Prep football rankings after Week 8: Ayala debuts
Fresh off an 0-10 season, Ayala has climbed into the Daily Bulletin's top 10. A forfeit here, two touchdowns in 27 seconds there, throw in a game-clinching blocked field goal and you have the No. 8 Ayala Bulldogs...
1. Miller (8-0)
2. Norco (7-1)
3. Diamond Ranch (1-7)*
4. Colony (6-2)
5. Los Osos (6-2)
6. Etiwanda (5-3)
7. Chaffey (7-1)
8. Ayala (6-2)
9. Upland (5-3)
10. San Dimas (7-1)
Also receiving votes: Chino Hills (5-2-1), Ontario Christian (6-2).
Dropped out: No. 9 Chino Hills.
* - Diamond Ranch forfeited its five wins last week due to an ineligible player.
With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, discussion of potential movement in the top 10 begins with this week's showdown of undefeateds, No. 1 Miller and the San Bernardino Sun top-ranked team, Redlands East Valley (8-0).
Ayala has a chance to complete its about face when it plays Glendora (6-2, 3-0) for the Sierra League title Friday. A little about how the Bulldogs reached this point: They scored two touchdowns in the final 27 seconds of their 34-33 win over Damien two weeks ago. Then last week, before they beat then No. 9 Chino Hills 19-10 by blocking a potential game-winning field goal with less than 30 seconds left, No. 3 Diamond Ranch's forfeiture awarded Ayala yet another win.
No. 9 Upland and No. 6 Etiwanda don't face off until the regular season finale. Same for No. 2 Norco, who will matchup with CIF-SS Inland Division No. 1 Corona Centennial next week when 2,000-yard rusher Joshua Nakamoto returns from a dislocated ankle that shelved him for five games.