Columnist Steve Guiremand: 900 miles, 30 hours — and plenty of prospects

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Dec. 15, 2000 | 10:16 a.m.

Steve Guiremand covers college football for the Sun. His Around Campus column appears on Friday during college football season.

Some might call it crazy.

Some might call it sick.

Some might call it just a plain addiction.

I guess you could call it all of the above.

Faced last weekend with the prospect of not even one college football game on TV -- ah, the HORROR! -- I decided there was only one way to survive.

Road trip!

Not just any road trip, mind you. But a sojourn that in one 30-hour span would allow me to watch top prep football teams and prospects in three major football stadiums in talent-rich Southern California.

Here's a diary of what I saw:

Friday

4:30 p.m.: Pick up a rent-a-car at McCarran Airport and head down I-15 for Southern California. Luckily, there's little traffic and it's easy to make up for a late start.

6:30 p.m.: After pulling into Tommy's near the Barstow outlet malls for a much-needed chili burger break, find myself trying to decide whether to head to Citrus College in Glendora for the Southern Section Division II final featuring Upland and USC-bound defensive lineman Jason Wardlow against Bobby Nero's old high school, Chino, or to try to make it all the way to the Coliseum for the L.A. City title game between old rivals Carson and Banning.

7:30 p.m.: Traffic is light for Friday night in L.A., so decide to head to the Coliseum.

8:30 p.m.: It's early in the second quarter when I get my seat and Banning, led by a talented sophomore tailback named A.J. Tuitele (6-0, 190), is upsetting the Colts, 13-10.

10:20 p.m.: Banning, alma mater of Freeman McNeill and Vince Ferragamo, to name a few, pulls off a 26-10 upset thanks in part to a 95-yard second half kickoff return by senior wide receiver James Carter (6-2, 200) and the play of a couple of talented junior linemen who will be popping up on a lot of recruiting lists next year, Noel Taueetia (6-2, 270) and Fred Matua (6-4, 290). However, Carson is loaded with about a half-dozen junior Division I prospects, including safeties Kouri Whitaker (6-2, 185) and Marcosus LeBlanc (6-0, 185) and active defensive lineman Mel Malele (6-0, 270). That could be good news for UNLV because one of the Colt assistant coaches, Andy Subingsubing, has a freshman defensive back, Ashley, redshirting at UNLV.

Saturday

11 a.m.: Decide to make the almost two-hour drive from Whittier to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego where a triple-header of San Diego Section finals is being held. Admission for all three games? Just seven bucks.

1 p.m.: It's San Diego Lincoln, alma mater of Marcus Allen and Terrell Davis, against Mission Bay for the Division III title. The game features the two top running back prospects in San Diego County, Ohio State-bound Ja Ja Riley (6-2, 185) of Mission Bay, a straight-up runner who might be better suited for wide receiver in college, and Lincoln's Dwayne Wright (6-0, 190).

2:15 p.m.: Remember these names: Marcus Smith (6-4, 200) and Scott White (6-1, 220). Both are junior linebackers on a Mission Bay defense that ranks No. 1 in San Diego County. The long-armed Smith makes the play of the game, stripping Lincoln quarterback Jason Swanson at the 4-yard line and then racing 96 yards up the right sideline for a touchdown. Instead of Lincoln taking a 20-7 lead, the Hornets suddenly find themselves behind, 14-13. White has an amazing 21 tackles.

3:45 p.m.: Mission Bay goes on for a 27-13 win. Wright, a Tony Dorsett-like glider with good speed, power and exceptional hands (three highlight-film grabs in one quarter alone) who has verbally committed to Washington State of all places (hello, UNLV?), is held to a season-low 63 yards on 25 carries -- about 125 yards below his season average of 188.3 yards per game. However, the last time we saw a San Diego area back as talented, he was held to just 46 yards on 14 carries in his final prep game at then-Jack Murphy Stadium and it didn't hurt his career.

Fellow by the name of Ricky Williams.

3:47 p.m.: Which running back is better? Wright gets my vote. But I'm not so sure that Eldorado High's Steven Jackson, when he plays hard, isn't better than both of them.

4:15 p.m.: Hit the road for the drive up I-5 to Edison International Field for the CIF Southern Section Division I showdown between Long Beach Poly and Los Angeles Loyola.

5:45 p.m.: Somewhere between San Clemente and Mission Viejo I hear the official announcement on radio that Florida State's Chris Weinke has won the Heisman Trophy.

8:15 p.m.: Look who is down on the Poly sideline. Nope, it isn't rappers Warren G. or Snoop Doggy Dog. That was last year when Poly and Mater Dei played here. No, this time it is ex-Patriots and Jets head coach Pete Carroll, who is telling Poly alums Darrell Rideaux and Karreem Kelly how "things will be different" when he gets the USC head coaching job. Hmmmm.

8:46 p.m.: Loyola and UCLA-bound quarterback Matt Ware (6-3, 200), who will likely be a Dennis Smith-like free safety in college, are tied with the heavily favored Jackrabbits, 0-0, at halftime -- despite having a grand total of zero first downs against a Poly defense overflowing with big-time D-1 prospects.

9:30 p.m.: Manuel Wright is 6-foot-6, 290-pounds and is the best interior high school defensive lineman I've seen. Despite being double-teamed, he goes on to have 11 tackles, including six for losses, and runs the quick-footed Ware down for three sacks. He looks like a high school version of Reggie White. And he's just a junior!

10:27 p.m.: Loyola, with the aid of the old "fumblerooski", drives to take a 10-7 lead with a little over a minute to go.

10:35 p.m.: Poly forces overtime with a field goal with just four seconds remaining.

10:49 p.m.: After Loyola settles for a field goal and a 13-10 lead on its possession in overtime, Poly wins it on a 11-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Brandon Brooks to wide open junior tailback Herschel Dennis in the flat to pull out a dramatic 16-13 victory.

The 5-11, 190-pound Dennis will likely be the top running back prospect on the West Coast next year. His moves, toughness and heart would remind UNLV fans of another running back ... Jeremi Rudolph. Only Dennis may be a half-step faster.

Thirty hours. About 900 miles of driving (including the drive back home Sunday morning). And a chance to see a whole bunch of big-time prep football prospects.

Crazy? Maybe. But it doesn't get any better than this -- until bowl week begins.