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ARCHIVE PHOTO: Muir quarterback Joshua Muema-Washington, the Pacific League Player of the Year, was selected as a first-team quarterback after throwing for 2, 597 yards and 19 touchdowns. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) |
Nine local players earned the distinction of being named to the All CIF Southern Section football first-team list as was announced by the CIF Monday afternoon.
Del Rey League champion La Salle High led the way with four selections, while Pacific League titlist Muir nabbed three picks and Rio Hondo League runner-up San Marino had two recipients.
“Regardless of the way we played in the playoffs, we had a special year,” La Salle first-year Coach Russell Gordon said. “When you enjoy that type of turnaround, it’s due to a team effort and we have some great players on this team.
“I feel fortunate that even though we lost in the first round of playoffs, we still got four picks.”
The Lancers’ Israel Lacy, Shane Tierney, Bobby LaSalle and Marcus Tappan were all named to the Northwest Division first team.
Lacy, the Del Rey League MVP, was the Lancers’ lone offensive player selected, as the 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior rushed for 837 yards on 68 carries with 12 rushing touchdowns. Lacy also returned nine kickoffs for 283 yards and one touchdown, 12 punts for 200 yards and had a receiving touchdown.
As for Tierney, the two-way player was named to the Northwest Division first team as a defensive lineman after leading the Lancers with 87 tackles and tying teammate Bryce Shaw with a squad-best five sacks.
Joining Tierney on the list are linebackers LaSalle and Tappan, who both excelled in different areas.
LaSalle tallied 71 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and five fumble recoveries, while Tappan, who was also a fullback, finished with 44 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one caused fumble.
Ultimately, La Salle finished 10-1 last season.
While Muir (8-4) didn’t match the Lancers’ win total or number of CIF awards, the Mustangs did go one round farther in the postseason and garnered three Southeast Division accolades, as seniors Joshua Muema-Washington, Addison Farmer and LaMarr McDaniels were all chosen.
Muema-Washington, the Pacific League Player of the Year, was selected as a first-team quarterback after throwing for 2, 597 yards and 19 touchdowns under first-year coach John Hardy.
Farmer, Muir’s center who also played on the defensive line, was tabbed to the first-team offensive line after anchoring the squad to a league championship.
Not to be forgotten is McDaniels, a defensive back, though he was named as a lineman, who keyed a Mustangs defense that pitched four shutouts on defense.
Like La Salle, San Marino enjoyed perhaps its best season this century in finishing 10-2 and advancing to the second round of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs.
For its success, the Titans earned two first-team offensive nods in running back Ryan Wood and quarterback Matt Wofford.
Wood was named a first-team back after a season in which he led the Rio Hondo League with 1, 529 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.
While Wood played two ways, Wofford also rarely left the field.
The versatile starter was named a first-team utility player after completing 77 of 135 passes for 1, 058 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing 186 times for 1, 156 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Wofford was also five for seven in field goals and converted 65 of 67 extra-point tries.
“I’m not sure there’s anything I could have asked him to do that he wouldn’t have done,” San Marino Coach Mike Hobbie said of Wofford. “Matt was one of those team guys and so was Ryan, who had a great year.”
Other locals who earned recognition were Pasadena residents Hayden Rettig of Cathedral, Jared Lebowitz, the All-Area Football Player of the Year, of St. Francis and Steven Mitchell of Alemany.
The LSU-bound Rettig completed 261 of 485 passes for 40 touchdowns and 3, 424 yards passing for the Phantoms in earning a Western Division first-team quarterback pick.
Lebowitz, a Western Division first-team back, completed 192 of 350 passes for 23 touchdowns and 2,560 yards.
As for Mitchell, who’s heading to USC in the fall, the Pac-5 Division standout wide receiver had a banner year in leading the 9-3 Warriors into the second round of the playoffs.
Del Rey League champion La Salle High led the way with four selections, while Pacific League titlist Muir nabbed three picks and Rio Hondo League runner-up San Marino had two recipients.
“Regardless of the way we played in the playoffs, we had a special year,” La Salle first-year Coach Russell Gordon said. “When you enjoy that type of turnaround, it’s due to a team effort and we have some great players on this team.
“I feel fortunate that even though we lost in the first round of playoffs, we still got four picks.”
The Lancers’ Israel Lacy, Shane Tierney, Bobby LaSalle and Marcus Tappan were all named to the Northwest Division first team.
Lacy, the Del Rey League MVP, was the Lancers’ lone offensive player selected, as the 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior rushed for 837 yards on 68 carries with 12 rushing touchdowns. Lacy also returned nine kickoffs for 283 yards and one touchdown, 12 punts for 200 yards and had a receiving touchdown.
As for Tierney, the two-way player was named to the Northwest Division first team as a defensive lineman after leading the Lancers with 87 tackles and tying teammate Bryce Shaw with a squad-best five sacks.
Joining Tierney on the list are linebackers LaSalle and Tappan, who both excelled in different areas.
LaSalle tallied 71 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and five fumble recoveries, while Tappan, who was also a fullback, finished with 44 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one caused fumble.
Ultimately, La Salle finished 10-1 last season.
While Muir (8-4) didn’t match the Lancers’ win total or number of CIF awards, the Mustangs did go one round farther in the postseason and garnered three Southeast Division accolades, as seniors Joshua Muema-Washington, Addison Farmer and LaMarr McDaniels were all chosen.
Muema-Washington, the Pacific League Player of the Year, was selected as a first-team quarterback after throwing for 2, 597 yards and 19 touchdowns under first-year coach John Hardy.
Farmer, Muir’s center who also played on the defensive line, was tabbed to the first-team offensive line after anchoring the squad to a league championship.
Not to be forgotten is McDaniels, a defensive back, though he was named as a lineman, who keyed a Mustangs defense that pitched four shutouts on defense.
Like La Salle, San Marino enjoyed perhaps its best season this century in finishing 10-2 and advancing to the second round of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs.
For its success, the Titans earned two first-team offensive nods in running back Ryan Wood and quarterback Matt Wofford.
Wood was named a first-team back after a season in which he led the Rio Hondo League with 1, 529 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.
While Wood played two ways, Wofford also rarely left the field.
The versatile starter was named a first-team utility player after completing 77 of 135 passes for 1, 058 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing 186 times for 1, 156 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Wofford was also five for seven in field goals and converted 65 of 67 extra-point tries.
“I’m not sure there’s anything I could have asked him to do that he wouldn’t have done,” San Marino Coach Mike Hobbie said of Wofford. “Matt was one of those team guys and so was Ryan, who had a great year.”
Other locals who earned recognition were Pasadena residents Hayden Rettig of Cathedral, Jared Lebowitz, the All-Area Football Player of the Year, of St. Francis and Steven Mitchell of Alemany.
The LSU-bound Rettig completed 261 of 485 passes for 40 touchdowns and 3, 424 yards passing for the Phantoms in earning a Western Division first-team quarterback pick.
Lebowitz, a Western Division first-team back, completed 192 of 350 passes for 23 touchdowns and 2,560 yards.
As for Mitchell, who’s heading to USC in the fall, the Pac-5 Division standout wide receiver had a banner year in leading the 9-3 Warriors into the second round of the playoffs.
