-- Ben Bolch

Now the senior has been selected the Eastern League player of the year after a regular season in which he rushed for 1,876 yards, passed for 1,025 yards and had 171 yards receiving.

Beck will lead the sixth-seeded Bulldogs (6-4) against 11th-seeded Narbonne (5-5) at 2 p.m. Thursday in a first-round playoff game at Jordan.

--Ben Bolch

The end of the regular season arrives a week earlier for Jordan High School’s football team than it does for almost anyone else, which is just fine with Bulldogs coach Elijah Asante.

Having closed out with a 36-22 victory over Huntington Park Friday to clinch second place in the Eastern League, Jordan (6-4, 5-1) can use the week to rest, get over some bumps and bruises and check out possible future playoff opponents.

“We need it (break),” Asante said. “We’ve played a brutal schedule (Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei were nonleague foes). We’ve played 10 straight games and nobody else has done that.”

Looking ahead to the City Section playoffs that began next week, he figures a fairly high seed is in his team’s future.

“I’m hoping to be somewhere between fourth and seventh,” he said. “It depends how the rest of the leagues play out.”

It’s been a successful season to date for the Bulldogs, who survived a tough schedule while being in a rebuilding mode with a young squad.

They’ve had to replace a prolific passer in current USC football player James Boyd and his 4,462 passing yards, as well as several talented receivers.

They struggled early and didn’t have it easy in the Eastern League, either. But now they seem ready to compete with most teams once the postseason begins.

“This team has grown game by game,” Asante said. “This isn’t a year where we dominated. Last year we were worried about how many yards we were getting, how many touchdown passes, how many records we were setting. This year, we were just worried about winning.

“Considering the caliber of players we lost, what we’ve done is a testament to how hard these kids have worked.”

The Eastern League was no snap for the Bulldogs, who found themselves embroiled in tight games just about every week.

The finale was typical.

Although Huntington Park (3-6, 1-4) is in the lower half of the standings, it gave Jordan all it could handle for three quarters.

Relying heavily on a ball-control attack that featured a group of runners, the Spartans were tied, 22-22 entering the fourth quarter. Earlier in the contest, the visitors held leads of 8-0 and 15-14 (at halftime).

Mauricio Maldonado (17 carries, 73 yards) capped two drives with short touchdown runs and Henri Echevarria (19 carries, 48 yards) ended another with a one-yarder.

What separates Jordan from the rest of the league, though, is speed and that was the difference Friday at its homecoming.

Quarterback Deshawn Beck opened the fourth period with a 48-yard scoring run.

They added an insurance touchdown at the 5:35 mark on an eight-yard pass from Jackyle Cooper to Patrick Wooten.

Beck, who has been timed at 4.22 seconds in the 40 and has the University of Arizona at the top of his college wish list, according to Asante, carried 14 times for 164 yards, was 4-of-8 passing for 94 yards and two TDs, caught one pass for 14 yards and added another 34 yards in kick returns.

Raymond Ford caught seven passes for 75 yards and a TD. He also ran for a score.

Asante has the utmost respect for Huntington Park coach Leroy Wilson.

“He’s a great coach, so you better be on top of your game,” the Bulldogs coach said. “This is really a tough league.”

The destiny of the Jordan High School football team is only partly in its own hands with two weeks left in the regular season.

For Jordan (5-4, 4-1), it has only one more regular-season contest, Friday’s 2:15 p.m. home game with Huntington Park (3-5, 1-3), to keep its Eastern League playoff hopes alive.

The Bulldogs are a game out of first place behind Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0), which faces archrival Garfield (4-4, 2-2) Friday at East L.A. College, then closes the regular season next week at South East (3-5, 2-2).

A year ago, Jordan, Roosevelt and Garfield all shared the league title. Jordan, which would need some help to be co-champion this year, lost to Roosevelt earlier this season.

Thanks to an outstanding season by senior Deshawn Beck, the Bulldogs are finishing strong again.

Beck has rushed for 1,530 yards and seven touchdowns on 134 carries and completed 51 of 98 passes for 785 yards and five scores.

In last Friday’s 13-12 victory over Bell (5-3, 2-3), Beck completed 16 of 27 passes for 246 yards and a TD and carried 14 times for 178 yards and a score.

Defensive back Patrick Wooten, who earned All-City honors as a freshman after recording a section-best 150 tackles, had nine solo tackles, assisted on five others and intercepted a pass against Bell. Defensive lineman Trayronn Archer had 10 tackles and two sacks.

Deshawn Beck passed for 246 yards and one TD and ran for 178 yards and a score to lead Jordan past Bell, 13-12 in a pivotal Eastern League game.

Jordan is 5-4 overall and 4-1 in league and trails only Roosevelt (7-1, 4-0) in the standings. Bell slipped to 5-3 and 2-3.

Although Beck had a big game statistically, he was intercepted three times (by David Franco, Juan Gonzalez and Robert Soliz). Franco was also on the receiving end of a 41-yard scoring pass from Adrian Lopez (9-of-16 for 119 yards).

Julian Leon (12 carries, 50 yards) had a three-yard scoring run for the Eagles.

Returning All-City players Deshawn Beck and Patrick Wooten again made major contributions in Jordan’s 41-14 Eastern League victory over South Gate.

Beck carried 12 times for 159 yards, was 2 of 3 for 38 yards and a TD passing and also caught a scoring pass.

Wooten caught two scoring passes and was in on 15 tackles, seven of them solo, on defense.

Other contributors included Jackyle Cooper, who was 8 of 14 for 120 yards and two TDs and ran for another score, Raymond Ford, who caught a scoring pass, Rudolph Drayton, who had seven solo tackles and two sacks.

Jordan (3-4, 2-1) is at South East (3-3, 2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday. South East and Roosevelt (5-1, 2-0) share first place, with Jordan and Bell (5-1, 2-1) tied for second.

Deshawn Beck rushed for 198 yards on 17 carries and completed six of eight passes for 49 yards and a TD to lift Jordan past South East, 20-13 in another Eastern League game.

The Bulldogs (4-4, 3-1) also received 161 yards and two TDs passing from Jackyle Cooper.

Defensively, lineman Trayronn Archer was in on 15 tackles, nine of them solo, and linebacker Patrick Wooten was in on 14, six of them solo, for Jordan.

South East (3-4, 2-1) got solid defensive efforts from Jason Avendano (seven tackles) and Ruben Rosero (six solos).

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor
Story Published: Oct 7, 2009 at 1:56 PM PDT

It’s likely there’s never been a worse argument in favor of time of possession than last Friday’s Eastern League opener between Jordan and Garfield high schools.

When you hold a 69-24 edge in plays run, a 17-4 advantage in first downs and possessed the ball for more than 40 minutes of a 48-minute game, as Garfield did, logic holds you probably won handily.

But all Garfield (2-3) had to show for all those advantages was a big fat zero.

Jordan (2-3) made a 39-yard touchdown pass from Deshawn Beck to Raymond Ford on the fifth play from scrimmage stand up for a 7-0 victory. The Bulldogs had 63 yards on that drive, but only 40 more the rest of the day.

The Bulldogs spent the rest of the afternoon learning on a defense that did lots of bending, but no breaking.

“We’ll take our wins any way we can get them,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “We tell our kids you win with offense, defense and special teams, but in some games one area has to help out the other areas more.”

Asante gave credit to defensive coordinator Frank Lewis for a game plan that led to Jordan forcing and recovering three fumbles and intercepting a pass (by cornerback Marlon Taylor in the end zone with 8.6 seconds left).

“The defense did a great job,” he said. “Our defensive coaches prepared them phenomenally. It’s tough to shut them down. I don’t know the last time they’ve been shut out.”

From Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez’s standpoint, it was as frustrating a day as he’s experienced on a football field.

His team continually shot itself in the foot with turnovers and penalties. The Bulldogs were flagged nine times for 83 yards, with seven of the penalties being either holding or blocking below the waist by the offensive line.

Garfield had four drives end inside the Jordan 20 with nothing to show for it.

The Bulldogs were turned away inside the five as the first half ended and had the ball at the 13 following a blocked punt when a final pass into the end zone was picked off by Taylor.

Sophomore tailback Jonathan Lopez did his part with 112 yards on 23 carries, as did back Julio Silva (17 for 74) and fullback Danny Vargas (15 for 71). But the various mistakes kept them from converting those numbers into points.

“We kept the ball away from them, but if you keep fumbling, how are you going to win?” Hernandez asked.

The holding penalties, devastating to a team relying on a ball-control style, were another issue with the coach.

“That was ridiculous,” he said. “If you look close enough, you could see holding on every play. I know the referees are human and do the best job they can, but that was so one-sided.”

His main issues, though, were with his own offense.

“We’re having trouble finishing,” he said. “The offense is not getting it done and it probably has to do with us being young. It’s all mental.”

Asante is expecting more of the same Friday when Jordan visits Roosevelt. The Rough Riders (3-2, 1-0), normally a balanced team, threw only one pass in last year’s victory over Jordan.

Roosevelt opened league with a 35-7 win over Huntington Park.

“Roosevelt will show a similar style,” he said. “They’re going to try and play keepaway. Coach (Javier) Cid is a very crafty coach.”

Garfield, which hosts Bell (4-0) Friday, looks to bounce back.

“We’ve got to keep moving, grow and get better,” Hernandez said. “This (loss) was hard because of the playoff implications.”

“We’re going to try and contain him, although I don’t think you can,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “Mr. Beck is a phenomenal athlete. I compare him to a Reggie Bush-type of athlete.”

Beck lines up at a number of positions on offense, most often at quarterback. He has rushed for 769 yards on 69 carries, has thrown for 255 yards and has another 112 yards on kick returns. He also plays in the secondary.

Jordan’s returning All-City linebacker Patrick Wooten continues to be a tackle machine. The sophomore, who had a City-leading 150 tackles a year ago, had 16 solos and five assisted tackles against Mater Dei.

Jordan takes a 1-3 record into the contest, though the losses have been to Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and the Monarchs.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Delvon Purvis 2008 Offensive Highlights

Delvon Purvis 2008 Defensive Highlights

Eric Hunter 2007/2008 Defensive Highlights

Eric Hunter 2007/2008 Offensive Highlights

James Boyd 2007 Highlights

Deshawn Beck 2007 Highlights

Delvon Purvis 2007 Highlights

Eric Hunter Highlights

This will be another showcase for Jordan’s outstanding quarterback/running back/wide receiver DeShawn Beck, who had another big game in last week’s 42-21 loss to St. Bonaventure, the state’s top-ranked team.

Beck carried 16 times for 208 yards and two TDs and completed seven of 20 passes for 125 yards. He also handled punting duties and returned kicks.

Raymond Ford returned an interception 100 yards for a score, Rudolph Drayton was in on 19 tackles (14 solos) and Patrick Wooten was in on 12 for the Bulldogs.

In Mater Dei, they’ll be facing a Monarch team that has bounced back from a season-opening loss to Carson with victories over Cypress and Corona Centennial.

Max Wittek has replaced current USC quarterback Matt Barkley at that position for Mater Dei. His favorite target has been Victor Blackwell.

LOS ANGELES — By his own assessment, Logan Meyer was in a slump.

No more.

The St. Bonaventure quarterback found his form quickly and emphatically Friday afternoon, jump-starting the Seraphs to a 42-21 win at Jordan High of Los Angeles.

Meyer completed his first seven passes — good for 187 yards and two touchdowns — and finished the day 18 of 25 for 312 yards with three TDs.

“It’s good to get on the board, get three (TDs) in there,” said Meyer. “Hopefully I can keep it going.

“We did really well. The receivers were running their routes. That’s what happens with a good week of practice.”

That was more than enough to ensure the Seraphs would withstand Jordan’s unconventional “Attack The Weakness” offense — and its star attraction, multi-talented Deshawn Beck.

With Jordan lining up in a wide (and wild) variety of offensive alignments — including one with players spaced at regular intervals across the width of the field, and another with a four-man box of players in the backfield — Beck ran for 124 yards and threw for 115. But in general, the Seraphs found a way to deal with the efforts to create one-on-one space for Beck; while he accounted for 239 yards, the Bulldogs finished with just 220.

“Our checks were fine,” said Seraph coach Todd Therrien. “We were good defensively. The opening drive of the third quarter” — when Jordan went 57 yards in nine plays to score — “we had some headaches just on missed tackles.”

For the most part, though, Therrien was happy with the discipline his team showed in its defensive assignments.

“It looks so undisciplined,” he said of the Jordan approach, “that sometimes you want to do more than you’re required to do. And I think our kids did a good job of playing within themselves.”

Defensive back Troy Hill — who Therrien noted kept Beck off the stat sheet as a receiver, another area in which he often excels — said it was a difficult defensive challenge.

“It takes preparing,” said Hill. “They’ve got an athlete over there in Beck, so everybody had to stay home and cover. It was real hard, just preparing as a unit to try to keep him contained. “That’s what it was, basically, discipline. All day at practice, our coaches were running around doing everything they did. And it was basically our coaches preparing us, and the will for the defense to come out and be successful.”

St. Bonaventure raced to the early lead, scoring three times in the first six minutes. An opening three-play, 50-yard drive ending in a 5-yard pass from Meyer to Austin Higbie made it 7-0 after a minute of play, and when the Seraphs got the ball back at their own 10 a little over four minutes later, they needed just two plays to score — a 69-yard pass from Meyer to Christian White and a 21-yard run by Devon Blackledge.

And after Jordan turned the ball over at its own 14 following an unsuccessful fake punt, the Seraphs needed just one play to score again, this time a 14-yard pass from Meyer to Daniel Wakam.

Six plays, three touchdowns.

“We started well,” said Therrien. “That was a good job. But then we got really sloppy. We’ve got to clean it up.”

Meyer’s 312 yards were just 2 yards shy of his total for the first two games. He played just three quarters, closing out his day with a 24-yard TD pass to Blackledge in the third.

“That’s a good day,” said Therrien. “That’s a real good day. And if we don’t stall out in the red zone twice in the first half, we’re looking at a real great passing day. At least of his incompletions were drops, maybe three.”

Diamond Schouder extended the lead to 28-0 with a 1-run run early in the second quarter; he would later add a 4-yard TD run and finish with 14 carries for 74 yards.

Jordan’s first TD came on a 98-yard interception return by Raymond Ford in the second quarter; Beck provided the other touchdowns, on runs of 4 and 6 yards, and also kicked his team’s extra points.

There are players stationed in areas you'll never see during a football game. Double passes and laterals. Coach Elijah Asante said the goal of the offense is to "confuse, exploit, surprise, manipulate _ whatever way we can dislocate the defense and have them off balance."

Here's a video look at some of the unusual plays of the Bulldogs.

-- Eric Sondheimer

With the proliferation of websites that provide information and projections for high school football, there are going to be some hurt feelings among players and coaches.

Los Angeles Jordan Coach Elijah Asante seemed a bit steamed that Calpreps.com has picked his Bulldogs to lose to visiting St. Bonaventure on Friday by a score of 56-0.

"That's the ultimate, saying you're not worthy at all," Asante said.

Asante said he wants to hold powerful St. Bonaventure running back Devon Blackledge under the five touchdowns he scored against St. John Bosco and the 291 yards he piled up against Long Beach Poly. And that's not all.

"As ridiculous as it might seem," Asante said, "we're going to try to win the game. I've never thought we were going to lose a game we were going into. My mind is not wired like that."

Jordan is coming off a 51-12 loss to Esperanza in which the Bulldogs suffered three key injuries and had to use 330-pound lineman Trayronne Archer out of the shotgun at quarterback after regular quarterback Jack Cooper was sidelined. Cooper is expected back this week, and Asante hopes it's enough to prove the prognosticators wrong.

"That's just a projection," he said of the 56-0 prediction. "They're about 85% accurate, but that means about 15% of the time they're wrong. We're banking on it being part of the 15%."

--Ben Bolch

Rebuilding years are nothing new for Jordan High School football coach Elijah Asante.

He went through a similar one in 2006 when his roster was populated with freshmen and sophomores. They would take the inevitable lumps for a year or so before maturing as upper classmen. It culminated last year when a group led by quarterback James Boyd (now at USC) led the Bulldogs to a quarterfinal finish in the City Section playoffs.

Asante faces a similar scenario this year with a 26-man roster dominated by underclassmen. Five sophomores and a freshman start for the Bulldogs, who are 1-1 and face traditional powerhouses St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei the next two weeks.

“We’re a young team again,” Asante said following last Thursday’s 51-12 road loss to 1-1 Esperanza of Anaheim. “These kids aren’t strong right now. Most would be starting JVs anywhere else. They have a lot of room for growth. But the best programs get knocked around. I do see us improving.”

As young as the Bulldogs are, that doesn’t mean Asante is going to ease up schedule-wise.

He has them playing their usual gauntlet of tough nonleague foes, including Friday’s 3 p.m. home game with Ventura’s St. Bonaventure, the state’s second-ranked team in the maxpreps.com poll. The defending Division III state champion Seraphs are led by talented running back Devon Blackledge, who is of concern to Asante.

“We’re going to have our hands full with him,” he said. “Somehow, we’re going to try and slow him down.”

Next week, they face Mater Dei.

Matt Barkley may now be USC’s starting quarterback, but that doesn’t mean the Mater Dei cupboard is bare. Even though, they aren’t as imposing as a year ago when Barkley was taking snaps, the Monarchs still have more bodies in uniform than the Bulldogs.

The current edition of the Bulldogs features lots of new faces, though, one of the holdovers from the previous years, Deshawn Beck, gives them experience along with plenty of talent.

With so many newcomers, Asante is putting a lot on the shoulders of the versatile Beck, who lines up at quarterback, running back and receiver, depending on the play. Against Esperanza, he rushed for a team-high 48 yards on 11 carries, caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown and completed one pass for 12 yards.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder, clocked as low as 4.22 in the 40, is one of the Southland’s more heavily recruited athletes. Arizona and New Mexico State have already offered him scholarships, according to rivals.com. USC, UCLA, Florida, Notre Dame, Cal and Oregon are some of the other schools showing interest.

“It might not be fair, but because we’re such a young team, he has to carry the load,” Asante said.

Junior quarterback Jackyle Cooper completed 16 of 26 passes for 162 yards and ran for 36 yards and a TD on nine carries before being shaken up.

Cooper was one of four Bulldogs to be sidelined by various injuries, thinning out what was already a thin roster.

Robert Lewis (eight catches for 74 yards) and Patrick Wooten (five for 64) were other returning veterans who had productive nights on the offensive side of the ball for Jordan.

By Scott Kennedy Director of Scouting Posted Sep 7, 2009

Crenshaw's DeAnthony Thomas, a member of the 2011 Scout 100, immediately comes to mind when thinking of LA's most explosive players, but Jordan's DeShawn Beck served notice on Friday that he is not to be overlooked.

Generously listed at 5-9 and 170 pounds, Beck initially lined up at what can be called a quarterback position for Jordan, but in reality, he looked more like a point guard. Beck would line up as a slot receiver, with no quarterback, go in motion back, looking much like a point guard dribbling the three point line looking for the best place to attack the defense, call for the snap and attack the Locke defense.

The line was simply zone blocking and letting the best athlete on the field do his thing. It worked. Beck rushed for a touchdown and threw for a touchdown as Jordan built a big first half lead.

While Beck will not play quarterback in a conventional sense on the college level, players with his skill set are finding themselves more and more lining up behind center in variations of the Wildcat package. Beck has terrific vision setting up a play and in traffic. His low center of gravity allows him to spin out of tackles, and his speed allows him to beat a lot of defenders to the corner.

Beck could play either receiver or corner on the college level, and he would be an immediate weapon on special teams. Beck currently claims offers from Arizona, Duke, New Mexico State, and San Diego State.

Jordan next gets to face Anaheim Esperanza.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Jordan High School’s Deshawn Beck (1) is one of the City Section’s most versatile players. He was an All-City selection as a junior. (Marinmedia.org photo)

Despite the graduation loss of All-City quarterback/defensive end James Boyd to USC, Jordan (7-5) is probably the team to beat in the Eastern League.

There’s still plenty of returning talent for the Bulldogs, beginning with versatile De’Shawn Beck, who played wide receiver last year and could take snaps at quarterback this season.

Rudolph Drayton (6-3, 200), a middle linebacker and quarterback, and two-way lineman Trayronne Archer (6-1, 320) are also back.

Patrick Wooten was All-City as a freshman linebacker and recorded a remarkable 150 tackles. Receiver Raymond Ford is another key returnee.

Coach Elijah Asante cites speed, intelligence and competitiveness as strengths of the team. Replacing key players is a concern. So is depth, considering the Bulldogs suited up only 26 players for most games a year ago.

All-City quarterback/defensive end James Boyd has moved on to USC, but that doesn’t necessarily portend a dropoff for Jordan.

Coach Elijah Asante certainly isn’t taking it easy, schedule-wise. Once again, he’s got the Bulldogs facing their usual killer preleague gauntlet of Southland powerhouses.

After hosting Locke in the Sept. 4 opener, Jordan faces Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei in consecutive weeks. St. Bonaventure, the defending Division III state champion, is ranked fourth in maxpreps.com’s preseason state poll.

With super talented wide receiver DeShawn Beck and linebacker Patrick Wooten returning, the Bulldogs will be going into battle with weapons of their own.

Beck, who can play just about anywhere on the field, including quarterback, caught 72 passes for 1,141 yards and 15 touchdowns, rushed for two scores, passed for three and had four interceptions on defense as a junior. He also returned kicks.

He was impressive at the University of Arizona camp in the summer and has drawn recruiting attention from the likes of Arizona, Cal, Florida, Notre Dame, USC, UCLA and Washington, among others. A 4.4 40-yard dash will do that.

Wooten earned All-City honors as a freshman after recording an amazing 150 tackles.

Photo by Nick Koza for Sentinel

By Evan Barnes
Sentinel Sports Editor

The first thing you notice at Los Angeles Jordan's first conditioning workout - there's quite a bit of players on the field.

Coach Elijah Asante said that there were around 50 players doing drills - nearly double of what the team played with last year.

That lack of bodies gave way to fatigue later in games. But it didn't diminish their effort as they went7-5 and earned respect for their grit and offensive firepower while winning the school's first ever 4A playoff game.

This year, just competing with the best isn't enough. They want to win and after three-peating at the Watts Sumer Games passing tournament and defeating Crenshaw twice in other tournaments, expectations remain high.

The same murderer's row schedule is back again (Locke, Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei to open the season). But instead of catching them off guard, they know what to expect.

"[Plus] it's home-field advantage this time for us," senior Deshawn Beck said.

That's the second thing you notice at Jordan - the new track around the field has been completed. The only downside is that the stadium still doesn't have lights so games will be played in the afternoon.

But that won't matter because Asante has planned a bag of new tricks on offense, a scheme called Attack the Weakness (ATW) that's expanding on the variety they showed last year.

"Reverses, double reverses, passes all over," Asante said, "It's designed to keep defenses on their toes."

It's an expansion of the Wildcat offense that utilizes the athleticism the Bulldogs have been known for. The ball will start in the hands of Beck, a two-time All-City selection who'll be a jack-of-all-trades on offense moonlighting as a quarterback and tailback.

The 5-foot-7 speedster - who Asante called the best player in the City - threw only 12 passes last year, but the four-year starter is ready to step into the shoes of last year's City Player of the Year James Boyd.

"I'm ready to work hard and just find a way to make big plays," Beck said, who listed Washington and Arizona State among his college choices.

While it won't be easy replacing valed Boyd and All-City defensive backs Delvon Purvis and Eric Hunter, the Bulldogs have experience on their side.

After shining last year as freshman, Raymond Ford, the MVP of the Watts Summer Games, and All-City linebacker Patrick Wooten will also be counted to step up along with senior wide receiver Robert Lewis.

Wooten was named one of the top 100 sophomores in the country by MaxPreps after leading the team with 150 tackles last year.

But Asante wants folks to keep an eye on talented freshman Denzale Lee, a strong, natural runner that he expects to be the next talented youngster in the program, something that's been a hallmark of his tenure.

"That's the new kid to watch right there," he said.

The Bulldogs may not sneak up on anyone like they did last year, but expect them to be in the hunt as one of the City's best and build on last year's success.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009
By: Stephen Spiewak
MaxPreps.com

It’s no secret that the recruit process has been accelerated. College football coaches are involved in what amounts to escalating rounds of game theory. If one school starts recruiting a player at a younger age, the next school runs the risk of missing out if it does not follow suit.

Much like the collegiate level, where freshmen like A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Robert Griffin made a major splash in their first year, high school football sees its fair share of fresh faces that make a name for themselves as ninth graders. These are often the same players that colleges are reaching out to at such a young age.

The MaxPreps Fresh Faces Top 100 profiles projected impact sophomores. By the time the class of 2012 is ready to head to college, some of these players will be household names, and others may be relatively unknown. This group won’t sign national letters of intent until the first week of February, 2012.

Patrick Wooten, LB, Jordan (Los Angeles, Calif.)

The talent-rich Los Angeles area continues to churn out top notch football players. Patrick Wooten is a fine example.

Wooten posted an incredible 150 tackles as a freshman anchoring Jordan’s defense. He rose to the occasion against some of the team’s stiffest competition, tallying 17 tackles against St. Bonaventure, 12 against Mater Dei, and 14 against Crenshaw.

At 5-foot-6, Wooten is undersized right now but seems to have the quickness to play defensive back at the next level. He recorded two interceptions and recovered five fumbles on his way to being named an All-City player.

"It was very bizarre," Gardena Serra Coach Scott Altenberg said of Jordan's offense earlier this week in a passing competition. "You didn't know who their quarterback was."

Coach Elijah Asante calls his offense ATW -- Attack The Weakness. His top player is quarterback-receiver-running back De'Shawn Beck.

There's going to be double and triple passes, balls bouncing on the ground behind the line of scrimmage and multiple quarterbacks. Asante is just hoping the officials know the rules before the game so his team doesn't get penalized on legal plays.

Jordan opens the season against Los Angeles Locke and has nonleague games against Anaheim Esperanza, Ventura St. Bonaventure and Santa Ana Mater Dei.

-- Eric Sondheimer

State Division I Athlete of the Year: James Boyd (Jordan, Los Angeles) Sr.

It was a close call between Boyd, Reggie Wyatt and eventual winner Tyler Gaffney for State Athlete of the Year honors. When it comes to Div. I athletes only, Jamaal Franklin and Tyler Honeycutt also deserve mention, but it's too hard to overlook Boyd's accomplishments on both sides of the football and his raw numbers in basketball. The 6-4, 215-pounder led the state in passing, throwing for 4,266 yards with 44 TDs. He also rushed for 608 yards and two scores. On defense, where he will play at USC as a defensive end, Boyd had 104 tackles, eight sacks and forced 10 fumbles, recovering two. Against Santa Ana Mater Dei, Boyd threw a state record 73 passes, completing 38, for 446 yards and three TDs, while on defense he recorded seven tackles and forced two fumbles, recovering one. Against Div. III bowl champ St. Bonaventure, Boyd threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 55 yards. He added 23 tackles and three sacks on defense. In basketball, Boyd averaged 23.8 ppg and reportedly led the state by pulling down 22.4 rebounds per game. Danny Williams from L.A. Fremont (2004-05) was the last athlete from the L.A. City Section to be honored in this division.

All-State Freshman Athletes of Distinction

Patrick Wooten (Jordan, Los Angeles) football

Beck was named MVP of Sunday's seven-on-seven competition. Grace was selected the most outstanding defensive player at the camp.

"He played incredible," B2G director Ron Allen said of the speedy Beck.

