DON'T THINK. IT CAN ONLY HURT THE BALLCLUB

Reigning CIF-SS Central Division MVP Greg Watson will likely not be 100 percent when his Rancho Cucamonga High School football team takes on Glendora in Friday's first round of the playoffs, but the quarterback of the defending CIF champs will play, according to Cougars head coach Nick Baiz.

"He's fine," Baiz said. "He's good to go."

Watson suffered a leg injury when he was dragged down from behind with eight minutes left in Rancho Cucamonga's eventual 27-24 overtime loss to Etiwanda last Thursday, after which he didn't return to the game. I saw the play in question and it was clear that Watson's legs buckled awkwardly as he was horse-collared. He limped off the field and spent a good portion of the rest of the game on the trainers table before watching the rest of the game from the sidelines.

Baiz preferred not to elaborate beyond calling it a leg injury. "Let's just leave it at that," he said. "I'd tell you but I don't want to tell 1,000 people."

Continue reading "Rancho QB Watson to play through leg injury" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

FIRST ROUND
No. 1 Colton over Don Lugo
Rancho Cucamonga over Glendora
Chaffey over Hemet West Valley
No. 4 Los Osos over Arroyo Valley
Chino Hills over No. 3 Wildomar Elsinore
Etiwanda over Cajon
Damien over Upland
No. 2 Colony over Menifee Paloma Valley

QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Colton over Rancho Cucamonga
No. 4 Los Osos over Chaffey
Etiwanda over Chino Hills
No. 2 Colony over Damien

SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Colton over No. 4 Los Osos
Etiwanda over No. 2 Colony

FINALS
Etiwanda over No. 1 Colton

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

FIRST ROUND
No. 1 Redlands East Valley over La Sierra
Temecula Chaparral over Corona Roosevelt
Corona Centennial over Miller
No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde over Temecula Great Oak
No. 3 Norco over Carter
Murrieta Valley over Riverside Arlington
Redlands over Moreno Valley Valley View
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Corona Santiago

QUARTERFINALS
Temecula Chaparral over No. 1 Redlands East Valley
No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde over Corona Centennial
No. 3 Norco over Murrieta Valley
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Redlands

SEMIFINALS
Temecula Chaparral over No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over No. 3 Norco

FINALS
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Temecula Chaparral

Coming tomorrow: Central Division prediction

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 7:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Colony cornerback Jered Bell verbally committed to Colorado this week after paying a visit to the campus in Boulder, Colo., on Nov. 6, according to Colony head football coach Anthony Rice.

The 6-foot, 179-pound senior is the 63rd ranked cornerback in the country by rivals.com and the 99th-ranked player in the state of California. Bell was drawing interest from Colorado State, among others, but Colorado was his only scholarship offer.

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Etiwanda (7-3) Last week: 4
2. Colony (9-1) Last week: 2
3. Chino Hills (8-2) Last week: 3
4. Rancho Cucamonga (8-2) Last week: 1
5. Upland (8-2) Last week: 5
6. Los Osos (6-4) Last week: 6
7. Kaiser (7-3) Last week: 7
8. San Dimas (9-1) Last week: 8
9. Damien (5-5) Last week: 9
10. Miller (5-5) Last week: NR
Dropped out: No. 10 Ayala

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The three-way tie for first place in the Sierra League became official with Chino Hills 42-14 blasting of Diamond Bar Friday night. Damien, Glendora and Chino Hills each finished with four wins and one loss in league.

Since head-to-head results didn't break the three-way tie, a coin flip to determine the playoff seeds conducted prior to Friday night's game awarded the league's No. 1 seed to Damien, the No. 2 seed to Glendora and the No. 3 to Chino Hills. When Glendora, Ayala and Chino Hills were tri-league champions last season, Ayala won the coin flip and Chino Hills was the No. 2 seed.

In other news Friday night... San Dimas won the Valle Vista League with a 35-16 win over Baldwin Park.

Upland won the Baseline League fourth-place game with Claremont, 30-20, and will certainly get the lone at-large playoff bid in the CIF-SS Central Division when the playoff brackets are released Sunday.

