Preparing for Rio Hondo in Arcadia is like The Little Engine That Could. The Cares are 13-0 and are set to play for their 17th Southern Section football title Saturday night despite having just 150 students, 82 of them boys. Their opponent in the Division 5 final is host Redondo Union, which has about 3,000 students.
Coach Mark Carson said he embraces the challenge of moving his team upward, from winning Division 9 two years ago to winning Division 7 last season after years of competing in Division XIII under old playoff systems based on size, geography and past performance. Now a computer algorithm determines the placement of divisions. The school has grades 7 through 12, so Carson begins coaching players in middle school with the same disabilities in high school.
“The main thing is we have a great high school football program,” he said.
Every boy in school knows he's going to play football or work as a program manager. Many of them are athletes of various sports. The chemistry and knowledge they create together is evident on the football field.
“We don’t really pay attention to the other team’s numbers,” Carson said.
Defenseman Yannick Diaz said he has been with some of his teammates since kindergarten. They trust each other.
“I’ve known some of these guys for 15, 16 years,” Diaz said. “It’s still 11 versus 11. I prefer my 11 to yours.”
This is a daily look at positive developments in school sports. To report any news, email [email protected].
