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2009 Prep Football
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Metro Conference/San Diego Section Preview
Will this be the Year of the Titan? ... Section coaches think so
Posted Sept. 3, 2009
The San Diego Section’s football coaches have spoken — in the preseason, anyway.

In fact, they’ve more than just spoken. They’ve taken action by placing a big target on the Eastlake High School football team, tabbing the Titans as the team to beat in Division I this season.

Will this be the year that Eastlake finally makes it to Qualcomm Stadium — the promised land of high school football in San Diego County?

It could happen.

The preseason coaches poll listed the top 20 teams. The Titans were the lone South County representative on the list, which may not be that surprising given the general low profile area teams have generated over the past decade. But Eastlake certainly appears to have the respect of the region’s senior coaching mind trust, as evidenced by their lofty No. 2 section ranking to defending Division II champion Oceanside.

Yes, the Pirates hold that coveted preseason No. 1 rating once again.

Scanning down the list, coaches have come up with some interesting predictions for the upcoming season.

Defending Division I champion La Costa Canyon is ranked third behind Oceanside and Eastlake. If the rankings hold throughout the season, the Titans and Mustangs would collide at the Q for this year’s Division I championship.

Cathedral Catholic, which fashioned a 14-0 season last year en route to claiming the section’s Division III title and a subsequent State Bowl championship, is ranked fourth and picked to repeat as Division III champions. Coaches are predicting that the unheralded Mt. Miguel Matadors will join them in this year’s finals in Mission Valley.

Valhalla, last year’s Division III finalists, move up to Division II this season to create quite a stir in the mix of division heavyweights that also includes Oceanside, Helix, Mission Hills and Lincoln. The Norsemen are tabbed fourth best in the division.

Valley Center is picked to repeat as the Division IV champion while Francis Parker is the early favorite to repeat as the Division V champion.

The playoffs will include four additional teams this season as the Division IV bracket expands from an eight-team elimination tournament to 12 teams — matching the number of post-season entrants in Division I, Division II, Division III and Division V.

Division I South County teams include Chula Vista, Sweetwater, Otay Ranch and Eastlake.

Division II South County teams include Hilltop, Bonita Vista and San Ysidro.

Division III South County teams include Mar Vista, Southwest, Montgomery and Castle Park.

Division IV South County teams include Olympian and Mater Dei.

Division V South County teams include Calvary Christian Academy and Midway Baptist.

Lutheran High School is the newest South County school after relocating its campus to Rancho del Rey. However, the Knights football team will continue to utilize Grossmont College for home games.

Top talent
Obviously, top talent has to drive many of these top teams and the section doesn’t appear to have a shortage in that department this season. In fact, this year’s recruiting class in San Diego County is being called one of the best in recent memory.

Eleven players from the section are included in this year’s Rivals.com High100 list of top college recruits in California, including seven in the top 40 and three in the top 10.

Eastlake defensive back-running back Tony Jefferson, who will attend UCLA next year, is rated third-best among the section’s recruiting talent (eighth overall in the state) behind Mission Bay running back Dillon Baxter (bound for USC) and Scripps Ranch running back Brennan Cly (bound for Oklahoma).

Baxter is rated No. 5 in the state; Clay is rated No. 7.

Baxter (5-11, 187) rushed for 1,258 yards and 16 touchdowns while catching passes for 150 yards and four scores last season. Clay (6-0, 190) had more than 2,500 yards of total offense in 2008.

Jefferson, whose speed has caught the interest of college scouts, had 88 tackles last season as a linebacker and also rushed for 1,328 yards. He stands 6-0 and weighs 196 pounds.

Another Chula Vistan, Cathedral Catholic offensive lineman Alex Crosthwaite, ranks as the section’s top lineman, fifth overall in the section and 26th in the state. Crosthwaite (6-5, 298) has won consecutive Division III titles with the Dons and was a member of last year’s state bowl championship team. The scouting report notes that he can bench-press 325 pounds and squat 425 pounds.

He ranks behind LCC wide receiver Kenny Stills Jr. among section recruits. Stills (No. 22 in the state) had had 64 catches for 1,201 yards as a junior.

Escondido’s Ricky Seale (5-9, 180) and Valhalla quarterback Pete Thomas (6-5, 220) rank sixth and seventh, respectively, among section recruits and 38th and 40th in the state. Seale accumulated 31 touchdowns last season while Thomas (Arizona State) threw for 3,169 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading the Norsemen to their best-ever season showing.

Four players round out the section’s contribution to the state’s top 100 preseason recruits: Lincoln wide receiver Davon Dunn, Oceanside defensive tackle Thomas Molesi, Valhalla defensive end Shane Pennix and Helix center Jay Barlow.

Dunn (6-0, 184) and Molesi (6-2, 280) have colleges already in hand — Dunn at Cal and Molesi at Oregon State. Pennix (6-4, 256) and Barlow (6-2, 264) remain undecided.

More talent
Add to those aforementioned names seven more -- Oceanside receiver DeMario Coleman, Cathedral Catholic defensive lineman Mustafa Jalil, Oceanside linebacker Jake Fely, Oceanside defensive back Jerry Whitaker, Escondido running back Tim Zier, Francis Parker quarterback Deon Randall and Vista linebacker Ofisa Kosa.

All earned all-section honors as underclassmen last season. Fely, Whitaker, Zier, Randall and Kosa are all seniors this year; Coleman and Jalil are both juniors.

Randall passed for 1,523 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while also rushing for 1,575 yards and 35 touchdowns. As a defensive player, he had 76 total tackles, including 29 first stops, and nine interceptions.

Coleman averaged 98 receiving yards per game in 2008 while Zier rushed for 1,332 yards and scored 24 touchdowns, including 19 rushing scores. Fely scored 11 rushing touchdowns last year while also averaging 11.5 tackles per game.

Four players earned First Team All-Mesa League honors last year as underclassmen: Otay Ranch offensive lineman Jordan Mellendo, Eastlake’s Jefferson, Chula Vista receiver Aaron Taylor and Chula Vista quarterback Victor Perez.

Six players earned First Team All-South Bay League honors as underclassmen: Montgomery’s Johnny Miranda (offense) and Luis Necoechea (defense), Olympian’s Jonathan Aguilar (defense) and Hollis Hulin (defense ) and Sweetwater’s David Fuerte (defense) and Rapi Sotoa (defense).

All-Southern League underclassmen picks in 2008 included Midway Baptist’s Joe Altig (second team offense) and Jesse Johnson (second team defense) and Calvary Christian Academy’s Robert Coons (second team defense).

Kick-Off Classic
First off, for the players, coaches, officials and fans who either participated in or came out to watch last Saturday’s seventh annual Kick-Off Classic at Valhalla High School, everyone deserves a special commendation.

