Gridiron Goddess

(via USCTrojans.com)

LOS ANGELES-Twenty-one high school football players and 1 junior college player signed letters of intent with USC, Trojan head coach Lane Kiffin announced today (Feb. 2).

Additionally, 5 high school players and 3 junior college players already enrolled at USC in January and will participate in the upcoming spring practice.

Kiffin noted that several other signings could be announced soon.

This fall’s incoming freshmen are:

• P Kris Albarado of St. Louis HS in Lake Charles, La.
• RB Javorious Allen of Lincoln HS in Tallahassee, Fla.
• WR Victor Blackwell of Mater Dei HS in Cerritos, Calif.
• LB Charles Burks of Edison HS in Huntington Beach, Calif.
• RB Amir Carlisle of Kings Academy in Sunnyvale, Calif.
• LB Lamar Dawson of Boyle County HS in Danville, Ky.
• WR George Farmer of Serra HS in Gardena, Calif.
• DB Ryan Henderson of Rancho Verde HS in Moreno Valley, Calif.
• DL Christian Heyward of Point Loma HS in San Diego, Calif.
• OL Cyrus Hobbi of Saguaro HS in Scottsdale, Ariz.
• WR Marqise Lee of Serra HS in Gardena, Calif.
• LB Tre Madden of Mission Viejo (Calif.) HS
• OL Marcus Martin of Crenshaw HS in Los Angeles, Calif.
• TE Junior Pomee of Rancho Verde HS in Moreno Valley, Calif.
• LB Anthony Sarao of Holy Spirit HS in Absecon, NJ
• DL J.R. Tavai of Mira Costa HS in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
• OL Cody Temple of Liberty HS in Bakersfield, Calif.
• DL Greg Townsend Jr. of Beverly Hills (Calif.) HS
• OL Aundrey Walker of Glenville HS in Cleveland, Ohio
• DL DeVante Wilson of Corona (Calif.) HS
• DL Antwaun Woods of Taft HS in Woodland Hills, Calif.

The junior college transfer who will be joining USC is DB Isiah Wiley of Arizona Western JC in Yuma, Ariz., who will be a junior. He originally signed with USC last December as a 2011 spring enrollee.

The 5 prep players who joined USC last month as freshmen are:

• PK Andre Heidari of Stockdale HS in Bakersfield, Calif.
• QB Cody Kessler of Centennial HS in Bakersfield, Calif.
• LS Peter McBride of Chaparral HS in Paradise Valley, Ariz.
• FB Soma Vainuku of Eureka (Calif.) HS
• QB Max Wittek of Mater Dei HS in Santa Ana, Calif.

The 3 juco players who joined USC in January as juniors are:

• OL Jeremy Galten of San Mateo (Calif.) JC
• OL David Garness of City College of San Francisco (Calif.)
• LB Dallas Kelley of Chaffey JC in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

“This may be the most critical class that ever signed at USC,” said Kiffin. “It was imperative that we address a number of position and depth issues with this class, and we were able to do that by signing, as of now, 25 quality high school players and 4 junior college players.

“I believe it speaks volumes about the power of USC as a university to be able to sign this kind of class considering the circumstances we faced.

“We look forward to helping these new Trojan student-athletes develop and excel on and off the field.” # # #

2011 USC FOOTBALL SIGNEES

SPRING ENROLLMENT
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS
NAME                     POS      HGT      WGT     HIGH SCHOOL 
Andre Heidari            PK       5-11     190     Stockdale HS, Bakersfield, CA
Cody Kessler             QB       6-2      220     Centennial HS, Bakersfield, CA
Peter McBride            LS       6-2      210     Chaparral HS, Paradise Valley, AZ
Soma Vainuku             FB       6-2      255     Eureka (CA) HS
Max Wittek               QB       6-4      205     Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA

SPRING ENROLLMENT
JUNIOR COLLEGE PLAYERS
NAME                     POS      HGT      WGT     JUNIOR COLLEGE
Jeremy Galten            OL       6-4      285     San Mateo (CA) JC
David Garness            OL       6-5      290     City College of San Francisco, CA
Dallas Kelley            LB       6-0      230     Chaffey JC, Rancho Cucamonga, CA

FALL ENROLLMENT
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS
NAME                     POS      HGT      WGT     HIGH SCHOOL 
Kris Albarado            P        5-11     200     St. Louis HS, Lake Charles, LA
Javorious Allen          RB       6-1      205     Lincoln HS, Tallahassee, FL
Victor Blackwell         WR       6-1      185     Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA
Charles Burks            LB       6-1      220     Edison HS, Huntington Beach, CA
Amir Carlisle            RB       5-10     180     Kings Academy, Sunnyvale, CA
Lamar Dawson             LB       6-2      235     Boyle County HS, Danville, KY
George Farmer            WR       6-1      205     Serra HS, Gardena, CA
Ryan Henderson           DB       5-10     170     Rancho Verde HS, Moreno Valley, CA
Christian Heyward        DL       6-2      275     Point Loma HS, San Diego, CA
Cyrus Hobbi              OL       6-3      275     Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, AZ
Marqise Lee              WR       6-0      190     Serra HS, Gardena, CA
Tre Madden               LB       6-0      220     Mission Viejo (CA) HS
Marcus Martin            OL       6-3      340     Crenshaw HS, Los Angeles, CA
Junior Pomee             TE       6-3      235     Rancho Verde HS, Moreno Valley, CA
Anthony Sarao            LB       6-0      210     Holy Spirit HS, Absecon, NJ
J.R. Tavai               DL       6-2      270     Mira Costa HS, Manhattan Beach, CA
Cody Temple              OL       6-2      280     Liberty HS, Bakersfield, CA
Greg Townsend Jr.        DL       6-3      275     Beverly Hills (CA) HS
Aundrey Walker           OL       6-6      375     Glenville HS, Cleveland, OH
DeVante Wilson           DL       6-4      235     Corona (CA) HS
Antwaun Woods            DL       6-1      325     Taft HS, Woodland Hills, CA

