Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park (left) and Tanner Wilson from Sunnyside of Fresno have been among the state’s passing leaders for the last two seasons. Photos: X.com & Hudl.com.
Here’s a look at quarterbacks from around the state coming into the 2024 season who already have their names in the state record lists that were started and have been maintained by Cal-Hi Sports for four decades. All major categories are now updated and ready to go for the upcoming season.
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Probably the most interesting aspect of the updated state passing records entering the 2024 season in California high school football is where Newbury Park junior Brady Smigiel already stands in the all-time career records with just two seasons played and two still to go.
As a freshman starter in 2022, Smigiel broke onto the scene with 3,479 yards and 46 touchdowns through the air. He was able to play 14 games as a sophomore last year as Newbury Park played deep into the CIF Southern Section D4 playoffs and went for 4,222 yards and 52 touchdown passes.
Brady Smigiel’s head coach at Newbury Park is his father, Joe, and his twin brother, Beau, is one of the team’s top receivers. Photo: Quarterbackmagazine.com.
For more than 15 years, the state career record stood at 7,633 yards by La Puente Bishop Amat’s Pat Haden, which was set in 1970. The Newbury Park slinger already is ahead of that with 7,701 yards. The school previously had another state record holder for career passing yards when Keith Smith passed for 9,971 yards from 1991 to 1993. With good health, Smigiel likely is going to move past Smith this season and go well past 10,000 yards.
If one were to simply double Smigiel’s totals for the next two seasons compared to the first two, he’d be at 15,402 yards and 196 TDs for his career. Those would be CIF Southern Section records but would still be short of the state records of 16,775 yards and 229 touchdowns set in 2014 by Folsom’s Jake Browning (who didn’t get the benefit of playing and having any totals for a freshman season). Most players do even better obviously in their junior and senior seasons than they do as freshmen and sophomores so Brady probably will do better than just doubling up from those first two seasons. He has already committed to Florida State and had a very busy, productive summer.
Another QB playing this season (his fourth on the varsity) who looks like a good bet to finish his career toward the top of the all-time state career lists is Fresno Sunnyside’s Tanner Wilson. Tanner had 3,260 yards passing and 31 TDs as a freshman in the 2021 fall season. He added 4,190 yards and 51 TDs as a sophomore as Sunnyside played all the way to the CIF Central Section D3 championship (14 games). Last season, Wilson had 3,320 yard and 40 TDs for the 10-2 Wildcats.
Wilson’s 10,770 career yards already stands 16th on the all-time state list. He only needs to get past 11,913 for the CIF Central Section record set in 2014 by Sam Metcalf of Farmersville as maintained by section historian Bob Barnett of Fresno. Wilson, who has committed to Army, is 24th for career TD passes with 110 and is just 30 away from Metcalf’s section record of 140.
Other seniors to watch coming up the charts but who are not yet on the all-time state career lists include Husan Longstreet of Corona Centennial (6,954 yards and 64 TDs counting his sophomore season at Inglewood and last season at Centennial), Bear Bachmeier of Murrieta Valley (5,550 yards and 47 TDs) and Akili Smith Jr. of San Diego Lincoln (4,863 yards and 54 TDs counting his sophomore season at Vista Murrieta and last season at Lincoln).
FOR THE UPDATED ALL-TIME STATE CAREER LEADERS ENTERING THE SEASON (GOLD CLUB LIST), CLICK HERE.
More Returning QBs for 2024 Season
With Totals In The State Record Book
Khalil Abdul-Azziz (Orange Vista, Perris)
Helped team win CIFSS D4 title as a sophomore by throwing for 3,609 yards in 15 games.
Luke Alexander (Grant, Sacramento)
Led Pacers to NorCal D2-AA title with 43 TD passes as a junior.
Bear Bachmeier (Murrieta Valley, Murrieta)
As a sophomore from 2022 season, he passed for 505 yards in a loss to Bishop Amat.
Ricky Cole (Inderkum, Sacramento)
49 Touchdown passes in 13 games in junior season.
Jordan Crisp (Tulare)
School with lots of record book entries saw Crisp pass for 48 TDs and 4,288 yards in sophomore season.
QB Akili Smith Jr. isn’t just a stat star at Lincoln of San Diego, but is one of the top returning players in the state. Photo: @THEHIVEFB / Twitter.com.
Nico De La Cruz (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach)
Team started 0-6 last season, then won seven straight and in 14 games De La Cruz (a junior) had 3,503 yards through the air.
Timmy Herr (San Juan Hills, SJ Capistrano)
He completed 34 passes for 336 yards in a win vs Citrus Valley.
Madden Iamaleava (Warren, Downey)
Had an 11-for-11 perfect passing game vs Norwalk plus 43 TDs in 13 games in junior season.
Jaden Jefferson (Cathedral, Los Angeles)
Perfect passing of 17-of-17 in win vs Crespi of Encino as a freshman last season put him No. 2 on all-time list (just ahead of Mater Dei’s Bryce Young).
Jackson Kollock (Laguna Beach)
As a junior, threw for 41 TD passes in 11 games. Also had 7 TD passes in one half in win vs Lakeside of Lake Elsinore.
Ryder Lyons (Folsom)
Highly-regarded junior had 3,578 yards passing for the Bulldogs in 15 games in leading them to CIF D1-A state title.
Robert McDaniel (Hughson)
Arizona commit went nuts with 470 yds and seven TDs in a victory vs Ripon.
Tyus Miller (Clovis East, Clovis)
Will be three-year starter and had 43 TDs passes and 3,510 yards in 12 games last season.
Jarret Nielsen (Jordan, Long Beach)
Football-baseball star had 3,411 yards passing as junior last season (just 11 yards over the cutoff to make the all-time list). Also had 576 yards and five TDs in a win vs North of Torrance.
Kalib Pacheco (Don Lugo, Chino)
He had 48 TD passes in 12 games as a junior. Also had 503 yards in 41-40 win vs West Covina.
Ryan Rakowski (Palos Verdes, PV Estates)
Only freshman QB from last season in state to gain a state record listing when he finished 11-for-11 in win vs Santa Monica.
Akili Smith Jr. (Lincoln, San Diego)
Highly-regarded Class of 2025 recruit became the first QB in state history to have two 99-yard TD passes. Both happened last season. Note that the 99-yard TDs fall into the receiving category.
Jerrod Bubba Smith (Fowler)
Had 602 yds and eight TDs in a win vs Parlier. Both totals make the all-time lists.
Tristan Ti’a (Amador Valley, Pleasanton)
Junior’s 17-of-17 night vs Dublin tied him for second on all-time list with Jaden Jefferson of L.A. Cathedral (not the Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle).
FOR THE UPDATED ALL-TIME STATE SINGLE SEASON PASSING YARDS LEADERS ENTERING THE SEASON (GOLD CLUB LIST), CLICK HERE.
FOR THE UPDATED ALL-TIME STATE SINGLE SEASON TOUCHDOWN PASS LEADERS ENTERING THE SEASON (GOLD CLUB LIST), CLICK HERE.
FOR THE UPDATED ALL-TIME STATE SINGLE GAME PASSING LEADERS ENTERING THE SEASON (GOLD CLUB LIST), CLICK HERE.
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
