Imperial running back Royce Freeman was an all-state choice as a sophomore and is one of the top overall recruits in the state for the Class of 2014. Photo courtesy Student Sports.
In addition to our two players of the week, this week’s honor roll of the state’s top single-game performances includes junior RB Jamie Taylor from Rim of the World, who is keeping big-time rushing totals all in the family, along with more mind-boggling numbers from Folsom’s Jake Browning.
We will lead off the State Stat Stars every week with the Northern California and Southern California Players of the Week, which were announced on Wednesday night on Time Warner Cable’s Varsity Roundup show.
As has been customary for many years, we collect the state stat stars in support of the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book & Almanac. The book has been published seven times and is as official as a state record book can be since no other exists. To report a State Stat Star of the Week of your own, please email details to markjtennis@gmail.com.
Note: All football state records are in the process of being added to this web site. They will be part of our Gold Club membership. To join our Gold Club today, please CLICK HERE.
Thanks to Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend, Ronnie Flores and CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett for contributing items this week. This honor roll is for games played from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21.
Northern California Player of the Week
Jack Heneghan (Menlo School, Atherton)
The senior quarterback completed 23 of 31 passes for 383 yards and six touchdowns in just the first half of Menlo’s 48-7 win over San Mateo. He did not play at all in the second half. Jack also went over 1,000 yards passing in his fourth game with 15 TDs and just two interceptions. He threw for 2,764 yards and 34 TDs last season. He is getting a ton of interest from the Ivy League due to his academics combined with his football.
Southern California Player of the Week
Royce Freeman (Imperial)
He is the No. 1 ranked running back by college scouts in Southern California and is generally No. 2 statewide behind Joe Mixon from Freedom of Oakley. Imperial may be a sleepy small town down in the Imperial Valley (San Diego Section) but the 6-1, 220-pound Freeman has a tremendous combination of power, strength and speed. He had 25 carries for 256 yards and five TDs for Imperial in a 48-21 win over Mater Dei Catholic of Chula Vista. It was the third time this season that Freeman has scored five times in a game and in the other game he had four. For the season, he has 1,112 yards and 19 TDs in four games. Last year, he had 2,482 yards and 34 TDs. Royce recently committed to Oregon. If he starts there, he’ll be a bigger version of the one-back standouts that Oregon has had in recent years.
PASSING
Jake Browning (Folsom)
Already with two seven-touchdown pass games this season, he looked like he was about to have his third before throwing a late eighth touchdown pass in the Bulldogs’ 67-36 win over San Ramon Valley of Danville. On the night, Browning completed 37 of his 48 pass attempts for 596 yards. The 596 yards will go into the state record book and is in the top six all-time, but it’s third in Folsom history behind the 689 from Browning last year and 601 set two years ago by Tyler Trosin. The 37 completions and eight touchdown passes will also go into the record book. For the season, Browning already has 24 TD passes in four games. In 12 games, that would give him 86 if he stays on that pace. The only reason that doesn’t lead the nation is because Will Grier from Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.) has 31 TD passes in five games. Grier’s team, though, can’t play perhaps as many as 16 games (which is possible for Folsom).
Mitch Daniels (Concord)
Recently, the Minutemen have had either a running back or a quarterback that puts up huge numbers. This year, it’s the 6-2, 193-pound junior. Last week, in a 36-33 squeaker win over Vallejo Jesse Bethel, his team needed every one of his 455 yards passing (35 of 50) and four touchdowns.
Davis Pinkston (Simi Valley)
He will go into the record book for pass attempts in a game as he attempted 58 of which 36 were completed for 362 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-31 win over Pacifica of Oxnard. He also scored the game-winning touchdown rushing the ball in overtime.
Trey Tinsley (El Toro, Lake Forest)
He passed for 361 yards on 39 of 53 attempts, but it wasn’t enough as the Chargers lost to Palos Verdes, 50-28. Tinley also threw for four touchdowns.
Anthony Williams (St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Vallejo)
Passing for 443 yards and four touchdowns (27 of 41) was not enough to keep the Bruins from their second loss of the season as they fell at Moreau Catholic of Hayward 65-48. Williams also tossed four interceptions.
QB Jonathan Walters of Saratoga is one of the state’s top returning stat leaders from last season. Photo: Willie Eashman.
Jonathan Walters (Saratoga)
He makes his first appearance in the feature this year after several last season. In a 40-37 win over San Jose Willow Glen, the senior quarterback was 32 of 44 for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
Clarence Williams (Sylmar)
Sophomore stud passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns on 19 of 34 attempts, but it wasn’t enough as Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood remained unbeaten in a 65-24 victory. Williams also added a short rushing touchdown.