The temperature at kick-off for the opener of the three games was 110 degrees.

It had cooled down to 102 degrees by the start of the second game and was 95 at sunset.

The action on the gridiron was just as hot, with the Mt. Miguel Matadors rewarding both themselves and their fans with a near-flawless 43-0 victory over Calexico and the host Valhalla Norsemen winning a high-scoring 35-28 decision over Westview. Central Catholic from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, kicked off the triple-header with a 19-12 victory over defending Southern League champion Foothills Christian, the third East County school featured in the day-long event.

In Kick-Off Classic double-header action the night before at Ramona High School, Olympian broke away from a close contest early on against Imperial to rack up more than 40 points in its victory while the host Bulldogs (Division III) won an entertaining back-and-forth 21-20 exhibition battle against Rancho Bernardo (Division I).

The slate is wiped clean for this Friday’s regular season openers.

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Mesa League Preview
Titans could be celebrating something other than a league title

Posted Sept. 3, 2009
The Eastlake Titans finished one play away from advancing to last year’s San Diego Section Division II championship game. Though the Titans move up to the Division I level this season, that hasn’t put a damper on any of the team’s expectations to excel this season.

“There is a lot of excitement this year,” Eastlake head coach John McFadden said. “We are returning many key players. The expectations are that Eastlake will be one of the top teams in the county.”

McFadden isn’t the only one generating such thoughts. The section’s coaches have tabbed the Titans as the No. 2 team in the county and the top team among Division I schools.

Can Eastlake win a CIF title? Chula Vista may be celebrating more than Park View Little League’s World Series triumph come December.

The Titans — 2009 version — are led by two-time all-state selection Tony Jefferson, who will see duty as a running back and strong safety this season. Jefferson will attend UCLA next season and will show just why he’s going to the Pac-10 on the gridiron his senior season.

Eastlake returns 10 all-league players from last year’s Mesa League championship team, including two first team all-league picks (Jefferson and outside linebacker Eddie Vega). Overall, the Titans list 17 top returning players.

No wonder there is so much excitement through the program.

Five Titans earned second team all-league status as underclassmen in 2008: quarterback D’Angelo Barksdale, offensive lineman-linebacker Matt Cellery, inside linebacker Marcus Mendillo, outside linebacker-running back Emilio Rangel and lineman Gabe Gomez.
Honorable mention recognition went to tight end-defensive lineman Robert Graves, running back-defensive back Chris Fletcher and defensive back Zach Bannon.

Running back Daniel Diaz, defensive back Fernando Cabico, receiver Chris Kane, defensive end George Zhebroilov, lineman Jose Mitchell and defensive backs Evan Linney and Daniel Johnson round out the team’s cadre of experienced returners.

McFadden lists six players whom he expects to impact the team as newcomers to the lineup: offensive linemen Nikko Sanchez, Arturo Hurtado and Luis Chacon, receiver-defensive back Travis Gardner, receiver-quarterback Jordan Hines and defensive back Jude Isbell.
The Titans will once again play one of the most demanding regular season schedules in the section, with three opponents listed in the preseason top 20: Mission Hills, Poway and Lincoln.

Eastlake kicks off its season with a Sept. 4 non-league game at Moorpark.

Legendary Alim returns to Mustangs’ saddle, could good things result?

Gene Alim’s coaching career is the stuff of legend: 16 winning seasons and back-to-back San Diego Section championships all stuffed into 17 years as a field general. It was no surprise that Alim was asked to start up Otay Ranch’s football program, building the program from the foundation up. The Mustangs finished 7-2 their first season at the junior varsity level under Alim and made their debut at the varsity level the following season with an 8-2 showing, snubbed by not being invited to the CIF playoffs.

But health problems forced Alim off the sideline as an active coach. Instead, Alim chose to concentrate on his dual duties as the school’s athletic director.

The Mustangs turned in a phenomenal 2006-07 season with 11 league championships and one CIF title.

Alim’s health has since improved and he has returned to the sideline to lead the Mustangs to improved fortunes.

“I’ve got a good group of guys — a blue collar-type of team,” said Alim, who owns a cumulative 148-46-2 coaching record at Otay Ranch, Eastlake and Sweetwater. “We’re going to have to grind through everything.”

The Mustangs have a slew of top returners, led by quarterback Juan Leary, who averaged just over 200 yards per game offensively last season. Leary primarily acted as a ball-carrier from his signal-calling position, punishing the defense time and again until he managed to eventually find a running lane to rip off tremendous yardage gains.

The 2009 Otay Ranch team is also bolstered by returning all-league offensive lineman Jordan Mellendo.

Other key players include lineman Andrew King, tight end-linebacker James Triplette, offensive lineman Kalon Turner, tight end-defensive lineman Kasey Hernandez, wide receiver-defensive backs Keyhanti Henry, Ernie Hicks and Shaun Licudine, lineman Anthony Leota, running back-defensive back Danny Azhocar, kicker-punter Niall Wilkinson.

Leary will also see action on defense as a defensive back.

The Mustangs kicked off the 2008 season under then head coach Brad Burton, opening with a 2-0-1 run that included a 19-19 tie against eventual Division II runner-up Helix. But after winning its Mesa League opener against Bonita Vista, Otay Ranch stumbled to a 1-3 finish in its final four games.

The Mustangs completed last year 5-5-1 after a 35-0 first-round playoff loss at Vista.

Alim brings a bit more discipline to the table and there’s no doubt he has respect from everyone associated with the program, including school principal Jose Brosz on down the chain of administrative command.

Alim has taught for 34 years and spent half of that as a head coach, all in the Sweetwater district. He believes his team can rebound from last season’s disappointing 2-3 league finish to become a title contender in 2009.

“They’ve worked hard in the off-season,” Alim said of his players. “They’ve done everything we, as a coaching staff, have asked them to do. Now it’s a matter of executing.”

Alim’s coaching trademark has been to take his teams on out-of-state excursions and this year will be no different. Otay Ranch is scheduled to play Monarch High School in Louisville, Colo., on Sept. 11.

The Mustangs kick off the season with a Sept. 4 road game against a Grossmont Foothillers team picked to win the Grossmont North League this season.

Spartans reload with potent offense

With four of the Mesa League’s top returning players, the Chula Vista Spartans have to be considered one of the league’s major dynamos. Whether that translates into a league title — or anything beyond — will be determined in upcoming weeks.

In the meantime, the Spartans appear a solid contender for this year’s Mesa League title and possibly just good enough to earn a berth among the section’s top 10 teams before the season is over.

All of this being said given CVHS graduated 30 seniors last season.

“We’re pretty fortunate we have solid senior leadership this year,” head coach Judd Rachow said. “A lot of the nucleus from last year’s successful team returns. They will need to play significant roles and a lot of the players who didn’t see a lot of playing time as juniors without doubt will have to step it up.”

