Prep Rally: Top Southern California high school running backs to watch this season
As much as everyone likes to pass these days in football, the running backs are the ones that can lead to victory or defeat. If you can't run, you probably won't win on a night the line can't protect the quarterback.
The City Section has two running backs coming off fantastic sophomore seasons in Edward Rivera of South East and Ceasar Reyes of Garfield. Both have been working hard this summer to improve their speed and strength. Reyes could benefit from a new all-weather field opening at Garfield.
Journee Tonga of Leuzinger is the little engine that could. He rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 29 touchdowns as a 5-foot-8 junior. Brian Bonner of Valencia and Deshonne Redeaux of Oaks Christian are speedsters committed to Washington and USC, respectively, and capable of breaking away for touchdowns if defenses give them any kind of openings.
AJ McBean of Mira Costa is a 205-pound bruising junior running back with improving speed and power.
Maliq Allen of St. John Bosco showed moments of brilliance as a sophomore and gained 1,003 yards rushing.
Jaxsen Stokes of Sierra Canyon showed he was a big-play weapon in the making as a sophomore. Justin Lewis has taken his talents from Thousand Oaks to Mater Dei, so let's see how the transition goes. Sean Morris, a Northwestern commit, has left Loyola for Orange Lutheran.
Noah Penunuri of Rio Hondo Prep had 1,965 yards rushing. Zander Lewis has moved from Ontario Christian to Corona Centennial, joining leading rusher Braylin Drake and super sophomore Malaki Davis. Jorden Wells moves from the freshman team to varsity at Servite. His speed could make immediate impact. Kevika Martinez of La Habra is coming off a sophomore season in which he gained 1,021 yards and scored 16 touchdowns.
There are other transfers that must fill out paperwork to decide whether they will be eligible immediately or have to sit out the first part of the season.
The summer passing season ended Saturday with Mission Viejo once again being best behind quarterback Luke Fahey. The Diablos went 7-0 in the Edison seven-on-seven tournament. Here's a report.
Santa Margarita, under first-year coach Carson Palmer, made its first appearance and there's lots to like about what the Eagles will have available this fall, from an all-star coaching staff, to the Mosley brothers, Trent and Grant, to new quarterback Trace Johnson.
The season opener matching Mission Viejo against Santa Margarita on Aug. 22 is shaping up as the best opening football game this fall.
Hamilton is planning for big improvement after a 2-9 rookie season for coach Elijah Asante and has a freshman quarterback, Thaddeus Breaux, who Asante is calling 'The Franchise.' Here's the report.
The City Section wants its perpetual football trophy back from Narbonne, which has to vacate its 2024 title for rules violations. Unfortunately, the trophy is apparently missing again.
This is a repeat from when Narbonne had the trophy in 2018 and it went missing until being found in a dumpster in 2021.
Here's the report.
Several of Southern California's best girls' flag football players will be competing this weekend at the NFL Flag Championships beginning Thursday in Canton, Ohio.
They're playing for an all-star club team representing the Chargers from Southern California, the Conquer Chargers.
Madi Lam, who will be a senior at Santa Margarita, is the team's talented quarterback. Also on the team is Hayli McIlroy from Crean Lutheran, a receiver and defensive back, and center Shelby Nguyen from Marina.
Two recent graduates are key players — Sophie Guitron from Mira Costa and Aaya McLyn from Long Beach Poly.
It was a big Sunday for Corona High baseball, becoming the first high school to have three first-round draft picks. Pitcher Seth Hernandez was taken No. 6 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Shortstop Billy Carlson was selected No. 10 by the Chicago White Sox. Third baseman Brady Ebel went No. 32 to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Here's a report.
Kevin Smith, the former baseball coach at South Hills and Mt. San Antonio College, is the new head coach at Los Altos. ...
Mike Voelkel has stepped down as baseball coach after 18 seasons at Palisades. He no longer has a field after the school put temporary bungalows on the field for the next five years to help the campus recover from damage of the Palisades fire. ...
Running back Brian Bonner of Valencia committed to Washington. ...
Harvard-Westlake baseball coach Jared Halpert and athletic director Matt LaCour will be in Atlanta on Tuesday to watch former Wolverines Max Fried and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the MLB All-Star Game. Here's a report. . . .
A double first base will be required beginning in 2027 for all high school baseball games. Here's the latest rules changes. ...
Electronic communication by softball players have been clarified in new rules for the sport. Here's the report. ...
Gary Meek, who was a Hall of Fame football coach at Esperanza, died on Thursday. He was 76. He was head coach for 17 years, won two section titles and was inducted into the Southern Section Hall of Fame in 2023. ...
St. Bernard guard Joshua Palmer has committed to UC Irvine. His father is UCLA assistant Rod Palmer. ...
