(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. 1-3; 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 )

Alex Abalos (Estancia, Costa Mesa): Once again Abalos was unstoppable, as he rushed for 325 yards on 18 carries, scoring on runs of 7, 8 and 62 yards in a 56-7 win over La Quinta of Westminster.
 
Zach Adkins & Chris Moberg (Ramona, Riverside): Adkins passed for 293 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-31 loss to La Sierra of Riverside, hitting Moberg (9 receptions, 176 yards) for all of the scores.

Jerry Alvarez & Fernando Olivares (Watsonville): Senior signal caller Alvarez fell just short of 500 total yards in the game and one TD pass short of a spot in the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Record Book & Almanac in a barn-burning 60-51 road victory at Felton San Lorenzo Valley. He completed 22-of-31 passes for 403 yards with seven TD passes. He also ran for 90 yards. The CCS' reported passing leader now has 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns for the 3-1 Wildcats. Olivares, the recipient of a majority of the yardage and scoring passes from his mate, did make the record book. He pulled in 11 passes for 318 yards and six touchdowns. The 318 yards receiving is No. 11 all time and the six TDs ties him with six others for third most all time in state history.

George Atkinson Jr. (Granada, Livermore): The CIF state 200-meter fourth-place finisher and son of the former Raiders' defensive back by the same name got a different 200 in this game, rushing for an even 200 yards on 11 carries with three TDs on runs of 66, 80 and 20 yards in a 35-28 upset over previously state-ranked Pleasanton Foothill. He also added a 95-yard kickoff return for a fourth trip to pay dirt.

Juan Avalos (Caruthers): He spent a good portion of last Friday night running into the end zone for the Blue Raiders, as he rushed for 181 yards and four scores while also intercepting a pass for a touchdown in a 41-26 victory over Firebaugh.

Manny Ayon (Roosevelt, Los Angeles): All-City receiver moved under center and responded with another spectacular outing in the Roughriders' 35-7 victory over Huntington Park. In the Roughriders' Wildcat offense, Ayon hit pay dirt four times on the ground and threw a touchdown pass to Elgin Rosales as Roosevelt improved to 4-1. Ayon completed six of seven passes for 77 yards and finished with 147 yards rushing on 11 carries.   (Read full post)

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Note: Today we continue our look at the top players from within the CIF Southern Section This team includes players from the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valley regions of Los Angeles County. Some players from schools in the southwest portion of Ventura County are also eligible for this team, but does not include schools in the cities of Oxnard or Ventura. Players from the high desert communities off Highway 14 also also included on this team. Next up within the CIF Southern Section is the vast Inland Empire region. 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

Offense

WR -- Zach Tartabull (Valencia) 6-0, 185 Sr.
A repeat selection, Tartabull followed up a 40-catch sophomore season by hauling in 51 receptions for 1,118 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. This returning all-CIFSS Northern Division choice can also play in the defensive secondary and came up with 34 tackles and two interceptions last season. The son of former MLB outfielder Danny Tartabull, Zach is also a track standout by his prefers the gridiron over the diamond.

WR -- Blake Stanton (Crespi, Encino) 6-1, 190 Sr.
Stanton replaces Kevin Cummings as the Celts' wideout on this team. Actually, Stanton made this team last year as a multi-purpose selection, but he's a better fit at receiver this time around. As a junior, Stanton hauled in 45 receptions for 659 yards and scored twice. He also added 24 tackles in the defensive secondary and this year he hopes to find day dirt more often for a team that figures to bounce back from a poor ending to its 2008 season. Stanton is a fine athlete who also excels on the basketball court.

TE -- Christian Thomas (Highland, Palmdale) 6-4, 240 Sr.
Not only the top tight end in this region, but one of the best in the Western United States, period. As a junior, Thomas hauled in 30 plus catches for the second consecutive season, finishing with 32 receptions for a stellar 688 yards and eight touchdowns. The all-CIFSS Western Division choice can also play defensive end and finished his junior season with 26 tackles and a sack. The returning first team all-state underclass choice has also been offered by a plethora of Pac-10 and SEC schools, including USC and LSU.   

OT -- Ben Gottschalk (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks) 6-4, 260 Sr.
One of the state's most highly-honored returning players is this lineman off one of the top-ranked teams in California. As a junior, Gottschalk earned all-CIFSS Pac-Five Division honors, first team all-state underclass honors and was named the Serra League Lineman of the Year. He's been offered by UNLV and New Mexico State and looked impressive in the Golden Knights' season-opening victory in Texas on Labor Day Monday.(Read full post)

A team with arguably the top returning quarterback in the state tops the quartet of schools we have put in the spotlight for today. Read below for more on Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Foothill of Palo Cedro, Acalanes of Lafayette and San Pedro. We're not even halfway done for this feature so check back every day to see which schools are written up.

