2024-25 Grid-Hoop All-State Team

To continue our end-of-school year content of honoring the best multi-sport and overall athletes of the year (boys and girls), we take our annual look at the state’s 15 best football-basketball combo athletes. They will comprise our 39th annual Cal-Hi Sports Grid-Hoop All-State team. Leading the 15-man group is player of the year Kaleb Edwards from Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills. We have even many more listed as Grid-Hoop athletes of distinction in a separate Gold Club post.

FOR EXPANDED GOLD CLUB LIST OF MANY MORE OF THE STATE’S TOP GRID-HOOP ATHLETES, CLICK HERE.

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To go straight to our Gold Club archive of all previous 15-member Grid-Hoop All-State Teams, CLICK HERE.

To view our all-time Grid-Hoop State Player of the Year list going back to 1979-80, CLICK HERE.

The 2024-25 school year marked the first one in which graduating seniors were not directly affected by schedules and recruiting hinderances related to the COVD-19 pandemic that broke out in March of 2020. Athletes had live viewing periods for NCAA colleges coaches and normal amount of games played. What has changed, big-time, in the past few years comes from the heightened expectations of compensation for big-time college football and basketball recruits in the name of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL). It’s changing readily and starting July 1 all but 50 NCAA colleges opted in to pay athletes to play sports at their institutions.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand most of that money is going to the top level football recruits and basketball recruits, although there have already been a multitude of lawsuits against the revenue-sharing model and cap. Because basketball players sometimes go to schools without high level football programs (St. John’s or UCONN for example), the money is serious and it often causes elite basketball players to concentrate on one sport earlier.

As you can see from the 15-man honor squad and athletes on distinction on our 39th annual Cal-Hi Sports Grid-Hoop All-State Team for the 2024-25 school year, there are few elite basketball players who also are big-time football recruits. In fact, not one single player on our 30-man All-State Elite Basketball team played football. There is one, perhaps, two that came close, but the days of our state producing a Stais Boseman or Tony Gonzalez (i.e. Top 25 level recruits nationally in both sports) are probably over.

Another issue that complicates the process in us choosing the annual honors squad for the state’s top football-basketball combo athletes is something that has been going on for 25 years. That is, many top football recruits enroll in college in January to get spring football under their belt and that is more meaningful than ever before. There is real value and compensation with playing early and playing well. Excelling in college, hitting the transfer portal, and portaling up, is a potentially lucrative move for college athletes and a secondary sport, unfortunately, become less important when money is involved.

Some standout Grid-Hoopers from last season that chose to enroll in college early, and thus miss their senior season of basketball, include 2024 third teamer defensive end Jared Martin (Central, El Centro) to TCU, quarterback Leo Hannan (Servite, Anaheim) to Michigan St., athlete Omaurie Phillips-Porter (Ukiah) to Cal Poly-SLO, defensive back Ashton Rees (Carmel) to University of San Diego, 2024 State Defensive Player of the Year Marco Jones (San Ramon Valley, Danville) to Texas A & M and 2024 State Lineman of the Year Jackson Lloyd (Carmel) to Alabama.

CIF Central Section and Sac Joaquin Section athletes continue to lead the way on our annual 15-player team and this has been the trend since COVID-19, as many small school standouts continue to excel in both sports and sometimes even a third. Those two sections and regions also have standouts from traditionally large schools who make an effort to play more than one sport. With that in mind, it makes sense when our player of the year choice for this year comes from a large school in the Sacramento circulation area and that he was essentially the only big-time football recruit who bucked the trend of graduating early and played at a near all-state level in hoops.

That athlete is Kaleb Edwards, and today the Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills tight end-forward has been selected as the 2024-25 Grid-Hoop State Player of the Year . Edwards was on the 15-man squad last school year and was in the running for Grid-Hoop POY honors as a junior. That honor went to Del Oro of Loomis quarterback-guard Caden Pinnick and Edwards is the second consecutive POY selection from a CIF Sac Joaquin Section school and the same league (Sierra Foothill League).

Edwards was first team all-state underclass a year ago and followed that up by earning first team all-state honors. He was named to the 30-man unit at tight end, which is something that’s not always done. Often there is no tight end on first team. Edwards had 44 catches for 729 yards and nine touchdowns and was considered one of the top tight ends recruits in the country for the Class of 2025. He has signed with Alabama. What makes him even more special is his work at defensive end, as Edwards had 66 tackles, including 13.5 for loss, and 8.5 sacks for a Trojans’ team that advanced to theCIF Sac-Joaquin Section D1 final for a second consecutive season.