Andrew Zolantakis & Phillip Rei (Campolindo, Moraga)
The Cougars’ quarterback and wide receiver duo wouldn’t always make this feature, but their performances last week came in a somewhat surprising 42-27 win over an El Cerrito team that many were already handing the CIF Division III bowl game championship. Instead, it was the 6-0, 170-pound senior quarterback Zolantakis, playing with a stress fracture in his throwing arm which reduces his velocity, who sliced up the D1 laden El Cerrito defense, He passed for 306 yards and three touchdowns. All three TDs went to his favorite target Rei. The senior wideout had seven catches for 164 yards.
RECEIVING
Brandon Scott (Yucaipa)
He only found the end zone once, but he did catch eight passes for 318 yards in the Thunderbirds’ 32-31 loss to San Gorgonio of San Bernardino. Scott, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior who is headed to Yucaipa, turned in the third-best receiving yards total ever from the Inland area, according to Eric-Paul Johnson of the Riverside Press-Enterprise. His total also gains him entry into the state record book.
Will McClure (Folsom)
Jake Browning was able to get himself into the record book for several categories during the Bulldogs’ 67-36 win over San Ramon Valley of Danville and it was McClure who was the leading target. He caught eight passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns.
Matt Byer (Oak Park, Agoura Hills)
Saying good bye to the opposing secondary, Byer caught eight passes for 221 yards and five touchdowns as the Eagles defeated Calabasas 52-27.
Jose Ochoa (La Puente)
Scoring all three of the Warriors’ touchdowns in their 20-7 win over Wilson of Hacienda Heights, he finished with eight catches for 214 yards.
Tyler Clay (Ocean View, Huntington Beach)
Trying to help the Seahawks pick up their first win of the season, Clay caught four passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns but it wasn’t near enough as they lost to Cerritos 63-28.
Harrison Morrow (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach)
The son of long-time Costa coach Don Morrow caught four touchdown passes on consecutive receptions during a 60-7 victory over South Torrance. He also had an interception on defense. His first two receptions covered 33 and 13 yards and his 38-yard interception return set up his third touchdown.
RUSHING
LaMarr Crowder (Cerritos)
The Dons don’t have stat stars often. In fact, they canceled their season after just four games last year. Well last week, Cerritos earned its first victory since November of 2010 with a 63-28 victory over Ocean View of Huntington Beach as the senior running back accounted for a whopping seven touchdowns. He carried the ball 27 times for 332 yards. This week, we’ll see what Crowder and crew can do against Rashaad Penny and unbeaten Norwalk.
Trevor Bearden (Live Oak, Morgan Hill)
He opened with 401 yards and four TDs rushing in an Acorns’ win, but was held to 43 yards and no scores two weeks ago in a loss. This past week, in a 27-19 win over crosstown arch-rival Sobrato, the 6-1, 215-pound Bearden rolled to 341 yards and three touchdowns.
Sean Bar (Agoura, Agoura Hills)
Charging his way past Golden Valley of Santa Clarita, he ran for 332 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries as the Chargers improved to 3-1 on the season with a 45-26 win.
Brandon Boyd (Gilroy)
Trying to ride him to victory, the Mustangs handed Boyd the ball 37 times and he rushed for 325 yards and three touchdowns, but they were unable to get their second win of the season as they lost to Monte Vista Christian of Watsonville 23-19. It was the second time this season he ran for over 300 yards and his team lost.
Elijah Cunningham (Woodlake)
Parlier sure couldn’t tame this Tiger as Cunningham became the first player in school history to rush for more than 300 yards in one game. He amazed with 321 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 41-24 win over the Panthers.
Sheldon Arnold (Santee, Los Angeles)
He rushed for 317 yards and five TDs on just 13 carries in a 60-14 victory over Contreras of Los Angeles. So far this season, the junior tailback has rushed for 753 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 45 carries and has 12 touchdowns.
Khalil Montgomery (Immanuel, Reedley)
In a 48-18 win over Orange Cove, Montgomery rushed for a personal high of 304 yards and set a school record with 45 carries. He also scored four touchdowns on runs of 1, 3, 24, and 5 yards.
Coach and trainer Chris Asher works with state stat stars of all ages, helping them to improve their speed, quickness and agility. He is based in Hollywood, also has a role with the UCLA track program and serves athletes within many miles of his location. For more about him, CLICK HERE. For more about his Gold Medal Excellence training program, CLICK HERE.
Jamie Taylor (Rim of the World, Lake Arrowhead)
Twentynine Palms might have felt like it needed to have 29 guys on the field playing defense to stop Jamie from running. The junior is the younger brother of recent Rim grad Jacob Taylor, who rampaged for 4,036 yards (the second-best in state history), and is setting a strong pace of his own. Against Twentynine Palms, Jamie ran for 300 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries as the Fighting Scots got the win by a 40-13 score.
