What People Are Saying About California’s Prep Sports Leader
Bob Ladouceur
“California high school athletics owes a lot to Cal-Hi Sports. Through their years of chronicling the history of sports in California, they promoted student achievement to the general public. Public awareness and interest took off. Without their outstanding coverage and state ranking system, the CIF state bowl games would probably not be where it is today.”
— Bob Ladouceur, former head football coach, De La Salle (Concord)
“Cal-Hi Sports has been an invaluable resource for all-state teams, compiling of high school records and providing a statewide view of what’s happening in high school sports. When their rankings come out, you know they’ve done a good job evaluating teams. Mark Tennis and Ronnie Flores work extremely hard to cover the prep scene from Northern California to Southern California.”
— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times Prep Sports Editor
“Cal-Hi Sports has been a tremendous resource for our section staff in helping us evaluate the strength of our section compared to other sections in statewide sports. This resource is of great value when I cast my votes regarding the seeding of schools for the state football games and the NorCal Basketball Tournament. The weekly articles that are written by the Cal-Hi staff are also very interesting and valuable resources. We may not always agree with their analysis, but they attempt to provide a sound foundation for their rankings and that is all that we can ask for as a CIF section office.”
— Pete Saco, commissioner, CIF Sac-Joaquin Section
“Mark Tennis and Ronnie Flores do an impeccable job of tracking and documenting the best athletes and teams in California, male and female, in all sports, year-round. Reading their informative and well-written reports, the site is a must for all of those who follow prep sports in California.”
— Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com, U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame member and an original appointee to the McDonald’s Basketball All-American Selection Committee.
“When you talk about the terrific history of high school sports in California – the teams, the coaches, the achievements, records and milestone moments – you start with Cal-Hi Sports. You cannot chronicle the greatness of prep sports across the decades without them. They go hand-in-hand. Under founding father Nelson Tennis and carried forward by his nephew, the tireless and talented Mark Tennis, with the efforts of contributors such as Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens and Ronnie Flores, Cal-Hi Sports is the blood source of information and intrigue with scores of fans and followers. The Cal-Hi crew pours countless time and effort into their work because they’re much like the coaches and teams they cover: they care deeply. The Cal-Hi Sports Record Book and Almanac is the Bible of prep sports in this state. The weekly rankings and all-state teams are comprehensive and respected. Cal-Hi went from a sheet of paper – mailed perhaps by pony route back in the day – to email, to expertly merging into the new frontier of the Internet and social media. All told, Cal-Hi Sports continues to be must-have material.”
— Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 1988-current
“Cal-Hi Sports has been synonymous with California prep sports, record-keeping and rankings for as long as I have been a sports writer, which dates back to 1984. Mark Tennis has upheld the high standards of his uncle and he, along with longtime staffers Ronnie Flores and Harold Abend, are the ultimate source for all things California high school sports. Whenever I need context or opinions or records concerning not only the entire state, but individual section, Mark Tennis is the first person I reach out to and over three decades he without fail offers quick and immediate insight and facts only he can. The Cal-Hi Sports record book is beyond reproach and like Webster’s Dictionary for students or AP Stylebook for a journalist, is a must need resource for any California prep sports writer. Beyond all that, Mark, Ronnie and Harold are just good people and really care about high school sports.”
— Mitch Stephens, California Prep Sports Writer’s Association President, MaxPreps.com senior writer, San Francisco Chronicle prep editor
Guy Anderson
“I go back to Cal-Hi Sports in its infancy and still have some of the old newsletters. I’m amazed at how Cal-Hi Sports has come so far. Mark and Nelson Tennis have done a great job building the state record book. Nelson is greatly missed.”
— Guy Anderson, head baseball coach, Cordova (Rancho Cordova)
“I’m a historian and you got to love the site for that reason. No. 1, Cal-Hi Sports gives an accurate history of California sports. It provides accurate info and the writers are subjective. They don’t buy into peer pressure and state the facts as they come in. I think the writers are extremely knowledgeable and I have the up most respect for them.”
— Derrick Taylor, head basketball coach, St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
“It’s truly great to see Cal-Hi Sports back on the map as a go-to source for high school sports data and information. In high school back in the mid 1990s, myself and teammate Antonio Pierce (former New York Giants Super Bowl Champ) would run to our coach’s office to see the all-state teams, Hot 100 list, and who made the California vs. Texas Shrine Game, but our favorite feature was to check out the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book. My generation needs this site to not only educate the current student-athlete, but to validate who we are and were in the world of high school sports.”
— Michael Fletcher, Nike Football Training Camp Lead Instructor, Former 9-year CFL defensive back and two-time all Pac-10 at Oregon (Paramount HS ’95)
“You have the most comprehensive high school sports record book in the nation. There’s something in it for everyone. What I really like is all of the trivia.”
— Doug Huff, second journalist inducted into National High School Hall of Fame
“I’ve been following Cal-Hi Sports since I was in high school and know they are a great source for all things regarding California high school sports. They have an extensive record book that traces all the great achievements of California athletes and coaches. The main point about Mark, Harold, Ronnie and their staff, is that they love high school athletics and do a great job with stories about players and coaches. The entire Archbishop Mitty community is grateful for all their support!”
— Will Scharrenberg, Director of Athletics, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) High School
