How about something fun while we all wait for football season to start? (Well, not really wait...more like scramble...)

Here are the records of the top 10 and bottom 10 Inland football programs this decade (2000-2006), with research credit due to Eric Johnson. Teams had to have two seasons under their belt to qualify, so some Inland schools aren't eligible.
Best
1. Centennial 77-13
2. Kaiser 73-16-1
3. Riverside Christian 61-15
4. Norco 66-23
5. La Quinta 64-22-1
6. North 66-24
7. Colton 57-21-1
8. Vista Murrieta 25-10
9. Palm Springs 61-26
10. Desert Chapel 48-21-1

Worst
62. Desert Hot Springs 20-52
63. San Bernardino 18-51
64. Indio 18-52-1
65. Jurupa Valley 17-52
66. Pacific 17-54-1
67. Vista del Lago 11-36
68. Rubidoux 17-56
69. Fontana 15-56
70. Perris 14-55-2
71. Desert Mirage 0-19

It can be a fun game to quiz your friends and see how many guesses it takes them to name the top 10 and bottom 10.

Quite an honor for Rubidoux's Kyle Skipworth, who was named to the prestigious Aflac All-American Classic West team. He joins Etiwanda standout Ricky Oropesa on the West team roster. Full roster's available here.

Inland Southern California was well-represented as CalHiSports.com released its post-season softball awards, including those for all-state, all-underclass and all-small schools.

Norco sophomore pitcher Teagan Gerhart, the HSI Riverside County player of the year, heads of group of nine Inland players to make the all-state first team. Gerhart's catcher, senior Kaylyn Castillo, also was a first-team choice.

San Bernardino Cajon senior third baseman Ashley Maroda, the HSI San Bernardino-area player of the year, also was chosen to the first team.

Corona Santiago sophomore pitcher Kamerin May, the 2006 state freshman of the year, was a first-team a selection for the second straight season, as was Riverside Poly senior infielder Morgan Stuart.

Other first-team selection included Moreno Valley Canyon Springs junior catcher Morgan LeMond, Murrieta Valley senior pitcher Lindsey Sisk, Elsinore senior shortstop Aja Paculba and Fontana senior outfielder Chandra Mogan.

Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon senior outfiedler Lauren Holmes was the lone area player chosen to the second team.

Gerhart, May, LeMond, Frani Echavarria (Riverside King), Coreen Lopez (Riverside Ramona) and Anissa Young (Bloomington) were chosen to the all-underclassmen first team. Second team choices were Vista Murrieta's Tatum and Taylor Edwards, Hemet's Katie Genn, Corona's Kristen Stubblefield and Fontana Kaiser's Vanessa Lenart.

Three area players were chosen to the all-small schools team: Murrieta Calvary Chapel's Tory Ferreira, Moreno Valley Calvary Chapel's Briana Corral and Woodcrest Christian's Katie Hennessey.

Recent Murrieta Valley graduate Lindsey Sisk helped the United States Junior National team capture the gold medal at the World Championships in Enschede, Netherlands.

The United States went 10-0 in the tournament and defeated Japan, 3-1, in the gold medal game. The U.S. outscored it opponents 88-4 in tournament play.

Sisk, who has signed with the University of Arizona, pitched in two games for the U.S., allowing no runs and two hits over six innings. She walked two and struck out 10.

San Jacinto 6-foot-6 wide receiver Gordy Cooper will attend the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on a football scholarship according to Tigers football coach Bill Powell.

With his size some think Cooper, who caught 66 passes for 876 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, will become a tight end but Powell denied such talk saying the Runnin Rebels are bringing in Cooper to be a big receiver for their spread offense.

As for Cooper's teammate and Tigers offensive/defensive lineman Ryan Dannewitz, a college decision may take a little longer than expected.

Temecula Chaparral catcher Robbie Brantly has said he will attend UC Riverside, according to his coach. Brantly, the Pumas' only representative on the All-Southwestern League first team, is 6-foot-2 and will be a senior in the fall.

Southwestern League coaches have spoken positively about Brantly, who is the latest in a long line of Inland standouts to commit to the Big West champion Highlanders.

Corona Centennial's Matt Scott has said he will attend Arizona, which recruited him as a quarterback.

Scott was ranked as the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the country. Last year, he threw for 1,703 yards and ran for 536 more.

“I feel like it is a good opportunity to me, (with) me being the first quarterback they brought in,” Scott said. “They run the same offense as Centennial.”

Moreno Valley Rancho Verde offensive tackle Tyron Smith (6-6, 265) has said he will attend USC, coach Pete Duffy confirmed Friday.

Smith is ranked by rivals.com as the No. 2 offensive tackle in America this year, as well as the No. 11 overall player. He will be a senior during the coming school year.

"He really wanted to get this process done with," Duffy said. "You know, once we went to Junior Day (at USC) and he got up there and got around them, he just felt like they made him a part of the family. The coaches, he just clicked with everybody up there. It’s one of the best programs, it's in SoCal, its in the Pac-10. He's not a guy that’s afraid of the competition. He knew wherever he wanted to go, he would play."

Steve Hagerty, former head football coach at Riverside Poly, has been hired as assistant football coach and resource specialist at Perris Citrus Hill. He will coordinate the passing game, according to CH athletic director Rich Shearer.

Poly finished 3-7 last season, 10-27-3 in Hagerty's four years at the school. He resigned in December.

Hemet's Hamani Stevens has said he will attend UCLA, according to a UCLA recruiting site.

Stevens, who will be a senior this fall, had been offered by schools like MIchigan State and UTEP, where his brother plays.

Stevens comes from a long line of accomplished Hemet football players -- coach Andy Boynton has had at least one Stevens on his team every year, and he's been at Hemet over a decade -- and at 6-2 and approximately 300 pounds, he was the top lifter on last year's Hemet team. Given his size, speed and mobility, UCLA will likely use Stevens as an interior lineman.

Stevens is an outgoing, energetic player who should be able to handle the rigors of college football. One of the highlights of each Hemet football season is the team meal Stevens' parents prepare for the team prior to every homecoming game.

Stevens was named to the CalHiSports all-state underclassman team after last season and was first-team All-Sunbelt League on offense and defense. He was named to The Press-Enterprise All-Riverside County Football Team after last season.

This will run in the Saturday paper, but for those who miss it or are curious now, here are our local baseball draftees. My comments are below.

Rd. Overall Name School Pos. Team
1 26 James Simmons UCR*/Norco P Athletics
3 105 Daniel Carroll Valley View CF Mariners
5 175 Mark Rzepczynski UCR P Blue Jays
7 243 Lucas Duda USC*/Arlington 1B Mets
9 284 Daniel Runzler UCR LHP Giants
9 296 Jaime Pedroza UCR* SS Dodgers
11 345 Jeff Dunbar UCR C Mariners
11 352 Adam Reifer UCR* RHP Cardinals
12 369 Wally Crancer Ga.Tech/RCC/Norco RF Orioles
12 376 Garrett Parcell SDSU/Norco RHP Marlins
13 406 Chris Shafer Cajon RHP Marlins
13 410 Kyle Ocampo Poly RHP Rangers
20 615 Stephen Penney UCR* RHP Mariners
21 635 Kevin Brophy UCLA/Paloma Val. RHP Devil Rays
27 820 Aaron Seuss CBU/Palm Desert RF Nationals
28 848 Matt Clark RCC 3B Pirates
30 918 Rene Escobar RCC/Perris 1B Braves
31 958 Eddie Orozco Rubidoux RHP White Sox
32 985 Anthony Renteria Great Oak CF Padres
34 1040 Brett Hambright Temescal Canyon C Phillies
36 1075 Herbert Hudson MSJC OF Athletics
38 1121 Randy Yard Palm Desert RHP Braves
38 1123 B.J. Salsbury San Jacinto RHP Rangers
39 1170 Joe Scott Cal St. Full.*/Centennial SS Brewers
41 1219 Tyler Topp RCC/Woodcrest Chr. RHP Royals
42 1257 Bryson Rahier Cajon C Braves
46 1349 Reyes Dorado RCC RHP Pirates
*college junior

Carroll
Carroll knows he didn't hit as well as he could have this year (.343), but he possesses several traits you can't teach. He's got tremendous speed (6.4-6.6 in the 60), a cannon for an arm (a rare trait among speedsters), and good size. He's also got an above-average batting eye for a prep player and isn't afraid to lean into one.

