Junior Connor McBride from Woodbridge of Irvine has rushed for more than 700 yards in last three games, one of which was against arch-rival. Photo: Courtesy family.
Both Ben Purcell from Del Campo of Fair Oaks and Kaylor Sullivan of Fort Bragg barely reach the 500-yard mark in one game. This week also saw several players earn honor roll writeups in some of the wildest scorefests of the season such as San Joaquin Memorial over Madera 69-63 and Stagg of Stockton over McNair of Stockton 56-50.
Note: We will collect totals from MaxPreps, newspapers, tweets and from those sent in to us. We also will compile single-game highs from this post throughout the season and of course we use our weekly State Stat Stars collection as an aid for the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book. That is the only state record book anyone has ever done and we have published it seven times with full copyright protection. To report totals to us for this feature and for the record book, email markjtennis@gmail.com or call 209-463-9050. You can also text to 209-608-1317.
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(All players listed in alphabetical order)
(For games played through Saturday, Oct. 17)
(Thanks to Stockton office assistant Paul Muyskens and to CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett for contributions)
Roman Ale (Narbonne, Harbor City)
Most of Roman’s big totals in the passing game took place in the first half of a 64-6 rout of Gardena. The L.A. City Player of the Year candidate finished 19 of 27 for 353 yards and six touchdowns.
Narbonne QB Roman Ale knows how to spread the ball around to a fleet of fast receivers. Photo: Martin Henderson/OC Sidelines.com.
Michael Alvarez, Chris Paz & Joey Ruiz (San Joaquin Memorial, Fresno)
The junior QB passed for a career high of 331 yards on 17of 29 and had two touchdowns in a wild 69-63 win over visiting Madera. Paz had 10 receptions for 232 yards and two touchdowns while Ruiz rushed for 273 yards on 23 carries and scored five times. And all of that doesn’t include junior kicker Luis Pelayo, this week’s NorCal Special Teams Player of the Week.
Martin Andrus (Los Angeles)
While his team’s quarterback, Kaymen Cureton, was honored as one of our players of the week, Andrus also had a big night during a 34-21 win over Dorsey of Los Angeles. He had 10 solo tackles with four tackles for losses, three sacks and five quarterback hurries.
Jordan Antunez (Garden Grove)
For at least the fourth time this season, he rushed for over 200 yards in a game as he ran for 265 yards and three touchdowns when the Argonauts went on the road and defeated Rancho Alamitos of Garden Grove 34-3.
Ladell Atkins (El Camino Real, Woodland Hills)
Despite missing almost the entire second quarter with an injury, Atkins had a sensational outing in ECR’s 57-38 loss to Taft of Woodland Hills. He rushed for 395 yards on 23 carries and scored on runs of 67, 54, 58 and 60 yards.
Takoda Browne (Kearny, San Diego)
He had a monster outing to spark the Komets past Coronado 27-24. Operating as a quarterback rushing the ball, Browne had 29 carries for 314 yards and three TDs and he completed 7 of 13 passes for 54 yards yards and another score. This came one week after he had 275 yards rushing and five TDs on just nine carries in a victory against San Diego High.
Osai Brown & Derrion Grim (McNair, Stockton)
Brown improved his reported state-leading total for TD passes to 36 after he went 20 of 26 for 269 yards and four TDs in McNair’s 56-50 loss to Stagg of Stockton. Grim had eight catches for 139 yards and three TDs. He now has 25 TD catches for the season, which ties the state regular season record first set in 1999 by Earvin Johnson of L.A. Cathedral and tied two years ago by Matt Byers of Oak Park.
Levante Bushnell (Stagg, Stockton)
In a 56-50 win over McNair of Stockton, you’d expect some crazy numbers and that’s what Bushnell had. As a passer, he completed 16 of 31 for 223 yards while as a rusher he had 118 yards on 14 carries. For scoring, he connected on seven TD passes, scored himself on a game-winning 8-yard run and had two two-point conversion passes plus a two-point conversion run. Teammate Michael Thompson had four of the TD catches and batted away a pass in the end zone with 10.1 seconds that possibly could have won the game for McNair. The two teams also combined for 1,109 yards and did not punt for the duration of the contest.
Chris Duncan (Taft, Woodland Hills)
Before he played in Taft’s game with El Camino Real last week, Duncan was voted the SoCal Prep Legends Player of the Year for what he did in his previous outing. Then against the Conquistadors, Duncan stayed sharp with 14 completions in 24 attempts for 331 yards and five TDs. He also scored twice himself on short runs. Teammate Daron Albrecht also had six receptions for 178 yards and three TDs.
