Mater Dei High's Grootegoed Says He Plans to Sign With USC

Mater Dei High’s Grootegoed Says He Plans to Sign With USC

By BEN BOLCH

Jan. 29, 2000 12 AM PT

Mater Dei High standout defensive back Matt Grootegoed ended months of speculation Friday by announcing his decision to attend USC.

Grootegoed, The Times’ Orange County Player of the Year and winner of The Times’ Glenn Davis Award as the top football player in Southern California, also considered UCLA.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder is expected to play safety at USC, but Trojan coaches cannot comment on recruits until Wednesday, when the signing period begins.

Grootegoed, who played quarterback, running back and defensive back, finished his senior season with 891 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. Defensively, he made 138 tackles (seven for losses) and intercepted six passes.

As a junior Grootegoed rushed for 1,238 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Servite offensive lineman Joe McGuire also announced he will sign with USC.

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Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Mater Dei High’s Grootegoed Says He Plans to Sign With USC

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