December 2009 Archives

Taking time out of Christmas in Houston to do these up. Hopefully I get a little holiday luck going.

San Diego (+2) over TENNESSEEE
GREEN BAY (-14) over Seattle
Oakland (+3) over CLEVELAND
Kansas City (+13.5) over CINCINNATI
ATLANTA (-9) over Buffalo
MIAMI (-3) over Houston
Carolina (+7) over N.Y. GIANTS
NEW ORLEANS (-14) over Tampa Bay
Jacksonville (+8) over NEW ENGLAND
PITTSBURGH (-2.5) over Baltimore
PHILADELPHIA (-7) over Denver
ARIZONA (-14) over St. Louis
Detroit (+12.5) over SAN FRANCISCO
N.Y. Jets (+5.5) over INDIANAPOLIS
WASHINGTON (+6.5) over Dallas
CHICAGO (+7) over Minnesota

Week: 6-9-1
Overall: 109-112-2

Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ryan Clady, an Eisenhower graduate, was selected to Sports Illustrated's All-Decade College Football team. Clady, who graduated from Eisenhower in 2004 and played at Boise State from 2005-07 before being drafted by the Broncos in the first round of the 2008 draft. Clady was an inaugural member of Ike's Hall of Fame, receiving that honor in October.

The team, as selected by Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel

OFFENSE
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
T Ryan Clady, Boise State
G Steve Hutchinson, Michigan
C Greg Eslinger, Minnesota
G Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
T Jake Long, Michigan
TE Kellen Winslow II, Miami
WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
QB Tim Tebow, Florida
RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
K Mike Nugent, Ohio State
KR Felix Jones, Arkansas

DEFENSE
DE David Pollack, Georgia
DT Tommie Harris, Oklahoma
DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
DE Terrell Suggs, Arizona State
LB A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
LB Derrick Johnson, Texas
LB Patrick Willis, Mississippi
CB Antoine Cason, Arizona
CB Derrick Strait, Oklahoma
S Eric Berry, Tennessee
S Ed Reed, Miami
P Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
PR Wes Welker, Texas Tech

COACH Urban Meyer, Florida

Cajon offensive lineman Sebastian Tretola made a verbal commitment to the University of Nevada after taking his official visit to the school this past weekend according to an e-mail sent by his father Sunday evening. Tretola, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive tackle, was the linchpin of a Cajon offensive line that led the Cowboys to their fourth straight playoff berth.

Subscribers can read about Tretola's commitment here.

Here it is. Rim of World running back Dillon Pretzinger won offensive MVP honors while Serrano defensive end Everett Beed was named the defensive MVP.

Back to .500 after a pretty good week. Let's get this done.

Indianapolis (-3) over JACKSONVILLE
NEW ORLEANS (-7.5) over Dallas
Green Bay (+1.5) over PITTSBURGH
TENNESSEE (no line) over Miami
BUFFALO (+7) over New England
Arizona (-12) over DETROIT
PHILADELPHIA (-7.5) over San Francisco
N.Y. JETS (no line) over Atlanta
Chicago (+11) over BALTIMORE
KANSAS CITY (-2) over Cleveland
Houston (no line) over ST. LOUIS
SAN DIEGO (-6.5) over Cincinnati
DENVER (-14) over Oakland
SEATTLE (-6.5) over Tampa Bay
CAROLINA (+9) over Minnesota
WASHINGTON (+3) over N.Y. Giants

Week: 10-6
Overall: 103-103-1

By popular demand, here's the all-Sierra team. The Sierra does the MVP thing better than anyone else, with six different Most Valuable Players. Pretty crazy stuff.

This has already been published on Clay Fowler's Daily Bulletin blog, but I'm all for equal time, especially for arguably the best league in the county. Etiwanda quarterback Angel Santiago took offensive MVP honors while Los Osos defensive end Tony Washington took defensive MVP honors.

While we are releasing all-league teams, here's the Mt. Baldy.

Offensive MVP: Jamil Austin, Colony, Sr., RB
Defensive MVP: Edward Todd, Colony, Sr., MLB

FIRST TEAM
Travis Nelson, Colony, Sr., QB
Brandon Flanningan, Colony, Sr., WR/KR
Kenneth Scott, Colony, Sr., WR
Britt Johnson, Colony, Sr., C
Eric Alt, Colony, Sr., T
Greg Todd, Colony, Sr., DT
Toma Taui, Colony, Sr., DE
Jered Bell, Colony, Sr., DB
Dreon Brown, Colony, Sr., SS
Gabriel Munoz, Colony, Sr., LB
Ronald Douglas, Chaffey, Sr. RB
Jacob Ahmad, Chaffey, Sr., LB
Jesus Cortez, Chaffey, Jr., OL
Alejandro Alamillo, Chaffey, Jr., OL
Chris Sanders, Chaffey, Sr., TE
Kyle Hoff, Chaffey, Jr., TE
Jose Ochoa, Chaffey, Jr., FB
George Uko, Don Lugo, Sr., DE
Steven Bethley, Don Lugo, Sr. FB
Abraham Aguirre, Don Lugo, Sr., OT
Rudolfo Conchas, Don Lugo, Jr., DL
Shane Spolar, Don Lugo, Sr., OL
Dominique W,illiams, Garey, Jr. WR
Martin Verdin, Garey, Jr., DL
Chris Jimenez, Garey, Jr., OL
Robert Farley, Garey, Jr., LB
Zach Gomez, Montclair, Sr., DB/WR
Ulysses Couret, Montclair, Jr., LB/FB
Tory Gilroy, Montclair, Sr., QB/RB
Justin Randall, Ontario, Sr., C
Matt Boley, Ontario, Sr., DE

