Recently in Desman Carter Category

Just got off the phone with Kaiser coach Phil Zelaya, who said that three players will be signing National Letters of Intent to Division I schools tomorrow at the school at 9 a.m. Signing will be defensive back Desman Carter (Nevada), linebacker Dennis Taylor (Portland State) and defensive end Walter Earnest (UC Davis).

San Gorgonio also has announced the signing time for offensive lineman Paul Rodriguez, who will sign with San Diego State. Rodriguez will sign with the Aztecs at 8 a.m. tomorrow at San G in room C-34.

A new wrinkle we added this year, the preseason all-area team wasn't very easy to put together. But I'm sure these guys will make me look somewhat smart.

OFFENSE
QB - Thomas Carter, Sr., Cajon
RB - Dillon Pretzinger, Sr., Rim of the World
RB - Jeremiah Armstead, Sr., Oak Hills
RB - Tyler Ervin, Sr., Colton
WR - Paul Pitts, Sr., Los Osos
WR - Angel Rivera, Sr., Arroyo Valley
TE - Rodney Hardrick, Sr., Colton
OL - Jamal Prater, Sr., Etiwanda
OL - Jordan Smith, Sr., Redlands
OL - Hector Sotelo, Sr., Serrano
OL - Gary Dixon, Sr., Summit
OL - Jesus Cortez, Sr., Chaffey
Util - Devon Blackmon, Sr., Summit
K - Cody Madsen, Sr., Redlands East Valley

DEFENSE
DL - Ethan Hillyer, Sr., Serrano
DL - John Siliga, Sr., Redlands
DL - Devon Lewis, Sr., Redlands East Valley
DL - Kyle Jerkins, Sr., Apple Valley
LB - Devan Hussey, Sr., Colton
LB - Dennis Taylor, Sr., Kaiser
LB - Jamal Wilson, Sr., Miller
LB - Jimmy Musgrave, Sr., Silverado
DB - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Sr., Chino Hills
DB - Josh Armstrong, Sr., Redlands East Valley
DB - Desman Carter, Sr., Kaiser
DB - Demontae Kazee, Jr., Cajon
Util - Sateki Finau, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga
P - Jake Van Ginkel, Sr., Upland

On the surface, Kaiser suffered devastating losses from its CIF-SS Eastern Division semifinalist team of a year ago, with running back/defensive back and all-Sun Player of the Year Anthony Brown heading off to USC and All-CIF linebacker Josh Shirley now at Washington. But you don't win nine straight Sunkist League titles, as the Cats have, without having the ability to reload.

"We lost two great football players, guys that really were big for us last year," Kaiser coach Phil Zelaya said. "We don't have those guys coming back, but two guys do not make a football team. We feel that we have a lot of guys coming back that can really help us, guys that were with us on the run to the semifinals last year and that have a lot to offer."

Kaiser looks equipped for another long playoff run, as they have 13 starters returning from last year's team and 29 seniors in all. There may not be the high-level recruits a la Brown and Shirley, but the Cats will have their typical hardnosed, physical, well-schooled unit ready to go.

The Rivals.com 250 to watch list for 2011 was released Tuesday with a Sunkist League flavor, as Summit QB/WR Devon Blackmon and Kaiser DB Desman Carter both made the cut.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Blackmon, who plays quarterback at Summit but projects as a wide receiver at the next level, has already started to blow up offerwise, as he sports scholarship offers from USC, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, UCLA and Arizona State among others.

Carter, a rangy 6-foot-1, 195-pounder who can play both corner and safety, doesn't have any offers yet but should get some shortly, as he has shown ability in pass coverage and run support. He follows up Jason Shirley (UCLA) and Anthony Brown (USC) as Kaiser players that will likely sign with Division I schools.