Seven thoughts on the seventh day…

1) Small tweaks are starting to add up to a defensive problem for the Padres.  I’m not worried about their current three-game losing streak.  Heck, by the time you read this column, their Sunday magic may have already put a winning touch to the weekend.  But I am worried about how this team’s defense is shaping up for the playoffs.

Losing Tony Gwynn to a broken hamate bone has turned out to be a bigger blow than expected to the Padres’ mojo.  While Chris Denorfia has been swinging an almost ridiculously hot bat during the summer, he is clearly not the equal of Gwynn defensively.  Gwynn’s speed and range were Gold Glove-caliber, while Deno is average at best and leaves his feet too much, turning hits into triples.

Miguel Tejada has hit well, played with passion and seemingly over-achieved defensively at shortstop.  What was supposed to be a major issue for the Padres has been a pleasant surprise so far.  But Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Philly contained a play I’ve been waiting to see for a while.

In the fifth with a runner at second base and one out, Tejada was challenged defensively…to his left.  He had made a couple of nice plays in the hole to his right so far, but I hadn’t seen him make a rangy play to his left.  Shane Victorino hit a ground ball up the middle which I’m convinced Everth Cabrera would have caught…probably Jerry Hairston Jr. as well pre-shin splints.  Tejada dove and couldn’t get it, and the Phillies were on the board.

It’s just one play.  But while Tejada’s solid positioning and strong arm have served him well so far at shortstop, you can’t escape the fact that his range is limited.  Baseball saw this two years ago, so the Padres might as well keep their eyes open.  David Eckstein is a similar player at second base.  He’ll make the play on everything he catches, but some balls are going to get through.

Center field, shortstop, second base…the most important defensive positions on the diamond, and right now the Padres are average at best.  Hairston had defended well at both short and second this year, but his range had seemingly decreased in recent weeks as well.  Now Jerry’s out of the lineup for some time defensively, meaning it’s Tejada or nada at shortstop, and Eck all the way at second base.  Keep an eye on this as the season continues into October.

Note: in Sunday’s starting lineup, Will Venable is starting in center, as Chris Denorfia has a sore back.  I’d like to see Bud Black try out Venable more in center in the coming weeks.  If you’re not going to have Gwynn’s services available, Venable has the most range of the remaining Padres outfielders.

Six more thoughts, including a Chargers/Saints review and an unbelievable story from Del Mar, after the jump:

2)

Along the same lines, defense will prevent the Giants from making a run at the Padres.  San Francisco came into the season with a team very similar to San Diego.  Great pitching, solid defense in the outfield, and very questionable hitting.  Giants’ GM Brian Sabean and Padres’ GM Jed Hoyer each had to decide how to approach their respective team’s struggling lineups.

He's "Pat the Bat" but his glove ain't all that

Sabean made the choice to revamp from the outside, and each move he’s made has crippled the Giants’ defense.  Pat Burrell is a DH in left field, and Jose Guillen is one of the worst defensive outfielders around in terms of range.  Around the infield, there are no standouts and a couple of louts (I’m looking at you, Kung Fu Panda).

Any wonder this team just played a 12-11 game at home, where they committed five errors?  Combined with the struggles of their starting pitchers (and of course, the problems are inter-related) and you’ve got a team which is collapsing on multiple fronts.

3) Things I liked from the Chargers game on Friday night:

• Ryan Mathews (again)
• Ball-control offense
• Run defense (mostly)

The combination of Cam Thomas and Vaughn Martin give the Chargers legit beef on the defensive line.  If Ron Rivera can manage the substitution patterns he wants to get the right matchups on the field, the Bolts could be better up front than anticipated.  I expect lots of teams to do what the Saints did on Friday, which was to go hurry-up and try to limit San Diego’s ability to substitute.

Mathews is going to make this offense so much better, it’s not even funny.  We’ll have another Chargers video up later tonight on this subject, but his 3rd-and-1 sweep for 16 yards is just another on the list of “wow” moments the rookie has already provided in preseason.

His biggest contribution, though, will come in the natural fight and desire he brings to gain those extra couple of yards.  L.T. used to fight for yards like that when he came into the NFL, but time (and thousands upon thousands of hits) led Tomlinson to seek the safety of the sideline or the ground on contact.  I’m sure a veteran running back calls it “being smart”.

