Friday Night Lights

By Max Frincke

March 29, 2021

5,406

In another week of spring high school football, many of Cal’s 2021 and 2022 recruits shined. As we get closer to summer, more and more recruits will join the ranks of Justyn Martin‍ and Damonic Williams‍ as Cal’s two lone commits for 2022. Those names could very well be included below.

2021 Recruits

Although this was technically last week on Saturday March 20^th, Lu-Magia Hearns‍ earned NorCal Special Teams Player of Week later on Tuesday after returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in De La Salle’s 63-27 win over Monte Vista. Hearns also caught a screen-pass for a 35-yard touchdown, showing off his blazing speed as he ran past defenders.

This week, Hearns caught a 70-yard touchdown against San Ramon Valley, a screen pass where he ran the full distance, juking and blazing past multiple defenders. One thing at this point is clear about Hearns, he can flat-out run. Playing safety, he also made a nice pass defended on a deep route, covering a lot of ground to get between the wide-out and the ball.

Cal was Hearns’ only Power 5 Conference offer after his junior year campaign, and he’s proving to be a standout this season.

In Santa Margarita’s 42-0 win over JSerra Catholic, four-star DE Derek Wilkins‍ totaled 4 tackles (one solo, three ast) and one sack for a loss of 14 yards. The 6’4, 250 standout is one of eight four-star 2022 recruits to join the Bears and picked Cal over Michigan, Oregon, and USC last year.

Another four-star recruit, 6’3 OLB Kaleb Elarms-Orr‍ suffered a knee injury that held him out of the second half of Moreau Catholics’ 50-46 loss against San Leandro on Friday night in Hayward. “He was in good spirits after the game,” head coach Rob Gatrell said of Elarms-Orr.

Cal’s third highest rated recruit per 247Sports, Mavin Anderson‍, caught two passes for 41 yards and a touchdown in Mission Viejo’s 38-14 loss versus Upland in SoCal on Saturday. A stud 6’0 wide-out with great speed, Anderson and J Michael Sturdivant‍ will contribute to Cal’s deepest receiving corps in years.

2022 Recruits

Cal’s highest-rated quarterback commit since Jared Goff, Justyn Martin finally got his season rolling on Thursday as the Inglewood Sentinels beat the Leuzinger Olympians by a score of 44-8 in Lawndale, CA. The 6’4 4-star quarterback threw for three touchdowns and at least 200 yards on the night, but would have thrown for more according to sports journalist Shotgun Spratling:

Martin chose Cal over Oregon, USC, Michigan State, and Arizona State, among others. He is considered the 8th best pro-style quarterback in the nation per 247Sports.com, and is known for his massive frame and arm-strength.

In Sparks, NV, Ashton Hayes‍’ McQueen Lancers lost 62-30 to the Reed Raiders. The 5’11 3-star running back had another good game, carrying the ball 28 times for 146 yards on 5.2 yards per carry. He also threw one four-yard pass for a touchdown.

Hayes led the state in rushing last season as a sophomore with 2,429 yards and 32 TDs. He has offers from Stanford, Arizona State and Oregon State, among others.

In Servite’s 38-28 loss to St. John Bosco, Tetairoa McMillan‍ had at least seven catches and two touchdowns in the Braves’ $7.2-million Panish Family Stadium in Bellflower, CA. A five-star wide-receiver, McMillan has offers from all over the country, including Oklahoma, LSU, Oregon and USC. At 6’3, he makes for a big, long prospect that thrives on catching jump balls. And “don’t say a word about his speed. He’s fast, tough, jumps, competes,” says LA Times’ Eric Sondheimer.

With seven receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown, Bishop Alemany’s Kevin Green‍ helped the Warriors beat the Bishop Amat Lancers 47-35 on Friday night in La Puente, CA. The three-star wide-out’s touchdown grab was an absolute stunner. His dad’s tweet says it all.

Speaking of wide-outs, CJ Williams‍ is another SoCal prospect that would be a great commit for the Golden Bears. The 6’2 four-star wide-receiver had a big night on Friday, hauling in six receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns in Mater Dei’s 49-7 stomping over Orange Lutheran in Orange, CA.

In St. Mary’s 54-14 thrashing of Tracy in Stockton, 6’1 Jadyn Marshall‍ popped off for one carry for 41 yards and a touchdown, along with two receptions for 37 yards. The four-star wide-receiver’s highlight of the night was surely his jet sweep run to the house.

Up north in Vancouver, WA, Tobias Merriweather‍ pulled in a 33 yard TD pass to help Union beat Evergreen 48-6. On defense, he also had one interception to help the Titans finish their season 5-1. Merriweather is a 4-star 6’4 recruit with offers from Oregon, USC, and Notre Dame.

In Chicago, Danny McGuire‍ suited up at right guard on Friday to help lead the Marist RedHawks to a 20-16 win over the Brother Rice Crusaders. At 6-5, McGuire would make for a nice addition to the Golden Bears’ front-line.

Down south in San Diego, Jaxson Moi‍ helped lead the Cathedral Catholic Dons to 41-14 win over the St. Augustine Saints. Moi had an all-around statistical outing, garnering 4 tackles, including 3 tfl, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery, showcasing his ability to break through offensive lines.

Moi is a 6-3, three-star defensive-end with offers from most Pac-12 schools.

In Glendora’s 33-7 win over West Covina, all-around athlete Braydon Brus‍ had a big game, making plays on the ground, through the air, and on defense. Brus had two touchdowns on the night, including a one-yard rushing score and a 25-yard pick six. Since his sophomore year, Brus has added 30+ pounds and 11 scholarships. Whether on offense or defense, he’d be a great addition to Cal!

On Friday night, the 6’2 three-star recruit had seven carries for 35 yards, three receptions for 28 yards, four tackles, one pass defended and one interception to go along with two touchdowns. Outside of football, he has also competed in the Reebok CrossFit Games.