The 8th Annual America’s Finest City Showcase took place last month and was an all around success. This years tounament featured top softball talent from from California and beyond including Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, New Jersey Virgina as well as every western state. The Showcase is now a musst attend for college recruiters. SportsForce was at all of the games for the AFC and got to witness some great games.
Pumas, Ventura, CA vs Case Batbusters, San Clemente, CA
Fire Crackers, Huntington Beach, CA vs. Victory Gold USA, Newbury Park, CA
Minor’s Gold, San Jacinto, CA vs. OC Elite Gold, Santa Magarita, CA
Corona Angels, Corona, CAvs. So Cal Athletics , Upland, CA
Positions: RB Height: 5′ 8″ Weight: 165 Class: 2010 School: Mt. Carmel High School San Diego, CA
Kenneth James Jr. ran, and ran, then ran some more, and didn’t stop running until he had rewritten the record books. The 5’8” 165 lb running back out of Mt. Carmel High School set the CIF San Diego Section single-game rushing record by torching the defense for 424 yards and 4 touchdowns last Friday, while beating the Westview Wolverines 49-32. James edged the previous rushing mark set back in 2003 by 14 yards. Mt. Carmel football coach Sanford Carvajal told the North County Times, “If the opportunity presented itself, we were going to ride that horse until he fell over dead.” As it turned out it was the defense that looked 6 feet under, allowing rushes of 84, 70, 63, 39, 34, and 21 yards by James. James, however, was quick to share the glory with his teammates telling the North County Times, “I just hit the holes, and everyone made their blocks. Everyone played a part in it.” Now, James and his Sundevils can only wait and hope their impressive victory will be enough to vault them into the playoffs. After witnessing James’s spectacular performance, Coach Carvajal is positive his team will receive a playoff bid saying, “I can’t see us not getting in now.” Very few would be inclined to disagree.
No. 3 Poway and No. 2 La Costa Canyon faced off this week in the finals, both aiming for a chance at the CIF San Diego Section Championships. Poway was eventually outplayed by the dominating LCC, 3-1. With matches at 25-11, 25-21, 19-25, 25-17, Poway did not give up, but LCC just had more steam. Poway was not without some great performances with junior setter Bridget Hill stepping up and leading the team with 12 assists, while Mariah Counts contributed 6 kills. Check out the highlight video below and be sure to visit the SportsForce Girls Volleyball section for more video, resources and events.
Postion: Outside Hitter Height: 6’1” Class: 2010 School: Cathedral Catholic High School San Diego, CA
Kelly Reeves signed her National Letter of Intent with UCLA to play volleyball for them this past Wednesday. Kelly is captain of the Cathedral Catholic team which won last years Division III Championship as well as the Western League title. A dominant outside hitter, Kelly’s coach, Kelly Drobeck told The San Diego Union-Tribune, “Kelly is always the one we know will never run out of energy. She definitely hasn’t changed at all in that aspect. She has gotten a lot stronger and smarter. I’ve definitely seen her mature, too. Now she’s developed into our team leader.” Reeves has racked up 294 kills this season alone while leading Cathedral Catholic to another impressive season with playoffs starting this week, which the Dons are sure to go far in. Reeve’s is also looking for big things with her club team, The Encinitas Wave, telling ESPN Rise she hopes her team wins the Junior Olympics.
Positions: QB Height: 6’5″ Weight: 215 Class: 2010 School: Valhalla High School, El Cajon, CA
Quarterback Peter Thomas has etched his name into San Diego high school football history. With a 14-7 win last Friday, Thomas led his Valhalla Norsemen to their first league football championship in the school’s 35-year history. Thomas threw the game winning 65-yard touchdown pass late in the 3rd quarter to secure the win. He was elated after the game telling The San Diego Union-Tribune, “This is absolutely awesome, no one in the 35 years of our school has ever experienced this moment before.” Thomas, who is ranked by MaxPreps.com as a top 100 player and the 6th best pro-style quarterback in the country has committed to playing football at Arizona State University next fall.
This past weekend, Ricky Seale broke the San Diego CIF rushing record that has been standing since Demetrius Sumler (2002-05) set it. Seale surpassed the 5,650 yard record by 161 yards. 619Sports.net writes:
“Seale electrified the boisterous home crowd in Escondido by eclipsing the section rushing record on the game’s first series, scampering 28 yards for a touchdown. That gave him 50 yards for the game and 5,651 yards for his career, one more than Demetrius Sumler of Cathedral Catholic. But while Seale kept the 5th ranked Cougars (6-1-1, 1-1-1 Avocado) close, once running 10 straight times on a drive out of the wildcat formation, eventually he wore down. After carrying 26 times for 178 yards in the first half, Seale was held to just 34 yards in the second half by the athletic “Gang Green” defense of LCC.”
Another San Diego football star who has been garnering lots of attention is La Costa Canyon wide reciver, Kenny Stills.The question now stands where Kenny will play after high school. 619Sports.net caught up with Kenny to see what schools top the list:
“I’m looking at Florida and Oklahoma, and if I can stand the cold weather, I could go to Michigan,” said Stills, who plans on making his official announcement on December 1st.
However things could change:
“If Stills delays his decision, that would be good news for two more schools who have popped up on his radar screen. Stills told 619 Sports he’s been offered a scholarship by the University of Miami, a school that has a tradition of developing NFL wide receivers.”
Stills’ Miami trip isn’t scheduled until December 11th-13th, so the Hurricanes have to hope Kenny is still undecided by that point. Stills also said the only way he will be at school for the spring semester (he’s on target to graduate in December) would be if he is trying to qualify academically for Stanford.”
Kenny is also very grounded when it comes to his recruiting decision
“’I know this body still needs to fill out, and my education is really important to me. You need something to fall back on after football is over.’”
SportsForce athlete and Christian High School place-kicker, Michael Gruber was recently featured by the San Diego Union-Tribune in an article highlighting the superior abilities of Christian’s special teams. Gruber is a talented athlete all around as the Union-Tribune reports:
“Gruber, a starting catcher for the Christian baseball team, never thought about football until the beginning of his junior year. His place-kicking career began by chance after his father, Curt Gruber, and former football coach and now Christian athletic director David Beezer watched him play goalkeeper for the Patriots soccer team.”
“I knew he was raw, but I got a bag of balls just to see what he could do as a possible kicker,” Beezer said. “I kept it simple, and he’s gotten better and better.”
Gruber’s accuracy is especially impressive: “Gruber has placed 21 of his 25 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. In the past two seasons, Gruber and the Patriots are 16-for-16 in recovering onside kicks.”
Gruber is an extremely dedicated athlete and has taken many measures to ensure his success as a place-kicker: “When the kicking carrot was dangled in front of him, Gruber went after it. He attended a San Diego summer combine with 50 kickers and won the field goal kicking competition. He has connected on 4-of-6 field goal attempts this season with a long of 47 yards for Christian (5-2), which plays at Santa Fe Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday.”
John Matich, is a former NFL and NCAA kicker and now owner and director of The Kicking System, which offers Camps & Private Kicking Lessons in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles.
SportsForce athletes haven been recognized over the past few weeks for their stand out performances. Previous Athlete of the Week, running back and USC commit Dillon Baxterhas been the talk of many news outlets with an explosive start to his season. 619Sports.net wrote of Baxter and Missions Bay’s 49-27 win over Point Loma:
“ He ran the ball 22 times for 133 yards and four scores; breaking through tackles and embarrassing defenders along the way. Through the air he totaled 170 yards with 2 touchdowns and only one interception.
“All week we’ve been preparing,” said Baxter after the game. Our wide receivers just had to execute, the O-line had to buckle down because we knew they have a strong front. We just came out and matched their intensity and took it over.”
Baxter had another amazing performance two weeks back against the Lincoln High Hornets, with the San Diego Union-Tribune reporting:
Baxter rushed for 268 yards and two touchdown in addition to passing for another 277 yards and four TDs while coming ever so close to 600 total yards after returning a crucial interception 41 yards to lead the Buccaneers to a 41-34 non-league victory, spoiling Lincoln’s homecoming.
Kenny Stills, Jr, has also had a very impressive season thus far, and the Union-Tribune recently published a feature on the La Costa Canyon receiver. The Union-Tribune highlighted how Stills relationship with his father has helped to nurture his sports career. Stills father is Kenny Stills Sr, former NFL player and current USD defensive backs coach. The U-T writes:
Stills Sr. knew his son had talent and drive, but he has surpassed his expectations.
“Honestly, Kenny has developed more than I ever dreamed,” Stills Sr. said. “I’ve been a coach at the high school, college and pro ranks, and I can tell you I am totally impressed with the way he has developed into a complete player.”
Stills said his son has had one big motivating factor driving him his entire career as a football player.
“He’s always wanted to be better than his dad,” Stills Sr. said.
This past weekend, the senior receiver continued his dominance and had nine catches for 130 yards, threw a 29-yard touchdown pass, returned an interception 75 yards interception and finished a 56-7 win over Mission Hills with 311 all-purpose yards.
Dillon Baxter is an extremely talented running back out of Mission Bay High School in San Diego, CA. A standout of the class of 2010 Dillon has a verbal commitment to USC and has immense talent and promise for his future in football.
According to XX1090 Dillion is “built like an every-down back that can take continual punishment. He runs excellent routes and has soft hands which will give him more opportunities in the open field. He’s got the hands of an all-purpose back, could play receiver, but can also take the pounding that the traditional back goes through on a daily basis.”
The XX1090 Athlete of the Week is Brennan Clay of Scripps Ranch High School. Brennan is a Running Back for the Falcons. As listed on the XX1090 website Brennan is “…a very muscular and compact back and very high-effort kid that has tremendous change of direction and above-average speed. He will be extra dangerous because he is a stellar pass receiver and dangerous in space.”
