Modesto Christian's Isaiah Burse and Parker's Deon Randall headline a high-powered showdown.
CIF SMALL SCHOOL: Modesto Christian (14-0) vs. Francis W. Parker 11-2 at Home Depot Center-Carson, 4 p.m. Friday
Live TV: Comcast SportsNet California and Comcast SportsNet Plus.
GameTracker: Click GAMETRACKER to follow each of the state championship bowl games.
Live radio/webcast: KBCSports.com will webcast all games and KFRC 1550 AM broadcast De La Salle-Crenshaw tilt.
Stadium ticket sales: $15 adult, $8 each for students, seniors and children.
Parking: $10 per vehicle.
Nike Football Coaches Clinic with Pete Caroll: Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Home Depot Center (Agassi Pavilion), no registration fee, free Nike shirt and ticket to the games. Coaches only.
California High School Cheer and Dance Championships: Saturday at Home Depot Center Tennis Stadium, $15 adult admission ($8 student, senior, children) includes entrance to football games.
Other games: Division I, Bellarmine Prep-San Jose (11-1-1) vs. Oceanside (13-0), 8 p.m. Friday; Division III, Marin Catholic-Kentfield (13-1) vs. Serra-Gardena (14-0), noon Saturday; Division II, Rocklin (14-0) vs. Servite-Anaheim (13-1), 4 p.m. Saturday; Open Division, De La Salle-Concord (12-2) vs. Crenshaw-Los Angeles (14-0), 8 p.m. Saturday.
FACTS AND STATS
MaxPreps Rankings: Parker (No. 504 nationally, No. 58 state), Modesto Christian (No. 250 nationally, No. 36 state).
Notable Alums: Parker: Nick Noonan (San Francisco Giants first round draft pick, 2007). Modesto Christian: Chuck Hayes (Houston Rockets), Reeves Nelson (UCLA basketball, freshman).
Leading Rusher: Parker: Deon Randall (157-1,707-23 TD). Modesto Christian: Isaiah Burse (174-1,691-25 TD)
Leading Passer: Parker: Deon Randall (92-143-1,371-14 TD). Modesto Christian: Isaiah Burse (70-121-1,676-24).
Leading Receiver: Parker: Roland Jackson (23-497-9 TD). Modesto Christian: Raymond Nelson (28-645-10 TD).
Points scored (allowed) per game : Parker 39.5 (18.6), Modesto Christian 49.4 (15.3).
CARSON, Calif. - A pair of versatile, athletic quarterbacks who rank among the top small school signal-callers in California high school history highlight the Small Schools state championship matchup.
MC's Isaiah Burse has run and passed for more than 1,600 yards.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
Both Isaiah Burse of Modesto Christian and Deon Randall of Parker are four-year varsity veterans who have led their teams to the top of their section on more than one occasion.
Randall has led the Lancers to two straight San Diego Section Division V titles while Burse has led a pair of Modesto area teams to section titles. Burse first led Calvary Temple to a section crown during his freshman year in 2006 and most recently led the Crusaders to a Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship.
The duo have also been among the more prolific quarterbacks in the state the past four seasons. While Burse has gained over 10,000 yards of total offense in his varsity career, Randall has scored over 80 touchdowns and nearly 500 points.
Both have also earned high praise from within their section. Randall was named to the All-San Diego County team last year as a junior while Burse was similarly honored by the Modesto Bee on its all-district team. This year, Burse was named the offensive and defensive MVP in the Trans Valley League while Randall was the offensive MVP in the Coastal Conference.
Burse has passed and rushed for nearly identical totals this year. He is 70 of 121 for 1,676 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air and has gained 1,691 yards on 174 carries with 25 touchdowns on the ground. For his career, Burse has completed 356 of 628 passes for 6,801 yards and 84 touchdowns and he has rushed 529 times for 3,881 yards. He has scored 60 touchdowns and 364 points.
Randall, meanwhile, has completed 92 of 143 passes for 1,371 yards and 14 touchdowns this year and has rushed 157 times for 1,707 yards and 23 scores. In his career, Randall has run 392 times for 3,855 yards and he has completed 258 of 406 passes for 3,991 yards and 47 touchdowns. He has scored 81 times for 490 points.
