Football:

Photos L-R: Cheo Medina by Josh Thompson, & Max Garrison by Ryan Tomey

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

There were a number of athletes within the 210 Prep Sports coverage zone that could have easily and rightfully been selected as our site’s top player.

And that list includes Pasadena’s Kaden Taylor, Glendora’s Braydon Brus, Rio Hondo Prep’s Jonathan Guerrero and Monrovia’s Carlos Hernandez or Noah Rodriguez.

There were two guys, however, that not only put their team on their back, they played starring roles in historic postseason runs for both of their programs.

Northview running back and workhorse, Cheo Medina, led the area in rushing yards and was third in TD’s.

St. Francis’ elusive and dynamic running back, Max Garrison, was first in rushing TD’s, and second in yards.

Medina’s Vikings won their first CIF-SS championship since 1987, and Garrison’s Golden Knights finished as the D-4 runner up, after dropping a title game to a Long Beach Poly program that should have been no lower than Division 2.

For their monumental accomplishments and contributions, both individually and collectively with their teammates and coaches, Cheo Medina and Max Garrison have been named the 210 Prep Sports Football Players of the Year.

Cheo Medina and his Vikings got off to a pretty slow start in 2021.

Northview entered Valle Vista League play 2-5, thanks to injuries and a number of COVID-related setbacks.

In fact, the Vikings didn’t have their starting 11 on offense or defense together in one game until several weeks into the playoffs.

But thanks to a steady group of seniors, and a calm and seasoned coaching staff, Northview persevered through the rough patches and went on to claim a share of the VVL title with San Dimas.

The Vikings most significant win of the regular season was a 21-7 victory at SDHS.

And all they needed was a week-10 victory over 1-8 Los Altos to win the outright league championship, and to secure a home playoff game in the first round.

NHS held a 28-0 lead over LAHS at the half, but fell 29-28, to the surprise of many.

But here’s where Northview’s players and coaches showed their mettle.

The Vikings shook it off, learned their lesson, and would open the playoffs with a 30-14 victory at Garden Grove.

In the quarterfinals, they knocked off Kaiser (42-13), and then headed out to Palmdale to face a Falcons program that had just throttled Covina, 58-13, the week before.

Northview never trailed in a 28-14, semifinal-round victory.

The only thing that stood between Northview and its first CIF-SS championship in 24 years was a high-scoring St. Anthony program from Long Beach.

The Saints got out to an early lead, but the Vikings left Covina District Field with a 27-20 victory, and that elusive D-10 championship trophy.

NHS wasn’t done yet.

Eight days after the CIF title-game, the Vikings trailed Colony by 17 points in the second half of the CIF-State Division 4A Southern California Regional.

As they had done all postseason, Northview stormed back and edged the Titans, 27-26, to clinch its first So Cal Regional Championship game (state playoff) in school history.

The boys from Covina would end the year in San Francisco on December 11th, where they fell in a shootout with Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep in the state title game.

But not before making school history twice and going further than any school in the San Gabriel Valley.

It goes without saying that every player and coach made vital contributions during this run.

And none bigger than Cheo Medina.

The 6-foot, 190-pound running back was incredible.

Medina led the entire area with his 1,946 rushing yards.

His 18 TD’s on the ground were third best in the area to Garrison (30) and Rio Hondo Prep’s Jonathan Guerrero (27).

Medina’s yards after contact and the difficulty in which he made it to take him down is something that separated the NHS senior from most.

But another trait that made this 17-year-old athlete so special was his conditioning and the ability to wear down an opponent’s defense late in games, not to mention his versatility.

Medina caught 15 passes for 220 yards and he had a pair of receiving TD’s.

His receiving numbers aren’t going to make anyone’s eyes pop, but it was when he made the catches and the yards after the catch that made Medina so deadly for Northview opponents.

Cheo had huge TD catches in the semifinal round victory at Palmdale and the state championship game in San Francisco.

Another reception, a 55-yard catch-and-run, helped extend a drive against St. Anthony in the CIF-SS D-10 title game.

Shortly thereafter, Ronal Tebo Jr. would punch it in from 1-yard out to catch the Saints at 7-7 in the first quarter.

The drive seemed to immediately blunt St. Anthony’s momentum and gave the Vikings a much-needed shot in the arm.

