16-14, in the third quarter, scoring on quarterback Leonardo Vaal’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Willie Fonseca.

But Ayon responded with a scoring drive of 12, 18 and 10 yard runs, capped off with a short scoring run by Lira.

Roosevelt’s Willie Linares recovered a fumble at the Garfield 18 and Roosevelt took advantage with Rosales scoring on his 23-yard run with 10:56 remaining in the game.

The Bulldogs tried to rally back, but lost the ball on downs at the Rough Riders’ 22 with 8:53 left and Roosevelt put together a time-consuming drive.

Martinez’s interception with 25 seconds left sealed the victory.

“We made the same mistakes we’ve made all season and Roosevelt did everything they needed to do to win the game,” Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “They controlled the ball and made our defense work. That hasn’t been done to our defense in a long time, so you have to give credit to where credit is due. Coach Cid and his staff did a great job.”

Roosevelt now leads the series, 40-29-6.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Nov 11, 2009 at 5:06 PM PST

From the standpoint of the coaches, the playoff consequences always took precedence over the hoopla and fanfare associated with the East Los Angeles Classic.

Roosevelt High School football coach Javier Cid, whose Rough Riders were trying to win the Eastern League title, couldn’t afford to look at it any other way.

His team was able to follow his lead by defeating Garfield, 28-16 last Friday before another packed house at East L.A. College.

The win clinched the title for Roosevelt (8-1, 5-0), which closes the regular season Friday at South East (4-5, 3-2). Garfield (4-5, 2-3) hosts South Gate (2-7, 0-5) Friday.

It took a big performance by Manny Ayon to help the Rough Riders turn a 9-7 halftime deficit into the 12-point victory they would ultimately get.

Because of a sprained ankle, Ayon was on the field for only one snap in the first half.

But the converted wide receiver who shares quarterback duties with Brandon Sifuentes, came off the sidelines after intermission to carry 15 times for 131 yards and a touchdown.

His 42-yard run on his first play was the start to a 61-yard drive that resulted in a Rough Rider TD.

“He’s a gamer and the time had come to take the reins off of him,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “We purposely held him out and waited until the right moment to put him in, hoping that he would give us a lift. We knew he would get the job done.”

Ayon said he wasn’t expecting to see a lot of duty because of the injury.

“I got my chance and did what was possible to keep us going,” he said.

Elgin Rosales carried 13 times for 114 yards and a TD and Jesse Lira added 10 carries for 37 yards and a score as the Riders rushed for 322 yards. Ayon and Sifuentes combined to throw only four times for 10 yards, although Sifuentes was on the receiving end of a scoring pass from Ayon that gave Roosevelt the early lead.

“That was the first time we scored on our first possession this season,” Cid said. “We’re usually a slow-starting team, so I thought that was kind of special.”

Garfield took its last lead on a 32-yard scoring pass from Leonardo Vaal to William Fonseca with 5:01 left in the third period.

On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Lira’s one-yard run gave Roosevelt the lead for good.

The Riders added an insurance touchdown on an 18-yard run by Rosales, which was set up when William Linares recovered a Vaal fumble deep in Bulldog territory.

Vaal was 7-of-13 for 127 yards and a TD and Jonathan Lopez carried 11 times for 50 yards and a score for the Bulldogs. Danny Vargas led them in rushing with 78 yards on six carries.

Bobby Vargas had three catches for 49 yards.

Defensively for Garfield, Hector Cazales had 11 solo tackles, four assists and a sack. Levi Peralta had seven solos and three assists.

“We made the same mistakes we’ve made all season and Roosevelt did everything they needed to do to win the game,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “They controlled the ball and made our defense work. That hasn’t been done to our defense in a long time, so you have to give credit where credit is due. Coach Cid and his staff did a great job.”

By Mario Villegas, Exclusive to EGP

One of the most storied high school football rivalries will reach a milestone Friday night when Garfield and Roosevelt meet for the 75th time in the East Los Angeles Classic before another expected crowd of more than 20,000 at East L.A. College.

Kickoff is at 7:30 and follows the frosh-soph game at 4 p.m.

There is much at stake in this year’s anniversary meetings besides neighborhood bragging rights.

Roosevelt is having a memorable season and with a victory against Garfield can clinch a tie for the Eastern League championship. The Rough Riders are 6-1 overall and 4-0 in league.

Roosevelt is led by quarterback-wide receiver Manny Ayon, quarterback Brandon Sifuentes, running backs Jesse Lira and Elgin Rosales, linebackers Ronny Lazo and Steven German and defensive back Jonathan Mariscal.

Garfield has struggled to a 4-4 record. The Bulldogs, however, have played well recently and have won consecutive games to improve to 2-2 in league.

The cliché “throw out the records” is heard most often when it comes to matchups between rivals and Garfield-Roosevelt is no exception.

“Roosevelt-Garfield is the most unpredictable game of the year,” insists Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid. “Garfield is much better than their record. I’ve been watching a lot of film on them and they have a great team. I would be a big fan of theirs, if I wasn’t coaching at Roosevelt.”

But the Bulldogs have been plagued by turnovers and penalties mostly in the red zone and the miscues were very evident in close losses to Paso Robles (8-7) Jordan (7-0) and Bell (13-7).

“We’ve got a young team and our inexperience has hurt us,” Garfield Coach Lorenzo said. “We do a get job moving the ball, but then we get into the red zone and it’s one mistake after another.”

Garfield is led by running backs Jonathan Lopez and Danny Vargas, quarterback Leonardo Vaal, wide receiver-defensive back Bobby Vargas and linebackers Hector Cazales and Moises Saucedo.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ? CBS As mentioned earlier here in the HS blog, we did our HS Preview Show from East LA College. Wednesday, they held the press conference for the 75th edition of the East LA Classic.

We had a great time out there. I learned this rivalry isn't bitter like some others we are accustomed to.

Instead, its more about uniting the community and everyone coming together and enjoying the experience.

Its the homecoming game for both schools each year and the turnout is tremendous.

Of course, each team wants to win but Garfield principal Michael Summe summed it up best when he said: its like playing against your brother, of course you try your hardest to beat him but at the end of the day, its still your brother and you love him dearly.

It should be an exciting game come Friday. To view the show, click here.

The East L.A. rivalry brings together Chris Moreno and Jose Victoria, who are inseparable, except for Friday night.

By Bill Plaschke

They sit next to each other at the kitchen table like oversized stuffed animals propped up on a bedroom shelf.

They are grown young men, but with the eyes of children.

They are natural enemies, but with the hearts of brothers.

"You're stronger," Jose Victoria says.

"You're faster," Chris Moreno says.

They grew up together in this East L.A. neighborhood, in the shadow of a freeway, bars on their windows but freedom in their friendship.

They were in grade school together, Boy Scouts together, youth sports together, separated only by six cluttered blocks that they would happily skip to share a tamale dinner or Madden marathon.

Victoria is tall and thick with a smooth boyish face, Moreno is shorter and rounder with a beard, but they act like twins.

"We were always the two biggest kids," Victoria says.

"So we just sort of stuck together," Moreno says.

Meeting for this interview at Victoria's house this week, they laugh at each other's jokes, finish each other's sentences, pat each other on the back in the firm but gentle way of those who are connected.

'My best friend," Victoria says.

"Yeah, best friends," Moreno says.

All of which shades this most vibrant of Friday nights in a deep streak of vicious.

For the 75th time in this city's greatest sports rivalry, soul mates like Jose Victoria and Chris Moreno will be asked to tear each other's heart out.

Victoria is a senior defensive lineman for Garfield High. Moreno is a senior offensive lineman for Roosevelt High.

At East Los Angeles College tonight, their teams will meet in that street-splitting battle for neighborhood ownership known as the East L.A. Classic.

Victoria will rush the quarterback. Moreno will line up directly across from his buddy and try to stop him.

After spending 18 short years living shoulder to shoulder, they will spend two long hours fighting helmet to helmet, taking their place in a battle that started long before they were born, trying to forge a memory that will last the rest of their lives.

Their words say it won't be hard. Their voices say it will be nearly impossible.

"You know, when the game starts, the friendship thing goes away," Victoria says.

"Oh yeah, sure," Moreno says.

"But I mean, if I knock you down, I'll pick you back up," Victoria says.

"Oh yeah, same here," Moreno says.

It's easy for the fans, as many as 25,000 packing the 20,000-seat stadium, cheering and booing everything from their rivals' quarterbacks to their tuba players, emotions flying far from the fray.

It's harder for the players, who can't just duel with their mouths, who actually need to block the buddy who once loaned him lunch money, or tackle the pal who once saved him from a bully.

"This is not like a match between two rival teams in some English soccer league," says Javier Cid, the Roosevelt coach. "This is like a match between the Williams sisters, this is a game of family."

The schools, while separated by about six miles, are part of the same long block that spans generations of neighbors torn in their allegiances.

This isn't like USC- UCLA, where some of the competitors simply grew up near each other.

Victoria and Moreno grew up with each other. Just look at their clothes.

"I remember wearing a T-shirt once that really felt tight on me, and I was like, hmmm," Moreno says.

"Yeah, it was a shirt you borrowed from me one night when you slept over," Victoria says.

This isn't like the Dodgers and Angels, who might be seeing each other for the first time in a year.

Victoria and Moreno talk at least three times a week, hang out on weekends, and share the most personal memories.

"Remember that time I beat you in a McDonald's eating contest?" Victoria says.

"Yeah, I quit because you were disgusting," Moreno says.

Because of position changes and injuries, they have lined up across from each other for only one play in their careers, last season during an extra-point attempt.

However, playing on opposing youth league teams in eighth grade, Moreno hit Victoria so hard, he gave him a concussion.

"Man, that hurt," Victoria says.

"I felt bad for a long time," Moreno says.

Tonight they cannot afford to feel bad. Not with both players considered team leaders and important cogs. Not with all eyes watching them.

"My friends are all saying, 'Ohhh, you're going against your homeboy, how you gonna handle it?' " Victoria says.

"I hear the same thing and I'm like, 'Hey, I'll be cool,' " Moreno says.

For two kids who never asked for any of this, it will never be any hotter.

They met in second grade at Our Lady Of Guadalupe School, the two biggest kids in a class photo saved by Victoria's mother, and soon became inseparable.

They would play basketball on a goal in Victoria's backyard, run errands for candy money at a local market, and even act together on a local drama club stage.

"Remember those Shakespeare plays we were in?" Victoria says.

"Yeah, like the one where I had to play a girl," Moreno says.

"Almost as bad as the one where we had to sing," Victoria says.

