With the 2018-2019 school year approaching, Prep2Prep takes a look at 10 of the top rising athletes in each coverage area. This feature focuses on the rising athletes within the North Coast Section, along with a few other underclassmen who are already regarded among the best in their respective sports. This is not a comprehensive list, and all athletes are listed in alphabetical order.
Armauni Archie, El Cerrito football/track
One of the top returning defensive backs in the section, Archie made an even bigger splash this past spring when he established himself as the fastest young man in the NCS. After winning the 100 meters at the NCS Meet of Champions, he then exploded to a time of 10.64 at the CIF Trials before taking fifth in the finals. He has started receiving offers from top schools around the country, including Nebraska, Washington State, and San Jose State.
Kidest Befikadu, Heritage basketball/track
Part of a talented group of returners which should again have Heritage among the top basketball programs in Northern California, Befikadu really showcased her game on the hardwood during last year’s NCS playoffs, scoring in double digits through each of the first three rounds, and then pulling down 11 rebounds in the section title game. In the spring, she established her ability as a top jumper, finishing second at the NCS Meet of Champions in the high jump to reach the state meet.
Alexis Bishop, San Marin basketball/softball
A starter in both sports, Bishop averaged over six points per game on the hardwood for the Mustangs before then becoming their rock behind the plate on the diamond. She hit .594 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles, and 38 RBIs, earning MCAL Player of the Year honors in the process.
Bubba Gomez, Fremont Christian soccer/basketball/baseball
A small school athlete who never takes a break, Gomez racked up over 100 saves as the Warriors’ starting goalkeeper in the fall, then averaged nearly 16 points per game as an all-league selection on the hardwood in the winter. But his best sport is baseball, where he compiled an 8-1 record with a 0.98 ERA and 131 strikeouts on the mound this past spring, while hitting .536 with 50 RBIs, once again earning BCL-General MVP honors.
Willie Harts III, Pittsburg football/track
A virtual Swiss Army knife on the gridiron for the Pirates, Harts can play receiver, running back, quarterback, defensive back, and return kicks. His recruiting stock has also been rising, especially after a spring season which saw Harts establish his speed as a sub-11 100 meter sprinter, making finals at the NCS Meet of Champions and leading the Pirates’ 4x100 meter relay to a berth in the state meet.
Marshall Lott, California basketball/track
Lott was an All-EBAL selection for the Grizzlies’ basketball team last winter, then showcased his explosiveness in the spring. He finished in the top three in the high jump at the NCS Meet of Champions to reach the state meet, where he then qualified for Saturday’s finals. In the triple jump, he finished fifth at the MOC with a jump of 44’ 7.5”, just shy of his EBAL-winning mark. He also finished second in the EBAL in the long jump.
Emmily Patneaud, Newark Memorial volleyball/wrestling
One of the top rising juniors in the section, Patneaud had over 300 kills for the NCS semifinalists during volleyball season, and then made a name for herself individually in the winter, when she captured the 143-pound title at the CIF Girls’ Wrestling Championships.
Lane Thrap, St. Bernard’s football/basketball/baseball
A rising three-sport star for the Crusaders, Thrap could be in line for a breakthrough season on the football field this fall, as one of the top returning receivers in a pass-heavy attack. The rising junior is already established in his other two sports, after earning co-MVP honors in the HDN last winter for basketball and then going 4-3 with a 1.70 ERA on the mound for the Crusaders in the spring.
Tim Weidinger, Las Lomas soccer/track
Weidinger was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the DAL-Foothill during his junior campaign for soccer, and then once again showed that he is one of the top long sprinters in the NCS, making MOC finals in a loaded 200 meter field and running on the Knights’ 4x400 meter relay which placed second in the NCS and 11th at the CIF Championships.
Jordyn Turner, Liberty football/basketball/track
Turner is expected to be one of quarterback Jay Butterfield’s top targets this coming fall, when the Lions will be defending their NCS Division I title. The rising junior is already an established presence in his two other sports, as one of the top rebounders and shot blockers in the BVAL on the hardwood, and one of the top sprinter/jumper combos on the track. Turner was the BVAL 400 meter champion last spring and placed fifth in the long jump at the NCS Meet of Champions.
Five more returners who have already ‘arrived’ . . .
Liam Anderson, Redwood cross country/track
It’s not a stretch to say that Anderson is the premier returning distance runner in the state. After winning the CIF Division III cross country title last fall, he collected an impressive double at the NCS Meet of Champions, winning the 1600 and 3200 meters, before also winning the 1600 meters at the CIF Championships. His 1600 meter win at the MOC was the second straight year in which he earned that title.
Tehya Bird, Cloverdale volleyball/basketball/softball
Despite only being a sophomore this past school year, Bird has already racked up a career’s worth of accomplishments in her three sports. The rising junior was a first-team All-NCL selection in volleyball for the Eagles after leading them to a 14-7 record, and then repeated that feat on the hardwood, being named first-team All-NCL as a leader for a team that won 20 games and reached the NCS quarterfinals. The spring season is without a doubt her best, however, as the verbal Oregon commit was a first-team All-NCS selection after leading Cloverdale to the NCS Division V title, hitting .667 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs, while also going 19-1 with a 1.01 ERA in the circle.
Miranda Heckman, Granada swimming
Already committed to national powerhouse Texas, the rising senior is virtually untouchable in the pool, having collected five individual state titles over the past three years. Heckman is now a three-time CIF champion in the 500 yard freestyle, and the back-to-back champion in the 200 yard freestyle.
Katie Hurst, Fortuna volleyball/track
The rising senior led the Huskies’ volleyball team in kills and blocks last season, but has really made a name for herself in the spring. Hurst won the NCS Meet of Champions in the high jump, and also qualified for state in the triple jump. At the state meet, she was a medalist in the high jump, clearing 5’ 8”, the second-highest clearance at the meet.
Dino Kahaulelio, Cardinal Newman football/basketball/baseball
A premier defensive end/linebacker hybrid for the Cardinals, Kahaulelio racked up 111 tackles last fall as Cardinal Newman won the NBL and reached the NCS Division III title game. He has started every game since entering the Cardinals’ program as a freshman.
He then turned his attention to the hardwood, where the Cardinals won 21 games, and to the diamond, where the Cardinals earned the four seed in the playoffs with Kahaulelio making contributions. And he did it all this past school year despite losing his mom during basketball season after her bout with cancer.
