INLAND FIELDHOUSE

I’m covering the Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World-Riverside Notre Dame varsity football game tonight for The Press-Enterprise. The best part of this assignment is that it’ll be played at Wheelock Stadium on the idyllic Riverside City College campus.

THE LOW DOWN:
The Fighting Scots (4-5 overall, 3-2 Mountain Valley) have an decent shot at an at-large playoff berth in the CIF-Southern Section East Valley Division with a victory. Coach Bob Gradillas’ team has been competitive in all but two non-league losses, and gave league studs Rubidoux and Redlands Citrus Valley all they could handle in recent weeks. The Scots pound the ball with junior Jacob Taylor, the Inland Area’s leading rusher (1,705 yards, 198 carries, 18 TDs) and junior Dyllan Bratton (682 yards, 102 carries, 10 TDs), and have emassed more than 2,800 rushing yards this season. Senior QB Brandon Downey has completed 56 percent when asked to pass.

The Titans struggled last week against Rubidoux, gaining just 197 yards in a 24-3 loss that was blogged about here. Interim coach Pete McGowan has tasted both victory and defeat in his very short time on the job, so it will be interesting to see how Week 10 unfolds for Notre Dame. Will McGowan be 2-1 and take the Titans into an offseason on the up-tick, or will the Titans stumble into the 2012 having endured what, essentially, was a lost season? And is McGowan a long-term answer? On the field, a talented senior class (QB Kevin O’Connor, RBs Joshua Ivery and Dominique Easton) prepares to play together for the final time. What will be their legacy? Will they have what it takes to leave the field tonight winners?

KEY PLAYERS:
Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World — QB: Brandon Downey, Sr. (5-foot-8, 148 pounds); RBs: Jacob Taylor, Jr. (5-11, 166); Dyllan Bratton, Jr. (5-5, 134); FB: Carlos Martinez, Sr. (5-7, 189); WRs: Joseph Marquez, Jr. (5-9, 150); Trevor Woolery, Sr. (5-9, 164); TE: Jeremy Jackson, Sr. (6-4, 186); OL/DL: Brandon Carpenter, Sr. (5-10, 174); Matt Swim, Sr. (6-foot, 229); Kyle Coney, Sr. (6-foot, 223); Eduardo Chavez, Sr. (5-11, 195); Austin Smith, Sr. (5-11, 172); Austin Gradillas, Sr. (6-foot, 166), Lucas Ehe, Sr. (6-foot, 178); LBs: Jobani Barrios, Jr. (5-8, 168); Blake Decker, Soph. (5-10, 198); DBs: Brennan Wiest, Sr. (5-8, 171); Ryan Sanchez, Sr. (5-9, 163).

Riverside Notre Dame — QB: Kevin O’Connor, Sr. (6-foot-1, 200 pounds); RBs: Joshua Ivery, Sr. (5-6, 155); Dominique Easton, Sr. (6-foot, 200); Jacob Boucher, Sr. (5-8, 175); WRs: Bryson Theyard, Sr. (5-11, 176); Johnathan Kemp, Jr. (5-10, 160); TE: Jorge Reynoso, Soph. (6-3, 190); OL/DL: Christopher Caswell, Sr. (6-6, 265); Jacob Ramirez, Sr. 6-2, 235); Bryce Chantler, Sr. (6-2, 260); LB: Michael Brunner, Sr. (5-9, 180); Andrew Rodriguez, Soph. (5-9, 160); Dakota Mai, Soph. (5-6, 145); DB: Mathew Montero, Sr. (5-10, 180); Shane Holston, Sr. (5-11, 180); William Pollard IV, Sr. (5-7, 150); Paul Bradvica, Soph. (5-8, 150). K: Joe Pierik, Jr. (5-9, 145).

THE DIFFERENCE:
The game is as hard to predict as any this season. Will Rim’s thoroughbred backs run all over the Titans, who looked feeble in their attempts to stop Rubidoux’s RB duo last week? Or are McGowan and Notre Dame in line for a little devine intervention? We’re keeping things rational.
PREDICTION: Rim of the World 48, Notre Dame 13.