Season Preview: Baseline League
PREP FOOTBALL 2021
BASELINE LEAGUE PREVIEW
(Spring 2021 records in parenthesis)
Taking the belt for the Inland Area’s most chaotic league is the Baseline. Etiwanda jumped up and surprised just about everyone in the spring, but we should have known when the Eagles dropped 87 points in Game 1 that they we for real. La Verne Damien is taking on the big boys this preseason so the Spartans must think they’re pretty good. Rancho Cucamonga had a young team in the spring that could be lethal this fall. Upland is very much a program in transition. Chino Hills totaled just 26 point in five spring games.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA ETIWANDA (5-0 overall, 2-0 Baseline) started hot and was able to cross the finish line ahead of Rancho Cucamonga, 15-14, on the final day to win its first league title in ages. Senior QB Zach Congalton will lead the Eagles against more well-prepared opponents this fall.
LA VERNE DAMIEN (5-1, 2-0) was a part of a three-way scrimmage that included Corona Centennial this week, and the Spartans are looking to test and harden their defense for the long fall ahead. Senior safety Richard Perez is a bona-fide big hitter on defense.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA (2-1, 1-1) had trouble getting games in the spring but that doesn’t mean the Cougars weren’t training and preparing for their next chance. New coach Brett Hildebrand’s first test is to solve the QB question.
UPLAND (0-4, 0-1) has plenty of athletes on both sides of the ball to make this work, but there will be a lot of pressure on sophomore QB Rahim Wright to get it right – and get it right this season.
CHINO HILLS (1-4, 0-2) needs to find answers on offense and a way to sustain drives and keep its defense off the field.
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH:
La Verne Damien
Etiwanda
Upland
Rancho Cucamonga
Chino Hills
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB Zach Congalton, Sr., Etiwanda
LB Mike Harrison, Jr., Etiwanda
QB Jordan Holmes, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga
T/NG Trey Hyland, Soph., Damien
T Maika Matelau, Sr. Upland
FS Richard Perez, Sr., Damien
QB Xavier Washington, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga
WR/RB Jordan Williams, Sr., Etiwanda
QB Rahim Wright II, Soph., Upland
PROMINENT GAMES:
Aug. 20 – Upland at La Habra
Aug. 27 – Rancho Cucamonga at Apple Valley
Sept. 2 – Rancho Verde at Etiwanda
Oct. 1 – Etiwanda at Damien
Oct. 15 – Rancho Cucamonga at Upland
INLAND FIELDHOUSE 