Cal-Hi Sports

Girls of Summer: Tip-Off 2013

Harold Abend — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:04:58 +0000

Participants at the Queens Court Skills Academy pose for the camera. Check out our Gold Club content for evaluations of the event’s top performers. Photo: Harold Abend

Ninth annual Girls of Summer Caravan tips off in the Bay Area. Our annual summer girls basketball evaluations begins with many of NorCal’s top players at two events.

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The Ninth Annual Cal-Hi Sports Girls of Summer Caravan hit the road in early June to begin the process of evaluating California’s top girls basketball talent.

The first stop was June 1-2 at the Hoops on the Hill club team tournament hosted by the Cal Ballaz at Contra Costa College in San Pablo. The Caravan was represented by Marissa Holbert of PassThaBall. She evaluated the talent and came up with rankings of the event’s top players.

The second stop was June 14 at the Tice Valley Center in Walnut Creek for the Queens Court Skills Academy. The event, produced and directed by Holbert and Kelvin Potts of Project Basketball, attracted 60 of Northern California’s top girls players for the morning session, and over 50 middle-school hopefuls in the afternoon group.

The evaluations for the Queens of the Court were done by Cal-Hi Sports and those can be read with a Gold Club membership.

Listed below are the girls we’ve evaluated so far in an initial order that could and most likely will change as the summer progresses and we cover more events and see more players. The order is based on the one event so far and only includes girls at that event, although some girls listed did play at both events. The girls are listed by school, height, position and class:

Queens Court Skills Academy
(In order of evaluation by Cal-Hi Sports)

Gabby Green (St. Mary’s, Berkeley) 6-1, PG, 2014
Mikayla Cowling (St. Mary’s, Berkeley) 6-0, F, 2014
Asha Thomas (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland) 5-5, PG, 2015
Mariya Moore (Salesian, Richmond) 6-0, W, 2014
GeAnna Summers-Luaulu (Sacred Heart Cathedral, San Francisco) 5-9, G, 2014
Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman (Berkeley) 5-2, G, 2015
Morgan Bertsch (Santa Rosa) 6-4, C/F, 2014
Desire Finnie (Berkeley) 5-9, F, 2014
Morgan Green (Pacific Collegiate, Santa Cruz) 5-7, PG, 2014
Kat Tudor (St. Mary’s, Stockton) 5-10, F, 2016
Keana Delos Santos (Miramonte, Orinda) 5-7, G, 2016
Emilee Van Dyke (Gregori, Modesto) 6-2, C, 2014
Nadene Hart (Scotts Valley) 6-1, C/F, 2014
Lexi Tubbs (Modesto Christian, Modesto) 5-11, G, 2014
Aisia Robertson (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland) 5-7, G, 2015
Kelea Dennis (Oakland Tech, Oakland) 6-1, F, 2015
Jahnay Anderson (Archbishop M itty, San Jose) 5-4, G, 2016
Teanni Roberts (Valley Christian, San Jose) 5-4, G 2016
Antuanisha Wright (Emery, Emeryville) 5-6, G, 2015
Stephanie Moore (Modesto Christian, Modesto) 5-9, G/F, 2016
Sierra Smith (St. Mary’s, Stockton) 5-5, PG, 2017
Lailoni Gaines (Modesto Christian, Modesto) 5-10, F, 2016
Tiana Camello (St. Mary’s, Berkeley) 5-11, F, 2014
Madison Witcher (Cosumnes Oaks, Elk Grove) 5-6, PG, 2016
Vivian Vasquez (Modesto Christian, Modesto) 5-8, F, 2014
Sujey Luna (Gustine) 5-4, PG, 2016
Kaylanii Bardell (Kennedy, Richmond) 5-9, G, 2014
Jasmine Hampton (Modesto Christian, Modesto) 5-11, F, 2014
Victoria Duenas (Pittsburg) 5-10, G/F, 2015
Nydajah Jackson (Oakland Tech, Oakland) 5-4, PG, 2016
Kaylonii Bardell (Kennedy, Richmond) 5-8, G, 2014

Hoops on the Hill
(In order of evaluation by PassThaBall)

Asha Thomas (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland) 5-5, PG, 2015
Bri Moore (St. Mary’s, Stockton) 5-6, PG, 2015
Kelli Hayes (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) 6-1, G 2014
Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman (Berkeley) 5-2, PG, 2015
Morgan Green (Pacific Collegiate, Santa Cruz) 5-7, PG, 2014

For in-depth evaluations of the above lists and future Girls of Summer analysis, please consider joining our Gold Club in order to read that exclusive premium content.

Look for continued contributions from Holbert and PassThaBall, including video, on our site. That Gold Club coverage will begin at the End of the Trail Tournament in Oregon July 6-9.

Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend

A thunderous State Coach of the Year

Mark Tennis — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:10:41 +0000

State Coach of the Year Jeff Carlson of Elk Grove is interviewed by Sacramento media standouts Joe Davidson and Mike Finnerty after a recent baseball game. Photo: Courtesy John Hull (Elk Grove Citizen).

Elk Grove’s Jeff Carlson has pushed his program to a dominant position in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and it’s time to put him and the Thundering Herd in the spotlight. Other coaching honors announced for Wilmer Aaron (Gardena Serra) and Gil Ruiz (Pacific Grove).

Note: The first Cal-Hi Sports e-book, “California: The Baseball Capital of the World” is now available on Amazon, iTunes and other on-line e-book stores such as Kobo and Barnes & Noble. You can download a 27-page free sample of the book into your phone on iTunes now. This covers all the reasons why our state is so great in the sport, from MLB to the Cal League, from colleges, high school (of course) and Little League. We also have lists of all-time top high school players from San Diego, Orange County, the Inland Empire, L.A. City, CIF Central Section, Sacramento, SF/Peninsula and Oakland/East Bay. It’s just $3.99 to order. CLICK HERE for the link to the book on Amazon.

Whenever a coach’s tenure is referred to as an “era,” then you know that the coach has made a lasting imprint on a school and a community.

At Elk Grove near Sacramento, the Jeff Carlson coaching era in baseball began in 2000 and after this season includes nine conference titles with a fifth CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I crown.

Carlson and the Thundering Herd won this year’s section title with a two-game sweep over three-time defending champion St. Mary’s of Stockton. They ended No. 3 in the final Cal-Hi Sports state rankings at 29-5 and now have another honor with Carlson being chosen this week as the 2013 Cal-Hi Sports State Coach of the Year.

Carlson is the first from the Sac-Joaquin Section to be State Coach of the Year since Guy Anderson from Cordova of Rancho Cordova was selected in 1981. Anderson is now the second winningest coach in state history with more than 900 wins. The only other Sacramento area coaches on the all-time list are Dick Sperbeck from Bishop Armstrong (1962), Cliff Perry from McClatchy (1951) and Ed Combatalade of Sacramento (1935).

Although this year’s team at Elk Grove had several high-profile players such as Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year finalist Ryan “Rowdy” Tellez and Colorado Rockies signer Dom Nunez, Carlson also infused the talent of several younger players. Among that group was his son, freshman Dylan Carlson, who started a first base for much of the season.

Despite the success, it was still a trying season in some regards for Carlson and his son. His wife of 16 years, Caryn, has been restricted to a wheelchair for long stretches while recovering from a case of transverse myelitis, an inflammatory disorder that impacts the spinal cord.

In addition to baseball, Carlson has been a coach within Elk Grove’s very strong football program. He will be leading the junior varsity team this fall.

As with many strong programs in all sports, Carlson has benefitted from the work of his assistants. One of those assistants, Dave Pinckney, retired after the last St. Mary’s win and has been working within the baseball program since 1994.

In addition to Tellez and Nunez, some of Carlson’s other former players have included Oregon State catcher Jake Rodriguez, Cal State Fullerton pitcher/DH J.D. Davis, Sacramento State’s Will Soto and Long Beach State’s Zach Miller and Colby Brenner.

Another handful of former Elk Grove players are playing professionally, including Arizona Diamondbacks’ set-up pitcher David Hernandez and Oakland A’s farmhand David Freitas.

Note: Thanks to John Hull, sportswriter for the Elk Grove Citizen, for helping out with information and photos for this package.

Wilmer Aaron brings a rich history of experience to help the players at Serra and in the South Central L.A. community.

More Cal-Hi Sports State Baseball Coaches of the Year

Medium Schools:
Wilmer Aaron (Serra, Gardena)

Since taking over at Serra in 2009, Coach Aaron has continually been able to improve the Cavaliers’ record. This season ended with a CIF Southern Section Division III championship and one of their players, Dominic Smith, picked in the first round of the MLB Draft.

Before Aaron took over the Cavaliers in 2008, they had won just one game. They have now won at least 20 games for three seasons after not having a winning record and no more then 13 wins in the previous six years.

If you’re wondering, Wilmer is a cousin of Hall of Famer Henry Aaron. He played himself, but he never reached higher than the AA level.

The last baseball coach for the South Bay Region of Los Angeles County selected tops in the state was Harry Jenkins, who was the overall State Coach of the Year in 2000 from West of Torrance.

Gil Ruiz holds CCS D3 championship coaches’ plaque.

Small Schools:
Gil Ruiz (Pacific Grove)

Under Ruiz’s guidance, it was a record-breaking season for the Breakers as they went undefeated and captured the CIF Central Coast Section Division III championship for the second year in a row. Pacific Grove also ended the season as our No. 1 team in Division IV.

A graduate of Alisal High in Salinas, Ruiz played in college before getting his coaching career going as an assistant at Alisal and then Hartnell College before taking over with the Breakers back in 2005.

While at Alisal, one of the teams there suffered through an 0-28 season. It was the exact opposite in 2013 at PG. The 31-0 record now stands No. 2 on the all-time state list for best undefeated season behind the 2004 Chatsworth squad that went 35-0.

In his eight seasons, Ruiz has an overall record of 142-85-1. Among the other honors he has received this off-season is being named CCS Coach of the Year by Prep2Prep and The Salinas Californian All-County Coach of the Year.

Ironically, the last CCS coach to be selected as Small Schools State Coach of the Year in baseball was Craig Schoof from Menlo School of Atherton. Schoof’s team was the one that Ruiz’s team had to beat in that last game to end 31-0.