Significant roles will be expected from senior quarterback Victor Perez, senior wide receiver Aaron Taylor, senior fullback-linebacker Thomas Tutogi and senior running back Anthony Stanislaus.

Perez, who strikes an imposing figure on the field at six feet, six inches tall and 220 pounds, passed for 1,971 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. He has attracted recruiting interest from such colleges as Cal, USC, Arizona, SDSU and Texas-El Paso.

Taylor, another all-league returner, caught 43 passes for 917 yards and four touchdowns last season while Stanislaus rushed for 838 yards and eight TDs.

Tutogi is the team’s bruiser at both positions.

Both Taylor and Tutogi have attracted college scouts, with Montana State, Colorado State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, SDSU, Arizona and New Mexico State paying close attention.

Top returners, besides the team’s Fab Four, include senior tight end Josh Leon, senior fullback-defensive back Tyrone Richardson, senior tight end-linebacker Lucky Manu, senior linemen Gilbert Navarro, Moses Garcia and Andrew Klistoff and senior offensive lineman-linebacker Roman Molina.

Returners who will receive significantly more playing time this season include senior wide receiver Giovanni Vicente, senior defensive backs Oscar Castillon and Anthony Gonzalez, senior kicker Jesus Vela and senior linebacker Shawn Tarango.

Overall, there are nine offensive returners and three defensive returners.

The team’s impact newcomers include junior linebacker Jose Luis Casillas, junior linebacker-fullback Jeff Ayers, junior defensive lineman Eddie Shervin, junior strong safety Joel Perkins and junior defensive back Andrew Salas.

The Spartans finished 7-4 last season (4-1 in league), earning the No. 4 seed in the Division I playoffs before bowing out in the quarterfinals against visiting Carlsbad.

With so many components to be fully integrated this year, Rachow is counting on continued improvement as the season goes on to spell out the final fortunes of this year’s team.

“It matters more how you finish than how you start,” the CV coach said. “We’re going to develop as the season goes on.”

The Spartans kick off the season with a Sept. 4 home game against cross-town rival Castle Park. Kick-off is 7 p.m.

Lancers go to one of their own for varsity re-boot

New Hilltop coach Mark Flint is enthusiastic about the upcoming season.

“We are excited about the group of players who have worked extremely hard this off-season,” said Flint, a 1985 Lancer alumnus. “The team is fast and smart and definitely looking to improve on last year’s 1-9 overall and 0-5 league results.”

Top returners include senior linebackers Tommy Padilla and Patrick McGrath, senior receiver Sergio Martinez and senior defensive back Sebastian Smith.

McGrath served as a quarterback in a secondary position last season but earned second team all-league honors on defense.
Smith served a multi-purpose role last season — rushing and receiving the ball while also performing place-kicking duties when called upon.

Flint lists the team’s impact newcomers as sophomore quarterback Omar Hernandez and junior defensive ends Luis Herrera and Greg Williams.

Flint said the team’s goals are to be competitive in every game, minimize mistakes, improve on last year’s goals and to compete for a league championship.

The latter might be a tall order to fill but the Lancers are clearly a team that looks to capitalize on its potential.

Hilltop kicks off regular season play with a Sept. 4 home game against the Horizon Christian Panthers, part of the school’s elaborate 50th anniversary celebration.

The unusually early homecoming game kicks off at 7 p.m.

Events prior to the game include dinner at the Club Faire, starting at 4 p.m. Guests are invited to take a stroll around the school for memories and visit a temporary museum stocked with Hilltop memorabilia.

Mater Dei seeks continued success under new coach

The Mater Dei Crusaders made the jump to the larger-enrollment Mesa League last season partly on the years of success won in the smaller-enrollment South Bay League. Mater Dei compounded the jump with one of the Metro Conference’s toughest non-league schedules. The Crusaders met the Valhalla Norsemen, the eventual San Diego Section Division III finalists, in their second game of the season, then squared off against traditional parochial school power St. Augustine (Division III semifinalists) and followed that with a match-up against eventual Division IV champion Valley Center.

In all, the Crusaders played eight playoff-bound teams during the 10-game regular season, finishing 5-5 (3-2 in league play), to earn the No. 3 seed in the Division IV playoffs. In breaking even during regular season play, Mater Dei (Division IV) defeated four Division II schools and one Division I team.

The Crusaders dropped a quarterfinal-round playoff contest to longtime division power Mission Bay to conclude their season.
Mater Dei will tackle the 2009-10 campaign under new head coach John Joyner. The Crusaders’ schedule remains a tough one, with the season opener against Division IV playoff qualifier Santa Fe Christian and following with non-league contests against St. Augustine and Valley Center.

Returning starters include senior defensive end/tight end Franklin Ausler (6-3, 220), senior tight end Jesse Edgar (6-2, 210), senior safety/linebacker Jake Coogan (5-10, 170), senior defensive back/running back Darius Pitre (5-10, 170), senior offensive tackle Martiniano Valdez (6-2, 240), senior offensive lineman Rafael Carrillo (5-10, 170), senior wide receiver/defensive back Patrick Mayor and sophomore linebacker/tight end Andrew Martinez (6-2, 200).

Coogan earned Second Team All-Mesa League honors last season while Ausler is being picked as a potential college recruit this season.
Also returning to the this year’s line-up are junior linebacker Aleck Urriata (6-0, 190), senior quarterback Rafael Blanco (5-11, 180), junior linebacker Ivan Camara (6-0, 195) and junior wide receiver/defensive back David Delacazada (5-11, 170).

Overall, the Crusaders lost 15 seniors to graduation but are bolstered by eight returner starters.

Top newcomers include senior defensive back Eddie Parra (5-9, 165), senior lineman Michael Nunez (6-5, 275) and junior linebacker/wide receiver Patrick Salem (5-11, 180).

Joyner said the Crusaders will be pressed to repeat their third-place finish in league play this season. Obstacles to overcome include a new coach and a new system — things Joyner said “might take the boys some time to get used to.”

“We have a great core group of front seven returners on defense along with a talented group of juniors coming up to help,” the Mater Dei coach said. “We need to replace a quarterback and some skill position players but we have had a great off-season and we are working very hard. It should be a team effort.”

Joyner’s prospective section top 10 reads like this: (1) Oceanside, (2) Cathedral Catholic, (3) Helix, (4) La Costa Canyon, (5) Valhalla, (6) Eastlake, (7) Mira Mesa, (8) Chula Vista, (9) St. Augustine and (10) Mission Bay.

South Bay League Preview
Aztecs look to finally knock down door to win SBL title

The Montgomery Aztecs have been knocking on the proverbial door the past several seasons. This season they look to finally break it down.

