Recently in Citrus Belt League Category

Miller football coach Marcus Soward reports that linebacker Reshawn Hooker, a first-team All-Sun selection, has given a verbal commitment to play for the University of Utah.
Soward said that the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Hooker chose Utah over Colorado, Arizona State and Hawaii.
"There were some other schools like SC looking at him as a DB, but its better for him to play a position he's been playing for years," Soward said.
Hooker had 112 tackles, eight sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 10 games for Miller.

Offensive Player of the Year: Su'a Cravens, Vista Murrieta
Defensive Player of the Year: Jeremy Castro, Vista Murrieta
Coach of the Year: Coley Candaele, Vista Murrieta

OFFENSE
Running back:
Romello Goodman, Corona Centennial
Donta Abron, Upland
Craig Lee, Redlands
Joseph Ajeigbe, Norco
Kurt Scoby, Charter Oak
Quarterback:
Hayden Gavett, Centennial
Travis Santiago, Charter Oak.

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Austin DeCoud, REV
Clayton Leach-Mead, Yucaipa
Jimmy Walker, Redlands

Running Back
Jessie Riley, REV
Darryl Miller, Redlands
Craig Lee, Redlands
Khaylin Jackson, Miller

Wide Receiver
Turner Jackson, Miller
Brandon Scott, Yucaipa
Zachary Brown, REV
Marvelle Harris, Eisenhower

The first and only Miller High School baseball coach is stepping down after 20 years on the job. Frank Martinez, who began the program at Miller's inception, resigned at age 52 but will retain his physical education teaching position at the school.

"When I got into my 50s, I started looking at other things I wanted to do with my life," Martinez said. "It was coaching year-round and with the budget cuts, I had to become a lot more of a fund raiser. It was just a lot of things that added up and I decided to hang it up."

After stints as an assistant coach at Tustin Foothill, Corona and Norco High Schools, Martinez accepted his first head coaching position at Miller in 1991. In the last six seasons, Martinez has led Miller to a five playoff berths and a pair of Citrus Belt League championships.

First Team
Michelle Solomon, Redlands
Amanda Weis, Redlands
Kendall Apodaca, Redlands
Narissa Garcia, Redlands
Gabby Martinez, Redlands
Courtney Brown, Yucaipa
Justine Burdine, Yucaipa
Ashley Huff, Yucaipa
Melissa Roberts, Yucaipa
Sahvanna Jaquish, Redlands East Valley
Savannah Moore, Redlands East Valley
Ashlyn Bender, Redlands East Valley
Jenna Jaquish, Redlands East Valley
Sonja Garza, Eisenhower
Sarah Pineda, Eisenhower
Julia Gilbert, Miller
Diauna Nelson, Miller
Sarah Yniguez, Fontana

MVP: Kevin Davidson, Sr. Yucaipa

First Team
Leonard Malfavon, Yucaipa
Tyler Sapp, Yucaipa
Jackson McClelland, Redlands East Valley
George Thanopoulos, Redlands East Valley
Angel Landazuri, Redlands
Kavan Pardo, Redlands
Sean Smith, Redlands
Anthony Ayala, Fontana
Justin Lewis, Yucaipa
Alec Mordbito, Yucaipa
Frankie Alvarez, Redlands East Valley
Joseph Molina, Redlands East Valley
Matt Wilson, Redlads East Valley
Jacob Nottingham, Redlands
Brian Ruhm, Redlands
Luis Martinez, Eisenhower
Tyler Campbell, Miller

FIRST TEAM
Offense
Eric Shufford, QB, Miller
Mike Stallone, QB, Redlands
Devante Lewis, RB, Miller
Dylan Malone, RB, Yucaipa
Darryl Miller, RB, Redlands
Jesse Riley, RB, Redlands East Valley
Juwon Bell, WR, Miller
Auston Forsythe, WR, Redlands East Valley
Kadyn Glass, WR, Redlands
Albert Jackson, WR, Eisenhower
Blake Braun, TE, Redlands East Valley
Edmund Faimalo, OL, Redlands East Valley
Tyler Kiest, OL, Yucaipa
Jared Layel, OL, Redlands
Dominique Robertson, OL, Redlands East Valley
Andres Ronquillo, OL, Miller
Jordan Smith, OL, Redlands

