500-Yard Passing Lists Grows Again  November 22, 2009 11:22 PM It's three weeks in a row in which at least one California prep QB has topped 500 yards for one game with the latest happening on Saturday night in Union City. Go inside for new, exclusive updated state record book list for single game state passing.
By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor Foothill of Pleasanton quarterback Sean Mannion not only went past 500 yards through the air in his team's CIF North Coast Section Division I playoff game on Saturday night, but also set a new Northern California record.
Mannion, who is bound for Oregon State, led the Falcons to a 59-37 shootout win over host James Logan of Union City by completing 27 of 40 passes for 581 yards and five touchdowns, according to the Contra Costa Times.
Despite throwing one interception that was returned for a touchdown by Logan's Jonathon Wllis, Mannion put the game out of reach by throwing TD passes of 27, 42 and 79 yards in the third quarter. His top target, junior Cameron Rowland, caught the 79-yarder and ended with 14 catches for 308 yards. (Read full post)state records, CA, football, Sean Mannion, Pleasanton Foothill, David Koral, Palisades, Cameron Jordan, Corey Nielsen, Cerritos Gahr
Top 25: How They Fared (11/21) November 22, 2009 1:14 AM Check this post for key statewide football scores to get an idea of what the next State Top 25 will look like. Go inside as well for our pick of who's hot and who's not.
1. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 11-0 def. Santa Ynez, 70-14 2. Grant (Sacramento) 11-0 def. Tokay (Lodi), 65-0 3. Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 10-0 def. Birmingham (Lake Balboa), 42-6 4. Oceanside 10-0 BYE in 1st round of San Diego Sec D2 playoffs 5. Edison (Huntington Beach) 11-0 def. Millikan (Long Beach), 59-14 6. Lakewood 10-1 def. Newport Harbor (Newport Beach), 41-17 7. De La Salle (Concord) 9-2 def. American (Fremont), 44-0 8. St. Mary's (Stockton) 11-0 def. Buhach Colony (Atwater),49-7 9. Mission Viejo 11-0 def. Wilson (Long Beach), 41-14 10. Servite (Anaheim) 10-1 def. San Clemente, 38-10 11. Norco 10-1 def. Carter (Rialto), 48-14 12. Westlake (Westlake Village) 11-0 def. Ventura, 49-27 13. Serra (Gardena) 11-0 def. Oak Park (Agoura Hills), 54-6 14. St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 10-1 def. Oxnard, 35-7 15. Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 11-0 def. La Sierra (Riv.), 41-13 16. La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) BYE in 1st round of San Diego D1 playoffs 17. Buchanan (Clovis) 10-0 BYE in 1st round of Central Section D1 playoffs 18. Bishop Amat (La Puente) 10-1 def. Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 28-21 19. Valencia 11-0 def. Thousand Oaks, 28-27 20. Rocklin 11-0 def. Elk Grove, 35-7 21. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 11-0 def. Santiago (Corona), 38-17 22. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 9-1-1 lost to Valley Chr. (SJ), 22-17 23. Moorpark 10-1 def. Canyon (Canyon Country), 30-0 24. Bullard (Fresno) 10-0 BYE in 1st round of Central Section D1 playoffs 25. Bellarmine (San Jose) 9-1-1 def. Palo Alto, 34-6 (Read full post)state rankings, CA, football, Brock Vereen, Valencia, James Yoder, San Jose Valley Christian, Kyle Miller, Mountain View St. Francis
Waller, Clay lead Poly over Los Al November 21, 2009 3:12 AM Mild upset prediction comes to fruition as Long Beach Poly gets big performances from junior Corey Waller on defense and special teams, and senior Kaelin Clay on offense, in 24-7 "road" victory over Los Alamitos at Veterans Stadium in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Pac-Five playoffs. Note: Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE)
By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor
Long Beach -- There were plenty of storylines heading into Friday's first-round CIF Southern Section Pac-Five Division matchup of unseeded clubs Long Beach Poly and Los Alamitos.
Both schools call Veterans Stadium in Long Beach home, but in this one the Griffins were considered the host club. Poly was also motivated coming into the post-season after enduring its worst regular season since 1991 and having to face Los Alamitos quarterback Dylan Lagarde.
Lagarde was Poly's starting quarterback to begin the season. After being replaced under center following a 1-3 start, he transferred to Los Alamitos, but was unable to lead his new team past his old one as the Jackrabbits' defense constantly pressured Lagarde and did a good job of containing dangerous tailback Nick Richardson to record a 24-7 playoff victory. (Read full post)football, CA, Kaelin Clay, Long Beach Poly, Corey Waller, Josh Barut, Los Alamitos, Mike Collins
Jackson Cummings: State Boys Athlete of the Week November 21, 2009 1:37 AM For the second straight week our honoree's prowess on the gridiron is only matched by his Ivy League classroom credentials, plus he even gets the water and ice. Note: We will not be producing the two state athlete of the week features (boys or girls) next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but will be preparing a special story for Friday that we hope will capture the spirit of the season.
By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com
When a coach -- who eventually calls a young man "probably the best player ever at our school” -- starts out an interview by talking about everything other than football, one knows the story is a good one.
"Let's talk about Jackson Cummings as a person,” said Coach Greg Benzel, a U.S. History teacher at Rocklin, in his 10th year at the Thunder's helm after starting with the program when the school opened in 1993.
"It's very unusual for a kid to be genuinely concerned about other people,” continued the coach.
"All our kids are respectful but he has a sense of respect, outstanding character, looks you straight in the eye when you talk to him. He has every reason to be arrogant and feel entitled but Jackson's not that way at all. (Read full post)football, CA, Jackson Cummings, Rocklin, state boys athlete of the week
Megan Herring: State Girls Athlete of the Week November 20, 2009 2:25 PM We go to a soccer field in the City of Roses for this week's award winner, a goalie that puts a shield in front of the net, and lots of As on her report card. Note: Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE)
By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com
Every so often, when the award winner is within close proximity, the CalHiSports.com caravan makes a personal visit to interview and photograph the honoree.
We gathered in front of the soccer net on Wednesday after school at Santa Rosa Montgomery's soccer field.
Not only was Megan Herring there, but her coach and four other senior members of the ESPN RISE High School Soccer FAB 50 No. 15 ranked Vikings squad attended as well.
We snapped a few pictures, and when we finally sat down at an adjacent picnic table with this week's ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Girls State Athlete of the Week, it was apparent everything Montgomery head coach Pat McDonald told us when nominating his goalie was undeniably true. (Read full post)stat stars, CA, soccer, Megan Herring, Santa Rosa Montgomery, state girls athlete of the week
State Stat Stars of the Week November 19, 2009 6:30 PM (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 Nov. 13-15; Write ups by Paul Muyskens, Bob Barnett, Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores & Harold Abend. Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE)
Zach Adkins (Ramona, Riverside): He nearly rallied the Rams from a late 10-point deficit, but they came up just short in a 28-24 loss to Valley View of Moreno Valley. Adkins passed for 369 yards and four touchdowns in his final high school game.
Vince Buhagiar (Clayton Valley, Concord): Helped his team clinch a spot in the CIF North Coast Section playoffs by rushing for 165 yards and three TDs, picking off a pair of passes and ringing up 10 tackles. The 6-3, 230-pound RB/LB has an offer from Washington State and is an outstanding club rugby player.
