2025 HMG-COMMUNITY NEWS FALL ALL-AREA TEAMS: Valley Christian football, Artesia girls volleyball cap off fall season with CIF-SS titles

The 2025 fall season was one of the best the area has seen in a while as five of the seven football programs advanced to the CIF-Southern Section divisional playoffs and six of the eight girls volleyball programs had at least one playoff match. When it was all said and done, one football team won a divisional championship while one volleyball team made school history with its first divisional title ever. Here are the members of the 2025 HMG-Community News Fall All-Area Teams.

Note: The All-Area Teams are put together solely by sports editor Loren Kopff based off observations from covering the games and matches.

FOOTBALL

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

QB-Graham Lunzer (Valley Christian)

RB-Diego Cerritos (Norwalk)

RB-Daron Walker (Norwalk)

WR-Oliver Boateng (Valley Christian)

WR-Sean Bouma (Valley Christian)

UTL-Cole Hefner (Valley Christian)

LT-Devion Stinson (Cerritos)

LG-Marc Saldana (Gahr)

C-Jonathan Avendano (Cerritos)

RG-Theodore Dobmeier (Valley Christian)

RT-Zion Burris (Norwalk)

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL-Bailey Crawford (Cerritos)

DL-Isaac Morales (Valley Christian)

DL-Marc Saldana (Gahr)

DB-Oliver Boateng (Valley Christian)

DB-Blake Butler (Valley Christian)

DB-Tyler Ky (Cerritos)

DB-Fernando Orozco (La Mirada)

LB-Onosai Faamataua (Norwalk)

LB-Cole Hefner (Valley Christian)

LB-Jacob Hoosac (Cerritos)

LB-David Ibarra (Norwalk)

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB-Justin Sagun (Cerritos)

RB-Josiah Fregoso (La Mirada)

RB-La’Brenten Wilson (Cerritos)

WR-Terrence Grissom (Cerritos)

WR-Alexander Gutierrez (Gahr)

UTL-Okoro Lee (John Glenn)

LT-Isaac Morales (Valley Christian)

LG-Genesis Afu (La Mirada)

C-Sebastian Jimenez (Gahr)

RG-Martin Lopez (John Glenn)                                                
RT-Bradley Park (Gahr)

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL-Marcus Castillo (Norwalk)

DL-Jayden Chavarin (John Glenn)

DL-Ryan Gonzales (La Mirada)

DB-Sean Bouma (Valley Christian)

DB-Andres Escobar (Norwalk)

DB-Jakob Galvan (La Mirada)

DB-Ogadi Metu (Gahr)

LB-Uriah Archie (Cerritos)

LB-Angel Lagunas (Artesia)

LB-Harlym Rayford (Gahr)

LB-Keyshawn Williams (Norwalk)

HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

QB-Roman Acosta (Gahr)

RB-Ismael Garcia (La Mirada)

RB-Justin Pettus (Artesia)

WR-Byron Louis (Valley Christian)

WR-Kaiden Wardlow (La Mirada)

UTL-Jonah Mason (John Glenn)

LT-Bobby Fanelli (Norwalk)

LG-Jameson Miller (Valley Christian)

C-Jayden Chavarin (John Glenn)

RG-Jaell Rueda (Artesia)

RT-Luke Bocanegra (Cerritos)

HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

DL-Theodore Dobmeier (Valley Christian)

DL-Max Douglas (Valley Christian)

DL-Jameson Miller (Valley Christian)

DB-Christian Afonin (John Glenn)

DB-Elijah Johnson (Artesia)

DB-Byron Louis (Valley Christian)

DB-Michael Quibrantar (Cerritos)

LB-Joshua Ayala (Norwalk)

LB-Sam Melcher (Valley Christian)

LB-Andre Romo (John Glenn)

LB-Lucas Witt (Valley Christian)

