Photos by Tim Lunney

Football:

There were a number of programs within the 210 Prep Sports coverage zone that had historic seasons in 2024.

Of the 30 teams we follow, only two finished the regular season without a loss.

Bonita began the year with 11 consecutive wins for the first time since 1999.

The Bearcats cruised to a Sierra League title by defeating Glendora, Claremont, Los Osos, Charter Oak and Colony by a combined margin of 169-68.

BHS opened the postseason with a 35-20 victory at Cathedral before falling, 24-0, to the eventual D-3 champs from Edison.

Northview finished the regular season 10-0, which is believed to be just the second time that feat has been accomplished in program history.

The Vikings cruised to a Valle Vista League championship by outscoring Diamond Ranch, San Dimas, Alta Loma, West Covina and Baldwin Park by a combined margin of 166-34.

NHS surrendered 80 less points in VVL games than second-place San Dimas, and in 11 games in 2024, Northview allowed an SGV area low of 99 points all season.

And speaking of history, Pasadena did just that.

The Bulldogs opened 2024 at 2-5, and yet seven weeks later, they earned a CIF-SS (D-13) title for the first time in 91 years.

PHS defeated Santa Rosa Academy (23-15), San Marino (22-16), Lynwood (37-0) and Gahr (21-17) before falling to Monte Vista (42-21) in the CIF State D-7A So Cal Regional final.

Damien (8-3) took a huge step forward as a program.

Since joining the Baseline League in 2014, the Spartans had never defeated Rancho Cucamonga, nor had they secured a league championship.

That all changed on November 1st of this year.

DHS blocked a Cougars field goal attempt on the final play of regulation to claim a 34-31 victory at RCHS and a Baseline League title.

And then there’s Rio Hondo Prep.

That little school in Arcadia, which totals just 125 students (71 boys), just won their second consecutive CIF-SS championship.

Among the 373 CIF Southern Section football programs, just Mater Dei, (No. 1 ranked program in the United States) and Rio Hondo Prep have won CIF-SS titles in 2023 and 2024.

RHP also secured their first CIF State Division 3A So Cal Regional title after a 28-14 victory at Poway.

Last weekend, the Kares finished just shy of winning a state championship.

They fell, 42-41 to Vanden at Long Beach City College, after coming up short on a 2-point conversion attempt in overtime.

And it is because of the program’s unparalleled success that Noah Penunuri and Mark Carson have been named this site’s 2024 Football Player and Coach of the Year.

Noah Penunuri could very well go down as the greatest player in RHP history if his senior year goes anything like the last three.

As crazy as his numbers might seem, the fact is, they could be so much higher.

The Kares went 8-1 in the regular season after their week-10 opponent (Campbell Hall) dropped their program in June and it was too late to schedule another opponent.

In their eight wins, the closest margin of victory was 20 points (Brentwood) and the largest was a 46-point thumping of Pasadena Poly.

And that translated into Penunuri and his rushing partner in crime, Nate Curtis, seeing eight carries or less in most games.

However, to sound a little like George Peppard’s character on the A-Team, Hannibal Smith, it was all part of the plan.

The Kares knew that after Gold Coast League victories over Viewpoint and Brentwood, they would get the league’s No. 1 seed.

What they didn’t know was that CIF-SS/Calpreps analytics was going to bump them up two divisions to D-7 just one year after a D-9 title-game victory at Santa Monica.

From the first offensive play of the postseason, Penunuri put the RHP offense on his shoulders.

The Kares junior rushed for 1,068 yards and 17 rushing TDs in six playoff games.

He averaged 27 carries, 179 yards and three TDs over that six-game stretch.

Penunuri rushed for north of 200 yards three times in the postseason and 169 yards or more in two others.

He also had 37 tackles at linebacker during the playoff run.

The TD run just below is arguably his most important of the season.

Penunuri’s 21-yard score in the third quarter gave RHP a 22-10 lead over Warren in the D-7 title game.

For the season, he totaled an area best 1,965 rushing yards on 239 carries.

That included 31 rushing TDs.

Penunuri also caught 10 passes for 136 yards & 2 TDs, which was second to Nate Curtis.

