Cal-Hi Sports Insider Blog

Quick-hitting, behind-the-scenes news and notes from the CalHiSports.com staff, including previews of upcoming content and events.

Carew boasts loaded field

By Harold Abend | Published April 1, 2026

When the dust cleared after the championship game of the Michelle Carew Classic last year, Rosary of Fullerton players were the ones with the highest honors. Photo: Harold Abend.


The 41st anniversary of the top tournament and grandmother of girls softball tournaments in California, and the 27th time it has been played as the Michelle Carew Classic, is going on this week at Peralta Park in Anaheim, and this year’s field is loaded.

Highly-ranked Fullerton (12-1) is ready to roll at this year’s Michelle Carew Classic and is currently ranked No. 2 in the most recent Cal-Hi Sports rankings. The Indians are 1-0 since the latest rankings that were out on March 25 with a 4-0 victory over host Long Beach Poly. In that game, junior Katelynn Mathews threw a 3-hitter with 14 strikeouts. She’s 8-0 this season with a O.17 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched.

Head coach Trevor Holton has several big bats in the line-up but the two top producers are Utah Valley-committed senior Hayley Brock and sophomore Kaylyn Yi. Brock is hitting .459 with to home runs, five doubles, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored. Yi leads the team with a .571 average with five doubles, five RBI and 13 runs scored.

Fullerton opens on Wednesday at 5:15pm against a Chino Hills (10-4) team that was No. 20 in the recent state rankings.

Fullerton has a 3-2 win over Norco at the Dave Kops tournament in Arizona but some SoCal softball analysts feel the favorite at the Carew still could be No. 3 ranked and preseason No. 1 Norco. Norco (9-2) also has a 2-0 loss to JSerra and has been idle since the last rankings. Norco was set to face Long Beach Millikan in its first tourney game.

Those two will not be the only two Cal-Hi Sports Top 25 teams to grace the Carew Classic field. Others include No. 10 Orange Lutheran, No. 13 Mater Dei of Chula Vista, and No. 19 Del Oro of Loomis will represent Northern California. Del Oro also is the team that won last year’s CIF NorCal D1 championship.

Remember admission is free and according to tournament director J.R. Bennett says the fields are in great shape despite some rain on Tuesday.

For tournament schedules and results, CLICK HERE.

The FOLD: It’s a Yearbook for You

By Mark Tennis | Published March 31, 2026


New partners of CalHiSports.com created BestofLegacy in 2004 to serve professional athletes in the four major sports. Now, high school, college and minor league athletes can be served in a very similar way through BriteLegacy and its premier product, “The Fold.”

TO WATCH VIDEO SHOWING MORE ABOUT “THE FOLD,” CLICK HERE.

We are pleased to announce that Cal-Hi Sports and CalHiSports.com has entered into a partnership with BriteLegacy (britelegacy.com), a company that creates one-of-a-kind memorabilia for high school athletes.

This fits perfectly with our longtime partners from BillyTees.com, who have provided all-state patches since the 2017-18 school year for the parents of those named to all-state teams in football, boys basketball, girls basketball, baseball and softball. Get a patch and now get The Fold to go with it, too.

In 2004, BestofLegacy founder and CEO Stone Melet, a former morning news TV anchor and TV news assignment reporter in four major markets over a five-year period, wanted to create “the Rolls Royce of Scrapbooks” for athletes and others in the media spotlight. One of the best sales points for that scrapbook became a method to imbed a video within the product.

BestofLegacy targeted pro athletes and they loved what was created for them. Some of of those who ordered it include Emmitt Smith to Max Scherzer to Brett Hull to Ja Morant. There’s also been Luca Doncic, Kelly Slater, three generations of Andrettis, Aaron Rodgers, Clayton Kershaw, Martin Brodeur, Charles Barkley and more. The client list for BestofLegacy also has gone beyond sports with those such as Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Martin Scorcese and Eric Schmidt.

BriteLegacy was launched in April of 2025 as a spinoff of BestofLegacy. The goal for it has been to create a product not the same as the one for the famous celebrities but also more affordable and just as memorable.

The premiere product of BriteLegacy is known as “The Fold,” a trifold memorabilia piece featuring a large video highlights screen, an accolades page, two photo mosaics and a booklet containing several of the athlete’s best newspaper/magazine clippings + photos.

