At decision time, football held sway.
For Jake East it did. Agoura High’s two-sport standout owned an offer from Brown University to play lacrosse for the Ivy League power.
He went with his heart. The Ventura County Football Coaches Association’s Most Valuable Player and first-team member of The Star’s All-Defensive squad opted Wednesday to sign with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and continue to play football.
“If you had asked me at the start of high school, it would have been a much tougher decision,” he said. “But the more I played football, the more I loved it. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play football in college.”
He’ll play safety for Cal Poly SLO, which presents a dilemma of its own. East dominated on both sides of the line of scrimmage for Agoura, racking up 151 tackles — including 125 solos — and three interceptions on defense while posting 72 catches for 1,338 yards and 14 touchdowns as a wide receiver on offense.
“I’ll miss playing offense,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “But I’m a safety.”
East said the offer from Cal Poly SLO came together in the last three weeks. He jumped at the opportunity when offered.
East was among 11 seniors honored by county football coaches at their signing luncheon Wednesday at the Palm Garden Hotel in Newbury Park. Wednesday amounted to National Letter of Intent Day for high school athletes signing with collegiate programs.
The luncheon was the first in two years for the coaches association, scuttled a year ago by COVID-19 concerns.
“We just felt it was important to get back to normal,” said Mike Moon, Pacifica High’s head coach and president of the county coaches.
There were happy storylines for football players attending the county event.
Max Carter, Camarillo High’s gifted 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end, signed with Valparaiso University in Indiana. He’s typical of high school stands who had to sweat out a recruiting system now influenced mightily by college athletics’ transfer portal.
College football teams can choose first to fill holes on rosters by players already in college.
“It’s hard, it’s stressful because you never know if an offer is coming, or when it might be coming,” said Carter. “But opportunities are still going to be there. If you have the desire, you have the ability you will still end up playing in college.
“You might have to start out at a JUCO (community college), but you will still have that opportunity.”
Three area players are headed to Pac-12 schools, including two from Oaks Christian. The Lions’ talented defensive end tandem of Sterling Lane and Mathias Malaki-Donaldson — who helped power Oaks Christian to the CIF-SS Division 5 championship game — are each set for talented programs.
Lane, the county coaches Defensive Player of the Year, will play for Arizona. Malaki-Donaldson is set for Oregon State.
“It’s definitely a special day for me and my family,” said Lane. “You dream about playing college football and I’m happy to have that opportunity.”
Malaki-Donaldson is the rare high school player who hadn’t been contemplating a future in college football for very long.
“I didn’t start playing football until my freshman year,” he said. “It’s all come together pretty quickly. I know I really enjoyed my senior year. We came together like not a lot of people thought we could.”
Oaks Christian started out 0-5 before rallying to reach the Division 5 title game.
Malaki-Donaldson could start the bonding process with a new teammate on Wednesday. Simi Valley quarterback Travis Throckmorton also signed with Oregon State after an injury-plagued season that forced him to miss four games and limited him for a seven-game stretch.
“It was a frustrating time where I was dealing with the injuries for seven weeks,” he said. “You never want that as a senior. I’m healthy now, and I’m back to work to get ready for the season.”
Throckmorton doesn’t anticipate earning playing time as a freshman, but he is motivated by the opportunities ahead. He draws inspiration from another Ventura County quarterback who accomplished large deeds this college season.
Cameron Rising is a Newbury Park High graduate who overcame much adversity before leading Utah in a close loss to Ohio State in this year’s Rose Bowl.
“He definitely inspires me,” said Throckmorton. “I went to so many of his games when I was younger. He’s a great guy, and he shows me what is possible.”
Lane and Malaki-Donaldson were among four Oaks Christian players signing their letters of intent Wednesday.
Justin Davis, an offensive lineman, is headed to Arizona Christian. Elijah Gipson, a defensive back, will play for Portland State.
Gipson led all county defenders with nine interceptions as a senior. It wasn’t as easy as he made it look.
“I transferred from Alemany and came in as a wide receiver when I got here,” he said. “It took a lot of hard work and great coaching to help me, but I really love playing the position. It’s been my dream not only to play college football but to make it to the NFL.”
Calabasas High senior Nolan Wilson was among the top feel-good stories on signing day.
The two-way lineman, who is white, is headed to Grambling State, one of the country’s legendary black universities. Wilson, a long snapper, said he isn’t worried about fitting in.
“It’s not something I even think about,” he said. “I grew up in Detroit and I’m used to being with different cultures. I look forward to being there.”
Wilson perfected his skill as a long snapper through long hours of hard work.
“It’s not as easy as it looks,” he said with a smile. “It’s not easy at all. But it challenged me to get better, and I did that with a lot of work and great coaching.”
Three other area athletes officially signed their football letters.
Luke Carfaro of St. Bonaventure is headed to Claremont McKenna as a defensive back; Donald Dixon of Pacifica is an offensive lineman who will play for New Mexico; and Andrew McCarthy of Agoura is set for Washington University in St. Louis as a linebacker.
Dixon is the Offensive Lineman of the Year on the county coaches and all-Channel League teams. He transferred to Pacifica after spending two years at rival Oxnard High.
“Everyone made me feel welcome, and they made it a great place to become a better football player,” said Dixon. “I’m so grateful to the coaches. It’s been a real challenge, especially after we had just a five-game season for my junior year.
“I feel real fortunate to earn my scholarship. I’m looking forward to the next step.”
Loren Ledin is the Prep Editor for The Star. He can be reached at loren.ledin@vcstar.com or 805-437-0285.
