A total of 14 players from area high school football teams were recognized with All-Pacific League honors, as voted on by the league’s coaches.
Crescenta Valley led the way with nine selections, including three first-teamers — linebacker Parker Haleen, center Tanner Farwell and wide receiver Clay Sierra, all seniors.
Haleen, voted the Falcons’ Most Valuable Player, had 85 tackles en route to being voted to the defensive first team one year after making the list as an honorable mention.
“Parker was our best defender,” said Coach Tony Zarrillo, who guided the Falcons to a 5-5 record in his first year at the helm. “He was far and away our leading tackler and he was in on a number of turnovers.
“For all intents and purposes, he was the leader of the defense.”
On the year, Haleen also had three interceptions and 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
“I was very excited, Coach Zarrillo called me the day of the voting to tell me,” Haleen said. “I thought it was a great honor and a good way to wrap up the season.”
On the offensive side, Farwell, a first-time all-league selection, earned a first-team nod for his dependable play as the anchor of the Falcons’ offensive line.
“He got better and better as the season progressed,” Zarrillo said. “The hub of any successful offensive line is going to be the center.”
Zarrillo also praised Farwell’s emergence as a team leader.
“We would have loved to make the playoffs, but the year was a still a really good success,” Farwell said. “We’ve put some leadership in place that the next group of guys will pick up.”
Sierra, a standout on the Falcons’ basketball team, had never played high school football prior to 2007. He quickly became one of quarterback Scott Thompson’s favorite downfield targets with his size and ability to make leaping catches.
“He was a very pleasant surprise,” said Zarrillo of Sierra, who had 28 catches for 536 yards and five touchdowns. “Everybody knew who he was. When you got ready to play us, one of the first things you had to worry about was stopping Sierra.”
Second-team selections from Crescenta Valley included senior offensive lineman Philip Moses, senior defensive back Greg Heiman and senior Rana Parsanj, who made the team as both a kicker and punter.
Parsanj, a second-team offensive player a year ago, made 24 of 29 extra-point attempts and five of six field goal attempts. He averaged 32.5 yards per punt.
Senior running back Malcolm Roberson was a second-team selection for Glendale, which only had two honorable mentions last year.
He totaled 951 rushing yards in just eight games played, and scored six touchdowns.
Glendale also garnered a pair of honorable mentions on each side of the ball, in senior running back Zane Archer and senior defensive tackle Jean Khajarian.
Hoover’s honorable mentions were senior running back Jonathan Mai on offense and senior lineman Armen Isakhanian on defense.
Running back Ryan Eberhart (628 yards rushing and six touchdowns in 112 carries) and linebacker Ryan Dormond (18 solo tackles, an interception and two fumble recoveries) garnered honorable mentions for Crescenta Valley.
