A Charge To Keep

Rio Hondo Prep opened their season with a resounding victory over the visiting El Monte Lions 29-6. It was an all-around great team performance with contributions from the entire roster. Head Coach Mark Carson and I recap some of the big moments from Friday night with analysis and highlights on video. Freshman Noah Penunuri also joins the show to discuss what it meant for his classmates to play at the varsity level and how mixed martial arts has helped make him a better football player. Lastly, we have a special appearance by 2014 alum Zach Stiver who offers his thoughts on the excellent start for the Kares and why RHP Football continues to be so important to those who have graduated. The next matchup for Rio is this THURSDAY at home against the Linfield Christian Lions.   CONTACT US  Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com     Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/message

Benjamin Jacobs spent 12 years as a Navy Seal. He is still active duty for the Navy as an Under Sea Medical Officer. BJ has gone on countless deployments and defended our country admirably. Before the military he played football at Rio Hondo Prep and graduated in 1998. BJ was on two CIF championship teams in 1996 and 1997 as well as a runner up finish in 1995. As a total team guy, he contributed any way the team needed him. Personally I have fond memories of watching BJ Jacobs as a gritty punt returner who made big plays in the biggest moments. Working primarily as a Sniper in the Seals, BJ shares his journey through the harshest training imaginable to become a member of America's most elite fighting force. He gives high praise to his experience at Rio Hondo Prep and how God directed him as a lifelong learner to better himself every step of the way. As we celebrate Independence Day this week, we owe a debt of gratitude to all of our military and those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.

Coach Will Torrico contributes greatly to the scouting of opponents and picking up tendencies. Most of his work is done in the film room but on game days he is vital to the coaching staff by being their eyes from his position high above in the press box. Will has always been a guy who tries to stay one step ahead in competition. He was the quarterback of Rio's first 11 man championship in 2005 which was led by an incredible senior class who finished as runner up the year prior. Will has a great mind for strategy and looks for every advantage possible to put the team in the best position for success. He also had the privilege of playing for Head Coach Mark Carson back in Kare Youth League on the Covina Tigers.

Anthony Juliano Corsini is the most passionate assistant coach on the Rio Hondo Prep staff. His energy and antics are second to none. AJ provides the hype and intensity for every young man on the team. Under his watch, the defensive line will always put up a fight and hold their ground. He never holds anything back with his unique approach to getting as much out of his players as possible. Pound for pound, AJ Corsini was one of the toughest players in RHP history and coaches the exact same way he played. His senior class led Rio to the school's first 11 man championship game appearance in 2004 and propelled the program to new heights. AJ loves football and pushes the boys he coaches to their maximum potential.

Ed Drain is an Assistant Coach on the Rio Hondo football team working primarily on the defensive side of the ball as well as in the kicking game. He carries on the legacy of his father Ken Drain who led RHP into the 11 man era winning four championships and finishing as runner up two other times. Ed was a CIF Champion as a player back in 2008 and was a big part of arguably one of the best runs Rio ever put together. During his childhood, he faced severe adversity that helped mold him into the man he is today. Coach Ed Drain is as committed to the program as they come and his incredible story is one that needs to be heard over and over again.

We are officially kicking off the 2023 football season with Head Coach Mark Carson. Throughout the rest of the summer, we will release episodes weekly on Friday nights with plenty of fun content to get fans ready. Coach Carson discusses the upcoming summer trip, when practices will start, and how his team looked in last week's 7 on 7 tournament at Los Altos High School. This is the 56th season of Rio Hondo Prep Football and the 50th anniversary of the school's first CIF Championship back in 1973. It will be a special year and we are ready to once again take you behind the scenes with full access to our storied program.

It's never too early to talk Rio Hondo Football! In this special edition, Coach Mark Carson and I release the full schedule for the upcoming 2023 season! As the Athletic Director, Coach Carson takes us through the details of what went on behind the scenes to make the games official. There are plenty of new opponents and some unique road trips. The Kares will kickoff their ten game season on August 18th and will utilize their Bye in Week 7. We will have plenty of Football content all summer long in anticipation of another autumn on the gridiron but keep an eye out for some occasional coverage of the spring sports before then. Be sure to take note of the football schedule so you can plan your support accordingly!

