Recently in Fontana High School Category

Not everything is new at the ballpark in San Bernardino, but there is a new name on it: San Manuel Stadium as officially christened on Wednesday.
A game between Fontana and Yucaipa followed, with Yucaipa pulling out a 3-2 victory on Billy Baldwin's one-out RBI single that snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning.
For Fontana, Juan Robles had a two-run double (in the top of the sixth to tie the score) and Anthony Ayala was 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Greg Espinosa was 2 for 2 with a double and two runs scored (including a steal of home) and Alec Morabito was 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead Yucaipa.
Tyler Sapp got the final two outs for Yucaipa with the tying run in scoring position to earn the save.

The field is in immaculate shape, in part because of improvements. The infield grass and dirt are all new, but the rest of the field that looks so great is just because it has been well-maintained. There are more signs around the ballpark and the parking lot has been repaved.

A full County Clash will take place on Saturday at the ballpark: Pacific vs. San Bernardino at 1 p.m., Rialto vs. Colton at 4 p.m. and Yucaipa-Redlands at 7 p.m.

I realize I probably haven't mentioned all of these on this blog, so here are the changes announced this week in area football coaches

Marcos Fino takes over at Bloomington, replacing Tommy Conner, who stepped down after the season. Fino had been an assistant at Bloomington. He had also been an assistant at one point at Yucaipa, where he graduated from.

Tim Pike, who stepped up last year to be Fontana's football coach in a time of need, has stepped down.
Pike, 61, is retiring from teaching after more than 20 years in the district and nearly four decades overall teaching. Pike resigned, with the hopes that a younger coach could get a teaching job at Fontana and take over the program. In the meantime, Pike will continue to run the offseason conditioning and weightlifting programs.
A year ago, Fontana had a tough time finding a candidate who would be an on-campus teacher so Pike stepped up. Fontana went 1-9, with the lone win via forfeit over Granite Hills. Pike, who became the interim coach one game into the 2005 season after Joe Kramer left, had also served as an assistant at Big Bear, Miller and Citrus Valley.

As far as enthusiasm goes, this year's Fontana High School football team is one of the best that Tim Pike has been around. Pike, a longtime assistant who was hired in the spring to replace Lance Ozier, is enjoying coming to work every day and working with his enthusiastic players.

"I have a great bunch of kids," Pike said. "It's just fun sitting back and watching them get after each other and compete. They are great around campus, great in the classroom and really want to learn on the football field."

While the eagerness to learn is a positive for Fohi, the amount of material they have to absorb is one of the more daunting tasks the Steelers - who went winless last year - face in their final year of the Citrus Belt. Of the 75 kids combined between the JV and varsity teams, Pike estimates that nearly half have not played football.

"It's great that they are coming out and want to play, but a lot of these kids haven't played before this year," Pike said. "We are having to go over a lot of basic fundamental things to get these kids familiar with what's going on. But as a staff, we enjoy teaching."

Fontana High School recently hired it's next football coach, as former assistant and interim coach Tim Pike was hired May 5. But that's hardly the only coaching position that needed to be filled at Fohi, as several positions are still unoccupied according to an e-mail sent by Fohi athletic director Amanda Bentley.

Along with seeking assistants to fill the football staff, Fohi is looking to hire a new girls volleyball and girls soccer coach for the upcoming seasons to replace Leah Gomez and Beatriz Alarcon-Jordan, respectively. The Steelers are also looking for assistant coaches for boys soccer, boys basketball and girls basketball. Interested parties can contact Bentley at Fontana High School or via e-mail at bentam@fusd.net.

Longtime assistant coach Tim Pike, who has spent the last two years assisting at Citrus Valley, was named the Fontana football coach this week, information that Pike confirmed this morning.

This isn't the first go-round for Pike, 61, at Fohi. Pike was an assistant coach for the Steelers from 2002-04 before taking over as interim head coach for Joe Kramer during the 2005 season. Fontana went 0-9 under Pike and hired Lance Ozier, who coached Fohi the last five seasons, prior to the 2006 season.

"This isn't anything new to me," Pike said. "I coached here before and it wasn't very successful. The reason I took it now was that the kids needed somebody and for me, this is my last shot. After I take off the whistle here I'll never coach again."

Pike, a U.S. History teacher at Fohi, also allowed the school to not have to hire an off-campus coach. With the budget crisis in the Fontana Unified School District making new teacher hires a virtual impossibility, Pike felt that he was best person to take the job and provide the proper amount of time with it.

"I looked around and saw that I was the only person with a teaching position on campus that could do this job," Pike said. "I didn't want these young kids to have to suffer with a walk-on coach. The district is laying off teachers left and right - there was no way they'd be able to hire a new coach from outside and get them a teaching position."

As far as his goals for the job, Pike - who has been a head coach at Sutter High School and assisted at places such as Claremont, Bishop Amat and Needles in a career that dates to 1972 - just wants to get the Steelers back to respectable position. And not just in the minds of the teams they play.

"I want these kids to respect themselves and I want the community to respect the efforts they are making on the field," Pike said. "I want good students and good athletes who will go out there and line up and play hard against everybody."

There weren't many surprises at today's Citrus Belt Area releaguing meeting this morning at Norte Vista High School, as Cajon moved from the San Andreas League to the Citrus Belt League while Fontana and Colton were placed in the Sunkist League, moving from the CBL and the SAL, respectively.

These moves were part of Proposal 8, which was drafted by Moreno Valley High School and beat out 15 other proposals. It did in interesting fashion, as it received 60 votes during the eighth round of voting, beating out four other proposals that had 41 votes each. Due to the Citrus Belt Area's bylaws, all of the other proposals were eliminated, as any proposal in last or tied for last automatically gets the boot.

As far as the other leagues go, expect an appeal from Vista del Lago HS. The Ravens' athletic director, Kevin Ferguson, was the only athletic director or principal to reject the proposal, as the Ravens were placed in an Inland Valley League that got tougher than the one they were asking for relief from, as former Big VIII schools Riverside North and Riverside Poly joined the league. Vista del Lago can appeal to the CIF-SS offices if it chooses.

The Citrus Belt Area will vote for and announce its releaguing for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons May 2 after an 8:30 a.m. meeting at Riverside Norte Vista High School. As expected, rumors are flying about possible shifts, with several prominent county schools possibly being impacted.

Possibilities that are being put out there through discussions with sources include Cajon moving from the San Andreas to the Citrus Belt League to replace Fontana, which would join fellow Fontana Unified School District schools Summit and Kaiser in the Sunkist League. The Sunkist would be a FUSD-Colton Joint Unified School District league, with Colton and the new Grand Terrace school joining Bloomington.

The Riverside County schools in the Sunkist -- Jurupa Valley, Patriot and Norte Vista -- would likely be placed in Riverside County-contained leagues. There might be a jumbling of schools in Riverside County, as schools such as Riverside North and Riverside Poly are supposedly asking for relief from the ultra-competitive Big VIII League. That relief, if granted, could cause a shuffling of schools or even the formation of another league.

Obviously these situations are rumor at this point and will be revealed and voted on in a couple weeks, but I thought it'd be fun to see what people think about such proposed changes.

The 15th Annual County Clash will take place Saturday at Arrowhead Credit Union Park in San Bernardino with a baseball tripleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Arroyo Valley and Carter start the day at 1 p.m., with crosstown rivals Cajon and San Gorgonio playing at 4 p.m. and Citrus Belt League foes Fontana and Yucaipa facing off in the nightcap at 7 p.m. Tickets for the event are $4 and can either be purchased at Arrowhead Credit Union Park or at each participating school. For more information contact Sam Farber at (909) 495-7632 or at sfarber@ie66ers.com.

That very well could be the case tonight, as the Fontana Unified School District school board will meet in a closed-door session tonight to discuss the cutting of $8 million from the district's budget. That could include the entire athletic department, as stated in Referendum E.

"Suspension of All Athletic Programs (Ref. E).
This item is for consideration by the Board of Education to take action to suspend all Athletic Programs and eliminate the Athletic Directors ..."

I'm no economist and I won't pretend to have the slightest idea of all of the factors that presently has FUSD drowning in red tape. And I definitely am not going to advocate the resumption of athletics in FUSD sports at the expense of other extracurricular programs or teacher jobs. But it would just be an absolute shame if athletics were taken out as a response to the budget crisis.

Athletics are not only a fun extra-curricular activity, but a source of pride for the community and a diversion for the athletes from negative outside influences. They also provide a form of academic support, as an athlete has to make certain grades to be able to play athletics. It would be sad to see hundreds of students be deprived of that outlet. And it would stink as a sportswriter to miss out on the Summit football and basketball programs, the Kaiser football program, the Fontana boys soccer team, the Miller football program and see the development of Jurupa Hills cut off at the knees.

