Grid-Hoop State Player of the Year: Max Redfield

Max Redfield (left) has topped another strong group of first five players, including Tyree Robinson of San Diego Lincoln (right), to be named as this year’s Grid-Hoop State Player of the Year. Robinson photo by Scott Kurtz.

Notre Dame-bound All-American defensive back from Mission Viejo also starred on 26-win basketball team. Go inside to find out who the last grid-hoop player of the year was from Orange County.

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By Mark Tennis
Contributing: Ronnie Flores, Paul Muyskens

CLICK HERE for complete 2012-1013 Grid-Hoop All-State teams

You have to go back to the 1993-94 school year to find the last Cal-Hi Sports Grid-Hoop Player of the Year to hail from Orange County. That was future NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez of Huntington Beach.

Max Redfield of Mission Viejo isn’t quite on Gonzalez’s level in his secondary sport of basketball (Gonzalez played at Sonny Vaccaro’s ABCD Camp and helped Cal reach the Sweet 16 of the 1997 NCAA Tournament), but nonetheless he was an All-American in football and was the second-leading scorer on a state top 20-level basketball team. Redfield also has now been named as the 2012-13 Cal-Hi Sports Grid-Hoop Player of the Year.

“It’s a great honor to be mentioned with guys like Tony Gonzalez and I think I’ve done a good job living up to that tradition of great players,” Redfield said. “I hope I can uphold that tradition in college.”

That college for Redfield will be Notre Dame, which he chose just before signing day and reversed an earlier commitment to USC. He chose the Irish after a sensational senior football season for the 11-1 Diablos in which he had four interceptions, blocked four punts and caught 45 passes for nearly 800 yards. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder was ranked as high as the No. 2 safety prospect in the nation.

In basketball, Redfield helped Mission Viejo to a 24-3 record in the regular season and a top four seed in the CIF Southern Section Division I-AA playoffs, the strongest section basketball playoff division in the state. He averaged 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

When Mission Viejo’s best player, talented unsigned senior Evan Zeller, missed time with an ankle injury late in the regular season, Redfield was at his best. In one of those games, he scored 24 points in a win over Tesoro of Rancho Santa Margarita.

“I have been playing basketball since I was four years old and I love the sport,” Redfield said. “I knew we were going to have a great team this year and there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to play with those guys (by leaving early for spring college football). I also do track as well for Mission Viejo. I have a strong bond with the track coach at Mission so it made my decision to stay that much easier.”

Redfield also hasn’t completely ruled out continuing to play his secondary sport in South Bend.

“Playing basketball keeps me in shape,” he said. “Coach (Brian) Kelly said I can try to play basketball at Notre Dame.”

Note: It should be mentioned that two of the top juniors from last year’s all-state grid-hoops team, Roschon Prince from Long Beach Poly and Noah Allen from Palma of Salinas, did not play football last fall. Redfield’s selection also was aided by an injury to San Diego Lincoln’s Tyree Robinson that caused him to miss most of this season in basketball (although he’s now playing and playing well). In general, it also is just proving to be harder and harder in recent years to find top-level performers in both sports.

CLICK HERE for complete 2012-1013 Grid-Hoop All-State teams

Cal-Hi Sports Grid-Hoop
State Players of the Year

2012-13 – Max Redfield, Mission Viejo
2011-12 – William Stallworth, Tulare
2010-11 – William Stallworth, Tulare (Jr.)
2009-10 – Victor Dean, San Diego Lincoln
2008-09 – James Boyd, Los Angeles Jordan
2007-08 – Nelson Rosario, Oceanside El Camino
2006-07 – Rob Jones, San Francisco Riordan
2005-06 – David Ausberry, Lemoore
2004-05 – Danny Williams, Los Angeles Fremont
2003-04 – Marcus Everett, West Hills Chaminade
2002-03 – Steve Smith, Woodland Hills Taft
2001-02 – Marcedes Lewis, Long Beach Poly
2000-01 – Antwon Guidry, San Jose Leigh
1999-00 – Teyo Johnson, San Diego Mira Mesa
1998-99 – Josh Shavies, Oakland Fremont
1997-98 – Matt Barnes, Fair Oaks Del Campo
1996-97 – Jason Thomas, Compton Dominguez (Jr.)
1995-96 – Chris Claiborne, Riverside J.W. North
1994-95 – Johnnie Sanders, Los Angeles Franklin
1993-94 – Tony Gonzalez, Huntington Beach
1992-93 – Stais Boseman, Inglewood Morningside
1991-92 – Stais Boseman, Inglewood Morningside (Jr.)
1990-91 – Rob Johnson, El Toro
1989-90 – Willie McGinest, Long Beach Poly
1988-89 – Shante Carver, Stockton Lincoln
1987-88 – Eric Bamberger, Concord Ygnacio Valley
1986-87 – Junior Seau, Oceanside
1985-86 – Dan McGwire, Claremont
1984-85 – Michael Johnson, Baldwin Park
1983-84 – Jerald Jones, Vallejo
1982-83 – John Paye, Atherton Menlo School
1981-82 – Reggie Rogers, Sacramento Norte Del Rio
1980-81 – Jack Del Rio, Hayward
1979-80 – Don Rogers, Sacramento Norte Del Rio

Comments or corrections? Email markjtennis@gmail.com.