EL SEGUNDO HERALD July 27, 2017 Page 5 Should Los Angeles Football Fans Choose the Rams as Their Team? By Adam Serrao Since the Rams packed up their bags and headed west for Los Angeles, it has been no secret that they have failed to incite excitement within their newfound fan base. A far cry from “The Greatest Show on Turf” that used to call St. Louis home, the Los Angeles Rams have been subpar so far, to say the least. Whether it has been management moves, coaching decisions, or simply just a roster full of bad players, the Rams debuted in Los Angeles with a 4-12 season last year, failing to excite a city that has been salivating for football ever since the Rams (and the Raiders) left after the 1994 regular season. This year’s Rams team is obviously still not a Super Bowl contender. They should be better, however, and in doing so will manage to give Los Angeles fans more of a reason to feel proud to enjoy football once again. Last year’s Rams fan base crowded the Coliseum in Los Angeles for many reasons, but none of those reasons were because the Rams were actually good at football. Whether it was because it was the first year that the game was back in L.A. or simply because Sundays are meant for watching the NFL, Los Angeles had the second best home attendance in the entire league last season. Ineffectiveness has its own way of keeping fans away, especially when a second team (the Chargers) makes itself available to the masses and moves into the area. Rams fans shouldn’t scare easily, though, because this year’s team plans on being much better the second time around. This year’s Rams roster could boast as many as 10 new starters when the NFL season begins. Those new starters will be most easily recognized on the offensive side of the ball and specifically under center. Though quarterback Jared Goff eventually made a few starts once head coach Jeff Fisher got fired, he didn’t start the season as the main signal-caller of the team. This year should bring with it added responsibility for Goff, which will either make or break the quarterback’s future with the team. Goff was in an awkward spot last season with uncertainty surrounding the entire organization and a cross-country move that had just taken place. This year, Goff is in charge and it’s time for the former number one overall pick the in draft to take control of the franchise. Not only will many of the starters be new to the team, but Sean McVay is entering his first year as a head coach in the NFL. McVay has tabbed new wide receiver Robert Wood as a perfect fit for his offensive system. Woods used to play at USC, so at least he’ll be used to the scenery. He has yet to catch more than 65 passes in a season, but seems destined to do so in his first year in Los Angeles. The Rams also beefed up their offensive line this offseason, which was a major liability one season ago. Look for Toddy Gurley and the running game to become much better this year than last with the additions of left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivan. Rookie wide receiver Cooper Kupp and second-year tight end Tyler Higbee will also look to add depth to a passing game that lost Kenny Britt, but still looked absolutely anemic last year on the football field. On the defensive side of the ball the Rams have welcomed in outside linebacker Connor Barwin, who most recently played with the Philadelphia Eagles but had his best season in Houston under new Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Phillips is also bringing over Kayvon Webster from the Denver Broncos to compete with E.J. Gaines for the starting spot at cornerback opposite Trumaine Johnson. Any addition to a defense that is already lethal and features the likes of Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn is a good move. The defensive side of the ball won’t necessarily be a problem that the Rams will struggle with this season. It was no question that the Rams needed to shake things up on the roster after a fourwin season in a very competitive NFC West division. Los Angeles has done its part to strengthen the roster with new coaches McVay and Phillips plus a relatively new offensive line. That same offensive line is what will be instrumental to the team’s success and Goff’s growth as an NFL quarterback. As the line goes, so goes Gurley, the running game and Goff--with what little passing attack he presumably has. New players don’t necessarily mean more wins for the Rams. A starting job for Goff doesn’t mean that he’ll necessarily be good either. But a fresh start for everyone involved should only help to improve what was an agonizing second half of the season last year. The Rams are 13 years removed from the playoffs and 14 years removed from their last winning season. Now is the time to show that they are on course for a future playoff appearance. The team may not have what it takes to beat out their divisional opponents this season, but they can certainly begin to make a mark on the league and on the city of Los Angeles