PREP FOOTBALL ALL-STARS 1987 : Carson’s Powerhouse Colts Dominate South Bay Team

Call it the Year of the Colt .

The Carson Colts, who have climbed to the No. 2-ranking in the USA TODAY Super 25 by dominating every opponent in their quest for a second straight L.A. City 4-A title, dominate The Times All-South Bay high school football team.

Carson placed six players on the 23-man first team, which will be honored Sunday at The Times High School Football Awards brunch at the Anaheim Hilton. USC Coach Larry Smith is the guest speaker.

Recipients of the South Bay coach, back and lineman of the year awards will be announced at the 9 a.m. brunch.

Carson Coach Gene Vollnogle says this is not his best team, but he admits it comes close. The Colts have outscored opponents, 392-53, and enter the City 4-A semifinals Friday against San Fernando with a 10-0 record.

After Carson, Camino Real League champion Serra ranks second with three first-team selections. Palos Verdes, Hawthorne, Banning and Leuzinger each placed two.

Quarterback George Malauulu heads three Carson players on the first-team offense. Malauulu’s favorite target, wide receiver Bryan Reeves, and his best blocker, guard Morris Unutoa, are also honored.

Rounding out the offensive unit are Hawthorne quarterback Curtis Conway--named an all-purpose player because of his versatility--Palos Verdes running back Matt Seaburn, Serra wide receiver Deon Figures, South Torrance tight end Brett Austin, linemen Bob Whitfield of Banning, Pete Pozzuoli of Palos Verdes and Robert Sawai of North Torrance and Hawthorne center Jason Monzon. Rick Salas of Redondo is the kicker.

Carson players selected to the defense are linebackers Arnold Ale and Rick Tiedemann and strong safety Charles Gardner. The remainder of the unit is made up of linemen Heath Jones of El Segundo, Titus Tuiasosopo of Banning and Erik Simien of Serra, linebackers Greg Franklin of Leuzinger and Joe Santos of San Pedro and backs Niu Sale of Bishop Montgomery, Eric Hamilton of Serra and Anthony Jefferson of Leuzinger.

The teams were chosen on the basis of a poll of South Bay coaches, who were asked to fill out ballots nominating their own players and opponents, plus the opinions of college scouts and sportswriters.

Carson quarterback Malauulu is considered the area’s most efficient field general. The ambidextrous senior, who passes with either hand, has thrown for 1,548 yards and 16 touchdowns, rushed for 381 yards and 7 TDs and helped the Colts to a 21-1 record over the past two seasons.

Reeves has been on the receiving end of the most of Malauulu’s passes. He leads Carson with 27 catches for 559 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 21 yards per reception. Vollnogle calls Unutoa, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior “the best offensive lineman in the area.”

Conway, who has been compared to Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway and USC’s Rodney Peete, led Hawthorne (9-2-1) to the Ocean League tri-championship and a spot in the CIF Southern Conference quarterfinals. The junior mainly played quarterback but also saw duty at tailback, wide receiver and defensive back. He dazzled defenses with his quickness and speed, rushing for 834 yards and 21 touchdowns and passing for 1,517 yards and 18 TDs. In all, Conway ran or passed for 39 of Hawthorne’s 42 TDs.

While Conway called the signals, Monzon called the offensive line blocks for Hawthorne. He did not miss a game in two seasons as the Cougars’ center and was a unanimous All-Ocean League first-team choice.

Seaburn, Palos Verdes’ top player, was one of three Bay League running backs who rushed for more than 1,000 yards. The hard-running senior gained 1,192 yards on 202 carries (a 6-yard average) and scored 15 touchdowns. He was named the league’s back of the year. “If there was no hole, he’d still get two or three yards,” said Coach Bill Judy. If there was a hole, he showed breakaway speed. Seaburn had an 84-yard scoring run in a 27-19 win over South Torrance.

The player clearing holes for Seaburn most of the time was Pozzuoli, the top offensive lineman for the Sea Kings and considered one of the best in the Bay League by coaches.

Serra’s Figures was one of the area’s premier two-way players. The athletic senior caught 35 passes for 709 yards (a 20-yard average) and led the Cavaliers with 16 touchdowns. On defense, Figures played cornerback and was among the South Bay leaders with six interceptions. He is being recruited by several major colleges, according to Serra Coach Dale Washburn.

Hamilton, who doubled at quarterback and safety, was Serra’s other senior leader. He passed for 1,729 yards and 20 touchdowns, rushed for more than 600 yards and 6 TDs and kicked 35 PATs and 2 field goals. “Eric had a great year, considering he went both ways,” Washburn said. The Camino Real League coaches agreed, naming him the league’s most valuable player.

Austin, the Bay League player of the year, could have been selected on offense or defense. The rangy senior caught 31 passes for 673 yards (a 22-yard average) and 10 touchdowns and was among South Torrance’s leading tacklers at outside linebacker. The son of South Coach Joe Austin helped the Spartans (9-3) reach the CIF Coastal Conference quarterfinals.

Offensive tackle Whitfield, a 6-7, 265-pound junior, was regarded as Banning’s No. 1 player by Coach John Hazelton. “He’ll be one of the top 50 linemen in the country next year,” Hazelton said. Banning’s other first-team choice is Tuiasosopo, a versatile senior who played tight end, offensive guard, defensive tackle and linebacker.

North Torrance guard Sawai helped pave the way for a productive Saxon running game that featured 1,000-yard rusher Anthony Anetema. Sawai, who also played linebacker, was chosen the Bay League lineman of the year.

