December 2008 Archives

Edit: forgot to get these out of unpublished mode, that's why they are late.

After two straight winning weeks, I fell back to being crappy last week. Probably for the best.

Oakland (+13) at Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay 28, Oakland 10
Detroit (+10.5) at Green Bay: Detroit 21, Green Bay 17
Dallas (+1.5) at Philadelphia: Philadelphia 23, Dallas 20
N.Y. Giants (+7) at Minnesota: Minnesota 24, N.Y. Giants 19
Chicago (+2.5) at Houston: Houston 31, Chicago 26
Carolina (-3) at New Orleans: Carolina 27, New Orleans 20
St. Louis (+14.5) at Atlanta: Atlanta 34, St. Louis 10
Kansas City (+3) at Cincinnati: Cincinnati 24, Kansas City 17
Jacksonville (+12.5) at Baltimore: Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 9
Tennessee (-3) at Indianapolis: Indianapolis 24, Tennessee 20
Cleveland (+10.5) at Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh 21, Cleveland 3
Miami (+3) at N.Y. Jets: N.Y. Jets 24, Miami 20
New England (+6.5) at Buffalo: New England 30, Buffalo 17
Seattle (+6) at Arizona: Arizona 27, Seattle 23
Washington (+3) at San Francisco: San Francisco 17, Washington 16
Denver (+8) at San Diego: San Diego 33, Denver 20

Overall: 134-98-1. Record against spread: 106-124-3.

I forgot there was a game tonight. I'm heading out of town for a few days for the holidays, so everyone have a great one.

Pittsburgh (-2) at Tennessee: Tennessee 17, Pittsburgh 13
Miami (-4) at Kansas City: Miami 24, Kansas City 16
Arizona (+7.5) at New England: New England 28, Arizona 20
Cincinnati (+3) at Cleveland: Cincinnati 16, Cleveland 12
Philadelphia (-5) at Washington: Philadelphia 23, Washington 17
San Francisco (-5) at St. Louis: San Francisco 27, St. Louis 16
Atlanta (+3) at Minnesota: Atlanta 21, Minnesota 20
New Orleans (-7) at Detroit: Detroit 27, New Orleans 24 (yeah, I'm an idiot)
N.Y. Jets (-3.5) at Seattle: N.Y. Jets 27, Seattle 21
Houston (-7) at Oakland: Houston 31, Oakland 13
Buffalo (+6) at Denver: Denver 24, Buffalo 20
San Diego (+3.5) at Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay 24, San Diego 17
Carolina (+3.5) at N.Y. Giants: N.Y. Giants 20, Carolina 17
Green Bay (+4) at Chicago: Chicago 16, Green Bay 7

Overall: 126-92-1. Record against spread: 100-116-3.

Took a little while, but here's the all-SAL team.

Offense
MVP - Walter Kazee, Sr., Cajon

First Team
QB - T.J. Smith, Sr., San Bernardino; Nick Vasquez, Sr., Colton
RB - Nat Berhe, Sr., Colton; Kenneth Chapple, Sr., Pacific; Derrick Malone, Jr., Colton; Tre Meadors, Sr., San Gorgonio
WR - Derrick Osborne, Jr., San Gorgonio; Vanzell Richardson, Jr., San Bernardino; Mark Salaiz, Sr., Cajon; Steven Williams, Jr., Arroyo Valley
OL - Johnathan Aguila, Sr., San Gorgonio; Daron Griffin, Sr., Cajon; Kevin Guerra, Sr., Colton; Jared Lunt, Sr., Cajon; Michael Philipp, Sr., Arroyo Valley
K - Alejandro Maldonado, Jr., Colton

Second Team
RB - Aaerin Booker, Sr., San Bernardino; Reggie Hammond, Sr., Cajon; O'Shay Jelks, Jr., Colton; Terrance McClendon, Sr., San Gorgonio
WR - Demarrio Brooks, So., San Gorgonio; Isiah Collier, Sr., Cajon; Damon Ogburn, Jr., Arroyo Valley; Marlon Pollard, Sr., Cajon
OL - Steven Alonzo, Sr., San Gorgonio; Martin Estrada, Sr., San Gorgonio; John Gonzales, Sr., Colton; Joe Miranda, Sr., Cajon; Sebastian Tretola, Jr., Cajon

Defense
MVP - Isaiah Williams, Sr., Cajon

First Team
DL - Alex Boykins, Sr., Arroyo Valley; Chris Bradford, Sr., Arroyo Valley; Mike Newton, Jr., Colton; Derrick Osborne, Sr., San Gorgonio.
LB - Andrew Anderson, Sr., Cajon; Robert Balderrama, Sr., San Gorgonio; Ofa Fifita, Jr., Arroyo Valley; Fred Myers, Jr., Pacific
DB - Nat Berhe, Sr., Colton; Jeff Cooper, Sr., Cajon; Marlon Pollard, Sr., Cajon; T.J. Smith, Sr., San Gorgonio.
P - Jimmy Chester, Jr., San Gorgonio

Second Team
DL - Brandon Caruso, Sr., San Gorgonio; Darryl Coleman, Sr., Arroyo Valley; Paul Curiel, Sr., San Bernardino; Ma'alona Kiliona, Jr., Colton
LB - Abdul Arugandande, Sr., Cajon; Andre Cash, Sr., Cajon; Joseph Godsy, Sr., Cajon; Devan Hussey, So., Colton
DB - Fabian Calzada, Jr., Arroyo Valley; Kenneth Chapple, Sr., Pacific; Dominique Williams, Jr., San Bernardino; Vincent Williams, Jr., Cajon

Redlands offensive lineman Brock Morris has set up a trio of official visits for January, as he looks to pick between Army, UC Davis and Portland State.

Morris, a first-team all-Citrus Belt League selection the last two seasons, is visiting West Point on Jan. 16, UC Davis on Jan. 23 and Portland State on Jan. 30. The Portland State visit was moved because it conflicted with the Inland Empire All-Star Football game.

"I'm pretty excited," Morris said. "Those are the three schools that have been with me the entire time. There are a few schools that have come in at the end, but these three have stayed with me the entire time and are whom I've built a relationship with."

If Morris chooses Army, which he is still high on despite the recent resignation of head coach Stan Brock, he'll be close to teammate Michael Poage, a defensive lineman. Poage, an all-CBL first-team selection, verbally committed to Columbia University earlier this week. With Columbia being in Manhattan and West Point roughly an hour north of New York City, the teammates wouldn't be that far away.

