August 2010 Archives

Yucaipa has been in a bit of a purgatory the last four years, as it has seemed to cluster around the fourth and final playoff spot in the Citrus Belt League. It worked fine from 2006-08, as the Thunderbirds made the playoffs, but Yucaipa finally found itself on the outside looking in last year, missing the postseason for the first time since 2005.

The Thunderbirds have made some changes since then, removing John Hallenbeck as head coach and bringing over Justin Price from Granite Hills. Price comes to Yucaipa after leading Granite Hills to its first winning season in its 11 seasons of existence, as the Cougars went 6-4 last year to beat their previous high-water win mark by two games.

"I'm getting settled in, but I really think this is a school and a community that can thrive," Price said. "I really like the attitude of the kids in the program and really appreciate the community for embracing us. I think there's quite a bit of potential here."

Jurupa Hills coach Edward McMillon spent most of the summer trying to find some sort of stability with his brand-new Jurupa Hills program. Considering that he was dealing with a group of inexperienced freshmen and sophomores and practicing at a junior high, that wasn't an easy thing to find.

"There's a lot of stuff you just don't anticipate that you have to take care of as a new program," McMillon said. "We were practicing at Southridge Middle School on a field without hashmarks, which was a challenge. You are constantly unwrapping stuff in plastic. It's different."

McMillon is invigorated by the task, which is to get a Spartan team that barely has any personnel that can drive legally to compete in a Mountain Valley League schedule with the likes of Rim of the World and Riverside Notre Dame right away. The enormity of that task has the Spartans looking to accomplish simplistic goals.

Here is my attempt in the wonderfully inexact science of making a preseason poll. We'll see how it ends up.

1. UPLAND (12-2 last year)
The defending Central Division champions are at the top until they prove otherwise, as the Highlanders return QB Justin Nunes and a array of RBs from last season. Upland loses eight starters on their smothering defense, but Alta Loma transfer Christian Powell should help overcome that.

2. REDLANDS EAST VALLEY (11-1)
The Wildcats lose some headliners from last year's Citrus Belt League championship squad, but REV tends to reload in high numbers. All-CIF CB Josh Armstrong and DT Devon Lewis lead a stingy defense while the Wildcats have the size on the offensive line to help break in the new skill-position players.

3. CHINO HILLS (10-3)
The Huskies return 15 starters, led by all-everything senior DB/WR/RB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, from their Central Division semifinalist team of a year ago. The only real question will be at QB, where Chino Hills will have to replace the steady Ryan Verdugo, but there's plenty of talent around to help out the new guy.

4. COLTON (10-2)
A banner season for the Yellowjackets was disrupted early by Rancho Cucamonga in the Central quarterfinals last year. The Yellowjackets have plenty of talent, led by LBs Rodney Hardrick and Devan Hussey, to help new coach Rick Bray succeed at his new job. Colton is a prime contender for the Central crown.

5. SERRANO (11-3)
The Diamondbacks lose DE Everett Beed and RB Dionza Bradford from last year's Eastern Division runner-up, but return loads of experience from last year, including four of their five starters on the offensive line. How well Bradford's replacements fill his shoes will be key.

6. REDLANDS (9-3)
The Terriers are hungry to get back atop the Citrus Belt League and this club gives them a chance to do that. They return QB Jojo Hernandez and a bevy of wide receivers on offense and have studs on each line in OL Jordan Smith and DT John Siliga, which could be enough to get them past REV.

7. KAISER (9-4)
Like Serrano, the Cats lose their two Division I studs in LB Josh Shirley and RB/DB Anthony Brown but return almost everyone else from their run to the Eastern semifinals. Kaiser has athletes everywhere on defense, with safety Desman Carter and linebacker Dennis Taylor leading the way.

8. CAJON (7-4)
The last time the Cowboys were this loaded, they won the San Andreas League in 2008 and advanced to the Central Division semifinals. Senior QB Thomas Carter, a third-year starter, will be key if the Cowboys hope to repeat the 2008 performance, as will cornerback Demontae Kazee.

9. RANCHO CUCAMONGA (10-3)
A lot of the key cogs that have contributed to the Cougars' 23-3-1 record over the last two seasons have departed, namely TE Randall Telfer and QB Greg Watson. But Rancho Cucamonga seems to reload with talent, with do-everything senior Sateki Finau providing a key leadership role.

10. SUMMIT (6-6)
The SkyHawks showed a glimpse of their potential in the first round of the playoffs last year, shocking No. 1 seeded Citrus Hill. Summit would like to see that output on a more consistent basis and if they can get elite dual-threat quarterback Devon Blackmon loose, they will.

Just missed the cut: Arroyo Valley (7-4), Rim of the World (10-2), Chaffey (7-5).

The first year as head coach at San Gorgonio didn't go swimmingly for Ron Gueringer. The former Corona Centennial head man was given a young team and changed a lot of the philosophies that were in place before, a combination that led to a lackluster 2-8 record. But Gueringer thinks the Spartans will be better off because of their struggles.

"Last year was tough," Gueringer said. "We had quite a few kids who were reluctant to change, which is something you'll find sometimes. But I've noticed a different attitude. Kids aren't nearly as reluctant and are buying in."

With the San Andreas League picking up another playoff spot with the inclusion of Carter and Rialto into the league, Gueringer sees a golden opportunity for the Spartans to sneak in and nab its third playoff spot in five years.

I know I have a few more high school teams to preview and I'll finish that up this week, but here is my college top 25.

1. Alabama - Defending national champs are loaded in repeat bid.
2. Ohio State - Buckeyes hope to ride Rose Bowl breakthrough.
3. Florida - No Tebow, but Gators will still have plenty of talent
4. TCU - Horned Frogs loaded for run at national title.
5. Texas - Longhorns lose Colt McCoy, but talent is never an issue
6. Oklahoma - Sooners look to recover from injury-riddled 2009 season
7. Boise State - If Broncos beat Virginia Tech Labor Day night, look out
8. Iowa - Hawkeyes will rely on hard-nosed defense
9. USC - The talent is there, but will the motivation be after being ruled bowl-ineligible?
10. Nebraska - Huskers lose Suh, but will still be stingy.
11. Virginia Tech - Will the Hokies get over the hump and be true national-title contenders?
12. Oregon - Ducks would be a top 5 team if QB Jeremiah Masoli wasn't kicked off team.
13. Wisconsin - Badgers will rely on physical running game.
14. Miami - Hurricanes will be tested early with Ohio State and Pittsburgh
15. Arkansas - Should be exciting on offense with QB Ryan Mallett
16. Utah - Utes will get one more crack at the Mountain West before going to the Pac-12
17. Pittsburgh - Panthers play big early-season game at Utah Thursday
18. Auburn - Tigers looking to make big step under second-year coach Gene Chizik
19. Georgia - Can Bulldogs get out of rut and challenge for the SEC East?
20. Florida State - Seminoles need to improve defensively to contend in ACC
21. West Virginia - Mountaineers will rely on exciting RB Noel Devine
22. Houston - If Cougars can stop anyone, their offense could take them to the BCS
23. Georgia Tech - Defending ACC champs tough matchup with triple-option offense
24. Washington - REV graduate Polk, QB Locker lead this Pac-10 sleeper.
25. North Carolina - Tough choice between Heels and LSU. Luckily they play Saturday.

Under consideration: LSU, Arizona, Penn State

Arroyo Valley football coach Marcus Soward was feeling pretty high on his team's chances a couple of weeks now. After star quarterback Michael Yearwood returned earlier this week, he's ecstatic.

"We are really excited to have Michael back," Soward said. "I thought we had a good team without him but when you can bring a guy like him back, it just opens up a lot of doors."

