MidValleySports.Com

The western prairie of the United States is not as vast as the newly configured Northwest Division, where it is quicker to travel to the moon and back then to go from Morro Bay to Twentynine Palms.

Six leagues, 31 teams, and a lot of sweet talking of a lot of folks at each end of the division’s boundaries to keep us in the loop, and then we’ll see who the surprises are.

These teams will not be a surprise: Cantwell, Maranatha, Rio Hondo Prep, Mission Prep, Western Christian and dare I say (dare! dare!) Nipomo, Bishop Montgomery, and Whittier Christian.

This is truly the Tom Petty Division, “The Great Wide Open”…If you have an insight, tell us who you like and why. If not, we pledge to get you more familiar with each passing week. If we’ve screwed up a coach’s name or placement of a team…let us know as well.

By League (School & Coach):

South Catholic League

Bishop Montgomery—Ed Hodgkiss: Former HC of the Los Angeles Avengers.

Cantwell—Kim Taylor—He’s got a quarterback.

St. Bernard—John Bibb

Verbum Dei—David Banuelos

***

Prep League

Firebaugh—Darnell Rubin

Flintridge Prep—Antonio Harrison

Pasadena Poly—Brendan McGail

Rio Hondo Prep—Ken Drain

***

Olympic League

Heritage Christian—Scott Hurst

Maranatha—Steve Bogan

Valley Christian—Woodie Grayson

Village Christian—Mark Bates

Whittier Christian—Sergio Gradilla

***

Northern League

Mission Prep—Chad Henry

Morro Bay—Jack Greer

Nipomo—Russ Edwards

Santa Maria—Gabe Espinoza

Templeton—Dan Loney

***

De Anza League

Big Bear—Dave Griffiths

Desert Hot Springs—Eric Perry

Desert Mirage—Jeff Tebelak

Rancho Mirage—L.D. Matthews—Welcome to the show.

Shadow Hills—Ron Shipley

Twentynine Palms—Ernest Martinez

Yucca Valley—Andrew Amosa

***

Ambassador League

Aquinas—Chris Ybarra

Arrowhead Christian—John Beck

Linfield Christian—DeChon Burns

Notre Dame (Riverside)—Derrick Johnson—Former NFL CB is the new HC.

Ontario Christian—Rick Martin—Replaces Chris Stevens who is now at M-Town.

Western Christian—Kevin Oberlander—Left and returned with the snap of a finger. Has 22-11 record in three seasons for program that had been nowhere since 2002.