Recently in Riverside Community College Category

Three local JuCo teams are stil in the hunt for state championships.

San Bernardino Valley has both its men's and women's team alive while the Chaffey women are still in the hunt. Several other inland Empire teams are in the mix as well.

No. 19 Riverside pulled off the biggest surprise of the last round, upending No. 3 Mt. San Jacinto 79-76 in overtime on Saturday. Good for the still-homeless Tigers directed by John Smith.

No.  15 El Camino also pulled a stunner, beating No. 2 Mt. SAC.

So here's what's up in third round play on Wednesday . . .

MEN

No. 9 Cuesta (24-7) at No. 1 Citrus (26-1)

No. 12 Ventura (19-11) at No. 4 San Bernardino Valley (24-5)

No. 15. El Camino (18-9) at No. 7 Antelope Valley (22-7)

No. 19 Riverside (16-10) at No. 6 Saddleback (20-8)

WOMEN

No. 8 Chaffey (24-6) at No. 1 Mt. SAC (27-3)

No. 5 Cerritos (23-7) at No. 4 East Los Angeles (23-6)

No. 19 Cypress (21-9) at No. 2 Ventura (30-1)

No. 11 Mt. San Jacinto (23-7) at No. 3 San Bernardino Valley (27-3)

 

 

The California Community College poll is loaded with Inland Empire teams.

San Bernardino Valley split games last week but it's win over then-No. 3 Mt. San Jacinto was more impressive than its loss to now No. 19-Chaffey was disappointing because the Wolverines moved up two spots.

Chaffey was in the rankings much opf the year but dropped out after a loss to Victor Valley two weeks ago. Two wins last week, including the one over SBVC, were enough to propel the Panthers back in.

Here it is:

1. San Francisco
2. Citrus
3. Yuba
4. Mt.San Jacinto
5.Santa Rosa
6. San Bernardino Valley
7. Fresno
tie Mt.San Antonio
9. Diablo Valley
10. Antelope Valley
11. Imperial Valley
12. Cabrillo
13. Sierra
14. Saddleback
15. Los Angeles Southwest
16. Foothill
17. San Diego City
18. Ohlone
19. Chaffey
20.  Las Positas

Southern California
1. Citrus
2. Mt.SanJacinto
3. SanBernardinoValley
4. Mt.SanAntonio
5. Antelope Valley
6. Imperial Valley
7.Saddleback
8. Los Angeles Southwest
9. San Diego City
10. Chaffey
11. Cuesta
12. Ventura
13. Riverside City
14. Allan Hancock
15.  tie, Ventura and Los Angeles Valley

The race for a community college state title is on. And there are five area teams still in contention. That group is led by the Chaffey College men and the San Bernardino Valley College women, both of whom won Foothill Conference titles this season.

Here is the complete rundown . . .

MEN
Wednesday's games

No. 17 Long Beach (14-11) at No. 14, Glendale (18-10)\]
No. 20 Oxnard (15-10) at No. 12 Antelope Valley (19-9)
No. 18 L.A. Southwest (16-12) at No. 15 Compton (16-10)
No. 19 Allan Hancock (14-13) at No. 16. L.A. Harbor (14-12)

Friday's games

No. 9 San Bernardino (17-11) at No. 8 Irvine Valley (21-7)
No. 13 L.A. Trade Tech (18-9) at No. 5 Chaffey (19-7)
No. 10 Barstow (22-6) at No. 7 Saddleback (24-6)
No. 11 Mt. San Jacinto (19-8) at No. 6 Riverside (19-10)

Saturday's games

Glendale-Long Beach winner at No. 1 Mt. SAC (21-5)
Oxnard-Antelope winner at No. 4 Citrus (23-5)
Southwest-Compton winner at No. 2 Southwestern (23-2)
Harbor-Hancock winner at No. 3 Santa Monica (20-7)

WOMEN
Wednesday's games

No. 18 Los Angeles Pierce (18-10) at No. 16 Chaffey (18-10)
No. 18 L.A. Trade Tech (15-11) at No. 15 Santa Barbara (20-10)

Friday's games

No. 9 Cypress (18-10) at No. 8 Antelope Valley (21-9)
No. 13 Riverside (17-12) at No. 4 Cerritos (23-6)
No. 10 Mt. San Jacinto (20-8) at No. 7 Canyons (22-7)
No. 14 Moorpark (18-8) at Mt. SAC (26-3)

Saturday's games

Chaffey-Pierce winner at No. 1 Fullerton (27-2)
No. 12 Southwestern (20-5) at No. 5 Orange Coast (22-8)
Santa Barbara-Trade Tech winner at No. 2 San Bernardino (26-2)
No. 11 Ventura (123-6) at No. 6 Pasadena (23-4).

There are a lot of games to choose from for area college football enthusiasts.

Cal Lutheran (1-1) at Redlands (2-0), 7 p.m.

Transfer U comes in to take on the Bulldogs in what should be one of the biggest games in the SCIAC this season. Cal Lutheran has looked more potent on offense than Redlands which tends to start slowly but wake up in the third quarter. The Bulldogs can't afford a slow start in this one. The running game must also do better than it has in the first two games. Slight edge to the visiting Kingsmen in this one.

La Verne (0-2) at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2-0), 7 p.m.

A turning point game for both programs. CMS has played considerably weaker foes than the Leopards to this point. La Verne has lost 13 straight games and this a foe that shouldn't be out of its class if it wants to make a leap to respectability, CMS has looked solid but they haven't played anyone yet. Have to call this one for the Stags.

Pomona-Pitzer (0-2) at Chapman (0-2), 7 p.m.

Two teams still looking to get into the win column. The Sagehens need to improve on defense because Jake Caron and R.J. Maki can't carry the team. Chapman can also be a tough place to win. We're probably looking at a Panther victory.

In the community college ranks . . .

Riverside (2-1) at Chaffey (3-1), 6 p.m.

The Panthers have been lucky. Coach Carl Beach is the first to admit that and in this one he doesn't have room for error. Riverside is back on the way up and has some talented game-breakers. Chaffey has won some low-scoring games so trading touchdowns with the Tigers might be tough.  Give RCC the edge, based on previous results.

Citrus (1-2) at San Bernardino Valley (1-2), 6 p.m.

The first Emerson Bowl with SBVC's Kevin Emerson facing his former team. He wants this one bad. His team wants it too. If Kristin James hangs on to the ball, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll go with the Wolverines at home.

Victor Valley (0-3) at Desert (1-3), 6 p.m.

The Rams have been beaten up physically by top-notch nonconference foes. They have the talent to win this one but coach Dave Hoover is worried about his team's mental state after the tough start. If the Rams lose this one it's going to be a very long season. If they can pull one out, it should them some momentum heading into conference play. Because of uncertainty at the quarterback position I have to go with Desert.

 

 

 

 

The San Bernardino Valley College football team finally got into the win column, beating Santa Monica 37-17 tonight. The game wasn't even that close as the Wolverines were up 30-0 before the Corsairs scored for the first time in the fourth quarter.

There aren't a lot of games to pick from if you want to take in a local college football game this weeekend.

The University of La Verne (0-1) and San Bernardino Valley College (0-2) are idle and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1-0), Pomona-Pitzer (0-1) and Chaffey College (2-0) will all be on the road. 

The University of Redlands (1-0) will host Whitworth, Wash. (1-1) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Ted Runner Stadium. The Bulldogs opened their season with a 21-10 win at East Texas Baptist last week. That looks like a good win given that team's big win the previous week.

This will be the second straight week the Bulldogs will be defending a star player. Not that you want to focus and entire game plan on one player, but Whitworth does rely on all-everything back Adam Anderson much the way East Texas revolved around its quarterback Sed Harris.

Redlands has the benefit of a solid quarterback and leader in Dan Selway, who is finally exhausting his eligibilty - foes in the SCIAC wil be happy to know. The Bulldogs do need to develop a running game, something coach Mike Maynard says has been a focal point in practice this week.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is going up to Pacific (Ore.) for a 1:30 p.m. game. That team is probably worse than the Lewis & Clark team it beat last week. Expect the Stags to move to 2-0. How good they are is still anybody's guess given the level of competition.

Pomona-Pitzer, which lost to Whitworth 35-7 last week, goes up to Lewis & Clark. So the Sagehens and quarterback Jacob Caron have a good shot at win No. 1.

In the junior college ranks Victor Valley (0-2) will be at Riverside (1-0) for a 6 p.m. showdown. The schedule makers did the Rams no favors. Don't get coach Dave Hoover started on that subject!

Chaffey (2-0) is off to an impressive start too but will face a tough task in marching down to Mission Viejo to square off against Saddleback, the No. 14 team in the state.

 

Don't look now but it is already time for the area junior colleges to kick off their football seasons. All will be playing their season openers this Saturday. It will be Chaffey (4-6) heading to San Bernardino Valley College (5-5) for a 6 p.m. showdown and Mt. SAC (12-1) heading up the hill to square off against Victor Valley (6-4) in a 1 p.m. tussle.

It should be a very interesting season. At Chaffey, veteran coach Carl Beach has had his hands full. Not just because heading a football program is a time-consuming job. He has the added burden of serving as interim athletic director which gives one a handful of other headaches. Then there's the renovation of the old gym which had housed the football offices, meeting area and weight room. For now things are pretty spread out.

Beach is more confident in his quarterback situation than he has been the last few years. The struggles of the offense were the main reason for the subpar showing recently.

Meanwhile Kevin Emerson worked some magic at SBVC in his debut in 2009, turning a 0-10 team into a more than respectable 5-5 one. The Wolverines won four of their last five games, topped off by a huge upset of then-unbeaten LA Harbor in the regular season finale. That says it all about where this program could be headed if it gets the proper administrative support. And that's a big IF given what seems to be a lack of commitment to athletics in recent years.

Then there is Mr. intensity up at Victor Valley in Dave Hoover. The Rams are always going to play hard and be competitive. Numbers are up and Hoover said he has more depth and quality depth than he has had before in his 10-year tenure. He had problems with a lot of his out-of-state players last year but has weeded out the undesirables, That can only help.

 More on all the local teams coming up this week with separate previews of each school. 

 

Two locals are making an impact in their first season with the Dowling College softball team. The Golden Lions, who compete in the Division II East Coast Conference, are 21-9 overall, including a sparkling 17-1 at home.

Freshman designated Stephanie Tarango, out of Etiwanda High School, is hitting .333 (33-for-99) with 14 runs scored, five doubles and five home runs.

Junior pitcher Felicia Mendoza, out of Bloomington High School, is one of the team's top pitchers. She holds a record of 6-2 with an ERA of 1.63 and batting average against of .177. She has allowed just 33 hits and struck out 59 in 52 innings.

Mendoza played two years at Riverside Community College before moving on to Dowling.

The pairings and seedings are out for the community college playoffs. It should be no surprise that San Bernardino Valley is No. 1 The Wolverines will have a bye and play on Saturday against the winner of Wednesday's game between Los Angeles Pierce and Moorpark.

SBVC (28-2) ran the table in the Foothill Conference and that's not easy to do. It has won 18 straight games with the last loss coming more than two months ago.

Chaffey drew the No. 11 seed and will be on the road Friday at No. 6 Saddleback. Don't count out Coach Jeff Klein's Panthers.

On the women's side SBVC got the No. 7 seed and drew a home game on Friday with Palomar. Coach Sue Crebbin's team played the Comets in the first game of the season on a neutral floor and won.

Here is the rundown . . .

MEN

Wednesday's games
No. 17 Moorpark at No. 16 Los Angeles Pierce
No. 20 Miramar at No. 13 Antelope Valley
No. 19 Mira Costa at No. 14 Los Angeles Valley
No. 20 Santa Ana at No. 15 L.A. Trade Tech

Friday's games

No. 9 Southwestern at No. 8 Bakersfield
No. 12 Cerritos at No. 5 Mt. SAC
No. 11 Chaffey at No. 6 Saddleback
No. 10 Mt. San Jacinto at No. 7 Cuesta

Saturday's games
Moorpark-L.A. Pierce winner at San Bernardino Valley
Santa Ana-LA Trade tech winner at No. 2 Citrus
Mira Costa-L.A. Valley winner at No. 3 Riverside
Miramar-Antelope winner at No. 4 Irvine Valley

WOMEN

Wednesday's games
 No. 17 Los Angeles Southwest at No. 16 Santa Barbara
No. 18 Cypress at No. 15 Santa Monica

Friday's games
No. 9 Antelope Valley at No. 8 Grossmont
No. 10 Palomar at No. 7 San Bernardino Valley
No. 14 Mt. San Jacinto at No. 3 Mt. SAC
No. 13 Irvine Valley at No. 4 Pasadena

Saturday's games
LA Southwest-Santa Barbabra winner at No. 1 Fullerton
Cypress-Santa Monica winner at No. 2 Ventura
No. 11 Canyons at No. 6 Los Angeles Trade Tech

A pair of easy victories were not enough to keep the San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team in the No. 1 spot in the state poll. For the second time this season the Wolverines lost their No. 1 status without losing.

