Week 7 top 25

I finally did it, bumping up Alabama and dropping Texas. I was tempted to put the Tide one higher than I actually did.

1. Florida (1) – Only reasons they are holding this position is because they are the defending national champs and because they haven’t lost. That’s about it.
2. Alabama (3) – Playing better than anyone in the nation right now. And it doesn’t seem close.
3. Texas (2) – Barely beating an Oklahoma team without Sam Bradford isn’t enough to avoid the drop.
4. USC (7) – Coming back around on the Trojans as they have three darn good road wins now.
5. Boise State (5) – It will be hard for Boise to move much higher than this. They need to beat teams like Tulsa by more than 7 at the very least.
6. TCU (6) – Nice smackdown of Colorado State leaves Horned Frogs undefeated.
7. Cincinnati (9) – With their road wins, the Bearcats probably have the most upside of teams 5-7.
8. Iowa (10) – Another tough road test conquered for the Hawkeyes. Got another one at Michigan State upcoming.
9. Miami (Fla) (11) – Canes are the second-best one-loss team behind USC.
10. LSU (12) – Got a nice bump up despite being on a bye. Must be nice.
11. Oklahoma State (13) – Cowboys are doing a good job of grinding despite not being at full strength.
12. Georgia Tech (19) – Yellowjackets opened some eyes this week by running over Virginia Tech. Big jump for Ga. Tech.
13. Penn State (14) – Probably had their best win of the season to date against Minnesota. Says more about their schedule so far though than anything else.
14. Virginia Tech (4) – Walked right into an ambush at Ga. Tech. Guess we got carried away with the Hokies a bit.
15. BYU (15) – Won a tougher-than-expected game with San Diego State
16. Oregon (18) – I’m starting to self-correct a bit on the Ducks. Its clear that they are part of the “Sweet 16”
17. Pittsburgh (NR) – And this is where the rankings get goofy. If it was possible to leave No. 17 blank and leave the Panthers at, say, No. 20, I’d do it.
18. Houston (24) – Get a bump based more on what teams they’ve beaten in the past have done more than anything else.
19. Texas Tech (NR) – Sizable upset win at Nebraska puts Red Raiders in top 20 – and helps Houston get its bump.
20. Mississippi (23) – Definitely a bump up based more on teams losing than what the Rebels did against UAB.
21. Ohio State (8) – Buckeyes take a huge tumble after dumping one against 1-5 Purdue.
22. Utah (25) – The Utes kill UNLV to get a little bit of a move up.
23. South Carolina (20) – Gamecocks hung with Alabama for the most part, so I’m not trashing them.
24. Nebraska (21) – Probably should have these guys dropped lower, but there aren’t many candidate to put ahead of them.
25. South Florida (22) – Losing to Cincinnati is no insult.

Receiving consideration: Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan
Dropped out: No. 16 Kansas, No. 17 Oklahoma

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Week 7 top 10

Not much change here. Serrano whipped Rim of the World, so the Diamondbacks rejoin the rankings while the Scots fall out after a one-week appearance. And I must say, I’m getting very tempted to jump REV over Rancho.

Sun Top 10

1. Rancho Cucamonga (6-0)
Previous ranking: 1. Last week: def. Claremont, 52-24. Up next: Friday at Los Osos (2-4)

2. Redlands East Valley (6-0)
Previous ranking: 2. Last week: def. Fontana, 48-0. Up next: Friday at Rialto (0-6)

3. Upland (6-0)
Previous ranking: 3. Last week: def. Los Osos, 17-0. Up next: Friday vs. Alta Loma (0-6).

4. Colton (5-1)
Previous ranking: 4. Last week: def. Arroyo Valley, 31-14. Up next: Friday at San Bernardino (1-5).

5. Colony (5-1)
Previous ranking: 5. Last week: def. Ontario, 55-10. Up next: Friday vs. Garey (3-3).

6. Chino Hills (5-1)
Previous ranking: 6. Last week: def. Damien, 38-6. Up next: Friday at Chino (0-6).

7. Barstow (5-1)
Previous ranking: 7. Last week: def. Ridgecrest Burroughs, 28-21. Up next: Friday vs. Silverado (5-2).

8. Redlands (5-1)
Previous ranking: 8. Last week: def. Eisenhower, 49-7. Up next: Friday vs. Yucaipa (3-3).

9. Etiwanda (4-2)
Previous ranking: 10. Last week: def. Alta Loma, 61-17. Up next: Friday at Claremont (4-2).

10. Serrano (4-2)
Previous ranking: NR. Last week: def. Rim of the World, 35-7. Up next: Friday at Apple Valley (3-3).

Just missed the cut: Ayala (5-1), Kaiser (3-3), Rim of the World (6-1), Silverado (5-2)

Dropped out: No. 9. Rim of the World (6-1).

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Week 6 NFL picks

Back to .500 this week, which I’ll take after getting smacked around in week 4.

Kansas City (+6) over WASHINGTON
Houston (+5) over CINCINNATI
PITTSBURGH (-14) over Cleveland
Baltimore (+3) over MINNESOTA
JACKSONVILLE (-9.5) over St. Louis
N.Y. Giants (+3) over NEW ORLEANS
Carolina (-3) over TAMPA BAY
GREEN BAY (-14) over Detroit
Philadelphia (-14) over OAKLAND
SEATTLE (-3) over Arizona
N.Y. JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo
NEW ENGLAND (-9) over Tennessee
ATLANTA (-3) over Chicago
Denver (+3.5) over SAN DIEGO

Week: 7-7
Overall: 41-34

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Scorelist

Little late because I was up in the mountains. I should just get a cottage up there.

Arrowhead Christian 21, Western Christian 7
Ayala 44, Chino 13
Barstow 28, Ridgecrest Burroughs 21
Cajon 42, San Bernardino 6
Carter 33, Rialto 25
Chaffey 28, Don Lugo 13
Chino Hills 38, Damien 6
Colony 55, Ontario 10
Colton 31, Arroyo Valley 14
Garey 34, Montclair 14
Granite Hills 34, Apple Valley 28
Hesperia 21, Sultana 14
Kaiser 32, Riverside Patriot 6
Miller 39, Yucaipa 14
Oak Hills 16, Aquinas 13
Rancho Cucamonga 52, Claremont 24
Redlands 49, Eisenhower 7
Redlands East Valley 48, Fontana 0
Sage Hill 25, Citrus Valley 6
San Gorgonio 56, Pacific 14
Serrano 35, Rim of the World 7
Silverado 26, Victor Valley 11
Summit 29, Bloomington 0
Upland 17, Los Osos 0

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Week 7 college picks

Another 5-5. I’m consistent if nothing else.

USC (-10) at Notre Dame
On the surface, it seems pretty high, as USC takes a true freshman on the road in a rivalry game against a halfway-decent team. But Matt Barkley has already won at Ohio State and at Cal and quite frankly, Notre Dame’s defense is awful. The Irish are a middle of the pack team and USC seems to excel in this matchup.
Pick: USC

California (-3.5) at UCLA
It’s hard to believe that Cal is favored in this, as they have been unspeakably awful their last two games. Then again, UCLA isn’t very good either, as evidenced by its 0-2 Pac-10 record. I’ll grudgingly go with a more experienced Cal team to cover here.
Pick: California

Stanford (+4) at Arizona
Both of these teams seem just on the cusp of great things. However, they are just a little too young or a little too lacking in key areas to really jump up and bite someone of consequence, especially on the road. That last statement should tell you which way I’m leaning.
Pick: Arizona

Washington (+6.5) at Arizona State
On the surface Washington has been an enigma, but their formula is simple – great at home, not so much on the road. Arizona State is generally mediocre and their near-miss at Georgia isn’t as cool as it looked originally. I think Washington, even on the road, keeps this tight and maybe wins.
Pick: Washington