FALL ENROLLMENT
JUNIOR COLLEGE PLAYERS

NAME                     POS      HGT      WGT     COLLEGE
Isiah Wiley              DB       6-1      185     Arizona Western JC, Yuma,AZ

BIOGRAPHIES ON USC’S 2011 FOOTBALL NEWCOMERS

KRIS ALBARADO-His 2010 honors included Max Preps All-American Medium Schools second team and All-State 4A as a senior punter at St. Louis High in Lake Charles (La.)…He averaged 45.3 yards on his 24 punts (with a long of 65 yards) and put 8 punts within the 20-yard line in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he averaged 41.8 yards on his 38 punts, with 19 punts within the 20…He averaged 40.7 yards on his 37 punts (with 8 within the 20) as a sophomore in 2008.

JAVORIOUS ALLEN-His 2010 honors included ESPNU150, Super Prep All-Dixie and Prep Star All-Southeast as a senior running back at Lincoln High in Tallahassee (Fla.)…He ran for more than 1,500 yards in 2010…Lincoln won the 2010 Florida state Class 4A title…He missed his 2009 junior season with an injury…As a sophomore in 2008, he rushed for 1,044 yards on 162 carries (6.4 avg.) with 10 TDs…Lincoln played in the Florida state Class 4A championship game…Current Trojans Jawanza Starling and T.J. Bryant also prepped at Lincoln…His nickname is Buck.

VICTOR BLACKWELL-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, ESPNU 150, Sporting News Top 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State Division I first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Co-Offensive MVP as a senior wide receiver at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana (Calif.)…He caught 50 passes for 976 yards (19.5 avg.) with 14 TDs in 2010, including 3 games with 175-plus receiving yards, despite missing part of the season with a shoulder injury…As a junior in 2009, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Offensive MVP while catching 52 passes for 1,044 yards (20.1 avg.) with 11 TDs…As a sophomore in 2008, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore and All-Trinity League second team…In his career, he had 130 receptions and 33 TDs…Current Trojans Matt Barkley, Robbie Boyer, Khaled Holmes, Max Wittek and Conrad Tavarez also prepped at Mater Dei.

CHARLES BURKS-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Orange County Register All-Orange County second team and All-Sunset League Defensive Line MVP as a senior defensive end at Edison High in Huntington Beach (Calif.)…He had 86 tackles, including 7.5 sacks, plus 3 deflections, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made Max Preps Junior All-American second team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Sunset League Defensive Line MVP while getting 52 tackles and 14 sacks…Edison was a 2009 Pac-5 Division finalist…Current Trojans Martin Coleman and Will Andrew also prepped at Edison.

AMIR CARLISLE- His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools first team, SectionSports.com All-Central Coast second team and Palo Alto Daily News Offensive Player of the Year as a senior running back at Kings Academy in Sunnyvale (Calif.)…He ran for 2,110 yards (10.0 average per carry) and 28 TDs in 2010 and also caught 12 passes for 231 yards (19.3 avg.) with 3 TDs…As a junior in 2009, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, Max Preps All-State Division III second team and San Jose Mercury News All-County…He ran for 2,037 yards on 187 carries (10.9 avg.) with 29 TDs and caught 11 passes for 182 yards (16.5 avg.) in 2009, plus he returned kicks and punts…As a sophomore in 2008, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools second team and Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore while running for 961 yards with 14 TDs…In his career, he rushed for 5,108 yards (11.0 average per carry) with 73 TDs, and had 26 100-yard performances (in 28 games)…His father, Duane, ran track at Maryland and then was a strength and conditioning coach/speed and performance coach with numerous high school, college and pro teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Penn State, Philadelphia Charge (women’s pro soccer), New Jersey Pride (pro lacrosse) and, most recently, San Francisco 49ers (2005-10).

LAMAR DAWSON-His 2010 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, Max Preps All-American second team, Max Preps All-American Medium Schools first team, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Dixie, Prep Star All-Southeast, Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year, AP Kentucky Mr. Football and Louisville Courier-Journal All-State as a senior linebacker, running back and tight end at Boyle County High in Danville (Ky.)…He had 158 tackles, including 8 sacks, plus 4 interceptions (1 for a TD) and 3 forced fumbles on defense in 2010, plus ran for 686 yards with 15 TDs and caught 19 passes for 270 yards (14.2 avg.) with 1 TD on offense…Boyle County won the 2010 Kentucky state 4A championship…As a junior in 2009, he made Max Preps All-American Medium Schools first team, Max Preps Junior All-American first team and Louisville Courier-Journal All-State while getting 176 tackles, including 23 for losses, plus 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries…Boyle County won the 2009 Kentucky state 4A championship…In his career, he made 502 tackles as Boyle County went 43-1 his last 3 years.