Steven Canales (Julian)
Outscoring Sherman Indian of Riverside on his own, Canales rushed for 294 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles improved to 3-1 on the season with the 46-6 win.
Donavon Davis (Ganesha, Pomona)
He had a great game rushing for 287 yards and four touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as as the Giants weren’t so giant on defense in the 48-26 loss to Baldwin Park.
Ben Parietti (Jesuit, Carmichael)
Playing in front of a packed stadium during the annual Holy Bowl at Hughes Stadium against arch-rival Christian Brothers, he rushed for a Holy Bowl-record 280 yards, according to Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee, while scoring four touchdowns in the Marauders’ 52-28 win. Jesuit also improved 3-0.
Ronzel Fox (Galileo, San Francisco)
After going for 213 yards and four touchdowns in a rout of Richmond De Anza two weeks ago, the senior running back Fox was scampering again, and outdid that performance this week, after rushing for 279 yards and five TDs in a 57-30 victory over visiting Fort Bragg.
Richard Doctor (Lemoore)
Standout senior put on a show last week against a fine Sanger team, as he rushed for 275 yards on 34 carries and scored four touchdowns (22, 63, 4, and 5 yards) in a 42-21 win.
Nick Fisher (Great Oak, Temecula)
With over half of his yards coming on long touchdown runs, Fisher carried the ball 25 times for 264 yards and three touchdowns with those three scores all coming on runs over 50 yards as the Wolfpack defeated Heritage of Menifee 43-40. It was Heritage’s first loss and knocked the Patriots out of the D2 South bowl game rankings.
Davion Telfor (Lincoln, San Francisco)
The big, bruising 6-1, 215-pound senior RB/LB rushed for 243 yards and had 10 tackles but the Mustangs fell 12-7 to El Camino of South San Francisco.
Jason Hinton (Moreau Catholic, Hayward)
He had an off week, only rushing for 200 yards and five touchdowns. So far this season, however, this 5-11, 195-pound junior running back is the non-reported rushing leader in the CIF North Coast Section. He has run for 1,109 yards on 89 carries (13.4 yards per attempt) with 20 touchdowns. He’s also caught nine passes for 145 yards and three TDs, and scored on a kick return. In his first three games, he rushed for 303, 272 and 334 yards, respectively.
ALL-PURPOSE
David Arriaga (Roosevelt, Los Angeles)
He helped the Rough Riders up their record to 4-0 with a monster performance in a 20-17 victory over Cantwell Sacred Heart of Montebello. Arriaga ran the ball 26 times for 280 yards and two touchdowns and also passed for 151 yards and a score. On the season, he’s accounted for 1,240 yards (859 rushing).
Blake Barnett (Santiago, Corona)
The junior quarterback with a lot of promise ran for 246 yards and five touchdowns and passed for 132 yards and another score in a 56-7 non-league win over Sante Fe of Santa Fe Springs.
Nsimba Webster (Deer Valley, Antioch)
The dual-threat quarterback and defensive back was all over the place in a 50-16 win over Santa Rosa. He was 7-of-9 passing for 207 yards and two TDs, and rushed for 143 yards and three more scores on only seven carries. On defense, he had a sack and blocked a field goal.
Cristian Solano (San Fernando)
The dual-threat dynamo had another terrific game for the unbeaten Tigers. He rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 164 more yards and added two scores on the air during a 42-20 win over Grant of Van Nuys.
DEFENSE
William Jones (Morningside, Inglewood)
He set a school record with three interceptions, including one he returned for a score, in a 39-6 victory over Compton.
Chris May (Crespi, Encino)
The junior defensive back had three interceptions in a 40-14 road victory over Clovis West of Fresno. He returned two of them for touchdowns.
Daniel Belton (South East, South Gate)
Two-way standout was at it again during a 24-13 win over Taft of Woodland Hills. He carried the ball 29 times for 180 yards and a score and at linebacker he was in on 13 tackles.
Ainuu Taua (Lompoc)
The state’s top defensive line prospect had five sacks in a 44-21 victory over Dos Pueblos of Santa Barbara. Lompoc is now 3-1 and hoping to make noise in the CIFSS Western Division.
TEAM RUSHING
Wasco
The Tigers’ tandem of Terrance Grinner and Isaiah Sharp put a double whammy on Golden Valley as they both rushed for more than 200 yards each in a 48-6 win. Grinner rushed for 253 yards on 11 carries and scored three touchdowns while Sharp rushed for 223 yards on 13 carries and scored three touchdowns.
Elk Grove
Leading rusher Wadus Parker only had 82 yards on seven carries but the Thundering Herd put on an impressive rushing attack performance in their 55-0 win over Sheldon of Sacramento. They ran for a reported school-record 625 yards as a team.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports
