There aren’t a whole lot of awards left for Dillon Baxter of Mission Bay to win, but here’s at least one more. 
Dillon Baxter, Mission Bay
File photo by Kirt Winter
Baxter, who led Mission Bay to the San Diego Section Division IV championship, has been chosen as the MaxPreps Division II State Player of the Year.
For a close look at Baxter’s performance this year and his place among the best in San Diego Section history, read Bill Dickens’ story here.
Baxter beats out an impressive group of athletes for the Division II honor, including Los Angeles Times Player of the Year Cody Fajardo of Servite, Fresno area MVP Tyler Bray of Kingsburg and Citrus Hill running back Deontae Cooper.
Baxter also selected as an Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year. Profile
Division II Coach of the Year honors go to Rocklin's Greg Benzel. One year after the Thunder went 4-6, Benzel led the team to a 10-0 regular season and a tremendously tough playoff run that included wins over Grant and Del Oro.
Although Benzel lost his starting quarterback in the Sac Joaquin Section Division II championship game to a broken arm, his Thunder squad still managed to give Servite of Anaheim a tough game before falling 33-30 on a game-ending field goal in the Division II state finals.
Following is the rest of the MaxPreps Division II all-state first and second teams with players chosen from teams within the Division II state championship game enrollment divisions.
MAXPREPS DIVISION II ALL-STATE TEAM
First Team Offense
Geno Hall, Crenshaw (Los Angeles), 5-8, 160, WR, Sr.
Named the Los Angeles City Section Player of the Year, Hall was an offensive sparkplug for the section-champion Cougars, catching 49 passes for 751 yards and eight touchdowns. Hall was also named to the All-Southland Team by the Los Angeles Times.
Nelson Spruce, Westlake (Westlake Village), 6-2, 190, WR, Jr.
A member of the Ventura All-County Team, the Los Angeles Times’ All-Southland Team and the All-Northern Division squad, Spruce caught 65 passes for 1,325 yards and 18 touchdowns for the section champions.
Anthony Jefferson, Cathedral (Los Angeles), 6-2, 185, WR, Sr.
Jefferson landed on the All-Northwest Division team after catching 63 passes for 1,286 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Jake Hackman-Salazar, Los Gatos, 6-2, 210, TE, Sr.
Hackman earned All-Bay Area honors by the San Francisco Chronicle and has some of the highest totals for a tight end in the state. He caught 60 passes for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns.
Chris Ward, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 6-5, 310, OL, Sr.
Named to the all-county team by the Orange County Register, the All-Southland Team by the Los Angeles Times and the All-Pac 5 team.
Alex Crosthwaite, Cathedral (San Diego), 6-4, 315, OL, Sr.
A member of the All-San Diego Section squad, Crosthwaite helped the Dons to a pair of section titles and a state championship in 2008.
Brent Walker, Norco, 6-6, 295, OL, Sr.
Named to the all-area team by the Riverside Press Enterprise, Walker was ranked as the top lineman in the Big VIII League. Also named to the All-Inland Division squad.
Tyler Sulka, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), 6-5, 270, OL, Jr.
Landed on the Los Angeles Daily News All-Area Team and the All-Pac 5 Division team. The top lineman on a team returning a number of all-league players on the offensive line.
Adrian Williams, Del Oro (Loomis), 6-3, 250, OL, Jr.
Williams earned All-Metro honors by the Sacramento Bee and was also named the Sierra Foothill League’s most valuable player.
Cody Fajardo, Servite (Anaheim), 6-2, 200, QB, Sr.
Led Servite to a Division II state championship and earned MVP honors by the Orange County Register and the Pac 5 Division. Also found a spot on the Los Angeles Times All-Southland Team. Completed 178 of 257 passes for a completion percentage of close to 70 percent. Had 2,444 yards through the air with 21 touchdowns.
Tyler Bray, Kingsburg, 6-6, 195, QB, Sr.
The Fresno Bee honored Bray as its Player of the Year after he led Kingsburg to an undefeated season and a section championship. Bray completed 185 of 302 passes for 3,321 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Deontae Cooper, Citrus Hill (Perris), 6-1, 205, RB, Sr.
Carried the ball on 316 of Citrus Hill’s 405 rushing plays this year, finishing with 2,863 yards and 34 touchdowns in just 11 games. Averaged 260.3 yards per outing. Named to the Riverside Press Enterprise’s all-county team, the Los Angeles Times All-Southland Team and the All-Eastern Division Team.
Jackson Cummings, Rocklin, 5-8, 165, RB, Sr.
