September 2009 Archives

No real changes this week, as REV stays atop D2-AA. Aquinas breaks into the D4-AA rankings after a strong start to the season.

DIVISION 1-A
1. Santa Barbara
2. Dos Pueblos
3. Marymount
4. El Dorado
5. Laguna Beach
6. Huntington Beach
7. El Toro
8. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
9. West Ranch
10. Rancho Cucamonga
Others receiving consideration: Arroyo Grande, Saugus

DIVISION 2-AA
1. Redlands East Valley
2. Corona del Mar
3. South Torrance
4. Beckman
5. Bishop Montgomery
6. St Lucy's
7. Lakewood St. Joseph
8. South Hills
9. Walnut
10. North Torrance
Others receiving consideration: Corona Centennial, Riverside Poly, Corona Santiago, Chino Hills

DIVISION 2-A
1. La Canada
2. La Reina
3. Troy
4. Elsinore
5. Oaks Christian
6. Oak Park
7. Oxnard
8. St. Bonaventure
9. Fullerton
10. La Habra

DIVISION 3-AA
1. Campbell Hall
2. Bonita
3. Brentwood
4. Quartz Hill
5. Warren
6. Downey
7. Santa Ynez
8. Granite Hills
9. Village Christian
10. Palm Springs
Others receiving consideration: Palm Desert, Los Altos, Cerritos Valley Christian

DIVISION 3-A
1. Mayfield
2. Santa Monica
3. Pasadena
4. Cerritos
5. La Mirada
6. Ganesha
7. San Gabriel
8. Chadwick
9. Gabrielino
10. Webb
Others receiving consideration: Beverly Hills, Bell Gardens

DIVISION 4-AA
1. Whittier Christian
2. St Margaret's
3. Laguna Blanca
4. Calvary Murrieta
5. Arrowhead Christian
6. Sage Hill
7. Windward
8. Ontario Christian
9. Viewpoint
10. Aquinas
Others receiving consideration: Paraclete, Jurupa Valley, Gardena Serra, St. Monica

DIVISION 4-A
1. Upland Christian
2. Nordhoff
3. Riverside Notre Dame
4. Frazier Mountain
5. Gladstone
6. Xavier Prep
7. Desert Christian/BD
8. Big Bear
9. Twentynine Palms
10. Yucca Valley
Others receiving consideration: Alverno, La Sierra Academy

The latest polls. Kaiser makes a big jump in the Eastern Division after its victory over Cajon Friday.

CENTRAL DIVISION
1. Rancho Cucamonga
2. Upland
3. Elsinore
4. Colton
5. Colony
6. Chino Hills
7. Cajon
8. Etiwanda
9. Ayala
10. Arroyo Valley
Others receiving consideration: Claremont, Glendora

EASTERN DIVISION
1. Perris Citrus Hill
2. Kaiser
3. San Jacinto
4. Rim of the World
5. Palm Springs
6. Barstow
7. Palm Desert
8. Serrano
9. Victor Valley
10. La Quinta
Others receiving consideration: Granite Hills, Riverside Notre Dame, Coachella Valley, Riverside Norte Vista, Hesperia, Silverado

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
1. St. Margaret's
2. Santa Paula
3. Kern Valley
4. Aquinas
5. Campbell Hall
6. Sierra Canyon
7. Frazier Mountain
8. Brentwood
9. Villanova Prep
10. Sage Hill
Others receiving consideration: Grace Brethren, Maranatha, Ontario Christian

INLAND DIVISION

1. Redlands East Valley
2. Temecula Chaparral
3. Corona Centennial
4. Vista Murrieta
5. Norco
6. Moreno Valley Rancho Verde
7. Riverside North
8. Riverside Arlington
9. Corona Roosevelt
10. Redlands
Others receiving consideration: Temecula Great Oak, Murrieta Valley

The U.S. Army All-American Game selection tour is stopping locally a next Monday, as they'll be swinging by Kaiser High School according to a press release sent earlier today. They will hold a ceremony at 11:43 a.m. with a pep rally to announce the selection of a player to the game, which will be held January 9 in San Antonio, Texas. A jersey will be presented to the player.

The release didn't indicate who the player would be, but the easy money is on Kaiser LB Josh Shirley - a four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Shirley, who had 17 sacks a year ago and is the anchor of a ferocious Cats defense, has scholarship offers from around the country and is down to a final 8 of USC, UCLA, California, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Miami (Fla.), Arizona and Washington.

This will be the second stop in the IE for the tour, as it stopped at Rancho Verde High School last week to present 5-star DE Ronald Powell with an invitation. Arroyo Valley's Michael Philipp, now a freshman at Oregon State, played in the game last year.

After the top 3, college football rankings this year seem to be a crapshoot. I might actually start picking teams out of a hat if the upsets continue. Huge dropoff after the top 3.

1. Florida (1) - Killed Kentucky, but Tim Tebow almost got killed in the process. His status is definitely worth monitoring.
2. Texas (2) - Longhorns scored 47 in the first half against UTEP. That's enough to remain No. 2.
3. Alabama (3) - Tide defense subdued a high-flying Arkansas team. This team has probably been the most consistent to date.
4. LSU (7) - If there was a way to leave slots 4-6 blank, I would. But LSU, despite almost losing to Mississippi State, moves up by default.
5. Boise State (8) - Highest rating ever for the Broncos. Their win over Oregon all of a sudden looks a lot better.
6. Virginia Tech (12) - Impressed with win over Miami. Wins over Miami and Nebraska, plus loss to Alabama, best of one-loss crowd.
7. Oklahoma (9) - Move up during a bye week. Have a huge test this weekend at Miami.
8. TCU (13) - Got their second win on the road in the ACC in the last three weeks. Might have one of the best defenses in the nation.
9. Ohio State (10) - Second straight shutout after losing to USC. Still need to show more offensively though.
10. Houston (14) - Win over Texas Tech, the second over a Big 12 team, move Cougars into top 10.
11. Cincinnati (17) - Bearcats are an impressive 4-0. I put them behind Houston because I like the Cougars' wins a little bit more.
12. USC (15) - Pretty ho-hum shutout for the Trojans. Game against Cal suddenly a survival one for both teams.
13. Iowa (NR) - Huge debut in the poll for the Hawkeyes, which is deserved after winning at Penn State.
14. Oklahoma State (18) - Everyone else's pain was Okie State's gain. Houston winning helped as well.
15. Mississippi (5) - Of the top 10 teams to lose, Ole Miss' was the most excusable. Should be OK.
16. Miami (Fla.) (11) - Hurricanes take a little bit of a dive after Va. Tech loss. Can't take away Florida State and Georgia Tech wins though.
17. Penn State (6) - Easy non-conference schedule didn't exactly prep the Nittany Lions for Big Ten play, a fact that Iowa exposed.
18. Georgia (20) - Not pretty, but the Bulldogs pulled it out against Arizona State.
19. BYU (21) - Bounced back nicely against Colorado State.
20. Kansas (22) - Jayhawks survived a tough home game with an underrated Southern Miss squad.
21. Michigan (23) - Wolverines stay undefeated...barely...by beating Indiana. Defensive problems need to be addressed though.
22. Oregon (NR) - Broke back in the rankings in a huge way by beating Cal. Boise State issues look to be in past.
23. California (4) - Bears absolutely plummet in the rankings after a 42-3 stinkbomb against the Ducks.
24. Georgia Tech (24) - Yellow Jackets get back on tracking by whipping North Carolina.
25. South Carolina (NR) - Thursday night victory over Ole Miss gets Gamecocks in poll.

Receiving consideration: Missouri, South Florida, Nebraska.
Dropped out: No. 16 North Carolina, No. 19 Florida State, No. 25 Missouri.

Another winning week for me, putting up nine wins after getting 10 in week one. I hope this is a trend and not an aberration.

N.Y. JETS (-2) over Tennessee
HOUSTON (-3.5) over Jacksonville
Kansas City (+8) over PHILADELPHIA
BALTIMORE (-13.5) over Cleveland
N.Y. Giants (-6.5) over TAMPA BAY
DETROIT (+6.5) over Washington
Green Bay (-6.5) over ST. LOUIS
San Francisco (+7) over MINNESOTA
NEW ENGLAND (-4.5) over Atlanta
SEATTLE (+2.5) over Chicago
BUFFALO (+6) over New Orleans
Miami (+6) over SAN DIEGO
Pittsburgh (-3.5) over CINCINNATI
Denver (-2) over OAKLAND
Indianapolis (+2.5) over ARIZONA
DALLAS (-8.5) over Carolina

Week: 9-7
Overall: 19-12

Everyone is the same, but Kaiser makes a huge move while Barstow and Cajon tumble.