"I guess you are right," Morris said when I pointed that out. "That'd be pretty cool."

Eisenhower coach John Rice resigned as head football coach because of a desire to spend more time with his family. The resignation was tendered last week according to Rice.

"I made the best decision for myself and my family," Rice said. "The Eisenhower administration, faculty, staff, and students are a fantastic group of people, I wish them the best. At this point, I'll probably seek an assistant coaching position somewhere."

Rice, 47, has been in coaching for 25 years, starting in the San Diego area. He spent time in the Denver area, as a defensive coordinator at Louisville Trinity High School - one of the premier programs in the nation - in Indiana and as a defensive coordinator at Moreno Valley Canyon Springs High School in 2004-05. He became the head coach at Eisenhower, leading the Eagles to an 11-19 record.

Ike was 1-9 in his first season in 2006 and 5-5 the last two years. The Eagles have increased their league victories in every season under Rice, going from 1 in '06 to 2 in '07 to three this past season.

There will be a more in-depth story in Wednesday's Sun.

Eisenhower wide receiver Alex Jefferies left for Fresno State on an official visit this weekend. After spending the weekend on the campus, Jefferies - who had official visits to Utah and Nebraska on his itinerary - knew where he wanted to go to school.

"I commited to Fresno State this morning," Jefferies said. "I wanted to go to a school that really was with me the entire time and showed that they wanted me. Fresno State was always around and I really liked my trip up there."

The Bulldogs indicated to Jefferies that they wanted him to play wide receiver, which seems to be a pretty smart choice. Jefferies has been an all-Citrus Belt League first-team performer the last two seasons, catching 47 passes for 815 yards and nine touchdowns this year. He also ran for 298 yards, playing quarterback at times because of an injury to starter Anthony Lucero.

"I really want to play wide receiver in college," said Jefferies, who was also being looked at as a safety. "I'm just so relieved to get this whole thing over."

With the verbal commitment, Jefferies is forgoing official visits to Utah - which he was set to go on this upcoming weekend - and Nebraska, which offered him recently and wanted him to visit in January. But Jefferies is content with that.

"I'm happy that I'll still be in California," Jefferies said. "It's close to family and I don't have to worry about it being cold."

Likely going to Vegas after covering the Barstow game tonight, so hopefully I have a 10-5 week like I did last week instead of the crap that I've had in virtually every other week.

Green Bay (-2) at Jacksonville: Green Bay 27, Jacksonville 23
Detroit (+17) at Indianapolis: Indianapolis 31, Detroit 16
Washington (-6.5) at Cincinnati: Washington 27, Cincinnati 9
Tampa Bay (+3) at Atlanta: Atlanta 24, Tampa Bay 20
San Francisco (+6) at Miami: Miami 21, San Francisco 17
Seattle (-2.5) at St. Louis: Seattle 17, St. Louis 13
Buffalo (+7.5) at N.Y. Jets: N.Y. Jets 23, Buffalo 16
Tennessee (-3) at Houston: Tennessee 28, Houston 10
Pittsburgh (+2.5) at Baltimore: Pittsburgh 20, Baltimore 17
Denver (+7.5) at Carolina: Carolina 31, Denver 26
San Diego (-6) at Kansas City: San Diego 27, Kansas City 23
Minnesota (+3) at Arizona: Arizona 28, Minnesota 17
New England (-7) at Oakland: New England 30, Oakland 17
N.Y. Giants (+3) at Dallas: N.Y. Giants 28, Dallas 21
Cleveland (+14) at Philadelphia: Philadelphia 24, Cleveland 6

Overall: 116-87-1. Record against spread: 92-110-2.

With the Central Division championship now decided, here's the Baseline team.

Baseline League
First Team
Offense
MVP - Greg Watson, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga
First team
QB - Richard Brehaut, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos; Josh Nunes, Sr., Upland; Angel Santiago, Jr., Etiwanda.
RB - Arby Fields, Sr., Los Osos; Vince Minor, Sr., Etiwanda.
REC - Irshad Stolden, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Randall Telfer, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga; Jason Speicher, Sr., Upland; Willie Mebane, Sr., Etiwanda; Quadeer Stewart, Sr., Etiwanda.
OL - Marquese Wallace, Sr., Etiwanda; Matt Shinn, Sr., Los Osos; Bryan Townsend, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Gary Berwick, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga; Dylan Tumser, Sr., Upland.

Defense
MVP - Daniel Fonua, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Jesse Gonzales, Sr., Los Osos; Ibeakalem Nudka, Sr., Etiwanda.
First team
DL - Kevin Gannuscio, Sr., Alta Loma; Austin Miley, Jr., Etiwanda; Tony Washington, Jr., Los Osos; Sione Kauvaka, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga; Mike Macias, Sr., Upland.
LB - Robbie Skarseth, Sr., Alta Loma; Aaron Martyn, Sr., Claremont; Trevor Rogina, Sr., Los Osos; Mitch Rosnagle, Sr., Los Osos; Buddy Welka, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Justin Meng, Sr., Upland.
DB - Ernie Esparza, Sr., Los Osos; Matt Looney, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Osahon Irabor, Sr., Upland; Gianni Olivas, Jr., Upland.

Second Team
Offense
RB - Michael Boyd, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga; Sateki Finau, So., Rancho Cucamonga; Davion Fleming, Sr., Upland; Tyler Singleton, Jr., Claremont.
WR - Bobby Ratliff, Jr., Etiwanda; Timmy Roman, Sr., Los Osos; Matt Roberts, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Charles Saseun, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Osahon Irabor, Sr., Upland; Gianni Olivas, Jr., Upland.
TE - Trevor Rogina, Sr., Los Osos
OL - Matt Siler, Sr., Etiwanda; B.J. Sonboli, Jr., Los Osos; Ray Delgado, Sr., Los Osos; Jon Hernandez, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga; Eden Mahina, Jr., Upland; Alex Al-Asady, Sr., Upland.
K - Alex Arballo, Jr., Etiwanda

Defense
DL - Jesus Rivera, Sr., Etiwanda; Daniel Garza, Sr., Los Osos; Ray Delgado, Sr., Los Osos; Marcus Bennett, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Rudy Gallegos, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Isaiah Shivers, Sr., Upland.
LB - Eric Valenzuela, Sr., Alta Loma; Cody Bretall, Jr., Etiwanda; Nick Tito, Jr., Etiwanda; Tim Helton, Sr., Upland
DB - Willie Mebane, Sr., Etiwanda; Jimmy Shorters, Sr., Etiwanda; Sean Alston, Jr., Los Osos; Jordan Meaders, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga; Taj Johnson, Sr., Upland

Here are some scores before I head out for some wings and beer at B-Dub Wings.

