Game Preview: Los Osos at Chaffey

I’m covering the Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos-Ontario Chaffey quarterfinal CIF Central Division playoff game and I wanted to get down some of my pre-game thoughts.

The Grizzlies (7-4) face the Tigers (7-4) in Ontario at 7:30 p.m.

ON OFFENSE:
Los Osos is led by the capable tandem of senior QB Blake Loncar (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) and WR Sean Alston (5-10, 175). Loncar has completed 129 of 218 pass attempts for 1,988 yards and 16 TDs this season while Alston, a Fresno State commit, has 58 receptions for 987 yards and 10 TDs on the year.

Chaffey is paced by all-everything senior RB Ronald Douglas (6-2, 195), who ran for 2,435 yards and 22 TDs this season. Douglas had two games of more than 300 yards rushing (in the last three weeks) and had five other games of more than 200 yards rushing on the year.

ON DEFENSE:
Though they looked overmatched early in the year against a physical Riverside North offense in Week 2, Los Osos defense played well in Baseline League victories over Rancho Cucamonga and Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda. Senior LB Conner Jahnke made a team-high 47 solo tackles (103 total) while senior DE Tony Washington made 72 tackles (38 solo) and a team-high 9.5 sacks.

Senior LB Jacob Ahmad leads all players in this game with 83 solo tackles (103 total) for the Tigers. He also had one interception and two sacks on the season as his team won all but one Mt. Baldy League game.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Junior K Andres Magallon made 39 PATs and five FGs to finish with 54 points on the season. Alston was the Grizzlies best kick and punt returner, averaging more than 30 yards per kick return, including a 97-yard return for TD against Riverside North in Week 2. He also averaged more than 16 yards per punt return.

Senior K Brandon Mercado made 21 PATs while three others converted 11 two-point attempts this season for the Tigers. A number of players return kicks for Chaffey, including Douglas. The Tigers typically feature three deep returners to cover all kickoffs.

THE COACHES:
Tom Martinez must have had some magic up his sleeve because the Grizzlies turned what looked like a down preseason into and an outstanding league season, finishing 4-1 to win the ultra-competitive Baseline League.

Chris Brown put his team through a pretty tough preseason that included losses to three teams playoff games tonight — Chino Hills, Riverside Arlington and Colton. His only Mt. Baldy League loss came to Ontario Colony, one of the stronger teams in all of San Bernardino County.

THE LOWDOWN:
Despite their surprising run through league, I can’t get the Grizzlies loss to North in Week 2 out of my head for two reasons. 1. North pounded the ball at Los Osos, much as Chaffey will do tonight with Douglas. 2. North didn’t make the playoffs or even finish with a winning record. How is Los Osos supposed to handle a tested team like Chaffey if they couldn’t get a grip on North?

The Tigers play in one of the weaker Central Division leagues in the area (Mt. Baldy) and lost to their main rival (Colony), which plays a more run-oriented offense than what they’ll see from Los Osos. That said, I expect to see Douglas go crazy tonight. Is another 300-yard game too much to hope for?

FOMB Inland Area Prep Top 10

1. Redlands East Valley (11-0) — The Terriers went untested in a 41-13 victory over pluggy, little Riverside La Sierra in their first-round game. Next Game: 7:30 p.m. Friday vs. Temecula Chaparral at Univ. of Redlands.

2. Moreno Valley Rancho Verde (11-0) — The Mustangs steamrolled up-and-coming Temecula Great Oak, 58-17, but real danger looms on the horizon. Next Game: 7 p.m. Friday vs. Corona Centennial.

3. Norco (10-1) — The Cougars’ RB duo did its thing vs. Rialto Carter, racking up more than 300 yards again. Next Game: 7:30 p.m. Friday vs. Riverside Arlington at Riverside Ramona HS.

4. Corona Centennial (9-2) — The Huskies greased their wheels in a 56-20 win over Fontana Miller in their first-round tangle. Next Game: 7 p.m. Friday at Moreno Valley Rancho Verde.

5. Vista Murrieta (11-0) — The Broncos have fresh playoff momentum on their side after a 38-17 dispatching of Corona Santiago. Next Game: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Redlands.

6. Colton (10-1) — The Yellowjackets really put their stingers to Chino Don Lugo, winning 53-3 in their warmup for a bigger, badder foe. Next Game: 7 p.m. Friday vs. Rancho Cucamonga at Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos HS.

7. Ontario Colony (9-2) — The Titans made big plays in the passing game to and 150+ yards from senior RB Jamil Austin (5-9, 180) to defeat Menifee Paloma Valley, 21-7, in their first-round game. Next Game: 7:30 p.m. Friday vs. Upland.

8. Riverside Arlington (10-1) — The Lions will literally ride junior RB Superiorr Reid (6-3, 215) as far as he can carry them. Behind an experience offensive line, Reid ran for four TDs in a 28-7 win over Murrieta Valley. Next Game: 7:30 Friday vs. Norco.

9. Temecula Chaparral (8-3) — I’ve been down on this team all year and the Pumas keep finding ways to win. This time it was Eastvale Roosevelt on a FG as time expired. Can they keep it going? Next Game: 7:30 p.m. Friday vs. Redlands East Valley.

10. Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda (9-2) — The Eagles really faced a tomato can in San Bernardino Cajon. They recycled the Cowboys, 38-6, in their first-round matchup. Next Game: 7:30 p.m. Friday vs. Chino Hills.

Wonder Dog taken behind woodshed

The Wonder Dog has died. Well, as far as Angels fans should be concerned.

The Los Angeles Angels fired long-time television analyst Rex Hudler, aka Wonder Dog, on Monday. Read the story the L.A. Times ran here. Read the L.A. Times blog about it here.

The Wonder Dog served as color guy to play-by-play man Steve Physioc (also fired) for parts of more than eight seasons. He’s best known for his over-the-top enthusiasm for the Angels and for having a baseball in his hands whilst he extrapolated upon Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon or anything and everything Angels.

He seemed to want to key catch-phrases so badly that he’d try them out, on air, even if they were bad. Oftentimes there would be dead air afterword. The only one that seemed to catch on was his use of the term “king fish” when referring to the aformentioned Salmon. It seemed to fit well enough. But some of the others were just dreadful.

As for Physioc… good riddance to bad rubbish. I prefer Angels radio play-by-play guy Rory Markus (now the team’s TV play-by-play guy) over that clown anyday.