You Can Put a Price on 4-A Award : Football: Sylmar back named player of year and four teammates are selected to All-City team.

Sylmar High junior running back Durell Price was named the City Section 4-A Division player of the year after rushing for nearly 2,000 yards and leading the Spartans to their second City 4-A title in three years.

Eight of the 11 area players named to the All-City 4-A team are from Sylmar and Taft. Thirteen area players were named to the 3-A team.

Price, who led the City with 1,936 yards rushing, averaged 10.5 yards a carry and scored 30 touchdowns. Sylmar running backs have earned 4-A player of the year honors the past three seasons. Former Spartan tailback Tyrone Crenshaw (Michigan State) earned the distinction the past two seasons.

Despite migraine headaches and a bout with strep throat, Price rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns in Sylmar’s 38-6 rout of Crenshaw in the 4-A final earlier this month. Price came on strong in the playoffs, rushing for 696 yards in four games.

Four other players from Sylmar earned All-City honors, including senior quarterback Greg Marquez, senior offensive lineman Frank Fuentes, senior defensive lineman Brandon McGee and senior defensive back Davon Young.

Taft honorees include senior running back Jerry Brown, senior defensive lineman Juan Madera and senior defensive back DaShon Polk.

Brown rushed for 1,931 yards and lost the City rushing title to a Sylmar running back for the third consecutive year. Price eclipsed Brown’s mark in the final game.

Other area 4-A players named include senior linebacker Damion Thompson and sophomore defensive back Waking Bailey, both of Kennedy, and Granada Hills senior wide receiver Eric Carpenter.

In the 3-A division, area players accounted for nine of the 16 named on offense.

Monroe’s Nick Nuccitelli, Grant’s Di-Onte Smith and Birmingham’s Courtney Blunt--all running backs who rushed for better than 1,000 yards--were named to the 3-A backfield.

Other Birmingham players include senior offensive lineman David San Vicente, senior linebacker Marvin Powell and senior defensive back Jason Howard.

Rounding out the 3-A local selections are senior wide receivers Jaime Cerna (Poly) and Ryan Jones (North Hollywood); offensive linemen Josh Rhoades (Cleveland) and Ennis Davis (Reseda); kicker Federico Arroyo (Van Nuys); junior linebacker Jeff McRea (El Camino Real) and junior defensive back Junior Brignac (Cleveland).