High school tournaments mean no summer vacation for Southland prep athletes

Grant Rohach, the standout quarterback at Moorpark High, just got back after spending five days in Iowa on his grandfather’s farm, helping feed cows and goats.

“It’s very quiet,” he said. “There’s not a lot of people.”

It was one of the few breaks Rohach will get this summer, because high school athletes simply don’t have time to stop training.

“You wake up in the morning. It’s not, ‘I’m going to the beach today.’ I have football,” Rohach said. “It’s just a continuous thing. You love to play the game, but you’re still going to work every day.”

Summer vacations will only come when Southern Section schools take their mandatory three-week dead periods, and even then coaches expect their athletes to stay in shape.

Rohach, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior, spent a day attending a camp at Iowa State last weekend, the school he’ll attend in 2012. He starts seven-on-seven passing competitions on Saturday at Moorpark, and if you want a surprise quarterback to watch this summer, it’s Rohach. He passed for 1,867 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior, and one college recruiter told me Rohach looked terrific in spring drills.

Some high school athletes will be busier in the next two months than when they are attending school. Here’s a rundown on events to watch this summer.

QBs in spotlight

The seven-on-seven passing season officially kicks off with the Dana Hills passing tournament on Saturday morning. Bellflower St. John Bosco, Huntington Beach Edison, Harbor City Narbonne, Upland, Long Beach Poly, Los Angeles Loyola, Santa Ana Mater Dei, Santa Margarita, San Clemente and Tesoro are among the 15 teams entered. San Clemente quarterback Travis Wilson, who has committed to Utah, will get close scrutiny. There’s also a passing tournament at Pierce College that includes Ventura St. Bonaventure and Mission Hills Alemany.

Loyola begins its weekly competitions on Wednesday night, with City Section powers Crenshaw and Carson making an appearance.

The 24-team Saugus tournament at Central Park is June 17-18. Last summer, Westlake Village Oaks Christian and Long Beach Poly met in a game, and the intensity level was similar to a Friday night encounter. They’re back, along with Loyola, West Hills Chaminade, Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Chatsworth Sierra Canyon.

La Verne Bonita has a two-day 32-team tournament June 24-25. Beverly Hills hosts its tournament on June 25. The two-day Conejo Valley passing tournament takes place at Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park on the days.

On July 9, Huntington Beach Edison is the place to be with Corona Centennial, Oaks Christian, St. John Bosco and Long Beach Poly. There are also tournaments at Mission Viejo, Santa Fe and L.A. Valley College on the same day.

On July 15-16, Arroyo Grande has a tournament. Then it’s time to rest and get ready for two-a-days come August.

Basketball events

Santa Ana Mater Dei hosts a 37-team basketball tournament this weekend. The Monarchs have the No. 1 team in the state, and this is the first chance to see if anyone will come close to beating them.

Encino Crespi’s tournament is June 14-16. Sierra Canyon, Orange Lutheran, Fairfax and Loyola are entered. The War on the Floor tournament is June 18-20 at Pierce College, featuring Woodland Hills Taft, Pasadena and Oaks Christian.

Fairfax and Westchester are hosting tournaments June 27-July 2. Fairfax has Loyola, Long Beach Poly and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake. Mater Dei will send teams to both tournaments.

Play ball

On Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Urban Youth Academy, the Southwest Future All-Star Series will hold its championship game featuring many of the top seniors-to-be in baseball.

The Area Code Games are scheduled for Aug. 5-10 at Blair Field in Long Beach. Pitcher Lucas Giolito of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, outfielder Ty Moore of Mater Dei and infielder Rio Ruiz of La Puente Bishop Amat should lead the local contingent.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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