St. Bonaventure has to take a hit for needing overtime to beat Crespi. Other questions pondered were how high for Edison of Huntington Beach and should De La Salle drop at all for losing in overtime to Lakeland, Fla.

By Mark Tennis & Ronnie Flores
Contributing: Steve Brand, Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens

(After games of Saturday, Sept. 26)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1.  (1)  Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 3-0
While the Lions were taking last week off, following their 28-25 victory at nationally-ranked Skyline of Sammamish, Wash., on Sept. 18, the team they beat returned to form with a 55-6 win against Newport (Wash.). For their own strength of schedule ranking, Oaks Christian supporters have to not only root for Skyline to win another state title in Washington but they also have to look for continued success from teams the Lions may play later on, such as Serra of Gardena. This week, Oaks Christian returns to action to face Venice of the L.A. City Section. The Gondoliers are 3-0 after wins over West Covina (41-33), Muir of Pasadena (49-14) and Santa Monica (31-28).

2.  (3)  Grant (Sacramento) 4-0
It was ugly on offense for the Pacers in their 14-0 win over Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills, but the defense racked up its fourth straight shutout. That fact plus previous No. 3 St. Bonaventure needing to go overtime to turn back Crespi of Encino is enough for Grant to move up to the No. 2 spot in this week's rankings. Touchdown runs of 8 yards by Devontae Butler and 55 yards by Glenn Deary was all the scoring Grant would need. The team was obviously flat after coming home from its shutout win on Sept. 19 over nationally-ranked Bellevue (Wash.). Head coach Mike Alberghini hopes the intensity returns this week against Hiram Johnson of Sacramento.

3.  (2)  St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 4-0
It's always to tough to drop a top team like the Seraphs after a win, no matter the circumstances, but this week it had to be done. The team's 42-41 win in overtime last Friday came against a Crespi of Encino squad that was down 31-0 at halftime against Servite of Anaheim in its previous game, an eventual 38-28 defeat. We did not, however, drop St. Bonaventure all the way down behind Edison of Huntington Beach, which beat Servite, 23-9. The Chargers are still moving up quite a bit this week and St. Bonaventure still could face some solid competition in the CIF Southern Section Northern Division playoffs. Logan Meyer passed for 169 yards and two TDs against Crespi, including the game-tying score in OT. Sophomore Mason Kirk then booted a game-winning PAT. Troy Hill also had a huge game for the Seraphs as he scored on a 95-yard kickoff return and on an 11-yard run. This week, St. Bonnie plays Bishop Amat of La Puente.(Read full post)

El Toro and Norco each land a pair on the overall all-state first team. Capistrano Valley, Chatsworth, Stockdale, Cathedral Catholic, Edison of Huntington Beach, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and Jesuit of Carmichael all get one on the first and one on the second.

By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Contributing: Ronnie Flores, Paul Muyskens, Steve Brand

Congratulations to all of the following 30 players, who have been written up as first team all-state for the CalHiSports.com all-state baseball honors. We have been compiling all-state teams in baseball for more than 25 years and our Mr. Baseball Player of the Year lists extend back more than 100 years.

Catchers

Josh Leyland (San Dimas) Sr.
He helped the Saints win their first section title since 1985 as his single tied the CIF Southern Section Div. IV championship game that they would go on and win, 4-2, over Torrance. Leyland has been named the Inland Valley player of the year and was drafted by the Oakland Athletics after leading the Saints with 11 homers and 38 runs batted in with a .506 batting average. On the year, he tied for the most homers in the state by a catcher with fellow first-team all-state pick Max Stassi, who was also drafed by the Athletics. Leyland has a scholarship offer from Washington State should he choose not to sign with the Athletics.

Max Stassi (Yuba City) Sr.
Despite an injury that caused him to be less than 100 percent, Max still was good enough this year to be the Sacramento Bee Player of the Year for the second year in a row and was recently named to the EA SPORTS All American team. During his senior year, he hit .538 with 38 runs batted in and 11 homers as the Honkers won their third straight section title. In his four years with the Honkers, a team coached by his dad, Jim, he hit .514 with 40 home runs and drove in 162 runs. Stassi has a full ride scholarship to UCLA awaiting him if he decides not to sign with the Oakland Athletics, who picked him in the fourth round of the recent Major League Baseball draft.

Andrew Susac (Jesuit, Carmichael) Sr.
There were an abundance of top catchers around the country and Susac was one of the best. Last summer at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, he performed more than admirably for the Milwaukee Brewers Gray team, standing out with his strong throwing arm. This spring, he continued to shine and led Jesuit to its second consecutive CIF Sac-Joaquin Div. I title by batting .442 with nine doubles and eight homers. He also scored 35 times and drove in 34 runs while earning league MVP honors and all-metro honors from the Sacramento Bee.

(Read full post)

Congratulations to mythical state champions Capistrano Valley, Yuba City, Cathedral Catholic, Washington of Easton and St. Bernard's of Eureka in baseball. In softball, final No. 1 honors go out to Norco, Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, Notre Dame of Belmont, Sutter and St. Bernard's of Eureka. All final rankings for both baseball and softball expanded to at least 15 in each division.