Mathews doesn’t know better yet, and that will give the Chargers offense those 3rd-and-3’s which were once 3rd-and-6.

4) Things I didn’t like from the Chargers game on Friday night:

• Stupid penalties (again)
• Pass rush (as usual)
• Cason on the corner

Can this Chargers team be a championship-level defense?  I believe Eric Weddle when he says the defensive secondary is playing together in a way they haven’t seen in years.  I believe what I see up front, even while knowing there are no obvious stars in the group.  But the linebacking corps looks like the same old group of rascals that could cost the Bolts a big game.

Is Shaun Phillips determined to lead the league in dumb personal fouls?  Will Shawne Merriman ever actually play, or will he remain in injury limbo for the rest of his Chargers career?  Seems like Lights Out is more like Light Flickering, he’s never quite in or out and it’s starting to annoy me.  I thought Larry English was supposed to replace that flickering bulb anyhow.

Kevin Burnett has looked terrific in preseason, and Stephen Cooper seems like himself,  but there are questions remaining unanswered right now in the linebacking corps, and the Shaun/Shawne portion of the locker room is where the biggest question marks are directed.

Meanwhile, Drew Brees had all the time in the world to throw on Friday, but I can’t necessarily blame that on the Chargers.  After all, there are three Pro Bowlers on a Saints offensive line which returns all five starters, and Brees is a master of quick release and fast-break offense.

Still, somebody better touch the darn QB if the Chargers want to get to the promised land.  Haven’t seen much of it so far outside of safety/corner blitzes.

Last but not least, is Antonie Cason going to hold up to the pressure?  Norv Turner was complimentary toward Cason during Saturday’s press conference, explaining away the touchdown that went through his hands as a mistake he’ll correct.

Maybe he will.  But mistakes on the corner usually lead to six points, and Cason has made enough mistakes during his time in San Diego to make you wonder if he’ll be a persistent target for opposing quarterbacks.

5) My first high school Top-10 list of the year looks like this:

1. Cathedral Catholic
2. Vista
3. Oceanside
4. Eastlake
5. Helix
6. Mission Bay
7. Point Loma
8. SF Christian
9. Ramona
10. Escondido

Hey, what do I know?  None of these teams have taken the field yet, so I’m going on a respected source’s say-so, along with spreading around the ‘dap to some of the top programs around the county.

Cathedral Catholic is the closest thing I’ve seen to Mater Dei or Concord De La Salle in San Diego County, so they go to the top until proven otherwise.  Vista is supposed to be even better than last year’s talented team, and while Oceanside lost a ton (thankfully, much of the talent going to Brady Hoke and SDSU), the Pirates are a “reload not rebuild” type of program.

Teams like Mission Bay and Escondido will have a lot to prove with superstars Dillon Baxter and Ricky Seale moving on to college, while it looks like Eastlake has more than enough to withstand Tony Jefferson’s departure to Oklahoma.

I left La Costa Canyon off my Top-10 list because with head coach Darrin Brown having left along with a lot of senior talent, I need to see them succeed before they earn a ranking.  My eyes are still on you though, Mavericks.

We’ll be back out covering the Friday Night Lights like no one else on 619Sports.Net this fall.  If you are (or you happen to know) a college upperclassmen or above and would like to join our prep football reporting crew, please drop me a line at craig@619sports.net with your qualifications.

6) Will our local college quarterbacks be allowed to stay upright this season?  It could determine the fate of both SDSU and USD.

A visit to Toreros practice last Thursday  (where we taped a number of video interviews you’ll see in the coming week) revealed a USD team with some great skill players on offense.  I think Sam Scudellari can have a big year throwing to John McGough, Godfrey Smith and tight end Patrick Doyle.

The question is, will Scud have time to fire?  Four new starters on the offensive line could lead to Scudellari running for his life.  At the practice I witnessed, it was tough for Sam to get off anything short of a quick pass or bubble screen without getting hit.

Same question goes for the boys at Montezuma Mesa as they get ready for the opener against Nicholls State next Saturday.  Lindley, with time to operate, should have a career year throwing to Vincent Brown, DeMarco Sampson and Alston Umuolo.  Ronnie Hillman’s injection of speed into the running game will keep defenses from pinning their ears back.