Stanley Falenofoa (Tennyson, Hayward)
He’s a 280-pound defensive lineman and had a huge impact when Tennyson beat Castro Valley 32-20. Falenofoa’s 10 tackles weren’t that great, but the eight that he had behind the line of scrimmage for negative plays definitely was deserving of recognition.
Demetric Felton (Great Oak, Temecula)
His one-yard TD plunge gave the Wolf Pack a 34-28 triumph in overtime vs. Chaparral of Temecula. It was his fifth TD of the night. He also had 30 carries for 217 yards and caught six passes for 101 yards.
Devin “The Dude” Floyd (Citrus Hill, Perris)
The Dude was doing it on the ground with 26 carries for 247 yards and two TDs when the Hawks beat up on previously unbeaten San Jacinto 40-0. Kicking phenom Manny Berz also contributed with a pair of field goals and pooch-style kickoff that ended up being an onside kick recovery.
Tristan Gebbia (Calabasas)
The all-state sophomore QB from last season did all he could but Calabasas suffered a 40-39 defeat to Camarillo in last week’s showdown of top-ranked teams from our Division III state rankings. Gebbia completed 26 of 45 for 406 yards and five touchdowns.
C.J. Gumbs (Escalon)
Despite rushing for a team-high 223 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, the Cougars suffered a 48-41 loss against Hilmar and fellow state stat star Cody Rentfro.
Cyrus Habibi-Likio (St. Francis, Mountain View)
We will be seeing him play on Friday night and he made sure the Lancers will be undefeated when they take on Bellarmine Prep of San Jose. Cyrus carried the ball 18 times for 223 yards and three touchdowns during a 28-21 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco.
Najee Harris (Antioch)
The big-time Class of 2017 prospect (committed to Alabama) shined with 23 carries for 236 yards and four TDs and scored on a 4-yard TD pass in a 32-17 win vs. Freedom of Oakley. Antioch improved to 7-0 and is knocking on the State Top 25 door. Since arch-rival Pittsburg has not lost to the Panthers, however, for many years we’re still waiting for that game to happen before going too crazy for Antioch.
Romello Harris (Tulare)
CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett reported that Harris rushed for a game high of 272 yards on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns in a 42-0 win over Delano. Harris has now rushed for 7,182 yards and 89 TDs in his career, which is third best and tied for sixth best in section history.
Jamarri Jackson (Christian Brothers, Sacramento)
The big-time junior DB/RB caught three passes for 42 yards but it was when handed the ball that saw him do the most damage. Jackson carried the ball 26 times for 202 yards and four touchdowns as the Falcons improved to 6-1 with a 49-26 road win over Rio Americano of Sacramento.
Elijah Preston of San Diego St. Augustine will be looking to keep up the big totals in upcoming game vs. Cathedral Catholic. Photo: @SDPrepInsider.
Poaka Kekua (Downey, Modesto)
A strong candidate for NorCal Defensive Player of the Week, Kekua was in on 13 tackles and also intercepted a pass and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown during a 48-2 win over Enochs of Modesto.
George Kranz & Nick Shanks (St. Margaret’s, SJ Capistrano)
Kranz connected on 13 of 20 passes for 307 yards and five touchdowns when the Tartans battered Sage Hill of Newport Beach 53-7. Shanks had seven catches for 125 yards and three TDs, scored on a 64-yard run from scrimmage and completed his only pass for a 20-yard score.
Jordan Leonard (Brethren Christian, Huntington Beach)
Despite having just nine carries, he still rushed for over 200 yards with 244 (more than 37 yards per carry) and scored two touchdowns in a 42-14 triumph over Dymally of Los Angeles. With the win, the Warriors also remained undefeated.
Connor McBride (Woodbridge, Irvine)
Here comes McBride as a player to watch for next year’s recruiting class since he’s a 6-foot-2, 225-pounder capable of rushing for major yardage. In last week’s win over rival Irvine, McBride rushed for 260 yards and scored four touchdowns. He had 274 from the week before that and has 704 yards rushing in Woodbridge’s last three outings.
Austin Miller (East Union, Manteca)
While the Lancers were unable to knock off undefeated Oakdale, he did have a great night as he intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown while also catching 15 passes for 184 yards in the 40-14 loss.
Devon Modster (Tesoro, Las Flores)
Before he heads to Arizona, he is showing why the Wildcats will be wildly thrilled to have him come there. In last week’s 39-33 loss to state No. 8 Mission Viejo, Modster connected on 31 of 52 passes for 407 yards and three touchdowns.
Elijah Preston (St. Augustine, San Diego)
The four-year standout for the Saints excelled with seven carries for 183 yards and two TDs and he had a 76-yard kickoff return for a score in their 45-26 win against Morse of San Diego.
Alex Puga (Caruthers)
This outstanding junior tied a school record dating back to 1929 by scoring six touchdowns on runs of 3, 47, 5, 54, 60 & 62 yards on 17 carries and had 323 yards in a 68-7 win over Parlier. Caruthers led at halftime 62-0 so Puga wasn’t able to add much in the second half.
Ben Purcell (Del Campo, Fair Oaks)
Putting up one of the top single game passing performances in the state this season, he completed 27 of his 38 pass attempts for 501 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for a score as the Cougars defeated Ponderosa of Shingle Springs 48-13.
Cody Rentfro (Hilmar)
If you are a fan of high-scoring games and talented running backs, the Yellowjackets’ game against Escalon was a fun one to watch as Rentfro rushed for 238 yards and two touchdowns during their 48-41 win.
Justin Rice (Central Catholic, Modesto)
The Fresno State commit ran through the defense of Manteca for 280 yards and scored three times to lead the Raiders past the Buffaloes 28-6. Manteca also entered the game unbeaten so the strong outing by Rice wasn’t exactly against a cupcake foe.
Ryan Robards (Elk Grove)
The touchdown scoring machine for the rapidly climbing Thundering Herd in the state rankings rushed for 227 yards and six touchdowns on 22 carries during a 63-13 win over Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove.
Mike Sciambato (Royal, Simi Valley)
Previously unbeaten Oak Park couldn’t do much to hold down Sciambato and the Royal offense. In a 33-7 win, Sciambato hit on 20 of 32 passes for 343 yards and three TDs. He also scored on a one-yard run.
Anthony Sierra (Kingsburg)
The standout junior QB passed for a career high of 369 yards on 16 of 21 and had three touchdowns in a 59-35 triumph vs. Dinuba. Speedy receiver Seth Brooks had eight receptions for 199 yards and one TD in the same game.
Hunter Simmons (Huntington Beach)
Looking to strike for their third win in a row, the Oilers suffered a 33-27 loss to Newport Harbor of Newport Beach despite their standout senior running back rushing for 323 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.
Bullard of Fresno RB Charles Williams is one of the top players in the Central Section. Photo: CentralValleyFootball.com.
Kaylor Sullivan (Fort Bragg)
We get updates on Sullivan and company from Justin Sipila, one of Fort Bragg’s coaches, and it’s okay for him to brag. One of the state leaders for passing touchdowns and yardage, Sullivan went 35 of 49 for 500 yards on the dot and had eight TD passes in a 57-24 victory against Kelseyville. The yardage, completions and TD totals all make it into the state record book. Sullivan’s top targets were Lucas Triplett (9 for 149, 2 TDs) and Shane Giaccani (8 for 130, 4 TDs). Earlier in October, Fort Bragg running back Brett Jacomelia also put his name into the state record book by scoring on a 99-yard run in a 54-9 romp past Lower Lake.
T.K. Teneng & Carlos Garcia (Pacheco, Los Banos)
Both had big nights rushing the ball as Teneng carried the ball 28 times for 238 yards and two touchdowns while Garcia added 178 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries during a 64-57 win over Ceres.
Isaiah Tenette (Highlands, North Highlands)
San Juan of Fair Oaks had no one to slow him down as he led the Scots to a 58-0 win. Tenette passed for 228 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 139 yards and three touchdowns in the Sierra Delta League contest.
Seperini Togiai Aumua (Hayward)
After several big tackles for losses, his big play on special teams helped turn the game when he came up the middle and blocked a field goal and then scooped it up and took it the other way for a touchdown in a 54-34 win by the Farmers against Mt. Eden of Hayward.
Evan Wallace (Hemet)
He led the Bulldogs to a 36-20 victory over Tahquitz of Hemet with 33 carries for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Tahquitz WR C.J. Sullivan also shined with 13 catches for 182 yards and one TD.
Charles Williams (Bullard, Fresno)
One of the premiere running backs in the Central Section, Williams set two school records in Bullard’s 45-14 victory over Madera South. One school record for Williams was his 336 yards on 16 carries. The other came on a 96-yard run.
Dawit Wilson & Colin Kentros (El Toro, Lake Forest)
Wilson passed for 373 yards and five touchdowns with Kentros his leading target with seven catches for 165 yards and two scores during a 40-36 loss to San Juan Hills of San Juan Capistrano.
Thomas Young (Granite Hills, El Cajon)
Too bad Young didn’t have one less carry in his outing against West Hills of Santee. Then he’d have had 22 carries for 222 yards and two TDs in leading the Eagles to their 20-14 triumph.
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