Last year, Edwards was named all-metro third team by the Sacramento Bee in hoops, but this time around he was a first team choice in both sports. Edwards improved his basketball numbers and finished with averages of 15.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg and 2.0 bpg for a 17-10 club that plays in an ultra tough league and qualified for the ultra-competitive San Joaquin Section D1 playoffs. He was the Trojans’ leading scorer for the third straight season and just percentage points behind freshman Lucas Cutler as the top rebounder. Of the elite football players in the state who were chosen for first team overall, Edwards came closest to being an open/D1 all-state choice in basketball.

It wasn’t a difficult choice to name Edwards this year’s top football-basketball combo athlete, and it was made alot easier when he bucked a widespread trend that used to be normal for elite two-sport athletes by playing a secondary sport for the love of it and doing it one last time with long-time friends.

Although some senior studs did leave early, we’re proud of the following 15 athletes who headline the 2024-25 Grid-Hoop All-State team.

Like Edwards, all of them love hoops, but the reality is the majority of them will make an impact at the next level on the gridiron. Look for a few from this year’s 15-man team and the other athletes of distinction to one day crack an NFL roster. It doesn’t look like anyone will crack an NBA roster, but don’t be surprised someone makes the Major Leagues. One of our former all-state Grid-Hoopers, Vallejo’s C.C. Sabathia, was just inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame.

Below is the complete Cal-Hi Sports Grid-Hoop All-State Team for the 2024-25 school year:

FIRST TEAM

*Stevie Amar Jr. (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) 6-4 Sr. TE/DE/F
Marvelous Amar was all-Ventura County in both sports and will continue to play tight end at Boston College. Earned third team all-state honors as a senior after catching 46 passes for 567 yards and eight touchdowns for a 9-4 club. He was named Marmonte League Receiver of the Year for his efforts. On the hardwood, he was league player of the year for a 22-6 club that went unbeaten in league play. It’s no surprise he’s good at hoops since his dad was a former Santa Clara of Oxnard standout who played at UC-Riverside.

*Isaiah Dillon (Pacifica, Oxnard) 5-11 Sr. WR/G
This skill position athlete is at Fresno State for football after earning Athlete of the Year honors at Pacifica as a senior. If the Tritons were better at basketball, Dillon might have been in the POY convo. In 19 games, Dillon averaged 8.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg and 1.9 spg, but Pacifica only won two league games. Perhaps if the football team wasn’t so good, Dillon could have helped the hoops team more by joining it earlier. He helped Pacifica capture the CIFSS D4 title and was named all-CIFSS D4 at wide receiver. For the season, Dillon had a team-high 57 receptions for 934 yards along with 10 touchdowns receiving. He also had an interception and contributed in the return game. One day after playing in a CIF state bowl game, Dillion had a 20-point, two-steal effort in a basketball win over Santa Clara of Oxnard. In the past two seasons, he caught 109 passes for 2,028 yards and 28 touchdowns.

*Kaleb Edwards (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills) 6-6 Sr. TE/DL/F
Last year he pushed himself into the Grid-Hoop Player of the Year discussion and this year when he decided to play hoops instead of enrolling early at Alabama that springboarded his selection as the state’s top Grid-Hooper. For over 20 years, many of the state’s top athletes have skipped their senior season of winter/spring sports to enroll in college early to get an extra year of spring ball in and get acclimated to the college game. For Edwards, he bucked that trend for simple reasons. He told the Bee’s Joe Davison he wanted to play basketball and graduate with his friends. With the dust settled, Edwards was the player that dominated against the best large school competition in both sports.

*Carlton Perrilliat Jr. (Salesian, Richmond) 6’5 Jr. WR/DB/F
Another cinch pick for this team and his impact goes well beyond stats for winning football-basketball programs at Salesian. Carlton earned second team all-state small school honors as the leading wideout on a 10-2 club that advanced to the CIF NCS semifinals with 56 catches for 1,078 yards and 17 touchdowns. On defense, this physical specimen had 30 tackles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. In hoops, Salesian competes at the NorCal Open Division level and Perrilliat was the second leading scorer (12.6 ppg) on a balanced team that went 31-4 and was ranked No. 4 in the state. Perrilliat’s future is on the grid, but if he played for a lesser program he could average 20 ppg. Still, it’s his hoop ability (second team all-state juniors) that gets him this high for all-state grid-hoop. In fact, he might be the best overall basketball player on this year’s squad.

*Brayden Stevenson (Tulare Union) 5-8 Jr. ATH/G
School with great grid-hoop tradition has another one and is already a Nevada commit. Averaged 21.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.6 apg as one of the better players in the CIF Central Section in hoops. Tulare Union went 24-6 and finished tied for first place in the West Yosemite League. Tulare Western’s Malachi Ficher was the WYL MVP, but Stevenson gets the nod on our grid-hoop team as a big-time grid standout. Stevenson earned third team all-state underclass honors after catching 67 passes for 901 yards and 12 TDs. He had 1,470 all-purpose yards as he can catch the ball out of the backfield and excel in the return game. With one season to go, Stevenson could end up on multiple state career receiving lists.

SECOND TEAM

*Simeon Brown (Carmel) 6-3 Sr. WR/KR/SG
The Monterey Herald Athlete of the Year gained all-Monterey County honors in both sports and helped the unbeaten Padres to the CIF D5-AA state title in football. The two-way terror fit best on the second team all-state small schools unit as a defensive back. Brown notched six interceptions and also had three kickoff return TDs. On offense, Brown had 62 receptions for 1,0588 yards and 12 touchdowns. For his Carmel football career, he caught 138 passes for 2,228 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was considered for all-state D3 in hoops after making it last season. He averaged 15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.9 apg and 2.6 spg as a defensive standout for the CCS C4 runner-ups and earned a late football scholarship to Idaho State.

*C.J. Jones (Sunnyside, Fresno) 6-3 Sr. WR/F
He’s been one of the best overall athletes in the CIF Central Section for three years after coming into high school with a tremendous reputation. A dynamic athlete who moves up from the third team last season, Jones’ best position is wideout and he was named second team all-state among medium schools after helping the Wildcats to a 8-5 mark and second place finish in the North Yosemite League. He finished with 56 receptions for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns. Although there was some controversy of Sunnyside’s stats when he was a 10th-grader, it adds up to career marks of 303 receptions (the new highest reported total in state history) for 4,464 yards and 53 touchdowns. On the hardwood, Jones averaged 15.2 ppg for a 18-12 club that fell in the CIFCS D2 quarterfinals.

*Malachi Jones
(Aquinas, San Bernardino) 6-3 Sr. QB/F
Cinch pick after leading the Falcons’ hoops team to the CIFSS D3A title with a win over San Dimas at Toyota Arena. Jones, a terrific athlete and physical specimen, led the way with 17 points in a game that wasn’t close in the second half. For the season, Jones averaged 11.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg and 2.1 spg, but more than his numbers, it was his presence that made all the difference. For his efforts he was chosen CIFSS Player of the Year in D3A. Aquinas got off to a slow start because of a tough schedule, but thrived in the playoffs after Jones got acclimated in the lineup. On the gridiron, he was also an all-CIFSS choice (D4) after leading the Falcons to a 8-3 mark and the Ironwood League title. He passed for 786 yards and 9 TDs and rushed for 230 yards and 7 more scores. He was a league MVP in both sports.

*Jaxen Robinson (Christopher, Gilroy) 6-5 Sr. QB/F
Third Team All-State Medium Schools choice at signal-caller passed for 2,592 yards and 27 TDs as a senior against only five interceptions. For his career, the Northern Arizona recruit passed for 5,661 yards and 58 TDs. In 2004, Christopher’s grid team went 9-2, made the CCS playoffs and the 2024-25 basketball team went 25-3 and won the CCS D2 section crown. On a team with balanced scoring, Robinson led the way as double-doubles were the norm. He was all-state D4 choice as a junior and one of the better players in the CCS as a senior. Kavon Collins of Monterey, a third teamer last season, only played seven football games and did not play basketball after starring in the 2024 CIF D4 title game.