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Friday, November 13
BASELINE LEAGUE
Los Osos 56, Alta Loma 10
Upland 30, Claremont 20
CHRISTIAN LEAGUE
Aquinas 24, Ontario Christian 20
CITRUS BELT LEAGUE
Carter 28, Yucaipa 7
Rialto 23, Fontana 7
Redlands East Valley 37, Redlands 7
MIRAMONTE LEAGUE
Charter Oak 31, Los Altos 0
Diamond Ranch 35, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0
Walnut 30, Bonita 15
PREP LEAGUE
Rio Hondo 46, Webb 0
SAN ANDREAS LEAGUE
Cajon 34, Arroyo Valley 19
Colton 79, Pacific 0
San Bernardino 22, San Gorgonio 19
SIERRA LEAGUE
CHino Hills 42, Diamond Bar 14
SUNKIST LEAGUE
Riverside Norte Vista 46, Bloomington 18
Kaiser 65, Jurupa Valley 0
VALLE VISTA LEAGUE
San Dimas 35, Baldwin Park 16
Covina 24, Covina Northview 23

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Glendora 34, Ayala 20
After this Thursday night loss knocked them into fourth place in the Sierra League, Ayala's only avenue to the playoffs is the Central Division's one at-large bid, for which it will have stiff competition. The Bulldogs' only hope is for Claremont to knock off Upland in the Baseline League's fourth-place game tonight, giving Ayala and Claremont identical 6-4 records and an equal shot at the bid. If Upland wins, it will have an 8-2 record and easily be the at-large team.

Etiwanda 27, Rancho Cucamonga 24 (OT)
Folloiwing a Rancho Cucamonga field goal on its overtime possession, Etiwanda QB Angel Santiago hit Gary Ayala with a 25-yard touchdown pass on the Eagles first play of OT to earn the Eagles at least a share of the Baseline League title. All Los Osos needs for a co-league championship and the No. 1 seed in the league is a win tonight over winless Alta Loma.

Don Lugo 42, Garey 28
The Conquistadores won the third-place game in the Mt. Baldy League thanks to 291 yards and four touchdowns from running back Steven Bethley. Don Lugo claimed the last playoff spot in the league behind Colony, who clinched the league title with a 39-13 win over Montclair Thursday and second-place Chaffey which beat Ontario, 42-21.

Other Thursday night scores:
Summit 35, Riverside Patriot 12
Summit snaps losing streak, clinches final playoff spot in the Sunkist League.
Miller 52, Eisenhower 12
Win or lose, Miller was locked into third place in the Citrus Belt League.
Pomona 33, Ganesha 12
After costly loss to Covina last week, Pomona finishes in 4th in the Valle Vista League.

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Thursday, November 12
BASELINE LEAGUE
Etiwanda 36, Rancho Cucamonga 34
MT. BALDY LEAGUE
Colony 37, Montclair 6
Don Lugo 28, Garey 27
Chaffey 35, Ontario 0
SIERRA LEAGUE
Ayala 23, Glendora 21
Damien 32, Chino 10
SUNKIST LEAGUE
Summit 34, Riverside Patriot 23
VALLE VISTA LEAGUE
Pomona 25, Ganesha 13

Friday, November 13
BASELINE LEAGUE
Los Osos 31, Alta Loma 10
Upland 31, Claremont 28
CHRISTIAN LEAGUE
Aquinas 35, Ontario Christian 24
CITRUS BELT LEAGUE
Carter 33, Yucaipa 27
Miller 36, Eisenhower 10
Redlands East Valley 23, Redlands 14
Fontana 21, Rialto 12
MIRAMONTE LEAGUE
Diamond Ranch 27, Hacienda Heights Wilson 6
PREP LEAGUE
Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep 28, Webb 7
SIERRA LEAGUE
Chino Hills 36, Diamond Bar 16
SUNKIST LEAGUE
Kaiser 41, Jurupa Valley 6
Riverside Norte Vista 27, Bloomington 7
VALLE VISTA LEAGUE
San Dimas 36, Baldwin Park 27
NONLEAGUE
Santa Monica St. Monica 24, Western Christian 21
Bonita 23, Walnut 21

Continue reading "Prep football predictions: Week 10" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the early signing period beginning today, here is a list of athletes and the schools with which they are expected to sign.