Parker's Deon Randall has accounted for more than 3,000 yards.
Photo by Kirt Winter
Neither Modesto Christian nor Parker are one-man teams, however. Burse has some talented counterparts in the backfield and on the defensive side of the ball while Randall is joined by fellow 1,000-yard rusher Kenny Brookins and standout receiver Roland Jackson.
Parker, under coach Jim Tomey, posted an 11-2 record this year, losing only to Division IV champion Mission Bay, 48-23, and a forfeit loss to Hoover. The Lancers also defeated St. Margaret’s, last year’s Small Schools state champion, 28-20 in a nonleague contest.
Modesto Christian, meanwhile, finished the season 14-0 with a 61-40 win over Placer in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV finals. The Crusaders also defeated Central Catholic, a previous Division III state participant, in the semifinals.
PARKER OFFENSE/MODESTO CHRISTIAN DEFENSE
The offense obviously starts with Randall, who either passed or ran the ball on 300 of the Lancers’ 589 plays this year.
However he has a talented counterpart in Brookins, who gained 1,058 yards on 140 carries. Brookins had two of his biggest games in the San Diego Section playoffs, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries in a 42-14 win over La Jolla Country Day in the semifinals and then adding 118 yards and three scores on 13 carries in the 55-20 win over Bishop’s in the finals.
When Randall throws the ball, he has a slew of capable receivers, led by Jackson, a 5-10 junior who had 23 catches for 497 yards and nine touchdowns this year. Warren Brody was also effective, grabbing 23 passes for 410 yards and three scores while Dalante Dunklin had 16 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown.
On the line, Wes Gavin and Greg Gallanis are both all-league selections. The Lancers also have one of the best kickers in the San Diego area in Matt Wile, who has 77 touchbacks on the season.
Modesto Christian counters with a talented secondary, led by Burse and Aaron Brown, the Trans-Valley League’s most outstanding defensive back. Burse had 82 tackles on the season while Brown led the team with 128.
The duo were among four Crusaders with at least five interceptions. David Sjelin led the team with eight picks while Dustin Hayes and Brown each had six and Burse finished with five. The Crusaders picked off 34 passes as a team and finished with 41 sacks. Raymond Nelson, the league defensive lineman of the year, had eight sacks while Michael Fahlgren finished with 8.3 sacks. Keaton Engel led the linebackers with 92 tackles.
MODESTO CHRISTIAN OFFENSE/PARKER DEFENSE
Crusader coach Mike Parsons has an array of weapons at his disposal on offense. While Burse has certainly been spectacular,
The Crusaders have four other running backs with at least 500 yards rushing. Kevin Roya, a teammate of Burse’s back at Calvary Temple in 2006, has 914 yards and 13 touchdowns while Sjelin has gained 723 yards with 10 touchdowns. Brown has rushed for 587 yards while Engel has gained 562 yards. The team has gained 4,952 yards and has passed for 1,821 for 6,773 total yards of offense (483.7 per game).
Nelson is the big target at tight end. The brother of UCLA basketball freshman Reeves Nelson, Raymond (6-foot-5) has caught 28 passes for 645 yards and 10 touchdowns. Roya has also been a weapon out of the backfield with 17 catches for 528 yards and 10 scores. Evan Schwartz and Kris Mora, a pair of all-league lineman, open the holes in the defense for the Crusader skill players.
The leaders on offense, Randall and Brookins also lead the Lancer defense. Randall (DB) paces the team with 107 tackles while Brookins (LB) has 102. Dunklin (DB) and Enrique Espinosa Da-Silva (LB) are also all-conference picks for the Lancers. Dunklin has 90 tackles while Espinosa Da-Silva has 88.
EXTRA POINTS
Parker was in the running for the Small Schools berth last year but instead eventual state champion St. Margaret’s was picked… Modesto Christian has appeared in the state basketball finals three times, winning the Division V championship in 1997…Modesto Christian was the home for the Paris twins, Ashley and Courtney (who starred for the Oklahoma Sooners), before they transferred to Piedmont…Randall and Burse are both basketball players with Randall averaging 20.4 points per game last year and Burse 6.4.
