1. Centennial – Centennial needs to replace their starting QB, RB, and WR on offense and some great athletes on defense and it STILL doesn’t matter. The Logan era has been a dominant run at Centennial. Nationally ranked and loaded with new “toys” to play with such as highly recruited explosive wide receiver Tyjon Lyndsey and running back Miles Reed to name a few. The Huskies will play anyone and their schedule includes a showdown with All-Star school IMG.
2. Redlands East Valley – Redlands East Valley did not win their league last season which was a shock. Longtime starter and QB Armando Herrera leads an offense that is ready to go and a defense lead by all world defensive end Jaelan Phillips.
3. Vista Murrieta – Coach Coley Candale has stepped down and the new Head Coach David Olson will all eyes on him. A longtime assistant to Candale, Olson should continue the Broncos winning ways. One thing Vista Murrieta does returning is the IE’s best defensive line, which looks like a D1 unit led by Anthony Mermea! The offense will have to discover themselves and find a leader with the transfer of senior All American offensive lineman Chuck Filiaga to Texas.
4. Murrieta Valley – It’s official, the Nighthawks are GOOD! Super sophomore QB Hank Bachmeier is a football throwing machine and Marquis Spiker and Maurice Bell might be the IE’s best wide receiver tandem. Murrieta is more than ready to line up to line up against anyone. On defense look out for sophomore safety Brock Berry to make a big impact on a solid defense. The only question is, can they beat Vista Murrieta.
5. Upland – The “U” is having a youth movement led by sophomore by the smooth QB David Baldwin. Upland will be loaded with weapons with players like running back Kyle Jones and wide receiver Gary Theard. Coach Salter will also make sure to find a way to use talented Bishop Amat transfer Tyler Sweet, who should add depth to an already explosive offense.
6. Rancho Cucamonga – The newly coined “DBU” is holding true to form with what we believe is the best secondary top to bottom in the nation. Jaylon Redd, Thomas Graham, Tayari Venable, and Darren Hall are just a few of the BIG TIME names that lead their defense. Coach Biaz always has his teams ready, but replacing last season’s QB Angel Matute will be no small task, it may take a few weeks to get the offense rolling.
7. Yucaipa – Head Coach Justin Price of Yucaipa promises to have the hardest hitting team in the IE this year and we believe him. The stage is set for a big run this year as star QB Nathan Martinez returns with the IE’s best center Paul Bakenhus leading the way. Yucaipa plays in one of the toughest leagues in the IE, the only questions will be keeping their guys healthy.
8. Rancho Verde – Coach Steinberg begins his 2nd season in Mustang country with dynamic QB EJ Stewart and talented WR Bryan Thompson leading the way. Rancho Verde always has “guys” so there will no shortage of talent to help this 2016 campaign.
9. Citrus Hill – Coach Zomalt always has his team ready to go, consistency at its finest. The kicking game boasts Manny Berz, the IE’s best kicker.
10. Heritage – Coach Broach is one of the best coaches in the IE. Heritage will need to reload and replace CIF champion QB Brett Virgil which will be no small task.
11. Norco – Coach Chastain has the tough job of replacing Victor Viramontes at QB, but he was so much more than that. Early indications are that talented 10th grader Nicholas Lasher will be the new QB. Look for shifty running back Travis Dye and athletic wide receiver/cornerback Michael Thomas to produce big time this season. Long snapper Kyle Gibbs is the best in the state.
12. Oak Hills – Head Coach Artie Allen is focused on continuing the tradition of great football at Oak Hills! Big time wide receiver Kevin Davis and elusive QB Brandon Porter should light up the score board this season!
13. Paloma Valley – Coach Bert Esposito says this may be his most talented team.. ever! QB Chance Nolan is a next level signal caller and will have help from speedy running back Corey Maddox and sure handed wide receiver Blake Moore on offense. Phillip Mills, a safety, is the teams best D1 prospect.
14. Colony – Head Coach Randal already has a CIF championship under his belt and is looking for another one. Rumor has it that Colony is stacked with young players who are talented. Upland transfer Nathan Tilford will be a beast at running back and should get plenty of chances to score. The Titans will have to get their new QB established early. Look out for Bahari Holloway to have a great season.
15. Notre Dame – Niles Harrell might be the most underrated QB in southern California, but that may change soon. The CIF champion Head Coach Derrick Johnson has leadership throughout this year’s team but none is bigger and stronger than All CIF star Dylan Petti. The Titans mean business… and are looking to go back to back.
16. Cajon – Sophomore phenom QB Jayden Daniels will be back this season better than ever. Head Coach Nick Rogers will have highly ranked George Hicks all over the place at cornerback and wide receiver. A name to watch is 6 foot 7 inch sophomore wide receiver Darren Jones, a pending Upland transfer who is game changer.
17. Chino Hills – With Coach Betchel leaving right after winning the Baseline league, the question was who would replace him and how? With the hiring of Coach Chris Stevens as the new Head Coach Chino Hills will be in good hands. Coach Stevens has tons of experience as a head coach and has had success all along the way. Year one should be fun to watch in Chino Hills, star returners Russell Stripling and Grant Trueman will lead the way.
18. Summit – On paper Summit looks to be taking a step back with the loss of their starting QB Cade Sparks, star WR Damian Alloway, and a host of other talented players. Yet this is what Summit is known for, having “guys” or athletes. Coach Matheny will have alot of holes to fill but one place he will have no worries is running back. The nation’s top ball carrier Stephen Carr returns for his encore performance. If Carr can carry the load early, Summit should be fine come playoffs.
19. Chino – 2nd year Chino head Football Coach Jesse Ceniceros has given Chino Football new life. This year could be a return to glory for Chino with seniors Brandon Serrano, Adrian Alfaro, Willie Morris leading the way. The Cowboys are coming!
20. Claremont – Head Coach Coco Jarin is focused on building his program from the ground up by beating local teams. The Wolfpack have an early test versus Upland. Super linebacker Solo Tuliaupupu and running back Duy Tran Sampson are both old school players who can carry their sides of the ball. Claremont needs to decide their QB situation quickly.
Teams To Watch: Don Lugo, Pomona, Serrano, Corona, Redlands, Great Oak,
IE Preps Magazine 