RCHS football: replacements running the table
Rancho Cucamonga High School's football team has lost just three of its last 32 games. The Cougars lost all but a couple of members of the defense that allowed less than 14 points per game on the way to the 2008 CIF-SS Central Division title. They came back and won 10 games in 2009, losing twice by three points and missing their second consecutive appearance in a title game by a touchdown.
Gone are the quarterback, running back and two leading receivers from last year's team. As Rancho Cucamonga's 4-0 record would seem to indicate, though, there hasn't been any drop-off yet.
"We've had good lower levels since I've been here," Cougars fifth-year head coach Nick Baiz said. "We feel like we've done a good job developing players. We've gotten a chance to really work on that the last few years once we got settled here."
Those who departed last season are either in a college uniform or on their way. Three-year starting quarterback Greg Watson is at Fresno State, while tight end Randall Telfer is at USC. Receiver James Zamarippa, who's a senior this season, isn't playing football after receiving a scholarship offer to play baseball at San Diego State.
All the Cougars' new-look team has done this year is defeat two defending CIF champions, three defending league champions and four 2009 playoff teams. Considering the Cougars' 19-point average margin of victory, junior dual-threat quarterback Dimitri Morales hasn't had to air it out, but he has completed 58 percent of his passes, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
Running back Sateki Finau, who rushed for 1,000 yards as a sophomore before taking a lesser role in the offense last season to make room for 1,500- yard rusher Michael Boyd, is carrying the Rancho Cucamonga attack. The senior, who's getting recruited to play everything from running back to outside linebacker to defensive back, has compiled 552 yards and eight touchdowns on 87 carries in four games.
"He's what we thought he'd be, a workhorse," Baiz said of Finau. "He's so good at so many things, I'm glad I don't have to decide what position he plays at the next level."
In a 40-28 victory over defending CIF-SS Southeast Division champ Covina Charter Oak on Friday, Finau had 144 yards rushing, a 99-yard kickoff return, two tackles and four total touchdowns.
Perhaps most importantly, the Cougars warded off their most accomplished opponent yet this season, though the game ended with a disagreement between the coaching staffs after the Charter Oak quarterback suffered an ankle injury.
"It was an emotional game and both teams played hard," Baiz said. "Their quarterback's injury at the end of a game was an unfortunate accident."
It doesn't get any easier, as Rancho Cucamonga pays a visit to Redlands on Friday to face a mainstay in the Inland Division, the postseason home to the Cougars this year.
After claiming a 2008 CIF title in the Central Division and reaching the semifinals last year, the playoffs will be a different experience this season.
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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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I guess Donovan Harden is a nobody on this team! I personally talked to coach Fararrar at half time , he personally told me that DONOVAN HARDEN was his whole problem!!!! and he thinks he is one of the best players in the BASELINE LEAGUE!!! SO COACH! NICK BIAZ!! for you to not mention DONOVAN HARDEN WHO SCORED YOUR WINNING TOUCH-DOWN IS COMPLETELY DISRESPECTFUL!!!!!! AFTER ALL HIS STATS ARE DOWN BECAUSE YOU DONT GIVE HIM THE BALL WHEN THE WHOLE CROWD IS BEGGING FOR THE REAL BEST PLAYER TO GET THE BALL! IF YOU WANT TO PUSH A CERTAIN PLAYER! AT LEAST GIVE DONOVAN HIS RESPECT ! I KNOW HE'S NOT TONGAN BUT HE IS THE BEST SKILL PLAYER ON YOUR TEAM COACH!!!!!!!!! WHAT-UP WE ARE ALL WATCHIN!! AND CLOSELY! GIVE RESPECT WHERE ITS DO !!!!!!
WoW!!! It is good to see that even if you coach your team to an UNEXPECTED 4-0 start, that parents/fans will still have a problem with something that you do.
Coach Biaz (and the rest of RC coaching staff) keep up the good work!!!
C'mon man...You're 4-0. Relax! If you don't like it quit!
Who is DONOVAN HARDEN? Let's try and relax on the CAPS BUTTON.
Coach Baiz record speaks for itself. He has proven to put together a winning program, so go out and enjoy those Friday night games.
By the way, why are you bothering the coaches with your agenda? Take your seat and watch the TEAM play.
It is good to see Rancho continue that was started in 2008 by going undefeated.
To the first comment about Donovan, i agree, but Baiz has always been like this and has done nothing for his players since taking over. Over the past 3 classes many players that would have gotten scholarships at previous schools, and at rancho pre-baiz no longer play.
To RC Resident:
if you don't know who Donovan Harden is than you obviously don't know anything about Rancho Football. He has been a varsity player for 3 years now, and a starter for 2, and is the best WR rancho has. Also don't forget about Baiz first 2 years at rancho, a 5-5 record with 7 D1 players(thanks to Van Duin) and 4-6 with 10 players who were being recruited by D1 schools before Baiz became head coach. Those two years are the only 2 seasons in Rancho history that Rancho did not receive a playoff birth.
