April 2009 Archives

Aquinas wasted very little time filling its head football coaching position, hiring Nick Matheny Tuesday to replace Josh Henderson, who left to take the job at Los Angeles Baptist last Friday.

Matheny, a 2002 graduate of Fontana High School, has been an assistant coach at Aquinas since 2004, mostly coaching the offensive and defensive lines while serving as defensive coordinator. He has also been a full-time physical education teacher at the school.

"Nick is a good young coach and I think he's the perfect guy to keep this going," said Aquinas athletic director Chris Ybarra, who is also a Fohi graduate. "We have a pretty good thing going here and Nick keeps the stability."

He also continues the Fohi legacy at Aquinas, as Ybarra and Henderson, a 1993 graduate, were also Steelers. Matheny hopes to continue a lot of what Henderson - who won two CIF titles and won the last two Christian League titles - has established at Aquinas.

"Josh did a great job and I really am thankful that he recommended me," said Matheny, a Cal State San Bernardino graduate. "I want to continue the emphasis of hard work and Christian ideals that this program has established and am I dedicated toward keeping Aquinas as a winning program."

A more detailed story will be published in Thursday's Sun.

Former Damien running back Ian Johnson, who played at Boise State, has signed a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings according to this article by the Idaho Statesman. Johnson was a highly-productive player at Boise State and joins drafted players Patrick Chung (2nd round, New England), Jarron Gilbert (3rd round, Chicago) and Cameron Morrah (7th round, Seattle) as local products catching on with new NFL teams this weekend.

A couple of former Inland Valley standouts saw their names called in the NFL Draft Sunday, one fairly early this morning and one just about 10-15 minutes ago.

San Jose State defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert, a Chino High School graduate, was picked by the Chicago Bears with the fourth selection of the third round (68th overall). Gilbert, who can play both end and tackle, was the Bears' first selection of the 2009 Draft and the second Chino grad to be picked in the last two years - joining defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, the first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints a year ago.

California tight end Cameron Morrah, a Claremont High School graduate, was recently picked by the Seattle Seahawks with the 39th pick in the seventh round (248th overall). Morrah, the ninth-to-last selection, was the second Baseline League alum to be drafted this season, along with Rancho Cucamonga's Patrick Chung, and the fifth to be drafted in the last three years (Morrah, Chung, Rancho Cucamonga's Gerald Alexander, Rancho Cucamonga's Terrell Thomas and Alta Loma's Eric Weddle).

Not drafted today, but likely to be signed as a rookie free agent, is Boise State running back Ian Johnson, a Damien graduate. Johnson, a native of San Dimas, is most famous for scoring the winning 2-point conversion in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma and proposing to Boise State cheerleader Chrissy Popadics on national television after the postgame interview.

Oregon safety Patrick Chung, a Rancho Cucamonga High School graduate, has just been drafted by the New England Patriots with the second pick of the second round (34th overall). Chung, a four-year starter for the Ducks, is the third Cougar defensive back to be a second-round pick during the last three years, joining the Detroit Lions' Gerald Alexander (2007) and the New York Giants' Terrell Thomas (2008).

San Jose State defensive end Jarron Gilbert should also be drafted before the end of the second round today. Gilbert is a graduate of Chino High, just like Sedrick Ellis, the New Orleans Saints' first-round draft pick a year ago.

Aquinas football coach Josh Henderson, who has led the Falcons to two CIF titles in his career, resigned from Aquinas Thursday to take the head coaching job at North Hills Los Angeles Baptist.

Henderson, who won CIF titles in his first season in 2000 and in 2005, took the L.A. Baptist job because it included a full-time physical education teaching position, something that Aquinas could not offer him. He broke the news to his players this morning.

"It was an unbelieveably tough decision," Henderson said. "Aquinas is a great place filled with some of the best kids you'll find. It will be hard to leave them, but it would have been even harder had I been on campus. I missed teaching and LA Baptist provides that opportunity."