Shafer
He worked closely with a Marlins scout, to the point that the scout taught him a new, more effective grip on his slider. With an 88-93 mph fastball that projects as having good sink, and a 6-2, 235-pound frame, Shafer is projectable. He said the Marlins told him to expect a lot of lifting and a lot of running in rookie ball. He was 7-0 with a 1.83 ERA and hit .453 with seven homers.

Ocampo
Ocampo throws an easy 94 and his slider could develop into a solid pro pitch. With an improved changeup, those two pitches would work even better. Ocampo said the Rangers are thinking about using him as a closer. He's a rangy 6-3 and could potentially add something to his pitches. Evidence of that could be found in the fact that he's throwing harder this year than last year. He finished 8-1 with a 2.01 ERA.

Orozco
Orozco is an impressive pitcher who drew plenty of scouts this year; his low draft position could be reflective of his having signed a letter of intent with UC Riverside, because on talent alone he could have gone higher (as could have several other players drafted below him). Orozco has solid velocity but it's the movement on his pitches that often impresses area coaches. Orozco was 10-2 with an 0.81 ERA this year and also batted .518 with good power.

Renteria
The son of former Lake Elsinore Storm manager Rick Renteria, now the manager of the Padres' Triple-A affiliate in Portland, Renteria is a center fielder with a good build and power potential. Renteria batted only .286 with four home runs for Temecula Great Oak this year, but he hit .387 last season with 15 extra-base hits.

Hambright
Hambright, another UCR signee, has good tools behind the plate and previously in his prep career was a good pitcher. With a powerful build and a strong arm, Hambright has potential behind the dish. He hit .432 and walked 22 times this year.

Yard
Yard was hurt for much of the season, but despite being only 6 feet tall, he has a powerful arm and was considered a Division I/draftable talent because of his low 90s velocity and command of four pitches. He struck out 21 in 15 innings and was 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA.

Salsbury
He played in a Division 6 league, but Salsbury's stats -- 13-2, 0.57 ERA, 159 strikeouts in 98 innings -- are no mirage. He struck out 13 against a Division 1 league champ and nine against the top-ranked team in Division 3. Additionally, the Major League scouting bureau rates Salsbury's curve very highly on the scouting scale. He's another UCR signee.

Rahier
Rahier has good size behind the plate and showed versatility this year. After moving to the top of the lineup, he walked 24 times and finished with a .513 OBP to go with a .389 average. He was an early signee of San Jose State.

After speaking on the phone with reigning-Press Enterprise Riverside County football coach of the year, Pat Thompson of Riverside Notre Dame, who by the way had decided to continue coaching the Titans, I'm thinking Titans starting running back Kenjon Barner is going to have a busy summer.

Thompson told me several schools have been in contact with the shifty, explosive running back/defensive back, which is reiterated here, and Thompson also mentioned that UCLA and USC have also been in contact regarding Barner, which is not said in the above-linked story.

Thompson also said Barner has added 20-25 pounds of muscle to his frame since the Titans lost to San Jacinto in the East Valley Division semifinals of the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Barner, who is also an excellent basketball player, is definitely one athlete to keep a close eye on when the season begins in September. The soon-to-be senior impressed many in transferring last season to the Titans from 8-man Moreno Valley Calvary Chapel and his senior season could be even better.

Stay tuned.

San Bernardino Cajon High tennis player Jessica Roddy was selected as one of 35 nationwide winners of a $5,000 college scholarship by the MassMutual Foundation, through an association with the U.S. Tennis Association. The 35 honorees were chosen on the basis of success in tennis and academics, and their contributions to the local community. Roddy twice won the San Andreas League singles title, was on the track and field team and was an assistant softball coach for a middle school team, according to a release. Roddy plans to attend Cal State San Bernardino.

A bad exchange between Tommy Curry and anchor Nevin Gutteriez cost the team the win.

Curry came in with the led over Long Beach Poly when he and Gutteriez couldn't get off a clean exchange.

That allowed Bryshon Nellum, who set national records in the 200 and 400 earlier, to claim the lead.

Despite an incredible effort by Gutteriez to reclaim the lead, the distance was too much to overcome.

Poly won in 3:10.92, the second best time in the country.

North took second in 3:16.94.

Poly won the boys title with 46 points, North was second with 32.

This just in...

CIF announced 18,116 fans came out for the two-day state track meet.

Friday's prelims drew 6,945.

Saturday brought in 11,171.

North sophomore Reggie Wyatt took second in the 300 hurdles in 35.90 seconds.

The time is the all-time sophomore best in the nation.

The winner, LA Taft senior Jeshua Anderson won in 35.28, the best time in the country this year.

Wyatt will compete in the 1600 relay at 8:30 p.m.

Palm Desert senior Joe Canavan won the state shot put title today with a mark of 67-1 1/2.

The mark is the best in ths state and in Riverside County history.

Since it's a long time until Sunday morning, I figured I'd put the score of the Division 6 baseball final on the blog for those curious.

Joe Kling's sac fly to short right field scored Sal Estanislao with the winning run and made a winner out of reliever B.J. Salsbury as San Jacinto won its first boys championship in its history, which dates back to 1893.

The teams were tied, 2-2, for most of the game before the Tigers won it in the bottom of the seventh.

Long Beach Poly senior Bryshon Nellum defeated North senior Nevin Gutteriez in the 400.

Nellum won in 45.54 seconds. Gutteriez took second in 47.10.

Brittany Bozeman, Jessika Hornsby, Precious Watkins and Alicia King brought home the gold in the 400 relay.

Their time of 45.74 matches their best this year which is the second best in the state and nation.

North sophomore Reggie Wyatt's best time, 36.52 seconds, is the ninth best in the nation.

But the contest will also feature Los Angeles Taft senior Jeshua Anderson who set the second best time in the nation, clocking in at 35.34 last night.

Wyatt said he would try to set a new record tonight. But with competing in the 400 and 1600 relays, it will be a challenge

This will be the last State finals for North coach Charles Leathers.

What's he done in his 33 year career in high school track ,with 16 of those seasons at North?

Here's is count of state titles at North: 11 individual girls titles, three girls team titles, a girls 1600 relay crown and a boys 1600 relay crown.

He also led the Compton Centennial boys 1600 relay to a state title in 1980.

Here's a list of locals and events they're in:

Boys
Joe Canavan, Palm Desert, shot put
Nevin Gutteriez, North, 400
Chad Hall, Big Bear, 1600 & 3200
Dylan Knight, La Sierra, 1600 & 3200
Spencer Knight, La Sierra, 1600 & 3200
Cameron Stepney, San Gorgonio, 300 hurdles
Ryan Swafford, Vista Murrieta, triple jump
Reggie Wyatt, North, 300 hurdles
Realys
North 400 & 1600
Girls
Jessika Hornsby, Rancho Verde, 100 & 200
Alicia King, Rancho Verde, 200
Kiersten Kirkland, North, 300 hurdles
April Pate, Carter, 300 hurdles
Relays
North 1600
Rancho Verde 400

North coach Charles Leathers said he decided on who will run which leg on the 1600 relay - maybe.

"That will be the last thing I decided," Leathers said. "I'm pretty sure what I want to do. But things could change."

