The L.A. City Section, which is made up of schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, has produced some of California's most legendary talent. McElhenny, Garrett, Lofton, and Elway are just four of the names that nearly all football fans know on a one-name basis that got their start at a L.A. City school. L.A. City Section title contender Taft of Woodland Hills leads the way with four players, but watch out for Crenshaw, Narbonne, Carson, San Pedro, Westchester, and Jordan. All those schools place more than one standout on this talented 30-man team. Next stop in Southern California is the all-Orange County team.    

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Offense

WR -- Tevin Carter (Santee, Los Angeles) 6-3, 185 Sr.
The first player from this new LAUSD school in South Los Angeles to make our preseason All-City team, Carter is the fastest football player ever at Santee, so far. He placed third at last June's CIF State Meet in the 200 meters with a time of 21.44 and tied for fourth in the 100 meters with a 10.66 mark. In the section finals, Carter placed second to Crenshaw's De'Anthony Thomas in the 100 and clipped him in the 200 with a time of 21.38. On the gridiron, he caught 28 passes for 833 yards and scored 11 TDs. In addition to averaging nearly 30 yards per reception, he recorded 66 solo tackles, 26 assists, two interceptions, four fumble recoveries.

WR -- Donnie Duncan (Hamilton, Los Angeles) 6-0, 175, Sr.
The Yankees' top player was a second team All-City selection by coaches as a junior and should enjoy another banner year in 2009. Duncan also displayed solid ability at a Nike Combine in Los Angeles this past spring, recording a 73.23 SPARQ Rating. His individual marks included a digital 4.62 forty, a 31-foot Power Ball toss, a 32.9 inch vertical jump and a 4.68 20-yard shuttle.

OT -- Wade Yandall (Carson) 6-4, 280 Sr.
Last year, the line on this preseason team was smallish in size, but this season the beef is back. Not only do the hogs up front have size, they are also talented. This returning first team All-Marine League choice can dominate prep lineman on both sides of the ball and recruiters love his versatility along the offensive line. He was a second team all-state underclass pick by CalHiSports.com in 2008 and another plus is his grades in the classroom. Yandall could probably attend an Ivy League school if he chose to.   

OG -- Demetrius Beaver (Westchester, Los Angeles) 6-2, 280 Sr.
Beaver is no slouch and hopes the Comets can improve upon their 3-7 won-loss record last season. A solid athlete for his size, Beaver recorded a 39-foot Power Ball Toss and a 24.6 inch vertical jump at a Nike Combine last spring. Similar to many of the linemen on this year's preseason honors squad, Beaver can make an impact on both sides of the ball.  

C -- Vincent Barbosa (Fairfax, Los Angeles) 5-11, 270 Sr.
We place Barbosa at center since he's the stout player on our o-line. Last season for the Lions, he was a second team All-City selection by local sportswriters. In fact, he is the lone returning offensive lineman to be so honored.   

OG -- Mackenzie Falo (Carson) 6-2, 270 Sr.
A repeat selection, Falo made the team last year at nose guard, but he's also an effective left guard so that's the position he mans on this year's squad. Falo has grown at least an inch and gained 30 pounds in the last year and is already a two-time all-Marine League choice. He was a second team all-state underclass choice last season on the defensive side of the ball.     

OT -- Trayronn Archer (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-10, 328 Sr.
This space-eater is yet another talented two-way lineman on this year's team. As a junior, Archer was named second team All-City by coaches for his work protecting all-state QB James Boyd and helping the Bulldogs advance to the L.A. City Section quarterfinals. He was an All-City choice as an offensive lineman, but as a nose tackle, Archer recorded 39 tackles, 22 assists, one sack and two fumble recoveries.   