Sopak leaves Carondelet for UNR

By Harold Abend | Published March 25, 2026

Last season’s State Coach of the Year in girls basketball is going to take the plunge into college coaching as Carondelet of Concord’s Kelly Sopak (also the former head coach at Miramonte of Orinda when Sabrina Ionescu was there) is going to take over the program at the University of Nevada.

It is a bit of a homecoming for Kelly Sopak.

After leading Concord Carondelet since 2021, with previous stints at Walnut Creek Northgate from 2006-2009 and Orinda Miramonte from 2010-2020, Sopak has accepted the job as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Nevada-Reno.

During his time as a high school coach, Sopak amassed a 541-91 record and was named the 2025 Cal-Hi Sports State Coach of the Year after his Carondelet team won the CIF Division I state championship. Over six seasons at Carondelet, Sopak also led the Cougars to three CIF North Coast Section titles, and three NorCal Championship Game appearances with the one title. At Miramonte, Sopak guided the Matadors to a CIF Open Division NorCal title, five NCS championships and seven league titles.

Carondelet of Concord head coach Kelly Sopak ponders a question during CIF D1 state final post-game press conference. Photo: Mark Tennis.


Sopak is also the founder of the Cal Stars Basketball Club which he started in 2006 and since then, between the Stars and his high school career, Sopak has coached and developed some major talent that has had an impact at the collegiate and professional levels of women’s basketball. His prowess was rewarded with him being named to Silver Wave Media’s 2025 “100 Most Impactful People in Women’s Basketball.”

The top name among the group of players he’s coached is current New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, who played both club and high school ball for Sopak before going on to a decorated collegiate career at Oregon, becoming the top pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, and winning an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA in 2024.

When we say it a bit of a homecoming for Sopak, it is indeed.

In a bit of a strange twist, the 57-year old Sopak wasn’t even a basketball player in high school or college. He grew up just outside of Tacoma, Washington in Puyallup and attended Bethel High in nearby Spanaway. At Bethel, he starred in baseball and football before attending the University of Nevada in Reno where his baseball career was cut short due to injuries. Wolf Pack Sopak is coming full circle with his return to Reno.

“Today’s announcement marks a defining moment for Nevada Women’s Basketball and for the University of Nevada. Kelly’s return to his alma mater brings not only expertise, but an energy and vision that matches the ambition of this program,” Nevada Reno Athletic Director Stephanie Rempe said in a press release after his naming. “His unparalleled success in growing talent and building high-performing programs aligns perfectly with the trajectory we envision for Nevada Women’s Basketball. He has mentored, coached and developed some of the very best players in the world. As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, Kelly is the forward-thinking, purpose-driven leader who will build a championship-caliber program and elevate the Wolf Pack to new heights.”

“I am truly honored and grateful to be selected as the next head coach of Nevada Women’s Basketball. As an alum, this place has shaped me in so many ways. I am the person I am today because of my time at this University, and that makes this opportunity deeply meaningful to me,” Sopak said in the press release. “This is a community that cares, that shows up, and that takes pride in its program, and I feel that. I am excited to pour everything I have into this role. We are going to build a program that reflects the toughness, the work ethic, and the spirit of Nevada. I cannot wait to get in the gym with this group of student athletes and get to work.”

After college, Sopak began a career as a State Farm insurance broker in Reno and his career path involved travel before he married local Bay Area native and Nevada Reno fellow alumnus Beverly Sopak in Piedmont, Calif. in 1997. He moved his State Farm practice to the East Bay in 2000 where the couple settled and raised their two daughters. Lauren Sopak, the oldest, who was a classmate of Ionescu at Miramonte, and also went to Oregon, works as Vice President of Event Operations for Nike Tournament of Champions. Leah Sopak holds a graduate assistant role with TCU women’s basketball which is currently 31-5 overall and in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

“Coach Kelly Sopak has established himself as one of the winningest women’s basketball coaches and developers of basketball talent on the West Coast. He brings a championship mentality and an incredible enthusiasm to lift our Women’s Basketball program to new heights,” said University President and former Governor of Nevada Brian Sandoval ’86 in the press release. “As a graduate of our University, he understands what Wolf Pack Athletics means to our community and is the ideal person to lead this new era of Wolf Pack women’s basketball. We are excited to welcome Kelly and his family home.”

