Times Names Grid Stars for San Gabriel Valley

Claremont and Bishop Amat high schools have had two of the premier football programs in the San Gabriel Valley in recent years, and this season was no exception as both won league championships.

So it should come as little surprise that the two have the most players on the 46-player first and second teams of the 1985 Los Angeles Times All-San Gabriel Valley all-star squad. Each has four players on the first team and two on the second team.

Claremont placed 6-8 All-America quarterback Dan McGwire, wide receiver Travis Watkins, linebacker Sean Telish and place-kicker Steve Bayer on the first team and defensive lineman Bobbie Warren and offensive lineman Pete Pruitt on the second team.

Muir, Nogales Had Stars

Bishop Amat landed running back Eric Bieniemy, offensive lineman Jack Montes, linebacker Ramon Diaz and defensive back Johnny Brown on the first team and added tight end Pat Patterson and defensive back Paul Marquez to the second team.

Muir, which captured its third straight Pacific League championship, and Nogales, which won its first Sierra League title, placed two players each on the first team. Muir’s are defensive back John Hardy and running back Ricky Ervins, and Nogales landed offensive lineman Dennis Karjala and defensive lineman Eugene Brown.

Nogales also placed two players on the second team: running back Darryl Lewis and wide receiver Ron Lattimore.

Charter Oak, which easily won the Montview League championship, placed only one player on the first team, defensive lineman Jim Lopez, but has three on the second-team--running back Jeff Obert, defensive lineman Bill McCoy and defensive back Les Kast.

Bayer and running back J. J. Flannigan of Pomona were the only repeaters from last year’s first team.

Twenty schools are represented on the first and second teams.

Coaches Were Polled

The selections were based on a poll of 50 11-man football coaches in the Times San Gabriel Valley Section area, covering the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. Players were selected on the basis of their regular season performance.

Players from Montebello schools are considered for the Times All-Southeast team, and players from La Canada schools are candidates for the All-Glendale squad.

The first teams from all Times sections will be honored at the annual Times High School Football Brunch and Awards Presentation at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at the Anaheim Hilton, 777 Convention Way.

The program, sponsored by the Los Angeles Times Fund, will honor first-team all-stars from the San Gabriel Valley Section and nine other Times circulation areas: Centinela-South Bay, San Fernando Valley, Glendale, Southeast, Westside, Central City, South Coast, Orange County and San Diego.

First-team players will receive a gold helmet plaque and a certificate.

Featured Speaker

The featured speaker will be Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, superintendent of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and Bruce Johnson, defensive coordinator of the academy football team, which will play Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl on Dec. 30.

The Times San Gabriel Valley Section’s coach of the year, lineman of the year and back of the year will be named. The winners will receive trophies.

Parents and the head coach of each first-team all-star have been invited to the brunch. All high school head football coaches in the 10 areas are welcome.

It could be called “The Year of the Running Back” in the San Gabriel Valley because the area had one of its best crops of rushers ever. Eight players surpassed 1,000 yards.

The three running backs are considered among the top players in the CIF Southern Section.

Hails for Flannigan

Leading the way is Pomona’s Flannigan, a 6-0, 185-pound senior who rushed for 1,530 yards and 18 touchdowns in only 165 carries, an average of 9.2 yards. Flannigan, considered one of the top college prospects in the nation (9.4 seconds in the 100), rushed for about 3,500 yards in the last two seasons.

An All-CIF performer, Flannigan was recently selected Pacific Regional prep football player of the year by Gatorade, making him one of eight finalists for the national award. He is being recruited by many of the top football colleges in the nation, including Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Another member of the strong first-team runner corps is Bishop Amat’s Bieniemy, who is only 5-8 and 180 pounds but had a big season for the Lancers.

Bieniemy is a junior but was named the most valuable player of the Angelus League. The speedster rushed for 1,514 yards and 25 touchdowns in 251 carries during the regular season to lead his team to the title of what is considered by most as the top league in the CIF.

Ervins: Runs and Catches

The third running back on the first team, Ervins of Muir, may be the most versatile. Ervins, 5-9 and 182, rushed for 1,218 yards and 14 touchdowns in 167 carries.

Ervins, a junior who has run the 100-yard dash in 9.8 seconds, also caught 12 passes for 100 yards and returned four kickoffs for 242 yards--one for 98--and 2 touchdowns.

There was not nearly as much of a logjam at quarterback where the 6-8 senior McGwire of Claremont literally stood above the crowd. McGwire, a preseason prep All-American, lived up to his lofty billing by completing 130 of 221 passes for 2,112 yards and 22 touchdowns in the regular season. His yardage figure was more than 500 yards better than the next highest total.

