Prep football: Five Sailors All-CIF

Barry Faulkner

CERRITOS - Newport Harbor High senior football standouts Robert

Chai and Cory Ray have been named All-CIF Southern Section, selected from

all 13 divisions, to highlight a group of five Sailors recognized All-CIF

Division VI by section coaches.

Chai, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound offensive tackle bound for UCLA, repeats

as an All-CIF choice in Division VI. He is also first-team All-Southern

Section, one of five offensive linemen so honored.

Ray, a 6-1, 190-pound middle linebacker who shared Defensive Player of

the Year laurels in Division VI, was second-team All-Southern Section

(all divisions), after helping lead Coach Jeff Brinkley’s Tars to a Sea

View League title and a berth in the CIF Division VI semifinals.

Ray, who amassed a team-leading 105 tackles for a unit that was second

in Orange County and first in Division VI in scoring defense (9.1 points

per game), was also the Newport-Mesa District and Sea View League

Defensive Player of the Year.

Newport senior quarterback Morgan Craig, senior center Jeff Marshall

and senior receiver Brian Gaeta are also on the All-CIF Division VI team.

Craig, who went 20-4-1 as a varsity starter, completed 124 of 196

passes (63.3%) last fall for 1,614 yards and 23 touchdowns, with only

four interceptions. Also a running threat (415 rushing yards), the

Newport-Mesa District MVP helped the Tars post a 10-2-1 record. He was all-district and All-Sea View League as a junior, as well.

Gaeta, who missed a month with a torn ankle ligament, still caught 27

passes for 337 yards and three TDs, while adding one interception at

cornerback, to up his varsity career total to seven. He was twice

all-district and all-league.

Marshall, a 6-5, 215-pounder who committed before the season to accept

a scholarship from the University of Montana, was a two-year starter who

earned first-team all-league and all-district laurels last fall.

Cerritos senior Kenneth Franks shares top defensive honors with Ray in

Division VI, where Kennedy senior Rhema McKnight and Mayfair tailback

Jimmy Manley are Co-Offensive Players of the Year.

Mike Fitch, whose Mayfair Monsoons won the Division VI crown, is the

division’s Coach of the Year.

No locals were recognized in Division IX.