Kickoff '07: Sunset League
Kickoff '07: Sunset League
COACHES POLL*
(Click link to see team's schedule and roster)
1. Edison, 11-3 in 2006, 29 points
2. Los Alamitos, 7-4, 25
3. Esperanza, 9-2, 21
4. Newport Harbor, 6-4, 12
5. Fountain Valley, 5-5, 11
6. Marina, 1-9, 8
* Team-by-team previews at bottom
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Los Alamitos
(Click here to see the ocvarsity.com video)
Coach John Barnes is excited about the Griffins' offensive potential and likes their defense, too. After two consecutive first-round playoff exits, Los Alamitos might be back.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Marina
With a new coach and a new attitude, perhaps things finally will get better at Marina. But it's a very challenging league in which to climb a ladder.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Nick Crissman
Edison quarterback
(Click here to see the ocvarsity.com video)
The Elite 11 participant has committed to UCLA.
OTHER TOP PLAYERS
Earnie Sagiao, Edison, Sr., LB; Brady Lukas, Esperanza, Sr., LB; T.J. Tafaoga, Fountain Valley, Sr., LB; Eric Smith, Edison, Sr., OL; Clark Evans, Los Alamitos, Sr., QB; Kameron Jones, Los Alamitos, Sr., DL; Nathan Castillo, Newport Harbor, Sr., OL; Jimmy Irvin, Marina, Sr., WR
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Los Alamitos vs. Edison
Oct. 12 at Orange Coast College
A pair of top 10 teams, a pair of outstanding quarterbacks, and perhaps the league championship on the line, too.
TOUGHEST SCHEDULE
Edison
Only two other teams play Mater Dei and Servite in back-to-back weeks: St. John Bosco of Bellflower and Santa Margarita. But they are in the Trinity League, so they have no choice.
Edison Chargers
| Players to watch | ||
 | Blayne Anderson:Big presence on the defensive line. | |
 | Earnie Sagiao:One of the top returning linebackers in the county. | |
LAST SEASON: First place (tie) 11-3, 4-1
POSTSEASON: Lost to Orange Lutheran, 30-20, Pac-5 final
COACH: Dave White (21st year, 154-80-3)
OUTLOOK: Edison has some excellent players to replace: receivers Dominique Vinson and Hunter White (an All-County linebacker in '06); defensive lineman David Ianacone; and offensive lineman Martin Coleman. But they have some good ones returning at key positions, including UCLA-bound quarterback Nick Crissman; running backs Areseo Lakey and Ceasare Nieto; and linebacker Earnie Sagiao. If the inexperienced group of receivers and some new offensive linemen come through, the Chargers could win the league title again.
HOME STADIUMS: Huntington Beach High and Orange Coast College
FACTOID: Roman Sapulo is the son of former NFL player Jesse Sapulo, who is an assistant coach at Edison.