Leahters said he decided to take senior Thomas Henry out and replace him with Aaron Westbrook to allow Henry the opportunity to focus on the 400 relay.

The current order of the 1600 is Westbrook, Reggie Wyatt, Tommy Curry and Nevin Gutteriez.

The Huskies 1600 relay advanced by winning their heat.

But Senior Thomas Henry, who usually takes the first leg was replaced by senior Aaron Westbrook.

"We just decided to make a change," Nevin Gutteriez, who is also on the relay, said.

He didn't elaborate.

In all, 12 individual area athletes and all four relay teams that qualified for the prelims advanced to the finals.

Reggie Wyatt advanced by taking the top spot in his 300 hurdles heat in 37.24 seconds to move into the finals.

His time was the third be overall.

Los Angeles Taft senior Jeshua Anderson finished in 35.34, the best time at the meet and the second best time in the nation this year.

Long Beach senior Bryshon Nellum set a record in the 200.

His wind-aided time of 20.45 seconds in the contest is the best time by a California high schooler under any condition.

Following his effort in the shot put, Joe Canavan was asked by a kid for his autogrpah.

And it wasn't the first time.

"I had two guys come up to me over the summer and ask for it," he said. "It's cool. It's not like I'm going to say no. It's a perk of being a one man show."

Palm Desert senior Joe Canavan launched a toss in the shot put that measured 68 feet.

Too bad it was in warm-ups.

Canavan did move on, with a toss in the contest that measured 59-8 3/4.

"The energy just wasn't there," he said of the contest. "But with the stands full, it will be there tomorrow. It better be there."

Riverside La Sierra borthers and seniors Dylan and Spencer Knight advanced in the 1600.

Dylan finished third in his heat in 4:10.67.

Spencer took third in the seocnd heat in 4:13.26.

Big Bear senior Chad Hall also moved on, taking second in the second heat..

CIF annouced all heat winners in the running events, no matter how many heats may be in one event, will advance followed by the next fastest times to equal nine athletes or relay teams.

North won its heat in 41.13, the third best time in the state and the country.

Reggie Wyatt anchored the team which was just .01 behind its Masters time last week.

Wyatt will also compete in the 300 hurdles later tonight.

North senior thrower Whitney Ashely finished eighth in the shot put to move onto the finals tomorrow.

Top nine finishers in field events advance.

Her qualifying toss measured 40-feet, 10 inches.

Rosario Sanchez from Selma took the top spot with a toss that measured 47-04 1/2.

Relaxing under a tree with a cool breeze in the air, North coach Charles Leathers is a veteran of the CIF track playoff system.

And he said he knows one of the biggest keys to the success of his team is battling a common enemy - hunger.

"We fed the kids already," Leathers said. "You know, we don't want to be driving around here after 11 p.m. trying to find something for them to eat."

Leathers also said the 1600 relay team will consist of sophomore Reggie Wyatt, junior Tommy Curry and seniors Thomas Henry and Nevin Gutteriez.

But he added he may change the order of the legs they run.

At Masters, Gutteriez, who ran the anchor, gave up the North lead to Long Beach Poly senior Bryshon Nellum.

Poly won the race in 3:11.17. North was second in 3:11.73.

North's boys 1600 relay is set to run in the second of four heats.

Long Beach Poly will run in the first heat.

Currently, each heat winner and the next six fasest times times advance the finals in contests that have three heats.

CIF officials are working to determine the rules for contests that have four heats at the moment.

The current understaning in that each heat winner will move on with the next five fastest times follwoing to the finals.

When I hear that officially, I'll let you know.

Dyestatcal.com is predicting Riverside North will take the state track title in the 400-meter relay. But Long Beach Poly will win the 1600 relay.

The Web site is also suggesting North may move sophomore Reggie Wyatt into the anchor spot in the 1600 in an effort to fight off Poly senior Bryshon Nellum.

We''ll find out who wins what starting today at 2 p.m. with the state track prelims.

Check back here for updates throughout of the event.

Well, after a 12-run eighth inning (nine by LA Loyola, three by La Mirada) delayed the start of the Vista Murrieta-Camarillo Division 2 baseball final by about an hour, things are close to getting underway here at Dodger Stadium.

A few thousand fans are on hand, with the clear majority on Camarillo's side. When Vista Murrieta was first introduced before the game, the Camarillo section booed -- and again when the Bronco players were first being introduced.

On the positive side, the fans are seated behind the retaining wall on the lower level, so the players and umpires shouldn't be able to hear much heckling during the game.

In the first game of the day, a couple of players came within 10-20 feet of home runs to the power alleys, but with the cool, damp air that rolls into Chavez Ravine at night, I'll be impressed if anyone in the nightcap reaches the warning track on the fly. Should anyone do so, I'll make a note of it.

San Jacinto and Beaumont will face off in the Division 6 final, giving the Inland area at least one guaranteed baseball champion this year.

I think it will be a pretty interesting game. Beaumont saved its ace, Brent Bray, for the final, while San Jacinto ace B.J. Salsbury threw a shutout in a semifinal win over Bishop.

Therefore, because of the 10-innings-per-week limit, San Jacinto might have to lean on freshman Miguel Navarro, who's pitched well this year, before going to Salsbury in relief.

The Tigers took two of three from Beaumont this year in a competitive Mountain Pass League series, but Beaumont beat the Tigers in the Banning Tournament, so it's clear how competitive a contest between these two squads can be.

After Vista Murrieta's come-from-behind, 5-4 win over host Oxnard Rio Mesa Tuesday, infielders T.S. Reed and D.C. Legg broke away from the victory throng and gave themselves enough room to do a running, jumping high five, as immortalized by then-Dodgers Glenn Burke and Dusty Baker after Baker hit a grand slam in Game 2 of the 1977 NLCS.

For those unfamiliar with the moment, which was captured on video and remains an iconic image, had a lot to do with popularizing the high five in sports. Here is part of an article by Lyle Spencer that appeared in the 1981 Dodger Yearbook:

The Dodgers and their fans are ecstatic as Baker tours the bases behind his three teammates, but the ultimate expression of the moment doesn't come until Dusty approaches the dugout.

"That's right," Dusty Baker says, smiling handsomely with the recollection of the magic moment. "That was it. The first 'High Five.' "

Baker reportedly took the high-five very seriously. One account I've read details how Baker starting a brawl with the Padres in 1982 because he felt the Padres weren't good enough to high-five on the field.

The point of all this, of course, is that Reed, Legg and the rest of the Broncos will play Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, site of that iconic high five.

The Broncos lost in the Division 3 final last year at Angel Stadium, but as coach Dave Legg noted, "Maybe going to a different stadium will get it done this time."

La Sierra seniors and brothers Dylan and Spencer Knight advanced in the 1600 and 3200 races.

Distance coach Will Jacobsmeyer said prior to the meet that if they both qualified, they may not run both events at state because Dylan is better in the 1600 and Spencer's speciality is the 3200

But that may not be the case, considering how well Dylan ran in both contests.

Dylan finished fourth in the 1600, 4:11.46.

Spencer took eighth in 4:14.88.

In the 3200, Dylan took third in 9:05.18 and Spencer finished sixth in 9:09.34.

Big Bear senior Chad Hall just won the 3200 at the CIF-SS Masters Meet.

Royal standout Michael Cybulski took the lead away from Hall in the last lap.

But Hall turned on the afterburners to retake the lead in the last 200 meters for the win.

Hall finished second in the 1600 and will advance to the state meet in both.

North Sophomore Reggie Wyatt just won the 300 hurdles in 36.52 seconds at the CIF-SS Masters Meet.

That's the seventh fastest time in the country this year and second best in the state.

He still has the 1600 relay to run at about 9 p.m.

Rancho Verde senior Alicia King won the 100 meter dash in 11.68 seconds at the CIF-SS Master Meet.

