Malcolm Jones named Gatorade state player of the year

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Oaks Christian running back Malcolm Jones was named the Gatorade California Football Player of the Year after leading the Lions to yet another league title this season.

Jones, who has committed to UCLA, has 1,989 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns heading into the Lions’ Northwest Division semifinal against Cathedral on Saturday. The 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection also has recorded 127 tackles and three interceptions. He’s rushed for more than 5,000 yards as a four-year varsity player.

‘In crunch time, you go to Jones,’ Oaks Christian Coach Bill Redell said in a statement. ‘I’ve had the privilege to coach a lot of talented football players and he’s right up there with the best of them. He’s something special.’

Jones is also a strong performer in the classroom. He has a 3.46 grade-point average and is a peer math tutor. He also referees basketball games at a youth center in Los Angeles.

Jones becomes the second Oaks Christian player to win the honor. USC running back Marc Tyler won the award during the 2006-07 season.

-- Austin Knoblauch