State Football Players of the Week

Two of this week’s honorees are QB Evan Powell from Cajon of San Bernardino & WR/DB Omaurie Phillips of Ukiah. Photos: X.com & Courtesy school.

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Notes: We will continue to have flexibility to one of the honorees by calling it Multi-Purpose/Special Teams. Multi-Purpose is already a category for All State honors. For these honors, we also consider CIF Central Section players for Northern California. To nominate anyone, email markjtennis@gmail.com.

Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Multi-Purpose/Special Teams Player of the Week

Omaurie Phillips (Ukiah) Sr.

To find the Northern California Multi-Purpose/Special Teams Player of the Week, we venture to the heart of the Redwood Empire portion of the CIF North Coast Section around 120 miles north of San Francisco and 60 miles north of Santa Rosa, and it’s in Ukiah and around a mile west of Highway 101 where we find this week’s honoree.

Phillips had been both a football and basketball star at Ukiah and was considered for Grid-Hoop All State honors. When the 2024 Preseason North Coast Section Redwood Empire Team was announced in August, Phillips was placed on the team. The problem is he had transferred to Modesto Christian, but no sooner had word come out that he had transferred, it was announced that Modesto Christian had curtailed its football program and Phillips was back at Ukiah where he has had an outstanding season for the Wildcats, and his most recent performance is a perfect example of his all-around athleticism.

Last week, in a 28-27 victory on the road in Sebastopol at Analy, Phillips shined on both sides of the ball to earn himself a statewide honor. On offense, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior who can play running back and wide receiver, had 17 carries for 172 yards and a touchdown. His receiving numbers were his lowest of the season, with only two catches for 45 yards, but that might be because head coach Paul Cronin used him at running back and the 17 carries were more than double the eight carries he had previously for the entire season.

The rushing and receiving totals against Analy were solid but to garner NorCal special teams/multi-purpose honors takes more, and on defense Phillips came up with two pass interceptions.

So far this season and heading into a first round NCS Division 4 matchup for top-seeded Ukiah with visiting Alameda, Phillips has 25 carries for 199 yards and two touchdowns, and he’s caught 73 passes for 1,243 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a defensive back, he has six interceptions. On special teams, Omaurie has a kickoff and punt return, each for 85 yards.

The 1,243 yards receiving is the No. 2 reported mark in the NCS and No. 7 in the state. The six picks is tied for No. 6 in the NCS and No. 24 in the state.

Dylan Ly from Evergreen Valley (San Jose) has had two games with five TDs scored in the last three weeks. Photo: Hudl.com.

Dylan Ly (Evergreen Valley, San Jose) Sr.

Do you know the way to San Jose? We do, and that’s where we’re heading in search of the Northern California Offensive Player of the Week, and it’s in the eastern portion of the city a couple of miles east of Highway 101 and not far from the Mt. Pleasant foothills at Evergreen Valley High where we find this week’s award winner.

Back in mid-October when he rushed for 108 yards and two TDs in a West Valley League 22-8 victory over crosstown James Lick, Ly was voted as the Bay Area News Group Boys Athlete of the Week, and two weeks ago and two weeks after receiving local honors, the senior running back scampered his way to five TDs rushing in a 33-18 win over crosstown Andrew Hill.

Now, after his most recent performance, Ly is being awarded a statewide honor for what is his best performance this season. Last week, in a 35-26 West Valley League victory against crosstown Yerba Buena, Ly duplicated his five rushing TDs only this time he blasted his way to 361 yards rushing in the victory.

With the victory, and since only league champion San Jose Gunderson will advance to the CIF Central Coast Section playoffs, Evergreen Valley finished the season 6-4 overall and at 4-2 in third place in the West Valley League. That just makes us more glad that we picked Dylan for his last game in high school.

Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Defensive Player of the Week

Lance Lewis (Elk Grove) Soph.

The search for the Northern California Defensive Player of the Week takes around 15 miles south of the state capitol and a stone’s throw east of Highway 99 where we find this week’s award winner at Elk Grove High.

Lewis has been one of the top defensive players all season for the Thundering Herd, and while his numbers weren’t off the charts in his most recent performance, it was indicative of the kind of defense the 5-foot-9, 155-pound sophomore cornerback has been playing so far this season.

Last week, in a 32-7 over Kimball (Tracy) in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2 opening round, Lewis had two interceptions he returned for a combined 48 yards, he defended three passes and had four solo tackles. He also returned a kickoff for 24 yards.

So far this season and heading into a quarterfinal matchup for eighth-seeded Elk Grove at top-seeded Rocklin, Lewis has seven interceptions he’s returned for a total of 72 yards, 11 passes defended, and 20 total tackles.

Elk Grove only threw one incomplete pass against Kimball, but Lewis does spend some time at wide receiver where he has 151 yards receiving and three touchdowns. On special teams, Lance has 150 yards combined for kickoff and punt returns.

