Champions top California preseason all-state football team
By Kevin Askeland
Aug 29, 2010, 6:21pm
Serra, De La Salle top preseason team; Crenshaw, Grant also have a pair on 30-member squad.
Teams to watch in California this year, based on the MaxPreps Preseason All-State Football Team, include Serra, Crenshaw, De La Salle and Grant.
Serra, the defending Division III champion, boasts three players on the squad while Crenshaw and De La Salle, the two teams who faced off in the Open Division title game, each have two. Grant, the Open Division state champ in 2008, has a pair of players on the defensive side of the ball.
Here's a look at 30 of the top players in the state heading into the 2010 season:
WR - George Farmer, Serra (Gardena) - Caught 41 passes for 891 yards and 12 touchdowns on Serra's state championship team.
WR - Victor Blackwell, Mater Dei (Santa Ana) - Led the Monarchs with 51 catches for 1,044 yards and 11 TDs.
WR - Antoine Arnold, Chaparral (Temecula) - Player of the Year by the Riverside Press Enterprise, caught 79 passes for 1,536 yards and 17 touchdowns.
TE - Raymond Nelson, Modesto Christian (Modesto) - UCLA commit caught 32 passes for 687 yards and 11 touchdowns for state champions.
OL - Isaac Luata, La Mirada - The All-Suburban League selection made the All-Southern Division Team in the Southern Section as a defensive lineman.
OL - Marcus Martin, Crenshaw (Los Angeles) - Considered the top lineman in the LA City Section.
OL - Dontae Levingston, Narbonne (Harbor City) - Joins Crenshaw's Martin to give the LA City Section two of the top linemen in the state.
OL - Sioasi Aiono, South Hills (West Covina) - A second team All-San Antonio League pick, Aiono has emerged as one of the state's best interior linemen.
De'Anthony Thomas, Crenshaw
Photo by Gary Jones
QB - Cody Kessler, Centennial (Bakersfield) - Versatile all-around athlete threw for 2,169 yards last year.
QB - Max Wittek, Mater Dei (Santa Ana) - Another in a long line of great QBs from Mater Dei, Wittek threw for 2,126 yards last season.
RB - De'Anthony Thomas, Crenshaw - Speedy back led the Cougars to the state championship game and rushed for 902 yards on 81 carries with 12 touchdowns
RB - Amir Carlisle, King's Academy (Sunnyvale) - Prolific rusher gained 2,037 yards in 11 games with 26 touchdowns.
RB - Kelsey Young, Norco - Gained 1,767 yards rushing as a junior on just 165 carries.
K - Jacob Van Ginkel, Upland - Two-time all-area kicker booted 16 field goals last season.
Ath - Conner Preston, Serra - Among the national leaders last year with 3,437 yards and 44 touchdowns in leading Serra to state title.
Ath - Dano Graves, Folsom - Expect another huge year from the Sacramento Bee's Metro Player of the Year, who threw for 3,882 yards and 52 touchdowns as a junior.
DE - Dylan Wynn, De La Salle (Concord) - Returning all-state player is a two-way standout for the Spartans.
DE - Todd Barr, Lakewood - Earned all-Southern Section Pac 5 Division honors last year.
Blake Renaud, De La Salle
Photo by Gary Jones
DL - Charles Burks, Edison (Huntington Beach) - Earned all-state and All-Pac 5 Division honors last year.
LB - George Atkinson, Granada (Livermore) - The son of the former Raider of the same name is a prospect at either linebacker or safety.
LB - Tre Madden, Mission Viejo - Earned All-Pac 5 honors as a junior.
LB - Blake Renaud, De La Salle - Another returning all-state pick for the Spartans.
LB - Jason Gibson, Serra - The returning All-Northwest Division player is one of five returning all-division players for Serra.
CB - Iko Ekpre-Olomu, Chino Hills - Earned All-Central Division honors last season.
CB - Josh Atkinson, Granada - Joins brother George on the preseason list.
S - James Sample, Grant - Had 111 tackles last year for the Pacers.
S - Devon Blackmon, Summit (Fontana) - All-around player is a standout at receiver and defensive back.
P - Matt Wile, Parker (San Diego) - Averaged 40 yards per kick last year and also had 90 touchbacks on kickoffs.
