Football: January 2008 Archives

Several local high school football coaches are considering asking the Southern Section to investigate possible recruiting violations by Alemany High and its principal, Frank Ferry.

Saugus coach Jason Bornn, Canyon coach Chris Varner and Valencia coach Larry Muir have complained over the phone to Southern Section commissioner Rob Wigod. Muir said he is attending a meeting today to decide whether or not to file an official complaint, and he believes the other two will file, too, if possible.

There is also a district meeting scheduled soon to discuss the William S. Hart district filing against Alemany, according to Bornn.

Southern Section representative Thom Simmons said he is aware about the allegations, but nothing is official.

At issue is a group meeting at Alemany in December, consisting of 17 youth-football players from Santa Clarita and their families. Bornn and Muir said Thursday that the meeting constituted undue influence.

"I dont agree with it. I just don't like it," Muir said. "I think we're going to lose kids, and obviously we don't want that to happen."

Ferry and Alemany head coach Dean Herrington said Thursday they have done nothing wrong, and Ferry said he had even called Southern Section commissioner Jim Staunton beforehand to warn him about possible future complaints.

Ferry also said the hiring Tuesday of longtime Hart of Newhall defensive coordinator Rick Herrington, Dean's older brother, has other programs worried.

"When Alemany was going 0-10 and 2-8, everyone loved us," Ferry said. "Now I have two of the best coaches in California on one staff, and every one is upset we're getting interest from eighth-grade kids, not just from Santa Clarita but the San Fernando Valley, Simi, Antelope Valley, all over."

Bornn sent a mass e-mail Thursday urging anyone with information about Alemany wrongdoing to contact the Southern Section.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

All interested people in the opening for football coach at Cleveland High in Reseda should forward resumes to athletic director Jason Meskis.

Meskis can be reached at 818-885-2397. The school fax number is 818-727-0964. E-mail address is jmeskis@hotmail.com

Found out at the Newbury Park girls basketball game that the school will name its new football coach Feb. 22.

Don't know who it will be but I was told former Taft of Woodland Hills coach Troy Starr applied for the job.

We will all have to wait till Feb. 22

Austin Shanks, a running back/return specialist from Crespi High of Encino who is perhaps the San Fernando Valley's fastest football player, could soon commit to Division I-AA Northern Arizona, according to Crespi coach Jeremiah Ross.

"I think he'll end up committing there. He has taken a visit, and I think he feels most comfortable there," Ross said. "There are some DI schools interested, too, like San Jose State and Colorado, but Northern Arizona wants him in an every-down role. He'll have to earn out, but I think at Northern Arizona he can be on the field all the time It's his No. 1 choice right now."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

I was at the Chatsworth at Cleveland girls basketball game Friday afternoon and took a seat at the scoretable next to Cleveland football coach Derrick Hill.

Excuse me, make that former Cleveland football coach Derrick Hill.

"I got fired", Hill said. "It just happened this week. I guess I didn't win enough. It is ard to compete with Birmingham and Taft when I didn't have any open enrollment."

Hill said he still wants to coach and will pursue another job for next season.

According to Cal-Hi Sports, momentum is building for the CIF state football bowl games to expand from three to five, as early as next year.

At meetings held by the CIF Southern Section Executive Committee and the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Board of Managers within the past week, the two-year pilot program for state bowl championships was met with overwhelming approval. There was also plenty of support for expanding the current format.

The CIF Federated Council meets on Feb. 1 in Ontario to make the final determination.

Check out what Cal-Hi Sports editor Mark Tennis wrote about the current state of the bowl championship series:

The two largest sections within the California Interscholastic Federation have voted within the last week to support the proposal of continuing with the CIF state football bowl games as well as expanding the event from three games to five.

Both the CIF Southern Section Executive Committee and the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Board of Managers voted on two questions during their meetings. First, there was the question of whether the two-year pilot of conducting CIF state football bowl games should be continued and then second whether there should be an expansion in the number of divisions. A majority in both sections voted yes to both questions, which would seem to indicate that the bowl games proposals will pass when the CIF Federated Council meets on Feb. 1 in Ontario.

There's still some speculation as to which format the new five-game bowl event would have. Assistant commissioner John Williams of the Sac-Joaquin Section told CalHiSports.com on Monday that the commissioners have talked about the idea of having four enrollment-based divisions (instead of the current three) with there also being an open division.

Under the new five-division format, the possible selection process would still be for the 10 section commissioners to gather for a meeting after all of the section championships are held. They'd first pick the one best team from the North and the one top team from the South to play in the open division. The other four divisions would then be picked much like the three divisions were chosen for the first two CIF bowl games.

Other possibilities for the bowl games would be to conduct a northern and southern regional championship game in each division prior to the state game. While that might work in some sections, some schools already are playing 15-game schedules and it's highly unlikely that any section is going to give up a playoff week of its own in order to streamline a CIF state bowl game selection.

