Recently in Yucaipa High School Category

Sun Top 10

1. Redlands East Valley (0-0)
Previous ranking: 1. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday vs. Compton Dominguez (0-1).

2. Upland (1-0)
Previous ranking: 2. Last week: def. San Bernardino, 63-14. Up next: Thursday at Tustin (1-0).

3. Rancho Cucamonga (1-0)
Previous ranking: 5. Last week: def. Silverado, 52-0. Up next: Friday vs. Temecula Great Oak (1-0).

4. Cajon (1-0)
Previous ranking: 6. Last week: def. Temecula Chaparral, 30-14. Up next: Friday vs. Eisenhower (1-0).

5. Serrano (1-0)
Previous ranking: 8. Last week: def. Paraclete, 7-6. Up next: Friday at Silverado (0-1).

6. Redlands (1-0)
Previous ranking: 9. Last week: def. Apopka (Fla.) Wekiva, 21-7. Up next: Friday vs. No. 8 Summit (0-1).

7. Etiwanda (1-0)
Previous ranking: NR. Last week: def. Summit, 49-36. Up next: Friday vs. Vista Murrieta (0-0).

8. Summit (0-1)
Previous ranking: 3. Last week: lost to Etiwanda, 49-36. Up next: Friday at No. 6 Redlands (1-0).

9. Kaiser (0-0)
Previous ranking: 10. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday vs. Barstow (0-1).

10. Yucaipa (1-0)
Previous ranking: NR. Last week: def. Oak Park, 52-0. Up next: Friday at Moreno Valley Canyon Springs (0-1).

Just missed the cut: Chino (1-0), San Gorgonio (0-0), Chino Hills (0-1).

Dropped out: No. 4 Colton (0-1), No. 7 Chino Hills (0-1).

As first years on the job go, Justin Price's at Yucaipa ranks pretty high. The former Granite Hills coach led a senior-dominated team to its best finish in the Citrus Belt League since joining the league in 2006, as the Thunderbirds tied Redlands and Miller for second place in league, making the playoffs after missing the postseason a year before.

"I thought we did some great things last year," Price said. "We were playing REV in week nine for a chance to win the league title, which is a huge step for this program. We were a coin-flip away from hosting a playoff game for the first time in a long time. We are pretty proud of what we did, especially we didn't have a full offseason to work together."

While Yucaipa loses 12 of its 22 starters along with several key contributors, Price is hoping that having a full offseason will compensate for any lack of experience and keep 2010's momentum going. Having three of those returning starters coming on the offense line helps even more.

Yucaipa is bullish on its three senior returners on the offensive line - Matt Parrish (6-5, 300), Tyrin Loya (5-10, 250) and Andrew Clarey (6-2, 290). Parrish and Loya started every game last year, with Parrish receiving interest from Division I schools.

Most Valuable Player: Kevin Davidson, Sr. Yucaipa

First Team
Leonard Malfavon- Yucaipa
Tyler Sapp- Yucaipa
Jackson McClelland- REV
George Thanopoulos- REV
Angel Landazuri- Redlands
Kavan Pardo- Redlands
Sean Smith- Redlands
Anthony Ayala- Fontana
Justin Lewis- Yucaipa
Alec Mordbito- Yucaipa
Frankie Alvarez- REV
Joseph Molina- REV
Matt Wilson- REV
Jacob Nottingham- Redlands
Brian Ruhm- Redlands
Luis Martinez- Eisenhower
Tyler Campbell- AB Miller

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.

Yucaipa High School has announced the inductees for its third Athletic Hall of Fame class, which will be honored at a banquet April 30 at Yucaipa High School. The athletes that will be honored are 1965 graduate Charles Chiappone, 1970 grad Rick Waller, 1982 grad Mike Baker, 1986 grad Lisa Rogers and 1998 grad Rich Hofman.

Baker and Hofman both specialized in baseball, with Baker playing professionally in the Boston Red Sox organization after two all-CIF appearances while Hofman played at UCLA after being named the County Baseball Player of the Year as as senior. Waller, an all-CIF basketball player holds the school record for rebounds in a game with 32 while Chiappone was an all-league football and basketball player for the Thunderbirds before playing at the University of Redlands. Rogers was a three-sport athlete in track, volleyball and baseball, notching all-league honors in four different track and field events.

Yucaipa star junior soccer player Kodi Lavrusky verbally committed to Stanford last week, according to a call received tonight from Thunderbirds soccer coach Sheila Huggins. Lavrusky is already the school's all-time leader in goals scored, having scored 92 after getting a hat trick in tonight's 4-1 victory over Redlands. She is a two-time All-Sun first-team pick, being named the Most Valuable Player as a freshman in 2009.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

I regressed to nonleague form this past week, missing five of the 10 feature games and nine games overall. I'm not proud of what I've done and how I've acted. Let's move on amicably.

Upland at Rancho Cucamonga
This game is kind of a big deal. People know these teams, as they are the last two Central Division champions and are undefeated in league coming in. This matchup has gone Rancho's way in recent history, as the Cougars have won three in a row over Upland, including that CIF championship victory in 2008. I think the Cougars are a bit more complete of a unit right now. In a month, Upland might be better, but I'll take Rancho now and feel decent about it.
Rancho Cucamonga 31, Upland 27

Serrano at Oak Hills
This is the game in the Mojave River League, with Serrano being the big kid on the block and Oak Hills being the unafraid new kid. The Bulldogs threw it in my face last week, not only proving me wrong for picking Victor Valley, but ripping the Jackrabbits a new one. I'll be at this game tomorrow - my inaugural Oak Hills football game - and I'm looking forward to seeing what the Bulldogs have, though I don't think it'll be enough.
Serrano 28, Oak Hills 17

Kaiser at Norte Vista
Another week, another Kaiser shut out, its fifth of the season. The Cats pretty much suck all the anticipation out of games by just beating the living heck out of every team they play. Norte Vista, with its 2-0 league record and physical running game featuring junior running back Ryan Ruiz, won't be intimidated by the Cats. But intimidated or not, Kaiser is on a roll right now and doesn't look to be stopped this week.
Kaiser 38, Norte Vista 6

Yucaipa at Miller
This is expected to decide the third playoff spot out of the Citrus Belt League eventually, though Miller is tied with REV with a 2-0 league mark. Both of these teams have extremely dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks, with Yucaipa's Dylan Malone and Miller's Eric Shufford making this a potentially entertaining game. The Rebels are a bit more battle-tested and a year further along in their system, factors which will come to play in what should be a good battle.
Miller 31, Yucaipa 20

