Not all ranking entities consider Servite the No. 1 team in the state, but it's hard to argue that any school in the state had a better year of football, certainly no Southland school. The Friars (14-1) played the state's toughest schedule and avenged their only loss with a victory over the No. 1 team in the state in the Southern Section Pac-5 finals.
Servite ended the season with three consecutive victories over undefeated teams, Mission Viejo (12-1) in the section semifinals, Huntington Beach Edison (13-1) in the finals, and Rocklin (14-1) in the State Division II Bowl. In MaxPreps' computer-based Freeman ratings, Servite had victories over three of the top six and four of the top 10 teams in the state.
Quarterback Cody Fajardo made a name for himself as the biggest dual-threat in Orange County since Aaron Corp of Orange Lutheran; Chris Nicholls showed that if he wasn't the fastest dude around, he was the fastest dude in the elements; and a defense led by lineman Kirifi Taula and linebacker Matthew Inman was as physical as they come.
With Servite at the pinnacle for the first time since 1983, it's time to look at the best of 2009.
Best game
There were plenty of contenders, but it's hard to go against Gardena Serra's 42-41 overtime victory over six-time defending champion Westlake Village Oaks Christian in the Northwest Division championship. Anticipated since last year's final, the shootout among unbeaten teams lived up to its billing with Serra ending Oaks Christian's playoff win streak at 28 games and an overall win streak of 34. Oaks Christian scored on its first play, a 73-yard bomb from Nate Montana to Jordan Payton. Serra countered – including TD receptions of 41 and 67 yards by George Farmer – to take a 21-7 lead. Oaks Christian tied it at 21, Devin Spann returned an interception 71 yards for a touchdown to give Serra a 28-21 lead, Oaks Christian got another Montana TD pass and a Malcolm Jones score to take a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter. Receiver Robert Woods took a pass and weaved his way for a 16-yard score to make it 35-35 in regulation. Jones, who carried 39 times for 295 yards and four touchdowns, gave Oaks Christian the lead in overtime, but the PAT was missed. When Serra got the ball, quarterback Conner Preston scored from one yard in overtime, and the instant classic finally came to an end when Francisco Olloqui kicked the conversion in a pouring rain. Unforgettable.
Best comeback
Luke Gane of Huntington Beach Edison missed the 2008 season because of a rare, life-threatening leukemia that required a bone marrow transplant. Gane returned to football this season and started at right tackle and rotated at defensive end. His comeback was punctuated when he stuffed Jordan Allen for a one-yard loss on fourth-and-one in the second overtime to end a 36-29 victory over Santa Ana Mater Dei. He played a pivotal role in the Chargers' 13-1 season.
Best coaching
Joe Hay took Garden Grove to its first section title game since 1945, and did so after his lightly regarded program suffered a tragic loss on the opening night of the football season: fullback/linebacker Kevin Telles collapsed in the final moments against Westminster and died shortly thereafter; the next loss the Argonauts would have came in the Southern finals to La Mirada after losing their quarterback with a 21-7 lead barely into the second quarter.
Best political manuevering
Oaks Christian, which is essentially a Marmonte League all-star team, lobbied to be in the Marmonte League during the next releaguing cycle. That much was expected and, in fact, was approved. What no one saw coming was the end around pulled by the Channel League that sent Ventura St. Bonaventure into the Marmonte League as well. After appealing the original decision, a presentation by Ventura athletic director Dave Heff was approved by the Southern Section Council, 41-21. The stunning removal of St. Bonny got rid of a program that had not lost a league game since 2002, and it stuck the Marmonte League with 10 teams in a sport that plays only 10 regular season games. Oaks Christian had won six consecutive section titles and St. Bonaventure eight over 10 years, but the biggest winner of 2009 might have been the Channel League itself.
Best schedule
Undefeated Crenshaw parlayed season-opening victories over Lakewood and Norco, a pair of semifinalists in the Southern Section Pac-5 and Inland divisions, respectively, into a berth in the state's marquee Open Division State Bowl championship. It was a bit of scheduling genius because of the opportunity it earned for the Cougars (ranked No. 5 by MaxPreps) even though Anaheim Servite went undefeated against 10 of 11 opponents (including the Pac-5 finalist and Inland champion) who were statistically tougher than Crenshaw's four best opponents and avenged the only loss, to then-No. 1 Edison, to win the Pac-5 championship. If you're interested in playing for the top spot in the state's eyes in the coveted Open Bowl game, it just goes to show that you want to schedule some good teams like Crenshaw, but not too many good teams like Servite.
Best run
De'Anthony Thomas peeled off a 43-yard touchdown on his first carry against Concord De La Salle in the Division I Bowl Championship. As a showcase game for the Los Angeles City Section, it was a moment when you could hear the collective “Wow”from Santa Barbara to San Clemente.
Best run (by a quarterback)
Tyler Shreve was supposed to pass, but ran 48 yards on the last play of the game to give Redlands East Valley a 20-14 victory over a stunned Orange Lutheran in what was the defining victory for REV's program. Actually, Shreve dropped back to his own 40 before his scramble began to complete a comeback from a 14-0 deficit in the fourth quarter. It was the first of consecutive games that Lutheran lost on the final play.
Best pass
So here's the situation: It's fourth-and-7 at the 32 with 2:03 left on the clock in the Inland Division semifinals, and Derrick Brown threw to the back of the end zone where Casey Marquez – fully covered by a defender – made a big-time catch falling away. After trailing, 27-7, execution of the gutsy play-call gave the Broncos a 34-33 victory over Norco. For the circumstances it was easily the best pass-catch combination of the season.
Best kick
Eric Solis continued the longstanding tradition of clutch kickers at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame when he booted a 51-yard field goal with one second left to beat Encino Crespi, 23-21. It might have been the highlight of Notre Dame's season, and may very well have been one of the blows that sealed the involuntary departure of Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross at season's end.
Best practice player (when it counted)
For the first time in several weeks and certainly the first time in the playoffs, Nick Echeverry beat out Connor Loftus in the weekly kicking competition at Servite, giving Echeverry an opportunity to boot field goals of 47, 39, 43 and 23 yards – the last with no time remaining – in a 33-30 victory over Rocklin in the State Division II Bowl game.
Best nickname
It's going to be hard to top “Black Mamba” next year because Crenshaw's Thomas is only a junior. If Snoop Dogg is to be believed, he's the one who gave Thomas the moniker in the rapper's youth league because “when I first met him, he bit like a Black Mamba,” one of Africa's most dangerous and feared snakes. For trivia buffs, the black mamba's scat smells like curry (the snake, not Thomas).
City honors
Crenshaw receiver and defensive back Geno Hall was selected City Section player of the year by a panel of sportswriters after scoring six touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns, eight on receptions and rushing.
City section coaches named Deshawn Beck of L.A. Jordan the Division I player of the year, and also anointed Taft running back D.J. Morgan as offensive player of the year, and Crenshaw linebacker Ronald Stovall the defensive player of the year. Other top awards from coaches included offensive lineman of the year: Wade Yandall, Carson; kicker: Juan Sanchez, Carson; defensive lineman: Deandre Roberts, Sylmar; punter: Donald Jarrin, San Pedro.
The coaches may want to reevaluate the manner in which they honor the city's outstanding players in the future because their selections seem to lack credibility: In addition to Yandall, the only other offensive lineman to make the first team was Sylmar's Hector Esparza, who will no doubt be called upon to protect the four quarterbacks and 10 (!!!) running backs named.
Boys basketball
Woodland Hills Taft, MaxPreps' No. 4 team in the state, defeated Washington D.C. Ballou, 65-62, to win the National Division at the San Luis Obispo Mission Prep tournament. A night earlier, Taft had beaten North Hollywood Campbell Hall, 72-43. Taft's DeAndre Daniels, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds in the championship game, was the tournament MVP. Campbell Hall beat No. 22 Pasadena in the third-place game, 55-46.
Los Angeles Westchester, the No. 1 team in the state, lost for the first time when it was beaten 62-47, by Montverde (Fla.) Academy on Monday in the second round of the Fort Myers (Fla.) City of Palms Classic.
Alta Loma upset State No. 11 Corona Centennial in the championship of the Upland/Inland Empire Classic, 58-48.
With a 73-33 victory over Jefferson, Los Angeles Fremont coach Sam Sullivan earned his 600th career victory. Heading into the post-Christmas Modesto Holiday Hoops tournament Sullivan is sitting on 602.
Girls basketball
Southland girls' basketball teams flexed their muscle at the Nike Tournament of Champions with Santa Ana Mater Dei, Long Beach Poly and Brea Olinda all reaching the semifinals of the tourney's elite national division.
In the final, Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis led Mater Dei to a 66-60 victory over Stockton St. Mary's as Mater Dei, which led the first half, had to come from behind in the fourth quarter. Lewis averaged 27 points over four games. St. Mary's, the No. 1 team in the nation, had defeated Brea Olinda in one semifinal, 67-66, in overtime after scoring six points in the final 28 seconds of regulation. Mater Dei beat Poly, 56-50, in the other semifinal as Lewis scored 23 points and withstood Poly's famed pressure defense.
In the third-place game, Brea beat Poly, 48-46, after overcoming a 38-22 deficit.
Going into the tournament, Poly was ranked No. 1 by MaxPreps, followed by No. 2 St. Mary's, No. 3 Mater Dei and No. 7 Brea.
Martin Henderson began covering Southland preps in 1993 for the Los Angeles Times. He contributes to the Orange County Register, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and San Bernardino Sun, and offers up motorsports opinions at Racescribe.com. You can reach him at southlandpreps@yahoo.com.