And, no surprise, Palm Desert senior Joe Canavan won the shot put with a mark of 64-feet, 10 1/4 inches.

Canavan has yet to best his state record of 66 feet which he set April 7 at the Arcadia Invite.

Leaving the burning question, can he beat the mark at state?

North's boys 400 relay, consisting of sophomore Reggie Wyatt, junior Tommy Curry and seniors Thomas Henry and Nevin Gutteriez won the event at the CIF-SS Masters track meet in 41.12 seconds.

The team just avoided a disasters handoff between Curry and Wyatt, who ran the last leg.

Wyatt began his run early and Curry had trouble catching him.

The four athletes will run the 1600 later tonight.

The Rancho Verde girls 400 relay team set the second best time in the nation today at the CIF-SS track and field Masters meet.

The team, consisting of sophomore Brittany Bozeman and seniors Jessika Hornsby, Precious Watkins and Alicia King won the section title in 45.74.

In what must be an effort to focus on the 1600 relay, which the Huskies won a state title in last year, sophomore Reggie Wyatt is a scratch in the 400 and senior Nevin Gutteriez has been removed from the 200 at the CIF-SS Masters Meet today.

Wyatt won the D 2 title in the 400 last week and Gutteriez won the 200 crown.

Wyatt, who won the D 2 title inthe 300 hurdles and holds the second best time in the state in that event, will compete in that event today.

Many of you might remember David Ortega and co. from the stats page of your HSI magazine, as well as the pages of the sports section. Now they'll be trying to make some noise in Chula Vista.

Blythe Palo Verde Valley coach George Dagnino reports that quarterback Ortega, WR-DB A.J. Kemp, WR-DB Michael St. Jules and RB Brandon Rogers will all be attending Southwestern College in Chula Vista next year.

Ortega was the Inland area passing leader last year (3,697 yards, 40 TD, 6 INT) and holds the San Diego Section record for career passing yards, while Kemp led the Inland area in receiving last year (96 receptions for 1,598 yards and 20 TD).

However, it's hard to get recruited in Blythe, and therefore the former Yellowjackets will head to Southwestern College, where they figure to attract more attention. Here's wishing them the best of luck.

Yesterday, I traveled 260 miles round trip to cover the Norco/Westlake Oaks Christian Division 4 semifinal boys volleyball match and all the miles were well worth it.

The match was one of the best high school sporting events I've had the chance to cover this high school season regardless of sport.

Lower on this blog, you will find that I said Norco was better than a No. 10 seed, which was where they were slated in the final CIF Division 4 rankings and last night they came through again, nearly shocking Oaks Christian before eventually losing.

Norco's fight in coming back from an 0-2 deficit to force a hard fought fifth game was astonishing considering the opponent. Oaks Christian is not just an average team. They are the two-time defending Division 4 champion and were the No. 1 seed in the bracket again this season. They had not lost a playoff game in two seasons and were not even challenged in the two matches they played entering the game.

Norco played was no fear in the final three games. They played like a team that had been there before, when in fact they had not since the program had never advanced past the second round.

Norco's effort even in defeat was gratifying not only for the program but for Inland area boys volleyball because the Cougars showed it is possible for an Inland team to contend with the traditional powers from LA, Ventura and Orange Counties.

The one thing that is sad about the Norco team, is that they will not get another chance to play together since most of their roster is leaving with eight seniors graduating including their best player Jake Celestin. Two solid players will remain in Taylor Sander and Mitch Dunham but after last night's match, I just kept wondering what this Norco team could have done if they had one more season together. I imagine it would have been special considering the performance they put on last night.

Although he's currently in the throws of the CIF track postseason, Riverside North sophmore Reggie Wyatt will need to start making travel arrangements.

Wyatt has been selected to compete in the 5th annual IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, July 11-15.

Wyatt, who will compete in the 400, 400 and 1600 relays and the 300 hurdles Friday at the CIF-SS Maters Meet, will compete in the 400 hurdles and the World Championships.

Moreno Valley Rancho Verde track stars Alicia King and Precious Watkins, who are members of the 400 relay team which will comepte at the Masters meet Friday, signed national letters of intent.

Watkins singed with Cal State Northridge on Friday.

King signed with San Deigo State University Tuesday.

The other senior member of the relay squad, Jessika Hornsby hasn't decided where she's going to go.

Riverside Poly's Chelsea Arellano has been one of the area's most valuable No.2 pitchers for the past three seasons, and the senior right-hander definitely showed her worth once again Tuesday as the Bears held on to defeat Santa Ana Foothill, 4-3, in a Division 1 second-round playoff game.

Foothill cut two runs off a three-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Knights had the tying run on base with one out. Arellano relieved starter Kendall Gorham and recorded the next two outs to end the threat.

Arellano, a senior, then set down Foothill in the seventh inning, stranding another potential tying run on third base, to pick up the save. .

Riverside Poly, No.10 in the HSI.PE.com rankings, plays Corona Santiago in a quarterfinal game Thursday.

Can one at-bat turn a player's season around?

For any of you naysayers out there, I now present the case of Norco's Nicole Angene.

Angene is one of the area's most physically-gifted softball players, but at times, the senior first baseman has had a frustrating season at plate. Most notably was Angene's struggles against Corona Santiago's Kamerin May, who had fanned Angene eight times in nine at-bats heading into her final plate appearance April 27.

For the third time this season, the Sharks intentionally walked Kim Kissell to get to Angene. The previous two times led to a ground out and strikeout for Angene.

(Cliche alert) However, the third time was the charm for Angene, who bounced a single over the infield to score Teagan Gerhart and give the Cougars a 1-0 victory.

Angene's final playoffs got off to a positive start, as she belted two doubles to the outfield wall in Norco's 3-0 Division 1 second-round win over Lake Forest El Toro. Angene will try to keep her hot streak going Thursday, as the Cougars (No.1 in the HSI.PE.com rankings and the No. 3 seed in Division 1) plays Riverside Ramona in quarterfinal game Thursday.

Corona Santiago got off to a solid start in defense of its Division 1 softball crown, pounding out 13 hits en rout to a 9-0 victory over Santa Margarita.

Meredith Hackett, Kamerin May, Kristin May, Danyella Charron and Brianna Turang two hits apiece for the Sharks, No.2 in the HSI.PE.com rankings. Hackett launched her sixth home run of the season, a three-run blast in the sixth inning.

"We turned 'em lose today," Santiago coach John Perez said of his hitters.

The outburst is a good sign for Santiago, whose losses over the past few seasons often have been due to a lack of offensive production. Four of the Sharks' five losses this season have been shutouts (Norco twice, Upland and Long Beach Wilson).

Santiago next faces Riverside Poly in a quarterfinal game Tuesday.

On March 28, Riverside Ramona's Christina Bolin hit one of the most impressive home runs I've ever seen from a softball player, launching a ball over the center field fence and off the baseball dugout at Riverside Poly.

I estimated Bolin's shot traveled about 270 feet, and it also prompted Rams coach Laura Shinar to refer to her senior shortstop as "Bomb-zilla."

Well, "Bomb-zilla" Bolin was at it again Tuesday, launching a game-deciding two-run home run and helping the Rams win their Division 1 playoff debut, 2-1, over Simi Valley Royal, which won the Division 1 title back in 2005.

Up next for Ramona is a quarterfinal matchup with third-seeded Norco on Thursday. Norco and Ramona are No.1 and No.4, respectively, in the HSI.PE.com rankings.

Is it possible for a team to be afraid of a name?

That very well could be case for the Garden Grove Pacifica softball team, which will play host to Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon in a Division 2 quarterfinal game Thursday.

A quick look at Temescal Canyon's season statistics show senior Amanda May being the the ace of the pitching staff. Last season, it was another May, Corona Santiago's Kamerin May, who shut down the Mariners' vaunted offense in the Division 1 title game.