GEORGE FARMER-His 2010 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Max Preps All-American first team, U.S. Army All-American, Max Preps All-American Medium Schools first team, ESPNU 150, Sporting News Top 100, Rivals 100, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, SectionSports.com All-State first team, Max Preps All-State Division II first team, All-CIF Western Division Offensive MVP, SectionSports.com All-Southern Section first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay Player of the Year and All-Mission League MVP as a senior wide receiver and defensive back at Serra High in Gardena (Calif.)…He had 65 receptions for 1,514 yards (23.3 avg.) with 14 TDs, ran for 2 more TDs, had 5 TDs on kick/punt returns and intercepted 3 passes in 2010…Serra went 14-1 in 2010, won the CIF Western Division title and played in the California state Division II championship game…As a junior in 2009, he was Cal-Hi Sports All-State Medium Schools first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, Max Preps All-State Division III first team, All-CIF Northwest Division, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Del Rey League…He had 41 receptions for 891 yards (21.7 avg.) with 12 TDs in 2009…Serra went 15-0 in 2009 and won the CIF Northwest Division title and the California state Division III championship…As a sophomore in 2008, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore and All-Del Rey League first team…Current Trojans Robert Woods and DaJohn Harris also prepped at Serra, as does USC signee Marqise Lee…He also was on the basketball and track (10.44 best in the 100 meters) teams at Serra…At the 2010 California state meet, he was second in the 100 meters (10.45) and seventh in the 200 (21.3)…His father, George, was a wide receiver at Southern and then in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams (1982-84) and Miami Dolphins (1987).

RYAN HENDERSON-His 2010 honors included UnderArmour All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-CIF Central Division, SectionSports.com All-Southern Section first team, SectionSports.com All-Inland Empire first team and All-Inland Valley League first team as a senior defensive back at Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley (Calif.)…Rancho Verde went 12-1 in 2010 and was a CIF Central Division finalist…He won the inaugural 2010 SPARQ Rating National Championship, which tests speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness.

CHRISTIAN HEYWARD-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State second team, SectionSports.com All-State second team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Medium Schools first team, All-CIF San Diego first team, SectionSports.com All-San Diego first team and All-Western League Defensive Player of the Year as a senior defensive lineman at Point Loma High in San Diego (Calif.)…He had 86 tackles, with 8 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made 66 tackles, including 9 sacks, plus 6 deflections, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

CYRUS HOBBI-His 2010 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-State and All-Region 4A as a senior offensive and defensive lineman at Saguaro High in Scottsdale (Ariz.)…Saguaro won the Arizona state 4A-1 title for the fourth time in 5 years in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made All-State and All-Region 4A…As a sophomore in 2008, he was All-Region.

MARQISE LEE-His 2010 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, Max Preps All-American Medium Schools second team, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State Division II first team, All-CIF Western Division Defensive MVP, SectionSports.com All-Southern Section second team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Mission League Defensive MVP as a senior wide receiver and defensive back at Serra High in Gardena (Calif.)…He had 57 receptions for 1,409 yards (24.7 avg.) with 24 TDs on offense in 2010 and 45 tackles, 3 interceptions and 11 deflections on defense…Serra went 14-1 in 2010, won the CIF Western Division title and played in the California state Division II championship game…As a junior in 2009, he made South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team while getting 89 tackles (with a sack), 6 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and a forced fumble…Serra went 15-0 in 2009 and won the CIF Northwest Division title and the California state Division III championship…Current Trojans Robert Woods and DaJohn Harris also prepped at Serra, as does USC signee George Farmer…He also played basketball at Serra (he made the 2010 South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team).

TRE MADDEN-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, USA Today All-USA second team, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State Division I first team, SectionSports.com All-State first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, SectionSports.com All-Southern Section first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-South Coast League Defensive MVP as a senior linebacker and Wildcat quarterback at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High…Despite missing 4 games with a foot injury in 2010, he had 81 tackles, with 3 sacks, and an interception on defense, while he completed 13-of-26 passes (50.0%) for 311 yards and 2 TDs and ran for 310 yards with 7 TDs on offense…Mission Viejo was a 2010 CIF Pac-5 Division finalist…As a junior in 2009, he made Max Preps All-State Division I first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-South Coast League Defensive MVP…He had 115 tackles on defense, plus ran for 222 yards and completed 5-of-7 passes (71.4%) on offense in 2009…Current Trojan Taylor Ashton also prepped at Mission Viejo…His father, Curtis, was a fullback and defensive end at Kansas State (1988-91)…His grandfather is Lawrence McCutcheon, a Colorado State and NFL All-Pro running back with the Los Angeles Rams (1972-79), Denver Broncos (1980) and Buffalo Bills (1981) who set the since-broken Rams career rushing record (6,186 yards), led the Rams in rushing 5 times and played in Super Bowl XIV (he then was a scout and now is Director of Player Personnel with the Rams)…His uncle is former USC (1995-98) cornerback Daylon McCutcheon (a 2-time All-Pac-10 pick) who played with the Cleveland Browns (1999-2006)…He was born in Texas.