QB -- Bryan Choto (Arleta) 5-10, 160 Sr.
This year the city doesn't posses a proven high-level D1 quarterback prospect, whereas in past years there was usually two or three to choose from. The best prospect in terms of recruitability may be Narbonne's Chad Dashnaw, but he's unproven at this level after transferring over from small-school Vasquez of Acton. The best prep quarterback, and one of the best football players, in the section, is Arleta's Choto. After completing a 3-6 season in its first year of varsity football in 2007, Choto helped the Mustangs record a 14-0 season and claim the City Invitational title by completing 125 of 184 passes (67.9 percent) good for 1,929 yards with 18 touchdowns and only six interceptions. The consistent Choto completed 10 of 15 passes for 120 yards and added 47 rushing yards in the title game win over L.A. Franklin and finished the season with 860 yards and an additional 10 TDs on the ground.

RB -- Preston Oliver (Marshall, Los Angeles) 6-0, 190 Sr.
Oliver may not be a household name on the recruiting trail, but he's highly regarded around the city. In fact, Marshall historian Pete Arbogast, whose father has been watching the Barristers play since the 1930's, has labeled Oliver the best player the school has ever produced. That's saying something when you consider NFL Hall of Fame defensive back Mike Haynes graduated from the school in the early 1970s. Already the school's all-time leader in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, points, and total offense, Oliver is deceptively elusive although he lacks elite top-end speed. As a junior, he carried the ball 182 times for 1,728 yards and scored a single-season school record 27 touchdowns.       

RB -- Trajuan Briggs (Birmingham, Van Nuys) 5-11, 192 Sr.
Briggs had the daunting task of replacing 2007 CalHiSports.com Mr. Football Milton Knox in the Patriots' backfield. So how do you replace three city titles, 6,695 yards rushing and 103 touchdowns? Well you don't, but there are some whom believe Briggs is a more desirable college prospect because he's bigger and faster than the man he replaced. After playing spot duty as a sophomore, Briggs rushed for 1,513 yards and scored 21 touchdowns while earning first team All-City honors by local sportswriters. He's headed to USC.   

K -- Donald Jarrin (San Pedro) 5-6, 165 Sr.
Cinch pick for this club after earning All-City honors from both coaches and sportswriters in helping San Pedro to a share of the L.A. City Section title. Last season, he set the Pirates' school record for most field goals in a season with 11. For a team that relies heavily on defense, field position and would prefer to play a low-scoring game, Jarrin is quite a weapon to have.        

Defense

DE -- Antwaun Woods (Taft, Woodland Hills) 6-1, 275 Jr.
We have a sticky problem on defense and it's one any L.A. City coach would love to have. There are so many quality tackles in the city we are forced to put Woods on the outside in our 4-4 alignment. We figure it won't be a problem because Woods in versatile enough to contain, while fellow Taft stalwart Brent Williams goes after the quarterback. Last season, Woods recorded 23 tackles, 2.5 sacks and recovered a fumble and was an sophomore all-state choice. Taft coach Matt Kerstetter calls Woods, who has already been offered by USC, UCLA and Florida, "probably the best defensive tackle in Southern California."

DT -- Deandre Roberts (Sylmar) 6-4, 285 Sr.
Roberts is a throwback to the mid-1990's when Sylmar dominated L.A. City Section football with hard-nosed defense and big hitting. The Spartans don't have that talent level anymore, but Roberts is constantly challenging teammates to play to his level. It's not an easy thing to do, as he earned second team All-City honors by coaches last year after recording 71 solo tackles, 32 assists and 10 quarterback sacks. A solid athlete, Roberts is also known for his wrestling prowess.

DT -- Dak Smith (Westchester, Los Angeles) 6-8, 340 Sr.
The mammoth Smith is the son of the late Tody Smith, a famed member of USC's "Wild Bunch" defensive line in the late 1960s. His uncle, Bubba Smith, is a college and NFL legend, too. Dak didn't make this team just because of his bloodlines, but his ability. The USC commit could play on either side of the ball at the next level, but on this team we like him plugging up the middle from a nose position. As a junior for the Comets, he collected 49 tackles and a sack.   

DE -- Brent Williams (Taft, Woodland Hills) 6-3, 185 Sr.
With all the beef up front, the thin-framed Williams will be a perfect compliment on the outside. He can play standing up or in a three-point stance with no drop-off in production. As a junior, Williams tied the school record with 17 sacks and finished with 59 tackles. He set a school record with 29 tackles for loss, good for over -200 yards, and caused three fumbles. Right now, Williams is the early favorite for City Section Defensive Lineman of the Year honors.  

LB -- Kileon Cooper (Locke, Los Angeles) 6-2, 215 Sr.
The Saints' best all-around player was a first team All-City choice by coaches and also earned second team all-area honors by the Los Angeles Wave. In addition to the havoc he causes as a linebacker, Cooper can spell Devon Wallace at tight end as well. In fact, he caught a 68-yard touchdown pass late in last year's close playoff loss to Taft of Woodland Hills.  

LB -- Jonathan McNeal (Venice) 6-3, 225
The Gondos' top player for the last four years has been a McNeal. In 2006 and 2007, is was two-way standout Curtis "Moody" McNeil, now a running back at USC. Last year, it was this hard-hitting linebacker who earned first team All-City honors by both the media and coaches. He finished the 2008 season with 143 tackles and 12 sacks, earning second team underclass all-state honors in the process.   

LB -- Kristopher Bass (San Pedro) 5-10, 220 Sr.
San Pedro hardly ever has more pure talent than its top competition for the city section title (Carson, Crenshaw, Taft, Birmingham, etc.), but the Pirates have been a consistent city title contender in the Mike Walsh era by playing gritty team defense. Bass replaces former teammate and three-time all-city linebacker Robert Franco on this team with little to no drop off. As a sophomore, he helped 'Pedro gain a share of the city crown by racking up 74 tackles and 50 assists while also causing two fumbles. He was at his best in the big games, as he recorded 11 tackles in a close loss to co-champion Narbonne during the regular season and another eight solo stops in the section title game tie.       

LB -- Patrick Wooten (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-11, 165 Soph.
As a first-year player, Wooten was left off last year's all-state underclass team for good reason. He was deserving, but he was only a freshman! We recall a few freshman (such as the New York Giants' Steve Smith) earning all-city honors in basketball, but the younger brother of former Bulldogs all-state player Ricky Thenarse probably would have been named state freshman of the year if such an honor existed in football. In a game we watched against Esperanza of Anaheim, Wooten was the leading tackler and he finished the season with 104 solos, two interceptions, two caused fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

ROV -- Lucky Radley (Taft, Woodland Hills) 5-11, 175 Sr.
In our 4-4 alignment, Radley can play a variety of positions, from outside linebacker to safety and even a spot duty runner on offense if needed. After spending his sophomore season at Crespi of Encino and helping the Celts reach the CIFSS Pac-Five Division final, Radley and his mother signed a one-year lease agreement to move in with the family of a player at Agoura High. Despite the minor controversy that was created by the move, Radley did not let distractions slow him down on the field, as he racked up 63 tackles and nine sacks and rushing for 1,023 yards and 23 touchdowns. Radley left for Agoura after he was denied eligibility at Taft, where he is reportedly eligible to play this season. His presence helps close the gap between the Toreadors and Crenshaw as the favorite to win the city section title, if there was any gap to begin with.  

DB -- Bryan Douglas (Narbonne, Harbor City) 5-10, 160 Sr.
Douglas is this year's sleeper pick, if you can call a player with a D1 scholarship that. A more appropriate term may be our "overlooked" player. As a junior playing in one of the best defensive backfields in Southern California, Douglas played second-fiddle to all-staters Byron Moore and Sean Parker, but he was still able to rack up 40 tackles, 11 pass deflections and thee interceptions. We also like the fact Douglas is a student of the game, constantly attending camps and combines in order to improve. When we first saw him at a Nike Combine in 2007, Douglas ran a 5.46 forty at 132 pounds, but now he's a returning all-Marine League choice headed to Boise State.   

