California All-Decade High School Football Team

By Zack Poff Apr 29, 2020, 11:00am

Bryce Young, DJ Uiagalelei, Joe Mixon and Adoree' Jackson lead list of players selected.

Video: California All-Decade Team
A look at the first team selections.

We released the All-Decade High School Football Team earlier this month and now we narrow the focus to the state-level, zoning in on California first.

The Golden State's best includes 14 NFL players and four more selected in the recently completed 2020 Draft.

Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and St. John Bosco led 33 schools represented, each with nine selections. Serra (Gardena) was the only other school with five.



Corona Centennial, De La Salle (Concord) and Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) all had four while Folsom placed three on the squad.

Calabasas, Long Beach Poly (Long Beach), Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) and Westlake (Westlake Village) all had two players selected.

It only includes what players did from the 2010 season until 2019.
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
California All-Decade High School Football Team

First Team Offense

QB — JT Daniels, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2018
Threw for over 12,000 yards and 152 touchdowns despite only playing three seasons. Named the MaxPreps Player of the Year after leading the Monarchs wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country in 2017.

QB — Bryce Young, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2020
Named the Co-Junior Player of the Year and followed that up with Co-National Player of the Year in 2019. Threw for 13,250 yards and accounted for 178 touchdowns. Led Mater Dei to a CIF Open Division championship in 2018.

Led the Braves to a National Championship in 2019 and split the Player of the Year award with Young. Ended his high school career with over 10,000 yards passing and 127 touchdowns.



RB — Najee Harris, Antioch, Class of 2017
Rushed for nearly 8,000 yards and 93 touchdowns from his sophomore to senior season. Was the No. 2 overall recruit in the Class of 2017, according to 247Sports composite rankings.

RB — Joe Mixon, Freedom (Oakley), Class of 2014
The Cincinnati Bengals star running back rushed over 1,100 yards in each of his final three years and accounted for nearly 4,300 yards rushing and 57 touchdowns. He also had 600-plus yards receiving and 10 touchdowns.

RB — Royce Freeman, Imperial, Class of 2014
He had at least 2,000 yards rushing in each of his final three seasons. Freeman owns the San Diego Section rushing record for yards (7,606), touchdowns (111) and career points scored (724).

WR — Amon-Ra St. Brown, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2018
Hauled in 132 receptions for over 2,500 yards and 41 touchdowns in his last two seasons playing against the best competition in the country. He was Daniels' favorite target and the top player in the state according to 247Sports composite rankings from the Class of 2018.

WR — Javon McKinnley, Centennial (Corona), Class of 2016
During his junior season he had 91 receptions for over 1,900 yard and 20 touchdowns. Accounted for nearly 3,600 yards receiving and 38 scores while leading the Inland Empire power to back-to-back Pac 5 Division championships.

WR — Trenton Irwin, Hart (Newhall), Class of 2015
Owns the state record in career receptions (285) and receiving yards (5,268).

TE — Devin Asiasi, De La Salle (Concord), Class of 2016
Played a big-time role for the Spartans on both sides of the ball. Helped the Northern California power to back-to-back CIF Open Division state championships in 2014 and 2015.



OL — Damien Mama, St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Class of 2014
Kept Josh Rosen's jersey clean and created huge holes for Sean McGrew during the Braves perfect season in 2013.

OL — Tommy Brown, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2018
Was the leader for one of the best offensive lines over the last decade.

OL — Wyatt Davis, St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Class of 2017
Played a pivotal role during St. John Bosco's second state title run. The Braves rushed for over 4,200 yards in 2016 and the former 5-star recruit was the main reason why.

OL — Jonah Williams, Folsom, Class of 2016
Made a huge impact for one of the best offenses in the state over the last decade.

OL — Myles Murao, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2020
Lined up against the best competition in the country during the last three years of high school and dominated.

AP — Bru McCoy, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2019
Named the MaxPreps Player of the Year in 2018 after leading the Southern California power to its second consecutive CIF Open Division championship.

A first team selection on the 2014 All-American squad and ended his career with 42 field goals made.

First Team Defense



The former 5-star recruit racked up 54 sacks during his career and was the No. 2 overall player on 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2019.

The top-rated player in the Class of 2017 accounted for 264 tackles and 31.5 sacks.

DL — Boss Tagaloa, De La Salle (Concord), Class of 2016
Tagaloa played a huge role in the Spartans back-to-back Open Division championships in 2014 and 2015. He dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

DL — Eddie Vanderdoes, Placer (Auburn), Class of 2013
The top-rated defensive tackle in his class had 195 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 19 sacks during his final three years of high school.

