Times Prep Football Awards Honor Coach, Back and Lineman of Year

Running back Mike Silane of Miraleste, lineman Brian Kelly of South Torrance and Coach Chris Ferragamo of Banning were the top award winners Sunday at The Times’ annual High School Football Awards Brunch.

Silane and Kelly were among the 23 All-South Bay first-team selections who were honored.

Silane is only 5-6 and 160 pounds but had some of the biggest numbers in the CIF to earn South Bay back-of-the-year honors. The senior led the South Bay in rushing with 1,600 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. Silane accomplished all this despite being virtually his team’s entire offense and a marked man in every game. As a two-year starter, Silane rushed for about 2,500 yards.

Kelly, at the other end of the scale at 6-5, 245 pounds, received the most votes of any lineman in a ballot of South Bay coaches and was often nominated both on offense and defense. The South Bay lineman of the year, a two-year All-South Bay choice, was named by college scouts as one of the top three prospects in Southern California. Kelly led South High to its best playoff performance ever, reaching the Coastal Conference semifinals for the first time.

Ferragamo’s season ended in disappointment when Banning was upset by rival Carson in the City 4-A finals, but in many ways Ferragamo had his finest year to earn the South Bay coach-of-the-year award.

He not only made his 11th appearance in 12 years in the City championship game, but his team was so dominating throughout the season, particularly on defense, that the Pilots held the mythical No. 1 national ranking for several weeks in USA Today--the first time the Pilots have achieved that honor. Ferragamo also molded an 11-1 team despite losing his best offensive player, Archie Jean, to a knee injury early in the season’s fourth game. Ferragamo retooled the offense without missing a beat. The veteran coach has won eight City titles.

Players joining Kelly and Silane on the first team are receivers Tim Fletcher of Mira Costa and Treamelle Taylor of Hawthorne, linemen Mark Comings of Miraleste, Mike Padilla of Banning, Tommy Luapo of Carson and Jimmy Porter of Morningside, quarterback Scott Yessner of Redondo, running backs Steve Kujawa of South Torrance and Alvin Goree of Carson and kicker-punter Jeff Kaufman of Chadwick.

The defense has linemen Alan Wilson of Carson, Terrance Powe and Tyrone Rogers of Banning and Derek Capper of Palos Verdes, linebackers Corey Brown of Morningside, Clint Mosley of Redondo and McCann Utu of Banning and defensive backs Damon Mack of Gardena, Marvin Pollard of Banning, Mike Stone of Redondo and Austin Peters of Palos Verdes.