MARCUS MARTIN-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State Division I first team, SectionSports.com All-State second team, All-L.A. City Offensive Lineman of the Year and Los Angeles Times All-Star as a senior offensive lineman at Crenshaw (Calif.) High…Crenshaw won the 2010 L.A. City Division I championship…Crenshaw won the 2009 L.A. City Division I championship and played in the State Open Division title game…Current Trojan Hayes Pullard also prepped at Crenshaw.

JUNIOR POMEE-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-CIF Central Division, SectionSports.com All-Inland Empire first team and All-Inland Valley League first team as a senior wide receiver and tight end at Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley (Calif.)…Rancho Verde went 12-1 in 2010 and was a CIF Central Division finalist.

ANTHONY SARAO-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, Super Prep All-Northeast, Newark Star-Ledger All-Non Public second team and Newark Star-Ledger All-South Jersey second team as a senior linebacker at Holy Spirit High in Absecon (N.J.)…He had 79 tackles, with 7.5 sacks, in 2010…Holy Spirit went 12-0 and won the New Jersey Non-Public III state title in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made Newark Star-Ledger All-Non Public second team and Newark Star-Ledger All-South Jersey first team as he had 123 tackles, with 11 sacks, and 2 blocked punts.

J.R. TAVAI-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, All-CIF Northern Division Defensive MVP, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Bay League MVP as a senior defensive lineman and fullback at Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach (Calif.)…He had 95 tackles with 12 sacks on defense in 2010 and 278 yards on 59 carries 4.7 avg.) with 3 TDs on offense…As a junior in 2009, he was All-CIF Western Division Defensive MVP, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Bay League Defensive MVP while making 92 tackles (with 7 sacks)…Mira Costa won the 2009 CIF Western Division title…As a sophomore in 2008, he was All-CIF Western Division, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay second team and All-Bay League first team while getting 72 tackles (with 2 sacks)…Mira Costa was a 2008 CIF Western Division finalist…He also was on Mira Costa’s track team (shot put and discus throw).

CODY TEMPLE-His 2010 honors included Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team, Super Prep All-Farwest and All-Southwest Yosemite League first team as a senior offensive and defensive lineman at Liberty High in Bakersfield (Calif.)…He had 95 tackles, with 2 sacks, plus 7 fumble recoveries and 5 forced fumbles in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team while getting 102 tackles, with 7 sacks.

GREG TOWNSEND JR.-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, All-CIF Western Division and All-Ocean League Defensive MVP as a senior defensive lineman at Beverly Hills (Calif.) High…He missed part of the 2010 season with a jaw injury…As a junior in 2009, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team and All-CIF Western Division…He had 73 tackles, with 7.5 sacks, plus 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 3 blocked PATs in 2009…As a sophomore in 2008, he had 38 tackles, with 3 sacks…He also played basketball at Beverly Hills…His father, Greg, played at TCU (1981-82) and then was a 4-time All-Pro defensive end with the NFL’s Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders (1983-93, 1997) and Philadelphia Eagles (1994).

AUNDREY WALKER-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, Max Preps All-American second team, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Midlands, Prep Star All-Midwest, AP Division I All-State first team, AP Northeastern Lakes All-District first team and Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Star as a senior offensive and defensive lineman at Glenville High in Cleveland (Ohio)…He had 17 pancake blocks in 2010…He missed part of the 2010 season with a knee injury…As a junior in 2009, he helped Glenville win the state Division I championship…He was a 3-year starter…He also competed on Glenville’s track team.

ISIAH WILEY-He originally signed with USC in December of 2010 as a 2011 spring semester enrollee…His 2010 honors included NJCAA All-American first team, Super Prep JUCO 100, Rivals JUCO 50, NJCAA Region I Defensive Co-MVP, Prep Star All-West and All-Western States Football League first team as a sophomore cornerback and safety at Arizona Western Junior College in Yuma (Ariz.)…Arizona Western went 10-2 in 2010…He also started at Arizona Western as a freshman in 2009…He earned 2008 Class 5A All-State first team honors as a senior defensive back at West Monroe (La.) High…He had 45 tackles and 2 interceptions in 2008.

DEVANTE WILSON-His 2010 honors included Prep Star All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West and All-Big VIII League first team as a senior defensive lineman at Corona (Calif.) High…He had 59 tackles with 9.5 sacks in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made All-CIF Inland Division and Riverside Press-Enterprise All-Riverside second team while getting 84 tackles and 2 forced fumbles…Current Trojan Demetrius Wright also prepped at Corona.

ANTWAUN WOODS-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 and Los Angeles Daily News All-Area second team as a senior defensive and offensive lineman at Taft High in Woodland Hills (Calif.)…He made 31 tackles in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he was All-L.A. City second team, All-L.A. City Division I second team and Los Angeles Daily News All-Area first team while making 38 tackles with 4 sacks…As a sophomore in 2008, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore…He was a 4-year starter…Current Trojan D.J. Morgan also prepped at Taft.

BIOGRAPHIES ON USC’S 2011 MID-YEAR FOOTBALL ENROLLEES JEREMY GALTEN-His 2010 honors included Super Prep JUCO 100 and All-NorCal Conference first team as a sophomore offensive guard at San Mateo (Calif.) Junior College…As a freshman in 2009, he was All-NorCal Conference first team…San Mateo went 10-2 in 2009, won the NorCal Conference title and was a finalist in the state championship game…He was an offensive and defensive lineman at Hillsdale High in San Mateo (Calif.).

