Category Archives: Rancho Cucamonga football

Baseline League once again to be hotly contested

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Non-league games are over. The race for league titles is on and again it is the Baseline League with numerous compelling match-ups looming.

Damien and Los Osos were the bottom two teams a year ago and both of those have shown much improvement over the course of the non-league season. Damien has RB Dylan Thigpen upon who they rely while the Grizzles have a couple of Division I signees in LB Bryce Youngquist (Oklahoma) and OL Cohl Cabral (Arizona State).

Los Osos has also come up on the winning end of some close games so they seem poised when it matters.

Have those teams improved enough to actually contend? They are probably going to be hard-pressed to do so but they’re god enough to pull an upset that could throw a monkey wrench into some team’s title hopes.

The top team a year ago was Upland but the Highlanders graduated a majority of their starters including nine who advanced to Division II schools. Is Upland as good as in years past? Only time will tell. But if the Highlanders are going to repeat, it will take big contributions from those who weren’t the headline performers a year ago.

Rancho Cucamonga is the team with the most returning starters with that group including quarterback Angel Matute, running back Aaron Manning and DB Jaylon Redd. The Cougars also added a top-notch DB in Thomas Graham, who has committed to USC.

Chino Hills the most formidable test for Upland a year ago and looks like it too poised to challenge. The Huskies had newcomer at QB in Caleb Arreola. He was banged up in the Huskies win two weeks ago. His backup is already out for the season, so much of the Huskies hopes hinge on his health and development.

Just where does Etiwanda fit in? The Eagles wee a disappointing fourth a year ago and they have a new and energetic coach in Kevin Davis. The got off to a tough start this season but stayed the course and have momentum going into league play. They face Upland tonight so we’ll see right away what Etiwanda is made of.

The battle for the top spot could take place the last week of the regular season when Upland and Rancho square off. But no doubt, every battle is going to be a big one.

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Rancho Cucamonga looking like a formidable force in Baseline

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Finishing third in the Baseline League last year didn’t exactly sit well with the Rancho Cucamongna Cougars. Sure Rancho made the playoffs and redeemed itself with a bit of a run. But coach Nick Baiz and his team are used to contending for the top spot.

The new season is fast approaching and it looks like the Cougars (7-5 last year, 3-2 in Baseline) will be poised to challenge once again.

“We were definitely a little disappointed because we thought we were capable of more,” Baiz said. “Our guys are definitely motivated to show they’re better than that.”

The Cougars do have a luxury many of their counterparts don’t. They return some key skill position players including senior running back Aaron Manning and senior quarterback Angel Matute, both of whom started as sophomores. Matute threw for 2,855 yards and 24 touchdowns last year while Manning ran for 766 and nine scores.

The strength of the defense will be in the secondary as the Cougars boast three Division I prospects back there. That trio includes Thomas Graham, who has committed to USC, and junior Tayari Venable, who is headed to Washington State.

A third player, junior Jaylon Redd, hasn’t committed but has offers from most of the Pac 12 and he isn’t even a senior.

The fourth player back there, senior Darrial Busby, is the most experienced but isn’t being recruited quite so heavily because of his size.

While Baiz knows just how good his secondary is, he is quick to point out that it is only facet of the team. The Cougars did graduate most of their linebackers and some key performers on both lines. So success hinges on replacing those athletes.

“It’s still all about blocking and tackling and that’s where he have some question marks,” he said. “It’s not that I don’t think we have good players there, they are just untested.”

There are a handful of players that saw some playing time who should be able to come in and assume larger roles this season. That group includes junior wide receiver Tyree Baker, junior wide receiver David Farmer, linebacker Justin Johnson, senior defensive end Deshawn Maiava, senior defensive lineman Johnny Latu and younger brother Jonah Latu, an offensive lineman.

The Cougars start the new season on Aug. 28 with a non-league game against Trabuco Hills at Los Osos High School. They beat the same team 17-0 in the season opener last year.

The first league game will be on Oct. 9 at Damien.

 

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Rancho Cucamonga’s Thomas Graham says its USC

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Thomas Graham talks recruiting

Rancho Cucamonga football standout Thomas Graham Jr., has decided he wants to stay close to home and attend USC. The junior-to-be made the decision public in a ceremony with his Ground Zero summer league teammates.

USC made an offer last week to the 5-foot-10, 160-pound cornerback after he made an unofficial visit to campus and participated in Rising Stars camp.

“It has always really been my dream school,” Graham said. “They have great tradition and it will be a great education to fall back on if football doesn’t work out for some reason.”

Graham has a sister Jasmyne that will compete on the school’s track team. She will be a freshman. That didn’t necessarily tip the scales in the Trojans’ favor though.

“It was really my decision,” he said. “It just worked out well for both of us.”

Graham, who transferred from Eastvale Roosevelt to Rancho Cucamonga, also considered offers from Arizona State, Oklahoma, UCLA and Washington. He visited all but Oklahoma.

Graham, who says he grew up a Reggie Bush fan, is the third player to commit to the Trojans’ 2017 recruiting class. He joins running back Stephen Carr, a Ground Zero teammate, and receiver Amari Rodgers.

He played in eight games last year at Roosevelt, tallying 49 tackles and an interception as a sophomore.

“It was nice to get the decision out of the way so I can concentrate on the season,” he said. “It was a lot of fun but the whole process was going to get crazier since I’m just going to be a junior.”

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Khalil Muhammad commits to UCLA

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Rancho Cucamonga football player Khalil Muhammad stated on Twitter that he has committed to play football at UCLA, after taking a trip to the campus last week.

Muhammad is listed as an athlete but will likely join the Bruins as a running back.

He joins Lokeni Toailoa of Carter High in Rialto, who had committed to UCLA in March.

Other coverage area players, who will be on the UCLA roster as early as the upcoming season include Nate Meadors of San Gorgonio and Josh Woods of Upland.

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Chaffey’s Toure Boyd commits to South Carolina

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Chaffey College defensive back Toure Boyd liked the SEC enough that he has committed to South Carolina site unseen.

He will visit the school later this month but made a verbal commitment early today.

Boyd, a graduate of Rancho Cucamonga High School, grew up in Birmingham, Ala., this the SEC roots. He moved to California in the eighth grade but that didn’t change his loyalty.

“I always wanted to play in the SEC,” he said. “When some of the other offers dried up I decided that was where I wanted to go.”

Boyd, who played at College of the Desert as a freshman and at Chaffey last season, was also considering Southern Miss and Arizona, both of which he visited. The Arizona offer went away, as did one from Utah.

That opened the door for South Carolina.

Boyd plans to major kinesiology and wants to be able to do something with sports once he graduates.

“I want to be able to give back to kids,” he said.

Last year Boyd recorded 60 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.

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