ESPNHS California: California high school football
Mark Tennis/ESPNHSMisi Taifane from Grant of Sacramento was MVP of defensive line at the 2012 Northern California Nike camp.Click here for recap of Sunday's NFTC by ESPN Recruiting Nation's Mitch Sherman.
Click here for recap of Saturday's combine by ESPNHS and Cal-Hi Sports' Mark Tennis.
Click here for recap of Friday's Elite 11 regional by ESPN Recruiting Nation's Mitch Sherman.
Danny Moloshok/ESPNHSChris Santini of San Jose Leland stretches out during play at the 2011 Northern California Nike camp.1. Why does the Elite 11 tryout, Nike SPARQ Combine and Nike Football Training Camp held in the Bay Area each season seem to be superior to the same events in Southern California?
There’s an obvious answer here and that is simply that the NorCal events are later in the year and therefore gives athletes more time to train for them. There are, after all, many SoCal kids who come up north each year while not as many NorCal kids go down south.
Saluting state’s winningest baseball coaches
April, 14, 2012
Apr 14
11:27
PM ET
By Mark Tennis | ESPN.com
With one coach knocking on the door of his 800th win, another close to 600, we thought it was a good time to update the Cal-Hi Sports state record book category for career coaching wins.
As compilers of the state’s only high school record book, it’s common for us to receive many questions each year when coaches achieve milestone victories.
We didn’t really have the exact answers earlier this season when two longtime outstanding coaches in their communities – Jeff Stout of Yucaipa and Jack Thomson from Sierra of Manteca – won their 700th and 500th games, respectively.
Now, with the legendary Sam Blalock of San Diego’s Rancho Bernardo High soon to become only the third coach in state history to reach 800 career victories and with Fresno High’s Ken Papi about to hit 600, here is an updated look (through reported games of Friday, April 13) at the all-time coaching list for most wins in a baseball career:
As compilers of the state’s only high school record book, it’s common for us to receive many questions each year when coaches achieve milestone victories.
We didn’t really have the exact answers earlier this season when two longtime outstanding coaches in their communities – Jeff Stout of Yucaipa and Jack Thomson from Sierra of Manteca – won their 700th and 500th games, respectively.
Now, with the legendary Sam Blalock of San Diego’s Rancho Bernardo High soon to become only the third coach in state history to reach 800 career victories and with Fresno High’s Ken Papi about to hit 600, here is an updated look (through reported games of Friday, April 13) at the all-time coaching list for most wins in a baseball career:
Cal-Hi Sports 2012 All-State Grid-Hoop Team
March, 10, 2012
Mar 10
2:44
PM ET
By Ronnie Flores & Mark Tennis | ESPN.com
Tulare H.S./ESPNHSStallworth's hoop resume includes 49-point game this season. William Stallworth of Tulare makes history for being named State Grid-Hoop Player of the Year for the second straight year. We also choose four others on first team, five on second team, five on third team and 40 for special mention.
There's something special about grid-hoop athletes since few sports demand more all-around athleticism than football and basketball. It is tough to perform at a high level in one sport at a large school, let alone two, but the following athletes did it at California schools during the 2011-12 school year.
There has been a major decrease in the sheer amount of grid-hoop standouts across the state since our initial all-state teams were chosen for the 1986-87 school year, but there were still plenty of talented football-basketball combo players to choose from.
Leading the way for the second consecutive year is senior guard/wide receiver William Stallworth of Tulare Union, the 2011-12 ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports Grid-Hoop Player of the Year. Last year, Stallworth became only the second CIF Central Section athlete to earn the honor since 1979-80, joining 2005-06 honoree David Ausberry of Lemoore.
Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content
The Golden State leads all others with 13 players on the roster of either the Patriots or Giants, led of course by two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady. Go through these stories on Signing Day on Wednesday and remember the amazing paths many of these players took to get to the NFL, often without a Division I scholarship.
Florida comes close with 11, but it’s another year in which more players in the Super Bowl are from California high schools than anywhere else.
California doesn’t always win this battle (like in baseball’s World Series), but is almost always in the top three.
Here is a closer look at the 13 players listed on the active roster of either the New England Patriots or New York Giants who are from California:
WR Ramses Barden (Flintridge Prep, La Canada)
The back-up for the Giants played 8-man football in high school and was named the 2003-04 Cal-Hi Sports Division V state athlete of the year. In addition to football, Barden starred for the Rebels in basketball and volleyball. Barden went to college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and was not a highly-ranked college prospect.
The Golden State leads all others with 13 players on the roster of either the Patriots or Giants, led of course by two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady. Go through these stories on Signing Day on Wednesday and remember the amazing paths many of these players took to get to the NFL, often without a Division I scholarship.
Florida comes close with 11, but it’s another year in which more players in the Super Bowl are from California high schools than anywhere else.
California doesn’t always win this battle (like in baseball’s World Series), but is almost always in the top three.
Here is a closer look at the 13 players listed on the active roster of either the New England Patriots or New York Giants who are from California:
WR Ramses Barden (Flintridge Prep, La Canada)
The back-up for the Giants played 8-man football in high school and was named the 2003-04 Cal-Hi Sports Division V state athlete of the year. In addition to football, Barden starred for the Rebels in basketball and volleyball. Barden went to college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and was not a highly-ranked college prospect.
All-State Football First Team Offense
January, 25, 2012
Jan 25
9:03
PM ET
By Mark Tennis & Paul Muyskens | ESPN.com
Mark Tennis/ESPNHSQB Zach Kline followed up strong showing at Elite 11 camp last summer by leading team to CIF North Coast Section Division I final.Linemen lead best class of big guys in state history while two juniors take advantage of sub-par running back class and get up onto the first team.
Note: This is the fourth release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Previous releases focused on small schools, medium schools and underclass.
Click here for the All-State Underclass teams (juniors, sophomores).
Click here for the list of those that were on our board as nominees for all of this year’s all-state teams in all divisions.
Here is a closer look at the 12 players chosen first team offense:
WR Deontay Greenberry (Washington, Easton) 6-3, 190, Sr.
The ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Football State Player of the Year had a remarkable season with state record totals of 33 touchdown catches and 2,165 yards. Greenberry also caught 109 passes, played a ball-hawking brand of defense in the secondary and led Washington (14-0) to the CIF Division III state bowl championship. Greenberry has committed to Notre Dame.
WR Darreus Rogers (Carson) 6-2, 195, Sr.
With a verbal to USC before the season even started, this standout wideout started and ended in big-time fashion despite being the focal point for the opposition. He opened with 12 catches for 255 yards and three scores in a win over Mater Dei and then caught 12 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Long Beach Poly. After ending with 13 catches for 251 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Narbonne, Rogers finished with 64 catches for 1,251 yards and eight touchdowns.
All-State Football First Team Defense
January, 25, 2012
Jan 25
9:02
PM ET
By Mark Tennis & Paul Muyskens | ESPN.com
Mark Tennis/ESPNHSSu'a Cravens, the State Junior of the Year, celebrates for Vista Murrieta after team won CIF Southern Section Inland Division title.State Junior of the Year Su’a Cravens and De La Salle’s Michael Barton, leader of the best defense to play in a CIF state bowl game, top this group of players.
Note: This is the fourth release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Previous releases focused on small schools, medium schools and underclass.
Here is a closer look at the 12 players chosen first team defense:
DL Ellis McCarthy (Monrovia) 6-5, 295, Sr.
The State Medium Schools Player of the Year had 21 sacks the last two seasons for the Wildcats in helping the team win back-to-back CIF Southern Section Mid-Valley Division championships. McCarthy had more than 100 tackles in those seasons combined and was a USA Today first-team All-American. He committed to Cal during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, then de-committed and has since announced for UCLA.
DL Aziz Shittu (Buhach Colony, Atwater) 6-4, 255, Sr.
Named the Merced-Sun Star Defensive Player of the Year, he helped lead the Thunder to a second straight Central California Conference title before their undefeated season came to an end in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II semifinals to eventual champion Vacaville. On the year, Shittu had 89 tackles and eight sacks and played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He has yet to decide on a college but has said his final four consist of Stanford, Cal, USC and UCLA.
All-State Football Multi-Purpose
January, 25, 2012
Jan 25
9:01
PM ET
By Mark Tennis & Paul Muyskens | ESPN.com
Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content
Five of the six who have gained Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team honors in this category are quarterbacks who run and pass, including the most prolific rusher-passer for one season in state history.
Note: This is the fourth release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Previous releases focused on small schools, medium schools and underclass.
Here is a closer look at the six players chosen first team multi-purpose:
QB/RB Brandon Lewis (Helix, La Mesa) 5-11, 175, Sr.
After an impressive junior year, Lewis had an even better senior season as he led the Highlanders to the Division II state championship. On the year, he passed for 2,750 yards and 34 touchdowns to earn the San Diego Section Offensive Player of the Year honor. Lacking the size that would make him more recruited, he may end up getting picked later this spring in the Major League Baseball amateur draft as he was a starting pitcher for the school's baseball team. Lewis also could scramble for first downs when needed and shined in Helix’s biggest games.
Five of the six who have gained Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team honors in this category are quarterbacks who run and pass, including the most prolific rusher-passer for one season in state history.
Note: This is the fourth release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Previous releases focused on small schools, medium schools and underclass.
Here is a closer look at the six players chosen first team multi-purpose:
QB/RB Brandon Lewis (Helix, La Mesa) 5-11, 175, Sr.
After an impressive junior year, Lewis had an even better senior season as he led the Highlanders to the Division II state championship. On the year, he passed for 2,750 yards and 34 touchdowns to earn the San Diego Section Offensive Player of the Year honor. Lacking the size that would make him more recruited, he may end up getting picked later this spring in the Major League Baseball amateur draft as he was a starting pitcher for the school's baseball team. Lewis also could scramble for first downs when needed and shined in Helix’s biggest games.
All-State Football 2nd, 3rd & 4th teams
January, 25, 2012
Jan 25
9:00
PM ET
By Mark Tennis | ESPN.com
Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content
We have expanded the Cal-Hi Sports All-State team selections deeper than ever with 30 on second team, 30 on third team and 60 on fourth team.
Note: This is the fourth release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Previous releases focused on small schools, medium schools and underclass.
Here is a closer look at all of the players listed on either second team all-state, third team all-state or fourth team all-state:
Second Team Offense
WR Jake Maulhardt (Camarillo) 6-7, 210, Sr.
WR Kenny Lawler (Upland) 6-3, 185, Sr.
OL Gavin Andrews (Granite Bay) 6-6, 320, Sr.
OL Travis Averill (Servite, Anaheim) 6-4, 280, Sr.
OL Matt Cochran (Buhach Colony, Atwater) 6-4, 320, Sr.
OL Colby Cybert (Mission Viejo) 6-5, 265, Sr.
OL Eric Magnuson (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad) 6-7, 280, Sr.
QB Bart Houston (De La Salle, Concord) 6-4, 215, Sr.
RB De’Jon Coleman (Arleta) 5-10, 175, Sr.
RB Demetrius Warren (Bullard, Fresno) 5-7, 165, Sr.
RB Erich Wilson (Serra, San Mateo) 6-1, 190, Sr.
PK Garrett Owens (Arroyo Grande) 6-0, 170, Sr.
We have expanded the Cal-Hi Sports All-State team selections deeper than ever with 30 on second team, 30 on third team and 60 on fourth team.
Note: This is the fourth release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Previous releases focused on small schools, medium schools and underclass.
Here is a closer look at all of the players listed on either second team all-state, third team all-state or fourth team all-state:
Second Team Offense
WR Jake Maulhardt (Camarillo) 6-7, 210, Sr.
WR Kenny Lawler (Upland) 6-3, 185, Sr.
OL Gavin Andrews (Granite Bay) 6-6, 320, Sr.
OL Travis Averill (Servite, Anaheim) 6-4, 280, Sr.
OL Matt Cochran (Buhach Colony, Atwater) 6-4, 320, Sr.
OL Colby Cybert (Mission Viejo) 6-5, 265, Sr.
OL Eric Magnuson (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad) 6-7, 280, Sr.
QB Bart Houston (De La Salle, Concord) 6-4, 215, Sr.
RB De’Jon Coleman (Arleta) 5-10, 175, Sr.
RB Demetrius Warren (Bullard, Fresno) 5-7, 165, Sr.
RB Erich Wilson (Serra, San Mateo) 6-1, 190, Sr.
PK Garrett Owens (Arroyo Grande) 6-0, 170, Sr.
Smith FamilyAll-State Medium Schools player Logan Smith from Vista del Lago of Folsom set state record for most catches in a season.Note: This is the third release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Still to come are All-State First Team, All-State Second Team and All-State Third Team. The medium schools team is comprised of players from Division III and some Division II schools that are eligible for our traditional state rankings.
Click here for the All-State Underclass teams (juniors, sophomores).
Click here for the list of those that were on our board as nominees for this year’s all-state teams in all divisions.
Led by Medium Schools State Player of the Year Ellis McCarthy, the strength of this year’s annual Cal-Hi Sports All-State Medium Schools Football Team is along the defensive line.
McCarthy has received numerous All-American accolades and was a major reason why his team from Monrovia won the CIF Southern Section Mid-Valley Division rankings. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman just last week changed his college commitment from Cal to UCLA.
Joining McCarthy on the Medium Schools All-State defensive line are three others headed for the Pac-12 – Kyle Kelley from Woodbridge of Irvine (Arizona); Cory Littleton frome Mt. Miguel of Spring Valley (Washington); and Pio Vatuvei of Patterson (USC).
Two schools landed three players on either the first or second teams.
Lompoc has two on the first team with junior running back LaVon Coleman and junior kicker Jose Morales and one on the second with senior defensive back Colton Concellos.
Campolindo of Moraga has one on the first team with junior quarterback/running back Brett Stephens and two on the second team with senior defensive back Carl Thornton and senior receiver/defensive back Griffin Piatt. Both Thornton and Piatt cemented their status as all-state picks by each intercepting 12 passes for the 13-1 Cougars.
Here is the complete roster of the 2011 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Medium Schools Football Teams:
Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content
Greenberry, three others from Washington Union gain annual honors from Cal-Hi Sports while four from Sierra Canyon are tabbed.
Note: This is the second release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Still to come are All-State Medium Schools, All-State First Team, All-State Second Team and All-State Third Team. The small schools team is comprised of players from Division IV and Division V schools that are eligible for our traditional state rankings. That is why CIF Division III state champ Washington of Easton has players in this group while schools like Lompoc, Campolindo and Marin Catholic will have players eligible for our medium schools all-state team.
Click here for the All-State Underclass teams (juniors, sophomores).
Click here for the list of those that were on our board as nominees for this year’s all-state teams in all divisions.
Mr. Football State Player of the Year Deontay Greenberry from Washington of Easton leads the way on the annual Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools Football Team.
Greenberry, a receiver who set state records for touchdown catches in a season and receiving yards in a season, is one of four players from CIF Division III state champ Washington to earn a selection. The other three are running back Donald Phelps (first team), linebacker K.C. Migliore (second team) and quarterback/running back Chris Cain (second team).
The quarterback position is among the best for California small schools ever and was very difficult to choose. Elite 11 camp participant Shane Dillon of El Cajon Christian was first team while University of Arizona-bound Nathan Sudfield was second team. Others, such as Carmel’s Devin Pearson and Sierra Canyon’s Tyler Stewart, made the first team as multi-purpose players.
Here is the complete roster of the 2011 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools Football Teams:
Greenberry, three others from Washington Union gain annual honors from Cal-Hi Sports while four from Sierra Canyon are tabbed.
Note: This is the second release of several highlighting the 33rd annual edition of the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Team. Still to come are All-State Medium Schools, All-State First Team, All-State Second Team and All-State Third Team. The small schools team is comprised of players from Division IV and Division V schools that are eligible for our traditional state rankings. That is why CIF Division III state champ Washington of Easton has players in this group while schools like Lompoc, Campolindo and Marin Catholic will have players eligible for our medium schools all-state team.
Click here for the All-State Underclass teams (juniors, sophomores).
Click here for the list of those that were on our board as nominees for this year’s all-state teams in all divisions.
Mr. Football State Player of the Year Deontay Greenberry from Washington of Easton leads the way on the annual Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools Football Team.
Greenberry, a receiver who set state records for touchdown catches in a season and receiving yards in a season, is one of four players from CIF Division III state champ Washington to earn a selection. The other three are running back Donald Phelps (first team), linebacker K.C. Migliore (second team) and quarterback/running back Chris Cain (second team).