It will be interesting indeed to see how it goes for Sopak switching from the high school coaching world to college where recruiting players (especially now in the NIL era) can be so crucial to success. We’ve seen a few come back to high school coaching after the college experience, but everyone’s journey is different. All of us at Cal-Hi Sports have enjoyed all of our interactions with Kelly.

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

How Terry Donahue Got Inspired for Showcase Event

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published February 17, 2026


In a shifting college football landscape where opportunities for high school athletes are increasingly rare, the National Football Foundation (NFF) is bridging the gap by creating a direct pipeline for student-athletes through its four annual NFF Showcases. One of those showcases takes place this weekend on Saturday at Great Park in Irvine and also is known as the 13th Annual Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase.

FOR INFO TO SIGN UP AS A PLAYER FOR THIS FREE EXPOSURE EVENT (RAIN OR SHINE), CLICK HERE.
NOTE: REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 12 NOON ON WEDNESDAY OF THIS WEEK.

Events on the National Football Foundation label are free to participants and college recruiters, and are expected to connect more than 1,200 high school seniors with coaches from more than 100 colleges and universities across all levels, landing more than 250 scholarships for participants in 2026. Events have collectively reached 17,450 players since they began in 2009 with one in four landing on college rosters or approximately 4,250 student athletes enrolled in college.

All graduating Class of 2026 football players in the state need to know about this upcoming event on Saturday, Feb. 21 in Irvine. For info and to sign up, CLICK HERE.


Committed to the long-term strength and integrity of football, the 13th Annual Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase is set for this Saturday, Feb. 21 in Irvine, CA. Since its inception, the event has hosted over 1,300 student-athletes and facilitated a staggering $46 million in financial packages at over 160 colleges.

This weekend’s NFF Showcase is expected to bring in 400+ high school seniors, 50 four-year colleges, 15 junior colleges, among others. Approximately 45% of attendees are on government assistance of some kind. With last year’s success rate of 1 in 3 attendees landing on college rosters, this provides access for first-generation college students and those that otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to further their education and athletic careers.

“These are young people who truly need this opportunity,” said Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase Co-founder Pat Donahue Sr. “They’re not pampered athletes who already have their future secured. With the transfer portal and the changing landscape of the game, this showcase has become more important than ever. Our vision is a four-year college degree for these student-athletes. Football is the vehicle.”

Proven Success

CJ Ravenell attended the NFF Southern California Showcase in 2018, turning opportunity into achievement. After earning a scholarship offer from Missouri Western State University, he became a standout defensive end for the program, drawing invitations to three NFL training camps. He ultimately signed with the Baltimore Ravens, fulfilling his lifelong dream of competing at football’s highest level.

The Donahue Brothers:
How the NFF Southern California Showcase Came to Be

The NFF Southern California Showcase began nearly 15 years ago with a dinner conversation in Dallas. Pat Donahue Sr. joined his brother, the late Terry Donahue — an NFF College Football Hall of Fame head coach at UCLA and former general manager of the San Francisco 49ers — in Texas for the Cotton Bowl Classic, where Coach was serving as the radio color analyst. Ahead of the game, the two brothers met NFF executives Steve Hatchell and Matthew Sign for a meal, where Coach Donahue shared his desire to give back. Hatchell recommended they visit the NFF Houston Showcase, so two weeks later, they did.

Walking the field that day, Pat watched his brother come alive around the players. Inspired, the two decided to launch a similar event in Southern California. What began as a leap of faith and far more work than expected, debuted with 400 student-athletes and 40 colleges.

Though Coach Donahue passed away four years ago, Pat promised to carry on the mission they shared.

Lynwood, Barfield make history

By Harold Abend | Published February 5, 2026

Head coach Ellis Barfield (far right) stands with members of 2025-26 squad at Lynwood that won program’s 30th straight league title for a new state record. Photo: Nick Koza.

One of the most storied girls high school basketball programs in California history and its legendary coach made history on Tuesday with a 66-43 victory over Downey. That’s when Lynwood won its 30th straight Gateway League championship, and according to the Cal-Hi Sports Online Record Book, that breaks the record of 29 straight that Lynwood shared with Troy of Fullerton, which won its titles between 1993-2021.