"He was a manchild," Allen said of Grace.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Sophomore defensive back Raymond Ford III was named the tournament MVP from Jordan. He had three interceptions in the final. Receiver DeShawn Beck of Jordan was the top offensive player.

-- Eric Sondheimer

On Monday Inside Sparta presented incoming walk-on Delvon Purvis of Jordan High School in Los Angeles. Today it's time to introduce his teammate Brandon Caldwell, who will join Purvis this fall at San Jose State.

In recruiting, package deals - where teammates profess a desire to attend college together - are often talked about but rarely realized. For one reason or another the dream just doesn't become reality and lifelong friends head in different directions. However, in the case of Delvon Purvis and Brandon Caldwell of Jordan High School in Los Angeles, the two friends looked at two schools and made a common decision - they would both walk-on at San Jose State.

"We both got it down to Fresno State and San Jose State," Caldwell said. "San Jose State was just the better place for both of us. Coach (Charles) Nash was talking to us a lot and we like him, so we're both going up to State."

Caldwell said he had been getting attention from Tennessee State, Utah State, and Arizona but none of them offered.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Caldwell plays both receiver and defensive back. For his senior season he had 38 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns. On defense he reports 97 tackles - 66 solo, along with two sacks and two interceptions - both of which were run back for touchdowns, one from 103 yards against Fremont.

"I don't really care where I play," he said. "I prefer to play wherever the coach tells me he needs me to play."

Caldwell also runs track, where he participates in the 4X100 and 4X400 relays, the 400-meter run, and the 110 hurdles.

"Delvon and I have beaten each other once in the 110 hurdles," Caldwell said.

Like Purvis, Caldwell said he is already enrolled and registered for classes in the fall. He said he would like to major in business.

Purvis told Inside Sparta that he is attempting to enroll in summer school. Caldwell said he is going to wait until fall, but that he would be at San Jose State in the summer.

"I'm supposed to go up in July," he said.

It was reported earlier that wide receiver/defensive back Delvon Purvis of Jordan High School in Los Angeles would walk-on at San Jose State. Inside Sparta spoke on Monday with Purvis and Jordan head coach Elijah Asante, and both confirmed the news.

Delvon Purvis of Jordan High School in Los Angeles describes himself as a playmaker, someone who can make a difference on the football field. When a reporter happened to be present during a recruiting visit by the University of Washington - a violation of NCAA bylaw 13.10.1, which states that that "a member institution shall not permit a media entity to be present during any recruiting contact made by an institution's coaching staff member" - his chance at a scholarship from the Huskies evaporated. Washington's loss is San Jose State's gain as Purvis has made the decision to attend SJSU, and walk-on to the football team.

"I got accepted academically and I'm enrolled," the soft-spoken Purvis said. "I decided to go to San Jose State because they have a good architecture program and a good football team."

After Washington ended its recruitment of Purvis, Mid-American Conference powerhouse Ball State jumped into the picture, but nothing ever came of that. In the end, Purvis's decision came down to two WAC schools.

"It was between Fresno State and San Jose State," he said. "The architecture program made the difference."

Jordan head coach Elijah Asante said the Spartans got a steal. "He's a great receiver, definitely a (Football Bowl Subdivision) player," Asante said. "He was captain of our team and great in the classroom, and he was All-City three years."

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Purvis will be joined at San Jose State by Jordan teammate Brandon Caldwell, who will also walk-on. Purvis said the two made the decision together.

Purvis caught 69 passes for 1,175 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and Caldwell caught 38 passes for 723 yards and six touchdowns.

--Ben Bolch

"We were able to bring two rival communities together and play some good football," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said. "That might have been one of the biggest things to come out of it."

Washington and Fairfax also participated and more games are scheduled for Saturday at Jordan.

--Ben Bolch

Explosive wide out DeShawn Beck (Los Angeles, Calif./ Jordan) landed his first two offers in writing. Arizona and New Mexico both have offered and Cal could be close as well according to Beck.

In a close call over Kevin Greene of S.F. Sacred Heart Cathedral, Boyd would be the 2009 Grid-Hoop State Player of the Year. Last week, he was the only Californian to be named an ESPN RISE Grid-Hoop First-Team All-American after dominating on both sides of the football field and averaging over 20 points and 20 rebounds per game on the court. Boyd had a season high 575 yards passing with eight touchdowns in a win over South Gate as he passed for over 4,200 yards and 44 touchdowns on the year. Not taking time off while on defense, the 6-5, 225-pounder also led the team in sacks with 14. Boyd averaged 26 points and reportedly led the state in rebounding with 22 per game. He was an all-state selection in both sports and will head to play football at USC where he will team up with fellow Kevin Greene to make a fierce tandem on defense for years to come.

CalHiSports.com Grid-Hoop Players Of the Year

2008-09 – James Boyd, Los Angeles Jordan
2007-08 - Nelson Rosario, Oceanside El Camino
2006-07 – Rob Jones, San Francisco Riordan
2005-06 – David Ausberry, Lemoore
2004-05 – Danny Williams, Los Angeles Fremont
2003-04 – Marcus Everett, Chaminade West Hills
2002-03 – Steve Smith, Woodland Hills Taft
2001-02 – Marcedes Lewis, Long Beach Poly
2000-01 – Antwon Guidry, San Jose Leigh
1999-00 – Teyo Johnson, San Diego Mira Mesa
1998-99 – Josh Shavies, Oakland Fremont
1997-98 – Matt Barnes, Fair Oaks Del Campo
1996-97 – Jason Thomas, Compton Dominguez
1995-96 – Chris Claiborne, Riverside J.W. North
1994-95 – Johnnie Sanders, Los Angeles Franklin
1993-94 – Tony Gonzalez, Huntington Beach
1992-93 – Stais Boseman, Inglewood Morningside
1991-92 – Stais Boseman, Inglewood Morningside
1990-91 – Rob Johnson, El Toro
1989-90 – Willie McGinest, Long Beach Poly
1988-89 – Shante Carver, Stockton Lincoln
1987-88 – Eric Bamberger, Concord Ygnacio Valley
1986-87 – Junior Seau, Oceanside
1985-86 – Dan McGwire, Claremont
1984-85 – Michael Johnson, Baldwin Park
1983-84 – Jerald Jones, Vallejo
1982-83 – John Paye, Atherton Menlo School
1981-82 – Reggie Rodgers, Sacramento Norte Del Rio
1980-81 – Jack Del Rio, Hayward
1979-80 – Don Rodgers, Sacramento Norte Del Rio

USC-bound football recruit James Boyd, 6-5, 235 pounds, might be the best athlete in the history of Los Angeles Jordan. He was the City player of the year in football as a quarterback-defensive end. He was All-City in basketball. He played center field for the baseball team this season for several games. Now he's competing in the shotput for the track team. If he had time, he would join the volleyball team.

By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor

Nearly 800 athletes from California and the West converged on South Los Angeles on Saturday to show their football-related skills at the 11th Nike Combine of 2009 at L. A. Southwest College.

California is known for diverse talent at every position and there were some excellent scores in the four different testing protocols that make up the SPARQ Rating. In fact, four players posted SPARQ Ratings higher than one-hundred (100.0).

Leading the way with the day's top SPARQ Rating of 108.3 was De'Shawn Beck from nearby Jordan of Los Angeles. The Bulldogs' top players have been staples at ESPN RISE produced combines and camps in recent years, as head coach Elijah Asante has turned Jordan's fortunes around after two decades of futility. In fact, Jordan made school history by hosting and winning its first-ever L.A. City Section upper division playoff game last season and Beck played a major role.

On Saturday, he showed why he's ready to keep the Bulldogs a threat in the L.A. City Section despite the graduation of all-state quarterback James Boyd, who led the state in passing and will play defensive end at USC. Beck, a four-year standout for the Bulldogs, ripped off a 4.49 in the 40, the second fastest time of the afternoon, and a 37.1 inch vertical jump, also the second best mark. He also recorded an excellent 4.11 shuttle run and a 36.5 kneeling Power Ball Toss.

The diminutive but speedy Beck knows he has to step up his game, not to mention his leadership role, next season without Boyd. He may even spend quite a bit of time under center, even though he's a major prospect as a slot receiver on the next level.

"I just have to, I got to step up with James gone," remarked Beck, who earned second team all-state underclass honors in 2008 after catching 72 balls for 1,141 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns. "I have a lot of goals this season and I think we can accomplish a lot. Last year just made us more hungry, we let that playoff game (against Crenshaw) slip through our fingernails."

"As far as recruiting goes, I don't have any offers, but I'm getting looks from Cal, Florida, Nebraska, USC, and Arizona State. I'm open right now and don't have a favorite."

All-Combine Team
WR: DeShawn Beck, 5-9, 151, Jordan (Calif.)
Results: 4.49 40, 4.11 shuttle, 36'5" PB, 37.1" VJ, 108.30 SPARQ
Breakdown: Finished with the top SPARQ Rating in the camp.

Nearly 800 athletes from California and the West region converged on South Los Angeles on Saturday for the 11th Nike Combine of 2009 at L. A. Southwest College.

The state of California is known for diverse talent at every position and there were some excellent scores and four players posted SPARQ Ratings higher than 100.

Leading the way with the day's top SPARQ Rating of 108.3 was DeShawn Beck (Los Angeles, Calif./ L.A. Jordan). It's not often the top college prospect at the combine also lands the top SPARQ Rating, but Beck is a rare talent. The receiver is a two-time All-State underclass selection and had 18 touchdowns a year ago.

Beck is hearing from colleges from all over the West region, but schools are just waiting on his grades to improve a bit before throwing a scholarship his way. The receiver said Cal is his top school over USC, UCLA and Oregon.

40-yard Dash:
2. Deshawn Beck, Jordan (Calif.), 4.49
Breakdown: The 5-9, 151-pound receiver is among the top pass-catchers in the West region.

Vertical Jump:
2. Deshawn Beck, Jordan (Calif.), 37.1
Breakdown: Beck finished with the top SPARQ Rating of the day at 108.30.

The Bulldogs will also play home games against St. Bonaventure and Locke, tentatively scheduled for L.A. Southwest College, and will play Esperanza at Placentia Valencia High.

"It's not easy to get these schools because everyone wants a shot at them," Asante said. "We might be a top team in the City Section, but these teams we're going after are the top teams in the country."

Jordan played the same nonleague schedule last year, going 1-3 with a victory over Locke, but Asante hailed it as a success because it prepared the Bulldogs for Eastern League play and the City Section playoffs. Jordan won a 4-A playoff game for the first time in school history, defeating Fremont, 21-12.

--Ben Bolch

Things have been a little slow in the recruitment of one of the top receivers in the West. Jordan (Los Angeles, Calif.) standout DeShawn Beck is hearing from a host of schools, locally and nationally, but still waiting for his first written offer.

Beck could be the fastest receiver in the state next year and has run consistently in the low 4.4-40 range. He had the fastest 40 time at the USC Rising Stars camp last summer and is one of the most explosive players in the region after the catch.

Beck earned 2nd team all-state underclass honors a year ago after catching 72 balls for 1,141 yards and 15 touchdowns. He added two more scores on the ground and threw for three touchdowns. He'll move to quarterback full time as a senior.

"I'm hearing from a lot of schools but no offers that I know of," Beck said. "My coach handles that for me but as far as I know, no one has offered. UCLA, USC, Cal, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Arizona State and Arizona are the ones I've heard from so far."

Jordan coach Elijah Asante added a few more schools to the mix.

"In addition to the Pac 10 schools, Florida called me today about him and Notre Dame likes him a lot too," Asante said. "I'm not sure what schools are waiting on to be honest but every year, it's the same thing. I feel like schools are always slow to offer our kids, it's like they don't want to be the first one to offer or something.

"Last year, USC was the first school to offer James Boyd. With DeShawn, he's wide open and he'll be a national kid. I'm going to try and have him camp with as many schools as possible. Right now, his top schools are UCLA, USC, Cal, Oregon, Washington and Notre Dame but he's open and we're just going to try and find the best fit for him."

Story Published: Feb 19, 2009 at 3:45 PM PST

USC coach Pete Carroll had his usual star-studded recruiting class, but even he had to point out the uniqueness of one recruit _ Jordan High School quarterback/defensive end James Boyd.

All the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Boyd did as a senior was pass for a state-best 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions, and record 106 tackles and 11 sacks on the other side of the ball. The City defensive player of the year as a junior was the City and Wave Newspapers player of the year as a senior.

“James Boyd is an extraordinary kid,” Carroll said during the news conference announcing the class. “Talk about a dynamic football player and athlete. To know he was an MVP in his league as a quarterback, and also caught passes and ran the ball and played wide receiver and tight end, and was an extraordinarily effective defensive end and rusher.

“And he is leading his league (Eastern) in scoring and rebounding (in basketball). He’s an extraordinary athlete. We’ve never had a guy who could do that much coming to play defensive end here.

“I look back to all the guys we’ve had that have played so well and try to think of Kenechi (Udeze) being a quarterback or Lawrence Jackson being a leading scorer in basketball. This is a very skilled athlete and we’re really pumped about him that he’s coming and looking forward to all the things he brings. He’s a very well-rounded athlete.”

As announced yesterday in the Los Angeles Times and by our own Doug Schrader, Delvon Purvis, a 5-11 185 athlete from LA Jordan, is expect to visit Muncie after signing day and might eventually be a memeber of this class. Purvis, who can project at WR, RB or even S, is a solid athlete and would be a welcome addition to the Cardinals.

Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said wide receiver-linebacker Brandon Caldwell is scheduled to visit Prairie View A&M next week and receiver Delvon Purvis is scheduled to visit Ball State. Asante said Caldwell has also received interest from Fresno State and might walk on with the Bulldogs.

--Ben Bolch

Los Angeles Jordan High School WR/Athlete Delvon Purvis is receiving considerable interest from the Ball State University Cardinals. Purvis has also been shown considerable interest from a number of PAC 10 schools most notably Washington, Arizona and Oregon State as well as WAC member Neveda.

Purvis is being reported to visit campus sonn and is of the same ilk talent wise of the graduating Dante Love and Ball State freshman sensation Briggs Orsbon.

Stay tuned to the BallStateInsider.com for more information as we try and track down Purvis and bring you the latest on his interest in the Ball State Cardinals. Check out our front page as we will borrow a story from our national archives written in January about the talented Delvon Purvis.

Some members of the selection panel for the 33rd Press-Telegram Best in the West Football team, given the opportunity, would re-tailor the makeup of the 20 players who were selected to the first team.

Among the 10 honorable mention players (those who finished 21-30 in the balloting among the seven BIW voters), James Boyd of Los Angeles Jordan was singled out for mention by Ronnie Flores, the Senior Editor of CalHiSports.

Boyd, who is expected to sign with USC during the NCAA's National Letter of Intent period which begins Wednesday morning, was No.4 on the honorable mention list after throwing for 44 touchdowns and accumulating 4,874 yards in offense for the Bulldogs.

Playing for a team that rarely suited more than 25 players, Boyd sacked opposing quarterbacks 13 times among his 104 tackles at defensive end, where he is projected to play for the Trojans.

He's also an exceptional player for one of the better teams in the L.A. City ranks and would seem a viable walk-on candidate for Coach Tim Floyd's hoopsters a year from now.

"What he did (this past season), while playing on every down for that team, was just incredible," Flores said.

Brandon Huffman, the West Coast Regional Recruiting Analyst for Scout.com, agrees with Flores.

"Boyd is an amazing athlete," he said.

Honorable Mention
James Boyd Los Angeles, CA/Jordan DE 6-4 211 56

One of the most interesting recruits to track in the coming days will be Los Angeles Jordan's Delvon Purvis, the player at the center of the firestorm that erupted last week over secondary NCAA violations committed by Washington.

Purvis was scheduled to take an official visit to Washington last weekend with teammate James Boyd, but the pair canceled the trip in the wake of the controversy that ensued after a Times story detailed a recruiting visit from Huskies Coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt.

Though Purvis does not have a scholarship offer, Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said Tuesday morning that the receiver is now drawing interest from Ball State. Asante said Purvis probably won't sign with the Cardinals on Wednesday during the first day players can sign national letters of intent, but Purvis may visit the campus in Muncie, Ind.

Ball State finished 12-2 last season after a 45-13 loss to Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl.

-- Ben Bolch

Los Angeles Jordan two-way standout James Boyd and receiver Delvon Purvis, pictured, have canceled their official visits to Washington this weekend in the wake of the controversy that has ensued from a recruiting visit last week from Huskies Coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt.

Washington announced today that it would self-report to the Pacific 10 Conference two secondary violations of NCAA rules, which occurred during a recruiting meeting that was detailed in a story by The Times.

In a statement, Washington acknowledged, "It is not permissible for coaches to have off-campus contact with prospective student-athletes until July 1 before their senior year, nor is it permissible to have recruiting contact with prospects in the presence of media."

Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said Boyd and Purvis "just decided to back off because of all the negative publicity about" their visit. Purvis does not have any scholarship offers, but Notre Dame recently showed some preliminary interest. Boyd has committed to USC.

--Ben Bolch

Boyd, who has committed to USC, had previously said he would make his decision Sunday after returning from his official visit to Washington.

Complicating Boyd's decision is the recent commitment USC received from Devon Kennard, a five-star defensive end from Desert Vista High in Arizona.

"It affects it," Asante said of Boyd's decision. "If James doesn't beat this guy out, he's sitting on the bench for three or four years."

Washington could entice Boyd by offering him the chance to play quarterback and providing a scholarship to Jordan receiver Delvon Purvis, a friend of Boyd's. Boyd and Purvis depart for Seattle on Friday for their official visit.

Ben Bolch

Schools sometimes will take a lesser player in the hopes of attracting a star as part of the package. Jordan's James Boyd and Delvon Purvis are getting a rush from Washington.
By Ben Bolch
January 28, 2009

Steve Sarkisian clutched his cellphone and let it blare.

It didn't ring. It didn't chime.

It barked.

For effect, the Washington Huskies' new football coach then held the phone up to James Boyd, star quarterback and defensive end of the Los Angeles Jordan High Bulldogs.

Boyd smiled, having received the intended message.

Dogs should stay together.

Only weeks earlier, Sarkisian and Huskies defensive coordinator Nick Holt had been part of a USC coaching staff counting on a commitment from Boyd to come and play defense for the Trojans. Having since been hired by Washington, they were now trying to entice Boyd to switch allegiances.

And so, huddled over a corner table at the Watts Coffee House one morning last week, the Huskies' coaches met with Boyd in the presence of his high school coach, two teammates and a reporter.

Holt sat at the head of the table with junior receiver Deshawn Beck to his left, then Boyd, Sarkisian, Jordan Coach Elijah Asante opposite Holt, and, circling back around, the reporter and senior receiver Delvon Purvis -- who, by the time Boyd officially signs an NCAA letter of intent one week from today, might become the most influential person at the meeting.

Purvis is a mid-range recruit -- three stars out of a possible five by most experts -- a player thought to have plenty of potential who is not high enough on any major college's wish list to have yet attracted a scholarship offer.

He's tight with Boyd, though, and Washington has invited both of them on a recruiting trip to Seattle this weekend.

"I just want to get him to a Division I school," Boyd would later say of his teammate.

Washington might be willing. By offering Purvis a scholarship and Boyd the chance to play quarterback, the Huskies have hopes of stealing the highly coveted Boyd away from USC.

College coaches cannot comment on recruits until they sign letters of intent, but Asante called Purvis "an integral person in this process."

"It's really like a Rubik's cube with a lot of pieces and everyone's scrambling at the last second," the high school coach said. "One move affects five other moves."

Similar maneuvers are playing out across the country as coaches make a final push to secure commitments and sway loyalties in the run-up to national signing day Feb. 4. For example, UCLA has received commitments from a pair of mid-level recruits from Honolulu Punahou High, the home of All-American linebacker Manti Te'o, the nation's top uncommitted prospect.

"You'll see it a couple of times every year," said Tom Lemming, a recruiting expert for CBS College Sports Television. "BCS-type schools will try to bring in a buddy or a teammate to land a great player. And a lot of times it does work."

It's a calculated risk. Sometimes schools get stuck with the lesser player if the star decides to go elsewhere.

Scholarship offers can be rescinded until the paperwork is officially signed, but "that's a real bad PR move," Lemming said. "Most of the time they're going to have to bite the bullet and take the other player anyway."

Oral commitments such as the one Boyd has made to USC are not binding, and Washington's coaches aren't the only ones out there seeking to flip recruits. Just last week, Harbor City Narbonne receiver Byron Moore Jr. decommitted from USC -- this after he had switched to the Trojans after first saying he would attend UCLA. And Carson tight end Morrell Presley enrolled at UCLA after first committing to USC.

"Bobby Bowden is doing it. Joe Paterno is doing it. Pete Carroll is doing it," Asante said. "It's on. Game on right now."

Asante also has a stake in the game. Equipped with a law degree from USC and bigger aspirations than coaching on the high school level, Asante made several not-so-subtle references about being added to the Washington staff as a quarterbacks coach. Evidence of similar quid pro quo arrangements can be found throughout big-time college athletics, with coaches, friends and relatives of star recruits often finding employment connected with the university.

Holt played along, quizzing the coach about some of the formations that helped make Jordan's passing offense the most prolific in California last season. Asante meticulously spelled out plays dubbed "Fried Chicken," "Fried Meatloaf" and "Al-Qaeda" -- a triple pass that got its name, the coach explained, because it "terrorizes defenses."

Pressed about his involvement later, Asante said he's primarily serving a larger purpose: getting as many players as possible to major colleges and out of the inner city. The importance of this endeavor recently became clear to the coach when he took Purvis to the sand dunes at Manhattan Beach.

It was the first time the teenager had seen the ocean.

"When he saw the water, he said, 'Is that the water? Is that the beach?' " Asante said. "And this is at 17 years old. It really blew my mind."

The Washington coaches converged for their recruiting visit at a hair salon owned by Asante at the corner of Wilmington Avenue and 107th Street in South L.A.

By the time Sarkisian pulled up in a Cadillac Escalade, Purvis had already planted himself in a swivel chair and was watching his own highlight DVD set to rap music. Soon Holt, Boyd and Beck arrived and everyone viewed Purvis' highlights on a flat-screen television perched high on a wall.

The group reconvened a few minutes later at the coffee house, sitting at a table surrounded by pictures of black luminaries such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Even though NCAA rules forbid college coaches from contact with underclassmen, Asante had asked Beck, his budding star, to tag along in preparation for the deluge of recruiting visits that will ensue next season.

Between bites of waffles, scrambled eggs and bacon, Sarkisian spoke excitedly about Boyd's official visit Friday to Seattle, telling the recruit he would be put up on the 36th floor of a swank downtown hotel, in a room with panoramic views.

Boyd wanted to know how far downtown was from the airport, having recently endured a 90-minute commute from Portland, Ore., to Corvallis during a recruiting trip to Oregon State. Sarkisian assured him it was only 10 minutes.

The players and coaches quickly moved on to a second course, baskets of fried chicken and french fries accompanied by pitchers of pink lemonade. Holt asked Boyd about his stats and the player answered, only to be corrected by Asante, who noted that the City Section player of the year had passed for 44 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions.

"Those are better than Barkley's stats," Holt said, eliciting laughter from everyone at the table with his reference to USC-bound quarterback Matt Barkley of Santa Ana Mater Dei High.

As the banter between the coaches and players began to wane, Asante's salesmanship veered into overdrive. The coach pitched a pair of linemen at nearby Compton Centennial and another player at L.A. Verbum Dei that he felt the Washington coaches should take a look at.

Asante handed Sarkisian his cellphone and told him to leave a message for Centennial Coach Eric Scott.

"Hey, E. Scott, this is Sark," Sarkisian said. "I want to come see your guys."

Before they left, Holt and Sarkisian hashed out their schedules for the rest of the day and made plans to attend Jordan's basketball game later in the afternoon to catch up with Boyd and Purvis, who are members of the team.

There were handshakes and smiles all around as the meal -- paid for by Asante -- ended. The Washington coaches had won over at least one of the players -- Purvis.

"They are cool guys who I would love to play for," he said.

As for Boyd, the Huskies are still fighting an uphill battle.

A few days after Boyd met with the Washington coaches, USC sent a Lincoln Town Car to pick him up for his official visit. The Trojans put Boyd up at the downtown L.A. Marriott and so impressed him that he proclaimed them the runaway leader for his services.

"Right now it's Southern Cal," said Boyd, adding that he would announce his college decision Sunday afternoon after returning from Seattle. "Washington has to come up with a miracle."

Might that miracle be spelled P-U-R-V-I-S?

Purvis said he wouldn't mind being a bargaining chip as long as he got a scholarship.

"It wouldn't matter to me," he said. "I'd be cool with it."

There is a good argument that long time USC four-star athlete commit James Boyd (6-4, 211, 4.7) from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan is the best two-way player in the state if not the nation. There aren’t many who made Boyd’s impact as a two-way player.

Boyd led the state of California in passing yards with 4,266 and 44 touchdowns while completing 62.2 percent of his passes while playing quarterback. He even was a threat running the football, as he led his team in rushing with 608 yards on the ground. He also had two rushing touchdowns.

On defense, Boyd had to fight through double teams, and still he racked up 104 tackles, eight sacks and two fumble recoveries.

How many two-way players made that kind of impact and influence on a football game the way Boyd did as a senior?

With Washington in hot pursuit, Boyd took his official visit to USC this weekend.

“James is feeling really good about USC,” Jordan head coach Elijah Asante said. “He is still going to take a trip to Washington, but they will have to something spectacular.”

“Pete (USC head coach Pete Carroll) told James that he could play a number of positions at USC,” Asante said. “He could end up playing defensive end or linebacker on defense and tight end for them if he ends up on offense.”

“James really enjoyed himself and he is really solid with USC,” Asante said. “Washington can’t afford to be average with him. They will have to go all out.”

Look for Washington to put up a great fight for Boyd. They were busy last week putting on the full court press on Boyd.

New Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian and his defensive coordinator Nick Holt broke bread with Asante at the Watts Café last week.

“Washington likes James as a quarterback, but more importantly they just want to get him on the field as soon as possible,” Asante said. “They don’t care he plays quarterback, tight end or defensive end. They just want to get him on the field.”

“I was very impressed with Steve (Sarkisian) and Nick’s (Holt) presentation and their energy,” Asante said. “I appreciate the respect that Steve and Nick show our program at Jordan.”

So there is another chapter to play out in this very roller coaster like recruiting season. Boyd will be joined this weekend on his visit to Washington (Jan. 30) with his Jordan high school teammate and wingman, Delvon Purvis.

Los Angeles Jordan two-way standout James Boyd, the City Section player of the year, said Sunday he would announce his college choice at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 after returning from his official visit to Washington next weekend.

USC, which just hosted Boyd during his official visit over the weekend, appears to be a strong front-runner.

"Right now it's SC," said Boyd, who has also visited Oregon State. "Washington has to come with a miracle."

USC picked up Boyd in a Lincoln Town Car during his visit and put him and other recruits up in the downtown L.A. Marriott.

"He had the five-star treatment," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said.

UPDATE: After checking with Boyd, Asante said Monday afternoon that the star recruit was picked up in a Lincoln Town Car, not a limousine.

--Ben Bolch

San Diego State made--and then rescinded--a scholarship offer to L.A. Jordan receiver/defensive back Eric Hunter earlier this week, drawing the ire of Bulldogs Coach Elijah Asante.

Asante said Hunter was OK with the reversal because he had already committed to New Mexico State, but Asante might have second thoughts about welcoming the Aztecs' coaching staff back to campus.

