#6/7 Rancho Mirage (3-2) is ranked 6th by calpreps.com and 7th in the Division 11 CIF-SS poll. Rancho dropped from the #3 spot after their stunning loss to Bell Gardens by a score of 38-21. Rancho RB Marques Prior looked sharp with 118 yards rushing and 3 TD's, but on just 5 carries. I have no info but it sure seems like perhaps Prior sustained an injury and Rancho was unable to carry the game without their stud RB. Prior also plays on defense and Rancho ended up giving up 390 yards rushing to Bell Gardens. It is always hard to win when that happens.
It was a good time for a wake up call for Rancho though as they start De Anza league play this week against Coachella Valley (3-2). CV is also a D-11 team but does not project to place well enough in the 6 team De Anza to get to the playoffs. This is obviously a huge game for CV, although they face other challenges in league. Rancho still projects as the favorite although Yucca Valley (5-0) might be able to challenge. Bell Gardens was a run team but CV is a pass first team with a prolific passer in senior Armando Deniz. He has thrown for 1,386 yards this season, 17th best in the Southern Section, with 10 TD's but 5 interceptions. He will be no surprise to Rancho as the slim 6 footer threw for 3,633 yards & 29 TD's last year. Calpreps projects this as a 31-14 Rancho victory, I will put it a little closer at 31-21.
#8 Sultana (3-2) of Hesperia, in both calpreps & the CIF-SS D-11 poll. Sultana had a bye last week and faces Serrano (0-5) of Phelan. Serrano has been playing superior competition all preseason. Sultana projects as being the weakest team they have played so far this season although Serrano lost, by a score of 49-42, on 9/22 to Kaiser (3-2) a team of similar strength to Sultana. Sultana better hope the emotional high of their victory over favored Summit (3-2) on 9/22 is not blocking their concentration on Serrano. I bet Serrano will come in focused.
Serrano gave up 440 yards rushing to Kaiser even though Kaiser seemed to struggle with what little passing they did. Serrano's passing offense has been a little shaky, although good enough against Kaiser. Their run game looks pretty solid behind senior Tony Willis & junior Nicholas Reed-Casey. Sultana's passing game has been a little suspect as well, but senior QB Michael Mendoza came through with a gem against Summit going 12 of 21 for 175 yards and 3 TD's. If he is able to do that against Serrano they should be able to come away with the victory, but calpreps is not so sure as they are projecting a 21-20 Serrano victory.
#9 Westminster (4-1) in the calpreps rankings, but #10 in the CIF-SS poll. Westminster beat a soft Beckman (1-4) of Irvine last Saturday 41-20. Westminster starts Golden West league play projecting as the third place team, but the projections are really too close to call in this league. The league overall is 23-7 in pre-league.
Westminster will be challenged right off the league starting line by the Santa Ana Saints (4-1). Santa Ana is almost exclusively a run only team, amassing 1,397 yards & 8 TD's against mostly lower level competition. Westminster has had mixed results for their run defense although we know that Isaac Barrera can really stuff the middle at times. He ran down & tackled a RB on a screen pass last week, along with his various run stuffs. Calpreps is only willing to project Westminster as the slightest favorite on the road and is picking them 31-30 over Santa Ana.
#10 Katella (4-1) of Anaheim in the calpreps rankings and listed among "others" in the CIF-SS D-11 poll. Katella embarks on the easiest part of their season, the opening of Orange league play. Only Century (4-1) of Anaheim offers even a little resistance to an Orange League championship in this 6 team league. The Orange League ranks 61st among the 72 Southern Section football 11 man football leagues. This week Katella faces one of four league doormats in Anaheim High (1-4). I expect little resistance from Anaheim and neither does calpreps as they are projecting a 41-7 victory for Division 11 playoff bound Katella.
#10 Lakeside (5-0) of Lake Elsinore, according to the CIFss D-11 poll. Calpreps has them ranked 14th in the division. Lakeside has had a wonderful preseason beating up on mostly creampuffs with their 29-23 victory of Canyon Springs (3-2) of Moreno Valley being their only opponent of any real substance. Their other opponents went a combined 2-19 so far. Now Lakeside starts Sunbelt league playing about as opposite of what they have seen. A monster team, the 14th highest rated team in the Southern Section, Heritage (4-1). Calpreps says Lakeside has no chance in predicting a 56-0 loss to Heritage. Lakeside projects to finish 4th in league. They might as well mail it in for the next two weeks and just concentrate on the last 3 weeks of league where only 1 game projects as a loss and to a team that I am sure they will hope to upset, Elsinore (4-1) of Wildomar.
