Recently in Damien High School Category

I was at the Southern California Shootout at Azusa Pacific, with some very intriguing games involving county boys basketball teams.

First, I arrived for the end of the Chino Hills-Upland game, which went into overtime tied 50-50. Myles Pearson went 6-for-6 from the line in the final minute of overtime, snapping a 53-53 tie en route to a 59-53 Upland win.

Next, it was Bloomington Christian and coach Danny Fuller facing his former JV high school coach Mike LeDuc of Glendora. Bloomington Christian, from 5AA, represented itself well, but ultimately came up short, losing 57-46 to the 2A Tartans.

Then it was a wild-and-woolly game between Colony and Santa Maria Righetti. Colony's offense was way off in the first half and the Titans trailed 33-22 at halftime. They picked it up in the second half, and got to within 69-66 in the final minute before Righetti held on for a 77-71 victory. So there were 55 points scored combined in the first half and 93 combined in the second half.

Next was the marquee game of the event, Etiwanda and Damien. Two years ago the same teams played in the same event at APU, and Etiwanda won it on a shot at the buzzer.

This time, Damien led for most of the first half and was ahead 25-23 at halftime. Etiwanda's defense went from very good to stifling in the second half. Damien went more than six minutes from late in the second quarter to the third quarter without scoring a point and Etiwanda began the second half with a 14-0 run. The Eagles never really looked back (Damien never got closer than 9 points) and sophomore Jordan McLaughlin scored 15 of his 27 points in the second half of a 64-45 Etiwanda victory.

A little outside of my normal reach, but I just got an email from IEBP club basketball coach Keith Howard saying that former Damien guard Chris Adams has committed to the University of San Francisco. Adams, a 2010 graduate of Damien, has played for the last year at Mack Academy in Charlotte, N.C. Local fans might remember him from the 2010 CIF-SS Division 2-A semifinal against Eisenhower, as he valiantly scored 34 points in an 82-74 loss to the eventual CIF champion Eagles.

Five county-based basketball players made ESPNRise's All-State Underclass Junior teams recently. Three county girls -- Summit center Jillian Alleyne, Cajon guard Sophia Bhasin and Rialto center Denae Williams were among 20 recognized by the website for their achievements this past season. Bhasin and Wiliams were first-team all-Sun selections this past season while Alleyne was a second-team pick.

Two boys with county selections were among 15 juniors selected for the boys underclass team. Chino Hills native Grant Jerrett, who attends two-time defending state champion La Verne Lutheran, and Chino native Chris Reyes, who is at Damien, were both selected. Jerrett has verbally committed to the University of Arizona.

The complete teams:

Girls
Jordan Adams (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-1 PG
Jillian Alleyne (Summit, Fontana) 6-2 F/C
Aly Beebe (St. Joseph, Santa Maria) 6-5 C
Sophie Bhasin (Cajon, San Bernardino) 5-7 G
Kelsey Brockway (Palos Verdes, PV Estates) 6-1 C/F
Ashlie Bruner (Palisades, Pacific Palisades) 5-6 G
Elisha Davis (Berkeley) 5-8 G
Tia Dixon (San Diego) 5-7 G
Nyre' Harris (Lincoln, Stockton) 5-8 G
Lauren Holiday (Campbell Hall, North Hollywood) 5-9 G
Maya Hood (La Jolla Country Day, La Jolla) 5-10 F
Hannah Huffman (Carondelet, Concord) 5-10 G
Michelle Miller (Poly, Pasadena) 5-6 G
Terilyn Moe (Terra Nova, Pacifica) 5-9 G
Jeanier Olukemi (Brea Olinda, Brea) 6-0 F
Christine Salvatore (Canyon, Anaheim) 5-10 G
Imani Stafford (Windward, Los Angeles) 6-7 C
Annie Tarakchian (Chaminade, West Hills) 6-0 C
Keitra Wallace (Brea Olinda, Brea) 5-11 F
Denae Williams (Rialto) 6-1 F