Medina’s 54-yard sprint into the west end zone gave Northview a 21-7, third-quarter lead, and the NHS defense would do the rest.

In the playoffs alone, he rushed for 820 yards, scoring six TD’s on the ground and catching a pair of receiving TD’s.

From this writer’s perspective, it’s Medina’s selflessness, versatility, and not caring who gets the credit as long as Northview is winning games that makes him a treasured member of that program.

In every conversation we’ve had, Medina would rattle off praise to the coaches, his quarterback, the O-line and the Vikings’ defense before he’ll even consider taking credit for any of the NHS success in 2021.

Medina hasn’t had the most harmonious home life, so school, his friends and football have served as a refuge for this young man.

Cheo said his grandma, Trina Thompson has been his rock, and someone he loves greatly and is eternally grateful to.

Medina, as described by fellow senior Erik Saiz down in the quotable section, demanded a lot of his teammates.

And they expected as much from him.

Adrien Gonzales, a stud in the NHS linebacking corps, challenged Medina at practice one day, because Cheo wasn’t giving his usual 100-percent effort.

It resulted in a little scrum, but instead of holding a grudge or dividing the team, Medina took it constructively.

“We got into an argument because I was half-assing it in practice and I’m a leader and he’s a leader, so as a leader, he did his job and got on my ass,” Medina said. “He knows our teammates are looking up to us and we can control the energy when it comes to how good or bad our practices go. And after that, I had to realize that I was wrong, and ever since, all 10 of us who are considered leaders, have been on each other every day to make sure we are keeping our team in check an making sure we all remain together as a team and a family.”

If Medina doesn’t get any college offers, he’s not averse to going to JC route.

When asked what he hopes his teammates remember him for, Cheo said, “I hope they remember me as a hard worker and a person who was never satisfied with being average, and someone that always wanted more for myself and my teammates. But I was also a guy who always put the teams needs above my own, and so did the rest of the guys on this team. That’s why we won a CIF-SS and So Cal Regional championship.”

Here’s how Northview coach Marcel Perez described his star running back: “we put it on his back with (Ronal) Tebo. He knew we needed him to run us to victory. One of the things that made Cheo and his teammates tough were our practices. Since he only plays on offense, he would actually play running back for our scout offense to challenge our defense for that week’s opponent and most teams wouldn’t do that. Our players really embraced doing their part to make themselves and our entire team stronger each day. Cheo was our guy and he’s a workhorse. He kept his head down and kept playing football. He is a very special kid and he’s tough as nails.”

Max Garrison might be just 17 years of age, but this young man is old school, both on and off the football field.

Garrison truly embodies the “we’ as opposed to the “me’ type of athlete.

Over his amazing four-year run at St. Francis, Garrison has contributed in so many ways, and in all three phases of the game.

His work ethic, prioritizing what truly matters in life, and the values that guide his life are even more impressive than even his game-changing, on-the-field prowess.

In a career that totaled 3,202 rushing yards & 47 TD’s on the ground, it was his 2021 season that has earned Garrison our co-Player of the Year status with Northview’s Cheo Medina.

Garrison was second to Medina in rushing yards.

Max gained 1,794 yards on 190 carries, which was just 152 yards back of the Northview senior.

But Garrison accomplished that total in three less games.

Just like Medina and Northview, Garrison and St. Francis won a share of their (Angelus) league title and had a historic playoff run.

St. Francis smoked unbeaten Irvine, 47-20, in the first round of the CIF-SS D-4 playoffs.

The next week, the boys from La Canada headed to Temecula and despite an early Chaparral TD, the Golden Knights headed home a 28-14 winner.

To earn their spot in the CIF-SS D-4 title game, and for only the second time in 50 years, St. Francis shut out La Serna, 20-0, in the semifinal round.

And their season ended with a 38-7 title-game loss to Long Beach Poly, who, as mentioned earlier, was at least two divisions lower than the Jackrabbits belonged.

But that didn’t dampen a single thing that Garrison or the St. Francis program accomplished in 2021.

Garrison, one of the four SFHS captains (Duncan Sprengel, Myles Shannon and Mayze Bryant), known as a ‘Golden Knight,’ led the entire area with 3o rushing TD’s, which was three better than Rio Hondo Prep’s Jonathan Guerrero.

In their playoff run, the future San Diego State defensive back, tallied 537 rushing yards and seven TD’s, and that included a 227-yard, four-TD game against Irvine in the first round.

