Taua Named Honorable Mention

 Nevada junior running back Vai Taua was named to Sports Illustrated's 2009 All-America team as an honorable mention.

Taua led the Wolf Pack with 1,359 yards on 172 carries for a 7.8 average with 10 touchdowns. Taua had a long of 89 and also caught 12 passes for 99 yards and two scores.

Taua and the Wolf Pack will play Southern Methodist University on Dec. 24 in the Hawaii Bowl.

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For Civil War Quarterbacks Masoli & Canfield, Different Styles Yield Similar Results

At first glance, Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and Oregon State's Sean Canfield couldn't be more different.

One is right-handed; one left-handed.

One is short and stocky; the other tall and lanky.

The 113th Civil War:
Oregon State
at Oregon

When: 6 p.m. Thursday
Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene
TV: ESPN
More Oregon vs. Oregon State

One is a punishing runner; the other doesn't run.

One has the fewest completions in the Pacific-10 Conference; the other, the most.

Where Masoli and Canfield come together is where this Civil War separates itself. Both are vastly improved, and both are ready — or else this would not be a War of the Roses.

"It doesn't matter how you get there," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said.

And it doesn't matter how long it takes you to get there, either. Masoli will be playing in his second Civil War after joining the Ducks 19 months ago. Canfield has played in 33 games for the Beavers and has yet to throw a ball in a Civil War battle.

"I've never been more excited for a football game," Canfield said. "I've never played in a Civil War so I'm really looking forward to it."

Masoli, who threw 17 times against the Beavers last year and racked up 274 passing yards and three touchdowns, is very excited, too — although nobody would ever know it.

"On a scale of one to 10," Masoli said, "10."

Still, the excitement edge has to go to Canfield.

"Every minute, at some point," he said, "it crosses my mind."


As for the edge in quarterbacking, it's safe to say that neither team would be willing to trade.

"I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a quarterback in the country, for our style of offense, making better decisions," offensive line coach Steve Greatwood said of Masoli.

Masoli made huge strides last season, his first since playing a year of junior college ball. In his first eight games of 2008, Masoli averaged 5.4 yards per attempt. In the last four games — all wins — it was 10.2 yards.

Early in 2009 he struggled again. Against Utah, he was 4 of 16 and losing support from fans.

"A lot of people were asking for a new quarterback at the beginning of the season when he just didn't have it," tight end Ed Dickson said. "He changed everybody's mind. He's a great battler."

Since then Masoli has been on a roll. He also has been at his best against the best competition, averaging 22 of 35 passing for 273 yards against California, USC, Stanford and Arizona.

But it's in the running game where Masoli has made the greatest strides — even with that mysterious knee injury that forced him out of the UCLA game. He is running with even greater authority, even if he hasn't topped the highlight-reel hit he dished out against Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl.

"His progression's been pretty astounding, actually," backup quarterback Nate Costa said. "He runs the ball tough, which is kind of rare for quarterbacks. That toughness that he has gives us is a little something extra people have to prepare for."

His ballhandling has improved markedly, allowing him to blow by confused defenders. In practice, he even fakes out coaches, who lose track of the ball. And he has jelled with his offensive line.

"I know what he's going to do behind me," lineman Mark Asper said. "Jeremiah, more than anybody, runs a certain way. He sets up defenders really well, where he moves one way and cuts back the other way. He goes this way, and I know Jeremiah's going to go the other way, so as soon as the defender goes one way, I go, 'OK,' push and accelerate and go."

Masoli averages 5.9 yards per carry, better than Florida's Tim Tebow or Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor or even Stanford running back Toby Gerhart or Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers.

Numbers don't tell the story, though. When he struggled early in the season, defense and special teams came to the rescue. Since then, Masoli has taken care of things himself.

"He can get you out of tough situations, like the Arizona game," said defensive tackle Simi Toeaina, Masoli's cousin. "He was never nervous. As a defense, we knew if we did our job, that Jeremiah would lead us to victory."

