An open house was conducted at the San Diego Hall of Champions Wednesday where area athletes signing national letters of intent gathered.
The informal event allowed these athletes to be introduced and their college choices announced. Eligible in the CIF-SDS group were close to two dozen football players. Not all were in attendance at the HOC festivities. Some signed at their schools. Others held private parties.
Among the most prominent football recruits from the area to ink a letter was St. Augustine quarterback
Evan Crower. The Stanford-bound southpaw passer accumulated 7,590 yards and 93 touchdowns in three seasons for the Saints.
Other blue-chippers included Cathedral Catholic defensive lineman
Mustafa Jalil (6-4, 301) and Vista cornerback
Stefan McClure, the section Defensive Player of the Year, both of whom signed with Cal.
Another nugget was Rancho Bernardo linebacker
Aaron Wallace (6-4, 214), who signed his ticket to UCLA.
San Diego State collected signatures from El Capitan TE-LB
Robert Craighead (6-4, 258), Madison RB-DB
Desaan Hardwick, Helix TE-DL
Sam Meredith (6-3, 258) and Bishop's LB
Micah Seau (6-3, 225). One thing about Seau is he has great bloodlines as he is related to former NFL standout Junior Seau.
The service academies didn't miss a beat either. Air Force received an appointment for versatile El Cajon Christian LB-TE-RB
Tyrone Sauls, and Navy landed 6-6 Ramona receiver
Bryson Garcia and Scripps Ranch kicker
Nick Sloan.
Additional players honoring their commitments included Vista lineman
Alex Kelley (6-2, 290) to Colorado, Torrey Pines lineman
Daniel Murray (6-3, 295) to Cincinnati, Westview lineman
Taylor Reich (6-7, 285) to SMU, Valley Center linebacker
Stehly Reden (6-4, 240) to BYU, and teammate quarterback
Beau Reilly (6-5, 175) to Colorado State. Morse linebacker
Karl Michelson, who averaged 13.6 tackles per game, is headed for Nevada.
The Ivy League wooed two to the East Coast – Carlsbad DB-WR
Jason Floyd to Harvard and La Jolla Country Day lineman
Fiaalii Junior Togiaso (6-1, 275) to Cornell.
Three San Diego area recruits have elected to follow the NCAA I-FCS path: Valley Center RB
Travis Bernard (Northern Colorado), Rancho Bernardo RB
Tyler Gomogda (Sacramento State) and Carlsbad RB-DB
Armani Aburto (Colgate).
Ramona RB
Tyler Jackson has accepted an NCAA Division II ride to Western New Mexico.