Compiled by Mark Tennis & Steve Brand
(Through all games played in 2009 season)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

Baseball Division I
1.  (4)   Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 26-6
2.  (3)   Chatsworth 29-4
3.  (1)   Edison (Huntington Beach) 23-6
4.  (2)   Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 24-6
5.  (5)   Norco 25-5
6.  (6)   Serra (San Mateo) 30-6
7.  (8)   Jesuit (Carmichael) 27-5
8.  (7)   Poway 28-7
9.  (9)   Yucaipa 27-3
10. (12) Stockdale (Bakersfield) 26-5
11. (11) El Toro (Lake Forest) 23-6
12. (13) Clovis West (Fresno) 29-6
13. (14) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 23-6
14. (15) JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) 22-7
15. (nr) Freedom (Oakley) 23-4
16. (nr) Crespi (Encino) 21-11
17. (10) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 23-7
18. (nr) Temecula Valley (Temecula) 22-6
19. (nr) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 24-11
20. (nr) Buchanan (Clovis) 23-5-1
Comments: Although they had some unexpected setbacks during the regular season, when it came down to the Southern Section's cut-throat single-elimination playoffs, Tyler Matzek (Colorado Rockies, 11th pick) and his teammates were simply too tough, zipping past three teams into the top spot here. Chatsworth also proved itself to be the best in the L.A. City but unlike basketball, the City is not nearly as deep as the Southern Section. The South ruled in this division where No. 5 Serra (San Mateo) was as high on the ratings as the North would get. Clearly, this division is dominant as three-quarters of the state's Top 40 teams dwell here.

(Read full post)

State Team of the Year Archbishop Mitty leads a group of four squads from the Central Coast Section that gain final writeups as we add 20 more teams with writeups compared to the 20 we usually do. The biggest change is Etiwanda going up to No. 6 from No. 10. Go inside for more and to see how high unbeaten small school powerhouse Sutter finished or if the Huskies made it into the final overall top 40 at all.

Compiled by Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Writeups by Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens, Steve Brand, Ronnie Flores and Mark Tennis

(After all games played during 2009 season)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1.  (1)  Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 32-0
Is there anything left to be said about the Monarchs that hasn't already been said? No. 1 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 and a perfect season just about says it all. So being No. 1 in the state, while a dream come true for most teams, almost takes a back seat for Coach Sarah Thomas and her girls. The real turning point in the season and what really propelled Mitty to the top of both heaps was the championship game of the Livermore Stampede. It was in that game that the term "Ricketted” was born after Oklahoma-bound Keilani Ricketts had a career game and one of the most dominating one-girl performances in recent California history in a 5-2 victory over the then No. 1 team in the nation and state, Sheldon of Sacramento. Ricketts came into the game not having given up an earned run at that point in the season with the team 22-0. When she gave up a first-inning home run to Cal-bound Lindsey Ziegenhirt, Ricketts and the other girls could have begun to fold. Instead, Ricketts blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the first and went on the fan 20 from the circle while only allowing four hits. In the story that appeared on this site, we mused "the way Ricketts pitched and hit on Saturday and the way her teammates slapped the ball effectively, a loss may not get posted on Mitty's ledger for quite some time.” In fact, it did not and the Monarchs ran the table and won their fifth consecutive CCS title.

2.  (2)  Norco 32-2
Although the Cougars were able to get dominant pitching performances from four-year standout Teagan Gerhart, the championship season was greatly aided by a strong lineup of bats one through nine. According to Eric-Paul Johnson of the Riverside Press-Enterprise, coach Rick Robinson got 11 game-winning hits from his team this season. With its 5-1 victory over Big VIII League rival and previous No. 5 Santiago of Corona in the CIF Southern Section Div. I title game, Norco won its second section title in seven years and Robinson's third overall, his first coming at Corona Centennial in 1996. In beating Santiago for the third time this season, Norco not only received a dominant performance from Gerhart, but three timely hits and two runs from junior outfielder Nicole Sappingfield. Norco definitely had a State Team of the Year resume, with a 9-2 win over league foe Poly of Riverside that avenged a 1-0 loss in the sixth game of the season. The only other loss was also a 1-0 setback in a ridiculously tough opening round matchup against No. 7 Freedom of Oakley at the Nike Faster to First Tournament.

3.  (3)  Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 26-5
With sophomore Ally Carda leading the way in the circle all season long, the Eagles not only made their first-ever Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game but also ended the season with the win as they defeated Sheldon of Sacramento, 1-0, in the finale. After losing two close games to the Huskies earlier in the season, it was the Eagles who won the game that meant the most as Carda allowed just two hits and struck out eight in a complete game shutout. Carda on the year won 25 of their 26 games with a 0.37 ERA and 380 strikeouts while also leading the team with 39 RBI and nine homers. Other key wins this season for the Eagles were back to back victories against Vista Murrieta and Valencia and they twice defeated Elk Grove, who lost just six times all year.

(Read full post)

With its victory over league rival Corona Santiago in CIF Southern Section Div. I title game, Norco beats the Sharks for third time this season and all but clinches the state's No. 2 overall rating behind San Jose Mitty, which will be made official  when final state rankings are released later next week. Softball section championship game subplot sees Norco's Teagan Gerhart wins rubber match of pitching showdown with close friend Kamerin May.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Irvine, Calif. -- The titanic pitching match up between Norco's Teagan Gerhart and Santiago's Kamerin May stole all the story lines when Big VIII League rivals Norco and Santiago of Corona met in the CIF Southern Section Div. I title game.

The showdown had subplots only found in a Hollywood script: best friends on rival teams that not only have been the two most dominant pitchers in the Inland Empire over the past four seasons, but split wins in the previous eight meetings of their storied prep careers.

