Bishop Diego of Santa Barbara head coach Tom Crawford has served his school in several roles for nearly 20 years. Photo: Paul Wellman/independent.com.
Here are the choices from among those schools considered medium-size and small. Our medium schools honoree for this year defeated the honoree from last year while our small schools choice didn’t win a CIF state bowl game but guided his team far against much bigger schools in the CIF Southern Section Northern Division.
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Congratulations to the following two California coaches for joining Cal-Hi Sports State Coach of the Year Mike Janda of San Jose Bellarmine as additional honorees for accomplishments by their teams during the 2015 football season. To read more about Coach Janda, CLICK HERE.
Medium Schools State Coach of the Year
Mike Moschetti (La Mirada)
He has done many things with the Matadores both as a player and as a coach and today he is named as our Medium Schools State Coach of the Year.
La Mirada’s Mike Moschetti is an alum of his school as well. Photo: youtube.com.
La Mirada captured the CIF Division III-AA championship with a 27-3 win over Campolindo of Moraga for a 13-win season. Campolindo is the same school that went 16-0 in 2014 behind State Medium Schools Coach of the Year Kevin Macy.
Following up last season’s 10-win year, the Matadores won their final 12 games this season. It was a challenging way to do it, too, since it began with a massive 76-8 loss to national powerhouse St. John Bosco of Bellflower. La Mirada also suffered losses to Mater Dei of Santa Ana (No. 5 in the final overall state rankings) and San Clemente before going undefeated in Suburban League play.
In the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs and in two CIF bowl games, La Mirada’s winning margins were 49, 25, 31, 25, 22 and 24 points. The team topped Oceanside 36-14 in the SoCal bowl contest.
Before becoming a head coach, Moschetti also attended La Mirada and during his senior season in 1992 he was the quarterback on a Matadores’ team that won a CIF-SS championship. He then played at the University of Colorado.
This is the first time that any current school in the Suburban League has had a state football coach of the year.
Recent Cal-Hi Sports Medium Schools
State Coaches of the Year
2014 – Kevin Macy (Campolindo, Moraga); 2013 – Scott Meyer (Corona del Mar, Newport Beach); 2012 – Rick Jackson (Madison, San Diego); 2011 – Rick Prinz (Paradise); 2010 – Paul Cronin (Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa); 2009 – Sean Doyle (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego); 2008 – Lou Farrar (Charter Oak, Covina); 2007 – Ray Fenton (Cypress); 2006 – Eric Reis (Manteca); 2005 – Robin Luken (Lompoc); 2004 – Rob Gilster (Valley Center); 2003 – Tony Martello (Colfax); 2002 – Tom St. Jacques (Lassen, Susanville); 2001 – Butch Cattolico (Los Gatos); 2000 – Dennis Pugh (Mission Bay, San Diego).
Small Schools State Coach of the Year
Tom Crawford (Bishop Diego, Santa Barbara)
A longtime head coach in his 16th season with the Cardinals, Crawford just recorded his fifth straight season with at least 10 wins and becomes the first Small Schools State Coach of the Year from Santa Barbara County since Coley Candaele of Carpinteria (now at Vista Murrieta) was chosen in 2002.
What stood out about Crawford’s team this season wasn’t so much the 10-0 regular season, but the two playoff wins in the CIF Southern Section Northern Division. Bishop Diego first topped Newbury Park and its outstanding sophomore QB Cameron Rising 53-47 and then blasted Palmdale 48-6. Palmdale was 11-0 heading into that game and both Newbury Park and Palmdale are much bigger schools than Bishop Diego. The team then finished 12-1 with a loss to Camarillo, another much bigger school.
Crawford, who also once practiced law for 17 years in Los Angeles, began coaching football as an assistant at Birmingham of Lake Balboa in the CIF L.A. City Section in 1994. In 1998, he became athletic director and assistant football coach at Bishop Diego and then in 2000 took over as head football coach.
Recent Cal-Hi Sports Small Schools
State Coaches of the Year
2014 – Roger Canepa (Central Catholic, Modesto); 2013 – Matt Oliver (Christian, El Cajon); 2012 – Pete Lavorato (Sacred Heart Prep, Atherton); 2011 – Jon Ellinghouse (Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth); 2010 – Mark Louriero (Escalon); 2009 – Jack Moyer (Fort Bragg); 2008 – Frank Marques (Hilmar); 2007 – Kim Jorgensen (Ferndale); 2006 – Travis Brackett (Novato); 2005 – Matt Hunsaker (Central Valley, Shasta Lake); 2004 – Rich Cotruvo (Justin-Siena, Napa); 2003 – Mike Glines (Central Catholic, Modesto); 2002 – Coley Candaele (Carpinteria); 2001 – Dan Finfrock (Arrowhead Christian, Redlands); 2000 – Mike Sparks (Dos Palos).
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: @CalHiSports
