Based on travel budget and on possible signings of our book “High School Football In California,” which was released this week, we are tentatively planning to go to the following events and games for the early portion of the 2018 California high school football season.
Read more…
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.
We May Be There: Top Early Season FB Games
Polynesian National POY Watch List
Even though the growingly popular Polynesian Bowl all-star game is played in Hawaii and the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame is in Honolulu, California leads the way with 14 players who have been placed on a watch list for the 2018 Polynesian High School Football Player of the Year Award.
Read more…
Building Your Own Tennis Bet Tips
Through major competitions like Wimbledon, The French Open and the ATP World Tour Finals, betting on tennis has become a more desirable activity. It’s also been helped by bookmakers, who’ve looked to provide every possible outcome for their customers to get behind. Fans of the sport are definitely now in their element as they attempt to gain some profit from having a wager on the year’s biggest tennis tournaments.
Read more…
All-State Patch List Update
Patches for every player named to every list of the 2018 All-State Baseball & Softball Teams will be available to order through our partners at BillyTees.com. A certificate to accompany each all-state patch also is part of the package.
Read more…
Site Update: Freelance Help Wanted
We have approximately $500 to $600 per month available for possible freelance or correspondence work at Cal-Hi Sports (CalHiSports.com).
Read more…
DeRozan & Leonard Do SoCal Switch
Photo: express.co.uk
The reactions of basketball fans in Toronto and San Antonio have ranged from shock to resignation to giddiness after the trade earlier this week of DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors to the San Antonio Spurs, who traded their own superstar, Kahwi Leonard, to Toronto.
Officially, the trade that was approved by the NBA sent Leonard along shooting guard Danny Green to Toronto in exchange for the Spurs getting DeRozan along with big man Jakos Poeltl and a top 20 protected 2019 draft pick.
The trade has an immediate effect on the teams’ odds to win the NBA title. For the Raptors, according to a consensus of betting sites, they went from 40 to 1 down to 20 to 1. For the Spurs, they went up from 25 to 1 all the way to 200 to 1. The Spurs, however, do play in the much tougher Western Conference. For the best list of online bookmakers, CLICK HERE.
DeRozan was a four-time NBA All-Star in Toronto and by all accounts wanted to stay north of the border for the duration of his NBA career. Leonard won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, but only played nine games last season due to injury.
Without getting into all the details, Leonard had become dissatisfied with the Spurs, who didn’t want to risk having Leonard leave next summer as a free agent with nothing in return. They found what they thought was a great partner in Toronto, which had the best record in the NBA Eastern Conference last season before once again running into LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.
Both teams could benefit from the deal. For it to work well in Toronto, however, that probably will require Leonard having an outstanding season and then at least considering that he might sign with the Raptors next summer. DeRozan improved as a shooter that last few seasons in Toronto, but his percentages fell off late in 2018. The Spurs are well-known for their tendencies to make good shooters great and average shooters very good.
DeRozan and Leonard both have had difficulties in their youth. DeRozan grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Compton before he became a standout at Compton High. Leonard had to endure the shooting death of his father when he was a junior in high school at a car wash not far from Compton.
As high schoolers, DeRozan was more of a big-time national recruit than Leonard and was a 2008 McDonald’s All-American before he headed to USC. In his senior year at Compton, he averaged 29.2 ppg and was even a 20 point varsity scorer as a freshman. Leonard had mostly mid-major offers, but in his senior year at M.L. King of Riverside he stepped it up so much and was so effective on defense that he eventually became the Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball State Player of the Year. In his senior year at M.L. King, Leonard had averages of 22.6 points, 13.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game.
As NBA draft picks, both have exceeded expectations. DeRozan was the the ninth overall pick in the first round in 2009 by the Raptors. Leonard, who went to college at San Diego State, was the 15th overall in 2011 by the Indiana Pacers and was later traded to the Spurs.
In this golden age of top-flight NBA superstars from California (DeRozan, Leonard, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Damien Lillard, Klay Thompson, etc.), it’s fun to see two of them basically swapped for each other. It is hoped that in the big picture careers of both players that the trade is a win-win for everyone involved.
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.
Read more…
FB: Early Preseason Top 10 Notes
We’ve changed our ticker at the top the site to reflect an early preseason state top 10 for the 2018 football season. These could change when the preseason State Top 50 package is released early next month based on additional transfers and additional information plus reports of what some of the more local preseason rankers are thinking.
1. Mater Dei
At the end of 2018, Bosco’s returning talent looked a lot better and it may still be, but the early season schedule with MD playing Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas on Aug 24 and then IMG Academy in September makes it obvious to start last year’s No. 1 team in the state and nation in the same spot.
Running back George Holani is one of the top returnees at St. John Bosco. Photo: @SportsRecruits/#D1Football.com.
2. St. John Bosco
The Braves don’t play anyone early on close to Bishop Gorman or IMG, but would move to No. 1 if Mater Dei were to lose either of those games. Then the winner of the first MD-Bosco game would be No. 1 and then the winner of the second game (again likely in the CIFSS D1 final) would be No. 1 and likely No. 1 at the end of the CIF Open Division state final.
3. De La Salle
This program’s long reign atop Northern California will be seriously challenged by Folsom when the two meet in a monster season opener on Aug. 17. This year’s team should be better than the last two, but also again probably not that close to either of the big two down south.
4. Folsom
Many will look at the lineup of those coming back for the Bulldogs and will pick them to beat De La Salle. The offense in some areas (receivers, running back) should be even better than they were in 2014 and while QB Kaden Bennett isn’t quite like Jake Browning he’s very, very effective. Still, for Folsom to be ranked ahead of De La Salle, that will require beating De La Salle.
5. Centennial (Corona)
The Huskies may be closer to the next group of top teams in Southern California than they’ve been to MD and Bosco in recent years, but you never know what head coach Matt Logan may come up with. Early schedule is brutal with games vs. Orange Lutheran, Pitt and Narbonne.
6. Lutheran (Orange)
WR Kyle Ford was one of the best players at last week’s The Opening held at the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility. QB Ryan Hilinski and many others also are back. A big early season win at OCC over Centennial could prove a lot.
7. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
This team won the CIFSS D2 title last year, then lost to Helix in CIF D1AA bowl game. Great returning talent, led by DE Kayvon Thibodeaux and RB Zach Charbonnet, but also moving up to CIFSS D1 with MD and Bosco.
8. Narbonne (Harbor City)
Both the Gauchos and Pittsburg, last year’s two CIF D1A state finalists, look loaded but Narbonne won that game and will start out 2018 higher. There’s a lot of graduated talent to replace, but the line is loaded (led by OL Jonah Tauanu’u) and newcomers may fit it nicely at RB and QB.
9. Pittsburg
The Pirates definitely will challenge DLS in the NCS. QB Trey Turner’s return from knee surgery is the key. If it goes well, last year’s QB (Justin Boyd) can go back to WR. DT Jacob Bandes also one of best in nation at his position.
10. Mission Viejo
Summer 7-on-7 stuff doesn’t count for that much, but MV beating Bosco at the Battle of the Beach last weekend shows that new head coach Chad Johnson (former Bosco offensive coordinator) will keep the Diablos near the top of SoCal. It’ll help he has a returning QB and some other solid skill players back.
Other Teams
Central of Fresno was the best in the Central Section last year and should start out on top there again with QB Trent Tompkins among the returnees. It’s more up in the air in San Diego as Helix has a lot to replace but teams with a lot of returning talent (like Madison & Cathedral Catholic) really didn’t do enough last year to be that high in the preseason. In the CCS, St. Francis of Mountain View has RB Darrell Page, DE Josh Pakola and probably best overall group of returnees. Also can never count out the talent at Gardena Serra. In CIFSS, Upland wasn’t moved to D1 from D2 and therefore looks to be a big favorite in that division and also to win a state title (unless it has to play De La Salle).
Tough Week for UCLA, SoCal Hoops
The SoCal basketball community, and UCLA basketball in particular, is reeling after news broke that former Bruins and L.A. Westchester standout Billy Knight was found dead in Phoenix on Sunday morning from an apparent suicide. The news of Knight’s plight hit social media 24 hours later and came four days after former UCLA and Sylmar High all-stater Tyler Honeycutt passed away from self-inflicted gunshot wounds following a standoff with police.
All-State Baseball: Patch List
Patches for every player named to every list of the 2018 All-State Baseball Teams will be available to order through our partners at BillyTees.com. A certificate to accompany each all-state patch also is part of the package.
Read more…