They triumphantly helped keep each other out of gangs. But in eighth grade, they also combined to send a nasty e-mail to a teacher that resulted in them leaving school six months before graduation.

"They did good things together and dumb things together," says Chris' father, Carlos, who is Roosevelt's equipment manager.

They ended up at separate schools when Chris Moreno, whose parents are divorced, moved to the Roosevelt school district to live part-time with his father.

"When I heard it, I was like, 'Oh, man,' " Victoria says.

"Yeah, it was weird," Moreno says.

But even at separate schools, they remained close, through family deaths and weekend parties and now this, the annual ultimate test of the tight East L.A. bonds.

They will surely be friends for the rest of their lives. How can they so quickly turn on each other tonight?

"I have to try not to focus on him," Victoria says.

"I can't even think about it," Moreno says.

"It might just pump us up to be across from each other," Victoria says.

"Yeah, pump us up," Moreno says.

The East L.A. Classic

There are times when you really want to throw out the records in this rivalry.

Roosevelt and Garfield have been playing since 1925, and in all those years neither team has won a title in the City Section's top division.

Yet their annual football game typically draws the biggest crowd for a high school event in Southern California, with a handful of the games being played at the Coliseum.

The game is homecoming for both schools, and the participants have a lot in common.

"If you look at the kids from both schools, they're identical," Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid said. "Same type of ethnic background and socio-economics."

Many players on opposing sidelines have been friends since attending Stevenson Middle School. Those who live east of Indiana Street matriculate to Garfield in East L.A.; those west of the dividing line go to Roosevelt in Boyle Heights.

The split remains in effect even after graduation. Couples who have inter-married from the schools often don't sit with one another during the game.

A victory in the East L.A. Classic means a successful season. In 1990, Roosevelt was winless and Garfield undefeated when the Roughriders pulled off a 7-0 upset.

"That made everyone's year," recalled Cid, whose team leads the series, 39-29-6.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Nov 4, 2009 at 5:10 PM PST

Garfield High School’s Bobby Vargas and Roosevelt’s Brandon Sifuentes epitomize the friendly nature and the natural links that mark the East Los Angeles Classic.

They’ve been friends for years and were teammates at the age of eight as members of the Pop Warner East L.A. Bobcats. Sifuentes was a running back, Vargas a receiver.

Set for the 75th edition of this neighborhood showdown Friday at East L.A. College, this link is only natural.

Husbands and wives who attended opposing schools are on opposite sides of the field for this game. It’s common for current players to have had fathers, uncles and brothers play in previous Classics.

This is the case for Vargas, a wide receiver and defensive back for the Bulldogs, and Sifuentes, who shares quarterback duties with Manny Ayon for the Rough Riders.

“For 48 minutes, we’ll be rivals, then it’s back to the friendship,” Sifuentes said.

Vargas, who leads Garfield in receiving with 11 catches for 194 yards and in interceptions with three, has quite a lineage when it comes to the Classic. His father, Ray, an assistant for Garfield, played in it, as did two older and one younger brother.

“My dad takes it very seriously,” Vargas said. “He tells me, this game is it, so do everything possible to win.”

Sifuentes, who has passed for 520 yards this year, said both parents are Roosevelt graduates, although his father only played “B” level football.

“He tells me he is living his dreams through me,” Sifuentes said.

So what is it like for a high school player to be in the unique situation of performing in front of 23,000 fans, as they will Friday?

Being four-year veterans of this game, they certainly can offer perspective.

“The first time, it’s pretty overwhelming because of all that noise,” Vargas said. “I try to tell the younger players to tune out the crowd and just play the game.”

“It’s an amazing feeling to come out in front of 20,000 fans,” Sifuentes said.

Roosevelt coach Javier Cid characterized this game as like a fight between two brothers.

The players see it in much the same way.

“It means everything — honor, tradition, courage and friendship,” Vargas said.

“It’s a friendly rivalry,” Sifuentes adds. “There’s the tradition, the respect and the community coming together.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Nov 4, 2009 at 5:02 PM PST

It’s understandable all the existing excitement and hype surrounding a football rivalry now in its 75th year, that has “classic” in its title and annually draws 23,000 fans.

But from the standpoint of the coaches — Roosevelt High School’s Javier Cid and Garfield’s Lorenzo Hernandez — the East L.A. Classic is just a football game once the two teams tee it up, as they will do at 7:30 p.m. Friday at East L.A. College.

“As a coach, I can’t get caught up in the hoopla,” Cid said. “I can’t look at it as we are in the ‘Classic.’ We’re playing Garfield. It’s my nature to think that way. All the festivities leading up to the game are great, but I’ve got to look at it like it’s just a football game.”

Cid, who played for Roosevelt in the 1982 and 1983 Classics and is in his fourth year as head coach of the Rough Riders, said that way of focusing comes from his old high school coach, Bob Drake.

“He taught us to just focus on the jobs in front of us,” he said.

To Hernandez, coaching in his eighth Roosevelt-Garfield game, “That it’s the Classic is an added incentive. As a coach, I have to look at it as how it helps us in the league standings and the playoff situation. We prepare the same way for this game as we do any game. We don’t try to break our routine.”

Cid feels a lot of life lessons are learned playing in this sort of environment.

“I had a great experience playing in this game,” the Rider coach said. “What I took from it was playing in front of such a big crowd, you get the feeling, maybe I can go on and play college football, which I did (at University of Pacific).

“This lets a player know they can go out and do bigger and better things. What they take from this game is work ethic, teamwork and sportsmanship. Also we want them to be proud of the community they come from.”

This year’s matchup pits Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0), which leads the Eastern League with two games left, and Garfield (4-4, 2-2), which is battling for a playoff spot.

Don’t think the difference in their records necessarily means a one-sided result.

“This is one of the toughest game to predict because it has had its upsets (in the past),” Cid said. “Garfield is not the same team that started the season. They’re jelling at the right time and that’s what concerns me.”

Both run-oriented teams have made midseason changes at quarterback that have proved beneficial.

The Rough Riders moved receiver Manny Ayon back there and the senior has completed 17 of 28 passes for 223 yards and rushed for 390 yards and seven touchdowns while sharing time with Brandon Sifuentes.

“I think they did the right thing when they put him at quarterback because he is their best athlete,” Hernandez said. “He and (junior tailback) Jesse Lira are their two best athletes on offense and No. 7 (junior cornerback Jonathan Mariscal) is their best athlete on defense.”

The main offensive weapon for Roosevelt is Lira, who has carried 120 times for 875 yards and 13 TDs. Fullback Elgin Rosales has 473 yards rushing and leads the team in receptions with 15 for 193 yards.

Mariscal, the leader of the defense, has four interceptions.

For Garfield, tailback Jonathan Lopez carries much of the load, having run for 856 yards and six TDs on 132 carries. Julio Silva has run for 418 yards on 71 attempts.

Junior Leonardo Vaal, installed as the quarterback four games ago, is 21-of-39 for 298 yards and a TD.

Bobby Vargas is the leading receiver with 11 for 194 yards and two scores. He also leads the team with three interceptions.

“I foresee this as a very good defensive battle,” Hernandez said. “Our strong point is defense, theirs is offense.”

“I think it’s going to be a defensive struggle,” Cid said. “Garfield is averaging about seven points per game on defense and we’re averaging eight or nine. So it’s going to be important for us to score points and to hold them.”

I spoke to Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez, Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid and a couple of players to get a feel for what it's like to participate in a game expected to attract 25,000.

Here's their thoughts via video. And remember, we'll be blogging Friday night at latimes.com/preps.

-- Eric Sondheimer

In other league games, Roosevelt routed South Gate, 41-6 and Garfield blanked South East, 18-0.

Jesse Lira ran for three TDs, Elgin Rosales rushed for 82 yards and Hector Ortega had 99 yards as Roosevelt gained 402 yards as a team against the Rams (2-6, 0-4).

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Oct 28, 2009 at 12:48 PM PST

Based on win-loss records, this had all the makings of a down-to-the-wire game.

But Roosevelt High School turned this matchup of 5-1 teams into a mismatch by steamrolling Bell, 27-0 last Friday in an Eastern League football game.

Roosevelt improved to 3-0 in league and dropped the Eagles to 2-2 against league competition.

Most of the domination was up front where the Rough Riders controlled both lines of scrimmage. They amassed 249 yards rushing, another 90 passing and held an 18-6 edge in first downs. Bell was limited to 100 yards of total offense, including 16 net yards rushing. The Rider defense sacked Bell quarterback Adrian Lopez six times for 39 yards in losses.

“Our inside front guys controlled both lines,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said.

As for all the sacks, he said, “That’s big for us. We worked a lot on that in practice.”

The line’s control up front was also evident in the length of the scoring drives.

The Rough Riders went 95 yards for their first score, a one-yard run by quarterback Manny Ayon (10 carries for 111 yards, two touchdowns), and 82 yards for their second, a 13-yard run by tailback Jesse Lira (nine carries for 81 yards).

In the second half, they added touchdowns on a 14-yard pass from Ayon to fullback Elgin Rosales and a 38-yard run by Ayon, the converted wide receiver.

Bell actually got off to a good start by driving all the way to the Roosevelt five on its first possession before the Rider defense stiffened and held on downs.

The Eagles would not threaten again, largely due to the likes of Ronnie Lazo, Ricardo Marroquin and Alex Herrera putting all that pressure on Lopez (9-of-13 for 84 yards) and shutting down the Eagle ground attack. Jose Barba rushed for a team-high 36 yards for Bell, virtually none of it after the opening drive.

“I thought the defense was great for us,” Cid said.

Offensively, the philosophy is two heads are better than one. The splitting of quarterback duties between Ayon and Brandon Sifuentes, who was 4-of-5 for 60 yards against Bell, is growing on Cid week by week.

“I like the one-two punch at quarterback,” the coach said. “They both work hard in practice and both do a good job in games. They give us options and teams have to prepare for both.”

Roosevelt hosts South Gate (2-5, 0-3) at 7 p.m. Friday. The Rams are coming off a 24-21 loss to Huntington Park.

Emmanuel Leyva, who was 9-of-25 for 225 yards and two TDs and ran for a score, and Mario Avalos, who caught five passes for 159 yards and a TD, are players to watch for South Gate. So is running back Chris Bucknor, who scored a TD against the Spartans.

“They’re a young team and much improved,” Cid said.

Roosevelt, on the other hand, was trying to improve to 5-1 behind their punishing rush attack on Teacher Appreciation Night.

Roosevelt High teachers stand with players as they await to enter the stadium on Teacher Appreciation Night.