CENTRAL DIVISION
Rancho Cucamonga 21, Upland 7

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Covina Charter Oak 30, Diamond Ranch 14

INLAND DIVISION
Corona Centennial 23, Temecula Chapparal 17

NORTHWEST DIVISION
Oaks Christian 63, Gardena Serra 28

NORTHERN DIVISION
St. Bonaventure 22, Moorpark 7

SOUTHERN DIVISION
Laguna Hills 28, Lakewood Mayfair 21

WESTERN DIVISION
Quartz Hill 14, Mira Costa 0

Upland - 14 first downs, 260 total yards, 5 turnovers

Josh Nunes - 12 of 33 passing, 141 yards, 4 INTs
Davion Fleming - 18 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD
Osahon Irabor - 3 catches, 50 yards

Rancho Cucamonga - 10 first downs, 254 total yards, 1 turnover

Greg Watson - 12 of 17 passing, 142 yards, 1 TD; 8 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD
Charles Saseun - 2 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD
Randal Telfer - 4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD

Jereme Schumacher intercepted Josh Nunes at the goal line for the 4th interception of the game for the Cougars, clinching a 21-7 victory. Rancho Cucamonga finished 13-0-1, its first undefeated season in school history, and wins its first CIF title since 1999. Upland finishes 11-3.

Upland drove to the Cougars' 23, but a 4th-and-12 pass was intercepted by Justyn Wysinger, who returned it 30 yards to the Rancho 40. 2:46 left now with the Cougars up 21-7.

The Highlanders still are struggling to get anything going, having to punt in a fourth-and-long situation from their own 40. They pinned Rancho inside its 10, but with 6:54 left and the Cougars up 21-7, time is running out on the Highlanders as they take over at the Cougars' 45 after a short Rancho punt.

Greg Watson hit Randal Telfer on a fade route for a 9-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter, putting the Cougars up 21-7 with 11:55 remaining in the game.

Rancho still up 14-7, facing a third-and-goal from the Upland 9. Oh yeah, they are counting the 50/50 money behind me. If I'm lucky and can finagle some cash, drinks are on me tonight. I'll keep you posted.

Upland fumbled on a dive play at its own 23, which sophomore linebacker Kiki Kauvaka recovered, giving the Cougars prime field position in an attempt to grab a two-score lead. Just over a minute left in the third now.

After a sweet 25-yard pass from Greg Watson to Matt Roberts on third and long gave the Cougars a first down, Rancho crapped out and had to punt. However, Darren Rigsby pinned the Highlanders on their own 7. Upland is trying to get out of the shadow of its own goal line now, down 14-7 with 2:47 left in the third.

After a couple of first downs, the Highlanders were forced to punt, a punt that was partially blocked by junior defensive back Chayz Holt. Rancho now has the ball near midfield, up 14-7 with 7:30 left in the third.

Rancho Cucamonga junior defensive tackle River Harris apparently also plays the trumpet as well as playing football. Harris, a 6-foot, 220-pounder, was in full uniform (except the helmet of course) marching and playing that trumpet with the rest of the Cougar band at halftime.

Also, Berwick's injury is a lower leg break, likely the fibia or tibia. Apparently Berwick is trying to tough it out and watch the rest of the game prior to going to the hospital.

Second half is about to start. Upland to receive.

This is what I got from the people actually keeping track of this stuff:

Upland - 6 first downs, 139 total yards

Josh Nunes - 7 for 17, 63 yards, 2 INTs
Davion Fleming - 8 rushes, 64 yards, 1 TDs
Gianni Olivas - 2 catches, 20 yards

Rancho Cucamonga - 7 first downs, 168 total yards

Greg Watson - 6 of 9, 74 yards; 4 carries, 21 yards, 1 TD
Charles Saseun - 2 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD
Irshad Stolden - 2 catches, 42 yards

Also, junior center Gary Berwick apparently broke his leg in the second quarter, which obviously puts him out of commission for the rest of the game. Rancho has already had a couple of high center snaps in his absence, so its something that bears watching in the second half.

After a crazy first period, the second period was scoreless, leaving the Cougars with a 14-7 lead. I'll get some stats from Lou Brewster and post them in a bit.

This game may be at Chaffey College, but there was no mistaking the loyalties of the PA guy. After Josh Nunes overthrew a receiver on 3rd-and-10 from the Rancho 37 on a miscommunication, the Rancho PA guy made a crack that Nunes' incomplete pass was intended for former coach Chris McEwen, who is apparently among the throng on the Cougar sideline.

4:30 left in the 2nd, still 14-7. Matt Calkins and John Murphy are drinking Diet Dr. Pepper out of a commemorative Indiana Jones cans. Awesome.

After throwing his second interception of the night, a pass that Daniel Fonua bobbled before catching it at the Upland 45, Josh Nunes was Johnny on the spot, picking up Fonua's fumble at the end of the return and advancing it 14 yards to the Upland 47. We'll see if Upland takes advantage of this break with just over 7 minutes left in the second.

Still 14-7 Rancho.

Rancho Cucamonga junior center Gary Berwick just limped off the field with an injury as the first quarter concluded with the Cougars up 14-7. At this rate, my pregame prediction is really going to suck as far as the over/under is concerned. If you are in Vegas, bet high.

Senior running back Davion Fleming gets the Highlanders back in business, breaking a 53-yard run up the middle to the Cougars 4-yard line. He was caught there, but finished it off with a 4-yard TD run off right tackle on the very next play. With Jake Van Ginkel's extra point, Upland is now down 14-7 with 1:23 left in the first.

And in other news, John Murphy's computer finally stopped beeping. The rest of the press box is thankful for that.

After the Rancho score, defensive back Andrew Lew intercepted Josh Nunes at midfield. Greg Watson then found Irshad Stolden on a 44-yard reception to the Upland 3 two plays later. Immediately after that, Watson took the zone read keeper up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown.

3:38 left in the first, Upland needs help after falling behind 14-0.