Note: A coach or representative of the school should email or fax in a questionnaire in order for that school's team to be included in this feature. You can CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire or make a photo copy of the one printed in the back of the seventh edition of the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Record Book and Almanac we sent to schools last March. If you can't print a questionnaire, review the categories below and simply fill in the blanks. We will add our own comments and analysis. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

Team Name: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks)
Head Coach: Kevin Rooney (249-89-5 overall record)
Last Year's Records: 11-1, 5-5 for J.V.
Returning Starters: 10 (6 offense, 4 defense)
Players Most Deserving of Preseason Honors: QB Ryan Kasdorf (State Junior Player of the Year), OL/DL Ben Gottschalk (All-CIFSS), RB/DB Kenny Boggs (All-CIFSS).
Newcomers Who Could Make An Impact: None Listed
Coach's General Outlook: We have holes to fill at wide receiver, linebacker, and defensive back but we should be really strong on offense with the offensive line creating plenty of holes and allowing plenty of time for Kasdorf to throw the ball.
Other Teams To Watch From The Area (listed by coach): Lakewood, Crespi (Encino), Loyola (Los Angeles), Orange Lutheran
All-league level players with GPAs above 3.50: QB Ryan Kasdorf, RB-LB Wayne Swinson, WR-DB Bryan Ruballo
CalHiSports.com Comments: The Knights should be one of the state's top-ranked teams in the preseason. They might have been a contender for preseason No. 1 but probably needed to go further than the second-round of the playoffs. Kasdorf is coming off a sensational junior season in which he passed for 3,291 yards and 36 TDs and also ran for 628 more yards and six more scores. Boggs also should be a dangerous threat after running for more than 1,000 yards. Those holes at wide receiver look to be the biggest questionmark plus Notre Dame is going to run into some very strong teams in its own league with Loyola and Crespi looking more than capable of beating them. Yes, we know how bad the Knights beat Loyola last year, but such a result is likely not to happen again.

(Read full post)

Only one player in the past two decades, current Denver Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams, has won Mr. Football State Player of the Year honors after winning state junior player of the year honors the season before. Read below for some of the reasons the state's best underclass players over the last twenty years haven't been able to avoid the Cal-Hi Sports Junior Jinx. Can last year's winner, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame quarterback Ryan Kasdorf, buck the trend?

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Note: CalHiSports.com will kick off its preseason football coverage for the 2009 season beginning on July 6. We'll first review the past quarter century of prep football in the Golden State with a detailed look at each season dating back to 1985. We'll then move on to our team previews -- coaches can email ronnie@studentsports.com or call (800) 660-1334 Ext. 4414 for details on how to get your team included -- release our various preseason all-section teams and finally our preseason state rankings for 2009. It's the kind of prep football coverage you just can't kind anywhere else of the Internet.

Following the 2007 season, quarterback Matt Barkley from Mater Dei High School of Santa Ana was not only named the Gatorade National Player of the Year, he was also named the Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year. He was the first non-senior ever to win either prestigious award.

While the media attention bestowed on Barkley following a junior campaign that saw him throw for 3,560 yards and 35 touchdowns in only 11 games was a bit over the top, he definitely deserved state junior player of the year honors from CalHiSports.com. But, if you follow California prep football as close as we do, it would have been hard to make an argument he was the best player in the state two seasons ago. Perhaps if the Monarchs had won the CIF Southern Section Pac-Five title, he could have been the choice. Still it would be hard to convince a die-hard California football fan or a prep sportswriter that Barkley was more important to his team that season anymore than Corona Centennial's Ryan Bass, Napa's John Boyett or eventual Mr. Football Milton Knox of Van Nuys Birmingham.

Going into Barkley's senior season in 2008, Mater Dei had to replace a talented group of receivers and its offensive line wasn't nearly as strong. Despite Barkley's obvious talents, he struggled throwing the ball to his new crop of receivers, partly because he had less time to throw and partly because he pressed to make the spectacular happen on many of his passes. The result was a 23-touchdown, 18-interception campaign that again came to an end in the CIFSS Pac-Five quarterfinals. Barkley was not chosen for the all-state team and wasn't an all-Orange County selection, either.

Barkley, for various reasons, was the latest victim of the Cal-Hi Sports Junior Jinx. Since 1999, every player named state junior player of the year has not been selected Mr. Football the next year. In fact, only one player in the last 20 seasons has won he coveted award and we think that particular player, De La Salle of Concord running back-linebacker D.J. Williams, is the best all-around player in the state since the dawn of the Internet. In fact, Williams was class player of the year in each of his three seasons at De La Salle between 1997 and 1999. Even as an underclassman, Williams showed signs of becoming what he is today: a starting linebacker for the NFL's Denver Broncos.(Read full post)

Sixty juniors and 30 sophomores have been selected to these elite squads. This is the first of four separate posts over the next few days honoring top California players from the 2008 season.

	Scott Kurtz
	Gardena Serra's Robert Woods is one of California's best regardless of class.

Notes: Panelists who contributed to these team selections included Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores, Greg Biggins, Brian Stumpf.

Previously announced players of the year were QB Ryan Kasdorf for juniors and RB DeAnthony Thomas for sophomores.
There were no sophomores selected this year to be among the top juniors.

