Recent Caruthers High grad Hunter Babb (left) gained multiple entries into the state rushing/scoring records for what he did last season. At right, Kamarri Robinson of Livermore breaks a tackle during his 534-yard night vs Dublin. Photos: Hudl.com & Livermore Granada Boosters / Facebook.com.
There are only a handful of returning runningbacks in the state this 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. Will the CIF Central Section have most of the record-breakers once again? All major categories are now updated and ready to go for the upcoming season.
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There are only three players heading into the 2024 California high school football season who already have had their names added to the all-time state records for rushing or scoring categories. And one of those isn’t a running back.
Livermore High senior Kamarri Robinson didn’t get into the book for any season categories as a junior since it takes 2,500 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns scoring. He did eclipse 2,000 yards, but the Homecoming night he had when the Cowboys beat Dublin, 45-34, is one that he’ll never forget.
It wasn’t one of those games in which the star player had to come out early as the Dublin offense was keeping up with the Livermore offense. A stunning 90-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter by Kamarri finally put the Cowboys comfortably on top and it also helped jump Robinson to a massive single-game total of 534 yards rushing on 29 carries. The 90-yard score also was his fifth TD of the night.
Coachella Valley’s Aaron Ramirez breaks into the clear during game from last season. Photo: Hudl.com.
Going over 500 yards in one game is historic in and of itself, but for Kamarri his 534 yards moved to fifth on the all-time single-game state list. He also broke the CIF North Coast Section record (people can easily figure out section records by going through our massive all-time state lists) set in 2013 by Jason Hinton from Moreau Catholic of Hayward.
The state’s top returning rusher this season also has his season total already included in the state records, but David Sandy from Jordan of Los Angeles didn’t play running back. The Bulldogs’ junior last season was their option-running quarterback. He didn’t really get going with massive totals until the seventh game against View Park when he exploded for 423 yards on 24 carries and scored six TDs in a 52-18 win. Sandy kept up that pace for the rest of the season, including 325 yards vs Hawkins, 328 yards vs. Verdugo Hills, 221 yards in a win over George Washington Prep for the CIF L.A. City Section D3 title and then 105 yards in a loss to Bell Gardens in the CIF SoCal regional playoffs.
Sandy’s final season rushing total of 2,904 yards was fourth highest in the state, according to MaxPreps, and also ranks fourth highest ever among those players from the CIF L.A. City Section. Dijon Stanley, the dynamic RB from Granada Hills who was the L.A. Times Player of the Year in 2022, was previously in the fourth spot with 2,756 yards.
The only other running back in the state to gain entry into the state record book last season as an underclassman would be Aaron Ramirez from Coachella Valley of Thermal. It takes 2,500 yards to go in for season rushing and Ramirez made it with 2,528 yards in 12 games for the Arabs. We didn’t even have anyone reported with a 99-yard touchdown from last season.
Ramirez ended the year as the CIF Southern Section D12 Player of the Year and he was the Desert Sun Offensive Player of the Year. His yardage plus 34 touchdowns broke school records. His yards also is No. 3 all-time for the Palm Springs region, trailing only the 3,010 yards by La Quinta’s Chris Rom-Toribio in 2014 and the 2,649 yards by James Toland from Shadow Hills of Indio in 2012. Ramirez, who already has 4,401 yards and 64 TDs for his career and should easily crack the mininums for going into the state career records this season, had a season-high 391 yards rushing and four TDs in the CIFSS D12 playoff win over South El Monte.
FOR THE UPDATED ALL-TIME STATE RECORD LIST FOR MOST YARDS RUSHING IN ONE GAME (GOLD CLUB LIST), CLICK HERE.
FOR THE UPDATED ALL-TIME STATE RECORD LIST FOR MOST YARDS RUSHING IN ONE SEASON (GOLD CLUB LIST), CLICK HERE.
It could be argued that the three most prolific, record-breaking running backs in the state last season were all from the CIF Central Section. They certainly kept our friend Bob Barnett, who does Central Section records and is officially recognized as the section’s historian, very busy.
Leading the way was senior Bryson Donelson of Visalia’s Central Valley Christian. Bryson not only has the talent that got him D1 college offers (he eventually signed with Fresno State) but benefitted from being in an explosive offense and on a team that went all the way to and won the CIF D2-AA state championship.
Herschel Turner Jr. from Mt. Diablo of Concord had a memorable senior season last fall. Photo: Ben Enos / SportStars.
In one of the most bizarre games we’ve ever heard about, Donelson had seven carries for 327 yards and five TDs in CVC’s first game last season, a 63-41 win over Ripon Christian. The Cavaliers only ran 12 plays in that game compared to 79 for RC but won since Donelson scored on several one-play drives and because they ran back several kickoffs for touchdowns. Bryson also had 358 yards and and three TDs in the CIF SoCal D2-AA championship win over Simi Valley and then 202 yards and three TDs in the state final win over Los Gatos.
Donelson’s 16-game totals of 3,297 yards rushing and 58 TDs both went into the state records. The scoring total of 58 TDs is tied for fourth all-time, but it’s not a section record since Kazmeir Allen’s total of 72 set in 2017 at Tulare also is the state record. Donelson also had career rushing and scoring totals that have been entered into the state records since he rushed for more than 1,800 yards and scored 18 TDs as a sophomore at El Diamante of Visalia before he switched to CVC. Missing five games on a sit out period due to the transfer as a junior ended up not costing him much since there were six playoff games alone last season.
If Donelson wasn’t having an eye-opening game last season, chances are that Hunter Babb of Caruthers, also from the CIF Central Section, was having one. He wound up with only 11 games (five less than Donelson), but in those games rushed for 3,245 yards (only 52 less than Donelson). Babb was second in the state and also went into the career state records for rushing and scoring higher than any other graduating senior from the Class of 2024. Babb ended with 6,535 yards career rushing and 104 TDs career scoring. He was our Small Schools State Player of the Year and was MaxPreps’ Small-Town All-State Team MVP.
Another small town standout from the CIF Central Section over the 2021 to 2023 seasons was Orosi’s Andrew Camarillo. He followed up a junior season in which he rushed for 2,256 yards and 24 TDs in 11 games with 2,562 yards and 35 TDs in 12 games as a senior. Camarillo also ended his career with 6,540 yards, which was just five yards more than Hunter Babb and about 400 more than Donelson. Andrew’s career total of 96 touchdowns also gained entry onto the all-time state list.
Historically, the CIF Central Section has had a number of prolific RBs. The list includes Edgar Segura of Mendota, Dominique Dorsey of Tulare, Romallo Harris of Tulare and Steve Wofford of Bakersfield.
Outside of the CIF Central Section, two senior RBs from last season who earned state record book listings were Herschel Turner of Concord Mt. Diablo and Juan Esquivez from Orestimba of Newman. Turner, now at Utah State, led the state for regular season scoring last year with 43 TDs and he rushed for 3,027 yards. Esquivez just made it onto the list for overall scoring with 45 TDs. He also had a 460-yard game in a 49-14 win vs Le Grand.
FOR THE UPDATED ALL-TIME STATE RECORD LIST FOR MOST YARDS RUSHING IN A CAREER (GOLD CLUB LIST), CLICK HERE.
FOR THE UPDATED ALL-TIME STATE RECORD LIST FOR SCORING IN A CAREER (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
