Sports fans…the 2007 fall season has arrived and the teams are ready! Student-athletes have been preparing all summer and now they are ready to hit the gym, the field, the courts, and the running course.

The first sporting event to kick-off the season is this Friday, September 7 with the Belmont Sentinels facing the Cobras of Miguel Contreras Learning Center at MCLC. Game times are 4:00 pm for the F/S and 7:00 pm for varsity. This will be the opening game for the new school, MCLC, and should provide an exciting new rivalry for the downtown area.

The Belmont Sentinels showed an early dominance in last week’s scrimmage against an outstanding team from the Glendale area, Hoover High School. If this is an indication of how well balanced the team is, Northern League, watch out.

Returning to the grid- iron for varsity is last year’s running back from F/S, Franklin Chaclon, a junior and senior receiver, Algion Rumford. These players have achieved the coaches’ expectations for this season as well as the other members of the team. Emilio Franco, a junior, is the returning quarterback from last season, who passed for 112 yards against Hoover; other stand-outs include Brian Asturias, senior, a full back; Christian Aguilar, senior, a running back; and Isaac Hernandez, senior, also a running back. It appears to the coaches that the offensive team is developing right on schedule. The defensive unit consists of new players and has its work cut out for the season. Expect great things from the varsity football team.

Let’s not forget the F/S football team. They too looked great against Hoover High School in last week’s scrimmage. As always, these young players play with their heart and their desire, and should prove to be the leader of the Northern League. Returning players for this season are Adrian Estela, William Pedro-Mateo, Steven Palacios, Andy Segura, Steven Garcia, Danny Maldonado, and Danny Zavala, all sophomores.