Victor Valley aims to defend league title amid chaos

This offseason should have been a celebration for the Victor Valley High School football program, as the Jackrabbits completed a three-year ascent from Desert Sky League doormat to champion, winning the league and advancing to the CIF-SS Eastern Division quarterfinals under first-year coach Eric Perry.

But the Jackrabbits were turned upside down in June, when Perry’s contract was not renewed due to teaching credentialing issues. That caused him to take an assistant job at La Quinta and prompted Leland Eudy, who had spent 18 years as the head man at Victor Valley before serving as defensive coordinator a year ago, to return for his third stint of coaching the Jackrabbits.

“I quit coaching altogether in March but when this all went down in June, they wanted me to come back and I agreed,” Eudy said. “I’ve been coaching this group of kids since they were freshman, so that should help us move past this and build on what we’ve done these past few years.”

The Jackrabbits will lack the explosive passing game they’ve had in recent years, with all-league quarterback Zeke Julien and explosive receivers Isaiah Kepley and Traevon Beddard having graduated. Marcus Zamora (5-10, 170) is the only returning receiver.
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Desert Sky League playoff scenarios

Now that I’ve predicted the games, I’ll start finishing up these playoff scenario. After three pretty easy ones, the DSL is making my head spin a bit.

1. Ridgecrest Burroughs (6-3, 3-0): Burroughs is the only team to have clinched a playoff spot already and would clinch a league title and its No. 1 seed in the Eastern Division playoffs with a win Friday against Victor Valley. It would get the No. 2 seed in a loss by virtue of losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Jackrabbits.

2. Victor Valley (7-2, 2-1): The Jackrabbits would clinch a playoff spot, the league title and the No. 1 seed out of the DSL in the playoffs with a victory over Burroughs. It would also clinch with a loss and a Barstow win over Silverado, getting the No. 2 seed over Granite Hills by virtue of owning the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cougars. However, a loss and a Silverado win would cause a three-way coin flip for two spots between Victor Valley, Granite Hills and Silverado by virtue of each team going 1-1 against the other two. Due to its record though, Victor Valley has a good shot at the at-large even if it loses the coin flip.

3. Granite Hills (4-5, 2-2): The Cougars are done with their league season and clinch a playoff spot with a Silverado loss or a Victor Valley win. If Silverado loses, Granite Hills is the No. 3 no matter what Victor Valley does, as the Cougars lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with Victor Valley. If Victor Valley wins, Granite Hills is the No. 3 no matter what Silverado does as the Cougars own the head-to-head over the Hawks. A Silverado win and a Victor Valley loss would bring about the three-way coin flip for two spots. Unlike Victor Valley, Granite Hills wouldn’t have much of a shot at an at-large.

4. Silverado (4-4-1, 1-2): There is no way for Silverado to make the playoffs without winning a coin flip, but they must beat Barstow and have Victor Valley lose to get to that scenario. A win and a Victor Valley win would put the Hawks in a tie with Granite Hills for third, with the Cougars getting the nod due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. If Silverado finishes fourth in the above scenarios, it has a shot at the at-large playoff berth. A loss to Barstow would eliminate Silverado from consideration.

5. Barstow (1-8, 0-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

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Week 5 top 10

Nothing too crazy this past week, as there were a lot of teams resting up for league play.

1. Chino Hills (4-1)
Previous ranking: 4. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday at Claremont (4-1).

2. Kaiser (4-0)
Previous ranking: 2. Last week: def. Hesperia, 55-14. Up next: Friday vs. Jurupa Valley (1-4).

3. Redlands (4-0-1)
Previous ranking: 3. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday at No. 5 Redlands East Valley (3-2).

4. Colton (4-1)
Previous ranking: 5. Last week: def. Arroyo Valley, 27-14. Up next: Friday at San Bernardino (3-2).

5. Redlands East Valley (3-2)
Previous ranking: 4. Last week: lost to Mission Viejo, 42-14. Up next: Friday vs. No. 3 Redlands (4-0-1).

6. Rancho Cucamonga (4-1)
Previous ranking: 6. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday at Los Osos (3-2).

7. Serrano (4-1)
Previous ranking: 7. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday at Apple Valley (3-2).

8. Victor Valley (5-0)
Previous ranking: 8. Last week: def. Riverside Patriot, 35-21. Up next: Friday vs. Silverado (2-2-1).

9. Upland (3-2)
Previous ranking: 9. Last week: idle. Up next: Friday at Alta Loma (0-5).

10. Chino (5-0)
Previous ranking: 10. Last week: def. El Monte, 40-16. Up next: Thursday vs. Garey (4-2).

Just missed the cut: Silverado (2-2-1), Summit (2-1-1), Los Osos (3-2).

Dropped out: None.

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San Bernardino County wrestlers will be taking over Oxnard

Or at least, it seems that way.
Five different leagues (De Anza, Desert Sky, Mojave River, Mt. Baldy and Sunkist) with San Bernardino County schools will be sending wrestlers to Oxnard Pacifica High for the CIF-SS Northern Division individual championships on Friday and Saturday.