Devontae Butler (Grant, Sacramento): The defending CIF Open Division Bowl Game champions finished an undefeated regular season with a 40-22 victory over Burbank as Butler rushed for 293 yards and four touchdowns while getting to play an entire game.
Jesse Callier (Warren, Downey): Outside of possibly Deonte Cooper from Perris Citrus Hill, is there a running back in the CIF Southern Section playing any better right now than Callier? He closed out the regular season with a 259-yard, four-touchdown rushing performance as the Bears defeated cross-town and archrival Downey High, 49-14, to clinch a second consecutive San Gabriel Valley League title. Callier finished the regular season with a reported 2,632 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns.
Jake Cimolino (Fort Bragg): Out for a few games with a separated shoulder that supposedly was sidelining him for the season, Cimolino returned with a vengeance, rushing for 235 yards on 25 carries and all four touchdowns in a 28-7 win over Kelseyville. After a scoreless first half, Cimolino had touchdown runs of 88, 65, 10 and 39 yards. The victory helped the Timberwolves secure the seventh seed in the NCS Division IV playoffs
Kaelin Clay (Poly, Long Beach): After a slow start to his senior campaign, Clay has picked up his game in recent weeks. In Poly's 42-14 victory over Compton that secured a post-season berth for the 30th consecutive season for the storied program, Clay came up with a ton of big plays in the first half before Poly controlled tempo with their running game in the second half. After Compton's first score, Clay returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score. He also scored on a 38-yard run and helped stretched Poly's lead on a 48-yard touchdown reception. In all, he has 212 all-purpose yards in the game's first 24 minutes as Poly built a comfortable 29-12 lead.
&nb... (Read full post) CA, football, stat stars, state record book, Kaelin Clay, Casey Nielsen, Isaac Valdez, Jake Cimolino, Devontae Butler, Jessie Callier
Peerless Predictions: Upset Specials? November 19, 2009 10:02 AM The first huge week of section football playoff games around the state normally means rout city for the best squads. We have picked one big upset and one almost upset, but you'll have to click inside to see which games those are.
(Note: It is not our intention to entice gambling in any way with these predicted scores. We will only use actual scores, not point spreads. Finally, because we greatly respect all coaches and student-athletes who step onto the field to compete, the winning margin of some predicted scores could be pared down.)
Due to all the mostly unattractive playoff matchups (strong teams likely to roll over weaker ones), we only have five games in the hopper this week. Last week's 5-2 record puts our season total so far at 46-19. Here are this week's selections:
Poly (Long Beach) 20, Los Alamitos 13 While Bishop Amat vs. Mater Dei is the CIFSS Pac-Five's best first-round matchup in terms of two quality teams against each other, certainly the most intriguing clash is this one, featuring nearby rivals. Locally, it's already been coined the "Dylan Lagarde Bowl" in reference to Los Alamitos' starting quarterback. Lagarde started his career at Gardena Serra, then transferred to Poly and started in this year's season-opener against Servite. When he was going to be replaced in the starting lineup by senior Chris Leachman, Lagarde left for Los Al and eventually Los Al's senior QB Dylan Cook quit the team after Lagarde joined the varsity. Sound like a high school soap opera? It only gets better because the schools have had a history of players transferring from one to the other, players on both rosters know each other well and both schools share the same home field at Veterans Stadium. Los Alamitos, as the No. 2 team from the Sunset League, won't have a home field advantage and that's just a small reason to give Poly a good chance in this one. Another reason is the Jackrabbits' young defense, which has steadily progressed and should be highly motivated after Poly advanced to the postseason for a state-record tying 30th consecutive year with three wins to close out the regular season. Los Al is 3-1 since starting Lagarde, but we like Poly in the "upset" because of the motivation factor. As one Poly assistant told us after hearing the seedings, "there will be no red jersey this week." Rankings: Los Alamitos just moved up to No. 18 in the D1 South bowl game. Long Beach Poly just moved to the bubble in the D1 South bowl despite 5-5 overall record. (Read full post)football, CA, peerless predictions, Terrence Mitchell, Sacramento Burbank, Dylan Lagarde, Los Alamitos, Mark Krail, San Jose Pioneer
Week 11 CIF Bowl Rankings November 18, 2009 7:51 PM Rapid risers include Chaparral of Temecula, Monterey Trail of Elk Grove, Carmel and Del Campo of Fair Oaks. Still No. 1 is Oceanside (D1 South), Grant of Sacramento (D1 North), Crenshaw of Los Angeles (D2 South), Rocklin (D2 North), Oaks Christian (D3 South), St. Mary's of Stockton (D3 North), Francis Parker of San Diego (Small Schools South) and Modesto Christian (Small Schools North).
By Mark Tennis & Steve Brand
Contributing: Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend, Ronnie Flores
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
(After games of Saturday, Nov. 14)
(Listed with result of most recent game) (*Season completed)
Division I South
1. (1) Oceanside 10-0 def. Ramona 52-6
2. (2) Edison (Huntington Beach) 10-0 def. Marina (Hunt. Beach) 48-0
3. (3) Lakewood 9-1 def. Wilson (Long Beach) 42-6
4. (4) Mission Viejo 10-0 def. Dana Hills (Dana Point) 49-17
5. (5) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 10-0 def. Redlands 37-7
6. (6) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 10-0 def. Torrey Pines 30-20
7. (7) Buchanan (Clovis) 10-0 def. Central (Fresno) 56-20
8. (8) Valencia 10-0 def. West Ranch (Valencia) 49-10
9. (9) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 10-0 def. Murrieta Valley 32-17
10. (11) Bullard (Fresno) 10-0 def. Hoover (Fresno) 35-13
11. (12) Centennial (Corona) 8-2 def. Corona 42-29
12. (13) Carson 8-2 def. San Pedro 38-21
13. (15) Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) 10-0 def. Canyon Springs 51-0
14. (17) Colton 9-1 def. Pacific (San Bernardino) 79-0
15. (20) Chaparral (Temecula) 7-3 def. Great Oak (Temecula) 35-21
16. (18) Newbury Park 8-2 def. Thousand Oaks 28-17
17. (19) El Camino Real (Woodland Hills) 9-1 def. Chatsworth 66-7
18. (NR) Los Alamitos 8-2 def. Fountain Valley 31-22
19. (10) Dana Hills (Dana Point) 8-2 lost to Mission Viejo 49-17
20. (NR) Warren (Downey) 9-1 def. Downey 49-14
On the bubble: Colony (Ontario) 9-1, Escondido 7-2-1, Etiwanda 7-3, Fountain Valley 8-2, Great Oak (Temecula) 6-4, Hart (Newhall) 7-3, Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 6-4, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach) 6-4, Pioneer Valley (Santa Maria) 9-1, Poly (Long Beach) 5-5, Rancho Cucamonga 8-2, Redlands 8-2, Roosevelt (Corona) 8-2, Taft (Woodland Hills) 6-4, Upland 8-2, Warren (Downey) 9-1.
