Breitbard Stars of the Month, November, 2005

PROFESSIONALS

DAMON ALLEN (Football, Toronto Argonauts/Lincoln High) – The 42-year-old quarterback, playing his 21st season in the Canadian Football League, was named the CFL MVP. Allen, the younger brother of NFL Hall-of-Famer Marcus Allen, led the Toronto Argonauts to an 11-7 record and the East Division title. He finished the regular season throwing for a career-best 5,082 yards as he completed 352-of-649 passes (64.1 percent) with 33 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. In the East championship-clinching win, he threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 56. The Argonauts were later eliminated in the East playoffs by Montreal. This was Allen’s first CFL MVP honor, but he twice has been named the CFL Grey Cup MVP and has led his teams to four CFL titles.

DONNIE EDWARDS (Football, Chargers) – The 10th-year veteran inside linebacker from Chula Vista High is on his way to leading his team in tackles for an eighth straight year – four with the Chargers and the previous four with the Kansas City Chiefs. Edwards signed with the Chargers in 2002 as a free agent. The UCLA graduate finished November atop the Bolts’ chart with 103 total tackles and 75 solo stops. Edwards, a 6-foot-2, 227-pounder, also has contributed two interceptions and one sack. Including his time with the Chiefs, Edwards has strung together team-leading totals of 151 (2004), 162 (2003), 129 (2002), 147 (2001), 151 (2000), 143 (1999) and 151 (1998).

MIKE GOFF (Football, Chargers) – The eighth-year veteran, playing his second season with the Chargers, held together an offensive line forced that has been reshuffled this year because of injuries through 3-0 month of November. Quarterback Drew Brees wasn’t sacked against the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 20 while throwing for 339 yards and in a win Nov. 27 at the Washington Redskins when running back LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-5, 311-pound Goff had big blocks on key gains by Tomlinson as the Chargers came from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win 23-17 in overtime.

AMATEURS

PHILIP BRETSCH (Football, USD/Fallbrook High) -- The senior strong safety was the Toreros’ leading tackler and was named a first-team pick on the All-Pioneer Football League team. Bretsch helped lead USD to the school’s first Pioneer Football League title with an 11-1 record. The Fallbrook High alumnus finished the year with 70 tackles, three interceptions and one fumble recovery. He held together a USD secondary that was riddled by injuries in the PFL championship game, a 47-40 win on Nov. 19 against Morehead State.

TALLY HALL (Men’s soccer, SDSU) – The junior goal-keeper was named first-team All-Pac-10 during SDSU’s first season as a Pac-10 affiliate member in men’s soccer. The Pac-10 honor was announced in November and Hall was later named a third-team All-America by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Hall was ranked third in the nation with a goals against average of 0.41 and first in shots on goal save percentage at 0.905. He, from Gig Harbor, Wash., led the Pac-10 in both statistics and set a school record with 12 shutouts. Hall’s play led SDSU to its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1989 before the Aztecs fell to UC Santa Barbara in the first round.

JESSICA JAVALET (Field hockey, Louisville/Torrey Pines High) – The junior midfielder was named a first-team All-American choice by the National Field Hockey Coaches Assocation. Javalet led the nation in scoring with 30 goals and 74 points, totals that established school records goal, points and assists (14). She also was named to the NFHCA All-South Region team and o-Offensive Player of the Year.The Torrey Pines High alumnus is the first Louisville player honored as a first-team All-America. She was a third-team All-America last year and owns school records for career points (130) and goals (48).

CARA-LYNN LOPRESTI (Field hockey, Duke/Torrey Pines High) – The junior forward was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-South Region first team while helping the Blue Devils finish as the NCAA runner-up. Duke lost to ACC rival Maryland in the NCAA Tournament championship game. The Blue Devils earlier defeated defending national champion Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament championship game. The Torrey Pines High alumnus was second on the team in assists per game to Katie Grant, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

GARRET PALMER (Football, SDSU) – The Aztecs’ sophomore place-kicker was named the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week following SDSU’s 30-10 win over Colorado State on Nov. 12 at Fort Collins, Colo. Palmer was three-for-three on field goals of 22, 47 and 48 in windy conditions. The 48-yarder is a career best and the 47- and 48-yarder both came in the second quarter for a 20-3 lead. For the month, the Rialto Eisenhower High alumnus was five-for-five as the Aztecs beat Wyoming 34-21 on Nov. 19 to sweep their two November games. Palmer connected from 32 and 27 yards in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys and was 14-of-16 through 11 games.

