Flowers Named Top South Coast Back

The Times’ high school football back of the year in the South Coast is Artesia senior quarterback Aaron Flowers, who won the award for the second consecutive time.

In his career, Flowers threw for 8,873 yards, which ranks him behind only Todd Marinovich, now with the Raiders, in California Interscholastic Federation history. He also threw for 79 touchdowns, second to former Ram Pat Haden.

Lineman of the year is Fia Ili of Poly, a 6-foot, 235-pound senior who was the Moore League’s top defensive player. He had 55 tackles and 7 sacks.

Mark Rose of Lakewood is coach of the year. Rose took a team that was 2-8 in 1991 to a 7-3 finish and a second-place tie in the Moore League,

In the Southeast area, John Mele, who led La Mirada to a 10-4 record and the 1992 Division VIII Southern Section title, is the coach of the year.

One of Mele’s players, quarterback Mike Moschetti, is the Southeast back of the year. He passed for 2,394 yards and 26 touchdowns in leading La Mirada to its first CIF title.

The lineman of the year is nose guard Greg Ford of Whittier, a 6-foot, 250-pound junior who was the Whitmont League’s defensive player of the year.

The coaches and players, along with the South Coast and Southeast all-star teams, were honored at a breakfast Sunday at the Long Beach Sheraton Hotel.