High School Football Top 20: Southeast Division

Can Roddy Layton and DR finally get a CIF Championship in 2010? Photo by Anne Cypress.

Changes are in store for 2010 as the San Gabriel Valley is merely days away from the start of Zero Week.

Last year’s Southeast Division Champion Charter Oak has moved to a new Division and League along with South Hills and Nogales.

The Suburban League teams make their debut in the Southeast Division with some incredible Division I athletes.

  1. La Mirada (13-1) – Last season’s Southern Division Champs move into a new division, but should still be considered one of the favorites in the Southeast.
  2. Muir (4-7) – How can this team be ranked so high?  Huge offensive line and skill players make the Mustangs very dangerous for 2010.
  3. Norwalk (11-2) – Lancers have one of the largest offensive lines in the Southeast and have shown they can open holes for Elijah Penny.
  4. West Covina (7-5) – Pick your poison at running back with Chris Solomon and BJ Lee or try and stop quarterback George Johnson.
  5. Diamond Ranch (7-7) – Roddy Layton schedules a pre-season that will have them completely ready for a tough playoff push in the Southeast.
  6. Burbank (9-3) – Bulldogs have showed steady improvement the last four seasons.  Adam Coleman returns at starting quarterback and game-changer Ulises Ochoa will be the featured back.
  7. La Serna (3-7) – Tough year for the Lancers in 2009, much talk has been made about Connor Burke.
  8. Walnut (7-3) – Mustangs go from the fire to the firing pan with the new Hacienda League being just as competitive as the old San Antonio league.
  9. Arcadia (2-7-1) – Taylor Legace, Rodney Arnett, and Myles Carr make the Apaches a very-scary team in 2010.
  10. Mayfair (4-7) – Evan Hunko and Dominque Small return on offense, while Bryan Kvapil and Austin Wiersma anchor the defense.
  11. El Rancho (5-6) – The Ranch may not be too happy being ranked below Del Rio league rival La Serna.  Remember the name “Ronnel Lone”.
  12. Rowland (8-3) – With Michael Ball healthy, Raiders will have a dual weapon on offense and defense.  Leonardo Freeman will be his main target.
  13. Santa Fe (7-4) – Lots of questions surrounding the Chiefs for the 2010 season.  Big question is who will be the starting quarterback.
  14. Burroughs (7-4) – Indians still have Lucas Yanez calling the signal and they are well-coached.  Biggest problem is they don’t have a quick strike offense if they fall behind early.
  15. California (9-3-1) – Condors began last year 1-2-1 and then rattled off 8-1 record enroute to the playoffs.  Coach Jim Arnold lost a ton of seniors and they must rebuild.
  16. Bonita (3-8) – A season of “ifs” last year continue with the injury to Garrett Pendelton.  Will Greg Spathias fill the bill?
  17. Crescenta Valley (8-4) – Gone are Kyle Cota, Harold Pessy, Dai Dai McFadden and Tony Zarillo.  Pacific League is an awful tough place to make a debut.
  18. Pasadena (5-5) – The biggest lost comes in Mike McFarland who went to  Temple City.  Look for Aaron Simpson to continue his stellar play on offense and defense.
  19. Diamond Bar (1-9) – Things can only get better for the Brahmas as they move from the Sierra League to the Hacienda League.
  20. Bellflower (3-8) – Larreon White will be the core of the offense for the Buccaneers.  Look for Rodney Purvis to have a breakout year as a junior.

Leave a Reply