Boys
Brandon Ashley (Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland) 6-9 C
Zena Esomwan (Harvard-Westlake, N. Hollywood) 6-8 F
Julian Harrell (Loyola, Los Angeles) 6-5 F
Grant Jerrett (Lutheran, La Verne) 6-8 C
Donovan Johnson (Palisades, Pacific Palisades) 6-0 G
Tajai Johnson (Vallejo) 6-2 G
Xavier Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-6 F
Joe Rahon (Torrey Pines, San Diego) 6-1 G
Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-3 G
Chris Reyes (Damien, La Verne) 6-7 F
Matt Shrigley (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad) 6-4 G
E.J. Twyman (Elsinore, Lake Elsinore) 6-1 G
Grant Verhoeven (Central Valley Christian, Visalia) 6-8 C
Tyrone Wallace (Bakersfield) 6-3 F
Gabe York (Lutheran, Orange) 6-3 G

Straying over into Clay Fowler's territory a bit with this post, but Damien sophomore pitcher/outfielder Christopher Kohler verbally committed to USC yesterday according to his parents, Michelle and Richard Kohler. Kohler, who is a lefthanded pitcher and a centerfielder, gave his commitment after a visit to USC.

"Christopher has been a huge Trojan fan all of his life, so this wasn't a hard decision," Richard Kohler said. "Because of his age they can't do anything but send us mail and questionnaires. We visited there a couple of times, they offered and we accepted."

Kohler, who doesn't turn 16 until May 4, is one of the top Southern California prospects in the class of 2013, getting USC's attention during a showcase this past summer at the Dodgers' spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz. While USC was his first scholarship offer, Kohler was getting attention from almost every notable baseball school on the West Coast, most notably UCLA, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State.

Starting to get into a groove now, as I had my best week of the season to date.

Cajon at Colton
This has become the de facto championship game in the San Andreas League and for good reason, as the teams have split the last five league titles and have won seven total since 2000. Needless to say, they are at it again, as both are undefeated in league. It's been a weird season for both, as Colton has become almost pass-happy while Cajon has shown off the double-wing. I think this one will be relatively low scoring, with the home team prevailing.
Colton 20, Cajon 10

Redlands at Yucaipa
The Terriers have the unenviable task of having to recover from a devastating Smudge Pot rivalry loss to Redlands East Valley last week. The schedulemaker didn't do Redlands any favors, as they'll have to play a sneaky-good Yucaipa team with an elite playmaker in quarterback Dylan Malone. The Terriers might be ripe for an upset, but I think they'll pull this one out late.
Redlands 23, Yucaipa 19

Colony at Chino
How real is Chino? That's the million-dollar question heading into this one. The Cowboys have gone from a feeble 0-10 team to a 6-0 juggernaut that is straight pile-driving opponents. However, Chino's opponents haven't exactly been SEC caliber to date. Colony's five-game winning streak has flown under the radar a bit, but the defending champs have a chance to make a splash. And I think they will.
Colony 28, Chino 23

Etiwanda at Upland
If they had odds on this game in Vegas (or on bodog.com) I would take the over because this thing is going to be a track meet. The Eagles have an explosive offense led by the leading passer in the county in Larry Cutbirth, who averages 275 yards per game through the air. Problem is that Etiwanda doesn't really stop anyone on defense. That will prove fatal against the Highlanders, which has a balanced offense and a little more defense.
Upland 44, Etiwanda 36

Oak Hills at Victor Valley
Kind of a slow week in the High Desert, as all the league games pit the haves against the have-nots, but this nonleague tilt has some teeth. Oak Hills has won a lot in its first year-and-a-half, piling up 13 wins, but still doesn't have that signature win over a large-school program. Victor Valley started out firing at 5-0 but lost to Silverado last week and wants to avoid a second-half slide. I think Victor will stem the slide and Oak Hills will still be searching.
Victor Valley 34, Oak Hills 26