Sierra Canyon's basketball program has added 6-foot-7 Brannon Martinsen from JSerra and 6-2 DeLan Grant from St. Francis. ...
Jason Crowe Jr., the standout basketball player at Inglewood, is scheduled to announce his college choice on Friday. ...
Jason Edgmond has resigned as girls basketball coach at Beckman. ...
Eddie Arnett is the new athletic director at Ontario Christian. ...
Redondo Union has an opening for softball coach. ...
Mathis Dritz, one of the top girls basketball players in Ventura County last season at Westlake, has transferred to Fairmont Prep. ...
Receiver Jonah Smith of Santa Margarita, a UCLA commit, will miss his senior season because of a knee injury. ...
Cameron Chinn is the new baseball coach at Los Alamitos. He's a former Edison coach. ...
It appears that Palisades' football team won't be able to use its home stadium this season. The team has scheduled three home games at Santa Monica College.
Troy Williams, a two-time City Section player of the year from Narbonne in 2011 and 2012, is helping coach at El Camino College this summer with his former offensive coordinator, Tim Kaub. Williams plays quarterback for the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League.
Here's a story from 2011 about Williams' potential.
Here's a story from 2012 about Williams' continuing progress.
From the Washington Post, a story on a high school hiring a former NBA player as its general manager for basketball.
From Athlonsports.com, a story on the rise of Max Fried with the New York Yankees.
From the New York Times, a story on how youth sports is a $40-billion business.
From ouresquina.com, a story on former St. John Bosco quarterback Caleb Sanchez at Columbia.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Corona graduate Brady Ebel.
Have a question, comment or something you'd like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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Los Angeles Times
18 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Prep Rally: Top Southern California high school running backs to watch this season
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. Let's take a sneak peek at running backs to watch this fall. As much as everyone likes to pass these days in football, the running backs are the ones that can lead to victory or defeat. If you can't run, you probably won't win on a night the line can't protect the quarterback. The City Section has two running backs coming off fantastic sophomore seasons in Edward Rivera of South East and Ceasar Reyes of Garfield. Both have been working hard this summer to improve their speed and strength. Reyes could benefit from a new all-weather field opening at Garfield. Journee Tonga of Leuzinger is the little engine that could. He rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 29 touchdowns as a 5-foot-8 junior. Brian Bonner of Valencia and Deshonne Redeaux of Oaks Christian are speedsters committed to Washington and USC, respectively, and capable of breaking away for touchdowns if defenses give them any kind of openings. AJ McBean of Mira Costa is a 205-pound bruising junior running back with improving speed and power. Maliq Allen of St. John Bosco showed moments of brilliance as a sophomore and gained 1,003 yards rushing. Jaxsen Stokes of Sierra Canyon showed he was a big-play weapon in the making as a sophomore. Justin Lewis has taken his talents from Thousand Oaks to Mater Dei, so let's see how the transition goes. Sean Morris, a Northwestern commit, has left Loyola for Orange Lutheran. Noah Penunuri of Rio Hondo Prep had 1,965 yards rushing. Zander Lewis has moved from Ontario Christian to Corona Centennial, joining leading rusher Braylin Drake and super sophomore Malaki Davis. Jorden Wells moves from the freshman team to varsity at Servite. His speed could make immediate impact. Kevika Martinez of La Habra is coming off a sophomore season in which he gained 1,021 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. There are other transfers that must fill out paperwork to decide whether they will be eligible immediately or have to sit out the first part of the season. The summer passing season ended Saturday with Mission Viejo once again being best behind quarterback Luke Fahey. The Diablos went 7-0 in the Edison seven-on-seven tournament. Here's a report. Santa Margarita, under first-year coach Carson Palmer, made its first appearance and there's lots to like about what the Eagles will have available this fall, from an all-star coaching staff, to the Mosley brothers, Trent and Grant, to new quarterback Trace Johnson. The season opener matching Mission Viejo against Santa Margarita on Aug. 22 is shaping up as the best opening football game this fall. Hamilton is planning for big improvement after a 2-9 rookie season for coach Elijah Asante and has a freshman quarterback, Thaddeus Breaux, who Asante is calling 'The Franchise.' Here's the report. The City Section wants its perpetual football trophy back from Narbonne, which has to vacate its 2024 title for rules violations. Unfortunately, the trophy is apparently missing again. This is a repeat from when Narbonne had the trophy in 2018 and it went missing until being found in a dumpster in 2021. Here's the report. Several of Southern California's best girls' flag football players will be competing this weekend at the NFL Flag Championships beginning Thursday in Canton, Ohio. They're playing for an all-star club team representing the Chargers from Southern California, the Conquer Chargers. Madi Lam, who will be a senior at Santa Margarita, is the team's talented quarterback. Also