Breakdown: With 13 of the top 15 teams winning and with the San Diego and Central Section top teams getting first-round playoff byes this week, it's up to teams in the Southern and Los Angeles sections to move into the spotlight. Because of the way the Southern Section does its playoffs, there actually are some intriguing early matchups. The Moore League, which was taken this year by Lakewood over two-time defending Pac-Five champ Long Beach Poly, will have some serious meetings with some very strong Orange County teams. The lineup includes Millikan (Long Beach) at No. 2 Edison (Huntington Beach), No. 3 Lakewood hosting Newport Harbor of Newport Beach, Wilson (Long Beach) at No. 4 Mission Viejo, and surging Long Beach Poly at Los Alamitos. Anyone keeping score? Then there are the cross-division games like formerly ranked Fountain Valley trying to regain momentum against D2 South No. 4 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks or No. 20 Dana Hills of Dana Point hoping to recover from its Mission Viejo loss against D2 South No. 12 Lutheran of Orange. In addition to Los Al, this week's other newcomer is Warren of Downey. That team's only loss is to Vista Murrieta and it's a squad that features big-time running back Jesse Callier. He has committed to Washington. ... (Read full post) football, CA, CIF bowl game rankings, Jesse Callier, Downey Warren, Ryan Dimino, Del Campo, Carmel, Cerritos Valley Christian, Quincy
Film session confirms new passing records November 18, 2009 1:17 PM Reporter from Modesto Bee sits down to watch plays of Modesto Downey quarterback Jason Lee and comes up with 49 of 63 for 548 yards in player's outing last Friday. Click inside for correction on CIFSS single-game passing record and to see which kicker may set a state record this weekend. By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
The first reports from senior quarterback Jason Lee's final regular season game for Downey High of Modesto had him with some pretty insane totals. Although it wasn't enough in a 41-35 loss to Johansen of Modesto, Lee was reported as going 42 of 57 for 476 yards and three scores.
Modesto Bee high school editor Rich Estrada then revealed the next day that the Downey head coach, Jeremy Plaa, had gone over game tape and said Lee actually had thrown for 534 yards in that game and completed 49 passes.
Discrepancies such as that need to be figured out so Estrada arranged to watch the film of that game, acting in essence as an independent third party who could verify a record total.
On Monday morning, Estrada called in to say that the official totals he had come up with -- insisting that he watched several plays multiple times -- was 49 of 63 for 548 yards. There was even one play in which Lee threw a short pass to a receiver who then lateraled the ball backward to another player who raced around the other end for a 12-yard gain. On that play, Lee would get a completed pass, the first player gets one catch for one yard and the third player gets zero catches but gets the positive receiving yards.
"It was a three-ring circus out there with those guys," Estrada said of Downey's offense. "The plays in question definitely were shovel passes, sort of like the ones I read about when (David) Koral was at Palisades. The slot guy comes underneath the quarterback and the quarterback definitely flips it forward to him."
Since Estrada checked out the film, as keepers of the CalHiSports.com record book (no other state record book exists), we will accept the totals he reported.
Lee thus ends his regular season with a new state record of 3,972 yards. Instead of falling short of the previous record of 3,963 set by Koral in 2000 he ends nine yards in front. Lee's total of 49 completions for a single game is another all-time state best. He broke the mark of 47 set last year by John Uribe from Santa Barbara in a 49-28 loss to Thousand Oaks.
It may have only been a 2-8 season at Modesto Downey, but it had to be a lot of fun for Lee and his receivers.
Mathews did not break CIFSS record
There was some confusion in the aftermath of Camarillo High's Jeff Mathews throwing for 594 yards in a 69-20 victory over Hueneme of Oxnard two weeks ago.
Multiple reports indicated Mathews had set a single game CIF Southern Section record with that total and we even mentioned it ourselves, including last Friday when the story about him being our State Boys Athlete of the Week was posted.
It turns out we didn't even double-check our own state record book. Big apologies to Jeff and his teammates, but the reported CIFSS single-game record is still going to be 604 yards for Robert Fuller from San Bernardino. Fuller accomplished that feat in 2006 as a junior in a 62-41 win vs. Pacific of San Bernardino.
Mathews may not be too worried about the record, however. His team at Camarillo came up with a thrilling 20-14 overtime win last Friday against arch-rival Rio Mesa of Oxnard and ended the regular season at 9-1. Mathews' scored a game-tying touchdown on a 1-yard plunge with 2:13 left in the game and in overtime tossed a 25-yard TD pass to Ossie Toc for the game-winner.
Corona Centennial's Romaine over 200 PATs
After making six PATs in his team's 42-29 triumph last Friday over Corona, senior kicker Trevor Romaine from Centennial of Corona improved his career PAT total to 201.
In this week's CIFSS Inland Division playoff game, Romaine now needs just six more and he will break the state career record of 206 PATs set between 2002 and 2004 by Gio Podesto from Central Catholic of Modesto.
Romaine has been kicking for the Huskies since his sophomore year and has benefitted in the PAT department by having prolific offenses that scored a bunch of touchdowns. Centennial also played in the CIF state bowl games both in 2007 and 2008.
And to show that he's regarded as a better kicker than just PATs, Romaine has committed to Oregon State.
Comments or corrections? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say.
state records, CA, football, Jason Lee, Modesto Downey, Trevor Romaine, Corona Centennial, Robert Fuller, San Bernardino, David Koral, Palisades
Fourth Slide Show: 39 teams snapped November 18, 2009 9:00 AM In conjunction with VarsityPix.com, fans can now click onto a link to a slide show that includes many of the state's top teams. For a list of schools and to get the link, please go onto the inside page of this story.
Note: Make sure to follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also get CalHiSports.com updates on Facebook. Please become a fan of our Facebook page by CLICKING HERE. football, CA, VarsityPix, slideshow
New NorCal & SoCal Overall FB Rankings November 17, 2009 8:11 PM Here's the top 15 teams from the north and top 20 from the south with no divisions, according to system that has been utilized for 30 years. Nevada Union, Tracy and Deer Valley are now in the top 10 in the north while Westlake jumps way up in the south.
By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
(After games of Saturday, Nov. 14)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
Note: For the second straight year, we are forced to cut off the North and the South with the CIF Central Section schools in the South. This matches the CIF Open Division bowl game format which pits the top teams from each region against each other regardless of school enrollment. We continue to maintain that due to population factors that the Central Section should be in the north and have always split teams in our rankings that way. We will continue to include Central Section in the north whenever possible.
Northern California Overall Top 15 (CIF North Open Division)
1. (1) Grant (Sacramento) 10-0
2. (2) De La Salle (Concord) 8-2
3. (3) St. Mary's (Stockton) 10-0
4. (5) Rocklin 10-0
5. (6) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 9-0-1
6. (7) Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 8-1-1
7. (10) Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 9-1
8. (11) Tracy 10-0
9. (12) Deer Valley (Antioch) 10-0
10. (9) Palma (Salinas) 8-1-1
11. (4) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 8-2
12. (13) Inderkum (Sacramento) 10-0
13. (14) Del Oro (Loomis) 8-2
14. (15) Granite Bay 8-2
15. (NR) Vacaville 9-1
Breakdown:
Amador Valley's upset loss to Foothill of Pleasanton last Friday night not only helped clear the way for Deer Valley of Antioch to secure the No. 2 seed behind De La Salle in the North Coast Section Div. I playoffs but it also dropped them down in the NorCal overall rankings.
