The Players: Who’s Who Among the Best in the County

This year’s batch of top high school football players in Orange County has plenty of quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. You can’t miss them.

They’re the guys who scramble left and right behind the line, then complete 50-yard passes. The guys who break three, four, five tackles for that crucial first down. The guys who make diving catches in the corner of the end zone.

But before we get to all that junk, here’s the guys who do the dirty work. The young men down in the trenches. The fellows who block, tackle and snarl.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the . . .

TOP FIVE LINEMEN

Mike Burns, senior, linebacker (Esperanza)--Big, strong and fast, which coaches tend to like in a linebacker. Burns is 6 feet 3, 235 pounds but runs 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. He started five games at outside linebacker as a junior. He had three sacks and forced one fumble in the season opener against Santa Ana. Burns then moved to inside linebacker at the start of Empire League play, but tore ligaments in his ankle midway through the second quarter and missed the remainder of the season.

Jeremy Hogue, senior, defensive tackle (El Toro)--Another in a long line of great linemen at El Toro. He was a second-team all--South Coast League selection last season and has beefed up to 255 pounds on his 6-4 frame. He also has the ability to play from sideline-to-sideline, according to Charger coaches. Hogue plays on the El Toro basketball team, a testament to his ability to move quickly with his size. A 4.0 student, he was elected one of the Chargers’ captains this season.

D.C. Olsen, senior, linebacker (Fullerton)--A 6-1, 220-pound physical player, who also has good speed. He was a first-team all-Freeway League selection last season. Besides being a standout in football, Olsen is one of the best baseball players in the county. Last season, he set a county record for home runs with 13. He also led the county in runs batted in (39), runs (42), hits (50) and doubles (13). Played guard last season for the Indian football team, but will move to fullback this season.

Brian Pearsall, senior, defensive tackle (Villa Park)--A second-team all--Orange County selection last season. A key member of a defense that held four teams to fewer than 10 points. Pearsall has added weight and is now 6-3, 235. He also has good speed, in fact Coach Pat Mahoney said he considered moving Pearsall to defensive end. Mahoney also calls him the key to the Spartan defense. Pearsall was selected as a team captain for the second consecutive year. He also will play offensive tackle.

Karl Schroller, senior, offensive tackle (Fountain Valley)--If nothing else, college recruiters are impressed with Schroller’s size (6-7, 280). But he can also play. Schroller is strong; he power-cleans 275 pounds and bench presses 300. He has also been clocked at 5.05 in the 40. Quiet off the field, but has a nasty disposition on it, according to Baron Coach Mike Milner. He didn’t play football until his sophomore season, but has learned the game quickly. Will become an even better player in college, Milner says.

TOP FIVE SKILL PLAYERS

LaQuan Beckton, senior, running back (Los Alamitos)--Missed three games because of an injured ankle and played in the shadow of Erik Mitchell (Colorado), who gained more than 1,000 yards. However, Beckton still had his moments. He had one 100-yard game and finished with more than 400 yards and scored five touchdowns. Beckton will be the official point of the running game this season. At 5-9, 200, he has the size to run over would-be tacklers, but he is fast enough to run past them.

Tyler Cashman, senior, wide receiver (Los Alamitos)--One of the most versatile players in the county. He has the speed to play wide receiver and the size (6-4, 205) to play tight end. He is also the team’s punter. Coach John Barnes said Cashman can place kick and also would be a good quarterback. Last season, he caught 45 passes for 823 yards and seven touchdowns. Besides his ability as a receiver, Barnes said Cashman is a solid blocker and a team leader. A first-team all-Empire League selection in 1989.

Rob Johnson, senior, quarterback (El Toro)--An all-Orange County selection at wide receiver last season. He also backed up quarterback Steve Stenstrom, who is at Stanford. Johnson played at quarterback on the freshman and sophomore teams and led the sophomore team to a 9-1 record in 1988. He is the son of El Toro Coach Bob Johnson and brother of Bret Johnson, who led the Chargers to two Southern Section championships. Johnson, who is 6-4, 205, has a strong arm and good speed. Last season, he caught 60 passes for 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Sean Saunders, senior, running back (Foothill)--The leading rusher in the Century League last season with 846 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He isn’t the biggest back (5-9, 175) or the fastest (4.75 in the 40), but he’s a hard runner and durable. Saunders gained 153 yards against University and 131 yards against Irvine. Coach Marty McWhinney said Saunders will carry the ball even more this season. Saunders worked with a running coach during the off-season and lowered his time in the 40 from 5.0 to 4.75.

Tony Solliday, senior, quarterback (Capistrano Valley)--He already has shown why he is among the best. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns in the Cougars’ 29-15 victory over Honolulu Damien last week. In 1989, Solliday completed 151 of 249 passes for 2,377 yards and 20 touchdowns. In the Southern Section Division III semifinals against Paramount, Solliday led the Cougars on a 63-yard touchdown drive that tied the game, 21-21, with 21 seconds left. He completed six of seven passes for 53 yards on the drive.

THE NEXT FIVE

David Ackerman, senior, offensive tackle (Foothill)--One of the main reasons Sean Saunders will gain more than 1,000 yards this season. McWhinney said Ackerman worked overtime in the weight room during the off-season and is now 6-1, 240, up 10 pounds from last season.

Jeremy Brion, senior, defensive back/running back (Capistrano Valley)--Might be the best defensive back in the county. He intercepted three passes in the Cougars’ victory over Honolulu Damien last week, matching his season total from 1989. Against Damien, he gained 58 rushing yards in 10 attempts.

