Both Luke Lemke of Arcata (left) and Deshawn Laporte of Burbank put up totals in games last week that will be high enough for inclusion into an all-time state list. Photos: Ray Hamill / Humboldt Sports.com & _undertheradar_ / Instagram.com.
We had one nomination for a NorCal player this week with 423 yards rushing and seven TDs, but it’s for a player who has been featured before. After all searching was done, instead we have a NorCal player with 431 yards rushing and seven TDs. We also have a QB with 507 yards passing. Besides tracking State Record Book entries, which is one of the purposes of this feature, we also uncovered some hidden talent, and that’s the other objective. Congrats to our honorees from Arcata, Orinda and Palo Cedro in Northern California, and in Southern California they come from Burbank, Newhall and San Diego.
We hope you enjoy this free post on CalHiSports.com. All regular season State TOP 50 rankings will be Gold Club posts plus state record updates and state stat stars. You can sign up today to get all of our Gold Club content right now at just $4.99 for per month. Three-month sub also is offered. For details, CLICK HERE.
CHECK OUT CALGAMESWANTED.COM
Created for Coaches by Coaches for California Varsity High School Head Coaches and Athletic Directors, Start building your schedule with CalGamesWanted.com.
User friendly to take the stress out of scheduling.
Notes: We will continue to have flexibility to one of the honorees by calling it Multi-Purpose/Special Teams. Multi-Purpose is already a category for All State honors. For these honors, we also consider CIF Central Section players for Northern California. To nominate anyone, email markjtennis@gmail.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Offensive Player of the Week
Luke Lemke (Arcata) Sr.
For the first time this season we head to the far northern reaches of the Redwood Empire portion of the CIF North Coast to an area affectionately known as “Behind the Redwood Curtain” by the locals. We land in the college town of Arcata and we find the Northern California State Football Offensive Player of the Week less than a mile west and on the other side of Highway 101 from Humboldt State University.
Only two players from Behind the Redwood Curtain out of 34 selections made the Preseason North Coast Section Redwood Empire Football First Team and Lemke, the Tigers’ 6-foot-2, 203-pound dual-threat quarterback who was a Cal-Hi Sports All State Small Schools First Team choice at Multi-Purpose last season after he led the Tigers to the CIF Division 6-A Bowl Game state championship, was one of them.
Lemke put up some very solid numbers the past two seasons when he was twice named the Humboldt Del-Norte Little 4 Offensive MVP, and prior to this week he had over 400 combined yards passing and running once already this season with 217 yards passing and 211 yards rushing in a loss to CIF Division 4-AA state champion St. Vincent de Paul of Petaluma, but until this week he had not garnered a player of the week selection.
That has now all changed after Luke juked his way to 431 yards rushing and seven TDs, plus he passed for 71 yards in a 62-34 victory over neighboring McKinleyville. The 431 yards on the ground makes Most Yards Rushing (Game) list in the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book. Not only that, but since there are no players on that list from Humboldt-Del Norte the 431 yards also would be a record for that region of the state.
So far this season, Lemke has rushed for 1,140 yards and 18 TDs and he’s passed for 815 yards and six touchdowns. With his big performance, Luke has vaulted to the top of the reported rushing leaders in the North Coast Section and with all but one player ahead of him with one more game than Arcata in a 2-3 start, he’s up to No. 10 in the state. For total yards, his 1,955 yards is top 20 in the state.
On a final note Lemke is also the star of the Arcata basketball team after he was the HDNL Big 5 MVP last year in basketball, and that secured him an honorable mention spot as an All State grid-hooper.
James Rogers from Miramonte of Orinda makes one of the two TD catches he had during team’s win last week against College Park. Photo: Hudl.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Multi-Purpose/Special Teams Player of the Week
James Rogers (Miramonte, Orinda) Sr.
To find the Cal-Hi Sports Northern California Multi-Purpose/Special Teams State Football Player of the Week, we make another visit to the Central Contra Costa County portion the CIF North Coast Section. We land up the hill from Highway 24 in Orinda at Miramonte High to find our award winner, who besides getting some ink in the Mercury News Bay Area high school football roundup 2025: Best of Week 6 action, now snags a statewide honor to boot, and the word boot is a factor in Rogers receiving the accolades.
Last season, Rogers, a 6-foot-2, 155-pound senior who also stars on the Matadors’ soccer team where he led the team last season with seven goals, was used exclusively as a kicker. This season, and according to the Mercury News article, Rogers told the Miramonte coaching staff he felt he could do more, and while he’s been contributing on offense, defense and special teams so far in a 4-2 start for the Mats, his most recent performance was his best and earned him the statewide award.
Last week, in a 38-14 non-league victory over College Park of Pleasant Hill, Rogers made the most of it every time he came into contact with the pigskin, either with his hands or his foot.
On offense, he only had two pass receptions but both went for TDs of 40 yards and 11 yards. The coaches even let the lanky but graceful Rogers rush once and he got a respectable seven yards on the carry. On defense he got the job done as well with three interceptions that he returned for a total of 51 yards.
His special teams efforts, which is what he was ticketed for before convincing the coaches to use him elsewhere besides just booting the ball, were perfect. Rogers booted home a 43-yard field goal on his lone attempt and was 5-for-5 on points after touchdowns. On seven kickoffs Rogers had a longest of 65 yards. James also had a lone punt of 27 yards.
He might not be the television series character Mister Rogers, but for this week Rogers was definitely Mister Multi-Purpose.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Defensive Player of the Week
David LaBarbera (Redding Christian, Palo Cedro) Jr.