This time it is Ohlone (20-4), out of northern California, that has jumped ahead of the Wolverines (26-2), who have won 16 straight games with the last loss coming on Dec. 18 to Irvine Valley.

But Ohlone totaled 231 points, just one more than SBVC. Rounding out the top 10 are Citrus (188), San Francisco (186), San Jose City (167), Cosumnes River (167), Mt. SAC (165), Saddleback (160), Riverside (156) and Sequoias (156).

Chaffey (17-8), which lost in overtime to Rio Hondo on Friday, fell four spots to No. 17.

No doubt the Wolverines will be back in first next week, This poll has been inconsistent all season.

On the women's side SBVC (22-5) fell from eighth to ninth despite winning both games last week in comfortable fashion.

 

As expected the SBVC men's basketball team dropped from its perch of No. 1 in the state poll released on Monday.

The Wolverines (9-1) suffered their first loss last week against Mt. SAC in the Wells Fargo Classic at Riverside. They bounced back with two nice wins after that, including a heart-stopping 71-70 win over Antelope Valley in which the difference was a buzzer-beater by Syndey Hall.

SBVC fell to No. 3 with Riverside, which won the tournament, inheriting the top spot.There is lots of local representation in the top 10 with Citrus at No. 4 and Mt. SAC at No. 6.

In the South Region, SBVC is No. 2, Citrus No. 3, Mt. SAC No. 4, Chaffey No. 11 and Barstow No. 15.

On the women's side SBVC (7-2) jumped tow places to No. 7. It losses have been to No. 1 Ventura and No. 5 Mt. SAC.

 

 

Deuces were wild as defending Orange Empire Conference (OEC) champion Santa Ana College (SAC) opened conference play with an 11-2 win over the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers Thursday afternoon at the Evans Sports Complex.

The SAC Dons (12-4, 1-0 OEC) posted a pair of runs in each of the first three innings to quickly put Riverside (9-7, 0-1 OEC) in a hole.

In the first inning with two outs, freshman 1B Chris Miller singled to left field and went to second when the ball skipped past sophomore LF Bryce Holland for an error. Miller went to third on a wild pitch before sophomore C James Davis drew a walk. Up stepped sophomore RF Jake Eccles who promptly socked a 0-1 pitch down the left-field line for a two-run double and Santa Ana led, 2-0. Little did anyone realize that Eccles was just getting started on a seven-RBI day.

In the Santa Ana third inning, Davis singled to center and Eccles crushed a 1-1 pitch to straightaway left field for a two-run home run, his team-leading eighth round tripper of the season.

For good measure in the top of the ninth, Eccles capped the four-run uprising with a three-run home run to dead center field for his ninth circuit clout of the year.

Riverside got on the board in the bottom of the third. Sophomore SS Richie Jimenez drew a one-out walk before sophomore C Brett Hambright stroked a run-producing double to right-center field, scoring Jimenez. With two outs, pinch-hitter Landon McMath, who inherited a 0-2 count, took a pitch for ball one and then turned on a 1-2 pitch and laced a RBI-double down the left-field line, plating Hambright.

Santa Ana starter, sophomore LHP Nick Capito went the first six innings and allowed only two earned runs on six hits to improve to 3-0. Riverside starter, Kessler Reifel (0-1) went just 2-1/3 innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits to get the loss.

Both teams return to OEC action on Saturday, Feb. 28, at noon when Riverside visits the Fullerton College Hornets and Santa Ana hosts the Cypress College Chargers.

San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball coach Quincy Brewer is going to get a chance to see exactly where his young team stands.

The Wolverines (8-2) open play in the 39th annual Wells Fargo Holiday Classic at Riverside Community College at 7 p.m. Wednesday against defending state champion Citrus (10-1).
The field includes 16 teams with four first-round games on tap Tuesday and four more on Wednesday.

The No. 9 Wolverines turned over their entire roster so one would think Brewer would be happy with his team's first 10 games. But that isn't exactly the case.

"I am disappointed with those two games because there are things we could have done better. We didn't execute," he said.

The event is a grind with some teams playing four games in as many days and others playing that many in five days. It is one reason Chaffey, which has traditionally played in the event, pulled out, opting instead for another three-game tournament.

Brewer has been using 11 players and thinks his team is good enough shape physically to handle the rigorous schedule.

"I worked them pretty hard in the preseason," he said. "It is probably more taxing mentally than physically."

Brewer is starting five newcomers - sophomore guard Warren Fuselier (16.9 ppg, 4.5 apg) and freshmen guards D'Shaun Holden (6.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Alex Jacobs (7.5 ppg), freshman forward Aaron Edwards (13.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and freshman center Orlando Brazier (10.9 ppg, 3.9 ppg).

The Wolverines also have two players averaging double figures off the bench in Nathan Roth (10 ppg, 3.4 apg) and Maurice McGee (10.5 ppg).

Brewer has been particularly pleased with Jacobs, a San Gorgonio product who quit the team early in the fall, only to return a few days later. He was 8-for-14 from 3-point land earlier against Ventura.

No. 2 Citrus had a 31-game win streak that dates back to last season snapped when it lost to Reedley 72-68 on Nov. 29 at a tournament it hosted.

It's last previous loss came to Antelope Valley last year in the semifinal of the same tournament at Riverside.

The Owls also rely on their balance with sophomore guard Justin Johnson (13.7 ppg), freshman guard Jose Rivera (13.4 ppg), sophomore forward Troy Payne (10.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg), sophomore guard Steven Bennett (10.3 ppg, 3.9 apg) all in double figures.

