Not to hijack the thread, but just wondering if your son has looked at any of the D3 schools to your North? Linfield and George Fox have very competitive programs and I believe both have JV squads so kids get a chance to play and improve even if they don't make the Varsity team. Also, Concordia in Portland has been a great NAIA program for many years, but will be making the jump to NCAA division 2 next year. They also have a JV squad (not sure if they are keeping it when they move to Div 2). It's a nice university in the heart of Portland, but I believe they aren't as selective academically. Plus, they play a lot of road games in Cali, especially early in the season.
The weather may also be a better fit for a Cali kid. Ocean and Mountains are a couple hours away and although it's usually wet when the season starts, it's not normally real cold. I imagine travel to and from home would also be a lot easier/cheaper.
Good luck to you and your son!