LOCAL NOTES

Rod Perry of Mater Dei was named the football player of the year by the Orange County Sportswriters Assn. He was honored at the recent Orange County All-Star Football Game dinner. Perry, a wide receiver and defensive back, will attend USC on a football/baseball scholarship.

Perry, a Times Orange County first-team receiver, helped Mater Dei win the Southern Section Division I football title. The Monarchs were named by USA Today as the No. 1 high school team in the country.

Perry will participate in the California-Texas Shrine Game, July 19 at Cal State Fullerton, but he will not play in the county’s North-South All-Star game July 11 at Orange Coast College.

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Gary Russell has been hired as girls’ tennis coach at Irvine High, Athletic Director Rick Curtis announced.

Russell has been girls’ varsity tennis coach at Westminster High the last five years and is manager at the Fountain Valley Tennis Center. He is a graduate of Long Beach State.