Ray Maholchic leaves as Serrano football coach, but Diamondbacks will be OK

I wasn’t completely surprised that Ray Maholchic stepped down as Serrano football coach. He had been hinting that it was coming soon. After all, he was retiring soon from teaching and would have to retire as coach by then in order to collect his retirement. I’m a little surprised that it wasn’t announced until mid-February.

Ray Maholhic and the Serrano program are class as evidenced by his press release:

 

It can be jarring when a long-time coach leaves. Redlands is going through that with Jim Walker’s departure. It happened when Dick Bruich left Fontana, when John Monger left Chino and it will happen when Tim Salter leaves Upland. In many of those situations, the next coach doesn’t stay  too long. The coaching staff splinters and it’s up to a new coach to eventually start a new tradition.

I don’t think that will happen at Serrano, and here’s why: it’s not to take away from Maholchic’s greatness as a coach. In fact, it’s because of it. He is in a one-high school district and most of his assistant coaches are on campus. He expects some interest among those assistants. so it wouldn’t be surprising if most of the rest of the staff stays intact. Maholchic also said, coaching hires are made on-site, so they don’t need to go to school board approval. So he and the administration can pick his successor.

In addition, Maholchic isn’t going away. He’ll still be the school’s athletic director and is willing to be in the booth during games to help the new head coach. Some of the roles will change, but the winning shouldn’t change much.

In my original story on his resignation, I hadn’t reached Apple Valley coach Matt Rohrbaugh. The coaching staffs at the two schools are very close. So here are Rohrbaugh’s comments on why they are close. “I think we have very similar philosophies and hard-nosed football,” he said. “It’s about holding kids to a standard and I respect how they do things.”

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2016 all CIF Southern Section football teams

Here are all of the 2016 all-CIF football teams, which we got just in time for the 2017 season (just kidding),

Jaelan Phillips runs down a Yucaipa player (Photo by Eric Reed)

Click below for the rest of the all-CIF teams

Continue reading “2016 all CIF Southern Section football teams” »

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CIF State regional Bowl prediction

OK, I went 2-1 last week, correctly picking the Aquinas and San Gorgonio games, and missing the Silverado game.
So, for the season, I’m 191-75-1 picking winners, with 8 margins exactly right and 1 score exactly right.
As for the state bowl game, my prediction is: San Gorgonio 21, Valley View 17
I think the San G defense will again play well and no last-minute San G heroics will be necessary.

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CIF-SS championship game predictions

So, after going 6-6 picking winners for the CIF-SS quarterfinals, I had a much better semifinal round. I went 6-1. The only game I got wrong was Aquinas. Of course, it took an incredible rally by Aquinas to force overtime and then win.
For the season, I am 189-74-1. I have 8 margins exactly right and 1 score exactly right. I’m not rooting for teams to win or lose. But if I’m always picking local teams to win, I lose credibility as an unbiased observer.
One interesting note:
Silverado’s opponent, Cerritos Valley Christian and Aquinas’ opponent, Long Beach St. Anthony, played each other in a nonleague game Week 5. Valley Christian, playing at home, won 46-35.

Division 7 (Friday)
San Gorgonio 29, Norte Vista 28
(With chance to tie and go to OT, San G coach Ron Gueringer goes for 2 and gets the win)

Division 9 (Saturday)
Silverado 38, Cerritos Valley Christian 35
(Valley Christian comeback bid comes up short)

Division 10 (Saturday)
St. Anthony 42, Aquinas 35
(In a back-and-forth game, St. Anthony scores winning touchdown in final 3 minutes)

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CIF-SS semifinal football picks

I had a brutal quarterfinals picking winners. Worst of the season. I went just 6-6 picking winners. For the season, I’m 183-73-1, I have 8 margins exactly right and 1 score exactly right.

Feeling less confident than ever. Here are my semifinal picks:

Division 1
Mater Dei 42, Rancho Cucamonga 35
Division 7
San Gorgonio 21, Golden Valley 19
Division 8
Burbank 35, Don Lugo 33
Division 9
Silverado 42, Antelope Valley 40
Division 10
Leuzinger 24, Aquinas 21
Division 11
Quartz Hill 28, Twentynine Palms 20

8-man Division 2
Joshua Springs 42, Lancaster Baptist 16

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CIF-SS quarterfinal football scores, semifinals schedule

Here are San Bernardino County CIF-SS quarterfinal football scores. The county took a beating this week, to be sure.

Division 1
Rancho Cucamonga 42, Mission Viejo 26
Next: Rancho Cucamonga at Mater Dei at TBA
Division 2
La Habra 31, Redlands East Valley 21
Division 4
Corona del Mar 49, Colony 48
Lompoc 46, Etiwanda 0
Division 5
Roosevelt 56, Redlands 42
Division 6
Lawndale 38, Summit 14
Paraclete 30, Yucaipa 17
Division 7
San Gorgonio 41, Tustin 18
Next: San Gorgonio at Golden Valley at TBA
Division 8
Don Lugo 35, Temescal Canyon 10
Next: Don Lugo vs. Burbank at Burbank Burroughs HS
Division 9
Silverado 46, La Salle 41
Next: Antelope Valley at Silverado
Division 10
Aquinas 49, Pasadena Poly 0
Next: Aquinas at Leuzinger
Division 11
Twentynine Palms 26, Katella 7
Next: Quartz Hill vs. Twentynine Palms at Twentynine Palms JHS
Division 12
St. Genevieve 31, Pacific 21

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