Two of this week’s honorees are LB Vili Trollinger from Montgomery of San Diego (left) & QB Isaiah Hunt of Woodland Christian. Photos: X.com & Woodland Daily Democrat.
We’re starting to wind down as the football season enters the playoffs in the CIF Southern Section as well as several other sections, so the funnel begins to narrow. We didn’t have any Cal-Hi Sports Online Record Book entries to track this week, which is one of the goals of this feature, but we did fulfill the other goal and that’s to find hidden talent for statewide recognition. This week, we visit Woodland, Bakersfield and Elk Grove in Northern California, and in Southern California our stops are in San Diego for two of our award winners, while the other is in Compton.
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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
Isaiah Hunt (Woodland Christian, Woodland) Sr.
To find the Cal-Hi Sports State Football Northern California Offensive Player of the Week we venture slightly northwest of Sacramento and a little over five miles west on the I-5 from Sacramento International Airport where the interstate and Highway 113 intersect in Woodland, and it’s at Woodland Christian High where we find this weeks’ honoree, who snags a statewide honor to go with local recognition.
We already had heard about Woodland Christian this season and its star quarterback Hunt when the Cardinals ventured to Petaluma to face two-time defending small school CIF state champion St. Vincent de Paul. Despite a huge fourth quarter comeback after trailing 37-20 after three quarters, Woodland Christian lost that game, 43-41, but the Cardinals, and Hunt in particular, made a huge impression on longtime Cal-Hi Sports friend and Redwood Empire football analyst Big Russ Stirling, who felt Woodland Christian was very solid and Hunt, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior, was one of the top small school quarterbacks he had seen in recent years.
In fact, that was the best game for Hunt this season when he passed for 433 yards and five touchdowns, but for this feature we don’t choose players for performances when their team is not victorious so he had to wait.
Ironically, that loss to St. Vincent de Paul is the lone loss for Woodland Christian this season, and last week, after a second 400-yard performance for the 9-1 Cardinals where Hunt was a pinpoint 25-of-28 for 402 yards and three touchdowns in a 53-0 blanking of a not too shabby Golden Sierra of Garden Valley, we can now give Isaiah his due.
So far this season, and heading into a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 6 first round match-up next week for fourth-seeded Woodland Christian with No. 5 seed Bradshaw Christian, Hunt has passed for 2,554 yards and 27 TDs with only three interceptions, plus he’s rushed for two additional scores.
The Cardinals’ faithful are hoping Hunt can hunt down Bradshaw Christian because a victory would set up a potential second round contest with top-seeded Sonora. Last season as the No. 2 seed in the CIFSJS D6 playoffs, Woodland Christian lost at home to No. 3 seed Sonora in the semifinals, 28-0.
Geremy Molett of Bakersfield has been piling up the sacks for 9-1 team. Photo: Bakersfield HS Athletics / MaxPreps.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Defensive Player of the Week
Geremy Molett (Bakersfield) Sr.
It’s in Bakersfield where we find this week’s Cal-Hi Sports State Football Northern California Defensive Player of the Week, and it’s at Bakersfield High where in his most recent performance our honoree helped Bakersfield maintain a two-game lead over Long Beach Poly for schools with the most all-time wins in state history according to the Cal-Hi Sports Online Record Book, 832 to 830.
Last week, in a 21-7 victory over crosstown Independence, Molett conceivably could actually have been a multi-purpose winner, but instead the Drillers’ 6-foot-1, 197-pounder snags a statewide honor for his defensive prowess after recording four sacks among his season-high 10 tackles with a fifth coming for a loss as well. For good measure, Molett forced a fumble was well.
On offense at wide receiver in the same game, Geremy had two pass receptions for a team-high 52 yards and a touchdown. He even fielded a punt on special teams.
For the season, and heading into a CIF Central Section Division II match-up for second-seeded Bakersfield next week with the San Luis Obispo at Lemoore winner, the Drillers’ defensive star has drilled opposing offenses for 17 sacks, 45 total tackles with a whopping 25 for losses. He also has a pass interception, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, including one he returned 65 yards to the house for a scoop-and-score.
On offense, Molett has 194 yards receiving and three touchdowns. On special teams, he has 188 combined yards on kickoff and punt returns.
Of not,e the 17 sacks is tied for the No. 2 reported mark in both the Central Section as well as the entire state.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Special Teams/Multi-Purpose Player of the Week
Mason Towne (Franklin, Elk Grove) Soph.
The greater Sacramento metropolitan area of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section is where we head in search of the Cal-Hi Sports State Football Special Teams-Multi Purpose Player of the Week and we find this week’s award winner around 15-miles south of the state capitol and just east of I-5 in Elk Grove at Franklin High.
In his most recent performance, and in a 48-14 Delta League victory on the road at crosstown Cosumnes Oaks that got the Wildcats to 7-3 overall with them finishing 4-2 in league, Towne went to town on offense and defense against the host Wolfpack.
Let’s start on defense where the budding sophomore star had a team-leading 11 tackles with five for losses, including the only two sacks for the Wildcats.
Offensively, Mason rushed for 50 yards and the team’s only two TDs rushing, and he had two pass receptions for 67 yards and a third score.
So far this season, and heading into a Sac-Joaquin Section Bowl Game match-up on the road at Whitney of Rocklin, Towne has 104 total tackles with 16 for losses, five sacks, three pass interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. On offense, Towne has eight combined TDs rushing and receiving.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Defensive Player of the Week
Viliamu “Vili” Trollinger (Montgomery, San Diego) Sr.
San Diego is our destination in search of the Cal-Hi Sports State Football Southern California Defensive Player of the Week and we find this week’s award winner in the Otay Mesa West district in the far southern reaches of the city around three miles north of the border with Mexico and just about midway between the I-5 and I-805 freeways.
Vili has been a tackling machine all season for the Aztecs and last week was a perfect example and earns the 5-foot-11, 217-pound linebacker a statewide honor to go with local kudos.
In a 21-0 blanking of neighboring Bonita Vista of Chula Vista, Trollinger, who came over from San Diego St. Augustine after coaching change there two seasons ago, had another day at the office after registering 13 tackles with six for losses, including two sacks. It was the ninth straight game Vili has had double-digit tackles for Montgomery this season.
For the season, and heading into a CIF San Diego Section Division III match-up for ninth-seeded Montgomery on the road at Bishop’s of La Jolla, Trollinger has 124 total tackles with a monstrous 31 for losses, eight sacks, 13 QB hurries and one pass interception.
The 124 total tackles is good enough for the No. 28 reported mark in the state and No. 4 in the San Diego Section.
Matt Guimond has led Westview of San Diego to the first league title in school history. Photo: Westview HS / MaxPreps.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Offensive Player of the Week
Matt Guimond (Westview, San Diego) Sr.
We stay in the CIF San Diego Section and the city of San Diego for this week’s Cal-Hi Sports State Football Offensive Player of the Week for SoCal and we find our award winner in the northern portion of the city in the Torrey Highlands district around five miles from the Pacific Ocean and just north of Highway 56 at Westview High.
Last week, in a 50-32 Valley League victory over Fallbrook that secured Westview its first league title in the 23-year history of the school, Guimond, a 6-foot, 170-pound senior quarterback, was the man like he has been all season for the Wolverines. He passed for 445 yards on a very solid 22-of-27 with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had 23 yards rushing. The passing effort translates into a very formidable 161.7 quarterback rating.
As Valley League champions, the Wolverines drew the top seed in the San Diego Section Division IV playoffs and after a bye they’ll open next week at home against the winner of a game between Coastal Academy (Oceanside) at Chula Vista Hilltop.
Going into that contest, Guimond has passed for 2,408 yards and 25 TDs with only six interceptions. He’s also rushed for 148 yards and one score.
The 2,408 yards passing is the No. 3 reported mark in the San Diego Section.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Special Teams/Multi-Purpose Player of the Week
Jason Williams (Centennial, Compton) Sr.
The search for the Cal-Hi Sports SoCal Football Special Teams/Multi-Purpose Player of the Week takes us around 10-miles south of downtown Los Angeles to the City of Compton and it’s at Centennial High where we find this week’s honoree, who now snags a statewide honor to put on his resume.
Unfortunately for Centennial, Williams and the Apaches’ faithful, their season is over so this was the final opportunity to honor the 5-foot-10, 186-pound senior running back and linebacker.
Last week, in a 53-26 victory over Hawthorne, Williams had 18 carries for 290 yards rushing with five touchdowns. On defense, Jason registered 10 tackles and a pass interception.
Two weeks ago and in a loss to West of Torrance, Williams had 67 yards rushing, 89 yards receiving, six tackles and a pass interception.
He’s a multi-purpose player indeed and has had an outstanding senior season at Centennial.
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
