The assault by Elliot Christian’s Jimmy Beltz on state 3-point shooting may not be over until next week while the final state records for La Jolla Bishop’s star Destiny Littleton are now known. She had exactly 4,300 career points. Photos: Twitter.com & Courtesy School.
It’s a plethora of top outings from boys hoops, girls hoops, baseball and softball. Basketball’s best include one successful state record bid that is now complete while another could still be going into the CIF state finals. In baseball, freshman Adam Christopher of El Camino Real makes a splash while Palma of Salinas pitcher gets that team’s sixth straight shutout. In softball, Mallory Ussery of Fremont Kennedy ties a state record with consecutive grand slams while Aurora Adams of Garden Grove Santiago gets 10 RBI in one game.
Note: We will collect totals from MaxPreps, newspapers, tweets and from those sent in to us. We also will compile single-game highs from this post throughout the season and of course we use our weekly State Stat Stars collection as an aid for the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book. That is the only state record book anyone has ever done and we have published it seven times with full copyright protection. To report totals to us for this feature and for the record book, email markjtennis@gmail.com or call 209-608-1317. You can also text to 209-608-1317.
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(All players listed in alphabetical order)
(Writeups by Cal-Hi Sports editor Mark Tennis, contributing editors Paul Muyskens & Harold Abend & CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett)
(For games played through Saturday, March 11 with some games from this week)
BOYS BASKETBALL
Jimmy Beltz (Elliot Christian, Lodi)
Heading into the CIF NorCal D5 final between Elliot Christian and St. Francis CCC of Watsonville, Beltz is within striking range of the state record for most 3-pointers made in a season. His MaxPreps page after this week’s win by the Eagles over Branson of Ross shows him with 152. Beltz, who has made as many as 10 in one game, would need to make 13 in this Saturday’s game and then the CIF Division V state final to tie the Cal-Hi Sports single-season state mark of 165 set in 1994 by Chad Bickley during Bickley’s junior year at Santa Maria Valley Christian. Bickley also has the state record for career 3-pointers made at 507. Beltz won’t get close to that total nor will be get close to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section record of 497 set in 2001 by Rio Linda’s Ryan Sowles. He could end up, though, as high as No. 3 on the all-time state career list.
Nate Kendricks & Darrin Person Jr.
(Immanuel, Reedley)
Person Jr. moved into the 8th spot in points scored in a career for the CIF Central Section as he scored 23 points and had seven rebounds in a 64-53 win over Hesperia and had 29 points, 16 rebounds in a 73-59 win over Twentynine Palms. According to section historian Bob Barnett, Darrin now has 2,251 points, 1,326 rebounds (6th best) in 124 games. Teammate Nate Kendricks had quite a week as well with 26 points and a career high of 37 points in both games.
Matt Mitchell (Roosevelt, Eastvale)
The Cal State Fullerton recruit is making a late push for first team all-state honors. In last Saturday’s 82-67 victory over Oak Park in the CIF SoCal D1 regional playoffs, Mitchell pumped in 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. His team will have to beat Corona Centennial in Saturday’s CIF SoCal D1 final for the fifth time this season (the Mustangs already have four wins in four tries over that team) to reach the school’s first-ever CIF state final.
Isaiah Williams (Olympian, Chula Vista)
A 6-foot-6 junior making a name for himself in the SoCal D5 playoffs, Williams dominated with 25 points and 23 rebounds as his team avenged an earlier loss to Brawley in the CIF San Diego Section playoffs with a 59-51 triumph. Williams also had 24 points and 19 rebounds in an earlier regional playoff win against Desert Christian of Bermuda Dunes.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Sunset on stellar career of Bishop’s Littleton
The Bishop’s (La Jolla) Knights’ season has come to an end after an expected decisive 73-32 loss in the CIF Southern Regional Open Division semifinals to nationally-ranked and Cal-Hi Sports No. 2 Clovis West-Fresno. The season-ending loss marks the end of the high school career of California career scoring queen and USC-bound McDonald’s All-American Destiny Littleton. Clovis West made sure Littleton didn’t go off by double and triple teaming her and they held her to 15 points. That means Littleton finishes with an even 4,300 points for her career and the No. 9 spot on the NFHS all-time scoring list. Her 42.7 ppg average and 1,366 points led the nation and her point total is the most ever in a single season in California history. Her 150 three-point shots made also led the nation and is No. 2 on that list of Cal-Hi Sports record lists. Her 90 percent free-throw shooting this season also led the nation and will top that Cal-Hi Sports record list as well.
Kameron Taylor (Bakersfield Christian)
Her great career came to an end with a school record of 727 points for the season and a Central Section best average of 24.2 points per game. Kameron scored 27 points in a 54-46 win over Westridge of Pasadena and 27 points in a loss to 72-48 Heritage Christian of Northridge.
BASEBALL
Adam Christopher (El Camino Real, Woodland Hills)
Making his varsity debut, this freshman was called up for a spot start in a tournament and made quite the impression as he pitched 6 2/3 innings and struck out 12 to lead the Conquistadores past Burroughs of Burbank 3-2.
Danny Zimmerman had 11 homers, 39 RBI and batted .443 last season for Redondo. Photo: PerfectGame.org.
Eziah Cortez (Palma, Salinas)
It’s been zeros everywhere for teams facing Cortez and Palma’s other pitchers so far this season. In a 5-0 win earlier this week over Christopher of Gilroy, Cortez hurled Palma’s sixth straight shutout. He also had two hits at the plate. The Chieftains were 8-0 when we did the overall state rankings this week and are pushing to get into the State Top 20.
