Tribune Super 35 Rankings

1. Charter Oak (6-1) — The Chargers’ favorable schedule extends one more week against Claremont, then it’s all hands on deck against Damien, Chino Hills and the Inland playoffs. Offensively, they can do no wrong, averaging 40 points a game. But then again, they haven’t played a defense worth mentioning since Rancho Cucamonga.
2. Bishop Amat (6-2) — Maxpreps has Amat ranked 42nd in the state and Charter Oak 43rd. They’re that close. If Amat follows a Crespi win with a victory over Loyola, I may have to seriously considering bumping Amat back to No. 1. But that’s a big if, though I do like their chances with Zach Shay back. Speaking of Shay, I was surprised he played so well at Crespi considering he missed more than a month. He stepped in and it looked like he had never missed a beat. That was impressive.
3. West Covina (6-1) — The Bulldogs remind me of Charter Oak 2007 and ’08 in that they’re in a league and division where I don’t think anyone can touch them. It’s almost boring watching them win in workmanlike fashion since starting the Hacienda. Can Los Altos change that this week? I don’t think so.
4. Damien (6-1) — If coach of the year was handed out today, Spartans coach Greg Gano would be in the hunt because of a good mixture of non-league wins, and their 2-0 start in league. But let’s see if we’re still talking about it after they go through Chino Hills and Charter Oak.
5. Covina (7-1) — The Colts have basically wrapped up the Valle Vista League title with a win over San Dimas and Pomona, and with it probably the Mid-Valley Division’s top seed, because they will cruise to victories in their final two games. Just don’t get complacent Colts, the title is there for the taking.
6. Chino Hills (4-3) — The Huskies’ tough schedule has paid off in league, though they’ve beaten the two worst teams in Ayala and Claremont. Let’s see how they finish against Damien, South Hills and Charter Oak, because the jury’s still out.
7. San Dimas (5-2) — The Saints were No. 7 last week, but how do you drop them with Los Altos and South Hills, the teams ranked below them, losing also? Also, this is when I start buying San Dimas. The loss to Covina will probably be beneficial, because if they meet again in the playoffs, I like teams who get second shots.
8. Arroyo (6-1) — The Knights and all-purpose QB/safety Steven Rivera continue plugging along toward another MVL title. Say this about Rivera, he leads the area in passing and is second in the area in tackles. When’s the last time you remember a player do that, and how amazing would it be if at the end of the season, he was the leader in both.
9. South Hills (3-4) — It’s too bad they play no defense, because this is one of coach Steve Bogan’s best offensive teams since winning titles in the mid 2000s. And though they’ve lost four games, three could have gone either way against Colony, West Covina and Damien. But that’s been their story the last two years. They play good enough to make it entertaining, but find some way to foul it up when the game is on the line.
10. La Puente (6-0) –– It’s time for the area’s only undefeated team to crack the top ten rankings. Like Azusa in other years, you wonder if the record is legitimate, but at least La Puente and Azusa will be tested in week 10, when they get to face each other for the league title.
The rest: 11. Los Altos (6-2), 12. Pomona (5-3), 13. Diamond Ranch (4-4), 14. Glendora (3-4), 15. El Monte (5-2), 16. Claremont (4-3), 17. Bonita (3-4), 18. Azusa (5-3), 19. Diamond Bar (3-4), 20. Ayala (2-5), 21. Walnut (2-6), 22. Rosemead (4-3), 23. South El Monte (5-2), 24. Duarte (5-1), 25. Rowland (2-5), 26. Nogales (3-5), 27. Northview (2-5), 28. Baldwin Park (2-5), 29. Mountain View (3-4), 30. Workman (3-4), 31. Sierra Vista (3-4), 32. Gladstone (2-5), 33. Wilson (0-7), 34. Ganesha (1-6), 35. Bassett (1-6).