Henderson leaves behind a loaded squad for the next Falcon coach. His younger brother Jake, who will be a senior, was a first-team All-Sun selection at linebacker last season while his nephew, incoming senior wide receiver Jim Jones, led the county in receptions and receiving yards en route to first-team All-Sun honors.

Henderson was also a standout linebacker under Dick Bruich in Fontana, graduating in 1993. Look for a more detailed story in Saturday's Sun.

Hesperia football coach Robert Kistner comfirmed just now his plans to leave Hesperia High School - where he coached the last six seasons - to take the job at brand-new Oak Hills High School, which will open its doors this fall. It was supposed to be approved at a school board meeting today, but the meeting was postponed. But pending board approval, Kistner will be the first coach of the Bulldogs.

"It'll be an exciting challenge to open up a new school," said Kistner, who was the 2007 All-Sun Coach of the Year. "It's going to be a big challenge, but it's something that will be fun to do. The opportunity to start your own program is something that I'm excited about."

Kistner leaves Hesperia after six seasons, including a 2008 one where the Scorpions went 11-1 and won the Mojave River League championship, setting a school record for victories in a season in the process. Kistner compiled a 43-22 record in his tenure at Hesperia, including a 21-3 mark and first-round playoff victories in each of the last two seasons.

"I had a great run at Hesperia and this move has nothing to do with any ill feelings toward that school," Kistner said. "I enjoyed my time there a great bit and it meant a lot to me personally."

Kistner was hired by Oak Hills athletic director Darren Goodman, who is also leaving Hesperia for the new high school. Tuesday's Sun will have a more detailed story.

Got back from the releaguing meeting at Norte Vista High School a couple of hours ago and here are the new leagues. A detailed story of the proceedings can be found in Saturday's paper.

Here are the schools that moved:
Banning - Mountain Pass League to a brand-new league
Carter - Citrus Belt League to San Andreas League
Hemet - Sunbelt League to Mountain Pass League
Hemet West Valley - Sunbelt League to Mountain Pass League
Menifee Heritage - Mountain Pass League to Sunbelt League
Rialto - Citrus Belt League to San Andreas League
Rim of the World - Mojave River League to a brand-new league
Riverside Notre Dame - Mountain Pass League to a brand-new league
Riverside Rubidoux - Mountain Pass League to a brand-new league
Temescal Canyon - Southwestern League to Sunbelt League

Brand-new schools:
Citrus Valley - brand-new league
Jurupa Hills - brand-new league
Mesa Murrieta - Southwestern League
Oak Hills - Mojave River League

And now, the actual leagues:

BIG XII (remains the same)
Corona Centennial
Corona High
Corona Santiago
Eastvale Roosevelt
Norco
Riverside King
Riverside North
Riverside Poly

CITRUS BELT LEAGUE (drops from 8 teams to 6)
Eisenhower
Fontana
Miller
Redlands
Redlands East Valley
Yucaipa

DE ANZA LEAGUE (the same)
Big Bear
Desert Hot Springs
Desert Mirage
Twentynine Palms
Yucca Valley

DESERT SKY LEAGUE (the same)
Barstow
Granite Hills
Ridgecrest Burroughs
Silverado
Victor Valley

INLAND VALLEY LEAGUE (the same)
Moreno Valley Canyon Springs
Moreno Valley High
Moreno Valley Rancho Verde
Moreno Valley Valley View
Moreno Valley Vista del Lago
Riverside Arlington
Riverside La Sierra
Riverside Ramona

MOJAVE RIVER LEAGUE (Oak Hills for Rim)
Apple Valley
Hesperia
Oak Hills
Serrano
Sultana

MOUNTAIN PASS LEAGUE (8 teams to 6)
Beaumont
Hemet High
Hemet Tahquitz
Hemet West Valley
Perris Citrus Hill
San Jacinto

NEW LEAGUE (6 teams)
Banning
Citrus Valley
Jurupa Hills
Rim of the World
Riverside Notre Dame
Riverside Rubidoux