It's hard to blame Soward for being giddy. Yearwood was a force for Arroyo Valley last year as a junior transfer from Los Angeles University High School, passing for 2,306 yards and 20 touchdowns while running for another 1,127 yards and 16 scores. He transferred back to University in the spring to help attend to an ailing grandmother in Los Angeles before coming back.

Redlands High School football coach Jim Walker, entering his 20th year at the school, has never been once to mince words. So his bluntness when asked about what his team needed to do to win its first Citrus Belt League title since 2006 was hardly surprising.

"REV is the champion and everyone in the league has to go through them," Redlands coach Jim Walker said. "We know that to get where we want to be, we have to beat REV. We stress that all the time."

Redlands hasn't beaten its crosstown rival since that CBL championship season of 2006, losing a showdown of league undefeateds 37-7 last year. But with several key starters returning from last year's team, the Terriers are confident in their ability to bring the Smudge Pot back to Redlands High School.

Jeff Strycula's first year at Miller was what you would call awkward. Hired in late May after spring football practice after Jeff Steinberg took the job at Corona Santiago, Strycula never felt comfortable with his veteran team, a team that had come off a Citrus Belt League title the year before.

"I never really felt that it was my team last year," Strycula said. "I came in late and I don't think there was much unity last year. I feel a lot comfortable right now - I feel like the program is completely in my control. I feel like there's more of a team concept this year, that everyone is on the same page."

Miller was up and down last year, losing its first three non-league games before running through four straight wins in Citrus Belt League and taking a 27-7 halftime lead over Rebels. The Rebels then ran out of gas, blowing the 20-point lead to the Terriers and two of their final three games.

On the surface, it won't seem like much has changed as far as Colton High School football is concerned. The Yellowjackets will still run their double-wing offense, using a physical running game and an assortment of athletic playmakers on defense to great success. But they'll have a new guy overseeing that.

Longtime assistant Rick Bray, who has served as an assistant at Colton 21 of the last 25 season - the last 11 with Harold Strauss, is the new guy in charge of the Yellowjackets, taking the place of the legendary coach in the spring. And while Strauss - who is now concentrating full-time on his role as Colton's athletic director - will not be on the sideline, his influence will remain.

"I'm not going to change much, because there's really not much to be changed," Bray said. "Things worked pretty well here. We'll do some tinkering here and there, but Harold had this running pretty well."

Nick Monica has had some athletes in his three years at San Bernardino High School in the likes of San Diego State signee Aarein Booker and All-Sun first-team wide receiver Vanzell Richardson. But he feels that Khleem Perkins might be the best of the bunch, as the 6-foot-4, 180-pound sophomore quarterback made the MaxPreps.com 2013 players to watch and is already receiving recruiting interest.

"We have schools around here that we've never seen before," Monica said. "Penn State, Michigan State, UConn, they've all been by to see this kid and he's only going to be a sophomore. We are excited about his potential and can't wait to see what he's capable of doing."

Monica's enthusiasm goes beyond just Perkins though. The Cardinals are coming off a fourth-place finish in the San Andreas League last season - their best showing under Monica - and have increased numbers of players out. Plus Monica believes that being in the fourth year of the system is paying off as well.

When Carter High School was opened in 2004, the Lions were placed in the San Andreas League. After another year in the SAL, Carter was moved into the CBL, from where it qualified for the playoffs three times in four years. Now the Lions are back where they started, joining back up with their original league.

"We are looking forward to it," Carter coach Alex Pierce said. "In looking around this league, the first thing you notice are the athletes. There are just so many athletic football players in this league that it's going to be a fun challenge. It should be fun watching some of these games."

Carter comes into the league after a positive second season under Pierce, improving from 2-8 in 2008 to 5-6 in 2009. With another year in his system, Pierce believes that Carter will continue to motor in the right direction.

Arroyo Valley got a huge addition to its team late last year, as standout quarterback Michael Yearwood rejoined the team after having transferred to Los Angeles University High School.

