Congratulations to the following baseball & softball players (either sophomores or freshmen from the most recent spring season) who have been added as additional all-state honorees. We do this because there is no all-state sophomore or freshmen teams and it’s hard for very many sophomores and freshmen to get spots on the all-state underclass teams (which includes juniors). We consider the following group to be all-state for their year in school.
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Cal-Hi Sports Insider Blog
Quick-hitting, behind-the-scenes news and notes from the CalHiSports.com staff, including previews of upcoming content and events.
All-State Baseball/Softball Patch Lists
Brook Lopez & FIBA World Cup
The sharpshooting 7-footer from the Milwaukee Bucks and graduate from Fresno’s San Joaquin Memorial High will be the only Californian on the USA senior men’s national team that will try to win its third straight FIBA world title. The event starts Sunday in China. Wagering on the games should be strong but NBA betting online is always fun. Go inside as well to see the names of the only two players from California high schools who’ve been all-tourney at the FIBA World Cup event.
When people ask what a high school team might look like with three future NBA players on the floor, the first thoughts of many around the state are of Fresno’s San Joaquin Memorial High from 2004 to 2006. That’s when the Panthers had brothers Brook and Robin Lopez on the inside and they had a forward, Quincy Pondexter, who was able to operate on the wings at a height of 6-foot-7.
Robin Lopez (42) and twin brother Brook (11) both starred at Stanford are in the midst of long NBA careers. Photo: Wikipedia.com.
All three would indeed go on to star in college — the Lopez brothers at Stanford and Pondexter at Washington — and all three have had fairly long NBA careers. Brook Lopez has been the best and hopes to add another accomplishment to his resume in September when he will be on the USA men’s national team at the FIBA World Cup to be played in China.
Brook and the USA squad play its first game on Sunday, Sept. 1, against the Czech Republic. The Americans will have additional Group E contests against Turkey and Japan and assuming they go 3-0 would then start the knockout round of 16. The US squad, with head coach Gregg Popovich and Palisades of Pacific Palisades grad Steve Kerr as one of the assistants, has won the last two FIBA World Cups in 2014 and 2010, but with just about all of the top-level NBA superstars not on the roster (instead resting for the upcoming NBA season) it’s certainly no guarantee of a three-peat. The USA just had a 78-game win streak in international regulation and exhibition games end with a loss to Australia. Many NBA superstars from other countries, like Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece, also are playing for their national teams.
Lopez, his brother and Pondexter amazingly never got to a CIF state championship game even though the Panthers were in Division IV those years. They didn’t have a point guard and as juniors they ran into unbeaten Campbell Hall of North Hollywood (which had freshman Jrue Holiday, junior Justin Holiday and others) and then as seniors they fell in the Southern California final to Horizon of San Diego. Horizon also had a future NBA player on its roster in 6-foot-10 sophomore center Jeff Withy. The brothers tended to cancel each other out for honors, which let Pondexter get more points. All three did receive all-state selections.
Lopez has averaged 17.3 ppg in his pro career with his most explosive years as a member of the New Jersey/then later Brooklyn Nets. He averaged 12.5 points with 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists playing the Antetokounpo and the Milwaukee Bucks last season. He’ll be with the Bucks once again for the 2019-20 season.
There have been just two from California high schools who have earned all-tourney honors at the FIBA World Cup, which began in 1950. The first one was in that first year as John Stanich from Sacramento High was one of the top US players. John actually later played at UCLA with younger brother George on one of the first teams coached at UCLA by the legendary John Wooden. The Bruins and California landed another on the All-FIBA World Cup team in 1994 when one of the top players for the victorious USA team was Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers. Reggie is from Poly High in Riverside and of course is one of the all-time best players from the state. It’s unfortunate that his sister, Cheryl, never got to be in a FIBA World Cup for women because that event has only been going on since 1994.
FB: Where we’re going first few weeks
No, this isn’t a list of the biggest games during the first few weeks of the 2019 high school football season in the state. We go over all of those in the weekly rankings. This is a look at those games in which we’ll be attending for Cal-Hi Sports.
Where we go (or more specifically myself sometimes with a photographer, sometimes not) is always a hard choice. We have to consider travel costs, if it’s a game between two teams from different CIF sections, whether it’s a game that can be partnered with another game or if it’s a game that can be matched with a trip for a family or personal reason. We also look at the impact a game might have on the state rankings (both overall at the top with the big dogs and then later for possible CIF bowl matchups). We don’t go to very many of the much-hyped matchups that would impact national rankings because on those nights we’d rather be covering two California teams against each other.
For the first few weeks of this season, here’s where you might find an old dude with glasses wearing a black polo shirt with the CalHiSports.com logo on the front:
Mater Dei’s defense collects a sack during game last season against Corona Centennial. Photo: @MDFootball / Twitter.com.
Friday, Aug. 23 — Centennial (Corona) at Mater Dei (Santa Ana). This one could set the tone for the rest of the season. If the Monarchs, ranked No. 1 in the state and going for a third straight CIF Open Division state title, win comfortably over the Huskies (ranked fourth in the state and the last public school to be State Team of the Year back in 2008) then we’re probably in for the third straight season of Mater Dei and St. John Bosco rolling over everyone in Southern California (other than when playing each other) with the winner of the CIF Southern Section Division I title (doesn’t matter which one) then being a big favorite probably over De La Salle of Concord once again for the state title. If Centennial gets close or wins, then obviously that will be a big development from a competitive equity standpoint. Unless Bosco turns out to be much better than either one. It also was attractive to hit this game on the opening weekend because of a second game (see below) that could be seen the next night on the way back to our NorCal home base in Stockton. Finally, we just haven’t seen Centennial in a couple of years and that’s too long.
Saturday, Aug. 24 — Narbonne (Harbor City) at Buchanan (Clovis). What did we say about intersectional matchups? You can’t get better than the preseason No. 1 from the L.A. City Section — Narbonne — playing at the preseason No. 1 (at least according to our rankings) from the Central Section — Buchanan. We also have visiting Gauchos at No. 5 in the state to start with the host Bears at No. 12. Narbonne is a team loaded on defense and in the skill positions with D1 college prospects similar to Mater Dei or St. John Bosco. There is an L.A. Unified investigation hanging overhead, though, and it’ll be interesting to see up close who’s playing, who’s not, and how it all might effect the players. Buchanan will counter with a great home crowd and perhaps the No. 1 running back in the nation, Kendall Milton, who has committed to Georgia. That Narbonne defense isn’t going to let Kendall do that much, so the key to the game will be if Buchanan’s other players can come up with something.
Friday, Aug. 30 — Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) at St. Francis (Mountain View). For this day, another intersectional matchup caught our attention. We weren’t going to go to SoCal two weeks in a row, but one of the top SoCal teams (Corona del Mar of Newport Beach) is coming up to the Bay Area on this night to play at St. Francis. Corona del Mar has some record-breaking players that would be great to see in person, especially receiver John Humphreys and quarterback Ethan Garbers. St. Francis has some major rebuilding to do after last year but does still have some physical beasts up front (preseason all-state Mose Vavao among them) and could have success against CdM by just pounding it all night with a ball control attack. Humphreys is going to college at Stanford (known for the Tree) so he better check out the one at St. Francis’ home field because he’ll never play in front of one like that again.
Saturday, Aug. 31 — Pittsburg at Serra (San Mateo). This is one is still a maybe because Pitt is playing on Friday of this week at St. Mary’s of Stockton. The Pirates have a lot of holes to fill while St. Mary’s has a lot of returning talent. Still, Pitt won 48-7 when these two played last year. If Pitt wins, we’d clearly be going to Serra the next day after St. Francis vs. Corona del Mar (and would likely book a room near St. Francis). But if Pitt loses, it’s possible we might skip the overnight stay and trip.
Friday, Sept. 6 — Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) at Placer (Auburn). We knew the highlight of this weekend was going to be the three games played on Saturday at James Logan High in Union City as part of the annual Honor Bowl. Anyone who likes high school football at all should go to the Honor Bowl at least once. You’ll get a lump in your throat at some point (or more) guaranteed. The problem was where to go the night before. Another overnight trip wasn’t going to be in the cards so we had to search a bit. The one we settled on was the Cardinals at the Hillmen. Two of the top teams from what we’d call “medium schools” in Northern California. Always love to see what Newman head coach Paul Cronin has cooked up when he has a dual-threat QB like Jackson Pavitt. Placer will counter with a big, strong offensive line plus 6-foot-3, 230-pound running back Hans Grassman. Want to see Hans and where he might play at next level.
Saturday, Sept. 7 — Three games at the Honor Bowl (James Logan High, Union City). The tripleheader begins at 12 noon with Campolindo (Moraga) vs. Amador Valley (Pleasanton). The next game will be the host Colts playing Heritage (Brentwood). The capper also is the big one. Preseason state No. 14 Liberty (Brentwood) meeting a Clayton Valley (Concord) squad that is always among the best in the East Bay. The Ugly Eagles can really be great with a top running back and they have one in Mehki Gervais.
