TIMES ALL-COUNTY FOOTBALL TEAM : Tim Manning, Oscar Wilson Lead the Way

Record-setting defensive back Tim Manning of Trabuco Hills High School and multi-talented lineman Oscar Wilson of Santa Ana head the list of selections for The Times’ 31st All-Orange County football team.

Manning led Trabuco Hills to the Southern Section Division VIII championship and capped an impressive, three-year career by intercepting his 24th pass to establish a county record.

Wilson became the first defensive player honored as a first-team selection for three consecutive years since the teams were introduced in 1959.

Manning made a successful transition from wide receiver to quarterback this season, replacing graduated senior David Lowery. Manning passed for 2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 559 yards as a senior.

He also emerged as one of the county’s best defensive backs as a sophomore, intercepting 10 passes and continuing his record pace with 10 more as a junior.

Manning’s athletic feats aren’t limited to the football field, however. Last year, he was a starting guard on the Trabuco Hills’ basketball team that won the Southern Section 3-A title and advanced to the state Division III championship game in Oakland.

Wilson’s presence on the defensive line helped Santa Ana win three consecutive Century League titles. He became the first underclassman to win the county’s lineman of the year award as a junior and could become only the second player to win either the back or lineman of the year award twice. Myron White of Santa Ana Valley was named back of the year in 1973 and ’74.

El Toro, runner-up to Division III champion Paramount, had three players honored on the first team: the pass-catch combination of quarterback Steve Stenstrom and wide receiver Rob Johnson and offensive tackle David Cuttrell.

Johnson follows his brother, Bret, who was a two-time selection at quarterback in 1986 and ’87 and was the county’s back of the year as a senior. Rob Johnson is the only underclassman selected to the first team.

Three members of the South Coast League--Capistrano Valley, El Toro and Mission Viejo--dominate the teams. El Toro placed five players, Capistrano Valley was represented by three and Mission Viejo had two players honored.

Damon Psaros, who helped lead Capistrano Valley to the county’s mythical championship, moves up to the first team this year after being honored as a second-team selection last season. Capistrano Valley also placed wide receiver Dave Poltl and defensive back Jeremy Brion on the second team.

Two-time Division VI champion Corona del Mar placed two players--linebacker Jerrott Willard and defensive back Warren Johnson--on the first team.

The backfield includes Stenstrom, fullback Brian Pizula of Sunny Hills and tailback Coy Collins of Loara. Collins rewrote the record book at Loara and Pizula became the school’s single-season rushing leader at Sunny Hills.

The offensive line is one of the biggest in the 31 years the teams have been selected, with first-team selections Ryan Motherway, Darren Correll, Chris Coons and Cuttrell weighing a total of 1,220 pounds.

Four underclassmen--Poltl and Brion of Capistrano Valley, tackle Brian Pearsall of Villa Park and Fullerton linebacker D.C. Olsen--were named to the second team.

The teams were chosen after the county’s 58 coaches were polled and ballots returned. Players were selected regardless of their class. The back, lineman and coach of the year awards will be announced at 9 a.m. Sunday during a ceremony at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers Hotel.

The players named to the first team, their parents and coaches will be invited to the brunch, with Stanford Coach Dennis Green as guest speaker. Each player will be given a certificate and a plaque.

Bill Dwyre, The Times’ sports editor, will present the Glenn Davis trophy to the outstanding prep player in Southern California. Former Servite star Derek Brown was the recipient of the award last year.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

Name School Height Weight Class Quarterback Steve Stenstrom El Toro 6-2 195 Senior Running Backs Coy Collins Loara 5-8 155 Senior Brian Pizula Sunny Hills 5-10 195 Senior Center Chris Coons Estancia 6-2 220 Senior Linemen Ryan Motherway Mater Dei 6-4 255 Senior Tom Cowen Western 6-5 240 Senior David Cuttrell El Toro 6-5 245 Senior Darren Correll Sunny Hills 6-2 260 Senior Tight End Brian Higgins Edison 6-1 195 Senior Wide Receivers Doug Weaver Fountain Valley 6-1 180 Senior Rob Johnson El Toro 6-4 195 Junior Kicker Matt Logan La Quinta 6-2 185 Senior