The quarterback position is among the best for California small schools ever and was very difficult to choose. Elite 11 camp participant Shane Dillon of El Cajon Christian was first team while University of Arizona-bound Nathan Sudfield was second team. Others, such as Carmel’s Devin Pearson and Sierra Canyon’s Tyler Stewart, made the first team as multi-purpose players.
Here is the complete roster of the 2011 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools Football Teams:
Expanded & Final CIF Northern California
Open Division Top 25 (By Cal-Hi Sports)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
(NR=not ranked; NA=not applicable)
(After all games of 2011 season)
1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 13-1
2. (2) Bellarmine (San Jose) 12-2
3. (3) Del Oro (Loomis) 13-2
4. (5) Vacaville 13-1
5. (6) Granite Bay 12-2
6. (7) St. Mary’s (Stockton) 9-3
7. (8) Lincoln (Stockton) 11-2
8. (9) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 12-2
9. (10) Folsom 11-3
10. (12) Elk Grove 12-1
11. (13) Serra (San Mateo) 11-2
12. (15) Buhach Colony (Atwater) 12-1
13. (11) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 10-4
14. (14) Campolindo (Moraga) 14-1
15. (4) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 13-1
16. (18) Oakdale 13-1
17. (20) Palo Alto 10-3
18. (16) Palma (Salinas) 11-1-1
19. (17) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 11-1-1
20. (NR) Windsor 14-0
21. (19) Los Gatos 11-1-1
22. (NA) Bethel (Vallejo) 11-2
23. (NA) Grant (Sacramento) 8-4
24. (NA) Paradise 11-1
25. (NA) James Logan (Union City) 10-1
Expanded & Final CIF Southern California
Open Division Top 25 (By Cal-Hi Sports)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
(After all games of 2011 season)
1. (5) Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) 13-2
2. (3) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 14-0 (8-5 incl. forfeits)
3. (7) Helix (La Mesa) 13-1
4. (1) Westlake (Westlake Village) 14-1
5. (8) Bakersfield 13-0
6. (4) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 11-3
7. (2) Centennial (Corona) 12-2
8. (9) Upland 12-1
9. (10) Mission Viejo 10-3
10. (6) San Clemente 12-2
11. (11) Servite (Anaheim) 10-2
12. (12) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 10-3
13. (13) Poway 12-0-1
14. (14) Rancho Cucamonga 11-2
15. (15) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 11-1
16. (16) Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) 14-0
17. (18) Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 10-2
18. (19) Narbonne (Harbor City) 11-3
19. (17) Lompoc 14-0
20. (24) Tesoro (Rancho SM) 8-5
21. (20) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 12-1
22. (21) Arroyo Grande 12-1
23. (23) Carson 8-6
24. (NR) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 8-4
25. (NR) Washington (Easton) 14-0
26. (NA) San Pedro 12-1
27. (NA) Dorsey (Los Angeles) 11-2
28. (NA) Alemany (Mission Hills) 8-3
29. (NA) Loyola (Los Angeles) 8-3
30. (NA) Lutheran (Orange) 6-4
Comments or corrections? Email Mark.Tennis@espn.com.
Other than one exception, champions reign supreme in the final CIF bowl rankings by Cal-Hi Sports.
Many divisions get expanded treatment for final lists of the season with teams to watch for next year added as well.
These have been adjusted after this year’s bowl games that were played on Dec. 16-17 at The Home Depot Center.
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
Division I North
1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 13-1
2. (2) Bellarmine (San Jose) 12-2
3. (3) Granite Bay 12-2
4. (4) Lincoln (Stockton) 11-2
5. (5) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 12-2
6. (6) Serra (San Mateo) 11-2
7. (7) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 10-4
8. (8) Palo Alto 10-3
9. (9) Bethel (Vallejo) 11-2
10. (10) Grant (Sacramento) 8-4
Next 5: 11. James Logan (Union City) 10-1; 12. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 7-4-1; 13. Oak Grove (San Jose) 9-2; 14. Pittsburg 9-4; 15. Leland (San Jose) 9-2.
Others: Freedom (Oakley) 10-2, Monte Vista (Danville) 8-5, Pitman (Turlock) 10-2, San Benito (Hollister) 7-3-1, St. Francis (Mountain View) 6-6.
Teams with top underclass players: De La Salle, Lincoln (Stockton), Serra (San Mateo).
Division I South
1. (3) Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) 13-2
2. (2) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 14-0 (9-5 incl. forfeits)
3. (1) Westlake (Westlake Village) 14-1
4. (4) Bakersfield 13-0
5. (5) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 11-3
6. (6) Centennial (Corona) 12-2
7. (7) Upland 12-1
8. (8) Mission Viejo 10-3
9. (9) San Clemente 12-2
10. (10) Servite (Anaheim) 10-2
11. (11) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 10-3
12. (12) Poway 12-0-1
13. (13) Rancho Cucamonga 11-2
14. (14) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 11-1
15. (15) Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 10-2
Next 5: 16. Narbonne (Harbor City) 10-3; 17. Tesoro (Rancho SM) 8-5; 18. Carson 8-6; 19. St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 8-4; 20. San Pedro 12-1.
Others: Alemany (Mission Hills) 8-3; Bishop Amat (La Puente) 6-5, Bullard (Fresno) 11-3; Clovis 10-2; Dorsey (Los Angeles) 11-2; Edison (Huntington Beach) 8-3; Huntington Beach 9-3; J.W. North (Riverside) 10-2; Loyola (Los Angeles) 9-3; Lutheran (Orange) 6-5.
Teams with top underclass players: Santa Margarita, Vista Murrieta, Westlake, Bakersfield, Oaks Christian, Narbonne, Tesoro, Alemany.
