While another league in the Coachella Valley typically gets the bulk of attention, this year the Desert Valley League might just be the most exciting league in the valley.
It's true, because of the kind
of competition that will exist among the four teams.
All four teams in the league reached the playoffs last year. Coachella Valley won the league, Yucca Valley finished second and Banning won the Sun Valley League and Desert Hot Springs took second in that league. Then, as part of a reshuffling, Banning and Desert Hot Springs replaced Indio and Twentynine Palms in the DVL this year.
And there's reason to believe that things will get really exciting, particularly if all four teams remain relatively healthy.
Desert Hot Springs brings back 27 seniors, including several stars, Coachella Valley is the defending champions and also returns some star players, and Yucca Valley and Banning have some of the top playmakers in the entire area returning.
Excited yet? Well, to seal the deal, we're back with some pre-season predictions. Here's who sports reporter Andrew John and sports editor Shad Powers believe will rise to the top in the league this season.
Andrew's picks
Offensive player of the year: Aiden Pope, Yucca Valley — Pope is the best offensive playmaker in the league, leading the area with 68 passes for 1,178 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He'll be a weapon all over the field and I trust head coach Jeremy Johnson to get Pope the ball often.
Defensive player of the year: Kei'mani Alger, Desert Hot Springs — The 6-foot, 240-pound senior linebacker is, in my opinion, the most physically aggressive defensive player in the DVL this season and I have no doubt that he'll rack up well over 100 tackles and probably a handful of sacks for what should be a pretty solid defense.
Bold prediction: Banning will not win a league game this season. That's a bit outrageous because the Broncos are coming off back-to-back league titles. But I think they are also the weakest team, top-to-bottom, in the league and the other three teams should be much deeper in terms of overall talent.
Order of finish:
- Coachella Valley (2-1)
- Desert Hot Springs (2-1)
- Yucca Valley (2-1)
- Banning (0-3)
I'm predicting a three-way tie for first place. I think that's pretty bold because Banning returns arguably the best quarterback and receiver combination in the area. But I don't think the Broncos are as good as the other teams in the other areas of the game. Maybe that's some bulletin board material.
I really like what Coachella Valley and Yucca Valley have in terms of playmakers, and I think Desert Hot Springs could surprise a lot of people if all goes according to plan. The Golden Eagles are stacked with talent in a way that they haven't been in a really long time.
Shad's picks
Offensive player of the year: Ivan Garza, Coachella Valley — A bit of a safe choice, but I think the Arabs will be the best team in the league and Garza's role will be increased this year. If he can play with a calmness and poise, which I think he can, look for Garza to grab the league's offensive MVP award, but man there are some great options. If their teams win, Banning QB Jacob Anzaldua or DHS signal caller Jaylen Turner could also grab this honor.
Defensive player of the year: Sebastian Casillas, Coachella Valley — The talented defensive lineman could have some robust sack numbers this year, especially with the edition of DHS and Banning to the league, two teams that like to drop back and pass. He's difficult to move off that line and he has a nose for finding the ball-carrier. And again, if the Arabs win the league, this award will likely go to a CV difference-maker.
Bold prediction: Yucca Valley's Aiden Pope will score a touchdown five different ways this season. Here they are in order of confidence — TD reception, TD rush, Pick six, punt return, fumble return ... could be a kickoff return in there, too, and maybe coach Jeremy Johnson can help this come true by coming up with a way for him to throw a touchdown pass.
Order of finish:
- Coachella Valley (3-0)
- Banning (1-2)
- Yucca Valley (1-2)
- Desert Hot Springs (1-2)
No game will be a pushover, but I think the Arabs figure out a way to go undefeated and then the other three teams just seem so equal to me. I could see them all going 1-1 against each other and then an army of mathematicians will be brought in to decide the tiebreakers.
Your turn to vote: Who will win the Desert Valley League?
Vote in the poll below.
Andrew John covers sports and recreation in the Coachella Valley for The Desert Sun. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. Find him on Instagram at @desertwriter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Bold predictions for the Desert Valley League: MVPs, standings and more