Note: We hope you enjoy this free post CalHiSports.com. After the preseason, all weekly and final state rankings are available only to our Gold Club members as well as our state record related and state stat star of the week honor rolls. To check out getting a Gold Club membership to see all of those rankings plus all of our updated state record lists, totally authentic historical features, and more, CLICK HERE.

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All-State FB Patch List For Juniors

By Mark Tennis | Published January 24, 2026

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.


Congratulations to the following players listed in alphabetical order who have been selected to either first team, second team or third team on the 2025 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Junior Football Teams for the fall season. These players and their families can now order an official all-state football patch plus you’ll get a certificate through our partners at BillyTees.com. We also like to post the names on a list so we’re not collecting a subscription from a parent who is only interested in seeing if their son has been picked and then finds out the son wasn’t picked.

For ordering info to get 2025 all-state football patch, CLICK HERE.

To see the 2025 all-state juniors post full presentation, CLICK HERE.

To get a Gold Club subscription so you can see the complete presentation of the Cal-Hi Sports 2025 All-State Junior Football Teams (fall season), CLICK HERE.

Noah Ahari (Chino Hills)
Maliq Allen (St. John Bosco)
Larry Baer (Quartz Hill)
Zac Benitez (Granite Hills, EC)
Cooper Berry (Maranatha)
Troy Bowens (Sutter)
Jaret Bridwell (Red Bluff)
Zach Brien (Bishop O’Dowd)
Adonyae Brown (Riordan)
Harrison Brown (Madison)
Jason Brown (Muir)
Jerrek Buckley (Rancho Cotate)
Mark Cadena (M.L. King, Riverside)
Demare Dezeurn (Palisades)
Jelani Dippel (Central East)
Brady Edmunds (Huntington Beach)
Zo Edwards (Grant, Sac)
Carsten Campbell (Frontier)
Jace Cannon (Serra, SM)
D.J. Clanton (Mater Dei)
Justin Coach (St. John Bosco)
E.J. Coleman (Folsom)
Isaac Cook (Cathedral Catholic)
Kye Cooper (San Diego)
Kasi Currie (Sierra Canyon)
Dillon Davis (St. John Bosco)
Lua Deberry (Folsom)
Maverick DeClark (Villa Park)
Tytus Dimmer (Clovis West)
Eli Dukes (Palma)
Colin Elia (Temecula Valley)
Hunter Eligon (Los Alamitos)
Taven Epps (Tustin)
Gage Esty (Placer)
Honor Fa’alave-Johnson (Cathedral Catholic)
Jackson Fader (Mission Hills)
Michael “Kiko” Farinas (Chaparral)
Lemani Fehoko (Serra, SM)
Sione Felila (Oak Hills)
Chris Fields (Carson)
Troy Fleming (Oak Ridge)
Luke Frith (San Juan Hills)
Quentin Hale (Cathedral, L.A.)
Elija Harmon (Inglewood)
Bayon Harris (Central East)
Jayden Harris (Manteca)
Jeovanni Henley (Serra, SM)
Jackson Hill (Chaminade)
Jailen Hill (St. John Bosco)
Giovanni Hodge (Grant, Sac.)
Jon Ioane (Tustin)
Jaden Jefferson (Cathedral, L.A.)
Darius Johnson (Murrieta Valley)
Caden Jones (Crean Lutheran)
Gage Jones (Live Oak, Morgan Hill)
Duece Jones-Drew (De La Salle)
Nikko Juarez (Manteca)
Jack Junker (Mission Viejo)
Jayden King (Bullard)
Dax Labrum (Santa Fe Christian)
Rob Larson (Folsom)
Masi Latu (Bishop O’Dowd)
Asofa Lauifi (Cathedral Catholic)
Taylor Lee (Pacifica, Oxnard)
Lincoln Mageo (Oceanside)
Lex Mailangi (Mater Dei)
Hudson Manning (Chaminade)
Kevika Mata’uita-Martinez (La Habra)
Malachi McFarland (Damien)
David Medina (San Pedro)
Julian Medina (Norco)
Nate Mensah (Rancho Cucamonga)
Avery Michael (Turlock)
Courtney Miller-Thompson (Lincoln, SD)
D.J. Mitchell (La Habra)
Calvin Moala (Chaparral)
Grant Moser (Buchanan)
Jared Newman (Los Gatos)
Damien Panteloglow (Rocklin)
Kameron Payne (Chaparral)
Isaiah Phelps (Pacifica, Oxnard)
Paisios Polamalu (St. Augustine)
Damani Porras (Downey)
Josiah Poyer (St. John Bosco)
Andrew Quinn (Liberty Ranch)
Ryan Rakowski (Palos Verdes)
Koa Regalado (Colton)
Vaughn Reinert (Torrance)
Jaxson Rex (San Clemente)
Lucas Rhoa (Lutheran, Orange)
Demaje Riley (Tulare)
L.J. Riley (Frontier)
Finley Rivera (Acalanes)
Adan Rodriguez (Red Bluff)
D.J. Sanchez (Riordan)
Trevor Schneider (Chaparral)
Koby Shabazz (Grant, Sac)
Troy Simonson (Nipomo)
Myels Smith (Inglewood)
Carter Sobel (Sierra Canyon)
Jaxsen Stokes (Sierra Canyon)
Kordell Strane (Cardinal Newman)
Seth Sullivan (Redondo)
Sevelino Taliauli (Servite)
Malakai Taufoou (Serra, SM)
Chance Thomas (Western, Anaheim)
Kamden Tillis (Los Alamitos)
Aliseti Tuihalamaka (Oaks Christian)
George Tyus (Antioch)
Kahlio Vaetoe (Cardinal Newman)
Isaia Vandermade (Santa Margarita)
Gabriel Villalobos (St. John Bosco)
Jaden Walk-Green (Centennial, Corona)
Finn Ward (Agoura)
Dane Weber (Chaparral)
Semaj Welch (Inglewood)
Duvay Williams (Serra, Gardena)
Gavin Williams (Damien)
Jeremiah Williams (Tustin)
Philip “Pee Wee” Wilson (Pacifica, Oxnard)
Isala Wily-Ava (St. John Bosco)
Tyler Winkles (Acalanes)
Justen Womack (Oak Ridge)
Blake Wong (Norco)

