Senior QB Kyle Nelson led Galileo of San Francisco to a Turkey Day title on Thursday. He was captured in action from earlier this season in this photo by Willie Eashman.
Corona Centennial QB Robert Webber takes back the spotlight as the SoCal Player of the Week while the NorCal honoree is power-packed Los Gatos junior running back Joey Wood.
We will lead off the State Stat Stars every week with the Northern California and Southern California Players of the Week. This week’s duo also were featured this week on Time Warner Cable’s Varsity Roundup Show on Wednesday night throughout Southern California.
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 (the most recent, though, was 2009) 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. To join our Gold Club today, please CLICK HERE.
Thanks to Paul Muyskens, Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores and CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett for contributing items this week. This honor roll is for games played from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23.
Southern California Player of the Week
Robert Webber (Centennial, Corona)
The standout senior quarterback has been a bit overshadowed this season from running back teammate Tre Watson but unlimbered his throwing arm to lead the Huskies past Chaparral of Temecula 49-14 in the CIF Southern Section Inland Division quarterfinals.
Webber completed 19 of 28 passes for 465 yards and six touchdowns. He threw two of them to UCLA commit Barry Ware and had two more each to both Eric Locklin and Greyson Bankhead. Webber, who guided Centennial to last year’s CIF Southern California Open Division title and a state record 8,400 yards of total offense, went over 3,000 yards passing for this season. He also has rushed for 475 yards and five scores.
Junior Joey Wood is the latest hard-charging running back for Los Gatos. Photo: Courtesy Student Sports.
Northern California Player of the Week
Joey Wood (Los Gatos)
The junior running back has been the main reason for the Wildcats’ resurgence in recent weeks. One week after the Wildcats forced a three-way tie for their league title with a 55-34 win over Milpitas, they opened the CIF Central Coast Section Division II playoffs with a 59-34 triumph against North Salinas.
Wood piled up 309 yards on 28 carries and scored six touchdowns against the Vikings. He added another TD for seven in all by taking a screen pass for a 60-yard score. For the season, Wood has rushed for 1,614 yards and 23 TDs this season. He will lead Los Gatos in this week’s semifinals against Menlo-Atherton.
S.F. Turkey Day Special
Kyle Nelson (Galileo, San Francisco)
In the annual San Francisco Section AAA Turkey Day championship game played Thursday of this week at Kezar Stadium, Nelson passed for three TDs and ran for two more to spark Galileo past defending champion Lincoln of San Francisco 34-30. Nelson ended the season with 47 TD passes for the 12-1 Lions and has set San Francisco records for TD passes and TDs accounted for. His 47 TD passes and 58 TDs accounted for this season also gets him listed twice in the state record book.
Record Book Tracker
Trevor Bearden, Live Oak (Morgan Hill)
The 6-1, 215-pound senior finishes his career as an Acorn as the biggest one to ever fall out of a tree, not only in Live Oak, but in the history if the CIF Central Coast Section. Bearden had already gone over the magic 6,000 yard career mark when he went for an even 300 with four TDs two week’s ago against Evergreen Valley. This past week the season ended for Bearden when Live Oak fell 42-20 to Pacific Grove in the opening round of the CCS D4 playoffs. With 184 yards and one TD against Pacific Grove the leading rusher in the CCS and currently No. 3 in the state finishes the season with 2,737 yards and 28 touchdowns. His career-leading CCS rushing total ends up at 6,214 yards, a number that puts him at No. 2 in the Metro Bay Area behind Jahvid Best and his 6,379 yards (Richmond Salesian 2004-2006) on the Most Yards (Career) list in the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book.
PASSING
Cole Norris (Newport Harbor, Newport Beach)
In the Sailors’ 49-48 victory over No. 1 seed La Habra in the CIFSS Southeast Division playoffs, Norris completed 36 of 63 passes for a whopping 474 yards and five touchdowns. His 16-yard touchdown pass to Quest Truxton with 50 seconds remaining sealed the upset win for Newport Harbor. Truxton finished with 14 receptions for 233 yards and four touchdowns.
Nicholas Plum (Mission Bay, San Diego)
In a game played on Wednesday of this week, he will have plenty to be thankful for on Thanksgiving as he completed 18 of his 27 pass attempts for 457 yards and six touchdowns as the Buccaneers defeated Rancho Buena Vista 56-49 in the CIF San Diego Section Division II semifinals. Andre Petties-Wilson led the way catching the ball as he caught 11 passes for 307 yards and two scores.
Josh Allen (Firebaugh)
Senior standout had his finest day by passing for three new school records of 442 yards on 34 completions in 51 attempts and four touchdowns in a wild-and-wacky 54-40 win against Immanuel of Reedley in the CIF Central Section Division V playoffs. Teammate receiver Jordan Martinez also had 13 receptions 119 yards and three touchdowns for the game.
Drew Anderson (Miramonte, Orinda)
Passing for 358 yards and six touchdowns, the Matadors picked up a 66-48 win over Northgate of Walnut Creek in the CIF NCS Division II semifinals. His brother Ryan was on the receiving end for three of his six touchdown tosses.
Jake Browning (Folsom)
Completing 35 of his 47 pass attempts for 332 yards and six touchdowns, he broke the state record for touchdown passes in a season during the Bulldogs’ 49-16 win over Franklin of Elk Grove in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinals. He has now passed for 68 touchdowns this season. The previous state record of 65 was set in 1999 by Robert De La Cruz from Cathedral of Los Angeles.
Anthony McBride (Piedmont Hills, San Jose)
This QB has been in a number of shootout-style games this season and was in another one last week against Salinas in the CCS D1 playoffs. Leading the Pirates to a 60-38 win, McBride passed for 307 yards and five touchdowns.
RUSHING
Edgar Segura (Mendota)
According to CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett, Segura now has 129 career touchdowns and is now just eight short of the state record. He set a new school record by rushing for 380 yards on 34 carries, and also tied his own school record of seven touchdowns on runs of 19, 32, 14, 6, 25, 63, 41 yards as Mendota ran past Shafter 52-12 in the Central Section Division V playoffs. Segura also has scored 49 touchdowns for the season, needing just six to surpass Kenny James of Dos Palos in 2000 with 54 for a new section record. He also needs 319 yards rushing to pass Dominique Dorsey of Tulare for the section career yardage mark of 7,761.
Khalil Montgomery (Immanuel, Reedley)
The senior running back set a school record by scoring six touchdowns (runs of 64, 78, 2, 12, 65, 68 yards) and blazed away for 394 yards on 32 carries but it wasn’t enough as Immanuel lost to pass-crazy Firebaugh 54-40 in the CIF Central Section Division V playoffs.
Eric Haynes (Northgate, Walnut Creek)
With a trip to the CIF NCS Division II semifinals on the line, he had a huge game as he rushed for 372 yards and five touchdowns but the Broncos’ season came to an end with a 66-48 loss to Miramonte of Orinda.
Patrick Laird of Mission Prep leaps through a hole during game vs. Immanuel of Reedley. Photo: Ian Billings Photography (courtesy of school).
Patrick Laird (Mission Prep, San Luis Obispo)
A previous SoCal Player of the Week, Laird lugged the leather 37 times for 313 yards and five total touchdowns to lead a 41-14 victory over St. Genevieve of Panorama City in the CIFSS Northeast Division quarterfinals.
Connor Wingenroth (Hart, Newhall)
In a rare big-time rushing effort from a team more well-known for throwing, Wingenroth rushed for 285 yards on 20 carries to lift the Indians to a 33-12 victory over Palos Verdes in the CIFSS Northern Division quarterfinals. Wingenroth’s performance helped Hart avenge last year’s loss to PV in the quarterfinals.
Squally Canada (Milpitas)
A two-way standout for the Trojans and a D1 college prospect, Squally squelched the CCS D1 playoff hopes of Cupertino Homestead as he rushed for 276 yards on 21 carries and scored five touchdowns.
Justin Santos (Chatsworth)
He racked up 271 yards on 38 lugs with two touchdowns as the Chancellors toppled No. 4 seed Sylmar 47-20 in the L.A. City Division II quarterfinals.
Ian Broom (Pleasant Grove, Elk Grove)
In a game that was covered in person by Cal-Hi Sports, Broom carried the ball 42 times for 241 yards and three touchdowns during a 42-28 win over Stagg of Stockton in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinals. QB Dre Terrell also had an impressive game as he ran for two touchdowns while intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble playing on defense.