All-Time List Cal-Hi Sports
State Baseball Coaches Of The Year

2013 — Jeff Carlson, Elk Grove (29-5)
2012 — Steve Vickery, Lakeside El Capitan (31-7)
2011 — John Goulding, Union City James Logan (24-4)
2010 — Tom Donald, Clovis Buchanan (29-5)
2009 — Pete Jensen, San Mateo Serra (30-6)
2008 — Jeff Phillips, La Mesa Grossmont (29-7)
2007 — John Diatte, San Jose Valley Christian (33-4)
2006 — Spud O’Neil, Lakewood (29-5-1)
2005 — Bill Hutton, San Jose Mitty (28-6)
2004 — Rick Steen, Danville San Ramon Valley (25-8)
2003 — Justin Machado, Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (32-1)
2002 — Dave Currie, Santa Clara Wilcox (34-3)
2001 — Tom Muesborn, Chatsworth (31-2)
2000 — Harry Jenkins, Torrance West (29-2)
1999 — Joe Walters, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (27-1-1)
1998 — James Patrick, Clovis (33-2)
1997 — Dave Brunell, Santa Maria St. Joseph (29-0)
1996 — Dennis Pugh, San Diego Mission Bay (29-5)
1995 — Dave Demarest, Westminster La Quinta (28-3-1)
1994 — Ron LaRuffa, Fountain Valley (27-3-1)
1993 — Mike Maio, Woodland Hills El Camino Real (24-2)
1992 — Dan Peters, Long Beach Millikan (22-5-1)
1991 — Jeff Meredith, La Mesa Grossmont (28-1)
1990 — Mickey McNamee, San Marino (23-2-1)
1989 — Sam Blalock, San Diego Mt. Carmel (25-2)
1988 — Chris Sims, Moraga Campolindo (24-5)
1987 — Don Ardissone, San Jose Bellarmine (26-7)
1986 — Mike Curran, Anaheim Esperanza (25-3-1)
1985 — Dave Perkins, Hanford (23-5)
1984 — Darryl Stroh, Granada Hills (16-2-1)
1983 — Larry Quirico, El Cerrito (27-1)
1982 — Jim Garrett, Tulare (21-5)
1981 — Guy Anderson, Rancho Cordova (28-8)
1980 — Mike Noakes, Fresno Bullard (29-2)
1979 — John Bachman, Covina (27-3)
1978 — Al Endriss, Larkspur Redwood (30-5)
1977 — Lou Zuardo, South S.F. El Camino (28-1)
1976 — John Herbold, Lakewood (22-4-1)
1975 — Jack Hannah, Fresno Hoover (29-2)
1974 — Jim O’Brien, Torrance North (26-6-1)
1973 — John Stevenson, El Segundo (30-5)
1972 — Hi LaValle, Compton Dominguez (22-4-1)
1971 — Denny Holt, Sepulveda Monroe (19-0)
1970 — Dan Bodary, Lompoc (27-1)
1969 — Bob Myers, Long Beach Millikan (21-6)
1968 — Bill Sandback, San Diego Crawford (21-7)
1967 — Marvin Wood, Torrance Bishop Montgomery (27-3)
1966 — Bill Cox, Oakland St. Elizabeth (23-5)
1965 — Al Exton, Arcadia (21-4)
1964 — Bob Zuber, Van Nuys Birmingham (18-1)
1963 — Bill Kelly, Redondo Beach Aviation (20-3)
1962 — Dick Sperbeck, Sacramento Bishop Armstrong (22-2)
1961 — Elmo Ferrari, Ojai Villanova (17-0)
1960 — Jake Abbott, Fresno Roosevelt (20-2)
1959 — Howard Johnson, Inglewood Morningside (20-6)
1958 — Ken Proctor, Ontario Chaffey (20-5)
1957 — Ollie Bidwell, Fresno (22-2)
1956 — Bill Ziegler, Eureka (18-0)
1955 — Bob Patterson, Vallejo (20-1)
1954 — Ed Grimm, Redding Shasta (14-0)
1953 — Charles Doyle, Compton (23-2)
1952 — George Powles, Oakland McClymonds (16-0)
1951 — Cliff Perry, Sacramento McClatchy (22-0-1)
1950 — Harry Brubaker, L.A. Dorsey (17-0*)
1949 — Al Kyte, Oakland Technical (8-2, League)
1948 — Len Porterfield, Santa Maria (16-2)
1947 — Cliff Meyer, Long Beach Wilson (20-3)
1946 — Walt Williams, San Jose (17-2)
1945 — Pop Elder, S.F. Mission (10-0, League)
1944 — Bob Fatjo, San Jose Bellarmine (13-2)
1943 — Les Haserot, L.A. Fremont (13-1)
1942 — Roy Engle, San Diego Hoover (13-0 vs. Prep Teams)
1941 — Ras Johnson, S.F. Galileo (12-1*)
1940 — George Wolfman, S.F. Mission (11-1*)
1939 — Dewey Morrow, San Diego (22-5)
1938 — George Sperry, Glendale
1937 — Bernie Baumeister, S.F. Commerce (12-2, League)
1936 — Lyle Kinnear, Long Beach Polytechnic (23-2)
1935 — Ed Combatalade, Sacramento (20-1)
1934 — Myles Regan, L.A. Cathedral (13-5-1)
1933 — Kit Carlson, Santa Maria (9-1)
*League and playoff record

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports

Two in top 10 of FAB 50 baseball

Mark Tennis — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:13:29 +0000

Catcher Jeremy Martinez helped Mater Dei to two major tourney championships. The Monarchs probably would have ended No. 1 in the FAB 50 if they had added CIFSS title. Photo: Paul Muyskens.

Harvard-Westlake ends No. 4 with St. Francis at No. 7 in final FAB 50 national rankings. The original 50-deep team rankings for the 2013 season also includes Elk Grove, Clovis North, Rancho Bernardo, Mater Dei and many more. The FAB 50 will return every week next season.

For national football coverage and more, please check out the new StudentSports.com.

It’s been a bounty of postseason honors for coach Richard La Bounty and his baseball team at Pensacola Catholic of Pensacola, Fla.

Add one more for the Crusaders as they’ve been selected as the FAB 50 national champion and are on top of the final FAB 50 national rankings by Student Sports.

The Student Sports FAB 50 was not compiled during the season, but is an extension of a national rankings program that in previous seasons has been part of ESPN, Rivals.com and Fox Sports. Look for the FAB 50 national rankings to be back in softball every week next season and in other sports (including football) for the 2013-14 school year.

Pensacola Catholic pulled off the hard-to-believe feat of going unbeaten and winning an upper division state title in the ultra-difficult Florida state playoffs. The team also won its second straight Class 4A crown by topping Monsignor Pace of Miami 7-5 in the title game.

It’s safe to say that if the Crusaders had lost just once, that the final No. 1 ranking in the FAB 50 would have gone to 36-0 Owasso of Oklahoma. The unbeaten record for the Rams was a first for them, but they also went to Florida, played several top teams and didn’t lose. In previous years, top Owasso teams have dropped games in trips to Florida.

FINAL STUDENT SPORTS
FAB 50 BASEBALL RANKINGS

(2013 SEASON)

1. Pensacola Catholic (Pensacola, Fla.) 30-0
Junior James McGhee came through with a two-run double in the eighth inning to help the Crusaders win their last game. For the season, the team had that great combination of pitching and hitting that the best of the best all possess. Senior Avery Cooper, headed to Mississippi State, went 12-0 with a 0.74 ERA while senior Cooper Jones went 9-0 with a 1.32 ERA. Senior Drew La Bounty led the hitters at .511 while junior Cody Henry had 43 RBIs and sophomore Evans Bozeman had seven homers.

2. Owasso (Owasso, Okla.) 36-0
Brothers Ausin and Mason O’Brien and third baseman Trae Bobo were the heavy hitters in the middle of the Rams’ lineup. The O’Briens are nephews of former MLB catcher Charlie O’Brien.

3. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 32-2
With a 7-1 win over St. Ignatius of Cleveland, the Crusaders became the first team in 17 years to win back-to-back Division I state championships. Known for producing Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin, Moeller also now has 12 state titles in program history.

4. Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 28-4
Junior pitcher Jack Flaherty capped a 13-0 season with a shutout in the team’s 1-0 victory at Dodger Stadium over Marina of Huntington Beach in the CIF Southern Section Division I final. The Wolverines also were runner-up to Mater Dei of Santa Ana in the second straight All-California final at the National High School Invitational in North Carolina.

5. Venice (Venice, Fla.) 29-3
Swinging hot bats in the Class 7A state finals, the Indians had 21 hits in a 14-4 win over Haines City to defend their state title.

6. The Woodlands (Conroe, Texas) 38-4
For the third time since 2000, the Highlanders ended the season as state champions as they rallied from an early deficit to defeat Dulles of Fort Bend 9-5 in the Class 5A state finals.

7. St. Francis (Mountain View, Calif.) 30-4
After watching both the Lancers and No. 4 Harvard-Westlake, there was no difference if any between the two teams in all facets of the game. St. Francis, which won the CIF Central Coast Section Division I title, also has a big-time junior pitcher, too, in lefty John Gavin.

8. Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 31-4
Facing the two-time defending state champions from Chaparral of Scottsdale, it was the Wolves who captured their first state title with a 4-3 victory in the Division I finals. Kyle Palmer drove in the game-winning run in the eighth inning.

9. Archbishop McCarthy (Santaluces, Fla.) 28-4
It was another season and another Class 6A state championship for the Mavericks as they became the first team in state history to win four straight after a 5-2 win over Mosley of Lynn Haven in the finals. Their first of four state titles back in 2010 came in Class 4A.

10. Tomball (Tomball, Texas) 34-4
Robert Dugger was solid at the plate and on the mound as the Cougars earned their first-ever state championship with a 6-1 win over Moody of Corpus Christi in the UIL Class 4A finals. In the win, Dugger pitched a complete game and drove in four runs to earn MVP honors.

11. Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) 27-5
The Patriots won their fourth state title and first since 2008 with an 8-3 triumph over Durant of Plant City in the Class 8A state final. Tate Blackman and Mick Tinny capped a big four-run rally in the third inning with a two-run double and then an RBI single.

12. Elk Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.) 29-5
USC-bound Ryan “Rowdy” Tellez finished his career with a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section record 176 RBIs. The section champs, who have now won five such crowns in the last 11 years, also were led by four-year starter Dom Nunez, who just signed with the Colorado Rockies after being chosen in the sixth round of the recent MLB draft.

13. Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 36-4
For the first time after seven straight years, Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas was not the state’s top team. The Cougars did the deed by beating the Gaels 7-4 in the deciding game. Chandler Blanchard blasted three home runs for Coronado in that game and was the winning pitcher.

14. Lexington (Lexington, S.C.) 28-5
Josh Reagan didn’t lose a game on the mound all season and that included the Wildcats’ season-finale as they defeated Blythewood 4-0 in the Class 4A state finals. It was their sixth state title in program history but first since 1999.

15. Elkhart Central (Elkhart, Ind.) 32-1
In a 1-0 showdown win over previously unbeaten Cathedral of Indianapolis in the Class 4A state title game, Tanner Tully did it all for the Blazers with a leadoff homer as a batter plus 13 strikeouts on the mound.

16. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 29-3-1
Phil Bickford, the first California high school player chosen in the MLB Draft and No. 10 overall, struck out 18 in his final game to lead the Lions to the CIFSS Division IV title. Their last loss was to No. 4 Harvard-Westlake.

17. Sun Prairie (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) 26-2
Even with top player Tony Butler missing for the season with an injury, the Cardinals followed up their 30-1 season from last year with a second straight Division I state title. They edged Stevens Point 5-4 in the final with the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning coming on a double by Conner Funnell.

18. Howell (St. Charles, Mo.) 32-5
The Vikings started and ended the season at the top of Missouri. They captured their second championship in three years with a 7-3 win over Christian Brothers of St. Louis in the Class 5A finals. Back in 2011, they went 32-3 and won the Class 4 championship.

19. Bay City Western (Auburn, Mich.) 42-2
The Warriors completed a dominant season in Michigan with a 1-0 win in the Division I championship against Brother Rice of Birmingham. Connor Foley pitched the complete-game shutout and got the only RBI he needed on a clutch single in the sixth inning by Brendan Harrison.

20. Clovis North (Fresno, Calif.) 27-6
The Broncos won their first CIF Central Section Division I championship and have successfully joined a powerhouse lineup of teams in their league that already included Clovis, Buchanan of Clovis and Clovis West of Fresno.

21. Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, Calif.) 30-5
Veteran coach Sam Blalock guided the Broncos to their seventh CIF San Diego Section title and his 11th overall as a coach. They’ll be strong next year, too, due to the return of big-time catcher Alex Jackson and other key players.

22. Notre Dame Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 30-7
After reaching the state championship game and losing three times in the last six years, the Saints finally got to celebrate after they knocked off defending champion Sunnyslope of Phoenix 2-1 in the Division II state finals. Their high national ranking also is due to going 3-2 in head-to-head matchups against Division I state champ Desert Mountain.

23. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 24-3
If the Monarchs had not lost in their very first playoff game to Huntington Beach and had gone on to win the CIFSS Division I title, there’s little doubt they would have finished No. 1 in the nation. That’s because they earlier won the NHSI for the second straight year and also were champions of the first Boras Baseball Classic.

24. Jupiter (Jupiter, Fla.) 24-5
The Warriors stand out for posting a regular season win over No. 9 Archbishop McCarthy. Then in the Class 8A state playoffs, they knocked off perennial power Flanagan of Pembroke Pines before losing to eventual champion Lake Brantley.

25. Fayetteville (Fayetteville, Ark.) 27-2
Securing their sixth state championship in program history, the Bulldogs defeated Rogers 6-3 in the Class 7A finals.

26. Cranford (Cranford, N.J.) 25-1
The Star-Ledger’s No. 1 team from New Jersey lost just once all season and that loss didn’t come at the end as the Cougars defeated Burlington Township of Burlington 4-2 in the Group 3 state finals. The Cougars have won three state championships in the last four years.

27. Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 29-1
It’s fairly certain that the Fighting Irish would have finished in the top 10 or higher if they had won the Class 4A state final and were 30-0. Sophomore phenom pitcher Ashe Russell still pitched well in the 1-0 defeat and should be a national player to watch next season.

28. Flora (Columbia, S.C.) 26-6
Make it back-to-back state championships for the Falcons as they defeated Airport of West Columbia 11-3 in the Class 3A state finals. They have now won four state championships in program history with the others coming in 2007 and 2001.

29. Fort Bend Dulles (Sugar Land, Texas) 32-8
A 3-0 win over Arlington Martin pushed the Vikings into the Division I state final, but their quest then ended in a loss to No. 6 The Woodlands.

30. Milton (Milton, Ga.) 31-9-1
It took all three games and extra innings in the final, but the Eagles defeated Roswell 2-1 for the AAAAAA state championship. It ended a stretch that had seen them not win a state title since 2004. Nine losses is a lot for a top 30 team, but Georgia baseball in general is on the rise and Milton was the state’s best in 2013.

31. Mt. Carmel (Chicago, Ill.) 34-8
The Mt. Carmel football program had already won the Class 8A championship earlier this season, but for the first time in school history the Caravan are baseball state champions. They defeated Libertyville 2-1 in the Class 4A championship game. According to the Illinois High School Association, it is just the third time in state history that a school has won a title in both sports.

32. O’Connor (Phoenix, Ariz.) 29-4
Coach Jeff Baumgartner’s squad was arguably the best in Arizona in the regular season. Although the schedule was strong, including a win over national power Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, the Eagles still fell victim to the upset in the Division I state playoffs with a 4-3 loss to Desert Vista of Phoenix.

33. Blue Valley West (Stilwater, Kan.) 26-3
The Jaguars defeated Olathe South 8-0 to capture the KSHSAA Class 6A state championship.

34. Mosley (Lynn Haven, Fla.) 28-4
The Dolphins knocked off Pace and Tampa King on their way to the Class 6A state finals, but were unable to stop the streak of state championships won by Archbishop McCarthy in a 5-2 loss.

35. Pleasure Ridge Park (Louisville, Ky.) 40-7
Led by the winningest coach in state history, Bill Miller, who has 1,115 wins, the Panthers defeated Mercer County of Harrodsburg 3-2 in extra innings to claim the KHSAA state tournament championship. Miller has now coached his team to five state titles, which reportedly ties him for a state record.

36. Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) 21-6-1
The Cougars made it four straight titles in the CIF North Coast Section Division II playoffs. They also played perhaps their strongest preseason schedule, which included a win over Serra of San Mateo.

37. ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) 21-5
With two runs in the top of the seventh inning, the Grizzlies defeated Rocky Mountain of Fort Collins 2-1 for Class 5A state championship.

38. Seaman (Topeka, Kan.) 23-2
For the sixth time in 10 years, the Vikings ended the season with a state championship victory, this time by a 10-3 final over Carroll of Wichita. In his 15th season at the school, head coach Steve Bushnell has now led the Vikings to seven state titles.

39. Granada (Livermore, Calif.) 24-2
Heading into the CIF North Coast Section Class 4A semifinals, the Matadors were No. 1 in California and had a chance to stamp themselves as one of the best in NCS history. They lost, though, to league rival Amador Valley of Pleasanton, a team they had beaten twice earlier in the season.

40. Redan (Stone Mountain, Ga.) 30-7
With two wins over Marist of Atlanta, the Raiders swept the Class AAAA state championship series for their first title in program history after never reaching the state championship series before.

41. Hanover (Mechanicsburg, Va.) 24-4
Virginia-bound junior pitcher Derek Casey had 10 strikeouts as the Hawks picked up a 2-1 win over Great Bridge of Chesapeake in the Group AAA state championship game.

42. Serra (Gardena, Calif.) 27-5
Dominic Smith, the No. 11 pick overall in the first round of the recent MLB Draft, led the Cavaliers to their first CIFSS Division III championship. They also ended the season on a 17-game win streak.

43. Moody (Corpus Christi, Texas) 32-7-1
The Trojans once again were one of the best in Texas and lost in the Class 4A state final to No. 10 Tomball.

44. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 29-7
After an 0-2 start, the Wildcats played consistently well, then got hot in the playoffs and made it to the Division I state final before losing to No. 3 Archbishop Moeller.

45. Pope (Marietta, Ga.) 28-10
Several Georgia Class AAAAA squads won notable games against teams from other states, which helps the Greyhounds get into the FAB 50 despite 10 losses. They also swept the Class AAAAA championship series with two wins over Greenbrier of Evans.

46. Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) 34-3
For the second year in a row it was the Titans who defeated Claremore in the Class 5A state championship. They were victorious this season 4-2. They became the first school to repeat as 5A state champions since 1992 and 1993.

47. Magnolia Heights (Senatobia, Miss.) 38-0
A difficult to decipher schedule prevents this team from being higher in the FAB 50, but it’s clear that the Chiefs should be considered No. 1 in Mississippi due to a head-to-head win over Class 6A state champ Southaven.

48. Mason (Mason, Ohio) 24-1
The Comets were streaking along at 24-0 and perhaps gunning toward a showdown with Archbishop Moeller in the Division I state playoffs, but then they lost 6-1 to Northmont of Clayton and the season was over.

49. Gloucester Catholic (Gloucester City, N.J.) 29-5
With Maryland-bound pitcher Mike Shawaryn on the mound, the Rams became the second team in state history to win four straight state titles after they defeated Seton Hall Prep 2-0 in the NJSIAA Non-Public A championship game. They have now won a state-best 17 state baseball titles and their four straight championships ties the state record.

50. Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) 27-9
The reason that Florida Class 5A champ Ponte Vedra isn’t ranked is because of a loss to Columbus of Georgia, which is a team that lost to Parkview. The Panthers also did well in their own state playoff division and were eliminated by eventual champion and FAB 50-ranked Milton. They even got one win against Milton in the best-of-three series.

MORE HONORABLE MENTION TEAMS (Alphabetical)

American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 25-3
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 33-9-1
Bridgewater-Raynham (Bridgewater, Mass.) 21-5
Brother Rice (Birmingham, Mich.) 31-8-1
Collierville (Collierville, Tenn.) 34-12
Eastern (Vorhees, N.J.) 29-4
Edgewood Academy (Elmore, Ala.) 44-3
Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.) 35-9
Fountain Valley (Fountain Valley, Calif.) 24-5
Martin (Arlington, Texas) 35-8-1
Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 26-9
Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) 23-11
Rio Rancho (Albuquerque, N.M.) 23-8
Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins, Colo.) 21-4
Serra (San Mateo, Calif.) 27-7
Sheldon (Eugene, Ore.) 22-5
Skyview (Vancouver, Wash.) 18-6
South Mecklenburg (Charlotte, N.C.) 27-8
Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.) 28-5

Note: Paul Muyskens and Doug Huff contributed to this report.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He also is a national editor for Student Sports. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports

Santiago No. 2 in final FAB 50 softball

Mark Tennis — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:04:08 +0000

Crystal Williams (left) and Arizona State-bound pitcher Johanna Grauer were top players for FAB 50 ranked Amador Valley of Pleasanton. Photo: Harold Abend.

Sharks are behind only Red Mountain of Arizona in original 50-team deep final national rankings. Four other California teams are in the top 10 and there are 13 that made the cut above 50. FAB 50 national rankings will be back every week next season.

For national football coverage and more, please check out the new StudentSports.com.

The toughest high school softball playoff divisions to get through in the nation are in Southern California, Arizona and Texas. So when one team won its fourth in a row in Arizona’s Division I, that is enough for that team to be considered No. 1 in the nation.

Red Mountain of Mesa, Ariz., completed its four-peat by topping Chaparral of Scottsdale 9-5 in the Division I state final in May and this week has been chosen as the FAB 50 national champion by Student Sports.

The Mountain Lions also have all of the other key factors in their favor to be No. 1 nationally, including win-loss record (33-5) against a highly-competitive schedule plus major college-level pitching (junior Brianna Macha is committed to national power Arizona State) and several other Division I college recruits peppered throughout the lineup.

Finishing just behind Red Mountain with similar credentials is Santiago of Corona, Calif. The Sharks don’t have four straight titles, but they did win their second CIF Southern Section Division I title in three seasons at 30-5.

Red Mountain and Santiago are far down the list and barely mentioned in either of the two other national softball rankings, but those rankings are obviously going by criteria that doesn’t include strength of schedule in one instance or winning a championship in a team’s final game in the other.

FINAL STUDENT SPORTS
FAB 50 SOFTBALL RANKINGS

(2013 season)

1. Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.) 33-5
Coach Richard Hamilton’s girls won their final 15 games of the season after a slow start and outscored their foes 27-6 in the playoffs. Junior catcher Jordan Beck and junior Savannah Kirkpatrick both hit homers in the team’s 9-5 win in the Division I state final over Chaparral of Scottsdale.

2. Santiago (Corona, Calif.) 30-5
Hailing from the same league as Norco, last year’s FAB 50 national champion, the Sharks beat Norco 8-2 to win their second CIF Southern Section Division I title in the last three seasons. Pitcher Erica Romero won all 30 games and had a 0.79 ERA.

3. James Logan (Union City, Calif.) 26-1
Senior RaeAnn Garza pitched the Colts to their second straight CIF North Coast Section Division I title and their second straight 26-1 season. She went 21-1 with a 0.85 ERA and batted .412 with 23 RBIs.

4. Northern (Owings, Md.) 23-0
The Patriots defeated previously unbeaten Eastern Technical of Baltimore County 3-0 in the Class 3A state final and set a state record with their sixth straight state championship. They also will enter next season on a 76-game winning streak.

5. Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, Ariz.) 36-1
Arizona Republic Big School Player of the Year Taylor Nowlin pitched a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts in Sunrise Mountain’s 7-0 win over Ironwood Ridge of Tucson in the Division II state final. The team’s only loss was to a Division I team, which is generally regarded within the state as being much stronger than Division II.

6. Hoover (Canton, Ohio) 31-0
Led by head coach Jerry Goodpasture, the Vikings finished off their undefeated season with a 7-0 win over Elyria in the Division I championship game. Tara Thacker went 22-0 in the circle. They also captured their third straight state championship.

7. Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) 33-1
Bailey Rhoney was named series MVP as the Cougars as swept Wake Forest-Rolesville in the 4-A state championship.

8. Coral Reef (Miami, Fla.) 25-2
The Barracudas had a strong overall season in the Sunshine State, winning the Class 8A state title with a 5-4 triumph against Cypress Bay of Weston.

9. Vintage (Napa, Calif.) 34-1
The Crushers emerged as a dominant team from the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. Their only loss came in the double-elimination Division I section playoffs to Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove, but they came back to beat Pleasant Grove twice to win the title.

10. Norco (Norco, Calif.) 27-8
Despite eight losses, the Cougars end up in the top 10 of the FAB 50 due to their strength of schedule. They played in the Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Ariz., the Michelle Carew Classic in Anaheim and then made it to the CIFSS Division I final for the third time in four years.

11. Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) 26-6
For Division I college bound talent, this was perhaps the top team in the nation. The Mariners started slow, then won 19 straight and got back up to No. 1 in California before they lost in the CIFSS Division I semifinals to Norco.

12. Columbia (Lake City, Fla.) 28-4
Sophomore pitchers Erin Anderson and Ashley Shoup pitched a combined no-hitter as the Tigers won their first ever Class 6A state championship with a 6-2 win over the defending state champions from Pembroke Pines Charter.

13. Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.) 31-4
The Mountain Lions get credit in the FAB 50 for handing Peoria Sunrise Mountain its only loss. A strong regular season also included a win over Basha of Chandler with a loss to Horizon of Scottsdale that was avenged in the state playoffs.

14. John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) 31-0
Rachel Brokhous hit a two-run home run as the Patriots repeated as Class 2A state champions with a 3-2 win over Riverside Academy of Reserve. They should be strong again next season with junior pitcher-hitter Katie Brignac among the returnees.

15. Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 30-1
This team’s only loss was to No. 4 Northern of Owings, Md. It won the Division I state championship in convincing fashion and made it 18 state titles in 20 years. Missouri-bound pitcher Tori Finucane was 26-1 in the circle while also driving in 45 runs to earn Gatorade State Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row.

16. Kingwood (Humble, Texas) 34-4
It was strange season in Texas because the eventual Division I state champion was Lewisville, which had 13 losses. While Lewisville also is in the FAB 50, Kingwood can be higher based on its overall season. Despite a 3-2 loss to Lewisville in the state final, the Mustangs avenged an earlier loss with a win over Deer Park in the semifinals. They also avenged another early-season loss to Atascocita of Humble and had an impressive sweep of The Woodlands (No. 1 in the nation in 2010) in the regional finals.

17. Yorba Linda (Yorba Linda, Calif.) 24-4
Coach Sharon Farrell and outstanding junior pitcher Paige von Sprecken brought the Mustangs out of the woodwork in Southern California. They were the ones who beat Amador Valley of Pleasanton at the Michelle Carew Classic when Amador was No. 1 in the nation by some. Their only losses were to No. 2 Santiago and No. 11 Pacifica.

18. St. John Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) 29-2
With a starting lineup consisting of just one senior, the Lancers won the NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship for the third time in the last four seasons. Notre Dame-bound junior pitcher Katie Beriont led the way in the circle.

19. Chino (Chino, Calif.) 26-2
Junior pitcher Miranda Viramontes tossed five no-hitters to lead the Cowgirls to their second straight CIFSS Division II title. Coach Mike Smith also has been named the Cal-Hi Sports State Coach of the Year.

20. Lake City (Couer d’ Alene, Idaho) 28-0
For the second time in the last three seasons, the Timberwolves not only captured the 5A state championship but they did so without losing a game. Missouri-bound pitcher/hitter Casey Stangel was the team’s dominant player.

21. Olathe East (Olathe, Kan.) 24-1
Facing undefeated Washburn Rural of Topeka in the 6A state finals, the Hawks made sure the Blues’ season would end with a loss. The 5-3 win earned Olathe East a second straight title. The team featured junior Allison Stewart, who was on our All-American as a sophomore last year.

22. Deer Park (Deer Park, Texas) 37-5
A two-game sweep over Brazoswood of Clute carried the Deer to the state final four for Division I before they lost to Kingwood. One of Deer Park’s losses was to Pearland, which is the team Brazoswood swept earlier in the playoffs.

23. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 22-5
Meghan King was dominant in the circle for the Raiders as they won by identical 1-0 scores in the semifinals and finals to win the Class 7A state championship. It was their first time winning back-to-back state crowns since 2002 and 2003.

24. San Benito (Hollister, Calif.) 25-3
If there’s a program in Northern California that knows how to put things together for the playoffs, it’s this one. San Benito won its eighth straight CIF Central Coast Section Division I title and next season will try to tie the state record with a ninth consecutive crown.

25. Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 26-2
With super sophomore Alyssa Palomino and her 18 homers leading the way, the Diablos were No. 1 in Orange County and No. 1 in California until they were knocked out of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs in an upset.

26. Greenwood (Bowling Green, Ky.) 44-0
Leaving little doubt as to whuch was the best team in Kentucky, the Lady Gators won the KHSAA State Tournament by outscoring their competition by a combined score of 42-4. It was their third state championship in program history after winning back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008.

27. Milford (Milford, Mass.) 25-1
Kentucky-bound Shannon Smith capped perhaps the greatest season by a player in state history with 12 strikeouts and a one-hitter in 1-0 Division I state final win over Agawan. It was the team’s second straight state crown.

28. Lewisville (Lewisville, Texas) 31-13
A team with 13 losses winning one of the nation’s major championships is tough to rank, but the Farmers certainly proved they belonged. They beat San Benito 5-2 in the Division I semifinals, then topped Kingwood 3-2 in the final.

29. Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 28-12
Over the final month of the season, the Firebirds lost only to Red Mountain (twice) and down the stretch beat some of the top teams in the state, including Basha of Glendale, Cienega of Vail, Mountain Ridge of Glendale, Horizon of Scottsdale and Mountain View of Mesa.

30. Niceville (Niceville, Fla.) 26-2
The Eagles had a great season and were on track to perhaps end with just one loss and a very high final national ranking. It all came to an end, however, in the Class 6A regional semifinals with a loss to Mosley of Lynn Haven.

31. Great Bridge (Chesapeake, Va.) 25-3
The Wildcats will no longer have to say their last state championship was back in 2009 as they won the Group AAA title with a 10-9 win over Stone Bridge of Ashburn, which was on a 20-game win streak.

32. Pearland (Pearland, Texas) 36-4
Sophomore Samantha Show won 30 games in the circle and batted .436 with 10 homers and 70 RBIs to lead the Lady Oilers. They’ll be candidates to be ranked high to start the 2014 season.

33. Barrington (Barrington, Ill.) 35-2
It was bittersweet season for the Fillies because they were 35-1 heading into the Class 4A state semifinals but then suffered an upset loss to St. Charles East. Based on their strong overall season, they can still be ranked highest among teams from Illinois.

34. Gulliver Prep (Miami, Fla.) 24-5
Former FAB 50 Coach of the Year Mark Schusterman and the Raiders won their fourth straight state championship with a 9-1 win over Madison County of Madison in the Class 4A finals.

35. California (San Ramon, Calif.) 21-5
Junior pitcher Lindsey Chalmers pitched well for the Grizzlies all season. They went 1-1 against Amador Valley, winning the second time, and made it to the CIF North Coast Section Division I final where they lost to No. 3 James Logan.

36. Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) 22-3
Many in California rank junior Johanna Grauer of the Dons as the state’s most impressive pitcher. The Arizona State-committed player, though, stepped in a gopher hole prior to the team’s CIFNCS Division I semifinal game and suffered a severe ankle sprain. She couldn’t go, the team lost so the final ranking suffered as well.

37. Pembroke Pines Charter (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) 22-4
The Jaguars advanced to the Class 6A state final and were hoping for a repeat but lost 6-2 to Columbia of Lake City. Their earlier playoff run, though, still featured quality wins over teams such as Naples and Gainesville.

38. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.) 27-8
Valerie Kaff pitched the Toros to a strong season. She was the Gatorade State Player of the Year and is headed to Michigan State. The team’s playoff loss was to No. 1 Red Mountain.

39. Immaculate Heart (Washington Township, N.J.) 31-2
Finishing No. 2 in the Star-Ledger’s Top 20, the Eagles were unable to hold on to a lead against No. 18 in the nation St. John Vianney of Holmdel in the Non-Public Class A finals. Lafayette-bound junior Steph Thomas went 29-2 on the season and will chase the state’s all-time career win record next season.

40. San Benito (San Benito, Texas) 34-3
The Greyhounds advanced to the Division I state semifinals with a win over Smithson Valley, then lost 5-2 to eventual champion Lewisville.

41. Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 29-6
Coach Lindsey Collins’ squad posted quality wins during the season against Mountain Ridge, Basha, Red Mountain, Chaparral, Mountain View and Desert Mountain. The team’s playoff loss was to Chaparral.

42. Minooka (Minooka, Ill.) 23-8
The Indians broke a state record for hits in a state title game with 18 in a 14-3 win over St. Charles East in the Class 4A championship game.

43. North Medford (Medford, Ore.) 27-5-1
In dramatic fashion, the Black Tornado scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and then won in walkoff fashion as they defeated Glencoe of Hillsboro 2-1 for their second straight Class 6A state championship. Louisville-bound pitcher Maryssa Becker pitched a no-hitter in the state finals win.

44. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 27-1
The Monarchs looked like they might cruise to a 29-0 record and another CIF Central Coast Section Division II title, but they were upset by Gilroy in the semifinals. They still had a strong overall season, including the title at the annual Livermore Stampede.

45. Glenbard South (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) 31-7
Needing extra innings, the Raiders defended their Class 3A state championship with a 1-0 win over Marquette of Alton. With the win, they also became the first large-school team to win back-to-back state titles since 1991.

46. Marina (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 25-4
Junior Tera Blanco was one of the state’s top pitchers and led the Vikings to a top finish in Southern California’s very strong Sunset League.

47. Mattawan (Mattawan, Mich.) 35-8
Six-foot-5 junior pitcher Allie Havers, who has All-American abilities in volleyball and basketball in addition to softball, tossed a two-hitter, struck out 11 and had an RBI to lead the Wildcats past Bay City Western 2-1 in the Michigan largest class state final.

48. Smyrna (Smyrna, Tenn.) 40-10
Just two years from winning only 10 games all season, the Lady Bulldogs had a season for the history books as they finished with the most wins in program history and a Class AAA championship. On their way to the title, Smyrna topped perennial national power Soddy Daisy.

49. Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.) 24-4
Entering the CIFSS Division I playoffs, the Aztecs were seeded No. 1 based on their outstanding season, which included a first-place finish in the Century League, another of the toughest leagues in the nation that is in Southern California.

50. Connell (Connell, Wash.) 27-0
This small school powerhouse is hard to rank due to strength of schedule, but there’s no question that the Eagles were the top overall team in Washington due to a few bigger schools they played. There’s also no doubt they have one of the nation’s top players in BYU-bound Ashley Thompson. She pitched 11 no-hitters, including one stretch of seven in a row.

More Honorable Mention Teams

American Heritage (Delray Beach, Fla.) 22-6
Basha (Glendale, Ariz.) 26-6
Bay City Western (Bay City, Mich.) 37-3
Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.) 36-6
Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.) 25-1
Desert Ridge (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 23-10
Elyria (Elyria, Ohio) 27-6
Estrella Foothills (Goodyear, Ariz.) 33-2
Freedom (Tampa, Fla.) 22-4
Hays (Buda, Texas) 31-10
Lakewood (Lakewood, Calif.) 24-6
Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 30-1
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 23-5
Portage (Portage, Ind.) 25-6
Soddy Daisy (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) 38-10
The Woodlands (Conroe, Texas) 30-9
Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.) 24-1
Washington Township (Sewell, N.J.) 30-2

Paul Muyskens, Doug Huff and Brentt Eads contributed to this post.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com and is a national editor for Student Sports. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports

QB turns kicker, wins all-star game

Mark Tennis — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 08:39:00 +0000

Happy Father’s Day to Lynn Zwahlen (left), who is with his son, Aaron, the MVP of the 40th annual Lions All-Star Game played Saturday night in Modesto. Photo: Mark Tennis.

Aaron Zwahlen from Downey of Modesto was one of the top QBs in the state last season. In Saturday’s Lions All-Star Game in Modesto, he passed for one TD, ran for another and kicked 35-yard field with four seconds left.

It’s difficult for local high school football all-star games that are held in the summer to get Division I signed quarterbacks to participate. Most of the time, their future colleges already are working with them.

That’s why it was a rare treat to see Aaron Zwahlen from Downey of Modesto leading the South team against the North during Saturday’s 40th annual Central California Lions All-Star Classic at Modesto Junior College.

Zwahlen, who passed for 3,800 yards and 49 TDs for Downey last season, has all the attributes of a D1 quarterback. He showed them all in an MVP performance during a 17-14 triumph by the South squad.

After the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder threw a 30-yard TD pass to Bradley Adamson of Merced and ran for a 6-yard score in the third quarter, the North rallied to tie the game 14-14 with 2:33 remaining.

Both teams then had their chances to go in front, but Zwahlen ended up with the last laugh. He completed a 23-yard pass to Atwater’s Matt Parker with 15 seconds left to get his team inside the 20-yard line and then with four seconds left kicked (yes, kicked) a game-winning 35-yard field goal.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever kicked in a game,” said Zwahlen, who finished with 287 yards passing. “I punted last season but never place-kicked. It felt good. I practiced with it all week.”

Zwahlen was joined by several family members who had played in previous Lions All-Star games over the years and was glad he was able to do it.

