The week before Halloween, a pair of Baseline League rivals might find themselves on television. It likely won't be the last time for more than a few players from Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos and Upland highs.

The headliner of the summer was Richard Brehaut, the golden-haired quarterback with the golden arm at Los Osos. The senior will suit up for UCLA next year, and he's not one to shrink from the big stage.

At the Elite 11 quarterback camp last month, Brehaut broke accuracy records and was named "most likely to play first" in college. Recent participants in the prestigious camp include Vince Young, Matt Leinart and JaMarcus Russell.

That's pretty good company for a life-long baseball player who didn't put on pads until his freshman year. All Brehaut wanted to do was play linebacker and hit some people.

Change of plan.

"The accolades he's receiving, the scholarship, none of that surprises me," Upland coach Tim Salter said. "He's a very good football player, a very tough individual. He's capable of taking the game into his own hands."

Salter has his own blue-chip quarterback in Josh Nunes, who will suit up for the University of Tennessee. To match up against Brehaut, the Upland defense can lean on a secondary that features three Division I recruits.

Coveted cornerback Osahon Irabor has committed to Arizona State, and safety Davion Fleming (Northwestern) and cornerback Taj Johnson (Minnesota) are mulling Big Ten offers.

Their focus against Los Osos can't be solely on Brehaut. Another dangerous weapon for the Grizzlies is running back Arby Fields, who said he has narrowed his college choices to Arizona State, LSU, Stanford, Cal and USC.

"It's big for our spread offense," Brehaut said. "We're both running the ball, so when you have two guys back here that can run the ball real well, that makes us multi-dimensional and can throw defenses off."

Combine all the star power on both sides with league race implications -- Los Osos, Upland and Etiwanda shared the championship last year -- and it's no wonder why FSN Prime Ticket tentatively scheduled the Oct. 24 matchup between Los Osos and Upland.

Reach Gerald Tang at 951-368-9531 or gtang@PE.com.

ALTA LOMA

HOME FIELD: Chaffey College

2007 RECORD: 4-6, fifth in Baseline League

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2006 Inland Division first round, lost to Corona Centennial, 41-7

COACH: John Kusleika, seventh year

KEY PLAYERS:

ROBBIE SKARSETH (LB, Sr.) -- Skarseth is the unquestioned leader of the defense, a signal-caller and sure tackler at outside linebacker. He was selected to the all-league second team last season.

TRAMELL TUGGLE (FB, Jr.) -- The Braves want to return to their glory days as a power-running team. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Tuggle is considered the strongest pound-for-pound player in the program.

ANTHONY MEZA (DL, Sr.) -- The consummate team player, the 5-foot-10, 225-pound Meza played defensive end last year. He also was a battering ram at fullback, never asking for the ball or a break.

JOSHUA HENDERSON (RB/DB, Sr.) -- Diminutive but fearless, Henderson is a returning two-way starter. He's a fast, aggressive cornerback and was the team's second-leading rusher last year with 322 yards.

BOTTOM LINE: Kusleika experimented with the spread offense last season while breaking in his youngest team ever. The result was the team's worst league record since 2002. This year, the plan is to return to traditional Alta Loma football: Run the ball and control the clock.

CLAREMONT

HOME FIELD: Claremont High

2007 RECORD: 0-10, sixth in Baseline League

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2004 Division I first round, lost to Chino Hills, 22-17

COACH: Terrance Lynch, first year

KEY PLAYERS:

TITUS JUMPER (OT, Sr.) -- Jumper is the most consistent performer for an offensive line that returns all its starters from last year. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder will see some time at defensive tackle, too.

TYLER SINGLETON (RB, Jr.) -- Singleton's 858 rushing yards last season were the most by a sophomore in school history. An all-league selection, Singleton is a tailback with speed and power.

DAVID RIVERA (LB, Sr.) -- A returning all-league inside linebacker, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Rivera is the enforcer in the middle. He's tough, physical, aggressive and the team's hardest hitter.

AARON MARTYN (LB, Sr.) -- Though not the biggest or fastest, Martyn (5-10, 190 pounds) is an able playmaker thanks to his smarts on the field. He averaged nearly 10 tackles per game last season.

BOTTOM LINE: Lynch has coached at Claremont for 14 years, so it's not like the program is starting from scratch. With 17 returning starters, the goal is to compete in every game this season. The Wolfpack won the last of three straight league titles only four years ago.

ETIWANDA

HOME FIELD: Colony High

2007 RECORD: 6-5, tied for first in Baseline League

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2007 Inland Division first round, lost to Corona Santiago, 52-35

COACH: Steve Bryce, fourth year

KEY PLAYERS:

ANGEL SANTIAGO (QB, Jr.) -- Santiago has been overshadowed in a league with two heralded quarterback recruits, but his time will come. He won first place last month at the Steve Clarkson QB Skills Challenge.

VINCE MINOR (RB/CB, Sr.) -- Quick and shifty, the 5-foot-9 Minor earned all-league honors on both sides of the ball. He averaged better than five yards per carry last season and scored 15 touchdowns.

