PREP FOOTBALL ALL-STARS 1987 : Bishop Amat and Los Altos Dominate ’87 All-Valley Team

When it comes to football tradition in the San Gabriel Valley, there are not many high schools that have enjoyed as much success in recent years as Bishop Amat of La Puente and Los Altos of Hacienda Heights.

Consider this season when Bishop Amat completed its third straight undefeated regular season and won the Angelus League championship and Los Altos, defending CIF Eastern Conference champion, captured its second Sierra League title and has reached the conference final for the second year in a row.

So it should come as little surprise that Bishop Amat and Los Altos have the most players on the 46-player first- and second-team Los Angeles Times All-San Gabriel Valley all-star squad. Each placed three players on the first team and Los Altos also landed three and Bishop Amat two on the second squad.

Los Altos placed wide receiver Blake Hayward, defensive lineman Mike Zorn and linebacker Royce Risser on the first team and offensive lineman Robert Coleman, linebacker Hans Ruiz and defensive back Scott Mahaffey on the second squad.

Bishop Amat landed running back Mazio Royster, offensive lineman Aron Gideon and defensive back Stephon Pace on the first team and offensive lineman Kevin Szalonek and punter J. R. Phillips on the second team.

Cross-town rivals Muir and Pasadena--which have produced many talented players--were next in line in all-star selections. Muir placed defensive lineman Chad Brown and linebacker Al Robinson on the first team and quarterback Tarrel Amos and defensive lineman Craig Hudson on the second team. Pasadena landed running back Jon Lee and offensive lineman Brian Wright on the first squad and offensive lineman Mark Duzian on the second team.

Three other schools with two first-team players are Baldwin Park, Claremont and Damien. Baldwin Park has wide receiver Robert Levesque and quarterback Kirk Gair, Claremont landed defensive lineman DeNail Sparks and place-kicker Kenny Allen and Damien added offensive lineman Larry Bryan and linebacker Charles Lough.

South Pasadena placed one player on the first team and three on the second squad, Arroyo, Wilson, Diamond Bar and South Hills each has one first-team and one second-team selection. San Gabriel placed three players on the second team.

Pace is the only repeater from last year and running back Daryl Green of Nogales is the only junior on the first team.

Nineteen schools are represented on the first and second teams.

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

The first teams from all Times sections will be honored at the annual Times High School Football Awards Brunch at 9 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 11 other Times circulation areas: Orange County, Westside, San Fernando Valley, Ventura County, Inland Empire, South Bay, Glendale, Southeast, South Coast, San Diego County and Central Los Angeles.

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

The featured speaker will be Larry Smith, who coached USC to the Pacific 10 title and the Rose Bowl in his first year with the Trojans.

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.

Every year the valley seems to produce a long list of outstanding running backs, and this season was no exception.

Heading the pack is Bishop Amat’s Royster, a 6-1 and 179-pounder who rushed for a valley-high 1,702 yards and 18 touchdowns in 263 carries to lead the Lancers to an 11-1 record and a fourth-straight berth in the CIF Big Five Conference quarterfinals.

The Lancers were supposed to have difficulty replacing All-CIF running back Eric Bieniemy, who graduated after establishing the school career rushing record. Royster, who had rushed for 707 yards as a junior behind Bieniemy, more than filled the void. For seven straight years a Bishop Amat back has surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau.

The elusive speedster has been recruited by Washington, Pittsburgh, USC, Iowa, Syracuse, Nebraska and UCLA.

Another running back who turned in a big senior season is Pasadena’s Lee. The 6-0, 190-pounder suffered through an injury-plagued junior year but this season was the team’s leading rusher and second in the valley with 1,366 yards and 11 carries to lead Pasadena to the second round of the CIF Coastal Conference playoffs. That has attracted the interest of Penn State, Arizona, UCLA and Colorado State.

Green of Nogales is only a junior but has as much talent as any rusher in the valley. Green, the third best rusher in the valley in regular-season, rushed for 1,042 yards and 7 touchdowns in 192 carries and caught 17 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown.

A two-year starter and two-time All-Sierra League player, the speedy 5-10, 165-pounder pushed his career totals to 2,022 yards and 18 touchdowns. Regarded as a major-college prospect, Green is being recruited by Oklahoma, Nebraska, UCLA, USC, Alabama and Texas A & M.

Baldwin Park’s Gair (6-0, 195) follows a long line of brilliant passers to play for the Braves. Gair, who led Baldwin Park to a 9-1 regular-season record and the Montview League championship, had played mostly as a defensive end as a junior and was an honorable mention all-league selection.

Gair had few problems adjusting to quarterback. In regular-season play he completed 110 of 203 passes for 1,757 yards and 18 touchdowns. Regarded as a good college prospect, he has been recruited by UC Berkeley, Hawaii, Air Force, Army and Vanderbilt.

His favorite receiver was Levesque, a first-team selection who is a big target at 6-3 and 205. Despite being double- and triple-teamed, Levesque caught 42 passes for 815 yards--19 yards a catch--and scored 10 touchdowns.

An All-Montview League performer the last two seasons, Levesque has Utah State at the top of his list of recruiters.

