Metro Area regional football players of the year

A pair of hard-to-tackle running backs, a polished state champion quarterback and one of the Metro Area's top two-way stars in recent history are the regional players of the year.

San Francisco: Quincy Nelson (Galileo) - The 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior tailback's value was measured when he was lost for the season with a knee injury in Week 8. The defending San Francisco Section champ (6-6) lost three of four and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In eight games, Nelson finished sixth in the Metro Area with 1,602 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns. That total included a 349-yard, five-touchdown explosion in a 56-33 win over Balboa. Nelson, also a hard-hitting safety and linebacker, is getting some Division I interest.

"There's so much I'm going to miss about him," Galileo coach Mark Huynh said. "Mostly, I'm going to just miss watching him run. He was amazing to watch."

Peninsula: Christoph Bono (Palo Alto) - The poised 6-2, 175-pound senior quarterback led the Vikings through a remarkable 15-0 season, including a CIF State Division I bowl championship, by completing 165 of 251 passes for 2,690 yards and 30 touchdowns. The son of former NFL quarterback Steve Bono, the uncommitted standout showed all his skills in a 15-13 upset of Centennial-Corona (Riverside County), then-ranked fifth in the nation. He escaped a heavy rush to throw TD passes of 15 yards to Davante Adams and 80 yards to Maurice Williams. He also had four rushing TDs during Palo Alto's Central Coast Section playoff drive.

"He's everything you want in a leader and a quarterback," Palo Alto coach Earl Hansen said.

North Bay: Brian Dworkin (Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park) - Not blessed with great size, the 5-8, 175-pound senior back is gifted with superb feet. He slipped through and around defenders for more than 1,500 yards rushing and 20 TDs. The Cougars (12-2) won the North Bay League but lost the North Coast Section Division II title game to Concord 40-37. Dworkin was the most electrifying player on the field, rushing 11 times for 133 yards and scoring three touchdowns, including a 77-yard run and 78-yard kickoff return.

"We have some sure tacklers and good athletes, but (Dworkin) just has another gear and is at another level," Concord coach Brian Hamilton said.

East Bay: Marcus Peters (McClymonds-Oakland) - There is no more college-ready player in the Metro Area than the 6-1, 185-pound receiver and defensive back, who led McClymonds to a 12-0 season and Oakland's Silver Bowl championship. Peters averaged more than 25 yards per catch and scored 15 touchdowns via reception, return or run. His 51-yard reverse for a score clinched a 46-26 Silver Bowl win over Fremont. He swan dived into the end zone, drawing a penalty: "I couldn't resist," Peters said. "I was just so happy." Any of the five Pac-10 schools he has narrowed his choice to will be thrilled to get Peters, who will probably play defense in college. Neither Cal or Stanford is among his finalists.

"He did it all for us," McClymonds coach Curtis McCauley said. "He was our leader and heartbeat."