We realize that many outstanding young players, especially the sophomores, have yet to emerge.

These honors are much more based on accomplishments at the high school varsity level so far and should not be confused with a recruiting list.

This is the 30th year of the CalHiSports.com all-state football teams and we have been doing all-state underclass for most of that time as well.

First Team Offense (All Juniors)

WR – Robert Woods (Serra, Gardena) 6-1, 180
TE – Christian Thomas (Highland, Palmdale) 6-4, 240
OL – Alex Crosthwaite (Cathedral Catholic, S. D.) 6-5, 290
OL – Ben Gottschalk (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks) 6-4, 260
OL – Hronis Gronsu (Crespi, Encino) 6-3, 250
OL – Matt Jacubiec (Servite, Anaheim) 6-6, 275
OL – Eric Kohler (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) 6-5, 280
QB – Ryan Kasdorf (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks) 6-2, 190
RB – Anthony Barr (Loyola, Los Angeles) 6-3, 210
RB – Devontae Butler (Grant, Sacramento) 5-11, 180
RB – Deontae Cooper (Citrus Hill, Perris) 5-11, 185
K – Alejandro Maldonado (Colton) 5-11, 185

First Team Defense (All Juniors)

DL – Cassius Marsh (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) 6-6, 270
DL – Ronald Powell (Rancho Verde, Moreno Valley) 6-4, 230
DL – Josh Shirley (Kaiser, Fontana) 6-2, 215
LB – Dylan Davis (St. Bonaventure, Ventura) 6-2, 220
LB – Tony Jefferson (Eastlake, Chula Vista) 6-0, 195
LB – Chris Martin (Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland) 6-4, 230
LB – Hayes Pullard (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 6-0, 210
DB – Dion Bailey (Lakewood) 6-1, 185
DB – Erick Dargan (Pittsburg) 5-11, 190
DB – Sean Parker (Narbonne, Harbor City) 6-0, 185
DB – Dietrich Riley (St. Francis, La Canada) 5-11, 190
P – Matt Darr (Frontier, Bakersfield) 6-2, 215

First Team Multi-Purpose (All Juniors)

Dillon Baxter (Mission Bay, San Diego) 6-0, 205, TE-WR-ATH
Josh Harper (St. Mary's, Stockton) 6-2, 185, WR-DB
Malcolm Jones (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) 6-0, 215, RB-LB
D.J. Morgan (Taft, Woodland Hills) 5-10, 175, RB-DB
Greg Morgan (Rancho Cucamonga) 6-2, 180, QB-RB
Kenny Stills (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad) 6-2, 175, WR-DB

Second Team Offense (All Juniors)

WR – De'Shawn Beck (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-8, 175
WR – Paul Richardson (Los Alamitos) 6-2, 175
TE – Randall Telfer (Rancho Cucamonga) 6-4, 215
OL – Aaron Jeglin (San Jacinto) 6-4, 280
OL – Lefi Letuligasenoa (Elk Grove) 6-2, 270
OL – Austin Lowe (Valley Christian, San Jose) 6-3, 245
OL – Eduardo Nevarez (Compton) 6-5, 340
OL – Wade Yandall (Carson) 6-4, 285
QB – Brett Nottingham (Monte Vista, Danville) 6-3, 190
RB – Ricky Seale (Escondido) 5-11, 180
RB – Anthony Wilkerson (Tustin) 5-11, 200
K – Donald Jorrin (San Pedro) 5-10, 165

Second Team Defense (All Juniors)

DL – McKenzie Falo (Carson) 6-2, 270
DL – Shane Pennix (Valhalla, El Cajon) 6-4, 255
DL – Eddie Plantaric (Del Campo, Fair Oaks) 6-4, 235
LB – Victor Burnett (Culver City) 6-1, 200
LB – Garrett Gilliland (Lutheran, Orange) 6-0, 205
LB – Jonathan McNeal (Venice) 6-3, 225
LB – Zac Stout (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) 6-2, 220
LB – Jordan Zumwalt (Edison, Huntington Beach) 6-4, 210
DB – Troy Hill (St. Bonaventure, Ventura) 5-10, 175
DB – Brett Thomas (Poway) 6-0, 185
DB – Brock Vereen (Valencia) 6-0, 180
P – Jeremy Stein (Carpinteria) 5-10, 215

Second Team Multi-Purpose (All Juniors)

Jemeryn Jenkins (Silverado, Victor Valley) 6-2, 190, QB-RB
James McConico (Compton) 6-0, 190, RB-WR
Deon Randall (Parker, San Diego) 5-9, 170, QB-DB
John Timu (Jordan, Long Beach) 6-2, 200, WR-QB-DB
Cecil Whiteside (Newport Harbor, Newport Beach) 6-2, 225, FB-LB
Dave Wilkerson (Monte Vista, Danville) 6-2, 235, FB-LB

All-State Sophomores

(30 players; not specific to offense, defense)

