Tag: California high school football

Inglewood Sentinels QB Justyn Martin tossed 13 touchdowns in 106-0 win

California high school football has a new touchdown passing record

Inglewood Sentinels (Calif.) quarterback Justyn Martin had quite a week, beginning with the four-star recruit’s commitment nod to the UCLA Bruins—over the likes of Michigan, USC and Oregon—and ending with a 13-touchdown performance on Friday that resulted in a 106-0 bludgeoning of rival Morningside (Calif.).

Yep: 13 and 106.

Martin’s performance created a statistical highlight reel that rivaled the record set by Cozad’s (Neb.) Arthur Smith, who tossed 15 TDs in 1921. And while we only have the whispers of yesteryear (via Google, of course) to picture that unreal QB clinic, Martin’s video-game-like performance and each aerial 6 was captured by amazed onlookers.

The 6-foot-4 slinger tied the California record (10) before halftime, and surpassed it in third.

He would continue to connect with Sentinels receivers—albeit on mostly dump offs—and tossed No. 13 as the game finally came to an end.

As expected with a lopsided boxscore such as this, the achievement didn’t come without controversy—such as why the Sentinels decided to keep the star senior QB in the entire game.

But none of the fodder will change the record-setting night.

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Top 25 Class of 2022 high school football players from California

USA Today High School Sports takes a look at the top 25 class of 2022 high school football players from California.

The 2021 high school football season is just weeks away from kicking off, which means some of the top talents in the nation will be returning to the field in search of a state championship.

With the season on the horizon, USA Today High School Sports is taking a look at the top players in some of the nation’s high school football hotspots. California is home to some of the best high school football programs in the country, with the likes of Mater Dei, St. John Bosco and Servite routinely in national rankings.

As such, the state is loaded with elite talent.

Here are the top 25 class of 2022 high school football players from California.

RELATED: Top 25 Class of 2022 high school football players from Texas

Freshman QB Elijah Brown stars as Mater Dei topples St. John Bosco

Mater Dei toppled St. John Bosco in Santa Ana on Saturday night.

Mater Dei and St. John Bosco renewed their storied rivalry on Saturday night, and it was a freshman getting his first taste of California high school football’s fiercest heavyweight battle who spearheaded his team to victory.

Mater Dei freshman quarterback Elijah Brown tossed four touchdown passes, leading the Monarchs to a 34-17 win in Santa Ana. Three of Brown’s four touchdown passes came in the first half.

RELATED: Mater Dei freshman QB Elijah Brown tosses three touchdown passes in HS debut

After forcing St. John Bosco to punt on its first offensive series of the night, Mater Dei wasted no time getting on the board, its drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Williams. All it took was one play for St. John Bosco to answer back and knot the score up at seven, though, as Jabari Bates broke loose for a 66-yard rushing touchdown on the Braves’ ensuing drive. St. John Bosco stayed hot after Bates’ touchdown scamper, forcing a Mater Dei punt and grabbing a 14-7 lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Pierce Clarkson to Matayo Uiagalelei just before the end of the first quarter.

That was about as good as it got for the Braves on the night, as Brown and Mater Dei’s defense took over from that point on.

Brown countered Clarkson’s touchdown pass with a 26-yard scoring strike of his own, tying the score at 14 early in the second quarter. Mater Dei then forced a St. John Bosco punt and Brown immediately went back to work, finding Kyon Ware-Hudson his third touchdown pass of the half, this one an explosive 64-yard strike to put the Monarchs back up by seven.

St. John Bosco drove into the red zone on its ensuing offensive possession, but missed a field goal, keeping the score at 21-14. Mater Dei tacked on three more points before halftime, opening up its lead to double digits for the first time.

St. John Bosco cut into Mater Dei’s lead with a field goal in the third quarter, but its single-digit deficit was short-lived, as Brown hit Josiah Zamora for a 12-yard touchdown to make it a 31-17 game with 2:58 remaining in the quarter.

Mater Dei continued to lock in defensively with its lead up to 14 points, holding St. John Bosco scoreless in the fourth quarter. Junior cornerback and five-star USC recruit Domani Jackson effectively sealed the game with a later interception, bringing an abrupt end to St. John Bosco’s last-ditch comeback effort.

With the win, Mater Dei improves to 5-0 and clinches its latest Trinity League title. St. John Bosco, meanwhile, drops to 5-1.

UGA football recruiting offers quick RB Terrell Cooks Jr.

Terrell Cooks Jr. is a star freshman running back, who relies on his quickness, not size, to excel at St. Bernard in California.

Terrell Cooks Jr. isn’t the biggest running back recruit in the country, but he is one of the quickest. The 5-foot-8 running back weighs only 160 pounds.

Cooks Jr. still has time to grow as he is a freshman in high school at St. Bernard in Playa Del Rey, California. Due to his youth, Cooks Jr. is an unranked prospect. All members of the class of 2024 are unrated at the moment.

Running back is Cook Jr.’s mostly likely position if he remains 5-foot-8. Numerous running backs with diminutive height such as Tarik Cohen, Darren Sproles and Maurice Jones-Drew have succeeded in college and in the NFL.

Why can shorter running backs excel? Short running backs offer small areas for opposing defenders to tackle and can be difficult to find behind offensive lines.

At the moment, Cooks Jr. is considered an athlete prospect. He plays safety and wide receiver in addition to running back. The St. Bernard freshman already has scholarship offers from Michigan, Arizona, Washington State, FIU, UNLV and Arizona State.

Cooks Jr. announced his scholarship offer from the University of Georgia via Twitter:

On tape, Cooks Jr. shows quickness, acceleration, and vision. Cooks Jr. is additionally a threat in the return game. Cooks Jr. has good highlights and will be fun to watch over the years as he continues to add to his frame.

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The 10 greatest QBs in California HS football history

California high school football has produced more than a few legendary quarterbacks.

California is known as a hotbed for high school football talent. The state is known for churning out elite prospects and sending them to the next level, ready to produce from the moment they arrive on campus.

Some of California’s brightest and most recognizable talents over the years have manned the quarterback position. From national record holders to Gatorade Players of the Year and All-Americans, the state has seen more than its fair share of elite quarterbacks rise through the high school ranks.

With this in mind, USA Today High School Sports took a crack at ranking the top 10 quarterbacks in California high school football history. Here is how the list turned out.

California HS football player dies after collapsing on sideline

Kennedy High School senior offensive lineman Emmanuel Antwi collapsed on the sideline Friday night and later died.

Tragedy struck on the California high school football scene Friday night, as a player collapsed on the sideline and later died.

Kennedy High School senior offensive lineman Emmanuel Antwi collapsed on the sideline in the fourth quarter of the team’s season opener, according to the Sacramento Bee. The game was stopped after Antwi collapsed and did not resume until Antwi received medical care, which included 10 minutes of CPR before being rushed to a local hospital. He later died.

“Today we learned that Emmanuel Antwi, a John F. Kennedy senior athlete, died after a medical emergency during Friday night’s football game,” the Sacramento City Unified School District said in a press release. “We do not have many details to share beyond this. Our hearts go out to Emmanuel’s family and our school community during this difficult time. We ask all to give them privacy and time for healing and comfort as they grieve.”

According to the National Federation of State High School Association, there have been 34 football-related deaths among middle and high school-aged student-athletes in the last decade. None occurred in 2020, in which high school football was played in 35 states amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

California began its high school football season on March 12 in parts of the state that met COVID-19 safety guidelines. However, Friday was the opening date for more of California’s high school football programs.

Mater Dei freshman QB Elijah Brown tosses three touchdown passes in HS debut

Mater Dei freshman quarterback Elijah Brown fired three touchdown passes in his high school debut Friday night.

Mater Dei freshman phenom Elijah Brown was more than up for the task of taking on starting quarterback duties at the California powerhouse on Friday night, tossing three touchdown passes in his high school debut and a 52-3 rout of JSerra Catholic.

Brown wasted no time making his presence felt on the varsity level, finding senior wide receiver Josiah Zamora in the corner of the end zone at the 5:05 mark of the first quarter to give Mater Dei an early 7-0 lead.

RELATED: California powerhouse Mater Dei starting freshman Elijah Brown at QB

Brown stayed hot on Mater Dei’s ensuing offensive possession, hitting junior wideout Cooper Barkate to extend the lead to 14-0. Brown’s third touchdown pass of the night came in the second half with Mater Dei already dominating, as Brown connected with Quincy Craig for six to make it a 45-3 game.

Brown, along with the rest of Mater Dei’s starters, was pulled after his third touchdown pass. While three touchdown passes is a solid outing for any quarterback, it can be argued that Brown’s most valuable contribution to Mater Dei’s season-opening win was his clean play under center. He did not account for a single turnover, which is key for his development moving forward.

Brown now joins Matt Barkley, Georgia quarterback and former five-star recruit J.T. Daniels and Todd Marinovich as the fourth freshman to start under center for Mater Dei.

California powerhouse Mater Dei starting freshman Elijah Brown at QB

Mater Dei has a new starting quarterback and it’s freshman Elijah Brown.

Mater Dei has long been one of the most dominant high school football programs in California and churns out elite talent on a yearly basis.

Could Elijah Brown be the next Mater Dei product to rise to stardom? There is a good chance that is the case, as Mater Dei is rolling with Brown as its starting quarterback in his freshman year, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It’s very rare that a freshman strolls into Mater Dei and seizes the starting quarterback gig, but Brown has managed to pull it off. Senior Miller Moss was supposed to be Mater Dei’s starting quarterback this season, but with the COVID-19 pandemic pushing California’s high school football season to the spring, Moss opted to enroll early at USC. That left the door open for Brown to win the job in a competition with incoming junior transfer Emmett Brown, who has Power 5 offers to his name.

Brown joins Matt Barkley, Georgia quarterback and former five-star recruit J.T. Daniels and Todd Marinovich as the fourth freshman to start under center for Mater Dei. He is set to make his first career start against JSerra Catholic on Friday.

“There’s a lot of mystery in that we have heard about this kid for a while but have yet to really see him throw and be active in actual games,” 247Sports’ Greg Biggins said. “It’s going to be fascinating.”

RELATED: 5-star QB Sam Huard inches closer to Washington passing record in senior season debut

Notre Dame Adds Towering Preferred Walk-On

The monstrous Charlie Slena of Atherton, California announced that he will be attending Notre Dame in the fall as a preferred walk-on.

The 2021 Notre Dame football recruiting class took a hit Friday when one of the nation’s top receivers in the class, Deion Colzie de-committed from the program.  It won’t fill the receiver hole but the Fighting Irish did add a preferred walk-on to their 2020 recruiting class over the weekend.

The monstrous Charlie Slena of Atherton, California announced that he will be attending Notre Dame in the fall as a preferred walk-on.

Selna lists himself at 6-7 and 215 pounds in his own Twitter profile.  His highlight video shows a defensive end causing disruptions and a tight end that’s willing to engage in run blocking.

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Selna helped lead Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton, California) to a 2019 Central Coast Section Division II semi-final appearance.