Damien at Chino Hills
This game is usually a doozy and should be again this year, as the Huskies come in needing a win pretty badly after falling in a tough league-opener to Claremont this week. Damien came into this year having to overcome some massive personnel losses due to graduation but has equipped itself well, matching Chino Hills' 4-2 record. No one backs Bub into a corner though, as I feel the Huskies will come out swinging.
Chino Hills 23, Damien 9

Kaiser at Patriot
The question this week isn't whether or not Kaiser - the No. 1 team in the Sun, the Daily Bulletin, the Eastern Division and city of Fontana polls - will be Patriot tomorrow. It will. The question, er questions, are how bad and will there be a fifth shutout. I'm answering very bad on the first one and yes on the second. Patriot didn't muster a point against Summit last week - no way its scoring on Kaiser unless the Cats get bored.
Kaiser 48, Patriot 0

Twentynine Palms at Desert Hot Springs
The Wildcats have ruled the De Anza League the last three years, taking the league title each and every year. But DSH has been on an uber roll this season, taking out Aquinas and Rim of the World in the nonleague and grabbing a big win at Big Bear this past weekend. Twentynine Palms is playing pretty well, but the Golden Eagles seem to have some mojo going. That's good enough for me.
Desert Hot Springs 28, Twentynine Palms 18

Rubidoux at Rim of the World
Last week saw the return of Rim of the World running back Dillon Pretzinger from a foot injury. Not coincidentally, it also saw the Fighting Scots look more like the juggernaut that I expected them to be before the season. The table is set for Rim to win the inaugural Mountain Valley League title and while Rubidoux is much improved, I see Rim rolling here.
Rim of the World 28, Rubidoux 13

Glendora at Los Osos
With all respect to the Dallas-Minnesota game this past Sunday I feel that this game is the true "Desperation Bowl". Both of these teams, which came into the season with high expectations, are 0-1 in a three-playoff-berth league and an 0-2 mark would be a sure death sentence in a brutal Baseline in a division with zero at-large berths. So who gets to play the role of a despondent Tony Romo? Unless it goes into overtime, I think Glendora will.
Los Osos 35, Glendora 27

Other games of note:
Rancho Cucamonga 56, Alta Loma 6
Aquinas 40, Calvary Murrieta 0
Linfield Christian 21, Ontario Christian 17
Western Christian 24, Arrowhead Christian 16
Redlands East Valley 61, Eisenhower 12
Miller 38, Fontana 6
Big Bear 27, Yucca Valley 25
Ridgecrest Burroughs 34, Barstow 0
Silverado 26, Granite Hills 10
Apple Valley 38, Hesperia 14
Serrano 38, Sultana 7
Banning 28, Citrus Valley 23
Riverside Notre Dame 50, Jurupa Hills 6
Garey 31, Don Lugo 12
Ontario 27, Montclair 16
Arroyo Valley 45, Pacific 0
Carter 21, Rialto 18
San Gorgonio 36, San Bernardino 13
Banning Twin Pines 26, Bloomington Christian 20
Summit 39, Bloomington 10

Last week: 26-5
Overall: 154-57-3

Just like last year, I'll break down by high school playoff picks by division every week. And just like a year ago, I'll give my predictions on the whole division in this entry. Will my predictions by worth anything? It's hard to tell, especially in a division as spastic as the Central.

Don Lugo at No. 1 Colton
This game was a mercy-killing when it was played in this round two years ago, as the Yellowjackets ran up, down and over Don Lugo. To be honest, I'm expecting more of the same this time around. This is a better Colton team than what Don Lugo faced two years ago and I'll be surprised if the Conquistadores stop them from scoring before the fourth quarter.
Colton 48, Don Lugo 7

Rancho Cucamonga at Glendora
Apparently Greg Watson is supposed to play for the Cougars after being knocked out of the Etiwanda game last week, which is welcome news for Rancho in its defense of its crown. Glendora is a tough team and will be a test, but having Watson running the Cougar offense seals the deal for me.
Rancho Cucamonga 28, Glendora 20