We stay up in the far north in our search for the Cal-Hi Sports Northern California State Football Defensive Player of the Week, and we find our honoree in the CIF Northern Section, a little less than 10-miles east of downtown Redding, and just north of Highway 44 in Palo Cedro at Redding Christian High.
The defense for the Lions has been stout this season in a 5-0 start after pitching two shutouts and only giving up 34 points combined in the five games, and while LaBarbera has been far from a one-man show, he took center stage in his most recent performance and earns a statewide award to add to local Shasta County kudos.
Last week, in a 60-6 shellacking of visiting Modoc of Alturas, the Lions’ 5-foot-10, 170-pound strong safety had three pass interceptions for 74 total yards, but he took two of them to the house for pick sixes. He also tied his season high with six tackles.
So far this season, LaBarbera has four pass interceptions, and while that number is tied No. 22 in the state for reported leaders, it’s tied for No. 2 in the CIF Northern Section.
On another note, LaBarbera also stars for the Redwood Christian soccer team where he had six goals last season.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Offensive Player of the Week
Deshawn Laporte (Burbank) Jr.
The search for the Cal-Hi Sports Southern California State Football Offensive Player of the Week takes us to the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley where we land not far from the Hollywood-Burbank Airport just east of the I-5 at Burbank High.
Laporte, a junior quarterback, has been putting up huge numbers all season, but this week he takes the cake as the Bulldogs’ signal-caller earns statewide recognition.
In a 55-13 Pacific League win on the road at Arcadia, Laporte was a pinpoint 30-of-32 passing for 507 yards and seven TDs with one interception. With only one pass touching the ground, Deshawn earned an astronomical 158.9 quarterback rating. He also carried the ball four times for 54 yards.
The 507 yards passing makes the 500-yard threshold and earns Laporte a place in the Cal-Hi Sports Online Record on the Most Yard Passing Game (List).
So far this season for 4-2 Burbank, and heading into a Pacific League match-up Friday vs Pasadena, Laporte has passed for over 350 yards in five of the six games and over 480 yards twice. He now has 2,340 yards and 29 TDs passing with five interceptions, and that translates into a 132.4 quarterback rating. Deshawn has also rushed for 189 and one additional score.
The 2,340 yards passing and 29 TDs passing is not only the top reported mark in the CIF Southern Section but it’s No. 1 in the entire state. The 2,529 total yards leads the Southern Section and is No. 2 in the state.
For his three varsity years, Laporte has passed for 5,935 yards and 68 touchdowns. It takes 7,500 yards to make the Most Yards (Career) list in the Football Individual Records: Career Passing sections. If Deshawn stays healthy, he could crack the list this season with one more to go.
Matix Frithsmith from Hart of Newhall also is an outstanding prospect in baseball. Photo: Hudl.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Multi-Purpose/Special Teams Player of the Week
Matix Frithsmith (Hart, Newhall) Jr.
We head to the Santa Clarita Valley in search of the Cal-Hi Sports State Football Southern California Multi-Purpose Special Teams Players of the Week and it’s in Newhall a little over a mile east of the I-5 at Hart High where find this week’s honoree who gets statewide recognition for his most recent achievements.
Last week, in 63-21 victory over West Ranch of neighboring Stevenson Ranch that got Hart to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in Foothill League play, Frithsmith found the scoreboard three different ways.
On offense, he had 142 yards rushing on only 14 carries with two TDs, plus he had an even 100 yards receiving on five receptions with one going for a touchdown.
Matix, a 6-foot, 170-pound senior who plays receiver and running back for the Hawks, doesn’t play on defense, but on special teams he took his lone kickoff return 82 yards to the house for a score.
So far this season on offense, the Hawks’ star has a team-leading 731 yards and nine TDs rushing and also leads the team with 45 catches for 650 yards and five TDs receiving. On special teams, Matix has returned four kickoffs for 227 yards and two touchdowns. The 82-yard return wasn’t his longest as he returned one 90 yards for a score in a win over Heritage Christian of Northridge.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Defensive Player of the Week
Owen Ice (Point Loma, San Diego) Sr.
The Point Loma neighborhood and peninsula in the western part of San Diego and just east of Nimitz Boulevard is where we head in the search for the Cal-Hi Sports State Football Defensive Player of the Week, and it’s at the school that bears the neighborhood’s name where we find this week’s award winner, who besides getting local recognition now snags a statewide honor.
Ice didn’t play last year after suffering a knee injury, but he’s making waves this year and seems to have ice water in his veins on defense that so far has helped the Pointers get off to a 6-0 start overall and 2-0 in Eastern League play.
Last week, in a 31-13 win over San Diego High, Ice put the icing on the cake of the victory with four pass interceptions. Owen also registered four tackles.
The four picks falls one short of making the Most Interceptions (Game) list in the Cal-Hi Sports Online Record Book Football Individual Records: Single-Game Defense section, but it’s still a lofty feat.
In the past two weeks, Ice also has corralled six interceptions. Last week, his return yardage was 25 yards, but two weeks ago in a 37-7 victory over La Jolla, and although he didn’t score, his two returns went for 105 yards total.
The six interceptions not only is the top mark in the CIF San Diego Section, but its tied for the top reported mark in the state.
The Pointers take a break from Eastern League play this week but will face their toughest opponent the following week with Ice and company trying to put a chill in a reeling and banged up Cal-Hi Sports No. 16 Cathedral Catholic of San Diego coming off a decisive loss to De La Salle of Concord.
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
