Colony safety Bahari Holloway signs with Delaware State

Versatile Colony football standout Bahari Holloway has signed with Delaware State.

He also had offers from Youngstown State and University of San Diego and made trips to all three.

“From the first minute I got there is felt like a family atmosphere,” he said. “It’s a full ride so that’s a good thing. It just felt like the best situation for me.”

Holloway, a 6-foot-3, 210-pounder, did a little bit of everything for the Titans but will be playing safety in college. That suits him just fine. He grew up playing quarterback but moved to safety as a sophomore and adapted well.

“At safety you’re kind of the quarterback of the defense and you’re the last line of defense so I like that,” he said.

Holloway played for Colony as a freshman but transferred to Roosevelt his sophomore year with some family issues factoring in. He came back to Colony as a junior but never played because of paperwork and CIF clearance that was necessary.
He thinks not playing as a junior hurt but is happy with the opportunity he has now. He plans to major in photo journalism of possibly graphic design.

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Joseph Tesimale to start at quarterback for Colony football team

Colony sophomore quarterback Joseph Tesimale has a tough act to follow. Josh Thompson did an admirable job holding down that spot the last three years, leading the team to a CIF title in 2014 as a junior.

But now the job goes to Tesimale, who directed the freshman team last year.

Head coach Steve Randall compares Tesimale favorably to his predecessor even when spring practice was still in the early stages. Nothing has happened to change his mind. In fact, Randall was even more pleased with his new quarterback after his scrimmage performance against Etiwanda.

“He had good command of the offense,” Randall said of Tesimale, the younger brother of linebacker Daniel Tesimale who was part of that 2014 team. “He did a great job of checking off from the run to the pass and made good decisions, all things you want to see of a guy stepping into that position.”

Randall says Tesimale has the same attributes as Thompson, who also took the starting reigns as a sophomore but adds his new quarterback has the potential to be even better, Randall said he is a bit better athlete than Thompson and is more vocal than Thompson, who was quiet by nature.

As for other standouts, Randall singled out junior Michael Ezeike, a wide receiver who will also see some time at defensive end.

Among the others to impress are senior wide receiver Ryan Moya-Chapron and senior running back Nathan Tilford, a transfer from Upland who will also line up at defensive end.

The Titans (8-4 in 2015) open the season on Friday at home against West Covina, whom they defeated 28-21 in last year’s season opener.

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Colony football team counting on new arrival Nathan Tilford

The Colony High School football team is always among the area’s best and this season should be another in which the Titans contend for a CIF title. They were the Central Division champion two years ago.

While the Titans graduated some key players including quarterback Josh Thompson, they inherited one of Southern California’s mots prized prospects in Nathan Tilford who transferred from Upland along with brother Jakob.

Tilford rushed for 887 yards and 12 touchdowns on 106 tries as a junior at Upland. That was second on the team as Highlanders coach Tim Salter split ball carrying duties between Tilford and Darreyon Jones.

Colony coach Steve Randall said Tilford, who has committed to Arizona, will be more utilized than he was at Upland and even indicated the top-notch recruit will likely see time on defense as well.

Randall said Tilford has been a welcomed addition since coming over after the second semester.

“It’s almost like he has been here all four years,” Randall said. “:He’s a very humble kid and bought into the way things we do here right away. He has never once given us any kind of attitude or a problem.”

Jakob Tilford, also a senior, will likely start at corner.

The Titans are coming off an 8-4 showing last year. Colony won the Mt. Baldy League and was sent home from the playoffs with a second round loss to Glendora.

Besides the two Tilford brothers, the Titans got another transfer in Elijah White, whom Randall also expects to have a major impact. White, a 6-foot-2, 325-pound defensive tackle, came over from Diamond Bar.

The Titans open the season at home on Aug. 26 against West Covina.

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Running back Nathan Tilford transfers from Upland to Colony

Junior Nathan Tilford, expected to be one of the Inland Valley’s most sought after recruits next season, has transferred from Upland to Colony, Titans coach Steve Randall confirmed.

Randall wouldn’t elaborate further except to say Tilford has enrolled. The school is going through the paperwork process that comes with a transfer.

Tilford, a 6-foot-3, 195-pounder, ran for 887 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 106 carries last year for the Highlanders. Coach Tim Salter used Tiflord and senior Darreyon Jones in the backfield.

Tilford has also played some linebacker.

Tilford has been an impact player since his freshman year, even drawing a scholarship offer from USC as an eighth-grader.