Pacifica still boasts one of the top offenses in the division, with UCLA-bound shortstop Monica Harrison leading the way (9 HR, 38 RBI). As a team, the Mariners are batting .340 with 29 home runs, and they've been averaging 6.5 runs per game.

However, the Mariners have been vulnerable to hard-throwing pitcher with good rise balls. Amanda May definitely qualifies as hard-throwing, and she'll probably be working on her rise ball at Wednesday's practice.

Of course, this could be a moot point if Titans coach Kevin Simpson decides to throw Pacifica an off-speed pitch and throw crafty left-hander Janelle Valle. Either way, the Titans are in good shape because both May and Valle both have big-game experience.

Moreno Valley Canyon Springs senior shortstop Tiffany Lane has to be on the short list for the area's most dangerous softball leadoff hitters.

Lane scored both of the Cougars runs in their 2-1 victory over Chino Don Lugo in the second round of the Division 2 playoffs on Tuesday. She beat out a bunt for a single in the first inning and came around to score the team's first run on a ground out. In the fifth inning, Lane reached on a fielder's choice and scored on Melissa Rivera's triple.

On the season, Lane is batting .551 with 56 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.

Canyon Springs will face Cypress, the third-place team from Empire League, in the quarterfinals Thursday. Cypress is not a typical third-place team, however. The Centurions did lose five games in league play, but four of those losses came to the division's No.1 and No.3 seeded teams (La Palma Kennedy and Garden Grove Pacifica, respectively). Cypress also is the team that eliminated No.2 seed Orange El Modena in the first round.

Dick Bruich is known to many people for his coaching exploits on the football field, but the gravelly-voiced Bruich is becoming quite the accomplished softball coach, too.

Bruich's Fontana Kaiser softball team advanced to the Division 3 quarterfinal round with a 5-2 victory over Arcadia on Tuesday. The Cats are the lone area team standing in Division 3, as Colton and San Bernardino Cajon both lost on Tuesday.

Freshman Alyssia Palomino, this week's HSI.PE.com Player of the Week, had a rough start inside the circle, allowing two first-inning runs, but she bounced back and held Arcadia scoreless for the next six innings.

Kaiser's offense also was held scoreless for six of the seven innings, but the Cats scratched up five run in the fifth inning to support Palomino. Sophomore Marquis Lozoya's three-run home run was the biggest hit of the inning, giving the Cats a 4-2 lead.

Bruich and his players might have been a little surprised when they learned who will be their next opponent, as Whittier California stunned top-seeded Westlake Village Oaks Christian, 3-2. California entered the playoff with a 14-15 record, but the Condors have played one of the toughest schedules of any team in Division 3.

Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World's run to the Division 5 softball quarterfinals has been quite impressive, considering the Fighting Scots went winless in Coach Bill Kelly's first season at the school five years ago.

Tuesday, Rim of the World pulled off its third consecutive one-run victory, beating San Jacinto, 2-1. The Scots won their wild-card game against Alhambra, 2-1, and their first-round game against Victorville Silverado, 6-5.

Sophomore pitcher Erica Prentice has thrown her hat - or perhaps her headband - into the ring to be chosen The Press-Enterprise's San Bernardino-area Player of the Year. Prentice tossed a four-hitter and struck out 11 on Tuesday, and she also scored both of the Scots' runs. On the season, Prentice is hitting .506 with 29 runs scored; inside the circle, she has 16-5 record with a 0.74 earned run and 268 strikeouts in 152 innings.

The Scots face a familair opponent Thursday: Mojave River League foe Hesperia. Rim won the first meeting, 2-1, while the top-seeded Scorpions took the next two games, 7-0 and 13-2. Prentice did not pitch the final game for the Scots.

As a proud graduate of a one-time Victory League school (Riverside Bethel Christian), it's hard for me not to hide my excitement to see three Victory League softball teams advancing to the Division 7 quarterfinals.

Moreno Valley Calvary Chapel's campus has experienced an emotional month of May, with a current student and a former student both passing away tragically. The Lions' softball team also has gone through a rough stretch, with pitcher Liz Perez lost for the season after undergoing an appendectomy last week. Still, Calvary Chapel has managed to push on, pulling out victories by the scores of 9-7 and 9-6. Up next for the second-seeded Lions is a long trip to the Lancaster area to face Acton Vasquez.

Calimesa Mesa Grande has shown the school is more than just a girls basketball powerhouse. The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 37-1 in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Mesa Grande pounded out 18 hits Tuesday, including nine extra-base hits, two apiece for Rachel Kinney (3B, HR), Hilary Nieland (2B, 3B), Rochelle Cummings ( two 2B) and Alyse Schwerdt (two 2B). Up next for the Cardinals is a matchup with top-seeded Camarillo Cornerstone Christian.

Hemet Baptist Christian also has steamrolled through its first two games, outscoring its opponents 21-6. The Warriors pounded out 14 hits on Tuesday, including a 4-for-4 effort from sophomore Vanessa Yonkers. Celeste Reber, Denielle Flores and winning pitcher Nikki Robertson added two hits apiece. Up next for Hemet Baptist Christian is a home game against fourth-seeded Canoga Park Faith Baptist.

All of this winning might have Entourage's Johnny Drama proclaiming, "Victory!!!!!"

Not be outdone, the Big Sky League also has seen three of its softball teams advance to the quarterfinals, this trio of winners coming in the Division 6 playoffs

Woodcrest Christian, Riverside Christian and Murrieta Calvary Chapel all split games with one another during the regular season, and the tough competition has seemingly prepared the teams for the postseason.

Woodcrest Christian had the toughest time getting out of the second round Tuesday, but the Royals held on for a 7-6 victory over Los Angeles. Woodcrest Christian trailed 4-0 at the ouset before rallying to take a 7-4 lead after six innings. Marymount pushed across two runs in the top of the seventh, but Alexis Alonzo relieved starter Marissa David and recorded the final two outs of the game. Alonzo also was the hitter star, going 3 for 4 with four runs batted in. Next up for second-seeded Royals is a road game at Valley Village Campbell Hall.

Riverside Christian, seeking its first CIF softball title since 2003, also had to come from behind Tuesday. The Cougars scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull out an 8-6 victory over Capistrano Valley Christian. Freshman Asia Alvarez was the winning pitcher and she went 3 for 4 with a double and home run at the plate. Riverside Christian, the No.4, seed will face Montebello Cantwell Sacred Heart on Thursday.

Murrieta Calvary Chapel, the Division 6 runner-up last season, is making another strong push to make it back to Barber Park in Irvine. The Warriors have outscored their opponents 29-1 in the first rounds of the playoffs. Tory Ferreira, arguably the top pitcher in the division, fired a one-hitter and struck out 13 to pick up the victory. Up next for the third-seeded Warriors is a home game against Garden Serra.

Tuesday's second-round games weren't kind to Inland baseball teams. The number of area squads still alive dropped from 23 to 10. Here's who still has a chance at a title:

Division (number of Inland teams that made playoffs in that division) -- Inland teams still alive
D1 (9) -- none
D2 (7) -- Temescal Canyon, Vista Murrieta
D3 (6) -- Cajon, Hemet
D4 (6) -- Palm Desert
D5 (6) -- Woodcrest Chr.,
D6 (11) -- Beaumont, 29 Palms, San Jacinto
D7 (11) -- Packinghouse Chr.

Here, also, is a chart of all possible meetings between two area teams.

Local-local matchups possible:
D1 -- none
D2 -- Vista Murrieta-Temescal in finals
D3 -- Cajon-Hemet in quarterfinals
D4 -- none
D5 -- none
D6 -- San Jacinto-Twentynine Palms in quarterfinals; Beaumont-(San Jacinto or Twentynine Palms) in finals
D7 -- none

The Mustangs scored 65 points to claim the D 1 title.

The 400 relay team came in at 46.15 seconds, the sixth fastest time in the nation.