The reality of the situation, however, was that Gerhart and company were the better team, as Norco turned its timely outs, and some gift runs allowed by Santiago, into a 5-1 victory at Barber Park's Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine.

It was the Cougars' third victory over their league rivals this season and a turnaround from last season when Santiago won all three games. Win the win, Norco secured the program's second CIF Southern Section title. The first under head coach Rick Robinson came in 2003 over Whittier California in Div. II.

"It was just a matter of time," Robinson remarked about his team capitalizing on its many numerous opportunities throughout the game. "We had a great group of seniors. We had just a great team camaraderie. Our players didn't care about who was the star and didn't care who was the one that got the job done. When we needed outs, we got them."(Read full post)

Results from early this week included in this post, including what Matt Hobgood of Norco did in his game, how the Mitty girls fared and which No. 1-ranked baseball team was defeated.

Compiled by Steve Brand & Mark Tennis
Contributing: Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend

(Based on games played through Monday, May 25)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
*Indicates season is complete.
*Asterisk after season record indicates forfeit wins, losses not included.

BASEBALL

Division I
1.  (1)  Yucaipa 26-2
2.  (2)  Norco 24-4
3.  (3)  El Toro (Lake Forest) 22-5
4.  (6)  Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 23-5
5.  (5)  Edison (Huntington Beach) 20-5
6.  (7)  Chatsworth 27-4
7.  (8)  Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 22-5
8.  (9) Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 22-6
9.  (10) Clovis West (Fresno) 28-5
10. (11) JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) 22-6
11. (14) Serra (San Mateo) 28-6
12. (12) Poway 24-6
13. (15) Jesuit (Carmichael) 25-5
14. (nr) Temecula Valley (Temecula) 22-5
15. (nr) St. Mary's (Stockton) 25-8
Bubble: *Buchanan (Clovis) 23-5-1, Cleveland (Reseda) 25-7, Clovis 24-7, De La Salle (Concord) 17-8, *Elk Grove 22-7, Marina (Huntington Beach) 21-6, *Monte Vista (Danville) 17-8, Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 21-9, Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 21-6, Stockdale (Bakersfield) 24-5, Tesoro (Las Flores) 20-7, Torrey Pines (San Diego) 21-8, *Valley Christian (San Jose) 25-9.
Comments: Buchanan (Clovis) and Elk Grove took dives so Temecula Valley and surprising St. Mary's (Stockton) have jumped in. The result was lots of movement as teams jumped to fill the gap Buchanan vacated at No. 4 but very few new teams.
Two major upsets that have already taken place this week have seen two CIF Southern Section champions from a year ago eliminated from this year's Division II playoffs. El Toro is out after a 6-2 loss on Tuesday to Redlands East Valley. Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks also is gone after a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Chino Hills.
In the CIFSS Division I playoffs, Norco beat Temecula Valley, 3-1, on Tuesday as Matt Hobgood hit a walkoff two-run homer in the eighth inning. Hobgood now has 21 homers for the season to lead the state, but he also reached a reported 97 mph on his fastball in his one inning of relief and he's up to as high as No. 13 in mock first round picks for the upcoming MLB draft. Hobgood is expected to start on Friday when Norco plays Mater Dei in the semifinals.

Division II
1.  (1) *Yuba City 27-3
2.  (3) Clayton Valley (Concord) 22-3
3.  (2) Beckman (Irvine) 23-4
4.  (4) Alameda 21-4
5.  (6) Bonita (La Verne) 20-5
6.  (7) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 24-1
7.  (9) Los Gatos 25-5
8. (nr) *Rocklin 23-8
9.  (nr) *Pleasant Valley (Chico) 27-5
10.  (nr) El Diamante (Visalia) 22-8
Bubble: Charter Oak (Covina) 16-9, Edison (Fresno) 20-11, *Gahr (Cerritos) 19-9, *Granite Bay 22-11, Grossmont (La Mesa) 21-9, *Irvington (Fremont) 19-7, Paramount 19-9, *Scotts Valley 23-5, Steele Canyon (Spring Valley) 21-7, *Wilcox (Santa Clara) 26-8.
Comments: Got to love a nickname like the Honkers and they're tooting all over the place after winning the San-Joaquin Section Division III title and making it impossible for a new No. 1 next week. We went ahead and included all of the Sac-Joaquin Section finals played on Monday in this week's divisional rankings, but any games played afterward will be reflected next week. Beckman and Bonita both won on Tuesday in the CIF Southern Section playoffs and will be in quarterfinal games on Friday.
In the North Coast Section playoffs already this week, Clayton Valley and Alameda both won and will play each other on Saturday for the Division II championship. Alameda beat the Eagles, 4-1, earlier this season. Clayton Valley topped Casa Grande of Petaluma, 7-4, while Alameda defeated Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa, 10-6.

(Read full post)

To drop or not to drop? That is the question this week as Chatsworth and Mater Dei both lose games. Going in as newcomers, meanwhile, are Elk Grove, Capistrano Valley and Valley Christian of San Jose.

