RHS golf coach is Inland Area Coach of the Year; three area golfers earn second-team honors

Redlands High School golf coach Mark Hopson was named the Inland Area boys golf coach of the year by the Inland daily newspapers of the Southern California News Group. Two of his team’s golfers were named to the all-area second team along with golfers from Redlands East Valley and Loma Linda Academy.

Hopson, who is also an assistant coach for men’s and women’s golf teams at University of Redlands, earned the honor after directing his young team to a Citrus Belt League team title, two victories in area invitational tournaments and a 15-1 dual meet record, 9-1 in the CBL. The team featured three freshmen, a sophomore and two seniors and finished fifth in CIF Southern Section Division 3 as a team.

RHS freshman Johnny Suh and RHS sophomore C.J. Lorenzo were named to the second team along with CBL individual champion Jack Prendergast, a sophomore at Redlands East Valley, and Ethan Castillo, a senior at Loma Linda Academy.

Five years ago, Hopson’s son, Kamron Hopson, was the 2021 Inland Area Boys Golfer of the Year as Redlands captured the CIF Southern Section Division 4 team title. Kamron posted a 36-hole total of 140 on two rounds of 70 to become the first prep from San Bernardino County to win medalist honors in the CIF championship since 2014.

The younger Hopson just finished his junior year at Cal State San Bernardino where he helped the Coyotes make it to the NCAA Division II national championship for the second year in a row. Kamron was recently named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team that honors student-athletes with a 3.5 or higher grade-point average.

Prendergast won medalist honors at the CBL championship tournament and CIF qualifier posting back-to-back rounds of 78 and 73 for a 36-hole total of 151 to win the tournament at Redlands Country Club by two strokes over Suh, who shot 76-77-153. Lorenzo was fifth with a pair of 78s for 156. Those three along with Grant Tucker of Citrus Valley and freshman Preston Ashley of Redlands advanced to the CIFSS individual regional in Victorville.

Castillo led his Loma Linda Academy team to a fourth-place finish at the CIFSS Division 7 championship at Meadowlark Golf Club in Huntington Beach with a 427. Castillo shot a 69 for 18 holes in the event.

Cajon High School, 2-8 in CBL dual meets this season, won the Division 7 crown with a 419 for 18 holes, led by Andrew Soriano’s 78. Redlands Adventist Academy tied for second place with Wilson High of Hacienda Heights at 424. JC Casaclang of Redlands Adventist shot a 70.