Sanchez Earns a State Honor

Mission Viejo quarterback Mark Sanchez has been selected Gatorade’s 2004 California player of the year.

Sanchez, who has led the Diablos, ranked No. 1 in the state by Cal-High Sports, to a 13-0 record and an appearance in the Southern Section Division II finals against Valencia on Saturday at Angel Stadium, is a finalist for the company’s national player-of-the-year award, which will be announced in the next few weeks. He has committed to USC.

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Don Senegal has been hired to replace Chris Richards as football coach at North Hills Monroe.

Senegal, who has taught for 10 years at Monroe, was interim coach there in 1996 and a coordinator from 1997-2003. He was the offensive coordinator of Mission Hills Alemany this season.

Richards resigned after the regular season to pursue other interests.

Miscellany

The Southern Section has announced the recipients of its inaugural “Officiating with Honor” award.

The program honors officials who best exemplify the principles and characteristics of the state’s “Pursuing Victory with Honor” program. The award will be presented three times each year after each sports season.

“The CIF Southern Section is very pleased and excited to be able to recognize the outstanding contributions of our sports officials,” said Dr. Jim Staunton, commissioner of athletics for the section. “These men and women work very hard and their good work should be honored.”

Officials honored for the fall sports season (recipient is followed by sport and association): Jack Huntsinger, football, Long Beach; Richard Smith, football, Inland; Herman Lewis, football, Mojave Desert; Cal Houston and Burt Davis, football, Channel Coast; Al Cory, football, Foothill-Citrus; Rick Sherwood, football, Coachella Valley; Ron Mouzis, football, San Fernando; Robert Okamura, volleyball, Foothill-Citrus.