LB — Justin Flowe, Upland, Class of 2020
The 5-star linebacker finished his career with 434 tackles, 48 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, forced 10 fumbles and blocked four field goals.

LB — Michael Hutchings, De La Salle (Concord), Class of 2013
Led the Spartans to three consecutive CIF Open Division state titles. Racked up 222 tackles and five interceptions during his final three years while going 42-1 during that span.

LB — John Houston, Serra (Gardena), Class of 2015
Recorded 413 tackles during his career. He had at least 125 tackles in each of his last three years and helped lead the Cavaliers to a CIF Division II state championship during his sophomore season.



LB — Henry To'oto'o, De La Salle (Concord), Class of 2019
One of the best players to ever come through the prestigious program. Made an impact on both sides of the ball.

DB — Adoree' Jackson, Serra (Gardena), Class of 2014
The top-rated player in the state from the Class of 2014 was a huge threat on all three phases of the game. Had 17 career interceptions, 105 tackles, over 2,000 total yards, 22 touchdowns and three return scores.

DB — Elias Ricks, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2020
Made a huge impact during his sophomore and junior year for the back-to-back CIF Open Division state champs. Had three pick-sixes in one half against Centennial (Corona) in the Division 1 semifinals.

Made the All-American team every year of high school. He was the No. 1 defensive back in his class and top-rated player from the Golden State.

Accounted for 285 tackles, six interceptions, 27 sacks, forced 13 fumbles and accounted for 33 touchdowns on offense during his final three years.

AP — Shaq Thompson, Grant (Sacramento), Class of 2012
Racked up over 100 tackles and the former 5-star recruit rushed for more than 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns during his last two seasons.



P — Ryan Wright, California (San Ramon), Class of 2018
Averaged nearly 42 yards per punt for his career and was a first-team selection on the 2017 All-American squad.

Second Team Offense

QB — Josh Rosen, St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Class of 2015
Led the Southern California power to its first state championship during his junior season. Ended his career with nearly 8,500 yards passing and 90 touchdowns. Added over 1,100 yards rushing and 14 scores.

QB — Jake Browning, Folsom, Class of 2015
The state's all-time passing leader ranks third in high school football history with 16,775 yards. His 229 career passing touchdowns are tops.

QB — Jayden Daniels, Cajon (San Bernardino), Class of 2019
Arizona State's starting quarterback owns the CIF Southern Section passing record with 14,007 yards and ranks No. 2 in the state. He added another 3,600-plus yards rushing and accounted for 211 total touchdowns (170 passing, 41 rushing).

Ranks second all-time in the CIF Southern Section record books with 13,150 yards passing. He rushed for over 2,000 yards and had 188 total touchdowns (156 passing, 32 rushing).

Despite only one year counting during the last decade, he was too good to leave off. One of the most dynamic players to ever come from California helped the Cougars to back-to-back city championships.

His 6,905 yards rushing rank second all-time in Bay Area history.



RB — Sean McGrew, St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Class of 2016
Rushed for at least 1,800 yards in each of his final three years. Ended his career with 6,507 total yards (5,762 rushing, 745 receiving) and 85 total touchdowns (76 rushing, nine receiving).

RB — J.J. Taylor, Centennial (Corona), Class of 2016
Was one of the best players in the state during his junior and senior season. Helped lead the Huskies to back-to-back Pac 5 championships and rushed for over 3,800 yards and 69 touchdowns during that span.

RB — Zach Charbonnet, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village), Class of 2019
Michigan's leading rusher from last season had over 4,700 yards rushing and 62 touchdowns in high school.

WR — Michael Pittman Jr., Oaks Christian (Westlake Village), Class of 2016
He was selected 34th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft and in his senior season alone he had 81 receptions for 1,990 yards and 24 touchdowns

WR — Mycah Pittman, Calabasas, Class of 2019
Pittman Jr.'s younger brother was also one of the best players to come through California over the last decade. During his final three years he had 182 receptions for nearly 3,200 yards and 33 touchdowns.

WR — Marquis Spiker, Murrieta Valley (Murrieta), Class of 2018
His 72 receiving touchdowns are the most in state history. Eended his career with 244 receptions and 4,661 yards receiving.

WR — Joe Ngata, Folsom, Class of 2019
Led the Bulldogs to consecutive CIF Division 1-AA state championships to close out high school. Had 188 receptions for nearly 3,700 yards and 55 touchdowns while leading Folsom to a 39-3 record from his sophomore to senior season.

TE — Colby Parkinson, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village), Class of 2017
The fourth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft was the top-rated tight end in his class and was one of 32 5-stars according to 247sports.

OL — Viane Talamaivao, Centennial (Corona), Class of 2014
Was one of the best offensive lineman in the state during his three years as a starter for Matt Logan.