 

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Mt. Baldy League honors: Football

 

 

 

 

Overall MVP – Khlalil Dorsey, Sr., DB-WR, Colony
Offensive MVP – Josh Thompson, Sr., QB, Colony
Defensive MVP – Devon Harper, Sr., Colony
Outstanding Lineman – Tre Bland, Sr., Colony

First team
Stacy Aneke, Sr., Colony
Jonathan Arcos, Sr., Colony
Elijah Arellano, Sr., Colony
Khoury Bethley, Sr., Don Lugo
David Bustamante, Soph., Alta Loma
Jose Campos, Sr., Montclair
Gabriel Casas, Soph., Don Lugo
Devin Collins, Jr., Don Lugo
Alec Cota, Sr., Alta Loma
Mikey Dean, Sr., Chaffey
Omar Delarosa, Jr., Ontario
Tyrique Faatiliga, Sr., Colony
Dane Ford, Sr., Don Lugo
Nicolas Gannuscio, Jr., Alta Loma
Jason Gardner, Jr., Don Lugo
Christopher Gonzalez, Sr., Don Lugo
Trevor Goulet, Jr., Don Lugo
Tyrone Hatchett, Sr., Colony
Matt Lawson, Soph., Colony
Reuben Leyva, Sr., Alta Loma
Ray Maldanado, Sr., Chaffey
Ryan Moya-Chapron, Jr., Colony
Jesse Munguia, Sr., Don Lugo
Nathan Orozco, Sr., Don Lugo
Antoine Paul, Jr., Ontario
Cameron Poe, Sr., Ontario
Jose Rivera, Sr., Montclair
Jovanni Sanchez, Sr., Chaffey
Nathan Solorio, Sr., Chaffey
Sebastian Soto, Sr., Ontario
Ryan Suliafu, Fr., Chaffey
Dallas Teren, Sr., Colony
Ryan Twist, Jr., Alta Loma
Marcos Valencia, Sr., Colony
Isac Velasquez, Soph., Alta Loma
Jiaire Wade, Jr., Colony
Roy Wiley, Soph., Montclair

  • Positions not provided

 

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Final thoughts on Colony/Kaiser

Sometimes, I cover a game, and it’s so entertaining a game that there’s more I want to get to than I can possibly mention in a story. Such was the Kaiser/Colony football game on Friday, won by Colony 23-19.

Some thoughts:

  • Each team scored 3 touchdowns and there were no other scores. Kaiser had its first PAT blocked, went for 2 on the second and failed, then kicked the third. Colony kicked the first, then went for 2 and made it on the second and third touchdowns.
  • The math wouldn’t indicate it, but Colony made the right move going for 2 on its final touchdown. Usually, you go for 2 late in a game when a TD puts you up 1, 4 or 5, but in this case, it put the Titans up 21-19. Going for 2 had more to do with Kaiser. Kaiser had attempted just one FG all year, and missed it. So going up 3 would’ve meant little in this game. But going up 4 would’ve been helpful because if Kaiser came back to score a TD and kicked an XP, Colony could’ve tied with a FG.
  • Kaiser’s drives ended with: Downs, lost fumble, TD, TD, halftime, punt, TD, downs/INT. Just one punt for the Cats. Kaiser ran more plays on its first drive 19 than Colony had in the first half (12). Colony had 3 drives end after just 1 play: 2 TDs, and one lost a fumble. Kaiser had six drives end in Colony territory.
  • On Kaiser’s opening drive, they appeared to be getting a first-and-goal at the Colony 9 as Colony was being called for pass interference on fourth-and-15 at the 19. But Kaiser also got a penalty for illegal man downfield. The down was replayed on the offsetting fouls and Kaiser failed to convert the 4th-and-15  the second time.
Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Quarterback issue a great subplot for Don Lugo-Colony showdown

Don Lugo (5-4, 4-0) and Colony (6-3, 4-0) will be squaring off for the Mt. Baldy League football title on Friday at Colony.

There is a whole lot of irony in the quarterback situation that will be playing out. Senior Dane Ford of Don Lugo sustained a broken collarbone (non-throwing shoulder) in the third quarter of Friday’s win over Montclair, the next to last game of the season.

Rudy Garcia

Last season it was Colony quarterback Josh Thompson suffering the same exact injury in the next to last game, ironically enough, against Don Lugo.

Most thought when Thompson went down, so went the title hopes of the Titans. But no that wasn’t the case. Another senior, Jordan Johnson, who had played very little, stepped in manned the position until Thompson returned for the first time in a month in the CIF semifinal.

Thompson then went out and played in the title game like he had never gone down.

So let’s not sell Don Lugo short. Do the Conquistadores have the same supporting cast around Ford’s replacement, sophomore Rudy Garcia as the Titans did around Thompson? No. But games aren’t won on paper.

Don Lugo graduated a ton of players from a team that finished a respectable third last year in  a year most (including myself) had them pegged for finishing last. So for them to be in this position the last week of the season tells you the job this coaching staff has done.

Coach Luis Garcia will have his team ready to go. Yes, they’ll probably trim down the playbook just a little. But anyone who counts this team out is making a big mistake.

Also, let’s not forget that Thompson was just a sophomore when he took over the quarterback spot when then starter Jonathan Trucks was injured. Thompson kept the job even when Trucks came back. So this will be Garcia’s moment and likely have more in the next two years to come.

 

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Colony’s Josh Thompson not getting enough attention from colleges

Quarterback Josh Thompson led the Colony Titans to a CIF championship last year. Making the feat even more impressive was that he did it only a week removed from returning from a broken collarbone that sideline him a month.

One would think that would help land the attention from major colleges. Well that hasn’t exactly been the case.