Marcel Brown (Rio Linda)
Handed the ball 28 times, Marcel the Marvel ran for 233 yards and three touchdowns during a 31-21 win over Vacaville in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II quarterfinals. He continues to rank as one of the top junior running backs in Northern California.
D.J. Jones (Poly, Sun Valley)
He rushed for 232 yards and hit paydirt three times to lead the Parrots to a 54-18 victory over Santee of Los Angeles in the L.A. City Division III quarterfinals.
Royce Freeman (Imperial)
Leading the Tigers’ comeback from a 35-21 halftime deficit, he ran for 225 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries in their 49-42 win over El Capitan of Lakeside in the CIF San Diego Section Division II playoffs. Chris Carter also had a big night running for Imperial as he carried the ball for 204 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.
Jonathon Dixon (Paradise)
We will get to see him in person this weekend against Enterprise of Redding after he ran for 219 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries to lead the Bobcats past Chico 45-12 in the semifinals of the CIF Northern Section Division I playoffs.
Elijah Preston (St. Augustine, San Diego)
A candidate for State Sophomore of the Year, the dazzling running back had 215 yards rushing on just 14 carries and scored twice to lead the Saints past West Hills of Santee 41-7 in the CIF San Diego Section Division II quarterfinals.
Lavelle Thompson (South Gate)
He broke the school’s single-season rushing record, but more importantly the Rams got the win, upsetting No. 3 seed Eagle Rock 30-7 in the L.A. City Division II quarterfinals. The Rams pounded Eagle Rock on the ground, as Thompson rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries while Alexander Flatos added 148 yards on the ground, two touchdowns and an interception on defense. Thompson now has 2,061 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 164 carries. His rushing mark broke the school record set in 1988 by Ivan Wilson (1,979). Thompson would love to do what Wilson did that season — led the Rams to a city section title.
RECEIVING
Demario Richard (Palmdale)
This three-year standout has been listed as a rusher many times, but gets into the state record book for being on the receiving end of a 99-yard touchdown pass from QB Nathaniel Myles in Palmdale’s CIFSS playoff game last week against West of Torrance. Unfortunately for Richard, his career and Palmdale’s season ended in a 17-14 loss.
ALL-PURPOSE
Cristian Solano (San Fernando)
In the Tigers’ 42-0 win over Bell in the L.A. City Division II quarterfinals, Solano passed for 144 yards and a score while adding 149 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. So far this season, Solano (who recently received his first scholarship offer from Nevada) has 3,556 yards passing with 42 touchdowns and 1,226 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns for an undefeated club hoping for a shot at a CIF SoCal Division II bow berth.
Rashaad Penny (Norwalk)
He continued his stellar senior campaign by scoring all three touchdowns in Norwalk’s 19-7 win over Dominguez of Compton to advance to play Muir of Pasadena in the CIFSS Southeast Division semifinals. He rushed for 134 yards and caught 134 yards worth of passes. So far this season, Penny has rushed for 2,059 yards, has 18 receptions for 578 yards and scored 44 touchdowns.
Lars Nootbaar (El Segundo)
He passed for 261 yards and three touchdowns and added 77 yards rushing to lead Gundo to a 45-31 victory over Carpinteria in the CIFSS Northwest Division quarterfinals. Nootbaar was an all-state underclass choice last spring in baseball.
Donovan Lee (Chaminade, West Hills)
Showing why he’s among those that are in the running for Mr. Football State Player of the Year he carried the ball 19 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns while also intercepting a pass and returning it for six points as the Eagles defeated Ventura 36-3 in the CIFSS Western Division quarterfinals.
Chris Guillen (Christian Brothers, Sacramento)
Not only did he lead the Falcons to an upset win over American Canyon but he will go into our Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book as he connected with Brandon Thompson for a 99-yard touchdown pass. He had a total of three passing touchdowns and also ran for one touchdown in the 30-27 win.
Adarius Pickett (El Cerrito)
UCLA-bound player rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries while catching four passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-2 win over Novato in the CIF NCS Division III semifinals. In addition, Pickett played well on defense.
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
