(Since the 1980 season, when Cal-Hi Sports chronicled the feats of California prep standouts such as Santa Barbara's Randall Cunningham, Orange Glen's Sean Salisbury and Fountain Valley's Emile Harry, it's been our duty and pleasure to profile the state's top individual performers on a weekly basis. It's this kind of exclusive content and research that makes ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com the foremost authority of California prep sports. We've been profiling the state's top performers since many of their parents were in high school. This is the 29th consecutive year we will publish this feature on a weekly basis.)
 
(For additions, corrections or to report a statistical standout we may have missed, email mark@studentsports.com. To inquire about a section or state record, please email Senior Editor Ronnie Flores at ronnie@studentsports.com or call (800) 660-1334 Ext. 4414; For games played Sept. 4-6; Writeups by Ronnie Flores, Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens & Tom Shanahan)
 
 
Abraham Amerie & Andre Hutcherson (Encinal, Alameda): In the 54th Island Bowl against cross-town/island rival Alameda High, these two defensive leaders came up big in a 38-10 Jets victory. Junior linebacker Amerie had 15 tackles, and senior linebacker Hutcherson had 13 tackles with three of them
quarterback sacks.

Andrew Ayers (St. Bernard's, Eureka): The Crusaders got a win right out of the box, crushing Northern Section D5 Hayfork, 42-12, behind the running of this senior tailback. On St. Bernard's first two plays from scrimmage, Ayers had 121 yards and two touchdowns on runs of 55 and 66 yards. He finished with 259 yards on only 13 carries with five of them going for scores. His rushing yardage is the reported first week leader in the North Coast Section.

Anthony Barr (Loyola, Los Angeles): Top-notch junior rumbled for 232 yards and two touchdowns during a 23-7 season-opening victory over Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach. Former NFL great John Elway of Granada Hills High School and USC football coach Pete Carroll were on hand to watch the action. Barr's 61-yard run in the second quarter gave Loyola a 10-7 lead it would not relinquish and he added another 61-yard dash in the second half. The Cubs had sub par seasons in 2006 and 2007 but are eyeing a return to the playoffs with a strong cast that includes Barr, the son of former Notre Dame tailback Reggie Brooks and the nephew of Irish tailback Reggie Brooks.

Tyler Bernard (Valley Center): The returning All-CIF quarterback opened his senior year by completing 16-of-23 passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns and no interceptions in a 37-34 non-league win over San Pasqual. His TD tosses were 34, 22, 9, 13 and 26 yards. Bernard has a baseball scholarship from Arizona State.

Bobby Burton (Tamalpais, Mill Valley): Burton was the big reason the Red-tailed Hawks were able to get off the schnied, winning for the first time in 12 games and only the second time in 32 contests over the past four seasons. With his team trailing 19-15 at the half against a Northgate team that had defeated Tam 63-0 in last year's season opener, Burton scored his third touchdown near the end of the third quarter. The defense, including Burton playing lockdown from his cornerback position, did the rest. Besides accounting for all his team's scores, he rushed for 124 yards on 17 carries. On defense he had five tackles, three knockdowns, and broke up another three passes.   

Senen Carson (South East, South Gate): Preseason CalHiSports.com all-section back got his senior season started off on the right foot by rushing for 247 yards on only 16 carries, including a 99-yarder, in a 43-0 blanking of North Hollywood. Carson's 99-yard bolt will make him the first athlete ever from the new school to be added to our state record book. His coach Roger Satti thinks Carson can rush for 3,000 yards this season, which would also put him in our record book and make him the L.A. City Section's single season rushing record holder.     

Ryan Cochrane (San Marcos, Mission Hills): The Knights' running back/defensive back scored five touchdowns with four running the ball and one on a 40-yard interception return in a 69-12 win over San Ysidro. His four touchdown runs came on only 12 carries for 118 yards.

Demario Coleman (Oceanside): Oceanside always seems to re-load at wide receiver, and Coleman replaced two graduated all-section receivers by catching eight balls for 139 yards in the Pirates' 26-23 win over Eastlake of Chula Vista.

Jordan Del Biaggio (Ferndale): Defending CIFNCS Class A champion Ferndale and longtime coach Kim Jorgensen always have a bull type running back as a linchpin for the Wildcats punishing ground game and this year Del Biaggio is that back. In Ferndale's season opening 31-14 victory over East Nicolaus of Nicolaus of the Northern Section, the 6-1, 190-pounder put four touchdowns on the board and ran for 153 yards on 24 carries.

Joe Durantini (Campolindo, Moraga): This 6-2, 235-pound two-way lineman is the early leader in the NCS in tackles after making 18 in a 35-22 season opening victory against Livermore.