Lineman Oscar Fuentes enters with Ms. Mellisa Guangorena.

Ms. Letty Rodriguez shows her support for running back Elgin Rosales as the two are announced.

The Roosevelt dancers and band wait to enter the playing field prior to the game.

The Jordan Bulldog skill players warm up while coach Elijah Asante looks on.

Star athlete Deshawn Beck gets his arm loose during Jordan's warm ups.

The Roosevelt High School bands plays the national anthem while the United States and California flags are presented.

Defensive coordinator Frank Lewis goes over some final adjustments with the Jordan defensive backs before the start of the game.

Roosevelt's Jesse Lira sprints around right end for seven of his 104 rushing yards on the night. He scored his first touchdown of the night three plays later.

Jordan lined up in a number of offensive formations, including this unconventional one without a quarterback.

Roosevelt first down.

The Rough Riders lead 7-0 as the second quarter begins.

A holding call and a single piece of yellow cloth negates a 58-yard Deshawn Beck touchdown run. Jonathan Mariscal intercepted Beck on the next play and returned the ball to the Jordan 7-yard line.

Two plays after Mariscal's interception, Lira dances into the endzone for his second touchdown giving the Rough Riders a 14-0 lead.

Offensive lineman Fuentes (#64), Chris Moreno (#55), and Ricardo Alfaro (#74) take a breather after Lira's touchdown.

Beck is tackled by Enrique Barragan and an unidentified Roosevelt defender after a double reverse pass resulted in a first down.

Jordan lines up at the goal line where Jackyle Cooper would rush it in to cut into Roosevelt's lead. The extra point was blocked, however, making it 14-6.

With less than 30 seconds remaining in the half, Devante Smith hauls in a 45-yard tochdown pass from Beck to trim the lead to 14-12. The Bulldogs again fail on the conversion attempt leaving them with a two-point deficit.

Roosevelt defensive coordinator Ricardo Zepeda is in the face of Barragan after a blown coverage left Smith open on the touchdown catch.

Sitting in a Roosevelt High classroom, Beck and teammates look on as coaches give instruction during halftime.

Asante goes over Jordan's individual team mottos: Special Teams - "We stay ready," Defense - "We'll be there," Offense - "Count on us."

Roosevelt bursts through the banner and back on to the field for the second half.

Late in the third quarter, lineman Ramon Barraza (#51) and teammates look on as offensive coordinator Phillip Moreno implores his team to get a push up front.

As was the case for the majority of the second half, the Jordan defense swarmed around Lira bottling him up in the backfield.

When they weren't gang tackling Lira, the Jordan defense was upending Manny Ayon (#2).

Late in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs got the ball back trailing 14-12 with hopes to drive down the field for the game-winning score.

Asante put the ball in the hands of his star, Beck, who led the Jordan down to the 21-yard line with just over a minute remaining.

Back-to-back sacks left a decisive 4th-and-20. And though receiver Robert McCovery made a valiant effort cutting in front of a defender on an underthrown pass, the ball was knocked loose and Asante was left to console his players as they came to the sideline.

Final: Roosevelt 14 - Jordan 12

Beck's jersey shows the wear and, literal, tear of four quarters as he and his teammates listens to the Asante's post-game speech.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Oct 14, 2009 at 12:34 PM PDT

The blueprint for success against Jordan High School has been well-established.

Taking the air out of the football, at least when it comes to fellow Eastern League schools, is the best way to slow down the Bulldogs.

Following the lead of neighborhood rival Garfield, Roosevelt did just that to record a 14-12 victory over visiting Jordan last Friday. It was the second year in a row, the Rough Riders upset the Bulldogs by following that philosophy.

Despite not throwing a single pass, the Rough Riders (5-1, 2-0) maintained their share of first place with Bell (5-0, 2-0) by keeping Jordan’s explosive athletes in check.

Although Garfield (2-4, 0-2) did not win at Jordan a week earlier, the 7-0 loss did show what Roosevelt needed to do to at least stay in the contest.

Not that coach Javier Cid needed any convincing. A year ago, he had All-City quarterback Jesse Diaz throw only one pass in the Riders’ upset victory.

This time, he learned heavily on tailback Jesse Lira, who carried 30 times for 106 yards and scored both touchdowns on runs of 13 and three yards.

In both cases, the scores were on short drives of 42 and seven yards. A failed squib kick led to the first TD and Jonathan Mariscal’s 32-yard interception return to the Jordan seven set up the second.

Leading 14-12 at the half, the rest was up to the defense, which did an excellent job of bottling up Deshawn Beck, who was 9 of 18 for 121 yards and a touchdown passing and rushed for 82 yards on 18 carries, but produced few big plays.

“To hold those guys to two touchdowns is unbelievable,” Cid said. “Our defense played their hearts out. We wanted to take time off the clock one play at a time. To the kids, I used the analogy of chopping down a tree one chop at a time.”

Roosevelt defensive coordinator Richard Zepeda said, “It all came down to blocking and tackling and the kids trusting their assignments. We might not have their speed, but we do have good athletes.”

Mariscal is the exception when it comes to speed. In addition to his pick, the junior cornerback batted away a fourth-down pass inside the Rider 10 to seal the win.

“He’s the only guy we have who can match them speed-wise,” Cid said.

Junior defensive lineman Ricardo Marroquin and linebacker Ronnie Lazo, who blocked a point-after kick following a one-yard scoring run by quarterback Jackyle Cooper, also came in for praise.

Special teams rose up on another occasion.

Following Beck’s 44-yard scoring pass to Devante Smith with 24 seconds left in the first half, the Riders stuffed a two-point conversion run that would have tied the score.

“I tip my cap to them, they made the plays and we turned the ball over twice,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “You have to give credit to their defense. They put pressure on us. We didn’t just turn the ball over for no reason.”

Roosevelt has a bye this week prior to an Oct. 23 showdown with Bell. Jordan (2-4, 1-1) is at South Gate in the Eastern League play Friday.

“Bell is going to be a big game because they want us bad,” Cid said.

“We’re a young team, but we are improving,” Asante said. “We’re going to be ready.”

Manny Ayon made the switch from wide receiver to quarterback more out of necessity than anything last Friday.

He made the most of it.

Moved to the spot after starter Brandon Sifuentes was declared out with a concussion suffered the week before against Whittier, Ayon rushed for four touchdowns and passed for another as Roosevelt High School raced past Huntington Park, 35-7 in an Eastern League football opener.

The win enables the Rough Riders (4-1 overall) to take a 1-0 league record into Friday’s home game with Jordan (2-3, 1-0), a 7-0 winner over Garfield last Friday.

Ayon, who rushed for 147 yards on 11 carries and completed six of seven passes for 77 yards, scored on runs of 58, 15 and 11 yards during a second quarter in which the Riders were building a 21-0 lead.

After Huntington Park (2-3) scored on its first possession of the second half, Roosevelt struck again as Ayon raced 31 yards for his fourth TD of the night, then passed 20 yards to Elgin Rosales to complete the scoring.

“Manny really carried the load,” Rider coach Javier Cid said. “He became our next logical choice at quarterback because he has been the backup. We kind of went to a wildcat offense with him in there.”

Ayon, an All-City wide receiver in previous years, overcame two early fumbles before triggering an explosive offense.

Rosales, the fullback, came in for special praise from Cid.

In addition to his 39 yards on three receptions and 63 yards on six carries, Rosales was cited for his all-around game.

“He did a great job of blocking,” the coach said. “He’s one of the keys in our offense because we need him to run, block and catch.”

Tailback Jesse Lira added 93 yards on 12 carries.

Defensively, end Ronnie Lazo was the team’s MVP, according to Cid.

“He was our main force on defense,” he said. “He did a terrific job of taking on two blockers and allowing others to make tackles.”

Armando Perez had an interception, Alex Herrera recovered a fumble and inside linebacker Ricardo Marroquin had two sacks.

Roosevelt now takes on Jordan, which it upset a year ago.

Cid realizes it won’t be easy knocking off the Bulldogs in back-to-back seasons.

First, they’ll need to find a way to corral Jordan’s speedy skill players, one in particular.

“It’s going to take a huge effort on our part to compete with these guys,” he said. “(Deshawn) Beck is a hard guy to lasso. We’re going to try and duplicate Garfield’s game plan and pound them as much as we can. We did it last year.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 30, 2009 at 2:11 PM PDT

Taking better care of the football will be priority number one for Roosevelt High School in Friday’s Eastern League opener at Huntington Park.

The Rough Riders (2-2) didn’t take such good care of it last Friday and lost to Whittier, 28-21.

Five of their 10 posssessions resulted in turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles). Four of the six possessions in the second half ended with turnvovers and the Cardinals converted two into touchdowns.

“We just have to protect the ball better,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “You can’t turn it over like that. You do and it will hurt you in the Eastern League.

“Against Whittier, we put our defense on the field way too many times.”

In Huntington Park (2-2), the Riders are facing a tough-minded opponent that relies heavily on the run. Jorge Rios, a 6-foot, 210-pound senior, is the focal point of the offense.

“This is a very tough Huntington Park team that runs the ball well,” Cid said. “They have the leading rusher in the Eastern League. We’ve got to stop him. They also have a couple of other good runners.”

Roosevelt had bright spots against Whittier.

Jesse Lira carried 19 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns and Brandon Sifuentes was 11-of-17 for 182 yards, including a 42-yard scoring pass to Manny Ayon. The negative, though, was the three interceptions he threw.

Whittier’s Matt Viramontes was 9-of-12 for 162 yards and three TDs and Bryan Carrillo carried nine times for 77 yards and a TD.

Behind a tough defense and a potent running attack, the Roosevelt High School football team is off to an impressive 3-0 start.

The Rough Riders, who play Whittier Friday night at home in an intersectional game, have recorded victories against Contreras (28-7), Wilson (27-13) and Alhambra (34-20).

“Our defense definitely has done a good job holding our opponents at bay, and unlike past years, we’ve been able to run the ball and become a good running team,” Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid says. “But I have to give a lot of credit to the defense.”

He noted that most of the points that the Rough Riders have allowed were scored late in the games when Roosevelt was playing mostly reserve players.

“Alhambra scored twice in the fourth quarter and Wilson scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter and our special teams gave up the only score we allowed against Contreras,” he said.

Jonathan Mariscal has been one of the leaders on defense. The junior cornerback intercepted two passes last Friday at Contreras, returning the first one a record-tying 99 yards for a touchdown. He returned his second pick 51 yards to end the first half.