That door opens to the South Bay League championship.

“Our 2008 league record was 5-1, second place,” Aztec head coach Julio Alcala said. “Our strength is our defense that returns nine starters. Our offense returns three all-league skill position players. We also have a strong JV coming up — South Bay League champions.”

It all could add up to a league title after a runner-up finish to Castle Park last season.

Top returners include four returning all-league performers overall: wide receiver-linebacker Johnny Miranda (first team offense), linebacker-fullback Luis Necoechea (first team defense), wide receiver-defensive back Chris Mathis (second team offense) and running back-linebacker Diego Rodriguez (second team offense).
All are seniors but Rodriguez, who is a junior.

Alcala also is counting on the following returners to contribute heavily to the team’s success this season: senior receiver-defensive back Luis Romero, senior defensive back Etyam Arredondo, senior linebacker Ivan Diaz, senior defensive end Orlando Escobar and senior defensive tackle John Leyno.

Miranda and Rodriguez, as the top offensive returners, will have to carry the load as the team reformulates its offense.

The team’s impact newcomers are numerous — Alcala lists 10 overall. They include junior offensive lineman B.J. Dioquino, junior linebacker Mario Garcia, senior offensive lineman Kevin Hernandez, junior quarterback Jordan Lippman, senior offensive lineman Mitchell Owens, junior receiver Manny Quiambao, junior receiver Steven Schafer, junior offensive lineman Andrew Tapia, senior defensive back Richard Smith and senior defensive tackle Gustavo Rivera.

Hernandez is a transfer from Mater Dei while Rivera is another transfer student. Other than Tapia, the rest are up from last year’s junior varsity squad.

Montgomery finished 5-5 last season and was not selected for the Division III playoffs. There’s a lot of motivation for this year’s team.

The Aztecs kick off regular season play with a Sept. 4 home game against El Cajon Valley.

Olympian Eagles set to fly high in 2009, challenge for top spot

Ask other coaches in the South Bay League about a possible 2009 champion and the Olympian Eagles’ name keeps coming up. Are the Eagles finally championship material?
Certainly, this will be the most experienced team fielded by head coach Gil Warren.

Olympian is in its fourth year of existence and graduating its first freshman to senior class.

Among the crop of seniors is quarterback Ryan Van Nostrand.

“It’s a tremendous honor to see how our high school football program has developed from being on the shorter end of things to finally being able to compete,” he said.

This year’s Eagles team has size — at least in numbers, with 47 players on both the varsity and junior varsity squads and 72 on the freshman team.

“That’s quite a jump from what we’ve had here in the past,” Warren said. “Things are looking up. We’ve had a lot of interest at the freshman level. We won the league on the freshman level the last two years, so that’s obviously created some interest here.”

What Olympian did last year was complete a winning season at the varsity level with a 6-4 overall record. The Eagles did not qualify for the eight-team Division IV playoffs but with the division’s post-season field expanded to 12 teams this season that should not be a problem.

Olympian might even nail down a playoff berth as the South Bay League champion.

The Eagles return 18 letter-winners from last season. Notables include senior offensive lineman-linebacker Jonathan Aguilar and receiver-safety Hollis Hulin, both first team all-league picks in 2008, as well as senior tight end Eric Paranada, junior running back Dre Gibson and Van Nostrand, all second team all-leaguers last year.

Senior wingback-safety Guillermo Flores and sophomore middle linebacker Santana Leomiti round out the team’s key personnel.

The Eagles will meet the Eagles (from Granite Hills) in their season opener Sept. 11 at home. Kick-off is 7 p.m.

Sweetwater, despite coaching change, has to be considered top title contender

New head coach Jose Mendoza said the Red Devils are looking to improve from last year’s third-place finish in the South Bay League standings behind league champion Castle Park and runner-up Montgomery.

“We will work hard as a team,” he said.

Mendoza was still an assistant coach in July but was promoted to the head coaching position because of health problems encountered by former coach Tony Garcia.

Garcia, a former standout on Sweetwater’s CIF championship teams in the 1980s, returned to restore pride and tradition to his former alma mater and the Red Devils have made strides in recent years in terms of regaining a bit of their former glory.

Mendoza will carry on that job and the timing might be a lot closer than many people think.

Sweetwater was a solid contender for last year’s South Bay League title after making the switch from the Mesa League. The Red Devils lost 14-7 to Montgomery on a touchdown in the waning minutes and came up short against Castle Park, 29-7, in a game much closer than the final score indicated.

This year’s SuHi team should be equally as competitive, if not more so.

Top returners include senior defensive back-wide receiver David Fuerte, senior defensive back-wide receiver Rapi Sotoa, senior linebacker-offensive lineman Jose Lopez, junior quarterback Adam Aguon, senior linebacker-running back Adrian Diaz, senior defensive back-wide receiver Ruben Mendoza and senior defensive-offensive lineman Luis Badilla.

Fuerte and Sotoa both earned First Team All-South Bay League defensive honors last season while Lopez and Aguon both received league honorable mention honors.

Sotoa rushed for 563 yards and four touchdowns last season while Fuerte gained 317 yards and scored two TDs.

The SuHi coach said he expects senior defensive-offensive lineman Andrew Castaneda, senior linebacker-running back Oscar Gomez and senior defensive back-wide receiver Jay Gonzales also to make an impact on this year’s varsity squad.

Mendoza said the team’s offense should be more balanced with a year of maturity for Aguon, who started as a 10th grader.

“As a sophomore he was in there just trying to survive, now he’s coming in with a lot more confidence,” Mendoza said of Aguon, who towers over teammates.

The SuHi coach said the rest of the team’s offensive unit should benefit as a result of the QB’s increased confidence level.

Defensively, the Red Devils should be on par with previous year’s teams because of Mendoza’s role as defensive co-ordinator. “There won’t be much difference from last year — just with different guys stepping up.”

Mendoza has served as a defensive co-ordinator under four previous SuHi coaches: Garcia (twice), Eric Peterson, the late Andy Sanchez and Gene Alim (twice). Mendoza has also served as an assistant coach at Eastlake (under Alim), Otay Ranch and Southwestern College.

Mendoza said the circumstances under which he took the head coaching position were unfortunate but will steam full speed ahead in continuing what Garcia started.

“Coach Garcia started it and we want to carry on and keep it going,” Mendoza said. “We worked together to get this far. We finished third in league last year and were competitive in all our league games. We want to be competitive in all our games this season.”

The Red Devils kick off the 2009 season with a Sept. 4 non-league game at Orange Glen and follow with non-league match-ups against Chula Vista (annual Legacy of Pride game), Hilltop and Christian prior to jump-starting the team’s South Bay League schedule.