Julian Ford, senior, tight end/linebacker (Trabuco Hills)--A blue-chip recruit at either position. He caught 34 passes for 595 yards and six touchdowns last season. In two years on the varsity, he has caught 17 touchdown passes. Ford also has the size (6-3, 215), speed and ferocity to play linebacker.

Brian Haas, senior, linebacker/tight end (El Toro)--A first-team all-South Coast League selection last season. He played mostly on defense in 1989, but did catch a crucial touchdown pass in the Chargers’ regular-season victory over Mission Viejo. Haas has good speed and size (6-2, 217).

Todd Kehrli, junior, quarterback (Corona del Mar)--Led the Sea Kings to the Division VI championship as a sophomore. Even though Corona del Mar relied more on its defense and running attack, Kehrli still completed 122 of 254 passes for 1,662 yards and 10 touchdowns.

1,000-YARD CLUB

Visko Ancich, senior (Tustin)--A tough, tackle-to-tackle runner. He gained 633 yards last season and averaged 5.1 yards per carry with eight touchdowns. Also a good receiver, led the team in receptions the last two seasons.

Gerrick Emry, junior (Esperanza)--The Aztecs traditionally have a good offensive line and someone has to benefit. This year it will be Emery who has speed (10.0 in 100 yards) and size (6-1, 200).

Ron Goods, senior (Tustin)--Sure, Ancich will get 1,000 yards but Goods will be right there too. A perfect complement to his running mate, Goods has been clocked at 4.55 in 40. He gained more than 338 yards last season, but had to share time with Kelvin Love, who graduated.

Josh Ireland, senior (Santa Margarita)--Gained 1,080 yards and averaged 7.7 yards per carry in 1989. With the Eagles’ weak free-lance schedule, he should easily match those numbers.

Kenny Overby, senior (Sunny Hills)--Gained more than 900 yards last season as the Lancers’ No. 2 back. Good speed and a strong runner who is out of the shadow of Brian Pizula, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.

Brian Remmel, senior (Orange)--The focal point of the Panther offense a year ago. He gained more than 1,300 yards and led Orange into the Division VIII playoffs. May get the ball less because of the return of tailback Acen Childs.

Mike Sullivan, senior (Sunny Hills)--Same situation as Tustin, but the Lancers nearly had two 1,000-yard rushers last season. Sullivan played wingback last season, but still gained 558 yards rushing and averaged 8.5 yards per carry. He is faster than Overby.

MR. VERSATILE

Randy Karliner, senior, quarterback/linebacker/punter (Ocean View)--The hopes of the Seahawks pretty much rest with Karliner. He led Ocean View to a 7-4 record and the Sunset League co-championship. Karliner passed for 1,356 yards and 14 touchdowns, and was also the team’s second-leading rusher. On defense, he is the team’s best linebacker and averaged nearly 40 yards per punt.

THEY’RE BACK

Acen Childs, senior, tailback (Orange)--He had more than 300 yards after the Panthers’ first two games then injured his knee. Childs isn’t the biggest player around (5-9, 160), but has good speed. With Remmel, he should give the Panthers a potent running game.

Mike Cunningham, senior, wide receiver/defensive back (Edison)--He had 13 receptions for 270 yards and five touchdowns when he broke his thumb. He missed four games, but still led the team in interceptions with four. A versatile athlete who can play quarterback if needed.

Ben Rooker, senior, running back (Trabuco Hills)--When healthy, he could be the best running back in Orange County. But he has played only parts of two season because of knee, ankle and groin injuries. Rooker, who is 6-3, 225, gained 459 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry in five regular-season games in 1989.

Chris Singletary, senior, quarterback/linebacker (Rancho Alamitos)--He was considered dangerous on both sides of the ball, but broke his leg in two places during the first game of the season. Singletary spent six months in a cast, but is 100% recovered. At 6-1, 225, will likely play linebacker in college.

THEY’RE GONE

Danny Maestas, senior, running back (El Toro)--He scored 10 touchdowns last season and was projected as the team’s starting tailback. However, he injured his knee during summer workouts and is out three to five weeks.

Chris Adams, senior, running back (Capistrano Valley)--He was supposed to be the replacement for 1,000-yard rusher Paul Shaheen. However, Adams injured his back during summer workouts and is out indefinitely.

THE TRANSFERS

Casey Sullivan, senior, quarterback (Laguna Hills)--He threw for 1,430 yards and 12 touchdowns last season for St. Monica. Sullivan will give the Hawks a strong passing attack to go with a good running game.

Shad Vickers, senior, defensive back/running back, (Tustin)--Gee, just what the Tillers needed, another good running back. Vickers gained 787 yards and scored six touchdowns last season for Irvine. Because of Ancich and Goods, Vickers will play mostly on defense.

THE SLEEPER

Donnell Dowdy, junior, defensive back/quarterback (University)--Last season, Dowdy intercepted six passes--second-best in the county--and returned three for touchdowns. He was a first-team all-Southern Section selection even though the Trojans had a 2-8 record. Dowdy, who is 6-3, 205, will also play at quarterback this season.

THE TOE

Josh Klein, senior, (Newport Harbor)--The best kicker in the county. He made 12 field goals, nine of which were longer than 30 yards. Klein, who is also an outstanding soccer goalie, had one field goal of 45 yards and another of 44.