Prep football: Top-10 players to watch in San Luis Obispo County

With the 2016 high school football season set to kick off, here’s a look at the top-10 players to watch in San Luis Obispo County:

Pierson Mosichuk, RB, San Luis Obispo

The San Luis Obispo junior tailback tallied 128 carries and 589 yards rushing for the Tigers last season as a sophomore. Mosichuk also finished the season tied for the team lead in touchdowns with four and will likely split carries with senior Javon Montgomery in the backfield.

The Tigers struggled at times moving down the field but consistently ran the ball. With the departure of senior quarterback Omeed Djassemi and senior wideout Delvon Jack, look for the focus on the running game to increase.

Sam Ness, LB, Arroyo Grande

Arroyo Grande lost three of its best players on defense to graduation in defensive backs Alex Cecchi, Bradley Mickey and Benny Willkomm. Lucky for the Eagles, their bruising middle linebacker Sam Ness is returning for his senior season. Ness, who has the attention of Division 1 scouts, clogs up running and passing lanes in the middle and will provide some much needed senior leadership for the young defense.

Ness had 139 total tackles on the year, 106 of which were solo, in addition to 3.5 sacks. For reference, the next closest on the team (Kevin Lewis) had 88 total.

Elijah Cooks, TE/QB, Atascadero

One of the best pure athletes on this list, Cooks will line up at tight end — and quarterback during rushing situations — for the Greyhounds. The 6-foot 5, 205-pound senior already has offers from Division I schools. Atascadero isn’t a pass-first offense, and that won’t change this year. But when they do throw, Cooks is often the target. The senior hauled in 13 catches for a team-leading 223 yards and two touchdowns and also had two rushing scores last season.

The question remains, can the Greyhounds find a way to harness his athletic gifts to propel them to the playoffs?

Brayden Corona, RB, Mission Prep

Every good passing attack needs a compliment in the running game. Corona was a work horse for the Royals last season, amassing 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns on 191 carries in 11 games and will be featured for success in the passing game this season. The senior also caught two touchdowns. If senior quarterback Bryce Fledderman wants to find success through the air, Corona will have to repeat last year’s performance.

Nate Avery, RB/LB, Templeton

Despite battling injuries last season, Avery scored 10 touchdowns as a junior. This season, Avery will likely be the primary option out of the backfield and will take on a new role at linebacker. Avery had 77 carries for 456 yards and caught 21 passes for 289 yards.

Templeton will have a new quarterback this year, but Avery should help alleviate some of the pressure of the transition.

J.J. Ramirez, RB/DB, Nipomo

The senior running back rushed for 750 yards last season behind departed tailback Antonio Navarro. Ramirez will see an increase in carries in an offense with a lot of question marks. Ramirez will also line up as a wideout, as Nipomo will work to get him the ball whenever possible. He proved last year that he is a playmaker, handling punt and kick returns for the Titans.

Look for Ramirez on the other side of the ball, where he also plays defensive back.

Tysen Delkener, RB, Atascadero

Delkener has some big shoes to fill after the Greyhounds lost two of the best running backs in the county in seniors RJ Reusche and Marc Martin. Delkener was a wide receiver and a kick returner last year and proved to be a big-play threat whenever he touched the ball. Martin led the team in receptions last year, and Delkener could be dangerous in this role off bubble screens or swing passes out of the backfield.

Delkener also had a pair of touchdowns on punt returns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown last season. Atascadero will try to get him the ball and let him make things happen.

Bryce Fledderman, QB, Mission Prep

Fledderman led the Royals to their first ever Northern-League title and the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division playoffs as a junior. He will look to improve upon that, despite losing his favorite target in tight end Patrick Miller. Fledderman has improved every year as starter, and every year has had a bigger role in the offense. He threw for 2,142 yards and 24 touchdowns on 142 completions and averaged just less than 200 yards a game for the Royals. The senior will look for speedy wide receivers Timmy Miller, Joseph Miller and Angel Sanchez to repeat Mission Prep’s success.

In the Mission Prep preview, head coach Chad Henry said that the Royals will be even more pass heavy this year and are looking to spread teams out to use their speed. It should be fun to watch.

Sawyer May, QB, Arroyo Grande

The best quarterback in the county returns for his senior season coming off a PAC 5 championship and a semifinal appearance in the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division playoffs. May threw for 2,125 yards and 20 touchdowns and completed 62 percent of his passes in a stellar junior campaign. The Eagles’ dominant defense of last year may not be quite as strong this season, and they will have to put more points on the board. They should be confident in May’s ability to do so, sans his two of his favorite targets in the graduated Cecchi and Mickey. May will look to link up with wideouts Matt Sill and Noah Thinger to make it happen.

Christian Erickson, RB/LB, Paso Robles

Last season left a lot to be desired for the Bearcats, but there was one constant: Erickson. The senior running back wasn’t entirely healthy but missed only one game last season and finished with 228 carries for 1,757 yards and 13 touchdowns. Erickson was a threat to score every time he touched the ball, and this year should be no different.

What will be different is where he will be playing. Erickson will also take on outside linebacker duties this year, which should worry county quarterbacks given his size and speed.

Paso Robles will be starting an unproven quarterback, but the Bearcats know they can lean on Erickson if the going gets rough.

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Prep football: Top-10 players to watch in San Luis Obispo County."