On defense, Penunuri’s 62 tackles was second to Caeden Holcomb, who led RHP with 92.

Next year, expect Noah to break at least three prestigious records.

He’ll need just 84 yards to reach the 4,000-yard rushing mark.

And Penunuri is just 598 yards from breaking Landon Goodwell’s career rushing record of 4,514 yards that was set in 2004.

His 53 rushing TD’s is just 13 short of Nate Tayco’s (2013) record of 66 career rushing TD’s.

Rick Johnson’s 491 career points record that was set in 1990 is also in jeopardy.

Penunuri trails Johnson by 145 points, which equates to approximately 24 TDs and a 2-point conversion.

Noah isn’t just a great football player.

He’s also a terrific teammate, young man, a 4.0 student, and, over the summer, Penunuri won a Cali Kids Muay Tui middleweight title in front of his teammates at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center.

As the selfless team leader that he is, Penunuri wanted to make sure his boys got as much credit for the program’s recent success as he does.

Yanick Diaz completed 47-of-92 for 786 yards.

Diaz tossed 10 TD passes and four picks.

Nate Curtis carried the ball 100 times for 1,099 yards and 14 TDs.

Curtis also had team highs in receptions (14), yards (241) and receiving TDs (4).

He was third in tackles with 45 and he picked one pass.

Rainn Pollock had 39 tackles to go with his team-best five interceptions.

Caeden Holcomb gained 742 yards on 105 carries, and he scored 11 rushing TDs.

As mentioned, Holcomb also led the Kares defense with 92 tackles.

I asked Penunuri how frustrating it was to get limited carries in the regular season, if anything was different one year after winning the D-9 title and what he’d want his teammates, especially the seniors to know about his time with them.

Said Noah Penunuri: “It wasn’t nearly as frustrating as it might seem, because it was great to see the younger kids who work just as hard as the starters get playing time and develop their skills on the field. We went into the playoffs with a different mentality. We wanted more. We won another CIF championship, but I feel so badly that we didn’t get the state title for our seniors. I want them to know I loved every minute I spent with them, and I look forward to a lifetime of our brotherhood. I love each of you.”

His coach put it this way: “We have a lot of great players, but we wouldn’t have won CIF without Noah Penunuri,” Carson said. “He runs the ball with bad intentions. Noah’s fast, but he doesn’t avoid contact. His yards after contact are so impressive as is his balance. He’s our Sam linebacker and I could see him playing strong safety in college. Noah works his butt off in the classroom and on the football field. We are proud he represents our school and the program.”

Mark Carson is as respected as any football coach in the SGV area.

And that especially rings true among his peers.

He’s the kind of man that parents want to mentor their sons, and the 49-year-old is a leader that athletes love playing for.

Carson is a devout Christian, and unlike some, he walks the walk and doesn’t just talk the talk.

At Rio Hondo Prep, football is a distant fourth to faith, family and taking care of business in the classroom.

I’ve said this before, but what this reporter respects most about my friend is the fact that you don’t have to share a religious background, support the same presidential candidate or censor oneself in conversations with him.

He’ll respect and reach out his hand of friendship to anyone who treats others with dignity and has their heart in the right place.

Carson also happens to be a great football coach.

He’s got the best winning percentage in the SGV area since taking over the reins of his alma mater in 2018.

Carson, a 1993 RHP grad, and a member of the varsity coaching staff since 1999, is 64-13 overall.

That equates to an 83-percent success rate.

What Carson, his staff and their players have accomplished over the last two years alone is beyond remarkable.

They are 26-4 with a pair of CIF-SS championships, and a CIF State Division 3A So Cal Regional title to their name.

Part of what makes a great program is never settling for good enough.

In 2023, the Kares outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 488-250, including a 110-80 advantage in four CIF-SS playoff wins.

It ended with a 29-27 victory at Santa Monica in the D-9 title game, and they finished the season as the 207th ranked team in the state by MaxPreps.

As fun as that was, RHP turned up the heat in 2024.

For the second consecutive year, they went 13-2.

This time, though, Rio Hondo Prep won a Gold Coast League and CIF-SS D-7 titles.