I'm not sure what is going to happen. But this could drastically change the landscape of Inland Empire and Southern California athletics permanently.

The times and sites for this weekend's CIF-SS soccer championships were finalized Wednesday, with three county teams set to battle for titles in their respective divisions. Both county boys soccer teams that are still alive, Fontana in Division 3 and Oak Hills in Division 4, will play Saturday. The Mojave River League champion Bulldogs, making their second consecutive CIF championship appearance, will play No. 2-seeded Pico Rivera El Rancho in the D4 title game at 9:30 a.m. at Downey Warren High School while the Citrus Belt League champion Steelers will face off against No. 4-seeded Paramount in the D3 title game at 5 p.m. at Mission Viejo High School.

The top-seeded team in Division 3 girls, Ayala, will play its championship game on Friday, as the Bulldogs will take on No. 2-seeded La Puente Bishop Amat at 7:30 p.m. at Warren High School. Bishop Amat defeated No. 3 Granite Hills in the semifinals Tuesday.

Lance Ozier, a former standout on Fontana's national championship football team in 1987, resigned his position as Steelers football coach last Thursday according to Fontana athletic director Amanda Bentley.

"(Ozier) left for what he said were personal reasons," Bentley said.

Ozier took the head coaching job at Fontana in 2006 with the Steelers in the midst of a 19-game losing streak. That streak grew 10 more after an 0-10 season before Fontana won its 2007 season opener. Unfortunately, Ozier left Fohi with a sizable losing streak as well, as Fontana has lost its last 13 games dating back to Oct. 23, 2009, including an 0-10 record. Ozier finished his career with a record of 7-43.

"it was just the right time for me to go," Ozier said. "With a new principal coming in, I had certain ideas and they had certain ideas and from that, it was best for me to leave at this time. I am a Fohi guy through and through and I always will be. I enjoyed coaching here. I really wish we could have won more, but I feel like I left this program in a better place from where I found it."

Ozier will continue his job as a physical education teacher at Fohi until he assesses his next move, something that he's mulling over at this time.

"It's pretty early in the process, so I'm not exactly sure what the next step is," Ozier said. "I've never been in this situation before. I've been coaching for 16 years and if someone will have me, I'd like to coach somewhere again in the future."

Fontana will start its search for the next head coach in a week or two according to Bentley, allowing Ozier to explain his decision to his current players.

"We are giving him some time to speak to the players before we make the next step," Bentley said. "Then we'll be working hard to find our next coach."

Bentley also stated that the school has hired Lauren Fernandes and Cheryl Salazar to coach the swimming and diving team this spring.

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.

On the surface, a 3-7 season doesn't seem that big of a deal. And Fontana isn't treating it as a huge thing. But as crazy as it sounds, the Steelers actually made some progress in 2009, as the three wins represents their highest total since 2003. But coach Lance Ozier isn't satisfied.

"We improved last year, but not as much as we wanted to," Ozier said. "It wasn't the degree of progress we were hoping to make, but it was some progress. We just need to make more."

The Steelers have the means to continue a slow ascent, with 13 starters - five offensive and eight defensive - returning from last year. A couple things have Ozier excited - an increase in team speed and more players coming out for the team due to making grades.

The second County Clash of the season will take place Saturday at Arrowhead Credit Union Park with a tripleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Yucaipa and Miller will start things off at 1, with Kaiser and Riverside Norte Vista playing at 4 p.m. and Fontana and Redlands playing in the nightcap at 7 p.m. Yucaipa is the only repeat from the previous County Clash, as the Thunderbirds defeated Carter 4-3 April 3.

Tickets to the Clash can be purchased at all of the above schools or at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

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

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

Matchups for the Kiwanis..

This league is pretty easy, as the top two teams are playing for No. 1 and there are two teams playing for No. 4.

1) Redlands East Valley (9-0, 6-0): Receives the CBL's No. 1 seed - and likely the No. 1 seed in the Inland Division - with a victory over Redlands Friday. Gets the No. 2 seed in a loss.

2) Redlands (8-1, 6-0): Receives the CBL's No. 1 seed with a win over Redlands East Valley and the No. 2 seed with a loss. Will likely get a first-round home playoff game either way.