Zach Espinoza & Collin Villegas (Beckman, Irvine)
These two combined for nine shutout innings during a 1-0 win over Mission Viejo in the championship game of the Newport Elks Tournament. Espinoza started and allowed just two hits while striking out 11 in six innings before Villegas took over and pitched three no-hit innings while striking out five.
Kevin Hultgren (Edison, Huntington Beach)
Getting the start against another sophomore who is headed to UCLA, Evan Fitterer, it was Hultgren who was the one that came away with the win. He allowed just four hits and did not walk a batter over 6 2/3 innings of a 5-0 win over Aliso Niguel of Aliso Viejo at the Loara Tournament.
Justin Nguyen Phan (Silver Creek, San Jose)
A great week for Phan began with him going 3-for-3 with two doubles to help the Raiders beat San Jose High 11-1. Two days later, he stayed hot by going 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored when Silver Creek edged Mt. Pleasant of San Jose 9-7.
Grady Ryan (Oak Grove, San Jose)
He might be more known for football, but the son of former Oak Grove star and NFL player Tim Ryan is great on the diamond. It’s been a goofy season so far for the team with one 28-0 win over Yerba Buena but a lot of losses as well. Last week, Ryan went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI in a 10-9 loss to Branham of San Jose. Before that, he went 3-for-3 in a 12-2 loss to Scotts Valley and before that went 3-for-3 with three RBI in that romp vs. Yerba Buena.
Ryan Silva (Redlands East Valley, Redlands)
Clutch pitching has helped the Wildcats get out to an 8-0 start this season and Silva has been right in the middle of it. In two outings last week, he gave up no earned runs in 12 innings and had 13 strikeouts
Spencer Stewart (Webb, Claremont)
In a 9-0 triumph by the Gauls over St. Pius X-St. Matthias, Stewart pitched a three-hitter and struck out 16. In addition, as a batter, he scored twice and ripped a two-run homer. He’s in his fourth year starting for the Gauls.
Andrew Valdez (El Diamante, Visalia)
He had a career high of six RBI on three hits, including one double, and scored two times in a 13-2 win over San Joaquin Memorial of Fresno
Logan Wensley (West, Bakersfield)
In a 18-6 romp by the Vikings over South of Bakersfield, Wensley had a career high of six RBI. He had three hits to collect those RBI, including a triple and a homer.
Danny Zimmerman (Redondo Union, Redondo Beach)
The main returning starter for a Redondo team that was among the best in the state last season, Zimmerman was the man during a 12-6 win over Peninsula of Rolling Hills Estates. He hit two home runs and finished with six runs batted in.
Aurora Adams of Santiago Garden Grove may up with stats this year that make her shine like the aurora borealis. Photo: athletesforcollege.com.
Aurora Adams (Santiago, Garden Grove)
It was a football like final score and she had a big game as she homered twice and finished with 10 runs batted in during a 23-3 win over Costa Mesa. Adams could be one to watch this year for state record book listings in RBI and home runs. She already has had two other games with six RBI and after a four-RBI game this week vs Newport Harbor already had seven homers and 40 RBI for the season.
Carly Bursch (West Hills, Santee)
West Hills and its rivals from Santana always seem to have good players and teams in softball. Bursch, a junior, is one to watch this season from West Hills. In a 8-0 win over Mission Hills of San Marcos last week in the Cougar Classic at Escondido, Bursch burst the Grizzlies’ bubble by throwing a no-hitter and striking out seven in five innings. She also had a single and one RBI.
Isabella Garcia (Rancho Alamitos, Garden Grove)
Just a freshman, she went 4 for 5 with a triple, home run and six runs batted in during a 15-4 win over Santa Ana. Earlier this season, she had a season-high seven runs batted in during a 16-1 win. Guess Aurora Adams isn’t going to be the only frequent stat star from a Garden Grove high school this year.
Sydney Hornbuckle (Stockdale, Bakersfield)
Starting her high shool career with over 30 innings of scoreless pitching, this freshman picked up three more wins last week. With her scoreless streak snapped during a win over Clovis East, she went seven scoreless innings with four strikeouts in a 1-0 win over Central of Fresno and then struck out nine while pitching a complete game shutout during a 5-0 win over Selma.
Serena Thompson (McLane, Fresno)
She pitched two outstanding games for the week. Thompson had a seven inning game with 16 strikeouts against Tranquillity in a 6-1 win and 15 strikeouts in a 6-0 win against Parlier.
Mallory Ussery (Kennedy, Fremont)
Yes, there is a category in our state record book for softball in the category of most consecutive grand slams and Mallory is now on the list after she blasted grand slams in consecutive at-bats to lead the Titans past Piedmont 13-1. The first reported time it happened was in 1989 over a two-game span by Chris Barajas from Mesa Verde of Citrus Heights. No one has ever done it three at-bats in a row so Ussery in effect tied a state record.
Danielle Williams (Amador Valley, Pleasanton)
Throwing her first no-hitter of the season, Williams allowed just two walks while striking out 12 during a win over Concord at the Queen of the Mountain tournament. The Missouri-bound junior should have many more similar outings the rest of the season.
Paul Muyskens is the Stockton office assistant editor for Cal-Hi Sports. 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
