Jackson Chryst of Long Beach Millikan (left) blocks a shot during game last season. He had 20 of them in a different outing. At right, Zack Davidson of Mater Dei holds school’s 24th section title plaque, which set state record. Photos: the562.org & Fernando M. Donado / For OC Sports Zone.
All of the exclusive Cal-Hi Sports state records for boys basketball have been updated prior to the start of the 2023-24 season. Both team and individual categories have been completed through the 2022-23 season. Coaching records already were updated approximately one month after last season ended. Go inside for a list of players and teams who are now all among various all-time state lists.
Note: We will compile a similar list for the girls as soon as all of those state record categories have been updated prior to the start of the upcoming season. For any corrections, additions or comments, email markjtennis@gmail.com.
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It was a good news-bad news season in 2022-23 for the historically great boys basketball program at Mater Dei of Santa Ana that ended with a loss to Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth in the CIF Southern California Division I regional playoffs.
The good news for head coach Gary McKnight (the state’s winningest boys hoops coach of all-time) and the Monarchs is that they captured the program’s 24th CIF Southern Section title with a 66-53 victory against Etiwanda in the CIFSS D1 title game played last Feb. 25 at Honda Center. That win enabled the Monarchs to snap a tie with Edison of Fresno as the school with the most CIF section championships in state history.
The bad news for Mater Dei is what happened in the Trinity League. The Monarchs lost twice to St. John Bosco of Bellflower and it was the Braves and not them that were the Trinity League championships. This marked the first time in 34 years that McKnight’s squad didn’t win either a league title or shared in a league title. It has been an ongoing state record for approximately 10 years but now it is over at 34. Modesto Chrstian now has the longest active streak for winning league titles at 27 years in a row. The Crusaders would need to keep that streak going for seven more seasons in a row just to tie it.
Four starters will be coming back for Mater Dei this season to give McKnight a shot at his 25th section title and his 12th CIF state title (both would be ongoing state records). Transfer Brandon Benjamin from Canyon of Anaheim, a junior and the 2023 Orange County Player of the Year, also we joining the lineup.
FOR THE GOLD CLUB LIST OF ALL UPDATED STATE TEAM RECORDS,
CLICK HERE.
LYNWOOD, CROWES FLEW HIGH IN 2022-23
From a team scoring standpoint, the one team that put itself highest on the all-time state list for the 2022-23 season was CIF D5 state champion Lynwood. Sure, the Knights benefitted from playing in lower section and state playoff divisions than they would have if newer competitive equity models were used (like they will be this season in the Southern Section) and they played 39 games, but regardless they were high scoring throughout and their total of 3,352 points (85.9 per game average) is No. 4 in state history.
Jason Crowe Sr. & Jason Crowe Jr. definitely enjoyed Junior’s historic freshman season at Lynwood. Photo: Ronnie Flores.
It was a father-son tandem that led Lynwood as head coach Jason Crowe Sr. was able to deploy high-scoring son Jason Crowe Jr. in every game. Jason Jr. was just a freshman last season, but what a season it was for the 6-foot-3 combo guard. Crowe Jr. had a 51-point outing vs Lawndale in the fourth game and he continued to put up big numbers. There was a 60-point game on Jan. 31 vs Gahr of Cerritos and when it was all said and done Jason Jr. had scored 1,295 points in 36 games, including 36 in the win against Sierra of Tollhouse for the CIF D5 state title.
Crowe Jr.’s scoring total for one season not only shattered the previous freshman state record of 1,036 set in 2012 by Marcus LoVett from Providence of Burbank, but he also placed third counting all players. The only two players with a single-season total higher than Jason Jr.’s have been Tracy Murray of Glendora (1989) and Tony Clark from Christian of El Cajon (1990).
This upcoming season, Lynwood and the Crowes are expected to play a much tougher schedule throughout the league, section and possible regional playoffs. With the great start that Jason Jr. has gotten out to, however, he doesn’t have to average 36 ppg over the next three years to get close or surpass the state career scoring record of 3,462 points set in 2004 by DeMarcus Nelson from Sheldon of Sacramento.
FOR THE GOLD CLUB LIST OF ALL UPDATED STATE INDIVIDUAL RECORDS (Shooting & Scoring), CLICK HERE.