WR – Antoine Arnold (Chaparral, Temecula) 6-3, 175
WR – Victor Blackwell (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-1, 170
WR – DeMario Coleman (Oceanside) 6-0, 180
WR – Wallace Gonzalez (Glendora) 6-5, 210
WR – Logan Sweet (Santa Margarita, Rancho SM) 6-0, 170
TE – Ryan Ena (El Camino, Oceanside) 6-5, 240

OL – Faatele Faafoi (Tustin) 6-5, 300
OL – Nate Falo (Inderkum, Sacramento) 6-1, 255
C – Rudy Iniguez (Bellarmine, San Jose) 5-10, 245
OL – Antwoin Woods (Taft, Woodland Hills) 6-1, 275

QB – Evan Crower (St. Augustine, San Diego) 6-3, 180

RB – Jordan Perkins (Lodi) 5-10, 175
RB – DeAnthony Thomas (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 5-9, 170

PK – Jake Van Ginkel (Upland) 5-9, 160

DL – Mustafa Jalil (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) 6-4, 270
DL – Cody Kurz (St. Bonaventure, Ventura) 6-2, 225
DL – Viliami Moala (Grant, Sacramento) 6-3, 305
DL – Ian Seau (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad) 6-4, 230
DL – George Uko (Don Lugo, Chino) 6-3, 285
DL – Dylan Wynn (De La Salle, Concord) 6-1, 205

LB – Kris Bass (San Pedro) 5-10, 200
LB – Malique Micenheimer (McNair, Stockton) 5-11, 205
LB – Blake Renoud (De La Salle, Concord) 6-0, 205
LB – Micah Seau (Bishop's, La Jolla) 6-1, 205
LB – Denzale Stewart (Tustin) 6-0, 215

DB – Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (Chino Hills) 6-2, 175

TE-DE – Lavonte Barnett (Paraclete, Lancaster) 6-4, 205
RB-KR – Amir Carlisle (King's Academy, Sunnyvale) 5-10, 165
OL-DL – Courtland Drummond (Fountain Valley) 6-1, 225
WR-DB – George Farmer (Serra, Gardena) 6-2, 200

Special Mention: Freshman LB Patrick Wooten was named to All-L.A. City second team. If we chose a state freshman of the year, he was the one who probably would have gotten that honor.

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

Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks QB leads juniors, while top soph is from L.A. City Section. State honors for large schools and small schools also determined.

Congratulations to these four players who will later on join Mr. Football State Player of the Year Tyler Gaffney from Cathedral Catholic of San Diego by being selected to at least one of our 2008 All-State Football Teams. Writeups below by Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores, Harold Abend and Paul Muyskens.

2008 State Junior Player of the Year:
Ryan Kasdorf (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks)

Media hype like that which followed 2007 state junior player of the year Matt Barkley of Mater Dei probably won't be the same for Kasdorf next season, but the 6-3, 190-pounder put up numbers against CIF Southern Section Pac-Five Division competition that certainly were comparable, even superior.

	Ryan Kasdorf

Kasdorf, who replaced 2007 starter Dayne Crist (now at Notre Dame), made a quick impression for the Knights and after his fifth start already was the State Boys Athlete of the Week.

"He's very accurate even with the deep ball, with arm strength that's as good now as Dayne's was last year,” said Notre Dame head coach Kevin Rooney. "Plus, one of his best qualities is his decision making, where he is with the ball on the field. Ryan's one of those kids who just gets it."

If the Mr. Football State Player of the Year honor was based strictly on the regular season, Kasdorf probably would have been the top choice. Despite a quarterfinal CIFSS Pac-Five playoff loss to Lutheran of Orange, Kasdorf still ended with 3,291 yards passing with 36 touchdowns. He also rushed for 628 more yards and scored six times.

Kasdorf set a school record with 409 yards and four TDs in a 31-24 win against Servite of Anaheim and his single-season yardage mark was another school record.

With a 3.75 GPA, Kasdorf already has been named the Gatorade State Player of the Year. That is an honor based on academics and community service in addition to on-the-field performance.

Last year's state sophomore player of the year, Malcolm Jones from Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, also was strongly considered for this honor, along with super-talented wideout and defensive back Robert Woods from Serra of Gardena.

While Jones was the one who stood out most when Oaks Christian routed Serra in the CIFSS Northwest Division title game, it also was determined that he missed too much time due to injury from earlier in the season to top all that Kasdorf did for Notre Dame.

The last player from the San Fernando Valley to be named State Junior Player of the Year was Steve Smith from Taft of Woodland Hills for 2002. Smith is now playing for the New York Giants.

2008 State Sophomore Player of the Year:
DeAnthony Thomas (Crenshaw, Los Angeles)

In the first game we saw this season at Lakewood High School, the Cougars' faithful gave us a heads up to keep an eye out on the young running back they affectionately call "The Black Mamba."

Although the Cougars eventually lost that game, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound speedster they were referring to introduced himself to the California prep football world by taking a simple swing pass from fellow sophomore Marquis Thompson and turning into a 78-yard touchdown to give Crenshaw its last lead in the game. Thomas hit the corner, and accelerated past two defenders to the end zone.