Just as I sent my last blog, Rancho senior WR Charles Saseun showed why he was second in state in the 100-yard dash. Saseun took at end around to the left side and sped down the sideline for a 51-yard touchdown, easily outracing the Upland pursuit. Josh Wolfer's extra point gives Rancho a 7-0 led with 5:31 left in the first.

Upland won the toss and deferred. Rancho Cucamonga got one first down on its opening possession, but Greg Watson got sacked by Tim Helton on a key 3rd and 8, causing the Cougars to punt.

Upland ball, 8:46 left in the first, no score.

I found the faintest possible signal ever here at Chaffey for Upland-Rancho Cucamonga, so we'll try to get this done. In the house are Clay Fowler, Louis Brewster, Matt Calkins and the artist formerly known as the Prep-dog from the P.E. and special guest Lance Pugmire from the L.A. Times.

Weather is nice - temperature in the upper 50s with light wind - and they've already made at least two annoucements for fans to squeeze into the Chaffey bleachers. So it might be better to be watching at home on the ol' blog.

National anthem now.

Starting in an hour or so, I will have a live blog (barring any internet problems) from the Rancho Cucamonga-Upland game at Chaffey College. So if you can't make it out tonight, check out the action on here.

Only a few hours before title games start, so here I go. I did OK last week, just missing Barstow-Silverado.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Upland at Rancho Cucamonga
Just to relieve Upland fans, Josh Nunes is starting at QB. There was a snafu in this morning's Daily Bulletin that ran the Cajon starting lineups instead of the Upland ones. For whatever reason, the correct Upland lineups were run in the Sun. Anyway, I could brag that I predicted this matchup, but the real bragging should go to the teams - Upland for shrugging off the Los Osos monkey and Rancho for continuing its undefeated march. I picked Rancho to win it all and I'm not turning back now.
Rancho Cucamonga 27, Upland 17

EASTERN DIVISION
Perris Citrus Hill at Barstow
Definitely an odd matchup. At one spectrum you have the Hawks, a No. 1 seed that killed everyone in its path before toughing out an 18-15 win over Serrano last week. Barstow, meanwhile, has bucked the odds all year to get to its first CIF title since 2000. Can the double-wing Aztecs pull the shocker? It should be fun in Barstow, but I got Citrus Hill in this one.
Citrus Hill 38, Barstow 26

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Twentynine Palms at San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's
I should save internet space and not write San Juan Capistrano again, but I did. In talking to their coach, Harry Welch, a few nights back, he was raving about the raw ability and size of the Wildcats, which he should. Twentynine Palms has some serious ballers. But I'm going to stick with the undefeated team here, even if its playing possum a bit.
St. Margaret's 31, Twentynine Palms 23

INLAND DIVISION
Temecula Chaparral vs. Corona Centennial
The Pumas were blasted by Centennial in the semis last year. They were also blasted by Norco in the title game two years ago. Chaparral got revenge on the Cougars last week and are looking to do the same against Centennial this week. But they won't. Centennial rolls to another title.
Centennial 38, Chaparral 10

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Covina Charter Oak at Diamond Ranch
I met Diamond Ranch coach Roddy Layton for the first time Monday. I was expecting him to look like what the Scots expected William Wallace to look like - seven feet tall with an ability to fire lightning bolts from any place on his body. He wasn't quite that, but him and the Panthers deserve a lot of credit for getting to this point after a 1-6 start. That start involved a loss to Charter Oak, which will have Diamond Ranch's number again.
Charter Oak 24, Diamond Ranch 13.

The bracket for the 51st Annual San Bernardino Kiwanis Boys' Basketball tournament was released Thursday. The tournament will be played at San Gorgonio and Pacific High Schools and will start Friday, Dec. 26 and run through Dec. 30, with Sunday, Dec. 28 being a day off. All games on the 30th will be played at San G, with the title game running at 8:15 p.m.

First-round games at Pacific:
Los Osos vs. Pacific, 2 p.m.
Bloomington vs. Redlands East Valley, 3:45 p.m.
Barstow vs. Yucaipa, 5:30 p.m.
Sultana vs. Cajon, 7:15 p.m.

First-round games at San G:
Fontana vs. Summit, 2 p.m.
Rim of the World vs. Redlands, 3:45 p.m.
Rialto vs. Silverado, 5:30 p.m.
Aquinas vs. San Gorgonio, 7:15 p.m.

Offense
MVP - A.J. Johnson, RB, Chino Hills

First Team
Drew Kaluzny, QB, Sr., Glendora
Andre Holmes, RB, Jr., Glendora
Courtney Samuel, RB, Sr., Ayala
Sylvester Stewart, RB, Sr., Diamond Bar
Chad Young, FB, Sr., Glendora
Wallace Gonzalez, WR, So., Glendora
Taylor Herrera, WR, Sr., Damien
Cody Ruiz, WR, Sr., Chino Hills
Aaron Stockham, WR, Jr., Glendora
Joel Baez, TE, Sr., Glendora
Cody Craver, T, Sr., Chino Hills
Chase Sipple, T, Sr., Damien
Cody Tescher, T, Sr., Glendora
Thomas Lilly, G, Sr., Glendora
Shane Sweeney, G, Sr., Chino Hills
John Gallardo, C, Sr., Glendora

Second Team
Ryan Verdugo, QB, Jr., Chino Hills
Robert Ignacio, RB, Sr., Diamond Bar
Jared Taylor, RB, Sr., Chino
Brandyn White, RB, Sr., Chino
Aaron Bales, WR, Sr., Diamond Bar
Obum Gwacham, WR, Sr., Ayala
Nate Harris, WR, So., Chino Hills
Colin Lockett, WR, Sr., Diamond Bar
Ryne Morrison, WR, Jr., Damien
Jace Dyson, TE, Jr., Chino
Derek Fredendall, T, Sr., Glendora
Curtis Mowery, T, Jr., Ayala
John Brandt, G., Sr., Diamond Bar
Adam Cychner, G, Sr., Damien
Chris Alarcon, C, Sr., Chino Hills

