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FOOTBALL

BRIAN STUART

Sr., Lake Balboa Birmingham

Then: Was a first-team All-West Valley League selection at running back for the Patriots, who had a 7-4 record last season and reached the City Section playoffs. Despite sharing the load in the backfield with Bryan Baylor, the 5-foot-7, 174-pound Stuart rushed for 1,180 yards in 124 carries and scored 12 touchdowns. He was the league’s leading rusher, and he ran for a career-high 266 yards against Chatsworth.

Now: Birmingham is 1-2, but Stuart played an important role in the Patriots’ 21-14 victory over Encino Crespi last week. He had a season-high 122 yards rushing, but it was his one-yard touchdown run with 20 seconds left that provided the winning points moments after his 46-yard run on a fourth-down play. In three games, Stuart has a team-leading 240 yards in 46 carries (5.2 average), two touchdowns and eight pass receptions for 99 yards. He rushed for 75 yards in 14 carries in the season opener against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, ranked No. 4 in the Southland by The Times.

Quote: “He has great change-of-direction skills, and he can just bounce off of people because he’s so strong below the waist,” Birmingham Coach Ed Croson said. “I wish he were about three inches taller. He’ll certainly be a college football player somewhere.”

-- Eric Stephens

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GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

ASHLEY ENGLE

Jr., Anaheim Esperanza

Then: As a 6-foot-3 hitter who can elevate to reach balls at about 10 feet, Engle is almost impossible to stop at the net. She’s also left-handed, which sometimes throws off defenders. Last year, she was chosen player of the year in Southern Section Division I-AA and led the Aztecs to the division title. She was also selected most valuable player of the Capistrano Valley and Dave Mohs Memorial tournaments. Over the summer, she helped her Saddleback Valley club team win the 17-and-under national championship. In the summer of 2003, she was one of only two players on the U.S. junior national team coming off their freshman year.

Now: Though only a junior, Engle is considered one of the top 20 players in the nation and has numerous scholarship offers from top colleges. Last week, she had 71 kills in eight matches of the Capistrano Valley tournament and was chosen tournament MVP. She had a season-best 19 kills in a match against Santa Margarita.

Quote: “When she turns it up, she’s unstoppable,” Esperanza Coach Isaac Owens said. “The sky is the limit for her. She’s that good.”

-- Peter Yoon

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WATER POLO

SHEA BUCKNER

Sr., Villa Park

Then: Has continued a family tradition in becoming a top-flight water polo player, following his father, brother and sister into the sport. A four-year varsity player, Buckner played his freshman season at Anaheim Servite before transferring to Villa Park. He scored 124 goals last season, placing him second on the Spartans’ single-season scoring list. Buckner has 221 goals in his career, sixth on the school’s all-time list. He helped Villa Park advance to the Southern Section Division II semifinals last season. Buckner, 18, is the only high school player on the U.S. junior national team, where he is a two-meter guard, using his 6-4, 205-pound frame to defend opponents’ key players.

Now: His 42 goals and 16 exclusions drawn have helped the Spartans, ranked No. 1 in the Division II coaches’ poll, jump to an 8-0 record. Last weekend, they won the championship of the 32-team South Coast tournament. Buckner, who is being recruited by UCLA, USC, Pepperdine and California, scored three goals and drew five exclusions in a 9-7 victory over three-time defending Division I champion Long Beach Wilson in the tournament title match. Today, Buckner and the Spartans will face Glendale in a first-round match of their 32-team event, the Villa Park Classic, which runs through Saturday.

Quote: “I love the competition in water polo. It’s a pure sport,” Buckner said. “I like the one-on-one aspect of it within a team sport.”

-- Lauren Peterson