Football: Ten named All-Conference; Harris named twice

Bijon Harris (5) was a two-time 1st Team All-Conference selection
Bijon Harris (5) was a two-time 1st Team All-Conference selection

After completing a 6-5 season, which was capped off by a 32-14 win over San Diego Mesa College in the Western State Bowl, 10 members of the Cerritos College football team were named to the All-Northern Central League. Heading that list was sophomore cornerback Bijon Harris (Bellflower HS), who was a 1st Team selection at two positions, including being a unanimous pick as a kick returner. He was also a 1st Team pick at cornerback.

Also named 1st Team were offensive lineman Sydney Solomon (Servite HS), a unanimous selection, wide receiver Bailey Torres (Valley Christian HS), utility selection J'lon Manning (Bellflower HS), defensive tackle Joshua Palu (Lakewood HS/Los Angeles Harbor College) and punter Abraham Delgadillo (Gahr HS). Four were voted on to the 2nd Team and they include tight end Jacob Leija (La Serna HS), defensive end Keith Conley, Jr. (Cathedral HS/El Camino College), cornerback Cody Coleman (Narbonne HS/Northern Arizona University) and safety DeMario King (Los Alamitos HS).

Harris posted 45 tackles (24 solo) on the year, which also included 4 1/2 tackles for loss, a team-high three interceptions, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He recorded a season-high seven stops against both Allan Hancock College and Southwestern College, while he picked off a pair of passes against El Camino College. As a kick returner, he was a able to give the Falcons good field position with his 18 returns for 532 yards (29.6 average) and a long of 70 yards.

Soloman was the anchor of the offensive line and was a solid pulling guard for the Falcons. He helped the team average 27.3 points a game, but more importantly, 34.4 points a game in conference play. His play helped the team win their final three games and average 37 points a game.

A two-time 2nd Team selection as a utility player, Manning finished second on the team with 454 rushing yards and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He also caught 11 passes out of the backfield for 42 yards and also played on special teams. Manning rushed for a season-high 96 yards against Palomar College. A big-play receiver, Torres led all receivers with 46 catches for 747 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch, which included five receptions for over 60 yards on the year. Torres had a career-high seven catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns against Mt. San Antonio College and recorded three 100-yard receiving performances, while he finished with 99 yards in the Western State Bowl game.

Palu was a great addition to the defensive line, as he transferred from Los Angeles Harbor College. A starter in all 11 games, he finished with 43 tackles and was named the Player of the Game at the Western State Bowl. Palu recorded six tackles for loss on the year, picked off a pass against San Diego Mesa and broke up a pass. Delgadillo was the team's starting punter and averaged 39.3 yards over 45 punts. He booted a 72-yard punt against Riverside City and dropped 12 of his punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Delgadillo had four punts over 60 yards on the year and also served as one of the team's placekickers. He converted all 28 of his extra points, made 3-of-5 field goals and handled the kickoff duties.

Leija was a very good blocking tight end for the Falcons, while he also added 22 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown. He had a season-high six catches with a touchdown against Riverside City College, while he also caught a pair of two-point conversions. Conley, Jr., a transfer from El Camino College, had 39 tackles on the year and led the team with nine quarterback sacks and 11 quarterback hurries. He posted at least one sack in seven games, while recording two sacks and 2 1/2 tackles for loss against El Camino.

The team's top two tacklers, Coleman (74 tackles) and King (57 tackles) also combined to break up 13 passes, while Coleman forced a pair of fumbles. On four occasions, Coleman posted 10 tackles in a game and broke up passes in five different games. As for King, he had back-to-back 11-tackle games and had one break-up in eight different games.