McGwire, a three-year starter who led the Wolfpack to the CIF Eastern Conference championship last year, is regarded by some scouts as top high school quarterback in the nation. So it is not surprising that he has been recruited by a long list of schools, including pass-oriented Purdue and Illinois.

The other half of Claremont’s high-powered passing combination is first-team wide receiver Watkins, a 6-1, 175-pound senior who was one of the top pass catchers in the CIF. Watkins caught 65 passes for 1,087 yards and 13 touchdowns in regular-season play.

Big Schools Want Him

Watkins also was a solid punt and kick returner and rushed for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns in only 16 carries. Watkins lists Purdue and Illinois among the top colleges recruiting him. The list also includes Iowa, Brigham Young, Nevada-Las Vegas and Arizona.

The other half of a solid wide receiver pair is Mike Culwell (6-3, 175) of West Covina, an outstanding all-around player who made first team All-Sierra League on offense and defense. Culwell caught 40 passes for 620 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a defensive back, he intercepted 7 passes and made 87 tackles.

Culwell, who led West Covina to one of its best seasons (7-3) in recent years, is being recruited by Stanford, Arizona, Washington and Brigham Young.

Another impressive two-way performer was Bayer of Claremont, named to the first team as a place-kicker. The senior All-CIF performer booted six field goals during the regular season and was second in kick scoring in the CIF with 59 points.

As a defensive back, Bayer (6-0, 175) made seven interceptions. Among the top teams recruiting him are Purdue, USC and Nevada-Las Vegas.

A Massive Line

The first team offensive line, which averages a hefty 238 pounds, is impressive. Biggest is 6-7, 245-pound Ryan McReynolds, who was a standout as an offensive and defensive tackle for Rowland. McReynolds is being recruited by UCLA, USC, Colorado, UC Berkeley and Arizona.

Two other big first-teamers on the offensive line are A. J. Chuha of Damien at 6-4 and 250 and Montes of Bishop Amat at 6-3 and 250. Chuha is being recruited by USC, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Washington, and the Montes recruiting list includes Arizona, Stanford, Kansas, Houston and Nevada-Las Vegas.

The offensive line includes two other players who could not be considered tiny by any measuring stick. Steve Gilmour (6-6, 220) of Temple City was an All-Rio Hondo League tackle, and Karjala (6-3, 225) of Nogales was an All-Sierra League offensive lineman and linebacker. All five offensive linemen on the first team are seniors.

Perhaps the top player on the first team defensive line is also the smallest, David Foster of Ganesha. The 6-0 and 205-pound senior was one of the leaders in the valley area with 24 quarterback sacks and was credited with 98 tackles. He is being recruited by Colorado and Nevada-Las Vegas.

Another standout was senior Geoff Cook of Duarte (6-4, 205), who also starred as a tight end on offense. As a defensive lineman, Cook returned an interception for a touchdown and had 13 quarterback sacks. On offense, Cook caught 30 passes for 617 yards. He is being recruited by Colorado, Arizona, Oregon State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Hawaii and Washington.

The two other defensive linemen were seniors Brown of Nogales and Lopez of Charter Oak.

Brown (6-2, 215), another two-way player, was one of the key ingredients in the resurgence of Nogales, which has finished with 3-7 last year and rebounded to go 8-3 and win the league title.

Lopez (6-0, 265) was one of the leaders of a powerful Charter Oak defense that allowed only 46 points in regular season. He had 10 quarterback sacks and 75 tackles.

Leading a strong group of senior linebackers on the first team is Telish of Claremont (5-10, 195), a fierce hitter who was among the valley leaders in tackles with 130 and quarterback sacks with 11. Telish was an All-Baseline League performer the last two seasons and made the All-San Gabriel Valley second team last year.

Applauded by Coach

Another outstanding linebacker was Kenny James of Pasadena, a 5-11, 195-pounder who was excellent against the pass and the run. James, called by Coach Gary Griffiths one of the best linebackers in the school’s history, posted 80 tackles, 11 quarterback sacks and 3 interceptions in the regular season.

The other linebacker is Diaz, perhaps the leader of a strong Bishop Amat defense. Diaz (6-0, 200) posted 94 tackles and 8 quarterback sacks in the regular season.

Perhaps the top defensive back in the valley was Hardy of Muir. His coach, Jim Brownfield, calls Hardy the best safety in the state. Hardy (6-0, 170) led Muir’s defense with 87 tackles, gained a reputation as a ferocious hitter and was named the Pacific League defensive player of the year.

Also an all-league tight end, Hardy caught 27 passes for 541 yards and 8 touchdowns. Hardy, an excellent student, is being recruited by UCLA, Nebraska and Michigan.

Vladic Led Defense

Another two-way standout in the defensive backfield is Larry Vladic of Diamond Bar, who made 4 interceptions and 100 tackles to lead a defense that allowed only 50 points in the regular season. Vladic also made an impact as a wide receiver with 25 receptions for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Vladic’s recruiting list is headed by UCLA, Nebraska, Stanford and Oregon State.

First-team defensive back Brown of Bishop Amat also established himself as a tough hitter and was one of the CIF leaders in interceptions with seven. Also a top college prospect, Brown (6-0, 160) is being recruited by Texas Tech, Nevada-Las Vegas, Nebraska and Oregon State.

The final member of the defensive backfield, Barton Tyler of Workman, also is an outstanding two-way player. As a defensive back, he was among the CIF leaders with seven interceptions, including one that he returned 102 yards for a touchdown. As a wide receiver, Tyler (5-9, 155) caught 53 passes for 988 yards.

The second-team offense consists of receivers Will Harris of Los Altos and Lattimore of Nogales, linemen Patterson of Bishop Amat, Dan Ruiz of Damien, Mike Bender of Monrovia, Dave Bourland of Arcadia and Pruitt of Claremont, quarterback Mark Smith of Los Altos, backs Obert of Charter Oak, Leland Adams of West Covina and Lewis of Nogales and kicker Eric Ripke of Workman.

The second-team defense has linemen Warren of Claremont, McCoy of Charter Oak, Andre Hunter of Pasadena and Mike Holguin of Arroyo, linebackers Mike Villagran of Rowland, Ken Lopez of Los Altos and Rene Recio of Damien and defensive backs Kast of Charter Oak, Troy Porter of Diamond Bar, Marquez of Bishop Amat and Scott Robinson of San Marino. First Team Offense

Pos Name,School Ht Wt Yr WR Travis Watkins, Claremont 6-1 175 12 WR Mike Culwell, West Covina 6-3 175 12 OL Ryan McReynolds, Rowland 6-7 245 12 OL A.J. Chuha, Damien 6-4 250 12 OL Jack Montes, Bishop Amat 6-3 250 12 OL Steve Gilmour, Temple City 6-6 220 12 OL Dennis Karjala, Nogales 6-3 225 12 QB Dan McGwire, Claremont 6-8 215 12 RB J.J. Flannigan, Pomona 6-0 185 12 RB Eric Bieniemy, Bishop Amat 5-8 180 11 RB Ricky Ervins, Muir 5-9 182 11 K Steve Bayer, Claremont 6-0 175 12

First Team Defense

Pos Name,School Ht Wt Yr DL David Foster, Ganesha 6-0 205 12 DL Eugene Brown, Nogales 6-2 215 12 DL Jim Lopez, Charter Oak 6-0 265 12 DL Geoff Cook, Duarte 6-4 205 12 LB Sean Telish, Claremont 5-10 195 12 LB Kenny James, Pasadena 5-11 195 12 LB Ramon Diaz, Bishop Amat 6-0 200 12 DB John Hardy, Muir 6-0 160 12 DB Larry Vladic, Diamond Bar 6-3 190 12 DB Johnny Brown, Bishop Amat 6-0 160 12 DB Barton Tyler, Workman 5-9 155 12

Second Team Offense

Pos Name, School Ht Wt Yr WR Will Harris, Los Altos 6-3 200 12 WR Ron Lattimore, Nogales 6-1 175 11 OL Pat Patterson, Bishop Amat 6-4 250 12 OL Dan Ruiz, Damien 6-2 230 11 OL Mike Bender, Monrovia 6-4 230 12 OL Dave Bourland, Arcadia 6-3 218 12 OL Pete Pruitt, Claremont 6-2 225 12 QB Mark Smith, Los Altos 6-1 180 12 RB Jeff Obert, Charter Oak 6-2 230 12 RB Leland Adams, West Covina 5-10 172 12 RB Darryl Lewis, Nogales 5-9 165 12 K Eric Ripke, Workman 5-9 160 12

Second Team Defense

Pos Name, School Ht Wt Yr DL Bobbie Warren, Claremont 6-0 195 12 DL Bill McCoy, Charter Oak 6-1 215 12 DL Andre Hunter, Pasadena 6-0 190 12 DL Mike Holguin, Arroyo 6-3 185 12 LB Mike Villagran, Rowland 6-1 210 12 LB Ken Lopez, Los Altos 6-1 172 12 LB Rene Recio, Damien 6-0 190 12 DB Les Kast, Charter Oak 5-11 175 12 DB Troy Porter, Diamond Bar 5-9 180 12 DB Paul Marquez, Bishop Amat 5-10 170 12 DB Scott Robinson, San Marino 6-1 185 12