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Eastern League 2010 Preview


August 24, 2010 --
By RON GUILD, Sports Editor WaveNewspapers.com:
Story Published: Aug 24, 2010 at 12:22 PM PDT



No City league race appears more wide open than the Eastern League.

“I don’t see anybody as the favorite, everybody looks pretty even,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said.

Roosevelt (10-2, 6-0) won it last year, but figure on Jordan (6-5, 5-1) and Garfield (5-6, 3-3) to make this a fight to the finish. Teams such as Bell (7-4, 3-3) South East (4-7, 3-3) will also be dangerous.

Roosevelt has a new quarterback in junior Andony Flores, the backup a year ago.

All-City cornerback Jonathan Mariscal returns and will also play wide receiver.

Leading the way on offense is three-year starting running back Elgin Rosales, who rushed for 718 yards a year ago. Transfer Aaron Jones plays fullback and linebacker.

Junior Ricardo Alfaro is the lone returning starter on the offensive line.

Jordan has a new coach in Sheron Butler, but there is enough returning talent between the lines to keep the Bulldogs in the hunt.

Jackyle Cooper, who played a lot of quarterback as year ago, will do a bit of everything this year, lining up at wide receiver, running back and behind center.

Watch out for sophomore quarterback Justin Lewis, who shined during the summer.

“The colleges are already looking at him,” Butler said.

Garfield, which faces Bishop Amat in its opener Sept. 3, is led by quarterback Leonardo Vaal, who threw for 663 yards and five TDs in six games a year ago.

Bell returns all-league quarterback Adrian Lopez (1,251 yards, 13 TDs).

South East has one of the City’s top returning running backs in explosive junior Robert Lewis (1,085 yards, seven TDs).

New coach Christian Salazar (previously at Manual Arts) returns four starters on offense and three on defense from a team that was 2-8 overall and 0-6 in league.

Quarterback/inside linebacker Emanuel Leyva (6-0, 210), wide receiver Jorge Villanueva (5-9, 170) and running back/cornerback Ernesto Torres (5-7, 165) are the top returnees for the Rams. Leyva threw for 1,268 yards and nine TDs a year ago.

At Huntington Park (3-7, 1-5), veteran coach Leroy Wilson builds around a core group that includes nine returning starters on offense and four on defense.

Players to watch are junior fullback/linebacker Mauricio Maldonado (5-10, 195), senior running back/linebacker Henry Yang (5-7, 170) and senior wide receiver/defensive back Jesus Flores.

Source: WaveNewspapers.com