After playing in the Rio Hondo League for 64 years, football faces new competition in the larger league.
Story by Hung Gwan Lau
Staff Writer
Photo by Mac Shropshire
Photo Editor
After years of competing in the Rio Hondo league, the football team is entering a new season with the Boulder League. This change will introduce SPHS to more opponents and challenges such as adjusting for the loss of important players.
For senior captain Grayson Ebner, the move is a major change for the program after South Pasadena has played in the Rio Hondo League for 64 years.
“I think that it’s a big jump,” Ebner said. “We’ve been in the Rio Hondo League for years, so it’s definitely different. But with the league we were placed in, I think we can perform really well.”
The difference in competition is the biggest change that Ebner expects to see. With a new league comes new opponents, but after largely dominating in the Rio Hondo, the Tigers are filled to the brim with confidence for their season.
“I think the new league is easier for us and I think we have a really good chance to perform this year,” Ebner said.
The team is expecting to be one of the stronger programs this year as players enter with high expectations. Even as the team has lost some offensive players to graduation, the Tigers are bouncing back thanks to the younger players who have already been stepping up to the challenge.
“We definitely did lose some blocking linemen who were very helpful. But as a team, we have great younger guys stepping up who are filling those roles well,” Ebner said. “It’s always sad but it always gives younger guys a chance to bond with whoever was already on the team.”
Senior captain Rick Matsuda agreed that the team is still undergoing important changes in their roster. Matsuda believes that their team’s loss mostly stemmed from fundamentals, saying, “I think it was more discipline.”
The team has also had to deal with some injuries that have made it harder to acclimate new players into the team.
“We’re not staying healthy,” Matsuda said. “We have guys that can do better than what we had last year. We just need them to come back, that’s all.”
Following a difficult loss, Head Coach Jeff Chi said the size difference between the Maple Mountain players made the game especially challenging. The Maple Mountain outweighed the Tigers by around 40 pounds.
“I was very proud of the way our guys never quit and they kept fighting till the end,” Chi said.
This game was a chance for the team to learn before entering the league. Chi believes these challenges will set the team up for the rest of the season.
“Our ultimate goal right here is to get ready for the league,” Chi said. “All these mistakes and failures for us [we can] learn from and get better from.”
According to Chi, the team’s biggest adjustment will be facing new opponents while still trying to bring their rising players up to speed. “Trying to get used to their style and their stuff and their players, that’s going to take a little bit more extra time to scout and then get ready for,” Chi said.
Now in an unfamiliar position, what will ultimately carry the Tigers through their first season is the culture and bond the team is founded on.
“I think everybody knows our goal, and everyone’s working towards it,” Chi said.