Yearwood, who threw for 2.306 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 1,127 yards and another 16 scores last year for the Hawks, had moved back to Los Angeles because of an illness to his grandmother, who eventually passed away. But he had a change of heart and rejoined the Hawks late last week.

"It's big for us," Hawks coach Marcus Soward said. "Michael went back to help out his family, but his grandmother wanted him to keep doing what he was doing and wanted him to live his life. We heard last week and we are just happy. Michael is a great kid and a great football player."

Yearwood will be practicing with the Hawks this week and gives Arroyo Valley another weapon for a team that Soward thinks will be pretty good.

"I felt pretty good about what we had even without Michael," Soward said. "Having Michael back makes us that much better."

When you lose three players to Division I schools (Tyler Shreve, Andrew Hudson and David Peterson) like Redlands East Valley did, a dropoff is expected. Add first-team all-Sun running back A.J. Fernandez to the list of departures and one would think that Wildcat coach Kurt Bruich would be a little measured about his expectations for the coming season. But that's not how the ninth-year coach feels at all.

"I really like this group of kids through all three classes," Bruich said. "From seniors to sophomores, I think we have an extremely talented group and I think we can do some big things. This program is all about stepping in and keeping the success going and I think this group will do that."

Leading the way for the Wildcats will be a defense that returns five starters. While REV has had its share of glamorous offensive stars in recent years such as Ronnie Fouch, Chris Polk, Shreve and Fernandez, its the defense which has allowed REV to win three CBL titles since 2005 and has it in position for a fourth this year.

On the surface, Kaiser suffered devastating losses from its CIF-SS Eastern Division semifinalist team of a year ago, with running back/defensive back and all-Sun Player of the Year Anthony Brown heading off to USC and All-CIF linebacker Josh Shirley now at Washington. But you don't win nine straight Sunkist League titles, as the Cats have, without having the ability to reload.

"We lost two great football players, guys that really were big for us last year," Kaiser coach Phil Zelaya said. "We don't have those guys coming back, but two guys do not make a football team. We feel that we have a lot of guys coming back that can really help us, guys that were with us on the run to the semifinals last year and that have a lot to offer."

Kaiser looks equipped for another long playoff run, as they have 13 starters returning from last year's team and 29 seniors in all. There may not be the high-level recruits a la Brown and Shirley, but the Cats will have their typical hardnosed, physical, well-schooled unit ready to go.

The building process from an overmatched team of freshman and sophomores to a championship-level force has been a gradual one for Summit coach Tony Barile. But as Summit gets ready for its fifth season fresh off an upset of No. 1 seeded Citrus Hill in the first round of last year's Eastern Division playoffs, Barile sees one thing that the SkyHawks need to do to reach the next level.

"We needed to get stronger," Barile said. "The reason we have lot to Palm Springs the last two years in the playoffs was because we weren't strong enough and we wore down in the fourth quarter. That's the one thing we've been doing this summer - hitting the weight room and getting stronger. We want to be able to outlast our opponents."

Strength is important to the SkyHawks because they have the speed and skill necessary to do damage with a little bit of open space. Athletes dot the Summit roster throughout, led by senior quarterback Devon Blackmon.

Two years ago, it was as good as it has ever been for Hesperia football. The Scorpions, under head coach Robert Kistner and running back Gavin Santos, rolled through the Mojave River League en route to a school-record 11-1 season. But those moments might as well have been decades ago as far as Hesperia is concerned.

All remnants from the 20 wins in 2007 and 2008, including Kistner, are gone. Left in their wake is a group of three returning starters that are coming back to a team that was 3-7 last year under brand-new coach Jeremy Topete. As Topete enters year two, he realizes that building Hesperia back up isn't a small task.

"I guess you can say we are officially rebuilding right now," Topete said. "We really do not have many kids coming back that have played at this level. It's going to be a challenge but it is one that we are ready to face."