Roosevelt High School’s (from left) Angel Barrera, Steven German, Ronny Lazo, Jesse Lira, Ramon Barraza and Zach Rivera have helped lead the Rough Riders to an impressive 3-0 start. (EGP photo by Mario Villegas)

He also had an interception against Alhambra and when he’s not picking off quarterbacks, he’s shutting down their top receivers. Mariscal also has a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

“He’s been a big part of our defense,” Cid says. “He’s very fast and athletic and has a good nose for the ball.”

Steven German has done a stellar job at middle linebacker where the senior has stepped in to replace Rafael Ortega, the Rough Riders’ All-City standout in 2008.

“Because of Ortega he was a reserve last year, but he has really stepped up and done a pretty good job,” Cid says.

Defensive end Ronny Lazo and defensive tackle Zach Rivera, a four-year varsity player who also starts at center, lead the Rough Riders up front.

“Rivera comes from a family of Rough Riders, so he has grown up as a Rough Rider and this is his year,” Cid says, noting that Rivera’s brothers, Xavier and Robert, and his father, Robert, and uncle, Felix, all played football at the school.

Roosevelt’s offense is led by Jesse Lira, a junior running back who has rushed for 356 yards and is averaging 8.6 yards per carry. He has 407 total yards and five touchdowns. Lira ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns against Wilson.

The versatile skills of fullback Elgin Rosales have been key. The senior averaging 100 yards rushing per game.

“Lira has been our main weapon and in Rosales we have a fullback that can run, catch and block,” Cid says. “Usually, we’ve had guys that can run, but can’t catch. Rosales can catch and block very effectively and Lira is doing a great job. We haven’t had a guy go over 1,000 yards in four years because we’ve used a lot of different backs over the years.”

The offensive line is led by senior tackles Ramon Barraza, a three-year starter and team captain, and Angel Barrera, who’s also a team captain.

“Barraza’s 6-2, 250 and really strong,” Cid says. “He plays tackle but he pulls for us. He can run block and pass block very effectively. He’s a team leader and captain. Put it this way, he’s everything you want in a varsity kid and the kind of player you want leading your team.

Barrera is also very athletic and is doing a really good job for us at right tackle. He’s very good.”

Lira scored on touchdown runs of nine and four yards at Contreras last Friday, finishing the game with 85 yards on 11 carries. Rosales had a team-high 108 yards on 11 attempts.

Wide receiver Manny Ayon caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brandon Sifuentes that gave Roosevelt a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. Ayon had four receptions for 62 yards and Sifuentes completed 10 of 15 passes for 138 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Miguel Garcia recorded five tackles.

Whittier (1-1), Roosevelt’s opponent on Friday, is coming off a 54-21 defeat to Warren last Friday. The Cardinals opened the season with a 35-13 victory over Chino.

Roosevelt and Whittier also met last season with the Rough Riders coming away with a tough 16-14 victory.

Defense spelled the difference in Roosevelt High School’s 28-7 nonleague football victory over Contreras last Friday.

Whether it was the two long interception returns by junior cornerback Jonathan Mariscal or keeping Contreras out of the red zone most of the night, the Rough Riders were outstanding on that side of the ball in improving to 3-0.

“Our defense really played well,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “They scored their touchdown on a kickoff return. They never got inside our 20. They had a lot of three-and-outs. That’s why we were able to throw two picks and lose two fumbles (both inside the Contreras 10) and still come out on top.”

Mariscal’s 99-yard interception return near the end of the first quarter got the Rough Riders on the scoreboard. Then as time was running out in the first half, he picked off another pass and brought it back 49 yards before being tackled inside the 10-yard line.

“He’s done a terrific job of defending the pass,” Cid said. “He’s been a pleasant surprise for us.”

Cid also cited sophomore Miguel Garcia, who recorded five tackles in his first start at linebacker.

Offensively, Elgin Rosales carried 11 times for 108 yards and Jesse Lira carried 11 times for 85 yards and two TDs to lead the way. Brandon Sifuentes was 10-of-15 for 138 yards, including a scoring pass to Manny Ayon (four catches for 62 yards).

Next up is Friday’s home game with Whittier (1-1).

The Cardinals are probably still smarting from a 54-21 loss to Warren in which Bears running back Jesse Callier rushed for 447 yards and six touchdowns.

Whittier has some weapons of its own in quarterback Matt Viramontes, tight end Thaddeus Glenn and running back Alex Gonzalez. Against Warren, Gonzales returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score. Viramontes passed for 146 yards and a TD.

"He's doing a fantastic job," Coach Javier Cid said. "He's smashing linebackers. He puts them on their back."

Barraza has helped Roosevelt to a 3-0 start. Another important contributor has been junior running back Jesse Lira, who rushed for 186 yards in a 27-13 victory over L.A. Wilson.

"He's the most improved player," Cid said.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Roosevelt High School, feared for its passing attack the last three years under quarterback Jesse Diaz, is now doing much of its damage on the ground.

The Rough Riders (2-0) turned in another solid rushing performance last Friday in a 27-13 nonleague victory over neighborhood rival Wilson (0-1).

Much of the damage was done by Jesse Lira, who carried 20 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He scored on a 10-yard run in the second quarter and a 15-yarder in the third.

In two games, Lira has rushed for 271 yards and is averaging 9.0 yards per carry.

“That was probably the best rushing effort we’ve had in the four years I’ve been here,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said of Lira’s performance. “He had several runs of 20 yards or more.”

Elgin Rosales added 54 yards and a TD (25-yarder) on six carries and quarterback Brandon Sifuentes had 50 yards and a score on eight attempts as the Rough Riders piled up 271 yards on the ground. Sifuentes passed sparingly, going 3-of-8 for 33 yards.

After Wilson drove 75 yards following the opening kickoff to take a 7-0 lead, Roosevelt got untracked in the second period and scored on four consecutive possessions to go up, 27-7.

Defense was also critical to the victory.

Cornerback Jonathan Mariscal, who shut out Alhambra’s standout wide receiver Mitchell Crockom the week before, held Wilson’s Cole Martinez in check, limiting him to a pair of catches.

“We went into the game wanting to keep him at bay,” Cid said.

Cid cited Armando Perez’s interception in the second quarter as one of the game’s turning points.

Jeffrey Simon had a fumble recovery in the third quarter that led to Lira’s second touchdown.

Linebacker Rene Garcia had nine tackles (five solos) and Steve German caused a fumble. Mariscal had eight tackles and reserve end Ricardo Marroquin had two sacks.

The Rough Riders are at Contreras Friday.

“We’ve got to get our passing game going and keep the running game going,” Cid said.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 9, 2009 at 3:45 PM PDT

When the subject is shut-down corners, Roosevelt High School's Jonathan Mariscal has to be in the discussion.

The Rough Rider cornerback was the star of the show last Friday when he squared off with Alhambra and its brilliant wide receiver Mitchell Crockom.

The priority for the Rider secondary was simple: Prevent Crockom from going wild.

Consider it mission accomplished.

To say the heavily-recruited Moor (UNLV and New Mexico State are among those after the 6-foot-2, 197-pounder) was shut down would be an understatement.

Mariscal, who was handed the task of one-on-one coverage of the star, completely shut out Crockom, who had no receptions or any carries from scrimmage in Roosevelt’s 34-20 nonleague victory.

“He was clearly our player of the game,” Rough Rider coach Javier Cid said of Mariscal. “Not only did he hold Mitchell Crockom to no catches, but had an interception return for 23 yards and ran a kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown.”

The kickoff return was critical because Alhambra had just closed the gap to 27-14 in the fourth period on a 44-yard pass from Darrian Cazarin to Joseph Becerra. Mariscal’s return of the ensuing kickoff dashed any hopes the Moors would get any closer.

The Riders, who play at Wilson Friday, got what could be termed a complete-game effort.

The offense ran and passed the ball equally well.

Brandon Sifuentes, in his initial starting assignment at quarterback, was 9-of-11 for 104 yards and a touchdown and added 47 yards and two TDs (18, 14 yards) on five carries. His scoring pass was a 40-yarder to Brian Torres.

The Riders had 219 yards on the ground, led by Jesse Lira with 10 carries for 85 yards and a score and Elgin Rosales 11 for 82.

Defensively, Steven German had seven tackles and Jeff Simon had a sack. The secondary picked off two passes.

Alhambra, which is at La Canada Friday, got most of its offense through the air. Cazarin was 17-of-31 for 226 yards and two TDs. James Martin (five catches for 101 yards) hauled in a 53-yarder in the first quarter and Becerra (five for 92) had the 44-yarder in the fourth. Cazarin’s one-yard run closed the scoring.

“To beat a good Alhambra team with their skill players was impressive,” Cid said. “Alhambra had two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and that was against our second group.

“I thought our quarterback played well. We didn’t throw a lot, but when we did, he completed them. Offensively, we had four drives in the first quarter and scored on three of them.”

Next up is Wilson, which is opening its season.

This is a rivalry game, according to Cid.

“It’s been that way since I played at Roosevelt,” he said. “Everybody knows everybody else. I grew up with it being a rivalry and so did (Wilson) coach (Eddie) Martinez.”

Roosevelt has won the last three meetings, all by six points or less.

Roosevelt High School football coach Javier Cid barks instructions during a practice session. The Rough Riders are preparing for Friday’s season opener against Alhambra. (Photo by Gary McCarthy)

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Sep 2, 2009 at 1:54 PM PDT

It might be assumed the Roosevelt High School football team would take a step back this year after losing two-time All-City quarterback Jesse Diaz to graduation.

But that may not be the case, according to coach Javier Cid.

With Brandon Sifuentes, Diaz’ backup a year ago, moving into the starting spot and a veteran group of receivers and running backs surrounding the senior quarterback, the Rough Riders may be just as potent as a year ago when they went 10-3 and shared the Eastern League title with Jordan and Garfield.

The first chance to see if Cid is correct is Friday when Roosevelt hosts Alhambra in the opener.

“I feel the passing game is better than expected considering the loss of our three-year starting quarterback,” Cid said. “I feel the running game is going to be stronger than expected, as well.

“I think we’re going to be able to score a lot of points. My main concern is how well we defend the pass. That doesn’t mean I think we won’t get the job done. We’re just untested right now.”

Sifuentes eased any fears the coaching staff might have had with a strong summer in the passing leagues. Though not as big as the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Diaz, or the possessor of as strong an arm, he compensates with accuracy.

“He’s a good leader and he’s smart,” Cid adds.

A talented corps of receivers also helps.