We’re sure Lewis would like to give some kudos to teammates Alphonso Moore and Makhai Barrett. Moore, a junior running back, had 264 of the 454 rushing yards for the Thundering Herd and two of the three rushing touchdowns. Barrett, senior defensive end, had a 21-yard scoop-and-score.

Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Offensive Player of the Week

Evan Powell (Cajon, San Bernardino) Sr.

The Inland Empire region of the CIF Southern Section is where we head in search of the Southern California Offensive Player of the Week and it is in the northern part of San Bernardino not far from CSU San Bernardino where we find this week’s award winner who snags a statewide honor to go with local kudos.

Cajon has produced some outstanding athletes recently, including 2009 Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year and WNBA star Layshia Clarendon, and more recently NFL rookie sensation Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, and while Powell has a long ways to go to match the achievements of those two former Cajon stars, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior quarterback is having a huge impact for the Cowboys’ football team this season, and last week was a perfect example.

Powell has passed for over 400 yards twice in his four-year varsity career, both this season, but last week was his career high and it came in a playoff win when Evan went 24-of-33 for 442 yards and three TDs in a 52-22 CIF Southern Section Division 3 opening round win against Chino Hills.

On the season and heading into a quarterfinal matchup at home with Vista Murrieta of Murrieta, Powell, who sports an offer from Montana with more hopefully to come, has completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 2,468 yards and 31 TDs with a paltry two interceptions. That translates into an off the charts 144.8 quarterback rating.

Also, the 2,468 yards passing is the No. 43 reported mark in the state among reported leaders to MaxPreps and comes in at No. 25 in the Southern Section.

LB Henry Casani helped Loyola of Los Angeles post a big CIF Southern Section D3 playoff game over Tustin. Photo: X.com.

Henry Casani (Loyola, Los Angeles) Sr.

Just west of Downtown Los Angeles is where we head in search of the Southern California Defensive Player of the Week, and it’s at historic Loyola High, one of the oldest all boys Catholic schools in the state that was founded nearly 160 years ago.

The school may be near downtown L..A but it was almost 40 miles away in Tustin where Casini, who is the nephew of Loyola head coach Drew Casani, had the performance that has earned him a statewide honor.

Last week, in a 30-13 CIF Southern Section Division 3 victory over Tustin (which came in at 9-1), tackling machine Casani had 16 total tackles and a couple of quarterback hurries.

This was the week we chose to honor Casani, but the 16 total tackles weren’t even his season high. In fact, it only tied for his third most productive game tackling-wise. His season-high was 20 in a loss to Leuzinger of Lawndale.

So far this season and heading into a CIFSS D3 quarterfinal showdown with visiting Crean Lutheran of Irvine, Casani, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior linebacker, has 136 total tackles with six for losses including a sack, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

The 136 total tackles is the No. 21 mark in the state and No. 8 in the Southern Section among those reporting stats to MaxPreps.

For his three-year varsity career, Casani, who also plays on the Cubs’ lacrosse team, has 358 total tackles.

On a final note. We’re sure Casani would want to give a shout out to teammate Jacob Kreinberg. The Loyola kicker was a multi-purpose/special teams star after kicking field goals of 23, 34 and 46 yards in the Tustin win.

Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Multi-Purpose/Special Teams Player of the Week

Seth Shigg (Culver City) Sr.

A city surrounded by another city is where we find the Southern California Multi-Purpose/Special Teams Player of the Week, and that city that is covered on all sides by Los Angeles is Culver City, and the school our honoree plies his trade is Culver City High.

For the past two seasons, Shigg has been known as an outstanding dual-threat quarterback at Chaminade of West Hills. He transferred to Culver City for this season and since coming over the hills from the San Fernando Valley there’s no shrugging when Shigg lines up under center.

Last week, in a 38-25 CIF Southern Section Division 4 victory over Capistrano Valley of Mission Viejo, Shigg pretty much accounted for all of the offense for the Centaurs. Seth was 21-of-31 for 307 yards passing and three TDs with no interceptions, and he ran the ball 28 times out of 39 total carries for Culver City for 239 yards and both of the Centaurs’ rushing touchdowns.

The 546 yards of total offense comes in near the bottom of the Most Yards (Game) list in the Cal-Hi Sports Online Record Book Football Individual Record: Single Game Total Offense section, but here’s the twist. With the exception of running backs that are among the all-time leaders in the record book in that category, most all the players on the total offense list have gotten the bulk of their yards through the air. In fact while perusing the list, it appears that only two players out of over 70 on the list that were dual-threat type quarterbacks rushed for more yards than Shigg.

Heading into a CIFSS D4 quarterfinal matchup on the road at Apple Valley, Shigg has passed for 2,690 yards and 27 TDs with six interceptions. He’s also rushed for 919 yards and 14 touchdowns.

With a solid week Shigg, who is committed to Army, may join the 3,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing club. At this point, the 2,690 yards passing is the No. 17 reported mark in the state and No. 10 in the Southern Section.

Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend