August 2011 Archives

Former Covina High School standout Brett Pill, who also starred at Cal State Fullerton, was promoted from Triple-A Fresno to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
The son, of Mike Pill, of Edgewood High School, and older brother of Tyler Pill, also of Covina and Cal State Fullerton, had a solid summer for the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League.

The first thing I did this morning was check my neighborhood news rack and there it was, PrepXtra inside where it should be. Hope you enjoy it, now let's play some football.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Tanner Diebold couldn't ask for a better situation to start building his legend at Bonita High School. The sophomore quarterback, nicknamed "Sunshine" by his teammates because of his blonde hair, will make the first start of what he hopes will be a banner varsity career against archrival San Dimas in Thursday's renewal of the Smudge Pot Game at Citrus College. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
"It's going to be fun," Diebold said. "I've thought about it, but I'm going to play like it's any other game. I think I'm going to be a little nervous, but I'm going to try and block everything else out and just play. "Yeah, it's going to be the first varsity game I've played. I'm going to try my best and do the best I can."
Diebold led Bonita's freshmen team to a 10-0 record last season. While he was doing that, the Bearcats varsity was busy marching all the way to the CIF-SS Southeast Division final under the guidance of senior quarterbacks Greg Spathias and Garrett Pendleton.
With those two now graduated, Diebold has inherited the position after narrowly winning a heated battle with senior Aaron Burgett, but Diebold's initial foray into life under the lights as Bonita's starting signal caller could be short-lived if he's not yet up to the challenge.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Duarte coach Lavelle "Tip" Sanders isn't ready to make bold predictions, such as guaranteeing a win in Friday's season opener at home against Marshall, which went 0-10 last season. After all, not only did the Falcons go 0-9 last year, they were outscored 380-13 and scored just one touchdown the entire season. In fact, Duarte hasn't won a game since Sanders took over in 2009. During that span the Falcons are 0-19 and have been outscored 841-43.

By Fred J. Robledo
John Gasparian, the owner of American Reclamation, a company that provides rubbish removal and recycling services for multifamily and commercial businesses in El Monte, donated $2,000 to the Arroyo High School football team after learning that the Knights were well short of needed funds to purchase new equipment for the 2011 season. With more than 155 players in camp but only enough equipment for approximately 100 players, Arroyo's football team conducted a carwash fundraiser over the summer in which players went door to door selling carwash tickets to raise the necessary funds to outfit everyone.

Tuesday's PrepXtra Live featured San Gabriel coach Jude Oliva and Muir coach Ken Howard and West Covina coach Mike Maggiore and Darryl Thomas (which can be found at 54:01 on the video). Also, CIF's Thom Simmons (14:51) joined us to talk about recent transfers.

We screwed up. The PrepXtra Preview Football magazine is NOT in today's home delivery or news rack. I'll spare you all the details, but a major breakdown in communication caused this. I have been assured that the PrepXtra Football Preview will run in WEDNESDAY'S home subscription and newsracks. Sorry for the inconvenience, it's embarrassing and we let you down.

10:30 a.m. update: We have copies of PrepXtra at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune office (1210 N. Azusa Canyon Road, West Covina) for anyone who can make it here today. If you have a home subscription or purchased a paper at the rack, tell our front-desk person and she will give you a free copy. Otherwise, it WILL be in tomorrow's editions.

Aram and I discuss Friday's Mayor's Trophy between host Charter Oak and Glendora, to be played at 7 p.m. Tomorrow we will preview Saturday's West Covina-Covina showdown at the District

DELIVERY DATE WEDNESDAY: The Tribune PrepXtra Football preview -- all 67 pages -- WILL BE IN WEDNESDAY'S San Gabriel Valley Tribune home subscription, and at your neighborhood newsrack. If you need extra copies, visit the Tribune in person at 1210 N. Azusa Canyon Road, West Covina for $1 a copy. The entire magazine will be available online in a week to ten days, but in the meantime, I'm sharing the Tribune preseason football poll courtesy of football writer Aram Tolegian, who has seen just about everyone over the summer.

1. CHARTER OAK
STRENGTHS: Offense, offense and more offense. QB Travis Santiago led the Chargers to a huge summer on the passing circuit. Santiago even worked out with NFL players and looks poised to pile up serious numbers with 6-foot-4 receiver Chris Gilchrist as his top target. Sophomore running back Kurt Scoby bulked up in the offseason and should be even better with a year of varsity experience under his belt. Look for the Chargers to top last year's 34.6 points per game average.
OBSTACLES: The entire front four must be replaced, and losing defensive lineman Alex Hernandez to Damien in the offseason didn't help. With a fantastic secondary, the Chargers don't have to be great up front, but they can't get run over either.
OUTLOOK: After winning back-to-back CIF titles in 2008-09, the Chargers took a step back in what was a bit of a transition year. Several members of a talented underclass got their feet wet and should take a huge step forward this year. This is your Sierra League favorite, and if the Chargers do win the league, it will help their postseason chances in the loaded Inland Division immensely.

2. BISHOP AMAT
STRENGTHS: When QB Rio Ruiz is in the starting lineup, Amat will have no trouble putting up points. The run game should be strong again with Jalen Moore carrying the load. All-purpose standout Zach Shay is back from injury and should shine no matter how he's used. Defensively, Amat's secondary should be the strength of the stop unit with talents like Adam Alcantara, Ajee Montes and Dionza Blue all returning.
OBSTACLES: Amat found its defense was not ready for primetime last season when the big stakes were on the line. That was something coaches spent the offseason trying to correct, but with defensive leader Julian Gener graduated, there pressure's on to find somebody of his caliber to at least reach last year's level.
OUTLOOK: This will be one of Amat's smaller teams. That hasn't exactly stopped the Lancers in the past, but it may put a lid on how far they can go in the postseason. The offense will have to make up for any size or defensive shortcomings and it just might be good enough to do that.

3. WEST COVINA
STRENGTHS: The Bulldogs boast a collection of athletes that would make any program in the area blush. Tribune Player of the Year Chris Solomon is back and should shine again at running back and safety. Defensive end Justen Meaders is arguably the best defensive player in the area and anchors a defense that could be the area's best. West Covina's running game, which is once again deep with backs, should be the area's best again.
OBSTACLES: Veteran QB George Johnson must be replaced and that won't be easy given his steady leadership and ability to make the big pass during the rare times the Bulldogs needed it. The offensive line must also replace several key cogs, but coaches are confident this year's group will be fine.
OUTLOOK: If you're looking for the safest bet in the area in terms of winning a league title and lasting awhile in the postseason, the Bulldogs are your team. Even with the concerns at QB, West Covina's running game and defense make it the preseason favorite to repeat in the Hacienda League and Southeast Division.

4. DAMIEN
STRENGTHS: The Spartans desperately needed to improve their overall team speed and did so in the offseason. Several impact transfers should give Damien's offense plenty of weapons to choose from. Receiver Josh Savage is a specimen at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds and he should help Damien do what it couldn't do last season - stretch teams deep.
OBSTACLES: If the Spartans can also boost some nastiness, especially on defense, in addition to their upgrade in team speed, this team could be dangerous. Defense was a major issue last year, allowing 42 points each to Bishop Amat, JSerra and Chino Hills in blowout losses.
OUTLOOK: Because Damien made such offseason strides and the majority of the Sierra League didn't, this team has a chance to shock the Valley and win the league. Damien is the most improved team around and with the pressure building on coach Greg Gano to produce a big winner, expect the Spartans to do just that.

5. Chino Hills
STRENGTHS: The Huskies will have the area's best offensive line, led by Nick Enriquez (6-4, 250) and Carlos Palafox (6-4, 305). And with quarterback Andrew Chavez also returning, Chino Hills figures to be very efficient, if not punishing on offense. The Huskies lost some big names in the skill spots, but coaches think they're better across the board in terms of athletes.
OBSTACLES: Chino Hills has always reloaded in the wake of big graduation losses, but it's hard to see this team simply not skipping a beat with guys like Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Nate Harris no longer around. The impact of graduation losses will be felt hardest on defense where only two starters return.
OUTLOOK: By the team league play rolls around, expect Chino Hills to have worked out the kinks that come from having so many new faces in the starting lineup. The offensive creates major matchup problems for every team in the Sierra League, since nobody in the league boasts a top-notch defensive front. That may be enough for another league title.

6. GLENDORA
STRENGTHS: New coach Todd Quinsey's preferred style of offense fits perfectly with the talent he inherited and that should lead to one of the area's better ground games. Quinsey's Wing-T should flourish with running backs Corey Victoria and Donovan Holmes returning. Glendora's defense may also be a strength if summer passing games are any indicator.
OBSTACLES: If Glendora falls behind in games, it may be lights out. QB Chad Jeffries has taken his act to San Diego St. and the Tartans may struggle throwing the ball, especially if they have to under pressure. Team speed, when compared to the Baseline League, may also be a big problem again this season.
OUTLOOK: The Tartans have a very difficult nonleague schedule that features the area's preseason No. 1-ranked team in Charter Oak and two defending CIF champions in Monrovia and West Covina. On paper, Glendora deserves this ranking. But wins and losses will determine whether they stay here very long.