SECOND TEAM
Demetrius Counts, Colony, Jr., DB
Walter Earnst, Colony, Jr., DB
Marvin Rice, Colony, Sr., DT
Makale McCobb, Colony, Jr., WR
Jared Kough, Colony, So., OL
Chaz Nelson, Colony, So., DB
Kenneth Iambach, Colony, Sr., OLB
Kyle Newman, Colony, Jr., P
Bo Dauser, Colony, Sr., OL
Michael Martinez, Chaffey, Sr., FS
Michael Tejada, Chaffey, So., LB
Damien Esparza, Chaffey, Sr., DL
Ipok Piutau, Chaffey, Sr., LB
Alex Bautista, Chaffey, Sr., OL
Jonathan Lira, Chaffey, Jr., OL
Uriel Franco, Chaffey, Sr., DE
Travor Bitetti, Don Lugo, Jr., SS
Jonathan Sanabria, Don Lugo, Jr., DT
Blake Anderson, Don Lugo, Jr., OL
Samuel Ivory, Don Lugo, Sr., WR
Justin Schnurstein, Don Lugo, Jr., OL
Freddie Roman, Garey, Jr., WR
Alex Guzman, Garey, Sr., QB
Chris Perez, Garey, Sr., LB
Sothia Bun, Garey, Jr., RB
Mike Guirado, Montclair, Sr., OL
Denver Rogers, Montclair, Jr., OL
Esteban Salazar, Montclair, Sr., DB/WR
Cristian Salcedo, Ontario, Jr., QB
Antonio Castorena, Ontario, Sr., OG

HONORABLE MENTION
Julius Jones, Garey, Jr., LB
David Rodriquez, Garey, Jr., DL
Ernie Villa, Garey, Jr., OL
Terrence Charles, Montclair, Sr., RB
Jay Cyrus, Montclair, Jr., DL/OL
Martin Gonzales, Montclair, Jr., OL/DL

Released alongside the volleyball. Only Divisions 3 and 5 had county representation.

DIVISION 3
Players of the Year -Erick Gonzalez, Montebello, Sr., & Trent Virgil, Murrieta Valley, Jr.
Coach of the Year - Kenny Clements, Montebello

FIRST TEAM
Ely Bonilla (G) Montebello, Sr.
Jonathon Ruiz Montebello, Sr.
Jantz Johnson Murrieta Valley, Jr.
Nolan McConnell Laguna Beach, Jr.
David Purington Damien, Sr.
Cody Wetherbee Murrieta Valley, Jr.
Eric Vandemortel Murrieta Valley, Jr.
Lexie Coliflores Temescal Canyon, Sr.
Joe Barich Redlands, Sr.
Keaton James Ayala, Jr.
David Brunner Laguna Beach, Sr.
Eric Osterberg Damien, Jr.
Miguel Garcia Montebello, So.

SECOND TEAM
Rafael Romero Montebello, Jr.
Spencer Dodson Laguna Beach, Jr.
Robbie Quellmalz Laguna Beach, Sr.
Walker Shockley (G) Damien, Sr.
Eric Dyer Redlands, So.
Warren McEnulty Great Oak, Sr.
Dylan Vrooman (G) Murrieta Valley, Jr.
Johnny Beal Damien, Jr.
Kevin Womack Redlands East Valley, So.
Robert Chew Laguna Beach, Sr.
Mike Lancaster Damien, Sr.
Will Hougan (G) Ayala, Sr.
Charlie Umansky Estancia, Jr.

THIRD TEAM
Nick Carlson Redlands, Sr.
Josh Hjelmstad Great Oak, Sr.
Josh Thomasson Ayala, Sr.
Brandon Blyth Temescal Canyon, Sr.
Taylor Adams Redlands East Valley, Sr.
Johnn Fee Redlands East Valley, Jr.
Patrick Fullerton Great Oak, Sr.
Andrew Kleam Redlands, Sr.
Steven Day Great Oak, Jr.
Brent Vandenbosch Ayala, Sr.
Ivan Lara Temescal Canyon, Sr.
Preston Schow Estancia, Jr.
Conner Graham Estancia, Jr.

DIVISION 5
Player of the Year - Beau Blacksten, El Segundo, Sr.,
Coach of the Year - Riley Brady, El Segundo

FIRST TEAM
Csaba Nagy El Segundo, Sr.
Sean Evans Los Osos, Jr.
Josh Stedman Troy, Sr.
Aaron Valdes La Serna, Jr.
Alec Williams Bonita, Jr.
Max Reynolds El Segundo, Sr.
Tyler Abbott Los Osos, Sr.
Marc Vonderweidt Santa Monica, Jr.
Dominic Vicino Los Osos, Jr.
Clark Barry Troy, Sr.
Philip Nugent La Serna, Jr.
Wyatt Woodward Palm Springs, Sr.

SECOND TEAM
Jackson Hogoboom El Segundo, Jr.
Matt Wong Los Osos, Jr.
Eduardo Navarrete Santa Monica, Jr.
David Van Schooten Troy, Sr.
Aaron Pfister La Serna, Sr.
Joe Lamson Bonita, Sr.
Ryan Molina Los Osos, Sr.
Ryan Long Charter Oak, Sr.
Taylor Jackson Upland, Sr.
Mark Pruett Palm Desert, Sr.
Max Vilim-Brozyna Santa Monica, Jr.
Jonathan Behzadian Arlington, Sr.
Keaton Renta Bonita, So.

THIRD TEAM
James Cano Charter Oak, Sr.,
Michael Franco Troy, So.
Kevin Rubio La Serna, So.
Dylan Tashjian Palm Springs, Sr.
Christopher Cordobes El Segundo, Jr.
Brad Thompson Charter Oak, Sr.
Alex Munson Bonita, So.
Mike Bonifacio Sunny Hills, Sr.,
Michael Shapiro Fullerton, Sr.
Charles (Buck) Masten Claremont, Sr.
Derek McCaulley Upland, Jr.
Garison Covel Palm Desert, So.
Kilian Condon Troy, Jr.

