SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone: Escarcega on Preps: The Future of Prep Football - SGV/Whittier League Realignment Proposal
A look at what the new league could look like in 2026.
Photo: Taegan Maysami
Friday is a big day for high school sports in the San Gabriel Valley. All the East SGV and Inland Valley schools that are part of the Mt. SAC Releaguing area will meet to realign leagues for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
In the old days, it was like trying to nominate a candidate for President of the United States. Deals were made in smoke-filled rooms. It was not what you knew; it was who you knew.
Times have changed, and so has the thinking amongst coaches and administrators regarding football league realignment. Just like the CIFSS, it is now data-driven. It started in 2023 (for the current leagues), and football coaches and fans were unanimous in their thinking; it worked beautifully.
In past seasons, week 10 was nothing more than a buzz kill. No league titles were on the line, and no drama at all. This year, we flipped the script. League titles and playoff bids were on the line in the season's final week.
This is what Competitive Equity is all about. Everyone felt they could win a league title or make the playoffs.
We start with a blank sheet on Friday and, hopefully, get the league slotted correctly. Like two years ago, we have the data that the Mt. SAC Ad-Hoc committee used for a proposal for the new leagues. We don't have access to that proposal, but it doesn't require having a physics degree to figure it out.
Just as a reference, the Mt. SAC Ad-Hoc committee wanted not only the unweighted two-year average from HSratings.com and Massey but also the average of the "weighted" rankings from 2023 and 2024, with the most current season getting 75% of their average and the previous season 25%.
We have not discussed this with the committee members, but there was not much difference between the weighted and unweighted averages.
Let’s start with the Baseline.
BASELINE LEAGUE
Currently, 6 Teams
Automatic Qualifiers for Playoffs: 3
SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone Proposal
5 Teams, 2 AQs
Let’s be clear, everyone would agree that the five teams that should be in the Baseline are Chino Hills, Damien, Etiwanda, Rancho Cucamonga, and Upland. The discussion was the sixth team. In 2024 and 2025, it was Ayala. The two-year HSRatings.com average put them into the Baseline League category.
However, it has not worked out well, and they’ve dropped to a rank of #7 on our list after averaging their ranks in the weighted and unweighted lists. The #6 team is Bonita, which many argue should be in the Baseline.
We disagree for this reason. Even though the Baseline would get 2 AQs into the playoffs, we estimate that the league should easily get an At-Large bid. You can make a case that the fourth-place team would get an AL bid as well because of their league's strength in the ratings.
In 2023 (if the Baseline was a 5-team league), Upland and Etiwanda would have made the playoffs as an At-Large (both had .500 or better records to get in).
In 2024, Rancho Cucamonga would have made the playoffs as an At-Large, and if Upland had finished with a 5-5 record, they would have received the AL bid in Div. 4, and Santa Barbara would have been out. However, Upland was 4-6 and didn’t get in.
Based on those facts, it’s reasonable to project that four of the five teams from the Baseline make the playoffs. Using the new playoff system to your advantage is not that hard. Why waste an AQ from your league, put a team that doesn’t deserve to be there, and feed them to the wolves?
SIERRA LEAGUE
Currently: 6 Teams
Automatic Qualifiers for Playoffs: 3
SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone Proposal
6 Teams, 3 AQs
Teams: Bonita, Ayala, Charter Oak, Glendora, Colony, Northview
Not much has changed, but the current average rankings show that Northview deserves to play in the second-toughest league in the area.
The question is, do you slot Colony or Los Osos as the “sixth team” in the league? We feel that Los Osos has improved the field, but Colony should still be in the Sierras.
VALLE VISTA LEAGUE
Currently: 6 Teams
Automatic Qualifiers for Playoffs: 3
SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone Proposal
6 Teams, 3 AQs
Teams: Los Osos, San Dimas, West Covina, Diamond Ranch, Alta Loma, Claremont
From a geographical point of view, this works nicely. The majority of these teams are located on the 210 freeway corridor. When you start looking at the talent on the field, there is not much separation here, although Los Osos would be the favorite if this were 2025.
HACIENDA LEAGUE
Currently: 6 Teams
Automatic Qualifiers for Playoffs: 3
SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone Proposal
6 Teams, 3 AQs
Teams: Covina, Chino, South Hills, Los Altos, Diamond Bar, Walnut
I’m going to use some very harsh language here when it comes to this league. DON’T FUCK WITH THIS LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Every coach in this league loved competing in it and felt it was balanced. And I talked to every coach in this league. This was a great league in 2024 and will be that way in 2025. LEAVE THIS LEAGUE ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GANO LEAGUE
Currently: 4 Teams
Automatic Qualifiers for Playoffs: 2
SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone Proposal
5 Teams, 2 AQs
Teams: Don Lugo, Chaffey, Rowland, Montclair, Baldwin Park
When Robert Maxie became coach at Baldwin Park, there was an expectation that the team would jump significantly due to athletes transferring into the program. If the current numbers are any indication, they haven’t made that jump. They were ranked #28 in 2023; in 2025, they are ranked #24.
Thus, they are a perfect team to slide into the Gano and help the other four teams with scheduling. This could also work well for each team to get five wins and thus be AL-eligible.
MONTVIEW LEAGUE
Currently: 6 Teams
Automatic Qualifiers for Playoffs: 3
SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone Proposal
6 Teams, 3 AQs
Teams: Wilson, Nogales La Puente, Sierra Vista, Pomona, Ontario
Based on ratings, geography, and talent on the field, this league works fine. We are swapping La Puente with Azusa; there are no other changes.
MIRAMONTE LEAGUE
Currently: 6 Teams
Automatic Qualifiers for Playoffs: 3
SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone Proposal
6 teams, 3 AQs
Teams: Ganesha, Garey, Bassett, Duarte, Workman, Azusa
No major changes.
That’s it.
That’s how we would do it.
But it is up to the athletic directors to make all the decisions.
We’ll all be watching closely.