Long Beach Poly set a new record in the race, finishing in 45.58.

Riverside North claimed the boys and girls CIF-SS division 2 team titles in track and field.

That makes 14 team titles in coach Charles Leathers 33 year career.

The boys socred 75 points and the girls earned 65.

The boys won the 400 and 1600 relays.The girls took home the 1600 relay title.

Sophomore Reggie Wyatt won the 400 and took the 300 hurdles crown.

He was also on the 400 and 1600 relay teams.

Wyatt took home his second individual D 2 track title by winning the 300 hurdles in 36.57 seconds.

The time set a record for the CIF-SS divisionals and is the sixth best in the country this year.

He is set to compete in the 4x400 relay later today.

Wyatt was also the anchor on the 4oo relay team which took the top spot in 41.32

Riverside North holds a slim six point lead for the D 2 boys team title through eight events.

The Huskies girls team has a bit more breathing room through nine contests, holding a 15 point lead.

The Rancho Verde girls squad is in the lead for the D 1 title thorugh ning events by nine points.

Riverside North sophomore Reggie Wyatt upset teammate senior Nevin Guttereiz to take the CIF-SS Division 2 400 title at the track and field divisionals today.

Wyatt created an early lead and never gave it up.

Nevin, who won the title the last two years finished second.

Riverside La Sierra twins Dylan and Spencer Kinght did battle in the 1600 race, but neither won the title.

Simi Valley Royal senior Hudson Andrews took the title in 4:11.02. Dylan took seond in 4:11.60 and Spencer finsihed third in 4:14.51.

Both advanced and will face off again in the 3200 later today.

The Mustangs girls 400 relay finsihed second in the Division 1 contest.
Their time of 46.15 seconds in the sixth best in the country.
Unfortunately, they ran into the best team in the nation, Long Beach Poly, which set a national best time of 45.58.

Having updated my playoff brackets, I figured I'd post this information so Inland fans could see which Inland teams are still alive heading into Tuesday's second round.

Division (number of Inland teams that made playoffs in that division) -- Inland teams still alive
D1 (9) -- Poly, King
D2 (7) -- REV, Temescal Canyon, Murrieta Valley, Vista Murrieta
D3 (6) -- San Gorgonio, Cajon, Hemet
D4 (6) -- Norte Vista, Rubidoux, Palm Desert
D5 (6) -- Murrieta CC, Woodcrest Chr.,
D6 (11) -- Desert Hot Springs, Joshua Springs, Beaumont, Bloomington Chr., 29 Palms, San Jacinto
D7 (11) -- Cornerstone Chr., Cal Lutheran, Packinghouse Chr.

I've also put together a chart of all possible meetings between two area teams. Some of these meetings are unlikely based on seedings, but I wanted to include every possible eventuality.

Local-local matchups possible:
D1 -- Poly-King in finals
D2 -- REV-Temescal in quarterfinals; Murrieta-(REV or Temescal) in semifinals; Vista Murrieta-(Murrieta or REV or Temescal) in finals
D3 -- Cajon-Hemet in quarterfinals; San Gorgonio-(Cajon or Hemet) in finals
D4 -- Rubidoux-Palm Desert in semifinals; Norte Vista-(Rubidoux or Palm Desert) in finals
D5 -- Woodcrest Chr.-Murrieta CC in finals
D6 -- Bloomington Chr.-Twentynine Palms in second round; San Jacinto-(Bloomington Chr.-Twentynine Palms) in quarterfinals; Joshua Springs-Beaumont in quarterfinals; Desert Hot Springs-(Joshua Springs or Beaumont) in semifinals; (Desert Hot Springs or Joshua Springs or Beaumont)-(San Jacinto or Bloomington Christian or Twentynine Palms) in finals
D7 -- Cal Lutheran-Packinghouse Chr. in second round; Cornerstone Chr.-(Cal Lutheran or Packinghouse Chr.) in finals

One result of Anaheim Canyon's 8-1 win over Moreno Valley Vista del Lago Friday (see Saturday's paper for a game story) is that Canyon will host Riverside Poly Tuesday in the second round.

Poly is the team that knocked Canyon out of last year's playoffs, defeating the Comanches in the quarterfinals, 1-0.

"That was an intense ballgame," Canyon coach Joe Hoggatt said.

The Ravens are done for the year, but they came a long way this year. After finishing fifth in the Sunbelt League last year, they turned things around and captured the Inland Valley League crown this season.

High school baseball tends to feature plenty of talking from both dugouts -- words of encouragement, exclamations, general cheers and occasional jeers -- but Riverside Norte Vista and Cathedral City took things to another level in their first-round Division 4 game Thursday.

Cat City was going nonstop throughout the game. Norte Vista, also a talkative team, did plenty of noise-making on its own.

The Norte Vista football team did its part, too. At least 100 kids in red and black were running laps around the baseball field, and they made plenty of noise too.

"This is an experience," Lions coach Earl Smith said afterwards. "It was a fun game, it was a college-type atmosphere."

Braves coach Ryan Simpson agreed.

"I do love the energy that they (Cat City) brought," he said. "When they came through our gate on their bus, they were yelling, and they never stopped."

With so much spirit going around, it's a wonder that Kenny Dykstra wasn't on hand. Either way, the end result was an unusually intense, involved atmosphere for a first-round game, both for the players and the many spectators.

Norco and Corona Santiago are the two boys volleyball teams from the Inland area left in the playoffs with the quarterfinals beginning tonight at 7 p.m. The co-Mountain View League Champs have their hands full tonight with the top two teams from the Surburban League.

The Sharks, who were ranked sixth in the final CIF-SS poll, are on the road against Lakewood Mayfair, which is the third-ranked team in Division 4. The match should be a classic and if the Sharks can pull out a victory, they will face the winner of the South Pasadena-Bishop Montgomery match in the semfinal round. The Sharks are peaking at the right time right now and have what it takes to pull off the upset.

Norco, the tenth ranked team in the final poll, is at home again, hosting Cerritos, which is unranked but nonetheless pulled off an upset over fourth-ranked Redlands Arrowhead Christian with a three game win on Tuesday. I said it before and I'll say it again, Norco is better than the No. 10 ranking regardless if they win tonight. The Cougars proved it on Tuesday by defeating Westminster La Quinta, the fifth-ranked team, and now are one big win away from the semifinals where they would face the Oaks Christian-La Salle winner if the Cougars are to advance.

Check back tonight to see if the Sharks and the Cougars advance on to the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 4 boys volleyball playoffs.

The Ken Hubbs Foundation announced its 2007 winners for each San Bernardino area high school at Monday's Inland Empire 66ers baseball game. The winners will attend an awards banquet May 23, when the overall winner will be announced. The school winners for top male athletes:
Miller -- Zack von Pertz
Aquinas -- Chike Amajoyi
Arrowhead Christian -- Jimmy Stromwell
Arroyo Valley -- Nick Paez
Big Bear -- Chad Hall
Bloomington -- Keith Goins
Cajon -- Tyler Ahles
Carter -- Billy Hamilton
Colton -- Joshua Pope
Eisenhower -- Louis Holguin
Fontana -- Jose Ruiz
Kaiser -- Deckar Alexander
Pacific -- Brenton Hagood
Rialto -- Dey Juan Hemmings
Rim of the World -- Daylan Swedlow
Redlands -- John Hughes
Redlands East Valley -- Ronnie Fouch
San Bernardino -- Jason Amador
San Gorgonio -- Lee Knowlton
Yucaipa -- Brett Roy

While there are a slew of softball games this week involving two area teams, there are precious few local-local baseball matchups.

In Divisions 1 through 5 -- that's five 32-team brackets, plus wild-cards -- there is exactly one game this week guaranteed to feature two local teams -- Cathedral City and Riverside Norte Vista in Division 4.

