Ryan Kasdorf named Gatorade state football player of the year
The Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior quarterback passed for 3,291 yards and 36 touchdowns. He led the team to an 11-1 record, winning the Serra League title.
Going from junior varsity to varsity and becoming the Gatorade state player of the year in football in his rookie season is a remarkable accomplishment for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior quarterback Ryan Kasdorf.
That's the conclusion of his coach, Kevin Rooney, who was pleased today that Kasdorf's performance this season has been recognized.
"He had a great year," Rooney said.
In receiving an award that went to Santa Ana Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley last season, the 6-foot-2 Kasdorf passed for 3,291 yards and 36 touchdowns while completing 69% of his passes. Notre Dame went 11-1 and won the Serra League title.
He also had a 3.75 grade-point average, which is an important component of the Gatorade player of the year evaluation procedure.
He now becomes a candidate for Gatorade national player of the year. Last season, he led Notre Dame's sophomore team to a 10-0 record.
"Going into the season, I don't think any of us knew what he was going to do because he hadn't played varsity," Rooney said. "He completed nearly 70% of his passes, which was pretty remarkable."
Sondheimer is a Times staff writer
Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com