on the team is Hayli McIlroy from Crean Lutheran, a receiver and defensive back, and center Shelby Nguyen from Marina. Two recent graduates are key players — Sophie Guitron from Mira Costa and Aaya McLyn from Long Beach Poly. It was a big Sunday for Corona High baseball, becoming the first high school to have three first-round draft picks. Pitcher Seth Hernandez was taken No. 6 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Shortstop Billy Carlson was selected No. 10 by the Chicago White Sox. Third baseman Brady Ebel went No. 32 to the Milwaukee Brewers. Here's a report. Kevin Smith, the former baseball coach at South Hills and Mt. San Antonio College, is the new head coach at Los Altos. ... Mike Voelkel has stepped down as baseball coach after 18 seasons at Palisades. He no longer has a field after the school put temporary bungalows on the field for the next five years to help the campus recover from damage of the Palisades fire. ... Running back Brian Bonner of Valencia committed to Washington. ... Harvard-Westlake baseball coach Jared Halpert and athletic director Matt LaCour will be in Atlanta on Tuesday to watch former Wolverines Max Fried and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the MLB All-Star Game. Here's a report. . . . A double first base will be required beginning in 2027 for all high school baseball games. Here's the latest rules changes. ... Electronic communication by softball players have been clarified in new rules for the sport. Here's the report. ... Gary Meek, who was a Hall of Fame football coach at Esperanza, died on Thursday. He was 76. He was head coach for 17 years, won two section titles and was inducted into the Southern Section Hall of Fame in 2023. ... St. Bernard guard Joshua Palmer has committed to UC Irvine. His father is UCLA assistant Rod Palmer. ... Sierra Canyon's basketball program has added 6-foot-7 Brannon Martinsen from JSerra and 6-2 DeLan Grant from St. Francis. ... Jason Crowe Jr., the standout basketball player at Inglewood, is scheduled to announce his college choice on Friday. ... Jason Edgmond has resigned as girls basketball coach at Beckman. ... Eddie Arnett is the new athletic director at Ontario Christian. ... Redondo Union has an opening for softball coach. ... Mathis Dritz, one of the top girls basketball players in Ventura County last season at Westlake, has transferred to Fairmont Prep. ... Receiver Jonah Smith of Santa Margarita, a UCLA commit, will miss his senior season because of a knee injury. ... Cameron Chinn is the new baseball coach at Los Alamitos. He's a former Edison coach. ... It appears that Palisades' football team won't be able to use its home stadium this season. The team has scheduled three home games at Santa Monica College. Troy Williams, a two-time City Section player of the year from Narbonne in 2011 and 2012, is helping coach at El Camino College this summer with his former offensive coordinator, Tim Kaub. Williams plays quarterback for the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League. Here's a story from 2011 about Williams' potential. Here's a story from 2012 about Williams' continuing progress. From the Washington Post, a story on a high school hiring a former NBA player as its general manager for basketball. From a story on the rise of Max Fried with the New York Yankees. From the New York Times, a story on how youth sports is a $40-billion business. From a story on former St. John Bosco quarterback Caleb Sanchez at Columbia. From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Corona graduate Brady Ebel. Have a question, comment or something you'd like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer. Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Brooks Barnhizer continues to be steal machine in Thunder's Summer League win over Pacers
After Kam Jones had some words to say to Brooks Barnhizer, the latter's teammate had to calm him down. Ty Brewer had a funny method by telling the Thunder's two-way player that "he's trash" and not worth his time. The de-escalation shows the energy the 23-year-old brings to the court. Barnhizer finished with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, five rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-2 from 3. He also had six steals and one block. The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Indiana Pacers in a 104-85 Summer League win. It was a blowout victory where everybody chipped in. For Barnhizer, that meant creating a ton of steals again. Described as a defense-first player, Barnhizer has lived up to his Northwestern reputation. He caused havoc for the Pacers in their passing lanes with six steals. That was two shy of a Las Vegas Summer League record. He's racked up the steals throughout the event. What wasn't talked about enough was his savvy off-ball decisions. Barnhizer might not have a reliable jumper, but he can read the half-court defense and make the right reads. He was gifted an easy layup by Nikola Topic when he cut to the basket in an open lane. "I feel like for me, they'll come if I just play hard. I'm not hunting them," Barrnhizer said on his steals. "It's funny. In college, I had a coach named Chris Lowery. He told me, 'If you're doing what you're supposed to do and staying where you are, they'll throw it to you sometimes.' I just really try to play hard and play the defense I'm trying to play." That's how you can carve out an NBA career. Barnhizer's endless energy on both ends of the floor has produced tangible results. The 23-year-old has been a plus-minus darling. He plays winning basketball and thrives in his role. He knows his bread and butter and sticks to it. "I feel like I really work on the game and trust your work. I play basketball. I've always grown up playing basketball and I've always worked on it. I kinda like to think reps eliminate fear," Barnhizer said. "I just got to go out there and the law of averages says if you have a good game, a bad one is probably coming at some point. How are you going to stay level-headed through it all and try to stack positive games."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Quarterback Luke Fahey of Mission Viejo is separating himself
