Morse’s Cherry Among Three to Sign With the Aztecs

Three high school seniors have signed national letters-of-intent to play basketball at San Diego State, Aztec Coach Jim Brandenburg said Monday.

The three are Darnell Cherry, a 6-foot-10 forward from Morse High School; Marcus Banks, a 6-9 forward-center from East Central High in San Antonio; and John Molle, a 6-5 guard-forward from Irvine High.

Cherry averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots as a junior last season. Banks averaged 17 points and 7 1/2 rebounds a game as a junior. In three games this season, he is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots a game. Molle averaged 20.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He shot an Irvine High-record 89% from the foul line.

The University of San Diego men’s and women’s basketball teams have each signed a player to a national letter of intent.

Clayton Madden, a 6-0 guard from Bakersfield South High School, signed to play for the USD men’s team. Madden was a first-team all-Kern County selection as a sophomore and a junior. He led the county last year in scoring with a 27-point average. Playing mostly point guard, he also averaged seven assists and six rebounds.

Signing with the USD women’s team was Brittany Volk, a 5-11 guard from Oregon’s Tigard High School. Volk averaged 8.6 points, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game in leading Tigard to a 20-7 mark.

The San Diego State baseball team has signed eight players to national letters of intent, Coach Jim Dietz said.

The most prominent is Jose Silva, a right-handed pitcher from Hilltop High. Silva was one of the most highly recruited players in Southern California.

SDSU also signed two pitchers from Fresno City Community College: right-hander Jeff Johnson and left-hander Richie Juarez.

The five others to sign with the Aztecs: Mike Barber, a right-handed pitcher from Mt. San Antonio College; Benji Grigsby, a right-handed pitcher from Lassen Community College (Susanville, Calif.); Jay Hassel, a right-handed pitcher from Rancho Santiago Community College; Malcolm Warfield, an outfielder from Columbus Academy (Columbus, Ohio); and Ryan Nettles, a third baseman from Woodrow Wilson High (Tacoma, Wash.).

Nettles is the son of former major leaguer Jim Nettles and the nephew of all-star third baseman Graig Nettles.

“This is by far the best 10-day recruiting period we’ve ever had here,” Dietz said. INDOOR SOCCER

Sockers goalie Victor Nogueira on Monday was named defensive player of the week by the Major Soccer League. In two starts last week, Nogueira made 30 saves and lowered his goals-against average from 5.83 to 5.44, third best in the league. Nogueira, the only goalie to start all of his team’s games (12), leads the league with 153 saves. WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Grossmont College will play host to Los Angeles Pierce in the second round of the Southern California community college playoffs at 7 tonight. The winner will advance to the state tournament, which starts Friday at Alan Hancock College in Santa Maria.

Last Tuesday, Grossmont (18-4) defeated College of the Desert, 15-7, 15-5, 15-4, while Pierce (18-2) eliminated Chaffey, 9-15, 15-7, 15-2, 15-9.

LeAnne Lopez of Point Loma Nazarene was named first-team NAIA All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn. The sophomore setter from Whittier led the Crusaders with 1,002 assists and 345 digs in 95 games. Senior outside hitter Jamie Wheat of Solana Beach, who led PLNC in kills (254), assists (514) and service aces (48), was a third-team choice.