CAL-HI SPORTS REGIONAL
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Note: All selections by Cal-Hi Sports; All-time lists before 1978 compiled by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis, publisher Mark Tennis and Managing Editor Ronnie Flores based on research. Players from CIF Central Section teams are considered NorCal for the purposes of all our all-time regional lists and various honors.
Cal-Hi Sports NorCal Player of the Year
2023 — Bryson Donelson (Central Valley Christian, Visalia) RB
2022 — Blake Nichelson (Manteca) RB/LB
2021 — Viliami Teu (St. Francis, Mountain View) RB
2020 — Lu-Magia Hearns (De La Salle, Concord) WR-DB-KR*
2019 — Shamar Garrett (De La Salle, Concord) DB-RB
2018 — Henry To’oto’o (De La Salle, Concord) LB-RB
2017 — Kazmeir Allen (Tulare) RB
2016 — Ronnie Rivers (Freedom, Oakley) RB
2015 — Najee Harris (Antioch) RB (Jr.)
2014 — Jake Browning (Folsom) QB
2013 — Asauni Rufus (Bakersfield) QB-RB
2012 — Michael Hutchings (De La Salle, Concord) LB
2011 — Deontay Greenberry (Washington Union, Easton) WR-DB
2010 — Dano Graves (Folsom) QB
2009 — Terron Ward (De La Salle, Concord) RB
2008 — Usua Amanam (Bellarmine Prep, San Jose) RB-DB-KR
2007 — John Boyett (Napa) DB-QB
2006 — Ryan Mathews (West, Bakersfield) RB-QB
2005 — David Ausberry (Lemoore) WR-DE-K
2004 — Marcus Ezeff (Montgomery, Santa Rosa) DB-WR
2003 — LaVelle Hawkins (Edison, Stockton) WR-DB-QB
2002 — Maurice Drew (De La Salle, Concord) RB-LB
2001 — Derek Landri (De La Salle, Concord) OL-DL
2000 — Kevin Simon (De La Salle, Concord) LB-RB
1999 — D.J. Williams (De La Salle, Concord) RB-LB
1998 — D.J. Williams (De La Salle, Concord) RB-LB (Jr.)
1997 — Donte Stallworth (Grant, Sacramento) DB-WR
1996 — Chad Elliott (Grant, Sacramento) QB
1995 — LaCorey Collins (Skyline, Oakland) WR-LB
1994 — Steve Wofford (Bakersfield) RB
1993 — Brad Martin (Clovis West, Fresno) QB-DB
1992 — Patrick Walsh (De La Salle, Concord) RB
1991 — Amani Toomer (De La Salle, Concord) WR
1990 — Jamir Miller (El Cerrito) LB
1989 — Ryan Hancock (Monta Vista, Cupertino) QB
1988 — Brian Brown (Yuba City) WR-DB
1987 — Shawn Wills (Hanford) RB
1986 — Tuan Van Le (De La Salle, Concord) DB-WR-KR
1985 — Troy Taylor (Cordova, Rancho Cordova) QB-RB
1984 — Donald Hair (McClatchy, Sacramento) RB-DB
1983 — Tyreese Knox (Jefferson, Daly City) RB
1982 — John Paye (Menlo School, Atherton) QB
1981 — Kevin Willhite (Cordova, Rancho Cordova) RB
1980 — Jeff Arrillaga (Saratoga) DB-WR-K
1979 — Marty Mohrninweg (Oak Grove, San Jose) QB
1978 — Don Mosebar (Mt. Whitney, Visalia) OL
1977 — Mike Carnell (Mission San Jose, Fremont) RB
1976 — Kyle Stevens (Yerba Buena, San Jose) RB
1975 — Max Venable (Cordova, Rancho Cordova) RB-LB-K
1974 — Dan Farrell (Christian Brothers, Sacramento) WR
1973 — Ray Cardinalli (Monterey) LB-OL-K
1972 — Jim Miller (Leland, San Jose) QB
1971 — Eddie Ayers (Pinole Valley, Pinole) RB
1970 — Craig Kimball (Lowell, San Francisco) QB-K
1969 — Lynn Swann (Serra, San Mateo) WR-QB-K
1968 — Jesse Freitas (Serra, San Mateo) QB
1967 — Calvin Jones (Balboa, San Francisco) RB (Jr.)
1966 — Stan Brown (Salesian, Richmond) RB
1965 — Greg Jones (South San Francisco) RB
1964 — Mark Marquess (Stagg, Stockton) QB-KR
1963 — Tim Rossovich (St. Francis, Mountain View) LB
1962 — Jim LeMoine (Alameda) TE
1961 — Mike Otis (Sequoia, Redwood City) RB-LB
1960 — Kent Nance (Madera) RB
1959 — Rudy Lucero (Woodland) RB
1958 — Daryle Lamonica (Clovis) QB
1957 — Jim Josephson (Bellarmine, San Jose) FB
1956 — Jerry Traynham (Woodland) RB
1955 — Dolph Camilli (Santa Rosa) RB-DB
1954 — Dick Bass (Vallejo) RB
1953 — Dick Bass (Vallejo) RB (Jr.)
