Two words for you: Matt. Fink. Three more: Four and Oh
NOTE: With Freddie out of town, Aram will be making this week’s Tribune Top 10. Yes, you can expect Fred to screw it all up again NEXT WEEK when he’s back. But for now, enjoy the legitimacy.
1. Bishop Amat (4-1) — Masochistic Amat fans got their jollies last week when the Lancers whipped up on St. Paul in a result that surprised nobody. Not sure what it did for Amat’s development, but hey, a big win is a big win. Next up is a roadie to Culver City.
2. Chino Hills (4-1) — At some point, the Huskies’ porous defense will cost them. Just don’t expect that to be any time soon. The Huskies showed during the nonleague that they are the clear favorites in the Sierra League.
3. Glendora (4-0) — No lead is safe against the Tartans. QB Matt Fink is doing a nice job building his legend with all these late-game TD passes that translate into wins. You have to start wondering just where the Tartans fit in the Baseline League race.
4. Los Altos (4-0) — The Conqs had last week off to rest and heal up and brace for the challenge that is Diamond Ranch. Los Altos is one of few teams in the Hacienda League, if not the only the team, who can handle D-Ranch’s size. But can they handle DR’s speed?
5. Diamond Rancho (4-1) — Scary, scary, scary. The Panthers can really run the ball and play solid defense. Not sure if they can pass … not sure they’ll need to anytime soon. If D-Ranch can beat LA, then the path gets clearer to the league title.
6. Diamond Bar (4-1) — The Brahmas served notice last week with their win over Bonita. It seemed like D-Bar got out to lead and played ‘catch us if you can’. That style is their only hope in the Hacienda and likely the playoffs.
7. Bonita (3-2) — There are still some nice wins on Bo-High’s resume. Last week was a bit of a hit, though. Now the Bearcats are in must-win situations likely every week the rest of the way … and that’s just to make the playoffs.
8. South Hills (2-2) — The Huskies fell apart late against Monrovia. But hey, it’s Monrovia. Not sure what to make of the Huskies’ nonleague quite yet. The element of a passing game hasn’t been what many had hoped. But the losses are to good teams. Guessing game …
9. Ayala (2-2) — The Bulldogs’ win over Diamond Ranch speaks volume … even if they were asleep for three quarters in that game. The close loss to M-Town looks better and better, too. Hard to knock any Ayala fan for feeling confident about the next six weeks.
10. West Covina (2-3) — Because The WC has lost three straight games, I can certainly not argue with anyone saying No. 10 should go to Arroyo or Damien. And the good news is that if things don’t change quick for the Bulldogs’ offense, they’ll get smoked by D-Bar next week and the ten spot will be open for the taking.