Another first-team receiver with a flair for making difficult receptions is Haywood of Los Altos. At 6-1 and 170, the All-Sierra League player made 39 receptions for 680 yards--an average of 17.4 a catch--and 6 touchdowns.

He made two dramatic touchdown catches to give the Conquerors victories over league rivals Diamond Bar and Rowland. His game-winning reception against Rowland came with 22 seconds remaining. Hayward, who follows a tradition of outstanding receivers at Los Altos, is considered a strong Division I prospect.

The first-team kicker, Allen (6-2, 165) of Claremont, is the latest of excellent place-kickers for the Wolfpack. It is the third straight year that a Claremont kicker has made the all-valley first team.

Allen earned the honor by making all nine of his field-goal attempts, including a 48-yarder, and 26 extra points. He also started at defensive back and made three interceptions.

There is an accent on size on the first-team offensive line, which averages 236 pounds. The biggest are Bascom Mellon of Diamond Bar (6-4, 255) and Damien’s Bryan (6-3, 265). Both have been recruited heavily by major colleges.

Mellon, who made the All-CIF team as a junior, was listed among scout Max Emfinger’s preseason 100 college prospects as a defensive tackle. Mellon was his team’s top lineman on offense and had 126 tackles, 13 quarterback sacks and 1 interception. His list of recruiters includes USC, Washington, Arizona State and Washington State.

Damien always has big offensive linemen, and Bryan fits the description. A two-time All-Baseline League selection, he has been recruited by USC, Colorado, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Iowa and Michigan.

Another school with size on its offensive line is Bishop Amat and the Lancers have a solid college prospect in the 6-2, 230-pound Gideon. He distinguished himself mostly for blocking as a guard. But the two-way player also logged 43 tackles and 2 fumble recoveries at defensive tackle. The All-Angelus League player is being recruited by UCLA, Penn State, Stanford and Harvard.

Pasadena’s Wright established himself as a two-way player. He was the top blocker for the Bulldogs on offense and had one interception, two pass deflections and scored a touchdown as a lineman on defense.

The 6-2, 222-pounder, who made the All-Pacific League team three years in a row, has been recruited by USC, UCLA, Colorado, Arizona, Fresno State and San Diego State.

At 5-11 and 210, Arroyo’s Frank Imperial is not as big as the rest of the first-team offensive linemen. But that did not stop him from being named the lineman of the year in the Mission Valley League. Coaches made him a unanimous first-team selection at offensive guard and defensive tackle. It marked the third straight year that Imperial made the all-league team.

The first-team defensive line is headed by the versatile Brown of Muir, who excelled on defense at end and on offense at tight end and fullback. Brown, a second-team All-CIF selection last year on defense, was among his team leaders with 138 tackles, 10 quarterback sacks and 5 blocked passes.

He chipped in on offense by catching 13 passes for 113 yards and rushing for 350. He is being recruited by Brigham Young, UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley, Colorado and Washington.

Another standout on the defensive line is middle guard Sparks of Claremont, who was selected the most valuable player in the Baseline League. At 6-4 and 238, he made 70 tackles, 6 quarterback sacks, 3 pass deflections and a blocked field goal. Among his top college choices are Colorado, Oregon, Hawaii and USC.

Los Altos has a first-team selection on the line in Zorn (6-3, 220), who played a big role on a defense that allowed only 77 points during the regular season. Zorn posted 12 quarterback sacks, caused 5 fumbles and had 53 tackles. He is being recruited by San Diego State.

First-teamer Angel Chavez of Northview (6-0, 210) has been the best lineman in the Valle Vista League over the last two seasons. As a senior, he was credited with 12 quarterback sacks and named Valle Vista defensive player of the year in leading his team to an 8-1-1 regular-season record and the title.

Perhaps the most heavily recruited of the all-valley linebackers is Damien’s Lough, 6-5 and 225. A three-year starter, Lough is a two-time All-Baseline League performer and made second team all-valley last year. His top college choices are UCLA and Stanford.

Muir’s Robinson, 6-0 and 190, is regarded as a solid college prospect. An aggressive player with speed, Robinson was one of the leaders of a defense that allowed only 64 points. He was second to Brown with 113 tackles and has been recruited by Brigham Young, Iowa State and Nevada-Las Vegas.

Even more impressive was Risser of Los Altos, who earned Sierra League defensive player of the year honors. The hard-hitting 6-2 and 210-pounder finished the regular-season with a team-high 106 tackles, recovered 4 fumbles and made 2 interceptions. Risser, who has a 4.0-grade point average, has been recruited by Vanderbilt and UC Davis.

One of the best athletes of the all-star team is Bishop Amat’s Pace, who heads the defensive backfield. The only first-team repeater from a year ago, Pace (6-0, 175) was voted defensive player of the year in the rugged Angelus League.

Pace, an aggressive defender with excellent speed, posted 6 interceptions and 95 tackles. His career total of 12 interceptions tied the school record of Frank Capiello and Louie Lopez. He also contributed as a wide receiver with 15 catches for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns.