1952 — Bill Edelman (Mt. Diablo, Concord) RB
1951 — Bill Jacobs (Shasta, Redding) QB
1950 — Roland Brooks (Watsonville) RB
Cal-Hi Sports SoCal Player of the Year
2023 — Elijah Brown (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) QB
2022 — Roderick Robinson (Lincoln, San Diego) RB
2021 — Tetairoa McMillan (Servite, Anaheim) WR/DB
2020 — Raesjon Davis (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) LB*
2019 — D.J. Uiagalelei (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) QB
2018 — Bru McCoy (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) WR
2017 — JT Daniels (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) QB (Jr.)*
2016 — Wyatt Davis (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) OL
2015 — Oluwole Betiku (Serra, Gardena) DL
2014 — Josh Rosen (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) QB
2013 — Adoree’ Jackson (Serra, Gardena) WR-DB
2012 — Thomas Duarte (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) WR-DE
2011 — Su’a Cravens (Vista Murrieta, Murrieta) LB-RB (Jr.)
2010 — Marqise Lee (Serra, Gardena) DB-WR
2009 — Dillon Baxter (Mission Bay, San Diego) QB-RB
2008 — Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) RB
2007 — Milton Knox (Birmingham, Lake Balboa) RB
2006 — Aaron Corp (Lutheran, Orange) QB
2005 — Toby Gerhart (Norco) RB
2004 — Desean Jackson (Poly, Long Beach) WR-DB-KR
2003 — Sean Norton (Hart, Newhall) QB
2002 — Whitney Lewis (St. Bonaventure, Ventura) WR-RB
2001 — Lorenzo Booker (St. Bonaventure, Ventura) RB
2000 — Tyler Ebell (Ventura) RB
1999 — Matt Grootegoed (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) DB-RB-QB
1998 — Kyle Boller (Hart, Newhall) QB
1997 — DeShaun Foster (Tustin) RB
1996 — Rod Perry (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) WR-DB
1995 — Chris Claiborne (J.W. North, Riverside) RB-LB
1994 — Daylon McCutcheon (Bishop Amat, La Puente) RB-DB
1993 — Keith Smith (Newbury Park) QB
1992 — Travis Kirschke (Esperanza, Anaheim) OL-DL
1991 — Billy Blanton (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) QB
1990 — Napoleon Kaufman (Lompoc) RB
1989 — Napoleon Kaufman (Lompoc) RB (Jr.)
1988 — Tommie Smith (Antelope Valley, Lancaster) RB-DB
1987 — Bret Johnson (El Toro) QB
1986 — Russell White (Crespi, Encino) RB (Soph.)
1985 — Terry Rodgers (Sweetwater, National City) RB-KR
1984 — Aaron Emanuel (Quartz Hill) RB
1983 — Ryan Knight (Rubidoux, Riverside) RB
1982 — Steve Beuerlein (Servite, Anaheim) QB
1981 — Jim Plum (Helix, La Mesa) QB
1980 — Michael Alo (Banning, Wilmington) FB
1979 — Kerwin Bell (Edison, Huntington Beach) RB
1978 — John Elway (Granada Hills) QB
1977 — Marcus Allen (Lincoln, San Diego) QB
1976 — Freeman McNeil (Banning, Wilmington) RB
1975 — Charles White (San Fernando) RB
1974 — Myron White (Santa Ana Valley) RB
1973 — Frank Manumaluena (Banning, Wilmington) LB
1972 — Wally Henry (Lincoln, San Diego) RB
1971 — John Sciarra (Bishop Amat, La Puente) QB
1970 — Pat Haden (Bishop Amat, La Puente) QB
1969 — James McAlister (Blair, Pasadena) RB
1968 — Sam Cunningham (Santa Barbara) FB
1967 — Jerry Powell (Lincoln, San Diego) QB-RB-K
1966 — Mickey Cureton (Centennial, Compton) RB
1965 — Mike Ballou (Los Angeles) DT
1964 — George Buehler (Whittier) LB-OL
1963 — Donald Swartz (Loyola, Los Angeles) OL
1962 — Steve Grady (Loyola, Los Angeles) RB
1961 — Mike Garrett (Roosevelt, Los Angeles) RB
1960 — Jim Murphy (Santa Barbara) LB-OL
1959 — Willie Brown (Poly, Long Beach) RB
1958 — Ezell Singleton (San Diego) QB
1957 — James Bates (Manual Arts, Los Angeles) WR-DB
1956 — Randy Meadows (Downey) RB
1955 — Mickey Flynn (Anaheim) RB (Jr.)
1954 — John Hangartner (Hoover, Glendale) QB
1953 — C.R. Roberts (Oceanside) RB
1952 — Ronnie Knox (Santa Monica) QB
1951 — Marty Keough (Pomona) RB
1950 — Charley Powell (San Diego) TE-DL
*Season played in Spring 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
