(Khalil Dorsey, of Colony High, is the #1 Cornerback in the Inland Empire as well as one of the best track athletes in California. Mr. Dorsey and will be blog for IE Preps Magazine throughout his senior season.)

My summer consisted of phasing out my rigorous track workouts and transitioning into my football program which was hard training up to three times a day. I would wake up in the morning and go to the gym, then I would have football practice all afternoon. After practice I would call up colony alumni (my brother and friends) to help me out in the weight room so I would drive back to the gym. I take all my training seriously and treat my practice like games and I try hard not to come off the field during football training.

​Hello my name is Michael Dean and I’m a senior from Chaffey High School and play varsity football. My primary position is running back but also play wide receiver and corner. Last year I ended with 1,375 yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 1 punt return and 1 kick return for 2 special team touchdowns, and had 4 interceptions. I was the Mt. Baldy League Offensive MVP and also made First Team All-CIF and First Team All-Area. Coming into this season I’m more excited than ever because I feel our team is stronger than last year and we could definitely make a bigger impact in our league. Our O-line along with our blocking backs are much faster, stronger, and more eager to win than ever before. Our defense proved in the scrimmage and first game that we can compete with top tier offensives. We believe we can win league and make a great run in the playoffs. We have a high level of confidence while remaining humble and knowing hard work will make the difference.

​Since last season I’ve gained 15+ pounds and also dropped my 40 yard dash from a 4.48 to a 4.40. I knew that coming into this season I was going to be second guessed and challenged with my season ending stats last year and I was going to have to go the extra step to prepare for this season and keep my momentum going. Over the summer I took the weight room very serious to not only help with speed, but power and strength. This year’s goal is to rush for over 2,000 yards and obtain Mt. Baldy League Offensive again. I’m also trying to make the All-State team along with All-CIF and All-Area. I know these are lofty goals, but I feel confident with the work I’ve put in. My goal for the future is to have a successful college career which hopefully leads to a pro career. That’s my biggest dream but a more realistic goal is to become a sports medical doctor and work with athletes. Currently I have two offers from Western New Mexico University and Trinity International University and I’m currently in talks with APU, Army, and Navy. I’m really looking forward to how this season plays out and I have full confidence in my teammates to takes us far this year. Let’s go Tiger football!

Michael Dean

Chaffey High School

1. Corona Centennial – Beat East of Utah 49-13, next?
2. Redlands East Valley – No Game
3. Rancho Cucamonga – Made quick work of Trabucca Hills 45-10.
4. Vista Murrieta – No Game
5. Citrus Hill – Beat Rancho Verde 28-21, in a game that is always great.
6. Norco – Did bad things to a solid Etiwanda team. Won 66-13
7. Upland – Cruised to an easy win over Knight, 49-10.
8. Chino Hills – Pain came to Ayala, in the form of Grady O’Donnell the “Gradiator”, 31-0.
9. Colony – Beat West Covina team 28-21. The best cornerback in the IE, Dorsey, with 2 ints.
10. Heritage – Patriot was in top form against Great Oak. Beating them soundly 36-13.
11. Serrano – The Diamondbacks jumped Paraclete 40-12 for the win and into the top 20.
12. Oak Hills – Big win against Pomona 31-13. Oak Hills crashes the power rankings party.
13. Summit – No Game
14. Carter – The Lions dismantle Los Osos 30-3.
15. Great Oak – The Wolfpack got attacked by Heritage, losing 36-13.
16. Rancho Verde – The Mustangs came up short in a tough battle, losing 28-21.
17. Cajon – The Cowboys played big boy football in a win over Roosevelt 32-23.
18. Pomona – The Red Devils get poked by Oak Hills 31-13.
19. Etiwanda – A tough way to start the season for the Eagles losing to Norco 66-13.
20. Redlands – The Terriers take a big bite out of Santiago winning 44-13.

Teams To Watch: Chaffey, Claremont, Damien, Don Lugo, Jurupa Hills, Murrieta Mesa, Murrieta Valley, Linfield Christian, Notre Dame, Paloma Valley, Poly, Rubidoux, San Gorgonio

(Liam Ryan, of Damien, is one of the best offensive lineman in the state and will blog throughout his senior season.)