50th Lions All-Star FB Game Updates

By Mark Tennis | Published January 23, 2026

Lions All-Star Football head coaches Frank Marques of the South (Hilmar) & Andrew Beam of the North (Escalon) have experience going against each other in the Trans Valley League. Photo: Mark Tennis / Cal-Hi Sports.


Coaches are announced for this summer’s game in Tracy, which will be the 50th annual, and for the first time will include a girls flag all-star contest as part of it. ALLRISE Foundation also is coming on board as presenting sponsor.

Note: We hope you enjoy this free post on Cal-Hi Sports.com. Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football content that will be for Gold Club members only also will include second team, third team overall and All-State Juniors & Sophomores plus list of most outstanding freshmen. If you want to check out all of our rankings content, and all state record updates, you can check it out for just $4.99 to cover a one-month subscription. For info, CLICK HERE.

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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.

If the 50th annual Central California Lions All-Star Football Game is anything like the last two in the series, the excitement meter could be off the charts.

The South team won in the annual all-star game two years ago, 18-15, on a touchdown with four seconds left. Last year, a back-and-forth contest was won by the North, 42-37, which held off the South with the help of a controversial fourth down play that could have been called an illegal fake punt.

This year’s game, which will be the 50th annual of the series, will be played on Saturday, June 20 at Tracy High’s Wayne Schneider Stadium.

Schneider, one of the founders of the game and longtime head coach at Tracy who retired in 1994, still serves on the committee that puts on the game each year.

“No, not many things last 50 years,” Schneider said on Wednesday before the monthly Lions All-Star Football committee meeting. “It’s been such good support from the Lions and from schools in the area. We’ve struggled a little bit, but have kept to it.”

And in keeping with the theme of looking at the past while looking ahead, for the first time, there is going to be a girls flag football all-star game representing players from the same schools as in the north and south for the boys.

Coaches have been named for all four teams that will be playing in this year’s two games.

Andrew Beam (Escalon) – North Football

The Modesto Bee’s Coach of the Year after the 2023 season has been the head coach at his alma mater since 2019 when he took over for the retired Mark Loureiro, who at the time was the winningest head coach in CIF Sac-Joaquin Section history and is still No. 2 behind Modesto Central Catholic’s Roger Canepa, who was a coach in the Lions’ game two years ago. Beam’s first five teams (non-COVID) at Escalon went 14-1, 12-2, 13-3 and 12-2. His teams the past two seasons were not as successful but were in the SJS D4 playoffs.

