Four Vaqueros receive All-State honors

SBCC's Jacob Ortale and Isaac McClain pulled off a rare feat when they were named to the CCCAA All-State football team for the second straight year.

"I don't think I've ever had a two-time All-State player before," said 10th-year Vaquero head coach Craig Moropoulos. "And now we have two in one year."

     2016 All-America & All-State Teams

The Vaqueros had four players make the All-State Region 4 team off their 7-4 squad that finished second in the American Pacific League and hosted a bowl game (the Beach Bowl) for the first time in 33 years.

Running back Cedric Cooper, the Vaqueros' offensive MVP in 2014 and 2016, was selected to the All-State squad along with punter Trent Schneider.

Ortale is a 6-4, 245-pound tight end from Las Vegas. He caught 18 passes for 184 yards and five touchdowns. He's also a superior blocker who was SBCC's male Athlete of the Year in for all sports in 2015-16.

"Jake is an outstanding athlete who differs from many tight ends in his excellence in blocking and receiving," stated Moropoulos. "He's a great athlete and a fine student."

McClain is a 6-2, 295-pound sophomore offensive tackle from Manteca, Calif. "He's the most athletic offensive lineman we've had here at SBCC in my tenure," said Moropoulos. "He really capitalized on the opportunity to better himself as an overall student-athlete. He's ready to excel at the next level."

Cooper, a 5-11 sophomore from Seattle, Wash., led the Vaqueros' talented running corps with 795 yards and 11 TDs. He averaged 6.2 yards a carry and his best game was a 30-carry,168-yard, 1-touchdown effort in a wild 46-44 double-overtime comeback win vs. Citrus on Oct. 29. He was named State Player of the Week.

The Vaqueros broke a 46-year-old school record with 2,307 rushing yards and 33 rushing TDs.

"Cedric is the most electric athlete we've had here in a long time," Moropoulos declared. "He's an outstanding young man who will be successful at the next level."

Schneider, a 6-foot freshman from Sydney, Australia, is the fourth straight Australian punter to play for the Vaqueros and earn All-State honors. He averaged 38.6 yards per punt and was No. 11 in the State with 14 punts inside the 20-yard line.

The previous three punters all received NCAA FBS scholarships – Tim Gleeson (Rutgers), Mitch Wishnowsky (Utah) and Joel Whitford (Washington). Wishnowsky won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter in 2016.

"Trent continues our fortunate run of mature, athletic punters," noted Moropoulos. "He is an outstanding combination of academics and athletics."

Moropoulos added that three of the four All-State picks played two years for the Vaqueros.

"They became leaders by how they act, not what they say," he stated. "I am very proud of that."