But there’s a lot of inexperience up front for SDSU and I wonder when conference play starts if Lindley will be under duress.  Ryan hasn’t shown great accuracy or touch on quick, short passes in his Aztecs career, the best remedy for a pass rush.  He’s been a guy who needs a pocket to work from so he can aim downfield.

Hopefully, Lindley’s improved on those underneath passes.  Otherwise, keeping him clean will be a difficult and demanding task.

7) Overheard on the felt this week…the story of a lucky day at the races.  You can’t believe everything (or even many things) you hear at a poker table.  But this man’s story I believe, and the Del Mar Racetrack results back up his account of fortune turning on a scratch and a scramble.

On Wednesday, the 6th race at Del Mar was a $15,000 purse claiming race for three year olds and upwards, fillies and mares.  Our hero (we’ll call him Mike) was dragged out to the racetrack with his buddies.  Mike is not a horse player, not even close.  His previous trips to the track have been fun but never profitable.

As the sixth race rolled around, Mike was drinking beers with his buddies and making small bets (saving his money for the poker table).  He filled out a $2 exacta ticket, putting the 8 horse (Celebration) together with a couple of medium longshots, the 5 horse (Entabeni) and the 10 horse (Tribul Witch).

As the horses were being loaded into the starting gate, the 8 horse spooked and bucked, bolting early.  He was scratched, and so was Mike’s trifecta.

Except, Mike’s trifecta didn’t have to be scratched…but it did have to be changed.  It was announced over the track public address system that the betting windows would re-open for 3 minutes so players could take out the 8-horse and replace him with another entrant.

Mike, busy chatting with a friend, frittered away at least a minute of his three-minute window.  He wasn’t even sure if it was worth it, but decided last second to go ahead and change his ticket.  By this time, he had to wait for two other people in front of him at the betting window.

As Mike reached the window, he told the cashier “take out the 8 horse and replace him with the 1″, handing him the proper trifecta betting form.  The 1-horse (Too Pink) happened to be a 46-1 longshot.

“It’s too late,” said the cashier, “the time’s up”.

“Run the ticket”, said Mike.

The cashier obliged, and voila!  A betting slip popped out of the computer, meaning the bet was in on time and valid.

“Wow, that must have gotten in at the literal last second,” said the cashier, “because my screen said there were 0 minutes remaining.”

Mike settled back in to watch the race…and was promptly on his feet and screaming as Too Pink hit the wire first, followed by Tribul Witch and Entabeni.

The $2 exacta ticket, originally a loser, then switched at the last possible second for a winner, paid $7,008.00.

Now that’s what I call being lucky.  Hope you have a very fortunate week as well!

If you’re in a lab creating the perfect starting pitcher, and you have an unlimited budget, you come out with Stephen Strasburg.

Strasburg not only has major league stuff—Hall of Fame stuff if the evidence holds up—but he also has tremendous teeth.

We all know Tony Gwynn was his collegiate mentor. It’s about time his orthodontist stood up to be counted, because along with his arm, that smile is going to make Strasburg millions of dollars.

A classic late developer, Strasburg was not heavily recruited out of high school, but out of San Diego State University, he became MLB’s chosen one.

An ideal combination of brains, arm, competitiveness, and teeth.

Dr. Frankenstein, for example, didn’t have nearly as much to work with. Oh sure, Dr. F. came from family money with that castle and all; but by the time he inherited it, the landscaping was a mess, the housekeeping atrocious, and the laboratory in hazardous disrepair.

When looking for a face and strapped for cash, Dr. F. went on Transylvania’s Kregslist and bid for the cheapest one available. Even the bolts were rusty. But he saved up for the brain– which clumsy Igor demolished, and in hasty panic to cover his ass, replaced it with an abnormal brain.

Voila!  The perfect closer.

But Strasburg? He’s the ultimate starting superstar creation. Built for Cooperstown and Madison Avenue. Not to mention David Letterman’s Top Ten List.

100mph with movement.

Eight innings of that and the manager calls in Frankenstein to close.

The stuff that dreams (and nightmares) are made of.

**

If you watched Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals on NBC, at first you had no idea where that winning puck went to hide. Even with hi-def TV, we needed replays to see where it went. Turned out it was lodged in Jeremy Roenick’s chin.

If you didn’t know Jeremy Roenick was a hockey player-turned-commentator, you’d think he was the worst shaver in the world. This nine-time NHL All-Star has more facial scars than Joan Rivers and Al Capone combined. But you gotta love his enthusiasm, and for one glorious overtime nail-biter Wednesday night, his beloved game stole the night.

