Fresno State Athletics
Hill Signs 14 Football Players to Letters of Intent
2/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 4, 2004
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State head coach Pat Hill announced the signing of his 2004 recruiting class today as 14 high school players joined the Bulldogs.
The class consists of five offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, two quarterbacks, two receivers, one tight end and one linebacker. Five of the high school players have been invited to play in the Shrine All-Star Game, June 26, at Mt. San Antonio College.
"We addressed some needs with this class," Hill said. "I'm very pleased that we got some size and ability on both our offensive and defensive lines. I'm also pleased that we continued to get quality players from the Valley. The Valley will always be our priority."
Four of the 14 high school players come from the Valley. Some of the prominent Valley players to sign include Granite Hills quarterback Bear Pascoe and John Guevara, an offensive lineman from West High School of Bakersfield. Pascoe was the East Yosemite League Offensive Player of the Year. Oakmont's Drew Lubinsky and Mojave's Kenny Avon completed the class of Valley signees.
California's top high school passer from last season signed with the Bulldogs. Sean Norton, who led Hart High School to the CIF Division II championship, threw for over 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns in 2003 and more than 8,000 yards and nearly 80 touchdowns in his career. Norton was selected as the Offensive Player of the Year by the Los Angeles Daily News. His favorite target at Hart, Kevin Ciccone also signed with the Bulldogs. Ciccone, a big-play receiver, caught 80 passes for nearly 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns last season while being named the Santa Clarita Valley Player of the Year.
The Bulldogs also went into Nevada, taking three top defensive players from that state in Reno linebacker Ryan McKinley, and Las Vegas Foothill's defensive linemen Jon Monga and Mike Roland.
"This is a good looking class physically," Hill said. "I'm happy with the offensive and defensive linemen we were able to get. Linemen don't get a lot of recognition from the recruiting gurus, but this class will be very valuable for us to build championship teams."
2004 Fresno State Football Recruit Bios
Kenny Avon, Defensive Line, 6-3, 260, California City, Calif. (Mojave) A first-team All-CIF selection as a senior ... had 111 tackles, seven tackles for losses, two sacks and one interception ... had 30 carries for 260 yards and four touchdowns as a running back ... caught four passes for 53 yards and one touchdown ... selected honorable mention all-league in his sophomore and junior seasons as a basketball player ... coached by Larry Satterfield ... "He's a very gifted high school athlete who has the ability to play several different positions. He's an intelligent player and has all the tools needed to college in college. He has confidence. He's a local kid no one knew about and I'm excited to see Pat Hill recruit from Kern County," said Satterfield.
Kevin Ciccone, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 175, Stevenson Ranch Calif. (Hart) A key part of Hart's recent championship run ... helped his team to three league championships and two CIF titles ... a 2003 All-CIF Southern Section Selection after being named the Santa Clarita Valley Player of the Year after catching 80 passes for 1,380 yards and 17 touchdowns ... led Hart to a 25-7 win over Mission Viejo for the 2003 Division II Southern Section title ... was selected All-CIF Division II in 2002 and 2003 ...caught 167 passes for 2,808 yards and 33 touchdowns over the last two seasons ... named All-Foothill League in 2002 and 2003 and was the Foothill League Back of the Year as a senior ... named to the Los Angeles Daily News First Team ... joins Hart quarterback Sean Norton, who also signed with the Bulldogs ... Cal-Hi Sports third-team all-state ... coached by Mike Herrington ... "Kevin is a great all-around athlete and was a valuable two-way starter for us. He is an intense competitor and was a main factor in our success. Kevin has awesome hands and runs great routes. I see Kevin making a lot of big plays for the Bulldogs in the next few years," said Herrington.
John Guevara, Offensive Line, 6-2, 270, Bakersfield, Calif. (West) A three-year letter winner who earned all-area honors twice ... recorded 12 sacks as a defensive lineman as a senior and was named the team's defensive Most Valuable Player ... also lettered in track and field as a participant in the shotput and discus ... coached by Rich Cornford ... "He's a kid that gets things done. He has really matured and during his senior season, he finally understood what it takes to succeed. John made it a point to put forth the extra effort, and it resulted in a scholarship. He is always working to get bigger, faster and stronger," said Cornford.
