Roosevelt High School’s Jonathan Mariscal (7) and Enrique Barragan wrap up Alhambra’s Mitchell Crockom on a kickoff return. Roosevelt defeated the Moors, 34-20. (Photo by Juan Ruvalcaba/marinmedia.org)
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.
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WaveNewspapers.com: Riders fall in final at ELAC Roosevelt High School quarterback Brandon Sifuentes prepares to launch a pass downfield during the title game of the Husky Shootout at East L.A. College. Dorsey defeated the Rough Riders, 33-25 in the final. (Wave photo)
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 Roosevelts 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 were 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. Theres 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, well be okay.
We have a lot of new kids on defense. Were young there, but were coming along. Well 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. Thats 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 years event were satisfactorily addressed.
This Husky Shootout was the best Ive been to in the last eight years, he said.
There was no tension and no one got hurt.
Source: WaveNewspapers.com
East L.A. College hosts prep passing tournament By WAVE STAFF.........WaveNewspapers.com:
Story Published: Jul 15, 2009 at 12:38 PM PDT
Eight City Section and eight Southern Section schools will be part of the 11th annual Husky Shootout summer passing tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at East L.A. College.
The lineup of City teams includes Bell, Belmont, Dorsey, Huntington Park, Lincoln, Manual Arts, Marshall and Roosevelt high schools.
Action begins at 4 p.m. Thursday with Roosevelt facing Lincoln in pool A and Manual Arts matched with Bell in pool B.
The Southern Section teams are Alhambra, Baldwin Park, Gabrielino, Inglewood, Morningside, Pasadena, Rosemead and Schurr.
They open at 4 p.m. Friday. Pairings were still to be determined.
Saturday’s games begin at 8 a.m. with the championship game at 2 p.m.
WaveNewspapers.com: It’s all academic in future for Diaz July 15, 2009
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
3 Rough Riders to play in 30th Annual Hall of Fame Game July 26, 2009When: Friday, June 26 7:00pm Where: Bassett High School, 755 Ardilla Ave., La Puente, Ca
Eastern League Players Jesse Diaz, Roosevelt, QB/DB Rafael Ortega, Roosevelt, OL Nelson Maldonado, Roosevelt.
The 30th Annual East-West San Gabriel Valley Hall of Fame All-Star football game is scheduled for Friday, June 26, at Bassett High School, 755 Ardilla Ave. in La Puente. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The game will feature the top players who will have graduated this month from about 80 high schools from Claremont to Hollywood.
Northview High School's Jim Arellanes will coach the East and Rosemead High School's Matt Koffler will guide the West team.
We would like to say THANK YOU to the 2006 and 2007 Football teams! Without them there is no 2008 Eastern League Champions! Thank you from all of us here at Roosevelt. You are Champions too!
LATimes.com: Smart Decision [by Roosevelt] October 27, 2008
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.
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