Defending champ Trojans are in major rebuilding mode

The Castle Park Trojans fashioned a South Bay League championship season in 2008, finishing 6-0 in league play, 8-3 overall following a first-round loss to visiting Point Loma in the San Diego Section Division III playoffs.

That was last season. There is a new reality to deal with this year.

The Trojans graduated 28 seniors off a team of 32.

New CP coach Russell Moore obviously expects his team to face its share of challenges in 2009 as it prepares to defend its league title.

“The team will have to gain experience each week,” Moore said. “We have a very athletic junior class; they will have to step up and fill the gap. The team goal is to play Castle Park football.”

Top returners include senior defensive back-running back Eugene Torres, senior linemen Caesar Amparo and Brian Lugo and junior quarterback-defensive back Tyron Eden.

Torres, whom Moore describes as an “all-round player,” earned All-South Bay League honors last season.

Moore calls Amparo a “very physical, intelligent player,” and said that Lugo possesses a “tough football attitude.” Moore said Eden possesses “play-maker” abilities.

Impact newcomers, according to Moore, include junior defensive back/running backs Paul Sierra and Javier Marquez, junior linebacker-running back Jovannie Gonzlaez, junior kicker Alfredo Rodriguez, senior receiver-kicker Ramon Torres and senior linebacker-running back Eugene Fuller.

Moore used words such as “very athletic” and “competitive” to describe Sierra, Gonzalez and Marquez.

Rodriguez and Torres are both all-league soccer players. Moore said Rodriguez has a “big time leg” while Torres brings “lots of speed” to the lineup.
Moore said Fuller is “not afraid to hit.”

In other words, expect the 2009 Trojans’ mantra to be that of hard-work and dedication to being the best they can be.

Castle Park opens its season with a Sept. 4 non-league game at cross-town rival Chula Vista.

South Bay League Quick Hits
Mar Vista Mariners
Mar Vista Mariners coach Brian Hay believes his team has the potential to finish in the winning column this season. In fact, Hay seems sold on the potential of this year's squad. "We feel if we remain healthy that we can win league and finish with a 6-4 overall record," Hay said.

That's a bold statement based on last year's 2-4 South Bay League record and 2-8 overall mark. But it's also a challenge to this year's team that the MV coach believes is stocked with potential.
Top returners include seniors Seville Hayes (middle linebacker, 6-2, 210), Will Clark (tight end-defensive end-quarterback, 6-2, 225), Trevay Turner (defensive back, 6-4, 205), Adrian Nuno (offensive lineman, 6-4, 245) and Max Valenzuela (offensive lineman, 5-7, 225).

Turner, Clark, Valenzuela, Nuno and Hayes join senior linebacker-running back James Houseman as the team's six captains this season.

Players whom Hay feels can make a significant contribution to this year's team include Jordon Lertique, Ruben Gonzalez, Justin Peoples and Rommell Cooper.

Mar Vista was outscored by an average of 19.5 points last season. But with eight returning starters on offense and seven returning starters on defense, the tale of the tape could be quite a different story this season.

The Mariners kick off their season Sept. 5 with a non-league game against Division V semifinalist Christian at Granite Hills High School.

San Ysidro Cougars
Coach Gary Pugh said turnovers killed the fortunes of last year’s Cougar squad, contributing heavily to a 1-9 season. While Pugh admitted that injuries and grades will have an impact on this year’s team, the San Ysidro coach feels the team has vastly improved in its athleticism to meet the challenge. "I think we can surprise some people coming off a 1-9 season in which the team got better each game," Pugh said.

Top returners include senior tight end-defensive back Keondre Moore, junior running back-defensive back Christian Zambrano, senior running back-defensive back Tim Johnson, junior lineman Omar Rios, senior fullback-defensive lineman Octavio Gurrola and senior running back-defensive back Tremaine Mitchell.

Mitchell earned Second Team All-South Bay League honors last season.

Newcomers expected to impact this year’s varsity lineup include senior lineman Marcus Patterson, senior running back-defensive back Asanta Yarbrough, senior fullback-linebacker Arnoldo Carbajal and sophomore quarterback Javion Watson. Yarbrough is a transfer from Ohio.

San Ysidro kicks off its season with a Sept. 4 game at Granite Hills High School.

Southwest Raiders
First-year head coach Mike Esposito reports that excitement and numbers are both up within the Raiders program. He’d also like to report a few wins this season. The Raiders finished 0-10 last year. "Everyone is working hard and our goals are to win," Esposito said.

Top returners include offensive lineman Taylor Dutcher, wide receivers David Leon and Maris Boldridge, tight end-defensive end Enrique Sanchez and linebacker Juan Padilla.

Players expected to make an impact as newcomers include defensive lineman Jesus Macias, quarterback Lamar Weston, kicker Ismael Guerrero and defensive back Chris DeGuzman.

The Raiders kick off their season with a Sept. 4 game at San Diego High School.

Grossmont Conference Preview
Grossmont South League: a scramble for the top spot

First off, for the players, coaches, officials and fans who either participated in or came out to watch last Saturday’s seventh annual Kick-Off Classic at Valhalla High School, everyone deserves a special commendation.

The temperature at kick-off for the opener of the three games was 110 degrees.

It had cooled down to 102 degrees by the start of the second game and was 95 when the sun set.

The action on the gridiron was just as hot, with the Mt. Miguel Matadors rewarding both themselves and their fans with a near-flawless 43-0 victory over Calexico and the host Valhalla Norsemen winning a high-scoring 35-28 decision over Westview. Central Catholic from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, kicked off the triple-header with a 19-12 victory over defending Southern League champion Foothills Christian, the third East County school featured in the day-long event.

The slate is wiped clean for this Friday’s regular season openers.

Valhalla Norsemen
Quarterback Pete Thomas earned honors as last season’s Grossmont South League Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 3,159 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading the Norsemen to a runner-up finish in the CIF Division III finals to eventual state champion Cathedral Catholic. Thomas, who is headed for Arizona State University, averaged 243 yards per game and only threw five interceptions.

A multi-purpose talent, he also added 67 kicking points on 46-of-48 PAT conversions and seven field goals last season.

As for the Norsemen, matching last season’s 11-2 record might seem a tall order, especially with heavy losses to the team’s defense due to graduation. Some observers are predicting high-scoring shootouts this season. If so, Valhalla seems to have enough returning firepower on offense to win the bulk of those.

The Norsemen return their top five scorers from last season: Thomas (seven rushing touchdowns to go with 46 PATs and seven field goals), running back Traivonne Brown (14 touchdowns) and receivers James Leighton (11 touchdowns) and Matt Swanger (seven touchdowns) and Nino Mallory (five touchdowns).

Defensive lineman Shane Pennix (listed at 6-4, 256 last season) may be the team’s top defensive returner. A first team all-league pick, Pennix was credited with 68 tackles, including 11 sacks and two fumble recoveries in 12 games last season.

Offensive lineman Taylor Phipps (5-11, 210) was a first team all-league selection on offense in 2008.

The Norsemen kick off the season with a Sept. 4 home game against Our Lady of Good Counsel from Olney, Md.

Steele Canyon Cougars
Cougars coach Ron Boehmke is upbeat about the 2009 season despite graduating 25 seniors from last year’s playoff team. Steele Canyon returns 10 starters, most notably senior running back/linebacker Alex Perlin, who has generated recruiting interest from several colleges.

Perlin earned First Team All-Grossmont South League and All-CIF honors last season while rushing for 1,660 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 127.7 yards per game. His longest run from scrimmage last season was 64 yards.

Senior defensive back Michael Winter, a second team all-league pick last season, joins Perlin as one of the team's top returning players. Other returning starters include senior defensive back Taylor Mishler, junior running back/safety Jake Wragg, junior quarterback Brad Boehmke, senior offensive lineman Levi Rangel, senior receiver Cody Simpson, senior linebacker Hunter Sallee, junior defensive lineman Easton Simmons and senior defensive lineman Josh Harris.

Winter snared three interceptions last year.

Top newcomers include linebacker/running back Brandon Watkins, tight end/linebacker Kyle Sager, defensive linemen Joey and Geoff Alegria, receiver Joseph Cisneros and offensive lineman Blake Busby. All are juniors.

The elder Boehmke feels this year's squad has what he terms “good skill, speed and quickness” for a “young and talented team.”

The Steele Canyon coach isn't making a predictions but does feel this year's unit has the potential to finish anywhere among the top three spots in the Grossmont South League, likely vying with defending league champion Helix and Valhalla, last year's league runner-up team.

The Cougars open the new season with a Sept. 4 non-league contest at defending state champion Cathedral Catholic.

Mt. Miguel Matadors
The Matadors finished 3-7 last season and out of post-season consideration. Head coach Tom Karlo said Mt. Miguel, sporting a new look at the quarterback position, could very well improve on its 1-4 Grossmont South League record of a year ago.

Derall Hunter (5-10, 181) rushed for 1,507 yards and scored 19 touchdowns as a junior last year. Lineman David Carrillo, linebacker Jordan Gentner and linebacker/lineman Khaalid Abdullah also earned all-league honors last season as underclassmen.

Carrillo (6-1, 281) earned first team all-league honors last season while Abdullah (6-0, 213) was a second team all-league pick.

Gentner (5-8, 188) made 67 Tackles, including 11 for losses, and had two sacks en route to earning second team all-league recognition last season. Abdullah was credited with 54 tackles last season.

Offensive lineman Tyrone Iaulualo (6-0, 306), Natone Morgan (5-10, 174) and Nathan Lang (6-2, 241) all earned honorable mention honors last year. Morgan made 31 tackles and had four pass break-ups. All are seniors this year.

The returning lineup is loaded with seniors this season: lineman Braxton Falaniko (6-2, 283), defensive lineman Montel Williams (6-2, 327), wide receivers Tyler Miller (5-6, 167) and Bryant Mitchell, tight end Willie Morales (6-0, 201) and defensive backs Christian Henry (6-0-, 191) and Kevin March (6-2, 161).

Williams made 17 tackles, including seven for losses, while Miller had 14 catches and one touchdown and Morales had 13 catches and one touchdown Henry made 19 tackles, three for losses and had two pass break-ups while March had 12 tackles last season.

Karlo lists a number of newcomers whom he expects to impact the Matadors’ lineup this season. They include senior quarterback A.J. Stanford (6-1, 188), junior defensive back Ronnie Hicks (6-1, 166), junior defensive lineman/wide receiver Saofiaga Maulupe (6-3, 221), junior offensive lineman Taurus James (5-9, 255), sophomore running back Derrick Dunn, sophomore defensive lineman Malcolm Jackson and senior defensive lineman Malcom Johnson (603, 241).

Stanford (a basketball player) and Johnson did not play last season while Hicks, Maulupe and James are all up from the junior varsity team and Dunn and Jackson played at the freshman level last year.

Stanford and Dunn excelled in the Kick-Off Classic win over the Bulldogs.

Karlo said he is enthused about the talent at several key positions. “We have some experience back in the offensive line and at running back,” the Mt. Miguel coach said. “The new quarterback could be a dual-threat guy. We have two real good linebackers back (Abdullah and Gentner) and some experience at cornerback.”

Granite Hills Eagles
The Eagles finished a very disappointing 1-9 in 2008 but coach Randy DeWitt feels better fortunes are in store for this year's squad.

Granite Hills returns a pair of first team all-league performers in the guise of senior free safety Brian Carroll and senior kicker Tyler Strickland as well as offensive lineman/linebacker Joe Cardona and linebacker Brenden Nager, both all-league honorable mentions.

Carroll had five interceptions last season, returning one for a touchdown while Strickland missed only one out of 23 point-after touchdown conversions while also booting a 38-yard field goal.

The Eagles continue to be led by quarterback Tyler Joworski, who will be playing in his third varsity season after throwing for 768 yards and eight touchdowns last year.

Tight end Johnnie Valencia rounds out the team's top returners.

Impact newcomers rate to be running back Freddy Halton, linebacker Kevin Valenzuela, quarterback Cory Lockman, wide receiver Gilbert Perez and defensive back Nate Huff. All are juniors.

DeWitt noted last year's junior varsity team finished 7-3 and contended for a league title. Drawing from that talent pool should help buttress this year's varsity squad.

“With strong senior leadership and a great junior class, the Granite Hills Eagles will be playing in the post-season,” DeWitt said.

The Eagles kick off regular season play Sept. 4 with a home game against the San Ysidro Cougars. Game time is 7 p.m.

Foothillers or Vaqueros, Highlanders or Norsemen?
High school football season set for Sept. 4 kickoff

The 2009 high school football season kicks off Sept. 4 with regular season play, following this weekend’s round of scrimmage games. This is the last season for the current Grossmont South League/Grossmont North League alignment before pigskin teams switch to the new Grossmont Valley League/Grossmont Hills League alignment next year.

Will the Grossmont Foothillers claim the last Grossmont North League title or will the El Capitan Vaqueros successfully defend it?

Will the Helix Highlanders, despite massive losses to graduation, still have enough to retain their standing as Grossmont South League champions or will the 2008 CIF finalist Valhalla Norsemen come out on top?

Those questions will be answered shortly.

Grossmont North League
Grossmont Foothillers
Foothillers coach Ron Murphy rates his team as the favorite to win this year’s league title. Grossmont finished third in GNL play last season behind El Capitan and West Hills but proved it was a worthy playoff pick by defeating Bonita Vista on the road in the opening round of last year’s Division II post-season tournament. The Foothilllers ended their season with a quarterfinal loss to eventual division finalist Helix.