Cain Flores (Buena Park): Scored touchdowns on both sides of the ball in the Coyotes' 40-0 win over Bassett of La Puente as he scored three rushing touchdowns and gained 138 yards on the ground. He also helped prevent the shutout by intercepting a tipped pass and taking it 99-yards the other way
for a touchdown.

Tate Forcier (Scripps Ranch, San Diego): He rallied the Falcons from deficits of 28-7 in the second quarter and  41-19 at halftime, but Scripps Ranch fell 54-41 to Poway. The Michigan-bound quarterback finished with 370 yards of total offense with 282 passing and 88 rushing. Forcier completed 20-of-32 passes with one touchdown toss and carried 12 times for 88 yards and three rushing TDS.

DeWayne Gatti (Bonita, La Verne): Senior standout picked off four passes in the Bearcats' 53-26 season-opening victory over Covina.  

Jose Guzman (Norwalk): Rumbled for 220 yards and two touchdowns during a 65-20 victory over Montebello in the coaching debut of Jesse Ceniceros. There was a lot more to this performance than that as Guzman's teammate Ray Craig added 184 yards and four touchdowns while Julio Macias contributed 149 yards and two six-pointers. In all, Norwalk rushed for 665 yards and eight touchdowns, with the reported yardage total good enough to land on the all-time single game state list for team rushing yards, although the total needs to be verified before it can be officially added since another newspaper account had Norwalk rushing for 458 yards on the ground, but with Guzman carrying the ball 10 times for 250 yards. Either way, it looks like Ceniceros' double-wing offense had both Montebello and the statisticians fooled. The reported state record is the 736 yards Downey Life Christian gained in a 52-0 win over Twin Pine of Banning back in 1992.

Cody Jackson (Serra, San Mateo): Senior signal caller Jackson and his teammates warmed up for their meeting with state No. 1 De La Salle this coming Saturday by blowing out Westmont (Campbell), 56-0, with the quarterback doing most of the damage. Jackson rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns on a mere six carries. He also only threw five passes but completed four for 111 yards. His TDs came on runs of 4, 40, and 50 yards.

Ken Johnston & Andrew Melendez (Carmel): This passing and receiving duo lit up the scoreboard in a 42-28 Padres victory over St. Francis of Watsonville. Senior quarterback Johnston was 19-of-31 for 327 yards and five touchdowns. Four of those scoring strikes went to speedy wide receiver Melendez who caught a total of 10 passes for 262 yards with a 72-yard touchdown as his longest catch of the day. Both players totals led the opening week of reported stats in the CCS.

Leon Jones (San Fernando): Caught four passes for 118 yards from all-city QB Rashaad Reynolds, including a 24-yard touchdown to open the scoring in an eventual 13-6 victory over Venice. Jones also slowed down the Gondos' offense by intercepting two passes on defense.

Cameron Marshall (Valley Christian, San Jose): Last year's WCAL Back of the Year not only did it on offense but defense as well in the Warriors' come from behind 22-13 win over last year's CIF Div. II state bowl runner-up Novato. Running the ball, Marshall gained 176 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown. His score came on a 59-yard scamper through and around several would be tacklers that put VC up for good at 12-7 with 18 seconds remaining in the first half. He also caught four passes for 29 yards. On defense from his linebacker position he was instrumental in shutting down the Hornets
running game and finished with 12 tackles.

Corey Nielsen (Gahr, Cerritos): The state's returning passing leader (4,360 yards) got his senior season started off in grand fashion as he led the Gladiators to a 33-30 victory over Millikan of Long Beach. Nielson also tossed five touchdowns, including the game-winner to Aaron Bradley. Bradley caught three of Nielson's touchdown passes in the three-point win.   

TeRhon O'Neal (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood): O'Neal proved his was the "real deal" by rushing for 249 yards on 18 carries in a 41-0 intersectional victory over Franklin of Los Angeles. Included in his barrage was three touchdowns, including a 58-yard gallop.  

Adrian Pacheco (Selma): After one game this 5-9, 190-pound senior running back is the reported leading rusher in the Central Section. Last week in a 26-0 whitewash by the Bears over Roosevelt of Fresno, he ran for an even 250 yards on 19 carries and scored all four of his team's touchdowns, including an 86-yard run to paydirt.

Calvin Pruitt (Reedley): The Pirates have someone who literally carried the load this past week. In a season opening 14-13 victory over Lemoore, Pruitt had both scores and ended up grinding out 227 yards rushing from his tailback position.

Nick Ricciardulli (Poway): The under-sized senior running back came up big again as he carried 26 times for 194 yards and three touchdowns in the Titans' 54-21 win over Scripps Ranch. Ricciardulli was a
first-team all-section pick last year for the CIF San Diego Section Div. I champions.

Tyrone Richardson (West Valley, Hemet): Scored two touchdowns in the first half on offense and then added two more touchdowns in the second half on special teams with a 60-yard punt return and a 89-yard kickoff return in a 57-8 win over Firebaugh of Lynwood.

