Spartan Scroll

by MARIAH LIN

Concluding their season with a league record of 4-0 and an overall record of 11-0, the freshman gridders made school history by becoming the first team to remain undefeated during a season.

The gridders’ tenacity and hard work paid off this season as they finished first in Almont League, according to corner Michael Torres.

“As a team, we are really proud of the way we played this season,” said Torres. “Since it was Coach [Ron] Pruitt’s last season, we wanted to make it one to remember—and we succeeded.”
Head Coach Pruitt has been a presence here on campus since 1977. He currently teaches history and psychology. He will officially retire from his teaching duties and position as head coach at the end of the school year.

Pruitt has been a great influence on campus for students both in the classroom and on the field, according to various faculty and staff members.

“It has been a great pleasure working and getting to know Coach Pruitt during our years here,” said Senior Office Assistant Martha Rosales. “His greatest quality, I think, is his patience and dedication to his students and players. He teaches his students not only the fundamentals of lessons in the classroom and on the football field; he teaches life lessons.”

Their last win of the season came against the La Puente Warriors Nov. 6, with a blowout score of 48-0. Starting the game with a strong offensive momentum, the Spartans finished the first quarter with a 21-0 lead. In the second quarter, the gridders extended their lead to 48-0. They kept the Warriors scoreless for the rest of the game.

“It felt really great to be able to finish the season undefeated, especially since it was Coach Pruitt’s last season as football coach,” said Miguel Vital, starting running back. “At the beginning of our season, we were determined to play our best, but we didn’t think we would make it this far.”

The freshman gridders dominated against the Alhambra Moors Oct. 30. Both teams started strong, trading touchdowns. However, in the second quarter, the Spartans began to pull away, increasing their lead 33-8. After scoring a touchdown in the third quarter, the Spartans sealed their win with a final score of 40-14.

The freshman gridders also defeated the Bell Gardens Lancers Oct. 23 and San Gabriel Matadors Oct. 16 with scores of 48-8 and 49-0, respectively.

              Former and current students and players can vote for Pruitt for the 2015 Double-Goal Coach Award, presented by TeamSNAP and promoted by maxpreps.com. Click this link for more information.