Offensive Player of the Year-One can only wonder what the numbers would be if Valley Christian High junior quarterback Graham Lunzer had not gotten injured in the Division 9 first round playoff game against Chino High. The St. John Bosco High transfer missed the final four and a half games but still managed to pass for 2,065 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing nearly 60 percent of his passes. For added measure, he was also the team’s leading rusher with 519 yards and another 14 touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Year-He may have picked up the slack for Lunzer in the rushing department, but V.C. senior linebacker Cole Hefner was the leader of a stacked defense that allowed 67 points over the last six games of the season. Hefner led the area with 122 tackles, the only player to post over 80 tackles, and had six and a half sacks and an interception, which was a 40-yard pick six at Capistrano Valley Christian High on Oct. 3. His 397 tackles in his high school career is a school record.

Coach of the Year-Last season, V.C. head coach Brendan Chambers saw his team win the first six games, finish 7-3 and miss the playoffs after a fourth place finish in the Ironwood League. This season, he guided the Defenders to an 11-4 overall record, a second place finish in league, a CIF-SS Division 9 championship over Ramona High and a trip to the CIF State regionals. V.C.’s offense scored at least 28 points eight times while the defense allowed fewer than 20 points seven times, including a pair of shutouts.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

FIRST TEAM

S-Kaylie Prins (Valley Christian)

OH-Tessa Dobmeier (Valley Christian)

OH-Djulianne Goze (Artesia)

OH-Haley Robertson (Artesia)

MB-Olachi Anyama (Whitney)

MB-Jordan Weston (Valley Christian)

OPP-Brooklyn Warner (Valley Christian)

LIB-Devyn Masi (Valley Christian)

SECOND TEAM

S-Kylie Cruz (Cerritos)

OH-Violet Hackworth (Gahr)

OH-Mirei Sanchez (Norwalk)

OH-Ally Veron (Cerritos)

MB-Jessalyn Ecevedo (Gahr)

MB-Miranda Martinez (Cerritos)

OPP-Giselle Salazar (Norwalk)

LIB-Nayeli Sanchez (Norwalk)

THIRD TEAM

S-Janelle Sales (Whitney)

OH-Genesis Islas (Gahr)

OH-Ceana Merino (Cerritos)

OH-Emma Prowse (Whitney)

MB-Kaylin Cho (Cerritos)

MB-Aubrey Ericks (Valley Christian)

OPP-Tzarie Paalam (Gahr)

LIB-Kelsie Kato (Whitney)

HONORABLE MENTION

S-Lauren Blanco (Gahr)

OH-Keliana Gonzalez (La Mirada)

OH-Valeria Mejia (Norwalk)

OH-Pressley Pak (Whitney)

MB-Lailanee Cano (Norwalk)

MB-Kristina Palafox (Artesia)

OPP-Aniyah Peoples (Valley Christian)

LIB-Averie Garrison (Artesia)

Co-Players of the Year-Half of Artesia High’s offensive firepower came from senior outside hitter Djulianne Goze, who led the team in kills. But it goes far beyond the statistics as Goze was the only four-year varsity member on a team that has been known for its futility. Still, she wasn’t just a leader in the offensive numbers she put together, she was a leader on and off the court.

V.C. has had a rich tradition in offensive leaders and this past season was no different as senior middle blocker Jordan Weston was second on the team with 204 kills but led the Defenders with a .417 hitting percentage and 103 blocks.

Coach of the Year-Francisco Serrano did not have much time to get accustomed to his team, having been named the head coach of Artesia right before school started. But the first-year head coach made the most of his rookie campaign as he took the Pioneers to the CIF-SS Division 8 championship match where the red and black swept Schurr High.

Artesia, which had advanced to the semifinals once in school history, swept six straight playoff matches before ending the season in the second round of the Southern California regionals.

The Pioneers finished the season at 16-11, the most victories in at least 28 seasons and had it not been for a forfeit victory over Dominguez High, they would not have advanced to the playoffs.