Compiled by Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Writeups by Andrew Drennen, Steve Brand, Paul Muyskens and Mark Tennis

(After games of Saturday, May 9)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1.  (3)  El Toro (Lake Forest) 20-4
The count is now up to seven for the number of teams that have been sitting in the No. 1 position for the state baseball rankings. El Toro moves up to get its shot at the catbird's seat after previous No. 1 Chatsworth and No. 2 Mater Dei both took losses last week. We certainly could have followed the lead of the L.A. Times and done nothing at the top of the order. In the big picture, both Chatsworth and Mater Dei still loom as favorites to win L.A. City and Southern Section titles. It is just more natural to move up El Toro after another 2-0 week, and in that move we aren't alone, either, as the Orange County Register now has the Chargers No. 1 and Mater Dei No. 2 in its rankings this week. El Toro continues to play well after the announced loss of standout pitcher Chad Thompson for the rest of the season due to Tommy John surgery. Last week's wins were by 8-1 and 7-4 over Huntington Beach. In the first game, Aaron Wirsch pitched a four-hitter and smashed two of the Chargers' five home runs. In the second game, Nolan Arenado went deep and pitched three scoreless innings. It could still get sticky for us and for the Chargers if themselves and Mater Dei were both CIFSS champs in different divisions because MD does have a head-to-head win. The way this season is going, though, that's a scenario that is a long, long way from becoming real.

2.  (4)  Yucaipa 23-2
Now the T-Birds are just one spot from returning to the top of the roost as they, too, took full advantage of Chatsworth and Mater Dei (Santa Ana) stumbling. Interestingly, though, Jeff Stout's club, despite hammering Miller (Fontana) 15-1 and beating Redlands, 6-3, still has not clinched the Citrus Belt League title as it takes a one-game lead into the final week of the regular season. That could mean real trouble for this week's foes, Fontana and Eisenhower (Rialto), who do not need any more grief. The last time they played Yucaipa, Fontana lost 20-1 and Eisenhower became a centerfold for having a mercy rule in baseball, losing 35-1. Third baseman/closer Matt Davidson, who has signed with USC but at 6-4, 225 is projected as a high draft choice this spring, is batting .543 with 37 RBI.

3.  (1)  Chatsworth 24-3
It was a mixed week for the Chancellors as they went 2-1.  It started with an 8-3 loss to rival El Camino Real.  The Chancellors topped the Conquistadors twice early in the season. But the third time was the charm for El Camino Real.  The week ended with wins over Birmingham of Lake Balboa and Cleveland of Reseda, which beat Chatsworth a couple weeks ago.  The Chancellors have two more games, before the L.A. City Section playoffs start, and both are West Valley League games, which could loom large.  As it stands now, Chatsworth is tied, record wise, with Cleveland, but holds the tie-breaker.  If the Chancellors win out, add another league title to the storied program.  

4.  (5)  Clovis West (Fresno) 26-3
It's a big week coming up for the Golden Eagles. They have two games against league rival Clovis, which has been state-ranked itself for much of this season. After that comes a trip to the Oakland Coliseum for the second attempt to appear in the Oakland A's/Dave Stewart Classic. The first attempt two weekends ago was rained out. Clovis West is scheduled to play host school De La Salle of Concord, which is heating up late this season after a slow start. In last week's games, the Golden Eagles beat Clovis East and then swept a pair from Madera. The week ended with a 7-4 win over the Coyotes as pitcher J.D. Salles earned the 20th win of his varsity career. He was backed up offensively by Eric Karch, who went 3-for-3 with a double and a homer.

(Read full post)

Maybe it was the rain in Northern California, but it's finally a fairly quiet week for these rankings with the top five remaining the same. Newcomers are Bellarmine of San Jose, Stockdale of Bakersfield and Rancho Buena Vista.

Compiled by Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Writeups by Andrew Drennen, Steve Brand, Paul Muyskens and Mark Tennis

(After games of Saturday, May 2)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1.  (1)  Chatsworth 22-2
For the first time all season, we finally have a team that didn't give up the No. 1 state ranking the very next week. In Chatsworth's situation, however, full disclosure requires us also to report that last week's sweep of games against Taft of Woodland Hills was practically a foregone conclusion. The Chancellors took game one, 15-1, as Andy Weissberg went 3-for-3 with a homer and five RBI. They later won again, 13-2, behind homers from Carlos Escobar Jr. and Derek Neely. This week won't be so easy, starting with a Monday game vs. El Camino Real, ending with a third matchup this season vs. Cleveland of Reseda (which split with Chatsworth earlier this season) and with Birmingham of Lake Balboa in between.

2.  (2)  Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 19-3
The Monarchs got back to their winning ways last week when they took a pair from Santa Margarita.  The two-game sweep came on the heels of a split to a struggling Servite team. The only three losses that the Monarchs suffered thus far have all been in the Trinity League and they have all been at home.  They have two this week with St. John Bosco, before ending the regular season against Orange Lutheran.

3.  (3)  El Toro (Lake Forest) 18-4
The Chargers took two from Woodbridge of Irvine last week, after splitting with Northwood the week before.  However, the big blow to El Toro came when it lost one of its top players, Chad Thompson, who has signed with Arizona State.  The senior had Tommy John surgery last week and his season is over.  He will be on the shelf for at least a year.  His season ends with a 4-0 record and a 0.27 ERA. Look for Aaron Wirsch and T.J. Kendzora to step for the Chargers. 

4.  (4)  Yucaipa 21-2
It's difficult not to focus on the dramatic and crucial victory over Redlands East Valley last week, but that's what Jeff Stout's club will have to do to keep what is now a half-game lead in the Citrus Belt League. It's been six weeks since the T-Birds last saw Miller (Fontana) in a 9-1 win and they'll have to be careful with Redlands, which they beat 10-7. But the 9-5 win over REV should be an inspiration. Matt Marnati's two-run homer in the first was just the start as REV rallied to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the sixth. Marnati's double in the bottom of the same frame drove in two of the Thunderbirds' four runs and Yucaipa inched past REV into first. They stayed there with another slugfest 16-7 win over Carter (Riverside) later in the week, their fifth straight.

