Dyson McCutcheon to focus on college rather than play high school football next month
For weeks, there’s been a debate going on in the McCutcheon household: If high school football returned this spring, should senior standout defensive back Dyson McCutcheon play for Bishop Amat or stay on the sideline and prepare to play for Washington in the fall?
Dyson’s father, Daylon, has been a coach, standout player and most important, caring parent trying to help his son make good decisions for the future.
On Tuesday, when adjusted COVID-19 case numbers for Los Angeles County revealed 12.3 per 100,000, it opened the door for high school football to return next month. But Dyson McCutcheon will skip the five-game season.
In a written statement, Daylon said, “We’ve been debating this throughout quarantine, but I believe at this point it’s in Dyson’s best interest to focus on the next level. Therefore, he will not be playing for Amat this spring. I am disappointed because I don’t believe the Amat fans actually got to see the best of Dyson, but we are fortunate for his time as a Lancer!!!”
Coach Steve Hagerty has been supportive of whatever decision the McCutcheon family would make.
Daylon played for USC and in the NFL. Dyson’s grandfather is former Los Angeles Rams running back Lawrence McCutcheon.
Around Southern California, there are a lot of college signees having to review their own decisions whether to play next month or not. Some intend on playing for their high school teams and others not.
A group of athletes graduated in January and left for college early not trusting California to have a football season. Quarterbacks such as Peter Costelli of Mission Viejo, Chayden Peery of Sierra Canyon and Miller Moss of Bishop Amat left for Utah, Georgia Tech and USC, respectively. Safety Mitch Leigber from Laguna Hills will not play and focus on getting ready for Stanford.
California is on the verge of resuming many high school sports if COVID-19 cases continue to decline. That creates questions, and Eric Sondheimer has answers.
Others moved out of state last fall. The ones who stayed now get the chance to play if they want.
It’s a tough decision because playing time in college this fall for incoming freshmen could be limited with players in college football from 2020 receiving another year of eligibility. By not playing this spring, some incoming freshmen might go three years without being in an official game. But there’s also the risk of injury that must be considered.
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