Mauldin to Play Football for Missouri Western

Valley College quarterback Joe Mauldin, Santa Monica cornerback Derrick Stewart and Antelope Valley defensive end Rick Nickols signed national letters of intent with Missouri Western, Arizona and Missouri, respectively, on Wednesday, the first day of the football signing period, which runs through April 1.

Valley wide receiver-tailback Benny Evans also signed with Missouri Western, an NCAA Division II school in St. Joseph.

Mauldin, a 1988 graduate of San Fernando High, threw for 1,905 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 796 yards and 10 touchdowns last season to earn Western State Conference South Division offensive player-of-the-year honors.

Mauldin, 6 feet 2, 226 pounds, would probably have been recruited by Division I schools, but his eligibility at that level has expired.

Division I rules state that once an athlete enters college as a full-time student, he or she has five years to complete four years of eligibility. Because Mauldin was a full-time student at Pasadena City College in the fall of 1988, his Division I eligibility expired this season.

Mauldin chose Missouri Western over Portland State, Cal State Chico and Eastern New Mexico, an NAIA school.

Stewart, a former standout at Granada Hills High, narrowed his choices to Arizona and Arizona State before choosing the former. Stewart, a 5-10 1/2, 188-pound sophomore, also took recruiting trips to San Diego State, Hawaii and Mississippi State.

“I think Arizona will give me the best opportunity to play immediately,” Stewart said. “Two cornerback positions are open and I think I will have a chance to make an impact right away.”

Stewart intercepted eight passes during his two-year career at Santa Monica. He earned All-WSC South Division first-team honors in 1991 and was a second-team selection last season.

Nickols (6-5, 265) was an All-Foothill Conference second-team selection last season. Purdue and Arizona State also expressed interest in Nickols, a former Antelope Valley High standout, but their interest waned when they found out he needed to take one class this spring to complete the requirements for an Associate of Arts degree.

“They wanted him out there for spring football,” Antelope Valley Coach Brent Carder said. “When they found out he wouldn’t be there until the summer, they lost interest.”

Evans, an All-WSC South Division selection at wide receiver and kick returner, had 21 receptions for 286 yards and four touchdowns last season. Evans, a 5-5, 155-pound Crenshaw High product, ranked second in the WSC in total yardage for punt (17 for 234) and kickoff (19 for 408) returns.