OL — Drake Metcalf, St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Class of 2020
Heart and soul of the Braves dominant run during his career. Was the leader of one of the best offensive lines in the country.

OL — Justin Dedich, Chaparral (Temecula), Class of 2018
The top-rated center in the Class of 2018 was one of the most dominate players in the trenches on Friday nights.

One of 19 players from the Trinity League to make the all-decade California team. He was the No. 2 rated center in his class only behind Cesar Ruiz who was a first round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

OL — Chris Murray, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2018
Third offensive lineman from that 2017 Monarch's team to make the list.

AP — JuJu Smith-Schuster, Long Beach Poly (Long Beach), Class of 2014
The Pro Bowl wideout was one of the best all-around players in the country. The 5-star recruit helped lead Poly to an epic run through the Pac 5 playoffs knocking off Bishop Amat (La Puente), Mission Viejo, St. John Bosco (Bellflower) and Mater Dei (Santa Ana).

Second Team Defense

DL — Rasheem Green, Serra (Gardena), Class of 2015
The former 5-star had 20 sacks and 47 tackles for loss during his final two seasons.

DL — Drake Jackson, Centennial (Corona), Class of 2019
The fourth and final Husky to make the all-decade team was one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the state during his career.

DL — Oluwole Betiku, Serra (Gardena), Class of 2016
Racked up 52 tackles for loss and 28.5 sacks during his two years at Serra. He was the top-rated weak-side defensive end in the Class of 2016 and No. 1 player in California according to 247Sports.



DL — Hunter Echols, Cathedral (Los Angeles), Class of 2017
During his junior and senior seasons, he accounted for 158 tackles, 54 tackles for loss, 26 sacks, forced three fumbles and had an interception.

LB — Cameron Smith, Granite Bay, Class of 2015
Was a tackling machine in the Sierra Foothill League. He racked up 470 tackles during his final three years and helped the Grizzlies to a CIF Division 1 state championship during his sophomore season.

LB — Solomon Tuliaupupu, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Class of 2018
The final Monarch to make the all-decade team was the leader on defense during its National Championship in 2017. He had 399 tackles in his four years as a starter at Claremont (Calif.) and Mater Dei.

LB — Merlin Robertson, Serra (Gardena), Class of 2018
Finished high school with 377 tackles, 54 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, forced eight fumbles and had two interceptions.

LB — De'Gabriel Floyd, Westlake (Westlake Village), Class of 2019
Was one of the most well-rounded players to come through California over the last decade. From his sophomore to senior season he accounted for 278 tackles, 16 sacks, six interceptions, 18 total touchdowns and two punt return scores.

LB — Caleb Kelly, Clovis West (Fresno), Class of 2016
The former 5-star recruit was a big-time playmaker on both sides of the ball. He won the Butkus Award in 2015 which is given to the best linebacker in high school football.

Racked up 349 tackles, 52 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and forced six fumbles. Helped lead the Gauchos to CIF Division 1-A state titles during his sophomore and senior season.



DB —Clark Phillips III, La Habra, Class of 2020
Named to the Sophomore, Junior and All-American teams over his final three years. Had 72 tackles, 13 interceptions, over 1,600 yards receiving and 29 touchdowns during his career.

DB — Chris Steele, St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Class of 2019
One of the most physical cornerbacks in the state. Racked up over 100 tackles, two interceptions and helped lead the Braves to a Top 10 finish in each of his three years as a starter.

DB — Jaiden Woodbey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Class of 2018
Helped Braves to a CIF Open Division state title during his junior season. Over his final two years he had 127 tackles and six interceptions.

DB — Darnay Holmes, Calabasas, Class of 2017
The fourth-round selection of the New York Giants in the 2020 NFL Draft was a big-time threat on all three phases during his high school career.

DB — Olaijah Griffin, Mission Viejo, Class of 2018
Went 39-2 during his final three years of high school and was one of the best two-way players in the state. Helped lead the Diablos to a CIF Division 1-AA state title during his sophomore season.

AP — Mique Juarez, North (Torrance, Calif.), Class of 2016
The top-rated outside linebacker and No. 1 recruit in California from the Class of 2016 according to 247Sports composite rankings finished his career with 397 tackles. During his senior year he accounted for 3,028 yards (1,658 passing, 1,370 rushing) and 59 total touchdowns (23 passing, 36 rushing).

AP — Jaleel Wadood, St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Class of 2014
The fourth player selected from the Braves team in 2013 that ran the table, beating De La Salle in the CIF Open Division state title game and snapping the Spartans' 40-game winning streak. Had 288 tackles, 10 interceptions during his three years as the starter and had nearly 1,300 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns as a senior.