I was talking to Pioneer coach Ramon Juarez (below) earlier this week when the topic of his team’s upcoming nonleague schedule popped up. Juarez, like many others in the Pioneer program, is aware of the criticism of Pioneer’s yearly easy preseason.

So in 2008, the Titans will take on such opponents as St. Paul (Western Division Champ), Cypress (Southern Division Champ) and Charter Oak (Southwest Division Semifinalist).

But was the Titans’ 2007 nonleague schedule really so flimsy?

Upon second review, the Titans were in the middle of the pack in preseason schedule difficulty strictly going on records alone, which begs at least a couple of questions?

How difficult should a preseason be? And how much does a nonleague schedule matter for league and the postseason?

Here are the overall records and winning percentages of the preseason schedules of our local schools this past season.

1. *Whittier Christian (39-17-1) .690
2. *La Mirada (30-19-1) .610
3. *St. Paul (47-34) .580
4. *Schurr (30-27) .530
5. *La Habra (27-29) .480
6. Pioneer (26-29). 470
7. Montebello (26-30) .460
8. *Santa Fe (25-29) .460
9. *El Rancho (24-31) .440
10. Whittier (22-31) .420
11. *La Serna (18-34) .350
12. *California (18-35) .340
13. *Cantwell-Sacred Heart (21-42) .333

* signifies playoff team

Any surprises?

PS – I heard Coach Juarez was taking over the girls softball team. Maybe he can show off the moves he displayed at a recent Whittier College reunion game. Good Luck coach!