Oklahoma (+3) vs. Texas
The Red River Shootout is an interesting predicament, as the No. 3-ranked Longhorns are only a field-goal favorite despite the Sooners having two losses. Makes me wonder if Oklahoma is ripe for a hostile takeover in this series. But I can’t see it. I’m going with the Horns to win by a touchdown.
Pick: Texas

Virginia Tech (-3) at Georgia Tech
The Hokies have been straight ballin since losing their opener to Alabama, taking out Nebraska and Miami (Fla) en route to the No. 4 ranking. They get a tough test this week, as Ga. Tech’s triple option is tough to stop. I think the Hokies will stand up enough on defense and get some big plays against Ga. Tech’s questionable defense.
Pick: Virginia Tech

South Carolina (+18) at Alabama
This could be a bit of a letdown game for Alabama. With a big win over Mississippi last week and a rivalry game with Tennessee next week, South Carolina might be catching Alabama at the right time. Don’t think the Gamecocks win, but I think they make the Crimson Tide uncomfortable for a while.
Pick: South Carolina

Iowa (+2.5) at Wisconsin
Iowa has had some close shaves in going 6-0, most recently against Michigan. Wisconsin has gone 5-1, but are coming off a loss to Ohio State where they shot themselves in the foot by throwing two pick-6s. Iowa seems ripe for a loss, but I think they are one of those teams that just finds a way.
Pick: Iowa

Texas Tech (+11) at Nebraska
The best offense in the Big 12 goes against the best defense. The Cornhuskers seem to be back to being “The Blackshirts” as their defense throttled Missouri last week and is giving up less than 10 points per game. Texas Tech scored 66 against Kansas State last week. Both teams will deviate closer to the mean in a competitive game.
Pick: Texas Tech

Arkansas (+24.5) at Florida
Gotta head out to Lake Arrowhead so I’ll keep this brief. Tebow goes off and goes off for a lot in this game.
Pick: Florida

Week: 5-5
Season: 29-30-1

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Week 6 high school picks

Shaved another loss off the old total this past week, putting me down to three. Either I’m starting to get a handle on this season, or some of the teams are deciding to humor me. Guess we’ll find out with most of the leagues starting this weekend.

Serrano at Rim of the World
I’ll spend my second straight weekend taking Waterman Street up the mountains, as the D-backs and Fighting Scots face off in what should be a doozy. Both teams have great running backs in Serrano senior Dionza Bradford and Rim junior Dillon Pretzinger, but the game might come down to which quarterback can perform well enough to take pressure off the running back. I’m going with an experienced Serrano team in a minor upset.
Serrano 20, Rim of the World 14

Arroyo Valley at Colton
Both of these teams come in with identical 4-1 records, but its safe to say that Colton’s 4-1 mark – complete with victories over Kaiser, Palm Springs, La Quinta and Apple Valley – is a little more impressive than Arroyo Valley’s conquests over the Alta Lomas and Rialtos of the world. I see the Yellowjackets being a little too much to handle.
Colton 33, Arroyo Valley 16

Los Osos at Upland
This is always one of the more hotly contested games in the county but for the first time since 2005, its not a Brehaut vs. Nunes affair. Los Osos is still passing the ball quite well behind senior quarterback Blake Loncar, but has fallen short in some close games. Upland’s played some stifling defense, something I expect will continue in this one.
Upland 21, Los Osos 13

Miller at Yucaipa
If any one is going to challenge the Redlands teams for Citrus Belt League supremacy, its one of these schools. Miller has started league with two routs of CBL underlings while Yucaipa hung with REV for a half before falling 35-7 last week. Both teams can score from anywhere on the field, so this game should be entertaining if nothing else.
Yucaipa 28, Miller 27

Silverado at Victor Valley
The battle for Victorville has been a one-sided affair of late, but this game sees the Jackrabbits coming in 5-0 and ranked No. 8 in the Eastern Division. Silverado is Silverado, winning four in a row after starting its season 0-2. The Hawks also have some big wins, taking out Summit, Palm Desert and Arroyo Valley, and I expect that to help them take this one as well.
Silverado 31, Victor Valley 24

