SACK HAPPY—University of Arizona defensive end Ricky Elmore, left, a Grace Brethren grad, tallied four sacks a season ago. Elmore’s position coach said he expects even more production in 2009. The University of Southern California football team has long been the class of the Pacific-10 Conference.

In the past seven years, the Trojans have won four outright conference crowns and split three others. Entering the 2009 campaign, USC has once again been tabbed as the Pac10’s overwhelming favorite in the conference’s preseason media poll.

With a No. 4 national ranking by USA Today , the Trojans are the highest-rated team in the Pac-10. Three others cracked the top 25, including California (No. 12), Oregon (No. 14) and Oregon State (No. 25).

At the local level, there are 30 players from the Acorn Newspa pers’ five coverage areas—imagine traveling from Calabasas High to Rio Mesa High and then going east through Moorpark and Simi Valley—listed on Pac-10 rosters that played high school or community college football in the area.

LET’S RUN—Simi Valley native Langston Jackson is ready to make plays at Cal-Berkeley. USC leads the conference with seven local athletes on its roster. Arizona, Stanford and UCLA all have four players from the Acorn ’s coverage areas, while Oregon has three. Arizona State, California, Washington and Washington State can claim two locals apiece. Oregon State is the only Pac-10 squad devoid of area talent.

College football kicks off in a matter of weeks, so let’s take a look around the Pac-10 to see what we can expect from the familiar playmakers.

USC Trojans

Cracking the starting lineup at USC is a Herculean task.

Marc Tyler, Marshall Jones and Jordan Cameron may have dominated during their time in the Conejo Valley, but high school success hasn’t translated to much college playing time for the local trio thus far.

Tyler, an Oaks Christian grad and Lancaster native, enters his redshirt sophomore season having to leapfrog senior Stafon Johnson and juniors Joe McKnight, C.J. Gable and Allen Bradford for the starting tailback job.

That’s a ton of talent to pass up, and Tyler, who averaged 5.5 yards per carry on 36 attempts last year, has been forced to exercise extreme patience while waiting for his shot to tote the ball on a regular basis.

“It was frustrating when I first came in here,” Tyler said. “Coming from Oaks Christian, I’d never really sat on the bench before in my whole life. But you just learn from the older guys, and you just keep going and wait your turn, stay healthy and just learn.

“All you really need here is one or two years. Hopefully a lot of those guys will leave after this year, which is possible, and next year, my junior year and my senior year, I’ll be able to shine,” Tyler said.

Jones, also from OCHS, has been moved from safety to cornerback.

The 6-foot, 190-pound junior said he was more than willing to make the position switch if it helped the team but admits there are plenty of on-field techniques he can improve upon.

“So far, things are going good, but I’m still learning quite a bit,” said Jones, a regular contributor on special teams.

“Cornerback is a lot different for me. There are different angles and views from safety. But you get used to it as time goes by.”

Cameron’s path to USC has included stops at Brigham Young, where he played basketball exclusively, and Ventura College. Cameron, a wide receiver from Newbury Park, became a Trojan last year and competed on the basketball and football squads.

On Tuesday, Cameron sat out practice with a hamstring injury, a setback he doesn’t consider serious.

Still, every practice session he misses makes it tougher for the 6foot5, 220pound passcatcher to prove his worth to the coaching staff.

“The opportunity is starting to slip,” Cameron said. “But I just have to be patient with (the injury). You can’t worry about it because then it’ll get you more down than you want to be. I have to stay positive and get back as soon as possible.”

Because of his size, Cameron believes he can be a bigtime contributor in the passing game, especially inside an opponent’s 20yard line.

“There are a lot of mismatches on the field,” he said. “You just have to be in the right places at the right times to take advantage of those matchups.

“And it’s about confidence. When the ball’s in the air you want it and you have to get it. It’s your ball. No matter what size you are, if you want that ball, you have to grab it.”