“It’s a huge honor to represent the South,” said Zwahlen, who will leave in one week to start a two-year Mormon mission before he heads to the University of Hawaii to begin his collegiate career. “This is just the second time in 10 years that the South has won and I hope this breaks the chain.”

North quarterback Zack Johnson from Kimball of Tracy began to match Zwahlen for offensive excitement in the second half. Johnson scored the team’s first touchdown late in the third quarter and on a 32-yard run and then ran it up the middle for a 9-yard score. That was followed by two-point conversion run by Manteca Sierra’s Anthony Cota that tied the score.

“It was a great opportunity and a lot of fun,” Johnson said of his efforts. “I had seen Aaron’s stats all season and was happy we came back. The first half was slow, but we all picked it up in the second half.”

Johnson’s quick feet and ability to make people miss in the open field had some in the press box wondering if he was recruited to play slot receiver.

“A few places wanted me to walk-on and do that, but I’d rather come here (Modesto JC) and try to be a spread quarterback,” he said.

A lack of size (5-11, 180) and playing just seven games in his senior season likely hurt Johnson’s quarterback opportunities, but he was proud to point out that his father is 6-foot-5 and it’s clear he’s not about to give up on what he really wants to do.

It was an easy choice of Zwahlen to be the game’s MVP and for Johnson to be named Offensive MVP. On the defensive side of the ball, however, the candidates were more plentiful.

With seven tackles, including one sack and one forced fumble, Oakdale’s Hondo Arpoika ended up getting that honor. Arpoika, who also was chosen by South coaches before the game as the team’s most inspirational player, was joined by brother Miko Arpoika and Oakdale teammate Bastian Jimenez as standouts on that side of the ball. All three laughed when asked if chasing all those speedsters from Serra of Gardena in their last game (the CIF Division II state bowl game) made it easier in Saturday’s contest.

The North had two players that also received votes for Defensive MVP. Outside rusher LeeAndre Fisher from Chavez of Stockton, who brought his prom date to the Lions All-Star banquet back in April, was all over the field and in on an estimated 11 tackles. Safety Oshea Washington from Lincoln of Stockon was credited with nine tackles and came up with a spectacular 65-yard interception and return that was a major reason for the North team’s comeback.

The North’s most inspirational player was 6-foot-6, 300-pound lineman Daniel Lyle from Argonaut of Jackson, who didn’t play in the game due to an injured knee but came out to every practice and kept on trying to get ready, hoping he’d be good enough to go by Saturday.

UnSung Heroes of the Week

North: Darren Vallelunga (Summerville, Tuolomne)
The 5-10, 205-pound lineman gave up a lot of size to other players during the week and in the game, but consistently battled and did so switching from center to guard, left to right. “He’s an amazing kid,” said North head coach Jason Weathersby. “We asked him to do a lot all week. Did a great job.”

South: Efrem Grimes (Enochs, Modesto)
“I’m sure nobody really noticed him, but we sure did,” said South head coach Kevin Swartwood of the 6-foot, 205-pound running back. “He’s the one who blocked on the perimeter. He did very well on the sweeps and helped limit those coming to rush Aaron.”

More Breakout Performers

North: Brandon Camara (Sonora)
The 6-0, 200-pound fullback linebacker recovered a fumble late in the game and early on stopped the South by knocking away a pass on a fourth down play. Also was checked off for six other tackles.

South: Maury Moore (Beyer, Modesto)
He had 65 yards rushing in the first half and was the most explosive ball carrier during the game. He also made four tackles on defense. Moore is 6-0, 175 and has outstanding versatility.

South: Joel Openshaw (Hughson)
He’s a 6-7, 215-pound defensive end who could certainly fill out after high school and then who knows what could happen. He wasn’t as active as the Oakdale players, but made some plays in the second half that were noticed.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports

Californians on U.S. boys hoops list

Ronnie Flores — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 01:40:40 +0000

Center Trevor Stanback of Chaminade was California’s only 2016 player named an Underclass All-American, but with Lonzo Ball of Chino Hills and a few others the class has the potential to be special. Photo: Ronnie Flores

Seven Californians named to Underclass All-American boys’ basketball team. Members of last year’s Team USA 17U team, including Mater Dei’s Stanley Johnson, headline group of 60 elite players selected.

It’s ironic Jason Kidd just retired after a 19-year NBA career because when it comes to the nation’s best high school basketball players, the former St. Joseph of Alameda star is the last California high school player you can point to as the nation’s best individual player.

Kidd is the last Mr. Basketball USA honoree from the state of California, as picked by the editors of HighSchoolHardwood.com. In that 1991-92 season when he led the Pilots to their second straight Division I state title, Kidd shared some national honors with senior Rodrick Rhodes of St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) and junior Randy Livingston of Newman (New Orleans, La.). In fact, Kidd shared Parade Magazine National Player of the Year honors with Livingston, although we stated at the time that Kidd should have been a unanimous choice. It’s easy to say picking Kidd by himself was the right call, but Livingston was never the same after a knee injury he suffered before ever playing a single college game for LSU.

So what about next season? How does California’s elite boys hoops talent stack up to the rest of the country?

Taking a look at the 2012-13 Underclass All-American team, the talent is about on par to recent seasons. The state’s very best players have a solid chance to earn All-American acclaim next season and the watch list includes yet another California player that will leave for a national basketball academy type program. That’s a trend that doesn’t look like it will slow down anytime soon.

From a national perspective, headlining the 2012-13 Underclass All-American watch list as the intense AAU summer season swings into full gear are junior center Jahlil Okafor of Whitney Young (Chicago), this year’s National Junior Player of the Year, guard Tyus Jones of Apple Valley (Apple Valley, Minn.) and forward Stanley Johnson of Mater Dei (Santa Ana). All three played together on Team USA’s U17 team that won the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship in Kaunas, Lithuania.

All three were already named to the overall 2012-13 HighSchoolHardwood.com All-American team.

The other two underclass players to earn All-American honors (second team) were guard Joel Berry of Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.) and center Cliff Alexander of Curie (Chicago). Berry joined Okafor, Jones, and Johnson on Team USA last summer along with junior All-American Justise Winslow of St. John’s (Houston).

If Johnson were to lead Mater Dei to its fourth consecutive state title next season, he’ll be in the thick of the Mr. Basketball USA race. From a team standpoint, that would be unprecedented in California and something even Kidd wasn’t able to accomplish. From an individual standpoint, however, Johnson is not yet a more dominant player than Mitty’s Aaron Gordon, who will be a freshman at Arizona this fall. Gordon, the Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball the past two seasons, finished third in the final Mr. Basketball USA voting this past season so other factors will have to swing in Johnson’s favor to join Kidd, Crenshaw’s John Williams (1984), Elk Grove’s Bill Cartwright (1975), Redondo Beach Aviation’s Paul Westphal (1968) and L.A. Jefferson’s Edgar Lacey (1963) as Californians on the all-time Mr. Basketball USA list.

The seven Californians and 53 other underclass honorees all had standout campaigns for their high school teams, yet others are sure to emerge this summer as bonafide All-America candidates heading into the 2013-14 season. Nearly every summer on the circuit, well-known players are eclipsed by lesser-known commodities, and every so often a prospect comes out of nowhere to emerge as a Mr. Basketball USA candidate.

One player who might fall under the latter category is Josh Perkins of Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.). Last season, the flashy 6-foot-2 point guard was beaten out for some local honors by fellow junior Dominque Collier of Denver East, but at the recent Pangos All-American Camp it was clear Perkins is an elite talent and likely played his way into a McDonald’s All-American berth.

No player from Colorado has ever won Mr. Basketball USA honors, but it’s likely Perkins will spend his senior season at Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.). That’s the same school 2013 winner Andrew Wiggins (a Kansas recruit) attended.

One junior All-American definitely headed to Rob Fulford’s program at Huntington Prep is Jalen Lindsey of Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.).

Another talented senior-to-be on the move is Namon Wright of California Division IV state champ Pacific Hills (Los Angeles). He’s the latest Californian headed to Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.).

2012-13 Underclass All-American watch list

Juniors to watch (2014)

C — Cliff Alexander, Curie (Chicago) 6-9
G — Grayson Allen, Providence (Jacksonville, Fla.) 6-4
G — Casey Benson, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2
G — Joel Berry, Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.) 6-1
G — James Blackmon Jr., Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, Ind.) 6-2
G — Devin Booker, Moss Point (Moss Point, Miss.) 6-5
G — Justin Coleman, Wenonah (Birmingham, Ala.) 5-10
F — Bonzie Colson, St. Andrew’s School (Barrington, R.I.) 6-6
G — Clay Custer, Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 6-1
G — T.J. Haws, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 6-2
G — Tadric Jackson, Tift County (Tifton, Ga.) 6-2
F — Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-6
G — Tyus Jones, Apple Valley (Apple Valley, Minn.) 6-1
F — Jalen Lindsey, Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.) 6-6
G — Wyatt Lohaus, Iowa City West (Iowa) 6-2
F — Kevon Looney, Hamilton (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-7
F — Trey Lyles, Arsenal Tech (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-8
G — Jordan McLaughlin, Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 6-2
G — Emmanuel Mudiay, Prime Prep Academy (Dallas, Texas) 6-4
F — Ja’Quan Newton, Neumann Goretti (Philadelphia) 6-3
C — Jahlil Okafor, Whitney Young (Chicago) 6-9
G — Josh Perkins, Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) 6-2
G — D’Angelo Russell, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-4
F — Karl Towns, St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.) 6-11
F — Reid Travis, De La Salle (Minneapolis, Minn.) 6-7
G — Romelo Trimble, Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 6-2
F — Craig Victor, St. Augustine (New Orleans) 6-8
G — Isaiah Whitehead, Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-4
F — Justise Winslow, St. John’s School (Houston, Texas) 6-6
F — Namon Wright, Pacific Hills (Los Angeles) 6-5

2013 National Junior of the Year: Jahlil Okafor

Highlights: Johnson is the early front-runner for Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball, but Okafor probably holds the edge from a national perspective unless he’s beaten out in his own backyard by Cliff Alexander. McLaughlin is a McDonald’s All-American candidate but certainly not a lock. Wright probably has increased his post-season national all-star game chances by leaving for Findlay Prep, but he’s struggled the times we’ve seen him so far this spring-summer.

Sophomores to watch (2015)

G — KeVaughn Allen, North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.) 6-3
G — Sedrick Barefield (Centennial, Corona, Calif.) 6-0
G — Isaiah Briscoe, St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) 6-2
G — Jaylen Brown, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-4
G — Jalen Brunson, Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.) 6-0
F — Thomas Bryant, Bishop Kearney (Rochester, N.Y.) 6-8
G — Eric Davis, Arthur Hill (Saginaw, Mich.) 6-3
F — Marcus Derrickson, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-7
C — Cheick Diallo, Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.) 6-9
G — Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5
G — Hyron Edwards, Central (East Chicago, Ind.) 6-0
C — Alex Illikainen, Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids, Minn.) 6-9
G — Luke Kennard, Franklin (Franklin, Ohio) 6-5
F — K.J. Lawson, Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-6
G — Malik Newman, Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 6-2
C — Ivan Rabb, Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 6-9
F — Malachi Richardson, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-6
C — Diamond Stone, Dominican (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) 6-9
G — Allonzo Trier, Tulsa NOAH (Tulsa, Okla.) 6-0
C — Stephen Zimmerman, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-10

2013 National Sophomore of the Year: Malik Newman

Highlights: While California’s 2014 class is considered average at best, the 2015 class is loaded with point guards and some quality big men. Rabb recently made Team USA’s U16 National Team and potentially could be a two-time high school All-American. Dorsey is a great candidate for the McDonald’s All-American Game in 2015 and this summer and next season will be critical for Barefield to expect the same type of acclaim when he’s a senior. The wild card of California’s 2015 group is point guard Marcus Lovett Jr. He certainly has the talent to be a high school All-American, but he didn’t receive any national or statewide honors this past season after leaving Providence of Burbank before the end of the season. It remains to be seen where he’ll spend his junior year of high school.