(Read full post)

That's how many athletes scored more than 100.0 for a SPARQ Rating during the day at Long Beach City College on Saturday. We'll have highlights later this week on Sunday's L.A. Nike Camp at USC. For now, here's a look at the best from Saturday.

By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor

Over 1,200 athletes from all over the West converged on Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday for the 12th Nike Combine of 2009 at Long Beach City College.

In talent-laden Southern California and with the sheer amount of athletes in attendance, it didn't come as any surprise that there were some impressive SPARQ Ratings and outstanding individual marks. In fact, 11 players posted SPARQ Ratings higher than the 100.0 barrier.

The California Class of 2010 is full of standout running backs and one of the very best from Corona High School in the Inland Empire ended up with the second-highest SPARQ Rating among the 1,221 participants.

Jordon James, a 5-foot-9, 188-pound dynamo with multiple offers, ripped off a 113.22 SPARQ Rating. His rating included a 4.40 in the 40-yard dash, the fastest of the day, a 4.42 shuttle run, a 36.5 kneeling Power Ball Toss and a 38.9 inch vertical jump, the third best mark. James is working hard this off-season in hopes it will spring him towards a monster senior season.

Last year as a junior, James got off to a fast start, rushing for over 1,100 yards, before a season-ending injury in the Cougars' fifth game against Norco. Before suffering his broken arm, James was among the state's rushing leaders. He didn't put too much pressure on himself coming into Saturday's combine and his testing results showed just how prepared he was.

"I need to get in shape and do better than last year," James said. "I just want to just go out and play and help my team make the (CIF) playoffs."

James is one of Southern California's most highly-recruited backs, but a few lesser-known runners came to compete and made a favorable impression with their testing results.

Dion Willis, a 5-foot-8, 168-pounder out of Carson High, improved upon his performance at last week's L.A. Southwest Nike Combine. He clocked a 4.63 in the 40-yard dash, a 4.36 shuttle run, a 37.0

(Read full post)

Two from Cajon land spots on the first elite squad of 10 players. Second team overall headlined by Camille Buckley, Niveen Rasheed and Melissa Zorning. Among those on the third team are Gizelle Studevent, Madison Parrish and Shelley Gupilan. All 30 players are written up in this post.

Note: The very first Cal-Hi Sports all-state team for girls basketball was selected after the 1980-81 season by founder Nelson Tennis with assistance from editor Mark Tennis, who was attending college at the time. The CalHiSports.com all-state teams are now recognized as the most comprehensive, most detailed and best researched all-state teams in the nation, according to hobbyist Ron Siegel of Washington, who collects these teams from every state. Nearly all of our all-state teams in football and basketball are included in our recently printed seventh edition of the CalHiSports.com State Record Book & Almanac. If you love the content on our site, you'll love the book, so order your copy today.

By Mark Tennis & Harold Abend
(Contributing: Paul Muyskens, Ronnie Flores, Steve Brand)

First Team Overall

C -- Gennifer Brandon (Chatsworth) 6-2 Sr.
The L.A. Daily News Player of the Year was sensational in leading the Chancellors to a second straight L.A. City Section title. She scored at a 21.2 point per game clip, but was even more effective swiping rebounds. Brandon had 20 to go with 20 points in a regional playoff win over Clovis West and had season bests in rebounds of 28, 26 and 23. She had a high scoring game of 39 points against Dorsey of Los Angeles. Brandon is headed next to the University of California. She could meet up in the Pac-10 against older sister, Kim, who is currently playing at Arizona State.

F -- Darshae Burnside (Cajon, San Bernardino) 6-3 Sr.
While teammate Clarendon dominated the perimeter and the area just outside the key, this 6-3 post was as dominant in the paint as any big girl in California over the past three seasons. After averaging 15.5 points and 16.1 rebounds last year, Burnside turned in another solid season and complimented Clarendon by posting marks of 17.6 points and 16.2 rebounds per game as a senior. She leaves Cajon as the career rebounding and blocked shots leader with 2,228 and 570, respectively. Her 672 rebounds as a sophomore is already in the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Record Book and Almanac as the second-highest one-year total of all time, tied with legendary Cheryl Miller and behind another legend, Terri Mann. Both of her career totals in rebounds and blocks will find a place in the next edition. In rebounds she is now No. 3 all-time career behind Courtney Paris and Mann.

G -- Layshia Clarendon (Cajon, San Bernardino) 5-9 Sr.
After being named the CalHiSports.com State Junior of the Year last season, the Cal-bound guard never missed a beat. She dominated over the summer and then picked up right where she left off last season with slightly higher numbers this campaign, except in scoring where she was down a fraction. Rarely coming out of games unless it was a blowout, the linchpin of the 32-3 Cowgirls, dominated every game, including the three losses. Her season scoring totals were 714 points for a 20.4 PPG average. For a combo guard, Clarendon also averaged an incredible 8.2 rebounds per game. In addition she had 8.0 assists and 3.6 steals per contest. This year's Ms. Basketball State Girls Player of the Year finishes her career at Cajon as the all time scoring and assists leader with 2,875 points and 944 assists, both marks that will get her additional spots in the next edition of the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com State Record Book and Almanac. Her 889 points as a sophomore already is listed in the most recent edition just released.

G -- Jonae Ervin (Brea Olinda, Brea) 5-3 Sr.
Known more as a ball-handler and lockdown defender, this Cal Poly San Luis Obispo-bound mini mite stepped up her game this season in whatever dimension LadyCat Coach Jeff Sink asked of her. Also, Ervin was without question that fastest player in the state up and down the court, and her speed and endurance were determining factors down the stretch of many close games. Her numbers, 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game, look rather ordinary, however on one of the nation's top teams that has four girls in double-figure scoring, they're very solid. She also drew the toughest defensive assignments, many times against girls eight or more inches taller. Ervin, who also carries a 3.8 GPA, had a high water scoring mark on the road against state-ranked Hanford. She dazzled the crowd with a 38-point, six-rebound, five-steal and four-assist performance in a 78-67 victory. She also defended the perimeter Hanford likes to control, with dominance and authority. Ervin also scored the last 14 points for Brea and had 18 overall when the team beat Mater Dei of Santa Ana to hand the Monarchs their first and only loss of the season.

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Jordan of L.A. wideout has top SPARQ Rating and looks ready for banner 2009 football season. Others who shined from Stockdale, A.B. Miller, Walnut, Etiwanda and Norco.

By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor

Nearly 800 athletes from California and the West converged on South Los Angeles on Saturday to show their football-related skills at the 11th Nike Combine of 2009 at L. A. Southwest College.

California is known for diverse talent at every position and there were some excellent scores in the four different testing protocols that make up the SPARQ Rating. In fact, four players posted SPARQ Ratings higher than one-hundred (100.0).        

Leading the way with the day's top SPARQ Rating of 108.3 was De'Shawn Beck from nearby Jordan of Los Angeles. The Bulldogs' top players have been staples at ESPN RISE produced combines and camps in recent years, as head coach Elijah Asante has turned Jordan's fortunes around after two decades of futility. In fact, Jordan made school history by hosting and winning its first-ever L.A. City Section upper division playoff game last season and Beck played a major role.        

On Saturday, he showed why he's ready to keep the Bulldogs a threat in the L.A. City Section despite the graduation of all-state quarterback James Boyd, who led the state in passing and will play defensive end at USC. Beck, a four-year standout for the Bulldogs, ripped off a 4.49 in the 40, the second fastest time of the afternoon, and a 37.1 inch vertical jump, also the second best mark. He also recorded an excellent 4.11 shuttle run and a 36.5 kneeling Power Ball Toss.

The diminutive but speedy Beck knows he has to step up his game, not to mention his leadership role, next season without Boyd. He may even spend quite a bit of time under center, even though he's a major prospect as a slot receiver on the next level.        

"I just have to, I got to step up with James gone," remarked Beck, who earned second team all-state underclass honors in 2008 after catching 72 balls for 1,141 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns. "I have a lot of goals this season and I think we can accomplish a lot. Last year just made us more hungry, we let that playoff game (against Crenshaw) slip through our fingernails."    

"As far as recruiting goes, I don't have any offers, but I'm getting looks from Cal, Florida, Nebraska, USC, and Arizona State. I'm open right now and don't have a favorite."  

While Beck lives just minutes from L.A. Southwest College, the athlete with the second best SPARQ Rating drove over two hours to compete and test.  Malik Henderson, a running back from Stockdale High of Bakersfield, recorded a 104.07 SPARQ Rating that included a 4.27 shuttle run, a 34.9 inch vertical jump, a 4.72 40-yard dash and a 40.0 kneeling Power Ball Toss, one of the best marks of the day in that testing protocol.    

The compact, 5-foot-8, 185-pounder remarked that he felt pretty good with his marks despite the long drive, although he was a disappointed with his 40 time. With Henderson's work ethic and attitude, there is little doubt he can improve his speed.

"Wherever I have to go (travel) to get to the next level, that's what I'll do," said Henderson, who lists San Diego State as his college favorite with Oregon, Stanford and Northern Arizona also of interest to him.       

Two other running backs recorded SPARQ Ratings that cracked the century mark.

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Heading into this weekend's loaded Nike Faster to First tournament, produced by ESPN RISE, Sacramento team that started out 2009 season in No. 1 position in the  top 20 is still there. Norco is No. 2 after winning major Arizona tourney.

By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Contributing: Paul Muyskens

Note: We will eventually add more in-depth writeups as well as divisional state rankings in softball over the coming weeks; After games of Saturday, March 21; Preseason ranking in parentheses.

1.  (1)  Sheldon (Sacramento) 4-0
Part of the reason it's going to be though for the Huskies to remain undefeated is because of the difficult schedule they face right away as they opened up at Oak Ridge and had to rally for the win against a Trojans squad that has since won nine straight. Despite Jolene Henderson not allowing a hit, the Huskies found themselves trailing 2-1 entering their final at bat but took the lead on a Lindsey Ziegenhirt three-run home run for the win. Sheldon didn't have to long to enjoy its first win of the season as it then hosted preseason state No. 6 Freedom and the Falcons' talented hurler Hannah Williams in a marathon game. Henderson struck out 20 to match zeros with Williams before the Huskies earned a 1-0 win in 11 innings. Since then, they have easily defeated Franklin of Elk Grove and St. Francis of Sacramento by double digits.

2.  (3)  Norco 5-0
The Cougars opened the season in Arizona at the Bullhead City Tournament of Champions and returned back to California as undefeated champions after defeating Valencia 4-2 in the finals. Teagan Gerhart was named MVP of the 40-team, invitation only event. Norco outscored the opposition, which included Los Alamitos, Saugus, and Chino Hills, by a combined 22-3 margin as their pitching tossed three shutouts, led by Gerhart. This weekend, Gerhart and the Cougars will be in the field at the Nike Faster to First tournament in Huntington Beach. A Sheldon vs. Norco matchup is possible.

