Whittier defeats Bolsa Grande 38-0 in first playoff win since 2017

Whittier High School football players secured a 38-0 victory over Bolsa Grande on Monday, marking the program's first playoff win in decades and its first postseason appearance since 2017. The Cardinals, who finished the regular season with a 7-4 record, dismantled their opponents in the CIF Southern Section Division 13 first round. This result propels Whittier into the quarterfinals, where they will face Whittier Christian at California High School at 7 p.m. on Friday.

The game was defined by a physical ground attack rather than an aerial one. Coach Visko Ancich, who employs a Wing-T offense that occasionally mixes in spread packages, relied heavily on the running game against Bolsa Grande. Anthony Hernandez led the charge with 169 yards and a touchdown, while Charlie Ancich, the head coach's son, added 119 yards and a score. Quarterback Johnathan Silva limited his passing attempts to just seven, but he also crossed the goal line for a rushing touchdown.

"We wanted to run the ball and Hernandez really showed some toughness in the gaps and was reading the blocks well," Ancich said. "He has a good knack for keeping his feet moving and he had some explosive runs. With him and Charlie, that's what we want to do, get them the ball and block for them."

The Cardinals have spent the season preparing for this level of physicality through non-league contests against St. Paul, Bellflower, and Los Amigos. While Whittier lost all three of those games, Ancich viewed them as essential preparation. St. Paul defeated Whittier 28-0, trailing by only 14 points at the halftime break. "St. Paul and Bellflower were both very physical," Ancich said. "It was helpful to play those guys just to feel the physicality of it. Regardless of what the scheme was we knew playing those teams they were going to hit."

The next opponent presents a different challenge. Whittier Christian, an 8-3 team, advanced by defeating La Sierra 40-36. The Heralds feature quarterback Tuff Kovacs, who averages 229 passing yards per game and has thrown for 23 touchdowns this season. Kovacs also serves as a primary rusher for his team. "Tuff is tough," Ancich said. "You have to account for him for sure. He's had some big games and they're a team that has won a few games and it's a good matchup. You don't have much room for error against them."

Ancich noted that his team has found its identity in recent weeks by leaning on the Wing-T system. "Part of running the Wing-T is you have teams that run the spread a lot and they have a tough time dealing with our Wing-T," he said. "It just seems like in the past few weeks our guys have really created their identity and what they want to be. We run a couple different spread packages, but the last two weeks we have been leaning on our Wing-T."

The Cardinals are still far from challenging for their first CIF-SS championship since 1964, when they defeated Loyola at the Coliseum. However, the 38-0 margin of victory suggests the team is comfortable in its current role. "We use to play them all the time," Ancich said of the upcoming matchup. "We played them at Whittier College and called it 'The Battle for the Poets Pen.' I don't know how many people knew about that, but it was always a fun game to play and it will be a tough one this week."

In Division 10, Nogales high school senior Gatsbee Gumban continued his dominant run with a 206-yard, four-touchdown performance against Royal. The undefeated Nobles (11-0) won 49-27 to claim the top seed in their division. Gumban now leads the San Gabriel Valley and ranks second in the CIF-SS in rushing with 2,172 yards and 26 touchdowns. He will travel to play Norte Vista (6-5) on Friday at 7 p.m.

Gumban's recent production has been exceptional. In Week 10 against Rowland, he rushed for a season-high 371 yards and three touchdowns in a 61-44 win. The previous week, he gained 325 yards and scored twice in a 38-17 victory over Don Lugo. His consistent output has made him a focal point for the Nobles' playoff run.