Pasadena Poly has found success in Rio Hondo League
PASADENA, Calif. 鈥� It was Oct. 1, and Pasadena-Poly football was trailing San Marin 13-7 at halftime. The Panthers were making their Rio Hondo league debut, and looking to make a splash with a victory over a consistently competitive Titans squad.
In the second half, they delivered on that promise. Poly outscored San Marino, 19-6, to win their league opener and make their mark on a new division.
That victory was the first of four conference wins, as Poly strode to a second place finish in the Rio Hondo League 鈥� marking a successful first season in their new digs.
“These guys are warriors,鈥� coach Chris Schmoke said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got guys playing both ways, everyone knows what we are doing.鈥�
Poly鈥檚 move to the Rio Hondo League surprised prep football fans in the San Gabriel Valley. Though the Panthers had enjoyed success in both basketball and soccer under the stewardship of athletic director Thomas Sale, football didn鈥檛 project to have an easy time in a tricky league.
Add to that the fact that Poly has a total enrollment of under 400, and the move seemed even more puzzling. It鈥檚 a strong academic school, and one of the most rigorous 鈥� and expensive 鈥攐ptions in the area. Students are more commonly found in the classroom than on the gridiron. So, figuring out how to field a team in the first place seems a challenge.
However, the Panthers have thrived in their new surroundings. While they followed their season opening win with a 42-13 loss to conference winners Monrovia, they haven鈥檛 lost in nearly a month.
They dispatched South Pasadena, La Ca帽ada, and Temple City in quick succession, outscoring the three opponents a combined 97-39.
But those results came at little surprise to Poly fans and parents. The Panthers have quietly stacked up something of a football pedigree. They currently have eight players competing at the collegiate level, including three Division I level talents.
Furthermore, one off contests against Rio Hondo League squads have also gone in their favor over the past few years, marked by back-to-back convincing wins over Temple City in 2017 and 2018.
Playing in a league with all six squads 鈥� including San Marino and Monrovia teams that have recently tasted success on a statewide level 鈥� is a different proposition, though.
And in a COVID impacted season 鈥� one that has seen players taken off the bus en route to games due to quarantine protocols 鈥� that transition appeared tricky. But the Panthers have cruised to some relatively comfortable wins.
Poly has found a winning formula to the tune of its rushing attack. It was on show in the Panthers 34-24 win over La Ca帽ada on October 24 at the LA Coliseum. Jason Mayo and Alex Zie combined for 289 rushing yards and three touchdowns, torching a laboring Spartans defense.
鈥淲e got some gaps that were open so that we could run the ball,鈥� Mayo said after the win. But they鈥檝e also enjoyed production from elsewhere. Quarterback Colin Mathews seldom throws the ball, but is accurate when he does 鈥� and added two touchdowns against La Ca帽ada. The defense, meanwhile, has forced at least one interception in each win, and has been vital in moments, such as stalling the Titans in the season opener.
It鈥檚 been six weeks since that matchup, and the Panthers have improved with every contest. Indeed, after what appeared to be a puzzling move, Poly has thrived in its new environment. Their reward is a playoff contest against an 8-2 Westminster squad, and perhaps the beginning of a memorable playoff run. But for now, they鈥檝e shown they can compete in their new digs. And that鈥檚 the perfect start.
鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of this group of kids,鈥� Schmoke said.
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