Garrison also caught 21 passes for 247 yards and one receiving TD.

What makes Max so unique is his uncanny ability to score from anywhere on the field and in any situation.

You’d have to see video or photos of Garrison’s work on the field to truly and fully appreciate his skills.

And Garrison showed signs early on that he was going to be a great player and teammate.

Max scored five TD’s in the first half of a game during his freshman year, and he didn’t care where he was on the field, as long as that’s where St. Francis needed him most.

Garrison and the late-great St. Francis coach, Jim Bonds, were very close, and he had a very tough time dealing with Bonds’s death at just 51 years of age.

But it’s also something that has made Garrison so appreciative to first-year SFHS coach, Dean Herrington.

Herrington, who has won eight CIF-SS titles and multiple state championships, was a good friend of Bonds, and from the first day, Garrison said that Herrington developed meaningful and genuine relationships with each of the SFHS players.

Garrison and his teammates also loved the fact that Herrington kept Bonds’ longtime staff to keep that continuity in place.

As much as Garrison does and will always love Jim Bonds, he felt Herrington didn’t always get the credit he deserved for coming in and making the program a championship caliber team in his first year.

Max also recalled a very deep moment from this season, in which ended with Garrison and his mother Lisa embracing through flowing tears at the end of the 44-32 regular-season finale victory at Crespi on October 29th.

What made it so emotional? It was at Crespi two years prior, where Max made a huge play and ran to the sidelines to get a warm embrace from Bonds.

That hug with Bonds is a moment that Max will cherish throughout his life.

“Just being back on that field after we had lost my sophomore year brought back so many memories, including the hug that I will never forget after I had an 80-yard TD catch,” he said. “The hug with my mom was just a release of all those emotions that I was feeling.”

Garrison said his parents, Lisa and Milan, have raised him to put his grades and conduct before anything that ever happens on a sporting field.

And he’s secure enough in his manhood to acknowledge that his 20-year-old sister, Summer, who plays soccer at the University of Illinois, is someone he’s always looked up to.

To cement his reputation as a great teammate and young man, when asked what he hopes he’s remembered for by his younger teammates, Garrison said, “well, I hope they saw me as someone they could always come to whether it was a question about football, school, life or whatever. I hope they saw me as someone who cared for more for the team than any individual accolade, but most important to me, I hope I’m someone they remember as a better person than I was a player, because I care so much more about that than anything that could ever happen on a football field.”

Garrison also wanted to thank everyone at St. Francis for helping him grow as an athlete and a person.

And Max said the lifelong relationships that he’s built over the last four years in La Canada is what he’ll treasure most.

His coach made it short and sweet.

“Max had a great four-year career at St. Francis, first-year coach Dean Herrington said. “He was what made our offense go this year. Max has a bright future at SDSU.”

Below are quotes from the SFHS and NHS players, the Vikings offensive coordinator, as well as individual and career stats for both of these top-tier athletes.

Quotable:

Northview offensive coordinator, Anthony Silva: “Cheo was definitely our Bell Cow running back on a team full of skilled players. With today’s athletes, you definitely have to adapt to your players and learn what gets certain players going and what doesn’t. I have developed a great relationship with Cheo over his four years and I am proud of the athlete he has become, but most importantly, the young man he has become. He has overcome a lot of adversity growing up, and to see the same excited reactions he has when a teammate scores as when he does bring me joy. Cheo’s unique skill set of power, speed and willingness to block allowed me to change from a spread stretch the field offense to a power run game and that led us to a State title game.”

Northview senior, Erik Saiz: “Che0 is that he is the ultimate competitor and doesn’t back down to anyone. Throughout the season, we played many great teams and talented players, and while some people would’ve gotten intimidated, Cheo never did. He was always up for the challenge and looked at it as another opportunity to prove himself to scouts and fans alike. One thing that Cheo did was hold everyone to the same standard he held himself to. That isn’t always a popular stance to take, but that’s something I really appreciate about him. He wants to be great and expects others around him to feel the same way. An example of this would have to be the Mayfair game, where Cheo was averaging six or seven yards per carry, and while for many other running backs would have loved that average, Cheo did not. He was unsatisfied and still picking out things that he believed the o-line and he could do better.”