Manny Ayon is a returning All-City performer and Tino Lomeli, also a returning starter, gives them a deep threat. Returnee Brian Torres and junior Jonathan Mariscal, MVP of the freshman team two years ago, are also in the rotation. Mariscal is the fastest of the receivers.

Additionally, running backs Jesse Lira and Elgin Rosales return with plenty of experience. Lira is a good receiver out of the backfield.

Cid likes what he has upfront.

Tackles Ramon Barraza (6-2, 260) and Angel Barrera (6-0, 245) anchor the line. Barraza is the first player Cid has coached who was invited to the Nike Combine, an invitation-only event for college prospects.

Chris Moreno (5-11, 300) moves from the defensive line to offensive guard. He moves well for his size, according to the coach. Zach Rivera (5-11, 245), a four-year varsity performer, is the center. He also starts on the defensive line and is the long snapper.

Ronnie Lazo, a converted linebacker, and William Linares are the defensive ends. Rivera and returning starter Jovanny Mejia are the tackles. Junior Jeffrey Simon and Jonathan Toledo add depth to the line.

Juniors Rene Garcia and Richard Martinez, who each had a couple of starts a year ago, are the outside backers. Filling the middle linebacker spot (previously held by All-City pick Rafael Ortega, now at NCAA Division II Minnesota-Crookston) will be either George Avila or Steven German.

Safety Armando Perez, who led the team in interceptions with three a year ago, is back to lead the secondary. Enrique Barragan and Kevin Rios are the other safety candidates.

Victor Gomez, Aaron Hernandez and Manuel Mendoza are the leaders for the cornerback spots.

“I think we’ll do just as well, if not better, than we did last year,” Cid said. “We’re definitely a playoff team. Jordan and Garfield are the two favorites in league. After that, it’s Huntington Park and Roosevelt. South East and Bell are right there, too.”

If their showing in the East Los Angeles College high school passing tournament is any indication, the Roosevelt Rough Riders could be a football team to watch again this fall.

Roosevelt lost the championship game of the annual 16-team ELAC Shootout to Coliseum League power Dorsey, 33-25, but not until after the Rough Riders had scored victories over Rosemead, Pasadena, Gabrielino, Locke, Bell and Huntington Park.

“I was very surprised that Alhambra didn’t win the whole thing,” said Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid, whose team opens the season against Alhambra Sept. 4 at home. “They were very impressive and have a very good receiver in Mitchell Crockom.”

But his Rough Riders led by All-City receiver Manny Ayon were very impressive, too. Ayon, who caught 37 passes for 600 yards last season, made several clutch receptions in the final against Dorsey.

Cid and his staff were encouraged with what they saw because the Eastern League figures to be another competitive race between Garfield, Jordan, South East and much improved teams in Bell and Huntington Park.

Roosevelt was 10-3 in 2008 and shared the Eastern League title with Garfield and Jordan. However graduation did take away three-year starting quarterback Jesse Diaz, the All-City quarterback who passed for over 2,000 yards last season in helping to lead the Rough Riders to a 10-3 record.

Senior Brandon Sifuentes has stepped in and performed well in his new role as starting quarterback.

“I think he’s doing a great job,” Cid said.

A big part of the game plan this season will be to get the ball into the hands of the play-making Ayon.

“We have all of our receivers back except one and we have two of our running backs back,” Cid said.

Senior Jonathan Alatriste and junior Elgin Rosales return in the backfield. Alatriste rushed for 600 yards last season and Rosales had 288.

“If we can protect the quarterback, we’ll be OK,” said Cid, noting that the offensive line lacks experience.

The Rough Riders are also young on defense, but Cid and defensive coordinators Alfred Robledo and Richard Zepeda say the unit is coming together.

“This (the ELAC tournament) was a good learning experience for us,” Cid said. “We handled situations the way we needed and that’s more important than winning right now. This is about learning.

“I feel good about our chances,” he said. “I think we’re going to be all right.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Jul 22, 2009 at 1:01 PM PDT

Life after Jesse Diaz may not be so bad after all for the Roosevelt High School football team.

The graduation of the three-year starting quarterback, a two-time All-City selection who led the Rough Riders to a 10-3 record and share (with Jordan and Garfield) of the Eastern League title last fall, left questions about their prospects for the upcoming season.

But Roosevelt’s strong showing at the East L.A. College-hosted Husky Shootout passing tournament over the weekend probably alleviates some of those concerns.

With senior Brandon Sifuentes, part of the receiving corps as well as Diaz’ backup at quarterback in 2008, at the helm, the Rough Riders advanced to the finals of the 16-team tournament before losing in the finals to Coliseum League power Dorsey, 33-25 Saturday.

They posted victories over Rosemead, Pasadena, Gabrielino, Locke, Bell and Huntington Park, the latter two fellow Eastern League teams, to reach the title game.

“I think we’re going to be all right,” Rough Rider coach Javier Cid said. “I feel good about our chances.”

Not that the league race is going to be a cakewalk. There’s Jordan, arch-rival Garfield and up-and-coming power South East to be concerned with, not to mention the other two league teams in the tournament.

“Bell and Huntington Park are going to be much improved,” Cid noted.

The Rough Riders have a good group of returnees to build around when they open the 2009 season at home against Alhambra, another Husky Shootout participant.

All-City receiver Manny Ayon, who caught 37 passes for 603 yards a year ago, figures to be the top target for Sifuentes, who has the unenviable task of replacing the 2,060 passing yards and leadership of Diaz a year ago.

“We want to get him the ball a lot so he can make plays,” Cid said of Ayon.

Senior Jonathan Alatriste, who ran for 604 yards in 2008, and junior Elgin Rosales, who ran for 288, are the leading returning running backs.

“We have all our receivers back except one and we have two of our running backs back,” the coach said. “My biggest concern is being able to protect the quarterback. If we do that, we’ll be okay.

“We have a lot of new kids on defense. We’re young there, but we’re coming along. We’ll be fine.”

He felt his team got a lot out of the tournament. He especially liked the way the Riders responded with a late touchdown after trailing the Dons by two scores.

“We finished the way I wanted,” he said. “It was a perfect learning situation. We stopped them (Dons) when we had to. We handled the situation the way we needed. That’s more important than winning at this time. This is a learning experience.”

As for Sifuentes, he said, “I thought he did a great job.”

Cid praised the way second-year ELAC coach Lynn Cain and his staff ran the tournament. He said the concerns the prep coaches had after last year’s event were satisfactorily addressed.

“This Husky Shootout was the best I’ve been to in the last eight years,” he said. “There was no tension and no one got hurt.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor

Story Published: Jul 15, 2009 at 1:23 PM PDT

For many of the participants, the Southern California Fiesta Bowl was a springboard to their college football careers.

But for Roosevelt High School’s Jesse Diaz, one of three quarterbacks for the L.A. County all-stars, Saturday’s game at Whittier College was likely his final game, period.

One of the most talented players in Rough Rider history, Diaz will be attending Long Beach State, which doesn’t have a football program, in the fall.

It’s a decision the academically-oriented Diaz is comfortable with.

“I’m looking forward to being a full-time student,” he said after throwing for 65 yards and a touchdown in L.A.’s 35-27 loss to the Inland Empire. “I’ve always balanced athletics and academics before. Now it’s purely academics.”

He wants to major in psychology, with a special interest in sports psychology.

“My big thing is helping out others where I can,” he said. “That’s always come naturally for me.”

Javier Cid, his coach at Roosevelt and in the Fiesta Bowl, said he is happy with the decision of Diaz, who was accepted to a number of schools academically.

“Education is what we emphasize to our kids,” he said.

“Maybe he’ll get the itch (to play again), but if he doesn’t, he can come back here (to Roosevelt) and run the offense (as a coach). He knows it better than anybody.”

Because it would be the last time he would put on the pads, Diaz wanted to make the most of it.

“I wanted to have as much fun as I could since it was my last game,” he said.

The outcome took some of that fun away.

“In my opinion we should have won,” he said. “We made too many mistakes.”

Roosevelt High School running back Jonathan Alatriste rips off a gain and picks up some of his 115 yards in last week’s City Section Invitational quarterfinal against El Camino Real. The Rough Riders won, 25-11. (EGP Photo by Mario Villegas)

It will be the Eastside versus the Northeast Friday night when the Roosevelt and Franklin high school football teams square off in a City Section Invitational semifinal playoff game at Roosevelt. Kickoff is at 7.

Third-seeded Franklin, the Northern League champion, extended its winning streak to nine games last week by defeating West Adams, 28-8, in a quarterfinal at Franklin. The Panthers, who defeated Canoga Park, 42-3, in the first round, are 10-2.

Roosevelt, the No. 2 seed, has managed to re-group and move on since losing to Garfield, 26-7, in its final regular season game by scoring playoff victories over Jefferson, 35-16, and El Camino Real, 25-11, last week.

The 10-2 Rough Riders, who shared the Eastern League title with Jordan and Garfield, can reach a City Section final for the first time since 1984 when they won the City 2-A title with a victory over Franklin.

“Franklin has always been known as a passing team, but this year they are balanced,” Roosevelt Coach Javier Cid said. “They’re very well coached and have some pretty good athletes.”

A win by Franklin Friday and the Panthers could wind up playing Northern League rival Wilson in the City Invitational championship game Dec. 12 at East Los Angeles College. The last two Franklin-Wilson games were decided in overtime, including the three-overtime thriller won by Franklin, 31-30, Oct. 24.

But first Franklin must get past Roosevelt and Wilson will need to defeat top-seeded Arleta in the other semifinal Friday at Monroe High School in Sepulveda.

“We match up pretty well against them and it should be a good game,” Franklin Coach Eric Jaimez said about his team’s game with Roosevelt. “I think offensively we’re pretty darn close to being even in yards rushing and yards passing, so it’s going to be very interesting.”

Defensively, the Panthers shut down a West Adams team that had averaged 48.3 points per game in its last six games. Franklin was led by the play of linebackers Gensey E. Pacay and Adam Martinez. “Our defense has really been improving,” Jaimez said.

Franklin will be attempting to return to a City championship game for the first time since 1989, when the Panthers won the City 3-A crown at East L.A. College.

Roosevelt’s Jonathan Alatriste’s 115 yards on 12 carries helped lead the Rough Riders past El Camino Real in a Nov. 26 quarterfinal at Roosevelt. The footing was difficult on the mostly muddy field, but the Rough Riders had success gaining yardage on the ground. Jose Guillen rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, Elgin Rosales gained 60 on three attempts. Guillen returned the opening kickoff 56 yards to set up his eight-yard touchdown run.

Quarterback Jesse Diaz attempted only four passes, but he ran for 53 yards on 10 carries.

“We’re a better team this year because we can run and throw the ball,” Cid said. “Jesse’s (Diaz) passing stats are down this year compared to last year, but we were only 6-5. Now we’re winning and that’s because we can run the ball.”

Wilson (9-3) has won five straight games since losing to Franklin in triple overtime, including playoff wins over Santee, 52-50, and Fairfax, 34-26. The Mules also probably wouldn’t mind getting another shot at Roosevelt, which defeated Wilson 21-20 in a nonleague game the second week of the season.

But more than anything the Mules would like to return to the finals for the first time since 1996, when they won the 3-A title, regardless of who they play.

To get there, however, they have to stop unbeaten Arleta (12-0), the East Valley League champion. The Mustangs have defeated South East, 42-7, and Huntington Park, 28-10, in the playoffs.

In Wilson’s victory over Fairfax Nov. 26, the visiting Mules took a 34-14 lead into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jonathan Rojas completed 17 of 21 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns. He has now thrown 38 touchdown passes this season.

Anthony Denham caught three passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns. He also intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards. James Fowler had five receptions for 66 yards.

The big highlight was delivered by Cole Martinez who returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown.

Finding anything separating City Section Invitational Division semifinal opponents Roosevelt and Franklin high schools is not easy.

Mainly because, No. 2-seeded Roosevelt, which hosts the 7 p.m. game Friday, and No. 3 Franklin have more in common than they don’t.

Both take 10-2 records into the contest. Each won their respective league championship — Roosevelt the Eastern, Franklin the Northern.

They also have a common opponent in Wilson (9-3), which is playing at top-seeded Arleta (12-0) in the other Invitational semi Friday. That doesn’t provide many answers, either, since Roosevelt and Franklin each defeated the Mules by a single point.

Offensively, there are plenty of similarities between the Rough Riders and Panthers. Each has an All-City quarterback operating spread offenses with the capabilities of running and throwing.

Adrian Diaz has already surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in passing for Franklin, a 28-8 winner over West Adams in the quarterfinals. Running back/defensive back William Hernandez is one of the more talented and versatile athletes in the City.

Other Panther threats are receivers Anthony Quiroz and Erik Duarte and running back Enrique Macias.

Roosevelt is led by quarterback Jesse Diaz, who has thrown for 1,974 yards and 19 touchdowns with two interceptions.

A big reason the Riders have improved on the 6-5 mark of a year ago is the ability to run the ball effectively. Diaz only threw four times, completing one for 15 yards, in the 25-11 quarterfinal victory over El Camino Real.

The team rushed for 342 yards with Jonathan Alatriste running for 115 on 12 carries, Jose Guillen running for 65 yards and two TDs on 11 attempts and Elgin Rosales gaining 60 yards and a score on three carries.

“Last year, we passed the ball more, but this year we’re doing both,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “That’s why Jesse’s stats are down. But we were only 6-5 last year. Now we’re winning and that’s because we can run the ball.”

He feels that’s why he feels Franklin is such a threat, as well.

“In the past they’ve been known as a passing team, but this team is balanced,” he said. “They can run and throw the ball.

“They are a very well-coached team with some kids who are pretty good athletes.”

Roosevelt 25, El Camino Real 11: Jose Guillen rushed for two touchdowns to lead Roosevelt of East Los Angeles (10-2) to a quarterfinal victory against visiting El Camino Real of Woodland Hills (7-5).

Roosevelt scored on its opening possession on an 8-yard run by Guillen. Guillen gave Roosevelt excellent field position by returning the opening kickoff 56 yards.

ECR responded when Brandon Mack ran 33 yards for a touchdown to put the Conquistadores up 8-7 in first quarter. Mack finished with seven carries for 53 yards and Rashon Harper had 44 yards on 14 carries.

Guillen carried 11 times for 48 yards. Teammate Jonathon Alatriste had 89 yards on 10 runs.

- Steve Goldstein

As the No. 2 seed, Roosevelt High School won about as easily as expected in the first round of the City Section Invitational Division football playoffs.

It remains to be seen how far they go in the lower-division tournament, but the Rough Riders can expect tougher competition from now on, beginning with Wednesday’s quarterfinal showdown with visiting El Camino Real.

Roosevelt (9-2) advanced with a 35-16 victory over Jefferson (4-6). El Camino Real (7-4) edged Marshall, 35-28 in overtime in its playoff opener.

“I thought we played well and did what we wanted to do,” Rough Rider coach Javier Cid said of his first-round win. “We were up 21-0 after the first quarter and 28-0 at halftime. It gave us a chance to play our backups a lot in the second half.”

Jose Guillen ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries, Isaac Huerta ran for 96 yards and one TD on seven carries and Jesse Diaz (8-of-14 for 69 yards) threw a 10-yard scoring pass to Manny Ayon for Roosevelt.

Though only a 15th seed, Jefferson managed a couple of touchdowns, one on an interception return against Diaz. It was only the second interception all season for Diaz, who last threw one in the season opener against Torrey Pines.

Turnovers proved more costly for the Democrats, however.

“Jefferson has some decent athletes, but just made some mistakes,” Cid said. “Our second and third touchdowns were off an interception and fumble.”

Cid is expecting to run into some pretty good athletes wearing El Camino Real uniforms.

The Conquistadores played Taft, the No. 3 seed and a first-round survivor in the City (upper) Division playoffs, to within a touchdown during West Valley League play.

They have one of the City’s top running backs in junior Rashon Harper, who has surpassed 1,500 yards rushing. Brandon Mack is another key runner. Cid is also impressed with Jerrald Hines, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound tight end and linebacker.

“They run the double-wing T and average 330 yards rushing per game,” Cid said. “They’re going to be very tough. They’re going to try and pound us.”

The scoop: Arleta, a second-year varsity program coached by Jeff Engilman, has passed every test this season. But playing in the East Valley League is no way to get ready for what's going to happen over the next month. Roosevelt is battle tested, and its league win over Los Angeles Jordan serves notice that the Rough Riders are the team to beat.

Prediction: Roosevelt.

The 74th East Los Angeles Classic brings together an entire community, as more than 25,000 fans are expected for Friday's game at East L.A. College.

By Ben Bolch
5:04 PM PST, November 13, 2008

They didn't know each other in high school and didn't care to in college.

Tommy Lopez and Javier Cid were football rivals in the East Los Angeles Classic in the mid-1980s who went on to play on the same defense at East Los Angeles College. Yet the teammates didn't exactly give it the old college try when it came to forging a friendship.

"I didn't really care to talk to him," recalled Cid, who had been an All-City Section linebacker at Roosevelt High. "He was a Garfield guy."

So it goes in one of the longest, most emotional rivalries in Los Angeles high school sports, one that is expected to draw a crowd of about 25,000 to East L.A. College tonight for the 74th regular-season meeting between the schools' football teams.

Mike Garrett, Roosevelt class of 1961, won a Heisman Trophy as a USC tailback and is now the Trojans' athletic director. He compares the high school game favorably to USC's against crosstown UCLA and to what is generally considered college football's greatest intersectional rivalry, USC versus Notre Dame.

"The teams might both be great or they might both be down, but it's always a big game and extremely important to the fans of each team," Garrett said. "That game is like a season within a season."

For Lopez and Cid, the rivalry took on a new meaning more than a decade after their playing days ended. It wasn't until they became assistants on the same coaching staff that they realized they had more in common than East L.A. roots.

"Once we got on the field and I saw how he coached and how we worked together," Lopez said, "I figured we were kind of the same."

As colleagues, they spent endless nights munching on chicken enchiladas and breaking down film at Lopez's Monrovia home. It was at one of these marathon sessions in 2001, when they were assistants at Los Angeles Cathedral High, when Lopez pulled out a black-and-white photo depicting his touchdown in the 1983 East L.A. Classic on a blocked field goal.

Cid gazed at the photo and couldn't believe what he saw. Sure enough, there was another familiar figure in the frame -- about five yards behind Lopez giving chase.

"He looks at it," Lopez recalled, "and goes, 'That's me.' "

Funny seeing you there.

"That's a cherished moment he has and I just happened to be in that shot," said Cid, now the head coach at Roosevelt. "It's an amazing thing, really, because here we are now."

That the men would be forever linked in that photo makes perfect sense since the rivalry that long divided them now unites them.

Their friendship runs so deep that Lopez, a corrections officer for the Chino state prison, has ceded his loyalties to Garfield (5-4 overall and 4-1 in the Eastern League) this week to help Cid and the Rough Riders (8-1, 5-0) prepare for tonight's East L.A. Classic. Tuesday night was spent poring over film at Lopez's home, and tonight Lopez hopes to don a headset and spot formations and tendencies that could help his longtime friend's team prevail.

Against his alma mater.

So, is he conflicted? "Not until my brothers find out about this," the 1985 Garfield graduate jokingly said of the batch of Bulldogs who preceded him.

Indeed, this game, matching two of the Los Angeles Unified School District's largest high schools located just six miles apart, seems to annually test allegiances. Tonight, for example, two players named Diaz -- no relation to each other but so close as kids that they were thought by some to be brothers -- will be on opposite sidelines.

Jesse Diaz is Roosevelt's quarterback; Franky Diaz is a running back for Garfield. They were nearly inseparable flag football teammates at Stevenson Middle School until split apart as high school freshmen because they lived on different sides of Indiana Street.

"We would say we're brothers from other mothers jokingly, but in reality we are in a way because I consider him my brother," Franky Diaz said. "Sometimes I wish he would be on our team."

Just like Lopez is siding with Roosevelt now, in 1983 he gave his all for Garfield. Consider his effort in the aftermath of that blocked kick:

Garfield was clinging to a narrow lead in the fourth quarter when Roosevelt tried the field goal. Lopez heard a thud as the kick was blocked, found the ball bouncing in front of him, scooped it up and found 73 yards of open field ahead.

"It was like the gates of heaven," Lopez recalled. "I was gone."

Cid saw Lopez racing for a touchdown that would essentially put away his team and knew "somebody had to chase him down.

"He had a head start and was probably 20 yards ahead of me," Cid recalled, "but I got within five."

They're even closer now. They became fellow assistants under then-coach Ray Galarze at Garfield in 1999, though initially the development didn't suit Cid.

Cid thought he was in line to become defensive coordinator until Galarze told him he had just hired another assistant.

His name? Tommy Lopez.

"I was like, 'What?' " Cid said. "I felt like my duties were being reduced as a coach, and sometimes that doesn't feel very good. It had nothing to do with him."

