FOOTBALL: ALL-CONFERENCE HORNETS
The Southern California Football Association held its annual awards meeting yesterday with many Hornet Footballers earning SCFA All-Southern Conference honors.
Fullerton had a total of 16 All-Southern Conference players with 11 making the first team and 5 second team.
First Team
*Freshman DL Jason Wallace - A terror on the interior line with 15 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 blocked kicks.
*Sophomore LB Jaylin Early - Armed with a non-stop running motor, Early was third on the team in tackles with 46. He also had 3 sacks, a forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.
*Freshman OLB Isaac Hurtado - The former star running back out of Cypress High was outstanding on the other side of the ball locking down 43 tackles and led the team with 5 sacks. He had 9 tackles for loss (48 yards), 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and 3 breakups.
Sophomore LB Junior Wily - Wiley was a 2nd team All-Conference player for the Hornets in 2019 with 19 tackles. This season he stepped up with 32 tackles, a fumble recovery, and 2 breakups.
*Sophomore DB Jordan Wright - Jordan had a big season for the Hornets with 18 tackles (2 for loss). He added a forced fumble, fumble recovery, 2 interceptions, and 8 breakups.
Sophomore DB Jonoven Smith - Led the team in tackles with 48. He also led the team in breakups at 9. Rice had 2 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
*Sophomore Ret. Spec. Kashan Griffin 2 - A first teamer in two categories (punt and kick returns), Griffin had 17 kick returns 523 yards (30.8 yard average), and had 14 punt returns for 123 yards. Kashan broke the FC school record for most kick returns during the 2019 season with 15 for 704 ad 4 TDs. Griffin also holds the program record for most career kick return yards at 1,245.
*Sophomore OL Nathan Ramirez - One of the key anchors on the offensive line, Ramirez helped the offensive unit accumulate 1,511 yards on the ground and 1,951 yards through the air.
*Freshman OL Marcelo Saenz - A strong and durable lineman with plenty of upside, Saenz played a big role in keeping the QB healthy, while blowing holes open for a rushing game that scored 24 touchdowns.
Freshman WR Braedin Huffman - Huffman is an athletic wideout with a knack for getting open. He led the Hornets in TD catches with 3, while accumulating 27 catches for 373 yards.
*Sophomore RB Branden Rankins - This marks the second time Rankins has earned 1st Team honors. In 2019, he ran for 337 yards and 3 touchdowns. In 2021, Rankins led the conference with 12 rushing TDs while racking up 670 yards on 127 carries.
*Unanimous
Second Team
Sophomore DL Troy McDonald McDonald was also a 2nd Teamer in 2019 with 12 tackles and 5 sacks. In 2021, McDonald had 27 tackles and 3 sacks. He also added a fumble recovery, blocked pass, and blocked kick.
Sophomore DL Jordan Rice - A gifted defensive end, Rice had 13 tackles and 3 sacks. He also added 4 tackles for loss.
Freshman DB Chandler Brown - The second leading tackler on the team with 46, Brown proved to be a force for the Hornet defense. He added 4 fumble recoveries and an interception.
Sophomore OL William Pieroni - A stout offensive lineman, Pieroni played a big role in helping the Hornets 3,462 of total offense (2nd in conference).
Freshman QB Chandler Galban - The first-year quarterback from Texas threw for 1,629 yards, had 6 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He also ran for 2 TDs.
To view the whole Southern Conference team click here.
*Photo by Matt Brown