There’s a good chance freshman offensive left tackle Kevin Graf, who graduated from Agoura earlier this year, will not redshirt this season. In fact, based on his work with the first, second and third teams during Tuesday’s practice, Graf may see the field during his first season as a Trojan.

At 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, Graf muscled many opponents to the turf during his time at Agoura. In college, he’s being asked to fine-tune his blocking technique by staying low.

“Coming from high school, it didn’t really matter how high my body was because I was still able to block people,” Graf said. “At this level, you definitely have to stay lower and fire out. That’s the main thing I’m working on.”

Kevin Thomas, a redshirt senior from Rio Mesa, projects as a starter at cornerback. In 2008, Thomas tied for the team lead with three interceptions.

Westlake grad Steve Gatena is working as a backup tight end. Garrett Nolan, who played at Moorpark College, is a backup offensive lineman.

UCLA Bruins

The UCLA Bruins, picked to finish seventh by the West Coast media, will rely on a pair of local pass-catchers to jump-start what has been an anemic offense in recent years.

Senior Gavin Ketchum, an Oak Park graduate, has 27 receptions for 322 yards and two touchdowns during his fouryear playing career at Westwood—he was granted a medical substitute year of eligibility after injuring his ankle in 2007.

According to Bruins offensive assistant and tight ends coach Phil Rauscher, the 6-foot-5 Ketchum can be a go-to option in the team’s passing attack, particularly near the red zone.

“He can really attack the field and is a good possession guy,” Rauscher said.

“Gavin can also block. He has the ability to come out and get on safeties and secondlevel defenders to spring those big runs. He plays with great effort, and you couldn’t ask for a better kid.”

Jeff Miller of Westlake has transitioned from defensive tackle to tight end. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Miller figures to contribute in both the running and passing games.

Coach Rauscher said Miller has put in plenty of work during the offseason learning the team’s offensive scheme, adding that Miller’s motor always runs high on the gridiron.

“He’s a physical player,” Rauscher said. “He loves to block, and he loves to play physical. And he does a good job adapting to situations that may arise out there.”

On the defensive side for UCLA, Oaks Christian grad Aaron Ware will see plenty of action as one of two seniors in the secondary. He’ll play safety.

Oak Park’s Sean Westgate is one of the Bruins’ top special teams contributors. Westgate, who also works at outside linebacker, has a knack for making big plays and is certainly an up-and-comer to keep an eye on this season.

Arizona Wildcats

Ricky Elmore is poised to bring some desert heat to opposing signal-callers.

Elmore, a redshirt junior who was a standout on the dominating Grace Brethren teams of the mid2000s, will put his hand down and rush quarterbacks from his defensive end position, where he tallied 25 tackles and four sacks a year ago.

“He played a lot last year, and he’s going to play a lot this year,” said Jeff Hammerschmidt, Arizona’s defensive line and special teams coach.

“He makes plays and does a lot of great stuff for us. We’re really excited about Ricky.”

Defensive lineman Jackson Powell, a Marmonte League star for Newbury Park last fall, may redshirt this season, according to Hammerschmidt.

“He’s a smart kid, and is great frame-wise,” Hammerschmidt said of Powell. “Down the road, hopefully we can put some weight on him and add some strength and he’ll be a good player for us.”

Shawn Trowbridge, an Agoura graduate who also played at Moorpark College, serves as a backup wide receiver and long snapper for the Wildcats.

“He’s a competitive kid and a good athlete,” Hammerschmidt said of Trowbridge. “He’s also a hard worker who finds ways to make plays.”

Offensive tackle Trace Biskin, a former Oaks Christian mauler, is another highprofile local lineman to watch for.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Camarillo gunslinger Samson Szakacsy, a redshirt sophomore, is fighting for the Sun Devils’ starting quarterback job. He currently sits second on the depth chart behind senior Danny Sullivan but is also feeling heat from 6-foot-8 freshman Brock Osweiler.