Northview junior, James Arellanes: “Cheo is a very special player and teammate, and I’m glad I got to play with him for two years. He was one of the workhorses of our team this year, and we could always rely on him to be a playmaker in big moments. I’m very grateful to him for having stayed a team player all year, even through the rough start that we had. He never gave up on this team and this family. I remember a moment in the Palmdale game, when we were up 14-7 and we were driving. He fumbled the ball and Palmdale picked it up and scored. In big games, it could be easy for people to shut down after turnovers like that, but Cheo didn’t. He took a moment and gathered himself and came out the next drive and scored on a trick play. That alone showed me how much he wanted to win and I’m really glad we got to send him and those other seniors off with a ring.”

St. Francis senior, Mayze Bryant: “Max is the guy that every team would love to have on their roster, on either side of the ball. He knows how to turn a loss of yards scenario play into a touchdown. There’s not a lot of high school kids that can change a game like Max does. And he has been doing that since we were six years old playing Pop Warner. So, every time he made a huge play, it didn’t surprise me as much as everyone else when he broke a huge run, because it became kind of normal.”

St. Francis junior, Jack Jacobs: “Max is one of the most genuine guys you could ever meet. He always puts the needs of others before himself. I love his competitive nature, and he’s outstanding under pressure. Max played running back for us most of the season, because that’s where we needed him most, and it’s not even the position he’s going to play in college. But Max always puts the team first. He’s also the guy we counted on to make big plays. He was always ready for his number to be called late in the game and he never wavered.”

St. Francis sophomore, John Calmette: “Max was a teammate that everyone needs in their life. His leadership on and off the field inspired me as not only a player, but also as a person. The biggest takeaway from playing with Max was the confidence and character that rubbed off onto me when he spoke to me. The best memory I have of him is when our team was in a tough game during halftime where our team was mentally out of it. Max stepped up as a leader to bring us together as one team, and it resulted with a comeback win. As an underclassman, Max made an impact on me by making me feel welcomed to the team. He truly embraced the brotherhood and made our team tighter. For the next three years at St Francis, Max will always be my role model in developing as a player and a young man.”

Cheo Medina’s CIF-SS Division 10 & CIF State D-4A Playoff Stats:
First Round at Garden Grove: 209 yards rushing & two TD’s
Quarterfinal vs Kaiser: 98 yards & three TD’s
Semifinal at Palmdale: 140 yards, & 44-yard TD catch
CIF-SS D-10 Championship vs St. Anthony: 114 yards, 54-yard TD, & huge 48-yard reception to extend a crucial drive
CIF State D-4A So Cal Regional at Colony: 155 yards on 31 carries
CIF State D-4A Title Game at SHCP: 55 yards rushing & 55-yard receiving TD
Total: 766 yards rushing, six rushing TD’s and two receiving TD’s

Max Garrison’s CIF-SS Division 4 Playoff Stats:
First Round vs Irvine: 227 yards rushing & four TD’s
Quarterfinal at Chaparral: 150 yards & one TD
Semifinal vs La Serna: 130 yards & TD
CIF-SS D-4 Championship vs LBP: 30 yards
Total: 537 yards & six TD’s

Cheo Medina’s Career Stats:
2021 Fall: (9-7, 2-1): 250-1,946, 18 TD’s; 15-220-2 TD’s
2021 Spring: (2-3, 1-2): 75-560-7 TD’s; 1 catch 2 yards
2019: (8-3, 4-1): 51-501-4TDs; 6-70-1TD
Three-Year Total: 3,007 yards rushing & 29 TD’s, plus 21 catches for 292 & three TD’s

Max Garrison’s Career Stats:
2021 Fall: (10-3, 2-1): 190 carries, 1,794 yards, 30 TD’s; 21-247 1 TD
2021 Spring: (4-2, 2-1): 115-784-10 TD’s; 17-240-2TD
2019: (8-3, 2-1); 46-229 1TD; 17-294-3 TD’s
2018 (6-5, 2-1): 51-395 6 TD’s; 9-110-1TD
Four-Year Total: 3,202 rushing yards & 47 TD’s, plus 64 catches for 891 yards & 7 TD’s

To view a photo gallery of Cheo Medina with pics by Miranda Saiz, RT Tolentino, Josh Thompson & Mona Fowler, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook

To view a photo gallery of Max Garrison by Ryan Tomey, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook