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High School Football All-League: Newport duo stands out in Sunset

(Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)
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Newport Harbor High senior safety Titus Hasson earned the Sunset League Defensive Back of the Year award and senior teammate Steve Michaelsen shared the Defensive Lineman of the Year award after the two standouts for the second straight year led the Sailors to a third-place finish in league and the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

Joining Hasson and Michaelsen on the first team are five Sailors (5-6, 3-2 in league), senior outside linebacker Ethan Cochran, senior wide receiver Landon Gyulay, senior quarterback Cole Blower, senior cornerback Kory Cablay and senior defensive lineman Stone Manoa.

Hasson, who is being recruited by Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, excelled on defense, offense and special teams.

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Hasson finished with 78 tackles and two interceptions as a safety.

As a running back, Hasson rushed for 1,023 yards and 11 touchdowns. He recorded 266 yards on the ground in a 35-21 upset win against Los Alamitos. The single-game performance ranks Hasson 10th all-time at Newport Harbor.

In the Battle of the Bay rivalry against Corona del Mar, Hasson rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Sailors to a 29-26 victory.

Hasson averaged 32.3 yards per kickoff return. He returned a 90-yard kickoff for a touchdown.

Michaelsen, who has offers from Air Force, Army and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, compiled 46 tackles, eight sacks and six blocked passes.

As a tight end, Michaelsen caught five passes, two going for touchdowns.

Cochran finished with 85 tackles, two sacks and one interception. He only played in seven games due to a season-ending concussion.

Gyulay made 40 catches for 574 yards and five touchdowns.

Blower threw for 1,212 yards and 14 touchdowns, with five interceptions. He completed 60.3% (99 of 164) of his passes.

Cablay recorded 36 tackles and two interceptions. He averaged 9.4 yards per punt return.

Manoa had 55 tackles and three sacks.

Newport Harbor sophomore left tackle Sam Bush, senior tight end Vince Aqueveque, senior end Dalton Jensen, senior guard Hamilton Randle, senior linebacker Grant Frazier and junior linebacker Marty Taylor each made the second team.

Edison senior quarterback Chase Favreau was named the Sunset League MVP.

— From staff reports

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Lawson an MVP

Corona del Mar High senior quarterback Brent Lawson is the Pacific Coast League Offensive MVP after a record-breaking season in which he led the Sea Kings to second place in league and the CIF Southern Section Southern Division title, the school’s first section championship in 22 years.

Lawson threw for 2,519 yards and 27 touchdowns, both numbers are CdM single-season school records and rank first in the area. He completed 153 passes, another CdM single-season school record, and rushed for 446 yards and five touchdowns on 109 carries.

Lawson, who had a quarterback rating of 101, was responsible for CdM (12-2, 4-1 in league) averaging 34 points per game and recording its second 12-win season in the program’s history.

Lawson threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 67 yards on 13 carries, helping CdM edge rival Beckman, 14-13, in the section finale at Orange Coast College.

Lawson is joined on the first team by seven teammates, senior all-purpose threat Cole Cottrell, senior running back Erik Fisher, senior wide receiver Josh Giger, senior outside linebacker Aaron White, senior outside linebacker Frasier Anderson, senior inside linebacker David Moore, and senior Grant Garrett, an inside linebacker and kicker, who earned the Pacific Coast League Kicker of the Year award.

Cottrell, a cornerback, receiver and kickoff and punt returner, contributed in all facets. He is a repeat first-team pick.

He made 41 tackles and intercepted one pass as a cornerback.

As a returner, Cottrell averaged 35.7 yards per kickoff return and 12.7 yards per punt return. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, the longest was 95 yards, and he returned two punts for touchdowns, the longest was 79 yards.

Cottrell also had 13 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns.

Fisher rushed for 1,697 yards and 18 touchdowns on 280 carries. He recorded a 304-yard performance on the ground in the Sea Kings’ 41-14 semifinal win at Laguna Beach.

Giger led the Sea Kings with 56 catches for 946 yards and 10 touchdowns. He caught 14 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs.

White, a repeat first-team selection, finished with an area-best 17 sacks to go with 98 tackles. He produced four sacks in a league game against Northwood.

Anderson led the Sea Kings with 100 tackles and he returned two interceptions for touchdowns. He recorded two sacks, recovered two fumbles and forced one fumble.

Moore had 86 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks, blocked two kicks, recovered one fumble and forced another.

Garrett registered 89 tackles, recovered four fumbles and forced three fumbles as a linebacker.

As a kicker, Garrett converted six field-goal attempts and 45 extra-point kicks. As a punter, he averaged 36.1 yards per punt.

CdM had senior center Caden Stark, junior defensive end Tim Reinhardt and senior right tackle Liam Duddy make the second team.

Honorable mentions went to sophomore right guard Giovanni Gentosi, junior receiver Troy Reese, junior receiver Chris Johnstone, senior tight end Matt English, junior nose guard Michael Martinez, junior cornerback Ryan Griffin and senior safety Kyle Sherburne.

Beckman linebacker Bryan Dewey was named the Pacific Coast League MVP.

— From staff reports

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Fenner earns share

Sage Hill School senior outside linebacker David Fenner earned a share of the Academy League Defensive Player of the Year award in football.

Fenner is one of six Lightning players who earned first-team All-Academy League honors.

The other first-team members from Sage Hill are senior versatile player Taylor Petty, senior linebacker Ford Hanour, senior cornerback Conner Ascher, senior running back Eric Cheng and junior defensive end Thomas Fenner.

David Fenner, Petty, Hanour and Cheng are repeat first-team selections for Sage Hill (3-7, 1-2 in league), which finished third in league and missed the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division playoffs for the first time since 2008.

David Fenner led Sage Hill with 92 tackles and he forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass.

Petty, who lined up at quarterback, wide receiver and safety, threw for 386 yards and four touchdowns, with four interceptions.

Petty also ran for 182 yards and three touchdowns, and caught two touchdown passes.

Hanour finished with 52 tackles and an interception. He also recorded two defensive touchdowns (fumble recovery, interception return)

Ascher defended 15 passes and intercepted two. He made 29 tackles and caused a fumble.

Cheng finished with 543 yards and five TDs on 122 carries, including a 90-yard kickoff return for a score.

Thomas Fenner made 55 tackles and recovered three fumbles and led the Lightning in receptions and receiving yards.

Sage Hill had junior linebacker Charlie Kim, sophomore lineman Lucas Ellison, junior lineman Nick Francoeur and junior kicker Joe Melita received second-team honors.

— From staff reports

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