Prep Review : He Makes Reel Scholarship Effort

Most of Orange County’s best prep football players planned their recruiting trips nearly a month ago.

Many already have visited colleges as the first day of signing national letters of intent, Feb. 10, approaches.

Several already have made oral commitments.

Mike Petko of Servite will sign with Nebraska and teammate Pat Blottiaux will sign with Colorado. Mike Linn of Esperanza (UCLA), Jeff Pease of Mission Viejo (USC), Mike Edwards of Valencia (Utah) and Frank Busalacchi of Foothill (Stanford) have all commited.

And then there’s Servite quarterback Jason Frank. Until late last week, only one Division I college--the University of Texas-El Paso--had offered Frank a trip.

But thanks to his stepfather, Bill, Frank will take a trip to the University of Miami this weekend and to Ohio State Feb. 5.

Two weeks ago, Bill Frank mailed four videotape highlight films of Jason to Florida, Miami, Iowa and Ohio State. He also mentioned that Jason had a 3.0 grade-point average and had scored more than 1,000 points on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

“All I did was send the highlight tapes, Jason did all the work to become a football player,” Frank said.

Frank passed for 1,252 yards and 7 touchdowns last fall.

Making a Choice: David Wheeler, Laguna Beach principal and president of the Pacific Coast League, has asked the Southern Section’s general council to examine an all-star competition rule that would disallow athletes such as Woodbridge center Adam Keefe from playing volleyball if they participated in an all-star basketball game.

Members of the Pacific Coast League are specifically concerned over a rule that reads: “A student shall not participate in all-star competition or on similar teams in contests or exhibitions in any CIF approved sport between Sept. 2 and the conclusion of the CIF (Southern) Section’s season of sport.”

Keefe, rated one of the top 25 players in the nation, is a good bet to make several all-star teams.

“Athletes like Adam Keefe are put in a situation where they need to decide between participating in a national level event, that for many athletes is a once-in-a-lifetime activity, and the opportunity to represent their school in another sport,” Wheeler said.

Last season, Ricky Butler of Ocean View had to quit the Seahawks’ volleyball team and LeRon Ellis of Mater Dei had to quit the Monarchs’ track and field team because they elected to play in all-star basketball games.

“The rule relates to approximately 30 athletes during the school year,” said Dean Crowley, associate commissioner of athletics for the Southern Section.

The general council is expected to rule on the matter in April.

Future Basketball Stars: Three players to keep your eyes on in the upcoming years are freshmen Mark Moneypenny of Mater Dei, forward Mustapha Abdi of Savanna and forward Mike Joseph of Brea-Olinda.

Moneypenny, a 6-foot 9-inch center, is averaging eight blocked shots per game on the Monarchs’ freshman team. Joseph, 6-7, has helped the Wildcats’ freshman team win the Fountain Valley tournament. Abdi, a 6-3 forward, is averaging 24 points and 18 rebounds for Savanna’s freshman team.

Prep Notes

A Southern Section survey of principals showed that 62% favored a dead period during the summer. There are currently no restrictions on summer competition. . . . Revenues from last fall’s Southern Section football playoffs were $28,000 over the projected budget by the Executive Committee. . . . The third Orange County Sports Medicine Seminar is scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at Anaheim Memorial Hospital. The seminar is free to all sports trainers in the county. . . . Scott Blyleven, Servite lineman, will be among the 23 players honored at the seventh Faith, Family and Football awards dinner on Feb. 13 at the Anaheim Marriott. Blyleven was the only county player selected. . . . Officials of the Irvine World News basketball tournament, the largest boys’ tournament in the state, announced that the final round will return to the Bren Center next season.