Football preview: 'D' stands for Donta at Upland in 2010
Tim Salter wasn't as prophetic as usual when it came to predicting the Baseline League last season. But Upland's head football coach would happily trade his prediction for a ring any day. As usual, Salter professed that the team with the best defense would win a Baseline League that has now indisputably established itself as the best in the Inland Valley.
Upland, as it turned out, not only had the best defense in the league but in all of the CIF-SS Central Division. The Highlanders, however, finished fourth in their own league, earning an at-large berth in the playoffs thanks to a second-half comeback in the final game of the regular season. Upland, of course, proceeded to march through the CIF playoffs to a Central Division championship.
"Upland had one of the best defenses I've ever seen in high school football," 12th year Chaffey head coach Chris Brown said. "And I've seen a lot."
With just three starters back from that vaunted defense, Upland may revert to its offensive ways of 2008, when four college football players manned the skill positions. The star may not be the quarterback this time, rather, running back Donta Abron, who transferred from Alta Loma after gaining 1,350 yards as a sophomore. There may be more than one quarterback to contribute this season, according to Salter, as Justin Nunes returns along with up and coming sophomore Nate Romine.
"We've been blessed to have some good running backs in the past," Salter said. "Every indication is that Donta could be right up there with the best we've ever had."
As for the quarterbacks, Nunes is the incumbent who led the Highlanders to the title last year. He missed most of the regular season due to injury but Salter said "right now he is the No. 1 guy." Romine, who had a busy summer chock full of camps, is inexperienced but it sounds like he could be a situational player because he offers a different skill set than the pocket-passing Nunes.
"I see (Romine) playing but I don't think he needs that type of pressure right now," Salter said. "He's only a sophomore but at this point he is well beyond the normal level of a sophomore. Is he capable of starting right now? Yeah, he's capable. His strengths are moving and throwing on the run and he's very accurate. But we have a tough complex offense and it takes a while to get a handle on it."
Defensively, the Highlanders return just two starters but given the level of the talent on the field last season it's not a stretch to believe their replacements this year have plenty of ability. Fred Green returns at nose tackle and Christian Powell, another Alta Loma transfer - he was the Braves leading tackler as a sophomore last seaon - is a 240-pound defensive end Salter has been extremely impressed with. Two linebackers with significant experience are back and Jordan Hunter is a returning starter at safety.
"Kids like Tim Helton (the Baseline League's leading tackler in 2009) and (graduated safety) Gianni Olivas, they don't come around every year," Salter said. "We've got some quality kids this year but it remains to be seen if they can play."
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.
Email Clay here
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