7. COVINA
STRENGTHS: Like so many other teams in the area, Covina should be downright scary on offense. QB Billy Livington is back and has a full complement of weapons at his disposal. Receiver Vinny Venegas earned All-Area honors last season and should be even more dangerous as running back Gevontray Ainsworth blossoms further and takes some attention away.
OBSTACLES: Monrovia. Covina would otherwise be the favorite in the Mid-Valley Division if defending champ Monrovia called another level home. Two years ago, Covina gave a lot of underclassmen playing time. Last year, they reaped the rewards. This year, the Colts are one of the most veteran teams around, so it's OK for Colts fans to think huge things are possible.
OUTLOOK: Covina will have no trouble scoring points and last year's defense has several key players back after allowing just 17 points per game. The Colts got a year older and possibly a year better, which means another league title and possible high seed in the playoffs awaits.

8. SOUTH HILLS
STRENGTHS: Jamel Hart gives South Hills one of the top running backs around and they figure to use him endlessly with hopes of pounding opponents into submission. Also back is QB Vince Hernandez, who should do even better this year with the continued recovery of receiver Jamie Canada, who could develop into one of the top weapons around if his knee continues to heal.
OBSTACLES: Defense. The Huskies played a bevy of underclassmen last season and it showed. South Hills allowed a whopping 35 points per game last season. Coaches are confidence that a year older means a year better, and that better be the case of this ranking won't last long.
OUTLOOK: The skill players are there for South Hills to score with the best of them. The question simply comes down to can the Huskies stop anyone. The defense should be better due to experience and Canada's return. Whether that's enough to successfully traverse a schedule that has eight teams with winning records from last year remains to be seen.

9. AZUSA
STRENGTHS: Azusa's offense should be a study in balance. The Aztecs have QB Jake Martinez back, and he looked good during the summer passing circuit spraying the ball around to another strong group of receivers. The ground game has a nice talent in running back in Desmond Reed. Azusa lost some key players from last year's team, most notably Jose Nunez, but this program's recent run has proven the ability to reload.
OBSTACLES: After going 10-0 in the regular season last year and earning the No. 1 seed in the Mid-Valley Division playoffs, the Aztecs' campaign ended in disaster with an upset loss at home to Village Christian. To make sure that doesn't happen again, head coach Joe Scherf bolstered the nonleague schedule with the likes of San Dimas and Maranatha.
OUTLOOK: The Aztecs still tower over the Montview League, so another league title appears a certainty. Depending on how the Aztecs do against Maranatha and San Dimas, this team could be a high seed yet again once the playoffs begin.

10. DIAMOND BAR
STRENGTHS: Enthusiasm. New Brahmas coach Ryan Maine has brought an infectious attitude of optimism to the program and it's showed this offseason with the Brahmas winning the SGV Shootout passing tournament. The Brahmas have a fantastic passing game led by QB Henry Omana and receiver George Katrib. Speedster Donte Harris emerged over the summer as yet another deep threat. Despite all that aerial talent, Maine has put more of an emphasis on the run game, which should mean big things for running back Jamaal Clayton.
OBSTACLES: Line play has been a major problem for the Brahmas in recent years and figuring out how to be more physical was the big dilemma this offseason for Maine and his staff. If the Brahmas get better play along the lines, that should mean the offense won't leave the field so fast and the defense won't wear down.
OUTLOOK: Diamond Bar went 6-4 last year, but wasn't close in league losses to West Covina, Bonita and Diamond Ranch. None of those teams are as good as last year, but Diamond Bar is better. How much the gap has closed will determine whether the Brahmas are back in the postseason for the first time since 2003.

Keep in mind this is a West Covina-produced video. Check out the 2:58 mark, which reads, "The Bulldogs had played unimpressively, but well enough to win this game ... then it all went wrong in the last few minutes."

Watch the Two-Minute drill preview of Thursday's Smudgepot Showdown between Bonita and San Dimas, to be played Thursday at Citrus College at 7 p.m. On Tuesday we will preview Glendora-Charter Oak and Wednesday we will discuss Saturday's big game, West Covina vs. Covina at The District.

This year's Tribskin Pick'em will match Aram and I going head-to-head picking games throughout the season, with the loser owing the winner dinner in December. I went head-to-head with Ramirez the previous four years, going 3-1 against him. Aram's the next victim, and the first weekend is here. If you think you can do better, keep your own running total and compare against ours.

This week: Aram, in kind of a shocker, took Covina over West Covina in Saturday's standing-room only game at the District. I think it will be closer than I first thought, but I still give the edge to West Covina. We also disagree on the Smudge, Aram taking Bonita while I'm going with San Dimas. We both agree that Charter Oak will take care of Glendora.

Football Schedule
Thursday's games
Bonita vs. San Dimas at Citrus College, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (San Dimas); Tolegian (Bonita).
Colony vs. South Hills at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Shills), Tolegian (South Hills).
Montclair at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Montclair), Tolegian (Ganesha).
Friday's games
Glendora at Charter Oak, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Charter Oak), Tolegian (Charter Oak)
Garfield at Bishop Amat, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Amat), Tolegian (Amat)
Diamond Bar at Ayala, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Diamond Bar), Tolegian (Diamond Bar)
El Monte at Baldwin Park, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Baldwin Park, Tolegian (Baldwin Park)
Franklin vs. Northview at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Franklin); Tolegian (Franklin)
Bosco Tech at Wilson, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Wilson); Tolegian (Wilson)
El Rancho at Los Altos, 7:30 p.m. -- Robledo (El Rancho), Tolegian (El Rancho)
Keppel at Bassett, 7 p.m. Robledo (Keppel), Tolegian (Bassett)
Nogales at Rowland, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Rowland), Tolegian (Rowland)
Mountain View vs. Alhambra at Moor, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Alhambra), Tolegian (Alhambra)
Bear Creek at Chino Hills, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Chino Hills), Toleigan (Chino HIlls)
Garey vs. Pomona at Ganesha, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Pomona), Tolegian (Pomona)
Kennedy at Claremont, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Claremont), Tolegian (Kennedy)
Diamond Ranch at Chino, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (DRanch), Tolegian (Chino)
Don Lugo at Walnut, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Don Lugo); Tolegian (Don Lugo)
Ontario vs. Arroyo at Montclair, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Arroyo), Tolegian (Arroyo)
Sierra Vista at Salesian, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Salesian), Tolegian (Salesian)
Marshall at Duarte, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (Duarte),Tolegian (Duarte)
Saturday's games
West Covina vs. Covina at CDF, 7 p.m. -- Robledo (West Covina), Aram (Covina)

The second annual Tribune PrepXtra Preview Magazine will be available in your home subscription or at Newsracks on Tuesday, Aug. 30. If your newsrack runs out or you simply want extra copies, you can purchase them for $1 at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune office. They will go quick, so get here early. You can also purchase Whittier Daily News or Pasadena Star-News PrepXtra preview editions at those offices.

COVER SHOT left to right: Bishop Amat's Jalen Moore, West Covina's Chris Solomon, Charter Oak's Travis Santiago and Covina's Vinny Venegas.

Who: Bonita vs. Sand Dimas
Where: Citrus College, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Smudgepot Series Record: San Dimas 22, Bonita 16, 1 tie
Proceeds and parking: A proceed of the tickets will be donated to the "Special Operations Warrior Foundation." All three gates at Citrus open at 5:45 p.m. Bonita should use the north gate and parking lot S8. San Dimas should use the south gate and parking lot S6
Tickets: Adults $10, Child $6. Bonita and San Dimas student with ASB free. Local student with ASB $6. Presale tickets can be purchased at both schools during the week.

The CIF-Southern Section ruled that West Covina transfer Justin Hornsby will not be eligible for varsity football until August of 2012. CIF listed his transfer request status as "limited eligibility", meaning he can participate in junior varsity football or in all other varsity sports the rest of the year. The 6-foot-2, 205 pound defensive end transferred from Rancho Verde to West Covina over the summer. Although Hornsby lives in the South Hills school district, he was granted permission to enroll at West Covina after battling the school district. For some background, read what Aram wrote on Aug. 16:

Aram: (Hornsby) moved into the Covina Unified School District and was in South Hills' area. But the junior-to-be wanted to play at West Covina. He had to protest to the county because Covina Unified would not release him.
After a five-hour wait at the county office on Tuesday, Hornsby got clearance. Coaches consider him to be on par with Justin Meaders, which immediately ranks him as one of the top defensive players in the area.

Note: CIF Director of Information Thom Simmons will be a guest on Tuesday's episode of PrepXtra Live at 7 p.m.

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
Perhaps no football team in the area understands the importance of building its resume in nonleague games better than El Monte High School. Last season, the Lions finished third in the Mission Valley League but wound up spectators when the Mid-Valley Division playoffs started because of a 1-4 performance in nonleague games which included losses to division foes Covina, La Puente and Wilson. That's why El Monte coach Joel Sanchez is well aware of the implications involved in his team's opener on Sept. 2 against Baldwin Park, which also plays in the Mid-Valley Division.

At Thursday's media luncheon in Long Beach, Orange County Register's Steve Fryer asked new commissioner Rob Wigod if he had a definition of what is an "athletically motivated transfer." Wigod's immediate answer, "I do not," then he went on to explain why. Check it out.

