Ventura Tops County Awards

Football season is over, but Ventura High keeps winning.

Two players for the Southern Section Division IV champions won prominent awards as part of the All-Ventura County team selected by the Ventura County Coaches Assn.

Tyler Ebell, a senior who set national records with 4,494 yards rushing and 64 touchdowns, was selected county offensive back of the year.

Bill Griffin, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound senior, was offensive lineman of the year.

Westlake senior Ryan Foltz, a two-way player who had four interceptions and 49 receptions, was defensive back of the year.

Brandon Faumuina, a 6-2, 225-pound senior who helped lead Buena to its fourth consecutive Channel League title, was defensive lineman of the year.

In the small-schools division, three players for Division XI champion St. Bonaventure won awards.

Junior Lorenzo Booker, who rushed for 3,103 yards and 45 touchdowns, was offensive back of the year. Matt Bouvet, a 6-1, 236-pound senior, was offensive lineman of the year, and Mike Bonelli, a 6-3, 202-pound senior, was the defensive lineman of the year.

Monte McNair of Oak Park and David Garza of St. Bonaventure were small schools co-defensive backs of the year.

BASEBALL

* Left-handed pitcher Tyler Johnson of Moorpark College signed a letter of intent with Washington State for the 2001-02 season.

Johnson was an All-Ventura County pitcher at Newbury Park High and was most valuable player of the Bernie Milligan All-Star game in 1999. Last summer, he pitched in the Alaskan League and held batters to a .125 average.

* Steve Rousey, head coach at L.A. City College the last five seasons, has been hired as pitching coach at Cal State Northridge.

Rousey, who played for Cal State Fullerton’s 1984 national championship team, was the pitching coach at Long Beach State from 1992-95.

He replaces Steve Gossett, who was hired as a scout by the St. Louis Cardinals.