3) Miller (4-5, 4-2): Clinched the No. 3 seed in the CBL no matter what it does thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over the Carter-Yucaipa winner.

4) Yucaipa (5-4, 3-3): Clinches the No. 4 seed out of the CBL with a win over Carter Friday. Likely eliminated with a loss, as the at-large bit is expected to come out of the Southwestern League.

5) Carter (4-5, 3-3): Clinches the No. 4 seed out of the CBL with a win over Yucaipa Friday. 99% eliminated with a loss.

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

7) Eisenhower (1-8, 1-5): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

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

Much better this week, as I only missed four games. Maybe there's hope for me yet. Who knows.

Redlands East Valley at Yucaipa
Ike actually hung with REV for a half, going into intermission down 21-20. REV did end up winning 69-26, but maybe that performance gives an explosive Yucaipa team some hope. Then again, Yucaipa had to scratch and claw to beat Rialto, so maybe not. Yucaipa will score a bit, but REV will score a lot.
Redlands East Valley 48, Yucaipa 21

Fontana at Redlands
The Steelers were given a bit of a reality check last week, as Miller exposed a lack of Fohi team speed in its 41-16 win. Redlands doesn't have many sprinters playing football, so that should work in Fohi's advantage a bit. But not enough, as the Terriers have steadily improved with each passing game.
Redlands 28, Fontana 6

Colton at Kaiser
You'll need a hard hat to watch this game, as both of these teams will come at you and pop you in the mouth. This is Colton's first road game of the year and Kaiser is looking for its first home win, as the Cats are 0-2 at home and 2-0 on the road. I have been pretty wrong on Kaiser games the last two weeks, so take this prediction with a grain of salt.
Colton 21, Kaiser 16

Silverado at Arroyo Valley
This should be a fun game with two of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the area, as Jemeryn Jenkins leads Silverado against a 4-0 Arroyo Valley team led by junior Michael Yearwood. I was going to call Arroyo Valley the Hawks, but Silverado is the Hawks too. I'll go with the home Hawks in what should be a dandy.
Arroyo Valley 30, Silverado 27

Granite Hills at Rim of the World
This matchup of unbeatens provides by far the stiffest test for the Cougars, who have only given up 12 points this season, as Rim - ranked No. 3 in the Eastern Division - has the county's leading rusher and scorer in junior RB Dillon Pretzinger. The Scots also have two straight shutouts. The defense won't get a third, but it'll do enough.
Rim of the World 31, Granite Hills 16

Rancho Cucamonga at Temecula Valley
The Cougars got a week off to get refreshed for their matchup against the Bears, who lost a scorefest with Etiwanda a couple weeks ago. The Rancho passing offense, led by QB Greg Watson and TE Randal Telfer, should go off for some big yards.
Rancho Cucamonga 42, Temecula Valley 23

Etiwanda at Covina Charter Oak
Charter Oak has probably had its fill of Inland Valley teams at this point, losing to Rancho Cucamonga two weeks ago and struggling with Damien last week. Now in comes Etiwanda's explosive offense with QB Angel Santiago and WR Bobby Ratliff. The Eagles will test Charter Oak, but I'll take the Chargers at the end
Charter Oak 36, Etiwanda 31

Aquinas at Twentynine Palms
The Falcons will be foaming at the mouth to play Twentynine Palms, as the Wildcats were the source of both Aquinas losses a year ago, including a 40-0 loss in the East Valley semifinals. Twentynine Palms has struggled a bit with a tough nonleague schedule, but got a win last week. I expect this game to be close, with Aquinas getting a modicum of revenge.
Aquinas 24, Twentynine Palms 19

San Gorgonio at Apple Valley
Interesting game here. The Spartans have lost three in a row, but their last trip to the High Desert was their one win - a 21-6 victory over Hesperia. Apple Valley is coming off its best performance of the season, throwing up 67 points to San Bernardino. This game is basically a coin flip to me, so I'll go with the home team.
Apple Valley 27, San Gorgonio 25

Riverside Patriot at Victor Valley
One of the best stories in the High Desert this season has been the resurgence of the Jackrabbits, who have won The Bell and ascended to a No. 8 ranking in the Eastern Division thanks to a 4-0 record. However, Patriot may be their toughest test to date. I expect the Jackrabbits to pull this one out late.
Victor Valley 24, Patriot 22