SBVC and Citrus are two of the teams that carry lofty state rankings into the event. Riverside (10-3), which opens play tonight against College of the Desert, is No. 5.
Others are No. 9 Yuba and No. 19 Pasadena City College.

RCC is led by sophomore guard Robert Robinson (17.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and sophomore forward Charles Garcia (12.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg). Among the other key players are freshman guard Daniel Redmon (5.5 ppg, 4.7 apg) and freshman forward Kevin Bradshaw (5.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), both out of Upland High School.

 

 

 at Riverside CC

Tuesday's games

Fullerton (4-4) vs. East Los Angeles (4-6), 1 p.m.
Mt. San Jacinto (6-4) vs. Long Beach City (4-4), 3 p.m.
West Los Angeles (6-4) vs. Compton (1-9), 5 p.m.
Desert (5-4) vs. Riverside (10-3), 7 p.m.

Wednesday's games
Antelope Valley (6-6) vs. Pasadena (7-3), 1 p.m.
Yuba (6-1) vs. Palomar (4-4), 3 p.m.
Saddleback (4-5) vs. Imperial Valley (1-7), 5 p.m.
Citrus (10-1) vs. San Bernardino Valley (8-2), 7 p.m.

By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer

RIVERSIDE - Last year the biggest problem for the Victor Valley
College football team was offense. That doesn't look to be the
problem this year.

Freshman quarterback O'Ryan Bradley threw for 236 yards and the
Rams amassed 441 yards total offense but fell to host Riverside
Community College Saturday at Wheelock Field in the 2008 debut for
both teams.

Victor Valley Coach Dave Hoover was not surprised with the numbers
since his team looked much the same in last week's scrimmage. While
they moved the ball successfully against a quality foe, they gave up
359 yards.

``We didn't play hard enough and we didn't play physical enough,''
Hoover said after addressing his team at midfield. ``It was the first
college game for a lot of these guys and I don't think they
understood the intensity you have to play it. I hope they know now.''

That doesn't mean the winning side was completely satisfied
either. Riverside's Bill Brown wasn't pleased with his defense or his
special teams as the Tigers missed four extra points.

``I wasn't happy that we gave up 51 points and we have to work on
our special teams,'' he said. ``We have some great athletes and we're
going to make some plays. If we can iron out a few things, we should
have a chance at winning the conference.''


Victor Valley stuck with RCC early. It spotted the host team a
7-0 lead with Redlands High graduate Coy Glass directing a 62-yard
drive on the team's first possession that ended with a 36-yard toss
to Travis Carter.

The Rams drew even on their ensuing possession, striking with the
big play as Bradley connected with Silverado product Deandre
Glasper on a 70-yard pass play with Glasper hauling in the pass at
the Tigers 30 and racing the rest of the way.

The Rams took a 10-7 lead on a 39-yard field goal by Andrew
Paredes but that lead was short lived as RCC retaliated soon after
with a drive of its own, this one ending with an 8-yard toss from
Glass to former high school teammate Corey Ham, giving the Tigers
back a 13-10 lead.

Victor Valley's second lead of the game came when O.C. Craig
returned a punt 36 yards for a touchdown to go up 17-13. But that
would be its last advantage. RCC scored twice more before the end of
the half, both times on scoring passes by Glass. His 4-yarder to
Winston Hutchinson gave the Tigers a 20-17 edge and was the fourth
lead change of the half.

A 29-yarder from Glass to Jacob Slouka with 2:45 left in the second
quarter made it 27-17 and the Rams were never within single digits
again.

O'Bradley spread the ball out to nine different receivers with his
favorite target being Glasper, who caught four passes for 74 yards.
He also rushed for 47 on 11 tries. The biggest weapon in the ground
game was Ryan Sampson who who only had four carries but managed
66yards.

``I am disappointed because I thought it was a winnable game,''
Hoover said. ``And it only gets tougher from here.''

Meanwhile Glass threw for 184 yards, evenly split among seven
receivers. He threw five touchdowns without an interception.

The Tigers rushed for 175 yards, 156 of that by Cedric Foster.

Next week the Rams will host Palomar at 1 p.m. while the Tigers
will head to the neighboring county to renew their rivalry with San
Bernardino Valley College at 6 p.m.






Victor Valley 10 7 7 7 - 31
Riverside 13 21 6 6 - 52

R - Travis Carter 36 pass from Coy Glass (Albert Jiminez kick)

VV - DeAndre Glasper 30 pass from O'Ryan Bradley (Andrew Paredes
kick)

VV - Parades 39 FG

R - Corey Ham 8 pass from Glass (kick failed)

VV - O.C. Craig 36 punt return (Paredes kick)

R - Winston Hutchenson 4 pass from Glass (Jiminez kick)

R - Jacob Slouka 29 pass from Glass (Jiminez kick)

R - Cedric Foster 7 run (Jiminez kick)

VV- Glasper 3 run (Paredes kick)

R- Foster 3 run (kick failed)

R - Hutchenson 9 pass from Glass (kick failed)

VV - Mel Carmichael 1 run (Paredes kick)

Dress rehearsals are over. The curtain on the new football season comes up for real Saturday with all area junior college teams in action.

The most notable game will take place in the neighboring county as Victor Valley travels to Riverside Community College's Wheelock Field for a 6 p.m. showdown for the first ever meeting between the schools.

Two other games that would have been Foothill Conference contests in the past are now just nonconference tuneups after a complete retooling of the playoff structure. Chaffey will host Mt. San Jacinto while San Bernardino Valley College travels to College of the Desert, both kick off at 6 p.m.

Riverside and Chaffey are both part of the tougher Central Conference of the National Division while SBVC and Victor Valley are both in the weaker Mountain Conference of the American Division.

The nonconference games loom large for SBVC and Victor Valley because just two of the eight playoff berths will come from the American Division so this gives them a chance to show they belong.

The team in the stronger conference need to win against what are considered lesser foes because of the competition they will see in conference later in the season. The National Division will have six teams in the playoffs, including a handful of wildcards.

But coaches are focusing on the task right in front of them.

"Every game is as important as the next," said Riverside coach Bill Brown, starting his seventh year. "We haven't talked about any other team but Victor Valley."

