WEST VALLEY #1  >>

Birmingham (Van Nuys, CA) GENERAL Nickname: Patriots Colors: Blue/Gold Coach: Ed Croson League: West Valley Section: Los Angeles Playoff Division: City Championship Playoff Division Rank: #1 CA Bowl Division: South 1 (not yet official) CA Bowl Division Rank: #16 RETURNERS Returning Offensive Starters: 6 Returning Defensive Starters: 1 2007 JV Record: 7-3 Starting Quarterback Returning: yes Top Running Back Returning: no RATINGS 2007 Final Power Rating: 63.6 2007 National Rank: #20 2007 State Rank: #4 Off-Season Rating Adjustment: -18.5 2008 Starting Power Rating: 45.1 2008 National Rank: #298 2008 State Rank: #35 Dynasty Rating (Average 2003-2007 Rating): 39.2 Dynasty National Rank: #151 2008 Rating vs. Dynasty Rating Comparison: better by 5.9 Dynasty Record: 47-18 (23-2 in league) HISTORICAL 2007 Overall Record: 13-1 2007 League Record/Finish: 5-0 (1st) 2007 Points For Average: 42.4 2007 Points Against Average: 8.1 2007 Differential: +34.3 2007 Wins: #13 Poly (Long Beach) (20-7), #293 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) (28-21), #413 Carson (41-6), #441 Valencia (29-14), #745 Dorsey (Los Angeles) (30-10), #1391 Crenshaw (Los Angeles) (42-6), #2074 Taft (Woodland Hills) (50-7), #2074 Taft (Woodland Hills) (49-14), #5690 Chatsworth (54-8), #6217 El Camino Real (Woodland Hills) (47-0), #7104 Kennedy (Granada Hills) (60-0), #7706 Granada Hills (56-0), #11214 Cleveland (Reseda) (82-0) 2007 Losses: #39 Crespi (Encino) (20-6) 2007 Opponents W-L: 103-65-1 Recent Section Championships: 2007, 2006, 2004 (City Championship Division) Recent League Championships: 2007, 2006, 2003 Winning Streak Entering 2008 Season: 13 Streak List: 9/7/07 Poly (Long Beach) (20-7), 9/14/07 Valencia (29-14), 9/20/07 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) (28-21), 9/28/07 Dorsey (Los Angeles) (30-10), 10/12/07 Chatsworth (54-8), 10/19/07 El Camino Real (Woodland Hills) (47-0), 10/26/07 Granada Hills (56-0), 11/2/07 Cleveland (Reseda) (82-0), 11/9/07 Taft (Woodland Hills) (49-14), 11/15/07 Kennedy (Granada Hills) (60-0), 11/21/07 Taft (Woodland Hills) (50-7), 11/30/07 Crenshaw (Los Angeles) (42-6), 12/7/07 Carson (41-6) SCHEDULE 2008 Schedule: 9/4 Garfield (Los Angeles), 9/12 vs Crespi (Encino), 9/19 Valencia, 9/26 at Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), 10/3 Dorsey (Los Angeles), 10/17 at Granada Hills, 10/24 El Camino Real (Woodland Hills), 10/31 at Cleveland (Reseda), 11/7 at Chatsworth, 11/13 Taft (Woodland Hills) Highest-Rated 2008 Regular Season Opponents: Crespi (Encino) (64.2), Valencia (35.3), Taft (Woodland Hills) (33.6) Lowest-Rated 2008 Regular Season Opponents: Cleveland (Reseda) (-11.7), Granada Hills (-6.6), El Camino Real (Woodland Hills) (9) 2007 Regular Season Schedule Strength: 23 (27.2 overall) 2008 Regular Season Schedule Strength: 22.4 2008 vs. 2007 Schedule Strength Comparison: -0.6 2008 Projected Regular Season Record: 8-2 2008 Projected League Finish: 1st 2008 Undefeated Regular Season Probability: less than 1% Opener: 9/4 Garfield (Los Angeles) [projection: 28-19 win] Outlook: Last year, Birmingham High School was arguably one game away from a CIF State D-I Bowl berth (a loss to Crespi at the start of the season, who would later lose to Corona Centennial). Still, the Patriots had a phenomenal year in '07. Unfortunately, with the rewards of a great year often come huge graduation losses in the following. Such is the case here as only one defensive starter returns. Curiously, though, Coach Croson believes he may have a better offense, led by QB Morey Croson, than the one that put up 594 points a year ago! That said, they were so much better than anyone else in the Los Angeles City Section last year, that another championship would not be out of the question, despite the losses.