      Football has been a sport that I have been playing since 4th grade. I started off playing flag football. I was quarterback, which was pretty fun. Then 8th grade came around and I could finally play contact football. I therefore became a lineman. From freshman year to now as lineman has been a great experience. You don’t get all the credit, but doing the dirty work is fun for me! 

     Senior year came way too fast! The nervousness to be in the baseline league has changed, and I’m now excited to be on of the top in the league! The count down was a long time when we started back up in the spring, but NOW IT’S HERE! As a senior this year I want to win the base line league and make the playoffs. Also, I want to just be the best captain I can be on and off the field.
Liam Ryan

(The following is the first of several blogs that will be written by several top IE Football players during their senior season)

     My name is Grady O’Donnell. I am a senior running back at Chino Hills High School. I have a fantastic family of 5 starting with my father Derek, mother Colleen, brother Sean, who I will be taking the field with this year, and my little sister Ella. My family is incredibly supportive of me and is always looking for ways to help me reach my goals. Along with my family, my friends support me greatly and are my biggest fans, making all my games and motivating me on and off the field to push harder and shoot higher.

     I am looking forward to this upcoming season of football more than ever before. My team and I have extremely high hopes and goals for this year’s season and we have been working extraordinarily hard to achieve them. The work for this season all started back in early January with a great weightlifting program put together by, in my mind and many others, one of the best head coaches in Southern California, Matt Bechtel. He puts in a borderline insane amount of hours and work to make sure me and the boys are ready to beat any team in the state, come August through December. Our weightlifting program is extensive and grueling but it prepares our bodies and minds for the season to come. Everybody in our weight room sees the results fast and it only makes us want to push harder. When max outs come around every month, the numbers being put up are nothing short of monstrous, from the smallest guys to the biggest guys in there. This goes on through the summer and continues throughout the season. I am especially proud of my numbers, and reaching my goals of a 385lb. bench, 500lb. squat, and 315lb. power clean. In around March the team took to the field to work on agility while I was running track. I ran the 100 meter dash in 11.01 seconds by the seasons end and came out of the blocks for my 4×100 meter relay team, which made it all the way to the Division 1 CIF Southern Section finals taking 5^th place and running with the best athletes in the country. After track season, I quickly returned to football and worked with my team on more preparation for the season.

     After school ended, our summer program came along and we lifted in the mornings, then afterwards took the field for conditioning with the United States Marine Corps. We then would practice later on in the evening to work on making our offense and defense sound. Unfortunately, early in the summer program, I was at the UC Davis football camp at Corona Centennial High School and had a minor hamstring strain which left me out of lower body activity as a precautionary measure to ensure I would be 100% as fast as possible. It was extremely difficult to hold back and not be on the grind along my guy’s side. Fortunately though, I recovered well and I’m back preparing for my season in full stride. My recruitment for college football is going well, with looks from many schools, and a lot of time speaking with coaches.

     For this upcoming season I am looking forward to running behind my boys up front on the line the most. I could not ask for a better front 5. My line consists of my left tackle, now a 3 year varsity starter and one of my best friends, Matthew Kivler, my left guard, Connor Garcelli, my big bad Serbian center RJ Stripling, my right guard Austin Villegas, and my right tackle, another good friend of mine, Daniel McGuire. Those boys are solid, and mean, and I have 100% confidence in their ability to take on the opposition and come out on top. All in all, I am beyond excited to get this season started and come out with a bang against our cross town rival, the Ayala Bulldogs, on their home turf on August 28^th. GO HUSKIES!