Chaffey at Hemet West Valley
Last year West Valley was the No. 3 seed until Glendora beat it down in the first round. I think West Valley is ripe for another upset, as Chaffey running back Ronald Douglas has 2,150 yards rushing and has been unstoppable lately. Chaffey went a bit tougher than usual in its nonleague schedule this year and that will pay dividends here.
Chaffey 24, West Valley 18

Arroyo Valley at No. 4 Los Osos
Arroyo Valley, while much improved over a year ago, has had a brutal time against quality competition, as it was dispatched in routine fashion by Silverado, Colton and Cajon. Los Osos has been unconscious the last four weeks since being shutout by Upland and has too much firepower for the Hawks.
Los Osos 38, Arroyo Valley 21

Chino Hills at No. 3 Wildomar Elsinore
If I'm Elsinore, I'm pretty ticked right now. In earning the No. 3 seed, you should be able to avoid teams like Chino Hills, which was the co-champion of the Sierra League and got a No. 3 seed due to coin flips. The Huskies are physical on defense and have an offense that's capable of gaining yards in a multitude of ways. Needless to say, I'm pulling the trigger on an upset.
Chino Hills 21, Elsinore 17

Cajon at Etiwanda
I covered this game last year and I must say, it was one of the more frenetic and enjoyable games I've covered at the Sun. The rematch won't quite be that way, as Cajon has employed a power-running game to eat the clock the last two weeks. That will be effective for a while against the Eagles, but ultimately, Angel Santiago and company will be too much.
Etiwanda 30, Cajon 17

Upland at Damien
If Elsinore is pissed, Damien is having a nuclear meltdown about this matchup. After winning four straight games to win a Sierra League co-championship and get the league's No. 1 seed, the Spartans get an 8-2 at-large team in Upland. The Highlander D, so lethal in the first two-thirds of the season, has become easier to move against, but the Upland O has also improved. Sorry Damien.
Upland 26, Damien 19

Menifee Paloma Valley at No. 2 Colony
The Titans are the best team no one is talking about, as the Titans have won nine in a row since losing their opener to Los Osos. There are questions as to the overall quality of Colony's schedule, but that won't matter against Paloma Valley. Colony has way too much talent to be truly threatened here.
Colony 34, Paloma Valley 14

QUARTERFINALS
Colton over Rancho Cucamonga
Los Osos over Chaffey
Chino Hills over Etiwanda
Upland over Colony

SEMIFINALS
Colton over Los Osos
Chino Hills over Upland

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Colton over Chino Hills

After getting the brackets and deciphering them a bit, I'm going to break them down a bit. I'll start with the Central Division, which was basically put on tilt due to the craziness of the Baseline League. Here are the games.

Don Lugo (5-5) at No. 1 Colton (9-1)
Rancho Cucamonga (8-2) at Glendora (7-3)
Chaffey (6-4) at Hemet West Valley (6-4)
Arroyo Valley (7-3) at No. 4 Los Osos (6-4)
Chino Hills (8-2) at No. 3 Elsinore (8-2)
Cajon (7-3) at Etiwanda (7-3)
Upland (8-2) at Damien (5-5)
Paloma Valley (6-4) at No. 2 Colony (9-1)

A couple things stand out to me. First of all, the Sierra League got screwed the most from the Baseline League jumble. Damien, which won the coin flip for the No. 1 seed in the Sierra League, gets stuck with an at-large team in Upland that was ranked No. 1 in the division as recently as three weeks ago. Glendora, another one of the Sierra League tri-champions, gets stuck with Rancho Cucamonga - the No. 3 seed out of the Baseline and the defending division champions - in round one.

However, the third Sierra team, Chino Hills, could emerge as the sleeper in the division. The Huskies were made the No. 3 seed due to coin flips and play at No. 3 Elsinore, but the Huskies have the talent to make a run. Should they get past Elsinore, they'll have a winnable second-round game against the Cajon-Etiwanda winner and get either Colony, Upland and Damien should they get past that. While Colony dealt Chino Hills one of its two losses, I think Chino Hills could do well in a rematch. Beware of the Huskies.

