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Prep Football Strength of Schedule: Monrovia, Arcadia, Pasadena
Monrovia Weekly Jul 20, 2017
2.Which prep football team will reign supreme at the end of the season? – Courtesy photo / Jennifer Boone
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Which prep football team will reign supreme at the end of the season? – Courtesy photo / Jennifer Boone
By Fredy Ramirez
Football season is around the corner with only a month left before most schools start their season. Like most, these football teams wonder what road lies before them.
For some teams, it seems like a daunting task, for others it seems like a walk in the park. Let’s take a look at which prep football teams have the hardest road before them.
The teams’ schedules are ranked based on a 10-point scale with 10 being the hardest possible schedule and one being the easiest. Last year’s win percentage and the number of returners dictated the criteria for being a “tough team.”
Arcadia Apaches (Arcadia)
Strength of schedule: 5.9
With pre-season games against Cathedral and Hart the Apaches are in for a rough beginning. Things don’t get any easier as they’ll face Burbank and Crescenta Valley in Pacific League play. Both of these games may decide who the 2017 Pacific League champion will be.
Blair Vikings (Pasadena)
Strength of schedule: 5.9
The Vikings start off the season with Cambell hall and Inglewood in their first 3 games. Inglewood blew out the Vikings and would be expecting to do the same. Things don’t get easier as they’ll play South Pasadena and Monrovia in Rio Hondo League play.
La Salle Lancers (Pasadena)
Strength of schedule: 6.85
The road to an Angelus League title will be a challenging one for the lancers. They have the toughest schedule in the area. There is a four game stretch where they will face opponents that combined to go 35-10 last year.
Maranatha Minutemen (Pasadena)
Strength of schedule: 6.1
The Minute men have the third hardest schedule in the area. Juggernauts like Valley Christian will pose problems for the Minutemen in the Olympic League.
Marshall Eagles (Pasadena)
Strength of schedule: 5.16
The Eagles have the second easiest schedule in the area. They will face teams like San Gabriel and Blair that combined for three wins all of last season. However, their biggest challenge will come at the end of the season against defending league champs South El Monte.
Monrovia Wildcats (Monrovia)
Strength of schedule: 5.65
The Wildcats start the season off against Burbank which should be a good game. The game against South Pasadena may determine who sits atop of the Rio Hondo league.
Muir Mustangs (Pasadena)
Strength of schedule: 5.8
Being in the same league as Arcadia, Crescenta Valley and Burbank doesn’t make life easy for the Mustangs.
Pasadena Bulldogs (Pasadena)
Strength of schedule: 6.3
The Bulldogs have the second hardest schedule in the area. They also share the misfortune of being in the same league as Arcadia, Crescenta Valley and Burbank. Scheduling heavyweights Buena Park and St. Francis doesn’t make things any easier.
Pasadena Polytechnic Panthers (Pasadena)
Strength of schedule: 4.95
The Panthers have the easiest schedule in the area. Their opponents combined to go 41-58-1 last season. The biggest challenge comes against Boron toward the end of the season.
The La Salle Lancers have the hardest schedule in prep football and the Pasadena Polytechnic Panthers have the easiest schedule. This isn’t a prediction for how each team will do. That article will come out at a later time. The strength of schedule should start to shape the picture of how these prep football teams will do.
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