EL SEGUNDO HERALD November 16, 2017 Page 5
Valliant Eagles Effort Falls Short in
Playoff Loss Against El Modena
Quarterback Matt Romero, who threw for 338 yards, can thank #55 Gunnar Rogers and #52 Jess Caravello for the time to throw.
Davis & DeRosa Physical Therapy, Inc.
Davis & DeRosa Physical Therapy, established in 2003,
provides a quaint boutique practice located in El Segundo,
California. The 4,000 square foot facility is a well known
practice offering its patients private, personal treatment by
a licensed therapist at every visit. Patients are guaranteed
one-on-one attention for their 45-minute treatment.
THE PRACTICE SPECIALIZES IN
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT FOR:
Chronic Neck and Back Pain
Pre and Post Surgical Rehabilitation
Sports Injuries
Work Injuries
Neurological Disorders
Foot and Ankle Disorders (including orthotics)
Osteoporosis and other Age Related Disorders
Balance and Vestibular Disorders
Injury Prevention
Troy Davis Owner, PT, DPT • Chris DeRosa Owner, PT, OCS
Leo Valenzuela, PT, DPT • Lianne Nakazaki, PT, DPT
Garret Wong, PT, DPT, OCS • Tami Chang, PT • Kim Klein, PT
William Quibell, PT, DPT • Richelle Mae Milina, PT, DPT, OCS
325 Main Street El Segundo, CA 90245 310.648.3167
www.davisandderosa.com
Kings Look to Recapture Throne
By Adam Serrao
A disappointing 2016-17 season seems
to be a thing of the past for this year’s Los
Angeles Kings. It’s quite amazing the effect
a fresh face can make on a team that
has championship talent. New head coach
John Stevens has a roster that is essentially
full of the same players as last season. That
same roster of players, though, is playing at
a much higher level than they were at this
same time one year ago. The Kings newly
improved, up-tempo style of play has Anze
Kopitar, Dustin Brown and the rest of Los
Angeles skating alongside the best teams in
the league to open up the new NHL season.
As a team that is looking quite dominant
in this year’s Pacific Division, Stevens and
the Kings may have found what it takes to
recapture some of the magic from their recent
Stanley Cup-winning teams.
Led by a resurgent captain in Kopitar and a
goalie who looks to have found himself once
again in Jonathan Quick, the Los Angeles
Kings have become a threat to just about
every opponent that they face, specifically in
the Pacific Division. While Quick is standing
on his head, Kopitar is quickly approaching
his season total in goals from last year (12)
less than two months into the beginning of
play. Even still, around the league you’ll
find many NHL “truthers” who are hesitant
to put their belief behind this new-look Los
Angeles team. Early success both at home
and on the road, however, should tell all who
watch the Kings that they are indeed for real.
One of the main reasons for the Kings’
early success is the play of the aforementioned
Quick. The goalie is in the top-five
in the league in wins, goals against average,
save percentage and actual saves, turning the
Kings into one of the top defensive teams in
the league. Then there’s Kopitar. The captain
of the team as of last weekend led in every
major statistical category on offense, including
goals, assists and points. If both Quick and
Kopitar continue to lead in both defensive
and offensive statistical categories, it will be
relatively easy for the Kings to secure a top
spot in the playoff picture once the regular
season heads into its stretch run.
A loss last week against the NHL’s best
team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, provided a
slight setback for the Kings who had been
on a roll in winning nine of their previous 12
games. “I do think they’re [Tampa Bay] the
best team in the league,” Stevens said after
his team’s loss, adding perspective. “They’re
a different animal and we have some work
to do.” Even still, it has become clear that
Los Angeles has shed its low-scoring style
play in favor of a much more up-tempo,
high-flying style under Stevens that should
keep the Kings formidable going forward.
It isn’t just the big names getting the job
done for the Kings. While the team remains
a veteran group, it has gotten nice contributions
from the younger players on the roster
to begin the season. Adrian Kempe is one
player who has been at the forefront of the
production that the team has received from
those younger players. Kempe has already
come through with a few key assists that have
not only led to points for the youngster, but
have also added to wins for Los Angeles.
Rookie Michael Amadio has also made a
name for himself in the early going, while
contributions from Tyler Toffoli and Tanner
Pearson--who are both only 25 years of age-
-have added to an aggressive Kings attack
that is well-balanced in age and in skill level.
“I think the fact we’re getting production
outside of just top guys has been helpful,”
Stevens said of his team. “We’ve had different
parts in our lineup that’s contributed. If I had
to put a big difference on it, I think our top
guys have been on this year and it’s really
helped.” There’s no doubting that Quick,
Kopitar and Brown (who is also closing in on
his goal total from last year) playing at their
peak levels is good for everyone involved.