Grady O’Donnell

1. Corona Centennial – Coach Logan has become an IE legend with a staggering number of CIF championships. QB Catalano, RB Taylor, and WR McKinley could lead his best offense. The defense will be air tight as well, lead by super backer Brumbaugh, Ulloa and Williams.
2. Redlands East Valley – Coach Bruich collected the CIF & State Trophy last year. With all everything QB Herrera returning and only a junior, LB Matteo Bisotti, & the best wide receiver tandem in the IE with Harris & Vaughn returning REV may just be getting started.
3. Rancho Cucamonga – Coach Biaz has one of his best teams on paper coming into the season. QB Angel Matute, RB Aaron Manning will guide a potent offense. DB’s Graham, Venable, Farmer, & Manning will shine as the best secondary in the state making Cougar fans very happy.
4. Vista Murrieta – Coach Coley Candale always finds a way to end the season in the title game. His teams always seem to rise to the occasion. This year multi-purpose threat Kyle Williams will be relied on heavily in Bronco Land.
5. Pomona – Last year the Red Devils shocked the world and won it all. This year they will have a target on their back, but that’s ok because they still have weapons themselves. WR Chris Jackson, RB Brian Lamb, and Darreon Lockett will keep the scoreboard lit up all season. Transfers QB Sandoval & DE Stewart willpower big plays all year.
6. Citrus Hill – Coach Eric Zomalt might be the most underrated Coach in the area. He quietly has built a real powerhouse program. RB Devin Floyd and Skylar Thomas lead a talented team that could win it all this season.
7. Norco – Perhaps the best player in the IE, QB Victor Viramontes leads a Norco team that could be on the verge of dominating this season. DB Troy Dye and RB Gaven Hughes lead a hungry Cowboy Nation that wants to win…NOW!
8. Upland – Coach Salter has no lack of talent on his team, but youth could be an issue. The Highlanders will be lead by QB Andrew Harrison, RB Nathan Tilford, WR Grant Porter, WR Gary Theard, and WR Joseph Jones this season. If youth is served, Upland’s talent can carry them.
9. Chino Hills – Coach Betchel has a strong group of seniors led by tough RB Grady O’Donnell and super backer Anthony Rosales. The Huskies will not be be playing nice with anyone this year.
10. Colony – Coach Randall brought the championship back to Titan Town last year. He will have the ever consistent play of QB Josh Thompson as a returner and the IE’s best cornerback Khalil Dorsey to lead this year’s campaign.
11. Summit – Coach Matheny has Mr. Speed himself Damian Alloway, RB Stephen Carr, DT Jabari Watson, & QB Cade Sparks ready to fly this season. If line play holds up, this could be the team to beat this year.
12. Heritage – This will be Brett Virgil’s senior season at QB. The Patriots won CIF in 2013 and have DL David Letu and WR Aleva Hifo back to lead a Heritage team that never disappoints.
13. Great Oak – The Wolfpack will be anchored by the best linebacker unit in the IE. Jake Schwarzer, Ryan Boehn, & Seth Knowlton bring it every game. Super star Demetric Felton will give defense fits all year.
14. Etiwanda – Coach Davis is the new head of the Program. He will have the talented QB Andrew Kanatsky running his offense and the defense will be lead by super DB’s Treyjohn Butler & Kamari Pleasant two of the best in California. The Eagles will be in the mix this year.
15. Diamond Ranch – Coach Welker is the new man in charge at DR. He will rely heavily on RB Davion Gaisie & QB Joe Sebastian who could have the strongest arm in the IE. The Panthers look  solid.
16. Carter – Coach Pierce will be coaching his physical Lions program this season with the luxury of having the Best Linebacker on the West Coast on his team, Lokeni Toailoa. The Lion defense will also have Lokeni’s brother Leni Toailoa directing the secondary that should give out punishment all season.
17. Rancho Verde – Coach Steinberg takes over in a program that shouldn’t miss a beat. The school always has lots of talent! By the time league play behind the Mustangs will be in high gear.
18. Roosevelt – Coach Barile’s Mustangs are ready to run this year. WR’s Cam Smith & Chase Williams are dangerous and will have QB Andrew La Bruna locked in all year. Chris Wilcox should be great as one of the best DB’s in the area.
19. Ayala – The Bulldogs return QB Michael Morales, RB Jordan Charles on offense and LB Cody Darrow and DE Isiah Flowers on defense. This could be the surprise team of this season.
20. Los Osos – Coach Price did an amazing job last season with the Grizzlies. Offensive lineman Cohl Cabral & IE Defensive Player of the Year candidate LB Bryce Youngquist should be ready for the Baseline this season.

Teams To Watch: Cajon, Chaffey, Claremont, Damien, Don Lugo, Grand Terrace, Murrieta Mesa, Notre Dame, Rubidoux