Four of those leagues: Desert Sky, Mojave River, Mt. Baldy and Sunkist all have wrestlers who are seeded among the top five in their weight class. The top five in each weight class advance to the CIF-SS Masters Meet next week.

Of the 70 wrestlers in the division seeded in the top five, 37 are from San Bernardino County.
Montclair leads county schools with top five seeds, (seven), followed by Bloomington and Colony (five), Sultana (four), Barstow, Victor Valley and Hesperia (three), Kaiser (two), Ontario (two), and one each for Granite Hills, Apple Valley and Rim of the World.

Six of the 14 top-seeded wrestlers in the division are also from the county: Barstow’s Sean Silva (112), Hesperia’s Ivan Pinto (125), Bloomington’s Phillip Hendrix (130), Montclair’s Joseph Martinez (135), Hesperia’s Chris Sloat (160) and Sultana’s Manuel Mazariegos (heavyweight).

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Desert Sky League breakdown

This is the only league where everyone has clinched or controls their own destiny. That makes for a simple theme to the DSL – win and you are in, lose and you go home. So for all intents and purposes, the playoffs have already begun.

1) Silverado (8-2, 4-0): Has clinched the league championship and the No. 1 seed out of the league.

2) Victor Valley (7-2, 1-2): To be honest, 2-5 are virtually interchangeble. If the Jackrabbits defeat Burroughs Friday, they are in the playoffs. If they lose, they are out, as there is no at-large berth available in the Eastern Division. Victor Valley will be the No. 2 seed if it wins and Barstow beats Granite Hills, as the Jackrabbits hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Aztecs. If Granite Hills wins along with Victor Valley, the Jackrabbits get the No. 3 seed, as Granite Hills owns the tiebreaker over Victor Valley.

3) Barstow (6-3, 1-2): The Aztecs, last year’s Eastern Division runner-up, has to beat Granite Hills to earn a playoff spot. As I explained before, the Aztecs will get the No. 3 seed with a win and a Victor Valley win, as the Jackrabbits own the tiebreaker. However, if Burroughs and Barstow win, Barstow gets the No. 2 seed, as it owns the tiebreaker with the Burros.

4) Granite Hills (6-3, 1-2): The Cougars already have the best win total in school history and a win over Barstow would give them a playoff berth as well. They own the head-to-head tiebreaker with Victor Valley, so they would get the No. 2 seed with a win and a Jackrabbit win. If Burroughs wins, Granite Hills drops down to the No. 3 seed, as the Burros own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Granite Hills.

5) Ridgecrest Burroughs (4-5, 1-2): With a win, the Burros make the playoffs for the third straight year. A win and a Granite Hills win puts Burros in the No. 2 seed by virtue of head-to-head tiebreaker, while a win and a Barstow win has them in the No. 3 slot for the very same reason.

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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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Desert Sky League playoff breakdown

Do you like complications? Well, if you do, the DSL is the place for you. Just playoff possibilites abound on the way to Vegas.

1. Silverado (3-7, 3-1): The Hawks have already clinched a playoff spot and now are sitting back with their bye to see what seed they’ll get. If Barstow wins and Ridgecrest Burroughs loses to Victor Valley, then Silverado will get the No. 1 seed by virtue of a victory over Barstow. If Barstow and Burroughs both lose, Silverado gets the No. 1 seed. If Barstow loses and Burroughs wins, then Silverado is the No. 2 seed by virtue of losing to Burroughs head-to-head. If Barstow and Burroughs both win, then all three teams will be in a dead heat for first and the head-to-head tiebreakers will cancel out, necessitating a three-way flip for seedind.

2. Barstow (6-3, 2-1): The Aztecs have clinched a playoff berth by virtue of tiebreaker advantages over Burroughs and Victor Valley. The only way they get a No. 1 seed is if they win and Burroughs wins, causing a three-way tie and flip for seeding. Barstow gets the No. 2 seed with a Burroughs loss and gets the No. 3 seed if it loses to Granite Hills and Burroughs wins.

3. Ridgecrest Burroughs (5-4, 2-1): The Burros have the most amount of play, as they could get the No. 1 seed or be shut out of the playoffs entirely. They’ll get the No. 1 seed with a win and a Barstow loss by virtue of their head-to-head victory over Silverado. They’ll also get the No. 1 seed if they win a three-way coin flip that would be caused by a win and a Barstow win. However, a loss to Victor Valley knocks Burroughs out of the playoffs in every scenario.

4. Victor Valley (3-5-1, 1-2): It’s pretty simple for the Jackrabbits – win and they are in, lose and they are out. They’d qualify over Burroughs by virtue of winning the head-to-head tiebreaker but could not get anything higher than a No. 3 seed.

5. Granite Hills (2-7, 0-3): Eliminated from playoff consideration.

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