CIF-Southern Section Preseason Football Polls

Pac-5 Division
1. Servite, 2. Mission Viejo, 3. Bishop Amat, 4. St. John Bosco, 5. Alemany, 6. San Clemente, 7. Santa Margarita, 8. Crespi, 9. Long Beach Poly, 10. Mater Dei
Southeast Division
1. West Covina, 2. Bonita, 3. Mayfair, 4. Arcadia, 5. Santa Fe, 6. Muir, 7. Diamond Ranch, 8. Walnut, 9. La Serna, 10. Diamond Bar.
Mid-Valley Division
1. Monrovia, 2. Covina, 3. San Dimas, 4. Whittier Christian, 5. Maranatha, 6. Village Christian, 7. Arroyo, 8. Bell Gardens, 9. Baldwin Park, 10. Azusa.
Inland Division
1. Corona Centennial, 2. Vista Murrieta, 3. Upland, 4. Redlands East Valley, 5. Rancho Cucamonga, 6. Chino Hills, 7. Roosevelt, 8. Norco, 9. Redlands, 10. Charter Oak.

Covina coach Pete Loaiza resigned to take a teaching position in the Glendale Unified School district, a Covina school official explained this morning. The Colts have a strong group returning this spring, it should be interesting to learn who takes over.

"We have one week to have an advantage on somebody like this without having any film (of us) exist. Hopefully, Charter Oak hasn't found anything from the Northview years. (Charter Oak defensive coordinator) Roger Lehigh does a great job and he's a big proponent of having film, so when he doesn't have any film he gets frustrated. After next week, everybody will know what we're going to do, but they (Charter Oak) don't need any help." -- Glendora football coach Todd Quinsey

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer
As the Glendora High School football team's Mayor's Trophy game with Charter Oak nears, new Tartans coach Todd Quinsey is giving nothing away about his team the Chargers can plan for. Most area teams with Week 0 games scrimmage Friday night, but the Tartans will be sitting at home. And that's just how Quinsey wants it.

"We have one week to have an advantage on somebody like this without having any film (of us) exist," Quinsey said. "Hopefully, Charter Oak hasn't found anything from the Northview years.

"(Charter Oak defensive coordinator) Roger Lehigh does a great job and he's a big proponent of having film, so when he doesn't have any film he gets frustrated. After next week, everybody will know what we're going to do, but they (Charter Oak) don't need any help."

The Tartans visit Charter Oak on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.

By Fred J. Robledo
Injured combo back Zach Shay dressed for Bishop Amat's CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division first-round playoff game against Tesoro last November, but it was more disguise than a real shot at playing time. After injuring his right ankle more than a month earlier, he still couldn't plant and cut on it.
"I asked coach to put me in, but I knew it wasn't happening," Shay said. "It wasn't easy standing there knowing you can't help."

Tesoro ended Bishop Amat's season with a 31-21 win, a bitter ending considering the Lancers started 9-0 before losing the Serra League title game to Alemany, 38-30, and its playoff opener a week later.

"You always wonder what would have happened if I didn't get hurt," Shay said. "But you can't dwell on it. We've got a new season and an opportunity to make it right."

By Aram Tolegian, Staff Writer

A year ago at this time there was plenty of talk in the Valley about how big of a season awaited Baldwin Park High School's football team.
This year, not so much, but that's how Braves coach James Heggins likes it.
"I consider it to be something that we look at as a challenge," Heggins said of the lack of attention his team is getting. "Most people who have played us in consecutive years know that when you line up against Baldwin Park, you better be ready to play some football. All those people who don't know what we're about and really don't care to find out, we'll be ready to go out there and show them what we're all about. And we're not going anywhere."

By Aram Tolegian
Any fears about Arroyo's running game taking a hit with the graduation of 1,000-yard rusher Mikey Vasquez have been somewhat calmed since the Knights put the pads on and junior Peter Aholoka has been running wild in practice. Aholoka showed signs that he was going to be a good ball carrier throughout the offseason and has driven the point home since the Knights got into full gear.

This week's guests on the hour show included: Montebello coach Pete Gonzalez, Monrovia super recruit Ellis McCarthy and Bishop Amat coach Steve Hagerty (at 55:25).

Live Video app for Facebook by Ustream

Girls Volleyball Polls
Division 2-AA
1. St. Lucy's, 2. Chino Hills, 3. Oaks Christian, 4. La Canada, 5. La Reina, 6. La Salle, 7. South Torrance, 8. Riverside Poly, 9. Bishop Montgomery, 10. Claremont, Mission Viejo.
Division 2-A
1. Downey, 2. Troy, 3. Whittier Christian, 4. Palm Springs, 5. Bonita, 6. Adolfo Camarillo, 7. Diamond Bar, 8. Arcadia, 9. Walnut, 10. La Habra.
Division 3-A
1. Campbell Hall, 2. Brentwood, 3. Rim of the World, 4. Windward, 5. La Siera, 6. San Dimas, 7. Gabrielino, 8. Montebello, 9. Arrowhead Christian, 10. Westminster La Quinta.

South Hills coach Steve Bogan confirmed that senior lineman Ben Kane lost his state appeal to play football for the Huskies. Kane, who transferred from Bishop Amat to South Hills in the spring, lives in the Northview school district. He enrolled at South HIlls and filed a hardship transfer request, but was denied by CIF-Southern Section officials. Kane's family then appealed to a CIF-state panel board, but were denied again on Tuesday.

"It was a challenge, and I've never backed away from a challenge." -- Wilson's new head football coach Bob Burt.

By Aram Tolegian
Even at age 70, Bob Burt has no trouble finding the motivation to drive every day from his home in Hemet to his football program in Hacienda Heights. Burt, the new football coach at Wilson High School, has a real simple explanation for why he does it.
"It was a challenge," he said. "And I've never backed away from a challenge."
Burt has seen and conquered plenty of challenges in a career that's ranged from being the defensive coordinator at Hawaii to head coach at Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge to head coach of fledgling and established high school programs. And now he's in for arguably one of the bigger challenges of his career.

By Fred J. Robledo
Jamie Canada's football career looked promising in his freshman year at Duarte, where his first touchdown was a 48-yard reception in the fourth quarter against South Hills. It was the Falcons' lone score in a 48-6 loss.
After that, though, everything continued to unravel for Duarte and Canada. Duarte coach Wardell Crutchfield was fired following the 2008 season and more than a dozen players transferred to neighboring schools, including Jamie and his older brother Jordan Canada, a senior in 2009.
The Canada family moved into the South Hills school district, but Duarte challenged the transfer. It said the move was "athletically motivated" and the CIF-Southern Section agreed. That forced Jordan to miss his senior year and Jamie to sit out his sophomore campaign.

For those with Time Warner cable circle two games on your calendar for live football on cable. The Serra showdown with Loyola at Bishop Amat will be shown on Oct. 28, and the regular season finale which could decide the Sierra League title when Charter Oak visits Chino Hills on Nov. 11. For the Whittier area, Orange Lutheran vs. La Habra at Cerritos College on Sept. 23 is also part of the lineup. Unfortunately for me, I got Direct TV.

Time Warner Schedule
Sept. 2--Mater Dei at Carson
Sept. 9--Venice at Chaminade
Sept. 16--Thousand Oaks at Moorpark
Sept. 23--Orange Lutheran vs. La Habra at Cerritos College
Sept. 30--Serra at Narbonne
Oct. 7--Oxnard at Ventura
Oct. 14--Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Crespi
Oct. 21--Canyon Country Canyon at Valencia
Oct. 28--Loyola at Bishop Amat
Nov. 4--Garfield vs. L.A. Roosevelt at East L.A. College
Nov. 11--Charter Oak at Chino Hills

Could there be a shift of power with the area's mid-major leagues and divisions? The Valle Vista is why I ask, it's intriguing and tough to call. After watching Aram slobber over Covina yesterday, even I realize how foolish it was to guarantee a West Covina victory over the Colts on Sept. 3. I haven't tilted enough to think the outcome will change, but it's moving closer toward the toss-up category. The Valle Vista is tough to call because you hear so many stories about Pomona, its athletes, players that are eligible after sitting out a year, and some that have transferred in. Plus, coach Anthony Rice, after winning two section titles with Colony, has been so quiet this offseason that you know something's up. You think he's going to settle for another mediocre year?
Then there's San Dimas, coach Z quietly saying this team could be special, that it returns five players from its 2009 Mid-Valley Division championship team, including QB Shawn Kennedy, FB Dillon Corona and a backfield Z says could be the best of all. You can't sleep on San Dimas. No matter how dominant King Monrovia thinks it is, it has nothing on San Dimas. They're 2-2 head-to-head and each own a title. Sounds more like they got a score to settle. Covina, Pomona, and San Dimas are potentially so good, I'm not sure what league is more top-heavy, the Valle Vista or Hacienda? After West Covina, picking second isn't easy. You can argue Bonita, Diamond Bar or Diamond Ranch, but none of them are world beaters. That's why opening week is statement week. If San Dimas beats Bonita and Covina beats West Covina, you can move the Valle Vista ahead of the Hacienda on the area league ranking list behind the Serra, Baseline and Sierra. You could also argue that the Mid-Valley would be on par if not better than the Southeast. Imagine if West Covina and Covina won titles, edge goes to the Mid-Valley right? Fact is, Monrovia is still probably the best of the Mid-Valley. If they go undefeated beating Glendora, South Hills and Covina along the way, it would prove even more the Mid-Valley is every bit as good, if not better than the Southeast? That's why opening week is so huge, it could answer some big questions right off the bat.

