UCLA-bound RB Karson Cox (left) is one of four players from Oak Hills of Hesperia who has picked up an all-state medium schools honor. At right is QB Kalani McLeod of Fairfield Vanden, who is medium schools first team but had to be on for multi-purpose. He led team to D3-A state title and passed for a reported state best 4,494 yards with 39 TDs. Photos: @HesperiaUnified / X.com & Vanden HS / X.com.
Covering all of the state record implications in boys basketball of a 102-point game by one player and a new career scoring record has caused the work on our annual all-state football teams, now in the 47th season, to be behind the usual schedule. Still, we have medium schools teams now done and will be looking to get all of the First, Second & Third Teams overall out before the start of the Super Bowl. This year’s medium schools honorees includes the overall State Player of the Year plus five others from Newbury Park. Additional schools with more than one on these teams includes Thousand Oaks, Twelve Bridges of Lincoln, Oak Hills of Hesperia, Charter Oak of Covina and Huntington Beach.
We hope you enjoy this free post on CalHiSports.com. The All-State Small Schools Teams were free as will the upcoming All-State First Team Overall. If you want to see the already announced All-State Sophomore & Junior Teams and upcoming All-State Second & Third Team Overall plus the all-state freshman players to watch list and many, new updated state record files and more exclusive content, please sign up today. You can now join for one-month rate of just $4.99. For subscription info, CLICK HERE.
RELATED ALL-STATE FOOTBALL CONTENT: Small Schools | Juniors (Gold Club) | Sophomores (Gold Club)
FOR ARCHIVE OF ALL-TIME ALL-STATE MEDIUM SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS SINCE 1989, CLICK HERE.
To order a commemorative, official All-State Football patch for those who’ve been named to one of our all-state teams for the 2024 fall season, go to this link from our friends at Billy Tees, which has been the official merchandiser of the CIF for many years.
Graduating seniors from what would be considered large schools in the annual Cal-Hi Sports all-state football honors are still yet to be selected for any of these teams, but the process of selections is now complete through sophomores, juniors, small schools and medium schools.
It is possible for a player to be all-state for three different teams in the format that has been used for many years and a great example of that is Mr. Football State Player of the Year Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park. Brady already had been named all-state first team for juniors, he is adding all-state medium schools with the teams below and of course will be a no-brainer on all-state first team overall/elite.
Twelve Bridges RB Braeden Ward was the reported state leader for scoring with 44 touchdowns and 278 points. Photo: Mark Tennis.
Keep in mind that several other leading players who are all-state medium schools named below also can be selected later this week for all-state first team overall. We may even have one or two who are on small schools who may be that high as well. We do not duplicate any of the medium school or small school honorees, however, below the first two overall/elite all-state teams. Those spots are reserved for the graduating seniors from large schools.
Newbury Park started the 2024 season as a medium school based on its previous CIF Southern Section playoff divisions and stayed there since in our system we do not move teams around in divisions after the season has started. The Panthers are expected to be moved up to large schools for 2025. They won the CIF Southern Section D2 title and then lost in a heart-breaker to San Diego Lincoln (large schools) in the CIF SoCal D1-AA regional final. In addition to Smigiel on first team medium schools, his buddy Shane Rosenthal, a senior who announced last week he would be signing with UCLA, also gained a first team slot in one of six multi-purpose positions. The team also placed senior offensive lineman Angelo Saroukos and senior defensive back Drew Cofield on second team. Cofield also caught passes and returned kicks, but fit best for our format as a DB and not multi-purpose. Those on the third team from Newbury Park are senior WR/DB Kaylin Booker and junior linebacker Balen Betancourt.
Oak Hills of Hesperia, which lost in the first round of the CIFSS D2 playoffs to Oaks Christian of Westlake Village (large schools) by just four points and was No. 2 in the final state medium schools rankings, placed four on all-state medium schools. Senior RB Karson Cox (UCLA) was a no-brainer on first team, but the Bulldogs also landed Fresno State-bound senior offensive lineman Joseph James on second team. The other two from Oak Hills — junior DB Jeffrey Johnson and senior LB Jacob Macias — both landed on third team.
The only two schools from our final medium schools state rankings that won a CIF state title were Vanden of Fairfield (D3-A) and American Canyon (D5-A). The Vikings were led by first team overall senior quarterback Kalani McLeod. Record-breaking receiver Logan Bailey made it on second team. American Canyon is represented by standout RB/QB Mason Harris on third team.
Note: Schools broken down into large, medium and small based on section playoff divisions but also on where they’ve been traditionally. We also will not generally consider a school close to or above 1,500 enrollment small school at all no matter what section or state playoff division that school is placed. This means a school like Lincoln of San Francisco, which has won CIF state titles in lower divisions, can’t ever be a “small” school. Medium, yes. Small, no. Many of the CIF L.A. City Section playoff teams, including D2 and D3, can’t be small schools, either, for same reason.
All-State Football patches will again be handled this year by our friends at BillyTees.com. For more information about Cal-Hi Sports merchandise at BillyTees.com, CLICK HERE. The patches from this year are in and recent years are still available now.
Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football
Medium Schools
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
WR/TE Vander Ploog (Troy, Fullerton) 6-6, 210, Sr.
WR Noah Walker (Grossmont, El Cajon) 6-2, 180, Jr.
OL Mick Gradle (Moorpark) 6-5, 265, Sr.
OL Matai Jefferson (Warren, Downey) 6-4, 350, Sr.The
OL Jonah Leaupepetele (Apple Valley) 6-4, 330, Sr.
OL Ryan Rodriguez (Norte Vista, Riverside) 6-3, 300, Sr.
OL Jett Thomas (La Jolla) 6-4, 300, Sr.
QB Brady Smigiel (Newbury Park) 6-4, 215, Jr.
RB Karson Cox (Oak Hills, Hesperia) 6-0, 190, Sr.
RB Eimesse Essis (Tustin) 5-8, 165, Sr.
RB Braeden Ward (Twelve Bridges, Lincoln) 5-11, 190, Sr.
PK Jonathan Arreola (Mayfair, Lakewood) 5-7, 150, Sr.
Gavin Garretson from Pleasant Valley of Chico was the Defensive Player of the Year for the CIF Northern Section, caught passes as a tight end, and has signed with Arkansas of the SEC. Photo: Hudl.com.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Cade Cogshell (Muir, Pasadena) 6-3, 240, Sr.
DL Sam Connelly
(Marin Catholic, Kentfield) 6-5, 240, Sr.
DL Gavin Garretson
(Pleasant Valley, Chico) 6-7, 240, Sr.
DL Devin Hyde (Menlo-Atherton) 6-5, 245, Sr.
LB Lavar Arrington Jr.
(Charter Oak, Covina) 6-4, 215, Sr.
LB Carter Jones (Crean Lutheran, Irvine) 6-0, 205, Sr.
LB Noah Mikhail (Bonita, La Verne) 6-3, 230, Sr.
LB Jake Silverman (Torrance) 6-1, 205, Sr.
DB Albert Richardson (Hanford) 6-0, 180, Sr.
DB Kaimana Tufaga (La Serna, Whittier) 6-1, 190, Sr.
DB Justin Wyatt Jr. (Highland, Lancaster) 6-3, 170, Sr.
P Ethan Roach (McClatchy, Sacramento) 6-2, 185, Jr.
FIRST TEAM MULTI-PURPOSE
QB/RB Kalani McLeod (Vanden, Fairfield) 6-1, 185, Sr.
QB/RB Jaden O’Neal (Narbonne, Harbor City) 6-3, 185, Jr.
WR/DB Dylan Robinson (Bonita, La Verne) 6-3, 190, Sr.
RB/DB Brayden Rosa (Wilcox, Santa Clara) 5-10, 180, Sr.
WR/DB Shane Rosenthal (Newbury Park) 5-11, 180, Sr.
QB/RB Seth Shigg (Culver City) 5-11, 190, Sr.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
WR Logan Bailey (Vanden, Fairfield) 5-9, 160, Sr.
WR C.J. Jones (Sunnyside, Fresno) 6-2, 180, Sr.
WR Omaurie Phillips (Ukiah) 6-1, 175, Sr.
OL Colton Hogge (Twelve Bridges, Lincoln) 6-5, 260, Jr.
OL Joseph James (Oak Hills, Hesperia) 6-3, 260, Sr.
OL Marko Luera (Glendora) 6-4, 280, Sr.
OL Angelo Saroukos (Newbury Park) 6-4, 310, Sr.
OL Sione Vailea (McClymonds, Oakland) 6-3, 270, Sr.
QB Brady Edmunds (Huntington Beach) 6-4, 215, Soph.
RB Wes Burford (Oakdale) 6-0, 210, Jr.
RB Alexander Villanueva (Monte Vista, Spring Valley) 5-10, 180, Sr.
PK Oscar Reyes Ramirez (Hemet) 5-9, 160, Jr.
Wilmington Banning’s Steven Perez was selected as the CIF L.A. City Section Open Division Player of the Year. He has signed with Wyoming. He had 127 tackles on defense with two interceptions. On offense, he had 1,426 total offense yards and scored 18 TDs. Photo: X.com.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Ulavai Fetuli (La Habra) 6-5, 270, Sr.
DL Jimmie McKenzie
(Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa) 6-2, 250, Sr.
DL George Toia (Summit, Fontana) 6-2, 300, Soph.
LB Jaire Broach (Desert Hot Springs) 6-1, 180, Sr.
LB Joseph Campbell
(Christian Brothers, Sacramento) 6-1, 210, Sr.
LB Henry Masters (Los Gatos) 5-11, 185, Sr.
LB Cory McEnroe (Thousand Oaks) 6-2, 225, Sr.
LB Steven Perez (Banning, Wilmington) 6-1, 205, Sr.
DB Ben Byszewski (Crean Lutheran, Irvine) 5-11, 175, Sr.
DB Drew Cofield (Newbury Park) 6-1, 170, Sr.
DB Kahlil Terry (Tustin) 5-10, 170, Soph.
P Casey Carr (Santa Teresa, San Jose) 6-2, 210, Sr.
SECOND TEAM MULTI-PURPOSE
WR/ATH Hayden Anderson (Windsor) 6-1, 180, Sr.
RB/QB Jeremiah Duhu (Beaumont) 6-1, 180, Jr.
QB/RB Xzavior Guess (El Modena, Orange) 6-0, 170, Sr.
QB/RB J.J. Johnson (Enterprise, Redding) 6-3, 195, Sr.
RB/LB Sharky Tamale (McClymonds, Oakland) 6-0, 220, Sr.
QB/RB Tanner Wilson (Sunnyside, Fresno) 6-0, 170, Sr.
THIRD TEAM OFFENSE
WR J.J. Amezcua (Western, Anaheim) 6-3, 195, Sr.
WR Troy Foster (Huntington Beach) 6-2, 190, Jr.
WR Hudson Giarritta (Sonoma Valley, Sonoma) 6-2, 190, Sr.
WR Jonas Leal-Paz (Eagle Rock) 5-10, 170, Sr.
TE Israel Briggs (Mt. Whitney, Visalia) 6-5, 200, Jr.
TE Hayden Vercher (Thousand Oaks) 6-4, 210, Jr.
OL Roman Angulo (Beaumont) 6-0, 280, Sr.
OL Malachi Johnston (Santa Barbara) 6-3, 260, Sr.
OL Jayden Manley (Steele Canyon, Spring Valley) 6-2, 260, Sr.
OL Frankie Rivera (San Pedro) 6-6, 320, Sr.
QB Corin Berry (Charter Oak, Covina) 6-3, 185, Jr.
QB Thomas Donovan (Grossmont, El Cajon) 6-3, 205, Sr.
QB Sands Dougherty (Morro Bay) 6-0, 175, Jr.
QB Vanden Dugger (Dana Hills, Dana Point) 6-3, 195, Sr.
QB Derek Garcia (Ventura) 6-3, 190, Jr.
QB Jaxen Robinson (Christopher, Gilroy) 6-5, 225, Sr.
QB Oscar Rios (Downey) 6-3, 180, Jr.
QB Jackson Taylor (Thousand Oaks) 6-2, 195, Jr.
RB Eli Dukes (Palma, Salinas) 5-10 165, Soph.
RB Justin Lewis (Thousand Oaks) 5-10, 195, Jr.
RB Markie Mitchell III (Summit, Fontana) 5-9, 165, Sr.
RB Kamarri Robinson (Livermore) 5-8, 175, Sr.
Mateo Bresenden from Westview of San Diego helped his team reach a section final and he had 21.5 sacks, which was among the top reported totals this season in California. Photo: @wextview_fb / X.com.
THIRD TEAM DEFENSE
DL Jayden Baer (Quartz Hill) 6-6, 225, Sr.
DL Andy Bailon
(Birmingham, Lake Balboa) 6-0, 255, Sr.
DL Mateo Bresenden
(Westview, San Diego) 6-3, 200, Sr.
DL Jake Brooks (Brea Olinda, Brea) 6-4, 235, Sr.
DL Austin Coronado (Glendora) 6-3, 240, Sr.
DL Andrew Dixon (J.W. North, Riverside) 6-2, 245, Sr.
DL Jesse Myers (Cardinal Newman) 6-3, 230, Sr.
LB Oscar Aguilar (Downey) 6-3, 210, Jr.
LB Balen Betancourt (Newbury Park) 6-0, 200, Jr.
LB Jayden Carrillo (Highland, Lancaster) 6-0, 210, Sr.
LB Soakai Funaki (Monterey) 6-0, 225, Sr.
LB Matthew Galvan (Diamond Bar) 6-2, 215, Sr.
LB Mark Iheanachor (Narbonne) 6-2, 215, Sr.
LB Taylor Johnson (Cajon, San Bernardino) 6-1, 200, Jr.
LB Brody Krupp (Woodcreek, Roseville) 6-2, 210, Sr.
LB Daylen Love (San Jacinto) 6-3, 195, Sr.
LB Jacob Macias (Oak Hills, Hesperia) 6-0, 225, Sr.
LB Maxwell Mapstone (Portola, Irvine) 6-2, 200, Jr.
LB Tristan Phillips (Ventura) 6-4, 215, Jr.
LB Josh Riley (Marin Catholic, Kentfield) 5-11, 205, Sr.
LB Daniel Stehly (Valley Center) 6-0, 200, Sr.
LB Dominic Wilson (Tulare) 6-0, 225, Sr.
DB Giancarlo Angiano (Newark Memorial, Newark) 5-10, 175, Sr.
DB Jeffrey Johnson (Oak Hills, Hesperia) 5-10, 170, Jr.
DB Steel Kurtz (Huntington Beach) 6-1, 190, Jr.
DB Diego Ultreras (El Capitan, Merced) 5-9, 160, Sr.
THIRD TEAM MULTI-PURPOSE
WR/DB Kaylin Booker (Newbury Park) 6-2, 210, Sr.
QB/RB J.J. Bittner (Rio Mesa, Oxnard) 6-2, 180, Sr.
WR/DB Marquise Bradley (Charter Oak, Covina) 5-11, 170, Sr.
QB/RB/LB Matthew Gutierrez (Brawley) 6-0, 205, Sr.
QB/RB Daniel Gomez (Hanford) 6-1, 195, Sr.
FB/DL Joseph Harper (Northwood, Irvine) 6-2, 220, Sr.
QB/RB Mason Harris (American Canyon) 6-1, 185, Sr.
QB/DL Jon Ioane (Tustin) 6-3, 270, Soph.
QB/RB Jaden Jefferson (Cathedral, Los Angeles) 5-10, 170, Soph.
TE/DL Logan Knapp (Clayton Valley, Concord) 6-6, 230, Sr.
LB/RB Troy Long (Ramona, Riverside) 6-0, 180, Sr.
RB/WR Kai Mault (Santa Barbara) 6-0, 180, Sr.
QB/RB Max Medina (Patterson) 5-10, 160, Jr.
QB/RB Evan Powell (Cajon, San Bernardino) 6-4, 190, Sr.
WR/DB Isaiah Rodriguez (Twelve Bridges, Lincoln) 6-0, 185, Sr.
QB/RB John Sanders (St. Francis, La Canada) 6-0, 180, Sr.
QB/RB David Sandy (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-11, 185, Sr.
WR/LB Evan Vernon (Christopher, Gilroy) 5-10, 170, Sr.
WR/KR Nico White (Acalanes, Lafayette) 5-10, 175, Sr.
MEDIUM SCHOOLS STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(Same as Mr. Football State Player of the Year
(previously announced):
Brady Smigiel (Newbury Park) Jr.
MEDIUM SCHOOLS STATE COACH OF THE YEAR
(previously announced):
Chris Bean (Twelve Bridges, Lincoln)
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