SAN ANDREAS LEAGUE (6 teams to 8)
Arroyo Valley
Cajon
Carter
Colton
Pacific
Rialto
San Bernardino
San Gorgonio

SOUTHWESTERN LEAGUE (Mesa Murrieta for Temescal Canyon)
Mesa Murrieta
Murrieta Valley
Vista Murrieta
Temecula Chaparral
Temecula Great Oak
Temecula Valley

SUNBELT LEAGUE (Temescal Canyon and Heritage for West Valley, Hemet)
Lake Elsinore Lakeside
Menifee Heritage
Menifee Paloma Valley
Perris
Temescal Canyon
Wildomar Elsinore

SUNKIST LEAGUE (same)
Bloomington
Kaiser
Riverside Jurupa Valley
Riverside Norte Vista
Riverside Patriot
Summit

Kaiser defensive end Josh Shirley, a first-team all-Sun player last year, has added offers from Arizona and UCLA to the three other offers he's already received. Shirley - the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle and Kaiser graduate Jason Shirley - was offered by Arizona today and UCLA over the weekend according to this article by Rivals.com.

Shirley has also been offered by San Diego State, Fresno State and Stanford. As a junior, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound defensive end had 17 sacks, leading the county in that category.

Eight members of the San Gorgonio track and field team will get a chance to compete in one of the more prestigious meets in the country next week, as they'll fly to Philadelphia a week from Wednesday to compete in the Penn Relays, which will take place next Thursday-Saturday at the University of Pennsylvania.

Discus throwers Monique Armon and Jasmine Johnson-McKeown will make the trip, as will runners Anthony Carradine, De Marrio Brooks, Tracy Babers, Cameron Upshire, Greg Valdivia and Jimi Alde-Chester. Carradine, Brooks, Babers and Upshire will run in the 4x100 relay while Carradine, Babers, Valdivia and Alde-Chester will run in the 4x400.

"This has been a long-term goal for us," San Gorgonio coach Ed Clark said. "We really wanted it to happen this year but we weren't sure it was possible. Between raising the money, getting verification on the standards, getting board approval and setting up travel plans, it's been quite a process."

It was a process that was approved by the school board last Tuesday, as the San G track program raised over $9,000 through concession stands at Junior All-American football camps this past summer and through revenue brought in by the Sparta Relays late last month. It was also a tough qualifying standard, as Johnson-McKeown and Armon had to finish in the top 19 in the nation just to qualify for the event - which features college and professional track athletes as well as high-schoolers.

"We had 13 athletes that we applied to get in, because you have to be approved to even qualify for this meet," Clark said. "Getting this all together and competing in a meet of this magnitude is just a special thing for this program."

And its something that Clark hopes will be a regular thing for the Spartans. Plans are already in place to run at either the Penn Relays or the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas next year. As for this year, the Spartans will take the redeye early Wednesday morning out of Ontario Interntational Airport to Philly, where they'll see the sights Thursday before competing in the discus and 400 relay Friday and the mile relay Saturday.

Arrowhead Christian girls basketball coach Barbara Grainge is leaving the school to become the head women's coach at College of the Desert, according to ACA athletic director Richard Yaross.

Grainge, who turned ACA into a consistent contender in the Christian League, announced the decision to Yaross last week.

"Barbara did a great job in this program, but she felt it was time to move on," Yaross said. "It's a disappointing loss and I hate to see her go. We've won four or five league titles and been to the semifinals a couple of times under her, so it'll be tough to fill her shoes."

The open position will be a walk-on position that will first be floated within the school before it is opened up to out-of-school candidates.

Henrietta Green, a junior at Cajon, won the all-around state gymnastics championship this past weekend and was selected as one of seven athletes to represent California in the Regional Championships April 17-19 in Sacramento.

Green won the all-around competition with a combined score of 37.850. She took first in the floor exercise (9.525), second in the balance beam (9.45) and uneven bars (9.55) and third in the vault (9.325).