It was a fast decline for the Sultana football team, as the Sultans went from being the 2005 Mojave River League champions and a 2006 playoff qualifier to having the longest losing streak in the county. The streak, which dates back to Nov. 2, 2007, is something that coach Blake Robbins never saw coming.

"I really don't know why it's happened," Robbins said. "I don't know if it's a combination of a down cycle in talent and tough schedules, but we never anticipated something like this happening. There's no question that we want to get a few wins and be back on the way up."

That task is left for Robbins, who takes over for Zane Sweeney after serving as an assistant at Sultana for several years. Robbins' familiarity with the program has allowed for a smooth transition and has even allowed for him to throw in a few schematic changes for the Sultans.

The past four seasons have seen the Serrano football team progress an additional step toward a CIF championship. The Diamondbacks have gone from losing in the first round in 2006 to the quarterfinals in 2007 to the semifinals in 2008 to the Eastern Division championship game last year. Serrano fell in that game, 24-14 to Palm Springs, but logical progression suggests that the Diamondbacks will win a CIF championship this year. Don't expect Serrano coach Ray Maholchic to subscribe to that line of thinking though.

"We haven't talked about the CIF title game since it happened," Maholchic said. "That's not something we are thinking about. It takes a lot of good fortune to get to that point once you get in the playoff. We talk about winning the league title first and then worry about the other stuff when it comes."

Serrano lost two Division I athletes in defensive end Everett Beed (San Diego State) and running back Dionza Bradford (UNLV) from last year's CIF runner-up, but the Diamondbacks won't be hurting for experience, as they return four-fifths of their starting offensive line, their quarterback and their leading tackler.

Arroyo Valley athletic director Matt Howell announced a couple of coaching reshufflings during a phone conversation I had with him earlier this afternoon. Softball coach Tammy Shearer will also coach the girls volleyball team this fall, as previous girls volleyball coach Mike Lawler will step away to deal with a family matter, according to Howell. Howell is expecting that Lawler will return to coach the Hawks' boys volleyball team in the spring.

Howell also announced that James Lasch would be heading up the girls golf team this fall.

San Bernardino High School sophomore quarterback/safety Khleem Perkins was named to MaxPreps' Fresh Faces 2013 Top 100 watch list last week and was presented a certificate at practice yesterday according to Cardinals coach Nick Monica.

"It was a really cool thing," Monica said. "They came by practice and let everybody know. It's a big deal for Khleem because I really think he has a lot of potential and something like this could really put his name out there."

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Perkins, who also plays basketball and was a key player for the Cardinals as a freshman in that sport, will play quarterback and safety for San Bernardino this season. You can read the write up on him and the rest of the Fresh Faces here.

Rim of the World equipped itself nicely in the Mojave River League, making the playoffs seven of the last eight seasons and winning a league title in 2006. Despite that success, Fighting Scots coach Bob Gradillas wasn't upset about the school leaving the MRL for the Mountain Valley League.

"To be honest, we are too small of a school for that league," said Gradillas of the MRL. "Especially with the way our enrollment has slipped, we needed to go to a league with schools that were more our size. I enjoyed the MRL and enjoyed the schools and coaches we competed against, but I think this is the best move for us."

Whether the rest of the Mountain Valley League agrees with Gradillas is up for debate. The Scots thrived in the MRL and the Eastern Division last year, taking second in the league and advancing to the quarterfinals with a 10-2 record. In a lower division with a talented team that is led by star running back Dillon Pretzinger, aspirations of Rim's first CIF title since 1976 seem perfectly reasonable.

The best part of Citrus Valley's inaugural season, in which the Blackhawks went 2-8 with a team of freshman and sophomores, is the fact that it its over according to Peter Smolin. As the Blackhawks head into year two, Smolin is confident that the worst of the building process is behind them.

"We feel that the gray clouds are behind us," Smolin said. "It was a lot of work establishing a program and a culture in a tough year on the field and we really think that's going to pay off this year. Everyone is back and there's a lot of excitement right now."