Sun Top 10

1. Rancho Cucamonga (4-0)
Previous ranking: 1. Last week: def. Covina Charter Oak, 35-25. Up next: Oct. 9 at Temecula Valley (0-3)

2. Redlands East Valley (3-0)
Previous ranking: 2. Last week: def. Orange Lutheran, 20-14. Up next: Friday at Eisenhower (0-3)

3. Upland (4-0)
Previous ranking: 5. Last week: def. Lancaster Eastside, 44-0. Up next: Friday at Bloomington (2-1).

4. Colton (2-1)
Previous ranking: 6. Last week: def. Palm Springs, 21-12. Up next: Friday vs. Chaffey (2-2).

5. Kaiser (2-1)
Previous ranking: 10. Last week: def. No. 10 Cajon, 20-0. Up next: Friday vs. No. 7 Colony (3-1).

6. Etiwanda (2-1)
Previous ranking: 7. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday vs. Chino (0-3).

7. Colony (3-1)
Previous ranking: 8. Last week: def. Alta Loma, 30-10. Up next: Friday at No. 5 Kaiser (2-1).

8. Chino Hills (3-1)
Previous ranking: 9. Last week: def. Diamond Ranch, 17-14. Up next: Friday vs. San Gorgonio (1-2).

9. Barstow (2-1)
Previous ranking: 3. Last week: lost to Quartz Hill, . Up next: Friday vs. Hesperia (2-1).

10. Cajon (3-1)
Previous ranking: 4. Last week: lost to No. 5 Kaiser, 20-0. Up next: Friday vs. La Quinta (1-2).

Just missed the cut: Arroyo Valley (3-0), Redlands (2-1), Rim of the World (4-0), Ayala (3-1).

Dropped out: None.

This is what I got so far. Just got back from watching Kaiser throttle Cajon in a pretty impressive display of defense.

Aquinas 74, Citrus Valley 0
Arroyo Valley 32, Eisenhower 14
Ayala 28, Los Altos 12
Banning 22, Twentynine Palms 6
Brea Olinda 20, Diamond Bar 12
Chaffey 34, La Puente Nogales 7
Chino Hills 17, Diamond Ranch 14
Colony 30, Alta Loma 10
Colton 21, Palm Springs 12
Corona Roosevelt 51, Bloomington 0
Don Lugo 21, Oak Park 0
Fontana 23, San Bernardino 21
Garey 26, Ganesha 7
Granite Hills 35, Rialto 6
Hesperia 62, Pacific 0
Kaiser 20, Cajon 0
Palmdale Knight 39, Sultana 13
Quartz Hill 27, Barstow 14
Rancho Cucamonga 35, Covina Charter Oak 25
Redlands East Valley 20, Orange Lutheran 14
Rim of the World 19, Bishop 0
Riverside Rubidoux 20, Jurupa Valley 7
Serrano 35, Palmdale Highland 0
Temecula Linfield Christian 27, Ontario Christian 26
Upland 44, Lancaster Eastside 0
Victor Valley 20, Apple Valley 17
Vista Murrieta 17, Los Osos 14 (OT)
Yucaipa 33, San Gorgonio 24

Definitely some backsliding this week, putting me with one great week and two terrible weeks. Of course, that has me back at square one. Guess it could be worse.

Washington State (+45.5) at USC
One of these teams is coming off a big victory and the other is coming off a disappointing loss. It's not how you'd think it would go down though, as the Trojans are looking to kill someone after their annual Pacific Northwest nose dive. Wazzu, despite beating SMU in OT last week, will be victimized here.
Pick: USC

California (-5.5) at Oregon
Last time these two teams played here, Oregon fumbled the ball out of the end zone late to lose a heartbreaker. Cal may be as hot as any team in the nation, but Autzen is never easy - especially now that the Ducks seem recovered from the Boise fiasco. The Bears will win, but it'll be rough.
Pick: Oregon

Arizona (+2.5) at Oregon State
Both teams suffered disappointing losses last week, with the Wildcats losing at Iowa and Cincy beating Oregon State in Corvallis. But this about the time when Oregon State starts to put it together. That should be enough against an Arizona team without star TE Rob Gronkowski.
Pick: Oregon State

Washington (+8.5) at Stanford
I wouldn't touch this game with a 10-foot pole. But I'm picking it anyway. The Huskies seem ripe for a letdown after the USC victory, but getting 8.5 points to an average team like Stanford seems a bit much. I have to think that a Washington team that beat USC and hung with LSU can stay within that spread.
Pick: Washington

Arizona State (+12) at Georgia
Whatever you do, prepare for fireworks. Georgia has played some PlayStation-esque games since losing its opener, winning 41-36 over South Carolina and 49-38 over Arkansas. The Sun Devils are a nondescript 2-0, as they've pasted cupcakes. Georgia is no cupcake.
Pick: Georgia

Miami (Fla.) (-3) at Virginia Tech
The Hurricanes, after beating Florida State and Georgia Tech, are the newest (or most retro) hip team in college football, as the 'U' has been declared to be back. If the Hurricanes are back, they have to win at Lane Stadium - one of the roughest environments in college football. Va. Tech will keep it ugly, but the 'U' will continue its surge.
Pick: Miami

TCU (+2.5) at Clemson
With Utah and BYU going down this past weekend, the Horned Frogs are now the sole "BCS Buster" in the Mountain West. A win at Clemson would do wonders for their prospects and its something that TCU, which won at Oklahoma in 2005, is capable of. I'll pick them to pull it off.
Pick: TCU

Iowa (+9.5) at Penn State
If you want some hard-hitting, bloody-nose, old-school football, this is the game to watch. These two teams have wars that aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing (case in point, Iowa's 6-2 win in 2004). The Hawkeyes ruined Penn State's shot at the BCS title game with an upset last year. PSU will get revenge, though not enough to cover.
Pick: Iowa

Arkansas (+17.5) at Alabama
The Razorbacks, with rocket-armed quarterback Ryan Mallett, can pass and score at will it seems. However, their defense is leakier than an 150-year-old ship, getting flossed for 49 points by Georgia last week. Alabama probably won't put up 49, but won't give up nearly as many points as Arkansas needs.
Pick: Alabama

Texas Tech (+1) at Houston
This game should be fun, as the Red Raiders and Cougars score as much as most high school boys basketball teams. Can Houston pull off another win against the Big 12, or can Texas Tech shrug off an emotional loss to Texas and grab this one. I'll pick Houston to represent at home.
Pick: Houston

Week: 4-6
Overall: 15-15

Still losing too many games here, as I went 24-10 in this space last week. It's time to kick some butt and take some names. Here are my picks before I head up to Victorville to see some Palm Desert-Silverado action.

Kaiser at Cajon
The champions of the Sunkist and San Andreas Leagues come together for what should be a physical contest. Last year the Cowboys outlasted Kaiser 10-7 in Fontana but I expect to see many more points this time around, as Cajon is averaging 50.6 points per game. It won't reach that mark obviously, but Cajon should have enough firepower in this one.
Cajon 24, Kaiser 14

Redlands East Valley at Orange Lutheran
This game is huge for REV's perception, as the Wildcats, with a win, can not only get a big win as far as San Bernardino County's reputation is concerned, but can also put themselves in the conversation for the state bowls in December. The Wildcats have the explosive offense and physical defense to get the win. I'll go out on a limb and say they will.
Redlands East Valley 28, Orange Lutheran 25

Rancho Cucamonga at Covina Charter Oak
The Central Division champion takes on the Southeast Division champion in a rematch of last year's 14-14 tie, the only blemish on each team's championship resume. This should be a doozy once again and I think it's supposed to be on TV. Rancho looked really good against Carter last week and I think they'll settle this game in regulation.
Rancho Cucamonga 21, Charter Oak 17

Yucaipa at San Gorgonio
This is an intriguing matchup, as both of these teams have explosive capabilities. The Thunderbirds scored four touchdowns from 62 yards or more in their win over San Bernardino while San Gorgonio has put up some lofty numbers with its new spread attack. I'll go with the home team in a thriller that will see lots of points and excitement.
San Gorgonio 33, Yucaipa 31

Palm Desert at Silverado
After a embarrassing Week 0 loss to Gardena Serra, the Hawks have righted the ship, battling Serrano close and defeating Quartz Hill. However, Palm Desert is potent and will be a tough test for Silverado. But what else is new - Silverado prides itself on painful nonleague schedules. Palm Desert has a little too much oomph right now.
Palm Desert 28, Silverado 17

Diamond Ranch at Chino Hills
The last two victims of Colony get to compare wounds this week. But even with the Colony angle ignored, this matchup has made for some classic games over the last couple of years, with the teams splitting meetings. Assuming Ryan Verdugo and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu are going to play, I'm taking Chino Hills here.
Chino Hills 27, Diamond Ranch 17

Vista Murrieta at Los Osos
Not the best matchup for a Los Osos team looking for momentum after consecutive losses to Riverside North and Redlands. Vista Murrieta is scary good, as they went into Colton two weeks ago and had their way with the Yellowjackets. Los Osos can throw the ball, but that won't be enough against the Broncos.
Vista Murrieta 30, Los Osos 16

Palm Springs at Colton
Kind of a repeat of last week, as a highly-rated Eastern Division squad from the Low Desert comes into Colton. The Yellowjackets disposed of former No. 2 La Quinta 23-8 last week and now face a No. 3 ranked Palm Springs team that it beat with a 100-yard fumble return last year. Such heroics won't be necessary this time around.
Colton 25, Palm Springs 13

Apple Valley at Victor Valley
The battle for The Bell has been an Apple Valley-dominated thing recently, as the Sun Devils have won the last five. However, Victor Valley came within a failed 2-point conversion of winning it last year and have ascended to No. 10 in the Eastern Division polls thanks to a 2-0 start. So who am I going to pick? Apple Valley of course. Don Lugo aside, you don't pick against a streak.
Apple Valley 27, Victor Valley 23

Eisenhower at Arroyo Valley
This is the first meeting between schools that are almost within walking distance of each other on Baseline Road. The Eagles have shown some big-play offensive ability with QB Richard Redd and WR Darron Usher, but the defense has been an absolute sieve, giving up 109 points in two weeks. That won't fly against Arroyo Valley QB Michael Yearwood.
Arroyo Valley 45, Eisenhower 26

Other games of note:

Colony 35, Alta Loma 10
Baldwin Park Sierra Vista 38, Western Christian 29
Riverside Norte Vista 25, Carter 23
Aquinas 42, Citrus Valley 0
Corona Roosevelt 43, Bloomington 20
Ayala 28, H.H. Los Altos 18
Chaffey 31, La Puente Nogales 16
Lancaster 30, Oak Hills 10
San Marcos 34, Ontario 17
Hesperia 38, Pacific 6
Serrano 19, Palmdale Highland 13
Barstow 28, Quartz Hill 14
Granite Hills 34, Rialto 20
Rim of the World 36, Bishop 14
Fontana 37, San Bernardino 31
Palmdale Knight 30, Sultana 12
Temecula Linfield Christian 28, Ontario Christian 23
Banning 27, Twentynine Palms 13
Upland 20, Lancaster Eastside 3
Beaumont 20, Yucca Valley 10

Last week: 24-10
Overall: 62-29

Etiwanda wide receiver Bobby Ratliff verbally committed to Washington State Wednesday according to Scout.com. Ratliff, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver, called the Cougar coaches up to notify them of his decision.

"I told them I had good news, that I was committing to Washington State. I heard in the background a 'Yeah Bobby!' Ratliff said to Scout.com. "It was everything -- the coaches, how close the coaches and the players were, the college town, I just really liked all of it."

Ratliff, who has 20 receptions for 227 yards and two touchdowns this despite missing a game due to injury, was also offered by Nevada, New Mexico, New Mexico State and San Diego State. He joins WR Marvin Jones (California), RB Vince Minor (New Mexico) and DE Ike Nduka (Fresno State) as Eagles who have committed/signed to Division I schools over the past two years.

It was quite the wait, but the Redlands East Valley girls volleyball team finally began the defense of its CIF-SS Division II-AA crown Monday, sweeping Redlands 25-10, 25-6, 25-21 in its season opener.

After a seemingly endless amount of intrasquad practices, the Wildcats -- which graduated seven players from their CIF championship and state finalist team -- were relieved to finally get things going against another team.

"It's been a long wait, a lot of practicing," REV coach Tricia Vansant said. "It gets repetitive practicing against your teammates. You get antsy and you want to play against someone else."

While it took a while for REV's season to get started, it won't take long for it to get into high gear. The Wildcats play in the Durango Tournament in Las Vegas this weekend and the Capistrano Tournament in Orange County the weekend after.

Both should be sizable tests for the Wildcats, who are looking to fill their lineup around senior setter Johnna Fouch -- who committed to San Diego State late last week -- junior outside hitter Krista Vansant and senior libero Kyle Oropeza. 6-foot-2 sophomore Alyssa Mason also saw a good bit of time last year, but injury and illness have her taking it slow in the early going of the season.

The 48-team Durango Tournament features teams throughout the Western United States while the Capistrano Tournament will involve the elite teams in Orange County and Southern California.

"We are going to see a higher level of volleyball and get a good idea of where we stand and what we need to work on," Vansant said. "I want our girls to be tested, to be challenged, to see how they react to other teams pushing them."

League play is beginning to start, so we'll be amping up our volleyball coverage a bit. Redlands East Valley, as you would expect, is ruling the roost in its division.

D1-A

1. Santa Barbara
2. Dos Pueblos
3. Marymount
4. Laguna Beach
5. Huntington Beach
6. El Dorado
7. West Ranch
8. Notre Dame Academy
9. El Toro
10. Rancho Cucamonga.
Others: Arroyo Grande.

D2-AA

1. Redlands East Valley
2. Corona del Mar
3. Bishop Montgomery
4. Beckman
5. Walnut
6. St. Lucy's
7. South Hills
8. South Torrance
9. St. Joseph
10. Ayala.
Others: Chino Hills, Corona Centennial, Corona Santiago.

D2-A

1. La Canada
2. La Reina
3. Troy
4. Elsinore
5. Oxnard
6. Oaks Christian
7. Oak Park
8. Fullerton
9. La Habra
10. St. Bonaventure.
Others: Camarillo.

D4-AA

1. Whittier Christian
2. St. Margaret's
3. Calvary Murrieta
4. Laguna Blanca
5. Arrowhead Christian
6. Sage Hill
7. Windward
8. Ontario Christian
9. Viewpoint
10. Gardena Serra.
Others: Jurupa Valley, Aquinas

D4-A

1. Upland Christian
2. Riverside Notre Dame
3. Nordhoff
4. Frazier Mountain
5. Desert Christian/BD
6. Alverno
7. Big Bear
8. Gladstone
9. Twentynine Palms
10. La Sierra Academy.
Others: Holy Family, Yucca Valley, Desert Hot Springs

REV and Cajon shoot up this week, as you'll see below.

Central Division
1. Rancho Cucamonga
2. Cajon
3. Upland
4. Elsinore
5. Colton
6. Colony
7. Chino Hills
8. Etiwanda
9. Glendora
10. Ayala
Others receiving votes: Arroyo Valley, Damien, Los Osos

Eastern Division
1. Perris Citrus Hill
2. Barstow
3. Palm Springs
4. San Jacinto
5. Palm Desert
6. Kaiser
7. La Quinta
8. Rim of the World
9. Serrano
10. Victor Valley
Others receiving votes: Bloomington, Riverside Notre Dame, Coachella Valley, Riverside Norte Vista

East Valley Division
1. St. Margaret's
2. Santa Paula
3. Kern Valley
4. Brentwood
5. Aquinas
6. Campbell Hall
7. Sierra Canyon
8. Ontario Christian
9. Frazier Mountain
10. Villanova Prep
Others receiving votes: Sage Hill, Desert, Fillmore, Maranatha

Inland Division
1. Redlands East Valley
2. Temecula Chaparral
3. Corona Centennial
4. Vista Murrieta
5. Riverside North
6. Norco
7. Moreno Valley Rancho Verde
8. Riverside Arlington
9. Corona Roosevelt
10. Redlands
Others receiving votes: Riverside Poly, Temecula Great Oak, Murrieta Valley

My top 25, with a ton of movement. Really crazy week.

1. Florida (1) - It wasn't the woodshed beating that was predicted, but beating Tennessee five years in a row is nothing to scoff at.
2. Texas (2) - The Longhorns get revenge on Texas Tech, though not Michael Crabtree.
3. Alabama (4) - The Crimson Tide have probably been the most consistently stellar team through the first three weeks.
4. California (7) - A road win and five Jahvid Best touchdowns mean a big bump for the Bears
5. Mississippi (5) - Ole Miss trucked SE Louisiana, as it was supposed to
6. Penn State (6) - Nits beating the heck out of bad teams. Hard to really make a good judgement of them right now.
7. LSU (9) - All of a sudden, the Tigers' close win over Washington two weeks ago doesn't look so bad.
8. Boise State (10) - Got the win over Fresno State, but the run defense needs work.9.. 9. Oklahoma (12) - After the way Landry Jones has played the last two weeks, I'm confident to say that Oklahoma would drill BYU in a rematch.
10. Ohio State (11) - Buckeyes got much-needed rout over Toledo.
11. Miami (Fla.) (21) - Hurricanes looked awesome against Ga. Tech. Have another toughie coming up against Va. Tech.
12. Virginia Tech (14) - Pulled one out late against Nebraska. Now it has to host red-hot Miami.
13. TCU (15) - Have a tough test next week at Clemson
14. Houston (17) - Off week prevented any sort of a possible letdown
15. USC (3) - Same stuff, different year. The offense looks to be an area of concern.
16. North Carolina (18) - Beating East Carolina is harder than you would expect.
17. Cincinnati (24) - Bearcats take a jump after big win at Oregon State.
18. Oklahoma State (19) - Not great in their win over Rice.
19. Florida State (NR) - Made a huge statement at BYU - and boosted the street cred of rival Miami in the interim
20. Georgia (22) - The offense has been awesome the past two weeks. The defense? Well, the offense has scored 93 points.
21. BYU (8) - Their BCS-busting aspirations are completely busted.
22. Kansas (23) - Beat Duke. No, it wasn't the Final Four.
23. Michigan (25) - Ran for 380 yards in a rout of Eastern Michigan, but defense could be a sore spot in the conference schedule.
24. Georgia Tech (13) - Jackets tumble after being rolled by Miami.
25. Missouri (NR) - At 3-0, apparently there is life after Chase Daniel.

Receiving consideration: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Utah
Dropped out: 16. Utah, No. 20. Nebraska

Got off to an awesome start, hitting two-thirds of my picks last week. Let's not jinx this.

Oakland (+3) over KANSAS CITY
Houston (+7) over TENNESSEE
New England (-3.5) over N.Y. JETS
GREEN BAY (-9) over Cincinnati
Minnesota (-10) over DETROIT
PHILADELPHIA (+1) over New Orleans
ATLANTA (-6) over Carolina
St. Louis (+10) over WASHINGTON
Arizona (+3) over JACKSONVILLE
Seattle (+1) over SAN FRANCISCO
BUFFALO (-4.5) over Tampa Bay
DENVER (-3) over Cleveland
SAN DIEGO (-3) over Baltimore
Pittsburgh (-3) over CHICAGO
N.Y. Giants (+3) over DALLAS
MIAMI (+3) over Indianapolis

Last week: 10-5
Overall: 10-5

According to Scout.com, Kaiser LB Josh Shirley, Don Lugo DT George Uko and Summit junior WR Devon Blackmon are at the UCLA-Kansas State game on unofficial visits. I'm at the Rose Bowl right now, so I'll see if I can somehow spot those guys - along with seeing how much freshman QB Richard Brehaut - a Los Osos graduate - will play tonight.