Riverside was 4-5 a year ago. Sophomore quarterback Coy Glass, a Redlands High School product, leads the offense after sharing duty there last season. Brown indicated he would probably use several running backs and receivers to see who emerges.

The Rams, coming off a 3-7 season, scrimmaged Antelope Valley and Pomona-Pitzer last week and coach Dave Hoover was pleased, especially with his offense. He went through four quarterbacks last year and the offense never did click.

"We churned out some big plays and that's something we were lacking last year. We couldn't move the ball to save our life," he said. "Defensively we're quite young so I'm not quite sure what we have there. But that's something most coaches are probably saying this time of year."

Riverside will be the first of three tough nonconference games for the Rams. Next up is Palomar, then juggernaut Mt. SAC. Hoover is hoping his team survives the tough nonconference grind.

"Health is my biggest concern, playing the teams we're playing to start out," he said. Do I think we can win all three? No. But we're going to compete and I think we can play with anyone in our conference. But one or two injuries and we become very average very fast."

Both SBVC coach Pat Meech and Chaffey coach Carl Beach said right now there is not much of a different feel to the season since they are playing familiar foes, although in a different situation.

"I don't think it's much different for us as coaches because we're still playing teams we know and have played in the past," Meech said. "You're getting player turnover every couple of years so there isn't much familiary with any opponent."

SATURDAY GAMES

MT. SAN JACINTO at CHAFFEY

Time: 6 p.m.

About MSJ: The Eagles are looking to erase the memory of a 1-8 season in which the lone win came over San Diego Mesa. Second-year coach Casey Mazzotta returns QB Colin Wigley and inherited a transfer from SBVC in RB DeShaun Smith. The offensive line they have to work should be much improved led by Jose Acuna and center Sol Sagaio. Top defenders are OLB Ezra Latu, DE Zack Van Deusen and MLB Cole Moseley.

About Chaffey: The Panthers defeated the Eagles 28-10 last season in what was then a conferfence game. It is now a non-conference showdown. Greg Sprowls will run the offense called by new coordinator Matt Bechtel. Leading rusher Jahmel Rover (knee) is out so the Panthers will rely on backfield-by-committee with Tyler Thompson, John Alejandro and Matt Chase sharing the workload. Top cover man Mike Fields (knee) is also out but the Panthers should create pressure up front which is where their experience should be a factor. The biggest question mark will be Chaffey's kicking teams.

VICTOR VALLEY at RIVERSIDE

Time: 6 p.m.

About Victor: Coach Dave Hoover is excited about the potential of his offense led by quarterbacks Elisah Filipili and O'Ryan Bradley, both of whom should see playing time. Bradley is a transfer from UNLV where he tried to walk on. Hoover likes also likes the progress of his offensive line which consists of Alex Mitchell, Beau Humphrey, Louis Morales, Ramon Sandoval and Andrew Gomez - all High Desrt natives. WR Jarrett Partman will be out this week. Eric Brinkley, who has moved from linebacker to safety, and Aaron Mosley key the defense.

About Riverside: Redlands product Coy Glass directs the Tigers offense. Coach Bill Brown will use a stable of running backs in the early going with Cedric Foster, Ben Irwin, Ivan Lopez and Tanner Paes among those seeing action. Travis Carter, Corey Ham (Redlands) and Tommy Curry will be the key receivers. T.J. Tuigamala is the most experienced lineman. Jamell Murry and Andrew Smith (Redlands) lead the defense.

SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY at DESERT

Time: 6 p.m.

About Valley: Sophomore QB Mike Stadler returns but he will be surrounded by mostly newcomers - the most notable being San Bernardino High School alumn Dewayne Booker. He will backed up Devan Libran. Thad Quist and Terrance Humes anchor the offensive line with Humes coming back from a knee injury that sidelined him most of last season. Leaders on defense are S James Hutchins and LB Cordelle Nugent.

About Desert: The Roadrunners were conference champion last year in what was the Foothill Conference. They defeated the Wolverines 27-14 in that run. QB Brent Rausch (Hawaii) has departed but Desert inherited its usual boatload of out-of-state transfers with almost 50 from outside California.

- Compiled by Michelle Gardner

 

San Bernardino Valley College football coach Pat Meech knows his school lacks the resources to compete weekly against the more traditional powers in Southern California. Now he doesn't have to do so.

The junior college season will kick off this week and the entire conference structure and playoff format has been reworked. The Foothill Conference no longer exists. Adios Mission Conference. Sayonara Western State Conference.

The sport will now be governed under the umbrella of the Southern California Football Association.

Teams are separated into two divisions - the National and American. The National is subdivided into three seven-team conferences (Northern, Central, Southern) while the American has two eight-team conferences (Mountain, Pacific).

The National Division, the power conference, includes perennial title contenders such as Mt. SAC, Bakersfield and former Foothill Conference juggernaut Grossmont. Chaffey, Riverside and Citrus are among the other entrants.

SBVC and Victor Valley factor into the weaker American Divsion. But Meech doesn't mind being lumped into the also-ran category.

"Am I afraid of those schools? No. I would like to play them," he said. "But it would be crazy to think we can go head-to-head with those teams week after week after week."

Veteran Chaffey coach Carl Beach, who was on the committee that developed the new alignment, isn't quite sure his team is ready to battle the big boys, citing resources and enrollment but admits past success is the reason his school has been put in with the stronger teams.

"It's more about what we have done in the past. I'm not so sure we belong there but we'll see," he said.

The alignments will be reviewed every two years with some teams moving up or down depending on competitive balance.

A similar format has been used in the Northern part of the state for several years and received a favorable review.

When it comes to picking a field for the playoffs, eight teams will be chosen. Each of the three National Division conference will be given two spots for a total of six teams.
The American Division would qualify the winner of each conference for the final two spots, provided those teams finish with winning records. If a conference winner is not above .500, a wild-card would be chosen based on state power ranking.

There will be three additional bowl games for teams not making the playoffs to be awarded based on state ranking.

The original plan called for four teams to make the playoffs with all of those coming from the power division. The lesser schools balked at that idea so the current format was a compromise.

Beach said the committee wanted to get the new system in place. This one primarily divided teams based on their competitive history.

When the alignment is addressed again in two years he said more emphasis will be placed on enrollment, particularly a school's ability to draw out-of-state athletes. Resources and facilities will also be issues.