Other games of interest:
Carter 45, Eisenhower 32
Miller 38, Rialto 14
Summit 38, Sultana 9
Barstow 51, San Bernardino 22
Menifee Paloma Valley 24, Bloomington 17
Claremont 43, Chino 14
Citrus Valley 17, Lucerne Valley 16
Los Osos 23, Valencia West Ranch 20
Riverside Norte Vista 37, Montclair 17
Oak Hills 23, Pacific 17
Arrowhead Christian 24, Palm Desert Xavier Prep 13
Ridgecrest Burroughs 27, Hesperia 23
St. Margaret's 48, Western Christian 15
Cerritos Valley Christian 30, Ontario Christian 26

This week: 23-4
Overall: 109-39

Better last week, as I only messed up six games. Of course four of those were in my featured 10, so I'm really not sure if I've really gotten smarter. This week starts Citrus Belt League play, so it's starting to get really good. Here are my picks before I head to Fontana High School for tonight's Fohi-Miller tilt.

Miller at Fontana
Before the season, this looked to be a speedbump for the defending CBL champion Rebels, as Fontana had only won five games the previous five seasons while Miller was returning much of their offense. But two Steeler wins and an 0-3 Miller start has made this game pretty key. While Miller had a brutal schedule and Fohi beat SAL cellardwellars Pacific and San Bernardino, its clear that Fohi is improved and Miller isn't. However, I'll pick Miller to survive, albeit barely.
Miller 28, Fontana 20

Carter at Redlands
Another intriguing CBL opener, because for whatever reason, the Lions play well against Redlands. The Terriers barely escaped at Carter 7-6 during their CBL championship season in 2006, lost to Carter at home in 2007 and struggled to beat the Lions last year. The Carter offense has shown explosive qualities, but Redlands has been stingy on defense. I'll take the savvy of Redlands in this one.
Redlands 21, Carter 12

Colony at Kaiser
These teams have both been battle-tested and quality approved, with Colony beating Chino Hills and Diamond Ranch already while Kaiser destroyed Cajon last week. Both teams are feeling confident and have talent to burn. However, Kaiser gave one of the better defensive performances I've seen in my three years here, especially given the quality of Cajon. I expect them to be slightly superior to the Titans.
Kaiser 19, Colony 16

Summit at Silverado
Silverado entertained the heck out of me last Thursday, breaking five touchdowns of 50 yards or more against Palm Desert. After a slow start, it seems as if the Hawks offense is running in full gear. Summit has that capability and while only 1-2, showed well in close losses to Etiwanda and Redlands. Expect some big plays and some crazy athleticism in the High Desert, with the home team prevailing in a classic.
Silverado 35, Summit 30

Hesperia at Barstow
Very interesting litmus test for both of these schools. The Scorpion offense finally broke out against Pacific, but playing the listless Pirates doesn't really compare to facing defending Eastern Division runner-up Barstow. The Aztecs also have something to prove after falling last week to Quartz Hill in upset fashion. Hesperia is improved, but I'll go with a veteran Barstow team at home.
Barstow 30, Hesperia 21

Chaffey at Colton
If there are 10 passes combined between the two teams, I'll be shocked. Chaffey likes to pound the ball with senior RB Ronald Douglas, the county's leading rusher, while Colton has a fleet of backs to excel in the double-wing. The Yellowjackets defense seems to have settled in after a tough opener against Vista Murrieta and will subdue Chaffey enough to pull out the win.
Colton 24, Chaffey 12

Upland at Bloomington
The positive vibes the Bruins got by winning their first two games were mostly eradicated in their 51-0 loss to Corona Roosevelt. It doesn't get much easier for Bloomington, as Upland and its lockdown defense come into town. Tim Salter gets a ton of credit in my mind for reshaping the Highlanders from a big-play, somewhat finesse squad into a hard-nosed physical unit. Bloomington will be heaping praise on Upland as well.
Upland 28, Bloomington 6

San Gorgonio at Chino Hills
After impressively winning at Hesperia in its opener, the Spartans have had a tough time of it in losing to Redlands East Valley and Yucaipa. Now they are going against a team that smacked them twice last year, including 52-13 in the playoffs. Chino Hills bounced back last week with a nice win over Diamond Ranch after losing to Colony the week before and will continue to roll.
Chino Hills 34, San Gorgonio 14

La Quinta at Cajon
La Quinta hasn't had a fun time in the Inland Empire the past two weeks, losing lopsided games to Colton and Norco. They come back again to face a Cajon team who's pride is a bit wounded after being shut out by Kaiser. It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys react to being punched in the mouth and how La Quinta will react to the travel. I'll go with Cajon in a close one.
Cajon 18, La Quinta 14

Indio at Rim of the World
This has all the makings of a beatdown. Indio has struggled after losing the bulk of its 6-4 team a year ago and faces a Rim of the World team that's a bit sore about losing to the Rajahs on the road a year ago. Expect the Fighting Scots to run on Indio early and often, keeping its undefeated start going.
Rim of the World 38, Indio 7

Other games of interest:
Redlands East Valley 55, Eisenhower 0
Yucaipa 48, Rialto 14
Apple Valley 31, San Bernardino 26
Arroyo Valley 34, Alta Loma 10
Ayala 47, South El Monte 3
Granite Hills 30, Cathedral City 17
Etiwanda 45, Chino 6
Pacific 28, Citrus Valley 10
Claremont 38, Ontario 14
Don Lugo 37, Jurupa Valley 9
San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's 42, Ontario Christian 13
Aquinas 28, San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea 13
Serrano 38, Santa Clarita Golden Valley 3
Oak Park 24, Twentynine Palms 13
Victor Valley 33, Sultana 16
Yucca Valley 21, Arrowhead Christian 17
Big Bear 28, Oak Hills 27

Week: 24-6
Overall: 86-35

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

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

This is the longer version of the story which ran in Thursday's paper.

By T.J. Berka
Staff Writer
Being one of eight teams in a division alive for a CIF championship is what practicing on Thanksgiving Day is all about, as the chosen few teams get to continue their seasons while most around them have been eliminated.
"Practicing on Thanksgiving is something we take a lot of pride in," Aquinas coach Josh Henderson said. "We've done it five years in a row and six times since I've been here. You are one of eight teams still left playing in your division, which is a standard which we are proud to have in our program."
Thanksgiving practice is typically held in the morning, giving players plenty of time to spend the rest of the holiday with their respective families. Coming a day before quarterfinal games are typically played, the practices are mostly walk-throughs -- last-minute workouts and fine-tuning before game day.
But Thanksgiving walkthroughs have taken on a life of their own over the years. That is especially true among the Dick Bruich Fontana High School coaching tree, as "The Turkey Story" has almost become as big of a part of Thanksgiving practice as finalizing game plans.
"The Turkey Story is great," Redlands East Valley junior quarterback Tyler Shreve said. "It's one thing we all rally around. Last week we were telling each other 'If we win, we get to practice and hear the Turkey Story' It's a fun thing we all enjoy."
Both REV coach Kurt Bruich and Henderson played their high school football at Fohi under Dick Bruich, whose legendary 292-win, four CIF-title career concluded at Kaiser High School with a 13-12 loss to Banning in the first round of the CIF-SS Eastern Division playoffs last week.
During his 23 years at Fontana from 1976-98, Thanksgiving practices could have been scheduled as early as July, as the Steelers were regular players in late-November, early-December football. Because of that, there was some conflict between Thanksgiving pigouts and playoff football.
"It actually came about by mistake in the mid-70s," Dick Bruich said. "We'd have an assistant telling kids not to pig out until Saturday, and that lasted a few years. Then we'd have assistants telling the kids to pig out, and that went for a few years. Finally it turned into a story.
"Some were really funny, others were terrible, but everyone seemed to enjoy them. The kids treated it like a bedtime story -- if they were good and got past the first round of the playoffs, they could hear it."
Its effects last 30 years later, as the Fohi Thanksgiving tradition has spread its wings around the Inland Empire.
"It's really a fun thing," Kurt Bruich said. "I'm pretty different from my dad and I don't do a lot of the same things he did, but that's one thing that I brought from him that I'll always do."
Kurt was a wide receiver on Fohi's 1987 mythical national championship team, preceding Henderson and Aquinas assistant Jeff McCarthy, who both last played at Fohi in 1992.
The story had kicked into high gear by then, something that stuck with McCarthy.
"There are things that are really talked up that let you down," McCarthy said. "The Turkey Story is one of those things that always delivers. It's one of the more enjoyable things we do."
McCarthy is in control of the Turkey Story duties, a job that has taken a life of its own since he joined Henderson at Aquinas in 2000. It's an exclusive, almost invitation-only event, with Falcon alumni returning Thanksgiving morning to hear the latest installment alongside the current players. He also assigns the reader of the Turkey Story, something he's done himself in 2000 and 2005 -- CIF championship years for the Falcons.
"Coach Henderson is challenging all the coaches," said McCarthy jokingly. "He's challenging them to read well and lead us to a CIF title, since I'm the only one that's had that happen."
The Turkey Story also has been the foundation of further Aquinas hijinks, such as coaches splicing goofy home videos into game film, implementing hilarity into what is supposed to be a serious instructional session.
"It's one of those stupid things that just breaks up the tension," McCarthy said. "Coach Henderson will be doing his thing, just tearing into this and that and harping on players to fulfill this or that assignment and a clip of a coach fooling around will pop up.
"Most of the kids sit there shocked, as if they'll get in trouble if they laugh. The 'tough guys,' the ones who don't care about being yelled at, will chuckle, but the rest of them are pretty confused on whether its OK to laugh."
While McCarthy runs the Turkey Story festivities at Aquinas, defensive backs coach Citos Marinez is the creative force at REV.
The 27-year old Marinez, who played under Kurt Bruich when Bruich was an assistant at Rowland Heights Rowland, was chosen due to his youth and hipness.
"Citos is a young guy, so the players think he's cool or something," Kurt Bruich said. "They think he's funny and he does a great job with it. They all love it."
Marinez, like McCarthy at Aquinas, takes his job as the Turkey Story czar seriously. After Tuesday morning practices Thanksgiving week, Marinez and the REV coaching staff go out to eat, brainstorming about story ideas.
"It's always something that sounded cool to me," Marinez said. "When I was playing at Rowland, Coach Bruich would always talk about the Turkey Story and how cool it was.
"We never got to play Thanksgiving weekend, so I never heard one. But once I got here, it was something that I was excited about being a part of."
Marinez tends to try to incorporate the upcoming opponent (this year, it's the Temecula Chaparral Pumas) and movies into his story, which he tells on the hill overlooking the REV practice field.
Last year before the Wildcats played Norco, Marinez based his story on the movie '300', which the Wildcats watched as a team earlier that season.
"I would tell part of the story and then give them the line 'Wildcats, what is our profession?'" Marinez said. "They'd say 'Hooo! Hooo!' real loud and I'd continue.
"I gave players Greek nicknames in the story to keep them involved. Tyler Shreve was 'The Tall One', Chris Polk was 'Flashitis' and Coach Bruich was 'Bruitis.'"
While Dick Bruich never gave his players Greek nicknames, or really told the stories for the most part, he's proud of their legacy.
"I was hoping to do one last one for my Kaiser kids this week, but it didn't work out," Bruich said. "I'm proud that something like this has had a positive effect. It shows that we must have been doing something right over the years."

I've decided to expound on Monday's article about playoff scenarios this week, going league by league in the Sun coverage area with team-by-team scenarios. I'll start with one of the simpler ones, delving into the Citrus Belt.

1. Miller (9-0, 6-0): Has already wrapped up the No. 1 seed out of the CBL by virtue of its 18-15 win over REV on Halloween. Purely playing for overall seeding in the Inland Division bracket at this point.

2. Redlands East Valley (8-1, 5-1): Has already wrapped up the No. 2 seed by virtue of its 14-12 victory over Redlands last weekend. A win this weekend could give REV a first-round home game in the Inland Division playoffs.

3. Redlands (4-5, 4-2): Has already wrapped up the No. 3 seed, winning all possible head-to-head tiebreakers with Yucaipa and Eisenhower. A win this weekend would help the Terriers avoid a first-round matchup with a team like Rancho Verde or Temecula Chaparral.

4. Yucaipa (4-5, 3-3): The Thunderbirds are in as the No. 4 seed with a victory Friday against Rialto, as it owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Eisenhower. Yucaipa would still get in with a loss if Ike loses as well.

5. Eisenhower (5-4, 3-3): Having lost the head-to-head tiebreaker with Yucaipa, the Eagles have to defeat REV this weekend and have Yucaipa lose to Rialto to get the No. 4 seed. Even at 6-4, Ike would have very little chance at the one at-large bid in the Inland Division, as either Corona Santiago or Riverside North from the Big VIII or Riverside La Sierra from the Inland Valley League would be chosen before the Eagles.

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

7. Fontana (2-7, 1-5): Eliminated from playoff contention

8. Rialto (1-8, 0-6): Eliminated from playoff contention.