Here it is. Just got it over e-mail a couple hours ago.

Juan Flores, Miller
Tyler Shreve, Redlands East Valley

Running back
A.J. Fernandez, Redlands East Valley
Brandon Leach, Yucaipa
Damian Robinson, Carter
Cameron Villalobos, Redlands

Wide Receiver
Kenneth Bell, Miller
Kevai Ellis, Redlands East Valley
Kadyn Glass, Redlands

Tight end
Mike Diaz, Redlands East Valley

Offensive line
Daniel Castellanos, Fontana
Justin Corrales, Redlands
Manuel Madriz, Carter
Zach Martinez, Redlands East Valley
David Peterson, Redlands East Valley
Jordan Smith, Redlands

Utility
David Dash, Miller

Andrew Hudson, Redlands East Valley
Devon Lewis, Redlands East Valley
John Siliga, Redlands
Jordan Thomas, Redlands

Outside Linebacker
Dillon Curley, Redlands East Valley
Sergio Granados, Redlands East Valley
Jordan Morris, Yucaipa
Tavion Smith, Carter

Inside Linebacker
Cole Gridley, Redlands
Ben Sanchez, Miller
Kevin Stephenson, Eisenhower
Richard Thorpe, Fontana

Defensive back
Josh Armstrong, Redlands East Valley
Kendall Chambliss, Miller
Ryan Coleman, Carter
Peter Ruiz, Redlands
Calvin Stewart, Carter

Kicker/Punter
Shaun McClain, Redlands

These teams are playing right now in the I.E. Classic, which runs through Saturday. These are today's games.

At Rancho Cucamonga High School
Norco vs. Chino Hills
Ontario vs. Eisenhower
Montclair vs. Arcadia
Fontana vs. Rancho Cucamonga

At Miller High School
Pasadena Muir vs. Etiwanda
Compton Dominguez vs. Corona Roosevelt
Vista Murrieta vs. Alta Loma
City of Industry Workman vs. Miller

At Colony High School
Los Osos vs. Palmdale
Summit vs. Temecula Valley
San Gorgonio vs. Perris
South Pasadena vs. Colony

At Upland High School
Redlands East Valley vs. Menifee Paloma Valley
Claremont vs. Corona Centennial
Lancaster Eastside vs. Lakeside
Carter vs. Upland

Fresh off the e-mail from the CIF offices. REV junior Krista Vansant won co-MVP honors in Division 2 while REV coach Tricia Vansant was co-Coach of the Year. In Division 4, Upland Christian's Danielle Maxwell was Co-MVP while Upland Christian coach Doug Porterfield was co-Coach of the Year.

The teams..

San Gorgonio athletic director Matt Maeda released the bracket for the 2009 San Bernardino Kiwanis Club Tournament to be held December 26, 28-30 at Cajon and San Gorgonio High Schools.

This particular tournament is a bit unusual in that it has an out-of-state team, El Paso (Texas) Chapin, competing. And because of a UIL rule (Texas' equivalent to the CIF) prohibiting Texas teams from playing on the 26th, Chapin and its first-round opponent, Barstow, will have to play its first and second-round games on Dec. 28.

Matchups for the Kiwanis..

Palm Springs held its first half lead, as it exchanged touchdowns with Serrano in the second half to win 24-14. Junior running back Nephi Garcia scored each one of the Indians' 24 points, adding a 54-yard touchdown run and extra point to his two touchdowns, two extra points and two field goals in the first half.

Dionza Bradford rushed 21 times for 101 yards and a touchdown and caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Joey Peterson in the fourth quarter for Serrano. Peterson completed 13 of 25 passes for 136 yards, a touchdown and an interception to, you guessed it, Garcia.

Here some stats:

Total yards: Serrano 236, Palm Springs 275
Rushes-yards: Serrano 32-100, Palm Springs 41-214
Passing yards: Serrano 136, Palm Springs 61
Att-Com-Int: Serrano 13-25-1, Palm Springs 4-10-2
Turnovers: Serrano 2, Palm Springs 2
Penalties-Yards: Serrano 6-45, Palm Springs 6-39

Individual
Passing
Serrano: Joey Peterson 13-25-1-136
Palm Springs: Michael Karls 4-9-2-61

Rushing
Serrano: Dionza Bradford 21-101, Jeremy Delacruz 4-18
Palm Springs: Nephi Garcia 13-108, Karls 21-68, Evan Williams 5-39

Receiving
Serrano: Jerry Devora 4-59, Seth Tate 3-30, Bradford 2-23
Palm Springs: Garcia 3-59

Blogging from the Eastern title game is a little sporadic. Small press box + lack of chairs plus more reporters than normal = fun times at Palm Springs High.

The Indians - I'm pretty sure I accidentally called them Cardinals in my preview story today - are being led by running back Nephi Garcia, who has accounted for all 17 Palm Springs points. Garcia ran in a 5-yard touchdown, returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score and kicked a 30-yard field goal. Oh yeah, he kicked both extra points too. I wouldn't be surprised if he's selling concessions right now.

Dionza Bradford, who has 77 yards rushing on 13 carries, scored Serrano's only touchdown on a 2-yard run late in the first quarter. He also fumbled while the Diamondbacks were driving late in the first half. Joey Peterson has 36 yards on 3 of 5 passing for Serrano, with Joey Devora catching two passes for 30 yards. Ethan Hillyer has one interception on defense.

About 10 minutes before the second half resumes. Who knows if I'll be able to blog again before the game ends.

Little bit late, but had to get the story for the print edition done.

