Dream Team

Rick Devereux

Trevor Theriot did whatever was asked of him throughout his football

career at Newport Harbor High.

He never missed a game. He never missed a practice. He never

missed a workout session.

He started out as a fullback and paved the way as a junior for

then-senior Matt Encinias’ 1,308 rushing yards.

When the projected starting tailback suffered a knee injury before

the start of the 2004 season, Theriot filled in as the main rushing

threat.

He finished the regular season with 1,083 rushing yards and seven

touchdowns. With the four CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs

games, he amassed 1,328 rushing yards on 222 carries, a 6-yard

average.

He was the projected starting outside linebacker, but injuries at

the beginning of the season moved him to the middle. His versatility

enabled the Newport coaching staff to move him from position to

position without fear of losing production. He finished with 27 total

tackles.

He was named one of the 12 finalists for the Wendy’s High School

Heisman and led the Sailors to their seventh championship game in

school history. For his accomplishments, Theriot has been named the

Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Player of the Year.

He highlights a Dream Team of 27 players from Newport Harbor,

Corona del Mar, Estancia, Costa Mesa and Sage Hill.

Newport Harbor players also received top individual accolades.

Senior quarterback Kasey Peters is the Offensive Player of the Year

and senior middle linebacker Thomas Martin is the Defensive Player of

the Year.

In a season in which three local schools advanced to the CIF

Southern Section playoffs, none had a better year than Newport, which

boasts 14 honorees.

Corona del Mar had the second-most selections with six. Estancia

had three and both Costa Mesa and Sage Hill had two.

It was a senior-heavy team, with 23 players in their final year.

There were three juniors and one sophomore on the team.

Martin let his experience help guide the Tars to their best record

in five years. The middle linebacker led the team with 97 tackles,

including 68 solo stops. He also filled in at tailback as well as

fullback, the former when Theriot went down with an elbow injury.

Martin finished second on the team with 358 rushing yards.

But Martin was the catalyst on a defense that held opponents to

12.6 pints per game and posted three shutouts.

The shut-down defense allowed Peters to relax as Newport’s leader

under center. The returning starter completed 156 of 274 pass

attempts (57%) for 2,140 yards and 23 touchdowns, tops among local

quarterbacks. His 321 passing yards against Mayfair in the CIF

Southern Section Division VI semifinals was the best single-game

output for a Newport-Mesa quarterback this year.

The Sailors fell to Orange Lutheran, 35-6, in the championship

game to finish 12-1-1.

Peters is one of seven repeat Dream Team performers.

Another repeat selection is Newport Harbor receiver Spencer Link,

who was the Player of the Year last year. The senior led the Sailors

with 677 receiving yards. He was also dangerous as a punt returner,

as evidenced by his 63-yard return for a touchdown against Corona del

Mar.

Link’s 48 receptions gave him 150 in his career, a Newport Harbor

record. He eclipsed Danny Pulido’s 143 receptions with a touchdown

catch against Mayfair.

Newport teammate Alex Orth exploded in the playoffs with 20

receptions for 336 yards and six touchdowns. His 11 scores led the Sailors.

Orth, a senior, had a knack for the big play. He hauled in

touchdowns passes of 50 and 41 yards in the playoffs. He also caught

the 30-yard, game-winning pass with four seconds remaining against

Mayfair to propel the Tars into the championship game.

Corona del Mar skill-position selections include senior

quarterback Tom Welch, his twin brother and receiver Kevin Welch and

senior tailback Wess Presson.

Tom Welch was a danger to defenses all year. The former running

back completed 83 of 166 passes for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns. He

also rushed for 500 yards and nine touchdowns for the Sea Kings. His

four interceptions were the fewest by any Newport-Mesa quarterback

with at least 100 pass attempts this fall.

His favorite target was Kevin, who amassed 735 receiving yards.

His 18.9 yards per catch led Newport-Mesa. His 168 receiving yards

against Calvary Chapel was the best single-game production for

Newport-Mesa receiver this season.

Presson was a bull of a rusher, running over, around and through

defenses for 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns on 188 carries. He rushed

for more than 200 yards in two games, including a season-high 231

against Troy in Week 3.

Costa Mesa senior tight end Jeff Waldron led all Newport-Mesa pass

cathers with 757 receiving yards. Last year’s Defensive Player of the

Year was the only player to catch a ball in every game. Dating back

to last year, Waldron caught passes in 12 straight contests.

Despite being double- and sometimes triple- teamed, Waldron used

his basketball skills to out-jump defenders for receptions. His 42

catches led all Newport-Mesa receivers in the regular season.

Bryce Carich, Waldron’s Mustang teammate, is a repeat Dream Team

selection along the offensive line. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder started

at left guard on a front wall that paved the way for 1,599 team

rushing yards on 411 carries, a 3.9 per carry average.

Corona del Mar senior Chris Reilly (6-2, 215) was the anchor along

the line for the Sea Kings. Under Reilly’s leadership, CdM rushed for

2,341 yards, second among Newport-Mesa schools.

Newport Harbor seniors Steve Joslin (6-2, 270) and Efrain Castro

(5-11, 215), as well as junior Charles Schultz (6-4, 282) helped

protect Peters and move defenders for Theriot. The Sailors led the

five area schools with a 5.9-yards-per-carry average and allowed only

13 sacks, second fewest among Newport-Mesa schools, despite playing

more games and attempting more passes than any other school.

Defensively, Newport Harbor reigns supreme with six selections.

Senior linebackers Taylor Young and Greg Miner were second and

third, respectively, among Sailor tacklers.

Young, a Dream Team honoree in basketball as a junior, had three

fumble recoveries for the Sailors, including one in the final 12

seconds of the Mayfair game that set up the Peters-to-Orth touchdown.

Miner led the Newport linebackers with two sacks. He also led the

team with 18.8 yards per catch as the tight end.

Ryan Sanford and Bryce McKendry were standout senior linebackers

for Estancia despite not playing football as juniors. Sanford was a

hard hitter on the outside and McKendry was a run-stuffer in the

middle.

Both also excelled on offense. Sanford led Estancia with 31

receptions for 368 yards and McKendry was the Eagles’ leading rusher,

collecting 603 yards and nine touchdowns on 125 carries.

Rounding out the linebacking corps is Sage Hill sophomore Don

Ayres. Ayres’ athleticism allowed the Lightning coaching staff to

move him from inside to outside ‘backer and even play him at

cornerback for a game. His 68 total tackles led the Lightning.

Along the defensive line, CdM’s Matt Burgner (6-0, 200) is a

repeat Dream Team selection. The junior end paced the Pacific Coast

League with 16 sacks. He also led the Sea Kings with 104 tackles.

Another repeat selection is Newport’s Saami Khalifian (6-1, 212).

The senior end led the Sailors with nine sacks. He was tied for the

team lead with an additional eight tackles for loss.

Sean Rowe (5-11, 208) finished with five sacks for Newport,

including one in the championship game against Orange Lutheran. The

senior end also added eight other tackles for loss.

Newport Harbor senior tackle Kaiona Kalama-Dutro (6-0, 220) was a

menace to opposing offenses. He was sixth on the team with 51 tackles

despite getting double-teamed throughout the year.

Estancia senior Ian Morton (6-4, 270) posed a problem for

offensive coordinators. The subject of double-team blocking schemes,

he helped free up linebackers McKendry and Sanford. And when attacked

with a single blocker, he frequently dominated.

Matt Erickson, a senior cornerback for Newport, led the team with

six interceptions. He returned an interception 42 yards for a

touchdown against Woodbridge in Week 10.

CdM senior David Del Fante was a shut-down cornerback for the Sea

Kings. Teams rarely threw his way and when they did, Del Fante

usually made the receiver pay with a big hit.

The secondary is rounded out by junior corner Keya Manshadi from

Sage Hill. Manshadi led the Lightning with four interceptions, which

he returned for 161 yards, including two scores.

He led the team with 936 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing, while

producing 342 yards and three touchdowns receiving. His 20 touchdowns

this fall led Newport-Mesa.

Manshadi’s leadership helped the Lightning make the program’s

first trip to the CIF playoffs. They finished 7-4 after being

eliminated in a CIF Division XIII first-round game.

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POSITION PLAYER SCHOOL HEIGHT WEIGHT YEAR

RB/OLB Trevor Theriot Newport Harbor 6-1 225 SR.

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POSITION PLAYER SCHOOL HEIGHT WEIGHT YEAR

QB Kasey Peters Newport Harbor 6-2 205 SR.

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POSITION PLAYER SCHOOL HEIGHT WEIGHT YEAR

LB Thomas Martin Newport Harbor 6-0 222 SR.

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POSITION PLAYER SCHOOL HEIGHT WEIGHT YEAR

QB Tom Welch Corona del Mar 6-1 190 SR.

RB Wess Presson Corona del Mar 6-0 195 SR.

WR Kevin Welch Corona del Mar 6-2 205 SR.

WR Spencer Link Newport Harbor 5-9 181 SR.

WR Alex Orth Newport Harbor 6-2 190 SR.

TE Jeff Waldron Costa Mesa 6-3 215 SR.

OL Bryce Carich Costa Mesa 6-3 255 SR.

OL Chris Riley Corona del Mar 6-2 215 SR.

OL Steve Joslin Newport Harbor 6-2 270 SR.

OL Efrain Castron Newport Harbor 5-11 215 SR.

OL Charles Shultz Newport Harbor 6-4 282 JR.

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POSITION PLAYER SCHOOL HEIGHT WEIGHT YEAR

LB Greg Miner Newport Harbor 6-1 205 SR.

LB Taylor Young Newport Harbor 6-3 195 SR.

LB Ryan Sanford Estancia 6-1 183 SR.

LB Bryce McKendry Estancia 6-4 205 SR.

LB Don Ayres Sage Hill 6-0 160 SR.

DL Matt Burgner Corona del Mar 6-0 200 SR.

DL Saami Khalifian Newport Harbor 6-1 212 SR.

DL Kaiona Kalama-Dutro Newport Harbor 6-0 220 SR.

DL Sean Rowe Newport Harbor 5-11 208 SR.

DL Ian Morton Estancia 6-4 270 SR.

DB Matt Erickson Newport Harbor 5-8 156 JR.

DB David Del Fante Corona del Mar 6-0 180 SR.

DB Keya Manshadi Sage Hill 5-10 165 JR.

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