The community college season is approaching, and all four programs in the IE are ready for 2026. Fortunately, they are in the same conference, the Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC). This group consists of five programs, four from the IE: SBVC, Chaffey, Norco, and Victor Valley College. I do consider Victor Valley College part of the IE. You can check the IE map I use on my home page.
Last Season Standings
SBVC
Last season
The Wolverines ended the 2025 season 3rd in the IEAC and advanced to the playoffs. They defeated Moorpark 2-1 in double OT in the first round but then fell to Mt. SAC 1-0 in the 2nd round.
Coach
Coach Josh Brown has been leading the Wolverines for almost 16 years, the longest-serving of all the IE programs. His towering presence and booming voice on the field always makes his players bring a high intensity to the game, winning or losing.
Facts
Since 2022, SBVC has finished in the top 3 of the IEAC standings: 1st in 2022, 2nd in 2023 and 2024, and 3rd in 2025. Since 2024, they have a points per match score of 1.74 vs other IE programs, meaning they score at least one goal and almost two against VVC, Chaffey, and Norco.
Opinion
Last season was the first time since 2022 that SBVC finished outside of the top 2 in the IEAC. The difference between SBVC and Chaffey in the fight for 2nd place came down to the final match in the regular season, where Chaffey College won 2-1. In conference play vs Chaffey, SBVC has not won against the Panthers since 2023.
I emphasize the clash between the two, as both teams are even and only separated by a slight margin; if SBVC can overcome the Panthers, they can have a confidence boost going into the postseason
As far as the collective talent of SBVC, it remains the same as I said before: possession-based, high intensity on and off the ball, and very, very physical. This style is set by Coach Brown, which I have said in the past is a double-edged sword, as high intensity and physicality can lead to retaining lost possession but a loss of concentration for the team.
While his style is consistent with a good regular season, SBVC’s ceiling has been round 2 of the playoffs, and it seems there will be no difference this year. To be clear, making the playoffs for four straight seasons in a row is no failure, but I think if the temper can be cooled down and, with drawing some luck against a weaker side in the playoffs, they can make a deeper run, which is something SBVC has been trying to achieve for a while.
Prediction
I have an unofficial power rankings table I made for the IE programs based on results since 2022, and SBVC is 2nd among the four teams, only ahead of Chaffey by 4 points. As I said before, if they slip up vs Chaffey in IEAC play, they will drop to 3rd, and I predict that’s how SBVC will end the 2026 season. In the playoffs, I don’t think they’ll break the ceiling, as they will fall in the first round.
| Team | Wins | Ties | Total matches | Points (wins + ties) | PPM (points per match) | GD | Total | Rank |
| Norco | 27 | 6 | 41 | 87 | 2.12 | 36 | 107.1 | 1 |
| SBVC | 21 | 10 | 42 | 73 | 1.74 | 35 | 92.1 | 2 |
| Chaffey | 19 | 10 | 42 | 67 | 1.60 | 39 | 88.1 | 3 |
| VVC | 11 | 5 | 37 | 38 | 1.03 | -26 | 26.0 | 4 |
Poll
I sent a poll to my IG followers asking if IE programs will make the playoffs. Some of them are players and coaches, so it does carry some weight.
| Playoffs? | Votes |
| Yes | 20 |
| No | 4 |
Norco
Last season
Norco ended the 2025 season 1st in the IEAC standings, securing their 3rd consecutive IEAC season title. They had an 8-game winning streak, 7 of them in conference play. Placing first got NC a bye in the 1st round of the playoffs but fell to LA City College 2-0 in 2OT.
Freshman Salvador Carrillo led the top-scoring charts with 9 goals to his name during the regular season.
Coach
This will be Oscar Gaytan’s 2nd season in charge of Norco after being promoted from assistant after the departure of head coach Drew Rea in 2024.
Drew accepted the position of University of La Verne head coach, which is attributed to his success in winning the IEAC title in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
In a survey sent to all coaches, only Gaytan answered the questions. Below are the questions and his responses.
- What are your goals for the season?
Our primary goal is to continue raising the standard of Norco College men’s soccer. We want to compete for another conference championship and make a deeper postseason run, but our goals extend beyond wins and trophies. We want to develop our student-athletes as players, students, leaders, and young men while preparing them to graduate and improving our transfer rate to four-year institutions.
