ESPNHS California

Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

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.

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Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

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:

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