I’ve had a few emails praising area coaches in what certainly has been the year of the coach in high school football. We’ll crown a coach of the year in a few weeks, but has there been a year like this with so many that are deserving. Duarte’s Tip Sanders led the Falcons back after back-to-back 0-10 seasons, leading them to 6-3 and on the brink of a playoff berth. La Puente’s Brandon Rohrer led the Warriors to their best start in school history before finishing 9-2. And look at Azusa’s Joe Scherf, going undefeated his fourth straight year in the Montview, and still alive in the quarterfinals. There is probably no better feel good story than what’s happening at Los Altos, where coach Dale Ziola is 8-3 and in the quarterfinals after the Conqs’ program was left for dead, 0-10 last year with virtually nobody wanting a piece of that job. West Covina’s Mike Maggiore continues to establish himself as one of the Valley greats, gunning for his second straight and third CIF title. And how about Roddy “playoff” Layton. That’s all he does is advance in the postseason. What if this is the year he finally gets the prize. The Valle Vista League is full of contenders. Covina coach Darryl Thomas may finally gets his CIF title in a few weeks, Bill Zernickow is on course to take San Dimas back to the title game and what about Pomona’s Anthony Rice, whose team is now part of the SGV conversation. The Mission Valley league is full of feel good stories too. El Monte and coach Joel Sanchez chased their first league title since 1979, South El Monte’s Ibis Aguilar got the Eagles in the postseason after a miserable 2010, and Arroyo coach Jim Singiser has his first real shot at a title with one of the Valley’s all-time greats at QB. Damien coach Greg Gano’s team finally turned the page in the Sierra when few thought they could and Sweet Lou Pa Farrar is back at it again, winning a Sierra League title and chasing a title in a division that you thought was unthinkable last year. It’s not right we have to pick just one in a few weeks, but no matter who gets it, there are so many others that are just as deserving.