Zacharia Opts to Line Up for Valley College

Joe Zacharia, a former nose guard at Canyon High, has declined a scholarship offer at Cal Lutheran but will play football next fall at Valley College.

The Kingsmen held a scholarship for Zacharia contingent on his achieving a 3.0 grade-point average during the spring semester. Zacharia said that while he got B’s in the college prep classes Cal Lutheran required, his grade-point average was less than 3.0.

“I haven’t talked to Cal Lutheran since school ended,” Zacharia said. “All things considered, it’s best I go to Valley. If I do well, I’ll be able to transfer somewhere I really, really want to go.”

Zacharia, a selection on The Times All-Valley team, helped Canyon to the past 28 of the Cowboys’ 38 straight wins as a defensive lineman and was destined for the line at Cal Lutheran. But at Valley, Zacharia will rise from all fours to play linebacker.

“I love standing up,” Zacharia said. “I get a better look.”

Valley Coach Chuck Ferrero has had a good look at Zacharia in practice the past two weeks. He has high hopes for his new linebacker.

“He is the epitome of what a defensive player should be,” Ferrero said. “Joe has a burning desire to get to the football.”

Zacharia was ignored by Division I recruiters despite being described by Canyon Coach Harry Welch as, “The most intense high school player I’ve ever seen.” Marginal grades and marginal size kept away every four-year school but Cal Lutheran.

Ferrero believes that Zacharia can use Valley as a steppingstone to Division I.

“Joe Zacharia will come out of our program weighing 220 pounds,” Ferrero said. “And he’ll end up with great game film. He’ll get signed.”

Although Zacharia, a six-footer, was listed at 206 pounds in the Canyon program last season, he admitted to weighing less.

“After hell week I was down to 190,” he said. “But Valley’s got a good weight program. I’m up to 212 already.”

Zacharia will play in the Shrine high school all-star football game Aug. 2.

Big Valley: The Valley football team will be the largest and best ever, according to Ferrero, who is entering his seventh year with the Monarchs.

“This is the strongest group I’ve ever had,” he said. “Our defense was awesome last season and it could be better this season. And we have five times the offensive line we’ve ever had.”

Ferrero attributes the team’s power to a strong group of returning players and more than 20 transfers from Pierce, which dropped its football program May 27.

Seven sophomores who have started at either Valley or Pierce highlight the offensive line. Ricky Rosales, Brian Adams, Louie Saiz and Dean Ratliff started at Pierce, and center Jonathan Newman, guard Tim Brown and tight end Jeff Sampson started at Valley.

Battling at quarterback are Josh Davis from Pierce; Andy Ramos, who started at Valley until injuring his knee in last season’s second game, and freshmen John Watkins from Canyon and Ray Daniels from Taft.

“It’s exciting to walk out to practice with these guys,” Ferrero said.

Zacharia is also impressed with the turnout at Valley.

“There’s talent like you wouldn’t believe,” he said. “There’s more than 120 guys out there and almost everybody could be a starter.”

The Shipp has docked: Cal Lutheran lost Zacharia but is in the process of signing the guy who played next to him on the line at Canyon High: Dio Shipp.

“He applied for admission and we’ll formalize it today,” Cal Lutheran Coach Bob Shoup said Thursday. “I think he’ll fit in well here. He’s a lot like Zacharia, very aggressive.”

Shipp’s scholarship is half for football and half for baseball. The 6-2, 220-pound infielder batted .459 for Canyon last season.

Another Kingsman in hand: David Bean, a 6-4, 255-pound center who played eight-man football at Faith Baptist last season, has applied to Cal Lutheran, Shoup said.

“Tim Dahlman, a lineman we recruited who plays both offense and defense, recently had back surgery and will miss the season,” Shoup said. “So spots opened up for Shipp and Bean.”

pichar

Paying the price: Cornerback Don Price, who intercepted four passes for Cal Lutheran last season, is academically ineligible but can still play in the fall if he succeeds in summer school.

“Don is enrolled in two summer classes,” said Jim Bauer, defensive coordinator at Cal Lutheran, “but he needs to pull A’s in both of them to be eligible. It doesn’t look good.”

Price replaced injured Chris Hucherson in the preseason last year and emerged as the team’s best man-to-man defender. Price (6-1, 175) will be a senior this fall.