Times Football Awards : High School Coach, Running Back and Lineman of the Year Honored

St. Monica Coach Angelo Jackson and his running back, Mike Wagner, and Santa Monica lineman Kevin Kelly won the top Westside honors at the annual Times high school football awards brunch.

Jackson was named the area’s coach of the year, Wagner back of the year and Kelly lineman of the year.

Anaheim Servite High running back Derek Brown, who rushed for 2,301 yards this season and 4,663 in his career, won the second annual Glenn Davis Award, given to the top high school football player in Southern California. The award is named for the 1946 Heisman Trophy winner from Army, who retired two years ago after many years as The Times’ director of special events.

The invitational event, sponsored by the Los Angeles Times Fund, brought together parents, head coaches and 276 players from all-star first teams in 12 Times circulation areas: Westside, Central, Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino counties), Orange County, San Gabriel Valley, Southeast, South Coast, Glendale, South Bay, San Fernando Valley, San Diego County and Ventura County.

Each player received a plaque and certificate. In addition, the backs and linemen of the year received trophies.

In his first year as head coach, Jackson revived a St. Monica football program that had been dormant for so long it could have been left for dead. An assistant to former Head Coach Andre Patterson last year, Jackson built on a foundation that Patterson had left behind and led the Mariners to a 9-2 season.

That was quite a turnaround--in 1987, the Mariners had a 2-8 record. They were 1-9 the year before and had not had a winning record since 1981.

A walk-on coach who works full time as athletic director of the Crenshaw YMCA, Jackson added a few new wrinkles to a wing-T offense that Patterson had installed in his only year at St. Monica. After last season, Patterson left to take a coaching position at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

With the wing-T, St. Monica’s fortunes took wing. Wagner and running back Diallo Hall each rushed for more than 1,000 yards, and quarterback Chris Leaton passed for more than 1,000 yards--a balanced and tricky offense that defenses found nearly impossible to stop. The Mariners won their first nine games, usually by large margins, and lost their last two, including a playoff contest, by a total of only 3 points.

But more important than Jackson’s offensive tactics was his revival of a winning spirit among mostly veteran players who had come to think of themselves as losers.

“You have to start a tradition before you can start winning,” Jackson said after his team had surprised everyone by winning its first seven games. “We are starting (a tradition) that shows we can play with anybody.”

A 5-foot, 7-inch senior, Wagner is a swift and sure runner. Santa Monica High Coach Tebb Kusserow described him as “probably the quickest back on the Westside.”

Jackson said Wagner “has all the moves and is very fast. He is stronger than people think he is. He’s small but very powerful because of his (weight) lifting.”

In 10 regular-season games, Wagner used his speed and moves to great advantage. He scored 28 touchdowns, 4 on kickoff returns, the longest covering 95 yards. He gained 1,373 yards on 132 carries--an average of 10.4 yards, or a first down on each rush. He caught 28 passes for 402 yards.

He said he hopes to attend an Ivy League college on a grant-in-aid.

The only underclassman chosen on last year’s All-Southern Section first team, the 6-3, 255-pound Kelly, a three-year starter, has the size and skills that college football powers covet. He has been courted by Penn State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, UCLA and USC.

Coach Kusserow said that Kelly was one of the best linemen ever to play at the school, but he was more impressed by the big offensive and defensive lineman’s attitude than by his physical abilities.

“There are many young people walking around with physical gifts,” Kusserow said. “But the thing that separates Kevin is that he has a tremendous desire to excel that goes beyond his physical qualities. Kevin is a leader, but also a part of the team.”

Besides Wagner and Kelly, members of The Times All-Westside first team on offense are Jason Lucky of St. Bernard, Michael Moore of Beverly Hills, John Ziegler and Dan Wagner, both of Santa Monica; Jesus Moreno of St. Monica, Mario Goins of Westchester, John Johnson of Beverly Hills, Mario Mattison of Fairfax, Mark Harper of Santa Monica and Jay Fields of Hamilton.

On defense, first-team selections are Steve Lopez of Venice, Derrick Quinn of Daniel Murphy, Nader Mousavi of Beverly Hills, Rynaldo Woodard of University, Craig Pringle of Fairfax, Jerry Black of Santa Monica, Erick McKinney of Venice, Mark Ricks of Fairfax, Richard Talley of University, Paxton Griffin of Hamilton and Larry Avery of Westchester.

The second unit on offense has Brock Moseley of Daniel Murphy, Brian Townsley of University, Eric Banducci of Santa Monica, Ricky Garcia of St. Monica, T. J. Henderson of Venice, Ernesto Chacin of Fairfax, Jesse Ramirez of Venice, Leaton and Hall, both of St. Monica, Jay Langan of Brentwood, Tim Holliday of Westchester and Rafael Fernandez of Beverly Hills

The defensive second team has Mike Dunford of St. Monica, Pat McIntyre of Santa Monica, Eric Fitzpatrick of St. Bernard, James McIver of Westchester, Henry Alvarenga of Culver City, Doug Nelson of St. Bernard, Jerry Wente of Hollywood, Terrence Sullivan of St. Bernard, A. D. Williams of Santa Monica, Vincent Bonner of Westchester and Eric Shambourger of Hamilton.