BLOOMINGTON

Home field: Bloomington High, Bloomington

2007 Record: 6-5, 4-1, first (tie)

Last playoff appearance: 2007 Eastern Division first round (lost to Phelan Serrano, 24-22)

Coach: Tom Conner, first season

Key Players

Jayson Allmond (LB, TE, Sr.): Has drawn interest from Pac-10 schools for his skills as a linebacker.

Marquise Boyd (LB/RB, Sr.): Matured and got stronger physically since the end of last season.

Keith Williams (LB/RB, Sr.): Packed on between five and 10 pounds of muscle since the end of last season.

Jeremy Salgado (OL/DL, Sr.): The third-year varsity player is starting to get some attention from WAC and Mountain West schools.

Bottom line: Bloomington has the talent to compete for the Sunkist League title, but can new coach Tom Conner pick up where Don Markham left off?

JURUPA VALLEY

Home field: Jurupa Valley High, Mira Loma

2007 Record: 7-4, 4-1, first (tie)

Last playoff appearance: 2007 Eastern Division first round (lost to Riverside Poly, 45-42)

Coach: Dave Pierson, fourth season

Key Players

Thomas Ott (QB, Sr.): Replacing John Vandenraadt won't be easy, but this former wide receiver has the smarts to make it work.

Curtis Slater (RB, Sr.): Coaches hope Slater's track-star speed will convert nicely to his new running back position.

John O'Brien (DL, Jr.): At 6-foot-6, 312 pounds, O'Brien is already getting attention from college coaches.

Abraham Caisedo (LB, Sr.): One of the team captains, Caisedo has grown into the position of linebacker.

Bottom line: After averaging 32 points per game last season, the Jaguars will turn their attention toward their defense, hoping to advance further into the playoffs.

KAISER

Home field: Kaiser High, Fontana

2007 Record: 5-7, 4-1, first (tie)

Last playoff appearance: 2007 Eastern Division second round (lost to Riverside North, 28-14)

Coach: Dick Bruich, 10th season.

Key Players

Simon Martinez (LB, Sr.): Had more than 100 tackles the last two seasons on varsity.

Adam Ramirez (RB/SS, Sr.): Gained more than 1,000 yards last season with 10 rushing touchdowns.

Josh Shirley (DL/TE, Jr.): Expected to emerge as a defensive leader in his junior season.

Anthony Brown (RB/CB, Jr.): Ran for 880 yards last season with eight touchdowns and improved as the year went on.

Bottom line: The Cats will be the favorite to win their eighth straight Sunkist League championship because they return the bulk of the key contributors from last season.

NORTE VISTA

Home field: Norte Vista High, Riverside

2007 Record: 2-8, 2-3, fourth

Last playoff appearance: 2006 Eastern Division first round (lost to Silverado, 49-7)

Coach: Ken Batdorf, 15th year

Key Players

Junior Lafaele (RT, Sr.): At 6-4, 315 pounds, he's one of the best run blockers Batdorf has had at Norte Vista.

Erwin Sandoval (TE, Sr.): Can block like an offensive lineman but can also catch like a tight end.

Ryan Beckham (LB, Sr.): Batdorf calls Beckham a coach on the field because of his knowledge of the game.

Anthony Acosta (SS, Sr.): Impressed coaches with his work ethic and tackling consistency.

Bottom line: Norte Vista won't wow teams with superstars, but Batdorf thinks the Braves will be cohesively strong.

PATRIOT

Home field: Patriot High, Riverside

2007 Record: 2-8, 1-4, fifth

Last playoff appearance: None

Coach: Kevin Corridan, fourth year

Key Players

Miles Basham (QB/FS, Sr.): The second-year starter is learning how to be a vocal team leader on offense.

Ken Braden (RB/SS, Sr.): The time in the weight room will pay off this season for Braden, who's in his second year as the starting running back.

Andre Franco (RB/DB, Sr.): Corridan calls Franco a "gamebreaker" because of his speed. He will supplement Braden in the backfield.

Kyle Estes (OG/LB, Sr.): One of the most driven members of the Patriot team will play a factor on the offensive line.

Bottom line: Patriot lost four games last year by seven points or fewer. Another year of experience should turn some of those losses into Ws.

SUMMIT

Home field: Miller High, Fontana

2007 Record: 2-8, 0-5, sixth

Last playoff appearance: None

Coach: Tony Barile, third year

Key Players

Devon Blackmon (QB, So.): The returning starter at quarterback finally has a summer workout to practice and navigate the offense.

Jamaal Anderson (CB, Jr.): Leader of the strongest part of the Summit team, the defensive backfield.

Perry Walker (DE, Sr.): This three-year starter at defensive end is fast enough to run down quarterbacks and running backs alike.

Isaac Cisneros (WR/S, Jr.): Solely a defensive player last year, the transition to wide receiver is working nicely.

Bottom line: Summit is expected to win now that it finally has seniors on its football roster.

PREDICTED FINISH

1. Kaiser

2. Bloomington

3. Patriot

4. Jurupa Valley

5. Norte Vista

6. Summit

CAN'T-MISS GAMES:

Sept. 5: Compton at Bloomington -- The first game of the Tom Conner era should indicate how the 33-year old coach plans to lead his team.

Sept. 12: Riverside La Sierra at Norte Vista -- No love lost when these two rivals meet for their annual opener at Alvord Stadium.

Oct. 31: Kaiser at Bloomington -- The past two years, Bloomington led in the final minutes before watching late Kaiser comebacks. This could again determine the league championship.