Division II North
1. (1) Del Oro (Loomis) 13-2
2. (2) Vacaville 13-1
3. (3) St. Mary's (Stockton) 9-3
4. (4) Folsom 11-3
5. (5) Elk Grove 12-1
6. (6) Buhach Colony (Atwater) 12-1
7. (7) Oakdale 13-1
8. (8) Windsor 14-0
9. (9) Los Gatos 11-1-1
10. (10) Paradise 11-1
Next 5: 11. Casa Roble (Orangevale) 10-3; 12. Concord 10-4; 13. Pioneer (San Jose) 9-4; 14. Foothill (Palo Cedro) 10-2; 15. Inderkum (Sacramento) 10-2.
Others: Aragon (San Mateo) 9-3, Dublin 8-5, Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) 9-3, Mission (San Francisco) 9-3, Placer (Auburn) 9-3, Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 9-4, Whitney (Rocklin) 10-3.
Teams with top underclass players: Del Oro, St. Mary’s of Stockton, Concord.
Division II South
1. (1) Helix (La Mesa) 13-1
2. (2) Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) 14-0
3. (3) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 12-1
4. (4) Arroyo Grande 13-1
5. (5) West Covina 13-1
6. (6) Summit (Fontana) 13-1
7. (7) Tustin 11-3
8. (8) El Toro (Lake Forest) 12-2
9. (10) Chaminade (West Hills) 10-3
10. (9) Palm Springs 13-1
Next 5: 11. Heritage (Romoland) 12-1; 12. Culver City 10-4; 13. Serra (Gardena) 8-3; 14. Villa Park 11-1; 15. Santa Monica 11-2.
Others: Cajon (San Bernardino) 9-2, Citrus Hill (Perris) 12-1, Clovis North (Clovis) 11-3, Kingsburg 12-2, La Habra 9-4, Oceanside 9-3-1, St. Augustine (San Diego) 9-2, Ventura 11-1.
Teams with top underclass players: Helix, Cathedral Catholic, El Toro, Chaminade, Serra (Gardena).
Division III North
1. (1) Campolindo (Moraga) 14-1
2. (2) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 13-1
3. (3) Palma (Salinas) 11-1-1
4. (4) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 11-1-1
5. (5) Salesian (Richmond) 13-0
6. (6) Hilmar 12-2
7. (7) Escalon 13-1
8. (8) Encinal (Alameda) 11-2
9. (9) Carmel 12-1
10. (10) St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 6-6-1
Next 5: 11. Valley Christian (San Jose) 6-6; 12. Sacred Heart Cathedral (SF) 7-6; 13. Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 9-3; 14. Orland 10-1; 15. Liberty Ranch (Galt) 9-4.
Others: Aptos 9-2, Christopher (Gilroy) 10-2, Colfax 11-1, Healdsburg 10-4, Miramonte (Orinda) 10-2, St. Helena 11-1, Sutter 10-2, Willows 10-3.
Teams with top underclass players: Campolindo, Marin Catholic, Palma.
Division III South
1. (1) Lompoc 14-0
2. (2) Washington (Easton) 14-0
3. (3) Valley Center 12-1
4. (4) Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) 12-2
5. (5) Beckman (Irvine) 11-3
6. (6) Madison (San Diego) 10-1-1
7. (7) Paraclete (Lancaster) 11-3
8. (8) Monrovia 11-3
9. (9) Covina 11-2
10. (10) Santana (Santee) 11-2
Note: Washington Union is a deserving CIF state champion for its win over Campolindo, but Lompoc having a win over Arroyo Grande is still enough to keep the Braves on top for our final rankings. We also could not drop Lompoc that far in the final overall rankings for basically not winning in a board room and not on the field.
Next 5: 11. Cabrillo (Lompoc) 11-3; 12. Wasco 11-2; 13. Coronado 9-4; 14. Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) 10-2; 15. San Gabriel 9-5.
Others: Arroyo (El Monte) 10-2, Bishop 10-2, Coalinga 9-3, Fowler 12-2, Mendota 12-0, Mission Oak (Tulare) 9-3, Ontario Christian 8-3-1, San Dimas 10-3, St. Bernard (Playa del Rey) 10-1, Torrance 8-5.
Teams with top underclass players: Lompoc, Paraclete.
Division IV North
1. (1) Central Catholic (Modesto) 10-3
2. (2) Le Grand 12-1
3. (3) Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento) 11-1
4. (4) Ferndale 11-2
5. (NR) McClymonds (Oakland) 10-2
6. (5) Berean Christian (Walnut Creek) 8-4
7. (6) Modoc (Alturas) 10-3
8. (7) Valley Christian (Dublin) 9-3
9. (8) Hoopa Valley (Hoopa) 9-3
10. (9) Millennium (Tracy) 10-1
Note: McClymonds’ enrollment has now dipped well below 400, which makes the Warriors D4 and not D3 according to CIF breakdowns. It was easy to place them in these final rankings with a head-to-head loss to Ferndale.
Others: California School for the Deaf (Fremont) 8-4, Durham 9-3, Hamilton (Hamilton City) 10-3, Pierce (Arbuckle) 9-2, Rio Vista 9-3, St. Bernard (Eureka) 7-4, Tomales 9-3-1.
Teams with top underclass players: Central Catholic, Ferndale.
Division IV South
1. (1) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 15-0
2. (2) Christian (El Cajon) 10-3
3. (3) Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) 11-2
4. (4) Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia) 13-1
5. (5) Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara) 11-2
6. (6) St. Margaret’s (SJ Capistrano) 9-3
7. (7) Boron 10-3
8. (8) Desert Christian (Lancaster) 11-2
9. (9) Aquinas (San Bernardino) 9-3
10. (10) Mojave 10-2
Others: La Jolla Country Day 7-5, Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo) 8-2, Parker (San Diego) 6-5-1, Saddleback Valley Christian (SJ Capistrano) 9-2, Tri-City Christian (Vista) 9-3, View Park (Los Angeles) 8-4.
