MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Peterson

The Sierra is one of the toughest leagues in the area. Charter Oak and Bonita have solid quarterbacks and look like the cream of the crop. Northview is big and bad up front while Colony looks to bounce back from a tough year. Glendora has some key pieces returning and Ayala will try to upset the apple cart. Here are the Sierra League projections.

Projected order of finish:

1. Charter Oak – Head Coach: Dominic Farrar. Division 1 quarterback Corin Berry graduated but Dutch Burbidge, who had a solid season last year, transferred in from Pasadena. The Chargers actually got two quarterbacks when Dutch’s brother, Cade Burbidge, transferred in from Bonita and joined his brother. The Chargers did lose a lot of seniors to graduation but they seem to always have guys ready to step in. Zion Key will be a favorite target of Dutch Burbidge as he lines up at receiver. Defensively defensive end Jayden Harris and defensive back Julian Minor will play big roles. Key will play on both sides of the ball. Charter Oak will be in mix to win the league title.

2. Bonita – Head Coach: Steve Bogan. Bonita did lose Cade Burbidge but the Bearcats gained Isaiah Guerrero who transferred from Los Osos. Guerrero threw for 2,096 yards and 19 touchdowns last year. Running back Joseph Lara got hurt early last year but is back and is expected to have a big season. Sebastian Vasquez, 453 yards rushing in ’25, will help the running attack as well. Matt Milazzo will be a nice target for Guerrero. Isaiah Lazarus, who had 101 total tackles last season, will lead the defense. Ryder Grosenbach returns as well at linebacker. It should come down to the Charter Oak game. The Bearcats will take on the Chargers October 23 at Charter Oak.

3. Northview – Head Coach: Marcel Perez. As of yet the Vikings haven’t settled on a starting quarterback. Freshman Miguel Lizarde and sophomore Robert Carrasco are battling for the job. Northview will be fine running the ball with Aaron Guillen and Zach Garza who combine for over 500 yards last season. The offensive line is one of the best in the area led by Zeke Lucero and Jeremiah Alcantara. Other names up front to remember are Ivan Lopez, Zach Carr, Jayden Cisneros, Charles Bernal, Jaydon Sokathong, Miguel Romero and Santino Ballardo. That’s a lot of names but again the Northview line is one of the best in the business. Alcantara, who also plays defensive end, had a terrific freshman season with 54 total tackles. Andrew Ramos will be manning the secondary. The Vikes are solid up front on both sides. A win over Bonita or Charter Oak would be huge for Marcel Perez’ troops.

4. Colony – Head Coach: Brian Zavala. Colony is coming off of a tough year going 3-7 overall and 1-4 in the Sierra League. The Titans also lost their top rusher, Justin Merrin, to graduation but do have Gavin Mumphrey to step in. Aiden Hill, who can run and throw, will line up at quarterback. The Titans have some pieces and a rich tradition, but they will need a couple of big victories in the Sierra to stay in the hunt.

5. Glendora – Head Coach: Ryan Lawrence. Glendora, like Colony, had its struggles in 2025. The Tartans went 2-8 overall and 1-4 in the Sierra. They are set at quarterback where Sebastian Lawrence, son of head coach Ryan Lawrence, returns. Lawrence had 1,452 yards passing and 12 touchdowns last season. Senior Nazir McGlothen will carry the rock for the Tartans. He rushed for 292 yards and three touchdowns a year ago. Tyson Rush had 16 catches for 218 yards in ’25 and should be at the receiving end of Lawrence’s passes. Defensively senior linebacker Cole Vanwoerkom will be a stalwart. Last season he had 56 total tackles, which is the team leader for returning players. Glendora, like Colony, will need to come up big against the top dogs in the league to have a shot.

6. Ayala – Head Coach: Todd Quinsey. Ayala didn’t win a game last year so anything above that will be an improvement. The Bulldogs have a new coach in Todd Quinsey – a familiar name in the SGV. Quinsey is an experienced head coach who has had previous stops at Bassett, Whittier, Northview and Glendora. Now can he revive Ayala? The Bulldogs gave up over 38 points per game last season while only scoring six per contest. Blake Frausto caught 26 passes for 287 yards last year a sophomore and is returning as is senior Maximilian Stine, who ran for 146 yards. Both players should help the offensive cause. This year the Bulldogs are just hoping to establish something to build on. A couple of non-league wins and a Sierra League win would help them do just that.

Tim Peterson can be reached at tim.midvalleysports@gmail.com or on Twitter (X) @tspeterson40. Facebook-Tim Peterson.