before another team bolts in and steals their thunder. – Asixlion@earthlink.net El Segundo High School Spring Teams Wrap up Successful Year By Gregg McMullin The 2016-17 El Segundo High School sports calendar wrapped up with a full slate of games and matches in baseball, softball, lacrosse and boys volleyball. There would be no CIF titles and just two league champions—in baseball and boys lacrosse--but each of the teams showed their spirit and their competitiveness. Baseball The Eagles had a historic season, winning 27 games under first-year head coach Billy Traber. The Eagles, with a senior-heavy team, were led by four-year starters Jake Palmer and Spencer Long. Palmer played in a school-record 130 consecutive games, also believed to be a CIF record. Long was one of the South Bay’s premier pitchers, going 10-2 with a 1.32 ERA and averaging a strikeout per inning. The Eagles were one of the top-ranked teams in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 and for good reason. El Segundo batted .367 as a team, the highest since 2010. Jake Palmer led the South Bay in hitting with a school-record .548 batting average. Spencer Palmer’s phenomenal season included a .426 batting average and led the team in home runs and doubles, while Sean Emery’s .398 batting average and South Bay-best four triples were also eye-popping stats. The rigorous schedule the Eagles faced was daunting. They faced 19 different teams that reached the postseason. They went a combined 17-7 against playoff teams and split with Walnut--the CIF Division 3 champions. When the Ocean League started, the Eagles were on a roll having won nine in a row including sweeping the Santa Ana Elks Tournament championship. They fell to Culver City 3-0 in the league opener, but that would be their only loss in league play. The Eagles would win their first outright league championship in five years. The Eagles were ranked as high as second during the season. Then were unexpectedly dropped to fifth when the playoffs opened up. In the first round, the Eagles defeated West Torrance 6-3. Spencer Long pitched a completegame four-hitter and struck out six. He also had three hits with an RBI and scored once. In the second round, the Eagles pounded out 17 hits on their way to a 13-6 win over Troy. Nico Celestial, who was arguably one of the top third basemen in the South Bay, led the Eagles with three hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Sean Emery had a big day with a home run, double, three RBIs and two runs scored in his last high school game at Stevenson Field. The season that so many had looked forward to came to shattering end in the CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinals. El Segundo advanced to the CIF-SS quarterfinals for the sixth time since the last time the Eagles won a CIF championship in 2005. They would go up against Walnut- -a team they had already faced and defeated 7-3 on April 3. In that contest, Justin Mostert threw a complete game while giving up three runs (two earned) and scattering seven hits as Eagles’ the offense pounded out 10 hits. In the rematch, the Eagles fell apart on defense and the bats were silenced in their 3-1 loss to Walnut (which would go on to win its first CIF championship). Trailing 3-0 in the seventh, the Eagles’ rally fell short. Jake Palmer doubled and scored on an RBI single by Spencer Palmer. With two outs and Sean Emery at first base, Kobe Estrada blistered a line drive up the middle face-high towards Kobe Estrada had a great season, batting .360. Walnut pitcher Brandon Godoy. Godoy threw his glove up to protect his face and the ball stuck in his glove to end the Eagles’ season. Softball For the first time in 20 years, the Lady Eagles had a new head coach when Keith Cameron stepped down. Megan McCann was a standout at Boston Prep School, played outfield for Providence College, and was a coach at Serra High School for two seasons before joining the Eagles last season as an assistant. Taking over a program with a rich winning history, Coach McCann inherited a team that had lost so many starters to graduation. Still there was plenty of talent returning, including senior utility player Cierra Kessler and junior pitcher Monique Benjamin. The team was full of senior leaders including Sarah Bergren, Taylor Stevens, Iris Guzman and Bailey Ernest. Add in highly touted sophomores Kaili Reitano, DISH DEALS!! $49./99 mo. for 24 months ADD HIGH-SPEED INTERNET $14./mo. Switch to DISH and Get a FREE Echo Dot Control your TV hands-free with DISH Hopper + Amazon Alexa “Alexa, go to HGTV.” LIMITED TIME! Mention oer code FreeEchoDot Requires internet-connected Hopper® or Wally® and Echo, Echo Dot or Amazon Tap device. CALL TODAY - PROMO CODE: FreeEchoDot 1-855-900-9024 95 where available 190 Channels Now only ... Requires credit qualication and commitment See Eagles, page 14 Jake Palmer was named South Bay Player of the year and was named to the All-State and All-CIF teams
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