He has been recruited by Pittsburgh, Washington, Syracuse, UCLA, USC and Colorado. But he is also considered a major-college recruit as a guard in basketball, averaging 15 points a game last season.

First-team selection Jerry Wolak of South Hills also earned distinction as a two-way player. Chosen as a defender, Wolak (5-11, 170) was one of the valley leaders with 6 interceptions and 45 tackles.

A transfer from Valle Vista League rival Covina, Wolak also led the Huskies in rushing with 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is being recruited by Cal State Fullerton, Nevada-Las Vegas and Cal Lutheran.

South Pasadena’s Eric Shipp was called “the best defensive back I’ve ever coached” by Coach Fred Cuccia and had the season to match. Shipp, 6-1 and 180, finished with 4 interceptions, including one that he returned 85 yards for a touchdown, and 65 tackles.

“Our opponents stayed away from his side,” Cuccia said. The All-Rio Hondo League safety has been recruited by Alabama, UCLA, Arizona State and Army.

Another excellent two-way player, Robert Compton of Wilson, rounds out the first team. A tall and physical safety at 6-3 and 205, Compton had 3 interceptions and 50 tackles. He also starred as a receiver with 36 receptions for 449 yards and a touchdown. He is being recruited by Syracuse, Washington and Oregon State.

The all-valley second-team offense consists of wide receivers Neal Begerow of San Gabriel and Marcus Crunk of Rosemead; linemen Kevin Szalonek of Bishop Amat, Dion McGuire of Ganesha, Robert Coleman of Los Altos, Rick Fuller of Arroyo and Mark Duzian of Pasadena; quarterback John Strycula of Charter Oak; backs Tarrel Amos of Muir, Dan Bachman of San Gabriel and Bob Henderson of South Pasadena and punter J. R. Phillips of Bishop Amat.

The second-team defense consists of linemen Jon Eliason of Wilson, Derek DeWitt of Ganesha, Craig Hudson of Muir and James Sheridan of South Pasadena; linebackers Hans Ruiz of Los Altos, Dominic Freking of South Hills and David Kerr of San Gabriel and defensive backs Chip Edwards of South Pasadena, Jim Edmonds of Diamond Bar, Corey Kapano of Azusa and Scott Mahaffey of Los Altos.

OFFENSE

Name Position School Height Weight Year Blake Hayward Receiver Los Altos 6-1 170 12 Robert Levesque Receiver Baldwin Park 6-3 205 12 Aron Gideon Lineman Bishop Amat 6-2 230 12 Bascom Mellon Lineman Diamond Bar 6-4 255 12 Brian Wright Lineman Pasadena 6-2 222 12 Frank Imperial Lineman Arroyo 5-11 210 12 Larry Bryan Lineman Damien 6-3 265 12 Kirk Gair Quarterback Baldwin Park 6-0 196 12 Daryl Green Back Nogales 5-10 165 11 Jon Lee Back Pasadena 6-0 190 12 Mazio Royster Back Bishop Amat 6-1 179 12 Kenny Allen Kicker Claremont 6-2 165 12

DEFENSE

Name Position School Height Weight Year Chad Brown Lineman Muir 6-3 220 12 DeNail Sparks Lineman Claremont 6-4 238 12 Mike Zorn Lineman Los Altos 6-3 220 12 Angel Chavez Lineman Northview 6-0 210 12 Royce Risser Linebacker Los Altos 6-2 210 12 Charles Lough Linebacker Damien 6-5 225 12 Al Robinson Linebacker Muir 6-1 190 12 Stephon Pace Back Bishop Amat 6-0 175 12 Jerry Wolak Back South Hills 5-11 170 12 Eric Ship Back South Pasadena 6-1 180 12 Robert Compton Back Wilson 6-3 1/2 205 12

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

Name School Position Height Weight Year Neal Begerow San Gabriel WR 5-10 150 11 Marcus Crunk Rosemead WR 6-0 170 12 Kevin Szalonek Bishop Amat OL 6-4 265 12 Dion McGuire Genesha OL 6-3 235 12 Robert Coleman Los Altos OL 6-3 210 12 Rick Fuller Arroyo OL 6-8 270 12 Mark Duzian Pasadena OL 5-11 226 12 John Strycula Charter Oak QB 5-10 175 12 Tarrel Amos Muir B 5-8 165 12 Dan Bachman San Gabriel B 5-10 165 11 Bob Henderson S. Pasadena B 5-7 175 12 J.R. Phillips Bishop Amat K 6-0 175 12

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

Name School Position Height Weight Year Jon Eliason Wilson DL 6-1 195 12 Derek DeWitt Genesha DL 6-3 210 12 Craig Hudson Muir DL 6-2 220 12 James Sheridan S. Pasadena DL 6-4 215 12 Hans Ruiz Los Altos LB 5-11 175 12 Dominic Freking South Hills LB 5-11 190 12 David Kerr San Gabriel LB 6-0 205 12 Chip Edwards S. Pasadena B 6-2 175 12 Jim Edmonds Diamond Bar B 6-0 188 12 Corey Kapano Azusa B 6-2 215 12 Scott Mahaffey Los Altos B 5-11 170 12