With Rocklin moving up from No. 5 to No. 4, this means that three of the top four teams in the CIF North Open Division rankings will all be involved in the same Sac-Joaquin Section playoff. Only one will get on the board in Carson when teams are picked for this year's games on Sunday, Dec. 13, which further aids in the likelihood that whichever team wins that section title will get the open division bid from the north.
Still, no one should count out De La Salle even with two losses. For even Grant, St. Mary's and Rocklin, beating either Don Bosco Prep of New Jersey of Lakeland of Florida would be very tough and De La Salle still hasn't lost a game to any other NorCal school (at least from the CIF's definition of NorCal) since 1991.
Newly-ranked Vacaville, led by 1,300-yard rusher Jimmy Hines, ended its regular season last Friday with a seventh straight comfortable win as the Bulldogs beat Wood of Vacaville, 54-13, to finish undefeated in the Monticello Empire League.
Since suffering their only loss of the season to an impressive Granite Bay squad, the Bulldogs haven't even played a close game as seven straight wins have come by more than 30 points.
It was just three years ago that Vacaville was celebrating a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship and with all of those other teams in the Division II playoffs the Bulldogs have to be considered one of the favorites this year along with unbeaten Tracy and 9-1 Nevada Union (which has lost only to Rocklin). ... (Read full post) football, CA, NorCal top 15, SoCal top 20, Jimmy Hines, Vacaville, Damon Baldwin, Ramona
New Overall Top 25 State Football Rankings November 17, 2009 12:51 AM Westlake double ups its position after big win. Bishop Amat, Bullard and Bellarmine also go in as newcomers. Click inside for writeups and analysis on all 25 teams.
By Mark Tennis & Ronnie Flores Contributing: Steve Brand, Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens
(After games of Saturday, Nov. 14) (Previous ranking in parentheses)
1. (1) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 10-0 Head coach Bill Redell's squad said goodbye to the Tri-Valley League with a typically easy win in its regular season finale. The Lions, who are joining the Marmonte League next season, routed Nordhoff of Ojai, 56-6, and led 42-0 after the first quarter. Malcolm Jones piled up five touchdowns with four rushing and one on an interception return. Dillon Van der Wal also returned an interception for a score while Nick Montana hooked up with Jordan Payton twice for touchdowns and passed for 213 yards. Entering the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division playoffs, it looks like Oaks Christian and unbeaten state-ranked Serra of Gardena are heading toward the finals. There's also unbeaten St. Joseph of Santa Maria in the bracket and wins need to be achieved in the earlier rounds as well. The Lions open their playoff run on Friday at home vs. Santa Ynez. 2. (2) Grant (Sacramento) 10-0 Based on the Pacers' giving up 22 points in their final regular season game, there may some chinks in the armor of their highly-touted defense. Grant still posted a 40-22 win against Burbank, won another Metro League title and for the season has still only given up 36 points. The team's offense also isn't exactly weak, either. Devontae Butler continues to look like the top running back in Northern California and piled up 293 yards and four TDs on 34 carries against the Titans. The other top individual standout in that last game was 6-3, 335-pound junior Vei Moala, who had 10 tackles and two sacks. There has been some controversy surrounding Grant's No. 3 seed (instead of No. 1 or even No. 2) in the loaded Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II playoffs and while we would agree with anyone who thinks those seedings make little sense it's going to be a tough road to navigate for all top seeds in that bracket regardless of who's seeded where. Grant will begin its playoff chase as a heavy favorite against Tokay of Lodi.
3. (3) Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 10-0 There wasn't much to say about the Cougars winning 46-0 in their regular season finale against Jefferson of Los Angeles. The team did record its third shutout and six different players etched their name into the touchdown ledger. Hayes Pullard scored once on a pass reception and rushed for a TD. Crenshaw remains firmly in the hunt to be given the CIF Open Division bowl berth from the south and it's hard to see the Cougars actually not getting it if they win the CIF L.A. City title and both Lakewood and Norco win CIF Southern Section crowns. We wouldn't be changing the rankings, though, until that vote is actually made. On Thursday, Crenshaw's playoff drive will get going with a home game vs. Birmingham of Lake Balboa.( Read full post) state rankings, CA, football, state top 25 rankings, Dillon Van der Wall, Oaks Christian, Maurice Howze, Stockton St. Mary’s, Jay Anderson, Bishop Amat, Alex Wood, Buchanan
New Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area Top 20 November 16, 2009 4:22 PM This week's bubble has been expanded for the playoffs to include over 60 teams. There also are tremors among the top five but not certainly at No. 1. Watch Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area each week on YourTV, Channel 20, San Francisco at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. every Sunday. Replays during the week on Comcast Sportsnet throughout Northern California.
By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com
We have to admit to resting our sore toe and warming our heels at home on Friday night, catching the TV coverage of an entertaining Los Gatos at Milpitas matchup.
It wasn't a very good regular season ending for Colorado-bound Los Gatos quarterback Nick Hirschman.
Although the 6-3, 220-pound signal caller threw three TDs on 15 of 28 for 296 yards, he was sacked three times by Milpitas' Clayton DeSilva (four sacks total), and with 16 seconds remaining, threw his first interception of the season in a 20-19 loss.
The real difference in the contest was two missed PATs by Los Gatos.
Despite the setback, veteran Coach Butch Cattolico's Wildcats snagged the top seed in the CCS Division II playoffs and host Campbell Westmont.
Milpitas gets the third-seed in Division I and hosts Gilroy.
The final week of the regular season saw two highly-ranked teams, Amador Valley and Berkeley, lose at the least opportune time, the final game going into the NCS Division I playoffs. ... (Read full post) football, CA, Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area top 20, Clayton DeSilva, Milpitas, Sean Mannion, Pleasanton Foothill, Rich Woods, Deer Valley, Ken Peralta, Marin Catholic
Prep Notes With A Twist November 15, 2009 2:53 PM State regular season passing record possibly broken by Downey of Modesto quarterback…Sacramento Grant gets surprising lower seed in Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs…plus new recruiting updates. Note: Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE).
By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor Contributing: Michael White
The way some of the state's quarterbacks have been racking up the numbers it looked like Friday night might turn into an assault on the state regular season record for most passing yards in a season.
It ended up certainly being an assault, but the all-time best of 3,963 yards set in 2000 by David Koral from Palisades of Pacific Palisades has withstood the fury. At least for the time being.
At Gahr High in Cerritos, Casey Nielsen passed for a season-best 502 yards and four touchdowns in leading the Gladiators past Paramount, 42-7. Nielsen, who picked up this year where older brother, Corey, left off, connected on 26 of 33 passes to account for his prolific total. Nielsen ended his regular season with 3,954 yards in 10 games with 38 TDs and 11 interceptions.
At Johansen High in Modesto, Jason Lee from Downey of Modesto did all he could to lead the Knights to a win in their final game against the host Vikings but his huge totals -- 42 of 57 for 476 yards and three TDs, according to the Modesto Bee -- were not enough in a 41-35 defeat. Lee ended his regular season with 3,900 yards in 10 games, which is 54 behind Nielsen and 63 behind the state record.( Read full post) football, CA, Casey Nielsen, Gahr, Jason Lee, Modesto Downey, Javon Kelly, David Koral, Palisades, Eric Kendricks, Fresno Hoover
Top 25: How They Fared (11/14) November 14, 2009 4:26 AM Check this post for key statewide football scores as well for our pick of who's hot and who's not, including our on-site look at a QB who passed for 466 yards on Friday night.
1. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 10-0 def. Nordhoff (Ojai), 56-6 2. Grant (Sacramento) 10-0 def. Luther Burbank (Sacramento), 40-22 3. Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 10-0 def. Jefferson (Los Angeles), 46-0 4. Oceanside 10-0 def. Ramona, 52-6 5. Edison (Huntington Beach) 10-0 def. Marina (Huntington Beach), 48-0 6. Lakewood 9-1 def. Wilson (Long Beach), 42-6 7. De La Salle (Concord) 7-2 def. California (San Ramon), 49-10 8. St. Mary's (Stockton) 10-0 def. Edison (Stockton), 55-7 9. Mission Viejo 10-0 def. No. 25 Dana Hills (Dana Point), 49-17 10. Servite (Anaheim) 9-1 def. JSerra (San Juan Capistrano), 48-20 11. Moorpark 9-1 lost to No. 24 Westlake (Westlake Village), 38-14 12. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 8-2 lost to Bishop Amat (La Puente), 31-14 13. Serra (Gardena) 10-0 def. Cathedral (Los Angeles), 21-7 14. Norco 9-1 def. Riverside Poly, 56-20 15. St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 9-1 def. Dos Pueblos (Goleta), 48-0 16. Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 10-0 def. Redlands, 37-7 17. La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 10-0 def. Torrey Pines (San Diego), 30-20 18. Buchanan (Clovis) 10-0 def. Central (Fresno), 56-20 19. Valencia 10-0 def. West Ranch (Santa Clarita), 49-10 20. Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 8-2 lost to Foothill (Pleasanton), 31-21 21. Rocklin 10-0 def Roseville, 51-27 22. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 10-0 def. Murrieta Valley, 32-17 23. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 9-0-1 def. Riordan (SF), 38-14 24. Westlake (Westlake Village) 10-0 def. No. 11 Moorpark, 38-14 25. Dana Hills (Dana Point) 8-2 lost to No. 9 Mission Viejo, 49-17 (Read full post)state rankings, CA, football, Dano Graves, Folsom, Ryan Kasdorf, Notre Dame, Jim Benkert, Westlake, Nate Ray, Colfax
Falyn Fonoimoana: State Girls Athlete of the Week November 13, 2009 8:38 PM It was a busy week for this week's girls' award winner. Besides spiking volleyballs and schoolwork, part of it included signing on the dotted line. Note: Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE)
By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com
When national letter of intent day for volleyball came around on this week, there was little doubt for which college Manhattan Beach Mira Costa's Falyn Fonoimoana was going to ink her name on that dotted line.
It's been no secret to the volleyball community that this 6-3 senior with a rocket-launcher for a right arm would be making a short trek from the beach to just south of downtown Los Angeles.
"Why not USC? I've known since I was a freshman I wanted to go there. It's a great program and I can study communications broadcasting,” said Fonoimoana in an early Friday morning interview after a 16-kill, two-dig, four-ace performance in a quick 3-0 victory over La Canada-Flintridge Flintridge Sacred Heart in the CIF Southern Section Division IAA playoffs Thursday night. (Read full post)stat stars, CA, volleyball, Falyn Fonoimoana, state girls athlete of the week
Jeff Mathews: State Boys Athlete of the Week November 13, 2009 1:35 PM About the only place this week's boys' honoree's numbers match what he does on the gridiron is in the classroom. Note: Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE)
By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com
After hearing his story, it will be hard to argue that calling Camarillo's Jeff Mathews the complete package is an understatement.
As quiet as it's kept, this week's ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Boys State Athlete of the Week from Ventura County's Pacific View League has been offered by Cornell. Both Harvard and UC Davis like what they see as well.
And why wouldn't they want a 6-4, 231-pound quarterback?
Mathews is built like a piece of granite, has an excellent arm, outstanding character, plus he carries a 4.2 GPA and scored 1710 on the SAT.
"That SAT score is pretty good for an athlete,” Mathews deadpanned in a Veterans Day early morning interview. (Read full post)football, CA, Jeff Mathews, Camarillo, state boys athlete of the week
State Stat Stars of the Week November 12, 2009 6:01 PM (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 Nov. 5-7; Write ups by Paul Muyskens, Bob Barnett, Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores & Harold Abend. Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE) Will Acromite (San Juan Hills, San Juan Capistrano): He was more than mighty in leading the Stallions to a 49-42 win over Corona del Mar of Newport Beach with 234 yards passing and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 158 yards and another score.
Jerry Alvarez (Watsonville): The senior quarterback showed his being near the top of the CCS leader board as a dual threat quarterback are legit after he led the Wildcats to a 40-37 victory over a Seaside team that had tied Palma of Salinas. He only passed for 127 yards, but had three TDs. Alvarez also rushed for 107 yards and one TD, the game winner. On the season he's passed for 2,377 yards and 23 TDs and rushed for 477 yards and four scores.
Michael Alexander (La Salle, Pasadena): Not only did he rush for 314 yards and five touchdowns, but he also returned a punt 94 yards for six points in a 45-35 win over Cantwell Sacred Heart of Montebello.
Jamil Austin (Colony, Ontario): He wasted no time in scoring twice in the opening quarter of play for the 8-1 Titans in a 42-10 victory over Don Lugo of Chino. Austin later added a third score and ended with 251 yards rushing.
DeShawn Beck (Jordan, Los Angeles): Do-it-all performer ended his regular season with a bang as the Bulldogs defeated Huntington Park, 36-22. He rushed for 164 yards on 14 carries, completed four of eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns and even caught a pass for 14 yards. He contributed another 34 yards on kick returns.
Bryan Bennett (Crespi, Encino): The hard-lucked Celts came into last Friday's contest sporting a .500 record, but a victory over undefeated and state-ranked Bishop Amat in a Serra League showdown wasn't all that shocking. Especially when the athletic Bennett performed as he did in Crespi's 38-25 win. He shredded the Amat secondary to the tune of 342 yards and three touchdowns on 22 of 30 pass attempts.
Brendon Bigelow (Central, Fresno): In a 49-14 win over Clovis, Bigelow, who has lightning speed to burn, scored a career-high five touchdowns. He carried the ball only six times for 221 yards, but scored on runs of 67, 56, 5 and 91 yards and had two receptions for 77 yards, one for a 69-yard TD.
Alex Bishop (Valencia): The state-ranked Vikings have a 9-0 won-loss record behind an explosive offense led by this junior quarterback. In a 49-0 victory over Saugus that clinched a piece of the Foothill League title, Bishop completed 16 of 25 passes for 422 yards and three scores. Even more impressive than his single-game yardage total is his seasonal passing percentage. After nine games, the junior signal-caller has completed 126 of 169 passes for 2,390 yards. His completion percentage is a razor-like 74.6 percent and his percentage actually dropped this past week!