It was a good time for a wake up call for Rancho though as they start De Anza league play this week against Coachella Valley (3-2). CV is also a D-11 team but does not project to place well enough in the 6 team De Anza to get to the playoffs. This is obviously a huge game for CV, although they face other challenges in league. Rancho still projects as the favorite although Yucca Valley (5-0) might be able to challenge. Bell Gardens was a run team but CV is a pass first team with a prolific passer in senior Armando Deniz. He has thrown for 1,386 yards this season, 17th best in the Southern Section, with 10 TD's but 5 interceptions. He will be no surprise to Rancho as the slim 6 footer threw for 3,633 yards & 29 TD's last year. Calpreps projects this as a 31-14 Rancho victory, I will put it a little closer at 31-21.
#8 Sultana (3-2) of Hesperia, in both calpreps & the CIF-SS D-11 poll. Sultana had a bye last week and faces Serrano (0-5) of Phelan. Serrano has been playing superior competition all preseason. Sultana projects as being the weakest team they have played so far this season although Serrano lost, by a score of 49-42, on 9/22 to Kaiser (3-2) a team of similar strength to Sultana. Sultana better hope the emotional high of their victory over favored Summit (3-2) on 9/22 is not blocking their concentration on Serrano. I bet Serrano will come in focused.
Serrano gave up 440 yards rushing to Kaiser even though Kaiser seemed to struggle with what little passing they did. Serrano's passing offense has been a little shaky, although good enough against Kaiser. Their run game looks pretty solid behind senior Tony Willis & junior Nicholas Reed-Casey. Sultana's passing game has been a little suspect as well, but senior QB Michael Mendoza came through with a gem against Summit going 12 of 21 for 175 yards and 3 TD's. If he is able to do that against Serrano they should be able to come away with the victory, but calpreps is not so sure as they are projecting a 21-20 Serrano victory.
#9 Westminster (4-1) in the calpreps rankings, but #10 in the CIF-SS poll. Westminster beat a soft Beckman (1-4) of Irvine last Saturday 41-20. Westminster starts Golden West league play projecting as the third place team, but the projections are really too close to call in this league. The league overall is 23-7 in pre-league.
Westminster will be challenged right off the league starting line by the Santa Ana Saints (4-1). Santa Ana is almost exclusively a run only team, amassing 1,397 yards & 8 TD's against mostly lower level competition. Westminster has had mixed results for their run defense although we know that Isaac Barrera can really stuff the middle at times. He ran down & tackled a RB on a screen pass last week, along with his various run stuffs. Calpreps is only willing to project Westminster as the slightest favorite on the road and is picking them 31-30 over Santa Ana.
#10 Katella (4-1) of Anaheim in the calpreps rankings and listed among "others" in the CIF-SS D-11 poll. Katella embarks on the easiest part of their season, the opening of Orange league play. Only Century (4-1) of Anaheim offers even a little resistance to an Orange League championship in this 6 team league. The Orange League ranks 61st among the 72 Southern Section football 11 man football leagues. This week Katella faces one of four league doormats in Anaheim High (1-4). I expect little resistance from Anaheim and neither does calpreps as they are projecting a 41-7 victory for Division 11 playoff bound Katella.
#10 Lakeside (5-0) of Lake Elsinore, according to the CIFss D-11 poll. Calpreps has them ranked 14th in the division. Lakeside has had a wonderful preseason beating up on mostly creampuffs with their 29-23 victory of Canyon Springs (3-2) of Moreno Valley being their only opponent of any real substance. Their other opponents went a combined 2-19 so far. Now Lakeside starts Sunbelt league playing about as opposite of what they have seen. A monster team, the 14th highest rated team in the Southern Section, Heritage (4-1). Calpreps says Lakeside has no chance in predicting a 56-0 loss to Heritage. Lakeside projects to finish 4th in league. They might as well mail it in for the next two weeks and just concentrate on the last 3 weeks of league where only 1 game projects as a loss and to a team that I am sure they will hope to upset, Elsinore (4-1) of Wildomar.
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