Freshmen to watch (2016)

G — Bryce Aiken, Pope John XXIII (Sparta, N.J.) 5-9
G — Tyus Battle, Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.) 6-5
G — Alterique Gilbert, Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) 5-10
F — Harry Giles, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 6-7
G — Eron Gordon, North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-2
F — V.J. King, St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 6-6
G — Josh Langford, Madison Academy (Madison, Ala.) 6-5
C — Thon Maker, Carlisle School (Martinsville, Va.) 7-0
C — Trevor Stanback (Chaminade, West Hills, Calif.) 6-10
G — Seventh Woods, Hammond (Columbia, S.C.) 6-1

2013 Freshman Player of the Year: Eron Gordon

Highlights: Only Stanback, the Cal-Hi Sports State Freshman of the Year, made the 10-man freshman list, but several California players were considered. 2016 has the makings of a special class, even though Derryck Thornton Jr. will transfer from Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth to Findlay Prep. Thornton’s old teammate, Devearl Ramsey, joined Rabb as the only Californians to make the 12-man U.S. U16 team that won the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Maldonado, Uruguay. Both Thornton Jr. and Ramsey are major college point guard prospects. Most national and local scouts feel a third lead guard who didn’t make the USA Basketball cut, 6-foot-4 Lonzo Ball of Chino Hills, is the best long term prospect of the trio. He’s had a fantastic spring-summer so far.

Note: All selections based on high school accomplishment during the 2012-13 season. Similar to the Mr. Basketball USA honor, those ineligible due to age or academics are not eligible for underclass honors.

Ronnie Flores is the managing editor of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at ronlocc1977@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

Get well soon, State Coach of the Year

Harold Abend — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 01:48:16 +0000

State Softball Coach of the Year Mike Smith of Chino poses for a photo with two of his players after team won second straight CIFSS Division II title. Photo: Mark Tennis.

Chino’s Mike Smith earns top statewide overall honor for 2013 season and learns of it after being released from the hospital. We also congratulate medium schools and small schools state coaches of the year.

Talk about dedication as a coach.

After just getting released from a hospital stay for what turned out to be heat stroke, three-time CIF Southern Section Division II championship coach Mike Smith still took the time to return a call to Cal-Hi Sports even though it was almost midnight on Thursday.

“The pressure of coaching didn’t do it. That’s what I live for,” Smith said about getting hospitalized for what doctors originally feared might be meningitis.

Now, after four years at Chino Hills and a CIFSS D2 championship in 2005, and seven years at Chino with back-to-back Southern Section Division II titles the past two seasons, the respected Inland Empire travel ball coach has been named the 2013 Cal-Hi Sports State Coach of the Year.

He’s the second straight coach from the Inland Empire to win the honor, and fifth IE coach to win the award since it was started in 1974.

“I got the CIF (Southern Section Division II) Coach of the Year and I was shocked since I had been passed over before, but to get statewide coach of the year means a lot to receive that kind of recognition, and I appreciate it very much, but I still tell everyone it’s the kids that do all the work,” said Smith, who has also had a lot of success coaching the SoCal Athletics U16 team the past 21 years.

This past season the “kids” went 26-2, with lone one-run losses to Santa Ana Mater Dei, 1-0, and Mission Viejo, 7-6.

After the Mission Viejo setback, the Cowgirls won 21 straight. Because one of their losses was to Mater Dei, Smith’s girls only received the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

Undaunted, and with top-seeded Mission Viejo upset in the first round, Chino blew past its five playoff opponents, outscoring them 24-2 combined, including a 4-0 victory over No. 2 seed Lakewood in the championship game.

“This past season was a big challenge because we lost four seniors from last year, and almost all our hitting since they were the numbers one, three, four and five batters,” Smith remarked.

What Chino did have was a strong returning pitcher, and a bunch of underclass girls that stepped up big time to fill the void.

“The freshmen came in and did a great job, and our pitcher was unbelievable,” Smith continued.

The pitcher is Utah-committed Miranda Viramontes. The junior star was 26-1 with five no-hitters and five one-hitters. Plus, she didn’t pitch in the loss to Mission Viejo.

“It’s insane what she’s done,” Smith said about his pitcher that was named the CIF Southern Section Division II Player of the Year. “You have to go back to Lisa Fernandez and Amanda Freed to see a season’s performance like she had.”

Fernandez and Freed both played on more than one Olympic team, and each was Ms. Softball State Player of the Year. Fernandez won in 1989 at Lakewood, and Freed captured the award in 1997 and 1998 at Garden Grove Pacifica.

“A lot of my success has to do with my having a great staff,” Smith said.

The staff is going to have to go it alone this weekend at a travel ball tournament in Lancaster since Smith is staying home to rest up.

Hopefully, he’ll recover quickly and maybe winning State Coach of the Year will help make him feel a little better while he’s on the mend.

More Cal-Hi Sports State Softball Coaches of the Year

Medium Schools:
Linda Merrida (Pioneer, Woodland)

Prior to the 2004-2005 school year, when Linda Merrida started the varsity program at Pioneer with her husband, Bryan Merrida, as her top assistant, and with daughter Christina Merrida playing in the program, she was already a respected coach in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. Merrida was also an integral part of one of the greatest games in California girls’ softball history.

Before Pioneer opened, and as head coach of crosstown Woodland, her team struck out a state record 61 times in the 2001 CIFSJS Division I championship game against 2002 Ms. Softball and Olympian Alicia Hollowell of Fairfield. And even stranger twist is the Wolves won the 30-inning game played over two days, 1-0.

“We won that one but lost 3-0 the next day and finished runner up,” said Merrida, who’s taught PE since Pioneer opened and also had a long stint as athletic director.

This year, after upsetting top-seeded Rocklin Whitney in the first round, and then losing to Antelope the next game, the Patriots won four straight in the double-elimination format, including beating Antelope twice to claim the CIFSJS Division III championship.

Now, after a second CIFSJS championship, with the first coming in 2006 in Division IV, eight league titles, and a record of 24-6 this year and 198-50-3 that includes no losing seasons in her nine years at the Patriots’ helm, Merrida has been named the Cal-Hi Sports Medium Schools State Coach of the Year.

“I really wasn’t expecting anything like this because it’s not a one-person show,” said Merrida, who has stayed on to coach with Bryan long after Christina graduated in 2006.

“We do it for the love of softball, the great kids we’ve had come through, and we want to put Pioneer on the map.”

That this year’s team was the one to help its coach win an honor, and really get Pioneer some recognition, came as somewhat of a surprise.

“We lost five senior starters but this team had chemistry and made the sacrifices,” Merrida remarked. “That’s what made this year so special because I didn’t expect them to go this far.”

Small Schools:
Melissa Bugarin-Espinoza (Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro)

Just like the Medium Schools winner, the Small Schools State Coach of the Year honor goes to a woman whose husband is her right hand man, and in the case of Melissa Bugarin-Espinoza, that would be Co-Coach Moses Espinoza.

“Oh my goodness, that’s wonderful. Thank you so much. We are very humbled,” Bugarin-Espinoza told Cal-Hi Sports when informed she was being honored.

For a team from a school that only opened in 2005, and didn’t have a varsity softball team until 2009, the success the program has had since Bugarin-Espinoza and her husband came aboard in 2010 is phenomenal.

This past season, not only did the girls from San Pedro win the Los Angeles City Section Small School championship for the third straight year, the Polar Bears pretty much iced the playoff field by outscoring four opponents 63-4 combined, including a 16-3 win over Northridge Academy (Northridge) in the title game, the same team they beat 2-0 in last year’s championship final.

The team finished 28-8 but most of the losses were early on and to larger schools, including a 3-0 setback to Big VIII League champion M.L. King of Riverside. Down the stretch the Polar Bears finished with seven-straight wins and outscored opponents 107-8 collectively.

“The key to our success was we only lost three players from last year, we plugged up our weaknesses, and the girls went into the tournaments against larger schools with no fear – and that prepared us for the playoffs,” said Bugarin-Espinoza, a civilian who works in the Marine Exchange that controls vessel traffic on the water.

For Bugarin-Espinoza, besides the coaching honor and three-straight L.A. City Section titles, she has three consecutive league titles in three years in the Crosstown League, and a 79-24-1 coaching record in four years overall.

All-Time List Cal-Hi Sports
State Softball Coaches Of The Year

2013 — Mike Smith, Chino (26-2)
2012 — Rick Robinson, Norco (30-2)
2011 — Scott Smith, Hollister San Benito (29-1)
2010 — Teri Johnson, Union City James Logan (25-5)
2009 — Tony Dobra, San Pedro (28-4)
2008 — Duane Zauner, Lake of the Pines Bear River (29-3)
2007 — Mary Jo Truesdale, Sacramento Sheldon (29-1)
2006 — John Perez, Corona Santiago (26-5)
2005 — Art Banks, Roseville Woodcreek (28-6)
2004 — Pete Ackermann, Westlake Village Oaks Christian (34-1)
2003 — Rob Weil, Garden Grove Pacifica (31-2)
2002 — Brad Griffith, San Diego Mira Mesa (35-1)
2001 — Gary Walin, Thousand Oaks (24-5)
2000 — Jo Ann Byrd, Corona (28-4)
1999 — Jim Liggett, Belmont Carlmont (35-4)
1998 — Joe Given, Salinas Notre Dame (30-2-1)
1997 — Alan Dugard, Irvine Woodbridge (34-2)
1996 — Nancy Acerrio, Chula Vista Hilltop (27-2)
1995 — Marie Dean, Fremont Washington (27-0)
1994 — Joe Gonzalez, Tustin Foothill (25-7)
1993 — Jill Matyuch, Covina Charter Oak (29-0-1)
1992 — Jeff Carlovsky, Escondido (26-2)
1991 — Kevin Newman, San Jose Gunderson (33-2)
1990 — Susie Calderon, Huntington Beach Marina (28-5)
1989 — Sharon Coggins, Ventura Buena (28-2)
1988 — Rich Kerr, San Lorenzo Arroyo (29-1)
1987 — Bob Regpala, Stockton Lincoln (30-0)
1986 — Dick Barnes, El Monte Arroyo (22-1)
1985 — Neils Ludlow, Woodland Hills El Camino Real (19-0)
1984 — Aaron Ishikawa, Stockton Lincoln (37-1)
1983 — Carol Hamilton, San Diego Madison (23-1)
1982 — Rich Spiekerman, Lodi (29-3)
1981 — Leslie Steffen, Hanford (20-4)
1980 — Bob Bush, Santa Maria Righetti (29-0)
1979 — Barbara Weding, Santa Rosa Montgomery (26-1)
1978 — Peggy Linville, Fairfield Armijo (23-0)
1977 — Betsy Ward, Huntington Beach Marina (17-0)
1976 — Janet Balsley, Chula Vista Hilltop (17-0)
1975 — Sally Carmen, Downey Warren (19-1)
1974 — Sandi Behrmann, El Segundo (undefeated)

Note: Mark Tennis contributed to this report.

State’s Top 25 Runningback Prospects

Mark Tennis — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:38:54 +0000

Based on his talent and the history of how running backs do as seniors at Corona Centennial, Tre Watson could be set up to have a great season. Photo: Mark Tennis.

Joe Mixon from Freedom of Oakley is the consensus leader of the class. After that, though, opinions are more varied, including our own.

This content is for Gold Club members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.

All-Time Best Baseball Teams (1-12)

Mark Tennis — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:17:02 +0000

Fresno High’s 1958 baseball team has maintained legendary status in the Central Valley for more than 50 years. Photo courtesy Bob Barnett.

In a new twist to our coverage, Fresno 1958 and Chatsworth 2004 are still considered the best ever State Teams of the Year. Teams from El Segundo and Clovis also are in the top five.

As with any ranking of top 25 teams involving 50, 60 even many more years of competition, criteria needs to be mentioned first and be clear-cut to all.

For this endeavor — picking California’s top 25 all-time best high school baseball teams — the first piece of the criteria to know is that these rankings are not going to go against rankings that Cal-Hi Sports has already determined at the end of a season. This means that other than just a handful of seasons a team needed to be No. 1 in the state to be considered.