Friday, Sept. 13 — De La Salle (Concord) at Folsom. It’s not going to matter what happens when the Spartans host St. Thomas Aquinas of Florida in first game. This is still perhaps the best chance of the team’s legendary unbeaten streak against teams north of Fresno (some call that NorCal, but we don’t) to come to an end this season. This also makes it possible for us to see No. 1, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 8, No. 12 and No. 14 in the first few weeks of the season. No. 2 St. John Bosco will have to be missed until we think about going down to the first its two likely games vs. Mater Dei.
Friday, Sept. 27 — De La Salle (Concord) at St. Mary’s (Stockton). Notice that we don’t have any other games listed after the 13th. That’s because we have a pending closure of our Stockton office space that is supposed to be completed on the 14th. Don’t worry, we’re fine. Other issues have caused this decision and as just about any free-lance journalists will tell you working at home or remotely can be fun. We are listing DLS at St. Mary’s, though, because we always take advantage of the Spartans basically playing down the street. By seeing DLS at Folsom and at St. Mary’s, this also means we almost for sure won’t be going to a game this season at Owen Owens Field in Concord.
Enjoy the first weekend, everyone.
Top 5 Football Coaching Changes
Here’s a quick look at the most significant coaching changes in California high school football since the end of the 2018 season, ranked in order.
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Top tips for MLB betting
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the professional baseball league that many fans of the sport fervently follow and often even place bets on. If you also wish to learn how to bet on MLB games and bask in a lucrative experience, then you should take a look at the latest SportingPedia’s MLB tips.
When you are new to sports betting, you may not be sure where to begin. This is why the experts of SportingPedia has prepared a list of the things you should consider when you wish to enjoy a successful MLB betting exprience. Keep on reading to learn about all of the key factors that can turn any baseball fan into a professional bettor.
Avoid Betting on Favorites
One of the rookie mistakes that many new bettors tend to make is betting on their favorites. If you base your betting decisions on which is your favorite MLB team is, you might often miss great opportunities. Oddsmakers know which teams are popular among MLB fans and this is why their odds are often overpriced.
If you follow the mass and you place your money on well-known players like the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs and Dodgers, you will usually enjoy a very small payout provided they win. However, if they end up losing, you will suffer quite the loss. In such cases, often the risk is not worth the reward, which is why it is advised to avoid betting on everyone’s favorites. Even if you want to place your money on the team you have always supported, make sure to bet a small amount.
Give Your Attention the Underdogs
The next piece of advice that SportingPedia has for new bettors is to pay attention to the odds on underdogs. This may be a common practice for seasoned players, but many beginners may not be aware of the benefits that come with betting on the team determined as the underdog. One thing that is specific for baseball betting is that this is the sport with the most parity, compared to other sports. This means that your bet on the underdog may end up being very successful.
If you decide to bet on the underdog and that team wins the game, you will revel in quite the generous payouts. Even if the team that is considered to have smaller chances of winning really ends up losing the game, this will cost you only the size of your stake.
Even though favorites win most of the time, this does not compensate for their worse odds which may cost you bigger losses. While betting on the underdog is often a great move in sports betting, it is even more true for MLB betting as the sport has a huge parity. This means that baseball bettors may benefit a lot if they stick to this betting strategy.
Take Into Consideration
Both Player and Team Factors
If you wish to enjoy successful MLB betting from the beginning of your betting endeavors, there are several things to consider. When you are choosing the team to bet on, you should first do some research to help you make the right decision. When you are analyzing the potential winner of an upcoming game, you should pay attention to several player and team factors.
When it comes to the players on a team, there are features such as streaks and slumps, pitching depth, pitching matchups, young roosters vs. old players. These components are important to get a picture of the players in a team and their potential. According to SportingPedia you can base your betting decision on the knowledge of the best player being in a slump or on a winning streak, visit their site to learn more about the player and team factors when betting on MLB. There is an unwritten rule in baseball that strong pitching may beat the best hitting which is where the pitching depth plays an important role. It is also essential to compare whether there are more rookies or veterans in each team as veterans are easier to predict but they can also often feel pressured by the numerous expectations.
Make Use of Different Online Sportsbooks
It is always a great idea to compare the odds that different virtual sportsbooks are offering. As there are numerous online bookmakers, it is always a great idea for MLB bettors to compare the odds and shop for lines. One of the main advantages of online sports betting is the fact that you will be able to find numerous MLB betting markets and place your money on the best odds. In addition to good odds, however, you must make sure that you are about to bet your money at a trustworthy sportsbook.