(Read full post) CA, football, stat stars, state record book, Deshawn Beck, Casey Nielsen, Isaac Valdez, Brendon Bigelow, Tyler Bray, Jessie Callier
Peerless Predictions: 9-0 vs. 9-0 November 12, 2009 2:47 AM We're calling it for two of this week's 9-0 vs. 9-0 showdowns plus we take a look a the final Big Game at "old" Napa Memorial Stadium, rub a little Cowhide in Visalia and check out a matchup in Chicken Town.
(Note: It is not our intention to entice gambling in any way with these predicted scores. We will only use actual scores, not point spreads. Finally, because we greatly respect all coaches and student-athletes who step onto the field to compete, the winning margin of some predicted scores could be pared down.)
We have seven games on the board this week after perhaps biting a bit more off than we could chew with a 5-5 record from last week. The season record so far is at 41-17. Here are the predicted scores and analysis for the top games around California coming up this weekend:
Moorpark 28, Westlake (Westlake Village) 27 Next year, the Marmonte League will add state powers Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure for football only, but it's hard to imagine a more intriguing league showdown in the Ventura County region than this one between these two long-standing league members. Nobody has been able to stop Westlake's Nick Isham-led passing attack. The junior quarterback has led the Warriors to a 45-point average in six league games. Moorpark, meanwhile, has a defense that has allowed a touchdown per game in league play. Westlake will have the home field advantage, but we'll go with the old adage that defense wins championships in this one. We also like the crop of teams Moorpark has already defeated and the experience of two overtime wins might come in handy in this one as well. Rankings: Moorpark is No. 11 overall in the state top 25 and is No. 3 in the CIF Div. II South bowl game. Westlake is No. 24 overall in the state top 25 and is No. 6 in the CIF Div. II South bowl game. (Read full post)football, CA, peerless predictions, Tanner Mendonca, Mt. Whitney, Zach Zuniga, Vintage, Steve Ellison, Petaluma, Darien Johnson, Bishop Amat
Week 10 CIF Bowl Rankings November 11, 2009 6:17 PM Eleven teams are pegged as newcomers this week within the eight enrollment-based, region-based rankings. Leading the way is Newbury Park in D1 South and Monte Vista of Danville in D1 North. There are nearly 200 teams statewide that are either ranked or are on the bubble.
By Mark Tennis & Steve Brand
Contributing: Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend, Ronnie Flores
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
(After games of Saturday, Nov. 7)
(Listed with result of most recent game)
Division I South
1. (1) Oceanside 9-0 def. Valley Center 45-7
2. (2) Edison (Huntington Beach) 9-0 def. Fountain Valley 24-0
3. (3) Lakewood 8-1 Idle
4. (4) Mission Viejo 9-0 def. San Clemente 55-7
5. (5) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 9-0 def. A.B. Miller 28-20
6. (6) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 9-0 def. Fallbrook 41-7
7. (7) Buchanan (Clovis) 9-0 def. Clovis East 20-17
8. (8) Valencia 9-0 def. Saugus 49-0
9. (10) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 9-0 def. Great Oak (Temecula) 21-14
10. (13) Dana Hills (Dana Point) 8-1 def. Aliso Niguel 50-0
11. (12) Bullard (Fresno) 9-0 def. Edison (Fresno) 17-14 (2OT)
12. (9) Centennial (Corona) 8-2 lost to Norco 29-28
13. (14) Carson 7-2 def. Narbonne (Harbor City) 41-28
14. (11) Fountain Valley 8-1 lost to Edison (HB) 24-0
15. (16) Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) 9-0 def. Ramona (Riverside) 65-13
16. (19) Rancho Cucamonga 8-1 def. Upland 34-30
17. (20) Colton 8-1 def. San Gorgonio (San Bernardino) 42-19
18. (NR) Newbury Park 7-2 def. Calabasas 45-20
19. (18) El Camino Real (Woodland Hills) 8-1 def. Cleveland (Reseda) 19-7
20. (NR) Chaparral (Temecula) 6-3 def. Temecula Valley 66-35
On the bubble: Colony (Ontario) 8-1, Escondido 6-2-1, Etiwanda 6-3, Great Oak (Temecula) 6-3, Hart (Newhall) 6-3, Los Alamitos 7-2, Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 5-4, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach) 5-4, Redlands 8-1, Roosevelt (Corona) 7-2, Taft (Woodlands Hills) 5-4, Upland 7-2, Warren (Downey) 8-1.
Breakdown: While some programs might be tempted to be more concerned with Saturday's seeding meetings across the state (except for the Northern Section which starts its playoffs this weekend) most coaches will be trying to get their teams to focus on the final regular-season game. Losing the finale leaves a negative impression. Top 20 teams that should have no trouble zeroing in on Friday will be No. 1 Oceanside, No. 4 Mission Viejo and No. 5 Redlands East Valley. Not only are the front-running Pirates trying to hold off hard-charging Edison (Chargers-get it), they'll be playing an 8-1 Ramona team that tied them 33-33 last year, costing Oceanside a chance at a second straight Division II bowl bid as fellow San Diego Section program Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) got the nod. That's plenty of motivation for John Carroll's crew that limited previously unbeaten Valley Center to just 40 total yards in offense last week. As for Mission Viejo, the Diablos host No. 10 Dana Hills of Dana Point (8-1) with the South Coast League title on the line. The Dolphins' only loss was to No. 2 Edison of Huntington Beach, 34-17, the third week of the season. How about No. 5. Redlands East Valley taking on rival Redlands as that city figures to be pretty deserted on Friday night? Both are 6-0 in the Citrus Belt League and Redlands has won eight straight after a season-opening glitch to Great Oak of Temecula. ... (Read full post) football, CA, CIF bowl game rankings, Newbury Park, Temecula Chaparral, Danville Monte Vista, Manteca Sierra, Vanden, Richmond Salesian, Kern Valley
New NorCal & SoCal Overall FB Rankings November 10, 2009 11:07 PM Here's the top 15 teams from the north and top 20 from the south with no divisions, according to system that has been utilized for 30 years. The biggest news is in the north as Tracy makes a return and Inderkum makes a debut.
By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
(After games of Saturday, Nov. 7) (Previous ranking in parentheses)
Note: For the second straight year, we are forced to cut off the North and the South with the CIF Central Section schools in the South. This matches the CIF Open Division bowl game format which pits the top teams from each region against each other regardless of school enrollment. We continue to maintain that due to population factors that the Central Section should be in the north and have always split teams in our rankings that way. We will continue to include Central Section in the north whenever possible.
Northern California Overall Top 15 (CIF North Open Division)
1. (1) Grant (Sacramento) 9-0 2. (2) De La Salle (Concord) 7-2 3. (3) St. Mary's (Stockton) 9-0 4. (4) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 8-1 5. (5) Rocklin 9-0 6. (6) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 8-0-1 7. (7) Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 7-1-1 8. (8) Berkeley 9-0 9. (9) Palma (Salinas) 7-1-1 10. (14) Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 8-1 11. (NR) Tracy 9-0 12. (NR) Deer Valley (Antioch) 9-0 13. (NR) Inderkum (Sacramento) 9-0 14. (11) Del Oro (Loomis) 7-2 15. (12) Granite Bay 7-2 (Read full post)state rankings, CA, football, NorCal top 15, SoCal top 20, Mark Stroup, Tracy, Robert Garrett, Crenshaw, Inderkum, Deer Valley, Bishop Amat
Third Slide Show: 46 teams featured again November 10, 2009 6:26 PM In conjunction with VarsityPix.com, fans can now click onto a link to a slide show that includes many of the state's top teams. For a list of schools and to get the link, please go onto the inside page of this story.
Note: Make sure to follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also get CalHiSports.com updates on Facebook. Please become a fan of our Facebook page by CLICKING HERE. football, CA, VarsityPix, slideshow
New Overall Top 25 State Football Rankings November 10, 2009 2:32 AM It's been awhile since we've had four newcomers in a week but that's what we have this week with Rocklin, Archbishop Mitty, Westlake and Dana Hills getting the nod. Click inside for writeups and analysis on all 25 teams.
By Mark Tennis & Ronnie Flores Contributing: Steve Brand, Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens
(After games of Saturday, Nov. 7) (Previous ranking in parentheses)
1. (1) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 9-0 That time of the season in which many of the truly elite teams are routinely romping past mismatched league opponents is finally almost over. For the top-ranked Lions, their cruise through the Tri-Valley League continued last Friday with a 63-14 win over Santa Clara of Oxnard. Malcolm Jones was strong on both sides of the ball as he had eight carries for 123 yards and three TDs and also returned a fumble 15 yards for another score. Nick Montana threw for 220 yards on just nine completions in 13 throws and had three TD passes. Mercifully, the league schedule ends this week with a game against Nordhoff of Ojai.
2. (2) Grant (Sacramento) 9-0 It was same 'ol, same 'ol for the Pacers as well as they blasted Metro League foe C.K. McClatchy of Sacramento, 62-6. They didn't get an eighth shutout of the season due to a late long touchdown pass, but Grant was playing without 6-3, 335-pound junior Vei Moala for most of the game due to a sprained ankle. QB Dezmon Epps also was out in the second half with a banged up shoulder. Grant goes up against its final Metro League opponent, Burbank of Sacramento, in this week's game. Burbank was the team the Pacers beat in last year's CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II championship, but it wasn't a close game and it will take a really poor effort by them for the Titans to make it close this time.
3. (3) Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 9-0 Crenshaw's stock continues to rise and if we jumped teams around like a BCS computer despite teams continuing to win the Cougars might be at the top of these state rankings right now. In our system, though, we don't think it makes sense to drop teams when they win 50-0 or more and would much rather let the season play itself out and make changes later when it does make more sense. Crenshaw took care of its business on the field with a more than solid 44-7 win against Dorsey, which was perceived to be the one Coliseum League squad that maybe could make it close. It wasn't. Geoffrey Norwood ground out 151 yards and two TDs on 14 carries while Hayes Pullard added two TDs rushing and DeAnthony Thomas got into the act with 10 carries for 82 yards and one score. This week, the Shaw takes on Jefferson of Los Angeles on the road. (Read full post)state rankings, CA, football, state top 25 rankings, Geoffrey Norwood, Crenshaw, Tyler Anderson, De La Salle, Rudy Guerrero, Servite, Seth Hansen, La Costa Canyon, Nick Isham, Westlake
New Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area Top 20 November 9, 2009 5:42 PM Mitty wins with defense and may be favorite in CCS. Teams on the rise the most this week, though, are Monte Vista and Palo Alto. Watch highlights of many of these teams each week on Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area on YourTV, Channel 20, San Francisco at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. every Sunday. Replays during the week on Comcast SportsNet throughout Northern California.
By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com
What many thought would be a game last Saturday chock full of offense turned into a defensive battle between two West Catholic Athletic League rivals.
In the end, San Jose Mitty scored twice in the late going to post a hard-fought 20-7 victory on the road at Serra of San Mateo.
The win keeps Mitty tied at 5-0-1 atop the league standings with San Jose Bellarmine.
The game featured lots of sacks, a few turnovers, key penalties, failed fourth-down conversions, tons of hard hitting, but an equal amount of respect before, during and after the contest.
Both teams roughed each other up for nearly two quarters with the half ending in a 7-0 Mitty lead after the visitors held the Padres to nine yards of total offense.
The Padres looked like they might take the second half kickoff and drive it in, but after going 63 yards in 12 plays they failed on fourth-and-goal from the five, then failed again on their next drive, this time on fourth-and-one, turning it over at the Mitty 29-yard-line.
Still, when Serra got an equalizer with 10:37 left on a 4-yard run by Adonis Smith, the way the defenses were playing it looked like the distinct possibility the Padres might pull out a tie like the Mitty-Bellarmine affair of two weeks ago.
This time things were different. ... (Read full post) football, CA, Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area top 20, Brendon Manion, Archbishop Mitty, Matt Vinal, Serra, Kyle Olugbode, Bellarmine Prep, Brandon Williams, Deer Valley
Top 25: How They Fared (11/8) November 8, 2009 9:59 PM Check this post as well for our pick of who's hot and who's not and get a sense of how this week's best prep football teams in the state stack up next to each other. Note: Make sure to follow us on Twitter attwitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also get CalHiSports.com updates on Facebook. Please become a fan of our Facebook page by CLICKING HERE.
1. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 9-0 def. Santa Clara (Oxnard), 63-14 2. Grant (Sacramento) 9-0 def. McClatchy (Sacramento), 62-6 3. Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 9-0 def. Dorsey (Los Angeles), 44-7 4. Oceanside 9-0 def. Valley Center, 45-0 5. Edison (Huntington Beach) 9-0 def. Fountain Valley, 24-0 6. Lakewood 8-1 Idle 7. De La Salle (Concord) 7-2 def. Foothill (Pleasanton), 33-7 8. St. Mary's (Stockton) 9-0 def. Tokay (Lodi), 49-13 9. Mission Viejo 9-0 def. San Clemente, 55-7 10. Servite (Anaheim) 8-1 def. Lutheran (Orange), 45-26 11. Moorpark 9-0 def. Agoura (Agoura Hills), 28-0 12. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 8-1 def. Loyola (L.A.), 45-14 13. Serra (Gardena) 9-0 def. Bosco Tech, 55-8 14. Bishop Amat (La Puente) 8-1 lost to Crespi, 38-25 15. St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 8-1 def. Santa Barbara, 56-0 16. Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 9-0 def. A.B. Miller, 28-20 17. La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 9-0 def. Fallbrook, 41-7 18. Buchanan (Clovis) 9-0 def. Clovis East, 20-17 19. Valencia 9-0 def. Saugus 49-0 20. Norco 8-1 def. Centennial (Corona), 29-28 21. Centennial (Corona) 7-2 lost to Norco, 29-28 22. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 9-0 def. Great Oak (Temecula), 21-14 23. Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 8-1 def. Livermore, 34-7 24. Fountain Valley 8-1 lost to Edison (Huntington Beach), 24-0 25. Bullard (Fresno) 9-0 def. Edison (Fresno), 17-14 in OT (Read full post)state rankings, CA, football, Todd Gerhart, Norco, Toby Gerhart, Taylor Viloria, Santa Margarita
Edison rings Fountain Valley's bell November 7, 2009 1:11 PM Unbeaten Chargers blank previously unbeaten Barons, 24-0, and win rivalry series for fifth straight season. Note: Make sure to follow us on Twitter attwitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also get CalHiSports.com updates on Facebook. Please become a fan of our Facebook page by CLICKING HERE.
