Photo of Aidan Yamazaki by Carlo Montalbo (@Carlo.Montalbo on Instagram)

Football:

Glendora has a chance to end a 35-year drought when they host Murrieta Mesa on Saturday in the CIF-SS Division 6 title game.

The kickoff is set for 7 at Citrus College.

The last time the Tartans had this opportunity, George Herbert Walker Bush was just 10 months into his presidency after two terms as Ronald Reagan’s VP.

GHS has gotten close in recent years.

In 2018 and 2019, the Tartans went a combined 22-4, and they made consecutive CIF-SS semifinal runs behind Jacob Gonzalez, Cade Marshman, AJ Salgado, Matt Gonzales and their boys.

The 2018 & 2019 teams had a significant advantage in points and raw talent.

However, that’s one of a number of facts that makes this run so special for the GHS program, its coaches, players and their fans.

Simply put, they’ve had to rely on and gotten contributions from every player in a Glendora uniform.

Just as important, GHS had to trust their coaches, accept their roles, stay the course and carry out a cerebral game plan that has them 48 minutes away from a potential title.

Murrieta Mesa (9-4) is considered the favorite.

Calpreps projects the Rams to be a four-point favorite over the Tartans.

They have advantages in points scored (347-332), passing yards per game (150-93), rushing (166-151), total offense (316-244) and MMHS is riding an eight-game win streak.

Murrieta Mesa (105) is also 43 spots higher in the current MaxPreps state rankings.

With all that said, games aren’t won or lost on paper.

And Glendora has displayed its mettle of late, especially in the playoffs.

After a 31-7 victory at Agoura in the first round of the D-6 playoffs, GHS trailed 13-0 at Rancho Verde, and 21-3 last week to their visitors from Dana Hills.

They rallied to claim victories of 31-13, and 25-21, respectively.

The Tartans ‘D’ has upped their game, allowing an average of 14 points in the postseason.

That is seven points stingier than their regular season average.

Trey Gamble leads the Rams offense.

He’s completed 99 of 165 for 1,382 yards.

That includes eight TD passes and four picks.

Brandon Coronado replaced Sebastian Lawrence late in the first half of the Rancho Verde game.

He tossed an 80-yard TD pass to Tim Johnson and ran for two scores.

For the first three-plus quarters in the semifinal contest, Coronado had tossed another TD to Johnson, but he got injured and had to leave the game.

Lawrence came in and hit Johnson on a 13-yard score with 15 seconds to play to set up Saturday’s showdown with Murrieta Mesa.

Lawrence has completed 103 of his 190 pass attempts for 1,043 yards.

The freshman has tossed three TD passes and he’s been picked seven times.

Coronado is 20-of-32 for 252 yards.

He has a pair of TD passes and one pick.

If GHS is to win, Artyon Celestine is one of the guys they’ll need to keep in check.

Celestine has gained 1,318 yards on 164 carries and 11 TDs.

The Rams’ Royal Randolph has carried the ball 77 times for 414 yards and four scores.

Glendora seniors Simon Zwick and Austin Coronado have become a formidable one-two punch for the ground game.

Zwick has 880 yards on 124 carries and eight TDs.

And while Zwick is the speed, Austin Coronado is the power.

He’s carried the ball 75 times for 520 yards, including a team-high 11 TDs.

Murrieta Mesa’s Cooper Murphy (50-for-581 & 2 TDs), Dezmun Franklin (21-for-434 & 3 TDs) and Triston Vialpando (31-for-326 & 2 TDs) have combined to catch 102 passes for 1,341 yards and seven TDs.

Glendora’s Tim Johnson is, without question, playing his best football of the season.

He’s been the go-to guy for both Lawrence and Coronado.

Johnson’s 59 catches for 755 yards and nine receiving TDs is best among any GHS or MMHS receiver.

Zwick has 21 receptions for 154 yards and Aspen Suprenant has reeled in 13 passes for 130 yards.

In Glendora’s nine wins, Sebastian Lawrence, Brandon Coronado, Austin Coronado, Tim Johnson and Simon Zwick tend to get the headlines.

And justifiably so.

But one of the many unsung heroes has got to be Aidan Yamazaki.

The Tartans junior and two-sport star has a team-high 135 tackles to go with five sacks and a pair of interceptions.

Anthony Fiorenza isn’t far behind with 121 tackles.

Fiorenza has also tallied 11 tackles for-loss, three sacks and one pick.

As well as Austin Coronado has played on the offensive side of the ball, he’s even more dominant on defense.

Coronado leads Glendora in tackles for-loss (14) and sacks (14.5), and he’s third in tackles (95).

Austin also has an interception, and two weeks ago at Rancho Verde, he deflected a pass that Yamazaki caught, and turned it into a 40-yard pick-six.

Suprenant has 72 tackles, including five for-loss and 6.5 sacks.

Until two weeks ago, Brandon Coronado spent most of his time on the defensive side of the ball.

Over that stretch, he’s totaled 74 tackles and three picks.

Caden Smith, Nazir McGlothen and Isaiah Castellano have three interceptions apiece for the Glendora defense.

If the game comes down to a last-minute field goal, Hunter Lemos has been as efficient as any kicker in the SGV area.

With a win, Glendora would earn its first trip to the CIF State playoffs.

Lastly, I’m not going to pretend to be objective in this particular story.

This writer is a GHS alum (1988) and my middle brother, Sergeant Major Brad Baiotto of the United States Marine Corps, who served six combat tours (four in Afghanistan & two in Iraq), was a team captain on that 1989 team that won a co-championship.

Glendora’s current AD, Jerry Lewallen, was also a key member of that historic 1989 squad.