DAVID GARNESS-His 2010 honors included Super Prep JUCO 100, Rivals JUCO 50, JC Athletic Bureau All-Region I first team and All-NorCal Conference first team as a sophomore offensive tackle at City College of San Francisco (Calif.)…CCSF went 10-1 in 2010 and was the state runnerup…As a freshman in 2009, he was All-NorCal Conference first team…In 2008, he briefly attended Alaska Anchorage and then walked on at Hawaii, but did not see any action…He was a 2-time (2006-07) All-State and All-Conference honoree at Bartlett High in Anchorage (Ak.), where he played on the offensive and defensive lines and was the long snapper…He could become the first Trojan letterman to claim Alaska as his home.

ANDRE HEIDARI-His 2010 honors included UnderArmour All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 and Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team as a 2010 senior placekicker and punter at Stockdale High in Bakersfield (Calif.)…He kicked 8 field goals and 17 PATS, had touchbacks on 53 of his 65 kickoffs and averaged 38.4 yards punting in 2010…As a 2009 junior, 59 of his 70 kickoffs were touchbacks and 20 of his punts pinned opponents within the 20-yard line (with a long of 63 yards) as he made the All-Southwest Yosemite League second team.

DALLAS KELLEY-His 2010 honors included All-Central Division West Conference first team as a sophomore linebacker at Chaffey Junior College in Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.)…He had a team-best 82 tackles, including 13.5 for losses (with 4 sacks), plus 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 1 blocked kick and 1 deflection in 2010…As a freshman in 2009, he had a team-best 74 tackles, including 9.5 for losses (with 3.5 sacks), and 4 deflections…He prepped at Norco (Calif.) High, where as a 2007 senior he won All-CIF Inland Division honors while getting 100 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble…He helped Norco to a pair of CIF Inland Division titles…Current Trojan Nathan Guertler also prepped at Norco.

CODY KESSLER-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, USA Today All-USA second team, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Gatorade California Player of the Year, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Max Preps All-State Division I first team, Bakersfield California All-Bakersfield Player of the Year and All-Yosemite League Offensive MVP as a senior quarterback at Centennial High in Bakersfield (Calif.)…He completed 175-of-251 (69.7%) of his passes for 2,831 yards and 36 TDs with just 2 interceptions in 2010 and rushed for 324 yards on 75 carries (4.3 avg.) with 8 TDs…He also averaged 36.4 yards on 32 punts in 2010, with a 13 pinning opponents within the 20-yard line and a long of 60 yards…Centennial was 10-2 in 2010…As a 2009 junior, he was named Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team and Bakersfield Californian Area Player of the Year as he completed 188-of-312 passes (60.3%) for 2,195 yards with 14 TDs and 6 interceptions and also ran for 12 TDs…Centennial was the 2009 CIF Central Section runnerup…As a sophomore in 2008, he completed 133-of-288 passes (63.6%) for 1,878 yards with 10 TDs and 7 interceptions and he also ran for 373 yards with 13 TDs…He also played basketball at Centennial, where he averaged 29.5 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and was named the Bakersfield Area Player of the Year (becoming the first player to be so honored in both football and basketball).

PETER McBRIDE-His 2010 honors included UnderArmour All-American, Prep Star All-West and 5A Desert Valley All-Region first team as a long snapper and defensive lineman at Chaparral High in Paradise Valley (Ariz.)…Chaparral won the 2010 5A Division II state championship.

SOMA VAINUKU-He originally signed with USC in February of 2010, but did not qualify for admission, so he returned to Eureka (Calif.) High but did not play football in 2010…His 2009 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Medium Schools first team and All-Humboldt-Del Norte Big Four League first team as a senior linebacker and fullback at Eureka…He had 2,202 yards on 252 carries (8.7 avg.) with 38 TDs on offense and 14 tackles, 1 interception and 1 forced fumbled on defense in 2009…Eureka won the 2009 CIF North Coast Division II title…As a junior in 2008, he had 800 rushing yards with 14 TDs on offense and 34 tackles, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble on defense…As a sophomore in 2007, he had 1,500 rushing yards with 27 TDs…His father was a rugby star in Tonga…His cousin is former USC All-American (2005-08) and current Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga.

MAX WITTEK-His 2010 honors included UnderArmour All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West honorable mention, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team and All-Trinity League first team as a senior quarterback at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana (Calif.)…He completed 153-of-282 passes (54.3%) for 2,252 yards with 24 TDs and 15 interceptions in 2010, plus ran for 175 yards with 6 TDs…As a 2009 junior, he made the All-Trinity League second team as he completed 136-of-230 passes (59.1%) for 2,158 yards and 15 TDs with 9 interceptions and ran for 189 yards with 2 TDs…Current Trojans Matt Barkley, Robbie Boyer, Khaled Holmes and Conrad Tavarez also prepped at Mater Dei, as does USC signee Victor Blackwell…He grew up in Connecticut.

Look, let’s face it. It’s Saturday night and I’ve once again been into TEH WINE.  I am designated driver tomorrow, I am allowed, LOL.

