The Register’s All-County football teams:
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
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Quarterbacks
JT DANIELS
Mater Dei, 6-2, 200, Sr.
The Register’s offensive player of the year.
CHASE GARBERS
Corona del Mar, 6-3, 215, Sr.
He was the Pacific Coast League most valuable player. Garbers was second in Orange County passing yardage with 3,900 yards. He also threw for 47 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Ten of his touchdown passes came during the playoffs as the Sea Kings advanced to the CIF-SS Division 4 championship game. Garbers surpassed 300 yards in five games, including 329 yards with four touchdowns in Corona del Mar’s 35-34 win over Lompoc in the Division 4 semifinals. Garbers committed to Cal.
JACK SEARS
San Clemente, 6-3, 200, Sr.
He was South Coast League offensive player of the year. Sears completed 68 percent of his passes for 2,610 yards and 37 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,135 yards and nine touchdowns. Sears rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the Tritons’ 45-35 win Murrieta Valley in the CIF-SS Division 2 championship game. He threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in a CIF Regional win over Edison. Sears committed to USC.
RUNNING BACK
KC CARR
Tustin, 5-11, 165, Jr.
Tustin coach Myron Miller wasn’t sure that Carr, because of his size, could carry the load in the Tillers’ run-heavy offense. Carr had no problem with it. He led Orange County in rushing with 2,757 yards, ran for 38 touchdowns and averaged 230 yards a game. He rushed for 437 yards over two playoff games. Carr was named Empire League offensive player of the year.
WIDE RECEIVERS
TAE LE
Corona del Mar, 6-4, 230, Jr.
He was quarterback Chase Garbers’ favorite target. Le finished with 78 receptions, second-most in Orange County, for a county-high 1,311 yards and 22 touchdowns. Le had 22 receptions and four touchdowns in the playoffs. He reguarly showed that he could outleap a defensive back to pull in a pass. Le, who is being recruited by some colleges as a tight end, was All-Pacific Coast League first team.
AUSTIN OSBORNE
Mission Viejo, 6-3, 180, Jr.
Osborne finished with 36 receptions for 961 yards and 16 touchdowns. His stats would have been greater, but he often did not play much in the second half of the Diablos’ many one-sided wins. He averaged 27 yards a reception and was All-South Coast League first team. “He’s a big down-the-field receiver,” Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson said, “and he’s got good speed.” Osborne was All-County first team last year too.
AMON-RA ST. BROWN
Mater Dei, 6-0, 187, Jr.
St. Brown’s 1,229 yards were second highest figure in O.C. He had 60 catches, 21 of them for touchdowns. He was All-Trinity League first team, along with his older brother, Osiris. He started the season strong, with seven receptions for 137 yards and four touchdowns in a season-opening win over Bishop Amat, and ended it strong, too, with six catches for 140 yards and a touchdown in the loss to St. John Bosco in the CIF-SS Division 1 final. “Amon-Ra wants to make the big play in crunch time,” Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson said, “and he usually does so.”
OSIRIS ST. BROWN
Mater Dei, 6-2, 185, Sr.
He earned the MVP award for offense in the Trinity League. St. Brown had 62 receptions for 1,127 yards and 19 touchdowns. His best game came in a league win over Orange Lutheran as he had 11 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. “Osiris is a precise route-runner with tremendous breakaway capability,” Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson said. He committed to Stanford.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
TOMMY BROWN
Mater Dei, 6-7, 321, Jr.
He played left tackle for an offense that averaged 53 points a game and helped quarterback JT Daniels set Orange County single-season records for passing yardage and passing touchdowns. Brown, son of Foothill baseball coach Vince Brown, has scholarship offers from 10 schools, and there are likely many more to come during the spring and summer. “Tommy’s upside is tremendous,” Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson said. “He’s still growing. I look for him to have a dominating senior year.”
BRETT NEILON
Santa Margarita, 6-3, 288, Sr.
He was All-Trinity League first team. Neilon, a center, anchored an offense that averaged 30 points a game. Neilon is extremely agile for his size. He was selected to play in next month’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio. Neilon, who received a stack of scholarship offers, committed to USC.
RYAN NELSON
Buena Park, 6-6, 275, Sr.
He was one of the better two-way linemen in Orange County, lining up at tackle on offense and at various positions on defense. Linemen rarely get a league’s player of the year honor, but Nelson did so in the Freeway League, which named him league co-player of the year with teammate Cedric Dashiell II. Nelson helped the Coyotes win the league championship, finish 10-2 and average 37 points a game. He committed to Virginia.
JARRETT PATERSON
Mission Viejo, 6-5, 270, Jr.
Diablos coach Bob Johnson raved about Patterson’s combination of playing ability and smarts. “He’s so solid,” Johnson said. “He’s big, strong, getting bigger and getting stronger, and very bright.” Patterson was All-South Coast League first team. Patterson helped the team average 52 points a game in league and 46 points a game overall. He likely will be among Orange County football’s top recruits in the 2017 season.
MIKE SAFFELL
Edison, 6-3, 290, Sr.
Saffell was the center on the offensive line and an important leader for the Chargers as they won Sunset League and CIF-SS Division 3 titles. He was named Sunset League offensive lineman of the year. The best centers block a defensive lineman then get down field to take on a linebacker, and Saffell did that with regularity, showing a consisent mix of tenacity and quickness. Saffell commited to Cal.
ALL COUNTY FOOTBALL
- OCVarsity Hot Shots: The All-County football team 2016
- All-County football: First team defense
- All-County football: First team offense
- All-County football: First team specialists
- Edison’s Dave White is the O.C. coach of the year
- Mater Dei’s JT Daniels is the O.C. offensive player of the year
- Mission Viejo’s Colin Schooler is the O.C. defensive player of the year
- All-County football: Second Team
- All-County football: Third Team
- All-league football teams 2016
Contact the writer: sfryer@scng.com