Second, this isn’t a talent contest and win-loss record was regarded as more important. This means that a team like South Hills of West Covina of 1992, which had five future major league players, including Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi and the late Cory Lidle, isn’t on the list because that team didn’t win its section title. It also means a team like Rancho Bernardo of San Diego of 1999, once ranked the best in the history of San Diego’s North County, isn’t on the list because that team lost six times. In fact, as the final teams for the all-time top 25 were being sorted out, we decided not to choose any that lost more than three times. Sure, some of the top four-loss teams might have been better than some that didn’t lose as much, but it just turned out to be a line we didn’t have to cross.

Third would be historical significance. Teams that set records or accomplished feats that hadn’t been done before were given higher marks than those that didn’t. Part of this criteria also would be teams that were repeating as a major section champion or which were part of a cycle of championship play over several seasons.

Fourth would be prominent players on the roster. This might include a team that had a future Hall of Famer or one that beat a team with a future Hall of Famer.

Finally, there’s national rankings. From 1994 to 2012, Cal-Hi Sports was part of a national rankings system. This means that teams that were No. 1 in the nation according to that system (Student Sports, Rivals, ESPN) might have an edge over a team that was not ranked nationally quite so high.

With all that out of the way, here are the first 12 teams in the top 25 California high school baseball teams of all-time (through 2013 season):
For writeups on teams ranked from No. 13 to No. 25, CLICK HERE.

1. Fresno 1958
Record: 25-1; Head Coach: Ollie Bidwell

Forget about the one loss because it was to a college freshman team from Fresno State that the Warriors also beat three times. This club also took on college freshman teams from Cal and Stanford and won.

It’s a close call between this Fresno team and No. 2 Chatsworth 2004, but what sets Fresno apart from all others would be its pitching. Ace Dick Ellsworth and junior Jim Maloney both became 20-game winners in the major leagues within five years of graduation. The catcher of the team was Pat Corrales, who went on to play nine years in the major leagues and was a major league manager for nine more years. With those two pitching, Fresno posted 15 shutouts among its 25 wins. It’s a state record that was just tied in 2013 by a team that played seven more games and this was when games were nine innings long.

Offensively, the Warriors were almost as potent. They averaged 11 runs per game and only really had one close game, a 17-11 triumph over Fresno Roosevelt in which they scored seven runs in the ninth inning to turn around an 11-10 deficit.

Matt Dominguez was a freshman starter in 2004 for 35-0 team.

2. Chatsworth 2004
Record: 35-0; Head Coach: Tom Muesborn

It could be argued that Chatsworth 2004 and Fresno 1958 might be two of the top teams in U.S. history, maybe even No. 1 and No. 2. It’s that close and these two teams were that great.

The Chancellors completed the best season record in state history by winning their second straight CIF L.A. City Section title and they beat a San Pedro team in the final that itself had won 26 straight games. They went on in 2005 to set the state record at 54 games for longest win streak.

The roster was a mix of super-young talent, including freshmen Mike Moustakas and Matt Dominguez (both now playing third base in the major leagues) and veteran leaders, including Jason Dominguez (Matt’s older brother) and Willie Cabrera (he had 72 hits for a new state record).

3. El Segundo 1971
Record: 32-2; Head Coach: John Stevenson

This team had the best record of any championship team that the legendary John Stevenson coached at El Segundo. It also was a team that had a future standout MLB pitcher, Scott McGregor, plus a shortstop, George Brett, who is now in the MLB Hall of Fame.

In the CIF Southern Section 3A final at Anaheim Stadium, El Segundo beat a 32-1 Lompoc team, 5-2. McGregor, who still had his senior year to go, pitched a five-hitter. Brett went 2-for-3 with a stolen base, but the big hit of the game was a three-run double in the fourth inning by Kirk Allison (also later played pro ball).

Steve Brand, recently retired from the San Diego Union-Tribune, covered that team’s last game as a young reporter for the defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.

“That El Segundo team was awesome…just plain awesome,” Brand said. “I remember I doubted they were all that good, but they were.”

4. Clovis 1998
Record: 33-2 Head Coach: James Patrick

The Cougars did the almost unthinkable by finishing No. 1 in most national rankings for the second year in a row. The 1997 team also went 33-2 and for the purposes of this feature it was decided to only list the 1998 squad. Most of those in the CIF Central Section at the time also believed that the 1998 team was better.

Offensively, Clovis rocked with a .373 team batting average and collected 359 hits, a total that makes the all-time state list for hits in a season. Outfielder Cody Nowlin was the team’s top all-state player (he batted .417), but sophomore Chris Patrick had the best batting average at .463. Chris is now one of two sons of head coach James Patrick coaching baseball in Clovis. He’s currently building the program at Clovis North and directed the 2013 team to the CIF Central Section Division I title.

On the mound, all-state pitcher Mike Bumatay was sensational with a 15-0 record, 0.84 ERA and 126 strikeouts. Junior Steve Frazier also went 10-0 with a 1.25 ERA.

5. La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 2003
Record: 32-1; Head Coach: Justin Machado

This was an extremely well-balanced squad from top-to-bottom that won its last 27 games in a row against very good competition, including a triumph in the CIF San Diego Section Division I final over Rancho Bernardo, which that season had the No. 4 team in the state.

La Costa Canyon averaged more than eight runs per game, led by infielder Joey Burke, who hit .465 with 38 RBIs and stole 24 bases. Junior catcher Scott Clement was another of the team’s all-state honorees.

The Mavericks gained the No. 1 state ranking by not losing during a week when state No. 2 Chatsworth and state No. 3 La Quinta of Westminster lost. In Chatsworth’s case, it was that team’s only loss. Looking back, all three teams are regarded as superior to many teams that have finished No. 1 in the state in other seasons.

6. Ontario 1991
Record: 26-0; Head Coach: Bob Beck

Perfection has to carry a lot of weight in any all-time ranking of top baseball teams and while some might question Ontario’s schedule since the team wasn’t in the top division of the CIF Southern Section playoffs, it’s hard to argue against a team that got it done in every single game.

Perfection acheived for future MLB player Mike Sweeney (center) and others from Ontario in 1991. Photo: Ed Lee.

It wasn’t like the Jaguars won some Mickey Mouse division, either. Theirs included perennial power El Segundo plus a Tustin team that was led by future MLB star Shawn Greene. Ontario rolled in its last two games 8-4 over Central of El Centro and 9-2 over La Mirada.

A future MLB standout, Mike Sweeney, was Ontario’s top player. He, along with teammates Darrell O’Brien and Cesar Barrera, all collected more than 40 hits. The pitching was led by Mike Hernandez (10-0), who threw a six-hitter in the final, and Ryan Mitchell (7-0), who had a four-hitter in the semifinals.

7. El Cerrito 1983
Record: 27-1; Head Coach: Larry Quirico

Of all the teams we’ve seen in person from Northern California since 1980 (not including the CIF Central Section), this group of Gauchos is still the best. The simple reason is speed. This team not only had the pitching and hitting, but had a lineup on offense and defense that took advantage of its quickness and athleticism.

In addition to winning the CIF North Coast Section Class 3A title, El Cerrito also went to the Fresno Easter Classic and took top honors. One of its players, outfielder Terry Brown, also led the North to victory in that year’s North-South all-star series.

Including Brown, seven of the nine regular players would eventually sign pro contracts. The group was led by State Junior of the Year James “Pops” Mitchell, who hit .425 and went 10-0 with a 1.96 ERA. Future USC standout Brian Nichols was the closer and led the team in hitting at .432 with 36 RBI. Steve Pearse, Brian Brooks and Brown also contributed to the team’s .325 average. The Gauchos also had Antoine Pickett and Andy McDonald at the top of the lineup with 27 stolen bases each.

8. Edgewood (West Covina) 1977
Record: 29-1; Head Coach: Karl Major

Pitcher Mike Pill was the dominant player for this team, which is from a school that was consolidated in 1988 and merged with West Covina. Pill went 14-0 as a senior after going 14-0 as a junior and set a state record with 33 straight wins. He also had a 0.50 ERA. Injuries prevented him from reaching the major leagues, but his son, Brett, homered in his first at-bat for the San Francisco Giants.

Edgewood won the 3A division of the CIF Southern Section playoffs with just one loss. The pitching also included Ken Angulo and sophomore Rick Aguilera, who did eventually get to the major leagues.

In 2010, San Gabriel Valley Tribune columnist Jim McConnell ranked the Edgewood 1977 squad as the greatest team in San Gabriel Valley history.

Edgewood’s baseball program, which also produced players like Jay Johnstone, Gary Roenicke and Ron Roenicke (current manager of the Milwaukee Brewers), is back because the school was re-opened two years ago.

9. Lompoc 1970
Record: 27-1; Head Coach: Dan Bodary

This team and the 1971 squad from El Segundo are tied at the hip and both make the all-time rankings.

In 1970, the Braves lost their first game 6-4 to Santa Maria, then rolled off 27 in a row and won the CIF Southern Section 3A title. In the final, Lompoc defeated a young El Segundo team 8-5 behind junior pitcher Roy Thomas. The next season, Lompoc set a state record with its 29th straight win, stretched it to 36 and was 32-1 before losing in a rematch with El Segundo’s 1971 team.

Both prominent players for Lompoc’s 1970 team also were still at the school in 1971. Thomas was a first-round MLB draft choice in 1971 and went on to play for several seasons with the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals. Roy Howell was another member of the team. He was a sophomore in 1970 and was the fourth pick in the first round of the 1972 MLB draft. He made it to the major leagues as well, most prominently with the Toronto Blue Jays.

10. Bishop Amat (La Puente) 2002
Record: 28-2; Head Coach: Kenny Kendrena

The Lancers capped a phenomenal two-year run with a 2-1 win over La Quinta of Westminster in the CIF Southern Section Division IV final. This was a La Quinta team that had future major leaguers Ian Kennedy and Ian Stewart on its roster.

Bishop Amat also was No. 1 in the state in 2001 and had a two-year record of 55-4. Top players included pitcher Adam Simon, who posted a 13-0 record with a 1.36 ERA and struck out 104 batters in 77 innings. Simon also had a .530 batting average. Infielder Mike Lange was another of the team’s standouts.

11. Bullard (Fresno) 1980
Record: 29-2; Head Coach: Mike Noakes

For the decade of the 1980s, the Knights had the best record in the state at 227-50 and arguably had the most consistently outstanding program. Head coach Mike Noakes built the machine and had four teams earn No. 1 national rankings. The 1980 Knights were the first of those teams and seemed to set the bar high for the others that followed (although Noakes’ 1977 team was awfully strong as well).

Bullard’s pitching staff in 1980 was led by senior Richie Gaynor, who won 16 games and later was a sixth-round pick in the MLB Draft. Infielder Randy Asadoor was the team’s other all-state choice. He was later picked in the 11th round of the draft.

12. Chatsworth 2003
Record: 33-1; Head Coach: Tom Muesborn

Other than Clovis for 1997-98 and Fresno for 1957-58, the best two teams from one school over back-to-back seasons in state history without question goes to the 2003-04 squads from Chatsworth.

In the season before the Chancellors went 35-0 and were No. 1 in the nation by everyone, they posted a 33-1 record and were No. 1 in the nation by some. They were No. 2 in the state, however, behind 32-1 La Costa Canyon, which also was No. 1 nationally in other polls.

For these all-time rankings, we did not include Clovis of 1997 or Fresno of 1957 but we could have. We did rank Chatsworth of 2003 because in addition to La Costa Canyon we wanted to put in a third team from the 2003 season as well.

Note: This feature and these rankings will be updated after every season. Next season’s feature will be part of the Gold Club membership to see. This season, we’re using it to help promote our e-book, “California: The Baseball Capital of the World.”

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports

All-Time Best Baseball Teams (13-25)

Mark Tennis — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:16:45 +0000

Redwood of Larkspur shortstop Buddy Biancalana was leading player for 1977 team that is ranked among best in NorCal history. Photo: Bill Fox (from Cal-Hi Sports archives).

A third team from 2003 season makes the cut, but no team from 2013 gets this high. Leading this group also is McClatchy of Sacramento 1951, Rancho Bernardo of San Diego 2000 and two teams from San Diego High.