BOBBY RATLIFF (WR, Jr.) -- The 6-foot-2 junior earned MVP honors this summer at a Cal football camp that included Jerry Rice's son. Ratliff also started at cornerback last season and plays basketball.

WILLIE MEBANE (WR/S, Sr.) -- A two-way starter last year, Mebane returns to help lead a talented crop of receivers. He's also a strong presence in the secondary with good instincts and tackling ability.

BOTTOM LINE: The Eagles need to pace themselves because their final two games of the regular season will be against Upland and Los Osos. They probably will have to grind out several close wins like they did last year to have another shot at the league title.

LOS OSOS

HOME FIELD: Los Osos High

2007 RECORD: 8-3, tied for first in Baseline League

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2007 Inland Division first round, lost to Temecula Chaparral, 10-7

COACH: Tom Martinez, sixth year

KEY PLAYERS:

ARBY FIELDS (RB, Sr.) -- His plan is to decide among a bevy of Division I scholarship offers early in the season. Meanwhile, Fields will continue to rack up yards and be a fiery leader for the Grizzlies.

MATT SHINN (OL, Sr.) -- Shinn has the crucial job of protecting the blind side for prized quarterback Richard Brehaut. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound left tackle is the offensive line's only returning starter.

JESSE GONZALES (LB, Sr.) -- As a junior last year, Gonzales set a school record for career tackles with 172. He's been a starter and all-league selection each of the past two seasons.

MITCH ROSNAGLE (LB, Jr.) -- Tough and aggressive, Rosnagle is known as a hard hitter. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder bench-presses 315 pounds and is a good complement to Gonzales at outside linebacker.

BOTTOM LINE: There's no way the Grizzlies won't be contenders with Brehaut and Fields, two of the most dynamic skill players in the Inland area. The key will be the consistency and cohesiveness of a deep but unproven cast of offensive linemen.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA

HOME FIELD: Los Osos High

2007 RECORD: 4-6, fourth in Baseline League

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2005 Division 2 first round, lost to Chino Hills, 34-27

COACH: Nick Baiz, third year

KEY PLAYERS:

GREG WATSON (QB, Jr.) -- The 6-foot, 180-pound Watson has a strong arm that continues to develop. He turned 15 only a few months ago, but gained valuable experience last year as a sophomore starter.

BUDDY WELKA (LB, Sr.) -- To better utilize his speed and instincts, Welka will be moved to the outside linebacker spot. Entering his third season as a starter, Welka averaged more than 10 tackles a game last year.

DANIEL FONUA (LB, Sr.) -- Fonua, a ferocious hitter at 6 feet and 235 pounds, returns at middle linebacker. Last season, he posted 16-tackle efforts against both La Quinta and La Puente Bishop Amat.

IRSHAD STOLDEN (WR, Sr.) -- With offers from UNLV and Fresno State, Stolden has established himself as a Division I recruit despite being only 5-foot-9. It helps to have 4.4 speed and a good vertical.

BOTTOM LINE: With nine returning starters on offense, the Cougars have the athleticism and firepower to put up some points against the powerhouses. It's up to the defense to slow down all those talented skill players in the Baseline League.

UPLAND

HOME FIELD: Upland High

2007 RECORD: 7-4, tied for first in Baseline League

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2007 Inland Division first round, lost to Glendora, 29-28 OT

COACH: Tim Salter, 15th year

KEY PLAYERS:

JOSH NUNES (QB, Sr.) -- The University of Tennessee recruit threw for more than 2,000 yards his junior season. At 6-foot-3, Nunes is a polished pocket passer with good awareness of the field.

ISAIAH SHIVERS (DE, Sr.) -- Shivers, 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, will move from defensive tackle to end. A strong pass rush would make Upland's supremely talented secondary that much scarier.

DAVION FLEMING (S/RB, Sr.) -- Versatile enough to play linebacker, Fleming is also a force at running back (seven TDs last year). Northwestern has offered, and several Pac-10 schools are in the picture.

OSAHON IRABOR (DB, Sr.) -- An ESPN150 prospect, Irabor decided on Arizona State out of 15 Division I scholarship offers. Fellow cornerback Taj Johnson received an offer from the University of Minnesota.

BOTTOM LINE: That blue-chip secondary, along with solid linebackers, will come in handy against Los Osos and Etiwanda. With Nunes flanked by returning skill players and linemen on offense, Upland might not be sharing the league title this year.

PREDICTED FINISH

Upland

Los Osos

Etiwanda

Rancho Cucamonga

Alta Loma

Claremont

CAN'T-MISS GAMES

** Oct. 17: Rancho Cucamonga vs. Etiwanda at Colony High, 7 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga can prove itself worthy of a playoff spot in a midseason matchup against a defending champ.

** Oct. 24: Upland at Los Osos, 7 p.m.: This showdown, which might be televised, features two future Division I quarterbacks and could determine the league title.

** Nov. 14: Los Osos vs. Etiwanda at Colony High, 7 p.m.: In the season finale, Los Osos will try to avenge its only league loss last year. Etiwanda won that game, 29-26.