If you need help to choose the best betting sites rated by experts, you can read the sportsbook reviews that SportingPedia provides. This way, you will have the chance to learn which websites offer the best odds on MLB games. In addition to that, many virtual bookies also offer bonuses and enhanced odds to their members. If you find the best odds online and claim a generous bonus, you might improve your winning chances significantly.
CIF Participation Ticks Up Again
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – High school sports participation continues to increase in California and is at an all-time high for the seventh consecutive year according to the 2018-19 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sports Participation Survey. Up by 0.67% since the previous survey in 2017-18, 814,004 student-athletes are competing in education-based athletic programs in California.
“It’s reassuring to see the overall participation increase in education-based athletics,” states CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti. “Over the past seven years, the 14% increase in girls participating is especially encouraging. As an organization, we must continue to provide new opportunities for all students at our member schools.”
Along with the overall participation increase in high school athletics, there were a few sports that saw noticeable increases across both genders. Of the top 10 sports, soccer saw the largest percentage increase, a combined 3.87% or 3,890 more participants, followed by volleyball with a 3.47% increase or 2,292 more participants and basketball with a 2.18% increase or 1,798 more participants.
Football (11-player) continues to lead the top 10 boys’ sports with 91,305 participant, but it decreased, by 3.16% or 2,981 participants. Track and field (55,335) is the second most popular sport, followed by soccer (54,996), which increased by 3.25%; basketball (48,111), which increased by 1.1% and baseball (44,347) rounding out the top five boys’ sports. Additionally, boys’ volleyball participation increased by 6.89%, as well as boys’ golf, which increased by 3.28%.
Nocetti adds, “As in previous years, we have noticed a steady and continued decrease in football participants. It is imperative that we continue to partner with organizations such as USA Football and their Football Development Model which provides a road map for how we coach, play and learn the game at every level.”
For girls, soccer captured the top spot for the fourth consecutive year with 49,342 participants, which increased participation by 4.56% since 2018. Volleyball claimed the number two spot (45,997), which increased participation by 1.9%, while track and field dropped to third with 45,235 participants. Rounding out the top five girls’ sports were basketball (35,902) and softball (32,233). Additionally, girls’ wrestling participation (6,014) continues to grow, increasing by 13.77%, as well as traditional competitive cheer (10,342), which increased by 12.16%.
The CIF’s 1,606-member schools participated in the survey as part of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) nationwide survey that measures the number of students competing in sports in the country. ‘
Honorable Mention Schools of Year
To go with our annual State Schools of the Year tribute, here are some additional schools that were on our board in the various CIF state divisions and in our own five-division format that we would consider to be honorable mention.
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Mt. Rushmore for Calif prep sports for Class of 2020?
High school sports in California has produced many memorable stars across all fields, including football, baseball, basketball and more. Here are some of the names to watch among the up and coming Class of 2020, a Mt. Rushmore foursome if you will, of contenders in future PA sportsbook promos.
DJ Uiagalelei
As a football player for St John Bosco High School in Bellflower, this young quarterback is renowned as having one of the strongest arms to come up in years, with a throwing reach of over 80 yards. Big but well-proportioned, Uiagalelei also has a natural feel for the game. His touch, accuracy and sense of strategy are all exemplary for one so young, and as an all-round athlete he can run, tackle or dodge just as well as he can throw. And while he’s a definite first round NFL draft pick, Uiagalelei could equally pursue a successful baseball career if he chose to do so.
Justin Flowe
A natural-born linebacker at Upland High School, Flowe stands at 6′ 2″ and weighs in at 225 pounds. Fast, passionate and relentless, he combines a dedicated work ethic with unerring instincts and is also an inspiring leader to those around him. Put simply, Flowe already plays at a higher level than anyone around him, and it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on him.
Evan Mobley
At 6′ 11″, this 18-year-old Rancho Christian High School student literally stands head and shoulders above most of his peers. Mobley won the Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year for California back in March following a 19.2 point season average. Mobley’s older brother Isiah is now one of the country’s top freshmen players to watch at USC, but Evan is still undecided as to his collage choice, although he’s certainly not short of offers.
Jared Jones
Over at La Mirada High School near Whittier, this 6′ 2″ teenager is considered to be one of baseball’s brightest up and coming stars. Equally at home on the mound or at the plate, in 2019 Jones went 7-2 as a pitcher, allowing just eight runs in 69.2 innings, and scored three home runs, 13 doubles and 30 RBIs at bat. He’s fast, strong and determined to be the best. It looks like the whole world is going to have trouble keeping up with this Jones.
