BEST IN THE WEST.

Byline: Steve Irvine Staff Writer

For the 25th year, the Best in the West high school football team has been named. The first-ever team included eventual NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and several others who went on to have solid college and professional careers.

Over the years, the team has included players who went on to become household names in the sport. But the teams also have included receivers who never caught a pass after high school, linemen who never again saw the field and others who failed to live up to their potential.

The 25th edition should be no different than the past 24, and only time will tell how successful the 31 members of the first team fare on the field now that their high school days are over.

What is certain is the 10 college coaches voting for this year's team were unanimous in thinking Hacienda Heights Los Altos High defensive lineman Shaun Cody, Concord De La Salle receiver Demetrius Williams, Beverly Hills safety Jibril Raymo and La Quinta linebacker Michael Craven will be solid contributors to their college teams by their sophomore season.

Those four players join the previous group of 54 perfect 10s of the past that includes two Heisman Trophy winners (Marcus Allen and Ricky Williams), one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history (John Elway of Granada Hills) and several highly decorated collegians.

From the Daily News area, the Best in the West team includes Loyola of Los Angeles quarterback Matt Ware, bound for UCLA, and Hart of Newhall quarterback Kyle Matter, who led the Indians to their third consecutive Southern Section title this season and is headed for Stanford.

This year's group is made up of six running backs, five quarterbacks, five linebackers, four receivers, two defensive linemen, two safeties, two offensive linemen, two tight ends, one cornerback and two players who could play either cornerback or receiver in college.

Fourteen players come from Southern Section schools, one hails from a City Section school, six played in Northern California, three from the San Diego Section, three from Washington and two each from Oregon and Arizona. National champion Concord De La Salle is the only school with two players on this year's team - well short of the BIW record of five from Long Beach Poly in 1999.

On the BIW second team, Daily News readers will recognize record-setting Ventura running back Tyler Ebell, who is headed to UCLA. On the California team, area standouts include Taft of Woodland Hills quarterback Rick Clausen, who has committed to Louisiana State; Valencia defensive lineman Kaelen Jakes, who will attend Texas; St Francis of La Canada quarterback John Sciarra, bound for UCLA, and former Alemany of Mission Hills tailback D'Andre Scott.

UCLA already has received commitments from eight BIW members, including Raymo, and also could have a shot at landing Cody, Craven and a few others. USC has commitments from five members of the team, including Long Beach Poly linebacker Marvin Simmons, who switched his allegiance from UCLA, and also has a shot at Cody and Craven, among others.

Perhaps the best bloodlines come from Oceanside receiver William Buchanon, whose father, Willie, is a former NFL defensive back; Santa Ynez offensive lineman Matt Mosebar, whose uncle, Don, was a member of the 1979 Best in the West team, and Kent (Wash.) Kentwood tight end Will Conwell, whose uncle, Ernie, played the same position in the NFL.

2001 B.I.W. FIRST TEAM

Votes PlayerSchool Pos. Ht. Wt.

10 Shaun Cody Hacienda Heights Los Altos DE 6-5 255

10 Michael Craven La Quinta LB 6-2 220

10 Jibril Raymo Beverly Hills DB 6-3 200

10 Demetrius Williams Concord De La Salle REC 6-2 170

9 Michael Bell Phoenix Tolleson RB 6-2 195

9 Matt Leinart Santa Ana Mater Dei QB 6-6 215

9 Reggie Williams Tacoma Lakes REC 6-4 215

9 Dwayne Wright San Diego Lincoln RB 6-0 190

8 Derek Anderson Scappoose, Ore. QB 6-6 220

8 William Buchanon Oceanside REC 6-3 170

8 Bob Cleary Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon OL 6-7 280

8 Matt Dlugolecki Santa Margarita QB 6-6 220

8 Jason Harrison San Jose Gunderson RB 5-10 190

8 Marvin Simmons Long Beach Poly LB 6-0 218

8 Junior Taylor Mesa, Ariz. REC 6-3 185

8 Matt Ware Los Angeles Loyola DB 6-3 200

7 Lorenzo Alexander Berkeley St. Mary's DL 6-3 290

7 Brad Brittain Torrey Pines TE 6-5 250

7 Marcus Cassel Bellflower St. John Bosco DB 6-0 170

7 Kellen Clemens Burns, Ore. QB 6-2 200

7 Will Conwell Kent (Wash.) Kentwood TE/DE 6-5 215

7 Ty Eriks Seattle (Wash.) O'Dea RB 6-2 220

7 Spencer HavnerNevada Union LB 6-4 215

7 Manese Hopoi Sacramento Valley LB 6-4 232

7 Kyle Matter Newhall Hart QB 6-3 190

7 Matt Mosebar Santa Ynez OL 6-8 260

7 Darryl Poston Huntington Beach Edison RB 5-10 185

7 Dominic Robinson Diamond Bar REC/DB 6-2 187

7 Kevin Simon Concord De La Salle LB 5-11 218

7 Temitope Sonuyi Anaheim Esperanza RB 5-10 210

7 Terrance Whitehead Los Angeles Crenshaw  DB/REC 6-0 185

BEST OF THE REST

Daily News athletes in the Long Beach Press-Telegram's Best in the West voting:

SECOND TEAM (6 votes)

Votes Player Pos. Ht. Wt. High school Commitment

6 Tyler Ebell RB 5-10 180 Ventura UCLA

CALIFORNIA

Votes Player Pos. Ht. Wt. High school Commitment

4 Rick Clausen QB 6-3 180 Woodland Hills Taft LSU 

4 Kaelen Jakes DL 6-4 260 Valencia Texas

2 John Sciarra Jr. QB 6-2 190 La Canada St. Francis UCLA

2 D'Andre Scott RB 5-10 205 Santa Fe Springs St. Paul N/A

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo: (1) MATT WARE

John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News

(2) (Kyle) MATTER

Box: (1) 2001 B.I.W. FIRST TEAM (see text)

(2) BEST OF THE REST (see text)