California small town football program wins second straight state championship

Sonora, which has a population of less than 5,000, saw its high school football team win a CIF State championship Saturday.

Sonora High wins the CIF State Division 2-A championship with a 35-10 win over Rio Hondo Prep at Saddleback College on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. / Jeremy Westerbeck

It was a matchup between a true small school and a true small town.

Rio Hondo Prep (15-1), which is a small private school located in Arcadia, Calif. with just 150 students, has been the darling of Southern California high school football. The Kares won their third straight CIF Southern Section title this fall with just 82 boys in the school.

Then there's Sonora (15-0), which is seemingly the only high school in a Northern California town of no more than 5,000. Sure, the enrollment is about 1,000 at Sonora High, but given its mountain-town feel, what the Wildcats have accomplished in the last two seasons is actually more impressive than what Rio Hondo Prep has done.

And that's because Sonora has done what Rio Hondo Prep can't simple do: win a CIF State title.

Tommy Sutton (left) and Cash Byington lift the CIF State trophy after beating Rio Hondo Prep in the CIF State Division 2-A final. / Jeremy Westerbeck

Sonora beat Rio Hondo Prep 35-10 in the CIF State Division 2-A championship game at Saddleback College on Saturday afternoon to win the program's second straight state crown and keep its remarkable winning streak alive.

The Wildcats have won 22 straight games, which is the longest active winning streak in California. They won the CIF State 4-A final over St. Pius, 52-34, last fall. Sonora's last loss was on October 18, 2024 against Ripon.

• PHOTO GALLERY: Sonora vs. Rio Hondo Prep

Sonora's Tommy Sutton rushed for 40 yards and three scores on 13 carries. Brody Speer tallied 121 yards and one touchdowns on seven carries. The Wildcats totaled 308 yards rushing and only attempted two passes in the game.

"We're a brotherhood," Sutton said in an interview with reporter Fred Robledo of the Southern California News Group. "We love to come out and see each other everyday. It's just a blessing."

Sonora led 14-3 at halftime and 28-3 at the end of the third quarter.

RHP'S STORIED SEASON ENDS

Rio Hondo Prep has been on a remarkable three-season stretch, winning three straight CIF Southern Section titles. The Kares won Division 9 in 2023, Division 7 in 2024 and Division 5 this year.

Rio Hondo Prep's Noah Penunuri runs the ball against Sonora in the CIF State Division 2-A final at Saddleback College. / Jeremy Westerbeck

But the program suffered a second straight CIF State final loss in as many years. Last year, RHP lost in overtime to Vanden in the CIF State Division 3-A final, 42-41.

The team has been without star running back Noah Penunuri the last three games, who hurt his ankle in the section semifinal. He tried to play Saturday, but wasn't the same. He rushed six times for 12 yards. Junior Christian Lee ran for 54 yards on eight carries. Elias Har scored the lone touchdown on a catch of 46 yards from QB Yanick Diaz.

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