Total yards: Los Osos 184, Upland 363.
Rushes-yards: Los Osos 21-133, Upland 37-217
Passing yards: Los Osos 51, Upland 146
Att-Com-Int: Los Osos 7-21-1, Upland 9-15-0
Turnovers: Los Osos 2, Upland 3
Penalties: Los Osos 5-40, Upland 10-76

Individual
Passing
Los Osos: Blake Loncar 7-21-1-51.
Upland: Justin Nunes 9-15-0-146.

Rushing
Los Osos: Cody Rogina 16-113, Kori Grant 2-9, Loncar 9-7
Upland: Corey Sims 10-91, Walkeem McDonald 8-69, Gianni Olivas 9-39, Cole Chapman 8-25

Receiving
Los Osos: Matt Sallis 2-22, Sean Alston 2-12
Upland: Dilan Clark 3-3, Aaron Hale 2-13, Gianni Olivas 2-6, Anthony King 1-71

They are starting to play Queen's "We are the Champions" on the Upland side and for good reason, as Aaron Hale picked off Blake Loncar's desperation pass at the Highlander 14 with 17 seconds left to seal Upland's 19-7 win and head coach Tim Salter's 3rd CIF championship.

Gianni Olivas just scored on a 3-yard run with 2:01 left, putting Upland up 19-7 after the Highlanders missed the 2-point conversion. The Highlanders marched 78 yards on 10 plays, all on the ground, to get the score. So barring a miracle - and considering that the Los Osos offense hasn't scored on Upland in 7-plus quarters, that's exactly what it would take - Upland is set to win its first CIF crown since 2000.

The Highlanders are looking to choke Los Osos out at this point, as they have used the running of Corey Sims, Walkeem McDonald and Gianni Olivas to move from their own 22 to the Los Osos 17 with 3:00 left. Sims just broke a 20-yard run to get the Highlanders in the red zone and Los Osos is in time-out mode. A score here pretty much seals this up with Upland up 13-7.

The Grizzlies used three runs by Cody Rogina to move to the Upland 41, but on 3rd-and-3, Upland defensive lineman Gregory Triay sacked Blake Loncar, forcing yet another Grizzly punt.

Upland ball up 13-7 with 5:55 left.

A missed exchange between Kori Grant and Cody Rogina out of the "Wildcat" formation caused a Los Osos fumble, which Upland LB Anthony King recovered at the Grizzly 24.

After an illegal procedure penalty, Upland gave the ball right back, as Cole Chapman fumbled an exchange from Justin Nunes which Garrett Tobin recovered for the Grizzlies.

Los Osos ball down 13-7 with 8:48 left.

Upland has the ball 2nd-and-5 on its 44 as we head into the final period with the Highlanders up 13-7. The Highlanders forced Los Osos into a 3-and-out after scoring the touchdown, with Fred Green coming up with Upland's third sack of Blake Loncar.

Upland tight end Anthony King caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from Justin Nunes, putting the Highlanders up 13-7 after a missed extra point. On 3rd-and-2, Nunes hit King on a stop pattern at the 36. King dodged a tackler and outran the remainder of the Los Osos defense for the score.

13-7 Upland, 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

Walkeem McDonald broke a 20-yard run on Upland's first play of the second half but crapped out after that, punting back to the Grizzlies. Los Osos proceeded to go 3-and-out on its possession, necessitating a punt.

Still 7-7, 3:10 left in the third.

Los Osos got a couple first downs on its first drive of the second half, but a sack by Gianni Olivas on Blake Loncar left the Grizzlies in a 3rd-and-long situation which they could not convert.

Upland now has its first second-half possession with the game tied 7-7 and 8 minutes left in the third.

This is what I got right now. Second half about to start.

First downs: Los Osos 5, Upland 6
Total yards: Los Osos 75, Upland 163
Rushes-yards: Los Osos 12-45, Upland 17-99
Passing yards: Los Osos 30, Upland 64
Att-Com-Int: Los Osos 5-14-0, Upland 5-9-0
Turnovers: Los Osos 0, Upland 2
Penalties-yards: Los Osos 4-30, Upland 7-51

Individual

Passing
Los Osos: Blake Loncar 5-14-0-30
Upland: Justin Nunes 5-9-0-64

Rushing
Los Osos: Cody Rogina 8-39, Blake Loncar 3-3, Victor Smith 1-3
Upland: Corey Sims 7-56, Walkeem McDonald 4-25, Gianni Olivas 3-17, Cole Chapman 1-1, Aaron Hale 1-1, Justin Nunes 1-(-1)

Receiving
Los Osos: Sean Alston 2-12, Matt Sallis 1-9, Zach Martin 1-6, Rogina 1-(-3)
Upland: Dilan Clark 3-33, Kenneth Lawler 1-23, Olivas 1-8

The Grizzlies drove to the Upland 42 using dink and dunk passes right before the half, but were eventually forced to punt. Upland kneeled it out, leaving the CIF-SS Central Division title game tied 7-7 at the half.

Tony Washington picked up a Corey Sims fumble out of mid-air and rumbled 41 yards for a touchdown, tying things up at 7-7 with 5:08 left. Upland called a toss to Sims, who was smacked by a couple of Los Osos defenders to force the fumble. The ball popped into Washington's arms and he did the rest, giving Los Osos its first score against Upland this season.

The Highlanders marched 76 yards in 9 plays, capped by a 7-yard touchdown run by Corey Sims on a toss sweep to take a 7-0 lead. Sims dominated the drive, rushing five times for 50 yards culminated with the touchdown. Justin Nunes also hit Kenneth Lawler on a 23-yard pass in the drive.

Los Osos ball, 7-0 Upland, 7:04 left in the first half.

Los Osos started another drive with great field position, this time at its own 49, but wasn't able to do anything with it, going 3-and-out. Los Osos' starting field position thus far has been at its own 47, while Upland has started on average at its own 23.

Upland ball, 0-0, 9:06 left in the 2nd.