The CIF Southern Section Commissioner's Cup ranks the top sports programs in the Southern Section. The winners are determined by a point system that provides: five points for a divisional championship; three points for a divisional runner-up finish; two points for advancing to the semifinal round or a third place finish in a team-place finish sport (i.e. cross country, golf, swimming and diving, track and field); and one point for a fourth place finish in a team-place finish sport. Pasadena Poly finished third overall in the boys rankings with Bishop Amat finishing seventh overall on the girls side, which represented the highest San Gabriel Valley rankings. Once again, private schools dominated, with 16 of the 20 schools combined boys/girls coming from private schools, which is another strong argument for private and public being separated in the playoffs. Simply put, it's just not an even playing field. At the very least, what CIF should do is celebrate four Commissioner's Cup categories, a top ten for boys and girls private, and a top ten for boys and girls public. If you can't separate the divisions, at least separate the awards.

BOYS
PLACE, SCHOOL, POINTS, ACCUMULATION, TOTAL POINTS
1. Loyola 5 (BK), 5 (TF), 5 (SD), 3 (CC), 2 (WP) 20
2. Oaks Christi an 5 (FB), 5 (BK), 3 (TF), 2 (WP), 2 (S), 2 (BB) 19
3. Pasadena Poly 5 (BB), 3 (WP), 3 (TF), 2 (FB), 2 (BK), 2 (VB) 17
4. Servite 5 (FB), 5 (G), 3 (W), 3 (TF) 16*
5. Corona del Mar 5 (WP), 5 (VB), 2 (FB), 2 (S), 2 (SD) 16*
6. Mater Dei 5 (WP), 5 (VB), 2 (FB), 2 (BK), 2 (TF) 16*
7. Harvard-Westlake 5 (CC), 5 (BK), 3 (T) 13
8. Viewpoint 5 (SD), 5 (T), 2 (VB) 12
9. Mission Viejo 5 (BB), 3 (BK), 3 (FB) 11*
10. Oak Hills 5 (BB), 3 (W), 3 (S) 11*

GIRLS
1. Oaks Christian 5 (S), 5 (SB), 3 (BK), 3 (TF), 2 (VB) 18
2. Harvard-Westlake 5 (WP), 5 (TF), 3 (BK), 3 (CC) 16*
3. St. Margaret's 5 (T), 5 (VB), 5 (S), 1 (CC) 16*
4. Chadwick 5 (CC), 5 (VB), 3 (BK) 13
5. Serra 5 (BK), 5 (TF), 2 (VB) 12
6. Canyon/Anaheim 5 (BK), 3 (SB), 2 (G), 1 (CC) 11*
7. Bishop Amat 5 (S), 2 (BK), 2 (SB), 2 (TF) 11*
8. Mater Dei 5 (BK), 5 (TF) 10*
9. Dos Pueblos 5 (WP), 5 (SB) 10*
10. Poly/Long Beach 5 (VB), 5 (TF) 10*

Aram posted a scoop last night about West Covina acquiring Justin Hornsby, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound defensive end from Rancho Verde. The part I found most interesting was this: Hornsby, who attended Rancho Verde last year, moved into the Covina Unified School District and was in South Hills' area. But the junior-to-be wanted to play at West Covina. He had to protest to the county because Covina Unified would not release him. After a five-hour wait at the county office on Tuesday, Hornsby got clearance.

Fred's take: I'm on record many times saying in most cases players should be able to transfer without CIF's interference, though CIF is just following the rules set forth by the schools. But if a school district allows a player to transfer and he's making the grades, he should be able to play sports at the school, and I'm hoping this works out for Hornsby. But you wonder what CIF does with this if Aram's accounts are accurate. He said the junior-to-be "wanted" to play at West Covina despite being in the South Hills school district. On the surface, that sounds athletically motivated. So let's be clear, although he's been cleared to attend West Covina, he still needs to be cleared by CIF to play football. This may not be a normal transfer, to be eligible at West Covina, he will probably have to file a hardship transfer, explaining why he felt compelled to attend West Covina, despite living in South Hills' district. Stay tuned.

"We return nearly everybody up front. That's where you win ball games." -- Rosemead coach Matt Koffler

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
Rosemead High School lineman Sal Chavarin does not know how to play football any way except how his coach, Matt Koffler, describes it.
"We play the Rosemead football way," Koffler said. "That would be finding ways to dominate the lines. We return nearly everybody up front. That's where you win ball games."
Chavarin is the biggest presence in the middle of the Panthers' line. The senior is 6-foot-2 and 350 pounds. He will play noseguard and "any position they want me to on offense," he said. "I love noseguard; that's my passion," he said. "If they want me to do something on offense, I'll do it."

Rix on the accusations ....
"It's expected when you play those rivalry games that guys are going to hit hard, but the thought never crossed your mind that someone was trying to hurt someone," said Rix, who is also a prominent quarterback mentor for several high school quarterbacks throughout the San Gabriel Valley. "I just thought it was part of the intense Florida State- Miami rivalry. It is sad to see this come out, but the truth always comes out. Part of me wasn't surprised, because we've seen how much of a business it has become. You have guys who aren't satisfied with their per diem check that they get every month, so they're looking for extra money. So if somebody can be offered $5,000 for a hit, obviously they'll take advantage of it."

Click link for full story and reaction from Rix: Nevin Shapiro, a former Miami booster who's serving a 20-year prison sentence for masterminding a $930 million Ponzi scheme, has told Yahoo! Sports he provided impermissible benefits to 72 of the university's football players and other athletes from 2002 to 2010.

Shapiro said he gave money, cars, yacht trips, jewelry, televisions and other gifts to a list of players including Vince Wilfork, Jon Beason, Antrel Rolle, Devin Hester, Willis McGahee and the late Sean Taylor. Shapiro also claimed he paid for nightclub outings, sex parties, restaurant meals, and in one case an abortion for a woman impregnated by a player.
He also claimed to have offered a $5,000 bounty to any Miami player who could knock Florida State quarterback Chris Rix out of a game. Rix, who lives in West Covina, attended Bishop Amat and Santa Margarita high schools before going to Florida State. He called the Yahoo! report "a sad story."

Watch the PrepXtra Live replay of Whittier coach Frank Mazzotta and Aram and Fred's interview with Charter Oak and Super Bowl champion Jason David.

When I look back at West Covina's championship, I can't help but think of Bonita losing it as much as West Covina winning it. Bonita had it, a hand-delivered pick by Bulldogs QB George Johnson in the final minutes would have sealed the deal for the Bearcats and ended the Dogs' game-winning drive. But that's football, West Covina finished the drive and that was that, a 37-33 victory. The big question entering 2011 is who are the real challengers to dethrone the Dogs? It doesn't appear to be a dominating division, but you figure the challengers must be Muir, Diamond Ranch, Diamond Bar, Bonita, La Serna, Mayfair and Norwalk. But if you ask me, I'm rolling with Arcadia. This is the surprise year for the Apaches, and you heard it here first.

The Orange County Register reported last night that veteran San Clemente football coach Eric Patton has been replaced by interim coach and Tritons athletic director Jon Hamro fewer than three weeks before the start of the season, the school announced Tuesday. Patton has been a key focus of an investigation into a sports equipment and apparel company's alleged kickbacks to Orange County coaches. The Register story also included this: In July, the district said that some of its high school coaches may have embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars of district and parent money in a kickback scheme involving LAPES (Lapes Athletic Team Laguna Hills).

The live show is three half hour segments starting at 7 p.m., with La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta, followed by Chrix Rix at 7:30 p.m., and Jason David at 8. Aram will host all three shows with Steve Ramirez, Miguel Melendez and myself splitting time in each segment. It will all run on the same UStream, and each blog will have the full hour and a half up and running. If you miss any part of the show, it will be available on the blogs afterward.

When: EVERY Tuesday at 7 p.m.
What: The best players and coaches in the area as guests.
Where: Any of the blogs will have a LIVE player
August 16 guests: Former Charter Oak standout and Super Bowl champion Jason David, Former Bishop Amat and Florida St. quarterback Chris Rix and La Habra head coach Frank Mazzotta.

It you don't trust Robledo, Tolegian or the biased bloggers on the thread, should you trust MaxPreps' computer generated San Gabriel Valley preseason rankings, with teams ranked locally in parenthesis, and the Southern Section ranking next to it. You might be surprised. Charter Oak at No. 10? Bonita No. 4? Can Observant and New York live with Monrovia at No. 5? Or how about Rio Hondo Prep at No. 20, with no mention of Arroyo, Azusa, etc. Is Bishop Amat's No. 5 ranking in the Southern Section (and state) a tad lofty? This is why we always say, trust your local sportswriters when it comes to area rankings, we know more than the computers do.

Below: Charter Oak isn't doing cartwheels over these rankings? They might not be No. 1 in the Valley, but they're certainly a lot higher than No. 10.