First round
Corona Centennial over Yucaipa
Chaparral over Upland
Redlands East Valley over Etiwanda
Chino Hills over Corona
Rancho Cucamonga over Murrieta Valley
Corona Roosevelt over Claremont
Norco over Redlands
Vista Murrieta over Charter Oak

Quarterfinals
Corona Centennial over Chaparral
Chino Hills over Redlands East Valley
Corona Roosevelt over Rancho Cucamonga
Norco over Vista Murrieta

If you love cross country -- and I'm sure there are many of you who do - Mt. San Antonio College is the place to be the next two Saturdays, Nov. 13 and 20.
The CIF-SS released the heat sheets for the CIF Prelims Nov. 13. In all, there will be 33 races, beginning at 7:45 a.m. and the last one beginning at 4:05 p.m. There will be an Inland Valley team or individual competing in 25 of 33 races. It was also announced Saturday that the Webb and Western Christian boys teams were picked as at-large entries for Division 5.

Here are some races to keep an eye on:
Race 18, Girls Division 2, 11:35 a.m.
Although it's Ayala with the much stronger team, it's notable that the Bulldogs will be running against Chino Valley district rival Don Lugo.
Race 21, Girls Division 3, 1:22 p.m.
Bonita, a young and up-and-coming team, will be facing the top team in San Bernardino County, Granite Hills.
Race 26, Boys Division 1, 2:33 p.m.
This one has four Inland Valley teams (Chaffey, Diamond Bar, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland) plus another individual (Christian Navarro of Los Osos). Rancho Cucamonga is the class of this group.
Race 31, Girls Division 1, 3:38 p.m.
Baseline League champion Rancho Cucamonga is in this race, as is Baseline third-place team Los Osos. Redlands, the Citrus Belt League champion, will be one of the teams battling with Rancho Cucamonga for a spot in the finals.
Race 33, Girls Division 1, 4:05 p.m.
Similar to Race 18. Chino and Chino Hills, two teams from the Chino Valley district who are not in the same league, will be facing each other in this race.

In a potential playoff preview, Redlands East Valley (3-0), the fourth-ranked team in the CIF-SS Inland Division, takes on No. 5 Chino Hills (3-1) tonight.

Star power: Chino Hills possesses the most marquee players in this matchup, but Redlands East Valley may have the most evenly spread talent.

Chino Hills' Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is the headliner in this matchup. The senior with scholarship offers from nearly all of the Pac-10 was moved from slot receiver to running back this season in an effort to get the ball in his hands as much as possible. The opposition in 2010 has accordingly made some adjustments.

After the Seattle Mariners made him their 22nd-round pick in the MLB draft on June 8, Carter High School pitcher Stephen Landazuri reached an agreement with the organization Thursday night. The right-hander received a $95,000 signing bonus.

Landazuri, a first-team All-Valley selection, was drafted 672nd overall, one selection before Los Osos catcher Jake Hernandez, who opted not to sign with the Detroit Tigers, rather utilize his scholarship to USC. Landazuri posted a 3-7 record and 3.05 ERA his senior season for a Carter team that went 5-18. He struck out 86 batters in 62 innings and held opponents to a .241 batting average. He also batted .403 with three home runs and 18 RBIs.

Fontana High School athletic director Evelyn Vance may be retiring but it's a safe bet she won't ever escape the competitive drive that drew her to the school 29 years ago. On June 30, Vance stepped down after five years as Fontana's athletic director and 24 years coaching "just about every sport" at Fontana. Her newfound free time, however, will be devoted to an effort to rejoin the U.S. National triathlon team.

Despite a knee replacement a year ago, Vance, 60, is ready to dive back into the regimen that took her to 10 Iron Man competitions. She's hoping that feats the likes of a 2.5-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride capped by a full marathon lie ahead of her. The fruits of the journey she's leaving behind are nothing short of impressive.

"I came here in 1980 and it was the start of an empire," Vance said. "I was running a junior high program that looked like a small college program. The town took me in and I've taken so much pride working in this city and for this school."

Miller High School pitcher Cesar Aguilar signed with the St. Louis Cardinals a week ago - he received a $60,000 signing bonus - after the team selected him in the 14th round of the MLB draft on June 8. Aguilar is set to begin play in the Gulf Coast League Monday but he is acclimating himself to Jupiter, Florida as we speak.

"It's hot, himid," Aguilar said, "They've got us running and lifting right now before we start playing on Monday. I'm excited, ready to go."

Aguilar compiled a 1.02 ERA and a 6-2 record his senior season. The two-time first team all-Citrus Belt League pitcher struck out 89 batters in 69 innings in addition to batting .333 with 13 RBIs.

MVP: Jessica Garcia, Redlands, C, Sr.

first team
Marshean August, Eisenhower, C, Sr.
Sara Pineda, Eisenhower, P, So.
Christina Castro, Fontana, SS, Sr.
Nicole Soltis, Fontana, P, Sr.
Diauna Nelson, Miller, P, Fr.
Narissa Garcia, Redlands, P, So.
Marlee Rettig, Redlands, OF, Jr.
Michelle Solomon, Redlands, SS, Jr.
Amanda Weis, Redlands, 3B, So.
Jenna Jaquish, REV, OF, Jr.
Savannah Jaquish, REV, C, Fr.
Leann Lopez, REV, SS, Sr.
Amy Nece, REV, 2B, Sr.
Cassidy Bingham, Yucaipa, SS, So.
Courtney Brown, Yucaipa, 3B, Jr.
Ashley Huff, Yucaipa, C, Jr.
Mackenzie Maxwell, Yucaipa, P, Fr.

These quotes and details didn't make it into my MLB draft day 2 story. Thanks to colleague T.J. Berka for the info and quotes.

Miller High pitcher Cesar Aguilar was drafted in the 14th round by St. Louis on Tuesday.

"It feels good to be drafted. I've been looking forward to this for a long time," he said.
"I didn't really know when I'd be drafted, so I wasn't that worried about it. I figured I would be drafted, but I wasn't sure when."

"I've been dreaming of this since I was a little kid. Every time I went to a major league game or a minor league game, I imagined playing on the field."

He plans on signing Thursday and will leave Friday. He received a $60,000 signing bonus.

"It's not bad for an 18-year old kid in high school. I'll just save it, There's really nothing I need to buy right now," he said.

Denver Broncos All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady, an Eisenhower High School graduate, injured his knee in a basketball game over the weekend, according to this Denver Post story, will miss three months but is hoping to be ready for the start of the NFL season.

The 12th overall pick out of Boise State in the 2008 NFL draft partially tore his patellar tendon but because it was only 50 percent torn the surgery performed Tuesday in Denver will likely cause him to miss nothing more than the preseason.

Clady allowed the fewest sacks among tackles as a rookie and last year became the 11th tackle to earn Pro Bowl honors in his second season.

Inland Division (no at-large entries)
Baseline
Big VIII (4 entries)
Citrus Belt
Sierra
Southwestern
Notes: The Baseline League essentially had four entries for the two seasons it was in the Inland Division, claiming the lone at-large berth each year. Last year the at-large team, Upland, won the entire division. In an Inland Division where it produced one collective playoff victory in its last two seasons there, life is going to be different for a Baseline League that produced six of the last eight semifinalists in the Central Division.

Central Division (no at-large entries)
Mt. Baldy (4 entries)
Desert Valley
Inland Valley (4 entries)
San Andreas (4 entries)
Notes: Colony won this division two years in a row before the arrival of the Baseline and Sierra Leagues two seasons ago. New coach Matt Bechtel, formerly Los Osos High's offensive coordinator, likely won't be disappointed he doesn't have to face his old league foes in the playoffs.

MVP
Alex Varner, Eisenhower, G, Sr.

first team
Bryan Bock, Eisenhower, Sr.
Kirby Gardner, Eisenhower, Sr.
Bernard Ireland, Eisenhower, Jr.
Darius Batts, Miller, Sr.
Marcus Davis, Redlands, Sr.
Matt Green, Redlands, Sr.
Paulin Mpawe, Redlands East Valley, Jr.
Terrell Todd, Redlands East Valley, Jr.
Jonathan Redman, Rialto, Sr.
Cole Hauso, Yucaipa, Sr.
Taijuan Walker, Yucaipa, Sr.

The general sentiment is that Eisenhower is a Phoenix Suns-type of run-and-gun team who simply outscores people. On their biggest stage this season, the Eagles thwarted that theory with some gritty, nasty defense the Suns would have envied.

Imagine shooting 29 percent from the field - 29% for crying out loud! - and winning by nine points. Eisenhower scrapped for every loose ball, corralled most of the tipped rebounds and, indicative of the effort level, Keyon Sayles jumped over the media tables to save a loose ball... twice. Ike never quite picked up its shooting percentage from the field but after beginning the game 7-for-20 from the free throw line the Eagles made 8 of their last 10 in clutch fashion.

Here are some final numbers:
Shooting perecentage - Eisenhower 28.6% (16 for 56); Pasadena 27.4% (17 for 62)
3-point shooting percentage - Eisenhower 13.6% (3 for 22); Pasadena 20% (3 for 15)
Free throw percentage - Eisenhower 53.1% (17 for 32); Pasadena 60% (6 for 10)

Leading scorers: Eisenhower - Alex Varner 17, Kirby Gardner 15; Pasadena - Todd Lewis 21, George Toyama 9.
Rebounds: Eisenhower - Devin Garner 8, Bernard Ireland 8; Pasadena - Brandon Jolley 12.
Assists: Eisenhower - Kirby Gardner 2; Pasadena - Toyama 2, Jolley 2, Chris Bridges 2.

The Eagles made 8 of their last 10 free throws during Pasadena's desperate attempt to comeback from a 7-point deficit, claiming their second consecutive CIF-SS Division 2A championship by the score of 52-43.

Ike thoughtfully placed its dog-pile each just left of center court, where the CIF officials set up the table from which they would hand out the championship t-shirts and pins.

After shooting 6-of-16 from the free throw line in the first three quarters, then 1-for-4 to begin the fourth - including missing the front end of two 1-and-1's - Eisenhower's Alex Varner has made four straight from the charity stripe to give the Eagles a seven-point lead with 45 seconds to play.

The defending CIF champion Eagles answered Pasadena's 7-0 run with their own 6-0 run punctuated by a pull-up jumper by Kirby Gardner, his 10th and 11th points, to give Ike a 44-39 lead with 2:45 to play.

The Bulldogs came out firing in the fourth quarter, a 7-0 run giving Pasadena a 39-38 lead on a three-point play by Todd Lewis Jr with 5:30 remaining in the game. The good news for Eisenhower is that sharp shooter Bryan Bock got on the board with a free throw prior to the Pasadena run. Bock is 0-for-7 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range.

Ike built a six-point lead late in the third quarter, but Pasadena slowed the game back down to its pace and closed the gap to five on Nick Holden's lay-up with 1:05 left in the period. Both teams began the quarter with some hot shooting but the overall numbers weren't spectacular as Pasadena shot 5-for-16 and Ike 6-for-18. The Eagles were 2-of-7 from 3-point land in the quarter.

Eisenhower's Bernard Ireland canned a 3-pointer on the Eagles first shot of the second half, portending what was to come. Both teams, however, picked up the scoring and the pace in what quickly evolved into a third-quarter shootout.

In a 20-second stretch Pasadena hit a jumper and forced a turnover which it converted into a 3-pointer to tie the game at 29, but Alex Varner answered with a pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the key to regain the lead for Ike.

Eisenhower never trailed in a second quarter it ended with a 22-19 lead. The Eagles, however, still haven't found their shooting touch, likely a dangerous sign for Pasadena. Ike is shooting 8-for-28 (28.6%) from the field and 1-for-11 from 3-point range. Pasadena, meanwhile, is shooting 24 precent from the field (7-for-29).

I'm gaining a new appreciation for why Ike is so successful despite a small lineup dependent on outside shooting, something that isn't always the formula for consistent success. Scrappy may not do justice to the tenacity of their defense. It's not just about effort when they claw for every rebound and dive on the floor for loose balls, they're good at it. In fact, the play in the first half that drew the most ooohs and ahhhs was when Keyon Sayles, in pursuit of a loose ball, leapt not only over the waist-high protective wall surrounding the court but the tables set up behind it. The Eagles' help defense on the Pasadena post men has been phenomenal. Whenever a post beats his man, there are two or three Eisenhower defenders flying at him while the rest rotate down to help.

Kirby Gardner leads Eisenhower with nine points at the half on 4-of-12 shooting and Darren Lockett and Sayles have four points apiece. Point guard George Toyama leads Pasadena with eight points and two assists and post man Todd Lewis Jr. has six points. In addition to struggling from 3-point range, Eisenhower has made just 5-of-14 free throws. If the Eagles let Pasadena hand around too much longer, it could become dangerous.

Eisenhower finally connected on its first 3-point shot with 30 seconds left in the opening quarter when Keyon Sayles buried one from the corner to give Ike a 13-11 lead. But Pasadena point guard George Toyama, who has been generating most of his team's offense thus far, drew a questionable blocking call on the Eagles with 6.6 ticks left in the quarter. He made both free throws to tie the game at 13 before Gardner missed a free throw-line jumper at the buzzer.

Ike finished the first quarter 1-of-5 from 3-point land and 5-of-15 from the field. Pasadena shot 5-of-13 from the field, but the difference was the larger Bulldogs' misses came from much closer range than those from Ike's diminutive lineup.

Eisenhower is yet to hit a 3-pointer with 2:30 to play in the first quarter, but thanks to the penetration of senior guard Kirby Gardner, who has eight points, the Eagles lead 10-9. You've got to figure the Eagles are going to heat up soon, which could be bad news for Pasadena.

Gardner's mid-range jumper with 2:40 to play gave Ike its first lead since 1-0. Pasadena doesn't seem afraid to run with Eisenhower but the Eagles haven't made them pay yet with their own transition game. They have been relying on Gardner to create his own shot with the 3-point shooters yet to find their range.

At the Honda Center in Anaheim, the defending section champion Eisenhower High School boys basketball team is just finishing up warm-ups on the same court it won a CIF championship last year. Of course, the Eagles didn't stop there. A Division 2A championship turned out to be just one stop on the way to a Division 2 state title last season.

With the championship games from different divisions back-to-back here at the Honda Center, the format is such that Eisenhower had to stand courtside and watch a raucous Murrieta Valley celebration after the D2AA championship game. Still two hours from the conclusion of the biggest game of their season, it has to be strange for the Eagles to watch another team pour their hearts out.

For the first time since 1984 and 1985, the Inland Valley has no state placers in wrestling for back-to-back years.
The two wrestlers who made it to Saturday, Cody Dixon of Colony and Giordan Porter of Rialto lost their first matches Saturday in Bakersfield.
Dixon never got anything going against Ian Roy of Poway (ranked No. 7) and lost 7-1 and was unable to become his school's first state placer.
Porter, ranked sixth, was trying to do the same thing, and he lost a heartbreaker 3-2 to second-ranked Orry Elor of Pleasant Hill College Park and was eliminated. Porter was not awarded a takedown with about 12 seconds to go (although it looked like a takedown), when the official ruled it was out of bounds.

