Welcome to Friday Preps Spotlight, our latest feature shedding more light on the Bay Area's highschool sports scene. For suggestions and story ideas, email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com. If you haven't already, please subscribe. Your contributions keep us going.
FOOTBALL: RECRUIT EXPERTS WEIGH IT IMPORTANTLY
College coaches aren't the one ones maintaining a tally of talented football players at spring highschool showcases.
Brandon Huffman, the national recruiting editor for 247Sport, performed at McClymonds in Oakland on Wednesday and one other appearance with De La Salle and Serra in San Mateo on Thursday. He also plans to go to the Monte Vista showcase next week, which incorporates Amador Valley, Clayton Valley and Liberty.
Here's what Huffman told the Bay Area News Group about 4 of the players he'll be maintaining a tally of:
Matthew Johnson, DL, De La Salle: “He could play as an edge rusher, he could be a three-technique and he could even be a nose tackle. “He has the flexibility of his line of defense… if you watch the film you see the dimensions and length and all the things, what college coaches rave about.”
Louis Akpa, OT, Serra: “If you look at the length and the build, you can see that he is now rather thin. But if you do the math three or four years from now and you look at what he does with his feet and his athleticism and you give a guy 40 or 50 pounds… he's a candidate to be special.”
Tony Keck, TE, Clayton Valley Charter: “The ability to catch passes has always been there…He's got a 79-inch wingspan, so that's the type of guy you'd most want to throw a ball to over a linebacker.”He's a matchup nightmare, especially if you attempt to put pressure on him and he goes from weighing 200 kilos to 227.”
Sione Vailea, OL, McClymonds: “He’s a guy whose stock price could rise this spring. He had good testing numbers, size and versatility. As he has one-on-one battles with the other linemen, it’s an opportunity for coaches to evaluate him.”
– Joseph Dycus
BASEBALL: CHRISTOPHER COACH REACHES MILESTONE
Two weeks ago, Christopher's assistant coach Rich Furtado didn't think he would hit the massive numbers this season.
Furtado, who was involved in 294 victories throughout his profession, believed the number 300 would need to wait until 2025.
But since then, the Gilroy school has won six straight and celebrated Furtado's success after defeating Pioneer on Tuesday.
“The guys really made it possible for me this year,” Furtado said. “The guys knew we had to win at least five out of six games, so the goal from then on was to get to the playoffs and give coach Furtado his 300th win. It was really nice to see.”
Furtado began his coaching profession at Gilroy within the early 2000s and helped develop players like catcher Chris Gimenez, who reached the most important leagues.
He stopped coaching for a stretch greater than a decade ago, but returned when Ryan Dequin — one in every of Furtado's former players — asked if he could possibly be an assistant under Christopher.
Since Furtado joined the team, Christopher has won two Central Coast Section titles. The assistant said he learned as much from the players as they did from him.
“I think the thing I learned the most was how to handle players from game to game,” Furtado said. “A lot has changed since I was 42 and now I’m 68. Just knowing which guys to pat on the back and which to kick in the ass was something I had to learn. Because at the end of the day it’s about finding a balance of how everyone can win in some way on the field or off the field.”
– Nathan Canilao
SOFTBALL: ST. FRANCIS ALUM AWARDED BEST OF THE CONFERENCE
Jessica Oakland hasn't stopped collecting awards since graduating from St. Francis because the 2022 Bay Area News Group Player of the Year.
The University of Minnesota star added to her collection on Wednesday when she was named Big 10 Player of the Year. The shortstop is batting .455 and has hit 19 home runs.
– Joseph Dycus
SOCCER: BRANHAM ADDS BELLARMINE RECEIVER
Three-star prospect Zayne St. Laurent announced on X/Twitter that he can be transferring from Bellarmine to Branham for his senior yr. The All-West Catholic Athletic League second team scored 4 touchdowns and has a scholarship offer from Air Force.
He joins a team that finished 9-3 overall and 5-0 within the Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa-Foothill Division last fall.
St. Laurent ought to be a top destination for returning quarterback Jack Lewis, who threw for two,696 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior.
– Joseph Dycus
SOCCER: JAIVIAN THOMAS BACK AT MACK
Seven months after he lay motionless on the sphere Fully healed Cal running back Jaivian Thomas, who was on the University of Oregon with a neck injury, smiled at McClymonds again for the OAL show.
“I recovered very well,” Thomas told the Bay Area News Group. “It was a very scary injury, but I got through it.”
Former Mack superstar who rushed for two,528 yards and 30 touchdowns as a Bay Area News Group player Alameda County Player of the Year In 2022, he helped the Oakland public school as a mock coach, helping running backs run drills in front of faculty coaches.
He could possibly be seen holding pads, giving recommendations on learn how to catch the ball out of the backfield and talking about proper running form.
“It’s nice to be able to come here and support the kids,” Thomas said.
– Joseph Dycus
FOOTBALL: CCS APPROVES PLAYOFF CHANGE
The Central Coast section board approved this spring a change to the section's playoff format for this fall.
The top three divisions – Open, Division I and II – will only have A-League schools. Divisions III and IV may have a mixture of A and B league schools, and Division V can be reserved for B and C league teams.
“This allows us to keep teams in more similar 'weight classes'. “To give aspiring programs a better chance to win and compete,” the CCS wrote in board meeting minutes. “It also removes some of the benefits of rewarding an A-League school for a sub-par season by discouraging them from playing in the bottom league.”
– Joseph Dycus
BASKETBALL: GRANADA CENTER SIGNS WITH CHICO STATE
Granada big man Cortevious Taylor will showcase his talents three hours north of the Livermore school campus.
The all-Bay Area News Group selection is certain for Chico State, Taylor announced Wednesday on Instagram.
Taylor played a key role in Granada's run to the NorCal Division I regional finals last season. He hit every big shot for the Livermore school and anchored the Matadors' defense, which held their opponents to 52 points per game.
The 6-foot-11 center's commitment to Chico marks the third consecutive yr that a Granada big man has transferred to a school program. Kevin Gad (St. Mary's), Andrew McKeever (St. Mary's) and Tyler Harris (University of Portland) all received accepted offers to play college basketball after their senior seasons.
– Nathan Canilao
image credit : www.mercurynews.com