As a total USC homer, I am happy that we are guaranteed a Trojan in the Super Bowl. However, I am rooting for the one team devoid of USC Alumni. I am Chicago born, and a die hard Bears fan.  And we’re not here to cause no trouble, we’re just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.

That said, let me be honest. I think Green Bay is going to win this game. Aaron Rodgers and company are on fire and the Bears, well, Jay Cutler is very interception prone at the best of times. And he’s been On Fire the past few games so, I expect him to fall apart under the pressure on Sunday. What? Is the way of the fan of any Chicago team: We Expect Failure. I balance it out by also being  a USC and  Laker fan.

I find it ironic that the team I am rooting for is the only team of the four remaining without a former USC player on their roster. Whatever.

I expect Green Bay & Pittsburgh to emerge victorious tomorrow. I am rooting for the Bears & the Jets. So be it.  I’d love to say more, but frankly, am saving it for the results tomorrow.

Last night I came up with this theory. You see my friend and fellow Trojan Karen and I were talking about  Norm Chow and how he didn’t seem to have any loyalty. Chow was beloved at USC and ended up coaching at fUCLA.  He was a long time coordinator at BYU and reports have him going to Utah as their OC.

Karen and I could not believe the balls on this guy. Going to the rivals of two teams he’d coached – it is a pattern! He has no loyalty. We were outraged.

Until last night when it occurred to me: well what good has Chow been to fUCLA in his tenure there? They’ve sputtered and failed and posted some pretty dismal seasons lately. Maybe Chow was up to something. After all, Trojans certainly appreciate him not turning fUCLA into the offensive powerhouse USC was in the Carroll-Chow era.

So now he’s reportedly being courted by Utah — who are not only his former team BYU’s hated rival but they are a new member of USC’s division in the Pac-12 South and the team most likely to challenge USC for the division crown.

Could Chow be working behind the scenes for USC? Going to fUCLA and screwing with their offense, heading to Utah to screw with theirs, all in the name of Trojan Loyalty!

Think about it. It is sort of brilliant, no?  Hell, it’s an amusing thought, if nothing else!!!

(I could swear this morning I saw that Utah had reportedly named someone other than Chow their OC. But now I can’t find it, so… have a good weekend everyone!)

Football Fiends,

Long time no talk! Life and work and writing has been keeping me very very busy lately. But how could I let the day of the big crosstown rivalry come and go without a post? I CAN’T.

Neither team has a lot (or anything) to play for besides respect and bragging rights. So it stands to reason that this will probably end up being an epic game. Matt Barkley looks to be back under center for the Trojans, while the bRuins are still operating with their backup in the latest incidence of the QB Curse in Westwood.

For now I will leave you with an oldie but goodie-Trojan faithful learn the lyrics to this spoof on the UCLA fight song practically before we learn FIGHT ON!

SATIRE — Westwood High
lyrics by the USC Marching Band

High up in the hills of Westwood
Sprawled offensive to the eye
Lies a Cal extension campus
Known as Westwood High (high, high, high).
Home of all the Bruin bearcubs
UGLY is its name,
The student body’s vile,
The football team’s a pile,
And the campus is a shame.

U clap, clap, clap
G clap, clap, clap
L clap, clap, clap
Y clap, clap, clap

U – G – L – Y

EAT MY SHORTS!

Trojans-

I am sure you’ve heard — it’s a RED OUT this weekend vs Oregon. Wear your CARDINAL and show our Trojan players and the Game Day crew and the entire Nation the TROJAN SPIRIT!!!

All Graphics Credited to the Amazing Oakley Boren

Can I just tell you how COOL I felt with my press pass dangling from my belt loop?  I’d like to thank Jordan Moore, Tim Tessalone, USC Athletics, USC Football and the USC Sports Information Department for the opportunity to experience a game from the Press Box.

Now let’s get down to the meat of the game. WOO HOO! OMFG! Football Fiends! USC actually LOOKED LIKE USC!  It was a glorious sight to behold. 42-0 at the half! Matt Barkley! Robert Woods! The DEFENSE. Holy Mother of God, the USC Defense finally woke up and looked fierce.  But I’m ahead of myself. Let’s take a look at the game by the numbers.

USC 48 – CAL 14

Matt Barkley tied a school record with his five touchdown passes. The sophomore sensation threw for 352 yards and completed 25 of 37 passes in the Trojans’ 48-14 rout of Cal in the Coliseum. USC has discovered its latest elite receiver in Robert Woods who had seven catches for 116 yards and two TDs. Ronald Johnson also had seven catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns. RB Marc Tyler had a 79 yard day on seven catches, while CJ Cable’s 13 runs netted him 72 yards.

USC scored 42 unanswered points in the first half, with Cal failing to achieve even a single first down in the first half of play.  The Trojans first TD was a 16 yard pass from Barkley to Woods. The second TD was a Barkley pass to David Ausberry for 22 yards.

In the second quarter, Cal remained inept on offense and defense while USC kept scoring at will. Marc Tyler had an 11 yard run for a touchdown, bringing the score to 21-0.  Barkley threw a nine yard pass to Robert Woods to make is 28-0.  Ronald Johnson caught two different passes for eight and 11 yards and two touchdowns.  Advantage: Trojans.

In the second half, USC’s Joe Houston hit two field goals to give the Trojans 48 points total.

