NOTEBOOK / GARY KLEIN : Awards Breakfast Honors Area’s Top Football Players, Coach

Saladin McCullough of Muir was named back of the year, Wilhans Ili of Bishop Amat was lineman of the year and Mark Paredes was honored as coach of the year at The Times’ annual San Gabriel Valley football awards breakfast Sunday at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel.

Twenty-three players from the San Gabriel Valley were honored at the event. The speaker was Stephon Pace, a former All-Southern Section player at Bishop Amat who recently completed his career as a defensive back at USC.

McCullough, a senior, gained more than 2,000 yards, scored 36 touchdowns and averaged nine yards a carry for Muir, which won the Pacific League championship and advanced to the Division II semifinals.

Ili, the Division I player of the year, anchored a Bishop Amat defense that helped lead the Lancers to the Del Rey League championship, the Division I title and a victory over Sylmar in the CIF/Reebok Bowl.

Paredes guided Bishop Amat to an unbeaten season and the school’s first Southern Section championship in 21 years.

The Cal State Los Angeles men’s basketball team plays Cal State Bakersfield, the top-ranked team in Division II, in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. game Friday night at Cal State L.A. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles play host to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Cal State L.A. (11-3) is off to its best start since 1978-79, when it began 10-3.

Cal State L.A. is 3-1 in the CCAA after its 82-79 defeat by UC Riverside and 72-69 victory over Cal State San Bernardino. The Golden Eagles are tied with Riverside for second place in the conference. Cal State L.A. center Tony McGee is the conference’s leading scorer, averaging 20.7 points a game.

Bakersfield (16-0, 4-0 in the CCAA) is led by Roheen Oats, who averages 16.3 points and seven rebounds a game.

Jim Hanifan, offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins, and Doc Sooter, a former basketball coach at Covina High, will be inducted into the Covina High Hall of Fame on Feb. 26.

The induction banquet will be on campus. Tickets are available through the school’s Associated Student Body Office.

Information: (818) 339-8359.