"I think it's fair," Meech added. "It will be good for us to play teams more like us."

Teams in the American Division will have seven conference games, then fill out their schedule with three games against the National Division, giving them a chance to boost their power ranking and see if they are competitive against those teams.

SBVC's nonconference foes will be Riverside, College of the Desert and Saddleback. The Wolverines have played Riverside 68 times, the first coming in 1926 but haven't faced the Tigers since 2002.

Victor Valley's opponents will be Riverside, Palomar and Mt. SAC.
Rams coach Dave Hoover was alright with the division of the teams but isn't happy with his brutal nonconference schedule.

"Not only are we probably playing the three best teams, we're playing the three most physical teams," he said. "It was a nice idea having the big dogs play the big dogs. It all makes sense. But their nonconference games should be against the teams in their divison in the other conferences."

Chaffey and the other teams in the National Division have six conference games and four non-conference contests.

The Panthers will square off against Mt. San Jacinto, Southwestern, Antelope Valley and Grossmont - all significantly longer trips than treking 20 minutes to SBVC.

While SBVC is excited about renewing its rivalry with Riverside, it is mystified why Chaffey wasn't included on the non-conference schedule since rivalries were also supposed to be kept in tact. That also baffles Beach.

Coaches were allowed to submit a list of three teams they wanted to keep games with and both SBVC and Chaffey listed the other as their top choice.

"It doesn't make sense. We have to pass them by to go to all out other games," Beach said.
Hoover asked to keep Antelope Valley, Desert and Chaffey and got none of those.

NATIONAL DIVISION

Northern Conference: Allan Hancock, Bakersfield, College of the Canyons, Glendale, Moopark, Pasadena City, Ventura

Central Conference: Cerritos,Chaffey, Citrus, College of the Desert, El Camino, Mt. SAC, Riverside

Southern Conference: Fullerton, Grossmont, Long Beach City, Orange Coast, Palomar, Saddleback, Santa Ana

AMERICAN DIVISION

Mountain Conference: Compton, Golden West, L.A. Harbor, Mt. San Jacinto, San Bernardino Valley,San Diego Mesa, Southwestern, Victor Valley

Pacific Conference: Antelope Valley, East Los Angeles, L.A. Pierce, L.A. Southwest, L.A. Valley,Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles

Riverside men's track coach Jim McCarron announced today that two members of the District's State Championship Track and Field Team have signed Division I scholarships.

Dylan Nielson, who ran the lead-off on the state-champion 4x100 relay team and also competed in the high hurdles, signed a full scholarship with Utah State. Meanwhile, teammate Lance Gonzales, who competed in the decathlon, javelin and long jump, has decided to continue his education and athletic career at Cal State Northridge on a full scholarship.

Both of these young men were clutch performers this year," said McCarron. "They were big factors in the our state championship run, and I know will have an immediate impact at the conference and national level at their universities."

Gonzales, who finished second in the decathlon and third in the javelin and seventh in the long jump at the state meet, is making a run for the 2012 Olympic Team in London. He concluded his career at Riverside as the record-holder in the decathlon, a student of distinction and a holder of a 3.4 GPA.

"I'm going to Northridge to focus specifically on the decathlon and possibly a shot at making the 2012 Olympic Team," said Gonzales, who is majoring in Physical Education and plans to become a teacher and a coach.

Nielson, a graduate of Palm Desert High School, said "Utah is a place where I can get that business degree, continue to develop as a hurdler and possibly, too, make the 2012 Olympic Team."

Mississippi Braves right-hander Thomas Hanson didn't exactly get off to a good start in his outing Wednesday against the Birmingham Barons.

Hanson, a graduate of Redlands East Valley High School and Riverside Community College, issued two walks, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch in the first inning. But he regrouped quite nicely. In fact Hanson ended up throwing the first no-hitter in the history of the Double-A Southern League franchise, striking out a career-high 14 in a 6-0 victory.

"I felt really good in the bullpen warming up," he said. "I was pumped, maybe a little too pumped. I just tried to calm myself down and just attack the strike zone the way I normally do."

Hanson, 21, said it was his first no-hitter since Little League. He came close last year at Low-A Rome where he had a no-hitter broken up in the seventh.

A more casual approach this time helped.

"I tried not to think about it as much," he said. "It is hard not to think about it. last year I kept sitting there thinking `I hope they don't get a hit.' This time I just tried to focus on what I had to do to get guys out."

Hanson said Birmingham, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, had two hard hit balls, one coming on the last out of the game when Ricardo Nanita lined out to centerfielder Jordan Shafer.

"He got good wood on it. Squared up pretty good," he said. "Fortunately it was right at someone."

With the win Hanson improved to 4-3 on the season with a 4.32 earned run average in nine starts. He has 49 strikeouts in 50 innings. Take out one bad outing in which he allowed eight earned runs and his ERA is a nifty 3.02.

Hanson, a 22nd round draft pick, started the season with the Braves affiliate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., of the High-A Carolina League but earned a promotion after going 3-1 with 49 strikeouts in 40 innings and an 0.90 ERA in seven starts there.

 

Fresno City College topped all other junior college athletic programs and has been named winner of the National Alliance of Two-Year Colleges Athletic Administrator's Cup for the 2007-2008 school year.

Fresno totaled 164 points as the top four schools were within seven points. It was followed by Cerritos (160), Sierra (159) and Mt. SAC (157).

Riverside Community College was sixth (139.5).

Other local schools finished in the middle portion of the 103 school rankings.

Chaffey was 41st with 40 points, getting all its points in the pool. The Panthers got 15.5 points in women's water polo, 14.5 in men's swimming and 10 in women's swimming.

San Bernardino Valley College was 47th (28.5), with 20 coming for its state championship in men's cross country and the other 8.5 coming in women's soccer which finished as the Foothill Conference runner-up.

The Chaffey College baseball team waited a little too long to make its move Friday. By the time it did, it was a little too late.

The Panthers fell to host Riverside Community College 7-6 in the opening game of a best-of-three Southern California Regional at Chaffey. The teams will play again at 11 a.m. today, with the deciding game to follow if Chaffey wins.

"We didn't cash in early when we had some chances and that was the difference," Panthers coach Jeff Harlow said. "We always play well at home and we feel we can come back at any time, but we dug ourselves too big a hole."

The Tigers (28-17), the fifth place team out of the Orange Empire Conference, surged out to a 7-1 lead, scoring six of those runs with two outs.

Cody Madison was the main contributor to RCC's early rallies, stroking a two-run home run in the third off Chaffey starter Andrew Schile to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.

He added a three-run double off reliever Julian Ramirez in the sixth that extended the Tigers' lead to 7-1.

Foothill Conference champion Chaffey (30-10) began its comeback in the bottom of the inning, aided by the control touble of Riverside starter Erick Carrillo.

Jonathan Peters singled and James Koerner and Josh Manzano worked walks to load the bases with none out. Carrillo came close to working out of the jam, enticing strikeouts from Mychal Johnson and Jonathan Costantino, both of whom swung at pitches in the dirt.
Gerry Hernandez showed a little more patience by working the count to 3-2 before walking, forcing home a run to cut the deficit to 7-2.

It became a game again seconds later when Ryan Delgado blasted a first-pitch slider from Carrillo over the right-center fence, a grand slam that cut the deficit to 7-6.

The Panthers were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position before the blast and were just 2-for-14 in the game in that department.

"I was just looking for a pitch I could drive," said Delgado, who now has 11 home runs this season. "That felt could because it gave us some momentum."

Willie Holmes just missed tying the game seconds later, blasting an offering from reliever Sean Greer off the top of the center-field fence for a triple.

Anthony Delgado then walked and stole second, but the rally ended there when Madison chased down a deep fly ball off the bat of Peters.

The bullpens of the respective teams then restored order: Neither team had a 1-2-3 innings through the first seven, but both did in the eighth and ninth.

Schile (9-3), the conference pitcher of the year, took the loss. He gave up four runs and eight hits and struck out five while walking two, and exited with the Panthers down 4-1.

Ramirez pitched 4 and a third innings and held the Tigers scoreless over the  three, retiring the final nine hitters he faced.

Carrillo (3-1) earned the win. He scattered seven hits, five walks and six strikeouts.

Right-hander Kyle Morgan, a freshman out of Redlands East Valley, retired nine of the 10 hitters he faced over three innings to notch his second save for RCC.

"We're coming in here tomorrow with the thought of winning two," Harlow said. "This team battles and never gives up. We showed that today."

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- One can forgive the Chaffey College baseball team for heading into the playoffs with a bit of a chip on its shoulder.

The Panthers (30-9) come out of a weaker conference. They haven't had great success in the playoffs lately and they usually face a tough draw. Maybe they don't get enough respect.
They have a chance to gain some as they square off against defending state champion Riverside (27-17) in the best of three Southern California Regional the first game getting under way at 3 p.m. Friday.

Game two is slated for 11 a.m. Saturday, with the deciding game following if necessary.

It will also be a chance to strike a blow against a team that they go head-to-head with in recruiting.

"We have guys that tried out over there and got cut. So yes I would hope there is a little bit of incentive," Chaffey coach Jeff Harlow said. "They're from that dominant conference so it is a chance for us to make a statement."

Sophomore right-hander Andrew Schile (8-2, 2.94), the pitcher of the year in the Foothill Conference, will be on the mound for the Panthers, seeded seventh in the 18-team draw.
He doesn't think there is any extra pressure because of the opponent or the situation.

"It's the playoffs so you always want to win. We don't want to win more because it's RCC," he said. "But it will make it more rewarding if we do beat them."

The No. 10 Tigers were the fifth-place team out of the Orange Empire Conference, regarded as the toughest in the state. Last year's state championship series featured two schools from the conference, with Riverside downing Cypress for the title.

None in the Panther camp are surprised with the first-round matchup.

"We thought all long we would get them," sophomore catcher Mike Surina said. "We have been looking at it all season so we're not surprised. It will be fun because we all have played with and against a lot of their players."

It has been four years since the Panthers advanced past the first round. They cruised through conference play this season which probably isn't a good thing. They won the conference by three games and were so dominant they swept runner-up Rio Hondo - 15-0, 11-6 and 11-1.

This was the third straight conference title for the Panthers. Harlow, whose teams have made the playoffs five straight years, admits that Orange Empire teams are better prepared for the postseason because of the competition they see year-round.

Of Chaffey's 24 conference games, only six were decided by less than three runs.

"There's not a lot we can do about it," Harlow said. "We try and play the toughest preseason schedule we can get but facing that much competition is an advantage for them."

The Panthers had nine players earn all-conference honors. Joining Schile on the first team are freshman Willie Holmes (.408, 42 RBI), sophomore outfielder Mychal Johnson (.336, 42 runs), sophomore catcher Anthony Delgado (.384, 26 runs), sophomore third baseman Ryan Delgado (.329, 43 RBI) and sophomore first baseman Josh Manzano (.349 26 runs).

Second-team selections included sophomore left-hander Andrew Steinmeyer (5-1, 3.86), who will likely start one of the other games, freshman outfielder Jonathan Costantino (.359, 44 runs) and sophomore shortstop James Koerner (.336, 44 RBI).

Steinmeyer and Schile both pitched gems in their last outings. Harlow has also been pleased with the emergence of his relief crew, particularly sophomores Tim Redmon and Bret wolf and freshman Erik Bastio.

Top players for the Tigers are freshman second baseman Daniel Duran, sophomore outfielder Michael Hur and freshman third baseman Billy Hamilton (Carter HS).

Kaiser High grad Erick Carrillo (2-1, 4.03) and sophomore Peter Birdwell (2-1, 4.67) have drawn the majority of the starts. Redlands East Valley product Kyle Morgan (6-2, 2.27) has a team-high 22 appearances, all out of the bullpen.

The Chaffey baseball team has drawn a first-round playoff date with Riverside Community College.

Pairings for the best-of-three Southern California regionals were unveiled Sunday and the Foothill Conference champion Panthers (30-9) drew the No. 7 seed. Defending state champion Riverside (27-17) is No. 10, finishing fifth in the tough Orange Empire Conference.
Chaffey will host the series opener at 3 p.m. Friday with the second game at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Coach Jeff Harlow wasn't surprised with that but was miffed that Cerritos (29-14) was one spot ahead of his team because his team beat the Falcons twice.

