December 9, 2024
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
There must be something brewing in the water in the City of Cerritos as all three city high school football teams had stellar 2024 seasons with one advancing to the CIF-Southern Section Division 13 championship game, one winning another 605 League title, and a third beginning the season with six straight wins. On the court, a trio of area teams battled for the final automatic playoff spot in the Gateway League while Whitney High snapped Cerritos High’s supremacy in the 605 League. Here are the members of the 2024 HMG-Community News Fall All-Area Teams.
FOOTBALL
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB-Austin Abrahams (Valley Christian)
RB-Dikshanta Adhikari (Cerritos)
RB-Ezra Meuller (Norwalk)
WR-Ruben Castro (Cerritos)
WR-Alexander Gutierrez (Gahr)
UTL-Charlie Lopez (Artesia)
LT-Alex Duenas (Gahr)
LG-DeAngelo Tucker (Artesia)
C-Tristian Romero (Norwalk)
RG-Andre Romo (John Glenn)
RT-Isaac Morales (Valley Christian)
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL-Alex Duenas (Gahr)
DL-Charlie Dowlin (La Mirada)
DL-Marc Saldana (Gahr)
DB-Oliver Boateng (Valley Christian)
DB-Max Rankin (La Mirada)
DB-Ja’Shon Wallace (Gahr)
DB-Malachi Williams (Gahr)
LB-Gavin Dionne (La Mirada)
LB-Tyler Ky (Cerritos)
LB-Evan Lucena (Gahr)
LB-Isaiah Portillo (Gahr)
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB-Justin Sagun (Cerritos)
RB-Diego Cerritos (Norwalk)
RB-Jordan Lauago (La Mirada)
WR-Ahkil Sampson (Artesia)
WR-Dylan Teays (Valley Christian)
UTL-Markell Slaughter (Gahr)
LT-Devion Stinson (Cerritos)
LG-Genesis Afu (La Mirada)
C-Jonathan Avendano (Cerritos)
RG-Bobby Mosqueda (Norwalk)
RT-Chidubem Ozoagu (Cerritos)
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL-Bailey Crawford (Cerritos)
DL-Maximus Garcia (Artesia)
DL-Isaac Morales (Valley Christian)
DB-Sean Bouma (Valley Christian)
DB-Devyn Chantha (Cerritos)
DB-Alexander Gutierrez (Gahr)
DB-Eduardo Ordaz (Artesia)
LB-Spencer Ammons (La Mirada)
LB-Cole Hefner (Valley Christian)
LB-Ezra Meuller (Norwalk)
LB-Lucas Witt (Valley Christian)
HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE
QB-Roman Acosta (Gahr)
RB-Sam Reeves (John Glenn)
RB-Josiah Ungos (Cerritos)
WR-Seth Dahlenburg (Valley Christian)
WR-Jacob Sikma (Gahr)
UTL-Lucas Witt (Valley Christian)
LT-Anthony Lemus (Norwalk)
LG-Jayden Chaverin (John Glenn)
C-Nehemiah Levu (Artesia)
RG-Cameron Frossard (Gahr)
RT-Anthony Otero (La Mirada)
HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE
DL-Juan Campos (Norwalk)
DL-Max Douglas (Valley Christian)
DL-Makai Ortiz (Cerritos)
DB-Austin Abrahams (Valley Christian)
DB-Drew Cobos (La Mirada)
DB-Jacob Ramirez (John Glenn)
DB-Michael Quibrantar (Cerritos)
LB-Nathaniel Crawford (Cerritos)
LB-Jacob Hoosac (Cerritos)
LB-Dylan Richburg (Gahr)
LB-DeAngelo Tucker (Artesia)
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR-While the area saw one player rush for over 2,000 yards, there were a pair of players that gained over 2,000 total yards, plus more. Valley Christian High senior quarterback Austin Abrahams and Artesia High senior quarterback Charlie Lopez share this honor for their performances.
Abrahams completed 109 passes in 168 attempts for 1,688 yards and 16 touchdowns while leading the Defenders with 375 yards on the ground and another 16 touchdowns. He accounted for all but three of V.C.’s offensive touchdowns and even added an interception return for a touchdown. Lopez led the Pioneers with 1,240 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while passing for another 967 yards with seven touchdowns.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR-La Mirada High was the only area team that had a player reach 100 tackles, and the Matadores doubled that number as senior linebacker Gavin Dionne led everyone with 120 tackles, 90 by himself. He was part of a defense that averaged over 60 tackles a game. Only Gahr had more tackles, but 52 more in four more games.
COACH OF THE YEAR-In his fifth season after taking over the Gahr High football program, Greg Marshall reached the semifinals, the first in school history. Then he waited another 17 seasons before reaching a divisional championship game. Marshall guided the Gladiators to an 8-6 record, which includes a 21-17 loss to Pasadena High in the Division 13 title game. Marshall, who now owns a 109-118 record at Gahr, began this past season with three straight losses before winning five of the last six entering the Pasadena game.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
FIRST TEAM
S-Kiersten Mahan (La Mirada)
OH-Tessa Dobmeier (Valley Christian)
OH-Rachel Moyher (Whitney)
OH-Mirei Sanchez (Norwalk)
MB-Samantha Munoz (Norwalk)
MB-Natalie Ojeisekhoba (La Mirada)
OPP-Brenda Quezada (Norwalk)
DS-Gaby Colombo (Cerritos)
LIB-Devyn Masi (Valley Christian)
SECOND TEAM
S-Zaidee Zepeda (Norwalk)
OH-Kyla Jones (Gahr)
OH-Avery Updike (Cerritos)
OH-Jordan Weston (Valley Christian)
MB-Chiugo Anyama (Whitney)
MB-Maleah Diaz (La Mirada)
OPP-Sophia Fu (Whitney)
DS-Angelyna Conde (La Mirada)
LIB-Nayeli Sanchez (Norwalk)
THIRD TEAM
S-Lucy Taylor (Valley Christian)
OH-Geraldine Aiono (La Mirada)
OH-Djulianne Goze (Artesia)
OH-Emma Prowse (Whitney)
MB-Jessalyn Ecevedo (Gahr)
MB-Aubrey Ericks (Valley Christian)
OPP-Alexis Contreras (Gahr)
DS-Selina Haile (La Mirada)
LIB-Averie Garrison (Artesia)
HONORABLE MENTION
S-Janelle Sales (Whitney)
OH-Violet Hackworth (Gahr)
OH-Brooke Lozano (Cerritos)
OH-Valeria Mejia (John Glenn)
MB-Olachi Anyama (Whitney)
MB-Sophia Toney (Cerritos)
OPP-Ceana Merino (Cerritos)
DS-Kaylie Prins (Valley Christian)
LIB-Jess Aguilera (John Glenn)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR- Natalie Ojeisekhoba leaves La Mirada as one of the program’s best players ever to have worn a Matadores girls volleyball uniform. The 6’1” middle blocker paced the blue and gold with 346 kills, a career-high 107 digs and 65 blocks. For her career, Ojeisekhoba had 622 kills, a hitting percentage of .376, 158 blocks and 74 aces.
COACH OF THE YEAR-When Whitney began 605 League action on Sept. 12 with a four-set win over Cerritos High, it snapped a five-year, 50-match winning streak by the Dons in league action. That was one of the highlights in Mark Kato’s second season as the head coach for the Wildcats. Kato guided Whitney to a 22-8 season, the first time in school history the program had recorded 20 victories. It’s also the first undefeated league season since 2000 when former head coach Jerry Gregg sent that team to the quarterfinals.