Cameron Harris, Offensive Line, 6-3, 239, Norco, Calif. (Norco) A good blocker who opened holes for California's top rusher, Toby Gerhart ... Gerhart ran for more than 3,000 yards in 11 games last season ... played left guard on what's was considered the finest line in school history ... invited to play in the Shrine All-Star game ... comes from the same program that produced NFL first round draft lineman Pat Harlow ... played for the legendary Gary Campbell, who retired last year after 33 seasons at Norco.
Jake Jorde, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 181, Fallbrook, Calif. (Fallbrook Union) A fast receiver and great athlete... All-San Diego Section second-team selection as a defensive back by the San Diego Union Tribune ... had 37 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior, averaged 18.4 yards per reception ... as a senior, again averaged more than 18 yards a catch and caught seven touchdowns ... had four receptions for 83 yards and three touchdowns vs. Oceanside and scored on an 88-yard touchdown vs. Torrey Pines ... played cornerback, safety, was a special teams star as a return specialist and served as the team's punter ... competes in basketball and runs track ... coached by Dennis Houlihan ... "He was a big playmaker for us and had a great high school career. In the years to come he will match the Fresno State system very well and I would expect him to be as productive for them as he was for us," said Houlihan.
Drew Lubinsky, Tight End, 6-6, 230, Roseville, Calif. (Oakmont) As a senior earned first-team All-Pioneer Valley League honors ... a two-year starter for the Vikings, he played tight end and on the defensive line ... had six sacks, one interceptions and several batted passes ... as a tight end, he averaged 13 yards per receptions, scored three touchdowns and two two-point conversions in just one year at that position ... had 11 receptions for 188 yards ... also a two-year starter on the Oakmont basketball team ... coached by Bob Vukajlovich ... "He will do well in college. He's very coachable and really loves the game. He's a good team leader, a well-rounded athlete. He only played one season at tight end and he progressed at that position so quickly this past year." ... recruited by San Diego State, Nevada, Arizona and Utah.
Pierce Masse, Offensive Line, 6-4, 230, Clairemont, Calif (Clairemont) A three-year letter winner who was selected team defensive MVP in 2003 while playing in just seven games ... had 48 tackles and six quarterback sacks on seven games ... was selected the team's offensive lineman of the year in 2002 and was named honorable mention All-Harbor League ... competed in track and field as a freshman and sophomore ... coached by Michael Smerdon.
Adam McDowell, Offensive Line, 6-4, 226, Norco, Calif. (Norco) An agile athlete who earned All-CIF Division 5, All-Riverside County and All-CIF as a senior ... was the left tackle for Toby Gerhart, who rushed for over 3,000 yards in 11 games ... as a junior, was selected to the second-team all-county and all-league teams ... ... played on what's was considered the finest line in school history ... selected first-team All-Mountain View League for three consecutive years ... invited to play in the Shrine All-Star game ... comes from the same program that produced NFL first round draft lineman Pat Harlow ... a basketball standout, he earned honorable mention all-league honors as a junior ... played for the legendary Gary Campbell, who retired last year after 33 seasons at Norco.
Ryan McKinley, Linebacker, 6-2, 220, Reno, Nev. (Reno) One of the top defensive players in Nevada as a senior, earning first-team all-state honors after guiding Reno High School to the 4-A state championship ... was selected All-Northern Region and first-team All-Sierra League ... led his team in tackles for two consecutive seasons ... Reno defeated Las Vegas 26-23 on Dec. 6 for the Nevada state championship ... scored four touchdowns on offense, two rushing and two receiving as a fullback ... had 157 tackles and three sacks ... had 48 tackles for a loss as a senior, to go with five forced fumbles, three recoveries and blocked a punt ... had four games in which he had 16 tackles or more ... had 390 tackles in his three-year career ... a standout track and field performer, won the Nevada state championship in the shotput as a junior, throwing 53' 10 3/4" ... highly recruited in both track and field and football ... nominated for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award ... coached by Dan Avansino ... "He is a very physical presence in the middle. He has a great combination of physical attributes and speed," said Avansino.
