Football:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Who: St. Anthony (9-4) vs Northview (7-6)
What: CIF-SS Division 10 Championship Game
Where: Covina District Field
When: Friday at 7 p.m.

After a 29-28 loss to 1-8 Los Altos in their regular-season finale, a setback that cost Northview a first-round home playoff game, very few people outside of their inner circle could have predicted, that on the day after Thanksgiving, the Vikings would be playing in the CIF-SS Division 10 championship game.

But that doesn’t faze Marcel Perez, his coaching staff or players in the slightest, because the Northview football program is used to the skeptics, they have a track record of rebounding from adversity, and most important, the Vikings believe in themselves.

And as the Metallica song goes, ‘nothing else matters.’

During a Tuesday morning interview session at the Northview practice, and to their credit, Coach Perez and a number of his players acknowledged that the Vikings “got a little cocky” in the second half of the Los Altos game, but they also felt the setback could be used constructively as a timely wake-up call, which humbled and helped spark this playoff run.

The Vikings’ character and toughness was tested twice this year, and they responded remarkably well both times.

Northview began the season 2-5, and that included a stretch where they dropped consecutive games to Covina, California, Mayfair and Bonita.

The Vikings regrouped and won a share of the Valle Vista League championship thanks to a 21-7 road victory at San Dimas.

It must have felt especially good, considering the Saints shut out Northview, 35-0, on April 9, during the spring season.

After the regular-season ending loss on October 29, the Vikings had to choose whether to sink or swim.

And they decided to give Michael Phelps a run for his money.

In the first week of the D-10 playoffs, the Vikings picked up a 30-14 victory at Garden Grove.

Northview would then dominate Kaiser, 42-13, in the quarterfinal round.

James Arellanes threw three TD passes, and Cheo Medina rushed for 100 yards and had three scores of his own.

Up next, the Vikings went out to Palmdale for a semifinal showdown with a Falcons program that dismantled Covina, 58-13, a week prior.

Northview would score on their first drive of the game, and they played with composure, heart and toughness, and headed home with a 28-14 victory.

The Vikings defense held Palmdale to 27 points under their weekly scoring average, and did so on the Falcons’ home field.

The NHS ground game tallied 288 yards on 47 carries.

Ronal Tebo rushed for 114 and two TD’s.

Medina carried the ball 19 times for 140 yards.

Medina also caught a 44-yard TD pass from Steven Carlin.

That gets us to Friday’s showdown with St. Anthony at Covina District Field.

And while the Saints don’t post their stats online, they’ve scored 441 points, which is an average of 34 per game.

St. Anthony enters Friday’s title tilt having edged Del Rey League rival, Salesian, 49-48.

The Saints were able to avenge a 43-41 loss to the Mustangs in league play back on October 14.

St. Anthony’s defense has surrendered 364 points in 2021, or 28 per game, and that’s 97 points more than the Northview ‘D’ has allowed.

Over the last three weeks, Northview outscored Garden Grove, Kaiser and Palmdale by a margin of 100-41.

And the Vikings’ defense is, according to Coach Perez, playing its best football of the season.

It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar or a CalTech graduate to say the Vikings will leave Covina District Field with the CIF-SS Division 10 trophy if they’re able to limit penalties and turnovers, and if the Northview O-line can keep the St. Anthony offense on the sidelines by establishing the run game.

At Tuesday morning’s practice, Northview wrestling legends (coaches) Dave Ochoa and Bobby Bellamy stopped by to give Coach Perez their best, and Bellamy couldn’t hide his excitement about the prospects of a potential title-game victory on Friday.

“These kids are so easy to root for, because they work their butts off, and they believe in one another. This would mean so much to the program, the school and to the players and coaches. We are all so proud of them for their success, and for the way they’ve represented our school.”

What makes this postseason run so impressive from the outside looking in is the sizeable number of Northview players that have contributed to their success, the obstacles and failures they’ve overcome, and the undeniable unity amongst the Vikings’ players and their coaching staff.