MAXPREPS (LOCAL) AND SOUTHERN SECTION RANKINGS
(1) 5. Bishop Amat (La Puente, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 58.50
(2) 21. West Covina (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 43.3 0
(3) 25 Chino Hills (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 41.9 0
(4) 30. Bonita (La Verne, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 39.7 0
(5) 41. Monrovia (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 34.6 0
(6) 45. Damien (La Verne, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 33.7 0
(7) 46. St. Francis (La Canada, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 33.6 0
(8) 70. Claremont (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 28.4 0
(9) 74. Covina (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 27.1 0
(10) 78. Charter Oak (Covina, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 26.7 0 (11)
(11) 90. Glendora (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 24 0
(12) 91. Muir (Pasadena, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 23.9 0
(13) 94. San Dimas (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 23.5 0
(14) 119. South Hills (West Covina, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 20.6 0
(15) 139. Arcadia (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 17.7 0
(16) 140. Walnut (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 17.4 0
(17) 143. Diamond Ranch (Pomona, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 17 0
(18) 153. Diamond Bar (CA) CA 0-0 0-0 14.4 0
(19) 156. Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 13.7 0
(20). 187. Maranatha (Pasadena, CA) CA 0-0 0-0 8.5 0

Wonderful tribute to San Gabriel Valley coaching legend Ed Rycroft. Rycroft played at Monrovia High in the 1960s and returned to coach there in the 1990s and also at Azusa with coach Fil Lujan after his tour of duty in Vietnam. His passion for football is obvious in this 2010 tribute video after being selected to the Minor League Football Hall of Fame. He has coached local semipro teams the SGV Rhino's, Foothill Firehawks and is currently the defensive coordinator for the Norwalk Cowboys of the UDFL. I'm sure many of our bloggers know who he is, and for those who don't or high school players today, listen to what he says in the video. You will love his passion.

We compiled a list of the top ten fantasy football games you won't see this fall with predictions from Aram Tolegian and Fred J. Robledo ...

1. Bishop Amat vs. Charter Oak -- How long have we been asking about this? Prediction: Robledo (Amat); Tolegian (Charter Oak).
2. Monrovia vs. Muir -- Would be fireworks and bragging rights for the the biggest WSGV game of the year. Predcition: Robledo (Muir), Tolegian (Monrovia)
3. Charter Oak vs. West Covina -- Battle of former and current Southeast champions. Prediction: Robledo (Charter Oak), Tolegian (Charter Oak).
4. South Hills vs. Covina -- This would finally make sense for the king of the District. Prediction: Robledo (South Hills), Tolegian (Covina).
5. Damien vs. Bonita -- Why haven't the La Verne schools squarred off? Prediction: Robledo (Damien), Tolegian (Damien)
6. Monrovia vs. West Covina - Why haven't former coach and champions Maggiore and Maddox hooked up? Prediction: Robledo (West Covina), Tolegian (West Covina).
7. Baldwin Park vs. Sierra Vista - Was canceled after the bad blood, but the crowds were great and the city deserves it. Prediction: Robledo (Sierra Vista), Tolegian (Baldwin Park)
8. Azusa vs. Arroyo -- Want to know who is best between Montview and Mission Valley Legue champions. Prediction: Robledo (Arroyo), Tolegian (Arroyo).
9. Chino Hills vs. Bishop Amat -- Huskies might be only area team with a real shot. Prediction: Robledo (Bishop Amat), Tolegian (Bishop Amat).
10. Glendora vs. Damien - Use to be one of the great Sierra rivalries. Prediction: Robledo (Damien), Aram (Damien).

LA MIRADA -- Youth is being served for the La Mirada High School football team this season.
But that doesn't mean the the Matadores can't continue their recent tradition, which includes winning the Suburban League title the past two seasons and the CIF-Southern Section Southern Division in 2009.
If anything, the concept by most that La Mirada will take a step back, just fuels the Mats' fire.
"We want to be the underdog every weekend," said La Mirada offensive coordinator Armando Rivas, who is interim coach while head coach Mike Moschetti recovers from a pneumonia. "We want to be the team that no one knows what to expect. We're going to thrive on that every week, build on that momentum, and get better."

By Steve Ramirez
LA MIRADA -- Andy Gramajo will start in the backfield for the La Mirada High School football team this season. Just don't expect him to be in that spot every time the Matadores come to the line of scrimmage.
The senior is La Mirada's Mr. Versatility, capable of putting a dent in the opposition no matter where he lines up on the field.
"He's been playing football his whole life," La Mirada offensive coordinator Armando Rivas said. "He's smart, knows our offense. He can play a number of positions. He'll play running back, receiver, or even be our main guy in the Wildcat (formation) if we decide to run it.
"He's smart, like a coach on the field, and he's a great athlete who is the fastest guy on our team and has the best hands on our team. He's going to be the guy we expect to carry the load."

Sierra Vista's Giovanni Rivera, the area's leading rusher in 2010 with 2,304 yards, shocked Dons coach Don LeGro when he attended the first day of summer camp on Wednesday. Rivera was not with the Dons during the spring, and told Le Gro he was going to skip his senior season to concentrate on baseball. "We were thrilled when we saw his face," Le Gro said. "What it does is take some of that talent we were going to use to replace him, and move it somewhere else. All along we were hoping that as we got closer he might change his mind, and when he showed up, it gave us a whole new outlook."

"Yesterday was like Christmas Eve and I woke up this morning very excited. I'd be lying if I said we weren't excited about the level of experience we have. We get to a different level football now as far as teaching them. We're not just going to be out here with our base stuff." -- Covina coach Darryl Thomas

By Aram Tolegian

Not since the 2006 season, when the Covina High School football program returned one of the best senior classes around, has there been this much excitement when the Colts took the field Thursday for their first day of fall practice. The Colts, who went 10-2 last season and swept the Valle Vista League, return their leading passer, rusher, receiver and tackler. With so much experience, the expectations have been heightened and the anticipation is palpable.

Funeral services for St. Lucy's assistant soccer coach Mark Faurot, also the goalkeeper coach, junior varsity coach and a big contributor to the club soccer community, will be held on Saturday, August 27, at the Christ First Baptist Church in Covina at 11:00 a.m.
Faurot, who had been an assistant at St. Lucy's since 2005, was diagnosed with cancer in March and passed on Aug. 5 at the age of 41. Faurot, also a softball coach at La Verne Lutheran a few years back, graduated from Diamond Bar, and was a member of the Brahmas' 1987 CIF championship team. "Our kids are devastated," St. Lucy's athletic director Judy Hartranft said. "It was a very tough battle and very quick. He had a rough last few months." Former St. Lucy's head coach Robert Rodriguez remembered him fondly. "He worked tirelessly on behalf of the players and families," Rodriguez said of Faurot. "He was a huge part of the success they have had."

Westside folks lead you to believe that Monrovia could win the Pac-5, so the Mid-Valley should be a mere bump in the road, right? I still think Covina, Arroyo, San Dimas, Maranatha, Whittier Christian and yes, Azusa have a shot, but I'll let you decide.

1. Jalen Moore, Bishop Amat, Sr. -- Earned Serra League first-team honors and rushed for 1,634 yards and 23 touchdowns. He was even more impressive when Zach Shay turned his ankle against Crespi. Even though everyone keyed on him, he was still able to produce.
2. Jamel Hart, South Hills, Sr. -- One of the few bright spots on the Huskies' miserable 3-7 campaign. He rushed for 1,318 yards and 17 touchdowns, and did so against one of the area's toughest schedules.
3. Chris Solomon, West Covina, Sr. -- The reigning player of the year and Southeast Division MVP rushed for 1,790 yards and 20 touchdowns and will be an even bigger focal point this year. Think about it, he only had 151 carries, averaging nearly 10 yards a carry.
4. Corey Victoria, Glendora, Sr. -- In coach Todd Quinsey's run-oriented offense, he inherits a gem in the 6-foot, 180 pound back, who will share the backfield with Donovan Holmes, who give the Tartans quite a 1-2 punch.
5. Gevontray Ainsworth, Covina, Jr. -- The third piece of the Colts' triple threat, which also includes quarterback Billy Livingston and all-purpose standout Vinny Venegas. I thought Ainsworth looked intimidating as a sophomore, already 6-foot and 175 pounds. I'm expecting a monster year from him in 2011.
6. Kurt Scoby, Charter Oak, So. -- Rushed for 470 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman, but will be called upon much more to help balance out quarterback Travis Santiago. Whenever Charter Oak's football teams have had success, they have had solid backs.
7. Jamaal Clayton, Diamond Bar, Sr. -- He rushed for 70 yards and three touchdowns as a junior, but figures to be an important piece in coach Ryan Maine's offense. If Diamond Bar has success, Clayton figures to be a big reason.
8. Dillon Corona, San Dimas, Sr. -- He was on the 2009 championship team and in coach Zernickow's Wing T, the fullback figures to produce and produce heavily. The Saints don't rely on one back, but if you have to zero in on one, it's Corona.
9. Desmond Reed, Azusa, Sr. -- The Aztecs shared the load and shared in well in 2010, but expect Reed to get the bulk of the carries and be among the area leaders in total yards. He's a natural back with cutting ability and speed. With Sierra Vista's Giovanni Rivera not with the Dons, Reed should be the league's best back.
10. Donald Morris, Pomona, Jr -- I'm taking coach Anthony Rice's word that he will be one of the area's top backs. With the kind of schedule Pomona faces, someone like Morris should be able to rank among the area's rushing leaders.