Chino Hills at Damien
If you are Damien, you have to hate life right about now. After playing teams like Rancho Cucamonga, Charter Oak, Bishop Amat and St. John Bosco in the nonleague season, they start league with a very good Chino Hills squad. Perhaps Damien’s brutal nonleague death march will help them, but I think the Huskies have a little too much mojo right now.
Chino Hills 24, Damien 17

Riverside Patriot at Kaiser
These teams battled in the season finale last year for the Sunkist League title, a game that Kaiser won going away. I expect much of the same this time around. Kaiser is the best 2-3 team in the county – heck, maybe in Southern California – and Patriot just got slapped down by Victor Valley. Expect the Cats to get in a few shots.
Kaiser 30, Patriot 10

Don Lugo at Chaffey
The Conquistadores, with DL George Uko and DB Steven Bethley, have the star power and three straight wins. But Chaffey had an ambitious nonleague schedule and employs a physical attack that belies its 2-3 record. I think you’ll see the defending league champion Tigers triple-team Uko and just pummel the rest of the Don Lugo defenders.
Chaffey 26, Don Lugo 16

Yucca Valley at Big Bear
No one really expected these teams to come in with a combined 1-9 record, as both went to the East Valley quarterfinals a year ago. But as the De Anza League season opens, that’s exactly where the Trojans and Bears lie, with a Big Bear victory over Oak Hills two weeks ago being the only non-loss. So it should be intense, though I’ll go with the home team to make it two in a row.
Big Bear 23, Yucca Valley 14

Granite Hills at Apple Valley
Another crosstown rivalry in the High Desert that should be infinitely more entertaining than it usually is. Apple Valley has been outstanding offensively over the last two weeks, putting up 67 on San Bernardino and 56 on San Gorgonio, while the Cougars are off to a program-best 4-1 start. Granite is improved and will give the Sun Devils a game, but this will go the way it normally does.
Apple Valley 34, Granite Hills 23

Others games of note:
Etiwanda 40, Alta Loma 13
Rancho Cucamonga 38, Claremont 14
Arrowhead Christian 28, Western Christian 17
Carter 38, Rialto 15
Redlands East Valley 48, Fontana 10
Redlands 46, Eisenhower 12
Twentynine Palms 27, Desert Hot Springs 10
Barstow 33, Ridgecrest Burroughs 27
Hesperia 42, Sultana 13
Garey 28, Montclair 20
Colony 41, Ontario 7
San Gorgonio 55, Pacific 0
Cajon 49, San Bernardino 10
Ayala 44, Chino 6
Summit 34, Bloomington 16
Newport Beach Sage Hill 58, Citrus Valley 6
Aquinas 28, Oak Hills 20

Week: 21-3
Overall: 130-42

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Lott to be honored Saturday

Ronnie Lott will be honored at Eisenhower High School as part of their 50th anniversary celebration Saturday, as the Ike football field will be named after the former graduate, who was a Hall of Fame safety for the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders and New York Jets.

Lott will be honored at a ceremony Saturday night and will be one of eight former Ike graduates inducted into the Eisenhower Hall of Fame during a 6:30 p.m. ceremony according to Rialto Unified School District Public Information Office Syeda Jafri. Five of those are athletes, as joining Lott will be current Denver Broncos offensive lineman Ryan Clady, former Green Bay Packers cornerback Craig Newsome, the late David Lang — a former running back for the St. Louis Rams — and former Major League Soccer player Ted Chronopoulous.

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Shreve makes decision, Hudson soon to come?

Redlands East Valley quarterback Tyler Shreve verbally committed to Colorado State earlier this week according to REV coach Kurt Bruich.

Shreve’s commitment came after an official visit to Colorado State this weekend, as Bruich said Shreve enjoyed his experience in Fort Collins, Colo.

“Tyler had a great time up there,” Bruich said. “He really liked the campus and they sold him on having an opportunity to play early. Colorado State seems like its up and coming.”

REV defensive end Andrew Hudson’s recruitment also seems to be coming into focus, as Bruich indicated that Hudson has narrowed his focus to three schools — Arizona, Washington and Oregon State. Hudson is taking official visits the next three weekends, starting with Arizona, before deciding.

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Week 6 CIF football polls

Here’s the latest from the home offices in Los Alamitos.

CENTRAL DIVISION

1. Rancho Cucamonga
2. Upland
3. Colton
4. Colony
5. Chino Hills
6. Wildomar Elsinore
7. Ayala
8. Cajon
9. Etiwanda
10. Claremont
Others receiving consideration: Glendora, Don Lugo, Damien

EASTERN DIVISION

1. Perris Citrus Hill
2. San Jacinto
3. Rim of the World
4. Palm Springs
5. Barstow
6. Palm Desert
7. Serrano
8. Victor Valley
9. Kaiser
10. Silverado
Others receiving votes: La Quinta, Granite Hills

EAST VALLEY DIVISION

1. St. Margaret’s
2. Campbell Hall
3. Brentwood
4. Sage Hill
5. Arrowhead Christian
6. Maranatha
7. Santa Paula
8. Kern Valley
9. Aquinas
10. Fillmore
Others receiving consideration: Sierra Canyon, Frazier Mountain, Villanova Prep

INLAND DIVISION

1. Redlands East Valley
2. Corona Centennial
3. Vista Murrieta
4. Temecula Chaparral
5. Norco
6. Moreno Valley Rancho Verde
7. Redlands
8. Temecula Great Oak
9. Riverside Arlington
10. Corona Roosevelt
Others receiving votes: Riverside La Sierra, Murrieta Valley, Yucaipa, Riverside King, Riverside North, Corona Santiago

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Week 6 top 25

Nothing too revolutionary here. LSU takes a bit of a dive, that’s about it.

1. Florida (1) – Winning at LSU at night is no joke.
2. Texas (2) – Very close to putting Alabama here. Not sure why I didn’t to be honest.
3. Alabama (3) – Crimson Tide is straight rolling right now.
4. Virginia Tech (6) – Big win after Boston College gives Hokies a bump. Really playing good football right now.
5. Boise State (5) – Have tricky game at Tulsa Wednesday.
6. TCU (7) – Not pretty, but got a tough road win at Air Force in hostile conditions.
7. USC (8) – Win at Notre Dame and USC has a good shot to be back in the top 5.
8. Ohio State (9) – Two pick-6s make Terrelle Pryor’s job against Wisconsin easier.
9. Cincinnati (10) – Game Thursday at South Florida may be toughest remaining test.
10. Iowa (11) – Survived against Michigan to stay undefeated.
11. Miami (Fla) (12) – Canes get well-deserved breather against Florida A&M
12. LSU (4) – This is a much more appropriate place for LSU to be ranked.
13. Oklahoma State (13) – Gutsy win over Texas A&M without Dez Bryant or Kendall Hunter. It’ll be hard to maintain this though.
14. Penn State (15) – Got basically a bye week against Eastern Illinois
15. BYU (16) – Really don’t get how Florida State killed this team.
16. Kansas (18) – A self-correcting measure of sorts. Gets props for staying unbeaten.
17. Oklahoma (17) – Kansas jumped the Sooners, but a win over Texas would jump them back up.
18. Oregon (19) – Looking like a dark horse in the Pac-10 race.
19. Georgia Tech (20) – Survived a shootout with Florida State Saturday night.
20. South Carolina (21) – Gamecocks win fourth straight by edging Kentucky.
21. Nebraska (24) – The Huskers pulled one out of the fire against Missouri.
22. South Florida (NR) – Shoot into the rankings despite not playing. Have huge opportunity to move up this week.
23. Mississippi (14) – Not sure I should rank these guys, but there aren’t a lot of good options this low.
24. Houston (NR) – Winning at Mississippi State gets Cougars reranked.
25. Utah (NR) – Utes fill out the rankings because someone has to.

Under consideration: Notre Dame, Auburn

Dropped out: No. 22 Auburn, No. 23 Missouri, No. 25 Georgia

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