The second quarter starts with Upland facing a 3rd-and-26 from its own 11-yard line. The Highlanders have had a sloppy start, comitting six penalties for 41 yards and losing a fumble.

The Grizzlies drove to the Upland 20 with their second possession before settiling for a 37-yard field goal attempt by Andres Magallon. But Upland linebacker Shane Pincin came in off the right side and blocked the kick, leaving the game scoreless with 1:25 left in the first quarter.

Los Osos got the first down after the recovered fumble but the Highlander D bowed up, forcing the Grizzlies to punt. Los Osos QB Blake Loncar was sacked by a host of Highlanders led by Marcus Gluck on a 2nd-and-5 from the Upland 45, killing whatever momentum the Grizzlies had built up from the turnover.

Upland is now punting on its 2nd possession. Scoreless tie, 4:44 left in the first.

Upland looked to have something going, as Justin Nunes hit Dilan Clark on a 21-yard pass down to the Grizzly 35. But Clark was stripped of the ball, which Connor Jahnke recovered and returned five yards to the 40.

Los Osos ball at midfield. 0-0, 8:10 left in the first.

I published my first entry a little late - must be having pre-game jitters of my own. Anyway, the national anthem was just sung by some Upland student and the teams are about to do the coin flip.

The student doing the national anthem had a good voice, but she seemed to miss a line near the end. We'll see if that's karma for the Highlanders. Kickoff to come in about 5 minutes.

Crowd is kind of sparse, leaving Lou Brewster to chime in with a quote from former Riverside Poly coach Mike Churchill - "Got to wait until cocktail hour is over before they show up."

Well, Grizzly and Highlander fans, its time to start chugging, as this one is about to get going.

Just got situated here at Citrus College, where it's perfect football weather - if you are from the Midwest. Its about 50 degrees with a light mist/fog and you can see your breath. I like seeing my breath, so its all good - though I wish I had remembered that Citrus had an open-air press box.

Anyway, according to esteemed colleague and boss Louis Brewster, there was a mini-trashtalk brouhaha at midfield between the two teams about 20 minutes ago. No punches or pushes - just good, old-fashioned woofing for a good old-fashioned Baseline League game.

Well, we are down to the nitty gritty here. The Central and Inland Divisions have blown up on me, leaving Serrano and St. Margaret's as my only chances to predict champions (though with St. Margaret's, getting that prediction right is akin to pick the Lakers to win the Pacific Division). Let's see how we do in the final week.

Central Division
Los Osos vs. Upland
Really tough game to figure out. On one side you have the Grizzlies, who have won seven games in a row and are exploding scoreboards with their point totals. No brainer pick, right? Not exactly. The last team they lost to was, drumroll please, Upland, and in shutout fashion no less. The Highlanders can choke out even the most explosive offenses, giving up only 27 points in three playoff games.
So do you go with the hot team? Or with the adage of defense wins championships? I'm going with the second, as Upland will finish the job this year after losing in the finals last season.
Upland 17, Los Osos 13

Eastern Division
Serrano at Palm Springs
I proceeded to pick against Palm Springs last week in their matchup with Kaiser, only to see the Cardinals destroy the Cats 41-0. I also caught some guff about it from Palm Springs coach Steve Fabian. Either he's got some moles in San Bernardino County or we have some readers in the Low Desert. Either way, I'm going back to the well. I picked Serrano when the playoffs started and nothing since has convinced me to back off that pick. If anything, watching them score 49 points against Norte Vista reaffirmed my faith in the Diamondbacks.
Serrano 27, Palm Springs 21

East Valley Division
St. Margaret's at Ontario Christian
The Knights have been an awesome story. Veteran coach Laing Stevens comes back from retirement and does his thing, getting Ontario Christian back to the finals unexpectedly. It's not like the Knights are getting lucky either, as they just blasted Grace Brethren 45-0 last week. OC is peaking and looking good. However, St. Margaret's is the gold standard of small-school football. Three CIF titles in a row and a state championship speak for themselves and while I expect OC to come out swinging, I think the fairy-tale run comes just short.
St. Margaret's 26, Ontario Christian 14

And just because I can...
Inland Division
Vista Murrieta 38, Temecula Chaparral 31

The first of what likely will be many were announced today, as Granite Hills tight end Bryce Quigley is replacing Rancho Cucamonga tight end Randal Telfer while Redlands linebacker Cole Gridley replaces Kaiser linebacker Josh Shirley. Telfer is out with an injured shoulder, according to an e-mail sent by San Bernardino coach Kurt Bruich, while Shirley will be playing in the U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio instead.

Oregon State offensive lineman Michael Philipp, an Arroyo Valley graduate, has been named to the College Football News and Phil Steele's Freshmen All-American team per a text message by AVHS head coach Marcus Soward. Philipp started every game for the Beavers this year at left tackle as a true freshman.

Just to let you guys know I'll be blogging the Central Division championship game from Citrus College. I've done this in the past, but I keep forgetting to let people know about it. So if you can't make it out, you can get real-time updates on this blog tomorrow starting around 6:30 p.m.

Fell back a bit this week. Oh well.

Pittsburgh (-9.5) over CLEVELAND
INDIANAPOLIS (-7) over Denver
Cincinnati (+6.5) over MINNESOTA
N.Y. Jets (-3) over TAMPA BAY
KANSAS CITY (+1) over Buffalo
Green Bay (-3) over CHICAGO
ATLANTA (+10.5) over New Orleans
BALTIMORE (-13.5) over Detroit
Miami (+3) over JACKSONVILLE
Carolina (+13.5) over NEW ENGLAND
HOUSTON (-6.5) over Seattle
TENNESSEE (-13) over St. Louis
OAKLAND (+1) over Washington
San Diego (+3) over DALLAS
N.Y. GIANTS (-1) over Philadelphia
Arizona (-3.5) over SAN FRANCISCO

Week: 7-9
Overall: 93-97-1

The Bloomington wrestling team turned some heads at the 2009 Tom Bravo Invitational this past weekend at Los Osos High School, winning the meet with 222 points -- 98 more than second-place Chino.

