Rancho Cucamonga has 'best offense we've ever had'
The defending CIF champs are flat-out scary.
A Rancho Cucamonga High School offense that averaged 30 points per game returns perhaps the best QB-WR combination in the country in reigning CIF-SS Central Division offensive MVP Greg Watson and USC-committed tight end/receiver Randall Telfer.
But that's not all. The Cougars' top two running backs return. As do three starting offensive linemen.
And Watson, who accounted for over 3,500 yards and 30 TDs last season, has a new reason to do even better.
The 6-foot, 195-pound quarterback (who runs a 4.4-second 40) had a scholarship offer from Oregon revoked by the school over the summer. Oregon offered Watson in April - albeit to play defensive back - but when Sacramento DB Terrance Mitchell committed on May 27, the Ducks pulled their offer to Watson.
"It was tough but it's a business, the recruiting game," Watson said. "I'm hoping a team will offer me to play quarterback."
Watson was scary enough without having a fire lit under him. "He should have the best year of his career, we hope," Rancho Cucamonga coach Nick Baiz said. "We think we'll have the best offense we've ever had here."
Contributing heavily will be 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end Randall Telfer, who gained 15 pounds of muscle over the summer while lowering his 40 time from 4.77 to 4.65 courtesy of some speed training. After fielding offers from Stanford, Tennessee, Oregon, Arizona State, Vanderbilt and Washington during the spring, Telfer was offered by USC in April and committed two weeks later.
"If there's a bigger, stronger tight end in the country, he's not as athletic and if there's a more athletic tight end, he's not bigger and stronger," Baiz said of Telfer. "He's faster than linebackers and he's stronger than DBs, so I don't know who's going to cover him."
Rancho might average 40 points this season. But (and it's a big but) the Cougars have some "major holes to fill on defense," according to Baiz. Only three starters return to the unit that held opponents under 14 points per game last year.
"The offense was getting all the praise, all the accolades," Etiwanda coach Steve Bryce said. "But that defense was quietly shutting people down. That was the unit that was quietly winning all those games."
Telfer proclaimed the defense will be as good as it was last season.
He doesn't have to make any proclamations about the offense. He'll personally see to it that it gets better.
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About Clay
Clay Fowler has been covering high school sports for six years in California and Texas. He was born in Dallas, attended the University of Texas and worked in Central Texas before joining the Daily Bulletin staff in 2006.
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Thank you sir you seem to be the only reporter who reconizes the positive side of the reigning C.I.F-BASELINE MVP,Championship RING wearing,three year STARTING,QUARTERBACK,Greg Watson.for some strange reason when gregory has a big night the papers around here will highlight the mistakes he made and DOWN-PLAY the good.I'm glad you see past that BIAS nonsense, but though it all gregory just keep winnig games.I know it's a team sport but no one say's Gregory Watson (LEADS) Rancho to victory but you. for some reason every week gregory's (STATS)are wrong or way off so it is refreshing to be able to read something positive on my son thank you sir for not being a (HATER)like the rest.Gregory is a 16 year old kid who loves the game of football trying to get a scholarship,thanks for not letting the politics cloud your judgement of him,God willing gregory & the COUGARS will have a great showing next week for all to see on Prime Ticket good luck to the (ORIGINAL)
Rancho Cucamonga Team GO COUGARS.