Tra Sumler is number one on Matt Koffler’s list.
1. Tra Sumler (RB/DB, Rosemead): Tra is/was so good, one of the best I’ve ever seen. Period!
2. Deon Sumler (RB/DB, Rosemead): Deon Sumler actually played his junior year with a torn ACL!! Yup! I didn’t practice him much during the week to not make his knee swollen. So good on Offense/Defense and in the kick return game as well, he was super quiet and super super smart on the field, was like a coach out there.
3. Josh Casey (OL/DL, Rosemead): Josh was as good as they come on the Oline/Dline. He was so agile and so tough. Used his hands extremely well. First step was explosive. Reason why we ran the ball so well.
4. Matt Fregoso (RB/DB, Rosemead): Matt never left the field. Was in all special teams and played both ways. He was so smart and fluid. Knew exactly all the blocking schemes so he knew about all the defenses and their weaknesses. Had back to back over 300 yard rushing games and 13 TDS in a two game span. One was in the playoffs.
5. Joey Ray (WR/ATH, Rosemead): Joey is from the 1999-2001 team. Shut down corner and a big slot WR who caught deep balls and screens. Huge in the Kicking game as a kick returner as well. Explosive. Reminded me of Deion Sanders.
Note: All five of my best players were multiple sport athletes as well.
Five Players I coached against:
1. Rishard Matthews (WR/DB, Saddleback): I believe he was in the NFL for more then 6/7 years.
2. Ronnie Williams (Arroyo)
3. Tommy Cogburn (South El Monte)
4. Bobby Andrade RB (Bell Gardens early 2000s)
5. Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oaks Christian)
Vince Lopez or Steve Swanson at Back in the day Gabrielino.
How about Keith Jones at SGHS next?
Both Sumlers, Fregoso, and Koffler himself were proud Rebel kids.
That was the year! I think we won 21-6 or something like that, that was a man playing amongst boys!
I know it’s been a few years but I would like to see Podley, Zernicow and Maggiore’s favorites and the best they played against.
@Patrick
I believe you are talking about Deon Sumler, not Tra. Tra’s senior year was the 2008 season, lost in the CIF Finalscs Paraclete. Deon’s senior year was the 2005 season, in which they went 10-0, then lost to La Serna in the first round.
I was an assistant at La Serna in the early to mid 2000s and we played Rosemead in the 1st Round of the playoffs and to this day I don’t know how we beat them! They had I believe Tra Sumler and he was a beast!! Mid 4th quarter we scored and I will never forget Sumler throwing his helmet off, I still don’t think it’s come down.
Sumler was a monster! Well deserved to be a top a great list.
Can we get Coach Sanin and Coach Ambruso on here as well.
Tre Sumler was as good as it gets. Phenomenal Athlete on the field. Btw if anyone on here has the Hit my boy Efrain Oquendo laid on Sumler please upload that on YT. Tre, did it against tough comp and the MVL was much tougher than it has been the last two or three seasons. Sumler was so good Rosemead beat an absolute loaded SEM team for the league title almost by himself.
Bobby Andrade was the 2002 RB for Bell Gardens. He was an absolute load to bring down and would never stop pumping his feet. He killed us not once but twice that year.