Edison’s Viles named league’s best

All year long, Matt Viles was the quarterback of one of the highest powered offenses in the state.

The quiet but steady demeanor of Viles, the Edison High senior, helped the Chargers football team on several occasions. And now Viles has been named Sunset League Most Valuable Player. Among the other top awards given to area athletes, Edison senior Jordan Zumwalt was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year and Fountain Valley senior Kyle Middlebrooks earned Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Edison junior Charles Burks was named Defensive Lineman of the Year and senior Roman Sapolu shares Offensive Lineman of the Year honors. Chargers senior Markus Trujillo was named co-Kicker of the Year.

Viles, a two-year starter, finished with 2,948 yards passing, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions this year for Sunset League champion Edison.

His 5,230 career yards are second-all time at Edison to Brian Shrock, who had 6,374 from 2003-05. Viles’ 49 career touchdown passes are second to Shrock’s career total of 50 and Viles’ 28 this year are also second in Chargers history (Tommy Grady, 33, 2001). He also owns the single-game school record of 485 yards set this year against Dana Hills.

“He had a great year and he’s just a great person,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “Teams know that we’ve got a passing attack and he still put up those numbers.”

Middlebrooks also rewrote the Barons’ record books. He had 1,875 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, both marks breaking his own school record.

“Being a team sport, Kyle would be the first to say his success was all predicated on his teammates,” Coach John Shipp said. “That being said, he’s a special talent. He has the football IQ to do things that not many people can do. It’s great for him [to get Offensive Player of the Year] because he earned it. He’s a class act and he’s got a bright future.”

Zumwalt, the Stanford commit and linebacker, averaged nearly 14 tackles a game. He had more than 20 tackles in wins over Newport Harbor and Los Alamitos, as well as 25 in the Pac-5 title game loss to Servite.

“He’s definitely one of the best ever defensive players at Edison High,” White said.

“He missed two games but all the big games he was huge. He’s a great athlete and everything you want in a linebacker.”

Burks missed time late in the season but still led the team with 14 sacks, second on Edison’s all-time list to Todd Belitz (15, 1993). One member of an all-new defensive line this year, he was a force.

Sapolu, an Oregon State commit, helped Edison’s offensive attack go.

“To go from right tackle to center in a senior year was tough,” White said. “And boy, did he do a great job.”

Trujillo’s 16 field goals this year were a school record for a season, as well as career.

All-Sunset League First team

Edison: Matt Viles, Sr. (MVP); Jordan Zumwalt, Sr. (Defensive Player of the Year); Roman Sapolu, Sr. (Tri-Offensive Lineman of the Year); Charles Burks, Jr. (Defensive Lineman of the Year); Markus Trujillo, Sr. (Co-Kicker of the Year); Luke Eddy, WR/DB, Sr; Steven Malone, LB, Sr.; Jeff Trojan, WR/DB, Sr.; Wade Houston, RB, Sr.; Davion Orphey, RB/DB, Jr.; Shaun McLaughlin, LB, Sr.; Michael Rivera, WR, Sr.; Luke Gane, OL/DL, Sr.

Fountain Valley: Kyle Middlebrooks, Sr. (Offensive Player of the Year); Dominic Ragland, QB/DB, Sr.; Ryan Steadman, WR/DB, Sr.; Austin Nguyen, LB, Sr.; Anthony Vega, OL, Sr.; Ulisese Ianu, OL/DE, Sr.; Courtland Drummond, OL/DE, Jr..

Marina: Mitch Huffman, DB, Jr.; Alex Willingham, DE, Jr.

Second team

Edison: Dylan Leener, TE/DL, Sr.; Calvin Hollingsworth, OL, Sr.; Sam Saultz, OL, Sr.; Kyle Finney, OL, Jr.; Christian Magnussen, DL, Sr.; Josh Frost, DL, Jr.

Fountain Valley: Mike Ibach, DB, Sr.; Justin Browley, DB/WR, Sr.; Brian De La Huerta, LB, Sr.; Montana Merhoff, LB, Jr; Brandon Moss, OL, Jr.; Christian Rodriguez, K, Jr.

Marina: Cash Duarte, RB, Sr.; Joe Livingston, LB, Jr.; Joel Richardson, OL, Sr.; Jackson Clerisse, DL, Jr.