Marin Catholic quarterback Morgan Mahalak played football in junior high but gave it up for a while. He returned to the game because of a person familiar to Bay Area prep fans.

"I had a good coach my freshman year and he made me like the game again," Mahalak said of former Marin Catholic freshman coach Ken Peralta, who is now the varsity coach at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco.

Said Mahalak: "He taught me about the bond and brotherhood of the game and that was big for us. He built up my love for football and what it meant to be a team player and a teammate."

Mahalak excelled, throwing for 2,494 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior, with just four interceptions. On Feb. 5 he will sign with Oregon.

He has also been picked to play in the prestigious Under-Armor All-America Game on Jan. 2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The game will be televised at 1 pm on ESPN.

Mahalak is an old hand at high-profile events, having made the finals of the Elite 11 quarterback camp over the summer.

While many kids follow in the footsteps of their relatives when it comes to sports, Mahalak wound up throwing spirals instead of playing that other style of football.

His father Geoffrey Mahalak had played soccer and he had a grandfather who played in the Olympics for Germany.

As for his ability to throw spirals, Mahalak said: "I'm not sure where I got that. I think it might just be from the man upstairs. I was just born with it."

Celis, who was voted the MCAL Back of the Year, helped Marin Catholic to a 12-1 overall record and perfect 7-0 mark in league play.

Also considered: Reid Miles, RB/TE, Drake.

Cassee completed 74-of-118 passes for 1,145 yards and 12 touchdowns, with four interceptions.

Miles completed 63-of-159 passes for 1,022 yards and 10 touchdowns.