Of the 4 Inland Valley wrestlers competing at state, two have made it to the second day.
Colony senior 160-pounder Cody Dixon and Rialto heavyweight Giordan Porter, are both hoping to become their schools' first-ever state placers.
Dixon will wrestle No. 7-ranked Ian Roy of Poway to stay alive Saturday morning. Dixon lost to the No. 3-ranked wrestler and defeated No. 4
Porter lost his third-round match in double overtime, and remained alive in consolation, winning his last match 1-0 on a late escape.
Tim Maldonado (119) of Los Osos and Brian Ryu of Diamond Bar (heavyweight) did not make it to Day 2.

For those of you who won't be able to make the trip to the Honda Center in Amaheim for Saturday's CIF-SS basketball championships, I'll be live blogging from the Eisenhower and Etiwanda games.

No. 1 seed Eisenhower takes on second-seeded Pasadena at 12:30 p.m. in the Division 2A final. Sixth-seeded Etiwanda will face No. 1 seed Mater Dei, the top-ranked team in the state and USA Today's No. 11 team in the country, in the Division 1AA final at 6:30 p.m.

Here's how the Inland Valley wrestlers fared so far through two championship rounds at the CIF State championships in Bakersfield on Friday. Two losses on the first day and you're eliminated. Some wrestlers didn't have to wrestle until the second round.

Tim Maldonado, Los Osos (119)
won 11-6, lost 12-4

Cody Dixon, Colony (160)
lost to No. 3-ranked Bryce Hammond, 15-1

Giordan Porter, Rialto (heavyweight)
won via pin in 1:46

Brian Ryu, Diamond Bar (heavyweight)
defaulted first match due to injury (it appeared to be an ankle). not sure if he'll continue. He'll have a few hours before his next match.

When Redlands East Valley quarterback Tyler Shreve committed to Utah earlier this week, he cancelled his visit to Fresno State scheduled for this weekend. The next quarterback on Fresno State's list, according to director of the SGV/IE Scouting Service James Escarcega, is Rancho Cucamonga dual-threat quarterback Greg Watson.

Watson will visit Fresno State this weekend.... and they are recruiting the 6-foot, 180-pound senior who runs a 4.55-second 40, as a quarterback, according to Rancho Cucamonga head coach Nick Baiz. Oregon offered Watson as a defensive back last winter, but the offer was eventually pulled when Oregon received a verbal commitment from another DB while Watson held out for an offer to play quarterback. The 2008 CIF-SS Central Division MVP may soon have his wish granted.

I think Watson has the tools to play quarterback at the Division-I level, particularly in a spread offense. He's got the arm, the mobility, the speed... the only thing he's lacking is a couple of inches and he's only 16 years old, so he could easily hit another growth spurt.

As usual, the Inland Valley didn't produce a lot of placers at the prestigious Five Counties Wrestling Tournament last Saturday at Fountain Valley High School.

Ayala 112 pounder Andrew Delgado finished eighth in his weight class, while Carter 140-pounder Chuck Wilson was also eighth.

EASTERN DIVISION
Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Michael Karls, QB, Palm Springs, Sr. & Nephi Garcia, RB, Palm Springs, Jr.
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Josh Shirley, LB, Kaiser, Sr. & Christian Spears, LB, Palm Springs, Sr.
Coach of the Year: Steve Fabian, Palm Springs

OFFENSE
Quarterback
Nigel Barksdale, San Jacinto, Sr., 6-0 180 12
Derrick Dison, Ridgecrest Burroughs, Jr., 6-0 175

DIVISION I-AA
1. Mater Dei
2. Long Beach Poly
3. Corona Centennial
4. Upland
5. Rancho Verde
6. Etiwanda
7. Thousand Oaks
8. Montebello
9. Oxnard
10. Los Alamitos
11. Los Osos
12. Redlands
13. Jordan
14. Lakewood
15. Ventura
16. Vista Murrieta

In my recent interview with Upland's Tim Salter for the football Coach of the Year story, I wasn't asking all the questions. Fresh off a CIF championship, the Upland coach, who is one of the most engaging in the Inland Valley, had a question for me.