Masoli has been as calm as ever this week, smiling at comments made by OSU quarterback Lyle Moevao, a friend of Masoli's who popped off last week on Twitter about a payback for last year's 65-38 win by Oregon.

"I don't have any response, man," Masoli said. "Actions speak louder than words."

Moevao has been in for one play in an injury-filled 2009. It has been an opportunity seized for Canfield.

The Associated Press"I've never been more excited for a football game," says Oregon State's Sean Canfield, who will be playing in his first Civil War on Thursday night.In OSU's first two wins, Canfield was 33 of 42. He has a 70.3 completion percentage rate, one of four quarterbacks in the nation above 70 percent. In no game this season has Canfield completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes — a mark Masoli has failed to reach more often than not.

"You've just all seen a guy grow up right before your eyes this year," Riley said after Canfield completed 21 of 29 passes against Washington three weeks ago. "It's pretty phenomenal."

Oregon coach Chip Kelly called Canfield the best quarterback Oregon will face this season, and that includes Boise State's Kellen Moore, a Heisman hopeful, and Stanford's rising star Andrew Luck.

"The quarterback complements what they do in the running game," Kelly said. "You can't just gang up on the run because Canfield can hurt you."

Moore came into Autzen Stadium last season as a freshman and beat the Ducks. Canfield makes his first appearance there, as a senior, on Thursday night.

"It's a great stage for us," Canfield said. "Our team in those situations, it rises to those occasions."

He sounds pretty unflappable.

That's one thing the two quarterbacks have in common.

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Ross Apo Named All-American

Arlington (Texas) Oakridge senior receiver Ross Apo got to cross off one particular accomplishment he set for himself two years ago: Play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

"I wrote down my goals to start my sophomore season," Apo said. "And this was one."

Apo received his formal invitation Tuesday from the Army Strong contingent cutting a swath through North Texas with announcements that Plano West defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and Haltom defensive end Reggie Wilson also were named. There are more North Texas announcements coming the next three days.

Apo received his traditional U.S. Army jersey (No. 10) at Oakridge, a small private school in Southwest Arlington. He'll play in the 10th Anniversary game Jan. 9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The East vs. West matchup will be televised live on NBC and feature 90 of the nation's top high school football players.

Apo represents a new generation of players coming through the All-American Game in the last decade.

"The first players I really remember watching are DeSean Jackson (2005) and Ted Ginn (2004)," Apo said.

Apo (6-3, 190) is considered one of the nation's top recruits and is giving Brigham Young a highly rated class along with Seattle quarterback Jake Heaps. Apo's Oakridge teammate, 6-foot-6 offensive tackle Tayo Fabuluje Jr. and hard-hitting linebacker Teu Kautai, also have committed to BYU and were in attendance at Apo's announcement.

Oakridge hopes Apo returns this week against Cistercian. Apo has been recuperating from a leg injury and hasn't caught a pass in Oakridge's last two games. Apo last caught a pass in the first quarter (for a touchdown) of a Sept. 18 victory over Austin St. Andrew's.
The Owls certainly would like their star receiver back. He's been a mainstay of the program since he transferred in to start his sophomore year.

"The first time I saw him, I could tell he was going to be a special player," Oakridge coach Phillip Farhat said. "He had size, speed, explosiveness and great hands. And he loves to play. If I was as good as he is, I'd love to play too."

Apo has 10 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns in his limited time. Apo's athleticism also shows with touchdowns on a punt return and an interception return as well. Apo had 37 catches for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior and 27 catches for 331 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore.

As a college prospect, he's looked as a wide receiver who has the length and frame to possibly morph into a tight end or H-back. Apo is proud of his accomplishments as a receiver against some of the nation's top players. He shined at a Stanford camp this summer as coaches set up a one-on-one matchup in skills drills between Apo and Palmdale, Calif., star defensive back Joshua Shaw.