When the Kings can get contributions from
every player on the roster, though, they immediately
become a threat to every opponent
in the league.
The hockey year is still young for the Los
Angeles Kings and there is plenty of time
left for the team to go through the many ups
and downs that come with a long and trying
NHL regular season. After winning just one
playoff game over the course of the last three
seasons, though, one would think that this
year’s team most definitely has something
to prove. A new front office, a fresh face
behind the bench and a different style of
play have already worked wonders for Los
Angeles in the early going. Now, if Quick,
Kopitar and the rest of the Kings can simply
sustain their elite style of play, it wouldn’t
be an exaggeration to say they can compete
with any team in the league to once again
recapture this year’s Stanley Cup.
– Aserrao6@yahoo.com •
Story and Photos by Gregg McMullin
The El Segundo High School football team’s
successful season came to an end with a 38-22
loss to second-seeded El Modena in the first
round of the CIF-southern Section Division 7
playoff game. It marked the conclusion of an
Eagle team that had been mostly disassembled
due to graduation and was rebuilding this season.
Not many high school football pundits expected
this season’s Eagles team to win five
games. The team proved them wrong with gutsy
performances each week, including their final
game of the season, finishing with a record of
8-3. Those three losses were to teams all seeded
second or first in their respective divisions.
The Eagles finished third in the Ocean League
behind Lawndale, which is second-seeded in
Division 5, and Culver City, the top-seeded
team in Division 11.
The Eagles would travel to face an El Modena
team that won the North Hills League title
and had quite a resume entering the playoffs.
This season, the Vanguards had defeated four
teams that would go on to win first round
playoff games. This was a program that had
reached three consecutive CIF-SS semifinal
games, so the Eagles had their work cut out
for themselves.
El Modena took the game’s opening possession
72 yards in eight plays, including a
40-yard pass, to score the first of its touchdowns.
Senior running back Andrew Carvajal scored
the first of his two rushing touchdowns on a
10-yard run.
El Segundo’s offense didn’t blink and
responded. Junior quarterback Matt Romero
directed the offense on a 15-play drive. Romero
scrambled for 26 yards and connected with
Danny McEntee for a 23-yard pass play to key
the drive. The Eagles were seemingly set to go
in for a touchdown when a turning point, so
early in the game, happened. On third and goal
at the one-yard line, El Segundo was flagged
for a delay that moved the offense back five
yards. An incomplete pass forced the Eagles to
kick a 17-yard field goal by Tyler Villalobos.
El Modena then used up the rest of the first
quarter and two minutes of the second quarter
to score again on an 11-play drive to make
the score 14-3.
El Segundo didn’t waver and weren’t intimidated.
On the first play, Romero found
McEntee open for a 41-yard completion. Taj
See Eagles, page 13
School Board from front page
and faculty brace for the upcoming Thanksgiving
week of vacation time.
Ed! Foundation CEO Carol Pirsztuk then
briefly graced the podium, mentioning tonight’s
“Ladies Night Out” soiree--an annual
event that will take place at the Automobile
Driving Museum. The festivities will include,
among other highlights, new El Segundo
High School principal Jen Tedford and new
El Segundo Middle School principal Melissa
Gooden strutting down the catwalk and modeling
clothing and jewelry from local business
sponsors--all aimed towards funding the $1.5
million grant from Ed! to the District for the
current school year.
Gooden then took center-stage and led her
middle school team of instructors and administrators
in the annual state-of-the-school address.
Supported by her team that included assistant
principal Ali Rabiei, technology teacher on special
assignment Sean Brandlin, science teacher
Megan Long, and International Baccalaureate
coordinator Crystal Long, the presentation
ranged from current student demographics to
testing results across the curriculum. It additionally
covered highlights such as being selected
a Gold Bell and Gold Ribbon school, as well
as the decrease in suspension and absenteeism
rates on the campus.
The presentation noted student classroom
endeavors, with almost all the metrics portraying
an upward slant in learning and comprehension
as the middle schoolers become more proficient
21st Century learners. The team also shared
about strides made in English Language Arts
and Mathematics, with most students meeting
or exceeding the desired standards.
The presentation was rife with acronyms
and “edu-lingo,” and concluded with results of
the latest student and parent surveys as well
as the 2017/18 action plan--including bullet
points melding student achievement, campus
culture and climate, and increasing innovation
and technology that will successfully prepare
the students as they climb the grade-level ladder
pointing towards their high school years.
Superintendent Melissa Moore said that El
Segundo Middle School had “put together a
really comprehensive presentation and included
some great next steps.” She mentioned the
ongoing efforts to increase parental engagement,
including meet-and-greet events like
“Coffee with the Principal,” which will launch
See School Board, page 14