Local prep standouts head for top colleges

Adam Candee

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.

Local prep signees

Area high school football players expected to sign national letters of intent today, with position, high school, and college:

To put today's opening of the NCAA signing period for football into Las Vegas terms for local prep athletes: Jackpot.

At least 15 student-athletes from area high schools will sign national letters of intent today to play Division I or I-AA football next season, with at least a half-dozen others likely to follow.

Many area coaches say they cannot recall another year when such a large number of prep football players moved on to play at the college level.

"It's a credit to the coaches, and to the programs, and to the kids," Durango coach John Mausbach said.

None among this group will head farther east than Colorado, and 10 of the 15 will play for either Pac-10 or Mountain West schools.

The Sun reported the choices of a number of these athletes at the time of their verbal commitments. Nothing is certain, however, until the letter of intent is signed.

Of new note are Las Vegas LB Chad Pool, who will sign with Idaho, along with Centennial RB/DB Devin Patterson and Desert Pines WR Kawon Walker, both of whom will head to Northern Arizona, a I-AA mainstay in Flagstaff, Ariz. Foothill LB Niko Saipele rounds out the Lumberjacks' signing contingent from the Valley.

Pool, the Sun's State Defensive Player of the Year in 2001, joins Wildcats teammates Corey Williams (WR, Washington) and Daniel Crews (OL, Colorado State) in continuing their football careers.

As previously reported, Oregon State remains an active player in the Valley, signing Foothill DE Jeff Vanorsow, Desert Pines DT Curtis Coker and Palo Verde DB Gerard Lawson. The Beavers already feature five local athletes, including former Eldorado star RB Steven Jackson.

Green Valley will send a trio of players to the D-I level, as OL Brandyn Dombrowski (San Diego State), LB Ramond White (Oregon) and DB Anthony Scott (Boise State) are expected to sign letters today.

Joining Dombrowski at San Diego State will be another local lineman, Durango OL Mike Kravetz, an All-State pick in 2002.

Many wondered what impact UNLV would make in the local recruiting scene. The Rebels scored with the commitment of Foothill WR Nate Wederquist, whose father, Craig, is a UNLV assistant. The Rebels also expect LB/DL Adrian Faga of Indian Springs to sign.

However, the Rebels may not be done with local commitments, and the final one could eventually be the coup de grace.

Today's signing list conspicuously does not include Desert Pines RB Cornell Johnson, the state's best player in 2002. Jaguars coach Leon Evans said that as of today, Johnson's ACT and SAT test scores would not allow him to academically qualify at the D-I or I-AA levels next year.

Johnson will re-take those exams this weekend in an effort to boost his scores. While the signing period opens today, it does not close until April 1.

However, Evans believes the delay in qualifying may have scared away Johnson's big-name suitors -- UCLA, Oklahoma, and Miami. Throughout the recruiting process, UNLV has expressed great interest in the 6-foot-1, 200-pound tailback, and the Rebels are likely to remain on Johnson's trail for a while.

Cheyenne LB LaVar Porter, an All-South choice in 2002, is also yet to sign, with Southern Utah, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State as the likely choices.