It Was the Year of the Runner (With Big Thanks to Linemen) : Prep football: Poly and Paramount place five members apiece on the All-South Coast team, which was selected in a poll of area coaches.

This fall, the forward pass was a passing fancy and the ground game was king.

With big, beefy linemen opening gaping holes, scatbacks chewed up large chunks of the gridiron with slashing moves, dashing styles and fancy feet.

Smash-face football made a comeback. Even quarterbacks took off running most of the time.

The Times’ South Coast All-Star High School Football Team clearly reflects that trend.

Colleges are heavily recruiting offensive linemen Brandon Whiting of Poly and Curtis Armour of Dominguez. Offensive linemen Matt Howard and Gabe Hernandez of Lakewood were some of the top vote-getters among coaches.

The brute strength of Whiting and Paramount offensive tackle Terrance Jackson also came in handy on defense.

Nine teams are represented on the first team, led by Moore League champion Poly and San Gabriel Valley League titlist Paramount with five each, and San Gabriel Valley League runner-up Dominguez with four.

The team members will be honored at a breakfast at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Sheraton Long Beach. Awards for best lineman and back will be announced at the breakfast, as will the coach of the year.

The All-South Coast team, selected through a poll of coaches:

OFFENSE

Lamar Melson, Cerritos, wide receiver--A first-team All-San Gabriel Valley League pick who made 62 receptions for 894 yards and five touchdowns. He also scored five touchdowns on the ground.

Thomas Moeai, Paramount, tight end--The senior could catch the ball when he had to, but his forte was blocking. “He made all his blocks,” Coach Ken Sutch said. He was also a team captain with good speed.

Curtiss Armour, Dominguez, offensive line--The Mr. Everything on the Don line, he was a giant concrete wall to opponents. Seldom did a would-be tackler get around him. This is his second appearance on the All-South Coast team.

Gabe Hernandez, Lakewood, offensive line--The senior guard moved a lot faster than his 6-1, 230-pound frame would indicate. He was twice selected to the all-Moore League team and was well known as a drive blocker.

Matt Howard, Lakewood, offensive line--At 6-2, 245-pounds, he is another two-time Moore League selection who could drive-block with the best of them. Howard opened large holes almost every time the Lancers ran behind him.

Terry Jurekovic, Paramount, offensive lineman--He’s best known for his trapanddrive blocking at guard. The 195-pounder isn’t terribly big, but he helped many running backs punch it into the end zone when it counted.

Chris Tuliau, Poly, offensive line--The 250-pound center could move like a pulling guard and did so as a starter for three seasons. Coach Jerry Jaso calls him “a good drive-blocker who was the team leader.”

Zachary Swopshire, Dominguez, running back--The senior scampered for nearly 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also led the team in receiving.

Mark Hays, Bellflower running back--The multitalented scatback also played defensive back and linebacker, where he made eight sacks, recovered a pair of fumbles and was in on 71 tackles. Offensively, he averaged seven yards per carry and scored 13 touchdowns.

Robert Toler, Poly, quarterback--Despite an early-season ankle injury, he finished the regular season with 1,170 yards passing and was a key to the Jackrabbits’ march to the second round of the Division I playoffs, where they lost to Mater Dei, 17-14. Toler, a junior, tossed a touchdown pass that kept the score close in that game.

Ryan Williams, St. John Bosco, running back--The junior tailback has gained more than 2,600 yards rushing in his career. This season alone he scored 20 touchdowns and was named to the All-Angelus League team.

Ryan Downey, Poly, 5-9, kicker--A muffed snap on the last play of the game against Mater Dei cost him a shot at a game-tying field goal. For the season, Downey made five field goals, including two from 47 yards and one from 43 yards.

DEFENSE Bruce Bible, Dominguez, lineman--A burly 260 pounds, he was a mountain at defensive end. The junior led the Dons in tackles and quarterback sacks.

Brandon Whiting, Poly, lineman--Just about everyone in the Pac-10 is clamoring to get this guy, who is a repeater on the All-South Coast team. He’s visiting Stanford this weekend.

Terrance Jackson, Paramount, defensive line--Better known for his performance at offensive tackle, the team captain was a goal-line specialist for Coach Sutch and helped the Pirates hold off opponents when it counted.