Swapping places with Cerritos would have meant getting Bakersfield (28-16), a more preferrable draw because it is a second-place team out of a considerably weaker conference.

"They didn't follow the criteria they should have," Harlow said. "We played that team and beat them twice. Why play them if it isn't going to matter? It's all political."

Tuesday's game's

Single-elimination games

No. 18 Santa Barbara at No. 15 Palomar
No. 17 Rio Hondo at No. 16 Ventura

Friday games

First game, best-of-three

Lowest remaining seed at No. 1 Santa Ana

No. 13 East Los Angeles at No. 4 Irvine Valley

No. 12 El Camino at No. 5 Southwestern

No. 11 Cypress at No. 8 College of the Canyons

No. 10 Riverside at No. 7 Chaffey

No. 11 Bakersfield at No. 6 Cerritos

No. 14 Long Beach City at No. 3 Orange Coast

Second-lowest seed at No. 2 Cuesta

 

Riverside Athletic Director Barry Meier announced today that he has hired
Monica Trainer as the Tigers' volleyball coach. Trainer has been an
assistant coach at UC Riverside for the past 22 years to UC Riverside Head
Coach Sue Gozansky.

Trainer becomes Riverside's first full-time coach in nearly 10 years.

"This is a great time for me in my career," said Trainer. "I'm excited to
run my own program. Obviously, I've learned a lot while at UCR, but I'm so
excited to try things on my own."

Trainer said she knew from the beginning this was the right move for her.

"It's funny as soon as I stepped on campus I felt welcome," she said. "I
remember thinking after the interview how much I would love to work at the
college.

"Everyone was so supportive and so personable."

Trainer and her family have a lot of tradition with the community college
system. Her husband, Joe, is a graduate of the Riverside District's nursing
program. Trainer herself attended San Bernardino Valley College and her
daughter attended Mt. San Jacinto College.

After attending San Bernardino Valley, Trainer began an outstanding
three-year career at San Jose State. She was drafted by the San Jose Diablos
of the International Volleyball Association, and a year later, she embarked
upon a four-year European semi-pro career, playing in Luzern, Switzerland
from 1981 to 1983 and in Albizzate, Italy, in 1983-84, winning championships
in both stops.

She returned to the United States in 1985 and joined Gozansky's staff at UC
Riverside as an assistant. In her tenure, UCR has won a Division II national
title and made three trips to the Elite Eight.

Since 1978, Trainer has instructed at many summer camps throughout the
United States with UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates, AAF, Converse, and the
USVBA. In 1995 she traveled to Italy as coach of "Sports for
Understanding," She has teamed with Gozansky to work with the Department of
Defense Dependent Students (DoDDS) Camp in Manheim, Germany, where she
taught volleyball to United States students who are living in Germany,
Italy, Turkey, Belgium and Greece.

Trainer has continued her volleyball playing career by participating in US
Volleyball Association (USAV) tournaments across the nation and has earned
11 All-America selections. She was a member of the Seniors national
championship team in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003.

Trainer attended Rim of the World High School, graduating in 1976. She
played softball, tennis and basketball, but did not play volleyball until
her senior year.

Trainer attended San Bernardino Valley College as a freshman, then
transferred to SJSU, where she graduated with a degree in human performance
and a minor in psychology. She went on to earn her teaching credential and a
master's degree in guidance counseling from Cal State University, San
Bernardino. She is an American Red Cross Instructor Trainer for various
health, safety and aquatics programs for future teachers.

Trainer and her husband Joe live in Murrieta and are proud grandparents of
Daniel, Abigail and Elena.

Riverside Community College has been selected as the 2008 host for the California Community Colleges Athletic Association Fastpitch Championship it was announced today by the state fastpitch coaches' association.

Ironically, the championship tournament will not be held at any of the District's three campuses. Instead, the state finals will be held at Orange Terrace Park in the community of Orangecrest. The city is in the final stages of building out Orange Terrace Park, which is in the east end of the city. As part of the park buildout, the city is adding two new ball fields, a library and a community center.

So the city and Orangecrest ASA, the largest softball organization in the city of Riverside for youth (5 to 18 years old), will co-host the event.

The state championship tournament will feature the final eight teams-four from the north and four from the south. Mt. San Antonio College is the defending state champions. Riverside head coach Michelle Daddona-Moya, who worked to bring the championship tournament to the city for the fourth time, said Mt. San Antonio and Riverside will play a regular-season game at the park on March 17th at 3:30 pm to help promote the championship tournament to the community.

"Orangecrest ASA is excited about the opportunity to promote, not only the game of softball to our youth, but expose them to the idea of playing college softball," said Tom Reiss, Orangecrest ASA president. "Our board's goal has not only been to provide the girls with recreational opportunities, but also bring entertainment opportunities to the community. And this is that first step."

The state finals is one of three tournaments Orangecrest ASA will be bringing to the community in 2008 at Orange Terrace Park. In June, the City of Riverside and Orangecrest ASA will be hosting the ASA Open Western Regional Tournament and then in July host the ASA Open National Championship Tournament, where as many as 10 former Olympic players will be action.

"The girls in the Orangecrest community are passionate about softball," said Daddona-Moya. "I think this is the first time the coaches' association has decided to take our product to an area with such passion for the game. I think it benefit not only the City of Riverside and Orangecrest ASA, but also the community college game of softball."

Four players finished in double figures as host Riverside Community College edged the Riverside All-Stars 82-80 in first round play at the 38th annual Wells Fargo Holiday Classic Tuesday night. That game was the last of four on the day.

Other winners were Fullerton, Mt. San Jacinto and East Los Angeles. The host Tigers (8-2) advance to play East Los Angeles in the 7 p.m. game Thursday night.

RCC was led by Keiran Nunley who tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Anthony Dandy and Anthony Scott contributed 12 each with Dandy, a San Gorgonio High School graduate, also collecting five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Cajon product James Simmons aided the cause with six assists and three steals.

Treno Butler headed the effort of the all-star team with 20 points. Brian Hooks added 15 with five rebounds and four assists.

The tournament continues today with Long Beach City playing Saddleback at 1 p.m., College of the Desert squaring off with unbeaten Citrus at 3 p.m., Los Angeles Pierce looking for its first win against San Diego City at 5 p.m. and Compton playing Antelope Valley at 7 p.m.