2. What are some improvements that you want to implement from last season?
We want to become a more adaptable and complete team. That means improving our ability to recognize and solve different problems during matches. We also want to strengthen our individual development process through clearer player objectives, more intentional video analysis, and greater ownership from our athletes. Our goal is to help players better understand not only what their role is, but how their actions support the collective.
3. What are some positives from last season that you want to continue?
The greatest positive was our culture. Our players competed for one another, embraced accountability, and remained connected through adversity. That togetherness helped us win our third consecutive conference championship and record 16 regular-season victories—the most in program history. We want to continue creating an environment built on trust, joy, discipline, and high standards—one in which players feel supported but are also challenged to grow. We also want to maintain the consistency and daily work ethic that allowed us to perform confidently on both sides of the ball.
Opinion
Following the short dynasty credited to coach Rea, Gaytan had no hassle as he continued their conference dominance. While the early exit in the playoffs was a shock, Norco remains consistent with its regular-season play, topping the IE team hierarchy.
My only hesitation is that incoming freshmen who didn’t experience Coach Rea’s proficiency will observe Gaytan’s leadership firsthand. As the last group of sophomores leaves this season, Gaytan’s style will be put to the test to see whether he maintains IEAC superiority or bows down.
Prediction
I’d say they will place first again, perhaps second if they lose 3 IEAC games, as the group is still tightly contested. One upset from the bottom-half teams like COD or VVC could spoil their IEAC title run.
Poll
| Playoffs? | Votes |
| Yes | 16 |
| No | 5 |
Chaffey
Last season
The Panthers ended the 2025 season 2nd in the IEAC standings, ending the long 3-year struggle of SBVC’s shadow in the final game of the regular season vs the Wolverines. Chaffey hosted Santa Barbara but was swept 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs.
The Panthers would go on to score the most goals of any IEAC team, with 38 in conference play. They had two notable, massive scorelines, defeating Cerro Coso 14-1 and VCC 8-0.
Sophomore Julio Martinez reigned as the top goal scorer for the team with 13 goals in the regular season, and freshman Kevin Velasquez followed closely with 11 goals.
Coach
This will be Coach Chris Araya’s 3rd season in charge of the Panthers. In his two previous seasons, he helped the Panthers finish 3rd in the IEAC in 2023 and 2024.
Opinion
I don’t have much to say for Chaffey, as they broke the hierarchy by defeating SBVC twice last season, which was crucial to leapfrog over them after years of not overcoming them in the standings. If they can pull it off again, then they can set their sights on Norco and possibly win the IEAC in the future.
To put it simply, beating SBVC means getting ahead in the standings and a playoff spot.
Prediction
2nd if they sweep SBVC, 3rd if they don’t.
Poll
| Playoffs? | Votes |
| Yes | 15 |
| No | 8 |
VVC
Last season
The Rams ended the 2025 season 4th in the IEAC standings, slightly above COD. It was VVC’s highest finish in the standings for the first time since the conference started in 2022.
Facts
It was also the first time VVC recorded an IEAC win against an IE opponent, defeating SBVC 3-2.
Overall, since 2022, they have lost to all IE teams in IEAC play, some by massive scorelines. One exception was a 0-0 tie to Chaffey in 2023.
In 23 games, they have allowed 90 goals and scored only 25, for a goal difference of -65. On average, in games vs IE teams, they score 1.09 goals and allow 3.91.
Coach
Taking over from last season’s coach Sammy Lara, VVC brought on high desert native Victor Aguirre as head coach of the Rams on June 24th.
Opinion
Last season was a sign of improvement for the high desert program after years of staying at the bottom. Sure, it was a small improvement that barely moved the needle in the IE hierarchy, but something to be optimistic about.
The signing of Victor Aguirre is also a positive sign, a different face for a change. He finished his playing career at CBU as a midfielder before the COVID shutdown. Afterward, he coached his high school boys program at Oak Hills from 2023-2025, winning 2 league titles.
Personally, I recognized him from the National Premier Soccer League days before COVID, when he was training with Riverside Coras (folded during COVID). On the field, he is strong and fast; off the field, he is very smart, driven, and passionate.
I think what he has is pride in where he came from, which makes the appointment more personal for him, and I feel hopeful that, in the long term, he can turn the program around. He is also building on VVC’s best season last year, so he can only move the program up.
Prediction
I think VVC can finish 4th again. I think they should aim for a big win at least once vs Norco to prove that the program is turning around, but I don’t see them in the playoffs this time.
Poll
| Playoffs? | Votes |
| Yes | 5 |
| No | 16 |