The Rio Hondo Prep Girls Basketball Program will open their pursuit of another CIF-SS Title this Thursday with a 1st Round matchup against visiting Whittier Christian. The Kares will be competing in Division 4-AA and have a very balanced squad that has been battle tested. Assistant Coach Tiffany Horton joins us for an instant reaction to the playoff placement as well as a recap of another successful regular season. Coach Horton discusses some of the key contributors on the team and encourages all of the RHP family to get out and support the girls in the Stivers Center amongst the Kare Crazies. It's playoff time!

Senior Ryan McCulloch gave a verbal commitment to play his college football at the University of California, Berkeley in the summer before his final high school season. On Wednesday, he made it official by signing his National Letter of Intent to play for the Cal Bears next fall. Ryan completed the paperwork in front of teammates, coaches, and fans in the Stivers Center at Rio Hondo Prep. He shares his emotions on the entire process and how special it was to open that first Christmas gift. Ryan also reflects on this past season and why he is so grateful for his experience at RHP. He will go down as one of the greatest players in Rio's history not just for his performance on the field, but how he consistently carried himself and always led by example. Merry Christmas to the Rio Hondo Family!

Rio Hondo Prep's 2022 season came to an end on Friday with a heartbreaking 28-27 loss to Norwalk High School in the 1st Round of the Division 10 CIF Playoffs. The alumni, parents, and fans could not be prouder of the incredible effort from the Kares against an intimidating opponent. After trailing early, RHP rallied to tie the game in the 2nd half and take the lead with just over six minutes remaining. Although Rio lost the game, they gave us hope and pride in the football program we all love. We cannot thank the outgoing seniors enough for their relentless effort and exemplary leadership. Rio Hondo Football is in great hands going forward and we cannot wait for August 2023. The season may be over, but as Coach Carson always says, we're just getting started....

Rio Hondo Prep (8-1) is headed south to face Norwalk (9-1) in the 1st Round of the CIF Playoffs. The undersized Kares will have to step up big time defensively to slow down the Lancers and their high scoring running game. As is often the case, whoever controls the line of scrimmage should have the best opportunity for success. We have two great guests for this special playoff edition. Brian Reed-Baiotto is the Sports Editor for 210 Prep Sports and has covered Rio extensively. He shares why Rio Hondo stands out amongst some of the other great programs in the area. Additionally, Josh Coulter (RHP 1998) stops by to reflect on his three championship game appearances which included two titles during his playing days. Josh was one of my favorite players growing up and led by tremendous example. The Second Season Is Underway!!!!   CONTACT US            Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com               Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...

Rio Hondo Prep defeated Campbell Hall in Week 10 to improve to 8-1 and earn an automatic berth into the CIF Playoffs. The Kares have now reached the postseason in 27 consecutive seasons. Ryan McCulloch had the game of his life with nearly 200 yards rushing and all 3 of RHP's touchdowns. Rio Hondo will travel to Norwalk HS (9-1) for the 1st Round of the Division 10 Playoffs and face a team that averages 350 yards rushing per game. Head Coach Mark Carson reflects on the big win from Friday night and looks ahead to a very challenging opponent. Also joining us is Junior OL/DL Colby Johnson to talk about life in the trenches and carrying on his family name on the gridiron. In our alumni segment, Nick Gonzalez (2006) talks about being on the first 11 man championship team back in 2005.    NORWALK LANCERS https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/norwalk/norwalk-lancers/football/   CONTACT US           Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com              Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...

BREAKING NEWS: Rio Hondo Prep is placed in Division 10 and will travel to Norwalk High School on Friday night in the 1st Round of the CIF Playoffs. The Norwalk Lancers are 9-1 and have rushed for over 3,000 on the season. They feature a pair of thousand yard running backs and run and old fashioned Wing-T offense. Rio will only have to travel 20 miles down the 605 freeway but will have a huge test slowing down a team that scores at will. We can't wait for the opportunity. Look at the link provided for stats and highlights of Norwalk. We will have our regularly scheduled full episode out later today. https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/norwalk/norwalk-lancers/football/

Rio Hondo Prep is 7-1 headed into the season finale on the road at Campbell Hall who is 8-1. The Week 10 matchup will determine 2nd place in the Gold Coast League and an automatic bid into the CIF Playoffs. The losing team will have to hope for an At Large berth which is unpredictable and unlikely. For all intents and purposes, THIS IS a playoff game. Our special guest is Citrus College Tight End Alex Vazquez who recently graduated from RHP back in 2020. He won a CIF Baseball Championship while at Rio and was a big part of multiple deep playoff runs on the gridiron. Alex talks about his team's 7-0 start and what it's like playing alongside former Rio players Johnathan Guerrero and Royal Young who are now his college teammates. Alex Vazquez loves the game of football and tributes that passion to his days at Rio Hondo. The fastest 10 weeks of the year have flown by and it's now time to "Win Or Go Home."   CONTACT US          Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com             Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...

