Brandon Smith, Central East dominate as The Bee honors 2025 prep football stars
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Central East and coach Kyle Biggs win CIF Division I-A state title led by Brandon Smith.
- Smith produced 2,189 rushing yards, 32 TDs and dynamic defense with 88 tackles.
- Coach Biggs earns second straight Bee Coach of the Year; program reaches 123-31.
When it comes to coaching Brandon Smith, Central East football coach Kyle Biggs doesn’t have to worry about what to say — Smith already knows what needs to be done.
Whether it’s his natural talent or the influence of his uncle, Clifton Smith Jr. — known for tormenting opponents at Fresno State and in the NFL — Smith was the Bengals’ clear go-to guy this season.
“He’s just a ball player,” Biggs said. “It didn’t matter what position we put him in. He was willing to do whatever he could to help the team win.”
Smith starred at both running back and defensive back, leaving his mark on virtually every snap. He scored on short bursts and long breaks, and his knack for intercepting passes — often returning them for touchdowns — made him a constant threat.
His all-around excellence powered Central East to a Tri-River Athletic Conference crown, a Central Section Division I-A title, and ultimately a California Interscholastic Federation Division I-A state championship, capped by a 42-28 victory over Pacifica-Oxnard at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
With production like that, Smith is The Fresno Bee’s Player of the Year.
“I just really had to step up and be a leader,” Smith said. “I’m more known for leading by example, but I had to be more vocal this year. I also did my best to help my linemen, and they did a great job all season.”
The numbers tell the story: Smith carried the ball 255 times for 2,189 yards and 32 touchdowns, and caught 25 passes for 385 yards and five more scores.
But Smith contributed even more on the defensive side: 88 tackles, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), a fumble recovery, two forced fumbles (including one returned for a score), and 13 pass breakups.
It was a season to remember for Smith, who will continue his football career at the University of Arizona in 2026. His goals for his future are no less ambitious.
“When I go to Arizona, I want to be one of the best running backs in college football,” Smith said. “I’m just focused on giving my team a shot and getting into the College Football Playoffs.”
Coach of the Year: Kyle Biggs, Central East
For the second straight year, Biggs is The Bee’s Coach of the Year after leading Central East to its second state championship in program history.
Aided by a talented group of assistants, Biggs puts his players in position to succeed through expert preparation and teamwork.
“It’s all credit to my players and coaches,” Biggs said. “This isn’t an individual award by any means. It’s a group effort, and we take pride in that. We’ll cherish it.”
Biggs owns an impressive 123-31 career record, with a 107-21 mark in 10 seasons at Central East — making his mark as one of the Central Section’s legendary coaches.
Other Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Jimmy Burk, Sr., Redwood: A game-changer for the Rangers, Burk led them to a 9-3 overall record and 5-0 finish in the West Yosemite League. Known for his hard-to-bring-down running style, Burk tallied 1,862 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, plus a receiving score.
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Tytus Dimmer, Sr., Clovis West: The Golden Eagles’ defensive leader, Dimmer posted 80 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and two pass breakups. He was the quarterback of the defense, always putting teammates in position.
Large School Player of the Year: QB Jelani Dippel, Central East: While Smith was often in the spotlight, Dippel’s stellar season shouldn’t go unnoticed. Under Biggs’ guidance, he completed 251 of 395 passes for 4,583 yards and 58 touchdowns against just eight interceptions.
Medium School Player of the Year: RB Tyler Romo, Sr., Immanuel: The Eagles rode Romo’s legs to a 13-1 season (4-0 in the Tri-County – Sequoia Division). He scored 18 touchdowns and was equally impactful on defense, finishing with 94 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and two passes defensed.
Small School Player of the Year: RB Jason De La Cruz, Sr., Orosi: The section leader in rushing touchdowns, De La Cruz rushed for 2,834 yards and 36 scores, leading Orosi to a successful season in Tulare County.
The Bee All-Stars
OL Tipi Aloua, Sr., Immanuel
OL Emilo Ayala, Sr., Kingsburg
QB CJ Barker, Sr., Roosevelt
WR Justice Bell, Sr., Hoover
TE/LB Vaughn Blunt, Sr., Kerman
TE Israel Briggs, Sr., Clovis
RB/LB Ja’khari Burrell, Jr., Central Valley Christian
QB Cenzo Caladra, Soph., Sanger
K Eliseo Cendajas, Soph., Woodlake
DL Lolomanaia Clark, Sr., Clovis
OL Tyson Cook, Sr., Central East
RB Aaron Cox Jr., Sr., Sanger West
QB Jordan Crisp, Sr., Tulare Union
RB JR Cruz, Soph., Clovis North
RB James Curoso, Soph., Clovis
RB Ethan Dunn, Sr., Liberty-Madera Ranchos
CB Donovan Dunmore, Sr., Buchanan
WR Sterling Edwards, Soph., Clovis
DL Trenell Emerson, Soph, Edison
QB Ethan Enriquez, Sr., Porterville
QB Tyler Franklin, Sr., Bullard
DL Zamarion Frazier, Sr., Garza
LB Marcus Garcia, Sr., Golden West
RB Lindsey Graves, Sr., Clovis East
OL Landon Guenter, Jr., Redwood
K Josgar Guerrero, Jr., Redwood
WR Bayon Harris, Jr., Central East
OL Abner Hernandez, Sr., Liberty-Madera Ranchos
OL Ruben Hernandez, Jr., Roosevelt
OL Jaxson Hissong, Sr., Clovis
QB/CB Paul Holland, Sr., Washington Union
QB JJ Howard, Soph., Clovis West
RB Ehis Idoni, Soph., Roosevelt
LB Jayden King, Jr., Bullard
OL Nathon Krumpleman, Sr., Immanuel
WR Caden Larsen, Sr., Minarets
OL Sebastian Leyva, Jr., Porterville
QB Vernon Lacy, Soph., McLane
WR Frank Lockard, Sr., Tulare Union
TE Jayden Martinez, Jr., Madera
RB Kendale McGrew, Jr., Sanger
RB Kayden McGrew, Sr., Sanger
OL Marcus Medrano, Sr., Redwood
QB Cam Mobley, Sr., Hoover
WR EJ Morgan, Sr., Central East
LB Juan Ochoa, Sr., Central East
G Adrian Ortega, Sr., Woodlake
DB Chris Perry, Sr., Central East
WR Tyrin Pree, Sr., Bullard
Leo Quiroz, Soph., Sanger
OL Ramon Quiroz, Sr., Immanuel
K Eric Ramirez, Sr., Garza
DE Juan Raygoza Jr., McLane
WR Demaje Riley, Jr., Tulare Union
LB Edy Munoz-Rivas, Sr., Fowler
OL Jordan Rivera, Sr., Sanger
WR Owen Robertson, Sr., Exeter
OL Kane Romero, Jr., Redwood
QB Deagan Rose, Sr., Clovis
RB Miguel Salazar, Soph., Sanger
OL Mark Saesee, Sr., Redwood
WR Julyen Scott, Jr., McLane
RB Gannon Sever, Jr., Buchanan
WR Demetrius Simon, Sr., McLane
WR Brayden Stevenson, Sr., Tulare Union
LB Justin Clark-Strickland, Sr., Hanford
OL Malachi Tagi, Sr., Immanuel
QB Adrian Torres, Sr., Kerman
OL Mekhi Walker, Sr., McLane
DB Oshea Webb, Sr., Clovis East
QB Torin Wolf, Sr., Minarets
WR/DB Carlos Young, Sr., Clovis