If La Quinta beats Barstow tonight, they'll face Rubidoux in the second local-local matchup for those divisions.

I thought it was interesting how the brackets worked out this year in those divisions. Divisions 6 and 7 have a few local-local matchups, so at least there's some normality there.

The Santiago boys team made remarkable progress in the past year, transforming from a team of misfits with little respect for its coach to CIF contender this year.

When I did a story on them earlier this season, the boys spoke almost embarassingly about their antics of a year ago. To put it into perspective, one of them frolicked in the Pacific Ocean last year during the CIF meet at Belmont Plaza.

This year they finished seventh overall (girls finished sixth), only 14 points behind Norco. When I saw a few walking around the pool deck they seemed focused and dedicated to being there.

Congrats, Santiago, for a nice showing.

Redlands senior Brooke Vessey wrapped up her high school career tonight in Long Beach, finishing eighth in the 100 butterfly and 12th in the 50 freestyle. She also swam in two Redlands relays.

No top finishes for Vessey, who's better known for her water polo skills, but still a good effort for a fantastic athlete.

She'll play water polo for San Diego State next year.

Moments after the Division I CIF finals here in Long Beach, a rather shaggy haired fella grabbed the official microphone. Parents and friends gathered around with cameras.

He obviously had something important to say.

"(Redacted), will you go to prom with me," Mater Dei junior Patrick White said, his voice booming over Belmont Plaza's loudspeaker.

The young lady rounded the corner of the pool, saw White standing under the diving board with a microphone and hugged him. He asked again.

She said yes.

San Jacinto offensive lineman/defensive lineman Ryan Dannewitz has had quite the offseason. The highly-sought after Tigers junior already has offers from multiple schools and that number should rise considering he has the entire summer left to go until his senior season on the field.

Recently, Dannewitz worked out at Notre Dame, where I am sure Charlie Weis had dreams of Dannewitz blocking for Jimmy Clausen. The Fighting Irish have not offered yet, but that doesn't mean they won't in the future.

In this article, Dannewitz talks about Orange Bowl winner Louisville but what I found interesting was at the bottom of the article it says Dannewitz will for sure visit Arizona and Arizona State in the summer. When he visits the Sun Devils, he will know one familiar face that will beginning his first year with the team in former Tigers quarterback Chasen Stangel. If Dannewitz, who is considered one of the top 250 recruits of the 2008 class, were to also choose the Sun Devils, the offensive line could be devasting with Dannewitz and Norco's Adam Tello and Garth Gerhart, who also begin their first season as Sun Devils this year.

The fact remains, Dannewitz is a coveted player and will face a major decision in the coming months.

Fourteen Inland area boys volleyball teams in three separate divisions begin tonight with championship dreams still intact. How many of those dreams survive the night remains to be seen. Here are some quick thoughts on the road ahead for Inland boys volleyball teams.

Of the four teams from the Sunbelt League in Division 2 representing the Inland area, only one team (Hemet) has a home game tonight. The Bulldogs must have been happy to see they got the home game and the No. 1 seed from the league after splitting the league championship with West Valley but if the Bulldogs are to beat Villa Park tonight, they surely will meet Newport Beach Corona del Mar in the second round, which will be an extremely tough matchup as Corona del Mar is the No. 1 seed in the Division. If any team in the Inland area is prepared to beat the Division favorite, it is the Bulldogs, who are a team deep with seniors.

West Valley, Paloma Valley and Cajon all have League winners in the first round, with West Valley (at No. 9 Arcadia) and Paloma Valley (at No. 5 Laguna Beach) meeting ranked teams. It will not be easy for these teams, but of the three teams that could potentially come up with an upset I like West Valley, which is coming off a big win over Hemet last Friday.

In Division 3, the top Inland area team is Yucaipa, who will play host to Pomona Garey tonight. Yucaipa finished the season undefeated in Citrus Belt League play in winning the league title but Garey is an interesting opponent considering they are one year removed from a trip to the Division 3 quarterfinals, although this year they were the No. 3 seed from their league as opposed to the No. 1 seed from their league a year ago.

Redlands is in the same boat that Hemet is in Division 2. They get a home game, which is wonderful for the team, but if the Terriers are to defeat Montebello in the first round, they would most likely see Santa Monica, the No. 1 seed in Division 3 in the second round. If Redlands does meet Santa Monica, it will be a good test for them considering the majority of the Terriers are underclassmen. City-rival Redlands East Valley travels to No. 5 ranked Los Altos in what figures to be a tough match.

Half of the 14 Inland area teams to make the playoffs reside in Division 4. Redlands Arrowhead Christian is the No. 4 seed in Division 4 and have the best shot to cause some damage in the Division. The Eagles have only lost one match this season and that was a five game match to Division 2 West Valley in March. The Eagles start their quest for a title at home against Riverside La Sierra, which received an at-large bid from the Mountain View League.

Norco, which could be a sleeper team in Division 4, opens against La Puente Bishop Amat. If the Cougars get big performances from their star players, this team might have a playoff run in them. Fellow Mountain View League champion Corona Santiago, which got the No. 1 seed from the league, opens at home against Loma Linda. If the Sharks advance, they will face a slew of problems in possibly the No. 8, the No. 3 and the No. 2 seeds but the Sharks have firepower that can match many teams.

The most even matchup for an Inland area team might be for Murrieta Calvary Chapel, who plays host to Garden Grove Rancho Alamitos. Both teams finished second in their respective leagues to ranked teams and both team possess the talent to advance. Corona, which made the playoffs for the first time since 2003, travels to Alpha League Champion Whittier Christian. It will be interesting to see if Corona gets solid play from both the freshmen and the seniors on their team, if so, they are a tough team to beat.

Get out and see some volleyball games tonight if you can, there should be plenty of quality action on the court.

While no Division 4 swimmers took home any first-place medals yesterday at the CIF finals, there are some bright spots in the mix.

Bloomington freshman Monique Haney took second in the 100 butterfly, and Canyon Springs sophomore Hayden Palmer took third in the 200 individual medley. Both were absolutely thrilled to take part in CIF -- especially Haney, who practically floated around the pool deck despite losing by .35.

So take note, because both Haney and Palmer should be CIF contenders for a number of years.

When you start your ace pitcher and fall behind, 10-0, in the early going, you don't expect to win. But Corona Centennial did just that Friday, coming back to defeat Corona Santiago on Brandyn Magee's two-run home run. Tanner Hoechlin hit a home run in the sixth to give Santiago a one-run lead.

Santiago scored five runs in consecutive innings early on, but the Huskies scored eight runs in an inning, including three on Devin Johnson's home run.

Because Centennial has defeated Santiago twice in Mountain View League play, with only Friday's game at Santiago remaining, they have clinched the top playoff seed out of the league. Santiago could earn a co-championship with a win Friday, but Centennial will go as the number one seed regardless.

Moreno Valley Canyon Springs senior guard Jasmin Thomas signed a letter of intent with Chico State Wednesday, Cougars coach Gail Hale said, and will receive a full basketball scholarship.

Thomas isn't your typical full-ride college player. She does not play travel ball, and after transfering from Rancho Cucamonga High to Canyon Springs prior to this school year, she told Hale that she hadn't had heard from any recruiters. She averaged just over five points a game this year for the guard-laden Cougars, focusing on defense and distributing instead of scoring.

However, when Chico State told Hale they wanted to come down to watch LaTorya Barbee, Hale told the coaches there that while Barbee planned to sign with Long Beach State, Chico State might be interested in Thomas, a 5-foot-6 point guard.

Indeed they were.

"They liked her speed and the way she sees the floor," Hale said. "They were looking for guards that could really push the ball, and defensively there's no risk because she's real quick, she's all over the court."

Monday night I had the unique opportunity of participating in the selection process to determine the 43rd annual Ken Hubbs Award winner.

