Sport: Basketball Position: Guard Height: 5’10″ Class: 2011 School: Rancho Buena Vista High School San Diego, CA
Rancho Buena Vista guard Johnny Dee scored a game high 45 points in his team’s win over Bonita Vista in the Grossmont Tournament. Dee scored 45 of his team’s 88 points with 22 of those points coming in the third quarter and 18 coming in the form of three pointers. The Longhorns easily beat Bonita Vista 88-67. To view Johnny’s complete SportsForce profile click here – http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/johnny-dee-basketball-2011
Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com
Winter break is coming up fast, and many of us need the break from school, work, and even sports. But, breaks and school vacations are also a great time to check in with yourself and your college sports journey and evaluate where you are and where you need to be. Follow our tips below for some guidance during your time off.
Make Decisions
Juniors, winter break is a great chance to take time to make decisions regarding what colleges you are seriously interested. For juniors, this may be the beginning of the process, making a complete list of the colleges and athletic programs you’re interested in, and the likelihood that you will be able to play your sport there. Now is the time to reach out to the coaches of the programs you are interested in to learn more and set up some unofficial visits.
Seniors, your list should be much more refined. You should have a top 3 or top 5 colleges and know where you stand with recruiting with each college program. You can narrow down your search or add new options based out what you liked about each school and how interested/ how active they are in recruiting you. Now is a great time to take an official visit or set one up if you have not already.
For more information on recruiting time lines download our free recruiting guide HERE
Make a Game Plan for the Rest of the Year
Juniors, be sure you have an online resume and highlight video (like those at SportsForce) that it is up to date. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to register with the NCAA. Something else important to register for is the SAT or ACT. You want to take these tests early to give you ample time to take them again to improve your scores if needed.
Seniors, your SAT/ACTs should be behind you, but now is the time to follow up. Be sure all the colleges you have applied to have your scores and everything they need to evaluate your application. For the future, mark down the date after you graduation as a reminder to submit your final transcript to the NCAA.
Maintain Performance
It’s pretty easy to let your performance and training regimen go over winter break. If you’re on a team that breaks over winter just like school does, it’s time to become your own training coach. Many athletes need a bit of a break from training between seasons, and that is definitely a good idea. However, don’t break for too long. A week or two should be a good break to let yourself recharge but not let all of your previous training get erased. If you don’t have a gym membership, running and calisthenics are always a great way to maintain your performance level. Breaks are also an excellent time to work on weaknesses you may have noticed during the season. Check out our partner SKLZ for some great training work outs that require minimal equipment.
Have Fun
Lastly, have fun over break! Like we said, a break can definitely be good for you and give you some time to recharge. Rest up, enjoy those cookies, but maybe go for a run or do some pushups before lounging in your pajamas eating Christmas left cookie all day so all your hard work doesn’t go to waste!
Maya Hood worked double duty this past week as in integral member of both the LJCD volleyball and basketball teams. Hood helped her volleyball team to a State Title as the Torreys swept Atherton Sacred Heart in the finals in San Jose. Hood then returned to La Jolla and was a major player for the Torrey basketball team in their own Sweet 16 Conference, taking out Los Angeles Winward for the Sweet 16 Title. Hood had a double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds in the title game.
To view Maya’s complete SportsForce profile click here – http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/maya-hood-basketball-2012
Video and Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com
La Costa Canyon’s Mike Riis recently committed to the University of Denver to play for their Men’s Lacrosse Program. We caught up with Mike to do a little Q&A to see how he got where he is today and the advice he has for others on the same journey. See what he had to say below.
What factors made you decide on the University of Denver?First of all the academics, I plan on majoring in business and the program they have there is great. I also liked the location of it being close to home yet I am still playing big time Division I lacrosse. I was very impressed with Coach Tierney and his entire staff and I look forward to being coached by them over the next four years.
Were there any other schools you were seriously considering? The other schools that I was seriously considering were Drexel in Philadelphia as well as Air Force and Chapman University in California.