Cummings helped Rocklin to an undefeated regular season and a Division II Sac-Joaquin Section championship by rushing for 2,406 yards on 342 carries and 39 touchdowns. A member of the Sacramento Bee’s All-Metro Team, Cummings nearly helped the Thunder knock off Servite in the CIF Division II State Finals, rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
Anthony Wilkerson, Tustin, 6-0, 217, RB, Sr.
One of the most prolific rushers in Orange County the past two seasons, Wilkerson ended the year with 2,322 yards on 314 carries with 34 touchdowns. Honored by the Orange County Register on its all-county team, Wilkerson was also the co-MVP of the All-Southwest Division Team. The Century League MVP finished his career with a school record 6,419 yards rushing.
Dillon Baxter, Mission Bay, 6-0, 205, AP, Sr.
The man of many honors, Baxter has been named the MaxPreps National Player of the Year and the Medium Schools All-American Team MVP. He also won the Ken Hall National Player of the Year Trophy from the U.S. Army.
Will Mondragon, San Jacinto, 5-10, 200, K, Jr.
The Tiger junior had one of the longest field goals in the state this year with a 56-yard kick. He finished with 12 field goals and also kicked 40 extra points. He landed on the All-Eastern Division Team.
First Team Defense
Brendan Manion, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), 6-3, 191, DL, Sr.
Named the defensive player of the year by the San Jose Mercury News, Manion had 21 sacks and 85 tackles for the Monarchs. He also landed on the San Francisco Chronicle’s All-Bay Area Team.
Rykeem Yates, Edison (Fresno), 6-2, 240, DL, Sr.
In the running for player of the year honors by the Fresno Bee, Yates was the defensive player of the year in the County/Metro Athletic Conference. He finished the season with 81 tackles.
Mustafa Jalil, Cathedral (San Diego), 6-4, 305, DL, Sr.
One of the top junior defensive lineman recruits in the country, Jalil helped Cathedral to a pair of San Diego Section Division III championships and a state title. Also earned All-San Diego Section honors.
Kirifi Taula, Servite (Anaheim), 6-3, 285, DL, Sr.
Helped lead the Friars to the Division II state championship and was named to the All-County Team by the Orange County Register and the All-League Team in the Trinity League.
Ronald Stovall, Crenshaw (Los Angeles), 6-0, 185, LB, Sr.
A first-team all-city selection in the Los Angeles City Section, Stovall patrolled the middle of the field for the section champion Cougars. He finished the season with 13 sacks and had 159 tackles in earning All-Southland Team honors by the Los Angeles Times.
Matthew Inman, Servite (Anaheim), 5-7, 210, LB, Jr.
Named the most valuable defensive player in the Trinity League, Inman helped Servite to a win over Rocklin in the Division II state championship game. Also named to the All-Pac 5 Division Team.
Christian Spears, Palm Springs, 6-1, 190, LB, Sr.
Spears was named the Eastern Division Defensive MVP after leading Palm Springs to an 11-2 record and the division championship. He finished the season with 168 tackles and four sacks.
Keith Smith, Charter Oak (Covina), 6-2, 225, LB, Sr.
The Chargers won the Southeast Division and finished 13-1 thanks to the play of Smith on defense as he earned the division defensive MVP honor after racking up 132 tackles on the season.
Edward Dillihunt, Tulare Union, 6-0, 205, LB, Sr.
Dillihunt was a jack of all trades for the Redskins. He caught 39 passes for 758 yards and eight touchdowns, rushed 58 times for 598 yards and 10 scores and also returned punts and kickoffs. Headed to Fresno State, Dillihunt also excelled on defense at linebacker and was named to the Fresno Bee all-area team. Selected as the most outstanding player on the Visalia Times Delta All-County Team.
De'Anthony Thomas, Crenshaw (Los Angeles), 5-11, 165, DB, Jr.
The speedster on offense for the Cougars, Thomas was also a talented cover cornerback on defense. He earned All-Los Angeles City Section honors as well as All-Southland Team honors from the Los Angeles Times. One of the top recruits in the state in the class of 2011.
Tevin McDonald, Edison (Fresno), 5-11, 185, DB, Sr.
The son of former NFL All-Pro Tim McDonald, who is also his coach, Edison was in the running for player of the year honors by the Fresno Bee after leading Edison to a Division II Central Section championship. McDonald had 91 tackles on defense with three interceptions. He also caught 76 passes for 827 yards and nine scores.
Dietrich Riley, St. Francis (La Canada), 6-1, 205, DB, Sr.
The Player of the Year by the Pasadena Star News, Riley was also honored on the Los Angeles Times All-Southland Team and the All-Western Division Team. He had 64 tackles and three interceptions on defense.
Marquess Wilson, Tulare Union, 6-4, 185, DB, Sr.
An exceptional receiver with 50 catches for 1,083 yards and 22 touchdowns, Wilson was also a standout at defensive back for the Redskins with five interceptions. Named to the all-area team by the Fresno Bee and the all-county team by the Visalia Times Delta.
Matt Darr, Frontier (Bakersfield), 6-1, 265, P, Sr.
One of the premier kickers in the country, Darr booted 11 field goals with a long of 53. He also averaged 42.9 yards per punt and was named to the MaxPreps All-American Team at punter. Booted 35 touchbacks and was also a valuable defender with 96 tackles. Also regarded as one of the top discus throwers in the nation after winning the event at the state meet as a junior.
Second Team Offense
Andrew Berg, Los Gatos, 6-0, 190, WR, Sr.
Berg was the leading receiver among Northern California Division II pass catchers as he had a high of 1,414 yards on 65 carries with a NorCal best of 20 touchdowns. Named to the All-Bay Area Team by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Victor Dean, Lincoln (San Diego), 6-6, 210, WR, Sr.
Dean was selected to the All-San Diego Section team after catching 55 passes for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns. He scored at least three touchdowns on five occasions including a high of four in a 41-34 loss to Mission Bay. Has committed to play at Fresno State.
Kyle Nunn, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach), 6-3, 190, WR, Sr.
Named the Offensive Player of the Year in the Western Division of the Southern Section, Nunn caught 51 passes for 1,190 yards and 14 touchdowns for Mira Costa.
Holden Huff, Rocklin, 6-6, 205, TE, Sr.
Huff was the go-to receiver in the Rocklin passing attack, as he caught 41 passes for 989 yards and 10 touchdowns in leading the Thunder to a Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship. He was named to the Sacramento Bee’s All-Metro team.
Paul Perez, Tulare Union, 6-0, 295, OL, Sr.
The offensive line leader on a team with an explosive offense, Perez was named to the all-county team by the Visalia Times Delta and the all-area team by the Fresno Bee.
Tim Barnard, Oakdale, 6-2, 235, OL, Sr.
An all-district pick by the Modesto Bee, Barnard was the top lineman for a team that went 11-2 and reached the third round of the playoffs. Named the lineman of the year in the Valley Oak League.
Jay Luchetti, Montgomery (Santa Rosa), 6-4, 295, OL, Sr.
Named to the All-Bay Area team by the San Francisco Chronicle, Luchetti was the co-lineman of the year in the North Bay League and helped Montgomery reach the North Coast Section Division II finals.
Preston Pemasa, Lutheran (Orange), 6-1, 225, OL, Sr.
Pemasa was a standout on the line for the Lancers, who finished in second place in the rugged Trinity League. He was named co-lineman of the year along with Mater Dei’s Chris Ward and was also an all-county second team pick by the Orange County Register.
Joe Frank, Moorpark, 6-4, 290, OL, Sr.
Frank helped Moorpark to and 11-2-1 record and a spot in the Northern Division championship game. He was named to the All-Ventura County Team, the Los Angeles Daily News All-Area Team and the Southern Section All-Northern Division Team.
Casey Nielsen, Gahr (Cerritos), 5-11, 180, QB, Sr.
Nielsen led the state in passing yardage, throwing for 4,406 yards and 41 touchdowns. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, connecting on 297 of 427 attempts.
Trevor Olson, Cathedral (Los Angeles), 6-5, 220, QB, Sr.
In his only season as the Phantoms starting quarterback, Olsen had an outstanding year, completing 224 of 375 passes for 3,417 yards and 37 touchdowns. He was honored on the Southern Section’s All-Northwest Division Team.
Josh Quezada, La Habra, 6-0, 210, RB, Sr.
Selected to the all-county team by the Orange County Register, Quezada was also the Southwest Division’s co-player of the year. He ran for 2,114 yards on 279 carries and 24 touchdowns while leading La Habra to three straight section titles. Also named the Freeway League MVP.
Bryce Pratt, Del Oro (Loomis), 6-0, 195, RB, Sr.
Pratt earned All-Metro honors by the Sacramento Bee after a spectacular season that saw him rush 352 times for 2,448 yards and 39 touchdowns. Best game came in the playoffs when he carried 40 times for 345 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-42 win over Folsom.
Deantre Lewis, Norco, 6-0, 195, RB, Sr.
Lewis raced for 2,383 yards on 237 carries with 31 touchdowns for Norco and led the team to the Inland Division semifinals. He was honored on the all-area team by the Riverside Press-Enterprise and the All-Inland Division Team.
Ryan Dimino, Del Campo (Fair Oaks), 6-0, 205, AP, Sr.
The only player in the state to rush and pass for over 2,000 yards, Dimino completed 132 of 218 passes for 2,089 yards and ran 332 times for 2,702 yards. Accounted for 47 touchdowns including 28 on the ground. Named the Sacramento Bee’s All-Metro MVP.
Alex Norocea, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach), 5-11, 175, K, Sr.
Named to the all-area team by the Torrance Daily Breeze and the All-Western Division Team, Norocea had nine field goals on the season with a long of 50 yards. He also booted 61 extra points.
Second Team Defense
Wesley Flowers, Edison (Fresno), 6-4, 260, DL, Sr.
The UCLA commit anchored the middle of the Edison run defense. He earned all-area honors by the Fresno Bee after finishing the season with 58 tackles for the Tigers.
Dave Weider, Inderkum (Natomas), 6-1, 250, DL, Sr.
The defensive player of the year in the Tri-County League, Weider had 114 tackles for a team that was undefeated during the regular season.
Rane Cravens, Liberty (Bakersfield), 6-2, 215, DL, Jr.
One of the leading sack artists in the state, Cravens finished the season with 23 sacks among his 127 tackles. He also had four fumble recoveries and found a spot on the all-area team by the Bakersfield Californian.
Sione Tupouata, Fremont (Oakland), 6-4, 250, DL, Sr.
Selected the most valuable player in the Oakland Athletic League, Tupouata was named to the All-East Bay Team by the Contra Costa Times and the All-Bay Area Team by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Eric Kendricks, Hoover (Fresno), 6-1, 217, LB, Sr.
Made the all-area team by the Fresno Bee after racking up 117 tackles. Will play at UCLA next season.
Juston Winrow, San Dimas, 6-0, 215, LB, Sr.
Winrow had 70 tackles and 18.5 sacks for San Dimas, which was 13-1 on the season with a Mid-Valley Division championship in the Southern Section. He was the Valle Vista Lineman of the Year and made the all-area team by the Inland Daily Bulletin and was named to the All-Mid-Valley Division team.
Daniel Lessard, Rocklin, 5-11, 215, LB, Sr.
Picked the defensive player of the year in the Sierra Foothill League, Lessard was also named to the All-Metro Team by the Sacramento Bee. Finished the season with 94 tackles.
Joey Walker, Mitty (San Jose), 6-1, 208, LB, Sr.
Helped Archbishop Mitty win the West Catholic Athletic League championship after averaging seven tackles per game. He also earned all-county honors from the San Jose Mercury News.
Josh Lowden, Monrovia, 6-2, 227, LB, Sr.
Lowden led his team to a 13-1 record and a berth in the Mid-Valley Division championship game. He made 117 tackles and had 2.5 sacks while earning defensive MVP honors in the Mid-Valley Division. He was also the linebacker of the year in the Rio Hondo League.
Tyrone Duckett, Encinal (Alameda), 6-0, 205, DB, Sr.
A member of the Contra Costa Times’ All-East Bay Team and the San Francisco Chronicle’s All-Bay Area Team, Duckett had 70 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions on defense and played quarterback on offense for the 13-1 Jets.
Anthony Williams, Enterprise (Redding), 6-1, 175, DB, Sr.
The Northern Section MVP in both basketball and football and a state meet competitor in track, Williams excelled on offense and defense for the section champion Hornets. He completed 117 of 175 passes for 1,844 yards and 18 touchdowns and also rushed 134 times for 891 yards and 11 scores. Had 35 tackles and two interceptions on defense and also averaged 40 yards per punt.
Carl Cox, Terra Nova (Pacifica), 5-7, 150, DB, Sr.
The San Mateo Times Player of the Year, Cox completed 212 of 324 passes for 2,640 yards and 27 touchdowns and also rushed for 1,173 yards and 17 scores. He was the team’s top defensive player at cornerback.
Derron Smith, Banning, 5-11, 175, DB, Sr.
An all-county pick by the Riverside Press Enterprise, Smith had 109 tackles and six interceptions on defense. Had 1,516 yards rushing on 179 carries with 13 touchdowns and completed 93 of 170 passes for 1,126 yards. Named the Mountain Pass League’s offensive player of the year.
Mychal Kabeary, Palm Desert, 5-10, 190, P, Sr.
Named to the All-Eastern Division Team as a punter, Kabeary was adept as a kicker as well. He had 13 field goals with a long of 49. He also booted 13 punts inside the 20-yard line and averaged 38 yards a kick.