1. Michael Ortega, St. Paul, Sr., 5-11, 176 -- Ortega sets the tone, combing speed and power. He's the key to the Swordsmen's success this season after rushing for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns in 2010. He also averaged an impressive 8.5 yards per attempt.
2. Tony Botello, Pioneer, Sr., 5-5, 155 -- The Titans struggled in the Del Rio League, but it wasn't because of Botello, who enjoyed a banner season, rushing for 1,189 yards and 12 scores. He will need another type year if Pioneer is to improve on its 5-5 overall record. Most believe he can.
3. Grant Escobar, Whittier Christian, Sr., 5-10, 165 -- Escobar is one of the few holdovers from the Herald's run to the Mid-Valley title game. He was a machine last season, rushing for 1,084 yards and 16 TDs. He's one of the more versatile backs in the area, also taking time to catch 38 passes for 401 yards and two scores.
4. O.J. Medina, La Serna, Sr., 5-8, 170 --Medina saw limited action behind Richard Alvarez last season, but now it's his turn and has the ability to be the go-to-guy after rushing for 765 yards and eight TDs. He also pulled eight yards a run in 2010.
5. Ronell Lone, El Rancho, Sr., 5-9, 172 -- There is plenty of plus-side for Lone, who averaged more than 7 yards a carry last season, finishing 613 yards. He's a key to El Rancho challenging in the Del Rio League.

"Coach Maine brings such energy and enthusiasm that when you wake up in the morning you can't wait to go work out for him. He's probably going to be the best coach at this school in a long time." -- Diamond Bar senior running back Jamaal Clayton said.

By Aram Tolegian
There's something contagious about new Diamond Bar High School football coach Ryan Maine. To spend a few minutes with him is to find yourself about ready to strap on pads and a helmet and hit someone in the name of Brahma football. And that's just if you're a normal person. What about the Brahmas' actual football team? Well, let's just say they're fired up beyond belief for the upcoming season and it's got everything to do with Maine.
"Coach Maine brings such energy and enthusiasm that when you wake up in the morning you can't wait to go work out for him," Diamond Bar senior running back Jamaal Clayton said. "He's probably going to be the best coach at this school in a long time."

And that's exactly what the Brahams' struggling football program needs.
Diamond Bar has fallen from being one of the top teams in the area in the late 1990s to an afterthought on the current area scene. If anybody remembers Diamond Bar's glory days, it's Maine. He won CIF championships at the school as a quarterback in 1998 and '99. Maine was a sophomore back-up on the '98 team, but was the starting quarterback in '99.

We have a handful of high school football correspondents returning to cover high school football games in the fall, but are looking for a few more. Those who have covered high school football games before or are studying journalism are ideal. Or, if you have a passion for writing and football, that works too. If interested, feel free to email me at fred.robledo@sgvn.com.

"We discovered last year that we put up a lot of points, had lots of (total) yards and threatened a lot of records in the record books. But what good did it do us? We ended up losing our last two games and it left a sour taste in our mouth. We want to make sure we focus more on what's going to get us to that final game. We want to play into December, and the defense is going to get us there." -- Bishop Amat coach Steve Hagerty

Below: Sophomore Koa Haynes appears to be the leading contender to take over at quarterback when Rio Ruiz leaves for the U.S. National 18-Under baseball team.

By Fred J. Robledo. Staff Writer
Bishop Amat already knows that it will be without senior quarterback Rio Ruiz for three non-league games in September against La Mirada, Damien and Cathedral while Ruiz is with the U.S National Team's 18-and-under baseball squad that will compete in the COPABE Pan American Championships in Cartagena, Colombia, Sept. 23 through Oct. 2. But for the past week Ruiz has competed on the Milwaukee Brewers' squad in the Area Code games in Long Beach, forcing him to miss Wednesday's first day of football camp in preparation for the Lancers' season opener against Garfield on Sept. 2.
The area code games concluded on Wednesday, but Ruiz also was selected to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic on Sunday in San Diego, and will not join the team until it's concluded. Ruiz is expected back at practice on Monday, something Amat coach Steve Hagerty is adjusting too.
"All us coaches and the kids understand why he's not here," Hagerty said of Ruiz. "We've already met and talked about it and there are agreements in place. Nobody is looking over their shoulder wondering where he is. Rio's a great player, but we're moving along because we got a job to get done. The other 75 kids here know that. We'll be glad when he's here and working, but in the mean time it's business as usual."

By Steve Ramirez
MONTEBELLO -- Montebello High School's Daniel Servin is a marked man.
The senior is the one player on the Oilers' defensive that opposing offensive coordinators tag as the one guy that must be accounted for.
But Servin, one of the top returning defensive players is the area, is worth more to Montebello than the production he provides on the field.
"He lives by example," Montebello coach Pete Gonzalez said. "He works hard in the weight room, he works hard at practice. He's a great guy who goes out and plays.
"He makes everyone on our team better, because he plays so hard, so fast all the time. You can't take a down off in practice, because if you take a down off, he's going to make you look bad. He's just one of those guys who is going to force you play hard all the time. He's a great kid all the way around."

Based on what we already know, schools that draw the most readership and hit counts go something like this: Glendora, Bonita, Damien, Diamond Bar, Bishop Amat, Chino Hills, South Hills, West Covina, Covina, Walnut and San Dimas ...What I gather from this is a disconnect between us and several schools in the Mission Valley and Montview League, meaning we have to do a better job blogging on those schools, and readers need to do a better job commenting to get the interest going. Aram posted his Montview League predictions on Tuesday, but still waiting for someone to comment on it. Compare that to his Valle Vista League predictions thread (102 comments and counting) and you can see where we're going with this. We're trying to do our part, but can't do it alone.

You might be surprised to learn who's leading the quarterback fight at Pomona, or that San Dimas coach Bill Zernickow thinks his backfield could be better than the 2009 championship one. Read on....

A handful of teams are on the practice field this week with West Covina featuring a quarterback battle between Chris Caballero and Jonathan Najera. "This is still a battle because both of them have strengths, and I don't think you can really tell a whole lot about a quarterback until we see what kinds of decisions they make in the heat of battle," said two-time Tribune Coach of the Year Mike Maggiore. San Dimas coach Bill Zernickow is not at all concerned with playing his 2011 schedule on the road, saying, "I don't think it's challenging at all, I kind of like playing away," said Zernickow, whose team opens camp this morning. "Obviously when we get our home field back it will be nice, but our kids have known for a year it would be like this and have prepared with that road-warrior mentality." Zernickow also said with most observers picking Monrovia and Covina as the top Mid-Valley teams in 2011, he likes it that way. "Let us fly under the radar," he said. The Saints return five players from their 2009 title team, including quarterback Shawn Kennedy and fullback Dillon Corona. With junior back Denzel Mitchell and sophomore Jake Payton, Zernickow loves how his vaunted Wing T offense is shaping up. I finally talked to Pomona coach Anthony Rice, who has a quarterback battle on his hands between senior Brandon Schrieman, who transferred from Wilson, and Tavea Cobb, whom Rice seems to be learning toward. "(Schrieman's) good, he gives us some options," Rice said. "Tavea also plays tight end, but he's really good at quarterback. He's mobile, runs hard and I like what I've seen so far."

Consider this the Robledo preseason top 35. As I stated earlier, Aram is picking the top ten to start the season for PrepXtra, then I will take it from there the rest of the way based on how the season shakes out week to week.

Team, 2010 record
1. Bishop Amat (9-2) -- There is no question in my mind, they return Serra first-team RB Jalen Moore, QB Rio Ruiz, a healthy Zach Shay and many others from one of the best offensive teams in Lancers' history. Will it translate to a Serra and Pac-5 title? That's wishful thinking. But compared to the rest in the SGV, it would be silly to rank anyone else ahead based on past results and what's returning in 2011.
2. Charter Oak (6-5) -- On paper and over the summer they looked good, really good. Travis Santiago separated himself from a strong contingent of SGV quarterbacks, and with RB Kurt Scoby, WR Chris Gilchrist and other weapons, the Chargers should be the real deal. But I'm from Missouri when it comes to the Chargers. They have to show me they can win a step-up game, something they haven't done since I took charge in 2007. They won back-to-back titles, but I wouldn't exactly call beating Diamond Ranch in back-to-back title games over-achieving.
3. West Covina (13-1) - Now that they have won the Southeast title and given coach Mike Maggiore his second title, the Bulldogs are among the area's elite, and will continue making deep playoff runs in the Hacienda and Southeast. In terms of pure demographics, West Covina owns the area's best athletes and returns the player of the year, Chris Solomon. It's a powerhouse public school that will continue getting better.
4. South Hills (3-7) -- This might not be where South Hills ends up at the end of the season, their schedule is simply too tough. But on paper, QB Vincent Hernandez, RB Jamel Hart and WR Jamie Canada give them weapons to contend with anyone. If they can shore up their defense, the Huskies are in business.
5. Chino Hills (10-3) -- The Huskies lose a lot of impact players, but coach Derek Bub should reload with so many athletes in town, and what separates them from other SGV teams is their size on the line, a reason they did so well in summer lineman competitions. At the end of it all, the Huskies will be fighting South Hills, Charter Oak and Damien for the league title.
6. Damien (6-4) -- I'm buying because like Rick Neuheisel at UCLA, the pressure is on coach Greg Gano to show he can win somewhere other than Los Altos, where he won four championships. Like Neuheisel there have been several coaching changes, philosophical changes and key transfers that all indicate the Spartans intend to show they're no longer that other Catholic school's punching bag.
7. Covina (10-2) -- I'm on record stating that Monrovia is the team to beat in the Mid-Valley Division, but the Colts could give them a run for their money. This could be coach Darryl Thomas' best team since the McDonough years with so many weapons on offense. I know what to expect from all purpose Vinny Venegas and QB Billy Livingston, but they key for me is RB Gevontray Ainsworth, who looked like an impact-maker as a sophomore, but didn't get enough touches. If Ainsworth has a breakthrough season, Monrovia should be worried.
8. Diamond Bar (6-4) -- Attitude is everything, something coach Ryan Maine is drilling into the head of his new team. That's why they went out and won the SGV shootout with a purpose, and have one of the area's best QBs in Henry Omana. I've always thought Diamond Bar should be better than what they've show the past decade, and with Maine in charge, maybe a return to the glory days isn't too far away.
9. Glendora (5-5) - New coach Todd Quinsey has his hands full, but he has the perfect pieces in his run-oriented offense with Corey Victoria and Donovan Holmes. Because of their schedule they may not finish in the top ten, but I would take them in a head-to-head over anyone ranked below.
10. Arroyo (9-2) -- I'm never comfortable ranking Mission Valley League teams this high, but Arroyo is different. Steven Rivera is as rare as four--year starting quarterbacks come, and this team will have a chip on its shoulder. If they can improve their defense, they could be scary because you know the Knights can put points on the board.