Imagine how conflicted Chicago Cubs fans must be. “Yay 2010 Blackhawks! Yay…1908.”

**

Congratulations to Francis Parker’s Deon Randall for being named the Union-Tribune All-Academic team co-captain along with Mt. Carmel distance runner Erin Menefee.

Not only did Randall lead the Lancers to the State Football Championship Bowl in 2009, he led Parker to a section basketball title this March. The Yale-bound braniac is so quick with his cross-over dribble, I twisted my ankles just watching him at Jenny Craig Pavilion, much less defending him.

This is what happens when you play too much Wii: we start thinking we’re part of the action.

Note to self: future column idea about which sports fanatics need to be tazed—start with cell phone wavers behind home plate. Noted.

Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph’s columns appear every Tuesday and Friday on 619Sports.Net.  Check out his new home page here!

In front of a packed Tony Gwynn Stadium, the Rancho Bernardo Broncos defeated the Poway Titans to win the CIF San Diego Section Division I Title 9-5.

The Broncos started their Arizona State-bound ace Trevor Williams in the title game, and he did not disappoint.  After a rough first inning in which he allowed three runs on five hits – including three straight doubles – the righty regained his form and allowed just four hits the rest of the way.

Williams (10-2) pitched his sixth complete game of the season, and struck out four batters.  It was his second win against Poway this season, and third in the last two years.

Embedded soundbyte: Trevor Williams on his early struggles and how he settled down:

Download audio file (060510-trevor-williams.mp3)

Rancho Bernardo stormed back with three runs in the top of the second to take back the lead.  After an infield single, a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases, Gosuke Katoh hit a soft liner over the shortstop to score Anthony Vanray.  The damage would have been worse, but David Gabel tripped rounding third, and was thrown out at home on a throw from left fielder Josh Anderson.

Poway starting pitcher – and SDSU commit – Evan Thomas (6-3) went five innings for the Titans.  The right-hander allowed seven hits, five runs (four earned), walked three and struck out two.  He was battling his control for his entire outing, but managed to work around hitting three batters and throwing a wild pitch.

The win marked the ninth title in Broncos’ Head Coach Sam Blalock’s career.

Jeff Creps is a regular contributor to 619Sports.

I believe the coaching adage goes something like this: “It’s not how well you play during the regular season, but how well you perform during the playoffs.”  While that may sound clichéd, the members of the Coronado Islanders High School Baseball team are now firm believers.

After finishing the regular season with a 9-19 record, Coronado (14-19) rallied back for a 7-6 victory against top-seeded Madison (25-9) Saturday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.  The Islanders capture their 2^nd D-IV CIF Baseball Championship in three years.

The Islanders SP Jake Meloche got off to a shaky start, allowing six hits and five runs in the first inning.  Meloche found his groove though, allowing only two hits in the remaining six innings.  The big lefty provided some run support as well with an RBI single in the top of the third.

“He (Meloche) was this close to getting pulled in the 3^rd inning,” said head coach Sam Ceci. “But he fought through it and did a great job.”

DH Tyler Brownell rose to the occasion as well knocking in three RBI (2/4, 3 RBI). A two-run single in the 3^rd got the offense kick-started, and his second hit tied the game at six.  3B Jack Nicholson drove in the game-winning run with a single in the top of the sixth.

Madison’s Corey Oswalt and Taylor Patrick each had a run and a RBI.  Patrick, the losing pitcher, had dominating stuff and allowed only one unearned run.  Oswalt, a 6’4” sophomore, has range at shortstop and can surely swing the lumber.

Read our recap of El Capitan’s comeback against Cathedral Catholic after the jump:***

In the D-III CIF Championship, top-seeded El Capitan faced off against #3 Cathedral Catholic.  The two teams had met earlier in the year, where El Capitan pulled out a 4-3 victory over the Dons.

This time around was very similar, as the Vaqueros (28-6) defeated Cathedral Catholic (22-10) 4-2 Saturday afternoon to take back-to-back CIF championships (D-II in 09’).  El Capitan scored all 4 runs in the bottom of the sixth to spoil Cathedral’s hopes of taking home the trophy.