Murphy said he expects his team to “do well” in the CIF playoffs this season.

The Grossmont coach’s optimism has to be fueled by presence of six returning all-league players: Five of them are seniors: quarterback Tyler Mutter, wide receiver Brett Etherton, offensive lineman Clayton Rainey, defensive lineman Brian Paznokas and linebacker Cody Sos. Also back is junior running back Desean Waters.

Mutter wound up as the San Diego Section's 12th-ranked quarterback in 2008 with 2,088 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and a 174.0 yards per game average. Waters rushed for 612 yards and also caught two passes for touchdowns while making three interceptions on defense. Sos had three picks last year, including two returns for touchdowns.

Etherton was the top receiver last season in the Grossmont Conference, with 60 catches for 862 yards and six touchdowns.

Impact newcomers to the lineup, according to Murphy, include defensive back Joey Acosta, offensive lineman Joe Musgrove, linebacker Michael Tucker and defensive lineman Jess Benbrook. All are juniors.

El Capitan Vaqueros
Last season, the Vaqueros rallied from a somewhat slow start to not only capture the GNL championship but also advance to the Division III semifinals, finishing 8-4 overall The semifinal playoff game against St. Augustine will be remembered for a long while as El Capitan took the outcome down to a wild finish.

“We lost as time ran out,” Vaquero coach Ron Burner said.

El Capitan should once again find itself pushing toward the top despite the loss to graduation of standout quarterback Tanner Rust, now at New Mexico State (where he will be playing both football and baseball).

Rust finished the 2008 season as the San Diego Section’s eighth-ranked signal-caller after throwing for 2,549 yards and 27 touchdown passes last season. He was named the Grossmont North League Offensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-San Diego Section selection.

As a junior, Rust passed for 3,159 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Burner admits his team initially be challenged by the loss but feels the Vaqueros have enough remaining in their arsenal to be equally as potent on the offensive attack.

“We will be tested early due to the loss of our quarterback Tanner Rust but then again everyone said we would be hurting after we lost Ryan Lindley (now at SDSU) and Tanner stepped it up, so I am expecting Mark Sharfenberg to handle the load quite well,” Burner said. “We have a lot of the skill positions returning so that will help him get into a groove and settle him in.”

Top returners, besides, Sharfenberg, include senior wide receiver Brooks Noble, senior offensive lineman John LaTendresse, senior running back Matt Burkett, junior offensive lineman Anthony Agunat, junior tight end/wide receiver Robert Craighead, senior wide receiver/quarterback Brandon Sanchez, senior running back/wide receiver Marquise Hawkins, senior linebacker/safety Dominic “Bubba” Prouty, senior defensive back Anthony Lima, junior linebacker Daniel Wade, senior linebacker/running back Dillion Schlotter, senior defensive back James Gallivan, senior linebacker J.T. Wildes and senior defensive lineman Jake Burton.

LaTendresse, Sanchez, Lima and Wade all earned first team all-league honors last year while Prouty was named the GNL Defensive Player of the Year.

Impact newcomers include junior wide receiver Tyler Mason, junior linebacker/running back Dakota Furr, senior safety Ryan McBurney, sophomore center Carl Martin, junior defensive back Nathan Manning and junior offensive lineman Nick Vannoy.

Mason was last year’s Offensive Player of the Year on the Vaqueros’ junior varsity team.

With a great number of returners on both sides of the line of scrimmage, Burner remains optimistic about the upcoming season.

“On defense we have eight returning starters so we feel our defense will be our strength this year,” Burner said. “ Most people will pick us to finish second behind Grossmont but I will pick us to finish first and make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.”

The Vaqs will host University City Sept. 4 to kick off the new season.

2009 Prep Football
Opening Schedule
Non-League
Friday, Sept. 4
San Ysidro at Granite Hills, 7 p.m.
Point Loma at Monte Vista, 7 p.m.
Morse at Mt. Miguel, 7 p.m.
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) at Valhalla, 7 p.m.
University City at El Capitan, 7 p.m.
Otay Ranch at Grossmont, 7 p.m.
Kearny at Santana, 7 p.m.
West Hills at Patrick Henry, 7 p.m.
El Cajon Valley at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Steele Canyon at Cathedral Catholic, 7 p.m.
Helix at Rancho Buena Vista, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 5
Mar Vista vs. Christian at Granite Hills High School, 7 p.m.

Southern League Preview
Foothills Christian takes aim to repeat as league champion

The Foothills Christian Knights went 7-0 to win last year’s Southern League football championship. The Knights will have to win seven games again to conclude another perfect league campaign with the addition of the San Diego Jewish Academy and the departure of Vista Calvary Christian Academy to keep the three-year-old league’s membership at eight schools.

“Our No. 1 team goal is to win the league championship and our next goal is to advance a little farther in the CIF playoffs,” said Knights head coach Steve Perdue.

Foothills Christian kicks off its season with a Sept. 4 home game against Escondido Charter at 7 p.m. at Junior Seau Field.

The Knights look to receive more of a challenge this season after compiling a 10-2 overall record last year while winning by an average margin of 22.3 points. Foothills Christian’s season came to a crashing halt via a 77-24 loss to Christian in the Division V quarterfinals.

Perdue stressed team play will be the key to his team’s success this season.

“Our offensive line is all new — that’s where we’re really weak this year, that’s where we’ve had to replace most of our guys,” Perdue said.

The Knights made their preseason debut with a 19-12 loss to the Central Catholic Cougars from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, as part of the seventh annual CIF Kick-Off Classic Aug. 29 at Valhalla High School.

Perdue said the unexpected physical play of the Alberta team is what gave his team the most trouble in the Kick-Off Classic scrimmage match-up.

“We didn’t expect the Canadian team to be as physical as they were. We know Escondido Charter will be physical. It was a good test for us,” Perdue said.

A Bright spot for the Knights continued to be the multi-faceted play of standout quarterback Garret Campbell, who returned the second half kick-off 92 yards for a touchdown before leading his team on a short 27-yard scoring drive after Foothills Christian forced a turnover.

Campbell proved to be a one-man scoring machine last year by racking up 182 points. He passed for 1,571 yards and 16 touchdowns, rushed for 1,114 yards and 11 touchdowns, kicked 42 point-after-touchdown conversions, tacked on six field goals and returned five kick-offs and two punts for touchdowns.

The Santee resident averaged 226 yards per game in total offensive yards last season — 95 rushing yards per game and 131 passing yards per game. He averaged 15 points per game.

Perdue said Campbell is involved in aboutn75 percent of the team’s plays. The Knights coach calls Campbell one of the top talents in high school football in the section, period.

Other key components to this year’s Knights team are returning first team all-league defensive standouts Caleb Gardner and Robert Kakos.

Gardner averaged 8.2 tackles per game in 2008, making 98 total stops with two fumble recoveries. Kakos ranked second on the team last year with 84 tackles, including three sacks, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

Perdue is high on the talent displayed so far by freshman Spencer George.

Overall, the defending Southern League champions boast seven returning starters.

But have the Knights lost more than they have gained? Foothills Christian lost a pair of all-league first-teamers on offense in Gage Provencher and Mattison Rundlett and also lost first team all-league defensive player Travis Wolfe to graduation. Several second team all-league standouts also graduated: Tim Giron and Eli Lettau on offense and Ian Murphy and Zack Ivy on defense.

The Knights compete as one of the smaller schools at the Division V level with an enrollment of 219 students (male and female). Of that number, 25 play on the football team.

“Football more than any other sport is a team sport,” Perdue said. “As a player, you need to ask yourself how I can help the team? What is my role?”

Foothills Christian defeated Calvin Christian, 16-14, to win last year’s league title. The teams are being picked to finish in that order again this season, with Julian rated the third-best team.

CCA Royal Knights building program, step by step

After finishing 1-8 with 11 freshmen last season, Calvary Christian Academy-Chula Vista head football coach Frank Henry believes there is only one direction his team is headed: up the Southern League standings.

"Last year was the second year of tackle football for (us)," Henry said. "The team had 11 freshmen but was competitive in all but three games all season. We finished 1-8 but could have easily finished 4-5. I think that we have a great chance to have a winning record this year and an outside chance of making the playoffs."

The key to such a breakthrough season, Henry said, is whether or not the Royal Knights can avoid injuries.

"Our roster has only 20 players and our quality of players gets rather thin after our first team," Henry said. "The future of our program is very bright. We do not presently have any seniors on our team and might be a year away from competing for the Southern League championship."

The list of top returners is led by 6-foot-3, 240-pound fullback-linebacker Robert Coons, an all-league performer at defensive end as a freshman. Coons is joined among the returners by sophomore lineman Bryce Scheckel (6-3, 275), junior offensive lineman-linebacker Oscar Gonzales (6-1, 190), sophomore quarterback-defensive back Daniel Henry (5-5, 120) and junior lineman Travis Galarza (5-9, 170).

The elder Henry lists three players as impact newcomers: freshman tight end-linebacker Justin Harris (5-11, 190), freshman wide receiver-defensive back Trace Scheckel (5-11, 150) and junior running back-defensive back Aaron Bielson (5-7, 150).

College Football
Nation’s eyes will be on SDSU’s Lindley this season

San Diego State University’s football team kicks off its season Sept. 5 with a non-conference game at UCLA. When they do so, the eyes of the nation will be following SDSU quarterback Ryan Lindley in particular.

The former El Capitan High School standout and Alpine native has been named to the preseason watch list for the Manning Award, presented by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to the nation’s top collegiate quarterback. Lindley, who set SDSU and Mountain West Conference records last season for passing yards by a freshman, is one of 38 quarterbacks on the list and one of just six sophomores.

Lindley becomes the second Aztec player to be named to a national award watch list this season, joining center Trask Iosefa (Rimington Trophy watch list). He is one of three MWC quarterbacks on the Manning Award watch list along with TCU senior Andy Dalton and Brigham Young senior Max Hall.

Lindley earned team offensive Most Valuable Player honors last season as a redshirt freshman. He started 10 games, completing 242 of 427 passes for a 56.7 completion percentage with 16 touchdowns and 2,653 yards. Lindley ended the season ranked 24th nationally in passing average — second among freshmen — and 42nd in total offense (fourth among freshmen). He also had the seventh-best passing efficiency among all freshmen at 117.01.

He also became just the second freshman in school history to start a season-opening game for the Aztecs, joining two-time All-American and the school’s all-time career passing leader Todd Santos.

Against Idaho last year, Lindley threw for a career-high 433 yards to become the 14th quarterback in school history to record a 400-yard passing game. Lindley, who also had four 300-yard passing days on the season, finished his freshman campaign on a high note, completing 35-of-50 passes for 387 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in San Diego State’s 42-21 victory over UNLV.

The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. Ten finalists will be determined by a selected panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings. That list will be released on Nov. 30. The winner will be announced on Jan. 14.

The first four winners of the Manning Award reads like a Who's Who list at the quarterback position. USC’s Matt Leinart was the inaugural winner of the award in 2005, followed by Texas’ Vince Young in 2006. Both went on to be top-10 NFL draft picks. In 2007, LSU’s JaMarcus Russell earned the award and was the NFL’s No. 1 draft pick. Boston College’s Matt Ryan claimed the award in 2008 and was drafted No. 3, quickly becoming the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.

Season tickets for SDSU’s six-game home schedule start at $56 — or $9.33 per game — and are available through the Aztec ticket office by calling 283-7378. Single-game tickets (starting at $11) and mini-plans, that feature three home games and a $20 ticket to an SDSU men’s basketball conference game are also available starting at $40.

2009 Manning Award watch list
Austen Arnaud (junior, Iowa State); Sam Bradford (junior, Oklahoma); Levi Brown (senior, Troy); Darryll Clark (senior, Penn State); Jimmy Clausen (junior, Notre Dame); Andy Dalton (senior, TCU); Austin Davis (sophomore, Southern Miss); Armanti Edwards (senior, Appalachian State); Robert Griffin III (sophomore, Baylor); Matt Grothe (senior, USF); Max Hall (senior, BYU); Tim Hiller (senior, Western Michigan); Jerrod Johnson (junior, Texas A&M); Colin Kaepernick (junior, Nevada); Case Keenum (junior, Houston); Dan LeFevour (senior, Central Michigan); Corey Leonard (senior, Arkansas State); Thaddeus Lewis (senior, Duke);

Ryan Lindley (sophomore, San Diego State); Jake Locker (junior, Washington); Jeremiah Masoli (junior, Oregon); Colt McCoy (senior, Texas); Kellen Moore (sophomore, Boise State); Tony Pike (senior, Cincinnati); Terrelle Prior (sophomore, Ohio State); Todd Reesing (senior, Kansas); Zac Robinson (senior, Oklahoma State); Tyler Sheehan (senior, Bowling Green); Riley Skinner (senior, Wake Forest); Rusty Smith (senior, Florida Atlantic); Jevan Snead (junior, Ole Miss); Ricky Stanzi (junior, Iowa); Tim Tebow (senior, Florida); Trevor Vittatoe (junior, UTEP); Adam Weber (junior, Minnesota);
Juice Williams (senior, Illinois); Russell Wilson (sophomore, N.C. State); T.J. Yates (junior, North Carolina)