Staff Report
MaxPreps.com
Best Player: Cierre Wood, Sr., RB/DB, Santa Clara (Oxnard)
Though fourth-year Mater Dei-Santa Ana starting quarterback Matt Barkley is the consensus top recruit in the country, the 6-foot, 190-pound Wood is the state’s – and perhaps country’s – top all-around player. The Notre Dame-bound star is not only rated the nation’s No. 1 tailback after rushing for 2,612 yards and 34 touchdowns last season, but he’s a hard-hitting Blue Chip defensive back and an electrifying return man. He averaged 53 yards on seven punt returns and 45 yards on seven kickoff returns last season. Expect opponents to kick and punt into the bleachers against the Saints, who went 11-1-1 last year. Santa Clara, by the way, is a long Tiger Woods driver from defending state Division III champion St. Bonaventure, which boasted the nation’s top 2007 running back in Darrell Scott, now at Colorado. Returning state leaders - Passing: Corey Nielsen (Gahr) 228 of 351, 4,363 yards, 35 TDs; Rushing: Jontell Reedom (Tulare) 354 carries, 2,707 yards, 22 touchdowns.
Best All-Time Player: Marcus Allen, RB, Lincoln
In a crowded field of football titans, Marcus Allen emerges as California's proudest product. The former Lincoln Hornet was a San Diego area star, scoring five touchdowns in the 1977 San Diego Section title game. He won the Heisman Trophy at USC and was the NFL's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns when he retired in 1997.
2008 Must See: CIF State Bowl Championships
The third installment of California’s answer to a state championship is a can’t-miss event Dec. 19-20 and has expanded to a five-game format over two days at the Home Depot Center in Carson. The Super Bowl of games is saved for last as an Open Division contest pits, in theory, the very best from the North against the South. Let’s just hope each day draws better than 15,000 which the last two years have failed to do. For regular-season matchups, hard to beat Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) at De La Salle (Concord) on Sept. 26 in a game pitting No. 2 and 3 teams nationally.
On The Throne: De La Salle
Who else? The five-time mythical national champion and owner of the world’s most amazing win streak – 151 games from 1992 to 2003 – is the defending mythical national champion according to MaxPreps. The Spartans return leading rusher Kylan Butler (761 yards rushing, 17 TDs) and veer quarterback extraordinaire Blake Wayne. The only big question mark appears to be offensive line, but other than that the Spartans should be penciled in for that Open Division Northern California spot.
Best Rivalry: Servite (Anaheim) vs. Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
All due respect to San Francisco rivalry St. Ignatius-Sacred Heart Cathedral which started in the 1890s or the East Los Angeles Classic between Garfield and Roosevelt that annually attracts 20,000, the most watched game year-in and year-out that features the best players is the battle of Orange County at Angel Stadium. The contest annually features up to 10 Division I college players, attracts between 20-25,000 fans on top of a live regional television audience. Some of the most famous NFL players to compete in the game: Servite – Steve Beuerlein, Derek Brown Ryan Kalil, Blaine Nye and Matt Willis; Mater Dei – Heisman Trophy winners John Huarte and Matt Leinart, and Colt Brennan.
Future Star(s): WR George Farmer (Serra, Gardena)
Our own Steve Spiewak did an exhaustive and comprehensive report on the top players from the class of 2011 and the 6-2, 180-pound Farmer, an absolute blur, might just be the best of the state. He ran a 4.32 40 at a recent USC camp and his father by the same name played eight seasons at tight end in the NFL. Farmer is best friends with one of the country’s top prospects in teammate and RB Robert Woods. Other top incoming sophomores from the state include the Atkinson twins from Granada (Livermore), George and Josh; DE Ryan Ena (El Camino, Oceanside), RB Rhasheed Johnson (Crespi, Encino), LB Cody Kurz (St. Bonaventure, Ventura), TE Troy Niklas (Servite), QB Davion Orphey (Edison, Anaheim), OT Wendell Taiese (McClymonds, Oakland) and DT Antwuan Woods (Taft, Los Angeles).
Fun Fact
De La Salle’s football team was just inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame, right along side Willie Mays, Dave Winfield, Cheryl Miller, Dan Fouts, Vin Sculley and Don Quarrie. The Spartans are the only high school team ever inducted into the CSHOF. The other two teams from this class were the Lakers and UCLA Bruins from the John Wooden era.
MaxPreps Preseason All-State Team
WR - Randall Carroll, Cathedral
WR - Devon Flournoy, Birmingham
WR - James Johnson, Valley Center
TE - Morrell Presley, Carson
OL - Kevin Graf, Agoura
OL - Michael Phillip, Arroyo Valley
OL - Greg Capella, El Diamante
OL - David Born, West
OL - Kevin Danser, Bellarmine
QB - Jamie Jensen, Gilroy
QB - Matt Barkley, Mater Dei
RB - Melvin Richardson, Long Beach Poly
RB - Jontell Reedom, Tulare Union
RB - Cierre Woods, Santa Clara
Ath - Patrick Hall, St. Bonaventure
K - Oscar Pineda, Hamilton
DL - Jackson Powell, Newbury Park
DL - Sione Tuihalamaka, Serra
DL - Edward Nuckols, Mission Hills
DL - Travis Johnson, King's Academy
LB - Travis Brown, Clovis West
LB - Steven Fanua, Milpitas
LB - Marquis Simmons, Dominguez
LB - Maurice Cox, Riverside North
LB - Vontaze Burfict, Centennial
DB - Marlon Pollard, Cajon
DB - Bernard Bolden, Merced
DB - Tim McDonald, Edison
DB - Cliff Harris, Edison
P - Nico Barbone, San Dimas
