The Garden Grove High football team has captured the Garden Grove League title for the last two years and made deep drives into the CIF playoffs.
During those three seasons the program has not lost a single league contest, and the Argos will likely remain the favorite to three-peat as the league champ this season.
However, there are some challenges that might make it a bumpy road for the favorite.
The Garden Grove High football team has captured the Garden Grove League title for the last two years and made deep drives into the CIF playoffs.
During those three seasons the program has not lost a single league contest, and the Argos will likely remain the favorite to three-peat as the league champ this season.
However, there are some challenges that might make it a bumpy road for the favorite.
For starters, the squad has lost long-time head coach Willy Puga, who departed due to a beef with the school district over the amount of stipends awarded to the program. He will be replaced by defensive coordinator Ricardo Cepeda, who also coaches the Garden Grove High baseball team. It will be a test to see if Cepeda can command the same respect from the players and the community that Puga received.
Additionally, Los Amigos, which has posted a 4-1 record the last two years, and Rancho Alamitos, which ended at 3-2 last season, might finally knock off Garden Grove High.
Last year, Garden Grove High easily handled both teams, though. It topped Los Amigos with a 49-0 victory and bested Rancho with a 70-24 victory.
The Argos won CIF during the 2010-11 season, but they encountered a bump in the road the following year.
The real question might come down to the following: which team will finish in second place.
Rancho Alamitos captured the title during the 2011-12 season. That year the Argos went 3-2 in league and finished in third place. Garden Grove also tied with Santiago during the 2008-09 season, posting a 5-1 record.
La Quinta, which finished in a three-way tie at the bottom of the standings, will return a handful of players, which might make it a dark horse.
As for Bolsa Grande and Santiago, the teams have struggled in recent years, finishing with 1-4 records last year, but never count them out of any game, especially when playing at home. Both squads have the potential to shake up the standings with upsets and perhaps sneak into the playoffs at the conclusion of the league campaign.