BASEBALL
Scott Frazier, Upland, Pepperdine
Derek Goodwin, Diamond Ranch, Sacramento State
Jack Heildman, Claremont, San Diego
Jake Hernandez, Los Osos, USC
Austin Reed, Rancho Cucamonga, San Diego State
Ernesto Zaragosa, Kaiser, San Diego State

BASKETBALL
Jasmine Bernard, Etiwanda, UC-Irvine
Derek Brown, Chino Hills, San Jose State
Janelle Kearney, Diamond Ranch, Boise State
Maiya Michel, Summit, Denver
Ericka Norman, Chino Hills, Sacred Heart
J.J. O'Brien, Alta Loma, Utah
Adrianne Thomas, Summit, Arizona State
Chloe Wells, Miller, Duke

GYMNASTICS
Jordan Williams, Los Osos, Arizona

SOFTBALL
Samantha Dodd, Miller, DePaul
Sarah Free, Claremont, Holy Cross
Jessica Garcia, Redlands, San Jose State
Stevie Goldstein, Aquinas, Loyola Marymount
Jessica Hall, Ayala, UCLA
Erin Jones-Wesley, Los Osos, Long Beach State
Whitney Jones, Upland, Washington
Alyssia Palomino, Kaiser, Auburn
Natalee Pulver, Etiwanda, Marshall
Sydney Stewart, Diamond Ranch, UNLV
Talee Snow, Chino Hills, UCLA

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With one week left in the regular season, the outcome of this league appears fairly simple...unless, of course, winless Alta Loma upsets Los Osos on Friday. Before we get into the mind-bending scenarios that would create, I'll cover the more likely outcomes.

If Los Osos beats Alta Loma, it will share a league title with the winner of Thursday's Rancho Cucamonga-Etiwanda winner but Los Osos will be the No. 1 playoff seed thanks to wins over both Rancho and Etiwanda. Under this circumstance, the three automatic playoff berths will go to Los Osos, Rancho and Etiwanda, leaving Upland and Claremont to play the fourth-place game on Friday.

Despite being for fourth place, the Claremont-Upland game is vital because the winner could get the CIF-SS Central Division's lone at-large playoff berth.

Continue reading "Baseline League playoff scenario: Alta Loma holds the key" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Though the Chino Hills High School football team won its crosstown rivalry game with Ayala for the first time in three years, I think it may have been Friday's 14-7 loss with which Ayala proved the last two years were no fluke.

There seems to be a perception that the better team hasn't won the game the last two years. I don't believe that but I think I finally figured out why a lot of other people do on Friday.

Ayala plays ugly (like it did Friday). It wins on the strength of its defense and special teams (it blocked a field goal Friday; Ayala won this game two years when it blocked a field goal late in the game that would have given Chino Hills the lead).

We all get caught up in offensive firepower and gaudy statistics, creating the perception that because Ayala isn't flashy, it isn't good.

Continue reading "Chino Hills, Ayala are who we thought they were" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

1. Colton (8-1) Last week: 1
2. Rancho Cucamonga (8-1) Last week: 2
3. Colony (8-1) Last week: 3
4. Wildomar Elsinore (7-2) Last week: 6
5. Los Osos (5-4) Last week: NR
6. Chino Hills (7-2) Last week: 7
7. Arroyo Valley (7-2) Last week: 8
8. Etiwanda (6-3) Last week: 4
9. Glendora (6-3) Last week: 9
10. Upland (7-2) Last week: 5
Others receiving votes: Ayala (6-3), Cajon (6-3 )

Other CIF-SS polls listed below...

Continue reading "CIF-SS Central Division poll: Los Osos climbs to No. 5" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Though he has been a player of the week before, Douglas' 366 yards on 47 carries in Chaffey's 22-7 win over Garey on Friday warranted a repeat. The senior is now averaging over 200 yards on the ground per game with 1,812 on the season. His three touchdowns Friday gave him 16 in nine games this year.

