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.

FB: Top 10 Rankings Update

By Mark Tennis | Published September 19, 2016

It’s De La Salle now out of the top five after its loss to Utah powerhouse but the Spartans still have to be No. 1 in Northern California. Mission Viejo inches up to fourth, Narbonne up to fifth.

For this week’s brand new SportStars Northern California Top 20, CLICK HERE.

NOTE: Our updated State Top 25 with list of many other teams on the bubble will be posted each week but will require Gold Club membership to see. Our breakdowns and analysis of what’s coming up and what’s already happened can’t be matched anywhere else because we’ve been following the statewide scene years and years longer than any other media source. For sign up info, CLICK HERE.

(After games of Saturday, Sept. 17)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1. (1) Centennial (Corona) 3-1
Tanner McKee threw for TDs on three of his first seven throws as the Huskies beat Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks 48-24. They can’t sleep on 3-0 Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) this week, which may be No. 2 team in that state.

College scouts with an eye for talent seem to really like Cathedral Catholic's Jordan Genmark-Heath. Photo: Twitter.com.

College scouts with an eye for talent seem to really like Cathedral Catholic’s Jordan Genmark-Heath. Photo: Twitter.com.


2. (2) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 3-1
We may get a pretty good idea of the difference this year between NorCal and SoCal when the Braves host No. 7 St. Mary’s of Stockton at Whittier College on Friday.

3. (3) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 4-0
It looked like the Monarchs were going to beat Upland 90-0 on Friday night but they took the foot off the gas and won 62-7. They could have won 100-0 and Upland isn’t that bad, but still have to play and beat Bosco (six straight losses) before being higher-ranked in the Cal-Hi Sports system.

4. (5) Mission Viejo 4-0
After the Diablos’ 42-14 dismantling of previous No. 19 Long Beach Poly, they look closer to being at the Centennial-Bosco-Mater Dei level than any other team so far. They’re also now a solid bet to go 10-0 for the regular season.

5. (6) Narbonne (Harbor City) 3-0
Despite not playing (bye week), the Gauchos have done enough to be placed in front of De La Salle. Their wins over Serra of Gardena, Long Beach Poly and Palos Verdes are all quality wins and two of those teams were state-ranked at the time.

6. (4) De La Salle (Concord) 3-1
It’s pretty easy to drop the Spartans to this spot. Previous No. 7 and No. 8 both lost as well, the next teams in line are from NorCal and there’s just no way we’ll rank a NorCal team higher since DLS hasn’t lost to a NorCal team since 1991. (Note: That’s NorCal not including Central Section.)

7. (9) St. Mary’s (Stockton) 4-0
Some NorCal rankings have Del Oro higher, but we always knew the Rams were going to play St. John Bosco in their fifth game. A huge test obviously, but they don’t have to win to make a point.

8. (10) Del Oro (Loomis) 4-0
Well, the shocker preventing a Del Oro-Folsom showdown being the top two teams in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section was previous No. 7 Folsom losing to Sacramento.

9. (11) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 3-1
It gets tricky here since the Lions barely beat Alemany, struggled against Paraclete and lost big to nationally ranked team from Pennsylvania. They still have that win over Chaminade, though, and Chaminade is climbing.

10. (13) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 4-0
Instead of Chaminade going up to 10th, we put the Eagles 11th and moved up the Dons, who knocked off a Helix of La Mesa team that was No. 14 and Helix has a solid win vs. Clayton Valley of Concord.

FB: Sac-Joaquin Section Top 25 (2)

By Mark Tennis | Published September 19, 2016

So where or where does Sac High jump after its huge upset of No. 1 Folsom? Not as high as Grant because it has Elk Grove coming up. Higher than Rocklin? Since the Thunder just beat a very good Clovis West of Fresno and lost by just one point to Grant and also will be playing Del Oro and Folsom in league, we placed the Dragons right behind them.