In that 6^th inning, El Capitan’s 1B Elden Whisman hit a 2-run double into left field that probably should have been caught. Centerfielder Josh Tulledge then made the Don’s pay with a 2-out, 2-run single that gave the Vaqueros the lead for good.

Some standouts from Saturdays D-III Championship include the Don’s SP Daniel Camarena and El Capitan’s SS Tyrone Wiggins.  Camarena, who is committed to USD, was recently chosen as for the Aflac All-American Baseball Classic.  Wiggins, who hit .455 with 9 HRs, 32 RBIs, and 11 SB this season, is rumored to be heading to SDSU in a year.

Kyle Englehart is a regular Prep sports contributor to 619Sports.

San Diego sports broadcasting icon Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph has agreed to join 619 Sports as a minority owner, columnist and contributor.  Randolph, the widely self-proclaimed “Dean of American Sportscasters”, will begin by writing a weekly column for 619Sports.Net.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Chainsaw to 619 Sports,” said company co-founder and president Craig Elsten, “Cookie’s wit and wisdom will be a tremendous addition to our website.  We look at the addition of Chainsaw to our team as another step toward 619 Sports becoming the premier online destination for San Diego sports talk and sports writing.”

Randolph spent 20 years as part of the “Dave, Shelley and Chainsaw” program on 101.5 KGB-FM, the top-rated and wildly popular morning radio show.  While the DSC is currently in between radio gigs, Randolph has been itching to continue to contribute to the San Diego sports scene.

“Thank you, President Obama!” said Chainsaw, “Thanks to an obscure clause in ‘Cash for Clunkers’, Craig and Chris get a tax credit for donating a portion of their website to the unemployed.  I’m happy to take advantage of this sports welfare.”

“Chainsaw is one of the funniest, most entertaining sports personalities I’ve ever listened to in San Diego,” said company co-founder and vice president Chris Ello,  “It’s going to be a lot of fun to work with him and I can’t wait!”

Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph will be officially introduced as a member of the 619 Sports team on Tuesday night, April 13^th, at the Tilted Kilt downtown in San Diego.  619 Sports will be hosting a “tweetup” from 6:30-8:30pm, open to the public.

We will be announcing multiple ways to get free VIP tickets for this exciting tweetup, within hours on 619 Sports, so check back!

Editor’s Note: MadFriars.com’s John Conniff reports from Peoria for 619 Sports with this feature on Santana High star James Needy, who chose the pros over a scholarship at USD:

PEORIA, AZ: For every talented high school baseball player one of the toughest decisions to make at the end of their senior year is whether to go to college or attempt to realize a dream of signing a major league contract.

For Padres’ right-handed pitcher James Needy, a sixth round pick in the 2009 draft out of Santana High School, it was a particularly difficult choice because his decision was between the University of San Diego baseball team, one of the better programs in the country, and the San Diego Padres, his hometown team he had grown up cheering for.

“It was a very difficult decision that my family and I really talked over quite a bit,” said Needy during a lull in spring training where he is attempting to make the full season Low A Fort Wayne TinCaps in the Midwest League.

“It was really much more about what would be best for my future than the money.”

With the rate of arm injuries an increasing amount of star prep pitchers are determining that the best way to protect their futures is in the pros, where no one is going to risk the arm of a top prospect so that one minor league team can defeat another.

However the minor leagues are also full of pitchers who get hurt or are not quite as good as they believe they are and end up throwing away a four year scholarship.

Additionally the success of San Diego State’s Stephen Strasburg and USD’s Brian Matusz also demonstrates that going to college can also place a player in a much better position in the draft than they were out of high school.  In the end the decision to go or not go pro has as much to do with one’s maturity as it does their ability and opportunities down the road.

“I spoke with quite a few people about what the minors would be like, the small towns and the bus rides, so I had a good idea of what to expect.”

“To me what it came down to was my development.”

Rich Hill can only watch Needy from afar

“I loved the program at USD, but college baseball is about winning games.  The minor leagues is about developing pro pitchers and my goal has always been to become a major league player.”

Needy had a storybook high school career, excelling as a quarterback in football, power forward in basketball and of course was a dominant two-way player in baseball; but his pitching is what got the scouts excited.  Some scouts even saw him as the best prep prospect in the talent rich San Diego County last year.

The Padres signed Needy for over $100,000 above the recommended slot level before the draft deadline and were able to get him to the Arizona League in late summer and to the Instructional League.

“Yeah, coming over to Phoenix in August in 115 degree heat after being in San Diego was a real treat,” said a smiling Needy recalling his time in the Arizona League.

Needy pitched well enough to turn some heads in the summer including former Padres Vice-President of Scouting and Development Grady Fuson, who liked what he saw.  In limited action he held the opposition to a .226 batting average and the organization was particularly pleased with his progress.

“I see him competing for a Fort Wayne job next year,” said Fuson.  “He has a breaking ball that we need to tighten up a little, has a good change and throws very well on a downhill plane.  Has big velocity, remember he is 6’6”, and the second time I saw him he was a little more aggressive with a much better finish on his pitches.”

While Needy is far away from being major league ready in both his baseball skills and what most experts believe he will be physically when his body fills out he has one of the brighter potentials of any Padres’ farmhand.  Six-foot-six pitchers that are athletic and consistently throw in the low to mid-90’s with control are not easy to find.

“They pretty much let throw the way that I did in high school when I got first got here,” recalled Needy on his first exposure to the pro game.  “Once we began Instructs that is where they really started to focus on my stride and release point, to get them more consistent.”

So far the main difference he has seen is not only in facing wooden bats as opposed to metal, but the talent level.

“At this level everyone was the best player in their high school, college or in whatever country they are coming here from.”

Needy hopes to start the season with the Fort Wayne Tincaps

“The other day I made a mistake of about four to six inches on a pitch and the guy hit it just as far as he would have with an aluminum bat.”

“You have to learn and work to get better every day if you are going to compete.”

John Conniff is a senior writer at MadFriars.com and a freelance contributor to Baseball America and 619Sports.Net

Led by a powerful front court, the Lincoln Hornets (28-2) have swatted away the competition on the road to the state championship game.  Tonight, Lincoln battles St. Francis from the Bay Area for the Division II state title.

Hornets head coach Jason Bryant joined 619 Sports to talk about his team’s resurgence in his third season on the bench, their 23-game winning streak, and the powerful tandem inside that leads Lincoln to victory.  Can a great year for San Diego prep sports continue with another state championship?

Our interview with Coach Bryant is after the jump:

Download audio file (032610-jason-bryant.mp3)

Jeremy Tyler made international headlines when he left San Diego High after his junior season to play abroad with Maccabi Haifi in Isreal.  Now, the 18-year-old has quit his team and is coming home with five weeks remaining in the season.

Tyler was scorned roundly for leaving high school, mostly by people who never had to walk a mile in his shoes.  At the time of his departure, I defended his right to seek a professional career instead of marking time in U.S. History class.

Things did not work out well from the start for Tyler in Isreal, as he languished on the bench with Maccabi Haifa.  A profile in the New York Times painted Tyler as immature, unprepared, and unwilling to work at the level demanded of a professional.  Now he’s back, hoping to work out for a few months before signing with another international team in August.

Sonny Vaccaro helped advise Tyler and his family during his initial signing with Maccabi Haifi.  The hoops guru joined 619 Sports this morning to talk about Tyler’s disappointing departure, but also to defend the concept of skipping the NCAA-bound pipeline in favor of a European approach.

Our provocative discussion is the latest podcast from 619 Sports, you can listen to it after the jump:Download audio file (031910-sonny-vaccaro.mp3)

Headlined by a quintet of players from the two-time state champion Oceanside Pirates, Brady Hoke announced a class of 27 recruits yesterday on National Signing Day.  The largest Aztecs recruiting class since 2005 is the latest sign of Hoke’s attempt to cleanse the program of its losing ways.

“All programs have a blueprint of what they want to be,” said Hoke at a Montezuma Mesa press conference (video below), “The biggest thing for us is to recruit guys who have character.  We want to recruit guys who come from winning programs.”

In that case, reaching out to John Carroll and Oceanside High is a natural start.  The six-time defending CIF champions and two-time state champs are coming off a 13-0 season.  The late addition of speedy cornerback/slotback Jerry Whittaker (who decommited from Arizona) to a group that already included linebacker Rene Siluano, cornerback King Holder, linebacker Jake Fely, and defensive lineman Kenneth Galea’i gives Hoke his first clear win in local recruiting.

