All-County : Brown of Servite, Henigan of Fountain Valley Top Football Selections

Record-setting running back Derek Brown of Servite High School and quarterback David Henigan of Fountain Valley head the selections for The Times’ 30th All-County football team.

Brown rushed for 2,301 yards in 13 games, surpassing former Edison star tailback Kerwin Bell’s single-season county record of 2,226 yards established in 1979. Brown scored 30 touchdowns, including kickoff returns of 92 and 93 yards in the Division I playoffs.

Henigan, a 3-year starter, has passed for 5,385 yards, trailing only Todd Marinovich of Mater Dei-Capistrano Valley (9,165 yards) and Bret Johnson of El Toro (6,538 yards) on the county’s all-time list.

Henigan enters his second consecutive Southern Section Division I title game on Friday night with 2,761 yards passing and 21 touchdowns. He has completed 56% of his passes.

Joining Brown and Henigan in the backfield is Mission Viejo slotback Eric Ekdahl, the state’s leading scorer. He scored 25 touchdowns, kicked 7 field goals and was successful on 41 conversion kicks to total 212 points.

The team was chosen based on ballots returned from coaches of the county’s 58 high schools and players were selected regardless of their class.

Mission Viejo and Fountain Valley each had four players selected. Mission Viejo is represented by Ekdahl and its top offensive lineman, guard Pete Ashby, on the first team. Quarterback Troy Kopp and linebacker Penn Bushong made the second team for Mission Viejo.

Henigan and center Glenn Christy were named to the first team for Fountain Valley and teammates Mike Cook, a wide receiver, and Ryan O’Donnell, an offensive tackle, made the second team.

Servite, Los Alamitos and Valencia each had three players chosen. Servite linebacker Garrett Greedy joins Brown on the first team and wide receiver Oscar Ford was a second-team choice.

Los Alamitos, which has qualified for its second consecutive Division III championship game Saturday, placed linebacker Eric Thompson and offensive tackle Cole Blossey on the first team and cornerback Winston Wolf on the second team.

Valencia, which qualified for its third consecutive Division VI title game Friday, is represented by linebacker Steve Rangel and safety Guy Shepard on the first team and fullback Keef Leasure on the second team.

Another county record-holder, El Dorado kicker Phil Nevin, was selected. Nevin kicked a 57-yard field goal against Esperanza to surpass former Servite kicker Pat Blottiaux’s mark of 56 yards set last season.

Two underclassmen were named to the first team and another is on the second team. Santa Ana’s junior defensive end, Oscar Wilson, the only repeat selection, joins Trabuco Hills junior defensive back Tim Manning on the first team. Damon Psaros, Capistrano Valley junior nose guard, was named to the second team.

The back, lineman and coach of the year will be announced at an awards ceremony honoring the 23 first-team selections at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers Hotel. The players’ parents and coaches also will be invited.

Bruce Snyder, former Rams assistant coach and now head coach at California, will be the guest speaker. Bill Dwyre, The Times’ sports editor, will present the Glenn Davis Trophy to the outstanding prep player in Southern California.

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Name School Height Weight Class Quarterback David Henigan Fountain Valley 6-1 185 Senior Running Backs Derek Brown Servite 5-11 180 Senior Eric Ekdahl Mission Viejo 5-9 165 Senior Center Glenn Christy Fountain Valley 6-3 255 Senior Linemen Pete Ashby Mission Viejo 6-1 215 Senior Cole Blossey Los Alamitos 6-3 220 Senior Craig Gibson El Modena 6-3 235 Senior Jim Hastie Costa Mesa 6-2 230 Senior Tight End Brian Ryder Edison 6-4 220 Senior Wide Receivers Sean Drinkwater El Toro 6-2 170 Senior Tony Pena Mater Dei 6-3 190 Senior Kicker Phil Nevin El Dorado 6-2 180 Senior

DEFENSE

Name School Height Weight Class Linemen Kevin Ashworth Pacifica 6-2 200 Senior Shawn Donohue Esperanza 6-0 245 Senior Jason Uhl Mater Dei 6-4 240 Senior Oscar Wilson Santa Ana 6-3 220 Junior Linebackers Garrett Greedy Servite 6-4 240 Senior John Katovsich Corona del Mar 6-2 220 Senior Steve Rangel Valencia 6-1 195 Senior Eric Thompson Los Alamitos 6-2 220 Senior Backs Trey Frank El Modena 5-10 170 Senior Tim Manning Trabuco Hills 5-10 170 Junior Guy Shepard Valencia 6-0 180 Senior

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Name School Height Weight Class Quarterback Troy Kopp Mission Viejo 6-2 195 Senior Running Backs Keef Leasure Valencia 5-11 190 Senior Steve DePhillips Fullerton 6-2 215 Senior Center Rick Pallow Mater Dei 6-3 240 Senior Linemen Chris Lippincott Edison 6-7 250 Senior Raphael Molle Irvine 6-5 265 Senior Todd Norman Ocean View 6-5 235 Senior Ryan O’Donnell Fountain Valley 6-4 220 Senior Tight End Tom Deep Kennedy 6-5 225 Senior Wide Receivers Mike Cook Fountain Valley 6-4 185 Senior Oscar Ford Servite 6-0 165 Senior Kicker Tim Hatcher El Modena 5-9 160 Senior

DEFENSE

Name School Height Weight Class Linemen Damon Bland Santa Ana 6-0 200 Senior Lamont Peay Edison 6-1 205 Senior Damon Psaros Capistrano Valley 6-0 195 Junior Matt Werner Esperanza 6-5 240 Senior Linebackers Penn Bushong Mission Viejo 6-2 195 Senior Ki Soo Lim Irvine 6-0 215 Senior Joe Pastorello Katella 6-0 190 Senior Mike Yurkovich Woodbridge 6-1 210 Senior Backs David Gutierrez La Habra 6-0 160 Senior Jason Neben Orange Lutheran 6-1 190 Senior Winston Wolf Los Alamitos 5-10 170 Senior

THE OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

DAVID HENIGAN

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

6-1, 185, Sr.

The former Fountain Valley ballboy grew up to become one of the most prolific passers in county history. Henigan, twice named the Sunset League most valuable player, has led Fountain Valley into the Division I championship game 2 consecutive years. “The only thing David lacks is the rocket arm,” said Mike Milner, Fountain Valley coach. “He’s got a great future.”

RUNNING BACK

DEREK BROWN

SERVITE

5-10, 175, Sr.

Brown was the leader among Southern Section running backs with 1,711 yards in the regular season and continued in the playoffs to establish a county single-season rushing mark with 2,301 yards. He ranks second among the county’s career rushers with 4,663 yards in 3 seasons. Brown has narrowed his college choices to Nebraska, USC, UCLA and Oklahoma.

RUNNING BACK

ERIC EKDAHL

MISSION VIEJO

5-9, 165, Sr.

The state’s leading scorer, Ekdahl is a triple threat as a running back, receiver and kicker. He scored 25 touchdowns and kicked 7 field goals and 41 PATs. He came within 28 points of matching Mickey Cureton’s Southern Section mark set in 1966 at Centennial. Ekdahl also is a standout second baseman on the school’s baseball team.

CENTER

GLENN CHRISTY

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

6-3, 255, Center

Fountain Valley has produced all-league centers for the past 8 years, and Christy has earned those honors the last 2 seasons. His brother, Frank, was an all-league tackle for Fountain Valley in 1976 and his father played at Georgia Tech. Christy played with a ankle injury most of the season that limited his effectiveness at times.

LINEMAN

PETE ASHBY

MISSION VIEJO

6-1, 215, Sr.

A 3-year starter at Mission Viejo, Ashby earned All-South Coast League honors in his junior and senior seasons as an offensive guard. He started 38 games, more than any other player in the school’s history. Ashby’s strength is his quickness. He is an excellent pulling guard and his forte is blocking on running plays.

LINEMAN

COLE BLOSSEY

LOS ALAMITOS

6-3, 260, Sr.

As a freshman, few could have predicted that Blossey would blossom into the Empire League’s top offensive lineman, becoming the first player from a school other than Esperanza to earn the honor in 10 years. Blossey developed his good size and quick feet through an extensive weight-lifting program. He has been playing the past 3 weeks with a broken left arm.

LINEMAN

CRAIG GIBSON

EL MODENA

6-3, 235, Sr.

Gibson becomes the third member of his family to earn all-county honors at El Modena. His oldest brother, Boomer, was an all-county linebacker who starred at the University of Arizona. Don Gibson was the county’s lineman of the year in 1985 and became a starting nose guard at USC as a freshman. Craig is a 2-way starter who is considered an excellent pass blocker.

LINEMAN

JIM HASTIE

COSTA MESA

6-2, 230, Sr.

Mr. Versatility, Hastie played middle linebacker, offensive guard, punted and kicked extra-point conversions. “We got a lot of mileage out of Jim,” Coach Tom Baldwin said. “He ranks among the top players I’ve had at Costa Mesa.” Hastie has a 3.5 grade-point average and will likely be a center in college.

TIGHT END

BRIAN RYDER

EDISON

6-4, 220, Sr.

Ryder caught 30 passes for 385 yards but will be best remembered for his all-out stretch to catch a 22-yard pass against Capistrano Valley in a 21-14 victory. “It was one of the best catches I’ve ever seen,” Capistrano Valley Coach Eric Patton said. Ryder is being recruited by California, Arizona State, Alabama, USC, Utah, Fresno State and Texas-El Paso.

WIDE RECEIVER

SEAN DRINKWATER

EL TORO

6-2, 170, Sr.

Drinkwater is another standout baseball player who excels on the football field. Last spring, he led El Toro into the championship game of the 2-A division playoffs with his fine defensive play at shortstop. This fall, he caught 45 passes for 755 yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per reception.

WIDE RECEIVER

TONY PENA

MATER DEI

6-3, 190, Sr.

Pena proved he is equally talented pitching or catching. Last spring, he was the only junior named to all-county baseball team after compiling a 10-1 record and a 1.47 earned-run average to lead Mater Dei to the Angelus League title. This fall, he led the county in pass receptions with 64 catches for 1,093 yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging 17.1 yards per catch.

KICKER

PHIL NEVIN

EL DORADO

6-2, 180, Sr.

Nevin won a regional Punt, Pass and Kick competition as an 8-year-old and has developed into one of the county’s premier kickers. He kicked a 57-yard field goal against Esperanza to establish a county record and narrowly missed a 61-yard attempt against Burbank. Nevin is being recruited by USC, Brigham Young, Cal State Fullerton and Oklahoma State.

THE DEFENSE

LINEMAN

KEVIN ASHWORTH

PACIFICA

6-2, 200, Sr.

Ashworth began as a strong safety and then developed into one of the county’s top ends. He had 11 sacks this season, setting a school career record with 24 sacks. He also had 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 27 unassisted tackles, 33 assists and 6 fumble recoveries. Ashworth was the defensive player of the year in the Garden Grove League.

LINEMAN

SHAWN DONOHUE

ESPERANZA

6-0, 245, Sr.

The defensive lineman of the year in the Empire League had 6 sacks, 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 24 lead tackles and caused 4 fumbles. Donohue combined strength with quickness to become a premier nose guard. “Shawn was outstanding on a mediocre team that couldn’t score,” Esperanza Coach Gary Meek said. “No one could handle him 1-on-1.”

LINEMAN

JASON UHL

MATER DEI

6-4, 240, Sr.

Uhl had 10 sacks, knocked down 4 passes, had 25 unassisted and 22 assisted tackles, earning All-Angelus League honors for the second consecutive season. “Jason dominated every offensive lineman he played against,” Mater Dei Coach Chuck Gallo said. Uhl ended his high school career by suffering a separated shoulder in the Division I quarterfinals against top-ranked Loyola.

LINEMAN

OSCAR WILSON

SANTA ANA

6-3, 220, Jr.

Wilson became the first sophomore since Myron White of Santa Ana Valley in 1972 to earn first-team honors last year and repeats as a junior. The county’s premier pass rusher, Wilson had 16 sacks, 57 lead tackles and 2 fumble recoveries despite being double teamed most of the year. He also started at tight end and is a forward on the Saints’ basketball team.

LINEBACKER

GARRETT GREEDY

SERVITE

6-3, 240, Sr.

Greedy doubled as a middle linebacker and fullback, earning first-team all-league honors as linebacker for second consecutive year and second-team honors as fullback. Greedy had 110 tackles for the Friars, who won their first Angelus League title in 4 years. “If ever there was a kid born to play the game, it’s Garrett,” Servite Coach Jerry Person said.

LINEBACKER

JOHN KATOVSICH

CORONA DEL MAR

6-2, 220, Sr.

Corona del Mar is seeking its first undefeated season in the school’s 26-year history with Katovsich doubling as fullback and linebacker. Katovsich transferred to Corona del Mar from Houston as a sophomore and was named the Sea View League’s defensive player of the year as a senior. “He’s as physical as anyone in the CIF,” said Marijon Ancich, Tustin coach.

LINEBACKER

STEVE RANGEL

VALENCIA

6-1, 195, Sr.

Rangel, a 3-year starter, had 37 lead tackles, 21 assists, 6 sacks, 5 tipped passes, caused 3 fumbles and had an interception. But Rangel’s most impressive statistic can be found in the standings. Rangel started 40 of the Tigers’ past 42 games and was on the winning side 35 times. He will be making his third appearance in a Southern Section title game on Friday.

LINEBACKER

ERIC THOMPSON

LOS ALAMITOS

6-2, 221, Sr.

The defensive player of the year in the Empire League, Thompson had 8 sacks, 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 39 lead tackles and 5 forced fumbles. He also broke up 6 passes. Thompson combines good instincts with great quickness and hard-hitting qualities. Arizona State is among the colleges he is considering.

BACK

TREY FRANK

EL MODENA

5-10, 170, Sr.

The defensive player of the year in the Century League, Frank had 6 interceptions, tipped 4 passes and made 92 tackles. El Modena’s secondary intercepted a school-record 27 passes, with Frank anchoring the unit. He also caught 38 passes for 720 yards as a wide receiver and led the Vanguards to the Division III semifinals.

BACK

TIM MANNING

TRABUCO HILLS

5-10, 170, Jr.

Manning matched last season’s exploits with 10 interceptions and needs only 3 more to tie former Mission Viejo standout David Hill’s county career record of 23. Manning also caught 37 passes for 759 yards and 10 touchdowns. Manning’s top game was 7 receptions for 98 yards and 3 touchdowns and an interception against Yucaipa in the playoffs.

BACK

GUY SHEPARD

VALENCIA

6-0, 180, Sr.

Shepard makes the big plays for Valencia and is another in a long line of outstanding defensive backs at the school. For the past 2 years, Mike Edwards was an all-county back for Valencia and now Shepard follows in his footsteps. Shepard intercepted 8 passes and also caught 34 passes for 519 yards and 9 touchdowns.