Inland Area Prep Soccer Top 10
1. Moreno Valley Valley View (5-1-3) – The Eagles have been on a tear, and make the jump into the top spot on the strength of four consecutive victories. Coach John Kush has his players’ ears. Both Alex Turkson and Miguel Hernandez scored in an inspired 2-0 victory over Inland Area No. 6 Arlington on Monday.
LAST WEEK: (No. 3); d. Temecula Valley, 2-1, on 12/8; d. Vista Murrieta, 4-0, on 12/10; d. No. 6 Riverside Arlington, 2-0, on 12/13.
THIS WEEK: vs. Moreno Valley TODAY.
2. Murrieta Valley (4-2-1) – The Nighthawks poured in seven goals in two victories last week, ending a three-match streak of scoring two-or-fewer goals. Senior forward Chris Sanders tallied twice in the first half as Murrieta Valley earned a 3-1 result over Santiago last Wednesday.
LAST WEEK: (No. 2); d. Corona Santiago, 3-1, on 12/8; d. Desert Hot Springs, 4-1, on 12/10.
THIS WEEK: at Riverside Poly HS’s Tom Tilson Holiday Classic SATURDAY.
3. Riverside Poly (2-2-2) – Another up-and-down week means coach Alex Figueroa’s group drops two spots in this week’s Inland Area Top 10. The Bears must excel as hosts of the Tilson Holiday Classic in order to go into a Big VIII League schedule with any sort of momentum.
LAST WEEK: (No. 1); d. Riverside Patriot, 2-0, on 12/9; lost to Riverside Norte Vista, 1-0, on 12/14.
THIS WEEK: hosts Tom Tilson Holiday Classic SATURDAY.
4. Corona (3-0-0) — That Panthers haven’t played since defeating Placentia El Dorado on 12/3, and will not play again until the New Year. A matchup with No. 3 Riverside Poly looms in mid-January.
LAST WEEK: (No. 4); defeated Placentia El Dorado, 3-0, on 12/3.
NEXT MATCH: at Riverside North on 1/4.
5. Riverside Arlington (1-1-1) – The Lions controlled play in the first half against No. 1 Valley View on Monday but lacked cohesion and effort in the second half of a 2-0 loss — their first of the season. Coach Kevin Watson has almost three weeks to stew on it; Arlington’s next match is 1/7.
LAST WEEK: (No. 5); tied Rubidoux, 1-1, on 12/9; d. Perris, 1-0, on 12/10; lost to No. 1 Moreno Valley Valley View, 2-0, on 12/13.
NEXT MATCH: at Moreno Valley Rancho Verde on 1/7.
6. Riverside King (1-2-3) – The Wolves played to a scoreless draw with Citrus Hills on 12/10, their only match the last eight days. Coach Todd Mapes will have to get his team scoring goals soon, King hosts Centennial on Thursday, and then plays two matches in the Tom Tilson Holiday Classic on Saturday.
LAST WEEK: (No. 6); tied Perris Citrus Hill, 0-0, on 12/10.
THIS WEEK: vs. Corona Centennial THURSDAY; at Riverside Poly HS’s Tom Tilson Holiday Classic SATURDAY.
7. Temecula Chaparral (0-2-3) — The Pumas have settled themselves after losing two of their first three matches, playing to draws the last week with REV and Lakeside. Playing in the Tom Tilson Holiday Classic beginning Saturday should provide much-needed experience for this young team.
LAST WEEK: (No. 7); tied Redlands East Valley, 1-1, on 12/7; tied Lake Elsinore Lakeside, 0-0, on 12/14.
THIS WEEK: at Riverside Poly HS’s Tom Tilson Holiday Classic SATURDAY.
8. Riverside La Sierra (3-1-1) – The Eagles haven’t played since losing, 2-1, to Centennial on 12/7, but begin Inland Valley League play this week with two matches. Then it’s off to the prestigious Tom Tilson Holiday Classic over the weekend. This is a critical juncture for La Sierra. Two league victories and a solid showing in the Tilson Classic could schedule coach Dave Eckenrod’s team to some very important match dates in the New Year.
LAST WEEK: (No. 8); No Matches.
NEXT MATCH: at Moreno Valley Vista del Lago TODAY; at Moreno Valley FRIDAY; at Riverside Poly HS’s Tom Tilson Holiday Classic SATURDAY.
9. Claremont (4-0-3) – The Wolfpack remain unbeaten after defeating Diamond Bar last Thursday and playing to a draw with Glendora on Tuesday. Senior MF Hugo Lepe has four goals thus far for Claremont, which doesn’t play again until entering the Upland Tournament on Dec. 27.
LAST WEEK: (No. 9); d. Diamond Bar, 2-1, on 12/9; tied Glendora, 1-1, on 12/14.
NEXT MATCH: at Upland Tournament on 12/27.
10. Temecula Great Oak (5-1-1) – Another pack of wolves chews its way into the Top 10 as Great Oak, a week removed from a 4-1 victory over No. 6 King, enters at No. 10. Coach Geoff Houck’s team meets Coachella Valley, the team it defeated to win the 2008-09 CIF-Southern Section Division 3 championship today. A victory could prove integral to what looks like a high playoff seeding.
LAST WEEK: (NR); d. Hemet West Valley, 2-0, on 12/9.
THIS WEEK: at Coachella Valley TODAY.
DROPPED OUT: No. 10 Indio (3-1-2).
JUST MISSED: Lake Elsinore Lakeside (4-0-1), Cathedral City (4-0-3), Moreno Valley Rancho Verde (5-1-1), Ontario (5-0-2).
INLAND FIELDHOUSE 