The Rest:11. Bonita (12-2), 12. Diamond Ranch (5-6), 13. San Dimas (8-5), 14. Azusa (10-1), 15. Claremont (7-4), 16. Ayala (4-6), 17. Walnut (6-5), 18. Pomona (5-5), 19. La Puente (8-3), 20. Rosemead (8-4), 21. Rowland (4-6), 22. Baldwin Park (5-6), 23. Wilson (4-6), 24. Los Altos (0-10), 25. Workman (2-8), 26. Sierra Vista (7-3), 27. Northview (3-7), 28. Gladstone (5-6), 29. Nogales (1-9), 30. Ganesha (4-6), 31. Mountain View (5-5), 32. El Monte (4-6), 33. Bassett (3-7), 34. South El Monte (1-9), 35. Duarte (0-9).

La Mirada football coach Mike Moschetti could miss up to a month after being diagnosed with pneumonia over the weekend. La Mirada football coach Mike Moschetti, who guided the Matadores to a CIF-Southern Section title in 2009, it's first since the early 1990s, is out of action after being diagnosed with pneumonia over the weekend. He was hospitalized one night for observation, but is now resting at home.
La Mirada offensive coordinator Armando Rivas, who is interim coach in Moschetti's absence, said the Mats coach could be out from a week to a month.
The Matadores, one of the few Whittier area teams to begin fall practice, have gone undefeated in the Suburban League the past two seasons and won the CIF-SS Southern Division title in 2009.

The second PrepXtra Football Preview Magazine will publish on Aug. 30, two days before the weekend trifecta featuring San Dimas-Bonita (Thursday), Glendora-Charter Oak (Friday) and West Covina-Covina on Saturday. Until then, we're back covering summer training camps until opening weekend, and taking your suggestions on teams you want to hear from the most. BTW, since Aram covered so much summer passing league, I gave him the honor of picking the Tribune's preseason top ten for the Magazine. Maybe you'll be surprised, maybe you won't.

Back from vacation with a video that makes me feel even older. Check out this 1995 clip of then Northview coach Greg Gano with what must be two or three-year old Courtney, the reigning Tribune softballer of the year. Quarterback David Fraijo scored the game-winner in overtime over Workman, 34-31. I love it, three announcers in suits decked out like Monday night football. Who remembers Continental Cablevision?

The Tribune week-by-week football schedule is available by clicking the thread. The fun for us is picking Friday night games of the week. Of course this can all change from week-to-week, but at first glance, here are my Friday night specials.

Best Friday night games in the 2011 season
Week 0
Glendora at Charter Oak, 7 p.m.
Week 1
Bishop Amat at Servite, 7 p.m.
Week 2
South Hills at West Covina, 7 p.m.
Week 3
Bishop Amat at Damien, 7 p.m.
Week 4
South Hills at Monrovia, 7 p.m.
Week 5
Diamond Ranch at Diamond Bar, 7 p.m.
Week 6
West Covina at Bonita, 7 p.m.
Week 7
San Dimas vs. Covina at Covina District, 7 p.m.
Week 8
Arroyo at Rosemead, 7 p.m.
Week 9
Diamond Bar at Bonita, 7 p.m.
Week 10
La Puente at Azusa, 7 p.m.

For the entire schedule, click thread

St. Lucy's softball should have some year in 2012 with four soon-to-be seniors already verballed. With Danielle Mavridis verballing to the University of San Diego last week, she joins Danielle O'Toole (San Diego State), Brandi Harkness (St. Joseph's University) and Laura Swan (University of Illinois, Chicago) on the college bound list. Also, St. Lucy's has named Valerie Pentolino as the new athletic director.

As part of our new all-encompassing sports blog, I began to look at the schedule for the Tribune and Whittier area teams and noticed some interesting crossover games during the nonleague stretch of the season.
Here are some of the best:

1. Charter Oak vs. Santa Fe, at Pioneer HS, Sept. 30
What a way to end the opening month of the season. This one could be promoted as the Best to the East Valley vs. the Best of Whittier. Now Bishop Amat and La Habra might have something to say about that. But it features two of the more consistent programs from each area in the past decade. Going into the season, you would favor Charter Oak, but there's no doubt that the Chiefs could make it difficult for the Chargers.

2. La Mirada at Bishop Amat, Sept. 16
This one would have been one of the better early meetings last year when both were loaded. The Matadores are down a bit, but the Lancers also have to get a long without Rio Ruiz during the first couple of weeks, if not longer. But this one has to favor Bishop Amat.

3. La Serna at Bonita, Sept. 16
This is a reamatch of last year's CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division semifinal, won by the Bearcats, 21-16. Both teams suffered some graduation losses, but it should be one of the better cross-over games. Give the advantage to the Bearcats. Same teams, same site, same result.

Game I would like to see:
How about the true battle of the Best of the East Valley vs. the Best of Whittier: Bishop Amat vs. La Habra. The Cal Preps projection page says it would be Bishop Amat 35, La Habra 21. I think it would closer, but it would be fun to see. Speaking of Whittier vs. the East Valley, why not a return of Bishop Amat vs. St. Pau...just sayin.

La Habra High School has fielded the most-consistent football program among the three areas over the past decade, advancing to seven CIF-Southern Section divisional championship games during the last 11 seasons, winning six.
The Highlanders have won four consecutive CIF-SS crowns, and they are expected to be in the running for a fifth.
But being the best is not about resting on your laurels, and La Habra is definitely not sitting still this season.
Just check the schedule, which includes a Sept. 16 meeting against Pac-5 stalwart Servite, and also includes face offs against El Dorado on Sept. 2 and Orange Lutheran on Sept. 23.
Aaron Porter, who has committed to UCLA, and company have their work cut out for them. How do you think they will do?

LA HABRA'S 2011 SCHEDULE
Fri. Sept. 2, El Dorado @ Placencia Valencia, 7 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 9, @ La Mirada, 7 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 16, Servite @ Cerritos College, 7 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 23, Orange Lutheran @ Cerritos College, 7:30 p.m.
Thu. Sept. 29, ST. JOHN BOSCO, 7 p.m.
BYE
Fri. Oct. 14, *Sunny Hills @ Buena Park, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 21, @ *Fullerton, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 28, *BUENA PARK, 7 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 4, *Sonora @ La Habra, 7 p.m.
Thu. Nov. 10, *TROY, 7 pm.
*- denotes Freeway League game

San Gabriel Valley's road to a Senior Babe Ruth national title got a little tougher Saturday.
Pat Wright had a RBI single to highlight a three-run rally in the fourth inning and Syracuse, N.Y. opened pool play in the Babe Ruth World Series with a 3-2 victory over San Gabriel at Johnson-O'Brien Stadium in Ephrata, Washington.
San Gabriel, which swept through the Pacific Southwest Regional two weeks ago in Modesto, continues pool play Sunday at 8 p.m. against host Ephrata. Syracuse faces Mobile, Ala. at 2.
San Gabriel concludes pool play against Ottumwa, Iowa at 5 p.m. on Monday. The top three teams in each pool than advance to bracket play, which begins on Thursday. The championship game is scheduled for next Saturday.
Syracuse scored all the runs it would need in the fourth inning. The rally was keyed by Wright's RBI single. He then scored via a balk by San Gabriel starter Daniel Zamora, of Bishop Amat High School.
Syracuse starter Ryan O'Kane made it stand up. But he did have to stop a San Gabriel rally in the seventh.
Brennen Salgado, of Glendora, led off with a home run to make it 3-1. A double by Crescenta Valley's Elliott Surrey and a single by Troy Prosertsit gave San Gabriel Valley a chance to tie it.
Jon Larson followed with a fly out before an RBI ground out by Andrew Medina cut it to 3-2. Kane, who gave up four hits, then struck out Nick Cooksey to win it.

As we are in the calm before the storm of the prep football storm, our colleague Aram Tolegian, our area football guru, has posted some of his predictions for the league title chases in several of our leagues.
Can't say that I agree with all of his picks, but that's what makes this fun.
My picks for league titles are the following::

Del Rio: Santa Fe
Hacienda: West Covina
Montview: Azusa
Mission Valley: Arroyo
Sierra: Damien
Valle Vista: San Dimas
Others: La Habra (Freeway), Schurr (Almont), Bishop Amat (Serra), and St. Paul (Mission).

