November 2010 Archives

San Gorgonio offensive lineman/defensive lineman Paul Rodriguez verbally committed to San Diego State a couple of weeks ago according to San Gorgonio football coach Ron Gueringer. Rodriguez, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound senior, chose the Aztecs over offers from Washington State and Colorado State.

"He's the first of hopefully many kids that we send off to Division I colleges," Gueringer said. "I'm proud of him and what he did for this program. I know the San Diego State coaches came down a few weeks back to see him play and loved him. They had a great season and it's a great place for Paul to go."

Rodriguez starred on both offense and defense for the Spartans, who went 7-5 this season and finished second in the San Andreas League. San G advanced to the Central Division quarterfinals, where it was ousted by top-seeded Moreno Valley Rancho Verde. Gueringer thinks the Aztecs will use Rodriguez on the offensive line.

"That's where I would guess," Gueringer said. "He has a lot of potential with his frame to be a very good offensive lineman and I think he's an all-area guy at that position."

It didn't take long for the girls basketball season to get going, as two tournaments - Rialto's "Jam the Gym" and the Big Daddy Tournament, tipped off today.

Both tournaments will have their championship games Saturday, with the Jam the Gym title game being played at 6:30 p.m. at Rialto High School while the Big Daddy Gold Division championship game will be played at 6 p.m. at Notre Dame High School in Riverside. Joining Rialto in the Jam the Gym are Palm Springs, Upland, Ayala, Serrano, Fontana, Corona Centennial, Chino Hills, Victor Valley, Riverside North, Patriot and Ganesha High Schools.

The Big Daddy Tournament is a 18-team tournament with a Gold Division and a Green Division. The Gold will feature Cajon, Eisenhower, Lake Elsinore Lakeside, Moreno Valley, Temecula Valley, Vista Murrieta, Riverside Arlington, Redlands, Sultana and Riverside Poly. The Green Division will have Riverside Ramona, Banning, Corona, Mesa Grande Academy, Notre Dame, Norte Vista, Aquinas and Colton High Schools. Aquinas, Moreno Valley and Notre Dame will all host the tournament.

Also on the horizon is the Arroyo Valley Tournament, which will be held Dec. 6-10 at Arroyo Valley and Pacific High Schools. Teams involved in the tournament, which is straight bracket format, are Valley View, San Bernardino, Riverside Poly, Oak Hills, San Gorgonio, Rim of the World, Pacific, Patriot, Cajon, Kaiser, Fontana, Corona, Bloomington, Redlands, Arroyo Valley and Rubidoux. The title game will be held at Arroyo Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10.

Boise State falls from the ranks of the unbeaten, allowing TCU a chance to sneak into the title game.

1. Oregon (1) - The Civil War stands in the way of the Ducks' first national-title appearance.
2. Auburn (2) - Tigers overcome 24-point deficit against Bama to stay undefeated.
3. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs end season unbeaten, now just wait.
4. Wisconsin (5) - Badgers put up 70 to seal Rose Bowl berth.
5. Stanford (7) - Cardinal could bust into BCS after third shutout of the season.
6. Ohio State (8) - Buckeyes beat Michigan for seventh straight year, looking at another BCS berth.
7. Michigan State (10) - Spartans win 11th game, but likely to be shut out of BCS.
8. Arkansas (12) - Big win over LSU made the Razorbacks some serious money.
9. Boise State (3) - Two late missed field goals doom Broncos in loss to Nevada.
10. Nebraska (14) - Huskers beat Colorado to set up matchup with Oklahoma in Big 12 title game.
11. Oklahoma (17) - Win over Oklahoma State gives Sooners Big 12 South.
12. LSU (6) - Tigers lose at Arkansas and likely lose BCS berth in the process.
13. Missouri (13) - Mizzou beats Kansas to seal 10-win season.
14. Nevada (18) - Nevada takes control of WAC with upset win over Boise.
15. Virginia Tech (15) - Va. Tech wins 10th in a row to set up ACC title matchup with Florida State.
16. Oklahoma State (9) - Big plays doom Cowboys to 8th straight loss to Oklahoma.
17. Alabama (11) - Tide cursing the name of Cam Newton after blowing 24-0 lead.
18. Texas A&M (16) - Aggies beat Texas, but fall six spots. Life is rough sometimes.
19. South Carolina (19) - Have a chance to be TCU's best friend by beating Auburn in the SEC title game.
20. Florida State (22) - Seminoles break six-game losing streak to Florida and move into ACC title game.
21. Northern Illinois (20) - Win over Miami (Ohio) would seal MAC title for Huskies.
22. Utah (24) - Utes pull one out of the fire in Holy War win over BYU.
23. Mississippi State (NR) - 8-4 best Bulldog record in a decade.
24. West Virginia (NR) - Slaughter of Pitt puts Mountaineers back in rankings.
25. Hawaii (NR) - Warriors only team to beat Nevada, which became a lot more impressive after this week.

Under consideration: Central Florida, Maryland, Navy

Dropped out: No. 21 N.C. State, No. 23 Arizona, No. 25 Iowa

Saturday is going to be a huge day, as four county teams will be playing, including two county-county games.

INLAND DIVISION
Corona Centennial at Chino Hills (Friday)
Rancho Cucamonga at Vista Murrieta (Saturday)

CENTRAL DIVISION
Rancho Verde at La Quinta (Friday)
Cajon at Colton (Saturday)

EASTERN DIVISION
Elsinore at Kaiser (Friday)
Summit at Serrano (Saturday)

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
St. Margaret's at Paraclete (Friday)
Sierra Canyon at Yucca Valley (Saturday)

On a chilly day, Ayala girls finished a solid sixth (after being ranked sixth) at the CIF State cross country championships in Division 2, after finishing sixth at the CIF-SS Finals last week. Junior Taylor Khan was 16th to lead the Bulldogs.
Outstanding Serrano freshman Melissa Fairchild led the race a mile into it, before being passed and finishing sixth. The Diamondbacks took eighth as a team.
The Rancho Cucamonga boys were a disappointing 10th in Division 1, as junior Luis Gutierrez was 14th. The Cougars were ranked eighth in the state after finishing sixth at CIF-SS Finals.

--pete marshall

Granite Hils, the first county school to qualify its boys and girls teams for state cross country in four years, had a disappointing morning here in Fresno.
The boys started strong, tied for first after the first mile with Palos Verdes. But they faded after that and took eighth in the Division 3 race, a drop from the fourth-place finish last year.
The girls didn't start as strong and sophomore standout Chelsea Bennis was affected by her hip injury. Bennis, usually the No. 1 or 2 runner, was the 7 runner on Saturday. As a result Granite Hills was ninth.
Apple Valley senior Hannah Valenzuela finished her CIF high school cross country career with a seventh-place finish in the Div. 3 race on a chilly, cloudy morning.
--pete marshall

I'm here, just a few minutes before the start of the first race at the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park.
It's chilly and cloudy, as forecast. According to weather.com, it's 42 degrees and it feels like 37 with the wind. It's the chilliest I've experienced State.

I'm here in Fresno for the CIF State Cross Country Championships, and it's cold. It'll be down close to freezing tonight, and the high tomorrow is only expected to get to the low 50s. At least rain isn't expected to move into the area until late afternoon, after the final race.
Check back here on this blog during the morning and early afternoon Saturday for updates on county competitors: Apple Valley's Hannah Valenzuela, Aquinas' Alyssa Windle, Ayala's girls team, Colony's Xochitl Navarrete and Nick Valenzuela, Granite Hills' boys and girls teams, Rancho Cucamonga boys team and Serrano's girls team.

The races begin at 8:30 a.m., with the Division 3 boys, which includes Granite Hills.

--Pete Marshall

Just got back in town from Thanksgiving and will get these done real quick before heading out to Ramona High School for Cajon-Arlington.

Inland Division

Corona Centennial at Upland
In the battle between defending CIF champions last week, Upland took down Chaparral to help the Baseline League to a 3-0 mark. While that victory was impressive, Centennial is a different, more potent beast. Upland will score some, but not nearly enough to keep up.
Centennial 52, Upland 21

Chino Hills at Etiwanda
Can the Eagles pull off another upset? The Etiwanda defense stepped up huge in the win at Redlands East Valley, but Chino Hills just put up 10 touchdowns on Corona. The Huskies are humming on that side of the ball and should win a shootout.
Chino Hills 45, Etiwanda 35

Rancho Cucamonga at Roosevelt
The Cougars are playoff-savvy and looked good against Murrieta Valley, while Roosevelt had to scratch and claw against Claremont. Look for Rancho to keep the Baseline contingent alive.
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Roosevelt 28

Vista Murrieta 41, Norco 27

Central Division

Rancho Verde at San Gorgonio
Rancho Verde is the top seed in the bracket, but they had to scratch and claw to get past the Spartans in week one. And that's before San G caught fire with its current seven-game win streak. I still like Rancho Verde though.
Rancho Verde 29, San Gorgonio 21

La Quinta at Chino
This is easily the toughest test that 11-0 Chino has had to face this year, as La Quinta is perennially among the top teams in whatever division it is playing in. Chino has been quite the story, but I'm not sure it's fully prepared for this.
La Quinta 28, Chino 22

Cajon at Arlington
The second-hottest team in the county goes against a red-hot player, as the Cowboys' 8-game winning streak will be tested by Arlington and their star RB Superiorr Reid, who has 32 touchdowns. Cajon is good but I like Arlington's smashmouth style.
Arlington 35, Cajon 24

Palm Springs at Colton
While both of these teams put up ridiculous point totals last week, I think we'll see some defense in this one. Both of these teams are stout on that side of the ball, though I feel Palm Springs has a bit more oomph.
Palm Springs 20, Colton 14

Eastern Division

Kaiser at Granite Hills
The Cats have apparently declared war on the city of Apple Valley, as they took out Apple Valley High last week. Granite Hills is scrappy, but they don't have the firepower to challenge Kaiser.
Kaiser 36, Granite Hills 6

Victor Valley at Elsinore
The Jackrabbits resurgence continued last week with another last-minute win, this time against Norte Vista. But Elsinore on the road is a tough task and I'm not sure if the Jackrabbits will be able to wave their magic wand again.
Elsinore 28, Victor Valley 24

Heritage at Summit
Heritage has been impressive this year, running off 11 wins to grab the No. 3 seed. But player for player, Summit might be the most talented team. I like the SkyHawks to come through with a mild upset.
Summit 30, Heritage 27

Serrano at Ridgecrest Burroughs
Going up to Ridgecrest is a tough task for anyone. But if there's any team that can handle it, its' the Diamondbacks. The Serrano D is playing at a high level, which should be the difference.
Serrano 17, Burroughs 9

East Valley Division

Paraclete 42, Grace Brethren 24

St. Margaret's at Big Bear
This has already been played, with St. Margaret's prevailing 17-6.