Another thing I noticed are rematches, either scheduled or highly likely. Cajon and Etiwanda lock horns again this year in a rematch of their thrilling first-round game at Cajon a year ago that was won 28-27 by the Cowboys. Also looming is a second-round matchup between Rancho and the No. 1 seed in the division, Colton. They met last year in the first round with Rancho as the first seed, as the Cougars had to come back from a 10-point second-half deficit to grab a 21-17 victory in their toughest test en route to the CIF title. You know that Colton is thirsting for revenge.

Now to a pretty complicated one. Lots of ins and outs and what-have-yous in the Sierra, especially when you factor in a possible at-large berth.

1) Chino Hills (7-2, 3-1): Clinches a playoff spot with a victory tomorrow against Diamond Bar. Will clinch the No. 1 seed with a win and losses by Glendora and Damien, or a win and a Glendora loss, as the Huskies own the head-to-head tiebreaker with Damien. Would get the No. 2 seed with a win, a Damien loss and a Glendora win, as Glendora owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Chino Hills. If Chino Hills, Glendora and Damien all win, a three-way flip for seeding ensues, as each team is 1-1 against the others.
Now, if Chino Hills was shocked by Diamond Bar, hilarity could ensue. A Chino Hills loss and wins by Glendora and Damien would put the Huskies in the No. 3 spot. A loss and a Damien loss would put the Huskies No. 2 by virtue of their tiebreaker over Damien. A loss and a Glendora loss to Ayala would create a three-way tie for third and a coinflip would be held to determine the two spots, as each team would be 1-1 against the other two. A loss by Chino Hills, Damien and Glendora would create a four-way tie for first. In this situation, Chino Hills would get first, as its 2-1 record against the other three teams would be equal to Damien's and head of the 1-2 mark for Glendora and Ayala. At that point, Chino Hills would win the head-to-head tiebreaker against Damien for the No. 1 seed.
So basically, the only way Chino Hills doesn't get an automatic spot is a loss, a Glendora loss and a Damien win. That being said, the Huskies would have a great chance at the at-large against Etiwanda or Claremont. Not so much against Upland though.

2) Glendora (6-3, 3-1): Clinches a playoff spot with a victory tonight over Ayala. Clinches the No. 1 seed with a win, a Damien loss and a Chino Hills win by virtue of owning the head-to-head with Chino Hills. Clinches the No. 2 seed with a win, a Damien win and a Chino Hills loss by virtue of Damien holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over Glendora. A win by all three teams will cause a three-way flip for seeding, as they all would be 1-1 against the others.
A loss to Ayala would throw things in flux. A loss coupled with wins by Damien and Chino Hills would leave Ayala and Glendora tied for third, with Ayala getting the seed by virtue of its head-to-head win. A loss coupled with a Damien loss would also leave the Tartans out, as Damien would be 2-0 against the other two teams, Ayala would be 1-1 and Glendora 0-2. A loss coupled with a Chino Hills loss would cause a three-way flip for two spots, as Chino Hills, Glendora and Ayala would have 1-1 records against the other two. A loss by all three would cause a four-way tie for first and Glendora would be left out, as Chino Hills and Damien would grab the two two spots by virtue of their 2-1 records against the other three, leaving Glendora and Ayala head-to-head for the third spot, which Glendora would lose.
Basically, Glendora needs to win. There's only one loss scenario that can get them in the playoffs, and they'd lose out in the at-large debate to everyone in the Baseline League except possibly Claremont.