FASTEST: Preston Spence
STRONGEST: Earnie Sagiao
SCHOOL RECORD: 284-142-11
TO SEE TEAM SCHEDULE AND ROSTER, CLICK HERE
| Offense | Defense | |||||||||
| Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | |
| QB | Nick Crissman | 6-3 | 200 | Sr. | DE | Garrett Heckel | 6-0 | 225 | Jr. | |
| RB | Ceasare Nieto | 5-9 | 170 | Sr. | DT | Blayne Anderson | 6-3 | 240 | Sr. | |
| FB | Areseo Lakey | 6-0 | 190 | Sr. | DT | David McMahon | 6-3 | 240 | Sr. | |
| WR | Jeff Crissman | 5-1 | 175 | Jr. | DE | Shaun Higginbotham | 6-1 | 210 | Sr. | |
| WR | Trent Burns | 5-9 | 170 | Sr. | OLB | Will Andrew | 6-0 | 200 | Jr. | |
| WR | Mike Bogard | 5-1 | 180 | Sr. | MLB | Earnie Sagiao | 6-0 | 240 | Sr. | |
| OT | Eric Smith | 6-2 | 230 | Sr. | OLB | Trent Burns | 5-9 | 170 | Sr. | |
| OG | David McMahon | 6-3 | 240 | Sr. | CB | Troy Bosiljevac | 5-11 | 170 | Sr. | |
| C | Marcus Dubois | 5-10 | 190 | Sr. | SS | Jeff Crissman | 5-11 | 175 | Jr. | |
| OG | Wes Graves | 6-0 | 225 | Jr. | FS | Mike Bogard | 5-11 | 180 | Sr. | |
| OT | Roman Sapulo | 6-1 | 210 | So. | CB | Dan Samarin | 5-10 | 165 | Sr. | |
| K | Nick Torres | 6-0 | 210 | Sr. | P | Lucas Vandeman | 5-11 | 170 | Jr. | |
| KOR | Wade Houston | 6-0 | 170 | So. | PR | Mike Rivera | 5-8 | 160 | So. |
Esperanza Aztecs
| Players to watch | ||
 | Brady Lukas:Tackle leader returns to sparks defense. | |
 | Reid Williams:Should play big role in the running game. | |
LAST SEASON: First place (tie) 9-2, 4-1
POSTSEASON: Lost to Compton, 27-20, Pac-5 Division first round
COACH: Bill Pendleton (Fourth year, 35-14)
OUTLOOK: The Aztecs should be strong defensively, led by a good line, and Brady Lukas is an outstanding linebacker who led the team in tackles in '06. Offensively, though, there is inexperience throughout, especially at the skill positions. Defense has won plenty of games for Esperanza in the past, and the same could hold true in '07.
HOME STADIUM: Valencia High
FACTOID: Esperanza has qualified for the playoffs in 16 of the past 18 years.
FASTEST: Nick Benvenuto
STRONGEST: Brady Lukas
SCHOOL RECORD: 281-110-12
TO SEE TEAM SCHEDULE AND ROSTER, CLICK HERE
| Offense | Defense | |||||||||
| Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | |
| QB | Sean McDonald | 5-11 | 180 | Jr. | DE | Kyle Martin | 5-10 | 200 | Sr. | |
| RB | Reid Williams | 5-11 | 190 | Sr. | NG | Sean Avila | 6-2 | 245 | Jr. | |
| RB | Jared Moore | 6-0 | 190 | Jr. | DE | Steve Francisco | 5-11 | 230 | Sr. | |
| WR | Casey Canzone | 5-9 | 165 | Sr. | OLB | Dane Poole | 6-1 | 180 | Jr. | |
| WR | Dillon Gearon | 6-2 | 175 | Sr. | ILB | Blake Poole | 6-3 | 230 | Sr. | |
| TE | Jake Pendleton | 6-1 | 215 | Jr. | ILB | Brady Lukas | 6-2 | 225 | Sr. | |
| OT | Kyle Grosky | 6-1 | 230 | Sr. | OLB | Jon Lumby | 5--9 | 180 | Sr. | |
| OG | Sam Albrecht | 6-2 | 230 | Sr. | CB | Buddy Guastella | 5-10 | 165 | Sr. | |
| C | Geoff Hyde | 6-1 | 230 | Jr. | SS | Blake Toten | 5-10 | 170 | Sr. | |
| OG | Lorenzo Kohn | 6-2 | 270 | Sr. | FS | Nick Parizino | 5-10 | 170 | Sr. | |
| OT | Thomas Simons | 6-1 | 230 | Sr. | CB | Nick Benvenuto | 5-9 | 165 | Sr. | |
| K | Aria Nabipur | 6-3 | 235 | Jr. | P | Aria Nabipur | 6-3 | 235 | Jr. | |
| KOR | Jared Moore | 6-0 | 190 | Jr. | PR | Casey Canzone | 5-9 | 165 | Sr. |
Fountain Valley Barons
| Players to watch | ||
 | Bryse Blake:Quarterback also plays cornerback | |
 | L.J. Little:Makes an impact at tailback and defensive end. | |
LAST SEASON: Fifth place 5-5, 1-4
POSTSEASON: 2004, lost to St. John Bosco, 16-9, Div. I first round
COACH: John Shipp (4th year, 13-18)
OUTLOOK: The Barons have returning players in key positions, with Bryse Blake back at quarterback and L.J. Little returning at tailback. They have eight returning starters on defense. But few of them are on the defensive line, and the same is true for the offensive line. This could be one of the better Fountain Valley teams in a few years, so the Barons could be in the running for a playoff berth.
HOME STADIUM: Huntington Beach High
FACTOID: Fountain Valley has missed the playoffs the past two years in a row, the first time that has happened since 1990-91.
FASTEST: Kyle Middlebrooks
STRONGEST: Mike Coelho and Adam Castellon
SCHOOL RECORD: 248-188-8
TO SEE TEAM SCHEDULE AND ROSTER, CLICK HERE
| Offense | Defense | |||||||||
| Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | |
| QB | Bryse Blake | 6-0 | 175 | Sr. | DE | T.J. Tataoga | 5-11 | 220 | Sr. | |
| RB | L.J. Little | 5-11 | 185 | Sr. | DT | Sam Yasin | 6-0 | 225 | Sr. | |
| RB | Kyle Middlebrooks | 5-8 | 170 | So. | DT | Adam Huynh | 5-9 | 215 | Sr. | |
| WR | Ryan Manzon | 5-8 | 165 | Jr. | DE | L.J. Little | 5-11 | 185 | Sr. | |
| WR | Andre Mosely | 5-9 | 175 | Jr. | OLB | Artie O'Keefe | 5-10 | 180 | Jr. | |
| TE | Preston Margain | 6-0 | 205 | Sr. | MLB | Adam Castellan | 5-8 | 220 | Sr. | |
| OT | Junior Ioela | 6-1 | 240 | Sr. | OLB | Preston Margain | 6-0 | 205 | Sr. | |
| OG | Scotty Rychlik | 6-0 | 220 | Jr. | CB | Aaron Gerardi | 6-1 | 175 | Sr. | |
| C | Zach McMillen | 5-11 | 205 | Sr. | SS | Tyler Freleaux | 6-0 | 175 | Sr. | |
| OG | Adam Huynh | 5-9 | 215 | Sr. | FS | Steven Santana | 5-10 | 185 | Jr. | |
| OT | Joey Invidiata | 6-0 | 235 | Sr. | CB | Bryse Blake | 6-0 | 175 | Sr. | |
| K | Tyler Freleaux | 6-0 | 175 | Sr. | P | Steven Santana | 5-10 | 185 | Jr. | |
| KOR | Kyle Middlebrooks | 5-8 | 170 | So. | PR | Ryan Manzon | 5-8 | 165 | Jr. |
Los Alamitos Griffins
| Players to watch | ||
 | Clark Evans:Junior QB already has a lot of experience | |
 | Kameron Jones:He anchors the defense from the middle | |
LAST SEASON: Third place (tie) 7-4, 3-2
POSTSEASON: 2006, lost to Mission Viejo, 44-7, Pac-5 Division first round
COACH: John Barnes (29th year, 256-74-7)
OUTLOOK: The good old days could be the good new days for the Griffins. Clark Evans learned a lot as a sophomore starter at quarterback last season, and with his improvement and an outstanding cast of receivers, Los Alamitos could have a fireball offense. Look for the Griffins to often go with an empty backfield and four wide receivers, just like they did when Kevin Feterik and Mike Good were All-County quarterbacks at Los Al. The Griffins have plenty of talented players on defense, too. This could be a team that is in the county top five all season.
HOME STADIUM: Veterans Stadium (Long Beach)
FACTOID: Los Alamitos has made the playoffs 23 years in a row.
FASTEST: Branton Washington
STRONGEST: Darren Koontz
TO SEE TEAM SCHEDULE AND ROSTER, CLICK HERE
| Offense | Defense | |||||||||
| Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | |
| QB | Clark Evans | 6-4 | 215 | Jr. | DE | Josh Coburn | 6-3 | 220 | Sr. | |
| RB | Nathan Castaneda | 5-10 | 185 | Jr. | DT | Adam Knighton | 6-1 | 240 | Sr. | |
| WR | Cameron Connors | 6-1 | 195 | Sr. | DT | Josh Schnitzer | 6-3 | 245 | Jr. | |
| WR | Shane Tester | 6-1 | 190 | Sr. | DE | Brett Murphy | 6-4 | 220 | Sr. | |
| WR | Darryl Jenkins | 6-0 | 170 | Jr. | OLB | Joe Lent | 6-2 | 205 | Jr. | |
| WR | Paul Richardson | 6-0 | 165 | So. | MLB | Kameron Jones | 6-3 | 220 | Sr. | |
| OT | Darren Koontz | 6-3 | 265 | Sr. | OLB | Robert Watson | 5-10 | 175 | So. | |
| OG | Austin Hill | 6-5 | 280 | Sr. | CB | Jon Cheri | 5-10 | 165 | Jr. | |
| C | Logan Noblin | 5-11 | 210 | Sr. | SS* | Brian Bickerstaff | 5-10 | 165 | Sr. | |
| OG | Teven Fallon | 6-1 | 240 | Sr. | FS* | Josh Barut | 5-11 | 175 | So. | |
| OT | Jaros Valdes | 6-1 | 215 | Sr. | CB | Colton Quinn | 5-10 | 170 | Sr. | |
| K | Zach Abrams | 5-10 | 170 | Sr. | SS* | Gordon Ganatta | 6-2 | 185 | Jr. | |
| KOR | Brandon Graves | 5-9 | 155 | So. | PR | Darryl Jenkins | 6-0 | 170 | Jr. | |
| * | starter TBD |
Marina Vikings
| Players to watch | ||
 | Charles Orrison:Will start at running back and linebacker. | |
 | Jimmy Irvin:Doubles as a receiver and cornerback | |
LAST SEASON: Sixth place, 1-9, 0-5
POSTSEASON: 2001, lost to Redlands, 17-14, Division I first round
COACH: Dan Petrone (1st year)
OUTLOOK: With a new coach comes new attitudes and a new approach. What is not new, though, is Marina's league affiliation. The other five teams in the Sunset League don't falter, and a couple of them appear to have their best teams in years. So, a Vikings playoff appearance is a longshot, but some people thought the Anaheim Ducks would never win a Stanley Cup, too. Coach Petrone likes Marina's senior leadership and its mix of strength and speed. Depth, though, is just not there. In the rugged Sunset League, that could be a problem.
HOME STADIUM: Westminster High
FACTOID: Petrone was an assistant coach last season at Savanna.
FASTEST: Brad Thompson
STRONGEST: Craig Standridge
TO SEE TEAM SCHEDULE AND ROSTER, CLICK HERE
| Offense | Defense | |||||||||
| Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | |
| QB | Tim Atencio | 6-2 | 170 | Sr. | DE | Kyle Buchan | 6-2 | 200 | Sr. | |
| RB | Charles Orrison | 6-1 | 205 | Sr. | DT | Thomas Nadolski | 6-2 | 255 | Sr. | |
| RB | Trevor Brown | 5-10 | 165 | Sr. | DT | Garret Clerisse | 6-3 | 260 | Sr. | |
| WR | Jimmy Irvin | 6-0 | 165 | Sr. | DE | Connor King | 6-0 | 200 | Jr. | |
| WR | Brad Thompson | 6-3 | 180 | Sr. | OLB | Tyler Olsen | 6-1 | 190 | Sr. | |
| TE | Kyle Buchan | 6-2 | 200 | Sr. | MLB | Charles Orrison | 6-1 | 205 | Sr. | |
| OT | Garret Clerisse | 6-3 | 260 | Sr. | OLB | Robert Quick | 6-0 | 185 | Jr. | |
| OG | Craig Standridge | 6-4 | 275 | Sr. | CB | Trevor Brown | 5-10 | 165 | Sr. | |
| C | George Atachian | 6-0 | 190 | Sr. | SS | Tim Atencio | 6-2 | 170 | Sr. | |
| OG | Corey Riordan | 6-1 | 280 | Sr. | FS | Andrew Moore | 5-10 | 165 | Sr. | |
| OT | Thomas Nadolski | 6-2 | 255 | Sr. | CB | Jimmy Irvin | 6-0 | 165 | Sr. | |
| K | Chase Robinson | 6-1 | 165 | Jr. | P | Chase Robinson | 6-1 | 165 | Jr. |
Newport Harbor Sailors
| Players to watch | ||
 | Ben Frazier:Experienced line in front of him should help | |
 | Cecil Whiteside:Sophomore linebacker is garnering attention already. | |
LAST SEASON: Third place (tie) 6-4, 3-2
POSTSEASON: 2005, won Division VI championship with a 28-21 victory over Valencia in the final
COACH: Jeff Brinkley (22nd year, 181-71-3)
OUTLOOK: This is in many ways a typical Harbor football team: strong offensive line; productive running game; solid defense. Good enough to win the championship of some leagues, the Sailors are going to need to be at the top of their game once league play rolls around if they are to return to the playoffs (they missed out last year, because Los Alamitos, also with a 3-2 league record, had beaten Newport Harbor, 9-7, and Mater Dei got the Pac-5's at-large berth). Ben Frazier and Michael Helfrich are fine running backs, and they are running behind a physical, senior-led line. Brinkley likes the Harbor linebackers and thinks the fresh faces on the defensive line will perform. What is lacking is depth, a valuable commodity in the Sunset League.
HOME STADIUMS: Newport Harbor High
FACTOID: Last season was only the fifth time Harbor missed the playoffs in Brinkley's 21-year tenure.
FASTEST: J.B. Green
STRONGEST: Henry Pyle
TO SEE TEAM SCHEDULE AND ROSTER, CLICK HERE
| Offense | Defense | |||||||||
| Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | Pos. | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Year | |
| QB | Andrew McDonald | 6-1 | 160 | Jr. | DE | Brandon Davis | 6-0 | 198 | Sr. | |
| RB | Ben Frazier | 5-9 | 186 | Sr. | DT | Chase Obenauer | 6-6 | 276 | Sr. | |
| FB | Michael Helfrich | 6-0 | 178 | Jr. | DT | Matt Kruse | 6-0 | 210 | Sr. | |
| WR | Cecil Whiteside | 6-3 | 205 | So. | DE | Aaron Labrano | 6-1 | 230 | Sr. | |
| WR | J.B. Green | 6-1 | 182 | Jr. | OLB | Brandon Kula | 6-1 | 205 | Jr. | |
| TE | Dustin Campbell | 6-1 | 221 | Sr. | MLB | Cecil Whiteside | 6-3 | 205 | So. | |
| OT | Nathan Castillo | 6-5 | 254 | Sr. | OLB | Nick Svendsen | 6-2 | 200 | Jr. | |
| OG | Chase Obenauer | 6-6 | 276 | Sr. | CB | Juan Guzman | 5-8 | 158 | Sr. | |
| C | Kinney Vick | 6-4 | 215 | Sr. | SS | Henry Pyle | 6-4 | 202 | Sr. | |
| OG | Nathan Talbott | 6-2 | 215 | Sr. | FS | Michael Helfrich | 6-0 | 178 | Jr. | |
| OT | Scott Ward | 6-6 | 233 | Jr. | CB | Danny Miller | 5-10 | 173 | Jr. | |
| K | Dillan Freiberg | 5-7 | 140 | So. | P | Dillan Freiberg | 5-7 | 140 | So. | |
| KOR | J.B. Green | 6-1 | 182 | Jr. | PR | J.B. Green | 6-1 | 182 | Jr. |
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
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