As we collected info for the six SoCal/NorCal Players of the Week in football, here’s a few others from last week’s games (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) that put up totals that caught our attention. Note: No Prep Notes With a Twist column this week with first installment of CIF NorCal/SoCal Bowl Projections. Send any player of week nominations or possible state record totals after each week to markjtennis@gmail.com. Thanks to Central Section historian Bob Barnett for contributions.
Trent Calvert (Dos Palos)
The sophomore QB is on a roll by passing for 11 touchdowns in two games and he set another school record of 30 touchdowns for one season. He had six against Traquillity and then last week Trent was 15 of 19 for 342 yards and five TDs in a 55-6 win over Avenal. Brothers Michael & Zane Merrell had two touchdowns each on receptions.
Enam Davis-Eva (Stone Ridge Christian, Merced)
The prolific passing attack at Millennium of Tracy was easily overcome by Enam and his teammates in a 40-8 win. Davis-Eva did it by running the ball. He took 31 handoffs and blasted away for a season-high 413 yards and four TDs. Enam hadn’t even had a 200-yard game before this one.
Sam Whitney of Manhattan Beach Mira Costa can whip the ball around the yard as good as anybody and is one of the top juniors in Southern California. Photo: Twitter.com.
Simon Gaete (Palm Desert)
They can do the MVP vote for the Desert Empire League now and Simon would win hands down. Since starting league play after the team played Permian High of Odessa, Texas, Gaete has rushed for 200 yards in every outing (the low was 224 yards). In last week’s 41-28 win over Rancho Mirage, Simon slashed and dashed for 342 yards on 32 carries and scored five times. He’s now gone past 2,100 yards for the season.
Justin Hinzo (Ridgeview, Bakersfield)
Hinzo passed for two career highs with 396 yards on 25 of 29 and had five touchdowns in a 55-7 win over Independence of Bakersfield. Wide-receiver Alijah Alexander also set a school record with four touchdowns on eight receptions for 125 yards.
Thomas Jones (University City, San Diego)
It’s hard to imagine someone having a state record-tying performance in his team’s 55-13 loss, but Jones did it against Morse by taking a handoff and racing for a 99-yard touchdown.
Kyle Kelleher (Rancho Christian, Temecula)
It’s been an up-and-down season at Rancho Christian as the team fell to 5-5 after a 47-45 loss last week to Heritage Christian of North Hills. Kelleher stood out in the loss by going 17 of 25 passing for 413 yards and five TDs. The three-year starter also rushed for 75 yards on 11 carries.
E.J. Kreutzmann (La Jolla Country Day)
It was a bittersweet night for Kreutzmann as he extended his reported state lead for passing yards but it came in a 58-50 loss by the Torreys to Francis Parker of San Diego. Kreutzmann completed 19 of 28 passes for 403 yards and six TDs. He also rushed for a season-best 126 yards on 11 carries with one TD. He now has 3,830 yards and 40 TD passes on the season and should go past 4,000 yards in his next start.
Angel Nava-Esparza (Central, El Centro)
Perhaps the most dominant player in last week’s annual Bell Game rivalry with Brawley High, Nava-Esparza racked up 12 tackles with two fumble recoveries on defense (returning one of them for a 29-yard TD) and he scored twice on offense on short runs.
Ivan Ostry (Rosemead)
Junior option QB has rushed for more than 2,000 yards and has passed for more than 1,000 after rolling up 307 yards rushing on just 10 carries in a 42-6 romp past Mountain View of El Monte. Ostry also scored five TDs, including one from 95 yards out. He had 391 yards rushing in his previous outing vs. Arroyo of El Monte.
Cael Patterson (Orange Glen, Escondido)
For the second straight year, Patterson has gone past 2,000 yards rushing. Cael did it after rampaging for 354 yards on 25 carries with four TDs in a 42-26 win against Tri-City Christian of Vista. Patterson now has 2,211 yards rushing and 26 TDs this season.
Miles Poland (Katella, Anaheim)
One of the top offensive performers for the Knights this season had a pair of interceptions, returning one of them 35 yards for a touchdown, as they topped Santa Ana Valley, 36-8.
Cameron Rynhard (Branham, San Jose)
Cam was the man with 26 rushes for 278 yards and five TDs in a 40-14 win by the Bruins over Leigh of San Jose. With the win, Branham improved to 9-0 and will go for a 10-0 regular season this week.
Jaishawn Smith (Compton)
In leading Compton to its first CIFSS playoff berth since 2008, Smith piled up 251 yards o just 11 carries and scored three TDs in a 43-8 triumph vs. Cabrillo of Long Beach.
Sam Whitney (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach)
In a win last Friday over arch-rival Redondo Union (Redondo Bech), Sam led his team to a CIF playoff berth by throwing for 400 yards and 4 TDs despite a relentless Sea Hawks’ pass rush. Sam’s performance broke seven Mira Costa passing records and tied two others. Among the records that he broke were single season passing yards and single game passing yards. Sam has thrown for 2,725 yards and 29 TDs so far this season.
Bryce Young (Mater Dei, Santa Ana)
If you haven’t figured it out by now, we think player of the week honors also should be to help shine a light on some players who normally don’t get much attention. Bryce otherwise might get it every week. The leading Mr. Football State Player of the Year candidate broke his own school record by hitting on 17 of 17 passes for 373 yards and five TDs when the Monarchs beat JSerra, 51-14. Young had a 16-for-16 perfect passing night last season vs. St. Mary’s of Stockton. The state record is 23-for-23.