Anyone wishing to see writeups and breakdowns of the top teams in the state, sign up for our Gold Club membership. For details, CLICK HERE.
Read more…

Two QBs get 9 TDs same night

By Mark Tennis | Published September 18, 2016

Quinn Commans of Whittier Christian and Robbie Blosser of L.A. Salesian both tie the CIF Southern Section record for most TD passes in one game on the same night. They’re also going into the state record book one spot behind record total of 10.

RELATED: State Record Updates Column on best all-time team winning totals

If you are a Gold Club member, you can see updated list of single-game state passing records (more than 100 names). For link to the list, CLICK HERE. For sign up info to become Gold Club member, CLICK HERE.

It’s doubtful that quarterbacks Quinn Commans from Whittier Christian of La Habra and Robbie Blosser from Salesian of Los Angeles have ever met, but they’re now joined in history after each passed for nine touchdowns on the same evening.

L.A. Salesian's Robbie Blosser was one of two QBs who had nine TD passes in game last Friday. Photo: Hudl.com.

L.A. Salesian’s Robbie Blosser was one of two QBs who had nine TD passes in game last Friday. Photo: Hudl.com.


We assume Blosser threw for his nine TDs first since it was a running clock in the second half of his team’s 71-0 win over Huntington Park. Commans passed for his nine TDs in a much different contest as Bell kept scoring as well in what ended up a 68-55 win for the Heralds.

The duo tied the CIF Southern Section record of nine first set in 1998 by Robert De La Cruz of L.A. Cathedral and then tied the next season also by De La Cruz. They were one short of the Cal-Hi Sports state record of 10 first set in 1999 by David Koral from Palisades (Pacific Palisades) and tied in 2012 by Jake Browning of Folsom. When Browning did it, he was a sophomore and it was his first start.

The Commans-Blosser performances are reminiscent of the first time anyone ever threw for eight TDs in state history. That was in 1982 when both John Paye from Menlo School (Atherton) and Mike Smith (Los Altos, Hacienda Heights) passed for eight TDs on the same night. At the time, newspapers in Northern California reported Paye as setting the new state record while in Southern California they all reported that Smith had set the new state record. It took until the next day when Cal-Hi Sports cleared it up. Yes, we have been compiling state records for that long.

In his performance against Bell, Commans completed 27 of 39 passes for 490 yards and the nine TDs. He hit on three of his scores to Cade McGee, who caught 10 passes for 211 yards. The Heralds’ MaxPreps page was screwed up (showing a 55-0 loss) but it does look like they also had 698 yards of total offense in the game as well.

Salesian’s big numbers may have been an unconscious effort to deflect some attention away from arch-rival Cathedral beating Loyola of Los Angeles for the first time since 1961. Blosser wasn’t still throwing much with the big lead (his halftime totals are still not available), but still ended with 18 completions in 20 attempts for 319 yards. He connected with Ajani Johnson for three of his TDs and passed to three other players twice for scores.

Sac-Joaquin Top 5: Best RBs

By Mark Tennis | Published September 16, 2016

Last week on the latest FOX 40 Final Quarter high school football show of the 2016 season, hosts Jim Crandell and Kristina Werner revealed a list of the top five running backs from CIF Sac-Joaquin Section schools, according to CalHiSports.com. Read more…

S.F. Bay Area Top 25 Football (3)

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published September 15, 2016

Here are rankings done by longtime Bay Area analyst Harold Abend and done for use on Antioch High football game broadcasts. We’ll run these lists with a short intro on our blog. Anyone wishing to see writeups and breakdowns of the top teams in the state, sign up for our Gold Club membership. For details, CLICK HERE.
Read more…

FB: Sac-Joaquin Section Top 25 (1)

By Mark Tennis | Published September 15, 2016

Since the great Joe Davidson of the Sac Bee doesn’t seem to be doing a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section rankings package this year for MaxPreps and we’re physically located within the confines of the SJS in Stockton, we thought this week, “Why not?” Anyone wishing to see writeups and breakdowns of the top teams in the state, sign up for our Gold Club membership. For details, CLICK HERE.
Read more…

FB: Top 10 Rankings Update

By Mark Tennis | Published September 12, 2016

The order at the top is reshuffled following De La Salle’s 28-27 win over Servite of Anaheim. It’s now Centennial at No. 1 with St. John Bosco at No. 2, Mater Dei at No. 3 and DLS falling to fourth.
For this week’s brand new SportStars Northern California Top 20, CLICK HERE.