Brand new. Colony breaks in with some vigor.

Sun Top 10

1. Rancho Cucamonga (3-0)
Previous ranking: 1. Last week: def. Carter, 49-18. Up next: Friday at Covina Charter Oak (3-0).

2. Redlands East Valley (2-0)
Previous ranking: 2. Last week: def. San Gorgonio, 56-10. Up next: Friday vs. Orange Lutheran (1-1) at Orange Coast College.

3. Barstow (2-0)
Previous ranking: 4. Last week: def. Paraclete, 20-10. Up next: Friday vs. Quartz Hill (0-2).

4. Cajon (3-0)
Previous ranking: 7. Last week: def. Sultana, 41-0. Up next: Friday vs. No. 10 Kaiser (1-1).

5. Upland (3-0)
Previous ranking: 8. Last week: def. Serrano, 21-18. Up next: Friday vs. Lancaster Eastside (0-2) at Antelope Valley College.

6. Colton (1-1)
Previous ranking: 9. Last week: def. La Quinta, 23-8. Up next: Friday vs. Palm Springs (2-0).

7. Etiwanda (2-1)
Previous ranking: 6. Last week: lost to Norco, 37-27. Up next: Oct. 2 vs. Chino (0-2).

8. Colony (2-1)
Previous ranking: NR. Last week: def. No. 9 Chino Hills, 22-6. Up next: Friday vs. Alta Loma (0-3).

9. Chino Hills (2-1)
Previous ranking: 3. Last week: lost to No. 8 Colony, 22-6. Up next: Friday vs. Diamond Ranch (1-2).

10. Kaiser (1-1)
Previous ranking: 5. Last week: lost to Riverside North, 28-12. Up next: Friday at No. 4 Cajon (3-0).

Just missed the cut: Redlands (2-1), Arroyo Valley (2-0), Ayala (2-1), Rim of the World (3-0).

Dropped out: No. 10 Serrano (1-2).

Here's what's rolled in.

Apple Valley 29, Ridgecrest Burroughs 26
Arroyo Valley 26, Rialto 6
Ayala 33, Alta Loma 19
Azusa 28, Ontario Christian 27
Barstow 20, Paraclete 10
Beaumont 24, Big Bear 12
Blythe Palo Verde Valley 26, Montclair 21
Bloomington 53, Eisenhower 33
Cajon 41, Sultana 0
Colony 22, Chino Hills 3
Colton 23, La Quinta 8
Don Lugo 35, Chino 0
Granite Hills 49, Pacific 0
Norco 37, Etiwanda 27
Oak Hills 64, Silver Valley 8
Rancho Cucamonga 49, Carter 18
Redlands 17, Los Osos 10
Redlands East Valley 56, San Gorgonio 12
Riverside North 28, Kaiser 12
Riverside Notre Dame 20, Aquinas 7
San Jacinto 48, Twentynine Palms 7
Santa Fe 43, Bonita 22
Silverado 33, Quartz Hill 13
Summit 32, Fontana 23
Upland 21, Serrano 18
Victor Valley 31, Yucca Valley 14
Walnut 47, Garey 17
Wildomar Elsinore 15, Diamond Ranch 3
Yucaipa 39, San Bernardino 12

Great week last week, going 8-2 to put me above .500. Looking to keep it up and keep it quick this week.

WASHINGTON (-19.5) over Usc
UCLA (-12) over Kansas State
MINNESOTA (+13.5) over California
IOWA (-4) over Arizona
Utah (+5) over OREGON
OREGON STATE (-1) over Cincinnati
STANFORD (-18) over San Jose State
VIRGINIA TECH (-5) over Nebraska
BYU (-8) over Florida State
NOTRE DAME (-10) over Michigan State

Last week: 8-2
Overall: 11-9

Heck of a lot better performance this week, going 28-10 after the 10-9 montrosity of zero week. Hoping to still cut my losses in half though.

Upland at Serrano
I like matchups like these, as powers from different parts of the county come together for some good football. Both of these teams have been vise-like on defense and inconsistent offensively, meaning that this game could resemble a baseball score. It's hard to pick against Serrano up at Snowline, but I must say I've been impressed with Upland's D thus far. Highlanders win a tight one.
Upland 13, Serrano 10

Redlands East Valley at San Gorgonio
This game is a sneaky-good one, as the two schools both cull players from the Highland area and have talented rosters. But while the Spartans were very impressive in their win at Hesperia last Friday, they are in the building stages of Ron Gueringer's program while Kurt Bruich has a machine going at REV. San G will have its say against the Wildcats, but not in this one.
Redlands East Valley 27, San Gorgonio 13

Chino Hills at Colony
There's no doubting the talent in this game, as Chino Hills is one of the more steady, above-average programs in the Inland Empire while Colony tend to grow Division I talent on trees. The Titans impressed me last week by winning at Diamond Ranch, but like I said for Chaffey last week, beating Chino Hills is an entirely different - and more difficult - matter. I expect Nate Harris to find the end zone for the Huskies a couple times.
Chino Hills 30, Colony 14

Redlands at Los Osos
Two traditionally solid programs battle it out in another CBL vs. Baseline showdown. The Terriers showed some moxie in beating Summit late, but Los Osos doesn't seem to have much of a dropoff in its passing game despite Richard Brehaut moving on to UCLA. Blake Loncar has thrown for 200 or more yards in both games and WR Sean Alston has been his primary target. Look for the two to hook up for some big plays.
Los Osos 24, Redlands 13

Etiwanda at Norco
There's really no debate at this point about Etiwanda's offense - it's darn good. Angel Santiago can pass pretty well, but the strides he has made in the running game are pretty impressive. His 283 yards rushing will be needed, and then some, against a Norco team tht lost a tough 47-44 game to L.A. Crenshaw - the No. 1 team in the L.A. Times top 25. Etiwanda will make some plays, but not enough.
Norco 36, Etiwanda 24

Riverside North at Kaiser
The Huskies have been an absolute irritant to Kaiser the past three seasons, defeating the Cats in all five meetings between the two, shutting them out three times. It's hard to believe that North will shut out this Kaiser team, but its offense could be more explosive than it has been. I think North will make a few more plays in this one against a game Kaiser squad.
North 24, Kaiser 17

Rancho Cucamonga at Carter
The 40-spot that the Lions hung up on Alta Loma in the season opener adds a tiny bit more intrigue than was expected in this game, as Carter seems to have grasped Alex Pierce's spread attack a little bit better. However, Rancho can match Carter's athleticism, if not surpass it, and is well ahead of the Lions as far as overall football acumen.
Rancho Cucamonga 31, Carter 13

Don Lugo at Chino
The battle for the Milk Can has been anything but for the past decade and a half, as the Cowboys have won 17 straight over the Conquistadores in this series. On the surface, this should change, as Chino was bombed by Whittier and Don Lugo has D-I talent in DT George Uko and DB Steven Bethley. But as adage goes, never bet against a streak.
Chino 20, Don Lugo 14

La Quinta at Colton
After losing 26-9 last week to Vista Murrieta, things don't get easier for the Yellowjackets, as La Quinta - ranked second in the Eastern Division - comes calling. However, Colton did beat the Blackhawks handily a year ago and I would expect QB Jordan Mixon to be less nervous and execute the offense a bit better. If he does that, the Yellowjackets should be fine.
Colton 20, La Quinta 16

Aquinas at Riverside Notre Dame
The premier Catholic school in San Bernardino County faces off against the premier parochial program in Riverside County in an annual grudge matchup. You can expect good, physical, well-played football in this game, in which the winner gets possession of "The Holy Shield." I'll go with Aquinas, ranked No. 1 in the East Valley Division.
Aquinas 23, Notre Dame 19

Other games of note:
Arroyo Valley 42, Rialto 9
Ayala 33, Alta Loma 10
Ontario Christian 23, Azusa 20
Paraclete 18, Barstow 15
Big Bear 27, Beaumont 21
Bishop 39, Western Christian 20
Montclair 36, Blythe Palo Verde Valley 16
Cajon 45, Sultana 7
Damien 28, Claremont 26
Bloomington 30, Eisenhower 14
Summit 31, Fontana 14
Granite Hills 30, Pacific 9
Hesperia 23, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs 13
Los Angeles Crenshaw 51, Miller 12
La Puente Nogales 17, Ontario 6
Quartz Hill 27, Silverado 10
Ridgecrest Burroughs 27, Apple Valley 24
Rim of the World 29, Cathedral City 14
Riverside Arlington 26, Chaffey 20
San Jacinto 34, Twentynine Palms 16
Oak Hills 38, Silver Valley 6
Victor Valley 27, Yucca Valley 18
Yucaipa 31, San Bernardino 27
Arrowhead Christian 27, Citrus Valley 7

Week: 28-10
Overall: 38-19

Eisenhower High School is recognizing one of its most distinguished athletic graduates on October 17 -- the Eagles will be naming their football field after Ronnie Lott according to Ike athletic director Steve Johnson.