Twentynine Palms at Sierra Canyon
The Wildcats were impressive in rolling over Sage Hill, but going out to the San Fernando Valley from the High Desert is a lot to ask. Sierra Canyon will pull away late in this one.
Sierra Canyon 34, Twentynine Palms 16

Rubidoux at Yucca Valley
The Trojans pulled off the shocker of the playoffs, heading to San Bernardino and shocking No. 2 Aquinas. Now they face a Rubidoux team that they tied in September. I think Cinderella has another dance after this one.
Yucca Valley 20, Rubidoux 18

Boise State bumps by TCU and Nebraska falls. Besides that, not much really happened.

1. Oregon (1) - Ducks get week off before Arizona/Oregon State homestretch.
2. Auburn (2) - This should be one of the more intense Iron Bowls in a long time, especially with the Cam Newton hoopla still at a fever pitch.
3. Boise State (4) - Had to bump up after Broncos killed Fresno State.
4. TCU (3) - Horned Frogs have walk-over season-ender at New Mexico.
5. Wisconsin (5) - Badgers run over Michigan to make statement.
6. LSU (6) - Struggled but won as usual. Par for the course really.
7. Stanford (7) - The Big Game with Cal was a big rout.
8. Ohio State (9) - Buckeyes survive against Iowa to keep Rose Bowl hopes alive.
9. Oklahoma State (11) - Can clinch berth in Big 12 title game with win over Oklahoma.
10. Michigan State (10) - Spartans stay put after scare against a bad Purdue team.
11. Alabama (12) - Would love nothing more than to spoil Auburn's national-title hopes.
12. Arkansas (13) - Razorbacks have big game with LSU coming up.
13. Missouri (15) - Tiger defense pitches another shutout.
14. Nebraska (8) - Huskers' suddenly feeble offense killed them against Texas A&M
15. Virginia Tech (14) - Hokies wrap up ACC title game berth with win at Miami.
16. Texas A&M (18) - Aggies topple Nebraska for fifth straight win.
17. Oklahoma (16) - A resume bereft of signature wins has Oklahoma in back of second-place Big 12 cluster.
18. Nevada (17) - Can make a whole bunch of teams happy if they pull an upset against Boise State this week.
19. South Carolina (19) - Gamecocks have rivalry game with Clemson before first SEC title game appearance.
20. Northern Illinois (23) - Huskies rolling up big wins in the MAC.
21. N.C. State (NR) - A win against Maryland puts Wolfpack in first ACC title game.
22. Florida State (25) - Seminoles try to break six-game losing streak to rival Florida.
23. Arizona (24) - Can really mess up BCS if they pull the shocker against Oregon.
24. Utah (NR) - Utes return to rankings after big win at San Diego State.
25. Iowa (20) - Hawkeyes now have lost four times in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.

Under consideration: Southern Miss, Mississippi State, West Virginia

Dropped out: No. 21 USC, No. 22 Mississippi State

Redlands East Valley, Chino Hills, Upland Christian and Victor Valley Christian's girls volleyball teams get to continue their seasons for at least another game, as all four teams qualified for the CIF-State playoffs.

The brackets were released Sunday, with the two-time defending Division II Southern California champion Wildcats getting the No. 8 seed in Division I. REV will play at top-seeded Carlsbad La Costa Canyon at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Chino Hills, which lost to St. Lucy's in the CIF-SS Division 2-AA finals Saturday, got the No. 3 seed in Division II behind No. 1 seeded St. Lucy's and No. 2 San Diego Scripps Ranch. The Huskies will start on the road though, as they'll play at Pacific Palisades Charter at 7 p.m.

Upland Christian, the runner-up in D4-A, will play at No. 1-seeded La Jolla Christian Tuesday in the first round of the So Cal Division IV playoffs while Victor Valley Christian will play at No. 2-seeded Lemoore Kings Christian in the Division V playoffs.

Redlands East Valley
Kills: Krista Vansant 21, Cherylain Dizon 6, Alyssa Mason 5
Blocks: Mason 8, Dizon 3, Vansant 2
Assists: Peyton Moyles 25, Hannah Logan 2
Digs: Emily Hairgrove 11, Vansant 6, Elizabeth Tidwell 5
Aces: Vansant 1, Hairgrove 1

Marymount
Kills: Kathleen Harris 20, Atlanta Moye-McLaren 13, Taylor Bantle 9, Manon Greskovics-Fuller 7.
Blocks: M. Greskovics-Fuller 2, Kaity Edwards 2.
Assists: Lauren Greskovics-Fuller 40.
Digs: Caroline Workman 17.
Aces: Victoria Shepherd 4, L. Greskovics-Fuller 2, Carly Wagenbach 2.

It's not a four-peat for REV, as Marymount grabbed the fourth game 25-23 to win the CIF-SS Division 1-A championship, but the Wildcats made Marymount work, leading for much of the fourth game.

A service ace by setter Lauren Greskovics-Fuller ended the match, which is ironic considering Marymount's 21 service errors in the match. Things aren't done for the Wildcats (29-5) though, as they'll start play in the Division I state playoffs starting Tuesday.

Final stats will come in a bit.

The Wildcats aren't going to give up the CIF title without a fight, as they defeated Marymount 25-20 in game 3 to continue the match. The Wildcats won the last six points of the game, as Alyssa Mason ended it with two blocks and a kill on game point.

Mason had a good game defensively, compiling six of her seven blocks. Krista Vansant also got going offensively, notching seven of her 14 kills. Peyton Moyles has 17 assists while Cherylain Dizon has five kills and four blocks.

Kathleen Harris leads Marymount with 15 kills while Lauren Greskovics-Fuller has 28 assists.

A 7-0 run early in the game paved the way for the Sailors to take game 2, as Marymount never looked back from the resulting 11-7 lead in defeating REV 25-17 to come within one game of the CIF-SS Division 1-A championship. Their service game gave REV issues in game two, as Victoria Shepherd had four aces while Atlanta Moye-McLaren and Carly Wagenbach also had aces.

REV got a early lift from Cherylain Dizon, who had two kills and three blocks in the game, but have scuffled otherwise. Krista Vansant has seven kills and two digs while Peyton Moyles has eight assists and two kills.

Taylor Bantle finished off the game for the Sailors with consecutive kills, giving Marymount a 25-20 win and a 1-0 lead in games. The Sailors have 15 kills to REV's 7, as the Wildcats have struggled to get their attack going.

Krista Vansant has six kills to lead the Wildcats while Peyton Moyles has five assists. Libero Emily Hargrove has three digs as well.

The Sailors have been pretty balanced offensively in taking the early lead, as Manon-Greskovics-Fuller has four kills while Kathleen Harris and Atlanta Moye-McLaren have three kills each. Setter Lauren Greskovics-Fuller has nine assists.

Krista Vansant has six of REV's seven kills. Service errors have plagued both teams, as Marymount has five errors while REV has two.

In what has become an annual rite of late fall, the Redlands East Valley girls volleyball team is going for its fourth straight CIF championship in about two minutes here, facing Marymount. The Wildcats are actually underdogs, as Marymount is the No. 1 seed to REV's No. 2. I'll try to keep you updated, though being situated by the roof here at Cypress College isn't the greatest situation for internet access ever.

For those who wonder if they run cross country in the rain, the answer is definitely yes.
The CIF-SS Finals were held as scheduled, but on the rain course at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday.

Five San Bernardino County teams qualified for state by finishing in the top seven in their race: Rancho Cucamonga boys in Division 1, Ayala and Serrano girls in Division 2, and Granite Hills boys and girls in Division 3.
In addition, Colony's Xochitl Navarrete (girls Division 2) and Nick Valenzuela (boys Division 2), Apple Valley's Hannah Valenzuela (giris Division 3), and Aquinas' Alyssa Windle (girls Division 5) all qualified for the state meet as individuals, which is next Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Got back from Redlands, where Etiwanda pulled the upset over REV. Not a good night for the Citrus Belt League, as all three teams were eliminated. The SAL was the opposite, sweeping its first-round games.

INLAND DIVISION
Corona Centennial 56, Yucaipa 14
Upland 40, Chaparral 35
Etiwanda 21, Redlands East Valley 16
Chino Hills 70, Corona 42
Rancho Cucamonga 37, Murrieta Valley 13
Roosevelt 28, Claremont 21
Norco 34, Redlands 17
Vista Murrieta 28, Charter Oak 7

CENTRAL DIVISION
Rancho Verde 70, Garey 7
San Gorgonio 53, Palm Desert 35
Chino 21, Carter 12
La Quinta 45, Valley View 14
Arlington 54, Montclair 0
Cajon 48, Coachella Valley 7
Colton 54, Colony 13
Palm Springs 54, La Sierra 49

EASTERN DIVISION
Kaiser 44, Apple Valley 21
Granite Hills 36, Beaumont 24
Victor Valley 35, Norte Vista 28
Elsinore 30, Oak Hills 0
Heritage 34, Silverado 21
Summit 37, West Valley 7
Burroughs 24, Citrus Hill 16
Serrano 14, Temescal Canyon 0

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Paraclete 42, Desert Hot Springs 7
Grace Brethren 48, Notre Dame 19
Linfield Christian at Big Bear, tomorrow
St. Margaret's 17, Campbell Hall 10
Bishop Diego at Sierra Canyon, n/a
Twentynine Palms 45, Sage Hill 27
Rubidoux 43, Brentwood 36
Yucca Valley 21, Aquinas 14

As I alluded to in my picks yesterday, the site of tomorrow's East Valley Division playoff game between Linfield Christian and Big Bear has been moved to Lucerne Valley High School. It was moved from the original site of Big Bear Middle School because of the threat of significant snow and high winds.

"Lucerne Valley has a permanent press box and we don't, so we decided to make the change," Big Bear coach/athletic director Dave Griffiths said. "We use scissor lifts and with the winds of 50-60 mph which may come, we didn't want to take that risk. Plus, we didn't want Linfield to be stuck up here because their buses aren't meant for snow at all."

The 1 p.m. time for the game remains as originally scheduled.

Last but not least is the East Valley. Let them play in the snow is all I have to say leading in.

