Must-see SGV Top 10

Just like the golden days of NBC in the '90s, tonight is "Must See Thursday" on FSN West for high school football fans in the SGV. It's South Hills vs West Covina, otherwise known as the annual San Antonio League championship game, and don't act like you didn't know this already.

But as a Bulldog Booster said in his blog, that's no excuse to stay at home if you can make it to  Covina District Stadium. Unfortunately, I won't be able to, so I'm glad the TV option exists.

Before the season started this had potential to be a really good game, but the way the season has played out, I think it's going to be a blowout in South Hills' favor. I hope I'm wrong, West Covina fans, and that the game is a close encounter of the third kind, but I just don't see that happening.

Oregon lands standout running back Barner

Running back Kenjon Barner of Riverside Notre Dame has committed to Oregon. Barner has been running wild this season, rushing for 1,953 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also considered UTEP and Arizona State.

-- Eric Sondheimer

-- Image from www.sportslogos.net

What's in a number?

Was bored as can be this afternoon, so instead of doing something constructive for a change, like going to the gym, I decided to stick with my normal routine, which is sitting in front of my laptop and scouring the internet in search of uncovering the next hidden gem of a statistic. And low and behold, I found one, thanks in part to Zach Kaplan.

I had to blink a couple of times to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me at first. And they weren't. Kaplan, a senior from North Hollywood Campbell Hall (3-5), actually ranks among the state's top 10 quarterbacks in passing yardage, according to Maxpreps.com. It is, of course, Halloween, so I instantly thought this was a trick, not a treat.

Taking a turn for the better

What a difference four years makes.

Compton was 0-10, including an 0-6 mark in the Moore League, in 2004, Calvin Bryant's first season as coach. The junior-varsity and freshman teams sported the same inauspicious record.

Well, let's just say the standard has been raised.

All three teams enter their games this week with impressive 8-0 marks, including 4-0 records in league play. Read a story on Compton here that ran earlier this season.

Thousand Oaks third baseman makes college choice

Jeff Bandy, a 6-foot-4 senior third baseman from Thousand Oaks, has committed to Arizona. Bandy helped lead the Lancers to the Marmonte League championship last season and has been impressive in fall baseball competitions. He's the third Thousand Oaks player to accept a Division I scholarship. Pitcher Chad Smith is headed to USC and pitcher Jeff Johnson is committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Getting his foot in the Dore

There are plenty of quality running backs in Ventura County, so many in fact, that it's easy to overlook Brandon Dore. However, if the senior from Ventura (2-6 overall) continues racking up yardage like he's done the past three weeks, his name could be mentioned in the same sentence as Darrell Scott, Cierre Wood and Chris Brown.

Dore, who began the year at safety, moved into the backfield in Week 5 after injuries to Michael McFadden and Michael Meyer, and promptly rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown in 25 carries against Ventura St. Bonaventure.  A 266-yard, four-touchdown effort against Goleta Dos Pueblos followed. Ventura Buena had no answer last week as Dore picked up 197 yards and three scores in 24 carries last week. Now, that's production.

Santa Barbara (6-2) will take a shot at stopping him Friday in a Channel League game, and the Dons might want to think about putting an extra man, or two, in the box, considering they're giving up an average of 185 yards rushing a game. Really, it couldn't hurt, right? And if not, Dore could be in store for another eye-opening statistical output.

-- Sean Ceglinsky, guest blogger

-- Image from www.channel-league.org

Putting together Compton's highlight reels

Compton Coach Calvin Bryant was standing in an Office Max store, a child crying in the background, and talking about one of his myriad duties --- or, at least, something he considers one of his myriad duties --- with respect to the Tarbabes' football team.

Bryant, intent on bringing his players together with recruiters, was buying DVDs with which to put together digital packages of highlights of his players, focusing on those he believes are being or may be overlooked.

Senior defensive end Datone Jones, for example, doesn't need one. He's had enough colleges looking at him, and already has given a verbal commitment to UCLA.

Chaparral drops the ball, Broncos breathe a sigh of relief

Vista Murrieta was able to exhale after Chaparral quarterback Tyler Hansen dropped a two-point conversion attempt with 13 seconds left Tuesday night in the Southwestern League game, allowing the visiting Broncos to hold on for a 21-20 victory.

I'm not sure I'd call a halfback pass to my Colorado-bound quarterback with a league title on the line, but hey, if it works, Chaparral Coach Tommy Leach looks like Urban Meyer.

Orange Lutheran is healthy as ever -- almost

Orange Lutheran is playing host to Mater Dei on Friday –- at Mater Dei’s home site, Santa Ana Stadium –- and Coach Jim Kunau is bemused by reports that the Lancers are "pretty banged up."

“We had a few people cramp in the Servite game, but we came out of that game pretty healthy, as healthy as any game we’ve had,” Kunau said today/Wednesday. “We did have one player get injured, a freak lineman-thing where an opponent was blocked into one of our lineman’s knees.”

The injury to Don Williams, who starts at left guard and nose guard, wasn’t as bad as originally thought. He is supposed to be evaluated on Thursday, but Kunau said his status was doubtful. Williams is the Lancers’ only two-way starting lineman.

Speaking of freak stuff, check out Chic's "Le Freak" from the 1970s; believe it or not, this is, like, the biggest selling single in the history of Warner Bros. And yeah, it's disco.

-- Martin Henderson

Rancho Verde needs to regroup in a hurry

Rancho Verde won't have time to dwell on its 18-14 loss Monday night to Moreno Valley in an Inland Valley League game. The Mustangs hit the road for their toughest opponent to date this season, a nonleague game Friday night at Norco, ranked No. 17 in the Southland by The Times.

After a little prodding, a few of my colleages finally joined me in listing Rancho Verde in their top 25 two weeks ago, helping the Mustangs debut at No. 25. They then moved up one spot last week before their upset loss to Moreno Valley. I'll take a little bacon with that egg on my face.