Read more…

FB: California among top WR states

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published September 9, 2016

Wide receiver is a very curious position when you look at it from the perspective of three particularly dominant states, especially with regards to their ability to generate the sort of NFL-caliber talent that influences betting lines.

Of the 200 wide receivers in the NFL rosters last year, 32 played football at high schools in Florida, 26 in California and 19 in Texas, altogether constituting an estimated 38.5 percent of all receivers in the NFL.

DeSean Jackson cover: Student Sports

DeSean Jackson cover of Student Sports Magazine (2005)


When you look at the position of wide receiver, it becomes that much easier to see the concentration of football talent in those three states. If you study the figures, you will realize that a notable 33 percent of all the players on NFL rosters last year hailed from Florida, California and Texas high schools.

Overall, the South seems to dominate when you look at the wide receiver talent, at least with regards to college level football. There is a noticeable tilt towards the south and California, with Florida and Clemson leading the way on the NFL rosters last year (with five players).

Besides these areas, Alabama, Louisiana State, Washington, Georgia Tech, Ohio State and Louisville are not too far behind. Both Marvin Jones Jr. (new Lions’ receiver from Redlands East Valley High) and Jeremy Ross (Jets’ receiver and punt returner) went to Cal where they played football.

The rising star in San Diego is Keenan Allen, who also attended Cal, along with DeSean Jackson, now on the Redskins’ roster and also from Long Beach Poly.

If you want to understand the wide receiver position a little better, then there is no better person to talk to than Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck. He was a receiver at Northern Illinois. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers back in 2005.

Considering his relatively shaky start, going 1-11 in his first year in 2013, Fleck eventually helped lead Western to consecutive 8-5 seasons. Fleck’s understanding of the wide receiver position is such that Northern Illinois chose to hire him as a receivers coach.

Before starting his job as head coach at WMU, Fleck also had the opportunity to work with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a receivers coach. Fleck will be the first to accept that the warm-weather states typically deliver the best receiver talent. However, Fleck also thinks that those people who make it to the pros are distinguished from those that fail by their willingness to do the work necessary to reach their goals.

According to Fleck, everyone wants to be coached, and each coach’s approach will vary depending on the person they are coaching. Educators are responsible for finding ways to coach distinct students with unique gifts, and Fleck’s time in Tampa Bay (2012) proved as much.

Fleck met Vincent Jackson, a player who was the same age as him while he was in Tampa. This was Fleck as a first-year wide receiver trying to add value to Vincent Jackson who had been in the Pro Bowl for several years.

Jackson’s words for Fleck were straightforward. He would give Fleck a few weeks, and during that time, if Fleck proved that he could help him, Jackson would listen.

Fleck sought to understand Jackson, whose goals were to start in the Pro Bowl. And Fleck promised to help him achieve that very goal. With 72 catches for 1,384 yards that season, Jackson led the NFL with a 19.2 yards per catch average.

Sac-Joaquin Top 5: Best QBs

By Mark Tennis | Published September 9, 2016

Last week on the second FOX 40 Final Quarter high school football show of the 2016 season, hosts Jim Crandell and Kristina Werner revealed a list of the top five quarterbacks from CIF Sac-Joaquin Section schools, according to CalHiSports.com. Read more…

S.F. Bay Area Top 25 Football (2)

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published September 8, 2016

Here are rankings done by longtime Bay Area analyst Harold Abend and done for use on Antioch High football game broadcasts. We’ll run these lists with a short intro on our blog. Anyone wishing to see writeups and breakdowns of the top teams in the Bay Area and in the state, sign up for our Gold Club membership. For details, CLICK HERE.