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Rancho Cucamonga (8-1)
Previous: 3. Last week: def. Upland, 34-31. Next: Thurs. vs. No. 4 Etiwanda (6-3).
2. Colony (8-1)
Previous: 2. Last week: def. Don Lugo 42-10. Next: Thursday at Montclair (3-6).
3. Chino Hills (7-2)
Previous: 5. Last week: def. Ayala 14-7. Next: Friday vs. Diamond Bar (1-8).
4. Etiwanda (6-3)
Previous: 1. Last week: lost to Los Osos 58-35. Next: Thurs. at No. 1 R. Cucamga (9-1)
5. Upland (7-2)
Previous: 4. Last week: lost to R. Cucamonga, 34-31. Next: Fri. at Claremont (5-4).
6. Los Osos (5-4)
Previous: 9. Last week: def. Etiwanda, 58-35. Next: Fri. vs. Alta Loma (0-9).
7. Kaiser (6-3)
Previous: 6. Last week: def. Bloomington, 41-0. Next: Fri. at Jurupa Valley (0-9).
8. San Dimas (8-1)
Previous: 7. Last week: def. Northview, 49-24. Next: Fri. at Baldwin Park (8-1).
9. Damien (4-5)
Previous: NR. Last week: def. Diamond Bar, 52-3. Next: Thurs. vs. Chino (0-9).
10. Ayala (6-3)
Previous: 8. Last week: lost to Chino Hills, 14-7. Next: Thurs. at Glendora (6-3).
Dropped out: No. 10 Miller (4-5).

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Friday, November 6
BASELINE LEAGUE
Claremont 45, Alta Loma 21
Los Osos 58, Etiwanda 35
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Upland 31
CHRISTIAN LEAGUE
Aquinas 37, Western Christian 7
Ontario Christian 49, ACA 10
CITRUS BELT LEAGUE
Carter 53, Fontana 27
Yucaipa 50, Eisenhower 41
Redlands 31, Rialto 14
Redlands East Valley 28, Miller 20
DERERT SKY LEAGUE
Silverado 25, Granite Hills 14
Serrano 29, Burroughs 12 (nonleague)
Victor Valley 29, Barstow 28
MIRAMONTE LEAGUE
Bonita 47, HH Wilson 3
MOJAVE RIVER LEAGUE
Serrano 29, Ridgecrest Burroughs 12 (nonleague)
Rim of the World 34, Hesperia 0
Apple Vally 49, Sultana 6
MT. BALDY LEAGUE
Chaffey 22, Garey 7
Colony 42, Don Lugo 10
Montclair 40, Ontario 15
SAN ANDREAS LEAGUE
Cajon 50, Pacific 0
Arroyo Valley 47, San Bernardino 15
Colton 42, San Gorgonio 19
SIERRA LEAGUE
Chino Hills 14, Ayala 7
Glendora 28, Chino 10
Damien 52, Diamond Bar 3
SUNKIST LEAGUE
Kaiser 41, Bloomington 0
Norte Vista 44, Summit 29
Patriot 52, Jurupa Valley 7
VALLE VISTA LEAGUE
Covina 7, Pomona 2

Thursday, November 5
VALLE VISTA LEAGUE
Baldwin Park 49, Ganesha 14

Posted by Clay Fowler at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Friday, November 6
BASELINE LEAGUE
Claremont 34, Alta Loma 20
Etiwanda 23, Los Osos 21
Rancho Cucamonga 24, Upland 17
CHRISTIAN LEAGUE
Aquinas 42, Western Christian 17
Ontario Christian 31, Arrowhwad Christian Academy 14
CITRUS BELT LEAGUE
Carter 28, Fontana 21
Redlands 41, Rialto 12
Redlands East Valley 33, Miller 21
Yucaipa 36, Eisenhower 17
MIRAMONTE LEAGUE
Bonita 32, Hacienda Heights Wilson 14
MT. BALDY LEAGUE
Chaffey 27, Garey 13
Colony 35, Don Lugo 7
Montclair 36, Ontario 12
PREP LEAGUE
Chadwick Palos Verdes 24, Webb 10
SIERRA LEAGUE
Chino Hills 21, Ayala 17
Damien 32, Diamond Bar 10
Glendora 34, Chino 6
SUNKIST LEAGUE
Kaiser 38, Bloomington 7
Summit 27, Riverside Norte Vista 21
Riverside Patriot 42, Jurupa Valley 6
VALLE VISTA LEAGUE
Pomona 23, Covina 20
San Dimas 32, Covina Northview 0

Saturday, November 7
MIRAMONTE LEAGUE
Diamond Ranch 24, Hacienda Heights Los Altos 14

Continue reading "Prep football predictions: Week 9" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Though the standings rarely matter in this crosstown rivalry, a four-way tie for first place in the Sierra League only adds to the implications of tonight's meeting between defending Sierra League champions Chino Hills (6-2, 2-1), the No. 7 team in the CIF-SS Central Division, and No. 10 Ayala (6-2, 2-1).

TOP TO BOTTOM
Though they both suffered their first league losses last week, both the Bulldogs and the Huskies remain firmly in contention for the league title. The flip side of a league race with four teams tied for first place means the loser of this game is in danger of missing the playoffs, given that Damien and Glendora also have 2-1 league records.

Continue reading "Prep football game of the week: Chino Hills at Ayala" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 9:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Tony Washington chose Oregon of his 12 scholarship offers, issuing a verbal commitment to the Ducks on Sunday, according to Los Osos head coach Tom Martinez. The 6-5, 225-pound defendive end was scheduled to visit Oregon State Nov. 14, but decided to go ahead and narrow his top four - Oregon, Arizona, UTEP and Oregon State - to one.

The 49th-ranked weakside defensive end in the country, according to rivals.com, has 4.5 sacks and 51 tackles, eight for loss, this season. His other scholarship offers included Arizona State, Hawaii, Nevada, Colorado State, San Diego State, New Mexico State and Idaho.

Washington, who runs a 4.7-second 40 and has a 40-inch vertical, gained about 25 pounds in the offseason but it is apparent he has a frame that can hold considerable more weight. He is 225 pounds but still looks like a skinny kid.

Here is a story I wrote last week about Washington, who is coping with the sudden death of his father eight days before this season began.

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maybe three champions weren't enough last year.

There are four teams tied atop the Sierra League, but that hardly tells the story.

The Damien football team, which just two weeks ago had a single win to its credit appears poised to win at the very least a share of the league championship. Two of the league's three defending champions, Chino Hills and Ayala, could have set up a showdown this week for sole possession of first place had each produced a victory on Friday. They both lost.

Now Glendora, Damien, Ayala and Chino Hills are tied for first place with a league record of 2-1.

"I think this is about how I thought it would be," Ayala coach Tom Inglima said. "I'm just glad we're still in it."

Continue reading "It's a four-way race for three spots in the Sierra League" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

1. Colton (7-1) Last week: 2
2. Rancho Cucamonga (7-1) Last week: 3
3. Colony (7-1) Last week: 4
4. Etiwanda (6-2) Last week: 7
5. Upland (7-1) Last week: 1
6. Wildomar Elsinore (6-2) Last week: 8
7. Chino Hills (6-2) Last week: 5
8. Arroyo Valley (6-2) Last week: 10
9. Glendora (5-3) Last week: NR
10. Ayala (6-2) Last week: 6
Dropped out: No. 9 Cajon (5-3)
Others receiving votes: Don Lugo (5-3), Cajon (5-3), Los Osos (4-4).

Other CIF-SS polls listed below...

Continue reading "CIF-SS Central Division poll: Colton ascends to No. 1" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Etiwanda (6-2)
Previous: 6. Last week: Def. Upland 18-16. Next: Friday at No. 9 Los Osos (4-4).
2. Colony (7-1)
Previous: 3. Last week: Def. Chaffey 35-13. Next: Friday at Don Lugo (5-3)
3. Rancho Cucamonga (7-1)
Previous: 5. Last week: Def. Alta Loma 34-14. Next: Friday at No. 4 Upland (7-1).
4. Upland (7-1)
Previous: 1. Last week: lost to Etiwanda 18-16. Next: vs. No. 3 R. Cucamonga (7-1).
5. Chino Hills (6-2)
Previous: 5. Last week: lost to Glendora 24-23. Next: Friday at No. 8 Ayala (6-2).
6. Kaiser (5-3)
Previous: 6. Last week: Def. Summit 13-7. Next: Friday vs. Bloomington (3-5).
7. San Dimas (7-1)
Previous: 8. Last week: Def. Pomona 28-0. Next: Friday vs. Covina Northview (1-7).
8. Ayala (6-2)
Previous: 2. Last week: lost to Damien 17-7. Next: Friday vs. No. 5 Chino Hills (6-2).
9. Los Osos (4-4)
Previous: NR. Last week: Def. Claremont 54-21. Next: Friday vs. No. 1 Etiwanda (6-2).
10. Miller (4-4)
Previous: 9. Last week: lost to Redlands 28-27. Next: Friday at Redlands E. Valley (8-0).
Dropped out: No. 10 Summit.
Just missed the cut: Damien (3-5), Chaffey (4-4), Summit (4-4).

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Posted by Clay Fowler at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)