Athlete of the Year: David Quiroga, Sr., Ayala

Defense
MVPs: Lawrence Larivee, Sr., Ayala; Chad Young, Sr., Glendora

First Team
Ryan Castro, DL, Sr., Ayala
Josh Rottler, DL, Jr., Chino Hills
Jake Salter, DL, Sr., Damien
Nathan Tourtellotte, DL, Sr., Glendora
Michael Yllanes, DL, Jr., Ayala
Chase Murphy, DE/LB, Sr., Glendora
Jason Reyes, DE/LB, Sr., Damien
Logan Laszcyk, LB, Sr., Chino Hills
Erick Meraz, LB, Sr., Glendora
Justin Robles, LB, Sr., Diamond Bar
Nick Thomas, LB, Jr., Ayala
Derek Brandon, DB, Sr., Ayala
Olomu Ifo-Ekpre, DB, So., Chino Hills
Devin Jackson, DB, Sr., Ayala
Colin Lockett, DB, Sr., Diamond Bar
Alex Arroyo, P, Sr., Ayala
Ethan Betance, P, Sr., Damien

Second Team
Zach Figueroa, DL, Jr., Chino
Obiajulu Okafor, DL, Sr., Damien
Bryan Wright, DL, Sr., Chino
Brandon Cross, DE/LB, Sr., Chino Hills
Trevor Loza, DE/LB, Jr., Chino
Anthony Penalber, LB, Sr., Ayala
Justin Robles, LB, Jr., Ayala
Brock Tracey, LB, Jr., Damien
Andrew Yaroma, LB, Sr., Ayala
Duwani Bankhead, DB, Jr., Glendora
Travis Haywood, DB, Sr., Damien
Dylon Nichols, DB, Jr., Glendora
Jake Vieth, DB, Sr., Damien
Shane Taylor, P, Jr., Chino

Upland cornerback/wide receiver Osahon Irabor, a verbal commitment to Arizona State, cracked the Rivals250 Thursday, moving up to No. 248. In the process, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior was upgraded from a three-star recruit to four stars.

Other local players ranked in the Rivals250 are Arroyo Valley offensive lineman Michael Philipp (No. 38), Los Osos quarterback Richard Brehaut (No. 56) and Cajon cornerback/wide receiver Marlon Pollard (No. 148). Brehaut is committed to UCLA while Pollard is committed to Notre Dame.

Just outside the top 250 is Upland QB Josh Nunes (Stanford) and Diamond Ranch CB Brandon Sermons (UCLA).

Also from John Rice.

Sunkist League

First Team

Offense
MVP - Devon Blackmon, So., Fontana Summit
First team
QB - Eric Johnson, Sr., Bloomington.
RB - Marquise Boyd, Sr., Bloomington; Anthony Brown, Jr., Fontana Kaiser; Ken Braden, Sr., Riverside Patriot; Andre Franco, Sr., Patriot; Montigo Alfor, Sr., Summit.
WR - Jayson Allmond, Sr., Bloomington; Nick Merancio, Sr., Kaiser; Kevin Washington, Sr., Patriot; Jamaal Anderson, Jr., Summit.
OL - Jeremy Salgado, Sr., Bloomington; David Esquivel, Sr., Jurupa Valley; Emmanuel Wilson, Jr., Kaiser; Christian Martinez, Jr., Kaiser; JR Latuela, Sr., Riverside Norte Vista; Kyle Estes, Sr., Patriot; Demetrius Watson, Sr., Summit.

Defense
MVPs - Simon Martinez, Sr., Kaiser; Josh Shirley, Jr., Kaiser.
First team
DL - Jose Mejia, Sr., Bloomington; Zack Collier, Sr., Patriot; Derrick Washington, Jr., Summit; Tim Parker, Sr., Kaiser; Christian Sandoval, Jr., Norte Vista; Eric Jammeshan, Sr., Patriot.
LB - Adam Ramirez, Sr., Kaiser; Jose Romero, Jr., Bloomington; Justin Johnson, Jr., Summit; Lou Mele, Sr., Patriot; Cody Bryan, Jr., Summit; Dwayne Boyd, Sr., Bloomington; Alec Goodman, Jr., Summit.
DB - Miles Basham, Sr., Patriot; Dennis Taylor, So., Kaiser; Taylor Hollowell, Sr., Jurupa Valley; Carlos Lacefield, Sr., Summit.
K - Luis Yanez, Sr., Patriot.

Second Team
Offense
QB - Richard DeLuna, Sr., Kaiser; Rolland Gibbons, Sr., Norte Vista; Kevin Sullivan, Sr., Patriot.
RB - Curtis Slater, Sr., Jurupa Valley; Anthony Eddington, Jr., Norte Vista
WR - Chris Vasquez, Jr., Bloomington; Tim Mast, Jr., Jurupa Valley; Dontrelle Jackson, Sr, Summit; Isaac Cisneros, Jr., Summit
TE - Erwin Sandoval, Sr., Norte Vista; David Amaro, Jr., Bloomington; Michael Gant, Sr., Bloomington
OL - Daniel Salgado, Sr., Bloomington; Brandin Stevension, Sr., Bloomington; David Togia, Jr., Jurupa Valley; Robert Reyes, Jr., Norte Vista; Oscar Carbajal, Jr., Kaiser; Randy Cardenas, Sr., Patriot; Joe Broda, Jr., Patriot; Ryan Vierra, Sr., Kaiser; Paul Ibarra, So., Summit; Tony Gallegos, Sr., Summit; Gabriel Perez, Sr., Patriot; Ramiro Hernandez, Sr., Patriot.
K - Francisco Picazzo, Sr., Bloomington

Defense
DL - Chad Marcy, Jr., Bloomington; Caleb Calderon, Sr., Jurupa Valley; John O'Brien, Sr., Jurupa Valley; Tildone Walls, Sr., Kaiser; Juan Martinez, Jr., Norte Vista; Angel Tejada, Sr., Kaiser; Keanu Carradine, Sr., Kaiser; John Soltero, Sr., Norte Vista.
DE - Joe Silva, Jr., Kaiser; Andrew Tapia, Sr., Bloomington; Jeffrey Fajardo, Sr., Bloomington; Perry Walker, Sr., Summit; Edson Gonzalez, Sr., Summit; Adam Patron, Sr., Bloomington
OLB - Joshua Allmond, So., Bloomington; Adam Delgado, Sr., Bloomington; Donavo James, Sr., Jurupa Valley; Cameron Vandostendorp, So., Norte Vista; Keenan Braden, Jr., Patriot; T.J. Garcia, Sr., Patriot
ILB - Michael Carranza, So., Bloomington; Danny Kozine, Jr., Kaiser; Matt Saevi, Sr., Jurupa Valley; Abraham Caisedo, Sr., Jurupa Valley; Ryan Beckman, Sr., Norte Vista.
DB - Mario Johnson, Jr., Bloomington; Edward Randolph, So., Bloomington; J'Mac Godlock, Sr., Bloomington; Jamar Robinson, Sr., Norte Vista; Desman Carter, So., Kaiser; Nathan Murphy, So., Kaiser; Josh Brewton, Sr., Patriot; David Hollingsworth, Sr., Summit; Joseph Henderson, So., Summit.

