Warriors Ranked No. 1 In Western Division

Herringtons get Alemany top billing-Behind stingy defense, Warriors ranked No. 1 in Western Division.

 

MISSION HILLS -- It's been a long time coming, but Alemany High of Mission Hills is ranked No. 1 in its division for the first time since anyone can remember - at least 20 years - as the reunited Herrington brothers, head coach Dean and defensive coordinator Rick, have restored legitimacy to a football program that had won just 15 games in six seasons prior to their arrival.

 

Both are former longtime assistants at Hart of Newhall under eldest brother Mike Herrington, helping Hart win six section titles since 1995, including five over a six-year span from 1998 to 2003.

 

After leaving Hart in 2001 for stops at Occidental College and College of the Canyons, Dean took over at Alemany two years ago, going 4-6 in 2006 and 8-4 last year, then Rick joined this past spring.

 

Alemany (4-0) sits atop the Western Division rankings heading into tonight's 7 p.m. game at Fairfax of Los Angeles (2-2), and there is hope the defending Mission League-champion Warriors eventually can win a section title for the first time in school history.

With Alemany's offense experiencing some growing pains under first-year quarterback David Metcalf and a young offensive line, the Warriors have been relying on defense, and that's where Rick has come in.

 

 

"Of course any team would be better with Rick Herrington on the staff," Dean said. "I know I'm his brother, but he's one of the top defensive coordinators around. The attention to detail, the adjustments. There's no one else like him."

 

With Rick guiding the defense, Alemany is allowing 12.6 points per game.

"It's fun here. I'm having a great time," Rick said. "The players have been great. They've taken to what I'm trying to do, and they're slowly getting it, and that's good to see. But I didn't have to do a lot of changes because they'd been doing a lot of the same things I was doing at Hart."

 

Can Alemany measure up to some of the top Hart teams through the years?

"We're close. I don't know if we're exactly there yet, but we're pretty close," Rick said. "But we're still learning, too, and getting better each week."

 

Alemany's strength is its defensive line, led by Ian Rodriguez and twins Chucky and K.C. Obi. There is also a talented linebacker in junior Anthony Espinosa and an experienced safety in three-year starter Nick Cook.

 

"I love it. I love it. We're winning a lot," Rodriguez said. "I think we have a good chance if we keep trying and keep working hard, and we stay humble."

 

Espinosa can attest to the impact of two Herrington brothers working together, which was the formula for success at Hart.

 

"Rick is a very good coach and he's made our defense stronger," Espinosa said. "It's been good so far, and it's a little bit of everything - a strong line, the linebackers, the corners, just everyone working together as a team."

 

Not that it's been easy.

 

"We've been working hard and we've been pushed hard," K.C. Obi said. "Pushed so hard that I think I even threw up one time."

 

The undefeated record is flashy and the No. 1 ranking is a source of pride, but the real work has yet to begin. With just four teams in the competitive Mission League, league competition does not start until the seventh week of the season, and there will be little room for a misstep because every game has playoff implications.

 

"The No. 1 ranking? At this point, that's like the kiss of death," Dean Herrington said. "All this stuff is fine, but everything will come down to the last three games. I don't think anyone likes being in a four-team league, because if you stumble twice you don't make the playoffs, but that's just the way it is."

 

The other Mission League teams are defending Western Division champion St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs (2-2), undefeated St. Francis (4-0) and talented but underachieving Chaminade of West Hills (1-3).

 

Alemany is a strong favorite tonight, then the Warriors will have a challenging pair of nonleague games against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and Loyola of L.A. before league competition begins.

 

In the meantime, Rick Herrington still teaches at Hart and has remained a close confidant of Mike, who's in his 20th year as Hart's head coach but the first without at least one of his brothers.

 

"It was tough to say goodbye but this was a good opportunity for me," Rick said. "I still get my copy of Hart's game film every week - and I still give my two cents worth."