Teams with top underclass players: Sierra Canyon, Santa Fe Christian, Rio Hondo.
Speed kills as Helix wins D2 title
December, 18, 2011
12/18/11
12:23
AM ET
By Ronnie Flores | ESPN.com
Div. I: Harry Welch wins third CIF state title
Div. III: Washington Union brings it home for Central Section
Div. IV: Sierra Canyon takes care of business
Even though it wasn't set in stone that Helix of La Mesa would represent Southern California in the CIF Division II State Championship Bowl Game if the Highlanders won a section title, Del Oro of Loomis coach Casey Taylor made the trek from Placer County down to Qualcomm Stadium on a Monday after the Golden Eagles had won the Sac Joaquin Section Division III title three nights earlier to scope out the potential opponent.
Helix dominated seven-time defending champ Oceanside 44-6 in the San Diego Section Division II title game and Taylor obviously came away impressed. When Helix was selected for the bowl game, there were no surprises to Taylor what his team needed to do to win the game -- contain the big-play ability of quarterback Brandon Lewis and his offense.
Northern California representative Del Oro was successful for one quarter and took a 10-7 lead, but Helix responded with three second-quarter touchdowns to spark its 35-24 victory.
The victory was the third for the San Diego Section in Division II, following Cathedral Catholic in 2008 and Oceanside a year earlier. It also upped the section's all-time record in bowl games to 5-2. For Helix, the game was a culmination of its series of dominant performances following a 21-14 loss to Eastlake of Chula Vista to open the season.
"They're a good football team...as good as any we've seen all year," Taylor said. "I thought they dominated across the line. We wanted to eliminate big plays, but in the second quarter they had three of them."
For Helix coach Troy Starr, it completed a journey that began when he ventured from his native Ohio to Carson of the L.A. City Section as an unpaid linebackers coach in 1987. That season, Carson was upset in its section title game while gunning for the mythical national title. Starr was also on the losing end of a few more title game stunners when he took over the program at Taft of Woodland Hills.
Mark Tennis/ESPNHSHelix players celebrate team's CIF Div. II bowl game victory over Del Oro.
His one year on Urban Meyer's staff at the University of Florida in 2007 put his coaching career into perspective and after experiencing another championship heartbreak with the Highlanders in 2008, he finally had a team that put it all together in back-to-back performances to bring home the state title.
"When I went to Florida, I definitely got smarter being around Urban [Meyer] and all those great coaches," Starr said. "But we [Helix] have great players, totally invested players, a true team."
Helix out gained Del Oro in total yardage 384-272 as game MVP Lewis completed 11 of 16 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns.
Helix Breaks It Open Before Halftime
With Del Oro leading 10-7 early in the second quarter, Helix broke open the game with three unanswered touchdowns to take a 28-10 halftime lead.
Helix had a 55-yard touchdown reception wiped out on a penalty, but on the next play facing a first and 28, Lewis hit all-purpose back Gary Thompson on a 73-yard touchdown pass where he broke through the middle of the defense to give Helix a 14-10 lead.
The Highlanders never trailed again.
With 2:54 remaining in the first half, fullback Michael Adkins scored on a 3-yard run that was set up by a 28-yard reception by Thompson. One minute and 43 seconds later with the Del Oro defense on skates, Lewis hit wide receiver Kendal Keys on a reverse screen pass and he did the rest, outracing the defense for a 32-yard touchdown.
"We've been behind before...we knew what we had to do," Lewis said. "There was a lot of game left, even at halftime when we had a pretty good lead, I told the guys to think of it as 0-0 because there's a lot of game left."
Thompson finished with three receptions for a game-high 117 yards and the one score. He also disrupted Del Oro's passing attack and was credited with a tackle for loss and plenty of hurries.
"We knew the way they played and with their coverage we'd have to do things differently and use some different pass patterns," Starr said. "But the real difference was our speed and our defense."
Key Penalty Costs Del Oro
Coming into the contest, Del Oro was the more battle-tested team and rallied on the first drive of the second half to try and get back in the game. On a third and seven from the Helix 39-yard line, quarterback Bobby Heatherington found Alex Bertrando for a 10-yard gain and moments later, wide receiver Russell Smith took an end around six yards in for a score to cut the Golden Eagles' deficit to 11 points (28-17).
With the Del Oro crowd rocking and with momentum seemingly going its way, it looked like the game was going to be a dogfight when Brandon Monroe came up with an interception at the Golden Eagles' 35-yard line. In the midst of the eruption, a late flag had been tossed and after a brief discussion, Helix retained possession on a holding penalty. Instead of Del Oro retaining possession at its own 38-yard line, the Highlanders had the ball at Del Oro's 46-yard line.
Starr's club cashed in on the last play of the third quarter, as Keys caught a three-yard reception just out of the reach of the out stretched arms of Smith as Helix took a 35-17 lead.
Del Oro battled until the end, and even blocked a punt that Bertrando scooped up and took in to the end zone from six yards to account for the final score.
Heatherington finished with 179 yards passing on 19-of-30 completions with one touchdown, but Del Oro's running game was unable to break off big chunks of yardage to keep Helix's defense honest against the pass. The Golden Eagles finished with 93 net rushing yards on 28 attempts.
Evenly Matched First Quarter
Unlike the CIF Division III game where both teams did not play to their potential and at times looked as if they were giving the game away, the Division II game matched two talented teams that played sound football.