“Coach Lou always said this game was something that he’s always remembered,” Beam said. “I still remember the crushing feeling of losing in this game (as a player). I’m happy that it’s still going after all these years.”

Frank Marques (Hilmar) – South Football

The acceptance by Marques to coach the South squad this year is reminiscent of the 2023 contest that was led by retiring Oakdale head coach Trent Merzon. Marques retired at the end of the 2025 season at Hilmar after a 23-year run as head coach. His work at the school with a final career record of 199 wins, four SJS titles and one CIF state title was more than just those totals and the Lions All-Star Football Game is honored he’s agreed to coach in the game once again.

“I played in the ninth game and it’s always been a passion of mine,” said Marques, who last served as South head coach in 2018. “It was such a big deal in the 70s and 80s and it’s always been a premier event. I’m really honored they asked me to do this for the 50th game.”

The first ever girls flag football head coaches for the Lions All-Star Football Classic this summer will be David Rios Jr. from Kimball of Tracy (center) who is flanked by the co-head coaches from Atwater, Nathan Ramirez & Capri Abbasi. Photo: Mark Tennis.

David Rios Jr. (Kimball, Tracy) – North Flag

After leading the Jaguars to a 10-0 record in the Tri-City Athletic League and to a second seed in the SJS D2 playoffs, Rios Jr. will be the first-ever North head coach in the Lions’ all-star game for girls. Although the team was upset in the first round of the playoffs, it still posted a 24-3 overall record.

“I think this is just a tremendous honor to be the coach in this game, especially for the first one,” said Rios Jr., who has been a girls soccer coach at Kimball for 10 years and completed his first season as head coach in flag football. “I’m excited to be a part of it with all of the girls, hopefully leading the North to its first ‘W.’”

Nathan Ramirez & Capri Abbasi (Atwater) – South Flag

The first-ever South all-stars will have co-coaches because that is what the team at Atwater had last season, which went to the SJS D2 semifinals and arguably was the second best team in the division behind league rival Merced, which won the title game 33-6 over Ponderosa of Shingle Springs after just getting past the Falcons in the semifinals, 13-7. Atwater also won in its quarterfinal game, 54-12, over Rocklin. Ramirez and Abbasi both have some experience with 11-man football as Ramirez has been coaching 15 years while Abbasi is married to Modesto Junior College defensive coordinator Eddie Abbasi.

“It’s definitely an honor and a privilege to be the first South coaches in this game,” said Ramirez.

“At the very first tryout at Atwater we had just five girls show up and it was very bleak,” said Abbasi. “To get where we are now is amazing.”

BIG NEWS:
ALL RISE FOUNDATION TO SERVE AS PRESENTING SPONSOR

For the first time in many years, the Lions All-Star Football Game has a presenting sponsor and it will be the ALLRISE Foundation, which is the charity funded by New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. The Linden High grad was once selected to participate in the Lions game after his senior season, but respectfully declined to play via letter as he was getting ready to start playing collegiate baseball at Fresno State. Judge is still regarded as one of the best multi-sport high school athletes (football, basketball, baseball) in SJS history.

The Lions All-Star Football Committee is extremely grateful for this help. Specifically, the donation will go toward paying for all of the jerseys for all players (boys & girls) in this year’s all-star games.

Banquet: April 18 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
in Modesto (Father O’Hare Hall)

More details are still to come but this year’s all-star football banquet will be held on Saturday, April 18 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (Father O’Hare Hall) in Modesto. There will be a guest speaker and all players will have photos taken.

North & South Team Rosters

Those are not yet available. The plan is to have the teams selected by February 18, 2026. The coaches and the two team coordinators are the ones who primarily do the selections.

More History

The event matches top graduated high school football players primarily from the Stockton area against those primarily from the Modesto area. It is going into its fifth year after it was not held for three years due to the COVID pandemic. It has been played at Lincoln High in Stockton (2019), Tracy (2013-2018 & 2023-25), Modesto Junior College (2012) and at University of the Pacific’s Memorial Stadium.