What are you most looking forward to most about playing for the University of Denver?The biggest thing that I am looking forward to about playing at Denver is the lacrosse games versus big time schools such as Syracuse and Duke. Those games will be huge for me because I have watched those teams play on TV all of my life.
What advice would you give to other student athletes looking to play in college?The main advice I would give is just to work hard. The main reason I am going to play lacrosse in college is from countless hours playing wall ball and shooting at the school nearby.
Congratulations again to Mike and his family! Check out Mike’s SportsForce highlight video below to see him in action.
Sport: Football Position: Runningback/ Linebacker Height: 5’9″ Class: 2011 School: Oceanside High School Oceanside, CA
Oceanside senior, Noah Tarrant scored six touchdowns in the Pirates win over Mission Hills helping them to their seventh straight San Diego CIF Division II Title. Noah scored on a 19 yard pass from quarterback Tofi Paopao and on runs of 2, 12, 1, 18 and 2. Noah rushed for 134 yards overall on 24 carries. To view Noah’s complete SportsForce profile click here –http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/noah-tarrant-football-2011
Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com
SportsForce athlete, Dylan Trent recently signed with the University of Richmond. We were able to catch up with his dad, Mike Trent to get the ins and outs of his recruiting journey as well as some advice for others just beginning. Below is Mike Trent’s take on the recruiting process for Dylan. Also be sure to see Dylan’s highlight video and visit his SportsForce profile here.
The recruiting process for Dylan was a two year work experience for all of us. As a nationally ranked tennis player Dylan has been traveling the national junior tennis circuit for the past five years. Primarily on the west coast. He began researching colleges (and teams) about two years ago. Sending his resume and inquiries to a list of potential colleges. He was actively recruited by Gonzaga, Fresno State, Marquette, Denver, Duquesne, East Carolina State and The University of Richmond this past year.
Dylan selected Richmond based on their academic program (business) and he loved the campus, coach and team, which we found out is very important. Dylan loved playing high school tennis because of the team atmosphere in an individual sport and is looking forward to play at a higher level of tennis for the University of Richmond and competing against players he’s never played before.
My advice to any high school athlete looking to play college sports is to start the process early (sophomore year) and let as many college coached as possible of your interest. Never stop working harder than the last guy a college coach just heard from. Remember that for every available spot on a college team there are at least 50 people trying to secure that spot.
The most beneficial thing we did was the recruiting video with SportsForce. Not every coach has the resources to see all the recruits play in person. By developing the video for Dylan it open a world of opportunity for him.
As part of the SportsForce recruiting education, we often mention the difference between being actively recruited and receiving a blanket mailing from a coach or program. Below we have included an email from a coach to a potential college athlete, so you can see a great example of an athlete, in this case women’s soccer player, being actively recruited. We edited the email down a bit, and changed the athlete, coach and college name to protect those still involved in the recruiting process who shared this with us. Enjoy and feel free to leave any questions in the comment section for us to answer!
I hope this email finds you well. My name is Coach, and I have been the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at State College for the last three and a half years. I saw you play at the Texas Shootout, and you can be a goalkeeper for a lot of teams in this country. Selfishly speaking, I hope potentially for State:-) You are one of the few goalkeepers who plays functional defense, meaning you play high when your team is defending in the middle third. You have great instincts when to come out, you have a quick feet and smooth hands. In short, you would be an impact goalkeeper for us starting your freshman year.
In my first three recruiting classes and for the incoming class this fall, we were able to recruit the first NSCAA High School All-American, the first Regional Team player and numerous players from the Top 20 club programs in the nation, including the # 1 club program at that time. For this 2011 class we already have three verbal commitments. One player is from the Dallas Texans 93G Red team (she picked us over Penn State), the second player is from the D’Feeters 93 team (we were the only DIII team she looked at) and the third player is from the U17 Bethesda SC Dragons team (again, we were the only DIII team she looked at). All three players come from Top 10 nationally ranked club programs.
Our ultimate goal is to win a National Championship. We are very close to being a Top 20 program in the nation, and we received votes last year already, despite being a very young team. With 7-8 players starting for the last three years who were only freshmen and sophomores and finally a few strong juniors this past fall, we were able to beat and tie nationally ranked programs. This fall our goal is to be a nationally ranked program and to start competing for National Titles (all players this fall will be my recruits). We would love to have you help us with such a quest.
Having listed a few pros (there are many more), I am asking you to consider State as a college choice and to be part of something new and exciting in the quest of winning Conference Championships and even more exciting, a National Championship!
For all the above reasons I would like to start communicating with you about your possible interest in State and our Soccer Program. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to give you a better picture of State, about the potential of gaining a top education and being part of a successful soccer program. We are a top ranked school academically in the country, and we are very close to matching that rank with soccer! Sincerely,
Coach
Head Women’s Soccer Coach
State College
I hope this email finds you well. My name is Coach, and I have been the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at State College for the last three and a half years. I saw you play at the Texas Shootout, and you can be a goalkeeper for a lot of teams in this country. Selfishly speaking, I hope potentially for State:-) You are one of the few goalkeepers who plays functional defense, meaning you play high when your team is defending in the middle third. You have great instincts when to come out, you have a quick feet and smooth hands. In short, you would be an impact goalkeeper for us starting your freshman year.
In my first three recruiting classes and for the incoming class this fall, we were able to recruit the first NSCAA High School All-American, the first Regional Team player and numerous players from the Top 20 club programs in the nation, including the # 1 club program at that time. For this 2011 class we already have three verbal commitments. One player is from the Dallas Texans 93G Red team (she picked us over Penn State), the second player is from the D’Feeters 93 team (we were the only DIII team she looked at) and the third player is from the U17 Bethesda SC Dragons team (again, we were the only DIII team she looked at). All three players come from Top 10 nationally ranked club programs.
Our ultimate goal is to win a National Championship. We are very close to being a Top 20 program in the nation, and we received votes last year already, despite being a very young team. With 7-8 players starting for the last three years who were only freshmen and sophomores and finally a few strong juniors this past fall, we were able to beat and tie nationally ranked programs. This fall our goal is to be a nationally ranked program and to start competing for National Titles (all players this fall will be my recruits). We would love to have you help us with such a quest.
Having listed a few pros (there are many more), I am asking you to consider State as a college choice and to be part of something new and exciting in the quest of winning Conference Championships and even more exciting, a National Championship!
For all the above reasons I would like to start communicating with you about your possible interest in State and our Soccer Program. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to give you a better picture of State, about the potential of gaining a top education and being part of a successful soccer program. We are a top ranked school academically in the country, and we are very close to matching that rank with soccer!
Have a great week and I look forward to hearing back from you.
A powerhouse battle of two top teams delivered a game worthy of being played at Qualcomm Stadium. But only one could actually earn the prize of a trip to Mission valley, and it was the Vista Panthers (11-1) who will move one step closer to becoming champions.
Brandon Ivy kicked a 23-yard field goal with three minutes left in the fourth quarter to give Vista the victory over Torrey Pines 20-17 in the CIF San Diego Section Division I semifinals at Falcons Stadium.
“The Falcon defense came out and fought every single play. But we wanted it more. We fought hard, we executed and we put 110% in every play,” said Vista’s senior tailback Shakeel Marshall, who had 107 rushing yards on 26 carries in the game.
Postgame video interviews:
Vista went into this game knowing that they were going to get a lot of Wilson and that he would be carrying the load for the Torrey Pines (10-2) team. With the adjustments made at half time, the Panthers defense was able to shut down Wilson’s running game in the second half.
Torrey Pines running back John Wilson had two touchdowns (41 and 12 yards receiving) and carried the ball 16 times for 126 yards (110 first half.)
“John Wilson is a heck of a player and a runner. Our goal was to get Wilson out of the game and we did not do a good job at that in the first half. I thought we made some good adjustments in the second half to shut him down,” said Vista head coach Dan Williams.
Vista scored after Marshall blocked a punt, setting up a 25-yard pass from quarterback Christian Gallardi to Myron Seabrook, giving the Panthers an early lead 7-0 in the first quarter.
Brandon Ivy came in for a 21-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half to tie the game 10-10. Instead, Torrey Pines drew a penalty for roughing the kicker. This penalty put the ball on Torrey Pines 2-yard line allowing for an easy 2-yard touchdown run by Joey McFadden on the following play for a 14-10 halftime lead.
The loss of Torrey Pines’ starting quarterback John Cabot to a shoulder injury at the beginning of the second half was a huge upset for the Falcons.
The Falcons’ backup quarterback Andrew Perkins tied the game in the fourth quarter 17-17 with a well-executed hook and lateral play to Mitchell Yocum who tossed the ball to John Wilson who went 41 yards for the touchdown.
Vista senior Stefan McClure had a huge impact on the Vista game in the fourth quarter. McClure had a 44-yard punt return that set up a 40 yard field goal by Brandon Ivy. His 36-yard reception helped position Vista for their only other score of the second half, the game-winning 23-yard field goal by Ivy.
Coach Williams said about player Stefan McClure, “Stef is the best player in the county in my opinion. He can play on both sides of the ball. He is explosive. He is our go to guy. I am happy he is on our team.”
“It was a tough game out there tonight. We had some ups and downs, some three and outs, but our defense really stood up tonight. It was a huge game and a huge win,” said Stefan McClure in regards to Vista’s victory.
Vista will meet fourth-seeded Mira Mesa in the Division Championship game Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium.
Champions find a way to win. For the seventh straight year, the Oceanside Pirates will have a chance to become the champions of the CIF-San Diego Section Division II.
With a defensive effort for the ages, the 4th seeded Oceanside Pirates (9-3) performed their annual role as the foil for the Helix football program, ending the Highlanders’ season for the third straight season with a 24-17 victory at Jim Arnaiz Field on the Helix campus in La Mesa.
“That was a championship football game right there,” said Oceanside head coach John Carroll, who will seek his seventh consecutive Division II section championship on Monday night against Mission Hills, “Lesser young men would have found a way to fail. These are warriors with the hearts of champions.”
T.J. Sunia (#43, pictured) returned a fourth quarter fumble 39 yards for the game-winning score, and Adam Francis had a first half 49 yard interception return for another touchdown. The fourteen defensive points were decisive, but Oceanside’s defense didn’t stop there, making three red zone stops to turn back Helix (11-1), including a pair inside the Oceanside 15 in the final 4:22 of the fourth quarter.
Postgame video interviews: T.J. Sunia/head coach John Carroll
A matchup which annually decides the Division II champion turned to heartbreak for Helix once again. This time, the Highlanders were favored to beat their nemeses from Oceanside, with the top seed in the bracket and home field advantage. Instead, the Scotties saw their season end at the Pirates’ hands for the sixth time in seven playoff meetings and the third year in a row.
“We just wanted it more,” said senior safety Adam Francis.
Despite two first half interceptions and the crucial fourth quarter fumble, Helix still had a first-and-goal opportunity to tie the game with 1:10 to play in the game, as a pass interference penalty set up the Scotties at the five yard line.
On first and second down, Helix tailback Darien Hancock (34 carries, 142 yards, TD) tried the middle of the field and was stopped cold. With time ticking down to twenty seconds and Helix out of timeouts, the Highlanders were forced to burn their third down play on a spike. On fourth and goal from the five, Helix was called for delay of game.
Pushed back to the ten yard line, quarterback Brandon Lewis’ pass for Sam Meredith went over his hands and out of bounds, sending the Pirates back to the “Q”.
The defensive scramble was an appropriate end to a ragged game which saw both teams make big mistakes on offense. First, Helix was turned back empty handed after taking their opening drive to the Oceanside three yard line. Sophomore linebacker William Gulley sacked Lewis for a ten yard loss on third and goal, and Vann Sabin’s 29 yard field goal attempt missed wide right.
After both teams exchanged punts, Lewis took a first down snap from the Helix ten yard line and heaved a bomb downfield for wide receiver Cameron Lee. With the ball well over his head, Lee gave up on the pass attempt, but Oceanside senior defensive back Matthew Rojas did not. Running down the Lewis arc for an interception, Rojas returned the pass 45 yards to the Helix 20 yard line.
