West Catholic Athletic League power is honored as the state's top overall athletic school for the second time in three years. Behind the strength of two girls teams that finished ranked No. 1 in the nation, not to mention section titles in five sports, the Monarchs edge last year's winner (Long Beach Poly), another CIFSS Div. I program and San Diego Section Div. III power for top overall honors. Read below for Mitty's impressive resume and all-time state school of the year honor roll.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

The criteria for an athletic powerhouse in California to take home state school of the year honors boils down to state titles, then section titles, and if needed as a qualifier, league titles.

Each year, however, the road a school takes to earning the state's top team honor is different. Sometimes it's balance among the boys and girls programs. Other times, it's a state or section title in a sport the school is not traditionally strong in that might give it an edge.

For the Archbishop Mitty of San Jose athletic program, one glaring note on this year's resume for the CIF Central Coast Section powerhouse stands out above the rest.

Two mythical national titles, the only school in the nation to do that.

Behind its No.1 ESPN RISE FAB 50 finishes in girls volleyball and softball, combined with a girls program that is second to none in the state and nation, today Archbishop Mitty has been named the 2008-2009 State School of the Year by CalHiSports.com.

With its selection, the Monarchs have been named the overall state school of the year for the second time in three years. Although Mitty's boys basketball wasn't nearly as strong as it was during the 2006-2007 school year and the girls hoops team came up short in its bid for a third consecutive state title (falling in three overtimes in the NorCal regional semifinals), the Monarchs were still strong enough overall to earn the nod as the state's top athletic program.

The Monarchs were able to fend off Dana Hills of Dana Point, 07-08 winner Long Beach Poly, Div. III power Cathedral Catholic of San Diego and fellow Div. II power Mater Dei of Santa Ana by virtue of its five CIF Central Coast Section championships, seven West Coast Athletic League titles and the two biggies in girls volleyball and softball.

Long Beach Poly didn't have a vintage year by its own standards, but still won CIF state titles in girls track and girls basketball. In football, the Jackrabbits clearly had the strongest team of the programs in the running for state team of the year honors. Poly won the CIF Southern Section Pac-Five title, the state's most competitive division, but came up short against Grant of Sacramento in the CIF open division bowl game. Had Poly won that game and finished with three state titles, it might have been enough to hold off Dana Hills and capture honors among Div. I schools and perhaps surpassing Mitty.

Dana Hills led the CIF Southern Section with four section titles and also won both state titles in cross country. The Dolphins two other section titles came in girls tennis and boys track in Div. I, a division Poly usually dominates. Mitty did Dana Hills one better by wining five title Central Coast Section titles; in girls basketball, girls swimming, girls tennis and obviously the two dominant teams in girls volleyball and softball. The Monarch girls tennis team also won a NorCal title while the girls swimming team was nationally-ranked in several events.

Cathedral Catholic dominated the CIF San Diego Section, winning multiple section titles in both genders, two state titles, including the CIF Div. II state bowl game, and 15 league titles. What hurt the Dons' resume was the relative level of competition of some of those section titles in comparison to the other top schools, including its state title in football. None of the Dons' teams ended the season nationally ranked in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national ratings.

In addition to the mythical national titles in two sports and the five section titles, Mitty captured two additional WCAL titles in girls track and its first ever league title in boys golf. Mitty even won its first ever league title in Badminton, that one in the Bay Valley Athletic League.

It was obviously the girls program that carried the flag for Mitty's latest honor, the one that officially closes CalHiSports.com's coverage of the 2008-2009 school year. The boys' program, however, contributed to the cause as well. In addition to the first-ever golf league title, the boys basketball team and the baseball team were both CCS finalists. It was truly a school year to remember for the Monarchs.

Congratulations to Mitty principal Tim Brosnan and athletic director Will Scharrenberg for a job well done with the Monarchs' athletic program this past school year. It wouldn't surprise us at all if the program is in the running for this end-of-the-school-year award in 2009-2010, especially with all the girls teams expected to be strong once again.

For more details on Mitty's section title teams, please see accompanied story on state schools of the year by gender and the CIF divisions.

Check out the list below for our updated honor roll of State Schools of the Year going back more than 50 years.

All-Time State Schools of the Year
(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports)

2008-09 - Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)
2007-08 - Poly (Long Beach)
2006-07 - Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)
2005-06 - Buchanan (Clovis)
2004-05 - Clovis West (Fresno)
2003-04 - De La Salle (Concord)
2002-03 - Torrey Pines (San Diego)
2001-02 - Poly (Long Beach)
2000-01 - Poly (Long Beach)
1999-00 - De La Salle (Concord)
1998-99 - Clovis West (Fresno)
1997-98 - Santa Margarita (Rancho SM)
1996-97 - Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
1995-96 - De La Salle (Concord)
1994-95 - Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
1993-94 - Clovis West (Fresno)
1992-93 - Esperanza (Anaheim)
1991-92 - Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
1990-91 - Poway
1989-90 - Bakersfield
1988-89 - Corona del Mar (Newport Beach)
1987-88 - Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo)
1986-87 - Mission Viejo
1985-86 - Bellarmine (San Jose)
1984-85 - Bellarmine (San Jose)
1983-84 - Cordova (Rancho Cordova)
1982-83 - St. Francis (Mountain View)
1981-82 - Mission Viejo
1980-81 - Poly (Long Beach)
1979-80 - Berkeley
1978-79 - Mt. Whitney (Visalia)
1977-78 - Andrew Hill (San Jose)
1976-77 - Pasadena
1975-76 - San Fernando
1974-75 - Clovis
1973-74 - Kearny (San Diego)
1972-73 - Monte Vista (Spring Valley)
1971-72 - Ygnacio Valley (Concord)
1970-71 - Lompoc
1969-70 - Blair (Pasadena)
1968-69 - Compton
1967-68 - Homestead (Cupertino)
1966-67 - El Rancho (Pico Rivera)
1965-66 - El Segundo
1964-65 - Poly (Long Beach)
1963-64 - Poly (Long Beach)
1962-63 - Santa Clara
1961-62 - McClymonds (Oakland)
1960-61 - Compton
1959-60 - Poly (Long Beach)
1958-59 - Poly (Long Beach)
1957-58 - Berkeley
1956-57 - Fresno
1955-56 - Jefferson (Los Angeles)
1954-55 - Centennial (Compton)

Note: All-time list extends back to 1890-91 in the CalHiSports.com State Record Book and Almanac. All selections prior to 1980 made retroactively through research by the late Nelson Tennis, founder of Cal-Hi Sports.

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