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Temple City Football gets underway
Arcadia Weekly Aug 29, 2013
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By SHEL SEGAL
It looks like a transitional year for the Temple City High football team. After finishing last season with a record of 5-6, coach Mike McFarland said the team’s main objective is just to improve.
“That’s our goal, to get better every day,” said McFarland, who’s in his fourth season at the helm of the Rams. “It’s a good example for the kids who were on the team last year. They got to be a part of a team that improved. Hopefully, they can take that experience and use it to help this year’s team.”
McFarland said he is fortunate he has a good squad to work with this season.
“We’re very encouraged,” he said. “We got a great group of kids. Most of them are very passionate about playing football. They’re fun to coach, so we’re very encouraged.
“The overall strength of our team, honestly, would be the attitude and effort our kids give.”
Leading the Rams at quarterback is expected to be first-year starter Nasser Banihani, who is 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds.
“He’s got a good arm,” McFarland said of Banihani. “He’s improved a lot throwing the football. He can run, too. And he’s a good leader.”
While some of his skills have yet to mature, McFarland said he likes what he sees about Banihani.
“He can get better at being in the pocket, but he’s a good athlete,” McFarland said. “That’s what we like about having him back there.”
Running the ball should be sophomore Nic Starling, who picked up 800 yards on the ground last year, and junior Nick Kaneko, who rushed for 500 a season ago.
“They’re both pretty selfless guys,” McFarland said. “They’ll block. They don’t mind trading off with each other to who has the ball.”
Joining Starling and Kaneko are expected to be Diego Arreola and Jimmy Morinaga.
“The four of them give us some good depth and some good talent at the running back position,” McFarland said.
Playing wide receiver – a position that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention with the Rams the last few seasons – should be Nathan Ruiz and Isiah Durden.
“We haven’t thrown the ball very much the past couple of years,” McFarland said. “We’ve been fortunate we’ve had some guys develop for us this year.”
McFarland added he thinks Ruiz and Durden should be expected to catch the ball this season.
“They’re just good athletes who know how to get open and they catch the football in traffic,” he said.
The offensive line is rather inexperienced this season, McFarland said. It will be anchored by right tackle Jake Ferntheil, who at 6-foot-1, 300 pounds has played nose guard on defense.
“This is a group where we have no returning starters from last year, so we’re pushing them to get better and develop,” McFarland said. “They’re getting better every day. We’re trying to help those guys get up to game speed right now.”
As far as the defense goes, McFarland said its strength should be the back seven, with Starling, Kaneko and Ruiz starting at linebacker, Durden and Arreola playing cornerback and Banihani and Bobby Hubble filling out the secondary at safety.
McFarland added the defensive line will need some more time to mature.
“It’s a young group on the d-line,” he said. “We’re trying to develop some more guys to get some more depth there.”
(Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews.com. Follow him via Twitter @sports_beacon.)