With St. Francis of Mountain View posting an 8-7 squeaker win over a Salinas Palma team that was dominated in week one by Sutter of the CIF Northern Section, the Lancers get a sort de facto move up to coincide with the state rankings, but the top team from the CIF Central Coast Section will need to show more offense in West Catholic Athletic League action. The state rankings didn’t favor them but the team that makes a solid move up is a Pittsburg team that stays behind Monte Vista after a second straight offensive explosive effort in a rout of Union City James Logan that followed a blowout of Archbishop Mitty of San Jose.

The bad news for our friends in Antioch is for this week’s broadcast of their home game against San Leandro they will have to live with the fact their boys have had to take a bit of a tumble. The good news is the season is young and they have some great matchups coming, including a September 23 date in Sparta with De La Salle.

As for the Najee Harris watch, the Antioch star was swarmed by the Milpitas defense but still had 207 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground, but the Panthers’ defense could not slow down Milpitas in a 49-28 road loss, their first regular-season loss since 2014. The Trojans made Harris work for his yards as his 6.3 yard per carry average on 33 rushes was his lowest since a 2014 quarterfinal loss to Foothill. Harris now has 426 yards and five touchdowns, two TDs receiving, and six 2-point conversions. He also has a pass interception on defense.

There are three newcomers this week with McClymonds (Oakland) the highest ranked after a huge win over Moreau Catholic of Hayward.

Sophomore QB Kaun Green had a breakout game coming off the bench after an injury in McClymonds' win over Moreau Catholic. Photo: Willie Eashman.

Sophomore QB Kaun Green had a breakout game coming off the bench after an injury in McClymonds’ win over Moreau Catholic. Photo: Willie Eashman.


(Previous ranking in parentheses)
(After games of Saturday, Sept. 3)

1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 2-0

2. (4) St. Francis (Mountain View) 2-0

3. (5) Monte Vista (Danville) 1-0

4. (8) Bellarmine-San Jose 2-0

5. (6) Pittsburg 2-0

6. (2) Clayton Valley (Concord) 1-1

7. (9) Valley Christian (San Jose) 2-0

8. (7) Serra (San Mateo) 0-2

9. (12) Milpitas 1-0

10. (3) Antioch 1-1

11. (10) California (San Ramon) 2-0

12. (11) Freedom (Oakley) 2-0

13. (14) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 1-1

14. (16) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 1-1

15. (20) Analy (Sebastopol) 2-0

16. (18) Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 1-0

17. (NR) McClymonds (Oakland) 2-0

18. (22) San Benito (Hollister) 2-0

19. (15) Oak Grove (San Jose) 0-1

20. (NR) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 1-1

21. (23) Campolindo (Moraga) 1-1

22. (25) Granada (Livermore) 2-0

23. (19) Los Gatos 1-1

24. (NR) Miramonte (Orinda) 2-0

25. (24) Aptos 1-1

Dropped out: Previous No. 13 San Leandro, No. 17 Foothill (Pleasanton), No. 21 Moreau Catholic (Hayward), No. 24 Aptos

On the Bubble
Acalanes (Lafayette) 2-0, Aragon (San Mateo) 2-0, Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) 1-1, Burlingame 1-1, Carmel 2-0, Concord 1-1, Foothill (Pleasanton) 0-2, Half Moon Bay 2-0, Heritage (Brentwood) 2-0, Hillsdale (San Mateo) 2-0, Justin-Siena (Napa) 1-1, Kennedy (Fremont) 2-0, Leigh (San Jose) 2-0, Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) 0-2, Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville) 2-0, Moreau Catholic (Hayward) 1-1, Palma (Salinas) 0-2, Palo Alto 1-1, Piedmont 2-0, Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 0-1, Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 1-1, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 0-2, Salinas 1-1, San Leandro 1-1, San Ramon Valley (Danville) 1-0, St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 1-1, Wilcox (Santa Clara) 0-2.

Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend

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