There was sharp play-calling and crisp tackling, but a couple of mistakes set up scores for both teams in the first half. For Starr, his stomach turned when Del Oro pooched a kick on the opening play and recovered at the Helix 36-yard line. Del Oro, which came in ranked No. 6 in the state, made its first mistake when Blake Covey dropped a pass on third and seven. Del Oro (13-2) was still able to get on the board with a 36-yard field goal by Skyler Rand.
Helix (13-1) then got the big break it needed when Anthony Spence jumped a pass by Heatherington intended for Johnathan Tuttle at the Golden Eagles' 29-yard line. The Highlanders, ranked No. 9 but sure to move up in next week's final state ratings, cashed in on the mistake when running back Darrion Hancock bulldozed behind his line for a 7-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead with 4:24 remaining in the first half. The play was set up by a big 16-yard reception on third down by Thompson.
Hancock finished with 108 yards rushing and one touchdown on 26 carries.
Thompson and Arthur Shepard are bookends on defense and they were breaking through the lines early, but Heatherington was successfully rolling away from pressure. With 10:11 remaining in the first half, Heatherington rolled right and found Tanner Huber open against a linebacker for a 3-yard score. That gave the Sac Joaquin Section Division III champions a 10-7 lead, but that's when Helix made its adjustments and took over the game.
Div. III: Washington Union brings it home for Central Section
Div. IV: Sierra Canyon takes care of business
Even though it wasn't set in stone that Helix of La Mesa would represent Southern California in the CIF Division II State Championship Bowl Game if the Highlanders won a section title, Del Oro of Loomis coach Casey Taylor made the trek from Placer County down to Qualcomm Stadium on a Monday after the Golden Eagles had won the Sac Joaquin Section Division III title three nights earlier to scope out the potential opponent.
Helix dominated seven-time defending champ Oceanside 44-6 in the San Diego Section Division II title game and Taylor obviously came away impressed. When Helix was selected for the bowl game, there were no surprises to Taylor what his team needed to do to win the game -- contain the big-play ability of quarterback Brandon Lewis and his offense.
Northern California representative Del Oro was successful for one quarter and took a 10-7 lead, but Helix responded with three second-quarter touchdowns to spark its 35-24 victory.
The victory was the third for the San Diego Section in Division II, following Cathedral Catholic in 2008 and Oceanside a year earlier. It also upped the section's all-time record in bowl games to 5-2. For Helix, the game was a culmination of its series of dominant performances following a 21-14 loss to Eastlake of Chula Vista to open the season.
"They're a good football team...as good as any we've seen all year," Taylor said. "I thought they dominated across the line. We wanted to eliminate big plays, but in the second quarter they had three of them."
For Helix coach Troy Starr, it completed a journey that began when he ventured from his native Ohio to Carson of the L.A. City Section as an unpaid linebackers coach in 1987. That season, Carson was upset in its section title game while gunning for the mythical national title. Starr was also on the losing end of a few more title game stunners when he took over the program at Taft of Woodland Hills.
Mark Tennis/ESPNHSHelix players celebrate team's CIF Div. II bowl game victory over Del Oro.His one year on Urban Meyer's staff at the University of Florida in 2007 put his coaching career into perspective and after experiencing another championship heartbreak with the Highlanders in 2008, he finally had a team that put it all together in back-to-back performances to bring home the state title.
"When I went to Florida, I definitely got smarter being around Urban [Meyer] and all those great coaches," Starr said. "But we [Helix] have great players, totally invested players, a true team."
Helix out gained Del Oro in total yardage 384-272 as game MVP Lewis completed 11 of 16 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns.
Helix Breaks It Open Before Halftime
With Del Oro leading 10-7 early in the second quarter, Helix broke open the game with three unanswered touchdowns to take a 28-10 halftime lead.
Helix had a 55-yard touchdown reception wiped out on a penalty, but on the next play facing a first and 28, Lewis hit all-purpose back Gary Thompson on a 73-yard touchdown pass where he broke through the middle of the defense to give Helix a 14-10 lead.
The Highlanders never trailed again.
With 2:54 remaining in the first half, fullback Michael Adkins scored on a 3-yard run that was set up by a 28-yard reception by Thompson. One minute and 43 seconds later with the Del Oro defense on skates, Lewis hit wide receiver Kendal Keys on a reverse screen pass and he did the rest, outracing the defense for a 32-yard touchdown.
"We've been behind before...we knew what we had to do," Lewis said. "There was a lot of game left, even at halftime when we had a pretty good lead, I told the guys to think of it as 0-0 because there's a lot of game left."
Thompson finished with three receptions for a game-high 117 yards and the one score. He also disrupted Del Oro's passing attack and was credited with a tackle for loss and plenty of hurries.
"We knew the way they played and with their coverage we'd have to do things differently and use some different pass patterns," Starr said. "But the real difference was our speed and our defense."
Key Penalty Costs Del Oro
Coming into the contest, Del Oro was the more battle-tested team and rallied on the first drive of the second half to try and get back in the game. On a third and seven from the Helix 39-yard line, quarterback Bobby Heatherington found Alex Bertrando for a 10-yard gain and moments later, wide receiver Russell Smith took an end around six yards in for a score to cut the Golden Eagles' deficit to 11 points (28-17).
With the Del Oro crowd rocking and with momentum seemingly going its way, it looked like the game was going to be a dogfight when Brandon Monroe came up with an interception at the Golden Eagles' 35-yard line. In the midst of the eruption, a late flag had been tossed and after a brief discussion, Helix retained possession on a holding penalty. Instead of Del Oro retaining possession at its own 38-yard line, the Highlanders had the ball at Del Oro's 46-yard line.
