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After a season in which they lost two overtime games and
two others by six points, the Cerritos College football
team has announced that eight players have signed
letters of intent, while three others are close to
signing with a four-year university.
Heading the list
of players that have signed are two offensive linemen
who will continue to play on the same line for two more
years. Offensive tackles
Mike Diaz
(Schurr HS) and
Philip Garcia
(Schurr HS) have signed and are already attending
classes at the University of Arizona. Diaz (6-5, 3-10)
was a two-time J.C. Grid Wire All-American selection, as
well as All-State and All-Mission Conference, while
Garcia (6-8, 325) was a 2nd Team All-Mission
Conference selection as a freshman. He was injured
midway through his sophomore season and missed the rest
of the year. Last season, the Wildcats went 5-7 on the
year, but defeated the University of Oregon, 34-24 when
they were ranked #2 in the country.
Sophomore
quarterback
AJ Toscano
(El Rancho HS), who passed for 1,446 yards and 15
touchdowns this season, has signed with Charleston
Southern (SC) University. As a sophomore, Toscano was a
2nd Team All-Mission Conference selection
after completing 53% of his passes and throwing only
four interceptions. Toscano joins a Buccaneers team that
went 5-6 last year.
Two of his three
favorite receivers have also signed, with
Craig Bell
(Gardena HS) inking with the University of Hawaii,
while Ryan
Pettys (Los Alamitos HS) has signed with
C.W. Post, located on Long Island in New York. Bell was
third on the team with 21 receptions for 275 yards and
one touchdown and will be joining a Hawaii team that
received national recognition last season and going
undefeated through the regular season and earning a BCS
bid. As for Pettys, who is on campus taking classes, he
was second on the team with 31 catches for 361 yards and
three touchdowns. The Pioneers went 4-6 last season.
On defense, the
Falcons have one player from the defensive line,
linebackers and secondary that have signed. Sophomore
defensive tackle
Thomas Locust
(Riviera Beach, FL HS), who recorded 24 tackles
and five quarterback hurries, has signed with North
Carolina State University. Locust (6-3, 320) joins a
Wolfpack team that plays in the tough Atlantic Coast
Conference and went 5-7 last year. He is expected to
make an immediate impact on a young defensive line that
loses three seniors.
Sophomore
cornerback
Davion
Mauldin (Cimarron Memorial (NV) HS/Minot (ND)
State University) was a fine addition to the Falcon
team this past season. He not only finished second on
the team with 56 tackles, he also led the team with 11
kickoffs for 379 yards and an 86-yard touchdown. Mauldin
was a unanimous All-Mission Conference selection and 1st
Team All-State as a kick returner and earned 2nd
Team honors as a cornerback. He will now play for San
Diego State University, where the Aztecs went 4-8 this
past season. The team will be making their first-ever
trip to South Bend next season to face Notre Dame.
The only
freshman in the group to sign is linebacker
Doncel Bolt
(Long Beach Poly HS), who now has three seasons
to play at Liberty University, who went 8-3 last year
and won the Big South Conference. Bolt, already on
Lynchberg, VA campus, missed the first three games this
season due to an injury, went on to finish the year with
50 tackles in just six games.
Three other
Falcons that are close to signing include cornerback
BG Walters
(Dwyer (FL HS/Allan Hancock College), running
back Lorenzo
Goode (Hermitage (VA) HS/Allan Hancock
College) and offensive lineman
Anthony Haynes
(Bellflower HS). |