Fresh off the e-mail from Eisenhower's John Rice.

Offense
First team
QB - Juan Flores, Fontana Miller; Tyler Shreve, Redlands East Valley.
RB - Kory Ozier, Fontana; AJ Fernandez, REV; Cameron Phillips, Redlands; Darrell Jackson, Rialto Carter; David Dash, Miller.
WR - Trayvon Ralph, Miller; Eric Rodgers, Redlands; Alex Jeffries, Rialto Eisenhower.
TE - Charles Harvey, REV; Albert Jackson, Eisenhower.
OL - Ivan Moreno, Fontana; Brock Morris, Redlands; Michael Armijo, Miller; David Peterson, REV; Mike Garcia, Redlands; Justin Corrales, Redlands.

Defense
First team
DL - Jeremiah Uti, Fontana; Philip Salas, Miller; Andrew Hudson, REV; Michael Poage, Redlands.
LB - Jacob Guzman, Miller; Cole Gridle, Redlands; Robert Canales, Rialto; Kenny Breaux, Carter; Sergio Ganados, REV; Taijuan Martin, Eisenhower; Calvin Stewart, Carter.
DB - Gary Walker, REV; Matt Marnati, Yucaipa; Mike Negrete, Yucaipa; Ryan Coleman, Carter; Cameron Villalobos, Redlands.
K - Manny Szwabowski, REV.

The all-Christian League team. Drumroll please.

SUPERLATIVES
MVP: Jim Jones, WR/DB, Jr., Aquinas
Offensive MVP: Tyler Stirewalt, QB, Sr., Aquinas
Defensive MVP: Jake Henderson, LB, Jr., Aquinas
Co-Special Teams MVP: Zach Oliver, Sr., Ontario Christian; Zack Watkins, Jr., Western Christian.
Co-Coaches of the Year: Wayne Cochrun, Arrowhead Christian; Josh Henderson, Aquinas
Sportsmanship Award: Aquinas High School.

First team
Andrew Aivazian, Sr., Ontario Christian; Uche Amajoyi, Jr., Aquinas; Alex Barger, Sr., Aquinas; Alex Beaton, Sr., Western Christian; A.J. Cabello, Sr., Arrowhead Christian; Rob Coachman, Jr., Ontario Christian; Bob Jones, Sr., Aquinas; Jarid Lesh, Sr., Arrowhead Christian; Jimmy Lohan, Jr, Ontario Christian; Micah McClure, Sr., Ontario Christian; Derrick Radden, Jr., Aquinas; J.P. Ragan, Sr., Aquinas; Adam Schwartzman, Jr, Arrowhead Christian; Christian Solis, So., Western Christian; Spencer Summers, Jr., Arrowhead Christian; Daniel Sutton, Sr., Western Christian; Tyron Tarvin, Sr., Ontario Christian; Brandon Taylor, Sr. Aquinas.

Second team
Andrew Bethel, Sr., Aquinas; Chris Casaclang, Jr, Aquinas; Reed Covington, Sr., Western Christian; Jordan Kloosterman, So., Ontario Christian; Andrew Lachelt, Jr., Ontario Christian; Manuel Macias, Jr., Ontario Christian; Roberto Martinez, So., Aquinas; Alex Mucillo, Sr., Arrowhead Christian; Ryan Salausa, So., Western Christian; Nick Schodelbauer, Jr., Aquinas; Cameron Schweitzer, Sr., Arrowhead Christian; Mark Sowell, Sr., Arrowhead Christian; Tyler Struiksman, Sr., Ontario Christian; Elijah Winton, Sr., Ontario Christian.

The interest in Eisenhower wide receiver Alex Jefferies has picked up quite a bit, as Jefferies - who enjoyed a stellar senior season for the 5-5 Eagles - picked up a scholarship offer from the University of Nebraska. Nebraska is the first BCS school to offer Jefferies and they are looking to bring him up for an official visit in January once the Cornhuskers return from their Gator Bowl matchup with Clemson, according to an e-mail sent by Ike coach John Rice.

Rice also indicated that Nebraska is recruiting Jefferies as an athlete, as it has indicated to Jefferies that they are recruiting him at safety and wide receiver. Jefferies has taken one official visit to Fresno State at this point and is taking an official visit to Utah next weekend according to Rice.

With the football season entering its final week, its time for me to start putting together the All-County football team, which will run in the Sun on Christmas Day (and I'm sure Clay Fowler could use them for its all-Inland Valley team in the Bulletin as well). And to do that, I want to get as much pertinent information as I can, because unfortunately, I haven't found a way to clone myself and attend every area high school football game.

So if any of you out there might have a copy of your all-league teams (looking for Baseline, CBL, San Andreas, Sunkist, Sierra, Desert Sky, Mojave River, Christian, De Anza and Mt. Baldy primarily), shoot an e-mail to tj.berka@inlandnewspapers.com, clay.fowler@inlandnewspapers or FAX a copy to (909) 484-5574. It'd be much appreciated.

Well, it looks as if there's going to be a Florida-Oklahoma national title game. I still don't agree with that though. Since very few played, the normal witty commentary isn't going to be here this week. I'm sure you'll survive.

1. Florida (2)
2. Texas (3)
3. Oklahoma (4)
4. USC (5)
5. Alabama (1)
6. Utah (6)
7. Penn State (7)
8. Texas Tech (8)
9. Boise State (9)
10. Ohio State (10)
11. TCU (12)
12. Cincinnati (13)
13. Georgia Tech (14)
14. Oregon (16)
15. BYU (17)
16. Oklahoma State (18)
17. Pittsburgh (20)
18. Georgia (18)
19. Michigan State (22)
20. Mississippi (23)
21. Virginia Tech (NR)
22. Ball State (11)
23. Boston College (15)
24. Oregon State (24)
25. Iowa (25)

Under consideration: Northwestern, Florida State, Missouri

Dropped out: No. 21 Missouri (lost to Oklahoma)

Take these with a grain of salt as always. Or get a good laugh from them.

