New look schedule for Guards football

Shortly after being named Bellarmine-Jefferson High's new football coach in December, David Machuca went right to work assessing a variety of topics.

One of them concerned arranging a series of six difficult nonleague games to help the Guards prepare for the Santa Fe League. After drawing up the 10-week schedule and having it signed off, Machuca said he's happy with the 2012 schedule, which will see his team play five home games at Burroughs High's renovated Memorial Field after playing its home contests last season at North Hollywood High.

"Having a tough nonleague schedule will have you prepared for league," said Machuca, who is also the school's athletic director and a 2002 Burbank High graduate. "You'll see a lot of different kinds of things, like offensive schemes, in nonleague that you'll eventually see and be ready for in league.

"We will also try to get a better idea of where we stand going into league."

Besides league games against champion Salesian, rival St. Genevieve, St. Anthony and St. Monica and a nonleague game against Malibu, the Guards will be pitted against a group of new opponents.

Machuca, who replaced Rolando Aguirre after serving as an assistant at Chaminade the past three seasons under Coach Ed Croson, and the Guards (2-8, 0-4 in league last season for last place) will kick of their season at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 with a zero week intersectional road contest against Monroe.

"They have a good program and it's a good test for us right off the bat," Machuca said. "It's good to play a team from the L.A. City Section. It didn't matter if it's the first game, but you get to play in an environment like that and get a different look."

Bell-Jeff will then play a nonleague home game against Brentwood, a member of the Alpha League, at 7 p.m. Sept. 1.

"It will be great to return to Memorial Field and there's a sense of pride playing on the new field," Machuca said. "Having seen Brentwood on film, they like to run the spread offense and they are disciplined."

The Guards will then travel south to face Bishop Montgomery at 7 p.m. Sept. 7.

Machuca predicted the Bishop Montgomery game will be a "stepping stone" for the Guards, who played nonleague games last season against Flintridge Prep, Fairmont Prep, Rosamond, Viewpoint and Mountain View.

"This might be the best nonleague game that we play," Machuca said. "This might very well be the game that will get us ready for Salesian.

"This will be the big challenge and you'll find out your weaknesses right away."