More State FB Teams of the Year

Owen Long and Jayden Northrup are just about to hug each other after La Serna High’s 21-19 win over Sacramento Grant in the CIF D2-AA state championship game. Photo: Mark Tennis.

FOR ANNOUNCEMENT OF SANTA ANA MATER DEI AS STATE TEAM OF YEAR, CLICK HERE.

FOR UPDATED GOLD CLUB LIST OF ALL DIVISIONAL STATE TEAMS OF THE YEAR GOING BACK MORE THAN 100 YEARS AND INCLUDING THIS YEAR’S SELECTIONS, CLICK HERE.

Note: We hope you enjoy this free post for Gold Club members only on CalHiSports.com. All final rankings (both divisions and State TOP 50) will be for Gold Club members only. To check out getting a Gold Club membership to see all of those rankings plus all of our updated state football record lists, totally authentic historical features, all of our all-state teams, recruiting player ratings and more, CLICK HERE.

NOTE: Divisional placement for each school is based mostly on the divisions in which each school competed in during that season in their CIF section and CIF regional/state divisions. League strength also has always been a major component of division placement. Enrollments are used in much lower priority in recent years in section playoff division placement in favor of competitive equity. Enrollments are a factor in our five-division format in that a school with a large enrollment (especially those with 2,500 or more) cannot be in our D4 or D5 because those divisions over the years have been the ones we consider for traditional “small” schools representing smaller towns.

STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEAM OF YEAR:
CENTENNIAL (CORONA)

The nationally recognized football program at Centennial High of Corona has only won won CIF state championship, but as a public school the Huskies have had to battle private schools like De La Salle of Concord in Open Division state title game losses (four times) in the late 2000s and early 2010s and then more recently they have had to deal with the mega-power private schools Mater Dei and St. John Bosco in the CIF Southern Section’s top division.

Just as in 2021 when Centennial lost in a close 21-16 contest to Mater Dei in the CIFSS D1 semifinals, the 2023 squad at Centennial came close — even closer — to getting a win over one of the two super powers in a CIFSS D1 semifiinal. This time, as in 2021, a consolation prize to coming close in those games is gaining selection as the State Public Schools Team of the Year.

Head coach Matt Logan’s team played St. John Bosco when it was No. 1 in the state in this year’s CIFSS D1 semifinals and matched the Braves score for score. It came down to a two-point conversion play with eight seconds left after Cornell Hatcher had brought the team to a 43-42 score with a one-yard run. On the play, however, the Bosco defense got a stop. Centennial still had a chance at the end with the recovery of an onside kick, but a deflected pass and a sack ended the game.

Centennial also played eventual state No. 1 Mater Dei early in the season and lost by a 28-14 score. The only other loss in a 9-3 campaign was to national No. 1 Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas. The Huskies also recorded big wins over Punahou of Hawaii, Liberty of Peoria, Ariz., and Orange Lutheran in the CIFSS playoffs. They also rolled through the Big West Conference Upper Division for another league crown.

This is the ninth time since 2007 that Centennial has been State Public School Team of the Year. The total also is highest for any public school since the first year of 1890 that Cal-Hi Sports shows an overall State Team of the Year.

Players from Centennial of Corona run through tunnel of cheerleaders prior to game in September played at home stadium. Photo: @Cen10Football / Twitter.com.

CAL-HI SPORTS STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FOOTBALL TEAMS OF THE YEAR

2023 – Centennial (Corona) 9-3
2022 – Los Alamitos 9-3
2021 – Centennial (Corona) 11-1
2020 – Folsom 6-0**
2019 – Mission Viejo 11-1
2018 – Centennial (Corona) 12-1
2017 – Centennial (Corona) 10-2
2016 – Centennial (Corona) 11-2
2015 – Centennial (Corona) 14-1
2014 – Folsom 16-0
2013 – Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 11-2
2012 – Centennial (Corona) 14-2
2011 – Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 14-0
2010 – Folsom 14-1
2009 – Oceanside 14-0
2008 – Centennial (Corona) 15-0**
2007 – Centennial (Corona) 13-2
2006 – Canyon (Canyon Country) 12-2
2005 – Dominguez (Compton) 13-1
2004 – Mission Viejo 14-0*
2003 – J.W. North (Riverside) 14-0
2002 – Los Alamitos 13-0-1
2001 – Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 12-1
2000 – Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 14-0
1999 – Hart (Newhall) 14-0
1998 – Elk Grove 14-0
1997 – Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 14-0
1996 – Fontana 11-1-1
1995 – Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 12-1
1994 – Los Alamitos 12-1
1993 – Eisenhower (Rialto) 14-0*
1992 – Clovis West (Fresno) 13-0
1991 – Eisenhower (Rialto) 13-1
1990 – Merced 14-0*
*Also overall State Team of Year.
**Played in 2021 spring season.

STATE DIVISION II & MEDIUM SCHOOLS TEAM OF THE YEAR:
LA SERNA OF WHITTIER

Divisional placement within the CIF Southern Section each season can be tricky and it doesn’t take much for a team to be too low in the higher division or placed just right. La Serna was in the right spot in the D3 playoff bracket and not only cruised to the section title but then took it all the way to the CIF D2-AA state championship.

La Serna took on last year’s D3 State Team of the Year, Grant of Sacramento, in the state final and despite the Pacers being favored the Lancers slowed down Grant’s explosive just enough and made some big plays in getting a 21-19 triumph. Head coach Andy George’s squad (13-3) not only won its first CIF state title but now is going onto one of the all-time lists as a State Team of the Year for the first time.

The last CIFSS team to be medium schools and D2 State Team of the Year was Lawndale in 2018. The last team from the San Gabriel Valley to be D2 State Team of the Year was Los Altos of Hacienda Heights (14-0) in 1982. South Pasadena of the San Gabriel Valley went 13-0 in 1969 and also is shown as a No. 1 team for this division.

STATE DIVISION III TEAM OF THE YEAR:
CENTRAL VALLEY CHRISTIAN OF VISALIA

Some might wonder why CIF D3-AA state champion Acalanes of Lafayette is not also the D3 State Team of the Year. The reason is that Central Valley Christian of Visalia, the CIF D2-A state champion, also is considered D3 by our criteria in five divisions and has gotten the nod instead. The Cavaliers also are higher ranked overall than Acalanes and have even been considered small schools only until recent seasons.

With Fresno State star running back Bryson Donelson leading the way, Central Valley Christian captured the CIF D2-A state title last Saturday with a 45-42 triumph over Los Gatos, which will end the season despite the loss as the second-highest ranked team overall in the CIF Central Coast Section behind only Serra of San Mateo. CVC also capped a 15-1 season in which the only loss was to CIF Central Section D1 champion Clovis North. Head coach Mason Hughes’ team won the Central Section D2 title and then got past Simi Valley, 55-38, in the SoCal regional final.

When one thinks of Visalia teams being State Team of the Year, of course, the first thought is of the legendary 1978 Mt. Whitney High Pioneers, who were the overall State Team of the Year. Central Valley Christian now becomes just the second-ever team from Visalia to end No. 1 in one our state team of the year divisions. The last CIF Central Section D3 State Team of the Year was Garces of Bakersfield for 1987. You have to go back to Dos Palos and San Joaquin Memorial of Fresno for 1975 and 1974 for the teams listed before that.

STATE SMALL SCHOOLS & DIVISION IV TEAM OF THE YEAR:
ESCALON

The Cougars were always going to be tough to beat for this selection as long as they were considered small schools. That is going to have to change for next season as they have continued to win CIF Sac-Joaquin Section divisional titles, but this year it didn’t so they have repeated in this category.

Escalon’s Ryan Lewis gets some attention from head coach Andrew Beam after big win at Hughson. Photo: Mark Tennis.

Escalon won the SJS D4 section crown after taking the title in D5 last year. It wasn’t easy in a last-second 40-39 win over Patterson and the team then lost in the CIF NorCal D3-AA regional final to eventual state champion Acalanes of Lafayette (who we have as medium schools and D3). Head coach Andrew Beam’s squad ended with a 12-2 record. Its only loss in the regular season came to California of San Ramon, a D1 school from the CIF North Coast Section that has been in the overall State Top 50 this season. The Cougars also went down to Clovis and played D1 Buchanan of the CIF Central Section and notched a 23-21 win over the Bears.

This is the second year in a row and fifth time in Escalon’s history that it is finishing No. 1 in the state for small schools and D4. The other No. 1 finishes prior to last year cam in 1993, 1996 and 2010.

STATE DIVISION V TEAM OF THE YEAR:
WOODLAND CHRISTIAN

For the second straight year, a team that finished unbeaten and won the CIF D5-A state title also is getting an additional honor as being the Division V State Team of the Year.

This time, the team that got it done was Woodland Christian. The Cardinals even beat the team that did it last year, Orland, to win the CIF NorCal D5-A regional title. In last Saturday’s state championship at El Camino College, head coach Mike Paschke’s team capped its 15-0 season with a 23-13 victory against Banning of Wilmington of the CIF L.A. City Section.

Also similar to Orland last season, Woodland Christian has posted the best record of any team in California this year and will take the longest win streak in the state into next season.

Looking at the history lists, the Cardinals haven’t been around that long so this also is their first state team of the year finish to go with their first CIF state title. The two most recent CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D5 state teams of the year have been Hilmar in 2018 and LeGrand in 2013.

It’s not the first No. 1 in the state finish for a team from Woodland, however. Woodland High had a 10-0 team in 1970 that is listed No. 1 in the state among D2 schools. All selections prior to 1979 were based on research by late Cal-Hi Sports founder Nelson Tennis. Uncle Nelson mentioned he really liked that 1970 Wolves’ team several times in conversations.

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