GAME OF THE WEEK: Norco vs. Riv. Poly
THE DETAILS:
Norco vs. Riverside Poly
At Riverside Unified School District Stadium, Riverside
Kickoff: 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, 2016
THE LOW DOWN:
NORCO (1-2 overall) has attempted to play up to the level of its competition this season, but the results have been mixed. After defeating Mesa (Ariz.)’s Desert Ridge in their season opener, the Cougars have dropped two consecutive to Rancho Cucamonga and Orange Lutheran, respectively, by a combined 42 points. To wit: The games weren’t blowouts but they weren’t nail-biters, either. Plenty of athletes dot the roster — Travis Dye and Michael Thomas perhaps the most prominent — so expect wins as soon as some offensive consistency appears.
HEAD COACH: Chuck Chastain
RIVERSIDE POLY (0-3 overall) displayed plenty of confidence before the season, so its early struggles must be especially difficult. The Bears lost a tight game to Temecula Chaparral in their opener, but have been buried the last two weeks at Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda and Riverside King by a combined 99-7 score line. Is the team in for major changes, or will senior QB Alec Quintero and senior RB Afi Tualega step up and lead? Junior MLB Spence Nims tops the team in tackles (19 solo, 4.0 for losses), but the Bears still lack two things they had the last few seasons — roster depth and a breakout star.
HEAD COACH: Derek DeWitt
THE KEY PLAYERS:
Norco — QB Nick Lasher, Soph. (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) RB/ATH Travis Dye, Jr., (5-10, 185); WR/DB Michael Thomas, Sr. (6-3, 190); LB/RB Blake Beecher, Soph. (5-10, 180); K Lucas Havrisik, Sr. (6-2, 185).
Riverside Poly — QB Alec Quintero, Sr. (6-foot-4, 178 pounds); RB/FB Afi Tualega, Sr. (5-10, 215); WR/FS Isaac Wilson, Sr., (6-foot, 170); MLB Spence Nims, Jr. (6-foot, 230); OLB/RB Jonis Allen, Sr. (6-1, 225).
THE DIFFERENCE:
Both teams struggle with turnovers, but Riverside Poly’s defense has been on the field a lot in its last two games. Look for that trend to continue tonight.
THE FINAL SCORE:
Norco 45, Riverside Poly 28
INLAND FIELDHOUSE 
Riv. Poly had several starting junior offense/defense players last year that played major roles and I notice several key players aren’t mentioned in this article. This coach inherited talented players! What happened?
The Bears have been hit with injuries to some of those key players, and the program is retooling. Excuses? Reasons? You be the judge.