Salas converted 9 of 14 field goal attempts, with longs of 47 and 42 yards. The senior also played fullback and linebacker for Redondo before suffering a knee injury midway through the season.

Ale and Tiedemann make up two-thirds of Carson’s linebacker unit, nicknamed The Relentless Force . The 6-4, 220-pound Ale excels at putting quarterbacks on their backs. He leads the Colts with 19 sacks, two shy of the school single-season record, and is the team’s top tackler. Tiedemann, a three-year varsity starter, anchors the defense at middle linebacker and calls the signals. “He’s our hit man,” said Vollnogle.

Gardner gives Carson the equivalent of a fourth linebacker in the secondary. At 6-3 and 200 pounds, the senior strong safety packs a punch but also has the speed to cover fleet receivers. He is regarded as a major college prospect.

Size, speed and performance made defensive end Jones the No. 1 player for El Segundo. The 6-5, 200-pound senior was the team’s top pass rusher and gained nearly 500 yards at fullback. Jones helped the surprising Eagles (9-4), who were picked to finish last in the Pioneer League, reach the semifinals of the CIF Northwestern Conference playoffs.

Serra lineman Simien is the only junior on the first-team defense. The 6-4, 230-pounder is compared favorably to former Serra standout Rocen Keeton (now at UCLA) by Coach Washburn. “He’s a tremendous pass rusher,” Washburn said. Simien has been a first-team All-Camino Real League choice for two straight years.

Leuzinger’s dynamic duo of Franklin and Jefferson were selected on defense, although they could have been named on offense. Franklin, who played linebacker and fullback, gained a reputation as one of the area’s hardest hitters. He rushed for more than 800 yards. The speedy Jefferson was the Olympians’ outside threat at tailback and also played in the secondary. He rushed for more than 700 yards and led the Pioneer League champions with 18 touchdowns.

Linebacker Santos was rated San Pedro’s top player by Coach Henry Pacheco. The senior was the leading tackler for the Pirates, who finished second in the Freeway League and qualified for the City 3-A playoffs.

Bishop Montgomery’s Sale could be the most versatile player in the area. An All-South Bay second-team choice at quarterback last year, Sale suffered a broken right hand in the first game this season that prevented him from playing quarterback. But he returned to play running back and strong safety for the Knights, earning All-Angelus League honors for the second consecutive year. Despite missing four games, the senior led the team in rushing, scoring and interceptions and was second in tackles.

PREP FOOTBALL ALL-STARS 1987:

OFFENSE

Name Position School Height Weight Year Bryan Reeves Wide Receiver Carson 6-1 175 12 Deon Figures Wide Receiver Serra 6-1 175 12 Brett Austin Tight End South Torrance 6-5 200 12 Bob Whitfield Lineman Banning 6-7 265 11 Pete Pozzuoli Lineman Palos Verdes 6-1 225 12 Morris Unutoa Lineman Carson 6-3 230 11 Robert Sawai Lineman North Torrance 5-11 205 12 Jason Monzon Center Hawthorne 5-11 225 12 George Malauulu Quarterback Carson 6-1 190 12 Matt Seaburn Back Palos Verdes 5-11 200 12 Curtis Conway All-Purpose Hawthorne 6-2 175 11 Rick Salas Kicker Redondo 5-8 210 12

DEFENSE

Name Position School Height Weight Year Heath Jones Lineman El Segundo 6-5 205 12 Titus Tuiasosopo Lineman Banning 6-3 240 12 Erik Simien Lineman Serra 6-4 230 11 Arnold Ale Linebacker Carson 6-4 220 12 Rick Tiedemann Linebacker Carson 6-2 205 12 Greg Franklin Linebacker Leuzinger 5-11 190 12 Joe Santos Linebacker San Pedro 6-0 190 12 Niu Sale Back Bishop Montgomery 5-10 185 12 Charles Gardner Back Carson 6-3 200 12 Eric Hamilton Back Serra 5-11 185 12 Anthony Jefferson Back Leuzinger 6-1 180 12

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

Name School Position Height Weight Year John Morton South Torrance WR 6-1 185 11 Travis Hannah Hawthorne WR 5-10 160 12 Joel Wilson Morningside TE 6-1 180 12 Mike Alexander Banning OL 6-4 230 12 Andrew Barra Bishop OL 6-3 230 12 Montgomery Greg Baer South Torrance OL 6-2 245 12 Mike Delich Leuzinger OL 5-11 195 11 Jeff Creek West Torrance C 6-0 200 12 Zak Krislock South Torrance QB 6-4 180 12 Mike Wyrick South Torrance B 5-9 190 12 Derrick Duren Gardena B 5-8 145 12 Louis Perez Carson K 5-10 170 12

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

Name School Position Height Weight Year David Porter Palos Verdes DL 6-3 225 12 David Samperio San Pedro DL 6-4 235 11 Sonny Fuavai Banning DL 6-1 215 11 Brian Marzorini North Torrance DL 5-10 180 12 Don Lucero Mira Costa LB 6-1 175 12 Mike Graves Redondo LB 5-10 185 12 Aman Hicks Gardena LB 5-7 165 12 Dan Brown El Segundo B 5-11 170 12 Earl Rhodes Coast Christian B 6-1 200 10 Cheppell Collins Hawthorne B 6-1 175 12 Mark Harper Torrance B 6-2 185 12