Citrus Valley is also excited about its new league, as it goes from a freelance schedule to the Mountain Valley League. The MVL is a hodge-podge of different sorts of schools, with Rim of the World, Riverside Notre Dame, Banning, Rubidoux and brand-new Jurupa Hills High School in Fontana forming a peculiar combination. But its a combination that the Blackhawks feel they can take advantage of right away.

If there's one thing that you've been able to count on Apple Valley High School for the last few years, its smashmouth football. With physical running attack behind a mammoth offensive line, the Sun Devils have looked to punch people in the mouth. And they were effective doing that last season, defeating Silverado 48-27 in the first round of the Eastern Division playoffs for the school's first postseason win in over two decades.

But the bulk of that offensive line is gone, with its expected replacements expected to be much smaller that the guys who left. Apple Valley also loses its thumper at running back, Daryon Mosley, who ran for 1,628 yards and 21 touchdowns. So look for a much leaner Sun Devils team than what has been seen in the recent past.

"We aren't very big," Apple Valley coach Frank Pulice said. "We are thin in numbers and in size up front. Instead of trotting out 6-3, 250-pound guys like we have been doing, we are going to be throwing out 5-10, 205-pound guys. We can be effective with that type of player, but we'll have to be a bit different."

Summit quarterback/wide receiver Devon Blackmon has been a household name for college coaches for a couple of years now, holding offers from the entire Pac-10 and several other national name program. After a dynamic performance at the Gridiron Kings 7-on-7 tournament in late July in Orlando, Blackmon has shot up the recruiting rankings, moving from a lofty No. 41 position to No. 20 in the latest Rivals100 released today.

The No. 20 ranking has Blackmon on the cusp of being a 5-star player and makes him one of the highest-ranked players ever to come from the county.

"I've just been working out all summer and looking to perform everywhere I've gone," Blackmon said. "I've been working out with NFL guys, whatever I can to get better. I loved the Gridiron Kings because I got the chance to go up against the best guys out there and I felt I did pretty well. I actually caught a couple touchdowns against the No. 1 cornerback (Akron, Ohio senior Doran Grant).

Blackmon also clarified his recruiting status Tuesday. After coming out with a top 6 a month ago that included USC, UCLA, California, Oregon, Alabama and Florida, Blackmon said that the top 6 wasn't set in stone by any means.

"I was just saying that to get people to stop asking the question," Blackmon said. "It was getting annoying, so I just gave a top 6. I'm open to everybody right now. I like all those schools (the top 6) and Miami, but I'm open to whoever."

For the first time in the 11-year history of Granite Hills High School, the Cougars had a winning record. Granite Hills' 6-4 record bested the school's previous high-water mark by two games, seemingly leaving a building block for the future. But the Cougars lost up-and-coming coach Justin Price to Yucaipa, leaving the job open in June for Joel Hurtt to accept.

"It's a bit of a bittersweet thing because Justin was a really good coach and really had the kids believing," Hurtt said. "It's a tough thing to lose a coach as late as we did and have to get refocused in the middle. Getting a new coach in June is a tough thing. The kids were a little in the dark at first but seem to have bought in."

Hurtt's familiarity with the program will help, as he was the Cougars' head coach in 2006 and 2007 and stayed around the program in Price's two seasons, coaching the freshman team to an 8-2 record in 2008. He certainly knows enough about what's going on to know that senior running back Antawaun Jones is a guy he can depend on.

Typically new schools get the luxury of flying under the radar in their first few years of existence, getting to build their new program slowly from scratch as they watch a mishmash of younger players eventually grow into veterans. Oak Hills screwed up that plan last year, busting out to a 9-3 record as a freelance team and winning its first-round playoff game in the East Valley Division. So any anonymity the Bulldogs might have had entering their first season of Mojave River League play this season is gone.

"I think we have a little bit of a target on our backs," Oak Hills coach Robert Kistner said. "We were able to win some games early and get some confidence and I think that's made everyone else take notice. No one wants to lose to the new guy, so I think we are going to get everyone's best shot."