Rio Hondo Prep suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Brentwood Eagles by a score of 32-7 in the much anticipated Week 9 matchup. Rio is now in a must win scenario for the season finale at Campbell Hall to decide 2nd place in the Gold Coast League and a guaranteed spot in the CIF Playoffs. After a season full of success, the Kares must respond to an uncharacteristic loss and step up big time this upcoming Friday to determine their fate. Head Coach Mark Carson helps us ease through the pain and paints a picture of tremendous opportunity for his young team. Junior OL/LB Josh Taflinger discusses his unique path to RHP and how much he loves being part of the incredible environment. In our alumni portion of the show, Charles Quintero (2011) joins us to chat about his amazing playing days and life after Rio Hondo.  CONTACT US         Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com            Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...

Rio Hondo Prep is 7-0 headed into the biggest test of their season against the visiting Brentwood Eagles who are 6-2. Rio will need to get pressure on the Brentwood passing attack and cause multiple turnovers to create sudden change. Offensively the Kares must establish the run in order to control the clock. Today we are joined by Vice Principal Edwin Ixta to discuss the RHP football program as well as the school curriculum. Edwin won a CIF Championship in 2005 and has watched Rio Hondo closely from the sidelines since then. He discusses some of the changes at 5150 Farna Ave and some goals for the near future. We also touch on the girls volleyball playoff game this evening at Riverside Poly. It is a huge weekend for Rio Hondo Prep Athletics! Get out and support!!!  CONTACT US          Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com           Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...

Rio Hondo Prep improved to 7-0 with a dominant win over the Viewpoint Patriots in Week 8 after 21 days without a game. The Kares showed little rust and were firing on all cylinders in their 49-0 victory. Head Coach Mark Carson chats about his team's success and the massive games upcoming on the schedule. Senior Cody Nelson joins the show to discuss his experience of playing football at Rio after contributing as a team manager in previous seasons. Finally, Nate Tayco (RHP 2014) shares some memories from his days of running through the record books and winning two championships during his illustrious career. We need every person able to be in attendance for the HUGE home game against Brentwood this Friday night!  CONTACT US         Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com           Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...

Rio Hondo Prep is 6-0 heading into their Week 8 matchup with visiting Viewpoint from Calabasas. This is the Gold Coast League opener for RHP in which only two out of four teams are guaranteed a playoff spot. Rio has played exceptionally well in 2022 and must restart their engines after a long layoff. Our guest is longtime football official Tracy McFate. He was in Boys Christian League (KYL) in the 1960s and spent 40 years working football games for not only high school but at the college level as well. Tracy gives his honest assessment of where Rio Hondo stands amongst the best programs in the San Gabriel Valley. Sometimes, it's the little things that set a program apart, and today we will again hear from a unique perspective regarding the reputation of the Rio Hondo Prep Kares.  CONTACT US        Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com          Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...

Rio Hondo Prep has a Bye in Week 7 while the students enjoy Science Camp as part of their curriculum. They have three tough games remaining in Gold Coast League play to finish out the regular season. Our featured guest is Jacob Blake who was one of the greatest athletes in RHP history. He played on three consecutive CIF Champion football teams and led a special 1999 team to the Finals in baseball where they eventually fell. Jacob's favorite sport was basketball where he excelled in every aspect on the hardwood. He is now a middle school teacher in Northern California and shares some memories from his experience at Rio Hondo. You can't read the school record books without seeing Jacob Blake's name in a wide variety of categories.   CONTACT US       Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com         Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...

There will be no Week 6 game for the Rio Hondo Prep football team due to a cancellation by Glendale High School. It is rather upsetting news but the program will have to move forward. Rio has a bye next week in addition to science camp so they will be off the field for quite some time. Despite the disappointment, we are joined by John Lee from the Class of 1992. He watches RHP football from his home in Oregon and has some thoughts on the current team. Rest easy fans; we will continue with more content next week during the bye as we prepare for the tough three game stretch in Gold Coast League play to finish out the regular season.   CONTACT US      Emails: ChargeToKeepPod@gmail.com        Voicemails: https://anchor.fm/a-charge-to-keep/me...