The Bruins had four weight-class champions -- Eddie Reyes (103 pounds), Daniel Aguirre (125), Phillip Hendrix IV (130) and Rene Sanchez (215).

Yucaipa senior cross country runner Tyler Dutchover finished first place in the Men's 5K Cross Country Open run at the Nike Cross Nationals this past Saturday in Portland, Ore.

Dutchover, who helped the Thunderbirds reach the CIF-State Meet for the first time in nearly a decade, ran the course in 16 minutes, 16.4 seconds -- almost five seconds faster than the next closest competitor.

Speaking of Malone, the senior safety made a verbal committment to the Ducks over the weekend according to Rivals.com, just over a month after Oregon offered the 6-foot-3, 195-pound 3-star safety.

Malone, who was considering Nebraska, Washington, Arizona State and Arizona, made his commitment after taking an official visit to Eugene for Oregon's rivalry game for Oregon State last Thursday.

Also, Serrano running back Dionza Bradford and defensive end Everett Beed informed me at the CIF-SS football luncheon that they will be taking official visits to San Diego State next weekend. Both Diamondbacks were committed to UNLV, but decommitted when the school fired head coach Mike Sanford in November.

And here ya go for Riverside County.

Lee Adams, DL, Centennial
Derrick Austin, DL, Poly
Nigel Barksdale, DB, San Jacinto
Carl Bradford, LB, Norco
Lamar Bratton, OL, North
Deontae Cooper, RB, Citrus Hill
Zach Dilley, OL, Paloma Valley
Jake Duncan, DL, Notre Dame
Quincy Enunwe, WR, Rancho Verde
J.T. Felix, OL, Centennial
Angel Garcia, OL, Norte Vista
Mitch Glassman, QB, Chaparral
Anthony Goodman, DB, Centennial
John Hardy, DB, Vista Murrieta
Austin Hill, WR, Roosevelt
Ryan Hofmeister, LB, Vista Murrieta
Austin Hughes, DL, Palm Springs
Aaron Jaglin, OL, San Jacinto
David Kafovalu, OL, Arlington
Michael Karls, QB, Palm Springs
Eddie Lackey, DB, Vista Murrieta
Deantre Lewis, RB, Norco
John Metchikoff, LB, La Quinta
Harold Mobley, WR, Roosevelt
Anthony Moore, RB, Murrieta Valley
Avery Poates, OL, Rancho Verde
Robert Reyes, OL, Norte Vista
Eric Robinson, WR, Norte Vista
Trevor Romane, DB, Centennial
Christian Sandoval, DL, Norte Vista
Trey Sayle, DB, Santiago
E.J. Schexnyder, RB, North
Paul Senn, LB, Norco
Derron Smith, DB, Banning
Christian Spears, LB, Palm Springs
Joshua Taylor, DB, Canyon Springs
Calvin Tonga, OL, Arlington
John Urwin, LB, La Quinta
Chidera Uzo-Dribe, DL, Corona
Justin Ward, OL, Norco

The San Bernardino all-star roster for the IE Football Classic. These things are bound to change. For example, Kaiser's Josh Shirley is slated to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio the same day that he's scheduled to play in the IE Classic. Just a hunch, but I think he'll take the trip to San Anton.

Sean Alston, WR, Los Osos (Fresno State)
Uche Amajoyi, DL, Aquinas
Everett Beed, TE/DE, Serrano
Jered Bell, DB, Colony (Colorado)
Steven Bethley, DB, Don Lugo
Gary Berwick, OL, Rancho Cucamonga
Anthony Brown, RB/DB, Kaiser (USC)
Gary Brunt, DL, Serrano
Ryan Coleman, DB, Carter
Justin Corrales, OL, Redlands
Dillon Curley, LB, Redlands East Valley
David Dash, RB/DB, Miller
Ronald Douglas, RB, Chaffey
Adrian Equihua, P, Arroyo Valley
A.J. Fernandez, RB, Redlands East Valley
Ofa Fifita, LB, Arroyo Valley
Tim Helton, LB, Upland
Jeremy Henry, LB, Silverado
Patrick Kim, OL, Ayala
Manuel Madiz, OL, Carter
Derrick Malone, DB, Colton (Oregon)
Nick Martin, OL, Los Osos
Jesse Messer, OL, Apple Valley
Damon Ogburn, WR, Arroyo Valley
David Peterson, OL, Redlands East Valley
Bobby Ratliff, WR, Etiwanda (Washington State)
Vanzell Richardson, WR, San Bernardino
Angel Santiago, QB, Etiwanda
Kenneth Scott, WR/TE, Colony (Utah)
Josh Shirley, LB, Kaiser
Tyler Shreve, QB, Redlands East Valley (Colorado State)
Corey Sims, DB, Upland
Randal Telfer, TE, Rancho Cucamonga (USC)
Jordan Thomas, DL, Redlands (San Diego State)
Richard Thorpe, LB, Fontana
Edward Todd, LB, Colony
George Uko, DL, Don Lugo
Tony Washington, DL, Los Osos (Oregon)

The annual Inland Empire all-star football grudge match is quick approaching, as the 25th Annual Inland Empire Football Classic - pitting a San Bernardino County all-star team against a Riverside County all-star team -- will take place Saturday, Jan. 9 at Corona High School.

Riverside County has won the last two meetings of this classic, including a 38-7 victory at Los Osos High School last January. Redlands East Valley coach Kurt Bruich will coach the San Bernardino team while Riverside Norte Vista coach Ken Batdorf will be in charge of the Riverside group.