Cincinnati (+13.5) at Indianapolis: Indianapolis 28, Cincinnati 10
Jacksonville (+6.5) at Chicago: Chicago 27, Jacksonville 17
Houston (+6) at Green Bay: Green Bay 28, Houston 23
Cleveland (+14) at Tennessee: Tennessee 31, Cleveland 6
Minnesota (-10) at Detroit: Minnesota 30, Detroit 10
Philadelphia (+6.5) at N.Y. Giants: N.Y. Giants 28, Philadelphia 14
Atlanta (+3) at New Orleans: Atlanta 31, New Orleans 24
N.Y. Jets (-4) at San Francisco: San Francisco 21, N.Y. Jets 17
Miami (even) vs. Buffalo (at Toronto): Miami 24, Buffalo 16
Kansas City (+9) at Denver: Denver 30, Kansas City 23
St. Louis (+14) at Arizona: Arizona 31, St. Louis 20
Dallas (+3) at Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh 26, Dallas 17
New England (-7) at Seattle: New England 27, Seattle 13
Washington (+5.5) at Baltimore: Baltimore 21, Washington 13
Tampa Bay (+3) at Carolina: Carolina 27, Tampa Bay 23

Overall: 104-84-1. Record against spread: 82-105-2.

Just got back from an impressive 42-21 Upland victory over Los Osos. The game was close for 3 quarters, with the Highlanders up 21-14 going into the fourth, but three Upland touchdown in the span of 1:42 put things out of reach.

Diamond Ranch obliterated West Covina 39-7 to reach the Southeast title game while Barstow defeated Silverado 37-27 to advance to the Eastern Finals. Twentynine Palms also advanced to the East Valley finals with a 27-21 victory over Fillmore. Norco fell in the Inland Division, dropping a 29-21 decision to Temecula Chaparral.

Just got done with the Serrano-Citrus Hill game, which saw the Diamondbacks almost pull a huge upset before losing 18-15. Serrano held Citrus Hill, which came in averaging over 500 yards of offense per game, to 250 yards. But Hawks' star running back Deontae Cooper scored twice, including the game-winner with 2:09 left, and ran for 136 yards.

Also, received a text message from Clay Fowler confirming a 23-13 Rancho Cucamonga win over Cajon. Don't have any specifics on the game right now, other than it was delayed an hour and 15 minutes due to a power outage in San Bernardino.

Last regular season slate, as I try to get above .500 prior to bowl season. Here's to it.

USC (-32) at UCLA
Two years ago, UCLA pulled a shocker over a heavily-favored USC team in the Rose Bowl, denying the Trojans a shot at a BCS title game with a 13-9 win. While USC's title chances are pretty slim, you know UCLA will want to mess with the Trojans again. USC, as you would expect, is coming in confident, even willing to forgo a timeout just so it can wear its home uniforms on the road. The Trojans want to make a statement against the Bruins and they will.
USC 42, UCLA 7

Arizona State (+10.5) at Arizona
This game very rarely means much of anything besides pride, as one team is usually very good while the other plays spoiler. Typically, the spoiler is Arizona, but the Wildcats have a chance to sew up their first winning season since 1998 with a win over the Sun Devils, who are playing for their bowl lives. ASU has won three in a row, but those were against the Washington schools and UCLA. I like Arizona big in this one.
Arizona 34, Arizona State 13

Washington (+35.5) at California
Is there any logical reason for this game to be played this week? Why not end the Washington season (which needs to end badly) by playing the Apple Cup and why not end Cal's season with Stanford? This just upsets me. Anyway, as for the game, Washington is trying not to end winless. Whatever.
California 45, Washington 6

Buffalo (+16) vs. Ball State
The Battle for the MAC in the D should be a pretty solid one, as you have a Cardinals team looking for its first-ever undefeated season against a Buffalo team that has been resurrected from the dead, or wherever you consider San Diego State right now. As one would expect, the coaches for these teams (Turner Gill at Buffalo and Brady Hoke at Ball State) will be getting attention from bigger schools with coaching vacancies. I say Ball State wins, but Buffalo makes it uncomfortable for a while.
Ball State 41, Buffalo 30

Boston College (even) vs. Virginia Tech
The ACC title game is a rematch of last year, which Virginia Tech won in front of an embarrassing dearth of fans. With the game in Jacksonville and both schools separated by at least a day's worth of driving, expect a bunch of empty seats for this one. It will be a pretty defensive game, as both of these teams have stout defenses and relatively feeble offenses. BC's offense seems a little more competent, so I'll pick the Eagles.
Boston College 19, Virginia Tech 14

Florida (-10) vs. Alabama
When was the last time an undefeated No. 1-ranked team was a double-digit dog against a team with a loss? I have no idea, and quite frankly, this could be the first. Alabama, despite going through the SEC unscathed, has been left for dead in this game, as the Tim Tebow-led Florida offense is expected to wreak havoc on the Tide, just as it has in every other game since losing to Ole Miss in September. While this screams a Crimson Tide cover, I think Florida is too hot for conventional wisdom.
Florida 38, Alabama 21

Missouri (+16.5) vs. Oklahoma
My views on Oklahoma's place in this game have already been made, so I will step off of that. On the surface, this title game rematch looks like a mismatch, as the Sooners have rolled off at least 60 points in their last four games and Missouri is fresh off giving up 40 to Kansas. But I think the Sooners are due for a bit of a letdown. They rode the momentum of the Texas Tech win against Okie State, but will face a bit of a challenge. I'm not insane enough to pick a Missouri win, but a close loss that will get people complaining.
Oklahoma 39, Missouri 35

East Carolina (+12.5) at Tulsa
I keep going back and forth on this game. That probably makes me kind of lame, as most people don't devote much brain power to the Conference USA championship game, but I could see Tulsa's pass-happy spread going nuts and killing the Pirates by 30-something points. I could also see Skip Holtz and East Carolina keeping this game pretty close. I'll go Tulsa because I don't feel like writing about this anymore.
Tulsa 48, East Carolina 23

Pittsburgh (+2.5) at Connecticut
This would be an awesome men's basketball game, as both the Panthers and Huskies are in the top 5 of the polls. It's not a bad football game either, as Pittsburgh boasts one of the best running backs in LeSean McCoy while UConn has quietly built a solid, if not spectacular, football program. It will be cold and windy in Connecticut, so expect the Panthers to ride McCoy to victory.
Pittsburgh 21, Connecticut 16

Cincinnati (-7) at Hawaii
This game will have the opposite weather of the Pitt-UConn showdown, and quite frankly, the Bearcats deserve a day in paradise after winning a Big East title and Orange Bowl berth. This could be a tricky game for Cincy, as it could be tempted to luau and party, but Hawaii only beat Washington State by 14 last week. That result alone has me picking the Bearcats.
Cincinnati 34, Hawaii 17

Overall record: 101-39. Against the spread: 69-70-1

Fun times in the high school ranks, even with some of my picks last week taking a beating. I went 10-6 this week, sweeping the Inland Division and splitting the other three. Oh well.