By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor
Fullerton -- There was a ton of passion and pageantry Friday night surrounding the "Battle of the Bell" football game between undefeated, state-ranked clubs Edison of Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley.
Fans arrived early to tailgate in a college-like atmosphere, the bands were fired up and there was a standing room only crowd at Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal-State Fullerton.
With all the hoopla, both teams came out somewhat jittery with off-target passes by the quarterbacks, fumbled exchanges and dropped balls by the receivers. After both teams settled down, it became apparent why Edison came into the game nationally-ranked and rated No. 5 in the CalHiSports.com State Top 25. (Read full post)football, CA, Davion Orphey, Huntington Beach Edison, Markus Trujillo, Dave White, Kyle Middlebrooks, Fountain Valley
Burse, Nelson doom Escalon November 7, 2009 4:18 AM NorCal small school battle of unbeatens goes to Modesto Christian, which trust us really could be the equal of SoCal small school powers Francis Parker or St. Margaret's.
By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Proving that the lineup is much more indeed than the incredibly versatile Isaiah Burse, a showdown of 8-0 teams in Modesto on Friday night was taken by host Modesto Christian, 21-16, over Escalon.
While Burse was the best playmaker on the field, junior tight end Raymond Nelson was a force as well, senior running back Kevin Roya had some clutch runs (10 carries, 55 yards) and senior running back Aaron Brown had a touchdown run for the Crusaders.
Modesto Christian improved to 9-0 and will stay atop the CIF North Small School bowl game rankings. Head coach Mike Parsons' team couldn't hold onto that ranking a year ago after losing to Escalon. (Read full post)football, CA, Raymond Nelson, Modesto Christian, Isaiah Burse, Aaron Brown, Escalon, Jason Diniz, Spencer Franceschetti
Rickey Galvin: State Boys Athlete of the Week November 6, 2009 7:53 PM This week's boys winner believes its fine to have a little swagger, but you better get it right, on the field, in the classroom and in front of the microphone. Note: Make sure to follow us on Twitter attwitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also get CalHiSports.com updates on Facebook. Please become a fan of our Facebook page by CLICKING HERE.
By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com
When the CalHiSports.com caravan saw Rickey Galvin run against Pittsburg in an 18-16 home victory on September 24, we agreed with the Oakland Tribune's Jimmy Durkin, who nominated Galvin for Athlete of the Week on the spot.
All the powerfully built 5-8, 170-pound mighty mite did was rush for 233 yards on 33 carries with all three of his team's touchdowns against one of the top Division I teams in the Bay Area.
Galvin's 55-yard second quarter TD run was a thing of beauty. He took the handoff and bounced off tacklers before getting around left end and flying past everyone to paydirt.
The winning touchdown was just as impressive. After catching an 18-yard pass from Logan Murdock in which he ran over two tacklers, Galvin took it in from 34 yards out on another explosive run. (Read full post)football, CA, Rickey Galvin, Berkeley, state athlete of the week
Jane Croson: State Girls Athlete of the Week November 6, 2009 10:33 AM Our girls winner is a one-woman wrecking crew at the net who has missed a match this week after coming down with the flu. Note: Make sure to follow us on Twitter attwitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also get CalHiSports.com updates on Facebook. Please become a fan of our Facebook page by CLICKING HERE.
By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com
After she was named the MVP of the Dave Mohs Memorial Tournament in late September, Jane Croson of Los Alamitos was on the radar screen of the committee that chooses each week's award winners.
Croson didn't get the nod that week, and with the difficulty of the Griffins' schedule, she was additionally passed over a few times as the team had an up-and-down several weeks playing many teams in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national rankings.
Then, last week, the junior 6-foot outside hitter put on a performance that finally could not be overlooked, registering 25 kills, 11 digs and 4 aces in a 3-2 win over previous FAB 50 No. 5 and current No. 28 Newport Beach Newport Harbor.
For her efforts both last week and all season for current 25-7 and FAB 50 No. 42 ranked Los Alamitos, Croson has been named this week's ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Girls State Athlete of the Week. (Read full post)stat stars, CA, volleyball, Jane Croson, Los Alamitos, state girls athlete of the week
State Stat Stars of the Week November 5, 2009 8:25 PM (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 Oct. 29-31; Write ups by Paul Muyskens, Steve Brand, Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores & Harold Abend. Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE) Chris Avila & Arias Carter (Santa Ana): Avila completed 12 passes for 406 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints defeated Ocean View of Huntington Beach, 40-36. Carter caught just three passes but they were all for touchdowns that covered a total of 229 yards.
Matt Banahan (Amador Valley, Pleasanton): The senior defensive back came up with four big plays and two TDs to show for his work in a 35-16 road victory at Danville San Ramon Valley. His first big one was a 52-yard punt return for a TD that gave Amador Valley a 21-16 lead it never relinquished. Then, on the last play of the first half, he intercepted a pass. Oddly, on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Banahan had an interception giving him interceptions on consecutive plays from scrimmage. The second one, he returned 28 yards for a touchdown. He had a third interception on the Wolverines ensuing drive.
DeShawn Beck (Jordan, Los Angeles): Do-it-all performer was at it again in last week's 13-12 victory over Bell. He completed 16 of 27 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown while carrying the ball 14 times for 178 yards and another score. So far this season, Beck has rushed for 1,530 yards and seven touchdowns and passed for 785 yards and five more scores. Patrick Wooten, arguably the top freshman in the state last season, added nine solo tackles, five assists and an interception.
Damien Bell (Lawndale): His 70-yard touchdown reception put away Torrance as Lawndale went on to a 49-31 victory. Bell finished with 349 all-purpose yards, including a 93-yard kickoff return He also rushed for three touchdowns and 186 yards on nine carries.
Bryan Bennett (Crespi, Encino): Because of a good all-around performance by Bennett, it took a clutch 51-yard field goal by Notre Dame kicker Eric Solis to beat the hard-lucked Celts, 23-21. He passed for 302 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort and hit pay dirt once on the ground. According to Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times, he also turned in a fine performance as a defensive back.
Anthony Binford (Valley Christian, Sun Valley): Racked up five sacks in a 49-12 Olympic League victory over L.A. Baptist.
Tra'Mayne Bondurant (Fairfield): In an impressive 46-14 win over Napa, Bondurant threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 167 yards and two more scores. It's the fourth time this season he's rushed and passed for more than 100 yards in the same game. In the process, according to Paul Farmer of the Fairfield Daily Republic, he broke the Fairfield city record for total offense in a season with 2,530 yards, passing in eight games the 2,489 Rodriguez's Myles King amassed in 12 games in 2008.
T.J. Braff (Palo Alto): In his third game starting at quarterback for the injured Christof Bono, the 6-4 175-pound junior came through big time in a 34-12 victory over Los Gatos. His 254 yards passing on 12 of 17 with three TDs, plus one score rushing gives Coach Earl Hansen's boys sole possession of first place in the De Anza League. ... (Read full post) CA, football, stat stars, state record book, Jordan Zumwalt, Carl Cox, David Herrman, Jonny Martin, Cody Weinzheimer, Deshawn Beck, Casey Nielsen, Isaac Valdez
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