Let’s go, Tartans!

By the Numbers:
Records: M (9-4); G (9-4)
Points Scored: M (347); G (332)
Points Allowed: M (281); G (263)
Average Margin of Victory: M (27-22); G (26-20)
Passing Yards Per Game: M (150); G (93)
Rushing Yards Per Game: M (166); G (151)
Total Offense Per Game: M (316); G (244)
Most Points Scored in a Game: M (70 vs Corona); G (46 vs Hills)
Most Points Allowed in a Game: M (42 vs VMHS, MVHS & Beaumont); G (38 vs COHS)
Least Points Allowed in a Game: M (0 vs Corona); G (6 vs Claremont)
Playoff Point Differential: M (92-38); G (87-41)
Murrieta Mesa’s Road Record: 3-3
Glendora’s Home Record: 1-3
Current Win Streak: M (8); G (3)
Calpreps’ Game Prediction: Murrieta Mesa 24, Glendora 20
Calpreps’ Chance of Winning Percentage: M (60); G (40)
MaxPreps State Rankings: M (105); G (148)

Stat Leaders:

Quarterback:
Trey Gamble (M): 99-165 for 1,382 yards, 8 TDs & 4 INT
Sebastian Lawrence (G): 103-190 for 1,043, 3 TDs & 7 INTs
Brandon Coronado (G): 20-32 for 252, 2 TDs & 1 INT

Running Backs:
Artyon Celestine (M): 164 for 1,318 & 11 TDs
Simon Zwick (G): 124 for 880 & 8 TDs
Austin Coronado (G): 74 for 520 & 11 TDs
Royal Randolph (M): 77-for-414 & 4 TDs
Nazir McGlothen (G): 61-for-268 & 3 TDs
Daniel Ritchie (M): 36-for-142 & 6 TDs

Receivers:
Tim Johnson (G): 59-for-755 & 9 TDs
Cooper Murphy (M): 50-for-581 & 2 TDs
Dezmun Franklin (M): 21-for-434 & 3 TDs
Triston Vialpando (M): 31-for-326 & 2 TDs
Simon Zwick (G): 21-for-154
Aspen Suprenant (G): 13-for-130

Tackles:
Aidan Yamazaki (G): 135
Anthony Fiorenza (G): 121
Deshawn Reid (M): 103
Austin Coronado (G): 95
Isaiah Casillas (M): 94

Sacks:
Austin Coronado (G): 14.5
Isaiah Casillas (M): 12
Cody Morin (M): 8
Aspen Suprenant (G): 6.5
Aidan Yamazaki (G): 6
Alijah Leveao (M): 6

Interceptions:
Derrick Hart (M): 5
Jesse Wilhite (M): 4
Caden Smith (G): 3
Brandon Coronado (G): 3
Nazir McGlothen (G): 3
Isaiah Castellano (G): 3
Aidan Yamazaki (G): 2

2024 Murrieta Mesa Schedule & Results:
8/23: Tesoro 34, Murrieta Mesa 13
8/30: Vista Murrieta 42, Murrieta Mesa 9
9/5: Murrieta Mesa 38, Valencia 33
9/13: Murrieta Valley 42, Murrieta Mesa 0
9/19: Beaumont 42, Murrieta Mesa 13
10/3: Murrieta Mesa 24, Temecula Valley 21
10/11: Murrieta Mesa 31, Great Oak 13
10/18: Murrieta Mesa 70, Corona 0
10/25: Murrieta Mesa 28, King 13
11/1: Murrieta Mesa 29, Santiago 3
11/8: Murrieta Mesa 42, Ontario Christian 0
11/15: Murrieta Mesa 19, Northwood 10
11/22: Murrieta Mesa 31, St. Francis 28
11/29: Murrieta Mesa vs Glendora at Citrus College

2024 Glendora Schedule & Results:
8/22: Chino Hills 20, Glendora 3
8/30: Glendora 46, Jurupa Hills 23
9/7: Northview 33, Glendora 10
9/20: Glendora 29, Ayala 14
9/27: Glendora 30, Crespi 7
10/4: Bonita 27, Glendora 14
10/11: Glendora def. Colony by forfeit
10/17: Glendora 35, Claremont 6
10/25: Glendora 31, Los Osos 10
11/1: Charter Oak 38, Glendora 14
11/8: Glendora 31, Agoura 7
11/15: Glendora 31, Rancho Verde 13
11/22: Glendora 25, Dana Hills 21
11/29: Glendora vs Murrieta Mesa at Citrus College

2023 Champions:
D-1: Mater Dei
D-2: Mission Viejo
D-3: St. Bonaventure
D-4: La Serna
D-5: Orange Vista
D-6: Simi Valley
D-7: Mayfair
D-8: Jurupa Hills
D-9: Rio Hondo Prep
D-10: Torrance
D-11: Ramona
D-12: Cerritos
D-13: St. Monica
D-14: Bell Gardens

2024 Title-Game Schedule:

Friday:
D-1: St. John Bosco at Mater Dei
D-3 Simi Valley at Edison
D-5: La Serna at Palos Verdes
D-7: Warren vs Rio Hondo Prep at Arcadia HS
D-8: Serrano at St. Pius
D-11: El Rancho at Portola
D-12: Palmdale at Carter

Saturday:
D-2: Newbury Park at Murrieta Valley
D-4: Pacifica at St. Bonaventure
D-6: Murrieta Mesa vs Glendora at Citrus College
D-9: LB Wilson at Highland
D-10: Silverado at St. Anthony
D-13: Gahr at Pasadena
D-14: San Gabriel at Pioneer