While Oceanside’s ensuing drive was stopped cold by the Helix defense, Jose Basurto booted a 36 yard field goal to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead at the :39 mark of the first quarter.
The Scotties were again generous hosts on their next possession, taking a false start penalty on third-and-15 from their own 26 yard line. Instead of running a conservative draw play or underneath pass on third-and-20, Lewis went for the downs, and his deep pass intended for Austin Gonzalez was intercepted by senior safety Adam Francis. Weaving his way back through the Helix offense, Francis returned the interception 49 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 Oceanside lead with 9:58 to play before halftime.
“It was the greatest feeling, I can’t believe it,” said Francis of his big play.
It took a defensive play to get Helix back into the football game. Tofi Pao Pao (9-18, 100 yards, 2 INT) was picked off by junior linebacker K.C. Smith with 2:12 to play in the second quarter, setting up Lewis’ 35 yard touchdown target to Gonzalez. Senior defensive back Kenny Keys also intercepted Pao Pao on the final play of the first half, but his interception return was stopped at the Oceanside 18 yard line as time expired.
Trailing 10-7 to start the third quarter, Helix took the second half kickoff and marched 80 yards on 11 plays, all handoffs to Darien Hancock. Gaining 75 of the 80 yards on the drive (the other five came on an offsides penalty), Hancock plunged into the Oceanside end zone from a yard out to give the Highlanders their first (and only) lead of the game with 6:04 to go in the third quarter.
After going three-and-out on their next possession, the Pirates turned to what else but defense to regain control of the football game. Oceanside forced a quick three-and-out from Helix, then took advantage of a shanked punt by Jake Reed to take over at the Helix 48 yard line. Three plays later, senior tailback Noah Tarrant stepped out of a tackle and raced 39 yards up the middle of the field for a 17-14 Pirates’ lead.
While Hancock was a horse for Helix, he wore down late in the third quarter. Darien’s sixteenth carry of the quarter was a five-yard loss, with Gulley stripping the football loose. Sunia scooped up the loose ball and took it 29 yards for a touchdown and a 24-14 lead.
“I blitzed and just saw the football lying there,” said Sunia, “I was unsure at first but just scooped it up, and I think the quarterback was behind me. My instincts said ‘take it’ so I just took it and…I was blessed today.”
Still, the undefeated Highlanders were not done. Sabin’s 46 yard field goal with 5:50 remaining made it a 24-17 game. When Tarrant fumbled on Oceanside’s next possession, Raymont Nailon recovered for the Highlanders deep in Oceanside territory at the 20 yard line.
After gaining five yards on their first two plays, Helix took to the air, with Lewis throwing incompletions on third and fourth down in the end zone. The Pirates then had an opportunity to run out the clock but failed to do so, punting the ball back to Helix with 2:20 to play.
Postgame audio interview: Oceanside senior Anthony Mount
A pass to Gonzalez of 30 yards set up Helix at the Oceanside 22 yard line. On second and 10 from the 11 yard line, Lewis’ pass to Sam Meredith drew pass interference from the side judge, giving Helix a first-and-goal at the five. But two ill-advised runs forced a spike and then a delay of game penalty set up the final, fateful incompletion.
The Pirates will now face Mission Hills in the Division II finals on Monday, December 6th at 4:30pm. It will be a rematch of Oceanside’s 48-28 win over the Grizzlies on October 8th.
Sport: Football Position: Quarterback Height: 6’1″ Class: 2012 School: Madison High School San Diego, CA
Madison quarterback, Chase Knox threw for three touch downs and rushed for one in the playoff quarterfinal game against Imperial. Chase threw touchdowns for 8, 65 and 9 yards and also scored on a 13-yard rush to give Madison the 52-14 and roll to their seventh win in a row.
To view Chase’s complete SportsForce profile click here –http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/chase-knox-football-2012
Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com
Sport: Football Position: Runningback/ Linebacker Height: 5’9″ Class: 2011 School: Oceanside High School Oceanside, CA