3) Damien (4-5, 3-1): Has already clinched a playoff spot. Clinches the No. 1 seed with a win, a Glendora win and a Chino Hills loss, as it owns the tiebreaker over Glendora. Clinches the No. 2 seed with a win, a Chino Hills win and a Glendora loss, as Chino Hills owns the tiebreaker over the Spartans. A win by all three would cause a three-way flip for seeding, as each team has a 1-1 record against the other two.
A loss to Chino only matters because it would eliminate any possibility of the Spartans getting the top seed. A loss coupled with wins by Glendora and Chino Hills would tie Damien with Ayala for third, giving the Spartans the No. 3 seed by virtue of owning the tiebreaker against Ayala. A loss and a Chino Hills loss would make Damien the No. 3 seed as well, as Damien loses the tiebreaker to Chino Hills. A loss plus a Glendora loss would put Damien, Glendora and Ayala in a three-way tie for second, with Damien getting the No. 2 seed because of a 2-0 record against the other two. A loss by Damien, Chino Hills and Glendora would cause a four-way tie for first. Damien and Chino Hills would separate as the top two seeds thanks to their 2-1 records against the other three, with Damien getting the No. 2 seed due to Chino Hills holding the tiebreaker.

4) Ayala (6-3, 2-2): Basically Ayala clinches a playoff spot with a win over Glendora in every scenario but one. That scenario would be a win coupled with a Damien win and a Chino Hills loss, which would cause a three-way flip between Chino Hills, Glendora and Ayala for the last two spots, as each team is 1-1 against the others. A win and wins by Chino Hills and Damien puts the Bulldogs tied with third with Glendora, giving them the No. 3 seed by virtue of the win over Glendora. A win, a Chino Hills win and a Damien loss would put Ayala in the No. 3 spot as well, as Damien would win the tiebreaker for the No. 2 spot by virtue of wins against the other two, while Ayala would beat out Glendora in the head-to-head tiebreaker.
A loss and Ayala is left hoping for an at-large. And unless Claremont is the eligible at-large from the Baseline League, the Bulldogs will not get the extra spot.

5) Diamond Bar (1-8, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

6) Chino (0-9, 0-4): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

Shaved another loss off the old total this past week, putting me down to three. Either I'm starting to get a handle on this season, or some of the teams are deciding to humor me. Guess we'll find out with most of the leagues starting this weekend.

Serrano at Rim of the World
I'll spend my second straight weekend taking Waterman Street up the mountains, as the D-backs and Fighting Scots face off in what should be a doozy. Both teams have great running backs in Serrano senior Dionza Bradford and Rim junior Dillon Pretzinger, but the game might come down to which quarterback can perform well enough to take pressure off the running back. I'm going with an experienced Serrano team in a minor upset.
Serrano 20, Rim of the World 14

Arroyo Valley at Colton
Both of these teams come in with identical 4-1 records, but its safe to say that Colton's 4-1 mark - complete with victories over Kaiser, Palm Springs, La Quinta and Apple Valley - is a little more impressive than Arroyo Valley's conquests over the Alta Lomas and Rialtos of the world. I see the Yellowjackets being a little too much to handle.
Colton 33, Arroyo Valley 16

Los Osos at Upland
This is always one of the more hotly contested games in the county but for the first time since 2005, its not a Brehaut vs. Nunes affair. Los Osos is still passing the ball quite well behind senior quarterback Blake Loncar, but has fallen short in some close games. Upland's played some stifling defense, something I expect will continue in this one.
Upland 21, Los Osos 13

Miller at Yucaipa
If any one is going to challenge the Redlands teams for Citrus Belt League supremacy, its one of these schools. Miller has started league with two routs of CBL underlings while Yucaipa hung with REV for a half before falling 35-7 last week. Both teams can score from anywhere on the field, so this game should be entertaining if nothing else.
Yucaipa 28, Miller 27

Silverado at Victor Valley
The battle for Victorville has been a one-sided affair of late, but this game sees the Jackrabbits coming in 5-0 and ranked No. 8 in the Eastern Division. Silverado is Silverado, winning four in a row after starting its season 0-2. The Hawks also have some big wins, taking out Summit, Palm Desert and Arroyo Valley, and I expect that to help them take this one as well.
Silverado 31, Victor Valley 24