Having only sophomores and juniors last season, the Bulldogs return their 2009 squad intact. That rare luxury is made even nicer by the fact that one of those returners, senior RB Jeremiah Armstead, ran for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns a year ago.

The first part of last year was a painful one for the Big Bear football team. The Bears - consistently one of the best smaller schools in the county - were breaking in a mostly-new offensive line and lost senior, Craig Hall, to a season-ending injury during a 1-5 start. But a 3-1 finish, plus a load of returning experience, has coach Dave Griffiths feeling pretty good about 2010.

"It's a very positive outlook right now," Griffiths said. "With the way we ended the season and the players we have coming back, we feel pretty good about where we are at. Last season didn't start out too well, but we kept battling and fighting and we were really starting to put some things together. That's what has us excited right now."

The positions that were in question last year - quarterback and offensive line - seem to be on point as the Bears enter this season. Junior Zakk Planz, who was thrown into the mix after Hall was hurt, won three games down the stretch - including two in De Anza League play - and has the correct mix of mobility and headiness to join Hall and current Navy quarterback Kriss Proctor as quality Big Bear triggermen.

I just got off the phone with Aquinas director of marketing Gina Roquet, who told me that Aquinas has hired Gabriel Padilla as its new boys basketball coach. Padilla, an assistant at Aquinas, will replace David Johnson, who has taken an assistant coach job with the Pepperdine women's basketball team.

Also, Aquinas promoted assistant volleyball coach Sarah Rice to head coach to replace Jessica Granados. Granados, who played with Rice at Cal State San Bernardino, left after a season to pursue professional volleyball opportunities in Europe.

In 16 years as an assistant coach - 14 at La Quinta and the last two seasons under Leland Eudy at Victor Valley - Eric Perry had always had his eye on being a head coach. With Eudy's retirement last season, Perry finally got his wish. And so far, it's as fun as he thought it would be.

"We are having a great time out here," Perry said. "There are definitely more demands when it comes to off-the-field stuff like parents and especially fundraising, but it's great to build a program and work with these kids and see where we can take this thing."

Eudy's last two years at Victor Valley saw the Jackrabbits make considerable process. Victor Valley had a 20-game winless streak coming into the 2008 season but mustered a 3-6-1 record in 2008 and a 7-3 record a year ago. The next step in Perry's mind is a playoff berth, something he thinks is possible despite having a relatively inexperienced team.

Many years, the overall roster for the Yucca Valley High School football team barely sports more than 23 players. Needless to say, the Trojans are pumped up by a 2010 roster that has 23 seniors on the roster - something that is unheard of for smaller schools.

"We are really excited about this group of kids," Yucca Valley coach Tim Cannavo said. "The last few years we've really made an effort to get numbers up and get kids excited about this program and this is the result of it. Any time you have experience like this coming back, it's a great thing."

A third of those seniors have been starting since their sophomore year and have seen their share of success at Yucca Valley, as the Trojans have finished second in the De Anza League the past two seasons, qualifying for the playoffs both times. Yucca Valley won its first round playoff game in 2008 before losing a close quarterfinal matchup with eventual champion St. Margaret's.

Etiwanda offensive lineman Jamal Prater, a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, has verbally committed to the University of Oregon according to an article by Duck Sports Authority. Prater, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive tackle, gave the pledge after an unofficial visit to Eugene on Wednesday according to this article, which is available with a Rivals.com subscription.

Prater is the latest in a recent line of local prospects to commit/sign with the Ducks, who signed Los Osos DE Tony Washington, Colton S Derrick Malone and Colton K Alejandro Maldonado in February. Prater chose Oregon over offers from Oregon State, Washington State, San Diego State and San Jose State.