Notable players preliminary slated to play for the San Bernardino team in the game are Kaiser running back/defensive back Anthony Brown (USC), Don Lugo defensive tackle George Uko -- a top 100 prospect according to Rivals.com -- Rancho Cucamonga tight end Randal Telfer (USC), REV quarterback Tyler Shreve (Colorado State), Etiwanda wide receiver Bobby Ratliff (Washington State) and Colton defensive back Derrick Malone (Oregon).

Former Victor Valley High School boys basketball coach Ollie Butler will be honored by the school next Thursday, as VVHS will dedicate the floor in Keith Gunn Gymnasium in his honor as part of a game against Granite Hills.

The dedication will come before the 7 p.m. start and will be accompanied by a reception after the game. Butler, 79, coached at Victor Valley for 29 years from 1962-1990 after spending time in the Air Force and graduating from the University of Oklahoma. In that time, he accumulated 605 wins to 251 losses and led the Jackrabbits to 13 league titles during that span -- including 10 in a row from 1974-83.

With the bowls to be officially released in a few minutes, here's my final regular-season poll.

1. Alabama (3) - Crimson Tide were impressive in flogging Florida. Easy No. 1 pick.
2. Texas (2) - Extremely lucky to have survived Nebraska, but they are probably the best pick for this spot.
3. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs have good wins over BYU and TCU, but Texas' schedule is a bit tougher overall.
4. Cincinnati (6) - Bearcats cap off undefeated season with comeback win at Pittsburgh. Might have a better resume than Texas or TCU but not nearly as good of a defense.
5. Florida (1) - Bid for repeat killed by Alabama.
6. Boise State (5) - Oregon win was great, but Boise was killed by playing in the terrible WAC.
7. Oregon (7) - Going to Rose Bowl for the first time since 1994.
8. Ohio State (8) - Going to Rose Bowl for the first time since 1996.
9. Penn State (9) - Nits stay in top 10.
10. Georgia Tech (11) - Yellow Jackets wrap up ACC by beating Clemson in a thriller.
11. BYU (10) - Got jumped by Ga. Tech.
12. Virginia Tech (12) - Another solid season for the Hokies.
13. Iowa (13) - Hawkeyes could still crash BCS, as the computers seem to love them.
14. LSU (15) - Tigers should play Penn State in Capital One Bowl.
15. Miami (Fla) (16) - Hurricanes are almost back it seems.
16. Oklahoma State (19) - Moved up due to the losses of others.
17. Pittsburgh (14) - Panthers lose heartbreaker to Cincy.
18. Oregon State (18) - Tough loss at Oregon keeps Beavers in same position.
19. Stanford (23) - Great year by Stanford and Norco graduate Toby Gerhart.
20. West Virginia (25) - Win at Rutgers shoots Mountaineers up rankings.
21. Wisconsin (NR) - Killed Hawaii to move back in rankings.
22. Central Michigan (NR) - MAC champs finally break into rankings.
23. Nebraska (22) - Heartbreaking loss to Texas in Big 12 title game.
24. Arizona (NR) - Wildcats get big win at USC
25. USC (17) - I might be dumb for continuing to rank the Trojans.

Receiving consideration: Utah, Houston, Northwestern
Dropped out: No. 20 Houston, No. 21 California, No. 24 Clemson

Straight from the CIF-State statkeepers.

Redlands East Valley
Kills: Krista Vansant 14, Alyssa Mason 5, Danielle Newcombe 5
Blocks: Mason 2, Brianna Potter 2
Assists: Johnna Fouch 18, Kyla Oropeza 3
Aces: Vansant 2, Fouch 1, Newcombe 1
Digs: Fouch 9, Newcombe 8, Vasant 7

Archbishop Mitty
Kills: Rachel Williams 19, Kristina Graven 12, Shannon Fleming 9, Joan Caloiaro 8.
Blocks: Fleming 1, Graven 1
Assists: Caloiaro 43, Brittany Bozzinni 3, Ryan Shaffer 2
Aces: Williams 3, Bozzinni 2
Digs: Shaffer 14, Graven 8, Caloiaro 7

REV showed spunk as the match went on but Mitty was too much, taking the third and final game 25-21 to win 25-16, 25-18, 25-21. Kristina Graven ended it with a thunderous kill. Will have final stats in a bit.

The Wildcats took their first lead of the match at 5-4 and went up by as many as 11-9, but a 7-2 run by Mitty has the Monarchs up 16-13 looking to end this match. Brianna Potter has been revived in this game for REV with four kills and two blocks.

REV got within three points, but Mitty recovered to take the second game 25-18 and now stand one game away from winning its second consecutive state title.

Mitty is still up 16-2, but the Wildcats, down by as many as 12-1, have scrapped back a bit and caused the Monarchs to call a timeout. Krista Vansant has four kills and an ace in game two.

Not looking so good for REV here as it calls a timeout to try to get composed.

The Monarchs made short work of the Wildcats in game one with a convincing 25-16 victory. Rachel Williams had seven kills, including the last two for the Monarchs. We'll see if REV can pick it up and make Mitty work a bit harder than it has.

REV has played a little looser since I blogged last, but Mitty is up 20-14 and seems in control of game one. Libero Ryan Shaffer has flown around the court thus far while star outside hitter Rachel Williams, who has signed with Stanford, has four kills thus far.

Krista Vansant has four kills for REV while Danielle Newcombe has added two.

Archbishop Mitty is playing like it expects to roll, breaking out to a 10-5 lead. Setter Joan Caloiario already has five assists and two kills, while the Wildcats have been held to one kill thus far.