"(Shaw) was burning everybody and the coaches got me to go against him about five times," Apo said. "He jammed at the line, but I made the catch. Coming from a private school, a lot of people don't think you play the best competition but I like to prove that we can."

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Heimuli is an All-American

Representatives from the U.S. Army All-American Bowl made a stop in Utah on Tuesday to officially announce Salt Lake City Brighton defensive lineman Ricky Heimuli as a member of the West roster for the 2010 edition of the game. In front of his teammates and school peers, Heimuli accepted his selection and reiterated a desire to work hard and represent his school and state well.

The excitement of the occasion was evident as Heimuli was flanked by family and friends Tuesday morning and he sees it as an opportunity to compete against the nation's best.

"I just get to go out there and play against some of the best in the nation," commented Heimuli.

For the humble 280-pound lineman however, it's easy to keep things in perspective considering all the attention he has received during the past year.

"I just see it as going out to have fun doing what I love to do," he said. "I really don't know what to say, I'm speechless right now. I want to thank the school for supporting me. It's a great opportunity."

Heimuli has been playing organized football since he was eight, and comes from a bloodline of football players. In the state of Utah, the Heimuli name is practically synonymous with football these days, considering Heimuli's uncles both played collegiately and his cousin, Latu Heimuli, currently plays for Utah.

Recruiting has kept up a rigorous pace with 22 offers and counting now for Heimuli, his most recent offer coming in from the East Coast.

"The newest one is West Virginia," he said. "I'm starting to do my research on them. I've gotten a few calls from the coaches, and they seem pretty nice."

Of the 22 schools vying for Heimuli's services, the schools he seems to be hearing the most from these days are Washington, UCLA, USC, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

So with schools coming and going, has Heimuli gotten to a point where he is ready to narrow his list from 10 down to five?

According to Heimuli, things have changed since he eliminated schools in August, and now he has opened things back up.

"That top 10 stuff was just to kind of get everyone off my back," admitted Heimuli. "They kept on bugging me so I just threw out a few names, but everybody still has a chance - I'm still considering all schools."

Looking ahead, a decision for the Rivals100 lineman will most likely not come until Signing Day if things keep going the way they are.

Said Heimuli, "Right now I'm pretty sure I'm going to be dragging this out until February."

When pressed about where his coaches and teammates want to see him end up, Heimuli indicated one school in particular seems to be brought up more than any other.

"A lot of the (coaching) staff members are thinking I'm going to go and play for USC," he said. "But I told them I don't know yet."

For now, the focus for the highly sought-after lineman will be getting his team into the state playoffs. The Brighton Bengals will face off against cross-town rival Jordan High School Tuesday night in a playoff elimination game.

"We just need to go out and play how we usually play. We sometimes step down to their level, but we just need to stay on our level and that way we can win."

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2009 Heisman Watch: Jeremiah Masoli

It’s the most prestigious individual award in all of sports, and Athlon's Heisman Watch spotlights the top 25 candidates to hoist the trophy. Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is next on the 2009 list, which will be released in no particular order.

Oregon has a history of producing Heisman candidates at quarterback and Jeremiah Masoli could continue that trend this season. Amazing, considering he was listed as the fifth-string quarterback entering preseason camp in 2008.

Chip Kelly’s spread-option attack caters to a dual threat under center and Masoli is just that. At only 5-foot-11, but 215 pounds, Masoli is a powerful runner who improved as a passer as the 2008 season went along. He finished with 1,744 passing yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 57 percent of his passes. Add another 718 and 10 scores on the ground and you’ve got one of the nation’s most dangerous playmakers.

Comparisons to former Oregon standout and Heisman contender Dennis Dixon are inevitable. They’re very similar players, though Masoli is more likely to run over a defender than evade and breakaway like Dixon.

Still, Masoli is exactly what the Ducks were looking for when they needed a successor to Dixon last season. He led the Ducks to 31-plus points in six of their final seven games last season — all victories. Only a junior, his best football is likely still ahead of him and he’ll have plenty of opportunities to show why he’s the next great Oregon quarterback.

Why he’ll be holding the hardware: Oregon plays all kinds of showcase games this season beginning with Boise State on the first Thursday of the year. That means Masoli will have plenty of opportunities to show exactly what kind of a difference he can make in a game. 1,000 rushing yards is a realistic possibility

Why he’ll be left out: He’ll have to show he can throw the ball in some key moments this season and we’re not convinced he can win a game with his arm yet. Also, this is a year with plenty of West Coast Heisman candidates, so he’ll have to stand out that much more in his own region.

Final analysis: Masoli still isn’t polished enough to be considered a preseason favorite to reach New York, but that could change if he grows quickly as a passer and the Ducks challenge for the Pac-10 title.

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YouTube Dance Star Has a Few Moves on the Field, Too...

A YouTube search of Cal freshman Isi Sofele yields some pretty impressive footage from high school.

There's some pretty good stuff of him playing football, too.

Forget the clips of Sofele running circles around the competition at Cottonwood High in Salt Lake City. The top Sofele highlight is a video of him dancing shirtless for his little sisters and cousins while visiting family in Arizona.

"I was just playing around with my little sisters, trying to make them laugh," Sofele said. "My little sisters thought they were funny and put it on YouTube. I just had to put on a little show for them."

Sofele may put on a show for Cal fans someday, and possibly sooner rather than later. Of all of the Bears' incoming freshmen, Sofele has stood out the most so far, mostly because of the explosive speed coming from his compact 5-foot-7, 170-pound frame.

Sofele played running back in high school but is working with the wide receivers so far at Cal. He also is expected to make an impact on special teams, although Jahvid Best is penciled in to return kicks and Syd'Quan Thompson will handle punt return duties this season.

"You see a lot of explosion, a lot of quickness," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "He's very talented, can catch the ball, can run with it, can do a lot of things. He plays at a different speed."

Tedford said there's a possibility Sofele could contribute as a true freshman.

been scared off by Sofele's lack of size, but he still received a handful of offers from major schools, ultimately picking Cal over Utah and Washington State. The Bears have almost their entire receiving corps back from last season, but Sofele still has earned a handful of first-team reps during the first week of training camp.

"I don't care what people say anymore about my height. I've heard that ever since Little League," Sofele said. "Obviously, I got here with my height. It's not an issue. It's how big your heart is."

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PICO Football Camp 2009

PICO Football Camp 2009 part 1

PICO flew Big Chino up to Oregon to check out their football camp. They run a first class camp and their staff helped all kids, both polynesian and not to learn the fundamentals of football.

Check out Tropical Jams new Website: http://tropicaljams.fliggo.com/

Idaho's Iupati Added to Outland Trophy Watch List

University of Idaho senior guard Mike Iupati has earned the honor of being chosen to the 2009 Outland Trophy Watch List. The Outland Trophy is awarded annually to the player regarded as the best interior lineman in the country.

Iupati begins his third season as a starter for the Vandals, although he missed the first two games of the 2008 season as he recovered from off-season shoulder surgery.

"He'll be one of the top linemen in the country," coach Robb Akey said. "He's a fantastic leader, very physical and a tremendous person."

Iupati, 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, moved to the U.S. from American Samoa when he was 14 and didn't play American football until he was 14. He and Louisiana Tech's D'Anthony Smith are the only Western Athletic Conference players on the list.

The Outland Trophy, presented annually since 1946, is the third oldest award in major college football. The winner of the Outland Trophy, named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn and Kansas at the turn of the century, will be announced on the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10 at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Side Note: Mike Iupati, from Samoa, didn't begin playing football until he was 14-years-old.

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Molesi Commits to Oregon State

Defensive tackle Thomas Molesi became the fifth member of the 2009 Oceanside High football team to commit to a four-year college after giving an oral commitment to Oregon State on Tuesday.

The 6-foot, 240-pound Molesi joins wide receiver/defensive back Jerry Whittaker, who is headed to Arizona, and linebacker Jake Fely, defensive back Rene Siluano and receiver King Holder, who all committed to San Diego State.

Oceanside coach John Carroll said the Pirates may have as many as three other future NCAA Division I players ---- receiver Devon Taverna, defensive tackle Kenny Galea'i and defensive end Markus Tokoi.

"This is great for our school," Molesi said. "The five guys who have committed, we all grew up together."

Oregon State, coached by former Chargers coach Mike Riley, was 9-4 last season and beat Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl.

The Beavers play a 3-4 defense, something different from Oceanside's 4-4, Molesi said.

"So I'm not sure if I'll be a defensive end or a linebacker," he said. "I'll do whatever it takes to be a Beaver. The Pac-10 is a great conference, one of the best in the country, and Oregon State was one of my dream schools. I've watched them on TV and I like their discipline, the chemistry."

Molesi said San Diego State, which offered the chance to play with his friends, was his second choice.

"I've been in California my whole life," he said. "I really want to experience something different. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. It shows that I stood out in high school and was good in the classroom."

"None of us, though, will rest. The Pirates are good because we work harder than other teams. We know the past doesn't mean a thing. How hard you work, the time an effort you put in, determines who wins championships."

Oceanside has won the last four CIF San Diego Section Division II football championships and five of the last six. The Pirates are 24-1-1 over the last two seasons.

"I'm so happy for these kids," Carroll said. "I'm glad we have some guys staying local, and I'm excited for the others."

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Siavi'i Back & Running With The Cowboys

Junior Siavi'i last recorded a countable NFL statistic in 2005. 2005! With that said he is probably still the frontrunner to be Jay Ratliff’s backup at nose tackle. Siavii was the 36^th overall pick in the 2004 draft. You don’t get selected that high without talent. Siavii is the best athlete among the backup NT candidates but has never been able to put it together. Maybe being reunited with former University of Oregon teammate and friend Igor Olshansky will light a fire under Junior. This job is his for the taking. If Siavii can show the Cowboys that he can be even adequate, he would add a lot to the team from an standpoint of depth and flexibility.

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Utes Add Big Body to Class of 2009

Utah has added a Class of 2009 pledge from Joape Pela, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle from Mountain View, Calif. / Foothill CC, Calif., over BYU.

Pela will have four years to play three when he arrives in Salt Lake City this Fall after finishing courses at Foothill.

Afeaki Shows Off Playmaking Ability

BOUNTIFUL, Utah -- The final session of the 2009 All-Poly Football Camp at Bountiful High featured live, full-contact scrimmaging and there were several prospects that stood out.

Perhaps none more so on offense than local running back/receiver Tana Afeaki (Salt Lake City, Utah/West), who had a total of four touchdowns and showed outstanding quickness, acceleration and speed with the ball in his hands. He's a slot back-type of player who should be able to help a college team in a variety of ways (out of the backfield, in the slot, in the return game, etc.). Afeaki is not the biggest player on the field, but certainly proved on Saturday he can be downright electric with the ball in his hands.

"I felt I did really well today," Afeaki said with a smile on his face. "I showed what I could do."

Fans around Salt Lake City know all about him. He rushed for more than 1,500 yards for his high school team last season.

Afeaki was one of three running backs honored as a camp all-star by the All-Poly coaching staff, which included multiple college coaches from all divisions. Class of 2010 scat back Silver Vaifanua (Long Beach, Calif./Milliken) and Class of 2011 running back Jeremiah Laufasa (Kirkland, Wash./Juanita) also took home honors.

Deep on the offensive line

There were five offensive linemen who earned all-star honors. Cash Knight (Park City, Utah) and James Atoe (The Dalles, Ore./The Dalles) caught everyone's attention all week and were featured by ESPN's Bill Conley after Friday's sessions. Both expect to gain increased attention from colleges heading into their senior seasons. Both Knight and Atoe performed well in the scrimmages. Knight was especially impressive as a run-blocker.