Here are the next 13 teams in the top 25 California high school baseball teams of all-time (through 2013 season):
For writeups of the No. 1 to No. 12 teams, CLICK HERE.

13. McClatchy (Sacramento) 1951
Record: 22-0-1; Head Coach: Cliff Perry

Due to being unbeaten in the days when Sacramento city baseball was as its best, the Lions can still make a claim at being the greatest team in Sacramento history.

The team’s only close game was an 11-11 tie with Christian Brothers that was called due to darkness. The 23-game unbeaten streak didn’t end until it reached 40 games during the 1952 season. It is still one of the five longest unbeaten streaks in state history.

As with all great teams, McClatchy could hit and pitch. Earl Rose led the hitting with a .521 average followed by junior Peter Stathos at .512. As a team, the Lions batted .309. Sophomore Ralph Rose (Earl’s brother) was one of the top pitchers, along with Chris Christian and J.C. Masters. Catcher Bob Jones and junior first baseman Dick Traversi were two more All-City players.

14. Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 2000
Record: 30-3; Head Coach: Sam Blalock

This looks like the best combination of star players and team accomplishment among all of those that have been coached by Blalock, one of the state’s all-time win leaders who just finished his 37th season with another CIF San Diego Section title.

After the Broncos nipped Vista 1-0 in the CIF San Diego Section Division I final, they were ranked No. 1 in the nation. The only run of that game came on a home run by David Georgis. It also was the team’s 75th homer of the season, which tied the state record.

Two players from the roster were chosen in the first round of the 2000 MLB Draft – pitcher Matt Wheatland (eighth) and catcher Scott Heard (25th). Junior outfielder Danny Putnam also earned all-state recognition as did a sophomore pitcher, Cole Hamels, who eight years later would be MVP of the World Series.

15. Redwood (Larkspur) 1977
Record: 33-3; Head Coach: Al Endriss

The Giants were awarded a mythical national title after this season by the Easton Bat Company, but we have them No. 2 in the state behind Edgewood of West Covina, which was 29-1. With Edgewood making these rankings, Redwood’s 1977 team can be this high as well. The 1977 Giants also were better than Redwood’s 1978 squad that is listed as State Team of the Year.

One of Redwood’s losses was by 2-1 to the Taiwan national team in a game that was tied 1-1 after seven innings. Two losses were to league rival Terra Linda (a team the Giants also beat) while two notable wins were against top teams from Oregon and Washington.

The most famous player on the team was infielder Buddy Biancalana, who was a hero for the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series. Third baseman Greg Zunino set a state record by scoring 65 runs and helped the team score 356 runs for a NorCal record. The Giants also had 358 hits, a total that still makes the state record book. Pitchers David Hoffmeister and Steve Travers (both who pitched at USC) along with outfielders Steve Hoffmire and Jim Connor were among the team’s other standouts.

16. Sacred Heart (San Francisco) 1961
Record: 32-2; Head Coach: Dick Murray

Future major league pitcher Frank Bertaina led the Irish to a memorable season. He pitched a two-hitter and struck out 16 when Sacred Heart closed out the San Francisco Academic Athletic Association playoffs with a 2-0 win over Balboa before 6,106 at Candlestick Park. In regular season league games, Bertaina went 10-0 with a 0.27 ERA and struck out 151 batters. He also batted .451 with 25 RBIs.

With other top hitters such as Bill Phelan, Ron Butori and Frank Tamony (who later went on to become a top teacher/coach at De La Salle of Concord and is now in that school’s athletic hall of fame), Sacred Heart had a team batting average of .333. Phelan also was another of the squad’s top pitchers.

The win over Balboa also capped a 12-year run by Dick Murray as the team’s coach. Murray, who had to step down after the season because he wasn’t on the teaching staff of the school, had a 300-65 record for the Irish.

Aaron Hicks went from being part of an all-time top 25 team at Long Beach Wilson to starting in the outfield of the Minnesota Twins. Photo: Scott Kurtz.

17. San Diego 1949
Record: 29-3; Head Coach: Mike Morrow

If the name of the coach sounds familiar, it’s because the top division at the annual Lions Club tournament in San Diego is named in honor of the legendary head coach of the Cavemen.

Morrow had three No. 1 teams on the all-time state list in the 1940s, but the 1949 squad may have been the best. All three losses were to out-of-state teams early in the season and the team dominated in the CIF Southern California playoffs.

In the semifinals, San Diego defeated Pomona 13-5 with a 13-hit attack, including two triples from Clyde Thomas. The final was played at Lane Field in San Diego and was against powerful Santa Barbara, which featured future MLB Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews. Even though Mathews homered and had two hits, the Hilltoppers (as they also were called) won easily 8-2. Curt Everett and Tom Martinez both cracked two-run singles and Jack Smith pitched a fine game against the rest of the Dons’ lineup. Ray McCoy was the team’s other top pitcher.

In all, seven players on the team hit .300 or better and the squad averaged 15 runs per game. It also was San Diego High’s second straight CIF SoCal title.

18. Fountain Valley 1995
Record 26-3-1; Head Coach: Ron LaRuffa

Wins of 2-1 over Fontana and 14-7 over Bishop Amat of La Puente gave the Barons their second straight CIF Southern Section Division I championship. They became the first school in Orange County history to go back-to-back in the CIFSS’s top division and also won the rugged Sunset League title for the third season in a row.

In the final game, Greg Hanoian cracked a pair of two-run singles while all-state underclass catcher Roger Pechuls had four hits. Fountain Valley, which was No. 1 in the state for both 1994 and 1995, had a two-year record of 53-6 against some of the top competition in the nation.

19. Bullard (Fresno) 1989
Record 28-2; Head Coach: Mike Noakes

The Knights make the list twice because their 1980 team may have been their all-time best and was separated by nine years from 1989. The 1989 Knights also capped a two-year run for the school finishing No. 1 in the state, following the 1988 squad that had an even better record of 29-1.

Bullard’s 1989 team, ranked No. 1 in the nation, put its reputation on the line by traveling to take on top teams from the South at the Colonial Classic in Orlando, Fla. The Knights won every game and they rolled in the CIF Central Section playoffs, winning their final game 15-2 against Hanford.

Pitcher-catcher Todd Johnson was the team’s leader and was chosen as the 1989 State Player of the Year. He had a 34-2 pitching record for his career (with a 1.64 ERA as a senior). Johnson also batted .429 and blasted 12 homers. Pitcher Bobby Waits and outfielder Darrick Walker were two the squad’s other top players.

20. La Quinta (Westminster) 2003
Record: 30-2; Head Coach: Dave Demarest

At the conclusion of the 2003 season, we wrote that in many years the Aztecs would be No. 1 in the state. They ended up third, but since the two teams listed in front of them for the final state rankings are No. 5 and No. 12 in the all-time rankings, we have no problem putting them top 20 all-time.

State Player of the Year Ian Stewart belted 16 homers and nearly set a state record for career RBIs with 166 to lead the way. La Quinta’s ace pitcher, Ian Kennedy, also has not only made it to the major leagues along with Stewart but has become one of the top pitchers in the National League.

The CIF Southern Section Division IV champs also featured outfielder Cole Garner, who played at Artesia of Lakewood as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Garner ended his career with 42 homers to set the section record.

When La Quinta lost its only games, both of which were at the National Classic, Kennedy wasn’t available and neither was top shortstop Blake Crosby. If the team had finished 32-0 instead of 30-2, it would probably be in the top five all-time and regardless still ranks as one of the best teams we’ve ever seen.

21. Buchanan (Clovis) 2011
Record: 30-2; Head Coach: Tom Donald

Including teams from the 2013 season that finished in early June, the Bears are perhaps the top team from the state so far this decade. They were No. 1 in the ESPN FAB 50 national rankings and won their second straight CIF Central Section Division I championship.

Seth Moranda led the team in home runs and finished his career with 32 pitching wins. The squad’s other first team all-state selection was catcher Jeff Brown, who led the team with 40 RBIs, batted .430 and was behind the plate for every inning except two.

Defensively, with Moranda at shortstop and a very fast outfield, this is one of the best teams we’ve ever seen in person.

22. Wilson (Long Beach) 2007
Record: 32-3; Head Coach: Andy Hall

After battling rival Lakewood (which was ranked higher for part of the season) in the Moore League, the Bruins got hot and won the CIF Southern Section Division I title at Dodger Stadium with a 5-1 win over Canyon of Anaheim.

What made the team so memorable was its 1-2 punch at the top of the batting order of junior Aaron Hicks (now starting for the Minnesota Twins) and senior Ryan Dent (the 60th pick overall in the 2007 MLB Draft). Dent batted .496 with 29 RBIs and 28 steals. He was joined on the all-state team by senior Elliott Glynn, who went 9-3 on the mound with a 1.97 ERA and also batted .431.

23. Mt. Carmel (San Diego) 1982
Record: 24-2; Head Coach: Sam Blalock

This was the best team that Sam Blalock had at Mt. Carmel before he switched over to Rancho Bernardo. It was also a team recalled as one of the best seen by longtime San Diego Union Tribune prep writer Steve Brand.

The Sundevils were ranked No. 1 in the state and were No. 1 in San Diego in the same year that Point Loma of San Diego was No. 1 in the state in the second division and was led by pitcher David Wells.

In a memorable section final, Mt. Carmel took a 7-0 lead against Helix of La Mesa only to see Helix rally for a 7-7 tie. Mt. Carmel then won 10-9 in extra innings.

Two players were chosen in the MLB Draft off of the team – shortstop Shell Scott and third baseman Steve Castleberry. Another top player, Darren Balsley, is now coaching with Blalock at Rancho Bernardo.

24. Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) 1975
Record: 27-3; Head Coach: Ernie Martinez

Bill Bordley ranks as one of the top pitchers in CIFSS history and was the ace of this team. Bordley, who is now the chief of security for Major League Baseball, was a junior for the 1975 Knights and went 16-1 with 176 strikeouts. The team surrounding him in 1976 was not nearly as good.

Bordley went on to USC where he went 14-0 as a freshman and in 1978 led the Trojans to the NCAA title. His MLB career lasted just one season, however, due to arm injuries. Another future MLB player on Bishop Montgomery’s 1975 team was third baseman Chris Smith. Outfielder Tim Collins was another All-CIFSS choice while John Guggiana set a school record that still stands with 27 stolen bases.

25. San Diego 1921
Record: 18-5-2; Head Coach: John Perry

This team may be more than 90 years in the past, but deserves to be on the list for sweeping West Tech of Cleveland, Ohio, in what was billed as a national championship series. Note that of the five losses, four were to college teams.

After beating Chico 10-4 to win the last CIF state baseball championship (yes, there were state baseball playoffs in those days), the Cavemen (nickname was switched later to Cavers) swept the Ohio team 10-0 and 7-6 before crowds of 12,000 and 10,000 in San Diego. The Cavemen also won their third CIF state title in four years.

25 more great high school teams from California history
(listed alphabetically)

Archbishop Mitty of San Jose 2010 (31-3)
Antioch 1995 (23-2)
Arlington of Riverside 1999 (29-2)
Bellarmine of San Jose 2006 (34-4)
Bishop Armstrong of Sacramento 1962 (22-2)
Bullard of Fresno 1993 (26-3-1)
Compton 1953 (23-2)
El Segundo 1966 (24-4-1)
Esperanza of Anaheim 1986 (25-3-1)
Granada Hills 1978 (24-2)
Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood 2013 (28-4)
Kennedy of Granada Hills 1994 (31-3)
Long Beach Poly of 1936 (23-2)
Lynwood of 1964 (23-2)
Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks 2008 (27-4)
Redwood of Larkspur 1978 (30-5)
Rio Mesa of Oxnard 1980 (28-0-1)
Rio Mesa of Oxnard 1985 (27-3)
Roosevelt of Fresno 1960 (20-2)
Sacramento of 1935 (20-1)
Santana of Santee 1986 (26-2)
St. Francis of Mountain View 1983 (27-2)
St. Francis of Mountain View 2013 (30-4)
St. Ignatius of San Francisco 1959 (28-3)
Wilson of Long Beach 1950 (24-3)

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports