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L.A. County quarterback Jesse Diaz from Roosevelt High School looks for a receiver during the Southern California Fiesta Bowl. Inland Empire won, 35-27. (Photo by www.marinmedia.org.)
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.”
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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BellGardensSun: Franklin, Roosevelt to Play in City Invitational Semifinals
December 4, 2008 --
By Mario Villegas, Exclusive to EGP
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.
Source: BellGardensSun
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WaveNewspapers.com: Not much separates Roosevelt, Franklin
December 3, 2008 --
By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 04.DEC.08
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.”
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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DailyNews.com: Roosevelt 25, El Camino Real 11
November 26, 2008 --
Daily News
Updated: 11/26/2008 10:47:48 PM PST
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
Source: DailyNews.com
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WaveNewspapers.com: Roosevelt runs past Jefferson in first round
November 25, 2008 --
By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 27.NOV.08
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.”
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WaveNewspapers.com: Roosevelt Faces Jefferson
November 19, 2008 --
Roosevelt (8-2), which shared the Eastern League title with Jordan and Garfield (both are in the City Division playoffs), drew the No. 2 Invitational seed and hosts Jefferson (4-5) in the first round.
The Rough Riders are led by senior quarterback Jesse Diaz, who has thrown for 1,918 yards and 19 TDs with one interception. Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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LATimes.com: Roosevelt Favorite to Win Invitational
November 17, 2008 --
Top seedings: 1. Arleta (10-0), 2. Roosevelt (8-2), 3. Franklin (8-2), 4. Fairfax (6-4).
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.
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MaxPreps.com: 5D2F visits Roosevelt High School
November 17, 2008 --
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LATimes.com: Garfield-Roosevelt is a rivalry with few peers at the high school level
November 13, 2008 --
Javier Cid, left, and Tommy Lopez were enemies long before they became best friends. They played against each other in the East L.A. Classic in the 1980s.
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.
Source: LATimes.com
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WaveNewspapers.com: Diaz is well-armed for success
November 12, 2008 --
Quarterback Jesse Diaz leads the way for Roosevelt.
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.”
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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LATimes.com: East L.A. Classic could have feminine touch
November 12, 2008 --
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
Source: LATimes.com
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LATimes.com: Roosevelt QB has had big season
November 9, 2008 --
With a crowd approaching 25,000 expected for Friday night's East L.A. Classic featuring Roosevelt and Garfield at East L.A. College, it's time to salute the performance this season of Roosevelt senior quarterback Jesse Diaz.
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
Source: LATimes.com
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LATimes.com: What makes the Garfield-Roosevelt rivalry so special?
November 5, 2008 --
A little over a month ago, I asked everyone in the blogosphere what was the Southland's greatest rivalry. Some people accused me of asking a dumb question. And I'll admit I had an obvious answer in mind, because how could anything top the annual East Los Angeles Classic?
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.
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LATimes.com: Smart Decision [by Roosevelt]
October 27, 2008 --
Eric Sondheimer
October 27, 2008
Javier Cid of Los Angeles Roosevelt deserves coach-of-the-week honors for his astounding strategy in a 33-21 upset victory over Los Angeles Jordan.
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
Source: LATimes.com
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WaveNewspapers.com: This game plan was well run
October 29, 2008 --
By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 30.OCT.08
Sometimes, game plans work to perfection.
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.”
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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LATimes.com: City Section Championship info; Roosevelt favorites?
October 27, 2008 --
The City Section Interscholastic Athletic Committee has given approval for a football doubleheader at the Coliseum, but only if someone comes up with $20,000.
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
Source: LATimes.com
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PressTelegram.com: Roosevelt 33, Jordan 21
October 25, 2008 --
Roosevelt 33, L.A. Jordan 21: Jose Guillen ran for four touchdowns as the Rough Riders (7-1, 3-0) took control of the Eastern League race with the win over the touted Bulldogs (2-1).
Source: PressTelegram.com
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WaveNewspapers.com: Roosevelt faces a desperate opponent
October 15, 2008 --
By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 16.OCT.08
Roosevelt High School might be facing a desperate team when South East visits Friday in an Eastern League football game.
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.”
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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WaveNewspapers.com: Roosevelt covers lots of ground in victory over South Gate
October 8, 2008 --
By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 09.OCT.08
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.”
Source : WaveNewspapers.com
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WhittierDailyNews.com: Roosevelt 16, Whittier 14
September 26, 2008 --
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.
Whittier falls to 1-3 on the season. Source: WhittierDailyNews.com
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WaveNewspapers.com: Rough Riders expand offense
September 25, 2008 --
By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 25.SEP.08
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.”
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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Roosevelt's coach Cid named Coach Of The Week!
September 21, 2008 --
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WaveNewspapers.com: Roosevelt hopes not to get flagged down again
September 17, 2008 --
Wilson High School quarterback Jonathan Rojas prepares to unleash a pass as Roosevelt defensive lineman Salvador Romero closes in. Roosevelt escaped with a 21-20 victory.
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.
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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WaveNewspapers.com: Roosevelt has rough time with T. Pines
September 10, 2008 --
By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 11.SEP.08
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.”
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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WaveNewspapers.com: Roosevelt expects to go on the offensive against foes this year
September 3, 2008 --
Quarterback Jesse Diaz leads the Roosevelt High School offense.
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.”
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
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