It can not be overstated just how vital it is for each player to know and accept their individual roles, and that’s something that’s become a staple of the Northview football program.

With a victory on Friday, it would be the program’s second CIF championship in school history, and the first since 1987.

And with a win, Marcel Perez, a 1998 NHS grad, will have delivered the most sought-after trophy in high school sports to the school he loves.

To purchase tickets for Friday’s game, click on the following link: Northview High School Events and Tickets by GoFan

Just below the stats and schedules are video interviews with Northview coach Marcel Perez, and Vikings’ players Cheo Medina, James Arellanes, Steven Carlin, Erik Saiz and Adrien Gonzales.

Northview Player Stats:
Quarterback, James Arellanes: 113 for 175 for 1,342 yards, 16 TD’s & nine INT’s
Running back, Cheo Medina: 1,750 rushing yards, 17 rushing TD’s; 11 catches for 160 yards & 2 TD’s.
Running back & receiver, Erik Saiz: 380 rushing yards & 1 TD; 33 catches for 386 yards & 4 TD’s
Running back, Ronal Tebo Jr: 472 yards rushing, 8 TD’s
Running back, Jaydon Guevara: 256 rushing, three TD’s
Receiver, Aaron Silva: 24 catches for 251, one TD
Receiver, Steven Carlin: 24 catches for 350, 7 TD’s
Receiver, Mike Cervantes: 10 catches for 150, 2 TD’s

Team rushing totals: 2,816 yards and 32 TD’s

 By The Numbers:
Points For: SA: (441); N (365)
Points Allowed: SA (364); N (267)
Current Win Streak: SA (4); N (3)
Home Record: N (3-2)
Road Record: SA: (6-3)
Most Points Scored in a game: SA (53 vs Harvard Westlake); N (54 vs La Puente)
Most Points Allowed in a game: SA (48 vs Salesian); N (39 vs Mayfair)
League Finish: SA (second in Del Rey); N (tied for first in VVL)
MaxPreps State Ranking: SA (113); N (261)

St. Anthony’s 2021 Schedule:
8/19: St. Anthony 42, San Pedro 0
8/27: Mayfair 37, St. Anthony 20
9/3: LB Millikan 47, St. Anthony 8
9/9: St. Anthony 23, LB Wilson 13
9/17: St. Anthony 43, St. Pius 25
9/24: St. Anthony 43, Marina 27
10/1: St. Anthony 35, La Salle 21
10/8: St. Anthony 37, Mary Star 14
10/14: Salesian 43, St. Anthony 41
10/29: St. Anthony 53, Harvard Westlake 23
11/5: St. Anthony 41, Schurr 7
11/12: St. Anthony 48, Katella 17
11/19: St. Anthony 49, Salesian 48
11/26: St. Anthony at Northview

2021 Del Rey League Standings:
Salesian (9-4, 4-0)
St. Anthony (10-4, 3-1)
Harvard Westlake (5-7, 2-2)
La Salle (1-8, 1-3)
Mary Star (3-7, 0-4)

Northview’s 2021 Schedule:
8/20: Northview 54, La Puente 14
8/27: Charter Oak 35, Northview 13
9/3: Northview 34, South Hills 14
9/10: Covina 22, Northview 20
9/16: California 22, Northview 19
9/24: Mayfair 39, Northview 28
10/1: Bonita 27, Northview 13
10/14: Northview 35, Diamond Ranch 17
10/22: Northview 21, San Dimas 7
10/29: Los Altos 29, Northview 28
11/5: Northview 30, Garden Grove 14
11/12: Northview 42, Kaiser 13
11/19: Northview 28, Palmdale 14
11/26: St. Anthony at Northview

2021 Valle Vista League Standings:
Northview (7-6, 2-1)
San Dimas (8-4, 2-1)
Diamond Ranch (2-8, 1-2)
Los Altos (2-8, 1-2)