No. 1 Paraclete 30, Desert Hot Springs 20

Notre Dame 23, Grace Brethren 21

Linfield Christian at Big Bear
Snow or no snow, this should be a fun one on Saturday. The Bears have their option offense working at a level that hasn't been seen since the days of Kriss Proctor, as Zakk Planz has Big Bear executing at a high level. Linfield Christian has playoff experience, winning the Northeast Division last year, but I don't see their move up being as smooth as St. Margaret's was.
Big Bear 28, Linfield Christian 18

No. 4 St. Margaret's 27, Campbell Hall 21

No. 3 Sierra Canyon 38, Bishop Diego 14

Sage Hill at Twentynine Palms
The key question in this game is Twentynine Palms' resiliency. The Wildcats had a chance for their fourth straight De Anza League title slip out of their grasp last week with a loss to Big Bear at home and now face a Sage Hill team with an effective running attack. 29 Palms is capable of a run, making the East Valley finals two years ago, but I see this run ending sooner rather than later.
Sage Hill 20, Twentynine Palms 14

Brentwood 28, Rubidoux 26

Yucca Valley at No. 2 Aquinas
The Falcons are the hottest team in the division to date, winning nine in a row thanks to the efforts of a balanced rushing attack led by junior RB Burrell Handy. Yucca Valley profitted from a credible nonleague schedule and a tough league to make it into the playoffs, but this is a tough haul for the Trojans, as the Falcons are clicking on all cylinders.
Aquinas 35, Yucca Valley 12

Now off to the Eastern Division, where the game is "Catch Kaiser if you can."

Apple Valley at No. 1 Kaiser
If I'm the Sun Devils, I'm pretty bitter right about now. While Apple Valley's 5-5 record wasn't ground-breaking, the Sun Devils are hardly the worst team and shouldn't be the sacrificial lamb to the undefeated Cats. But that's precisely what they are. Apple Valley is intriguing on offense, but Kaiser has murdered people all year and will do the same tomorrow.
Kaiser 45, Apple Valley 6

Granite Hills at Beaumont
Granite Hills, which lost to Apple Valley in the regular season and had the exact same league record and finish in league as the Sun Devils, got a winnable draw, at least for the first round, as Beaumont isn't exactly a dominating opponents. But the Mountain Pass League champs are good and will win a low-scoring, hard-hitting duel.
Beaumont 14, Granite Hills 12

Norte Vista at Victor Valley
This is a rough draw for the Jackrabbits, as Norte Vista's grind-it-out, ball-control style netted it a trip to the semifinals a year ago. You can bet that the Braves will rely on Ryan Ruiz to play keep away from Victor's potent offense. However, the Jackrabbits took a huge step in beating Burroughs for the Desert Sky League title last week and that confidence will carry over.
Victor Valley 24, Norte Vista 16

Oak Hills at No. 4 Elsinore
The continuation of the Bulldogs' building process has Oak Hills in a tough spot, as the Bulldogs didn't get much respect for being the No. 2 team in their league. Elsinore held it own in recent years in the Central Division, advancing to the finals in 2006, and will be a tough go of it. Marshaun Coprich and Jeremiah Armstead will have success, but not quite enough.
Elsinore 26, Oak Hills 17

Silverado at No. 3 Heritage
If there was any proof necessary to validate the theory that tough nonleague schedules mean something, it came with the selection of 5-4-1 Silverado to the playoffs over 7-3 San Jacinto. The Hawks' philosophy of taking on all comers worked once again, albeit in a different way than normal. However, a 10-0 Heritage team is a tough draw for the Hawks, who just don't have the guns this year for a long run.
Heritage 34, Silverado 20

West Valley at Summit
West Valley has been a playoff underachiever recently, getting bounced in the first round as a higher seed in each of the last three years. They don't have to worry about that, as they'll be the clear underdogs against a Summit team with the best skill-position talent in the division. Summit is prone to lapses, but if the SkyHawks are on, this will get ugly quick.
Summit 38, West Valley 6

Ridgecrest Burroughs 35, Citrus Hill 30

Temescal Canyon at No. 2 Serrano
Kaiser is getting the hype in this division, and for good reason, but seasonal progression indicates that it's the year of the Diamondback. Serrano has gone from losing in the first round (2006) to the quarters (2007) to the semis (2008) to the championship game last year (2009). So the logical progression is a title. While that may not happen, a comfortable win over Temescal Canyon will.
Serrano 28, Temescal Canyon 7

Now we move on to the Central Division, where San Bernardino and Ontario/Chino teams await.

No. 1 Rancho Verde 48, Garey 12

Palm Desert at San Gorgonio
This should be an entertaining one, as the Spartans rose up during the San Andreas League season to win six games in a row and grab second place and this home game against a potent Aztecs team. San G's offense was helped by the emergence of RB Jamie Snowten in the second half of the season and I expect Snowten to score a couple in a barnburner.
San Gorgonio 35, Palm Desert 31

Carter at Chino
Predicting Chino results, for the most part, was pretty easy during the Mt. Baldy League season - pick a random number between 42 and 49 and watch my prediction to come within 3-5 points. Can't really do that this week, as Carter's defense held Arroyo Valley to 3 yards last week. That's right, 3. Chino will obviously get more, but this won't be a rout by any means.
Chino 23, Carter 14

La Quinta 28, Valley View 6

Montclair at No. 3 Arlington
Making the playoffs is an achievement in itself for the Cavaliers, who deserve a ton of credit for grabbing third place in the Mt. Baldy League and winning five games. However, the Cavs are in for a world of hurt against Arlington's physical rushing attack. Running back Superiorr Reed has 27 touchdowns and 1,634 yards rushing for the Lions, figures that are sure to grow tomorrow.
Arlington 41, Montclair 13

Coachella Valley at Cajon
The only reason that San G isn't the hottest team in the county right now is due to the presence of Cajon, which has won seven in a row since a shutout loss to Kaiser in September. Dual-threat QB Thomas Carter and DB/WR Demontae Kazee are playing at high levels right now and will be too much for the Arabs, who earned the at-large berth out of the Desert Valley League.
Cajon 27, Coachella Valley 12

Colton at Colony
These two teams have tapdanced around each other in the playoffs in recent years, never meeting up despite being among the Central Divisions elite. So for that alone, this game is worth watching. Can a banged-up Colton hold tough against a Colony team that flew under the radar a bit with a 7-3 finish? I think the Yellowjackets are a bit more physical and battle-tested.
Colton 17, Colony 14

No. 2 Palm Springs 35, La Sierra 6

I love this time of year, as the weather gets colder and the hitting gets harder. Which makes me sad that the CIF is thinking of moving the Linfield Christian-Big Bear game Saturday to Lucerne Valley because of snow. I understand the safety concerns Linfield might have of traveling up and down the mountain, but I fail to see how transitioning those concerns from Linfield to Big Bear, which has to travel up and down the mountain to get to Lucerne Valley, is productive in any way. Plus, I love football in the snow.

With that off my chest, on to the predictions starting with the Inland Division.

INLAND DIVISION
Yucaipa at No. 1 Corona Centennial
The forecast here is for pain for Yucaipa. I feel bad for the Thunderbirds, as Justin Price did a wonderful job leading Yucaipa to the playoffs in his first year as coach. But Centennial is playing on a level that's nationally elite right now and I have a hard time seeing Yucaipa holding them below 60 points.
Centennial 63, Yucaipa 13

Chaparral at Upland
The defending Inland champions take on last year's Central Division champions in what should be a good one. Chaparral's record looks weak at 4-6, but the Pumas finished second in a tough Southwestern League and played a ridiculous nonleague state. Upland is too smart to overlook Chaparral, but they'll be surprised by the intensity and physicality that the Pumas possess.
Chaparral 24, Upland 17

Etiwanda at Redlands East Valley
This is where I'll be tomorrow and quite frankly, I'm looking forward to it. it's a battle of strengths, as Etiwanda's explosive offense takes on REV's stifling defense. If REV can be attacked defensively, its in the secondary, which makes it imperative that the Wildcats get a pass rush on Eagle QB Larry Cutbirth. REV's offense doesn't get much pub, but it'll be good enough to win.
Redlands East Valley 27, Etiwanda 21

Corona at No. 4 Chino Hills
This is a potentially tricky first-round matchup for the Huskies, as Corona is talented and athletic. But Chino Hills has added an explosive offense to what was already a stout defense. The Huskies woke up in Sierra League play and are more than capable of playing in a shootout, but I think they'll slow Corona down enough to where that won't be necessary.
Chino Hills 35, Corona 20

Murrieta Valley at No. 3 Rancho Cucamonga
After six Central Division playoff wins during the last two years, the Cougars are moving into the Inland Division with a posh seed and a tough first-round matchup. However, the Rancho offense has been rounding into form during the Baseline League season and should be a little too potent for the Nighthawks.
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Murrieta Valley 30

Roosevelt 42, Claremont 24

Norco at Redlands
This should be a dandy, as these two teams faced each other in the 2006 semifinals. Norco is more versatile than usual, as they have the throwing ability of freshman QB Colt Gerhart (yes, there's another one) to go along with the explosiveness of Stanford-committed RB Kelsey Young. The Redlands defense is pretty stout and will battle, but I think Norco has a few too many weapons.
Norco 28, Redlands 17

No. 2 Vista Murrieta 45, Charter Oak 14

St. Margaret's has been the bully in this division the last two years, taking out county teams in the title game both times (Twentynine Palms in 2008 and Ontario Christian last year). Can someone else crash the party?

First Round
No. 1 Paraclete over Desert Hot Springs
Riverside Notre Dame over Grace Brethren
Big Bear over Linfield Christian
No. 4 St. Margaret's over Campbell Hall
No. 3 Sierra Canyon over Bishop Diego
Sage Hill over Twentynine Palms
Brentwood over Rubidoux
No. 2 Aquinas over Yucca Valley

Quarterfinals
Paraclete over Notre Dame
St. Margaret's over Big Bear
Sierra Canyon over Sage Hill
Aquinas over Brentwood

Semifinals
St. Margaret's over Paraclete
Aquinas over Sierra Canyon

Championship
Aquinas over St. Margaret's

If you want to see county teams do their thing, this is the division for you. With No. 1 Kaiser destroying people and No. 2 Serrano being, well, Serrano, we could have an all-county championship game.

First Round
No. 1 Kaiser over Apple Valley
Beaumont over Granite Hills
Victor Valley over Norte Vista
No. 4 Elsinore over Oak Hills
No. 3 Heritage over Silverado
Summit over West Valley
Ridgecrest Burroughs over Citrus Hill
No. 2 Serrano over Temescal Canyon

Quarterfinals
Kaiser over Beaumont
Elsinore over Victor Valley
Summit over Heritage
Serrano over Burroughs

Semifinals
Kaiser over Elsinore
Serrano over Summit

Championship
Kaiser over Serrano

On to the Central Division, where county teams have been shut out of the seedings. Is there any that are capable of making a run though. Rancho Verde is the no-brainer No. 1 and has the most talent in the division, but the playoffs have been their undoing in recent years. So I could see one of the Desert Valley teams taking charge here.