"It wasn't a good move by them because now it tells me not to trust them," Asante said. "For you to come down and offer a kid and renege the next day, I'm looking at them like I'm not" dealing with them anymore.

--Ben Bolch

A three-time first team All-City Section selection, Hunter is expected to primarily play defensive back for the Aggies, though he will also play on offense. Asante said New Mexico State Coach DeWayne Walker, the former UCLA defensive coordinator, was instrumental in enticing Hunter to become an Aggie.

--Ben Bolch

By Ron Guild

Story Published: Jan 15, 2009 at 9:23 PM PST

(Story Updated: Jan 15, 2009 at 9:23 PM PST )

Two-way players are hardly unusual in high school football.

Backs and receivers on offense commonly move to the secondary on changes of possession. Fullbacks often turn into linebackers when they go on defense.

Then there’s the case of Jordan High School’s James Boyd, a two-way performer with a unique twist.

Not only does Boyd stay on the field when his team goes on defense, he moves to the line as a pass-rushing end. He does both with uncommon excellence.

As Jordan coach Elijah Asante said of the Wave Newspapers 2008 Player of the Year, “He plays two positions that are polar opposites and is able to do it. He goes from the cerebral position of quarterback to the smash-mouth position of defensive end just like that.”

Boyd, an All-American and all-state selection headed to USC as a defensive player, put together mind-boggling numbers while leading Jordan’s 26-man roster to a share of the Eastern League title and the first upper-division playoff victory in the history of a school that has been in existence since 1925.

Here are just some of the senior year statistics compiled by the 6-foot-5, 225-pound three-year starter:

He completed 280 of 450 passes for a state-leading 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns. The yardage total ranked third nationally.

Operating primarily out of the shotgun in Jordan’s spread offense, he also ran the ball 84 times for a team-leading 608 yards and two touchdowns.

From his spot at defensive end, he was in on 104 tackles, 73 of them solo, and had eight sacks.

Along the way, he had outstanding individual games.

He threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-20 loss to State Division III champion St. Bonaventure.

He launched a state-record 73 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-32 loss to Southern Section power Mater Dei the following week.

He threw for 424 yards and six TDs against Bell, for 368 yards and four TDs against South East and an eye-popping 578 yards and eight scores against South Gate.

Boyd’s career numbers were 8,575 yards and 74 TDs passing, the yardage third-best all-time in City history behind Palisades’ David Koral (8,964 yards from 1999-2000) and Wilson’s Ron Cuccia (8,804 from 1975-77).

The maturation process was even more impressive for someone who went through his share of ups and downs the last three seasons.

Asante, tabbed the Wave’s Coach of the Year, threw him in there as a sophomore against some of the toughest competition in Southern California (Edison, Esperanza, Dorsey) and the results were not always pretty.

In addition to the yardage, there were interceptions, lots of them, and not many wins (three) as a 10th grader.

The next year there was a league title, playoffs and 2,499 yards passing. He also had 72 tackles and 11 sacks, earning City defensive player of the year honors.

But emotional displays led to more than one suspension, including the first half of the playoff loss to Taft his junior year.

“It’s been a constant, on-going job of keeping his emotions in check,” Asante said. “I had to bench him a lot, but it’s all about being accountable and responsible. I had to punish him like he was the worst kid on the team. I couldn’t show any favoritism.”

Asante cited Boyd’s sophomore year as an example.

“He’d throw an interception and come off the field crying,” he said. “He was an emotional wreck. The second year he got the big head. This year his demeanor was calmer. He never missed a practices or was even late to practice.”

Boyd took on more of a leadership role.

“He had a lot of fire as a senior, but it was contained,” he said. “As the maturation process grew, he took on a lot more responsibility.”

It was all about winning for Boyd.

“He has a great will to win. He sacrificed his body and never worried about his stats. He had a historic effort against Mater and the three touchdown passes he threw against St. Bonaventure was the most they gave up all year. He threw a touchdown pass in every game this year.”

Asante feels Boyd ranks with the best the section has ever produced.

“He’s one of the legendary players in City history,” he said. “I’ve got to put him up there with all the great ones like Michael Alo, Freeman McNeil, John Elway and Ron Cuccia.

“He’s one of the all-time greats. How many can say they were the City defensive player of the year as a junior and the overall City player of the year as a senior?”

Asante has repeated as Coach of the Year after directing the Bulldogs to a 7-5 record and a share of the league title.

The record may appear lackluster, but few teams in Southern California played as challenging a schedule as Jordan. Nor did they have to play the entire schedule on the road because the home turf was being dug up to build a new one, set to open in the fall of 2009.

On consecutive weeks, the Bulldogs faced Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei. While all resulted in losses, it toughened them up for league and beyond.

Jordan won a hard-fought game over Fremont in the first round of the City playoffs, the first postseason victory in the upper division in the history of a school that opened in 1925.

The season ended the following week with a 39-20 loss to Crenshaw in the quarterfinals.

Asante’s philosophy is, to be the best, you’ve got to play the best.

“We relish this kind of schedule,” he said. “It makes us stronger. We’re trying to emulate the programs like Esperanza. Playing them has helped us grow.”

Athlete James Boyd (Los Angeles/Jordan) committed early in the recruiting process to USC but has decided to take his visits. Does any school have a chance to steal him away from the Trojans?

Of all the players currently committed to USC, Boyd always looked like one of the most solid of the bunch. I still don't see the two way-standout leaving the fold, but there could be one school to watch out for.

Jordan coach Elijah Asante has told me several times that if a school came in and offered Boyd a chance to play quarterback, his favorite position, that school would have a chance to unseat the Trojans.

"James really wants to play quarterback, that's his dream position," Asante said. "He won't say that too often but he would love that opportunity. SC and everyone else recruited him for defensive end and he's fine with that. He loves SC but wants to take these visits to see what else is out there."

Boyd had a huge season throwing the ball completing 62 percent of his passes for 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns. He also rushed for 608 yards and two more scores. He added 104 tackles and eight sacks on defense.

Boyd will visit Arizona State this weekend, USC the following weekend and Washington (Jan. 30).

"Washington wants James to play quarterback and they have a real shot at him," Asante said. "(Steve) Sarkisian talked to him and said they would give him a shot at quarterback and I know James is very interested in that.

"Plus Washington is tripping in another one of our players that weekend, Delvon Purvis, and he and James are like best friends. I still think James will stick with USC but I wouldn't be surprised if he heads over to Washington to play quarterback either."

Washington already has their collective eyes on Jordan (Los Angeles) QB/DE James Boyd and he's scheduled a visit to the Huskies the last weekend of the month. Joining Boyd will be his talented teammate, ATH Delvon Purvis who could play a number of positions and while he doesn't have an offer yet, he's very high on what is going on at Montlake.

"Washington has been on me since coach (Steve) Sarkisian took over," Purvis told Dawgman.com. "Coach (Demetrice) Martin is the coach recruiting me for them and he wants me to come visit with James at the end of the month (January 30th) so I'm going up there that weekend."

Purvis was a monster on both sides of the ball for Jordan in 2008, posting 69 receptions for 1,175 yards and 13 touchdowns while notching 71 tackles, one sack and two fumble recoveries as a defensive back.

"I think Washington is mainly looking at me on offense, but that's just a guess right now," Purvis said. "I could play corner or safety or wide receiver, it really doesn't matter to me, I just want to play."

Besides the Huskies, Arizona, Oregon State and Nevada have been looking at Purvis and his 4.5 speed, but at this point Washington has shown the most interest and he said if the Huskies offer, "I'm going to take it."

We'll continue to track Purvis' progress over the coming weeks and update things as news breaks.

Two-way standout at L.A. Jordan has matured into prolific passer

As Jordan quarterback/defensive lineman James Boyd winds down his high school career, he can only marvel at far he and the program have come since he joined the varsity as a 10th grader.

That 2006-07 season saw Jordan finish 3-7 and Boyd finish with seven touchdowns and 20 interceptions, along with 1,810 yards. Like most young players, his emotions sometimes got the best of him

"He'd often cry after some losses," Jordan coach Elijah Asante said, "But he's an emotional kid

Fast forward to today. The Bulldogs are 7-4 and made history after defeating Fremont in the opening round of the City Section playoffs. After being ousted at this point the last two years, the 21-12 victory was the school's first at the 4A level and it came after the Bulldogs earned their highest seed ever at No. 5.

As the team matured, so did Boyd. When mistakes came, he'd immediately move on to the next play and stay focused. Even when he threw a season-high four interceptions against Mater Dei on September 25, his poise was evident to those who watched him throw a state record 73 passes that night.

"He's still an emotional kid but he's controlling it a lot better than he has in the past," Asante said, "It's been a process and he's matured a lot."

The personal growth has matched his growth as a quarterback as the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Boyd has become one of the most prolific signal callers in the City's history. Entering the Bulldogs' game against Crenshaw this week, he's ranked third all-time in passing yardage (8,241) and fourth in touchdowns (71).

It's partly been a reflection of being mentored by Asante, a former quarterback at Eastern Illinois and with the semipro Los Angeles Falcons, where he won 10 championships, and also from him limiting mistakes by changing his focus.

"In 10th grade, I was trying to go deep too much," Boyd said, "In 11th grade, I was trying to go short and deep. This year, I'm reading defenses and watching college football more."

The improvement has been evident. 446 passing yards and three touchdowns against Mater Dei. 424 yards and six touchdowns against Bell. And against South Gate in the regular season finale, Boyd had a day that resembles something out of a video game.

In the 63-7 victory, he passed for 575 yards - the third highest single-game total in City Section history - and eight touchdowns. For good measure, he also ran for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Leading up to the game against Crenshaw this week, Boyd has passed for 3,932 yards - good for No. 2 in the state - and a state-leading 41 touchdown passes to go against 14 interceptions.

You almost forget that Boyd was voted the City's best defensive lineman last year as he racked up 11 sacks and six fumble recoveries among his 72 tackles. This year, he's racked up 99 tackles, a team-high eight sacks and two fumble recoveries against double coverage most of the year.

By playing defense, he said, "it gives you an advantage because you know what to expect. You know what the line is going to do and their options are."

It's the kind of numbers that makes USC glad that he's suiting up for them in the fall. In addition to defensive end, he could see time at linebacker or tight end.

The versatility is nothing new to those who've seen him since his Pop Warner days at Ted Watkins Park in Watts. His uncle, Quincy "Q-Ball" Nance, saw it firsthand as his coach for two years.

"He hated to lose so he would do anything to win a game," Nance said.

He would play Boyd at cornerback, wide receiver, nose guard and safety in addition to quarterback and defensive end. No matter where he played, he dominated his position.

"He's the best all-around player I've ever seen come out of Watts," said Nance, who's seen a lot of players in his 16 years of coaching.

But in his young nephew, he also saw a concern for his teammates. Instead of tearing down them down when they missed assignments, he would encourage them to get ready for the next play.

That has translated to his role on the Bulldogs where as a co-captain, he addresses the team after every game. Along with fellow seniors Delvon Purvis and Eric Hunter, the positive feedback has been a big help to freshman teammates Patrick Wooten and Raymond Ford.

It's perhaps the biggest benefit of Boyd's success. Not only does he provide inspiration to his younger siblings and joy to his mother Helen, but he's giving another positive light to the Watts community.

Just one more stage in his evolution from Pop Warner standout to an unforgettable City Section two-way player to a future Trojan representing the best of Watts.

Normally resting on a flashy high-powered spread offense to win football games, Jordan High School advanced beyond the first round of the City Section’s City Division playoffs by leaning more on its defense to hold off Fremont, 21-12 in a gritty smash-mouth type of game.

It was pretty much business as usual for Crenshaw, which relied on big plays to crush Banning, 42-6.

Now, the two meet at Crenshaw Wednesday looking to advance to the Dec. 5 semifinals.

The No. 5 seeded Bulldogs (7-4), having posted the first upper-division playoff victory in the history of a school that opened in 1925, will see if it can extend its season one more week.

No. 4 Crenshaw (8-2), which roared through the Coliseum League without much trouble, is going to be a serious challenge because the Cougars are one of the section’s hottest teams.

“Crenshaw has some of the fastest players in the state of California,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “We played them in the passing leagues, so we know all about their talent level.”

The first-round win over Fremont showed Jordan the playoffs are not going to be like the regular season when the Bulldogs were rolling up 40 or more points on a regular basis and James Boyd was slinging touchdown passes to everybody.

Unlike a week earlier when Boyd threw for 575 yards and eight scores in a 63-7 rout of South Gate, Jordan had to rely on defense to hold off Fremont (6-5).

Brandon Caldwell’s 99-yard interception return not only killed a potential tying score by the Pathfinders, but increased Jordan’s lead to 14-0. Then on the final play of the first half, Eric Hunter intercepted a George Limbrick pass in the end zone and returned it 65 yards.

In the closing seconds, the Pathfinders threatened again by driving to the Jordan three. That potential score was turned away when Limbrick was sacked at the 20 on fourth down.

“Our defense was excellent tonight,” Asante said. “Our defensive coordinator made some great tactical adjustments. He put players in the right place to make the plays. Our defense showed it could play, too.”

The defense needed to make big plays at critical times because Fremont controlled the ball for long portions, evidence being a 53-43 advantage in plays run and a 346-205 edge in total yardage.

Deshawn Beck’s one-yard run capping a 67-yard march following the opening kickoff was one of the few times the Bulldogs put together a significant drive.

Boyd’s 41st scoring pass of the season, a three-yarder to Robert Lewis in the third quarter, gave them a 21-6 lead.

Dominique Echols, who carried 22 times for 140 yards, did much of the work on the two Fremont scoring drives. The first ended with Limbrick (12-for-21 for 181 yards) scoring from the one, the other with Echols going over from a yard out.

Crenshaw left little doubt against Banning, beginning with the opening kickoff, which Geno Hall returned 93 yards for a touchdown. Hall later returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score.

Noel Grigsby caught six passes for 136 yards and two scores (35, 60 yards).

DeAnthony Thomas, the speedy sophomore who competed in the state track championships last spring, returned an interception 62 yards for another score.

L.A. Jordan played pretty much every Southern Section power it could fit on its nonleague schedule and didn't beat any of them. The Bulldogs lost to Esperanza, 9-8, fell to St. Bonaventure, 38-20, and ran out of gas against Mater Dei after holding an early 20-0 lead, falling, 49-32. They were close in every game but couldn't pull out a statement victory.

So, some two months later, the question arises: Was it worth it? Did playing some of the best teams in Southern California prepare Jordan for the City Section playoffs?

Some might say the Bulldogs need to at least beat Crenshaw on Wednesday and reach the semifinals to validate their schedule.

Not Jordan Coach Elijah Asante.

Asante pointed out that the fifth-seeded Bulldogs were seeded higher than traditional City powers Birmingham, Dorsey and Carson. And, for the first time in the program's history, Jordan won a Championship Division playoff game when it defeated Fremont, 21-12, in the first round.

"It already paid off. We've never been this far before," Asante said. "There's no question it was the right thing to do."

--Ben Bolch

Los Angeles - It's about 4 p.m. on game day and coach Elijah Asante, donning a sharp black suit and a pair of shined shoes, is answering questions about his team's postseason position.

When asked about a former player, Bruce Adams, who died earlier this year following a gang-related crime, Asante pauses, looks up and points out his surroundings. Across the street from Jordan (Los Angeles) High, just in front of the Bulldogs' field that is under construction, are the projects, a series of rundown apartment buildings.

Located just across the baseball field and the Jordan fieldhouse is public housing

Jordan is in the heart of Watts, a community with the lowest average household income in Los Angeles County ($17,987), where 49.1 percent of families are below the poverty level, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," Asante said to a reporter about 30 minutes earlier. He'd just arrived at the school from the barbershop he owns, located a few blocks away.

Asante is part-time teacher, part-time salon owner and full-time Bulldogs coach.

He's reluctant to talk about his previous work. After getting his law degree at USC, he practiced sports and entertainment law and worked as a sports agent for about 15 years. He dropped that, despite the higher salary, when he heard about the Jordan gig. Asante doesn't have much to say about his legal days.

But he'll tell you about his time at Eastern Illinois, where he was a quarterback. He'll mention the 10 championships he won while playing semipro football with the Los Angeles Falcons. And get him started on the Jordan Bulldogs, and he might not stop.

Thursday was as big a day as any. The Bulldogs were preparing for their first-round playoff game against Fremont (Los Angeles) High, a team they were expected to beat. Jordan lost in the first round the past two years, but this game was supposed to be different.

It was. Jordan (7-4) didn't pounce on Fremont like it has other opponents this season, but it advanced to the second round, winning 21-12 - the school's first playoff victory in the CIF Los Angeles City Section - on the shoulders of USC-bound four-star quarterback/defensive end James Boyd. The Bulldogs will play Crenshaw (Calif.) High on Wednesday in the section quarterfinals.

The entire day, though, was filled with much more than football. At Jordan, it's hard to ignore the connection between life values and the Bulldogs' commitment to football.

Making the grade

At about 4:30 p.m., the players are scattered around campus - some are in the weight room, some are outside and a handful are in the locker room. Sophomore running back Darnell Jackson doesn't have the luxury to be in any of those places.

Jackson played junior varsity this year, and come playoff time the more talented underclassmen typically get called up to varsity. Jackson has the skill, junior varsity coach Clinton Dunlap said, but he didn't have the grades.

USC bound James Boyd is using football to avoid many traps others in the neighborhood fall into

To be eligible, players need a 2.5 grade point average. At the most recent grading period, Jackson didn't.

So Dunlap is lecturing him, his back pinned to the outside locker room wall.

"He doesn't realize how good he really is," Dunlap said. "He's a great athlete; I just want to make sure he keeps his head right so he can play. I know he's hurting from this, because now he sees his buddies on JV getting called up, and he wishes he showed up to class more."

Dunlap's not mad because he thought Jackson could be an impact player on varsity this season. He's mad because he's seen too many kids like Jackson, with all that talent, throw it all away.

Carell Johnson is a good example. A two-star running back recruit in the 2006 class, Johnson landed a scholarship to Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla. Dunlap was happy Johnson found an opportunity away from the neighborhood, away from the gangs and drugs and violence.

It didn't take long, though, before Johnson got homesick. He left Bethune-Cookman in the middle of his first year, came home and got involved with a gang. Now he's in jail for life - Dunlap wouldn't say what for.

In Watts, Johnson's neither the exception nor the rule. He's somewhere in between. There are players like Boyd, senior three-star receiver Delvon Purvis and senior three-star defensive back Erick Hunter. They seem to have their heads on straight, and likely all will play at the Division I level.

Then there are the ones who couldn't avoid trouble, like Johnson and Adams, the former player who was murdered earlier this year. He would have been a senior this season. There's Kejuan and Brandon Bullard, too.

Both were murdered this year in gang-related shootings. Both were former Bulldogs. They never made it out of Watts.

"I'm tired of losing my kids when football season ends," Dunlap said. "Now they're in to gangbanging. Now he's selling dope. Now he gets shot. Now he's getting killed. I'm just tired of it."

So are the players. It's nearing 5 p.m., and they're leaving the weight room, heading toward the basketball gym to take a team photo. On the way out, they tap a sign that reads "Shock And Speed" three times. Perhaps three times for three former teammates.

Now they're in the gymnasium, seated on the foldout bleachers, making jokes, squirming and generally making life difficult for the photographer.

Then a voice quiets everyone down.

"What the hell are we, some school girls," says Rodney Nichols, defensive backs coach. "Let's get this done so we can get out of here and take care of business."

Making a difference

Nichols, 29, is the youngest coach on staff. But his words do the trick. He's not shy. Not during the photo shoot, and not during the game. He jumps on players when they err, and he's the first to celebrate when it's warranted.

When Boyd leads the team on a decisive touchdown drive in the third quarter, the two do a sideline dance - obviously previously choreographed - that puts the cheerleaders to shame. When Hunter drops passes on consecutive drives, Nichols chews him out.

Coach Nichols was raised in Watts and uses his time with the team to lead by example

The players listen to him not because he's big or intimidating. They listen because he is them.

Nichols grew up in Watts and started school at Jordan before getting expelled his freshman year for fighting. He moved to Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) High, where he played basketball, football and baseball.

Expulsion aside, Nichols stayed out of trouble. He watched four of his older brothers join gangs and knew he wanted something else. He cherished his time away from home. He played every sport he could to keep busy. He even got into bowling.

Nichols finished high school, joined the Navy for seven years and earned a criminology degree at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., and Westwood College in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, two of his brothers landed in jail, one for murder, the other for drug trafficking.

"The thing I want these kids to learn is what I learned," Nichols said. "I love my brothers, but they don't define who I am. It is a part of who you are, but you don't have to be that yourself."

So Nichols doesn't hesitate to offer his opinion.

During stretches before the game, he approaches every player with a few words of wisdom. He jokes with the other coaches and teases a few players. Like Asante, he's wearing a suit, a far cry from his typical khakis and T-shirt.

"Having [Nichols] around helps us a lot," Hunter said. "When he's getting on me, I might give him something back, but I know he's telling me what's best for me. He knows what he's talking about. He's been there, done that."

Except Nichols almost couldn't make this game. Two weeks ago, he was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a disease that results from inflammation of tissues in the body, typically the lungs or lymph nodes. It causes frequent fatigue and shortness of breath.

After holding Nichols in the hospital for a week, doctors released him and told him to take it easy. That was last Thursday. He coached that night when Jordan dominated South Gate (Calif.) High, 63-7.

"I just love being here," Nichols said while walking to the team bus after the playoff win. "It's just really, really special being here, helping these kids. I feel like I'm giving back this way."

Jordan lost to Taft, 36-28, in the first round last year and fell to Venice, 37-34, in the first round in 2005.

The fifth-seeded Bulldogs play at fourth-seeded Crenshaw in a quarterfinal on Wednesday that figures to be extremely entertaining. Ninth-seeded Birmingham and top-seeded Narbonne will also play in a quarterfinal that figures to be high scoring.

--Ben Bolch

Now, the Jordan High School football team finds out if that killer preleague schedule was worth it.

Beginning Thursday, the Bulldogs will find out if a steady diet of Southern Section powers Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei prior to Eastern League play proves beneficial in the City Section’s City Division playoffs.

Jordan (6-4), the No. 5 seed, hosts Fremont (6-4) in a first-round game.

“We’ll see if the schedule helped,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “The proof will be in the pudding. I feel we’re ready to go to war.”

The Bulldogs are clicking on all cylinders offensively.

In their 63-7 rout of South Gate that gave them a share of the league title with Garfield and Roosevelt, they got a spectacular performance from senior quarterback James Boyd, who threw for 575 yards and eight touchdowns, both career highs. The 575 yards ranks third on the all-time City single-game list, trailing only 764- and 583-yard performances by David Koral of Palisades in 1999 and 2000. The eight scoring passes are tied for second behind the 10 Koral, a future UCLA player, passed for against Kilpatrick in 1999.

Boyd, who ranks first in California and third in the nation in passing according to maxpreps.com, has thrown for 3,721 yards and 40 touchdowns in 10 games.

He spreads the wealth among a group of receivers that includes Deshawn Beck (62 catches for 969 yards, 14 TDs), Delvon Purvis (60 for 967, 11), Robert Lewis (54 for 684, six), Eric Hunter (42 for 566, six) and Brandon Caldwell (33 for 646, six).

Fremont, courtesy of its 22-20 win over Locke, heads into the playoffs as the Coliseum’s No. 3 team. The Pathfinders shared the second spot with Dorsey and Locke.

Fremont has already played teams — Rancho Verde and Los Alamitos — that feature similar spread offenses like Jordan. The results, though, weren’t good since the Pathfinders lost by a combined 73-0.

But as Fremont coach John Washington said, “I can’t imagine Jordan being any faster than those teams.”

Still, he’s leery of the section’s most explosive offense.

“They’re very good and very well-coached,” he said.

With a deep playoff run, L.A. Jordan quarterback James Boyd could become the most prolific passer in City Section history.

Boyd has 8,030 yards and 70 touchdowns in his career, ranking him third on the career yardage list and fourth on the career touchdowns list, according to the Cal-Hi record book. Boyd was selected as the Eastern League most valuable player Tuesday night.

The record for passing yardage in the City is held by David Koral, who passed for 8,964 yards for Palisades from 1999-2000. Ron Cuccia of L.A. Wilson passed for 8,804 yards from 1975-77. (Perry Klein, by the way, isn't on the list. He threw for 3,899 yards as a junior but Cal-Hi doesn't list career numbers for him.)

Koral also had 100 career touchdown passes. Cuccia had 91 TD passes and Daniel Gonzalez of Franklin had 79 from 1998-2000.

Topping Koral's touchdown mark seems a longshot, though Boyd threw eight touchdown passes in the Bulldogs' regular-season finale against South Gate. Jordan (6-4) opens the playoffs Thursday against Fremont (6-4) at South Gate High in a Championship Division first-round game.

--Ben Bolch

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 13.NOV.08

Consider it a lesson learned.

A midseason loss to Roosevelt High School showed the Jordan football team it can’t take anything for granted once it steps on the field.

The Bulldog showed they learned from their mistakes by administering a 48-29 thrashing last Friday to a Garfield team that had not lost an Eastern League game to that point.

And coach Elijah Asante promises Jordan will take a similar approach Frday in its final regular-season game, even if the opponent is cellar-dwelling South Gate (1-8, 0-5).

“We got caught taking Roosevelt lightly and it cost us,” Asante said. “That’s why we have to take South Gate seriously.”

That said, Jordan (5-4, 4-1) shouldn’t have too much trouble in its final tuneup before the start of the City Section playoffs next week.

When their high-powered spread offense is clicking on all cylinders, there isn’t much any team, even one the caliber of Garfield, can do to stop it.

Quarterback James Boyd, the trigger man, threw five touchdown passes and finished 14-for-27 for 327 yards. Delvon Purvis caught seven passes for 128 yards, including four for touchdowns.

“Delvon was the star of the game,” Asante said. “He was dominant tonight.”

Jordan’s versatility is such that Deshawn Beck lined up at quarterback in the first quarter and tossed scoring passes of 62 yards to Purvis and 52 yards to Robert Lewis. Beck, who had four catches for 138 yards, hauled in a 60-yard touchdown pass from Boyd in the fourth quarter after Garfield had closed the gap to 34-29.

Boyd, who now has 32 touchdown passes, closed out the scoring with a 39-yard scoring toss to Brandon Caldwell.

“I’ve never seen them play so perfect,” Garfield coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. “They seemed to have another gear out there. We just couldn’t stop them.”

Garfield (5-4, 4-1), which faces first-place Roosevelt (8-1, 5-0) at East L.A. College Friday, displayed pretty good balance.

Patrick Vargas completed 13 of 21 for 169 yards and a score and Franky Diaz led the ground attack with 92 yards on 25 carries. Sergio Macedo ran for a pair of touchdown and gained 73 yards on 13 carries.

By Harold Abend
Special to CalHiSports.com

There are two-way players, and then, there are two-way players.

As players who see action on both sides of the ball go, James Boyd is probably one of the most unique combinations to ever come out of the Los Angeles City Section, or possibly even the entire state.

Boyd is a 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback who also lines up as a defensive end. In fact, even with gaudy offensive numbers last season (2,499 yards passing and 23 touchdowns plus five TDs rushing), Boyd was the 2007 Los Angeles City Section lineman of the year, after finishing with 11 sacks and six fumble recoveries, many caused by his bone-crushing tackles. "He's pretty extraordinary. He's easily as good as anyone I've seen in the last 15 years," said Ron Guild, sports editor of the Los Angeles Wave, and a veteran observer of L.A. City Section football.