While I didn't have a vote, I joined 16 volunteer members of the Ken Hubbs Foundation to answer questions regarding the athletic qualifications of the candidates.

The meeting took place at a real estate office in Grand Terrace.
And while it was held in a back room, there was no smoking, no pinky rings and no slide of hand.

The foundation consists of friends and family of Ken Hubbs who are dedicated to keeping his memory alive.

So, how do they pick candidates for the awards?

The foundation sends out forms to the athletic directors of 20 San Bernardino area schools. The ADs are asked to choose outstanding athletes who are also outstanding students and outstanding citizens of their respective communities.

Each foundation member is given a school for which he is responsible for and read the forms aloud to the other members.

Some forms come with letters of recommendations, resumes and stats.
A school winner is chosen, then an overall award winner is selected.

What struck me most at the meeting, was how each member was determined to choose the best overall person for the award. Even at the end, when it came down to the final two candidates, a lively debate ensued regarding who should be the overall winner.

Want to know who is in the running?

Each school winner, who are candidates for the overall honor, will be announced at Monday's 66ers game.

I ran across a familiar name while taking a tennis score over the phone today; that would be Tony Avila, the Elsinore kicker and soccer player -- who now plays tennis for Elsinore. The Tigers defeated Montclair in a wild-card match Tuesday and Avila teamed with Mark Logue for a doubles sweep.

Tennis coach Rick Wolter told me that Avila decided to try out for tennis on a whim and Wolter said, okay, try it for two days and make a decision.

"Now I can't get him to put his racket down, he plays on the weekends and everything," Wolter said.

Avila was a kicker, punter and cornerback for the Tigers, earning a spot on The Press-Enterprise All-Riverside County second team last season.

As I covered the Sunbelt League the past two years, I was thoroughly impressed by his leg strength.

In a playoff win over Rancho Verde, all four of his punts were downed inside the four-yard line. He also made several field goals over 40 yards, including a 56-yarder against Hemet.

According to Wolter, Avila will take those talents and play football at College of the Desert next year.

Fontana already has clinched at least a share of the Citrus Belt League softball title, but the race for second place could go down to the wire.

Redlands, Fontana Miller and Yucaipa all enter the week with identical 9-3 league records, and none of the teams have an easy week in front of them.

Redlands, which has dropped two of its past three league games, will square off against Miller and Rialto. The Terriers handed Miller its first CBL loss three week ago, and they had no trouble defeating Rialto (8-0).

Miller, which has lost two of its past four league games, will face Redlands and Redlands East Valley this week. The Rebels dropped a 5-1 game to Redlands, and defeated REV 8-4 earlier this season.

Yucaipa, which has won six straight after suffering three consecutive league losses, will face Fontana and Rialto Eisenhower. The Thunderbirds have had some success against Fontana recently, shutting out the Steelers twice last season. Fontana did defeat Yucaipa 5-4 earlier this season. Yucaipa defeated Ike 15-0 in the first meeting.

Earlier this week, I wrote about the power-hitting exploits of San Bernardino Cajon third baseman Ashley Maroda, who is within reach of setting the Inland Empire's single-season home run record.

Add Bloomington junior third baseman Anissa Young into that mix.

Young, who will play at LSU after she graduates, belted her 12th homer of the season Thursday to draw even with Maroda, who already has signed with New Mexico State. The Inland Empire record of 14 was set by Hesperia's Sheri Ramsey in 1990.

Young and Maroda are tied for the Southern Section lead for homeruns hit this season, along with Lancaster's Shawna Wright. All three players are tied for second in the state for homers, trailing only Perelini Koria of San Pedro, who has hit 14 long balls this year.

Update: Young hit her 13th home run of the season against Jurupa Valley on Friday to move into the area lead for home runs.

Riverside North hired Bethel Trice as its new girls basketball coach Wednesday. She'll become a full-time P.E. teacher in the fall. Trice comes to North from Riverside Norte Vista.

The Ivy League track and field finals are set for Saturday at Citrus Hill High in Perris with top athletes competing for league titles and spots in the CIF-SS playoffs.

The Riverside North boy 1600 realy team are favorites to take the league title and go all the way to state. The team consists of Dante Holland, Nevin Gutteriez, Reggie Wyatt and Thomas Henry. Last year, Gutteriez and Wyatt were part of the team that had the best time in the state and won the state title. It will be intertesting to see if this year's sqaud can capture a second consecutive state crown.

In the field events John Byrd from Riverside Arlington comes into the long jump event as the favorite, landing the best mark in prelims, 21-feet, 00 1/2 inches. No one else hit 20 feet.

On the girls side, Riverside King distance runner Carissa Bowman comes into the finals with the best seeded time, 11 minutes, 6 seconds. She should beat the finals meet record of 11:30.34, set in 2005 by King's Kristina Moore.

With so many solid athletes in the Ivy League this year, Saturday may be a chance to see a state champ in the making.

The Southwestern League softball race got a little tighter as Vista Murrieta defeated Temescal Canyon, 6-1, Monday to pull within two games of the first-place Titans.

The Broncos got a solid all-around effort from freshman pitcher Tatum Edwards, who bounced back from a rough outing last time against the Titans to toss a three-hitter and strike out 12 batters. She also belted a grand slam in the fourth inning.

Vista Murrieta (17-6, 8-3 in league) has completed the most difficult part of its schedule, but there remains potential pitfalls against Temecula Valley and Temecula Great Oak. The Broncos dropped the first league game to Great Oak.

Temescal Canyon (16-5, 9-2) has two games against Temecula Chaparral this week, and the Titans close the season with a tough series against Murrieta Valley.

If Vista Murrieta can win out, it would force Temescal Canyon to do the same because the Broncos hold the tie-breaker, having beaten the Titans in two of three games.

Corona Santiago's Tanner Hoechlin hit three home runs Friday against Eastvale Roosevelt, which is quite a rarity in high school baseball in part because of the strength it requires and the fact that players -- especially dangerous ones, who are prone to being walked -- often get only two or three at-bats in a game. And it got me thinking...have any other Inland players hit three home runs in a game this year?

If you know of any baseball or softball players who have done so, please comment on this blog as I'd be happy to recognize anyone else who has pulled off such a difficult trifecta.

According to the CalHiSports record book, the record for homers in a game is five by Jesse Crosswhite of Fortuna in 2000. I wonder if he was swinging a redwood bat? Ten players have hit four home runs in a game, including Temecula Valley's Kyle Boyer in 2000. For softball, the record is four home runs in a game, shared by five players, including Yucca Valley's Stephanie Riesgo in 1986.

Interesting findings in the American Journal of Cardiology, which has determined via a study that chest protectors can fail to protect youths from the hard blow of a thrown ball, a hockey stick or a collision with another player.

The entire text of a Reuters article about the study is available here.

I thought some parents might be interested in the findings. Granted, the risk of dying in such a manner is quite small. But perhaps knowledge of chest protectors' understandable limitations can be of instructive value to the youths who wear them. Few things are perfect, and protective equipment can fall into that category.

Arlington baseball coach Gary Rungo is recovering from triple-bypass open-heart surgery after suffering a heart attack earlier this week.

His son, Art Rungo, who is also the Lions' interim coach, said Rungo was enthused by the Lions' win over Riverside Poly Thursday. All the players on the team signed the ball with which the last out was recorded and Art Rungo brought it to his father in the hospital the night before his surgery Friday.

One interesting thing I learned from Art Rungo and his sister, Lisa Rungo, is that the more muscle the doctors have to cut through to reach the patient's heart, the more painful the recovery can be for the patient. As the elder Rungo can bench-press 300 pounds, Lisa Rungo said he was in quite a bit of pain as of Saturday night.

While one never wants to see poor health affect a coach, it's been positive to observe the support shown for coaches like Rungo and Redlands softball coach Brandon Ford in recent days and weeks.