Wait was worth it for two St. Paul graduates
Daniel Reyes, who played defensive back in football and pitched for St. Paul High school is headed for New Mexico State University on a baseball scholarship.
Matt Carrillo, a starter in three sports for the Swordsmen, signed to play tight end for Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.
Both credit their time spent preparing at a community college this past year as making it all possible.
While Reyes and Carrillo received letters of interest from prospective colleges during their senior year, neither received bonafide offers.
Reyes walked on at Cal State Los Angeles but transferred to Whittier College and finished his freshman year with two innings of game time.
He switched to Fullerton College his sophomore year and became the Hornets' closer, working 28 innings in a school record 22 appearances and recording 24 strikeouts, a team-leading 3.21 earned run average and a 1-3 record.
"The work ethic taught at St. Paul combined with the coaching I got in college helped make a big difference," said Reyes, a 5-foot-9, 188-pound right-hander. "I learned how to pitch, beginning at Whittier College and then developing it last year at Fullerton.
"(Fullerton) is in such a tough conference (Orange Empire), every game was a learning experience. I should have gone to JC right out of high school. I'd probably have gotten better opportunities."
New Mexico State University competes in the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Carrillo said San Jose State asked him to walk on but he decided Mt. San Antonio College offered him better scholarship prospects for the future.
He saw limited playing time for the Mounties as a freshman, then earned All-Mission Conference and All-State honors as Mt. SAC won the Southern California championship before losing to San Francisco City College, 31-28, in the state title game.
The 6-5, 250-pound sophomore, who played football, basketball and baseball for St. Paul, averaged 15 yards on eight receptions and was considered an outstanding blocker.
Carrillo said what he got most out of the community college experience "was learning more about the importance of academics, about making myself go to class."
Carrillo is in a unique situation. He was recruited by a university that has not played football for 68 years, but is going full bore to reestablishing a progam in the 2009 season.
The school is renovating many of its facilities, including locker and weight rooms, and the on-campus stadium that was built in 1936. The community's renewed interest in resuming football is evidenced by the 24 suites atop the stadium that already are sold out.
Carrillo says the wait to play an official game was not a deterrent. Not at all," he said. "It will be a redshirt year for me. I'll be able to handle it. I'll continue to focus on the classroom and grades, and I'll concentrate on conditioning, improving my speed and footwork." Carrillo said there also will be a regular Monday-through-Friday schedule of workouts and practices run by the coaching staff.
Old Dominion will be a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, considered one of the NCAA's toughest mid-major conferences and including perennial national honors candidates Delaware, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
..was just passing by.. good work
interesting, i'll be back later
Murray
Any word on Andre Ortega, i think he was going to San Jose State and try to be a walk-on, do u know if he made it
Add Chieftain Alumni: Apparently you weren't as impressed with Keith Lair's 'very nice' articles on Olympians pitcher Jennie Finch and catcher Stacey Nuveman. But then, they didn't attend Santa Fe (Finch - La Mirada, Nuveman - St. Lucy's). Does that qualify as 'picking and choosing' on your part?
Yo, Chieftain Alumni: Actually, we had a note about Levier being drafted (Oakland A's, first day, ninth round, 274th pick overall) in the next day's newspaper .
Update - Assigned to the Vancouver Canadians in the NorWest Division of the Class A Northwest League, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound left-handed center fielder is batting .236 (25 for 106), with six runs, six RBIs, three doubles, one triple, no home runs, five walks, 29 strikeouts, three stolen bases (five attempts) and an on-base percentage of .277.
In his junior college career at Fullerton College, he set school records of 76 hits in a single season (2008) and 126 career hits. This past season, he was named JC All-American, Caifornia State Player of the Year and Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year after batting .406, with 57 runs, team-leading 11 home runs and 57 RBIs.
Chief:
If the article had been about someone else besides SP, would you have said anything? Probably not.
However, you did take the high road and did not belittle the boys and you did recognze their accomplishments.
Speaking of local Olympians, don't forget Jenni Finch from La Mirada who is also playing softball.
David, how can you say schurr is the best program, How many kids for the 06 championship team graduated high school? 10 maybe, and how many of those went on to a four year college? 1. That team was great and what the coaches did on the field was good I am not trying to take that away from them but to be called a "program" the kids in the program have to go on to bigger on better, but the kids at schurr don't becuase even if they graduate, they don't have the requirements to go on to a UC or state school. Sorry but Schurr is not the best "program" in the area.
What????? Still no article or blog about Cal High’s Mitch Levier being drafted by the Oakland A’s via Fullerton College but yet we get this nice run down on two former St Paul graduates. Great job and best of luck to both young men! I am in no way belittling their accomplishments but the WDN needs to stop picking and choosing what gets printed and posted and start covering all the SPORTS news worthy stories for ALL our area athletes such as the very nice article this weekend on Santa Fe’s Laura Berg going for her 4th gold medal with the US softball team.
http://208.112.25.91/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=444&Itemid=40
Congradulations To Matthew Carrillo!! Good Luck at ODU!!
*Once A Swordsmen always A Swordsmen
As an ex-alumni, who played football here at St. Paul High school I am very proud of Matt Carrillo. I hope he takes the next step and plays professional football.
Are there any pictures you can put in the paper bout my past player matt carrill0. He sh0uld be 0n our wall by the l0cker room because he was my best t.e. Ever at s.p.
schurr is the best program kids play with heart and passion and they are so small but some of the hardest hitters around