"He's different than some of the recent city talents like Stafon Johnson (now at USC) and Jeremiah Johnson (now at Oregon) from Dorsey [Los Angeles]. Physically, James is as talented as they come," continued Gould. "He has an arm and he's extremely athletic. He's unusual. Pete Carroll recruited him for defense."

Boyd won't be going far when he suits up next fall to play football in college. The University of Southern California, to which he's earned a scholarship, is a short ride up the 110 freeway.

That ride up the 110 is one Boyd, his current Bulldogs' teammates, and Jordan head coach Elijah Asante know very well.

It's been a year of mixed emotions for Boyd, the team and its coach. Renovations have left the school without any fields this entire school year and disrupted what had hoped to be a promising season.

Presently, the team is 4-4 with somewhat expected losses against state-ranked teams such as St. Bonaventure (Ventura) and Mater Dei (Santa Ana) but it also has suffered losses against Esperanza (Anaheim) and league rival Roosevelt, both painful setbacks.

Not only are all games away, but they can't even practice nearby. The team must take a daily bus ride 45-minutes into the teeth of L.A. freeway traffic, up the 110 to downtown Los Angeles where they use the field at Roybal High. "The ride back doesn't take quite as long," joked Boyd.

"We've had a lot of challenges. Besides not having a field and all the travel, we only have about 25 players," said Coach Elijah, as they call him. Asante, who grew up in Watts himself, is a special education teacher in Los Angeles Unified in Watts, is coaching his sixth year at Jordan, with three years as head coach.

Coach Elijah can't say enough about Boyd. With a small squad, the big, strong, senior and team leader has played every down against some of the state's top programs.

"Just look at his skill set. It's not something that is usual. James is a phenomenal athlete, one that comes around every 20 years," said Asante, who besides coaching and teaching, owns a barber and beauty business in the community. "With a 4.7 in the 40, he's extremely fast for a quarterback let alone a defensive end."

His ESPNU Football Recruiting evaluation is also highly positive. The following is a portion of what was an unusually long report.

"He has a tall lean frame and should be able to add good bulk in time. He is an interesting kid at quarterback. You can tell this kid works hard to play with good technique. While he is athletic he looks to be a passer first and a runner second. Will use his legs to buy time and create second chances, but will keep his eyes down field and try and make a play with his arm. Boyd has the potential to be a college quarterback, but his highest ceiling may be on defense. He is a defensive end/outside linebacker 'tweener', but will be best served to add some weight and be an end. He has good quickness off the ball and can regularly be the first one moving."

"He always wants to do better," continued Asante. "Besides working hard on the field and in practice, he's working hard in class."

His mother, Helen Boyd, has stayed on him about his studies, and it's paying off.

"Schoolwork and keeping my grades up is important," Boyd told CalHiSports.com. "My mom has been pushing me. I'm taking extra courses online and this spring I'm taking some community college classes to get extra credit."

On the gridiron, Boyd's numbers are astronomical.

Last week, in a 53-14 victory at South East of South Gate, the section passing leader threw for 368 yards on 26-of-36 attempts with four touchdowns and one interception. Boyd also rushed for 50 yards and two scores, and caught an 8-yard option pass from Brandon Caldwell for a seventh touchdown. On defense, he added nine tackles.

Boyd is already well ahead of last year's numbers. On the season, he's passed for 2,735 yards on 201-of-337 attempts, with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He's gained 366 yards on the ground in 62 carries with the two scores. Add in the TD reception last week, and Boyd has 3,124 total yards and 30 touchdowns combined.

On defense, Boyd has registered 87 tackles, seven sacks and two fumble recoveries.

His high water mark offensively was against Mater Dei in a 49-32 loss. In that game, Boyd completed 38-of-73 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was picked off four times.

The week before in a 38-20 loss to St. Bonaventure he passed for 378 yards on 39-of-58 attempts with four touchdowns and three interceptions. He also had three sacks in the game and 23 tackles, both season-highs.

When CalHiSports jokingly asked if he has a rubber arm with all those passes, he responded with a chuckle. "As long as my teammates run the routes and my line blocks, my arm never gets tired."

"It's tough being on the bus every day, getting home late with homework left to do, and not having a home field, but it's pushing us harder to win the city," Boyd added.

Being a role model is something of which Boyd is keenly aware, and winning an award like the state athlete of the week is important to him and his family, especially little brother Ronald Reed, a linebacker in Pop Warner who will start high school next year. "He really looks up to me and I want to be his role model," James remarked.

Not many kids from Watts get the opportunity Boyd has gotten, and he's well aware of that fact.

"I'm just a kid who grew up in the inner city and wants to make my mom proud, and all the little kids who look up to me proud and keep their dreams alive," Boyd said. "Winning an award like this feels good, knowing people outside the city appreciate my efforts."

Virtually unknown outside the Los Angeles metro area before making a name for himself at USC's Rising Stars Camp where Carroll offered him a scholarship, James Boyd goes unknown to the rest of the football world no longer.

Somehow, we think we'll be hearing his name again before he hangs up the pads for the last time.

Everyone knows about USC bound James Boyd (Los Angeles, Calif./Jordan) but the Jordan High Bulldogs have a handful of other Div. I prospects as well.

Delvon Purvis is an explosive receiver and is also getting looks on the defensive side of the ball. In six games, Purvis has 34 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns to go with 36 tackles and a sack from his corner position.

"No one has offered yet but USC has already told me he's going to get a late offer from them," Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. "They like him as an athlete who could play on special teams and also at receiver.

"If Delvon does get that offer from them, he'll likely jump on it on the spot. That's his dream school and he really believes he can play there. He understands the competition they have but he's confident in his ability on the field."

Defensive back Eric Hunter is another two-way standout, and he does a little of everything for Jordan. He has rushed nine times for 85 yards and two touchdowns, caught 24 passes for 290 yards and three more scores and has 39 tackles from his safety position.

"He's being recruited as a defensive back," Asante said. "Oregon and Arizona are both close to offering him and he's basically hearing from the entire Pac 10 right now. He was all-city last year and is having a great season for us. He's a definite Pac 10 level player."

In terms of overall upside, the player with the most natural ability on the team might be junior receiver Deshawn Beck. Beck is on the ESPNU 2010 Watch List and will be recruited at the national level this coming spring.

Beck has caught 46 passes for 668 yards and nine touchdowns. He has also rushed for 142 yards and a score and is one of the fastest players in the state having clocked a 4.47-40 at the USC Rising Stars camp last summer.

"Once his highlight video comes out, which will probably be in a week or so, everyone is going to be amazed," Asante said. "He has some runs on there that are amazing and his stats would be even better but he has had a few touchdowns called back.

"Honestly, when you see this tape, it's going to remind people of Noel Devine's high school film that had the whole country buzzing. He has chance to break all the records and should finish with 100 catches and 20 touchdowns this year."

Surprisingly, no one has offered Beck yet but according to Asante, they should come flooding in when his film gets out.

"Everyone knows about him and his ability speaks for itself. He's going to have offers from everyone and unlike a lot of kids out here, he's not locked in for USC. I think he wants to get away from home and really likes Miami and Cal. Miami is his dream school as a kid and he loves Cal's offense."

Through the first six games of the season, Boyd has accumulated 529 more yards passing and six more touchdowns, and has a better completion percentage. Each player has 11 interceptions and has faced a similar level of competition.

"I don't see a better quarterback in the country," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said of Boyd, who has completed 159 of 271 passes (58.7%) for 2,175 yards and 20 touchdowns. Barkley has completed 107 of 189 passes (56.6%) for 1,646 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Though Boyd has committed to USC to play defensive end, things could get interesting if another big-name college enters the recruiting fray and tells the two-way standout that it wants him as its quarterback.

"He loves to play quarterback," Asante said.

Asante said the Bulldogs were really starting to click on offense and predicted that Boyd would tally at least 500 yards passing per game the rest of the season. Now that would be something.

-- Ben Bolch

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 16.OCT.08
Though it didn’t result in a victory, Huntington Park High School’s approach to Jordan will serve as a model to the remainder of the Eastern League teams on the Bulldogs’ schedule.

Jordan provided just enough big plays to offset the time of possession advantage held by the Spartans and come away with a 44-27 victory that was tougher than the final score indicated.

Currently 2-3 overall and 1-0 in league, the Bulldogs visit Bell, 3-2, 0-2, Friday. The Eagles are reeling from a 44-3 loss to Roosevelt.

The Spartans, 3-2, 1-1, are at South Gate, 1-4, 0-1 Friday.

Though Huntington Park put together several time-consuming drives that kept the game in doubt until the final six minutes, Jordan offset that with touchdowns covering 88, 88, 81 and 41 yards. The Spartans held a 66-43 advantage in plays, yet the Bulldogs outgained them, 446-327.

James Boyd completed 20 of 31 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns for Jordan. All four scoring passes and 284 of the yards were during a first half in which the Bulldogs were building a 26-7 lead.

Wide receiver Deshawn Beck also took a few snaps at quarterback and completed three of four for 93 yards and a touchdown.

“This win is huge because it’s over one of the premier teams in our league,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “They were playing keepaway and we still scored 44 points.”

Asante, who earned his first road win over the Spartans in his six years at the Jordan helm, praised his coaching counterpart.

“Leroy Wilson is one of the best coaches I’ve ever gone against,” he said. “He has to be one of the five best coaches in the City (Section). His teams are always well coached.”

While Boyd had his usual solid effort at quarterback, the Bulldogs also got superior efforts from the wide receiver crew.

Delvon Purvis, a senior who is being looked at by USC, according to Asante, caught eight passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns, including an 81-yarder in the second quarter in which he turned a 10-yard outpattern into a streak down the sidelines.

Brandon Caldwell turned a similar pattern in the first period into an 88-yard scoring play. Caldwell had 155 yards on three catches.

Beck, who caught a one-yard scoring pass from Boyd just before the end of the half, returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown 19 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Then just after the Spartans had closed the gap to 32-27 by converting a halfback-pass to Eric Velazquez on fourth down for a score with 6:15 left, the Bulldogs struck with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Beck to Purvis. Eric Hunter’s five-yard run as time expired accounted for the final points.

On the big plays, Asante said, “We just took advantage of one-on-one mismatches.”

As for why it took so long to put the Spartans away, he said, “Their keep-away style prevented us from doing that. They rely on three-and-a-half yards per carry and don’t deviate from that. They wait for you to makes mistakes.”

Huntington Park led, 7-6 after one quarter thanks to a seven-minute, 75-yard drive that ended with Carlos Hernandez scoring on a one-yard run and Michael Ruiz kicking the extra point.

Arnie Murillo’s 41-yard scoring pass to Hector De La Rosa 50 seconds into the third quarter got the Spartans within 12 points of Jordan.

An interception by Ricardo Ramirez set up the next H.P. score, a two-yard run by Rios that closed the gap to 26-20.

The Spartans netted 226 yards on the ground with Velazquez gaining 100 on 15 carries. De La Rosa carried 13 times for 64 yards and caught three passes for 72. Murillo was 5-for-10 for 86 yards.

----------

Garfield (3-3, 2-0), the co-leader in the Eastern League race, knocked off South East, 28-14.

South East (1-5, 0-2), which visits co-leading Roosevelt (5-1, 2-0) Friday, has been pretty good offensively this year with quarterback Jonathan Reyes and running back Senen Carson giving the Jaguars good balance.

“They have a pretty good little passer and Senen Carson is probably the best running back in the league,” Roosevelt coach Javier Cid said. “They’ve been scoring a lot of points and every one of the games they’ve lost has been close, except for one.”

Reyes completed seven of 23 for 103 yards and Carson rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries against Garfield. Jorge Lopez caught three passes for 73 yards and stood out defensively with 10 solo tackles and two assists.

Cesar Gonzalez kicked a pair of field goals for the Jaguars.

Huntington Park High School's Eric Velazquez celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against Jordan.
- Photo by Gary McCarthy

Tepa is a Samoan tackling machine. He is controlling games with his nonstop energy. The USC-bound Boyd is the most unusual athlete in the Southland, playing quarterback, defensive end, nose guard and anything he's asked.

For the complete list click on the link below.

Three-star wide receiver Delvon Purvis (5-11, 190, 4.5) from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan is off to an outstanding season. His nickname is “Never Nervous Purvis”. He many never be nervous, but his big playmaking ability sure makes his opponents nervous.

Against a tough preseason that included games against SoCal powerhouse teams Ventura (Calif.) Saint Bonaventure, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and Anaheim (Calif.) Esperanza, Purvis has been making plays as a receiver and special teams player.

In his last contest against Huntington Park, Calif., Purvis hauled in eight receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, Purvis has 29 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns. He has also scored a special teams touchdown.

On the recruiting trail, Purvis is still searching for his first offer, but that first scholie could be coming any day. Schools such as USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington and Arizona State are all looking at him.

Jordan head coach Elijah Asante is sure that his talented wide receiver will soon be getting his first offer.

“When you look at Delvon, it is about his work ethic,” Asante said. “He gets it done in the classroom, the football field and in the community.”

“USC is heavily interested in Delvon and he is very likely to get an offer from the Trojans,” Asante said. “He runs great and precise routes. Delvon is fearless over the middle and will catch the ball in traffic, plus gets yards after the catch.”

“Delvon is also outstanding on special teams,” Asante said. “Against Mater Dei he took the opening kickoff 88 yards to the house to get the ball rolling for Jordan.”

Keep an eye on Purvis, he could be one of those guys who explodes with offers as his senior season progresses.

Purvis earned a spot on the Rivals. com California Preseason Top 100 for the class of 2009 landing as the Golden State’s No. 96 prospect at any position.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 02.OCT.08 There are probably few past victories that made Jordan High School football coach Elijah Asante as proud of his team than last Thursday’s 49-32 loss to one of the state’s premier programs, Mater Dei.

Though severely outmanned (Mater Dei had an 82-man roster, Jordan’s was 24 strong, virtually all of whom played the entire 48 minutes), the Bulldogs hung tough for most of the night before running out of gas in the final quarter.

With fatigue exhibiting itself in Bulldogs being treated for cramps on seemingly every play, Mater Dei scored 22 points in the final 4:28 of the third quarter to turn a see-saw game into the 17-point margin it would end up.

“I just love these kids to death,” Asante said. “What great heart. How could you do better against a team like this.”

What Asante has been trying to achieve with a killer preleague schedule that also included Orange County power Esperanza (9-8 loss) and St. Bonaventure (38-20 setback) was get his team so battle tested, it would be able to handle anything it faced once Eastern League play, then the City Section playoffs arrived.

You can’t get more battle-tested than facing Mater Dei, a nationally-recognized program that is 3-1 and features maybe the nation’s number one prep quarterback in USC-bound Matt Barkley.

“I chose this game for a reason, and that’s because it is nationally-recognized,” Asante said. “From the coaches, to the players, to the fans, to the boosters, to the cheerleaders, to this field (Santa Ana Stadium), it’s top-notch. It’s won two national championships and has had two Heisman Trophy winners (John Huarte and Matt Leinart).

“So to fall short is no shame. We scared them to death for three quarters, then attrition got to us. We just didn’t have the depth to play with them for four quarters.”

Mater Dei had to be stunned when Jordan jumped out to a 20-0 lead before the game was five minutes old.

Delvon Purvis returned the opening kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. Deshawn Beck then drilled Barkley from behind on a sack, forcing a fumble that Donte Gray returned 33 yards to the 10. A two-yard scoring pass from James Boyd to Beck followed. Minutes later Beck intercepted a Barkley pass, returning it 79 yards for another touchdown.

Although the Monarchs would score three times before the quarter expired to take a 21-20 lead, Jordan kept counter-punching.

Boyd’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Eric Hunter early in the second quarter enabled the Bulldogs to regain the lead at 26-21. Then with 9:54 to play, Boyd’s 66-yard pass to Beck gave Jordan its last lead at 32-27.

Stamina would ultimately be the difference.

Nobody represented that as much as Boyd, the Bulldogs’ USC-bound quarterback and defensive end. The senior launched a state-record 73 passes, completing 36 for 409 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, he recorded seven tackles, including a key fourth-down stop of running back Jared Allen for no gain that gave the Bulldogs possession.

Beck had 12 receptions for 145 yards and Purvis had 10 for 90. Robert Lewis (eight for 92) and Hunter (five for 77) were also productive receivers.

The defense even made life tough for Barkley (17 of 36 for 244 yards), intercepting him twice. Raymond Ford killed one Monarch scoring threat in the first half with an end-zone interception.

Jordan (1-3) has a much-welcomed bye this week before opening the Eastern League Oct. 10 at Huntington Park.

“What we will take from this is the competition level,” Asante said. “There is no higher level than the teams we played. Playing these teams expose your weaknesses and helps you make adjustments.”

- Photo by Marinmedia.org

Riding on the Los Angeles Jordan team bus from Watts to Santa Ana on Thursday night for its game against Mater Dei, I made the mistake of asking a stupid question of Coach Elijah Asante.

I was wondering whether his team of 25 players might be intimidated when first walking into Santa Ana Stadium and seeing 82 Mater Dei players dressed in their pristine red uniforms.

"I've been to four funerals this year," Asante said.

"Do you think these kids are intimidated? It's just football."

What I learned spending eight hours behind the scenes with the Bulldogs is that they have a coach making a difference, and they have players who follow instructions, are willing to sacrifice their bodies for the good of the team and are proud of where they come from.

Asante is a USC law-school graduate who gave up entertainment law for the love of coaching. He beat out 10 other candidates to become Jordan's head coach four years ago, and what a job he has done building the program.

While others laughed at his idea of scheduling Southern Section powers Anaheim Esperanza, Ventura St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei for three consecutive nonleague games, his team has come out of the experience much stronger and ready to make a run at a City Championship despite a 1-3 record.

"Our environment isn't conducive to having a great program, but if you can do it under these conditions, it's a great charge," he said. "I emulate what we do off those three programs. We chose them because we know they're the best."

What everyone has learned from their tough schedule is that Jordan has a group of skill-position players as good as any team around.

Quarterback James Boyd, receivers DeShawn Beck and Delvon Purvis, safety Eric Hunter, freshman cornerback Raymond Ford and freshman linebacker Patrick Wooten all have a chance to play college football if they take care of their academics.

Asante, in a pregame talk, tried to remind his players that one of their teammates who was killed in a shooting earlier this year, Bruce Adams, should have been playing against Mater Dei.

"Tanky belongs in this room right now," he said.

He challenged his players to have fun and not waste the opportunity. Jordan came out and opened a 20-0 lead before losing, 49-32.

The comparisons of the two programs were startling. Jordan showed up in a yellow school bus while Mater Dei had two air-conditioned charter buses.

Jordan assistant coach Frank Lewis, who works as a Los Angeles City firefighter, served as the team trainer, taping athletes. Mater Dei had its own training crew.

Jordan couldn't wear white jerseys because they haven't arrived yet and they had some mismatched blue jerseys. Mater Dei players were perfectly dressed in 82 red jerseys.

All that was beside the point. The Bulldogs just wanted to play football, and they did.

"We're warriors," Asante said.

James Boyd, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior, will move to defensive line at USC next year, but at L.A. Jordan High he's a dual threat quarterback and standout at defensive end.

The USC recruit, who is 6 feet 5 and 230 pounds, plays quarterback for his high school team but will be a defensive end for the Trojans.

By Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 24, 2008 James Boyd is a quarterback celebrated for his superior size, sturdy arm and uncanny elusiveness.

All of which should make the L.A. Jordan High standout a valuable USC freshman next season.

At defensive end.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior is a rare hybrid, combining agility and precision with heft and brute strength. He primarily plays quarterback and defensive end for the Bulldogs but also has unnerved opponents at other positions.

"He might even be a better nose guard because he's so disruptive and his instincts are so quick," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said. "He vexes the center and the quarterback is thinking about him coming across that line."

Boyd has also played receiver and linebacker for the Bulldogs (1-2), who will need their versatile star to thrive on both sides of the line Thursday night at Santa Ana Stadium against Santa Ana Mater Dei (2-1), ranked No. 5 in the Southland by The Times.

Boyd will be the third future college teammate of Mater Dei's Matt Barkley to face the Monarchs quarterback in four weeks, following Morrell Presley, a tight end and defensive end from Carson, and Vontaze Burfict, a linebacker from Corona Centennial.

But, unlike the others, Boyd will have a chance to outshine the reigning Gatorade national player of the year at his own position.

"At the end of the fourth quarter, that's when we're teammates," Boyd said. "Until then, I'm coming after him."

Boyd has been playing quarterback and chasing them since Pop Warner, where his girth made him a natural defensive lineman. When his coaches got a glimpse of his arm strength, they decided he should also play quarterback.

Boyd says he receives quizzical looks from those who hear about the combination.

"People don't understand how I do it," Boyd said.

Then there are his coaches, who can't imagine utilizing him any other way -- especially on an undermanned Jordan team that has only 26 players.

"You usually don't have a guy that big that can play such a physical position and then play a skill position. That's what makes it different," Asante said. "I'll say once every 20 years you'll see something like that."

Though Boyd has no position preference -- "Both are fun," he said -- his mother, Helen Boyd, says he favors defense.

"On the defensive line," she said, "he can take his frustration out."

Boyd must have been completely relaxed, then, by the end of Jordan's 42-15 victory over L.A. Locke on Sept. 5. He had 14 tackles, including two sacks, plus one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles. He also passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 74 yards.

"He presents problems for you no matter which side of the ball he's on," said Locke Coach Wayne Crawford, who used two players to block Boyd when he lined up on defense. "I fear him more on defense because he's pretty much unblockable."

Last week, Boyd nearly engineered an improbable rally against No. 6-ranked Ventura St. Bonaventure, leading the Bulldogs back from a 24-0 halftime deficit with three third-quarter touchdowns during an eventual 38-20 defeat. He also had 23 tackles, leaving his teammates once again shaking their heads in admiration.

"He's just an athlete," senior receiver Delvon Purvis said. "Put it that way."

Asante says he has no doubt that Boyd, who has completed 62.4% of his passes for 909 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions, could play quarterback at the next level.

Boyd says he'll miss playing every down at USC, where he is expected primarily to be a defensive lineman but could also be used at tight end and linebacker. An agreeable sort, Boyd says he just wants to help wherever he's needed.

"If I was big enough," he said, "I'd play O-line and block for them."

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Eric Sondheimer
11:09 PM PDT, September 18, 2008

It's going to take more time before Los Angeles Jordan football Coach Elijah Asante learns whether his ambitious plan to have the Bulldogs take on Southern Section powers Anaheim Esperanza, Ventura St. Bonaventure and Santa Ana Mater Dei in consecutive games helps or hurts the Bulldogs' hopes of challenging for a City Section title.

On Thursday night, Jordan was overmatched by St. Bonaventure, losing 38-20 at Ventura Buena after falling behind, 24-0, at halftime.

The Seraphs (3-0), ranked No. 7 by The Times, are embarking on their own tough nonleague schedule, facing No. 4 Encino Crespi next week and No. 1 Long Beach Poly in three weeks.

St. Bonaventure, the CIF state Division III bowl champion last season, showed off an improving quarterback in junior Logan Meyer, who completed 13 of 17 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown in the first half.

He finished 16 for 22 for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Jordan (1-2), suiting up 26 players and relying extensively on two-way players, has one of Southern California's most impressive athletes in USC-bound James Boyd, a senior who plays quarterback and defensive end.

Boyd rallied the Bulldogs with three third-quarter touchdown passes to cut his team's deficit to 31-20. He passed for nearly 300 yards and was continually finding ways to avoid being sacked.

"It will be amazing to see what he can do when he just plays defense," St. Bonaventure Coach Todd Therrien said of Boyd.

Afterward, Boyd and his future USC teammate, defensive back Patrick Hall of St. Bonaventure, embraced at midfield.

Junior linebacker Dylan Davis had a fumble recovery and interception for St. Bonaventure, which seemed to lose focus and interest in the second half.

"We need to get better if we're going to do anything next week," Therrien said.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Jordan has moved the ball at times but seems overmatched. And just think, the Bulldogs get Mater Dei next week.

-- Eric Sondheimer

The goal-post pads have been found, and St. Bonaventure-Jordan is about to begin.

-- Eric Sondheimer

St. Bonaventure usually plays its home games at Ventura High, so if anyone has a key to the Buena shed that contains the pads, please step forward.

Jordan has 26 players suited up in an attempt to upset No. 7-rated St. Bonaventure.

But first, the goal-post pads must be found.

-- Eric Sondheimer

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor 18.SEP.08

There are some who think the schedule coach Elijah Asante has put together for his Jordan High School football team is, to say the least, crazy.

Asante claims there’s a method to his madness.

A week after a narrow 9-8 loss to Esperanza, the Bulldogs travel to Ventura Thursday to face another Southern Section power in St. Bonaventure. The third game in this killer nonleague schedule is next week in Santa Ana when they take on Mater Dei and quarterback Matt Barkley, the USC-bound Gatorade national player of the year as a junior.

“We relish this kind of schedule, it makes us stronger,” Asante said. “We’re looking forward to St. Bonaventure. They have a lot of five-star (recruiting services blue-chip recruits) players.”

It’s hard to argue with his reasoning.

Three years ago, this mostly sophomore- and freshman-dominated squad was crushed by the likes of Esperanza and Edison. Last year, there was still an obvious gap, but the games were more competitive.

Friday’s loss showed just how far the Jordan program has come in that time.

Even with a roster of just 20 players (five others were serving a one-game suspension for disciplinary reasons), several of whom battled leg cramps during the contest, the Bulldogs had a chance to win.

They had a first-and-goal at the Esperanza 10 with 2:35 to play, but fell short when three incomplete passes and a sack turned the ball back to the Aztecs, who then ran out the clock.

“We have to win despite all that,” Asante said. “We had a lot of attrition with the kids cramping and some getting hurt. We are stretched thin, but even with all that, Esperanza only beat us by a point. Now we have to be looked at as a formidable program.”

It’s because of the tough schedule, Jordan is on the rise.

“We’re trying to emulate programs like Esperanza. Playing them have helped us grow. We came up short, but came close.”

Pointing to the suspensions that cut into what little depth he had to begin with, Asante said, “We can’t put winning over discipline. That’s the guts of our program.”

What Jordan lacks in depth, it makes up for in talent.

Senior quarterback/defensive end James Boyd is talented enough to be one of those five-star recruits that St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei possess. Boyd has already given a verbal commitment to USC.

Against Esperanza, Boyd completed 18 of 30 passes for 235 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown strike to Deshawn Beck (11 catches for 157 yards) with 5:26 remaining. The two teamed up for the two-point conversion to make it a one-point game.

Boyd was also in on 15 tackles, nine of them solos, and had a sack. Defensive back Eric Hunter was in on 13 tackles, including eight solos.

Meaning, it will have all of 25 players at its disposal.

Five players were suspended for the Esperanza game because of minor transgressions and another player dressed but was unavailable. The shorthanded Bulldogs nearly knocked off the Aztecs, reaching the 10-yard line at the end of the game before a pair of incomplete passes sealed a 9-8 defeat.

"Those guys played all night long and it was still our game for the taking," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said.

Junior receiver DeShawn Beck scored all of the Bulldogs' points, hauling in a 35-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter and then making another catch on the ensuing two-point conversion. Freshman linebacker Patrick Wooten made 13 tackles.

"It is an opportunity lost because it was a chance for us to show everyone who we are and we came up a little short," Asante said. "But I was really proud of our kids. Our guys showed a lot of guts."

--Ben Bolch

By AL BALDERAS
OCVarsity Staff

GARDENA — Esperanza High’s football team learned a valuable lesson in its game against Jordan of Los Angeles on Friday night.