Colony coach Steve Randall chalks that up to Thompson’s size. He’s 6-foot, 180 pounds. Thompson has all the physical attributes that go into making a good quarterback as well as other intangibles such as composure and toughness but nowadays they’re looking for physical stature as much of more than anything else.

“It’s all about passing the eye test,” Randall said. “I don’t understand it because he’s a batter quarterback than some of the guys that are getting all the attention.”

Thompson probably needed a good senior season to help draw more attention. Randall says his star player has been every bit at solid as in years past. It just doesn’t look like it on paper.

He threw for 4,465 yards with 37 touchdowns and 9 interceptions the previous two seasons. He is at 1,326 so far this season.

The problem – Colony’s schedule.

The Titans played a difficult schedule, with the first four games against elite teams in Southern California. The Titans were 2-3 over the first five games and four had running clock so Thompson’s stats were modest.

Then the Titans started league play with a 41-7 win over Montclair and a 46-0 thrashing of Ontario. He didn’t have great numbers in those games either because those were running clock too and Randall pulled back the reigns on the passing game so as not to run up the score. He didn’t have overwhelming numbers there to balance out the tougher games.

Thompson is also a good student and thought of highly by his teachers and peers so a college would be getting an athlete with great character as well.

Colony is also running a different offense, one that Randall was hoping would play in Thompson’s favor.

“He’s running the ball a little more and we’re doing some read option,” he said. “We thought that would show his versatility and that might help him. We’ll see. I really hope someone gives him a chance, They wouldn’t be sorry.”

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Mt. Baldy football teams brace for league battles

This could be the best year the Mt. Baldy League has had in football in quite some time.

Why? Well for starters there looks to be a very formidable threat to the Colony throne in the Chaffey Tigers. Last year coach Chris Brown’s team went toe-to-toe with the Titans for a half. Then lack of depth hurt and the Tigers wore down.

Colony graduated 25 or so players from the CIF Central Division winning team of a year ago. So yes the Titans are still good and they have been primed by a tough non-league schedule on which I have harped before. But they aren’t quite as good as they were last year. And the Tigers, led by diminutive dynamo Mikey Dean, are better.

The showdown between those teams is Oct. 30, the next to last week of the regular season. Mark it down!

Second, the teams that have traditionally been at the bottom of the pecking order, namely Ontario and Montclair – appear much improved with both taking 4-1 marks into play. No they haven’t played a challenging schedule but both have still beaten teams to whom they have lost in the past and that bodes well.

Then there are Don Lugo and Alta Loma. Don Lugo has played the toughest non-league schedule outside of Colony so I don’t think they’re as bad as their 1-4 record. I was impressed with how they played in the 22-21 triple overtime loss to Chino and i like what I see in that coaching staff.

Alta Loma? Well the jury is still out and I don’t quite know what to think. I have seen them once, a game they struggled to beat Fontana which was playing with its third-string quarterback.

I have heard great things about first-year coach Mark Pasquarella. But a first year is always a transition year and I try not to read too much into what happens in that first year. So call the Braves a wild card.

I’d say the playoff teams are Colony, Chaffey and Don Lugo – the same three that came out of here last year. But I’m not counting out the other three. If nothing else I think there will be more competitive games this year than ever before.

 

 

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email

Colony football team trying to keep the faith despite losses

VIDEO: Colony coach Steve Randall talks about his team’s tough schedule.

The Colony football team is at a crossroad. The Titans head into their last non-league game 1-3. After an opening-week win they have been manhandled three straight weeks.

Tonight it was La Habra 49, Colony 6

The other scores:
Bishop Amat 59, Colony 20
Alemany 42, Colony 0

Next week it is Riverside Poly. The Bears were CIF runner-up a year ago, but like Colony graduated a lot of players.

Colony coach Steve Randall isn’t taking any team lightly but says Riverside Poly is a team his matches up against better physically.

Randall has preached that the schedule will get his team ready for Mt. Baldy League play. Yes it should. But you don’t want kids to completely lose confidence in the process.

The Titans could use a win. Randall should be able to get some help if he wants it. His former offensive coordinator Kevin Davis is the first-year head coach at Etiwanda and the Eagles just played and beat Riverside Poly.

The good news Randall points to is that his team has survived physically. There have been no major injuries, or even minor injuries to speak of.

The other teams in the Mt. Baldy have have looked good, most notably Montclair and Chaffey. But both have played weak schedules. Real weak. Ontario looks improved but the jury is still out on the Jags too.

Alta Loma is a question mark under a new coach.

We’ll see what kind of senior leadership this team has this week. The coaches can keep preaching about the bigger picture but the seniors can help rally the troop. Sometimes it helps to hear the right words from you peers rather than your coaches.

Colony's Jaire Wade (3) finds room to run near the goal line during the second quarter against La Habra Thursday night. Colony hosts La Habra Thursday night September 24, 2015 in a prep football match up at Colony High School in Ontario.  (Will Lester/Staff Photographer)

Share this
Plusone Twitter Facebook Tumblr Reddit Stumbleupon Email