Cunningham is All-American; 3 others make All-State

SBCC's Elijah Cunningham has been named first-team All-American by the JC Athletic Bureau and the California Community College Football Coaches Association.

Cunningham, a 6-2 freshman from Woodlake High in Woodlake, Calif., was the No. 1 kick returner in the state with a hefty 40.8-yard average. He returned two kicks for touchdowns, including a school-record 100-yarder in the season opener at San Bernardino Valley.

     2015 All-America and All-State teams

He also played wide receiver, catching 13 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown.

"Elijah had an outstanding year as a kick returner and played very well at wide receiver," said coach Craig Moropoulos. "He has an extremely encouraging future. Elijah is an outstanding student and a fine person."  

Three Vaqueros were named to the All-State Region IV team – offensive lineman Isaac McClain, tight end Jacob Ortale and punter Joel Whitford.

McClain, a 6-2, 290-pound freshman left tackle from Manteca, Calif., was one of five unanimous selections on the first-team All-American Pacific League offense.

"Issac is very deserving player of this award," Moropoulos noted. "He is quick and has great feet. He is an outstanding athlete and outstanding person. A very hard worker and a quiet leader."

Ortale, a 6-3, 245-pounder from Palo Verde High in Las Vegas, caught 11 passes for 139 yards and was a solid blocker.

"Jacob had an outstanding season as an all-purpose tight end," said Moropoulos. "He's very athletic and has a great work ethic. He caught the ball very well and became an outstanding blocker in the run game. His future is extremely bright."

Whitford is a 6-2 punter from Australia. He was third among APL punters at 37.6 yards and led the state with 23 punts that stayed inside the 20.

"Joel had an outstanding year, especially when you consider this was his first season as a college punter," Moropoulos stated. "He had a 37-yard average, but more importantly for us, he had 23 punts inside the 20-yard line which is very instrumental in field position for the defense."

The Vaqueros went 5-5 this year, finishing with a thrilling 40-39 win at Glendale after trailing 20-0 in the second quarter.