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FOOTBALL

KEVIN ELLISON

Sr., Redondo

Then: He didn’t always have the speed he does now, but hard work has paid off for the 6-foot-1 1/2 , 220-pound nucleus of the Sea Hawks’ offense and defense. He began the 2004 season with 2,052 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns, helping Redondo win two Ocean League titles, but he attracted recruiters’ attention with his defense. “As a sophomore, he had 22 tackles in a game,” Coach Gene Simon said, “so he’s been pretty good right out of the chute. He’s a special player.”

Now: Seven Pacific 10 Conference schools, plus Colorado, have made scholarship offers to Ellison. The school’s all-time leading tackler (264) has 78 this season and could break the season mark (142) if the team goes on a long playoff run. Last week against West Torrance, he rushed 18 times for a school-record 303 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 20 touchdowns rushing. With 3,165 yards in his career, he is the school’s record-holder and will be the primary focus of Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula on Friday afternoon when they play for a chance to win the Bay League title.

Quote: “Our guys feel we have a chance to beat everybody as long as he’s on the field,” Simon said. “And he’s pretty much always on the field, that’s for sure.”

-- Martin Henderson

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GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

TORRI PATEL

Jr., Long Beach Wilson

Then: Patel is a defensive specialist, a position that doesn’t always get much recognition or glory, but she embraced the role and has shined. Last year, she was the first sophomore to be selected to the All-Moore League team and over the summer was nominated for the all-tournament team at the National Club Tournament division of the Junior Olympics. She has played volleyball on the club circuit for eight years and her team, Long Beach Mizuno, finished third in those Junior Olympics and ended the season ranked among the top 50 club teams in the nation.

Now: Patel was a force in the backcourt at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions last weekend. She averaged 14 digs over four matches for Wilson, which finished third in the prestigious tournament, including a first-round upset of two-time defending champion Mountain View St. Francis and a third-place victory over Santa Barbara San Marcos. The team captain, Patel does just as well in the classroom, where she maintains a 4.0 grade-point average and is tied for the top-ranking in her class.

Quote: “It’s hard, because the hitters and blockers get a lot of the credit,” Patel said of her role as defensive specialist. “But I love it. I think it’s really exciting and I feel really proud to be able to help the team in that way.”

-- Peter Yoon

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BOYS’ WATER POLO

GASTON SANFORD

Sr., Corona del Mar

Then: A two-meter man during his first four years in the sport, Sanford was put in the cage five years ago and became the Sea Kings’ regular varsity starting goalkeeper last year. He gained invaluable experience on the Pepperdine Water Polo Club’s 18-and-under team that won a gold medal in the Junior Olympics in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in July after traveling to Cuba with the same team in April.

Now: Sanford’s rise has coincided with that of ever-improving Corona del Mar (16-8), No. 2 in the Southern Section Division I coaches’ rankings. Last-place finishers among 16 teams in the TruWest Memorial Cup tournament in 2003, the Sea Kings were runners-up in this year’s event last weekend. Corona del Mar rode a nine-match winning streak until a 13-7 loss to Long Beach Wilson, No. 1 in Division I, in the TruWest title match Saturday. En route to the final, the Sea Kings redeemed nonleague losses to Santa Ana Foothill and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, and Sanford led the way, making 11 saves in a 9-5 semifinal victory over the Knights and a season-high 17 saves in a 5-4 quarterfinal victory over the Wolverines.

Quote: “Any time you put him up to a challenge, he seems to rise to it,” said Sam Bailey, Corona del Mar’s first-year coach.

-- Lauren Peterson