The North team’s win last June broke a stretch of the South team having won in five of the six previous games. The North now has a 27-19-2 edge in the series.

Game Ticket Info

This year’s game will feature tickets that can be purchased through GoFan.com. Tickets are $15. Presale game tickets and t-shirts also will be available at the banquet.

Sadly, a Final Note

We would be remiss in not mentioning the recent tragic passing of longtime SJS southern region prep sportswriter/editor Richard T. Estrada. Mr. Estrada was just 63 years old when he died on Dec. 28 in Oakdale. He was the founder and editor of the Black Hat Football social media page and platform and selected the 14th annual All-Black Hat football teams (which comprises both north and south regions of the Lions game) the night before he suffered a heart attack. He had been a longtime high school writer with the Modesto Bee before that. We pass along our most sincere condolences to Rich’s family.

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.

All-State FB Patch List For Sophomores

By Mark Tennis | Published January 19, 2026

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.


Congratulations to the following players listed in alphabetical order who have been selected to either first team, second team or third team on the 2025 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore Football Teams for the fall season. These players and their families can now order an official all-state football patch plus you’ll get a certificate through our partners at BillyTees.com. We also like to post the names on a list so we’re not collecting a subscription from a parent who is only interested in seeing if their son has been picked and then finds out the son wasn’t picked.

For ordering info to get 2025 all-state football patch, CLICK HERE.

To get a Gold Club subscription so you can see the complete presentation of the Cal-Hi Sports 2025 All-State Sophomore Football Teams (fall season), CLICK HERE.

Kaleb Aiava (Servite)
Zion Anderson (LB Poly)
Troy Bishop (Mater Dei)
Giovani Blanco (El Segundo)
Sam Boeddeker (Bishop Diego, Santa Barbara)
Karter Brooks (Enterprise)
Jai’Lynn Brown (Vista del Lago, MV)
Julian Bruno (Grant, Sac)
Izeah Buchanan (Salesian, Richmond)
Jaxson Carper (St. Bonaventure)
Henderson Carter (Norco)
Matthew Charles (Chaminade)
Lance Ciechanowski (Sierra Canyon)
Gavin Collier (Santa Monica)
Kevin Cooks (Central East)
J.R. Cruz (Clovis North)
Drew Cumby (St. Francis, MV)
James Curoso (Clovis)
Chase Curren (Crespi)
Matthew Dalhaver (Mission Viejo)
Malaki Davis (Centennial, Corona)
Tommy Devany (Buchanan)
Ayden Edwards (Tustin)
Bryan Edwards (Bishop O’Dowd)
Luke Everett (Mar Vista)
Markus Fakatou (Orange Lutheran)
Sean Fanua (Helix)
Ma’kani Fields-Cook (Canyon Hills)
Apisai Fifita (St. Francis MV)
Owen Fiorenza (Alta Loma)
Colton Fitzgibbon (San Ramon Valley)
Jalen Flowers (Palos Verdes)
Grayson Gaines (St. Joseph, Santa Maria)
Mark Gomez (Garces)
Ryan Gonzales (La Mirada)
Isaiah Grant (Archbishop Riordan)
Jemel Grigsby (Wilson, Long Beach)
Micah Hannah (Simi Valley)
Isaiah Harrison (Pittsburg)
Thunder Hazen (Dublin)
Jack Heaslet (St. Joseph, Santa Maria)
Ethan Hedrick (Villa Park)
Jordan Hicks (Mission Viejo)
Chase Higgs (Apple Valley)
J.J. Howard (Clovis West)
Turner Hughes (Villa Park)
Nick Hunt (Oak Ridge)
Edis Ihoni (Roosevelt, Fresno)
Lincoln Jahn (Inglewood)
Anhor Johnson (Lutheran, Orange)
King Rich Johnson (Lutheran, Orange)
Koby Johnson (Enterprise)
D’Elliott Jones (University, LA)
Ja’Vale Jones (Pittsburg)
Allen Kennett (Servite)
Hayden Koo (Tustin)
Major Lee (Clovis West)
Isaiah Lefotu (Garces)
Jayden Lewis (St. Francis, MV)
Keiden Lokeni (Servite)
Damir Lomax (Bakersfield)
Hezekiah Manuel (Hoover, SD)
Pakipole Moala (Leuzinger)
Koa Malau’ulu (St. John Bosco)
Ethan Miller (San Clemente)
Landon Miller (De La Salle)
Maxwell Moore (Tracy)
Elisha Mueller (Servite)
Darren Nash (St. John Bosco)
Cadillac Pina (Golden West)
Malique Pollard (Loyola)
Bronson Pulu (Valley View)
Cordell Radcliffe (Sacramento)
Weston Reis (Palos Verdes)
Ben Rivas (Oak Ridge)
Dezmond Sanders (Edison, Stockton)
Tristan Savage (Ventura)
Russell Sekona (Leuzinger)
Taylon Sheriff (Canyon Hills)
Jerry Shifman (Mater Dei, Santa Ana)
Malaika Sione (Pacifica, Oxnard)
Jordan Slye (Salesian, LA)
Jaion Smith (Santa Margarita)
Kingston Sula (Carson)
Andrew Tapia (Montgomery, San Diego)
Amerion Taylor (Tulare Western)
Star Thomas (Orange)
Mason Towne (Franklin, Elk Grove)
Isaiah Trujillo (Yorba Linda)
Dunedin Tupou (Casa Roble)
Elijah Tuua (Folsom)
Darren Tubbs (St. John Bosco)
Navi Uhatafe (Balboa, SF)
Anaius Ulu (Bellarmine)
Elijah Walker (Chavez, Stockton)
Kenny Ward (Pittsburg)
James Watson (Ventura)
Darvin Wattree (Ridgeview)
Gaige Weddle (Rancho Bernardo)
Ca’ron Williams (Santa Margarita)
Qassim Williams (Montgomery, SD)