Atunaisa Fonua, Artesia, linebacker--The team captain was in on 63 tackles, caused four fumbles and sacked quarterbacks 11 times. As a running back, he averaged nine yards a carry.

Donnell Woodbey, Dominguez, linebacker--This first-team all-San Gabriel Valley League choice weighed only 180 pounds but packed a wallop on tackles.

Lovell Alford, Millikan, linebacker--The two-time All-Moore League and All-South Coast choice led the 3-7 Rams with 82 tackles, caused a fumble, recovered a fumble and made an interception. He was the team MVP.

Andre Benson, Paramount, linebacker--He accounted for more than 80 tackles and two interceptions. “He was our best linebacker,” Sutch said.

Danjuan McGee, Poly, linebacker--A quick and versatile 260-pounder, he also played offensive tackle and defensive end. He led the Jackrabbits in tackles.

Joe Austin, Lynwood, defensive back--He was a three-year starter and a first-team choice on both offense and defense in the San Gabriel Valley League. Although Lynwood (3-7) did not meet its preseason expectations, Austin was a player to be feared.

Rafa Villasenor, Paramount, defensive back--Quick and steady from his strong safety position, he made three interceptions and came up with 49 solo tackles as the Pirates shut out six opponents.

Kelly Malveaux, Poly, defensive back--Second in the team in tackles, Malveaux was everywhere on the field, blocking kicks, getting to quarterbacks on blitzes and knocking the ball from the hands of would-be receivers.

OFFENSE

Name: Lamar Melson Position: Wide Receiver School: Cerritos Height: 5-10 Weight: 180 Year: Senior

Name: Thomas Moeai Position: Tight End School: Paramount Height: 6-0 Weight: 195 Year: Senior

Name: Matt Howard Position: Lineman School: Lakewood Height: 6-2 Weight: 245 Year: Senior

Name: Curtiss Armour Position: Lineman School: Dominguez Height: 6-1 Weight: 250 Year: Senior

Name: Gabe Hernandez Position: Lineman School: Lakewood Height: 6-1 Weight: 230 Year: Senior

Name: Terry Jurekovic Position: Lineman School: Paramount Height: 5-11 Weight: 195 Year: Senior

Name: Chris Tuliau Position: Lineman School: Poly Height: 6-0 Weight: 250 Year: Senior

Name: Zachary Swopshire Position: Back School: Dominguez Height: 6-1 Weight: 175 Year: Senior

Name: Mark Hays Position: Back School: Bellflower Height: 5-10 Weight: 175 Year: Senior

Name: Robert Toler Position: Back School: Poly Height: 6-1 Weight: 175 Year: Junior

Name: Ryan Williams Position: Back School: St. John Bosco Height: 5-9 Weight: 170 Year: Junior

Name: Ryan Downey Position: Kicker School: Poly Height: 5-9 Weight: 160 Year: Senior

DEFENSE

Name: Bruce Bible Position: Lineman School: Dominguez Height: 6-2 Weight: 260 Year: Junior

Name: Terrance Jackson Position: Lineman School: Paramount Height: 6-0 Weight: 250 Year: Senior

Name: Brandon Whiting Position: Lineman School: Poly Height: 6-3 Weight: 260 Year: Senior

Name: Atunaisa Fonua Position: Linebacker School: Artesia Height: 5-10 Weight: 190 Year: Senior

Name: Donnell Woodbey Position: Linebacker School: Dominguez Height: 5-11 Weight: 180 Year: Senior

Name: Lovell Alford Position: Linebacker School: Millikan Height: 5-11 Weight: 220 Year: Senior

Name: Andre Benson Position: Linebacker School: Paramount Height: 6-1 Weight: 205 Year: Senior

Name: Danjuan McGee Position: Linebacker School: Poly Height: 6-3 Weight: 260 Year: Senior

Name: Joe Austin Position: Back School: Lynwood Height: 5-8 Weight: 170 Year: Senior

Name: Rafa Villasenor Position: Back School: Paramount Height: 5-8 Weight: 160 Year: Senior

Name: Kelly Malveaux Position: Back School: Poly Height: 5-9 Weight: 170 Year: Senior