DB -- Sean Parker (Narbonne, Harbor City) 5-11, 194 Sr.
When we were editing the film of Narbonne's Byron Moore last season for our "On the Rise" series, the first thing we noticed is just how talented Parker was. His big play and hitting ability immediately stood out. He didn't disappoint the rest of the season, earning first team all-state underclass honors after recording 22 tackles, 35 assists, six interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two sacks. Fielding offers from schools all over the country such as Florida, Stanford, and USC, Parker will take his first official visit to Notre Dame on September 4. With Douglas and Parker, Narbonne should again field arguably the city's most talented secondary.        

P -- Sergio Sibrian (Hollywood) 5-8, 165 Sr.
For the second consecutive season, a Sergio is the punter on this unit. Last year it was Garfield¹s Sergio Macedo and this year it's the Sheiks' Sibrian. As a junior, Sibrian boomed away 30 punts for 1,029 yards (34.3 avg.) and was credited with eight inside the 20-yard line. He can also run the ball and catch it as well, as he scored two touchdowns on the ground and caught 16 passes. That's always a plus.  

Multi-Purpose

DB/WR -- Cole Martinez (Wilson, Los Angeles) 5-11, 170 Sr.
Martinez is just too productive a player to leave on this team. As a junior for a 9-4 team, Martinez racked up 21 tackles, 47 assists and came up with seven interceptions. He gained 220 yards on those picks, came up with two caused fumbles and two blocked field goals. He knew what to do on those interceptions because he's also a standout wide receiver. He hauled in 67 receptions for 902 yards with 13 TDs, including eight for 131 yards and two touchdowns in a playoff loss to Arleta. Sportswriters named him to the all-city team on defense,     

WR/QB/RB/DB/KR -- DeShawn Beck (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-9, 150 Sr.
A repeat selection, Beck will be this year's jack-of-all-trades for Jordan coach Elijah Asante, who relied on USC freshman and 2008-09 Div. I State Athlete of the Year James Boyd in that role last season. Last year, he spelled Boyd at quarterback, but this year he'll spend a majority of his time on offense under center, according to Asante, after catching 72 passes for 1,141 yards and 15 TDs as a junior. This four-year letterman can also run the ball, play in the defensive secondary (4 INTs for 148 yards) and showed what he could do at last spring's Nike Combine at nearby L.A. Southwest College. Beck clocked a digital 4.49 forty, a 36.5-foot Power Ball toss, a 36.5 inch vertical jump and a 4.11 20-yard shuttle, good for a 108.30 SPARQ Rating, the best at the event.

RB/DB -- De'Anthony Thomas (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 5-9, 165 Jr.
This Pop Warner legend made the smooth transition to varsity football, earning CalHiSports.com State Sophomore Player of the Year honors after averaging more than nine yards per carry and rushing for over 1,100 yards for a team that advanced to the city semifinals. Thomas did a lot more than that, as he was one of the team's hardest hitters as a defensive back and averaged 30 yards per kickoff return. Known as the "Black Mamba," Thomas is Crenshaw's most explosive back since Kevin "Juice" Hicks and Thomas could challenge his single season school record of 1,938 yards rushing set during the 1989 season. Thomas qualified for the CIF state meet as a freshman, and during his tenth-grade campaign won the L.A. City 100 meter final and placed second at state in the 200 meters with a 21.35 mark behind senior Randall Carroll. After his spring performances, Thomas was named state sophomore athlete of the year.

LB/RB -- Hayes Pullard (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 6-2, 215 Sr.
Another repeat selection, Pullard has already twice been named Coliseum League Defensive MVP. He's also a lead blocker for explosive De'Anthony Thomas and a bruising fullback with solid speed. He rushed for 938 yards and gained 146 yards receiving and scored 11 total touchdowns. As a linebacker, Pullard has few peers around the state, as he finished his junior season with 145 tackles, 22 for loss, five sacks and four fumble recoveries. If Crenshaw wins the L.A. City Section title, Pullard or Thomas could develop into a serious Mr. Football State Player of the Year candidate.        

DB/WR -- Charles Garrett (Dorsey, Los Angeles) 6-0, 170 Sr.
Garrett is the latest in a long line of quality Dons defensive backs that includes the likes of Rahim Moore (UCLA), Jerome Boyd (Oregon) and Marques Binns (Oregon). Garret got his big chance after one of the starting defensive backs went down with injury and had a breakout junior season, racking up 51 tackles and two interceptions. He was an all-area selection by the Los Angeles Wave and an all-Coliseum League choice. Garrett gets high marks for his coverage skills and ability to support the run and blitz the quarterback. He can also play on the offensive side of the ball and may play a larger role on that side this season.     

RB/DB/WR -- D.J. Morgan (Taft, Woodland Hills) 5-9, 170 Sr.
A repeat multi-purpose selection, Morgan appears to be headed for an all-city campaign for the third consecutive season. He can play a variety of positions, from I-tailback, slot back, and receiver as well as the secondary. He'll likely play in the slot at USC, but he'll do whatever it takes to help the Toreadors capture their first L.A. City Section title since 1998. He followed up a 1,185-yard, 13-touchdown sophomore campaign with 1,841 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns, falling just shy of Jerry Brown's school record for single-season rushing yards (1,895) set in 1994. He added 583 yards and seven touchdowns on 32 receptions and finished his junior season with 33 total touchdowns, a conversion and 200 total points. On top of that, he's one of the best track hurdlers in the country, clocking the No. 7 time nationally last year (13.76) to win the 110 hurdles at the CIF state meet. He also finished second in the 300 hurdles (36.98) behind state champion Reggie Wyatt from Riverside La Sierra.

Honorable Mention (Listed Alphabetically):

OL -- Ramon Barraza (Roosevelt, Los Angeles) 6-2, 230 Sr.
DE -- James Brock (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 6-4, 240 Jr.
WR/DB/KR -- Devontae Brooks (Birmingham, Lake Balboa) 5-7, 160 Sr.
QB -- Chad Dashnaw (Narbonne, Harbor City) 6-4, 212 Sr.
FB/LB -- Melvin Davis (Narbonne, Harbor City) 6-2, 225 Sr.
CB/WR -- Gregory Ducre (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 5-10, 170 Sr.
DB -- Raymond Ford (Jordan, Los Angeles) 5-10, 145 Soph.
QB/DB -- Bam Goodall (Taft, Woodland Hills) 6-0, 175 Sr.
RB -- Donald Hall (Gardena) 5-10, 175 Sr.
RB/DB -- Rashon Harper (El Camino Real, Woodland Hills) 5-8, 165 Sr.
QB/RB -- Karrington Jones (West Adams Prep, Los Angeles) 6-2, 175 Sr.
LB -- Matthew Lyons (Dorsey, Los Angeles) 6-2, 180 Sr.
DL -- Maka Maka (Arleta) 6-0, 310 Sr.
DL -- Brandon Mitchell (Taft, Woodland Hills) 6-3, 315 Sr.
QB -- Maxwell Smith (Birmingham, Van Nuys) 6-4 210 Sr.
DB -- Myan Tave (Carson) 6-0, 170 Sr.
QB/DB -- Marquis Thompson (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 5-11, 170 Jr.
LB/WR -- Anthony Uribe (San Fernando) 5-10, 175 Sr.
RB -- Jonathan Williams (Kennedy, Granada Hills) 5-11, 190 Jr.
RB -- Dion Willis (Carson) 5-8, 170 Sr.
RB/DB -- Tim Wilson (Canoga Park) 6-1, 165 Jr.