A Charge To Keep

The first Friday in October features a time honored tradition of Northern California vs Southern California. The King's Academy Knights from Sunnyvale make the 360 mile south to Irwindale as they face the Rio Hondo Prep Kares. Both schools are renewing a matchup from a few years ago that both fan bases want to see more of going forward. TKA Head Coach Anthony Herrera is our special guest and shares his thoughts on the respect both schools have for one another in a game that is definitely significant on the 2026 Schedule.

The Kares improved to 5-1 on the season with a 42-20 win on the road in Long Beach against St Anthony. Rio Hondo scored on their first five drives of the game as the defense recorded three takeaways on the night. The Saints did manage to put together some points in the 2nd Half but RHP was in control from start to finish. Head Coach Mark Carson makes his weekly appearance to chat about his team's performance. Senior DL August Kellers also stops by to chat about his Rio experience and being named the Defensive Player of the Week recently for the Pasadena Chapter of the National Football Federation.

Rio Hondo Prep will be on the road for the third time in four weeks as they travel to Long Beach to take on the St Anthony Saints. The Kares are looking to continue building momentum they've been steadily building week by week and are still pursuing a complete game of total football that they strive for. Our guest this week is 2021 alum Brandon Davis who was not only a force up front in football but also led Rio to a Championship Game appearance in volleyball back in 2019. Davis now coaches volleyball at Bishop Amat and is heavily involved in a music ministry called Milk & Honey Worship House.

Rio Hondo Prep returned home after the past two weeks on the road. Kare Park in Irwindale was a welcome sight to see for Rio as many fans brought out their best Tailgate spreads to fuel up for the local SGV matchup with Rowland. The Kares defeated the Raiders 35-21 and improved to 4-1 at the halfway point of the Regular Season. Head Coach Mark Carson offers up his insight as to how the team has grown and what lays before them on the horizon. Senior RB/LB Christian Lee also joins us after two explosive Touchdowns on both sides of the ball in last night's victory.

Rio Hondo Prep returns home after back to back difficult road trips. Kare Park in Irwindale will not only be the site for this week's clash with the Rowland Raiders, but it is also hosting KYL Night for all the children of Kare Youth League. Our special guest this week is Gregory Perez who is the Principal at Rowland High School. Gregory was a member of Kare Youth League in the 80's and even spent some time as a student at Rio Hondo Prep in Junior High. We discuss KYL's impact and how RHP might just be Mr Perez's second favorite team.

Rio Hondo Prep traveled into South Central Los Angeles on Friday night and came away with a 27-7 win over the Marquez Gladiators. The Kares improved to 3-1 and seem to be heading in the right direction of constant improvement. Senior DL August Kellers had a monster night with 5 Sacks on Defense. Head Coach Mark Carson breaks down all the action from the road win and reflects on the significance of playing football on the anniversary of 9/11. Senior Captain Benito Nolasco drops by to discuss how the Offensive Line continues to make significant strides in order to effectively lead the way.

Rio Hondo Prep will travel to Huntington Park to take on the Marquez Gladiators who were the LA City Section Division 1 Runners Up last season. The Kares are looking to bounce back from last week's loss and will have to do so on another tough road trip. It is vital that RHP gets their Offense going and into a consistent rhythm in South Central Los Angeles on Friday night. Our guest on the show is 1998 Rio alum Josh Dane. He won back to back Championships in 1996 and 1997. Dane has worked in the Department of Corrections for 23 years and is stationed at Pelican Bay State Prison near the California/Oregon border.

Rio Hondo Prep made the long trip to Lancaster in Week 2 and suffered their first loss of the season. The Kares dropped a hard fought 32-21 contest to the host Quartz Hill Royals in a game that went back and forth until the final whistle. Although a lot went wrong for Rio, the ballgame had plenty of teachable lessons and memorable moments that should combine to see the team grow as a whole. Head Coach Mark Carson breaks down the first regular season loss since 2024 and Senior DB Landon Scott stops by on the player portion of the podcast. Rio Hondo has been battle tested early the season. It will be exciting to see how they respond.

Rio Hondo Prep takes their 2-0 record on the road this week up into the High Desert to take on the Quartz Hill Royals in Lancaster. Last year's game was very memorable as the Kares would come back twice in the 4th Quarter to ultimately win 28-21. Our guest on the show is 1975 Rio graduate David Kirby who was part of the school's first CIF Championship in 1973. Kirby reflects on the early days of RHP and how fulfilling it is to see how far the program has come. In our Explanation Point at the end of the show, I dissect some of the rules in regard to the Fair Catch in the kicking game.

Rio Hondo Prep defeated the visiting Troy Warriors from Fullerton in a hard fought 7-0 battle where every play seemed to carry great significance. In a fight that went the full distance of rounds, the score cards of the judges could not have been closer. Rio went punch for punch with Troy in a game that was decided by the slimmest of margins. Head Coach Carson recaps the gutsy performance from the Kares and how they manage to stand tall when it matters most. Senior WR/DB Elias Har also joins the show after scoring the game's only Touchdown and making a game sealing Interception to close things out.