New Stanford coach David Shaw

As part of this becoming the all-sports blog for are three San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, and part of our college football coverage, I will post a capsule of all Pac-12 teams for the upcoming season. We continue our trip in the Pac-12 North, and today we take a brief look at Stanford

STANFORD CARDINAL
Coach: David Shaw
Years at school: First
Record: 0-0
2010 Record: 12-1 (Beat Va. Tech 40-12 in Orange Bowl); 8-1 in conference.
Division: North
2011 prediction: First
Outlook: The Cardinal returns most of the key ingredients that helped Stanford to arguably its best season in school history. The missing link is coach David Shaw, who has replaced the vocal Jim Harbaugh. But the change at the top should not keep the Cardinal from their appointed rounds. The focal point will be Heisman Trophy favorite Andrew Luck, who is expected to be even better in 2011. The redshirt junior who threw for 3,338 yards and 32 TDs last year, will get help in RB Stepfan Taylor, who rushed 1,137 yards and defense keyed by DBs Delano Howell and Michael Thomas. The Cardinal will have two battle of the unbeatens: An Oct. 29 meeting at USC and Nov. 26 title at home against Oregon. Pick Stanford in both as this team looks headed toward the BCS title game in January.
Quotable: "Coach Harbaugh came in (four years ago) and fought a lot of battles that I don't have to fight," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "My job is to maintain a competitive spirit. Like I said before, that is one of the things that (Harbaugh) and I had in common. We were going to compete. We're going to fight. There is a standard of play that we'll play up to (here), and it's my job that we'll do that."

Above: Bishop Amat's Daniel Zamora is one of 18 players from the San Gabriel Valley who will compete in the upcoming Senior Babe Ruth baseball World Series in Ephrata, Washington.

Nick Wagner, formerly of Glendora High School, and Bishop Amat's Daniel Zamora have experienced winning a CIF-Southern Section baseball title each of the past two seasons.
Now the duo, along with 16 of their friends, are looking for a bigger thrill -- a national championship.
Wagner, who won a Division 2 title with Glendora in 2010, and Zamora, who scored the Division 4 championship with Bishop Amat in June, lead a group of 18 players from the San Gabriel Valley who will compete in the Senior Babe Ruth World Series in Ephrata, Washington, which is three hours east of Seattle.
The eight-team tournament begins Saturday with pool play. The top six teams then advance to bracket play, which begins next Thursday. The championship game is scheduled for Aug. 13.
San Gabriel Valley, which swept through the Pacific Southwest Regional, opens the tournament against Syracuse, N.Y. at 11 a.m. on Saturday. SGV concludes pool play against host Ephrata at 8 p.m. on Sunday and vs. Ottumwa, Iowa at 5 p.m. on Monday.

Above: Oregon coach Chip Kelly, left, and senior tight end David Paulson, at Pac-12 Media Day in Los Angeles. (Staff photo by Keith Birmingham)

As part of this becoming the all-sports blog for are three San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, and part of our college football coverage, I will post a capsule of all Pac-12 teams for the upcoming season. We continue our trip in the Pac-12 North, and today we take a brief look at Oregon

OREGON DUCKS
Coach: Chip Kelly
Years at school: 2
Record: 22-4
2010 Record: 12-1 (Lost 22-10 in BCS title game); 9-0 in conference.
Division: North
2011 prediction: Second
Outlook: Nothing has changed since 2010. The Ducks are again expected to challenge for the Bowl Championship Series title. This is a team that is loaded. It features not one, but two Heisman Trophy candidates in RB LaMichael James and QB Darron Thomas. The defense, led by DB Cliff Harris, is solid. But there are also some issues, especially trying to replace three offensive linemen and receiver Jeff Mael, who has been a key cog in the Ducks' spread-option attack. There's also a lingering dark cloud in a NCAA investigation, not too mention two monster road games -- against fellow BCS competitor LSU in the season opener in Dallas and at Stanford in November. The Ducks, picked first in a Pac-12 media poll last week, have enough to leap the first hurdle, but I'm not so sure about the second. Still, expect Gang Green to show up in a BCS bowl.
Quotable: "It's nice to be picked to win, it's nice to be picked (among the) top five in the country, but it doesn't mean anything until you go out and play the game," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "So that mindset won't change. Hopefully our motivation comes from within and our guys wanting to get better every day and become a better football team. But we don't ever hang this is our ranking and we have to live up to it and all those things. I think the vision that we have for this football program exceeds any expectations that anybody could write down on a piece of paper."

Bishop Amat's Daniel Zamora, who began the 2011 prep baseball season as one of coach Andy Nieto's Johnny Wholestaff before transforming into staff ace by season's end, has giving an oral commitment to Division I Stony Brook University, which is located just outside New York City.
Zarmoa was a key member of the Lancers' chase to the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 title, combining with David Berg for a 7-0 victory over Palm Desert in the championship game.
The senior-to-be, who helped San Gabriel Valley advance to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series in Washington, went 9-1 with a 1.43 ERA in helping Bishop Amat to a 29-4 record.
Zamora will join former Lancer Brandon McNitt, who was a freshman All-American for the Seawolves this past season. Stony Brook won a school-record 42 games this past season, but missed the NCAA Division I regionals after losing in the America East Conference tournament.

As part of this becoming the all-sports blog for are three San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, and part of our college football coverage, I will post a capsule of all Pac-12 teams for the upcoming season. We continue our trip in the Pac-12 North, and today we take a brief look at Washington

Coach: Steve Sarkisian
Years at school: 2
Record: 12-13
2010 Record: 7-6 overall (19-7 win over Nebraska in Holiday Bowl); 5-4 in conference.
Division: North
2011 prediction: Third
Outlook: The Huskies have taken big strides with Sarkisian at the helm the past two years, and continued growth is expected this season. But the concept of what they do will change in 2011. A year ago, Washington's hopes relied on the exploits of QB Jake Locker, who is now in the NFL. This year, the offensive game plan stays in the backfield, but shifts to running back Chris Polk, whose combines speed with physicality. He rushed for 1,415 yards yards and 9 TDs last season. Expect those numbers to increase as he will get a bigger work load in 2011. The question is will the Huskies' defense be good enough to backup up a solid run game. Against most opponents, most say it is. The problems will be in trying to keep up with Stanford and Oregon in the race for the North Division title. Washington will come up short, but the Huskies should go bowling for the second year in a row.
Quotable: "The reality of it is we're not going to be able to rely on (the) quarterback position like we were able to with Jake for (the past) two years," Sarkisian said. "It's going to be more on relying on Chris, and Jesse Callier (and) running the ball, then utilizing the one-on-one matchups on the outside. I love where we're headed. I love the fact that our community is rallying behind a football program and a style of play that they believe in and that they've grown up watching under Coach (Don) James, and now as we go into 2011, it's great for the University of Washington to be part of this Pac-12 and where it's headed."

Bonita High School's Justin Garza was the area's top baseball pitcher this past spring.
His efforts earned him a scholarship to one of the top college programs in the country after the senior to be committed to Division national power Cal State Fullerton.
Garza, who is expected to be one of the top pro prospects next season, had arguably one of the top seasons in area history. He earned CIF-Southern Section All-Division 3 and was Tribune All-Area after going 13-0 with 75 strikeouts and a softball-like ERA of 0.51. He helped Bonita reach the division semifinals for the second consecutive season.
Garza joins a Fullerton team, which won the Big West title and advanced to the NCAA regionals. Fullerton has won four College World Series.

The Cory Lidle Foundation, an organization that remembers the late and former Valley baseball star through charity work, is forming a travelball program to honor Lidle, who grew up in West Covina and played little league, pony, Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth baseball during his youth.
The organization will have two teams, one for 2011-12 seniors and one for 2011-12 sophomores and juniors. Tryouts are scheduled for next week at Northview High School.
Tryouts for 2011-12 sophomore and juniors will be at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9 and 10 a.m.on Saturday, Aug. 13. Tryouts for 2011-12 seniors will be at 2 p.m. on Aug. 13.
More teams may be added later, depending on interest.
For more information, visit corylidle.org

Above: Quarterback Ryan Katz hopes to lead Oregon State back to a bowl game in 2011 (Keith Birmingham/Staff photo)

As part of this becoming the all-sports blog for are three San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, and part of our college football overage, I will post a capsule of all Pac-12 teams for the upcoming season. We'll begin with the North Division, and today we take a brief look at Oregon State

OREGON STATE BEAVERS
Coach: Mike Riley
Years at school: 10
Record: 69-54
2010 Record: 5-7 overall, 4-5 in conference
Division: North
2011 prediction: Fourth
Outlook: History is definitely on the the side of the Beavers, who twice before have rebounded from a sub-.500 season, like in 2010, to earn a bowl bid the following year. Oregon State, which lost stout RB Jacquizz Rodgers to the NFL, will look to one local - All-Pac-10 safety Lance Mitchell of Muir - and quarterback Ryan Katz, who struggled a bit in his first year as a starter in Corvalis. There is also the return of return specialist and receiver James Rodgers, who is still recovering from a knee injury. The Beavers also have a schedule advantage on their side, playing four of their first six games on the road. They will have to have some momentum built up, because they close the season, with four of their final six away from the home comforts of Reser Stadium. Oregon State will not compete for a division title, but they may say who wins it.
Quotable: "As we get back into (the season)," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "We'll have to grow a lot and be ready to compete all the way down the stretch, get better every day. The old-fashioned cliche that we use, and that's what we're going to have to be."