Might as well get this over with now. I'm definitely torn though. As a Michigan graduate, the thought of Michigan State winning and talking copious amounts of crap (which Spartans do even when they lose to U of M, there's some chromosomal defect among Spartans that make them immune to humility or rational thought, but I digress) annoys me, but it would also net me $600. Not being independently wealthy, I could use that chunk of change. So there's my moral dilemma. On that note, here we go...

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 North Carolina
On the surface, this should be an easy win for the Tar Heels. Carolina has boatraced through this tourney, winning each and every game by double digits. They embarrassed the Spartans by 35 points in December in Detroit and there's no real indication that they've gotten worse. They can run all day, shoot from the perimeter with Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, have one of the best point guards in the nation in Ty Lawson and have a brawler who can score inside in Tyler Hansbrough - who wasn't at full strength in December.
However, the Spartans will have a lot more of a home court advantage in Detroit this time than they did in December. They'll have Goran Suton back and a deeper bench. And they'll also have confidence, as they've already upset Louisville and UConn in their previous two games. Along with the cliche', tired 'win one for the struggling state of Michigan' storyline that the media is thrusting down everyone's throat and voila, MSU should be a team to be reckoned with.
The Spartans need to win how they did against Louisville, with a slower, half-court tough defensive outlook. If they push the tempo, which they did against UConn, they'll be run right out of Detroit by the Tar Heels. But Tom Izzo already knows that I'm sure.
So can Michigan State win? Sure, if it controls the glass, keeps the pace deliberate and the Tar Heels allow the Detroit green and white frenzy to get into their heads. But will they win? I say no. Roy Williams is no stranger at winning titles in hostile arenas - he beat Illinois in 2005 in front of a decidedly pro-Illini crowd in St. Louis - and I can't imagine that UNC will be intimdated by the surroundings. UNC has the most talented team in the field and they won't be overlooking a Spartan team, despite the earlier blowout, in a game of this magnitude. MSU will keep it relatively close, but too much Carolina in my opinion.
Pick: North Carolina

Last year I picked the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series. So consider that before putting any relevance on this writeup. So now that you are warned, let's get this on.

Well, the Throwdown in Motown is hours away and it should be an interesting duo of battles between two favorites and two upstarts, one of which will hold a pretty serious homecourt advantage. But enough of that.

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Connecticut
And here is the home team. The Spartans will have much of the crowd at Ford Field in their corner, with East Lansing just over an hour from downtown Detroit. That fan support is very necessary, as Michigan State finds itself playing a UConn team that has been extremely consistent and effective throughout the tournament. Missouri took a lead early in the second half against the Huskies, which is the only time that UConn has really been pressured in this tournament.
The best hope that Sparty has (besides the crowd support) is to get Hasheem Thabeet in foul trouble. I feel like a broken record mentioning that, as I'm pretty sure I have for every UConn game, but without Thabeet's 7-foot-3-inch presence, UConn is different inside and Michigan State has the depth in bigs to exploit it. It'll need to, as the Spartans will have a tough matchup on the perimeter against UConn point guard A.J. Price and freshman shooting guard Kemba Walker. I see MSU hanging tough but the Huskies will be too much.
Pick: UConn

No. 3 Villanova at No. 1 North Carolina
When the Tar Heels won the title four years ago, Villanova was the team that came the closest to knocking them off. In fact, a questionable traveling call on Allan Ray in the final minute was the kill shot to the Wildcats as North Carolina escaped with a 67-66 victory. There's no question that Villanova coach Jay Wright has been replaying that final minute, and that near-miss, in his head all week.
As far as this matchup is concerned, Villanova has the guard play to hang with UNC's Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson. The Coreys (Stokes and Fisher) and Scottie Reynolds should be a good matchup for UNC. However, the problem teams face with the Tar Heels is that their scoring can come from anywhere. Oklahoma was able to neutralize Tyler Hansbrough's offense in the regional final, only to be bombarded by Ellington, Lawson and Danny Green. The Tar Heels bring offense from all points and its almost impossible to neutralize it all.
Pick: North Carolina