SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Football

Hall of Champions issues All-CIF football 'watch' list

By Phillip Brents

Posted Aug. 22, 2005

The San Diego Hall of Champions’ annual All-CIF football team is recognized by the San Diego Section as its official All-CIF team. Players are selected in an all-section format rather than by division. It is a big honor, not to mention a college recruiting aid, in being named to this rather exclusive team.

The Hall of Champions feels it has a pulse on who will be the players to watch this season after it recently released its initial All-CIF football team "watch list" for the upcoming 2005 campaign.

Grossmont Conference players catching the eye of the Hall of Champions’ forecasters include West Hills sophomore running back Raleigh Sevier, West Hills senior wide receiver Ryan Sevier, Santana senior lineman Jon Cooper, Monte Vista senior lineman Miles Lichtenberg, Steele Canyon senior defensive back Wesley Davis and Steele Canyon senior kicker/punter Ricky Araiza.

Ryan Sevier caught 44 passes for 784 yards and six touchdowns en route to earning last year's Grossmont North League Offensive Player of the Year award as a junior. He also made three interceptions on defense, returning one pick for a touchdown. He finished the 2004 season on the All-CIF Second Team.

Raleigh Sevier was named to the Second Team All-Grossmont North League offensive squad as a freshman after rushing for 578 yards and scoring nine touchdowns.

A First Team All-Grossmont South League selection in 2004, Araiza was successful on 29 of 34 point-after-touchdown conversions and added seven field goals (his longest was 42 yards) for 50 kicking points last year.

A First Team All-Grossmont South League defensive selection and All-CIF First Team honoree, Davis led the entire Grossmont Conference with seven interceptions last year, returning one for a score. He ended his star-studded season by earning a spot on the All-State team.

Cooper, who was listed at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds last year, earned First Team All-Grossmont North League offensive honors while Lichtenberg (5-9, 192) earned First Team All-Grossmont South League and All-CIF Second Team recognition on offense.

Quarterbacks making the Hall of Champions 2005 "watch list" include Mira Mesa senior Mike Coughlin and Crawford senior Raymond Patterson. Coughlin threw for 1,767 yards and 17 touchdowns last season in leading the Marauders to the Division I quarterfinals and a final 8-4 record.

Crawford finished 9-2 last season to earn a share of the Harbor League championship.

Running backs making the All-CIF "watch list" include Oceanside senior Mario Gonzalez, Fallbrook senior Anthony Morrow, Cathedral Catholic senior Demetrius Sumler and Torrey Pines senior Scooter Velasco.

Sumler concluded the 2004 campaign with 1,594 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 games while Gonzalez posted 1,250 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games.

Wide receivers on the list include St. Augustine senior Menelik Holt, Westview senior Daniel Lofton and Brawley senior Mike Mohamed. Rancho Bernardo senior tight end Will Yeatman also is listed.

Holt had 726 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns last year.

Linemen to watch, according to nominations received by the Hall of Champions, include Mission Bay senior Brian Agnis, Point Loma senior Josh Holmes, Vista senior Josh Marquardt, Cathedral Catholic senior Cody Pope, Otay Ranch senior Rocco Sanchez, Morse senior Darius Savage and Torrey Pines senior Nathan Vaughan.

Linebackers named to the All-CIF "watch list" include Vista senior Travis Goethel, Oceanside senior Justin Nonu, Eastlake senior Marcus Yarbrough and Mission Hills senior Robert Schenk.

Goethel and Nonu both earned First Team All-CIF recognition last year while Yarbrough garnered all-state honors.

Defensive backs to watch this season include Mission Bay senior Anthony Houston, Santa Fe Christian junior Stanley Paul, Poway senior Brandon Sullivan and Point Loma senior Anthony West.

Kick/punter Bill Bennett, a junior from Torrey Pines, rounds out the Hall of Champions’ initial All-CIF football "watch list." For updates, visit the San Diego Hall of Champions Web site at www.sdhoc.com.

Prep kickoff 2005

Steele Canyon will have the honor of providing the opponent for Cathedral Catholic’s first-ever football game on Sept. 2. The Dons, who will retain their school nickname and colors from their prior days as University of San Diego High School (USDHS), are opening their new Del Mar campus this year and their state-of-the-art football stadium has already become the talk of San Diego County. USDHS finished 10-2 last season as Eastern League champions, advancing as far as the Division III semifinals. The Cougars finished 6-6 last season and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Division II playoffs.

In other season openers on Sept. 2, El Cajon Valley will host Central Union from El Central at 6:30 p.m. while Helix will kick off its season with a 7 p.m. contest against Patrick Henry and Santana will host Montgomery in another 7 p.m. game. Valhalla (7 p.m. at San Ysidro) and El Capitan (7:30 p.m. at Serra) will both play season-opening road contests while defending Grossmont North League champion West Hills will travel out of state to take on Kauai, Hawaii in its opener.

Christian, which finished 6-5 last season in the Coastal League, will kick off its 2005 season with a non-league game against Vincent Memorial on Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Granite Hills High School.

Kick Off Classic

The San Diego Section will hold its third annual Kick Off Classic Aug. 26 and Aug. 27 as a fund-raiser for the section’s transportation fund (to help with postseason travel considerations). The two double-headers are officially scrimmages but will be played under game-like conditions. The Aug. 26 twin bill at Poway High School will feature Madison against Monte Vista at 5:30 p.m., followed by Brawley against host Poway at 8 p.m. The Aug. 27 double-header at Otay Ranch High School will showcase Calexico against Francis Parker at 5 p.m., followed by a Metro Conference matchup between Chula Vista and host Otay Ranch at 7:30 p.m.

2004 San Diego Section

All-CIF Football Teams

Offensive Player of the Year: Jason Forcier (St. Augustine), 12.

Defensive Player of the Year: Russell Tialavea (Oceanside), 12.

Kicker of the Year: Jordon Congdon (St. Augustine), 12.

First Team Offense

Quarterbacks: Jason Forcier (St. Augustine), 12; Derek Shaw (Oceanside), 12.

Running backs: Darrell Mack (Monte Vista), 12; Darrick Jackson (Escondido), 12; Zay Shepard (Brawley), 12; Shane Kilcoyne (Torrey Pines), 12.

Wide receivers: Jon Toledo (La Costa Canyon), 12; Roberto Wallace (Oceanside), 12.

Tight end: Vitale So'oto (Carlsbad), 12.

Offensive linemen: Thomas Altieri (Vista), 12; Doug Crawshaw (Valley Center), 12; Matt Sutton (West Hills), 12; Robert Bryan (Helix), 12; Andrew Denunzio (Eastlake), 12.

Kicker: Jordan Congdon (St. Augustine), 12.

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Sean Canfield (Carlsbad), 12.

Running backs: Larry Richardson (Chula Vista), 12; Tyler Harding (Valley Center), 12; Demetrius Sumler (USDHS), 11; Kevin Reteriano (Clairemont), 12; Kevin Smith (Helix), 12.

Wide receivers: Ryan Sevier (West Hills), 11; Kevin Pike (Hilltop), 12.

Offensive linemen: Miles Lichtenberg (Monte Vista), 11; Steven Kolone (Rancho Bernardo), 12; Dane Eccles (San Marcos), 12; Angel Carrillo (Marian Catholic), 12; Cameron Molifua (Oceanside), 12.

First Team Defense

Defensive linemen: Fevaea'1 AhMu (Serra), 12; Clinton Snyder (Monte Vista), 12; Russell Tialavea (Oceanside), 12; Daniel Tufele (Morse), 12; Nick Sloan (Valley Center), 12; Casey Tiumalu (Vista), 12.

Linebackers: Travis Goethel (Vista), 11; Kyle Siskowic (Clairemont), 12; Oscar Espinoza (Castle Park), 12; Justin Nonu (Oceanside), 11; Curtis Fillmore (Rancho Bernardo), 12.

Defensive backs: Wes Davis (Steele Canyon), 11; Louis Hall (Oceanside), 12; Michael Long (Helix), 12; Earl Wilson (Marian Catholic), 12.

Second Team Defense

Defensive line: Travis Mossy (Santa Fe Christian), 12; Will Thorpe (Torrey Pines), 12; Mark Fuimaono (Bonita Vista), 12; Harry Williams (Chula Vista), 12; Ryan Glazer (Grossmont), 12.

Linebackers: Jake Tauanuu (Helix), 12; Marcus Yarbrough (Eastlake), 11; Jason Beauchamp (Steele Canyon), 12; Steffan Santos (Marian Catholic), 12.

Defensive backs: Ferrari Welch (Sweetwater), 12; Shane Woodward (Vista), 12; Eddie Padilla (Mira Mesa), 12; Lucas Hayes (Vista), 12; Jonathan Meeker (Eastlake), 12; Nate Porter (Valley Center), 11.