Saddled by an error-prone offense that fumbled the ball away four times, the Aztecs rebounded in time to survive a 9-8 victory over an undermanned Jordan squad.

Jordan took 20 players into the contest after head coach Elijah Asante suspended five of his players for the week.

“We had to do it because we can’t put winning ahead of discipline and obedience,” Asante said.

Though shorthanded, the Bulldogs (1-1) forced four fumbles, kept the Aztecs scoreless through the first half and could have won the game had they been able to finish off their final drive of the night.

The Bulldogs were trailing, 9-8, with just over a minute remaining in the game and drove to the Esperanza 10-yard line. Sean Avila sacked Jordan quarterback James Boyd at the 17 on second down. On fourth-and-goal, cornerback Grant Stubblefield knocked down a pass in the endzone.

“We didn’t practice well this week,” said Esperanza quarterback Sean McDonald. “We took it lightly. We took our win over (Corona) Santiago (last week)…we were proud of ourselves and it carried into the game.”

At least the Aztecs knew when to get serious. They took a 6-0 lead on their first drive of the second half, moving the ball 65 yards on 10 plays. Dustin Derieg put the Aztecs on top with a 6-yard run.

Tyler Drees added an 18-yard field goal in the fourth quarter after the Aztecs were stopped inches from the goal line on third down. Head coach Bill Pendleton decided to go for the sure points and instead of risking a goal line stop, or worse, another turnover.

“I wanted to make them have to score twice to beat us,” Pendleton said. “If we had gone for the touchdown and missed it, you would he writing about what an idiot I am.”

The Bulldogs seemed worn out by their lack of players. Several went down with cramps after nearly every play. Their second wind came midway through the fourth quarter.

Boyd engineered a 66-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard touchdown pass to DeShawn Beck. The duo also combined for the two-point conversion.

The Bulldogs (1-1) forced the Aztecs to punt and drove the ball to the 10 but Esperanza’s defense came up with the game-saving plays.

Jordan, a 42-15 winner over Locke in its opener, begins a rugged pre-Eastern League gauntlet by hosting Esperanza at 3 p.m. Friday. Esperanza opened with a 12-9 victory over Santiago.

This is the first of three straight games with Southern Section powers. Next week, the Bulldogs take on St. Bonaventure, then follow that up with a Sept. 25 matchup with Mater Dei.

Jordan quarterback James Boyd, who has given a verbal commitment to USC, went 18-for-29 for 301 yards and three touchdowns passing against Locke. He added a couple of sacks from his defensive end spot.

Deshawn Beck rushed for 76 yards on eight carries and caught three passes for 50 yards and Eric Hunter had five catches for 63 yards for the Bulldogs in the opener.

Eric Hunter caught a touchdown and ran for a touchdown, and freshman Raymond Ford III made an impressive debut, making an interception and catching a touchdown.

Next up for Jordan is a Friday night game against Esperanza at Gardena. Esperanza's defense was outstanding in a 12-9 victory over Corona Santiago.

"Something has to give," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said, referring to his team's terrific offense and Esperanza's defense.

Asante also complimented fellow Eastern League member Garfield for its upset victory over Birmingham.

"It was great for the Eastern League," he said.

-- Eric Sondheimer

"We are not scheduling these teams so we can have a great losing experience," Asante said. "We scheduled these teams because we expect to beat them. . . . We would play USC if I could get them on the schedule."

Jordan coach Elijah Asante has never shied away from a challenging preleague schedule and this year is no exception.

Before they begin defense of their Eastern League title, the Bulldogs take on a gauntlet of Southern Section powerhouses that include Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei. St. Bonaventure is 12th, Mater Dei 14th and Esperanza 21st in Maxpreps. com’s preseason state rankings. The Sept. 25 showdown with Mater Dei gives Jordan an upclose-and-personal look at future USC quarterback Matt Barkley, the Gatorade national player of the year.

With numerous three-year starters on the roster, Jordan seems never better equipped to take on programs of this caliber.

Quarterback/defensive end James Boyd, who has committed to USC, is the star of this team on both sides of the ball. He passed for 2,499 yards and 23 touchdowns, but earned City defensive player of the year honors after recording 72 tackles and 11 sacks. Also returning is receiver Delvon Purvis.

Eric Hunter, another veteran, leads a talented secondary.

Two schools are consistently mentioned when talk turns to the L.A. City Section's Eastern League - L.A. Jordan and Garfield.

Jordan is the defending league champion (7-4, 6-0 in 2007) and returns USC commitment James Boyd as both its starting quarterback (2,499 passing yards, 23 passing TDs) and defensive end (140 tackles, 11 sacks, City Defensive Lineman of the Year).

The Bulldogs also return receivers DeShawn Beck, Eric Hunter and Delvon Purvis and have a brutal nonleague schedule that pits them against Esperanza, St. Bonaventure and Mater Dei in consecutive games.

Garfield (11-3, 4-2) won the City Section Invitational title a year ago after a second-place finish in league. Senior tailbacks Frankie Diaz and Sergio Macedo combined for more than 2,800 rushing yards as juniors and senior cornerback Lanny Delgado is a returning All-City performer.

But schools such as South East and Huntington Park also could be part of the mix this season. South East (8-4, 4-2) reached the second round of the Invitational playoffs a year ago and Huntington Park (7-6, 3-3) returns seven starters from a team that upset top-seeded Eagle Rock and reached the Invitational quarterfinals.

At Roosevelt, the Rough Riders (6-5, 3-3) will have senior Jesse Diaz at quarterback. As a junior, Diaz led the City Section in total offense (over 2,700 combined passing and rushing yards, 18 TDs).

Junior running back Manny Ayon averaged 8.0 yards per carry last season and senior Rafael Ortega is a returning first-team all- league linebacker.

Bell and South Gate are looking to rebound from tough seasons.

Bell went just 1-8 a year ago (1-5 in league) but returns six starters and 12 players that played significantly.

At South Gate, first-year coach Reginald Grant is out to turn around a program that went 0-10, 0-6 a year ago.

Let's reiterate that Jordan figures to be the top contender in the Eastern League and has openly expressed its interest in capturing the section crown and moving to the state bowl, according to Head Coach Elijah Asante.

"We're ready to make football history," joked Asante in a recent conversation.

The easiest point to make in the argument that Jordan will fulfill this prophecy is that man-child quarterback/defensive end combo James Boyd brings an uncanny commitment to competing each and every down--that's why 'SC' signed him up as an outside linebacker prospect. However, Asante confides that 'Boyd is a great player, but he may not even be the best on our team.'

Wide receiver D'Shawn Beck won the fastest man accolade at the Trojans' camp this summer, and he is only going to be a junior. According to Asante, Beck was able to gain release in bump and run coverage versus Saint Bonaventure's Patrick Hall so simply that Hall--also a top Trojan prospect--was embarrassed on the play.

The footage is available online. The duo will meet again this fall in a preseason game. Beck clocked a 4.4 in camp, and Asante commented that the Eastern League Offensive Player of the Year--as only a sophomore--likely runs a 4.3.

For the record, Jordan plans to harness its energy this summer, opting out of double days and moving towards execution, said Asante. "It's a slow progression into season for us, and we will be ready," he said.

After cruising to a 26-1 this summer overall in passing league contests, the Bulldogs open versus local rival Locke on September 5 at home. The game begins at 3 PM.

"Locke could be our toughest game," said Asante. "Calpreps has us favored, but that is just a computer."

Locke and Jordan fight for the best neighborhood athletes in the contest every year. Both programs pull from the local middle schools, Markham and Gomphers. "Whoever wins that game, wins the kids," he said. "They have us favored, but the computer can't look at too many things closely. We barely beat them (14-6) last year, and they were really young. We are looking at it as a must win for us."

Esperanza of Orange County will travel to Jordan also this preseason. "They used to make a big deal about an Orange County team coming to Watts," said Asante. "We have made it a good competition. We all like the kids coming to compete."

Mater Dei and Saint Bonaventure round out the Bulldogs' preseason.

As for Boyd, the clear-cut Jordan leader, Asante had this to say: "It's not just that he is physical. You can tactically beat somebody who is physically good. But this guy just has a will. He is a competitor. He has a nice body and tools, but he just wants to be the best. He desires to be the best."

Coach Elijah and company are coming to play in 2008, if passing league is any indicator.

The Jordan (Los Angeles) win over Crenshaw in Crenshaw's passing league championship on Saturday, July 12, brought the Bulldogs' record to 25-1 this summer in 7-on-7.

While PL is commonly dismissed in football circles as a 'true' indicator of a team's seasoned potential, Jordan Head Coach Elijah Asante said the important thing is building confidence amongst his boys.

"A lot of people downplay the importance of passing league, but any time you can beat Cresnshaw, it's important," said Asante. "They just don't lose."

USC commit James Boyd, a 6-feet, 4-inch, 211-pound DE/QB helped curb Crenshaw. Asante's strategy led to Boyd's transition to tight end, where he was able to gain possession of several jump balls lofted to the sky by Brandon Caldwell.

"Passing league is all about putting together your best offensive stuff as far as passing goes," commented Asante. "We spread them out and tried to think about the best way to create favorable match-ups."

Jordan is on the rise in the LA City Section, coming off a 7-4, 6-0 season, in which the team captured the Eastern League Championship in convincing fashion, beating second place Garfield and South Gate by a combined score of 112-43 in the final two weeks

"That's part of what makes your relevant," said Asante. "You can go 10-0 and the first thing they say is. 'well, who you gonna play? "

Jordan has moved to a punishing non-league lineup during the past several years, taking their lumps and bumps, in terms of overall record. Asante suggested that 2008 may be the year that the Bulldogs realize return on their efforts.

"We want our payoff," he said. "I respect their programs; we want to get our program on their level. The only way you can ever get there is scheduling the opponents that have the spot. That is your opportunity to decide who you want to be and how you are going to go about being who you want to be. We want the best for our program; we want to take it all the way. We want to measure ourselves against the best."

Asante described the change at Jordan kicking off, back in 2005, when safety Ricky Thenarse was a senior. Thenarse currently starts at Nebraska.

KEY PLAYERS: Jordan's top-4 are Division I caliber recruits. View more information in the Rivals' recruiting database.

James Boyd—QB/DE, 6-6, 211. Top recruit threw for 2,499 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2007.

De'Shawn Beck—Human highlight film runs 4.3 40-yards, according to Coach Asante. Rushed for 400 ayrds and gained 500 yards receiving. Also plays kicker.

Delvon Purvis—SC is very interested. Gifted player with super strength. Caught 39 passes for 492 yards. Caught 32 passes for 502 yards.

Eric Hunter—CB/WR. 3-Time All City Performer.

It's a big win for the Bulldogs because Crenshaw has one of the most talented group of skill position players in the Southland.

-- Eric Sondheimer

By Kevin Carden
SCPlaybook.com
Posted Jul 5, 2008

One of the most intriguing prospects coming into the Rising Stars Camp was the multi-talented James Boyd for L.A. Jordan. Boyd arrived at the talent rich Rising Stars Camp a bit under the radar but by the end of the two-day camp, everyone had learned his name and the USC coaches knew they had found a diamond in the rough.

One of the most intriguing prospects coming into the Rising Stars Camp was the multi-talented James Boyd for L.A. Jordan. Standing 6-5, 230 pounds with tremendous natural athleticism, Boyd played quarterback and defensive end on his high school team last year and participated as a safety and tight end at passing tournaments and camps this summer.

Boyd arrived at the talent rich Rising Stars Camp a bit under the radar but by the end of the two-day camp, everyone had learned his name and the USC coaches knew they had found a diamond in the rough.

“It was good,” Boyd said of the Rising Stars Camp. “I saw some of the top defensive ends like Devon Kennard, some of the top linemen and some of the USC commits. I got a good workout and the coaches were great. Everybody was working hard in the drills.

“All of the linemen were good and put up a good fight. That’s how I get better, playing against the top players and Rising Stars was one of the top camps I have been to. All of these camps are helping me out.”

Boyd, who is listed as a three-star defensive end by Scout.com, knew a strong performance at the Rising Stars Camp could earn him a scholarship offer from USC, but was still caught off guard when Pete Carroll called him into his office with the good news.

“It came as a surprise,” Boyd said of the USC offer. “I worked hard and knew if I had a good showing I probably would get an offer. I had a good showing and was one of the top defensive ends in the camp and I got the offer and committed.

“They were like ‘we want to offer you.’ I sat there for like two seconds to think about it, and at that moment, I felt like I wanted to be a Trojan so I just went ahead and committed.”

While many fans hadn’t heard much about Boyd, USC assistant coach Ken Norton Jr., who Boyd says is one of the main reasons he committed, has been recruiting the ultra-athletic prospect for quite some time.

“He’s a cool guy. That is why I committed because he had a big role in it,” Boyd said of the USC assistant. “He showed me love regardless and never gave up on me. He has recruited me since tenth grade.

“Ken Norton had a big role in my recruitment. I went down to the Coliseum, touched the field and visualized myself in front of the USC fans and it felt like home. I want to stay close to home so I committed.”

Now that Boyd has joined the 2009 recruiting class the only question that remains is ‘what position will he play?’

“Right now, they are talking about defensive end or SAM linebacker,” Boyd said. “I just want to go anywhere that they need help.”

“It’s going to be good to play with the top players from around the nation, play for a hall of fame coach, a good staff and the No.1 trainer.”

Boyd manhandles the offensive lineman at the Rising Stars Camp.

The 2008 edition of the USC Rising Stars Camp was attended by one of the best crop of recruits I can remember seeing in one spot at one time. Everywhere you looked it seemed there were top prospects locked in battle as they competed for the ever elusive Trojan scholarship offer. How did the camp impact recruiting for the coming year? A lot. Let’s take a position by position look:

DL

James Boyd from LA Jordan has to be considered the surprise of the camp. Known as a good, yet raw, athlete, Boyd showed the coaches enough that they offered a scholarship when the camp ended and he quickly accepted. Boyd is rail thin and has a long way to go but the athleticism, energy and work ethic are all there.

2009 DE prospect James Boyd from Los Angeles Jordan HS. He is a two-way player who also plays QB. He committed to USC after the camp concluded.

B2G Elite Program Award Winners: Delvon Purvis, Ronald McCrory, Brennan Clay, Tate Forcier and Chris Washington.

By Rick Kimbrel, Recruiting Analyst Jun 30, 10:01 pm EDT

Don’t call him “Nervous Purvis” because this young man is very poised. At every camp this talented wide receiver/defensive back Delvon Purvis (5-10, 180, 4.5) from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan has competed at, he’s has stood out.

This hard working athlete just finished a marathon camp week starting last Sunday at the UCLA camp. He followed that session by joining USC for their Rising Stars camp and capped it off with a stellar performance, winning the most improved award at the Beyond 2000 Elite Camp (B2G).

Purvis talked to Rivals.com about his very busy week.

“I felt I did well at UCLA,” Purvis said. “I worked more with the defensive backs. I played safety.”

“My footwork was good and cover skills were good, but I need to work on my one on one skills,” Purvis said. “I learned at the wide receiver position, how to get off the line, and make my make better use of my footwork.”

“I also thought that I did well at USC,” Purvis said. “I played both wide receiver and safety.”

“I learned from USC at wide receiver how to get on the line and cut off the defensive back making it easier to the ball,” Purvis said. “Defensively, I learned real cover two skills and get my midpoint and break to the ball wherever the quarterback opened his shoulder.”

“I only played wide receiver at the B2G camp,” Purvis said. “They taught me how to run my routes crisper and not rush my routes.”

There were those in the audience who felt that Purvis deserved the A-Game MVP award that was given to Tate Forcier who was the one who delivered the passes to Purvis.

On the two touchdown catches, Purvis caught the ball 40 yards down the field and outraced defenders about 40 yards for the score. That’s what you call yards after the catch (YAC).

During the spring, schools such as Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, USC, UCLA, UC-Davis and Syracuse came by Jordan interested in Purvis.

What is Purvis looking for in a college?

“Academics is my top priority,” Purvis said. “Then a solid football program that I could call home.”

Purvis is a two time all-city wide receiver, who has caught over 85 passes over the last two seasons.

As a junior, Purvis hauled in 35 receptions for 492 yards and six touchdowns. He even had one rushing touchdown. On defense, he accounted for 36 tackles and one fumble recovery.

Jordan head coach Elijah Asante had the following to say about his two-way standout.

“Delvon all the tools, both mentally and physically to be successful on the collegiate level,” Asante said. “He is definitely a D-I bound football player. He’s going to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

Tight Ends At tight end, the multi-talented James Boyd was the top player at the position making several nice catches in traffic. The 6-5, 230-pound athlete was a real weapon in the red zone and caused match-up problems all afternoon.

L.A. Jordan athlete James Boyd and Edison cornerback Cliff Harris.

"The coaches wanted to see how I competed with other top players," said Boyd. "They wanted to see my attitude and footwork, and I had a lot of fun with the whole camp."

However, the 6-foot-4 211-pounder isn't finished with recruiting yet, "I'm still going to take my trips. I'm going to visit Arizona State, Washington State and Washington, but its all USC right now."

ESPN's Craig Haubert talked about the pickup, "We have Boyd listed as an athlete because he is also a solid quarterback, but at USC with the stable of young quarterbacks they have Boyd will suit up at his other position for the Trojans, defensive end."

"In the long run this is probably the best fit anyway, because his potential level seems much higher on defense. He will need to add some serious bulk and needs to polish his technique as a defender, but that should come with the opportunity to concentrate on one side of the ball." "Though a little rough around the edges, Boyd is quick off the ball and once he locks in on the rock he can close and make the play. Boyd needs a little work, but it is not hard to see why USC offered this kid as he fits their mold in many ways of an athletic kid with versatility and nice upside."

"Will not be the biggest name in the USC 2009 pick-up, but could develop into a nice addition a little down the road. That is if the Trojans can keep him as he says he will still take some trips, USC should hold on, but things could get interesting if someone offers him the chance to play quarterback."

Coach Carroll talking with DE prospect James Boyd from Los Angeles Jordan HS. Boyd committed to USC on 6/26/08 after the camp concluded.

The talented 6-foot-5, 215-plus pounder had offers from Pac-10 Conference schools such as Arizona State, Washington State and Washington. And though Boyd still plans on visiting all three universities, the lure of playing for the Trojans ultimately proved to be too good an opportunity to pass up, according to these quotes.

-- Sean Ceglinsky

By Brandon Huffman
West Recruiting Manager
Posted Jun 26, 2008

Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan defensive end James Boyd won't have to go far to play his college football, committing to the hometown USC Trojans on Thursday...

Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan defensive end James Boyd turned an excellent camp at USC into an offer from the Trojans.

And he turned that offer into a commitment.

"Walking into the Coliseum, walking down the stairs, and then on the field, I visualized myself on that field," said Boyd. "When they offered me, I accepted it on the spot."

Boyd, who plays quarterback and defensive end, said the Trojan staff likes him as an athlete.

"They offered me as an athlete really, but it will probably be as a defensive end or as a SAM linebacker," said Boyd.

When Pete Carroll offered, Boyd told him he was taking it.

"Coach (Pete) Carroll was real excited, and Coach (Ken) Norton was really happy," said Boyd.

And Boyd won't have to go far, getting to stay in Los Angeles for his college career.

"I'm sure my family is going to be happy," said Boyd.

Boyd said he plans to still keep an eye on some schools.

"I'm going to still take some visits," said Boyd. "But I'm committed."

With the USC camp under his belt, he's got one more this weekend.

"I'm headed to B2G tomorrow," said Boyd.

By Brian Matthews
WeAreSC Editorial Director
Posted Jun 26, 2008

Dillon Baxter was not the only player to verbally commit to the Trojans Thursday, he was joined by athlete James Boyd of Los Angeles (CA.) Jordan HS, both of whom dominated the Rising Stars Camp.

Boyd, a relative unknown to most recruiting circles around USC, was one of the surprises of the camp, which included plenty of top flight defensive line talent. Looking to prove himself against the best, Boyd earned himself a scholarship offer from USC, becoming the 14th member of the 2009 recruiting class.

“The coaches wanted to see how I competed with other top players,” said Boyd. “They wanted to see my attitude and footwork, and I had a lot of fun with the whole camp.

“The coaches called me into the office after and offered me, and I didn’t see any point in waiting.”

Committing to USC has been a dream of Boyd’s from a young age, although he is not completely done with the recruiting process, planning on taking a few official visits in the fall.

“I’m still going to take my trips,” he said. “I’m going to visit Arizona State, Washington State and Washington, but its all USC right now.”

Good news for the Trojans, because Boyd has the ability to play a bevy of positions, a topic which was discussed at the time of the offer.

“They (USC) are recruiting me as an athlete,” he said. “I can play a lot of spots, but I think they like me as a SAM linebacker or defensive end.

“I don’t really have a preference, I just want to help out the team in whatever way I can.”

When asked his reasons for committing to the Trojans, he gave an answer that may surprise some.

“Coach Ken Norton,” Boyd answered back. “He played a huge role in me committing. When I was having some academic troubles, he never backed off, and that’s big.

“He still had love for me.”

The campers were treated to multiple aspects of Trojan football, impressing nearly all in attendance, especially Boyd.

“I got to see what its like there (USC) day-to-day,” he said. “I got to go into the Coliseum, and that was real cool too.”

The Trojan coaching staff is definitely looking to close strong in the class of 2009, and Boyd ensures that they are on the right path.

Rising junior wide receiver Deshawn Beck, a 1st team All-City selection last year, was named Most Valuable Player as the Bulldogs sent a message they’ll be a key player come playoff time.

The Bulldogs also have with one of the best two-way players in the City in rising senior quarterback/lineman James Boyd, the reigning City Defensive Lineman of the Year and All-Sentinel Team selection.

The 6-foot-5 Boyd is getting looks from several Pac-10 schools as there are few athletes in the City that can match his size (230 lbs.) and athleticism.

Coach Elijah Asante continues to develop a program that has nonleague games scheduled this fall with Ventura St. Bonaventure, Santa Ana Mater Dei and Anaheim Esperanza.

"The lump is worth a lesson," Asante said.

Quarterback-defensive end James Boyd has scholarship offers from Washington, Washington State and Arizona State.

-- Eric Sondheimer

By Brandon Huffman
West Recruiting Manager
Posted Jun 13, 2008

James Boyd, the 6-4.5, 215-pound defensive end prospect from Los Angeles Jordan, is turning a good spring into scholarship offers, getting his third Pac-10 offer this week. He has the local L.A. schools targeted with more summer camps...

Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan athlete James Boyd (6-4.5, 216), is now up to three Pac-10 scholarship offers, with the most recent one coming on Thursday.

“I got an official letter from Coach (Tyrone) Willingham at Washington offering me,” said Boyd. “They offered me as a defensive end. Washington State and Arizona State also offered me as a defensive end.”

And Boyd thinks more could be coming in the next few weeks. “I think Oregon State is the next school to offer me and if I do good at the USC and UCLA summer camps, then I could get an offer from them,” said Boyd.

Boyd was at the Watts Summer Games, in which he led Jordan to an unbeaten day.

“I threw like five touchdowns a game,” said the two-way player who also plays quarterback. “And since we didn’t have a defensive end, I played safety and had like five picks.”

Starting June 22nd, Boyd will kickoff to a very busy week for him.

“I’m doing all three days at UCLA’s camp, then the next two days at USC and then I’m going over to B2G the end of that week,” said Boyd.

Boyd is hoping his camp appearances and showings will get the hometown schools to pull the trigger and offer.

“I really like both of those schools because they’re close to home and I like the coaches at both schools, so that’s why I need to do good at them,” said Boyd.

Boyd said that Syracuse has come on strong of late and both Boise State and Nebraska told him they were impressed by his film.

For now, though, six schools stand out, all from the Pac-10.

“My top schools are Arizona State, Washington State, Oregon State, Washington, UCLA and USC,” said Boyd. “I don’t really have a leader, but I’d say I have high interest in Arizona State because I went to their camp and they were the first school to offer me. I know I’ll love every place I go, though, so they all probably would be high interest after I see them.”

He’s not in a real rush to decide.

“I want to take all my visits before I do what I have to do and commit,” said Boyd.

Boyd said that he’ll work with the defensive ends at the USC and UCLA camps, but B2G will give him a chance to work as a quarterback, which he’ll play again this fall.

At the UnderArmour/Scout.com Combine in Los Angeles last month, Boyd earned all-combine honors, working with the defensive ends.

As a junior, Boyd had 72 tackles and 11 sacks, recovered six fumbles, blocked a punt and had a sack. Offensively, he ran for 161 yards on 27 carries and scored five touchdowns and passed for 2,499 yards and 23 touchdowns (112 QB rating) for Jordan.

Academically, Boyd said he’ll be a full qualifier.

By Brandon Huffman
Posted Jun 13, 2008

James Boyd, the 6-4.5, 215-pound defensive end prospect from Los Angeles Jordan, is turning a good spring into scholarship offers, getting his third Pac-10 offer this week. He has the local L.A. schools targeted with more summer camps...

Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan athlete James Boyd (6-4.5, 216), is now up to three Pac-10 scholarship offers, with the most recent one coming on Thursday.

“I got an official letter from Coach (Tyrone) Willingham at Washington offering me,” said Boyd. “They offered me as a defensive end. Washington State and Arizona State also offered me as a defensive end.”

And Boyd thinks more could be coming in the next few weeks. “I think Oregon State is the next school to offer me and if I do good at the USC and UCLA summer camps, then I could get an offer from them,” said Boyd.

Boyd was hoping to attend the UCLA 1-Day Camp last weekend, but it conflicted with the Watts Summer Games, in which he led Jordan to an unbeaten day.

“I threw like five touchdowns a game,” said the two-way player who also plays quarterback. “And since we didn’t have a defensive end, I played safety and had like five picks.”

So Boyd will take in the three days of the UCLA camp starting June 22nd, which will be the kickoff to a very busy week for him.

“I’m doing all three days at UCLA’s camp, then the next two days at USC and then I’m going over to B2G the end of that week,” said Boyd.

Boyd is hoping his camp appearances and showings will get the hometown schools to pull the trigger and offer. “I really like both of those schools because they’re close to home and I like the coaches at both schools, so that’s why I need to do good at them,” said Boyd.

Boyd said that Syracuse has come on strong of late and both Boise State and Nebraska told him they were impressed by his film.

For now, though, six schools stand out, all from the Pac-10. “My top schools are Arizona State, Washington State, Oregon State, Washington, UCLA and USC,” said Boyd. “I don’t really have a leader, but I’d say I have high interest in Arizona State because I went to their camp and they were the first school to offer me. I know I’ll love every place I go, though, so they all probably would be high interest after I see them.”

He’s not in a real rush to decide.

“I want to take all my visits before I do what I have to do and commit,” said Boyd.

Boyd said that he’ll work with the defensive ends at the USC and UCLA camps, but B2G will give him a chance to work as a quarterback, which he’ll play again this fall.

At the UnderArmour/Scout.com Combine in Los Angeles last month, Boyd earned all-combine honors, working with the defensive ends.

As a junior, Boyd had 72 tackles and 11 sacks, recovered six fumbles, blocked a punt and had a sack. Offensively, he ran for 161 yards on 27 carries and scored five touchdowns and passed for 2,499 yards and 23 touchdowns (112 QB rating) for Jordan.

Academically, Boyd said he’ll be a full qualifier.

By Brandon Huffman
West Recruiting Manager
Posted Jun 3, 2008

Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan DE/QB James Boyd, one of the top athletes in the City Section, added his second Pac-10 offer last weekend...

James Boyd, the 6-5, 230-pound defensive end/quarterback from Los Angeles Jordan, added a second offer from the Pac-10.

"Washington State just offered me last weekend," said Boyd. "They like me as a defensive end."

The Cougars join Arizona State in offering Boyd and he thinks more could be coming.

"I'm at Arizona State right now for a camp," said Boyd. "Then I'm going to some more camps, probably UCLA and USC, and more schools are talking to me."

As a junior, Boyd had 72 tackles and 11 sacks, recovered six fumbles, blocked a punt and had a sack. Offensively, he ran for 161 yards on 27 carries and scored five touchdowns and passed for 2,499 yards and 23 touchdowns (112 QB rating) for Jordan.

Last weekend, Boyd earned all-combine honors at the Los Angeles UnderArmour/Scout.com Combine.

By Brandon Huffman
West Recruiting Manager
Posted May 19, 2008

As a quarterback, Los Angeles Jordan's James Boyd threw for 2,500 yards in his junior season, but the athletic 6-5, 230-pounder is getting recruited for another position, and he just received his first scholarship offer from the Pac-10...

When we saw Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan athlete James Boyd last summer at the B2G Elite Football Program, the athleticism that has caught the eye of many college programs was on display. Boyd worked out with the quarterbacks that weekend, showing flashes despite still being a bit raw. He also looked to be about 200 pounds.

Now, at 6-5 and 230 pounds, Boyd is being pursued by several schools as a defensive end, and he picked up his first scholarship offer this week.

“Coach (Eric) Yarber from Arizona State liked me as a defensive end so they offered me,” said Boyd. “I was very excited to get that first offer.”

And more schools could be joining the Sun Devils in offering Boyd.

“Oregon State is talking about offering me and Washington State is saying the same thing,” said Boyd. “Both of them said they would finalize things when they get back to the office.”

More schools are showing interest in Boyd, or coming by the campus to eyeball him. “Washington, UCLA and Arizona have all been in contact, and Syracuse and Notre Dame are sending me a lot of mail. Boise State and USC have come by the school, too,” said Boyd.

Boyd said five schools are standing out for him. “My top five are Arizona State, Oregon State, UCLA, Washington State and Washington,” said Boyd. “I always liked Arizona State, but I don’t have any favorites right now. I like that Arizona State was my first offer. I’m supposed to go and camp there and it depends on how I like it out there, but if I like everything, I could commit there.”

But Boyd said that commitment probably wouldn’t come for a while. “I want to visit every school I’m interested in and then come back and talk about it with my family,” said Boyd. “I don’t want to commit right now.”

With interest in both of the Los Angeles schools, does Boyd feel the pressure to stay close to home? “I would like to travel and se the world and see some other schools. And my mom said it’s up to me wherever I go,” said Boyd. “But if I could play at UCLA or USC that would be nice.”

Boyd said that while he’ll play quarterback again this fall for Jordan, his future clearly lies on defense. “Right now, all I’m hearing is defensive end,” said Boyd.

And he’ll work with the defensive ends when he attends the UnderArmour/Scout.com Combine this month. He’ll also attend camps at Arizona State, USC and UCLA. But when he returns to B2G this summer, he’ll work with the quarterbacks at the skill position-only camp.

“I still want to improve as a quarterback because I’m starting there again this year,” said Boyd.

As a junior, Boyd had 72 tackles and 11 sacks, recovered six fumbles, blocked a punt and had a sack. Offensively, he ran for 161 yards on 27 carries and scored five touchdowns and passed for 2,499 yards and 23 touchdowns (112 QB rating) for Jordan.

Academically, Boyd said he’ll be a full qualifier.

While it took more time than expected but four-star athlete prospect James Boyd (6-5, 230, 4.8) from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan landed his first offer. It is only the first of many more to come. Boyd is one of the best all-around athletes in California.

“James received his first offer from Arizona State,” Jordan coach Elijah Asante said. “Wide receiver coach Eric Yarber, who recruits the area for Arizona State told me that head coach Dennis Erickson saw James on film and said ‘what are we waiting for? Offer him (Boyd)’. So they did.

“Everybody has come by to see him during the spring evaluation,” Asante said. “This just the first of many to come for James, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them all start rolling in now.

“James has genuine interest in Arizona State,” Asante said. “He’s going to ASU’s camp with (teammate) Delvon Purvis.”

Boyd is also going to camp at B2G (Beyond Elite 2000), UCLA and USC this summer.

There aren’t many as athletic as Boyd. Not only does standout on both sides of the ball at quarterback and defensive end, yeah that’s right, quarterback and defensive end, but he’s also standout basketball player who had noticeable performance at the recent Cactus Classic Hoops tournament.

As a junior, Boyd threw for 2,499 yards and 23 touchdowns on offense. Then he turned around and had 72 tackles and 11 sacks on defense.

In an earlier interview with Asante, he had the following to say about his talented two-way and two-sport athlete.

“James was voted City Section defensive lineman of the Year by the coaches,” Asante said. “There aren’t that many players with his size, speed and athleticism. You just don’t see players like James every day.

“James even made all-city in basketball and he is now playing baseball for Jordan,” Asante said. “He’s a very rare player.”

By Rick Kimbrel, Recruiting Analyst Apr 21, 7:03 pm EDT

Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan wide receiver/cornerback Delvon Purvis (5-10, 180, 4.5) had a breakout performance at yesterday’s NIKE Camp held in Los Angeles. He proved to be very smooth and fluid with really soft hands. It will now only be a matter of time before he gets his first offer.

Purvis has been a known commodity in the Los Angeles City section as he is a two time all-city wide receiver has he has caught over 85 passes over the last two seasons.

As a junior, Purvis hauled in 35 receptions for 492 yards and six touchdowns. He even had one rushing touchdown. On defense, he accounted for 36 tackles and one fumble recovery.

There are a host of colleges already showing interest in Purvis some of them are Notre Dame, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington and Colorado.

Purvis showed off his skills yesterday and opened up some eyes in doing so. The ever competitive Purvis was contented by his performance was hungry to do more.

“The camp started out well, but I didn’t get as many reps as I would have liked,” Purvis said. “But overall it was great.

An extremely hard worker, Purvis isn’t resting on his laurels with one solid camp performance, he’s going to improve on working of skills camping with Arizona State, UCLA, USC and B2G.

His work ethic isn’t lost on his coach and teammates. His quarterback James Boyd had the following to say about one of his favorite targets.

“Delvon has a great work ethic and always gives 110 percent,” Boyd said. “As a receiver, Delvon runs good routes and he finds the open spot.

Jordan head coach Elijah Asante echoes his quarterback’s sentiments.

“Delvon all the tools, both mentally and physically to be successful on the collegiate level,” Asante said. “He is definitely a D-I bound football player. He’s going to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Purvis gets the job done on and off the field as he carries a 3.1 GPA and is even hearing from Ivy League schools.

Purvis was recently at a UCLA junior day.

“I loved being at UCLA’s junior day,” Purvis said. “Everything was great. I loved the locker room, it made me feel like home.

Beck, a smallish sophomore, stars at running back, receiver and quarterback in addition to being a key special teamer.
By Mike Terry, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 14, 2007

It's lunch time at Jordan High in Los Angeles, and football Coach Elijah Asante is quietly fuming.

He had invited a visitor to campus to meet sophomore DeShawn Beck, who has played a key role in the Bulldogs' rise to the top of the Eastern League standings, but Beck has slipped out and gone to a restaurant a few blocks from campus.

Beck sheepishly admitted he heard some choice words from his coach when he returned, along with a promise of extra work at practice that day. "I will be running laps," he said.

For Beck, 15, that's like adding layers of whipped cream on strawberry shortcake. Running, as his time of 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash suggests, is one of his gifts. So is, coaches say, his innate ability to navigate a football field without his 5-foot-8, 155-pound frame being crushed by bigger, older players.

When asked the secret of his success, Beck shrugged. "It's just the way I play." Beck has done some of everything for Jordan (7-3) this season. As a running back, he has gained 494 yards and scored four touchdowns in 57 carries. As a receiver, he has 25 catches for 508 yards and seven touchdowns. And as one of three quarterbacks, he has completed 17 of 28 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

If that isn't enough, Beck has kicked 11 extra points, handled kicking and punting chores and returned kickoffs and punts.

His versatility will be crucial for Jordan in its first-round playoff game Thursday afternoon against visiting Woodland Hills Taft (7-3).

Right now, Jordan is just happy to be in the playoffs after City Section officials recently investigated the program for player eligibility concerns. Though City officials are still looking into what they termed "administrative errors," Jordan will not have to forfeit any victories.

"We knew that our players were eligible and confident in the outcome," Asante said of the investigation.

Asante is also confident that Beck has the talent to become a City player-of-the-year candidate.

"He started last year as a ninth-grader and made all-league," the coach said. "He's like [NBA star] Allen Iverson playing football. He can stop and go on a dime. He can regulate his speed. He's got about five different gears. He's truly an amazing athlete."

But, Asante added, "He's very much a kid. He doesn't have a big head, but he's very nonchalant about everything." But outside of occasional teenage mischief, Asante says Beck is not a discipline problem.

That becomes apparent when you talk to Beck. He's not rude or boorish, but many of his answers were "yes" and "no" with no elaboration. He rarely looks directly at you when he talks, making you wonder if you're both involved in the conversation.

But he has no attention issues on the football field.

Beck's football abilities were spotted early. From 2004 to 2006 he played for the Compton Titans (now Vikings) in the Snoop Dogg Pop Warner League. His youth coach, Haamid Wadood, an assistant at Compton Dominguez, said Beck not only had physical talent but a sense of how and when to make a key play.

"Whenever we needed a big play, it was him that did it," Wadood said. "Fearless, but also smart. And more smart than fearless. If the opponent was bigger than him, he would beat him with his mind."

Wadood would have preferred if Beck had enrolled at Dominguez, but Beck wanted to attend his neighborhood school. He lives in the Jordan Downs housing project with his mother, April, who is a school bus driver for Laidlaw, and an older brother, Simmie, who is a Los Angeles City sanitation worker. Simmie and another brother, Prentiss, who does not live with them, played at Jordan.

His father Joe, a construction worker, does not live with the family.

"I came here because it was my home school, and I was well acquainted with everyone around here," Beck said. "I felt comfortable."

Now if he could just get his lunch plans straightened out.

mike.terry@latimes.com

Antwoine Baker Profile

Three-star cornerback Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4) from Jordan High in Los Angeles, is still in recruiting limbo as signing day approaches.

“I am still waiting to hear back from Nevada,” Baker said. “But I have been talking to Idaho and should be taking a visit there soon.”

Baker had a solid senior season in which he was one of Jordan’s only bright spots, recording 44 tackles for a team that went 3-8.

After being set on committing to Mississippi State, Baker found out that the Bulldogs might not have a scholarship available for him.

Since then, he has been scrambling to get an offer from another school but has been unsuccessful.

However, Baker is convinced that progress is being made in finding an offer.

“Recruiting is still going well,” said Baker. “But I still have no leader, and no timetable for a decision.”

Academically, Baker has a 3.0 core GPA, and is planning to take the SAT this Saturday.

Cornerback Antwoine Baker is scrambling to find a scholarship offer with less than a month left before Signing Day. A one-time lock to Mississippi State, Baker suddenly discovered the Bulldogs had pulled their offer. Baker says he still favors Mississippi State and hopes they'll find a way to bring him in. If not, he's already sent out tape to Nevada and hopes to visit the Wolfpack soon.

Three-star cornerback Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4), from Jordan High School in Los Angeles (Calif.), thought he was finished with the recruiting process. Baker was going to commit to Mississippi State and that would be that.

"I was planning to commit to Mississippi State and I talked with coach Guy Holliday about it," Baker said. "He told me that I should wait and keep looking around because they had filled all their spots and they weren't sure if they had a scholarship offer for me anymore."

He visited the Bulldogs on Nov. 17 and was really impressed with everything they had to offer. "They are still recruiting me, but I haven't heard from them in a while. I don't really know what’s going to happen."

The offers he says he once had, including Washington, Arizona State and Nebraska, are now all gone. "I've sent my tape to Nevada," Baker said. "I'm trying to set up a visit with them later this month, maybe Jan. 19 or 26.

"They are a pretty good team and they've been recruiting me too," Baker said. "They went to a bowl game this year and said they really need help at cornerback, so I think I'd be able to make a big impact for them."

Baker finished his senior season with 45 tackles, as his team went 3-8.

He reports a 3.0 core GPA and a 790 SAT (old version). Baker is taking the ACT in February.

"I feel that Mississippi State and Coach Guy Holliday (wide receivers) can mold me into a better player," said California cornerback Antwoine Baker. "Coach Holliday tells me like it is. He says that I need to lift more, become bigger and gain weight. He's very honest with me and tells me what the entire coaching staff is expecting from me..."

Three-star cornerback Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4), from Los Angeles Jordan (Calif.), will be committing to Mississippi State on Thursday (December 7) when Coach Guy Holliday (wide receivers) visits Baker at home.

"I'm telling Coach Holliday that I will be committing to Mississippi State when he visits my house this Thursday," Baker said. "My parents will be there and already know of my decision to commit.

"I'm very close to my brother and he lives three hours away from Mississippi State. I thought it would be cool to get out of California, live in a new state, create some new experiences and be close to my brother.

"Mississippi State recruited me the hardest," he said. "They showed the most interest. When I visited their school in November, I really felt like I belonged. I liked all of the coaches, met all of the defensive backs, watched practice and watched them lose to Arkansas (28-14). I still loved everything about Mississippi State. I like the fact that the school is located in the country. I'm a city boy and I want to see what it is like to live in a state like Mississippi.

"I feel that Mississippi State and Coach Holliday can mold me into a better player. Coach Holliday tells me like it is. He says that I need to lift more, become bigger and gain weight. He's very honest with me and tells me what the entire coaching staff is expecting from me. I respect that. My high school football coach went to my official visit with me and wanted me to commit that weekend. He was also very impressed with Coach Holliday. We both believe that I can reach my next level by attending Mississippi State. "I've always favored USC," Baker said. "But they never seemed interested in me. Even if I had received an offer from USC, I would have declined. There is too much talent among the Trojans. I have a chance to shine at Mississippi State. "I haven't told anyone besides my parents and coach that I will be committing on Thursday. Once I talk to Coach Holliday, I'll tell everyone else. I think I should sit down and tell Coach Holliday before I notify any other schools.

"I expect to get a little homesick being so far away, but like I said my brother is close," he said. "I've just been feeling Mississippi State from the very beginning. I know that I'll practice hard at this school to become a better player.

"I feel so much better now that I know where I am going to go to college. I feel like a huge weight is being lifted of my shoulders. I can now focus on getting ready for college."

Baker reports a 3.0 core GPA and awaiting his SAT test scores which he took last week.

Antwoine Baker made the trek to the heart of SEC country this weekend. Baker went to Starkville, Mississippi with the thoughts of making his verbal commitment, now that he is back in the City of Angels we were able to catch up with Antwoine to see if he followed through with his plans to become a Bulldog.

Antwoine Baker Profile Page

"My visit went good," said Antwoine. "I got to spend some time with the other DBs. The players are all really good guys."

Growing up in Los Angeles, Antwoine is used to the hustle and bustle of the big city. The visit to Starkville allowed him to see things at a little slower pace.

"I love the campus," said Baker. "Everything was beautiful. The campus is real nice. The coaches and players are all nice. It's just a great school. I liked everything about it. I really liked the field, the practice field and the indoor practice field. It was all nice."

Antwoine made his decision to commit to Mississippi State several days ago and he had the chance to sit down with the MSU coaches to discuss the possibility of joining the Bulldog football program.

"They are coming to my house next week," said Baker. "Before I commit they want to sit down and talk with my parents about everything. Coach Holliday and Coach Croom are both coming and they want to wait until then before I commit."

Baker reports he enjoyed everything about his visit including the on the field contest.

"It was a good game," said Antwoine. "They have a very strong defense, but they need to tighten up on their special teams some. I think I would really fit in there."

Stay with Scout for the latest developments in Baker's recruiting status.

Antwoine Baker was expected to garner the attention of BCS conference schools this recruiting season. With offers in hand from schools in the Pac-10, Big 12 and SEC, Baker is ready to make the call.

Antwoine Baker Profile Page

David Starr Jordan High School (CA) cornerback Antwoine Baker has decided where he will spend his college years. The talented defender holds offers from Arizona State, Nebraska, Mississippi State and Washington, but it appears the one from Sly Croom's Bulldogs is the only one he needs. Baker will officially visit the Mississippi State campus this weekend.

"I am going to commit when I get there," said Antwoine. "I wanted to commit before, but they wanted me to wait until I had seen the campus and things like that."

Antwoine's father, Eric, has family in Mississippi and big brother Eric Jr. plays football at Tuskegee University in Alabama. Baker explains the proximity to family played a role in his decision.

"I have always really liked Mississippi State and Coach Holliday," said Antwoine. "My family and my coach all support me in my decision. My family is glad I will have some family close by."

The now at ease Baker is eager to get to Starkville and survey his future home away from home.

"I am a lot more relaxed because I know where I am going to go," said the All-Area star. "I am really looking forward to seeing the campus. I am not planning on taking any other visits after I commit."

Baker recently took the SAT for the second time and he is expecting a very positive result once his test scores arive.

"I just took the SAT again and I am waiting on my score," explained Antwoine. "I feel real good about it. I was real close the first time, but I know I am going to qualify."

Stay with Scout.com for the official word from Antwoine in the coming days.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Antwoine Baker, one of California's top defensive backs, has collected a handful of offers from the likes of Arizona State, Nebraska, Mississippi State and Washington. Baker has held Washington and Mississippi State as his top two for some time and he has recently set up an official visit to one of his co-favorites.

"I am visiting Mississippi State on January 20th," said Baker. "They are going to have a lot of their top guys in that weekend. I was supposed to visit Nebraska, but they want me to get my SAT score up a little bit before I come in. I am retaking the SAT this weekend. I am not sure when I will visit the other schools. I haven't set any of those up yet."

Since college coaches could start calling a couple of months ago, Antwoine has developed a good relationship with a couple of his recruiting coaches.

"Coach Eric Yarber from Washington and Coach Guy Holliday from Mississippi State call me the most," said Baker. "I have a good relationship with both of them. They are both pretty cool. Mississippi State is recruiting me the hardest right now. They are always sending me letters and things like that. Coach Holliday tells me all the time how much they want me at their school."

Antwoine has two important games left on his high school regular season slate.

"We have two games left and we have to win one of the last two to get into the playoffs," said Antwoine. "I am having a pretty good year. I have three touchdowns on offense. I don't have any interceptions yet. They don't throw the ball in my direction very much anymore."

Stay with Scout for the latest on Antwoine's college decision.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Three-star cornerback (ranked No. 42 by Scout.com) Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4), from Los Angeles Jordan (Calif.), still denies a favorite--but likes Mississippi State and Washington slightly over Arizona State, Nebraska and Washington State. He says that they have all offered, except the Cougars.

Baker will be visiting Washington on December 2 and Mississippi State on January 19.

"Mississippi State is recruiting me the hardest," Baker said. "They send me the most mail and they tell me that they really want me. I hear a lot from coach Guy Holliday. He's going to come to my game next week and I'm excited about that. I like when I know the coaches are gonna be there, it gets me more motivated and I want to try harder."

His team is currently 2-6 and they only have two games left. Baker says he has around 50 tackles and three touchdowns receiving.

"Washington has been pretty good this year," Baker said. "They've had a lot of close games and they said they are losing several corners and that they need to replace them, so I like my chances of playing early."

Another school that told Baker they need more cornerbacks is Arizona State. "They are building up their defense and I think I could help out and make an impact," Baker said.

Baker was supposed to visit Nebraska for the Texas game, but the Huskers rescheduled. "They aren't recruiting me as much as some of the others," he said. "I like that they have it all. It's a good program overall and they've been improving. I like how the coaches took a chance to change the offense and it paid off. I still like them a lot and will try to visit them in December or January."

With several top out-of-state programs recruiting Baker, one wonders why some of the local schools haven't shown more interest. "USC recruited me a little a while ago, but they aren't anymore," Baker said. "UCLA was never really recruiting me. I don't know why, but I don't worry about it."

He reports a 3.0 core GPA and is taking the SAT on November 4.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Four-star cornerback (ranked No. 19 by Scout.com) Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4) from Los Angeles Jordan (Calif.) has narrowed his choices to three schools: Washington, Mississippi State and Nebraska. "All of these schools have done well this year," Baker said. "Washington has surprised a lot of people. So has Mississippi State. Nebraska is looking really sharp too."

Baker will be taking an official visit to Mississippi State in November and will visit Washington on December 2. "Washington is recruiting me the hardest," Baker said. "They call me the most and they tell me how they are rebuilding and that I'd be a good fit for them. Wide receiver coach Eric Yarber is nice and he seems honest. He said that I could help them get back on top. He really likes my height and speed combination."

Baker also plans to attend a couple games this season. He says he'll be at the Washington/USC on October 7 and the Nebraska/Texas game on October 21. "I love that Nebraska is a football state," Baker said. "They love the team and I really like what they've done to turn things around."

He says that he won't make a final decision until after he visits all three schools. "It probably won't be until after the season. I want to take my visits and compare everything. Distance doesn't matter to me at all."

Baker's team is currently winless with a 0-5 record. He has over 25 tackles.

He reports a 3.0 GPA and says he's already scheduled to take both the SAT and ACT in November.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Baker now has two official visits set. Including a big one to Nebraska for their Texas game on October 21st.

The Cornhuskers have one of the best game day atmospheres in the country which will make an impression on any prospect.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Four-star cornerback (ranked No. 19 19 by Scout.com) Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4) from Los Angeles Jordan (Calif.) had six tackles, two fumbles caused and one touchdown receiving in his opening game.

Baker says he hasn't gotten any new scholarship offers and says he favors the four that already have offered. They are Washington, Mississippi State, Arizona State and Nebraska.

"I like the whole program at Washington," Baker said. "They play hard and have good coaches. I like how disciplined they are, especially on defense. They are building up and I'd like to be part of helping them get back to the top. I really want to play for coaches that will help me improve and get to the next level."

Baker has a visit scheduled to Seattle on December 2 and says he will visit Mississippi State during his winter break.

"I like Mississippi State a lot too," Baker said. "They have some great guys on their team and I have some family in Mississippi. I also really like the SEC."

Baker admits he didn't get to see too many games this weekend, but was very impressed by Nebraska. "They have a real strong team this year," Baker said. "The offense was great and I expected them to be better than last year, but I was surprised by how good they looked."

He reports a 3.0 GPA and says he hasn't received his SAT score from June yet, due to some sort of mix up. He says he plans to take the ACT in October.

Antwoine Baker Profile

David Starr Jordan (CA) High School cornerback Antwoine Baker claims four offers from Washington, Mississippi State, Nebraska and Arizona State. Baker has reported for several weeks that Washington holds a slight lead over Mississippi State and then the pack trails those two by a large margin.

"Nothing has really changed," said Baker. "I have no new offers and my leaders are the same."

Recruiting appears to have taken a back seat to Antowine's preparations for his senior campaign.

"I am a better leader this year," explained Baker. "I am taking control of the team. My teammates look up to me, so I am trying to lead by example. I just want to get better everyday and to make sure we have better season than we did last year."

Stay with Scout.com as we track Antwoine's progress on and off the field all the way to signing day.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Antowine Baker has held two schools, Washington and Mississippi State, a little higher than his other suitors for the past few weeks. The pattern seems to be holding.

"Washington and Mississippi State are still my top two. Washington is a little bit ahead," said Baker.

At this time, Baker says he is not seriously considering any other schools. Washington, while several hours north, competes in Antowine's childhood favorite conference, the Pac-10. Mississippi State does battle in the rugged SEC and Baker has a family connection to the area.

"My Dad has some family in Mississippi. He is from down there. I am not sure what part they are from though," reported Baker.

Antowine says he is enjoying the last bit of summer he has left before the season starts. He will take visits sometime this fall.

"I am going to visit both schools, but I have not set anything up. I am going to make my decision after the season," said Baker.

Stay with Scout.com for the latest on Baker's college decision.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Los Angeles cornerback Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4), from Jordan High School, said his offer list remains Washington, Mississippi State, Arizona State and Nebraska.

"I could say that Washington has a slight lead over Mississippi State, and that right now, I'm only planning on taking official visits to those two schools," said Baker, ranked by Scout.com as the nation's No. 19 CB.

"Washington is recruiting me pretty hard--in touch with me every now and then since they visited me at school. My cousin, Roy Lewis, will be a senior cornerback when I'm a freshman. I think Washington is really developing its team, and last season, I watched them because they were on TV a lot. Plus, it's close to home, just up north.

"Mississippi State talked to me at my school during the season and is recruiting me just as hard with letters. They said I would be a big addition to their program, which I like because they have some of the top receivers in their conference. I'd be able to get a lot of practice getting into the receivers' faces and locking them down," Baker said.

"I grew up watching USC as a team, and I liked Texas enough to go to their camp two months ago…where I pulled a hamstring…but neither school is recruiting me," he said. "I want to explore my options, but I would like to commit before my senior season ends.

Baker bench presses 185 X 12 and has a 33" vertical jump.

He reports a 3.0 core GPA and awaits his June 3 SAT.

Not long ago, Ricky Thenarse was happy. He received his results from his SAT and knew that if he kept his grades where they were, he’d be good to go. With Thenarse not being on campus yet, though, one had to wonder if his grades went down or something else happened, stopping him from making it to Lincoln. Ricky talked about his situation and just what he expects will happen in the near future.

The last thing Husker commit Ricky Thenarse was thinking about once he found out that his score on the SAT was good enough, coupled with his GPA, was the process it takes for those scores to be “official” so to speak.

Since then he’s found out, because the process of those grades actually getting to the University is more than what he thought. “We’ve been waiting on the scores to get sent to Nebraska, but we needed to send a check,” Thenarse said of the payment apparently needed to process this paperwork and send it to Lincoln. “So, that’s what I’m waiting on. Everyone told me not to worry about it. It just takes time. But it’s taking too much time for me.”

While almost the entire recruiting class of 2006 save a few, works out together in Lincoln and has a chance to get to know one another during the summer, Thenarse has found himself languishing in California, wanting to get to the land of the big red. It hasn’t been a very long wait at this point, his high school finishing up on June 22nd. It’s enough, though, because since the day he committed to Nebraska, getting there is all he’s been thinking about. “Yeah, I just want to get there and get ready to play,” Ricky said. “I did what I needed to do to make it, so now I just want to go.”

Thenarse said that while he doesn’t have a timeframe on just when all this paperwork will get processed, he’s figuring it won’t be very long. “They said it shouldn’t take too long, so hopefully it will be soon,” he said.

Thenarse making it to Lincoln was important once he made the pledge to be a future Husker. But recent events have made it almost a priority. With the recent legal troubles of Husker commit Major Culbert, and it appearing as if he will most certainly not be a Husker this year, if ever, Thenarse making it to Lincoln is a must.

At the safety position Nebraska lost both of their starters in Blake Tiedtke and Daniel Bullocks. Replacing them, at least at this point, are senior free safety Andrew Shanle and junior strong safety Tierre Green.

While Shanle has a bundle of experience at the position, playing much of last year, along with competing for the starting job before the 2005 season began, Green can’t say the same thing. The safety spot becomes the third position for Green, moving initially from running back to corner, and now finding himself playing in the front part of the secondary.

With so many unknowns at this position, players like Thenarse, along with fellow commits for the class of 2006; Corey Young and Anthony West, Nebraska needs all the bodies they can get.