	Scott Kurtz
	De'Anthony Thomas

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

Winner of annual honor with a tradition that extends back more than 100 years to be announced in early January.

Congratulations to the following 10 players who have been named as finalists for the annual Mr. Football State Player of the Year honor. The winner will be determined by the staff of CalHiSports.com after consultation with numerous media experts within their sections and cities from around the state.

Usua Amanam (Bellarmine Prep, San Jose)
Played running back, defensive back and returned kicks and led the Bells to Central Coast Section Open Division title. Amanam scored 36 times in five different ways, including an interception return. He rushed for 1,822 yards and 30 TDs, caught 14 passes for 213 yards and two more scores and returned three kicks for TDs. The Stanford-bound standout also had 63 tackles and four interceptions on defense.

James Boyd (Jordan, Los Angeles)
There hasn't been quite the combination of offensive and defensive abilities that Boyd possesses for many years. The 6-5, 225-pound senior led the Bulldogs into the L.A. City Section playoffs with a whopping 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns passing.  Boyd also rushed for nearly 600 yards and eight more scores. He's headed to USC, though, primarily to be a defensive end. Boyd had 104 tackles, including eight sacks, and had two fumble recoveries on that side of the ball. In one game against South Gate, he passed for 575 yards and eight TDs.

Vontaze Burfict (Centennial, Corona)
Regarded by many as the top high school linebacker in the nation, Burfict has been the most impressive player to appear in the three years of the CIF state bowl games. He had more than 150 tackles for the Huskies the last two seasons each and is the best linebacker we've seen in the state since D.J. Williams (Denver Broncos) was at De La Salle. In naming Burfict as a finalist, we also have to give credit to his offensive teammate, quarterback Taylor Martinez. He would rank as a finalist as well, but in this case we determined not to name two finalists from the same team.

Derek Carr (Bakersfield Christian)
Transfer from Texas and brother of NFL quarterback David Carr had a huge season for the Eagles. He led the team to a Central Section title and passed for 3,899 yards and 44 TDs. Carr completed 73.4 percent of his passes and only had seven interceptions. The Fresno State-bound athlete had two games in which he threw for six touchdowns down the stretch and in a 42-35 win over Arvin he had 544 yards.

Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego)
It was apparent from about midseason on that Gaffney was going to be a serious state player of the year contender and then he really cemented his status with a huge performance in the CIF state bowl game. In leading the Dons to a 37-34 win over St. Mary's of Stockton, Gaffney rushed for 329 yards and scored five TDs. He pushed his season totals to 2,872 yards but more significantly 56 TDs. That total is tied for fourth on the all-time state list. Gaffney, who is considering USC, Stanford and others, also played defense at times for the Dons.

Patrick Hall (St. Bonaventure, Ventura)
Hall's value to the two-time Division III state champion Seraphs was shown early on in their recent bowl game against Cardinal Newman. On defense, he swatted away a pass to force a punt. Then on offense, he broke loose for a 53-yard touchdown run. Hall, regarded as one of the top DBs in the nation and headed to USC, added more than 800 yards rushing on offense. His best game probably came against Crespi of Encino when he had 155 yards and two TDs on just five carries. When a young St. Bonaventure team needed a spark, Hall was the one who normally provided it and on both sides of the ball.

Ryan Kasdorf (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks)
Already named the Gatorade State Player of the Year, Kasdorf had a series of spectacular outings against top-notch competition before running into Orange Lutheran in the playoffs. Included in that stretch was a 409-yard, four-TD effort in a win against Servite of Anaheim. For the season, Kasdorf completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,291 yards and 36 TDs. He also rushed for 628 yards and six more scores.

Preston King (Tesoro, Las Flores)
While Matt Barkley of Mater Dei remains as one of the top-ranked QBs in the nation and finished with more than 9,000 career yards, there also is little doubt that King deserves to be the Orange County player of the year and a state player of the year finalist. King already has been named the Orange County Register defensive player of the year with nine interceptions, including three he brought back for TDs. On offense, the senior had 83 catches for 1,200 yards and 12 TDs. He also returned punts, including several for big yardage against Long Beach Poly in the CIFSS Pac-Five Division final.

Kipeli Koniseti (Grant, Sacramento)
The 6-3, 220-pound senior doesn't have the season totals of some other candidates, but none of them played the vaunted Long Beach Poly defense and came up with nearly 300 yards of offense. Koniseti also had to be removed in several games in which Grant was clearly ahead early in the first half. He passed for over 1,500 yards, rushed for more than 800 yards, played linebacker a little on defense usually with at least one crunching hit per game and also served as the team's PAT kicker. If there was a player you could call the heart and soul of the Pacers' CIF state championship team, it would be Koniseti.

Cody Vaz (St. Mary's, Stockton)
Oregon State-bound senior led the Rams to the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title and was scintillating in the CIF Div. II bowl game. Vaz passed for 3,908 yards and 32 TDs for the season, including a CIF bowl record of 336 yards with four TDs in loss to Cathedral Catholic.

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

Sherman Oaks squad falls, 24-14, to suffer first loss of the season. It's also a major result for teams trying to gain CIF Div. II state bowl game berth from Southern California. 

 By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor CalHiSports.com 

Santa Ana, Calif.-- The football team at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks had risen from uncertainty, having to replace an Elite 11 quarterback in the off-season, to a team that had climbed to No. 21 in the FAB 50 national ratings behind its red-hot junior quarterback, Ryan Kasdorf.

Kasdorf came into Friday night's CIF Southern Section Pac-5 quarterfinal contest at Santa Ana Stadium's Eddie West Field against Lutheran of Orange having thrown for 3,163 yards and 36 touchdowns. Against the Lancers' talented and physical defense, however, Notre Dame was held to 70 total yards in the second half while Kasdorf was kept out of the end zone through the air and finished the game with 134 yards passing, by far a season low.

With those final numbers, Notre Dame predictably lost its first game of the season as Lutheran recorded the 24-14 victory.

"The game came down to which team converted in clutch situations," said dejected Notre Dame head coach Kevin Rooney. "We prepared as well as we could, but they hurt us with the option (plays) all day and we were having trouble with pass protection."     

The Knights actually moved the ball fairly easy on their first drive with a nice mix of passes and runs by Kasdorf, but the drive slowed down when a backwards lateral to Chris McNeil was muffed for a loss of eight yards back to the Lutheran 28-yard line. Following a false start penalty, Notre Dame kicker Brandon Luis trotted on for a 50-yard field goal attempt, but his kick wasn't anywhere near the crossbar and Lutheran (10-2) took over from its own 20-yard line.
         
Both teams moved the chains in the first quarter and also came up with some big defensive stops and the game remained scoreless after 12 minutes. Notre Dame (11-1) got on the board first on a five-yard QB sweep by Kasdorf with 10:38 remaining in the first half. Arguably the state's hottest quarterback coming in helped himself with some nice moves in the open field, including a 18-yard run on the drive that kept the Lancers' defense off balance.

Orange Lutheran, which came into the game ranked No.13 overall in the state, answered with a QB keeper touchdown by junior Bobby Wheatley, who plunged over the top of the pile from a yard out with 6:02 left in the second quarter to cap an 80-yard drive. The drive was kept alive on a fourth down play inside Notre Dame's five-yard line on a two-yard rush by running back Kyle Dravis (10 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD) as the Lancers scored two plays later.

On its next drive, Rooney's club from Notre Dame showed why, for 11 weeks, it had been as impressive as any team in the state of California. Kasdorf threw a short shovel pass to a sweeping McNeill, who bolted up his own sideline for a gain of 47 yards. On the next play, junior running back Kenny Boggs (10 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD) scampered up the middle untouched for a 33-yard touchdown to give Notre Dame a 14-7 advantage. Notre Dame converted on its second 80-yard drive, but this one only took two plays.         

When Lutheran defeated Mater Dei of Santa Ana during Trinity League play, the Lancers converted five of six fourth-down attempts and again rolled the dice on Friday night in the first half. They converted two of three fourth downs, the final one on a fourth and one from the Notre Dame 36-yard line. The Lancers converted it with 3:30 left in the half, but had to settle for what appeared to be a 35-yard field goal. Notre Dame, however, was called for a personal foul penalty. With 16 seconds left in the half, Lutheran decided to take the three points off the board and take the ball half the distance to the goal. On the next play, Dravis scored up the middle on a nine-yard scamper to tie the game at 14.                         

"One of our guys hit their center," Rooney said was the explanation given to his coaching staff on the personal foul call. "Our guy said he rushed the gap and that's what we teach. I can't remember the last game I was involved in a game where that call is made. In fact, I've never had it called."

Regardless of that ill-timed penalty, the Knights lost the game because the more physical team made less mistakes and because their quarterback that came in averaging 288 yards passing per game only completed a paltry three  of eight passes for 27 yards after intermission.

Notre Dame had its opportunity to take the lead near the end of the third quarter, but Kasdorf was picked off at Lutheran's two-yard line by senior defensive back Gabe Lemon with just over three minutes remaining in the period. He was behind the intended receiver, but made up the stagger, took the ball out of the end zone and returned it 23 yards.

"We were in cover three (three deep zone) and I was trying to bait him," Lemon explained. "And that's when I hopped in front of the ball. They are a good team, Coach told us all week that we needed to pick it up defensively and that every guy had to do his eleventh (his assignment)."

Lutheran took control of the game and converted the turnover into a 33-yard field goal by junior Parker Flynn with 10:06 remaining in the fourth quarter. On the next drive, Lutheran forced a three and out after sophomore linebacker Lorenzo Devers batted down a Kasdorf pass attempt on third down.  