Luke Fahey looked right, then passed left. He looked left, then passed right. Defensive backs told to read a quarterback's eyes might have trouble with Fahey, Mission Viejo High's senior quarterback and Ohio State commit whose instincts, strong arm and decision making are separating him from others in the class of 2026. Then there's something called character. For the last two years, he agreed to share playing time with Draiden Trudeau. Others might have bailed. Not Fahey. Advertisement 'I feel God has a plan for everybody,' he said. 'That was my journey. Of course, everyone wants to be a full-time starter, but that was a good thing for me. There was a lot of adversity during those two years. I learned so much from Drai, and he pushed me to be an even better quarterback and better leader.' Anyone watching Fahey on Saturday at Edison's Battle of the Beach seven-on-seven passing tournament were getting a glimpse of a 6-foot-1 quarterback in an obvious comfort zone calling his own plays and showing chemistry with a new group of receivers (returner Vance Spafford was missing because of illness). It's no wonder that Ohio State and coach Ryan Day identified him as a recruiting priority. 'It was a big decision,' Fahey said. 'For me, it was a no-brainer. It was a dream of mine to be at a place like that since I was a little kid. I told myself when I got the opportunity I'd take full advantage of it and maximize my opportunity. The coaches are amazing, the people there are even better. One thing that stood out they showed me a picture of their practice. I think 18 of 22 were in the NFL or got drafted. It speaks volumes to their program and my goal is to be a draft pick one day and make it to the NFL.' Despite missing Spafford and star defensive back Jeron Jones, the Diablos went 7-0 and defeated Mission Hills in the final. The toughest game was a 26-25 win over Cathedral in the semifinals on a winning touchdown catch by Davonte Curtis. It's been quite a summer for Mission Viejo, which also won its own passing tournament by beating Mater Dei in the final. As the summer passing season nears conclusion and official football practice begins at the end of this month, Saturday's Battle at the Beach is always a good opportunity to see teams and players making progress. Advertisement Santa Margarita, under new coach Carson Palmer and new quarterback Trace Johnson, a transfer from Florida, will have lots of weapons this fall. The Eagles lost to Long Beach Millikan in the championship game of the Silver Division. USC commit Trent Mosley, who didn't play because of an injury, said of the new coaching staff, 'It's real good. I'm excited for the season.' His brother Grant, is an impressive sophomore receiver. St. John Bosco junior safety Isala Wily-Ava is part of a secondary filled with talent. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times) St. John Bosco clearly is one of most talented teams in regard to skill-position players, sending in wave after wave of top defensive backs and receivers. The Braves were young at those positions last season, so all it's going to take is strong line play to combine with the skill-position talent to make another run at Trinity League rival Mater Dei. After going 4-0 in the morning session, the Braves lost to Mission Hills in the quarterfinals. Advertisement JSerra, which lost starting quarterback Ryan Hopkins to Mater Dei, has a capable replacement in junior Koa Smith-Mayall, who missed all of last season recovering from a knee injury. He's only 5 feet 10 but has a powerful arm and considers himself a dual threat quarterback. 'I guess everyone outside of JSerra thought we'd be in trouble, but I knew I'd be ready,' he said. Cathedral made it to the semifinals behind quarterback Jaden Jefferson, who will be aided by an improved offensive line this fall. One of the most impressive quarterbacks was Troy Huhn of Mission Hills, a Penn State commit who got his team in the final with a win over Corona del Mar, which was a surprise team behind quarterback Brady Annett and receiver Dorsett Stecker. Advertisement Finally, let's not end the summer without knowing the answer to the question: Why did Fahey stay for four years at Mission Viejo? 'It speaks to what my dad and mom have preached to me since I was a little kid,' he said. 'That you can't up and leave. Loyalty is one of the biggest things in my family. I'm going to stay true to those who stay true to me.' Says Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson of Fahey's fortitude: "Amazing." In other tournaments on Saturday, Tustin defeated Bishop Amat in the final of the Clash in the Canyons tournament in Azusa. Mira Costa won the Culver City tournament. San Juan Hills won the Ocean View tournament over Downey. Quarterback Timmy Herr didn't throw an interception in two games and relied on receivers Luke Frith, Ryan Matheson and Dean Kolasinski. Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. Advertisement This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