On the Cal side, QB Kevin Riley had 193 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Their two touchdowns came late in the game versus USC’s second team. Cal tailback Shane Vereen and WR Keenan Allen had the two Golden Bear touchdowns.

Cal only converted 2 of 10 on third down and had 245 yards of total offense. USC had a staggering 602 yards of offense.

This game was all USC all the time. Cal didn’t stand a chance. They were trumped on speed and on offense and on defense. USC looked like our dominant teams from earlier in the decade. Cal has not beaten USC since 2003 and has not won in the Coliseum in a decade.

But is Cal as bad as they looked on Saturday? I have no flipping clue. They beat UCLA a week prior 35-0. UCLA beat Texas in Austin. Cal lost to what looked to be a dominant Nevada team who lost to Hawaii. CHAOS, people. It is one of the best things about college football.

USC has a bye this weekend and then we face Oregon at home for Homecoming on October 30th. If the USC team that played on Saturday shows up we have a chance to play spoiler to Oregon’s perfect season.  But you know what? I’ll be happy if it is just a game. I’ll be happy if it is close and competitive. I’ll be over the freaking moon if USC wins.  I just don’t want a repeat of last year’s Halloween Massacre at the hands of the Ducks.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

There are some interesting goings on in College Football this weekend, Football Fiends.  Besides my Press Pass, there are a number of cool match ups.

South Carolina vs Kentucky should be interesting.  Kentucky almost beat Auburn last weekend. Only a field goal as time expired elevated the Tigers above the Wildcats. South Carolina upset the former #1 and defending national champions Alabama in a stunner of a game. South Carolina might have just a bit of swagger and confidence from that historic win. Kentucky might be just angry enough at last week’s near miss to take it out on the Gamecocks. I am going with South Carolina in my picks, but I would not be surprised if Kentucky pulled this one off.

Both Florida and USC are coming off two losses in a row, something neither program is used to. How it will affect their morale is yet to be seen. Florida faces Mississippi State in an SEC battle.  Both teams are 4-2. Florida is the more talented and should prevail.

Cal is coming into the Coliseum off a big win versus UCLA. USC meets Cal coming off two losses. Five seconds and two plays are all that separate these Trojans from being undefeated. Cal QB Kevin Reilly is not the most impressive of passers which is good news for USC’s weak against the pass defense. This will be a GAME, it almost always is when Cal and USC face off. I expect USC to pull the win out here to head into their bye week before facing the dreaded Ducks of Oregon on October 30th.

Oregon State, fresh off an upset of Arizona, heads into its game versus Washington with a curiously small point-spread of -1.5.  James Rodgers is out for the Beavers – he blew his knee out. But Jacquizz is still there, and we all know how devastatingly quick and wily he can be against defenses. This is the Pac-1o and it is a competitive conference, but Oregon State is a team on the verge of greatness while Washington is a decent team that gets lucky.  In my opinion, of course.

Now, onto my picks for week 7:

USC over Cal

Miami over Duke

Pitt over Syracuse

Georgia over Vandy

South Carolina over Kentucky

Florida over Mississippi State

Alabama over Ole Miss

Oklahoma over Iowa State

FSU over BC

Iowa over Michigan

Oregon State over Washington

Arizona over Washington State

Texas A&M over Missouri

Arkansas over Auburn

Nevada over Hawaii

Utah over Wyoming

-Your Gridiron Goddess

We had a decade for our heads to swell. We had a decade of winning, of excellence, of conference championships and BCS bowls and a couple National Championships and Heisman Trophies.

It’s hard to come back down from that.

It’s hard to be realistic about a team that doesn’t look like we expect  it to.

But it is time to get real.

It is time to stop moaning and groaning about sanctions, about the losses, about Monte or Lane or Coach O or Joe Houston.

It is time to get real.

It is time to stand up and be a Trojan.

This team, OUR TEAM, is two plays away from being 6-0 right now. This team, this coaching staff, is far and away better than last year’s team and coaching staff. Carroll had already checked out, my fellow Trojans. Jeremy Bates as Offensive Coordinator was a disaster of epically boring proportions.  Matt Barkley was a freshman. Aaron Corp was not the QB we thought he’d be. And we have to face it, Carroll’s recruiting the last few years (Barkley, Woods, etc exempted of course) was not as strong as it had been in the past.

Those amazing classes of 2003 and 2004 and 2005? Who recruited them? Coach O and Lane.

Um, who do we have back on the sidelines for USC? Coach O and Lane.

Of course we are going to have growing pains. We are going to have a transition period. We are going to watch a team struggle to find its identity in the wake of NCAA sanctions these players had nothing to do with.

Last year, the Trojans got blown out by Stanford. This year, we failed at clock management/Andrew Luck excelled at it and we lost by 2 points. It came down to a case of whomever had the ball last would win.

We will lose more games.  But stop listening to the pundits that proclaim USC’s dynasty over.  Stop letting that get you down. Stop making comparisons to the teams of the Paul Hackett era. Stop expecting Lane Kiffin to fix the mess that Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll and company left him with so quickly. Our recruiting has been off for a few years. That coupled with early NFL exits and transfers due to the sanctions have left us depleted.

Our losses and at times sloppy playing, our faltering defense are not due simply to Coach Kiffin choosing not to tackle in practices. For whatever reason this 2010 defense is having issues adapting to the Tampa-2. They will hit their stride. It is inevitable. This is USC. Our bench players, even in a down year, would be starters at most other programs.

USC’s dynasty is not over. It is just dormant. And it has been dormant since before the 2009 season started. And what we know, that the haters don’t, is that USC will be back.

And it won’t take a decade.

Win or Lose, I am proud to be a Trojan.  Faithful, Scholarly, Skillful, Courageous and Ambitious.

“Here are provided seats of meditative joy, where shall rise again the destined reign of Troy.” -Virgil

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Recap 9-7

Football Fiends,

I am not sure if, in the entire history of Gridiron Goddess, I’ve ever actually said that USC will lose and then actively picked the other team to win. Usually I would just avoid picking that game. Not this week. Coach Kiffin said it himself: “This is not the same SC.”  I am slowly coming to terms with that. It doesn’t mean I love my Trojans any less. I am and always will be proud to be a Trojan.

The Official Gridiron Goddess CFB Picks – Week 5

Stanford over USC

Wisconsin over Minnesota

Penn State over Illinois

Michigan over Michigan State

Georgia over Tennessee

Bama over South Carolina

LSU over Florida

ASU over Washington

Cal over UCLA

Miami over FSU (the real question for this game is: How many missed FGs and PATs?)

Oregon over Washington State

Arizona over Oregon State

Auburn over Kentucky

Fresno State over Hawaii

Arkansas over Texas A&M

Pitt over Notre Dame

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Hey Football Fiends- While I am trying to figure out what to say about that 32-31 loss at the hands of the Huskies (for the 2nd year in a row!) I am re-running a classic Gridiron Goddess post about School Spirit. Because no matter what, I am so very proud to be a Trojan.

-By Amy Lamare of The Gridiron Goddess

Some people have a security blanket. Some people have a teddy bear.

I have a security sweatshirt.

On Saturday morning, er, almost afternoon actually, as I crawled out of bed close to noon and grabbed my white hooded USC sweatshirt, it suddenly occurred to me just how many events in my life that particular sweatshirt has been witness to.

In February 1987 my father and I went on a road trip. It was my Senior Year of high school and we were off on the obligatory father-daughter bonding college campus trip. We loaded up the banana mobile (a yellow Oldsmobile station wagon that was the bane of my existence until I embraced it for its gigantic 8 cylinder engine) and set out for Southern California.

On our agenda: University of Southern California, California State University Long Beach and the University of San Diego, where one of my best friends was a freshman.

First up was USC, being the closest. It was also not a school I intended on attending. We got lost. We got lost in such a bad neighborhood that when we got to USC, its neighborhood seemed good. Anyone who knows about SC knows this is so far from the truth that it is laughable.

I wanted to go to Long Beach and major in Art. LBSU has a great art program. And if not there, to USD where Didi was and Jodi was going to go. USC was a VERY distant third.

Until I stepped foot on campus. Just seeing the carved rock entrance signs that say University of Southern California gave me chills. And they still do. Seeing the red brick campus and all the students and everything going on there— it was what college was supposed to be. At least to me. So I marched us to the bookstore and bought a sweatshirt. A white hooded sweatshirt with USC on it in Cardinal and Gold.

And it was this moment that I knew this was where I was going to college.

It was this sweatshirt I wore to my Long Beach State visit. It was this sweatshirt I wore to my USD visit. It was this sweatshirt I was wearing on the drive home when we got snowed in at Mountain Pass and had to backtrack to Baker to find a room for the night. And wore to bed because there was a hole in the window, the heat did not work, and the advertised cable television out front that we were so relieved about—well, every time the lobby TV changed channels, so did the one in our room. My Dad and I laughed and laughed and laughed that night.

It was this sweatshirt I wore to nearly every football game of my collegiate career. It was this sweatshirt I wore on every break home—just so that everyone knew I no longer lived there, that I’d gotten out and was going to a fabulous school.

It was this sweatshirt that was at the ready when my parents told me they were getting divorced. It was this sweatshirt that was there when nine years later, they remarried each other.

It is this sweatshirt I am wearing in my first ever picture with my newborn niece. She is now 15 and looking at USC in her future.

It was this sweatshirt I wore when I moved to San Diego. It was this sweatshirt I wore when I moved back to LA. And nearly every weekend for twenty years. It’s been to Chicago, to Las Vegas, to New York, to San Francisco, to Phoenix, to Tucson, to D.C., to Orlando, to Hawaii, to Philadelphia, to tiny Ely, NV; to Paris, to Cabo San Lucas, to St. Thomas, Antigua, Anguilla and St. Martin.

It was this sweatshirt that I wore when I went thru the not changing my clothes phase of breakups with the most serious and loved of my exboyfriends.. It was this sweatshirt that I again turned to when I made the difficult choice to leave The Philly Fan because it was healthier for me. It is this sweatshirt that until recently, I did not even realize had been such a witness to my life. And such a talisman of comfort and home and family. When I chose USC, I took the first step into my adult life. And it is fitting that this first purchase at my school would become my oldest surviving and still in use and most beloved sweatshirt.

Linus ain’t got nothin’ on me with his blanket.

FIGHT ON!

Amy Lamare is The Gridiron Goddess