Cid coached the inside linebackers and Lopez was responsible for the outside linebackers. It quickly became apparent the duo was a potent combination when it helped the Bulldogs engineer a 16-13 upset of heavily favored Roosevelt in 1999.

"Their rapport together was great," said Alfred Robledo, a fellow assistant on the Garfield staff who now coaches under Cid at Roosevelt. "There was no, 'I'm better than you.' The rivalry kind of went away and the friendship started and it's been a great friendship ever since."

Their epic late-night film sessions became such a habit that Lopez's wife, Elaine, joked that the pair had become "boyfriends" because they spent so much time together.

They were united again two years later at Cathedral, where Cid was the defensive coordinator and Lopez coached the linebackers, before Lopez took his prison job.

They kept in touch when they could over the years that followed but it wasn't the same.

"He came over a few weeks ago and brought some film," said Lopez, 41. "My wife said, 'This is like old times. I miss this.' "

Cid, 42, predicted the friends would coach together again.

"Without a doubt," he said. "It's like we're brothers. Growing up and having the same experiences, there are a lot of things we can relate to."

Bolch is a Times staff writer.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 13.NOV.08 When Jesse Diaz first went out for football at Roosevelt High School, he thought catching passes, not throwing them, would be the quickest path to success.

“They had eight guys trying out at quarterback and three at wide receiver,” he said. “I thought my chances were better at wide receiver.”

That has to seem like a lifetime ago for Diaz, who will be starting at quarterback for the Rough Riders against Garfield Friday in his third East L.A. Classic.

Now, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder who is drawing looks from college programs, Diaz has developed into one of the City Section’s premier quarterbacks.

He heads into the 74th edition of the series having thrown for 1,726 yards and 18 touchdowns with only one interception for the Eastern League-leading Rough Riders, who are 8-1 overall and 5-0 in league.

Three years ago, attrition at the position opened the doors for Diaz. One quarterback got hurt, another was lost to grades. Coach Javier Cid, spotting Diaz throwing the ball around in practice, liked what he saw and decided to give him a shot behind center.

His first start came in the final regular-season game against South East and he threw three touchdown passes.

The rest is history for Diaz, who earned All-City honors a year ago and engineered an upset of Garfield in last year’s Classic.

Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said arm strength and smarts are what led him to make Diaz his quarterback three years ago.

“I chose him without any experience because I liked his size and his grade point average,” the coach said. “For the offense we needed to run, we need someone who has the size and the smarts. Jesse doesn’t just go up there and throw the ball. He knows how to read defenses. Not every kid can do that.

“I have to give a lot of credit to one of our assistants, Oscar Tavera. He played quarterback at Roosevelt in 1988 and has helped Jesse develop. He’s been his tutor on the field.”

Cid is confident Diaz will make it at the next level.

Idaho State, UC Davis and Stanford are some of the college football programs that have displayed an interest.

“He doesn’t get the press a lot of these guys (top recruits) get, but he’s going to surprise a lot of people,” Cid said. “I think Jesse is going to be one of those guys that make it happen. I want it to happen so we can create a pipeline to the colleges. If he makes it, maybe the recruiters will start to come out and look at us more.”

For his part, Diaz is focused now on Friday’s game.

“This means the world to me because I grew up watching this game,” he said. “Being it’s my last one, I don’t want to lose. The fact it’s for the league title makes it even more of an honor to be part of it.”

Michelle Serrato would love to play in the East Los Angeles Classic on Friday night, but only if her coach thought the Roosevelt fullback could help the Rough Riders defeat their archrival in the biggest game of the season.

"She says, 'Don't do me any favors. I want to earn everything I get,' " Coach Javier Cid said.

Serrato, who also plays on special teams, participated in Roosevelt's 39-29 victory over Huntington Park last Friday and got a few carries earlier in the season against L.A. Contreras, making her decision to play with the boys seem worthwhile.

"Practice and everything is all worth it in the end when you're on the field and play in the games," said Serrato, who is 5 feet 6 and 155 pounds.

Cid said he doesn't give Serrato special treatment because of her gender.

"I told her, 'Hey, I'm not going to let you play just because you're a girl,' " he said. " 'Is that what you expect? If you're going to get any playing time it's because you earn it.' "

Serrato said she hasn't been subjected to any ribbing.

"For the most part, everybody's positive and asks me how it is playing on the team and if it's difficult to keep up with the boys," she said. "I've been playing since I was a freshman, so I've kind of learned to catch up with them."

Serrato nearly had a female counterpart in the East L.A. Classic last year. Cid and Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez had talked about letting Serrato match up against Bulldogs defensive end Stephanie Lopez, but Lopez quit the team early in the season.

"That would have been a neat deal," Hernandez said. "[Lopez] was stronger than a lot of boys on the team."

--Ben Bolch

Photo: Roosevelt fullback Michelle Serrato. Credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times

He has passed for 1,726 yards and 18 touchdowns with just one interception. And Roosevelt (8-1) has won eight consecutive games, including a 5-0 mark in the Eastern League.

"He's a much better quarterback," Coach Javier Cid.

Roosevelt is a much better team considering the Roughriders made it to the City Invitational playoffs last year only after Jefferson failed to show up for a film exchange. In fact, Roosevelt is the overwhelming favorite to win the City Invitational title and probably could be competitive in the City Championship Division.

Cid said next season, Roosevelt would consider moving up to the Championship Division, just like Garfield (5-4) decided to do.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Some folks might think playing for smudge pots or leather helmets is great, but the storied rivalry between Garfield and Roosevelt is arguably one of the nation's greatest high school events. The game typically draws about 20,000 fans (about twice as much as Servite-Mater Dei), pitting neighbor against neighbor in a community that shares a unbreakable bond with its respective team.

But I want you to tell me why this rivalry is so great. Is it the history, the community or just great football? I'll be heading out to East Los Angeles College on Nov. 14, and I want to get a feeling as to what this game means to people who've actually been apart of it. Free feel to use the comment board to post your thoughts.

Also, who's the favorite to win this game? Roosevelt leads the all-time series (39-26-7) and proved its definitely one of the City Section's best with its upset over Jordan a couple of weeks back. Of course, Garfield's season-opening triumph over two-time defending champions Birmingham was very impressive.

I'll leave you with some video highlights of the 2006 game:

East Los Angeles Classic Football Game 2006. Garfield Vs Rooseve - video powered by Metacafe

-- Austin Knoblauch

Cid's quarterback, Jesse Diaz, came in having passed for 1,494 yards and 14 touchdowns with one interception.

So what was Cid's game plan against Jordan? He had Diaz attempt only one pass, and it fell incomplete. The Roughriders rushed for 391 yards, which kept the ball away from Jordan's high-powered offense.

"The way you beat Jordan is by running the ball straight at them," Cid said.

It was Roosevelt's seventh consecutive victory after a season-opening loss to Torrey Pines.

And afterward, Diaz didn't mind that his passing stats took a beating.

"He loved it," Cid said. "He understands it's a team effort. He did an outstanding job managing the game. He took so much time off the clock. He was the MVP of the game."

But is Roosevelt going to pass only once in a game again?

"It's the first time and hopefully the last," Cid said.

Sondheimer is a Times staff writer.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

By proverbally taking the air out of the football, Roosevelt High School was able to ground one of the City’s most explosive teams in Jordan last Friday, the result a 33-21 Eastern League victory.

Despite featuring an All-City quarterback in Jesse Diaz, who entered the game with 1,494 yards passing, the Rough Riders went in the other direction to pull off the upset.

Diaz threw one pass (it was incomplete), relying instead on a running game that totaled 391 yards and controlled the ball for at least 30 of the 48 minutes.

Would Roosevelt coach Javier Cid define it as the perfect game plan?

“Because we won, I would say, yes,” he said. “We had the run working so well, we didn’t have to pass.

“It was all about being patient. The first time we had the ball, we went three and out and punted. We never punted again.

“The next we got the ball, we went 90 yards and fumbled. But we knew we could move the ball. Then we started clicking. We wanted to take a lot of time off the clock, then score. After we recovered an onside kick to start the second half, we took seven minutes off the clock and scored.”

Also, for the plan to work, the Riders had to minimize big plays by Jordan, which features the City’s top passer in James Boyd and a group of explosive receivers. Boyd completed 12 of 30 for 186 yards and three touchdowns, but was also intercepted twice.

The turnovers (there was also a fumble recovery) and the onside kick were key because, “We turned all of them into scores,” Cid said. “Defensively, we rushed three and played eight in pass coverage. We wanted to eliminate the long passes and keep everything in front of us.”

Jose Guillen rushed for 141 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries to lead the Rough Riders, but had plenty of help. Jonathan Alatriste carried 17 times for 83 yards, Isaac Huerta carried 12 times for 76 yards and a score and Alex Ramirez had 65 yards on four carries. Fullback Elgin Rosales added 18 yards on four carries.

Because he threw only one pass, Diaz’ contributions were more subtle, though, hardly insignificant.

“I told Jesse that quarterbacks, besides throwing passes, have to manage the game,” Cid said. “They have to get the handoffs off and run the clock. He did a terrific job of that.”

The Riders (7-1, 4-0) take a half-game lead in the league race into their bye week. They return to action next week against Huntington Park (4-2, 2-1).

“Huntington Park is very tough,” he said. “We’ve lost to them two years in a row. They’re very physical.”

As it stands, the City Championship Division final will be played on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. at the Coliseum. But IAC has given approval for the City Invitational to be played at the Coliseum in the morning on Dec. 13 if funds can be found.

Otherwise, the game will be played on Dec. 12 at a high school site.

Send checks to John Aguirre, City Section athletics office.

Since I predict Roosevelt is going to make the City Invitational final, Aguirre might want to check with the mayor's office for some funds since he's running the school these days.

-- Eric Sondheimer

The Rough Riders, at 5-1 overall and 2-0 in league, share the top spot in the standings with Garfield (3-3, 2-0).

South East, on the other hand, is 1-5 and 0-2. Another loss puts their playoff hopes in jeopardy, meaning the Jaguars are in a must-win situation.

Though they are at opposite ends of the standings, Roosevelt coach Javier Cid is not taking the Jaguars lightly.

“We’ve lost to them the last two years,” he said. “We need to go 3-0, but they’re looking to rebound. They need to beat us if they want to go to the playoffs, so I’m expecting a difficult game. Except for one, every one of their losses has been close.”

South East has some threats on the offensive end.

Quarterback Jonathan Reyes is one of the Eastern League’s top passers, wide receiver Fernando Magana is one of its top receivers and tailback Senen Carson is generally regarded as the premier ball carrier.