That was followed up a week later with that CIF State D-3A So Cal Regional championship.

RHP had a 631-255 combined margin of victory, and that was coupled with an impressive 148-44 disparity in the D-7 playoffs.

The Kares began the season as the 242nd program in California.

By the time they had finished, Rio moved up 148 slots to No. 94.

Of the 30 programs in our coverage zone, that was fourth best to Baseline League powers Damien (43), RCHS (60), and the 11-1 Bearcats from Bonita High School (57).

In the D-7 title game, Bonita faced a Warren program that ended the 2023 season as the D-3 runner up, and the Bears were ranked 30th in the state last year.

When both teams lined up for the first play of the game at Arcadia High School, WHS had massive advantages in size, skill and depth.

And that’s what made the 43-16 ass kicking even more special.

I haven’t told this story to many people, but Carson and I had a conversation the night before Thanksgiving in which we both agreed that Rio Hondo Prep would either squeak out a win or get blown out by Warren.

We joked on the field after the game about how glad we were to be so wrong.

Carson and his staff put on a master class coaching seminar that included eating up all 12 minutes of the third quarter clock without Warren getting a single snap.

It’s Carson’s (guts) and preparation that has his athletes bought in lock, stock and barrel.

Case in point: RHP went up 22-10 after a near nine-minute drive in the third quarter.

Instead of kicking the ball deep and playing defense, the Kares recovered their onside kick after the coaching staff noticed in film earlier in the week that Warren had some lapses in special teams.

RHP turned that into seven points and the route was on, including Caeden Holcomb returning a Warren onside kick attempt 50 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Carson’s coaching staff includes Randy Johnson (offensive coordinator), Ed Drain (special teams), Dave Drain (offensive line), Anderson Lang (defensive back and kickers), Jack Van Cleeve (quarterbacks), AJ Corsini (defensive line & running backs), Rocky Seto (defensive analyst & team chaplain), JT Parker (linebackers & quality control), Will Torrico (offensive assistant), Edwin Ixta (game operations) and Carson serves as both the head coach and defensive coordinator.

Carson doled out the lion’s share of the credit towards his staff, but none has sacrificed more for the program than his wife, Claudia Carson.

Claudia and Mark will celebrate year No. 20 next year,

Mrs. Carson has selflessly taken center stage during football season in the raising of the couple’s four daughters, Paige, Camille, Hope and Elle.

“Claudia is our biggest fan. She’s been nothing but supportive,” Carson said. “She does the hardest job in taking care of the girls and our home. She is an amazing mom and wife. I couldn’t be more thankful for her, and I thank God for her. She’s the love of my life.”

They say a program is a reflection of their head coach, and that couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to the RHP football program.

You will literally never see a Rio Hondo Prep player disrespect the program, their opponent or the game of football.

Penunuri said, “our coaches are a huge part of our success. We don’t take shortcuts, and we are always going to play Rio Hondo Prep football. My teammates and I love the fact that Coach Carson is aggressive and takes chances. He’s played a big role in my career and my life, and I love him. People know we’re going to run the ball, but very few have been able to stop us. I also appreciate their help in deepening our individual relationships with God.”

Lastly, I asked Carson what he thinks about the new playoff formula, and what he’d want to say to his coaching staff, the seniors and the RHP family.

Said Mark Carson: “When the competitive equity came out, we kind of fought it. Eventually, we embraced it, and we knew that we needed to figure out how to win it. We had to change our mind strategically and we made it a priority to be more physical. Our coaches are a great group of guys, most of whom are Rio alum. Winning is great, but building the Christian character is what we try to develop the most. We want to have sustained success while doing things the right way. The seniors reminded me that I challenged them when they were young guys. They were the first team in school history to go to the state finals. These guys got it done and set the bar for future teams. Their legacy is that of tremendous success. I am so thankful for the support we get from our former players and the RHP alums. They might not know it, but they make a difference with their unwavering support.”