The ceremony, which will happen the weekend of Ike's game with Redlands, is part of the school's 50th anniversary celebration. Lott -- a 1977 Ike graduate, All-American at USC, and NFL Hall of Fame safety for the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders and New York Jets from 1981-94 -- is expected to attend the ceremony.

"It's exciting for the school," Johnson said. "To have a Hall of Famer like Ronnie come from this school and be willing to come back and celebrate the anniversary for us is something we are pretty happy to be a part of."

The naming of the stadium will be part of the 50th anniversary extravaganza on Saturday the 17th, the day after the game with Redlands.

It didn't take long for Citrus Valley to grab its first varsity football victory. And it definitely wasn't in the conventional way.

Riverside Patriot High School, which defeated the Blackhawks 48-0 in Citrus Valley's inaugural game last Thursday at Redlands High School, forfeited the victory due to an ineligible player. Nothing had been reported to CIF officials as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, but CIF-SS director of communications Thom Simmons confirmed hearing of it in an e-mail correspondence.

Citrus Valley athletic director Steve Thornburgh also confirmed it, saying that the incident was a self-policing move by Patriot that came unsolicited from Citrus Valley.

"We would have liked to gotten our first victory on the field by scoring more points than the other team," Thornburgh said. "This isn't the way we wanted to get it, but I applaud Patriot High School for discovering the problem and reporting it promptly. It was entirely on their end."

The Blackhawks play again Saturday at 7 p.m., as they take on Arrowhead Christian at Redlands High School.

Also discussed at the Tuesday school board meeting was air conditioning for the Cajon High School gymnasium. A measure for renovations of the high school included air conditioning for the gym, but unforeseen money spent on asbestos removal now leaves the gym, without AC.

"They did a lot of renovations first that weren't really necessary, like new doors to classrooms," said Cajon girls basketball coach Mark Lehman, who spoke in front of the school board Tuesday. "But the asbestos discovery sidetracked the project, and by the time they got to the gym, apparently there was no more money."

That leaves the gym a sweatbox, according to Lehman, as vents were sealed up as part of the yet-to-be-completed insertion of air conditioning, allowing even less air in and out of the facility. He appealed for a rearranging of funds to complete the project, something the school board said it would look into, according to Lehman.

Former San Bernardino High School defensive assistant coach Jeff Bees was in front of the San Bernardino Unified School District School Board on Tuesday night, trying to figure out why he was fired as a volunteer assistant coach last Wednesday.

Bees, a 1989 Cajon High School graduate, was removed due to allegations of depriving kids of water and because of derogatory remarks -- both charges that Bees, 37, denied.

Another week, another top 5 team from Oklahoma goes down. That plus a couple of debuts - one likely and one out of left field. Previous ranking in parantheses

1. Florida (1) - Another week, another killing of an overmatched team. Should have more fun against Tennessee.
2. Texas (2) - Little sluggish in the first half against Wyoming. Could have been looking ahead to the revenge game Thursday against Texas Tech.
3. USC (3) - Wasn't pretty, but any time you can go to Ohio State and win at night with a freshman QB, you've done something good.
4. Alabama (4) - The Tide offense looks more explosive than it did a year ago.
5. Penn State (8) - Pretty big dropoff from 4 to 5. Penn State looks good, but most people do against Akron and Syracuse.
6. Mississippi (7) - Got jumped because they didn't play.
7. California (9) - 111 points in two weeks is pretty darn good. Definitely a darkhorse national title team.
8. BYU (11) - No letdown against Tulane. If the Cougars beat Florida State this week, look out.
9. LSU (10) - Defense looked better against Vandy than it did against Washington, which is key.
10. Boise State (12) - No letdown for the Broncos against Miami (Ohio)
11. Ohio State (6) - Not going to kill the Buckeyes for losing to USC. However, they need to figure out how to use Terrelle Pryor correctly.
12. Oklahoma (13) - Won 64-0 against Idaho State. At the very least, got Landry Jones some confidence.
13. Georgia Tech (14) - Got scary for a second, but the Jackets won a big game against Clemson. Another test looms Thursday against Miami.
14. Virginia Tech (15) - Nice bounceback blowout against Marshall.
15. TCU (16) - The Horned Frogs got a lopsided win at Virginia. Then again, so did William and Mary.
16. Utah (17) - Utes pull away from San Jose State for their nation's best 15th-straight game.
17. Houston (NR) - Cougars shoot up out of nowhere with big win at Oklahoma State.
18. North Carolina (18) - Ugly 2-point win over UConn keeps Tar Heels stable.
19. Oklahoma State (5) - Cowboys take a huge tumble after losing to the Cougars. So much for the big win over Georgia.
20. Nebraska (20) - Huskers win second straight rout. We'll learn a lot this weekend at Virginia Tech.
21. Miami (Fla) (25) - Sort of a self-correction. I sold Miami a little short after their win over Florida State.
22. Georgia (21) - Got a must-win against South Carolina and scored some points, but I'm still skeptical of this team.
23. Kansas (22) - Jayhawks rolled in a potentially-tricky game against UTEP. Now Duke in what would be a great basketball game.
24. Cincinnati (23) - Bearcats humiliate another team. Can get some street cred with a win at Oregon State.
25. Michigan (NR) - From 3-9 to ranked in two weeks. The young Wolverines got a big win against Notre Dame.

Also receiving consideration: Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Missouri

Dropped out: No. 19 Notre Dame, No. 24 Oregon State

Central Division

1. Rancho Cucamonga
2. Chino Hills
3. Cajon
4. Upland
5. Wildomar Elsinore
6. Colton
7. Etiwanda
8. Glendora
9. Chaffey
10. Los Osos
Others receiving votes: Colony, Claremont, Arroyo Valley, San Bernardino, San Gorgonio, Menifee Paloma Valley

Eastern Division

1. Perris Citrus Hill
2. La Quinta
3. Kaiser
4. Barstow
5. Palm Springs
6. Serrano
7. San Jacinto
8. Palm Desert
9. Rim of the World
10. Ridgecrest Burroughs
Others receiving votes: Victor Valley, Bloomington, Riverside Patriot, Riverside Notre Dame, Coachella Valley, Riverside Norte Vista, Hesperia, Silverado

East Valley Division

1. Aquinas
2. San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's
3. Brentwood
4. Desert
5. Campbell Hall
6. Ontario Christian
7. Twentynine Palms
8. Maranatha
9. Santa Paula
10. Sage Hill
Others receiving votes: Kern Valley, Sierra Canyon, Brethren Christian, Villanova Prep, Frazier Mountain, Grace Brethren, Fillmore, Yucca Valley

Inland Division

1. Corona Centennial
2. Redlands East Valley
3. Temecula Chaparral
4. Vista Murrieta
5. Riverside North
6. Norco
7. Moreno Valley Rancho Verde
8. Riverside Arlington
9. Murrieta Valley
10. Corona Roosevelt
Others receiving votes: Temecula Greak Oak, Redlands, Temescal Canyon, Riverside Poly, Carter, Fontana, Moreno Valley Vista del Lago

Sorry about the lateness of this - was in Michigan this weekend at the Michigan-Notre Dame game. But I'm back, I'm happy and raring to go.

1. Rancho Cucamonga (2-0)
Another game, another routine win. The Cougars haven't been jaw-droppingly good yet, but they are getting the job done and getting the young defense ready for the Baseline League.

2. Redlands East Valley (1-0)
Great first game against a traditionally strong Clovis East team. Definitely look to be head and shoulders above everyone else in the Citrus Belt League.

3. Chino Hills (2-0)
The Huskies should be No. 2 behind Rancho in the Central Division polls later today and quite frankly, look really good right now. It's not easy to manhandle Chaffey the way Chino Hills did.

4. Barstow (1-0)
An expected easy win against Rialto and Colton's loss has the Aztecs in pretty elite position. They have a tough test with Paraclete though.

5. Kaiser (1-0)
The defense subdued Apple Valley in Phil Zelaya's debut, as you would expect, but a game against nemsis Riverside North - which bombed Los Osos - awaits.

6. Etiwanda (2-0)
The Eagles' offense might be the most explosive in the area. Yes, maybe even better than Rancho's. We'll truly get to see the Eagles under fire this week at Norco.

7. Cajon (2-0)
The Cowboys and their stable of Kazees haven't been tested yet, scoring 111 points in their first two games. Sultana won't provide much of a test this week either.

8. Upland (2-0)
The Miller game wasn't a fluke, as the Highlander defense was even more stingy against Glendora. Upland's defense definitely looks nasty at this point.

9. Colton (0-1)
Vista Murrieta is a good team, so Colton shouldn't feel that bad about the loss. Quarterback Jordan Mixon showed some jitters and the offensive line has some kinks to work out.

10. Serrano (1-1)
I was extremely close to putting San G in this spot after their domination of Hesperia, but I went with the Diamondbacks. Defense looks good, but the offense needs to produce more than 13 points in two games.

Missed the cut: San Gorgonio (1-0), Chaffey (1-1), Los Osos (1-1), Arroyo Valley (1-0)

This is what we got right now.

Arrowhead Christian 3, Webb 0
Arroyo Valley 33, Hemet West Valley 13
Barstow 38, Rialto 12
Bloomington 26, Ontario 7
Cajon 56, Eisenhower 12
Chino Hills 28, Chaffey 14
Claremont 31, Bonita 28
Colony 25, Diamond Ranch 20
Etiwanda 47, Temecula Valley 31
Fontana 34, Pacific 0
Kaiser 21, Apple Valley 7
Los Angeles Carson 56, Miller 21
Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 48, Yucaipa 15
Ontario Christian 40, Calvary Murrieta 30
Palm Desert 42, Sultana 7
Pomona 28, Montclair 13
Rancho Cucamonga 31, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs 9
Redlands 16, Summit 14
Redlands East Valley 39, Clovis East 13
Riverside Notre Dame 21, Twentynine Palms 20
San Bernardino 51, Jurupa Valley 14
San Dimas 56, South El Monte 0
San Gorgonio 21, Hesperia 6
Serrano 10, Silverado 7
Upland 10, Glendora 3
Vista Murrieta 26, Colton 9
West Covina South Hills 21, Ayala 3
Whittier 35, Chino 13

Doing these a bit early because I'm catching a flight to Ann Arbor right after I cover Vista Murrieta-Colton tonight. Considering how bad my high school and college first week predictions were, I'd take these with a grain of salt. In other words, don't put your car note up as collateral on any of these.

ATLANTA (-4) over Miami
Kansas City (+13) over BALTIMORE
CAROLINA (+2.5) over Philadelphia
Denver (+4.5) over CINCINNATI
Minnesota (-4.5) over CLEVELAND
HOUSTON (-4.5) over N.Y. Jets
Jacksonville (+7) over INDIANAPOLIS
NEW ORLEANS (-13) over Detroit
Dallas (-5) over TAMPA BAY
San Francisco (+6.5) over ARIZONA
N.Y. GIANTS (-6.5) over Washington
SEATTLE (-8) over St. Louis
GREEN BAY (-3.5) over Chicago
NEW ENGLAND (-11) over Buffalo
San Diego (-9.5) over OAKLAND

Like with my high school picks, I pretty much stunk in my first shot at the college picks, going 3-7 against the spread. Let's nip that in the bud before whatever credibility I have left gets flushed.

USC (-7) at Ohio State
Everyone knows that the Trojans romped the Buckeyes last season at the Coliseum. Everyone knows that USC kills Big Ten teams with impunity. Most know that Ohio State struggled with Navy last week. However, a true freshman making his first road start at the Horseshoe makes me take the home team here.
Pick: Ohio State

UCLA (+10) at Tennessee
This spread has grown two points since it was originally released, with the betting community being pretty impressed with the Vols' destruction of Western Kentucky. Not sure how good Tennessee really is, but they have a score to settle from last year at the Rose Bowl.
Pick: Tennessee

Purdue (+12.5) at Oregon
It will be interesting to see how the Ducks respond after the LaGarrette Blount-Boise State fiasco. With the Ducks laying an egg, no pun intended, and Blount laying out a Boise defensive player with a straight right, along with a Purdue team that scored 52 coming in, I have to go with the Boilers to cover.
Pick: Purdue

Stanford (+3) at Wake Forest
Got one thing to say about this game - noon Eastern start. That means Stanford will be playing at 9 a.m. Pacific time according to its internal clocks. Cal did that once last year at Maryland and was in a funk, getting down big before losing close late. I see the same thing happening here.
Pick: Wake Forest

Oregon State (-7) at UNLV
Could be a big of a tricky game for the Beavers, who are notoriously slow starters. The Rebels have talented and can nab unsuspecting Pac-10 teams, winning at Arizona State last year. I'll go with UNLV to give Oregon State a headache.
Pick: UNLV

Idaho (+20) at Washington
The Huskies, despite losing their 13th straight game, impressed against LSU, moving the ball at will at times against the Tigers. Steve Sarkisian has U-Dub going in the right direction and they'll break the streak in style.
Pick: Washington

Hawaii (-2.5) at Washington State
This game is not for the faint of heart. Hawaii struggled mightily with I-AA Central Arkansas before winning its opener, while Washington State was beat down by Stanford. I refuse to think that Hawaii is bad enough to actually lose to Wazzu, so I'll go with the Warriors here.
Pick: Hawaii

Notre Dame (-3) at Michigan
Being a Michigan graduate, I'll try my best to take off the homer goggles here. Both of these teams were surprisingly impressive against decent non-BCS conference competition last year, combining to beat their opponents 66-7. This series tends to favor the underdog historically, which is why I'm going with the Wolverines in a coin-flip game.
Pick: Michigan

South Carolina (+7) at Georgia
Whatever you bet in this game, take the under as one of your wagers. This game is always low scoring and hard hitting, as Georgia won 14-7 last year. Both offenses struggled mightily in their openers while the defenses looked good. With Georgia QB Joe Cox gimpy, I'll go with the Gamecocks here.
Pick: South Carolina

North Carolina (-4.5) at Connecticut
This would be an awesome basketball game, as these two programs have combined for four national championships on the hardwood since 1999. Its not a bad football game either, with Butch Davis bringing some talent to the Tar Heels and Randy Edsall making UConn a tough out. I'll go with the better basketball team here.
Pick: North Carolina

These are the last two teams I have yet to preview and I'm going to be a bit brief with them, due to time constraints. Rialto has been in rebuilding mode for about as long as it's been a high school, as it has been almost impossible for the Knights to gain any traction.

Whether it be with coaching changes or transfers, its been hard for Rialto to keep any sort of consistency. They are all right on the coaching front, as Eric Rodriguez returns for a third year at the helm, giving them stability up top. Who Rodriguez can depend on to increase the win total of the Knights - who have gone 1-9 and finished last in the Citrus Belt League the last two seasons - is up in the air.

I took it in the chin last week, barely finishing above .500 at 10-9. While the first week is hard to judge sometimes, I have to do better than that. Here's to a full slate and winning at least 75%. Cheers.

Los Osos at Riverside North
Life at Los Osos didn't die with the losses of Richard Brehaut and Arby Fields after all. In fact, Blake Loncar made quite a convincing case at QB for the Grizzlies last week, passing for 200 yards and spreading the ball around nicely. However, North is one of the better programs in the area and are tough to beat at King High School. Don't think Osos is quite ready at this juncture.
Riverside North 23, Los Osos 14

Chaffey at Chino Hills
This is a sneaky-good matchup - the best game of the week in my opinion. Chino Hills has some great defensive backs in Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Nate Harris, but the Tigers will keep this game on the ground thanks to RB Ronald Douglas and QB Jacob Ahmad. Chaffey needs a win in a game like this to prove that it can be a player in the Central Division, but that'll be easier said than done against the Huskies.
Chino Hills 28, Chaffey 18

Kaiser at Apple Valley
The Phil Zelaya era at Kaiser starts in the desert, as the Cats head up the Cajon Pass to face an Apple Valley team that returns 16 starters from last year. Of course, Kaiser returns a bunch - including USC commit Anthony Brown and four-star D-I prospect Josh Shirley - and put a beating on the Sun Devils last year. It'll be closer, but the ultimate result will be the same.
Kaiser 30, Apple Valley 13

Glendora at Upland
The Highlanders impressed me with their defense, completely smothering Miller at the point of attack and using the running game to play keep away. Upland isn't flashy, but they could be quite effective. Glendora has been quite effectively offensively and these two teams tend to play classics. I'll go with the home team in a coin-flip game.
Upland 21, Glendora 17

Summit at Redlands
This game lost a bit of luster, as Temecula Great Oak put it on the Terriers last week 24-7. Great Oak may be improved, but losing like that to one of the least effective teams in the Southwestern League isn't a great way to start. Summit gave Etiwanda a run before falling and will get a big victory, in name at least, in this one.
Summit 19, Redlands 13

Colony at Diamond Ranch
The Titans' schedule certainly doesn't do them many favors, as Colony faces the Southeast Division runner-ups in between games against Central Division powers Los Osos and Chino Hills. Gus Viramontes threw for 254 yards against Muir last week for Diamond Ranch and will put up big numbers again.
Diamond Ranch 31, Colony 17

San Gorgonio at Hesperia
Two new coaches hit up programs that have had some recent success, as Jeremy Topete takes over a Hesperia program fresh off an Mojave River League championship and the best two seasons in Scorpion history while Ron Gueringer takes hold of a Spartan team that was second in the SAL. Hesperia won this 34-17 last year and I expect this matchup to be much of the same.
Hesperia 28, San Gorgonio 17

Vista Murrieta at Colton
The best part of playing four straight road games to start 2008 for Colton was that they get them all at home to start 2009. The opener of the Yellowjackets' four-game homestand will be a tough one, as the Broncos are traditionally one of the tougher teams in southern Riverside County. Colton lost a nailbiter last year and will return the favor tomorrow.
Colton 21, Vista Murrieta 19

Serrano at Silverado
Both of these teams are coming off season openers to forget. Serrano was held to a field goal in a 13-3 loss to Paraclete while the Hawks would have killed to have that production, getting blasted 61-0 by Gardena Serra. Serrano was closer to winning and Silverado typically starts out slow, so I'll take the Diamondbacks on the road.
Serrano 35, Silverado 14

Aquinas at Big Bear
This is always a must-see matchup among the small schools, with this year being no different. The Falcons will be making their first appearance under new head coach Nick Matheny while Big Bear is looking to get in the win column after losing a tough game to Simi Valley Grace Brethren. I think the Bears will be looking at two tough defeats.
Aquinas 24, Big Bear 20

The best of the rest:
Los Angeles Franklin 36, Don Lugo 14
Riverside Patriot 45, Citrus Valley 6
Victor Valley 27, Bellflower 10
Alta Loma 21, Carter 16
West Covina South Hills 28, Ayala 20
Bloomington 20, Ontario 17
Bonita 31, Claremont 20
Cajon 41, Eisenhower 7
Redlands East Valley 24, Clovis East 13
Rim of the World 35, Desert Hot Springs 10
Hemet West Valley 31, Arroyo Valley 21
Los Angeles Carson 21, Miller 13
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs 6
Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 40, Yucaipa 10
Oak Hills 17, Rosamond 14
Ontario Christian 27, Calvary Murrieta 13
Fontana 17, Pacific 6
Montclair 31, Pomona 16
Barstow 38, Rialto 0
Riverside Notre Dame 21, Twentynine Palms 16
San Bernardino 23, Jurupa Valley 17
Palm Desert 37, Sultana 13
Etiwanda 27, Temecula Valley 21
Arrowhead Christian 20, Webb 7
Western Christian 21, Downey Calvary Chapel 14
Chino 25, Whittier 9
San Jacinto 34, Yucca Valley 14
Granite Hills 31, Riverside Rubidoux 0

The county got two new schools added to the football docket - Oak Hills in Hesperia and Citrus Valley in Redlands. Both teams are playing freelance schedules this season, with Citrus Valley playing its inaugural game tonight against Riverside Patriot at Redlands High School and Oak Hills traveling to Rosamond tomorrow.

Although both schools are new, the start-up circumstances are different. Citrus Valley is starting with freshmen and sophomores, with head coach Peter Smolin indicating that the Blackhawks' varsity unit will consist entirely of sophomores, while Oak Hills has freshmen, sophomores and juniors to choose from. A few of the Bulldogs' juniors were transfers over from Hesperia, where they saw time with the Mojave River League champion Scorpions. Oak Hills' coach, Robert Kistner, was at Hesperia last year.

After ruling the county football scene for nearly three decades, Fontana High School hasn't had much go its way in this decade. The Steelers haven't made the playoffs since 2003, haven't won more than two games in a season since then and saw a 29-game losing streak thrown in for good measure.

The Steelers have gone through different coaches, have seen star players transfer to other teams in controversial ways and have even seen a riot at school cause them to forfeit a home football game. Needless to say, Fohi could use a twist of luck.

Tom Conner had some sizable shoes to fill at Bloomington High School last yer. Don Markham, who won 309 games and five CIF titles - including one at Bloomington in 1994 where the Bruins set the national scoring record with 880 points - during his storied career, retired after the 2007 season, with Conner being hired in his place.

Replacing a legend was hard enough for Conner, especially a legend that built the Bloomington program with the unique run-heavy double-wing offense. But considering that Conner was more comfortable in the spread - a 180-degree shift from the tight formations of the double-wing - that transition was made even more difficult.

I've gotten a bit sidetracked between covering games, working on features, doing rankings and an assignment covering the Angels tonight, but I haven't forgot about the rest of the teams I haven't previewed. There are a few I still haven't gotten to that start this week, starting with Carter.

The Lions came into 2008 having earned playoff berths in 2006 and 2007, the third and fourth years of the program. But the 2007 Lions, despite having a lot of senior talent, underachieved with a fourth-place finish and corresponding 4-7 record, causing head coach Brian Kidd to be removed.

My first stab at the college Top 25. Not a big fan of the preseason poll thing, which is a good thing considering what happened to Oklahoma.

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma State
6. Ohio State
7. Mississippi
8. Penn State
9. California
10. LSU
11. BYU
12. Boise State
13. Oklahoma
14. Georgia Tech
15. Virginia Tech
16. TCU
17. Utah
18. North Carolina
19. Notre Dame
20. Nebraska
21. Georgia
22. Kansas
23. Cincinnati
24. Oregon State
25. Miami (Fla)

Also receiving consideration: Michigan State, Florida State, Missouri

The updated top 10. With two top 5 teams taking a tumble, there was quite a bit of shuffling.

Sun Top 10

1. Rancho Cucamonga (1-0)
Previous ranking: 1. Last week: def. Damien, 27-14. Up next: Friday vs. Moreno Valley Canyon Springs (0-0).

2. Redlands East Valley (0-0)
Previous ranking: 2. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday vs. Clovis East (0-1).

3. Colton (0-0)
Previous ranking: 3. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday vs. Vista Murrieta (0-0).

4. Chino Hills (1-0)
Previous ranking: 6. Last week: def. Lakewood Mayfair, 30-6. Up next: Friday vs. No. 10 Chaffey (1-0).

5. Barstow (0-0)
Previous ranking: 7. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday vs. Rialto (0-0)

6. Kaiser (0-0)
Previous ranking: 8. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday at Apple Valley (0-0).

7. Etiwanda (1-0)
Previous ranking: 9. Last week: def. Summit, 20-17. Up next: Friday vs. Temecula Valley (0-0)

8. Cajon (1-0)
Previous ranking: 10. Last week: def. Duarte, 55-0. Up next: Friday at Eisenhower (0-0).

9. Upland (1-0)
Previous ranking: NR. Last week: def. Miller, 23-8. Up next: Friday vs. Glendora (0-0)

10. Chaffey (1-0)
Previous ranking: NR. Last week: def. Alta Loma, 34-10. Up next: Friday at No. 4 Chino Hills (1-0).

Just missed the cut: Serrano (0-1), Los Osos (1-0), Ayala (1-0), Miller (0-1)

Dropped out: No. 4 Miller (0-1), No. 5 Serrano (0-1).

Back by demand (at least my demand) are my college picks. I'll take 10 games, pick against the spread, and hopefully make myself and all of you a hefty profit.

San Jose State (+34) at USC - With true freshman Matt Barkley making his first-ever start in his first-ever game, 34 points seems to be a little much. Expect USC to keep it simple. Pick: San Jose State

San Diego State (+19.5) at UCLA - Another kind of hefty spread, but I like Neuheisel in year two to roll over Brady Hoke and the mess at San Diego State in year one.
Pick: UCLA

Maryland (+21) at California - After being forced to play at 9 a.m. Pacific time in Maryland last year and losing, Cal is having the Terps play at 10 p.m. Eastern time. Turnabout is fair play.
Pick: California

Stanford (-17) at Washington State - Stanford seems to have things building toward a bowl bid this year. Washington State is basically a dumpster fire at this point.
Pick: Stanford

LSU (-17.5) at Washington - After finishing 0-12 last year, the last thing the Huskies needed was to face a national-title contender in week one. The losing streak continues.
Pick: LSU

Virginia Tech (+6.5) vs. Alabama (Atlanta) - The Tide established themselves as a BCS level team at this site last year, blowing out Clemson. I don't expect a blowout, or much scoring, in this one.
Pick: Virginia Tech

Georgia (+4.5) at Oklahoma State - Apparently Joe Cox, Georgia's starting quarterback, has swine flu. I'm not making that up. That gives the Bulldogs little margin of error against an Okie State team hungry to prove its worth.
Pick: Oklahoma State

BYU (+22) vs. Oklahoma, Dallas - The Cougars and Sooners get to play the first-ever non-exhibition football game in the posh Cowboys Stadium. At least the BYU fans will get big-screen, HD replays of Sam Bradford's five touchdown passes.
Pick: Oklahoma

Missouri (+6.5) vs. Illinois, St. Louis - Ever since these neighbor-state schools started battling each other, the wins have gone toward Missouri. But with no Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin, the Illini have too much Juice (Williams that is).
Pick: Illinois

Miami (Fla) (+6) at Florida State, Mon - These teams are moving back to Labor Day after a two-year absence, apparently forgetting the two visually displeasing season-opening matchups in 2005 and 2006. This one won't be pretty either.
Pick: Florida State

Just got back from Upland, where the Highlanders muzzled Miller 23-8. Upland's defense might be the real deal this year and compensate for the losses on offense. We'll have to see.

This is what I got. I'll update as scores roll in.

Ayala 24, Don Lugo 10
Cajon 55, Duarte 0
Chaffey 34, Alta Loma 10
Chino Hills 30, Lakewood Mayfair 6
Etiwanda 20, Summit 17
Diamond Ranch 35, Pasadena Muir 20
Gardena Serra 61, Silverado 0
Paraclete 13, Serrano 3
Rancho Cucamonga 27, Damien 14
Rim of the World 24, Banning 12
San Diego Westview 21, Bonita 14
San Dimas 33, Hacienda Heights Los Altos 6
Simi Valley Grace Brethren 32, Big Bear 30
Temecula Great Oak 24, Redlands 7
Upland 23, Miller 8
Whittier Christian 43, Ontario Christian 20

When Tim Connavo was named the Yucca Valley football coach in 2007, he had what many thought was a long building process, as the Trojans hadn't been to the playoffs since 2003 and were stuck in a league with perennial powers Twentynine Palms and Big Bear.

But Connavo didn't agree. Yucca Valley was a game away from the playoffs his first season, as it lost a halftime lead to Big Bear in the season finale with a playoff spot on the line, before kicking down the postseason door in 2008. The Trojans surged to a 7-5 record, a De Anza League co-championship and a win over Bishop in the first round of the East Valley playoffs.

If there's anything you can count on with the Rim of the World football team, its a physical, power-running offense that gets the most out of its personnel. It's a formula that won the Mojave River League for the Fighting Scots in 2006 and has gotten them to the playoffs the last two seasons.

But if the Scots are going to continue their playoff streak, they'll have to find some reinforcements up front. With Jacob Ringhoffer - a possible Division I prospect - ending his football career after a knee injury last season, Rim is going to have to depend on sophomores and juniors to lead the way.