The c/o 09 had over 10 players who were passed on because Baiz chose to focus on the Junior class to gain fame by sending Telfer to USC, which had it not been for the c/o 09 he would have never received bc his senior year was a dissapointment stat wise. If he was such a great coach, Rancho would have at least 30 players playing in Division 1 football right now from the classes of 08,09,10 instead of 4. So please stop with all the Baiz praise. He rode the coatails of the c/o 09.
Sorry about the facetious statement. Of course we all know who Donovan is, good player. Point was it is a team sport, and for "What the heck is this!" to go off and bust out the CAPS LOCK button for a rant about an individual on a TEAM being disrepected because he wasn't mentioned in the interview is ridiculous. It doesn't mean Baiz didn't mention him just because you didn't see his name in the article. Clay may not put every single syllable that comes out of someone's mouth into an article. And then to have him/her asking the opposing coach about Harden at halftime like he's being interviewed? Equally ridiculous. Peoples sense of entitlement and breaking out the "being disrepected" card never ceases to amaze me. Like I said, take your seat and enjoy the game.
I was at that game and saw 11 players on each side playing their rears off, trying to keep a good Charter Oak team on the sidelines. Dimitri did a nice job of spreading it around and the 19-point margin of victory wasn't indicative of how close the game actually was.
As far as Baiz and his coaching history, anyone knows it takes time, patience, and usually three years is the norm for coaches to implement and succeed in their program. People, of course, want to win 100% of their games from the start and get frustrated when that doesn't happen. And yes, Baiz first year they were 5-5, but the year before they were only one game better at 6-4 under Van Duin, not a big dropoff. And under Van Duin, they proceeded to lose in the first round for three years straight, and three more before that under Mulvehill. So you can't truly judge a coach from the absolute beginning of his tenure but his overall performance. From what I've seen the last three seasons (including '10), I'm not ready to see another coaching staff anytime soon at Rancho.
See you in Redlands!
All very interesting comments. Let’s not forget where the history of Rancho Football began. Anyone remember Coach Fotia? He, with the assistance of a great staff that included Van Duin, took a new program and made the playoffs all but one of his 8 years at the helm. He did not place the most players in D1 schools or get the most press, but he won. He was in 2 CIF Finals and won one. What is missed in the above comments is that not everything is measured by the number of D1 scholarships. Although it is great for these kids to get the opportunity to receive a scholarship, high school football provides a great environment for young people to learn the importance of teamwork. Football builds character with or without a Division 1 scholarship. I say the true measure of Coach Biaz's success will be evident in the adults his program produces. Go Cougars!
If any of you sharing opinion on this site have not figured out that Nick Baiz is one of the best young coaches in Southern California, you are too stupid to comment. Few understand the game, teach the game or make adjustments during the game like Baiz. College coaches know this and his reputation among college coaches, and his fellow high school coaches, is impeccable. His record speaks for itself. A handful of loses the past few years, undefeated in league in 2008, defeated a top league opponent twice in 2008, undefeated CIF Champs in 2008, defeated two Pack 10 quarterbacks that same year, nearly duplicated the feat in 2009, ect. ect. ect. I could go on and on with all of the firsts that Baiz has accomplished at Rancho. This coach brings athletes together to form a solid team. If you are a great athlete, but out for yourself and looking to make a name for yourself, you probably won't fit in. The Baseline League of the past few years is much tougher than it used to be. In the old league, the schools in the north would beat up on the schools in the south, split games with each other, make the playoffs and drop out after a game or two. Not since Pete Fotia has Rancho experienced this kind of success. And the reason it took Baiz several years to get going is because he was building his program. Good coaches will trade a few great athletes for a bunch of good kids every time. And while a few of those top players from his first and second year have done something in college, many of them and their parents were such pains in the ass and undisciplined, that college coaches wanted nothing to do with them or they washed out when they got to college. The high school coach can hardly be blamed for that. Rancho blossomed when these selfish transfers were finally gone. And where are all those football/track stars running track??? Club track since 1st grade but not after high school? Why?? If you have the goods and have character, the colleges will find you and good high school coaches must shoot straight in the sense they won't bad mouth a kid, but they have to be honest or colleges coaches won't give them the time of day when they have a legitimate kid that deserves a chance. Good high school coaches will not go out of their way to diminish the opportunity for a troubled kid/parent, but they won't lie. Want to turn off a college coach. Have them sit down for 2 minutes with the pushy, know it all parent. And if you think college coaches don't ask other local coaches about an athlete from another school, or ask about the parents, think again. The only person that can screw things up for the Harden kid is the person, and those like minded, that commented on this blog.