Season Preview: Ivy League
PREP FOOTBALL 2021
IVY LEAGUE PREVIEW
(Spring 2021 records in parenthesis)
It’s not easy always being the best at sports. Rancho Verde has been at the top of its league for so long does it really matter who they’re grouped with? Even with a new coach, the Mustangs will run away with the title this year, too. Temescal Canyon had a really good spring season, and so its head coach immediately bolted for a better job and now the Titans are starting over. Menifee Heritage played a very tough spring schedule – including two competitive losses to Rancho Verde – and will be better for it. Elsinore is looking to get of the snide, having lost its final three games of the spring. Riverside Notre Dame played a limited spring schedule and lost against its only competitive opponent.
RANCHO VERDE (5-0 overall, 3-0 Ivy) has a new head coach – Lawrence Duncan – but the same amazing pipeline of talent that continues to feed the program shows no signs of slowing. Pete Duffy may be gone for good this time, but the Mustangs have re-loaded and are ready take their shot at a CIF section title.
TEMESCAL CANYON (4-1, 1-0) won two tough games to close out its spring season and head coach Brian Hildebrand filled the Rancho Cucamonga opening rather than see the Titans through to the fall. New coach Cody Roelof has a big job ahead of him.
MENIFEE HERITAGE (2-3, 2-3) made sure its juniors got a lot of playing time against Ivy League teams in the spring, and should be able to go toe-to-toe with Rancho Verde in Week 9.
ELSINORE (2-3, 1-3) has some pieces in the right places, but it’s remains a mystery as to what it’ll take to make these Tigers roar once more.
RIVERSIDE NOTRE DAME (2-1, 0-0) has a tradition of having one or a few good players, but it just takes more than that in the Ivy League.
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH:
Rancho Verde
Menifee Heritage
Temescal Canyon
Elsinore
Riverside Notre Dame
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
LB James Bennett-Monday, Sr., Rancho Verde
RB/OLB Victor Cervantes, Sr., Temescal Canyon
QB Landon DeBruyne, Jr., Rancho Verde
T Nathen Guerrero, Sr., Menifee Heritage
RB Donovan Harvey, Sr., Elsinore
DB/WR Sonny Kessell, Sr., Temescal Canyon
QB/FS Semaj Moore, Jr., Elsinore
DE Mario Rocha, Sr., Riverside Notre Dame
TE/DE Aurelius Thomas, Sr., Menifee Heritage
DE Kameron Ware, Sr., Rancho Verde
QB Andrew Wolesky, Jr., Riverside Notre Dame
WR/DB Elijah Yoshinaga, Sr., Elsinore
PROMINENT GAMES:
Sept. 10 – Temescal Canyon at San Jacinto
Sept. 24 – Norco at Rancho Verde
Sept. 26 – Riverside Notre Dame at San Bernardino Aquinas
Oct. 8 – Elsinore at Hemet
Oct. 22 – Rancho Verde at Menifee Heritage
INLAND FIELDHOUSE 