Noah Penunuri’s Playoff Stats:
CIF-State D-3A Final: Vanden 42, RHP 41 in OT: 38 carries for 232 yards & 5 TDs; 7 tackles & 1 sack
Southern Cal D-3A Regional Final: RHP 28, Poway 14: 27 carries for 169 & 2 TDs; 5 tackles
CIF-SS D-7 Title Game: RHP 43, Warren 16: 34 for 203 & 3 TDs; 6 tackles
CIF-SS D-7 semifinal: RHP 42, West Torrance 21: 27 for 187 & 2 TDs; 3 tackles
CIF-SS D-7 quarterfinal: RHP 28, ML King 7: 24 for 232 & 2 TDs; 10 tackles
CIF-SS D-7 First Round: RHP 35, Ramona 0: 9 for 45 & 3 TDs; 6 tackles
Totals: 159 carries for 1,068 yards & 17 TDs; 37 tackles on defense

Noah Penunuri Career Stats:
2024 Offense: 239 carries for 1,965 yards & 31 TDs; 10 receptions for 136 yards & 2 TDs
2023 Offense: 200 for 1,411 & 18 TDs; 7 for 57
2022 Offense: 86 for 540 & 4 TDs; 2 for 55
Totals: 525 carries for 3,916 yards & 53 TDs; 19 receptions for 248 yards & 2 TDs

2024 Defense: 62 tackles, 7.5 for-loss & 1 interception
2023 Defense: 68 tackles, 8.5 for-loss & 1 interception
2022 Defense: 43 tackles, 5.5 for-loss
Totals: 173 tackles, 21.5 for-loss & 2 interceptions

2024 Rio Hondo Prep Schedule & Results:
8/24: RHP 55, Francis Parker 28
8/31: RHP 65, Poly 19
9/7: RHP 56, Maranatha 14
9/13: RHP 53, Marquez 19
9/20: RHP 44, Bellflower 6
9/27: Torrance 28, RHP 21
10/4: RHP 24, King’s Academy 0
10/18: RHP 54, Viewpoint 19
10/25: RHP 42, Brentwood 22
11/8: RHP 35, Ramona 0
11/15: RHP 28, King 7
11/22: RHP 42, West Torrance 21
11/29: RHP 43, Warren 16
12/7: RHP 28, Poway 14
12/14: Vanden 42, RHP 41 in OT

Rio Hondo Prep in Carson Era:
2024: 13-2 overall; 2-0 in league, 4-0 in CIF-SS & 1-1 in CIF State
2023: 13-2, 2-1, 4-0 & 0-1
2022: 8-2, 2-1, 0-1 & 0-0
2021: 10-2, 2-1, 1-1 & 0-0
2020: 3-0, 0-0, 0-0 & 0-0
2019: 10-1, 3-0, 0-1 & 0-0
2018: 7-4, 2-1, 0-1 & 0-0
Totals: 64-13 overall, 13-4 in league, 9-4 in CIF-SS & 1-2 in CIF State playoffs

Rio Hondo Prep Coaching Staff:
Head coach & defensive coordinator: Mark Carson
Offensive coordinator: Randy Johnson
Special teams: Ed Drain
Offensive Line: Dave Drain
Defensive backs & kicking: Anderson Lang
Quarterbacks: Jack Van Cleeve
Defensive line & running backs: AJ Corsini
Defensive analyst & team chaplain: Rocky Seto
Quality control & linebackers: JT Parker
Offensive assistant: Will Torrico
Game Operations: Edwin Ixta

Most Wins Among 210 Prep Sports Programs in 2024:
Rio Hondo Prep (13-2)
Bonita (11-1)
Duarte (11-2)
Northview (10-1)
Muir (9-3)
San Dimas (9-3)
Glendora (9-5)
Monrovia (8-3)
La Canada (8-3)
Covina (8-3)
Charter Oak (8-3)
Damien (8-3)
Pasadena (8-7)
Chino Hills (7-4)
Los Osos (7-4)
Rancho Cucamonga (6-5)
San Marino (6-6)
Alta Loma (5-5)
South Hills (5-6)
Chino (5-7)
St. Francis (5-8)
Upland (4-6)
Claremont (4-6)
Maranatha (4-6)
Etiwanda (3-6-1)
West Covina (3-7)
Arcadia (3-7)
Azusa (3-7)
Ayala (2-9)
La Salle (1-9)