First Round
No. 1 Rancho Verde over Garey
San Gorgonio over Palm Desert
Chino over Carter
No. 4 La Quinta over Valley View
No. 3 Arlington over Montclair
Cajon over Coachella Valley
Colton over Colony
No. 2 Palm Springs over La Sierra

Quarterfinals
Rancho Verde over San Gorgonio
La Quinta over Chino
Arlington over Cajon
Palm Springs over Colton

Semifinals
La Quinta over Rancho Verde
Arlington over Palm Springs

Championship
La Quinta over Arlington

Before I get into the first-round predictions this week, I'll do my annual predictions for each of the four divisions in the county and expose myself to ridicule and scorn. I'm starting with the Inland Division, which I think can be renamed the Centennial Division. I'm just not seeing any other possibilities.

First Round
No. 1 Corona Centennial over Yucaipa
Chaparral over Upland
Redlands East Valley over Etiwanda
No. 4 Chino Hills over Corona
No. 3 Rancho Cucamonga over Murrieta Valley
Roosevelt over Claremont
Norco over Redlands
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Charter Oak

Quarterfinals
Centennial over Chaparral
REV over Chino Hills
Rancho Cucamonga over Roosevelt
Vista Murrieta over Norco

Semifinals
Centennial over REV
Vista Murrieta over Rancho Cucamonga

Championship
Centennial over Vista Murrieta

Pretty uneventful week at the top of my rankings, though the bottom got quite a shake-up.

1. Oregon (1) - Ducks survive spirited upset bid by Cal to stay undefeated.
2. Auburn (2) - Paid to play or not, Cam Newton is pretty good.
3. TCU (3) - Horned Frogs got scare against San Diego State, took a blow with Utah's loss.
4. Boise State (4) - Broncos have a chance to make big move in the next two weeks with Fresno State and Nevada on deck.
5. Wisconsin (5) - Badgers put 83 up on Indiana. That's not a typo.
6. LSU (6) - Tigers get ho-hum blowout win against Louisiana-Monroe.
7. Stanford (7) - Stanford also got scare, as Arizona State made the Cardinal work.
8. Nebraska (8) - Huskers stand pat after ho-hum win over Kansas.
9. Ohio State (9) - Big second-half propels Buckeyes past Penn State.
10. Michigan State (11) - Spartans have another bye week coming up. It's called Purdue.
11. Oklahoma State (12) - Cowboys add to the Texas misery with a blowout win in Austin.
12. Alabama (13) - Tide gets nice decisive win over Mississippi State.
13. Arkansas (14) - Razorbacks take out UTEP in quick order.
14. Virginia Tech (16) - Hokies have a big one this week at Miami.
15. Missouri (22) - Tigers move up a bunch with a win and some self-correction on my part.
16. Oklahoma (18) - Sooners win, but I couldn't continue to have them ahead of a Missouri team that beat them. Doesn't really make much sense.
17. Nevada (20) - Wolfpack pass huge test in winning at Fresno State.
18. Texas A&M (24) - Aggies are playing extremely well and can really make a mark this week against Nebraska.
19. South Carolina (NR) - Spurrier whips old team to clinch the Gamecocks' first-ever SEC East title.
20. Iowa (10) - Hawkeyes lose to nemesis Northwestern again.
21. USC (NR) - Nice win at Arizona has Trojans back in the rankings.
22. Mississippi State (17) - Bulldogs aren't quite ready for the big time, as Alabama proved.
23. Northern Illinois (NR) - MAC leaders make first appearance after seventh straight win.
24. Arizona (19) - Two straight losses have Wildcats hanging on by a thread.
25. Florida State (NR) - Seminoles best of the mess of Florida teams right now.

Just missed the cut: Michigan, Utah, Miami (Fla)

Dropped out: No. 15 Utah, No. 21 Central Florida, No. 23 San Diego State, No. 25 Florida

Aquinas' nine-game winning streak paid dividends in the East Valley pairings, as the Falcons picked up the No. 2 seed Sunday. The De Anza and Alpha Leagues cleaned up the at-large berths, with Desert Hot Springs and Yucca Valley getting berths from the De Anza to go along with automatic qualifiers Big Bear and Desert Hot Springs.

Desert Hot Springs (7-3) at No. 1 Paraclete (9-1)
Riverside Notre Dame (7-3) at Grace Brethren (7-3)
Linfield Christian (6-4) at Big Bear (8-2)
Campbell Hall (7-3) at No. 4 St. Margaret's (7-3)
Bishop Diego (5-5) at No. 3 Sierra Canyon (9-1)
Sage Hill (8-2) at Twentynine Palms (7-3)
Brentwood (8-2) at Rubidoux (7-2-1)
Yucca Valley (5-4-1) at No. 2 Aquinas (9-1)

A couple of surprises here. First was that Silverado was named the at-large team over a 7-3 San Jacinto team. The SkyHawks were rewarded for a tough nonleague schedule that included a victory over Summit. I'm also surprised that No. 1 seeded Kaiser faced Apple Valley and not their crosstown rival Granite Hills. Serrano got the No. 2 seed in the division.

Apple Valley (5-5) at No. 1 Kaiser (10-0)
Granite Hills (5-5) at Beaumont (7-3)
Norte Vista (5-5) at Victor Valley (8-2)
Oak Hills (7-3) at No. 4 Elsinore (8-2)
Silverado (5-4-1) at No. 3 Heritage (10-0)
West Valley (5-5) at Summit (7-2-1)
Ridgecrest Burroughs (6-4) at Citrus Hill (8-2)
Temescal Canyon (6-4) at No. 2 Serrano (9-1)

The county teams didn't get much respect in the pairings, as no one in the San Andreas or Mt. Baldy League received a seed. Chino was the highest rated team, as it was put on the same side of the bracket at No. 4 La Quinta. They'll host Carter in the first round, with Colton playing at Colony in the other local-local first-round matchup.

Garey (5-5) at No. 1 Rancho Verde (10-0)
Palm Desert (6-4) at San Gorgonio (6-4)
Carter (6-3-1) at Chino (10-0)
Valley View (6-4) at No. 4 La Quinta (8-2)
Montclair (5-5) at No. 3 Arlington (8-2)
Coachella Valley (6-4) at Cajon (8-2)
Colton (7-3) at Colony (7-3)
La Sierra (6-4) at No. 2 Palm Springs (9-1)

No real surprises here, with Corona Centennial, Vista Murrieta, Rancho Cucamonga and Chino Hills serving as the seeded teams. A rematch of the Chino Hills-Redlands East Valley game from earlier in the year could commence in the second round. The best first-round matchup very well could be Norco playing at Redlands.

Yucaipa (6-4) at No. 1 Corona Centennial (10-0)
Chaparral (4-6) at Upland (7-3)
Etiwanda (5-5) at Redlands East Valley (8-2)
Corona (5-5) at No. 4 Chino Hills (8-2)
Murrieta Valley (6-4) at No. 3 Rancho Cucamonga (9-1)
Claremont (7-3) at Roosevelt (8-2)
Norco (8-2) at Redlands (7-2-1)
Charter Oak (6-4) at No. 2 Vista Murrieta (9-1)

With the football pairings set to be released tomorrow, here are my predictions for the Inland, Central and Eastern Divisions. It's the first time I've ever done this, so we'll see how it goes.

As a note, I have Coachella Valley as the Central Division's at-large and I chose a 7-3 San Jacinto as the Eastern's at-large over a 5-4-1 Silverado.

INLAND DIVISION
No. 1 Corona Centennial (Big VIII No. 1) vs. Yucaipa (Citrus Belt No. 3)
Upland (Baseline No. 2) vs. Claremont (Sierra No. 2)
Redlands East Valley (Citrus Belt No. 1) vs. Murrieta Valley (Southwestern No. 3)
No. 4 Chino Hills (Sierra No. 1) vs. Corona (Big VIII No. 4)
No. 3 Rancho Cucamonga (Baseline No. 1) vs. Charter Oak (Sierra No. 3)
Roosevelt (Big VIII No. 2) vs. Chaparral (Southwestern No. 2)
Redlands (Citrus Belt No. 2) vs. Norco (Big VIII No. 3)
No. 2 Vista Murrieta (Southwestern No. 1) vs. Etiwanda (Baseline No. 3)

CENTRAL DIVISION
No. 1 Rancho Verde (Inland Valley No. 1) vs. Coachella Valley (at-large)
Colony (Mt. Baldy No. 2) vs. Colton (San Andreas No. 3)
Cajon (San Andreas No. 1) vs. Montclair (Mt. Baldy No. 3)
No. 4 La Quinta (Desert Valley No. 2) vs. La Sierra (Inland Valley No. 4)
No. 3 Chino (Mt. Baldy No. 1) vs. Carter (San Andreas No. 4)
Arlington (Inland Valley No. 2) vs. Palm Desert (Desert Valley No. 3)
San Gorgonio (San Andreas No. 2) vs. Valley View (Inland Valley No. 3)
No. 2 Palm Springs (Desert Valley No. 1) vs. Garey (Mt. Baldy No. 4)

EASTERN DIVISION
No. 1 Kaiser (Sunkist No. 1) vs. Granite Hills (Desert Sky No. 3)
Citrus Hill (Mountain Pass No. 2) vs. Temescal Canyon (Sunbelt No. 3)
Elsinore (Sunbelt No. 2) vs. Apple Valley (Mojave River No. 3)
No. 4 Summit (Sunkist No. 2) vs. West Valley (Mountain Pass No. 3)
No. 3 Heritage (Sunbelt No. 1) vs. San Jacinto (at-large)
Victor Valley (Desert Sky No. 1) vs. Oak Hills (Mojave River No. 2)
Beaumont (Mountain Pass No. 1) vs. Ridgecrest Burroughs (Desert Sky No. 2)
No. 2 Serrano (Mojave River No. 1) vs. Norte Vista (Sunkist No. 3)

Got back from Carter's playoff-clinching 16-6 victory over Arroyo Valley. This is what's come through so far.

AMBASSADOR LEAGUE
Aquinas 49, Western Christian 7
Ontario Christian 37, Arrowhead Christian 7
Linfield Christian 43, Calvary Murrieta 0

BASELINE LEAGUE
Etiwanda 58, Alta Loma 20 (Wed.)
Rancho Cucamonga 42, Glendora 28 (Thurs.)
Upland 41, Los Osos 38
- Upland and Etiwanda clinch playoff spots, Los Osos eliminated

CITRUS BELT LEAGUE
Redlands East Valley 21, Miller 7 (Thurs.)
Redlands 45 Fontana 0 (Thurs.)
Yucaipa 51, Eisenhower 13 (Thurs.)
- Redlands and Yucaipa clinch playoff spots, Miller eliminated

DE ANZA LEAGUE
Big Bear 21, Twentynine Palms 7
Desert Hot Springs 55, Desert Mirage 14
- Big Bear clinches league title and playoff spot.

DESERT SKY LEAGUE
Victor Valley 25, Ridgecrest Burroughs 24
Silverado 28, Barstow 6
- Victor Valley clinches playoff spot and league title. Burroughs and Granite Hills clinch at-large berths. Silverado can't get an automatic bid, but could still get at-large.

MOJAVE RIVER LEAGUE
Oak Hills 34, Apple Valley 21
Serrano 42, Hesperia 0
- Oak Hills clinches the No. 2 spot, Apple Valley gets the No. 3.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY LEAGUE
Rim of the World 75, Jurupa Hills 0
Riverside Notre Dame 42, Citrus Valley 7
Rubidoux 31, Banning 17

MT. BALDY LEAGUE
Chino 49, Don Lugo 15
Montclair 34, Chaffey 26 (Wed.)
Colony 28, Ontario 7 (Wed.)
- Montclair and Garey clinch playoff berths. Garey wins tiebreaker over Ontario and Don Lugo.

SAN ANDREAS LEAGUE
Carter 16, Arroyo Valley 6
Cajon 40, San Bernardino 21
Colton 24, Rialto 10
San Gorgonio 61, Pacific 0

SIERRA LEAGUE
Damien 31, Claremont 27
Charter Oak 34, South Hills 31 (OT)
Chino Hills 36, Ayala 8 (Thurs.)
- Chino Hills clinches the league title while Claremont and Charter Oak clinch playoff berths over Damien due to a tiebreaker.

SUNKIST LEAGUE
Kaiser 44, Bloomington 8 (Thurs.)
Summit 30, Norte Vista 0 (Thurs.)
Patriot 56, Jurupa Valley 13
- Summit clinches the No. 2 seed, Norte Vista is the No. 3.

NONLEAGUE
Granite Hills 21, Sultana 14

A huge game for the Miller football program took a turn for the bizarre Wednesday night, as Rebel head coach Jeff Strycula was removed from his position via a phone call as a response to an apparent hazing incident involving three of his players.

Those players - quarterback Eric Shufford, defensive end Sean Chaidez and linebacker Jamal Wilson - were held out of the first quarter of Miller's 21-7 loss to Redlands East Valley Thursday night. Details of the incident have yet to be released, but the punishment that Strycula received for it was far more severe.

"I got a call at 10:35 Wednesday night from the principal (Heather Griggs) telling me I was fired," Strycula said. "I've been an absolute wreck. I went to the hospital last night because I was vomiting, dry-heaving, had high blood pressure, wasn't eating. This whole thing has just taken a toll on me and my family. I think it's weird that the players involved were held out a quarter while I was removed from my job."

Miller was in a win-or-go-home situation against REV, as a win would have given them a Citrus Belt League title while the loss eliminated them from playoff consideration. Assistant coach Mike Farnam, who has worked alongside Strycula both at Miller and at Fontana High School, was made the interim football coach Wednesday night and was given the uneviable task of trying to deal with the chaos.

"You wouldn't have known what the kids were going through based on the way they played, because they played their hearts out, but last night was stressful," Farnam said. "There were several different rumors going around and it seemed like everyone had heard something else. To deal with that before a game was terrible. It was one of the worst things I've ever had to go through because of my friendship with Jeff and my love for these kids."

It's a situation that might not be completely resolved either. Rumors have surfaced that Strycula wasn't fired and that his removal from the proceedings Wednesday - he was banned from being at the school in any capacity Thursday - was more a suspension than a firing. Neither Griggs nor Miller athletic director John Romagnoli were available for comment Friday. Strycula is treating it as a firing.

"I was told that I was being relieved from my duties as football coach Wednesday night and could not return to school until Monday," said Strycula, a physical education teacher at Miller. "I haven't heard anything since then, so I'm assuming that I'm not the Miller football coach.

"I really don't know if I can even come to work Monday. The stress has already hospitalized me once and I just don't know if I can deal with teachers and students asking me about what happened and why I'm not the coach. I feel the worst for the kids and their families - I had a good group of kids and had a great time coaching them this year."

The incident which set in motion this chain of events, which neither Strycula or Farnam would divulge details of due to Fontana Unified School District policy, is the second hazing incident that the Miller program has dealt with in just over a year, as several players were disciplined in 2009 for an incident that was labeled hazing.

While the past 48 hours have been hard on Strycula, there was a glimmer of positivity for his family. His oldest son Andrew, a senior tight end at Redlands East Valley, caught a 21-yard touchdown pass for the game's final score Thursday, something that Strycula believes that REV coach Kurt Bruich made a point to do.

"I feel that Kurt planned that," Strycula said. "We've been friends for a long time and I had talked to him on Thursday before the game and I'm very happy that Andrew was able to get that opportunity. He's a good kid who has really had a hard time with this whole situation and I'm glad he was able to have that moment, though I would have loved to have had a chance to shake his hand and tell him 'good game' on the field after the game."

Redlands East Valley (8-2, 5-0) defeated Miller 21-7 tonight to win its second straight CBL title. The Rebels (5-5, 3-2), who could have gotten first with a victory, were eliminated from the playoffs outright, as they lost a three-way coin flip between Redlands - which defeated Fontana 45-0 - and Yucaipa, which took out Eisenhower 51-13. Redlands (7-2-1, 3-2) will get the second seed out of the league while the Thunderbirds (6-4, 3-2) will be the No. 3 team.

The newest league is last but certainly not least. Like the Ambassador, the automatic playoff berths and seedings have been decided.

1. Rubidoux (6-2-1, 4-0): The Falcons have clinched a playoff spot and the No. 1 seed out of the Mountain Valley League regardless of what they do Friday against Banning due to its head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over Notre Dame.

2. Notre Dame (6-3, 3-1): The Titans have clinched a playoff spot and the No. 2 seed out of the Mountain Valley League regardless of what they do Friday against Citrus Valley due to losing the head-to-head to Rubidoux and owning the head-to-head over Rim of the World.

3. Rim of the World (3-6, 2-2): The Fighting Scots are eliminated from automatic playoff consideration due to losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Notre Dame. However, a win over Jurupa Hills Friday might put it in consideration for an at-large playoff berth.

4. Banning (3-6, 2-2): The Broncos are eliminated from automatic playoff consideration due to losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Notre Dame. A win over Rubidoux could help toward an at-large berth, but Banning would probably need Rim to lose as well, as the Scots defeated the Broncos earlier in the season.

5. Citrus Valley (3-6, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

6. Jurupa Hills (1-6, 0-4): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

This league's two guaranteed playoff spots are already clinched, as are the seedings, so besides Ontario Christian having faint at-large chances, this is boring as heck. Just to warn ya.

1. Aquinas (8-1, 4-0): Has clinched a playoff spot and the No. 1 seed out of the Ambassador League regardless of what it does Friday against Western Christian.

2. Linfield Christian (5-4, 3-1): Has clinched a playoff spot and the No. 2 seed out of the Ambassador League regardless of what it does Friday against Calvary Murrieta due to its head-to-head tiebreaker advantages over Ontario Christian and Western Christian.

3. Ontario Christian (3-6, 2-2): The Knights are eliminated from automatic playoff consideration because Linfield Christian owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. The only shot Ontario Christian has is to beat Arrowhead Christian Friday and hope that making the East Valley championship game last year holds weight in the at-large selection process.

4. Western Christian (3-6, 2-2): The Lancers are eliminated from automatic playoff consideration because Linfield Christian owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. A win over Aquinas could look good for an at-large selection, but it likely wouldn't be enough.

5. Arrowhead Christian (3-6, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

6. Calvary Murrieta (1-8, 0-4): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

Its schools may be off the beaten path a bit, but there's been some very good football played in the De Anza League this year. Not coincidentally, there's quite a free-for-all for the league's two guaranteed playoff spots going on.

1. Twentynine Palms (7-2, 4-0): The Wildcats have clinched a playoff berth regardless of how they do Friday against Big Bear. A win seals up an undisputed title and the No. 1 seed out of the league while a loss puts Twentynine into the No. 2 spot by virtue of losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Bears.

2. Big Bear (7-2, 3-1): The Bears would clinch a playoff spot and the No. 1 seed from the league with a victory over Twentynine Palms by virtue of winning the head-to-head tiebreaker. They can also make it with a Desert Hot Springs loss to Desert Mirage. If Big Bear loses, Desert Hot Springs wins and Yucca Valley loses to Shadow Hills, Big Bear would lose out on the No. 2 spot to DSH because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. A loss coupled with DSH and Yucca wins would cause a three-way flip for the No. 2 spot, as each team would be 1-1 against the other two. Either way, the Bears are a cinch to make it as an at-large if they don't snap up one of the two automatic slots.

3. Desert Hot Springs (6-3, 2-2): The Golden Eagles would qualify as the No. 2 team out of the De Anza with a win over Desert Mirage and losses by Big Bear and Yucca Valley by virtue of owning the head-to-head tiebreaker with Big Bear. A loss by Big Bear and a win by Yucca Valley would cause a three-way flip for the last automatic playoff spot. A loss of any kind would eliminate DSH from getting an automatic berth, but the Golden Eagles would be in good shape for an at-large with a 6-4 or 7-3 overall record.

4. Yucca Valley (4-4-1, 2-2): Yucca Valley needs a win, a Desert Hot Springs win and a loss by Big Bear to get into a three-way flip for the last automatic spot. Otherwise, Yucca Valley needs a win of any sort to keep any at-large hopes alive. A loss would certainly eliminate the Trojans from all playoff consideration.

5. Desert Mirage (1-8, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

6. Shadow Hills (1-8, 0-4): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

Now that I've predicted the games, I'll start finishing up these playoff scenario. After three pretty easy ones, the DSL is making my head spin a bit.

1. Ridgecrest Burroughs (6-3, 3-0): Burroughs is the only team to have clinched a playoff spot already and would clinch a league title and its No. 1 seed in the Eastern Division playoffs with a win Friday against Victor Valley. It would get the No. 2 seed in a loss by virtue of losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Jackrabbits.

2. Victor Valley (7-2, 2-1): The Jackrabbits would clinch a playoff spot, the league title and the No. 1 seed out of the DSL in the playoffs with a victory over Burroughs. It would also clinch with a loss and a Barstow win over Silverado, getting the No. 2 seed over Granite Hills by virtue of owning the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cougars. However, a loss and a Silverado win would cause a three-way coin flip for two spots between Victor Valley, Granite Hills and Silverado by virtue of each team going 1-1 against the other two. Due to its record though, Victor Valley has a good shot at the at-large even if it loses the coin flip.