Billy Vavau (Salt Lake City, Utah/Jordan) also earned all-star honors as an offensive lineman, though he played a good bit of defensive line as well. After seeing him clear out defenders during the scrimmage, it looks like he has more of a future on the offensive side of the ball than defense. But he still could be considered a two-way lineman. Jase Toomalatai (Kahuku, Hawaii/Kahuku) and Paul Bedford (Kapolei, Hawaii/Kapolei) rounded out the five O-linemen who were honored.

Quarterback

Dalton Leilua (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Pines) is raw, but has a strong arm and good size. He turned in a solid performance and took home all-star honors. Leilua threw for 1,800 yards and 12 touchdowns last season for his high school team, and is getting looks from UNLV and others. Crosby Jensen (Salt Lake City, Utah/Cottonwood) was the other quarterback honored. He threw a touchdown pass in the Saturday scrimmage.

Wide receiver/tight end

Among the receivers and tight ends who were honored as all stars were receivers London Amorin (Honolulu, Hawaii/Island Pacific) and Elijah Mitchell (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Oasis), and tight end Karl Folland (Bountiful, Utah/Bountiful).

Linebackers

Under Armour All-American V.J. Fehoko (Kahuku, Hawaii/Kahuku), Shaydon Akuna (Kapolei, Hawaii) and Sae Tautu (American Fork, Utah/American Fork) were among the five linebackers honored as all-stars. They were probably the three most impressive prospects at the position.

Fehoko was the best senior at the camp. He has a warrior's mentality, good speed and strength. You can tell he loves football and contact, which is important. He's fun to watch.

Akuna performed admirably during the week with a tweaked hamstring. He made his share of plays in the scrimmage. Once he finds a permanent position to master, he will be a major contributor.

Tautu's showing on Saturday was impressive. He was all over the place and appeared to finally get comfortable with the linebacker position (he was a quarterback and defensive back for his high school team). Tautu is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, so once he gets coached up more in college and adds strength, he has a chance to be excellent.

"I think I did fine once I settled in at my position," he said. "The coaching I got here was excellent."

Other linebackers honored were Matt Tanuvasa (Beaverton, Ore./South Ridge) and Class of 2011 prospect Cody McCarthy (Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly).

Defensive line

Class of 2011 standout Tani Tupou (Kirkland, Wash./Archbishop Murphy) was the best defensive lineman at the event and had a big sack during the scrimmage sessions. He has no offers yet, but multiple schools are showing interest.

Kalafitoni Pole (Union City, Calif./Logan) really helped his stock during the camp. The 6-2, 250-pounder is now getting serious interest from Wyoming and Utah after his showing. He was named an all-star by the coaching staff.

Octavious Dixon (Layton, Utah/Layton) and Class of 2011 standout Viliseni Fauonuku (Bingham, Utah/Bingham) also were named all-stars by the coaches.

Defensive backs

Jeremy Ioane (Punahou, Hawaii/Punahou) was honored as an all-star and was perhaps the best defensive back there. The Class of 2010 prospect had two interceptions during the scrimmages and played for the entire week with a broken arm he suffered at a camp last week. The 6-2, 180-pounder showed good speed and ball skills throughout the sessions. He claims offers from Washington State and Stanford and is getting looks from Utah and Washington, among others.

Cole Graves (Kirkland, Wash./Juanita) also was honored as a camp all-star.

Quick hitters

• The All-Poly Camp will head to American Samoa for the second annual camp there. Last year, more than 400 players showed up for the first camp ever in American Samoa. The following week, the first-ever All-Poly Camp in Hawaii will take place.

• Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham addressed the players following the scrimmages and talked about being fully committed as a football player. Whittingham led the Utes to a 13-0 record last season, including a Sugar Bowl win against Alabama.

• On Friday, Under Armour All-American Bronson Kaufusi showed up at the camp to observe. V.J. Fehoko's older brother, Texas Tech's Sam Fehoko, was there for all three sessions with his family supporting his younger brother.

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