Starr's club cashed in on the last play of the third quarter, as Keys caught a three-yard reception just out of the reach of the out stretched arms of Smith as Helix took a 35-17 lead.
Del Oro battled until the end, and even blocked a punt that Bertrando scooped up and took in to the end zone from six yards to account for the final score.
Heatherington finished with 179 yards passing on 19-of-30 completions with one touchdown, but Del Oro's running game was unable to break off big chunks of yardage to keep Helix's defense honest against the pass. The Golden Eagles finished with 93 net rushing yards on 28 attempts.
Evenly Matched First Quarter
Unlike the CIF Division III game where both teams did not play to their potential and at times looked as if they were giving the game away, the Division II game matched two talented teams that played sound football.
There was sharp play-calling and crisp tackling, but a couple of mistakes set up scores for both teams in the first half. For Starr, his stomach turned when Del Oro pooched a kick on the opening play and recovered at the Helix 36-yard line. Del Oro, which came in ranked No. 6 in the state, made its first mistake when Blake Covey dropped a pass on third and seven. Del Oro (13-2) was still able to get on the board with a 36-yard field goal by Skyler Rand.
Helix (13-1) then got the big break it needed when Anthony Spence jumped a pass by Heatherington intended for Johnathan Tuttle at the Golden Eagles' 29-yard line. The Highlanders, ranked No. 9 but sure to move up in next week's final state ratings, cashed in on the mistake when running back Darrion Hancock bulldozed behind his line for a 7-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead with 4:24 remaining in the first half. The play was set up by a big 16-yard reception on third down by Thompson.
Hancock finished with 108 yards rushing and one touchdown on 26 carries.
Thompson and Arthur Shepard are bookends on defense and they were breaking through the lines early, but Heatherington was successfully rolling away from pressure. With 10:11 remaining in the first half, Heatherington rolled right and found Tanner Huber open against a linebacker for a 3-yard score. That gave the Sac Joaquin Section Division III champions a 10-7 lead, but that's when Helix made its adjustments and took over the game.
All-Time CIF State Championship Bowl Game Results
(MVP selected by Cal-Hi Sports ; Click on links for full recaps)CIF Open Division
2011: De La Salle (Concord) 35, Westlake (Westlake Village) 0MVP: Bart Houston (De La Salle) QB
2010: De La Salle (Concord) 48, Servite (Anaheim) 8
MVP: Lucas Dunne (De La Salle) RB
2009: De La Salle (Concord) 28, Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 14
MVP: Terron Ward (De La Salle) RB-DB
2008: Grant (Sacramento) 25, Poly (Long Beach) 20
MVP: Darvin McCauley (Grant) WR
CIF Division I
2011: Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) 42, Bellarmine (San Jose) 37MVP: Johnny Stanton (Santa Margarita) QB
2010: Palo Alto 15, Centennial (Corona) 13
MVP: Kevin Anderson (Palo Alto) DE
2009: Oceanside 24, Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 19
MVP: Jerry Whitaker (Oceanside) WR
2008: Centennial (Corona) 21, De La Salle (Concord) 16
MVP: Vontaze Burfict (Centennial) LB
2007: De La Salle (Concord) 37, Centennial (Corona) 31
MVP: Travis Carrie (De La Salle) DB
2006: Canyon (Canyon Country) 27, De La Salle (Concord) 13
MVP: J.J. DiLuigi (Canyon) RB
CIF Division II
2011: Helix (La Mesa) 35, Del Oro (Loomis) 24MVP: Brandon Lewis (Helix) QB
2010: Folsom 48, Serra (Gardena) 20
MVP: Dano Graves (Folsom) QB
2009: Servite (Anaheim) 33, Rocklin 30
MVP: Cody Fajardo (Servite) QB
2008: Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 37, St. Mary's (Stockton) 34
MVP: Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic) RB
2007: Oceanside 28, Novato 14
MVP: Frank Zimmerman (Oceanside) WR
2006: Orange Lutheran (Orange) 42, Palo Alto 28
MVP: Aaron Corp (Orange Lutheran) QB
CIF Division III
2011: Washington Union (Easton) 21, Campolindo (Moraga) 16MVP: Donald Phelps (Washington Union) RB-DB
2010: Escalon 30, Madison (San Diego) 14
MVP: Adrian Cortes (Escalon) LB-FB
2009: Serra (Gardena), 24, Marin Catholic (Marin) 20
MVP: Robert Woods (Serra) WR
2008: St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 28, Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 6
MVP: Logan Meyer (St. Bonaventure) QB
2007: St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 35, Central Catholic (Modesto) 21
MVP: Darrell Scott (St. Bonaventure) RB
2006: Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 27, Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 20 (OT)
MVP: Ryan Lingle (Cardinal Newman) QB
CIF Division IV
2011: Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 34, Le Grand (Le Grand) 13MVP: Xavier Menifeld (Sierra Canyon)
2010: Bishop's (La Jolla) 40, Brookside Christian (Stockton) 14
MVP: Alec Fisher (Bishop's) RB
2009: Modesto Christian (Modesto) 44, Parker (San Diego) 40
MVP: Deon Randall (Parker) QB
2008: St. Margaret's (San Juan Capistrano) 59, Hamilton Union (Hamilton) 7
MVP: John Murayama (St. Margaret's) RB
All-Time Section Won-Loss Record
Central Section: 1-0 (1.000)
San Diego Section: 5-2 (.714)
Southern Section: 11-6 (.647)
Sac Joaquin Section: 4-6 (.400)
North Coast Section: 4-7 (.364)
Central Coast Section: 1-3 (.250)
L.A. City Section: 0-1 (.000)
Northern Section: 0-1 (.000)
Note: The Oakland and San Francisco Sections has not had a team selected for a CIF bowl game.
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