As Cajon coach Kim Battin thinks about his team's potential entering this season, he has flashbacks to 2008. Two years ago, the Cowboys went 11-2 with an experienced, veteran team en route to a San Andreas League championship and a run into the Central Division quarterfinals. Battin isn't quite predicting that, but he is feeling good about Cajon's chances this year.

"The expecations are very high. We have a group of seniors that learned from the seniors that made the run two years ago and that were a big part of a team that went 7-3 and made the playoffs last year," Battin said. "There is a lot of experience and motivation here and we are ready to go out there and see what we can do."

A lot of Battin's confidence comes from a loaded offense led by senior quarterback Thomas Carter. Carter (6-0, 185) has started since early in his sophomore season, as he was the triggerman on the Cowboys' semifinal team two years ago. He brings a potent dual-threat element to the Cowboys' spread offense, allowing the Cowboys to throw in several different wrinkles.

It was a tumultuous offseason for Bloomington head coach Tom Conner, who suffered a heart attack in March while playing pickup basketball. The 35-year old Conner has spent the offseason recovering and changing his diet and is feeling a lot better as he embarks on his third season in charge of the Bruins.

"Life is great right now," Conner said. "The doctor has cleared me to resume working out and physical activities and I've been working real hard to stay healthy. I'm just excited to be back out there and get this season going."

Along with his improving health, Conner is getting excitement from a Bruins team that returns 10 starters and several other contributors from last year's team. After painful 2-8 and 3-7 seasons in adjusting from Don Markham's double-wing offense and 30-man roster to a spread offense and a roster that is roughly 20 players bigger, Conner thinks that this year will be the one where Bloomington makes a leap.

If you blinked last year, you probably missed a Silverado scoring drive. With explosive dual-threat quarterback Jemeryn Jenkins throwing to big-play wide receiver Fred Rosser to go along with the shifty running of running back Ayele Forde, the Hawks put up points in a rapid-fire fashion. But with the above three players having graduated, Silverado coach Carl Posey is looking to slow his team's pace a bit.

"It seemed like no matter what we did, we were off the field in two minutes," Posey said. "We'd either break a long touchdown with those guys or we'd go three and out and punt. Either way, our defense was on the field a lot. We did pretty well defensively but we lost almost everyone from that side of the ball last year and I don't want to put that much on that."

Protecting a defense that has lost a bulk of its starters isn't the only reason for Silverado's change in approach. Quite frankly, losing the combined skill of Jenkins, Rosser and Forde is almost impossible to replace and the players set to do that bring different things to the table.

Twentynine Palms has established itself as the gold standard in the De Anza League over the last three years, winning league titles all three seasons and progressing to the East Valley Division championship game in 2008. But in the midst of all this success, it's the last failure that weighs on Wildcat coach Ernie Martinez's mind.

"Our playoff loss last year was heartbreaking," Martinez said. "Losing on a Hail Mary pass to the team (Ontario Christian) that lost 12-10 in the championship game is a tough way to go out. I thought we had a really good team last year and we were close to doing something big."

Whether or not the Wildcats will do something big this year depends on how they reload. Twentynine Palms saw both of its all-CIF linebackers - Robert Caldwell and Austin Cole - graduate, along with starting QB Aaron Anderson. The Wildcats also got a tough break when running back Michael Pinto, who contributed over 800 yards of total offense and scored six touchdowns as a sophomore, moved away.

After a hiatus for vacations and things of the like over the past few weeks, we are getting back to business on the blog with team-by-team high school previews. Over the next month, we'll be showcasing every county school east of the 15 and south of Barstow, where we'll start off today.

The first two years of the Jose Rubio era in Barstow have been fruitful, as the Aztecs have a combined 17-8 record and made a run to the Eastern Division championship game in 2008. But the bulk of the contributors from the last two years have moved on, as 27 seniors depart from last year's 7-4 team.

"I guess you could say we are rebuilding," Rubio said. "On offense we return our quarterback and center basically, while on defense we lost our linebackers and defensive tackles. We'll be young but we are excited to see what some of these guys can do."