CENTRAL DIVISION

No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga at No. 4 Cajon
This should be a good one and after going to each campus this week to talk to coaches and players about it, I'm excited. I won't be covering, but Clay Fowler will have a jolly old time at this one. You have two big-play spread teams, with Greg Watson and his cadre of explosive wideouts carrying the torch for Rancho and RB Walter Kazee doing the same for Cajon. I picked Rancho to win the Central title before the playoffs started, and I have to stick with it. We'll see if Cajon burns me again.
Rancho Cucamonga 33, Cajon 28

No. 2 Los Osos at Upland
Now I will be at this game, which should also be a doozy. I guess its redundant to say that a CIF semifinal game should be good, but I really don't care. What I'm looking to see is if Josh Nunes can break the Richard Brehaut jinx. Yes, I know there are plenty of other players (Arby Fields, Davion Fleming, Osahon Irabor to name three) worth mentioning, but Nunes has never beaten Brehaut. Shoot, even the two schools he verbally committed to (Tennessee and then Stanford) lost to Brehaut's school, UCLA. Upland is hoping that Nunes is due. I'm thinking he is.
Upland 34, Los Osos 27

EASTERN DIVISION

Serrano at No. 1 Perris Citrus Hill
This is where I'll be tomorrow night and quite frankly, the more I read up on Citrus Hill, the more I'm blown away. The Hawks have won all of their games by more than 26 points, average over 50 points a game and have a Division I QB in Caleb Herring and a future D-1 RB in junior Deontae Cooper. Serrano won't be intimidated, having played at Upland and Hesperia this season, but the Diamondbacks will have their hands full. Gotta go with the Hawks, though Serrano will keep it close (relatively speaking).
Citrus Hill 41, Serrano 23

Barstow at Silverado
At the very least, the Desert Sky League will get some major street cred. With two teams facing off, the DSL will get one team in the title game, definitely helping it shed the rep of being the "other" High Desert league. As for the game, its a pretty fascinating contrast in styles, with Barstow's double-wing going against Silverado's frenetic no-huddle spread offense. The Aztecs will need to chew clock to keep red-hot Hawk QB Jemeryn Jenkins off the field. They'll have their moments, but Silverado seems to be on a mission.
Silverado 36, Barstow 20

EAST VALLEY DIVISION

No. 1 St. Margaret's 38, Pasadena Maranatha 27

Fillmore at Twentynine Palms
Both of these teams are surprises of sorts. For the host Wildcats, the surprise isn't that they are here, but the way they destroyed Aquinas to get here. Twentynine Palms had defeated the Falcons during the regular season, so a win wasn't shocking, but a 40-0 whitewashing certainly was. The Flashes were more of the conventional surprise, upsetting No. 2-seeded Brentwood to get here. I think the Wildcats, who have scored 103 points in the playoffs so far, continue to roll.
Twentynine Palms 42, Fillmore 17

INLAND DIVISION

No. 1 Corona Centennial 42, Murrieta Valley 13

No. 3 Temecula Chaparral at Norco
These two teams last faced off in the 2006 Inland finals, with Norco placing a 43-0 beating on the Pumas. Chaparral, making its third straight semifinal appearance, its pretty rough on defense, as they beat Redlands East Valley up front in a 20-0 shutout. Norco has made its living on physical play, so this should be a good one, but I feel Chaparral is due.
Chaparral 21, Norco 10

Last week: 10-6. Overall record: 242-60-4.

Cajon High School got a surprise visit Wednesday, as Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis stopped by campus to talk to Cajon senior cornerback Marlon Pollard, who verbally committed to the Fighting Irish over the summer.

According to Cowboys coach Kim Battin, Weis' visit was part of a West Coast recruiting swing the Notre Dame coach was undertaking after his team's 38-3 loss to USC at the Coliseum on Saturday.

Weis met with Pollard and the Pollard family, spending time on campus and going out to lunch with the Pollards.

"It was cool," Marlon Pollard said. "We've been talking a bit but this week was the first week he could really come out and visit. It was cool to come out and talk about some things."

One thing that wasn't discussed too much was Weis' job security at Notre Dame, which had come under fire after the 6-6 Irish had lost four of their five games. But despite the rampant media speculation, which was quelled Wednesday when Notre Dame announced that Weis was going to be back next season, Pollard wasn't worried. He says he's solid with Notre Dame and isn't planning on taking any visits.

"Coaches still call me, but I don't think I'm going anywhere," Pollard said. "I wasn't really that worried about Coach. My mom knows some people at Notre Dame and if something was about to happen, she would have known about it right away. We weren't hearing anything so we figured everything was all right."

Along with meeting with Pollard, Weis spent a little time talking with the rest of the Cajon team, something that senior defensive back Jeffrey Cooper enjoyed.

"I've never met a major coach like that," Cooper said. "It was pretty cool. He was giving us advice, telling us to keep working hard and play the way we are capable of."

Yeah, I've been away the last two days, but here is the schedule for this week's CIF semifinal playoff games.

FRIDAY

CENTRAL DIVISION
No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga at No. 4 Cajon, 7 p.m.
EASTERN DIVISION
Serrano at No. 1 Perris Citrus Hill, 7:30 p.m.
EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Pasadena Maranatha at No. 1 St. Margaret's, 7:30 p.m.
INLAND DIVISION
Murrieta Valley at No. 1 Corona Centennial, 7:30 p.m.
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
No. 1 Charter Oak at No. 4 Rowland Heights Rowland, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

CENTRAL DIVISION
No. 2 Los Osos at Upland, 7:30 p.m.
EASTERN DIVISION
Barstow vs. Silverado at Victor Valley HS, 7 p.m.
EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Fillmore vs. Twentynine Palms at Twentynine Palms Junior High, 7 p.m.
INLAND DIVISION
Temecula Chaparral vs. Norco at Corona Centennial HS, 7:30 p.m.
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
West Covina vs. Diamond Ranch at Ganesha HS, 7:30 p.m.