“They’ve got a pretty good little passer who is close to 1,000 yards,” Cid said. “They have probably the best running back in the league in Senen Carson. They’ve been scoring a lot of points.”

So has Roosevelt, which is coming off a 44-3 rout of Bell (3-2, 0-2).

Playing nearly penalty-free football, the Rough Riders rolled behind the passing of Jesse Diaz, who threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns despite throwing only 11 passes (he completed eight). He lost credit for a fourth scoring pass when Alex Ramirez, at the end of a 55-yard gain, had the ball knocked loose. It rolled into the end zone where Ramirez recovered for the touchdown.

Diaz did get credit for scoring tosses to Manny Ayon (67 yards), Jose Guillen (30) and Elgin Rosales (69). Ayon had four catches for 103 yards.

Sophomore running back Isaac Huerta, playing primarily in the fourth quarter, rushed for a team-high 55 yards on eight carries and scored the final touchdown on a six-yard run.

Safety Daryl Lazo’s 45-yard interception return for a score highlighted a defensive effort that featured three turnovers.

“The big key for us was limiting our penalties,” Cid said. “We didn’t have the penalties we usually have. We moved the ball on everyone, but have hurt ourselves in the past.

“Defensively, we were solid. They (Eagles) were missing their quarterback, so it made them one-dimensional. We only had to worry about stopping the run.”

Jesse Diaz has engineered some impressive offensive showings over the last three years, but the Roosevelt High School senior quarterback may have outdone himself in last Friday’s 32-13 win over South Gate.

The win in the Eastern League football opener for both schools improved the Rough Riders to 4-1 overall. South Gate is 1-4.

The numbers for Diaz were impressive enough — He was 18-for-30 for 226 yards and three touchdowns through the air and rushed for 101 yards on eight carries.

But the team’s numbers were even more impressive — 550 yards total, including 324 on the ground.

“We didn’t have one punt,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “We either went for it on fourth down in the red zone or we tried to kick field goals (two, which were missed). And Jesse had a big day.”

Diaz had 25- and 16-yard touchdown passes to Matthew Trillo and a 21-yarder to Jose Guillen.

Jonathan Alatriste scored the first touchdown on a seven-yard run.

Sophomore third-string tailback Isaac Huerta, playing mostly in the fourth quarter, carried 15 times for 86 yards and scored on a three-yard run with 11 seconds left.

The Rough Riders used eight different ball carriers and nine different receivers. Manny Ayon was the top pass catcher with four for 48 yards.

The first-team defense limited the Rams to two first downs. South Gate got two more in the fourth quarter against Rough Riders backups.

Next on the schedule for Roosevelt is Bell (3-1), a 35-0 loser to Garfield in its league opener.

“Bell lost its quarterback, so I don’t know what they’re going to do,” Cid said. “I know they have a strong offensive line and are very good offensively. They are an experienced team with a lot of returnees.

“Garfield beat them, 35-0, but a lot of that had to do with the quarterback going out in the second quarter.”

By Matthew Montes, Correspondent
Article Launched: 09/26/2008 11:19:55 PM PDT

WHITTIER - Jonathan Alatriste kicked a 24-yard field goal with 1:18 left to give Roosevelt High School the nonleague victory over Whittier on Friday night at California High.

Roosevelt scored first on quarterback Jesse Diaz's 54-yard scoring pass to Elgin Rosales with a little less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Whittier running back Jeremy Lara scored on a 16-yard touchdown run with 11:05 left in the second quarter to make it 7-7.

The Cardinals' Daniel Enriquez scored on a 19-yard run with 47 seconds left in the half to give Whittier a 14-7 lead at halftime.

Roosevelt pulled to within 14-13 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Jose Guillen with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Rough Riders' Manny Ayon returned a 35-yard punt to put Roosevelt in Whittier's territory. An 18 yard-pass completion from Diaz to back Jose Guillen put the Rough Riders into field goal range, setting up Alatriste's game-winning kick.

There’s more to the Roosevelt High School offense than just quarterback Jesse Diaz.

The Rough Riders discovered another weapon in last Friday’s 40-0 rout of Contreras.

To be sure, Diaz had his usual solid game, completing 11 of 20 passes for 270 yards and four touchdowns despite having several passes dropped.

But, junior running back Benjamin Gonzales stepped forward to give the ground game a boost as the Rough Riders improved to 2-1.

Gonzales, slowed by injury and illness the first couple of weeks, had 56 yards and a touchdown on four carries, but could have had a monster night had 60- and 40-yard runs not been wiped out by penalties.

“He was one of our big surprises,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said of the track team sprinter. “The way he ran was great. The kid had a breakout game. He’s gone from third to first string.”

Most of the damage, though, was done through the air.

Diaz, who helped the Riders to a 23-0 halftime lead, then played only one series in the second half, had scoring passes of 25 yards to Alex Ramirez, 22 yards to Manny Ayon, 24 yards to Brian Torres and 20 yards to Juan Gonzalez.

Cid was generally pleased with the way his team played.

“Overall, I thought we had a good performance,” he said. “They played the way I thought they should against Contreras. Our quarterback played well and our offensive line protected well. They didn’t give up any sacks.

“Contreras lacked size, but was well-coached.”

Next up for Roosevelt is a road game against Whittier (1-1) at California Friday. Whittier is coming off a 42-14 loss to Warren.

Whittier’s coaching staff includes four ex-Rough Rider coaches, including its previous head coach, Jason Carlin.

“This is going to be a big test for us,” Cid said. “They are an up-and-coming team in their league (Del Rio), so it will tell us how we’ll fare the rest of the year.

“I’m expecting a high-scoring game against them. I think it will be similar to the Wilson game (21-20 victory). It could go either way.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 18.SEP.08

Cutting down the number of penalties will be the priority of Roosevelt High School’s football coaching staff this week.

The Rough Riders, who have a nonleague game at Contreras Friday, need to eliminate some of the infractions that plagued them in a 41-0 loss to Torrey Pines and 21-20 victory over Wilson the first two weeks of the season.

Considering the lopsided nature of the Torrey Pines game, other factors besides penalties contributed to that outcome. But the mistakes probably prevented them from winning by a bigger margin against Wilson.

“We had at least three drives stopped by penalties,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said of the Wilson game. “We need to minimize our mistakes. We’re never going to be perfect, but we should have scored at least three more touchdowns.”

Despite the mistakes, the Rough Riders wiped out a 20-7 first-half deficit to record the win.

Senior quarterback Jesse Diaz (13 of 23 for 148 yards, 10 carries for 80 yards) did a solid job of running and passing and scored a touchdown on a 15-yard dash.

Sophomore Jesse Lira’s two-yard run and Jonathan Alatriste’s conversion also contributed to the victory. Lira’s 25-yard pass to Manny Ayon (six catches for 89 yards) set up the score. Alex Ramirez scored the first Roosevelt touchdown on a one-yard run.

Defensively, the Rough Riders clamped down on Wilson in the second half, putting special emphasis on Mules wide receiver Anthony Denham.

Denham caught a 45-yard scoring pass in the first half to contribute to Wilson’s lead. In the second half, Ayon was put on him and Denham did not catch a pass after the break.

The defense played well, even though two starting linebackers were sidelined by injuries and middle backer Rafael Ortega was playing despite a sore ankle.

“We’re kind of inexperienced and banged up on defense right now,” Cid said.

From a cultural standpoint, the trip to San Diego County was a good one for Roosevelt High School.

It was another story from a football standpoint.

“We wanted the kids to get out of L.A. County and see another area,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “It was a good opportunity to see another socio-economic group. It was a good experience and we were treated well.”

They weren’t treated so well on the field, losing to San Diego Division I power Torrey Pines, 41-0.

Cid did add, “There wasn’t any trash-talking. Our kids were commenting afterwards that after plays, the Torrey Pines players would be saying things like, ‘nice hit, nice play.’ Our kids weren’t used to that.”

Still, there was the matter of the lopsided score.

The Rough Riders went into the season thinking they had a high-powered offense, featuring All-City quarterback Jesse Diaz. While Diaz threw for 200 yards, penalties wiped out a number of potential scoring threats.

“Our quarterback got hit a lot,” Cid. “He was able to scramble around and hit some passes, but we got a lot of penalties.

“We’ll bounce back. I feel good about the experience. It’s the first time the football team has ever been outside of L.A. County. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the job done on the field, but now we know what we need to work on.”

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 04.SEP.08

Roosvelt High School football coach Javier Cid is heaping a lot on the shoulders, not to mention legs, of senior quarterback Jesse Diaz this year.

Diaz, part of a quality returning City quarterback class that also includes Franklin’s Adrian Diaz and Jordan’s James Boyd, is coming off a junior season in which he threw for 2,460 yards and 18 touchdowns, while completing 70 percent of his passes. Cid is expecting that much, and hopefully, more, as well as another 500 or so yards rushing.

“I think we’ll have him running more,” said Cid, whose Rough Riders open the season at San Diego Section power Torrey Pines Friday. “Hopefully, he’ll have about 3,000 yards of total offense.”

With the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Diaz leading a talented corps of offensive players that also includes junior wideout Manny Ayon (43 catches, 746 yards, five TDs), junior receiver Tino Lomeli and sophomore receiver Jesse Lira, as well as fullback Jose Guillen, the Rough Riders are expected to be potent offensively.

Considering there’s little returning experience on defense, the offense will have to carry the load, according to Cid.

“Offense is our strength,” he said. “We lost a lot on defense, so we’re going to have to outscore teams to win. I see us having to score in the high 20s or 30s. Defense is a question mark. We have good kids there, just not a lot of experience or much depth.”

Rafael Ortega, the returning center and middle linebacker, is the defensive leader. Guillen plays linebacker and returning letterman Daryl Lazo has been impressive at free safety in preseason drills.

Another player to watch is 6-3, 280-pound lineman Nelson Maldonado, who has Arizona State and UNLV showing interest.

As for the Eastern League race, Cid said it has never been better from top to bottom.

“We had five teams go to the playoffs last year,” he said. “The teams that were strong last year are strong this year. Some of the others are getting stronger.

“Jordan (league champ) is even better because it has a lot of thee-year starters. Garfield has a lot of talent returning from its (Invitational) championship team. South East has the best running back (Senen Carson) in the league. Bell is getting better. The whole league is getting better.”

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By replacing Crenshaw with Torrey Pines on the preleague schedule, Roosevelt is making history with the longest road trip in school history, according to Cid.

“We’re really excited about the trip,” he said. “It’ll be a good experience for the kids. The game will be a good challenge.”