Before prediciting this weekend's games, here is my Top 10 that ran in The Sun Sunday.

1. Rancho Cucamonga
A CIF champion with a USC-bound tight end (Randal Telfer) and a Division I athlete at quarterback in Greg Watson seems like a good No. 1 to me. It'll be interesting to see how the defense jells, but the offense will be scary good.

2. Redlands East Valley
This has almost become a default pick, as the Wildcats have it rolling to that extent. With third-year starting QB Tyler Shreve being a Division I level quarterback and a tenacious defense led by DE Andrew Hudson, REV is the favorite in the CBL.

3. Colton
The Yellowjackets struggled, at least in comparison to most Colton teams last year, going 6-4-1. But most of the team returns and there is speed to burn in RB/DB Derrick Malone, DB Jonathan Mack and junior QB Jordan Mixon.

4. Miller
If Jeff Steinberg was still coaching, the Rebels would be at least No. 2 and even have an argument (though not a great one) for No. 1. But with freshman coach Jeff Strycula being hired late, I'm taking a bit of a wait-and-see look right now.

5. Serrano
The Diamondbacks are pretty darn tough even without Division I talent. But with RB Dionza Bradford and DE Everett Beed both committed to UNLV, Serrano has top-level personnel. That could make 2009 a special year in Phelan.

6. Chino Hills
This team pretty much made me look stupid last year and I refuse to underrate them this year. They came within a last-second touchdown of beating Los Osos in the Central quarters and have ball-hawking safety Ifo-Ekpre Olomu and QB Ryan Verdugo back.

7. Barstow
The Aztecs almost pulled off the huge upset in the CIF title game, battling Citrus Hill to the wire in the 31-27 loss. Barstow will be experienced (32 lettermen returning) and physical in their double-wing offense and have all the makings of a title contender.

8. Kaiser
Dick Bruich may be gone, but the talent isn't. USC-bound running back Anthony Brown will lead a physical, run-oriented offense while defensive end/linebacker Josh Shirley, a top 150 recruit, is an absolute matchup nightmare for opposing offenses.

9. Etiwanda
The Eagles should fly this year behind do-everything dual-threat QB Angel Santiago and star WR Bobby Ratliff. With Los Osos and Upland dealing with major graduation losses, the door is open for Etiwanda to move up the Baseline pecking order.

10. Cajon
The Cowboys lose several impact players from its 11-2, SAL championship team from a year ago, the biggest being RB Walter Kazee (San Diego State) and CB/WR Marlon Pollard (UCLA), but the Cowboys still should be an SAL factor.

Others receiving consideration: Summit, Ayala, Hesperia, Chaffey.

Yes, I realize I still have a few more teams to highlight, but high school football action starts tonight with Colony-Los Osos and Montclair-Ganesha. So we will do our Week 0 picks, where I try to look smart and end up sounding like something else. On that note...

Colony at Los Osos
The namepower of this game is pretty intense, as the Titans are just a season removed from back-to-back Central Division titles while the Grizzlies are just a season removed from three straight Baseline League titles. But both come into 2009 with something to prove.
Colony, which backslid to third place in the Mt. Baldy League last year, needs to show that 2008 was an aberration - not a trend. Los Osos loses quarterback Richard Brehaut and running back Arby Fields and will depend on 6-foot-5 senior quarterback Blake Loncar, who was accomplished at the JV level.
I'll go with Osos on this one due to homefield advantage and general skepticism about Colony.
Los Osos 21, Colony 13

Miller at Upland
Just wrote a bunch about this game for Friday's paper, but the main focus is on two things. First off, how will Miller do with Jeff Strycula taking over for Jeff Steinberg? He has some offensive weapons in QB Juan Flores and RB David Dash, but a new coaching staff plus some drama from the hazing incident leaves questions.
Upland has to replace a three-year starting QB in Josh Nunes (Stanford), RB Davion Fleming (Northwestern) and CB Osahon Irabor (Arizona State), which will be a tough task. How well are they able to do that in the early season?
I'm tempted to pick Upland here, but I have Miller ranked higher. I'll stay true to my rankings at this point.
Miller 26, Upland 24

Summit at Etiwanda
The SkyHawks are stepping up their game a notch as far as nonleague scheduling, with Etiwanda joining Redlands and Silverado on a ratched-up slate. Summit broke through with an 8-3 record last year and have a talented QB duo in juniors Josh Owes and Devon Blackmon, who will see a lot of time at WR.
Etiwanda was a mere point away from upsetting Cajon and had several other close losses in a 5-6 season this year. I'd expect a couple of those losses to turn into wins for the Eagles this year.
Etiwanda 34, Summit 23

Serrano at Paraclete
Ray Maholchic and the Diamondbacks don't exactly screw around during the nonleague schedule and this is no different, as Paraclete won the Mid-Valley championship a year ago. This will be a doozy, as Serrano outlasted Paraclete 35-28 at home a year ago and are going into the Antelope Valley for a rematch.
Expect another classic, but the result to be the same.
Serrano 27, Paraclete 24

Silverado at Gardena Serra
I just got done trumping up Serrano's schedule, but no one has a more masochistic nonleague schedule year in and year out than Silverado. I'm pretty sure if USC has a bye week next year, Carl Posey will be on the phone to Pete Carroll trying to set something up. Ok, I'm overreacting but still, starting with the Northwest Division champions is pretty crazy. Should be a fun game at the very least.
Serra 38, Silverado 26

Redlands at Temecula Oak
The senior-laden Terriers weren't able to fulfill their high expectations a year ago, going 5-6 with several close losses. Redlands will be younger but still should be tough in the trenches, which will be essential against a Temecula Oak team that comes from the tough Southwestern League.
Redlands 19, Temecula Oak 16

Damien at Rancho Cucamonga
A rout of Damien in the opener last year got the Cougars rolling last year, a roll that didn't stop until they won the Central Division championship. Damien has a new coach and a new approach, but that won't matter at all against the No. 1 team in the coverage area.
Rancho Cucamonga 35, Damien 16

Don Lugo at Ayala
If you look at last year, this should be a mismatch, as the Bulldogs were co-Sierra League champions while the Conquistadores couldn't make the playoffs in a questionable Mt. Baldy League. But Don Lugo has the top end talent in DT George Uko and DB Steven Bethley to make things uncomfortable for Ayala. I'm expecting a Bulldog victory, but it'll be tough.
Ayala 23, Don Lugo 17

Rim of the World at Banning
Two years ago, this game would have been a laugher, as Banning was one of the worst teams in the Southern Section. But they had a renaissance last year, sending out Dick Bruich and Kaiser in the first round of the playoffs last year. Against a Rim team that will be feeling its way early, Banning should have its way.
Banning 27, Rim of the World 10

Alta Loma at Chaffey
The Jose Fuentes era at Alta Loma starts with a tough matchup against the physical Tigers, led by RB Ronald Douglas and OL Jesus Cortez. Beating Chaffey is probably a little too much to ask of the Braves at this point.
Chaffey 23, Alta Loma 12

Other games of note:
Montclair 23, Ganesha 18
Big Bear 49, Simi Valley Grace Brethren 31
Cajon 26, Duarte 13
Yucca Valley 24, El Centro Central 20
Chino Hills 30, Lakewood Mayfair 25
Ontario Christian 38, Whittier Christian 17
Twentynine Palms 28, Indio 23
Western Christian 21, Covina Gladstone 6
Ontario 34, La Verne Lutheran 10

Big Bear has never relied on overpowering people. Being a small school in a resort community in the San Bernardino Mountains, the Bears typically don't have a surplus of big offensive linemen to choose from. The Bears rely on precision, misdirection and superior execution, often to brilliant results.

With that said, even longtime Big Bear head coach Dave Griffiths is surprised by the lack of size that his team will have on the lines this year.

Year three was a big one for Summit High School. The SkyHawks, after going 2-18 their first two years with teams that were lacking seniors, erupted during their first year with seniors, going 8-3 and making the playoffs for the first time in their young history.

As a result of that, the SkyHawks have decided to ramp up the nonleague schedule a bit. While Fontana and Sultana are repeats from last year's nonleague schedule, Summit is adding Etiwanda, Redlands and Silverado in place of Pacific, Granite Hills and Hemet Tahquitz. That's three playoff teams replacing three teams with combined record of 4-26.

3-6-1 might not be that gaudy of a record, but for the Victor Valley football team, it marked a great deal of progress. Prior to last season, the Jackrabbits had endured consecutive winning seasons and were entrenched in the basement of the Desert Sky League.

Victor Valley broke both of those strings last fall, as a September victory over Yucca Valley broke the losing streak and an October win over Granite Hills assured the Jackrabbits of leaving the DSL cellar. In fact, Victor Valley had a chance to grab a playoff berth in the season finale against Ridgecrest Burroughs, running out of gas late in a 30-16 loss.

After last season's 0-10 disaster, the second straight season that Sultana finished last in the Mojave River League, Sultans coach Zane Sweeney has had enough. The last two years have been brutal for the Sultans - who have lost their last 11 games, have lost all eight league games and have fallen twice to crosstown rival Hesperia during that time.

As Sweeney was evaluating what went wrong, he decided that Sultana had gotten a little too diversified and had lost the foundation that led it to an MRL title as recently as 2005. So when evaulating his team in the offseason, Sweeney decided that Sultana needed to pull things back a bit.