It's really all speculation, though, as to what format would emerge because the CIF Federated Council on Feb. 1 will only be voting on whether to continue and on whether to expand. Other official proposals would then likely come before the football advisory committee before then going in front of the full CIF Executive Committee.

Word out of Birmingham High is that Fresno State is taking a very long look at quarterback Exavier Johnson ... as an outside linebacker.

Johnson has a cannon for an arm, and is an interesting prospect at quarterback. But he's also really athletic, physical, quick and strong. All good qualities for an outside linebacker.

From what I've heard, the decision might be up to Ex at first. That he'll be given a shot to play quarterback, but if it doesn't work out, or, he feels his future is better at linebacker, he'll slide over to the other side of the ball very quickly.

I'll be seeing Exavier and the rest of the team on Friday, so check back then for an update.

Thirteen local football players were named to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football team. Birmingham of Lake Balboa's Milton Knox was the lone local player named to the First Team Offense. The 2007 Daily News and City Section Championship Division Player of the Year led Birmingham to its fourth City Section title in six years.
Knox's teammate, Malik Jackson, who just committed to USC, was named to the first team defense along with E.J. Woods from Crespi of Encino and Westlake Punter Jordan Mannisto. Hart of Newhall's Delano Howell and Crespi's Joe Fauria were named to the First-Team Multi-Purpose.

Danye Crist of Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks was the only local player to be named to the second team offense. Donovan Carter (Birmingham), Patrick Larimore (Hart) were second team defense selections. Chris Potter, who led Oaks Christian of Westlake Village to its fifth straight section championship, was named second team Multi purpose.

Marquise Jackson (Birmingham - DL), Anthony McDonald (Notre Dame - LB) and Austin Shanks (Crespi - MP) rounded out the third team selections.

Just finished up with Birmingham DE Malik Jackson and he's super excited about committing to USC.

The situation was pretty simple. If USC offered him a scholarship during his official visit this weekend, he was going to commit.

The Trojans did just that, and Jackson, one half of Birmingham's twin terrors on the defensive line, along with his brother Marquis, committed on the spot.

``I pretty much went in with the mindset that I wanted to go there and if they offered, I was going to go,'' said Jackson, who de-committed from Fresno State on Tuesday night. ``If it was anybody else but USC, I'd probably still be going to Fresno State. But I've been wanting to go to USC for a while.''

Jackson is 6-foot-5 and 225-pounds. He's physical, quick and has a tremendous upside. He went largely unheralded until this season, because of academic issues and because he only participated in a handful of recruiting combines.

This season, he led Birmingham with 14.5 sacks and 103 tackles in 14 games. He shared the Daily News Defensive Player of the Year award with his brother. Also Tuesday, Malik Jackson was honored on the CalHiSports All-State team.

His brother Marquis initially gave a verbal commitment to Fresno State, but is still trying to resolve some academic issues. If he's able to do that, Marquis is planning to stick with the Bulldogs.

``It had to happen sometime,'' Malik said of the potential separation with his twin. ``If it was going to happen eventually, the sooner the better I guess.''

Malik said that he initially feared the family reaction, but his mother, Robin Jackson, counseled him that he should make the decision himself, and do what felt right to him.

``I told him it had to be his decision, no matter what,'' Robin Jackson said. ``I didn't want him to look back in 20 years and felt like he did it for me, or anyone else.''

Just got word from a very good Birmingham source that DE Malik Jackson has committed to USC.

Malik, who was the Daily News co-defensive player of the year along with his twin brother Marquis, got an offer from USC this weekend when he visited the school and has given the Trojans a verbal commitment. Malik originally verballed to Fresno State, but has already called the Bulldogs to let them know he'll be playing his college ball for USC, according to the source. He came to school today, decked out in full USC garb.

I'll be talking to Malik around 7 p.m. tonight, so check back later for the update.

The Ventura County Football Coaches Association will again sponsor a luncheon to honor high school football players in the county who will sign National Letters of Intents. The ceremoney/lunch is Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. at the Clarion Palm Garden Hotel at 495 N. Ventu Park Road in Thousand Oaks.

The cost is $21 per person.

Birmingham of Lake Balboa's Milton Knox and Malik Jackson, Crespi of Encino's Joseph Fauria and E.J. Woods, Westlake's Jordan Mannisto and Hart of Newhall's Delano Howell were among the 30 football players selected to Cal-Hi Sports' all-state first-team roster.

Looks like Milton Knox might be headed to Notre Dame, or at least he's taking an official visit to South Bend Feburary 3rd - or three days before official signing day. Knox is a soft commit to UCLA, but is also considering Florida. Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks QB Dayne Crist and LB Anthony McDonald and Crespi of Encino TE Joe Fauria are all committed to Notre Dame, and have been putting a hard sell on Knox to join them.