3. Granite Hills (4-5, 2-2): The Cougars are done with their league season and clinch a playoff spot with a Silverado loss or a Victor Valley win. If Silverado loses, Granite Hills is the No. 3 no matter what Victor Valley does, as the Cougars lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with Victor Valley. If Victor Valley wins, Granite Hills is the No. 3 no matter what Silverado does as the Cougars own the head-to-head over the Hawks. A Silverado win and a Victor Valley loss would bring about the three-way coin flip for two spots. Unlike Victor Valley, Granite Hills wouldn't have much of a shot at an at-large.

4. Silverado (4-4-1, 1-2): There is no way for Silverado to make the playoffs without winning a coin flip, but they must beat Barstow and have Victor Valley lose to get to that scenario. A win and a Victor Valley win would put the Hawks in a tie with Granite Hills for third, with the Cougars getting the nod due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. If Silverado finishes fourth in the above scenarios, it has a shot at the at-large playoff berth. A loss to Barstow would eliminate Silverado from consideration.

5. Barstow (1-8, 0-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

Doing this a day earlier than normal, as several county teams are pulling a Conference USA and playing on a Wednesday. Only dropped five games last week, which is tied with my high performance of the season to date. We'll see if I get any smarter this week.

Redlands East Valley at Miller
With Miller's upset at Redlands last week, this game is now for the Citrus Belt League title. These teams have played classics the last three years, with each game going down to the final minute. If the good Miller shows up and stays for a while, this game could very well be the same. I'll be out to see this game Thursday and I expect a close game that goes to be more even-tempered team - which is REV.
Redlands East Valley 21, Miller 14

Upland at Los Osos
The tide in this series turned in 2008, when Upland smacked down the Grizzlies in the CIF semifinals to end a sizable losing streak to Los Osos. The Highlanders have added two more wins since, including a CIF championship win last December. A Los Osos win would put the Baseline on tilt, as Upland, Los Osos and Etiwanda would have to flip for two spots behind Rancho Cucamonga. An Upland win would make things nice and easy. We like nice and easy.
Upland 28, Los Osos 24

Ridgecrest Burroughs at Victor Valley
It very well could be feast or famine for the Jackrabbits. If they defeat Burroughs at home, Victor Valley will be the Desert Sky League champions and the No. 1 seed out of the league going into the playoffs. A loss could send them into a three-way tie for second with Silverado and Granite Hills and a resulting coin flip. While Victor Valley is in good shape for the at-large, it wouldn't mind not going down that road. But it might have to, as I see Burroughs winning.
Burroughs 30, Victor Valley 17

Carter at Arroyo Valley
The SAL is nice and simple, as the top three playoff spots are set with seeding locked in and this game settling the No. 4 spot. Carter is extremely close to being undefeated, losing to Cajon and San G by one score and Colton in overtime. Arroyo Valley, meanwhile, wasn't really close in any of its games against the Big 3. While the transitive property is dangerous to use to predict games, I feel as if Carter is a bit more equipped for this game.
Carter 21, Arroyo Valley 13

Summit at Norte Vista
The SkyHawks gave Kaiser all it could handle last week, actually having the top-ranked Cats behind in the fourth quarter before relenting and losing 19-7. Now can Summit shake off a possible letdown and get its first second-place finish in league? Norte Vista is physical and will try to pound the Cats. A first-round home playoff game is at stake, which should be enough for Summit to overcome any thoughts of regret from last week.
Summit 28, Norte Vista 22

Apple Valley at Oak Hills
Another game between teams jostling for seeding happens in the Mojave River League, as Oak Hills wants to cement its first season in league with a solid second-place finish. Apple Valley has been erratic at times, struggling to put away Sultana last week to clinch the playoff spot. The Bulldogs piledrove Hesperia last week and should take care of the Sun Devils this week.
Oak Hills 27, Apple Valley 14

Big Bear at Twentynine Palms
This is another league-title showdown, as the Wildcats will try to capture their fourth straight De Anza title by beating the Bears on their home turf. I expect this game to be a dandy, as the Bears' option attack is being executed in tip-top form with junior quarterback Zakk Planz while the Wildcats have profited from the bruising running of fullback Chris Fuifui. However, I like the Bears here in a mild upset.
Big Bear 24, Twentynine Palms 22

Ontario at Colony
I could write a dissertation on the Mt. Baldy League playoff situation and still not explain it correctly. However, I'm going to defer to my colleague Clay Fowler on this, as I would probably turn myself crosseyed trying to explain how a five-way tie at 2-4 for two playoff spots (which is mathematically possible) could work. This game could contribute to that chaos, as Ontario is one of four teams at 2-3 playing a Colony team that has its spot already set. Colony could be nice, let the Jaguars win and save us all from grief, but it won't.
Colony 34, Ontario 14

Ayala at Chino Hills
This battle of Chino Hills typically has huge implications riding on it but really doesn't this year, at least for Ayala, as the Bulldogs are long since eliminated from the playoffs. Chino Hills could still sneak out with a Sierra League title, as South Hills' upset of Claremont last week opened up that door just a tad. The Huskies still need Claremont to lose to Damien for a league title to happen, but they'll do their part tonight.
Chino Hills 38, Ayala 6

Ontario Christian at Arrowhead Christian
With only two teams automatically making the playoffs out of the Ambassador League, Ontario Christian is in a precarious spot. Aquinas and Linfield Christian have the two spots locked up, which leaves the 3-6 Knights, who made the East Valley finals a year ago, scrambling for an at-large. How does this game with ACA factor in? Well, a few style points wouldn't hurt, so I expect Ontario Christian to put a hurting on the Eagles and hope for the best on Sunday.
Ontario Christian 44, ACA 10

Other games of note
Aquinas 48, Western Christian 14
Rancho Cucamonga 38, Glendora 13
Etiwanda 65, Alta Loma 7
Redlands 49, Fontana 6
Yucaipa 38, Eisenhower 10
Yucca Valley 45, Shadow Hills 0
Silverado 28, Barstow 6
Serrano 42, Hesperia 0
Chino 49, Don Lugo 20
Montclair 26, Chaffey 22
Rim of the World 56, Jurupa Hills 12
Riverside Notre Dame 45, Citrus Valley 9
Colton 28, Rialto 7
San Gorgonio 62, Pacific 14
Cajon 55, San Bernardino 12
Kaiser 43, Bloomington 6
Granite Hills 16, Sultana 6

Last week: 26-5
Overall: 226-78-3

I could basically copy and paste the Sunkist League breakdown in here, as the three playoff participants have already been decided, with one game to decide seeding to be played Friday.

1. Serrano (8-1, 3-0): The Diamondbacks have clinched the league title and the No. 1 seed no matter what they do Friday against Hesperia due to their head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over Oak Hills and Apple Valley.

2. Oak Hills (6-3, 2-1): The Bulldogs have clinched a playoff spot and are playing Apple Valley for the No. 2 seed. Should Oak Hills lose, it will get the No. 3 seed out of the league.

3. Apple Valley (5-4, 2-1): The Sun Devils have clinched a playoff spot and are playing Oak Hills for the No. 2 seed. Should Apple Valley lose, it will get the No. 3 seed out of the league.

4. Sultana (2-7, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

5. Hesperia (1-8, 0-3): Elimianted from playoff consideration.

Redlands East Valley wrestler Chris Mecate and volleyball player Krista Vansant will sign National Letters of Intent tomorrow morning as part of the beginning of the Fall Signing Period. Mecate will sign with Old Dominion in the principal's office at 7 a.m. while Vansant will sign with the University of Washington at 7:30 a.m. in Kurt Bruich's office.

This is a pretty easy, straightforward league, as all three spots have been clinched and only one game matters in relation to seeding.

1. Kaiser (9-0, 4-0): Clinched a playoff berth and the No. 1 seed regardless of what it does Thursday against Bloomington thanks to owning the head-to-head tiebreakers with both Summit and Norte Vista.

2. Summit (6-2-1, 3-1): Has clinched a playoff berth and will play Norte Vista Thursday for the No. 2 seed. Should the SkyHawks lose, they'll get the No. 3 seed.

3. Norte Vista (5-4, 3-1): Has clinched a playoff berth and will play Summit Thursday for the No. 2 seed. Should the Braves lose, they'll get the No. 3 seed.

4. Bloomington (4-5, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

5. Patriot (3-6, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

6. Jurupa Valley (1-8, 0-4): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

Got a text message from Cajon athletic director Rich Imbriani indicating that senior volleyball player Mackenzie Roddy will be signing a National Letter of Intent to Northern Illinois University at 11 a.m. Wednesday in his office.

Know of any other players signing this week? Drop me a note at tj.berka@inlandnewspapers.com.

Now to a much simpler league than a Citrus Belt, as the SAL is basically figured out save for the fourth playoff spot.

1. Cajon (7-2, 6-0): Has clinched a playoff berth and the No. 1 spot out of the league no matter what it does against San Bernardino Friday thanks to owning the head-to-head tiebreaker with San Gorgonio.

2. San Gorgonio (5-4, 5-1): Has clinched a playoff berth and the No. 2 spot out of the league no matter what it does against Pacific Friday thanks to owning the head-to-head tiebreaker with Colton.

3. Colton (6-3, 4-2): Has clinched a playoff berth and the No. 3 spot out of the league no matter what it does against Rialto Friday thanks to owning the head-to-head tiebreakers with Carter and Arroyo Valley.

4. Carter (5-3-1, 3-3): Clinches the No. 4 playoff spot with a victory over Arroyo Valley Friday. Still could get in as the at-large with a loss.

5. Arroyo Valley (4-5, 3-3): Clinches the No. 4 playoff spot with a victory over Carter Friday. Probably wouldn't have much of an at-large shot with a loss and the resulting 4-6 record.

6. Rialto (5-4, 2-4): The Knights have no shot a one of the four playoff spots, but a win over Colton Friday and a Carter win over Arroyo Valley might get Rialto in the conversation for an at-large berth.

7. San Bernardino (3-6, 1-5): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

8. Pacific (0-9, 0-6): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

As per tradition on this blog, the last week brings my team-by-team playoff breakdown. We'll start in the Citrus Belt League, which turned into a clusterbomb last week with Miller's upset of Redlands.

1. Redlands East Valley (7-2, 4-0): Have clinched playoff spot. Will win an undisputed league title and get the No. 1 seed with a win Thursday over Miller. A loss to the Rebels puts REV in the No. 2 spot by virtue of losing the head-to-head tiebreaker.