These are just a few of the excellent athletes to be continuously covered by Cal-Hi sports right now. When they graduate next year, at least seems destined to leave the state (D.J. to Clemson), though some may choose to stay. But there’s also sure to be another generation coming up fast on their heels.
The Real Costs Of Not Wearing An Ankle Brace
By Louise Jimera
Have you been playing sports for a long time?
Well, me too. I’ve been at it for 13 long years, in fact. I’m fond of team sports the most like Frisbee and soccer but I don’t mind playing solo tennis, though. Although I never really took up any sport professionally, I did play for interschool competitions back when I was a student. Now that I’m a working adult, I still participate in company events and play for leisure every now and then. I guess the “me” that loves breaking a sweat and playing with good friends is always going to be around.
And I want to keep it that way.
However, playing sports isn’t always fun and games. There are times when you have to get really serious too. If you don’t, it can cause you a finger, a limb – or more commonly, an ankle! I’m not kidding. Engaging in physical activities always come with a significant amount of risk. When you’re getting in the zone, it’s easy to get lost in the moment after all. You start playing with no regard for your safety. It is during times like these that you need something else to do the “protecting” for you.
If it’s not obvious enough, I’m talking about gear. If you are going to play rigorously, you should at least make prior arrangements to ensure your safety while you play. I have friends who would say “they don’t need this” and “they don’t need that.” They would insist that they are careful and vigilant enough to keep themselves out of trouble even without protective gear. And guess what happened? They all ended up injured in some way.
Sports injuries happen all the time. They’re normal for anyone who actively plays in the field or in court. It doesn’t matter how hard you train your body. When you reach a certain limit, some parts of you will just voluntarily give up even if you personally didn’t want them too. Training only helps you build resistance; it doesn’t make you invincible.
Unsurprisingly, the most common sports-related injury is ankle sprains (check this out). They can happen to anyone, any day, and in any sport. Heck, you can trip over something and end up with an ankle sprain even if you’re just playing chess! All kidding aside, ankle sprains are so common that I bet every athlete or sportsman in the world has experienced it at least once in their life. I bet you too have had your fair share of ankle injuries, so I hope you don’t take them too likely. If you’re into sports that require heavy training or long hours of play, don’t wait for the unthinkable to happen.
Protect yourself from ankle-related injuries by buying an ankle brace and putting it on whenever you’re out on the play field. If you want to check out which ones are great to buy, maybe this Official Top 5 Review – ankle braces can help!
If you still don’t understand the urgency of wearing such gear, here are the real costs of not wearing ankle braces:
You Can Miss Out On Training
Instead of getting the chance to improve yourself even further, an ankle injury can prevent you from pursuing your training for a significant amount of time. If you’re a dedicated athlete, watching your teammates train hard while you sit on the bench waiting for your injury to heal can be pretty frustrating. But hey, that’s what you get for not taking protective gear seriously. If you don’t want this happening to you then please, wear the braces.
An Ankle Injury Can Cost You A Good Game
What hurts more than missing training is missing the BIG game. As a sportsman, you train hard every day for big games where you get to test just how far you’ve gotten with your training exactly. If you sit out of big games because of a foot injury, I’m pretty sure that it wouldn’t just be your foot swelling but your heart too. Putting on ankle braces for a couple of seconds is nothing compared to missing big games.
Some Ankle Injuries Turn For The Worst
If you’re not careful enough, a simple injury may turn into something worse – and all because you refuse to follow safety protocols. It may seem minor for now, but constant foot injuries can lead to irreversible conditions that may compel you to stop doing sports altogether. I hope that day never comes so always be careful!
Anyway, you should always regard ankle injuries as a serious concern especially when you’re really into sports. Your physical health heavily affects how you perform on the field so it’s always best that you keep yourself in tip-top shape. Aside from being careful, you should also see to it that you wear the right gear whenever you go out to play. And I’m not just talking about your ankle.
If the sport you’re playing has a high risk of injuries, then you should really make prior preparations. Buy something to support not just your ankles but your elbows and knees as well. It is often these areas that get hurt the most when you play for long periods of time. You should also see to it that your body gets enough rest. Training can wait, you know. Everything will be for naught if you’re not careful about your physical health so always make sure that your body is not pushed to its limits – all the time. Save some of that energy for the real games!
All-State Softball: Patch List
For those just interested in seeing the names of players who are on the Gold Club post for this year’s All-State Underclass Team for softball 2019, here is a simple alphabetical list. If you want the full presentation and are not Gold Club, please check out getting a membership today.
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