Thenarse certainly wants to be one of those, is expecting to, and now just has to wait. But that’s easier than you think. “When you think about the fact that I should have been there already, you don’t like to wait, but that’s just how it goes,” Ricky said. “I just want to get there. I just want to get there and get ready to do my thing.”

Ricky had a whopping 153 tackles from the safety position as a senior, in addition to 3 interceptions. On offense he accumulated approx. 2,000 yards in total offense, running for 1,344 yards, along with 648 yards receiving.

Antwoine Baker Profile

With four offers to his name, Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan cornerback Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171) is in good shape in his recruitment.

He has some good schools to hang his hat on should he end his recruitment, but he also has the opportunity to see that list increase with a strong senior year.

So Baker is in no hurry to make a decision or even begin to narrow his list down.

“I’m pretty wide open,” said Baker. “I’m wanting to take all of my official trips before I make a decision anyway.”

Baker’s offers come from Nebraska, Arizona State, Washington and Mississippi State, and because each has offered, they are the current favorites.

“They’ve offered me so they’re my leaders,” said Baker. “I guess I like Mississippi State and Washington the most right now, but I’m pretty open.”

But that is not to say that other schools couldn’t make their way on to his list.

“I like USC, Texas, Cal and Arizona a lot too,” said Baker. “I’m hoping that one of them offers me. I haven’t made my list or anything because I want to see all of my options,” said Baker.

Baker made the trip to Austin earlier this month for an opportunity to show his ability in front of the Texas staff, but he suffered a slight injury.

He is hoping to attend USC’s Rising Senior Camp, which will conclude his camp tours. He has been to both Nike Camps in California this year, and he felt he did well at both of them.

Baker was recently ranked No. 19 nationally by Scout.com as a cornerback and is a four-star.

During his junior season, Baker had 40 tackles with 12 passes defense, four interceptions and three sacks.

Baker took his SAT earlier this month and has a 3.5 GPA.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Cornerback Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4) from Jordan High School in Los Angeles claims to have four offers and said he favors Mississippi State (offer) and Washington (offer) slightly over Arizona State (offer), Nebraska (offer) and Texas--in this order.

"Mississippi State offered me first, a few months ago. They have shown me the most interest--that's why I am most interested in them. They call when they say they will," Baker said.

"My cousin, Roy Lewis, plays cornerback at Washington. He says they have a great program because the coaches are the teaching-type.

"I don't know much about Arizona State and Nebraska. All I know is they want me to play football at their schools.

"I went to the Longhorn camp at Texas last Sunday (June 4). My coach, Elijah Asante said it would be good for me to go for exposure and that Texas is one of the top programs in the nation," Baker said. "It is a good program--I could tell when I visited. Head coach Mack Brown is the kind of guy that will tell you the truth, how good you really are and what you need to improve on to be your best. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to show him my skills because I pulled my hamstring while running my first 40-yard dash. I'm feeling better now.

"I plan to wait through the whole recruiting process 'til the end of the season so that I have a bigger choice of schools. When a school shows me interest, that means they are going to treat me well if I play for them," Baker said. "So other than how they recruit me, I am just looking for a school that wins a lot and sends players to the NFL.

"My best strength is covering the receiver. I am also good at my footwork, but I want to improve on my change of direction. My coach helps me practice this by running tire drills where I move my hips a lot."

Baker bench presses 185 X 12 and has a 33" vertical jump.

He reports a 3.0 core GPA and took his SAT on June 3.

David Starr Jordan High School cornerback Antwoine Baker, selected 1st-Team All League, 1st Team All City and 1st Team All Area last season, is one of the elite cornerbacks not only in California, but on the entire West Coast. Several schools are on his radar screen, including Southeastern Conference member Mississippi State.

Antwoine Baker Profile Page:

He talked about Mississippi State, a team that has been recruiting him for awhile.

"I think they started recruiting me about 4 or 5 months ago," said Antwoine, who has scholarship offers from Nebraska, Washington, Arizona State and Mississippi State. "They were the first ones to offer me. It was early this year."

He recently had a discussion with Mississippi State assistant coach Guy Holliday, the coach who recruits California for MSU.

"We talked about me going there. He said the (MSU head) coach (Sylvester Croom) would really like it if I go there and play for them," said the 6-0, 171-pounder. "The schools is 25% black, which means I will fit in. And it's in a good neighborhood. They treat you well over there. It's a good academic program."

Although in his earlier Scout.com interviews Antwoine appears to be most interested in remaining on the West Coast, he does have interest in Mississippi State.

"I've never been to Mississippi State before but I would like to visit them," he said. "I like that that they are very interested in me."

He's even trying to figure out a time when he can visit them.

"I'm supposed to go to Texas on the 4th of next month. I'm also thinking about taking an unofficial visit to Mississippi State," said Antwoine. "My brother (Eric) goes to Tuskegee (in Alabama), which is about 3 hours away. He said he likes it out there because the people are so nice, just like here."

He explained what he is looking for in a college.

"I want a lot of playing time when I get to a school. That is my main goal," he noted. "I also want to get a good education. I'm going to major in Criminal Justice." Baker hopes to be a prosecuting attorney for the District Attorney's office someday.

Will the distance from home factor into his decision?

"Distance won't matter to me," said Antwoine. "It doesn't really matter to me where I go."

Antwoine recorded 40 tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 sacks, and 12 passes defensed, while helping lead his team to a 8-3 record and a playoff berth last season.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Los Angeles defensive back Antwoine Baker (6-0, 171, 4.4) claims to have verbal offers from Washington, Arizona State, Nebraska and Mississippi State and is getting a lot of attention from Texas and USC. The Jordan High School DB denies a leader, but said he favors all six schools.

“Right now, I don’t have a top school,” Baker said. “I like all the school I have offers from, plus Texas and USC. They’ve been recruiting me the hardest.

“I like Washington a lot. They came to one of my games last season, Then Coach (Eric) Yarber called my coach and told him I had an offer. They said they really liked my size. I really like their defense. I haven’t been there yet, but my cousin, Roy Lewis, plays cornerback up there so I know a lot about the program. He really likes it. They’ve been sending me a lot of letters inviting me for a visit. I think I’m going to take an official sometime next season.

“I also like Arizona State,” he said. “The offered about three months ago. I haven’t talked to them yet, but my coach has talked to them a lot. I don’t really know what they are like. I’m hoping to get down there for a visit this summer.

“Nebraska offered me about the same time as Arizona. My teammate, Ricky Thenarse (running back), committed there this year. He’s told me a lot about the program and how nice everyone is there. It would be great to be able to play with Ricky at the next level. They’re building a great program there. I’m hoping to take an official there after football starts.”

Baker said Mississippi State is coming to his school next week. “The coaches talk to my dad a lot. I don’t know which coach he talks to the most. They told my dad I could definitely see some early playtime there. They were the first ones to offer too. I’ll be taking an official visit there for sure.

“Texas is on my list too. They’ve been talking to my coaches a lot. I get a lot of letters from them too. I’m going to their camp in June. My coach sent them my film, but I don’t know if they’ve seen it yet. I’m hoping that they’ll offer after camp.

“I’ve also been talking with USC,” Baker said. “Coach (Ken) Norton told me that they like what they see and for me to keep working hard. I’m going to the Nike combine in Palo Alto and he said he’s looking forward to seeing me there. Hopefully, they’ll offer after the combine.

“I have a great jumping ability. My vertical is 33”. I bench 285. I have great speed too and good size. I need to work on changing my head movement so I can stick the post routes a little better.”

Final junior (8-3) stats: 40 tackles/four interceptions/seven sacks

Baker reports a 3.5 GPA/June first-time SAT.

Antwoine Baker Profile

One prospect who has made it clear throughout the recruiting process that SC is where he would like to end up is Los Angeles (CA.) Jordan HS standout Antwoine Baker. While Baker has yet to receive an offer from SC, there is no reason to believe that it won’t arrive some time in the near future.

The SC coaches have now begun touring the nation visiting the top prospects, and Baker will definitely have his shot to impress the coaches.

“I believe Coach Pete Carroll and Ken Norton Jr. are coming by school tomorrow. I’m looking forward to that.”

While Baker has yet to receive his dream offer, he has reason to believe that the scholarship might not be too far off.

“I mean, they’re talking to me about it. So we’ll see.”

While SC is on top for Baker’s services, he still feels he would like to wait out the process before making a commitment if the offer were to come through.

“I will most likely wait until after my season.”

Baker did mention a few reasons why the Trojans lead for his services.

“I mean, it’s real close to home. And they’ve always been my favorite school and football program growing up.”

Antwoine Baker Profile

Antwoine Baker (6-1, 185, 4.4) from Los Angeles Jordan has narrowed his list of top schools and set up his camp, and combine schedule for the spring, and summer.

Baker, one of top cornerback prospects from California, said Washington (offer), California and USC are his top-three. But he’s also looking at UCLA, Nebraska (offer) Texas and Arizona State (offer), and has plans to attend a few camps this spring and summer.

“I’m going to camps at Nebraska, USC and Texas in June,” Baker said. He’ll also attend the May 7 Scout.com All-American Combine in Los Angeles.

Baker said he hasn’t had much verbal communication with many schools, but he’s talked to Ken Norton Jr. on occasion and attended its Junior Day.

“It was a great experience at USC’s Junior Day,” Baker said. We got to see how the coaches operate before games and they gave us a tour of the school. He (Ken Norton Jr.) told me to keep working hard and they still look forward to offering me--USC is my favorite team.”

He also touched on what he likes about the other two schools he favors.

“It’s (California) close to home and they have a good football team,” Baker said. “I like Washington because my cousin Roy Lewis goes there.”

Last season Baker had 40 tackles, four interceptions and three sacks He did not play offense as a junior, but will play wide receiver this season.

Among the honors for his junior season included first team All League, first team All- City, and first team All-Area.

Baker has a 3.1 GPA and is waiting for SAT scores.

Antwoine Baker Profile

Defensive back Antwoine Baker (6-1, 185, 4.4) from Jordan High in Los Angeles said he recently received a scholarship offer from Washington.

Baker, who is one of the elite cornerback prospects on the West Coast, now has offers from Arizona State, Mississippi State, Nebraska and Washington.

Bakers' future plans include attending the May 7 Scout.com All-American Combine at Citrus College and USC's Junior Day on April 2.

There are two variables D1 College Head Coaches have certainly emphasized recently in recruiting cornerbacks (with the current plethora of tall/fast receivers), and those are size and speed. Class of 2007 David Starr Jordan High School Bulldogs corner Antwoine Baker certainly meets those requirements.

Antwoine is a 6’1” lockdown/ball hawking corner who runs a 4.4 forty. He expects his frame will add another 10-15 pounds by the time he steps on the field for a college team. He certainly could grow another inch or two as well, making him a rare commodity indeed at corner.

Jordan High went 8-3 last fall losing in the first round of the playoffs to Venice High School (and future Trojan Kenny Ashley). When asked what it was like trying to tackle Ashley in that game, Baker’s simple response of “not fun” said many words. Antwoine played defensive end as a freshman on junior varsity, and had a banner season. He did not play his sophomore season while getting his academics in order, but came back to post big numbers as a junior. Baker’s junior campaign included 40 tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 sacks, and 12 passes defensed. He did not play offense as a junior, but will play wide receiver his upcoming senior year. Among the honors for his junior season included 1st-Team All League, 1st Team All City, and 1st Team All Area. He has successfully raised his GPA to a current 3.1, and plans to take both the SAT and ACT in April. Baker wants to major in Criminal Justice with plans to someday work in a DA’s office as a prosecuting attorney.

There are several schools Baker is looking at. Jordan teammate Ricky Thanarse just signed with Nebraska for their Class of 2006, so the Cornhuskers are certainly in the mix. In addition to the Nebraska offer, Baker also has early offers from Arizona and Mississippi State. His other early favorites include: Virginia Tech, Fresno State, Miami, Texas, Cal, UCLA, and USC. Of those schools, Texas and USC are certain to get official visits. Antwoine has no timetable, and will commit when he is comfortable. When asked what his parents think, Baker said (with a chuckle), “They want me to move and go to school out of state.” Antwoine has not spoken directly with any of the USC coaches as of yet, but his High School Head Coach Elijah Asante has. Coach Ken Norton has been in touch with Asante from USC. When asked what he liked about USC in particular, Baker said, “Coach Carroll, and the Defense. I really like the man-to-man coverage that USC runs. I also like all the cornerback blitzes they call." His favorite players at USC are Reggie Bush, Dwayne Jarrett, and Darnell Bing.

Baker plans on attending the East LA Football Camp on March 11th. He also plans on making the Nebraska and Texas Camps, as well as USC’s Junior Day. Baker wants to work on his feet and hip quickness. He lists his strengths as speed, jumping/vertical ability, and coverage skills. Antwoine will run the 100 meters, long jump, and high jump this spring for Jordan’s track team in order to work on his speed and athleticism. His older brother Eric was also a high jumper, and now attends Tuskegee University in Alabama. Baker’s cousin is Washington State football player Roy Lewis out of Narbonne High School. The NFL players he patterns his game after are Mike McKenzie of the Saints and Champ Bailey. He spends his free time hanging with friends, movies, and/or playing pick up tackle football. Antwoine Baker is one to watch for the Class of 2007.

Nebraska fans came to know and love Ricky Thenarse. Who wouldn’t, the way the guy plays and throw his body around, knowing he’ll be doing the same for Nebraska? Well, that area is not without a lot of other talent and on Ricky’s own team as well. And the fact that he’s Ricky’s teammate isn’t the only thing that binds these two together. This one also has an offer from the big red.

You don’t have to ask Antwoine Baker about Ricky Thenarse. He’s played with him. As a junior, watching Thenarse play, Antoine saw just what it takes to get recruited by the biggest football programs around.

Not like Baker doesn’t play like that himself, but until you see it happen either to yourself or someone else, sometimes you just don’t know.

Baker wasn’t taking his cue from Thenarse, though, in how he played or even with what kind of intensity. He had all of his own even before he saw Ricky tear it up like he has for Jordan high. From the cornerback position, Baker tore up the competition in his own right last year, notching four interceptions, three sacks, 40 tackles in all, while breaking up a dozen passes as well.

At 6 foot, 1 inches and around 180 pounds, Baker has the size, but as he describes his success, it has to start with how you think before what you can do physically even matters. “You have to figure out what kind of receiver you are facing, if he’s just a big guy or if he’s someone that has speed and can get down the field,” Baker said. “I don’t worry too much about how I match up, because there’s always ways to beat anyone.”

With teammates like Thenarse now graduating and a future in store for him that includes with himself, just four returning starters, Baker could be dreading the year to come. Instead, he’s relishing it, because he knows that if his team is to keep up its winning ways and even get better, his game will have to be as good as its ever been. “Pressure is what it is, but if you worry about pressure, you don’t have any business being on that field.”

“The great players want that pressure and so do I. I want to know that it’s up to me to make a play.”

One school has already jumped on board in recognizing Baker’s ability and potential. The same school where Thenarse is heading to play, is asking Baker if you would like to join his teammate next year. It’s not the place Baker thought of when he envisioned getting offered to play the next level. “I didn’t know much about them, other than they were one of the teams going after Ricky,” Antwoine said. “I still don’t know a lot about them, but I will learn more over the next few months.”

Baker, much like any other kid in the state of California, has grown up dreaming about USC. The idea of playing for the Trojans, when you see them on TV, that’s where you want to be. Baker said that he still thinks like that, but now that he knows he’ll have options for the future, he’s making sure he keeps all of them as open as he can right now.

“USC would be great, but so would CAL,” Baker said of where he’d like to play his college ball. “But an offer is an offer and if Nebraska is the only team to offer me, than I have no problem playing there.”

“But I think I am going to have options, so I am not worrying about whether USC offers me or not. I am just looking at what will be best for me.”

One thing Baker is looking at is attending law school when he gets to the next level. Inspired one day during a “take a child to work” event held at school, Antwoine got to see the inner workings of what lawyers do and how. That intrigued him, partly because it’s about solving problems, cases and doing analysis, something he likes, but some it has to do with where he’s from as well.

As we have reported in stories about Thenarse, the neighborhoods of south central Los Angeles are sometimes war zones and that’s on a good day. The chances of being shot and killed are just another part of day-to-day life. Like Thenarse, Baker has had to live through that every day of his life, but he said that you can live in any environment in the world, but it’s ultimately up to you as to what you want for your future.

“Guns are going off around here every day. I mean, that’s just life in this area,” Baker said of the “Crip”-controlled area. “You learn how to watch your back and keep your eyes on everything and everyone. You basically just stick to your neighborhood. It’s not safe, but it’s about as safe as you are going to get around here.”

Like Thenarse, sports for Baker is an out, but it doesn’t hurt that it’s something he simply loves to do. “I love being out there, knowing something is on the line and it’s up to me to make a play,” he said. “You can’t get that with a lot of stuff, but you get that out there. I just love playing the game.”

As to Nebraska and seeing himself playing his game there, Baker said that he would learn more about the Huskers over the months, but said that he’ll probably learn a lot more when he camps there this summer. Antwoine said that he’d like to attend camp there and USC as well.

Other than that, it’s about getting better than he was last year. It’s about getting faster, bigger, stronger, knowing he’s going to have to do all that just to make up for the loss of so many starters on his side of the ball.

Most kids would dread it, but as you have seen, he’s loving it and he can’t wait for the next season, his last season to start. “It’s going to be a tougher season for us, but that’s what makes it good, when you can fight against bigger odds and come out on top.”

“I’m enjoying that idea, because we all have to step up, or there’s no point in playing the game at all. Everyone is going to have to play like crazy to win.”

Baker said aside from the attention he is getting from Nebraska, he’s also receiving letters from many of the Pac 10 schools, along with many in-state teams like San Diego State, Fresno State, etc.

Baker currently has a 3.0 GPA

Thenarse doesn't always feel comfortable talking about himself and there is nothing wrong with being humble. Thenarse has high expectations that include one day getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Before that day though, he will spend the next four to five years on the field in Lincoln. Here is Ricky Thenarse, one on one.

Name: Ricky Thenarse
School:Los Angeles (Calif.) David Starr Jordan
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 180
40-time: 4.43

Position(s) played last year: Running Back and Safety

Stats: 1344 yards rushing, 648 yards receiving and 14 total touchdowns as a running back. 153 tackles and 3 interceptions as a safety.

Honors: MVP of the league, first team all-league and first team all-state

Official Visit Date: September 9, Wake Forest

Enjoyed the most on official visit: "I enjoyed the atmosphere. Well, really everything. It was like the most exciting place on Earth. I hadn't been to Nebraska before. I knew that it would be big; it was just more than I had ever seen before. It was like nothing I had seen before."

Biggest factor in choosing Nebraska: "The love from the coaches. Coach Busch never gave up on me. He was there for me step by step since the eleventh grade. He always called me."

Other schools considered: Fresno State, Colorado, USC, Washington and Oregon

What are you looking forward to the most when it comes to getting to Nebraska: "Just getting my weight up a little bit. I want to work real hard when I get into the program so I can start. I want to try and start this year. Hopefully, I will be out there by June 30 or July 5 or 6. I would like to room with Major Culbert there in Lincoln.

Funny recruiting story: "Nothing really."

Number desired: "Number "4". It's been my number since Pop Warner. My big brother wore it too."

Message to Husker Nation: "I'm here for one reason only and that is to win a championship."

Recruiting is about selling. You sell tradition. You sell location. You sell game atmosphere. You can sell the coaching staff. You can also sell playing time. Being an in-coming safety to Nebraska is a very attractive proposition. A proposition that Ricky Thenarse definitely saw.

The big news for Ricky Thenarse was released last night at halftime of his basketball game. The decision for where he would be spending the next four to five years came down to Nebraska, Fresno State and Colorado. Who did the 6-foot-1 and 180 pound athlete choose?

"I announced last night, I did it," Thenarse said. "I am going to Nebraska. They are recruiting me as a corner/safety. I know when I go I can start."

Coach Busch was the primary recruiter for Nebraska with Thenarse. Beyond Busch's influence though the whole package at Nebraska really caught Ricky's eye. And in the end, it was too good to pass up.

"Coach Asante and I had a great visit to Nebraska. The fans, the academics, the whole program and they have that new facility that is being built stood out. I just want to be part of it."

The one thing that might have been over-looked last night was Ricky and his team's performance in the basketball game. "We won. I played good. I play power forward. I am averaging about eight points and about four or five rebounds. I give up size, but I play aggressive."

While Ricky is finding himself busy with school and basketball right now it won't get any easier. After basketball completes he is onto track. After track it's into conditioning and getting ready to be a Husker.

"I'll run track after basketball. I will run the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m. My best 100m time is 10.8. After that I will just be training for Lincoln. I am leaving in June after graduation to go to Lincoln.

The goals for Ricky don't end with his senior year or in Lincoln. Thenarse has set a high bar to get over for his goals. One goal came up in Big Red Report's conversation with Coach Elijah Asante.

"Just watching this kid develop and knowing where he comes from and knowing where he is going is amazing. He already has a long term goal, and I love to hear him say it, he says that he is going to be a hall of famer one day. That is a long term goal and a lot goes into that. Can you walk that route? There are slim chances that he does, but if he does I will remember that he said it to me. Let's say 25 plus years from now at Canton, Ohio I will remember that he said it."

Rickey Thenarse Profile

Ricky Thenarse has committed to the University of Nebraska. Thenarse is a 6-foot-1 and 190 pound athlete that could play receiver, running back, corner back or safety at the next level.

Nebraska has recruited Thenarse as a safety, but has told him that he would get a chance on offense if he wants.

There has been a lot of excitement amongst the CU faithful since the Buffalo Sports News broke the news about Thenarse officially visiting Boulder. He spoke with us last night to tell us where he is in the recruiting process and give us his thoughts on the trip.

Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
40 time: 4.5
From: Los Angeles, California
High School: Jordan

Ricky Thenarse is officially down to Nebraska, Colorado and Fresno State. He visited CU this weekend and he'll be making his commitment announcement at half time of his basketball game, this Wednesday. The game will be carried on ESPNU.

We get his thoughts on the Boulder trip. "It was a cool trip," Thenarse said. "I really liked the snow. I don't get to see much of that where I live. Other then that, it was pretty much the same as my other trips."

The versatile athlete was able to sit down with the coaches and figure out their plans for him. "They told me I could come in there and probably start at corner or receiver. I am not leaning to any one school right now, I will make my choice on Wednesday. Colorado scheduled another in-home visit with me on Wednesday night."

Thenarse would be a tremendous additon to the CU recruiting class. It appears that if he committed to the Buffs, and he didn't get the needed test grade by the fall, Colorado would gray-shirt him and bring him in for spring ball, 2007.

Colorado recruiting is smoldering hot right now. The coaches are all over the nation visiting players, scheduling trips and grabbing verbal commitments. Inside, a look at some players that will be visiting Boulder, some players that have already visited, and the latest inside info.

-Los Angeles Jordan's Ricky Thenarse confirmed this morning to the BSN that he'll be visiting this weekend. After an in-home visit on Monday night, the CU staff convinced Thenarse to take one last trip to Boulder. The versatile athlete, ranked as the No.45 running back in the nation, will be in Boulder tomorrow night. "It is between Colorado, Nebraska and Fresno State right now," Thenarse explained. "I still plan on making my decision on ESPN on the 25th. I really like Coach Hagan at CU. He breaks things down to me and is real cool. They like me all over the field, but they might start me out at receiver if I go there."

Thenarse is a "predictor" meaning he will be real close on grades. But, his grades have improved dramatically since the beginning of this school year so he is heading in the right direction.

There has been some drama out of the recent situation behind Ricky Thenarse's alleged commit. While that is important for Husker fans, Ricky looks at this drama as one of the smallest things in his life. You want drama? Grow up in the projects of Los Angeles, where the things we see in film or on TV are what he lives through everyday. in an extended conversation with Ricky, he talked about that life and the fact that he wants to use football to save some more lives, just like it saved his.

Note: Ricky is a very soft-spoken individual, literally. I had to manually amplify every section where he was talking, so I apologize for possible variances in the volume, and in some sections, you might still have to adjust your volume at times. Again, apologies for the inconvenience.

A Candid Q&A with Ricky Thenarse

Going into the final leg of the recruiting season, the Cornhuskers looked for a standout prospect to help ease the loss of three-year starting strong safety Daniel Bullocks.

The Huskers appeared to have found their man Tuesday, as highly-touted defensive back Ricky Thenarse became the 21st player in the 2006 class to verbally commit.

Thenarse's father, Rickey Thenarse, said the persistence of NU Coach Bill Callahan and Safeties Coach Bill Busch ultimately got Thenarse to commit.

``The coaches were on him all summer long,'' Rickey Thenarse said. ``They constantly were trying to show him a good time. They sent him to Nebraska and he visited. Mr. Busch was constantly coming to his big games and he brought the head coach with him.

``Basically he talked to them more than he talked to any other coaches besides USC and Fresno State.''

Thenarse, a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, is the No. 12-ranked athlete nationally and the No. 18 player in California.

Matt Malatesta, a Big 12 analyst for Rivals.com, said Thenarse could play receiver, running back or defensive back, but sees Thenarse more as a defender.

``I like him at defensive back or corner,'' Malatesta said. ``He's got the size, the speed and the athletic ability to play the big corner position. That's such a coveted position in college. In the NFL, it's the same way.

``Big cover corners are hard to find. Dunta Robinson at the Houston Texans was drafted in the top-15 picks in the NFL draft. Robinson is 5-foot-9. You've got a 6-foot kid here that can do athletically what Robinson can do. You've got yourself a lockdown corner for years to come.''

At Jordan High School in Los Angeles, Thenarse was known for his versatility.

In his senior season, Thenarse was the league's player of the year and rushed for 1,344 yards and 10 touchdowns. Thenarse also had 19 catches for 628 yards and five receiving touchdowns.

Defensively, Thenarse racked up 153 tackles and had one interception. Thenarse also starred on special teams, on which he returned 11 punts for 231 yards and 14 kickoffs for 300 yards.

Despite all of the offensive laurels Thenarse received, Rickey Thenarse expects his son to play defensively for the Huskers early on.

``He's a very good defensive player and that's where he started from,'' Rickey Thenarse said. ``He knows defense wins games. He can make things happen on defense and just wanted to be able to play.

``He wants to play as soon as possible, but if he has to sit out a year, it's no problem. I talked to Busch and Callahan and they said we really need a safety. He's a pretty good safety.''

In the stretch run of putting together its 2006 recruiting class, Nebraska picked up two verbal commitments Tuesday, including one from a primary target.

Ricky Thenarse, a defensive back and running back from Los Angeles’ Jordan High School, pledged to play for Nebraska next season, turning down scholarship offers from Fresno State, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, among others. He received a four-star ranking (out of five possible) by Rivals.com and is rated 12th nationally as an “athlete” by the recruiting Web site.

In addition, Keith Williams, a two-way high school lineman from suburban St. Louis, chose to attend Nebraska in large part because of the Husker athletic program’s emphasis on academics, he said.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Thenarse and the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Williams became the 20th and 21st players known to have verbally committed to the Huskers’ 2006 scholarship class.

Nebraska likely will try to secure another four or five commitments before the end of the month.

“It’s my dream school,” Thenarse said of NU. “I grew up watching Eric Crouch. That was my favorite college player. He’s a leader, like me.”

Thenarse potentially fills a crucial need, as Nebraska loses starting safeties Blake Tiedtke and Daniel Bullocks from its 2005 team that finished 8-4.

Husker safeties coach Bill Busch played the lead role in Thenarse’s recruitment.

“He’s awesome,” Thenarse said about Busch. “He’s a good recruiter. He’s trustworthy.”

Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove was a major factor in landing Williams.

“Nebraska has everything I wanted as far as football and academics,” said Williams, noting the school’s intensive tutoring program and reputation for churning out academic All-Americans.

Williams, who plans to major in architecture, earned a three-star rating (on a five-star scale) from both Rivals.com and Scout.com. He helped lead McCluer North High School in Florissant, Mo., to a 9-3 record this past season.

In choosing Nebraska, Williams turned down scholarship offers from several schools, including Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State and Missouri. He made official recruiting visits last month to, in order, Minnesota, Indiana and Nebraska.

As for Missouri, he said, “They were in the picture, but I had to cut them loose. It just wasn’t the place for me.”

Williams said he wants to play offensive tackle in college.

Verbal commitments don’t become binding until players sign national letters of intent starting Feb. 1.

Lot's of kids envision themselves as a professional athlete. And why not? However, few are able to walk that line and fewer are immortalized when they are enshrined into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Ricky has these types of visions and goals. Coach Asante will not forget any time soon about Thenarse's dreams.

Ricky Thenarse from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan is a 6-foot-1 and 185 pound athlete that could play cornerback, safety, running back or even wide receiver. Thenarse has already been to Nebraska on an official visit and it seems that there will be some others. One will not get one for convenience purposes.

"We had to set them all up and he has some coming up, but we haven't figured them all out yet," Coach Elijah Asante said. "He has taken Nebraska already. We really don't need to take one to USC, because we can get there anytime and we really don't want to waste an official visit. Ricky is familiar with their facilities already. There is Cal for sure, but I can't think of the date for that. There is Washington and Oregon, but we haven't set up dates for those."

When it comes to naming names on the leader board, there is one that is pretty high. It is pretty much a who's who of college football and on the lighter side of things it seems that any school that Thenarse chooses is a win-win situation. This may really come down to what position that Ricky wants to play.

"I can tell you this, and that is Nebraska is up there pretty high. They have shown the most interest, the most consistent interest, unwavering interest and Nebraska is really up there high. USC is just USC. You don't turn away from USC. You really have to really consider them. They have the very best athletes at every position. They are going to get them every year. And they got them last year and the year before. They have to like you more than you like them."

"Cal is looking good. They got a late start on Ricky, but they are jumping in on him. It's really going to come down to those I just mentioned and figuring out where does he fit in the best. It's going to be more of who wants him than who he wants. He doesn't get caught up in wanting to be a Trojan or wanting to be a Cornhusker or wanting to be a Bear. That is not the issue. The issue is which one wants you, needs you."

"The other thing is that is position-wise he really wants to play corner. And I know Nebraska wants him more of a safety and Nebraska's safety coach, Bill Busch, he undoubtedly wants him as a safety. They told him that they would let him have a chance at corner, but the only reason why they said that is because they don't want to lose him by telling him he can't play corner."

"USC and Pete Carroll from the start said corner. He played against David Ausberry and Ausberry is a tall kid, but so is Ricky. Ricky is 6-foot-1 and there is a trend going toward taller corners. But the problem is you stretch them out and they don't have elite speed. They have 4.6 speed, but they don't have 4.4 speed. Ricky has 4.4 speed, elite speed. He really projects well with what his ultimate goals are and that is to be a draft pick and play in the league and be successful."

When it comes to watching a kid like Thenarse come through there are moments, but for Coach Asante is has really been the ride and where Ricky might be headed. Coach Asante has seen the whole process for Thenarse and has witnessed the entire development first-hand. The goal that Thenarse has set for himself couldn't be higher and if it comes true his coach will be there to say he heard Ricky call his shot.

"Just watching this kid develop and knowing where he comes from and knowing where he is going is amazing. He already has a long term goal, and I love to hear him say it, he says that he is going to be a hall of famer one day. That is a long term goal and a lot goes into that. Can you walk that route? There are slim chances that he does, but if he does I will remember that he said it to me. Let's say 25 plus years from now at Canton, Ohio I will remember that he said it."

Coach Asante and Thenarse both received honors recently. Thenarse will be playing in the Cali-Florida and East-West game while Coach Asante will be Ricky's coach in the East-West game. "He's playing in the Cali-Florida game at the end of December. He is also playing in the East-West game and I am going to be the coach in that. Crenshaw and Dorsey will be on one side and we will have Poly and Dominguez on our side."

Want a true athlete? Check out Ricky Thenarse. The 6-foot-1 and 180 pound Thenarse is being recruited by some of the nation's top programs to play a number of positions. He starred at corner and running back this year for Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan High School and could play either at the next level or safety. He led Jordan to their best year in over two decades. Read Part One of this two part interview.

Ricky Thenarse is special. As Coach Elijah Asante would tell you, Ricky played against some of the greatest players in the nation being that he is in Los Angeles and always held his own. More than that, he showed a lot of them up. Thenarse helped lead Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan to their best season in over 20 years.

"It was a great season," Coach Elijah Asante said. "It was the best season that we have had in over 20 years. We were 8-3. We lost in the first round. Jonas Mouton is on that team and they were a higher ranked team than we were."

"He was the league MVP. He led the whole city in tackles. He had 163 tackles. He had 1300 yards rushing. He scored and 80 and 72 yards touchdowns as a receiver in the playoff game. Jonas is a great athlete, I rate him up there as one of the best, but it's right there on film when Ricky just opened up on him. Every step he was leaving him more."

When it comes to breaking down Thenarse on tape you see the speed. You see the strength. However, it's how he got that speed and that strength that Coach Asante says is actually Thenarse's biggest strength.

"His biggest strength is his work ethic. He has an incredible work ethic. You can say that there is a reason he makes those tackles and that there is a reason that he scores all of those touchdowns and it comes right back down to work ethic."

"He trains like Jerry Rice. He goes to the sand dunes. He is dedicated. He never misses a practice. There are very few kids that have that type of discipline at this age."

That production, that speed, that power and that work ethic have some of the best programs in the nation headed to Jordan High School to inquire about Thenarse. Coach Asante has been with Ricky on his only official visit so far. "USC, Nebraska, Cal and Texas is there, they are inquiring right now, but those are the main schools. He and I went to Nebraska for an official visit."

The opportunity to go to Nebraska was the first trip to that area and to Nebraska for both Coach Asante and Ricky Thenarse. While they were there the behavior that they saw was a little bizarre, but Coach Asante and Ricky both know the reasons and Coach Asante believes that the passion that Husker fans have for their team is second to none.

"They love football up there. It was crazy, just ridiculous. They knew who he was up there. Up there, football players are like rock stars. They don't have anything else going on; no professional sports teams of any kind. Nebraska football is all they have and it is ridiculously crazy."

"We came in from the airport and we were about to be a little bit late for the game. When we got there to the stadium there was this lady and she was in police custody and she was screaming in the car. She started banging her head against the window inside the squad car. Then she said why she was so upset and it was because she was about to miss the start of the Nebraska football game."

"She was going bezerk and we were just wondering if this was real. Then we got inside and there were a couple of fans and they knew who he was already because they followed us through. People follow recruiting and find out what you look like, because we have never been to Nebraska. They knew because they were like, 'Ricky Thenarse rules! Hey Ricky! You're coming here right?'. It's crazy. The passion that they have for football in Lincoln, Nebr. for football is probably unsurpassed."

Come back tomorrow to read the conclusion of the Big Red Report's interview with Ricky Thenarse's coach, Elijah Asante, when he talks about Ricky's favorites, what he is looking for in a school and Ricky's long-term goals. You won't want to miss it!

Nebraska had another big weekend of official visitors. Nebraska is looking for a couple of good safeties this year and one was in the stands to see a very defensive minded Nebraska team standout. How did Ricky Thenarse like his visit to Nebraska?

Nebraska was able to show off to the recruits that the Blackshirts are back. Ricky Thenarse had a chance to take in the game this weekend against Wake Forest.

"I am at the airport getting ready to go home," Thenarse said. "It was a real good time."

"I wanted to see the game environment and meet with the coaches. Coach Bill Busch is recruiting me and Nebraska is recruiting me as a safety."

Nebraska isn't what some people always think that it is going to be. For Thenarse he was a little taken back about what he thought Nebraska might look like and what it actually looked like.

"I was surprised. Surprised in a good way. I can't even tell you what I thought Nebraska might look like, but I definitely like Lincoln."

Nebraska is really the third school that Thenarse has seen, but it was his first official. He has been to Junior Days at UCLA and USC this spring. How did they compare?

"UCLA was about a '5'. USC was about an '8'. Nebraska was also an '8'. Those two are neck and neck."

Thenarse did not commit, but has Nebraska as a co-leader. As of right now he is only looking at one other official visit possibly to Tennessee.

With Nebraska continuing its season this weekend with a second consecutive night game and 270th sellout against Wake Forest, they welcome yet another batch of official visitors and possible Cornhuskers-to-be. One such visitor is California’s Ricky Thenarse, a versatile athlete that perhaps is flying a bit under the radar. We were able to sit down with Ricky and his coach to get their take on the weekend to come.

There are common terms in recruiting such as “over-rated”, “under-rated”, “diamond in the rough”, “bust”, etc. Ricky Thenarse is simply who he is. He is an athlete and according to his coach, “He’s a multi talented athlete that can play on either side of the ball plus special teams. I believe he could be like Ted Ginn, Jr. and he should play on both sides of the ball. He ran a legit 4.48 wearing cleats on grass at USC,” he said.

Ricky’s coach went on to laud Thenarse not only for his athletic ability but his fortitude as well. “The thing that separates him is his work ethic. He never gets tired, he competes on every possession, every practice, every play. When we run sprints he tries to win every time,” he said.

When asked about Ricky’s character, his coach responded, “I think he’s like a coach’s player because what happened with him was he’s a leader amongst his peers and when you can get him to do something, you get the rest of the team to do it,” he said.

Thenarse’s coach, who will be traveling with him to Nebraska, said that he and Ricky plan to sit down, view the pros and cons of the recruiting trail and make a decision after the season. “He doesn’t want to commit to a school and then de-commit,” he said. Once Ricky makes his decision, it’s final.

According to Ricky’s coach, the Nebraska visit has been all he has been talking about all week asking him who they were going to get to meet. “He wants his own little experience out there,” he said.

Looking through Ricky’s eyes, he’ll be looking not so much as the gloss of the program, but the inner workings. “I’ll be checking on how things are run along with how the program works and how the offense runs. Plus I’ll take the comfort factor and academics into account,” said Thenarse.

Ricky said he’s looking forward to seeing what Lincoln offers him as he has never set foot on Nebraskan soil. What he does know, however, is that these Cornhuskers, they like their football. “It’s a football town,” he said, “the fans are just crazy.”

Thenarse’s team played last week and lost a 36-35 nail biter in which Ricky returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown and had 9 carries for 93 yards. When it comes down to making the decision, Ricky stands by his coach’s words but also added, “I feel that I’ll make the decision, when it feels right.”

Los Angeles Jordan and Verbum Dei high schools both are located in Watts, separated by only one mile – and two notorious gangs.

Security concerns are the prime reason the schools haven’t met on a football field in 10 years – a span that will end today at 2 p.m. in a season opener at Lawndale High.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Verbum Dei Coach Kendric Knox said.

The teams got together for dinner last week at the Watts Coffee House, an idea hatched by Elijah Asante, Jordan’s first-year coach. Players introduced themselves, shook hands and rejoiced at being part of a positive community event.

“How many teams get to break bread before the first game and then break heads?” Knox said to smiles and laughter.

But let’s not ignore the obstacles and dangers faced by teenagers in Watts, where too often violence has overshadowed real lessons in sportsmanship and camaraderie taking place on the athletic field.

“It’s pretty serious,” running back Ricky Thenarse of Jordan said. “You can’t beat around the bush. People get killed.”

Behind Verbum Dei is the territory of the Bounty Hunters, a Bloods gang. Next to Jordan is the territory of the Crips. These rival gangs have plenty to do with the chilling statistic that Watts has averaged two homicides a month since 2003, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Coaching in the ‘hood is something different,” Asante said. “You’re going to be a pallbearer. You’re going to be speaking at a funeral.”

Asante said one of his main goals is trying to keep his team’s standout player, Thenarse, “alive this year.”

Last spring, a cousin of Thenarse’s was shot in a drive-by.

“The kid was living and dying in his arms,” Asante said.

Thenarse, 6 feet 1 and 180 pounds, is good enough to play at a top NCAA Division I-A school if he fulfills his academic requirements. Last season, he rushed for 1,234 yards. Asante is doing all he can to make sure Thenarse has the chance.

“It’s a tough road, with long odds,” Asante said. “So much focus has to be on the kids so they can thread the needle. He sees the opportunity and is trying to seize it. I’m trying to make sure he doesn’t fail. What he represents is bigger than himself. If he does it, he shows it can be done.”

Verbum Dei, an all-boys’ Catholic school, prides itself on preparing its graduates for college. The students dress in white shirts, black ties, black pants, black socks and black shoes.

“We act like gentlemen and dress like gentlemen,” one coach said.

The school attracts students from many areas, including Watts, home of the Ayers brothers, Akeem and Kevin.

The Ayerses live on 97th Street, one of the toughest areas in Watts. Kevin, a freshman running back, said he has seen 10 shootings. Akeem, a 6-3, 205-pound junior defensive end who had 18 sacks last season, said he has seen five shootings. The nonchalant way they talk about their experiences is disturbing because they seem to have accepted the threat of violence as part of everyday life.

And it is.

They and others have to make daily choices as to where to walk, where to stand, whom to visit and what to say to avoid trouble.

Last week’s dinner and today’s football game represent an attempt by adults to direct behavior in a positive direction.

“It’s good to make friends and get to know each other,” Jordan quarterback Jerry Jackson said.

Knox told players from both teams, “Let’s stay away from the violence and nonsense. Don’t succumb to peer pressure. Go to class, do what you have to do and stay out of trouble.”

There were two helmets on a stage at the dinner. Players from Verbum Dei wondered why their blue helmet was placed where Jordan players were seated. Players from Jordan wondered why their white helmet was placed where Verbum Dei players sat.

“Until you hit that field, there is no side,” explained Frank Lewis, an assistant coach at Jordan.

The good news in Watts is that many desire an end to the violence. The bad news is that a few ruin it for others.

Everyone hopes that in today’s game the teams play hard, play tough and play in peace.

Times staff writer Doug Smith contributed to this report.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

The rolling plains and cornfields of Nebraska have a certain appeal. The word “majestic” probably wouldn’t apply, but there’s a serenity to be found in a state where life is simple, a person’s worth often defined on their work ethic. For Ricky Thenarse, the simplicity and single-mindedness of those within the Cornhusker state is more than appealing. Considering his life growing up, the simpler life is, the more it appeals to him.

I get up, grab a bagel, maybe a cup of coffee, head outside to pick up the paper and think about what’s on the agenda for that day.

It’s simple, but in rural areas like Nebraska, simple is often what you see. Some on the coasts would call it too simple, boring in fact, because from their culture to Lincoln, it’s like going from a Lamborghini to a Honda Accord……..four door.

There are some, though, that in their world, getting up and heading out that front door isn’t simple at all. In fact, it’s another day, where you can’t be sure if you are going to come home or not.

“There’s always someone getting shot around here or shootings going on,” Los Angeles, California resident and David Starr Jordan high school standout Ricky Thenarse said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen after you leave your front door.”

Deep in the heart of south central Los Angeles, that’s nothing new to anyone, those who have seen this particular part of America described in movies and in the news as a war zone in the middle of so-called “modern” society.

It’s a place where if you have grown up there your entire life, it isn’t a matter of if you have lost friends and even family, but who they were and when.

Amongst the seven people that Ricky has known that he said have been shot and killed in his neighborhood over his life, he’s seen two of the tragedies take place in person. One, a friend, but the other much more than that; a cousin, but also a mentor.

“He always used to say that football was my way out,” Ricky said of his cousin. “He said that I should get my grades, do as well as I can and get out of here so I can have a future.”

“And we were walking along one day and just like that, he got shot in a drive-by and he died right there.”

Sadness, shock, fear; all are emotions that you and I can only fathom as to what would go through our mind, seeing one of our loved ones gunned down in front of our eyes. They were for Ricky as well, but what his cousin taught him kept him from going down the route that most that live there, often go.

“You get angry, because you want to do something about it,” he said. “You want to stop it or get whoever back that did it to you or someone close to you.”

“But I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t have a future anymore. I wouldn’t have a shot to play football, go to college or make it to the NFL.”

“I’d be just like them and I’m not going to do that. I want something better than that for myself.”

That’s a battle all its own, the pressure to join the gangs an anvil weighing heavily on those teenagers in the neighborhood, others promising them protection, but then throwing them into a world where there is none.

There is only crime, violence and death.

For so many reasons, far too many that you and I probably couldn’t understand, Thenarse wants something different.

He wants out.

Away, far away, living his dream instead of experiencing a daily nightmare. His family wants him out, if only to have the opportunity to live instead of wondering every single day if he’ll die.

That’s why when you talk about recruiting, Thenarse looks at those written offers, four as of today, as much as opportunities at a different life as they are a chance to compete for a starting spot on a team.

When Ricky realized that he wasn’t just good at the game of football, but so good that an opportunity like this could come about, he knew where all his focus was going to be.

“People told me that football was my ticket out of here, but you don’t think about that really until someone actually comes to you and says they want you to play for them and there’s a scholarship to do it,” Ricky said. “When that happens, it starts to be a little more real and there’s nothing I want more than this.”

Sports is a way out for many kids that grow up in the gang-dominated inner cities of America. Whether it’s basketball, football or whatever, it’s their one opportunity to get out. To make a life of their own, but help those who remain there and to realize that there is a world outside of theirs, where life isn’t in question once you leave your front door.

It’s safe and that’s a concept that Thenarse would like to learn really means.

“I don’t know what it would be like not to be here and have to worry about possibly getting killed,” he said. “Before you leave the house, you pray that God will bring you back at the end of the day.”

“God gave me the ability to play football and I know it’s to leave here if I can, so I have to, because this is the only future I have.”

That future has been built on Ricky’s impressive athleticism, carrying quickness (Ricky ran a 4.48/40 at the USC Nike combine) and speed on a 6 foot, 1 inch frame, weighing right around 180 pounds. He’s got the versatility to play either side, Ricky rushing for over 1,200 yards on offense last year, while grabbing four interceptions from the safety position as well.

The University of Nebraska was the first to offer Thenarse and it was a school that as a product of the inner-cities, he had little to no familiarity with at all. Perhaps he didn’t even know where Nebraska was, but since the offer, he’s gotten to know a lot more.

“I love that place, because it’s everything I want right now,” Ricky said. “It’s far away from here, but I have heard that, that place is about nothing but football.”

“I’ve made football my life, because I know it’s my only way out, so when I hear about a place where the whole state is just all about that football team, that sounds like a place I want to be.”

Ricky is set to visit Nebraska on the 11th of September, the Huskers hosting Wake Forest University. That visit is currently the only one he has set up to this point.

That visit is still around a month and a half away, but he’s been thinking about it since it was officially scheduled. “I can’t wait, because the coaches there seem like they want me more than anyone else does,” he said. “They have recruited me the hardest, but like I said, that whole state seems like it’s about just one thing.”

“I love that and I love that it’s at a place where there’s not much else going on. To me, that is exactly what I want.”

There are other choices, of course, Thenarse also looking at Oregon, Washington and Colorado, all three having offered him in writing. And, of course, there’s the obligatory choice of USC, a school that is just a stone’s throw from him.

That actually doesn’t favor USC, though, whereas it favors everyone else, because unlike most recruits that look at schools and hope it feels like home, Ricky is looking for a place that feels like anything but.

That eliminates a lot of questions I usually ask as a reporter of sorts. I don’t ask Ricky if he cares about location. I don’t ask Ricky if he cares about the weather. I don’t ask him all the things I usually ask when player lives in a state that has some dominate programs of their own.

Ricky doesn’t care about that. He doesn’t care about it being close or there being rain, heat, snow or the distance it is away from his house. He cares about his future and going to a place where he’ll actually have one.

Will that be Nebraska? Only time will tell, especially the time he spends on his official at the land of the big red.

There’s little doubt, though, that the simple-life, the one that some kids find almost too peaceful, that’s a place that will always rank real high to him.

“I don’t care about what they have going on or what kind of life there is outside of the school,” Ricky said. “My life is getting up, getting to school as fast as I can, practicing after school and then going home.”

“My way out of here is football, so I don’t care about the other stuff.”

“I am just doing everything I can to get out.”

Ricky currently has a reported 3.0 GPA and is scheduled to retake his SAT.

Ricky Thenarse, the 6-0, 175-pound tailback from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan, has a thing for the Bruins. He's been showing well at the recent camps and could emerge as another elite running back in SoCal for 2006...

In a year that has Los Angeles’ richest running back crop in some time, Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan tailback Ricky Thenarse (6-0, 175) is doing his best to join the list of elite prospects like Sylmar’s C.J. Gable and Dorsey’s Stafon Johnson.

Thenarse was at the Nike Camp in Los Angeles, where he delivered what he felt was a strong performance, running a 4.48 40 and doing well in the drills.

“I did real good at the Nike Camp. They said I was the No. 2 running back there. It was a good experience for me,” said Thenarse.

While he doesn’t have any offers to date, Thenarse has received interest from Tennessee, Oregon, Notre Dame, Kansas State, Washington State, Utah and Georgia Tech.

But one team stands out.

“UCLA is my school,” he said. “If they offered me, I’d commit. That’s where I really want to go.”

He was at UCLA’s Junior Day earlier this year, and his visit to Westwood confirmed his feelings. “I met Coach (Eric) Bieniemy and Coach (Karl) Dorrell there. I really like them. I like the whole staff and the school a lot. It was a good day for me. I loved it. I’d want to take some trips, but if they offered, it would be hard to not take it.”

Oregon and Georgia Tech are #2 and #3 two on Thenarse’s list.

Thenarse is scheduled to attend the Nike Camp at Stanford next month and will also be at the Scout Combine in May.

During his junior year at Jordan, Thenarse rushed for 1,234 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also seeing time at safety, though running back is where he sees his future at.

Thenarse is carrying a 2.5 GPA and takes the SAT on May 7th.

Rickey Thenarse Profile

In a year that has Los Angeles’ richest running back crop in some time, Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan tailback Ricky Thenarse (6-0, 175) is doing his best to join the list of elite prospects like Sylmar’s C.J. Gable and Dorsey’s Stafon Johnson.

Thenarse was at the Nike Camp in Los Angeles, where he delivered what he felt was a strong performance, running a 4.48 40 and doing well in the drills.

“I did real good at the Nike Camp. They said I was the No. 2 running back there. It was a good experience for me,” said Thenarse.

While he doesn’t have any offers to date, Thenarse has received interest from Tennessee, Oregon, Notre Dame, Kansas State, Washington State, Utah and Georgia Tech.

Currently, UCLA is his heavy leader, while Oregon and Georgia Tech are #2 and #3 two on Thenarse’s list.

Thenarse is scheduled to attend the Nike Camp at Stanford next month and will also be at the Scout Combine in May.

During his junior year at Jordan, Thenarse rushed for 1,234 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also seeing time at safety, though running back is where he sees his future at.

Thenarse is carrying a 2.5 GPA and takes the SAT on May 7th.

LOS ANGELES – The rough streets of South Central Los Angeles were well represented by a threesome from Los Angeles (Calif.) Jordan. Not much was known about these three until earlier this recruiting season. After their stellar performance at yesterday's NIKE Camp held in Los Angeles their stock could move upward.

Dreams come hard to many who live in the Los Angeles hamlet known as Watts, but for three youngsters they can see and feel that their athletic talent may earn them a college scholarship.

One of the three players Carell Johnson (5-8, 175, 4.6) whose nickname is "Baby Bush" lived up to his billing yesterday during the one-on-one drills. Johnson was named running back of the camp.

Johnson displayed flashy quick moves reminiscent of his nickname. He couldn't be touched and he was among the top three running backs on all the running back coach's grading cards.

On one play, Johnson looked like Allen Iverson in cleats because he crossed over a linebacker and made him fall to his knees.

Johnson was making plays like that all day and it didn't matter if he lined up against the cream of the camp or not. He made people look foolish.

Johnson's teammate running back Ricky Thenarse (6-1, 180, 4.48) also impressed onlookers. He showcased a great set of hands that gives him the versatility to play either running back or wide receiver.

Thenarse was in the A-group of backs and more than held his own against all the backs in the camp.

Thenarse is a fierce competitor who thrived on the competitiveness of the camp. He's looking forward to taking the things he learned at the Los Angeles NIKE Camp so he will do even better in Palo Alto next month.

The third amigo from Jordan high school who attended the camp was fullback Rashad Newsome (6-1, 230, 4.8). Newsome did well on all the drills. But was somewhat disappointed with his performance on the one-on-one drills.

Newsome like all three of the Jordan players is very competitive and he is going to take the NIKE Camp and use it as a positive experience in which to grow as a football player.

All three are getting looks from colleges from coast-to-coast. They are currently receiving recruiting letters from the likes of Colorado, Kansas State, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA.

Jordan coach Elijah Asante is a difference maker for this school. Before he came along Los Angeles Jordan never showed up to events like the NIKE Camp. He has taken these young athletes under his wing and his leadership has taken root. These three players are working hard doing the right things that get their talents showcased.

"I couldn't be prouder at what they did yesterday and what they were doing work wise leading to the event as if I were their own Dad," Asante said. "These young men are beginning to see the results of their hard work."

It was a night of frustrating numbers for Sylmar High football coach Jeff Engilman. His Spartans, again, had wrung up impressive yardage only to come up short on the scoreboard.

This time, visiting Jordan of Los Angeles overtook the Spartans in the fourth quarter to pull out a 28-25 nonleague victory.

The Bulldogs' rally offset another strong performance by Sylmar, which totaled 413 yards - 378 of rushing - led by Ryen Carew's second 200-yard game of the season. Carew ran for 228 yards on 27 carries and scored on a 4-yard touchdown to give Sylmar a 14-0 second-quarter lead.

Quarterback Naquan Walker's 4-yard sweep off left end gave the Bulldogs (2-1) their winning score with 1:32 to play after Sylmar (2-1) had overcome a 22-14 Jordan lead in the second half.

The Spartans had tied the game 22-22 on Chris Green's 5-yard third-quarter touchdown run and a two-point conversion run by Christian Medina.

Then, after forcing a Jordan punt, Sylmar drove 42 yards to take a 25-22 lead on Jovanay Alzaga's 33-yard field goal with 11:12 to play.

When the Spartans held Jordan on downs on the next series, they seemed to have the game well in hand. However, penalties, which hurt them all night (20 for 179 yards), bogged down their next drive and gave Jordan another possession.

Micrian Lias, the Bulldogs' do-it-all star, totaled 207 combined rushing-receiving yards. Lias got Jordan started with a 23-yard punt return to the Sylmar 43. Four plays later, Walker eluded big defensive pressure in his backfield for an 11-yard pass to Lias on fourth down to keep the drive alive.

``We've got control of the ballgame,'' Engilman said. ``All we had to do was move the ball. Then illegal procedure, illegal motion - that's the stuff you can't do.''

Not against a team with the star quality of Jordan, which fielded exceptional two-way performers Lias (nine catches, 154 yards, 53 yards rushing), Walker (who had an interception on defense to go with 219 yards passing), fullback/linebacker James Gipson (54 yards rushing) and receiver/defensive back Martail Burnett (an interception and 95-yard touchdown runback that was reduced by penalty).

``We've got a lot going this year,'' Lias said. ``Hopefully, we'll go all the way and we'll take it to the championship.