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Sonora High junior Cash Byington (left) and senior Brody Speer have both gained first or second team honors. At right is first team running back Noah Penunuri from Rio Hondo Prep of Arcadia. Photos: Mark Tennis & Tim Lunney / 210prepsports.com.
It’s time to honor the best of the best among small schools for the 47th annual Cal-Hi Sports All-State football honors. We have a first team of 30 players as usual but expanded the second team to list the same number of multi-purpose players as on offense and defense. There’s just so many of those type of players at the small school level throughout the state. Carmel, St. Vincent de Paul, Rio Hondo Prep and Sonora lead the way with five, four, three and three honorees.
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To order a commemorative, official All-State Football patch for those who’ve been named to one of our all-state teams for the 2024 season, go to this link from our friends at Billy Tees, which has been the official merchandiser of the CIF for many years.
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All-State Football patches will again be handled this year by our friends at BillyTees.com. For more information about Cal-Hi Sports merchandise at BillyTees.com, CLICK HERE. The patches from this year are in and recent years are still available now.
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In the age of competitive equity CIF state championships, it’s not always the case that a lot of legitimate small schools win or get close to winning those championships. That was not true for the 2024 season.
Beginning with St. Vincent de Paul of Petaluma for D4-AA, other small schools taking CIF state titles were Sonora in D4-A, Carmel in D5-AA, Arcata in D6-AA, Summerville of Tuolumne in D6-A and Moreau Catholic of Hayward in D7-AA. Rio Hondo Prep of Arcadia almost won it in D3-A, but fell in overtime to medium school Vanden of Fairfield.
Those finishes made it tricky for the annual all-state small schools since many of the top players off of those championship teams were the type of players you’d expect on top small schools teams: those who play offense and defense and in the skill positions. It’s impossible to get all of them on an all-state team when the format has always been 11 on offense (at least five OLs), 11 on defense (at least three DLs, at least three LBs and at least three DBs) plus a kicker and punter.
For this year’s teams, we stuck with the usual number of six multi-purpose players on first team but for second team it was decided to match the number of 11 on offense/defense.
In the end, the additional slots benefitted 15-0 Carmel the most. The Padres were not ranked higher than either St. Vincent de Paul or Rio Hondo Prep in the final small school state rankings, but they had five seniors who’ve all been standout players for three years on both sides of the ball and they all made it. It proved too difficult to leave anyone off. St. Vincent de Paul and Rio Hondo Prep have four & three. Sonora has three as well (one is a kicker) while Arcata, Summerville and Moreau Catholic all have two.
Big-time lineman Jackson Lloyd, who is already at Alabama as one of the state’s top overall offensive line recruits, leads the Carmel contingent. Monterey Herald Offensive Player of the Year Ashton Rees was slotted on first team at running back and Ty Arnold made it on first team on defense. Rees scored 31 TDs for the high-scoring offense and played defense. Arnold had seven interceptions on defense and had 88 catches for 1,324 yards and 14 TDs on offense. Second-leading receiver Simeon Brown (62 catches for 1,051 yds, 12 TDs) also was slotted on defense for the second team. He had six picks on that side of the ball and made the play of the year on defense, stuffing a potential game-winning two-point conversion in the NorCal final by Acalanes of Lafayette in overtime. Acalanes is medium school. We also had to put on QB/ATH Hudson Rutherford. He passed for 3,891 yards and 42 TDs and is listed on second team multi-purpose.
St. Vincent de Paul landed four players on all-state small schools. Defensive tackle Robert Rooks (already checked in at Rice for college) and junior quarterback Gabe Casanovas are both first team. Casanovas passed for 2,780 yards and 38 TDs and starts next season with nearly 6,000 yards and 77 TD passes in his career. He also rushed for 967 yards and nine TDs so it was easy to put him on multi-purpose with State Small Schools Player of the Year Robert McDaniel of Hughson (headed to UCLA) at first team QB. The Mustangs also are repped on second team by junior TE/DE Jack Ellis. In the game we saw, the 6-foot-5 Ellis made plays on both sides of the ball. Leading scorer RB Mason Caturegli (37 TDs) was added to second team.
Rio Hondo Prep also finished with three all-state small school players. Those three, similar to Carmel, were all multi-positional standouts. The way it ended up breaking down is that junior Noah Penunuri was placed on first team running back. He’s already been named San Gabriel Valley Player of the Year. Senior Nate Curtis also has tended to be the Kares’ other top offensive/defensive player and for him he was slotted on first team multi-purpose. The team’s third all-state honor has gone to Caeden Holcomb, who played lead blocking back/fullback on offense and was a mainstay at linebacker. He’s on all-state small schools second team linebacker.
Besides Jackson Lloyd to Alabama, Rob Rooks to Rice and Robert McDaniel to UCLA, there were some other all-state small school selections this year that were found to be headed to D1 colleges. The list includes OL Delon Craft to San Diego State, DL Luke Givens of La Jolla Country Day to UC Davis, DL Chinedu Oyeagoro of L.A. King/Drew to North Carolina, DB Nehemiah Brunson Jr. of Carlsbad Army-Navy to Army, TE/DE Devin Huegel of Redding University Prep to UC Davis and TE/LB Jacob Houseworth of Fortuna to Cal. The only junior on the first team defensive line, Malik Brooks of Downey St. Pius X-St. Matthias, has multiple D1 offers but has not yet committed.
Note: Schools broken down into large, medium and small based on section playoff divisions but also on where they’ve been traditionally. We also will not generally consider a school close to or above 1,500 enrollment small school at all no matter what section or state playoff division that school is placed. This means that many teams competing for CIF state titles in D4-AA down to D7-AA be a “small” school. Medium, yes. Small, no. Many of the CIF L.A. City Section playoff teams, including D2 and D3, can’t be small schools, either, for same reason.
Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football
Small Schools
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
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Senior first-teamer Chinedu Onyeagoro from King/Drew (Los Angeles) ended his career with 58 sacks, which will go into the state records at No. 6 on the all-time state list. Photo: Amanda Scurlock / L.A. Sentinel.
WR Jalen Arnold (Moreau, Hayward) 5-10, 155, Sr.
WR Nico Downie
(Monte Vista Chr., Watsonville) 5-10, 170, Sr.
WR Andrew Washington
(Mary Star, San Pedro) 5-11, 175, Sr.
OL Delon Craft (Salesian, Richmond) 6-6, 260, Sr.
OL Reegan Dunten (Lassen, Susanville) 6-2, 270, Sr.
OL Jackson Lloyd (Carmel) 6-7, 300, Sr.
OL Mitch Mooney (San Marino) 6-3, 230, Sr.
OL Smith Hilfiker (Holtville) 6-2, 285, Sr.
QB Robert McDaniel (Hughson) 6-2, 195, Sr.
RB Noah Penunuri
(Rio Hondo Prep, Arcadia) 5-11, 175, Jr.
RB Ashton Rees (Carmel) 6-2, 180, Sr.
PK Emanuel Garibay (Sonora) 6-1, 175, Sr.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Malik Brooks
(St. Pius X-St. Matthias, Downey) 6-4, 310, Jr.
DL Aseli Fangupo
(Sacred Heart Prep, Atherton) 5-10, 275, Sr.
DL Luke Givens (La Jolla Country Day) 6-4, 225, Sr.
DL Chinedu Onyeagoro (King/Drew, Los Angeles) 6-2, 225, Sr.
DL Robert Rooks (St. Vincent de Paul, Petaluma) 6-2, 270, Sr.
LB John Carlson (Trinity Classical Academy, Santa Clarita) 6-2, 225, Sr.
LB Mason Cartwright (Sutter) 6-2, 215, Sr.
LB Andrew Nassar (Rancho Christian, Temecula) 6-3, 225, Sr.
DB Ty Arnold (Carmel) 6-0,165, Sr.
DB Nehemiah Brunson Jr. (Army-Navy, Carlsbad) 5-11, 170, Sr.
DB Cash Byington (Sonora) 5-11, 185, Jr.
P Gus Stogsdill (Gridley) 6-2, 180, Sr.
FIRST TEAM MULTI-PURPOSE
QB/RB Gabe Casanovas (St. Vincent de Paul, Petaluma) 6-2, 190, Jr.
RB/DB Nate Curtis (Rio Hondo Prep, Arcadia) 5-9, 165, Sr.
TE/DE Devin Huegel (University Prep, Redding) 6-5, 235, Sr.
QB/RB Luke Lemke (Arcata) 6-2, 190, Jr.
RB/LB Mateo Mojica (Bradshaw Christian, Sacramento) 5-9, 210, Sr.
QB/RB Noah Tasi (Coalinga) 5-11, 180, Sr.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
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Ethan LaSecla from Grace of Simi Valley rushed for 1,853 yards and 30 TDs and he passed for 2,253 yards and 22 TDs in leading his team to a league championship. Photo: X.com.
WR Cameron Brewer
(Bishop Montgomery, Torrance) 6-1, 170, Sr.
WR Max Krosky
(Capistrano Valley Chr, SJ Capistrano) 6-2, 190, Sr.
WR Jaylen Stokes
(St. Pius X-St. Matthias, Downey) 5-10, 170, Jr.
OL Jesse Bautista (Coalinga) 6-1, 290, Sr.
OL Adin Benson (Modoc, Alturas) 6-4, 250, Sr.
OL Tipeti Paini (Ripon) 6-0, 255, Jr.
OL Bryan Ruiz (Mendota) 6-3, 260, Sr.
OL Richard Salas (Moreau, Hayward) 6-5, 275, Jr.
QB Dominic Pierini
(Monte Vista Christian, Watsonville) 6-3, 185, Sr.
RB Harrison Hamre (Los Molinos) 5-10, 165, Sr.
RB Dathen Moore (Lassen, Susanville) 5-11, 190, Jr.
PK Bryson Benites (Summerville) 6-1, 170, Sr.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Troy Bowens (Sutter) 6-6, 245, Soph.
DL Dalton Kelley (West Valley, Cottonwood) 6-2, 225, Sr.
DL Ryan Lewis (Escalon) 6-4, 230, Sr.
DL Devyn McDonald II (Bradshaw Christian, Sacramento) 6-4, 215, Sr.
LB Caeden Holcomb (Rio Hondo Prep, Arcadia) 6-1, 235, Sr.
LB Tyler Romo (Immanuel, Reedley) 6-0, 205, Jr.
LB Brody Speer (Sonora) 6-1, 210, Sr.
LB Justin Turner (The King’s Academy, Sunnyvale) 6-0, 190, Jr.
DB Simeon Brown (Carmel) 6-2, 195, Sr.
DB Mariyon Sloan (Shafter) 6-0, 185, Jr.
DB Kayden Strong (Hamilton, Hamilton City) 6-0, 175, Jr.
P Christian Martin (St. Anthony, Long Beach) 5-9, 155, Sr.
SECOND TEAM MULTI-PURPOSE
QB/RB Lane Brown (Winters) 6-3, 180, Jr.
RB/DB Mason Caturegli (St. Vincent de Paul, Petaluma) 5-10, 180, Jr.
WR/DB Dayquan Dunn (Arcata) 6-4, 200, Sr.
TE/DE Jack Ellis (St. Vincent de Paul, Petaluma) 6-5, 215, Jr.
LB/DL/TE Jacob Houseworth (Fortuna) 6-4, 225, Sr.
QB/RB Ethan LaSecla (Grace, Simi Valley) 5-11, 180, Sr.
QB/RB Bryce Leveroos (Summerville, Tuolumne) 6-2, 170, Jr.
WR/ATH Carlton Perrilliat (Salesian, Richmond) 6-5, 190, Jr.
QB/RB/DB Tanner Pidgeon (Ferndale) 5-9, 180, Jr.
QB/ATH Hudson Rutherford (Carmel) 6-3, 180, Sr.
QB/RB Luke Schager (Orland) 6-0, 175, Jr.
WR/DB Malakai Sumter (Hughson) 6-3, 170, Sr.
QB/RB Adrian Torres (Kerman) 5-11, 170, Jr.
SMALL SCHOOLS STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (previously announced):
Robert McDaniel (Hughson) QB
SMALL SCHOOLS STATE COACH OF THE YEAR (previously announced):
Golden Anderson (Carmel)
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
2 Comments
Kingston Coates Foothill (Palo Cedro) all-EAl all-NSCIF
Watch out for him next season.
We will. Always a bit more difficult for a junior compared to graduating seniors who are on their last chance to be on these teams.