MaxPreps 2013 All-Northern California High School Football Teams

Offensive Player of the Year

QB - Jake Browning, Junior, Folsom
Browning dazzled as a sophomore in 2012 with state records, then really dazzled as a junior. He set the state record for most passing yards in a season with 5,737. He also set a state record with 75 touchdown passes. He was named the MaxPreps Junior Player of the Year and was The Sacramento Bee's Player of the Year.

Defensive Player of the Year

DL - Sumner Houston, Senior, De La Salle (Concord)
Overwhelming foes for two seasons with technique and tenacity, Houston keyed the Spartans' march to an on-going state record 22nd consecutive North Coast Section championship and a repeat as NorCal Open champions in earning East Bay Athletic League honors. He is headed to Oregon State.

Athlete of the Year

Adarius Pickett, Senior, El Cerrito
The UCLA-bound Pickett, the San Francisco Chronicle Metro Player of the Year, rushed for 1,800 yards and 31 touchdowns. He had nine interceptions, returning three for scores, thus earning the nickname "Pick Six."

Coaches of the Year

Large school
Justin Alumbaugh, De La Salle (Concord)
Taking over as head coach for the famed Bob Ladouceur, Alumbaugh guided the Spartans to their 22nd consecutive North Coast Section championship, a repeat win in the NorCal Open and a 14-1 record.

Medium School
Casey Taylor, Del Oro (Loomis)
Taylor led the Golden Eagles to the Sierra Foothill League title, the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II title and the NorCal D-I Regional championship in going 13-3.

Small School
Roger Canapa, Central Catholic (Modesto)
The Raiders repeated as state champions with discipline and power football, despite mounting injuries, in going 15-1.

All-NorCal First Team

Offense

RB - Joe Mixon, Senior, Freedom (Oakley)
The nation's top tailback recruit who is committed to Oklahoma, Mixon rushed for 1,831 yards and 26 touchdowns and had 1,909 all-purpose yards to cap a stellar career.

RB - Ja'Quan Gardner, Senior, Central Valley (Ceres)
Gardner was named the Offensive Player of the Year by Black Hat Football based in the Modesto region. He finished second in the section with 2,467 yards rushing and 27 scores. He rushed for 330 yards against Central Catholic and 378 against Manteca, so he proved he could run hard against solid teams.

RB - Alex Laurel, Senior, Manteca
The Black Hat Player of the Year and Valley Oak League MVP helped lead Manteca to a section title and a NorCal Regional Bowl berth. He finished the season with over 1,800 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Slot - Troy Knox, Senior, Folsom
Knox had 94 receptions for 1,229 yards and 15 touchdowns despite a lot of double teams for a 14-1 team. He finished his career with a NorCal-record 3,323 yards receiving and 34 touchdowns.

WR - Alex Van Dyke Jr., Senior, Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove)
The big 6-foot-4 speedster was the Sierra Valley Conference MVP who dominated defenses. He had 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns and has given a verbal pledge to UCLA.

WR - Damen Wheeler, Senior, Sacramento
Wheeler was No. 4 in the country and No. 1 in the state with 1,931 yards receiving. He also hauled in 23 touchdowns, and his 390 yards receiving against Christian Brothers (Sacramento) in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinal is a state record (he had four touchdown catches in that game). He was named The Sacramento Bee's Offensive Player of the Year.

TE - Dylan Keeney, Senior, Granite Bay
A Colorado commiment, Keeney caught 10 touchdown passes for the defending CIF State Division I champions. He was also strong at linebacker for the Grizzlies.

OL - Larry Allen III, Senior, De La Salle (Concord)
The son of NFL Hall of Famer by the same name, Allen helped pave the way for the most prolific running team in school history.

OL - Cody Creason, Junior, Folsom
Creason was named Offensive Lineman of the Year in the rugged Delta River League and kept defenders off of Jake Browning with what coach Kris Richardson called, "a nasty attitude."

OL - Ryan Rudolph, Senior, Serra (San Mateo)
The best lineman on a team that set school scoring and rushing yards records, and a team that reached the CIF NorCal Division I finals.

OL - Kameron Schroeder, Senior, Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove)
Schroeder was named Outstanding Offensive Lineman in the Sierra Valley Conference and was a three-year starter who provided leadership and a 4.3 GPA. He is committed to Duke.

OL - Spencer Stark, Senior, Central Catholic (Modesto)
Stark is a now a member of back-to-back state championship teams as one of the all-time lineman greats in the region. Central Catholic rushed for more than 4,300 yards and 65 touchdowns.

AP - Tyrell Anderson, Senior, Center (Antelope)
He led the state with 12 interceptions, and won games at quarterback, and brought foes to their knees with 99-yard kickoff returns in the playoffs.

AP - JaJuan Lawson, Senior, Casa Grande (Petaluma)
A quarterback, a linebacker, a safety, a leader, Lawson passed for 2,203 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 1,152 and 13, and he didn't give up a touchdown from his defensive spot for a 13-1 team.

AP - Deaundre Terrell, Senior, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove)
A leader in every form, Terrell broke free for 60-yard scores as a running quarterback, fired 60-yard bombs, made one-handed interceptions and scored on returns for a playoff team.

AP - Nsimba Webster, Senior, Deer Valley (Antioch)
Quick and prolific, Webster passed and ran for 50 touchdowns, and he played on special teams and on defense. He ran for 1,544 yards and passed for 2,026, and he had an 80-yard touchdown sprint against De La Salle in a North Coast Section semifinal loss.

K - Mason Humes, Senior, Del Oro (Loomis)
He beat Grant (Sacramento) with a double-overtime kick, topped Granite Bay on a last-play kick and was the difference in one-point wins over Rocklin to win the Sierra Foothill League and Elk Grove to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship.

Defense

DL - Byron Baker, Senior, Valley Christian (San Jose)
Powerful, quick and a leader, Baker was the West Catholic Athletic League MVP lineman.

DL - Kahlil Mckenzie, Junior, De La Salle (Concord)
At times dominant and other times really dominant, McKenzie led the Spartans with 12 sacks and had 74 tackles.

DL - Ngalu Tapa, Senior, Burbank (Sacramento)
A year after recording 22 sacks, Tapa had 14 despite myriad double-or-triple teams. Headed to Washington State on scholarship.

DL - Tanner Woods, Senior, Del Oro (Loomis)
The Sacramento Bee's co-Defensive Player of the Year, Woods had an all-levels Regional record four sacks in beating Serra (San Mateo) in the NorCal Division I title game.

LB - Joey Banks, Senior, Franklin (Elk Grove)
The Delta Valley Conference MVP, Banks had 155 tackles, including 22 with five sacks to stall Elk Grove late in league play.

LB - Ben Burr-Kirven, Junior, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton)
The San Jose Mercury News Player of the Year had 200 tackles, fourth most in the state, averaging 13.3 a game, and 9.2 yards a rush in powering the upstart Gators to the CIF State Division III Bowl.

LB - Derik Calhoun, Senior, El Cerrito
Widely considered the most ferocious hitter in the Bay Area, Calhoun is headed to Arizona State on scholarship.

LB - Tyler Meteer, Senior, Del Oro (Loomis)
The Sacramento Bee's co-Defensive Player of the Year, Meteer dominated as an outside backer or inside, and he set school career records as a receiver for the Sac-Joaquin Section and NorCal D-I champions.

LB - Nick Tomasin, Junior, Enterprise (Redding)
The Northern Section Defensive MVP, Tomasin was paramount in powering Enterprise to a CIF State Division II Bowl game as perhaps the best team in Northern Section history, certainly in recent years. He had 161 tackles.

DB - Landon Baty, Senior, St. Francis (Mountain View)
The West Catholic Athletic League DB of the Year closed out a terrific prep career.

DB - Calvin Green, Senior, Burbank (Sacramento)
Green was named the MVP of the Metropolitan League as perhaps the quickest player in all of NorCal. He had 1,701 all-purpose yards and had 52 tackles and two interceptions.

DB - Jalen Harvey, Senior, El Cerrito
A standout for three seasons and, according to one Bay Area coach, he "has a shot to be an NFL safety." Harvey also made plays on special teams.

DB - Joey Dodson, Senior, American Canyon
Dodson was third in the Sac-Joaquin Section with seven interceptions.

P - Manny Wilkins, Senior, San Marin (Novato)
A do-all talent headed to Arizona State to play quarterback, Wilkins could also boom as a punter and is a perfect fit for a team here big on versatility.

Second Team

Offense

QB - Kyle Nelson, Senior, Galileo (San Francisco)
In shattering decades old San Francisco passing records, Nelson went for 3,195 yards and 47 touchdowns with just four interceptions for a 12-1 team that won a section championship, and he rushed for 11 more for a Bay Area-best total of 58.

RB - Marcel Brown, Junior, Rio Linda
As a sophomore, Brown rushed for 1,454 yards and 15 scores. As a junior he exploded for 2,031 yards and 26 touchdowns. His 184 rushing yards per game were a big reason Rio Linda went 11-2.

RB - Wadus Parker, Senior, Elk Grove
The Offensive Player of the Year in the Delta Valley Conference played a huge role in Elk Grove's 12-2 season. Parker was named first team All-Metro by The Sacramento Bee.

RB - John Velasco, Senior, De La Salle (Concord)
The top rusher for the top rushing team in program history, Velasco ran for 2,090 yards and 29 touchdowns for a 14-1 team.

WR - Will McClure, Senior, Folsom
McClure stepped in as one of Jake Browning's main weapons this season. He was No. 1 on the high-powered Folsom team in yards receiving (1,656), receiving touchdowns (23) and second in receptions with 97.

WR - Andrew Celis, Senior, Marin Catholic (Kentfield)
Had 1,353 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns for a 13-1 team that rolled most of the season.

TE - Noah Letuligasenoa, Senior, Elk Grove
Also a standout linebacker who had 19 sacks, Letuligasenoa was a key blocker and receiver for a wing-T attack that produced a 12-win season and a berth in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II finals.

OL - Brandon Johnson, Senior, Del Oro (Loomis)
Johnson was a big reason the Golden Eagles were back in the state game. The center was named first team All-Metro by the Sacramento Bee.

OL - Jimmy Leatiota, Senior, Wilcox (Santa Clara)
A dominating run blocker and pass protector for a playoff team, Leatiota was named the league MVP lineman.

OL - Kolton Miller, Senior, Roseville
The top recruit at his school since Tedy Bruschi in 1990, Miller towered over foes at 6-foot-8, and he's generated a flood of recruiting interest.

OL - Darrin Paulo, Junior, Grant (Sacramento)
Paulo was named the Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Delta Valley Conference. The Pacers' next big recruit is 6-6 and 320 pounds.

OL - Billy Sharmoug, Senior, Manteca
Sharmoug was named first team All-Metro by the Stockton Record in leading the way for fellow All-NorCal pick, running back Alex Laurel.

K - Kenny Smart, Senior, Central Catholic (Modesto)
Smart was a clutch kicker in every way. He had 77 touchbacks, was over 90 percent on PAT attempts and nailed 11 field goals, including a 53-yarder.

Defense

DL - Patrick Choudja, Senior, Freedom (Oakley)
Choudja proved to be unblockable, recording 81 tackles and 14 sacks for a playoff team.

DL - Brandon Evers, Senior, Enterprise (Redding)
A two-way standout and a member of the All-Northern Section team, Evers is headed to Washington State.

DL - Mosese Moala, Senior, Grant (Sacramento)
The Defensive Player of the Year in the Delta Valley Conference finished with 123 total tackles and 13 sacks.

DL - Sam Whitney, Junior, Folsom
The best two-way player for Folsom, particularly as a ransacking defensive end, Whitney is among a flood of starters returning next season.

LB - Joseph Bello, Senior, Hilmar
The Black Hat Defensive Player of the Year helped Hilmar jump out to a perfect 13-0 record. The Trans-Valley League Defensive Player of the Year had 140 tackles on the season.

LB - Sione Finefeuiaki, Senior, Wilcox (Santa Clara)
The defensive leader and leading tackler for a playoff team — and one of the best teams in school history.

LB - Anthony Guisti, Senior, Marin Catholic (Kentfield)
The team's designated stopper had 19 tackles for loss for a program that went 13-1.

LB - Cameron Smith, Junior, Granite Bay
The team's leading tackler the past two seasons, Smith is picking up national recruiting interest, including an offer from UCLA.

LB - Thomas Mahlman, Senior, Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills)
Mahlman was a tackling machine for the Trojans. He led the section with 164 total tackles. The most impressive stat was his 126 solo tackles.

DB - Hamilton Anoa'i, Senior, Serra (San Mateo)
The West Catholic Athletic League co-Player of the Year was a superb one-on-one defender and tackler for the WCAL champions.

DB - Luke Bussey, Senior, Granite Bay
A two-time All-Metro pick by The Sacramento Bee, Bussey had six interceptions on the season.

DB - Justice Shelton-Mosley, Junior, Capital Christian (Sacramento)
Shelton-Mosley was second in the section with eight interceptions. He was named MVP of the Golden Empire League.

DB - Dasmond Tautalatasi, Senior, De La Salle (Concord)
A prolific runner as a junior, Tautalatasi was a cover man primarily as a senior and is headed to Arizona State.

AP - Austin Clark, Senior, West Valley (Cottonwood)
Clark set single-season Northern Section rushing records with 2,420 yards and 37 touchdowns for a title team, in addition to playing defense and on special teams.

AP - Isaiah Matthews, Junior, Enterprise (Redding)
The offensive leader for a team that won a Northern Section and NorCal Division II Regional, Matthews ran for 2,220 yards and 32 touchdowns and also played defense and special teams.

AP - Nick Pierotti, Senior, Terra Nova (Pacifica)
A contributor in every way, Pierotti had 169 tackles, five touchdown receptions, 12.5 sacks and 734 yards rushing for a 10-1 team.

AP - Leonard Skattebo, Senior, Rio Linda
A powerful fullback who could chug for five tough yards or break free for 25, Skattebo also led the 11-2 Knights on defense at linebacker, hitting foes with all of his 255 pounds.

P - Nolan Merker, Senior, Sheldon (Sacramento)
Although most likely known for his play at quarterback, Merker was one heck of a punter. He averaged over 43 yards per punt.

Here is a look at The Sacramento Bee All-Metro team

Joe Davidson has covered high school sports at The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter @SacBee_JoeD and on www.sacbee.com.