Chino Hills at Damien
If you are Damien, you have to hate life right about now. After playing teams like Rancho Cucamonga, Charter Oak, Bishop Amat and St. John Bosco in the nonleague season, they start league with a very good Chino Hills squad. Perhaps Damien's brutal nonleague death march will help them, but I think the Huskies have a little too much mojo right now.
Chino Hills 24, Damien 17

Riverside Patriot at Kaiser
These teams battled in the season finale last year for the Sunkist League title, a game that Kaiser won going away. I expect much of the same this time around. Kaiser is the best 2-3 team in the county - heck, maybe in Southern California - and Patriot just got slapped down by Victor Valley. Expect the Cats to get in a few shots.
Kaiser 30, Patriot 10

Don Lugo at Chaffey
The Conquistadores, with DL George Uko and DB Steven Bethley, have the star power and three straight wins. But Chaffey had an ambitious nonleague schedule and employs a physical attack that belies its 2-3 record. I think you'll see the defending league champion Tigers triple-team Uko and just pummel the rest of the Don Lugo defenders.
Chaffey 26, Don Lugo 16

Yucca Valley at Big Bear
No one really expected these teams to come in with a combined 1-9 record, as both went to the East Valley quarterfinals a year ago. But as the De Anza League season opens, that's exactly where the Trojans and Bears lie, with a Big Bear victory over Oak Hills two weeks ago being the only non-loss. So it should be intense, though I'll go with the home team to make it two in a row.
Big Bear 23, Yucca Valley 14

Granite Hills at Apple Valley
Another crosstown rivalry in the High Desert that should be infinitely more entertaining than it usually is. Apple Valley has been outstanding offensively over the last two weeks, putting up 67 on San Bernardino and 56 on San Gorgonio, while the Cougars are off to a program-best 4-1 start. Granite is improved and will give the Sun Devils a game, but this will go the way it normally does.
Apple Valley 34, Granite Hills 23

Others games of note:
Etiwanda 40, Alta Loma 13
Rancho Cucamonga 38, Claremont 14
Arrowhead Christian 28, Western Christian 17
Carter 38, Rialto 15
Redlands East Valley 48, Fontana 10
Redlands 46, Eisenhower 12
Twentynine Palms 27, Desert Hot Springs 10
Barstow 33, Ridgecrest Burroughs 27
Hesperia 42, Sultana 13
Garey 28, Montclair 20
Colony 41, Ontario 7
San Gorgonio 55, Pacific 0
Cajon 49, San Bernardino 10
Ayala 44, Chino 6
Summit 34, Bloomington 16
Newport Beach Sage Hill 58, Citrus Valley 6
Aquinas 28, Oak Hills 20

Week: 21-3
Overall: 130-42

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, this one is pretty simplistic, as the three teams have already been decided. It's that pesky business of seeding that is at play here.

1. Ayala (8-1, 4-0): By virtue of their victory over Chino Hills last week, the Bulldogs will be the fifth different Sierra champion in three years with a victory over Glendora tomorrow. A loss though would either give Ayala the No. 2 seed if Chino Hills loses or subject it to a three-way coin flip for seeding if Chino Hills wins.

2. Chino Hills (8-1, 3-1): Chino Hills' only shot at getting the No. 1 seed involves a win over Diamond Bar and a Glendora win over Ayala. In that case, a three-way flip would take place between the Huskies, Ayala and Glendora. A Glendora loss would give Chino Hills the No. 2 slot no matter what, while a loss and a Glendora win would drop the Huskies to the No. 3 seed.

3. Glendora (6-3, 3-1): The Tartans can win the No. 1 if they beat Ayala and Chino Hills loses to Diamond Bar by virtue of a head-to-head win over Ayala. They'd be in a three-way flip with a win and a Chino Hills win. A loss and a Chino Hills loss would knock Glendora to the No. 3 seed by virtue of Chino Hills' victory over Glendora.

4. Damien (2-7, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff contention.

5. Diamond Bar (4-5, 1-3): Eliminated from playoff contention.

6. Chino (2-7, 0-4): Eliminated from playoff contention.