During a scrimmage session on Aug. 15, Szakacsy completed 10of-14 passes for 104 yards but also had a pair of interceptions. Since that game, however, Szakacsy has experienced pain in his surgically repaired throwing arm and has been relegated to the sidelines.

Oaks Christian grad Chris Coyle is a freshman tight end at ASU. He may redshirt this year.

California Golden Bears

Punters don’t get a lot of love from the media, but Camarillo native Bryan Anger isn’t your run-of-the-mill kicker.

Anger’s foot is pure power, as evidence by his 43.1yard average last year, with a long of 76 yards. For his efforts as a redshirt freshman, Anger was named first

eam Freshman All-American by Sporting News Today , College Football News and Rivals.com, as well as second-team All-Pac-10.

Like his booming kicks, the sky’s the limit for Anger as a sophomore.

“My goal is to be more consistent,” Anger said. “I’ll hit some really good ones, but then

here’s a bad punt mixed in every now and then. I’ve made a few little tweaks to become more consistent.”

He’s also hit the weight room

o build more core strength.

Simi Valley’s Langston Jackson watched from the sidelines as a redshirt freshman running back.

With a year of practice under his belt, Jackson believes he can make plays as a member of the Bears’ tailback committee and on special teams.

“Coming out of the tunnel as a redshirt and seeing it filled with people, it’s a crazy feeling,” Jackson said. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Now I’m just ready to get on the field.”

Oregon Ducks

With 67 tackles and a pair of sacks, middle linebacker Casey Matthews was a force for the Ducks’ defense in ’08. Entering his junior campaign, Matthews, an Oaks Christian grad, is expected to build on his solid sophomore season.

According to a report by John Hunt of The Oregonian , Matthews has bulked up quite a bit during the offseason.

Rio Mesa product Malachi Lewis, a tight end, was limited to two catches for 11 yards as a sophomore. Lewis was listed second on the team’s depth chart entering fall camp.

Anthony Gildon, another former Oaks Christian star, played in 2007 but was a redshirt last season. The cornerback is a phenomenal athlete whose vertical leap ranks among the best in program history for his position.

Stanford Cardinal

Stanford’s roster features a trio of former Oaks Christian stars— offensive lineman Joe Dembesky, wideout Chris Owusu and safety Sean Wiser.

Dembesky is playing left tackle after being moved from guard.

“We really feel like that’s the place for him, that he kind of found his niche,” said Tim Drevno, Stanford’s offensive line coach.

“Joe is an athletic guy. He has a good spark, and his feet turn over well. He’s a smart guy and a hard worker. We expect some good things from him.”

Of the three, Owusu, a sophomore, could end up making the biggest impact as a starting passcatcher and kick returner.

“Chris Owusu is a special guy,” Drevno said. “He can run by a person, accelerate to the football and make the big catch.”

A year ago, Wiser ranked fifth on the team with 60 tackles. The converted wide receiver started eight games at free safety.

Like Dembesky, Moorpark graduate George Halamandaris has some work to do before he reaches the top of the team’s offensive line depth chart.

Halamandaris, listed at 6foot7 and 302 pounds, recently changed position, going from right tackle to right guard.

“He’s really shown good signs at guard,” Drevno said. “He’s probably one of the biggest guys I’ve ever coached at the position.”

Washington Huskies

Tyrone Duncan, a Westlake product, is looking to crack the Huskies’ defensive line rotation. The 6-foot-2, 278-pound tackle has seen little playing time during his first two years at Washington.

Camarillo native Gregory Christine, a St. Bonaventure grad, is a backup center.

Washington State Cougars

A pair of former Moorpark College standouts—place kicker Nico Grasu and linebacker Alex HoffmanEllis—are listed as starters on the Cougars’ depth chart.

Grasu, a junior, connected on 9-of-13 field goal attempts during his first year at Washington State.