Jon Monga, Defensive Line, 6-2, 280, Henderson, Nev. (Foothill) A two-way player at Foothill High School, who was dominating as a defensive lineman as a senior ... recorded 50 tackles, 2.5 sacks, caused four fumbles, recovered two fumbles and had two pass deflections ... selected first-team All-Southern Nevada and was selected a team captain ... also participates in volleyball and track & field ... joins teammate Mike Roland, who signed with the Bulldogs ... coached by Ray Fenton ... "He has displayed excellent work ethic and character and will be loyal to Fresno State," said Fenton.
Sean Norton, Quarterback, 5-11, 175, Valencia, Calif. (Hart) A talented quarterback who led the state of California with 4,067 passing yards and 44 touchdowns as a senior ... his passing total ranked as the 25th-best in U.S. high school history, the fifth-most ever in California high school history ... completed 238-of-363 passes ... named the 2003 CIF Southern Section Division II Offensive Player of the Year, after guiding Hart to the Division II title ... named the Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Football as California's Player of the Year ... a Parade All-American ... guided Hart to a 23-4-1 record over the last two seasons ... as a junior, Hart was 12-1-1 and ranked No. 20 in the nation by USA Today ... named the Los Angeles Daily News Player of the Year and selected to the Los Angeles Times All-Southland team ... was selected the Foothills League Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003 ... over two seasons, he threw for 8,050 yards, completing 66 percent of his passes (498-758) and 79 touchdowns with just 18 interceptions ... threw just one interception every 42 pass attempts in his career ... guided Hart to the 2003 CIF Southern Section Division Championship in a 25-7 win over Mission Viejo ... joins favorite target, Kevin Ciccone, who also signed with Bulldogs ... comes from the same high school that produced NFL first-round pick Kyle Boller ... coached by Mike Herringtion ... "Sean's leadership and skills led us to two CIF Championship games and his performance in this year's game was the main reason we won the 2003 CIF- Southern Section Championship. He has solid arm strength and great mobility. Fresno State is a great fit for him. With his work ethic, I see great things in Sean's football future."
Bear Pascoe, Quarterback, 6-5, 252, Porterville, Calif. (Granite Hills) A big, physical quarterback who is one of the top all-around athletes in the Valley ... selected the 2003 East Yosemite League Offensive Player of the Year and was named all-area after guiding his team to a 16-4 record over the last two seasons ... guided Granite Hills to the 2002 EYL title ...accounted for 1,851 total yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior and nearly 3,500 yards and 33 touchdowns over two seasons ... was a first-team All-East Yosemite League basketball player as a junior ... also played outside linebacker ... played send in the EYL in the shot and discus, placing sixth in the Valley championships in the discus as a junior ... also an accomplished rodeo roper ... coached by Jeff Brown ... "There is no question that Bear will make a positive contribution at Fresno State, not based on statistics or pure ability, but rather on heart and determination. I expect him to be an impact player for Pat Hill's Bulldogs," said Brown.
Mike Roland, Defensive Line, 6-5, 235, Las Vegas, Nev. (Foothill) A big-play defensive lineman, who had nearly 10 sacks as a senior ... a team captain who was selected first-team All-Henderson for three consecutive years ... named the Henderson Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state ... played tight end on offense ... had 41 tackles, three fumble recoveries, four batted passes and scored one defensive touchdown ... joined teammate Jon Monga, who also signed with the Bulldogs ... set school career records for sack and defensive points ... also participates in basketball and track and field ... coached by Ray Fenton ... "A fiery competitor who plays hard. He has good range and made a lot of big plays for our defense," said Fenton.
Ryan Wendell, Offensive Line, 6-2, 259, Diamond Bar, Calif. (Diamond Bar) Had more than 50 tackles, six sacks and caused three fumbles... selected first-team All-CIF Southern Section as a defensive lineman as a senior and won the same honor as an offensive lineman as a junior ... named the Sierra League's Most Valuable Player, a rare feat for a lineman ... a two-time first team All-Sierra League selection ... had his jersey retired at Diamond Bar High School and was elected to the school's Hall of Fame ... named to the Los Angeles Times All-Star squad ... led his team to a 8-4 record ... an excellent student, who won the California Governor's Scholar Share Award ... comes from the same high school that produced Bulldog All-WAC tackle Joe Schey ... selected second-team All-State by Cal-Hi Sports ... placed second in the Sierra League and sixth in the CIF Southern Section in wrestling as a junior ... coached by Manny Saiz.