*Brayden Rosa (Wilcox, Santa Clara) 5-10 Sr. RB/DB/G
Three-sport star (baseball) had a terrific senior campaign in leading the Chargers to the CCS D2 football title. In the 35-26 win over Palma of Salinas, Rosa helped the comeback charge with 204 yards rushing and two TDs. For the season, Rosa scampered for 1,850 yards and 30 TDs on the ground and added 338 yards receiving and two more scores. He finished with 2,379 all-purpose yards, as he also excels in the return game. Not to be outdone on defense, the PAL Bay League MVP and first team all-state medium schools choice was named 49ers Cal-Hi Sports Defensive Player of the Year after racking up 65 solo tackles, 9 for loss, and two interceptions. In hoops, Rosa was the No. 2 scorer (13.9 ppg) on a 15-11 unit that made it to the second round of the CCS D2 playoffs.

THIRD TEAM

*Malachi Barnes (Sunnyside, Fresno) 5-11 Sr. WR/G
After the record-setting C.J. Jones, there was going to be a second Sunnyside athlete on the team and Barnes was the pick over Tanner Wilson. Wilson, like Jones, was second team all-state Medium Schools in football as a signal-caller throwing to both his veteran wideouts, but it was Barnes who was clearly Sunnyside’s best basketball player so he gets the nod after nearly making the third team last school year. In fact, the trio has basically been Sunnyside’s best hoopers the last three years with Banres leading the way with a 19.3 ppg for a club that reached the Valley D2 quarterfinals. On the gridiron, Barnes finished with 59 receptions for 872 yards and 12 touchdowns, one more than Jones as both put up similar receiving numbers.

*Hudson Giarritta
(Sonoma Valley) 6-2 Sr. WR/ATH/G
He’s strong enough for third team grid-hoops after earning third team all-state medium schools honors while racking up 2,005 all-purpose yards and 33 scores for a 12-1 team that fell to eventual state champion St. Vincent de Paul of Petaluma in the NCS D5 title game. Giarritta, who is now at Cal Poly SLO, had 1,079 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns and was the leading scorer (17.6 ppg) and No. 2 rebounder (8.4 rpg) and assist man (4.0 apg) for a 18-16 basketball team that came up with a big upset of Woodland Christian in the state playoffs.

* Marcus Horton (Weed) Sr. 6-3 Sr. QB/RB/LB/F
The CIF Northern Section usually has one small school grid-hoop star and this year it’s Horton, the younger brother of 2023-24 second five selection D.J. Horton. He isn’t quite as highly-honored as his older brother, but is good enough to make third team after earning second team all-Northern Section honors in basketball. Marcus averaged 15.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.2 spg for a 25-7 team that won the D5 section crown and advanced to the NorCal D5 semifinals. Horton was even better on the gridiron, as he rushed for 1,462 yards and 23 TDs, passed for 1,021 yards and 10 TDs and had an interception, caused five fumbles and recovered two on defense. His brother played baseball, but Marcus’ third sport was soccer.

*Gerald Perry Jr. (Central, Fresno) 6-2 Sr. DB/WR/G
Standout DB had 97 tackles and two interceptions (85 return yards) as teams tried to avoid him. Gerald also helped the Grizzlies win the CIF Central Section D1 title. On the hardwood, he helped team to the CIF Central Section D2 title game, scoring 33 points in the semifinals and averaging 15.1 ppg. Perry Jr. will play next in basketball at UC Merced.

*Paisios Polamalu (St. Augustine, San Diego) 5-10 Soph. DB/KR/G
The CIF San Diego Section has had a terrific crop of Grid-Hoopers in recent seasons, but the 2024-25 school year was a bit of a leaner one down south. Jared Martin (Central, El Centro) might have been in POY running, but left for TCU early. Still digging deeper, Polamalu was a terrific Grid-Hooper at a large school level. The second team all-state soph choice at defensive back helped Saints in nearly every department to help keep the team competitive. He rushed for 203 yards and 6 TDs, and gained 1,316 all-purpose yards, including 751 as a kick returner. On defense, he was credited with 62 solos, two sacks, and a whopping eight interceptions, seven passes deflected, five caused fumbles and a blocked field goal. Saints is always competitive in hoops, and he helped lead Saints to the section D1 title by scoring 14 points in the championship game win over Victory Christian Academy. Saints started slow, but won 15 of their last 18 games. Polamalu and the team overcame injuries and got big contributions from its second team All-Western League sophomore. He is the son of former NFL standout Troy Polamalu.

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