"Why weren't we in your preseason Top 10?"

A valid question, to say the least, given that the Highlanders lost two games by a total of five points this season on the way to a CIF title. Ironically, with one spot left in my preseason Top 10, I was debating between two teams: Upland and Los Osos - the two that eventually squared off in the CIF-SS Central Division championship game. I gave the spot to Los Osos, which seemed to have lost slightly less from its star-studded 2008 team.

Recalling my preseason efforts, or lack thereof, I thought I'd do final rankings based on all that transpired in the 2009 season. Not just a Top 10 but a slotting of every team in the Daily Bulletin coverage area...

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Anthony Brown, Senior running back/defensive back, Kaiser High School
The USC-bound Brown missed two games this season but still compiled 1,681 yards and 18 touchdowns on 198 carries in leading the Cats to their ninth consecutive Sunkist League championship and the semifinals of the CIF-SS Eastern Division. Brown, who is talented enough on both sides of the ball that USC hasn't yet determined what position he'll play in college, had 55 tackles and an interception as a cornerback.

COACH OF THE YEAR:
Tim Salter, Upland High School
A season after graduating four players with a collective total of circa 50 scholarship offers, Salter led Upland to its first CIF championship since 2000. With members of an offense that averaged more than 35 points per game gone to Stanford, Northwestern and Arizona State, Salter rode a defense that held opponents under 11 points per game to his third CIF championship at Upland.

San Dimas' Bill Zernickow finished a close second after guiding the Saints to their first ever CIF championship this season. After taking Diamond Ranch from its second consecutive 1-6 start to a second consecutive CIF championship game appearance, Roddy Layton was under consideration along with Los Osos' Tom Martinez, who led the Grizzlies to the school's first-ever CIF championship game after losing 38 seniors.

Will Lester/Staff Photographer
Upland head coach Tim Salter celebrates the Highlanders' 19-7 win over Los Osos in the CIF-SS Central Division championship game on Dec. 11.

With re-leaguing taking effect next school year, here are the 2010 leagues:

Baseline League:
Alta Loma
Etiwanda
Glendora
Los Osos
Rancho Cucamonga
Upland

Citrus Belt League:
Eisenhower
Fontana
Miller
Redlands
Redlands East Valley
Yucaipa

OFFENSE
Quarterback
Juan Flores, Miller
Tyler Shreve, Redlands East Valley

Running back
A.J. Fernandez, Redlands East Valley
Brandon Leach, Yucaipa
Damian Robinson, Carter
Cameron Villalobos, Redlands

Wide Receiver
Kenneth Bell, Miller
Kevai Ellis, Redlands East Valley
Kadyn Glass, Redlands

The Compton Dominguez and Etiwanda High School basketball teams navigated the 32-team 2008 CIF playoff bracket to the semifinals but managed to miss matching up with each other.

A win each in today's first round and the two Southern California powers will meet in the second round of the Inland Empire Classic. And neither Compton Dominguez nor Etiwanda is the best in the 32-team tournament that kicks off today, according to Rancho Cucamonga coach Bill Burke, one of the four organizers of the tournament. That distinction doesn't even go to defending state champion Eisenhower, rather Corona Centennial, which has already defeated Etiwanda this season.

"This is the best field we've ever had," Burke said of the 10-year-old tournament. "We have to play better competition if we're going to play well in the Baseline League. I think a lot of teams realize that and that's why they want to come to this tournament and play the best competition around."

