Ebell Will Receive High School Heisman

Record-breaking running back Tyler Ebell of Ventura High will be presented one of six High School Heisman awards at halftime of the National High School All-Star football game today at Highland Park High in Dallas.

Ebell, who set national season rushing records of 4,494 yards and 64 touchdowns, is the Far West recipient of the Heisman, presented by New York’s Downtown Athletic Club.

UCLA-bound Ebell will start for the West in the prep all-star game, which will be televised live nationally by Fox Sports Net. Kickoff is at noon (PDT).

Other winners of the first High School Heisman are running backs Kevin Jones of Cardinal O’Hara Prep (Pa.) in the Northeast and Cedric Benson of Midland Lee (Texas) in the Southwest, and quarterbacks Chris Leak of Independence (N.C) in the Mid-Atlantic, Adrian McPherson of Bradenton Southeast (Fla.) in the South and Joe Mauer of Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) in the Midwest.

The awards will be presented by Ken Hall, who set the national prep record for career rushing with 11,232 yards at Sugar Land, Texas, from 1950-52, and NFL Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett of the Dallas Cowboys.

Other players for the West include wide receiver-defensive back Dominic Robinson of Diamond Bar, tight end Lee Burghgraef of Norco (Arizona State recruit), offensive lineman Bob Cleary of Temescal Canyon (UCLA), defensive linemen Shaun Cody of Los Altos and Justin Tomerlin of San Clemente (Florida State), linebackers Marvin Simmons of Long Beach Poly (UCLA) and Michael Craven of Westminster La Quinta, and defensive back Gibril Raymo of Beverly Hills.

BASKETBALL

* A memorial service for Mitch Ruiz, assistant boys’ coach at Hueneme High, is scheduled today at 1 p.m. at Carpinteria Community Church.

Ruiz, 32, who was in his second season under Coach Tom McCollum, died at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara on Wednesday night after being admitted on Tuesday.

McCollum said Ruiz contracted double pneumonia after experiencing flu-like symptoms beginning Dec. 22.

“The whole campus is in shock,” McCollum said. “He was a favorite of everybody. He always had a smile on his face and he was always very upbeat. He just loved kids and was in coaching for all the right reasons.

“It’s just a heart-ripper.”

Ruiz, the Hueneme girls’ coach from 1997-1999, is survived by his wife, Michelle, and their three children.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Carpinteria Cemetery.

TENNIS

* Brooke Borisoff of Agoura Hills advanced to the girls’ 18 singles quarterfinals of the U.S. Tennis Assn. Super National Winter Championships on Friday with a 6-1, 6-0 upset of second-seeded Megan Racette of Urbandale, Iowa, at the Gene Autry Sports Complex in Mesa, Ariz.

Borisoff plays fifth-seeded Alexis Gordon of Hartford, Conn., today. Gordon beat No. 16-seeded Brittany Reitz of Corona del Mar, 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-3.

Stephen Amritraj of Calabasas advanced by defeating Chris Surapol of Whittier, 6-1, 6-3, in boys’ 18 singles at Scottsdale Ranch Park.

The unseeded Amritraj plays eighth-seeded Eric Hechtman of Miami, Fla., in the quarterfinals this morning.