Yes, the biggest fish in what might have been the best year for prep talent in San Diego history still left the pond.  There are no obvious superstars like Tony Jefferson, Ricky Seale or Thomas Molesi in Hoke’s class.  But you’ve got to start somewhere, and the class of 2010 for SDSU reflects months of hard work reconnecting with local prep coaches who had backed away in the Craft/Long era.

Watch video of Hoke’s press conference, an interview with Rocky Long and more after the jump:

24 of the 27 recruits in this year’s class come from California.  The high school players come from teams with a combined record of 194-57, a .773 winning percentage.  Those wins don’t transfer like AP credits onto the college transcripts, but Hoke believes that by recruiting players who have established the routine of winning, they will be more likely to pick up on his mantra at the next level.

Brady Hoke’s Opening Statement on Signing Day:

It’s no surprise that Hoke and his staff saw last year’s team as lacking in toughness.  They won’t say that, but the recruiting of six defensive lineman and five offensive lineman is a ringing bell.  The Aztecs needed to get more physical, more relentless…more Pirate-like.

The most immediate beneficiary should be defensive coordinator Rocky Long.  Coach Long joined 619 Sports after the Hoke press conference for a 1-on-1 interview:

The class includes one quarterback, Adam Dingwell, and if you’re going to go looking for QBs, Texas is a good place to go.  Dingwell comes from Rockwall, Texas and could be a heir to Lindley’s throne down the line.  In the interim, the Aztecs will return excellent experience in the passing game, with DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown both coming back as targets for Lindley.  They will be joined at wideout by athletic speedster Ezell Ruffin from Long Beach Wilson High School, and Madison High product David Lamar.

Watch Hoke answer questions from the San Diego sports media:

In his first year, Brady Hoke instilled a new attitude in the Aztecs football program, but for a lot of the kids, it didn’t completely take.  After some promising moments SDSU fell flat at season’s end.  Now, Hoke is bringing in his type of players to match his commitment to winning.

He’ll never be able to throw a fence around San Diego county, but one day he’s gonna rope one of the faster horses.  For now, Hoke will have to settle for a pirate’s ship full of young talent.

Mala Lemay (Hawaii), Tim Zier (SDSU), Ricky Seale (Stanford) and Joe Morton (Wyoming) hold up the banners of their schools of choice on Signing Day (619 Sports photo)

The San Diego Section’s all-time rushing leader will be heading to the Bay Area to play football.  Escondido’s Ricky Seale signed his letter of intent to attend Stanford University in the fall, and to play for coach Jim Harbaugh on the football team.  Seale’s signing, which took place today at the Escondido High School Learning Center, capped months of speculation as to where Seale would land.

“Thank God, it’s finally all over,” said Seale after putting ink to paper.

Seale was one of four Escondido athletes signing letters of intent on Wednesday, a banner day for the North County school.  Tim Zier signed a baseball scholarship with SDSU, while Joe Morton signed to play basketball at Wyoming, and Mala Lemay accepted a softball scholarship from Hawaii.

How close did the Aztecs come to landing Seale?

“It was a 50-50 deal all the way,” said Seale, “but Stanford was always my first choice.”

After the jump, watch video of Seale and Tim Zier answering questions on Signing Day:

Seale didn’t know for sure if he would be admitted into Stanford until late last night, when Harbaugh called his house.

“I was just, Oh My God,” said Seale, “I was actually surprised I got in, but I’ve been working so hard for it so I was really happy it all worked out.”

Seale was receiving pressure from inside his own school and to the west as well.  Over at Oceanside, the five Pirates who are coming as a group to play under Brady Hoke were reaching out to Zier, asking him to help recruit Seale to SDSU.  Meanwhile, the Pirates were trying to keep mammoth defensive tackle Thomas Molesi in town as well; Molesi said he came “this close” to switching, but instead honored his commitment to Oregon State.

Watch Ricky Seale and Tim Zier answer questions from 619 Sports and the assembled media in Escondido:

(two apologies, first for the video being a bit blurry, second for having to shift angles thanks to a cameraman jumping into my shot twice!)

Seale finished his prep career with 6,694 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per carry.  He will compete for playing time in the Cardinal backfield with another San Diego prep phenom, the former section rushing leader (and state player of the year) Tyler Gaffney.

Zier, meanwhile, is excited to begin a baseball career under Tony Gwynn at San Diego State, but admitted that “football is always in the back of my mind.”  Zier teamed with Seale to form a lethal combination the past two years in the Cougars’ backfield.