Season Preview: Sunkist League
PREP FOOTBALL 2021
SUNKIST LEAGUE PREVIEW
(Spring 2021 records in parenthesis)
The Sunkist League is FOUR teams for the 2021 season. Well, four is better than three but even still, the once mighty Sunkist League – home to some of the Inland Empire’s greatest historical champions – reduced to a foursome under these new conference setups. But don’t get us wrong: These are FOUR solid football programs. Fontana Kaiser has a quality coach in Bill Cardosi, and will 100-percent continue the string of playoff appearances for the Cats. San Gorgonio had trouble finding wins in the spring and now is in its sixth season under coach Rich McClure. Rialto Carter is just looking to get back on the field for the first time since 2019. Fontana Jurupa Hills was unbeaten in the spring and has become a formidable talent generator.
FONTANA KAISER (2-1 overall, 1-0 Sunkist) graduated an all-timer in QB Tre Tribble and will look to John Quiroga or Tristan Reyes to step up this season. Senior RB Donovan Price will likely get the majority of touches early as the offense finds its feet.
SAN GORGONIO (0-3, 0-2 Sunkist) came close in its first two games of the spring but got blown out by Summit in the season finale. Senior ILB Johnathan Nieves will lead the team in tackles, and Santiago Torres (6-foot, 305 pounds) is a big body up front.
RIALTO CARTER (0-0, 0-0 Sunkist) did not play in the spring and so there’s little to go on so far except for the resignation of Justin Randall and the hiring of Felipe Salas as head coach. Plenty of talent in that area, though.
FONTANA JURUPA HILLS (4-0, 1-0 San Andreas) dominated in the spring and has a few promising offensive weapons, starting with senior RB/WR Antonio Mays and junior RB Bryan Calderon.
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH:
Jurupa Hills
Fontana Kaiser
San Gorgonio
Rialto Carter
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
RB Bryan Calderon, Sr., Jurupa Hills
RB Larry Chandler, Sr., Carter
RB/WR Antonio Mays, Sr., Jurupa Hills
ILB Johnathan Nieves, Sr., San Gorgonio
RB/SS Jamarion Perkins, Sr., Carter
RB Donovan Price, Sr., Kaiser
C/NG Santiago Torres, Sr., San Gorgonio
UT Ki’yel Tyler, Soph., Kaiser
PROMINENT GAMES:
Aug. 27 – Cajon at Kaiser
Sept. 3 – Serrano at Carter
Oct. 1 – Summit at Kaiser
Oct. 15 – Kaiser at San Gorgonio
Oct. 21 – San Gorgonio at Carter
Oct. 22 – Jurupa Hills at Kaiser
INLAND FIELDHOUSE 