Maurice Rodriguez (Temescal Canyon, Lake Elsinore): Scored five touchdowns and rushed for 190 yards on 41 carries in the Titans' 42-20 season opening win over the Corona Panthers.

Leslie Rogers (Point Loma, San Diego): Rogers is another one of San Diego's Super Sophs that has graduated to his junior year by carrying 24 times for 290 yards and three touchdowns in the Pointers' 29-26 win over Monte Vista. He scored on runs of 2, 82 and 39 yards. He had four 100-yard rushing games as a sophomore.

Lamont Rowe (St. Anthony, Long Beach): Played a fine all-around game in a 47-7 victory over Amino of Inglewood. This dual-threat, two-way QB passed for four touchdowns and scored another on the ground while accounting for 185 yards of offense. On defense, he added three interceptions, including a 26-yard return for another touchdown.  

Jessie Scroggins (Lakewood): After his team fell behind by two touchdowns against L.A. City Section power Crenshaw, Scroggins made all the right moves in the second half and led his team to a 42-34 come-from-behind victory. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns, including a 19-yarder to Tofi Tiedemann that gave his team a 35-34 lead it wouldn't relinquish.  

Cody Shirreffs (Taft): This solidly built 5-11, 205-pound running back who is also a punishing tackler from his linebacker position, dominated both sides of the ball in a 28-3 Wildcat victory over Templeton. He accumulated 158 yards rushing on 26 carries and scored three of his team's four touchdowns. On defense he had 12 tackles.  

Kenny Stills (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad): The junior wide receiver/defensive back, the son of a former NFL safety of the same name, opened up big out the gate with eight catches for 183 yards in
the Mavericks' 42-27 win over Dixie High of St. George, Utah. He had touchdown catches of 46, 21 and 47 yards.

Josh Strauss (Tehachapi): This 6-0 175-pound running back, who is also an excellent cover player from his defensive back position, was the main reason the Warriors were victorious in a game that celebrated the school's 80th anniversary. Senior Strauss ground out 160 yards rushing on 25 carries with one touchdown in a 17-12 victory over Segerstrom of Santa Ana.

Ben Sussman (King's Academy, Sunnyvale): The buzz around Santa Clara County and the rest of the Bay Area is Kings Academy is a leading contender for the title in the CCS Small School Division this season after coming over from the NCS. Besides having a strong defense it looks like they will put some
points on the board. Senior tailback Sussman got it done in the Knights' season opening 47-10 victory over Fremont (Sunnyvale), rushing for 214 yards on only seven carries with three touchdowns.

Erwin Taliaoa (Overfelt, San Jose): The Royals won their opener over cross-town rival Lynbrook and the main reason for the 26-19 victory was the rushing of this 5-11, 180-pound senior running back. Taliaoa found the end zone twice and his 229 yards on 18 carries is the early opening reported
total in the Central Coast Section.

Demario Webb (Barstow): In an offensive showcase Friday night between Barstow and Highland of Palmdale, it was Webb who shined the brightest as he rushed for four touchdowns and 257 yards while also throwing a 75-yard touchdown to his brother Curtis. Damario's four touchdowns came on runs of
33,40,69 and 41 yards.

Robert Woods (Serra, Gardena): Teams may want to avoid kicking Woods the ball this season, as he scored on a 45-yard punt return and a 75-yard kickoff for the Cavaliers. Scored a final touchdown on a 13-yard pass in the fourth quarter of the 56-21 win over Silverado of Victorville.

Jordan Wynn (Oceanside): The Colorado-bound quarterback led San Diego's No. 1-ranked team to a 26-23 win over Eastlake despite his team's penalties and turnovers. Wynn, who earned All-CIFSDS honors as a junior, had trouble with his center with four fumbled snaps, but that didn't stop him from completing 19-of-32 passes for 280 yards and one touchdown without an interception.

Desarte Yarnway (Sacred Heart Cathedral, San Francisco): This senior 6-1, 200-pound punishing running back wasted little time showing why he's the hottest unsigned recruit at his position in the Bay Area. In a 50-0 rout of Santa Cruz, Yarnway outgained the entire offense of the visitors to Kezar Stadium. He had 100 yards rushing in the first quarter alone, finishing with 214 yards on 16 carries, including touchdown runs of 4, 13, and 35 yards. He scored a fourth TD on his only reception of the game, a 52-yard screen pass from quarterback Tim Brophy.

Tim Zier (Escondido): The junior running back scored five touchdowns on a punt return of 71 yards, a 1-yard run, a 51-yard run, an 11-yard run and 36-yard run in a 70-0 win over Calexico. All of his scores came in the first two quarters as the Cougars led 56-0 at halftime.