Michael McNair of Linfield Christian was the only player from the Class of 2023 who has been added to the all-time state career scoring list. He is now at Boston University. Photo: Hudl.com.
MORE PLAYERS ADDED TO ALL-TIME
STATE RECORDS
Chase Aronowitz (Camarillo)
He made 144 three-pointers for the Scorpions in his senior season of 2022-23, which is top 10 on the all-time state list.
Manuel Chavez (Bishop Amat, La Puente)
This graduated senior for the Lancers connected for 145 three-pointers in 29 games last season to lead the state (according to MaxPreps stats). The 145 total is tied for sixth in state history for one season. Chavez also has gained all-time state listings for making 13 and 12 three-pointers in separate games.
Jay Clifton (Calaveras, San Andreas)
The son of cancer survivor head coach Kraig Clifton capped an four-year outstanding career in 2022-23 by averaging 20.1 ppg. That career also saw him make 277 three-pointers, which makes the state records and also is fourth all-time for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. In addition, Jay’s career free throw percentage of 84.5 percent (125 of 143) also is now listed.
Jackson Chryst (Millikan, Long Beach)
The then sophomore’s 20 blocked shots in a game against Compton already were added to the on-line records shortly after it happened. The 6-foot-9 junior also is an elite boys volleyball player.
Jordan Hogueban (Brentwood, Los Angeles)
A junior sharp-shooter for the Eagles, Hogueban is now in the state records in two categories. One is for the 12 three-pointers he had in a game vs Viewpoint of Calabasas. Another is for the 124 three-pointers he made for the season.
Amrin Mann (Marysville)
This player began at nearby Sutter and finished up at Marysville last season. He made 123 three-pointers to get a state lists. Amrin’s career total of 240 was impressive but not high enough to make the record book list.
Mike McNair (Linfield Christian, Temecula)
Most players from the Class of 2023 had their career totals limited by the pandemic season of 2020-21 and 2021-22. McNair, however, got in lots of games both of those seasons and was a consistent high scorer for the Lions throughout four seasons. As a result, he finished with 2,334 points and that is enough for an all-time state listing since it takes 2,300 points to get on. He is now playing at Boston University.
Elijah Mobley (Weston Ranch, Stockton)
He was one of the top players in the Sac-Joaquin Section last season and was allowed to score at will in a eventual 102-31 win against Linden. Mobley didn’t play in the second half of the game, but in the first half alone he went bonkers and had 52 points.
Mateen Rafiq has not yet sank a three-pointer for his new school, Weston Ranch of Stockton. The transfer from El Camino of Sacramento made 271 of them the last three seasons there. Photo: @ranchbball / Twitter.com.
Mateen Rafiq (Weston Ranch, Stockton)
We are listing Mateen for this article as being from his new school that he will be playing for this season. He’s in the state records, though, for the three seasons he was playing at his previous school of El Camino (Sacramento). Mateen played 76 games for the Eagles and made 271 three-pointers. That’s already good enough for a listing in the state records. There’s only been six in state history to make 400 or more three-pointers and he would seem to have a shot at getting there. Rafiq also shot 88.3 percent on free throws last season for another state record listing. Plus, there was one stretch he was listed at making 37 straight free throws. We are going with that total but it could have been more.
Matthew Sahnazoglu (AGBU, Canoga Park)
In a Jan. 31 game of last season vs Avalon of Catalina Island, Matthew made 12 three-pointers in a 90-40 victory. The 12 three-pointers is good enough for the all-time list. A total of 11 is not enough.
Keshrey Smith Jr. (Blair, Pasadena)
The Vikings won the CIFSS D5A championship, were a high-scoring team and played 35 games. That all contributed to Keshrey piling up 402 assists. That not only led the state but 402 assists for one season also is No. 3 in state history. Smith’s three top reported games were 18, 16 and 16 assists.
Jory Valencia (California School for the Deaf, Riverside)
Still a senior this season, Valencia was especially adept at getting steals as a junior. He had 15 and 13 in two separate games that gained all-time state listings and for the season he came up with 183. Valencia also averaged 23.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game last season.
FOR THE GOLD CLUB LIST OF ALL UPDATED STATE INDIVIDUAL RECORDS (Rebounds, Assists, Steals, Blocks, etc), CLICK HERE.
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:
