Senior Ryder Dodd takes a shot last fall for the unbeaten JSerra water polo team that won the CIF Southern Section D1 and CIF SoCal regional D1 championships. Photo: @JSerraAthletics / X.com.
The school year for 2024-25 has begun in many places, but the final honor for the 2023-24 school year just had to wait until the final day of the Paris Olympics since we knew our winner for the Class of 2024 was still playing for the USA national men’s water polo team. The Americans, with recent JSerra of San Juan Capistrano grad Ryder Dodd, won a bronze medal with a shootout win over Hungary.
For a look at all of the other boys from the 2023-24 school year to be selected as a winner from each category plus lists of other top overall athletes, CLICK HERE.
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There were four State Boys Athletes of the Year who were competing in this year’s Paris Olympics. It’s just that one of the four hadn’t been officially named as a winner yet.
We’re taking care of that now that JSerra of San Juan Capistrano Class of 2024 grad Ryder Dodd has stepped out of the pool for the last time in the Paris Games. He did that on Sunday on the final day before the closing ceremonies at night as a member of the USA men’s water polo team. Someone who just finished high school isn’t usually on any of these US national teams these days (even for the women), but Ryder wasn’t just a member of the USA team he was a major contributor.
Ryder reacts on Gold Zone after he scored a key goal for the USA team in its comeback win over Australia in the quarterfinals. Photo: Mark Tennis.
Dodd did not score during Sunday’s 11-8 victory over Hungary that was won on a shootout that gave the Americans the bronze medal. It is the first medal for the U.S. team at the Olympics since 2008. The U.S. team had lost in the semifinals to Serbia, 10-6, on Friday. In that matchup, Ryder had a goal in the early going that gave the U.S. a 2-1 lead. It was his eighth goal of the Olympic competition. His seventh was a big one in the 11-10 shootout win over Australia in the quarterfinals in that it narrowed the deficit to just 5-4 in the third period.
In finishing his high school resume with a State Athlete of the Year honor (regardless of sports or multi-sports), Dodd has become the first from JSerra ever to gain that high of a selection. The last one from Orange County was football-track star Domani Jackson of Mater Dei for 2020-21.
The other three former State Athletes of the Year who were competing in Paris at the Olympics were Michael Norman from Vista Murrieta of Murrieta (chosen in 2016 for track & field), T.J. DeFalco of Huntington Beach (2015 for volleyball) and Chase Budinger of Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (2006 for basketball and volleyball). Budinger, a former NBA player, was in the Olympics for beach volleyball.
Ryder was joined on the U.S. team by older brother Chase Dodd, who did have a goal for the U.S. team in the bronze medal game vs Hungary. Chase went to Huntington Beach High and the two brothers also will be playing together again in college at UCLA. They became the first brother combination on a U.S. Olympic water polo team since 1988. Ryder also became the youngest player to ever earn a spot on a U.S. Olympic team, beating the legendary Tony Azevedo (Long Beach Wilson) by a few weeks.
When Dodd was selected as the State Junior Athlete of the Year for 2022-23, he also did a lot of swimming in the spring for the Lions. He did not swim this past spring as he had to get ready with the national team for the Olympics.
Still, even without swimming, when one adds what Ryder did for the JSerra water polo team last fall and what he was able to do at such a young age for the USA national team at the biggest sporting event in the world that was more than enough in a comparison with other California boys athletes.
As one might expect with a USA national team member competing against high school competition, Dodd was particularly dominant in leading the Lions to a 30-0 record and both the championships in the CIF Southern Section D1 playoffs and in the CIF SoCal D1 regional playoffs. It was the first unbeaten water polo team from Orange County in 11 years.
Older brother Chase Dodd (left) also was the USA team that played in the Olympics. Chase didn’t play last season at UCLA while getting ready for the Olympics. Ryder and Chase will both be playing for Bruins later this year. Photo: the562.org.
“I’ll always remember the times at tournaments with my friends, being able to spend time with them,” he told Dan Albano of the Orange County Register when he was named the OC Varsity Player of the Year. “When we were together we were just cherishing those moments.”
Many of those moments for the Lions was Ryder scoring goal after goal. He had a season-high 10 goals in the CIF SoCal D1 final, but they needed every one of them as it took overtime for them to get past Newport Harbor of Newport Beach, 14-10. Dodd had five goals one week earlier in a more comfortable 16-10 win over the Sailors in the section final. For the season, Ryder rocked with a massive 103 goals and he also had 31 assists and 42 steals.
Prior to the Olympics, Dodd had already been named as the OC boys athlete of the year and male athlete of the year by the Orange County.
Ryder talked about being in the Olympics with his brother when he was officially selected to the USA national team back in July.
“For me to share this experience with him is pretty incredible,” he told the562.org web site. “We always watched the Olympic Games together, so for us to be in it now, and for our parents to be able to watch us, I think it’s pretty incredible that me and my brother are giving that to our parents. They deserve that. I think a lot of our success is from them.”
There hopefully will be a lot more success at UCLA and at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with the Dodd brothers leading the way.
ALL-TIME CAL-HI SPORTS
STATE BOYS ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports)
Rodrick Pleasant from Serra of Gardena played seven games as a true freshman DB at the University of Oregon. Photo: Twitter.com.
2023-24 – Ryder Dodd,
SJ Capistrano JSerra (water polo)
2022-23 – Rodrick Pleasant,
Garden Serra (football, track)
2021-22 – Colin Sahlman,
Newbury Park (cross country, track)
2020-21 – Domani Jackson,
Santa Ana Mater Dei (football, track)
2019-20 – Nico Young,
Newbury Park (cross country, track)
2018-19 – Kenan Christon,
San Diego Madison (football, track)
2017-18 – Kazmeir Allen, Tulare (football, track)
2016-17 – Javelin Guidry,
Murrieta Vista Murrieta (football, track)
2015-16 – Michael Norman,
Murrieta Vista Murrieta (track)
2014-15 – T.J. DeFalco, Huntington Beach (volleyball)
2013-14 – Nick Nevills, Clovis (football, wrestling)
2012-13 – Khalfani Muhammad, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (football, track)
2011-12 – Khalfani Muhammad, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (football, track)
2010-11 – Marqise Lee, Gardena Serra (football, basketball, track)
2009-10 – Robert Woods, Gardena Serra (football, track)
2008-09 – Tyler Gaffney, San Diego Cathedral Catholic (football, baseball)
2007-08 – German Fernandez, Riverbank (cross country, track)
2006-07 – Mike (Giancarlo) Stanton, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (footb, bb, baseball)
2005-06 – Chase Budinger, Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (basketball, volleyball)
2004-05 – Drew Shiller, Burlingame (football, basketball, baseball)
2003-04 – Kenny O’Neal, Oakland Skyline (football, track)
2002-03 – Steve Smith, Woodland Hills Taft (football, basketball, track)
2001-02 – Aaron Piersol, Newport Beach Newport Harbor (swimming)
2000-01 – Antwon Guidry, San Jose Leigh (football, basketball, track)
1999-00 – D.J. Williams, Concord De La Salle (football, track)
1998-99 – Chris Lewis, Long Beach Poly (football, volleyball)
1997-98 – C.C. Sabathia, Vallejo (football, basketball, baseball)
1996-97 – Ken-Yon Rambo, Long Beach Poly (football, track)
1995-96 – Chris Claiborne, Riverside J.W. North (football, basketball)
1994-95 – Eric Guerrero, San Jose Independence (wrestling)
1993-94 – McKay Christensen, Fresno Clovis West (football, baseball)
1992-93 – Calvin Harrison, Salinas North Salinas (track, basketball)
1991-92 – Jason Kidd, Alameda St. Joseph (basketball, baseball)
1990-91 – Rob Johnson, El Toro (football, basketball, baseball)
1989-90 – Ryan Hancock, Cupertino Monta Vista (football, baseball)
1988-89 – Lorenzo Neal, Lemoore (football, wrestling)
1987-88 – Adam Keefe, Irvine Woodbridge (basketball, volleyball)
1986-87 – LeRon Ellis, Santa Ana Mater Dei (water polo, basketball, track)
1985-86 – Brian Johnson, Oakland Skyline (football, baseball)
1984-85 – George Porter, Lompoc Cabrillo (basketball, track)
1983-84 – John Williams, L.A. Crenshaw (basketball)
1982-83 – Mike Smith, Hacienda Heights Los Altos (football, basketball, volleyball)
1981-82 – Jim McCullough, Hemet (football, wrestling)
1980-81 – Kevin Willhite, Rancho Cordova (football, track)
1979-80 – Darryl Strawberry, L.A. Crenshaw (basketball, baseball)
1978-79 – John Elway, Granada Hills (football, baseball)
1977-78 – Jesse Vasallo, Mission Viejo (swimming)
1976-77 – Brian Goodell, Mission Viejo (swimming)
1975-76 – Greg Louganis, El Cajon Valhalla & Santa Ana (diving)
1974-75 – Bill Cartwright, Elk Grove (basketball)
1973-74 – Tim Shaw, Long Beach Wilson (water polo, swimming)
1972-73 – Lonnie Shelton, Bakersfield Foothill (football, track)
1971-72 – Scott McGregor, El Segundo (baseball)
1970-71 – Anthony Davis, San Fernando (football, baseball)
1969-70 – James McAlister, Pasadena Blair (football, track)
1968-69 – Jeff Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson (football, baseball)
1967-68 – Mark Spitz, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming)
1966-67 – Mickey Cureton, Compton Centennial (football)
1965-66 – Tim Danielson, Chula Vista (track)
1964-65 – Paul Wilson, Downey Warren (track)
1963-64 – Don Schollander, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming)
1962-63 – Tommie Smith, Lemoore (football, basketball, track)
1961-62 – Forrest Beaty, Glendale Hoover (track)
1960-61 – Ulis Williams, Compton (track)
1959-60 – Dennis Ralston, Bakersfield (tennis)
1958-59 – Dale Story, Orange (track)
1957-58 – Willie Davis, L. A. Roosevelt (basketball, baseball, track)
1956-57 – Bill Kilmer, Azusa Citrus (football, basketball, baseball)
1955-56 – Fred Lacour, S.F. St. Ignatius (basketball)
1954-55 – Dick Bass, Vallejo (football)
1953-54 – Don Bowden, San Jose Lincoln (track)
1952-53 – Ronnie Knox, Santa Monica (football)
1951-52 – Marty Keough, Pomona (football, basketball, baseball)
1950-51 – Charlie Powell, San Diego (football, baseball)
1949-50 – Lang Stanley, L.A. Jefferson (track)
1948-49 – John Henry Johnson, Pittsburg (football, basketball, track)
1947-48 – Bob Mathias, Tulare (football, track)
1946-47 – Bill McColl, San Diego Hoover (football, basketball, baseball)
1945-46 – George Stanich, Sacramento (basketball, baseball, track)
1944-45 – Jackie Jensen, Oakland (football, baseball)
1943-44 – Bill Sharman, Porterville (football, basketball, baseball)
1942-43 – Glenn Davis, La Verne Bonita (football, baseball)
1941-42 – Irv Noren, Pasadena (basketball, baseball)
1940-41 – Tommie Fears, Los Angeles Manual Arts (football)
1939-40 – Howie Dallmar, San Francisco Lowell (basketball, baseball)
1938-39 – Jim Jurkovich, Fresno (football, track)
1937-38 – Frankie Albert, Glendale (football, baseball, tennis)
1936-37 – Jackie Robinson, Pasadena Muir (football, basketball, baseball)
1935-36 – Bobby Doerr, Los Angeles Fremont (pro baseball)
1934-35 – Ted Williams, San Diego Hoover (baseball)
1933-34 – Hank Luisetti, San Francisco Galileo (basketball)
1932-33 – Don Budge, Oakland University (tennis)
1931-32 – Corney Johnson, Los Angeles (track)
1930-31 – Frank Sobrero, Oakland (football, basketball, baseball)
Note: List continues back to 1890-91 in the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book & Almanac. All selections prior to 1978-79 done retroactively through research by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis.
Note: All selections prior to 1978-79 done retroactively through research by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis.
Erik Boal has covered high school sports in California for nearly 30 years, formerly serving as editor at the Glendale News-Press and Los Angeles Daily News. He is currently the editor for DyeStat.com and RunnerSpace.com, which focus on track and field, cross country and road racing, but has been a regular attendee at major Southern California high school sports events since the early 2000s.
