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

Leave a comment. Ask a question. Or e-mail me at clay.fowler@inlandnewspapers.com

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

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.

Leave a comment. Ask a question. Or e-mail me at clay.fowler@inlandnewspapers.com

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

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)

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.

Leave a comment. Ask a question. Or e-mail me at clay.fowler@inlandnewspapers.com

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

There are only two remaining teams undefeated in the Baseline League and they'll both be on the same field Friday night when the top-ranked squad in the CIF-SS Central Division, Upland (7-0, 2-0) hosts No. 7 Etiwanda (5-2, 2-0).

CHAMPIONSHIP IMPLICATIONS
"This game," Etiwanda coach Steve Bryce said, "is a lot bigger than it looked last week."

When defending CIF and Baseline League champion Rancho Cucamonga went down a week ago, Etiwanda-Upland became a battle for the inside track to win a league title.

"Whoever wins this game controls their own destiny," Upland coach Tim Salter said. "Whoever loses is going to need some help. So, in terms of winning a league championship, you want to come out of this one a winner."

Continue reading "Prep football game of the week: Etiwanda vs. Upland" »

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

Much is being made of the Los Osos High School football team wearing its home jerseys in a potentially season-making 31-28 win over defending CIF champ Rancho Cucamonga on Friday. The game was played at Los Osos, which serves as the home field for both teams but Rancho Cucamonga happened to be the home team on Friday.

Los Osos coach Tom Martinez didn't say the move was done an effort to get under the champs' skin, but he didn't have to.

During the week leading up to the game Martinez consulted the blue book, which stated the visiting team was required to wear "light" jerseys, not "white." Los Osos' powder blue home uniforms were close enough, in his estimation.

"I thought it would help us be a little more intense," Martinez said.

I personally don't see anything wrong with a little gamesmanship; I think the high school level doesn't have enough of it. Rancho Cucamonga and Los Osos, which are a mile apart, don't like each other from the coaching staffs on down to the freshmen. Things like this are innocent enough but help fuel a rivalry that has quickly grown into one of the area's best, impressive considering Los Osos has only been in existence for seven years.

As for the football implications, saying this win saved Los Osos' season may not be an understatement.

Continue reading "Los Osos going by the book with jersey selection " »

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

Baseline League play begins tomorrow. Here is my guess at how it will end:

Rancho Cucamonga: 4-1
Upland: 4-1
Etiwanda: 4-1
Los Osos: 2-3
Claremont: 1-4
Alta Loma: 0-5

An outright champion in this league is a rarity. To find an example, one has to look as far back as... well, last season. This begs the question: How in the WORLD did Rancho Cucamonga go unscathed despite the presence of an eventual CIF finalist (Upland), a semifinalist (Los Osos), and a team (Etiwanda) that lost a one-point playoff game to the other semifinalist?!? I mean, the guy quarterbacking Los Osos last season played against Oregon on Saturday!

Continue reading "Baseline League prediction: It's a repeat... well, sort of" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Rancho Cucamonga quarterback Greg Watson threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-28 win over Temecula Valley on Friday. The reigning CIF-SS Central Division MVP completed 17 of 34 passes with no interceptions to keep the defending CIF champs undefeated. The senior more than doubled his previous season high in passing yardage.

Runner-up: Angel Santiago, Etiwanda, quarterback
Another Baseline League quarterback lit it up Friday night but Santiago's 410 total yards weren't enough as the Eagles fell 27-26 to defending Southeast Division champ Charter Oak. The senior completed 14-of-32 passes for 260 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries before Charter Oak's fourth-down 45-yard game-winning touchdown pass with 28 seconds to play.

2nd runner-up: Montigo Alford, Summit, running back
The junior set school records with 247 rushing yards and five total touchdowns in Summit's 42-20 win over Sultana on Friday. Alford carried just 14 times for four touchdowns and caught two passes for 28 yards and another TD.

Leave a comment. Ask a question. Or e-mail me at clay.fowler@inlandnewspapers.com

Posted by Clay Fowler at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

For three and-a-half games on Thursday night, I felt sorry for the Rancho Cucamonga High School volleyball team. The Cougars fought their guts out, but running uphill each and every game would eventually wear them out, right?

Turns out it only made them stronger. Once Rancho Cucamonga finally seized the momentum, it surged ahead in the one game where an early lead is the most essential - the one to 15 instead of 25. Rancho coasted downhill to a 15-8 Game 5 win to steal the match from a Los Osos team that swept it in the final of Los Osos' own tournament a few weeks ago. The game scores were 19-25, 25-20, 19-25, 25-20, 15-8.

Los Osos leads' in the first four games: 17-11, 15-10, 16-11, 15-10. The Cougars recovered to win two of those, including the pivotal Game 4 by winning 15 of the last 20 points. After not taking a lead until 19-18 in both Game 2 and Game 4, Rancho won the first five points of Game 5 in surging to an 8-3 lead.

Continue reading "Rancho Cucamonga volleyball gets revenge on Los Osos" »

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

Alta Loma senior J.J. O'Brien committed to Utah on Sept. 16 after visiting the campus in Salt Lake City, Utah the first weekend of September.

The versatile 6-foot-6, 205-pound small forward, a first-team all-Inland Valley player a year ago, narrowed his eight scholarship offers to a final three of Utah, Creighton and San Diego State.

"(Utah) just had a way better family feel than anywhere else," O'Brien said. "I decided to go ahead and commit before the season because a lot of people told me I couldn't get any more attention than I did this summer."

Continue reading "Alta Loma's O'Brien commits to play basketball at Utah" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rancho Cucamonga High School grad Terrell Thomas entered the NFL season buried on the New York Giants' depth chart. It's funny how much things can change in a month.

Four games into the season, Thomas, a second-year cornerback out of USC, has started four games for the league's No. 1 defense whose top ranking against the pass hardly does it justice considering the gap between second place.

The Giants are allowing 115 pass yards per game. Philadelphia? 156, Denver 162, etc. Here is the list. Granted, the Giants' schedule hasn't exactly been stacked thus far with Washington, Dallas, Tampa Bay and Kansas City.

Not only did Giants starting cornerback Aaron Ross hurt his hamstring before the season openrer, so did his back up Kevin Dockery, the same Dockery whose injury allowed Thomas to claim a primary role in the Giants' nickel defense as a rookie last season. If the numbers are any indication, the 24-year-old from Alta Loma isn't much of a drop-off, if any.

"You're obviously getting a better feel for the game overall because you're in on every play," Thomas told the Newark Star-Ledger last week. "I feel like I've got a lot of work to do. Your job is never secure in the NFL. It's a high-performance business, and you know every week they're looking to replace you."

Continue reading "Rancho grad Thomas making a Giant leap in NFL" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It took Claremont High School running back Tyler Singleton just eight carries to roll up 184 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-14 win over Ontario on Friday that helped Claremont (3-1) surpass its win total of the last two seasons combined. Last year's leading rusher in the Baseline League has 450 yards on the ground to pull within seven yards of second-place behind Alta Loma's Donta Abron. Rancho Cucamonga's Michael Boyd leads the league with 576 rushing yards.

RUNNER-UP: Pomona running back Taj Teague ran for 257 yards on just 16 carries in the Red Devils' 18-7 win over Gabrielino on Friday. The senior scored on 90- and 71-yard touchdown runs.

2ND RUNNER-UP: Ayala's Michael Trujillo touched the ball four times and finished with four touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 44-7 route of South El Monte on Friday. The senior running back had two carries for 39 yards and a pair of receptions for 52 yards.

Leave a comment. Ask a question. Or e-mail me at clay.fowler@inlandnewspapers.com

Posted by Clay Fowler at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"We haven't been down 14 points in a year and a half. You can't find out how your team is going to respond to a situation like that until they're in it."

- Rancho Cucamonga head football coach Nick Baiz after his team's 35-25 win over defending CIF champion and CIF-SS Southeastern Division No. 1 Charter Oak on Friday. Rancho Cucamonga, the defending CIF-SS Central Division champ, erased a 14-0 deficit by scoring 28 of the next 31 points.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• I think Rancho Cucamonga High School's Greg Watson inspired me to believe he could play quarterback in college more last year than he is this year. The primary reason for that doesn't have much to do with Watson himself. Rancho Cucamonga is truly a running team this season; plus the Cougars graduated their two track-star receivers (No, seriously... Charles Saseun is at Cal on a track scholarship and Irshad Stoden is playing football at UNLV), in the process losing much of the opportunity to utilize Watson's most obvious passing strength, the deep ball. The reigning CIF-SS Central Division MVP hasn't had enough opportunity to find a passing rhythm, averaging five less attempts per game this season than he did last year. He is throwing for less than 150 yards per game whereas he averaged 189 last season. The good news is Watson's team appears it will have him on a big stage again this year but if he is to secure a Division I scholarship to play quarterback (in a quality program) some things are going to have to change.
• I think Kaiser cemented the fact it has successfully made the transition from legendary coach Dick Bruich to his longtime defensive coordinator Phil Zelaya with a 20-0 win over Cajon on Friday. The Cats' defense may not have produced a more impressive performance under Bruich than holding a Cajon team, then-ranked No. 2 in the Central Division, 50 points below its average. Yes, Cajon was averaging 50 points. Granted, Kaiser appears to have as much talent this season than it has had in recent memory (USC-bound RB Anthony Brown, touted LB Josh Shirley, etc.), but its hard to say Zelaya isn't maximizing it. It doesn't get any easier for Kaiser, who has Colony and Colton next on the docket before delving into an improved Sunkist League.
• I think I'm more than a little surprised Pomona is ranked No. 3 in the CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division. I realize the Red Devils are 3-0 but I think Pomona coach John Brown would agree that doesn't tell the entire story. Brown, in fact, was nothing less than disgusted with his team after a sloppy 14-0 victory over Alhambra Keppel on Thursday. Pomona's three opponents thus far have ratings on calpreps.com of -6.4, -13.2 and -24.2. Pomona's rating is 3.9 while the top-rated team in the Valle Vista League, San Dimas, is 16.6. Of course, San Dimas was voted into the No. 4 spot in the Mid-Valley Division behind you know who. The good news for Pomona is five of their final seven opponents have negative ratings on calpreps.com, including three Valle Vista League teams.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Etiwanda High School receiver Bobby Ratliff verbally committed to Washington State Tuesday night, according to Etiwanda head coach Steve Bryce. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver also had scholarship offers from Fresno State, Nevada and New Mexico.

Oregon and UCLA showed interest, the Bruins going so far as to invite Ratliff for an official visit, but the senior opted for the school that had been pursuing him for more than a calendar year.

"UCLA was one he was really interested in," Bryce said. "But he didn't want to wait after he talked with his dad and myself and we told him these other teams haven't offered you because they've got their 'A' list and their 'B' list and they're waiting to see what's going to happen with their 'A' list."

Bryce first turned Washington State onto Ratliff when it was recruiting former Etiwanda and current Cal receiver Marvin Jones two years ago. WSU has been in heavy persuit since before Ratliff's junior season (45 receptions, 617 yards, 5 TDs) until he broke Jones' single-game school record five days ago with 14 catches for 147 yards.

"He visited (Washington State) two weeks ago," Bryce said. "And it looks like he'll have an opportunity to play there pretty early."

Posted by Clay Fowler at 9:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• I think Etiwanda QB Angel Santiago is ready to lead his team to contention for a Baseline League/CIF title (they're comparable accomplishments in the Central Division). Though this is his third year as a starter, I wasn't drinking the Kool-aid until I saw Santiago play Friday in a 37-27 loss to a Norco team anybody in the Central Division would have a tough time with. His numbers the past two seasons have been great but whenever I saw Santiago play, I was less than impressed. This year, not so much. He's got more zip on his passes, he's quicker to make decisions running and throwing and he's a better leader. Norco coach Todd Gerhart readily admitted nobody is going to stop Santiago for four quarters.
• I think Pomona has a realistic shot at the playoffs this season. The Red Devils liked to talk about the playoffs last year but really weren't terribly close to beating any of the three playoff teams in the Valle Vista League - their average margin of defeat to San Dimas, Northview and Covina was 17.7 points. Pomona has more visible talent this season than I can remember in my three years here. San Dimas will probably win the league but last year's champ, Northview, is having a rough season, to put it lightly. Pomona has a fightin' chance with Covina and Baldwin Park for those final two postseason berths.
• I think if Rancho Cucamonga beats Charter Oak in a battle of defending CIF champs, it could have the first real shot at a bowl game since California started the state-championship format. The odds are against Rancho running the table in the Baseline League with Etiwanda improved and Upland and Los Osos still strong. But they did it last year. Now they've got the star power to gain consideration for a bowl game. A win over a Charter Oak team that could win a second straight CIF title coupled with a second consecutive CIF championship for Rancho... there's a long way to go but for the first time the Inland Valley has a chance to land a team in a state championship game.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Claremont High School boys cross country team ascended to the top ranking in CIF-SS Division II this week. It's ranked fourth in the entire state, according to dyestatcal.com. While its CIF ranking hit the ceiling, coach Rob Lander expects the Wolfpack's state ranking to climb after it was the first D2 team across the finish line in a strong field at the Woodbridge invitational over the weekend.

CIF-SS DIVISION II RANKINGS
1. Claremont
2. Camarillo
3. Westlake
4. Foothill
5. Thousand Oaks
6. Anaheim Canyon
7. Saugus
8. Redondo Union
9. Loyola
10. Ayala

Continue reading "2009 cross country team 'best in Claremont history'" »

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

Fresh off the first CIF championship in school history, the Los Osos boys water polo team is set to embark on a run for another.

Coach Eric Cypher, who led the girls water polo team to the second CIF title in Los Osos history in the spring, chalks up the Grizzlies' No. 1 ranking in the CIF-SS Division V preseason poll to last season's accomplishments.

"That," Cypher said, "is just a courtesy ranking."

Continue reading "Los Osos water polo No. 1 ranking 'a courtesy'" »

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

Los Osos High School grad Richard Brehaut may not be the only one to play quarterback for UCLA on Saturday in relief of injured starter Kevin Prince. Coach Rick Neuheisel told the L.A. Daily News he wouldn't be surprised to see both the true freshman and senior Kevin Craft play against Kansas State.

Neuheisel still hasn't announced who will start but Brehaut took the majority of the snaps with the first team in practice on Tuesday. In this L.A. Times story Brehaut is talking like somebody who thinks (or maybe even knows) he's going to start.

L.A. Daily News columist Jill Painter thinks Brehaut should start. In fact, save a few judicious Neuheisel quotes, I haven't read anything with an ounce of support for Craft, who threw a school-record 20 interceptions opposite 7 touchdowns last year.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Claremont High School junior receiver Tanner Kuramata caught 10 passes for 173 yards Friday night, including a 55-yard touchdown to set the tone in Claremont's 31-28 win over Bonita. Entering its season opener, Claremont had a combined two wins during its last two seasons while Bonita has made the playoffs three years running.

Runner up: Colony High School cornerback Jered Bell, who had two interceptions, including one that set up the game-winning drive in Colony's 25-20 win on Friday over the top-ranked team in the CIF-SS Southeast Division, Diamond Ranch.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Of course, he hasn't yet said the UCLA starting quarterback job is Los Osos High School graduate Richard Brehaut's on Saturday but coach Rick Nenheisel wouldn't say the job is Kevin Prince's when he returns from a broken jaw in 3 to 4 weeks.

"Certainly I don't like the notion of a guy losing his job because he gets hurt," Neuheisel told the L.A. Times in this story. "But you always make the decisions that are best for the team at the time you need to make them."

While Prince, a red-shirt freshman, led UCLA to a 2-0 start, including a monumental win at Tennessee, I think Neuheisel believes he isn't so far ahead of Brehaut in his development that the true freshman from Los Osos can't catch up with a few starts. With each quarterback retaining four years of elegibility, this is likely just the first chapter of this story.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

With UCLA starting quarterback Kevin Prince out 3 to 4 weeks thanks to a broken jaw suffered in the final minutes of Saturday's 19-15 win over Tennessee, Richard Brehaut, who graduated from Los Osos High School in May, is expected to start against Kansas State, according to sources in this L.A. Times story.

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel hasn't yet announced whether Brehaut or senior Kevin Craft will get the nod. Craft threw a school-record 20 interceptions as a fill-in starter last year.

Brehaut left Los Osos early to enroll at UCLA in time for spring practice, during which Prince, a red-shirt freshman, won the battle for the starting job. Everything I read cited Brehaut's unfamiliarity with the offense as the overwhelming reason he was relegated to a back-up role. And the race didn't exactly seem like Prince won in a run-away.

Since these two QBs are both freshmen, it will be interesting to see how their parallel career's play out. Is Brehaut ready to steal the job after Prince led UCLA to its most impressive road win in years? That's a tall task, to be sure. Having watched Brehaut plenty in high school, he doesn't seem like a practice player. While he has all the measurables (arm strength, accuracy, mobility) his best attribute is play-making ablilty, particularly under pressure - something that reveals itself most plainly in game situations. This may be his first opportunity to show it... who knows when he'll get another one.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• I think Los Osos HS is glad to have offensive coordinator Matt Bechtel back after he spent a year at Chaffey College. The Grizzlies' short-passing scheme was nicely tailored for QB Blake Loncar in his first start, a 31-12 win over Colony Thursday. The play calling was exemplary too, capped by a wide-receiver pass for the game-clinching TD.
• I think Rancho Cucamonga tight end Randall Telfer looks like a different person after adding 20 pounds over the summer. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound USC-bound senior defied logic by getting bigger and faster (via speed training). He only caught two shovel passes in Rancho's 27-14 win over Damien Friday but he glided through the defense for a 33-yard TD with one of them. He's going to have a monster year.
• I think Colony is a better team than the squad that went 5-6 last season. The Titans have a talented defense and a good enough running game. Their 31-12 loss to Los Osos on Thursday was closer than the score indicated. It was 14-6 in the 4th quarter and 17-6 with 6:30 left in the game before Los Osos scored two long TDs. Colony plays a brutal nonleague schedule but it'll contend for a Mt. Baldy League title and have a better showing in the playoffs this season.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Those who glanced at the score - Rancho Cucamonga 27, Damien 14 - were assuredly not struck with apprehension.

Those in attendance for Rancho Cucamonga High School's first game since winning the CIF-SS Central DIvision championship, may have thought otherwise.

I was at the game but I'm with the first group. Despite some concerning developments in their first game, the Cougars have everything in place to compete for a CIF title again.

Speaking of the concerns...34 seconds before the fourth quarter, the Cougars were a holding call away from trailing a Damien team that went 3-7 last season. With two minutes left in the first half, reigning Central Division offensive MVP Greg Watson was 0-for-4 with one more completion to Damien than his own team.

There are good reasons for these (a resurgent Damien team, for one).

Continue reading "Defending CIF champs have nothing to worry about (yet)" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Justin Nunes would have a lot on his plate even if he weren't the younger brother of the quarterback that led Upland High School to the CIF championship game last season.

Before older brother Josh joined the Stanford football team in August, he digested Upland's offense for three years as a starter. The Highlanders are trying to keep it simple for their new QB.

"It's difficult to re-tool after having the same quarterback for three years," Upland head coach Tim Salter said. "There are so many things you can do when you're working with the same guy for that long. We're just asking (Justin Nunes) to run the offense and not turn the ball over."

Nunes, a 6-2, 195-pound junior, is undoubtedly the most important replacement but Upland is filling plenty of major holes, including that of departed RB Davion Fleming, who took his 1,700 all-purpose yards with him to Northwestern.

"Anytime you lose your quarterback, running back and two Division-I DBs, people are going to say 'How are you going to do it again?'" Salter said.

Continue reading "Upland HS has a new Nunes at quarterback" »

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

Angel Santiago is entering his third year as Etiwanda High School's starting quarterback. He has already accounted for nearly 6,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in his career.

Now he's going to show what he can really do?!?

"We're expecting a breakout season from him," Etiwanda coach Steve Bryce said. "Our expectations are really high not just throwing the ball but running the ball too."

Santiago passed for 2,449 yards and 19 TDs last season. In 313 pass attempts he was intercepted just seven times (a completion percentage of 59 wasn't too shabby either). And that's just throwing the ball...

Continue reading "6,000 yards, 50 TDs just a start for Etiwanda's Santiago?" »

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

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.

Continue reading "Rancho Cucamonga has 'best offense we've ever had'" »

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

It was announced Tuesday that a matchup between defending CIF-SS champions will be televised at 7:30 p.m. by PRIME TICKET on Sept. 25 when Rancho Cucamonga visits Covina Charter Oak to settle a score.

A meeting between these two eventual undefeated CIF champions ended in a less than satisfying 14-14 tie in Week 3 of last year. That, it just so happened, turned out to be the lone blemish on each team's schedule the rest of the season.

Who could have imagined what a colossal game the rematch would turn out to be?

Continue reading "Rancho-Charter Oak football game to be televised" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Greg Watson, quarterback of the reigning CIF champions, has picked up his first scholarship offer, according to Rancho Cucamonga High School coach Nick Baiz.

Oregon offered the junior on the condition that he play defensive back, something Watson apparently isn't averse to.

"He'll play anything, anytime, anywhere," Baiz said. "He just wants to play."

Watson, who is generously listed at 6-feet, is extremely athletic but seemingly possesses all the skills to play quarterback in college. The only drawback seems to be his height.

It will be interesting to see how the junior's outlook on what position he'll play in college evolves as more offers inevitably come rolling in.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Etiwanda High School defensive end Ibe Nduka was offered a scholarship by Fresno State on Monday and accepted on the spot, according to Etiwanda coach Steve Bryce.

Nduka's teammate, running back Vince Minor, committed to the University of New Mexico on Thursday, a week after he received the scholarship offer

The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Nduka took a trip to San Diego State last weekend but was not offered by the Aztecs. The first-team All-Inland Valley selection was scheduled to visit Fresno State this coming weekend. Nduka collected 12.5 sacks and 102 tackles this season on his way to earning Baseline League co-MVP honors.

Minor, who had 1,473 combined rushing and receiving yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior, had an offer from San Diego State before Aztecs' coach Chuck Long was fired in late November. Toby Neinas, the same assistant coach that rectuited Minor at SDSU, was hired at New Mexico.

"(Minor) was worried because San Diego State was his only offer," Bryce said. "But he had such a great rapport with his the coach, Nienas."

Minor, who will play running back at New Mecixo, was an all-Baseline League cornerback as a junior before the coaching staff restricted his playing time on defense as a senior.

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

It wasn't planned - a slate of this magnitude is practically something you can't make up - but the Etiwanda boys basketball team's nonleague schedule ended up reading something like a state tournament bracket.

Weschester, Compton Dominguez, Taft - these are the No. 2, No. 5 and No. 7 teams in the STATE, according to Calhisports.com. Etiwanda (No. 8 in Calhisports state rankings) has faced all of them.

The three teams represent each of the Eagles' three losses through 15 games this seaon. But the three losses came by a combined total of nine points.

"Westchester, well they just beat us," Etiwanda coach Dave Kleckner said before the Eagles' 41-point blowout of Rancho Cucamonga Thursday night. "But the other two, we were right in those games, just couldn't finish them."

Continue reading "Etiwanda hanging with the biggest of boys" »

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

Football season isn't over yet for a couple of area quarterbacks.

Los Osos High School's Richard Brehaut and Upland's Josh Nunes will play in the Under Armour All-America Game Sunday night in Orlando, Fla. The all-star game featuring some of the top high school juniors and seniors in the country will air on ESPN at 5 p.m.