2. Miller (5-4, 3-1): Can clinch a playoff spot and the No. 1 seed with a win Thursday over REV. If the Rebels lose, they need either Redlands or Yucaipa to lose to avoid a coin-flip. A Redlands win over Fontana and Yucaipa loss against Eisenhower gives Miller the No. 2 seed because Miller owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Terriers. A Yucaipa win and a Redlands loss gives Miller the No. 3 seed, as Yucaipa owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. If Miller loses and Redlands and Yucaipa win, a three-way coin flip for two spots happens because each team is 1-1 against the other two (Miller beat Redlands, Redlands beat Yucaipa, Yucaipa beat Miller).

3. Redlands (6-2-1, 2-2): A win and a Miller win clinches a playoff spot for the Terriers no matter what Yucaipa does, as they own the head-to-head tiebreaker with Yucaipa. A a Yucaipa loss also clinches a playoff spot even if Redlands loses due to the head to head tiebreaker. A win, a Yucaipa win and a Miller loss causes the three-way coinflip for two spots. A loss and a Yucaipa win eliminates the Terriers, as there is no at-large playoff spot in the Inland Division.

4. Yucaipa (5-4, 2-2): Yucaipa gets into the playoffs with a win and a Redlands loss. A win, a Redlands loss and a Miller loss would give the Thunderbirds the No. 2 seed because Yucaipa owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Miller. A win, a Miller loss and a Redlands win causes a three-way flip for two spots. A win, a Miller win and a Redlands win eliminates the T-Birds, as they lose the head-to-head with Redlands. A loss in any scenario eliminates Yucaipa.

5. Eisenhower (1-8, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff competition. Could force a three-way tie for third with Redlands and Yucaipa if it beats Yucaipa and Redlands loses, but would lose the tiebreaker to Redlands.

6. Fontana (0-9, 0-4): Eliminated from playoff competition.

1. Oregon (1) - No letdown as Ducks destroy Washington
2. Auburn (2) - Cam Newton overcomes allegations to smack down Chattanooga.
3. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs move up after humiliating Utah.
4. Boise State (3) - Broncos kill a good Hawaii team and still move down. Life is tough sometimes.
5. Wisconsin (7) - Badgers put away Purdue in second half.
6. LSU (16) - Win over Alabama makes Tigers the big upward mover this week.
7. Stanford (9) - Cardinal in tip-top form in blowout over Arizona.
8. Nebraska (10) - Huskers avoid huge overtime scare against Iowa State.
9. Ohio State (8) - Lack of quality wins starting to catch up with Buckeyes.
10. Iowa (13) - Hawkeyes survive after Indiana drops last-second pass in end zone.
11. Michigan State (14) - Spartans roll a horrible Minnesota team.
12. Oklahoma State (18) - Cowboys shoot up after blowing out Baylor.
13. Alabama (6) - Tide's national championship hopes dealt fatal blow by LSU.
14. Arkansas (19) - Razorbacks look impressive in win over South Carolina.
15. Utah (5) - I guess if you are going to lose your national championship hopes, losing by 40 at home is a colorful way to do it.
16. Virginia Tech (20) - Hokies quietly climbing with seven straight wins.
17. Mississippi State (21) - Bulldogs have chance to make statement at Alabama.
18. Oklahoma (11) - Sooners get stood up at the goal line three times in loss to Texas A&M.
19. Arizona (12) - Wildcats get stomped at Stanford.
20. Nevada (NR) - Wolfpack take advantage of the carnage to move into top 20.
21. Central Florida (NR) - Knights get big win at Houston to move into rankings.
22. Missouri (15) - Nebraska letdown painful as Tigers lose at Texas Tech
23. San Diego State (NR) - Quietly 7-2, the Aztecs are full of promise and county kids.
24. Texas A&M (NR) - Aggies stuff Oklahoma to move into poll for first time.
25. Florida (NR) - Two straight wins has Florida back in top 25.

Under consideration: South Carolina, USC, North Carolina

Dropped out: No. 17 South Carolina, No. 22 Baylor, No. 23 N.C. State, No. 24 Florida State, No. 25 Hawaii

DIVISION 3
First Round
Wild card A at No. 1 Laguna Beach
El Segundo at Aliso Niguel
Ayala at Mira Costa
Wild card B at No. 2 La Canada
Wild card C at No. 3 Palos Verdes
South Pasadena at Capo Valley
Wild card D at Santa Monica
Estancia at No. 2 Damien

Wild Card
A: Claremont at Temple City
B: Godinez at Beverly Hills
C: Culver City at Saddleback
D: Tesoro at Peninsula

DIVISION 4
First Round
Wild card A at No. 1 Royal
La Habra at Redlands East Valley
Arroyo Grande at Los Osos
Wild card B at No. 4 Cerritos
Wild card C at No. 3 Righetti
Wild card D at Redlands
Upland at Troy
Wild card E at No. 2 Agoura

Wild Card
A: Rancho Cucamonga at Paso Robles
B: Westlake at Yucaipa
C: Warren at Sunny Hills
D: Alta Loma at Thousand Oaks
E: San Luis Obispo at Downey

DIVISION 7
First Round
Wild card A at No. 1 Santa Ynez
Rancho Alamitos at Hacienda Heights Wilson
Ocean View at Don Lugo
Wild card B at Cajon
Arroyo Grande at No. 3 Nipomo
Wild card C at Orange
Wild card D at Los Amigos
Wild card E at No. 2 Nogales

Wild Card
A: Montclair at Pacific
B: San Dimas at Lompoc Cabrillo
C: Sierra Vista at Garden Grove
D: Citrus Valley at Chino
E: Summit at Santa Ana

Four county teams received seeds in the brackets today, with Redlands East Valley grabbing a No. 2 seed in Division 1-A, Upland Christian grabbing the No. 2 seed in D4-A, Chino Hills getting the No. 4 seed in D2-AA and Rim of the World getting the No. 4 seed in Division 3-A. REV will be going for a fourth straight CIF title. Wild-card games will be played Monday, with first-round games on Tuesday.

Division 1-A
First Round
Villa Park at No. 1 Marymount
Glendora at Paso Robles
Temecula Valley at El Dorado
Estancia at Valencia
Brea Olinda at Vista Murrieta
Marlborough at Upland
Yucaipa at Northwood
Atascadero at No. 4 Laguna Beach
Immaculate Heart at No. 3 Corona del Mar
Arroyo Grande at Foothill
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Saugus
Fontana at Los Osos
Esperanza at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Beckman at Murrieta Valley
West Ranch at San Luis Obispo
Alta Loma at Redlands East Valley

Redlands falls after being upset, also creating a potential Citrus Belt League playoff logjam in the process. Upland also returns after a one-week hiatus.

Sun Top 10

1. Kaiser (9-0)
Previous ranking: 1. Last week: def. No. 10 Summit, 19-7. Up next: Thursday at Bloomington (4-5).

2. Chino Hills (7-2)
Previous ranking: 2. Last week: def. Covina Charter Oak, 29-22. Up next: Thursday vs. Ayala (4-5).

3. Redlands East Valley (7-2)
Previous ranking: 3. Last week: def. Yucaipa, 22-0. Up next: Thursday at Miller (5-4).

4. Rancho Cucamonga (8-1)
Previous ranking: 5. Last week: def. Etiwanda, 34-21. Up next: Thursday at Glendora (5-4).

5. Serrano (8-1)
Previous ranking: 6. Last week: def. Oak Hills, 31-9. Up next: Friday vs. Hesperia (1-8).

6. Chino (9-0)
Previous ranking: 7. Last week: def. Ontario, 47-13. Up next: Friday vs. Don Lugo (3-6).

7. Cajon (7-2)
Previous ranking: 8. Last week: def. Carter, 21-13. Up next: Friday vs. San Bernardino (3-6).

8. Upland (6-3)
Previous ranking: NR. Last week: def. Glendora, 41-14. Up next: Friday at Los Osos (5-4).

9. Redlands (6-2-1)
Previous ranking: 4. Last week: lost to Miller, 10-7. Up next: Thursday at Fontana (0-9).

10. Summit (6-2-1)
Previous ranking: 10. Last week: lost to No. 1 Kaiser, 19-7. Up next: Friday at Riverside Norte Vista (5-4).

Just missed the cut: San Gorgonio (5-4), Colton (6-3), Aquinas (8-1).

Dropped out: No. 9 Colton (6-3).

If you love cross country -- and I'm sure there are many of you who do - Mt. San Antonio College is the place to be the next two Saturdays, Nov. 13 and 20.
The CIF-SS released the heat sheets for the CIF Prelims Nov. 13. In all, there will be 33 races, beginning at 7:45 a.m. and the last one beginning at 4:05 p.m. There will be a county team or individual competing in 31 of 33 races. It was also announced on Saturday that the Aquinas and Western Christian boys teams were selected as at-large teams in Division 5 based on their rankings.

Here are some races to keep an eye on:
Race 5, Boys Division 2, 8:43 a.m.
Ayala and Sultana, two schools better known for their girls teams, also have solid boys teams in search of the CIF Finals.
Race 24, Boys Division 1, 2:06 p.m.
Former Citrus Belt League rivals Rialto and Redlands East Valley will battle. Rialto won the San Andreas League this year, while REV was a close second to Yucaipa in the CBL.
Race 26, Boys Division 1, 2:33 p.m.
This one has five county teams in it. State ranked Rancho Cucamonga is there, as is CBL champion and defending state qualifier Yucaipa. Redlands, third in the CBL is there as is Chaffey, Upland and Christian Navarro of Los Osos.
Race 31, Girls Division 1, 3:38 p.m.
Two of the top teams in the county, Rancho Cucamonga and Redlands will be represented as will Los Osos and Rialto.

Kaiser stays No. 1 after a stern test from Summit.