DEFENSE

Name School Height Weight Class Linemen Oscar Wilson Santa Ana 6-3 235 Senior Damon Psaros Capistrano Valley 6-0 210 Senior Mark Slymen Mission Viejo 6-3 245 Senior Hartwell Brown Los Alamitos 6-4 240 Senior Linebackers Gregg Clapper Mission Viejo 6-1 210 Senior David McLeod Marina 6-0 205 Senior Jerrott Willard Corona del Mar 6-2 215 Senior Scott Strini Orange 6-2 215 Senior Backs Doug Cunningham Huntington Beach 6-2 195 Senior Tim Manning Trabuco Hills 5-11 165 Senior Warren Johnson Corona del Mar 6-2 175 Senior

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

Name School Height Weight Class Quarterback Todd Gragnano Los Alamitos 6-2 185 Senior Running Backs Chris Shockley Pacifica 5-9 170 Senior Dana Riddle Rancho Alamitos 5-9 180 Senior Center Robert Southern Western 6-2 205 Senior Linemen Brenden Stai Esperanza 6-4 250 Senior Herb Prawl Santa Ana 6-0 215 Senior Lawson Mollica Edison 6-4 240 Senior Jim Farbaniec Trabuco Hills 6-3 255 Senior Tight End Bo Haley El Toro 6-2 195 Senior Wide Receivers Chad Millan Los Alamitos 6-1 180 Senior Dave Poltl Capistrano Valley 5-9 150 Junior Kicker John Bailey Fullerton 6-3 185 Senior

DEFENSE

Name School Height Weight Class Linemen Brian Pearsall Villa Park 6-2 215 Junior Dan Ledieff La Habra 6-4 225 Senior Isaac Alo Santa Ana Valley 6-4 235 Senior Jose Castillo Valencia 5-10 185 Senior Linebackers Jason Hairston Foothill 6-3 225 Senior Kenison PoChing Savanna 5-11 210 Senior Dan Petrone Estancia 5-11 195 Senior D.C. Olsen Fullerton 6-0 215 Junior Backs Jeremy Brion Capistrano Valley 6-1 185 Junior Trent Julian La Quinta 6-2 190 Senior Mike Miller El Toro 5-10 170 Senior

THE OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

STEVE STENSTROM

EL TORO, 6-2, 195, Sr.

Stenstrom completed 178 of 270 passes for 2,830 yards and 25 touchdowns. Stenstrom’s passing yardage total is the fifth highest for a season in county history. He completed 66% of his passes, but was intercepted five times in four playoff games. Stenstrom had a two-year passing total of 4,604 yards. He’s being recruited by Stanford, Oregon and Iowa.

RUNNING BACK

COY COLLINS

LOARA, 5-8, 155, Sr.

Collins rewrote Loara’s record book in three years, establishing career marks for yardage (3,011), carries (435), touchdowns (30) and average per carry (6.9). Among the single-season school marks he established this year were: yardage (1,680), touchdowns (20) and average per carry (8.6). He has the school’s longest touchdown run (95 yards) and punt return (83 yards).

RUNNING BACK

BRIAN PIZULA

SUNNY HILLS, 5-10, 195, Sr.

Pizula, named the most valuable player of the Freeway League, rushed for 1,483 yards and 21 touchdowns. Sunny Hills’ only defeat came when Pizula injured his shoulder. He is a blue-collar worker who runs with power at his fullback position. Pizula also exceled at linebacker for Sunny Hills, which allowed an average of 5.5 points per game. He also is a three-time league champion wrestler at 165 pounds.

CENTER

CHRIS COONS

ESTANCIA, 6-2, 220, Sr.

A three-year starter, Coons was one of the key players in Estancia’s rise from 2-8 in 1987 to 7-3-1 in 1988 and then 10-1 in 1989. He was an all-league player for two years and was named to the National Football Foundation’s scholar-athlete team as a junior with a 4.2 grade-point average. Coons’ teammates voted him as the team’s top lineman for two consecutive years.

OFFENSIVE LINE

RYAN MOTHERWAY

MATER DEI, 6-4, 255, Sr.

Motherway, a three-year starter for Mater Dei, was consistently graded by his coaches at 90% or better for his blocking technique. Motherway is the youngest of three brothers to play on the Monarchs’ offensive line, following Tom (Class of 1984) and Mike (‘86); both went on to play college football. Ryan started last year on a line that weighed a combined 1,295 pounds.

OFFENSIVE LINE

TOM COWEN

WESTERN, 6-5, 240, Sr.

Cowen, a two-way performer, was named the lineman of the year in the Orange League. He compiled some impressive numbers defensively, getting eight sacks and causing four fumbles, but college recruiters project him as an offensive tackle because of his height, quickness and balance. Cowen has a 3.0 grade-point average.

OFFENSIVE LINE

DAVID CUTTRELL

EL TORO, 6-5, 245, Sr.

Cuttrell blossomed into a bona fide college prospect as a senior after extensive off-season weight training following a junior year in which he struggled. He weighed 10 pounds 13 ounces at birth and fits the larger-than-life image of his hero, John Wayne, with his imposing size and strength. He also excels in the classroom with a 3.1 grade-point average and 1,070 Scholastic Aptitude Test score.

OFFENSIVE LINE

DARREN CORRELL

SUNNY HILLS, 6-2, 260, Sr.

The right guard played a major role in the success of Sunny Hills’ ground game. One of the quickest linemen in the county, Correll was equally adept at pulling or straight-ahead blocking for talented runners Brian Pizula, Ken Overby and Mike Sullivan. Sunny Hills did not emphasize the pass, but Correll is also an efficient pass blocker. He’s being recruited by Oregon, Cal State Fullerton and Nevada Las Vegas.

TIGHT END

BRIAN HIGGINS

EDISON, 6-1, 195, Sr.

Higgins established a school record for passes caught in one season, catching 63 for 860 yards and three touchdowns. He broke Rick Justice’s mark of 58 receptions set in 1985. Higgins had his best games against two of the best teams in the Southern Section. He caught nine passes against Capistrano Valley, the county’s No. 1 team, and eight passes against Fontana, the Division I champion.

WIDE RECEIVER

DOUG WEAVER

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, 6-1, 180, Sr.

Weaver was the only returning starter off Fountain Valley’s 1988 Division I championship team. He caught 45 passes for 742 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. This season, Weaver caught 54 passes for 863 yards--averaging 16 yards per reception--and scored 10 touchdowns. He set a school record for one game with 14 catches for 229 yards against El Modena.

WIDE RECEIVER

ROB JOHNSON

EL TORO, 6-4, 195, Jr.

Johnson is the second family member to earn all-county honors, following brother Bret, who was back of the year in ’87. Rob started at defensive back as a sophomore and moved to receiver this season. He caught 65 passes for 1,107 yards--averaging 17 yards per reception--and 10 touchdowns. He caught nine passes for 145 yards in the Division III title game.

KICKER

MATT LOGAN

LA QUINTA, 6-2, 185, Sr.

Logan’s 50-yard field goal against Los Amigos was the longest in the county this season. He also kicked a 49-yard field goal and was successful on 12 of 17 attempts. Logan kicked four field goals in the Division VI playoffs, including a 45-yarder against La Mirada in the semifinals. Logan’s 12 field goals ties him for ninth on the county’s all-time list. He also made 32 of 35 conversion kicks.

ALL COUNTY: THE DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

OSCAR WILSON

SANTA ANA, 6-3, 235, Sr.

Despite being double teamed most of the season, Wilson was an impact player who dominated at nose guard or defensive end. He was a major force in Santa Ana’s 17-14 upset victory over Loyola, recording four sacks, batting down a pass and forcing a fumble. He also showed his versatility in his final prep game, catching a 48-yard touchdown pass. Wilson was an all-league basketball player as a sophomore.

DEFENSIVE LINE

DAMON PSAROS

CAPISTRANO VALLEY, 6-0, 210, Sr.

Few played harder or with more determination than Psaros during his three-year career as the Cougars’ nose guard. He often doubled as a fullback in goal-line situations, but his strength was pass rushing. Psaros’ quickness and aggressiveness allowed him to routinely beat opposing linemen who were sometimes bigger. Psaros was a second-team selection as a junior.

DEFENSIVE LINE

MARK SLYMEN

MISSION VIEJO, 6-3, 245, Sr.

Slymen was the co-captain of the best defensive team in the county, recording eight sacks at tackle. Mission Viejo had four shutouts this year and was 22-4 over the past two seasons with Slymen in the lineup. Mission Viejo advanced to the Division III semifinals two consecutive years. He was a first-team all-league selection in the South Coast League for two seasons in a row.

DEFENSIVE LINE

HARTWELL BROWN

LOS ALAMITOS, 6-4, 240, Sr.

Brown was a force at defensive end for the county’s top-ranked team in the preseason. He combined speed and strength to overpower opponents. Brown’s size potential has been attractive to major colleges. One of Brown’s most impressive statistics came off the field, however. He scored 1,410 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

LINEBACKER

GREGG CLAPPER

MISSION VIEJO, 6-1, 210, Sr.

Co-captain of the county’s best defensive team, Clapper was a three-year starter with a reputation for being one of the hardest hitters in the county. Mission Viejo compiled a 33-6 record in three seasons with Clapper in the lineup. Clapper was a starter on the Diablos’ 4-A division championship soccer team as a junior and is undecided whether he will play soccer or football in college.

LINEBACKER

DAVID McLEOD

MARINA, 6-0, 205, Sr.

McLeod is the only first-team selection who played for a team with a losing record. He set single-season school records for total tackles (129), lead tackles (82) and assists (47). McLeod also had six sacks and caused eight incomplete passes. He was named the defensive player of the year in the Sunset League even though Marina finished 3-7, after going 0-10 last season.

LINEBACKER

JERROTT WILLARD

CORONA DEL MAR, 6-2, 215, Sr.

Last year, Willard was overshadowed by all-county linebacker John Katovsich. This year, Willard became his team’s defensive leader and helped Corona del Mar shut out three of four playoff opponents. He was a linebacker by trade, a running back by request and a kicker out of necessity, but he managed field goals of 47, 45 and 43 yards. Corona del Mar was 23-3-2 with Willard in the lineup.

LINEBACKER

SCOTT STRINI

ORANGE, 6-2, 215, Sr.

Orange had won only 18 games in this decade prior to this season, when the Panthers emerged with a 10-3-1 record. Strini, a three-year starter at outside linebacker and offensive guard, helped Orange advance to the Division VIII championship game; it marked the school’s first appearance in a football championship in 60 years. Strini’s older brother, Joe, started for Orange in 1986.

DEFENSIVE BACK

DOUG CUNNINGHAM

HUNTINGTON BEACH, 6-2, 195, Sr.

Cunningham ranks with Danny Thompson and Jason McGehee as the top running backs at Huntington Beach in this decade. He exceled at strong safety, where he had six interceptions. He also played wide receiver and quarterback during his three-year career. He rushed for 812 yards and scored 14 touchdowns as a senior.

DEFENSIVE BACK

TIM MANNING

TRABUCO HILLS, 5-11, 165, Sr.

Manning became the county’s career interception leader with 24 when he picked off a pass against Orange in the Division VIII championship game. He broke David Hill’s mark of 23 set from 1982-84 at Mission Viejo. Manning also played quarterback, passing for 2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns to lead Trabuco Hills to its second consecutive Division VIII title.

DEFENSIVE BACK

WARREN JOHNSON

CORONA DEL MAR, 6-2, 175, Sr.

Johnson intercepted 15 passes in his two years as a starter, helping Corona del Mar win consecutive Division VI championships. He had five interceptions in four playoff games as a junior, and caught 37 passes for 564 yards as a senior despite missing two games. Johnson also was a starter on the school’s basketball team that advanced to the 3-A division title game last season.