Here is a link to the player profiles.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Baseline League cleaned house at the All-CIF football meeting Wednesday, claiming 19 of the 40 first-team selections.

To nobody's surpirse, Rancho Cucamonga's nine were the most from any single team. The Central Division champion Cougars also produced both the offensive and defensive MVPs.

Offensive MVP: Greg Watson, Jr., QB
Defensive MVP: Daniel Fonua, Sr., LB

Continue reading "All-CIF Central Division football teams released" »

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

Offensive MVP - Greg Watson, QB, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga

Defensive co-MVP - Ibeakalem Nduka, DE, Sr., Etiwanda
Defensive co-MVP - Jesse Gonzales, LB, Sr., Los Osos
Defensive co-MVP - Daniel Fonua, LB, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga

Continue reading "All-Baseline League football team" »

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

We all know the Baseline League isn't Inland Division championship material. One collective playoff win in three years is a trend, not a coincidence.

But with three teams in the semifinals its first year in the less competitive Central Division, a Baseline League that used to disappear come playoff time has been vindicated.

There is a lot of glamour that tarnishes the Baseline in some people's eyes, a lot of hype that gives them more reason to dismiss it upon failure. But there is a reason two of the league's quarterbacks will be playing in the Pac-10 next year - they're good - and they're showing it right now. (Get used to it, at least one of next year's glamourous Baseline QB's is Pac-10 caliber)

The Sierra League is solid to be sure. And the Mt. Baldy League deserved credit for producing the Central Division champion the last two years, although it would have been interesting to see Colony navigate a bracket including the Baseline and Sierra Leagues.

Continue reading "Bottom line? Baseline has been vindicated" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Having narrowly finished second in their leagues - Chino Hills by a one-point loss plus an unfavorable coin flip and Los Osos by an overtime loss to Rancho Cucamonga - the Huskies (10-1) and No. 2 seed Los Osos (9-2) find themselves in a high-profile quarterfinal meeting in the CIF-SS Central Division playoffs. If circumstances were slightly different, Los Osos and UCLA-bound QB Richard Brehaut (above) wouldn't be meeting a one-loss league champion this early in the playoffs.

Continue reading "Chino Hills-Los Osos playoff preview" »

Posted by Clay Fowler at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Beginning with the game-winning 86-yard drive he led off the bench as a sophomore, Los Osos quarterback Richard Brehaut has shown an affinity for delivering in the clutch.

Friday night was no different. Brehaut completed his final seven pass attempts for 113 yards and two touchdowns in Los Osos' 41-28 win over then No. 1 Upland.

Continue reading "Los Osos' Brehaut capable in the clutch" »

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

Los Osos High School running back Arby Fields has pocketed seven scholarship offers so far - Nevada, Northwestern, UNLV, Duke, Washington State, Colorado State and Idaho State - but the charismatic senior isn't in a rush to end the recruiting process.

He's hoping to have a decision in the next two to three weeks, but not before he takes official visits to Arizona State (who is interested but hasn't made an offer) Northwestern and Washington State.

"Most people say the process is so stressful," Fields said. "But I think it's fun. I just want to see what more is out there."

Stress clearly isn't an overwhelming presence in Fields' life, no better demonstrated than when the back broke the offensive huddle at the end of Thursday's practice by leading the group in a little Montell Jordan 'This is how we do it.'

Continue reading "Los Osos RB aiming for college decision in 2-3 weeks" »

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

Los Osos High School quarterback Richard Brehaut won't get the chance to come down with senior-itis.

UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel asked the senior to cut short his final year of high school in order to enroll early at UCLA and participate in spring football practice, something Brehaut wasn't about to refuse, particularly considering UCLA's uncertain quarterback situation. Brehaut, the 11th-ranked QB in the nation on scout.com, verbally committed to the Bruins this summer.

So, is it preemptive to consider Brehaut a contender to start at quarterback for UCLA next season?

"I think he's got a good chance, to be honest," Los Osos coach Tom Martinez said.

Posted by Clay Fowler at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)