Two of this week’s SoCal/NorCal Players of the Week are Tristan Stacy of state-ranked Ramona (special teams) and Bronson Harmon of state-ranked Oakdale (defense). Photos: Lenny Kerbs/Escondido Times-Advocate & John Westberg/The Modesto Bee.
A great night of having four interceptions gives the edge to senior Shawn Dourseau from Citrus Hill of Perris. A few more even close to it could edge him close to an all-time state record. This week’s other honorees are from Visalia, Oakdale, Bakersfield, Montebello and Ramona.
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Note: For these honors, we consider CIF Central Section players for Northern California. To nominate someone by 12 noon on most Mondays, email markjtennis@gmail.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Offensive Player of the Week
Jaedyn Pineda
(Mt. Whitney, Visalia) Jr.
It’s been a few weeks since the nominees of CIF Central Section historian and Cal-Hi Sports longtime friend and contributor Bob Barnett has had one of his nominations selected but after the performance of Pineda in the annual “Cowhide” game against cross-town arch rival Redwood in an unbelievable 57-56 victory, it was basically a slam dunk for this Pioneers’ two-sport star who also plays basketball.
The Central Section still plays all its league rivalry games in week 10 and Pineda could not have come up with a better week to have his biggest game of the season. Had the 4-6 Pioneers not beaten Redwood to get to 3-3 in the West Yosemite League they would have been out of the playoffs instead of being the No. 9 seed in Division 3 and facing Madera on the road this Thursday.
Against Redwood, Pineda had a hand in seven of the eight TDs his team scored. He passed for a season-high 397 yards and two TDs and he rushed for 88 yards and five TDs with none longer than a 9-yard run. He also does the punting and had one in the game for 32 yards.
On the season and in only seven games as quarterback, Pineda has passed for 2,039 yards and 19 TDs and rushed for 627 yards and nine additional scores.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Defensive Player of the Week
Bronson Harmon
(Oakdale) Sr.
This senior defensive back/linebacker was one of the two heroes along with running back teammate Cameron Cherry in a thrilling 27-21 victory over Central Catholic that gave Oakdale its 13th Valley Oak League title in the past 16 years.
After Cherry ran 44-yards for the winning score, Harmon intercepted his second pass of the game as the clock expired sending the Oakdale fans on the packed visitors’ side of the stands at Central Catholic into a frenzy before they stormed the field.
Harmon’s first interception was huge as well. Trailing 14-7 late in the first half and with Central Catholic driving, he picked off a pass at his own 11 yard line allowing Oakdale to run out the clock in the second quarter. It was a real big play because had Central Catholic gone ahead 21-7 before the half, even though Oakdale did eventually trail by that score midway through the third quarter, it may have taken the steam out of the team and prevented the come from behind win.
With as much as he did defensively, Harmon was equally impressive as a running back. He didn’t find the end zone and he only had 10 carries but two of them were long gainers and he finished with 138 yards rushing. His 53-yard run in the second quarter set up the Mustangs’ first touchdown. His early fourth quarter 66-yard run set the table for a TD that tied the game at 21-21.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Special Teams Player of the Week
Victor Lopez
(Golden Valley, Bakersfield) Sr.
We go to the CIF Central Section for our special teams award winner as well as the offensive winner.
It’s been a tough year for the 3-7 Bulldogs but in their South Yosemite League rivalry game with East Bakersfield, Victor had a big part in a victory that got Golden Valley its one and only league win this season.
Lopez, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound senior kicker, wide receiver, and sometimes quarterback and running back who also stars on the Golden Valley soccer team, not only kicked two field goals, including a 40-yarder, but he executed two onside kicks the Bulldogs recovered that were critical to the victory Victor helped produce.
He also punted twice with a longest of 40 yards, had two of his six kickoffs go for touchbacks, plus Lopez had eight tackles and a pass deflection on defense.
Miguel Aguero and team from Schurr of Montebello are looking to win CIFSS Division 12 title. Last year’s D6AA state champ, Rancho Christian of Temecula, also is in the bracket. Photo: Hudl.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Offensive Player of the Week
Miguel Aguero
(Schurr, Montebello) Sr.
The Spartans already had the Almont League sewed up prior to their league finale with visiting Alhambra, but it was no sure thing Schurr was going to get the CIF Southern Section top seed in Division 12 until the performance by Aguero surely helped make sure it would happen – and indeed it surely did.
In a 48-20 victory that got Schurr to 9-1, the Spartans’ senior quarterback was a pinpoint 26 of 33 for 453 yards passing with five touchdowns.
The previous week in a big win over Bell Gardens Aguero passed for 419 yards and six touchdowns giving him 872 yards passing and 11 TDs the past two weeks. The six TDs was a high water mark for the Spartans’ signal-caller but his best effort passing yardage-wise was 459 yards with three TDs but with two of his six interceptions in a 36-35 win over Whittier.
Going into a first round game with Santa Ana, Aguero has passed for 2,961 yards and 35 TDs with the six picks.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Defensive Player of the Week
Shawn Dourseau
(Citrus Hill, Perris) Sr.
The strong safety and backup quarterback for the Cal-Hi Sports No. 38 ranked Hawks was flying high on defense while the offense piled up over 600-yards in a 63-27 win over Hemet.
For his performance not only does the 6-foot, 175-pound senior win the SoCal Defensive Player of the Week honor, he’s the only player this week to make the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book.
Besides a respectable six tackles for a defensive back Dorseau put the ball in the hands of the offense four times because the hands-on Dourseau’s torso caught four balls on defense to bring his interception total to 13 for the season. The four picks was his most this season but he played a big role with three interceptions in a huge win early in the season over a Corona Santiago team that had just upset Murrieta Valley of Murrieta.
Citrus Hill is the No. 2 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs so should the Hawks advance to the title game Shawn would have four more games and a chance to tie or break the single season Cal-Hi Sports state record of 17 interceptions. That record was set in 1988 by Shad Lara of Carpinteria.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Special Teams Player of the Week
Tristan Stacy
(Ramona) Sr.
We go down to the CIF San Diego Section and to the hills of northeastern San Diego County where the Cal-Hi Sports No. 48 ranked Bulldogs are proving you don’t have to be from the San Diego metro area to play good football and be state-ranked.
Up in the hills we find a senior who has been instrumental in helping Ramona start 10-0 for the first time in school history by doing everything well as a defensive back, running back, slot receiver and a punt and kickoff returner. However, for this feature this week, we’re honoring him for special teams.
Last week, in a blowout of San Diego Del Norte, Stacy got a little stingy towards the visitors just about every time he got his hands or foot on the ball. In fact, the past two weeks he’s even been doing the kickoffs.
Last week, Stacy, who also stars on the Bulldogs’ baseball team, returned a punt 60 yards and had four kickoffs for touchbacks. We could have picked him two weeks ago in a blowout of Poway after he returned a punt 40-yards for a touchdown and had an interception on defense.
On offense against Del Norte, the Bulldogs’ leading receiver (16 receptions for 519 yards and nine TDs) only caught one pass but he went 64 yards for a touchdown. The team’s No. 3 rusher also had an 18-yard TD run.
So far this season Stacy has returned two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns. This season he’s averaging over 37 yards per kickoff return and a respectable near 16 yards on punt returns. Last season he had four kickoff returns for TDs and averaged over 37-yards per return, and he also returned a punt for a score.
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