LINDSEY SHERBURNE (Women’s volleyball, USD) – The Toreros’ senior was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week for on Nov. 22 after she led USD to an upset of 10th-ranked Santa Clara with 61 assists in a five-game WCC win. Sherburne, a third-team All-American pick by the AVCA as a junior, repeated as an All-WCC first-team pick. The 5-foot-9 setter from Saratoga Archbishop Mitty High became the all-time WCC assist leader in the Santa Clara match.

PREPS

KATY ANDREWS (Girls cross country, La Costa Canyon High) – The Mavericks’ sophomore was the runner-up in the CIF State Division I girls cross country finals at Fresno’s Woodward Park. She finished with a time of 17 minutes, 50 seconds over the 3.1-mile course. Andrews, who earlier won the San Diego Section Division I title, moved up to sixth place at the mile mark, fourth at the two mile mark and second with 500 yards remaining.

RILEY BOOKER (Boys cross country, University City High) – The Centurions senior captured the CIF State Division II title in boys cross country after earlier in the month winning San Diego Section Division II and Western League titles. Booker won the state title by a narrow two seconds with a time of 15 minutes, 27 seconds over the 3.1-mile course at Fresno’s Woodward Park. Booker and El Camino’s A.J. Acosta, the state Division I champion, were the first San Diegans to win an individual state title in cross country since 1999.

JOSH HOLMES (Football, Point Loma High) – The Pointers’ senior tight end/defensive end led his team to the Western League title with a 10-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the CIF San Diego Section Division III playoffs. Holmes and the Pointers finished the month by improving to 11-0 with a CIF quarterfinal win over Brawley. Holmes, a 6-foot-2, 255-pounder bound for Miami as a defensive lineman, scored five touchdowns in the regular season with three receptions as a tight end and two fumble returns as a defensive lineman. He had 49 tackles with 5.5 sacks while fighting off blockers who double- and triple-teamed him throughout the season.

MENELIK HOLT (Football, St. Augustine High) – The senior wide receiver/defensive end led the Saints to the No. 2 seed in the CIF San Diego Section Division III playoffs and a trip to the semifinals. He scored the game-winning points with no time on the clock in two games this year. The second time was in the Div. III quarterfinals when he caught a two-point conversion pass in a 48-47 win over Valhalla. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder has committed to a scholarship offer from Nebraska. Earlier in the year he caught a touchdown pass on the final play to beat rival Cathedral Catholic. He also caught nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown in a semifinal win over Cathedral.

ANGELA KING (Girls golf, Torrey Pines High) – The Falcons’ senior won the CIF San Diego Section individual golf title by a comfortable six-stroke margin with a 143 score that was 1-under par for the 36-hole event played on two courses. She shot a 2-under 70 the first round at Warner Springs Ranch and followed with a 1-over 73 at Admiral Baker.

REBECCA KWAN (Girls tennis, Torrey Pines High) -- The Falcons’ junior captured the CIF San Diego Section singles title with a 6-1, 6-3 win in the final over Cathedral Catholics Kim Haynes. Earlier in the month Kwan helped Torrey Pines win its 16th straight CIF team title by taking the Division I title. In the singles tournament, Kwan was seeded third and Haynes fourth, but the two friends both pulled off upsets in the semifinals as Kwan beat the No. 2 seed and Haynes the No. 1 seed.

JAZ MACHADO (Girls volleyball, La Costa Canyon High) -- The junior setter led the Mavericks to the Palomar League title and a second straight CIF San Diego Section Division I title. The 6-foot Machado, the Palomar League Co-Player of the Year, also led La Costa Canyon to a first-round win over Long Beach Wilson in the state tournament. The Mavericks were the No. 3 seed in the Southern California Regional Division I playoffs before falling to top-seeded Los Alamitos in the semifinals.

ABRAHAM MUHEIZE (Football, El Cajon Valley High) – The Braves’ senior quarterback broke the CIF San Diego Section record for total yards in a game for the second time in the season. He broke his own record on Nov. 25 in a Division II playoffs upset of No. 4-seed Castle Park that advanced the unseeded Braves to the semifinals. Muheize completed 18-of-25 passes for 420 yards and seven touchdowns and carried 18 times for 171 yards for 591 yards total offense. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder broke his own record of 533 yards set Oct. 25 in a win over West Hills. He also totaled 459 yards on Nov. 18 in a first-round playoff win over Orange Glen.

Tom Shanahan can be contacted at 619-699-2334 or toms@sdhoc.com