Crespi football seeing success in a rebuild centered around relationships

Crespi defensive lineman James Moffat tore into a bag of Skittles after practice on Wednesday afternoon. Head coach and defensive coordinator Brad Vonnahme deals them out as rewards for sacks in the previous game.

Moffat is pleased with the honor but also has a bigger picture in mind.

“All these coaches and people that I’ve met here have really lifted me up,” the junior said. “My reward is playing for Crespi.”

The Celts (2-2) are in their second year of a rebuild centered around relationships after naming Vonnahme head coach prior to last season. Participation numbers are up and the Celts have the opportunity to go on a three-game win streak with a win over Glendora (2-2) on Friday.

Crespi held Cleveland to 166 yards of total offense in a 13-6 win before moving on to beat Heritage Christian by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter.

“Our culture has grown tremendously,” Vonnahme said. “The quality of our practices, the way we’re able to practice is night and day from last year, which in turn has its payout in terms of game preparation. We’ve seen that show on the field.

“I tell them all the time — it’s really up to them how far they want to take it this season.”

Dual-threat quarterback Masyn Harvey has thrown for 293 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 516 yards and seven touchdowns this season. The junior came to Crespi last season and has been throwing to young receivers like Cooper Howard and Garrett Nuesca on an all-around young team.

“We really feel like we’re coming along and getting better,” Harvey said. “As the games have gone on, we’ve scored more and more points and defense is getting stops and takeaways. Ultimately, we’re just all working and firing on all cylinders.”

Harvey is a relatively new addition at Crespi, but players like Moffat have been around since their freshman year. The Celts were winless that season — which was also his first year of football.

Vonnahme lauded his work in the weight room and in the classroom, which has demonstrated that hard work leads to results. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound lineman has 21 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks in four games.

Moffat’s experience has given him perspective when approaching this season.

“The first two games we lost but we were just coming off offseason,” he said. “We were still unsure of who exactly we were this season but in those first two games, we saw that we’re a different team than last year. We found who we are.”

Crespi will compete in the Del Rey League this season, which begins with a game at La Salle on Oct. 3. The league realignment, which is routinely decided by the CIF Southern Section, sets the Celts up to be more competitive and add to its culture.

“If we build the right culture and we build an environment that people want to be a part of through relationships, that’s what gives you your best chance to hold on to your team,” Vonnahme said. “Hopefully, we can be an example of doing it the right way and having success.”

Previews of other area games Friday:

San Fernando (3-2, 1-0) at Kennedy (3-2, 1-0), 7 p.m.

The Tigers look to win two games in a row in the Valley Mission League as they take their run-heavy offense to Kennedy. Melvin Pineda is San Fernando’s leading rusher with 252 yards and a touchdown and Brandon Robinson is the leading scorer with three touchdowns and 155 yards. Senior Edgardo Marroquin rounds out the rushing attack with 188 yards and two touchdowns.

Kennedy is going for its third straight win with a very productive offense led by junior quarterback Diego Montes, who has thrown for 793 yards and eight touchdowns and also collected 432 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Giovanni Nelson has been his top target with 25 receptions for 448 yards and three touchdowns.

Hart (4-1, 1-0) vs. West Ranch (2-2, 0-0) at Canyon High School, 7 p.m.

The Wildcats begin Foothill League play against a Hart team that has lost only one game this season. The connection between quarterback Jacob Paisano and receiver Parker Maxwell will be difficult to stop — the two have teamed up for six touchdowns. The Hawks add another layer to their offense with running back Zach Rogozik, who averages 60.5 yards per game.

West Ranch has leaned on its run game, which is led by running back Luke Deperno’s 456 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Max Piccolino is at the forefront of the defense with 6.5 sacks and 19 total tackles.

Arcadia (1-3, 0-1) at Burbank (2-2, 0-1), 7 p.m.

Burbank can potentially get back into the win column in its second game of Pacific League play against an Arcadia team that has dropped its last two contests. The Bulldogs have used two quarterbacks in senior Daniel Zacariaz and sophomore Deshawn Laporte who have thrown three and five passing touchdowns, respectively. Elijah Pendleton is an asset on offense and defense with 277 receiving yards and two touchdowns while recording two interceptions and four pass breakups.