Orange Lutheran took over on offense with 9:07 remaining and scored the game-clinching points with 5:46 to go on a seven-yard touchdown run by senior back Donyne Fields. When Notre Dame got the ball back, the Lancers defense came up with another huge stop on fourth down, as senior defensive end Aaron Prindle struck a scrambling Kasdorf, losing his helmet in the process, and prevented any forward progress by the Notre Dame quarterback on the fourth down and one-yard to go play that basically sealed the win.
    
Kasdorf got his 134 yards passing on eight of 19 attempts. He added 67 yards rushing and the one touchdown on the ground in 11 carries. Kasdorf finished with single-season school records of 3,297 yards passing and 36 touchdowns as the Knights finished their season 11-1.
 
Wheatley only passed for a single yard less than his counterpart on 11 of 18 attempts. He added 53 yards and one score on the ground on 15 attempts. Lutheran, which came into the contest No. 13 in the latest CalHiSports.com overall top 25 rankings, out gained Notre Dame in total yardage, 449-312. Notre Dame came into the contest No. 3 in the state and the top-ranked club in the Div. II South CIF Bowl Game Ratings, two spots ahead of the Lancers and one ahead of Cathedral Catholic of San Diego.

"I thought the biggest play defensively was Gabe Lemon's interception," remarked Orange Lutheran coach Jim Kunau. "That play gave us the momentum. The credit goes to our players. They turned in a tremendous performance."  

Lutheran will return to Santa Ana Stadium next weekend to take on undefeated Tesoro of Las Flores (which held on to defeat Mater Dei of Santa Ana in another quarterfinal contest Friday night) in an all-Orange County Pac-5 semifinal.

More Key Scores From Friday

Valley Christian (San Jose) 23, Oak Grove (San Jose) 20
The Warriors knocked off the defending CCS open division champions and ended their win streak at 22 games. This result is good news for Grant of Sacramento since it moves the Pacers squarely into the No. 2 spot behind De La Salle of Concord in the Northern California Div. I bowl game rankings. Grant won on Friday, 49-14, over Woodcreek of Roseville.

Centennial (Corona) 41, Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 14
The state's No. 2 ranked team overall and close to the top 10 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national rankings took out the Broncos in a CIF Southern Section Inland Division playoff game.

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

This isn't an announcement of finalists and there's still plenty of games left to play, but here's who looks strong right now.

By Mark Tennis & Ronnie Flores

(Listed in alphabetical order;Includes results from Friday night, Oct. 31; The CalHiSports.com Mr. Football Player of the Year honor has selections that date back to 1890, thanks to research by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis.)

Matt Barkley (Mater Dei, Santa Ana)
The state junior player of the year and Gatorade national choice in 2007, Barkley doesn't have as much offensive talent and a weaker line protecting him and it shows in the amount of interceptions he's thrown (11 so far). Don't look now, but Mater Dei is currently in first place in the tough Trinity League and Barkley is still a viable candidate. He sometimes tries to do too much, which leads to poor throws, but Barkley can still put up points on any defense when he's on. On Friday, he passed for 228 yards and two touchdowns in a 57-28 victory over Santa Margarita. For the season, he now has passed for 2,149 yards and 20 TDs and for his career has gone over the 8,700-yard mark (8,712).

Vontaze Burfict (Centennial, Corona)
One of nation's top linebackers, some say he's the best but Centennial's offense is so good it could hurt Burfict's chances. His team has played some quality competition, but they're usually so far ahead that Burfict hasn't had that signature game or play to get people talking about how great a high school player he is. We know how great of a college prospect he is, but the last true defensive player to win our Mr. Football award was DT Travis Kirschke of Anaheim Esperanza in 1992 and he did have that signature game in the Southern Section playoffs when the Aztecs shut down 2,000-yard rusher and electrifying talent Saladin McCullough of Pasadena Muir to the tune of -1 yard.

Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego)
He could actually be a leading contender for this honor right now. He's 6-1, 215 pounds and deciding between Stanford, Notre Dame and USC to be a running back. He has led Cathedral Catholic to an 8-0 record and there's a good chance the Dons will finish unbeaten partly because they are in a playoff division in which they won't play Oceanside. After running for 210 yards on just 12 carries on Friday night in an easy 62-6 win over Patrick Henry of San Diego, Gaffney already has 1,507 yards rushing plus 20 catches for 275 more yards and he has scored 30 touchdowns. Gaffney could be in line for final totals of 2,500 yards rushing and 45 TDs.

Jamie Jensen (Gilroy)
The 6-3, 215-pound senior broke through last year with more than 4,000 yards passing for a squad that played in the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division final. Jensen's totals so far this year have been down from last year, but on Friday night he had a huge game to lead the Mustangs past Palma of Salinas, 34-28. It was a game the locals in Monterey County had been waiting for all season and in it Jensen shined by completing 28 of 38 passes for 415 yards and three TDs. He pushed his season totals to 2,203 yards and 23 TDs and Gilroy improved to 8-0. The Mustangs aren't considered a favorite for the CCS open crown with the likes of Oak Grove (defending champ) and others, but if they do win it and Jensen is the one leading the way, then he'll be a major contender for the highest postseason honors. An unbeaten Gilroy team on the board at the CIF state bowl game selection meeting also might be enough to get Jensen a final game at the Home Depot Center.

Malcolm Jones (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village)
He was the state sophomore and freshman player of the year and is in good shape to be state junior of the year this season. A few things are going to have to go his way, however, in order for him to win the state's most prestigious individual honor. Oaks Christian doesn't play the toughest of schedules and Jones rarely plays in the second half of games. Another factor that hurts him is a junior hasn't won Mr. Football honors since 1967, when Calvin Jones of San Francisco Balboa took home top honors before moving on to UCLA. On Halloween, Jones scored five first half touchdowns as the Lions routed Oak Park of Agoura Hills, 54-0. For the season Jones how has 19 TDs  and is averaging over 10 yards per carry (1,096 yards/109 carries). This upcoming week his candidacy could take a huge step when Oaks Christian takes on Santa Clara of Oxnard in a regionally televised game where he'll be matched up against Cierre Wood, a Notre Dame recruit that also could catapult himself into the Mr. Football conversation with a big game.

Ryan Kasdorf (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks)
No player has emerged more since the beginning of the season than this junior signal-caller. Veteran coach Kevin Rooney has always executed a run-first offense but he's smartly adjusted to take a advantage of his personnel on hand. His candidacy got a major boost on Friday night in a showdown against Serra League rival Crespi of Encino as he completed 22 0f 28 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-17 victory over the Celts. Both teams are CIFSS Pac-Five title contenders, but Notre Dame is now 8-0 and Kasdorf has already passed for 2,406 yards and tied the school record of 26 touchdowns. The yardage mark broke the school record of Elite 11 QB Dayne Crist, now at the University of Notre Dame and Kasdorf will probably play in at least four more games, depending on how well the Golden Knights perform in the postseason.

Cameron Loeffler (Exeter)
You have to put Loeffler into the mix just from a statistical standpoint alone. On Friday night, he tallied five more touchdowns in a 42-14 win by Exeter over Coalinga and upped his reported state-leading total to 34 for the season. Loeffler also is among the state leaders in rushing with 1,947 yards, including the 202 he had against the Horned Toads. A 6-1, 195-pounder, Loeffler also plays linebacker on defense. He had an interception vs. Coalinga and tends to make plays on both sides of the ball.

Keith Price (St. John Bosco, Bellflower)
He might just be the most electrifying talent of this group and there is no doubt his team needs him to perform at a high-level each game in order to compete against the teams they face on a weekly basis. Against tough competition he has passed for 1,856 yards and 21 TDs, including 290 yards and three touchdowns on Halloween in a 33-6 victory over JSerra of San Juan Capistrano. Like Reggie Jackson when he hit a home run or struck out, Price can excite a crowd whether he's passing 50 yards downfield on a broken play or dodging defenders just to get back to the line of scrimmage. Two big Trinity League games against Servite of Anaheim and Mater Dei to close out the regular season will be key to his candidacy.

Cierre Wood (Santa Clara, Oxnard)
The 6-1, 210-pounder with sprinter speed was the state sophomore player of the year two years ago (picked ahead of Matt Barkley) and was a strong contender behind Barkley for top junior honors a year ago. Wood has committed to Notre Dame and is ranked by many as one of the top running back prospects in the nation. As a junior, he had 2,612 yards rushing and scored 34 TDs. So far this year, he has 122 carries for 1,522 yards and 20 scores. This Friday, Wood's unbeaten team plays Malcolm Jones and unbeaten Oaks Christian. As that game goes on, keep in mind that Jones has a lot more talent around him.

Jordan Wynn (Oceanside)
He doesn't have the passing stats of the others, but he is certainly on the watch list because he potentially could end his career with back-to-back CIF Div. II state titles. The Colorado-bound Wynn has passed for 2,051 yards and 18 TDs so far this season. In limited action in Friday's easy 62-6 win over Orange Glen of Escondido, Wynn completed 9 of 10 passes for 170 yards and three TDs.

Others: Usua Amanam (Bellarmine, San Jose) RB-DB, Richard Brehaut (Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga) QB, Patrick Hall (St. Bonaventure, Ventura) RB-DB, Cameron Marshall RB-LB (Valley Christian, San Jose).

Comments or corrections? Email mark@studentsports.com and feel free to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say. 

Latest Sherman Oaks Notre Dame QB has been red-hot in his last two games.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Note: Remember, we are looking for those student-athletes who had a standout performance in their sport from the previous week, but we also are looking for a balance between athletic achievement, academic work in the classroom, community service or overcoming adversity. Send nominations to mark@studentsports.com.

Ryan Kasdorf lives in the Santa Clarita Valley but goes to school and plays football in a place people in Los Angeles and many points elsewhere call "the valley" a.k.a. the San Fernando Valley.

The third junior we've honored as the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Boys State Athlete of the Week so far this fall, Kasdorf is less than half way through his first year as a starter but already he's being compared to the quarterback he replaced, Dayne Crist, now at a different Notre Dame, the one in South Bend.

	Ryan Kasdorf