Post by Aggie One on Feb 28, 2009 0:07:37 GMT -5
visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20090205/SPORTS04/902050321/1055/SPORTS09
COS football team sending 18 players to four-year schools
BY DAMIAN MARQUEZ
Feb 09,2009
dmarquez@visalia.gannett.com
College of the Sequoias head football coach Curtis Allen wants to erase the misconception that the COS football team only features out-of-state players.
Sending local kids to four-year universities will help.
After Wednesday's college football national signing day, the Giants have a total of 18 players from the 2008 team sign letters of intent to play football in the fall.
And of those 18 players, seven were from the Central Valley and four were from Tulare County. Since Allen took over as COS head coach in 2005, 106 players have moved on to play football at four-year programs on scholarship.
Aaron Gress (Exeter High School) signed a letter of intent in December and is already at the University of Illinois.
Allen said Gress, a three-star linebacker, was a perfect example of a local product going to COS and earning a scholarship to a four-year university.
"Gress only weighed 195 pounds when he got here," Allen said. "Now he weighs 225 pounds and he is running a [4.4-second 40-yard dash]."
Former Mt. Whitney standout Kevin Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play at Henderson State University in Arkansas, and Tulare Union product Jonte Lewis, a safety, signed a letter of intent to play at Eastern Michigan.
Jordan Kulwitzky who is from Visalia but played high school football at Tracy High School, signed with Mid Western State in Texas.
"A lot of high school kids want that full ride right out of high school," Rodriguez said. "I came to COS to get that scholarship. It was a second chance for me. Overall, this was a positive experience. The coaching staff helped me mature and understand the game a lot better."
Several Tulare Union products have gone on to have success at Fresno City, but Lewis decided to stay close to home and attend COS. Now he will be joining two COS teammates — Ryan Leonard (Hebron, Texas) and Delano Johnson (Concord, N.C.) — at Eastern Michigan.
"You have to go to school where you feel comfortable," Lewis said. "And in this environment I had teachers and coaches that cared.
" ... A lot of Tulare guys think that leaving here will make a big difference. But it doesn't. They just have to stay out of trouble. You need to go to the school that will get you to the next level and COS did that."
Other Central Valley products moving on to four-year schools include Lemoore's Jamar Brown (Jackson State), Madera's Zach Micheli (UC San Diego) and Bakersfield's Andru Stewart (Arkansas).
"Our local guys are getting scholarships," Allen said. "Sometimes players leave town [to play football] but they need to figure out why they are doing that. I always say 'do you want to leave town for two years and then come back or do you want to stay and get a scholarship?'"
Stewart will be joined by two teammates at Arkansas. Anthony Leon, who was a kickback from Florida State, will also go to Arkansas, and Oakland's John Henderson also decided on Arkansas after hearing several offers.
"I wanted to go to Arkansas regardless," Henderson said. "But with both of them coming with me, it is going to be a big plus."
Jamar Howard, of Ohio, will be the fifth COS player moving on to a Bowl Championship Series team. He will attend Cincinnati, which played in the Orange Bowl this past season, because he wanted to be closer to home.
Cory Smith will attend Nevada-Reno, Giavanni Ruffin will attend East Carolina, Billy Foster is headed to Memphis, Clint Brewster will attend Middle Tennessee State, Yule Winbush (DB, 5-11, 182, Ft. Campbell, KY) will attend North Carolina A&T and Demetrius Boone is still undecided.
"The proof is in the pudding," Allen said. "Our guys will get a scholarship. Nobody will work harder to get them a scholarship than us."
COS football team sending 18 players to four-year schools
BY DAMIAN MARQUEZ
Feb 09,2009
dmarquez@visalia.gannett.com
College of the Sequoias head football coach Curtis Allen wants to erase the misconception that the COS football team only features out-of-state players.
Sending local kids to four-year universities will help.
After Wednesday's college football national signing day, the Giants have a total of 18 players from the 2008 team sign letters of intent to play football in the fall.
And of those 18 players, seven were from the Central Valley and four were from Tulare County. Since Allen took over as COS head coach in 2005, 106 players have moved on to play football at four-year programs on scholarship.
Aaron Gress (Exeter High School) signed a letter of intent in December and is already at the University of Illinois.
Allen said Gress, a three-star linebacker, was a perfect example of a local product going to COS and earning a scholarship to a four-year university.
"Gress only weighed 195 pounds when he got here," Allen said. "Now he weighs 225 pounds and he is running a [4.4-second 40-yard dash]."
Former Mt. Whitney standout Kevin Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play at Henderson State University in Arkansas, and Tulare Union product Jonte Lewis, a safety, signed a letter of intent to play at Eastern Michigan.
Jordan Kulwitzky who is from Visalia but played high school football at Tracy High School, signed with Mid Western State in Texas.
"A lot of high school kids want that full ride right out of high school," Rodriguez said. "I came to COS to get that scholarship. It was a second chance for me. Overall, this was a positive experience. The coaching staff helped me mature and understand the game a lot better."
Several Tulare Union products have gone on to have success at Fresno City, but Lewis decided to stay close to home and attend COS. Now he will be joining two COS teammates — Ryan Leonard (Hebron, Texas) and Delano Johnson (Concord, N.C.) — at Eastern Michigan.
"You have to go to school where you feel comfortable," Lewis said. "And in this environment I had teachers and coaches that cared.
" ... A lot of Tulare guys think that leaving here will make a big difference. But it doesn't. They just have to stay out of trouble. You need to go to the school that will get you to the next level and COS did that."
Other Central Valley products moving on to four-year schools include Lemoore's Jamar Brown (Jackson State), Madera's Zach Micheli (UC San Diego) and Bakersfield's Andru Stewart (Arkansas).
"Our local guys are getting scholarships," Allen said. "Sometimes players leave town [to play football] but they need to figure out why they are doing that. I always say 'do you want to leave town for two years and then come back or do you want to stay and get a scholarship?'"
Stewart will be joined by two teammates at Arkansas. Anthony Leon, who was a kickback from Florida State, will also go to Arkansas, and Oakland's John Henderson also decided on Arkansas after hearing several offers.
"I wanted to go to Arkansas regardless," Henderson said. "But with both of them coming with me, it is going to be a big plus."
Jamar Howard, of Ohio, will be the fifth COS player moving on to a Bowl Championship Series team. He will attend Cincinnati, which played in the Orange Bowl this past season, because he wanted to be closer to home.
Cory Smith will attend Nevada-Reno, Giavanni Ruffin will attend East Carolina, Billy Foster is headed to Memphis, Clint Brewster will attend Middle Tennessee State, Yule Winbush (DB, 5-11, 182, Ft. Campbell, KY) will attend North Carolina A&T and Demetrius Boone is still undecided.
"The proof is in the pudding," Allen said. "Our guys will get a scholarship. Nobody will work harder to get them a scholarship than us."