A little live volleyball action from UC Irvine up in this piece, as Redlands East Valley tries to get revenge for its D2 volleyball state title loss to San Jose Archbishop Mitty in a few minutes. If REV pulls off the upset, it will be akin to Buster Douglas knocking Mike Tyson out in Tokyo in 1990. Ok, that's hyperbole, but if the Wildcats defeat a 38-0 Monarch team, it would be quite the surprise.

Almost go time.

Well, I got one of the four semifinalists right in the East Valley - both from my pre-playoff predictions and from my predictions last week. So don't be going to Vegas and betting large on this.

St. Margaret's 38, Bishop 12

Ontario Christian at Simi Valley Grace Brethren
Twice I've picked both of these teams to lose in the playoffs. Twice they've made me look dumb. So where do I go from here? I figure the third time is the charm and with that charm, I'm taking the Knights. Although Ontario Christian fans probably want me to take Grace Brethren, I've been convinced that the Knights' "spunk" is legit. I mean, they've rubbed out De Anza champ Twentynine Palms and No. 2 seed Maranatha. OC will take this too.
Ontario Christian 30, Grace Brethren 26

As far as the Inland Division, technically the Sun has no stake left after REV and Redlands were eliminated last week. But for the sake of seeing things through, I'll offer my predictions here. I'm thinking an all-Big VIII final quite frankly.

Corona Centennial 31, Temecula Chaparral 17

Norco 38, Vista Murrieta 27

Got three out of four here last week, as only Apple Valley couldn't get the job done for me. Still have my pre-playoff champ alive in this division, which is more than I can say for my performance in the Central Division.

Palm Springs at Kaiser
This is a matchup familiar to Kaiser fans, as the Cats and Cardinals faced off in this round in 2005. Palm Springs won that matchup 28-21 and present problems with their multi-faceted spread-option offense. However, Kaiser has some upper-level talent in LB Josh Shirley and RB Anthony Brown that the Cardinals haven't really dealt with. Brown, in particular, is on a roll and Kaiser will ride him to the final.
Kaiser 24, Palm Springs 19

Serrano at Norte Vista
The Braves do their thing, as Norte Vista was able to wear down Apple Valley in the second half last week. Doing that to Serrano, however, is a completly different matter. The last time the Braves faced a team with Serrano's defensive talent level, they were beat 31-8 by Kaiser. I'm not saying the Diamondbacks will rout Norte Vista, but I picked them to win the Eastern title for a reason.
Serrano 27, Norte Vista 14

Got another 3 out of 4 correct this past week, giving me only one game wrong in the Division to date. Of course, we'll just ignore the fact that the game I lost involved my predicted champion (Colton). Sounds good to me.

Rancho Cucamonga at Los Osos
This one is, as Bostonians say, wicked hard. Who do you pick against, the hottest team in the division or the division's defending champion? Los Osos' six-game winning streak started against the Cougars, as the Grizzlies took them down 31-28 in Week 7. However, Rancho Cucamonga took out a Colton team on a 10-game winning streak last week and are a little peeved about the Grizzlies wearing their home uniforms at what was supposed to be a Rancho home game? So where do I go from here? I'll take the hot team, though I have no real confidence in this pick.
Los Osos 34, Rancho Cucamonga 30

Upland at Chino Hills
Once again, Chino Hills had my back and then some, beating Etiwanda down to move to the semifinals. They'll try to take out another Baseline team again, as they go against an Upland team that knocked off No. 2 seeded Colony in a tight one to make it to this point. Both of these teams have great defense and both of them are battle-tested, but you have to be on some drugs if you think I'm getting off the Chino Hills bandwagon now. I'm riding shotgun until the journey ends.
Chino Hills 17, Upland 13

Continuing to roll, so no commentary this week either. I'm sure you guys are fine with that.

OREGON (-9) over Oregon State
USC (-7) over Arizona
WASHINGTON (+7) over California
Alabama (+5.5) over Florida
Nebraska (+14) over Texas
Georgia Tech (even) over Clemson
Central Michigan (-13.5) over Ohio
Houston (-2.5) over EAST CAROLINA
PITTSBURGH (+2) over Cincinnati
RUTGERS (-1.5) over West Virginia

Week: 6-3-1
Overall: 66-61-3

I stopped the slide for a week, as I actually went above .500. I credit the Thanksgiving turkey.

N.Y. Jets (-3) over BUFFALO
Denver (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY
PITTSBURGH (-14.5) over Oakland
Houston (even) over JACKSONVILLE
Tennessee (+6.5) over INDIANAPOLIS
ATLANTA (+5.5) over Philadelphia
CINCINNATI (-13) over Detroit
New Orleans (-9.5) over WASHINGTON
Tampa Bay (+6.5) over CAROLINA
CHICAGO (-9) over St. Louis
San Diego (-13) over CLEVELAND
San Francisco (even) over SEATTLE
Minnesota (-5) over ARIZONA
N.Y. GIANTS (+2.5) over Dallas
MIAMI (+5.5) over New England
GREEN BAY (-3) over Baltimore

Week: 9-7
Overall: 86-88-1

Arrowhead Christian coach Wayne Cochrun has retired after five years with the Eagles and 40 years of coaching overall according to a press release sent out by ACA Wednesday morning.

Cochrun compiled a 191-183-3 overall record during his career, which saw him coach at Riverside Notre Dame, Santa Ana Mater Dei and Riverside Rubidoux along with ACA. Cochrun helped revive the Eagle program during the last five seasons, leading it to a 17-34 record - with 11 of those wins coming in the past two seasons. Cochrun led ACA to the playoffs in 2008 - earning the Christian League's coach of the year.

"He's been instrumental in turning our program around," ACA athletic director Richard Yaross said in the release. "It's been a pleasure having him here. He's returned our program to respectability and we're all going to miss him."

ACA is conducting its search for its new coach currently, with all inquiries to be directed to Yaross at ryaross@arrowheadchristian.com or at (909) 793-0601 ext. 185.