Defense State POY: Jaden Walk-Green

By Mark Tennis | Published January 9, 2026

Jaden Walk-Green of No. 6 Corona Centennial is shown scoring on an interception return during win in September vs Bingham of Utah. Photo: cen10.football / Instagram.com.


Just a junior, the Corona Centennial defensive back is going to make us work to add another category to our state records: most interception returns for a touchdown in a season. Walk-Green had five of those pick six TDs for the state No. 2 Huskies this season, led the state in interceptions with 10, led the team in tackles and created a new term: the pick seven. That’s because after Jaden would get a pick six, he would stay on the field and kick the extra point.
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Attn: Senior FB Players

By Mark Tennis | Published January 8, 2026


If there was one thing that the late, legendary football coach Terry Donahue understood it was recruiting players to colleges and how a graduating senior may be unknown but still very much interested in maximizing opportunities to play at the next level.

TO SIGN UP FOR THIS YEAR’S CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL SHOWCASE,
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That’s partly why 13 years ago Coach Donahue founded the Terry Donahue California Football Showcase, which says it is for graduating high school seniors and plus community college student-athletes to have an opportunity to display their skills to NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA football programs in a one-day (absolutely free) skills combine.

This year’s California Football Showcase will take place on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Great Park, Irvine. The event also has partnered this year with The Moving In Right Direction and AIGA Foundations. It is once again free of charge.

Donahue was the head coach at UCLA from 1976 to 1995 and remains the winningest football coach in school history with 151 career wins. He also was general manager of the San Francisco 49ers from 2001 to 2005. He remained very active in the sport until his death in 2021 at age 77 due to cancer. He also was easily able to put himself into the shoes of the very players that the California Football Showcase aims to help. Donahue was not recruited much as an undersized player from Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, but attended San Jose State as a walk-on, then went to L.A. Valley College and then walked-on as a player at UCLA.

This type of event also is even more critical for high school seniors in just that last two years due to the increased use of D1 colleges of the transfer portal. Those colleges simply don’t recruit nearly as many high school players as they did in the past. It all trickles down.

The event will feature student-athletes from all over California and brings together NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA college/universities from across the country, as well as California community college programs. Players will showcase their skills during a series of tests and drills that will best display each player’s talent at their respective positions. The CA Showcase will be organized and managed by former college and professional football players and coaches associated with Coach Donahue throughout his career.

Following the activities, players and coaches from the colleges/universities will meet in an adjacent facility to discuss scholarship and financial aid opportunities. Admission in the area will be restricted to student-athletes, participating coaches and volunteers, visiting high school and college/university coaches and/or administrators, and the media.

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