Cajon at Arroyo Valley
The Cowboys come into this matchup with their swag on 10, as they went into Colton and won a huge game to take control of the San Andreas League race. But Cajon would be advised not to take this game lightly. Arroyo Valley's offense has scuffled against most defenses with a pulse but their defense will keep this game relatively uncomfortable. I see the Cowboys winning, but not without an early scare.
Cajon 20, Arroyo Valley 14

Linfield Christian at Aquinas
The newbies from Linfield Christian have made a name for themselves in the Ambassador League, knocking off Ontario Christian last week to set up this showdown with Aquinas. Since losing to Desert Hot Springs in the opener, the Falcons have rolled off six wins in a row, ascending to No. 3 in the East Valley polls. Linfield is a quality opponent, but Aquinas has things on lock this year.
Aquinas 28, Linfield Christian 12

Granite Hills at Ridgecrest Burroughs
The Cougars threw a monkey wrench into the Desert Sky League race last week, pulling off the 8-6 upset over Silverado to move to 2-0 in league. For a school that hasn't had much success to speak of, this is pretty heady position going into the matchup with the league favorites. So can Granite pull this off two weeks in a row? It's defense has been awesome, but defending the Burros and third-year starting QB Derrick Dison might be a bit more difficult.
Burroughs 21, Granite Hills 12

Silverado at Apple Valley
The High Desert gets a high amount of love this week, as the aforementioned Hawks come into this nonleague matchup pretty ticked off. Not only because of the loss to Granite Hills, but the matchup with the Sun Devils, who whipped them in the playoffs last year. Both these teams should ultimately be in the playoffs, making this a possible preview. I think Silverado is going to be a little more annoyed and pull this out.
Silverado 24, Apple Valley 21

Chino at Montclair
I'm officially on the Chino bandwagon. I've wondered all year if the Cowboys were a mirage caused by a weak schedule, but Chino's whipping of Colony definitely convinced me otherwise. Plus I like the prospect of a player named Promise Amadi being in headlines in our paper. Opens up a ton of possiblities. Montclair has been surprising in going 4-3, but the Cavaliers don't have the horses to stay in this game.
Chino 45, Montclair 10

Los Osos at Etiwanda
Start with the Baseline, end with the Baseline. The loser of this game finds themselves in a pretty untenable position in a brutal league, as they'd be 1-2 and have to play one of the top two before the season ends. So yeah, this game is kind of big. Etiwanda might have the most potent offense in the county, but its defense gives up points almost as fast as its offense scores them. Los Osos will make enough stops to win this donnybrook.
Los Osos 36, Etiwanda 34

Other games of note:
Summit 56, Jurupa Valley 0
Ontario Christian 27, Western Christian 16
Glendora 38, Alta Loma 7
Redlands 45, Eisenhower 0
Redlands East Valley 49, Fontana 6
Big Bear 43, Shadow Hills 7
Twentynine Palms 38, Desert Mirage 0
Desert Hot Springs 30, Yucca Valley 15
Victor Valley 28, Barstow 6
Hesperia 17, Sultana 13
Citrus Valley 28, Jurupa Hills 9
Rim of the World 27, Banning 20
Don Lugo 23, Chaffey 18
Ontario 30, Garey 21
Colton 60, Pacific 0
Carter 35, San Bernardino 10
San Gorgonio 20, Rialto 9
Claremont 42, Ayala 14
Chino Hills 31, South Hills 6
Bloomington 20, Patriot 10
Arrowhead Christian 18, Calvary Murrieta 7
Bloomington Christian 26, Saddleback Valley Christian 14

Last week: 21-9
Overall: 175-66-3

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

Well, last week wasn't a banner one in the history of T.J. Berka high school prognostications. While I actually only messed up on nine games - I thought I had missed double that - I was a pretty shoddy 5-5 on the feature games. Not quite enough to put a bag over my head, but close.

Colton at Arroyo Valley
The question, as has been the question throughout the season, is will Michael Yearwood play. It's a game-time decision according to Arroyo coach Marcus Soward and his presence will change the game considerably. If Yearwood plays, Arroyo stands a chance, as Colton was pushed to the brink last week by a fast, physical Carter team. If not, the Hawks don't have enough firepower to hang. I think Colton wins a low-scoring game.
Colton 20, Arroyo Valley 9

Redlands East Valley at Mission Viejo
After a tough loss to a physical Chino Hills team, the last thing REV needed to do was play the No. 1 team in Southern California. Whoops. Mission Viejo, the alma mater of Mark Sanchez, is No. 1 in the Pac-5 Division and a state bowl contender. This would be a good game next year, as REV has deep sophomore and junior classes. I'm not expecting much from the Wildcats in this game though. Mission Viejo is filthy-good.
Mission Viejo 28, Redlands East Valley 10

Yucaipa at La Quinta
The Thunderbirds have looked pretty good so far under Justin Price, winning three of their first four games behind an explosive offense led by Dylan Malone's nine TDs. Is Yucaipa a legitimate playoff contender though? This game will help answer that question, as La Quinta has already defeated Colton this season and is one of the traditional powers of the Low Desert. I don't think Yucaipa wins, but the T-Birds will scrap.
La Quinta 23, Yucaipa 14

San Gorgonio at Carter
I feel bad for San G. They go through a brutal four-game stretch to start the season - losing to Rancho Verde, REV, Yucaipa and Cajon, thinking that this could be the game they break out in. But the Lions are darn good, taking Colton to overtime at Colton in a game they easily could have won. If Carter doesn't have a hangover from that tough loss, it'll continue San G's misery.
Carter 26, San Gorgonio 13

Garey at Colony
Colony has been the grand poobah for the most part in the Mt. Baldy League during the last five years, winning four league titles and CIF titles in 2006 and 2007. Garey, meanwhile, hasn't made the playoffs. But the Vikings are dangerous this year, featuring all-everything WR Dominique Williams, and will be a formidable test for the Titans, who have won three straight since an inauspicious 1-2 start. Will go with the home team, but barely.
Colony 23, Garey 21

South Hills at Los Osos
The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for Los Osos, which was fresh off a triple-OT loss to Redlands and a lopsided loss against Vista Murrieta. South Hills has struggled in its move up the food chain, losing its last three. They'll likely have issues in a stout Sierra League and will have issues tomorrow with a sneaky-good Los Osos squad.
Los Osos 28, South Hills 16

Rialto at San Bernardino
The Knights were the darling of the San Andreas League during the nonleague season, winning their first three games to move up to No. 3 in the Central Division rankings. But a loss to Arroyo Valley has them in almost a must-win situation against a San Bernardino team that has quietly won three out of its first four games. The Cardinals can make it three in a row with a win here, but I'm not ready to give up on Rialto just yet.
Rialto 19, San Bernardino 16

Victor Valley at Patriot
While Rialto might have been the darlings of the SAL, Victor Valley has been the story in the High Desert, as the Jackrabbits have rolled to a 4-0 start with big victories over Rim of the World and Apple Valley. They head down the hill for the first time to take on a Patriot team that has been solid under new coach Scott Pearne. It should be a good test for Victor, one that I expect they'll pass with flying colors.
Victor Valley 30, Patriot 20

Barstow at Sultana
These teams limp into this one, as Barstow hasn't won a game while Sultana lost to Victor Valley this week. Why am I previewing this game then? Well, its a pretty thin week and I need 10 games to write about and the winner here could be a darkhorse in their respective leagues. Emphasis on could. I think Barstow, while anemic to date, is probably due here.
Barstow 16, Sultana 14

Ontario at Chaffey
When worse comes to worse, end the featured games with the Cat Bowl. This longtime rivalry will be played tonight at Chaffey and it could be competitive just for the simple fact that Chaffey seems to be down this year. The Tigers have struggled mightily in going 1-4 and could be vulnerable to the Jaguars, but I think their power-run game will be too much.
Chaffey 28, Ontario 12

Other games of note:
Riverside Notre Dame 30, Arrowhead Christian 10
Anza Hamilton 36, Bloomington Christian 14
Twentynine Palms 23, Cathedral City 16
Chino 45, El Monte 20
Etiwanda 54, Eisenhower 10
Pico Rivera El Rancho 24, Fontana 14
Hemet Tahquitz 27, Citrus Valley 16
Kaiser 58, Hesperia 0
Oak Hills 33, Laguna Beach 14
Bloomington 27, Menifee Paloma Valley 19
Summit 45, Murrieta Mesa 9
Desert Hot Springs 28, Rim of the World 20
Pasadena Maranatha 35, Western Christian 13
Yucca Valley 27, Imperial 14
Don Lugo 26, Montclair 16
Cajon 48, Pacific 6

Last week: 21-9
Overall: 107-47-3

Did virtually the same this past week as I did the week before. I blame the Mt. Baldy League. I think i'm 2 for 20 on Mt. Baldy predictions.

Redlands East Valley at Orange Lutheran
It's always fun to see county powers go against the elite from other parts of the Southland. REV pulled a fast one on O-Lu last year, scoring two touchdowns in the final minute to pull the shocker. I'm not sure how many players on either team remember it, as both teams have a ton of new starters. It should be a great game though. I expect REV to pull another one out.
Redlands East Valley 17, Orange Lutheran 13

Norco at Upland
Another meeting of the powers, as the No. 3 team in the Inland Division hosts the No. 4 one. It should be an outstanding matchup, as Norco has taken to its new-found spread offense like a duck to water, scoring 74 points in two games, while Upland's new-look defense seems to get better every week. There should be some scoring in this game, as Norco's D will give up points. I think Upland is a bit more experience.
Upland 28, Norco 27

Cajon at Kaiser
Kaiser has been flying under the radar thus far this year, but it won't for year much longer, as the Cats have been straight filthy on defense thus far, giving up six points in two games. Cajon has been uneven, getting worked by Claremont before destroying Eisenhower, but had its bye week last week to work out some kinks. I expect the Cowboys to be competitive, but I'm really liking Kaiser right now.
Kaiser 24, Cajon 9

Victor Valley at Apple Valley
The Bell Game is one of the most hotly-contested games in the High Desert and, recently, one of the most thrilling. The last two meetings between the Jackrabbits and Sun Devils have been decided by a combined four points, with Victor Valley winning by 3 last year and Apple Valley pulling out a one-point win in 2008. I'm heading up there and I'm expecting much of the same, with the host Sun Devils pulling it out late.
Apple Valley 26, Victor Valley 24

Miller at Etiwanda
These teams are a combined 1-5, so why am I featuring this game? Because these teams are a lot better than their record gives them credit for. Etiwanda's three-game stretch of Summit, Vista Murrieta and Norco may be the toughest in the Southland, while Miller hasn't exactly had a picnic with Upland and Carson. Having seen both of these teams in person, it's a coin flip, but I think Miller's D is a little bit better. But not much.
Miller 33, Etiwanda 29

Charter Oak at Rancho Cucamonga
This has been a hard-fought game the last two years and I don't see why it would be any different this year. Charter Oak has equipped itself admirably in the Inland Division thus far, going 2-1, while Rancho Cucamonga is perfect despite having to spend its first three games on the road. It is the first "home" game for Rancho - who doesn't play on campus - and I expect it'll show up well.
Rancho Cucamonga 27, Charter Oak 17

Bloomington at Colton
Although they reside in the same school district, these two teams don't play very often. This could be a surprisingly good game, as Bloomington has looked pretty good in going 2-0 while Colton sputtered quite a bit last week in a 14-3 loss to La Quinta. But I think Colton will be just fine in the home opener, overpowering the Bruins in the second half.
Colton 30, Bloomington 14

San Gorgonio at Yucaipa
This should be a pretty solid game, as both of these teams are in a bit of purgatory. The Spartans are 0-2, but they've had to play Rancho Verde and REV, so its hard to really have a true handle on them. Yucaipa stomped Canyon Springs, only to be stomped by Rancho Verde. I hate using the transitive scores property, but San G was a lot more competitive against Rancho Verde than Yucaipa was. I'll go with that.
San Gorgonio 31, Yucaipa 26

Redlands at Carlsbad La Costa Canyon
The Terriers played arguably the game of the year last week against Los Osos, gutting through a triple-overtime victory against the Grizzlies despite losing their quarterback Jojo Hernandez. I would imagine that Redlands is going to rest Hernandez for this one, which will be a tough one, as La Costa Canyon can ball. I'll go with the home team.
La Costa Canyon 23, Redlands 10

Granite Hills at Rialto
It might be time to start getting on the Knights' bandwagon. Rialto has won three in a row dating pack to last year, including an impressive 28-14 victory at a tough Oak Hills team last week. Granite Hills has been up and down this season and should be an opponent that Rialto can use to build momentum. Look for four in a row from the No. 5 team in the Central Division polls.
Rialto 26, Granite Hills 12

Other games of note:
Diamond Ranch 33, Chaffey 10
Aquinas 35, Shadow Hills 13
Arroyo Valley 28, Eisenhower 7
Ayala 31, Los Altos 20
Twentynine Palms 19, Banning 14
Quartz Hill 27, Barstow 12
Big Bear 37, Western Christian 20
Rim of the World 18, Bishop 14
Bloomington Christian 23, Arrowhead Christian 9
Yucca Valley 24, Calexico 16
Chino 30, Covina Northview 14
Murrieta Mesa 28, Citrus Valley 24
City of Industry Workman 23, Montclair 17
Colony 33, Alta Loma 14
Desert Hot Springs 45, Jurupa Hills 6
Don Lugo 24, Oak Park 14
Fontana 28, San Bernardino 21
Palm Desert 49, Hesperia 13
Ontario Christian 27, Jurupa Valley 22
Oak Hills 29, Lancaster 13
Vista Murrieta 38, Los Osos 16
Carter 27, Norte Vista 23
Chino Hills 31, Pomona 15
Serrano 34, Palmdale Highland 7
Sultana 27, Pacific 20
Silverado 21, Valencia West Ranch 18

Last week: 24-9-1
Overall: 60-28-3

The 44th annual Riverside Poly Boys Water Polo tournament starts today and runs through Saturday at seven different venues -- Arroyo Valley, Corona Santiago, Corona Roosevelt, Jurupa Valley, Riverside Arlington and Riverside King High Schools as well as Sippy Woodhead Pool at Riverside Poly. The tournament, which features 60 teams throughout Southern California, will be played through Saturday, with pool play Thursday and Friday and the championship match to be held at 2 p.m. at Sippy Woodhead Pool.

County teams participating in the tournament and theare Los Osos (Woodhead), Redlands and Upland (Roosevelt), Yucaipa and Arroyo Valley (Arroyo Valley), Cajon, Alta Loma and San Gorgonio (Arlington) and Pacific, Rancho Cucamonga, Summit, Colony and Citrus Valley (Jurupa Valley).

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

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

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

County qualifiers and top alternates for Friday's CIF-Masters Track Meet at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

BOYS
100 meters: Davonte Stewart, Miller. Alternate: Justin Harris, Upland.
200: Josh Mance, Don Lugo; Davonte Stewart, Miller
400: Josh Mance, Don Lugo; Laijon White, Rancho Cucamonga
3,200: Daniel Rosales, Apple Valley; Dustin Fay, Rim of the World
110 hurdles: Devon Blackmon, Summit; Jered Bell, Colony. Alternate: Demi Adegoke, Los Osos
300 hurdles: Darron Usher, Eisenhower
High jump: Aaron Hale, Upland; De'Marrio Brooks, San Gorgonio; Larry Roberson, Granite Hills.
Triple jump: Justin Lovingood, Summit; Jaelen Spencer, Sultana. Alternate: Jonathan Chea, Cajon

GIRLS
100 meters: Brea Buchanan, Ayala; Omunique Thomas, Carter. Alternate: Treasurie Hatten, Victor Valley
200: Alternate: Omunique Thomas, Carter
400: Vanessa Jones, Etiwanda
3,200: Alternate: Melissa Telon, Rancho Cucamonga
100 hurdles: Brea Buchanan, Ayala; Shanice Stewart, Carter
300 hurdles: Ashley Cooke, Colony; Jordie Munford, Etiwanda; Haley Sanner, Cajon. Alternate: Ke'Nya Hardge, Miller
4x100 relay: Summit, Cajon, Los Osos
4x400 relay: Colony, Etiwanda
High jump: Ashley Henry, Rancho Cucamonga
Long jump: Shanice Stewart, Carter; Ashlie Curenton, Silverado
Triple jump: Mayra Carter, Alta Loma; Jenna Nordschow, Ayala
Pole vault: Nicole Larson, Upland
Shot put: Erin Randolph, Yucaipa

The list of qualifiers for next week's CIF-SS Division I meet at Cerritos College and their qualifying performances at Saturday's D1 prelim meet at Trabuco Hills.

BOYS
100 meters: 3. Davonte Stewart (Miller) 10.59, 5. Justin Harris (Upland) 10.67.
200: 1. Stewart (Miller) 20.84, 4. Harris (Upland) 21.51, 9. Mike Newton (Colton) 21.73
400: 1. Laijon White (Rancho Cucamonga) 48.32, 6. Jimi Alde-Chester (San Gorgonio) 48.85
3,200: 9. Luis Gutierrez (Rancho Cucamonga) 9:21.30.
110 hurdles: 3. Demi Adegoke (Los Osos) 14.62
300 hurdles: 8. Fred Rosser (Silverado) 39.27, 9. Trevor Stevens (Redlands) 39.40
4x100 relay: 6. Upland 42.79
4x400 relay: 5. Upland 3:22.19
High jump: T1. De'Marrio Brooks (San Gorgonio) 6-6, T1. Aaron Hale (Upland) 6-6
Long jump: 9. Brooks (San Gorgonio) 21-6.25
Shot put: 6. James Grigorian (Diamond Bar) 54-1; 8. Jordan Thomas (Redlands) 51-9.5; 9. Ryan Simms-Hunter (San Gorgonio) 51-3
Discus: 4. Grigorian (Diamond Bar) 160-0

GIRLS
100: 8. Breja'e Washington (Cajon) 12.03; 9. Ashley Franklin (Los Osos) 12.04
200: 9. Franklin (Los Osos) 24.66
400: 2. Vanessa Jones (Etiwanda) 55.72
3,200: 5. Melissa Telon (Rancho Cucamonga) 11:00.63
100 hurdles: 6. Jordie Munford (Etiwanda) 14.43; 7. Kenya Hardge (Miller) 14.56
300 hurdles: 1. Munford (Etiwanda) 43.46, 3. Haley Sanner (Cajon) 43.75, 7. Hardge (Miller) 44.55
4x100 relay: 4. Los Osos 47.32, 6. Cajon 47.79
4x400 relay: 2. Etiwanda 3:50.45
High jump: T1. Ashley Henry (Rancho Cucamonga) 5-4, T1. Tiana Jones (Rancho Cucamonga) 5-4
Long jump: 2. Ashlie Currenton (Silverado) 18-3.25, 4. Marya Carter (Alta Loma) 17-6.25, T9. Jenika Smith (Upland) 17-2.25
Triple jump: 6. Carter (Alta Loma) 38-.75
Pole vault: 1. Nicole Larson (Upland) 11-0
Shot put: 3. Erin Randolph (Yucaipa) 40-5.5, 6. Natania Toilolo (Cajon) 38-6.5
Discus: 9. Dee De Shaefer Robinson (Etiwanda) 114-1

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.

The countdown to the awarding of the 46th annual Ken Hubbs Award will start Monday, as the selection committee will pick the overall winner of the award from a group of nominees that have already been submitted by the eligible schools.

The individual school winners will be announced Friday, May 14 at Arrowhead Credit Union Park during the 66ers' game with the Quakes while the overall winner will be honored Monday, May 17 at 6 p.m. at the Elks Club in San Bernardino.

Recent winners of the award include Redlands East Valley football player Ronnie Fouch (2007), Big Bear football player Kriss Proctor (2008) and Yucaipa swimmer Trevor Hoyt last year. Cajon basketball player Layshia Clarendon was honored last year with an award for outstanding female athlete as well.

The Yucaipa-Calimesa Unified School District approved the hire of former Granite Hills head football coach Justin Price to coach the Yucaipa High School football team Tuesday.

Price, who led Granite Hills to a school-record six victories this past season, interviewed for the job Friday and was offered the job Monday, which he accepted in a heartbeat.

"I'm very excited about continuing the tradition at Yucaipa High School," said Price, who was 8-12 in two seasons with the Cougars. "With all the new high schools in California, its rare to find a one-high school town like Yucaipa has. I'm looking forward to working with the players, the parents and the whole community."

Price was a late-comer to the job, which has been advertised since John Hallenbeck was removed in early February. In fact, he drove down to Yucaipa the day before the ad for the job closed after receiving a layoff notice from his special ed teaching job at Granite Hills.

"I was reading blogs on the internet and saw that the Yucaipa job was still open," Price said. "I thought it was a great opportunity, so I drove down there, handed them my resume and interviewed this past Friday. I felt that there wasn't much importance being placed on keeping me around (at Granite Hills) and wanted to go somewhere where the high school football coach was valued."

Yucaipa High School also had a job opening for a special education teacher, which is what Price teaches. With that solved, it was a pretty easy decision for Yucaipa athletic director Mark Anderson.

"I like the attitude and the presence that Justin brings," Anderson said. "He's a good young coach who is eager to come in and be part of this community. I thought he was the right fit right away and once I knew that we had a teaching job open for him, it was an easy decision."

Price and the Thunderbirds, who went 5-5 this past season to finish fifth in the Citrus Belt League after three consecutive playoff appearances, will start spring practice next month.

The Yucaipa High School head football coaching position, which opened up in early February when John Hallenbeck was removed, is inching closer to being filled.

Thunderbirds athletic director Mark Anderson indicated that a series of interviews will be held April 23, with a possible recommendation coming from them.

"We have been patient with the process to make sure that we get the best possible candidates," Anderson said. "We'll sit down April 23 and see where we are at."

Yucaipa also is looking for a new girls basketball coach, as Anna Collins stepped down following the season. Collins, a newlywed, was teaching in Grand Terrace and the commute to Yucaipa was too much according to Anderson.

The 14th annual County Clash will take place Saturday at Arrowhead Credit Union Park with a baseball tripleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Colton and San Bernardino will start things off with a San Andreas League game at 1 p.m. and will be followed by two Citrus Belt League clashes -- Eisenhower vs. Redlands East Valley at 4 and Carter vs. Yucaipa at 7. Tickets can be purchased at the schools or at the 66ers' box office on Saturday.

This is the first of two County Clashes, with another one set to take place May 8.

Yucaipa won its semifinal game of the Sal Pointe Classic in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday night, beating Burbank 6-4 in a game that was reported after our deadline.
Yucaipa overcame six errors as Kevin Davidson (3-0) allowed only one earned run in six innings and went 2-for-4 with three RBIs at the plate.
Yucaipa plays in Friday's championship game against Tucson Canyon del Oro at 7 p.m. Canyon del Oro is 12-0 on the season and is currently ranked eighth in Arizona and second in its division by maxpreps.com. Sounds like it will be a second straight good test for the Thunderbirds, who crushed opponents in the early part of the tournament en route to the semifinals.

The search for new football coaches at Colton and Yucaipa High Schools are in a bit of a holding pattern as the schools approach their upcoming spring breaks.

Colton, which is replacing Harold Strauss -- who was bumped up to athletic director over the summer -- hoped to have Strauss' successor picked by now, but logistical concerns within the school district has pushed the timetable back a bit.

"We are waiting for the district to give us approval to go ahead with the interviews," Strauss said. "We have 7-10 guys that we will probably choose from, but we just are waiting for the school district to give the go-ahead before we proceed further.
"I just hope we get it done soon. We aren't that far away from spring practice and if we bring in a coach from the outside, we'll need that time to learn the new system."

Yucaipa's search to replace John Hallenbeck, who was let go last month after two years on the job, isn't quite as far along, as athletic director Mark Anderson is still accepting applications for the position.

"Right now, we are considering the position as 'open until filled,'" Anderson said. "We don't want to put a time limit on applications because with this economy, you don't want to shut anyone out. We have a good job here and we want to make sure we get the best candidates possible."

Anderson added that he expected to have a better idea of what direction Yucaipa would go in toward the end of the month.

Six county players were honored as top 100 high school prospects in the latest issue of Baseball America. Barstow pitcher Aaron Sanchez tops the list at No. 25. Sanchez, a 6-foot-3 righthander who has verbally committed to Oregon, was also listed on the magazine's third-team Preseason High School All-America Team.

Other county players in the top 100 include Yucaipa pitcher Taijuan Walker (No. 37), former REV pitcher Tyler Shreve (No. 60), REV lefthanded pitcher Griffin Murphy (No. 61), Los Osos catcher Jake Hernandez (No. 77) and Upland pitcher Scott Frazier (No. 98).

The Yucaipa football job, vacated with the removal of John Hallenbeck, will be advertised next week according to athletic director Mark Anderson. The job will be open to all applicants, with applicants within the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint School District receiving first consideration.

"We'll be opening it up pretty soon and see what kind of interest is out there," Anderson said.

The athletic director also shed a bit of light on the timetable in the removal of Hallenbeck, who was an assistant at Yucaipa before taking on the head coaching job two years ago and who remains a teacher at Yucaipa High. The decision to part ways was made late last week after a postseason review process.

"The athletic department ran its end-of-the-season review and the decision was made not to renew (Hallenbeck) as football coach," Anderson said. "John is a good person and it was a tough decision to make, but we decided that we needed to part ways."

Yucaipa football coach John Hallenbeck is out at coach of Yucaipa after two seasons, according to Hallenbeck. The coach did not go into details when I got a hold of him a couple of minutes ago, as he confirmed his departure and denied comment after that.

"There's too much going on right now and I can't say anything at this moment," Hallenbeck said. "Maybe it's something I'll be willing to discuss later, but not now."

Hallenbeck was 11-10 in two seasons with the Thunderbirds after taking over for Scott Pearne, advancing to the playoffs in 2008 and going 5-5 this past season. Yucaipa had a chance to make a fourth straight playoff appearance this fall, but fell to Carter 28-7 in the season finale.

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

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

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.

Its not a Fall Signing Period without some input from the Yucaipa baseball team, which will have two players signing this week. First baseman Wyatt Padgett will sign with BYU while outfielder Brian Derryberry will sign with UC Riverside at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, according to a voicemail I received from YHS athletic director Mark Anderson.

Any other coaches, athletic directors or parents who have athletes signing with Division I schools this week should e-mail me at tj.berka@inlandnewspapers.com or comment on this blog. We don't want to miss anyone.

Dropped four last week, a slight move in the wrong direction from the week before. But I'm feeling a perfect week coming this week. Or I'm coming down with swine flu. Either way, good times for all.

Silverado at Barstow
The Desert Sky League is ballin' this year and this should be the marquee matchup of the league slate. The Hawks and Aztecs played two great games last year in Victorville, with Silverado taking the regular season meeting and Barstow winning in the Eastern semifinals. I like what the Hawks have done during their five-game win streak, but I'm feeling Barstow at home.
Barstow 28, Silverado 24

Miller at Carter
The Rebels have made everyone forget about their 0-3 start (at least everyone but me) by putting the hurt on CBL foes Fontana, Rialto and Yucaipa. Of course, I picked Yucaipa last week, so I looked really dumb. I won't make the same mistake this week, although Carter is much improved from a year ago. Going with Miller to bump its CBL win streak to 12.
Miller 38, Carter 27

Rancho Cucamonga at Los Osos
The Grizzlies may be the best 2-4 team out there, as Los Osos has lost to Vista Murrieta (No. 3, Inland), Upland (No. 2 Central), Redlands (No. 7 Inland) and Riverside North. Unfortunately for Los Osos, it'll be the best 2-5 team out there when all is said and done, as they won't be able to take Rancho, the No. 1 team in the Central Division.
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Los Osos 17

Riverside Norte Vista at Kaiser
Typically the Sunkist is Kaiser, a few other teams, and some other teams thrown in for fun. Norte Vista is usually one of the teams thrown in for fun, but not this year, as the Braves have a perfect 6-0 record and the No. 8 record in the Eastern Division. But they aren't ready to sit at the big-boy table with Kaiser just yet. The battle-tested Cats will overpower Norte Vista.
Kaiser 22, Norte Vista 13

Cajon at San Gorgonio
We know that Cajon can go off on completely overmatched teams and can get throttled by very good teams. San G is somewhere in between, which makes for an interesting matchup. The 2-4 Spartans would love to get a signature victory under first-year coach Ron Gueringer, while the Cowboys want to prove that they can beat a team with a pulse. I'll pick the latter in a high-scoring affair.
Cajon 38, San Gorgonio 28

Garey at Colony
It's really hard to find a game worth picking from the Mt. Baldy League, so I went with this one. The Vikings aren't that bad, beating a decent Pomona team and fending off Montclair last week. But Colony is a darn good team with some pretty good pelts (Chino Hills, Kaiser) mounted on its wall. Garey is intriguing, but not intriguing enough to make me think about this prediction.
Colony 35, Garey 10

Serrano at Apple Valley
The Diamondbacks impressed the heck out of me last week, making Rim of the World tap out due to a physical, unrelenting defense. Apple Valley presents a few more looks than Rim did, as they've expanded their offense a bit past star running back Daryon Mosley. But Serrano has some elite talent to go with its traditional brawn, both of which will be too much for the Sun Devils to handle.
Serrano 28, Apple Valley 14

Chino Hills at Chino
Yeah, the Sierra League slate is that bad this week. It was either this or the Diamond Bar-Ayala game, another 0-6 vs. 5-1 matchup, so I went with the two county teams. I guess I could have gone without a Sierra game at all, but I'm not that mean. I'm not talking about this game much because there's not much to talk about. Chino Hills will win and it will likely be ugly.
Chino Hills 48, Chino 0

Twentynine Palms at Desert Mirage
Left for dead by some after an 0-4 start, the Wildcats have roared back by winning three straight games and not only look like the class of the De Anza League, but a contender in the East Valley playoffs as well. Desert Mirage runs the ball well and could be a sleeper, but I can't see them making this kind of leap just yet.
Twentynine Palms 27, Desert Mirage 11

Yucaipa at Redlands
Yucaipa is in week 3 of the CBL gauntlet, having dropped games to Redlands East Valley and Miller the last two weeks. While its not necessary for the Thunderbirds to beat Redlands to make the playoffs, it would make life a lot easier for Yucaipa. I wouldn't count on it happening though, as Redlands has consistently stepped up its game with each passing week.
Redlands 26, Yucaipa 13

Other games of interest:

Upland 36, Alta Loma 0
Etiwanda 48, Claremont 24
Ontario Christian 27, Western Christian 17
Fontana 41, Eisenhower 30
Redlands East Valley 63, Rialto 6
Yucca Valley 18, Desert Hot Springs 14
Ridgecrest Burroughs 27, Granite Hills 21
Rim of the World 42, Sultana 7
Chaffey 36, Montclair 12
Don Lugo 31, Ontario 6
Arroyo Valley 54, Pacific 7
Colton 58, San Bernardino 6
Ayala 38, Diamond Bar 13
Riverside Patriot 24, Bloomington 10
Summit 45, Jurupa Valley 3
Arrowhead Christian 20, Huntington Beach Brethren Christian 16
Victor Valley 21, Hesperia 17
Oak Hills 30, Palm Desert Xavier Prep 10
Big Bear 42, Citrus Valley 6

Week: 23-4
Overall: 153-46

A couple of significant volleyball tournaments will take place this weekend as Redlands East Valley and Ayala host tournaments for teams looking to cram for playoff play in a couple of weeks.

The 2009 REV Volleyball Classic -- a one-day, 12-team tourney on Saturday -- will feature the Wildcats, the No. 1 team in the most recent CIF-SS Division II-AA polls. Along with Redlands East Valley, the field includes Sultana, Yucaipa and several teams from Riverside County, most notably Division 2-A No. 1 Wildomar Elsinore and 3-AA No. 3 Palm Springs. Action starts at 8 a.m. with three four-team pools - pool A (Elsinore, Riverside Poly, Sultana, Yucaipa), pool B (REV, Temecula Chaparral, Riverside King, Paloma Valley) and pool C (Palm Springs, Corona, Temescal Canyon, Norco).

The Bulldog Classic at Ayala will take place Friday and Saturday. Joining the host Bulldogs will be Rancho Cucamonga -- the No. 9 team in Division 1-A -- and San Andreas League leader Cajon.

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

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

Still losing too many games here, as I went 24-10 in this space last week. It's time to kick some butt and take some names. Here are my picks before I head up to Victorville to see some Palm Desert-Silverado action.

Kaiser at Cajon
The champions of the Sunkist and San Andreas Leagues come together for what should be a physical contest. Last year the Cowboys outlasted Kaiser 10-7 in Fontana but I expect to see many more points this time around, as Cajon is averaging 50.6 points per game. It won't reach that mark obviously, but Cajon should have enough firepower in this one.
Cajon 24, Kaiser 14

Redlands East Valley at Orange Lutheran
This game is huge for REV's perception, as the Wildcats, with a win, can not only get a big win as far as San Bernardino County's reputation is concerned, but can also put themselves in the conversation for the state bowls in December. The Wildcats have the explosive offense and physical defense to get the win. I'll go out on a limb and say they will.
Redlands East Valley 28, Orange Lutheran 25

Rancho Cucamonga at Covina Charter Oak
The Central Division champion takes on the Southeast Division champion in a rematch of last year's 14-14 tie, the only blemish on each team's championship resume. This should be a doozy once again and I think it's supposed to be on TV. Rancho looked really good against Carter last week and I think they'll settle this game in regulation.
Rancho Cucamonga 21, Charter Oak 17

Yucaipa at San Gorgonio
This is an intriguing matchup, as both of these teams have explosive capabilities. The Thunderbirds scored four touchdowns from 62 yards or more in their win over San Bernardino while San Gorgonio has put up some lofty numbers with its new spread attack. I'll go with the home team in a thriller that will see lots of points and excitement.
San Gorgonio 33, Yucaipa 31

Palm Desert at Silverado
After a embarrassing Week 0 loss to Gardena Serra, the Hawks have righted the ship, battling Serrano close and defeating Quartz Hill. However, Palm Desert is potent and will be a tough test for Silverado. But what else is new - Silverado prides itself on painful nonleague schedules. Palm Desert has a little too much oomph right now.
Palm Desert 28, Silverado 17

Diamond Ranch at Chino Hills
The last two victims of Colony get to compare wounds this week. But even with the Colony angle ignored, this matchup has made for some classic games over the last couple of years, with the teams splitting meetings. Assuming Ryan Verdugo and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu are going to play, I'm taking Chino Hills here.
Chino Hills 27, Diamond Ranch 17

Vista Murrieta at Los Osos
Not the best matchup for a Los Osos team looking for momentum after consecutive losses to Riverside North and Redlands. Vista Murrieta is scary good, as they went into Colton two weeks ago and had their way with the Yellowjackets. Los Osos can throw the ball, but that won't be enough against the Broncos.
Vista Murrieta 30, Los Osos 16

Palm Springs at Colton
Kind of a repeat of last week, as a highly-rated Eastern Division squad from the Low Desert comes into Colton. The Yellowjackets disposed of former No. 2 La Quinta 23-8 last week and now face a No. 3 ranked Palm Springs team that it beat with a 100-yard fumble return last year. Such heroics won't be necessary this time around.
Colton 25, Palm Springs 13

Apple Valley at Victor Valley
The battle for The Bell has been an Apple Valley-dominated thing recently, as the Sun Devils have won the last five. However, Victor Valley came within a failed 2-point conversion of winning it last year and have ascended to No. 10 in the Eastern Division polls thanks to a 2-0 start. So who am I going to pick? Apple Valley of course. Don Lugo aside, you don't pick against a streak.
Apple Valley 27, Victor Valley 23

Eisenhower at Arroyo Valley
This is the first meeting between schools that are almost within walking distance of each other on Baseline Road. The Eagles have shown some big-play offensive ability with QB Richard Redd and WR Darron Usher, but the defense has been an absolute sieve, giving up 109 points in two weeks. That won't fly against Arroyo Valley QB Michael Yearwood.
Arroyo Valley 45, Eisenhower 26

Other games of note:

Colony 35, Alta Loma 10
Baldwin Park Sierra Vista 38, Western Christian 29
Riverside Norte Vista 25, Carter 23
Aquinas 42, Citrus Valley 0
Corona Roosevelt 43, Bloomington 20
Ayala 28, H.H. Los Altos 18
Chaffey 31, La Puente Nogales 16
Lancaster 30, Oak Hills 10
San Marcos 34, Ontario 17
Hesperia 38, Pacific 6
Serrano 19, Palmdale Highland 13
Barstow 28, Quartz Hill 14
Granite Hills 34, Rialto 20
Rim of the World 36, Bishop 14
Fontana 37, San Bernardino 31
Palmdale Knight 30, Sultana 12
Temecula Linfield Christian 28, Ontario Christian 23
Banning 27, Twentynine Palms 13
Upland 20, Lancaster Eastside 3
Beaumont 20, Yucca Valley 10

Last week: 24-10
Overall: 62-29

Yucaipa has made the Inland Division playoffs the last three seasons, the second-longest streak in the Citrus Belt League behind Redlands East Valley. But despite that, the Thunderbirds have yet to make any real in-roads toward a CBL title or a playoff run.

Of course, it doesn't help that the Thunderbirds finished fourth in 2006, third in 2007 and fourth again last year, forcing them to go head-to-head with Vista Murrieta twice and Corona Centennial last year. As you would think, there isn't much upside to playing teams of that quality in the first round.

The protest of Yucaipa's 15-7 CIF-SS Division II first-round victory over La Crescenta Crescenta Valley Thursday was rejected Friday according to Yucaipa athletic director Mark Anderson.

The protest, filed by Crescenta Valley coach Phil Torres, was filed because Torres claimed that Yucaipa catcher Cody Meservey didn't leave the premises promptly after having been ejected in the top of the second inning. However, according to Anderson, Meservey didn't need to leave the premises at all.

"The rule is different for players than coaches," Anderson said. "If a coach is ejected, he must leave the premises, but a player can stay in the dugout or in the stands as long as he is supervised by an adult, which we did."

After Meservey blew off some steam from the ejection, Anderson escorted Meservey from the baseball field and took him over to the football stadium, where he watched the rest of the game by looking over the bleachers.

"The rule is different because what are you supposed to do if a player is ejected on the road?" Anderson said. "He can't leave the campus, like the rule for coaches states. That's why it's different. I think its unfortunate that the umpires didn't know this rule and this got as far as it did."

Anderson drove to the CIF-SS offices in Los Alamitos to make the case for the No. 2-seeded Thunderbirds Friday morning. It didn't take much of an argument though, as the CIF had no inclination to change the result of the game.

"They said that I really didn't need to go down there because there were no grounds for a reversal," Anderson said. "I just wanted to make sure that we did everything in our power to explain our point of view."

Yucaipa will continue its playoff run with a second-round game against Cypress Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. at Yucaipa High School.

Sometimes lost in the hoopla of the football signings on National Signing Day are soccer signings. But there will be three local girls soccer players signing this week.

Redlands midfielder Hannah Carroll and Yucaipa midfielder Kellie Bohner, who play on the same club team, will both sign with SMU this week according to Yucaipa athletic director Mark Anderson. Carroll has five goals and nine assists for the Terriers this year while Bohner - Yucaipa's leading scorer a year ago - has missed much of the season with an ankle injury.

Kaiser midfielder/forward Jessica Cortez is also signing this week, as she'll be heading to UC Riverside. Cortez has been the leader of a powerful Kaiser team for the past few years, Cortez has 12 goals and six assists for the Cats this season.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I covered the Inland Empire All-Star Football Classic last night, a game that didn't go too well for the San Bernardino boys, who fell 38-7 to Riverside.

The San Bernardino team, coached by Los Osos' Tom Martinez, didn't have the full arsenal that Riverside had, as several highly-touted, Division I-committed players who were scheduled to play during the week dropped out. Among those were Arroyo Valley offensive lineman Michael Philipp - the No. 1 guard in the nation according to Rivals.com, Los Osos QB Richard Brehaut, Cajon CB Marlon Pollard, Upland CB Osahon Irabor and Upland CB Taj Johnson. Upland QB Josh Nunes also didn't play, as a hand injury suffered in the Central Division title game with Rancho Cucamonga hasn't fully healed.

Leaving the biggest division for last (not for any build-up, just for alphabetizing's sake), here are my Inland Division picks, both for this week and the future.

Yucaipa at No. 1 Corona Centennial
The prediction here is pain. Yucaipa did a good job under first-year coach John Hallenbeck to make it this far, but they are playing against a team that is among the elite nationally. Centennial has a linebacker going to USC, a wideout going to UCLA, a quarterback going to Nebraska and several others with D-1 aspirations. It will be tough for Yucaipa to stay within 40.
Centennial 56, Yucaipa 7

Roosevelt at Miller
The Rebels have never really been given their props this year. They are one of those "yeah, but" teams. Miller is 10-0. Yeah, but the CBL was kind of weak this year. Miller has a great defense. Yeah, but have the honestly played against real offenses? And so on and so forth. This week, Roosevelt is a yeah, but team, as their 6-4 record will be propped up by a "Yeah, but they play in the Big VIII." I'm not betting against a disrespected Miller team.
Miller 27, Roosevelt 10

Corona Santiago at Redlands East Valley
A tasty rematch of last year's Inland semifinal, won by the Sharks in upset fashion. A repeat wouldn't be nearly as surprising this year, as the 9-1 Wildcats just don't have the firepower that they've had the last two years. The defense has done a wonderful job of keeping the Wildcats in the win column, but Santiago isn't going to be intimidated.
Santiago 20, Redlands East Valley 17

Redlands at Riverside North
This could be the most even, most intriguing matchup. Redlands may be the second-best team in the CBL (they'll admit that they should have won the REV game) and they have a star RB in Cam Phillips. North has won two straight CIF titles in the Eastern Division, but this division is a drastic step up. I have a feeling that the Terriers are going to pull a minor upset here.
Redlands 23, North 21

Other games of note:
No. 2 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 27, Norco 9
No. 3 Temecula Chaparral 31, Moreno Valley Vista del Lago 10
Murrieta Valley 28, Riverside Arlington 6
Vista Murrieta 27, Moreno Valley 21

Quarterfinals
No. 1 Corona Centennial over Vista Murrieta
Murrieta Valley over Miller
No. 2 Rancho Verde over Redlands
No. 3 Chaparral over Santiago

Semifinals
No. 1 Corona Centennial over Murrieta Valley
No. 3 Chaparral over No. 2 Rancho Verde

Final
No. 1 Corona Centennial over No. 3 Chaparral

The CIF-Southern Section football playoff brackets were released a few hours ago. Definitely some interesting things going on in the pairings. Here are some early observations on the brackets, which can be downloaded from www.cifss.org.

Central Division
- Rancho Cucamonga wasn't done any favors. Although the 9-0-1 Cougars were awarded the No. 1 seed, they got paired up with Colton in the first round. The Yellowjackets may not be as good as they usually are, but that double-wing offense is a headache to defend. Los Osos, on the other hand, got the No. 2 seed and is hosting Elsinore out of the Sunbelt League. If it wins, it'll face the Chino Hills-San Gorgonio winner.

- Chaffey also should be a little perturbed, as the Mt. Baldy League champions get the pleasure of hosting Upland, the third-place team in the Baseline League. It will be tough for the Tigers to match up with that firepower.

- Chino Hills-San G is a rematch of a game played on Oct. 3 at San G, won 42-20 by Chino Hills. Needless to say, tough draw for the Spartans.

- Cajon, the SAL champ, gets wild-card Etiwanda in the first round. The Cowboys were the No. 4 seed but will be tested by an explosive Eagles team. Ayala, the Sierra No. 1 seed, also gets a tough draw by hosting two-time defending division champion Colony.

Eastern Division
- Hesperia has a pretty favorable draw. As expected, the Scorpions got the No. 2 seed in the division behind Citrus Hill and draws Riverside Notre Dame in the first round. It'll get the Silverado at Patriot winner in the quarterfinals if it wins. The other league champion on its side of the bracket - Palm Springs - was 7-3 in a mediocre Desert Valley League.

- Rim of the World has a rough matchup, having to face No. 1 seed Perris Citrus Hill and its star RB Deonte Cooper. Ridgecrest Burroughs wasn't done many favors either, as it hosts Palm Desert - which was ranked near the top of the division rankings all year.

- Kaiser gets Banning in the first round and has a very intriguing second-round matchup if it wins, as it will face the La Quinta at Serrano winner.

East Valley Division
- Aquinas gets the No. 3 seed and hosts Kern Valley in the first round. Should it win, it could have a tasty rematch with Twentynine Palms, which dealt the Falcons their only loss. There's also potential for a Big Bear-Ontario Christian rematch in the second round.

- Arrowhead Christian and Big Bear qualify as at-larges and have tough first round matchups, as the Eagles play at No. 2 seed Brentwood while the Bears head to Santa Paula.

Inland Division
- Miller gets the No. 4 seed and hosts Roosevelt, which is making its first playoff appearance in school history.

- Lots of revenge possibilities. Redlands East Valley is on the same side of the bracket with Redlands, and the Wildcats get a chance to avenge their loss to Corona Santiago in the Inland semifinals a year ago. If Redlands wins at Riverside North and Norco wins at Moreno Valley Rancho Verde, a rematch of their overtime semifinal two years ago would happen.

- Rancho Verde, the No. 2 seed, got a tough first-round matchup with a seasoned Norco squad and isn't done any favors in round two, having to face Redlands or two-time Eastern Division champ North.

- Yucaipa gets the unenviable task of facing Corona Centennial. That could get ugly quick.

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.