3.  (5)  Hart (Newhall) 9-0
Two wins over both Moorpark and Agoura plus another over Alemany has gotten the Indians out to a fast start. Their start could get even better this week as they are one of the favorites at the Nike Faster to First tournament in Huntington Beach.

4.  (4)  Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 3-0
All-American pitcher Keilani Ricketts didn't get quite as late a start on softball this year compared to last since Mitty didn't play for a CIF state basketball title. Still, the schedule was done so there weren't too many showdowns early in the season. The best rankings scenario for the Monarchs is for Sheldon to win the Faster to First tournament and then for them to be able to play Sheldon later on at the Livermore Stampede.

5.  (7)  Valencia 8-1
Despite having Ms. Softball State Player of the Year Jessica Spigner head off to Tennessee, the Vikings apparently are going to be just fine. They went to Bullhead City and made it to the finals where they lost by 4-2 to Norco. That loss also could be avenged this week at the Nike Faster to First tourney in Huntington Beach.

6.  (2)  Santiago (Corona) 4-1
The Sharks have dropped from their preseason No. 2 spot due to a loss to M.L. King of Riverside, but they didn't drop that far because they will have the opportunity to get over it in a hurry due to their strength of schedule and being in the same league as Norco.

7.  (9)  Simi Valley 4-0
The Pioneers could be another top team in the state in the Nike Faster to First tourney. Their early-season wins have come against Pacifica of Oxnard, Lompoc, La Reina of Thousand Oaks and Royal of Simi Valley.

8.  (10)  San Benito (Hollister) 6-0
Four-year standout Marissa Ibarra looks strong in the circle in the early going for the three-time defending CCS Div. I champions, who have posted two of their wins over Los Gatos.

9.  (6)  Freedom (Oakley) 2-1
This might even be too far of a drop for the Falcons after their 1-0 loss in extra-innings to Sheldon. We'll see, but they also have already played Foothill of Pleasanton and won by 9-0.

10. (12)  Ayala (Chino Hills) 6-1
Will it be another surprising showing this weekend for the Bulldogs at the Nike Faster to First tourney? After last year and after starting out 6-1, they may do just as well but it won't be as much of a surprise. And if you're counting, with Freedom in the field this weekend in Huntington Beach as well, that's seven of the first 10 ranked teams in the state that are in the Nike Faster to First bracket.

11. (13) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 4-0
Wait a minute, make that eight of the first 11 in the Nike Faster to First tourney. The Nighthawks, with twins Taylor and Tatum Edwards leading the way, are out to a 4-0 start.

12.  (17)  Presentation (San Jose) 14-0-1
Head coach Kevin Newman's squad has piled up a bunch of early wins and as expected looks like a serious challenger to No. 4 Mitty's reign in the West Catholic Athletic League.

13.  (nr)  Buchanan (Clovis) 8-0-1
The Bears have a big win over preseason state No. 8 Centennial of Bakersfield that lifts them up in the first regular season listings.

14.  (8)  Centennial (Bakersfield) 9-1-1
Other than the loss to Buchanan, the Golden Hawks have been very good. Key wins over Bullard of Fresno, Liberty of Bakersfield.

15.  (nr)  M.L. King (Riverside) 8-1
After losing the first game of the season to Hemet, the Wolves have caught a hot streak, including their win over preseason No. 2 Santiago.

16.  (nr)  Tesoro (Las Flores) 8-0
Yet another team from this school that is going to have a strong season is the softball squad. Tesoro makes the top 20 this week due to wins over Beckman and Edsion of Huntington Beach. Edison is 7-0 against the rest of its schedule.

17.  (nr)  Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga) 10-0
The Eagles have been a perennial power in recent years and in addition to being 10-0 another reason we like them is a win over preseason No. 20 Glendora.

18.  (nr)  Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 9-1
Last year's CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II champions have lost only to Sheldon in a game it led going into the seventh inning. One of the wins is against two-time defending Nevada champ Spanish Springs of Sparks.

19.  (nr)  Edison (Huntington Beach) 7-1
The Chargers have lost only to Tesoro and have wins against Camarillo, Long Beach Wilson and Marina of Huntington Beach, among others.

20.  (18)  Notre Dame (Salinas) 1-1
Not many games yet for the Spirits, but their loss was by just 3-2 to No. 12 Presentation.

Bubble: Canyon (Anaheim) 5-4, Chino 5-2, Foothill (Pleasanton) 3-1, Glendora 5-2, Torrey Pines (San Diego) 8-1.

For corrections or comments or to send in information about a team for the next installment of the state top 20, email mark@studentsports.com. Be sure to leave a comment as well so others can check out what you have to say about these rankings.

Although some teams have begun to play, we still wanted to post our preseason state rankings outlooks for baseball and softball. The Norco baseball and Sheldon of Sacramento softball teams lead the way.

By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Contributing: Paul Muyskens, Garland Cooper, Andrew Drennen

There were only a handful of seniors on the roster a year ago when the Norco High baseball team made it to the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Div. I playoffs. This is why the Cougars were tabbed No. 1 in the state for the 2009 preseason.

One of those back is Matt Hobgood, the CalHiSports.com State Junior Player of the Year. Hobgood went 10-0 on the mound with a 1.34 ERA and also hit .489 with 45 RBI. Wes Hatton is another ace pitcher to give the team a very strong 1-2 punch. He had a 1.66 ERA as a junior. Also back are honors candidates Jake Romanski, a catcher, and Jake Clark, who plays first base and pitches.

El Toro easily could have been in the preseason No. 1 position as well. The dilemma for the preseason order in California is whether to go with a team that was a semifinalist in the CIF Southern Section in Division I last year compared to one that was a champion in Division II.

Both Norco and El Toro have outstanding returning pitching and position players. In the case of the Chargers, their 1-2 combo is Chad Thompson (12-3, 1.28) and Tyler Ziegler (6-2, 2.14). Their top returnee at the plate is all-state underclass infielder Nolan Arenado, who batted .456 as a junior with 32 RBI.

The consensus is pretty clear in Northern California that the top team to start out should be Jesuit of Carmichael. The Marauders won the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title last year and are blessed with returning strength on the mound and at the plate. Andrew Susac is one of the top catchers in the state and has signed with Oregon State. He batted .466 as a junior and hit six homers. Outfielder Jimmy Bosco is back as well with a .505 average and is headed to the Pac-10 as well but to Cal. Three of the top four pitchers are also returning, led by Brock Simon (7-2, 1.97) and Martin Agosta (6-0, 1.16).

Here are the complete preseason state top 20 baseball rankings (listed with win-loss records from last year):

1. Norco 24-4
2. El Toro (Lake Forest) 26-9
3. Jesuit (Carmichael) 27-7
4. Simi Valley 25-8
5. Cathedral (San Diego) 27-8
6. Stockdale (Bakersfield) 31-3
7. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 24-7
8. Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 20-9
9. Poway 31-6
10. Yuba City 29-3
11. Chatsworth 29-5
12. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 24-11
13. Bishop Amat (La Puente) 27-4
14. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 27-4
15. De La Salle (Concord) 17-9
16. Clovis West (Fresno) 23-8
17. Valley Christian (San Jose) 30-6
18. Northview (Covina) 26-4
19. Oakdale 25-3
20. Los Alamitos 26-4

Bubble: Yucaipa 20-9, Serra (San Mateo) 26-7, Mt. Whitney (Visalia) 27-8, Royal (Simi Valley) 19-9, St. Mary's (Stockton) 21-12.

Softball Preseason Rankings

It's Sheldon of Sacramento, then the 1-2 Inland Empire punch of Corona Santiago and Norco that starts out the 2009 California prep softball season.

Coming off a 2008 campaign in which the team won its second straight CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title and ended No. 4 in the final FAB 50 national rankings, head coach Mary Jo Truesdale at Sheldon is loaded again with the return of not only one of the best pitchers in the nation, Jolene Henderson, but also one of the best catchers, Lindsey Ziegenhirt.

Henderson, the CalHiSports.com State Junior of the Year and an EA SPORTS All-American, compiled a 30-1 mark in the circle with 22 shutouts, a 0.41 ERA and whiffed 326 batters. She also hit .400 with 31 RBI. Ziegenhirt, also first-team all-state, batted .446 with six homers and 47 RBI.

Henderson and Ziegenhirt, who are both headed to Cal, and many others from the Sheldon team also proved their strength on the field during the summer as they sparked their travel team to the Under-16 national championship. One of the team's other top players is sophomore third baseman Danielle Henderson, who is Jolene's younger sister.

In Southern California, Santiago of Corona and Norco both have four-year star pitchers so it was hard to look elsewhere for the region's preseason top rankings.

The Sharks have just a touch more returning strength than their arch-rivals from nearby Norco so they start out just one spot higher in the rankings. Head coach John Perez's team features four-year pitching standout Kamerin May, who as a freshman was in the circle when Santiago won the prestigious CIF Southern Section Div. I title. May struck out 311 batters last year with a 0.73 ERA and also hit .400 with six homers. She's joined by twin sister Kristin, who plays third base and catches and hit .350 as a junior. Both May sisters are headed to San Diego State.

While Santiago features the May twins, the Cougars have the Gerhart triplets. Teagan Gerhart is the most prominent of the sisters – at least from a softball standpoint – as she comes back as the Riverside County Player of the Year. She's one of the top pitchers in the nation and also hit .376 last year with 19 RBI. Along with sisters Whitley and Kelsey, Norco fans also are happy with the return of honors candidate Nicole Sappingfield in the outfield.

Here are the complete preseason state top 20 softball rankings (listed with win-loss records from last year):

1. Sheldon (Sacramento) 32-2
2. Santiago (Corona) 26-4
3. Norco 29-6
4. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 23-3-1
5. Hart (Newhall) 24-5
6. Freedom (Oakley) 26-2
7. Valencia 29-5
8. Centennial (Bakersfield) 28-5-1
9. Simi Valley 29-1
10. San Benito (Hollister) 28-4
11. Canyon (Anaheim) 22-8
12. Ayala (Chino Hills) 21-11-1
13. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 23-7
14. Granite Hills (El Cajon) 24-7-1
15. Fairfield 24-7
16. Esperanza (Anaheim) 22-7-1
17. Presentation (San Jose) 26-6
18. Notre Dame (Salinas) 30-5
19. Rosary (Fullerton) 21-10
20. Glendora 19-10

Bubble: Foothill (Pleasanton) 20-8, La Serna (Whittier) 27-4, Lodi 20-10, Madera 31-4-1, Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 24-6-1.

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say.