AMBASSADOR LEAGUE
Aquinas 70, Arrowhead Christian 17
Ontario Christian 37, Calvary Murrieta 28
Linfield Christian 38, Western Christian 17

BASELINE LEAGUE
Upland 41, Glendora 14
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Etiwanda 21
Los Osos 70, Alta Loma 17

CITRUS BELT LEAGUE
Redlands East Valley 22, Yucaipa 0
Miller 10, Redlands 7

DE ANZA LEAGUE
Twentynine Palms 31, Yucca Valley 7

DESERT SKY LEAGUE
Ridgecrest Burroughs 30, Silverado 20
Victor Valley 20, Granite Hills 7

MOJAVE RIVER LEAGUE
Apple Valley 29, Sultana 26
Oak Hills 66, Hesperia 14

MOUNTAIN VALLEY LEAGUE
Rubidoux 56, Citrus Valley 8
Riverside Notre Dame 33, Rim of the World 27
Banning 62, Jurupa Hills 27

MT. BALDY LEAGUE
Chino 47, Ontario 13
Colony 41, Montclair 18
Chaffey 38, Garey 34

SAN ANDREAS LEAGUE
Cajon 21, Carter 13
San Gorgonio 29, Colton 7
Arroyo Valley 47, San Bernardino 13
Rialto 52, Pacific 14

SIERRA LEAGUE
Chino Hills 29, Charter Oak 22
Damien 37, Ayala 14
South Hills 29, Claremont 14

SUNKIST LEAGUE
Kaiser 19, Summit 7
Bloomington 15, Jurupa Valley 7
Norte Vista 20, Patriot 14

NONLEAGUE
Serrano 21, Barstow 6

Big one in Fontana tomorrow heads off this slate. A little better performance last week, only missing two of the featured games, so we'll see if we can't tighten that up a bit more.

Summit at Kaiser
As I was evaluating this game, I suddenly wondered about what would happen if Kaiser had to play in a close game. The Cats have been drilling people - which is why they are No. 1 in the Sun, Daily Bulletin and Eastern Division polls - typically playing a half of football. Odds are that Summit, with Devon Blackmon and Montigo Alford, will test Kaiser like it hasn't been tested before. But I think the Cats will pass that test and continue their special season.
Kaiser 30, Summit 18

Rancho Cucamonga at Etiwanda
The Cougars came up with a big win last week, defeating Upland, but they can't afford to relax against a tricky Etiwanda squad. With QB Larry Cutbirth and RB Marcus Mason, the Eagles could have the most versatile and explosive offense in the county. But their defense gives up points almost as quickly as their offense scores them. Rancho will be tested tonight, but will make enough big plays to win another shootout.
Rancho Cucamonga 42, Etiwanda 34

Miller at Redlands
Last week's unexpected loss to Yucaipa puts Miller in desperation mode coming into this game, as they need to win at least one of the next two against the Redlands schools to have a shot at the playoffs. That's easier said than done though. Theoretically this looks to be the easiest of the two, but it's not that easy. Redlands has bounced back nicely from the REV heartbreaker and will continue to do so.
Redlands 27, Miller 13

Colton at San Gorgonio
Since both of these teams have already lost to Cajon, this matchup between 4-1 SAL teams is more for second place barring any slipups by the first-place Cowboys. San G has caught fire in league play, winning four in a row to jump into the playoff conversation. Colton has been up and down offensively, but their defense should have enough oomph to come through in this one.
Colton 21, San Gorgonio 14

Chino Hills at Charter Oak
The last time the Huskies went on the road against a Sierra newcomer, they fell in a classic to Claremont. Charter Oak has the talent and the coaching to give the Huskies problems, but the Chino Hills offense has caught fire after a tough start to the season. Expect Chino Hills to overpower Charter Oak just enough offensively for its defense to bring it home late.
Chino Hills 28, Charter Oak 14

Ridgecrest Burroughs at Silverado
This matchup between the Desert Sky League favorites was complicated a bit by Silverado's surprising loss to Granite Hills a couple weeks ago, as the Hawks are not only playing to get another DSL title, but to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Burroughs is in a bit easier position with a loss, but I don't think they'll have to sweat it out at all. The Burros will win and give Silverado some sleepless nights going into the finale.
Burroughs 27, Silverado 14

Twentynine Palms at Yucca Valley
The premier game in the Morongo Valley has some major implications, as Yucca's upset victory over Desert Hot Springs last week has them in position to get a league title with a win over three-time defending champion Twentynine Palms. A win assures the Wildcats at least a share of the De Anza title and sets up another showdown next week with Big Bear. I think this game will be low-scoring and nasty, with 29 winning again.
Twentynine Palms 19, Yucca Valley 13

Yucaipa at Redlands East Valley
The Thunderbirds have been a nice story in the CBL, taking to new coach Justin Price wonderfully in a 5-3 start that saw a big victory at Miller last week. Pulling off another road win against REV would really put the rest of the league, and the county, on its ear. This isn't the most explosive REV team, but its a solid group that should be able to repel the T-Birds, especially with QB Dylan Malone shaken up a bit.

Carter at Cajon
This isn't a game for the first-place Cowboys to sleep on, as Carter is a couple of plays away from being undefeated as well. Can Carter, which lost to Colton in overtime and San G by two points, get a signature victory? They can, but I don't think they will. Cajon is being Cajon, struggling early but finding its stride in league play. Think the Cowboys have a bit too much.
Cajon 24, Carter 17

Riverside Notre Dame at Rim of the World
With first-place Rubidoux having already dispatched these two teams, this matchup is for second place in the Mountain Valley League. Considering that only two teams per league get guaranteed playoff berths, that makes this game big. It's been a tough year for the Fighting Scots, though the reinsertion of Dillon Pretzinger in the offense has helped considerably. I'll take the home team in a coin-flip game.
Rim of the World 26, Notre Dame 23

Other games of note:
Aquinas 48, Arrowhead Christian 0
Ontario Christian 35, Calvary Murrieta 0
Linfield Christian 30, Western Christian 14
Los Osos 45, Alta Loma 7
Upland 34, Glendora 17
Fontana 20, Eisenhower 10
Big Bear 42, Desert Mirage 6
Victor Valley 15, Granite Hills 13
Serrano 28, Barstow 0
Oak Hills 34, Hesperia 6
Apple Valley 35, Sultana 17
Rubidoux 38, Citrus Valley 7
Banning 45, Jurupa Hills 13
Chino 48, Ontario 10
Colony 30, Montclair 10
Garey 38, Chaffey 19
Arroyo Valley 41, San Bernardino 16
Rialto 40, Pacific 9
Riverside Christian 24, Bloomington Christian 12
Damien 23, Ayala 17
Bloomington 33, Jurupa Valley 13

Last week: 25-7
Overall: 200-73-3

Victor Valley College hosted the cross country finals for both the Mojave River League and the Desert Sky League on Wednesday.
Granite Hills, as expected, dominated the DSL. The boys' 23 points, led by winner senior Cody Jordan (16:01) easily defeated runner-up Ridgecrest Burroughs (49).
In a race that had only 23 runners and three scoring teams, the Granite Hills girls (ranked No. 1 in the county) scored a perfect 15 with the first five finishers and seven of the top nine. Granite Hills sophomore Chelsea Bennis won in 19:15. Burroughs was second with 54.

As opposed to the four-team DSL, the five-team MRL had close finishes for both team titles. For the boys, Apple Valley, with five finishers in the top 12, edged out Serrano, 31-38. Serrano's Ben Minick won in 16:23, while Apple Valley's Nick Reynolds was runner-up in 16:38.

The MRL girls has two of the top teams in CIF. Sultana entered the week ranked No. 7 in CIF-SS Division 2, while Serrano is right behind them at No. 8.
And that's how it played out Wednesday. Sultana won with 29 points, to edge out Serrano, with 34. Again Serrano had the individual winner (Melissa Fairchild, 18:01), but not the team winner. Sultana's Hannah Munyan was second in 18:04.

Results were received by The Sun late on Wednesday and will not appear in Thursday's paper. Hope is they will run in Friday's paper.

Many of the county volleyball leagues have already been decided, but the Sunkist League has a big match today at 4:30 p.m., as Summit travels to Riverside Patriot to play for the Sunkist League title.

Both the SkyHawks (15-7 overall) and the Warriors (16-9-2) have identical 8-1 records in league, with Patriot winning four matches in a row since a four-game loss to Summit Oct. 19. The Warriors were ranked No. 12 in the latest CIF-SS Division 4-AA poll. The SkyHawks come in having won three in a row, with their lone loss in league coming in a five-game setback to Jurupa Valley Oct. 21.

The Fall Signing Period for sports such as basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball and water polo starts next Wednesday and lasts through November 17. A few county athletes have set up their signings already.

Ontario Christian gymnast Kaitlyn Clark will be signing a letter of intent to the University of Alabama at Precision Gymnastics in Rancho Cucamonga at 6 p.m. Alabama is one of the top programs in the nation for women's gymnastics.

Rim of the World has also announced a signing ceremony for Nov. 16 at the school. Signing on that day will be softball player Elizabeth Caporuscio, who will be attending Arizona State. Caporuscio, a star pitcher for the Fighting Scots, verbally committed to play for the Sun Devils during her sophomore year.

All coaches and schools which will be having players sign during the Fall Signing Period should e-mail The Sun at sports@inlandnewspapers.com or tj.berka@inlandnewspapers.com or call (909) 483-9305.

1. Oregon (1) - Ducks smack down USC in Coliseum to pass a big test.
2. Auburn (3) - Tigers keep racking up the quality wins.
3. Boise State (2) - Get first test in a while with Hawaii coming to town.
4. TCU (4) - Huge road game at Utah could be TCU's BCS statement.
5. Utah (7) - Copy and paste the TCU comment except switch the two teams.
6. Alabama (8) - Tide in prime position to leap back in title hunt.
7. Wisconsin (9) - Badgers move to the top of the Big Ten lot.
8. Ohio State (10) - Buckeyes still relatively untested, though extremely talented.
9. Stanford (12) - Cardinal put whipping on Washington.
10. Nebraska (13) - Huskers smack around Mizzou to launch back into top 10.
11. Oklahoma (11) - Sooners stay put despite whooping Colorado.
12. Arizona (14) - Wildcats have huge test this week at Stanford.
13. Iowa (20) - Hawkeyes do one-loss teams a favor by destroying Michigan State.
14. Michigan State (5) - Well, it was nice while it lasted for the Spartans.
15. Missouri (6) - Well, it was nice while it lasted for the Tigers.
16. LSU (16) - Game with Alabama this week is a virtual BCS eliminator.
17. South Carolina (17) - Gamecocks continue to control SEC East destiny.
18. Oklahoma State (22) - Who would have thought this week's game against Baylor would be a big one before the season?
19. Arkansas (18) - Win by 35, drop a spot. Hogs still need a signature win.
20. Virginia Tech (21) - Hokies top of a mediocre ACC lot.
21. Mississippi State (24) - Bulldogs get bye to revel in surprising 7-2 record.
22. Baylor (25) - Bears win at Texas for the first time since 1991 and clinch a winning season.
23. N.C. State (NR) - Thursday night win over FSU puts Wolfpack in rankings.
24. Florida State (15) - Christian Ponder will surely have nightmares about his late fumble.
25. Hawaii (NR) - Sixth-straight win gets Warriors a ranking.

Under consideration: Nevada, Central Florida, San Diego State

Dropped out: No. 19 Miami (Fla), No. 23 USC