FIRST ROUND
No. 1 Redlands East Valley over La Sierra
Temecula Chaparral over Corona Roosevelt
Corona Centennial over Miller
No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde over Temecula Great Oak
No. 3 Norco over Carter
Murrieta Valley over Riverside Arlington
Redlands over Moreno Valley Valley View
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Corona Santiago

QUARTERFINALS
Temecula Chaparral over No. 1 Redlands East Valley
No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde over Corona Centennial
No. 3 Norco over Murrieta Valley
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Redlands

SEMIFINALS
Temecula Chaparral over No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over No. 3 Norco

FINALS
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Temecula Chaparral

Coming tomorrow: Central Division prediction

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

Eisenhower High School's own Victor Butler, a Dallas Cowboy by way of Oregon State, made a case to become a regular in pass-rushing situations with his Monday night performance.

The results of the rookie fourth-round pick's five snaps in Dallas' 21-7 win over Carolina last night: 2 sacks, 1 game-clinching forced fumble.

Think that's enough to earn some more playing time?

"I think so, yeah," Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips told the Dallas Morning News. "It's the number of plays those guys [Anthony Spencer, DeMarcus Ware] are playing, but again, like I say, when you have 30-something passes or 40 passes a game, you really need somebody to come in and help some. He did an outstanding job."

The situation at strong side linebacker is shaping up nicely for Butler with the longtime occupant of that position, Greg Ellis, departed for Oakland. Starter Anthony Spencer, a former first-round pick, is a formidable run stuffer but hasn't shown the ability to rush the passer with any consistency. Butler, whose 12 sacks last season ranked second in the Pac-10, couldn't ask for a much better situation to sneak in the rotation as a pass-rushing specialist. He does, after all, have two thirds of the Cowboys' sacks this season.

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

Nick Barnett might feel like he's back in his Miller High School uniform when he takes the field for the Green Bay Packers season opener the night of Monday Sept. 8.

Why? The linebacker is playing for free. Donating a few tackles to the Minnesota Vikings.

The league penalty for Barnett's arrest after an altercation outside a Wisconsin bar last June is one week's pay - $155,882 of his $2.65 million salary this season. Beats being suspended.

"Now I get to play Monday night," Barnett told ESPN.com. "Pockets are a little lighter, but I still get to play."

Here is a link to the story.

Player of the year: A.J. Springer, Miller QB
Over 2,200 passing yards, over 1,700 rushing yards, 45 combined touchdowns, a completion percentage of 71. His team went 10-2, would have made the semifinals if the D hadn't given up a devastating last-minute touchdown drive. This was an easy choice.

Coach of the year: Tom Inglima, Ayala
0-10 in 2006 to 7-4 in 2007. From last place to second place in the Sierra League and a playoff berth in his second year at Ayala. This one was easier.

Best game of the year: Chaffey 30, La Quinta 28 (Week 4)
Keep in mind, this was the best game that I personally witnessed, not necessarily the best game of the year. Deveion Bauman (4 TD's - two receiving, one kickoff return, one interception return) dueled with La Quinta RB Kamani Harper (223 yards, 3 TD's), eventually catching the winning touchdown over Harper as time expired. Doesn't get a whole lot better than this.

Play of the year: Diamond Ranch QB Joe Carrillo's 83-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Sermons with 26 seconds left to give the Panthers a 28-24 win over Los Altos. Sermons, a 6-foot-4 speedy cornerback rarely plays offense. He was only needed for one play in this game, the only play of Diamond Ranch's final possession. He ran a go route down the right sideline, made a leaping catch over double coverage and ran the final 40 yards into the end zone.

Most clutch performance: Colony QB Jeff Ginolfi's 16-for-21, 326-yard, 5 TD performance in the CIF-SS Central Division championship game, a 41-14 Colony win. This was extra sweet for the senior considering he was the second option on a team that ran the ball 66 precent of the time.

To add a little perspective on the Baseline League (and potentially save me some embarrassment), entering the final week of the regular season last year, five of the six teams were still in contention for three playoff spots.
It doesn't get much closer than that, but that won't stop the Baseline from trying to tighten up the race this season.